I was never a great breakfast eater. I would usually skip it all together and on days when I felt I needed to eat something I would get a bagel. Eventually I became so obsessed with eating an everything bagel with vegan butter and nooch that I was eating it a few times a week…or more if I’m honest. You can guess how great I felt after eating so many bagels a week. Not so great. I gave them up completely for a bit and had to find some new lighter and healthier breakfasts to eat. Its not to say I don’t eat bagels anymore. I just don’t eat multiple bagels a week. You gotta live and what would life be without the occasional bagel? 

On a quest to find new breakfasts I decided to try Chia Pudding. I tried store bought brands and wasn’t to impressed with them so I went about making the pudding myself. I tried a few different milk to chia seed ratio’s and finally found one I liked the best. I also like it best when I make it the night before and let it sit in the fridge for at least 10 hours. I like my chia seeds fully plump! 

After settling on a recipe I liked I couldn’t get enough of it. I add fresh fruit and chopped nuts just before serving to add extra texture and flavor. My favorite flavor combo is Mango Coconut and Almonds. It becomes a decadent breakfast that could also be a healthy dessert!

Quinoa Tabbouleh w. Chickpeas

Its been 6 months since my last post. Sorry about that! Even before that I was rarely posting. Kids and school, life and work got in the way. I’ve made so many changes in my life and how I eat I think I was too busy and overwhelmed to focus on my blog. Not that I have the month of August off I’m going to try to get things rolling again. I miss it. 

Regarding the change in how I eat…don’t worry…I’m still vegan. I’m just eating a whole lot healthier, since January, and you’ll see those changes reflected in the recipes I’ll be posting. I’m exercising a lot with a great trainer and group of people and I’ve lost quite a few pounds since the beginning of the year! I’m doing a lot of meal prepping which I hope to share with you guys. I’m feeling great. 

Today I’m sharing a simple recipe for Quinoa Tabbouleh w. Chickpeas. Every time I cook up a batch of quinoa I alway’s set some aside to make this recipe and then I end up using it for something else. I finally used up the extra quinoa for it’s intended purpose….this recipe. 

With already prepared quinoa waiting in the fridge all that’s left to do is chop up some veggies and herbs and mix everything together. Let it sit in the fridge for at least one hour to let all the flavors meld together. Its a really refreshing dish to make on a hot summers day and is perfect for the next vegan potluck you are going to. Eat it as a side dish or your main meal. That’s up to you. We ate it with a side of roasted zucchini and my husband enjoyed some stir-fried seitan with his. 

Each 1 cup serving has about 280 calories, 7 grams of fat and 11 grams of protein. 

I am pumped to be part of Jill Nussinow’s book tour for her new cookbook: Vegan Under Pressure. About 6 months ago I purchased an Instant Pot, which, is an electric pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker and more (if you can believe it!) Its a miracle machine! Once you purchase your first pressure cooker, you join various pressure cooking facebook groups and you immediately become familiar with Jill Nussinow through those groups (if you didn’t know of her before then.) Her recipes are very popular and she is very active in the various groups with advice and tips. I love how she makes herself available to the community! She is a gem.

Jill’s new book is a must for anyone who is new to pressure cooking (electric or stove top). It is filled with tips, tricks, charts, and cooking times for lots of beans and grains. I’ve already referred to it many times over the past few weeks while bulk cooking beans and grains for the week ahead and everything has come out perfectly. 

While choosing to highlight a dessert recipe is not unusual here on good good things I picked a dessert recipe because it’s one of the few things I’ve never done with a pressure cooker. Beans, grains, soups, stews,  and potatoes galore…yes…but dessert?…never. I was very intrigued and wanted to see if it would actually work! I’m happy to say that it did and I can’t wait to try more dessert recipes from Jill’s new book. 

I made the Straightforward Cashew Lemon Cheezecake over the weekend. This recipe had a few “firsts” for me: first dessert in a pressure cooker, first time using coconut flour, it smells amazing, and first time using coconut sugar. I was very pleased with how it came out and tasted. It’s a recipe I would be happy to bring to a potluck with me and probably will in the future. 

Jill has been kind enough to let me share the recipe with you. Let me know if you try it in your pressure cooker. 

Straightforward Cashew Lemon Cheezecake

Makes 1 cake, 8 to 12 slices

I am not a dairy cheesecake fan, but I love vegan cheezecake as it’s usually not cloyingly sweet or overly fatty. This comes together rather easily but seems like a very special dessert. It can be served with a variety of fruit toppings, depending upon what’s in season. The star is the filling, although the crust is mighty tasty, too. You do, however, need to remember to soak the cashews for at least 2 hours in advance.

To get the best results, you need to use a high-speed blender. You can also make this in a regular blender or food processor, but know that you won’t get the creamy result that is intended (it will still taste darned good). You will need a 6-, 7-, or 8-inch springform pan that fits inside your pressure cooker.

If you don’t want to make an oat crust, use your favorite raw crust.

Crust

1 cup quick oats
½ cup walnuts
½ cup chopped dates, soaked in ¼ cup water for 15 to 30 minutes, drained, but reserve soaking liquid

Filling

1 cup cashews, soaked in 1 cup water for 2 to 4 hours
½ cup coconut flour
¼ cup coconut palm sugar
½ cup vanilla nondairy milk
1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

½ cup fresh raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries; or 6 figs, sliced; or other fruit to top the cheezecake

1. Add 1½ cups water to your pressure cooker and add a rack elevated above the water. Create a set of helper handles to enable you to remove the pan.

2. To make the crust: Combine the crust ingredients in a mini food processor and process briefly until the mixture comes together. If it seems too dry, add a tablespoon at a time of the date soaking liquid until you have a cohesive “dough.” It should be firm but not gooey. Press into the bottom and a little way up the sides of a springform pan that will fit in your pressure cooker.

3. To make the filling: Drain the cashews, reserving the soaking water. Add the cashews and half the soaking water to a high-speed blender or food processor and process until smooth. Add more water, if necessary. Add the coconut flour, palm sugar, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla to the blender or processor. Blend well. Add the arrowroot and blend again.

4. Pour the filling into the crust, smoothing out the top. Cover the pan with foil or a cover. Lower the pan into the pressure cooker, using the helper handle, if necessary.

5. Lock on the lid. Bring to high pressure; cook for 20 minutes. Let the pressure come down naturally. Carefully open the cooker, tilting the lid away from you.

6. Using the helper handle, carefully take the pan out of the cooker. Remove the cover carefully so any accumulated moisture does not drip onto the cake. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Place the fruit on top of the cheezecake. Let cool for at least 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before removing the outer part of the pan and serving.

Text excerpted from Vegan Under Pressure, © 2015 by Jill Nussinow. Reproduced by permission of

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

I am thrilled to be sharing a recipe and review today from Laura Theodore’s new book Vegan-Ease, An Easy Guide To Enjoying A Plant-Based Diet. Laura hosts her own vegan cooking show on public television called The Jazzy Vegetarian and has a weekly radio show called Jazzy Vegetarian Radio. Can you guess that she is also a Jazz singer?

Her new book is all about quick and easy recipes.There are over 130 recipes in this book with beautiful full color photos. Each recipe is marked with an Ease-Factor to make it easy to choose a recipe depending on how much or how little time you have to spend on cooking your meals that day. I’m looking forward to trying many of Laura’s new recipes.

Today we are sharing Laura’s recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse which has an Ease Factor of 1. It takes very little time to prepare this delightful dessert! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Mousse
4-6 servings

Yum and double yum! This super creamy and delightful mousse will please the chocolate and peanut butter fans at your table. Piped into small dishes, this is one special treat.

1/2 cup nondairy milk
1 block (14 to 16 ounces) firm regular tofu, drained and cubed
3 heaping tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup vegan powdered sugar
1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

Heat the nondairy milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming hot but not boiling. Put the tofu, peanut butter and sugar in a blender container, then add the chocolate chips. Pour in the steaming hot nondairy milk and process until completely smooth. Spoon or pipe the mixture into dessert dishes and refrigerate 4-24 hours. Serve chilled.

I am so pleased to be hosting Zsu Dever on her blog tour for her new book Vegan Bowls! I’m an absolute sucker for bowls. I’ve alway’s loved having everything tucked into a nice bowl, all mixed up, and ready to go. 

As I page through Zsu’s new book I am constantly adding recipe after recipe into my mental file of what I want to make. Paella Bowl? Yes. Seitan Gyro Bowl? Yes. Roman Style Tempeh Bowl with Kale and Apple Salad? YES!!  Every time I turn the page and see a new recipe I want to make it! I love Zsu’s books for that reason. With her first book, Everyday Vegan Eats, and now with Vegan Bowls she creates recipes that are easy, delicious and will make you reach for her cookbooks when looking for something new to make.

I am happy to be sharing her recipe for a lovely Thai Panang Curry Bowl. I hope you enjoy it.

Thai Panang Curry Bowl

SERVES 4

This is such a simple recipe that it almost feels like cheating. In addition to being quick,
this curry is super flexible; use any variety of vegetables that you please.

QUINOA
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup green peas, thawed if frozen

CURRY

1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk, divided
1 to 2 tablespoons red curry paste
2 tablespoons peanut butter
3 (2-lobed) kaffir lime leaves
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
5 cups coarsely chopped vegetables (carrot, winter squash, summer squash, green
beans)
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
Sea salt and black pepper
1/2 cup Thai basil or Genoese basil

SOY-FREE OPTION: Substitute coconut aminos and 1/8 teaspoon sea salt for the tamari.

QUINOA: Heat the quinoa, broth, garlic and salt in a small saucepan. Cover, bring to boil
over high heat, reduce to medium-low heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove
from heat and set aside for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and add peas before serving.

CURRY: Heat 1/4 cup coconut milk in a large pot over medium heat. Add the curry paste
and cook until the milk reduces a bit, about 1 minute. Add another 1/4 cup of the milk
and the peanut butter and cook for another minute. Add the remaining milk, the lime
leaves, tamari, and 1/4 cup of water. Add the tough vegetables (carrot, winter squash)
and cook for 4 minutes. Add the soft vegetables (summer squash, green beans) and
simmer over medium until the vegetables are tender. Add the bell pepper and cook
until crisp tender, about 1 minute. Add more water if the curry is too dry. Season with
salt and pepper. To serve, divide the curry and quinoa among 4 bowls. Garnish with the
basil.

(Recipe from
Vegan Bowls, copyright © 2015 by Zsu Dever. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage
Press, LLC.)

all photos by Zsu Dever