What I Eat In A Day | February 27, 2018

Lately, I’ve been starting off most mornings with this combination: greens powder & supplements. The supplements that I take every day vary depending on how I’m feeling, or what I think I need more of. Most mornings I stick with these three supplements: astragalus (immune support), Vitamin D (winter months can often result in depleted vitamin D stores), and a vegan probiotic (for a happy tummy).

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I’ll be honest, I’ve yet to find a greens powder that doesn’t taste gnarly. This one by Barlean’s is packed with lots of goodness but the taste is definitely strong. I’ve found mixing a scoop of greens powder with some orange juice helps the “medicine” go down much better. I add about 1/3 cup of orange juice into a small jar, a scoop of greens powder and then shake until combined. It takes about three gulps and I’ve already gotten in a bunch of greens, antioxidants, fiber, and nutrients for the day.

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I prefer doing this rather than making a smoothie, because sometimes making a smoothie is too time consuming, and so mixing it with some juice is alot easier for me. Continue reading “What I Eat In A Day | February 27, 2018”

Chicken & Dumplings | Veganized

This recipe is a play on one of my favorite veganized recipes: Chicken Noodle Soup | Veganized. In my opinion, chicken and dumplings are the definition of comfort food, and so delicious you’ll be surprised by how easy it is to make!

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Growing up, I remember my grandma making chicken and dumplings. It was far from a healthy meal, but it was a favorite comfort food of mine throughout my childhood.

Over the years, I’ve developed a love for integrating nutrition into some of my favorite recipes from my childhood and trying my best to create the same comfort and warmth but veganizing it without compromising on deliciousness.

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Most recipes I veganize I try to replicate exactly how I remember them, but for this one I wanted to boost the nutrition and add in lots of comforting colorful vegetables. I flipped my grandma’s chicken and dumpling recipe upside down and incorporated veggies, vegetable broth, and dairy-free milk and butter; and left out the Crisco, cow’s milk, *real* chicken, and dairy butter. It’s a lot different than her original recipe, but it still provides the same comfort, warmth, and satisfaction.

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Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon | Veganized

I first fell in love with cooking through the famous French chef Julia Child. She had such an incredible way about her when it came to her love of cooking, and finding her passion in making French cooking accessible for Americans. I watched Julia and Julia, read books about her, watched her hilarious cooking show: The French Chef, and bought every cookbook of hers I could find. When I began transitioning into becoming vegetarian, I still appreciated her but knew that I may never be able to continue cooking with her and creating her recipes. 

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Recently, I’ve been trying to veganize just about everything… from chicken noodle soup to California sushi rolls. I knew the ultimate vegan challenge would be to take on any of Julia Child’s recipes, specifically her famous Boeuf Bourguignon. After some research, I came up with the perfect game plan on how I was going to tackle this flavorful, butter filled recipe making it 100% vegan, and I think I did it! 

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What I Eat In A Day | October 24, 2017

I started off the morning with my favorite breakfast that I’ve been making almost every morning lately. It’s the perfect savory breakfast that is super healthy, hearty, simple, and delicious! 

I started by adding about a cup of frozen hash browns to a pan with a tiny bit of olive oil and cooked them until they were crispy. In a separate pan I sautéed crumbled tofu (I add a tiny bit of turmeric to give it some color/flavor), peppers, onion, and kale. At the very end I threw in some garlic and chopped basil for some added flavor and nutrition. 

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And I don’t stop there… I’ve been packing in even more nutrients by adding nutritional yeast (for B vitamins, iron, & zinc) and kelp flakes (for iodine). I top it all with extra black pepper and some hot sauce for a kick. A dish like this is the perfect meal to start your day off because it’s SO much food, and will keep you full for hours. 

Of course I paired it with a mug of French pressed coffee to which I added in some unsweetened soy milk.

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Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce

When going vegan, or trying to eat more plant-based it seems daunting to give up cheese… it’s so creamy, rich, and delicious. But dairy is filled with saturated fat, cholesterol, milk proteins (which have been shown to be linked to all different types of cancers), and can cause inflammation all throughout the body. I came up with the perfect recipe to replace all your dairy-filled cheesey cream sauces. This cashew cream sauce is not only an amazing alternative to dairy cheese sauces, but it’s also packed with nutrients that are good for you! 

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Soaking the cashews helps to soften them and break them down so they can be digested better as well as blend more easily. I used raw cashews, but you can use roasted if that is the only option available to you. Cashews can be found in most bulk sections of the grocery store, as well as packaged with the nuts and seeds. They contain healthy fats that are unsaturated, and are also packed with selenium, vitamin K, magnesium, and iron. 

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Cashews are neutral in flavor which makes this sauce the perfect base for lots of recipes!

Continue reading “Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce”