Tag: protein

Recipes, Uncategorized

Mexican Quinoa Salad

veganlivingbydanielle

Vegan Mexican Quinoa | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cup vegetable stock (or 1 1/2 cup water with 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic, 1/4 tsp salt)
  • 1 can of corn, drained
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes (with jalapeños if you like spicy!), drained
  • 1 can of your favorite beans (chickpeas, kidney, or black beans), drained
  • 1 can of olives, halved
  • 1/4 red onion, diced
  • 1/2 lime, juiced (approx. 1 Tbsp of juice)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (1 Tbsp dried cilantro)
  • Between 2 – 4 Tbsp red wine vinegar to your taste
  • 1 avocado (optional)

Directions:

  1. Put dry quinoa and stock, or water and spices, in large saucepan over high heat.
  2. Reduce heat to simmer when the pot is boiling and cover.
  3. Let quinoa cook for a total of approximately 15 minutes, or until all kernels are open and fluffy. Stirring is not necessary or recommended. Best results come when the lid is left on during the whole cooking process.
  4. Once quinoa is thoroughly cooked, move it to a bowl. Refrigerate to cool if desired to serve salad cold.
  5. While the quinoa is cooking and cooling, prepare remaining ingredients.
  6. Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
  7. Add quinoa to the large bowl and mix well.
  8. Serve cool or warm and enjoy!
  9. Option to top each serving with sliced avocado and a whole, fresh cilantro leaf.
Recipes, Uncategorized

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

veganlivingbydanielle

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 2 cups vegetable stock (could substitute water, but stock is much more flavorful; low-sodium stock highly recommended)
  • 1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped or 1/2 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
  • 1/2 cup red onion (about 1/4 of a larger onion), chopped
  • 1/2 can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 med cucumber with the seeds removed, diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • juice of 1/2 lemon (roughly 1 1/2 Tbsps)
  • juice of 1/4 lime (roughly 1/2 Tbsp)
  • 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 3/4 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup kalamata, green, or black olives (optional – depending on your taste), halved

Directions:

  1. Put dry quinoa and stock in large sauce pan over high heat.
  2. Reduce heat to medium-low when the pot is boiling and cover.
  3. Let quinoa cook for a total of approximately 15 minutes, or until all kernels are open and fluffy. Stirring is not necessary or recommended. Best results come when the lid is left on during the whole cooking process.
  4. Once quinoa is thoroughly cooked, move it to a bowl and refrigerate to cool.
  5. While the quinoa is cooking and cooling, prepare remaining ingredients, and mix in a bowl.
  6. When quinoa has cooled, combine quinoa with remaining ingredients and mix well.
  7. Serve cool and enjoy!

 

It is the season for barbecues, picnics, and grad parties. I highly recommend doubling this recipe to bring to these events! It is definitely a real crowd pleaser. Also, quinoa and chickpeas have a good amount of protein for you, so it’s definitely a good thing to bring with you to picnics to be sure there is a vegan option for you that has a substantial amount of protein.

I like to take a bit of it with me as my lunch, or serve a few scoops on the side of dinner!

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!