Healthy, Whole Foods, Plant-Based Vegan Recipes
A colorful mix of red, yellow, and orange bell peppers come together in this easy, healthy recipe for Oil-Free Roasted Bell Pepper Salad. Enjoy this as a healthy side dish for a summer picnic, spread over toasted Whole Wheat Flatbread, or top Southwestern Black Bean Burgers for a plant-based weeknight dinner.
Hearty lentils are cooked with flavorful Mexican spices for these easy, oil-free vegan tacos. Serve these on a busy weeknight with salsa and diced avocado. These are crowd-pleasers!
Easy | Servings: 8 | Ready In: 5 minutes | Yield: 1 cup This healthy, oil-free recipe uses fresh oregano for Greek flavor on a classic Italian pesto. Roasted sunflower seeds keep this condiment nut-free, making it a tasty spread on Quick Whole Wheat Flarbread, Portabella Burgers or a delicious topping for Greek Giant Lima Beans. You can make a big batch of this vegan sauce and freeze extras. Ingredients 1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds 2 tablespoons fresh oregano 2 tablespoons fresh basil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 – 3/4 cup water How it’s Done: To make the Oregano pesto: Combine the sunflower seeds, oregano, basil, and salt in a food processor. Puree. Stream in the water slowly, and stop just when the pesto is pourable. You still want it to have some chunky texture. Taste to adjust seasoning. Dollop over Greek Baked Giant Lima Beans, Roasted Rosemary Garlic Potatoes, or Quick Whole Wheat Flatbread Store in an air-tight container to prevent browning. Yield: 1 Cup Chef’s Katie’s Tips Oil-Free Roasting: Use dry-roasted sunflower seeds to avoid extra oils. Double-check the ingredients label. If you prefer to roast your own, you can roast the sunflower seeds in a 350 oven for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown Pistachio Pesto: You can also substitute with roasted pistachios for a brighter green color. Why No Oil? on a mission I’m to get rid of empty calories. Oil is full of fat and not much else. Cooking oil-free gives you tons of flavor with a lot
Medium | Servings: 6 | Ready In: 130 minutes + soaking | Yield: one 9-inch dish This gluten-free recipe is a vegan take on a classic Greek recipe featuring Giant Lima Beans. These hearty beans bring healthy plant-based protein along with satisfying, substantial texture. This is the perfect meal for a Sunday dinner, as it bakes away in the oven, filling your kitchen with enticing aromas. Just make extras to enjoy comfort food later in the week. Ingredients 1 cup dried Giant Lima Beans (1/2 pound) 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes and juices 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped ¼ tsp salt 1/8 tsp black pepper How it’s Done Soak the beans: Cover the beans with a few inches of water and soak overnight. The beans will double to triple in size. To Cook the Giant Lima Beans: Drain the soaked beans and rinse with water. Place the soaked beans in a small pot. Cover with a couple inches of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until beans are tender, about 50-70 minutes. The beans are ready when they are tender but not completely falling apart. Drain the cooked beans and reserve until sauce is ready. Meanwhile, make your sauce To make the Stewed Tomato Sauce: Place the diced onion in a medium pan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, until golden around the edges. When the onions start to
Medium | Servings: 8 | Ready In: 60 minutes + soaking | Yield: about 4 cups Giant Peruvian Lima Beans bring hearty, satisfying texture to this vegan recipe. Infused with Spanish flavor from smoked paprika, this gluten-free, fat free recipe is satisfying easy comfort food any night of the week. Ingredients 1 cup dried Giant Lima Beans 1 medium sweet onion (like Vidalia or Walla Walla), thinly sliced 4 teaspoons smoked paprika 2 cloves garlic 1/4 teaspoon salt How it’s Done The day before: Cover the beans with a few inches of water and soak at least 8 hours. Beans will double to triple in size after soaking! To cook make the Smoky Sweet Braised Giant Lima Beans: In a medium pot, combine the onion and smoked paprika. Cook over medium heat, covered, until the paprika is aromatic and onions start to become translucent. This will take about 7-8 minutes. Drain and rinse the beans. Add the beans, and garlic. Cover with a couple of inches of water. Place a lid on and bring to a boil. When the beans reach a simmer, skim off any foam — this comes from their gasses — not delicious. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, 40-60 minutes, until the beans are starting to fall apart. Remove the lid during the last minutes of cooking, if needed, to reduce the liquid. Season with salt and serve. Yield: About 4 cups Chef Katie’s Tips: Short on Time? If you want to speed this up, 2
Easy | Servings: 4 | Ready In: 15 minutes | Yield: 4 cups Whole wheat couscous takes just minutes to cook, making it a quick and easy go-to side dish for weeknight dinner. Combined with crunchy carrot and toasted almonds adds healthy texture while fresh parsley, mint, and lemon make this vegetarian recipe pop with Moroccan flavor. Serve with Moroccan Chickpea Tagine and Za’atar Spiced Rainbow Carrots for a plant-based vegan dinner or enjoy on its on for a satisfying, wholegrain lunch. Ingredients 1/4 cup sliced almonds 5 dried dried apricots (about 1/4 cup) 1 small carrot 1 1/4 cup water 3/4 cup whole wheat couscous 2 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped 1/8 teaspoon salt How it’s Done: To toast the almonds: Place the almonds in a small, dry pot. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, shaking the pot often, until lightly browned, only about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the pot and reserve for later. Place the pot back on the stove. To cook the Whole Wheat Couscous: Chop the apricot. Peel and dice the carrot. Place the apricot and carrot into the small pot, along with the 1 1/4 cup of water. Cover and bring to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the couscous and cover. Turn off the heat and let steam for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the lid and fluff the couscous with a fork. Set aside for 2-3 minutes. To finish the Couscous: Chop the fresh mint and parsley.
Easy | Servings: 12 | Ready In: 5 minutes + soaking cashews | Yield: 3 Cups This ain’t your typical cheese…this is Nacho “Geez!” This healthy, oil-free vegan sauce uses soaked cashews for rich creaminess. Kid-approved and comfort food for adults, it’s great in a Cheezy Pasta Bake, over Roasted Brussels, or Twice-Baked Potatoes. No one will suspect the difference in this dairy-free recipe. Ingredients 1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked over night 1 cup pumpkin puree (or other squash puree like butternut or acorn) 1 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk 2 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or cayenne (optional) 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup water How it’s Done: Soak cashews in water overnight (or at least 8 hours) To make Pumpkin Nacho “Geez!” Sauce: Drain the cashews. Rinse well. Place the cashews in in a microwave-safe container along with the pumpkin puree, almond milk, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and chipotle or cayenne (if using). Microwave for 1-1:30 minutes, until steaming and spices are aromatic. Pour contents into a blender. Puree until creamy. This might take a few minutes, depending on how soft your cashews have gotten. Add nutritional yeast and salt. Puree to combine. Add water, about 1/2 cup, to reach a pourable, smooth consistency. Serve over roasted Brussels Sprouts, steamed broccoli, or any other favorite veggie. Yield: 3 cups Chef Katie’s Tips: Skip the Soaking: If you forget or don’t have time to
This simple recipe for Oil-Free Roasted Rosemary Garlic Potatoes combines the flavors of roasted garlic and rosemary. Use any colors of potatoes for a beautiful, healthy presentation. This healthy, plant-based vegan side dish is great with veggie burgers or served at brunch.
This Sweet Potato Pineapple Casserole is a classic Southern holiday tradition. Sweet potatoes are roasted to rich, creamy perfection. Then, they’re mashed with pineapple and topped with a gluten-free, oil-free pecan streusel topping. Skip the brown sugar and butter. This vegan recipe is naturally sweetened. It tastes like a hug from a Southern Grandma.
Easy | Servings: 16 | Ready in: 5 minutes | Yield: 2 cups This easy, oil-free hummus recipe gets healthy, green flavor from spinach and basil. Enjoy this plant-based vegan recipe as a spread on Quick Whole Wheat Flatbread, a creamy sauce for Brown Rice Pasta, or a dip for Roasted Cauliflower. Ingredients 4 cups baby spinach (about 4 ounces) 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped 1 15-ounce can chickpeas 1 tablespoon Tahini 1 teaspoon lemon juice Salt and pepper, to taste 1/4 – 1/2 cup water, as needed How It’s Done: To make the Easy Spinach Basil Hummus: Roughly chop the spinach and basil, if needed. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Combine the spinach, basil, chickpeas, tahini, and lemon juice in a food processor. Chop for about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the food processor. With the food processor running, stream in about 1/4 cup of warm water. You might need more or less, to make the hummus smooth. If it’s too chunky, add more water. If it gets too thin, you’ll need to add more chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Yield: 2 cups Chef Katie’s Tips: Herb Variety: Let this hummus be a basic recipe to experiment with different fresh herbs. Spinach provides a natural sweetness, but you can swap out the basil for fresh cilantro, parsley, tarragon, or chives. For a peppery kick, use arugula or watercress instead of the baby spinach. This is a great way to use up fresh
