Make-Ahead Asian Noodle Bowls

Well worth the 20 minute prep-time as this recipe results in FOUR delicious and healthy lunches/dinners that are ready-to-eat. Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days.

• 4 oz thin spaghetti noodles OR 1 small sweet potato, peeled & spiralized
• 1 large zucchini, spiralized
• 2 large carrots, grated with a box grater
• 1 large bell pepper (or 4 mini), sliced
• 2-3 green onions, sliced
• 2 cups garbanzo beans (cooked from 135g dry, drained and rinsed)
• optional: avocado (add before serving)

Sauce

• 64 grams (1/4 cup) almond butter
• 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• optional: 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

IF USING SPAGHETTI: Bring a pot of water to boil and cook spaghetti noodles for 7 minutes. Drain then rinse with cold water.

IF USING SWEET POTATO: Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add sweet potato noodles and enough water to prevent sticking. Toss frequently, adding more water when sticking occurs. Cook for 5-7 minutes then remove from heat and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. 

Line up 4 food containers with lids. Into each, neatly place a quarter of the spaghetti, sweet potato noodles, zucchini noodles, grated carrot, sliced bell pepper, chopped green onion, and 1/2 cup of garbanzo beans. 

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients. Divide into 4 small jars with lids. 

Store everything in the fridge! To enjoy, pour sauce into the container of veggies/noodles and stir until evenly coated. 

TVP taco "meat"

• 1 cup TVP
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbsp taco seasoning
• 1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and let sit for 5 minutes. Turn on heat then cook until hot.

Carrot Dogs

• 8 large carrots, peeled and cut to bun length
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Set a pot of water on the stove to boil. Once boiling, add peeled carrots and cook for 12-15 minutes until fork tender (be careful not to overcook). 

Meanwhile, in a small bowl or coffee mug, add 1/4 cup water and vegetable bouillon cube. Microwave for 1 minute (long enough to completely dissolve the bouillon cube). Stir in remaining ingredients and set aside. 

Once carrots are done boiling, immediately rinse them under cold water to stop them from cooking. Transfer carrots to a zip-lock bag then pour in marinade. Close the bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, and transfer to the fridge, with the bag laying flat. Marinade for a minimum of 6 hours and as many as 24 hours.

To heat, cook carrot dogs on a grill or pan until heated through. Serve on a hotdog bun with your favorite toppings. 

Hummus

• 1 quart garbanzo beans (cooked from 270 grams dry), drained and rinsed
• 64 grams tahini, well stirred
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. 

Simple Salad with Kefir Cheese Dressing

Makes 1 large salad or 3-4 side salads

Dressing

• 60 grams (1/4 cup) kefir (or labneh) cheese
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• fresh ground pepper

Salad

• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
• 2 tsp olive oil
• fresh ground pepper
• head of lettuce (butter lettuce, romaine, or mixed), washed and dried

In a large bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.

In another small bowl, combine tomatoes, oil, salt, and pepper. Allow to sit for a few minutes.

To a large bowl, add lettuce. Carefully mix/fold until lettuce is evenly coated in dressing. Add tomatoes and serve!

Note: If you're not eating the whole salad at once, wait to dress the lettuce and only cut up as many tomatoes as you need. Reduce the amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper to reflect how many tomatoes you're using.

Lentil Curry Soup

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 cups veggie broth
• 1 1/2 cups dried green lentils
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 Tbsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1 cup cashew milk
• salt to taste (about 1 tsp, add 1/2 tsp at a time)

In a pan over medium heat, saute onions and garlic in the olive oil. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients to a slow cooker. Add in onions and garlic once done. Allow to cook on medium for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Transfer about half to 3/4ths of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth before returning to the slow cooker. Add salt last, adjusting as needed. 

Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Recipe makes 5-7 sandwiches.

• 120 grams peeled and cubed potato
• 20 grams peeled and sliced carrot
• 30 grams sliced yellow onion
• 1/3 cup cooking water from veggies
• 28 grams cashews
• 2 Tbsp plant-based milk 
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• homemade bread

In a small saucepan, boil potato, carrot, and onion until soft.

Use 1/3rd cup measuring cup as a ladle to transfer cooking water from the vegetables to a blender. Add to blender cashews, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until completely smooth.

Strain veggies and add to blender then blend once more.

Place a frying pan over medium low heat. Once hot, oil pan with olive oil then lay pieces of bread into the pan in a single layer. Spoon cheese mixture onto bread then top with a second piece of bread. Cook until bread is toasted then flip. Continue cooking other side until toasted.

Vegan Tortilla Soup

Entire batch, not including toppings, contains:
950 calories
63 grams fiber
39 grams protein

Serves 4-6

• 1 yellow onion, diced small
• 1 carrot, diced small
• 1 bell pepper, diced small
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 66 grams (1/4 cup) tomato paste
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 6 corn tortillas, cut into 1" squares
• 1 pint cooked chickpeas

Suggested toppings:

• chopped cilantro, cubed avocado, and/or minced jalapeno

In a large stock pot, saute the onions in a little water to prevent sticking until translucent. Add in carrot and bell pepper and continue cooking until golden brown. Add garlic and spices and cook another 30 seconds. Add in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, corn, broth, and lime juice.

Transfer about half of the soup to a blender and blend until relatively smooth. Return to the pot and add in chickpeas. Cook until carrots are tender.

Add in tortilla squares (reserving a few squares as topping) and garbanzo beans and allow to simmer covered for 30 minutes. 

Spoon into bowls and serve with toppings of your choice.

Vegan Breakfast Tacos

• collard greens
• sweet potato
• black beans, drained and rinsed
• salsa
• corn tortillas 

In a shallow, covered saucepan, cook collard greens over medium-low heat in a little water to prevent sticking. Keep covered and stir occasionally. Add more water if needed and season with a little kosher salt.

Meanwhile, microwave a whole sweet potato until it can easily be cut in half (about 6 minutes depending on the size). After cutting the semi-cooked sweet potato in half, microwave again cut side up for an additional 4 minutes (or more depending on side). Sweet potato can be baked in the oven but this takes a lot longer.

Warm your corn tortillas for a few seconds in the microwave. Scoop out cooked sweet potato and smear onto the tortillas. Top with cooked collard greens, black beans, and salsa.

Vegan French Toast

• 1 banana
• 1 cup cashew milk
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 slices homemade bread

Mash banana with a whisk then beat in milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Pour batter onto a plate placed next to the stove. Dip both sides of a slice of bread into the batter then place on a greased pan over medium-low heat. Cook until golden brown then flip.

Top with homemade low sugar fruit jam, honey or topping of your choice.

Simple No-Bake "Cheesecake"

Makes 4 (113 gram) servings. 120 calories and 14 grams of protein per serving.

• 1 (8oz) block fat free cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup fat free vanilla greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp honey

Whisk ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Top with fresh fruit, a tablespoon of homemade jam, or crumbled lemon cookies if desired.

Fruit Jam

This recipe allows you to not only use any kind of fruit you want, but also any amount of fruit you happen to have! Recipe will yield approximately 1 cup of jam per 180 grams of fruit that is used.

This low sugar, low calorie jam comes in at 11-15 calories per tablespoon depending on the fruit you choose. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and peaches are great options!

• fruit: washed, cored, peeled and/or pitted 
• sugar (1/5th weight of fruit)
• lemon juice (1 tbsp per 500 grams fruit)
• low-sugar dry pectin (1 tbsp per 250 grams fruit)

Before you begin, set your filled water bath canner over high heat.

After fruit has been washed and prepared (peeled, pitted, etc), weigh fruit using a digital food scale.

In small batches, pulse fruit in a food processor until desired consistency has been reached.

Transfer fruit to a saucepan and add sugar and lemon juice. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring ocassionally. Slowly add in pectin, increase heat, and stir constantly until mixture is boiling.

Remove from heat then carefully spoon into clean and hot mason jars. Top with lids and screw rings on fingertip tight (DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN).

Process in a boiling hot water bath for 15 minutes. Remove, tighten rings, and allow to cool. 

Oatmeal Bread

Each loaf contains 1013 calories (cut into 16 slices, each slice contains 63 calories)

* * RECIPE FOR THREE LOAVES * * 

Oatmeal Mixture

• 400 grams water
• 120 grams 6-grain oats OR old fashioned oatmeal
• 120 grams whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter OR olive oil
• 1 tbsp salt

Yeast Mixture

• 150 grams warm water (100-110 degrees)
• 2 tbsp rapid rise yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar

Other

• 600 grams bread flour
• cooking spray (oil in a mister bottle)

* * INSTRUCTIONS * * 

1. Oatmeal Mixture: In a large microwave safe bowl, combine water, oats, whole wheat flour, butter, and salt. Microwave on high for 1 minute then stir. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature

2. Yeast Mixture: In a medium mixing bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar. Whisk together and allow to sit until frothy (about 10 minutes).

3. Once oatmeal mixture has cooled, stir in bread flour then pour in yeast mixture. Adding the yeast mixture to the oat mixture before it has completely cooled will kill your yeast and will prevent the dough from rising. Mix until combined then turn over onto your counter and knead for 10 minutes, spraying with a little cooking spray when the dough becomes sticky.

4. Return dough to mixing bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

5. After 1 hour has passed, transfer dough back onto your counter and knead for one additional minute. Form into a loaf-shape (or 3 equal loaves, each weighing approximately 500 grams) and place into a greased loaf pan or pans (I recommend silicone bread pans as they never require greasing and the bread always comes out easily). Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set a timer for 30 minutes. 

6. After 30 minutes, check your dough to see if the center has risen 1" above the rim of the loaf pan (bend down to get eye-level with the top of the pan). As soon as the dough has risen to this point, start preheating your oven to 400 degrees. If after 30 minutes your dough isn't ready, set a timer to check on the dough every 5 minutes. It is important not to let your dough over-rise as this will cause the bread to collapse while baking. As soon as your oven has preheated, carefully put the bread in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

7. Allow to cool completely before slicing (at least 2 hours). Sliced bread freezes beautifully in an air tight bag. 

TROUBLESHOOTING

• Dough didn't rise: This is either because you didn't knead the dough long enough, you used expired yeast, or because you killed the yeast either by using water that was too warm or by adding it to the oatmeal mixture before it has completely cooled
• Bread fell during baking: This happens when the dough is allowed to over-rise before baking (when the dough is in the loaf pan). 

Hummus and Avocado Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Spring Rolls

• 1/4 head cabbage, shredded
• 2 carrot, peeled and shredded
• 2 mini red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 10 strips
• 2 avocadoes: peeled, halved, and each cut into 10 slices (5 per half, 20 pieces of avocado total)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 2 cups hummus
• 1 (8oz) package rice noodles
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 20 spring roll wrappers

Peanut Sauce

• 96 grams (6 tbsp) creamy peanut butter
• 180 grams (3/4 cup) hoisin sauce
• 115 grams (1/2 cup) lime juice
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

On a plate, arrange shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, and bell pepper strips. Place sliced avocado in a bowl and cover with 1 tbsp lime juice to prevent browning.

In a medium pot, boil rice noodles according to the packaged directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, then drain once more. Apply some pressure to the noodles while draining to squeeze out as much water as possible. Transfer noodles to a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon soy sauce. 

Pour approximately a half cup of warm water on a dinner plate then one at a time, soak a spring roll wrapper for approximately 10 seconds, rubbing while it soaks. Turn the wrapper over and do the same for the other side. Move the wrapper to a clean work surface such as a small cutting board. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of hummus onto the center of the wrapper then top with some noodles, cabbage, carrot, a strip of bell peppers, and avocado. Roll like a burrito (top down first, then sides, then roll down) then wrap in a small square of plastic wrap. Repeat the process until all 20 spring rolls have been made and wrapped.

For the peanut sauce, whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Serve sauce along side spring rolls.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

Makes 12 individual spinach quiches, each containing 30 calories, 1 gram fiber and 1 grams protein

• 1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 75 grams red onion, chopped 
• 85 grams feta cheese
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 eggs, beaten

In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the spinach for 4 minutes. Remove then stir in onion, feta, salt, and pepper. Allow to cool then add in egg. Spoon the mixture into 12 silicone muffin liners, creating 12 mini spinache quiches. Bake on a cookie sheet at 375 for 30 minutes.

Baked Vegetable Pakoras

batter contains: 225 calories, 10 grams fiber, 15 grams protein

• 60 grams (1 cup) chickpea/garbanzo bean flour
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/3 cup water
• veggies of your choice

In a bowl, combine flour, and spices. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in water. Mix to form a thin paste. Add in diced, raw veggies of your choice (cauliflower, zucchini, yellow onion, and/or potato are great choices). Stir to coat. Bake on cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Oil-Free Baked Kale Chips

• 1 bunch kale, chopped without spines
• seasonings of your choice (salt, salt and vinegar, garlic salt, Old Bay seasoning.. etc)

Throughly wash and dry kale. Spread onto a large baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat and top with seasonings of your choice. bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Taco Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Salad: really, feel free to add or omit any vegetables you'd like!

• 4 corn tortillas
• 6 cups chopped salad greens
• 1.5 cups cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 1.5 cups tomato, seeded and chopped
• 1 pint cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 pint cooked pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz) can corn
• 4 green onion, sliced
• 1 avocado, cubed

Dressing: entire batch contains 780 calories, 60 grams protein, and 32 grams fiber and is enough for 4  huge salads

• 1 pint cooked garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
• 2 bunches cilantro
• 1 bunch parsley
• 64 grams (1/4 cup) peanut butter
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• juice of one lime

Cut tortillas into thin strips. Arrange on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 3-5 minutes until crispy.

Layer lettuce, cucuomber, tomatoe, beans, and corn in a large serving dish.

In a food processor, blend all dressing ingredients.

To serve, place tortilla strips over the layered salad and if serving immediately, drizzle with dressing. Leftover dressing can be kept in the fridge for 4-6 days.

Healthy Creamy Jalapeño Dip

Entire batch contains 360 calories

• 2 c. fat free greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp ranch seasoning (or one 1oz packet)
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded 
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 Tbsp lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh veggies.

Tzatziki

Tzatziki is a greek sauce used for gyros, spanokopita, and souvlaki .

• 1 cucumber (peeled & seeded)
• 1 cup greek yogurt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh dill, chopped

Roughly grate the cucumber onto a paper towel. Without over-drying the grated cucubmber, gently squeeze out the excess water. In a bowl, add cucumber to the remaining ingredients. Stir, cover, then place in the fridge. Chill for at least 30 minutes before using to allow flavors to blend.