Happy February! We survived the January blues and now have Valentine's Day or one of America's best Hallmark holidays to look forward to. Let's be honest, if you are in a relationship or just started seeing someone, February 14 is definitely on your mind. 

Did you make a dinner reservation yet? For those of you in the Boston area, True Bistro has a 100% plant-based mouth watering prefix menu option. 

Have you picked out a gift or will you get your main squeeze the traditional roses and chocolate? 

Maybe you plan to skip the lines and overpriced prefix menus and make a romantic dinner at home instead. 

Whatever you decide, if you are Vegan or you are in a relationship with a Vegan, you don't want to be scrambling to figure out exactly what to buy or make. Hershey's Chocolate, Cadbury, and Ghiradelli don't offer (that I know of) Vegan products yet. 

Here are five Vegan Valentine's Day sweet ideas to consider: 

• No Whey Foods! offers a variety of traditional boxed chocolates but all Vegan! 
• Vegan Divas on the Upper East Side in NYC provide satisfying red velvet cakes and cupcakes to order or for delivery in the city. 
• PETA has a great round up of 14 candies all free from dairy products and gelatin. 
• The Natural Candy Store sells lollipops, mints, hard candy, and a few Vegan chocolates. 
• Of course Amazon has you covered with more than 500 Vegan chocolate box ideas! You're bound to find one or two that are suitable! 

And for the more creative folks, here are five of the best Vegan meals & desserts to make at home that will wow your partner: 

• Want to make your night a sizzling one? Try these Spinach and Hominy Enchiladas with Spicy Cashew Cream from Serious Eats.
• Oh She Glows has you covered in the sweets department. Vegan chocolate cupcakes with salted buttercream anyone? Mmmm. 
• Vegan Butter company Earth Balance suggests a handful of appetizers, main courses, and desserts to create the perfect romantic dinner. 
• Allrecipes culled through their best Vegan and Vegetarian dinner recipes for you and your sweetie. 
• I'll take at least one lava cake and one mint chocolate fudge pie please. Mmm. 

Now that you have a few Vegan sweets and dinner ideas to ponder, don't forget to write a handwritten love note to woo your sweetheart. 

I love cooking and I love a good challenge. How about create a Vegan Thanksgiving menu and cook all the food for four people solo? Challenge accepted. 

I transitioned from a Vegetarian diet to a Vegan diet in February of this year and honestly haven't looked back. It has been one of the best decisions I've made. And no, I don't really miss cheese. The only thing I do miss is that plant-based cheese alternatives definitely don't melt well, if at all. But as my husband recently pointed out, plants don't melt, so it shouldn't be surprising! 

This will be my first Thanksgiving entirely Vegan and I was asked to create the menu for my parents and husband. At first, it seemed a little daunting, but I did some research and am very happy with the results. Let's just hope it will all taste as good as it sounds! I will admit, there are a few items I am buying from Flour Bakery in Boston to provide a little assistance. 

• Dinner rolls (Flour Bakery)
• Roasted Heirloom Squash with Pomegrante Molasses, Pear, Pepitas & Sage (Flour Bakery) 
• Cranberry Chutney with Orange and Ginger (Flour Bakery)
• Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup (my own recipe)
• Green beans with sliced Almonds sauteed in Earth Balance Vegan butter with salt & pepper
• Pumpkin Muffins (Trade Joe's mix subbing the oil for Apple sauce & Eggs with Neat Egg so it's nearly guilt-free)
• Autumn Kale Salad (chopped Kale, sliced Apples, dried Cranberries, diced Cucumber, shredded Daiya cheddar cheese, crushed Walnuts)
• Individual Vegan "Chick'n" Pot Pies inspired by Minimalist Baker. I'll be adding Tofurky lightly seasoned chick'n strips for more texture and protein. 
• Whipped mashed potatoes using Earth Balance Vegan Butter and unsweetened almond milk (salt & pepper)
• Pumpkin Pie (Whole Foods) & cupcakes (Georgetown Cupcakes) 
• I also bought a Gardein holiday roast as a back up in the event the "Chick'n Pot Pies" are a bust. You can pick them up at Whole Foods for $14. 

If this menu doesn't sound creative or exciting, here are more Vegan menus to peruse from other plant-based food bloggers.

• Bon Appetit  
• Forks Over Knives
• Sharon Palmer
• Minimalist Baker
• Food & Wine
• Delish
• Buzzfeed
• Oh She Glows
• New York Times
• Cooking Light 

Are you looking to cut back on meat but don't like soy or tofu? Try jackfruit as a juicy and delicious meat alternative. 

For the most recent Taco Tuesday, I made vegan tacos filled with the Jackfruit Company's tex-mex jackfruit, garnished with vegetables, fresh herbs, an avocado cream and fresh lime. Hole cow! They were lip smacking good. 

The best news is that jackfruit, also known as "pulled pork for vegetarians," only has 50 calories and 1g of fat per serving! Can't beat that. Jackfruit's meaty texture has become a common meat replacement that is low in calories and free from soy, gluten, and cholesterol. You will fool any meat lover with the taste!

Jackfruit is native to south and southeast Asia and is the world's largest tree-borne fruit with some weighing up to 100 pounds! It has often been hailed as the miracle crop because of its size and resistance to drought that could save millions from starvation. If that is the case, I really hope to see this fruit rise in popularity. It is a cross between a pineapple, apple, mango, and banana, but when it's seasoned you don't taste those fruity flavors at all. 

Here is a very simple, quick (no more than 30 minutes), and flavorful recipe that you can try any night of the week. It also shouldn't cost you more than $10 - $15, which is definitely a bonus! 

Ingredients:
2-4 white, whole wheat, or corn tortillas
Olive oil or coconut oil cooking spray
1 package Jackfruit (can be bought in many grocery stores)
1 tomato, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 green pepper, julienned
5 leaves of basil, chopped
Handful of chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon vegan sour cream (optional) 
1 fresh lime, squeezed
salt and pepper to taste

Avocado Cilantro Cream
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 ripe avocado
1 freshly squeezed lime
1 teaspoon Follow Your Heart Vegenaise 
Salt and pepper to taste


Instructions:
1.To make the avocado cilantro cream, simply place all of the ingredients in a food processor or even a small ninja will do (which is what I currently have) and blend until creamy. You may need to add 2 tablespoons cold water to the mixture.
2. In a large deep frying pan or a griddle, generously cover with cooking spray. Over medium heat, lightly cook the green pepper for 3 - 5 minutes, until some sides brown.
3. In same pan or griddle,  cook entire package of jackfruit for just a few minutes until warm. Set aside.
3. Respray the frying pan or griddle with cooking spray and cook 1 tortilla at a time to gently brown and crisp.
4. Spoon jackfruit with cooked green pepper slices, tomato, basil, and onion to your desired amounts on to warm tortilla. Add a dollop of the avocado cilantro cream and a dollop of vegan sour cream and squeeze 1/2 fresh lime over tortilla.  
​Enjoy!



Nutrition Facts (based off of white tortilla and no vegan sour cream)
Servings 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories 239
Total Fat 12 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 664 mg
Total Carbohydrate 30 g
Dietary Fiber 15 g
Sugars 7 g
Protein 6 g

Whoever says salads are boring hasn't tried a buddha bowl. A buddha bowl, according to the urban dictionary, is a bowl packed so full that it has a rounded "belly" appearance on the top much like the belly of a buddha.  Based on that definition, I've been making buddha bowls for years and didn't even know it!

Buddha bowls are low in carbohydrates, high in protein, high in fiber, and low fat. They are simple to make, flavorful, colorful, and packed with nutrients. 

Added bonus: they require little to no cooking, depending on what you include in yours. Really, there is no reason you shouldn't make your next meal a buddha bowl. 

This particular recipe will require about 30 minutes of preparation from cutting the vegetables. You can vary your buddha bowl to your liking. This recipe, which I call the "KuKu Bowl" named for my husband, makes enough for two overflowing bowls. 

Ingredients:

Buddha Bowl
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 small red onion, diced
3/4 cup cooked bulgur (dry cracked wheat) 
6 tablespoons black beans
1 cucumber, peeled and cubed
1 package Nasoya chipotle flavored tofu, cubed
1 can whole kernel corn
1 sweet potato, cubed
6 tablespoons garbanzo beans
1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 teaspoon Melt or Earth Balance vegan butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Avocado Cilantro Cream
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 ripe avocado
1 freshly squeezed lime
2 teaspoons Follow Your Heart Vegenaise 
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cold water


Instructions. 
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a baking sheet with olive oil or coconut oil cooking spray. Place sweet potato cubes onto baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes. 

2. While the sweet potato is baking, heat 1 1/2 cups water in a medium size pan. Once the water comes to a boil, add 3/4 cup bulgar, 1 teaspoon vegan butter, and salt to taste. Cook covered on medium heat for 20 minutes then turn heat down to a simmer for another 10 minutes until all of the water has been absorbed. Stir frequently to avoid sticking. 

3. While the sweet potato and bulgur are cooking, you can chop and prepare the remaining vegetables. Evenly divide one half of the vegetables in each of the bowls, starting with the lettuce and filling in the bowl with each of the ingredients. 

4. To make the avocado cilantro cream, simply place all of the ingredients in a food processor or even a small ninja will do (which is what I currently have) and blend until creamy. You may need to add 2 tablespoons cold water to the mixture.


​
Nutrition Facts
Serving size:  2

Calories 609
Total Fat 29 g
Saturated Fat 4 g 
Cholesterol 0 mg 
Sodium 2433 mg
Total Carbohydrate 82 g 
Dietary Fiber 16 g
Sugars 17 g
Protein 14 g 

Today is the first day of Spring! Hooray! The days are already longer, brighter, and for the most part warmer. 

Summer is just around the corner. I'm already dreaming of lounging on the beach or boating on Cape Cod with my favorite guy aka my husband. But before I drift away into fantasy land, I want to share with you a super easy, delicious, and light vegan appetizer (that could serve as a meal if you aren't very hungry) that is perfect for Spring. 

Oh and did I mention, no cooking is required?! Score!

Spring rolls are fantastic to serve at a party, to fill up on before dinner, or just to have as a snack whenever. They are low fat, low in calories, gluten-free, and filling. This recipe was inspired (and slightly adapted) from Chef Roberto Martin's cookbook "Vegan Cooking for Carnivores."

Ingredients:
(Makes about 16 Spring Rolls) 
​
Spring Rolls: (You can play around with the filling depending on what you have/enjoy most) 

1/2 head red cabbage, julienned
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
20 fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 fat carrot, peeled, grated, and squeezed dry in a paper towel
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
1 geen pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
2 packages spring roll wrappers (rice papers can be ordered on Amazon or bought in a local Asian market)
1 package Trader Joe's marinated tofu , chopped into small cubes 

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup Peanut Butter (I prefer chunky)
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons white or yellow Miso 
2 tablespoons minced fresh (or powder) Ginger


Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients.

Assemble the Spring Rolls: 

1. Mix all of the vegetables in a large bowl and set aside. 
2. Select a dish or pan that is large enough for the rice paper to lie flat inside. Add about two cups warm water to the dish and soak rice paper for about 20 seconds, or until the paper has softened but not become too gummy.
3. Place the rice paper on a cutting board and rub it gently to help spread water out evenly on the paper. 
4. Place about 1/2 cup of the vegetable/tofu mixture on the rice paper, slightly below the center.
5. Picking up the edge closest to you, fold over the rice paper onto the vegetable/tofu mound. Fold the right and left sides towards the center. Roll the rice paper gently as if making a burrito. 
6. Place Spring Rolls on a baking sheet covered with a moist piece of wax paper to prevent from sticking to each other and the baking sheet. 
7. Refrigerate for approximately 1 hour before serving. Cut each Spring Roll in half at a slight angle just before serving. Enjoy! 




Nutrition Facts
Servings 16.0
Amount Per Serving
Calories 149
Total Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 208 mg
Total Carbohydrate 20 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Sugars 3 g
Protein 6 g

I may not be Irish or eat meat, but I can still celebrate, eat satisfying comfort food,  and celebrate St. Patrick's Day! 

As a small challenge, I wanted to experiment and make some traditional Irish comfort foods, but veganize them. I made Shepherd's Pie, red cabbage and "beef" and Irish soda bread. All of the dishes were delicious, easy, packed with protein, and hearty  They are dishes that can be served anytime, not just St. Patrick's Day. 

Vegan Irish Soda Bread: 

This recipe was adapted from Allrecipe's "Amazingly Easy Irish Soda Bread." The prep was quick, just 15 minutes, and it took under 1 hour to bake. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup margarine, so I used Melt's vegan butter. It also calls for 1 cup of buttermilk. I had no idea what I could use as a vegan replacement for buttermilk but thanks to Live Strong, found out that 1/2 cup of Tofutti sour cream mixed with 1/2 cup water does the trick. 


​Vegan Shepherd's Pie:

This dish will take about 1 hour, but the prep is easy and straight forward. 

Ingredients

3 pounds, peeled and chopped Yukon gold potatoes
3- 4 tablespoons Vegan Butter (Earth Balance or Melt work great)
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk (optional)
1 tablespoon Vegan sour cream (optional)  
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 package Gardein meatless ground beef crumble or other meatless crumble 
1 teaspoon Oregano
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon dried Basil
1 can fresh kernel corn
Salt and Pepper to taste

​Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly grease (Coconut oil or Olive Oil sprays work great) a round 2-quart baking dish or one similar in size. 
2. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add salt to the water if desired. Place chopped potatoes in the boiling water for about 15 minutes or until they crumble when poked with a fork.
3. Drain potatoes. Returned drained potatoes to pot and begin to mash with a fork or potato masher. Add Vegan butter and unsweetened almond milk  to the pot. Salt and pepper to taste. Whip potatoes until fluffy. Set aside.
4. In a large deep frying pan, over medium heat add the olive oil, garlic, and onion. Saute until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes.  Mix in the carrots, meatless ground beef crumble, and mushrooms. Sprinkle in Oregano, Thyme, Basil, and salt and pepper. (Adjust seasoning to taste) Saute for another 10 - 15 minutes, constantly stirring. Set aside. 
5. Transfer meatless ground beef and vegetable mixture into the baking dish, making sure it is evenly spread out along the bottom. Add corn on top of the mixture, careful to evenly spread it over. Finally, top your third layer with the mashed potatoes.
6. Optional. Brush potatoes with 1 tablespoon melted Vegan Butter and mix with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 tablespoon water to help brown the top of the potatoes.
7. Place dish in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Allow it to cool before serving. Enjoy!


Red Cabbage & "Beef"

This dish will take about 10 minutes of prep and no longer than 30 minutes of cooking time. And it should cost less than $10.

Ingredients:
​
1/2 head red cabbage, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, diced
4 cups vegetable stock
1 package WestSoy cubed Seitan 
1-2 tablespoons Olive Oil or Vegan Butter
2- 4 tablespoons flour
1-2 teaspoons corn starch


Instructions

1. In a large, deep frying pan over medium heat saute onion in Olive Oil or Vegan butter until golden brown.
2. Add vegetable stock. Toss in carrots, cabbage, celery, and Seitan. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove lid and add flour and cornstarch to thicken the sauce to desired consistency. You may need to add more flour or cornstarch depending on how thick you prefer your dish. Enjoy!