Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1 15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2-3 TBS chopped cilantro
  • juice of one lime
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 cup cooked corn
  • 1/4 cup diced pickled red onion
  • white corn tortillas
  • greens of your choice
  • avocado
  • sriracha or salsa
  • vegan nacho cheese sauce

Directions

  1. Pierce sweet potato and microwave on high for 4 minutes or until just starts to soften. Remove from microwave and cool until able to handle. Peel of skin and dice potato.
  2. In a saucepan, combine sweet potato and next 6 ingredients and heat through until sweet potato is soft.
  3. Heat tortillas in 375 degree oven, or in a skillet over medium heat.
  4. Assemble tacos – place greens on tortilla, top with a generous spoonful of bean and sweet potato mixture. Add corn, then pickled red onions(to pickle, pour apple cider vinegar over onions and let them sit for at least 30 minutes). Top with diced avocado, vegan nacho cheese sauce, and sriracha or salsa, then serve!

A plant-based spin on some classic Mexican ingredients for your next Taco Tuesday!

Lentil, Mushroom & Sun Dried Tomato Wraps

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of dried green lentils
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 cup cremini mushrooms, chopped
  • 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes – the ones dried in a bag, not the ones jarred in oil, chopped
  • 1/4 diced red onions
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • oil-free hummus
  • greens, whatever kind you fancy
  • 6 whole grain 10-inch wraps

Directions

  1. Prepare the lentils. Combine lentils and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are cooked through.
  2. Meanwhile, in a skillet combine the next 7 ingredients and cook until tender, adding a splash of vegetable broth or water as needed to prevent sticking. When lentils are ready, add to skillet and mix well.
  3. Spread a tablespoon of hummus on each wrap. Top this with a bed of greens of your choosing. Add a couple of heaping tablespoons of lentil mixture and roll up.

I like to serve this alongside a Strawberry Spinach Salad. Packed with nutrients and protein, this makes for a delicious, filling and healthy lunch!

Tempeh Tacos with Corn Salsa

Ingredients

  • 2 ears of corn, husks and silks removed
  • 1/3 cup diced red onion
  • handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 2-3 TBS cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 8 ounce package of organic tempeh
  • 2 TBS salsa
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 8-10 corn tortillas
  • arugula
  • diced avocado
  • sriracha

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Place corn in microwave and cook on high for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through, but still firm. Remove from microwave and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before handling. Once cooled enough to touch, place upright on cutting board and run a knife down the inside of the kernels, separating them from the cob.
  3. Place corn kernels in a bowl and mix with the next seven ingredients. Mix thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate.
  4. In a skillet over medium heat, combine tempeh, salsa, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook until well combined and slightly softened, using a splash of vegetable broth or water as needed to prevent sticking.
  5. Meanwhile, heat corn tortillas in the oven for about 5 minutes, turning over halfway through. Time hack – can also heat 2-3 at a time in a skillet if you don’t want to wait for an oven to preheat or simply don’t want to heat the house up in the summer months.
  6. Once tortillas are done, it’s time to assemble. Place tortillas in a taco holder or on a plate. Scoop a generous tablespoon of tempeh onto the tortilla. Layer on some arugula, as much or as little as you like. Scoop on a generous tablespoon of corn salsa. Top with diced avocado and a drizzle of sriracha. If you’re not a fan of heat, you can alternately use salsa

Simple, quick, and packed with nutrients! Tempeh is an excellent source of protein, and is made from soy which means it packs a one-two punch as a hormone regulator and a cancer preventer. Arugula is not only a green leafy, but also a cruciferous vegetable, which means it’s fantastic for your immune system, calming inflammation, and overall gut health. Red onions are also a powerhouse for the immune system, and you can’t forget the lycopene of the tomatoes, as well as the antioxidant power that comes with all brightly colored vegetables. Throw in some avocado for a little healthy fat (omit if you are trying to lose weight as there is already enough healthy fat in the tempeh), and a little heat with the sriracha. All packed into one little taco!

We try to do tacos once per week because there are so many different combinations of ingredients that can go into them, they’re fast, and everyone loves tacos! We never get tired of them!

If you try them, I’d love to know what you think. Feel free to let me know in the comments below!

Guilt-Free Chocolate Donuts

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A healthy, power-packed breakfast!

Makes: 12 donuts

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2/3 cups oat flour (or just oats ground fine in a food processor)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, ground in a food processor
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 Tbs milled or ground flax seed
  • 1 Tbs Cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup of shredded zucchini
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup almond milk, or other non-dairy milk
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 3/4 cup stevia for baking
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Combine first 9 ingredients in a large food processor (or a bowl with a hand mixer will also work well) and blend.
  3. Add zucchini and chocolate chips to the bowl.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix together all of the remaining ingredients, then pour into the food processor bowl and process until well-blended. Alternatively, mix with hand mixer for a couple of minutes.
  5. Divide mixture among 12 silicon donut molds. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean

This recipe was adapted from a zucchini bread recipe that I love. While the zucchini bread by itself was good, it could easily be made better by adding some antioxidant rich walnuts, oat flour, and ground flax. Skipping the oil and will also make the heart and arteries much happier. As for the donut molds instead of a bread pan? Well, that’s just to make it look more breakfast-like! Plus, it becomes a single-serve grab-and-go that way.

I like to pair it with some mixed fruit to get a good, well-rounded breakfast. For a little icing, you could also melt some more dark chocolate and drizzle on top. I prefer to keep the sugars as low as possible, though, so I just keep mine plain and dunk in some coffee. Soft, delicious, and gentle on your heart and your waistline!