Vegan

Stir fried foods make great lunches: They're so easy to whip up in a moment’s notice! If you want to give your stir fry a slight Asian twist, try this easy recipe. It should be enough to make two servings and tastes fantastic. If you don't have the exact vegetables I list, that's okay, too: You can substitute them with your favorites and keep the seasoning the same instead. You can also pair this recipe with noodles or quinoa instead of rice, if you so choose. It's all a matter of preference and availability.

Base ingredients:

Start off a cold winter day with this hearty breakfast hash! Simply seasoned with just olive oil, chili pepper and salt, this recipe allows each vegetable to shine. Sweet butternut squash is balanced by the mild flavors of cauliflower and potatoes, as well as the slightly bitter flavor of the Brussels sprouts. This blend of veggies would also go well on the side or as ingredients in another meal, but it makes for a delicious and healthy breakfast with the addition of tofu.

If you haven’t heard of quinoa, the superfood, by now, it’s time to get out from underneath that rock. For those of you who are still unsure of how to say it (let alone spell it), it’s pronounced “keen-wah.”

Nothing can warm your insides quite like a good bowl of split pea soup! The potatoes and carrots in this recipe create a hearty meal while the garlic, onion and seasonings blend with the peas for a rich and delicious flavor. You can also feel good about getting a large serving of veggies, since the peas alone have high levels of vitamins C, A and protein! 

Split Pea Soup (Vegan)

*Serves 6-8 people

Ingredients:

3 cups split peas, dried

7 cups vegetable stock (or water)

2 teaspoons salt

Gyoza is a pan-fried dumpling from Japan, similar to pot-stickers, that commonly has a filling of protein, vegetables and spices. This recipe has been veganized by adding in some fried tofu instead of the traditional meat for the filling, but you could put any type of protein or flavor combinations that you like. The green onion, garlic and chili peppers give this recipe a traditional taste that goes well with your favorite teriyaki or soy dipping sauce.

Gyoza Dumplings (Vegan)

*Makes about 40

Ingredients:

The options are endless when it comes to takeout, which makes it easy to rely on restaurants for your daily grub. Hey, sometimes you just need some hot, comforting noodles conveniently packed up in one of those cute cardboard containers. But if takeout becomes a daily habit, you could be heading for some problems.

During college, I began having trouble sleeping because my brain, which was full of to-do lists, would never hush up. Now, it’s post-grad, and I’m still somewhat of a restless night-experiencing insomniac. Lucky me.

In a family with gluten, dairy, soy, egg, and nut intolerances, indulging in creamy anything is quite rare. My oldest son and I are big soup lovers, though, and he especially loves creamy soups, so I’ve tried my hand at several vegan recipes using coconut milk, but we just aren’t always in the mood for the subtle taste of coconut. I’ve discovered that with enough olive oil in the cooking process, and by roasting the veggies first, we can end up with a creamy soup without any dairy or dairy alternatives whatsoever – and the taste is truly superb.

Winter is here, and with it comes lots of temptation for sugary foods and not-so-healthy drinks. One of my favorite things to drink this time of year is hot chocolate, a staple for many people over the holidays. Unfortunately, traditional hot chocolate is often loaded with refined sugar and dairy, not to mention hydrogenated oils if you’re buying it pre-packaged.

Why not have your pie and drink it too? In the health food world, the smoothie is revered as the fastest and easiest way to get in your fruits and veggies. But what if there was more to the smoothie than guzzling down vitamins? Why not try a liquefied dessert? I'm talking about smoothies that taste like pie!