The Veggie Gal

I know, I know every vegan website (and vegetarian for that matter) has a tofu scramble recipe on it.  So WHY should mine be any different and it is so damn good that if by some small chance you don’t know about it then you can try it for yourself and see how amazing it really is.

I usually try to stick with lower fat things and keep the oil to a bare minimum but using coconut oil on this one makes it the most amazing breakfast (lunch, dinner or snack) dish ever! The nutritional yeast gives it the yellow color (most ppl add turmeric too but I don’t like the taste) but it also adds a bit of cheesy flavor and you can add more cheese flavor with vegan cheese.

I have to stay, when I first went vegetarian more than 26 years ago I tried the boxed kind of tofu scramble and it was so gross I stayed clear of it until just a few months ago.  I did not know much about tofu in those days and never knew you had to press the water out of it or it would be a big mushy pile of goop that would take hours to cook down.  A few years later I figured out the trick of pressing the tofu but never dared go back to scramble since it was so nasty the first time and never liked eggs anyway so I figured it was not a big loss.

A few weeks ago I was in Minneapolis, MN (one of the vegan friendliest cities I have ever been in-more to come on that in later posts) and while dining at a restaurant that had vegan breakfast options I spotted a vegan combo meal.  It had a blueberry corn pancake, hash browns, vegan sausage and tofu scramble.  I figured I would try it out and OH MY G it was good.  I came home a few days later pressed my tofu of all the water and cooked it up in some coconut oil and my family was hooked.  We have now had it once or twice a week since, we will probably get sick of it but we are enjoying ourselves right now.  My 6 year old daughter asks for “scramble” now almost every day.

So if you tried it years ago like I did and hated it, never tried it before or want to revive an old recipe give it a try.  Also, scramble works great in a breakfast burrito or as crepe filling, as a egg salad sandwich sub with veggies and mayo added, inside of a lettuce wrap and probably a million other possibilities just use your imagination.

Cheezy Tofu Scramble
Serves: 4

1 block extra firm, organic tofu, pressed of all the liquid.
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 green onions, thinly slice
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup (or more) nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Daiya or other vegan cheese, salsa or ketchup
Coconut oil, oil of your choice or cooking spray

While your tofu is being pressed of the liquid chop the veggies and cook in 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil on medium heat until soft.

Crumble the tofu into the cooking vegetables and add your spices.

Press down into the pan a bit to brown and then stir, continuing until it is cooked through and the texture you like.  The last minute or so add the green onions and stir.

Serve warm with your favorite topping, ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Cheezy tofu scramble, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Breakfast, Quick vegan, Tofu scramble, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

I was surfing the internet a few weeks back looking for something to do with popcorn and found some scrumptious looking peanut butter balls.   They were of course made with butter and super bad for you corn syrup.  I was determined to make them healthier and still yummy so I opened up my fridge to see what I could find and saw my all fruit jelly and thought YUM PB&J popcorn balls!

I like the popcorn balls to be completely coated in peanut butter so I use less popcorn than most do.  You can add more popcorn to make them less coated, just adjust by your tastes preferences.  The jelly is added as the last step to keep it in tact, pretty and to keep its individual flavor.  You WILL get your hands messy on this one so roll up your sleeves and lets get started!

*Update* FYI I had a comment posted asking if Brown Rice Syrup would work and DUH I don’t know why I did not think of that while making them, other than I did not have any in the house at the time.  Brown Rice Syrup would probably work the best on these since it would really help them stick together the best.  It can be a bit pricey so if you do not have any agave or maple syrup will work too but make a bit softer ball, still yummy

Peanut Butter & Jelly Popcorn Balls
Makes: approx 12-18 balls

4+ cups of air popped popcorn (approx 2 Tablespoons unpopped kernels)
1/2 cup all natural, no sugar added peanut butter
1/2 cup Brown Rice Syrup (would work the best), Agave Nectar, or pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch or two of sea salt
All fruit, no sugar added jelly (amount will vary depending on how much you want to coat the balls)

Air pop the popcorn, pour into a large bowl and set aside to cool off completely.  Make sure to remove any unpopped kernels so you don’t break a tooth!

In a medium sauce pan mix together the peanut butter, sweetener, vanilla and salt over medium heat.  Heat until well blended then cool for about 2 minutes.

Pour the peanut butter mixture over the popcorn and stir well to completely coat the popcorn.  Once the popcorn is not hot to the touch but still nicely warm and gooey form into the balls.  Make sure to squeeze the balls well to ensure they stay together.

Make all the balls and set aside on a cookie sheet or large plate.  You can spray your hands with cooking spray to help keep the balls from transferring all the peanut butter to your hands or just wet with water between each ball.

Once you have made all the balls scoop approximately 1/4 teaspoon of jelly and put it into the palm of your had.  Roll one ball in the jelly to coat it and have the jelly get into the popcorn grooves.  Set the ball back on the tray and continue doing that until you have coated all the popcorn balls.

If the balls are a little too sticky place them into the fridge for about 15 minutes and they should set up well.  If they are staying together well  then start eating and ENJOY!

PB&J popcorn balls

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Breakfast, peanut butter & jelly popcorn balls, peanut butter popcorn balls, Quick and easy, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

It is day 4 of Vegan MOFO 2010 and I have fallen in love with these amazing muffins.  I found several recipes online for chocolate chip pumpkin muffins but most were full of fat and devoid of fiber.  It took me 3 times to get them right but the 3rd time was the charm and HOLLY cow these are good and good for you too! (well mostly)

I like to include gluten free foods in our diet as much as I can to ensure I get different nutrients into our diet as well as experimenting with my own possible gluten sensitivities.  These muffins would work just fine with regular flour in the place of the GF flour too but make sure not to replace the coconut flour with regular flour since it holds such amazing flavor!

The oats will give you much needed fiber as well as slowing down the sugar spike and they add such a great flavor and texture to the muffins, they would not be the same without it.  Be sure not to use the old fashion oats but instead use the quick oats, it makes a difference in the texture and flavor!  Bisquick has a new GF baking mix that for this recipe is a MUST.  I tried Bob’s GF flour and it was just bland (probably because the GF flour mix has sugar in it) so make sure to use the Bisquick or adjust the sugar if not.  If you buy the sweetened or vanilla almond milk you may need to adjust the sugar down unless you like super sweet muffins so keep that in mind too.  I know a lot of things to think of but it is all worth it I promise!

GF Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Serves: 10-12 muffins

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/3 c GF Bisquick baking mix (read above for warnings!)
1/2 c quick oats
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup canned plain pumpkin
2 eggs worth of Ener-G Egg replacer (or use 2 T flax but does affect the flavor a little)
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 C unsweetened almond milk (see picture for constancy)
1/2 package chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Mix the flours, oats, pumpkin spice, sugar, baking powered and baking soda together and set aside.

Mix the eggs together and fluff a little in a medium bowl.  Add pumpkin and almond milk and mix well then add the chocolate chips.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until moistened but don’t over mix.  Add more almond milk if needed but it should be creamy-not runny but obviously lumpy because of the oats and chips.

Pour mix into prepared muffin tins to the top (they don’t rise as much as regular muffins do) but not over the top.  It should fill 10-12 muffin tins.

Bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes.  Insert a toothpick and if it comes out clean they are done.  If you dip into a chocolate chip use another toothpick .  You can use a knife as well but be sure they are done in the middle.  The pumpkin makes you need to cook them a little longer and depending on the thickness of your muffin tins the cook time varies.  Let them cool completely before eating so they are not moist in the middle.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Easy Vegan, GF Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins, Gluten Free, Healthy Breakfast, Quick and easy, Vegan, vegan mofo 2010, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

Fresh fruit desserts are always the best option for satisfying your sweet tooth and this is such an addictive treat that you might want to make two of them!  This is the time of year where pineapples go on sale and you can get the big ones at 2-$4.00 or the smaller ones sometimes as low as .89¢ which is just too good of a deal to pass up.

But what do you do when they have been sitting on your counter a bit too long and the little fruit fly’s start buzzing?  Slice them open, chop them up, sprinkle with some brown sugar or agave nectar, top with coconut and broil until the flavors mix and you have a wonderful sweet and sour treat that is a  real tropical delight!  Served right on the rind makes for a beautiful dish or center piece.  This one is kid and husband approved and is gluten and soy free.

Roasted Pineapple

1 pineapple

brown sugar or agave nectar

sweetened coconut

Preheat the oven on broil.

Wash your pineapple, slice off the top and the bottom.  Cut into 4 equal pieces length wise.  Cut the pineapple close to the rind and then lift off to remove any of the little eyes left over.  Remove the hard center core by slicing down each side slightly in a v cut and pull away from the pineapple.  Place the fruit back onto the rind and slice into bite size pieces (as pictured).

Sprinkle desired amount of brown sugar or agave nectar over the pineapple.  If using brown sugar you may need to press it down a bit.  Also the more brown sugar you use the more it will crystallize and makes a crunchy topping.

Put the oven rack on the second from the top spot and broil until the pineapple is slightly browned.  Add desired amount of coconut and broil for another minute or two, watching it closely so it does not burn. Remove from the oven, cool and ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Easy Vegan, Fruit, Gluten Free, Healthy Breakfast, Healthy Meal, Quick and easy, roasted pineapple, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

Most people post smoothies filled with additional fruit juice, yogurts, and sometimes even sweeteners.  I try and keep the smoothies I serve to my family as pure as possible without added sweeteners from juice, yogurt or sugars which all add to the calories the drink has (however tasty those additions may be).  I do however like to add rice or soy milk for the B12 and other goodies these drinks are enriched with all while keeping the calories lower than the other add-ins.  When possible I like to add other power foods to our smoothies to pack an extra nutritional punch, especially for the kids or husbands (or myself) who might not get everything they need in a day.

Did You Know!?

• Bananas contain tryptophan which can help to decrease depression.
• Eat pineapple for a cleaner mouth, it helps to discourage plaque growth.
• Click here to read more food facts

Pineapple Banana Smoothie
Serves; 1 large glass or 2 small

1/2 cup Pineapple
1 ripe Banana, peeled
3/4-1 cup Rice or soy milk depending on your thickness tastes.   (you could use any other alternative milk or even water to keep it lower in calories)

Blend these all up in your Magic Bullet or Blender and serve right away.  ENJOY!

Other add-in ideas:

Flax
Mango
Whole oats (more fiber!)
Presoaked cashews
Green tea

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Tags: Breakfast, Gluten Free, Healthy Breakfast, pineapple banana smoothie, smoothie, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

I’ve been on a breakfast kick lately but who does not love breakfast even for dinner, I know my family and I do!  This recipe is really the Oatmeal Waffles recipe that  came from the book From Food for Life by Neal Barnard, M.D.  I just made pancakes with the batter instead of making the waffles.  I have experimented with a few ways of making them and after reading this you may spark some of your own ideas, please share if you do.  I love trying new things!  These pancakes are not light and fluffy like regular pancakes or my Coconut Pancakes are but are more hearty, dense, very filling and satisfying.  If I know I have a busy day ahead of me these or the Oatmeal Waffles will keep me full and energized for hours unlike cereal or regular pancakes would.

I made these 3 ways, the original recipe, a vanilla lemon, and blueberry.  I will put the original recipe below and then what I added to the batter for the other two below that.  The vanilla lemon is my favorite, it is just so fresh and elegant tasting.  The above picture is of the regular batter, the one with the lemon next to it is the vanilla lemon and the blueberry is obvious.

Oatmeal Pancakes
Serves: appox 10 medium pancakes

2 cup rolled oats
2 cup water
1 medium banana
1 tbsp raw sugar, or other sweetener (I use agave)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Let stand a few minutes; if batter becomes too thick, add enough additional water to make batter easily pourable. Pour onto a medium heated skillet and cook until bubbly and brown on the bottom, flip and cook until golden brown.  These will be more dense than regular pancakes as I explained above and may require a longer cooking time than regular pancakes do.  I pour my pure maple syrup on the side and dip the pancake into it so they don’t get soggy.

Vanilla Lemon:

add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to the vanilla already in the recipe
1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest or dried zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Blueberry:

1/4 cup blueberries

That’s it, like I said experiment with what you like and let me know.  I think bananas and pecans, thinly sliced apple chunks, or sliced strawberries would mix in and cook well too.  ENJOY!

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Tags: 21 day vegan kickstart, Breakfast, Dr. Neal Barnard, Easy Vegan, Healthy Breakfast, Neal Barnard, Vegan, vegan pancakes, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

Puffins® Cereal is made by Barbara’s Bakery which is a company that makes natural cereal, snack bars, crackers, cookies and salty snacks. They produce many different varities and flavors for their products but today I am focusing on just one, Puffins®-Original.  The package states that their cereal is High Fiber-Low Fat-Wheat Free.  I have taken a picture of the front and sides of the package so you can see all the other things they advertise about this product including the nutritional contents.  I also took pictures of the cereal itself right from the box so you can see the color and texture of it as well.

I am a big fan of sweet cereals and so is my whole family.  We try very hard to eat as healthy as possible but when it comes to cereal it is usually either very sweet or not sweet enough and gross.  Finding a cereal that has less than 10 grams of sugar and tastes good is pretty hard and I have only found a couple out of literally hundreds and this cereal is one of them.  This cereal is lightly sweet but sweet enough to keep it tasting good but not so much that you are spinning after breakfast from your sugar rush.  The flavor is nice corn flavor that is sweet on its own and probably aids to the sweet factor without adding additional sugar.  The squares are lightly crunchy because they are hollow inside which I really like.  The fiber content that they promote on the box aids in their filling factor so you don’t need a huge breakfast and you feel full and satisfied afterward.  I of course love that they are low fat since we should all stay away from added fats as much as possible.  The wheat free component is an added bonus for anyone trying to stay away from gluten as well as everyone else because I think we should alternate our food types as much as we can.

The only down side is they get soggy very quickly in your milk (we use rice milk but I don’t think milk choice matters much).  Because they get soggy so quickly I end up eating probably more than I would normally because I only add a handful or two at a time so they don’t get soggy.  If they are too soggy they do not taste good and they sink to the bottom of the bowl.  I am not going to over judge them because of that issue just because they are so good and healthy otherwise.

Regular, name brand cereals in the grocery stores have so much sugar, added oils, added colors and flavors and added preservatives to them that who knows what we are really getting.  I like the fact they they do not have any package preservatives like most store bought cereals do including BHT which is linked to ADHD and many other issues.  Even Cheerios which are a pretty good cereal alone and are low in fat and sugar (only 1 gram) have added BHT which makes them an iffy choice for me but one I buy when in a pinch.

The verdict; I love them, my teenager loves them and so do my toddlers so I would say Puffins® Cereal is a good family choice of a healthy cereal if you want to replace your typical grocery store cereal and feel like you are sending your family off with a good start.

I give them 5 strawberries

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Tags: Breakfast, Gluten Free, Healthy Breakfast, Healthy Meal, Product Review

When I make my homemade granola I usually have to make a double batch because my family and I love it so much the it disappears quickly.  I also make a double batch so that I will be able to eat it as cereal, a snack and to make a delicious granola yogurt parfait too.

I love these parfaits as a quick, delicious and high powered breakfast but also as a quick snack when I am hungry and need lasting energy for a busy day. I think it is best mixed with vanilla soy yogurt but you could get creative and mix it with a blueberry or raspberry yogurt then mix that same fresh berry in with it to make it even healthier.

Did You Know!?

• Oats help to remove cholesterol that is in the digestive tact from they body that would other wise be absorbed into the blood steam.
• Blueberries may enhance learning capability and memory power.
• Click here to read more food facts

Granola Yogurt Parfait
Serves 1 large or 2 small

1 container of preferred flavor soy yogurt
homemade granola

Optional: berries of your choice (fresh or frozen work equally well)

Place a 1/3 of the container of yogurt on the bottom of a glass.  Top the yogurt with a handful or two of the granola and berries if desired and then repeat and ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, granola yogurt parfait, Health, Healthy Breakfast, Healthy Meal, Vegan, Vegetarian, Yogurt Parfait

This granola is so good that my family and I end up eating most of it as a snack and only getting maybe 1 bowl as cereal out of it and it makes a lot too!  I got this recipe from a book by Elson M.  Haas MD., called “A Cookbook for All Seasons“.  This book has many great vegan recipes included in it along with what he considers healthy meat recipes.  He knows a lot about “alternative” health and a lot about food and food sensitivities.

I have adapted it a bit to my family’s liking by reducing the fat a bit from the original recipe as well as adding a bit more of this or that so that is what I am posting here.  I think you can adapt it even further to make it your own.   If you buy the certified gluten free oats this can be a gluten free recipe.

This granola is perfect to make my Granola Yogurt Parfaits so make extra!

Did You Know!?

• Almonds are higher in calcium than any other nut containing 66 mg in 1 ounce.
• Maple Syrup has a large percentage of calcium content comparable to that of Whole Milk.
• The antioxidants in oats makes them very helpful in decreasing asthma symptoms,  prevention of heart disease,  helps to repair damaged DNA and reduces the risk of colon cancer as well as other cancers.
• Click here to read more food facts

Homemade Granola
Makes approximately 12 cups

6 cups rolled oats
2 cups raw slivered almonds
2 cups raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw chopped walnuts (optional-or other desired nut)
1/3 cup safflower oil
1 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 Tablespoons cinnamon (fresh ground makes it sooo good!)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1-2 cups dried fruit(s) of your choice (I used cranberries,  raisins and some unsweetened dried coconut shreds)

Optional:
Super foods of your choice (hemp seeds, chai seeds, quiona, goji berries, Caco nibs or anything else you can think of to pump it up!)

Preheat oven to  325°F.

Mix the oats, nuts and seeds in a large bowl.

Lightly heat the oil, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extracts, cinnamon and salt in a saucepan and then pour over oat mixture and blend well.

Spread the mix in two batches onto a cookie sheet or other baking pan with sides high enough to contain it.  Bake 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it lightly toasted.

Let cool, pour into a large mixing bowl then toss with the dried fruit.

Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks and  ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Gluten Free, Granola, Healthy Breakfast, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian