vegan

[Recipe] Tofu Fresh Rolls with Creamy Peanut Sauce

1 Comment

Just around the corner from our house is this great Vietnamese restaurant that has my favorite tofu fresh rolls. They are inexpensive, delicious, filling and served with a creamy peanut dipping sauce. The thing is while it is right around the corner it just isn’t a spot we go to often since we have shifted our focus back to eating more meals at home.

Well today my craving for these fresh rolls hit me hard and lucky for me I had picked up a package of rice paper wrappers at the Asian market a few weeks ago and I had filling ingredients as well. The one thing I didn’t have was peanut butter to make my dipping sauce but I did have a bag of roasted peanuts in my pantry – so homemade peanut butter to the rescue! 

Tofu Fresh Rolls with Creamy Peanut Sauce

Peanut Sauce:

  • 2 cups roasted and unsalted peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons tamari
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
  • 1 teaspoon coconut nectar or sweetener of your choice
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/3-2/3 cup water
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp – 1tbsp sambal olek (optional)

Rolls:

  • Rice Paper Wrappers
  • Rice Vermicelli Noodles, cooked and rinsed with cold water
  • Smoked or Baked Tofu, julienned
  • Bell Pepper, julienned
  • Purple Cabbage, shredded
  • Carrots, julienned
  • Baby Spinach
  • Other great add-ins:
  • Cilantro
  • Mint
  • Basil
  • Scallions
  • Bean Sprouts

Instructions

Sauce:

  • Start by blending the peanuts in a high speed blender or food processor until smooth; this will take a few minutes and you will want to scrape down the sides as you go.
  • Add remaining sauce ingredients and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You may decide to add more water depending on how thick you would like your sauce.

Assemble:

  • Soften your rice paper wrapper based on package directions. Place on a clean kitchen towel and then add your favorite filling ingredients. Tip: make sure not to over fill your wrapper or it will split when you roll. Once filled roll up by folding the sides over first and then fold over the top and gently roll up.
  • Serve with peanut sauce for dipping

Who knew it was so easy to make your own peanut butter? It made a super creamy and incredible sauce. I omitted the sambal olek for my kids but added a big dollop to my sauce before devouring.

// What is a dish that you love to order out and could easily make at home? 

 

Shop This Post

This post contains affiliate links. Purchases you make through these links will help fund the work I do here at no extra cost to you. Thank you sincerely for your constant support.

[Recipe] Screw The Food Rules – Eat The Veggie Dogs

Leave a Comment


This post was created in collaboration with Lightlife.

When it comes to eating I don’t have any major “rules”. I prefer to eat foods that are nutrient dense and nourish my body but there are times when I like to enjoy some pizza, fried foods and the occasional sweet. If you’re looking for nourishing bowl inspiration I post a new one on my Instagram or IG stories most days but if you are looking for something that is delicious but not so healthy read on.

When I was a kid growing up in Vermont (and not plant-based) we used to go to a spot called Charlie’s Red Hots. They had this hot dog that was basically the Vermont version of a Michigan dog. To be honest I don’t remember what it taste like 20+ years later but I thought I would go ahead and attempt to recreate this legendary hot dog but make it a bit healthier and plant-based. Of course it would only be appropriate to make this dog when my parents where in town to give it a try.

Lindsay's Red Hots Dog
The vegan version of the legendary Charlie's Red Hots
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Ingredients
  1. 1 package of Lightlife Veggie Dogs
  2. 1 package of Hot Dog Buns (New England style if you can)
Sauce
  1. 1 tsp Chili Powder
  2. 1 Medium Onion, diced
  3. 1 package Veggie Ground Round
  4. 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  5. 1/2 a cube of Not-Beef Boullion
  6. 1 cup water
  7. 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire Sauce
  8. ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
Condiments (optional)
  1. Yellow Mustard
  2. Dijon Mustard
  3. Ketchup
For the Sauce
  1. Saute onions over medium-high in a bit of oil until translucent.
  2. Stir in one package of veggie ground round and add all remaining ingredients.
  3. Cook over medium until heated through and thickened.
  4. Heat veggie dogs per package directions.
  5. Toast your bun, add a veggie dog and top with sauce. Add on some yellow mustard (optional).
Adapted from Based of Original Charlie's Red Hots Recipe
Adapted from Based of Original Charlie's Red Hots Recipe
Naturally Lindsay https://www.naturallylindsay.com/
These dogs would be great for Fall camping trips or tailgating; simply make the sauce ahead of time and heat up when ready to eat. We enjoyed ours during a rainy trip to the Oregon Coast.

Okay, but lets get to it how were they? They were so delicious! Although they would have been better with a New England hot dog bun but the West Coast just doesn’t seem to stock the best kind of hot dog buns. Also these are best enjoyed with a great Vermont beer.

What did my meat eating, Charlie’s Red Hots loving parents think? Well as soon as my mom got home to Vermont she sent about 12 text messages desperately requesting that I get this recipe post live so they could make the sauce at home.

What is a food from your childhood that you love to recreate at home?

Psst: If you need a great place to stay on the Oregon Coast my friend Lisa’s #beachvibescottage is perfect– you can find it on airbnb plus use this affiliate link and get $40 to travel.

Loving Earth Chocolate Banana Bread Donuts

4 Comments

Is it doughnuts or donuts? Whatever it is I love them. Powdered, cinnamon sugar, jelly filled, blueberry basil – I love them all. What I don’t love is the sugar hangover that they often give me so they are a treat that I have a few times a year, usually when we bring out of town guests to Blue Star Donuts.

But I have good news! Amazing news! Delicious news!

I have found a doughnut that tastes great, free of refined sugar and you can eat as many as you want without getting that awful sugar hangover. You might even call them healthy or at least healthier plus they are covered in some amazing chocolate that it is Loving Earth’s vegan chocolate bars are free of sugar, dairy, gluten and grain.

Banana Bread Donuts

Inspired by The Little Plantation 

Note: I used a scale to weigh my flour, sugar and chocolate chips based on the measurements from the original recipe. Pssst these doughnuts are also gluten free! 

Ingredients

FOR THE DONUTS

  • 185g gluten-free pastry flour (I used Jovial**)
  • ⅔ tsp baking powder
  • 75g coconut sugar
  • 35g vegan chocolate chips
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted (+ extra for greasing the doughnut tin)
  • 1.5 tablespoons ground flax seeds + 4.5 tablespoons water
  • 1.5 very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/3 cup vanilla vegan yogurt

FOR THE TOPPING

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the circles of your doughnut pan with coconut oil and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients – the flour, baking powder and sugar until nicely combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix in well. Set aside.
  • combine the ground flax seeds with the water in a small bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Over a very low heat, melt the coconut oil.  
  • In a small bowl mix together the melted coconut oil, the mashed bananas, the yogurt and the water/flax seed mixture; stir to combine.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until just combined. 
  • Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe circles of dough into the prepared doughnut pan. Spread evenly. Bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
  • While the donuts are cooling, prepare the glaze by melting the chocolate in a double boiler or simply a bowl placed over a pan with water that’s been gently brought to the boil. Do not microwave the chocolate or it may burn.
  • Once the donuts have cooled down, dip them in the chocolate glaze and top with coconut chips.

I recommend eating these donuts right away or store them in the fridge. If you and/or your family is anything like me and mine these won’t last more than a day anyways.

Now I need to get my hands on some  Loving Earth Caramel Chocolate so I can make these Salted Caramel Donuts.

**Found on ThriveMarket.com – receive 25% off your first order via my link.

Am I Getting Enough DHA? EverlyWell Breast Milk DHA Kit

3 Comments

This post was sponsored by EverlyWell through my partnership with Fit Approach.  As always all opinions and test results are my own.Our sweet baby girl has finally arrived and so has the return to breastfeeding. It also means having to be mindful of what I eat and drink, how hydrated I am and that I am getting enough nutrients to support my body and my growing babes.

That being said I have had my concerns about a few things including my DHA levels.  It’s estimated that 75% of Americans are deficient in DHA and I feared that due to my diet and lack of supplementing that I would be deficient in DHA. 

But what is DHA? 

  • DHA is a vital Omega 3 Fatty Acid for a baby’s health as they grow during their first 2 years.
  • DHA is crucial in a child’s early development, in particular for their visual acuity and cognitive development

What does the EverlyWell Breast Milk DHA Kit Do?

  • Measures a Mother’s DHA Levels.  
  • Identifies whether or not your own diet is sufficient to supply your breast milk with a DHA level within the recommended, healthy range for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

To take the test it was fairly easy all that is required is a few drops of breast milk, which I easily collected in my manual breast pump (this one is a serious game changer). Place a few drops of the breast milk on a sample card, let it dry briefly and then package it up and return it to be tested. Results are then emailed to you in just a few short days.

So what did my results say? 

Let’s just say I have a bit of work to do. I will be having my yearly physically in about three months and I will be making sure to ask to have my DHA levels retested once I have increased my daily DHA intake. 

 

So how does a vegan get DHA?

  • Supplements. I personally take (err….I’m getting back to) a vegan omega that includes DHA. 
  • Algae. I know not the most appetizing of sources but these days they come in powdered form and can easily be added to a smoothie.

Would I recommend the test? 

I found the test to be really eye opening. I knew that my levels would probably be on the lower side due to my plant based diet but I had no idea they would be so incredibly low. This test has encouraged me to talk more with my doctor about ways I can increase my DHA levels as well as give me the kick in the butt I needed to get back to taking my supplements. 

Receive 15% off your EverlyWell Breast Milk DHA kit with code: RWT15

PDX Eats | Virtuous Pie

4 Comments

Months ago I was watching an Instagram story that featured Virtuous Pie in Vancouver BC. I was seriously salivating over all the pizzas that were featured and then at the end the person made mention that they would be opening a location in Portland OR. Well months went by and I just completely forgot all about it until we happened upon the Portland location when we tried The Baker’s Mark a sandwich shop just next door at SE Division and 12th. Since that day I have been anxiously waiting for Virtuous Pie PDX to open and that day has finally come! This week they had a soft opening and tomorrow June 10th they will have their grand opening starting at 8am with coffee and pastries from Shoofly Bakery. 

Tonight we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to stop by and try out a few pizzas and ice creams. I should note that everything is 100% plant-based.The 100% plant-based pizzas combine unique flavor pairings using three-day dough and house-made nut cheeses, including cashew mozzarella, almond ricotta, and non-GMO tofu feta. The full menu can be found here.  If you are gluten-free you’ll be in heaven because most of their pies can be made gluten free and they even have gluten-free waffle cones for their ice cream. 

We struggled to narrow down which pizzas to order for our first visit but initially settled on the Meatball & Chevre and the Stranger Wings. To go with the pizza Neil chose one of the local beer offerings and while I wish I could have joined him I decided to start with water. Now I maybe a total geek but I was so excited to see that they had both still and sparkling water for you to serve yourself. 

We chose a table outside and within a matter of 6-8 minutes our pizzas were ready and after getting my Instagram shots we dived in and those pizzas were gone in about the same amount of time it took us to wait for them. At first bite we were a bit underwhelmed with the Stranger Wings but the second slice completely changed both our minds and we were sold. It had a bit of spice (although could maybe have used a touch more for my personal taste) and the blue cheese sauce was seriously amazing. If you are from Maritime Canada I would closely relate the blue cheese sauce here to donair sauce. Neil couldn’t get over how close he thought it tasted and we are considering buying up a few sides to have with homemade vegan garlic fingers (again a Maritime thing).

Stranger Wings | Bianca, Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower, Crisp Fried Shallots, Blue Cheese Drizzle, Scallion

Our second pizza was the Meatball & Chevre that came out with a vegan parm that not only looked like freshly grated parm but SMELLED like parm as well. This pizza was packed with so much flavor and we instantly fell in love. The meatballs were so flavourful and lemon herb chevre was like nothing I’ve ever had. Seriously amazing.

MEATBALL + CHEVRE | San Marzano Tomato Sauce, Baerlic Brewing Chorizo Meatballs, Creamed Spinach, Lemon Herb Chevre, Basil, Fresh Parm.

Once we finished these two pizzas we opted to go for a third for one out of pure curiosity and also because neither of us had really eaten much all day. We narrowed it down to three options and ultimately went with the Kim-Jack a Korean inspired pizza. I have to say this wasn’t the one I would have chosen just based on the description alone because while I love Korean flavors I’m not big into jackfruit but it was suggested so I agreed. The pizza came out and it was love at first bite. The jackfruit on this pizza was incredible and combined with the cashew mozza it was even more incredible and ended up being both Neil and my favorite of the three pizzas. 

KIM-JACK | Hoisin Crema, Cashew Mozzarella, Kimchi, Gochujang Braised Jackfruit, Roast Brocollini, Scallion

We ate most of the Kim-Jack before deciding to pack up the remainder to go and switching gears to something a bit sweeter. Since we really wanted to full experience we decided to go with an ice cream flight. I left the flavor choices up to Neil and he chose the Double Chocolate & Salted Caramel, Coffee & Donuts and Lavender & Meyer Lemon. All of these ice creams had really great flavor and out of the three my favorite was the Lavender & Meyer Lemon. Next time I’d love to try the Turmeric & Black Pepper and the Marionberry Cheesecake. 

The Verdict? If you live in Portland (or Vancouver BC) you need to drop everything and head to Virtuous Pie. One of the best food experiences I have had in awhile and I already have plans go back tomorrow morning for a mug of Heart Coffee and Shoofly Pastries and again next week for a mamas night out so I can try another pizza and more ice cream (assuming this baby doesn’t come first). 

Have you tried Virtuous Pie? Which is your favorite pie and/or ice cream?

[Recipe] Cheezy Vegan Everything But The Bagel Biscuits

8 Comments


The internet is buzzing about Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel spice mix and for good reason it is delicious. It’s perfect sprinkled over hummus, on top of avocado toast and my current favorite my Cheezy Everything But The Bagel Biscuits (with all the fixings).

I have made these twice in the past week and then we ran out of flour so that put my biscuit making to a halt which is probably not a bad thing because my family and I could easily eat an entire batch in a day.

Cheezy Everything But The Bagel Biscuits
Serves 2
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  2. 2 1/4cup all-purpose flour
  3. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  4. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  5. 1/8 teaspoon salt
  6. 1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
  7. 5 tablespoons cold Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
  8. 1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese
  9. 1 tablespoon melted Earth Balance
  10. Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425F
  2. Combine almond milk and apple cider vinegar and set asid.
  3. In the base of a food processor fitted with the s-blade combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pulse 3-4 times to combine.
  4. Slice the cold Earth Balance and add to the bowl of the food processor and pulse 7-9 times just to combine.
  5. Add the vegan cheddar shreds to the bowl of the food processor and return the top.
  6. Add the agave to the almond milk mixture.
  7. With the food processor on low slowly stream the almond milk mixture through the feed tube and process until a dough forms.
  8. Flour a large service and turn the dough out on to the board. Very lightly knead the dough to form a ball.
  9. Roll out the dough until 1" thick and then using a biscuit cutter or a glass cut out biscuits. Place biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the biscuits with melted Earth Balance and then generously sprinkle with Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel mix.
  10. Bake for 10-15 minutes until firm and lightly browned.
  11. Transfer biscuits to a wire rack and allow to cool.
  12. Store in an air tight container for 3-5 days - although I highly doubt they will last that long.
Naturally Lindsay https://www.naturallylindsay.com/
So your biscuits have cooled enough to eat who will you enjoy them? I like to load mine up with beans, greens, and avocado but they are great as is or with vegan cream cheese or topped with a vegan breakfast sausage. Really the possibilities are endless.

[Dining Out Plant-Based] California Pizza Kitchen

Leave a Comment

Many years go when I was a student living in Boston I would go to California Pizza Kitchen on a semi-regular basis. Back in those days I was vegetarian so eating at CPK was super easy for me. Back in those days my go-to menu items were the Tuscan Hummus, Margherita Pizza and Chinese Chicken Salad (obviously hold the chicken). 

Once I moved out of Boston I don’t think I visited a CPK again until this Fall when I was kindly invited to visit the Bridgeport Village CPK. One of the reasons that I never visited again was because my diet changed from vegetarian to plant-based and I had it in my head that there just weren’t enough options but I was oh so WRONG.  The team at the Bridgeport CPK was super nice and they hooked us up with so many amazing plant-based options so let’s get started. 

To start I went with a mojito mocktail however if I could have indulged in alcohol I would have gone for one of their many tasty sounding sangrias. 

We started with the Tuscan Hummus which if you remember is one of my old go-to menu items and it’s seriously amazing. I would go to CPK just to get this and only this because it’s that good. 

Next us is the White Corn Guacamole & Chips another really tasty starter. I loved the addition of jicama, white corn and black beans and both my littles gobbled up most of this guacamole and chips. 

Next up another really delicious starter that could easily be an entree – the Lettuce Wraps done vegan. These were so delicious and was one of Neil’s favorite dishes we tried. 

If that wasn’t enough food we also got two different salads – the Roasted Veggie and the Thai Crunch with Avocado (no chicken). I will put a disclaimer here that we eat honey and both of the dressings for these salads contain honey. If you do not partake in honey most of the salads can be made vegan by taking off the dairy and meat and they can do an oil and vinegar for salad dressing. 

As for these salads I was really into the roasted veggie salad and Neil was all about the Thai crunch. The roasted veggies were just so delicious and exactly what I was in the mood for at the time. The Thai crunch had amazing flavor, a nice crunchy topping and the avocado was the perfect addition. 

We were stuffed at this point but we powered through and tried a few bites of the Asparagus & Spinach pasta. Now this pasta was probably my least favorite dish because without the salty parm that normally would be on it it was lacking a bit of flavor. I would personally recommend asking for a few lemon wedges to squeeze over the pasta to brighten it up and give it just a bit more flavor and then it would be practically perfect. 

 

We also tried a few bites of the California Veggie pizza (no cheese) before packing it up and finishing it off the next day at home. This pizza was really delicious. I loved the crust and the veggies were super fresh. A great option. 

Before I wrap this up let’s not forget about the kids! At this point the kids were feeling pretty full as well but Edith was thrilled when her fusilli with tomato sauce came out and she ate about half of this huge portion. CPK can also do a simple fusilli with olive oil for kids as well if you little one isn’t into tomato sauce. 

As for Alder he went with a super simple kids mushroom pizza (no cheese) and he thought it was pretty great. I love that there are some simple and tasty kids options available. 

Overall we had a great dining experience, we really enjoyed the food and we will be back. Again we would like to thank the Bridgeport CPK for having us in and we are already making plans go come back for more of that Tuscan Hummus. 

*Disclaimer: CPK invited us in to dine on them. As always all opinions are my own.