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Corn flakes with oats 💚

I eat cereal WAY TOO FAST. But it's also a nice, convenient meal when I either want something simple or quick. Unsweetened almond milk is my go-to milk for cereal, it has been for like 15 years. I've been adding some plain oats to my porridge to give it some heartiness (an idea I got from @thetwopeas22), and today I realized why not toss a few on my cereal to help me naturally slow down eating it.. seemed to work decently!

#plantbased #oilfree #craigstestkitchen

POWERING ON for the weekend!! 💚

Sprouts & mixed grain salad with half a new homemade plant-based sausage patty (made another little batch this morning, this time with soaked almonds). Walnut had a little more sausage-gray going on, but I felt like almond would be very good too and it was. Added little video clips here, and I'll make a short 'making of' video later!

Topped with beet & fresno pepper hot sauce.

#plantbased #plantpowered #oilfree #nooil #eatgreatfeelgreat

Chinese chopsticks, Japanese ramen, with Korean flare 💚

My sister got us these chopsticks when they visited China several years ago, what a thoughtful gift.

This is a tonkotsu-style ramen, though plant-based and oil-free.

I spiced it up with Korean red pepper paste, aka gochujang in the broth and a small bit of extra on my soup soon.

#plantbased #oilfree #ramen #asianfood

Breakfast sandwich... For lunch (plant-based , oil-free) 💚

This is the last brown rice, white bean, walnut sausage patty that I made. I'm going to make one more batch, this time with soaked almonds, because I like trying things and because my gut microbiota deserves diversity. I've put it through a lot over the years, and now I'm not just eating for one anymore, I'm eating for 100 trillion (gotta include all those symbiotic microbial cells).

The tofu is simple air fried tofu with eggy seasoning.

The cheese is my smokehouse plant-based canyon cheddar—I don't need much and it's very satisfying in stuff like this.

The bun is the 5-ingredient artisan roll from Costco: flour, water, salt, yeast, and malted barley flour. Because it's a fresh bread product, they don't list nutrition info on the bags here, so I just looked it up and it does have quite the load of salt, but otherwise it's not bad. I guess most breads are salty, so it shouldn't be a big surprise or anything. I wrapped this up and heated it in the air fryer at 350F for about 12 minutes and it was mmmm MMMM.

#plantbased #oilfree #breakfastforlunch

Cucumber, cauliflower, and serrabanero ranch 💚

Yum, yum, yum.

#wfpb #plantbased #nooil #oilfree #wfpbno #veggies

Breakfast of champions 🏆💚

I'm really digging the flavor of caramelized banana IN the porridge and ON the porridge. I added ceylon cinnamon today. If fiber and omega-3 fatty acids are inflammation crushers, then consider me the opposite of inflamed. I am pretty sure that is technically chillaxed.. I think.

#plantbased #oilfree #plantpowered #chillaxed

Ramens 💚

Plant-based, oil-free.

Toasted sesame tonkotsu-style ramen seasoned with gochujang with sauteed mushrooms, fire-roasted corn, lima beans, and steamed bok choy. Brown rice & millet ramen noods.

#plantbased #oilfree #ramen

Finally, the last of the miso-lime habanero tofu! This is a Mediterranean-Japanese fusion with a bit of pickled ginger & wasabi to seal the role of the land of the rising sun. 🌅

I made bites of greens, tofu, wasabi, avocado, red onion, black olive, and occasionally a banana pepper slice. Ginger in-between every couple of bites. A fun way to finish this tofu and the rest of this particular avocado. 🥑 The wasabi I keep at home is 100x hotter than the stuff you get with takeout sushi. I put 1/10th on and it's 10x hotter. Real-world math. I know that most wasabi is actually horseradish doctored up to mimic wasabi. At least it's mostly horseradish!

I just looked at the ingredients of the wasabi I get and it does claim to have wasabi halfway down the ingredients list. Between water and artificial flavor. I wonder if it's artificial wasabi flavor 😆 And who do I have to lobby to in order to replace 'natural' and 'artificial flavor' ingredients with the actual stuff they're putting in food?! Can I just write a strongly worded tweet or something? Looks like it has added rice bran oil, a rare one that slipped by my radar. Oh well, I'll have to research brands a little, I'm quite chill at not getting to worked up about such things and continually steering in my plant-based, oil-free direction.

Looks like the only brand of potentially actual wasabi I can get locally is '100% genuine wasabi' by 'Sushi Sonic'. I'm pretty sure I tried that brand forever ago, but I switched from the powder to the tube for convenience. Hmm! Please lay some wasabi knowledge down for me if you've got any 🙏🙇💚

#plantbased #fusionfood #oilfreedirection #glutenfree

Tofu and avocado, salad, pickled ginger, beet & fresno hot sauce 💚

I FINALLY got to try Beet & Fresno hot sauce by @hotnsaucyco. I shouldn't be surprised that I love it. I wanted some spice, so I ran over the salad with the hot sauce and went all Emeril Legasse with crushed red pepper on the avocado tofu. Bam! This was inspired by sushi without making sushi. I used the miso-lime habanero tofu with pink peppercorns, so this was quite the flavorful plate!

#plantbased #oilfree #nooil #tofu #avocado

Porridge to-go with oats and flax 💚

I didn't realize that this banana was looking a bit edgy until I just went to post it. 🙈

ANYWAY.. I split this into two for a light but satisfying breakfast: ½ cup traditional oats simmered in 1½ cups water + ½ cup unsweetened almond milk + ½ mashed caramelized banana, topped with ¼ cup raw oats and 2 tbsp ground flaxseed.

#plantbased #porridgetogo #oilfree #vegan #wfpb #wfpbno

Cauliflower & serrabanero ranch 💚

En toute simplicité !

#plantbased #oilfree #veggies #cauliflower #nooil

Homemade Aardvark Nacho Fries 💚

Air fryer fries (oil-free!)
Salsa brava
Serrabanero ranch
Iceberg lettuce
Roma tomatoes
Red onion
Parsley

📌 Serrabanero ranch
½ batch @mcdougallmom ranch
1½ tbsp @secret_aardvark serrabanero sauce (stirred in)

After air frying about a pound of fries, I toss with a mix of 4 tsp water + 2 tsp white vinegar and cover to steam for about 2 minutes.

I then seasoned the fries with:
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp granulated onion
¼ tsp graduated garlic
1/16 tsp cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt

#plantbased #oilfree #vegan #dinner

Leftovers: Spaghetti Alfredo, mixed salad, tomatoes, smoked tofu (all plant-based, oil-free) 💚

Yes, I'm STILL eating the cauliflower Alfredo 😆 I did make fresh pasta yesterday. This time I made whole grain spaghetti because I had just a couple of ounces of it to use up.

✳️Spaghetti cauliflower Alfredo with walnut parm & parsley
✳️Roma tomatoes
✳️Kirkland signature grain and celery salad (no dressing)
✳️Smoked tofu from yesterday's smokin' sesh

The Kirkland salad was a delightful surprise. It comes with apple cider vinaigrette which I don't really have a use for. My wife tried the vinaigrette and made that 'ew' face so I guess nobody here has a use for it. The salad itself is great though: chickpeas, quinoa, bulgur wheat, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, celery, onion, kale, purple cabbage, and carrot.

#plantbased #oilfree #leftoversforlunch

Simple breakfast sandwich, steamed then air fried broccoli, salad mix, serrabanero ranch 💚

📌 Serrabanero ranch
½ batch @mcdougallmom ranch dressing
1½ tbsp @secret_aardvark serrabanero sauce

📌 Sausage patties
½ cup walnuts
1 cup cooked brown rice
½ cup cooked great northern beans (or white beans)
1 tsp JD sausage seasoning blend
2 tsp low sodium soy sauce

In a food processor, add walnuts and blitz blitz blitz. Add brown rice and blitz blitz blitz. Add beans and blitz blitz blitz. Hand mix in seasoning and soy sauce. Form patties and cook in a skillet over medium-low heat.

📌 JD Sausage Seasoning Blend
¾ tsp rubbed sage
½ tsp coarse ground black pepper
½ tsp red pepper flakes
¾ tsp coriander
⅛ tsp msg (can omit but this is pretty specific for that JD umami)

📌 Tofu egg
Firm tofu slab
@chefskyemichael tofu scramble seasoning blend
Air fried about 5-7 mins at 350F

I know the Serrabanero sauce has 'lime oil' as the second-to-last ingredient, but it gets a pass in my book because it's such a small amount!

#plantbased #oilfree

Caramelized banana porridge with cinnamon & berries 💚

✳️Plant-based
✳️Oil-free

If there's ONE reason to get a kitchen torch, it's this. I can't get that fire caramelized flavor and aroma from a banana any other way. You can caramelize them for sure, but side-by-side there's something magical that happens when the flame touches the banana. (I did a side-by-side this morning and the torched banana was an entirely different result)

📌 Recipe for one lovely, nice and runny porridge:
1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
1 cup water
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 banana
½ cup traditional rolled oats

- Slice the banana lengthwise and caramelize the exposed sides with a kitchen torch (until nice and toasted, about a minute). Discard banana skin.
- In a pot, heat almond milk, water, vanilla, and half the caramelized banana until simmering.
- Mash the banana into small chunks once it's warmed.
- When the liquid reaches a simmer, add the oats.
- Cook the oats, uncovered, until nearly reaching your desired consistency, about 15-20 minutes.
- Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes to thicken.
- Serve with the remaining caramelized banana slices, a generous sprinkle of cinnamon, and any other desired toppings.

#plantbased #oilfree #porridge #bananas #berries

Black bean burger, coastal style 🌊🍔💚

@actualveggies black bean burger definitely lives up to the hype, I'm so glad I tried it! Expertly seasoned. No oil. Easily air fried. Preheated the air fryer to 400F, air fried 4 mins on one side and 5 mins on the other (1 minute more than the instructions).

I cook quite a bit of what I eat, but I'm REALLY glad to see options like this hit the stores. Veggie burgers are among my least favorite things to make from scratch. They're never consistent and always taste off when I make them.

For this, I went for a bit of a coastal prep, which goes surprisingly well with this patty (note: not the Maine coast, that's a different tartar sauce 🤗). I went for a hit tangy/citrusy Baja Tartar Sauce... all plant-based and oil-free:

Toasted roll
Black bean burger patty
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Baja tartar sauce
Red onion
Two dill pickles

📌 Baja Tartar Sauce 🌊😋
½ cup mayonnaise (I used @mcdougallmom mayo, this brings some important citrus notes)
2 tbsp dill pickle, finely chopped
4 tsp green onion, thinly sliced
½ tbsp drained capers, minced
½ tsp dry parsley
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon dried tarragon
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
⅛ teaspoon hot pepper sauce like Crystal or Tabasco (12 drops)

This Baja Tartar Sauce is delish with air fries, too!!

#plantbased #oilfree #vegan

Mmmm 😋💚

Jasmine rice
Avo slice
Mango
Pink peppercorns
Miso-lime habanero tofu
Radishes
A salad of grains, greens, veggies, legumes, and nuts (from Costco, skipped the dressing)

A well-balanced plate to end the day 🌍 The kiddo did most of the plating for me, a welcome surprise!

#plantbased #oilfree

Avocado, lime, and radish on rye 💚

I simply sprinkled lime juice on the avocado.

It was good, and I would make it again when I'm in the mood for a light-tasting sandwich (I'm usually the hearty sandwich type). Of course the radishes struggled to stay in place, but not nearly as bad I thought they would.

#plantbased #oilfree

Spaghetti, cauliflower Alfredo, smoked soy curls topped with walnut parm and parsley 💚

I nearly forgot about this little power meal from yesterday. It was a very busy day, so I'm still catching up! The Alfredo has both cauliflower & white beans. Pairing that with the soybeans in the curls, this becomes not just tasty, but very satiating. Leftover cauliflower Alfredo is better than fresh in my opinion, and it's one of my favorite things (chilled or reheated). I think something magical happens when you leave it to rest in the fridge. 🪄

And, I try not to forget about the resistant starch benefits of cooking and cooling pasta. Satisfying and delicious 🤤

#plantbased #oilfree #simplemoderncuisine

Miso-Lime Habanero Tofu with Pink Peppercorns 💚

Just doing something different. These were going to go on sandwiches, but I'm not sure the flavor profile is right. On the other hand, I'm confident nearly anything can be successfully made into a sandwich if one tries hard enough. I'll sleep on the flavor profile and see if I have an epiphany... They feel like they should be on a tiny plate in a five course gourmet meal.

#plantbased #oilfree #wfpb #craigstestkitchen

Mississippi roast soy curls, parsley potatoes, sprouts, mixed salad, blackened broccoli (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

I'm going to get like 4 meals out of this potato. It's one of those massive russet ones that are sold for baked potatoes.

On the salad:
Romaine lettuce
Black olives
Red onion
Radishes
Sweet/tangy red pepper (I can't remember the name of these, they're spherical and like small golf balls)
Pumpkin seeds
Pepperoncini
Green pepper

#plantbased #vegan #oilfree #wfpb #wfpbno

Veggie sando on rye 💚

Working my way through rye sandwiches. @mcdougallmom mayo on this, and all the fixins:

Tomato
Lettuce
Spring mix (no arugula where I got this)
Sprouts
Black olives
Red onion
Pepperoncini

I'm realizing with a dense bread that veggie sandwiches are much more satisfying than with a fluffy bread.

#plantbased #vegan #oilfree #veggiesandwich

Roasted red pepper shells and salad 💚

I had the pasta chilled this morning. The color lost a bit of its vibrance, but that's ok. It really needs depth, that vinegary tang. Eventually I just literally splashed it with white vinegar. Much better!

I really want to merge a poblano cream sauce recipe a friend shared with this pasta, but maybe roll in the tang of pepperoncini. I have lots of leftovers and lots of rye bread, so I'm not making any more pasta or soy curls or anything right now!

#plantbased #vegan #oilfree #wfpb #wfpbno

Mississippi roast soy curls with parsley potatoes, roast broccoli, and salad 💚

I went light on the potato in my plate because I was also making red pepper pasta 😁 I'm muy excited for leftovers!

I can count on one hand my most favorite ways to prepare soy curls. Okay, maybe two hands. And a foot, because now I have this! I put this recipe down for over a year and a lot of inspo built up over that time. I finally mustered up the motivation to make it and hooooo-weee it's good.

I usually split recipe tests into mini batches, but today I just cooked with heart and gusto into a single batch. I was all in. I took lots of pictures because I hate not remembering exactly what I did.

First, I simmered soy curls in hot water. I just needed them soft so I could then use a rolling pin to texturize them. Then I built a layer of slightly caramelized sauteed onion. I deglazed the onions with the remaining soy curls broth (just hot soy curl liquid at this point). I seasoned with ranch seasonings (onion, garlic, dill, etc.), and an au jus-inspired blend (low sodium soy sauce, dark soy sauce, balsamic, thyme, rosemary, etc.). Not pictured is what I was most hesitant about but am glad I added it: a creamy mixture of blended soy milk, 2 tbsp cashews, sweet corn (which brings a little sweetness and has naturally occurring diacetyl, which is the organic compound which makes butter taste buttery), lemon juice, and white vinegar which was like icing on the cake.

I added big slices of potato, parsley, and pepperoncini slices to complete the Mississippi-ness. This was simmered on low heat, covered VERY tightly for about 24 mins, undisturbed so it could brown on the bottom and fully simmer & steam the potatoes.

Délicieux et savoureux 😋

#plantbased #oilfree #soycurls #vegan #wfpb #potroast #skilletroast

Roasted red pepper pasta 💚

This is based on the recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Pasta by @elavegan.

I used big, giant red peppers, so I had lots of sauce. I don't keep cashew butter handy, so I used ¼ cup cashews. And in addition to ½ tsp salt, I used 1 tsp chickpea miso (next time I'll cut the table salt a little more and try 2 tsp chickpea miso. Ooh, just thought of this, I think I'll try to work in a can of salt-free diced tomatoes, too... Maybe 😋

That's black pepper, crushed red pepper, parsley, and chiffonade basil on top.

It's the first time I've made this specific recipe. It's quite good but I want a little more depth. I'm thinking a drizzle to balsamic in there to add a hint of sweet & sour 🤔 What do you like in red pepper sauce?

#plantbased #oilfree #pasta #vegan #wfpb #wfpbno

Lunch 💚

Cauliflower spaghetti Alfredo
Diced tomatoes
Broccoli and leeks
Oil-free baguette
STAM (tofu SPAM)

#plantbased #oilfree

Breakfast 💚

I was feeling really savory this morning, so I pieced together these leftovers.

In hindsight, I should've reoriented the plate to match the cuisine more geographically appropriate for the US. Grits in the South, sprouts in the West, gravy on toast in the East. If you just tilt your phone to the left a little, or tilt your head to the right a little, it will have this same effect.

Green chili grits
Toast triangles with country gravy
Sprouts

#plantbased #oilfree

Veggies on rye 💚

The closest bakery to us makes this thick rye sandwich bread. I get a loaf once or twice a year because by the time I work my way through the loaf I'm pretty set on rye bread for a while. I don't usually find veggie sandwiches super filling, but if I'm the right level of hungry then they're ok. I'm really lacking in the side veggies right now, time to stock up a little!

📌 Here we've got...
@mcdougallmom mayo
Coarsely ground black pepper
Hothouse tomato
Thinly sliced white onion
Sprouts
Lettuce
Avocado
Smushed together between rye bread

If you've got other ideas for rye bread, I'd love to hear how you enjoy it.

#plantbased #oilfree #vegan #sandwich #veggies

Seasoned fries 💚

Sooooo, one of my pots cooked the fries faster than the other and they got a little softer. They are still great, but they get really fluffy this way—this is good to know about ahead of time or you might think I'm just making mashed potato sticks over here 😅. If this happens, just reduce your air frying time by a few minutes to balance it out or enjoy your fluffy fries like I did.

Also, I should've been tossing the fries as I seasoned them so the seasoning didn't clump up so much, but these were tastyyyy, so it's all good.

Speaking of tasty, I used this opportunity to try a surface salt hack from an IG friend—popcorn salt. This fine-grain salt has more sodium per volume, BUT the amount you need to use for surface salt applications is less. I don't think it would be worth using this in, for example, soup, but it did great on the fries. I'm estimating that I used about 100-120mg sodium in that fraction of ¼ tsp measurement in the second photo. For a whole meal of fries!! Ok, I also had a little sauce, and it's not like I made salt sauce or anything (I wonder if salt sauce is a thing), and I ate some without sauce and they were awesome.

Go forth and potato!

#plantbased #potatoes #poyaytoes #wfpb #oilfree #saltsavvy

Plant-based, oil-free mayonnaise 💚

I don't have a very good photo of this; this is literally the bottom of a jar 😬

So, I decided a month (or two?) back to simplify and rebuild a recipe for mayonnaise that I really, REALLY enjoyed. There are a lot of things that can vary widely in flavor profile and still be enjoyable, and to me, mayonnaise is not one of them. It needs a fairly specific level of creaminess, tanginess, saltiness, viscous-ness, and that hint of sulphur to really match up with historic flavor profiles. That's where I went with this.

At the same time as I'm making great progress on this, I see that @mcdougallmom was ALSO working on a mayo recipe. Maybe the planets were aligned or something, I dunno, but my immediate thought was excitement: if I couldn't get my mayo into a happy place, I could likely count on enjoying the mayo recipe by the sauce boss herself. Win-win.

Mine was going well enough that I decided to follow through on it, and I'm glad I did. It's a great mayo, if I do say so myself 😜 finally, a couple of days ago I decided to make @mcdougallmom's mayo and it was ALSO great. So there you have it, two great mayonnaise options for you wonderful people ! I'll share what I used my @mcdougallmom mayo with soon, it was remarkable 🙌

📌 Mayonnaise:
½ cup cashews (71g / 2.5 oz) — raw, soaked
¼ cup potato flakes 12g
½ tsp kala namak (start with ¼ tsp and add to taste)
2 tbsp white vinegar
¼ + ⅛ tsp mustard powder
1 pinch paprika
½ cup ice cold water (I add ice cubes to a glass of water and measure the ice cold water right before blending)

Blend until creamy, about 60 seconds. Chill.

#plantbased #vegan #wfpb #oilfree #mayo #mayonnaise

Breakfast 💚

I was going for a New England diner-type of vibe here. I wasn't sure about a veg to pair, but you know what I say: 'when in doubt, sprout it out!' The hashbrowns, biscuit, and sausage all came from the freezer, and I had country gravy, sprouts, and hot sauce were in the fridge. It's all plant-based and oil-free 😋

I realized that I forgot to jot down how I made these biscuits. I think I would even add in a little white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to bump up the tang just a smidgen.

Also, why do we call it white vinegar when it's clearly clear? I feel like the vinegar naming committee really dropped the ball on that one. They were probably too excited to announce the fancy sounding Balsamic. Ooohh, la la. Love that name.

📌 Biscuits (8)
2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 tbsp baking powder (sodium free)
1 tsp salt

Creamy plant-based buttermilk:
1¼ cups soy milk
¼ cup almond flour
1 tbsp lemon juice
½-1 tsp cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 475°F

Whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) in a mixing bowl.

Blend soy milk with almond flour, then whisk in lemon juice and cream of tartar. Set aside for a few minutes to curdle a bit. Pour liquid into dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, fold and press lightly about 3-4 times, ending with a relatively wide sheet of dough about ¾-1 inch thick, enough to get 4-6 biscuits cut with a 3-inch cutter. After cutting you'll reshape and cut to get 8 total biscuits with little or no excess dough.

Cut biscuits by pressing the biscuit cutter straight down, without twisting, place on a pan. Alternatively, cut the entire dough into squares with a sharp knife. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden brown on top, let rest a few minutes before diving in so they can finish cooking.

*I'd like to try these with my whole wheat pastry flour sometime and see if the lower protein content allows for proper biscuit rise!

#plantbased #oilfree

Cauliflower spaghetti Alfredo, sprouts with Serrabanero sauce, smoked soy curls 💚

I even used an extra utensil and tried to do the pasta spinny thing to make a pretty mound and it looks more like I stuffed it into a tin can and flipped it over 😆

For the soy curls, I fired up my little smoking setup and used a blend of hickory and cherry (4:1), and I did a Montreal-style overnight cold brine. I usually prefer a hot broth rehydration, but I like to mix it up. With a cold brine and cooked at 200F with smoke, it results in a semi-dry, meaty texture. The smoke flavor is literally another flavor group on its own, and with smoke I always use less salt. In fact, today I used no added salt... there's just something about smoke that naturally stimulates my salt receptors.

I wish @butlerfoods could make their 1-ingredient soy curls available worldwide, but just like so many things, the meat alternative industry is wicked competitive these days. They're just so adaptable and satisfying (yay fiber!). 🤗 Anyway, I'm glad they're at least available to some people!

#plantbased #vegan #wfpb #oilfree

Leftovers—butternut squash ravioli, marvelous sauce, and Italian cacciatore salami tofu with broccoli and leeks! 💚

Bon appétit !

#plantbased #vegan #oilfree #wfpb #enjoylife

Fries that were once crispy (not really, but that's the best description I've got) 💚

I start with frozen fries that I previously parboiled.

After air frying for 20 mins at 400°F, I toss them in diluted white vinegar (2:1 water: vinegar, 2T total), cover to steam in their own heat for about a minute or two, then season (this was ¼ tsp each, black pepper, rosemary, chili powder and a couple of shakes of salt), and to finish I agitate them with my hand a bit just before plating. Served with ketchup.

#plantbased #oilfree #vegan #potatoes #potahtoes #poyaytoes

Plant-based, oil-free cauliflower Alfredo topped with fresh tomatoes and parsley served with lightly charred broccoli and leeks 💚

I misplaced my recipe card for Alfredo sauce recently, but I had already purchased fresh cauliflower for it. Then I made this. Then I found the recipe card 😅 c'est la vie ! I also didn't have any flat pasta options, so I picked spaghetti. Yum.

I have so many thoughts about Alfredo sauce. For the typical version, talk about the granddaddy of hyperpalatable foods: dairy, salt, fat, trans fat, it's got it all! There was a long period of my life where fettuccine Alfredo was my go-to pasta dish wherever I went that sold it. With bread sticks and extra Alfredo sauce on the side for dunking. That's after the soup or salad starter! Ah, the times have changed..

Sometime during the 'covid years' we got takeout from the Olive Garden, and I got this classic dish. By the time we got home, the oil had already started separating and sweating from the Alfredo sauce. It was greasy, and it didn't sit well. I kept trying to eat the leftovers chilled like I like to do, and to this day, I remember in vivid detail the layer of emulsified cream/cheese/grease that it left on the roof of my mouth. I couldn't just push it off with my tongue « shudder ». It turned into an 'aha' moment for me. I simultaneously wanted to eat some more but was completely turned off the food I thought I liked. I think that was the last time I had regular fettuccine Alfredo.

I just looked at the menu and nutrition guide for @olivegarden. There's added fat in their marinara, in their broccoli, and even in their plain pastas. A plate of the fettuccine Alfredo, just one plate, no sides or starters or anything, contains the fat calories equivalent to half a cup of butter. 😬

Well, I'm going to keep enjoying my homemade Alfredos ad libitum and the excess energy I have when eating these versus the typical American version!

#plantbased #oilfree

I'm in the mood for pasta, dude 😎

Plant-based, oil-free butternut squash ravioli by @woodstockfoods
Marvelous sauce by yours truly
Italian cacciatore salami tofu by yours truly

@woodstockfoods — word on the street is that you gotta get these oil-free vegan raviolis in more grocery stores!!!

#plantbased #vegan #oilfree #mmmm

STAM 💚

Cleverly named by my wife, this is a tofu SPAM. It's paired with steamed jasmine rice, scallions, bachan's, and a mound of sprouts!

Honestly, I didn't have high hopes for this because remaking better-for-you versions of hyperpalatable foods typically leaves me unsatisfied at best. But, it was actually much more enjoyable than I expected. I started with the @thefoodietakesflight recipe, and adjusted to my preference. I changed about half the things, so I'll just list what I did specifically (if you're curious about the differences: I used a full 16oz block firm tofu (pressed) instead of 14oz extra-firm, no oil, low sodium soy sauce instead of regular, 1 tsp tomato paste, no water, no added table sugar, and half the garlic powder). Side note, I don't care for pressing my tofu unnecessarily, but when going for a marinade like this, I at least dry it off if not press a bit so it stands a chance at picking up the marinade more densely. For this I did a proper press stacking seemingly random but carefully chosen stuff in the kitchen on top 📚

Marinade:
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup
Pinch ground pepper
2 tsp hickory liquid smoke
1 tsp tomato paste
⅛ tsp garlic powder
2 tsp beet powder
☝️btw, this stuff looks EXACTLY like human blood 😬🩸

Marinated cubes overnight because that amount of beetroot powder made me cringe they might taste too beety if I didn't let the other flavors do their thing. Cooked uncovered, over medium heat in a ceramic skillet for about 10 minutes.

Finished with bachan's sauce and scallions!

My new tomato paste tube is TRIPLE concentrated, not sure if there's any way to prove that besides dehydrating a teaspoon and comparing it to another dehydrated teaspoon, a project for some other day 😅 so I used just 1 tsp. If you've been eating SPAM regularly, you're definitely going to notice the lack of oil and drastic reduction in sodium, probably best you make something else and come back to this after a year 🤗

#plantbased #vegan #oilfree #stam #sprouts #breakfast

Single-side-toasted toast, walnut butter, mixed flaxseeds 💚

I haven't been eating this bread/nut butter/seed combo much lately, but it's still a personal fave. I give it full credit for (mostly) crowding out my lust for buttery toast. It's got so much more personality and it's truly a satisfying thing. Had a slice mid-afternoon because I skipped breakfast and had the munchies a few hours after my early lunch.

#plantbased #walnutbutter #vegan #oilfree #toast #omega3

Butternut squash ravioli, marvelous sauce, sprouts, tomatoes, and chiffonade basil 💚

This is the ravioli I recently got—butternut squash ravioli by @woodstockfoods. It was absolutely delectable and gorgeous on the plate, but what surprised me was how SWEET the butternut filling was. I definitely gotta keep that in mind when pairing with a sauce.

I made a marvelous sauce that typically pairs with grilled foods and pasta. It worked here, but if I served this with grilled zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, and MAYBE a few mushrooms, it would be maybe one of the best meals. Don't worry, my sprouts held their own 🙌

I added chiffonade basil at the end because I adore the word chiffonade, and I will create a reason out of nothing just to use it sometimes 💚😊🌱

📌 Marvelous Seasoning:
½ tsp paprika
⅛ tsp (scant) cayenne pepper
¼ tsp granulated onion
¼ tsp granulated garlic
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp dry rubbed sage
⅛ tsp dry thyme
⅛ tsp dry oregano

📌 Marvelous Sauce:
¼ cup cashews, soaked 10 mins in hot water
¼ cup potato flakes
¼ tsp mustard powder
¾ cup water

Blend until creamy. Then put in a saucepan over low heat and add:
1 tsp Marvelous Seasoning
¼ tsp maple syrup
1 tsp white vinegar
¼ tsp salt (or to taste)

#plantbased #oilfree #ravioli

A different plant-based blue cheese update 💚

I was thinking, I should probably make it clear that I'm just a hobbyist with a decently high risk tolerance. I'm pretty cautious not to gorge on some brand new inoculated, fermented, or cultured thing. I try to use common sense, intuition, and research in my cooking, especially with experiments like this. I figured that was worth mentioning, now on to the fun stuff!!!

I have good news and I have bad news. First, the bad news. The previous tofu misozuke blue attempt went sour. The ferment kicked out an alcohol byproduct that was clearly not palatable. But, even if that's bad news, I learned lots to start a new batch soon!

Then, good news! If you've seen my standard homemade plant-based, oil-free cheese that I post occasionally, it's kind of my favorite all around cheese, especially in things like sandwiches or tacos. I made a batch with a different flavor profile that would maybe be gorgonzola-esque. The cheese itself tastes more like a muenster, but I inoculated the outside with the smallest bit of Penicillium roqueforti and it's been patiently doing its thing until a couple of days ago when the blue really started to take off.

Fast forward to this morning, and the blue is nothing short of impressive. Also, no off smell like my last attempt. It's kind of like a gorgonzola muenster. I put half in the freezer and crumbled the other half. I sprinkled salt on both to attempt to halt the growth and promote safe aging. Excited for a lot of things here!

#plantbased #vegan #vegancheese #oilfree

Minestrone with spaghetti and tofu pepperoni 💚

Talk about pot-luck! I only had maybe ⅓-½ serving of spaghetti left, so I cut it up into spoonable noods. The tofu pepperoni worked, too. I have a lot of tofu 'meats' right now. Pepperoni and ham in the freezer, Italian cacciatore salami and old-fashioned dutch loaf in the fridge. I really liked the tofu meats, and I think they like me, too!

#plantbased #oilfree #vegan #minestrone #potluck #spaghetti

Creamy mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, spinach salad 💚

This plate has definite @chris_vege_95 vibes, right?! I think so. I didn't even realize that until I went to share it here and I thought 'whose plate is this anyway?' 🤗 Inception!

Potatoes and broccoli are a winning combo. When the broccoli stumps are in play, I prefer steamed broccoli. They become oddly tough in the air fryer (even oil never saved those). The salad is the rest of the salad bar salad from the grocery store yesterday. Spinach, banana peppers, black olives, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), and red onions. No dressing, not because I'm cutting dressing, but because I just didn't feel like adding dressing. Who am I?????

Once we invent teleportation, I propose we all make mashed potatoes and have a mashed potato pot luck some day! 🥔🤎

#plantbased #oilfree #wfpb #wfpbno

Quick & creamy mashed potatoes 💚

It's been on my list to start jotting down ways to knock out some easy go-to pantry recipes. This was good. I'll probably add ½ tsp apple cider vinegar next time for a bit more complexity.

📌 RECIPE:
½ cup soy milk
1½ tsp lemon juice
1¼ cups water (reduce to 1 cup for thick mashed potatoes)
¼ tsp chicken-style bouillon powder
1 cup dry potato flakes (I use @bobsredmill brand)
Salt (I used a heaping ¼ tsp)
White pepper

In a small bowl, mix soy milk and lemon juice to curdle into a bit of a buttermilk. Bring water and bouillon to just a simmer mix in potato flakes and cover for a couple of minutes. Mix in 'buttermilk' and add salt and white pepper to taste.

#plantbased #potatoes #oilfree #vegan #easyrecipes

One-skillet spaghetti topped with tofu pepperoni, garlic bread, and spinach salad 💚

I'm reading that the magic ratio for one-pot pasta meals is 2:1, meaning 2 ounces of liquid for every ounce of pasta. I suppose that's about right from my recent cooking, though if you want to sauce it up, I think more liquid is in order.

This was an easy weeknight pasta. I added 16oz water and a 24oz can of pasta sauce to a skillet, brought it to just a simmer, then added 8oz dry spaghetti, covered and stirred pretty frequently at first, then less as it cooked. It took about 15-17 minutes to fully cook, I think the tomato sauce slowed it down.

While that was cooking, I put tofu pepperoni from the freezer into the air fryer on very low heat for a few minutes (no need to 'cook' them again).

And I grabbed a handful of basic salad ingredients from a salad bar earlier while I was out and about, so the salad literally took less than a minute at this point.

So I had extra time while the pasta was cooking, and I already knew I wanted a garlic bread today. I took some of the leftover Boursin-style bean spread and thinned it out (50/50 with water), used that as a spread, and added garlic salt because thinning the spread reduced the saltiness quite a bit (intentionally, so I could add the garlic salt and not have it be too salty!), air fried with the broil setting for a few minutes, and finished it with paprika and parsley. At a young age, my mom taught me how to make garlic bread out of dang near anything—Italian bread, French bread, sliced sandwich bread, and even hot dog buns. Happy to report it still holds up today.

Salad: spinach, pepitas, black olives, banana peppers, red onion, cucumbers

#plantbased #vegan #onepotmeal #onepot #oilfree

Mung bean frittata à la @ellielikes.cooking 💚

What a sight, this frittata. This fancy-pants breakfast took like 5 minutes to put together.. maybe 7. I'm just glad I have uses for all this vegan breakfast sausage I made. After all the tests, I was surprised to taste each variation and notice that though they were all slightly different, they were all decently good. So I did something very out of character for me and I mashed them all together by hand in a giant bowl and portioned out a ton of 8 ounce logs to store in the freezer.

Back to breakfast...

First, I put the broccoli back in the air fryer and set the timer for 4 mins. I reheated the kale, mushroom, and breakfast sausage frittata in the micro at 50% power for 2-3 mins. Country gravy at full power for 1 min. While the micro was running, I torched the tomato, cut off the torched part to eat, and stored the cold part back in a food hugger for later.

And, if you've never tried mung beans like this (frittata or omelette or scramble), I find that it certainly tastes like the bean more than an egg, but it's okay to appreciate the flavor of beans (it's just a little hurdle for my neurons to jump over at first bite)!

#plantbased #oilfree #fritatta #broccoli #tomatoes

Minestrone 💚💚💚

Funny story...

This minestrone soup is based on the recipe shared by @saucypotatomama. It's straightforward and super awesome. I made short work of the beans by cooking them in a crock pot. 8oz dry beans + 3½ cups water on high for several hours... there, now you know my secret bean recipe. I used a relative of the cranberry bean.. Borlotto Magnifico from @rancho_gordo.

Whoever names their beans is really great at it. I can picture a guidance counselor years ago saying to them: your scores in creativity, horticulture, and modern nomenclature are off the charts, have you considered a career in the emerging field of bean naming?

Anyway, I added the cooked beans to a dutch oven with softened veggies, tomatoes, tomato paste, and herbs. These no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes are such BIG chunks. They wouldn't pass for 'diced' in my kitchen in a million years; No, Chef! But, they are what they are. The tomato paste was a few tablespoons I didn't take the time to separate before I froze it, so I just dropped the whole thing in while I brought it all to a simmer.

I tasted a carrot & onion spoon first, mmm! Then as it started to simmer, I tried a bean and celery bite: yum! Finally I think it's about done so I go for one of those huge diced tomatoes, not really thinking about it, and I end up with a mouth FULL of thawed tomato paste 🤣 so now I gotta decide do I eat it or head over to the rubbish bin or what? I've got this full mouth of a little bit of soup and a whole lot of tomato paste and there's no way on this planet it's going back towards the pot of soup 😆😆😆

And that is the story of how I ate the most tomato paste at once in my entire life.

#plantbased #oilfree #tomatopaste #minestrone

Tofu misozuke blue cheese update 💚

I had a draft going for this but it was lost in cyberspace.

I've moved most of this particular tofu blue into the freezer for storage. You can see the growth around the ash really picked up the pace! That may be useful info moving forward. My fridge temperatures reset to about 8-10 degrees fahrenheit higher than I wanted, so it's been aging a little quickly. I've learned a lot in this trial, but certainly not perfect by any means.

The result is tangy, very creamy, and it just started giving off a fermentation byproduct aroma that I can only describe as the scent of sake. Next time I'll keep an eye on the temps a bit more closely, my theory is that temperature fluctuation caused the additional fermentation. It's got a blue cheese finish that lingers in the mouth. I took a chunk of it and mixed it with some things to make a fresh blue cheese dressing. I'll report back on that after it has time to meld.

#plantbased #oilfree #craigstestkitchen

Diner plate 🍽️

Well, not an actual diner, but it has diner plate vibes. Or maybe this is Craig's Diner. Or Craig's Cafe. Or maybe just Chez Dugas 😊

Jasmine rice
Navy bean country gravy
Leeks
Carrots
Plant-based breakfast sausage
Pinch of crushed red pepper and black pepper

This was just ok, I thought the leeks would tie things together more but they just kinda did their own thing. I only lightly dry sauteed them. I think all those strong fresh onions I've been eating with Greek foods may have altered my allium expectations.

I didn't intend to be so reckless with those carrot shreds, that's just what happens when I shred directly over the plate. At least most of them hit the plate! 😆

#plantbased #oilfree

Happy Mother's Day to all you amazing moms 💚

I had some very simple leftover falafel. It's just a lightly crumbled patty on torn pita with white onion, tzatziki sauce, and a mound of sprouts.

We got food from my wife's fav Mexican restaurant for dinner, which I nearly ruined for everyone by trying a new dish that ended up being maybe the oiliest dish I've ever seen. I'm even comparing it to those restaurants that serve a bowl of olive oil to your table with bread as a starter 😆 anyway, it caught me off guard and I kept ranting about it until I realized I was driving everyone crazy and at some point I was only ranting to myself, lol) and then I took my own advice and got over it and tossed some leftovers together. It's no use getting caught up in things like that 🧘 overall: great day! ☺️

#plantbased #oilfree

A sandwich 💚

It's not my number one choice of bread, but this sandwich hit all the right spots 😋 Like so many foods, I enjoyed this sandwich after the flavors meld for a few hours. I wrap in wax paper so it doesn't get soggy. This is how we got them from the local market when I was a youngin'!

Iceberg lettuce
Tomato
Old-Fashioned Dutch Loaf Tofu
Garlic BBQ pickles
Hot cherry peppers
White onion
And a bit of homemade plant-based oil-free mayo (added soon before enjoying)

I was concerned for a long while that foods like sandwiches would just be a slippery slope back into old eating habits, but they haven't ruined my momentum. I go in waves and enjoy stuff like this sometimes 😊

#plantbased #oilfree

Sunday brunch (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

- Broccoli (air fried)
- Corn (white and yellow)
- Navy bean country gravy
- Biscuit
- Breakfast sausage (crumbled)
- Chives

I made biscuits this morning. I don't crave them quite like I used to, but I do like the option. The first attempt was pretty bad, but the second attempt was pretty good! I've had this idea floating around in my head to replace all the butter/shortening/milk/or cream in biscuits with a bit of almond blended into something. I decided to use soy milk and lemon juice to make something like buttermilk.

I'm pretty happy with the Jimmy Dean-style sausage seasoning I've got going on, and the base is inspired by PlantStrong/Engine 2: two types of beans, oats, extra brown rice, and my own addition of a small handful of walnuts. Last time I made 'sausage' it was a bit of an epic failure, and @alisaeatsplants pointed out that the base from the Epic Brats may be a possible good starting point, to which I am very thankful!

Lots of beans and grains, and some veggies I haven't had recently 😋

#plantbased #oilfree #sundaybrunch

First time seeing the Northern Lights 💜💚

Tofu misozuke blue cheese update!

** A quick primer if you've never had or made tofu misozuke. I'm no expert, but I have a pretty good understanding:

- in its simplest form, coat tofu in miso paste and ferment in a sealed container, draining and flipping every 5 days or so.
- wrap in cheesecloth to remove the miso easily
- optionally salt or include a sake soak, I did neither (some places say you must use sake, I assure you that's not the case)

I inoculated the tofu in Penicillium roqueforti by coating the outside of the tofu in P. roqueforti diluted in distilled water before I wrapped it in cheesecloth. The bacteria needs oxygen, so I wasn't sure if it would work. I also wasn't sure if the miso would compete with it or not...

What ended up happening is the places where the miso wasn't really well covered, the P. roqueforti made it's way to the surface for air and flourished... 99.9% OUTSIDE the cheesecloth 😆 in the second photo, there's the cheesecloth with miso on top and the tofu on the bottom.

But, this was all a test, and because I inoculated the tofu directly, what I have is a creamy block of tofu misozuke that's got a definite hint of blue cheese flavor. It's quite interesting and I'm happy with this test. In photo 3, you can see I took some of the bloomed blue and speckled it on the creamy tofu. Now I'm not going to seal it fully and let the air flow in the cheese fridge and see if we can grow something more significant!

If you're curious about the texture after 12 days, that's the last video. Ignore the ash in that block that cuts through the middle, it's purely cosmetic.

#plantbased #oilfree #tofumisozuke #craigstestkitchen

Spaghettis magiques 💚

'Merci' to @chris_vege_95 for sharing a wonderfully simple recipe for satisfying & delicious magic cream sauce to accompany this spaghetti. I added leeks, garlic, and a few dried porcini mushrooms. It's topped with scallions. Such a wonderful, bright, and light pasta dish. I ate this along with my yummy kale, mushroom, and garlic aka The Mighty KMG! 😋☺️

Special guest appearance from our Feisty cat at the end 😻

#plantbased #plantbasedcommunity #oilfree

Falafels, pita, carrots, white onion, a big ol' pile of sprouts, and tzatziki sauce 💚

Figured I'd try carrots with falafel today. A great pairing 🙏😋

Honestly, I love every part of this, but the falafel and tzatziki are the stars of the show here, though the supporting accoutrements take it from good to great!

#plantbased #oilfree #falafels #saucetzatziki

Italian cacciatore salami tofu 💚

I've had some sandwich hankerings lately, so I'm on a kick to create new fillings. This has definite charcuterie vibes tho.

I met up with my most favorite local plant-based friend today who gifted us a bag of unbelievable homemade 'chocolate bombs'. They're wonderfully indulgent, and she says there are black beans in there but after tasting I'm not convinced, they're sooooo good 😆😋

It's really great being able to chat about food and family and the ups-and-downs of the world sometimes. And the state of vegan cheeses locally and abroad. And then there are the little things I wonder about, like how to make plant-based eating more accessible for people that, gasp, don't make some of their own food. Anyway, a great chat with lots of food for thought as well as actual food (chocolate bombs)—yay!

#plantbased #oilfree #plantbasedcommunity #tofumeats

Rice & beans, run through the garden, sauced up 💚

The idea of running my plate through the garden came from a local Mexican-American restaurant that closed its doors probably 15 years ago. They would always ask if you'd like your plate run through the garden, and I would always say heck yes!

To me, it means taking chopped or shredded garden goods that compliment your meal and running it through your plate. One of my favorite things about this is that no matter what types of food you eat, this generally applies (except obvious exclusions like cereal 😝).

You can run pea soup through the garden. You can run a TV Dinner through the garden if you want. And it's a natural building block for those relearning how to eat more vegetables 🙋, and it's great for expert veggie eaters as well.

This garden has:
Iceberg lettuce
Cilantro
White onion

For sauces I added a chipotle ranch and secret aardvark serrabanero sauce which is one of my new favorite things.

#plantbased #mexicanfood #runyourplatethroughthegarden #oilfree

Falafel, sprouts, tomatoes, cucumber, white onion, pita & tzatziki sauce 💚

A nice big lunchtime view that's typically fields and distant mountains with forest and sky, but today filled with snow and more snow.

I 💚 weather!

#plantbased #oilfree #snowyview

Radishes, carrots, and green goddess dressing 💚

I use the radish tails as handles when I can.

#plantbased #oilfree

I've been experimenting with vegan cheesemaking for a long time. It's a hobby of mine that exercises my strength in patience and failure. For a while, I'm pretty sure I was known as "that guy with a vegan cheese fridge". 😝 With the way I enjoy food these days, this is almost purely for fun now, but I won't complain if it comes out great.

I was excited this morning to find a beautiful blue on this tofu block that I started a couple of weeks ago.

The core is simply firm tofu with a thin coating of Penicillium roqueforti (about ⅓ of a single drop, diluted), wrapped in cheesecloth, and coated in white miso while it ages. The idea is to create an environment rich in good bacteria (miso) that will also allow Penicillium roqueforti inoculation to occur and thrive.

This is mixing the most basic 'tofu misozuke' method with a very basic 'growing blue cheese mold' method. If I end up with a blue cheese flavored tofu misozuke, well, that would be awesome! 😋

#plantbased #oilfree #vegancheese

Breakfast for Dinner (BFD 😆) 💚

Tofu scramble à la Dugas
Toast
The Mighty KMG!
Hash browns with a few onions sprinkled in.

On the rare occasion I have typical breakfast food for dinner, those are the days that I really just want exactly that. ☺️

#plantbased #oilfree #breakfast #breakfastfordinner

The last of my Philly-style Helper 💚

Note to self: resist the urge to make back-to-back Helpers. They're just too similar so it feels like you're eating the same meal over and over and over. I'm glad this was tasty. And dang if it's not one of the prettier pasta plates I've made in a while. But yeah, imma take a lil Helper break ☺️

#plantbased #oilfree #nothamburgerhelper #tofuhelper

Sprouts and French herb Boursin-style bean-cashew spread on garlic sourdough 💚

I'm on a roll today. Woooooooo! 💥 Gotta appreciate that foodie momentum when it's there!!

I've decided anything I make that even remotely resembles a cheese is getting it's own short name because I'm wearing out my digital keyboard 😆

#plantbased #sprouts #sproutylicious #sourdough #legumes #nuts #herbs #oilfree

Radishes, carrots, and cucumbers with green goddess dressing 💚

Simple, refreshing, energizing... what's not to love?!

#plantbased #oilfree #veggies

Fruit pint 💚

Ever since I started cutting up fresh fruit and chilling it in pint portions (1 big apple + 1 big orange = 2 pints), our teen has been stealing my chilled fruit!! And that's about as much incentive as I could ask for to keep prepping and eating more fruit. 🤗

Aside from rice and pasta, we don't have much crossover in home prepared foods, so this is great. I always make 2 pints at a time, and I keep making a new batch as soon as we finish the previous one. 🙌

#plantbased #oilfree

Tzatziki 💚

This sauce is largely based on the recipe by @healthyveganeating that was recommended by @plant.eating.angie. I put my dip and dressing experience to good use and dialed back the cashews and brought in some soy milk. The soy milk combined with the lemon juice and vinegar curdles and thickens to produce a complex creamy addition. This happens every time, and I love having that knowledge in my plant-based toolbelt. The rest is pretty much the same as Javant's recipe except English cucumbers are like 5x more expensive here so I just used a regular cucumber 🥒 😋

Tzatziki Sauce:

½ cup raw cashews
¼ cup cucumber juice from straining the grated cucumber below (mine only had ¼ cup juice)
½ cup soy milk
1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic
⅛ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt, or to taste
1 cucumber grated and strained
2 tbsp fresh dill chopped (or 2-3 tsp dry)

Grate, then strain cucumber using your preferred method (I used a nut milk bag), reserving cucumber juice. Set wrung out cucumber shreds aside to stir in at the end. Combine cashews, cucumber juice, soy milk, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar to soak for at least 20-30 minutes to soften the cashews. I soaked for about an hour while I made falafel.

Blend soaked mixture with garlic & black pepper and then salt to taste. Stir in grated cucumber and chopped dill.

#plantbased #oilfree #tzatziki

Falafel 🧆💚

This recipe is based on the recipe shared by Refika's Kitchen on her YouTube channel. I used less salt to taste (yes, I tasted it with the raw mix and spit the chalky mess out to figure out how salty was salty enough 😝). I used regular paprika instead of hot paprika, and I pre-processed sesame seeds to release more flavor. I made this without oil and changed the cooking method to a covered skillet with extra time. I couldn't believe how well these came out. I thought they would be a bit dry or crumbly, but they are firm & fluffy (the baking powder helps make them fluffy).

This makes between 12-16 patties depending on the diameter.

📌 FALAFEL RECIPE

Ingredients:
2 tbsp sesame seeds
8 oz dried chickpeas (1 heaping cup), soaked in water 20-24 hours
1 small onion (120 g), roughly chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
12 sprigs of coriander
10 sprigs of parsley
6 sprigs of dill
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
⅛ tsp cinnamon
⅛ tsp clove powder
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder (with no sodium if available)

- Drain and rinse soaked chickpeas.
- Process sesame seeds in a food processor for 20-30 seconds, remove, then add chickpeas and ground sesame seeds back on top along with other ingredients.
- Pulse/process and scrape until mixture is finely textured, about 2-3 minutes total.
- Refrigerate mixture for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium/medium-low heat.
- Form mixture into tightly packed patties, about ½-to-¾ inches thick.
- Cook patties covered for 4 minutes, flip, press lightly to flatten, and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack and cook in batches.

Notes:
- Wet hands or use kitchen gloves for forming patties.
- Use a thin spatula for flipping.
- Chickpeas cooked this way will be firmer and taste different than boiled chickpeas, but they should not taste chalky or raw. Just cook longer, covered on low heat if they're too thick or not fully cooked (this only happened to me when I made them over ¾-inch thick).

#plantbased #oilfree #falafel

Falafel, Mexican rice, cucumbers, tomatoes, white onions, sprouts, tzatziki sauce with a pinch of extra dill (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

I'll post my falafel recipe soon! If you want a sneak peak it's largely based on the falafel recipe by Refika's Kitchen on YouTube. Just getting it scrunched down so it's not so wordy. It's definitely a full evening or better yet a weekend food to prepare, but it tastes great and freezes so incredibly well it's worth it!

I'm finding it interesting how certain Mexican foods go with Mediterranean foods. I normally would've opted for plain or simple rice with this dish, but I'll prefer already made leftovers whenever possible. The tomato and cumin in this rice compliment the falafel and chopped veggies. I also made a more proper tzatziki sauce based on the @healthyveganeating recipe recommended by @plant.eating.angie. I put my dip and dressing experiences to good use and adjusted the recipe to use added soy milk and fewer cashews. I'll post that tzatziki recipe as well!

#plantbased #mediterraneanfood #mexicanfood #oilfree

Plant-based, oil-free Mexican plate! 💚

The black beans came from my batch cooked stash in the freezer. I fetched the corn from the freezer as well. Oh, I also had some scratch refried beans in the freezer... hooray for frozen stuff!

Refried beans
Mexican rice
Iceberg lettuce
Hothouse tomatoes
White onion
Diced pickled jalapeños
Black beans
Corn
Corn tortillas turned into tortilla chips in the microwave
Chipotle ranch dressing

#plantbased #oilfree #cincodemayo #mexicanfood

Un móctel para Cinco de Mayo !

Here's a fun mocktail I made! I used regular sugar instead of my typical maple syrup thinking the fam might want some and they're not the biggest fans of 'real' maple syrup. Also, if I used maple syrup I would've just muddled a bit of cilantro in the fizzy water to simplify this.

** Cilantro simple syrup
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Chopped stems of 1 bunch cilantro
Simmered on low 4-5 mins and strained, stems discarded.

** Cilantro Lime Grapefruit Mocktail con Jalapeño
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp fresh grapefruit juice
1½ tbsp cilantro simple syrup
A few ounces of fizzy water
Mix together and pour over ice, garnish with fresh jalapeño slices 😋

#plantbased #oilfree #funfizzydrink #mocktail

Plant-based breakfast muffin with the easiest tofu eggs on earth 💚

I like a breakfast-themed sandwich like this occasionally. I don't crave it daily, but every once in a while it's something I enjoy for sure. With Green Forest Ham (tofu ham) in the freezer, and homemade smoked plant-based canyon cheddar cheese in its little wax paper blanket in the fridge, all I really need to do is make a health-promoting egg...

Cut a few slabs of firm tofu, dust one side with tofu scramble seasoning, air fry on parchment paper at 275F 15 mins, flip, dust the other side with scramble seasoning and cook 5 more mins. I also put the frozen 'ham' in there when I start so it's ready when the 'eggs' are.

#plantbased #oilfree #veganbrekkie

Green goddess bowl 💚

Jasmine rice
Sprouts mix
Scallions
Charred tomatoes
Cucumbers
Avocado (a wee bit)
Carrots
Green goddess dressing
Finished with fresh dill

This is like the Pokelicious bowls I made before, but with homemade green goddess dressing. I wanted to make some pickled red onions to go with it, but my red onion was very questionable so I opted to not use it. Instead, I added scallions and fresh dill.

I like the carrots in this dish because they remind me to stop and chew a bit more, and also they're kind of aesthetically pleasing. Next time: I'll add pickled red onions if I can and maybe crunchy fresh onions as well. They really punch up a dish!

#plantbased #oilfree #greengoddessbowl

Philly-style Helper 💚

What's Helper?
I doubt "Helper"-branded products reach far outside North America. They just sound soooo American ☺️ It's simply a product that brings seasonings, pasta, and meat together in a creamy sauce, cooked in one pot. They're known for being simple, satisfying, and generally universally enjoyable (that's my observation, at least).

Philly-Style!
I'm often drawn to the flavors of onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms. Historically, I think of them as Philly-style, because given the choice I would ALWAYS opt for these accoutrements with a Philly cheesesteak. A couple of recent recipes, namely plant-based Hamburger Helper & Tofu Gyro Meat, got me thinking about a Philly-style helper: thick shaved tofu, air fried while the veggies, sauce, and pasta cook, brought together with some pepper and cornstarch to thicken it up.

A thin, lower-heat, seasoned tofu like this takes on the mouthfeel of a tender meat. I made it just like the @itdoesnttastelikechicken tofu hamburger (or "hamburg" as we used to call it in Maine), but with a different cut (see photos). I cook it at 300F in the air fryer for 20 mins, flipping halfway through, then I turn the air fryer to dehydrate until the pasta is al dente before mixing it in. This dense tofu holds up better than one might think.

I made some notes for next time. I added too much pasta because I was in autopilot and used half the 16 oz. box instead of measuring it 6oz. I can easily double the veggies used, too 🧅🫑🍄x2! The real question is: how will this taste as leftovers! Stay tuned 📺

#plantbased #oilfree #phillypasta

Falafel, rice, spoon salad, hummus, pita, green goddess dressing... And flax & walnut butter bread because I'm pretty in-tune with my hunger cues nowadays and a wonky schedule left me huuuungry by the time I made this 😋

Little tweaks keep my leftovers from becoming boring sometimes.

For this plate, I added sumac to the hummus, I added some green goddess dressing, and I made a little 'spoon salad' (kaşık salatası) out of various complimentary veggies and herbs: petite diced tomatoes, white onion, cucumbers, green pepper, fresh dill, black pepper, salt, and lemon juice.

#plantbased #oilfree

Made-up Korean tofu & noodles 💚

A few toasted cashew pieces
A little tofu air fried at 300°F for 20 mins with @trybachans Japanese BBQ sauce
Rice noodles
Gochugaru blended with water & soy sauce
Peeled carrot
Scallions
Parsley
Umm
Some homemade chili crunch topping (gochugaru, onion, garlic, water: dehydrated)
Oh, and I mixed in some white miso to season

I started the tofu first, and got everything else prepped while it was air frying. I had already made the gochugaru blends.

#plantbased #oilfree #ricenoods #koreanfood

It's a real fiesta Mexicana over here!! 💚

How I made it easier: homemade frozen tamal, precooked frozen pinto beans, frozen corn, batch precooked rice! While reheating those, I chopped veggies to run this through the garden: tomatoes, lettuce, white onion, avocado. Topped with homemade chipotle ranch, a little salsa, and parsley because PARSLEY! 🌿

My gut microbiota is going to have a fiesta with this, too 🪇

#plantbased #tamales #gutmicrobiota #oilfree

Potato vegetable chowder & spelt sourdough focaccia 💚

Peppered up! What an awesome, filling-but-not-heavy meal this is. Also, this oil-free focaccia is really starting to grow on me.

#plantbased #oilfree #focaccia #potatoes #vegetables #chowder #chowda #chowdah

Sprouts and spread on garlic sourdough 💚

I love a fresh batch of sprouts!

#plantbased #sprouts #sourdough #beans #oilfree

Pizza and ice cream for breakfast (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

I must've woken up with amnesia today because who is this guy deciding to eat pizza and ice cream for breakfast? I don't think I've ever had pizza and ice cream for breakfast in my entire life.

It's a frozen slice of leftover pizza from a while back made with homemade plant-based cheese & pizza sauce, corn, red onions, and walnut sausage crumbles.

The ice cream is the recent slow-churned chia-oat small batch, and aside from being light on the sweetness, it's kind of my new favorite thing. It's got hints of a brownie batter flavor profile.

Anyway, that happened!

#plantbased #pizza #icecream #oilfree #eatingadventures

Tamal & avocado rice run through the garden 💚

Homemade tamal from the freezer (they freeze so well!), plain jasmine rice mixed with a bit of surface avocado that wasn't brown but wasn't really bright either, and a garden of iceberg lettuce, white onions, fire roasted hothouse tomato, a pinch of parsley, and a splash of salsa. 😋

#plantbased #oilfree #latinamericanfood

Fruit, there it is! 💚

Apples & oranges. Chilled, because yum! Many of my food preferences are rooted in influences from my parents. Like, the taste for really cold things comes from my dad. Even to this day, if I have something really chocolatey, I'll follow it with cold almond milk poured over ice just to make it even colder. 🧊🥛😋

#plantbased #oilfree #applesandoranges

Shoop's on! I mean, Soup's on! 💚

I made two batches of soup in the past two days, and perfect timing (see the last photo!). Weather is the best, all kinds of it, but snow tops the charts!!

Photo 1—Reheated potato vegetable chowder, right off the stovetop. Spelt sourdough focaccia on the side.
Photo 2—Peppered up!!!
Photo 3—Me reheating a tiny bit more to eat. Sooo creamy!
Photo 4—You'd better believe I tore up that focaccia and submerged it like dumplings! Who doesn't love a good dumpling?! 😋😋😋
Photo 5—Weather ❄️

#plantbased #soup #soupson #oilfree

Potato vegetable chowder 💚

This is based on the chowder ("creamy vegetable soup" by @dishingouthealth) that @blue_collard_dude recommended a while back. I haven't had it in a while and it's been wonderfully overcast and chilly and rainy here the past few days so I thought this really stellar soup might be fun before the warm weather really kicks in and melts me into a puddle 🫠

I made it almost exactly like I did before, with ¾ tsp dry thyme, 4 tsp homemade plant-based low-salt chicken-style bouillon powder (ya know, HPBLSCSBP for short), frozen mixed veg, frozen potatoes O'Brien, ⅔ cup cashews + ⅓ cup white beans blended, and this time I added a heaping cup of frozen cooked pinto beans instead of chickpeas. Actually, I've never made this with chickpeas like the original calls for. I'm sure it's very good, but those chickpeas can be SUCH flavor attention hogs in dishes like this so I keep opting for milder creamy beans. Also, I've eaten a bonkers amount of chickpeas in the past few days.. one more serving and I'm gonna have to go by @craigschickpeatable.

Anyway, this soup is great and if you haven't tried it yet then that's on YOU! It's one of those dishes that's like ok, ok, ok, la, la, la, and then you pour in the creamy mix about 10 minutes before it's done and all the aromas suddenly bind together and hit you all at once. It's awesome.

#plantbased #chowder #chowda #potatochowder #potatovegetablechowder #oilfree

Salt & vinegar fries and ketchup 💚

I still occasionally eat typically salty things, but not nearly as much as I used to. For most of my life I thought it was all-or-nothing with salt, and going 'salt-free' was so incredibly difficult for me. No matter what I tried I never lasted beyond a couple of days. So instead, I shifted my focus to expanding my range of salt enjoyment, which, for me at least, has worked better than I ever imagined.

On foods like this, I often enjoy just a small amount of surface salt. Even here, there's probably about 125mg added sodium on top. I've learned to trust my tastes, so I don't precalculate that kinda stuff anymore. It's liberating. I have developed this sense of what it feels like to have eaten too much sodium. Like in the movie Taken, Liam Neeson's particular set of skills includes combat, weapons handling, surveillance, and intelligence gathering. I know when I've eaten too much salt. We're all good at something!

These could've used more vinegar, but I didn't want to overdo it. Really I just wanted a big plate of what I affectionately call 'fries that were once crispy' and these were just great.

#plantbased #oilfree #dairyfree #glutenfree #guiltfree #grainfree #nutfree #soyfree #additivefree #preservativefree #junkfree #cornfree #meatfree #eggfree #transfatfree #cholesterolfree #hormonefree #shellfishfree #crueltyfree #citrusfree #anchovyfree #lardfree #caffeinefree #quinoafree #dinosaurfree

All aboard the MediTRAINean, choo choooooooo 🚂💚

Since this is my first time making the gyro tofu like this, I can definitely say that the flavor and texture the next day is even BETTER. It's got that harmonious flavor profile and tougher bite. Ohh myyy 😋

Here's another favorite thing about Mediterranean food like this—I love that I can weather my plate in a storm of dried dill and parsley, and it plays well with the rice, greens (sprouts), tomatoes, and onions. I chopped the sprouts so they were a bit easier to manage with the rest. The sauce is simply @mcdougallmom ranch with added dill and parsley—I didn't hold back on the dill and parsley!

This was a quick reheat.. I sliced the onion and sprouts, microwaved the cooked rice for a minute or so, added the gyro 'meat', microwaved for another 45 seconds or so, and I torched the tomato while they were in the micro, and then plated it up, followed by a good dusting of that dill and parsley because I was in the mood for GREEN!

#plantbased #craigsgreentable #oilfree #vegan #mediterraneanfood

Oil-free, plant-based falafel, jasmine rice, sprouts, hummus, onions, ranch, dill, hot sauce. 💚

I'm a big fan of onion as a topping, be it green onions, white onions, red onions, pickled red onions, or dry minced onions. As a topping like this, the common (and less expensive 🤦) Spanish/yellow onion doesn't do it for me, it's the combination of it's pungency and softer texture.

I'm going to write down how I made this falafel because I'm definitely making it again. It's pretty great. The main method is based on a charming Turkish YouTuber, Refika's Kitchen.

#plantbased #eatgreatathome #oilfree

ALL the plant-based gyro 'meat'! 💚

I saved just enough soy curl gyro meat to do a literal side-by-side with the tofu gyro meat! Tofu on the left, soy curls on the right. These are the things I do 😆

You know what, on a warm pita with some white onion and dill dip, this is just heavenly. The soy curls have a more meat-like texture because they're texturized that way, but to be real I'm interested in the whole package, not just one little part—that said, both halves of this were awesome!!

I'm glad to have the option to make this either way 😋

#plantbased #mediterraneanfood #eatmorebeans #beanssatisfy #oilfree

Mediterranean plate 💚

First of all, I hope you are having an amazingly wonderful weekend 🤗 Any moment I'm up for feeling positivity, I let it in. One doesn't always get that opportunity, so carpe diem, baby!

I'm so super excited about Mediterranean food right now. Well, I'm always up for hummus or hommus or hoummous or however they spell it in your neck of the woods, but I decided to make homemade oil-free falafel and omgosh I can't wait to make some more already.

I also made skinless chickpea hummus à la @chris_vege_95. It's so smooth and so far seems easier to digest. While the falafels were cooking, I made a little Turkish-style spoon salad (kaşık salatası). But, I put it on sprouts, so maybe that makes it a Turkish fork salad (çatal salatası). And while I was making these, the tofu gyro 'meat' was slow cooking in the oven. I staggered all of this, so I was in and out of the kitchen within just a couple of hours—a pleasant surprise considering all the various foodstuffs I was making 😋

#plantbased #mediterraneanfood #oilfree

Tofu gyro 'meat' 💚

Soy curls have that meaty texture, sure, but if we can make German-style tofu ham and NY-style tofu pastrami and so on, what's stopping us from making tofu gyro meat? Nothin', that's what!!

I like variety and versatility. This is the same seasoning I made before, though this time I used my makeshift mortar & pestle (bowl and glass) to crush it down. I also shredded the fresh onion and garlic to make it finer. My poor eyes 🥹 The tofu is thick-shaved at various angles and well seasoned on BOTH sides with the fresh alliums and then the gyro seasoning. I cooked it low and slow on parchment: 250°F for 30 mins and then 300°F for 40 mins. (70 mins total).

The reason I bumped up the temperature for the second half of the cook is that the tofu was pretty pale at 30 mins. The Maillard reaction doesn't occur at 250°F (it kicks in at 280-330°F, roughly), and I wanted it to brown just a little.

📌 RECIPE:

** Gyro Seasoning Blend
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried marjoram
½ tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp sea salt (plus more to taste, I think +⅛ tsp for me)

** Tofu Gyro 'Meat'
12 oz firm or extra-firm tofu
50g fresh white onion, minced or shredded
9g fresh garlic (3-ish cloves), minced or shredded
1 batch Gyro Seasoning Blend

Follow steps as listed above.

#plantbased #craigstestkitchen #glutenfree #tofurocks #oilfree

Gyro bowl 💚

I chopped up the spring greens, cucumbers, the sweet & tangy red peppers, red onions, and added steamed rice, briefly dry fried soy curl gyro meat, cucumber dill sauce, and a section of pita. Everything went back into the to-go container, might as well use that as much as possible!

I dry fry the gyro 'meat' in a skillet briefly to reheat, and to warm the pita, I like to set the pita on the 'meat' (so it's not touching the bottom of the skillet), add a splash of water to the pan, cover it, and steam it all for 15 seconds or so. The end result is warning and delish!

#plantbased #oilfree #gyrobowl

Gyro 💚

I'm considerate of my bread-to-filling ratio, and I always stuff in too much filling. These pita breads are huge, so the idea of half sounds good. On the one hand: veggies. On the other hand, wicked messy.

This was great. I swung by the new local grocery store with my kiddo earlier to pick up lunch and decided to visit the salad bar to get precut everything to stuff in a gyro. Fresh romaine lettuce, spring mix greens, cukes, red onion, those little sweet & tangy red pepper things, banana peppers, yum! I added my own cucumber dill sauce and soy curl gyro meat—both the same as yesterday, and mmmm MMMM! 🥙😋

#plantbased #gyro #mediterraneanmunchies #oilfree

Plant-based, oil-free hamburger helper, sprouts with hot sauce, and to drink: instant grits 💚

It's one of those days, and what a lovely day it is! 🤗

I love fresh sprouts in the first part of the day, and I love the simplicity of leftovers. I actually started with the grits, I picked them up a week or two ago after @saucypotatomama mentioned them as a good travel food. A box of ten packets was like $1.98.

I made a packet with extra water, a tablespoon of cashew powder, and cracked black pepper. Even though they're "instant" grits, they taste a lot better to me after 5-10 minutes. I love the aroma of corn, but the aroma of grits is next-level to me. So, so good.

#plantbased #leftovers #travelfood #grits #oilfree

Plant-based Mediterranean plate 💚

I made some soy curls gyro meat yesterday and the aroma alone was quite intoxicating 😊 Honestly, when putting the spice mixture together, it smelled way too overwhelmed with cumin, and I almost scrapped the whole spice batch. Thank goodness I didn't. I kept reminding myself of the superpowers of a long, slow cook and the fresh alliums I planned to add.

A lot of the time my soy curls cooking is very little hands-on time and much more slow cooking time. After an initial simmer, these were packed into a pile and cooked in the oven for about an hour at 250°F to bring those flavors together akin to traditional rotisserie-cooked gyro meat. I use fresh garlic and onion with the spices and seasonings to really emphasize those particular flavors—I feel that's really important for this dish.

The rest of the plate is mostly leftovers or veggies I already had on hand: Jasmine rice, chopped iceberg lettuce, red & white onion, hothouse tomato, cucumber, leftover cool veggie dip mixed with shredded cucumber and dill, and a warmed pita I picked up at the store today. This plate was a delight and I'm already looking forward to a few more similar meals!

#plantbased

Rosemary mashed potatoes and brown gravy 💚

Yummmmmm 😋

#plantbased #potatoes #pommesdeterre #poyaytoes #oilfree

A big ol' slice of sourdough with cracked black pepper bean-cashew spread and a pile of sprouts 💚

A personal favorite. It's a real treat for your insides!

#plantbased #sourdough #sprouts #beans #nuts #oilfree

Potatoes and beans with veggies 💚

A perfectly satisfying lunch ☺️

When I was making scalloped parsley potatoes and rosemary mashed potatoes, I tossed some cooked beans from the freezer into a pot with some water, then added diced carrot, kale, liquid smoke, and a couple of other spices into the pot and simmered it until all the flavors blended in harmony.

I like to experiment with dishes that evoke the essence of old world cooking. It may not be an exact match, but I picture long cook times over fire with available veggies, especially root veggies, cooked until tender and satisfying, and seasoned with what's available.

Now that virtually everything is available all the time and cooking is often a race against time, it's gotta be a conscious choice to _sometimes_ make foods outside pizza, pasta, burgers, sushi, uncrustables, etc. I enjoy plenty of convenience options, but I enjoy palate diversity even more.

For an old world touch, I sometimes add liquid smoke or brush my foods with a kitchen torch because I assume the flavors of bygone eras were often filled with cooking smoke. It may not be exactly the same, but I like to think someone a long time ago may have enjoyed a similar dish at some point!

#plantbased #enjoylife #embracecooking #oilfree

Parsley scalloped potatoes topped with cool veggie dip and French mix sprouts 💚

I guess I'm eating earthy things on Earth Day! A model earthling right here! 😜🌱

#plantbased #sproutylicious #potatoes #oilfree

Parsley scalloped potatoes (plant-based, oil-free—always) 💚

Bear with me, I think I've only handmade scalloped potatoes once in my life. I thought to use the same basic base as my grits recipe: water (1½ cups), almond milk (1 cup), cashews (¼ cup), and then pulse in 10 cranks of black pepper plus a little handful of parsley.

Next time I will likely add petite decided white onion. I think I'll also add white pepper and a half teaspoon of low-salt bouillon powder. And MAYBE a tablespoon of lemon juice ☺️ just jotting some notes down here. I served with black pepper, dry parsley (because the cooked parsley gets really earthy dark), and salt because I like a little salt with my potatoes!

#plantbased #potatoes #poyaytoes #antiinflammatoryeats #glutenfree #oilfree #i💚potatoes

Happy Earth Day 2024! 🌎💚

Just like our bodies, the Earth possesses a self-healing nature, but only if we give it the right environment. Certain disruptions or conditions can impair this natural process, but that's no reason to give up. Every action we take doesn't have to be perfect, far from it, but it's entirely reasonable to do much more good than harm in this world we share! 🤗

#plantbased #livelovelaugh #earthday #earthday2024

Un petit peu de tout. 💚

En bisschen von allem. 💚

Un poquito de todo. 💚

A little bit of everything. 💚

Red curry tofu, rice noods, blanched broc, sprouts, xtra seasoning.

Satisfying and delicious 😋 Happy Sunday! ☺️

#plantbased #antiinflammatoryeats #eatforyou #oilfree

Homemade Co-op 'Red Curry Tofu', sprouts, and Jasmine rice topped with scallions 💚

Our local co-op sells a red curry tofu in the deli that's scrumdiddlyumptious. I was able to find the recipe on a different Co-op's website years ago. I haven't made this recipe in about a year or two because it's wicked rich. You can tell I've made this a couple times from all the cooking stains 🧑‍🍳

📌 RECIPE ADJUSTMENTS
I didn't mark up the recipe, but I made this with just one 16oz block of tofu, ⅓ the spices, no oil, added 1 tbsp sesame seeds, used just 2 tbsp low sodium tamari, double veg, added water chestnuts, umm.. ohh and my homemade oil-free mayo (it's one I've been working on I haven't posted yet that's scratches all of my mayo itches 😂).

Possible changes:
Next time I'm going to bump up the spices to ½ and use about 2½ tbsp tamari. I roughly estimated about ⅓ cup of my homemade mayo, but I think I'll go to ½ cup, especially since I'm omitting the full amount of oil. I ended up baking this for 15 mins, flipping the cubes, and baking for 5 more minutes. The whole thing is supposed to chill, so I may chill myself and don't be surprised if I take back or change every thought I have now after I try it tomorrow 😊

#plantbased #craigstestkitchen #oilfree

Mediterranean plate: hummus with two sliced Kalamata olives, warm pita, cool cucumbers and the world's tiniest amount of parsley 💚

This company really knows how to sell an olive. Worked on me 😆. There was even more info on this card that you can only see after opening the package. They're good.. they taste fresher than the olive bar or jarred options.

#plantbased #mediterraneanfood #hummus #kalamata #cucumber #pita #vegan #oilfree

Another lunch bowl from the childhood classics collection 💚

I suppose I can see why we enjoyed this kinda stuff on repeat in the 80s & 90s 😋

#plantbased #homecooking #tomatoes #basil #pasta #oilfree

Green chili grits, fire-roasted tomatoes, mixed grain spelt sourdough English Muffin 💚

I'm so happy to have foundational foods that I can make rather quickly, this grits prep being one of them. This was yesterday's breakfast. I can now whip this up faster than oatmeal.

I use quick cooking hominy grits, not instant and not regular. If I learned one thing from the 1992 film My Cousin Vinny, it's that no self-respecting Southerner would ever cook instant grits. They didn't cover 'quick grits' in the movie, though they made it pretty clear that a grit should take 15-20 minutes to cook, unless they're magic grits. Maybe these are magic grits? Either way, just another reason I don't qualify as a self-respecting Southerner. Another, more significant reason is that I've only ever spent a handful of months in the South in my life. It's really hot there!! 😅

Anyway, I was kind of taken aback by the contrast on this plate. It was satisfying. It was delicious. But it was like eating modern art that I enjoy but I never really understand.

#plantbased #grits #tomatoes #sourdough #oilfree

Chile Colorado, Mexican rice, iceberg lettuce, red onion, scallion, avocado slice... tan deliciosa... un plato favorito! 💚

This would be similarly good with simple rice as well, but I am a big fan of seasoned, toasted Mexican rice and it adds more spices and tomato to my plate so that's a win in my book.

I first dry toasted the rice. After that, to my 1½ dry cup batch (which is the smallest my rice cooker can hold), I added a couple teaspoons of granulated onion, a couple teaspoons of granulated garlic, a teaspoon of ground cumin, a tablespoon or two of plant-based low-salt chicken-style bouillon powder, a couple tablespoons of tomato paste, and a pinch of regular oregano (not Mexican oregano like in the Chile Colorado). I wish they'd give these oreganos different names... they can differ so much in flavor.

I used to eat Chile Colorado from a local restaurant in a big flour tortilla, but my taste for those, while not gone, is not what it used to be. I'd rather have it with rice! 😊

#plantbased #plantplate #veganmexicanfood #oilfree

Nostalgic nosh bowl 💚

This may be inspired by spaghettios, but I'm pretty sure that it tastes better than they ever did. I preferred the canned spaghetti from the now defunct company 'Franco-American' anyway. I keep adding scallions, and I like them, but wonder if that's just a bit over the top. En toute simplicité, right?!

#plantbased #pastatomatosoup #oilfree

Blended decaf iced mochaccino 💚

This baby brings me back!

Honestly, the line between chocolate milk, milkshake, and gourmet coffee can be very blurry to me. Every so often I have a hankerin' for something like.. Ovaltine. This is like a fancy version of that.

It's thick and rich and chocolatey and not overly sweet. Lucuma and maca are nontraditional ingredients in my neck of the woods, but they provide a natural caramel and malt flavor that's unbelievably good, especially when combined with dates.

📌 RECIPE:
Blend—
8 oz unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp chia seeds
3 tbsp traditional oats
2 tsp lucuma powder
2 tsp maca powder
1 tbsp regular cocoa powder
¼ tsp vanilla extract
2 medjool dates, briefly soaked in hot water, pits removed
1 tsp decaf instant coffee (or regular or whatever. I use this huge glass jar of Kroger decaf instant coffee crystals that I will probably pass on to my child some day 😆)
4 ice cubes (mine are about 2 tbsp in size, you can kinda see them in the photo)

Serve chilled over 5 more ice cubes!

If I ever made an amazing plant-based cookbook, this would be in there 😋

#plantbased #chocolatey #mochaccino #vegan #oilfree

Chile Colorado (mild) 💚

For an easier, printable format, you can find the recipe at craigsgreentable.com/recipes/chile-colorado

📌RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS
*** Simple Savory Soy Curls
1 ⅓ cup water (11 oz)
¼ tsp celery salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
4 oz Soy Curls
¼ medium white onion, shredded or petite diced (another ¼ for the sauce, ½ onion total)

*** Chile Colorado Red Sauce
4 cups water
12 New Mexico chiles (de-seeded and de-stemmed—use guajillo for more heat)
¼ medium white onion
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin
¼+⅛ tsp granulated garlic
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
⅓ large tomato, grated or 1 Roma tomato
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp Mexican oregano (plus more to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS
*** Soy Curls
1) Simmer water, celery salt, black pepper. Add soy curls, cook until dry. Dry sauté with onions until lightly browned.
2) Optionally, bake at 225°F or continue sautéing on very low heat to concentrate flavor.
3) Optionally, deglaze the skillet with a bit of water before adding red sauce

*** Red Sauce
1) Rinse chiles. Simmer in a saucepan with ¼ onion and garlic cloves in 4 cups water until soft.
2) Blend with half the broth and cumin, granulated garlic, pepper, and salt until smooth like tomato sauce. Adjust consistency with remaining broth or water.
3) Optionally, strain through a fine mesh strainer for a smoother sauce.

*** Chile Colorado
1) Combine red sauce, Mexican oregano, tomato, and tomato paste with soy curls. Cover, simmer very lightly 5-15 mins.
2) Season with salt and Mexican oregano to taste.

*** To Reheat
1) Add water, stir on medium until creamy.

#plantbased #vegan #chilecolorado #glutenfree #oilfree

Leftover tofu scramble, quick fire-roasted tomato and pita, and the Mighty KMG 💚

This lovely plate came together quite quickly. I first used the torch to prep the tomato and pita, about a little over a minute on the tomato and 20-30 seconds on the pita.

I then split the skillet between the leftover scramble on one side, with a splash of reheating water, and a handful of frozen chopped kale & mushrooms on the other. Stir one, stir the other, repeat. After about two minutes, I added a scoop of jarred garlic and cooked about one more minute until the scramble was creamy and the KMG was lightly sauteed.

Bonus: some of the kale bits got in the scramble, which I find aesthetically enjoyable. Oh, and I white peppered the scramble just before eating with the tiniest pinch of salt, too. It doesn't take much, if any additional salt sometimes—it's already salted with the kala namak. Power food to start the day! 😋😊

Oh, I'll be posting the Chile Colorado recipe soon. There are a few steps and I wanted to make sure it reads clearly. I'm still enjoying those leftovers!

#plantbased #tofuscramble #themightykmg #fireroasted #oilfree

Rosemary & black pepper fries with mayup (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

I'm pretty happy with the 'fries that were once crispy' method now. I still tweak it a little here and there, but the general method is this:

1 serving frozen (parboiled) fries, about a pound
1 tbsp + 2 tsp water
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp dry rosemary, crushed a bit
¾ tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Preheat air fryer and air fry 20 minutes at 400F shaking halfway through cooking. Put cooked fries in a steel mixing bowl, add liquids and toss. Add seasoning and toss. Cover with a plate or plastic wrap for a couple of minutes to steam. Crush em a little bit for texture and plate. If I'm using a dipping sauce, I tend to skip salting. If I'm eating them by themselves, then I'll salt at serving time.

The mayup is just 50/50 homemade plant-based oil-free mayo and ketchup. 🤍❤️

I love the simple, straightforward flavors of rosemary and black pepper. So warming and delicious 😋

#plantbased #potatoes #poyaytoes #fries #chips #satisfyinganddelicious #oilfree

Combinación № 67c 💚

1 tamal ('tamale')
Chile Colorado
Ensalada Mexicana
Arroz Mexicana

Ok, I totally made up that combination number because the local favored Mexican restaurant has like a hundred combinations on their menu. 🇲🇽

This is from the steamed tamales I knocked out yesterday. Absolutely one of my favorite foods ever that I've only made like once before. There's just something about that sorta fluffy, sorta dense texture and heavenly corn aroma. I used the same #soycurls filling that I topped the waffle pieces with yesterday, and now even though I have 5 more of these I want to make a dozen for the freezer 😋

To reheat the Chile Colorado, I added 2-3 tablespoons of water to it in a saucepan and it's mmmm MMMM good. This isn't nearly as salty or heavy as the restaurant stuff yet I love it nonetheless. I still need to digitize the recipes.

#plantbased #mexicanfood #chilecolorado #tamales #oilfree

Bread and coffee for breakfast 💚

#plantbased #baguette #coffee #oilfree

Tamale waffles 💚

This is another gorgeous @forksoverknives recipe by Darshana Thacker, BUT I went off-recipe because I like intuitive cooking sometimes.

I love the idea of tamale waffles, but there is one major difference in texture, and it is that tamales are usually very soft and melt-in-your-mouth, but in waffle form they have the same taste but are MUCH drier and a bit crunchy. You can see the inside of only of the 'squares' in the second to last photo.

The other gotcha that I hadn't thought about is that I have a pretty typical waffle iron, but I had to use the amount of dough for 4-5 tamales to make a partial waffle (you can see that in the third photo). And since they were dense, I ended up using only 3 squares served with iceberg lettuce, red onion, sweet corn, scallions, avocado, jalapeños, bottled salsa brava, tomatoes, and some chopped soy curls that I prepared with water, celery salt, cumin, pepper, and shredded white onion—a similar thing could be done with pinto or white beans!

As far as going off-recipe, the most significant part is that I put water, cornmeal, and almond flour in the blender to make a creamy base for rehydrating the masa. I did the trick where I blended it once for like 30 seconds or so to get it started, let it sit too soften while I prepared other stuff, and then blended it again until it was mostly creamy. I would definitely do that again. I also used about half the dough to make tamales which I get to eat today 😋😋😋

#plantbased #mexicanfood #tamalewaffles #oilfree

Chile Colorado, Mexican rice, iceberg lettuce, red onions, avocado 💚

AKA 'Chile Sin Carne' 😊

Chile Colorado is one of my favorite Mexican dishes. Years ago, it used to be my go-to birthday meal, but the cubed steak and sauce was so heavy I felt uncomfortably stuffed for hours after eating it. That's not the case when made this way! 😋

I love how simple it is and the flavors are just incredible. I used New Mexico chiles in this and #soycurls as well. I think this would be just as good with tvp or soya chunks. I'm still working out my preferred Mexican rice, but this was quite good—onion, garlic, plant-based low-salt chicken-style bouillon powder, tomato paste, oregano, achiote, salt to taste, I think that's it or mostly it.

🥑
So my kid volunteered to clean out the fridge and organize it and found my missing avocado, which ended up being the best avocado ever. I can't believe how bright it looks! It didn't have a tiny pit, I just sliced off about ¼ of it and that's what it looked like 😆

This was so good, bright flavors, and not too spicy. It's got that stick-to-your-ribs quality—satisfying & delicious!

#plantbased #chilecolorado #chilesincarne #oilfree

The smallest sourdough English muffin + the most sprouts 💚

I used the smallest little English muffin from the batch. You really gotta press down those sprouts! Lol, this is about as sproutacular as it gets.

In How Not to Age, Dr. Greger reports that about an ounce (30g) of broccoli sprouts a day in a 70 day human interventional study can easily cut main inflammatory markers in half. That's great and all, but where can I sign up to be a participant?!

If you want to read the full study, just Google (with quotes): "Effects of long-term consumption of broccoli sprouts" "pdf"

If you're just curious if it was sponsored by 'Big Sprout' I'll save you some reading... It was not 😊

I make mostly mixed sprouts to increase the yumminess & the biodiversity, but you better believe there are broccoli sprouts in there!

🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

#plantbased #sprouts #sourdough #beans #oilfree

Chopped salad & mushroom broccoli spinach casserole, again! 💚

Sometime last year I was shopping at the grocery store, all like "la, la, la 🎵 I'm going to eat healthy foods, oh look, Mrs. Dash is on sale for really cheap, I almost never eat that, why don't I buy one of... EVERY SINGLE FLAVOR!" 🤦

(I won't know if it's universal, so Mrs. Dash is like the quintessential salt-free seasoning in the states since the 1980s)

After I got all these bottles, I used only one flavor, the LEAST Dashy one—salt-free "Everything" seasoning. It was great, but my in-the-moment enthusiasm about all the Dashes didn't last very long at all.

So I occasionally use one here and there, and for this salad I added Southwest Chipotle Dash, mixed dry onion, mixed dry garlic, and poppy seeds. I'm glad I did, I love the simple variety.

BTW, I looked up Mrs. Dash only to find they actually renamed it to Dash in 2020, which is funny because I have a bunch and was completely oblivious to this. I literally just went to the kitchen to verify (pic included!) 😆

#plantbased #mushrooms #broccoli #spinach #choppedsalad #oilfree

Carrots, celery, & cucumbers with French onion dip (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

Veggies! Woohoo! This is a new dip based on the same base I usually make, but for flavoring I added a caramelized white onion. I think I added maybe an entire onion, which cooked down to about half a cup chopped.

I've looked up caramelizing onions about a million times over the years. I know it's easier with oil, sugar, salt, baking soda, etc. But this was the first time I really, REALLY just took the time to slice them super thin and cook them over medium-low heat only very occasionally adding water when they would start to stick. I cooked them while I cleaned the kitchen. I mostly lost track of time, but it was a good 45-60 minutes, and let me tell you, one ingredient caramelized onions were not nearly as temperamental as I kept thinking they would be. The dip needs more depth, I am not sure what to add for that. There's some savory component missing as well as maybe a teaspoon or so of maple syrup. Maybe a small drizzle of Worcestershire sauce or something.. hmm.

#plantbased #veggielicious #frenchonion #craigstestkitchen #oilfree

The Sproutrageous Muffin McStuffin 💚

What an appropriate name for this breakfast treat 😆 it's actually quite small but packed with just as many sprouts as I put on my sourdough boule slices. I had to really push 'em down. What a fun little change that's nutritionally equivalent to my usual (I think, at least in the ballpark).

I hope you also enjoy having fun with your food sometimes!

#plantbased #sproutylicious #sourdough #beans #oilfree

Mushroom broccoli spinach casserole 💚

Another easy peasy meal! I made the casserole yesterday and today I put together this plate for dinner with a simple & satisfying chopped salad. I decided some variation of this casserole should sometimes follow making mashed potatoes, because I use the remaining potato broth as the base broth for this recipe, and I use the leftover homemade plant-based sweet cream sour cream as the main seasoning.

The casserole is mostly like the asparagus one I posted, but I cooked it with a pound of frozen broccoli, which extended the cook time by 20 mins (note to self: cook broccoli separately and add it at the end like I did with asparagus because that's some really *gray* broccoli right there). I also used ¾ cup white jasmine rice and ¼ cup ancient grain mix, so it's got some fun stuff like wild rice in there.

Also, isn't it great that spinach still has Popeye as a Mascot?

The chopped salad is iceberg lettuce, green bell pepper, carrots, red onion, and ranch dressing (bet you can't guess which recipe I used for the dressing 😆😆😆). I'd really like to come up with a crunchy, shelf-stable salad topping mix that is easy to put together or ready-made. The problem with salads like this is that it's so nearly exactly similar to salads from my childhood that I feel like it's missing a little something—in this case those little red imitation bacon bits, which I know are accidentally vegan and wouldn't totally derail my path, but there's gotta be something similar that's not quite as ultra-processed. 🤔 I'm going to start paying closer attention to everyone's salads to get some more inspiration.

#plantbased #mushrooms #spinach #broccoli #rice #casserole #oilfree

Sourdough mixed grain English muffins 💚

I was reading through an English muffin recipe last night that reminded my why I never got really into baking. This is how _that_ recipe went: Mix ingredients, cover & let rest 30-60 mins, knead 5 minutes, cover & bulk ferment 8-12 hours, turn out dough, cut into shapes, cover & let rise 1 more hour, and finally cook in a skillet, covered 4 mins each side. I did not do that.

I kept wondering why I can't just turn out the dough right after bulk fermentation like I do with a boule and then cut the rounds, so I figured I'd give that a try. They aren't nearly as consistent, but these were great! A lot of the time I try new things just to learn why NOT to do things a certain way, but some of the time it works out decently like these did. I will absolutely make these again!

#plantbased #englishmuffins #sourdough #oilfree

Sourdough baby boule, mixed grain: white, spelt, dark rye 💚

Another 12-hour bulk ferment boule, this time in baby size (because I tried something different with half of the dough). It doesn't get any easier than this: flours, water, sourdough starter (this is Rye-an Reynolds), and salt. Mix, cover 12 hours to ferment, flip onto floured surface, form a boule and bake.

For the baby boule I baked it in a preheated Dutch oven at 450°F 20 mins covered and 14 mins uncovered. Next time I'll do 22 minutes covered and 15 mins uncovered.

#plantbased #sourdough #boule #babyboule #whiteflour #spelt #darkrye #oilfree

Eclipse lunch 💚

Sun sausage
Galactic gravy
Out-of-this-world mashed potatoes
And umm, parsley

#plantbased #oilfree #bangersandmash #eclipse

Minestrone 💚

I tried my hand at @saucypotatomama's minestrone and it was just fantastic. Simple, real ingredients (mine differs a little based on what I had on hand). Actually, the day I saw her original post I had to go to the grocery store anyway, so I had picked up a can of dark red kidney beans just for this!

Perhaps the most nourishing of soups. It's light with a hint of heartiness at the same time. I don't keep veg broth anymore, and I often use low-salt plant-based chicken-style bouillon powder like it's a hammer and everything is a nail, but not today. Today I tried a blend of potato flakes, garlic, onion, parsley, sage, Italian herbs, turmeric, pepper, & celery seeds. It's tasty, I'll have to see if it's a keeper on the shelf or not. It's added in the photo after the kale one.

📌 RECIPE—For the minestrone
2 celery ribs, washed and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
¼ white onion, diced
About 2 tbsp garlic, chopped
1 can no-salt diced tomatoes
2 cups water
1 can low sodium dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp of that Italian herb powder above (lmk if you really want to try it, I can share the amounts I used)
2 handfuls chopped kale (frozen)
1 tbsp chickpea miso
1 tbsp tomato paste
Fresh pepper

Dry saute the celery and carrots for a few minutes, then add in the onions and cook the mirepoix until it starts to soften. Add garlic for 1-2 minutes more. Add everything else, nice and slow, no need to rush getting everything together. Simmer for maybe 15-30+ minutes and adjust seasonings as desired.

Have a super terrific week!! 🤗

#plantbased #minestrone #wfpb #oilfree #plantbasedcommunity #🌱

Barbecue plate 💚💚💚

I love pairing music with cuisine to enhance the experience. For barbecue, depending on the dish and how I'm feeling, it's usually the blues or maybe a certain subgenre of country. Today, it's the blues with Buddy Guy.

This plate is bursting with Americana to me. It's hard to see, but under the barbecue soy curls there's a big, hot pile of mashed potatoes. On the other side we've got a big, simple chopped salad with iceberg lettuce, carrots, red onions, and @mcdougallmom ranch dressing. I added some garlic pickles for fun, but they weren't necessary. This is all reminiscent of a meal I might've had as a youngin' in the 80s/90s.

Another heat & eat meal that took only a few minutes to put together. 😋

#plantbased #barbecue #mashedpotatoes #choppedsalad #soycurls #oilfree

Barbecue plate 💚

First, sprouts go well with barbecue. Whew 😅 Cucumbers, too—they're often served as a creamy or vinegary side at some places I've eaten barbecue. If I was feeling even saucier, I would've hit them with a drizzle of ranch and sprinkle of dill & garlic.

The pickles were a quick addition. Our local barbecue place has a side of very, very sweet garlic pickles. I made my own version using "sweet heat" pickles that I already had and added a lot of jarred minced garlic, some mustard seeds, and a couple splashes of white vinegar. I might try apple cider vinegar next time as that's a bit more of a barbecue staple. I just wanted to keep it simple today. Since this was all leftovers it only took a few minutes to put together and I had fun kicking the pickles up a notch ... bam ! 🙏🧘😋

#plantbased #bbq #sprouts #soycurls #stubbs #bbqpickles #oilfree #eatgreatfeelgreat

Sprouts and 🧄🌿 spread on torched rosemary sourdough 💚

It doesn't get much better than this.

#plantbased #sprouts #sourdough #beans #oilfree

Sausages (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

Just testing a bit!

Bottom-to-top:
– Cumberland sausage in plain rice paper (3oz)
– Sheboygan brat in black jasmine rice paper (4oz)
– Sheboygan brat in plain rice paper (4oz)

Finally getting around to working with the Epic Brats recipe that @alisaeatsplants suggested I check out not too long ago. My goodness these are beauts. Alisa was right, these are a LOT better to me than the ones that use no beans. I went a bit off recipe so the texture is a little different because the original has a bunch of mixins but I went straight to SausageTown and split the batch between some Cumberland sausages to go with potatoes and some Sheboygan brats to eat with onions and mustard. 😋

They've got a softer texture, but good flavor. Here's one of my important takeaways: hot beans are soft but room temp or slightly warm beans have a bit of bite to them. These were soft right off the grill, but after a rest I liked them even more!

I added broken rice paper to get that chewy mouthfeel inside as well. The trick to getting them to cook easily on the grill with zero oil is just heat up your grill to low and set them on to dry just a bit for 1-2 mins rotating them a couple of times, or, crank up your grill and set them on a high rack to do the same thing.

I'm definitely going to keep playing with this recipe. Many thanks @alisaeatsplants !

#plantbased #sausagetown #oilfree #craigstestkitchen

Truck lunch—rice pilaf & the mighty kmg plus lima beans! 💚

I happened to have my lunch in the early afternoon when I just wrapped up a little grocery shopping. I added Lima beans to my kmg this morning so I'd have a little more fiber power. Glad I did today!!

I had just purchased 6 POUNDS of mushrooms, and even though you can't see it in the photos... I'm happy about this.

#plantbased #oilfree #pilaf4days #themightykmg

Apples & oranges 💚

Ok, not JUST apples and oranges... Cosmic Crisp apples (not too tart, my fav), and navel oranges. Who the heck thought it was a good idea to name oranges after belly buttons? Seriously! 😁

At this rate I'll hit my fruit quota for the year and day now!

#plantbased #tootyfruity #apples #oranges #oilfree

Rice pilaf, asparagus, chickeny soy curls, cream of mushroom gravy 💚

The extra asparagus I wanted to cook didn't keep well 😭, so I just ended up with my leftovers with no extra asparagus. I couldn't bring myself to nuke the asparagus so I preheated Sir Frysalot and cooked it separately for about 75 seconds in there.

Now I have rice pilaf in the fridge as well as some barbecue I made today. This is about the time I need to make some more stuff, I'm thinking potatoes tomorrow (big surprise there!). I desperately need more freezer mushrooms. Costco trip!

#plantbased #plantpowered #plantplate #wfpb #wfpbno #satisfyinganddelicious #oilfree

I feel like Mark Watney from The Martian (great book, pretty great movie).

Sol 4: Spaghetti bake. Again. Added the last of my black pepper to the ranch dressing I had been saving for a special occasion to make peppercorn ranch. I calculate 34 more sols of spaghetti bake until I'm completely out of it. Maybe potatoes are the answer. 🥔💡

I kid, this is a pleasant lunch and I have lots more black pepper, but this was the last of my spaghetti bake so I DID celebrate by adding cracked pepper to my ranch dressing 😊

#plantbased #leftoversforlunch #wfpbno #oilfree

Fruit-thirty—oranges, apples, AND grapefruit! 💚

My brain is resisting pluralizing grapefruit just as much as it's resisting using the singular form of oranges and apples. 🤔

Recipe: add chilled fruit to bowl. Eat.

#plantbased #entoutesimplicité #fruit #citrus #wfpb #oilfree

Buffalo ranch fries 💚

For breakfast 🙌

Made using the air fry + season + sauna method, which gives a soft, fluffy fry.

I've never had buffalo fries before, so I wasn't really sure of the exact flavor I was going for. These were a bit tangy and could've used a tiny amount of sweet (¼-½ tsp maple syrup). I made the fresh @mcdougallmom ranch while these were hanging out in the covered steel bowl sauna, so it's a touch thin, but still tasty 😋

After the fries were air fried, I tossed them with a tablespoon of water mixed with a couple of teaspoons of Louisiana hot sauce along with herbs and spices (¼ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp granulated garlic, ⅛ tsp ground achiote, ½ tsp parsley, pinch of dill), and then sealed the bowl for a few minutes while I made the ranch dressing. Topped the fries with a little ranch, a few more splashes of Louisiana hot sauce, and parsley.

Not bad. The best thing I ever ate? Nope, but satisfying and fun to try 😊

#plantbased #potato #fries #oilfree #poyaytoes

Rice pilaf, asparagus, chicken-style soy curls, cream of mushroom gravy 💚

Rice pilaf
Chicken-style soy curls
Asparagus
Cream of mushroom gravy with extra mushrooms

This is my rice pilaf from before. To make 2 servings of soy curls I used 2oz dry in about a cup of water with 2 tsp homemade bouillon, salt and pepper, and simmered until the broth was absorbed and finished in the air fryer to get a nice texture. A quick dry saute for the asparagus to bring out that amazing fresh flavor. And the lentil cream of mushroom soup is from the freezer, but I added more mushrooms because yum! 😋

I still can't believe this kind of food is healthy & healing, but I am living proof! No oil or butter or meat or dairy is necessary. 🙌

#plantbased #asparagus #ricepilaf #soycurls #creamofmushroom

Spaghetti casserole (made from leftovers) 💚

The one thing I would do differently next time is make a little creamy red sauce versus the can of tomato sauce with Italian seasoning. I think a smooth sauce would've really tied things together.

#plantbased #antigaspi #spaghettibake #wholewheatpasta #oilfree

Chilled apples and oranges for breakfast 💚

Orange you glad I didn't say banana? 😆🤦🫳🎤

Easy oil-free tortilla chips à la @mcdougallmom 💚

Not gonna lie: I've always been skeptical of turning foods like corn tortillas crispy or crunchy in the microwave. They're delicious on the grill, but it's not always available. Making this tortilla chip is simple and easy, and it is better than your brain will allow you to think it will be. Not just good, but really good! If you're hesitant or on the fence, give it a try! I included her recipe at the end, and you can find it in full under her story highlight about no oil chips! I crisp-crunched the entire corn tortilla at once; that's my jam!

Crispy versus Crunchy—
I was still getting caught up in the crispy vs. crunchy battle, mostly because I find food terms and etymology interesting, revealing, and at times limiting.

Taste of Home says: While crispiness is almost always confined to the edges or outsides of foods, crunch is bold enough to carry all the way through.—that would make these crunchy AND crispy.

And The Daily Meal says (this is totally a ripoff of Ned Flanders from The Simpsons, which is why I picked it 😆): Remember, if it's light and thin, it's crispy then. If it's dense and golden brown, you're in crunchy town.—that also makes these both crunchy and crispy!

I guess the lesson I learned here is that something can be both crunchy (carrying all the way through) and crispy (light, thin, and crunchy, often on the outside) and is maybe best described with it's most engaging or prominent qualities.

Sources:
https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/crispy-vs-crunchy/
https://www.thedailymeal.com/1280603/really-difference-between-crispy-crunchy/

#plantbased #satisfyinganddelicious #crispy #crunchy #jacrispy #glutenfree #crispville #crunchtown #oilfree

Spaghetti Casserole & The Mighty KMG 💚

This is a pretty powerful plate for me!

I had put my extra whole wheat spaghetti in the freezer until I decided what to do with it. I ended up crumbling the frozen spaghetti into a couple of stacked layers with the grillades mushrooms (tomatoes, peppers, onions, celery, mushrooms, etc), a can of tomato sauce + Italian seasoning, my leftover tofu-almond ricotta, a couple of handfuls of frozen white beans all topped with shredded Swissy cheese, American-style cheese, parsley, garlic, and garlic salt. We don't use many single-use trays like this, but we had this from a while back and I figured I'd use it instead of having it go to waste. I didn't really notice anything special from the garlic salt so I think I would probably leave it off next time. @vegan.sisu sent me a similar recipe with tomato slices on top, I could definitely go that route if I made this again!

I baked it covered at 350 for a half hour or so and left it in the oven to fully meld, maybe an hour or a little longer total, then chilled it for leftovers.

I had a serving with a nice helping of The Mighty KMG! 2 handfuls frozen chopped kale, 2 handfuls frozen sliced button mushrooms, 1 hearty scoop jarred garlic (fresh works great, too!), dry saute the first two for a couple of minutes, add the garlic, and cook until any excess moisture has evaporated.

Hope those of you that have a holiday today are enjoying it! 💚

#plantbased #spaghettibake #themightykmg #oilfree

Rice pilaf 💚

I grew up on Near East brand rice pilaf. Holy moly was that a treat. I assumed the whole world ate that stuff, it was always a personal favorite of mine. It's actually got relatively clean ingredients for a packaged food, but its simplicity is like an invitation to make it myself. I am not going for an exact match because I use quite a bit less sodium than most packaged foods and I'm all out of autolyzed yeast extract 😆, but I think this is a nice starting recipe so I'm jotting it down.

I have that ancient grain mix that cooks like white rice since it's parcooked, and that was perfect here. The toasted orzo brings flavor, texture, and an appealing variety to the dish.

📌 RECIPE (Instant Pot)
⅔ cup white jasmine rice
⅓ cup parcooked ancient grain mix (could use more Jasmine or well-soaked whole grain rice)
⅓ cup orzo, toasted
1 tsp granulated onion
¾ tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp nutritional yeast
Scant ⅛ tsp turmeric (a pinch)
2 cups water
½ tsp sea salt, to taste

Add all ingredients except salt in the order listed to the instant pot, and cook on 'rice' setting (there's a rice button on mine that's the same as 'manual -> low pressure') 12 minutes + natural release (about 10 more minutes). Season to taste with salt.

#plantbased #pilaf #ricepilaf #oilfree #simpleanddelicious

Sourdough, hummus, & asparagus à la @what_flo_eats with a sprinkle of za'atar 💚

Got this idea from @what_flo_eats... Yummmm! 😋

I had never tried za'atar until late last year, and I gotta say if you like hummus it's a great finishing seasoning for pretty much all things hummus. In my limited experience, there seems to be a wide variety of za'atar styles, from really salty to really seedy to those with added oils. Find one that fits your food preference and it's soooooo nice to have on hand. Also, it's pretty!

#plantbased #asparagus #hummus #sourdough #zaatar #oilfree

Baked spaghetti dinner 💚

Many, many years ago I lived in Huntsville, Alabama for a summer. I remember lots of tasty food there, and there were two fast-food Italian places we would visit–Tellini's and Fazoli's. I think I liked Tellini's more. I only remember ordering the same dish from both places: baked spaghetti.

The fast-food baked spaghetti I used to get was classic spaghetti, sauce, and a load of ooey-gooey mozzarella and a salty warm breadstick. Whenever I make baked spaghetti, I am reminded of that dish, and tonight was no exception. But my baked spaghetti was packed with anti-inflammatory fiber, all plant-based & oil-free, no surprises there 😆 It was pretty much all leftovers, too!

Whole wheat spaghetti
Neatballs in spaghetti sauce
Tofu-almond ricotta
American-style cheese
Swissy cheese
Parsley
Jarred garlic
Side slice of sourdough

Baked covered until warm.

Yum yum yum! 😋

#plantbased #spaghetti #bakedspaghetti #nostalgicnibbles #oilfree

Mushroom grillades and grits 💚

I like to try new things. Many, MANY of those things are directly inspired from what you share. But, not many people in my circle seem to share grits recipes, so I Google them every now and then and it's always, ALWAYS shrimp and grits. Today, I ran across something new to me: grillades and grits.

Grillades is grilled steak, so... Mushrooms! (seasoned with black pepper, cayenne, and whole wheat flour). I winged the rest:

A bag of frozen onion, green pepper, celery, and parsley
Diced fire-roasted poblano peppers
Diced jarred piquillo peppers
More celery
A tablespoon of garlic
A can of no-salt diced tomatoes
A can of water
Thyme, oregano, Basil
Low-salt plant-based chicken-style bouillon
Leftover green chili grits
And topped everything off with scallions.. bam!

#plantbased #mushrooms #veggiesandmoreveggies #grits #oilfree

Fiesta plate... ¡Ay caramba! 💚

Leftovers, run through the garden 🌱. This time with added charred tomatoes and scallions, too! Oh, and a toasted oversized corn tortilla. I look away for ONE SECOND and this happens 🔥😆 I salvaged about ¾ of it!

Toasted corn tortilla
50/50 Mexican rice with tomato, garlic, lettuce, corn, and peas
Pinto beans
Iceberg lettuce
Poblano peppers
Charred tomatoes
Red onion
Scallions
Avocado
Cilantro
Creamy chipotle mayo

Used up lots of stuff that was already in the fridge. Actually, all of this was either leftovers or scraps or stuff I generally premade except for the corn tortilla. I toasted a few tonight. Better than anything you can get at Chipoopoo!

#plantbased #fiestamexicana #oilfree #vegtastic

Mashed potato snack 💚

Parsley & gravy on potatoes!

#plantbased #potatoes #potato #mashedpotatoes #poyaytoes #potahtoes #pommesdeterre #papas #kartoffeln #tatties #spuds

Whole wheat spaghetti, neatballs, tofu-almond ricotta topped with parsley and a few basil leaves 💚

A little green goes a long way. My policy is that if it might look prettier with parsley, do it to it!!

#plantbased #pasta #satisfyinganddelicious #homecooking #oilfree #craigsgreentable

Sprouts, plant-based Braunschweiger, and red onions on rustic whole wheat sourdough 💚

Such a satisfying small meal. 😋

#plantbased #oilfree #sourdough #sourdoughsandwich #sprouts #eatgreatfeelgreat

Fiesta plate, run through the garden 💚

I feel like I'm FINALLY starting to get my food groove back to my happy place. One or two meals ahead, and a good variety of things I enjoy. I wish that for everyone, especially with something so universal and sensitive as foodstuffs 🧘🙏

I took my leftover 50/50 rice with rice vinegar and turned it into Mexican rice by cooking in nearly a cup of water plus about 1-2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tsp minced garlic, 1-2 tsp homemade low-salt plant-based chicken-style bouillon powder (omg I need a shorter way to say that!), umm added black pepper, a pinch of cumin, peas, corn, and finished it with iceberg lettuce, which I find very enjoyable from a Mexican rice flavor profile. ¡Qué bueno!

The plate is a fiesta alright—
🦸Base
Mexican rice
Pinto beans
🦸 Run through the garden
Iceberg lettuce
Red onion
Charred poblano pepper
Avocado
Cilantro
🦸 The rest
Creamy chipotle mayo

So much fibery goodness. Looking forward to the Second Meal Effect tomorrow morning!! YOU'RE WELCOME, gut microbiota!!! 🦠

#plantbased #gutmicrobiota #fiber #eatgreatfeelgreat #oilfree

New York-Style Pastrami Tofu 💚

Just slice, make a pastrami seasoning, marinate, and bake. So easy!!

Something I learned making lots and lots of plant-based sausages and soy curls over the past few years is to rotate my trials. If I didn't, I would start to get used to flavors and not be able to really dial anything in. So I'll make something like German bologna-style tofu, take some notes (needed more celery seed), and then make something else next. I decided to make something inspired by New York-style pastrami. Not the stuff at the grocery store, but NY-style: thick, flavorful, peppery slabs.

Now a most important thing for ME is to not get obsessed with trying to make one thing taste exactly like something it is not. Occasionally, but extremely rarely, things work out like that. This is tofu! It's already tender. It's already soft (even though it's firm 😆). And it plays really well when marinated in something bold, especially with a smoke mix, and cooked low & slow. It's my first go at pastrami tofu, but it smells so good in here I'm going to just take that as a good sign and include my seasoning notes up front (they're in the photos somewhere), just crush the seeds with a mortar and pestle or a small ceramic bowl and drinking glass if you don't have a mortar and pestle like me!

#plantbased #delitofu #flavortown #veganrecipes #oilfree #simpleanddelicious

Spasghetti and neatballs, as the youngins say 💚

Whole wheat spaghetti
Homemade @plant.eating.angie neatballs
Homemade simple sauce
Homemade simple tofu-almond ricotta
Homemade simple walnut parm
Parsley
Crushed red pepper
A few basil leaves

Very satisfying and delicious 😋

#plantbased #satisfyinganddelicious #pastaplate #luncheroo #oilfree #eatgreatfeelgreat

Green chili grits topped with leftover KMG and a lil sprout patch 💚

Our kitchen is more organized lately so I recorded a quick little plating video. The camera makes it look like I eat 3 tablespoons of grits, but I assure you that's a giant metal serving spoon 😆

I've been eating in this direction for about 8 months or so (ballpark estimate there..) and I still don't have a solid grasp on how much food to put on my plate. I'd rather eat more AFTER my first plate than overfill my plate ahead of time. We're all different tho. I was about one more big scoop of grits off today—not bad!

#plantbased #nittygritty #hominyporridge #oilfree #themightykmg #sprouts #eatgreatfeelgreat

Whole wheat spaghetti and neatballs, The Mighty KMG (kale, mushrooms, garlic), and tofu-almond ricotta 💚

This was exactly what I wanted today, and everything came together rather quickly. I had the neatballs in the freezer, it's the wonderful @plant.eating.angie recipe (August 21, 2022). I made them a while back and stored them in my freezer until today! Do they get soft when I put them frozen in the just simmering sauce to heat up? Heck yes! Do I mind at all? Heck no, they're awesome!

📌 Ricotta
The tofu ricotta was the @plantyou recipe on her lasagna soup web page (ALSO recommended by @plant.eating.angie). I used just 2 tbsp lemon juice, a pinch of oregano instead of parsley, a pinch of salt, and 18g (3 tbsp) blanched almond flour. The small amount of almond flour makes a big, huge, massive impact for my taste buds. Not trying to convince anyone else to do it this way, but it sure works for me. You do you!

📌 Sauce
The spaghetti sauce is another little foodie passion project of mine. Making yummy things quickly from pantry staples. 1 (6oz.) can tomato paste, 2 'cans' water, 1½ tsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp granulated garlic, 15 cranks freshly cracked black pepper, a pinch of celery seeds, a pinch of crushed red pepper, 1½ tsp maple syrup. Heat to a simmer and adjust seasonings to your preference!

#plantbased #plantpowered #wfpb #starchsolution #oilfree #fiber #antiinflammatorydiet

Whole wheat rustic sourdough loaf with French herb bean spread and sprouts 💚

I sandwiched it today. So good. I'm used to fluffy bread most of my life, yet this denser bread is so much more filling and satisfying. Hmmm!

Vitamin S for breakfast !

#plantbased #sourdough #wholewheat #oilfree

Another Buddha bowl for dinner! 💚

I really need to add more pickled red onions up front to this plate, they are just so good. This is the same thing as yesterday but with more tomato and broccoli and 4 dry cured olives instead of 3, but no avocado because I couldn't find a same day fresh one at the store.

I added @hotnsaucyco black garlic n peri peri hot sauce to the sprouts because I just love that in plates like this.

The quick pickled red onions are made with a great, easy recipe from @pinchofyum—just a thin sliced red onion, ⅓ cup white vinegar, ⅔ cup water, ½ tsp kosher salt, and I used ½ tsp maple syrup (instead of sugar) and they were ready by the time my rice was cooked. I did agitate them a handful of times and left them on the countertop while I chopped veggies so they would 'pickle' by the time I was ready to eat.

Oh, and I added just a drizzle of rice vinegar to the 50/50 rice before storing it yesterday. I like the idea of vinegaring starches when it makes sense and tastes good.

#plantbased #buddhabowl #veggiebeangrainbowl #oilfree

Mushroom Spinach Asparagus Casserole Leftovers 💚

This was the last of the casserole. It reheated well, and again I cooked the asparagus from fresh in just 1-2 mins on the stovetop while the rest reheated.

I also added my plant-based sour cream that I pretty much only use for mashed potatoes. I've been trying to think of a better name for it because it's not really a 1:1 sour cream replacement, that's just what it's most like. I make it with a water/cashew/almond/lemon/acv/salt base, but with added sweet corn which brings creaminess, a bit of butteriness from the diacetyl, and a touch of sweetness like you might get from milk. It was something I created as a passion project to replace pretty much all the dairies in traditional made potatoes all at once. Maybe I'll just call it 'Sour Cream I' like they would in cookbooks from the late 1800s-mid 1900s. That'll leave room for Sour Cream II!

When I have extra, sometimes I will have it with tacos, but it paired so very well with this casserole I wanted to make a note so I don't forget. I really do think this may just be the casserole that always follows making mashed potatoes for me!

#plantbased #casserole #homecooking #oilfree #healingfoods

Celery, carrots, & cucumbers with zesty habanero dip 💚

I need to make some more dip soon!

#plantbased #veggies #veggiesandmoreveggies #veggiesveggiesandmoreveggies #oilfree

Buddha bowl 💚

The stars of leftovers finally aligned to the glory that is the Buddha bowl. Starting at 12 o' clock:

Cucumbers
Fire-roasted tomatoes
Avocado
Charred broccoli
Sprouts
Hummus with 3 dry cured olives and a pinch of za'atar
50/50 white jasmine/brown jasmine rice
Pickled red onions

Note to self: eat this more often

#plantbased #buddhabowl #veganfood #oilfree #antiinflammatorydiet

Garlic and smoked paprika hummus with cucumber slices 💚

A personal fav! I use fresh garlic to make hummus but I put jarred garlic on top. It's milder, and I can drizzle a little bit of that garlic liquid on top that's just mmmm MMMM! 😋

Once I started caring more about what was in my plate, I started taking just a few seconds to consider how things might jive better ON the plate. This is so simple to put together when I first have hummus made! Scoop, spread, top, top, peel, slice, enjoy!

#plantbased #betterformesnacks #oilfree #flavortown

Mushroom Spinach Asparagus Casserole 💚

Ever since I made that elegantly named "Dump & Bake" casserole not long ago, I wanted to try it again but just to see if the cooking ratios held up when I changed out veggies. That's this. And, they did! I used the potato cooking broth from my mashed potatoes as the liquid (#antigaspi !). Win win! This was especially tasty when paired with a dollop of the plant-based sour cream I make only for my mashed potatoes. It's got a little more of a sweet cream flavor than typical sour cream because I blend in a bit of sweet corn. Maybe I'll just plan on making this every single time I make mashed potatoes 😆

I also tested cooking this in my big steel pot instead of my ceramic cast iron Dutch oven and it worked pretty much as well. 😅

📌 RECIPE
2¼ cups mashed potato cooking broth
4 tsp jarred minced garlic
5 dry porcini mushrooms
1 cup (215g) Jasmine rice
4 oz frozen cremini mushroom, sliced 
4 oz frozen baby bella mushroom, sliced 
Black pepper

4 oz frozen spinach leaves
Bunch of asparagus, washed, trimmed, cut, and quickly dry seared (1-2 min for very thin asparagus)

Serve with a dollop of plant-based sour cream / pepper and salt.

I heated the broth, garlic, and dry porcini mushrooms (broken into 1cm pieces) to just before a simmer. Added rice, then big handfuls of frozen mushrooms, followed by 6-7 cranks of coarsely ground black pepper. I covered and baked at 375F for 45 mins, then stirred in frozen spinach and topped with lightly cooked asparagus and a dollop of plant-based sour cream with salt and pepper at the table (it didn't really need any by this point).

#plantbased #mushrooms #casserole #homecooked #homecooking #oilfree

Small batch of chips/fries for the freezer 💚

📌 RECIPE—

5 pounds of 🥔.

Cut, rinse well, add to a pot with fresh water and a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, bring to a simmer until fries are bendy but not breaky, rinse with cold water, lay out on kitchen towel for a minute, move to sheet pan, and off to the freezer!

#plantbased #easyhomemadefries #potatoes #oilfree

Mashed potatoes 💚

Perhaps my most favorite single food ever.

I've really dialed in my preference over the years. Washed and peeled 70-80%. Discard any green or black parts, but to reduce waste: air fry peelings 7-10 mins @ 400F for crispy treats for you and your pup! Sliced, added to a pot with seasonings (1 tsp vegan chicken-style bouillon powder, ¼ tsp marjoram flakes, ⅛ tsp ground white pepper) just enough water so the top potatoes are treading water, and lightly boil until fork tender. Save broth, mash, and whip back in broth until desired consistency along with homemade plant-based sour cream and salt. I used ½+⅛ tsp added salt to this 5 lb batch of potatoes. My favorite!!

#plantbased #potatoes #poyaytoes #oilfree

German Bologna-Style Tofu 💚

I'm my side quest for an array of delightfully seasoned tofus, this is a German Bologna-inspired tofu (which is typically darker and more robust than an American-Style Bologna). There's lots of dry mustard, coriander, and paprika in this, though it's too early to call it a recipe.

#plantbased #tofurocks #tofu #oilfree

Fruity pancake 💚

This is the fluffy buttermilk-style whole wheat + wheat berry pancake from the other day covered in wild blueberries, chopped apples and oranges, and bammed up a notch with some orange zest. I like having leftover pancakes handy, it makes things like this take just a few minutes to put together ☺️

#plantbased #pancakes #fruits #oilfree

Rosemary & black pepper fries (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

This is such a naturally tasty combo! 😋

There's another oil-free concept I've been thinking about. I'm not actually a fan of crispy fries. I'm a fan of fries that were once crispy.

I keep revisiting old notes and recipes and realizing that the game has changed. I've been working towards crispier and crispier oil-free fries in the air fryer only to get crunchier and crunchier ones. There's a huge difference between crispy and crunchy. The crunchy ones are good in their own way, but upon lots of self reflection about myself and French fries, which I'm sure we all do, crunchy or crispy is still not my favorite fry. My favorite fry is the one I've had most in my life: 'the fry that was once crispy'. It's a soft fry, flavorful and a tad melt-in-your-mouth-like.

This seed was planted a little while back when I slathered my fries in that garlic herb sauce and they went from crunchy to soggy almost instantly. They tasted great but I was distracted about trying to maintain their crunch, only to realize over time that I prefer them softer like that most of the time. Well, the last couple of days I've been putting this idea to the test and moving air fried fries to a steel bowl with a couple tablespoons of water, tossing, seasoning, and covering tightly to steam for a minute or two. I can't believe how much more I prefer them this way. I'm going to keep making them this way for now and see if I'm just in the new fry honeymoon phase or if I continue enjoying them as much as I currently do, but these last couple of batches have been simply delightful!

Seasoning notes:
1¼ lb. fries, ¾ tsp dry rosemary, ½ tsp coarse black pepper, ¼ tsp granulated garlic, ⅛ tsp salt — the latest variation I made. I tossed a batch in 2-3 tbsp water, and another with 2 tbsp water and 1 tsp white vinegar.

#plantbased #frenchfries #potatoes #oilfree

Cucumbers, carrots, & celery with zesty habanero dip 💚

Veggie plate from last night. Or, as my dad, who is fluent in Looney Tunes Latin might say: Veggius Maximus!

#plantbased #veggiusmaximus #oilfree

Oatie sausage whole wheat buttermilk pancakes 💚

This was a last-minute idea when I was making the most glorious whole wheat pancakes with extra wheat berries. I had these extra oatie sausages from last weekend and did a little batter treatment on them.

TBH, I'm still slightly perturbed by the fact that this mimics something so unhealthy, but how's that any different than, I dunno, whole-foods mayo, tofu ham, or a plant-based cheezy sausage-y casserole? I suspect it's my own personal history and fixation. ANYWAY, who cares, it's 100% whole wheat pancakes and seasoned traditional oats with flaxseeds. This was fun and it certainly tasted exactly like you might think it would, but I just wanted some pancakes, so I'm glad I didn't make only these 😊

#plantbased #craigstestkitchen #oilfree #wholegrains

Whole wheat sourdough boule made with Bubbles 💚

Today was a very big, important day—we named our sourdough starter: Bubbles. The kiddo chose Rye-an Reynolds for theirs. 🙌

At this point, I'm considering Bubbles and Rye-an Reynolds to be 100% whole grain dark rye sourdough starter. They've got a wonderfully intoxicating aroma, and I'm glad my friend that gave me a cut of hers mentioned that little tidbit about having fed hers a similar rye right before gifting it.

I haven't actually tried this loaf yet. I am grasping the importance of letting it fully cool. This is not a dinner roll. It's not so light and fluffy that it's basically done when you pull it out of the oven or bread machine. This is long and slow bulk fermented 100% whole grain sourdough bread. I didn't even knead it, the fibers build up slowly and naturally. I'll get a picture of that next time, it's quite beautiful. This time I captured a photo of those lovely pockets of gas that Bubbles leaves behind as it goes wild for this buffet of hard red wheat. After fermenting, I continuously dust my hands with flour, lower it from the dish onto more wheat, fold in the edges like a Crunchwrap, tuck the bottom in very tightly, and give it a full crescent score with two tiny opposing scores moments before it goes in to the oven to bake. 30 mins at 475F in a preheated, covered Dutch oven followed by 15 mins uncovered, and a full 12-18 hour cool down sesh.

I'm learning food patience 🧘

#plantbased #wholegrains #sourdoughboule #gutmicrobiota #oilfree

'Everything' hummus crudités plate (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

You can tell when it's a nighttime snack when my lighting is this bad 😂

Cucumbers, a scallion, celery, pretzel sticks (I added a bit later), and hummus that's been a hit with a shower of my homemade 'everything' mix. The mix requires no exact recipe: a very generous layer of dried minced (or flaked) onion, a decent layer of dried minced garlic, two passes of poppy seeds, and a single pass of raw sesame seeds. I tried toasted sesame seeds today for the first time because I had them freshly toasted and they were a bit dominant in the flavor department.

I'm a big fan of a little scallion or leek slice to mix up the veggies these days. Yum-a-lum! 😋

#plantbased #hummus #veggies #oilfree

The Mighty KMG + the best dish ever + garlicky lemon pepper tofu = 💚?

Garlicky Lemon Pepper Tofu —
I needed to add some convenient food to the fridge, so I started with garlic lemon pepper seasoning I had made earlier for fries and never used. I figured that would easily coat tofu, of which I had a small leftover block (iirc—1-2 tbsp nooch, 1 tsp dry parsley, 1 tsp dry minced garlic, ½ tsp granulated garlic, ½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper, microplaned zest from ¼ small lemon).

The Mighty KMG —
I wanted to match that with whole wheat pasta (4 oz ww spaghetti broken in half), and I was pretty confident these flavors should match up well with the ridiculously good minimalist combo of lightly dry sauteed kale, mushroom, and garlic (2 handfuls, 2 handfuls, 2 chopped cloves). This is The Mighty KMG.

The Best Dish Ever —
And finally pulling inspo from Italian chef Riccardo Camanini's simple & elegant brewer's yeast pasta preparation that legendary French Chef Alain Ducasse declared "the best dish ever", I made a basic sauce of about ¾ cup pasta water + 2 tbsp brewer's yeast, reduced to what you see in the photos (pleasantly thick).

Oh, the red things are a few sundried tomatoes. I don't usually like sundried tomatoes, but I tossed a few in with the pasta as it reached about molto al dente just to see if I like it in this dish. I experiment a LOT.

I added leftover scallions at the end, and an initial taste test was quite enjoyable. We'll see how it tastes as leftovers! 😋

#plantbased #craigstestkitchen #themightykmg #cruciferous #oilfree

Air fries and black truffle mayo (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

This was not at all what I was planning to have for dinner. I haven't even eaten those scallions in the picture yet! But it really hit the spot. Originally, I was going to have the Tex-Mex bowl I had been thinking about. Then I decided to do like a garlic lemon pepper French fry. Then this.

The air fries are the same homemade frozen fries that I usually make (yay), but this is a new mayo recipe I'm trying based on my cashew mayo. I really like it. It's cashew-potato (flake), so it's lighter than my usual just cashew. I simplified it back down to just white vinegar for the tang, and it's got a delightful flavor profile in my opinion.

Oh, mayo... I've always been a mayonnaise person. Probably always will be. I used to eat mayonnaise sandwiches when I was a kid. And as an adult as well, but pretty rarely. And if you've never heard of a mayonnaise sandwich, it's EXACTLY what it sounds like 😂

The fam had leftover truffle seasoning from a Hello Fresh meal, so I added ¼ tsp (+ a tiny sprinkle on top because otherwise it's just a plain gray sauce) to about ¼ cup of cashew-potato mayo and that was just perfect. I kept thinking about making a salad for the side, but honestly I really just wanted something simple, and it doesn't get much simpler than my favorite thing—the potato 🥔.

#plantbased #potatoes4life #potatoes #oilfree

Plant-based Braunschweiger and onions on rye with carrots, celery, and yellow mustard 💚

Simple, light, satisfying 😋

#plantbased #oilfree

Celery, carrots, cucumber, and zesty habanero dip 💚 oh yeah!!

#plantbased #veggieloaded #oilfree #happybelly

Pokelicious dinner 💚

I still enjoy this meal so much. I mix it up like fire roasting the tomatoes, and tonight I minced half of the scallion greens to sprinkle on top with some sesame seeds.

I don't do great with typical food challenges, but I like the @theguthealthmd rec to incorporate 30 different plants in a given week based on the research by Dr. Rob Knight. I should say: I like that NOW 😆 This resonates better with me than The Daily Dozen by @michaelgregermd. I think because it fully puts me in the driver's seat without too widespread a range of boxes to check. What I love is that these plant-forward experts are coming up with a variety of ways to incorporate a research-backed, health-promoting lifestyle.

Anyway, I was thinking since I enjoy this bowl so much, I wonder what other flavor profiles might be great. Tex-Mex (tomato, poblano, onion, pickled onion, corn, black beans, sprouts with maple chipotle ranch??). Ooh, I could maybe make an artichoke tapenade bowl like the gorgeous dish @plantbasedspoonie made recently. I'm open to suggestions!! 😋

#plantbased #pokelicious #pokeliciousbowl #gutmicrobiota #eatgoodfeelgood #oilfree

Fresh Veggies & Leftovers! (Plant-based, oil-free) 💚

Sprouts, charred tomatoes, and a drizzle of hot sauce on one side, and on the other side is my last piece of @physicianscommittee sourdough vegan French toast, a couple of simple eggy tofu squares, and a small variety of smoked things from the weekend (two types of oat sausage and red onion-red lentil-walnut Braunschweiger).

I still think these oat sausages are like... 80% there. Going to try the Engine 2 brats this spring or summer as @alisaeatsplants suggested! Also got a fantastic suggestion this morning from @fuzzybunnys_livingbetter_now to use corn husks in smoking as a natural wrapper, such a great idea!!

#plantbased #gutmicrobiota #plantdiversity #oilfree

Sunday brunch (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

I woke up early with the puppo this morning, so I did some sausage research. I'm convinced some day I will encounter a decently whole food sausage that becomes my go-to. Not sure if today was that day or not.

This is an oat flax sausage, which is a combination I've tried in the past, but the flax plus the significant stirring of the oats makes for a gummy center. It tasted good but that texture..

So I held onto them because they sure looked nice and, again, good flavor. Later in the day I decided to fire up the smoker (smoking tube in my BBQ grill), and figured why not toss these on with everything else. In the last two photos, you can see a smoked oat sausage patty, a little bit charred. The texture actually settled after a couple hours in the smoker, and it was even better. Hmmm!

I will say that I love love love the idea of eating health-promoting oats in place of health-demoting sausage, so I'm not giving up on my quest anytime soon.

Pictured is leftover sourdough French toast with American-style cheese, and an oat flax sausage patty with sprouts and tomatoes (so the only thing I had to cook today was sausage). Oh, and I added hot n saucy garlic n peri peri sauce to my veg and it was a delight!

#plantbased #craigstestkitchen #plantbasedsausagequest #oilfree

Starchy veg, cruciferous veg, sauce, and beans 💚😋

Seasonal plate–mashed potatoes and gravy (I reheated the last frozen bag from Thanksgiving!), HP caramelized onion gravy, lightly water-sauteed green cabbage with white pepper, and corned soy curls.

I may never get over the concept I can eat a plate like this, enjoy it, and not feel like taking a nap right afterwards. 🏋️

Of note, long frozen potatoes lose a but of luster. Instead of salting them when reheating (because the gravy should have plenty), I added a splash of soy milk, which immediately tasted too strong, so I added a couple teaspoons of lemon juice and that totally balanced it back into my happy place. I also added water while reheating to achieve a creamy mash texture.

#plantbased #irisheats #sticktoyourribs #i💚potatoes

Garlicky green chili tomato bean pasta 💚

One of our go-to meals growing up was macaroni and tomatoes. It was classic New England: macaroni, canned tomatoes (I remember stewed tomatoes), salt, pepper, garlic, and butter. It was pure comfort food and easy to make from shelf-stable ingredients. Even today my fondness of jarred garlic remains because of that specific dish. I love how mild it is and that I can use a ton of it despite the lesser nutritional profile compared to fresh garlic. If you are within earshot of my kitchen, you could hear me shout BAM when I add the garlic because I used to watch a LOT of Emeril Legasse in the 90s.

I wanted another satisfying dish for the refrigerator to hold onto for me, and I had fun with this.

📌 RECIPE
8 oz medium pasta shells, cooked al dente
1 15oz can no salt added diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies
A few scoops of jarred garlic (best guess... 2 tbsp?)
Lots of dry parsley to make it pretty
A couple pinches of salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
A big handful of cooked white beans

I don't drain tomato cans anymore. It's pure tomato juice flavor! I added everything to taste, then remembered I wanted to add some of my batch cooked frozen beans to make this a more satisfying dish. I love it hot or cold or even at room temp, this is a very nostalgic dish for me, even with the spicy beany parsley twist today.

#plantbased #tomatopasta #oilfree #veganeats

Pokelicious bowl 💚

This was EXACTLY what I needed today. Sprouts, carrots, scallions, avocado, charred tomatoes marinated in lite soy sauce and Sriracha, cucumber, and sushi'd jasmine rice covered in @mcdougallmom spicy mayo.

I add a rice vinegar (2 tbsp) maple syrup (1 tbsp) blend to the cooked rice (I'll have to weigh the dry rice sometime).

#plantbased #pokebowl #pokelicious #oilfree #veggiesveggiesandmoreveggies

Corned soy curls 💚☘️

It's the ONE time of year that I make corned anything, and even that isn't a tradition I grew up on. I actually don't remember having a special meal for St. Patrick's Day, probably because it was so close to Easter (ham).

Last year I used a crock pot and it was slower than cold molasses in the middle of winter. I'm always trying to make things easier and more efficient picking up tips and trying new things along the way. My favorite texture for soy curls is to really get them soft, and then use low heat to pull back out some moisture and intensity the texture and flavors. That's this!

📌 RECIPE—Craig's Corned Soy Curls

16 oz (2 cups) water
2 tbsp pickling spice (salt free)
½ tsp salt
4 oz soy curls, dry
1½ tsp beetroot powder
1 tbsp malt vinegar
½ sheet rice paper (optional)

Heat water and pickling spice to a low simmer, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Filter out pickling spices from the broth and discard. Add dry soy curls to the broth and simmer uncovered until the liquid has been almost fully absorbed and evaporated, leaving no more than a tablespoon of liquid in the pan. The soy curls should be very soft. Set in a cool or ventilated area to cool down to warm. Carefully mix beetroot powder with malt vinegar (acv or water can work here as well), then gently fold red liquid on the soy curls. Don't squeeze it in, keep it mostly on the surface.

Spread out on a sheet pan (I use parchment) and bake at 225°F with convection if you have it for 15 mins, then stir them, and then bake 15 more minutes. Optionally add strips of half a sheet of rehydrated rice paper if you want added fatty mouthfeel. I prefer an extra meaty texture, so it roll them out with a rolling pin.

#plantbased #soycurls #oilfree #stpatricksday #☘️☘️☘️

French toast, pain perdu, eggy bread (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

This recipe comes from The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The recipe was created by Jennifer Raymond, MS, RD, and I went looking for it because of a recent video from @drnealbarnard (love that guy!).

What an awesome recipe Jennifer has shared! I can't believe how similar this is to typical French toast. And, no oil! I had so much fun with it, I turned all sorts of breads in our kitchen into French toast. I started with fluffy white sourdough, used up all of that, then I used my homemade whole wheat sourdough, then I used 1½ English muffins. It was all great! I saved a bunch of it for leftovers, but this is that kind of recipe you just want to fine tune and add to your permanent collection.

📌 This is how I prepared the recipe—

½ block firm tofu
1 cup soy milk
2 tbsp flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 tbsp maple syrup (original calls for 2)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp kala namak
1/8 tsp sea salt

(You can find the original recipe by googling: pcrm French toast)

Blend above and make just like traditional French toast! I will add more cinnamon next time and maybe use the full amount of syrup... maybe.

#plantbased #frenchtoast #oilfree #veganrecipeshare

Potato day 💚

I didn't ONLY eat potatoes today... I just... MOSTLY ate potatoes today. Hash browns twice, air fryer sweet potato fries & russet fries on the waffle maker. Some days should just be a potato day.

#plantbased #potatobased #oilfree #springbreak

Blueberries & (nice) cream 💚

This was a lot tastier than I expected 😆 in fact, it was a happy accident...

Spend enough time around my dad, and eventually he would tell you how you can make blueberry ice cream by pouring chilled cream into a bag of frozen blueberries and shaking/mixing with your hands for like five minutes until the cream starts to solidify. With all this nice cream base–this was just chilled blended banana (4 avg-sized) and vanilla (1½ tsp extract)–I wanted to try something similar.

Flavor-wise, this ended up being a bit of a riff off of a dish that was oh so popular where I grew up: strawberries & cream. I just froze a glass jar, added about a cup of frozen wild blueberries to a cup of liquid nice cream base and vigorously shook for about a minute. It looked kinda gross when I first started shaking it. Then all-of-a-sudden, bam, it looked so good. When I tasted it, it sent me straight back to the days of strawberries & cream.

Obv I gotta try this with strawberries next, but this tasted so good to me, I wanted to jot it down for later 😋

#plantbased #blueberriesncream #oilfree #3ingredients #simpleanddelicious

Sprouts, broccoli, tomatoes, and cheesy hominy quick grits (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

I had leftover cheesy sauce from my plant-based mac & chz the other day, so I thought I'd give it a try in grits (without green chilis, I'm not messing with that flavor combo I already love!!). I still prefer green chili grits, but this was not bad. The cheese sauce is so good with pasta, it's almost made exclusively for that flavor profile, so I was weary of even trying this, but I like to explore.

These are just some thoughts...

In my experience, and I can only speak for myself, I have learned that I have such a strong association with foods and tastes, that this was a massive blocker in my path adopting a more plant-based lifestyle. I failed at flipping the switch because I would be consumed with a feeling of emptiness because I was getting no truly familiar flavors. This is all in hindsight, of course. Oh, and by familiar flavors, I don't mean potatoes or pizza, I literally mean excess fat/oil, and salt.

I spent some time as the junkiest of junk food vegans many, many years ago. I wouldn't touch plain fruits or veggies, but I'd eat fries with Vegenaise regularly. The fries were baked, but they were still loaded with oil and salt, even when I bought the healthiest variety available. Go vegan they said, you'll never feel healthier or better! NOPE. It wasn't the potato that I enjoyed, it was the salty oil dipped in salty oil. The potato was a patsy, blamed for just being there.

Omg, what does this have to do with grits. I wasn't raised in the South, but I've spent some time there, so I'm familiar with how real grits are served up. Never without salt & butter, and when served with cheese, well, the cheese is just more fat and salt. It's like lobster in the Northeast, just a vessel for clarified butter (when steamed) or mayo (as a lobster roll). That said, I don't know that there's really any benefit in chasing the "flavors" of a cheese grit for me. I love the green chili ones even more than I EVER enjoyed regular (butter) or cheese (butter plus cheese) grits. That's because the flavors of the grits themselves come out so much better than they ever could before.

Coffee nice cream 💚

The first KitchenAid accessory I remember us getting was this ice cream maker attachment. This was almost 20 years ago.

In recent years, I couldn't help but wonder why plant-based recipes sometimes stray so very far from traditional ones. Why do I struggle with frozen bananas in my food processor or blender instead of just blending it all up and churning like regular ice cream? Sometimes there's a good reason, but I can assure you that this can be made in the traditional style if you like, just make sure everything is COLD. You can also use a food processor, blender, or probably a ninja creami!

It's all going to taste about the same, the key is matching the flavors you want. I was recently inspired by @alisaeatsplants salted date caramel nice cream, so I got a big 'ol bunch of bananas and then went on a total tangent baking sourdough 😆 After all that, I split the nice cream into two batches and made the coffee one first because I had a hankering. I dialed up the flavor a bit, you can reduce by ½ tsp in vanilla and coffee if you want... You do you!! 😊

📌 RECIPE
4 average bananas, ripe
1½ tsp vanilla extract
2½ tsp decaf instant coffee crystals
1 date, briefly soaked

I blended until creamy, chilled, then churned, but you could follow any nice cream method you like!!

#plantbased #oilfree #nicecream #vegandessert #mybreakfast

Carrots, cucumbers, and celery with chili cheese dip (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

This dip was a little far out, even for me, but I'm really into range these days. I think it's helped me stay on track most of the time, even when I stray with foods. A greater range means it's easier to not get caught up in an off meal or day or week or weeks 😜

Anyway, it's not quite as creamy as I'm used to, but dang if I didn't capture the essence of 'chili cheese' flavor. I think all I need to do is cut back on the nuts a bit next time.

The dip is mostly chili seasonings and nooch. I'll post a full recipe when I get it dialed in. As always, lmk if you want more info–happy to share!

#plantbased #oilfree #veggiesanddip #chilicheesedip

100% whole grain dark rye sourdough boule 💚

I had everything set up this weekend and really just wanted to see... This has a dense crumb, very low gluten, so it's quite different from wheat bread. But still, it tastes very good. It's very much like a fresh version of those thin sliced whole rye breads you can rarely get at the store (I am thinking the Mestemacher brand), or somewhat reminiscent of Ezekiel bread.

Those rustic, earthy cracks are just so pretty. Apparently that's really common in 100% rye from some of my research. I still like to score the boule, it's fun 😊

Working with rye flour is like playing with kinetic sand. I made this the same way I made the whole wheat, but with an extra 50g dark rye flour and 1g more salt.

#plantbased #oilfree #guthealth #sourdough #ryebread

Dump & Bake Teriyaki Tofu Rice Casserole 💚

I like this more than fried rice! 😋

Saw this made by @wholefoodkingodm (yay!) and it looked like something I've been wanting to make for a while. The original is by @frommybowl but I made quite a few adjustments to my preference and what I had on hand, so I included all of that below. I really liked this!

📌 RECIPE
Sauce --
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp molasses (when I use this with maple it's typically a brown sugar sub)
2 tbsp mirin
4-5 cloves garlic (I used 3 big cloves)
1 tbsp ginger, minced

1 3/4 cups water (added more water due to reduced seasoning liquids)

1 cup white jasmine rice
1 big ol' handful of frozen button mushroom slices
Remainder of frozen Asian veggies bag (maybe 4-6 cups?)
1/2 cup fire-roasted corn
1 cup chopped cabbage (lightly charred)
1 16 oz. block firm tofu, cubed
A few more slices of carrot on top because I was already slicing carrots ☺️

Oven @ 375F - I cooked everything in my Dutch oven.
In a Dutch oven, I added sauce ingredients from soy sauce to ginger over medium-high heat. Stirring occasionally, as soon as it started to simmer around the edges, I added water and brought that to just under a simmer. I then turned off the stove top, added the rice FIRST per @wholefoodkingodm's suggestion, then all the frozen and fresh veggies, then the cubed tofu along with some carrot slices on top because I had them handy. I didn't add onions or green onions. I baked, covered, for 45 mins, then gently stirred.

This was really quite good! I never know, especially when I pre-adjust meals to my preference. This was still a touch on the sweet side. It would've been nice to get the seasoning on the tofu, but I think it might pick some up during it's leftover stage, we'll see. I will definitely make this again!

**Changes I'll make for next time:
–Reduce maple syrup to 1 or 1½ tbsp.
–Add maybe ½ cup dry sauteed diced onions.
–I might cut the soy sauce a bit more and add some at the table like I enjoy
–I might try soaked brown rice or a 50/50 combo.

#plantbased #oilfree #veganrecipeshare #communityinspired

Steamed broccoli, mac & cheese, scallions 💚

Eat great, feel great! 💪

It's very quick and easy to reheat in the microwave as well. If you're particular about your noodle consistency, you can heat the leftover sauce to warm, then add the chilled, cooked noodles, and finish heating. No need to add water in the microwave method, there's very little evaporation. Creamy dreamy! 😋

#plantbased #oilfree #leftoversftw #macncheeseplease #cruciferousness #glutenfree

Broccoli mixed sprouts, bean-cashew boursin spread, whole wheat sourdough 💚

I'm going for a 'French herb' theme with the spread right now. I've started an herb blend, I'm keen on simple and available dry herbs and spices, but would love your thoughts on what to consider adding/removing from this blend:

Onion
Garlic
White pepper
Tarragon
Chives
Rosemary
Thyme
Mustard powder

#plantbased #oilfree

One of my yummy bready tests earlier with the whole wheat sourdough boule. I cut a wonky slice and it was still holding up when curved (possibly with the help of my spread between the bread and sprouts).

#plabtbased #plantbased #adventuresinsourdough #oilfree

Mixing up leftovers: Jasmine rice, hummus, cucumbers with za'atar and smoked hot paprika (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

Simple & delicious 😋

#plantbased #mediterranean #oilfree #leftovers

100% whole wheat sourdough boule 💚💚💚

This is without a doubt the best whole wheat bread I ever remember having! It's absolutely incredible! I could not have made it without all the help from @plant.eating.angie and her bread baking wisdom!! Thank you so much, Angie!!! 🙏

I'm still processing how a 4-ingredient bread like this is so dang good. I baked it in a Dutch oven at 475°F covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for 15, then let it cool on the counter overnight. I tested it with my homemade boursin bean spread and sprouts first thing this morning. Mmmm MMMM 😋

#plantbased #wholewheatsourdough #oilfree #sourdoughboule

Onions, mushrooms & kale with leftover mac & cheese topped with shredded aged canyon cheddar and scallions (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

I reheat this mac & cheese many ways. Saucepan, skillet, or microwave. Usually with a little bit of water to cancel out evaporation and usually adding the noodles after the cheese has heated up a bit. I kinda just went for it today. This is pretty forgiving as long as the noods are stored separately.

I was going to do onions, peppers, and mushrooms for a philly-style thing, but I am really jamming with the frozen kale and frozen mushrooms, and I try to always have fresh onion on hand because I love it in so many things. This bowl has a hint of @vegan.sisu vibes, but you can see I forgot to add raw fresh veg. There's even a spot on the plate for it!! D'oh. Next time ☺️

That cheddar has about hit its max age, so I figured I'd use it for a little decoration.

#plantbased #plantpowered #macandcheeseplease #oilfree #mcdougallstarchsolution #5050plate

Rice and greens and beans and shrooms and leeks! 💚

I'm in leftover heaven right now 😇 AND now with my added plant-based convenience foods (frozen mushrooms, frozen greens, and frozen beans), jazzing up meals is a LOT easier!

This was the last of a fairly old leek, I'm glad I got to use the rest of it 🙌

#plantbased #oilfree #eatgreatfeelgreat #powerplate #starchsolution #mcdougallstarchsolution #mushrooms🍄

Pear & orange 💚

Small plate makes it look massive 😆 No matter, it's satisfying and delicious regardless of plate size.

#plantbased #fruit

Smoky collards & navy beans on rice 💚

Thank you for the frozen collard greens suggestions of what to consider (smoke was a common theme) and what to avoid (creaming them beyond enjoyment).

I'm building up my leftovers stash right now and had FINALLY started to formulate a simple approach for the collards. If you didn't see my story, I wanted to come up with a way to enjoy them, but also try to highlight them instead of burying their flavor. This was my attempt at that, and it came out simple and tasty.

I used regular paprika because my smoked paprika is not nearly fresh enough, and I added liquid smoke, extra liquid smoke, plus more liquid smoke, which can be dangerous for flavor balance, but it's all about timing as smoke flavor cooks out.

I think this is about 2 good servings.

1 can low sodium navy beans
½ 14 oz bag frozen chopped collard greens
¼ cup water
4-5 garlic cloves, minced (I used jarred, which is milder)
½ tsp dry thyme, lightly crushed
½ tsp dry rosemary, lightly crushed
¼ tsp dry dill
1 tsp dry parsley
½ tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp hickory liquid smoke
1 tsp pecanwood liquid smoke
20 cranks coarsely ground black pepper
Sea salt to taste (I used ¼ tsp sea salt)

I blended half the beans plus the bean liquid into a cream. Then, I added everything except salt to a saucepan over medium heat. I stirred occasionally until the mixture came to a light simmer and cooked about 15-20 mins (guesstimate) until I really liked the consistency. I salted to taste - the beans, underlying smoke, and garlic reduce the amount of salt needed for my tastes. Before serving, I stirred about 5 more drops of liquid smoke into the pot for smoky notes both deep and shallow.

I was tempted to add Tabasco or Crystal or some traditional Southern hot sauce as I've done in dishes like this in the past, but I'm glad I didn't because I tried a few drops on it at the table and it completely overpowered the other flavors. The collards still had bite and this went well with scallion'd rice!

#plantbased #southerncookin #collardgreens #navybeans #smokyfood #oilfree #glutenfree #beansgreensgrains

Steamed broccoli and mac & cheese (plant-based, gluten-free, oil-free) 💚

Talk about a pretty perfect pair!

This is simply cooked brown rice macaroni and my tofu-based cheese sauce that is largely modeled after the recipe shared by the vegan Atlanta diner 'Soul Vegetarian' that's been serving vegan food since 1979 (which I find quite remarkable). I think they shared their recipe like 13 YEARS ago. Mine's got lots of tofu, some acidic variety, and much MUCH less salt, but it's a real winning match of tasting great and feeling great.

You could add a pinch of annatto powder (achiote) or even turmeric if you want to hit commercial boxed colors, but I love the mild, creamy golden yellow personally. It reminds me it's going to be really tasty and not over the top salty or dairy-feeling.

This is just like the last time I shared it, the only diff is I weighed the garlics.

📌 Chz sauce (v2.0) — blend the following:
16oz block soft tofu
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 tbsp prepared yellow mustard (e.g. French's)
5 cloves garlic (15g)
3/4 cup nooch
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp white pepper

Briefly heat sauce and noodles together & enjoy!!!

#plantbased #brassicaboss #macaroniandcheese #oilfree #nutfree #dairyfree #glutenfree #flavorfilled #vegan #plantbasednoms

Homemade plant-based Detroit-style pizza 💚

Just trying stuff.. this was darn good. I ate a couple of slices with a half plate of hot sauced sprouts–Vitamin S!

I was talking with @savagewalking today and he brought up sourdough pizza crust. I'm really looking forward to trying that, especially with his pointers, but this is NOT that! This is store bought pizza dough.

I always think I'm just going to coax the dough into a shape and it will just do what I think and it literally never does. That's fine when it's not in a pan, but when I put it in a pan and it's not uniform, well, let's just say this is Detroit-esque, maybe it's like Ann Arbor-style, I dunno 😆

But the point is, those high rise crusty parts were ahhhmazing. I got a little crazy with the plant-based mozz, and sauce, but I felt like a million bucks after eating this and sprouts, so I suppose it's all good!

📌 The mozz is @eatplantbased.com14 with 50/50 cashews/hummus. It's got a slight golden hue because of the hummus.

📌 The sauce is based on @floralapronblog's amazing little pizza sauce recipe. I love it so much! Here's my take: whisk together 1 can (6oz./170ml) tomato paste, the same amount of water, 1½ tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp dried minced garlic, 10 cranks coarsely ground black pepper, a couple pinches of celery salt, and about 1½ tsp maple syrup. So easy, so good for you, and I like it better than anything from the store!

I made one pizza on parchment dusted with cornmeal and the other in a springform pan with just cornmeal. I wish I could cornmeal the sides of the pan but with gravity and all, that's not happening. I know Detroit-style is supposed to use a steel oil pan, but I'm not that dedicated to this... yet, lol. I did add the mozz to parts of the crust for baking and it was yums! Oh, I also hit the pizzas with the torch after they came out, it gives them a delicate 'fired' aroma ☺️

#planrbased #plantbaded #plantbased #pizza #craigstestkitchen

Torn cabbage, cucumber slices, and plant-based, oil-free sweet onion dip 💚

This is a very refreshingly light combo! I used to get annoyed that I couldn't just 'fill up on veggies', but now I realize it's because they satisfy my hunger without that heavy feeling.

#planrbased #plantbased #greenfood #cucumber #cabbage #oilfree

White Bean Chili and a hunk of multigrain sourdough 💚

I added a bit of extra water when reheating today but it was still so very delicious! To me it's a very harmonious chili.🧘

#plantbased #beanssatisfy #oilfree

Chilled citrus fruit 💚

Chilled is my favorite way to enjoy citrus!

#plantbased #citrusfruit

Plant-based noods with oil-free chili oil, roasted broccoli, and crunchy toppings 💚

I keep a list of food-related ideas. It's got good ideas and bad ideas and bizarre ideas. This turned out to be a pretty good idea.

The idea I had was oil-free chili oil. I know from experience that 'crunchy texture' is only shelf stable in oil or air, so crunchy toppings seemed like a better choice. I already had fettuccine made from yesterday and roasted broccoli from a few days ago. If I made this from scratch, rice noods all the way, but wheat noodles held up just fine.

One last note is I've started keeping home cooked beans in the freezer and using them that way. I just slow cook a batch every now and then, freeze them on a sheet pan, and store them in a giant zipper baggie. It makes small batch recipes like this a lot easier, too. I have a white bean (alubia blanca), a light brown bean (snowcap), and a black bean (I can only remember so many @rancho_gordo bean names).

📌 Recipe-ish:
In a mini blender:
2 tbsp cashews, soaked in hot water
2 tbsp white beans, soaked with the cashews
1 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes)
3 tbsp water
Blend until creamy

Blanch al dente noodles (2 servings was about 3 oz dry) AND roasted broccoli (1 lb bag or a bit more, previously roasted) in boiling water for 1 minute. I would probably just try steamed broccoli next time. Drain and add sauce + extra water (½ cup maybe?) to make it creamy; heat up. I tasted and added a pinch of salt here and a pinch at the table. Top with scallions, dry minced onion (or dry onion flakes might be even better), dry minced garlic, and another sprinkle of gochugaru. 🔥

I think this would be a nice base for a chilled rice noodle salad, maybe adding a low sodium tamari tofu and freshly chopped red pepper in place of salt. Ok, wrapping this up because this was last night's dinner and I don't have leftovers and I'm starting to get hungry!

#plabtvased #plantbased #oilfree #starchsolution #5050plate #mcdougallstarchsolution #mcdougalldiet #eatgreatfeelgreat #roastedbroccoli

Congee, a salt story 💚

I've been eating congee for many years now. It has only become one of my staple foods in the last couple of years. I tried reducing the salt in it last year, but I didn't like the reduced salt version.

As I expanded my salt range in other areas, I decided one day to just add no salt. My taste buds were confused, but I still added the same salty topping (some low sodium soy sauce or tamari) and usually something spicy like Sambal Oelek and something good at accenting flavor like scallions. Sometimes I'll have shredded, seasoned soy curls instead of soy sauce.

As I fine tuned to my preference, I also doubled the ginger and white pepper and carrots and celery, and I even add torn cabbage now. I enjoy this updated, even healthier and more health-promoting congee as much as ever. I still like a salty topping, but it's a fraction of the original amount.

I'm not a big 'no salt' advocate, but I LOVE the idea of getting salts from the salty things I enjoy.

#plantbased #congee #veganfood #saltsavvy

Mirepoix fettuccine with chilled tomato coulis 🫠

IThis was a fun concept but it needs a lot of work, and it tastes like a light summer dish. Contrary to how it looks to me, this is only about 1.5 oz (42g) pasta and the majority of this plate is veggies, including the sauce.

This time I blanched for one minute the al dente fettuccine along with all the veggies and added leeks.

I pictured a pretty bed of tomato coulis to swirl up. The reality was that the dish needed a lot more sauce! That's picture number 2, where I gave it another big pour. There's very little concentrated flavor in this tomato coulis. I like that word, coulis, it's fun 🥳

In the third picture, you can see the blanching definitely helped with twirlability. Whew.

And in the fourth picture you can see why nobody ever slices celery this way. Sorry, but yeah I tried really hard to chew thru it to no avail. 😆

📌 This tomato coulis was very simple and fresh - 1 large hothouse tomato, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tsp dry basil, and a bit of fresh pepper, gently heated for a few minutes and then chilled. It's got bigtime summertime vibes.

#plantbased #pastaplate #oilfree

Yay veggieeeeeeees! 💚

Carrots, celery, leeks with sweet onion dip. Plant-based, oil-free, light, satisfying, health-promoting, and all the other very good things!!!

#plantbased #veggiebased #veggiesveggiesandmoreveggies #oilfree

Rice cake with walnut butter and flaxseeds 💚

I have no limit on flaxseeds. I don't eat them all the time, but when I do, I load up. They always bring the fiber and omega-3s like nothing else, and they always make me feel better after eating them. They pair so dang well with just a couple teaspoons of walnut butter, but I've also been known to chow on a small handful at times!

#plantbased #omega3 #oilfree #simplesnacks #hownottodie

Simple sweet potato fries and dippin' sauces 💚

This is my first time making sweet potato fries in the air fryer from scratch. They were very soft, not bad, but not great. I'm hesitant to go down a path of coating because I'm working towards simplicity. I have this amount of SP fries remaining frozen to play with, open to oil-free ideas!

The sauces are all plant-based and oil-free: aioli, spicy mayo, and bbq, all topped with thinly sliced scallions because they're tasty and look lovely to me!

#plantbased

Congee, kimchi, garlic & white pepper soy curls 💚

For me, congee is the culinary equivalent of a lighthouse: always there, guiding me back to comfort and simplicity, whether I find myself lost in the storm of a bad day or basking in the fresh air of a good one ☺️

#planrbased #plantbased #congeeforme #oilfree

Breakfast tacos (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

Leftover tofu scramble, shredded cabbage, sliced red onion, sprouts, drizzled with aioli and dotted with @queenmajestyhotsauce. Jalapeño & lime was the best, but they were all very good. I will hold these tacos in place with anything I can get my hands on.. a santoku knife is what I had today.

What a variety and treat for me AND my gut microbiota 🙌🥳

#plantbased #breakfasttacos #oilfree

Slow Cooker White Bean Chili 💚

The first photos show a Great Northern bean version, and the last photo has the Caballero bean. Both were delicious! I would imagine other white beans might be tasty.

Also... frozen fire roasted corn would be more efficient. I got these for my cat to try, he did not like them.

📌 Slow Cooker White Bean Chili

Ingredients:

½ small/medium white onion, diced (100g-130g)
2 garlic cloves, chopped (not minced or it may burn)
1-1¼ cup fire roasted (or regular) sweet corn (100-130g)

8 ounces dry white beans (I've tried Caballero beans and Great Northern beans)
3½ cups water
2-3 tsp low sodium vegan chicken bouillon powder (I use a slightly modded, reduced salt version of the @veeatcookbake version.)

1½ tsp cumin, ground
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp Mexican oregano (I've read marjoram is a good sub)
10 cranks coarsely ground fresh black pepper

¼ cup cashews, soaked
¼ cup unsweetened soy milk
1 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp apple cider vinegar

½ tsp sea salt, or to taste
10 MORE cranks coarsely ground fresh black pepper

Dry saute onion and garlic on medium until tender and slightly crunchy, about 5-8 minutes. Add fire-roasted corn for the last 1-2 minutes, or if using regular corn, saute with onion and garlic but stir corn infrequently for charring.

In a slow cooker, combine beans, water, bouillon, cumin, paprika, Mexican oregano, and 10 cranks of black pepper. Mix in the sauteed ingredients. Cook covered on high until beans are soft, stirring occasionally - about 5 hours 45 minutes for Caballero beans; my older great northern beans took 7 hours.

Before beans finish, soak cashews in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain. Blend cashews with soy milk, lemon juice, and vinegar until creamy.

Once beans are done, stir in cashew cream, add black pepper (10 more cranks) and salt to taste (I used about ½ tsp), and serve hot. Add water when reheating to adjust consistency.

#plantbased #oilfree #soupshare

Carrots, celery, leeks with sweet onion dip 💚

A bit chaotic on the plate, but why not! Also, trying peeled, cut celery for the first time here. I shaved it down with the peeler for my last pasta dish, and this is the remainder. The tender crunchiness is off the charts when it's cut like this. I will have to try it again! They're difficult to distinguish from the leeks on the plate, but the celery are the ones with more white part.

#plantbased #veggiegram #veggiepostload #oilfree

Mirepoix fettuccini, a mushroom, sprouts, and a piece of multigrain sourdough 💚

I cooked a bunch today. The fridge is stocked. The freezer is full of mushrooms I got from Costco and sliced today. And, I finally got around to vacuum sealing my bulk soy curls for freezer storage.

Sometimes rando food ideas just kind of come out of thin air. This was one of those. I like the mix of pasta with carrot noodles, why not extend that to a bit of a mirepoix mixture with long celery noodles and long green onions sliced thinly?

I had to decide whether to eat this warm or cold. I chose cold with raw veggies and they were bulky and stiff and I made a total mess when eating it. Eating this chilled might work for a chopped pasta salad, I'll have to keep that in mind as warmer weather arrives. Also, this was not nearly enough food, there's maybe a dry 1-1.5 oz of pasta in there and the veggies are just too few. Nope nope nope.

I'm thinking I'll try this dish warm next time so the veggies can twirl freely... with a chilled tomato coulis. I used aioli today, and we happened to have fresh dill so umm YEA! I also added some hot sauce to the sprouts because yum. 😋

#plantbased #mirepoixpasta #oilfree

Montréal-style smoked soy curls on homemade multigrain sourdough 💚

This is one of my favorite plant-based foods. It was truly a labor of love to get to this point, which I reached last summer I think. Trial and error and countless days and nights smelling of various wood smokes (sorry fam!). And, as part of my journey I can say it was worth it. Even today, it was several hours to make this, but to me, it's worth it. There are many other ways to make soy curls quicker than this, and they're worth it, too 😊

Soy curls are single-ingredient, minimally processed whole soybeans. I rehydrate and season them, brighten them with beetroot powder, and smoke them low & slow for a few hours. I get away with less salt than a deli meat would have because to my tastes, smoke is able to reduce the amount of salt to achieve a delightfully complex taste. And because they're soy curls, you can penetrate them with smoke more than you ever could with a meat product, which I find kinda awesome. If you're curious about the texture, also a trial and error discovery – I texturize them with a wooden dowel.

It's this kind of food that helped me transition away from deli meats which are classified as Group 1 carcinogens (up there with asbestos and plutonium). It removed my deprived food feelings and paved the way for more beans, vegetables, and other great foods!

#plantbased #soycurls #montrealsmoked #oilfree #transitiontoplantbased

Started drinking warm lemon water in the morning yesterday and today. I've done this in the past but eventually I fell out of the habit. It's such a nice start to the day. 🍋🧘🌄

#plantbased #lemonwater

My Sourdough Chronicles

This is very similar to yesterday's bread, but I'm now working in more whole grains. I used ⅓ wholemeal spelt flour with ⅔ all-purpose flour and a boatload of tips from one of my bread mentors @plant.eating.angie !

This grew a lot faster than my last dough. That sourdough starter must really like the spelt flour.

I made a couple of rookie mistakes – I didn't tighten the boule shape sufficiently and given yesterday's extra cracking, I decided to cut a larger and deeper score in the top (is there an official term for that score?). That, plus the higher density of the flour affected the rise, you can see a few photos in this new loaf in the background versus yesterday's in the foreground. Still learning a lot, and I'm eager to make a nice, gut health promoting sourdough.

I also took lots of pictures, I just find everything dough and bread to be so enjoyable. Check out where I scored the bread and like a minute later when it just started to slouch.

The boule may not have all the external appeal of my last one, but it actually tastes even better. Now to figure out how I want to freeze these because that's all part of my big bread plan 😊

#plantbased #sourdoughchronicles #oilfree #sourdough

Sprouts & shallots & scallions salad, garlicky mushroom & kale tofu scramble, homemade sourdough 💚

Seriously, I need to do this like once a week. What a breakfast!!

You can see the extra sunlight in my kitchen really brings out that yellow color in the last photo. What an awesome meal this was! Did I already say that? You can just barely see green goddess dressing on the salad. Trust me, it's a generous pour, @mcdougallmom style, and everything was just so yum 😋

I recorded another little video clip to post sometime when reheating my scramble because when I want the scramble creamy dreamy I reheat it in a skillet with a splash of water and gentle, time-spaced folding. I added in my leftover garlicky mushrooms & kale and... what an awesome meal! 🥳

#plantbased #plantbasedbreakfast #veganfoods #tofuscramble #sprouts #sourdough

Slow Cooker White Bean Chili, chopped salad with green goddess dressing, a cucumber seed stick, and cornbread 💚

Chopped salad! Is it so wrong to want to eat my salads with a spoon? In the words of Kevin McCallister: I don't think so. I had a few minutes so I chopped it by hand. I even chopped the sprouts.. never did that before 😆 it was basic in taste and delightful in texture 😋 coming from the world of hyperpalatable foods, enjoying or even being okay with basic tastes is kind of a big deal.

I made another pot of this white bean chili yesterday. I couldn't remember if I had used 2 tsp or 3 tsp of my homemade low salt vegan chicken-style bouillon powder, so I was able to taste my previous batch from two days ago versus yesterday's to figure that out (spoiler alert, it was 3 tsp!).

I know I get unreasonably excited about my newfound appreciation for simpler foods, but I'm SO HAPPY with this chili. I was really tempted to add more seasonings and green chiles and this/that/the other, but I resisted, and I'm glad that I did. Add in a couple more seasonings and then it's less opportunity to taste the beans. Add in green chiles and it masks the onion and corn. More is not always better!

I'll get the recipe digitized and cleaned up. I'm actually making a third batch today because I want to try it with another white bean since these @rancho_gordo beans aren't always available.

#plantbased #beansonthemenu #chili #oilfree

I had the last of my @plantyou tomato soup today 💚

My final thoughts are this: adding just a touch of maple syrup really balances this out, and the (cooked) ancient grains makes it a much heartier soup if you're going for that. The first photo is really chunky because I used up the rest of the soup with the rest of the grains. I think making this to my preference will make it my go-to tomato soup! ❤️☺️

#plantbased #plantyou #tomatosoup #oilfree

Homemade sourdough boule 💚

If bread is art, then this is my pour painting.

I used the no knead recipe from @jocooks that I printed out and had success with using yeast years back. Look at all those crispy ears! I wonder if @tompapa would approve? I'd like to think so. Haha. I made this boule with sourdough starter (30g) and 100% all-purpose flour to get a baseline. It's a no knead, 24 hour ferment, dutch oven baked boule.

I removed 15g water and 15g flour from the recipe to accommodate using a liquid starter.

A big thanks to my sourdough starter benefactor 🙏

#plantbased #sourdough #boule #oilfree

Tofu scramble with scallions, garlicky mushrooms & kale, toast 💚

While I was eating, I was thinking about why this comes together so well sometimes. It's not always great, but what things do I do when it is great? I used firm tofu, rinsed but not pressed. I preheated the skillet and cooked things on medium/medium low.

I made huge crumbles of tofu with as little of the minced crumble as possible. It's the surface area seasoning trick –> bigger blocks = less surface area = more flavor on the outside with the same amount of seasoning. I folded in the seasoning gently, I added and folded in a pinch more turmeric because I knew the small amount of cashew cream would lighten things up.

This next part is the small blender cashew cream trick. I only used 2 tbsp cashews, soaked in hot water, then blended into about 2 ounces of soy milk, then I added roughly another ounce of soy milk, blended that in (if your liquid ratio is too high when you start there will not be enough friction to make a cream), and then I had lemon from this morning's lemon water and squeezed in maybe half a teaspoon.

Finally, dusted the scramble with white pepper after plating to make it à la Dugas, and salted to my preference at the table. The sides and scallions greatly reduce the need for any additional salt (and there's also some in the seasoning).

#plantbased #ponderingatthetable #oilfree #weekendbreakfast #veganfoodshare

I made a pot of white bean chili today using half the bag of @rancho_gordo Caballero beans. It's heading for the fridge, but the taste and texture was above and beyond my expectations. I'm not saying this is competition-grade chili or anything (which is ridiculously salty and oily). No... this is just really simple, balanced, and pleasant. Using fresh beans and their cooking broth reduces the amount of salt I need to add to bring out those wonderful flavors (I used ½ tsp sea salt in this pot).

I really need to prep some more foods to have at the ready. I sometimes get stuck in the pattern of not great sleep leads to not great food, and repeat. I've got sprouts and some dips/dressings which are great, but I need a couple meals banked in the fridge. One down!

#plantbased #soupgroup #oilfree #ranchogordo

Sprouts à la Dugas 💚

At a slightly different angle.

This has the other spread I made that I shared in my story and it's suuuper great! Shallot & chive. Freshly minced shallots (1 slightly heaping tablespoon) and freeze dried chives (1 teaspoon), oh and ¼ tsp white pepper in a half batch.

#plantbased #sourdough #sprouty #broccolisprouts #beans #legumes #oilfreecooking

Plant-based, oil-free tomato soup 💚

Leftover @plantyou soup from last night with a couple of adjustments.

Last night's soup was a bit of an experiment in flavor adjustment. Although it turned out a tad more tart than my pref, today brought some balance to the dish. About half a teaspoon of maple syrup and just under a quarter teaspoon of molasses added to my serving while reheating mellowed the tartness. This simple tweak reminded me that, often, our meals are laden with sugars, fats, and salts, not by necessity, but by habit. Yet, here I am, rediscovering the true essence of taste, one spoonful at a time.

I'm learning to adopt the same strategy with items like salt, cashew nuts, and even concentrated treats like maple syrup, as I do with my overall eating habits. Instead of talking about moderation—a term I struggle with given the baggage that comes with it—I prefer to think in different terms. I ask myself what's the minimum I can use to enjoy this food? This approach helps me recalibrate my eating habits away from the standard diet towards a more intentional, pleasurable way of eating. It's particularly effective when dealing with rich ingredients, where **a little goes a long way in elevating the flavor and experience of a dish**. 💚😋

Second soup –
I was still hungry after my cup of soup, so I made a second cup with leftover ancient grains and it was very hearty and very filling and very tasty! It tastes just like a great hot soup I could get from the local food co-op!

#plantbased #plantyou #tomatosoup #oilfree #simpleanddelicious

Plant-based, oil-free sourdough with broccoli sprouts and pepperjack spread 💚

Keeping it simple, I use the same creamy white bean & cashew base and added to half the batch: 1 tbsp canned jalapeños and 2 tbsp jarred piquillo peppers, petite diced. The red pepper bleeds into the base making it a bit pink, not my fav, so I would do fresh red pepper in the future I think, also the pepper ratio is a little high, I would dial that back by about ⅓.

Oh, and I added a small amount (¼ tsp) dry mustard powder to the entire spread batch. I think it's not noticeable, but the purpose was more nutritional than anything. Studies show the myrosinase in mustard seeds increases the conversation of glucoraphanin to sulforaphane (which I think is usually simplified to 'increases the bioavailability of sulforaphane'). Raw broccoli and broccoli sprouts already have myrosinase, but adding more may be beneficial!

#plantbased #sproutbased #brassicas #pepperjsck #sproutsàladugas

'In a jiffy tomato soup' from @plantyou cookbook, garlicky mushrooms and kale, & charred sourdough 💚

Simple, tasty, & healthy!

It's really not very much like canned tomato soup at all. I made just a few changes: I used three 15 oz cans of no salt added diced tomatoes + liquid from the fourth reserving the diced tomatoes for a bit of texture after blending. I didn't soak the cashews (seems like an odd step since you're simmering everything), and I used one tsp of my homemade low salt vegan no-chicken bouillon powder + water instead of the broth.

I make the garlicky mushroom kale dish as seen in the second photo. An oil-free saute, and adding the garlic just a couple of minutes before the kale is tender-firm.

I am currently borrowing this cookbook thru one of my digital libraries at the moment, but I'm considering it as a permanent one to get. The recipes are very inline with my direction. I'm looking forward to trying the Irish Stew recipe!

#plantbased #plantyou #tomatothursday #oilfree #soupyme

Plant-based, oil-free creamy mushrooms and kale on ancient grains 💚

We got home late last night, so this was a simpler prep of leftovers (well, leftover grains and mushroom cream+water plus frozen mushrooms & frozen kale). I did not add garlic this time, it was late and I didn't think about it. In the third photo you can see I took 3-4 dry porcini mushrooms and broke them into various sizes to mix in. It's rare for me to work in porcinis and have them feel complimentary, so that was a pleasant twist! I'll almost never add porcinis the first time I make a dish because they're real attention hogs! 😆

#plantbased #homestylecooking #oilfree #lowfat #healthpromotingfoods

Radishes, cucumbers, cauliflower, & leeks with garlic hummus 💚

We're always classifying everything these days. Is this a hearty snack or a light meal? Does it matter? It was a delight 😊

I did have a bit of hummus left over and a slice of sourdough packed in my lunch bag, so I enjoyed another satisfying snack out of this later on 🙌

#plantbased #heartysnack #lightmeal #oilfree #veggiesveggiesandmoreveggies

Creggo waffles & New Hampshire maple syrup (aka 'the good stuff') 💚

C'est si bon !

I found a big bag of Creggo waffles in the freezer. Yay!

I'm enjoying every bit of this maple syrup. It's the last of a tradition. The Bisson family, multigenerational sugar makers, boiled sap into syrup the old fashioned way with a wood-fired evaporator. They were in operation since 1921 and not only have I enjoyed this particular syrup since I was born, but it's nostalgic to think that my parents, my grandparents, my great grandparents, and possibly my great great grandparents even had the same syrup. Including the latest generation, that's six generations of family eating the same syrup from the same family from the same part of the woods. Amazing ☺️

Well, that sugar house finally closed down after a hundred years. I just checked and their website is now offline now too. I asked around, and nobody is picking up their operation where they left off, which was a bummer to hear. I get it, nothing like that lasts forever, but I'll enjoy this until the very last drop.

#plantbased #waffles #maplesyrup #oilfree #family #tradition

Garlicky kale & mushrooms, ancient grains, & cream of mushroom 💚💚💚

Why don't we call 'cream of mushroom' simply 'mushroom cream'? Gah. Anyway, this was from yesterday because Android Instagram is soooo buggy sometimes 🫠

I'm giving this meal the coveted 💚💚💚 for three reasons:

A) The grains cooked effortlessly in the rice cooker

2) Frozen cream of mushroom soup came out heavenly

And D) Somehow I now delight in kale and mushrooms cooked from frozen with a big scoop of jarred garlic?!

The kale and mushrooms are as simple as they look. The cream of mushroom is about 1/6 recipe (half a puck 🏒) of @theplantpowercouple vegan condensed cream of mushroom soup plus half a cup of water while reheating. This serving has less than 2 tablespoons of cashews and more than 2 tablespoons of red lentils! The ancient grain blend was a new bulk bin find, yay! It's parboiled, but I'm happier about the convenience factor.

I didn't just pull this dish out of thin air. It's totally inception! A lot of you all make dishes like this all the time like it's NBD, and I love it and find it totally inspiring, so.. thank youuu! 🙏☺️

#plantbased #plantbasedcommunity #antiinflammatorygoodness #healthpromotingfoods #oilfree #greens #mushrooms #kale #garlic #grains #ancientgrains

Rice cake, peanut butter (2-3 tsp), golden flaxseeds 💚

Trying to push the rice cake as a bread and cracker alternative was a gutsy, bold move in the 1980s & 90s. Thank goodness I'm not in marketing 😆

I start eating with my eyes most of the time. When the food that I see does not match up with what my sense of taste or smell expects, that's generally a recipe for a poor experience. We all have different tastes, but examples for me are: tofu-based mayos, potato/carrot/onion nacho cheeses, and jackfruit anything. I've reflected about this, and I'm fairly certain that the poor experience is because I had very strong connections with the typical foods each of those were meant to replace (mayo, nacho cheese, pulled pork/chicken).

The reason I bring it up is because of this rice cake. Pretty dry and not very satisfying by itself. I should've taken a picture, but after adding just a couple tsp of peanut butter it still looks really sad, spread so thin. But then, covered in flaxseeds it's like icing on a cake. It looks better, it tastes better, and it's more satisfying. They filled in the gaps between the peanut butter to make it look notably heartier, and since I wasn't expecting a ton of gooey nut butter, it's an overall positive experience. 😊 Sometimes I really hit the nut butter when I'm feeling it, but I'm getting better at noticing the times when just 2-3 teaspoons will suffice.

#plabtbased #plantbased #peanutbutter #oilfree #flaxfilled #ricecake

Green bell pepper, celery, & radishes with green goddess dressing 💚

I used to cut off the radish tails. I wonder why?

#plantbased #veggiegram #veggiesnack #oilfree #veggies4thewin

Radish leaf velouté to start the day 💚

Reheated in a pot. I'm always reheating soups with added water because they thicken during cold storage.

#plantbased #radishleafvelouté #oilfree #glutenfree

Torched romaine, green goddess dressing, red onion, green onion, shaved Brazil nut, with broccoli sprouts & radishes 💚💚💚

Good to the last bite. I used the Brazil nut end as a handle and added the last bit to the sprouts and saved it for the last bite 😋

I appreciate the catchiness of the term 'forks over knives' but this is absolutely a fork AND knife plate 🍴!

#plantbased #salad #romaine #greengoddessdressing #goodeats #brazilnut #oilfree

Plant-based, oil-free simple fried rice 💚

Unlearning cooking habits is hard, but it's worth it. I now realize that starting by slashing oil is really front-loading the hard part and paving the way to real enjoyment of more whole foods.

It's not that I don't go off the beaten path a lot, like, I used toasted sesame flour in this instead of toasted sesame oil that I might have used for many years. But, my brain kept going to places like "ginger, fried rice definitely has ginger, and of course soy sauce, maybe dark, too. Also, what am I missing?" until I finally just said: full stop. Let's just do something simple. A warm, satisfying meal with minimal effort on this blustery day!

📌
Jasmine rice, leftover chilled
White onion, diced
Garlic, thick sliced
Frozen sliced mushrooms

Dry fry, don't disturb the rice for several minutes to allow the Maillard reaction to kick in.

A tablespoon of toasted sesame flour
Air fried broccoli
Montreal-style smoked tofu, in 1-cm pieces
Salt & black pepper to taste

Topped with minced scallions.

#plantbased #simplefriedrice #nooil #broccoli4me #vegan

Radish leaf velouté 💚 inspired by @chris_vege_95 – merci !

I don't have a tried and true recipe for this. It's put together from light research. The main recipe I gravitated towards was by Audrey Le Goff at @pardonyourfrench. She added lots of pictures and details to make it clear. Merci, Audrey !

My potato ratio was high. No surprise there given my love for potatoes. I'll cut that back next time, maybe closer to 300-350g. I rarely use vegetable broth anymore. I keep a homemade (low salt) vegan bullion powder that I find tastes even better in nearly every application.

Anyway, here's what I did! 📌

100g/4oz white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
450g yellow potato, cut for simmer (the sign literally said 'yellow potato' 😆)
2 tsp vegan ckn-style bouillon powder
2½ cups water
1 large bunch radish leaves, cleaned thoroughly
Salt and fresh pepper to taste (15 cranks plus more at the table)
Radish, thinly sliced for garnish

Soften onion and garlic with a light dry or water saute. Move to a pot, add potatoes, water, and bouillon (or half water half veg broth). Cook 12-15 mins until potatoes are softened. Top with radish leaves and black pepper and cook 2-3 mins until leaves are wilted. Blend into a velouté ('smooth soup') using an immersion blender. Lightly salt to taste. Enjoy your radish leaf velouté hot with extra black pepper at the table.

This soup is so warming and satisfying. It makes a lovely leftover. ☺️☺️☺️

#plantbased #radishleafvelouté #veganfoodshare #oilfree #entoutesimplicité

Plant-based, oil-free garlicky mushroom kale, patatas bravas O'Brien, sourdough wedge 💚

I am really liking that word garlicky lately. It's fun to say ☺️

This was the last of my salsa brava, and I wanted to try it on store bought frozen potatoes. It was different than the air fries I've been eating. Frozen store potatoes are not quite as flavorful so when they stuck to the pan I released them with this bottle of aged sherry vinegar 🥳. I can't even remember what I got this specific vinegar for, I just remember thinking at the time thank goodness I got it because it made all the difference. I'll have to search back thru my posts to see if I can jog my memory on that one.

Pictured: sauteed kale, champignon & porcini mushroom bits & lots of minced garlic, potatoes O'Brien with salsa brava, aioli & scallions, and a torched wedge of rosemary sourdough.

#plantbased #5050plate #adiospatatasbravas #muydelicioso #oilfree #oilfreecooking #veganfoodshare

Radish greens and radishes 💚❤️

I don't usually note my ingredients, but as this is my journey, today was noteworthy for two reasons. First, I went shopping while hungry, which is usually a terrible, no good, very bad idea for me.

But... what do I get a craving for in the middle of the produce area? Radish leaf velouté ! That's a first. So, that was noteworthy thing number one.

The second noteworthy thing is that I shopped radishes explicitly for the greens, hardly looking at the roots. Usually healthier looking greens means better roots, but I was looking for a nice, fresh, big bunch of greens. Found one that will be great!!! 🌱🌱🌱

#plantbased #velouté #radish

Patatas bravas and a Mediterranean-inspired salad (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

Pictured: patatas bravas with aioli and scallions around a simple tomato, red onion, & chickpea balsamic salad topped with dry parsley flakes.

Regardless of the length of that 👆 I'm actually trying to simplify a bit right now. The inner salad came from mostly bits of fridge leftovers. The rest was just heat & eat - air fried thick-cut fries, the sauces from yesterday (the salsa brava is warmed and the aioli is chilled) and of course the mighty scallion.

I try to take a photo here and there to jog my memory of meal prep and rough estimates of ratios. That's the second and third photo here. I would make this salad again, but I would rinse the chickpeas next time (they weren't bad, just a tad strong and salty).

#plantbased #potatoes4life #oilfree #starchplate #beanssatisfy

Plant-based, oil-free mushroom stroganoff, chilled sauteed broccoli & leeks with a side of aioli 💚

I love it when leftovers come together so well. It sounds so simple now, but I spent most of my life associating specific veggies with specific meats (cabbage only with corned beef or pot roast, sauerkraut is for hot dogs if you're brave, corn with poultry, etc.). Untangling that mess is liberating. Not everything goes well with everything, but grains, legumes, and veggies just play together so well. 😊💚

#plantbased #5050plate #mushstrog #brocleek #oilfree #happybelly

Baby broccoli sprouts on plant-based cracked black pepper Boursin on torched rosemary sourdough 💚

A favorite! 😊

#plantbased #sprouts #oilfree

Plant-based, oil-free – peppered tomato, sauteed broccoli and leeks, green chili grits, and plant-based eggs two ways 💚

I saw @chris_vege_95 had posted about a gorgeous new book from @muellehelias titled Végétal & Complet (Plant-Based & Whole). It doesn't look very easy to get that book here in the states, so I read up on some of Muelle's posts on food and life. Lovely reading 💚

I decided to take the opportunity this morning when puppo woke up early, in my half awake/half asleep creative stupor, to ponder this whole moong dal egg thing wondering what else might compliment the existing way people are using them in egg-like preparations but without oil. It all kind of connected and I decided a few things.

First, keep it simple – this inspiration came strongly from the two aforementioned individuals.

Second, let's slash the soak time by just doing a blend/pause/blend that @juliacooksplants mentioned in a comment earlier – super smart! I was able to get 4 hours of soaking reduced to 7 minutes with my particular blender.

Finally, I was really caught up on the texture and 'fluffiness' and remembered the dish @chris_vege_95 shared once: Quenelles millet. They were a bit dense and a bit fluffy. I decided to use a blend of moong dal and millet this morning, and it was quite pleasant. Not eggs, but enjoyable no doubt. And to be fair, I think scrambled eggs and omelettes are something we learn to enjoy, so I'm not hell bent on recreating them exactly.

This morning's test: ⅔ cup moong dal, ⅓ cup millet, 2 cups water, ¼ tsp kala namak, ⅛ tsp turmeric, 2 tbsp nooch, ¼ tsp distilled vinegar. Blend 1 min in Vitamix, sit 5 minutes, blend 1 more minute. Say three Hail Marys and start cooking, dust with more kala namak during cooking. Top with white pepper to serve (à la Dugas). The reason I have eggs two ways is just from different ways of cooking. They're both pretty. Oh, and I think there may be something to cooking, cooling for texture, then reheating — that was a big takeaway this morning.

I included various cooking photos, and the lighting varies widely from my stove to cutting board to dining table 💡

#plantbased #moongdal #millet #oilfree

Patatas bravas with aioli and scallions (plant-based, oil-free)💚

My super kind plant pal @mcdougallmom posted these earlier and I took about 3 nanoseconds to ask her about them. She hooked me up with some considerations and notes on how she made it and...

Ohhh myyyyyy. I'm done being self-conscious about foods that look like this because this stuff tastes AWESOME!!!

Sauces that are great and great for you are literally CHEAT CODES for thriving with oil-free, plant-based foods. I wiped this plate so clean I just put it straight back in the cupboard after dinner. Just kidding about that very last part 😆

But seriously, I ate this a little over an hour ago and I feel like a million bucks. Unfortunately, I did eat this after I showered and I got salsa brava on my fresh shirt AND pants. A small price to pay.

#plantbased #starchivorousrex #i💚potatoes #potatoluvr #saucemeupplease #oilfree #oilfreecooking #veganeats

Plant-based mushroom stroganoff, chilled broccoli and leeks with Green Goddess dressing for dipping 💚

50/50 plate, baby!! Somebody queue up Tom Jones and the gif of Carlton dancing. That's probably very specific to my general location and generation 😆

#plantbased #5050plate #mcdougallstarchsolution #oilfree #eatgreatfeelgreat

Mushroom stroganoff (whole grain), lightly sauteed broccoli and leeks, charred white onion and tomato, and thin charred baguette slices (all plant-based and oil-free) 💚

There's a lot going on here! A feast for my gut microbiota. It was going to just be leftover stroganoff and roasted broccoli. Then I remembered I got leeks (yay) so I changed to a light saute for the broccoli and leeks.

Then, in a mixed diet household it's tricky sometimes to match up eating times (oftentimes we don't at all), but I had extra time, so I charred a few little baguette rounds I had thawed. Then tomato. Then onion. By that point my plate was gonna be full, so I cut back the amount of stroganoff I reheated (in a skillet with a bit of water to make it creamy again) so it all balanced out.

#plantbased #plantplate #oilfree #charredstuff #foodvariety #mcdougall #starchsolution #starchivore

Tofu scramble à la Dugas, tofu ham steaks (Green Forest Ham) with shredded homemade plant-based cheese and scallions 💚

It's always bittersweet when I finish yummy leftovers. This is the rest of my Green Forest Ham and the rest of my scramble from today. I've been bouncing between greens and beans, I think tonight I will roast a big bag of frozen broccoli!!!

#plantbased #tofuscramble #tofuham #scallionsprinkle #plantbasedcheese #oilfree

'Bright Eyes' fresh juice: carrot, pineapple, orange, lemon 💚

I met up at the juicery with a friend I haven't seen in a while that also happens to be one of the best and most creative cooks ever. She's been a big source of inspiration for me over the years. We caught up a bit and I was obv very excited to have someone to chat with about plant-based foods among other things. It was great to catch up, even though we got shooed out at closing time 😆

#plantbased #coldpressedjuice #cpj #oilfree #greenlife

Tofu scramble, charred tomato, and scallions 💚

A little meal. I had extra firm tofu. I mean.. I had firm tofu that was extra but not extra firm. So I decided to scramble it. It was bright and delicious and I'm glad that I took a photo because it's so pretty 😍

#plantbased #tofuscramble #tomatothursday #oilfree

Plant-based congee 💚

Still chipping away at the smoked soy curls from the other day. This dish is reddish because I mixed the chopped soy curls with low sodium soy sauce, white pepper, cornstarch, Chinese five spice, and red yeast rice powder. I was going for a little bit of a char siu sort of thing.

This was good, even though I didn't have a recipe for the soy curl seasoning. I'd love to learn to make a char siu sauce that I really enjoy someday. I've watched a bunch of videos in the past, mostly in Chinese with English subtitles (or holding my phone camera up to the screen and pausing a lot), but I still haven't cracked the code.

That's why I have a bag of red yeast rice powder, which I understand some use as a 'healthy' alternative to red food coloring. It's an ingredient that you need to research a bit before using because it's got stronger medicinal qualities to it as well.

#plantbased #vegancongee #huginabowl #oilfree

Butterhead lettuce and Green Goddess dressing 💚

This is one of my favorite lettuces ever. It's soft and mellow, and it can carry a vibrant range of greens from very light to medium dark.

#plantbased #butterheadlettuce #greengoddessdressing #oilfree

Plant-based Philly mac and chopped barbecue soy curl ribs 💚

The last of my Philly mac with added chopped soy curls from the smoked batch the other day. Kind of an amazing lunch, looks like absolute junk food BUT it tasted great and I felt great after, which I know from decades of experience is not the case with dairy/oily mac n chz, and actual rib topping would just induce a zombie-like state for the rest of the day.

Oh that reminds me, I have a very GREEN veggie to post, too.. it all kind of evens out I think.

I had lots and lots of energy today. All the fiber must be like a fiesta for my gut microbiota 🥳

#plantbased #plantbasedlunch #phillymac #oilfree #happyme

Mixed nut & seed butter and dark flaxseeds on bread 💚

This was a snack today. Still as simple and satisfying as ever. The whole flaxseeds remind me to take a little time to chew chew chew!

I've been migrating towards sourdough more exclusively, but we are a multi-bread household so I switch it up.

#plantbased #plantbasedjourney #plantbaseddirection #powersnack

Torn green cabbage, scallion greens, carrots, and celery with Green Goddess dressing 💚

This simple combo exceeded my expectations. I'm usually a little skeptical of anything like a cabbage chip, but this dressing is just such a delight and everything here was just wonderful ☺️

#plantbased #veggiesveggiesandmoreveggies

Congee with chopped Asian barbecue soy curls, scallions, and Sambal Oelek 💚

There's nothing like a warming, wet breakfast. By its very nature it's hydrating, and it feels nourishing. This is my typical congee, and I took some of the soy curls from my plant-based ribs the other day, chopped them, and seasoned them in a light mixture of lite soy sauce, white pepper, and cornstarch, then added them to the hot congee after it pressure cooked along with torn green cabbage to finish the final cook (this takes mere seconds).

Yesterday's breakfast sando was yummy, and sometimes I just really, really want something like that. But THIS... this is the good stuff 🤎

I hope everyone had such a great start to their day. Go with gusto!!! 🙏🙏🙏

#plantbased #congeeforme #oilfree #yippeeskippee

Homemade moong dal omelette 🤨

In my día de la cocina yesterday, I also gave a moong dal egg recipe a whirl, oil-free & low salt. If you're not interested in the deets, I will spare you some reading (I like to add them so I can reference what I did in the future): it's a split mung bean omelette with a hint of eggy flavor from the kala namak and a very dense texture but overall there's promise. Someone's gotta have a sit down with this method and really give it some TLC 😊

Here we go!
I based it 90% on a @veganhackspod recipe because I love that guy's energy and he's done this a few ways so it wasn't just a one-off.

I decided to make a double batch for testing, no regular salt and only adding kala namak (black salt) to taste during cooking. That's my jam for new recipes.

1️⃣ First try: Batter straight into hot nonstick pan.

A globby, gummy, mess, no doubt about it. Everything stuck to everything so much I thought it was a scientific breakthrough for adhesives. This is the 2nd & 3rd photos.

2️⃣ 3️⃣ 4️⃣ 5️⃣ Attempts 2-5: For the rest I used rice paper on bottom to keep it from sticking. This worked unbelievably well. I quickly realized that the gumminess was largely moisture-based, so I made each successive omelette thinner until it was really quite thin. You can see one of the winners in my plant-based English muffin breakfast sandwich this morning which was a fun lil thing (moong dal omelette, Green Forest Ham, canyon cheddar ... This thing was nutritionally basically a bean and nut sandwich 😆😆😆, yay).

Since this is a whole food and not an isolate like commercial products, it tastes like split mung beans. But really, a split mung bean might be distinct but it's not bad! I froze the omelettes, each one missing pieces I broke off to nibble on while testing, and reheated one in a pan with the ham and cheese this morning. Umm, that's it, I have nearly 2 pounds of moong dal still (I love that word, 'moong'. 'dal' isn't half bad, either) so I probably have like 70 more omelettes in my future.

#plantbased #moongdal #craigstestkitchen #kitchenfun #oilfree #oilfreecooking #75omelettes

Torched garlic sourdough, cracked pepper bean boursin, French Garden sprouts mix 💚

This was my last piece of sourdough and the last of my cracked pepper bean boursin and the last of my home grown French Garden sprouts. I have two baby broccoli sproutlings on the way, but it'll be a few days yet. 🧘

Have a happy, sprouty day! ☺️🌱☀️

#plantbased #plantpowered

Cauliflower, carrots, cukes with cool veggie dip 💚

Crudités, s'il vous plaît 🌞

#plantbased #veggies #oilfree #crudités

Plant-based Philly mac with chopped barbecue soy curls 💚

I spent wayyyy too much time cooking today 😬

I've become so accustomed to more simple, satisfying recipes, these two and three step recipes feel like eternity!

A little backstory:
Last year I got really into developing plant-based 'meat' alternatives using minimally processed ingredients like lentils, tofu, and soy curls.

I dreamt up new ways to cook them, season them, shred and texturize them. I checked out numerous books from the library on sausage making and traditional meat curing & smoking to apply those methods to plant-based foods. One of the last ones I paused after was a full-on rack of 3-2-1 smoked plant-based ribs.

This is all part of my journey. It's also why some of my plant meats may look a bit like the real deal. I don't want to evangelize meats for numerous reasons. And, I also don't want to make foods that only ever look like the unhealthy foods they're to replace. If I see another social video where someone is scraping a piece of fried food with a knife for the sound effect, I'm gonna PUKE 🤮. But, go back long enough and that would've been me making those fried scrapy videos, so I totally get it.

It's late, and I just ate a plate of lettuce dipped in green goddess dressing that's truly deserving of the name, and I would rather go write about that than finish whatever meandering thoughts I have about plant meats here! I'm legit more excited about an herb packed dressing than a plant meat and that makes me feel pretty good 😊😊😊

#plantbased #soycurls #oilfree

Carrots, cukes, and cool veggie dip 💚

We've all got our own paths. Mine includes dip.

I used to think "what's the point, healthy plant-based dip will NEVER taste as good as I want it to", but I was wrong. With this community's help, I've been able to put together new staples for my plant-based lifestyle that I never thought possible. I'm not being hyperbolic!

This dip? It's just a few tweaks of @mcdougallmom ranch dressing. Once the base was dialed in I've been able to play with more homemade dips, and I'm literally in Dip Heaven! 😇

Also, that dip in the container in the photo only has 2 TBSP of cashews blended in it. I still have a hard time believing that!

#plantbased #dipmagic #communityinspiration #eatgoodfeelgood

Scallion tofu, Green Forest ham, French garden sprouts and charred tomato with a good splash of black garlic & peri peri hot sauce 💚

Just adding some lovely things to a plate for a light breakfast. Yesterday's plant-based ham, sprouts, leftover tomato grazed with the torch, and I had a thought to press scallions into tofu and dry fry them into the side. Well let me tell you science disagrees and I wouldn't recommend that strategy. It almost works but everything stuck to the wrong thing 😆

Overall, an enjoyable simple plate. I like my sprouts with a little sumthin' sumthin', and if I'm in the mood for the lighter side without compromising flavor, it's this particular hot sauce by @hotnsaucyco – not too spicy, low sodium, super flavorful.

#plantbased #plantbreakfast #plantyeah #plantpowered #plantplate #plantgreat #plantfueled

Green Forest Ham 💚

Here's the recipe for the tofu ham I've been making lately. I'm so happy with the flavor symphony! I added a copy to my "Craig's Faves" highlights, but if anyone would like to translate it this post will be much easier!

📌 RECIPE --

INGREDIENTS

1 block extra-firm tofu

— Forest Ham Seasoning Blend
⅛ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp caraway seeds
¼ tsp granulated garlic
⅛ tsp black pepper
2 dry juniper berries
1 tsp beetroot powder
2 dashes celery salt

— Forest Ham Marinade
1 tsp maple syrup
3 tbsp light tamari or soy sauce
2 tsp liquid smoke (like pecan or hickory)
1 batch Forest Ham Seasoning Blend (see above)

INSTRUCTIONS

Start pressing tofu. Blend ‘Forest Ham Seasoning Blend’ into a fine powder. Make the marinade in a small bowl. Slice tofu into slabs about ½ cm-thick. Layer marinade and tofu in a glass dish with an airtight lid (or other airtight container). Marinate 30 minutes, flipping twice.

Preheat oven to 250°F (use convection if you have it). Lay marinated tofu on wire rack on a sheet pan, cook until it just starts to dry (i.e. no longer ‘wet’ or ‘tacky’ on top), about 30-45 minutes. Let cool then refrigerate.

#plantbased #oilfree #glutenfree #vegan

Two hot, plant-based bowls of congee with Sichuan pepper & lemon peel soy curls, scallions, and a dollop of Sambal Oelek 💚

The photos look very similar, but the first was taken mid-late morning and the second was taken early afternoon. I just love everything about congee - it's so pretty, it's warming, it's light but satisfying, it's easy to digest, it's adaptable, and it leaves me energized! 🦸

I recorded some little video clips while making it, I plan to put together a short video on making congee at some point.

Oh, and for the energy density-curious, each bowl has approximately:
90 calories of rice
15 calories of carrot
5 calories of celery
6 calories of cabbage
65 calories of seasoned soy curls
5 calories of green onion
5 calories of Sambal Oelek
4 calories of ginger
1 calorie of white pepper 😆
= 196 calories per bowl (392 calories for both bowls)

#plantbased #riceporrige #veggies #warmingfood

Plant-based vegetable chowder (creamy vegetable soup) 💚💚💚

This is my last bowl of the creamy vegetable soup and I am already looking forward to when I get to make it again! Given my New England heritage, I'm going to personally reclassify this as a proper chowder. Its creamy base and chunky ingredients are the heart of what makes a chowder a chowder, so chowder it shall be!!

You can see my changes a couple posts back — I used frozen cubed potatoes O'Brien, basic dry thyme, and extra beans as subs. I think chickpeas would be fine but they might overpower the subtleties. The OG recipe is from @dishingouthealth and I never would've tried it if it weren't for @blue_collard_dude spreading the good word.. you rock, dude!! I truly believe that just a handful of recipes discovered at the right times make a powerful difference between success and failure in a plant-based journey.

This chowder is a timeless taste. It would have been considered delicious a hundred years ago and it will be considered delicious a hundred years from now.

Move over Michelin, this soup gets a 💚💚💚 status!

#plantbased #timelesschowder #oilfree #eatgreatfeelgreat #yayveggies

Rainbow pasta salad 💚

I'd like to learn how to whip up a simple pasta salad from mostly pantry staples and no added oils or sauces. I don't like to add in whole foods like tomatoes or cucumbers or greens when I make pasta salads because they get soggy rather quickly, and I'm all about a few days of a variety of leftovers.

I'm pretty sure with practice some fun flavor profiles will come out (I'm open to suggestions here, too), but that doesn't solve dryness. I've tried aquafaba or a homemade oil-free 'oil' using water and cornstarch in the past but anything that's not pretty oily seems to dry out or get absorbed. Any time tested or novel ideas? Maybe a shelf stable canned thing like peppers or tomatoes are enough?! Maybe it's just storing a liquid in a separate container until I pack it or plate it, or maybe, JUST MAYBE... I shouldn't think so much about pasta salads 😆 Hmmm!!

EDIT: Forgot to include what's here..
12 oz rainbow rotini
¼ cup shredded sundried tomatoes
2 shredded pepperoncinis
⅓ cup shredded carrot
¼ cup sliced red onion
A few pinches of salt
A few decent pinches of black pepper
2 tsp Italian seasoning
4-ish tsp dry parsley
2-3 tsp dry minced onion
2 tsp dry minced garlic
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

#plantbased #pastasalad #cookingquestions #curiouscat

Tomato scrap nigiri with wasabi soy sauce 💚

How cute are these lil fellas?!

I have an odd amount of sushi rice and tomato left after a couple of wonderful Pokelicious bowls over the past couple of days, so I get nigiri! ☺️

By themselves they're not much of a full meal, but they sure make a wonderful petite plate. These took only moments to put together. Hand-pressed ovals of 50/50 sushi rice, tomato scrap slices, sesame seeds, and black cumin seeds served with low sodium soy sauce mixed with wasabi. Mmmm MMMM! 😋

#plantbased #simplecooking #veganeats #oilfree

Plant-based creamy vegetable soup 💚

This soup was shared by @blue_collard_dude a bit over a month ago. His version looked so dang good... Thanks so much for sharing it, dude! The original recipe comes from @dishingouthealth. You can find the full recipe on her site (the title is: 'CREAMY VEGETABLE SOUP (VEGAN)'), but I decided to tweak a few things based on what I had on hand because I'm doing that more and more these days.

It's a soaked cashews + water thickened soup, and I replaced 1/3 cup of the cashews with 1/3 cup of white beans to more closely match an existing creamy soup I enjoy, but I think you could just use 2/3-1 cup cashews and be happy either way. Beans help keep me full, so I work them in when I can.

I made a couple of tweaks but nothing drastic:

– 3/4 tsp dry thyme
– 4 tsp homemade bouillon powder + water in place of broth
– Frozen potato cubes (technically potatoes O'Brien, added 5 mins before the cashew milk goes in)
– 2/3 cup cashews + 1/3 cup white beans blended
– Instead of chickpeas, I used a heaping cup of snowcap beans that I had made and froze (a little less than the OG recipe because my bagged frozen veggies also had baby Lima beans already)
– Salted a bit later in cooking. And, a pinch or two at the table as recommended by @blue_collard_dude !

I wouldn't type that out if I didn't plan on making this again 😊 Though technically, I typed it out to send to my sister first because we're both on the lookout for easy, yummy, satisfying plant-forward soups!

#plantbased #veganrecipeshare #veggieriffic #oilfree #soupson

Pokelicious bowl... again! 💚

This looks a heck of a lot like yesterday's bowl. Maybe because I made the exact same thing lol.

I suspect that I'll switch things up soon; I tend to be able to eat similar foods for about a few months and then I get a strong desire to change it up. I think it's rooted in seasonal eating spans (not to be confused with me actually eating foods that are in season, which I'd like to do more often).

#plantbased #vegetables #rice #spicybowl

Pokelicious bowl ingredients 💚

Going left-to-right on the board: scallions, carrots, rice, avocado, cucumbers, marinated tomatoes, sprouts.

I wanted a way to capture the ratios I use a little better so I laid out the Pokelicious bowl ingredients. I typically take long breaks between making various dishes, so this will hopefully be a helpful reference point for me some day.

Though... I somehow skewed the amounts just a bit, so I had about 15% more than usual on my plate.

#plantbased #grainbowl #veggiebowl #veggieloaded #oilfree

Pokelicious bowl 💚

As good as ever!!! ☺️ I skimped on the 🥑 but added in a little more after. It really does make a big difference. Also! I used a little rice trick I picked up over the years. I had never tried it explicitly with sushi rice before but it worked wonderfully.

🍚 Rice trick (see photos 3, 4, 5):
I measured half of the rice as short grain brown rice and soaked that in room temp water for a couple of hours, then drained it and added it to the rice cooker along with the dry sushi rice and appropriate water and cooked on the white rice setting. Soaking brown rice like this lets you cook it with white rice, and the texture of the brown is much, much more pleasant IMHO!

📌 Here's the deets:
– 50/50 sushi/short grain brown rice (with a hint of maple syrup, some rice vinegar, and a pinch of salt to make sushi rice)
– Sprouts
– Carrots
– Cucumbers
– Tomatoes marinated in low sodium soy sauce and Sriracha
– Avocado
– Scallions
– @mcdougallmom spicy mayo (see her highlights for the recipe)
– Black and white sesame seeds

#plantbased #veganpokebowl #scrumdiddlyumptious #oilfree #ricetrick

Torched garlic sourdough, garlicky herb plant-based bean boursin spread, sprout mix 💚

Getting in my delicious Vitamin S! 🌱

#plantbased #sprouts

Cukes & cauliflower with cool veggie dip 💚

#plantbased #eatmoreveggies #oilfree

Chili sippin' broth 💚

@rancho_gordo has these beans that are so remarkable that they're literally like little obsidian stones. Something something Vara Chiapas something I think they're called. They are as tasty as they look, and they produce this tar-black broth which would be criminal to discard.

Chili sippin' broth is really becoming a personal favorite. I've posted about it before but it just felt so complicated. I was preemptively trying to hit all these flavor profiles, but what I found is that all that extra stuff just isn't letting the simple flavors shine. The last couple of times I've gone back to the basics and it has not disappointed.

📌 I don't have a dedicated recipe for this, but here's generally what I did:

Broth from 8oz cooked beans
1 tsp New Mexico chili powder
½ tsp cumin
4-5 cracks black pepper
Average pinch of granulated garlic
Average pinch of graduated onion
Pinch of salt
A bit of water or so to make about 8 ounces total.

Bring all except water to a bare simmer for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water to desired volume, heat, taste, enjoy.

#plantbased #sippintime #oilfree

Cauliflower, celery, and cucumbers with cool veggie dip 💚

I love a nice veggie & dip dish. Eat more veggies, crave more veggies. 😊

Food volume is never clear in photos... this is about 3-4 cups of veggies total. I used to think the goal was to cram down as many veggies as I could stand. In hindsight, that seems kind of ridiculous now that I have found a happy place with them. It's been about finding enjoyment and sustainability in what I would like to think of as 'lots of veggies'. That way, the amount isn't explicit, and I can go at my own pace. 🧘

#plantbased #veggiepower #veggiesveggiesandmoreveggies #oilfree

Torched garlic sourdough, peppery bean boursin, & moo mix sprouts! 💚

Just taking my vitamins! I also take D and B12 too 😁

I really like this peppery spread. It checks a lot of savory and satisfying marks for me. I'll plan to post a recipe the next time I make it.

#plantbased #sproutamins #oilfree #healthyme

Plant-based enchilada casserole 🥘💚

[Important note : in the fourth photo I made the beans look like poo 🤭]

You may or may not have seen my story the other day where I flopped a batch of refried beans. The more I messed with them, the more the flavor kept drifting, so I took a photo to share my FLOP and decided to toss them in a container to refrigerate, quite honestly, planning to discard them because I just didn't want them to ruin some other meal. Anyway, this is not a sad story!

@vegan.sisu sent a potential recipe to use the bean mixture in, along with a number of adjustments and cooking temp to do it right based on her experience. My first thought was that there is no saving these beans. I couldn't have been more wrong. I followed her suggestions, getting onions and garlic in there to take over the flavors, a bunch of corn and a good sprinkling of black beans, and bell peppers for depth, wrapping it all in soft corn tortillas and enchilada sauce. I decided to hit it with a little layer of my healthy homemade cheddar because in my mind this was a hail Mary anyway.

This was SO GOOD!! I'm looking forward to the leftovers, and I hope it tastes this good when I make it again with my regular refried beans! Yay – thank you @vegan.sisu!

– I didn't write a recipe for this, but it's about half based on the FOK enchilada casserole recipe, and I included lots of pictures so I can recreate it. Baked at 350°F for 30 mins covered and about 7 more minutes uncovered.
– The enchilada sauce is a Budget Bytes recipe that's based on tomato paste. I did not use oil. I substituted my roux flour for the raw flour and added 2 tbsp cashews, and made the entire thing in the Vitamix with the soup setting.
– On top is some red bell pepper and jalapeno I roasted and petite diced while the casserole was cooking plus a pinch of taco seasoning I had left over from making that dip the other day and the world's tiniest sprinkle of Mexican oregano.

#plantbased #foodimprov #foodsaved #plantbasedcommunity #nooil #antigaspi

Broccoli, carrots, radishes, scallions with cool buffalo dip 💚

A nice start to the day! 😊

#plantbased #veggies #oilfree

Smoky Cherry Habanero Soy Curls 💚

This flavor has been on my mind for a while... a little sweet, a little hot, a little fruity. I went for it today, no time like the present, I suppose ☺️

The color is intense! 😆 It tastes kinda just like you might imagine. I'm eating it with my homemade oil-free tortilla chips 😋

📌 RECIPE

Ingredients:
– 6 oz dark sweet cherries (about 1 heaping cup)
– 1 habanero pepper, seeds and membrane discarded, sliced
– 1 tsp maple syrup
– 6 oz water
– 1 ½ tsp low sodium soy sauce
– 1 tsp pecanwood liquid smoke

Add frozen cherries, habanero pepper slices, maple syrup, and water to a saucepan over medium-low heat for about a minute until cherries are no longer frozen. Move cherries, habanero strips, and a splash of the cooking liquid to a blender or food processor. Pulse (blitz) a few times until chunky.

Add cherry mixture to instant pot with the rest of the cooking liquid and dry soy curls. Cook at high pressure 1 minute followed by a quick release. Push soy curls to one side and cooked sauce to the other. Add soy sauce and liquid smoke to the sauce (to make sure they get distributed) and then swiftly stir everything. Use the blender method to shred and finish by heating in a thin layer in the oven at 200°F for 30-60mins) to concentrate flavors and achieve a dense, enjoyable texture.

#plantbased #soycurls #oilfree #meatless

Plant-based tofu spiedie salad 💚

Yummm! Seed planted for the summer!

– Baby spinach
– Whole grain farfalle pasta (bowtieeees)
– Red onion
– Hothouse tomato
– Spiedie cubes two ways - inch cubes and quartered inch cubes - the big ones are cooler
– Spiedie dressing with a bit of extra pepper (2:1.5 ratio of cashew mayo to spiedie marinade)

I'm really leaning into the vinegars and herbs for a lot of the flavor, and additional basting on the grill is a must! I'm not unhappy with the saltiness, but I keep wondering if the marinade could use a touch more (or more herbs). To be fair, this is the first marinade for this I've ever made or tried 😆

#plantbased #plantpowered #salad #veggies #nooil

Air fried broccoli & green chili grits (plant-based, oil-free) 💚

One of my many new favorite things. I don't have the words to convey the aroma of even just the water-plant milk-cashew blend as it heats up with fresh black pepper and mild, fire roasted diced green chilis. Admittedly, I have a penchant for the savory, so this really hits home for me.

Happy weekend! I'm going to make a bunch of delicious little foods to have around. I can't wait to see what everyone is cooking up or noshing on this weekend!! ☺️

#plantbased #vegangrits #simpleyetsatisfying #dontforgetthebroccoli

Radish Leaf Velouté 💚

I cooked a bunch today! I absolutely did not plan on making this though.

This was a serendipitous soup. I just finished cutting my radishes from their leaves. I hadn't had red radishes in ages so I didn't even think what to do with the leaves but discard them. It turns out you can make a lovely French soup that is in line with the anti-gaspi movement (anti-gaspillage/anti-waste). Win win!

I didn't know that term 'anti-gaspi' yesterday. I didn't know about radish leaf soup either. I just learned it from the inspiring post from @chris_vege_95. Merci @chris_vege_95
!

I remembered that I am pretty sure typical American onions are massive compared to typical French onions. Like 4x bigger... I only think this from distant observation. So you can see where I left half of those cooked onions out, I'll have those with something else.

TBH, I thought I would not like this soup but the radish leaves were not overpowering. I could have added even more if I had them. What a lovely, simple soup for a chilly night. 😋

#plantbased #velouté #radish #soup #lowfat #oilfree #entoutesimplicité #veganfoodshare #mcdougalldiet

Congee with Sichuan pepper & lemon peel soy curls under a river of scallions 💚

This is my plant-based happy place. Warming, satisfying, easy on digestion, balanced, all the good things, really!

I wanted the Sichuan pepper & orange peel soy curls to go with my congee, but I had no orange. So... I thought I'd give it a try with lemon peel and it was sooooo gooooooood! I doubled the recipe and used the zest from two small lemons. I also added a little lemon zest on top because I'm fancy like that sometimes.🧐

[I added a screenshot of the orange version of this soy curls recipe.]

#plantbased #congee #soycurls #satisfyinganddelicious #nooil

Red radish rounds, white cauliflower florets, tall green broccoli stems, orange carrot planks with cool buffalo dip 💚

Eat more veggies, crave more veggies! 😋

When I start to stray: a few things come to mind...

🌟 Take care of me, otherwise I'm no good to anybody
🌟 Negative self-talk not needed; joking highly encouraged
🌟 I probably don't have any or enough appealing foods in a convenient state (backup foods keep me from straying *super* far)
🌟 Does anything comforting that I really like that's in the right direction sound good that might help me steer back on track? (congeeeee)

I have moments and days and weeks that are better than others, that's life. I'm in this for the long haul!!! 🐢🏁

#plantbased #veggiegram #yay4veggies

Plant-based taco dip 🌮💚

I'm sure others have done this, but I decided to use the second half of my @mcdougallmom ranch dressing to make a chunky taco dip. 🌮 One of the very first recipes I shared online years and years ago was a homemade taco seasoning that I still use today, and this uses a variation of that recipe.

Also, I can't stop looking at that beautiful @rancho_gordo Mexican oregano in the second photo; there's a whole tiny leaf in there!! 🍃

📌 RECIPE / Here's what I did:

½ batch @mcdougallmom ranch dressing
2 tbsp dry potato flakes (use more or less to thicken)
¼ tsp maple syrup
1 tsp chili powder (I did half regular & half new mex)
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp slightly heaping black pepper
¼ tsp scant paprika
– Blend above
– Pulse in 1/4 cup cilantro leaves and stems
– Mix in:
2 tsp dry minced onion
1 tsp dry minced garlic
Big pinch of Mexican oregano (or oregano would be fine)

It should thicken and meld after refrigeration 🤞

#plantbased #superbowlsnacks #tacodip #oilfree

Wholegrain sourdough (torched), cracked black pepper beany boursin, and a flourishing forest of fresh sprouts 💚

This was the last of v1 bean boursin. But, I made a brand new batch with tweaks and used Great Northern beans tonight! I find their flavor to be more subtle than the Butterbean. I'm not trying to make it taste just like Boursin cheese or anything. No siree bob! I'm just making enjoyable spreads for my upgraded palate! 😋

#plantbased #sproutsnack #sourdough #spread #yummyinthetummy

Cucumbers, cauliflower, and long cut broccoli with cool buffalo dip 💚

My classic US broccoli (Calabrese broccoli) usually has a short stalk, but this one was long, so I took advantage by cutting the florets with long stems for fun 😜🪿

#plantbased #veggies #playwithyourfood

Oil-free air fries with ketchup 💚

In all simplicity ☺️

I went a full 24 mins at 400°F in the air fryer and they had started to dry out in the center. I'll keep it to about 20 mins for now unless I make a larger batch. They sure are pretty, though!

#plantbased #airfries #oilfree #entoutesimplicité

Spaghetti with mushroom marinara, topped with walnut parm & parsley & crushed red pepper flakes, torched wg sourdough, broccoli sprouts with spiedie dressing. (Plant-based, oil-free) 💚

Few things in this world shout 'homecooked meal' like spaghetti and marinara. I try to keep a can of no salt added diced tomatoes in the pantry so I can combine it with leftover sauce from the fridge (which is what I did here) or hit it with any tomato paste, sauce, etc with water and seasonings. I feel like Bob Ross making spaghetti sauce 😆

Really, though, dry Italian seasonings, basil, and parsley go such a long way. When I don't overcomplicate it, it's usually the best thing I've ever eaten.

Then there's walnut parm. So simple and so very, very good. I've been enjoying this for many years. I made a new batch with a cheap new grater in my quest for that familiar grated consistency.

#plabtbased #plantbased #oilfree #italianfood #homecooking #warming #satisfyinganddelicious

Cereal with Almond Milk 💚

I've been in tech since I was a youngin'. During my early days and the first part of my career, I was brash. If I broke it, I'd figure out how to fix it. If something was lost in a crash, I would rebuild it better & stronger. That's a powerful learning tool.

But over time, the things I worked on became more and more important to people's businesses and livelihoods, so I had to shift my approach in some ways. For example: backups. Then backups of backups, and of course backups of backups of backups with a side of redundancy. All this to say I've fostered a very strong backup mindset for many years now...

When I started to really, REALLY put a Herculean effort into plant-based eating, I realized that food backups could help me avoid a full crash in my eating goals. If the food I was planning to eat failed, what was next? And if THAT failed? So, I created backups.

1) try to have up to 3 different meals in the fridge at any given time
2) nut butter & bread
3) always keep 2 cereals and shelf-stable almond milk on hand: 1 hearty and slightly sweet cereal and 1 very basic one

Backups gave me the freedom to be brash. I could make bizarre foods and if they were a total flop, I would just reach for a backup. If I was permahungry, I would sometimes hit up one, two, or three backups! I've made a lot of progress over the past many months. I rarely reach for the cereal anymore. But, I keep it around for the same reasons. And today, I had no meal ready in the fridge, and I was hungry so I made a bowl of cereal.

#plantbased #foodbackups #almondmilkyay #cowsmilknay

Torched Wholegrain Sourdough + Planty Pepper Boursin + Broccoli Sprouts = yum³ 💚

Love the croûte! That first photo really brings a smile to my face 😆😊

#plantbased #sproutsftw #nomnom #veganeats

Home Fries, San Francisco Veggies, and Baby Limas with Herb Crunch Topping 💚

I can never take a decent picture of this meal. #lifegoal. This is a quick meal that's nearly exclusively from frozen. I made it this morning before heading to the office and packed a side dish of herb crunch topping, one of my favorite food hacks! A bunch of dry minced onion, dry parsley, some black pepper, a small pinch of dill, and a pinch of dry mustard. The mustard has myrosinase, an enzyme that will help unlock the precursor to sulforaphane locked up in that frozen broccoli!

The very last photo is actually my fav, but I like to capture the process sometimes!

#plantbased #potatoes4life #friscoveggies #loljk #sorrysanfran

Carrots, scallions, cucumbers, with cool veggie dip 💚

It's my preload. I love it. Whole scallion whites, maybe not the best idea.. hoooowheeee 🔥

#plantbased #veggiepreload #veggies #veggiesveggiesandmoreveggies

Buffalo Ranch Frites du Jardin (oil-free) 💚

I made air fries last night for dinner. I'm like 87% certain I posted these but I don't see them so here they are! I know I posted the oil-free air fries by themselves! I'm honing in my practice: don't crowd the air fries, and don't fidget with them any more than you have to.

I topped these with homemade jalapeño style @mcdougallmom ranch dressing and a bunch of shakes of Louisiana hot sauce. And then I rained down a storm of thinly sliced shallots, green onions, fresh garlic, and cilantro. All the best things, really! Bet you can almost smell my breath from there! Mmmm MMMM! 😋

#plantbased #potatobased #oilfree #fritesdujardin #moregreen

Radishes, cucumbers, carrots, and a buried scallion with cool buffalo dip 💚

Eat more veggies, crave more veggies 💚😋

I brought back an old friend, the stunning red radish. I kept these soaked in water so it was very mild and darn good. I made a cool buffalo dip yesterday that needed some babying because I was out of soy milk and we had a rando carton of oat milk, and let me tell ya, soy milk is the best for dressings and dips. No other simple plant milk that I've used coagulates and thickens like basic, old-school, unsweetened soy milk.

Anyway, the dip was crazy thin, so I powdered 3 tbsp dried potato flakes whisking one tbsp at a time into the viscous dip, and letting it sit for an hour or so to see how much it thickened. I was happy at 3 tbsp, but I bet 4 tbsp flakes (¼ cup) converted into powder would make a decently thick dip without overcompromising the flavors. This was buffalo flavored so I didn't have a lot of delicate balance to worry about.

In the end I'm very happy with this, but would love to make the dip with my usual soy to make sure the recipe doesn't need tweaking. If you're itchin' for a cool buffalo dip because 'tis the season... I added the current recipe. Louisiana hot sauce has a similar aged cayenne taste as Frank's Red Hot, but less sodium. It's not like dipping veggies in straight Buffalo sauce, it's got a spicy cool thing going on. Also, the annatto is just for color and barely did anything and could certainly be omitted. Also, I know I spelled annatto wrong on the purple card.

#plantbased #veggiegram #veggies #buffaloseason

Creamy, chilled Marcella Hazan beans 💚

Magical thing #42 about beans: I find them enjoyable at pretty much ANY temperature except for frozen or on fire. Very cold, cold, very cool, cool, room temp, lukewarm, warm, very warm, hot, very hot! Yup, I think that about covers it. Yay beans!!!

#plantbased #plantpowered #beansofmanytemperatures #yaybeans #nooil

Broccoli sprouts on cracked black pepper almond-butterbean boursin on torched sourdough 💚

I just made a couple notes on my first attempt at a boursin-like spread, something that's pleasant, satisfying, and will be part of my journey for now. In-progress recipe card on the last photo if you're interested in the direction I'm heading... Thoughts welcome!

Oh, I didn't write it on the card but I hit the stuff on the left in the food processor for quite a while, split the batch and seasoned half with cracked black pepper and the other half with herbs and garlickyness (like og boursin).

#plantbased #sourdough #sprouts #spread #oilfree

A packed pint of sprouts, leftover Marcella Hazan beans, carrots, cukes, scallions, and jalapeño ranch 💚

Sprouts at night look much earthier, but they're still mmm mmm good. They really pop with a bright sauce. The dip is @mcdougallmom ranch with canned jalapeños blitzed in and a few extra on top.

I just looked it up and Campbell's introduced the MMM MMM GOOD slogan in the early 1930s! It's probably part of typical American genetic code at this point. Impressive 👏

#plantbased #oilfree #beans #veggiepower

Torched sourdough, homemade plant-based garlicky herb bean boursin, and a big ol' pile of homegrown sprouts 💚

Kinda my thing right now; I find these very satisfying. If you've seen my posts, I think this is like the planty cousin to my seed covered nut butter toast slices.

I'm still working through my first attempt at a boursin/bean spread. I split it in two to make a garlicky herb one and a cracked black pepper one. It's awesome in these toasty things but by itself it's a little unbalanced.

And for the record, I wouldn't eat this many sprouts starting out, but this is a good amount for me rn!

#plantbased #sprouts #beans #sourdoughs #nooil

Spiedie sandwich 💚

I did a half & half spiedie sandwich and spiedie salad last night, which was very satisfying and delicious! This morning I got the other half for breakfast and by golly that thing tastes every bit as good as it looks (to me, at least!).

I posted a v1 recipe for tofu spiedies a couple of posts back if you're interested!

#plantbased #vegansando #oilfree #spiedies

Plant-based sushi 💚

– Top-right is a carrot scallion avocado roll topped with carrot confetti.
– Bottom-left is a spicy tomato cucumber roll topped with black & white sesame seeds and a lil drizz of Sriracha.

The second photo is how I cut and marinated the tomato. Diced works, too but it's a little messier for novices like me. After marinating, I put the gently tomato infused marinade in a little dish to enjoy with the sushi instead of straight soy sauce. That's why the sauce in the first photo has a slight reddish hue to it. It's only about a tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce here with maybe ½ teaspoon of Sriracha. It only absorbs a bit of it, so you can do what you want with the leftover marinade.

And I decided to double down on carrots. Of course I did, lol! I was peeling some anyway to go in the sushi and I thought it might be fun (and really quick) to cut them in very small Angie-style cuts to make a carrot confetti. It was quick, but I want to try making them even smaller in the future. Good times!

#plantbased #vegansushi #carrotcuts #carrotconfetti #satisfyinganddelicious

Spiedie salad 💚

Delightfully paired odds and ends of Hothouse tomato, iceberg lettuce, and red onion with a pint of fresh sprouts and a single spiedie with spiedie dressing. Spiedie half sandwich with spiedie salad: yes, pleeeeeease! 😋

#plantbased #spiediesalad #oilfree #sproutpint

Spiedies (pronounced spee-deez)💚

I LOVE new-to-me tastes. 🙌

As my tastes have become more and more used to adaptation, one of my most favorite things to do is make something I've never had before. This is especially true for regional gems like this very Italian-inspired food from across the country.

Apparently there are two camps in the world of spiedie marinades: Lupo's and Salamida's. I'm no expert.. just passing along the knowledge that was bestowed upon me! My guide/guides are #teamsalamidas which is good because it's already got a fraction of the oil of Lupo's. Get with the times, Lupo! Also, I'm getting pretty good with the sauces and gravies and dips these days, so why not try a homemade marinade? With loads of help from @marjeatsvegan et al., I feel pretty good about the approximations. I probably need to add mint, but I have no mint.. either way it's very delicious!! 😋

My starter spiedie marinade recipe is in the last photo. I used half the marinade on a whole block of tofu and stored half for later. I'm already looking forward to making another block! After I removed the cut tofu from marinating after about 4 hours, I took about 3/4 of THAT gently used marinade and mixed it with some homemade plant mayo (my cashew-Brazil nut one) and made spiedie dressing, which I saw someone do on YouTube. Omg that was good, too! Then the other 1/4 of the gently used marinade I used to baste the spiedies on the grill. What a treat, I opted for the safe bet of half a sandwich, and then I used a bunch of veggie leftovers and a pint of sprouts to make a lovely spiedie salad that I'll post next!

#plantbased #veganrecipeshare #spiedies #oilfree #grilleddeliciousness

Sprouts on homemade bean-based cracked pepper boursin spread on torched sourdough 💚

To be able to just toss this together for a snack is a real delight. 😊

My diet isn't perfectly clean. I'm steering this ship every single day with a general focus on 'what better-for-me thing can I try next?' I'm guessing some people can relate with that. Some days the tide pushes me off course, and other days I've got a powerful tailwind. I'm still steering and my plant-based compass works pretty well!

Also, the community and inspiration here are a big part of my own success, and I am very grateful. I'm not only saying I'm grateful, but I feel grateful, and I think it's important to notice that you're feeling things like gratefulness, happiness, and other feelings because I believe a million percent there's a very strong, direct connection with those feelings and my overall health.

The clean diet thing reminded me! Remember in the intro to How Not to Die where Dr. Greger points out that his diet isn't necessarily healthy and proceeds to give an example that makes me literally LOL whenever I read it. I included it in the second photo. I laugh because when I first listened to the audiobook I was eagerly awaiting a relatable example only to be like wtf is dutched cocoa?! 😆

#plantbased #sproutsnack #

Green chili grits v2.0 💚

Ok, THESE are the grits to make. I had everything out already and by golly these are simpler and much, MUCH tastier. Loving my new taste buds. 🙌

📌 RECIPE
1¼ cups water
1 cup plant milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1/4 cup cashews
2-3 tbsp canned green chilis
1/4 tsp sea salt
10 cracks large ground pepper
½ cup quick cooking grits, dry

Blend water, milk, and cashews in a high powered blender 1-2 minutes. Pour into a skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp green chilis, salt, and pepper, and bring to just a simmer. Stir in grits, and cook 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until creamy. Top with a couple more green chilis.

Mmmmmmmm MMMM!

#plantbased #southerncookin #comfortfood #oilfree #simpledish

Water sauteed kale and garlic with plant-based green chili cheese grits 😅

First, the kale and garlic saute was very good. Maybe I'll become a person that can enjoy kale for what it is some day!

The grits were a fine start, but could use some tlc. I started to get the flavors rolling by sauteing onion and garlic in the green chili liquid. When I want to add less salt, alliums are my best friend. 🧅🧄

I used cashew powder with water. Soaked & blended cashews would have been better to start with to dial in the textures and flavors. I also added a teaspoon of vinegar and maple syrup, and I had to cook those in a bit because they were a tad strong. I forgot the pepper until the end, gotta get that seasoning in a bit earlier. Actually, half water (blended with a few cashews) and half soy milk with a small amount of lemon juice would probably crush it, now that I think about it.

And finally, I made this plant-based canyon cheddar cheese yesterday and it hasn't even been 24 hours, so it was still soft, it needs to age a bit, but it did tie the plate together. Less than an ounce pictured, and for those that are nutritionally curious... One ounce of this cheese has no added oil and a whopping 0.15oz (or 4.4 grams) of nuts, which I _think_ is like a single small cashew and single small almond. 🙌

#plantbased #southerncookin #oilfree #lowfat #craigskitchencreations

Marcella Hazan's white bean soup with garlic and Italian parsley (oil-free) 💚

A @rancho_gordo bean club fan favorite! I went my own direction from the get-go, and it did not disappoint. First off, olive oil out, cashew cream in. I didn't have quite enough cooked fresh beans so I did 50/50 cooked fresh and canned beans. I also didn't have Marcella beans. Ugh this already reads like a dumb Allrecipes review, but stay with me, it's very good!!

Not to toot my own horn, but I've gotten pretty good at making oil-free versions recipes that typically rely on oil. I made a 2/3 batch of this recipe, and it called for 1/2 cup olive oil, so I used 1/4 cup cashews soaked in 1/3 cup bean cooking broth and blended. Thank goodness I have a degree in mathematics 😆

I dry fried the garlic (a couple of big cloves) until it started to stick to my metal pot and released it with bean broth. Added the cashew cream for 5 mins covered to infuse the flavor, then added about 4 cups of white beans (half coco bean, half navy bean), two pinches of salt and large cracked black pepper and about 2/3 cup of bean cooking liquid. Let it simmer uncovered another 5 mins and adjusted one last pinch of salt and cracked black pepper. Finished with a couple tablespoons of minced Italian flat leaf parsley. The OG recipe uses chicken broth, and I was planning to add a bit of my bouillon but it tasted so good without it that I didn't muddy it up.

#plantbased #beans #oilfree #vegan #goodeats

Saturday scramble (plant-based), lightly grilled onions and peppers (oil-free), and simple toast (dry) 💚

I love these frozen onion pepper mixes. So convenient and really next-levels a tofu scramble. I often make a simple, dry 'top toast' where I run the toaster on the bagel setting and it only toasts one side. Thought I'd mention it since it's never really apparent in my photos.

I added a shredding of my homemade plant-based cheese to top the scramble along with sliced scallions. Scrumdiddlyumptious 😋 (I've been listening to some "musical" soundtracks lately and it shows lol).

#plantbased #tofuscramble #oilfree #onionsnpeppers #scallions4eva

Broccoli sprouts PSA

A couple of notes on broccoli sprouts and brassica sprouts in general.

AROMA
Even when rinsing twice a day, they are going to have a bit stronger aroma, that's natural. Make sure you shake out lots of the water after each rinse because the moisture will carry more of that smell with it and excess moisture intensifies it during the times between rinses.

WHITE STUFF
But also, if you look closely here (I zoomed in on the second photo of the sprouts in the jar), you'll see what immediately registers like maybe fuzzy mold but it's NOT mold. It's just 'root hairs'! They'll fall back down after rinsing and seem most common with broccoli and brassica sprouts. They just share an unfortunate similar appearance. If you're rinsing your sprouts two times a day, you're probably a-ok!

#plantbased #sproutkinglol #sprouts4life

Plant-based sushi 💚

I don't know how you guys do it. Seriously, I got so frustrated the last time I made sushi I got rid of my rolling mat! So I had to get a new mat to make this 🤦

I think I need to make sushi every day for like 10 days, and then I'll either be sufficiently good at it OR I will swear it off for life!!! Seriously, how do you do this @plant.based.gillian ?! Like, having to wipe the knife constantly, ughh!

It looked like a train wreck all the way up until I hit it with a little plating at the very end. Saved by sesame seeds, tomato slices, and wood. 🙌

Pictured:
– One roll is tomato marinated in Sriracha tamari, peeled carrot, and avocado, rolled rice-out/nori-in with a little avo layer on the top.
– The other roll is scallion, homemade plant-based boursin, and sprouts with black and white sesame seeds on top. Served with low sodium soy sauce and wasabi and a couple tomato innards.

#plantbased #vegansushi #oilfree #starchplate #moresprouts #imrunningoutofhashtags

Plant-based veggie sushi bowl 💚

These babies are the WHOLE PACKAGE: savory, spicy (if you want), veggie-filled, flavor-packed, pleasantly filling, and just so darn good 😋😋😋

Also, check out the carrots!!! 🥕 Every third post I share my feelings about carrots. But today, well, today is no exception.

Plant-based aficionado @plant.eating.angie subtly posted a story with carrots chopped up in a delightful looking way and expects us not to notice?! I don't think so!! So I asked her about them and she said she hit them with the vegetable peeler first and thennn chopped them up. Well let me tell you, these rhombus carrot slices are a pure delight! Delightful thickness, delightful size, and geometrically delightful as well. Hooray!

#plantbased #veggiegrainbowl #carrotcuts #carrotgeometry #nooil

Sprouts and hot sauce 💚

A plate of sprouts dipped in hot sauce seemed a bit far fetched a couple of weeks ago. Now I be like... 😋

Eat more sprouts, crave more sprouts! 🙌

#plantbased #sprouts #sprouties #sprouuuuuuuts

Plant-based fettuccini Alfredo topped with tomatoes, shallots, mushrooms, garlic, and parsley alongside air fried broccoli 💚

I love all these fresh & mushroomy toppings on my Alfredo! The mushrooms are actually rehydrated from dry: button and porcini. Mmmm MMMM! 😋

At some point in the last couple of years I decided to learn how to prep foods better for the freezer. Like this example: plant-based cauliflower-white bean Alfredo that tastes better after frozen than it does fresh. The idea is that I always want options that are aligned with my goals. Freezing this tones down the garlic and cauliflower, which is nice, and the lighter ingredients don't kick you in the stomach like the traditional over-the-top, rich Alfredo sauce.

Sometimes I prep and freeze with a vacuum storage system I got secondhand many years ago. Logically, I know it's less waste than some other avenues because I can buy more locally, bulk purchase, and my food waste has been reduced to a fraction. Anyway, it's not perfect but it works for me, and I wanted to share that tidbit because certain things like Alfredo I'll freeze in a block and then vacuum seal for longer storage to have on hand.

#plantbased #veganalfredo #mealprep #lovelylunch

Cucumbers, celery, carrots, broccoli, AND scallion (in the top middle) with cool veggie dip 💚

I don't eat this because it's healthy. I eat this because I enjoy eating this! It wasn't always that way. I think in general there are two camps of people, because I've experienced both sides.

There's the "duh, obviously you eat it because you like it" folks, and that's where I am these days. Then there's the "yeah right, buddy, you keep telling yourself that!" people, and that's where I've spent most of my life. That mindset alone was a big part of my own challenges to overcome, yet here we are 🙏☺️

The more veggies I eat, the more veggies I crave. It's that simple. I wasn't able to flip this on like a light switch, but that's why tales like the tortoise & the hare exist, because it can be okay to take the long, winding path on some things and win in the long run.

#plqnrbaeed #yikesthatspelling #plantbased #therewego #callingitanight #goodnight

Plant-based Mama B's meatball, tomato sauce, and torched pita 💚

Daaaang, this one looks extra fancy to me. I've learned to focus on cooking for myself, but I enjoy sharing on here almost as much as I enjoy seeing what other people share.

I sprinkled nooch and parsley on it for flavor and beauty. I made this 'meatball' months ago, vacuum sealed it and shoved it into the depths of the freezer. I thawed it out recently and I heated it up tonight as a small meal before my kiddo's choir concert. Small is a relative term I guess 🧐

What we've got here is a gigantic lentil-walnut-oat Italian meatball inspired by an Italian restaurant from my childhood named Mama Baldacci's. They were known for their enormous meatballs, and since I was really young, they were larger than life... absolutely massive!! This one was nearly the size of a tennis ball.

Mama Baldacci's is also where my dad taught me to unscrew the lid on the Parmesan cheese at the restaurant and just pour it directly from jar to plate without that lid with holes in it in the way. Tonight I did nearly the same with nooch, thanks for the tip, dad! #memories

#plantbased #vegan #italianfood #oilfree #bigmeatball

Broccoli and mushroom stroganoff with charred wholegrain sourdough 💚

I love that I love broccoli. I know not everyone is that fortunate 🥦

I like it raw (with dip) and steamed to tender and air fried to a crisp. Apparently I even love it air fried to a crisp and then steamed back to tender! I should try air fried to a crisp and then steamed back to tender and then uncooked back to raw, I bet that would be something else! 🤭

The broccoli is a mix of frozen and previously air fried broccolis, steamed together. I've never done that before but I wanted more broccoli than I had remaining from the batch I air fried yesterday and this combo did not disappoint! 😋

I dry charred the sourdough with my new torch I'm still getting used to. It's awesome, tastes just like campfire toast (which was a very big deal when I was a youngin').

#plantbased #broccolilove #leftoversftw #oilfree

Homemade plant-based ham and cheese sandwich on whole grain sourdough 💚

– Tofu ham (marinated and cooked for 30 mins then chilled)
– Plant-based cheese (the good stuff, I'll make a post just for this)
– Iceberg lettuce (because I don't have to put up with society's lettuce shaming!)
– Tomato slices
– Red onion slices
– Pepper
– Oregano
– Whole grain sourdough bread

#plantbased #vegansando #oilfree

Veggies Round 2: Environment Matters 💚

I tried mindful eating once. 45 seconds on a grape is not my idea of a 'good time '. And I cleaned up that last sentence... TWICE! 😆 But, these days I AM more mindful about my meal environment. I strongly prefer nature & woodsy to cold & dense.

I eat fewer foods directly out of the refrigerator. I go out to eat less often. And when I stop to eat, even if for a moment, I try to capture the scene a little more chill or migrate to a more relaxed spot.

Here are two photos of my veggie container with beautiful carrots, celery, and broccoli florets with my cool veggie dip. I took the photos within 5 seconds of each other. The first photo is of the office kitchen counter. It's cold, plain, industrial. I work in a beautiful office, but this particular spot and direction in the universe isn't my fav. Turn 90 degrees (photo 2) and we've got a rich, dark, wooden floor... Now you're talking! Anyway, just sharing some things I think about sometimes, and I hope everyone is having a lovely start to the week!!

#plantbased #veggiesveggiesandmoreveggies #veg #vege #veggie

Broccoli florets, broccoli stalks, carrots, celery, and cool veggie dip 💚

Eat more veggies, crave more veggies, repeat! 🙌

I posted the plant-based 'Cool Veggie Dip' recipe as a green recipe card in Craig's Faves in my ig story highlights if you're interested. I got some very helpful feedback on thoughts to make that even better, I really appreciate that!! You know what they say: you've gotta crumble some tofu to make a scramble! 😋

#plantbased #veggiepreload #vegtacular #vegtastic #vegorama #veggies

Mushroom stroganoff and air fried broccoli 💚

I've been looking forward to this for far too long! What a satisfying and delicious delight mushroom stroganoff can be 😋 This was from @thetwopeas22, hers looks even better, but mine's not bad for a first try!

I truly enjoy seeing her posts, even when it's the same foods. One of my long-term goals is more 'regular' dishes made with straightforward ingredients in my life, and this is the kind of plate I could see becoming a regular. The noodles are wholemeal wheat spaghetti, and with onions and mushrooms and parsley and a cashew sour cream to finish... Mmmm MMMM!!! Thank you, Tori!!!

Oh, I was being a little silly and didn't chop up the parsley stalks, I'll do that next time 😆

#plantbased #veganfoodshare #satisfyinganddelicious #oilfree #wholefoods

Sprouts n hot sauce surrounded by a moat of air fries with fresh veggies and jalapeño ranch 💚

I'm finally starting to accept that I can eat a big plate of oil-free fries, love every bite, not feel like blargh, and actually be nutritionally in my desired direction. It's a great feeling that I wish for EVERYONE!

I keep putting carrots on air fries like it's a thing. Is it? I don't really notice the carrot flavor so much, but I like the crunch and they sure are pretty. This was the last of my russet potatoes, which is good because I've got other things I'd like to make! These fries are topped with sliced tomatoes, carrots, thinly sliced shallots & fresh garlic, scallions, and jalapeño ranch.

Image Descriptions:
1-2) Plate of sprouts and fries from the post text
3) 2 cooked russet potatoes, cut into thin fries before air frying

#plantbased #potatoes #potatolove #speouts #sprouts #sproutlove #oilfree #flavoradventure

Peppered Hothouse tomato slices and sprouts with black garlic n peri peri hot sauce 💚

The only way I would touch a tomato when I was a kid was if it was to move it farther away from me. Not kidding! I learned to appreciate them in the last decade or so, and now I really look forward to them. I'm no tomatologist, but I enjoy them when they're really firm, just before I think they'd be considered ripe!

This particular black garlic n peri peri sauce is absolutely delightful with sprouts. I can't speak highly enough of the sauces by @hotnsaucyco. They're flavor-first, veggie-oriented, and have less sodium than virtually any other hot sauce. I'm not endorsed by them, I just really love their sauces!! If they ever need taste testers for new sauces tho... 🙋🙋🙋😆

Image Descriptions:
1) Plate of peppered tomatoes and edible sprouts with hot sauce
2) Bottle of Black Garlic n Peri Peri sauce with the plate
3) Front label of the sauce bottle
4) Side label about @hotnsaucyco
5) Side label with sauce nutrition facts

#plabtbased #plantbased #tomatoes #sprouts #powerfood

Plant-Based Walnut 'Honey' Mustard 💚

I'm in a smoothie group with some wicked creative people. I love being creative, but it never occurred to me to sweeten a dressing with GRAPES! Someone in the group shared a grape-based 'honey' mustard dressing so I thought I'd take a stab at an oil-free version.

I tried a few mustard/nut/vinegar combos and settled on the one I liked the most (that was only a little hot). I thought it was quite tasty, not sure what I'd change, but I'm also not a 'honey mustard' connoisseur 😆

📌 This was my fav version:
200g green grapes (a heaping cup, 20-24 big ones)
28g walnuts (about 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Blend the above in a high speed blender, that's it!

I bet you could adjust the nuts, mustard(s), vinegar, heck, even the grapes. My Dijon-only test was too spicy, and my yellow-only test tasted like, umm, yellow mustard, lol.

#plantbased #oilfree #kitchencreations #recipeshare

Happy National Blueberry Pancake Day! 🫐🥞💙

Finally, a national food holiday I can get behind!

At first, I made a MASSIVE, thick, old school Maine-style pancake just like my Nanny used to make when we watched Saturday morning cartoons at her house. Since I have frozen wild blueberries (love @wymansfruit for getting those distributed all the way out here), I used the classic grandmother-inspired trick of coating the berries in flour before gently mixing in. That's not really necessary with fresh bluebs. I also used my modern twist and mixed in cooked wheat berries (as a lil treat for my gut microbiota!).

After I made the Nannycake, I thinned out the batter to make reasonable pancakes with just added wild blueberries (the last 3 photos).

📌 OLD FASHIONED PANCAKE RECIPE:
– 1½ cups wheat flour (I used 50/50 wholemeal spelt/all-purpose)
– 3½ tsp baking powder
– 1 tsp salt
– 1½ cups unsweetened plant milk (plus more to thin)

(You can add a bit of vinegar and/or syrup if you like, I added a tiny splash of vinegar today)

Taco fries bowl 🌮🍟🍅🥬🧅🥕🥗 💚

My goodness, this was just the tops. I'm still working my way thru the fridge, and always exploring flavors here and there. TBH, I'm terrified of screwing up my palate with healthy food that doesn't taste healthy. But I don't stew on it too much, because I got to where I'm at now, so I could get here again, right? 🤔

So, this is cooked russets, cut into thinner fries, then air fried to brown them up. I piled on taco inspired veggies like tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, cilantro, and red onions plus pushed the boundaries a little with carrots and sprouts and scallions 😬 finished with a jalapeño ranch dressing, crumbles of my lentil-walnut-oat taco filling, and some of my homemade shreddy cheddy. I love that I can chop all this stuff up while Sir Frysalot makes short work of the 'frying' job.

For jalapeño ranch, I just pulsed 3 tbsp canned jalapeños into a half batch of @mcdougallmom ranch dressing (yesterday). Unbelievably good. The canned jalapeños I found list 0mg sodium and I wanted to use something a little more shelf stable than fresh because I think the other half of the can will go into a pepperjack. 🌶️

Anyway, after I ate a bunch I took a couple more photos so I can actually see what's inside this bowl in the last couple of photos.

#plantbased #tacobowl #potatoes #heartyeats #veganfoodshare #happybelly

Mediterranean plate 💚

Cooking, cleaning, chilling out, playing in the kitchen, making stuff to snack on & using up ingredients. Lovely day 🤗

Plants make plates pretty! 🍅🌱🫒🥒

– Oil free hummus made with tahini flour (less fat)
– A couple of dry cured olives, chopped
– Hothouse tomato, chopped
– Shallots, thinly sliced
– Cilantro, roughly cut
– Half a pita
– Cucumber slices

#plantbased #mediterraneanfood #oilfree #satisfyinganddelicious

Sprout Colcannon 💚

The last of my mashed potatoes O'Brien, a handful of fresh sprouts (there's an upper limit before it's TOO sprouty). I sprinkle a bit more salt on top. Such a powerful little plate! I kinda like the peppery colors from the O'Brien ❤️

#plantbased #potatoes #whowasobrien #sprouts #oilfree #glutenfree #vegan #cookingfun #simpleanddelicious

Rainbow wedges and sprouts with hot sauce 💚

I tried to make the potato wedges like @starchfull but my taters are too cooked so they just started to mash. Oh well, that just means it's a wedge day! 🙌

I didn't mean to cover them up so much. I guess I had more veggies n stuff than I thought. Felt rainbow inspired by all the beautiful bowls and plates and foodie things everyone has been sharing. Also, felt especially bold so raw alliums today, baby!!! Here's the breakdown:

Russet potatoes, wedged n air fried
@mcdougallmom ranch dressing
Tomatoes
Carrots
Avocado
Shallots
Garlic
Parsley

Sprouts: clover, onion, mustard, dill, and fenugreek sprouts with @hotnsaucyco black garlic n peri peri sauce!

#plantbased #potatoes4life #sprouts4life #veggies4life

Rainbow Taco Plate 🌈💚

Yeah, I don't know where brown goes in the rainbow 😬 I think near orange but I added it last so it goes on the edge, lol.

This was very good, who doesn't like tacos?! To be honest, by the time everything was prepared I was a little hmph about the taco 'meat'. I made my lentil walnut oat taco filling, only to realize that the foods I've been making recently are SO MUCH LESS labor intensive than this! I'm 90% certain that I could've added beans and enjoyed this just as much. Next time: beans! 🫘

Leftover jasmine rice
Lentil walnut oat taco filling
Tomatoes
My homemade plant-based cheese shreds
Fire roasted corn
Shredded iceberg lettuce
Scallions
Red onion
Topped with taco hot sauce

#plantbased #eattherainbow #tacoplate #vegan #veggies #veggiesveggiesandmoreveggies

Sprouts with a little plant-based ranch surrounded by air fryer 'Western Stubby' fries and a Cholula ketchup 💚

Gosh, I love me a potato! 🥔

I harvested sprouts yesterday, so I gotta pick up the pace of the munch munch. Sprouts and hot sauce: yum! Sprouts and ranch: yum!

The ketchup blend is just ketchup, Cholula, and water to thin it out. I try not to overthink the water, my brain goes straight to compromising flavor, but plain ketchup with Cholula was too thick to drizzle, so I thinned it just enough and it was perfect (which was actually more water than I thought it would take).

#plantbased #potato #sprouts #airfries #nooil

Celery, cauliflower, and cucumber with cool veggie dip 💚

This is the last of my cool veggie dip. Got a new batch going but it's kinda red because I added a bit more paprika and some other spices out of curiosity. Long story short, the new batch doesn't look very cool. Looking forward to seeing how it tastes later today or tomorrow.

#plantbased #oilfree #veggies #veggiesanddip

Plant-based BLT fries with peppercorn ranch and a big ol' side of sprouts! 💚

– Air fries
– Thinly sliced tomato
– Shredded iceberg lettuce
– Tofu bacon bits
– @mcdougallmom ranch dressing with a wee drizzle of maple syrup and black peppercorns cracked with the large setting
– Sprouts (French Garden mix, so gentle and tasty)

NEXT TIME: ditch the bits, add maybe smoky sunflower seeds and definitely onions, leeks, or a mound of scallions!!!

Do you ever really get used to healthy food tasting this good? I'm guessing maybe after like two years. Maybe never, who knows.

#plantbased #potatoes #sprouts #veggies #ranchypants #dinnerofchampions

Mashed Potatoes O'Brien & Thanksgiving Gravy 💚

You say potato, I say yes, please!

Still clearing the freezer of foods that I have cooked and frozen so I can cook more foods and freeze them 😆

#plantbased #potatoes #poyaytoes #boilemmashemstickeminastew

Cauliflower, carrots, and a sliced up scallion with cool veggie dip 💚

I don't start every day this way, but those days where I do are usually better days. I hope everyone is feeling as inspired as I am today! 🙌

I posted a link to an interview in my story, but if you didn't see it, def check out the interview on YouTube with @pbwithjeremy and @plantbasedspacecase. Fantastic interviewer and interviewee! I guarantee you'll connect with your own journey or that of someone close to you.

#plantbased #veggiegram #veggiesveggiesandmoreveggies

Potato wedges seasoned with paprika, onion, garlic, and served with Cholula ketchup 💚

I tried the instant pot -> cooled -> cut -> seasoned -> air fried method that @ellenshealthykitchen shared recently, and they came out very good! You get a different consistency with pressure cooking versus boiling (and baking, for that matter!), but the trusty russet holds up well.

I washed the taters in water and put a five pound bag of em in the instant pot on the metal trivet along with a cup of water. Cooked at high pressure 10 mins with a natural release (note for later: maybe quick release or quick release after 10 mins would be good and add a little time on to the air fry stage). Cooled at room temp, cut a couple up to eat along with dinner, seasoned with big pinches of paprika, granulated onion, and granulated garlic and air fried for 10 mins at 400°F, shaking halfway thru.

Cooking potatoes under pressure is similar to microwaving them, in that I find it leaves the insides a bit... sticky? No, I think tacky might be a better word for it. This isn't a bad thing for the air fryer because the seasoning holds on very well!

Yay fries!

#plantbased #🥔 #nooil

The last bowl of plant-based goodness... for now! 💚

I ate all the cukes yesterday so green cabbage stepped in and took their place today. I like the balance of the cukes better but they both work.

I'm cautious not to over-sauce at the start, but I find myself adding a bit more spicy mayo at the very end. I also think the half of an 🥑 is important. When I mix/agitate this with my hand, I don't squeeze it, but it does spread a bit of that cado around on the rice. If anyone's looking to try this out, I'll recap what's inside (really just to make it easier on myself when I look this up in the future to make us again 😆)

WHAT'S INSIDE!
– Chilled sushi rice*
– Half a small avocado, diced
– Diced tomatoes marinated in a quick tamari/Sriracha mix while I prepped the other veggies, then drained (reserving the liquid if you want)
– Cucumber cut in quarter wedges and 1cm thick (on previous bowls)
– Handful of sprouts
– Carrots, diced
– Topped with scallion, a drizzle of low sodium tamari, and @mcdougallmom spicy mayo!!

NOTES:
– I drained the tomatoes after marinating, and I realized yesterday I can just use the drained marinade as the low sodium tamari/soy sauce and it comes with a little kick.

*Sushi rice made with.. cooked sushi rice and a splash of rice vinegar, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt.. I wouldn't even bother with the pinch of salt, it didn't do jack squat.

#plantbased #veggiegrainbowl #veganpokebowl #plantbasednourishbowl #mixedbuddhabowl #harbularybowl #oilfree #veggiepacked

Pokelicious Bowl 💚

I feel like I'm eating a wicked expensive meal when I have these. It's so pretty & delicious! I cut up some of my leftover spiralized carrot noodles, added some extra cut up leeks, and did a tamari/Sriracha quick marinade for the tomatoes 😋

Ok, I looked it up and here's what I found. BTW I personally do not care to use terms like "proteins" or "fats" to describe foods. I'm only using them below because every dang description I found uses them and I don't want to misspeak.

Buddha Bowl:
✅ Includes – grain, veggies, protein, fat, sauce
✅ Notes – vegetarian, NOT MIXED TOGETHER, get enough colors and you can probably call it a Rainbow Bowl or Rainbow Buddha Bowl

Nourish Bowl:
✅ Includes – basically the same as Buddha bowl
✅ Notes – not necessarily vegetarian, though some references just call this a synonym for Buddha Bowl

Poke Bowl:
✅ Includes – basically the same as a Nourish Bowl but typically served with fish (typically tuna or salmon)
✅ Notes – poke itself seems to refer to diced raw fish, grain is probably a rice

Sushi Bowl:
✅ Includes – basically the same as a Poke Bowl but with added nori
✅ Notes – grain is probably sushi rice

I'm gonna try not to get too caught up in what to call this. Yesterday, it was a Harbulary Bowl, and today: it's Pokelicious!

#plantbased #plantpowered #harbularybowl #biodiversity #eattherainbow #veggies

Pizza 💚

I'm trying to cook thru all the stuff I've been storing in the freezer to make room so I can cook more stuff to put in the freezer 😂

I found some pizza! I looked back in my feed, it was the one from November 14, 2023. Still delish! Reheated 5 mins in the air fryer at 400°F. 🙌

Everyone's got those foods that they find very difficult to move on from. Some of us have more of those than others, but I try not to dwell on it. One of mine has been classic breakfast sausage. Ofc I have lots of thoughts on the subject, but I'll fast-forward to the point: this pizza has sausage seasoned walnuts on it, and I had to pull a piece off, break it apart and eat it just to make sure it wasn't some other veggie sausage. As my brain connects with real food better than hyperpalatable food, all of me is happier, even my lil taste buds!

#plantbased #pizza #freezerfoods #veganfoods #embraceyourself

Sprout Colcannon 💚

Good news, now I have an estimate for an upper boundary of sprouts to use in sprout colcannon. Just eyeballing it – ½ or less sprout to mashed potato (or <= 1:2 sprout:potato). I tried 1:1 just to see and dang, that was SPROUTY. Not terrible, but not ideal.

Trying to think of other fun sprouty ideas. I kind of want to tie them up in bunches with a twine made of scallions and dip them. Hmmm! Has anyone had any luck with a sprout + pasta dish?

#plantbased #potatoes #potatoes4life #sprouts #comesproutwithme

The Last Dagwood and The Last Bite 💚

I realized I had ingredients to make one more Dagwood. What luck!

I was out of tofu ham but I had tofu bacon, so tofu bacon it was. I added an extra tomato slice and some extra onions. I used every last dill pickle we had left. #nailedit

This was yums, and I even forgot to add sprouts 🤦 oh well, more sprouts for later. I'm planning to harvest the French Garden sprout mix soon. I saved it for last because it used to be my favorite mix. Looking forward to seeing if it still reigns supreme!

#plantbased #oilfree #mainefoods #dagwood #vegan #biodiversity #guthealth #eatgreatfeelgreat

Harbulary Bowl 💚

New approach: add all the stuff to a mixing bowl and swoosh it around with my hand. I don't know if this is a Buddha bowl or a nourish bowl or a poke bowl or what, so I'm calling it a Harbulary Bowl.

Srsly, tho... a few go-to recipes and a selection of sauces that I never have to really think about overusing has made the plant-based journey not just realistic, but ENJOYABLE 🥳

This is mostly the same stuff as yesterday except no wasabi and I sprinkled sesame seeds on top as I'm generally getting over this dumb, outdated mindset that things like sesame seeds are just added calories. Biodiversity, baby! I added a little more spicy mayo and low sodium soy sauce by the end. The only thing I would change is making the Sriracha soy sauce tomatoes like I did yesterday, those were a delight.

#plantbased #veganrecipeshare #harbularybowl #veggies #veggiesveggiesandmoreveggies

Oatmeal 💚

ON TOP:
Bluebs 💙
Walnut butter 🤎

INSIDE:
Water 💙
Almond milk 🤍
Cinnamon 🤎
Lightly caramelized banana 💛
Vanilla 🖤
Splash of New Hampshire maple syrup (or as my dad would call it: "the good stuff") 🤎

#plantbased #oatmeal

Walnut Butter 💚💚💚

I used up the last 2 tbsp of my walnut butter in those cookies yesterday, so fresh batch it is. The problem is sometimes when I start them from room temp, they get too warm in the food processor. If they get sufficiently hot, the flavor will change, so I had to stop the process twice when they got pretty warm to haul the container outside in the cold air to cool down. I think I'll go back to walnut butter from frozen walnuts.

The extended cook time meant two breakfasts today 🤗 I started with the sprout colcannon and when this was done I made a small bowl of oats I had cooked earlier. Mmmm MMMM! I love these simple foods that are so dang tasty.

📌 RECIPE
– Fill food processor 50-90% full (80% is the sweet spot for me, it looked like about 1-1.5 pounds) of raw walnuts (optionally frozen)
– Run food processor 5-10 mins, scrape if stuff stops moving
– Optionally salt.

I measured my salting today, I have a slow salt shaker, and I went shake shake shake shake shake, blended that in, tasted, and did it once more. It's about one or two pinches worth of salt in about 1-1.5 pounds of walnuts, it really doesn't take much of you want the flavor to pop a little.

EDIT: Just weighed the jar it's just a bit over a pound in my batch, 1lb should fit snug in a pint glass jar.

#plantbased #walnuts #walnutbutter

Sprout Colcannon? 💚

Decided to try mixing sprouts in my mashed potatoes O'Brien. Better than I thought it would be 😆😋

I was wondering if I could call it sprout colcannon, but then I remembered everything is made up anyway, so as long as it's not wicked confusing or offensive I'll call it whatever I want! Lol, that just reminded me of that scene in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 (I think it was 2)...

"They're called Anulax batteries."
"Harbulary batteries."
"That's nothing like what I just said!

That scene kills me!! 🤣🤣🤣

#plantbased #livelaughlove #potatoes #sprouts #obrien

Adding Potatoes O'Brien to mashed potatoes 🥔🫑🧅💚

I decided to jazz up my thawed mashed potatoes with half a bag of frozen Potatoes O'Brien! Are Potatoes O'Brien a thing outside the U.S.?

#plantbased #potatoes #🥔🫑🧅 #jazzymash

Garlic herb spaghetti & spiralized carrot noodles topped with shallots, roast broccoli, and torched garlic herb pita. 💚

I love meals like this so much I can hardly find the words. I'm neutral on carrots but I have them all the time. Not because I'm ever, EVER craving a carrot, but darn if they don't have some magic in them.

Seriously, carrots, in reasonable amounts, somehow pair with countless rice or pasta dishes across nearly every international cuisine boundary.

With carrots you can supplant some pasta, eat even more, and it tastes even better. WTH?! Anyway!! I coated the noods with some of the garlic herb sauce from the other day that I put on those french fries, and I put the same stuff on a couple pita wedges and toasted them with a torch.

The air fryer did the heavy lifting with the frozen broccoli, and the only issue I had is that I never know how hungry I am, and I often eat another little bit, so I shared my second plate in the very last photo. There's another story behind that I'll share someday!

#plabtbased #plantbased #plateperfection #lovethismeal #brassicas #🥦 #nooil

Ploye with walnut butter 💚-sorta

A ploye is an Acadian (of French Canadian/old French Maine origin) buckwheat pancake/crepe. I don't remember even hearing about them until I was probably in my 20s? Even then, it was a bag of mix I got and without Instagram or YouTube or guidance, I made some pretty terrible crepes and decided they were disgusting.

Fast forward ten million minutes to my all new taste buds, and I wanted to give it another try!

I have about a dozen trypophobia-triggering photos of me trying to figure out how to make this Acadian foodstuff. They cook up with a thousand little holes in them. @the_littlest_chickpea shared a smart way to do this with a soak and blend method, but I saw buckwheat flour in the bulk section and figured why not save some time. Whoopsie!

So I used regular buckwheat flour mixed with all-purpose flour. Apparently if you use the flour, the correct one is 'light buckwheat'. Noted. Soak and blend sounds better and better, like a million times better.

It took until the last 3-4 little crepes (I made well over a dozen) to get to something that didn't taste like raw buckwheat, and then I tried topping with maple syrup but it was so-so and it fell through all the holes. FINALLY, topped with a little walnut butter and yum! I'll be trying these again with the soak method. Biodiversity for the win!!!

#plantbased #thankful #recipecommunity #lostrecipes #oldworldtastes #oilfree

Poke bowl 💚

Sometimes I need to pause and regroup to go with the flow. Remembering that is worth its weight in sprouts.

The plan was to make sushi. I made sushi rice and got some nori (I don't really care for nori, but I manage if I get to have it with sushi). Made @mcdougallmom spicy mayo a few days ago (which is on point for this!). Anyway, I must've gotten rid of my sushi mat some time ago because it wasn't in its home, and I was getting pretty hungry, so I decided to switch to a poke bowl.

I covered the rice with veggies: tomatoes I had sitting in a Sriracha soy sauce, fresh cucumber, fresh carrots cut in mini matchsticks, and a big sprinkle of fresh scallion flakes (note to self, use these more). And there's a big side of sprouts (Moo Mix). And a little eeny weeny side of wasabi, and I even had ginger!

Anyway, that's the pretty second photo. The first one is after I dug in, realized my sticky rice ratio was off, and this was not a great meal for chopsticks as everything kept falling apart. And I had forgotten the avocado that is fresh for today (58 cents, yay @wincofoods). So I got my avo half, I got a spoon, and mmmm MMMM!

#plantbased #sushifail #pokewin #adaptableplate #sprouts

Cauliflower florets, a tiny amount of carrots and celery, pretzel sticks, half a pita bread, and oil-free creamy hummus 💚

If I'm jonesing for chips or chips and dip or something at night, you know how that goes, this is one of my directionally friendly approaches. If I finish this and STILL want chips, then fine, at least I crowded out most of the space 😆

#plantbased #focusontherightdirection #hummus #cauliflower #pita #pretzels #thesepretzelsaremakingmethirsty

Plant-Based Maine Dagwood 💚

I'm no expert, but I've only ever seen a Maine Dagwood Sandwich served as a pita pocket. I think they're generally sold at general stores or local pizzerias.

Typically, these things are the definition of hyperpalatable, so I was iffy on making it. But, I remembered the coolest thing, that making healthier versions of foods I haven't had in a long time usually works really well because my brain remembers the general food and my taste buds aren't completely tied to the old flavor, so I figured I'd give it a go.

I made a basic tofu bacon to bring smoke, umami, and chewiness. I made a cashew-Brazil nut mayo for the creamy/fatty/salty layer. I used some of the tofu ham I had already made. Oh, and I made a most delightful plant-based cheese (it's the Swissy recipe plus 1/8 tsp annatto powder).

This was very tasty and a LOT of work 😆

#plantbased #nostalgicnosh #mainefoods #oilfree #comfortfood

Bread, peanut butter and flax seeds 💚

A bit rough around the edges, but still beautiful, tasty, and satisfying.

#plantbased #pb #addflax

Cauliflower, celery, and carrots with cool veggie dip 💚

#plantbased #veggieplate #veggiesanddip

Creamy hummus on toast topped with za'atar 💚

Heading to the grocery store when hungry? NOPE.

#plantbased #toasttoppers #oilfree #hummus #zaatar #simplevegan

Air fries with dry parsley, a five dollar pile of Russian mix sprouts, and a side of horseradish ketchup 💚

Ok, I didn't spend five dollars on that pile of sprouts. I spent tens of cents. Just a reference to Pulp Fiction and the cost of sprouts in the store, and yes I buy them in the store too 😇

I think the last key part to great air fries, and I know people say this all the time but I constantly refuse to accept it, is to not crowd the fries too much. I added about 30% more fries and wouldn't you know they were about 30% less browned when the 20 minutes was up and I ended up adding about 4-5 more minutes so they dried out a touch more than I wanted. Practice, baby!

Dried parsley is so darn inexpensive and such a powerful visual for potatoes and pasta, I reach for it ALL THE TIME. I have a ginormous container of the stuff. Some people in Montana have massive pickup trucks, but I have a massive canister of dried parsley. To each their own! 🛻🌿

I'm not saying you're going to pull out any noticeable amount of nutrition from that parsley, but if you start eating with your eyes like me then that's +1, and remember that every time you pick up a healthy plant ingredient, you're moving in the right direction -- that's +2. If you want a +3, check out the visuals from @vegan.sisu. Very inspiring!

#planrbased #plantbaeed #plantbased #gotitthattime #potatoes #poyaytoes #🥔

Congee with par-dried tres chiles soy curls topped with @rancho_gordo La Paloma sauce and scallions 💚

I wish this photo was a little clearer, but I'm glad I took it. I've been meaning to try a thing where I partially dry out cooked soy curls to concentrate their flavor and so their sauce doesn't get lost in the surrounding porridge. That's this.

I took the homemade tres chiles soy curls straight from frozen, put them in a little Corelle dish, set it in the air fryer and turned it on at 170°F (yes, fairly low) for about 10-20 minutes (I didn't pay that close of attention), stirring them once partway through).

It worked well, the congee didn't turn a deep, dull red like last time and the curls were little pockets of chile-based flavor. I want to try this sometime with the soy curls using a mini vegan meatball recipe I made a couple of years ago that is so very good in congee!

#plantbased #riceporridge #soycurls #theyreinthere

Celery, carrots, and cauliflower stump with cool veggie dip 💚

I think cauliflower stump is best when very fresh, otherwise it has a bit of an earthy undertone, even when cold water soaked.

#plantbased #rebuildingmomentum #veggies

Cool veggie dip. Working on my dip game 💚

I feel pretty good about where I'm at with dressings. So I don't burn out on them, and because I dribble them all over myself like a babbling baby when I use them as veggie dips, I'm going to focus some attention to my dip game.

I have a cashew/soy milk/lemon juice/vinegar base that's reliable, and a habanero pink peppercorn dip that's yummo. I'd like one or two more to add to the rotation. I'm thinking a classic cool veggie dip; that's my first try above. Lots of minced dry onion, dill, parsley, seasoned salt, etc. It's like a French onion, maybe, I dunno, it's tasty but it needs some fine tuning. Anyway, if you have any simple and tasty dip ideas or dip recipes you love, please share!! Even if they're not vegan I'm just in discovery mode. Oh, and I'm specifically thinking dip for veggies at the moment. 🥦🥬🌱

#plantbased #veganrecipeshare #recipecommunity #letsmakeourownbluezones

Maine Italian Sandwich, leek chips, and a big pile of sprouts 💚💚💚

Holy guacamole was this plate good!!

– Crunchy, flavor-packed leek chips
– Russian mix sprouts with a few drops of @hotnsaucyco hot sauce on each bite
– And a Maine Italian to write home about

In my home state, which is known for a few foods... people aren't swooning to eat lobsters and clam chowder all the time like the marketing suggests. They pop up every once in a while, but you're more likely to see foods like potatoes, blueberries, and maple syrup eaten regularly. What about grab-n-go lunches or picnics?

Well, before the unstoppable proliferation of fast food, it was fairly common to make (or buy locally) Maine Italian Sandwiches. One could say it's just a sandwich, but it's that specific combination of flavors that makes it what it is. Most Maine Italians have 90-95% of the same ingredients. I would argue that the white onion, green bell pepper, and dill pickles are undebatably required. The one I made today was so darn good! Here's what's inside:

– White onion
– Green bell pepper
– My homemade Swissy cheese (plant-based)
– Dill pickles
– Oregano
– Paprika
– Iceberg lettuce
– Ham-style tofu slabs

Got any favorites from your neck of the woods? I love hearing about the foods people remember growing up with the most.

#plantbased #oilfree #noatalgicfood #goodeats #mmmm

Dirty Mac and Chz (Plant-Based, GF) 💚

This is another massive "leftovers" success for me. 🤸

The dirty name comes from a crunchy topping of dry onion flakes, dry parsley, and coarsely ground black pepper, then topping it all off with a beautiful river of scallions.

This was the last of Chz Sauce v2.0. It was about 1.5 weeks old. I'm kinda surprised it lasted, I guess that's another solid reason to store it by itself and not store it prepared with pasta. I think the vinegar and lemon juice helped with overall longevity. The dish, made with brown rice macaroni, was really on the mark for what I wanted: a no nonsense, plant-based cheese sauce that satisfied yet didn't trigger my brain like an old box of hyperpalatable Velveeta shells & cheese or something.

#plantbased #macaroniandcheese #creamydreamy #scallionriver

Plate of jazzy veg casserole post-veggies and pre-grocery store 💚

I remembered to pack my homemade vegan chicken bouillon powder, so the seasoning was on point! 🧑‍🍳🤌

#plantbased #satisfyinganddelicious #oilfree #glutenfree #goodeats

Broccoli, cucumber, and celery with fermented Thousand Island dressing as a dip 💚

Triple green day.

And I found the little wooden cutting board at the office!

#plantbased #freshveg #cukes #celery #broccoli

Congee with a reddish hue from tres chiles soy curls stirred in, as well as a few soy curl chunks on top, with a double-onion parsley crunch mix, topped with the last known surviving piece of the original Magna Carta, signed June 15, 1215 by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor. I have no clue how that ended up in my spice drawer. Oh, wait, that's an air fried slice of leek that curled up, my mistake. 🤦

Sometimes flavors get muddled too much, so I don't typically mix in things like soy curls, but this was pleasant all around. 😋

#plantbased #congee #sillyfood #soycurls #riceporridge #glutenfree #nooil #saltsavvy #veggieup

Russian mix sprouts, cucumber, a couple of chopped Kalamata olives, a bit of iceberg lettuce and plant-based chipotle ranch dressing 💚

When a little bit of those fenugreek sprouts hit the taste buds, ooh la la!

#plantbased #sulforaphane #antiinflammatory #goodeats

Cauliflower and spicy mayo -- the mayo was almost a little too mayo-y and that threw my brain off.

I finally finished off my habanero dip so I would like to make a new dip to try. Hmm! I don't want anything too extravagant, I'm leaning towards an onion dip to take a spicy dip break. 🤷

I tend to associate dips with a bit of tang, so a few drops of vinegar might've made me feel less like I was dipping my cauli in... mayo 😬😆

Still good, but I think I will like this spicy mayo most on things like sushi, poke bowls, sandwiches, and mayyybe pasta (like blend some with a few jarred piquillo peppers and plant milk to make a rose sauce with some added basil... dang, that sounds pretty good).

#plantbased #veggies #veggiesveggiesandevenmoreveggies

Broccoli, celery, and carrots with habanero dip 💚

Also, I love these new dressing containers with these pastel silicone lids. I can see their effectiveness every time I take the little lid off and it's got dressing or dip on the underside 😊

#plantbased #steeringbackontrack #veggies #veggiesveggiesandmoreveggies

Snow cap beans, jazzy veg casserole, broccoli sprouts 💚

For the handful of folks I connected with earlier last year, jazzy veg casserole became a staple meal for me. It's tasty, warming, and satisfying.

I made some tweaks as I often do, and I totally forgot the finely shredded carrot 🤦 which really balances the colors better. I used a full pound of broccoli cuts plus 1½ diced celery ribs and a big handful of button mushrooms, all softly water sauteed under cover (steamed, really). I added ⅓ batch of the plant-based condensed cream of mushroom soup as well as a big handful of freshly prepped leeks. I only seasoned with salt and white pepper.

NOTES for next time:
Add the finely shredded carrots and season with some homemade vegan bullion powder. Just getting back into it. It came out pretty good, though a little peppery!!! 😋

#plantbased #veggiecasserole #goodeats

Carrots, broccoli, celery, and habanero dip 💚

An award-winning combo!

#plantbased #veggiepost #veggiegram #oilfree #glutenfree

Simple plant-based condensed cream of mushroom soup 💚🍄

This recipe has ½ cup red lentils, ⅓ cup cashews, 1 cup mushrooms, water, and a few simple seasonings. I followed it directly except used 3/4 tsp celery salt, no regular salt, and added the black pepper in at the end so I didn't pulverize the little specks. I enjoy how they look. The recipe is from @theplantpowercouple, and I appreciate it so much because a recipe that checks my boxes like this is rare! You can find it under 'vegan condensed cream of mushroom soup' on plantpowercouple.com or you can hit them up on insta, they're very kind and responsive! 🤗

There was a phase during one of the stretches of plant-based eating (where I ultimately failed) in which I would see any recipe with nuts and immediately move on. What a mistake that was.🤦

I blame MY OWN interpretation of Dr. John McDougall's and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's recommendations. Even proponents like Dr. Michael Greger and Dr. Joel Fuhrman were clear that limitation was key. What I didn't realize until starting to really see that limitation just meant don't go absolutely nuts eating tons of nuts (like multiple handfuls of them daily). My sister and Ray Cronise, who probably have never even heard of each other (though now I wonder if their paths ever crossed in Huntsville...), were both a bit of role models here. They made it look simple, and now I do too!

Interestingly, I'm FINALLY getting over the need to do back of the napkin math in my head regarding nut consumption. If you're curious, I think this batch will make about 3 'cans' of condensed cream of mushroom. That's just under 2 tbsp cashews per 'can' (5⅓ tbsp in ⅓ cup) which will go in an entire soup or casserole, to be further divided into 4 servings. TL;DR, that's less than 1½ tsp cashews in my meal 🤯

#plantbased #veganrecipes #mushrooms #ᴍᴜsʜʀᴏᴏᴍs

Broccoli sprouts, plant-based 'ham' tofu, and iceberg lettuce sandwich with mustard 💚

A simple sandwich. The broccoli sprouts are delish. The tofu is good, smoky, but could use more seasoning.

#plantbased #oilfree #tofusandwich

Kimchi, Jasmine rice, and Mockingham Tofu, topped with scallions 💚

Yay kimchi!
Yay rice!
Yay new thing!
Yay scallions!

@carrieandjamancook's recent tofu stir fry got me wanting to practice getting more flavor and color absorbed into my tofu. I decided on mock ham tofu, which shall henceforth be known as Mockingham Tofu. 💂

It came out really good! It's tasty and smoky and wonderful. I'll see how these medium-thick slabs taste tomorrow and adjust the recipe if it needs it!

#plantbased #mockinghamtofu #kimchi #jasminerice #scallions #oilfree #glutenfree

Leek chips 💚

Just playing around with stuff.

I was on a roll with the air fryer fries yesterday. Decided to try air frying plain leek greens I had saved (the top, tougher part) just by themselves, no salt or oil or anything. I washed and dried the leek tops, and then air fried them at 300°F until they just started to brown, maybe 10 mins, and let them cool. I'm crunching on them the next day and I must say, what a fun use for leek greens. They're a bit like kale chips but they're naturally more flavorful 😋

The dark leeks on the very right were cooked at 400°F, I would not recommend that unless you want burnt leeks.

Note: they're a tad bitter when brown so I might even drop the temp to 275°F next time or just take them out at first sign of browning.

#plantbased #leeks #veggiechips #leekchips

Broccoli, carrots, celery (and another sneaky piece of scallion just ahead of 6 o'clock) with zesty habanero dip 💚

Back to the good stuff! My celery was a little soft, so I cut it first and put it in cold water. Crunchy munchy in just a few minutes 😊

#plantbased #veggiesanddip #brightbowl #broccoli #carrots #celery

Matcha green tea with pretty bubbles 💚

Smooth and green, what's not to love?! 🥰

#plantbased #matcha #hellohealth

Garlic herb fries 💚💚💚

Oh em gee, ok, this is plain air fries tossed with two small ladles of the plant-based garlic herb spread. 👈 That's the recipe. I destroyed this plate.

✏️ NOTES
There's lots of raw garlic in the herb spread. This is spicy hot but I love it. I wouldn't serve it to anyone averse to spiciness. If you really wanted to, use jarred garlic, dried garlic, or garlic powder which are all tame garlics. With the raw garlic, expect strong protection from the common cold and vampires.

You must be ok with soft fries, which I'm using as a euphemism for soggy. This was slightly sad because I had these drop-dead GORGEOUS crunchy air fries (yes, I ate a couple of the really dark ones before saucing). That's ok, it was worth it!

#plantbased #potatoes4life #oilfree #poyaytoes

Oil-free air fries 💚💚💚

I have never, ever, ever had air fries come out this well with no added oil or anything! Ever!! There are two sizes: fries and chips (well, it's just the two sizes my fry cutter supports, so I call them fries and chips). I even posted a long time ago asking if people just tweaked their photos or what they did to get results like this with no oil. Well, here's what I did.

🥔 My general method for scratch fries --
These are my homemade, frozen fries from russet potatoes. I make them in big batches: cut, rinse in cold water, and parboil in a big pot for about 10-15 mins with a splash of apple cider vinegar until they just start to get bendy but before they break with low force. Drain, and set on kitchen towels to dry, then layer in sheet pans to freeze in the freezer overnight. Move frozen fries to vacuum sealed bags.

📌 The air fryer today --
Preheated to 400°F, added a layer of fries direct from frozen with a timer for 20 mins. Gave the basket a shake when there was about 7:30 left. Didn't fidget otherwise (maybe this is key? I've been known to give a few shakes).

The next recipe will combine this with the previous (garlic herb spread), and my oh my is it all good!

#plantbased #nooil #protips #potatoes

Plant-based garlic herb spread (oil free, fat free, gluten free) 💚

Recipe in the last photo.

This spread recipe is from a fella named Michael Klunker. He was an active McDougall-style recipe blogger years ago with a blog called Klunker's Kitchen. I've very briefly connected with him in the past few months hoping to find a way to get his recipes back online. You can find them here and there, and on the wayback machine with a lot of persistence.

Klunker intended this recipe for classic corn on the cob, but I can tell you it makes unbelievable garlic bread if you're into that sort of thing. It also crushes croutons. One thing to note is that it's very airy at first. What you see in my photos is a pint of volume, but after refrigeration it will significantly reduce, maybe by half, and it will separate and never really return to this state. That's okay, it still tastes great for a few days, and I'm planning on trying it on different foods I haven't tried it on in the past!

📝 NOTES:
I made a 1.5x batch, and measured my lemon juice to 2 tbsp (so I'd use about 4 tsp lemon juice for a normal batch). I used the entire small lemon's zest. My chickpea liquid came from normal salty canned chickpeas, so I might add a pinch of salt if using aquafaba from low or no salt canned chickpeas. Also, instead of blending 10 seconds in the past part, I quick-pulse 10 times.

#plantbased #klunkerskitchen #wfpb #oilfree #glutenfree #nutfree #fatfree

Homemade, plant-based kimchi and steamed Jasmine rice with scallions 💚

Many small meals today because that's what I'm feeling and they're largely in the >>>right direction>>> and that's what I focus on most!!

#plantbased #yummy #kimchi #starchy #craigy

Plant-based mashed potatoes with salt and lots of pepper 💚

I froze a lot, and I mean a LOT of mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving.

If you've looked into it, cooking & chilling potatoes bumps up resistant starch. Resistant starch is prebiotic, so it feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiota, which in turn leads to better overall wellness. There's also a lower glycemic index to foods with higher resistant starch. Can you tell I just read Fiber Fueled? 😆

However.. freezing has a side effect of forming ice crystals that separate some of the liquid out of the starches, so when you thaw it, it's, ummm, a sloppy mess. But, gently reheat with a bit of water or plant milk (you're replacing what will be evaporating during reheating) and the starches will swell up again and reabsorb the liquid. Heat slowly and stir frequently for a return of that nice, creamy texture. Freezing does reduce the fresh flavors a bit, as it pretty much always does, and I think some whole food cell walls get ruptured which causes further dilution of sodium and potassium (among other things), so I typically add an extra sprinkle of salt to accommodate or just have it with other foods so it doesn't feel just a wee bit bland.

Anyway.. POTATOES!

#plantbased #potatoes #mashedpotatoes #starchy

Cucumber, celery, carrots, and plant-based habanero dip 💚

I shared the cukes with Nellie, she's not a fan of the rest. Oh fun, I forgot I packed a scallion in there (see it on the left?)! What a spicy little treat 😋

I'm happy with this dip. It's a bit peppercorny but it's pleasant. Removing the seeds and membranes from habanero peppers leaves such a delightful, almost fruity flavor that's tamer than jalapeño (pepper-for-pepper, at least). And the pink peppercorns, which are technically berries, really push the fruitiness into overdrive. A little maple syrup and a little sour and salt and you've got a dip going!

You know, if we can reclassify Pluto as a non-planet, why don't we start calling them pink pepperberries. It's clearly a fun word to say. Jussayin'.

I'll post that dip recipe separately for anyone that is curious or would like to make it.

#plantbased #teampepperberry #veggies

Baguette with a quick cashew powder veggie cream cheeze 💚

I have a little work to do on the consistency, but this really hit the spot for my hungry morning. What a delight. I wish I could convey in words the joy that comes from letting go of the feeling that everything must be compared to the most luxurious, over-the-top delicious thing I've ever eaten.

When foods can just simply be enjoyed for what they are, it's better than the best thing I ever ate!

#planrbased #plantbased #foodthoughts #goodday

Twice air fried broccoli and torched leeks 💚

All leftovers, baby! About a half pound of broccoli florets, simply air fried, stored as leftovers, and air fried again. On the leek side, lightly dry pan fried, gently torch finished for that hint of remarkable aroma, stored as leftovers, reheated with the second half of air frying with the broccoli.

No oil = perfect finger food = fewer dishes!

---

A little self-criticism goes a long way.

I woke up early today, hungry. I've been sore lately. I've been tired lately. I spent most of the holidays under the weather. I'm overthinking halted progress. It's easy to pile this up and it's natural to bury it down, but I remembered this morning it all comes back to how I'm *feeling*, and I feel pretty good! It's a lot easier to let things go when you're feeling pretty good.

I actually laughed at Pete Davidson's comedy last night (his humor never quite resonated with me before). It's -36°F with windchill this morning, and I am fascinated with odd weather. After this broccoli leek plate, I just reheated a chunk of freezer baguette topped with a delightful, quick veggie cream cheeze inspired by @boringplantbased. A couple of kind people recently took time to send me links and reads they thought I might find interesting (and I do!). I'm seeing unexpected relatives watching documentaries on the benefits of plant-based everything, whaa?!

I'm going to enjoy the eerily quiet outdoors, it's a very rare treat to hear how differently things sound at these temperatures; a personal favorite is creaking metal. Then I'm going to turn on some choice music and get stuff done!!! (and maybe nap later 😆)

#plantbased #greenplate #happyfriday #friyay

Homemade, plant-based dips! Habanero pink peppercorn dip (left), Harlequin dip (right).

EDIT (Jan 14, 2024): I couldn't find anything palatable for that Harlequin dip. No wonder it was left behind in the 1900s. The aroma is slightly better than the mediocre flavor. Make it if you like, but I do not recommend it. End edit.

The left is my first real attempt at making a FRESH habanero dip. This has been on my bucket list for years (yes, I'm a very exciting person). When you remove the seeds and membranes, habanero peppers are not nearly as scorching hot as they are known for, and they have an unmatched fruity-pepper quality to them. It's quite the treat. I'll report back on the dip.

The right is a dip using my plant-based dip base against a lost recipe from the mid-nineteen hundreds Betty Crocker cookbook: Harlequin Dip. One of my super awesome passions is reading recipes that passed through The Greatest Generation (or shortly before/after) and trying plant-based versions of them. I learned 'harlequin', as an adjective, refers to something 'in varied colors'. Harley Quinn makes a tiny bit more sense now. Flavored with mustard, curry powder, scallions (chives in the o.g. but I didn't have them), chopped ripe olives, it's definitely a symphony but maybe not Beethoven-level. I'm going to think about possibilities, but I used it as a sandwich spread because it didn't feel right for my typical veg. Given the main ingredients I mentioned, if you've got thoughts on ways to enjoy this dip, I'm all ears!!!

#plantbased #dips #oilfree #greatestgenerationrecipes

Oatmeal 💚 My breakfast was a recipe from @ellenshealthykitchen that may be in her upcoming cookbook!

A fun deviation from the usual. Ellen has such great energy and motivation! I love that she's writing a cookbook; I can't think of anything better than supporting like-minded healthy kitchen aficionados!

#plantbased #oatmeal #tropicalfruit

Mixed nuts & seeds butter and chia seeds on sourdough 💚

This is one of my favorite foods for "I'm heading out the door but I'm a lil hungry." Well, the many variations of this. It's a lovely pre-grocery shopping snack as well. The spread is the Kirkland "mixed nut butter with seeds" and has almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and flaxseeds. 🙌

#plantbased #powerfood #nutsandseeds

Kimchi for me, cucumber slices for me & Nell Bell 🐶

Bright Broccoli, Mac & Chz, Chopped BBQ Soy Curls, Scallions (All Plant-Based) 💚

Today was a "I want a little something extra" sorta day!

I don't think soy curls are generally available outside North America, and that's a shame because as a minimally processed soybean (boiled, extruded, dehydrated), they're extremely versatile and fun to cook with. They're somewhat similar to soya chunks, but soy curls are more tender because they're not defatted (it's the whole soybean!).

Pictured above is about half an ounce of chopped soy curls (+60 cals), rehydrated, lightly cooked with 2 tbsp BBQ sauce with a touch more drizzled on top (+40 cals). I think this is the smallest batch of soy curls I've ever made, thankfully it came out great.

#plantbased #broccoli #soycurls #scallions #veganfoods

Hydrated Peanut Powder, Chia Seeds, Tamarind Concentrate, and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes on Sourdough 😳

Whoopsie, I used way way way too much tamarind concentrate. I know it's strong stuff, but hoo-wee.

I thought the incredible punch of tamarind would bring the peanut powder to life, but I puckered more and more after every bite. It wasn't as bad as some of my recipe wrecks, but I would only ever try this again with far less tamarind. Just now I read the side of the bottle and it says to use 1 tsp per six persons 😆😆😆

#plantbased #recipewreck

Grilled Zucchini, Steamed Jasmine Rice, and Kimchi Topped with Scallions (Bam!) 💚

Simple dinner tonight. It's been a day of many mini meals.

The bizarre grill marks are because I decided to cut out the middlepan and just cook the zucchini directly over the flames on the stove and I kept fidgeting with it ☺️. I like slicing whole zucchini in half and serving it with a classic knife and fork. The flavor-packed kimchi tied the whole plate together.

#plantbased #plantplate #fermentedfoods

Plant-Based Mac & Chz 💚

I added the in-progress recipe below!

Since I used brown rice macaroni, I'm glad I remembered to store the pasta separately from the chz sauce from the tip posted by @the_littlest_chickpea recently. It reheated perfectly.

I want this plant-based chz sauce to be quick, simple, and tasty. It's largely based on a video I saw in 2011 from Soul Vegetarian Diner in Atlanta that boasted a wicked vegan mac & cheese. How awesome are they to share their hit recipe?! (You can still find it on YouTube by searching "eat atlanta how to make mac and cheese". Look for the chef in the yellow shirt that's bursting with positive energy!!). I'm not doing the oven bake today, especially with brown rice pasta (I tried that once and.. Squishville!). I just heat the sauce with the pasta and as soon as it's hot, the raw garlic is tamed and it's ready to eat eat eat!

I was able to reduce the salt by adding sour and tang, and most of the soy milk and soybean oil are replaced with the more whole food soy: soft tofu! I bumped up the mustard since we don't have all that oil and salt to carry the flavors. And the next time I make it, I'll probably drop the lemon juice and wwv to 2 tsp each.

📌 Chz sauce (v2.0) — blend the following:
16oz block soft tofu
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 tbsp prepared yellow mustard (e.g. French's)
5 cloves garlic
3/4 cup nooch
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp lemon juice (see notes above about future reduction)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar (see above)
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp white pepper

This is a good amount for 8oz dry pasta, cooked. EDIT (1/17/2024): I used 10oz dry pasta total and I'm not sure if I'll change it anytime soon. I also got feedback it might be a bit spicy, my garlic is kind of mild compared to some. I would suggest adding fresh garlic to taste and cooking the sauce a bit if it's too spicy.

#plantbased #veganrecipeshare #powerfood

Plant-Based Chickpea Feta Sandwich with Onion and Cucumber on Italian Bread 💚

This filling is pleasantly chilled. I added cucumbers and onion, though I think vibrant red onion would be even nicer!

#plantbased #oilfree #flavortown

Air Fried Broccoli and Mac & Chz (plant based, oil free, nut free, gluten free) 💚

Holy Macaroni, this dish! 🥰

What a momentous thing when you look forward to your new plant powered plate as much or even MORE than your old standard diet plates.

– Air fried broccoli
– Brown rice elbow macaroni
– Chz sauce founded on soft tofu & lots of nooch

The chz is a work in progress: just a simple, creamy, noochy, tangy sauce that really hit the spot. I wasn't expecting it to be this good on the first pass. Happy to share the recipe when it's dialed in, I think I just need to drop the lemon juice a wee bit.

Plating preference: reserve a small amount of chz to spread across the noods after plating. Finish with pinch of dry parsley.

#plantbased #tippingpoint #5050plate

Congee 💚

I'm trying a new thing-- storing my fav recipes as highlights (inspired by how @mcdougallmom shares her spicy mayo, for example). This one's in the "Craig's Faves" highlight.

I made a noochie sauce earlier today and had an extra chunk of soft tofu. So, I cut it up and used it as a topping along with some tres chiles soy curls, scallions, and Sambal Oelek.

#plantbased #oilfree #biodiversityofgutmicrobiota

Simple Korean Cucumber Carrot Salad 💚

This was a little off-the-cuff today, here's what's inside:

3/4 cucumber (about two cups), sliced
1/2 carrot, peels
2 scallions, sliced at 60° angle
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
Scant 1/2 tsp gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper)
Two pinches sesame seeds

The typical cucumber in the US these days has a thick, waxy, unpalatable skin. English cucumber skins are fairly good, and the little bumpy cucumbers we grew up on that you can only seem to find in the middle of the summer at farmers markets are the BEST (I just remembered that Costco has an ok imitation of these).

#plantbased #oilfree #koreanfood

Celery, carrots, cucumber, plant-based onion chive dip 💚

I saved those precious cucumber seed sticks to the bottom 😋

#plantbased #veggies

Plant-Based Chipotle Cheese Fries (Oil-Free) 💚

When I eat a rock solid starch like potatoes, I'm often pretty content making that the focus of my entire meal.

To me, this is a very pretty dish, but I have a hard time disassociating it from the abundance of junky foods that used to completely make up my diet. Once I stopped obsessing, it all became easier in a most unexpected way. The hardest part was to embrace imperfection. And so today I enjoy my delightful, non-junk plant-based chipotle cheese fries with a big dash of dried parsley and a sliced scallion. 😋

📌 RECIPE
– Just potato air fries*
– @mcdougallmom chipotle ranch
– Shredded Swissy Cheese (I posted about this a week or so ago I think)
– Dried parsley
– Sliced scallion

* I parboil and freeze the potatoes as fries in big batches! I cook them from frozen and often add about 1/4 cup water to the air fryer to keep the skins from becoming tough.

#plantbased #starchplate #antiinflammatory #oilfree #vegan #fries #frenchfries #airfries

Plant-Based Greek Grilled Cheese on Sourdough 💚

I remember the first time I made a grilled cheese without buttering the bread. My brain assumed the bread would, I dunno, get hard but not toasty? Which makes no sense because you don't butter bread before putting it into a toaster, lol. What surprised me is that bread can toast even MORE without oil. Weird.

Anyway, I had about a cup left of the plant-based tofu feta cheese that @plant.eating.angie shared recently. So good! Then I decided to go loco, so here's what you're looking at:

– 1 can drained chickpeas, processed with 1/4 cup plant-based feta liquid until it was the consistency of umm, cookie dough
– 5 Kalamata olives, chopped
– A couple of tablespoons of pepperoncinis, chopped
– About 4 tablespoons hot cherry peppers
– About 1 cup cubed and crumbled plant-based feta

Mix it all up, layer thick on sourdough, grill, flip, grill, enjoy.

The insides are soft, but not melty or anything. I would definitely order this if it were available at a restaurant. This vaguely reminds me of a wonderful chickpea sandwich I was recently reminiscing about with @the_littlest_chickpea that I got from @kingarthurbaking a few years back!

#plantbased #kitchencreations #itsgreektome #oilfree #dairyfree

Zucchini and Tofu Scramble with Runny Hollandaise 💚

Scramble sounded great today, and I thought I'd make some light Hollandaise. I need to adjust that recipe because I always made it with my measuring cups that run small. Today, I used a full 8 ounces of plant milk and it was just too much. Nothing a little time doesn't solve, but I was huuuuungry (that's the stage that immediately precedes hanger).

Zucchini got the half-moon cut with a 10 minute trip through Sir Frysalot (air fryer).

This was tasty and I'm already looking forward to the leftovers 😋

#plantbased #hollandaise #tofu #tofuscramble #oilfree #flavorfilled

The last of my cut up veggies! Carrots, celery, plant-based dip 💚

I actually prepped all these veggies days and days ago. I use my Mémère's tried and true method to keep them fresh and crisp by storing them in refrigerated containers in cold water and changing the water out daily. The texture is even crisper and better than fresh cut!

#traditions #plantbased #veggiesnack #antiinflammatorygoodness

Kimchi 🇰🇷💚

Homemade kimchi is one of my top ten foods to make... EVER!

If you ever look into traditional kimchi making, the process looks just a little bit like how baked beans used to be made in Maine ("bean hole beans"). In Korea, they will use large clay pots called onggi, often buried to neck deep, and use the consistent, cool ground temperature to ferment a bunch of kimchi at once. I love that kinda stuff, especially using nature to heat/cool/dry foods.

#plantbased #probioticfood #fermentedfoods #kimchi #kimchee #tyvmkorea

Celery, carrots, cauliflower, with plant-based onion chive dip 💚

This new dip base consistency is top-tier! My chin and shirts are SO glad for the new blend that doesn't dribble all over. Now that I have a base, I'll start playing with homemade dips 🤸 Habanero, curry, French onion, Ranch... Any other ideas??

#plantbased #veggiesanddip #veganfoodshare #oilfree

Broccoli, leeks, whole grain spaghetti topped with an herby blend, and a side of sourdough 💚

This dish was inspired by the spaghetti & leek dish shared by @thetwopeas22 about a week ago. 🙏

📌 "RECIPE"
I water-sauteed frozen broccoli and green parts of the leeks on medium heat, covered. The bright green achieved by this method is gorgeous. When the broccoli was thawed enough to take out and cut into smaller pieces (Costco sells florets big enough for the Green Giant), I added the washed leek whites to soften with the rest.

The topping was fun, and I made it on the fly. It has 8 shaved Brazil nuts (it IS the 'fourth', right @michaelgregermd? 😆), copious amounts of dry parsley, jarred minced garlic, minced red onion, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a pinch of dry basil, a teaspoon of nooch, a bit of salt and pepper, and I briefly cooked this in about 1/4-1/2 cup of the pasta water.

I would definitely make this again!

#plantbased #fiberfueled #oilfree #saltsavvy #happybelly

Golden flaxseeds on walnut butter on sourdough 💚

Every once in a while, something tastes extra amazing. Like, I'm eating the perfect thing at the perfect moment. This was that for me today ☺️

A while back I started only toasting one side of bread, and now that's how I typically make toast. Just mentioning it because that's never really reflected in a photo.

#plantbased #satisfyingeats #walnutbutter #flaxseeds #powerfood

Plant-Based Cheesy Broccoli Soup, Peppered 💚

SSDD - same soup, different day

This is the same @cleanfooddirtygirl soup recipe from a couple of days ago. It reheats very well!

#plantbased #leftoversoup #coldweathertreat #cleanfooddirtygirl #oilfree

Congee! I think porridge is a key ingredient for the Good Life 💚

I am not rebranding to @craigscongeetable, it's just a, umm, a really long running phase. Also, I would not pass up the opportunity for a good alliteration like @craigscongeecorner.

I made it with soaked brown jasmine rice today. The rice:water ratio was a bit off. I trusted the numbers instead of my instincts. Still came together quite well, and it tasted great 😋!

We have the usual suspects inside: ginger, double carrot, double celery, and double ground white pepper (at some point I will just need to call this my new baseline amount but I'm not quite ready to do that yet, probably because I like saying double veggies 😆) as well as our latest member: torn green cabbage leaves.

On top is a quick batch of my tres chiles soy curls, red onions, and green onions. So pretty, all of it! I already had these dry soy curls sorted into size 'small' in the freezer so I decided to leave them as little soy chunks instead of shredding them this time.

#plantbased #soycurls #riceporridge #huginabowl

Dip base (test) 🧑‍🍳

Photos:
1 & 2: the result
3: soaking
4: right after blending (runny!)
5: dip mix I added in
6: after refrigeration (thick!)

We're on the right track for a simple dip base. I decided to reduce the liquids in roughly equal amounts from the last batch. I used a dip that I'm not super familiar with (I always think dried chives taste a little funky), but I think this is pretty close to where I'll be content with it moving forward!

📌 RECIPE:
3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (I'll increase to 1.5 tbsp next time for a little more tang)
1/2 cup raw cashews

I put all of these in a blender and left it to soak on my counter for an hour or two while running an errand and then blended it. Then I added in the mix and refrigerated it. To be more true to recipe, it might make sense to do all the same stuff, but add the dip mix in AFTER it thickens.

Celery! Broccoli! Carrots! Oh my! And .. Habanero Dip 💚

I don't know about you, but I love love love the dish of three fresh veggies and a homemade dip. Just enough variety, just enough satisfaction, just enough fun. I almost never put the dip in the middle. It's a gentle reminder of moving away from old ways of thinking, in this case that the rich thing should be the main focus.

#plantbased #veggies4all #dippingdelights

Hello, World! ☺️ I'm Craig!

Transitioning to a plant-based diet is a journey for me. As Mark Twain once quipped about quitting smoking, "I've done it a thousand times!" Trying to adopt a fully plant-based lifestyle has felt like that at times.

I started this account to share my love of cooking as well as some of my own experiences as I move towards a fully plant-based lifestyle. What began as a rollercoaster ride over the years has led me to a wonderful community here on Instagram.

I've connected with such genuine, like-minded people who share interests in plant-based eating, nutrition, wellness, and enjoying life. Even if it's just exchanging a few words some days (my social battery runs low!), it brings me joy. It also saves my family from hearing my rando thoughts on things like why I think all pancakes should have cooked, whole grain wheat berries mixed in the batter (my child will never forgive me for making them this way, but it makes so much sense!!!).

I'm carrying my mantra from last year into this one: "It's better to be enthusiastic in the right direction than frustrated with perfection." This simple phrase has *significantly* improved the amount of time I spend spiraling and overthinking my food choices.

Thank you for joining me! I appreciate you all for sharing your food, thoughts, and passions. Here's to a happy, healthy 2024!

Wishing you well! 🙏
Craig

Super Lucky Greek Black-Eyed Peas Salad 💚

I can't believe how well this dish has kept as leftovers... What luck! I decided to maintain the @rancho_gordo moniker 'Super Lucky' ☺️

Love seeing all of your dishes that look so darn good! Such inspiration!!

#plantplate #bepwerockinit #bep #oilfree #saltsavvy #plantbased

Classic Cheesy Broccoli Soup (Plant-Based) 💚

Oh my, this was just as good as I remembered. This is a @cleanfooddirtygirl recipe.. it's a cashew/sunflower seed blend combined with the thickening power of whole wheat flour and tapioca starch. In goes over a pound of broccoli! I changed it a smidge because I only add broths on rare occasions these days; I usually just use water plus homemade vegan chicken bouillon powder.

I just remembered though, @michaelgregermd says that you'll want to add some mustard powder to really activate the sulforaphane in the cooked broccoli. I think a bit of mustard works very naturally into ANY cheesy broccoli soup!

This really hit the spot today. 😋

#plantbased #soupseason #broccoli

Celery, red bell pepper, broccoli, cauliflower, and habanero dip 💚

Happy new year, indeed!!! 😋

#plantbased #veggies #antiinflammatorygoodness

Last meal of 2023 💚😊

This is a simple plant-based sandwich of marinated tofu slabs, red onion slices, and a crumbled tofu feta. It was quite tasty! I'm considering it a reminder for myself that it's better to be enthusiastic in the right direction than to be frustrated with perfection.

#plantvased #plantbased #tofusandwich #doubletofu #oilfree #saltsavvy

Montana McIntosh Apple & umm Earth Pineapple ❤️💛

This was delicious but I think I've eaten all the fruit I can handle this year!!!

#plantplate #happynewyearseve

This is not my 'Top 9', it's just how I enjoy cutting celery for snacking 💚

Full cut x3
Half cut x1
Third cut x2

312 is an area code for Chicago. Maybe I'll call this Chicago-style celery, lol.

The bottom two photos are just stacks of the final cut. If you soak it in cold water, it'll get all bendy-wendy.

#celery #plantbased #chicagostyle #chicagostylecelery

Broccoli and Habanero Dip 💚

The dip worked out pretty well, a solid starting point! It's a touch thin and not quite as potent as a typical preparation, but instead of adding something I'm thinking of either reducing the soy milk by 1/4 cup or trying a more balanced reduction of the liquid ingredients. That'll increase the calorie density slightly but I've split enough hairs in my life, so I'm not concerned 😆 Any thoughts @mcdougallmom or anyone?!

To be clear, I'm not trying to achieve the exact same flavor profile because the default preparation achieves this through casein, oil, and salt. But, it's just a bit light on the habanero heat and pink peppercorn flavor.

#plantbased #veggiesanddip #🥦🥦🥦

Greek Black Eyed Peas Salad 💚

Still great, day two. Next time I will cube all of the betta-than-feta instead of crumbling most of it. I realized they probably only crumble the dairy stuff because they can't reliably cube it. +1 for plant-based.

Also, just want to shout out again for the balanced flavor profile of this dish. Winner, winner, tofu dinner!

#plantbased #happynewyear #brightbowl

Plant-Based Mashed Potatoes topped with Sauerkraut 🤨

I jumped on the sauerkraut & mashed bandwagon, and I can see why people might really enjoy it, but it's not my fav. My powerful sour flavor receptors flexed their mighty muscles and it was a bit eye opening to eat, lol 😳! Fun to try, no doubt!!

#plantbased #trynewthings #potaytoes #boilemmashemstickeminastew

Cauliflower, celery, carrots, cauliflower stalk, and a habanero dip 💚

There's a product line in Maine sold under the Winterport Co. brand that offers these dry dip packets. I would say most are plant-based, but I can't speak to the origin of every ingredient. (Fun fact, I grew up in a neighboring town to Winterport which is not even remotely as Hallmark-Christmas-Movie-exotic as it sounds 😆).

Anyway, I only got to try those dip packets as a care package gift after I had moved, and I still enjoy them occasionally many years later. This one is habanero, but the pink peppercorns really make it pop.

I scrapped the base instructions and tried a modified @mcdougallmom ranch base this time (shocker!). Still waiting to see if it thickens up more as it chills, but the room temperature, runny version was quite pleasant. I'm very familiar with this particular dip and chill time also brings out a lot more flavor.

Base:
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup cashews
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Blend base ingredients 1-2 minutes in a high powered blender until creamy, then blend in dip packet on low until just mixed. Chill!

You can find the dips at newenglandcupboard.com

#plantbased #veggiesanddip #freshfood #oilfree

Greek Black Eyed Peas Salad 💚

I made this after @jloudu made the original version with optional feta. I included some of her adjustments which did make this appreciably better! 😋

The original recipe is by Martha Rose Shulman via NYT. I tried to include it but Instagram was not having it. Oh well, you can see my version here! (for the original just search her name and the recipe title above)

📌 RECIPE
*** First, go make a brined batch of the plant-based feta that @plant.eating.angie shared on December 3, 2023! If you make it FIRST THING in the morning, you can use it later in the day. Or, plan ahead and make it the day before. It's phenomenal!

1½ cups (8oz) black-eyed peas, dry
1 bay leaf
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 large garlic cloves, petite chopped or minced (I might try 4 next time)
½ tsp cumin, ground
3/4 cup red onion, sliced into ~1"-strips, soaked in ice water for 5-10 minutes
10-20 cracks of freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (we used curly)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
10 small kalamata olives, quartered

Cook the beans and bay leaf. I used a slow cooker with about 3 cups water for a few hours on high until tender. Drain, reserving bean liquid and set aside to cool. When warm/cool, add beans to a large mixing bowl.

Dry saute red bell pepper in a non-stick skillet a few minutes until tender-crisp, then add garlic and saute another 30-60 seconds, and finally add the cumin and cook for just a few seconds. Add to drained beans in the mixing bowl.

Add the rest of the ingredients (except plant-based feta): red onion, black pepper, dill, parsley, vinegar, olives, plus ¼ cup bean broth. Toss to mix, serve with plant-based feta crumbles or blocks!

Notes:
-- The olives and the brined plant-based feta are the salts for this dish!
-- I like slightly fancy cut things, so for the olives I cut each lengthwise then at a 45 degree angle in the middle. That's based on the faux tourné cut.

This is definitely a dish I will make again. Simple and satisfying!

#plantbased #happynewyear #yay2023 #yay2024 #nooil #saltsavvy #dontforgetyourb12

Good morning! Pineapple & Cara Cara Orange 💛🧡

Slept poorly but what a fabulous day it feels like! A good day for a few extra breaths of cool, fresh outdoor air! 🌬️

I hope those of you that aren't feeling 100% get a bit of rest and feel better really soon!

#plantbased #tropicalfruit #mindbodywellness

Plant-Based Kimchi 💚

I had nearly forgotten that I wanted to make kimchi over the winter break! @izzy_of_eternity's kimchi post looked so good and totally reminded me! Woohoo! Yay kimchi!!

I tweaked my old recipe by using low sodium tamari instead of low sodium soy sauce and maple syrup instead of cane sugar... which of course then makes it Elf approved as well as Northern New England approved and definitely Canadian approved 🎄

Fresh kimchi doesn't have the probiotics of fermented kimchi, but I absolutely adore fresh kimchi. There's something about the simplicity before the sourness kicks in. Mmmm MMMM 😋

#plantbsed #plantbased #koreanfood #probioticfood #i💚kimchi #glutenfree #vegan

Congee 💚

I got a new bottle of Sambal Oelek, and I got a little scoop happy with it. Whoooo-eeee!

Also, I started putting torn green cabbage leaves on the congee in the instapot and hot dang that's a keeper as well. I 💚 my veggie congee!!

#plantbased #congee #veggies