Chia Walnut Banana Bread

Chia Walnut Banana Bread

Makes 8 slices

• 3 brown bananas, mashed
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 + 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• dash sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a small loaf pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine flour, chia seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. In a separate bowl, combine mashed bananas and vanilla extract. In two batches add dry ingredients to wet ones and combine well. Fold in chopped walnuts and then pour batter into loaf pan, making sure that it sits evenly. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean!

Spicy Cauliflower Tacos

Spicy Cauliflower Tacos

Serves 1

• 1.5 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 small slice sweet onion
• 1 large handful kale, torn into pieces
• 2 small corn tortillas
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• salt and pepper
• 1 bunch romaine lettuce 
• 2 tbsp Tofutti vegan sour cream
• 2 tbsp salsa 
• 1 tsp Sriracha 

Put cauliflower, onion, and kale in a frying pan with a small amount of water and place over medium heat. While its cooking, warm tortillas in the microwave or oven. I did one minute in the microwave. Add cumin, chili powder, and salt and pepper to the veggies and sauté until they are steamed through. 

Spread veggies over the tortillas and serve with drizzled Sriracha, lettuce, salsa, and Tofutti. 

Vegan Potato Salad with Kale and Red Onion

Vegan Potato Salad with Kale and Red Onion

Serves 4

• 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into bite sized chunks
• 1/4 of a red onion, chopped
• ~ 3 cups of kale, cut in pieces
• 4 tbsp vegenaise 
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp agave nectar
• 1 tsp Sriracha 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add potatoes. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until soft but not mushy. Drain and allow to cool. Add a 1/2-inch of water to a frying pan and add kale. Heat on medium until kale is tender and wilted, then drain and allow to cool. To make the dressing, combine vegan mayo, ACV, agave nectar, and chili sauce.  In a large bowl, combine potatoes, onions, kale, and dressing. Toss well and serve cold or at room temperature.

Breaded Sesame Tofu Salad

Breaded Sesame Tofu Salad

Serves 1

• 1/2 head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 handful baby spinach
• 1 small handful raw kale, removed from stems
• 1 thin slice red onion, chopped
• 1 handful pea sprouts
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 2 tbsp dried cherries
• 1/4 an avocado, cubed
• 1 tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/5 a block of extra firm tofu, pressed
• 1/2 a flax egg (1/2 tbsp ground flaxseeds + 1.5 tbsp water)
• 2 tbsp bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• a dash of salt
• 2 tbsp salsa, optional
• cooking oil or spray

Grease a frying pan lightly with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Combine bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, and sesame seeds.  Cut tofu into small cubes. Dip each cube first in the flax egg, and then in the bread crumb mixture. Make sure each cube is coated on all sides before dropping in the hot pan. Allow to cook on each side until crisp and browned. While tofu is browning, combine all other ingredients except salsa in a large bowl and toss with the oil and vinegar. Transfer to a plate if desired. Once tofu is browned, top the salad with the cubes and add salsa if you want! 

Curried Coconut Milk Cornbread

Curried Coconut Milk Cornbread

Makes 8-12 servings

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut non-dairy milk
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup agave nectar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and grease a 9-inch pie plate. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, and wet ingredients in another. Add dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix only until the dry stuff is absorbed. Pour the batter into your pie plate and shake it from side to side slightly to even the distribution. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Loaded Broccoli Soup

Loaded Broccoli Soup

Makes two 1.5 cup servings

• 1 medium head of broccoli (including the stalk), chopped into pieces
• 1/3 a medium onion, sliced and separated
• 4 large cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (hereafter referred to as "nooch")
• 1 cup unsalted vegetable stock
• 1 cup coconut milk
• a dash each of salt, pepper, curry powder, and cumin
• olive oil cooking spray
• 2 tbsp vegan sour cream
• 4 tbsp salsa + 4 tbsp vegan sour cream
• 1 oz shredded vegan cheese 
• bread of choice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a dish or roasting pan with cooking spray. Toss broccoli, onion, and garlic with spices and cooking spray and place vegetables in the roasting pan. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, then remove and toss the vegetables. Replace in the oven and cook for another ten minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Transfer veggies to a food processor and add vegetable stock, coconut milk, nooch, and 2 tbsp of vegan sour cream. Add items slowly and blend well in between so that you don't blow up the food processor. Trust me, I've had it happen. Taste test and add more spices or nooch if desired. Transfer to a saucepan and warm over medium heat, stirring. Serve in bowls and top with the combined salsa and sour cream, and shredded vegan cheese.

Tempeh Bacon / B.L.T. Quinoa

Tempeh Bacon

Makes about 24 small slices

• 1 8 oz. package of tempeh
• 2 tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp liquid smoke
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• dash black pepper
• safflower oil 

Cut tempeh into quarters, then turn each quarter on its side and cut into three thin slices. At this point you'll have 12 strips. Combine tamari, liquid smoke, maple syrup, and pepper. Stack the tempeh evenly in a tupperware container and pour the liquid mixture over it. Let the tempeh marinate in the fridge at least overnight. I let it sit for 20 hours, turning the container upside down halfway through to make sure it soaks evenly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then very lightly grease a baking sheet and place the tempeh slices on it. Brush the slices lightly with safflower oil and bake for about 7 minutes. Remove the sheet and flip the slices over with a spatula. Brush the other side with oil and let it bake for another seven minutes. Once the slices have cooled slightly, transfer to a cutting board and cut each slice length-wise. Now you have 24!

B.L.T. Quinoa 

Serves 1

• 4 slices tempeh bacon
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 slice of red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup cucumber, cut into cubes
• 1 large handful baby spinach
• 1 tsp tahini
• 1/2 tsp Sriracha 
• 1/4 tsp agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp safflower oil
• sprinkle sesame seeds
• black pepper

Cook quinoa according to package until all the water is absorbed and the germ has separated from the seed. Combine tahini, hot sauce, safflower oil, and agave. Add tahini mixture, sun dried tomato, red onion, cucumber, and spinach to warm quinoa and stir until well mixed. Place on low heat for a few minutes if necessary. Transfer to a plate or bowl and top with tempeh bacon, sesame seeds, and black pepper. 

Black Bean Lentil Burgers

Black Bean Lentil Burgers

Makes 5 large patties

• 1 + 1/2 cups cooked and drained lentils
• 1/3 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/5 cup "ground beef" style vegan soy or veggie crumbles (I used Trader Joe's Beefless ground beef, but I hear Morningstar is also good)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 5 medium-sized cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 large slice of white onion, roughly chopped
• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water)
• 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder and ground cumin
• salt and pepper

Place all ingredients except flour in a food processor and blend until fully combined. It may take a few rounds of processing to get it really smooth, but a smoother texture is worth the noisiness! Taste test the mixture and add salt and pepper as desired, processing in between additions. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl and add flour, mixing with hands or a spoon until the flour is fully incorporated. Roll a large handful of the mixture into a ball and flatten into a burger; you can either make 5 large patties like I did, or there's probably enough for 4 smaller patties. The mixture will stick to your hands a little but you should be able to form the burgers easily. If not, add flour in increments until you can form them successfully. If you don't want to cook the burgers all right away, store the rest in a plastic container with parchment paper between them so that they don't stick together. To cook the burger, grease a frying pan with cooking spray and set it over medium heat. Place the burger in the pan and cook on each side for about five minutes, or until both sides are well browned and firm but not burnt.

Magical!

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

(Roughly adapted from the Post Punk Kitchen)

Makes 16 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

• 1 + 1/2 cups almond or other non-dairy milk
• 1 + 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 + 1/8 cup raw turbinado sugar
• 1/2 cup safflower oil
• 2 + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 + 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 + 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a muffin tin lightly with cooking spray and insert paper or foil cupcake liners. Combine almond milk and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Let the bowl sit for a few minutes (you're basically making vegan buttermilk!) Add sugar, oil, and vanilla extract to the vegan buttermilk bowl and whisk until the mixture is frothy. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine with a dry whisk to make sure that the dry ingredients are uniformly mixed. Add dry ingredients to wet ones in two batches, whisking after each batch until most lumps are absorbed. Make sure you scrape the sides of the bowl; flour always gets trapped there! Once your batter is nice and mixed, spoon or pour it into the cupcake liners, filling each liner about 3/4 of the way full. I ended up doing one batch of 12 and another of 6. Bake about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once the cupcakes have cooled slightly, use a butter knife to gently lift the cupcakes out of the pan. 

For the chocolate topping:

• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1/3 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Bring almond milk to a boil in a small saucepan, then reduce heat to low. Add chocolate chips and maple syrup, stirring until chocolate has melted and dissolved into the almond milk. Once the mixture is uniform, turn off the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes. When cupcakes have cooled sufficiently, dip them one at a time upside down in the chocolate. They will be runny at first so stick them in the fridge to set once they've been dipped. 

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Serves 1  

• 100 grams of ripe mashed avocado; I used 1/2 + 1/4 of a medium avocado
• 1/2 a cup of vanilla flavored non-dairy milk
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• sweetener, to taste

Combine avocado with non-dairy milk and cocoa powder in batches in a food processor; scrape the sides, adjust amounts, and blend well to achieve a creamy consistency. Add sweetener of choice and blend until pudding is satisfyingly sweet, then transfer into a bowl and snarf with reckless abandon!

Light Pesto Pasta

Light Pesto Pasta

Serves 1

• 1 serving whole wheat spaghetti or other pasta, cooked and drained
• 1/5 of a block of silken tofu (about 91 grams)
• about 20 fresh basil leaves or more, to taste (I used 18 grams total)
• 4 cloves of fresh garlic, pressed
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened non-dairy milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• a large handful of baby spinach (optional)

Combine tofu, pressed garlic, nutritional yeast, and basil leaves in a food processor. Add non-dairy milk slowly between processing until the sauce is completely blended. Add more non-dairy milk if necessary to achieve a creamy consistency. Add salt, pepper, or more garlic/basil leaves to taste and process until combined. Combine pesto sauce, cooked spaghetti, and spinach in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until spinach has wilted and pasta is hot. Serve immediately.

Roasted Red Pepper, Mushroom, & Arugula Pasta

Roasted Red Pepper, Mushroom, and Arugula Pasta

Serves 1

• 1 serving of whole wheat spaghetti, cooked al dente and drained
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 5 small to medium sized mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini)
• 1 large handful (about a cup) of fresh arugula
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• a dash each of garlic powder, onion powder, and ground thyme
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• olive oil cooking spray (or 1 tsp olive oil)

Set oven to broil on high. Spray bell pepper evenly with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Set in a roasting tin and place in the oven as close to the flame as possible. Check on it often. Once the pepper has been slightly blackened on one side (this should not take more than ten minutes), remove the roasting tin carefully and turn the pepper. Replace it in the oven and allow the other side to blacken. Once done, remove the tin from the oven and place the pepper carefully in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the pepper to sit for ten minutes so that the skin softens. Once the pepper is cool enough, remove the skin and slice the pepper into strips. Now pat yourself on the back. You just roasted a pepper! Place mushrooms and small amount of water in a frying pan and allow mushrooms to cook on medium heat until most of the water is absorbed. Add spices and nutritional yeast and sauté to evenly coat the mushrooms. Add more water as necessary to absorb the powder ingredients. Add roasted peppers, arugula, and pasta. Saute over medium heat until arugula is wilted and the pasta is hot. Most of the liquid should be absorbed. Add salt and pepper as desired. I went a little crazy with the black pepper but I really liked the spicy taste with the sweet red peppers. I would recommend being sparse with salt and liberal with pepper. Serve immediately with a dash of vegan Parmesan if desired. 

Fajita Vegetable Stir-Fry

Fajita Vegetable Stir-Fry

Serves 1

• 1.5 bell peppers, sliced into long strips
• about 10 cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 a sweet onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup pinto beans
• large handful of baby spinach
• 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• generous amounts of garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper
• a dash of cayenne pepper
• salsa and jalapeños, to taste

Place the peppers and onions over high heat in a frying pan with a small amount of water. Allow the peppers and onions to cook until soft. Add more water as needed so the veggies don't stick. Reduce heat to medium. Add cocoa powder and spices and sauté, adding more water if necessary to prevent burning or sticking. Add pinto beans and spinach and stir until mixture is hot and spinach has wilted.

Enjoy with hot peppers and salsa!

Garlicky Broth & Greens with Tofu

Garlicky Broth & Greens with Tofu

Makes three servings

• 1 serving (1/5 of a block) extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into small cubes
• 1/2 a large zucchini, chopped into long strips
• about 1 cup of broccoli, chopped
• 2 cups of fresh baby spinach
• 2 large cloves of garlic, pressed
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube + 4 cups of water, or 1 cup of broth + 3 cups of water
• 1 tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• cooking spray
• scallions and Sriracha, for garnish

Lightly grease a frying pan with cooking spray and sauté zucchini and tofu cubes with pressed garlic over medium heat until soft and fragrant. Set aside. Place the broccoli in the frying pan with a small amount of water and steam until crisp but not soft. Set aside. Heat broth over medium-high heat. Add tamari and ginger, then add the already cooked veggies. Add spinach, stirring as you go. Cook soup on high for a few minutes until nice and hot, then serve with scallions and Sriracha. 

General Tso's Seitan

General Tso's Seitan

Serves 1

• 1/2 cup seitan wheat meat strips, or about 130 grams
• 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 1 tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (I suppose white vinegar would also work)
• two packets of stevia sweetener, or about 1/2 tsp (can substitute sugar)
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 clove of garlic, pressed
• a dash of ground ginger, or 1/2 tsp of freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp-1 tsp Sriracha chili sauce (I used 1 tsp, but you could half that or even quarter it for a milder dish)
• olive oil cooking spray, for greasing

Combine all ingredients except seitan in a mixing bowl and whisk extremely well, making sure to scrape the bottom to incorporate all of the cornstarch. Taste test and add more chili sauce or stevia as desired. Grease a frying pan with olive oil cooking spray or a small amount of olive oil and set over medium heat. Allow the pan to get hot and then drop in seitan pieces. Stir-fry pieces until they are crispy, browned, and hot. Reduce heat to low. Add the sauce from the mixing bowl to the frying pan and toss extremely well, coating the seitan pieces with the sauce. The sauce will thicken very quickly here and it will start to get gloopy if you're not careful, so only let it sit on the heat for a few minutes max. Serve over steamed broccoli and/or brown rice if desired; garnish with green onion.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Makes about 3.5 cups

• 1/3 a head of fresh cauliflower (about 2.5 cups) chopped into medium sized florets
• 1/2 a medium sweet onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup vegetable broth or 1 cup of water + 1 vegetable bouillon cube 
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• a dash each of salt and pepper
• olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss cauliflower, onion, and garlic with olive oil cooking spray. Add curry powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and toss again. Spread the veggies out in a roasting pan or baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, taking the pan out every 10 minutes to re-mix the veggies (to ensure even cooking). After 30 minutes, allow the veggies to cool. Transfer veggies to a food processor and blend. Add vegetable broth slowly, blending in between pours. Make sure not to over blend, as you want the soup to end up a little bit chunky. Whisk cornstarch with two tbsp non-dairy milk until all lumps are gone. Pour into a medium size pot and set over medium heat. Add nutritional yeast and whisk briskly until you have a thick paste. Add the food processor contents and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to incorporate the nutritional yeast. Add another 1 cup of non-dairy milk and stir continually, allowing the soup to heat up to a desirable temperature. 

The AB & J Sandwich

The AB & J Sandwich

Makes one hell of a sandwich.

• 1 or 2 slices of your favorite bread. I used one slice of Ezekiel sesame bread. 
• 1/2 a ripe avocado, sliced
• 5 or more ripe banana slices
• however many jalapeño peppers you can handle
• 2 slices vegan ham or turkey-style protein (or seitan, or tofu), optional
• salt and pepper

Toast bread. Layer vegan protein, avocado, banana, and jalapeños. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Have your world rocked. 

Spinach & Quinoa Patties with Arugula & Pan-Fried Eggplant

Spinach & Quinoa Patties with Arugula and Pan-Fried Eggplant

Yields 3 servings

• 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach or 1 cup raw spinach, chopped
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• a dash of sea salt
• olive oil cooking spray or olive oil, for greasing
• 1 tbsp Goddess Dressing per patty (Annie's and Trader Joe's are both good)
• 1 handful of fresh arugula per patty
• 6 large round slices of eggplant, chopped in half. 

Sweat the eggplant slices by sprinkling both sides with sea salt and allowing to sit for at least fifteen minutes. Once beads of moisture form on the outside, rinse the slices and dry them well. Set aside. Cook quinoa according to package until the germ separates from the seed. Once cooked, drain any extra water. Add spinach to the warm quinoa. If it is frozen, this will cause it to defrost quickly. If it is fresh, this will cause it to wilt (that's what you want). Add flour, non-dairy milk, and sea salt. Mix thoroughly. Grease a frying pan and set it over medium heat. Pour the quinoa and spinach mixture in three batches, cooking each patty by itself or doing two at a time, if your pan is large enough. Make sure the respray cooking oil in between each patty. Now, at first, the mixture will spread out on the pan like a pancake. Allow it to cook like this for a few minutes until it firms up a little. Then, scrape it together, form it into a patty, and allow it to fry for a few minutes. Don't worry so much about it burning, because it needs to be well-browned. Plus, the longer it cooks, the firmer it will be. Once it is firm enough, flip it over and brown on the other side. Be careful, these little buggers are a bit delicate. 

Remove each patty carefully from the pan and top with Goddess Dressing and arugula. Once the patties have been cooked, spray the pan again with cooking spray and throw in the eggplant slices. Sprinkle with garlic powder and Italian seasoning, frying quickly on each side. It shouldn't take long, only about 2 minutes per side. 

Thick Cut Oven Sweet Potato Fries

Thick-Cut Oven Sweet Potato Fries

Serves 1

• 1 small sweet potato, washed and cut into wide strips
• liberal amounts of garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and cinnamon
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• a small amount of olive oil or olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss sweet potato strips with spices, vinegar, and cooking spray or olive oil, making sure to coat well. Spread the fries out on a cookie sheet or baking pan in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and turn the fries over. Bake on the other side for five minutes, adding more spices in between cooking if desired. 

Chocolate Banana Bread

Chocolate Banana Bread

Yields one small loaf, or 8 1-inch slices

• 1/3 cup zucchini, peeled and then grated
• 2 very ripe medium bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
• 1 packet stevia sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• a dash of sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a small (about-9 inch long) loaf pan and set aside. Combine zucchine and banana in a mixing bowl. Mash extremely well, until there are no banana chunks present. Add cocoa powder, sugar, stevia, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir until completely combined. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk the mixture well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones in 3-4 batches, stirring well in between each addition. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan, making sure to distribute evenly throughout the pan and smooth over the top. Bake for about 35 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick; if it comes out clean, it's done. 

Taco Salad with Creamy Chili Lime Dressing

Taco Salad with Creamy Chili Lime Dressing

Serves 1 as a meal or 2 as an appetizer or side

• about 3/4 head of romaine lettuce
• 1/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup frozen corn
• 1/4 cup ground beef style soy or vegetable protein (Trader Joe's Beefless Ground Beef is my fave)
• 1/4 of a ripe avocado, sliced
• 2 tbsp of your favorite salsa
• 1/2 tbsp tahini + 1/2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp fresh or bottled lime juice
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• a dash of sea salt
• about 1/4 tsp stevia sweetener, or to taste

Chop rinsed romaine with a sharp knife and remove stems. Place leaves in a mixing bowl. Mix tahini, water, lime juice, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt together. At this point, taste the dressing and very carefully add stevia in 1/8 tsp increments. Too much sweetener could very easily ruin the dressing. It should only be sweet enough to mellow out the tartness of the lime juice. Once the dressing is very thoroughly mixed, pour it onto the salad and toss well with hands. Set aside and let the leaves sit for at least five minutes. In the meantime, lightly grease a frying pan with cooking spray and combine frozen corn, black beans, and ground beef substitute. Fry over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture is hot. Transfer romaine to a plate and top with the frying pan contents, salsa, and avocado. 

Multigrain Berry Crisp

Multigrain Berry Crisp

Adapted from Happy Herbivore's blueberry crisp recipe.

Serves 4 

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 4 packets stevia sweetener
• 1 cup dry multigrain oat cereal
• 2 tbsp creamy almond butter
• 2 tbsp agave nectar
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• a dash of fresh or bottled lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine berries in a 10-inch glass pie dish and sprinkle with 2 packets of stevia. In a mixing bowl, combine multigrain cereal, flour, almond butter, cinnamon, agave nectar, and the other two packets of stevia. Stir well until you have a crumbly mixture. Cover berries with the multigrain mixture. Sprinkle the top with lemon juice. Bake 10-15 minutes or until the top layer is crispy. Warm before serving and pair with your favorite brand of vegan ice cream!