September Favorites

1. Vegan Spicy Pumpkin Chai Latte 

It always bummed bums me out when Fall rolls around and the pumpkin chai comes out at coffee shops. There is something about processed, bottle chai concentrate that doesn't agree with me. But luckily there is away around this! I made this incredibly spicy, frothy pumpkin chai latte. I never thought to use my immersion blender to make foam, but it works great! I will certainly be making this again! //Fo Reals Life

2. Vegetable Loaded Chili

I'm finally done with my summer squash surplus! I'm surprised to say it's quite a relief and that I'm ready to move on to winter squashes. This chili was super easy, delicious, packed with vegetables, and incredibly spicy! I added a few dashes of liquid smoke to take the edge off. This chili is a great way to clean out your fridge and freezer by using all your vegetables. It's also freezer friendly! //Oh My Veggies! 

 3. Cajun Oven Fries

I finally shared my "secret" recipe for Cajun oven fries! It's one of the things I've missed since going GF and I am a potato fiend, obviously. These fries are so easy and delicious. We made them twice this month to pair with these amazingly vegan quick burgers. I suggest you do the same! //here!

 4. Vegan Cinnamon-Apple French Toast

There's something so comforting about warm, spiced fruit. This vegan French toast was surprisingly filling and easy to make. I used pears for the warm fruit compote and GF bread. I also ran out of bread, so I used waffles for the rest of the French toast batter. Yay for improvising! //Vegetarian Times

5. Kale Powered Pasta

Recently, Mike and I have been trying out a vegan/soy-free/GF meal plan from the Happy Herbivore. They include easy, cheap, and delicious recipes for every meal. We haven't been following it to a T just yet, but so far, it has been a huge time saver for us. This pasta was one of the recipes that made a TON and was super nutritious! We just cooked an entire bag of GF pasta, then added in a chopped bell pepper and a bunch of kale in the last few minutes of cooking. After we drained the pasta, we returned it to the pot and added a jar of Trader Joe's no-salt-added marinara, spices, herbs, etc. 

6. Slow-Cooker Elvis Oatmeal

I received a 2 qt (smaller) slow-cooker for my birthday last year and have been meaning to use it more. I have used it a few times for smaller dishes, but oatmeal works great in it. I finally bought some GF steel cut oats and decided to try it out. You put your oatmeal in the slow-cooker to cook before bed, and when you wake up: Voila! Instant breakfast. I enjoyed the texture and this oatmeal was enough for three servings. So I ate it for breakfast a few days that week, which was a huge time saver! It reheated wonderfully! The blog I got this recipe from has written both of the slow-cooker books I own (one is only for 2qts!) and she has many oatmeal recipes besides this one! //Healthy Slow Cooking

7. Pad Thai

Why has it taken me so long to make pad Thai? I keep asking myself this. Pad Thai is one of my favorite dishes of all time, when it's me-friendly of course. I finally decided to try Happy Herbivore's recipe and it's quick, easy, scrumptious, and easily adaptable. I can't really tell you how simple this is. It's cheaper than getting take out! I added Twin Oak's premarinated Thai tofu, shredded carrots, and shredded red cabbage. I highly suggest serving it with cilantro, lime wedges, and lots of sriracha. //Happy Herbivore

8. Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

So I obviously went a little pumpkin crazy one weekend when I made these and the pumpkin spice chai above. I don't go nuts for pumpkin as much as I do winter squash. But, I couldn't resist making us a special autumn breakfast. These pancakes were simple to pull together, but they make a TON of pancakes. I was eating these for breakfast for days (which isn't the worst problem to have...). These are perfect with maple syrup, warm fruit, and a hot cup of tea. //Allyson Kramer

9. Buffalo Chickpea Loaded Potato

I have made this dish before, but I just can't get over how easy it is. Actually, I don't think I can get over how much I love buffalo sauce. Buffalo smothered chickpeas cooked with caramelized onions, stuffed in a fluffy baked potato and served with a side of steamed kale. What more do you want for dinner?! This recipe comes together quickly and is a hearty autumn meal. //Naturally Ella

10. Orange Pan-Glazed Tempeh

I've become a little obsessed with finding different ways to cook tempeh. Recently, I have really enjoyed cooking it with Asian recipes. I've had my eye on this recipe for a long time, but kept pushing it aside because of the mirin. I finally gave in and bought some (it's not that bad!) to keep around for Asian dishes. If you have a well stocked "international" pantry, this recipe is super easy to make. Sweet orange juice pairs with soy sauce, mirin, garlic and more to make a delicious twist on Asian tempeh. I highly recommend serving it with rice, lime wedges, and a steamed vegetable. //101 Cookbooks

(970) le tombeau des lucioles

These past few weeks have been crazy! I have so many food photos to share, but really haven't had the time. I'm finally on spring break, which has done nothing but stressed me out a bit more haha. Thankfully there are only seven more weeks of school left. 

I have been wanting to make edamame hummus for such a long time, and after having the Trader Joes brand, I had to remake it. It takes a little longer to puree the edamame beans, but the flavors are perfectly complimented with garlic and coriander. If you're looking for a twist on the usual hummus, this is perfect and has a ton of protein! //oh she glows

Another thing I've been meaning to make for a long time are dark chocolate peanut butter cups. I have a slight problem with the Justin's packaged brand, so I had to remake them. These were cheaper, delicious, and surprisingly easy to make! This recipe used almond butter and dark chocolate, which work perfectly together. The layering of the chocolate and peanut butter gets a little tedious, but it's worth it! //sprouted kitchen

Blood orange, peach and pear sangria.

I have been cooking mostly from Happy Herbivore recipes, just because they're cheap, simple, and nutritious. This vegan alfredo sauce was perfect for a night when I didnt feel like cooking, but wanted something healthy. With 35g of protein per serving, you will definitely feel full after this (especially with protein from brown rice pasta)! It also took 10 minutes to make with cooking the pasta. //happy herbivore

I've been making a lot of salads here lately and this vegan Caesar salad dressing was amazing! I ate it for days with NC sprouts, lettuce, tomato and carrots. Because it's made from silken tofu and nutritional yeast, it also has about 3g protein per tablespoon! //everyday happy herbivore

I made vegan french toast last week for breakfast one weekday morning and it was easy/delicious! I was very surprised at how similar it tasted to regular french toast with out using any eggs! Surprisingly enough, chickpea flour and almond milk with vanilla extract produced the same flavor! //happy herbivore

Perfectly baked thyme oven fries

After finishing off my vegan caesar salad dressing, I made one of my favorites: homemade balsamic vinaigrette from Isa's amazing book. It's so easy to make and has protein from the cashews! I will be making that dressing over and over again. It went great with a salad of sprouts, avocado, cucumber, tomato + romaine. //appetite for reduction

I have been wanting to also make a vegan frittata for quite some time, since there are so many easy recipes for them that don't involve cast iron pans. I made this incredibly easy frittata from Happy Herbivore with old bay, black beans, and red pepper. I doused it in a ton of hot sauce and ate it with some really delicious thyme oven fries! //everyday happy herbivore

Blood orange gin and tonics: 
Put ice cubes in the bottom of a glass. Top with a shot of gin (I used Tanqueray). Top with 1/2 C freshly squeezed blood orange juice and tonic water. Stir and enjoy!