The Friendly Vegan

I made these a while ago with some red and yellow peppers, and let me tell you, it doesn't matter what color pepper you've got on hand (or was on sale at the grocery store) it will be BOMB either way. Like, the best thing you will ever put in your mouth (except for maybe minimalist baker's jalapenos cheese dip). Seriously though, this recipe is a must try, its packed with protein, fiber, iron and is so filling! It's cruelty free, and very low waste. The only waste I created for this meal was the packaging for the vegan cheese, which I always use very minimally and consciously. Ingredients: 4 peppers that can sit upright (red is my preference) 1/2 cup of quinoa  1/4 cup of dry black beans or kidney beans  2/3 cup of tomato sauce (you can totally add more if you like it saucy) 1 1/2 cups of mixed vegetables (I did mushrooms, zucchini and onions) Salt, pepper, paprika, and chili powder. Hot sauce (optional) *Be creative! Feel free to mix and match di...

With today's lactose intolerance craze and veganism on the rise, I felt it was really important to share how to make vegan feta. Feta was one of the things I missed the most. Although the texture is not the exact same, it's pretty darn close. I find that the longer I stay vegan for, the less I remember what animal products taste like. I tend to compare the vegan alternatives less to the animal product which makes me enjoy them much more. The longer I stay vegan, the easier it becomes to enjoy all the food I eat, and it feels so much better to eat too because it's so much healthier, and there is no guilt attached. This tofu feta has a few steps, so you will want to make it a day in advance from when you actually want it, but it stores in the fridge for about a week as well. Ingredients: 4 oz of extra firm tofu 4 tbsp salt  1 tbsp white wine vinegar 2 cups water Directions:  Drain and squeeze the tofu in a tofu press for about an hour. If you don't h...

Lentil soup is my favorite quick and easy meal. You just chop up some veggies, throw it in a pot with some veggie broth and lentils and you're golden. But I decided that I wanted to add some carbs to this recipe, and make it more filling. So along with my mock beef broth, some veggies, lentils and rice, you've got yourself quite the treat. Not to mention, as someone who has been vegan for over a year now, I am still finding ways to replace things that I used to love, and with carrots and celery, this recipe reminds me a lot of chicken and rice soup (which I used to love).   Serves: 3 Ingredients: 4 cups of veggie broth 2 tbsp of soy sauce (I prefer low sodium) 1/2 cup of rice  1/4 to 1/2 cup or lentils (however much you want) 2 large carrots 2 stalks of celery 1 small clove of chopped garlic 1 tsp parsley 1 tsp pepper Directions: Mix all the ingredients into a pot except for the rice.  Bring this to a boil, then add the rice and cook covered o...

My great grandma used to make the best pancakes, and my mom used to make them for us when I was growing up too. It was definitely a staple recipe in our family, and no matter how hard I tried to find a vegan recipe for pancakes, it never quite measured up to her pancakes. They made it with eggs and milk, so i figured i would try to switch these out with easy vegan alternatives, and honestly, I kinda like it better this way cause I don't feel guilty when I eat it, and they taste just as amazing! Just, in a different way. Almost everything in there is good for me and by using chia egg instead of the eggs, I am adding so much more nutrients.  They have barley any sugar, and I tested them out with whole wheat flour and they are so. good. Servings: 4 medium pancakes Ingredients: 1 1/3 cup flour (I used whole wheat for the ones in the picture) 2 tbsp sugar (I use cane for everything) 1 tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 chia egg (1 tbsp chia seeds and 3 tbsp water, soak f...

I didn't even know hemp milk existed until about a year ago, and now I swear by it. What's even more amazing about being able to make it yourself is that it's way better than buying it in store for so many reasons. 1. It's zero waste (just buy your hulled hemp seeds at the bulk store) 2. It's healthier since there are no added preservatives or sweeteners. 3.You can make however much you need so never have to throw out a barley used carton! The seeds have a super long shelf life so you can always have hemp milk on hand, just takes about 3 minutes of preparation, a blender, and a fine cloth of some sort. You can also use those reusable produce mesh bags, or even a fine cloth that you have kicking around (an old t-shirt would probably do the trick)  As long as water can get through it, it'll do, there is no need to buy fancy new equipment. Ingredients: 1/4 cup of hulled hemp seeds  2 cups of water  1 tsp maple syrup or dates to sweeten *I personal...

Working as a waitress in a restaurant that orders an enormous amount of fruit to make a fruit display, I have a lot of easy access to over-ripe bananas. Whenever I see some that are about to be thrown away, or when I have some at home that we couldn't finish, I stick 'em in the freezer for later use. They would ultimately end up in the garbage so I figure, why not? I always make banana bread muffins just because they are more convenient, but this can be made in a bread pan as well. I've tried both, and although it's so much softer and better as a loaf, I always end up just making muffins because they are the perfect quick on-the-go breakfast. Either way, there is no need for muffin liners in this recipe, just lightly grease the muffin tray, and take them out of the tray as soon as they are out of the oven, let them sit out until they cool and they will be nice and crisp on the outside.  Ingredients: 4 Medium sized bananas 1 1/2 cups of flour 1/2 cup o...

What could be better than vegan, waste free, DELICIOUS, Caesar dressing in a super cute hand-me-down bowl! Other than combining it with my coco-bacon bits , and my homemade garlicky croutons , I don't really know. I used to love Caesar dressing, but when I found out the horrors of the dairy industry, I didn't eat it for so unbelievably long. I started to follow a lot of vegan people on Instagram and I was seeing all this stuff that I never even considered could be made vegan. Super creamy mac and cheese? Fettuccine Alfredo? Caesar and Ranch dressing?! So I tested some recipes, and figured out the least time consuming way to do it, and voila! The most amazing, and creamiest dressing, that tastes just like the real thing! Ingredients:  1/2 cup of soaked cashews (see directions for quick soak method) 1/4 cups of water 2 tbsp of olive oil 1 tbsp + 1 tsp of lemon juice (fresh is always best) 1/2 tbsp Dijon or sriracha mustard (you can add more if you like the zesty...