I know it’s been a while since I posted anything on here, but I thought it might be nice to post a couple things as more people are cooking at home right now.

I have to be honest, since I stopped eating dairy, I have missed eating macaroni and cheese. I found a couple boxed vegan macs that I like okay but I really wanted to come up with my own recipe for something decadent.

Now admittedly this is not going to taste exactly like mac and cheese- vegan cheeze can be creamy but I haven’t tasted anything that actually tastes like cheese. However, this still definitely hits the spot when it comes to creamy, savory, fatty deliciousness! I hope you like it as much as I do!

This makes a batch big enough to serve 6 plus people. As such, if cooking for two, I would suggest making the full batch of sauce, splitting it 3 ways, and saving 2 of the containers for later to pour over fresh noodles, as it keeps well in the fridge up to a week.

I can’t tell you what to do for add-ins because I know everyone has their opinion on what does or does not belong. I can suggest roasted cherry tomatoes and Field Roast maple apple sausages as a great option. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2-3 cups sweet potato, peeled and in large cubes (1 to 1 1/2 inches)

1 cup cashews, salted

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons vegan butter (Earth Balance or similar)

1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon vegetable or no-chicken base

1 cup non-dairy milk

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika (more for topping)

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Black pepper as desired (omit if you prefer)

5-6 cups pasta

Directions

Pour the cashews into the pot of the Instant Pot and add just enough cold water to cover the cashews. Put the sweet potatoes in a steam basket or on a wire rack and lower that into the pot above the cashews. Process on Manual High for 10 minutes and then wait 10 minutes to release (quick release). If you do not have an Instant Pot, you can soak the cashews overnight and steam the sweet potatoes on the stove or in the microwave.

While that is processing, start adding all of the other ingredients besides the pasta into a high speed blender. Cook the pasta in a large pot per package directions.

Once your cashews and sweet potatoes are done, drain and discard the water and then add them to the blender. Blend at a medium speed until everything is smooth, about 1 minute.

Once your pasta is cooked to desired tenderness, drain it and then add the sauce and the pasta back into the large pot. Throw in add-ins and heat on the stove if needed, stirring to combine. Serve topped with some extra smoked paprika.

The Results are In: My Lab Results is by far my most visited post. As such, I figured I’d post again after getting my results back from my annual exam with my NP now that I’ve been vegan for almost 4 years. Generally things still look pretty good! In addition to the results below, my blood pressure was 90/60 mmHg and my BMI is still well within the recommended 18-25% range. Comment below if you have questions, as I’m happy to talk more about my personal experience and struggles in the past.

Hemoglobin: 13.9 g/dL (reference range for women 11.7 – 15.7 g/dL)

One of the most common concerns I hear (besides where I get my protein) is about anemia. I have (still) not been anemic since starting this diet.

Glucose: 75 mg/dL (reference range 70 – 99 mg/dL)

Before starting this diet, my readings were always in the 95-99 range. This came back even better than last time, which is surprising, as I definitely indulge from time to time!

Vitamin B12: 401 pg/mL (reference range 193 – 986 pg/mL)

It is the recommendation of most dietitians that vegans must supplement B12. I have been taking a vegan gummy Vitamin B12/D combo supplement for a while which looks like it’s keeping things in good range. Please consult your healthcare team before taking any new supplement.

Vitamin D: 30.9 ug/L (reference range 30 – 75 ug/L)

I have been taking a vitamin D supplement for years, as vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in Minnesota (not because of my diet). Admittedly I’m taking less of it because there is less in the combo gummy than I used to take, so I’m going to add a couple 5000 IU doses a week as advised by my NP to keep me in range over the Minnesota winter.

Total Cholesterol: 102 mg/dL (reference range < 200 mg/dL)

LDL Cholesterol: 34 mg/dL (reference range < 130 mg/dL)

HDL Cholesterol: 58 mg/dL (reference range for women > 50 mg/dL)

Triglycerides: 50 mg/dL (reference range < 150 mg/dL)

I was happy to see that my lifestyle continues to kick LDL butt! My trigs (again, surprisingly) fell quite a bit since last time, which is pretty cool. I am a little sad that my HDL is in the 50s this time instead of the 60s, but I have been slacking on regular exercise, so this is good motivation to get back to it.

Again, I hope this is helpful for people to see that even though its not magic, veganism can be sustainable and healthy. As always, please consult your doctor before starting any diet or exercise plan, especially one discussed on a blog!

It can be hard sometimes to eat out, but I’ve always been able to eat at Indian restaurants, and lately I’ve had more and more fun trying to replicate the beautiful flavors at home. Today I went to my new favorite place, India Bazaar, and didn’t want to leave. They have so many amazing options I was overwhelmed!

I’ve been making various veganized versions of Bombay Joes for years. Tonight, with some awesome mango chutney from India Bazaar, I tried to merge the recipe with the often Instagrammed “vegan bowl” concept, and wow. You guys, this was bananas good. I had to share it! So here it is:

Bombay Sweet Potatoes and Lentils

This is a more involved recipe but it is so worth it. The mango chutney is not mandatory (you can use more agave and a serrano pepper for heat), but it really makes everything pop. I got mine at India Bazaar but I know Whole Foods has it in the Asian food section. This makes two to three healthy servings of everything with plenty of lentils left over in case you want to eat them with another sweet potato and more fresh rice the next night (or two).

Ingredients

Lentil Main

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seed (whole)

1 sweet onion, diced

1  bell pepper (red/orange/yellow)

5 cloves garlic, minced/pressed

2 teaspoons garam masala

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1 cup lentils (common green is great)

2 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base

1 15oz can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1-2 tablespoons agave nectar

1 15oz can coconut milk, solids only (open the bottom of the can and pour off the liquid)

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup pistachios (shelled)

Rice

1 cup brown rice

1.5-2 cups water (pressure cooker or rice cooker, respectively)

1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base

Sweet Potatoes

1 sweet potato, cubed 1/2-3/4 inch

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pinch salt

Also

1-2 cups spinach or mixed dark greens, rough shredded

Mango chutney to taste

Directions

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400F.

Set the pressure/rice cooker and add all Rice ingredients. Follow manufacturer recommendations but it should be done by the time everything else is finished.

Heat olive oil in medium to large saucepan or medium dutch oven over medium high heat. Add cumin seeds and allow them to “bloom” for about a minute before adding the onion and bell pepper. Saute until the onion is translucent and starting to brown. Add the garlic, garam masala, paprika and ginger and saute for another minute or two. Add the lentils, water, and bouillon and bring to a boil, then simmer covered until the lentils are near-done, about 15 minutes.

While the lentils and rice are cooking, coat the sweet potato in oil and a little salt and spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until edges are well-browned but not burned. If this finishes before the rest of the dish, turn off the oven, vent it a little, and leave them in there to stay warm. This often helps them completely cook through without burning them.

Check your lentils and when they are almost perfectly tender, add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, agave nectar, coconut milk solids, raisins, and pistachios. Simmer for another 10 minutes or more, stirring occasionally to blend the flavors. Remove from heat once the lentils are the consistency that you like.

Grab two large pasta bowls (or plates) and put rice in a line down the center with lentils on top of greens on one side and sweet potatoes topped with chutney down the other. After you take your Instagram picture (and your significant other rolls their eyes), mix it all together and enjoy!

I know, right? It can be tough to think about switching up our longest-held food traditions, especially in the American Heartland where comfort food is such a central theme. Fortunately, these days, there are so many options for substitutions that Vegan Thanksgiving doesn’t need to feel like a drastic switching of gears.

For the past three years, we have used turkey roast substitutes and I have made vegan stuffing. For us, getting past these two dishes was the toughest part, as the rest of the meal can easily be rounded out with foods that are veggie friendly by default: mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, fruit, and an apple crisp or fruit pie for dessert.

We get our turkey from the Herbivorous Butcher locally but there are several national brands that also supply these types of roasts seasonally at places like Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme, Target, and co ops. Let me know your favorite!

My stuffing recipe is adapted from Epicurious. It combines two of my favorite things: stuffing and maple flavor. I hope you like it!

Sweet and Savory Sausage Stuffing

There is a lot of room for personalizing here, so feel free to make it your own! I like bagged stuffing mix and lots of almond milk to get that moist, even texture and uniform flavor, but you can also make this with made-from-scratch croutons and less moisture for a lighter dish.

Ingredients

1 bag crouton stuffing mix (check ingredients, I’d say half of the mixes I see are vegan)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound sweet Italian vegan sausage, casings removed, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes (Field Roast apple sage sausage is available nationally and works great, but my personal favorite is Herbivorous Butcher maple sage breakfast sausage)

1/4 lb vegan butter (standard 8 tbsp stick)

3 medium onions, chopped

4 large celery ribs, chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons ground flax

3/4 cup soy creamer (sweetened with sugar and/or vanilla is fine/awesome)

1 teaspoon vegetarian bouillon

1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1+ cup unsweetened almond milk (or similar non-dairy milk)

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F (if making same-day). Oil the inside of two 8×8 inch glass pans, or whatever you like of similar total volume.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium to large dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook sausage until just barely starting to brown (overcooking the sausage here is no bueno). Transfer to a large bowl.

Heat butter over medium heat, then cook onions, celery, garlic, about 1/2 teaspoon pepper and a pinch or two of salt, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and pour sausage back into the dutch oven. Add stuffing mix.

Whisk together flax, creamer, bouillon, and parsley, then thoroughly stir into stuffing and cool completely, about 30 minutes, with cover on. Transfer to baking dishes and chill in the refrigerator until dinner time. At this point, you can keep the stuffing in the refrigerator overnight if making ahead.

A couple hours before dinner time, bring dish of stuffing to room temperature on the counter or in the car for about an hour. Check the consistency and add almond milk as needed (I would say stop at 1/2 cup per pan, that should be plenty). Cover tightly with foil and cook until hot throughout, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is golden and crisp, about 15 minutes more. To accommodate oven space at families’ houses, I have also cooked at home for the first 20 minutes, then traveled with the dish(es) in a towel, then browned the top for just 15 minutes at the destination after the host is done with the oven.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

I recently visited my PA and got my yearly lab results. She is very supportive, but we have been running some extra tests since my diet change to make absolutely sure that I am getting what I need. I asked for a cholesterol panel this time because I have not had one in the last 5 years and because I wanted to make sure my triglycerides, or the free fats in my blood, were not elevated due to the high amount of carbohydrate that I eat. I thought I would share these results both for the people who care about me and for the people who are interested in trying a plant-based diet.

Hemoglobin: 14.1 g/dL (reference range for women 11.7 – 15.7 g/dL)

One of the most common concerns I hear (besides where I get my protein) is about anemia. I have not been anemic since starting this diet.

Ferritin: 37 ng/mL (reference range for women 12 – 150 ng/mL)

Ferritin represents the body’s iron stores. My ferritin was 30 ng/mL when I started this diet, so I have kept things pretty stable. I admit that I used low-dose iron supplements off and on in the beginning because my ferritin had been as low as 20 when I was less careful about eating legumes, dark leafy greens, etc., but lately I have been in a much better rhythm with high-iron foods and have stopped supplementing.

Glucose: 89 mg/dL (reference range 70 – 99 mg/dL)

Before starting this diet, my readings were always in the 95-99 range. I was pleased to see that all the dried fruit, breads, and banana smoothies (and the occasional slice of tofu cheesecake) did not appear to be negatively affecting my fasting sugars.

Vitamin B12: 256 pg/mL (reference range 193 – 986 pg/mL)

It is the recommendation of most dietitians that vegans must supplement B12. I have been pretty casual about taking my B12 supplement and my level is a little lower than it was last year, so I will be taking it more regularly now to keep the level in range.

Vitamin D: 63 ug/L (reference range 30 – 75 ug/L)

I have been taking a vitamin D supplement for years, as vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in Minnesota (not because of my diet).

Total Cholesterol: 113 mg/dL (reference range < 200 mg/dL)

LDL Cholesterol: 28 mg/dL (reference range < 130 mg/dL)

HDL Cholesterol: 62 mg/dL (reference range for women > 50 mg/dL)

Triglycerides: 115 mg/dL (reference range < 150 mg/dL)

I have read multiple references that support a vegan diet for lowering cholesterol, as the diet is devoid of cholesterol, but I was not prepared for my LDL result. LDL is considered the “bad” cholesterol that is linked to heart disease, and neither I nor a handful of my peers in healthcare have ever seen an LDL that low. I was also quite pleased with my HDL, as an HDL over 60 reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, and mine was always in the low 50s in the past. And, finally, I was glad to see that my triglycerides were well within range.

I hope this was helpful both for my friends and family and for anyone who wants to try veganism but is worried that their health will fail. I can assure you that as long as you eat enough food, eat enough variety, and take your B12, you will thrive!

As requested by my sister-in-law, here is my dinner staple for this spring!

Basic Vegan Southwest Salad

My mom made an amazing southwest salad for me a couple weeks back and I have been making variations on the theme most work nights since then. The beauty of this recipe is that almost everything is optional and most stuff can be prepped at the beginning of the week. Just pull all the prepped ingredients out of the fridge, throw them together, microwave (if desired), and you’re ready to eat in under 5 minutes.

Ingredients

2 cups shredded spinach or other greens

3/4 cup cooked brown rice

3/4 to 1 cup black beans, rinsed lazily (low-sodium beans will still taste great)

1/2 cup sweet corn (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup bell peppers, diced

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 and 1/2 teaspoon organic lime juice (I think organic tastes sweeter)

1/2 to 1 avocado, cubed

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Directions

In a medium-large bowl, layer the spinach, brown rice, black beans, corn, and peppers and drizzle with olive oil. Microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds if desired. Top with avocado, lime juice, and cumin. Mix it up and enjoy!

Hi everybody! I know I haven’t posted in a while, so I thought I’d post a couple fun recipes I came up with while playing with my new Vitamix blender. I burned out my old blender a couple weeks back and was debating splurging on a Vitamix instead of just getting another regular one, and I’m so glad I did. The ease of cleaning alone is worth it, and it is so powerful!

Peanut Butter Nice Cream

Nice cream (or ice cream made from bananas) is so hot right now, especially as we get closer to summer. There are a million ways to make it, but this is mine! I added a little maple syrup the first time I made this and it was waaay too sweet, so don’t worry about adding anything to sweeten this, the bananas are sweet enough.

Ingredients

2 frozen ripe or overripe bananas

1/2 cup soy or nut milk of your choice

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1/2 to 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (optional)

Directions

Put the bananas, non-dairy milk, and vanilla in the blender and start mixing on low, gradually increasing the speed as the bananas break down. Once the mixture starts looking like ice cream, add the peanut butter and cocoa and mix for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, or however long your blender recommends. Top with fruit or nuts as desired, or enjoy it plain!

And for our next experiment…

Cashew Date Butter

As long as you have a good blender, this one is super simple. I was debating adding just a little bit of agave or sugar to my cashew butter tonight and I realized that dates would add just the right amount of sweetness to the cashews. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 cups raw cashews

4 medjool dates (pits removed)

Directions

Pour the cashews in your blender and follow the blender’s directions for nut butters. Using my Vitamix, I started on the low setting and slowly increased the speed while pushing the cashews around with the stick. Once the nut butter is almost formed, add the dates and blend for a little longer until you have a mostly smooth butter. I took care not to run the blender more than 20-30 seconds at a time so as to not burn out the motor.

My family celebrated Easter this weekend, and we had quite the spread, including peanut butter banana muffins, egg bake (Thanks Gaye!), roasted potatoes, roasted bell peppers, plenty of fresh fruit (Thanks Kristen!), wild rice salad, and vegan apple pie (Thanks Mom!). I had several requests to post the wild rice salad here, so enjoy!

Sweet and Savory Cranberry Wild Rice

I am not usually a fan of cranberries, but when cooked into savory things, I feel sweetened dried cranberries add a nice subtle flavor. Pour a cup of this rice over some leafy greens and toss with garlic balsamic dressing and you’ve got yourself a lean mean protein-rich salad. I usually make this for parties because it is easy and it gets a lot of complements from vegans and non-vegans alike.

Rice Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups fancy wild rice

4 to 4 and 1/2 cups water (for firmer or fluffier rice, respectively)

1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon No Chicken bouillon

1 clove garlic, minced or mashed

1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries (I use apple juice sweetened ones from Whole Foods)

Around 1 cup sliced almonds

Garlic Balsamic Dressing

Garlic Balsamic Dressing Ingredients

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

4 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced or mashed

2 tsp brown sugar

Put the first 5 ingredients in a rice cooker and cook until done (anywhere from 1 and 1/2 to 3 hours, depending on initial water temperature and type of cooker). This can also be done in a covered pot on the stove if need-be. While the rice is cooking, mix all of the dressing ingredients in a jar. Remove the rice from the cooker and toss or top with almonds and dressing.

The rice can be cooked, refrigerated overnight, and then reheated before serving. Leftover dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.