Healthy Vegan Berry Muffin Tops

This morning I decided to try making some banana oat muffin tops with some blueberries and strawberries. There are no added sugars and these make for a healthy little vegan snack!

Because the top of the muffin is the best part.

INGREDIENTS

Servings: 8 muffin tops

• 2 ripe bananas

• 1 cup of oat flour (I just ground up some rolled oats in the food processor)

• 2 flax eggs (1 egg = 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• vanilla or almond extract (optional)

• cinnamon

• berries

LET'S COOK

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2. In a small bowl, mix your flax eggs and set aside to thicken.

3. Mash your bananas in a bowl with a fork.

4. Add the oat flour (or ground rolled oats), baking powder, dash of cinnamon (I don't measure, just eye it), splash of vanilla or almond extract, and flax eggs. Stir until well mixed.

5. Add a handful of berries. I split the batter so I could make one group of blueberry and one group of strawberry.

6. Take a scoop and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until the muffin top mix is gone.

7. Bake until the muffin tops start to firm up and very, very lightly brown, about 15-20 minutes.

8. Remove from oven and let them cool on a rack. Enjoy!

NOTE: If the muffin mix seems too dry because you didn't add enough water to your flax eggs like I did (oops), then add a splash of plant milk.

-Kat

Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash

This super simple sweet potato hash makes for a hearty, healthy breakfast.

Sweet potatoes are not only a great source of fiber and vitamins, like vitamin A, but they are packed with antioxidants, making them a great addition to any meal. I love having them at breakfast time, or as an evening snack with some peanut butter.

Sweet Potato Hash

For this breakfast hash, start with a baked sweet potato. I did this by piercing the potato in multiple places and putting it in the microwave for 2 minutes, flipping it to the other side, and cooking for another 2 minutes. Times may vary depending on your microwave and potato size. Once the potato is cooled some, you can get to work. Depending on the size of your potato, this could make 1 or 2 portions.

INGREDIENTS

1 baked sweet potato

handful of diced tomatoes

handful of diced onions

handful of chopped kale (fresh or frozen)

1/3 block of pressed tofu

LET'S COOK

1. Cube 1 baked sweet potato. Leave the skin on to reap the nutritious benefits.

2. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add a bit of preferred cooking oil to the pan, then add the sweet potato cubes, tossing them to coat.

3. Let them cook for a few minutes, stirring them around occasionally.

4. Add chopped onions, tomatoes, and kale. I used frozen but you can also use fresh.

5. Lower the heat and put a lid on the pan. Let cook for a few more minutes.

6. Once the potatoes start to brown, remove from heat.

7. Prepare your tofu scramble. Heat another pan over medium heat.

8. Add cooking oil of choice and then crumble up the tofu into the pan.

9. Use a spatula to move the tofu around. As it starts to cook, add spices and a spoonful of nutritional yeast if desired. You can also use black salt which will add an egg-y flavor.

10. Once the tofu starts to get some color, remove from heat.

11. Add to the sweet potato hash, mix, and serve!

You can add a sauce to the hash if you'd like, but I found that this has enough flavor all on its own!

-Kat

Easy Vegan Jalapeño Popper Egg Rolls

This recipe is SO EASY, and a perfect appetizer for a party or game day. Even your non-vegan friends will enjoy these!

Vegan jalapeño popper egg rolls.

INGREDIENTS

• Vegan cream cheese (I used Kite Hill brand, but you can even make your own!)

• Vegan egg roll wraps (I used Nasoya brand)

• Whole jalapeno peppers

• Filling add-ins, if desired (vegan cheese shreds, diced green onions, spices, etc.)

Depending on the size of your jalapenos and how many you plan to make, you may use a full container of vegan cream cheese or just half. I only had 4 big peppers which I cut in half to make smaller sizes, and only used about half of an 8 oz container of Kite Hill Original Cream Cheese. I also mixed Bitchin' sauce into the cream cheese. If you've never had Bitchin' sauce, stop what you are doing and go to the store immediately.

LET'S COOK

1. Cut the tops off of your jalapeño peppers. You can also cut off the bottoms, I like to keep them as it is easier to fill with cream cheese without too much spillage. My peppers were big so I also cut them in half to create smaller bites.

2. Using a small knife, insert through the top of the pepper and carefully scrape out the seeds and insides.

3. Rinse your peppers really well and allow them to dry.

4. In a bowl, add your cream cheese. You can add whatever other fillings you want in your mixture, like spices, diced green onions, vegan cheese. I used a small scoop of Bitchin' Chipotle sauce and some diced green onions.

5. Mix it all up until it's a smooth consistency that will be easy to scoop into the peppers.

6. Take a spoonful of your cream cheese mix and start to fill your peppers. Once full, set aside. After all peppers are full, pull out your egg roll wraps.

7. Place one pepper on a single wrap, diagonally and more towards a corner than the center - this will be the corner you roll from.

8. Using your finger or a brush, wet each corner of the wrap to help it stick once rolled.

9. Take the corner your pepper is closest to and roll it towards and over the pepper, wrapping it, and starting to tuck the wrap around the pepper as you keep rolling. When you reach the end, make sure all corners are tucked.

10. I pan fried these, but you could certainly deep fry them or bake them as well. Heat a big pan over medium heat. Add a small amount of oil and then add your poppers. Once they start to get brown and crisp up, rotate them. Do this until all sides are slightly browned.

11. Allow your poppers to cool a little before serving.

-Kat