My Favorite Vegan Recipes

Hey #fitfam

I've been getting a bunch of requests for my favorite vegan recipes or tips on how to make eating vegan easier.

Eating vegan today is already so much easier because there are so many different products and brands to try! Let me first start by saying that I don't just love anything because it's vegan, so there are plenty of things that I have tried that I haven't liked... but I do get a kick out of trying different brands and comparing them! That's just to say, just because you might not like something (and that's perfectly acceptable), it doesn't mean you won't like ANYTHING.

If you have been following my writing, I have mentioned that I'm not a great cook. I didn't grow up loving food or different foods, and I definitely didn't grow up cooking. I was always the "do what your told" kind in the kitchen so I could be helpful... not to learn about cooking or make really delicious food. However, now... I'm still not a good cook- hahah! However! Now, I really enjoy and prefer to prepare my own food where I know how I like things cooked, what flavors I prefer, and exactly what is going in the food I'll be putting in my body.

When I first started cooking vegan, there were many seemingly great recipes that would call for 1 teaspoon of Coriander... which of course I didn't even know what that was.. or 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, or 1 teaspoon of miso paste. Like first, what are these things even?! And second, I have to buy a whole jar or whatever to get one measly teaspoon! The recipes that I was using made it even harder for me to get into because there would be 18 ingredients, half of which I had never heard of and all of which I wouldn't know how to use after the 1 teaspoon I used for that particular recipe. It was quite frustrating... and to my surprise, quite common.

Over the last several years, many people have done some great work to put together recipes that at least seem easier and I have much less problems using the ingredients in other things. Part of that does come with time spent cooking and learning what each thing but also, these recipes just seem easier!

Here are some of my absolute favorite things to whip up.

Appetizers/Side Dish/Snacks

Health Salad

-chopped up tomato, cucumber, and red onion (size and proportion to your liking) and season with garlic salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar (also to taste)

Another Option

Strain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Add chopped celery and red pepper (size and proportion to your liking) and same seasoning with a drizzle of olive oil, garlic salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar (to taste).

An Easy Go-To

Pasta Salad- Pasta- Tri color rotini and bowties are my favorite for this- or Couscous (pearl/Israeli are my preference) cooked and rinsed with cold water. Add a drizzle of olive oil, diced/chopped cucumber, tomatoes, artichokes, and olives. Add or remove anything you don't like. Season with Italian dressing, or same as above!

Dinners

Pasta Pomodoro

Not only is this dish, pretty easy (and easy to remember), this website/blog is phenomenal. Absolutely amazing, I highly recommend you check it out for other banger recipes.

https://www.loveandlemons.com/pasta-pomodoro/

Couscous Chickpea Tabbouleh Bowl

And it was because of this dish, (thanks Hello Fresh!!) that I fell in love with Dill. Like fresh dill. I didn't even know it was a plant/herb lol I thought it was a type of pickle.... which it is, but it's not the pickle that's dill. It's a cucumber saturated in vinegar, and DILL (seeds). Anyways, now I actually add dill to other stuff like the Health Salad.. and maybe to all of those appetizers;)

https://www.hellofresh.com/recipe/details/5e838f2a17463c0829771723

These next two don't really require recipes for me anymore. I pretty much either make what I have and/or keep these pretty simple.

Mexican Inspired Bowl

White or Vegetable fried rice, black beans, diced tomatoes and onions, avocado, ground crumble, and lettuce. Seasoned with garlic, salt, pepper, cilantro, and hot sauce if you want.

This one above, I added a mango salsa on top! Just chopped mango, diced tomatoes and cucumber with red wine vinegar, garlic salt, and pepper. Sound familiar?;)

Asian Inspired Stir Fry with Dumplings

White or vegetable rice, garlic or soy sauce tofu seared in small cubes, sautéed sliced red and yellow peppers with red onion, roasted broccoli, sometimes cooked edamame, and sautéed mushrooms and/or zucchini. Season with soy sauce and sesame seeds! The dumplings, I buy from Public (although I need to get in on one of these Dumpling Making classes!) and cook by the package directions- but are also super easy and extremely delicious!

Being happy and satisfied with the food I'm eating is one way that I take time to notice and appreciate the little things! The bare necessity to life, my food, I have been loving appreciating this small, but quite big thing! What have you been doing this month to appreciate the little things?

Finish strong #fitfam, we're approaching the half way mark in August! Can you believe it?!?!

Have a great weekend and I hope to see you at one of our classes next week!

Tuesday at 5pm and Thursday at 10am if you're free! RSVP in Events to both Zoom classes

<3

Coach Kwo