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Buffalo Chickpea Salad

veganlivingbydanielle

 

Buffalo Chickpea Salad | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp of cooking oil (vegetable, olive, coconut…whatever you like!)
  • 1 can of chickpeas
  • 1/2 cup of flour (approx)
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salad greens and other toppings
  • your favorite buffalo sauce! (just read the label of ingredients and make sure it doesn’t contain dairy as some buffalo sauce will; *vegan hack: use the app, “Is it Vegan?,” from my last blog posting! Sweet Baby Ray’s and Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauces are vegan 😛)
  • vegan ranch (just ranch is pictured, they were recently found to test on animals, so I do NOT recommend their products)
  • 1/2 of an avocado (optional – good to counter the spice, especially if you don’t find dairy-free ranch)

Directions:

  1. Heat a medium-large sized frying pan over medium heat with the cooking oil.
  2. Open can of chickpeas and drain the liquid.
  3. Dump the chickpeas in a Tupperware container with a lid.
  4. Cover chickpeas with the flour (this may not take the whole 1/2 cup).
  5. Add pepper and garlic and shake the container to evenly distribute.
  6. Put the lid on the Tupperware and shake until all the chickpeas have a light layer of flour.
  7. Dump the chickpeas in the warmed frying pan and cook until they are golden, stirring occasionally. You may want to turn the heat up to medium-high heat, but watch closely to avoid burning!
  8. Once the chickpeas are golden, lower the heat and stir in just enough buffalo sauce to cover the chickpeas. (Too much makes them a little soggy and mushy which I don’t like, but if you do, go for it!)
  9. While the buffalo sauce is warming, prep your salad veggies in a large bowl or plate.
  10. Top your salad with the buffalo chickpeas and avocado and/or vegan ranch dressing.

Bon Appetit!

Recipes, Uncategorized

Baked French Fries

veganlivingbydanielle

Ingredients:

  • 1 – 2 medium sized potato or sweet potato
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil (you can also use sprayable cooking spray which helps to use less oil and makes this recipe a little more healthy)
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 1 tsp of pepper, optional
  • 1/2 tsp of cumin, optional

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to about 350F.
  2. Cut potatoes into strips length wise. The thinner you cut them, the quicker they cook and the more likely to become crunchy they are. *Tip: if you like crunchy fries, cut them very thin! Lay out on a cookie sheet so they aren’t touching (although it’s not the end of the world if they get a little cozy on the cooking sheet).
  3. Lightly brush or spray the cooking oil on the potatoes. Too much oil could make the fries soggy.
  4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cooking the fries with spices makes the spices much more potent than adding them after it’s cooked. So remember you can always add more of the salt and pepper after if it’s not enough, but you don’t want to over do it! 
  5. Sprinkling with cumin will also give the fries an extra flavor and this is helpful for avoiding dipping them in ketchup if you’re trying to be healthy!
  6. Cook the fries for about 15-20 minutes, but watch them until they start to get golden.
  7. Take them out to cool for a minute or so

Enjoy!!

Lifestyle Tips, Uncategorized

Protein Powders

veganlivingbydanielle

Hey there! If you’re looking to lead a vegan life and love fitness like me, I have some tips for you about vegan protein! Many people think vegan protein powder has to cost a fortune and is gross, well it absolutely does not have to be either of those things! Here are my ratings on just a few vegan protein powders I’ve tried that you can find at most any Target, and sometimes Marshalls/TJMaxx has it which is nice because they generally have lower prices. I included links to these all in the vanilla flavor because I think it’s the best flavor to have on it’s own, plus you can add some coffee to it in the morning for breakfast, or mix it into a fruit smoothie!

Vega Sport Performance Protein: By far my favorite! It has the most protein of their line and also has things like BCAAs, probiotics (which is good for digestion) and superfoods like turmeric. It’s also pretty low cal!

Vega Protein and Greens: Very good flavor, texture can be a little weird because of the “greens” part.

Olly Nourishing Smoothie: This vanilla protein powder is super yummy! I didn’t like it at first because I mixed it with vegan milk, but is too think. I really suggest mixing this powder with water. This is probably the yummiest of the powders but doesn’t have as much protein and nutrients as the Vega powders.

If you’re not necessarily looking for a protein shake on it’s own, but a protein powder to add to smoothies or foods try the Manitoba Harvest brand. Some Targets and grocery stores carry it, but it’s organic and the non-flavored proteins don’t have much taste, which I like when you’re adding it to food or smoothies.

Please comment below for any yummy, wallet-friendly vegan protein powders!

***Stay away from soy based protein powders if you’re consuming daily! It is not recommended to consume soy products daily and I found out the hard way. I was consuming GNC’s soy protein powder once and sometimes twice a day and got more chunky! I lost about 5 lbs when I switched to non-soy protein powder and that was the only variable I changed at the time in my diet/exercise.***

Thanks for reading!

xo,

Danielle

Recipes, Uncategorized

Veggie Tacos

veganlivingbydanielle

 

Veggie Tacos | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:

  • taco shells
  • 1 can of beans (your choice of kidney, black, or pinto)
  • 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
  • handful of spinach
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional if you like the spice!)

Topping Suggestions:

  • guacamole or avocado (to balance the spice and replace the cheese)
  • shredded lettuce
  • chopped tomatoes
  • black olives
  • extra salsa
  • Tofutti sour cream (optional if you don’t like avocado or aren’t worried about the extra calories)

Directions:

  1. Warm a frying pan over medium heat and preheat oven to cook your taco shells according to the package.
  2. Drain the can of beans and pour into pan with salsa.
  3. Cook stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes to cook the beans.
  4. Throw in your spinach (it doesn’t add too much taste, but adds great superfood nutrients!!) and add the spices.
  5. Lower the burner to low-medium heat and cover to wilt the spinach, stirring occasionally. Now is normally a good time to throw the taco shells in the oven, but double check against the package!
  6.  Once the spinach is wilted, serve your filling in the taco shell and top with your choice of ingredients from the topping list!

Enjoy!

Vegan Pro Tip: Use taco fillings that are left over as topping for a taco salad for lunch or dinner the next day! 

Taco Salad | Vegan Living by Danielle

Recipes, Uncategorized

Avocado Hummus Toast

veganlivingbydanielle

Avocado Hummus Toast | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices of bread (I prefer Dave’s Killer Bread – Powerseed for extra protein)
  • 1/2 hass avocado
  • 2 Tbsp classic hummus (feel free to experiment with different hummus flavors!)
  • 2 Tbsp hemp seeds optional

Directions: 

  1. Toast 2 slices of bread to your liking.
  2. Cut avocado in half.
  3. Slice the one half into equal parts length wise.
  4. Spread 1 Tbsp of hummus on each slice of toast.
  5. Top toast with slices of avocado.
  6. Optional: sprinkle finished toast with 1 Tbsp of hemp seeds each for extra protein.

Enjoy!

*Vegan Pro Tip: Add hemp seeds to this meal, salad, oatmeal, and much more for an extra boost of protein without changing too much of the flavor of your meal!