Herbs

Herbs, one pot recipes, Plant Based, Soup, Vegan

Vegan Soup Recipes ~ Roasted Fennel & Carrot Soup

Posted on February. 2023February. 2023 by writinstuff

One of the best things about cold weather is that you get to eat tons and tons of soup! It also means that I get to break out my slow cooker but this is not a slow cooker recipe. In fact, I would call today’s vegan soup recipe a sheet pan soup if that makes sense?

This is going to be a quick post because I am totally in the zone with Indigo’s story, which is book 2 in the Green St. Girls series if you’re interested. Shameless plug, I know!

Anyway I digress, this creamy vegan sheet pan soup is healthy and delicious but it is also super easy to make. I know I say that often, but I promise this is one of those do it and forget about it until later vegan recipes.

Grab your sheet pan and your fresh herbs and let’s get this vegan soup recipe started!

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Beans, Grains, Herbs, one pot recipes, Plant Based, Snacks, Vegan

Hearty White Bean & Veggie Vegan Stew

Posted on November. 2022November. 2022 by writinstuff

Soup season is upon us!

What does that mean, exactly? It means we have the best of what fall vegan recipes have to offer from herbs and spices, to locally grown ingredients that make your fall vegan soups the best they can be.

When it comes to making seasonal vegan stews, I love knowing that my big supermarkets and even the local farmer’s markets will have fresh thyme, rosemary and oregano to add to my favorite autumn recipes. Toss in a few seasonal vegetables and you have everything you need for the perfect hearty vegan stew.

When it comes to buying vegan soup recipes in the fall, I like to pick up what I can find. Whether that is corn or zucchini, eggplant, celery or cabbage, whatever I can find locally and at a reasonable price is a top candidate for my favorite vegan soup recipes.

Today I decided to shoot for a hearty white bean vegan stew which is perfect for any level of vegan home cook because all you need is a few vegetables, some herbs and spices and you’re ready to feed your family or a big crowd for football Sunday!

Let’s dive into this quick and easy vegan fall stew recipe that is guaranteed to satisfy a hungry crowd.

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Bowls, Grains, Herbs, International vegan cuisine, Vegan

Vegan Harvest Bowl Recipes

Posted on October. 2022October. 2022 by writinstuff

Looking for a quick and easy way to eat your fill of healthy food as autumn and winter sets in? Might I suggest, Harvest Bowls?

Harvest Bowls are a great way to make sure you’re getting a heaping ton of vegetables and nutrients with every bowl. They are also a fun way to keep your dinners fresh and exciting.

What is a Harvest Bowl?

Honestly I couldn’t find an exact definition or example of a Harvest Bowl but based on my quick internet research the basic difference between a Harvest Bowl and a Buddha bowl is the distinct lack of fresh salad. Both are packed with vegetables, but Harvest Bowls are perfect for autumn because they make use of seasonal vegetables.

Why a Harvest Bowl?

Harvest Bowls are a great meal for new vegans in search of easy vegan dinner recipes. Unsure what to make? Here’s my basic recipe:

*Grain
*2 types of vegetables
*Protein
*Sauce (optional)

BOOM, that’s it! Super simple, right?

Let’s get right into today’s vegan Harvest Bowl recipe!

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Bowls, Grains, Herbs, International vegan cuisine, Salads, Vegan

Quick & Easy Vegan Lunch Ideas ~ Vegan Rainbow Bowl

Posted on September. 2022September. 2022 by writinstuff

For those of you vegans who work outside the home, lunchtime usually means a break from the office, time away from annoying and chatty coworkers, bosses looking to get a few extra minutes of free work and endless tasks. To escape that, we usually head out of the office for lunch–at least I know I used to and often–which usually means eating out.

Whether it’s fast food or restaurant food, we choose it because it’s convenient and consistent. Mostly. But what if I told you that you could make a vegan lunch bowl that’s just as convenient and consistent?

With a little bit of prep work and forethought, of course.

This Vegan Rainbow Bowl recipe ticks all the boxes:

It’s quick
It’s colorful & nutritious
You can switch up ingredients for different flavor profiles so it’s like you’re always eating someplace new.

Grab your favorite kitchen tools and ingredients and let’s do this!

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Bowls, Grains, Herbs, oil free vegan recipes, Plant Based, Salads, Sauces & Creams, Vegan

(Mostly) Raw Vegan Cabbage Salad Recipe

Posted on August. 2022August. 2022 by writinstuff

With the heatwave sweeping through both the United States and Europe, now is the perfect time to revisit one of my favorite lunch time recipes; salad.

I love salad because it is a low calorie dish that is packed with wonderfully colorful vegetables, nutrients and fiber. It’s a win-win-win for my tastebuds and my palate and better than that, it doesn’t require you to use the stove at all…unless you need to rehydrate some TVP, which I used for this recipe.

Some people might quibble over my use of the word ‘salad’ when this recipe lacks any form of lettuce, and the use of cabbage might prompt some to think its a slaw, but I promise that it is a salad. The problem is that here in Romania there seems to be a fresh salad shortage. If you want any type of leafy green that’s (allegedly) been washed for you and packed, you have some options but I prefer my salad with some dirt on it that I wash off myself and that, has been sadly lacking for the past few weeks, maybe a month.

So I’ve had to get creative with my salads because it’s too dang hot for stoves and ovens and all that jazz.

For today’s vegan salad recipe, I decided to use a mix of green and red cabbage, keeping it 95 % raw and vegan.

You can forego the protein altogether or replace with chickpeas or quinoa, or any type of vegan meat alternative you choose.

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Grains, Herbs, Italian, oil free vegan recipes, Pasta, Plant Based, Vegan

Quick & Easy 30-Minute Vegan Pasta Recipe

Posted on July. 2022July. 2022 by writinstuff

Let’s be honest with ourselves if not each other, shall we? Some nights you just don’t feel like making a delicious vegan dinner but in the spirit of being a responsible adult who doesn’t want to waste money on crap, we do it anyway.

Some nights the result isn’t worth the effort. Some nights it is.

Instead of making due with crappy or greasy vegan takeout meals that are nutritionally imbalances, gross or just filled with processed foods, how about we try to find ways to make the results worth the effort.

How?

For starters, 30 minute meals. Whether you’re a parent, single or merely part of a couple, 30 minute vegan meals are a great way to get a healthy vegan meal on the table without a lot of hullabaloo.

(Like that word, don’t ya?)

The other night I was very hungry because some days I am always hungry, but I digress. I wanted food but it was incredibly hot outside (over 30 degrees Celsius) and spending time in the kitchen did not sound like any kind of fun. But adult here and so I had to, plus it was my night to cook.

So I went to the pasta cabinet and grabbed this tomato tagliatelle I found at Lidl that had no eggs, no milk powder, and no other unnecessary animal products. From there I grabbed a handful of ingredients and I was ready for something tomato-y, a little bit spicy and above all else, delicious.

Enjoy this simple vegan Tagliatelle Arrabbiata

Grab your ingredients and get in and out of the sweltering kitchen in thirty minutes. Or less!

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Grains, Herbs, Italian, Plant Based, Vegan

Creamy Vegan Polenta & Oven Roasted Vegetables

Posted on May. 2022May. 2022 by writinstuff

Some people might say that Spring is too warm for vegan polenta recipes and I say those people are wrong. 😛 Sometimes I get so deep into the writing cave that I’ll look up and find it’s 10:30 and it’s my night to cook, and that’s when a dish like this is a gift.

Seriously though, sometimes you want a homemade vegan meal that’s simple to throw together and doesn’t take a long time to make. Polenta does take about 10 to 15 minutes if you want it really creamy and delicious, but the good news is that the oven is doing all the work for the vegetables so you have plenty of time!

And this is also a perfect whole food vegan dinner, but if you want to add a vegan meat alternative feel free since you’re the one who has to eat it.

This is an easy vegan dinner made with sheet pan vegetables so it’s also an easy weeknight dinner any vegan will enjoy!

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Herbs, International vegan cuisine, oil free vegan recipes, Plant Based, Salads, Sandwiches, Vegan

Quick & Easy Vegan Lunch Ideas

Posted on April. 2022April. 2022 by writinstuff

I know that not everyone has the luxury of working from home, which means you can’t take your time in the kitchen to whip up healthy and delicious vegan meals at your leisure. Many of you have to commute and work in an office or warehouse or studio somewhere and you’d just really like to get something healthy and delicious, with the caveat that it’s also fast.

Right?

Believe me, I know and this is where a little bit of prep time in the kitchen can go a long way. A really long way.

Today’s quick and easy vegan lunch ideas make great vegan sandwiches, salad dressings and even pasta, so let’s not waste anymore time, yeah?

Easy vegan lunch ideas for me, usually start and end with sandwiches because they are delicious and you can literally put just about anything between two slices of bread and call it a sandwich.

The question in our home when it comes to sandwiches is usually, open faced or closed? Why? Simple, open-faced sandwiches give you more yummy sandwich filling while closed-face can satisfy any carb craving.

So, choose wisely from one day to the next.

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Bowls, Grains, Herbs, Plant Based, Salads, Vegan

Pesto & Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad

Posted on January. 2022January. 2022 by writinstuff

We all know how much I love salads and Buddha bowls (get my vegan sushi bowl recipe here). I can eat them just about every single day of the week without eating the same thing, or getting sick of them. But, that doesn’t mean that I’m not always trying to improve a recipe or improvise on existing recipes. The possibilities are endless and it’s important in general, but especially when you’re trying to eat clean and healthy, that you keep things fresh.

It’s easy to get sick of eating anything, but that is especially true of healthy, whole foods that aren’t fatty and addictive, that aren’t made to keep you coming back for more. So it requires some effort, not a lot, but some.

So a while back my niece made tabbouleh for me and the husband since we’re the only two vegans in the family. She was adorable, at fourteen years old, making this dish for us. So proud of herself and I was too, honestly. And when I was in need of a new vegan salad recipe, I thought back to Alex and her tabbouleh.

This is technically tabbouleh, but not in it’s traditional way. This is how vegans fancy up a simple salad.

Before we even begin, I’ll let you know that chickpeas aren’t a traditional ingredient in tabbouleh and I, of course, omitted the oil. Those are the major changes I made so if you’re still interested, keep reading for a unique twist on tabbouleh salad.

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Bowls, Herbs, Plant Based, Sides, Vegan

Lazy Vegan Dinners – Crispy Soy & Broccoli

Posted on January. 2022January. 2022 by writinstuff

I know, I know. As a certified carb-a-holic, it seems crazy to cook a meal without rice or noodles or pasta or…whatever. But sometimes you’re just too lazy, especially on workout days and you just want something quick and easy that tastes good.

Enter this super fast lazy vegan dinner. And the best part? If you need more sustenance, add a baked potato or a side of rice, like I did for this lazy vegan mashed potato bowl.

The second best part? You can switch this up use a vegan burger with corn on the cob, vegan sausage with roasted carrots or whatever meat alternative and vegetable you want.

This might not be lazy enough for some of you, but I promise that this meal will be done before your delivery order arrives at your front door. Don’t take my word for it, just test it out.

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