Tag Archives: Vegan

Berries and Tofu Smoothie Bowl (Vegan)

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Over the past year, I have been trying to eat less meat and more plant-based proteins. I was never a big meat eater, so the transition was pretty easy. To me, the change has been beneficial, especially for my gut. I have a lot less indigestion and heartburn. Trying to cooperate these ingredients in recipes has been fun too. Tofu is my favourite, I mostly use it in savoury dishes or soups, but I can also make it into a simple and nutritious sweet treat, like this smoothie bowl ! You can use any berries and toppings of your choice. For a thicker smoothie, freeze some of the berries first. Look at the beautiful and vibrant colours ! It’s definitely a treat for your eyes and your tummy !  

Makes one serving

  • 150 g mixed berries (I used fresh raspberries, frozen blueberries and blackberries)
  • 150 g soft tofu
  • 1 tablespoon of maple syrup to sweeten (optional)
  • Toppings of choice (other fruits, seeds and nuts)

Blend all ingredients together then add toppings 

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Date Energy Balls

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Except my sweet tooth, I think I have a fairly healthy lifestyle. I exercise regularly, I eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, drink a lot of water. I try to avoid eating too much carbs and fat. And about a month ago, I started doing kickboxing classes ! Yes, isn’t that crazy ?! It is a pretty strenuous workout, but it’s a lot of fun ! And what a great way to release my stresses…..you know, I can just imagine I am punching my “enemies” …. LOL ! And after all the hard punching and kicking, I made these energy balls to treat myself ! They are delicious, nutritious and super easy to make ! Loaded with vitamins and minerals, they sure can give me a kick of energy before or after my class ! Medjool dates and nuts are however, fairly high in calories, so just keep in mind not to indulge yourself too much….even though they are so tasty and healthy !  

Makes about 12 balls

  • 90 g blanched almonds (or other nuts)
  • 250 g medjool dates (about 13-14 pitted dates)
  • 10 g chia seeds 
  • 15 g hemp protein powder 
  • 25 g cocoa powder 
  • 15 mL coconut oil 

  1. Put dates into a food processor and pulse until they are in small pieces 
  2. Add all other ingredients and blend until well combined
  3. Roll into one-inch balls
  4. Keep in refrigerator 

 

Carrot Spelt Muffins with Maple Roasted Pecans (Vegan)

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I guess by now everyone knows I love to bake.  Not only do I like to eat sweets, but I also get intrigued by how different ingredients work or not work together and the Science behind it. Yes, baking is an edible Science experiment ! And I have so much fun with these “Science projects” !  Vegan baking is even more interesting ! You don’t have your eggs to bind things together, you don’t have your dairy nor butter for nice creamy texture and rich flavours.  But there are actually many great alternatives and I realize I have a lot more to learn. This is the first time I bake with spelt flour. It can be used instead of whole wheat flour. It has a finer texture and a milder taste which I like.  For the roasted pecans, you won’t need the whole batch for the muffins, save the rest for a healthy snack !

Makes about 12 muffins

For the roasted pecans 

  • 100 g pecans
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup 
  • 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Pinch of salt 
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Coat pecans with rest of ingredients 
  3. Bake for about 10 minutes, stirring once in between Maple Roasted Pecans

For the muffins

  • 225 g spelt flour
  • 1+1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
  • 60 g demerara or brown sugar 
  • 150 g unsweetened apple sauce 
  • 120 mL vegetable oil 
  • 60 mL unsweetened almond milk 
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup 
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
  • 200 g grated carrots 
  • 30 g maple roasted pecans, crushed 
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon 
  3. Mix in sugar 
  4. Stir in other wet ingredients
  5. Stir in grated carrots 
  6. Spoon into lightly greased paper or silicone muffin cups (you can fill them up a little fuller, as they don’t rise as much)
  7. Sprinkle crushed maple pecans on top 
  8. Bake in muffin tins for 25-30 minutes Carrot Spelt Muffins with Maple Roasted Pecans (Vegan)

Banana Milkshake (Vegan and Dairy-free)

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This is probably the simplest recipe I have ever made.  It has just 2 ingredients !  I often make myself a banana smoothie after my morning run. It’s delicious, satisfying and very healthy. The past week has been quite hot, even in the morning. Not that I am complaining about the good weather, but when the temperature is up, I do get more tired after I run and I would be soaking wet.  So to quench my thirst and “refuel” myself, I turned my smoothie into an even cooler treat…. a milkshake ! I simply freeze the bananas before blending, how easy is that !

Makes about 2 servings

  • 4 ripe bananas 
  • 1 cup almond milk (I used vanilla-flavoured almond milk, you can use unsweetened if preferred)
  1. Peel and cut bananas into small pieces, put in freezer for about 3 hours or overnight
  2. Blend frozen bananas and almond milk together until smooth, serve immediately 

Banana Milkshake

 

Strawberry Banana Quinoa Smoothie (Vegan)

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Quinoa (pronounced as “keenwah”) is a seed that is harvested from the goosefoot plant. It is a great source of protein, fibre and many vitamins and minerals. You can eat it like a grain, use it in salads, stuffing, burger patties, or in this recipe, a smoothie! You have to first cook it, but it’s very easy to do.  

To cook quinoa

Makes about 2 cups

  1. Rinse 1/2 cup of quinoa under water (to remove bitter taste)
  2. Add 1 cup of water, cook on medium heat over stove
  3. Bring to boil, then turn heat down to low, cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes
  4. Remove cover, let sit for about 10 minutes
  5. Fluff with a spatula, let cool

To make smoothie

Makes about 2-3 servings

  • 2 ripe frozen bananas (cut in chunks and freeze)
  • 200 g fresh strawberries
  • 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 cup sweetened almond milk or other non-dairy milk

Blend all ingredients together until smooth,serve immediately. Enjoy !