buffalo chik'n tenders

We live right near Blossom du Jour, an amazing vegan takeout spot in the Upper West Side.  One of our favorite things to order are their Buffalo Bites.  However, being the budget minded cook that I am I started searching for a the perfect meatless chicken tenders to make our own at home.  After much searching and many brands I settled with Trader Joe's Chickenless Crispy Tenders.  The best part about them is the crispy crunchy oat coating on them.

How's this for budget friendly: an order of about 5 Buffalo Bites fro $5 or 9 homemade chickenless tenders for $3.50? ($2.99 a bag at TJ's + .50 per 1/4 of hot sauce)

Simply make the chicken tenders according to the instructions for using a conventional oven or toaster oven to ensure their crispiness and then toss with your favorite vegan buffalo sauce according to your spicy taste!

blueberry & granola waffles

This homemade blueberry sauce is so fast and easy it barely takes longer to make than the waffles take to toast.  I used whole grain waffles and organic blueberries for the tasty breakfast treat.

Blueberry & Granola Waffles

Serves 1 

• 2 whole grain frozen waffles 
• 1 handful fresh blueberries
• 1 tsp coconut sugar
• granola

1. Over medium heat, cook blueberries down using a wooden spoon to mash up the berries as they cook.
2. Once you have a nice sauce going stir in 1 tsp of coconut sugar.
3. Remove from heat and spread over two toasted whole grain waffles.
4. Sprinkle with granola of your choice. 

bacon tempeh pigs in a banket

I first got turned on to "bacon" tempeh when I had my first vegan BLT at Moon and River Cafe in Schenectady, NY.

We're suckers for a crescent roll though and made these bacon tempeh pigs in a blanket one morning for breakfast.  

Bacon Tempeh Pigs in a Blanket

Serves 4

• 1 package of crescent rolls
• 1 package of "bacon" tempeh
• 4 slices of vegan cheese split in half

1. Pan fry the tempeh in a nonstick skillet for a few minutes on medium high heat to crisp it up 
2. Divide the tempeh into 8 portions
3. Roll an 1/8 of the tempeh and half a cheese slice in each cresent roll
4. Bake according to the package instructions

juicing with collard greens

Apparently there were some unseasonably cold temperatures that were affecting the production of kale from the west coast this winter.  I couldn't find kale at any of my local stores for a few weeks, so I substituted organic collard greens.  Usually used for cooking, collards also are great for juicing because they are a plant based source of Protein, Thiamin, Niacin, and Potassium as well as many other nutrients and vitamins.  

If your unsure if you'll like collards in your juice, start by substituting them for kale in a basic juice like this.  In my opinion they have a sweet flavor to them.

Serves 2

• 3 celery ribs
• 1 cucumber
• 3 carrots
• 6 large collard green leaves
• 2 green apples

spicy brussels sprout & sweet potato ramen

I spent two and  half weeks in Providence, RI and ate a majority of my meals at locally sourced AS 220.  They had a great dish similar to this that also featured their delicious spicy housemade seitan.  I came up with this homemade take on the dish,  I just wish I had some of that spicy seitan to go with it.

Spicy Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potato Ramen

Serves 1

• 1 package organic ramen
• 1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 1 medium sweet potato, cubed
• 1 Tbs coconut oil
• 1/4 cup vegatable broth
• Siracha to taste
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In  large skillet heat the coconut oil on medium high heat.
2. Sautee the Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes until softened and browned on the edges.
3. Cook the ramen according to the package and drain.
4. Add ramen, vegetable broth, and Siracha to taste to the pan with with the vegetables and mix thoroughly.

stoplight juice

Red, yellow, green and go forth with a little extra immunity boost from this delicious citrus infused juice.

Serves 2

• 1 beet
• 1 cup of kale
• 1 orange, cubed
• 3 carrots
• 1 celery rib
• 1 green apple

barley miso soup

Can healthy digestive system boosting soup get any easier to make? I don't think so. 

Serves 2

• 3 tsp barley miso paste, dissolved in a few Tbs of water
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup of mushrooms
• a handful of sugar snap peas
• a handful of crumbled seaweed snacks

1. Add the water, mushrooms, and peas to a pot and bring to a gently boil.
2. Remove the pot from heat and add the miso paste.
3. Serve and sprinkle with seaweed on top.

chia & hemp tacos

It's so easy to sneak extra nutrition even into some of your guiltier pleasures.  Case in point, tacos!!!  Add a superfood boost to your "meat" filling of choice with chia and hemp seeds!

Chia & Hemp Tacos

Serves 4

• 1 package of mexican style veggie grounds
• 1 palmful of chia seeds
• 1 palmful of hemp seeds
• 1 package taco shells
• Taco fillings, we recommend:
• Baby kale
• Tofu sour cream
• homemade guac
• tomatoes
• black beans

Simply heat up the veggie grounds in a nonstick skillet and mix in the chia and hemp seeds after removing the pan from heat.  Serve with your favorite taco toppings and enjoy your Taco Tuesday fix while enjoying the extra boosts from some of my favorite superfoods.

cheese bomb party spread

We had some friends over for an awards show viewing party and threw together this impromptu party spread with ingredients we had laying around the kitchen.

David made fresh homemade guac that we paired with two different types of tortilla chips.  I made easy baked bbq tofu and we sliced up some meats and cheeses for our non veggie guests that we got in a a gift basket and otherwise wouldn't have used.

We used whole wheat toasts and gave them a smear of goat cheese and a drizzle of honey, and made our veggie take on Skyline dip as well: a brick of cream cheese in the bottom of a pan, a can of veggie chili (we like Amy's Spicy Chili) and cheddar cheese on top served with tortilla chips.

Lots of dairy and so not vegan!

broccoli kale super juice

This juiced is packed with fresh nutrients from a large assortment of fresh fruits and veggies. Topping the list is your green contribution kale and broccoli. Don't worry, between the apple and the carrots there's plenty of sweetness to go around. The lime brings it all together with a little citrus zip.  You won't even realize you're drinking broccoli but your bloodstream sure will.

Serves 2

• 2 sweet red apples (Gala etc)
• 3 celery ribs
• 3 carrots
• 1 cup of broccoli
• 2 cups of kale
• 1/2 a lime

superfood steel cut oats

Combine this healthy and hearty mix of superfoods with your morning steel cut oats to start your day with a mega dose of nutrition.

Superfood Steel Cut Oats
Serves 1

• 1/4 cup quick cook steel cut oats
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 Tbs raw honey, agave, or maple syrup
• One small palmful each of the following:
• chia seeds
• hemp seeds
• cacao nibs
• goji berries

1. Combine water and oats in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5-7 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and mix in all other ingredients.

spicy crispy chickpeas

I love spicy foods and roasting these spicy chickpeas makes a healthy snack that with among many healthy benefits provides you with a great dose of plant based fiber and proten.  The original recipe I tried for these was only with chickpeas, but black beans taste just as great with this spicy roasting method, you just need to be careful because the black beans crisp up faster than the chickpeas.  All in all the black beans should be roasted for about 30-40 minutes depending on your oven and the chickpeas should roast for about 50-60 minutes.

Spicy Crispy Black Beans & Chickpeas

Serves 4

• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

You will need two amounts of the following ingredients each, one for each set of beans.  

• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. In two separate bowls mix the black beans and chickpeas with two separate amounts of the spices and oil, making sure they are coated evenly.
3. Keeping the black beans and chickpeas on separate cooking trays, place the beans in a single layer on a cooking sheet and and place in preheated oven.
4. Stir both trays of beans after 20 minutes.
5. Remove black beans from oven after 30-40 minutes.
6. Stir the chickpeas again after 40 minutes, and continue to bake for another 10-20 mintutes until crispy, but not burt.
7. Let cool and serve an an appetizer or snack.

Original recipe found HERE

easy BBQ tofu bites

Baked tofu is so easy and so versatile.  Use your favorite BBQ sauce and and bake up this simple recipe.  It's great for a main dish or for an appetizer.  We paired this version with some dips for our "cheese bomb party spread".


Easy BBQ Tofu Bites

• 1 block of Super Firm Tofu or Exra Firm Tofu (Pressed)
• 1/2 bottle of BBQ sauce of your choice

1. Cut the tofu in 1x1 in cubes.
2. Coat the tofu in BBQ sauce and let marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes or more.
3. Bake a 425 F for 40 minutes, turning the cubes half way through.