Vegan Dinner: Spicy Black Bean Tacos

Happy Wednesday! I made these vegetarian tacos for my husband and I last night. Mmmmm and it only took about 30 minutes. Mucho delicioso!

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Ingredients:

-8 oz organic vegetable broth

-1 can organic black beans (15 oz.)

-1 can organic pinto beans (15 oz)

-Salt and pepper, as needed

-1 tbsp garlic powder

-1 jalapeno, diced

-1/2 red pepper, sliced into strips

-1/2 green pepper, sliced into strips

-1/2 red onion, sliced into strips

-1/2 tomato, diced

-2 tbsp of vegetable oil

-2 cups of lettuce, chopped

-1 lime, sliced into quarters

-1 packet of taco seasoning

-2 cups of fresh corn (I used corn on the cob and stripped of the corn)

-10 flour or corn tortillas (check the label!)

-taco sauce, as needed

-vegan cheddar cheese (Veggie Brand)

Directions:

1. Open both cans of beans and drain the excess water inside, add to a saucepan. Add the vegetable broth, salt, pepper, garlic powder, 1/2 taco seasoning, and the jalapeno to the pot, cover and cook at medium heat. While that is cooking....

2. Heat up a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and once heated add the peppers and onions (feel free to add mushrooms too or anything you want)

3. Add 1/2 the packet of taco seasoning to the veggies once they start to turn brown

4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tortillas on a non stick pan, grate 1 tablespoon of vegan cheese on each, and place in oven until lightly toasted (3 minutes)

5. Once the beans have cooked, uncover and use a hand masher to mash the beans slightly until they look like refried beans. Some of the skins should still be showing.

6. Remove tortillas and top with veggies, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, corn and taco sauce. Squeeze one quarter of a lime on top and you're done!

Enjoy!

-Joanna

Vegan Breakfast: Strawberry Cream Cheese and Vanilla Pancakes

HAPPY NATIONAL PANCAKE DAY!

This tasty pancake recipe is a vegan alternative to the other IHOP pancake with milk and eggs. My husband was a happy camper waking up to these in the kitchen (and a pretty wife to serve them :-) .

Ingredients:

-1 cup of whole wheat flour

-1 cup all purpose flour

-2 tbsp of evaporated cane sugar

-2 tsp of vanilla extract

-1 1/2 cups of frozen or fresh strawberries (about 10 whole)

-2 tbsp of vegan cream cheese

-2 1/4 cup water (more if batter is too dry)

-1 tbsp of oil

-vegan butter for pan (Earth Balance)

Directions:

1. Heat skillet to med-high heat and add just enough butter to prevent sticking

2. Mix all dry ingredients, mix all wet ingredients separately, then combine and stir until clumps are gone and batter is smooth

3. Add 1/3 cup of batter to pan and cook each side until slightly brown

4. Top off with additional strawberries and Agave syrup

Enjoy!

-Joanna

Vegan Dinner: Smoked Tempeh Stir Fry with Couscous

This is what I made for Sunday dinner--yum! Craig and I arrived home from seeing his cousins in Tallahassee (my cousin in-laws I guess?) and we were tuckered out. Dinner needed to be quick so this is what I whipped up in less than 30 minutes. 

Ingredients:

- 1/2 block of Tempeh, sliced and cut into 1 inch squares (Lightlife Organic Soy brand)

-3 tbsp of vegetable oil

-1 tbsp of garlic, minced

-3 tbsp of Soy Sauce

-1 tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce

-1 tbsp of Liquid Smoke (this is great with baked beans and burgers too)

-1 tbsp of ginger, minced

- 1/2 red pepper, cut into strips

- 1/4 red onion, cut into strips

- 1 large carrot, sliced into strips

- l/4 head of broccoli (about 10-12 pieces, stems cut off)

- 1 box of Organic Couscous

- 1 box of vegetable spring rolls (Health is Wealth brand)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees for spring rolls

2. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan, pour box of couscous into pot, cover with lid and allow 2 minutes for water to absorb. Remove lid and take off heat and set aside to rest (Wifestyle Tip: if couscous isn't your thing, feel free to substitute brown rice instead)

3.  Pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into large wok or skillet at med-high heat. Once warm, add garlic and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes.

4. Turn heat to medium if needed so as not to overheat the oil. Add tempeh, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke to pan. Stir and toss tempeh to coat.

5. Add remaining vegetables, cook until brown (about 7 minutes)

6. While stir fry is cooking, lay spring rolls on a slightly greased pan and cook for 10 minutes, turning them once after 5 minutes

7. For extra flavor, add more soy sauce and vegetable broth to the couscous so it will not be too dry. Add any extra sauces as needed, but the above recipe is how much I used.

8. Serve stir fry over couscous with spring rolls as a side

Enjoy!

-Joanna




  

Vegan Smoothie: Fruity Coconut with Kale and Tofu

Rise and shine it's Monday! Off to work again. Enjoy this coconut smoothie with tofu and kale. I swear you can't even taste it and it's packed with protein.

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups of silken tofu (Masoya brand)

-1 1/2 cups of unsweetened coconut milk

-2 cups of kale

-2 cups of ice

-1 cup of distilled water

-2 tablespoons of rice protein

-2 tablespoons of flax seed

-2 cups of frozen fruit, berry medley (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)

-2 tablespoons of agave nectar (to sweeten)

Directions:

Blend all together

Enjoy!

-Joanna

Vegan Breakfast: Very Berry Medley Smoothie

As a busy wife who's vegan, a smoothie is my go-to breakfast choice. You wouldn't even know this smoothie has tofu and spinach and is packed with 16 grams of protein per serving.The Hubs sleeps in 'till about 5 minutes before he has to leave for work, so I need to wake up a little earlier, play with the pups and prepare our meals for the day, but it's worth it!

Ingredients:

-2 cups of Mixed Berry Medley (frozen strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)

-1 cup pomegranate juice

-1 banana

-1 cup of Masoya Silken Tofu (silken tofu is the best to use when making smoothies, dips, and sauces)

-2 cups of baby spinach

-2 tablespoons Flaxseed (Barlean's Brand, organic "Forti Flax)

-2 tablespoons of Rice Protein

Directions:

-Blend all in a blender

 Enjoy!

-Joanna

P.S. Still unsure about putting tofu in your smoothie? Try my Strawberry Strawberry Banana Smoothie 

Traveling while Vegetarian-what to eat?

Arby's, Wendy's, Hardee's oh my! What do you eat while on the road? How do you resist all that fast food temptation?

Subway has a veggie patty that is absolutely delicious! Here's what we had today while traveling to see family in Tallahassee...

-Foot Long Whole Wheat bread

-Veggie Patty, toasted

-Olives

-Shredded lettuce

-Tomatoes

-Green Peppers

-Red Onions

-Pickles

-Top it off with oil/vinegar, oregano, salt/pepper, and spicy mustard

Keep in mind not all Subways have the veggie patty available so try to call ahead to be sure. I was full after eating half, and saved the other half for later.

Enjoy!

-Joanna

Since I posted this I have found out the Veggie Patty is completely vegetarian, but not vegan. Like I said, I'm still learning, but it's a great vegetarian option! (02/27/12)

Vegan Side: Baked Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar

Ah the acorn squash....delicious. It's large enough to have as a light lunch or pair it with my Eggplant Lasagna  for dinner.

Ingredients:

-1 large acorn squash

-1 teaspoon of vegan butter (Earth Balance brand)

-1 teaspoon of dark brown cane sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice squash in half and scoop out all the seeds (it will be similar to pumpkin).

2. Place both halves on a slightly greased baking sheet face down

3. Bake for 35 minutes, until soft and lightly brown around the edges. Add 1/2 teaspoon of vegan butter to each half. Slice creases inside the squash to let the butter spread throughout. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the brown sugar to each half and you're done! Eat as you would a bowl of cereal. (See picture above of the final product)

Enjoy!

-Joanna

Vegan Breakfast: Strawberry Strawberry Banana Smoothie

What an easy healthy breakfast to get me going in the morning! Off to work and then a workout.

Unfortunately people who don't understand a vegan diet think that it lacks protein. Um, no. This smoothie for example packs 18 grams of protein per serving--bam! How 'bout them organic apples?

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Ingredients:

-2 bananas, sliced

-2 cups of frozen, whole strawberries

-2, 6 oz. containers of strawberry soy yogurt (or plain, I used this brand of soy yogurt)

-2 tablespoons of vegan rice protein

-4 tablespoons of flax seed

(makes 2 servings, for me and the Hubs)

Wifestyle Tip: Save time by making it first thing in the morning and allow to chill in the fridge while you get ready.

Enjoy!

-Joanna

 

Vegan Dinner: Eggplant Lasagna

This vegan lasagna is an easy healthy dinner and has a ton of hidden veggies inside.  

I can't believe I'm just blogging about this at 9:30pm--long day at work, then a workout, grocery shopping, then cooking. Whoah! I haven't even showered yet (don't judge). But I guess that's the life of a vegan wife, and I'm loving every minute. A glass of red wine is a must tonight!

I used a 12 x 9 dish and it's perfect for my husband and I...and a little bit for Moose and Louie.

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Ingredients:

- 1/2 portion of Tofu Ricotta (click for recipe) 

-1/2 cup of Nutritional Yeast (add to tofu ricotta portion)

-1 jar of organic tomato sauce*

-1/2 red pepper*

-1/2 red onion*

-1/2 an eggplant

-4 tablespoons of olive oil

-3 tablespoons of garlic

-2 tablespoons of fresh basil, chopped

-1/2 box of lasagna (check the label to make sure the noodles are made with semolina flour and have no egg nor milk ingredients)

 Wifestyle Touch: I must admit I can be picky at times when it comes to veggies, so I puree a bunch along with the sauce and can't even taste it!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fill a large pot with water, add 2 teaspoons of salt and wait until boiling

2. Add lasagna and cook for 5-6 minutes (until al dente), place in strainer and add a little olive oil to prevent sticking

3. Heat up a large skillet with the olive oil

4. Once heated, add garlic and allow to brown (2 minutes) then add basil

5. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds (6 to 7) and place on skillet, then cook until brown flipping them twice with a spatula

6. For sauce combine organic tomato sauce, onion and the red pepper in a blend and liquefy (if you prefer it to be less thick add a little vegetable broth)

7.. In a 12 x 9 glass baking dish layer in this order--sauce, noodles, tofu ricotta, sauce, eggplant, noodles, tofu ricotta until all layers are complete

8. Top with noodles and more sauce then cover dish with tin foil and place in oven for 30 minutes--once it's bubbling, sprinkle some shredded cheese on top and you're done!

Enjoy!

-Joanna

Vegan Dessert: Raspberry & Strawberry Champagne Sorbet

I made this easy recipe for a Valentine's Dinner party I threw for my girlfriends a few weeks ago. Unfortunately the wine was flowing, we got distracted with gossip (as always) and I didn't have a chance to show it off...but I ate the whole thing by myself over the next few days and it was to die for!

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Ingredients

-2/3 cup of distilled warm water (if you don't have distilled, you can use filtered water)

-2/3 cup of evaporated cane sugar*

-2 cups of Korbel Brut Champagne

-2 tablespoons of corn syrup

-1 cup of frozen, whole strawberries

-1 cup of frozen raspberries

Directions

1. While the champagne is in the fridge and the frozen fruit has been removed from the freezer, heat up a saucepan, add the water and cane sugar*, and allow the sugar to dissolve

Wifestyle Fact: Why evaporated cane sugar instead of regular sugar? It is very similar to white sugar, except it's processed differently. The only visible difference is that the crystals are a bit larger (think of a comparison between sea salt and commercial salt).

2. Now combine the champagne, corn syrup and frozen fruit to the saucepan, stir and then turn off heat

3. Once cooled, place in a blender and then pour into a sealed container. Place in the fridge overnight. 

4. The next morning, place the mixture in the blender again, and refreeze. Wait until after dinner that evening and it's ready to go

Enjoy!

-Joanna

Vegan Breakfast: Granola and Fruit

 Rise and shine it's breakfast time! I have a long day of work and a workout ahead of me. Here's what I like to have to keep me full until lunch. The great thing about French Vanilla Silk Soy Creamer is that each serving is only 20 calories and has 1 gram of fat. Delicious and nutritious!

-2 cups of Cascadian Farm Organic Granola

-1 orange, sliced

-1 large cup of black coffee

-2 tablespoons of Silk French Vanilla Soy Creamer

Enjoy!

-Joanna

Vegan Dinner: Grandma's Potato Pierogi

I've mastered the recipe and can now share it with all of you. After marrying a Polish man, naturally I've picked up a few Polish traditions and recipes. But the most famous in the family is Grandma Nosewicz' Potato Pierogis (if you don't know what this is just think of a ravioli with mashed potatoes inside). Every Christmas when she announces "food is ready!" everyone chases to the center table and they seem to disappear like hotcakes! (vegan hotcake recipe coming soon)

The good news is the Nosewicz' aren't the only ones who get to enjoy this mashed-potato-dumpling-deliciousness. Here it is and best of all....it's VEGAN! Please don't tell Grandma!

There are many Wifestyle Touches I've made to this recipe, so my touches will be in pink and anything else I must give sole credit to the lovely Mary Nosewicz. 

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Dough Ingredients  

-5 cups of All Purpose Flour 
-2 teaspoons of salt
-1/3 cup of vegetable oil 
-2 cups of distilled water * (any water is good if you don't have distilled)

Filling Ingredients *

-4 large white potatoes
-1/2 cup of Silk Soy Milk
-salt as needed
-1 cup of Earth Balance Vegan Butter


The great part is you can add whatever else to the mashed potato filling such as cheese, garlic, spinach, onions,sweet potatoes, etc.

Topping Ingredients *

-3/4 red onion, chopped
-2 tablespoons of fresh garlic, minced
-1/2 cup of )
-Tofutti Sour Cream for dipping


1. Start with the flour in a large shallow bowl, add the vegetable oil, water and salt. Mix with your hands or with a spoon, whatever works best. Add flour or water if needed. If the dough is sticky, add more flour and if it's too dry add more water. Knead for about 7 minutes, wrap in plastic wrap and set aside in a slightly greased bowl. Move onto the filling....

2. Fill a large pot with distilled water and heat up on High until water is boiling. While water is boiling, skin all potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks, then add to the water. Allow 15 minutes for potatoes to cook or until become soft. Rinse the potatoes with a strainer and place into a large plastic bowl. Add the milk, salt and butter then use a hand mixer or masher until the mixture is soft but not too creamy. 


3. Roll out the dough with a wooden rolling pin on a floured surface too avoid sticking. Keep rolling until very thin, then use the top of a cup to cut out circles from the dough. Fill the circle with a spoonful of filling and then fold over to close, and use a fork to seal (it will look like a half moon with filling and make fork marks like you would with pie crust). 


4. Add the pierogis about 5-6 at a time to a pot of boiling. Watch closely to make sure they do not stick to the bottom of the pot. After a few minutes, once they float to the top they are done. Remove with a large spoon and let rest on greased tin foil until all are complete. 


5. Heat up a large skilled med-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (Grandma used butter). Toast each side until lightly browned, and set aside until all are done. 

Traditionally, the pierogis should be served with grilled onions, garlic, butter and sour cream for dipping. I grilled the onions and garlic in the same skillet, added vegan butter and served with vegan sour cream. See ingredients above. 


The recipe makes enough for leftovers. I enjoyed this with my vegan hubby tonight for Sunday dinner and he was a happy camper! 

Enjoy!

Joanna

Vegan Breakfast: Coconut Banana French Toast

Welcome to my Vegan Recipe Blog Everyone!

Here goes nothing! Well who knew I'd be starting a blog about vegan cooking...about 4 years ago I couldn't even boil pasta. I'm not a chef, nor did I take any fancy classes--I'm just a woman who loves her husband and is doing her best to support his interests in a vegan diet and live a healthy lifestyle (Vegan Wifestyle, get it?). I'm actually getting the hang of it and ready to share some recipes. 

I made breakfast this morning with the help of the book Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook by Kim Barnouin. Check out her blog.

 Only 100 calories per serving! 

WifeStyle Touch: The one thing I did differently was toast the bread before you dip it in the mixture because the finished product will be a little crispier

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Ingredients:


-1 banana 
-1/2 cup of coconut M
-1/2 cup of almond Milk
-2 tablespoons of evaporated cane sugar
-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-Vegan Butter
-Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar
-Wholegrain or Multigrain bread (verify there is no milk/eggs by reading the label of the bread and ensuring is says: "Contains:  Wheat and soy ingredients" or "Contains: Wheat ingredients"

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients (besides bread and butter) in a blender or food processor and place in a large shallow bowl


2. After toasting the bread (WifeStyle Touch) dip the bread in the batter and place on a slightly buttered skillet


3. Cook med-high heat and turn as needed until crispy and yummy

4. Serve with Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar and your choice of fruit


Enjoy! 

Joanna

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