Throwback Chickpea "Tuna" Salad

"Kids should be seen and not heard."

We are all familiar with that old saying, right? Well, this recipe is kind of like that except for it should be eaten and not seen. Hey, not all of us can be beauty queens.

Nope, this recipe certainly isn't very photogenic but I promise you it's very tasty.

I adapted this recipe from a very foggy memory of my mother's classic tuna salad sandwich she made me for many weekend lunches when I was a little one. I'm not sure if I nailed it but I am pretty proud of the flavor combination. It's got something for everyone: sweet, tart and savory.

I kept the dressing pretty simple, making sure to give it a nice balance of creamy and sweet and then mixed in some delicious chickpeas, sweet apple and carrots and a little bit of pickle for a special surprise. If the pickles scare you, I totally understand - omit that stuff or add them on later while assembling your sandwich or wrap.

And now on to the recipe!

Dressing:
1/3 cup vegan mayo
1 tablespoon white miso
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp agave or maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder with parsley (or 1/8 teaspoon each)
Pepper to taste


"Tuna" Mix
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small apple (a little over 1/2 cup), diced
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons walnuts, finely chopped
Optional: 1/4 cup sweet or dill pickles, finely chopped

For the dressing: In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together until combined.

In a large bowl, add rinsed chickpeas and dressing. Mix together with a fork, smashing about half of the  chickpeas until mixture is a chunky consistency. Add apple, walnuts, carrot and pickles and mix until everything is coated with the dressing. Spread on whole grain bread or a tortilla wrap and top with greens.

Bonus tip: Let salad chill in the fridge for at least an hour before eating - this gives the flavors time to marinate together and the result is extra delicious.



Since becoming vegan or vegetarian, are there any recipes you have recreated from childhood? Did you nail it or was it a big ol' disaster? I've had my fair share of both.

PB & Jammed Bites

I had a hankering for something sweet the other day. Because the boyfriend and I are trying to save a little money here and there, I dug around my kitchen for inspiration and threw these treats together in a pinch.

It turns out they hit the spot perfectly. You really can't go wrong with classic pb & j.

With or without the crust cut off, totally up to you. In this case, that means roll them in oats or don't - they taste delicious either way.

PB&Jammed Bites

Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanuts, raw and unsalted
1/2 cup medjool dates, pitted
1/4 cup dried berries (I used a cherry/blueberry mixture)
1/2 tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter
1 tablespoon of your favorite jam or jelly (you can sub fresh strawberries as well)
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
*3 tbsp rolled oats

Except for the oats, add all of the ingredients to a food processor and mix until batter forms a sticky consistency.
Roll into balls, about 1 inch in diameter.
*Optional: roll balls in old fashioned oats

Makes about 14 servings

Consider yourself jammed. Parks & Rec, anybody? Anyone? Alright then.

Hearty Baked Granola Pancake (For One)

Another breakfast recipe. I know, I'm so predictable.

After a whole lot of mornings of cold overnight oats and smoothie bowls, I decided I was ready for something warm and stick-to-your-ribs filling. Enter the baked pancake. Full of nuts and seeds and oats, this breakfast is full of texture and will keep you energized throughout the morning.

If you're a fan of crispier and thinner pancakes, I suggest splitting this recipe up into two dishes. I prefer a thicker pancake that eats more like a bread or muffin, so this is right up my alley.

Hearty Baked Granola Pancake (For One)


Dry ingredients:
2 tbsp oat flour
2 tbsp rolled oats
2 tbsp almond meal
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

Wet ingredients:
1/4 cup and 1 tbsp almond milk
1 tbsp coconut oil, Earth Balance or apple sauce
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp sweetener of choice (I omitted this but you could use agave, maple syrup, Stevia, or cane sugar)

Add-ins:
1 tbsp walnuts
1 tbsp chopped almonds
1-2 tbsp dried fruit
1/2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tbsp hemp or sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly oil a 6-inch ramekin. If you don't have a ramekin, feel free to use a muffin pan, an oven-safe mug or a mini cake pan.

In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Add in wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
*If you're using Earth Balance or coconut oil, make sure it's melted and slightly cooled. Once the base is combined, stir in add-ins. Pour mixture into ramekin and smooth out the top.


Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes

Once the pancake is slightly cooled, transfer onto a plate and top with syrup, fruit, nut butter, etc.

Breakfast Love: Chunky Monkey Overnight Oats

Let's keep this breakfast love fest going, shall we?

Overnight oats became a staple in my breakfast rotation several years ago.  I ate them about 3 times a week. But like most repetitive habits in life, things got a little dull. All of a sudden the cold oats weren't doing the job and the mushy texture just didn't sit well with me anymore.

These things happen but when it comes to your favorite foods, don't be afraid to mix it up a little. Life is about variety, people.

So a few months ago I decided to switch it up by using steel-cut oats and life has been so much better. It's like we've rekindled that oat-y, wholesome flame.  But I digress.

Steelcut oats are full of texture and give you a chewy bite similar to a granola/oatmeal hybrid, which is a perfect combo in my book.

Because I'm battling a sweet tooth addiction, I decided to make something decadent but healthy for today's breakfast.

Introducing Chunky Monkey Overnight Oats.

Oh man these were so good.  Not gonna lie, I was kind of depressed when I finished this jar.  I mean...my day could only go down from here, am I right?

Kidding. Kind of.

Chunky Monkey (esque..) Overnight Oats

1/4 cup steel cut oats
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
1 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tbsp cacao nibs
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean
pinch of salt
1/2 cup water

Combine above ingredients in a bowl or a mason jar. Once they're mixed together, pour boiling water over the ingredients. Stir until combined. Allow to cool to room temperature. Once they have cooled, cover and place in the fridge overnight.

In the morning, top with:

1-2 tbsp nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, sunbutter, they're all wonderful)
1 tbsp shredded coconut 
1 pitted medjool date, chopped
2 tbsp sliced almonds (walnuts would work great here but I was all out)
1 ripe banana

*For an extra special treat, heat up 1/4 to 1/3 cup of coconut milk and pour over your beautiful creation. It will heat up your oats and also melt everything together wonderfully, making it extra decadent. 


If you give this recipe a try, let me know what you think!

When Sugar Isn't So Sweet (and a smoothie bowl to make it better)

I have a confession.

My name's Vanessa and I'm a sugar addict.

It's been a long time coming, but I've finally decided to own up to my sugar-obsessing ways. Even though sugar can be a totally wonderful treat for those of you out there without food issues, it just leads to a path of overeating and obsession with me. And frankly I'm sick of it.

For the month of April, I've decided to cut out all added sugar from my diet with the exception of whole foods. I mean...who wants to live without fruit? Not this lady.

For this first month, I've decided to limit myself to very little dried fruit simply because it can be a trigger for me. Because dried fruit is so concentrated in sweetness, it often comes off as candy-like and can give me that same sugar rush that other sweets do. So for now, I'm keeping it simple.

When your mood and personality is altered negatively by what you're putting in your body, it's time to make a change. I'm kind of sick of counting on the wrong foods to pick me up...because I always come crashing down.

I'm sure I will be all kinds of angry, moody and crazy for the first week or two but I'm excited to see how I feel after that! Stick around and I'll let you in on my madness.

And to kick this experiment off right, I made myself a delicious green smoothie bowl this morning full of nutrients, veggies and the right amount of fruit. It was so delicious and clean, I thought I'd share it with you guys.

Clean & Green Smoothie Bowl:

Base:
1 cup spinach and collards mix
1/2 cup baby kale
1 tbsp MacroGreens
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 tbsp Maca Powder
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 frozen banana
2 ice cubes (and a little added water for consistency)

Blend all ingredients until smooth

Toppings:
1/4 cup raw granola with spirulina via Whole Foods
2 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp sliced almonds
1 tbsp goji berries
1/4 cup blue berries

Decorate and enjoy!

Have you ever given up sugar for an extended period of time? Forever? I love hearing about the experiences others have gone through when giving up a habit or vice.

Building A Better Breakfast: Nuts & Bolts

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. By far. Like...I live for breakfast. Have I said that before? I'm sure I have.  Because breakfast is the best, guys. The. Best.

I love variety and I love switching up my breakfast, but I also think it's important to get the most bang for your buck. The easiest way to do this is to pack as much delicious nutrition you can into this magical meal.

The nuts and bolts (er, seeds) of a hearty breakfast:

My favorite part of any breakfast is choosing the toppings.  You know, basically all of the good stuff you use to decorate your meal. Maybe this speaks to the visually obsessed person I am, but I love a ton of texture, flavor and color. In this particular breakfast I added sliced almonds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, shredded coconut, flax meal, cinnamon and vanilla bean. 

To the right: my base on this particular morning was cooked wild rice and unsweetened almond milk. Other options include oats (steelcut, rolled, Scottish), quinoa, brown rice, or buckwheat groats. Endless possibilities, folks.

I stick to natural sweeteners such as a pitted date, bananas, and/or berries. Yum!

The end result is a delicious stick-to-your-ribs meal that will keep you fueled and satisfied for a pretty good chunk of your morning and afternoon.

What are your favorite breakfast add-ins? Do you like a bunch of complex flavors or do you prefer to keep it simple?