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 Sushi

Fun and easy vegan sushi rolls, one with cucumber and avocado, the other with tofu, carrot, green onion, and a spicy sriracha mayo sauce.

Most sushi restaurants will offer these very rolls, and depending on the restaurant, they may be the only options for vegans. Now, I have been to some vegan restaurants that served sushi rolls that absolutely blew my mind, making veggies into works of art bursting with flavor. But I think I need to master the basics before I get too crazy. And these two rolls are a great place to start!

What you'll need:

• bamboo sushi rolling mat

• nori

• plastic wrap (it's not necessary but recommended - I really don't buy plastic wrap anymore but had some left to use for this)

• sushi rice

• rice vinegar

• sugar

• salt

• fillings of choice - for my rolls I made an avocado cucumber roll and a tofu, carrot, green onion roll

• sauces of choice - I used soy sauce and made a vegan sriracha mayo

The above items that you may not have on hand like a sushi rolling mat, nori, or rice vinegar, can easily be found online or at Asian markets, or even at your local grocery store. Sushi rice, or sticky rice, is short grain white rice which you should be able to find at the grocery store as well.

INGREDIENTS

serving size: 2 rolls

• 2 nori sheets

• 1 1/2 cups sushi rice

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp sugar

• pinch of salt

Roll 1: Cucumber Avocado Roll:

• thinly sliced cucumber

• half of an avocado

Roll 2: Tofu, Carrot, Onion Roll (does this have a name? Someone tell me if so.)

• 1/4 a block firm tofu

• thinly sliced carrots

• green onion

Dipping Sauces

• soy sauce

• sriracha or any chili sauce

• vegan mayo

LET'S ROLL

1. Cook your rice according to the package instructions. (I am guestimating 1 1/2 cups because I made 1 cup and could've used just a bit more)

2. In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved. The sugar will balance out the rice vinegar some. Use less sugar if you want a less sweet flavor.

3. When the rice is done, remove from heat, add the rice vinegar mix, stir, and let cool.

4. Prepare the tofu by pressing it first. I only used about 1/4 of a block for one roll. Cut the tofu in stick-like strips and pan fry them in some light oil over medium heat until browned on each side.

5. Thinly slice some carrots. You can buy pre-shredded carrots or slice your own. I only had baby carrots so I steamed them just enough to make them easier to cut but still have a bit of a crunch.

6. Cut the green onion as needed to fit the length of the nori sheet, or cut into shorter strips to layer, whichever you prefer.

7. Slice your cucumbers into thin sticks.

8. Right before your ready to roll, slice your avocado pieces long ways (I only used half of the avocado).

9. Wrap your sushi mat all around in plastic wrap. This will make cleanup easier.

10. Lay a sheet of nori on the mat with the textured side facing up.

11. Wet your hands and grab a handful of rice. Begin spreading the rice on the sheet from edge to edge, leaving about a 1" space at the top. Wet your hands as needed to keep the rice from sticking to you. You don't want the rice to be stacked too thick but a decent enough layer should do.

12. At the bottom edge of your nori (not the blank space) you can start layering up the ingredients. Again, not too thick that it doesn't roll, but just enough.

13. Use the mat to start rolling the bottom of the nori towards the top, using your fingers to tuck the ingredients in tightly as you roll, and peeling the mat so that it doesn't roll in with it.

14. When you get to the top, wet your finger and glide it along that 1" space we left blank. This will help to seal the roll. Finish rolling.

15. Use a wet knife to cut the roll into 6-8 pieces.

16. For the sriracha mayo, I did equal parts vegan mayo and sriracha, which probably came to about 1 tablespoon of each. Adjust to your taste or skip and use a different sauce entirely!

Optional: I saw a vegan sushi chef wrap the finished roll in plastic wrap and twist the ends to make it really tight before unwrapping and cutting. I did this and it seemed to work really well!

And there you have it - 2 very easy vegan sushi rolls to make at home!

First timer here! If you're experienced in sushi and have any tips or tricks to share, please leave a comment - I'd love to learn ways to improve!

-Kat