Recipes

[Recipe] Screw The Food Rules – Eat The Veggie Dogs

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This post was created in collaboration with Lightlife.

When it comes to eating I don’t have any major “rules”. I prefer to eat foods that are nutrient dense and nourish my body but there are times when I like to enjoy some pizza, fried foods and the occasional sweet. If you’re looking for nourishing bowl inspiration I post a new one on my Instagram or IG stories most days but if you are looking for something that is delicious but not so healthy read on.

When I was a kid growing up in Vermont (and not plant-based) we used to go to a spot called Charlie’s Red Hots. They had this hot dog that was basically the Vermont version of a Michigan dog. To be honest I don’t remember what it taste like 20+ years later but I thought I would go ahead and attempt to recreate this legendary hot dog but make it a bit healthier and plant-based. Of course it would only be appropriate to make this dog when my parents where in town to give it a try.

Lindsay's Red Hots Dog
The vegan version of the legendary Charlie's Red Hots
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Ingredients
  1. 1 package of Lightlife Veggie Dogs
  2. 1 package of Hot Dog Buns (New England style if you can)
Sauce
  1. 1 tsp Chili Powder
  2. 1 Medium Onion, diced
  3. 1 package Veggie Ground Round
  4. 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  5. 1/2 a cube of Not-Beef Boullion
  6. 1 cup water
  7. 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire Sauce
  8. ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
Condiments (optional)
  1. Yellow Mustard
  2. Dijon Mustard
  3. Ketchup
For the Sauce
  1. Saute onions over medium-high in a bit of oil until translucent.
  2. Stir in one package of veggie ground round and add all remaining ingredients.
  3. Cook over medium until heated through and thickened.
  4. Heat veggie dogs per package directions.
  5. Toast your bun, add a veggie dog and top with sauce. Add on some yellow mustard (optional).
Adapted from Based of Original Charlie's Red Hots Recipe
Adapted from Based of Original Charlie's Red Hots Recipe
Naturally Lindsay https://www.naturallylindsay.com/
These dogs would be great for Fall camping trips or tailgating; simply make the sauce ahead of time and heat up when ready to eat. We enjoyed ours during a rainy trip to the Oregon Coast.

Okay, but lets get to it how were they? They were so delicious! Although they would have been better with a New England hot dog bun but the West Coast just doesn’t seem to stock the best kind of hot dog buns. Also these are best enjoyed with a great Vermont beer.

What did my meat eating, Charlie’s Red Hots loving parents think? Well as soon as my mom got home to Vermont she sent about 12 text messages desperately requesting that I get this recipe post live so they could make the sauce at home.

What is a food from your childhood that you love to recreate at home?

Psst: If you need a great place to stay on the Oregon Coast my friend Lisa’s #beachvibescottage is perfect– you can find it on airbnb plus use this affiliate link and get $40 to travel.

Loving Earth Chocolate Banana Bread Donuts

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Is it doughnuts or donuts? Whatever it is I love them. Powdered, cinnamon sugar, jelly filled, blueberry basil – I love them all. What I don’t love is the sugar hangover that they often give me so they are a treat that I have a few times a year, usually when we bring out of town guests to Blue Star Donuts.

But I have good news! Amazing news! Delicious news!

I have found a doughnut that tastes great, free of refined sugar and you can eat as many as you want without getting that awful sugar hangover. You might even call them healthy or at least healthier plus they are covered in some amazing chocolate that it is Loving Earth’s vegan chocolate bars are free of sugar, dairy, gluten and grain.

Banana Bread Donuts

Inspired by The Little Plantation 

Note: I used a scale to weigh my flour, sugar and chocolate chips based on the measurements from the original recipe. Pssst these doughnuts are also gluten free! 

Ingredients

FOR THE DONUTS

  • 185g gluten-free pastry flour (I used Jovial**)
  • ⅔ tsp baking powder
  • 75g coconut sugar
  • 35g vegan chocolate chips
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted (+ extra for greasing the doughnut tin)
  • 1.5 tablespoons ground flax seeds + 4.5 tablespoons water
  • 1.5 very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/3 cup vanilla vegan yogurt

FOR THE TOPPING

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the circles of your doughnut pan with coconut oil and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients – the flour, baking powder and sugar until nicely combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix in well. Set aside.
  • combine the ground flax seeds with the water in a small bowl and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • Over a very low heat, melt the coconut oil.  
  • In a small bowl mix together the melted coconut oil, the mashed bananas, the yogurt and the water/flax seed mixture; stir to combine.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until just combined. 
  • Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe circles of dough into the prepared doughnut pan. Spread evenly. Bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
  • While the donuts are cooling, prepare the glaze by melting the chocolate in a double boiler or simply a bowl placed over a pan with water that’s been gently brought to the boil. Do not microwave the chocolate or it may burn.
  • Once the donuts have cooled down, dip them in the chocolate glaze and top with coconut chips.

I recommend eating these donuts right away or store them in the fridge. If you and/or your family is anything like me and mine these won’t last more than a day anyways.

Now I need to get my hands on some  Loving Earth Caramel Chocolate so I can make these Salted Caramel Donuts.

**Found on ThriveMarket.com – receive 25% off your first order via my link.

Eating To Heal The Postpartum Body

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Immediately after birth digestion is slower and weaker. All those organs that help to process our food have been squished up to make space for a growing baby and then suddenly they have so much space and it takes time for them to heal and adjust.

To help it is important to focus on easy to digest and warming foods. Foods that can be described as soft, soupy, warm and/or mild are exactly what the body needs to heal the weeks following childbirth.

Soupy foods replenish the body with liquids lost during childbirth, warming foods help to nourish and heal and soft foods are easier on digestion and all of these foods can help to prevent the dreaded postpartum constipation. 

For the first few weeks focus on broth-y soups, mild coconut curry and nourishing lentil soups. Some great options include:

Beyond soups and broths it is important to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Room temperature and warming liquids are ideal to help heal the body. Great options are water, herbal teas and broths. While you may want to grab coffee or caffeinated tea it’s best to keep those to a minimum at least for the first few weeks.

Additionally focus on healthy fats such as coconut, avocado and olive oil. Healthy fats help to enrich breastmilk and they also are said to boost metabolism, balance hormones and support your mood.

Ultimately the most important thing to do is listen to your body. Your body knows exactly what it needs so listen to it and follow its direction.  

[Recipe] Vegan Crepes with Strawberries and Cream

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Disclaimer: This post was created in partnership with;KitchenIQ and So Delicious Dairy Free.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and so I’ve been thinking about what I would want my hubby and kids to make me for breakfast. Since Neil is the pancake maker of the house (I burn them every time) my first thought was pancakes but really I don’t care that much for pancakes. So my next thought crepes. We never make crepes at home and rarely eat them out so they would be a fun treat. Bonus they are super easy to make so Neil could easily have the kids help him put it together!

These crepes are easy to make however they do take a little bit of time to sit and chill. That being said they are best for brunch unless eating breakfast 2+ hours after you wake up is your normal. For us breakfast is pretty much as soon as we roll out of bed so these are a perfect second breakfast or brunch.

Step 1. Mix up the batter.

Step 2. Make lemon-strawberry sauce.

Step 3. Make Maple Vanilla Cream.

Step 4. Wait and wait until your crepe batter is ready. 

Step 5. Cook up your crepes and then promptly devour. 

Continue below for the full recipe.

Sweet Vegan Crepes with Strawberries & Cream
Yields 6
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Prep Time
2 hr 5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Prep Time
2 hr 5 min
Cook Time
20 min
Crepe batter
  1. 2/3 cup So Delicious Unsweetened Cashew Milk
  2. 1/2 cup water
  3. 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  4. 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  5. 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  6. 1 cup all purpose flour
  7. pinch of salt
For Lemon-Strawberry Sauce
  1. 1 pint strawberries, sliced
  2. 1 lemon, juice & zest
  3. 2-4 tablespoons coconut sugar
For Maple Cream
  1. 1 cup unsweetened vanilla coconut yogurt
  2. 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  3. 1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder
Instructions
  1. Place all of the CREPE ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth. Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours.
  2. While the crepe batter is chilling make the LEMON-STRAWBERRY SAUCE. Toss the sliced strawberries with the coconut sugar, lemon juice and zest; mix to combine. Cover and chill.
  3. For the MAPLE CREAM - place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together, cover and chill.
  4. 2 Hours Later....Heat a medium sized frying pan over medium-high heat. Grease the pan with coconut oil or vegan margarine and then pour in 3-4 tablespoons of the batter swirling to create a thin layer. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are golden. Once cooked top with berries and cream. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. I have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour but I would imagine it could work - if you do let me know if the comments below.
  2. You can use whatever plant-based milk that you prefer however I find that this cashew milk has such a great flavor that really adds to the flavor of the crepe.
  3. I used the KitchenIQ V-etched Better Zester!, GreenWhisk & Spatula (2 in 1), Prep & Measure Tool (3 in 1) and Edge Grip Quick Prep Knife Sharpener & Paring Knife Combo to help create this recipe.
  4. Thank you to KitchenIQ and So Delicious for partnering with me on this recipe.
Naturally Lindsay https://www.naturallylindsay.com/

What are your plans for Mother’s Day? Will you or your loved ones be cooking up something yummy? 

[Recipe] Cheezy Vegan Everything But The Bagel Biscuits

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The internet is buzzing about Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel spice mix and for good reason it is delicious. It’s perfect sprinkled over hummus, on top of avocado toast and my current favorite my Cheezy Everything But The Bagel Biscuits (with all the fixings).

I have made these twice in the past week and then we ran out of flour so that put my biscuit making to a halt which is probably not a bad thing because my family and I could easily eat an entire batch in a day.

Cheezy Everything But The Bagel Biscuits
Serves 2
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  2. 2 1/4cup all-purpose flour
  3. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  4. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  5. 1/8 teaspoon salt
  6. 1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
  7. 5 tablespoons cold Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
  8. 1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese
  9. 1 tablespoon melted Earth Balance
  10. Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425F
  2. Combine almond milk and apple cider vinegar and set asid.
  3. In the base of a food processor fitted with the s-blade combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pulse 3-4 times to combine.
  4. Slice the cold Earth Balance and add to the bowl of the food processor and pulse 7-9 times just to combine.
  5. Add the vegan cheddar shreds to the bowl of the food processor and return the top.
  6. Add the agave to the almond milk mixture.
  7. With the food processor on low slowly stream the almond milk mixture through the feed tube and process until a dough forms.
  8. Flour a large service and turn the dough out on to the board. Very lightly knead the dough to form a ball.
  9. Roll out the dough until 1" thick and then using a biscuit cutter or a glass cut out biscuits. Place biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the biscuits with melted Earth Balance and then generously sprinkle with Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel mix.
  10. Bake for 10-15 minutes until firm and lightly browned.
  11. Transfer biscuits to a wire rack and allow to cool.
  12. Store in an air tight container for 3-5 days - although I highly doubt they will last that long.
Naturally Lindsay https://www.naturallylindsay.com/
So your biscuits have cooled enough to eat who will you enjoy them? I like to load mine up with beans, greens, and avocado but they are great as is or with vegan cream cheese or topped with a vegan breakfast sausage. Really the possibilities are endless.

Easy No Bake Granola Bars | Graceland Fruit

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This easy granola bar recipe is a sponsored post brought to you by Graceland Fruit.
graceland-fruit-1Who is ready for a new EASY recipe? Well I finally have one for you. Life has been crazy lately so my time in the kitchen has been all about quick and easy while still being healthy.

My entire family is all about snacking and having easy to grab foods for on the go whether it’s work, a playdate, post swim lessons or a fun family outing. While we love to grab fresh fruit because honestly what could be easier but we love to have something that isn’t just fruit. That is why I am just loving these new bars.

graceland-fruit-9

They are…

EASY
QUICK
HEALTHY
NO-BAKE
INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS

Easy No Bake Granola Bars
Quick and Easy Granola Bars
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
  2. 2 cups crushed pretzels
  3. 1/2 cup dried cherries
  4. 1/2 cup dried blueberries
  5. 1/2 cup mini dark chocolate chips
  6. 1 cup unsweetened peanut butter
  7. 1/2 cup brown rice syrup
  8. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Combine the oats, pretzels, dried fruit and chocolate chips and mix.
  2. Add the peanut butter, brown rice syrup and vanilla extract; mix until fully combined.
  3. Pour the granola mix into a lined baking dish and press down into one even layer.
  4. Pop in the freezer for 30-45 minutes.
  5. Remove and cut into bars, wrap each individual bar and return to the freezer.
  6. They are now ready to grab-and-go whenever you are feeling hungry.
Naturally Lindsay https://www.naturallylindsay.com/
How easy was that recipe? I really love the addition of Graceland Fruit dried blueberries and cherries but you can easily customize these bars based on what you have on hand. These bars would be great with nuts and seeds or even swap the peanut butter for your other favorite nut or seed butter. 

You could also form the mix into little balls instead of bars. They also travel really well. Grab them from the freezer and toss in a lunch bag and go. Quick, easy and delicious! 

What is your favorite granola bar combination?

Graceland Fruit makes packages of dried cherries, cranberries, and blueberries and is now available on the West Coast at Fred Meyer and QFC stores.

 

[RECIPE] Probiotic Smoothie Popsicles

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The post was created as a part of the #GenesisTodaySuperfoods August Challenge.
genesis today smoothie pop

This summer we have had a meal of popsicles more than once or twice this summer. These aren’t just any popsicles though and you can’t purchase them in the store. I’m talking about superfood and homemade. With Portland’s heat this summer and the lack of desire to cook has me throwing things into the blender, pouring into popsicle molds and voila there’s breakfast, lunch or dinner. I love to keep these popsicles nutrient dense, free of refined sugars and packed with superfoods.

genesis today pop

Probiotic Smoothie Popsicles
Popsicles for your gut.
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Ingredients
  1. One Medium Banana
  2. 1 Cup Chopped Frozen Kale
  3. 12 OZ Orange Juice
  4. 3 Probiotic Capsules
  5. 1/4 Cup Blackberries
Instructions
  1. Add the banana, kale, orange juice and blackberries to a blender.
  2. Open the probiotic capsules and add to the smoothie.
  3. Blend until smoothie.
  4. Drink up or pour into popsicle molds and freeze!
Naturally Lindsay https://www.naturallylindsay.com/
genesis today pops

Since actively taking a probiotic I have experienced better digestion and just overall I feel better. Since I’m not big on taking pills I love that I can open the capsules and add these probiotics to my smoothies and popsicles or even my oats! Genesis Today’s Probiotic strains promote healthy intestinal microflora and healthy digestion. A few extra perks of these probiotics:

  • This blend contains no animal sources and includes 17 beneficial strains of health-promoting bacteria superfruits, sprouted greens, and fermented fruits and vegetables.
  • The best part is this probiotic blend helps keep your cut nice and happy.

So I have a happy belly, a happy family and I don’t even have to turn the stove/oven on!
Do you take a probiotic?

Disclaimer: I am blogger ambassador for Genesis Today. I received monetary compensation for this post. The opinions are my own and based on my own experience.