Tag: vegan

Lifestyle Tips, Uncategorized

Vegan Documentaries

veganlivingbydanielle

Hey everyone! I wanted to learn more about meat and dairy industries and why going vegan is good for the environment, but most of these documentaries are too graphic and unbearably sad.

For anyone looking to educate themselves more about the vegan lifestyle without the sad parts, I highly recommend watching the documentary, Live and Let Live! It’s a great film that doesn’t show photos or footage of animals being killed or abused like a lot of vegan documentaries do. It is a compilation of stories from many people who you might not expect to go vegan and lots of reasons to go vegan! There are stories of witnessed abuse that is very sad, but not as bad as the footage normally included.

So if you’re considering a vegan lifestyle, looking to get more facts about your existing vegan lifestyle, or know someone who is thinking of going vegan, watch this documentary! It’s available on Netflix streaming.

UPDATE: Also check out Game Changers to learn more about health benefits of veganism!

Lifestyle Tips, Uncategorized

Quinoa: Faux Fancy

veganlivingbydanielle

Quinoa (keen-wah) certainly sounds very fancy, which makes it seem like a rare delicacy. Contrary to how the name makes the food sound, it is super easy to cook and very accessible! If you’re going vegan, it’s time to get cozy with quinoa! It is an excellent source of lean, vegan protein (about 8 grams of protein per 1 cooked cup; as stated by the USDA), it goes with pretty much anything you want to cook, and it’s tasty served cold or warm. Quinoa barely takes any time to prep and takes 15 minutes to cook thoroughly.

Here’s how easy it is:

  1. Measure your desired serving of quinoa and put that in a pot.
    • One cup of dry quinoa fits well in a standard small sauce pan. It makes for about 4 servings once cooked depending on the recipe and your appetite!
  2. Double the size of your first serving for the amount of water.
    • If you used 1 cup quinoa, that’s 2 cups of water.
  3. Cook on high until the water comes to a boil.
    • Start a timer for 15 minutes from when you turn the stove on.
  4. Once it comes to a boil, cover and put the burner on low or low-medium for the remainder of the time.

Quinoa makes a good base for many dishes, and its flavor compliments so many different meals. It is also pretty delicious cooked without spices and served as a side!

*Vegan Pro Tip: If plain quinoa is too bland for your liking, try substituting the water in the recipe for vegetable broth! Super easy and super yummy. 😉

Where do I find quinoa, you ask? You can find quinoa in major grocery stores (also at Target and Walmart) in the same aisle as rice or in the natural foods section if they have one. Also, if you have a membership at a wholesale club like Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s, this might be an ingredient to save for your trip. It’s definitely better to buy grains in bulk!

Quinoa varies in color: white (or “traditional”), red, and black. These different grain colors don’t affect the taste noticeably, but some claim that the texture of the traditional quinoa is more fluffy and red or black grains can be more crunchy. Personally, I haven’t noticed much of a difference other than the colors!

Stay tuned for some quinoa based, protein packed recipes!

xo,

Danielle

Recipes, Uncategorized

Peanut Butter Banana Toast

veganlivingbydanielle

PB Banana Toast | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices of your favorite bread
  • 2 Tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 medium banana

Directions:

  1. Toast your 2 slices of bread to your liking.
  2. Spread the peanut butter evenly over both slices.
  3. Peel and slice your banana into bitesize piece and place over layer of peanut butter.
Enjoy!!
Recipes, Uncategorized

Tuscan Spinach Pasta

veganlivingbydanielle

Tuscan Spinach Pasta | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 box of pasta
  • 3-4 Tofurky Italian sausages
  • 3-4 handfuls of spinach
  • 1 can of garbanzo beans
  • handful of black or kalamata olives
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 Tbsp basil
  • 1/2 Tbsp oregano
  • 1 cup of pasta sauce
Directions:
  1. In a medium or large pot, bring water to a boil and add pasta once boiling. Turn heat down to medium-high heat.
  2. Place sausages on a frying pan to lightly cook them. Rotate sausages while they cook.
  3. After about 10 minutes, remove the pasta from heat and drain the water. Also, remove the sausage at this time.
  4. Put the pot with the pasta back on the stove on medium-low heat.
  5. Add the spinach, garbanzos, olive oil, spices, and pasta sauce to the pasta and mix well.
  6. Remove the sausages from the pan and slice them into round, bite-sized pieces.
  7. Add sausage and olives to the pasta and mix well.
  8. Cook until spinach is a little wilted, then serve!

Enjoy!

(expected to make about 4-5 servings)

Please remember that recipes are mainly suggestions or guidelines! Don’t turn away from a recipe just because you don’t like one thing about it. They aren’t written in stone!
Here are some suggested modifications to the recipe:
  • If you’re looking for less carbs, ditch the pasta and add at least 2 more handfuls of spinach to the recipe.
  • Need to go gluten-free? Use GF pasta (I prefer Barilla GF ziti), quinoa or rice and don’t use the Tofurky vegan sausage.
  • Replacing the pasta with quinoa cooked with Italian seasoning and adding the garbanzo beans like I did add protein to the recipe.
  • Replace the garbanzo beans with kidney beans.
  • Worried about calories? Serve with less pasta, less beans or sausage, and add at least 2 handfuls of spinach. (This recipe as it’s written is approximated at 760 calories per serving.)