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.

Chocolate Flaxseed Honey Peanutbutter

I recently got a peanut butter machine which basically creates any nut butter you can imagine! I love it because I know EXACTLY what is in it! This mixture was to DIE for! 1/4 cup peanuts, 1/8 cup flaxseed (whole), a dash of cinnamon, 1 tbsp of honey and 1 tbsp of cocoa powder. The cinnamon, honey and cocoa powder I added After I made the butter. So I know you probably don't have a peanut butter machine. Well then just buy natural peanut butter and mix these ingredients together. Its very easily done. If you want to enjoy the luxury of making your own peanut butter, some health food stores have peanut butter machines. For example, in Kalamazoo the Natural Health Center off Drake and West Main has one.

Graveyard

Have you ever heard of a "graveyard"? It is usually refers to mixing together a bunch of soda flavors from the soda machine. I think it's called this because it kills you. So I guess this isn't exactly a graveyard because it doesn't kill you. In fact, it makes you live LONGER. so anyways, the concept is the same.... except I just mixed together a crap ton of vegetables (and a few extra ingredients). Feel free to create your own of course!

here's what i threw together, literally: spinich, carrots, black eyed peas, edemame, chickpeas, quinoa, bamboo shoots, alfalfa sprouts, mushrooms, parsley and basil. I also added some yeast flakes, which contains vitamin B12 and can be used as a parmasan cheese substitute. I then squeezed a half a lemon into the mixture and mixed it all together! Like I said, pretty much just took random stuff out of my fridge. and it was great! ***This recipe is dedicated to Bree McCormick because she was the one who originally gave me this idea :))

carrot wrap

My roomate Bree made these delicious carrots and black eyed peas! It was a combination of black eyed peas with carrots (sliced and cooked), earth balance, and fresh dill. So i decided to make this wrap:

1 whole wheat tortilla, hummus, Bree's carrot and pea mixture, quinoa and spinich. Just grill the tortilla on a frying pan with all the toppings for a more "toasted" style.

Oatmeal for the fabulous

Okay, so if you only try ONE of my recipes, I would like to suggest that you make THIS ONE. This "Out of this world" recipe takes boring oatmeal to a whole new level. Alright, so here is what you do: combine 1/2 cup of oatmeal (straight up oats. not that packaged sugar-filled crap!) with 1 cup of water and about 1 to 2 tbsp of loose leaf tea (I use Teavana, something nutty or chai). microwave for 1 minute. Then add one banana sliced, a handful of blackberries, a half cup of kashi "go lean crunch" cereal, 1 to 2 tbsp of peanut butter, a dash of flaxseed, a dash of cinnamon and one packet of stevia if you want extra sweetnener. Microwave the entire mixture for 45 seconds to a minute, depending on how hot you like it :)

so why does this oatmeal make you fabulous?----*The tea basically acts as a flavor in the oatmeal without all that artificial stuff and adds caffeine if it's caffeinated! *Peanut butter adds a creamy texture, healthy fats and protein. *Kashi adds protein and crunch. *Flaxseed adds omega-threes. *Blackberries adds a natural sweetness and fruity touch. *Bananas just taste awesome and have lots of potassium. *Cinnamon adds an extra spice and has many health benefits such as improving memory, preventing blood clot, lowering blood sugar, etc. *The stevia just adds some more sweetness if you have a sweet tooth and it doesn't add any extra calories or sketchy ingredients. *Last but not least, the oatmeal itself helps regulate/lower our cholesterol levels, is high in fiber and has a decent amount of protein (10g in 1 cup)

on the go!

So as a student with two majors, a job and rehearsals while trying to still have a social life, I can admit, LIFE IS BUSY! It is so easy to rely on pre packaged bars and snack foods that might not be so healthy for us when we are on the go. well this takes about 10 seconds to prepare and will keep you enegized feeling great!---

All it is, is rasberries, blackberries, blueberries and raw almonds. any berries or nuts work! it will tide you over without all those extra preservatives and junk :))

Yummy quick sandwich

Sandwiches are my all-time favorite food. Why? because you can put just about anything on a sandwich, creating more opportunities to eat healty foods without getting bored. So if you are in a hurry and don't have time to cook, TRY THIS!!!

Ingredients~~~ 2 slices of whole wheat or 12 grain bread (make sure it is actually whole wheat. just because something says "wheat" on the package or "healthy" doesn't mean that it is. Don't let the government fool you), 1 frozen veggie chicken patty( if you are trying to be vegan, make sure that it doesn't contain eggs or milk. Veggie burger doesn't mean vegan. Boca burgers usually don't use eggs or milk), vegan cheese, spinich, cucumber, tomoato, hummus and italian seasoning to spice it up. You can always substitute the "chicken" patty for a veggie burger!!

Mocha Cappuccino (but healthier)

So yes, too much coffee is awful. However, you can enjoy your coffee in moderation. But when you add 4% milk, processed sugars, chocolate syrup and whipped cream, there's pretty much nothing healthy about it. So heres an option, that tastes even better.

Ingredients: 1 cup of coffee (flavored coffee if you wanna jazz it up), 5oz of semi-sweet baking chocolate square, 1 packet of stevia (natural zero calorie sweetener), and 1 tbsp of coconut milk creamer ("so delicious" has this, or soy creamer works too. coconut milk cream is so smooth, and tastes way bette than dairy creamer, i promise!) If you wanna be extra fabulous, top it with some soy whipped cream. but thats kind of expensive...

Healthiest Dessert on this planet

Soy Yogurt Parfait

ingredients: Soy vanilla yogurt (not dairy!), blackberries, blueberries, granola and flax seed.

Seitan Stiry Fry

There arent exact measurements for anything, because it's a stiry fry so who really cares, but here's whats in it, and you can choose the amounts---

brown rice, seitan (wheat based meat substitute found at health food stores), squash, sprouts, spinach, red pepper and mushrooms with a dash of ginger and fennel. the sauce is just a sweet and sour sauce. SO GOOD!

Energy Balls

ENERGY BALLS! This recipe is vegan (contains no animal derived products) AND all natural

Ingredients: 1 cup (dry) oats, 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or other nut butter), 1/2 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ, 1/3 cup honey, 1 tsp. vanilla, cinnamon to taste, Optional: 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips ("Enjoy Life" has dairy, gluten and soy free chocolate chips), 1/2 cup raisons, 1/4 cup kashi good friends cereal. Instructions: as simple as it gets! mix all the ingredients together! Let the mixture chill in the fridge for about a half hour. Then roll the mixture into 1 inch balls. Keep refrigerated for best results. I left the last three ingredients as optional because you could really put whatever you want in it! get creative! coconut, walnuts, granola, dried cranberries, etc.

Yoga

Make the best of your leftovers

I think, at least for me, one of the biggest reasons we tend to lean away from cooking is the fear of never eating the leftovers. Well I've love to use leftovers because it encourages to create new and exciting things with it!

so here i have made a wrap using my leftover three bean salad. I just grilled 1 whole wheat tortilla with vegan cheddar cheese, hummus, sprouts, spinich and the three bean salad. DELISH. it's so healthy it should be illegal. (vegan cheese can be found at the health food stores next to the gourmet cheese section with other dairy suplements. it has less calories, more health benefits, less fat and still tastes great)

Food for Thought!

fun fact: looking for egg substitutes? well, rather than searching for egg replacers, here are some cheaper and ultimately healthier options... If a recipe calls for one egg (such as waffles, pancakes, etc) try this--- blend 1 tbsp of ground flax seed with 3 tbsp of water and microwave for 10 seconds. Or, if you are looking to make scrambled eggs or omletes, simple use tofu! Scramled tofu is way healthier than an egg and tastes great :)

All-time favorite quote

"If exercise could be purchased in a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation." —Robert H. Butler

Power Foods

FOUR of the most INCREDIBLY POWERFUL FOODS: Soy--- soy can be found in so many products-- tofu, soymilk, tempeh, edemame, soy yogurt, you name it! It is loaded with protein and prevents us from many diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and many more. It also had the perfect combination of carbs and protein for after a workout.

Flaxseed------ flaxseed is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish. however, fish is contaminated with mercury. Flaxseed has fiber and antioxidants too. It also prevents many diseases just like soy. Flaxseed can be used in just about anything from waffles, to oatmeal to smoothies.

Spinich--- great source of iron. Spinich has more iron than red meat on a per calorie basis, and doesn't include the high saturated fats or cholesterol that come with red meat. Spinich also has antioxidants, helps immunity, vision, digestion, skin, bones, blood pressure, pretty much everything. spinich is great on sandwiches, pastas and salads.

Sprouts--- sprouts are like magic. they have a higher concentration of nutrients because they are afterall, sprouts! this means that they come right after the seed. These nutrient rich beauties are also easily digested and help aid in weight loss. sprouts are great on sandwiches and salads.

Vegan Hot Cocoa

Spicy Soy Hot Cocoa--- Being a vegan was the best choice I have made, ever. It has changed me inside and out. I look better, feel better, have more energy and more compassion. With that said, the one thing that I could just never give up is hot chocolate! So I decided there had to be a way to make vegan hot cocoa. Well here it is, and it's even better than the other stuff!!! Super easy to make--- heat up 1 cup soymilk (vanilla is best), 5 oz of semisweet baking chocolate square, 1 packet of stevia (all natural, calorie free sweetener), topped with marshmellows or soy whipped cream. This particilar recipe was a spicy hot chocolate. You must try it! Just add a dash of cayenne pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. So delicious, and better yet, super healthy! :)

YUM :)

THREE BEAN SALAD! This recipe was inspired by Skinny Bitch in the Kitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. I highly recommend reading their book Skinny Bitch, it is absolutely brilliant. but if you just want some fabulous vegan recipes, their cookbook is great!! This salad was to die for! I changed up the ingredients just to work with what I had, so here is what I used: 1 can kidney beans 3/4 cup soybeans, 1 can garbanzo beans, 1 can black eyed peas, 1 red bell pepper, 2 tbsp fresh basil, 2 tbsp of fresh parsley. THE DRESSING--- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, juice from 1/2 lemon, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. directions are easy! just mix it all together, and enjoy, knowing you are fueling your body with goodness. here's why: benefits of beans: packed with protein, carbs, fiber and healthy fat. fight against many diseases such as osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer and menapause. one of the most powerful foods out there! Super food! Extra virgin olive oil: healthy, natural, unsaturated fat and well-known anti-inflammatory