This is how this vegan chicken strips recipe came about: It was a lazy Sunday morning. We hadn’t had breakfast yet and my brah (i.e. my partner) asked if we wanted to go to Hogtown Vegan in for some waffles and eggs (oh the pearls of living in Toronto! We can literally go to a restaurant 5 mins away and get “chicken” and waffles, I love this city!). Then I had a brilliant idea! I thought, “We have a waffle maker. We have tofu. We have (gluten-free) breadcrumbs. Omigod, I can make my own chicken and waffles!”
Needless to say, the vegan chicken strips recipe was born. 🙂
1 block extra firm tofu (I use organic sprouted tofu)
1 cup bread crumbs (use gluten-free, if you are gluten-free)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp basil
1/2-1 tsp salt (to taste)
1/4 olive oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400.
Drain tofu (I usually do this by placing it between 2 plates, putting something heavy on top, and letting it sit for about 10-20 minutes and then draining the excess water).
Mix the breadcrumbs with all the spices into a bowl and set aside.
Pour the olive oil into a separate bowl and set aside.
Oil a baking sheet and set aside.
Cut the tofu into strips.
Taking one tofu strip at a time, gently dip the strip into the bowl of oil. Make sure it's completely covered in oil.
Once the tofu strip is nicely oiled, dip it into the breadcrumb mixture, ensuring that it is completely coated in the breadcrumbs (the breadier the better! :))
Place the bread covered strip onto the baking sheet.
Do that for all the tofu strips.
Bake at 400 for about 20-30 minutes, flipping over the tofu once in between.
I’ve always wanted to know how to make a curry pie. I never made one before and have been curious. My friend has recently had baby number 3 (that’s right folks, THREE babies!!) and so I wanted to bring her over lunch. She also asked to make her some super healthy food that she could freeze for later (she also has IBD issues!) and so I was on the search for healthy freezable meals. I made her some hearty soup, dal (indian lentils), both of which is easily freezable, and then decided to experiment with a curry pot pie. It was a success! Plus, it freezes so well. 🙂 Check out my recipe below for how to make a curry pie.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.
Add the spices and cook for 2 minutes (add more oil if spices are sticking to the pot).
Add all the veggies and cook for another 2 minutes (remember we are going to be baking them again so we don't want them overcooked).
Add the mung beans, lemon juice, salt and mix.
Adjust spices to taste.
Pour the mixture into an oven safe dish and cover with a pie crust.
Notes
*If you want the taste of the chilli but not the spice of the chilli, you can simply add a whole chilli when you add the spices. For a little spice you can hit the chilli in half, or for even more spiciness you can chop up the chilli.
This amazing chickpea pattie recipe comes from my Mama (thanks mama!). The recipe is an adaptation of a traditional Punjabi dish made with potatoes called “Aloo Tikkis” (meaning potato patties). I try not to eat too many potatoes and so I asked my Mom to make it with chickpeas. She did and it was delicious. 🙂 This chickpea pattie recipe is filled with indian spices so get ready for your mouth to explode with spicy amazingness!
Chickpea Pattie Recipe | happygut.ca
Ingredients for Chickpea Pattie Recipe
1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (or 2 cans of 15 ounce chickpeas)
2-3 green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp of chat masala, optional
1/4 tsp of chilli powder, optional
1/2 of a fresh green (or red) chilli, optional
1-2 tsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp)
3 tbsp of ground chia + 1/2 cup water
4 cup greens (baby spinach, kale, etc.), optional
Directions for Chickpea Pattie Recipe
Combine the 3 tbsp of ground chia with the 1/2 cup of water in a bowl and set aside.
Wash & cook the chickpeas until they are super soft (you will have to mash them by hand, so the softer they are the easier it will be for you).
Once the chickpeas are cooked, drain any excess water and set aside.
Grease a baking sheet and preheat oven to 400.
Chop the green onion, fresh cilantro and greens, if using, and set aside.
Now it’s time to use your mom arms, yoga arms or if you are like me, your slightly weakling arms. 🙂 With a potato masher (or fork if you don’t have a masher), mash the chickpeas. You want to mash them just until you can’t see any more whole chickpeas. You still want them to keep their form. You don’t want to use a food processor because they will get too soft and won’t form properly into patties.
Add all of the spices and the chia mixture to the chickpeas and mix with a spoon until everything is nicely combined.
Using a 1/3 measuring cup, scoop up the chickpea mixture and place onto your greased baking sheet. Use your fingers to flatten your patties until they are about 2-3 inches thick.
Bake at 400 for about 30-40 minutes, flipping them mid-way through.
Enjoy them in your salad, in your burger, in a wrap or on their own!
You can pan fry them right before you eat them so that they are nice and crispy.
These freeze really well, so feel free to wrap them up and freeze them once they are cool.
I made these flourless chocolate cupcakes with cocoa powder for my brother-in-law’s birthday last weekend (Happy Birthday Mufee!! :)) and they were a hit! Mufee has recently turned the big 4-0 (is it okay that I mention your age Mufee? :P) and so this birthday was a big deal. The family had conspired together to get Muf 40 gifts for his birthday and I was go get 6 of those 40! Yikes! That was stressful as my “love language” is definitely not gifts.
Aside: Have you guys heard about love languages? It’s very interesting! It basically says that people express love in 5 different ways – gifts, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service and physical touch. People express love in these different ways and, in turn, often expect to receive love in the same way. I, for instance, express love predominantly through acts of service (I like doing things for people, like making food! Hence, the food blog :P). After service, I probably express love through (ranking from most important to least) quality time, physical touch, words of affirmation and then gifts would be last. Because acts of service is most important and gifts is least, I am not a gift giver (or not a good one, at the very least). This also means that rather than valuing gifts myself, I would rather have people do things for me (like the dishes Irfan!).
There, now you know about love languages, I just saved you a million dollars on relationship therapy. 🙂 Just joking! I love therapy, I think everyone should go to therapy! 🙂
Okay, sorry for the rant, back to the cupcakes! Anyhow, it was Mufee’s birthday and I was to get him six gifts. As gifts is not my thang, I decided (actually Jemila, my sista from anotha motha, suggested) to make cupcakes instead. I also try to eat grain free and had some cocoa powder and so I experimented with flourless chocolate cupcakes with cocoa powder. They.were.darn.tasty. Even the unhealthy eaters liked them.
Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes with Cocoa Powder | happygut.ca
Makes 6 cupcakes
Ingredients for Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes with Cocoa Powder
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
generous pinch of salt
2 chia eggs (2 tbsp ground chia combined with 1/4 cup of water for 5-10 minutes) – or you can use 2 eggs if you’re not vegan
1/3 cup maple syrup (you can add 1/2 cup if you like, I don’t like things too sweet but if you are making for kids 1/3 cup maple syrup may not be sweet enough)
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp dairy free milk (I used almond milk)
Directions for Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes with Cocoa Powder
Preheat oven to 350.
In a food processor, combine the coconut flour, cocoa, baking soda & salt
Slowly add the chia mixture, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and dairy free milk
Combine until completely smooth
Prep a muffin pan with 6 liners
Use a 1/4 cup and scoop mixture into cups
Bake for about 25 minutes
Let it cool for about an hour
Add my vegan chocolate frosting (don’t skip the frosting! It’s so easy and makes it taste so so good!)
I’ve been on the search for a vegan chocolate frosting no margarine recipe for a while now! Many of the vegan frosting or icing recipes I have come across include some type of vegan margarine or butter. The thought of having a frosting with vegan margarine or butter wasn’t terribly exciting for me and so I wanted a healthier and yummier alternative.
I love coconut and try to add it to anything I make when it makes sense. I had some coconut milk handy and decided to experiment with a frosting recipe. The result? Amazingness. 🙂
This vegan chocolate frosting recipe is so good you can eat it by itself (I definitely did!). I made this to go along my flourless chocolate cupcakes with cocoa powder recipe which I made for my brother-in-law’s birthday. It was a hit!
Vegan Chocolate Frosting No Margarine | happygut.ca
Makes enough for 12 small cupcakes
Recipe for Vegan Chocolate Frosting No Margarine
1 can full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup maple syrup (you can add more maple syrup if you like but I found 1/4 cup of maple syrup amount to be the perfect amount of sweetness, although I don’t like things super sweet)
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
Directions for Vegan Chocolate Frosting No Margarine
Place coconut can in the fridge overnight (or for at least 2 hours)
Remove the coconut “meat” from the can (this is the solidified white part of the coconut milk) and place into a medium sized bowl. You can save the rest of the coconut liquid (I usually freeze it to use in other baked goods) or you can drink it!
Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and whip it up with a hand mixer until completely smooth.
Spread on your goodies / eat alone.
Note that the frosting melts quickly so keep it in the fridge until right before you are ready to eat or serve it.
This paleo coconut flour naan was such an exciting discovery! I LOVE naan and grew up with amazing Afghani naan courtesy of the countless Afghani shops in our neighbourhood (thank you Toronto!). Since trying to cut down on the grains though, I am always experimenting with grain free versions of my favourite grain-filled stuff. I was surprised of how easy this paleo coconut flour naan turned out!
Paleo Coconut Flour Naan | happygut.ca
Directions for Paleo Coconut Flour Naan
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 tsp cumin, optional
1/4 tsp garlic powder, optional
*4 chia eggs (4 tbsp of ground white chia + 1/2 cup water)
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk (Full fat coconut milk from the can works best. Almond milk will also work though you may need to add more water and will have a stronger chia taste, I haven’t tried any other dairy free milks yet.)
oil, for frying
*You can use black ground chia as well but it will have a stronger chia-like taste. If you don’t have chia and are not vegan, you can use regular eggs instead. I haven’t tried it with regular eggs but I assume it will work.
Directions for Paleo Coconut Flour Naan
Combine the ground chia with the 1/2 cup water and set aside.
Meanwhile, combine the coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices (if using) and mix well.
Add the dairy free milk and the chia mixture and mix well. The dough/batter should be easily spreadable but not as liquidly as pancake batter. Add some more milk/water if it’s too thick.
Heat a tbsp of oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
When the pan is hot, use a 1/3 measuring cup and slowly pour the naan batter in the pan.
Use a spoon to spread out and pat the batter in a circular motion making sure to cover any holes in the batter. We want a complete naan. 🙂 Don’t spread it out too thin or else it will be like a crepe / may break. I spread my batter out to be about 1/8 inch thick.
Wait 3-6 minutes before you flip the naan to make sure it cooks completely. Wait another 3-6 minutes for the other side and continue flipping until you get some nice dark brown spots.
Remove from pan, coat with some oil, if desired and serve hot.
I am always looking for breakfast smoothies for protein and so I was so excited to write this post!
I searched far and wide for the best breakfast smoothies with protein that were also vegan. None of the recipes require protein powder (ain’t nobody got time for that! :P) and all of them are raw.
Note: The recipe makes two 16 ounce glasses. The protein of 10g is per glass.
The 10g of protein includes the 2 tbsp of chia seeds (optional in the recipe)
Alright folks, this recipe for chocolate pudding made with avocado is a good one! It was my brother’s birthday this past Friday (Happy Birthday Zeshan!) and so I wanted to make healthy dessert (God knows there was going to be a sugar-filled cake). Irfan, my partner in life and crime, is also currently on a paleo-ish diet. I say “ish” because he’s a vegetarian and so he’s doing paleo without the meat but with the addition of beans and lentils. I wanted to make something that he could eat as well.
I bought avocados, cocoa and added some maple syrup. BAAM! A delicious avocado pudding! My brother, who is not known for his healthy eating ways loved it! So did my 11 year-old nephew. A healthy dessert for all friends! 🙂 So many exclamation marks!!!
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients for Recipe for Chocolate Pudding Made with Avocado
Meat from 2 large avocados (or 3-4 small)
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup maple syrup
optional: tsp of vanilla, tsp of cinnamon
a few splashes of dairy free milk if needed (I used almond milk)
Directions for Recipe for Chocolate Pudding Made with Avocado
Throw all ingredients into your food processor and go to town!
Add more maple syrup if desired (1/2 cup maple syrup was the perfect amount of sweetness for me, but you may like more)
Sigh, vegan winter salads….the best type of salads! I love salads and eat them all year round. Eating salads is the summer is super easy and refreshing. Having salads in the winter though is not always awesome. My criteria for vegan winter salads: it has be warm and complete with protein (and, of course, delicious and easy).
I was invited to a potluck a couple of weeks ago and decided to bring a salad. In my search for vegan winter salads, I came up with so many delicious options that I decided to bookmark and share with you. 🙂
See below for my roundup for the best vegan winter salads.
All of the salads are complete with protein. The first section of salads calls for lentils, the second section has tofu and the last section has some other type of veggie protein.
This simple gluten free pie crust recipe is just want the name suggest, super easy! It’s been my mission to find the perfect gluten free pie crust ever since whipping my diet into shape and this crust may just be the winner! Not only is it super easy to make, but it is incredibly tasty and flaky. Your family and guests won’t be able to tell that it’s gluten free :P. You can adapt the recipe to make a savoury or sweet pie. I’ve used this to with with my How To Make A Curry Pie recipe and my Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe Coconut Milk.
