Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

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Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

Want to learn how to make delicious buffalo cauliflower wings? These buffalo cauliflower wings are easy, vegan and taste better than the real thing. The best part? They are completely meat-free!

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Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

Course Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

Batter

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Buffalo Sauce

  • 1/4 cup Tabasco Brand Buffalo Sauce *cut with non-dairy milk if mixture is too spicy
  • 2 tbsp Earth Balance butter

Vegan Ranch Dressing

  • 1 cup vegan mayonnaise (I used Veganaise)
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp parsley
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp dill

Instructions

  1. Cut and wash cauliflower. Cover cauliflower in batter, shake off excess batter and place on a non-stick baking sheet or parchment paper.

  2. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees and bake for about 20 minutes.

  3. You can turn over the wings and bake for another 20 minutes if desired. 

  4. In a sauce pan, combine the vegan butter and buffalo sauce and bring to a slight boil, remove from heat and set aside. 

  5. Once wings are cooked, toss wings in buffalo sauce, bake for an additional 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

  6. Mix vegan ranch dressing ingredients together in a sealable container and serve.

I guarantee you that you will never want to eat regular chicken wings again after trying this recipe. The consistency is so similar to chicken that it’s scary. Why eat the legs of an innocent being and have to pick around bones and veins when you don’t have to? Try the difference!

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings recipe video:

If you’re looking for even more cauliflower wing recipes (lemon pepper, orange ‘chicken,’ jerk ‘chicken,’ and even cauliflower popcorn) check out this post.

Recommended:

Cauliflower Wings 5 Ways

Vegan Bacon Cheese Fries

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Vegan Bacon Cheese Fries
Vegan Bacon Cheese Fries
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Vegan Bacon Cheese Fries

Course Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 medium sized potatoes
  • 1 package vegan shredded cheese (I used Daiya)
  • 3-5 slices Field Roast cheese (Chao flavor)
  • 1 bunch green onion
  • desired seasonings for french fries

Instructions

  1. Cut and wash potatoes. Toss with desired seasonings. I used seasoned salt and black pepper.

  2. Place fries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking pad. If you can, try to avoid aluminum foil because it is toxic.

  3. Bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes on each side (or until desired crispiness). 

  4. Move fries to a rectangular baking dish. Add your layers of cheese to the baking dish. Shredded then, slices. Place in the oven until the cheese is melted.

  5. Add tempeh bacon and green onions to baking dish and serve with vegan ranch dressing.

Recipe Notes

Tempeh bacon and vegan ranch dressing recipes are also listed below. 

Vegan tempeh bacon and vegan ranch dressing recipes below:

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Vegan Bacon (Tempeh)

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 package tempeh
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 2 tsp liquid smoke
  • 1/2 tsp hot sauce
  • 1/2 tsp cumin

Instructions

  1. Slice the tempeh into thin slices and let the pieces sit in the marinade for 10-15 minutes (overnight if you can). 

  2. Sautee tempeh in a pan with a light layer of olive oil. Cook until desired crispiness. Toss in any remaining marinade you have left over and let simmer. 

  3. Remove tempeh slices from heat and place on a paper towel. Can dice if desired or serve as is. 

Recipe Notes

For the tempeh, I used Lightlife's brand which can be found at many health food stores. 

If you want to make a jar of the marinade so you don't have to remix every time, increase the measurements 1:1 to each serving you'd like to store away. Example: for 4 servings, do 4x as much of each ingredient.

 

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Vegan Ranch Dressing

Course Dinner, Dressing, Lunch, Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegan mayonnaise (I used Veganaise)
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp parsley
  • 1/4 tsp dill
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Mix vegan ranch dressing ingredients together in a sealable container and serve.

Whether you need an easy dish to serve at your next game day bash, or you simply want to jazz up your french fries, this vegan bacon cheese fries recipe will hit the spot for sure. You can tweak this recipe a bit by maybe adding a spicy cheese or using a chipotle ranch dip instead of regular ranch. Get creative with it! There’s really no wrong way to cook as long as it tastes good to you.

Check out my video on these Vegan Bacon Cheese Fries below:

Recommended:

Vegan Bacon Recipe Ideas

Vegan Chocolate Birthday Cake

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Easy Vegan Chocolate Birthday Cake

There’s no way you can make a moist, easy vegan chocolate birthday cake. Or is there? There’s also no way you can replace applesauce for eggs. Right?

After I tasted this cake (and the cupcakes from the leftover batter), I was made a believer. Veganism alone is full of unique substitutes for meat, eggs, and dairy, but vegan baking is on a whole ‘nother plane. If you can dream it, you can veganize it and this vegan chocolate birthday cake is delicious proof that the best tasting food is cruelty free.

Follow the instructions below to learn how to make an Easy Vegan Chocolate Birthday Cake:

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Easy Vegan Chocolate Birthday Cake (gluten-free option included)

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cup flour (do not use wheat flour)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 2 cups maple syrup
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (diy recipe below)

Chocolate Flavoring

  • 1 cup Earth Balance (vegan butter)
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup boiling water

Frosting

  • 1 can full fat coconut milk (chilled)
  • 6 oz non-dairy Baker's chocolate
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup (can use agave but may be a tad less sweet)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Combine dry cake ingredients into a bowl. Stir. Add in wet cake ingredients and mix both together with a spoon.

  3. Place butter into a small sauce pan and warm on med-low heat. In a separate bowl (or teakettle), boil 1 cup water. Once the butter is melted, add in cocoa powder and stir the mixture to combine. Pour the boiling water into the mixture and mix everything together into a smooth chocolate mixture. Add this chocolate mixture into the mixing bowl with the other cake ingredients.

  4. Grease a 9-inch cake pan with coconut oil. Just use your hands. Pour cake mixture into the pan, leaving about a 1/2 inch of room at the top. Pour any leftover mixture into a muffin tin. Bake for 27 minutes. 

  5. Every oven is different, so insert a fork into the middle of the cake after 27 minutes to check and see if it is done. If the fork comes out clean, it is ready. Remove cake from oven and let cool for about 25 minutes

Frosting

  1. Remove chilled can of coconut milk from the fridge. Use a spoon to remove the hard top layer from the can. Save the water or discard since you only need the hard part. Be sure to leave all the water in the can, you don’t want it in your frosting.

  2. Place the coconut cream into a medium sized mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, stir until smooth. Add in maple syrup (or agave) and vanilla extract and mix. 

  3. Melt the Baker’s chocolate in a sauce pan on very low heat. YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT AT ALL TIMES. Or else it might burn/stick. Do not walk away from the chocolate. Place melted chocolate into the coconut cream mixture. Let chill for 20-30 minutes and frost the cake with a spatula.

Recipe Notes

Gluten-Free Option: To make your own gluten free flour, use: 1 cup brown rice flour, 3/4 tapioca starch, 1/2 cup sweet rice flour, 3/4 tsp guar gum ( I just used Trader Joe’s All-Purpose Baking Flour

DIY Applesauce: 2-3 apples yields about 2/3 cup applesauce. Just core and slice apples (no need to peel) and placed them in a high powered blender. 

*use any leftover batter to make cupcakes.

I soooo wish you could taste this through your screen. The cake was unbelievably moist and had the perfect mixture of chocolate and sweetness. Who would’ve thought that apple sauce (homemade) would make for such a great egg substitute? Can’t wait to test out the applesauce with different cake flavors. Let me know if you try this yourself!

For more cake porn, watch how to make this Easy Vegan Chocolate Birthday Cake:

If you’re feeling fancy check out my video on how to make a Vegan Momofuku Birthday Cake inspired by Milk Bar NYC below.

Recommended:

Milk Bar NYC’s Momofuku Birthday Cake made VEGAN!

Juice with Vitamix | 4 Easy Recipes

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juice with vitamix

Can you really juice with Vitamix?

You sure can.

I hope you guys enjoy these 4 juicing favorites of mine. If you don’t have the time to prep lots of veggies throughout the week, juicing is a great way to compensate! Just takes about 1.5 hours for all four, that can be knocked out on a lazy Sunday for the upcoming week. I would not be juicing if I couldn’t juice with Vitamix, I love that machine and it makes it easy for a juicing-newbie like myself. I bought mine refurbished from their website and it works good as new 🙂

Check out their refurbished models here

I did 4 different recipes:

  • 1/2 beet, 1/2 cup grapes, kale, 4 carrots, 1 thumb ginger, 1 apple (not green), coconut water
  • 1/2 beet, 2 stalks celery, 1/2 cup grapes, lemon, lime, 1 thumb ginger, 1 apple (not green), coconut water
  • Carrots (6), 2 apples (not green), ginger, 1 orange, 1/2 pineapple, lemon, lime
  • 2 cucumbers, 1 cup spinach, 1 1/2 cup kale (not chopped), 1/2 pineapple, 1 thumb ginger. 2 apples, lemon, lime

The key is to add the toughest items first (at the bottom) you’ll also want to have about 3/4 liquid in the blender, whether that’s water or coconut water or a mixture of both is up to you. Blend on low for a few seconds and then crank up to the highest setting. Once everything is smooth strain until desired texture. I strain mine at least four times. Carrot juice will have a lot more excess pulp than the other recipes. I like to strain my juices until the consistency is silky smooth. This takes about 3-4 passes depending on the ingredients.

As far Vitamix waste vs. juicer waster, I will say that you can repurpose both. Since the Vitamix waste is liquid, then you can freeze the excess and save for a smoothie or smoothie bowl for later. The juicer waste, or pulp, can be used to make muffins, crackers, bread, and much more. As far as deciding which investment to make, it all depends on your preference and how much time you have to prep.

These recipes make approx 32 oz of juice post-straining and will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Learn how to juice with Vitamix here:

Recommended:

Healthy Summer Drink Recipes

Healthy Summer Drink Recipes

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healthy summer drink recipes

Whether it actually is summer or you just want a taste of something sweet and cold, these healthy summer drink recipes will transport you to instant vacay mode. My watermelon lemonade, berry lemonade, strawberry lemonade and cucumber melonade recipes are a great alternative to sugary drinks at your local grocery store.

Recipes are listed below!

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Berry Lemonade with Coconut Water

Course Beverages, Drinks, Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 24 oz coconut water
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup
  • 3/4 cup blueberries
  • 8 lemons

Instructions

  1. Juice lemons.

  2. Place 3/4 cup berries in a blender, cover the berries with approx 12 oz coconut water, add 2 tbsp maple syrup and blend until smooth.

  3. In a pitcher, mix berry puree, lemon juice, 2 tbsp maple syrup, and the rest of the coconut water. Stir.

  4. Garnish with a blackberry and a lemon slice.

Recipe Notes

  • The amount of coconut to use will depend on the size of the pitcher you choose. 
  • The blueberry mixture will settle while in the fridge so you may have to blend it again on a very low setting before the next serving. 

healthy summer drink recipes

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Watermelon Lemonade

Course Beverages, Drinks, Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 mini watermelon
  • 4 lemons (approx 1/2 cup lemon juice)
  • 2 tbsp coconut nectar

Instructions

  1. Juice 4 lemons and set aside.

  2. Cut watermelon in half and dig out flesh from the rind. Blend watermelon and approx 1/2 cup water until smooth. Strain watermelon juice if desired. I strained this mixture twice.

  3. Combine juices into a pitcher. Stir and taste. Add 2 tbsp coconut nectar or other sweetener if desired.

  4. Garnish with lemon and watermelon slice. 

healthy summer drink recipes

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Strawberry Lemonade

Course Beverages, Drinks, Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 lemons
  • 1 pack strawberries
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 4 tbsp coconut nectar (or natural sweetener of choice)
  • mint for garnish
  • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries for pitcher (optional)

Instructions

  1. Juice 8 lemons, strain (if desired), and set aside. 

  2. Blend strawberries, 1 tbsp coconut nectar, and 1 cup water until smooth. 

  3. Combine juices in a pitcher, add 3/4 cup water and stir. 

  4. Garnish with strawberry and mint leaves. Can add the optional 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries to the pitcher for added flavor. 

healthy summer drink recipes

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Cucumber Melon Juice

Course Beverages, Drinks, Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 cucumbers
  • 1 honeydew melon
  • cantaloupe for garnish

Instructions

  1. Peel cucumbers, slice and blend with about 1 cup water. Strain. 

  2. Blend honeydew melon and about 1/4 cup water. 

  3. Combine juices and stir. Garnish with a slice of cantaloupe.

healthy summer drink recipes

Ok, so they were all delicious but my favorite is a tie between the cucumber melon juice and the watermelon lemonade. These recipes work best in the summer times when the fruits used are at peak season. Let me know which of these were our favorites!

Watch how I made these healthy summer drink recipes here:

If you’re looking to purchase those cute Ball jar mugs, they can be purchased in-store at Target or here.

Recommended:

Juice with Vitamix | 4 Easy Recipes 

Vegan Breakfast Ideas

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easy vegan breakfast ideas

Sometimes as a vegan, going out to eat breakfast at restaurants usually means that you are picking random foods from the a la carte menu and hoping for the best. It means having to ask if the hashbrowns are cooked in butter and praying that somehow their waffle batter is vegan (spoiler alert: it never is). Needless to say, of all the meals, easy vegan breakfast ideas can be very challenging.

Before you went vegan or before you were vegan curious, breakfast was synonymous with eggs (chicken periods), bacon (fatty pieces of pig), milk and cereal (pus filled milk over colorful GMO sugar shapes) and pancakes. Thankfully there are vegan alternatives to all of these breakfast ‘staples’ AND the can be made in the comfort of your own home…in your pajamas…or in your birthday suit 🙂

Below you will find some vegan twists on non-vegan breakfast classics as well as some new and simple breakfast ideas (i.e. a big, beautiful plate of fruits). There’s also a video at the end for those who are more visual. Let me know in the comments if you try any of these recipes or drop some of your favorite vegan breakfasts below. Enjoy!

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Macaroni 5 Ways

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When someone thinks of vegan food, many times they think of all the things vegan food ‘lacks’ or doesn’t have. People ask me all the time “How do I live without cheese?” or “Don’t you miss cheese?”

When I first went vegan four years ago, I was the noobiest of the noobs. I think I ate rice and soy sauce for multiple meals throughout the day and I considered hummus a vegetable. I definitely never though I’d be eating things like cheeseburgers, macaroni, and pizza ever again until I realized that there was a whole world out there, a vegan community, that was cooking up some of the most creative recipes I had ever seen. Fast forward to now, and the vegan food industry is white hot. There have been so many innovations in meat and dairy alternative in the past year or two alone that should be reassuring to any future vegan that the possibilities are indeed endless.

And the best part? Vegan food will just keep getting better and BETTER.

With that being said, below you will find 5 completely vegan, completely healthy, and completely delicious mac and cheese recipes that will make a believer out of the staunchest cheese fanatic you know.

Hope you enjoy!

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