{ WHOLE FOODS and GLUTEN FREE }

Back in April, I finally made the commitment to myself to start eating (even) better, to get back on track exercising, and to lose all of my leftover baby weight. Inspired by my sisters, I made a checklist and set some goals. What it turned into for me was eating a primarily whole foods diet, avoiding processed foods, including processed grains (whole wheat bread, etc.), added oils, and sugar. I realized after a few weeks of doing this that it also meant my diet was essentially gluten free. (I did eat some wheat berries in a salad and for breakfast once.)

I've had so many people say it's close to impossible to eat vegan and gluten free. Now I can say I've done it, and I'm having a lot of fun with it. (And I've lost 20 lbs and have almost met my end goals.)

At the beginning, I took some pictures of some of the fun meal conversions I did to replace processed grains with whole foods. I thought I'd share:
Mike found me a great deal on a spiral cutter. I made a lot of zucchini noodles.

When my family had roasted garlic brocolli pizza, I had all the toppings with zucchini noodles. Delicious!!

Beanburgers with all the fixings on lettuce. Amazing!

I replaced the noodles in this frog-eye salad with millet. So good!

This zucchini lasagna was out of this world! I actually liked it better than with whole wheat lasagna noodles. I sliced the zucchini ahead of time and salted it to make it sweat. Then rinsed and dried, so it didn't turn to mush in the lasagna. Loved it! (It's this recipe, with tofu ricotta instead of the tofu and toffuti cream cheese.)

This was one of my very favorites: barbecue pizza toppings over brown rice.

Alfredo and peas over zucchini noodles.

When my family had pancakes, hashbrowns, and field roast sausage, I subbed in pan seared mushrooms.

My portion of mac and cheez had cauliflower instead of whole wheat noodles.

I stopped taking pictures after the first few weeks, but I've had a lot of fun getting creative with my whole foods.

Here are some other recipes that work great:

• basil pasta sauce over brocolli and/or cauliflower
• sloppy jo lettuce wraps
• mango salsa over hashbrowns instead of corn waffles

I've learned not only is it possible to be vegan and gluten free, but I actually enjoy more variety than before. I guess my point is, if you're scared of a vegan diet because you also have a gluten intolerance (or soy, or really any other food), it's possible and can be fun to get what you need eating a whole foods, plant based diet.

{ ROASTED CAULIFLOWER }

I got this from Vegan Dad. I like this so much, I eat an entire head of cauliflower for lunch!

1 cauliflower, cut into large pieces
1/4 t. turmeric
1/4 t. cumin
1/4 t. coriander
1/4 t. chili powder
1/4 t. garam masala (recipe below)
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. cinnamon
1/16 t. pepper
juice from 1/4 lemon

• Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Put cauliflower in a large bowl.
• Combine spices in small bowl and sprinkle over cauliflower. Toss to coat. (I put the lid on the bowl and shake it.)
• Spread out on baking sheet.
• Loosely cover with a piece of foil. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
• Drizzle lemon juice and serve.

{ GARAM MASALA }

1 T. cumin

1/2 T. coriander

1/2 T. cardamom

1/2 T. pepper

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. cloves

1/2 t. nutmeg

{ SMASHED POTATOES }

These potatoes are amazingly good!!! And so easy! I think Christine found them on pinterest? There's not really a recipe, per se, but we all like them enough that we've made shakers of the spice mix.

red, purple, fingerling, or other fun potatoes

smashed potato seasoning:
2x paprika
1x salt
1x garlic powder
1x onion powder
1/2 to 1x pepper

• Cut potatoes into fingerling sized pieces (little smaller than a golf ball).
• Boil or steam potatoes until tender. You can steam them in a pressure cooker: low pressure, 5 minutes, quick release.
• Drain potatoes and spread onto sprayed cookie sheet.
• Smash potatoes with potato masher.
• Coat generously with seasoning mix.
• Broil on top rack for 10-20 minutes, depending on your oven.
• Flip potatoes and broil for another 5-15 minutes. We like them really crispy and sometimes take out the crispy ones and leave the rest in for more time.

{ FROZEN RAW KEY LIME PIE }

As tasty as it looks! I can't remember how I came across this recipe, but it will definitely be a repeat at our house. The original zesty macadamia nut crust recipe is here, and the raw key lime pudding here. The only changes I made were to cut out the coconut oil/butter in both.

{ ZESTY MACADAMIA NUT PIE CRUST }

3/4 c. macadamia nuts (raw, unsalted, soaked for 6 hours, drained)
3/4 c. walnuts
3/4 c. pecans
1/2 c. dates (I packed mine in, but the crust was pretty moist, so you wouldn't have to.)
1 t. lime zest (zest from 1 lime)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. shredded unsweetened coconut

• Process all ingredients, except coconut, in a food processor until moist and sticking together.
• Spread coconut in bottom of spring-form or pie pan.
• Crumble crust evenly on top of coconut; then press firmly into bottom of pan. (You might have to wet your hands to do this; the crust is sticky.)
• Chill crust while making filling.

{ KEY LIME PUDDING }

3 medium avocados

1 ripe banana

3/4 c. fresh or frozen mango pieces

1 c. fresh lime juice (5-10 limes, depending on size)

1 t. lime zest (zest from 1 lime)

1/2 c. honey or agave nectar (I used agave)

1/4 c. shredded unsweetened coconut (coconut oil in original recipe)

1/4 of fresh vanilla bean or 1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

1/2 t. salt

• Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth and creamy.
• Pour/spoon filling into chilled crust.
• Freeze. (I froze mine for a couple hours uncovered before covering with saran wrap and foil.)
• Remove from freezer 5-10 minutes before serving time.
• Top with coconut cream and lime zest. Wow!

{ CARROT MANGO POPSICLES }

These are from Radiant Health Inner Wealth. We love them!

If you don't have popsicle forms, be creative. I used 2-oz. milk bottles.

{ SUN-DRIED TOMATO KALE CHIPS }

This recipe is adapted from Oh She Glows.

My kids love these! They take a while to cook/dehydrate in the oven, and they are done in stages. When my kids hear me checking them, they come running and beg for the done chips as I take them out. A batch rarely lasts into a second day. (That means the 4 of us are eating 2 bunches of kale in 1 day!)

2 large bunches kale
1/3 c. sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in 3/4 c. water at least 1 hr. (reserve water)
1/4 c. raw cashews, soaked at least 1 hr.
3/4 c. garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (1/2 can)
2 large garlic cloves
1/2 c. fresh basil (2 T. dried)
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. nutritional yeast
3/4 t. salt

• In 2 separate bowls, soak tomatoes and cashews for at least 1 hour. After soaking, reserve the tomato water; drain and rinse the cashews.
• Wash kale leaves and tear into peaces, discarding the stems. Dry the leaves in a salad spinner or pat dry with a towel. Place greens in a large bowl; set aside.
• Combine all ingredients, except tomato water, in a food processor. Process until smooth, gradually adding tomato water.
• Pour sauce over the kale and use your hands to massage sauce into leaves.
• If you have a dehydrator, dehydrate for about 12 hours at 105-110F.
• If you, like me, do not have a dehydrator, spread kale leaves in a single layer on parchment paper on baking sheets and bake at the lowest temperature your oven will do. (Mine is 170F.) After 2 hours, check the chips, remove any that are done (and eat them), and rotate your baking sheets. If your oven is like mine, a few will be done after 2 hours. Then I start checking every hour. Some chips take up to 5 hours to completely dehydrate.

If you want to skip the dehydrating completely, this also makes a really good kale salad!!

{ RAW CINNAMON ROLLS }

These are one of our favorite snacks. They're straight from Tess Challis, of Radiant Health Inner Wealth. Here's the link!

(She says these store in the refrigerator for several weeks. Ours never last more than 10 minutes!)

{ HEAT WAVE SUMMER SALAD }

Oh She Glows has quickly become one of my favorite sites. This is another one of hers, with a couple of adaptations. I served it last night with cabbage pitas, and I'm eating the leftovers right now. So good!

{ SALAD }

1 c. wheatberries (2 c. cooked)
1 can garbanzos, drained and rinsed*
2 c. chopped peaches
1 c. chopped strawberries
1 c. blueberries
1/2 c. chopped almonds


{ DRESSING }

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
2 T. pure maple syrup
1 t. dijon mustard
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt


fresh baby spinach

• Cook wheatberries.
• Combine all salad ingredients.
• Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad.
• Serve over fresh baby spinach. (Original recipe has sauteed kale instead.)

*I forgot the garbanzos last night, and it was still delicious. I added them into my leftovers today, and I like them. In the future, I'll just do with or without depending on my mood.

{ BROCCOLI RAISIN SALAD }

Elna and Mom found this one on Rawmazing and tweaked it slightly.  Loved it!

{ SALAD }

6 c. chopped raw broccoli
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1 c. raisins
1 c. sunflower seeds

{ DRESSING }

1 c. raw cashews, soaked 2 hours
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. pineapple juice
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. water
1 shallot (2 T. chopped) (or red onion, or sweet onion)
1 clove garlic
1 to 2 T. agave nectar
1 t. mustard powder
1 pinch salt (optional)

• Blend dressing until silky smooth.
• Pour over salad and combine until well coated.

{ STRAWBERRY BANANA SOFT SERVE }

This tastes as good as it looks!  (I was reminded of this little treat browsing through recipes on Oh She Glows.)

3 parts frozen bananas
1 part frozen strawberries

• Process in food processor until desired consistency.

I put the extra into 2 oz. containers and made popsicles. They were a hit!

Here's one of my princesses enjoying her first of two popsicles!

{ CHILLED STRAWBERRY ALMOND SOUP }

I made some changes to this recipe to make a whole-foods version.  Yum!

1/2 c. water
2 T. almonds
1/4 t. almond extract
6 dates

3-4 c. sliced strawberries

Chopped strawberries and slivered almonds for garnish.

• Blend water, almonds, extract, and dates until very smooth.
• Fill blender to 4 cups with strawberries.
• Blend until smooth.
• Chill before serving.
• Top with slivered almonds and chopped strawberries.

{ CASHEW ALFREDO SAUCE }

Aunt Elna emailed this recipe to me (original source?).  It was super easy and really good.  I think I like this recipe a little bit better, but the very best might be the 2 recipes combined.  I'll try that next time and let you know.

1/2 c. raw cashews
1 t. fresh lemon juice
1-3 cloves garlic
2 T. nutritional yeast
1/2 t. salt
1 dash pepper
1 1/2 c. boiling water (best to use starchy pasta-cooking water)

• Blend all ingredients until very smooth and thickened.
• Serve over whole grain pasta.
• Top with freshly ground black pepper.

{ WONDERSLIM (home-made fat replacer) }

There are a lot of posts on Greener Eating that call for wonderslim, or baby food prunes.  Wonderslim is a product that used to be sold at health food stores as a fat and egg replacer.   All that was in it was pureed prunes and water, with a little soy lecithin and citric acid (I'm assuming just to preserve it's color or make it more shelf stable).  We just puree our own prunes now, and it works great!  I always replace at least half of the oil or butter in recipes with it the first time I make something, and if it works well then the next time around I replace all the fat.  Use a 1:1 ratio. 

Here are the amounts I use and it works every time.  I either store the extra in the fridge if I think I'll be using it soon, or I freeze it in 1/4 cup containers (the same ones the baby food prunes come in) and just thaw it out when I'm ready to use it.

water
prunes (or dried plums, if that sounds better!)

• Fill blender with water up to the 3 cup mark
• Add prunes until water reaches the 4 cup mark (this is the easiest way to measure, because  you don't have to worry about how packed down they are in a measuring cup - plus it's less dishes to wash!) 
• Blend until completely smooth

  *Remember that if the thought of eating prunes makes you feel like an old lady (or man), it's actually what's going to keep you young!  Prunes are very good for you and replacing fat in recipes just makes it doubly good.  Don't be scared!

{BEST CHOCOLATE SHAKE EVER}

Mom came up with this Chocolate Shake and it really is a perfect mix of ingredients for a perfect flavor.  It's made from healthy whole foods so it's a delicious treat that you don't have to feel guilty eating!

1 c. cold water (like really cold from the fridge water)
1/2 c. ice
1/3 c. raw almonds
6-8 pitted dates (about 1/2 c.)

• Put above ingredients in blender
• Blend 90 seconds or until smooth

Add:
3 whole frozen bananas (6 halves cut into 1 inch pieces- should raise the almond date milk from about  2 cups to 4 cups)
1/4 t. coconut extract (Don't leave this out!  It's what makes the shake not taste like a banana/chocolate shake)
1/2 t. vanilla extract
 8 t. cocoa powder

• Blend until smooth, scraping down sides of blender as necessary.
• Pour a nice tall glass and enjoy!  We like to eat it with a spoon.
  
• Serves 2-4

 

{ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH}

I saw this recipe here and remembered I had some frozen, uncooked butternut squash.  I made a couple changes (omitted the oil, for one), and it turned out great!  The girls and I are eating it with our fingers as I post this.

I also think the same seasoning would be great on sweet potatoes or red potatoes.

3 c. cubed butternut squash
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 t. smoked paprika
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/4 t. pepper

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Toss all ingredients in a medium bowl.
• Spray a cookie sheet and spread squash in single layer.
• Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.  Turn squash and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until desired crispiness.

{CASHEW CHEEZ BALL}

This was delish!  We served it at our New Year's Eve party to very normal, non-vegan people.  It was a hit!

I just doubled this cashew cheeze recipe, processed it for a lot longer to make it creamy, and chilled it for several hours.  Here it is:

2 c. raw cashews
1/2 c. water
5 T. fresh lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon)
1 t. salt
2-4 cloves garlic


1/2 c. cilantro, packed

• Process all ingredients except the cilantro until very smooth.
• Add cilantro and process until desired consistency.

• Line a round mould with saran wrap.  (I used one of my baby's stacker balls.)
• Fill mould with cheez.
• Cover and chill for several hours.
• Turn onto serving tray and remove mould and saran wrap.
• Brush with water to smooth lines.
• Serve with vegan crackers.

Note: I roll mine (after it's set) in toasted pecans mixed with black pepper and nutritional yeast. Delish!

{POMEGRANATE SALSA}

This stuff is amazing!  Mom got the recipe from her sister.

seeds of 1 pomegranate
1 avocado, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 T. onion, finely chopped
1/4 t. ground coriander
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper

• Combine all ingredients.
• Mix well.
• Chill before serving.
• Serve with healthy tortilla chips.

{EASY PECAN PIE BITES}

Mom happened upon these here.  They are my new favorite snack.  So good!

dates
pecans

Replace date pits with pecans.  Done.

{RAW TACOS}

I saw this on The Cooking Lady (Thanks!).  I really liked it, but the cheeze was pretty rich, so I couldn't eat enough of it to get full.

I think the ground walnut "meat" would be a great addition to any taco salad, tostada, soft taco, etc.

And the cilantro-cashew cheeze reminded me a bit of ranch dressing.  I might try to tweak it a bit to make a salad dressing.  I've been wanting a good vegan ranch for a long time.

I also think the cheeze would make a great vegetable dip!

{GROUND WALNUT MEAT}

1 c. raw walnuts
1/2 T. ground cumin
1/2 T. ground coriander
1/2 T. liquid aminos, tamari, or soy sauce
1 pinch salt

• Place all ingredients in a food processor.
• Process until mixture resembles ground meat.  (Be careful to not over process into butter.)

{CILANTRO-CASHEW CHEEZE}

1-2 cloves garlic

1/2 t. salt

1 c. raw cashews

2 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice

1/4 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 c. water

• Place garlic and salt in a food processor and process into small pieces.
• Add cashews and process into a paste.
• Add lemon juice, cilantro, and water.
• Process to mix well.

To Serve:

• Spread 2 T. cheeze down center of Romaine lettuce leaf.
• Sprinkle with 2 T. ground walnut meat.
• Top with salsa and avocado slices.
• Wrap and enjoy!

{BLACK BEAN SALSA}

This salsa is supposed to be served over these corn waffles, but it's a great salsa for anything.


6 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
⅓ c. sliced green onions
2 T. snipped fresh cilantro
2 T. lime juice
1 to 2 serrano peppers, chopped*
¼ t. salt
¼ t. cumin
1 ripe avocado, chopped

• Roughly chop tomatoes and combine with black beans, green onions, cilantro, lime juice, serrano pepper, salt, and avocado.

* I only use one half of a serrano pepper because they are so hot, and I don’t use any seeds. You might want to wear gloves or put your hand in a sandwich bag while chopping, and make sure you wash your hands after and don’t touch your eyes or face. They do add a good flavor, and they don’t make the whole thing too spicy, but you have to be careful with them.