Mama's Recipes For (kind of) Healthy Eating!

My roommate has really been working on eating a super healthy and balanced (and cruelty free) diet. Some of it is a little on the extreme side for me but I've been trying to make meals that we can all enjoy together. He has cut out all meat/dairy products (which is awesome) but he is also trying to not eat anything with oil or salt, which is a tad harder for me personally. There is nothing like a big pot of veggies sauteed in olive oil or edamame with a sprinkle of kosher salt over the top. I am not really willing to totally give that stuff up but I am willing to cut back and accomodate someone who wants to live a cruelty free lifestyle.

Here are some of the recipes I've been working on but I don't feel totally confident in reviewing them on here. I'll just give you a taste of what I've been making for myself and my roommates.

(Photo courtesy of Food Network)

Linguine with Avocado and Arugula Pesto

So obviously I tweaked this a bit to cater to certain dietary needs but overall this pesto was pretty awesome. I left out the cheese and salt and added about 1/4 c. of nutritional yeast instead. Instead of pasta, I shaved zucchini into long strips and quickly blanched them in boiling water. I did not like the noodles and I'm not sure anyone else did either. They were too slimy and gooey for me and I decided to cut up a raw zucchini and just put some pesto over the top. That was pretty righteous. I would recommend the pesto but I think I'll stick to my normal whole wheat pasta.

(Photo courtesy of Vegetarian Times)

Coconut-Banana Smoothie

This has been my breakfast pretty much all week. I love it! I cut up a fresh pineapple and a few bananas and froze the pieces on a cookie sheet until they were firm. I've just been tossing those into my blender with the 1/4 c. coconut milk and plain organic soymilk (I skip the apple juice concentrate). It's so cold and tasty and just a perfect only slightly naughty treat in the morning.

(Photo courtesy of The Kitchn)

Spicy Oven Roasted Chickpeas


OH MY GOD. This is now my most favorite vegan snack in the world. It is easy, healthy and easy customizable to your tastes. I would not recommend putting a whole tablespoon of salt on one can of chickpeas, that is just way too much. I used maybe 1/2 teaspoon? It's hard to say. Instead of garam masala (which would be awesome), I used curry powder. Next time I go to the grocery store, I plan on getting like 10 cans of chickpeas and just trying a million combinations. Sugar and cinnamon? An Italian blend of oregano and basil? How about some chili powder and cumin? It all sounds too good to be true.

These are a few that I just think sound really good and want to make in the near future:

(Photo courtesy of Yum Universe)

Roasted Garlic and Fresh Lemon Aioli (totally vegan!)

(Photo courtesy of Post Punk Kitchen)

Shitake Banh Mi Salad

I've never had a Banh Mi sandwich, but if this is a good representative of that sandwich in salad form, I'm game. Pickled veggies and mushrooms? Need I say more?

(Photo/illustrations courtesy of The Vegan Stoner)

Peanut Stew


I love The Vegan Stoner. They make easy and awesome looking meals. I highly recommend checking them out! PS - The illustrations are kind of the best part too.

If you have suggestions for whole foods and awesome recipes I can make, please feel free to link away! I would appreciate it. You will get another recipe review soon! I promise!