Fat Free Vegan

It’s a powerful thing!

OK, so I really love cooked food. I think one of the coolest parts about maintaining a fat free vegan diet is being able to come up with tantalizing vegan recipes that are rich and satisfying but are so naturally low in fat and calories yet high in nutrients, that I can eat WHENEVER and WHATEVER I want.

I don’t have to worry about clogged arteries, feeling sluggish or gaining any weight even when I’m binging on a brownie or two… it feels great! And to tell you the truth, I like food far better than I ever have before… and I would have told you that’s impossible a couple years ago!

With that said, I do try to incorporate a 50% raw diet. This for me usually just means including a raw salad with my BLT sandwhich made with tempeh at lunch, or having a ton of fruit throughout the day… but I definately don’t usually go out of my way to replace a cooked meal with a raw one, until today.

I attend a raw food class at a vegetarian store in Hilo every Thursday and last week, and last week I was inspired to try a raw Thai dish which I put together for brunch today. So I guess in the end, you really don’t have to miss out on anything, even when it comes to raw dishes.

Try this on a sunny afternoon and consider serving it with some fresh orange or pineapple pieces.It’s simple to make with the right tools!

Tools You Will Need:

Food processor or Blender

A spiralizer is helpful, but not required.

~~~~ Serves 4~~~~

Ingredients for Thai Sauce:

1/4 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos

1/4 cup Ginger Pieces

3 Garlic cloves

Ingredients for Thai Dish:

2 Large Zuchinis

2 Medium Carrots

1 Head Broccoli

4 Large Mushrooms (Button, or any other kind…)

1 Cup Sprouts of Your Choice

To Make the Thai Sauce:

Put all the ingredients into the blender or processor and blend until the garlic and ginger is finely chopped and well mixed with the Braggs.

To Make the Thai Dish:

Use the spiralizer if possible, to cut the zuchini into thin strands that resemble angel hair. Or you can do it like me by hand, which won’t yield quite as thin noodles but instead more like spaghetti.

Use  a processor or a knife to chop the carrots into small, thin pieces and chop the mushrooms until they’re minced. Cut the broccoli into mini bite sized pieces, and then toss all veggies together.

Serve on a plate with the Thai sauce generously drizzled on top of the salad. Now THAT’S some damn good vegan food. Enjoy

Lots of veggies and a tangy tomato base makes this the perfect summer spaghetti for vegans, vegetarians and animal eaters alike… it’s healthy, very low in fat and provides a hefty dose of nutrients. Even the kids will love it!

The recipe will feed up to eight people if you serve a nice salad and some whole wheat buns or bread on the side but if this dish is all that’s being served at the table, you might count on it feeding only about four people. Here’s what you need:

1.) An entire box of whole wheat or buckwheat noodles (I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles, but love it with angel hair!)

2.) The equivalent of 8 medium sized tomatoes

3.) 4-6 cloves of garlic, to taste

4.) about 1/4 cup of ginger

5.) 3 teaspoons of Braggs Liquid Aminos

6.) 3 tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast

7.) 6-8 leaves of rainbow chard, spinach, kale or a combination of them all

8.) one big head of broccoli

9.) 8-10 button mushrooms, or those of your choice

10.) a small can of sliced olives, rinsed and drained

Put a big pot on the stove and boil some water for the noodles. Once they are al dente, put them in a strainer and let them rest. While the pasta is boiling:

Cut up the tomatoes, garlic and ginger and put them into a big frying pan. Turn the heat on low and add the liquid aminos along with the nutritional yeast. Let the tomato mixture simmer for 5-8 minutes, or until the tomatoes are tender.

Once the pasta has cooked, add the remaining vegetables to the tomato base…

Next, fold the tomatoes onto the greens and let them cook for about 3 minutes (You can cook them longer if you like your broccoli and mushrooms cooked more… we like them fresh and full of texture!).

Simply mix the pasta and sauce together in a big mixing bowl…

Serve it up and watch it disappear… enjoy!

There is a difference between eating a healthy diet and one that will do nothing for you but clog up your arteries, even as a vegan. Many people make the mistake of thinking just because someone’s vegan, they eat nothing but fruits and vegetables. I’m here to tell you nothing could be further from the truth! There are vegan cakes, cookies, chips and other goodies that will certainly pack on the pounds if you aren’t consuming these foods in moderation. Although many people choose to become a vegan for ethical reasons, there are plenty of health reasons to do so!

I myself went vegetarian for ethical reasons, after reading the book , Skinny Bitch which happens to be pretty intense. After a couple months of seeing great health effects (more um, regular for one thing…) and after plenty of research, reading, and more research, I chose to take it all the way and go vegan for both ethical and health reasons. I find it empowering and I have TONS of energy. I also have a clearer mind and truthfully I feel kind of “light” in my own skin. Not to mention, I have lost a few more of the pounds I need to lose. Do I eat junk? YOU BET I DO! But in serious moderation.

I choose things like SCRUMPTIOUS raw brownies that aren’t only delicious, but they are actually really good for you.

I do however, base my food consumption around a few standard rules and I decided to write a little something about it which has been published over at Brighthub. Check it out: How to Create a Healthy Vegan Diet Plan

Our house loves to eat so I love to come up with hardy meals, especially in the morning to get us all going. It’s one of the benefits of being vegan; you get to take advantage of big, filling meals without any guilt at all! I made this yesterday morning and the guys really liked it. It was easy enough to make, so I cut up a little pineapple to round our meal out. It’s a favorite around here… tastes just like candy, especially the ones brought in from Maui. Oh yeah baby, hehe J

You will need the following ingredients to create four servings (always use organic when possible!):

16 small russet or red potatoes, about the size of a golf ball each. If you have super hungry eaters to feed, use slightly bigger potatoes.

8 medium tomatoes, chopped or cut into bite size pieces

6 button mushrooms, or those of your choice

1 medium bell pepper, color of your choice

2 carrots, medium in size or 1 large carrot

3 cloves of garlic, or to taste

2 Tbsp ginger, or to taste

1 Tsp of Bragg’s Liguid Aminos or shoyu sauce

2 Tbsp Nutritional yeast (a popular brand is Red Star)

4 large leaves of bok or pak choy, complete with stems

1 Tbsp of red pepper flakes or a Tsp of cayenne pepper, or to taste

The truth is that you can use whatever veggies you happen to have around the house for the salsa!

To get the ball rolling:

Fill a pot with enough water to cover your whole potatoes. Once the water starts to boil, place the potatoes in the water and let them simmer in a light boil for about 15 minutes then take them out and let them rest for at least 3 minutes.

While the potatoes are boiling, chop and mix the remaining ingredients together and place into a small pot. Let the mix simmer for 5-8 minutes, depending on how firm you like the veggies.

Once the potatoes have had a chance to rest, cut each one in half while you heat up a frying pan on the stove. Put the cut sides of each potato in the pan to sear them, as many as you can at a time. Then simply lay the leaf of choy on the plate, scoop a big helping of breakfast salsa down the middle of the leaf and place your potatoes, seared side up, along each side of the salsa. You can garnish however you like and enjoy!

This lasted us about two days. What’s there is spinach, bok choy, multiple colors of peppers, carrots, garlic, ginger, tons of tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, thai and sweet basil, almonds, bananas, pineapples, oranges, apples and avocados. We ate a LOT more than just this, lol…

I am glad that you could drop by, and I hope you check back often! I hope to share LOTS of awesome vegan recipes, information, resources and freebies with you on a consistent basis. I became a vegan for ethical reasons and since I have found the true power of a healthy lifestyle… this is REAL folks! Living a healthy, stress free lifestyle opened up a world of opportunities I don’t think I would have had otherwise. Whether you’re well into your vegan lifestyle or you are just getting started, I hope you enjoy what I have to offer and you keep coming back for more

Talk to me! I want suggestions, questions, comments and recipes… I would love to hear from you.

OK, posting my first recipe right…. NOW!