 Anyone who has been following this blog, knows that just because you are trying to eat healthily, doesn't mean you have to sacrifice on choice. This creamy and refreshing cucumber dip is just another example of how you can use fresh and healthy ingredients to make something mouth-watering and surprising. This vegan cucumber dip has a taste that is very similar to tzatziki and would be perfect with homemade pita (recipe to come), hummus, and veggies. It also pairs well with homemade tortilla chips and can be whipped up super fast. Seriously, the hardest part to this recipe is chopping the cucumber! If you are looking for something different to try, I hope that you give this recipe a whirl! Cucumber Dip
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 If you enjoy spinach artichoke dip, then I can only recommend that you give this recipe a try. It has all the creaminess of a traditional spinach artichoke recipe, without the guilt. There are two options to preparing this dish; once you combine the pasta with the sauce you can either already enjoy, or you can pour it into a baking dish and add the topping to make a delicious pasta bake. The topping is the recommendation for a gluten-free topping, but you can of course always process two slices of bread with nutritional yeast to have a more traditional bread-crumb topping. As another alternative you can follow steps 2-4 to prepare a vegan spinach artichoke dip. Once you combine the cheeze sauce with the spinach and artichoke and it thickens you will place it in an oven safe dish and bake 20 min. Serve with homemade corn tortilla chips. Anyway you choose, I know you won't be disappointed. Vegan Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheeze
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 I am constantly amazed at the versatility of nuts. Take this recipe for example. Raw nuts serve as the base for a deliciously smooth and creamy, vegan mayonnaise. Like most of the recipes I share, this one is also ridiculously simple. Just add all the ingredients to a blender and that's it! Sometimes it can be difficult to get all of the nuts completely blended, and if you have time, it can be good to first process the nuts to a flour like consistency, and then the ingredients will come together even better in the blender. Another option is to add a little more water to the recipe to make sure the blender is able to reach all sections of the mixture. I love this mayo together with homemade fries (as pictured) but it can be used for anything you would typically use mayo for, e.g. pasta salad, sandwich spread, coleslaw, or potato salad. Nut Mayonnaise Recipe
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 It is summer and it is hot. Of course my normal go-to drink is water, but sometimes you need a little change and some flavor to help cool you down. Lemonade is a great summer drink, but it is usually made with refined white sugar which makes it not the healthiest of drinks. For this recipe I used honey as the sweetener and it came out great. If you want to make it vegan you can try substituting maple syrup...I haven't tried it, but I am sure it will work just fine. This drink was just the thing I needed for these hot summer days. I love the tang of the ginger and the crispness of the lemon, paired together it is really refreshing! You can also leave out the ginger for a simple lemonade. Ginger Lemonade Recipe
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 My favorite recipes are the ones that entail roasting followed by processing. To me these are the easiest and most convenient. I like to use the oven baking time to clean up and prepare for the next step, and it always feels like cooking is a breeze. So, I knew I had to share this recipe because it is my favorite kind, pop all the veggies in the oven then whiz it together in the food processor and, voila, it's done! And of course I love this recipe because it is chock full of yummy vegetable goodness, and super delicious. It goes really well with homemade cauliflower crackers, homemade corn tortillas, or even as stir-in to cooked quinoa or pasta. Roasted Vegetable Dip Recipe
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 Here is another great way to prepare a creamy sauce out of cauliflower that will leave everyone guessing how you made such a cheesy and creamy sauce without cheese or cream! I prepared this with mushrooms, but you could use pretty much any vegetable you prefer. Zucchini, peppers, or carrots would be great substitutes. There are also three topping options you can choose from depending on how you are feeling. You can either make a cheeze sauce, which is what is pictured, or add sauteed onions or make some bread crumbs for a crispy topping. Or you could even go crazy and try all three together! Cauliflower Cream Pasta Bake Recipe
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 A little over a year ago, I had a visit with a functional medicine specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. Seeing a functional medicine specialist is a very different experience compared to seeing a "normal" doctor. Their goal is to get to the root cause of health issues, and it literally starts by looking back at your birth and if you were breast- or formula-fed, then moves on to the conditions you lived in through childhood, along with discussing any health issues you experienced, and ends at the present. A key tool used in functional medicine is an 8 week elimination diet. After the 8 weeks you slowly begin reintroducing foods that you removed from you diet to see if any specific food triggers your symptoms. When I completed the elimination diet last year, I was actually able to identify foods that made my symptoms worse. So a few months ago when my fatigue started to majorly impact my daily life, I decided to try the elimination diet once more to see if the fatigue might be triggered by certain foods. This time around I noticed that gluten pretty much knocks me out. About and hour after I reintroduced gluten to my diet, I felt like I was hit by a truck and was out for the count! So, I have been avoiding gluten containing products for a few months now and have felt better (of course the fatigue isn't magically gone, but it is more manageable). But as those of you who also avoid gluten know, it is really hard to find a really good gluten-free bread recipe. Maybe the store bought gluten-free breads are okay substitutes, but they typically have additional ingredients in them that I don't eat. So the journey began to find a really good gluten-free bread recipe that is also vegan. Luckily, I came across a website that had pretty much everything I was looking for: Rhian's Recipes. The below recipe is my favorite so far but you should check out what else she has if you are looking for other gluten-free baking ideas. This recipe is super quick and easy and requires no yeast or kneading. It stores very well and it is even better when you put it in the toaster. Use it like you would any bread and happy baking! Gluten-free Bread Recipe
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 Here is another fun, delicious, and simple way you can use chickpea flour. The key for this recipe is that you must us a non-stick pan. Otherwise these will get stuck and be impossible to flip. Trust me, I tried it! If you have a non-stick pan, this is a super easy recipe. The first time I made it, I was amazed at how these came out. They are light, flexible, and fluffy. I found this recipe fits best with savory ingredients, but I bet you could add a little bit (1-2 Tbsp) of maple syrup or honey to turn these into a fun dessert crepe that you can fill with fresh fruit and homemade chocolate spread. So far my favorite pairing with these crepes was filling them with beetroot hummus. However, these are so versatile and mild in flavor that they can be used in so many ways. Try a southwest wrap by adding black beans, salsa, lettuce, and homemade sour cream! Gluten-Free Wrap Recipe
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 If you are finding it difficult to find eggs at the store right now, head to the baking aisle and pick up a bag of chickpea flour (actually I suggest getting a bag even if eggs are plentiful :)). Chickpea flour has become one of my all-time favorite ingredients. This stuff is tremendously versatile, and can be used in so many recipes (which I will be posting more and more of). I also love chickpea flour because it is packed with protein, while also being low in fat. Below you will find out how you can create a hearty breakfast option that is quick and easy to whip up. So go ahead and buy a bag, I will share with you different ways you can use it. Eggless Quiche Recipe vegan, gluten-free, plant-based, refined sugar-free Ingredients:
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 Finding specific ingredients at the store right now is challenging. That's why I wanted to share this very simple pancake recipe that only calls for 3 ingredients. More importantly, 2 out of 3 of the ingredients can even be swapped out for whatever is currently on hand. For example, for the flour, you do not have to used rolled oats, you can substitute any flour you have, this can be wheat flour or perhaps rice flour or a gluten-free blend. You will need bananas, but regarding the milk, if you do not avoid dairy, feel free to use cow's milk. However, if milk is hard to come by you can just use straight up water. One thing I have been noticing at the store lately, is that if there are items left in the baking section, these are predominately the gluten-free ingredients. I bet this partially stems from the price of these items, but I also wonder if they are left behind because many people are not sure how to utilize these gluten-free products. The recipes I share typically use ingredients that are not the norm, but I will be sharing more gluten-free recipes so you are equipped if you are in the situation where you are bringing home ingredients you might not be familiar with. To tell you the truth, I was a bit skeptical when I first started making these pancakes, but I was pleasantly surprised by their very pancake-like consistency and banana flavor. So if you are in a pinch (or even if you just want some really good pancakes) I hope this recipe will help you ensure your family has a wholesome breakfast with these pancakes. Banana Pancake Recipe
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AuthorAmanda Windhof, PhD is an MS lifestyle advocate who wants to ensure a healthy diet is accessible to everyone. Archives
September 2020
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