- 1 heaping Tbsp chia seeds (whole or ground into a fine meal so they’re undetectable)
- 1/2 Tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup (or sub honey if not vegan)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4-5 slices bread (It’s important to use a sturdy rustic bread or it can turn out soggy/soft)
- Mix all ingredients except the bread in a large, shallow bowl. Place in the fridge to activate for 10-20 minutes.
- Preheat griddle to medium heat (~350 degrees F) and grease with 1 Tbsp vegan butter or coconut oil.
- Dip each slice of bread in the batter for about 20 seconds on each side. If your bread is dry, leave it in a little longer. If you’re using sandwich bread, it should only need 25-30 seconds total to soak.
- Place on griddle and cook until golden brown on the underside. Carefully flip and cook until the other side is golden brown as well – 3-4 minutes.
- Top with desired toppings: I went with coconut whipped cream, strawberries and maple syrup.
Meal 2: 1pm a very filling delicious Cobb Salad
THE VEGAN COBB
Ingredients
6 cups of chopped fresh spinach – or another salad green for the base
1 cup mandarin oranges, drained
1/3 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion – tossed in black pepper
1 avocado, chopped – tossed in the juice of 1 large lemon
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup tempeh bacon bits – recipe here
1 cup chilled kidney beans, drained
1 cup hearts of palm (diced) – tossed in 1/8 tsp turmeric + 1 tsp olive oil + 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar + 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
1. Toss your spinach in a light salad dressing – only if serving immediately. If your Cobb will sit for a while, leave greens undressed.
2. For your hearts of palm – only toss half of them in the yellow turmeric mix. This way you will have half white and half yellow. Just like an egg would look. Continue assembling salad – add all your ingredients in thin rows across the top.
3. Serve! I like this salad with a generous drizzle of my Vegan Ranch Dressing. or you can use the traditional Cobb Salad dressing – which is zesty french. Yum!
Meal 3: 6pm and it is dinner time
Ingredients:
For the Cheeze:
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 30 mins or overnight
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water (or more as needed)
- 1.5 cups fresh basil leaves (lightly packed)
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast (gives the cheese flavour)
- 3/4-1 tsp kosher salt (or to taste) + freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
For the Lasagna:
- 454 g Box of lasagna noodles*
- 1.5 bottles of pasta sauce or use homemade marinara sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 sweet onion, chopped (2.5 cups)
- 2 small zucchini, chopped
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 large red pepper, chopped
- 1 large handful spinach
- 2 pre-cooked veggie burgers, crumbled (optional)
- Lemon Basil Cheeze Sauce (from above)
- Daiya cheese (as much as desired)
Directions:
- Drain and rinse soaked cashews. With the food processor turned on, drop in your garlic cloves and process until chopped. Add in the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large skillet, sautee onion and garlic over low-medium heat for 5 minutes. Now add in the rest of the veggies and sautee for another 10-15 minutes. *Season well with Herbamare or kosher salt and black pepper.* This is key or you will have bland tasting vegetables in your lasagna.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Boil lasagna noodles for 8 minutes, drain, and rinse immediately with cold water.
- Add 1 cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish. Add a layer of noodles, half the basil cheeze sauce, half the vegetables, more pasta sauce, another layer of noodles, veggie burger crumbles (optional), the rest of the cheeze sauce, the rest of the vegetables, more pasta sauce, and finally a sprinkle of cheese.
- Cover with tinfoil and prick with fork a few times. Bake at 400°F for 40-45 minutes and then remove tinfoil and broil for 5 minutes on medium. Watch closely so you don’t burn the edges. Remove and serve. Will keep in the fridge for at least 3-4 days.
Tips:
- * I cooked an entire box of noodles (16 oz) and had 6 noodles leftover. This will depend on how large your casserole dish is. My dish is a bit small, although I’m not sure of the actual size.
Meal 4: 8pm and you’re hearing your sweet tooth get louder
4 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE ORANGE MOUSSE
makes 4 small servings
Author: That’s So Vegan
200 g bittersweet chocolate (I used sweetened chocolate, but if yours isn’t very sweet you may want to add some agave or another sweetener to the recipe)
1 ½ avocados
½ tsp orange zest
1-2 tbsp non-dairy milk
Break up the chocolate and place it in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 2 minutes or until the chocolate is completely melted. In a food processor, spoon out the avocado flesh and puree until smooth. Add melted chocolate, orange zest, 1 tbsp of non-dairy milk and blend. If the mixture seems too thick (it should be pudding consistency) add another tbsp of milk. Scrape the mousse into a bowl and let it chill for about 1 hour. Serve topped with chocolate shavings, walnuts, or more orange zest.
