The sun is shining and the weather is just starting to feel like warm spring weather! In lieu of this, the strawberries in my freezer were calling my name!  I found a lovely recipe on myvega.com for a Strawberry Ginger Smoothie. Its quick, easy and SOO delicious for lunch or a mid-day snack!

Here’s the recipe! ( I have added some variations)

Strawberry Ginger Smoothie

What you need:

• 1 banana
• 1/4” ginger, peeled
• 1  cup frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 serving Vega Shake & Go Smoothie, Tropical

* variation: if you don’t have Shake & Go, you may add 1 tablespoon of protein (preferably hemp). For extra nutrition add 1 tsp spirulina, 1 tsp maca or a serving of the green powder of your choice.

• 5 ice cubes (or to desired thickness)
• 1 fresh strawberry

Directions:

Combine the ingredients above into your blender until smooth and creamy.

It’s that easy! Please share your thoughts!

Smile :)

Seems like a funny title for a post on a vegan blog, I know… but I wanted to write a post with a recipe that is easy and super tasty for someone who is taking the plunge into trying out meatless Monday! Since the weather is getting a bit gloomy and cool here in Southern Ontario, I thought that my warm vegan chili recipe would be suitable! Also, I like to pair my mood and environment with the foods that I choose to eat each day and today screams CHILI!!!

Plus, beans are so nutritionally dense! They are high in protein and fiber which not only is good for your digestive system, but also great for your heart because of the cholesterol lowering properties. For people who struggle with Hypoglycemia (states of low levels of blood sugar) such as myself or diabetes, the kidney beans in this recipe will help to maintain a consistent level of sugar in the blood. Beans are also great for anyone with a large appetite… a small portion will fill you up quickly and for a long period of time!

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked, soaked lentils
2 1/2 cups cooked, soaked kidney beans
1 cup cooked, soaked pinto beans
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 cups diced tomatoes
4 cups homemade Tomato Sauce (pr 28 oz. can)
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Chili Powder: (may substitute for 4 tablespoons of packaged chili powder)

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 1/2 teaspoon fresh red chili pepper, finely chopped

Please note: You can substitute the cooked, soaked beans for 1 can of each type of bean. Be sure to rinse them to remove some of the sodium. Skip to step 3. You may also use canned tomato sauce (28 oz can) and diced tomatoes.

1. Soak beans overnight in water that completely covers the beans.

2. Strain and rinse beans. Cook in pot with 4 cups (or enough to cover all beans) on medium heat for 30 minutes, until tender. Strain all remaining water.

3. Place all ingredients into a covered pot on medium heat for 30 minutes making sure beans are tender. Stir occasionally.

**You may use a slow cooker to cook throughout the day. Place all ingredients into slow cooker and cook for 4-6 hours on high heat.**

Serves. 4

Enjoy! Please let me know how you like it <3

Chef Tal Ronnen is one of my favourites when it comes to Vegan chefs. He released a book called “The Conscious Cook”. I recommend it to everyone!! I will forewarn you though that it contains recipes that are more on the gourmet side and do take time to create! Its well worth it though, as the meal ends up being delicious! I just had to share this cookbook with all of you!

One meal that looks great is the “gardein “chicken” scaloppini with shiitake sake sauce, braised pea shoots, and crispy udon noodle cake”. I think I might try this recipe out this week! If you try it first, comment and let me know how it is!

For the udon noodle cakes:

• 4 (7-ounce single-serving) packs precooked udon noodles, still in their packages (see note)
• Sea salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the pea shoots:

• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup faux chicken stock
• 2 cups packed pea shoots
• Microgreens

For the chicken:

• 4 gardein™ chick’n scallopini or 8 gardein™ chick’n filets
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into ¼-inch slices

• 1 cup dry sake
• ½ cup faux chicken stock
• ½ cup Earth Balance
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

1. Make the udon noodle cakes: Preheat the oven to 200°F. Remove the plastic from each pack of noodles, keeping the noodles tightly packed. Using a 3-inch round cutter or ring mold, cut one round of noodles from each pack.

2. Place a large sauté pan over high heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. This will create a nonstick effect.

3. Add the noodle cakes and fry until browned and crisp on both sides, seasoning with salt and pepper as they cook, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel–lined baking sheet and put in the oven to keep warm.

4. Make the chicken: Flatten the gardein™ filets with your hand to ½ inch thick, then cut each one into 3 pieces. Season the pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour.

5. Wipe out the pan you used for the noodle cakes and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Heat over medium heat, then add the chicken pieces and cook until browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and set aside.

6. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, heat over medium heat, then add the mushrooms and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until softened. Deglaze the pan with the sake and cook until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and cook for 2 more minutes.

7. Remove from the heat and whisk in the Earth Balance 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly so that the sauce doesn’t separate. Return the gardein™ to the pan and toss to coat it with the sauce. Cover to keep warm while you make the pea shoots.

8. Make the pea shoots: Place a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke.

9. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the stock and pea shoots and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until wilted. Drain the excess liquid.

10. Place a noodle cake in the center of each plate. Top each cake with a spoonful of pea shoots, then top the pea shoots with 3 pieces of the gardein™. Spoon a little of the sake and mushroom sauce over the gardein™ and drizzle it around the inside of the plate. Garnish with microgreens and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings
Prep time: 45 minutes

Vegans will not be left out of the deliciousness that is “Taco Tuesday”! Here’s a recipe I make for my husband and I every Tuesday (until he tells me he is sick of Taco Tuesdays!!).

Ingredients:

     1 Package of Hard Corn Taco Shells
     1 Package of ground soy (Yves or Boco)
     1 Red Pepper, finely chopped
     1 Green Pepper, finely chopped
     1 Yellow Onion, finely chopped
     4 tbsp of Olive Oil
     1 Package of Taco Seasoning
     1/4 cup water (x2)

Optional Toppings:
     1  Avocado mashed
     1/2 Jalapeno, finely chopped
     1 cup of lettuce, diced
     1/2 cup of diced tomatoes

Place the onions, red pepper, green pepper and 2 tbsp of Olive Oil in a frying pan and cook on medium heat until softened. Mix 3 tbsp of taco seasoning with, 1/4 cup water and add to the vegetable mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cook ground soy and 2 tbsp of Olive Oil in a separate frying pan on medium heat until lightly browned. Heat taco shells in oven on 200F for 5 minutes, until warm. Place the contents of each pan into a separate dish and serve. Optional toppings can be served in small dishes.

Serves 4.

I created a delicious vegan nacho cheese sauce that I add to our tacos and have tortilla chip with. Its so yummy but messy! Maybe I’ll share that recipe with you all very soon!

Just in case you were thinking… “hmm, I wonder if Chelsea has a twitter where I can get updates about her latest recipes and adventures?”

FOLLOW ME: @chelseanovelli

If you dont have twitter… then please follow my Tumblr!

I have had enough with the pre-packaged burgers and decided that I was going to attempt my own patty! I was looking for something light, nutritious and something that was not your regular bean or mushroom burger. And this my friends, is what I came up with!

1 cup cooked quinoa
2 tablespoons water
1/2 red pepper
3 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor. Mix until all of the ingredients look chopped and well combined. Separate into four equal balls and flatten with your hands into patties. Place patties in a lightly greased frying pan on low heat. Cook for approximately 4 minutes on each side until lightly browned. 

Makes 4 patties

This goes well with simple burger dressings such as lettuce, tomato, onion and hummus. Add some avocado for some extra omegas!

Please share your comments! :)

Today was my first try at making my love and I a RAW vegan lunch. After taking a trip to Whole Foods and spotting some lovely crisp green Collards I opted to make a wrap! This wrap was crisp, extremely flavourful and really easy to make!

Wrap Ingredients:

2 large collards
1 large ripe avocado
1 large carrot
1/4 of a medium sized cucumber
2 slices of red onion, chopped finely
1 roma tomato, diced
1 cup of sprouted grains (buckwheat, alfalfa etc.)

Begin by cutting up all of your vegetables. Take the avacado slice to open, remove the pit and cut it into thick strips. Peel the carrot and cut it in half, lengthwise. Continue to cut the carrot into 3 inch long strips that are slightly thicker than shredding the carrot. Follow this same process for the cucumber. Chop up the red onion finely and dice up the roma tomato. Place one collard on a plate and remove the stem, take half of each vegetable and place in the middle of the collard in the same direction as the stem. Make your sauce as follows…

Sauce Ingredients:
4 tbsp of antioxident EFA Oil blend (substitute with any omega oil such as hemp)
2 tbsp of agave nectar
1 tbsp apple cidar vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
Sea Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a cup. Blend well. Once blended, drizzle sauce all over the vegetables. Begin the wrap the collard so that the ends are tucked in and roll tightly. ENJOY!

Serves 2

The term “vegan” when paired with the word food will most often turn the heads of any carnivore. For this reason, I have always tried to create dishes that will satisfy the most unrivaled meat eater. Besides cooking food to achieve the correct texture, its important to always remember that….. It’s all about the Flavour!