Nutty Banana Muffins

1 cup flour

1 cup instant oatmeal

4 ripe bananas, mashed

4 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 tablespoons flax seeds

Combine all ingredients. Scoop batter into muffin pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Healthy Harvest Mini Scones

Makes about 16 mini scones

Scones:

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 teaspoons Truvia

3 tablespoons agave syrup

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup pureed sweet potatoes

1/2 pureed carrots

1 egg

3 tablespoons Earth Balance

Combine all ingredients and mix to form a stiff dough. If dough is too sticky to handle, add a little more flour. Form dough into a ball. Roll out to 1 inch thick. Cut dough into 2 inch squares, then in half diagonally to form triangles. Place triangles on baking sheet and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes (scones should be slightly brown on top). Let cool then drizzle with icing (recipe below)

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

enough milk to make icing a drizzling consistency

ENJOY! :)

Vivacious Vegan Chili

I know it's summer, but it's currently in the 50's here in the Pacific Northwest. Is there ever a bad time for chili, anyway?

Ingredients:

1/2 a bag each of black beans, small white beans and kidney beans

1/2 a bag of meatless crumbles (I like Quorn, they're soy free!)

2 cans diced tomatoes

1/4 red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 seeded and diced serrano or jalapeno pepper

1 packet taco seasoning or a few tablespoons of fiesta seasoning

2 teaspoons cumin

salt and pepper to preferred taste (I did about 2 tsp. each)

water

Combine everything in a crock pot, add water to cover, and put on high for 10 hours. You can speed this up by soaking your beans first! To give the chili more flavor, you can saute your veggies and spices in a little olive oil first. Remember, always rinse your beans and if you can, wear gloves or use a food chopper when chopping your pepper (my hands are still burning 8 hours later). This is a whole big crock pot full, enough for a small dinner party. So, invite some friends over!

Vegan Banana Bread

Banana bread is a great way to use up those extra bananas that are starting to get to ripe on you. This batch will make one 9 inch loaf or 3 mini loaves. I prefer the mini loaves because I can eat one now and freeze the other two for later!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup safflower oil
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup agave
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ripe bananas
3/4 cups pecans or walnuts
3/4 cup carob chips, raisins, or dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil loaf pan. Using a mixer blend together bananas, oil, rice syrup, agave and vanilla.

Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Add the nuts and carob chips or fruit at the very end and lightly stir just enough to incorporate them into the batter.

Pour batter into the loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Mushroom and Bulgur Pilaf

I eat this as a main dish, but even my meat eating friends love it as a side!

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces of whole mushrooms diced (makes about 2 cups diced)

1 chopped red or yellow onion
1 diced tomato
1 cup bulgur wheat
1/4  cup flaxseed
2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Dice onion, mushrooms and tomatoes. Set aside in individual bowls.

Add olive oil to a 10" skillet and over high heat and saute onions for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms 2-3 minutes or until soft and reduced by half. Add bulgur and flaxseed and saute for 1 minute.

Add broth, tomato, seasoning, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff and serve.

Chewy Backpack Granola Bars

I adapted this recipe into a healthier, sugar-free version from one my mom made for us growing up. It is still just as good as I remember only a little better for you.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

1/4 cup Earth Balance natural buttery spread
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup agave syrup
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups crisp rice cereal (white or brown)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped nuts and seeds (use your favorite or what you have)

Combine first 4 ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil then simmer at a low boil for two minutes. Add peanut butter, salt and vanilla and return to a boil. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl combine oats, rice cereal, nuts and seeds together. Add syrup mixture and stir to completely mix.

Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment or lightly grease with shortening. Pour the mix into the pan and pack firmly using the back of a bamboo spoon. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Chocolate Balsamic Strawberry Cups

10 large strawberries
1 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips or carob chips
Modena balsamic vinegar (the more it is aged, the sweeter and thicker it is)

Wash and dry strawberries. Evenly cut the stem top off the strawberry about 1/8 of an inch down. Using a sharp paring knife core the strawberry so it resembles a cup.

Place chocolate chips in a glass microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute. Stir until completely melted. The chocolate chips won't look like they are melted but a good stir will blend them all together.

Line a baking sheet or plate with parchment or wax paper. Dip each strawberry in the melted chocolate and set cut-side down on the paper. Refrigerate until chocolate is hard.

To serve, pour the Modena balsamic vinegar into the cup of the strawberry. You can serve by passing the plate of strawberries with balsamic in a creamer container  and have each guest pour their own or serve individually in cordial glasses.

Tennessee Tomato Tart

The first time I had a tart like this was with friends in an antebellum home on a hill top in Franklin, Tennessee. The tomatoes flavored with thyme are caramelized with rice syrup and covered with puff pastry. This isn't the healthiest of recipes because of the puffed pastry, but it is vegan. This savory pastry makes a beautiful appetizer or light lunch.

1 pound ripe Roma tomatoes (about 6)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cloves pressed garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup brown rice syrup
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 medium shallot minced
1 sheet puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Core tomatoes and slice them lengthwise into quarters. Using a paring knife seed each wedge. Combine the tomatoes, salt, pepper, thyme, garlic and olive oil in a mixing bowl or large zip bag tossing gently to coat thoroughly.

In a 7-inch nonstick, ovenproof sauté pan, combine rice syrup, vinegar and shallot. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced by half and the mixture is syrupy, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool 5 minutes.

Arrange the tomato wedges, cut-side down, in a concentric circle slightly overlapping and tight. The pan will be full. Pour remaining marinade over the tomatoes.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and cook until the tomatoes have released their juices and evaporated about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool 5 minutes.

Cut a 9-inch circle from the puff pastry using a 9-inch dinner plate as your template. Place the pastry over the tomatoes and using a spatula tuck the edges of the pastry down the edge into the pan.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Place a plate over the pan and invert the plate and pan in a single motion. Cut into 6-8 wedges. Serve warm.

A bit of advice...

Last night I tried making a vegan mac & "cheese" from scratch, with no recipe. It involved nutritional yeast, spices, and silken tofu. I'm not telling you the recipe because Charlie and I agreed it was pretty gross. So, my advice is to not try and invent a mac & "cheese" recipe at 8 o'clock at night. However, I did coat some steamed portobellos in Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce and those were pretty tasty.

Side note, today is day 1 of Jillian Michaels-30 Day Shred. Pray for me.

Vegan Personal Pesto Pita Pizza

I like to top my pizza off with all kinds of vegetables. This is one of my favorite ways to eat them. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

1 whole wheat vegan pita
2 tablespoons vegan pesto
3 artichoke quarters in water cut in half
6 slices of red onion
1/4 Roma tomato cut in half and sliced
2-3 tablespoons vegan meltable mozzarella shreds (I like daiya brand)

Evenly spread pesto evenly over pita. Top alternating the vegetables in circle. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 13 minutes or until heated through and cheese melts. Cut into quarters.

Sweet and Sour Pineapple

3 cups cubed fresh pineapple
1 bell cubed bell pepper (I like red, but this one is yellow)
1 medium cubed onion
2 teaspoons safflower oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon dark agave syrup
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F. On a 9 x 13 baking sheet arrange fruits and vegetables. Drizzle evenly with the oils and the agave syrup. Salt and pepper to taste. I like three twists on the grinder each. Toss to coat.

Bake on the center rack for 15 minutes and toss. Bake another 15 minutes and toss. Move the baking sheet to the top rack and roast a final 5 minutes.

Serve with brown rice.

Red Onion & Cucumber Salad

3 large cucumbers
1 medium red onion
½ cup chopped herb of choice (I like dill or rosemary)
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup agave
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Cut cucumbers lengthwise and using a spoon, remove all of the seeds from all six pieces. Slice ¼ inch think. Cut onion in half then slice each half into thin pieces. Place cucumber and onion in a mixing bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients then toss into the salad. Sprinkle with herbs and serve.

TIP: Before cutting the cucumber peel stripes lengthwise down the cucumber giving it a more garnished presentation.

Curry Lentils with Coconut Rice & Naan

I really wanted Indian food. So, to save money I tried to make some at home instead of going out! This was enough for my husband and I for dinner, plus a lunch-sized leftover portion for tomorrow. You can use the naan like you would a tortilla to scoop up the lentils and rice. It really soaks up all the yummy flavors!

Curry Lentils

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 chopped scallion (or 1/2 a white or yellow onion)

2 cloves minced garlic

1 shredded carrot

4 tablespoons yellow curry

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cups yellow lentils

1 can diced tomatoes (or about 1/2 cup fresh)

Water

Salt

Heat oil and add scallion, garlic, carrot, tomatoes and spices. Saute until veggies have softened. Then add lentils and enough water to cover ingredients. Cover and simmer about 20 min or until lentils are soft and almost mushy. Add salt to taste.

Coconut Rice

This is really simple and totally cheating. I just added 1/2 a can of canned coconut milk to a bag of frozen microwaveable rice. Ta-da!

Naan

8 oz lukewarm water

1 teaspoon sugar (I used raw since I'm staying away from the refined stuff)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

2 cups flour (I used white flour, I'm trying to get rid of it...cut me some slack!)

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 cloves minced garlic

Add sugar and yeast to water, stir to dissolve and set aside for 10-15 min. Add yeast/sugar water to flour. Then, add garlic, salt and lemon juice. Combine, make dough into a ball and set aside to rise for 15 min. Then, cut dough into 5-6 pieces and roll out on a floured surface, making each piece 1/4 inch thick. Heat up a non-stick griddle pan on high. Next, grill dough ensure that the pieces don't touch (I did 2 at a time). When you start to see bubbles, flip the dough and grill until crispy and the dough starts to make a pillow. Remove from heat and serve!

Making Brown Rice in the Microwave

I get asked all the time if you can make brown rice successfully in the microwave. The answer is yes! Here is how I get perfect brown rice every time.

2 cups brown rice
4 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons canola oil

In a BPA free microwave rice cooker (The one from Pampered Chef is BPA free) pour in all of the ingredients. Microwave on high for 15 minutes. Remove rice cooker from microwave and swish ingredients to stir (do not remove the lid). Return to the microwave and cook on half power for 40 minutes. Remove lid away from you (so you don't burn yourself on the steam). Fluff with a fork.

My personal touches. I love Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley--a blend of brown rice, black barley, daikon and radish seeds. I also replace the canola oil with a garlic infused canola oil whenever I have it in the pantry.

Tip: Cooked rice freezes fantastic. I like to keep a container of it in the freezer at all times. Perfect for a quick snack or to accompany last night's left-overs for a quick lunch.

Vegan Pesto

I love pesto! As a newer vegan I'm sure I'll be adapting this recipe over time. But for now this recipe satisfied me just fine. I didn't even miss the Parmesan cheese!

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup packed basil
3 whole cloves garlic
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt (or to taste)

Blend in a food processor until blended.

Sugar-Free Jam Recipe

I know you can easily make freezer jam without sugar, but I prefer putting up jam in a jar. I wasn't having any luck finding a sugar-free jam recipe or 100% fruit recipe on the internet. After scouring store shelves, I came across Pomona's Universal Pectin at Whole Foods and it is completely vegan.

There are several options enclosed in the packet but I went for the cooked "all fruit" recipe. One box had enough calcium water and pectin for 12 pints of jam. I made six pints of strawberry and six pints of strawberry/cherry.

9 cups mashed fruit
3/4 cup lemon or lime juice (I prefer lime--reminds me of a daiquiri)
1 1/2 cups 100% juice white grape concentrate (2 cans exactly)
2 tablespoons pectin powder
2 tablespoons calcium water

1. Wash and rinse jars; let stand in hot water. Bring lids and rings to boil; turn down heat; let stand in hot water.

2. Prepare fruit and add to cooking pot with calcium water and lime juice (Do not add grape juice concentrate).

3. In a separate saucepan, bring grape juice concentrate to a boil. Move hot juice to a blender or food processor. Add pectin powder (vent lid) and blend for 2 minutes until all the powder is dissolved.

4. Bring fruit in the pot to a boil. Add pectin-concentrate and stir until it returns to a boil then remove from heat.

5. Fill jars to 1/4 inch of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2 piece lids. Put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute per 1000 feet above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check lids to make sure they are sucked down before storing.

Zesty Kale Spaghetti

This is one of my favorite quick and easy dinner recipes! I used white pasta last night because it's what we had in the cupboard, but it's even healthier with whole grain pasta. Make sure you only wilt the kale, don't saute it until it gets all mushy and soggy! This is enough for two good sized dinner portions. I also served this with locally baked focaccia bread!

Ingredients:
Spaghetti (however much looks good, I never measure)
1-2 Bunches of kale, deveined and torn
6 sliced cremini mushrooms
3 Cloves garlic
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
Olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of your saute pan)

Directions:
1. Boil water and get your pasta cooking
2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat
3. Add pressed or sliced garlic to oil, then add kale and mushrooms
4. Saute garlic, mushrooms and kale until the kale has wilted to 2/3 of it's size, then add lemon zest and juice and distribute evenly throughout.
5. Drain pasta, add kale topping, serve immediately!

Thai Black Bean Salad

SALAD
2 cans drained black beans
1 can drained white beans
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped red onion
2 red bell peppers chopped

DRESSING
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 cloves pressed garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger root
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar or 1 pinch stevia
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3-7 drops hot pepper oil (to taste)

Prepare dressing and set aside for 15 minutes so the flavors can mesh together. In a bowl, toss salad ingredients with dressing and serve.

Strawberry Stand Spinach Salad

Local, fresh fruit makes the best recipes even better. Next time you stop at a local strawberry stand, pick up an extra pint for dinner.
¼ cup sliced, toasted almonds
2 cups hulled, sliced strawberries
1 cucumber
1 small, thin sliced red onion
12 oz baby spinach
1 lemon
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ cup sugar or substitute (I like to use 2 tablespoons Agave)
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Place spinach in a salad bowl. Hull and slice strawberries. Cut cucumber lengthwise and using a spoon, remove all of the seeds, slice ¼ inch think. Cut onion in half then slice each half into thin pieces. Sprinkle strawberries, cucumbers and onion on top of the spinach.
For dressing, zest lemon to measure 1 teaspoon. Juice lemon. Combine zest, juice, vinegar, sugar, oil and poppy seeds in a small bowl. Whisk until blended then pour over salad, gently tossing to coat. Sprinkle with almonds and serve immediately.

Karysa 101 (A little bit more than you probably care to know about the author)

There are so many thoughts I want to "put out into the world." But, to avoid sounding super ADD I'll try my best to organize my posts, so that they are easy to reference. My husband probably wishes I could do the same when I converse with him, but I'm just not that talented, yet. You see, the thing is....when I get excited about something, I get REALLY excited. I've always been an all or nothing girl. I'm either going to work my butt off...or just sit on it. So, at the risk of sounding overenthusiastic and totally insane, jibber-jabbering on and on about my latest health kick, here goes nothing...
First off, I think you deserve a bit of a history lesson. When I was in high school (2004) I took an economics class. Once day, we watched the film Super Size Me (a documentary about a guy that eats all fast food. He goes vegan afterwards to cleanse) and at the end of the movie the girl behind me said, "there is no way anyone could really be a vegan." Side note: I'm a pot-stirrer, individualist, and I just plain like the shock factor of things sometimes. I can't help it. So, I spun around and said "watch me." That's all it took and I became a vegan for about 3 years. I was smokin' hot. I weighed about 140 lbs and felt great. Then, as a result of my immense sex appeal, I met this guy named Charlie, who wooed and teased me with perfectly grilled cheese sandwiches, sashimi and all sorts of great American delicacies like giant burgers and jello ice cream. By the time we got married in 2007, I was still eating pretty healthily but not vegan, not even vegetarian. In the first 2 years I gained 30 pounds. When I got pregnant in 2009 I was eating all sorts of ice cream, gargantuan meaty sandwiches, cheesecake, hot dogs..the works. The day before I had my beautiful daughter in March of this year, I weighed in at 228 lbs...dude, that's like almost 90 lbs gained in 2.5 years. That's freaking disgusting. Yes, I know I was pregnant blah blah blah...but 6 weeks after having her I was still at 203. People, that is just ICKY!
Fastforward....
On a recent visit back home in Michigan, my mom bought the book, The Kind Diet. While she ran some errands on day I decided to flip through it. Ummm...there are some pretty darn disturbing facts in there! I ended up reading the whole thing and put down my string cheese with triumph in my spirit. So, that's what brings us here. I've been back on the vegan bandwagon for over a week and I feel lighter, brighter and you guessed it--super excited. I've already lost 12 lbs! I'm not doing it just for the weight loss, but for all the wonderful health benefits you get from a plant-based diet. I'm also cutting out white flour and sugar whenever possible and focusing on loooots of fresh produce and solid whole grains. This is about HEALTH.
Speaking of health, I have one more point to make. Two days ago, Charlie (who is a little wary about this whole vegan thing, but knows how stubborn I am) pointed out to me that I could eat a strict vegan diet my whole life and not be healthy. Health is about total wellness which means diet, exercise and emotional stability. He's really spot on, guys. Well, I've never been good at exercising (more on that later) and I tend to run on the anxious side. Therefore, expect to see plenty of exercise tips and tricks, relaxation techniques and a whole bunch of other random stuff that sounds "healthy-ish" from me.
So...heres to a new day! A new me! I'm taking the path towards complete being and not moseying through life feeling "okay." I saw a license plate frame yesterday that read, "Going crazy, wanna come?" and that's kind of my mentality right now. I'm "Going healthy (and probably a little crazy), wanna come?" It's going to be fun, I promise.

Bulk Food Tips

I love buying food in bulk whenever possible. Not only do I love that I’m reducing unnecessary packaging and saving the earth’s resources, more often than not I’m saving my wallet. I can try new foods without having to buy a whole, big bag of something I may end up tossing or better yet--finding a new food that I love!

Here are a few tips that I have found helpful when purchasing food in bulk.

• When bagging your bulk food, use your own pen. This helps eliminate picking up germs. I keep a fine-tip sharpie in my bag.
• Mark your tag with both the item number and what the food item is. Nothing is more frustrating than getting home and not remembering which light yellow colored mix was which.
• Date your tag. Bulk items should be used within six months.
• You want to store your bulk foods in airtight glass jars away from heat. I like to use pint and quart size Ball wide-mouth canning jars. Canning jars are cheaper than canisters. If you run out you can easily find the exact same item at the grocery store, thrift store or garage sale. Reuse and reduce--they are great for canning!
• Rather than mess with a label or later have to scrub marker off of the lid, take the tag and twist it around the lid. The wire is small enough to form to the jar threading and still seal your jar.
• FIFO—first in first out. Never add new falafel mix on top of the old. If you have a little bit of something leftover from your previous shopping trip: remove it from the jar, pour the new mix on the bottom then add older mix on the top to be used first.