Easy vegan beefless wraps

Hey all,

I just wanted to share an easy and delicious dinner that I made with the new Gardein sizzling szechuan beefless strips. The strips were delicious even before we put the sauce on. We used leftover Chipotle lime rice and it took less than 20 minutes to assemble. I thought it was a strange concept to put yogurt in a wrap but I really enjoyed it once I tried it. Enjoy!

1 package of Gardein beefless strips
2 tablespoons of oil
1 cup of leftover Chipotle lime rice
4 tablespoons of hummus
2 wraps
1 cup of organic mixed greens
4 tablespoons of plain coconut yogurt

Pan fry the beefless strips in oil per the package directions. Add in the leftover rice to heat up for a few minutes. Distribute the Gardein and rice mixture, and all other ingredients between the two wraps. It's that simple! :)

Chipotle Lime Rice

Beginjing the new year, we have revamped our efforts to try and have meals ready to go when we need to go to work. It is much more convenient to be able to grab our lunch and go (and it it is much better for my wallet).

This recipe is full of flavor and can make a great base for many other additikns or a great side. In this particular dish we have some edamame and corn but we've said many times before that we generally just add whatever we have on hand. We in no way claim to be restaurant chefs, but cooking is something we are very passionate about. There are many people that we have talked to that "don't know how to cook" or say they "can't cook". As long as you have a few ingredients you can cook. Usually we are just throwing things together and hoping they come out well.

Here's another recipe we hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:
•1 teaspoon coconut oil
•1 cup rice short grain brown rice
•1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
•1 1/2 to 2 cups boiling water
•1/2 cup edamame
•1/2 cup yellow corn
•zest of 1 lime

Here's what to do:
1. In either a teapot or hot water kettle bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
2. Place a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat and add the coconut oil. Once fully melted and the coconut oil is warm add the rice and stir periodically for a few minutes to toast the rice. Add the chipotle powder and stir to combine.
3. Add enough water to cover the rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover.
4. Check periodically and if neccessary add more water until the rice is almost fully cooked.
5. Stir in corn and edamame (both were frozen).
6. Remove from heat and stir in lime zest. If desired you can add mor chipotle powder.

Simple Peanut Butter Pasta

I have been a huge fan of peanut butter pasta ever since I first tried it. I have used many different variations, and usually it just happens to be whatever ingredients sound like a good fit and are in the house. : ) Here is a version of a quick and simple vegan meal.

2 packages of Nasoya noodles
4 tablespoons of peanut butter
1 tablespoon of Earth Balance buttery stick
1 tablespoon Bragg's liquid aminos
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes

Drain and rinse the Nasoya noodles. I usually rinse them for at least a minute under hot water while they are in a colander. Heat the Earth balance and peanut butter on medium heat until melted. Add in the noodles and aminos. Cook on medium heat for another 3 minutes and then add the yeast flakes. Cook for about 2 more minutes while mixing occasionally and then enjoy! Feel free to change or add ingredients according to taste. We would usually put a lot of hot sauce in also but there wasn't any in the house. Also, Whole Foods has a delicious peanut sauce that is a great addition.

The way that I originally made peanut butter pasta many years ago was even simpler. It just included pasta, peanut butter and soy sauce. The way that we currently make it is probably much healthier because it has less sodium. (We used a LOT of soy sauce back in the day.)

The current recipe is for two dinners.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! We hope that everyone has had a great holiday season and New Year's celebrations.  We haven't made any resolutions this year, per say, yet we are trying to eat healthier. I have personally been super lazy when it comes to cooking anything, which means no new recipes for me to post. : (

I have been a little better about packing up lunches the night before work so it is ready to go in the morning. So, if you are also somewhat forgetful or strapped for time before work, it is a great time-saver. It also helps you save money and most likely calories by not ordering take-out food or buying junk from the vending machine while at work! : )

So I'll just go over a few of our favorite snacks that we pack up. I usually pack about 3 or 4 snacks along with a meal that we will prepare the night before also. One of my favorites as of late is to just make little trail mixes and store them in half-pint mason jars. I like to put in Sunflower seeds, almonds, carob chips, dried cranberries, peanuts, and walnuts. I like to eat the mix on its own but it also tastes great in yogurt. Another one of our favorite snacks is hummus with anything! : ) Sweet potatoes sliced with a mandoline make great raw "chips" to dip in the hummus, along with celery, bell peppers, carrots, etc. And lastly, we usually have one or two fresh fruits in our lunch bags. I have always loved bananas, but oranges are a new favorite for the both of us. Blood oranges are in season right now and are so delicious!

Well, I hope that we will be able to post some new recipes soon, but maybe these simple snack ideas will help someone in the meantime. Happy and healthy new year to everyone!

Nicole

Easy Vegan Chicken Wraps

And our final throwback to last June for the evening. A quick chicken wrap great for lunch.

"Easy vegan chicken wraps

• 1 serving of Vegan frozen chicken
• handful of cole slaw mix
• Handful of organic spring mix
• Veganaise
• Hot sauce
• BBQ sauce
• Earth Balance coconut spread(or margarine/oil of your choice)
• 1 wrap

1. Add about two teaspoons of EB spread or oil to a frying pan or small pot. Turn the stove top to medium-high heat.

2. After two-three minutes, add the vegan chicken. Cook for two minutes and then add your desired amount of hot sauce and BBQ sauce. Stir the chicken around a bit while it cooks so it does not stick to the bottom to much.

3. Cook the chicken for about five more minutes and then add the colslaw mix and spring mix to the pan/pot. Let these cook with the chicken for about two minutes while still stirring. Turn the stove top off. Add a small amount of Veganaise to the mixture and stir so that everything is coated evenly.

4. You are now ready to scoop this mixture onto your wrap. Fold the wrap and enjoy!"