Tag Archives | Vegetarian

MCLV Mange: Creamy Avocado Dressing

September 11, 2017 in MCLV Mange

A great salad dressing makes you want to eat salad. It’s raison d’etre is to get you excited for a giant bowl of fresh veggies and toppings.

I for one tend to go through phases with dressings. I’ll love one to death for a few weeks, or even months, then move on. But, to my surprise, I’ve been making variations of this creamy avocado dressing all Summer.

Another great thing about it is that you can adjust it to your desired consistency and use it as either a sauce or a dressing. I’ve served it on salad, roasted veggies, and even drizzled over chicken breasts for our last dinner party.

It improves them all!

Avocado Salad Dressing Vegan Vegetarian Gluten-Free Paleo San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Food Fitness Lifestyle Blogger Recipe

{Vegan // Vegetarian // Gluten-Free // Paleo-Friendly}

Creamy Avocado Dressing

Salad Ingredients:

  • 1 Avocado
  • Juice of 1 Small Lemon or Lime
  • 1 Clove of garlic
  • 1 Shallot or 1/2 Purple Onion
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1/4 Tsp Sea Salt
  • Water as needed

Directions:

  • Put ingredients to a food processor, magic bullet, or blender
  • Add water as needed to achieve your desired consistency

Note: I made this without olive oil once {accidentally} and it was just as tasty. If you’re trying to lower your fat intake you can leave it out or add less than that suggested two tablespoons.

Stay tuned for the next MCLV Mange installment and check out the previous posts from this series here to see what you’ve missed so far.

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MCLV Mange: Easy Vegan Mixed Bean Stew

July 19, 2017 in MCLV Mange

If you’ve ever read any of my recipes you’ll know that I love a dish that is both easy and delicious.

This particular recipe came into being after I saw a yummy looking garbanzo bean crock pot dish on Pinterest {where else?} and I didn’t feel like going to the grocery store.

Side point – Does anyone else like to do just one grocery trip a week? I started off the year going 2+ times a week and not only was it a time suck, but all of those trips really add up!

Anyway, I didn’t feel like going out to get all the extra ingredients that I was missing so I just used what was on hand and it turned out great. What I love about this stew is that you can add whatever is in your fridge or cupboards and it’ll come out great.

That also means that if you have any allergies or sensitivities, you can just substitute what works best for your diet.

 

Vegan Bean Chickpea Vegetable Vegan Gluten-Free Paleo Vegetarian San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Food Fitness Lifestyle Blogger Recipe

Easy Vegan Mixed Bean Stew

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cans of beans {I used garbanzo & kidney beans, but you could use anything that sounds good to you!}
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 1 Onion or 1/2 an onion & a shallot chopped
  • 2 Cloves of garlic diced
  • Vegetables: You can use any combination you’d like. I used 1 yellow pepper, 1 zucchini, 1 super sized carrot, and a handful of cherry tomatoes. But you could also add sweet potatoes or squash for a more Winter-y dish.
  • Spices: I went the Eastern route with turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika & chili. However, if you wanted a more Italian flavoring you could go for oregano, parsley, and basil. {1 tsp each}
  • Optional: Tomato paste

Directions:

  • In a soup pot saute the onion and garlic in oil for around 5 minutes on medium heat {don’t quite brown it}
  • Add in the beans and chopped vegetables, combine thoroughly, and keep on medium heat for an additional 3 minutes
  • Next stir in your spices of choice
  • At this point you need to decide what thickness you want. If you’d like a soupy texture, add up to 2 cups of water, watching and stirring as you go. If you’d like a thicker stew, you can add a can of tomato paste and 1-2 cups of water. Just watch the texture as you’re stirring in the water and stop when you reach your desired consistency.
  • Reduce to low heat and simmer with the lid on for ~30 minutes
  • Some people like to add salt during the cooking process, but I’ve found that I end up adding much more salt when I do that, since I’ll salt the final dish anyway so I’ve gotten out of the habit. Now I add my sea salt to taste after plating.
  • This is a great dish for leftovers – Make it during Sunday food prep and you’re set for 2-3 days. You can also freeze it. I like to make soups and stews before going out-of-town with any veggies that are left in the fridge, and then pop it into the freezer so we have something fully prepared when we get home!

Stay tuned for the next MCLV Mange installment and check out the previous posts from this series here to see what you’ve missed so far.

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What I Eat in a Day | High Protein Vegetarian

July 12, 2017 in Food

I’ve done What I Eat in a Day posts in the past, but since my eating habits continually shift, I thought I’d check back in and share an update. After playing with counting macros last year and trying the Tone It Up Challenge earlier this year, I’ve settled into a high protein, plant-based diet in recent months.

My diet and lifestyle have shifted dramatically over the last ten or so years since I first started getting interested in health and nutrition. There were periods where I didn’t workout, whereas now I workout once or twice a day. There were periods where I was fully vegan, fully raw, and fully paleo.

What I’ve learned with all of my trials, and a few errors, is that every body needs something different to fuel it. And, what your body needs may shift from day-to-day. With such a high level of activity these days, plus a super sensitive digestive system, I’ve settled on a diet that definitely can’t be described in one word. Or even a complete sentence.

I’d call my diet – Wait for it – Plant-based, high protein, gluten-free, and lactose-free with an emphasis on whole foods. I try to limit my processed food intake and focus on fresh produce and plant-based protein.

So, without further ado, here’s my high protein vegetarian variation on What I Eat in a Day!

What I Eat In a Day High Protein Vegetarian Vegan Gluten-Free Paleo San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Food Fitness Lifestyle Blogger Recipes

What’s YOUR favorite meal? Do you have something you look forward to eating all day?

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MCLV Mange: Vegan Chopped Taco Salad

May 5, 2017 in Fashion

Time to revamp the sadly neglected MCLV Mange series!

I’ve been cooking up a storm lately and sharing my creations on Instagram and Snapchat – So it’s time to give the blog a little culinary love.

Let’s start this off with an easy-to-make but delicious and satisfying salad.

I go through phases with salads – Sometimes I crave them daily and can’t get enough. And… Sometimes a salad sounds like a terrible waste of dinner.

I’m back in my “gimme gimme” stage with salads though and this avocado-based dressing is a big part of that. This salad is filled with vitamin packed produce, protein, and healthy fats.

Vegan Chopped Taco Salad Nutrient-Dense Salad Vegetarian Gluten-Free Paleo San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Food Fitness Lifestyle Blogger Recipe

Vegan Chopped Taco Salad {Serves 2}

Salad Ingredients:

  • Romaine lettuce
  • 2 Peppers
  • Handful of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup of black beans
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1/2 avocado

Optional: Add additional protein – Crumbled veggie burger, tofu, tempeh etc.

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1/2 avocado
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

  • Chop veggies and add to your bowl(s)
  • Top salad with black beans
  • Blend salad dressing ingredients in a food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth, add water, salt & pepper as needed
  • Pour over salad and enjoy!

Note: This dressing is killer! You can double the recipe and save the remainder in an air tight container for 2-3 days.

Stay tuned for the next MCLV Mange installment and check out the previous posts from this series here to see what you’ve missed so far.

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Travel + Macros | Staying Healthy on the Road

April 12, 2017 in Food

Finding healthy food choices is a challenge when you’re traveling, finding healthy, allergen-friendly foods can sometimes seem like an impossible task. Since I’ve been counting macros and watching my protein intake the last few months, it’s been even more paramount that I find a way to eat well while I’m traveling.

I love traveling and I’ll never give it up, so I’ve had to learn how to prepare in advance for trips to help me stay on track. Here’s a three-part breakdown on how I approach travel and counting macros.

Food Prep:

I like to prep my first meal or two to take with me on a trip, especially if it’s a roadtrip, and put them in a collapsible Tupperware container that can easily be stored while I’m on the road.

Some go-to choices are simple veggie and tofu sautee, roasted veggies, frozen smoothies, and usually a few protein muffins or protein pancakes as healthy snacks.

Food Preparation Meal Prep Travel Counting Macros San Francisco Bay Area Fashion Food Fitness Lifestyle Blogger

{The aftermath of food prep as I get ready for a trip!}

Packing Protein:

Bars, protein powder packets, nut butter, and trail mix are my go-to easy travel snacks. I can always find eggs or salads or roasted veggies while I’m traveling, it’s the vegan protein that’s hard to come by.

A few favorites are No Cow Bars {they were in my January Favorites Round-Up!}, Simply Protein Bars, Protein Chips, raw trail mix, and protein peanut butter.

Research:

Before a trip I like to do online research on restaurants and grocery stores. It’s definitely harder overseas, especially in more rural areas, but fairly easy when traveling in the US.

And, if at all possible, I love to have a kitchen on a trip so that I don’t have to eat out for every meal. Airbnb is a great option, picking a place with a kitchen instead of a tiny hotel room.

Do YOU have any tips for finding healthy, whole food sources while you travel? Am I missing any great snacks to try out?

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