HookedOnPlants

When getting hooked is a good thing

Recipes

Chewy Vegan Chickpea Coconut Cluster Cookies | Gluten-Free

By

That naked cookie jar is calling for these babies! But be warned; if you are into chewiness with a surprise crunch of clustery, seedy, coco-nutty goodness, that jar of chewy vegan chickpea cookies will be empty within 48 hours.

The tapioca flour in these cookies gives them that chewy texture, and the chickpea flour gives you the extra plant protein so you’ll feel like a health nut without having to taste the health (if you know what I mean)! Perfect combo.

Keep the GF theme going by opting for gluten-free oats.

And the clusters! Such a great addition. You know that feeling of biting into something chewy, and all of a sudden, SURPRISE … a delightful crunch for the teeth to bask in. Is it just me, or is that not the most satisfying sensation ever?

I’m using Hippie Snacks sweet seed + nut clusters (a whole package worth) to round out these devour-worthy cookies. The clusters have dried fruit in them too, so you get a random bit of extra firm chewiness, along with that seedy, coconut crunch (YES).

And the dippability of these guys are 10/10 (very important to mention).

Pour that hemp milk into a your favourite mug and dip away till’ the happy cows come home.

Cookies with Benefits:

  • Chickpea Flour is a great option if you’re sensitive to gluten, plus it’s packed with plant protein with a very mild flavour. It’s anti-inflammatory, and super nutrient-dense, yet lower in calories (compared to wheat flour).
  • Sweet Coconut Seed + Nut clusters are packed with omegas from coconut + flax seeds, iron from pumpkin seeds, and vitamin E from sunflower seeds. They’ve got papaya and cranberries in there for a boost of phytonutrients and digestive enzymes, plus a ton of fibre from the brown rice puffs!
  • Oats are packed with magnesium, fibre and antioxidants. They’ll help balance your blood sugar, lower cholesterol and relieve constipation:)


Chewy Vegan Chickpea Cookies with Coconut Cluster | GF
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Easy and chewy with a surprise crunch. These cookies are a new go-to for the lunch box, and their dippability is 10/10.
Author:
Recipe type: cookies, dessert, snack
Serves: 9
Ingredients

  • Dry Ingredients:
  • ¼ cup coconut sugar
  • ½ cup tapioca flour
  • 1 cup chickpea flour
  • 1 cup oats (gluten free if needed)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

  • Wet Ingredients
  • ½ cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • ¼ cup almond butter
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 package Hippie Snacks Sweet Coconut Seed + Nut Clusters
Instructions
  1. Pre-Heat oven to 350°F
  2. Mix together dry ingredients (I do this in the Kitchen Aid mixer). Then pour that into a bowl and set aside.
  3. Mix together the wet ingredients (except for the clusters), until smooth.
  4. Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix until combined
  5. Then stir in the coconut clusters (save some for topping the cookies with)
  6. On a parchment covered, or reusable cooking sheet covered cookie sheet, place 1 inch cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart.
  7. Press the cookie down slightly and sprinkle with left over cluster bits.
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes (watch they don't burn, but if you want a crispier base go for 12 minutes)
  9. Store in that cookie jar!

Want more?

Sign up to my emails for weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants

Hooked On Plants Interview: Cheap Lazy Vegan + Crispy Korean Tofu

By

Extreme. Expensive. Difficult. Time consuming. Bland….Not when it comes to Cheap Lazy Vegan food! 

Do those words pop into your mind when someone says ‘vegan’?

Well, you obviously haven’t heard of the Cheap Lazy Vegan.

Rose is the Cheap Lazy Vegan. With over 450,000 youtube subscribers, she’s doing an amazing job at spreading the word that vegan doesn’t have to mean complicated or expensive.

She makes vegan easy and attainable. If you’re still skepticle… watch one of Rose’s youtube videos showing the ease of delicious 10 minutes meals, and you’ll be blown away at the simplicity of it all.

Along with being a youtube star, she now has an all vegan café (SaVeg Café) in Calgary, AB.

To celebrate National Vegetarian Week, it’s the perfect time to get to know Rose and bring some inspiration to you guys for cheap and easy vegan meals!


I was lucky enough to stop by the new café with my glorious Grandma to meet this beautiful soul! We also met her Mama who cooked up an amazing Tofu Sweet Potato Korean dish and a super spicy soup that we easily polished off (so dang good).

Let’s get to know Rose.

Hooked On Plants: Cheap Lazy Vegan resonates with hundreds of thousands of people now!  What was your first youtube video about?

Cheap Lazy Vegan: The first video I did was a simple introduction of my channel where I explain that you can be cheap AND lazy on a vegan diet… along with a “What I Ate in a Day” where I showed viewers some easy, simple meals that I ate in a day.

HOP: Did you come up with the awesome name, Cheap Lazy Vegan? Is there a story behind that?

CLV: I did… I had just moved to London, UK at the time and I was making very little money but spending a lot simply because I was living in one of the most expensive cities in the world. I found myself buying affordable groceries and making very inexpensive meals. I realized that I was super lazy when it came to cooking. At the same time, I’ve always been a foodie so I always have enjoyed taking photos of food. So I just came up with an Instagram page with the handle @cheaplazyvegan which is how it all started… 🙂

 

HOP: How long have you been vegan, and what was the main reason? Animals? Environment? or Health?

CLV: I’ve been mostly plant-based for about 7 years total (I became a pescatarian at first, staying away from meat, dairy and eggs, but still had a hard time staying away from fish) and now I’ve been VEGAN for almost 4 years. I went vegan purely for ethical & animal rights reasons and the other stuff (like health and environmental benefits) were just little bonuses for me. I read some books and watched some movies, which really opened up my eyes to the realities of what happens to the animals that I claimed to “love”. 

HOP: Did you take your time to take animal products out of your diet, or did you go completely vegan overnight?

CLV: It took time. I think it takes time to get used to the dietary aspect but also to mentally get your head around the whole idea. I first gave up meat, then about a month later stopped eating dairy and eggs, then lastly I quit fish, years later.

 

HOP: It is SO exciting that you’ve opened a 100% vegan café in ‘CowTown’! With Calgary being known for it’s Alberta Beef, it’s so it’s so inspiring that you’ve taken the initiative to get more vegan food into people’s mouths! Plus, you’re working with your Mom! How did you come up with the name SaVeg?

CLV: Haha, I really wish I could take credit for the name, but it was actually my friend’s sister that had the idea. I liked the trendiness of the name and the smart play-on-words.

HOP: What was the catalyst for opening SaVeg Café?

CLV: My mom already owned the cafe but it wasn’t a vegan one. I helped out there for just a few hours each day and I felt that my own time and the cafe space could be used in a better way. I wanted to be more involved and help out more, but I knew I couldn’t invest my own time/money/energy in a business that sold animal products. So, I approached my mom about the idea of fully changing the menu and concept of the cafe into a vegan one (and of course, me taking half ownership!). Calgary also is lacking in vegan establishments (in my opinion), so it made sense from a business perspective as well.

HOP: What are you excited about this year? Do you have any other cool projects you’re working on?

CLV: At the moment, I’m trying to juggle doing my social media and running the cafe! I’m focusing on getting the cafe established and learning to manage my time before moving onto other projects. I definitely would like to get involved in some new projects in the future!

Here’s a playlist of Rose’s quick meal ideas: Cheap Lazy Vegan quick meals

I had to share this recipe of hers. These spicy korean tofu bits were the special at her café when we came to visit. They were deeeeeelicious.


Spicy Korean Fried Chicken-Style Tofu
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Rose AKA Cheap Lazy Vegan's crispy, comfort food style tofu that's good in any dinner bowl or wrap!
Author:
Recipe type: vegan meat, lunch, dinner, tofu recipe
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 1 block extra firm tofu
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup almond flour OR bread crumbs
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

  • Sauce
  • 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean red hot pepper paste)
  • ½ tbsp maple syrup
  • 4 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder (or you can use 1 clove of fresh minced garlic)
Instructions
  1. Press your tofu to take out some of the liquid for about 10-20 minutes… I’ll be honest, I rarely do this because I don’t have the patience.
  2. Cut up your tofu into small bite sized pieces.
  3. Add your tofu pieces into a mixing bowl and add in soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar. Mix until well combined.
  4. Toss your tofu pieces with almond flour or bread crumbs until each piece is nicely coated.
  5. Add into your air fryer at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes – moving them around at around the halfway point to make sure they cook evenly.
  6. While your tofu is in the air fryer, you can prepare the sauce by adding all the sauce ingredients into a small bowl and mixing very well.
  7. When your tofu is finished, mix in the sauce and sesame seeds (optional) so that the tofu is nicely coated in the delicious red sauce.
  8. Now you can enjoy….!!! Warning: these are ridiculously addictive!

Want more?

Sign up to my emails for weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants

Raw Vegan Matcha Charcoal Swirl Cheese Cake

By

Forget friends with benefits… dessert with benefits way more fun. And yes, this raw vegan matcha charcoal swirl cheese cake does taste as good as it looks.

This luscious  dessert is a crowd-pleases and SO easy!! It only takes 15 minutes of actual time in the kitchen for you. The rest of the time is for soaking the nuts and freezing the cake so it’s a cheese cake-like texture.

Matcha + Activated Charcoal.

Mixing these two wonders together creates a black and green galaxy of antioxidants and intense detoxifying powers your body will thank you for. Matcha does wonders as an antioxidant powerhouse, and activated charcoal actually binds to toxins and heavy metals in your body (great for hangovers).

This crust is just 3 main superfood ingredients with some lemon zest and sea salt. Easy as pie (crust).

Who knew dessert could be so powerful?

Matcha is one of the most powerful antioxidants in the world. I’ve been loving the ceremonial grade DoMatcha. They’re all about quality and transparency with their matcha (check out where they source it from and how it’s made here).

I’m so in love with matcha. One of my Jules Fuel overnight buckwheat oat breakfast cereals is made with DoMatcha, and when I’m working from home I end up having at least 2 matcha hemp milk lattés throughout the day, and I feel gooooood about it.
This dessert was a hit at my good friend’s 30th birthday (Happy Birthday Shannon). No one was vegan, and everyone wanted more 😉

7  benefits of Matcha:
  1. Antioxidant powerhouse! Matcha helps slow aging process by fighting free radicals and protecting your cells from damage and minimizing your risk for disease
  2. Sustained energy release compared to coffee (no jitters)
  3. High in the antioxidant EGCG, which is shown to boost metabolism, increase fat loss, and help prevent disease
  4. 137 times more antioxidants that your typical green tea
  5. L-theanine in matcha improves memory and boosts your mood by helping produce dopamine and serotonin
  6. High levels of chlorophyll in matcha detoxifies your body by helping remove heavy metals and chemical toxins
  7. Increases your immunity with it’s antibiotic properties and good levels of vitamin A, C and potassium

5.0 from 1 reviews
Raw Vegan Matcha Charcoal Swirl Cheese Cake
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A decadent, raw vegan dessert packed to the brim with antioxidants and detoxifying effects! It only takes 15 minutes of actual 'work in the kitchen time', the rest is freezing or soaking time! It's delish and has mega benefits.
Author:
Recipe type: dessert, pie, raw dessert
Cuisine: raw vegan
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
  • Crust:
  • ½ cup oats (gluten-free if needed)
  • 1 cup pitted dates
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • ⅛ tsp salt

  • Filling:
  • 2 cups cashews, soaked at least 3 hours (or 1 hour in hot water)
  • 1 cup full fat coconut cream (scrape the solid white stuff out of the can, leave the liquid)
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • juice of 1 large lemon
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 tsp matcha powder (I used ceremonial grade matcha fromDo Matcha)
  • 1 tsp activated charcoal (sub cacao powder)
Instructions
  1. Make crust: in your food processor, blend dates until they've become small chunks or a ball. Remove from food processor and blend walnuts and oats until their a fine meal. Add the dates back in. Blend until well combined. Texture? It should stick together when squeezed.
  2. Press crust into a parchment lined spring form pan (up the sides too).
  3. Place the crusted pan into the freezer.
  4. Make filling: in your blender, blend cashews, coconut cream, maple syrup, vanilla and lemon until smooth and silky. This will give you 2½ cups of white filling.
  5. Pour ¾ of the filling (1¾ cups) out into a jar, keeping half of the filling in the blender.
  6. Add matcha to the blender and blend until combined.
  7. Pour matcha filling in the pie crust.
  8. Blend the rest of the white filling with the activated charcoal (or cacao).
  9. Drizzle the activated charcoal filling in a swirl over the matcha filling. Use a butter knife or chop stick to create art! (zig zag motion)
  10. Place the pie in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
  11. When you're ready to eat it, take it out of the freezer and let sit 10 minutes.
  12. Store it in the freezer!
Notes
The actual 'work time' of this pie is only 15 minutes, or so (blending the crust, then blending both fillings). The soak time and the freezer time is included in the total time.
The longer the cashews are soaked, the creamier the pie.
You can freeze it for less time, but it just won't be as solid.

Want more?

Sign up to my emails for weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants

Check out 80/20 Plants program for all you need to go plant based.

Tag me on the ‘gram when you make this @hookedonplants

15-Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta

By

The magic of Avo is at it again. Avocado pasta is the answer to your dinner woes.

Whether you’re vegan or not, this pasta is a super easy weekday dinner to fall back on and it’s packed with a ton of nutrients and flavour…all in under 10 minutes. Serve it up with a salad and you’ve got yourself a super satisfying, delicious dinner staple.

If you’re making the switch, it’s all about figuring out your new staples as a new vegan.

Think about it. How many different types of dinners do you make in a month? I’m guessing it’s probably just a handful of go-to recipes you have in your repertoire that you cycle through (nothin’ wrong with that!). Turning veg just means veganizing these go-to’s, or finding a handful of vegan dinner options you love, then creating a new recipe cycle. The longevity of this lifestyle relies on simplicity (and tastiness, of course), and that’s where recipes like this avocado pasta shine.

Not only is the past simple, but it’s such a crowd pleaser. It’s creaminess without the heaviness of your typical creamy pasta.

Kids will gobble this stuff up too, so if your tasters are little munchkins, then definitely give this one a try!

I get overly excited every time I use the spirilizer, like a kid in a candy shop. You get so much ‘spaghetti’ out of just one yam (or any other veggie you choose to spirilize, like yicama, carrot, beet, or zucchini).

Benefits:

  • Yams are packed with vitamin C to boost your immunity and aid in healing your wounds.
  • Avocados are packed with monounsaturated fats, minimizing joint pain and arthritis, hydrating your skin and strengthening your hair.
  • Garlic is an antibiotic and anti-fungal. The sulfur compounds will help keep your blood pressure in tact. Adding lemon to the crushed garlic enhances the sulfur compound allicin, so this sauce is a perfecto comination-o!

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

 

10-Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta
 
Save Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This is a go-to staple dinner recipe! It takes 10 minutes and curbs that creamy, comfort-food craving.
Author:
Recipe type: pasta, easy dinner, 15 minute dinner, lunch idea
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • 1-2 yams, spiralized or 1 package spaghetti of choice (I like brown rice pasta)
  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • Lemon zest from 2 lemons (do this before you juice the lemons)
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • ½ cup black beans, rinsed
Instructions
  1. If using pasta instead of yams, boil water in a large pot and cook pasta according to directions
  2. Meanwhile make the sauce: add avocado, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast to food processor and blend until smooth.
  3. Strain pasta and pour it back into the large pot. Add the sauce and mix into pasta thouroughly
  4. Top it off with beans, red pepper, lemon zest and this vegan parm!
Notes
-Use half spaghetti, half spiralized yam
-Use any other vegetable you like to spiralize

Want more?

Sign up to my emails for weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants

Smokey Vegan Parmesan | Ready in 3 minutes

By

This smokey vegan parmesan goes well with anything, and I mean ANYTHING savoury.

It has to be in the fridge at all times, ready to get it’s sprinkle on.

There’s nothing like a little smoky saltiness to add pizzazz to any meal.

Your next pasta, salad, tofu scramble, sandwich or wrap will welcome this parm with open arms.

The one thing people seem to miss most during the transition to plant-based eating… CHEESE, because it’s physically addicting. Casomorphins in dairy create an opioid effect to keep the calf coming back for more from her cow Mama. When milk is made into cheese for human consumption (it takes 10 lbs of milk to create just 1 lb of cheese), the casomorphins are concentrated to high levels and create a strong opioid effect, that keep us coming back for more. Once you’re separated from the addiction for a bit, you’ll be over and and see cheese for what it really is… Check out this post for more on that.

It’s becoming easier and easier with all of the amazing vegan cheese companies coming out with innovative, melty, flavourful, creamy, cheeses! And this recipe gives a cheesiness to any recipe.

When it comes to parm, I think VioLife makes the best store bought vegan version. But, when you don’t have any of that kicking around, you can resort to this smokey vegan parmesan recipe!

The smokiness adds a deep deliciousness to your typical parmesan flava flave.

Benefits:

  • Cashews provide you with 100% of your copper needs! Copper helps with the reactions needed for the metabolism of iron, energy production, and neurotransmission. They’re also packed with vitamins E for healthy skin and bones!
  • Paprika is ground up red pepper! It’s packed with antioxidants, and is very anti-inflammatory.
  • Sunflower seeds are also an amazing source of copper and vitamin E, as well as B1. Vitamin B1 helps the breakdown of fats and protein, and vastly improves the cardiovascular functioning of the body.


Smokey Vegan Parmesan
 
Save Print
Prep time
Total time
 
This is your next meal's best friend. Sprinkle this stuff on anything to enhance any kind of savoury dish.
Author:
Recipe type: topping
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup raw cashews
  • 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ¾ tsp sea salt
Instructions
  1. Blend all ingredients in a mini food processor, blender or spice grinder until you reach the consistency of parm! You shouldn't need more than 30 seconds.
  2. Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

** This goes great with Simple Green Curry, Butternut Mac n’ Peas, Whole Roasted Cauli, Curried Collard Greens, Mashed Potato Butternut Swirl, and the Green Machine Curried Zucchini Hummus.

Want more?

Sign up to my emails for weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants