My Simplest Formula Yet: Salt-Free Salsa

Image posted on May 17, 2015 by Jackie

Salsa is an excellent way to eat a mix of great-for-you raw fruits and vegetables. With the combinations being endless, it’s no wonder that so many people love to dip in in front of the TV or at a party or restaurant.

Salsa should be one of those snacks that you don’t feel guilty about. However, if you buy it premade, there’s a chance that it will be loaded with salt. My salsa formula is so simply flavorful that I don’t add any salt at all…not even a pinch.

Why? Chances are, you are eating your salsa with tortilla chips. Most chips are salted to some degree, some more heavily than others. Because consuming minimal salt is a major premise of my plant-based lifestyle, my palate has become very sensitive to foods that are overly salty. Thus, the salt from the chips is enough for me in boosting the flavor of my already delicious salsa.

I really like these chips, from Target’s organic product line. The ingredients are listed as follows: Organic blue corn, organic sunflower oil, organic flax seed, sea salt, lime. (NOTE: If you didn’t already know this, when reading a food’s ingredients on a nutrition label, they are written from greatest to least presence in the product.) True to its name, Simply Balanced, I haven’t found a better premade chip. They are heartier than your average tortilla chip and not too salty, which is perfect for me.

Moving along, today’s formula rendition includes a few fresh ingredients that offer a ton of health benefits. Let’s take a look:

CILNATRO: This common salsa staple is high in antioxidants and prevents oxidation, allowing foods that it is mixed with to stay fresh longer.

GARLIC: There’s a reason that you can buy garlic supplements in the vitamin aisle. Raw garlic, in particular, has anti-inflammatory effects and can lower cholesterol. Those of you who have read up on my health history know how important this is to me!

PINEAPPLE: Pineapple is nutrient-dense rather than energy-dense, meaning that it contains an abundance of nutrients for very few calories (I don’t count, but this may be important to you if you’re trying to lose weight). In one cup of pineapple, for instance, you can consume 40% of the recommended daily Vitamin C intake.

Since we’re on the subject, how do you cut a pineapple? Buying it precut or diced in a can is more expensive. Believe me, breaking it down yourself is easier than you’d expect. I have to give credit to Rachael Ray for my method, which I use for all melon-like fruits and also gourds. Follow these steps to cut a pineapple with ease in minutes:

Lay the pineapple on its side. Slice off the very bottom and the very top so that you are left with a cylinder that can easily stand flat on the cutting board in its upright position.
While standing upright, take your knife around the perimeter of the pineapple and slice the skin off, top to bottom. You’re essentially cutting it off in vertical strips until you’ve made it all the way around.
Once the pineapple is peeled, remove the flesh surrounding the core. While the pineapple is standing upright, put your knife close to the edge of the core and slice downward, effectively removing nearly half of the pineapple. Repeat this process all around the core until you’ve done it a total of four times (the pieces will be uneven in size). Your core should appear as a long, thin rectangle when all of the flesh is removed.
Chop your pineapple according to its projected usage and discard the core. If you happen to own a powerful juicer, you can juice it instead.

On to my simple salsa! Don’t like onions? Don’t use them and compensate with extra fruit and/or vegetables. Play around with different combinations, using your herb of choice as your guide. I’m envisioning a delicious cucumber mint with pita chips or strawberry basil atop crostini…Yum…

Serve as an appetizer or snack, or use it in a dish like my layered burrito bowl. Enjoy!

FORMULA BASE: SALSA

4 cups diced raw fruit and/or vegetables –> I’m using 2 ½ cups vine ripe tomatoes and 1 ½ cups pineapple.
½ of a medium onion –> I’m using yellow.
1 large clove of garlic, minced
½ cup finely chopped fresh herbs –> I’m using cilantro.
¼ cup acid (vinegar or citrus juice*) –> I’m using the juice of two small limes.
Seasoning to taste –> I’m using a dusting of chili powder, paprika, and cumin.

*Whenever possible, juice whole citrus fruits yourself. 🙂

Chop your onion and garlic and get them soaking in your acid, just as you did in preparing my bean salad formula. The acidity will help to break them down so that their flavors are less abrasive and don’t monopolize the salsa.

Dice/chop all remaining ingredients, season, and stir. When it comes to salsa, I don’t typically measure seasonings. Once I have all of my produce in the bowl, I lightly sprinkle it with each of my preferred seasonings (if any) from one end of the bowl to another and that seems to work out nicely.

Serve immediately or store in the fridge for a few days.

Feel the No-Bake Power!

Image posted on May 13, 2015 by Jackie

When it comes to natural sources of protein and energy, the health-conscious are turning to homemade bars, balls, and bites. From what I’ve seen, creators are calling on dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and grains to put them together. My power ball formula also includes a classic crowd pleaser, chocolate!

I am not a fan of or advocate for protein powders or shakes. They are expensive, overly processed, and while some taste decent, many have a chalky aftertaste. I follow a blogger that is a dietician by day and athlete by night. She follows a mostly raw vegan diet, is totally opposed to powders and shakes, and is able to gain plenty of lean muscle mass (if that’s what you’re going for) using plant-based sources of protein and energy.

Her posts and my commitment to a minimally-processed, DIY plant-based lifestyle inspired me to create a power ball that my whole family will eat. Because they are dense, rich in flavor and consistency, and somewhat expensive to make, I only eat one or two a day when I have them in my fridge.

The base of any solid bar, ball, or bite is whole grains (often oats) and something sticky and gooey to hold the whole thing together. Creating the dough is quick and easy; rolling it into easy-to-grab-and-eat balls is a little more time-consuming, but yields you the perfect portion.

Pop a power ball as a snack, eat one or two with fresh fruit for breakfast, or treat yourself to a super healthy mock dessert. You could even serve them at a party because they are just so darn cute…power lollipop anyone?! 🙂 In general, these remind me of truffles, without the animal fat, cholesterol, and excessive sugar. Enjoy!

FORMULA BASE: POWER BALLS

Makes 12-14 small balls

For the dough:

1 cup nut or seed butter (nuts/seeds only) –> I’m using peanut.
1 cup uncooked whole grains –> I’m using rolled oats.
½ cup unsweetened dried fruit (without added oil) –> I’m using 6 small pitted medjool dates.
2 tbsps natural liquid sweetener –> I’m using pure maple syrup.
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Garnish ideas (approximately 4 tbsps):

Raw seeds*
Raw finely chopped nuts
Unsweetened coconut flakes
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Finely chopped unsweetened dried fruit bits (without added oil)
Melted dark chocolate (which will re-solidify after dipping)

*Today, I’m using a combo of sunflower, chia, and hulled hemp.

Turn your whole grains into flour using your food processor or blender. You could also use rolled oats as is. The texture of the balls will be different, but rolled oats are one of few grains soft enough to be palatable without becoming flour.

Combine the flour and your remaining ingredients in a food processor. Run until a thick, pliable dough forms. You will probably have to scrape down the sides of the processor with a spatula at least once.

Shape the dough into 1-1 ½ inch balls and roll in garnish.

Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge.

Nutrient-Rich Chocolate Mousse

Image posted on May 5, 2015 by Jackie

You read that title correctly: Nutrient-Rich Chocolate Mousse. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t make traditional desserts a regular part of my diet, but like many people, I definitely get a sweet tooth now and then. Between my cake formula, dessert smoothie formula, and today’s feature—chocolate mousse—I can typically quench my desire for sweets pretty quickly and with a healthier option.

Friday night was my department chair’s retirement party and I signed up to bring dessert. I was told that many instructors offered to do the same, so my dessert need only be a sweet nibble for approximately six people. I knew that my chocolate mousse—which today, I’m making as a pie—would do just the trick. Wanna bet that party-goers didn’t even notice it’s vegan?! 🙂

The base of this mousse is of course, chocolate. Your options are dark chocolate (likely with an added sweetener) or vegan semi-sweet chocolate. Today, I’m using semi-sweet chocolate chips that I’ve found don’t contain milk fat, as some varieties do. Don’t forget to read the packaging to make sure.

While I use cocoa powder in other chocolatey concoctions, it won’t work in this mousse. When bar or chip chocolate is melted, it will eventually re-solidify, ultimately stiffening the mousse so that it isn’t a runny mess. I have tried doing this with cocoa powder, simply because it contains fewer processed ingredients and it just doesn’t allow the mousse to stiffen up the way that it needs to, especially if being served as a pie that requires slicing.

Today, I’m taking some help from the store with a premade graham cracker crust (I know, sooo not like me!). The main reason for this is that it comes in a disposable aluminum pie plate that I can just leave at the party. Remember, you don’t need a crust, but if you’re not pressed for time and are able to use (and easily get back!) a glass pie plate, you can make your own. Consider crusts made from foods other than graham crackers, too. (Travis’s homemade vegan graham cracker recipe is another post, another day. :))

This mousse is just sweet enough to satisfy a craving without being too rich. Topping with chopped fresh fruit will add even more sweetness of the best kind: natural. Experiment with various flavor combinations and textures, considering fruit and nuts particularly. Dessert could certainly be worse for you than this one, jam-packed with protein (from the tofu), calcium (from the plant milk), antioxidants (from the chocolate), fiber, vitamins, and minerals (all from the fruit). Enjoy!

FORMULA BASE: CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Serves 4-6

1 block (14 oz) silken tofu (see my togurt formula for an explanation of tofu)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (sans milk fat) or chopped dark chocolate –> I’m using semi-sweet chips.
1/2 + 1/8 cup plant milk –> I’m using almond.
½-1 tsp extract of choice (amount depends on flavor intensity) –> I’m using 1 tsp vanilla.
1 tbsp sweetener (optional) –> I’m not using any.
½-1 cup specialty ingredients (optional) –> I’m using one small banana.

Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate into your plant milk. It doesn’t need to completely melt, but rather, soften enough to puree easily.

Let cool for a minute or two and transfer into a blender with all remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. The air bubbles are normal. You can smooth them out with a spatula or cover them up with toppings later! Pour into your serving dish(es) of choice, with or without a crust, and chill for at least two hours.

After chilling, I like to top mine with fresh fruit and/or chopped raw nuts before digging in. 🙂

Easy Homemade Granola

Image posted on April 28, 2015April 28, 2015 by Jackie

I love granola! It’s versatile, filling, and when made properly, very nutritious. Today, I’m going to walk you through my homemade granola formula that is low in sugar, fat, and sodium, and free from high fructose corn syrup and preservatives found in many packaged varieties.

The staple ingredient of granola is rolled oats. Oats are among the first foods a baby can eat and I figure, if they’re safe for a six-month-old who’s trying food for the first time, they’ve gotta be some really good-for-you stuff. Oats contain more dietary fiber than any other grain and even have cholesterol-lowering properties. Given my history with battling hereditary high cholesterol, I’ve always been in when it comes to this super food.

Of all of the different types of oats out there, granola comes together best with rolled. Rolled oats are whole grain oats that have been steamed and pressed. They retain more texture in many kitchen applications than instant oats and cook faster than steel-cut oats (which I also love). I buy them in bulk and always have some in my pantry for a quick oatmeal.

In today’s granola, I’m also using raw sunflower seeds. Their flavor is mild and texture crunchy, but easy to chew; Nolan will eat a whole pile of them as is. Sunflower seeds are rich in Vitamins E and B-1 and copper, which benefits skin and hair. In addition, if you’ve got a nut allergy, you can buy sunflower butter as an alternative to peanut, almond, or cashew.

Before you get into making this breakfast formula, you should know that on its own, it is not very sweet. The low sugar content doesn’t bother me one bit since I never eat my granola without fresh fruit on top or with togurt, but you could always add more dried fruit if you want to take the sweetness up a notch. With very little exposure to sweets in his young life, Nolan is perfectly content eating this granola with just plant milk.

A couple more notes… If you don’t have all of these seeds on hand, no worries; you can make the granola without, it just won’t be as nutrient-packed. And finally, whenever possible, make your own juice to avoid preservatives and added sugar. Enjoy!

FORMULA BASE: GRANOLA

Serves 6

4 cups rolled oats
1 cup dried fruit*, raw nuts, and/or raw seeds –> I’m using a combination of sunflower seeds, dried cherries, dried cranberries, almonds, and pecans.
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp hulled hemp seeds
1 cup 100% fruit juice –> I’m using fresh-squeezed orange (2) and grapefruit (1/2).
1 heaping tbsp nut butter –> I’m using peanut.
2 tbsp sweetener –> I’m using agave syrup.
1 tsp cinnamon
Oil enough to grease a cookie sheet or baking dish –> I’m using coconut oil to grease a 9 x 13 glass baking dish as it is easier to stir the granola.

*Whenever possible, if you do not dehydrate your own fruit, look for dried fruit that contains little to no added oil or sugar. Also avoid dried fruit that contains sulfur dioxide, as it is not allergy-friendly. See my trail mix post for more info.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Combine juice, nut butter, sweetener, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it begins to bubble, turn the heat down to low and let thicken for about 15 minutes.

While what I call “the sticky” simmers, finely chop your dried fruit/seeds/nuts, if necessary, and combine with the oats and seeds in a large bowl. When the sticky is ready, slowly incorporate it into the oat mixture as you stir. Spread evenly on a lightly greased cookie sheet or in a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake for 30-35 minutes – or until granola is crunchy and golden brown – turning every ten minutes or so. Let cool completely and store in a tightly sealed container in the pantry.

Want to make granola bars? Try doubling “the sticky” and spread the complete mixture onto parchment paper. Bake at least 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

The Plant-Based Decadence That Is Risotto

Image posted on April 25, 2015 by Jackie

If you’re like me, at some point, you may have thought or assumed that risotto contained milk, cheese, or some other form of dairy to give it its creamy consistency. While some cooks add dairy to make risotto extra creamy, it is a naturally plant-based and wonderfully decadent dish.

I use risotto as an opportunity to fulfill a craving for comfort food and to eat vegetables that must be cooked to be palatable, such as sweet potatoes. When Travis and I whip up a batch, it almost always contains some form of potato or other root vegetable, allowing us to eat the majority of our other vegetables raw. If you’re not in the mood for veggies (hopefully because you’ve been chowing them all day!), just make it plain, seasoned to taste.

Since it doesn’t, in fact, contain dairy, you should know that risotto achieves its creamy consistency through a slow and steady cooking process that involves an abundance of liquid and regular stirring. Risotto is NOT a last-minute go-to dish, nor is it for light snacking; this, is a square meal that will fill you up before you get to the bottom of your bowl.

Risotto is prepared with an Italian short-grain rice called Arborio. Arborio rice is high in protein, packed with vitamins and minerals, easy to digest, and can even help to fend off disease and maintain regular bodily functions. Plus, when slowly simmered in white wine, vegetable stock, sweet onions, and fresh herbs, it is simply delicious!

While you can certainly prepare this Italian must-have as a side dish, I put down a whole bowl as my dinner. Enjoy!

FORMULA BASE: RISOTTO

Serves 4 (as a meal)

8 cups homemade vegetable stock (or water)*
2 cups Arborio rice**
1 cup chopped vegetables (optional) –> I’m using one medium peeled garnet yam.
½ cup white wine –> I’m using Riesling.
1 small onion –> I’m using yellow.
Several cloves garlic (go with what you like) –> I’m using three large.
2 tbsps oil –> I’m using refined coconut.
Fresh herbs, spices, salt, and pepper to taste –> I’m using a sprig of fresh rosemary (which I will remove after cooking) and a pinch each pink Himalayan sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

*You may not use it all, but it’ll be close. Have it handy on your stovetop in a pot on low heat, ladle-ready.

**Unlike other grains, do not rinse your Arborio rice before use.

Start by chopping your onion and garlic and sauté in a touch of oil over medium-high heat until they are almost cooked through, but not quite. Then, transfer them to a bowl, return the pan to the stovetop, add a touch more oil, and sauté your vegetables, if using, until almost cooked. Transfer them to a separate bowl and return the pan to the stovetop, this time over medium heat.

Add more oil (about 1 tbsp) to the pan to toast your dry rice. Stir the rice constantly to prevent sticking, toasting it until it has deepened in color slightly, about 5 minutes. Add in half of the cooked onions and garlic, as well as your seasoning of choice, and deglaze your pan with the white wine. After the wine cooks down, add a ladle of your veggie stock and stir fairly regularly over the course of the time it takes for that ladle to absorb completely. You can expect 3-5 minutes between ladles.

You will repeat this process—ladle and stir—many times over the course of 40-45 minutes. When the rice is almost finished, add in the remaining onion and garlic, as well as your veggies (if any), to the pan to finish cooking. From start to finish, this dish will take you 60-75 minutes (depending on how fast you prep and such) and a lot of attention. As soon as the rice is tender, you’re done, so taste as you go.

Garnish with fresh herbs or thinly-sliced green onion. Makes for yummy, comforting leftovers for 3-5 days.

The Burrito Bowl: A Perfect Vegan Meal

Image posted on April 21, 2015 by Jackie

As evidenced in my post about my daily eating habits, a plant-based lifestyle can be easily well-rounded, providing all of the nutrients that the body needs, sans cholesterol, hormones, excess fat, and other animal by-products. Over the last three years, I’ve found ways—including my Fresh Formulas, of course—to obtain a ton of nutrients accompanied by a ton of flavor, all while feeling satisfied and not having to count calories.

The more I think I about this, the burrito bowl concept just might be the perfect vegan meal. In one bowl, you can combine whole grains, protein, and fresh fruits and vegetables. You’re guaranteed full and satisfied without the guilt that comes with meat, cheese, and sour cream.

I’m not a big fan of fast food, but if I’m going to indulge, I love the fast-casual establishment Chipotle. Even though I don’t eat it, I even appreciate the company’s stance on meat! Chipotle just knows how to do it right, and when I think of a burrito bowl, their buffet-style setup is the first thing that comes to mind. Chipotle—and burrito bowl—fans, you’re definitely going to want to keep reading!

Yes, a dish with the word “burrito” in it can be vegan, and more importantly, healthy. It’s all about smart substitutions: brown rice for white, beans for meat, etc. In today’s formula adaptation, I’m using ground tofu (pictured below the basic formula) and the black beans and fresh vegetables below:

Corn is an easy veggie to have on hand in the freezer. I don’t use a lot of it because other fruits and vegetables certainly pack more nutrients, but I love the texture and flavor, especially in a dish like this. Next, we have green onions, which I’ll be using as a garnish. Then, you see a salsa I quickly threw together with yellow onion, roma tomatoes, sweet red peppers, cilantro*, and fresh-squeezed lemon juice (I’m all out of lime). Making salsa can be easy, ya’ll; stay away from the jarred stuff that’s packed with sodium.

*There is cilantro growing in my front yard! In my post about starting your own garden, I promised you that if you took care of the birds and the bees that they would do their job in pollinating and spreading seeds. Between our backyard critters and the wind, we now have a randomly delicious cilantro plant driveway-adjacent. Very cool.

Finally, we have shredded baby kale. When I order Mexican food, it is often topped with or including shredded iceberg lettuce. While there is nothing wrong with this, if you’re looking for the freshness and texture of a leafy green in your burrito bowl, why not use something like spinach or kale instead? One cup of baby kale, for instance, has double the protein content, three times the iron content, nine times the calcium content, nearly thirty times the Vitamin A content, and over forty times the Vitamin C content of one cup of iceberg lettuce. Whoa. Need I say more…

Switching gears, you’ll notice that this formula contains very little salt. I combat what might be perceived as a lack of flavor by really ramping up the spices. I cook my whole grains and tofu (when I use it) in a variation of the spice blend I use in my chili formula. The entire formula—which serves 4-6 people—contains less than ½ tsp of salt. Impressive, huh? You don’t even need to use any at all if you don’t want!

On to the beans. Beans are the only product I buy in a can and I wish I didn’t. Dried beans are less expensive. In addition, even though beans don’t contain the level of BPA-leaching acid present in tomatoes (see my homemade marinara post), they are still somewhat exposed to this chemical in the cans’ linings. For some reason, when I prepare dried beans, I am sick the entire next day after I eat them…bloating, gas, terrible cramps…you get the idea. Let me know if you have any ideas about this or better yet, a solution. 🙂

Finally, more about the tofu. Check out my post on vegan yogurt for a more detailed explanation of tofu and why some people love it and some hate it. For today’s purposes, just know that a little bit of tofu won’t hurt you and when sautéed in crumbles on the stove, a mock “ground chicken” is born, if you’re having a tough time kicking meat. I swear it’s good! On top of that, the tofu I use is organic and non-GMO. Wins across the board (until I learn to make it myself)!

It’s time for a burrito adaptation that you won’t regret eating and that combines the necessities of a healthy diet. Enjoy!

FORMULA BASE: BURRITO BOWL

Serves 4-6

2 cups whole grains (e.g. brown rice, farro, wheat berries, quinoa, etc.) –> I’m using brown rice.
2 cups protein (e.g. beans, lentils tofu, tempeh, etc.) –> I’m using black beans and crumbled tofu.
2 cups raw fruit/vegetables –> I’m using baby kale, corn, and salsa.**
1 cup “crunch” (e.g. tortilla chips, nuts, seeds, etc.) –> I’m using broken tortilla chips.
½ cup garnish (e.g. fresh herbs, green onions, etc.) –> I’m using thinly-sliced green onion.
Spices, herbs, salt, and pepper to taste –> I’m using the following spice blend for my rice:
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried cilantro
- 1 tsp dried minced onion
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp pink Himalayan sea salt

**Guacamole would be delicious as well. I just don’t happen to have any avocados on hand. Either way, DIY to avoid excess salt and other preservatives.

First, get your grains cooking in homemade veggie stock or water. Add all of your seasonings directly to the cooking liquid so that the grains absorb the flavor as they cook.

Next, prepare your protein. If you’re using canned beans, they are already cooked and simply need to be drained and rinsed. If you’re using dried beans, soak them in water overnight and then boil on the stovetop while your grains cook, until tender. Tofu and tempeh are also precooked, but I like to doctor up the tofu so that it more so resembles the texture of ground meat.

After opening a package of tofu, drain the water and wrap the block in a clean towel to absorb even more water. Then, crumble into a medium-hot pan and season. I am using the same spice combination that I am using for the rice, just in a lesser amount. No measurements needed; just give the tofu a healthy sprinkle of the spices you like and stir so that it is evenly seasoned. After about 5 minutes, turn the heat down to medium low and stir occasionally. The tofu crumbles will reduce in size as they lose moisture, giving them a more meat-like consistency (if that’s what you’re going for).

While your grains and protein are cooking and/or hanging out, chop all of your produce and prepare your crunch and garnish. When all components are ready, layer them in a bowl in this order:

Grains
Protein
Produce
Crunch
Garnish

Then, eat! I would store leftover components separately in the fridge…although I doubt there will be any. J This formula would be easy to make in large quantities and set up buffet-style for a family dinner or party.

New Formula: Simple Marinara Sauce

Image posted on April 16, 2015 by Jackie

On my mom’s side of the family, I grew up eating authentic Italian cuisine. Buying premade, jarred sauce was sacrilege, and I am not going to be the one to disappoint.

I have clear memories of my mom’s red sauce bubbling away on the stovetop for hours before topping a pasta or filling up a lasagna. Her traditional sauce includes ground beef and although it is delicious, even as a child, I remember picking out the meat.

Today, I have my own totally vegetarian marinara recipe. When I met my husband of nearly four years, he expressed to me that he prefers his Italian cuisine without meat, too. I knew we were meant to be. 🙂 While he likes a sauce that is tarter, I have come to enjoy it best on the sweet side, as my mother adds a little bit of sugar when she’s making hers.

I used to make this recipe with canned tomatoes, simply because it’s quicker and will yield a slightly smoother sauce. After reading an article about the most dangerous foods you can put in your body and seeing canned tomatoes on the list, I have since opted for the path of more resistance. What’s so bad about canned tomatoes? Cans are lined with BPA, and while some canned products do not contain enough acid to leach very much of this chemical into the food itself, tomatoes do and they will.

So, I now puree my own tomatoes and the cooking process takes me a little longer. What’s the expression…Nothing that is worthwhile is easy? Something like that. Trust me, your sauce will be delicious and even though you are really really really starting from scratch, this recipe is still quite simple and will be ready in no time. Use this sauce with your favorite Italian dish or try it out with my vegan pizza. Enjoy!

FORMULA BASE: MARINARA SAUCE*

1 ½ pounds tomatoes –> I’m using a combination of vine ripe and roma.
½ of a small yellow or white onion –> I’m using yellow.
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp sweetener (optional) –> I’m using turbinado sugar.
1 ½ tbsp dried fennel fronds (or a small handful of fresh) –> I’m using dried.
1 tbsp dried basil (or a small handful of fresh) –> I’m using fresh.
1 tbsp dried oregano (or a small handful of fresh) –> I’m using fresh.
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

*Today, I’m making a double recipe, so don’t be discouraged that the amounts listed above don’t match the pictures. I’m just doubling everything. 🙂

Thoroughly wash your vegetables so that you can save the scraps for homemade veggie stock. Coarsely chop your tomatoes and onion. Throw them into a blender with your garlic, herbs (not the bay leaf), and seasoning and puree until smooth.

Pour into a pot on the stove, add your bay leaf, and simmer on medium low for 1-2 hours, or until your sauce reduces by approximately one third.

When I am just over the halfway mark, depending on what I’m going to be using the sauce for, I finely dice vegetables that I don’t anticipate my two-year-old being eager to eat and throw them in the pot. Today, I’m sneaking in some asparagus.

I’ve pulled one over on Nolan a few times with great success. 🙂 You can skip this step if you want to keep this recipe extra simple.

Remove the bay leaf and your sauce is ready!

If you’re feeling adventurous and like to plan ahead, quadruple the recipe and freeze in containers the perfect size for a box of pasta. When “there’s nothing to eat” strikes, you’re ready for a quick pasta dinner!

Let Everyone Eat Cake!

Posted on April 9, 2015April 9, 2015 by Jackie

Ok, so I don’t do dessert often, but I definitely have a sweet tooth now and then. Some desserts can be prepared more healthily than others; take my dessert smoothie, for example. Other “desserts” are really just a creative or eye-catching preparation of fruit, which I think is fantastic. When I really do dessert, however, I want to go beyond what I’m eating regularly—smoothies, fruit, dark chocolate—and create something that even those not following a plant-based lifestyle would love to eat.

When I think of a “special” dessert, as many people do, I think of cake. I’ve made cakes for myself and others for all sorts of reasons. Years ago, I once made a cake at 10:00 at night because I needed a break from grading essays. Any excuse is a good excuse. 🙂

The problem with cake, like many traditional desserts, is that it is loaded with sugar and fat. While my newly-developed cake formula does not eliminate these foes, I have found a way to make smart substitutions and reductions. I do not cook or bake with white flour, white granulated sugar, or white table salt…ever.

Additionally, because this a plant-based recipe, it is totally vegan and thus, includes no eggs. Gluten-free diet? No problem! You can make this cake gluten-free, too, as I am today. My mother-in-law has a gluten intolerance and is allergic to almonds as well, so I am substituting my favorite plant milk—almond—with flax.

With any dessert, I think it is crucial to incorporate and capitalize on natural sugars whenever possible. Thus, the frosting formula I’ve come up with utilizes fruit as one of its ingredients. In places where I need another type of sweetener, I’m calling upon one of my old standbys: raw turbinado sugar.

What is raw turbinado sugar? In a nutshell, it is cane sugar that has not been refined into what we commonly know as white granulated sugar. When sugar cane is pressed, it releases juice that evaporates into the crystals that are turbinado sugar. It is minimally processed with no chemicals. Turbinado sugar retains a rich molasses flavor that is lost in processing white sugar, as well as vitamins and minerals. It is lower in calories than white sugar and, it’s vegan.

White sugar isn’t vegan?! Bone char—from cows—is used to produce white sugar’s white color. Ew.

What do I substitute for the eggs? There are actually more egg substitutes out there than you may have imagined. I follow a mostly-raw vegan blogger that shared these popular switches, equivalent to one egg:

1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsps water
1 tbsp chia seeds + 1/3 cup water
1 tbsp soy protein powder + 3 tbsps water
1 tbsp agar agar + 1 tbsp water
½ mashed ripe banana
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
3 tbsps peanut butter

Of course, some of these egg alternatives will affect the flavor profile of your dessert, so choose wisely!

Overall, cake isn’t your healthiest option for dessert, but if you must—and sometimes, you absolutely must—consider an alternative to the boxed variety. I promise, you won’t be disappointed! Enjoy!

FORMULA BASE: CAKE

For the cake:

1 cup flour –> I’m using brown rice. (See my multi-grain salad post for the nutritional benefits of brown rice.)
1-1 ½ cups plant milk (depending on the flour) –> I’m using just over 1 cup of flax.
¾ cup sweetener –> I’m using raw turbinado sugar.
¼ cup ground flaxseed
¼ cup oil –> I’m using coconut (melted).
1 “egg” –> I’m using ½ of a mashed ripe banana.
1 tsp xanthan gum (a binding agent, if using gluten-free flour) –> I’m using it (see below).

1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½-1 tsp extract (depending on the flavor intensity) –> I’m using 1 tsp vanilla.
¼ tsp salt –> I’m using pink Himalayan sea salt.
Up to ½ cup specialty ingredients (chopped nuts, dried fruit, shredded coconut, cocoa powder, citrus juice/zest, etc.) (optional) –> I’m not using any.

For the frosting**:

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh or steamed fruit (depending on the fruit) –> I’m using raw strawberries.
½ cup powdered sweetener –> I’m using turbinado sugar, which I’ve turned into powdered sugar with the dry blade on my Vitamix.

¼ cup room temperature natural vegan butter –> I don’t love to use a butter alternative very often since I’m not keen on every ingredient used to make it, but I tried making frosting with solid coconut oil and it just didn’t take. It’s ok, it’s just a little…and it’s just this once. 🙂
1 tsp citrus juice (to preserve the color of the fruit)*** –> I’m using lemon.
½-¼ tsp extract (depending on the flavor intensity) –> I’m using ½ tsp vanilla.

**If you’re like me, I’ll sometimes chow down on a cake without frosting! Add it or don’t. 🙂

***I would avoid food coloring unless you can find an all-natural variety containing plant pigments. Some varieties come from animals and others are made artificially with chemicals.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your “egg,” whether that involves scooping, mashing, combining, etc. in a large mixing bowl.

Mix together all of your wet ingredients in the same bowl. Separately mix all dry ingredients. Using a whisk or wooden spoon, slowly incorporate the dry into the wet until a smooth, semi-pourable batter forms. Stir in any specialty ingredients, if using.

Pour the cake batter into a greased square 8 x 8 baking dish or round baking dish, or evenly into 12 lined muffin cups. Place the cake/cupcakes in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. My mom always told me that it’s better to over bake a cake (and under bake a brownie); nothing worse than goopy batter in the middle!

Set your cake on a cooling rack for an hour or two. Speed the process by placing it uncovered in the fridge.

While the cake is baking, make your frosting. First, puree the fruit, citrus juice, and extract to a smooth, pourable consistency. Beat together the sugar and butter/shortening, slowly incorporating the pureed fruit mixture until an icing-like consistency is achieved. You will probably have some fruit puree leftover. Cover and chill in the fridge for an hour to stiffen it up, at which point it will be more spreadable and less pourable.

When your cake (or cupcakes) is cool, frost and decorate (if you want), and dig in!

New (And Surely Long-Awaited) Formula: Pizza

Image posted on April 2, 2015 by Jackie

I’m excited to report that Travis and I have found a way to make cheese-less pizza totally delicious. We’ve always known it was damn good, but the proof was in my meat-and-dairy-loving father’s approval; when he comes to Phoenix to visit, he always requests that we make our vegan pizza.

What’s especially wonderful about pizza meets The Fresh Formula is that the creation of this American favorite is already formulaic in nature: dough + sauce + toppings in endless combinations. I’m here today to help you with ideas, quantity, and process…the rest is up to your taste buds and creativity.

Great news: If you’ve already mastered my yeast bread formula, you can make pizza dough! Woo! Below, you’ll see my bread formula with a few slight changes, suggestions, and optional ingredients that you may want to consider. The key is determining the type of crust you want—chewy or crunchy—and going from there.

Next, you’ll want to think about sauce. We most often use a homemade marinara (another post, another day), but have also made pizzas with barbeque sauce, pesto, and curry at the base. While I haven’t yet done a post about BBQ, I have written about how you can make pesto and curry, if you want to go an atypical route. I also have a formula for a “cheesy” sauce similar to an alfredo if you’re looking for what some restaurants call a “white” pizza.

Finally, toppings. Earlier this week, I made my first homemade vegan sausage (pictured below) and used that to top the pizza in this post. If you’re after a protein punch, you could use something similar (homemade, of course), or add tofu, tempeh, beans, nuts, or seeds. Wait…beans on a pizza?! Yessir, I wouldn’t make my BBQ “chicken” (tofu) pizza without black beans…

You might also consider adding fruits or vegetables. Most fruits don’t hold up to the high heat that pizza requires for baking, but a classic such as pineapple or a hearty fruit like pears will. Determining which vegetables to add comes down to preference of flavor and texture. Cooked vegetables will maintain fewer nutrients and be higher in calories, but will have a softer texture and richer flavor. Raw vegetables, will then, be higher in nutrients, lower in calories, crunchier, and a little less flavorful. Since I’m in the business of eating as many raw fruits and vegetables as possible, I do not typically pre-cook them before they top the pizza; they will par-cook a little in the fifteen or so minutes that the pizza is in the oven.

Here are a few combinations that we love:

“Sausage,” fennel, and leek atop marinara sauce (featured today)
Ground “chicken” (crumbled tofu), black beans, corn, onions, and bell peppers atop BBQ sauce
Zucchini, bell peppers, onions, pineapple, and cashews atop curry sauce
Pears (or apples), pistachios, and rosemary atop pesto

NOTE: Plan pizza night well in advance. 🙂 I always have yeast in my pantry, but you may not if you haven’t—until now!—made your own bread or dough. You also need a number of ingredients for a sauce and toppings, so don’t wait until you’re starving to start a pizza adventure.

Also, this is a formula best executed as a team. You can do it alone, but with a dough and sauce to make from scratch, a whole bunch of toppings to chop, and an intricate prep and baking process, having an extra set of hands would help. Man, I can’t wait until Nolan is old enough to pitch in!

FINALLY (imagine chorus singing): Pizza you can feel good about! No grease, no cholesterol, and tons of nutrients. Enjoy!

FORMULA BASE: PIZZA

For the dough*:

3-4 cups of flour –> Travis recommends all whole wheat flour for a chewy crust, all bread flour for a crunchy crust, or half and half to achieve both textures.
½ tsp salt –> We use pink Himalayan sea salt.
1 packet rapid rise yeast
1 tbsp oil
1 ¾ cups very warm water (hot, but touchable)
1 tbsp sweetener (optional) –> Trav usually adds turbinado sugar to “feed” the yeast.
Spices or herbs to taste (optional)
Cornmeal and additional flour for dusting your workspace –> This prevents the dough from sticking to the pan later. Trav keeps cornmeal in a food storage container premixed with spices, flour, and a little salt to add even more flavor to the dough.

*If you need to see step-by-step pictures in making the dough, check out my bread post…

For the sauce:

See my pesto, curry, or alfredo formulas for unique inspiration, or use your own recipe for BBQ or marinara sauce. If you’re concerned about biting off more than you can chew your first time making pizza, use a high quality premade jarred or bottle sauce (just this once!) or ask Mom to make a little extra of her secret recipe for you to take home in a food storage container. 🙂 No matter your decision, you’ll need about 2 cups. I’ll do a more extensive post about homemade marinara sauces at a later date, but if you want to try making mine, you’ll need:

1 ½ pounds tomatoes –> I’m using about 7 medium to large romas.
½ of a small yellow or white onion –> I’m using yellow.
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp sweetener –> I’m using turbinado sugar.
1 ½ tbsp dried fennel fronds
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

For the toppings:

1 tbsp oil (for rubbing on the crust) –> I’m using olive.
2 cups chopped/sliced raw or cooked protein and/or produce –> I’m using 1 cup homemade vegan sausage and ½ cup each thinly sliced raw fennel and leek.
Approximately 1-2 tbsps nutritional yeast (nooch)
Homemade vegan cheese (optional) –> I’m new to this world, so I’m not using it today…another post, another day. 🙂
Spices, herbs*, salt, and pepper to taste (optional)

*If you want to use fresh herbs, use these to garnish the pizza after it is cooked.

If you are making a sauce from scratch, get that started first. To make a homemade marinara, for example, as I’m doing today, very coarsely chop the tomatoes, onion, and garlic and puree them together in a blender or food processor. Pour into a sauce pan, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer on medium-low heat for 1-2 hours, or until the sauce has reduced by at least one third. Remove the bay leaf at this point.

If you’re not making sauce from scratch, have it on standby to top your dough when it’s ready.

Next, attach a dough hook to your stand mixer. Thoroughly clean and dry your countertop and sprinkle with cornmeal. Lightly oil a large bowl.

Combine 3 cups of flour, salt, and yeast in the mixer on low. Add the sugar and any additional spices or herbs, if using. Add the water and oil to the dry ingredients and scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl before starting the mixer. Start on low speed and increase the speed as the dry ingredients become incorporated into the wet.

Add additional flour gradually until your dough forms a minimally sticky ball on high speed. I can tell that the dough is ready for kneading if it is still somewhat sticky to the touch, but does not stick to the mixing bowl itself when whipping around on a high speed. (See my bread post for more pictures.) Flour your hands, remove the dough, and place the dough onto your dusted countertop.

Knead the dough, adding small amounts of flour as necessary, until it makes a smooth ball. Knead for 5-7 minutes total and then place the ball into your oiled bowl. Cover with a clean towel and let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, punch down the dough, and separate into two smaller balls of dough. Leave sitting uncovered on your workspace for about 15 minutes. About 10 minutes into this second rise, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In the time that it takes the oven to preheat, you will roll out and top your dough.

Just to keep the pizzas simple, albeit not the prettiest, we roll each of our dough balls into oval-ish shapes that fit perfectly on the BACK side of a cookie sheet (don’t want the lip of the sheet interfering with sliding the pizza off later). After you roll out each ball, make sure that the bottom has been freshly dusted with cornmeal and place the cornmealed side down on the back of your cookie sheet. Brush the crust with oil to keep some of the moisture in, sprinkle the entire middle with nutritional yeast, and top with sauce, etc. as you see fit.

One at a time, your pizzas go into the oven atop the cookie sheet for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, gently slide the pizza onto a pizza stone for an additional 6. The stone assists you in achieving a crunch to the bottom of the pizza, even if you are going for chewy inside. If you don’t have a pizza stone, bake the pizza atop the cookie sheet for approximately 15 minutes total. Either way, when the pizza is cooked, slide onto a large cutting board and slice. This shape won’t give you typical pie-shaped pieces, but it doesn’t matter how they look as long as they taste fantastic!

Store in the fridge for 2-3 days, keeping in mind that without a thick layer of cheese on top to lock in moisture that the pizza will slowly dry out the longer that it sits.

Is Your Spaghetti Missing Its Meatballs?

Image posted on March 31, 2015March 31, 2015 by Jackie

I have met many vegetarians/vegans over the last few years. Although they can be categorized in a number of ways, when it comes to meat, I see only one: those that do not like the flavors and textures of meat and those that do, but don’t eat it for health and/or ethical reasons. Today, I’m offering a homemade meat substitute for those like me that did actually enjoy meat, but couldn’t bring themselves to eat it any longer.

Is this vegan sausage exactly like its pork, beef, or chicken-based counterpart? No. In my opinion, like vegan diary substitutes, it is different, but equally satisfying. In addition, this recipe is one that you can feel good about since it is not processed and prepackaged with excessive salt, preservatives, and other unnatural additives.

I so wish I could take credit for this Walnut “Sausage” recipe, but it belongs to the amazing Sage Kitchen, which I reviewed last month. Remember the “sausage and mozzarella” pizza I tried from owner Kita Centella’s menu? In reading through an issue of Green Living Magazine, I came across the recipe for that very sausage. It kind of felt like the stars aligned for a second, and as if I needed more proof that plant-based living works for me, that was it. 🙂

I am still working on a meat substitute formula, so for now, this is a stand-alone favorite vegan recipe. I was thrilled to see that the base of SK’s sausage is walnuts, which I don’t particularly enjoy raw unless they are mixed into something else. Although they can sometimes taste a bit bitter, I find ways to incorporate these nuts because they are known to fight and prevent many diseases, can assist in weight control, and contain fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.

This recipe also contains a number of fresh herbs and spices and a touch of “soy sauce or substitute.” I encourage you to try liquid amino acids as your substitute. My sister Petra, who works for eVitamins and is the author of the expat blog 100 Tacks, got me into these, pictured below. Bragg’s is a combination of soybeans and water, and contains no added salt, genetically modified organisms, or MSG. It is gluten-free and offers sixteen of the twenty amino acids (the building blocks of protein), nine of which cannot be produced in our bodies naturally.

You will LOVE this sausage recipe! I’ve included the ingredients and directions exactly as published in GL, with a few of my notes alongside. Enjoy!

SAGE KITCHEN’S WALNUT “SAUSAGE”

Ingredients

2 ½ cups walnuts
1 ½ tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (found at specialty markets) –> To learn more about “nooch,” check out my pesto formula!
¼ tbsp soy sauce or substitute –> I’m using Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.
½ tsp ground flaxseed
1/8 tsp Chakra 4 cayenne powder, 35K –> Chakra 4 is the brand from the tea shop next to SK. If you don’t have this brand on hand, you could substitute another.
¼ tsp Chakra 4 ground caraway seed
1 tsp Chakra 4 ground fennel seed
1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp mineral salt –> I’m using pink Himalayan sea salt.
2 ½ tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
½ tsp fresh oregano, minced
¼ tsp fresh rosemary, minced
½ tbsp. fresh sage, minced

Directions

Place walnuts in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. –> I followed these directions exactly, but next time, I would process the nuts until they are paste-like.

Combine all other ingredients together in a mixing bowl. –> Use a mortar and pestle to grind down your seeds before adding to the other ingredients.

Slowly fold in chopped walnuts until fully incorporated.

For a raw vegan dish, serve this blend fresh.

It can also be heated to serve as crumbles, or formed into “meatballs.” –> SK served it sliced in discs atop pizza when I tried it. Look for my pizza formula using this sausage next week. 🙂

Store in refrigerator for up to seven days or freeze for up to six months.

The Fresh Formula

PLANT-BASED LIVING MADE EASY

Recipes

My Simplest Formula Yet: Salt-Free Salsa

Feel the No-Bake Power!

Nutrient-Rich Chocolate Mousse

Easy Homemade Granola

The Plant-Based Decadence That Is Risotto

The Burrito Bowl: A Perfect Vegan Meal

New Formula: Simple Marinara Sauce

Let Everyone Eat Cake!

New (And Surely Long-Awaited) Formula: Pizza

Is Your Spaghetti Missing Its Meatballs?

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