Vegan

Tahini Lemon Salad (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

20 Minute Meals, Appetizer, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan

You’ll never buy a store-bought salad again…

This is hands-down my favorite salad I’ve ever made. A few months ago, I started experimenting with tahini, and it is a GAME. CHANGER. It adds such a great creamy, nutty flavor to the dressing and pairs perfectly with the bright tanginess of lemon. Plus, all the protein and veggies make this salad satisfying, which I can’t say the same about all the salads I’ve had…

I’m including my favorite ingredients below, but I tend to switch it up every week. Some of my go-to’s are cooked beets (adds a nice pop!) and shelled edamame (extra protein). I also love to top this salad with falafel or chicken.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2 bowls

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium bunch of mixed greens or kale (or the amount of greens you like to add to your salad!)
  • 1/3 cup cooked chickpeas (or canned)
  • 1/2 ripe medium avocado
  • 1 cup frozen broccoli (if using fresh broccoli, flash boil it to soften the stalks)
  • 2 tbs. chopped almonds
  • 1-2 tbs. lemon juice (adjust to taste)
  • 1-1 1/2 tbs. tahini (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tsp. salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1 tsp. black pepper (adjust to taste)

Recipe

Preparation:

  1. (If using kale) Chop kale into small pieces and massage in a large bowl with 1 tbs. lemon juice and 1/2 tsp. salt. This will make the leaves tender. The leaves will wilt, so make sure you have enough to build your salad.
  2. Cut avocado into 1/2 inch cubes.

Cooking:

  1. Add broccoli to a well-oiled pan over medium heat. Toss broccoli as it begins to brown, adding in 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper (or to taste). Sauté until broccoli is browned or lightly charred.

Assembly:

  1. Place greens, chickpeas, broccoli, almonds, lemon juice, and remaining salt and pepper (or to taste) to a large bowl. Drizzle over tahini and toss until well combined.
  2. Mix in the avocados last (or arrange on top) to prevent them from getting mushy.

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3-Ingredient Seared Tofu (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

20 Minute Meals, Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan

Packing all the umami punch in just 10 minutes!

I’ve made this tofu three times in the last two weeks alone. It’s that easy and that quick and that delicious. I hear Food Network chefs talk about “umami” flavor all the time, and this tofu steak really brings it home. Tamari by itself is great, but the nuttiness of the tahini elevates it to a whole new level. The tamari-tahini sauce crusts up perfectly in the pan, and the smell only makes it better…

Besides packing the flavor, this crusted tofu takes 10 MINUTES. After an exhausting day, when I have neither the time nor the discipline to cook a gourmet meal, I reach for this recipe. My tip? Use extra firm tofu and press as much water out of it as you can. It makes a huge difference in how the tofu crisps up!

Recipe

Prep Time: 1-2 minute
Cook Time: 4-8 minutes
Serves: 4 tofu steaks

Ingredients

  • 1 block of extra firm tofu, pressed
  • 3 tablespoons tamari (I use a 50% less sodium version)
  • 4 tables tahini

Preparation:

  1. Mix the tamari and tofu in a small bowl until it forms a thick, creamy, caramel-colored mixture.
  2. Slice the tofu block horizontally through the side edges. Then slice diagonally across the top to create 4 triangle pieces.
  3. Apply a generous layer of the sauce to one side of each tofu steak.

Cooking:

  1. Over medium-low heat, place the tofu steaks sauce-side down on a lightly oiled, non-stick pan. Apply a layer of sauce to the face-up side of the tofu. Cook for 2-4 minutes or until the bottom crisps into a brown crust.
  2. Flip the tofu steaks and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until the bottom crisps into a brown crust. Serve and enjoy!

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One-Pot Thai Coconut Curry (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Dairy-Free, Entree, Gluten-Free, Vegan

Warms up the body and soul!

My local vegan Thai restaurant serves an amazing coconut curry, and I had to recreate it. The spice from the red pepper and the creaminess of the coconut milk adds an incredible depth of flavor. It’s perfect over rice or as is! The best part is, it’s full of plant-based protein, including both tofu and chickpeas. A delicious, warming meal for chilly days!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Serves: 4-6 bowls

Ingredients:

  • 28 oz. chickpeas
  • 16 oz. firm tofu
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (adjust up or down for thickness)
  • 3/4 cup lite coconut milk (adjust up or down for thickness)
  • 1/2 small yellow onion
  • 1 tbs. minced garlic
  • 1 tbs. grated ginger
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1/2 small zucchini
  • 1/2 cup carrots
  • 3/4 cup tomato
  • 1 1/2 tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3/4 tbs. curry powder (adjust to taste)
  • 3/4 tbs. turmeric (adjust to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional, for spice)
  • 3/4 tbs. salt (adjust to taste)

Recipe

Preparation:

  1. Dice onion into 1 cm pieces. Chop bell pepper, zucchini, carrots, and tomato into roughly equal sized 1/2-1 inch pieces.
  2. Mince garlic and grate ginger.

Cooking:

  1. In a dutch oven over medium heat, lightly sauté garlic, onion, and ginger with oil, curry powder, turmeric, and red pepper flakes.
  2. Stir the chickpeas to the pot and cook for 5 minutes over low heat.
  3. Add the vegetable broth and coconut milk to the pot. Do not cover the pot with a lid–let the soup reduce to concentrate the flavors.
  4. After 5-10 minutes, add the vegetables to the pot. Cover with a lid and let it cook over low heat.
  5. Press as much water from the tofu as possible. Cut the tofu into 1×2 inch blocks or triangles. In a lightly oiled pan, fry the tofu until lightly browned on all sides.
  6. Add the tofu to the pot. Let the soup simmer, uncovered. Adjust seasoning and liquid as needed to achieve the desired soup or stew consistency.
  7. Serve hot as a soup or over rice. Enjoy!

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FLUFFIEST Banana Bread (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

Breakfast, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan

Not your average quarantine banana bread…

In case you didn’t make banana bread fifty times during quarantine, I have a new recipe for you. Meet classic banana bread’s younger, hotter sister: vegan, gluten-free FLUFFY banana bread. I was originally inspired by a recipe that my manager shared with me three years ago. I’ve tinkered around with the ingredients and measurements for years, but it never turned out just right until last year. I accidentally forgot to add the flax egg to my batter and boom. Game. Changer. No flax eggs = more fluffiness + more deliciousness.

The whole process is quick, easy, and so worth it.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40-50 minutes
Serves: 8 slices

Ingredients:

Dry:

  • 2 cups oat flour (I blend rolled oats in my food processor until it becomes a fine flour)
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 2 tsp baking power
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt

Wet:

  • 3 small-medium bananas (ripe, brown, and smushy!)
  • ¼ cup almond butter
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar (I don’t have a sweet tooth, so if you do, I would definitely double this!)

Recipe

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
  3. In a separate bowl, mash bananas with a fork until a mushy, somewhat runny, mixture forms—small clumps are okay! Mix in the rest of the wet ingredients.
  4. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture in increments. I add the dry mixture in three to four batches. Make sure to not overmix—try to keep it as airy and fluffy as possible.

Baking:

  1. Line an 8-inch bread pan with parchment paper or grease the sides lightly with coconut oil.
  2. Spoon batter into pan (lick the leftovers from your spoon!) and bake for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown.
  3. Let the banana bread cool before enjoying. The sweetness of the bananas really comes out once the bread has fully cooled.

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