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Bangin’ Banana Tahini Chaga Granola (Oil & Refined Sugar-Free)

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Who doesn’t love a good crunch in the mornin’?

I do.

But, I don’t love all the sugars + oils snuck into a typical store-bought granola…

Enter: THIS BANGIN’ BANANA TAHINI CHAGA GRANOLA

This recipe is:

-Easy

-Delish

-Free from refined sugars and oils

-Made up of whole foods baby!

Pour some milk on top (Earth’s Own new 4 ingredient oat milk are a fave), or sprinkle it on top of your coco yogurt bowl or smoothie bowl. How ever you enjoy granola, you’ll be able to enjoy it knowing you’re packing your body with quality nutrients and good energy. 

As for the mushroom part, totally optional, but any opportunity I can get, I’ll add in mushroom powders to my recipes. 

The Stay Wyld Organics Mushroom powders are North American sourced, steamed for best absportion, organic, and packaged in glass with a tin lid (plastic-free packaging for the win). I’m using Chaga here, but really could throw all 5 in this recipe!

 

Turkey Tail, Cordyceps, Lion’s Mane, Reishi AND Chaga all give you a mega dose of antioxidants and act as adaptogens in your body, bringing your body back to homeostasis (balance). They’re also immune-boosting and good for the gut. 

Cooking time: 16 minutes

Servings: 5

NOTE: This recipe is very double-able. Do it. 

 

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Ingredients:

  • Wet Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup tahini

  • 1 ripe banana, mashed

  • 2 tsp vanilla

  • optional: if you like it a bit more sweet, add 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • Dry Ingredients:

  • 2.5 cups rolled oats

  • 1/2 cup coconut shreds/ribbons

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

  • 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

  • 2 tbsp cinnamon

  • 3 tsp Stay Wyld Organics Chaga mushroom powder (use ‘Julia10’ for a 10% discount on these North American, organic, steamed, medicinal mushrooms in plastic-free packaging!)

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • Add ins after baking:

  • 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries or chopped dates

  • 1/4 cup hemp seeds

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Directions

  • Pre-heat oven to 325F
  • Mix the wet ingredients together in a large bowl
  • Add in the dry ingredients to the wet and mix thoroughly (hand mixing is the most satisfying and gets the job done best)
  • Lay it out evenly on a parchment (or reusable baking sheet) covered pan
  • Bake for 16 minutes, mixing around halfway through. (Careful not to burn at the end!)
  • Remove from oven and let cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in your cupboard or the fridge. As you transfer it to your container, add in the additional ingredients and shake it up.
  • Snack, scoop, or sprinkle it on everything!

Creamy Portobello Cauliflower Fettuccine Alfredo

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Even Mr. Alfredo himself would FOR SURE give this Cauliflower Fettuccine Alfredo a 10/10. Even without cream, butter or cheese at the party.

Cream-ified with cauli and cashews and simplified with just 8 ingredients, making it the perfect answer to your weeknight scramble-fest (just takes 20 minutes).

Kids will love it too.

Use this sauce for anything else you need to add flavourful creaminess to (lunch wraps, sandwiches, glory bowls…)

I’ve added in some portobellos, smoked tofu, and peas for extra Alfredo pasta pizzazz.

Double it up, so you don’t have to worry about dinner a few nights away (my tastebuds wouldn’t have any problem at all if this was on repeat multiple times a week).

Cauliflower for the win once again. Love you, you versatile bundle of cruciferous-ness.

Creamy Cauliflower Fettuccine Alfredo
 
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A creamy pasta minus the heaviness! Cauliflower is the star in this one, serving as the base for a deliciously decadent feeling Alfredo sauce. Throw in some smoked tofu for that bacon-y feel, and you have yourself a nostalgic favourite to trick any comfort food lover!
Author:
Recipe type: pasta
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 large cauliflower, chopped (5 heaping cups of cauliflower florets)
  • 1-2 tbsp tamari
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 portobellos, sliced
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • ¾ cup soaked cashews
  • ¾ cup veggie broth
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast
  • juice of ½ lemon (about 1 tablespoon), plus 2 wedges for serving
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp pepper, to taste
  • 1 package (350 g) fettuccine or rotini pasta (gluten free if needed)
  • ½ cup smoked tofu, chopped
  • Fresh minced parsley, or sage for garnish

  • Optional:
  • Smoked Vegan Parmesan
  • ¾ cup green peas
Instructions
  1. Steam cauliflower florets in a steamer basket with the lid on for 10 to 15 minutes until fork tender.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a pan to medium heat and add the onions, garlic and mushrooms. Sauté for 10 minutes using splashes of tamari and water to de-glaze the pan if they’re sticking at all.
  3. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well, pour it back into the pot, then set aside.
  4. Make the sauce! Blend the steamed cauliflower, lemon, milk, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper with HALF of the sautéed mushrooms, onion, garlic mix in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
  5. Add the cauliflower sauce to the pasta pot and stir well.
  6. Add the green peas (if using)and heat over low-medium until everything is heated through. Taste and add more salt, lemon or pepper if needed.
  7. Serve it up! Divide the pasta into bowls, and add a sprinkle of fresh minced parsley. Add any other veggies you feel would be delicious with this creamy concoction!
  8. Optional: sprinkle with this Smoked Vegan Parmesan.

Tag me if you make this! LOVE seeing your creations.

@hookedonplants

Easy Cheezy Broccoli Potato Soup

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Bring back that nostalgic broccoli and cheese sauce side dish!

This Cheezy Broccoli Potato Soup does just that. It’s thick and flavourful with sooooo many nutrients.

If you’re timing tonight gives you anxiety when you even consider making dinner, this is tha soup fo’ you!!

It’s really yum with this smokey vegan parmesano, and a side of avocado toast (duh).

This is a super satiating, delicious, and incredibly nutritious soup for those times you just don’t have that time to spend alllllll hours in the kitchen.


Easy Cheezy Broccoli Potato Soup
 
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A simple, whole foods soup with that 'cheese & broccoli sauce' nostalgia!
Author:
Recipe type: dinner, lunch
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 heads broccoli, roughly chopped
  • 2 russet potatoes, roughly chopped
  • ¾-1 cup nutritional yeast
  • 3 tbsp tamari
  • 3 cups mushroom or vegetable broth
  • Optional for thickening: 1 tbsp corn starch or arrowroot powder, mixed with ½ cup water
  • 2 green onion, chopped
Instructions
  1. Boil potatoes until soft (place potato in a large pot, cover with water, bring to a rolling boil and let boil for 15 minutes)
  2. Steam broccoli for 5 minutes (alternatively, place broccoli florets in the boiling water with the potatoes at the 10 minute mark ~ you will lose a bit of flavour, but save on cleaning a pot)
  3. Meanwhile, water sauté onion and garlic (heat a pan to medium heat, add onion, mix around as it browns for a few minutes, then add a bit of water to de-glaze. Let it cook until translucent, add a bit of water when if it's sticking).
  4. Blend in two batches: add half of everything (broccoli, potatoes, 1½ tbsp tamari, 1 - 1½ cups broth, ½ cup nutritional yeast) to the blender and blend until almost smooth. Pour into the pot you used for potato boiling, then repeat with the rest of the ingredients.
  5. Warm the soup up for a few minutes, then stir in the optional cornstarch mixture (mix for at least 30 seconds)
  6. Serve with avocado toast, green onion, and this Smokey Vegan Parm!

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Vegan Hemp Pesto Pasta Salad | GF + Oil-Free + Ready in 20

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This is the meanest, greenest vegan hemp pesto pasta salad on the block!

Super flavour-y brilliance without the parm, oil, or gluten. BOOM.

To do list: make the pesto, boil the pasta, throw in some flavourful colours and you have yourself a meal!

Not only does this bode well for potluck-style weddings (which is what our weekends have been filled with this month), but it’s also a saviour when it comes to busy weeks and last minute dinners. Just make a TON of this goodness and your week will be stress-free in the food realm.

Serve it up with a big ol’ salad drizzled with this dressing, and spruce it up by adding different proteins each night (tempeh, smoked tofu, seitan or sausage slices, anything gardein, veggie burger chunks… you get the drift).

Easy & plant-based… that’s what it’s all about!

BY THE WAY:

I’m working away at an e-book for you guys!

All you need to know about being plant-based for a week with 30 recipes, nutrition tips, and a whole week of meals planned out for you.
My goal is to make this plant-based lifestyle as fun and easy as possible for as many people as possible. I hope this e-book will to be the ultimate guide for YOU to achieve that🙂

Get in touch with me on Instagram by tagging @hookedonplants and #plantsforaweek and let me know what questions you have about this lifestyle that you want to be answered in my E-book! I’d LOVE to hear from you!

~~~


Vegan Hemp Pesto Pasta Salad
 
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A pesto pasta dish to please the whole family, or just you for a whole week!! This stuff is great for leftovers, and shines at those potluck dinners.
Author:
Recipe type: pasta, ready in 20, easy dinner
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 package of your favourite pasta noodles (go for 2 ingredient pasta like fusilli with brown rice and water), cooked according to directions
  • 10 kalamata olives, chopped
  • 1 jar artichoke hearts, chopped
  • 1 jar sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 basil leaves for garnish

  • Pesto:
  • 2 cups of packed fresh basil
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup hemp seeds
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ⅛ tsp each salt + pepper
  • ⅓ cup water
Instructions
  1. Make pesto: blend all pesto ingredients together in your food processor
  2. Mix the pesto, pasta noodles, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes together in a large bowl, then top with extra basil leaves.

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This week was all about you and your relationship with you GUT. SO interesting!

 

Creamy Vegan Spinach Artichoke White Bean Dip | 8 Ingredients

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Creaminess alert! I’m in love with this Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip.

White beans come into play to create that creamy texture you’re craving, minus the dairy.

If you come across this dip in the store, the veg-sounding name will probably fool ya. The usual culprits show up in full force in the store-bought version… cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, and parmesano. Yup, it’s an overload of the type of creaminess that won’t do your body any favours.

That brings me to one of life’s must-knows.

 

There are 2 important aspects of the act of eating. The physical side & the mental side.

The way you love and appreciate your food makes a big difference in how your body is going to assimilate those nutrients. If you’re stressed out or worried about that thing you’re eating while you’re eating it (‘oh god, I shouldn’t be eating this…’), your digestion won’t run smoothly (because your adrenal system ~ AKA, your stress centre ~ simply cannot work at the same time as your digestive system).

Step 1 – you’ve got to love the taste.

Step 2- you’ve got to appreciate the food and feel good about eating it.

 

It’s a lot easier to follow through with step 2 when the food you’re eating is actually good for you, and it helps when it doesn’t taste like cardboard, am I right!?

That’s what it’s all about here. This dip is even better than ‘guilt-free’, I’ll go as far as saying it’s a ‘life-giving’ dip. It’s next-level awesome for your taste buds and your health.

And oooh man, does it ever taste good warmed up with a side of rye sourdough, crackers and veggies.

The white beans give this dip the dip-able texture we’re looking for.

Don’t limit it to a dip! Spread it all over your toast, sandwiches, wraps, or even make it into a pasta sauce by adding almond milk!

 

There’s just two steps to get to this deliciousness.

Blend

Bake

… that’s it.

 

Benefits:

  • White beans (cannellini beans) are of the legume family. Enough said. Legumes have tons of antioxidants, inulin fibre (prebiotics), minerals, vitamins, and protein. They’re low in fat, cholesterol, and calories (in comparison to the meaty alternative). This is your time to get in yo’ beans! Soak them first, then rinse if you feel that you get gas from them.
  • Artichokes = antioxidants. They’re #7 on USDA’s antioxidant-rich foods list! Plus, Vitamin C in artichoke is going to help you absorb the iron in the spinach. What a combo.
  • Spinach. We all know it’s Pop-Eye’s fave. Why wouldn’t it be? It’s packed with the good stuff (iron, water content, fibre, plant protein, chlorophyll, plus… niacin, manganese, zinc, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate,potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper), but missing the bad stuff (saturated fat & cholesterol). A recipe for Pop-Eye’s physique.

 

Spinach Artichoke White Bean Dip | Vegan
 
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This dip is easy, but so impressive. We're keeping it on the lighter side by using beans as the base instead of nuts. It's creamy and delicious!
Author:
Recipe type: dip, appetizer, spread
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 can white cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
  • ½ cup + 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice (about a ½ lemon)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 cup packed spinach, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup artichoke hearts (about 1 can, drained), roughly chopped
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 375°F.
  2. In your food processor, blend beans with ½ cup nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic, lemon juice, and salt.
  3. In an oven safe serving dish, mix the bean mixture with the spinach and artichokes.
  4. Cover with tin foil, then bake for 12 minutes.
  5. Take the foil off, sprinkle with extra nutitional yeast (or vegan parmesan like Violife's or this recipe) and broil on high for 2 minutes.
  6. Serve this saucy goodness up with your favourite raw veggies, chips, crackers...you name it.

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