plant power Archives - Page 5 of 5

Vegan Mexican Taco Salad

September 3, 2014 by Jillian 3 Comments

So I was going to write a post about something else this week but I’ve been thinking about food so much lately, that I couldn’t help but post another recipe! Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. When I walked into my kitchen the other night, starving, there was barely anything decent to be found. I had some leftover black beans in the fridge and that got me thinking about what I could whip up with them. I ended up creating a tofu crumble reminiscent of ground beef or turkey, with sauteed onions, the black beans, and salad fixings. And it was so, so good! It took twenty minutes at the most and filled me up without leaving me feeling heavy. Ready for this super simple, quick, nutritious meal?!

This recipe starts out very white, but don’t fear, it ends up very colorful! I cut up some thick slices of white onion and put them in a pan with a splash of olive oil on medium heat. I let those sizzle for a couple of minutes. Take any kind of tofu you like. I used the Trader Joe’s Organic Sprouted Tofu Extra Firm, it works the best for crumbling and having a ground meat consistency. This particular brand is in the refrigerated section. Use your hands to crumble it into the pan and give everything a quick stir. You can turn the heat down to low or med-low.

Next I added seasonings: Cumin, chili powder, and paprika. I wait to add the salt and pepper until all the ingredients are in the pan. It’s easier for me to see how much S&P I need when everything is mixed together, but do whatever works for you.

[Read more…]

Red Lentil Hummus

August 24, 2014 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Lentils make the world go ’round. That’s my new motto. I don’t know how I didn’t discover them sooner. Lentils belong in the legume family. They are low in calories but high in nutrition. They help lower your cholesterol, which means a lower risk of heart disease. In fact, lentils keep your arteries nice and clean and are also high in magnesium, which is good for your heart. We could stop right there, that’s plenty of reasons to eat lentils, but there’s more! Lentils contain that magical substance we call fiber. Fiber keeps our digestive systems in tip-top shape and removes all the toxins from our bodies, as well as regulating our blood sugar levels and combating heart disease. Yay for fiber! But back to lentils. Lentils are a good source of protein, they increase energy, and leave your tummy feeling full and satisfied. Plus, they’re very simple to prepare and cook.

I love hummus, but sometimes it can be heavy and make my stomach feel overloaded. Chickpeas are good for you, but they do increase insulin levels. I’ve tried zucchini hummus and broccoli hummus and I’m not a fan of either. I do enjoy white bean hummus, but again it spikes your blood sugar levels. What to do? What to do… That’s where red lentils come in.

Aren’t they pretty? They don’t exactly look red, more of a coral or orange color. I almost want to glue them to a tray like a mosaic instead of eat them (maybe for a future post?). But let’s get started on the recipe! You should be able to buy red lentils at any health food store. There’s no need to soak them overnight like nuts and seeds. I rinse and drain my lentils while I’m waiting for the water to boil. You cook them in a 1:3 ratio of lentils to water. For me, one serving of red lentil hummus is 1/3 cup of dry lentils. That means I cook them in 1 cup of water. Once I toss them in the boiling water, I wait a moment then turn the heat down to simmer and cover with a lid. Green lentils usually take up to 45 minutes to cook, but red lentils only take 15-25 minutes. Let them simmer and check on them occasionally. They are done once the water is absorbed and the lentils are soft. I take them off the heat and let them cool a moment, then I spoon the cooked lentils into my food processor.

[Read more…]

Picking Humane Beauty Products

August 17, 2014 by Jillian Leave a Comment

For nearly my entire life, I never put much thought into what beauty products I bought (cosmetics, facial & body products, perfumes, etc). That is, until I learned that reading the ingredients label isn’t just for food. Furthermore, I’d always known in the back of my head that many companies tested their products on lab animals, but I didn’t really know what that meant or what was actually going on. I’m sure some people feel relief when they know that a product is tested on animals first. But studies show that testing on animals is pretty much useless and most large companies today only test on animals because it saves their butt if they ever get sued. It may make their product seem safer, but there’s a much better way to tell if a beauty product is safe or not – look at what’s in it. If there’s a bunch of ingredients that you can barely pronounce, that means it ain’t natural and if it ain’t natural, it shouldn’t be slathered, dabbed, or rubbed into the largest organ on your body. Your skin absorbs everything you put on it. Putting chemical, unnatural, and man-made ingredients onto your skin is almost the same as eating them. The best rule of thumb is this: If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin.

Now that we’ve got the basics covered, why should you pick humanely made products and how do you know if a product is humane? [Read more…]

Steel Cut Oats Breakfast Cereal & Coconut Whipped Cream

July 21, 2014 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Welcome compassionate women (and men)! This is my first post on the blog and I thought I’d start with a recipe because I love to cook, and more importantly, I love to eat. Some people claim that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should never be skipped. I’ve heard other nutritionists say that if you aren’t hungry in the morning, don’t force yourself to eat. I can see both sides, but me personally, I’m usually starving when I wake up. And sometimes finding a vegan and gluten free breakfast that is filling can be difficult.

Why vegan? Because animal protein causes a wide array of serious health issues and equally as important, animals must suffer for us to consume it. Why gluten free? Because gluten is a silent killer. It’s a substance that when consumed on a regular basis and over time, causes just as many health problems as animal protein. Gluten and animal protein are both inflammatory. When you’re body becomes inflamed, it causes everything from cancer to heart disease to diabetes to IBS to acne to everything in between to arise. It’s pretty crazy. The good news is, I have a healthy and delicious breakfast recipe to share with you all. There’s no animal protein and there’s no gluten. Just yummy, insanely nutritious plant based food. Plus, it’s quick and easy. Ready? Let’s get started!

One of the first foods I discovered several ago when I first decided to go vegan and gluten free was steel cut oats. They’ve been described as a tastier, heartier version of oatmeal. I’ve never been a fan of oatmeal, but I was hearing such rave reviews about steel cuts oats that I decided to give them a try. You can buy them in bulk at pretty much any natural foods store, as wells as bigger chains like Whole Foods and Central Market. I used to buy them at Austin’s largest grocery store chain HEB. They are stinkin’ cheap too. I eat steel cut oats practically every morning, and a month’s supply costs me less than $5. In fact, it probably cost me about $3. Can’t beat that. When I’m feeling organized, I like to transfer them from the plastic bag you put them in at the store to a mason jar, and then I store it in the fridge to improve freshness.

[Read more…]