Category: Vegan

Smashed Chickpea Avocado Salad

A terrific plant-based lunch option.  Cool, creamy, delicious, and ultra-healthy!

Smashed Chickpea Avocado Salad – A mayonnaise-free plant-based lunch option. Cool, creamy, delicious and ultra-healthy! Also makes a great appetizer. | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #salad #chickpeas #chickpeasalad #avocado #avocadosalad #healthylunch

PLANT-BASED LUNCH OPTION

Chicken salad, tuna salad, and egg salad are popular lunch choices but if you’re looking for plant-based options these perennial favorites are off-limits. Indeed, it can be challenging to come up with a satisfying mid-day meal that doesn’t contain meat, seafood, eggs, or cheese. That’s why this Smashed Chickpea Avocado Salad is such a winning dish. It’s completely plant-based, easy to prepare, and is packed with fiber, healthy fat, and a decent amount of protein to satiate your hunger, and leave you happy and content until your next meal because let’s face it, there’s nothing worse than eating lunch and being “hangry” two hours later. (more…)

Cast Iron Roasted Sweet Potatoes

A quick and easy method for roasting sweet potatoes.  Makes a stunning presentation.

Cast Iron Roasted Sweet Potatoes – A quick and easy method for roasting sweet potatoes that makes a stunning presentation. Great for weeknights but fancy enough for entertaining. | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #sweetpotatoes #weeknightdinner #sweetpotato #vegan #glutenfree #vegansides #glutenfreesides

SUPER NUTRITIOUS SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potatoes are delicious and have gorgeous color but there are other even more compelling reasons to love them. Sweet potatoes are rich in:
• vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene),
• vitamin B6,
• vitamin C, and
• potassium
They’re also high in fiber and antioxidants which promote gut health. In addition, they have anti-inflammatory properties and are low on the glycemic index which means that despite their sweetness, they release sugar into the bloodstream slowly – an important attribute as rapid spikes in blood sugar levels are linked to obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. So, as you can see there’s a lot to love about sweet potatoes but I’m going to bet you’ll love them even more once you try this recipe for Cast Iron Roasted Sweet Potatoes. (more…)

Pumpkin Spice Grain-Free Granola

 An addictive grain-free granola that’s chock-full of nuts, seeds, and aromatic spices. Great as a trail mix type snack or on top of yogurt.

Pumpkin Spice Grain-Free Granola - An addictive grain-free granola chock-full nuts, seeds, and aromatic spices. Great as a trail mx type snack or on top of yogurt. | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #trailmix #grainfreegranola #granola #pumpkinseeds #pepitas

WHY GO “GRAIN-FREE”

New terms describing adherence to a particular type of diet seem to come out of nowhere every few years. One dietary term I’m hearing more and more frequently these days is “grain-free”, which, as the term implies, means avoiding the consumption of all grains or products that contain grains.  I’d always thought that “whole” grains in particular were desirable as part of a healthy diet, so I was surprised to learn that consuming grains can sometimes cause:

1. skin conditions,
2. digestive problems, and
3. issues with mental acuity

As you might expect, there’s a lot of skepticism around this topic, but suffice it to say that a small subset of the population simply feels better all-around when they either limit their consumption of grains, or don’t eat them at all.

If you think you might be intolerant to grains, check out this article – 9 Signs Your Body Can’t Tolerate Grains.

Oats, one of the most consumed grains here in the U.S., and the main ingredient in traditionally made granola, are off-limits on a grain-free diet, but, this healthy and wholesome Pumpkin Spice Grain-Free Granola is the perfect replacement for conventionally made granola.

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Almond Hemp Heart Bars

Soft and chewy no-bake snack bars that taste like candy and are packed with nutrients. 

JUMP TO RECIPE

Almond Hemp Heart Bars – Vegan, gluten-free, no-bake snack bars taste that like candy. Packed with nutrients and utterly delicious! | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #snackbar #snackbars #hemp #hemphearts #hempseeds #vegansnack #glutenfreesnack #snack

WHY MAKE YOUR OWN SNACK BARS?

There are a dizzying array of snack/protein bars on the market. A grocery store I was in recently had almost an entire aisle filled with bars, each with a different marketing angle and in flavors so appetizing you would have thought they were candy bars, and indeed, they looked like candy bars! The colorful packages boasted the amount of protein, fiber, and sugar in each bar with, in most cases, ingredient labels a mile long.  There are some good products amidst this crowded field, but for the average person, it’s hard to decipher what’s truly healthy and what’s not. Some weird sounding ingredients are perfectly harmless while others should be avoided, despite any nutrition claims on the package. One day, several years ago, I found myself standing in one of these jam-packed grocery store aisles looking at ingredient labels and googling words like “isomalto-oligosacharides”, “dextrin”, and “carnauba wax”.  That’s when I decided I’d had enough. Since then, I’ve been making my own snack bars and have never looked back. These Almond Hemp Heart Bars are my newest creation. They contain just 5 simple ingredients – ingredients you’ll actually recognize – but the best part is, they’re soft, chewy, and utterly delicious! (more…)

Seeded Mediterranean Herb Bread

This vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, bread has a super nutritious line-up of ingredients, including 5 different kinds of seeds, and a mixture of savory Mediterranean herbs and warm, earthy spices.  

Seeded Mediterranean Herb Bread - Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, no refined sugar. This bread has a super nutritious line-up of ingredients, including almond flour, brown rice flour, 5 different kinds of seeds, and a mixture of savory Mediterranean herbs and warm, earthy spices. | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #bread #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree #healthybread #veganbread #glutenfreebread #noyeastbread #mediterraneanfood

If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to white, or even whole wheat bread, look no further! This Seeded Mediterranean Herb Bread is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and contains no refined sugar. You’ll be hard-pressed to find bread with a more nutritious line-up of ingredients, including almond flour, brown rice flour, 5 different kinds of seeds, and a mixture of savory Mediterranean herbs and warm, earthy spices. This hearty, delicious bread takes a full hour to bake, but preparing the dough involves nothing more than combining all the ingredients thoroughly, and, since there’s no yeast in this recipe, there’s no extra time required for rising. (more…)

Vegan Chocolate Turtle Bites

  A healthy remake of classic chocolate pecan turtle candies.  Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free.  These little bites are sweet, chewy, chocolately, and utterly delicious!  

Vegan Chocolate Turtle Bites - A healthy remake of classic chocolate pecan turtle candies. Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. These little bites and sweet, chewy, chocolately, and utterly delicious! | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #chocolatepecanturtle #chocolatepecanturtles #candy #healthycandy #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfreechocolate #norefinedsugar

Anyone who has a sweet tooth knows that when cravings strike, they’re hard to ignore. Even those of us who aren’t “addicted to sugar” won’t pass up a sweet treat every now and then. We can blame our yearning for sweet tasting foods on our early ancestors, who evolved to crave sugar because it was a good source of energy and protection from starvation. But the amounts and forms of sugar consumed back then were quite different than what’s readily available to us today, and this has led to over-consumption and, some would argue, contributed to the obesity crisis here in the U.S. So, what’s a sugar-loving person to do? In my opinion, the worst thing you can do is deprive yourself of sweets. Instead, look for ways to reduce your sugar consumption. Read nutrition labels carefully, and as much as possible, steer clear of foods with added sugars, especially refined and artificial sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup and aspartame. And, when reaching for treats and desserts, choose ones sweetened naturally, without processed/refined ingredients. These Vegan Chocolate Turtle Bites fit the bill. They’re free of gluten, dairy, refined sugar, and are also vegan. Candy doesn’t get much healthier than this! (more…)

Orange Sesame Grilled Asparagus

Grilled asparagus gets a boost of flavor with a delicious sesame citrus dressing. The perfect side dish for spring!  JUMP TO RECIPE

Orange Sesame Grilled Asparagus - Grilled asparagus gets a boost of flavor with a delicious sesame citrus dressing. Can be served hot or cold. The perfect side dish for spring! | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #asparagus #grilledasparagus #vegetables #veggies #sides #springveggies

No other vegetable symbolizes spring as much as asparagus. If you’re making an effort to eat seasonally, now is the time to enjoy this perennial flowering plant species. Of course, you can find asparagus at the grocery store any time of year, but in the off-season, it’ll likely come from Peru or China and will certainly lose some of its freshness during the transcontinental plane ride to the U.S. After all, vegetables suffer from jet-lag too! To really savor asparagus, you’ll want to jazz it up a bit so that you fully appreciate its beauty, versatility, and amazing flavor. This recipe for Orange Sesame Grilled Asparagus will help you do just that! A simple citrus dressing and a sprinkling of delicate sesame seeds on top of perfectly charred asparagus spears will leave you with a newfound love for asparagus and one more reason to welcome spring! (more…)

Za’atar Cashew Hummus

Aromatic za’atar and smoky roasted red peppers flavor this ultra-creamy cashew hummus.  A delicious alternative to chickpea-based hummus.  JUMP TO RECIPE

Za’atar Cashew Hummus - Aromatic za'atar and smoky roasted red peppers flavor this ultra-creamy cashew hummus. A delicious alternative to chickpea-based hummus. Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree #zaatar #appetizer

I feel the same way about hummus that I do about pizza and chicken salad. That is, one can never have too many recipes for these dishes because no matter what variation you make, the end result is almost always delicious with near universal appeal. I guess that’s why there are countless recipes for hummus floating around the internet and no matter how many new ones appear in the blogosphere, people seem to love them. So here’s another, but this one’s a little different. Za’atar Cashew Hummus is every bit as delicious as traditional hummus but it’s made with raw cashews and roasted red peppers instead of chickpeas, and it’s flavored with za’atar – an aromatic Middle Eastern spice with amazing savory flavor. (more…)

Dairy Free Crispy Chocolate Cups

“Candy is dandy” as in these easy to make dairy free chocolate treats sweetened with maple syrup.  JUMP TO RECIPE

Dairy Free Crispy Chocolate Cups - Candy is dandy as in these easy to make dairy-free chocolate treats sweetened with maple syrup. | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #candy #chocolate #dairyfree #dairyfreechocolate #valentinesday #norefinedsugar #cleaneating #healthycandy

Valentine’s Day is coming up and if you love classic holiday traditions then maybe you’re planning to give your loved ones some chocolates. If so, why not earn extra bonus points and “make” instead of “buy” them. These Dairy Free Crispy Chocolate Cups are a great homemade Valentine’s gift and you can whip them up quickly without any special equipment. All you need is a handful of simple ingredients and some cupcake liners. (more…)

Peanut Butter Cookie Flax Bars

Vegan, gluten-free, dairy free snack bars that taste like caramel. Similar to Larabars, they’re made with healthy, unprocessed ingredients, and sweetened naturally.  JUMP TO RECIPE

Peanut Butter Cookie Flax Bars - Vegan, gluten-free, dairy free snack bars that taste like caramel. Made with 5 healthy ingredients and sweetened naturally. | QueenofMyKitchen.com | #snack #snackbars #energybars #larabar #larabars #bar #bars #healthysnack #vegansnack #glutenfreesnack #dairyfree #glutenfree #vegan

It might seem counterintuitive, but one of the best way to maintain good eating habits is to enjoy a healthy treat each day. Following this rule has really worked for me because like a lot of people, I have a bit of a sweet tooth, and if I don’t satisfy my craving, I just end up feeling deprived, which makes me much less likely to eat healthfully over the long term. So I allow myself a little something sweet after lunch or dinner, as long as it’s made with healthy, wholesome ingredients and minimally processed. One of my favorite healthy treats are these Peanut Butter Cookie Flax Bars. I have one almost every day. In fact, my whole family is addicted to these bars. They taste like candy, but unlike candy, they keep you feeling full for a long time because they have a decent amount of protein, and are high in healthy fats. (more…)

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