Category Archives for "Recipes"

Tony Horton’s Famous Vegan Burritos

Back when I was cooking for fitness guru Tony Horton, creator of the phenomenal workout system P90X and recently his very own fitness platform, Power Nation I had to come up with delicious and simple recipes Tony would love that fit into his health regime.

Tony is someone who walks his talk and at the age of 64 it shows! He is in better shape than anyone I know and the reason is due to his consistency with exercise, food and self-care. Tony also eats a mostly plant-based, whole food diet and calls himself a “Flexitarian.”

This Supreme Vegan Burrito I created for Tony is a staple in his diet, and it’s loaded with nutrients & flavor. The best part is that they are simple to make too!

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper, de-seeded & sliced into thin strips
  • 1 Yellow bell pepper, de-seeded & sliced into thin strips
  • 1 Small red onion, thinly sliced into 1/2 moons
  • 1 small Zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 1 -15oz can organic black beans, or 1-1/2 cups cooked
  • 1-15oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder blend
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa or brown rice
  • 1 pkg. gluten free brown rice tortillas (Food for Life Brand), or sprouted grain tortillas (Ezekial Brand)
  • Extras (optional) Avocado, Tempeh Bacon, Karma Chow Chipotle Cashew Cheese.

Heat 1 TBL of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add peppers & onions and sauté until soft – about 3-5 minutes. Add zucchini, cumin, chili powder and sea salt and continue cooking for 2 more minutes, stirring to incorporate all the spices with the peppers & onions. Add tomatoes and stir to mix. Lower heat and cover, cooking for about 5 minutes until peppers are really soft. Remove from heat. Add beans to pan and stir to incorporate.

Heat tortilla shell over low open flame on stove to soften. Place the tortilla on a flat surface. Spread a very small amount cashew cheese, or cheese of your choice on tortilla. Add 1 scoop of pepper, onion & bean mixture to bottom 1/3 of tortilla. Top with 1 scoop of quinoa or rice. Add avocado (optional) or tempeh bacon and roll it up!  (If you are using the Gluten-Free tortillas, it’s best to roll each burrito made to order.)

If you are looking for more amazing, vegan Mexican dishes, check out these additional recipes from Simply Be.

August 29, 2018

Tarragon Potato Salad; Vegan + Gluten Free

This light and delicious potato salad is perfect to bring to a summer BBQ, or a potluck dinner. Use red bliss, or heirloom potatoes for an even yummier salad and leave the skins on for extra nutrition. The tarragon gives it a very special flavor that will delight your taste buds.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 lbs. Red bliss potatoes or combo of red, purple & creamy yellow (red, white & blue), unpeeled & chopped into small 1/2” inch cubes
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1 green onion (scallion), finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried tarragon (replace with dried dill if not available)
  • 1/4 Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise
  • 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
  • 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender but not too soft. Drain and cool. In a large bowl, combine potatoes with remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold. If salad becomes dry after a day or two, add a bit more mayo.

 

Holy Moly Green Gazpacho

Summer is officially here! ☀ Try my “Holy Moly Green Gazpacho” if you want a refreshingly cool summer soup…

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 2 Persian cucumbers, peeled and diced
  • 1 poblano pepper, deseeded and chopped (if not available, leave out)
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, deseeded and chopped
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 1/4 cup water
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Scoop out the meat of both avocados and place into a blender.   Add all of the remaining
ingredients except the oil.   Turn the blender on and let everything mix together.
With the motor running, start slowly pouring the oil through the opening in the lid of the blender.
This will help emulsify the soup, giving you a light and creamy consistency.
Season with salt and pepper.  CHILL it for an hour before eating so the flavors meld and enjoy!

Tempeh Bolognese Sauce; Vegan + Gluten Free

Tempeh Bolognese Recipe

When I first became vegan, I experimented  “veganizing” all my favorite dishes I grew up with as a kid. My dad was an Italian chef, and he made the best sauces and pasta dishes and I missed them when I gave up eating meat. Although I don’t eat much pasta these days, I still love the comfort of a bowl of Gluten Free Rotelli with Bolognese sauce (vegan, of course.) Here is my take on this delicious sauce. And don’t forget to add my Cashew cheese for extra creamy goodness.

INGREDIENTS FOR SAUCE

  • 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • dash red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 1-8 oz. pkg tempeh, crumbled
  • 2 teaspoons Bragg’s aminos
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped sundried or oven-roasted tomatoes
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 cans trader joe’s tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • sea salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute garlic until lightly browned and translucent. Add red pepper flakes, caraway seeds and capers. Saute for another 2-3 minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Add tempeh and saute until lightly browned. Add Bragg’s to tempeh and stir to combine. Let cook for another minute. Add sundried tomatoes, oregano and tomato sauce. Stir to combine all ingredients. Turn heat to low and let simmer for about 10 -15 minutes. Add balsamic and maple syrup and cook for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over prepared Gluten Free Rotelli Pasta with a dollop of cashew cheese (recipe below.) Store remaining sauce in a tightly covered container in refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze.

CASHEW CHEESE

  • 1-1/2 cups cashews, soak these for 2 hours if you dn’t have a high-powered blender
  • Filtered water
  • 1/4 cup  Nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 1 garlic clove
  • juice of half lemon
  • sea salt & pepper to taste

Place soaked cashews in a blender cup with just enough water to barely cover. Add remaining ingredients and blend until very smooth. This mixture should be fairly thick, so if it’s too thin, add some more cashews until desired consistency. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Will keep in refrigerator for up to 5 days in a tightly sealed container. DO NOT FREEZE!

 

Golden Split Pea Soup

This variation of Split Pea soup is sure to delight you and warm you up on a chilly winter’s day. I use a combination of yams and Yukon gold potatoes to give it a little sweetness. It’s smoky and sweet and completely vegan!

INGREDIENTS

In a soup pot over medium heat, sizzle red pepper flakes for 30 seconds. Add onion and celery and saute until onion is soft and translucent. Add herbs and spices and stir to combine. Add carrots, yam, potatoes and split peas. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Add broth and stir together ingredients. Turn up heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover pot and lower heat to a simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until split peas are soft, stirring occasionally. Add nutritional yeast and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Soba Noodles with Mint Pea Pesto

My dear friend, and incredible chef, Agi from Just a Pinch created this awesome recipe for my Karma Chow Ultimate Cookbook and it’s great for Meatless Monday. It’s loaded with flavor, fiber and nutrition! She brilliantly uses peas in place of basil for this pesto, with a touch of mint. The natural sweetness of the peas shines through and gives this dish a special salubrious sparkle.

INGREDIENTS

Cook noodles according to package directions and set aside. In the mean time, in a food processor bowl fitted with the s-blade, process the peas, garlic, pine nuts, mint leaves, salt and pepper and lime juice until combined. Remove lid to scrape down sides. With processor running, slowly pour the oil in the top until the mixture is all combined into a pesto consistency. Toss with noodles using tongs. Serve warm or cold.

Sweet & Savory Tempeh “Tacos” – Korean Style

These meatless tacos using organic, fermented tempeh, are super simple to make, super delicious to eat and super nutritious too. I serve them up on lettuce leaves, for a lighter bite, but feel free to use traditional (organic) soft corn tortillas. In one word, they are SUPER!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 package (8 ounces) organic tempeh, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 6 Bibb or romaine lettuce leaves
  • Avocado slices

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the crumbled tempeh and sauté until lightly brown, stirring frequently. Meanwhile In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining oil, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, sesame seeds, vinegar, and syrup. Pour the sauce over the tempeh and let the mixture cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the sauce is absorbed into the tempeh. To assemble the tacos, place a spoonful of meat on a lettuce leaf and top with the avocado slices.

Olive Spread

This olive spread is delicious and made with a base of raw almonds. Peeling them can kind of stink, so after you’re done soaking them, drain and rinse, put on some tunes and pop em’ out of their skins. It’s a meditation of sorts…eh, not really, but it’s fun when one of the almonds goes flying across the room!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1-1/2 cups raw almonds, soaked for 4 hours and peeled
  • 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tablespoon Bragg apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram or thyme
  • dash cayenne pepper
  • olive oil
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with the s-blade except olive oil, salt and pepper. Process ingredients while pouring olive oil in through the top, until ingredients become the consistency of a paste. Scrape sides of bowl as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crackers or crusty bread.

 

Millet Sandwich Bread – Gluten Free (Not Vegan)

Baking gluten free is definitely not easy, but I think I finally came up with a good bread recipe that you will enjoy. I was inspired by The Gluten Free Goddess’ bread and started to play around a little bit and came up with my own version. Enjoy this bread toasted and topped with Almond butter, or open-faced with my Chick Pea “Tuna” Salad.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 package rapid dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 cups millet flour
  • 1 cup almond meal/flour
  • 2 tablespoons coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 organic pasture-raised eggs, beaten
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup warm water

 

 

Gluten Free Pasta with Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce

Pasta is so comforting in the colder months, and feeds our bodies natural need for complex carbohydrates. The savory sun-dried tomato cream sauce is totally dairy free and gluten free using raw cashews as the base. Nutritional yeast gives it a delectable cheesy flavor.

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

  • 1-1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked for one hour in water
  • water
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 2 teaspoons tahini
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped fine
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Drain and rinse cashews. Place them in high-powered blender with water to cover them about 1/2″ over. Add remaining ingredients and blend until creamy smooth. If too thick, add more water little by little.

PASTA INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

 

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