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easy vegan meals

5 Ways To Sneak Kale Into Your Diet

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If you happened to catch my last blog post about Queen Kale, you read how I wasn’t always a fan of Kale. It took time for me to fully appreciate this glorious vegetable. I found clever ways to integrate it into my diet so I still received the nutrients yet didn’t have to taste it. I’d like to share 5 ways to sneak Kale into your diet.

1. Use Kale leaves for wraps instead of lettuce. Next time you decide to make a wrap try substituting leaves of Kale instead.
2. Kale is a great lettuce substitute. When making a sandwich, opt for Kale over lettuce. Or, try making a kale salad.
3. Chop up Kale into little pieces. This is my favorite way to add Kale into my diet. I cut Kale up into bite size pieces and throw it in my smoothies – you never even taste it is in there I swear! Or, you can throw a handful into the food processor and use in pasta, soups, or chili.
4. Kale on pizza, are you kidding? No, I’m not! Next time you make a veggie pizza scatter a little Kale around your pizza.
5. Make Kale chips. This is a great tasting alternative to other processed snacks. Below is a simple Kale chip recipe to try.

Roasted Kale Chips

One 1-1/2 pound bunch organic Kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
¼ teaspoon sea salt -I use this salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and set out 2 ungreased baking sheets with sides (so the Kale doesn’t overflow).
  • Rinse the Kale under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. It is important the Kale is completely dry so it gets crisp when in the oven.
  • Remove and discard the stems then chop Kale into bite sized pieces.
  • Toss the Kale leaves into a large bowl. Sprinkle in the olive oil, pumpkin seeds, salt and pepper ensuring to coat all the Kale pieces. Then arrange the leaves onto the baking sheet. Cook 7 to 8 minutes or until the chips are crisp. If they are not crisp enough to your liking, you can put them back into the oven for a little longer. After the chips are finished in the oven let them cool.
  • Then eat and enjoy!

Serving (2 cups): 126 calories, 17g protein, 17g carbohydrates, 5g fat (0.8 g saturated), 7mg cholesterol, 3g fiber, 240mg sodium

The above article was written via the inspiration of the book, “50 Shades of Kale”. Click here

How fun it is to think you are being sneaky yet you are really being good?!

Until next time.

Cheers,

Easy and Quick Vegan Recipes Ideas – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinners For The Busy Vegan

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With veganism becoming increasingly popular nowadays, many folk on the vegan diet are in desperate need for quick and easy vegan recipes to accommodate their busy lifestyle. Fortunately over the past couple of decades an abundance of vegan recipe ideas and information has emerged to cater for the needs of this ever-growing veganism lifestyle. Below are some quick and easy vegan recipe ideas for your breakfast, lunch and dinners.

Easy & Quick Vegan Breakfast Recipes & Ideas

Pancakes

Stir together in a bowl: 1 Cup flour, 1 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Add 1 Cup Soy/Rice/Coconut milk and 2 Tbsp. oil. Mix ingredients together until batter is smooth. In a hot, oiled frying pan, spoon in large spoonfuls of the mixture. Flip sides when bubbles start to appear (approximately 2 minutes per side). Add more oil to frying pan as needed. Serve pancakes with maple syrup, agave nectar, molasses, soy yogurt, fruit, berries, or another topping of your choice.

Fruit Smoothie

For those who have a blender, making a breakfast smoothie is a super easy and quick vegan breakfast option. Simply blend together your choice of a mixture of the following ingredients: soy/rice/coconut milk, soy/coconut yogurt, berries, bananas, dates, raisins, maple syrup, molasses, agave nectar, cacao powder, grated vegan chocolate, flaked/slithered almonds, crushed brazil nuts, flax seeds, LSA mix, oats, ice-cubes. Serve in a tall glass.

Easy & Quick Vegan Lunch Recipes & Ideas

Tofu & Vegetable Stir-Fry

Cook tofu-nuggets in a hot oiled pan over high heat for 3 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove from pan. Next, stir fry (in peanut oil, for taste) some sliced carrots, baby-corns, snow-peas, broccoli or another vegetable of choice, on high heat for approximately 1 minute. Next add a few large Tbsps. (up to ¼ Cup) of vegetable stock liquid to pan, continue tossing vegetables, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add tofu back to pan and continue to stir-fry for 1 minute more. Add salt and pepper, plus 1-2 tsp. sesame oil to taste. Eat alone or with rice or noodles.

Crackers with Many Toppings

For the very busy vegan, you can’t get an easier lunch than crackers. But don’t assume that just because you’re eating crackers means lunch has to be boring. Firstly, find in your supermarket or health store some gourmet vegan crackers and crispbreads. Buy an assortment of them. Next, know your topping options. Suggestions are as follows:

1. Avocado, salt & pepper

2. Soy spread, tomato, salt, pepper

3. Tomato, vegan “cheese”, salt, pepper

4. Peanut butter, almond spread

5. Tahini, maple syrup

6. Vegan hummus dip, beetroot dip, sun-dried tomato dip (from health shop, supermarket or home-made)

7. Soy spread, salad

8. Soy spread, sun-dried tomatoes, olives

Easy & Quick Vegan Dinners Recipes & Ideas

Pasta With “White Sauce”

Cook your pasta and vegetables as per usual. To make a tasty vegan “white sauce” heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil/soy spread in a frying pan, plus 1 heaped tsp. plain flour or cornflour. Stir on high heat for 1 minute. Next, add salt, pepper and dried herbs to taste. Next, you will be adding your soy/rice milk to the mixture – a little bit at a time, stirring constantly. Once desired consistency has been achieved, turn off heat and taste to serve. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve on top of pasta and vegetables. Top with grated vegan “cheese” if desired.

The Grandiose Garden Salad

If you are sick of salads, maybe you should start to gourmet them up a little more. Nobody can get tired of eating a proper, sustaining and mighty-flavorsome salad. To make the Grandiose Garden Salad, add the following ingredients together in a large bowl: 1 large packet of spinach and rocket leaves, chopped vine-ripened tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, a few spoonfuls of finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, pitted olives, 1-2 chopped avocados, 1 finely sliced large cucumber, 1 cob of corn (either cooked or raw) – kernels removed and added to salad, ½ very thinly sliced red onion, tinned baby beetroot, and ½ cup of walnuts. To make the dressing, add together 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1-2 tsp. lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Gently stir dressing into the salad. Enjoy the salad by itself, or with some toasted sourdough bread.

The above recipes are merely samples of some of the many thousands of ideas for quick and easy recipes for the vegan diet.

Get more vegan recipe ideas and information at ” The Vegan Diet [http://www.fortheloveofrawfood.com/#!the-vegan-diet/c18xo]: Save Our Planet – Lose Weight – Glow With Health” for further information on the vegan diet. Find out the amazing health benefits of the vegan diet, why weight loss is so easy on this lifestyle, where to get your vegan recipes from, recommended vegan recipe e-books, and what to do if you are unsure about going vegan!

Alternatively, read about the raw food lifestyle at [http://www.fortheloveofrawfood.com/] for great information and ideas on raw food recipes and weight loss on the raw vegan diet!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Loren_Antonios

Starter Recipes For Vegans

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If you are catering for a buffet or a sit down dinner for a mixed group, you might find yourself catering for vegetarians or vegans, in which case you are perhaps unsure of what to make. A vegan does not eat any animal products so that eliminates meat, fish, cheese, eggs, milk and cream.

If you are looking for vegan starter recipes there are plenty of dishes you can make. Fresh vegetables can be used to make tasty starters, as well as pulses, nuts, grains, fruit and more.

You can make mushroom pate instead of meat pate or use tofu to replace fish, poultry or meat in other starter recipes. Big juicy portobello mushrooms can act as a meat replacement and you can grill or barbecue these to make really nice starters or main courses.

Portobello Mushrooms, Exotic Salads and More

In fact, if you are making hamburgers on the barbecue for the meat eaters, what about barbecuing whole portobello mushrooms for the vegetarians and vegans? They are so full of earthy flavour and amazing with salad, relish and cheese (even vegan cheese!)

A mixed salad is great as a vegan starter recipe and you can combine vegetables, fruit, nuts and even some vegan cheese or grilled tofu cubes. Marinate the tofu in a delicious sauce before grilling it and it will have an amazing flavour.

Vegan food never has to be boring and a little knowledge about what do vegans eat and what do vegans not eat means that you can make the most delicious vegan starter recipes.

Recipe for Vegan Empanadas

This delicious vegan starter recipe makes six empanadas. Whether or not you are catering for vegans everyone will love this recipe for vegan empanadas. They are baked rather than deep fried. These make a filling starter recipe or a delicious lunch or vegan snack.

You will need:

10.5 oz (300g) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 oz (60g) applesauce

4 tablespoons soy margarine, in 1/2 inch cubes

1 minced clove garlic

4 oz (120g) cooked black beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 chopped onion

2 chopped bananas (or bell peppers, spinach or corn)

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Non-stick cooking spray

Spicy tomato salsa, for dipping

How to make them:

Sift the flour with the chilli powder and salt. Add the margarine, rubbing it with your fingers until it is like fine breadcrumbs. Whisk the vinegar, apple sauce and 2.5 fl oz (70ml) of water together in another bowl, then add this mixture to the flour mixture, combining it until you get a dough.

Add more water if need be but add it slowly. Knead the dough then form it into a ball, cover it in cling-film and put it in the fridge overnight or for an least an hour.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and saute the onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and beans, turn the heat down to medium and cook them for 3 minutes. Stir in the cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper and bananas and cook for a couple more minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the hot pepper sauce and fresh coriander.

Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Spray the cooking spray on a baking sheet and roll out each dough ball to a 6 inch (15cm) round which is 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured chopping board. Fill each one with 2 tablespoons of the filling and brush water on the pastry edges.

Fold the dough circles in half and crimp the edges with a fork to seal them. Put them on the baking sheet and chill them for 20 minutes in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 400 F or 200 C.

Bake the vegan empanadas for 20 minutes then let them cool for 5 minutes before you serve them. You can serve some salsa for dipping with these vegan enchiladas if you want.

Find plenty of mouthwatering recipes at www.VictoriaHaneveer.com – dishes for every palate and occasion, including this vegan quinoa salad recipe.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Victoria_Haneve