Category: Recipes

Nutrition and Food, Recipes

Vegan s’mores Popcorn

Sarah Miller, RD

Ingredients

  • unpopped popcorn kernels (I use ~1/4c unpopped for 1 person)
  • popcorn popper (I like my colonel popper)
  • vegan graham crackers (at least 3 sheets) broken into pieces
  • vegan marshmallows (mini or regular)
  • vegan chocolate chips or bar of choice (if using bar, break into pieces)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Pop your popcorn according to instructions. I like to airpop using my colonel popper in the microwave, no oil needed.
  3. Spread popcorn out on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. Distribute pieces of large marshmallows (or mini marshmallows) throughout popcorn spread. Do the same with your chocolate and graham pieces.
  5. Place baking sheet in the oven. After ~5 minutes watch more closely for doneness. Chocolate and marshmallows should be soft/melted with some slight browning on the marshmallows.
  6. Remove from oven- serve and enjoy!

Tips

  1. I recommend keeping a close eye on your tray in the oven to avoid overcooking.
  2. Feel free to try different add-ins such as unsalted nuts, caramels or other gooey or crunchy treats. The options are endless!
Nutrition and Food, Recipes

Easy Vegan Egg Bites

Sarah Miller, RD

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Turn air fryer on.
  2. Spray mini muffin tin with nonstick spray.
  3. Place 1-2 pieces of the diced potato and diced mushroom in each mini muffin hole.
  4. Let air fry for about 5 min or until potato has some light browning.
  5. Carefully remove mini muffin tin from air fryer.
  6. Shake well and pour in liquid Just Egg, being careful not to overflow.
  7. Place a few pieces of shredded vegan cheese or smaller pieces of sliced vegan cheese in each muffin hole.
  8. Return to air fryer on lower level of appliance.
  9. Let air fry for another 5 min, or until tops of mini egg bites appear done (light browning).
  10. Carefully remove from your air fryer and let cool for a couple of minutes before removing from muffin tin. Make sure to place on a heat safe surface.
  11. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

  1. I recommend keeping a close eye on your air fryer during the cooking process to avoid overcooking.
  2. Feel free to try different vegetables and/or cheese. The options are endless!
  3. Make sure not to over-fill mini muffin tin; adding too much liquid will make the egg bites puff up. They’ll still taste great, they’ll just look like mini soufflĂ©s 🤣
  4. These are so tasty you’re going to want to eat them all, so at most one mini muffin pan will feed ~1-2 people.
Nutrition and Food, Recipes

Vegan French Toast Bake

Sarah Miller, RD

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf of Vegan Croissant Toast cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 12 oz silken tofu
  • 1, 13.5oz can of coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot
  • 1/2c sugar
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 2c frozen mixed berries

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Cut the bread slices into 1 inch cubes. Remove 2c of mixed berries and leave out on countertop to defrost a bit.
  3. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with a nonstick spray and add bread cubes.
  4. Blend tofu, coconut milk, arrowroot, sugar and cinnamon in your high speed blender to make a custard.
  5. Pour custard over bread cubes. Push cubes down to ensure they all get wet, or leave some dryer areas if you like a crunchy crust.
  6. Place in oven and bake for 20min.
  7. Pour mixed berries over the top and bake for another 20min. It’s ok if the berries are still frozen when you add them.
  8. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Tips

  1. Make sure your bread is dry- it works best if the bread is about 1 day past it’s best date. The dryer the bread the better the texture for this recipe. You can also substitute another type of french bread if you prefer.
  2. My husband and I like a mixture of texture so I like to only push down some of the bread and let other smaller areas remain untouched by the custard so that they come out a little crunchy. If you prefer soft texture make sure you have fully coated all of the bread pieces.
  3. Feel free to add more fruit if you like, 2c is an estimate of the amount I used.
  4. My husband really likes maple syrup on top; I prefer to keep it as is or to add some vanilla plant based yogurt ????
Nutrition and Food, Recipes

Easy Tofu Veggie Scramble

Sarah Miller, RD

Ingredients

  • 1/2 sweet potato or any other potato you have, diced
  • 1 yellow squash, cut into bit size pieces
  • 1 zucchini, cut into bite size pieces
  • 14 oz block firm tofu, drained
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 tsp garlic (or more to taste; can sub garlic powder but use less since it’s stronger than fresh)
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1.5 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1.5 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Drain tofu well. I use my tofu press for about 20 minutes. Don’t worry about making the block have fissures or breaks- you’re going to be mashing this up once it’s drained anyway.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and garlic over medium heat in a deep pan or a medium size pot.  Add diced potato.
  3. Once potato pieces are slightly browned (about 5-7 min), add in the yellow and zucchini squash.
  4. Once the potatoes look a bit darker and your squash has some browning, crumble in your drained tofu. Mix together with turmeric, onion powder, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, cumin and black pepper.  Add more or less of each seasoning to taste- I like to have enough turmeric to make the tofu appear yellow but not so much that it’s a dominant flavor. 
  5. Stir together tofu, seasonings and vegetables to distribute flavors well (about 2-4min). Serve warm.

Tips

  1. Don’t be afraid of adding or omitting spices. You can make this taste like whatever you want- that’s the beauty of tofu!
  2. Try adding in fresh diced onion instead of onion powder, or other vegetables you might have in your fridge. 
  3. Want a little more comfort? Melt some vegan (or dairy if you prefer) cheese on top to make it a melted scramble.
  4. I like to make this in my soup pot because I sometimes stir a little vigorously ???? So if you’re like me (accident and kitchen mess prone) consider using your soup pot instead of a skillet. Know yourself. ????
  5. Serve with your favorite toast (I suggest avocado toast or toasted vegan croissant toast), coffee, and orange juice for a lazy Sunday brunch. Cheers!
appetizer bowl bread breakfast
Nutrition and Food, Recipes

Soup Season

Sarah Miller, RD

It’s my favorite time of the year for so many reasons, one of them being soup! There is nothing more cozy than a fresh homemade soup at the end of the day. But making a big pot of soup can be overwhelming when your household is smaller. I know for us making a soup sometimes means we’re eating soup for the next 3-4 days in our house. In an effort to mix it up and not get bored with your favorite soup, here’s a tip: freeze that leftover soup. But don’t just stick it in any tupperware and freeze, continue reading for my favorite way to store leftover soups, stews, and chilis.

Freezing Soup

One of my favorite kitchen finds is the Souper Cube on Amazon.

This gadget is perfect if you’re a small household. Simply fill the cubes and place in the freezer. Whenever you’re in the mood for some soup, simply heat up the pre-portioned servings.

Favorites

Here are some of my favorite soup recipes:

https://www.savorytooth.com/instant-pot-tomato-soup/ This one was shared with me by a friend and she was right- it’s delicious and super easy to make! I made it constantly last season. I recommend pairing a bowl of this with a vegan (you can use dairy if you’re into that) grilled cheese sandwich ????

Thug Kitchen Cookbook Coconut Curry Soup *Language Warning. Thug Kitchen has some rather colorful ways of expressing themselves, but their recipes are amazing. Don’t let the foul language fool you.

One Pot Everyday Lentil Soup One pot?! Yes, please. Lentils are such a great source of protein; this soup makes a hearty meal on its own.

The Best Vegan Tortilla Soup I love a good tortilla soup! The Thug Kitchen Cookbook also has an amazing recipe, but this one is a little easier to make.

As per usual if you’re making a soup that recommends blending, I highly recommend the Blendtec.

Have a favorite soup recipe you want to share? I’d love to hear from you! Comment below.

Nutrition and Food, Recipes

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Hemp Seed Bread

Sarah Miller, RD

Ingredients

  • 1 and 2/3 c whole wheat flour
  • 1 c sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
  • 1-2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 c canned pumpkin
  • 1/2 c olive oil
  • 1/2 c water
  • 1/2 c hemp seeds
  • 1/2 c dried cranberries
  • 1/2 c dairy free dark chocolate chips
  • nonstick spray

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 ℉.
  2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pumpkin spice.
  3. In another bowl combine mashed banana, pumpkin, water, and olive oil.
  4. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients until moistened.
  5. Fold in hemp seeds, dried cranberries, and chocolate chips.
  6. Spray a 9×5 inch bread loaf pan with nonstick spray. Pour batter into greased pan.
  7. Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and top of the bread is slightly browned and crunchy.
  8. Let cool and enjoy!

Tips

  1. Banana quantity can be decided according to how moist you like your breads. To make it more moist like a cake use 2 whole mashed bananas. For slightly less cake-like density use 1- 1.5 whole mashed bananas.
  2. Try having a piece warmed with your favorite cup of coffee!
Nutrition and Food, Recipes

Easy Vegan Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Sarah Miller, RD

Ingredients

  • 1, 15.5 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
  • 2 tbsp vegan mayo
  • 1-2 celery stalks, cut into bite size chunks
  • 1/4-1/2 orange bell pepper, cut into bite size chunks
  • 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Mash drained chickpeas in a medium bowl using a potato masher or fork. Mash until beans make a sort of paste with themselves- ok to have some larger chunks.
  2. Stir in vegan mayo, celery, and orange bell pepper.
  3. Mix in smoked paprika and pepper. Add more smoked paprika and pepper if needed. ????
  4. Serve on whole wheat bread or bread of choice with a side salad and your favorite vegetable chips ????

Tips

  1. Toasting your bread gives a whole new dimension to your sandwiches; I highly recommend it.
  2. Don’t be afraid to add more smoked paprika or pepper. Seasonings should be adjusted to what you like! ????
  3. Try this between 2 pieces of bread and your favorite melted vegan cheese. ????
  4. Try leftovers on crackers for a snack the next day.
Nutrition and Food, Recipes

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake ???? Day?!

Sarah Miller, RD

OMG, apparently today is Pumpkin Cheesecake Day! I didn’t even know this is a thing, but the timing is perfect! Here is an amazing vegan no-bake pumpkin cheesecake recipe I followed last week that I highly recommend. It was so good that my husband and I devoured it quicker than I’d like to admit. ????

You won’t be sorry. This recipe definitely requires a good blender though and you all know I love my blendtec. It made preparation really easy. My particular model is full price but Amazon has this model on special for only $259.99 today! That’s almost 50% off!!

I didn’t know how much I missed a good cheesecake until I made this recipe. Not particularly interested in pumpkin spice stuff? Simply follow the recipe as is, omit the pumpkin spice and pumpkin, and use your favorite fruit for the top layer instead! ????

Nutrition and Food, Recipes

Banana Nice Cream

Sarah Miller, RD

Ingredients

  • frozen banana ???? chunks
  • 1-2 tbsp of your favorite plant-based milk (I really like Ripple) ????

Add-ons

Instructions

  1. Place frozen banana chunks ???? in your blender (I recommend a Blendtec and I use the twister jar for this recipe). The quantity of banana pieces you use depends on total servings you’re trying to make. I recommend using 1/2-1 full banana per serving. For example to make enough for 2 people use at least 1-2 frozen bananas worth.
  2. Add about 1 tbsp of plant-based milk ???? of your choice to the blender. 
  3. Select the “batter” setting on your Blendtec and rotate the twister jar lid counter clockwise while it blends. Make sure to apply enough pressure to keep the lid on. If you don’t have a Blendtec, you can accomplish this step by blending your banana pieces ???? and milk ???? on a setting for your blender that effectively incorporates the 2 ingredients. Total blending time is about 45sec-1min but can vary depending on serving size, blender, and texture you’re trying to achieve.
  4. Blend until desired consistency is reached. You may need to take breaks and scrape the sides of the container. If the mixture is too thick, add more plant-based milk- but remember you can always add more plant-milk, you can’t remove it. If you find that you’ve added too much and now it’s too runny, add more frozen banana chunks to thicken it back up. I like to sometimes leave a few larger chunks of frozen banana just to give a nice chewy texture to the ice cream.
  5. If you’re using a powder mix-in like PBfit chocolate peanut butter ???? , mix that in now before removing everything from the blender. If you forget, you can always mix it in by hand later with a spoon.
  6. Once your desired consistency is reached, divide portions into your bowls or containers of choice. ????
  7. Add in any mix-ins you may like. I recommend Ben & Jerry’s vegan chocolate chip cookie dough bites ???? with a scoop of natural peanut butter ???? and some pretzel pieces ???? , but the sky’s the limit! Mix in anything you normally like in your ice cream and enjoy!

Tips

  1. Freeze the bananas in chunks. Don’t try and blend an entire frozen banana- trust me.
  2. Add any solid mix-ins by hand after you’ve portioned out the banana ice cream.
  3. If using a powder mix-in, adding while still blending is easiest.
  4. This nice cream is best consumed immediately after making.
Nutrition and Food, Recipes

Vegan Quiche

Sarah Miller, RD

Ingredients

  • 1 pre-made vegan pie crust (I like to use Wholly gluten free 9″ pie shells)
  • 14oz block firm tofu
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1-3 tbsp unflavored plant- based milk
  • 1c dairy or non-dairy shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 medium white onion chopped or diced into bite size pieces
  • 1 medium/large carrot or 6-10 baby carrots (whichever you have on hand) diced or sliced into bite size pieces

Instructions

  1. Press the tofu block to drain as much liquid as possible. I usually press for ~20min
  2. Remove frozen pie crust to allow to thaw for ~10-20min or per package instructions.
  3. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  4. Add tofu, nutritional yeast, turmeric, lemon juice, and salt to high powered blender. Blend until smooth. If your mixture needs help mixing add in 1tbsp of plant-based milk at a time to assist in blending.
  5. By hand, stir in the onion, carrot (or other vegetables), and cheese of choice.
  6. Spread mixture into pre-made crust.
  7. Bake for ~40-45min or until crust sides and top of quiche are golden brown and filling appears firm.
  8. Slice and enjoy!

Tips

  1. You can use any vegetable you like. Carrots and onions are a little odd I know, but the flavor is really good and gives a great crunch texture. Be creative and try asparagus, mushrooms, parsnips, spinach, potatoes, any vegetable you like!
  2. Draining the tofu block is key! If your tofu is too watery this won’t work well- trust me. Consider buying a tofu press if you don’t already have one. I bought this one on Amazon and it makes draining tofu a breeze.
  3. If you’re feeling adventurous you can make your own pie crust instead of buying a frozen store bought option. 
  4. Sprinkle some hemp hearts on top for an extra dose of protein and omegas.
  5. I recommend a really good blender for this recipe. You all know I love my blendtec. I use it as a blender and a food processor. Check out the link if you’re interested in the model I use.