Plant-Based Archives - Strength and Sunshine

Gluten-Free + Vegan Chickpea Nuggets (Allergy-Free, Grain-Free)

October 9, 2017 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 100 Comments

An easy and healthy meatless nugget that the kids will love! Gluten-free & Vegan Chickpea Nuggets that are top 8 allergy-free, grain-free, and have a secret dose of veggies too! A deliciously fun plant-based recipe for little hands at lunchtime or dinner!

You know how I feel about (chicken) nuggets. They are the best and you know I ate my fair share as a kiddo. They are totally a weekly staple for my brother still; you can’t blame hime though, nuggets are the best! Since I already brought you real gluten-free chicken nuggets last year on the blog, I thought I should probably develop a killer plant-based recipe too!Read More

Cajun Stuffed Bell Peppers

April 6, 2015 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 142 Comments

Simple and easy Cajun Stuffed Bell Peppers for a meatless weeknight meal. Stuffed with kidney beans, veggies, and flavorful spices, this gluten-free and vegan dish will be sure to warm the soul and fill the belly!

There has been a major lack in “dinner” recipe posts lately, so I am remedying that with these super simple and easy stuffed peppers! Stuffed peppers are on of those dishes that can fit any cuisine, craving, dietary need. Just throw in what you have or feel like having in a bowl, mix it up, and scoop it into some peppers, then bake. You really can’t mess them up!

I’m surprised I’ve never shared stuffed peppers here before. I’m pretty fond of them and have been since a very young age. One of the first (actually I think it was the first), recipes I ever made completely by myself, was a stuffed pepper recipe from Giada! (It has to be that one…but I didn’t use zucchini). The orzo, cheese, mint, and tomatoes, always in green bell peppers! My family loved them! Obviously, I haven’t made them in years (Celiac and the whole no dairy thing), but those peppers will always have my heart!

But these stuffed peppers are nice and allergy-friendly 😉 I’d say these are the perfect “Meatless Monday” meal! They’re hearty and healthy, totally plant-based. I love kidney beans just for the heartiness factor. They are such a substantial bean (but of course, if they aren’t cooked properly, you can die! Bean death is no good!) But, when they are cooked and lovely, they taste so good! I love their distinct taste and they really will please a meat lover in a plant-based meal!

So fill your belly up with these wonderful meatless Cajun peppers. So easy to make and an all-in-one main star to your dinner plate! Pair them with some rice or maybe even some plantains 😉

Cajun Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients: (serves 4)

+ 1 15oz Can of Red Kidney Beans (no-salt added, rinsed and drained)

+ 1 15oz Can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (no-salt added)

+ 1 small (2.25ox) Can of Sliced Black Olives (drained and rinsed)

+ 3 Medium (about 1 1/2 Cups) of Chopped White Mushrooms

+ 1 Tsp Onion Powder

+ 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder

+ 1/4 Tsp Cumin

+ 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

+ 1/2 Tsp Sweet Paprika

+ 1 Tsp Dried Oregano

+ 1/2 Tsp Dried Marjoram

+ 2 TB Nutritional Yeast

+ 4 Large Bell Peppers

Directions:

+ Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

+ In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans, tomatoes (with the juice), olives, mushrooms, and all the spices. Mix and mingle.

+ Wash and cut the tops of the peppers off. Then core out the seeds and white insides (I just use my hands).

+ Place these peppers in a baking pan with a bit of water (just to keep the bottoms moist). Then fill each pepper to the top with the filling.

+ Cover the pan lightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the peppers, and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve!

Back to those first stuffed peppers I ever made. I have a funny story to tell. They called for lime zest, and since I was still navigating and learning my cooking skills, I did something….weird. Since I had no zester, I thought I would just “chop” up the lime peel super small and throw that in. So I did just that. Chopped up bits of the lime peel in to tiny squares and threw them in the filling.

This was the first time I ever made the peppers and my family loved them, but my dad mentioned that he’d rather have them with out lime next time. I didn’t know why, the lime juice gave it a great flavor, but he said he didn’t like the bits he was getting. Haha! So gross! From then on though, I never zested wrong 😉

Biting into pieces of lime peel is not very pleasant. But you don’t have to worry about zesting anything here! Seriously just open some cans and pour in some spices and bam, perfect peppers! Happy eating my friends!

So tell me:

+ Do you remember the first real recipe you ever made by yourself?

+ Favorite Food Network chef? Gotta go with my girl Rachel Ray! EVOO and her garbage bowl. She’s the best 😉 (30 minute meals that actually take way longer!)

*Recipe linking up for the week! Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeFridays, #RecipeOfTheWeek, #StrangeButGood, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Savoring Saturdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Real Food Recipe Roundup, Tasty Tuesdays, Meatless Mondays, Lena’s Tasty Tuesdays!*

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Anti-Inflammatory Cherry Smoothie

February 25, 2015 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 193 Comments

This nourishing anti-inflammatory smoothie is perfect for all around wellness or as a post-workout recovery drink! Filled with cherries, blueberries, turmeric, and cinnamon, the anti-inflammatory healing power will act like magic in the body!

I am a blogger who does not care for smoothies. I know! You probably are going to X-out this post and quickly move on to a blogger who adores smoothies and posts their colorful drinkable creations all over instagram. Really though, I just like to CHEW my food if I’ve hungry. Drinking is for water, coffee, tea, and my weird “protein milk” creations (i.e. I just stir in the scoop of protein powder in my glass of almond milk and eat it with a spoon…don’t judge, it’s good!).

But sometimes a smoothie will sit well in my mind and thus my stomach. Don’t get me wrong, the beautiful creamy creations I see on the blogs have my mouth-watering at times. but when push comes to shove, I really just never physically crave a smoothie. However, that doesn’t mean my life is deprived of the blended up creations. With 50 thousand blenders (and one damn beautiful piece of kitchen-cookery-greatness waiting for me back in NJ), it’s only right that this foodie delves into a bit of smoothie concoction blending.Read More

Italian Chickpea Casserole

January 14, 2015 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 181 Comments

A hearty plant-based meal the whole family will love. This gluten-free, grain-free, and vegan Italian Chickpea Casserole is the perfect weeknight meal to nourish the body with classic and comforting flavors.

I’m never really sure what people use to define a casserole. I assume it just means it was baked in a casserole dish, could easily be freezed in bulk, and provides endless leftovers. When I think of casserole, images of the stereotypical housewife pop in my head. Hair up, apron on, oven mits covering the hands as she bends down to remove the “casserole” from the oven and present it to the family waiting ever so patiently at the table.

What I also imagine is a heavy cheese and meat laden dish full of sadness. It may provide comfort to the family in that moment, but it will leave them dragging and sluggish for sure. We all want a comforting meal at the end of a long winters day, don’t get me wrong, but I think there are better options. Which leads me to my version of a healthy plant-based and allergy-free casserole.

Not only is this super healthy, but it will also leave you satisfied and full of plant-based energy. If I still need to convince you, then let me tell you have easy this is too! All you have to do is gather your ingredients and layer them in a casserole dish. Then bake and serve (or freeze!). I even made a cute step-by-step assembling guide in case you need a visual 😉

Since Italian food just brings images of comfort to mind, I thought I’d roll with that flavor theme. Plus, Italian flavors like tomatoes ad basil and crowd pleasers all-around. From picky children to meat-loving husbands, everyone will love this! This dish makes about 4 servings, but it could easily be doubled or tripled with a larger casserole dish and more ingredients!

Italian Chickpea Casserole

Ingredients: (serves 4)

+ 1 Large Spaghetti Squash (About 3 Cups when cooked and shredded)

+ 2 1/2 Cups Cooked Chickpeas

+ 1 Medium Zucchini Sliced (for 16 slices)

+ 1/2 Cup Sliced Black Olives

+ 3 Large White Mushrooms (for 8 slices)

Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce:

+ 1 Can No-Salt Added Tomato Sauce

+ 1/4 Cup Chipped Fresh Basil

+ 1 Tsp Chopped Garlic

+ 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder

+ 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

+ 1 TB Dried Parsley

Additional Toppings:

+ 1 to 2 TB Nutritional Yeast

+ 1 TB Dried Parsley (for sprinkling on top)

Directions:

+ Preheat the oven to 350°F.

+ Microwave the spaghetti squash for 5 minutes or until you can easily cut it and fork out the strands. Prep the rest of your veggies and set everything aside.

+ In a bowl combine all the sauce ingredients and give everything a good stir.

+ In a 8×8 casserole dish, assemble the casserole as shown in the above graphic. Start with the squash, chickpeas, zucchini, olives, mushrooms, and finally the sauce. Now top the casserole with nutritional yeast and an extra sprinkle of parsley.

+ Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Healthy hearty goodness! Saucy, “cheesy”, and full of wonderful comforting flavor.

Now that I’ve made my first “casserole”, I think I need to try my hand at some more. They are just too easy and the perfect all-in-one meal.

Have I told you about my un-dieing love for nutritional yeast? I probably poured about 5 more gallons on this after I took the “pretty” pictures. I can’t get enough of that cheesy stuff! So what I mean to say is…the nutritional yeast is NOT optional here 😉 You MUST use it, haha!

So tell me:

+ What do you think of when you hear the word casserole?

+ What’s your favorite classic comfort food?

*Recipe linking up for the week! WIAW, Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeFridays, #RecipeOfTheWeek, #StrangeButGood, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Savoring Saturdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Real Food Recipe Roundup, Tasty Tuesdays, Meatless Mondays, Lena’s Tasty Tuesdays!*

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Vegan Chickpea Scramble (Soy-Free, Gluten-Free, Allergy-Free)

December 3, 2014 by Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine 72 Comments

No eggs in this breakfast scramble! A protein-packed Vegan Chickpea Scramble that’s soy-free, gluten-free, top 8 allergy-free, and grain-free. It’s a savory and sustaining breakfast recipe that will fuel your day right!

Here it is! Fret no longer! All of your egg-free needs are now fulfilled, just like I promised! I’ve shown you how to make an omellete, bake, and now a scramble! It ain’t so hard being egg-free, huh? Now, I’m not into savory breakfasts, but I know a lot of you are. Plus I know a lot of you want a big dose of protein to last you through the morning.Read More