Pumpkin and beans vegan "meatballs" (EN/ RO)

Another pumpkin recipe on this blog? Yes! Why? Because I like pumpkin... and I can find it in all the stores right now, so it's the perfect excuse to make more pumpkin recipes. 

And not only sweet recipes, as you already saw :) 

Actually, this recipe came to be more like an accident or a joke in the beginning. But the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. I tried it one day and guess what? I liked it! 

The pumpkin keeps the meatballs moist while bringing a bit of sweetness, the tahini brings some healthy fats and a nice depth of flavor. And all the spices complement each other and make these "meatballs" delicious. And you can serve them for your holiday meal too! With some mashed potatoes and your favorite gravy... Yummy! 

You can also make a "meatball" sandwich with all the fixings too! 

I think that now it's time to go to the recipe, so you can make it at home too!

Ingredients:

Split peas and lentil dahl (EN/ RO)

The fall recipes series continues here with a cozy and delicious dahl... Was I doing a fall series in the beginning, btw? Who cares? I have more recipes perfect for this colder season and I think that technically, I can consider this a series, because I have more than one recipe :))

This split peas and lentil dahl is delicious, perfect for fall, oil free, gluten free by default, high in protein and really healthy! 

Also, it's quite easy to make, and perfect over rice or sweet potatoes, with some avocado on top is more than perfect! 

Can you tell that I love this recipe? :)) 

What can I say? I'm guilty of loving the food that I make...

Ingredients:

Easy 5 ingredients pizza pockets (EN/ RO)

Who likes pizza? I sure do! And these little (or bigger, depends on how big you want them to be) pizza pockets are so much easier to pack when you're on the go than a pizza. And very delicious still!

Also, these pizza pockets are so easy to make and you only need 5 ingredients to create a delicious and quite healthy food that it's also very convenient. We love to eat them with a yogurt and garlic sauce or with just a simple tomato sauce, because what's pizza without a good sauce?

And why am I trying to find reasons for you to enjoy delicious vegan foods? Delicious food is always good and should be enjoyed because it's yummy and because you can!

Ingredients (makes about 8-10 pockets):

High protein summer bowl

I love hearty meals and I love to cook. But now it's so hot outside that cooking at least for lunch is the last thing on my mind.
So I make a lot of fresh bowls that are also high in protein and some healthy fats. I call them all Buddha bowls because it's just easier. And truly, Buddha bowls can have anything.
I always follow a few base rules: always have greens, some of my favorite veggies and one protein (tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans, chickpeas, seitan...)
Let's see how I make this one (which is my favorite lately).

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:

3 delicious oil free dressings (EN/RO)

Because here it's spring and warm and I'm craving more fresh foods, like salads and fresh bowls and just a bunch of veggies, I think it's time to show you my favorite dressing/ dipping sauce recipes :)
They are easy to make, delicious and they really deserve a try!

Lemon garlic tahini sauce/ dressing (EN)

Ingredients:

High protein vegan buttermilk waffles (sweet and savory) (EN-RO)

I wanted to buy a waffle maker for a long time now. And guess what? I finally got one almost 3 weeks ago. And since then I'm obsessed with waffles.
Seriously, I made waffles almost every day for the last 2 weeks! I absolutely love them!
And the fact that I can have them for breakfast or lunch or dinner, makes them amazing! And yes, you read it well... For lunch and dinner too!
As you may know, I love making savory versions of usually sweet stuff. Like waffles. I made a savory version of them too, to go well with roasted or sauteed veggies, savory sauces...
And this waffles, both sweet of savory, are high in protein, cheap, easy to make and delicious! Crispy on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside... Delicious! And the vegan buttermilk gives them a really nice texture and taste :)
If you want to know how to make them, then keep reading!

The sweet version:

Ingredients (EN):

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):

Chocolate coconut cheesecake

One afternoon I wanted something sweet and creamy yet healthy and easy to make. And I didn't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to make it.

So I started to look in the cupboards and I found a lot of good stuff. And I already had a cup of cashews in the fridge to soak so... "Cheesecake" it is! 

I just started to think of combinations, and I decided that a chocolate "cheesecake" sounds really good and decadent enough to curb my sweet tooth. 

I forgot to take into account the fact that I wanted to film the entire process, take pictures of the cheesecake and film a first taste test. So I got to eat it only the next day, after my husband tried it because at night the light is horrible and I couldn't film the taste test, but it was still amazing!

Ok, enough blabbing, let's go to the recipe now!

Ingredients: (makes about 8 servings)

Crust:

Strawberry pancakes

Yes, I have yet another pancake recipe. Why? Because I like pancakes and they are tasty, fluffy, easy to make and a little bit different than the usual recipes but still very delicious!
Also, they're sugar free, oil free and accidentally gluten free because of the oats.
I really love making pancakes every day if I have the time (unfortunately, I don't).
I hope that you try and like my recipes, because I sure like developing them and sharing them with you!

Ingredients:

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:

Savory tofu and pineapple cups

I really love challenging myself and I wanted to put up some breakfast/ brunch recipes for this "Vegan Holidays" series.
I also wanted to make this recipes easy, different and in advance, because I really don't want to cook on a holiday morning.
So I came up with 2 recipes tofu and pineapple based - one sweet and one savory.
Both of them are so good! I can barely restrain myself from not eating the entire tray in one sitting.
They are husband approved also, and this is really important, as he isn't really a big fan of tofu. But this breakfast cups disappear so fast (he prefers the savory one)!
Ok, enough with the chit chat, let's see the savory recipe now - Vlad's favorite!

Ingredients (makes 12 cups):

Sweet tofu, pineapple and cranberry cups

I really love challenging myself and I wanted to put up some breakfast/ brunch recipes for this "Vegan Holidays" series.
And I also wanted to make this recipes easy, different and in advance, because I really don't want to cook on a holiday morning.
So I came up with 2 recipes tofu and pineapple based - one sweet and one savory.
Both of them are so good! I can barely restrain myself from not eating the entire tray in one sitting.
They are husband approved also, and this is really important, as he isn't really a big fan of tofu. But this breakfast cups disappear so fast!
Ok, enough with the chit chat, let's see the sweet recipe!

Ingredients (makes 12 cups):

No bake coconut lemon custard pie

If you want a pie but you don't like to bake, then you can definitely make this one!

The second recipe in the Vegan Holidays series (and maybe the last dessert) is a no bake lemon coconut pie, sweet and sour, creamy and so fragrant from the lemon zest! And then you have a crust that it's sweeter and a little bit chewy :)

Ok, enough for now. Let's go to the recipe...

Ingredients:

Warming chickpea coconut curry

Here it's fall, and so cold that all I'm craving is warming and hearty food, like stews, chilies, curries soups and stuff like that.
And because I like experimenting in the kitchen I made my own rendition of a coconut curry that is hearty, pretty high in protein, oil free and really tasty.
It's not a traditional curry, but I know that at least a few other people besides me love it!
So it has to be good 😄 😉!
Jokes aside, even if this isn't a traditional curry, it is really warming and satisfying and it makes a really good dish for this weather.
The recipe is quite simple and easy to follow too 😊
You can make it in bigger batches and you can freeze it too. It keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days (if you can resist as much without eating it all 😀)

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: 

Vegan french toast 3 ways

As I said before, I love french toast, and I didn't have it for a long time. For the first few months since I became vegan, actually...
Now I have 3 recipes for it :)

First recipe:  Flax french toast