The Hopeful Herbivore

September hits and give me all things pumpkin. I created this to fill that "I need pumpkin pie" craving. It feels and tastes decadent, but it's totally healthy. Packed with pumpkin, chia, and cashews -- with no processed, white sugar or dairy. Note: I get my chia seeds, walnuts, rolled oats, canned pumpkin, etc all from Thrive Market . So many WFPB staples right to your door. You can just eat the chia pudding, but putting it in a glass with the other ingredients as a layered parfait is just over the top and soooo good. This will be layers of chia pudding, cashew cream, and then an oat and walnut crumble. Pumpkin Chia Pudding Ingredients: 15 oz can of pumpkin (plain pumpkin, NOT pie filling) 1 1/4 cups of plain oatmilk (you can sub any preferred non-dairy milk, but oat has a natural sweetness that works here) 1/4 cup chia seeds 2 tsp maple syrup (can adjust as needed) 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp nutmeg (note: you can use pumpkin pie spice in place of indiv...

Guys.. this stuff is addictingly good. Use it like you would whipped cream. You can eat it like pudding if you want to -- no judgment. Note: I hiiiiighly recommend a 'serious' blender for this. In general, a high speed blender (Vitamix, Blendtec, etc) is invaluable for eating WFPB. But, you can absolutely try this in other blenders/food processors. In that case, you MUST soak the cashews for a long time to get the best results. Ingredients:  1 cup raw cashews 4-5 medjool dates (pit removed) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4 cups of water (gradually adding more if needed) First, bring a few cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Then turn off heat, and add cashews to the water. Cover with lid and let sit for at least 30 minutes. If not using a high-speed blender, let them soak for 2+ hours. Drain cashews and place in blender with all other ingredients. Blend until creamy and smooth. If too thick, gradually add spoonfuls of water and keep blending. And that's it. Now use ...

Ohhh chile... I've been working on this one for awhile. But as always, this is very customizable to you. Nobody should tell you how much garlic to use, ever. This alfredo is cashew-based. I find it makes the creamiest sauce. I hiiiiighly recommend a serious blender when using cashews in sauces (Vitamix, Blendtec, etc). If you don't have one, soaking your cashews is even more important. So, let's go. PRINT RECIPE Ingredients: 2 cups raw, plain cashews 1 cup water 3 tbsp nutritional yeast (I use Bragg's) 1 tbsp light miso 1 cup vegetable broth 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 tbsp garlic powder (or more, or use roasted garlic if you have it) 1 tsp salt 1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes fresh ground black pepper, to taste 16 oz pasta (linguine, fettucini, etc) Your preferred vegetables -- I typically use broccoli and spinach, but just tried it with roasted zucchini and it was soooo good Start by boiling a few cups of water in a small saucepan. When it reaches boi...

These are a classic, but this version is protein-packed, without any added oils or refined, white sugar. They also happen to be gluten-free. These were so yummy, in fact, that our youngest would actually eat them, so we converted them into cupcakes for a dinosaur-themed birthday party. We just made a peanut butter frosting (peanut butter, Earth Balance, and powdered sugar blended), and No Whey white chocolate fossils to top them. Obviously, this version of toppings is NOT whole food plant-based, but still far healthier than your average cupcake. Let's get to it. PRINT RECIPE Ingredients: 1 cup mashed ripe (very ripe/brown) bananas (about 2-3 bananas) 1 cup oat flour 1/2 cup garbanzo (also called chickpea) flour 1/2 cup maple syrup 2 tablespoons of natural (no added oil/sugar) almond butter (can sub peanut butter) 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds 2.5 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/3 cup plain oat milk or unsweeten...

This is comfort food, yet healthy. A switch up from the usual marinara or tomato-based pasta sauces. Let's get to it. PRINT RECIPE Ingredients: 16 ounces of penne pasta (or any pasta shape you prefer) 1/2 cup raw cashews 2 red bell peppers 1 red onion (large is best) 5-6 cloves of garlic 1 cup plain (unsweetened) almond or cashew milk 2 tbsp nutritional yeast 1 tbsp tomato paste 1 tbsp arrowroot powder* 1/2 tbsp dried basil 1 tsp sea salt black pepper to taste optional: fresh basil to garnish *can sub cornstarch for arrowroot powder Bring a few cups of water to boil. Turn off heat, and add cashews. Cashews should be covered by water. Let sit covered for at least 30 minutes -- longer if you don't have a high speed blender (Vitamix, Blendtec, etc). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While cashews are soaking, roughly chop the peppers, onion, and peel the cloves of garlic. Put on baking sheet lined with parchment (or silicone baking mat). Bake for 30 minutes. Whe...

It's been a minute since I've posted anything to the blog. I've been busy (Haven't we all?). But unlike a million other bloggers that rejoice in making you read a life story before the recipe, I'm gonna get right to it. Just a quick heads up that most recipes posted now will be leaning towards WFPB (yes, always vegan) and that is how my personal diet has been trending. So, little to no added oil or added sugar. Sooo, I literally JUST made these for a holiday party for the first time. I was nervous. PB cookies.. that are vegan.. with no oil and very little (optional) processed sugar. But they are freaking delicious! PRINT RECIPE Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups almond flour (I use Thrive brand ) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/3 cup maple syrup 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (I use Santa Cruz dark roasted) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional: a small amount of raw/organic cane sugar for the fork imprints Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I use ...