Vegan Mac & Cheese.

Tonight I’m going to share with you one of my favorite quick and vegan meal options. This one comes straight from the freezer isle, to the tune of macaroni and cheese.

This Amy's Mac & Cheese is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Cholesterol Free, Lactose Free, and Tree Nut Free. The noodles are made from rice flour and the cheese is Daiya. 

With just over 500 calories, 190 of which are from fat, and 8 grams of protein, this is truly a great meal starter. 

I love to pair this with some vegan chicken strips and a green vegetable, like steamed broccoli. 

I mean look how creamy & delicious that looks! How could any one not want to give this a try!?!

If you do try it out, leave a comment and let me know what you think!

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Veggie Sandwich!

Today’s fast food option is another hit from Wendy’s. This vegetable sandwich isn’t actually on the menu, but rather something that is a special order.

What I Order: A premium toasted bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle. No cheese. No mayonnaise.

This literally means you are getting a hamburger bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle.

Sometimes, I eat it just like that. Sometimes I bring my own vegan chicken patty or vegan hamburger with me and just grab the bun when I’m feeling lazy.  I’ve also added my own sauce to this sandwich as well.

Keep in mind that the new pretzel bun does contain milk, so if you are still transitioning, are a vegetarian, or for any other reason don’t mind milk as an ingredient; then you can certainly ask for a pretzel bun in lieu of the premium toasted bun.

If you are looking to make this a meal, checkout my post on Wendy's Hit The Spot Fries!

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

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Enjoy!

Vegan Chili

Tonight’s recipe is going to use the Bocca Ground Crumbles that I talked about last night.

It’s great for throwing in a crock-pot on a cold morning, like this morning, and let it simmer all day.

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Vegan Chili

You will need:

A crock-pot

A ladle

Strainer

Ingredients:

1 can of light kidney beans

1 can of dark kidney beans

2 cans of tomato sauce

Chili Powder

1 bag of Bocca Ground Crumbles

Directions:

1. Open both cans of kidney beans, drain them, and pour them in your crock-pot.

2. Open the cans of tomato sauce and mix it in.

3. Add the desire amount of chili powder for your taste.

4. Mix in your desired amount of ground crumbles, adding more for the “meatier” you want your chili to be.

5. Let it cook in the crock-pot for 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high.

Enjoy!

As always, if you try this recipe out make sure to comment below and let me know what you think!

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Well, Butter My Biscuit!

 One of the most important things in a southern women’s (or man’s) kitchen is butter. There are a ton of options for vegan butter, but many of them are frankly gross. I’ve tried several, and here are the two that I suggest:

1. When I bake, I prefer to use Blue Bonnet Light Sticks. They are cheap, they come pre-measured, and easy to use in recipes.

2. When I am eating butter on bagels, baked potatoes, biscuits, etc… I prefer Smart Balance Light with Flaxseed Oil. It is thicker and has a more full butter taste. It is dairy free, vegan, lactose free, gluten free, and gelatin free. It has 50 calories a serving, 5 grams of fat, and no cholesterol.

I’d recommend picking up either of these great butter substitutes the next time you are at the grocery store and try substituting  them for the butter you are using! 

Vegenaise, it's delicious and nutritious!

When I first became a Vegetarian and later when I became a Vegan, I was hesitant to try product substitutions because I was worried they wouldn’t taste exactly like the real things. It took me a while to venture out and be willing to try new things, but when I did I was surprised to find out how much I liked them.

A lot of these mock products taste so similar to the ‘real’ thing that you really can’t tell the difference.

One of my favorite mock products currently on the market it Vegenaise, which is a vegan alternative to mayonnaise that is made by a company called Follow Your Heart and available at most health food stores or grocery stores that carry vegan products.

Vegenaise comes in several different varieties including; original, soy free, grape seed oil, organic, and reduced fat.

This product has numerous health benefits, but I especially love that, because it contains no eggs, it is cholesterol free.

This is such a creamy and delicious dressing, that it is almost impossible to taste the difference. In fact, I’ve been substituting it in the place of mayonnaise in the dishes I take with me to group functions and family gatherings for years now and no one has yet to notice the difference.  

For more information, visit the Follow Your Heart website and make sure to add any of the five flavors of Vegenaise to your grocery-shopping list!