Black Bean and Pumpkin Chili (Vegan!)

1 large onion chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 sweet yellow pepper chopped
1 can diced green chilies
3 garlic cloves, minced.
3 tblsp olive oil
3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
3 cans black beans drained
1 large can pumpkin - 30 oz size
2 cans diced tomatoes
3 tsp chili powder
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans white beans (you can use kidney beans if you want)
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt

you really can add more stuff if you want
sautee onion, garlic, pepper and celery til tender
mix everything together and put in crock pot for 4-5 hours.

Kind of an Asian "Pasta Salad"

so this one i started out trying to make Pad Thai but had nothing in the house so ended up with this...definitely not disappointed though:D
I have had this warm and just out of the refrigerator and it's good either way.

what you'll need:
*one box of brown rice spiral pasta
*half of a fresh lime
*3 tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Amino Acid (article will be posted) or gluten free soy sauce
*1 teaspoon pink salt
*1 teaspoons chili powder
*1/4 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
*1/2 teaspoon cumin
*olive oil
*2 teaspoons minced garlic
*1 teaspoon ginger powder
*1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
*1/2 cup edamame beans (fresh or frozen)
*about half of a block of extra firm tofu, cut in small cubes
*1 cup of shredded kale
*1 cup of fresh spinach leaves
*2 large pieces of celery, cut into small pieces
*basil

to begin:

prepare the pasta according to box instructions. then drain and rinse with cool water. set aside.

in a large frying pan or wok saute the garlic and ginger with approx. 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil for 30 sec. Add the kale and spinach and allow the leaves to shrink. next add the tofu and saute until the tofu just starts to turn golden. add the peas, edamame and celery and stir a little, then cover for 3-5 minutes.

while the dish is covered over medium heat, mix in a small bowl the bragg's (or soy) sauce, the lime juice, pink salt, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and cumin.

check the heated ingredients and stir. if everything looks cooked and ready, turn off the heat or keep on for another minute.

combine in a large bowl the veggies and tofu and pasta. pour the soy sauce mixture on top and mix well. sprinkle some basil on top and mix again.
either serve it warm or refrigerate it for later!

hope you enjoy:)
you are loved.

Gluten-free Pumpkin Waffles!

New favorite in my house.
Sometimes you just want a special breakfast and my dad even suggested we do these for birthdays with a little almond ice cream on top!

what you'll need:
*1/2 cup brown rice flour
*3/4 cup buckwheat pancake and waffle mix (or just the flour)
*1 tablespoon guar gum
*1 1/2 tablespoons flax meal
*2 teaspoons baking powder
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1 teaspoon cinnamon
*1/2 teaspoon ginger
*1/2 teaspoon pink salt
*1 tablespoon agave nectar
*3/4 cup pumpkin
*1 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (almond breeze, rice dream, or soy)
*1 tablespoon orange juice


start your waffle iron!
in a large bowl. mix all of the ingredients except the orange juice. once the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and your waffle iron is ready, add the OJ and spray the waffle iron with olive oil non-stick spray.
the batter is sticky unlike regular waffle batter. you can make it a little thinner by adding water, but don't add too much. I just used the sticky batter and put a big spoonful in the center of the iron. about four minutes is perfect and due to the consistency, you may have to spray after every waffle.

they are great with maple syrup, butter, and honey depending on what topping you are in the mood for.
or ice cream! haha

hope you enjoy:)
you are loved.

Hummus Sandwich

Hooray for the many ideas my new vegan cookbook has given me!
This one was inspired by a homemade hummus wrap from the book but I improvised with what I had in my house.
Super delicious and it is one of those meals you just feel healthy eating haha

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
*2 slices of gluten-free bread (I used Ezekial with sesame seeds)
*about 1/4 cup hummus, prepared or homemade (recipe to follow soon)
*cucumber sliced thin
*broccoli sprouts
*two romaine lettuce leaves
*2 slices of almond pepperjack vegan cheese

START YOUR TOASTER OVENS
toast the bread until starting to brown and then add the slices of cheese, one on each piece of bread.
then simply add the cucumbers, hummus, sprouts, and lettuce and its done!
I bet tomato would be a great thing to add too but we didn't have any in the house.
Also, I want to try and make a hummus sandwich with caramelized onion and peppers sometime...sounds delicious, right?
I will let ya know when I make it :D
but for now...

HOPE YOU ENJOY:)
you are loved.

"Pizza" with tortilla crust

So I was reading a vegan magazine and decided I was reeally in the mood for pizza but was lacking some of the supplies needed to make a gluten-free crust so that's where some of the improvising came into play.
This turned out to be super delicious and a really quick and easy meal! Definitely satisfied the craving:D

what you'll need:
*two mini Ezekial 4:9 tortillas
*pure organic tomato sauce
*mozzarella cheese (I used Daiya cheese substitute and made it a vegan pizza but you can use lite or regular mozzarella)
*one fresh tomato
*broccoli
*one red bell pepper
*fresh spinach
*garlic powder
*minced onion or onion powder
*oregano
*basil
*olive oil

start your ovens...400!
start by sauteeing the broccoli, pepper, and spinach with olive oil on the stove while your oven is preheating. once the vegetables are tender, turn off the stove and set them aside.
set the tortillas on a pizza or cookie tray. spread about 2-3 heaping tablespoons of tomato sauce on each tortilla. sprinkle with garlic powder and onion.
spread the sauteed vegetables evenly on both tortillas. sprinkle desired amount of cheese on each pizza.
sprinkle oregano and basil on top and place 2-3 slices of fresh tomato on each.
bake for 8-10 minutes.
cheese should be completely melted.

note: you can use any vegetables you want as toppings...these are just what I had available. you can put olive, mushrooms, onions, etc. on. have fun with it and make it your own!

hope you enjoy:-)
you are loved.

Pumpkin Ice Cream

SO this one is a really different...and doesn't taste anything like traditional ice cream...but it has the same consistency and is still a great beneficial frozen treat:-)

in a medium bowl mix:
*1 15oz. can of organic pumpkin
*2 1/2 scoops vegan vanilla or chocolate protein powder
*2 tablespoons agave
*2 tablespoons honey (raw)
*1 tsp. vanilla extract
*about 1/4 cup almond breeze milk or rice dream
*carob chips (personal preference on amount)

Once it is all mixed up, I usually separate the mixture into 3 or 4 small plastic cups and freeze it overnight. When you eat it, you can either take it straight out of the freezer and it will be sort of like italian ice, only creamier. ALSO, you can empty the frozen mix into a food processor or blender and blend it until it is the consistency of soft serve. either way it is delicious, beneficial for blood type O, packed with protein, and satisfies the craving for ice cream.

hope you enjoy:-)
you are loved.

"Breaded" Tilapia

I was inspired to find an alternative to bread crumbs for this mock meal due to a request from some family members who are blood type O and disappointed to be avoiding the wheat and gluten... I think it turned out really well (plus it's super easy) and I am still experimenting with different alternatives:-)

So for a single serving...
what you'll need:
*one piece of Tilapia or other fish
*1 1/2 tsp veganaise spread
*1 tsp. minced garlic
*flax seed meal
*basil
*1/4 diced tomato

***I used a George Foreman grill for my fish but you can grill them outside or even pan fry if you want.

to start mix in a small dish the veganaise and garlic. spread over both sides of the fish the garlic mixture.
sprinkle the flax seed meal on both sides so its covered but not super breaded...
sprinkle some basil on both sides as well.
I grilled mine for about two minutes then flipped the fish and grilled for another two minutes.
serve it with the diced tomatoes on top (instead of using ketchup) and you're done!

I ate mine with a side of steamed broccoli with melted almond mozzarella cheese on top:-)
quick, easy, and delicious.

hope you enjoy!
you are loved.

O yay! A Quesadilla!

well...kinda a quesadilla. haha
it's my version that is beneficial for blood type O folks.
I missed my cheese and tortilla goodness! so it makes me happy that I can make these "mock meals" and they taste good:-)

what you'll need:
*a stove
*a frying pan
*olive oil to grease the pan (not too much)

ingredients:
*one Ezekiel 4:9 tortilla
*almond mozzarella cheese substitute
*almond jalapeno jack cheese substitute
*broccoli
*squash
*garlic powder
*red cayenne pepper
*crushed red pepper

cut broccoli into smaller sections and the squash into thin slices. steam the broccoli and squash.
cut the two cheeses into thin slices (use as much or as little of the cheeses as you want. i use about three thin slices of each.)
fold the tortilla in half and tear apart.
warm the pan over a medium flame and brush the olive oil over the bottom of the pan.
place half of the tortilla on the pan. spread the mozzarella cheese slices over the tortilla. then add the broccoli and squash on top of that (desired amounts of each...i like a lot). sprinkle on very little garlic powder, a little bit more of the red crushed pepper, and a little bit of red cayenne pepper. add the jalapeno jack slices on and top with the other half of the tortilla.
press down on the quesadilla with a spatula to allow the cheese to melt and hold everything together. once the cheese is melted, flip the quesadilla over and press for another 30-45 seconds.
make sure all the cheese is melted then slide right onto a plate and enjoy!
i didn't use salsa with this one but I'm sure it would taste great.

hope you enjoy! you are loved.