Blueberry orange coconut raw vegan crackers

“Clean Eating with MAXIMUM YUM!” That’s the tagline that greets you when you on the Dena’s Fuel for Fitness homepage, and I’m inclined to agree! Dena’s makes a line of raw & vegan snacks that are just as delicious as they are nutritious, full of real whole food ingredients like blueberries, pumpkin seeds, apples and other fruits. 

They make crackers, including

• Beet-apple with orange and dill
• Blueberry orange coconut (my favorite!!)
• Mango raspberry basil, and 
• “Green”, made with edamame

They also make Vege Chips and Granola Grub, which both sound good, but I haven’t tried them. 

My #1 flavor for certain was the Blueberry orange coconut (pictured above). The crackers themselves, because they’re raw, are soft but SO flavorful. You could literally taste each flavor, in each bite. I shared them with my friend Cindy who isn’t vegan (and doesn’t really eat raw other than salads and that sort of thing), and she loved them! All the fruit gives them a natural sweetness which makes them a more satisfying snack, at least emotionally, in my opinion.

They come in a super handy resealable bag, and are only 109 calories per serving (that’s 4 crackers). 4 crackers aren’t mean to be a meal replacement of course, but are absolutely enough to give you some pre-workout energy, or to curb those mid-afternoon cravings. They retail for $6.50 and they carry them at Whole Foods in a couple of states. You can also order them online. 

And the company is from San Diego which you KNOW I love – (San Diegooooooooo State!) 

Here are the Mango raspberry with basil. Yum… 

The Giveaway

One lucky reader, to be chosen by random, is going to win TWO packages of Dena’s Fuel for Fitness crackers, Blueberry Orange Coconut and Mango Raspberry with Basil.

The contest is open until Midnight (Mountain time), Thursday 12/11. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced the following day. To Enter: All you gotta do is leave a comment below telling us when you snack the most then log it into the rafflecopter widget. Is it all day long, like me? Do you like a snack before you work out, or before bedtime? Tell us! You can also earn extra entries via social media. Contest open to US residents only. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was provided free product to review but the opinions are 100% mine!

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Mmmm chowder. Especially this Vegan Cauliflower Corn Chowder full of all those delicious chowdery flavors, but with cauliflower instead of potatoes! Double triple points for chowder that wont make your pants any tighter! Yay!

Pretty sure I should earn some extra points for my “new” soup bowls too, scored at a local Goodwill store for under a buck each. It’s just too bad I couldn’t find any that read “chowder”!

I love being vegan, but it’s especially wonderful when I get to combine being able to eat as much as I want of a healthier version of something (say… chowder!?) with the fact that I don’t need to feel bad about eating it. At all. This chowder is healthy and cruelty-free. You can’t beat that!

The weather is cold and I want comfort food I can feel good about. I want chowder, man! And this stuff really hits the spot. Big, hearty chunks of cauliflower plus the usual chowder suspects like carrots, celery, onions and corn. So creamy and so flavorful!

 I hope you guys like soups and chowders and chilis as much as I do, because I’m kind of on a kick, so you’ll be seeing a lot of them around here. They may not all be as healthy as this one, but I promise they’ll be delicious!

Ok, one last close-up, then the handy-dandy printable!

Cauliflower Corn Chowder

2014-12-01 10:42:02

Serves 4

You'll never miss the potatoes!

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

40 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

40 min

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons vegan butter or margarine
2. 1/4 cup AP flour
3. 1/2 teaspoon garlic
4. 1 small sweet onion, diced
5. 2 carrots, diced
6. 2 stalks celery, diced
7. 1 bay leaf
8. 3 cups unsweetened almond milk
9. 1/2 cube "Not Chick'n" bouillon
10. 1 head cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized pieces
11. 12oz frozen sweet corn kernels
12. S&P

Instructions

1. Melt the margarine over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Continue to cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic powder and diced onion, carrots and celery, along with 2-3 tablespoons of water and let it cook for 2-3 minutes longer.
2. Stir in the milk, bay leaf, cauliflower and bouillon. Bring to a boil, stirring well so the roux dissolves, then simmer until it thickens. Add a bit more water if you need to for the right consistency. Simmer for 12-15 minutes until the cauliflower is tender, adding the corn in for the last 2 minutes or so.
3. Remove the bay leaf and add S&P as needed. Serve hot!

By Barb@ThatWasVegan

Adapted from Damn Delicious

Adapted from Damn Delicious

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I did.  I went to the Native Foods buffet with loved ones and stuffed my face. The food (and service) itself was just meh, but the company was fantastic!!

I couldn’t decide what to post today (I have SO MANY delicious recipes photographed and ready to go!), and decided to play it safe and go with a salad. After all, didn’t we just gorge ourselves on seitan just a few days ago? (If salads aren’t your thing, don’t worry: I have a bacon cheeseburger pizza and some philly “cheese steaks” coming up soon!)

This salad was really just lovely. Kale and cabbage are, as we all know, insanely good for us. And the coconut lime dressing is just insanely good. Period.

I honestly am making an effort to eat more salads. And blog about them so all you sweet readers can get in on the healthy fun. I think I’ve done pretty well so far. We’re talking about:

Buffalo Tofu Corn Salad
Cambodian Monsoon Salad
Roasted Pumpkin Kale Salad
Sweet Potato Spinach Salad
And more!

They all sound delicious, right? And I have a few more in the ol’ hopper that I think you’ll like. We’re talking ’bout jerk flavored cannelloni beans here, people! Stay tuned!

Kale and Cabbage Salad with Coconut Lime Dressing

2014-11-25 15:24:19

Serves 5

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

25 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

10 min

Total Time

25 min

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup light coconut milk (the culinary kind, not the kind you'd drink!) (Although maybe some people do drink the culinary kind??)
2. 2 tablespoons lime juice, plus the zest
3. 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
4. 1 jalapeno, diced small
5. 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
6. 1/2 red cabbage, sliced
7. 1 clove garlic, minced
8. 1 red bell pepper, diced
9. 1 large bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces

Instructions

1. Mix the coconut milk, lime juice and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Water saute (over medium/low heat) the red onion, garlic and cabbage for 2-3 minutes, then add the bell pepper and kale, adding more water as necessary. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the kale and cabbage are soft. Drain any excess water and combine in a mixing bowl with the dressing. Hand mix and taste-test, adding a bit of salt if needed.

By Barb@ThatWasVegan

Adapted from Three Beans on a String

Adapted from Three Beans on a String

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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Just in time for the holidays, So Delicious has done it again. They’ve created something so mind blowingly amazing that we’re all going to run out and buy a case and eat it all and never stop talking about how good it tasted. 

Seriously.

CocoWhip you guys. So Delicious Dairy Free CocoWhip Coconut Milk Whipped Dessert Topping, to be exact. It’s basically like that cool whip stuff, except a lot more compassionate and even more delicious because it tastes a bit like coconut.

From their press materials: 

Made with organic coconut milk, this dairy free delight is naturally sweetened. We never use artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors. Try a dollop of CocoWhip on fresh fresh fruit or your favorite dessert, use it in recipes, or simply lick it off a spoon!

It comes in two varieties: Regular and Light. I highly recommend the regular (the one in the blue package) as it’s thicker. The light tasted just as delicious, but it was pretty thin. This is the regular, which I scooped onto some Amy’s Chocolate Cake (because everyone keeps like 12 of these in their freezer, right?)

My second favorite thing about this stuff (after the flavor, obvs) is that you can defrost and refreeze as many times as you need to- it wont go bad if you’re not planning to use it all right away!

 CocoWhip should be in the freezer section of your local Whole Foods Market by now, and will be rolled to other retailers in Spring 2015. Go get some for your holiday feasts! 

*I was provided product to review, but the opinions are 100% mine!

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It’s winter. It’s cold out. We’re all wearing sweaters and craving some stick-to-your-ribs foods, which is where my Vegan Cornbread Waffles Smothered in Spicy Chili comes in! I made this for dinner a couple weeks ago while we were in the middle of that crazy cold snap, and it was perfection.  

It uses my Insanely Easy Vegan Chili and also gave me an excuse to use my new waffle maker. I’m not one of those people who has kitchen gadgets busting out of my cabinets, and put off buying a waffle maker because I thought “Is this really necessary? Probably not!” but now that I have it, I love it! I’ve been using it about once a week, so look for more waffle recipes in the future.

For now though, this is all you need: A savory cornbread waffle and some hot, spicy chili. Sure, you could make corn muffins to go with your chili, but where’s the fun in that?

I also took this opportunity to add some more ingredients to my Easy Chili – Mainly sweet corn and chopped bell peppers, because why not!? There was some Daiya cheese in there too…

One of my favorite things about this dish, besides how delicious and hearty it is, is how easy it is to change up the chili depending on who you’re serving. Add in extra veggies, or make it extra, extra spicy – It’s all good!

Oh, I’m sorry… Did you want another close-up?

Vegan Cornbread Waffles

2014-11-24 08:42:45

Serves 2

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

25 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

25 min

Ingredients

1. 1/2 large banana
2. 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
3. 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted and then slightly cooled
4. 1 1/2 tablespoons agave or maple syrup
5. 1/2 cup Masa harina
6. 1/4 cup fine/medium ground cornmeal
7. 1/4 cup AP flour
8. 1 teaspoon baking powder
9. 1/2 teaspoon salt
10. Half batch Easy Vegan Chili, PLUS ~1 cup sweet corn and 1/2 bell pepper, chopped, hot

Instructions

1. Preheat & oil your waffle maker as you normally would.
2. In a mixing bowl, mash the banana with a fork. Pour in the milk and mix together. It's okay if it's a little lumpy as long as you get rid of the larger chunks. Add in the vegan butter and agave and mix.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly add to the wet ingredients just until combined. Do not overmix!
4. Let sit on the countertop undisturbed for 5 minutes or so, then scoop into your waffle maker cooking as you normally would.
5. When waffles are done, top with the hot chili and enjoy!

By Barb@ThatWasVegan

Adapted from Edible Perspectives

Adapted from Edible Perspectives

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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Happy Friday, I hope you’re ready for another giveaway! A copy of the new YumUniverse Cookbook (print or e-book, it’s up to you), and the YumUniverse Holiday Survival Guide (e-book). I’m also sharing the recipe for this delicious Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque!

Okay, so you’re all probably already familiar with YumUniverse the blog, but now there’s a book, too! And the thing this, YumUniverse: Infinite possibilities for a gluten-free, plant-powerful, whole-food lifestyle is more than just a cookbook.  Heather Crosby provides tons of background information on food science, nutritionism, and even a whole section of fruits and veggie storage! Basically, this book could be the perfect go-to for a new vegan. Perhaps there’s someone on your Christmas list who would appreciate a copy…?

There are tons of recipes too. I made the Creamy Broccoli and Red Pepper Macaroni (p. 236) and loved it:

It has a creamy cashew-based sauce and tons of fresh veggies. Plus it’s a pasta, which is perfect for the cold weather we’ve been having here. The funny thing is that back when I reviewed The China Study All Star Cookbook, one of the recipes I chose to try was… Creamy Broccoli and Red Pepper Macaroni! I didn’t realize it was the same one until I had already started making it, so I grabbed a copy of TCSAS cookbook off the shelf and there it was, contributed by Heather Crosby. Clearly that recipe speaks to me, haha. 

For breakfast one morning (before work, which tells you how quick and easy this was) I made the Strawberry-Banana Crunch Snack Wraps (p. 260), which Heather describes as a healthier version of a PB&J:

What you’re seeing there are leaves of Boston bibb lettuce stacked with fresh strawberries, seeds and nuts. I had to improvise a little (chia seeds instead of hemp, and I skipped the sliced almonds) but ohmygoodness were these delicious! So light and fresh and I felt really good after eating them, satisfied but not weighed down. A very healthy breakfast or snack!

Now what? Well, enter the contest below, print out the recipe for the delicious Bisque (also below) and then click here to check out the rest of the #YUHealthyHolidays Blog Tour!

As promised, the recipe for the Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque is below, but first, here’s the super awesome giveaway! 

 The Giveaway

One lucky reader, to be chosen by random, is going to win the new YumUniverse Cookbook (print or e-book, it’s up to you), and the YumUniverse Holiday Survival Guide (e-book).

The contest is open until Midnight (Mountain time), Friday 11/28. The winner will be chosen randomly and announced the following day. To Enter: All you gotta do is leave a comment below telling us about your cookbook collection then log it into the rafflecopter widget. How many do you have? Are they mostly print or ebook? Or have you gone completely paper-free and only use Pinterest? Tell us!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was provided free product to review but the opinions are 100% mine! 

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Bisque

2014-11-21 08:16:44

Serves 2

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Ingredients

1. 2 red bell peppers, seeds and ribs removed, quartered
2. 2 large tomatoes, quartered
3. ½ cup onion, quartered
4. 1–1 ½ teaspoons sea salt or more to taste
5. Pinch of black pepper, plus more to taste
6. 2 teaspoons rosemary leaves, chopped
7. 4 cloves garlic, sliced in half
8. 1 ¼ cups veggie stock
9. 1⁄3 cup cashews, soaked

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F and grease a large baking dish with oil, or line with parchment paper. Place red bell peppers and tomatoes face down in baking dish with onion, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, and roast for 25 minutes.
2. Remove baking dish and add rosemary and garlic and roast another 7 minutes.
3. Transfer all ingredients to the blender and purée until smooth. Season with salt and additional pepper to taste. Serve warm, so heat up on the range if you need to.

Notes

1. psst! This also makes a nice cold soup.
2. Serve with Cashew Sauce (in the book) and Basil & Pepper Pine Nut Crisps (in the book) to take it all to the next level of tastiness
3. Add cooked quinoa, buckwheat, lentils, brown or Forbidden rice for more texture..

By Heather Crosby - YumUniverse

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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In my never-ending journey to improve this ol’ blog, I’ve been remaking (and re-photographing) some of my older dishes… and this time it’s the Cheesecake Sopapillas. The recipe and original post are here. 

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This may sound weird coming from a vegan, but I love Cheesy Bacon Fries. Cheese. Coconut bacon. Fries. All vegan, all delicious!

Okay so maybe not as healthy a side dish as steamed broccoli, but who the heck can eat steamed broccoli everyday? Not me! Although I will admit, I do love steamed broccoli, especially with lots of salt and pepper. 

Besides, sometimes you don’t want healthy. You want hot and delicious and comforting. Especially after being outside on a day like this…

This was Sunday, after the snow stopped falling and the sun came out. This is one of the things I love most about Colorado – You’ll have a snowy, stormy day that gives you all the excuse you need to snuggle up on the couch with your dogs and a good book, and then the next day you can throw on a layer or two and get back outside! You know, burn some calories so that when you get back home you can eat these fries guilt-free! 

The cold snowy weather is also an excellent excuse to dress your dogs up in sweaters, but that’s a topic for another day.

And speaking of cold, I just had to share this, taken on my way to work last Thursday morning.4 degrees is seriously freaking COLD!

 What are your favorite ways to reward yourself? Do you go for food or something else, like a new book or a new pair of shoes? 

Cheesy Coconut Bacon Fries

2014-11-18 08:21:08

Serves 2

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

35 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

35 min

Ingredients

1. 1 Russet potato
2. Spray oil
3. S&P
4. 1/2 cup Coconut Bacon
5. 4 slices Daiya cheddar
6. Pinches of garlic powder and onion powder
7. 2 scallions, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425. Spray a baking sheet with spray oil.
2. Scrub the potato and slice into fries. Spritz with the spray oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until crispy.
3. While the fries are in the oven, melt the cheese in a small pan and add the powdered onion and garlic. When the fries are done, drizzle with the cheese and sprinkle with the coconut bacon and scallions. Serve hot!

By Barb@ThatWasVegan?

That Was Vegan? https://www.thatwasvegan.com/

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It’s that time of year again, when we all enjoy gathering together with friends and family. Dinner parties, cocktail parties, tree-trimming parties, football parties, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills viewing parties (no?)… whichever kind of party you prefer, they all have one thing in common. Peoples gotta eat, and everyone loves appetizers!

Seriously, those are two scientifically proven facts. I think.

Anyway, to help you plan your next soiree I’ve put together this list of delicious appetizers that I hope you’ll find helpful!

1. Little Christmas Tree Pizzas: These were the obvious choice to top the list, being that they’re shaped like Christmas trees! They’re also easy to switch up with different veggies to please your pickiest guests.

2. Easy Bruschettini: These are beyond easy, and pair perfectly with a glass of wine! Seriously, the only work you have to do is chop a few tomatoes and leaves of basil. Done. They’re also perfect for wary omnivores who aren’t keen to try any vegan substitutes- none of those here!

3. Spicy Grape Jelly Meatballs: These are fun because so many of us enjoyed them in our pre-gan days. And who doesn’t love meatballs on toothpicks??

4. Easy Stuffed Potato Skins: These are an easy app we’ve all had before- but they’re taken up a notch by using PURPLE potatoes!

5. New England-Style Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms: Yes, the name is a mouthful but so are these little guys! I love this stuffing, I make it every year, and it’s even better (if that’s possible) inside little baby ‘bellas!

6. Garlicky-Pepper Tofu Bites with a Chili Dipping Sauce: These are a bit fancier than some of the other apps on this list, and I think they’re perfect for cocktail parties!

7. BLPTs: That’s Bacon, Lettuce, PICKLES, and Tomatoes, in case you were wondering. These are great for the more casual gatherings. I made them last year for a SuperBowl party and they were a hit with the omnivores!

8. Cranberry Tofu Lettuce Cups: These are just plain fun! Plus they have cranberries in them so you know they’re great for holiday parties!

9. Crunchy Potato Bites: These would be super crazy with a vegan queso dipping sauce. They’re also wonderful as a fun side dish!

10. Loaded Baked Potato Dip: Mmmm! I realize this may sound like a strange dip but please believe me when I tell you it will go fast. I’ve served it to vegans and omnivores both, and they all loved it. It’ll go VERY fast!

11. Mac n’ Cheese Pockets: Puff pastry. Butternut Mac n’ Cheese. What more do I need to say?

12. Sweet Potato & Korean BBQ Bites: Want to add something a little different to your menu? Then go with these. Seitan cooked in rich, delicious Korean BBQ sauce, spicy peperoncini, and sweet potato crisps, and the flavors all work perfectly together!

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