Chickpea "Tuna" Salad

This is one of my favorite things to have for lunch. I eat it on toast, rice cakes, and crackers. If you love tuna salad you will really like this dish. This recipe will yield 2-3 servings.

• 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained (or 1.5 cups if you make your own)
• 4 stalks of celery
• 1/4 cup diced red onion or green onion
• 3 Tbsp dill pickle relish
• 1 tsp onion flakes (or 1/2 tsp onion powder)
• 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• 1 Tbsp tamari
• 2-3 Tbsp vegan mayo
• 2 tsp mustard of choice
• 1 tsp kelp granules
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• Salt & pepper to taste

 

Mash the chickpeas with a potato masher or fork (alternatively, you can pulse them in the food processor being careful not to puree-I prefer this method). Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Taste, adding more of what you like (mayo/mustard/salt/pepper/kelp/etc). Eat with something crunchy!



Overnight Oats

My go to for breakfast is gluten-free or whole wheat toast with hempseed butter or almond butter. I love toast (!) but its not easy to take on the go, so oftentimes I'll make myself a batch of overnight oats to take to work in the morning. Overnight oats are something you can easily change to your tastes, but here's my favorite recipe:

One Serving:

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetented almond milk (or plant milk of choice)
• 1 Tbsp cacao or cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp plain or vanilla coconut milk (or any vegan) yogurt
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 3-4 drops of stevia (optional, you can use 1 Tbsp maple syrup instead or no sweetener)
• 1/2 Tbsp hemp seeds

Mix all ingredients together in a sealable container (I use mason jars) and keep in the fridge overnight. Eat cold (my preference), or warm it up if you'd like. I also like to top the mixture with hempseeds instead of mixing them in. This recipe will stay good in the fridge for 4 days or so. I usually buy a 6oz container of coconut milk yogurt and make 4 servings all at once to eat througout the week.

Pasta Salad

This week my husband Keith made one of our favorite dishes, which we'll have for lunch/dinner the next couple of days. It's a pasta salad that you eat cold, it has a few staple ingredients, and tastes even better the next day. This recipe makes roughly 4-6 servings:

• 12 oz box of pasta (we like rotini)
• 14 oz can of black olives
• 14 oz can of artichoke hearts
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped
• 1 bell pepper (red is best), chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped (optional)
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion (optional)
• 1-2 Tbsp red wine vinegar OR balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil (optional, I take my portion out before Keith adds this, he likes a lot of EVOO)
• 1 tsp dill (or more if you really liked dill)
• a few fresh basil leaves, torn/chopped
• Salt/pepper/other spices you like (to taste)

Cook the pasta according to box directions, rinse with cold water, and set aside. Sautee the kale in a little water for 3-5 minutes until just wilted. Combine the pasta with the kale, then add all the other ingredients. Start slow with the herbs and spices and then add if you need more flavor. This will stay good in the fridge 3-5 days. 

Mac 'n Cheese

I batch cook every week. I make two, 4 serving meals so that I have lunch and dinner ready for myself on work days since I work 9 hour days Tuesday-Friday. This week my lunches are a variation of Veggin in the City's Mac n Cheese recipe. I tweaked it a little because I don't cook with oil. Here's the recipe I used:

• One sweet potato: cubed, boiled, and cooled
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• Satl & Pepper to taste
• 8oz gluten free pasta (I used pasta made from chickpeas)
• 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
• Sriracha for topping (optional)

Blend sweet potato with all other ingredients, except pasta and broccoli, set aside. Make pasta according to instructions, and during the last 2-3 minutes of boiling, add broccoli. Drain pasta and broccoli, and return to the pot. Add blended sauce and mix well. Divide into 4 servings, and eat right away or reheat later. Feel free to use any other veggies you'd like, such as peas, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc. I always add hot sauce too!