minty watermelon cucumber skewers

Soak sliced cucumber in the juice of one lime and 3 sprigs of mint finely chopped. let soak for at least 1 hour ( longer is better for a stronger flavor). After soaking, place sliced cucumber and sliced watermelon onto toothpicks or skewers and top with a leaf of mint. Drizzle with remaining lime juice and chopped mint at the end. Great for a snack at the beach :)

Watermelon Limeade

2 ice cubes, 4 leaves of mint (muddled), juice from 1 lime, five 1 inch watermelon squares, 1 packet of stevia, and 12 oz of water :) so refreshing and delicious!!!

Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries

Preheat the over to 375 degrees. Cut one medium sized sweet potato into fry strips. Combine with 3 tbsp. earth balance, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 2 tsp sugar and 2 tsp of nutmeg. mix together bake for about an hour or until crispy on the outsides. Periodically take out of the oven and flip/ mix for best results.

Mint Smoothie with Spinach

blend together 5 ice cubes, 1 cup vanilla soymilk, 2 tbsp. vegan vanilla protein powder, leaves from 2 mint sprigs and 3/4 cup spinach. You can't even taste the spinach!

Sweet Potato Curry

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Chop approximately 1/2 cup of sweet potato into small cubes and bake in the oven. while they are baking, make 1/2 cup of brown rice. Once the rice is cooked through, add a handful of chopped spinach, cabbage and red pepper. sprinkle with peanuts add 1.2 cup of chopped seitan. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and add them to the pot. stir everything together. Lastly, add 1/2 cup of vegan curry sauce. Let the curry sit for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Then EAT!

Fruit Skewers

Super fun, Super fast and Super Tasty! These fruit skewers are a party pleaser and great as an addition to cocktails. Just throw on whatever berries your heart desires on the skewer and you are done!

Sweet Potato Green Tea-Pumpkin Seed Muffins

While I was in China, I found these green tea flavored pumpkin seeds and figured I could make really tasty muffins with them. Turns out, I was right! The recipe: 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup olive oil, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 cup oats, 2 tbsp ground flaxseed, 8 tbsp water, a handful of green tea pumpkin seeds, a handful of chopped chocolate covered nuts, and 1 cup chopped sweet potato. dash with cinnamon and nutmeg. mix all the ingredients thoroughly and divide into 12 muffin tins. bake for 25 mins at 350 degrees.

Peanut Curry Stirfry

Ingredients: 4 cups cooked brown rice (2 cups dry), 3 oz tempeh, 1/2 chopped red pepper, 1/2 chopped green pepper, 1/2 chopped yellow pepper, 1/4 cup chopped red onion, 2 cups (uncooked) spinach, 1/2 cup peanuts, curry powder, salt and classic stirfry sauce to taste. Directions: Cook brown rice, following directions on package. Meanwhile, chop the onion, peppers and spinach. Cook over medium heat on a medium sized skillet. After the spinach has cooked down, add crumbled tempeh and peanuts. Add the stirfry sauce and curry powder. Cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until the rice is done cooking. After the rice is done, combine the rice with the rest of the ingredients. stir thoroughly and and add salt to taste.

Guilt-Free Strawberry Chocolate muffins

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. INGREDIENTS: 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 cup soymilk, 1 cup almond yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, 3 tbsp water, 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips, 1 cup chopped strawberries. mix all the ingredients together and distribute into muffin tins. Yields 16 muffins. bake for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. NOTE: these muffins rock if you heat them up in the microwave for about 20 seconds before eating :)

Blueberry crumble

for the crust:2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar,1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp earth balance, 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp cold water. mix all the ingredients together until even though and a crumbly texture. chill in fridge for about 30 minutes. meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 and start cooking the blueberry filling....for the filling: 3 cups of fresh blueberries, 3/4 cup brown sugar,1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp earth balance. combine the sugar and blueberries in a saucepan over medium heat. stir until sugar is liquid. then add in the cinnamon and butter. Remove the crust from the fridge. take about 2/3 of the mixture and evenly coat on a round baking dish. it will be a crumbly texture, so don't expect it to be smooth. after the layer is down, pour the blueberry mixture onto the crust. spead evenly. crumble on the remaining crust mixture over the blueberries. bake for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until crumbles are golden. Serve with vegan icecream if desired.

HOT and SPICY chili

ingredients: 1/2 orange pepper, 3/4 cup chopped mushrooms, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1 can of pinto, 1 can garbonzo beans (chickpeas), 1 can of black eyed peas, 1 1/2 cups of Boca veggie "ground beef" crumbles, Two 5.5oz can of original v8 juice, 1/2 cup of salsa, 2 tbsp. of taco seasoning mix, 2 tsp tabasco sauce, 1/4 cup banana sauce, 1 tsp paprika. directions: bring the onion, yellow pepper, mushrooms and v8 juice to a boil. add in the ground "beef", salsa, banana sauce, tabasco, paprika and taco seasoning. mix well and cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

St. Patrick's Day Muffins!

It's Saint Patrick's Day! (almost..) So celebrate with these green festive pistachio chocolate muffins :) ingredients: 1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tbsp flaxseed, 6 tbsp water, 1/2 cup apple sauce, 1/2 cup chopped chocolate covered pistachios, green food coloring (add as necessary), and 10 extra chocolate covered pistachios for topping. directions: preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine all the ingredients together, excluding the whole chocolate covered pistachios. drop in green food coloring and mix until you get the desired green tint. Drop into muffin tins, yielding 10 muffins. Bake for about 15 minutes and then top with each muffin with a chocolate covered pistachio.

Grande Chile

THIS CHILI IS KICK ASS.... ingredients: 1/2 yellow pepper, 1/2 large tomato, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1 can of black beans, 1 can pinto beans, 1 1/2 cups of Boca veggie "ground beef" crumbles, 1 5.5oz can of original v8 juice, 1/2 cup of pasta sauce, 2 tbsp. of taco seasoning mix, tbsp. of curry, 1 tbsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp of nutmeg. directions: combine the pepper, onion, tomato and v8. bring to a boil. add the tomato sauce, ground "beef", black beans and pinto beans. then add the taco seasoning, cinnamon, nutmeg and curry powder. bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Homemade Pesto

super easy. you can either use a food processor or blender. I actually kind of like the rougher chop with then blender. A food processor will make the pesto much smoother. add 3/4 cup of basil, 1/8 cup pine nuts, 1 clove of garlic and 1/3 cup of oil. Blend until ingredients are a spreadable consistency. ENJOY :)

Orange Chocolate bluberry muffins

I said this with my last muffin post, but these are the best muffins I have ever made.... and quite possibly ever had. Similar to my last batch of muffins, but a few different ingredients that make a world's difference. Alright.... prereheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put 1/2 cup of bulgur wheat and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 tbsp flaxseed, 3 tbsp water, 3 tbsp applesauce, 3 tsp of stevia, and 1 tbsp of cinnamon. add the bulgur wheat and mix together. while the mixture is cooling down, chop up 1/2 of an "Chocolove orange peel in dark chocolate" bar, or 1.6 oz of orange chocolate. chop into small pieces, about the size of chocolate chips. chop up 1/3 cup of mixed nuts. The mixture should be cool enough now to add the nuts, orange chocolate, and 1/3 cup of dried blueberries. fold ingredients until evenly distributed. pour the mix into sprayed muffin tins, yielding about 12 muffins. bake for 10 minutes. take the muffins out and top with granola and lightly drizzle 100% maple syrup. Put back into the over for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through and golden at the top. let cool before removing from pans

Cinnamon Apple Bars

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup chopped nuts, 1/4 cup raisins, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 large apple cut into 1cm squares, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp nutmeg, 1 tbsp flaxseed, 3 tbsp water. Combine all the ingredients together and spread evenly onto an 8X11 in pan. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until golden at the top.

Vegetable High Rise

This sandwich is just FULL of VEGGIES and goodness :) 2 slices of sprouted sesame bread toasted, Botton to top: 1 thick slice of tempeh, 1 small mushroom sliced, 1 slice of tomato, a handful of spinach, handful of sprouts and 3 slices of avocado. Drizzle with horseradish dijon mustard.

Vegan Lemon Rice Soup

Boil 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock with 1/2 cup brown rice. Cover and simmer until rice is cooked through. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of blended silken tofu (literally just put silken tofu in a blender) with the juice of 2 lemons. If desired, cut up vegan chicken substitute into small dices. Once rice is cooked, add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Let simmer for about 15 more minutes. or until soup becomes slightly thick. It won't be as thick as original lemon rice soup because there is no egg, but it tastes just as delicious :) Garnish with fresh dill and nutritional yeast and serve with pita bread if desired.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins with Bulgur Wheat

BEST MUFFIN RECIPE YET! preheat the oven to 400 degrees. boil 1/2 cup of bulgur wheat with 1 cup of water. cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour,1 mashed banana, 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips or chopped bakers chocolate, 1 cup soymilk, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, 3 tbsp of water, 1/3 cup organic apple sauce and 3 tsp stevia. Add the bulgur wheat. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray and fill cups with mixture. Sprinkle granola on the top of the muffins for garnish. Yields about 12 muffins. Bake for about 15 minutes. DONE! Not to mention, super freaking healthy. Bulgur wheat is all natural and is full of protein. The flaxseed has omega threes, soymilk has calcium and protein (more than dairy milk) and the applesauce and banana provide you with some healthy all natural sweetness!

Sweet Potato Curry

This is so good, try not to pass out when you eat it. bake 1 sweet potato in the oven at 400 degrees. this may take 45 minutes or so in order to cook all the way through. meanwhile, chop up 1/2 a tomato. In a large skillet,over medium heat, heat up 1 tsp of olive oil. add the chopped tomato, 2 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp of nutmeg. coat the tomato evenly with the spices. Add 1 12oz can of chickpeas and 2 tbsp of pine nuts. Add 1/2 cup of water. Cover and simmer while the sweet potato continues to cook. When sweet potato is done, chop the sweet potato into about 1/2 inch squares. Combine everything together and let simmer for about 10 minutes. ENJOYYYY!!!!

Mini Bagel Sandwiches

These are so freaking cute! And perfect if you just want something light and nutritious to munch on. I used mini whole wheat bagels, only 110 calories per bagel! With all the toppings, its still only about 200 calories. Toast the bagels if desired. On each sandwich, top with 1 slice of tofurkey, 1/4 avocado sliced, a handful of sprouts and a few leaves of spinach. Top all that with horseradish brown mustard. ENJOY!

Horseradish Dijon stir-fry with quinoa

boil 1/2 cup quinoa with 1 cup of water. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. add 1/2 tomato chopped, 1/4 yellow squash roughly chopped, 1 cup spinich, 2 cloves of garlic minced, 2 tbsp of chopped fresh ginger, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/2 cup vegetarian ground beef substitute, juice from 1/2 a lemon, 2 tsp dry fennel, 3 tbsp horseradish brown mustard. Cook until vegetables are heated through.

Vegan Caprese Pizza with "Chicken"

Preheat the oven to 420 degrees. Four the dough: 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup warm water, 1 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp of active dry yeast, 1/2 tsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt. Mix ingredients well. spray a pizza pan with cooking spray and lightly dust with flour. shape the pizza dough to desired thickness onto the pan. Four the sauce: 16 oz can tomato paste (no salt added), 2 garlic cloves minced, 2 tbsp chopped onion, 2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp red wine. Mix together ingredients and spread evenly on the dough. For the Toppings: about 3/4 cup vegan mozzarella cheese (or desired amount), 1 slice of fake bacon chopped, 1/2 cup of vegan chicken substitute, about 6 leaves of basil and 1/4 cup pine nuts. put about 3/4 of the cheese on the pizza, top with the rest of the ingredients, then cover with the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until dough is cooked through and the cheese is melted. Vegan cheese will not melt quite as well as regular cheese, so keep that in mind.

Orange Creamsicle

Best smoothie EVER. and 4 INGREDIENTS. 2/3 cup of vanilla flavored almond yogurt or soy yogurt 1 orange (peeled) 1 tsp of vanilla 4 ice cubes blend together and BAM. orange creamsicle. full of potassium, calcium and protein. yum yum yum.

Spinach Rice Burrito-- created by Jimmy Groce

This is what my boyfriend Jimmy made me for lunch today! SO good!---top a spinach lawash with 1 sliced boca burger, 1/2 cup of sliced cucumber, 1/4 cup sliced green pepper, 1/2 cup sprouts and 1/2 cup of brown rice mixed with 1 tbsp of banana sauce and 1/4 cup of vegan cheddar cheese. Roll into a burrito and grill on a panini press until burrito is melted throughout.

tofurkey sandwich

2 slices of sprouted sesame bread-- one topped with vegan cheddar cheese and the other topped with banana sauce. add 2 slices of tofurkey, 2 slices of faken bacon, 4 slices of cucumber, 4 slices of yellow squash, a handful of sprouts and a handful of spinach.

Stirfry with banana sauce- inpired by Alex Laya

Banana sauce can be found at the Asian food store. It tastes nothing like bananas, more like a sweet and sour sauce. It comes in regular flavor and spicy flavor. There's not a whole lot of nutrtitional benefit in banana sauce, but it is vegan and adds a great flavor!

In a frying pan, combine 1/2 cup quinoa and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Add 1/2 cup chopped squash, 3/4 cup bok choy, 1 cup spinich, 1/3 cup sprouts, 1/2 cup mushrooms, 1 cup chopped broccoli, 1/2 cup chopped carrots, and one cup of vegan "ground beef" substitute. Cook until vegetables are soft and heated through. Toss in 1/4 cup of banana sauce of your choice.

LEFTOVERS! Grill a tortilla with some vegan cheese and top with the stirfry for a wrap!

Chocolate Tea

What better way to relax after a long day than settling down to a cup of hot chocolate tea?! Exactly, there isn't. mix together 1 cup soymilk, 1 packet of stevia or other natural sweetener, 1 tbsp cocoa powder and a dash of loose leaf cinnamon flavored tea. microwave or boil on the stove until hot. after the tea sits for a minute or two, run the chocolate tea through a fine strainer into a mug in order to rid of the loose tea. and enjoy :)

Chocolate Honey Granola Bars

These granola bars are too good to be true. chewy, crunchy, cholatey, sweet and crazy healthy! Mix together these ingredients in a large bowl: 1 cup oats, 1/2 cup bran cereal, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup almond butter, 1/4 cup flaxseed, 1/4 cup dried fruit, 1/4 cup crushed peanuts (just put peanuts in a blender for a few seconds), 1 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla. Stir until even throughout. Spread evenly into a small to medium sized pan depending on how thick you want the granola bars. Put the pan in the freezer for about 30 min. After removing from the freezer, cut the mix into bars. Keep refrigerated.

Berry Banana Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Mix together 2 cups whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup oats, 1/2 cup dried fruit (cranberries, blueberries, figs, raisins), 1/2 cup chopped mixed nuts, 2/3 cup chopped blackberries, 1 mashed banana, 1/2 sliced banana, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp ground flaxseed, 6 tbsp water, and 1 tsp of vanilla. Stir ingredients together until mixture is smooth and even throughout.Bake for about 25 to 30 min. Yields about 12 muffins.

Mocha No Bake Cookies!

ingredients: 1/4 cup soy milk, 3/4 cup sugar (I used German Rock Sugar), 1/4 cup earth balance, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/8 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup peanut butter, 2 tbsp ground coffee (decaf or regular depending on preference), 1 & 3/4 cup oats, and 1 cup crushed natural chex cereal

Mix the soymilk, sugar, earth balance and vanilla into a pot and heat until the mixture is smooth. In a seperate bowl combine the oats, chex, peanut butter, cocoa powder and coffee. Pour the liquid mix into the bown and stir throughly. Form the mix into 1 in cookies and keep in the fridge for best results.

Sweet N Sour Quinoa StiryFry

A stirfry is one of the best ways to get a crap ton of veggies in one sitting! This stirfry offers protein from quinoa and meatless taco "meat", and fiber loaded veggies.

Combine 1/2 cup quinoa with 1 cup of water in a skillet and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until water dissolves. Meanwhile, chop 1/3 of a red pepper, 1/3 yellow pepper, 1/3 green pepper, 1/2 cup of shitake mushrooms, 1 cup spinich, 1/2 cup carrots and 1 tomato. Add to the quinoa once it is done cooking. Add 3/4 cup of Meatless taco meat (Boca has this). Add 1 tsp of paprika and 1 tsp of ginger. Last, add sweet and sour sauce and soy sauce to taste. Simmer for about 10 min or until heated through.

Apple Cinnamon Waffles

Combine 1 cup of whole wheat pancake/waffle mix (make sure it's vegan) with 3/4 cup soy milk, 1/6 cup olive oil, 1 tbsp flaxseed, 3 tbsp of water, 1/2 apple chopped and 1 tsp of cinnamon.Whisk all ingredients together. Pour mixture into waffle maker, and cook until golden brown. Top with peanut butter, honey and cinnamon.

Faken-Bacon Chick'n Quesedilla

YUP. That's right. Enjoy the taste of bacon, chicken, cheese, salsa and fresh veggies in this 100 percent vegan quesedilla!

fill 2 whole wheat vegan quesedillas with shredded cheddar flavored cheese substitute, morning star chicken strips or another form of fake chicken, tofu bacon strips (morning star has these too), organic salsa, spinich, and sprouts.

Don't judge until you try it

Okay, so this sounds kind of weird, but I swear it's one of the best sandwiches EVER!!!

Spread peanut butter on one slice of 7 grain bread.Set aside. Spread a generous amount of mashed sweet potoatoes (I have a recipe from an earlier post for the sweet potatoes) and place 1 sliced banana on the other slice of bread. add a handful of granola for an extra crunch. top the sandwich with the peanut butter topped bread. Either grill on the stove or in a sandwich maker, until the banana is melty and bread is toasty :)

Energy Sundae

Go out and treat yourself! Buy a carton of Almond Dream dairy free, gluten free Mocha flavored ice cream. It has to smoothest texture and taste. Personally, I think it tastes better than regular ice cream. Then take an energy ball (from previous posts) and break it apart and mix into your ice cream. So simple, yet so delicious. Not only does the energy ball provide you with energy with its peanut butter, flaxseed and oats, but the ice cream is coffee flavored! Can't beat that!

Try not to eat to much.... it's kind of hard though...

Rockin Sandwich

2 slices of 7 grain sprouted bread, 1 veggie burger, spinich, sprouts, tomato, shitake mushrooms, cucumber and dairy free cheddar cheese. For best results toast the bread and serve warm so the cheese is melty.

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Energy Balls

This is a spin off of the original energy ball recipe: Combine 1 cup dry oats, 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, 1/3 cup honey, 1/2 cup whole flaxseed, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate covered pistachios. Make sure that it is dark chocolate that doesn't contain milk. Roll the mixture into 1 inch balls and keep refrigerated.

Simly the best Breakfast

I eat this practically EVERY day for breakfast. It takes 3 minutes, just about the amount of time it takes for my coffee to brew.

Toast a slice of whole grain bread. Evenly spread natural peanut butter on the toast and one sliced banana. Drizzle with honey and dash with cinnamon. That's it! AND SO HEALTHY!

Sweet Potato Apple Muffins

This recipe is a spin off of the carrot and apple muffin recipe I posed earlier. Just a few different ingredients!

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. mix together 2 cups whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp nutmeg, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp of baking soda, 1 small sweet potato chopped, 1 apple chopped, 3/4 cup of chopped mixed nuts. In a separate bowl: 1/2 cup earth balance, 1/3 cup applesauce, 2 tbsp ground flaxseed, 6 tbsp water. mix together and combine with the flour mixture. distribute the muffin mix into muffin tins. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.

sweet potato mash

simple. and delicious. This recipe is for one serving, so you can duplicate as necessary. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake one washed sweet potato for 45 to 55 minutes. Removing the skin will create a smoother texture, but the skin also has a lot of nutrients so you may want to keep it on. Mash the potatoe with a fork and whisk in 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp of nutmeg, 1 tbsp of earth balance and 1 tbsp of brown sugar. :D

"Chicken" Quesadilla

If you have an addiction to Taco Bell or mexican food but don't want pesticides, preservatives and high fatty foods... eat this!

Ingredients: 2 whole wheat tortillas, 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheese,desired amount of morning star grilled chicken strips or another form of chicken substitute, 1/2 cup of tabouleh, 1/2 cup of spinich and desired amount of salsa. Directions: top one tortilla with the cheese, "chicken", tabouleh, spinich and salsa. Top with the other tortilla and grill on a quesedilla maker or frying pan. Cook until cheese is melty and the tortilla is golden. For half recipe, just use one tortilla and fold put half the ingredients on one side, then fold over.

Spaghetti and "meat"balls

That's right. I went there. This traditional italian dish is all vegan and full of flavor. It's comfort food that can actually comfort your heart.

Ingredients: Whole wheat pasta of any sort, vegan meatballs (found at health food stores or frozen section near other meat substitutes), organic marinara sauce with no added sugar, diced green pepper and yeast flakes to substitute parmesan cheese. heat up the sauce, meatballs and diced green peppers in a saucepan while cooking the pasta. add the yeast at the end for garnish.

Grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich :)

My two favorites foods of all time: banana and peanut butter. Even better? banana and peanut butter combined. I eat banana, peanut butter and toast almost every day for breakfast. This sandwich is a step up from my traditional meal however. This sandwich is grilled so that the peanut butter becomes nice and melty and the banana softens just enough to hit the spot. My mouth is watering just thinking about it...

Directions: evenly spread all natural peanut butter on one slice of bread (I used pumpernickle. Whole wheat is good too). Slice one banana and evenly distribute onto the bread with peanut butter. add 1 tsp of flax seed and sprinkle on top. If you want an extra crunch, add a handful of granola onto the sandwich as well. Lastly, drizzle honey on the bananas and top the sandwich with the second slice of bread. I use a sandwich maker in order to grill mine. You can use a panini press or just grill it on the stove. Make sure the sandwich is grilled all the way through in order for the banana to soften and the peanut butter to melt. ENJOY!

mediterranean "chicken" sandwich

again, always trying to find new ways to use my leftovers! I have so much tabouleh in my refrigerator, so I have been using it on sandwiches. Here is one I love!

I used 2 slices of vegan whole grain bread, a half an avacado, Morning Star grilled "chicken" strips and a handful of tabouleh. The tabouleh recipe can be found in one of my previous posts. This is good cold or heated up!

Vegan Apple Carrot Muffins

Muffins have always been one of my favorite sweets. However, I try to avoid buying them because they are loaded with sugar, butter and calories! So, I have made these extremely healthy and hearty muffins :)

preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Mix together 2 cups whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp. baking soda,1tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt. Then add 1 cup chopped carrots, 1 diced apple, 3/4 cup raisins/ 1/2 cup chopped pecans. in a seperate bowl, mix together 1/2 cup earth balance "butter", 2 tbsp ground flaxseed, 2 tsp vanilla and 6 tbsp of water. microwave to soften for about 10 seconds. mix everything together thrououghly. Distribute the mixture into the muffin cups. Bake for about 25 to 20 minutes or until muffins are firm and a toothpick comes out clean. I made mini muffins and large muffins. :))

Tabouleh :)

This homemade tabouleh is SO refreshing! Ingredients: 3/4 cup bulgur wheat, 1 cup boiling water, 1 chopped tomato, 1/2 chopped and peeled cucumber, 1/4 chopped red onion, 1/3 cup fresh parsley, 1/3 cup fresh basil. Dressing: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, juice from half a lemon, a dash of pepper and salt.

Soak the bulgur wheat with the boiling water and cover for 1/2 hour. meanwhile, chop up all the veggies and prepare the dressing. After the bulgur wheat has set for at least a half hour, mix everything together and enjoy :) Bulgur wheat can be found at health food stores and many super market.

Not your average hummus

so I wanted to make homemade hummus, but don't have a food processor at my apartment. So, I just kind of mashed everything up and it was actually really good. I used one can of chickpeas, a half cup of edemame, 2 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of vinegar, juice from half a lemon, some paprika, fresh basil and 1/2 cup of spinich. i blended up the spinich in order to give it the right consistency. Obviously if you tried this with a food processor, it would come out much smoother.