Vegan Carrot Cake

Carrot cake (without nuts) is about the only cake I'll eat--maybe because it doesn't look or taste like regular cake. Ever since I was little, I was never a fan of cake or cupcakes---just pass me the cookies instead. But my grandmother made carrot cake one day and I enjoyed it. Problem is the icing and cake contain dairy. So I decided to give vegan carrot cake a try. Instead of eggs, the cake is made with applesauce and the icing is made from soy milk. Whole food brings in various pieces of cake from Cafe Indigo, which is a vegan bakery located in New Hampshire. It was really good. I especially loved that there were little pieces of pineapple in it as well.

Delicious Vegan Pizza

This pizza is awesome! What makes it even better is that the crust is wheat. This pizza is vegan because it is made with Daiya's shredded mozzarella-style cheese alternative, which is free of cholesterol, dairy, and soy. I'm so happy I discovered it.

Rise Breakfast Bar

This was soooooo good! It contains simple ingredients- macadamia nuts, honey, sesame seeds, pineapples, raisins, amaranth, crisp rice salt. This is the only flavor I have tried so far. It is gluten, dairy, and soy free. It also contains no preservatives of GMOs.

Defense Up Juice

This juice is so yummy! It is a great pick me up, if you are feeling a bit under the weather. It is also very refreshing.

Breakfast Quesadilla

I was craving eggs but wanted to have them in a more non-traditional way. So I decided to make a breakfast quesadilla. It was filling and delicious. This is such an easy and simple breakfast for dinner option.

Ingredients

2 eggs
Teaspoon of butter
Tablespoon of almond milk
Whole wheat tortilla
Avocado
Jalapeno
Spinach
Dairy-free cheddar cheese
Salsa
Olive oil cooking spray

Directions

1. Place butter in a bowl and microwave for 20 seconds, then add the eggs and almond milk. Whisk well then heat in the microwave for about a minute and a 1/2
2. Place the tortilla on a plate and on one side of it place cheddar cheese, sliced avocado, spinach, and chopped jalapenos
3. Once the eggs are done heating up in the microwave, fluff them with a fork and spread evenly over the same side of the tortilla. Fold the empty side of the tortilla over the other side
4. Spray the cooking spray on the frying pan and place the quesadilla on the pan
5. Once the one side of the tortilla becomes crispy, flip it onto the other side until it becomes crispy
6. Once the quesadilla is crispy on both sides, place on a plate and cut it into fours
7. Enjoy with salsa

Quinoa Pizza Bake

One word, delicious! This was originally a vegetarian dish but I added homemade turkey meatballs to it. My dad is a big fan of meat, so since he was going to enjoy this dish as well...I added turkey meatballs to it. I definitely recommend this if you are sick of pasta or even pizza.

Ingredients

Cooked quinoa 

14 ounces of tomato paste

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup finely diced onions

1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)

Turkey meatballs (or try turkey pepperoni)

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 cup mozzarella cheese (I used Go Veggie vegan mozzarella shreds)

Directions

1. Cook the quinoa (Follow the instructions on the box)
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
3. In a large bowl combine the tomato paste, garlic, onions, breadcrumbs and oil.  Mix well
4. Add chopped up meatballs and mix well
5. Add in the cooked quinoa and cheese and stir well until thoroughly mixed
6. Divide the mixture evenly in a large casserole dish and sprinkle with cheese 
7. Bake for 30 minutes until  the quinoa on top is golden and crispy

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Cups

Oh man were these delicious! They were so simple to make. This would be the perfect dish for a party. I altered the recipe a bit and this was the final product.

Ingredients

Cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast--chopped up small or shredded½ cup 
Chopped fresh pineapple (I used the canned pineapple chunks in water--do not get the one in syrup)
4 tbs spicy barbecue sauce (I used Trader Joe's original)
Chopped scallions
Wonton wrappers (I used egg roll wrappers)
Shredded cheddar cheese (I used Daiya  dairy free  and soy free cheddar)
Oil olive cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix chicken, pineapple, BBQ sauce, and scallions in a medium bowl 
3. Lightly spray a muffin pan with cooking spray and press one wonton wrapper into each cup (I had to cut some of the egg roll wrapper off to make them smaller because they didn't fit into the muffin cups)
4. Spoon the chicken mixture evenly each cup and top with cheese
5. Bake  for about 20 minutes. Let the cups cool for 5 minutes before popping them out in order for them to keep their shape

Enjoy Life Chewy Bar

This little chewy bars are great if you are looking for a dairy free, soy free, nut free, and oat free bar. It is pretty good, just a little bland. There are a variety of flavors. I have only tried the mixed berry so far. It makes a great snack when you're on the run.

Green Smoothie

Ok, not sure of my feelings about this one. After the first initial taste, I was not a fan. But as I kept drinking it...it seemed to taste better. Maybe I will try a different flavor next time.

Pasta With White Beans AKA Pasta Fagioli

This is such an easy recipe! So simple and so good! It is Ash Wednesday, so with me being Catholic, I cannot eat meat today. This is filling and is full of protein.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces of pasta (I used whole wheat small shells)
• 1 26-ounce jar marinara sauce (I used an organic marinara)
• 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs (I used whole wheat)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Red pepper flakes (optional)
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Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions (I made the entire box)
2. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, drain, and return the pasta to the pot
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring the marinara and beans to a simmer
4. Toss the marinara mixture with the pasta and the reserved cooking water
5. Divide among bowls and top with bread crumbs, parsley, and red pepper flakes

Juice Time

This juice is probably the best tasting one I have fad so far. It contains 7 carrots, 1 apple, 2 celery stalks, 1/4 of a cucumber, 1/2 of a beet, and a 1/2 a lemon.