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Mexican Style Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

February 20, 2023 by Shelly Hughes Leave a Comment

Mexican Style Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

Mexican Style Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers: Delicious Dish… and Healthy too!

If you’re looking for a healthy and flavorful vegan meal that’s easy to make and packed with nutrients, look no further than Mexican Style Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers. This classic dish has been given a plant based twist, making it perfect for vegans, vegetarians, and anyone who loves to eat healthy.

These stuffed bell peppers are filled with a variety of whole food plant based ingredients, such as rice, black beans, corn, onions, and spices. Vegetables are cooked in an oil-free sauté. Why?… because cooking oil free not only provides a healthier alternative by reducing added fats and calories, but also enhances the natural flavors of the vegetables, making it an excellent option for heart-healthy cooking or for those looking to avoid the use of oils in their diet.

This recipe includes a variety of whole foods and plant based ingredients that can be substituted for other veggies, greens, grains, or beans based on your preferences and what in your kitchen. Plus, you can make it as spicy or mild as you like. So, feel free to get creative and use whatever ingredients you have on hand!

Let’s Get Cooking!!!

Mexican Style Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

Stuffed Bell Peppers Ingredients:

Bell Peppers (your choice of color)
Black beans
Onion
Garlic
Jalapeño (optional)
Vegetable Broth
Salsa
Spinach (substitute greens of choice, kale, Swiss chard, etc.)
Corn (fresh or frozen)
Cooked Brown Rice (I use brown rice but feel free to substitute white rice or quinoa)
Cumin
Paprika
Garlic powder
Cayenne pepper (pinch or optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for the Stuffed Bell Peppers Filling

Preheat oven 400 degrees
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. To the skillet add in diced onions and sauté for about 5 minutes adding in 1-2 tbsp of water if the onions begin to stick. Once the onions start to soften, add in the diced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Next, add in the jalapeño and give it a quick stir. Add in 1-2 tbsp of water if the vegetables start to stick.
Add spices, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper (optional) to the pan and stir.

Mexican Style Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

Add black beans and stir until combined, then mash about half of the beans.
Pour in the vegetable broth and stir everything together.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer uncovered for about 7-10 minutes.
Add the cooked brown rice, corn and salsa to the black bean mixture and mix everything together. Cook for another 10 minutes. Add in the chopped spinach and cook for another 5 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Black bean stuffing is ready for the Bell Peppers!

Prep and Parboil Bell Pepper

Mexican Style Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

Why Parboil? While the bean mixture is cooking you can prepare the bell peppers. Parboil the bell peppers before stuffing and baking in the oven. Why? It helps top soften the bell pepper before baking.

How to Parboil?

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
While the water is beginning to boil, prepare the bell peppers. Wash and slice the bell peppers. Slice the bell peppers in half from top to bottom (Cut right down through the stems). Remove seeds and membranes. Add the bell peppers to the pot of boiling water.
Let boil for 3 minutes. I use a timer so I don’t forget. You don’t want to over boil the peppers.
Remove the bell peppers with a tongs and add the peppers to ice bath ( bowl of water and ice) so the peppers stop cooking. let stir in the water 1-2 minutes until cooled.

Stuff and Bake the Bell Peppers

Once the black bean filling is finished and the peppers have been parboiled and cooled. It is time to stuff the bell peppers and bake in the oven.

Mexican Style Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

Spoon the filling into each halved bell pepper, making sure to fully stuff each one.
Optionally, if desired, sprinkle some vegan cheese on top of the bell peppers before baking.
Place the stuffed bell peppers into a casserole dish.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Once finished, remove the bell peppers from the oven and they are now ready to be served.

Lots of options on how to serve the bell peppers. These stuffed peppers are topped with Vegan Cashew Cheese and chopped cilantro. You can also top off the bell peppers with sliced avocado or guacamole and some cilantro. You could add on some extra salsa with a little bit of lime juice.

Mexican Style Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

One extra idea… if you have extra filling, it makes for great left overs. You can use the black beans and rice filling to create a delicious black bean bowl and mix in some extra greens and veggies.

Mexican style vegan stuffed bell peppers are easy to make, delicious, and packed with healthy ingredients that will keep you feeling satisfied and energized all day long. Plus, it’s the perfect meal for any occasion, whether you’re cooking for yourself, your family, or your friends.

So why not give them a try? Your taste buds (and your body) will thank you!

Click Here for the Vegan Cheese Sauce to top off the Stuffed Bell Peppers

Mexican Style Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

Mexican style vegan stuffed bell peppers are perfect meal meal any night of the week. Packed with healthy plant based ingredients that taste delcious and very satisfying.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Course: dinner

Keyword: beans, dinner, meal prepping, vegan

Servings:

Author: Shelly Hughes

Ingredients

4 bell peppers, colors of choice
1 15.5 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minces
1 jalapeno, minced optional
2 cup vegetable broth
1 cup salsa, of choice
1 cup spinach chopped, can substitute greens of choice, kale, Swiss chard etc
1 cup corn, (fresh or frozen)
1 cup cooked brown rice can substitute white rice or quinoa
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch, cayanne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
salt to taste

Instructions

Stuffed Bell Pepper Black Bean Filling

Preheat the oven 400 degrees
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. To the skillet add in diced onions and sauté for about 5 minutes adding in water 1-2 tbsp of water if the onions begin to stick. Once the onions start to soften add in the diced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Next add in the jalepeno and give it a quick stir.
Add in 1-2 tbsp of water if the vegetables start to stick.
Add in the spices, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper (optional) to the pan and stir. Add black beans and stir until combined, then mash about half of the beans. Pour in the vegetable broth and stir everything together. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low and let it simmer uncovered for about 7 minutes.
Add the cooked brown rice to the black bean mixture and mix everything together. Next mix in the corn, rice and salsa and cook for another 10 minutes. Add in the chopped spinach and cook for another 5 minutes till most of the liquid is absorbed.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Parboil Bell Peppers

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
While the water is beginning to boil, prepare the bell peppers. Wash and slice the bell peppers. Slice the bell peppers in half from top to bottom (Cut right down through the stems). Remove seeds and membranes. Add the bell peppers to the pot of boiling water.
Let boil for 3 minutes. I use a timer so I don't forget. You don't want to over boil the peppers. Remove the bell peppers with a tongs and add the peppers to ice bath ( bowl of water and ice) so the peppers stop cooking. let stir in the water 1-2 minutes till cooled.
Add the bell peppers to a casserole dish.

Stuff and Bake the Bell Peppers

Spoon the filling into each halved bell pepper, making sure to fully stuff each one.
Optionally, if desired, sprinkle some vegan cheese on top of the bell peppers before baking.
Place the stuffed bell peppers into a casserole dish. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Once finished, remove the bell peppers from the oven and they are now ready to be served.

Tried this recipe?Mention @PlantBasedFoodyLife or tag #PlantBasedFoodyLife!

Vegan Cocktail Sauce

December 14, 2022 by Shelly Hughes Leave a Comment

Vegan Cocktail Sauce

Vegan Cocktail Sauce is perfect with vegan crab cakes. It is made with just a few ingredients and takes a couple of minutes to make.

Vegan Cocktail Sauce Ingredients:

Ketchup
Prepared horseradish sauce
Lemon juice
Worcestershire sauce or tamari
Hot sauce (Optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Vegan Cocktail Sauce

Directions:

To a bowl add all the ingredients and whisk together. Ready to serve and refrigerate the remaining sauce.

If you are looking for delicious vegan crab cakes I have the recipe for you!

Just Click Here for the Recipe!!!

Vegan Cocktail Sauce

Vegan Cocktail Sauce is simple to make and perfect for your vegan crab cakes.

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Prep Time: 3 minutes

Course: Dressing

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Sauces

Author: Shelly Hughes

Ingredients

1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp horserasdish
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp vegan worcestershire sauce (small splash) substitute tamari or soy sauce
1/4 tsp hot sauce optional
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

To a bowl add all the ingredients and whisk together. Ready to serve and refrigerate the remaining sauce.

Tried this recipe?Mention @PlantBasedFoodyLife or tag #PlantBasedFoodyLife!

Crispy Oil Free Tofu

July 13, 2022 by Shelly Hughes Leave a Comment

Crispy Oil Free Tofu

Does crispy oil free tofu sound like a challenge to make? If you’re like me, you may have tried to make it and it turns out too mushy or sticks to the pan.

Well I’ve been experimenting for a while with tofu. I think I figured out how to make the tofu crispy and taste delicious, plus be oil free.

Crispy Oil Free Tofu

I found working with tofu can be tricky. I’ve been wanting to make crispy brown tofu while making it oil free. To be honest it took me a few try’s and a little while to figure this out. But I found this method and am happy with the way it turned out.

A lot of it has to do with being patient, not messing with the tofu, and letting it brown.

Why bake the Tofu?

Baking tofu in the oven is an easier way to create the crispy browned texture if I am not using oil. A lot of recipes call for oil and frying the tofu in a pan or skillet. When I’ve wanted to make tofu like nuggets in a pan on the stove they tend to stick. Baking the tofu on parchment paper is really simple when creating the nuggets.

Why Oil Free?

With a lot my cooking, I try limit the amount of any extra processed fat. Olive Oil is processed and is calorie dense. In fact, one tablespoon has 130 calories and 14 grams of fat. So a little does go a long way. I do this for health reasons and plus I think the food taste better anyway. So it’s a Win-Win. Sometimes it’s rewarding to figure out methods to make the food taste how you want it too.

What does the Cornstarch do?

Cornstarch helps give the tofu some extra crunch while baking. You can also substitute arrowroot powder which is less processed. The tofu tends to turn out better with cornstarch.

Do you need to press the Tofu?

Homemade Tofu Press

Yes, If you have a tofu press, great use that to press the tofu.

I actually do not have one. I make my own press, by wrapping the tofu in a paper towel and adding some weight like a can or pan to help press the water from the tofu. Not fancy but simple and gets the job done. Press for about 10-15 minutes.

Tofu Ingredients:

Firm Tofu
Lemon juice
Tamari or soy sauce
Maple syrup (sweetener of choice or omit)
Garlic powder (you can experiment with differs spices like garlic powder or paprika)
Cornstarch or arrowroot

How to make the Crispy Oil Free Tofu?

Step#1: Press the tofu for about 10-15 minutes. Slice the tofu into strips and cut them into cubes about 3/4 inch wide and 1/4 inch high. You have the option here to leave the tofu in long rectangles pieces and bake.

Step#2: Make the sauce for the tofu in a large bowl. Mix together the lemon juice, tamari/soy sauce, garlic powder and maple syrup (or sweetener of choice or omit) and mix together.

Step#3: Add in the tofu cubes to the bowl and gently mix together. Once the liquid is absorbed into the tofu, sprinkle 1 tbsp of cornstarch or arrowroot powder and coat each side of the tofu. Let the cornstarch absorb into the tofu. Add 1 tbsp cornstarch and gently mix and let absorb into the tofu.

(That was the mistake I used to make.🤪 I would have to much cornstarch on the tofu where you could see it and the tofu turned out dry and had a weird flour taste)

Step#4: Add the tofu pieces to a lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the tofu has browned. Remove from the oven and turn over the tofu and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until brown.

You can refrigerate the tofu 4-5 days after being cooked in an air tight container. You can add to salads, bowls, rice recipes, wraps, or use as a quick snack because it doesn’t have to be reheated.

What do you serve the crispy tofu with?

This questions has lots of answers!

You can eat as a snack.
Make a veggie bowl of rice with and top it greens, scallions and tofu.
Delicious in a wrap or in a pita sandwich with greens and tomatoes.
Rice bowl with tofu cucumbers, sprouts, chopped celery and tofu. Maybe crush some cashews or peanuts on top.

If you are looking for some dressing and sauces that would be simple and delicious to make with tofu, here is a link to your Free copy of Plant Based Dressing and Sauces Guide.

Crispy Baked Oil Free Tofu

Crispy Baked Oil Free Tofu made with a simple sauce and baked in the oven.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: Oil Free, tofu, Veggie Bowls

Servings: people

Author: Shelly Hughes

Ingredients

14 oz firm tofu, drained
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp maple syrup (or liquid sweetener) you can omit.
1 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tbsp cornstarch (substitute arrowroot)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degress. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Press the tofu for about 10-15 minutes. Slice the pressed tofu into 1/4 " strips and them into cubes. (3/4 "x 1/4" cubes) You have the option here to leave the tofu in long rectangles piece and bake.
To a medium sized bowl add together the lemon juice, tamari/soy sauce, garlic powder and maple syrup (or sweetener of choice or omit) and mix together.
Add in the tofu cubes to the bowl and gently mix together. Once the liquid is absorbed into the tofu, sprinkle 1 tbsp of cornstarch or arrowroot powder and coat each side of the tofu. Let the cornstarch absorb into the tofu. Add 1 tbsp cornstarch and gently mix and let absorb into the tofu.
Add the tofu pieces to a lined baking sheet with and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the tofu has browned. Remove from the oven and turn over the tofu and bake for an additional 10 minutes until brown.
You can refrigerate the tofu 4-5 days after being cooked in air tight container. You can add to salads, bowls, rice recipes, wraps, or use as a quick snack because it doesn’t have to be reheated.

Tried this recipe?Mention @PlantBasedFoodyLife or tag #PlantBasedFoodyLife!

Vegan Potato and Onion Frittata

March 15, 2022 by Shelly Hughes Leave a Comment

Vegan Potato and Onion Frittata

Vegan Potato and Onion Frittata has a hearty texture and is delicious. If you miss eating egg dishes, this frittata will give you a similar texture but made with no dairy or eggs. Diced potatoes give the Fritta a hearty texture when biting into it. You can serve this warm or at room temperature so it’s great to make ahead of time or bring to brunch.

Vegan Potato and Onion Frittata

If you’re like me and like having breakfast for dinner, this Fritta fits perfectly. It has lots of healthy ingredients including potatoes, onions, spinach, and a tofu mixture made with nutritional yeast and dijon mustard to give it some extra flavor with the potatoes.

How did you make the frittata vegan, isn’t it made with eggs?

A traditional frittata is made with eggs and cheese. In this recipe, the eggs are swapped out for tofu. Tofu is a great vegan egg substitute for replacing the egg texture in frittata and quiches. In addition, spices and nutritional yeast are added in to create that delicious cheesy egg flavor and texture.

You can use the tofu egg mixture to make a variety of different Frittata’s by adding or swapping out different veggies.

Vegan Potato and Onion Fritta Ingredients:

Potatoes (Yukon, Red Potatoes, or potatoes of choice)
Onion
Garlic
Spinach (substitute kale or Swiss chard)
Tofu

Tofu Egg Mixture Ingredients:

Nutritional Yeast
Lemon Juice
Dijon Mustard
Corn Starch
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Turmeric
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste

How to make the Vegan Potato and Onion Frittata:

This Frittata is made in couple of steps. You prep the potatoes and onions first, and then make the tofu egg mixture. You can also make the tofu egg mixture and then prep potatoes and onions.

Step One: Prep the Potatoes and Onions

Add the potatoes to a pot and cover with an inch of cold water. Once the potatoes begin to boil, turn down to a simmer. Use a fork to check tenderness. They are cooked when fork tender, typically about 12-15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and add the cooked potatoes to bowl.
While cooking, saute the onions and garlic. With a pan over medium heat, add in the diced onions with a couple table spoons of water and saute for about 5 minutes. Next add in the minced garlic and saute for about a minute. Add in aditional water if needed to prevent sticking.
Transfer the sauteed onions and garlic to the bowl with cooked potatoes and gently mix together.
Add in the chopped spinach and gently fold together. It is best to add in the spinach while the potatoes and onions are warm, to soften the spinach.

Step Two: Tofu Egg Batter
In a food processor, or blender, add in the tofu, non dairy milk or water and the rest of the ingredients. Blend to combine until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can add in additional liquid if necessary.

Step Three: Assemble and Bake.

Pour the tofu mixture into the bowl with potatoes, onions and spinach and gently mix together. Spoon into a non stick round pie dish or springform pan. You can line the pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking.Optional. If you sautéed the veggies in an oven safe pan you can add in the potatoes and spinach and stir together. Add the tofu batter and gently fold together and bake the frittata directly in that pan instead of transferring the frittata to pie dish or springform pan.
Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until firm and golden on top. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Ready to serve. Refrigerate up to 3-5 days. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

You can top the Frittata with vegan sour cream and chives if you want.

For another frittata recipe…

Here is link to the Swiss Chard Frittata.

Vegan Potato Frittata

Vegan Potato Fritta is plant based, gluten free and made with potatoes, garlic, spinach and mixed with a creamy tofu.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Course: Breakfast, vegan

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: breakfast

Servings:

Author: Shelly Hughes

Equipment

Blender or food processor

Ingredients

Vegetable Saute

3 cups potatoes, peel and cubed (1/2 inch cubes) 3-4 potatoes Yukon or Red Potatoes
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup water (oil free saute)
3 cup spinach, chopped
salt and pepper to taste optional

For the Blender or food processor (make the batter/egg substitute)

14 oz Firm tofu (drained, no need to press)
1 tbsp cornstarch replace with arrowroot
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup water or unsweetened non dairy milk, (soy, almond, etc)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp salt to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.

Prepare the potatoes and onions

Add the potatoes to a pot and cover with inch of cold water. Once the potatoes beging to boil turn down to a rapid simmer. Use a fork to check tenderness. They are cooked when fork tender about 12-15 minutes. Drain the potataoes and added the cooked potatoes to bowl.
While cooking, saute the onions and garlic. A pan over medium heat, add in the diced onions with a couple table spoons of water and saute for about 5 minutes. Next add in the minced garlic and saute for about a minute. Add in aditional water if needed to prevent sticking.
Transfer the sauteed onions and garlic to the bowl with cooked potatoes and genrtly mix together.
Add in the chopped spinach and gently fold together. It is best add in the spinach while the potatoes and onions are warm to soften the spinach.

Tofu Batter (Egg Substitute)

In a food processor or blender add in the tofu, non dairy milk or water and the rest of the ingredients and blend to combine until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Assemble/Bake

Pour the tofu mixture into the bowl with potatoes, onions and spinach and gently mix together. Spoon into a non stick round pie dish or springform pan. You can line the pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Optional. If you sauteed the veggies in an oven safe pan you can add in the potatoes and spinach and stir tohether. Add in the tofu batter and gently fold together and bake the frittata directly in that pan instead of trasferrring the frittata to a pie dish or springform pan.
Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until firm and golden on top. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Ready to serve. Refrigerate up to 3-5 days.
Can be served warm or at room temerpature.

Notes

Refrigerate and store any left overs for up to 4-5 days.

Tried this recipe?Mention @PlantBasedFoodyLife or tag #PlantBasedFoodyLife!

Broccoli Turmeric Sauté

March 9, 2022 by Shelly Hughes Leave a Comment

Broccoli Turmeric Saute

Broccoli Turmeric sauté is a perfect side dish to mix with rice or quinoa. If you’re looking to add in some extra flavor and goodness with your side of broccoli? Broccoli turmeric sauté (oil free) is ready in under 15 minutes.

If you’re like me and looking to create more dishes that are anti-inflammatory and contain antioxidants to help you feel better, and at the same time taste delicious, then this dish is for you. That’s my goal in cooking.

Oh and one other thing is… this recipe has only seven ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen.

This side dish is made of healthy ingredients including broccoli, turmeric, lemon zest and shallots. The lemon juice and lemon zest give the broccoli, when mixed with turmeric, a nice tangy flavor. This dish includes three simple ingredients that come together perfectly. It’s a combination that’s healthy and can be paired with some rice and topped with some beans or tofu.

Health Benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric is a yellow spice that is commonly used in Indian and curry dishes. Turmeric comes from turmeric root and is grounded into a powder. It contains curcumin which can help with inflammation and is anti-inflammatory. It has a ton of other health benefits. Here is an article talking about the health benefits of using turmeric in your diet.

Anti-inflammatory
Help with heart health
May help with depression symptoms
Help Improve cholesterol

Why Cook with Turmeric?

Give certain foods a nice yellow color, especially when making vegan cheeses and sauces
Earthy bitter taste
Little goes along way
P.S. Turmeric can stain, you may want to wear gloves or wipe up the counter if you get any on your counter top.

Cooking with Broccoli

We pretty much know that broccoli is good for you, so why not make sit even better. This recipe adds some flavor to broccoli by mixing in some turmeric and shallots. Steamed or roasted broccoli is great but it nice to add in some extra flavor and health benefits.

Help with inflammation
Lower in calories but high in nutrients and antioxidants
Great food to help bulk up meal and to feel satiated/full.
Easy ingredient that y0u find in the grocery whether it fresh or frozen.

Ingredient for the Broccoli Turmeric Sauté:

Broccoli florets
Turmeric Powder
Shallot
Lemon Zest
Lemon Juice
Pepper
Water

Let’s Make the Broccoli Turmeric Sauté

This is a really simple side dish to make in about 10 minutes time. Once you have the broccoli chopped and the shallots minced, the dish is quick to prepare.

Step 1: Prep the veggies
Chop up the broccoli into bite size pieces and mince the shallots.

Step 2: Saute the Broccoli and Shallots

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add in the broccoli, shallots, turmeric and pepper. Add in a little water and stir frequently for about 3-4 minutes. Add in small amounts of water, about 1/2 cup water and stir. Cover with a lid for about 3 minutes to soften the broccoli. Stir frequently.

Step 3: Add in the Lemon Juice and Zest

Add in the rest of the water, lemon juice, and lemon zest and stir together. Stirring constantly until the water is absorbed and the broccoli is tender, takes about 1 minute.

Step 4: Ready to serve. Refrigerator and leftover for 3-5 days.

Broccoli Turmeric Saute

Serve the broccoli with a side of rice or quinoa. You could also add to the pan some cooked rice and chopped tomatoes and serve as a bowl.

Broccoli Turmeric Saute

P.S. Can you use frozen broccoli?

Yes, you can! You can use fresh or frozen broccoli. If using frozen broccoli, you may need less water for the sauté.

Broccoli and Turmeric Saute

Broccoli and Turmeric saute is a healthy side dish that is full of flavor and simple to make. Goes great with rice or quinoa.

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Prep Time: 4 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Course: Side Dish

Keyword: broccoli, turmeric

Servings:

Author: Shelly Hughes

Ingredients

3 cup broccoli florets
1 shallot, minced about 1/4 cup minced shallots
1 tsp grounded turmeric
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp grated lemon zest
1 cup water
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8-1/4 tsp salt, optional

Instructions

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add in the broccoli, shallots, turmeric, and pepper. Add in a little water and stir frequently for about 3-4 minutes. Add in small amounts of water about 1/2 cup water and stir. Cover with a lid for about 3 minutes to soften the brocoli. Stir frequently.
Add in the rest of the water (about 1/2 cup of water), lemon juice, and lemon zest and stir together. Stirring constantly until the water is absorbed and the broccoli is tender, takes about 1-2 minute for the liquid to absorb.
Ready to serve.

Tried this recipe?Mention @PlantBasedFoodyLife or tag #PlantBasedFoodyLife!

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

February 9, 2022 by Shelly Hughes 2 Comments

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings made with Sriracha Sauce… Yummy and HOT!!!!
Wondering what to bring to the party? These buffalo cauliflower wings, made with a sriracha sauce, would make a great addition to any party. Vegans and non vegans will love them! You can bring these to your Super Bowl party!!!

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

What I like about these Wings:

They’re baked, not fried and have no additional oil or butter added.
They taste amazing… warning they’re spicy but delicious. Mix it with celery and your favorite sauce to help cool it down. I like the vegan ranch dressing from Heart to Heart.
Cauliflower creates a nice texture if you are looking to replace traditional buffalo wings.
Make them in a short amount of time. The sauce includes only 2 ingredients.

What are the Ingredients:

Cauliflower
Oat Flour (You can substitute oat flour for almond or all purpose flour)
Sriracha (You can substitute for Hot Sauce)
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Maple Syrup
Salt
Pepper
Water

Ingredients Cauliflower Sriracha Buffalo Wings

How do you make Buffalo Cauliflower Wings?

First gather your ingredients and chop the cauliflower into bite size pieces. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. The total baking time for the wings are about 35-40 minutes. Total prep time is about 10-15 minutes.

Chopped Cauliflower for the Buffalo Wings

Next you want to prepare the batter. For this recipe I used oat flour. I put 2 cups of old fashioned oats in the food processor and made the oat flour. You can use a store bought oat flour if you like. You can substitute with almond or all purpose flour.

For this batter, you want to mix the dry ingredients together, the oat flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Next, you want to add in the water.

Dry ingredients for Cauliflower Sriracha Buffalo Wings

The next step is to whisk the ingredients together. The consistency should be similar to pancake batter.

Cauliflower Sriracha Buffalo Wings Batter

Next, you want to add each of the cauliflower pieces to the batter. It is important to shake off the extra batter from the cauliflower otherwise the cauliflower can get mushy while it bakes. Add the cauliflower to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Cauliflower Sriracha Buffalo Wings Batter

Using the parchment paper eliminates the need for using oil and not having to worry about the cauliflower wings sticking to the pan. Bake the cauliflower in the oven for 20-25 minutes until it begins to brown

Cauliflower with batter baking

Now it is time to make the sauce. This sauce only takes about 1 minute to make. Mix together the sriracha and maple syrup together. The Sriracha sauce can be substituted for hot sauce. I like to add a little maple syrup to the sriracha to create a sweet spicy flavor.

Sriracha and Maple Syrup for the sauce

The next step is to mix the cauliflower wings and the sauce together in a bowl. You can do it one at a time or you can mix a couple of wings at a time with the sauce. Add the cauliflower to the baking sheet and bake for additional 10 minutes.

Cauliflower Sriracha Buffalo Wings Baking

All I can say is yum!!! You can serve the Buffalo Cauliflower wings with a side celery and your favorite vegan dip. I like the vegan ranch dressing from Heart to Heart. Tastes spicy and delicious!

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

P.S. If you make this recipe, leave comment below and share your picture on Instagram mention me @plantbasedfoodylife or #plantbasedfoodylife …. I’d love to see what you make!!!

5 from 1 vote

Cauliflower Buffalo Wings

Cauliflower Buffalo Wings is delicios appetizer.

Prep Time10 mins

Active Time35 mins

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: buffalo cauliflower wings

Yield:

Author: Shelly Hughes

Materials

1 head Cauliflower, cut into small bite size pieces or 4 cups of frozen cauliflower
1 cup water
1 cup Oat flour Substitute Flour of choice almond, or all purpose
2 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup Sriracha Sauce Can substitute with hot sauce
3 tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare the batter for the cauliflower by combining the water, oat flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix the batter together. The consistency should be like pancake batter.
Dip the cauliflower into the batter. You can add in multiple pieces at a time. Shake off any excess batter and place the cauliflower on the lined baking sheet. Lay the the cauliflower in a single layer on the sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25- 30 minutes.
Mix the sricha and the maple styup in a bowl while the cauliflower is baking.
Once the cauliflower has lightly browned, brush the cauliflower with sriracha sauce. Bake for an additional 7-10 minutes to brown until browned.

Vegan Unfried Rice

October 27, 2021 by Shelly Hughes Leave a Comment

Vegan Unfried Rice

Are you looking for a simple, cheap, healthy vegan dish that you can make ahead of time and serve during the week? Vegan unfried is perfect. Instead of ordering take-out, you can easily make this vegan unfried rice. I love this oil free version of fried rice. It’s family friendly and my husband and son loved it.

Fried rice is usually loaded with oil and made with egg. In this vegan “Fried” rice version, I made the rice with no oil and substituted the egg with tofu. If you make the rice in advance, this meal can come together in about 10-15 minutes. Simple, cheap and versatile.

To make the dish even simpler, I used a frozen bag of peas and carrots. The only chopping required in this dish is for the onions and garlic glove.

Why cool the rice?

You want the rice to be cooled so it doesn’t become clumpy when you mix in with the vegetables. If you want to make the rice in advance, or use left over rice, that would be perfect for this recipe. If you want to make fresh rice, no problem! Just let the rice cool before using in this recipe, especially if you have the desire to make the dish.

Vegan Unfried Rice Ingredients:

Rice (I like brown rice, you can use your favorite rice)
Firm tofu
Nutritional Yeast
Turmeric
Onion
Frozen bag of carrots and peas
Scallions or green onions
Nut Butter Tamari Sauce
You can also add in extra veggies on hand like broccoli, bell peppers, etc

Nut Butter Tamari Sauce

Peanut Butter (substitute for almond butter, tahini or nut butter of choice)
Maple syrup
Sriracha Sauce (optional)
Garlic Clove

You’re hungry, let’s make the dish:

Start with the rice.

If you make the rice in advance or have left over rice, this is really quick to make. In 10 to 15 minutes you’ll have this on the dinner table. You need about 3 cups of cooked rice.

To be honest, this is what I would do. Make a batch of rice. 1 cup of uncooked rice and rinse the rice under cold water in a mesh strainer. Rinsing the rice removes excess starch and helps the rice from clumping together and removes any debris.

To a medium pot, add in the rice with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once the rice is boiling, turn the heat down to low, stir once and cover. Allow the rice to absorb the water for about 20-30 minutes. It depends on the type of rice you use, cooking time can vary. I love left over rice, I like making extra for quick meals. This yields about 3 cups.

Important Reminder: Let the rice cool slightly before adding to the sautéed vegetables. You don’t want clumpy rice.

Make the Sauce

To make the sauce in a small bowl add in the tamari, peanut butter, minced garlic, maple syrup, sriracha sauce and whisk together. Set aside.

Prep the tofu:

We’re going to be using firm tofu as an egg substitute for this vegan unfried rice. FYI, you don’t have to press the tofu before making this dish.

Remove the excess liquid from the tofu packaging. Crumble the tofu in medium bowl with your hands or you can use a fork. The texture is similar to scrambled eggs, or making tofu scramble. Add in the nutritional yeast, turmeric and salt and mix together.

Assemble the Dish:

Vegan Unfried Rice

To a large pan over medium heat add in the diced onion and a little water (1 to 2 tbsp of water) sauté for about 2-3 minutes.
Next, add in the frozen peas and carrots and stir together for about 2-3 minutes.
Add in the tofu mix and stir together. Next add in the rice and mix together and heat for about 1 to 2 minutes until warm.
Pour in the sauce and mix together and let cook for about 1 to 2 minutes. Ready to serve and topped with some fresh green onions.
This dish comes together very quickly especially if you have some the ingredients preprepped like the rice and the sauce. When you are sauting the dish it is done in layers as you are adding in each of the pieces to create the vegan unfried rice.

Vegan Unfried Rice

Can you freeze Vegan Unfried Rice?

Yes, you can! If you want to freeze any leftovers or meal prep this dish in advance, go right ahead.

How to reheat left overs?

This rice is good in the refrigerator for about 4 days. It’s easy to reheat in the microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes. For the stove top, add the rice mixture to a pan over medium heat and 1 to 2 tbsp of water and stir together until warm. You can add extra tamari if needed.

Vegan Unfried Rice

Vegan Unfried Rice is ready in about 15 minutes. This dish is an oil free version made with rice, tofu, frozen peas and carrrots and mixed with Nut Butter Tamari Sauce.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Course: dinner

Servings:

Author: Shelly Hughes

Ingredients

3 cup cooked rice 1 cup uncooked rice if not prepared
16 oz frozen bag of mixed peas and carrots
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup scallions or green onions, chopped
1 14 oz firm tofu
2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1/4 tsp turmeric

Nut Butter Tamari Sauce

3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp peanut butter substitute for almond butter, tahini, or omit
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp sriracha sauce optional
1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions

Making the Rice (can be done in advance)

To a medium pot, add in the rice with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once the rice is boiling, turn the heat down to low, stir once and cover. Allow the rice to absorb the water in about 20-30 minutes. Depends on the type of rice you use, cooking time can vary. Let the rice cool.

Nut Butter Sauce

To make the sauce in a small bowl, add in the tamari, peanut butter, minced garlic, maple syrup and sriracha sauce and whisk together. Set aside.

Prepping the Tofu

Remove and excess liquid from the tofu packaging. Crumble the tofu in medium bowl with your hands or you can use a fork. The texture is similar to scrambled eggs, or making tofu scramble.
Add in the nutritional yeast, turmeric and salt and mix together. Set aside

Assemble the Vegan Unfried Rice

To a pan over medium heat add in the diced onion and a little water (1 to 2 tbsp of water) sauté for about 2-3 minutes.
Next add in the frozen peas and carrots and stir together for about 2-3 minutes.
Add in the tofu mix and stir together. Next, add in the rice and mix together and heat for about 1 to 2 minutes until warm.
Pour in the sauce and mix together and let cook for about 2-3 minutes. Ready to serve and topped with some fresh green onions.

Tried this recipe?Mention @PlantBasedFoodyLife or tag #PlantBasedFoodyLife!

can be frozen

Simple Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing

July 1, 2021 by Shelly Hughes 2 Comments

Simple Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dressing

This simple quinoa salad with lemon dressing is the perfect salad to bring when traveling or for a summer BBQ and your outdoor events because it can be served cold. You can load up this salad with your favorite veggies. The dressing is mixed with an oil free lemon dressing.

I wanted to figure out what to bring to my sons baseball tournament. Something that’s healthy but doesn’t need to be refrigerated and travels well.

I created and used oil free Lemon dressing for this salad. I swapped out the oil with the aquafaba, the liquid from the chickpea can, as an oil substitute. I like to limit the amount of extra fat if I can and therefore use oil free dressing. Most of the time people throw out the liquid from the chickpeas can but it can be very useful as an oil substitute for dressing. Also for making hummus or for baking as an egg substitute.

If there is a veggie you don’t like you can easily swap out for one that you do.

Lemon Dressing Ingredients:

Aquafaba (Liquid from the chickpea can)
Lemon Juice
Maple Syrup
Salt and Pepper to taste

Quinoa Salad Ingredients:

Quinoa
Chickpeas
Bell Pepper
Cucumber
Tomatoes
Red Onion
Mushrooms
Fresh herbs of choice: parsley, basil, cilantro

How to Make the Simple Quinoa Salad:

This salad comes together very quickly once the quinoa is cooked. You are washing and rinsing the veggies and draining the can of chickpeas. Once the quinoa is cooked and slightly cooled, you can mix the ingredients together and mix in the salad dressing.

Step 1: Cook the Quinoa

Add quinoa to a fine mesh strainer and then rinse under cool water for 30-60 seconds. Combine the rinsed quinoa and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer and cook. Cover until the liquid is absorbed by the quinoa, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Move the saucepan off of the heat and cover for five minutes. This extra time allows the quinoa to steam and “fluff up.” Uncover and then fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set aside to cool slightly.

Step 2: Prep the veggies

While the quinoa is cooking, chop up the veggies into small bite size pieces. You can swap out any of the veggies or add in extra veggies that you have in your kitchen. Also, you could easily add in some chopped zucchini or spinach to the salad.

Step 3: Make the Lemon Salad Dressing

The dressing is very simple to make. Drain the chickpeas and save the liquid. The liquid is called aquafaba. This will be the oil substitute for the salad dressing, which makes this a low fat dressing.

To a small bowl add the aquafaba, lemon juice and maple syrup and whisk together. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside for the quinoa salad.

Step 4: Creating the Simple Quinoa Salad

Mix everything together. Add the slightly cooled quinoa to a large bowl and mix in the chopped veggies.

Next add in the lemon salad dressing and combine all together. Salt and pepper to taste.

Refrigerate. The salad should be good in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can serve at room temperature.

This simple quinoa salad with lemon dressing is great when meal prepping for the week ahead or to bring a party. It’s lively, bright, full of color and is vegan. It’s even loved by my non-vegan friends.

For More Recipe Ideas that are great to bring to a party!

Brushetta

Cowboy Caviar

Oil Free Hummus

Simple Quinoa Salad

Simple quinoa salad is made chickpeas, veggies and oil free lemon dressing.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: quinoa

Servings:

Author: Shelly Hughes

Ingredients

Salad

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cup water
14 oz Chickpeas plus the liquid in the can (aquafaba)
1-2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1/3 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, cashews) or seeds of choice optional
2 cup chopped raw broccoli
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 cup cucumbers, chopped 3 mini cucumbers or half a large cucumber
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced or substitute basil
1 avocado, diced optional

Dressing

1/4 cup aquafaba (liquid from the chickpea can)
1/2 lemon, squeezed (about 2 tbsp)
1 tbsp maple syrup optional
salt and pepper to taste optional

Instructions

Cook the quinoa

Add quinoa to a fine mesh strainer, and then rinse under cool water for 30 seconds to a minute. Combine the rinsed quinoa and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer and cook, covered, until the liquid is absorbed by the quinoa, 10 to 15 minutes.
Move the saucepan off of the heat and cover for five minutes. This extra time allows the quinoa to steam and “fluff up.” Uncover, and then fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set aside to cool slightly.

Lemon Salad Dressing

Drain the chickpeas and set the liquid aside (aquafaba). To a small bowl add in 1/4 cup of the aquafaba, fresh lemon juice and maple syrup and misk together. Salt to taste. Set aside.

Prepare the Simple Quinoa Salad

To a large bowl add in the cooked quinoa and the chopped vegetables and mix together.
Next add in the lemon salad dressing and combine all together. Salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate. The salad should be good in the refrigerate for 3-5 days. You can serve at room temperature.

Tried this recipe?Mention @PlantBasedFoodyLife or tag #PlantBasedFoodyLife!

Jackfruit Tacos!

June 23, 2021 by Shelly Hughes Leave a Comment

Jackfruit Tacos

Jackfruit tacos are really simple to make any night of the week and can come together in about 30 minutes. They are vegan and nonvegan friendly. You can customize them with your favorite topping like you would with any taco.

The Jackfruit Taco has a similar shredded texture to pulled pork or chicken but they are meat free. These are great when you are switching to a plant based diet and want to figure out ways to create filling meals that are healthy, delicious, and simple to make. That is my criteria. This shredded jackfruit does the job. You can load up the taco and it is very filling, especially when you finish it with your favorite topping.

What to top your tacos with:

Try a corn tortilla with lettuce, jackfruit topped with diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

You could also top your tacos with vegan sour cream or avocado lime dressing found in the Oil Free Salad Dressing Guide.

You could also make a jackfruit taco bowl over rice and finish with your favorite topping.

What is Jackfruit?

Jackfruit Tacos

Jackfruit is from the largest fruit-producing tree in the world. It contains fiber and is low in fat like many fruits. It is often used as a meat substitute for pulled pork, shredded chicken or bbq chicken. For more information on jackfruit click here.

Where can you find Jackfruit?

You can find Jackfruit in your local grocery, usually in the International aisle and in a can. You want to get the jackfruit in the brine or water, not syrup. When you buy “young” jackfruit in the can, it is not ripened, that is what helps create the string texture when you are looking to create a meat substitute for say chicken or pulled pork substitute. Ripened jackfruit is sweet in taste and would be used more for desserts. Unripened jack fruit would be used more in savory dishes like bbq jack fruit or tacos.

What are the Ingredients for Jackfruit Tacos?

Young Jackfruit (in a can with water or brine)
Onions
Garlic
Red Bell Pepper
Cumin
Chili Powder
Smoked Paprika
Jalapeno (optional)
Tamari ( substitute soy sauce, coconut aminos )
Salt and Pepper to taste
Water
Corn Tortilla
Limes, cilantro and avocado (optional)

How to make Jackfruit Tacos?

Making jackfruit tacos is about sautéing the veggies with the shredded jackfruit and letting simmer for about 2o minutes. Then adding in the jackfruit taco filling to your favorite taco shells and topping it off with your favorite toppings in about 30 minutes.

Step 1: Prepping the Jackfruit (By hand with a knife or using food processor)

Start by draining and rinsing the jackfruit from the can. You can either shred the jackfruit by hand or pull the jackfruit apart into shredded pieces. You can also use a knife to shred the small pieces.

If you’re using a food processor, drain the can and add one can at a time to the food processor, then pulse 6 to 10 times until shredded. Keep in mind, don’t over blend or the jackfruit will become mushy. Remove the shredded jackfruit and add to a bowl and repeat with the second can of jack fruit. Once shredded, remove from the food processor and add back to the bowl of shredded jackfruit.

Step 2: Sauté the veggies and Jackfruit.

To a medium hot sauté pan add in the diced onions and bell peppers with a couple tablespoons of water and sauté for 5-6 minutes. Next, add in the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add in the spices and the jalapeño (optional) and stir and sauté for about 1 minute. You can add in small amount of water if the ingredients begin to stick.

Jackfruit Tacos

Add in the shredded jackfruit, tamari and 1 cup of water and combine. Cover and stir frequently for about 20 minutes. Taste to see if you need any additional seasoning or additional tamari. Remove from heat and prepare your tacos.

Step 3: Make your tacos

Warm your corn taco shells and add in you shredded jackfruit filling, finished with your favorite toppings.

My favorite way to serve the taco is on warm corn tortilla shells with jackfruit, topped with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, cilantro and a slice of avocado. S0 Good! I’m making my self hungry.

Jackfruit Tacos

Refrigerate any remaining jackfruit taco filling in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. Make this in advance as part of meal prepping. Reheat the jackfruit taco filling in a sauce pan and make tacos or taco bowls with rice during the week for a quick meal.

Jackfruit Tacos

Jackfruit tacos are easy to make and perfect for any night of the week. Made with onions, garlic, spices and shredded jackfruit and topped with you favorite taco toppings.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: tacos

Servings:

Author: Shelly Hughes

Equipment

Food Processor or Knife

Ingredients

2 20 oz Young Jackfruit in water or brine from a can. (not in syrup)
1 cup onion, diced (one onion)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup red bell bepper, small dice 1 bell pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup water
1 jalapeno (optional) optional
1-2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce, coconut aminos) optional

Instructions

Prepping the Jackfruit (By hand with a knife or using food processor)
Start by draining and rinsing the jackfruit from the can. You can either shred the jackfruit by hand and pull the jackfruit apart into shredded pieces. You can also use a knife to shred the small pieces.
If you using a food processor, drain the can and add one can at a time to the food processor and pulse 6 to 10 times until shredded. Don't over blend or the jackfruit will become mushy. Remove the shredded jackfruit and add to a bowl and repeat with the second can of jack fruit. Once shredded remove from the food processor and add back to the bowl of shredded jackfruit.
To a medium hot sauté pan add in the diced onion and bell peppers with couple tables spoons of water and sauté for 5-6 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add in the spices and the jalapeño (optional) and stir and sauté for about 1 minute. Add in small amount of water if the ingredients begin to stick.
Add in the shredded jack fruit, tamari and 1 cup of water and combine. Cover and stir frequently for about 20 minutes. Taste to see if you need any additional seasoning or additional tamari. Remove from heat and prepare your tacos.
Refrigertate leftovers and good for 5-6 days in the refrigerator.
Make your tacos:
Warm your corn taco shells and add in you shredded jackfruit filling and topped with your favorite toppings
My favorite way to serve the taco on warm corn tortilla shells with jackfruit topped with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, cilantro and slice of avocado.
Refrigerate any remaining jackfruit taco filling in the refrigerator 5-6 day. You can also make this in advance as part of meal prepping. You can reheat the jackfruit taco filling in a sauce pan and make tacos or taco bowls with rice during the week for a quick meal.

Notes

Topping for the tacos.

Corn tortillas warmed
Fresh lime juice
Cilanto
Avocado slices

Tried this recipe?Mention @PlantBasedFoodyLife or tag #PlantBasedFoodyLife!

How to Cook Beet Greens?

May 26, 2021 by Shelly Hughes Leave a Comment

Beets and Beet Greens

How to cook beet greens? Yes, you can eat the greens from the beet. Have you ever bought fresh beets and wondered what to do with the leafy greens? I have! (I usually felt guilty throwing them away)

Beet greens are actually very delicious. Soft and buttery. It’s like a combination of kale and butter lettuce if I had to describe them. Recently, I picked up some fresh beets from my favorite farmers market, Pete’s Produce Farm!

Beets and Beet Greens

Two recipes with one ingredient! BEETS!

My favorite way to cook beets is too roast in the oven. Wash and peel the skin from the beats and chop them into small chunks. Wrap in foil and bake in the oven. When you wrap the beets in foil they sort of steam and become tender. They’re super delicious served warm or chilled.

Now what do you with the stems? Chop the green leaves, remove the stem, and sauté in a pan with a little water and stir. You can also squeeze some fresh lemon juice on the greens. Takes about 5 mines too saute. Add as a side dish or mix into a veggie bowl.

Why eat beets?

Beets are a root vegetable that can be consumed completely, from the root to the leaves. They are delicious, low in calories but high in nutrition whether they are eaten raw, steamed, or roasted. Beets are packed with a lot of nutrients like fiber and antioxidants. Beets may help with high blood pressure, your skin, inflammation, and help to keep you regular because they contain a lot of fiber. Learn more about the health benefits of beets click here.

You can add beets to salad, on a veggie burger, veggie bowl, or use as a snack.

Can you eat the beets green leafy stems?

YES!!! They are loaded with vitamins and very nutritious. They are high in calcium, magnesium and iron. There’s no fat or cholesterol. For more info on health benefits of beet greens click here.

Beet greens make a great substitute for spinach, swiss chard, or kale. They can be used just as you would use any of these greens for creating sauces, an addition to soups, and eaten raw.

It’s like getting 2 ingredients for the price of one. The beets and the greens! No waste and full of taste!

How to store beet leaves?

Remove the beet leaves from the beets. Wash and dry the beet leaves. You want to shake off any excess water and wrap in a paper towel. Stor the leaves in a ziplock bag or sealed food storage container in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

How to cook beet greens?

3-4 Beets with the greens
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup water

Directions for roasting the Beets:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and remove the stems and the greens of the beets. Put the beets leaves aside too sauté later.

Peel the skin off if the beets. Slice the beets into cubes or small chunks.

Take all the chopped beets and wrap in foil, creating a ball with the foil while the beets are inside. Place the beets in the foil on a baking pan. Bake in the oven fro 30 minutes or until fork tender.

How to cook Beet Greens?

Wash the beet greens and stems. Roughly chop the stems and and the greens. Add to a saute pan on medium heat with a little water and sauté. Let saute for about 3-5 minutes. The beet greens cook quickly. Once the greens have softened, add in 1-2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice and stir. Ready to serve.

With both roasted beets and the sautéed beet greens you can serve as aside dish or mix into a veggie bowl. I like to serve with rice.

Sautéed Beet Greens and Roasted Beets

One ingredient, beets with two recipes. Roast the beets and saute the beet greens

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Roasting the Beets: 5 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: greens, no oil

Servings:

Author: Shelly Hughes

Cost: 5

Ingredients

Roasting the Beets

3-4 beets with the leaves

Sauteing Beet Greens

Leaves from beet greens
1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste optional

Instructions

Roasting Beets

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Wash and remove the stems and the greens of the beets. Put the beets leaves aside.
Peel the skin off if the beets. Slice the beets in too cubes or small chunks.
To a piece of foil add in the chopped beets. Creating a ball with the foil and the beets are inside. Place the beets in the foil on a baking pan. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until fork tender. Ready to be served.

Sauteing Beet Greens

Wash the beet greens and stems. Roughly chop the stems and and the greens. Add to a saute pan on medium heat with a liitle water and sauté. Let saute for about 3-5 minutes. The beet greens cook quickly. Once the greens have soften and in some fresh lemon juice and stir. Ready to serve.

Tried this recipe?Mention @PlantBasedFoodyLife or tag #PlantBasedFoodyLife!

Crispy Vegan Bacon Bits!

May 5, 2021 by Shelly Hughes Leave a Comment

Super tasty and crispy vegan bacon bits! It’s made with tempeh and is a perfect addition to any salad or veggie bowl. I was experimenting with tempeh and decided to mix in a great sauce I developed which lead to this amazing bacon bits recipe. IT adds a tangy crunch to your favorite dishes. They are baked in the oven, made oil free and you still get the crispy crunch with a lot of flavor.

If you use to like bacon or looking for meat alternatives, tempeh can be a great substitute. Tempeh is found in the refrigerated section of the grocery aisle and is made from soybeans. If you are worried about getting enough protein on a vegan diet, tempeh is packed with protein. Most people don’t realize that a 3oz serving of tempeh has 16 grams of protein. Tempeh also has no cholesterol and is a good source of vitamins and minerals. The trick is learning how to work with it! Which is pretty simple.

Crispy Vegan Bacon Bits Ingredients:

Tempeh
Tamari
Garlic Powder
Maple Syrup
Liquid Smoke

How to make the Vegan Bacon Bits?

Step #1: Steam the tempeh.

Steaming the tempeh helps soften the tempeh so it can absorb the flavors of the marinade or sauce. Steam your tempeh by placing the tempeh into a steamer basket fitted in a saucepan with a few inches of water. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pan, and let the tempeh steam for 15 minutes or so.

You don’t have a steaming basket? No problem, you can use a microwave to steam the tempeh. Steaming tempeh in a microwave is quick and less messy. Place the tempeh in a glass microwave-safe bowl with a lid and add 1/2 cup of water. Toss the tempeh to moisten. Cover and microwave on high 5 to 6 minutes or until the tempeh has softened and absorbed some of the liquid.

Once the tempeh is steamed, allow to cool for a few minutes while you make the sauce.

Step #2: Make the sauce.

In a bowl, add in the rest of the ingredients and whisk together.

*Step #3: Tempeh Crumbles.***

Take the steamed block and cut in half, length wise, and them cut into strips and then into small dices. The tempeh should be the size of small crumbles.

Step #4: Mix the tempeh!

Add the tempeh to the sauce.

Toss the tempeh in the liquid.

Crispy Vegan Bacon Bits

Drain the excess liquid.

Crispy Vegan Bacon Bits

Add the tempeh to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, stirring about half way through, and allowing the tempeh to brown.

Crispy Vegan Bacon Bits

The crispy vegan bacon bits are ready to be served! You can store them in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. They are so good that they probably won’t last that long any way. Great to add to veggie bowl, a salad, or as a snack.

Vegan Bacon Bits

Crispy vegan bacon bits are delicious, oil free and super tasty. They are baked in the oven and are great for salad toppers, veggie bowl or topping off a baked potato

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Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings:

Author: Shelly Hughes

Ingredients

1/4 cup tamari Substitute: liquid aminos, soy sauce, or coconut aminos
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Steam the tempeh. Steam the tempeh by placing the tempeh into a steamer basket fitted in a saucepan with a few inches of water. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pan and let the tempeh steam for 15 minutes or so. Turning halfway through.
Microwave option: Place the tempeh in a glass microwave-safe bowl with a paper towel and add 1/2 cup water. Toss the tempeh to moisten. Cover with a paper towel and microwave on high 5 to 6 minutes, or until the tempeh has softened and absorbed some of the liquid. Allow tempeh to cool for a minute or two before cutting into small pieces.
All the temeph to cool for a few minutes before dicing into small pieces
Make the sauce. While the tempeh is steaming you can make the sauce. Add the rest of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Once the tempeh is seatmed and cooled for 1-2 minutes cut the tempeh in half, then into strips and chop into small dices.
Add the tempeh to the marinade. Toss the tempeh in the liquid. Drain and excess liquid and add the tempeh to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes and stirring about half way through and allowing the tempeh to brown.
The vegan bacon are ready to be served! You can store them in the refrigerator for 5-7 day.

Tried this recipe?Mention @PlantBasedFoodyLife or tag #PlantBasedFoodyLife!

7 Tips on Making Veggie Burgers

April 14, 2021 by Shelly Hughes Leave a Comment

Ever tried making your own veggie burger? You make them and they fall apart? I’ve been there. I’ve learned a few do’s and don’ts when it comes to making veggie burgers.

7 Tips on Making Veggie Burgers

7 Tips on Making the Perfect Veggie Burger, that stays together! 🤯

Follow these tips and you will be on your way to making perfect customized burgers that you and your family will love. This also makes dinner a lot easier because you can quickly pull out some burgers from the freezer if you have some premade.

Tip #1 Too Much Moisture

Is your burger falling apart? If you’re burger is falling apart it may be because you have too much liquid or water and nothing to help absorb the moisture. A good trick is to add in some oat flour or oats to your burgers when you are making the burger batter or dough. Oats can absorb some of the moisture without taking away or adding to the flavor of the burger.

Liquid from ingredients in the recipe, like tamari, soy sauce or vinegar, will add additional moisture to the veggie burgers.

(Just some food for thought🧐)

Tip #2 Raw Vegetables

7 Tips on Making Veggie Burgers

If you are using raw or frozen vegetables in your burgers be aware that there will be more water in the veggies which could make the burgers harder to hold together. A good idea is to sauté the veggies and release some of the liquid once cooked. If you want to use raw veggies because it’s your choice or you want that flavor profile in the burger, add in 1/4 cup of oat flour at a time to get the consistency that you want.

Tip# 3 Use a food processor.

What really helped make a difference in my burgers was using the food processor to help combine the ingredients. You can take part or all of the burger dough or batter and add to the food processor for a couple of pulses to combine the ingredients. Add that back into batter and combine together.

I had that experience when making black bean rice burgers, but once the ingredients where blended in the food processor the burgers stayed together.

Tip# 4 Don’t over process

Quick tip on using the food processor, is too not over process the burger dough because that can make the burgers fall apart. You want to have a thick texture.

Tips #5 Let the Burgers Rest

When you take the burgers out of the oven, let them sit for a couple of minutes before removing from the tray and the burgers will harden, this helps them stay together.

Tip #6 Bake the Burgers before Grilling

If you are looking to grill your burgers, you could partially bake the burgers in the oven for about 20-25 minutes ahead of time before putting them on the grill. You could do this in advance and have them partially precooked and in the freezer or the refrigerator.

Tip #7 Your burgers are all different sizes..uugh

7 Tips on Making Veggie Burgers

Cookie cutters are an awesome inexpensive tool to use when you want the same size burgers. I tend to use the 3# circle cookie cutter for my burgers. You can also get a smaller cookie cutter if you want to make little sliders. Just put the cookie cutter in the baking sheet fill the circle with the burger batter and move on to the next one. You can use your hands but I find this much easier and less messy.

Extra Tip! Always line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet when baking so the burgers don’t stick. If you want to cook the burger on the stock and you don’t want to use oil for your burgers, you can bake half way in the oven and cook rest of the way on the stove. This is also a great way to meal prep by baking the burgers half way and let cool and freeze. Then you can easily reheat on the stove or the oven.

Veggie Burger Recipes to Check Out!

Sweetpotato Black Bean Burger

Chickpeas Mushroom Burger

Chickpea Spinach Patties