Delicious and easy pizza dough (EN/ RO)

I loved pizza before I was vegan and love pizza even more now. 

Especially since I discovered that this simple and fast to make simple dough is absolutely perfect for pizza! So if we're craving pizza, I can make the dough in about 5 to 10 minutes, make my easy, stretchy and melty sunflower mozzarella in about 10 more minutes then roll the dough and throw my favorite toppings on that, then have the finished pizza in as little as 40 minutes from the start. So, if I want a thin crust, I can have it faster than if I would order in. And if I want a thick crust I can have it ready in about 1.5 hours. Or I can make focaccia or other things too... The options are always open. 

This delicious and easy to make pizza dough and pizza as a whole is my go to when I want something fast and a bit junkie because it's really yummy, easy to make and I always have the ingredients in my pantry and fridge. 
And it's still a healthier version of what you can find in pizza joints :) and I know that's always vegan, so that's a big plus! And you can load it with all the good stuff, like tons of veggies, beans, tofu and of course, my sunflower mozzarella, that goes perfectly with it!
Ok, let's see the recipe now!

Ingredients (EN):

Caramel cinnamon rolls (EN/ RO)

These vegan and delicious caramel cinnamon rolls are easy and quite fun to make, and especially to eat while they're not in any way or for a health food. But they are delicious and deserve a try from time to time :)

And they can be healthy if you use a glaze that's not made entirely from sugar :) Maybe some cashew or coconut cream or some vegan yogurt... All of them go really well with cinnamon and all these combos are delicious too!

You don't need to believe my word, you have to try it for yourself and enjoy every bit :)

Ingredients (EN):

Dough:

Tomato basil frittata (EN/RO)

Before I went vegan, I used to make frittatas sometimes, because I could just bake it without oil and I added more veggies than to a "normal" omelette. 

And now, as a vegan, I still enjoy a good frittata from time to time. And why shouldn't I? Frittatas are delicious, healthy and highly customizable!

And the best part? The vegan version is higher in protein, doesn't have any cholesterol, is as delicious second and third day... 

And it's really easy to make too! And quite cheap also!

I think that this is quite perfect for any meal you'll like to have it, even to pack for a work or school lunch. It's only your choice! 

And you can always change the veggies if you want, make it your own! I love to add greens, maybe mushrooms, broccoli... The sky is the limit for what you can add :)

Ingredients:

Seitan ribs (EN/ RO)

Who said that vegans can't get enough proteins? I love using wheat gluten because I can make a lot of foods with it, all high in protein, like steaks, burgers, wellington and more. And the gluten gives those foods that "meaty" texture that a lot of people miss.
I like these ribs because they are delicious and juicy and they go really well in sandwiches, wraps or just with veggies and a good sauce :)

Ingredients (EN):

Buckwheat cacao nibs waffles (EN/ RO)

I still love to experiment with waffles! And now I thought I would share with you another delicious waffle recipe, made with buckwheat flour. It's fluffy on the inside and a bit crunchy on the outside.
I prefer to top it with fruits, some peanut butter and a drizzle of maple syrup or agave. Delicious!

Ingredients:

Easy puff pastry recipes for brunch or snack (sweet and savory versions) (EN and RO)

I don't know about you, but when I'm in a hurry and hungry I tend to eat pastries or pies (vegan of course) if I don't pack something from home because they're easy to eat and convenient.

So I thought... Why not make some at home? Even if they're not the healthiest dessert, they're still healthier than the ones you would buy in a regular pastry shop. And I love knowing what I have in them :)

Also, they're easy to make, quite cheap and come in two versions: savory and sweet. 

And they're great to make them one or two days before you need them, but the're not gonna be as crispy after 2 days... Also, you can make them smaller for a party or for a brunch, or bigger for a breakfast or a meal on the go.

Let's go to the recipe now and let me know if you make them :)

For the first time, I want to try something... I'll have the recipe in two languages... Romanian and English. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

Savory version (EN):

Warming chunky split pea and lentil soup

Because even if the calendar says that it's Spring, the weather says that Winter needs more time here. And we need foods that are warming, and cozy.
Who says that global warming is a myth? We can feel it every day... Winter without snow, a Spring that starts later than usual and snow in April... And that's just a small part of what's happening. But we can change things (slowly, I agree). Go vegan today and save animals, yourself and the planet!
Yes, I care about these things and that's why I became vegan almost a year ago. And now I want to share what I know and what I create.
Like this soup. It's hearty, chunky (or you can make it creamy by blending it), easy to make and quite cheap.
Also, it's perfect for meal prep, so you have something tasty and satiating at work or when you come home :)

Ingredients (6 servings):

Cranberry banana bread

I love fruit and veggie breads, and especially pumpkin and banana bread. As I already have a recipe for pumpkin bread here, I had to post one for banana bread too.
This recipe is inspired by Caitlin Shoemaker, but I changed it, because I like to customize every recipe that I try (or to develop them from scratch :)
For this bread I used some dried cranberries and cacao nibs, because I love this combo!
And the bread it's still fluffy, delicious but filing and quite healthy. Also, it's oil free and gluten free too. It's a must try!
Let's go to the recipe now!

Ingredients:

Coconut and rice flour pancakes

For some time now I started experimenting with gluten free recipes, because I know some close people that are gluten intolerant and I love cooking for friends and family.
And I like sharing my recipes too! But you already know that :)
It occurred to me (with the help of my husband 😊) that I didn't post breakfast recipe for some time now, so here it comes.
This time I made some coconut and rice flour pancakes.

Here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:

Cauliflower and leeks curry

If you like Indian and Thay cuisine, then you like curries for sure.
This one is really easy to make, even if you didn't meal prep for the week. It keeps well in the fridge for at least 3-4 days (if you can resist the flavor and not eat it all :) ).
Also, the flavor is really nice, not too strong, but strong enough to have a great taste. 
And if you have you veggies prepped for the week, then you can have this ready in about half an hour. 
And it's not very high in calories either...
Ok, this is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Coconut pudding cups

Halloween is fast approaching and this is one of my favorite holidays!
I tried to make something special for this day, but my skills with a pastry bag are limited for now :)) I promise to practice more for the future projects!
Anyway, this is my favorite pudding recipe and it goes really well just by it's own, or in a pastry shell. And if you are skilled with a pastry bag, you can make something really festive with some food coloring and this pudding.
But keep in mind that this is a dessert, and it's to be indulged in moderation :)
Ok, enough for now. Let's go to the recipe!

Ingredients:

Chickpea flour omelette

If you used to love omelettes and scrambles before you went vegan, then I understand you.
I used to love them too. And I love them still. But now I don't use eggs for my scrambles and omelettes. I use tofu or chickpea flour. Because I get the same feeling of comfort food (ok, not the exact same taste, but the feeling is the same) without the cruelty, fat and the heavy feeling in the stomach.
If you ask me, I love this way of life a lot! I still have foods that I loved before, but I don't have the guilt and all those heavy feeling as before. Which is so much better!
Ok, I think that this is enough rambling for just one post :)
Let's go to the recipe now

Ingredients:

Coconut and chickpea flour pancakes

Who wants some pancakes that are delicious and healthy? I know that I want them!
Maybe you know that I'm in love with two types of flour: coconut and chickpea. I combined them and I made some coconut and chickpea flour pancakes.
They're still fluffy, hearty and really delicious!
You have to keep in mind that the combination of chickpea and coconut flour (at least the ones I have) creates a pancake that is quite fragile if you want to make them big. The solution? Make them smaller and funnier :)
Ok, let's go to the recipe now :)

Ingredients (2 servings):

70 g (2/3 cup) chickpea flour

55 g (½ cup) coconut flour

480 ml (2 cups) plant milk

30 g (2 tbsp) brown sugar

10 g (1 tbsp) ground chia seeds

5 g (1 tsp) baking powder

5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract

Method:

Mix the dry ingredients then add all the wet ingredients.

Mix until you have thick batter. Let everything sit for about 10-15 minutes.

Heat a nonstick pan (even lightly oil it) an make pancakes  Cook them for about 3-4 minutes on medium-low heat then flip them and cook them for about 1-2 minutes.

Enjoy!

I have a video for this recipe too :)

If you want to see it, then go here: 

Chickpea flour seitan

If you want yet another recipe for seitan, here you have one. I added some chickpea flour to this one for some added nutrition: some fiber, a little bit of lysine, because wheat gluten has too little. It's not a huge lysine quantity, but still...

So, I chose to bake my seitan this time, but you can boil it, steam it... Your choice. 

I love to eat it instead of a steak or a roast, with a side salad, or use it in sandwiches or wraps. Sometimes I use it is stir fry or other things. I have a stir fry recipe here, if you want to take a look:)

Coconut flour brownies

Since I became vegan I wanted to veganize a brownie recipe that is gooey in the middle, a little crisp on the outside... And doesn't have any oil or refined sugar.

And it had to taste really decadent and guilty, just like a non vegan brownie. 

After a few weeks, I present you a brownie that has all this traits: gooey, sweet, decadent, but without any oil or refined sugar added.

A few of my friends tried it and their reaction was priceless! They knew that it was vegan, because I told them, but couldn't believe it :)

If you want the recipe, just keep reading.

Seitan stir fry

Before being vegan I used to make some of my stir fries with meat. Obviously, I won't ever think of that thing again. So I tried to make it with seitan. And guess what? It works really well.
And it's even quicker that before, because there isn't any meat to cook. And it's cruelty free too :)
Let's get to the recipe.

Ingredients:

300 g (4 cups) chopped mushrooms

200 g (2 cups) chopped peppers

150 g onions (1 large onion)

200 g (3 cups) chinese cabbage, shredded

170 g (6 oz) seitan, cut into bite size pieces

Two beans and walnuts loaf

So... How do I have the time to work so many hours every week and cook healthy vegan food? Always do at least a minimal meal prep. So this is the bare minimum that I make every week:
I boil all my beans, quinoa, lentils and/ or rice for the week. If you want, you can freeze some beans and thaw them and use them when you need to.
Peel and clean some vegetables, not a lot of fancy stuff, just your favorite vegetables/ your staples.
And you have some basic stuff for the week to come.
I can make a chili in less than an hour with this things. Or burgers. Or whatever you need :)
And now, a recipe. Because this is a food blog :)

Vegan french toast

I really love french toast. Before I went vegan I used to make it quite frequently on week-ends...
And I didn't have any since I became vegan. Until today. And I really don't know why I didn't make it sooner. It's just an egg replacement, plant milk, a sweetener and some spices.
And I decided to post my version of the recipe too, even if I think that you can find a ton of similar recipes online. But it's my version, and I'm proud of it :)
So, here it goes.

Simple bean burger with a cashew "cheese" sauce

Who said that vegans cannot enjoy a burger? I think that we can and this version is quite healthy, oil free and gluten free (if you try to avoid gluten).
We enjoyed this with a cashew "cheese" sauce and tomatoes. You can add pickles, lettuce, ketchup mustard or anything else that you like.

The burger:

Ingredients (makes about 6-8 medium patties):
350 g beans (red, pinto, black...) (2 cups)
165 g rolled oats (1.5 cups) *
150 g carrots, grated (1.5 cups)
150 g onions, chopped (1.5 cups)
2 tbsp tomato paste **
1.5 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sage
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp smoky paprika
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp chili powder ***

Crumbly coconut cookies

These cookies have a delicate coconut flavor from the flour, and they are quite crumbly, but without being too dry. They are perfect with some coffee or tea, or even milk (but make it plant milk, to keep it vegan).

Ingredients:

- 130 g (1 cup) coconut flour

- 250 ml (1 cup) plant milk (coconut, oat, soy – the more neutral (or coconuty) the better)

- 30 g agave syrup

- 10 g (1.5 tbsp) carob powder

- 1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water)