Teriyaki Seitan Bowl

Teriyaki Seitan Bowl

4 servings organic rice

4 generous servings cubed seitan

Vegan teriyaki sauce. my favorite is Soy Vay's Veri Veri Teriyaki Sauce

1 pound organic white mushrooms, largely chopped

1 organic green pepper, largely chopped

1 organic red pepper, largely chopped

1 organic yellow onion, largely chopped
1 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil
- feel free to add additional vegetables such as snow peas, baby corn etc.


Drain and lightly rinse the seitan, and if needed cut into bite-sized cubes. I like to leave them on the larger side. Very lightly squeeze out just some of the moisture and place them in a mixing bowl, then cover with teriyaki sauce and set aside.

Next, set the rice to cook according to direction.

Chop all veggies, and add the peppers to a large pan and begin sautéing over low heat in the olive oil. When peppers begin to soften, add the onion and continue sautéing. Once peppers are mostly cooked and without the onion browning, add the mushrooms. During this time, you will need to add moisture to the pan, do so by adding a few tablespoons of water at a time, not more oil. I also find it beneficial to allow this process to take some time, keeping the heat low and adding a cover over the veggies to trap in heat and moisture once I've added some extra water.

Once the mushrooms begin to cook and shrink in size, add the seitan, without the marinade they've been in. Add some new marinade (about 1/4 cup max) and mix everything thoroughly. Increase heat to medium and allow to simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

Once the rice and seitan are done, add a serving of rice to the bowl, top with seitan and veggies, and enjoy!!


Healthy Life Tip: This meal is loaded with protein and is great left-over. Make more than you will need in one setting and save for extra meals throughout the week like lunch, dinner, or even to have as great snack after work.

Tofu Breakfast Bake

Pepper, Mushroom, and Onion Breakfast Bake: 

2 packages organic extra firm tofu, drained well

1 organic yellow onion

1 organic green pepper

1 lb organic white (or portobello) mushrooms

8oz chopped green chilies, mild or hot - your choice
1 cup shredded vegan cheese (optional)
2 tbsp organic turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon organic onion powder

1/2 teaspoon organic garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon organic paprika 

5 twists organic black pepper

2 twists freshly cracked sea salt (pink himalayan is my favorite!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

First, drain the tofu then crumble into a bowl. Don't drain all of the water out, just most of it. Retaining some of the moisture will help while it bakes.  

Chop the pepper, mushrooms, and onion and sauté until soft. I like to sauté using water, instead of oil or butter not only because it's healthier, but once the veggies are done, there will be some flavored water left over that I like to add to the dish for extra flavor. I would use about 1-2 tablespoons of water as needed when sautéing. When sautéing with water, I also use a lower heat for slightly longer to avoid burning off all of the water. Once the veggies are soft, remove the pan from heat and set aside.

While the veggies are cooking, add the dry spices to the tofu and combine well with the tofu continuing to crumble the tofu as needed. I like to use my hands for this so that the spices really get mixed in with the tofu, but make sure to either use a glove or a plastic baggie as the turmeric will turn your hand/nails yellow.

Once the veggies are cooked, add them and the remaining water they are in to the tofu and mix together. Finally, fold in the shredded cheese.

Once mixture is complete, add to a deep glass baking pan. Using the back of a spoon, compress the mixture together firmly (this is critical to it remaining as a bake when complete so you can cut it into pieces, and not have it crumble). 

Cover with foil and place in the oven for 25 minutes. If you want a crispier top, after the 25 min, broil as desired.  

When finished, remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. I love to prepare this dish a day in advance, as I feel the flavors tend to enhance and blend together overnight. This dish also reheats very well! 

Either way, enjoy! Great for serving to a group! 

Healthy Life Tip: Make this on a Sunday and box individual servings for breakfast (or even lunch) to have throughout the week! 

The Best Vegan Mac & Cheese

The Best Vegan Mac & Cheese:

Serves 4:

4 servings of your favorite organic mac and cheese pasta. The more places for the cheese to get stuck the better. I like fun shapes and pinwheels the most!

1 tablespoon organic extra virgin olive oil

1 organic yellow onion, minced

2 organic garlic cloves, minced

4 cups organic cauliflower florets

1 1/3 cups of organic unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon organic tomato paste

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1 teaspoon onion powder (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon garlic powder (or more to taste)

1 teaspoon organic nutmeg

2 teaspoons organic paprika 

3-4 twists of organic ground pepper (to taste)

spinkle of organic cayenne pepper (optional and to taste)

1 cup or more of organic vegan mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon organic extra virgin olive oil 

1-2 cups organic bread crumbs

Chop the cauliflower into small florets, then steam for 8-10 minutes or until soft. 

While the cauliflower is steaming, begin to sauté the onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat until onions are tender, making sure they don't brown or become crispy. Once the cauliflower is complete, add it to the pan with the onion and garlic and continue sautéing for about 3-5 minutes. 

Begin cooking the pasta according to instructions. 

Add cauliflower, onions, and garlic to a blender, Vitamix, or food processor and blend until completely smooth then return to the sauce pan. Add the almond milk, onion and garlic powder, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, lemon juice, nutmeg, paprika, pepper, and cayenne pepper and stir to combine everything fully. Allow to simmer on medium-low for about 10-15 minutes. 

While sauce is cooking, heat a small fry pan over low-medium heat and add in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the breadcrumbs. Stir continuously until they become golden brown, then remove from heat and set aside.

Once the pasta is done, strain it and add it to the cheese sauce (or vice versa if your pasta pan is bigger). While you are combining the pasta and cheese sauce, stir in the vegan mozzarella. Continue stirring while over low heat for another 2 minutes to combine the sauce and pasta nicely. 

Add mac & cheese to bowl, top with breadcrumb toping and enjoy! To add some extra spice, serve with a side of this Healthy Homemade Hot Sauce. 

Healthy Life Tip: To add some veggies or variations to the recipe, sauté or steam your veggies of choice while the pasta and sauce are cooking. Then add them to the pasta when you add in the mozzarella at the end. Some of my favorite combinations are peppers, mushrooms, and onions; spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes; and corn, peas, and black beans. Enjoy!

Easy Balsamic Tofu Steaks

Balsamic Tofu Steaks save my life on a regular basis. They are so easy to make, so versatile, and they can be made in bulk and saved in the fridge for later use. Whenever I haven't planned for lunch or dinner, I always fall back on these because they are so quick to make, easy to take with you, great served hot or cold, and they pair well with all of my favorite things!

As pictured above, I love throwing them into a sandwich with lettuce and tomato (and some avocado too!). They also go well on top of a salad, in a wrap, over a pasta salad (this one especially), Mediterranean quinoa salad, as a snack by themselves, and anything you can think of!

Healthy Life Tip: Make a dish with these tofu steaks at the beginning of the week and make extra steaks to have with a variety of different lunch options throughout the week. This is a huge time saver, and an easy way to ensure your lunches are homemade and healthy!

Balsamic Tofu Steaks:

Package or more of organic firm or extra firm tofu

Your favorite balsamic dressing (I love OrganicVille's Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinaigrette)

Organic Italian seasoning

Organic red pepper flakes (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 

If you have time, or know you are going to make this in advance, have the steaks marinating in your balsamic vinaigrette ahead of time. If you don't, I find following the steps below helps to achieve the most flavor is the shortest amount of time. 

Slice the tofu into 6 steaks and press out the water pretty well. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place slightly less then a tablespoon of vinaigrette where each tofu steak will go. Place steaks onto the the sheet making sure the vinaigrette is spread out beneath each. 

Next, using a fork, poke a generous amount of holes into the top of the steaks. Cover each steak with your balsamic vinaigrette, making sure it covers the sides as well. Sprinkle Italian seasoning on top of each as desired and for an extra kick, also sprinkle on some red pepper flakes. 

Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until edges become golden and crispy, then enjoy! 

Time Saver Tip: Prepare the steaks first and as they are cooking prepare your other ingredients.