cooking – Page 2

Chicken-less Nuggets with Homemade Ketchup

Published on November 5, 2014February 28, 2018 by The Planted VeganLeave a comment

Chicken nuggets, without the chicken? You’re probably wondering how that’s even possible, well this recipe is a vegan-friendly alternative to chicken nuggets. Although it doesn’t taste exactly like real chicken nuggets, they are a lot healthier and less processed, and they also contain plant-based protein as opposed to animal protein.

Obviously, you can’t eat “chicken” nuggets without ketchup, so I also created a homemade ketchup recipe. Most store bought ketchup has high fructose corn syrup, food dyes, and preservatives, so making your own is definitely the best way to go.

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Asian Inspired Quinoa and Kale Salad

Published on October 25, 2014June 26, 2015 by The Planted VeganLeave a comment

I absolutely love quinoa, kale, and Asian food . . . so I thought it was only necessary to come up with a recipe that combined all three of those things. This recipe is super simple, fairly cheap, and packed with protein. This makes a great lunch that you can pack to take with you to school, or work.

What’s great about this recipe:

Quinoa is an amazing superfood. It’s packed with protein and has all essential amino acids (which are the building blocks of protein). Another great thing about quinoa is that it is gluten free, so if you have celiac or have a sensitivity to gluten this is a great grain to incorporate into your diet.

Edamame is another great source of plant based protein. I love to use edamame because it is the most unprocessed form of soybeans. When buying edamame, look in the frozen vegetable section of the grocery store, and stick with organic edamame since soy is usually grown from GMO seeds.

Kale of course is another superfood, packed with tons of nutrients. I love throwing kale into dishes like this, because it just packs more nutrients into a dish. Also kale is in season right now, so it’s pretty inexpensive.

Liquid Aminos are a great product to have in your refrigerator. The taste is almost identical to soy sauce, but isn’t filled with sodium and preservatives like real soy sauce is. It is also non GMO and gluten free unlike most soy sauces. I love that it has all the amino acids, which are so important for our bodies to have and use.

Asian Inspired Quinoa and Kale Salad

(Vegan/Gluten Free/Nut Free)

Servings: 4

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My Experience Going to Natural Chef School

Published on August 22, 2014August 16, 2015 by The Planted Vegan3 Comments

This summer I attended Central Carolina Community College’s Natural Chef certification program in Pittsboro, NC. For a while I’ve been wanting to attend culinary school to gain a deeper knowledge and experience in cooking. But I knew that I didn’t really want to spend an entire two years going to culinary school to get an associates degree.

When I found out that I could become not only a certified Chef, but a certified Natural Chef in just one summer I knew that this was an amazing opportunity for me and my career. The program offered by CCCC is a certificate program, that is one of just three in the country. Also, it is available at a super affordable price.

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Mint Lemonade

Published on June 25, 2014June 26, 2015 by The Planted VeganLeave a comment

It’s summer time, which means it is hot hot hot! I have a beautiful mint plant that is in full swing and I wanted to make a drink using the mint, so I made this delicious and refreshing lemonade. This is the perfect drink for a summer day, and lemon and mint are two great detoxifiers! So not only are you getting something to sip on, but you’re also helping your body out.

For three servings, all you’ll need is…

Two lemons
Three to four springs of fresh mint
Three to four fresh stevia leaves (or your preferred sweetener, but I definitely recommend organic Stevia either in the liquid or powdered form)

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How-To Make Popcorn

Published on March 18, 2014October 26, 2017 by The Planted VeganLeave a comment

A lot of people don’t realize that popcorn is actually a whole grain, meaning it is unrefined and has all of the grain components, providing the most nutrients. If you make popcorn the “right way” then it is a great snack to have that’s packed with whole grains.

Most people buy bagged popcorn that is full of butter and chemical additives. Instead, pop your own with plain old popping corn kernels, and a brown paper bag! It is so quick, easy, and way less expensive than the pre-bagged microwave popcorn, and it so much better for you. By popping your own, you can control how much butter, how much salt, and how many additives you put in it.

See all the added ingredients in this bag of microwave popcorn? If you pop your own the only ingredient is popping corn!