This post is sponsored by So Delicious and all opinions are my own. 

One of the hardest parts for most people about living a plant-based lifestyle is ditching the dairy - especially for someone like me who has always been lactose intolerant! Luckily for us, So Delicious continues to churn out impressive, better-than-the-real-thing, dairy-free alternatives to our favorite foods, making it easier and easier to say no to milk, cheese, and even yogurt. So Delicious has been in the dairy-free game for over 30 years and their products are at the top of the market for taste and accessibility. They offer all kinds of allergen-free options and different types of dairy alternatives, but one of the products I reach for over and over again is their thick, creamy coconut milk yogurt!

Made with organic coconuts, active cultures and non-GMO ingredients, each flavor offers just the right amount of sweetness - their unsweetened flavor contains LESS than 1 g of sugar - and a truly unsweetened yogurt can be SO hard to find! Because these yogurts are made similarly to traditional yogurts, they don’t sacrifice taste and texture - but you can feel a lot better about eating them! 

FALAFEL PITAS WITH SMOKY LEMON YOGURT SAUCE
​INGREDIENTS
1 (5.3 oz) container So Delicious Unsweetened Dairy Free Yogurt Alternative
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4-1/2 teaspoon (to taste preference) each salt + pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a small dish combine all the ingredients and stir until combined. Serve over falafel, roasted veggies, as a dip with pita or warm bread, or as a dip for french fries! Leftovers save well in the fridge for up to a week too. We simply stuffed our favorite pitas with pre-made falafel and some chopped veggies, then drizzled the sauce all over. Yum! Serves 2-4.

I’ve been really grooving on quick, healthy, on-the-go meals lately. They never go out of style, make running out the sorry and to the studio much easier, and are a great way to make sure you’re packing some real food and real nutrition into your busy days. 

One of my favorite cold salad options is a soba noodle salad. I had my first one years ago and have loved the simplicity ever since. Cold, sturdy, wheat-based soba noodles boiled to perfection and chilled, then tossed with a sweet, tangy peanut sauce and fresh, crisp veggies - the perfect lunch or dinner! However, as someone with a few food allergies herself, I get that those delicious peanut sauces aren’t especially delicious or functional for people with nut allergies. So I’ve partnered with my pals over at SunButter to create a totally nut-free version of one of my favorite dishes - simplified and paired down to the easiest version BUT that still tastes like the traditional version - so you can be eating in no time!

INGREDIENTS:
SunButter Sauce:
1/2 cup Natural SunButter
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-6 tablespoons water

Soba Noodle Bowl:
6 oz whole wheat soba noodles
2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cup bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup carrot, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
1/4-1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
sesame seeds, for garnish 

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, whisk together the SunButter, lime juice, coconut aminos, maple syrup, sesame oil, fresh ginger, and garlic. Once combined completely, begin adding in water 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture becomes smooth and creamy. Add water until the sauce is your preferred texture. Set aside.

Cook the soba noodles to directions on package. Remove from heat, strain, and run under cold water until the noodles are no longer hot to the touch. Place the noodles into a bowl and into the fridge to chill while you prep the veggies.

Thinly slice your cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, jalapeño and cilantro and toss them into a large mixing bowl. Pour your SunButter Sauce over the veggies and toss to combine. Throw in the chilled soba noodles and gently toss again to combine. Top with a little extra chopped cilantro and sesame seeds for garnish and enjoy immediately! 


NOTES:
Serves 4-6.

Leftovers last 3 days in the fridge.

Sub in whichever favorite veggies you prefer!

I love the vegan clothing and awareness company BEETxBEET and that they stand up for our animal friends, but I love owner, activist and girl boss Jacky Wasserman even more. We've been friends for a few years now after meeting at a vegan Oktoberfest and interviewing her about her company back where she first started. She works her ass off saving animals and making rad clothing, which has expanded from a few humble t-shirts to hats, notebooks and sometimes even customized cup cozies! She's had some great new, clever shirts come out lately so we decided to team up and create a recipe based on each of her most popular styles - and pair them each with a giveaway of the t-shirt itself! We made some great meals we think you guys are going to love - and then got to eat them ALL. Haha, but only to make sure they tasted perfectly before we shared them. Promise. (Ahh, the life of a food blogger. It's rarely glamorous, but it is full of taste-tests!) 

The first shirt we're repping is one of my personal faves, the 'In Plants We Trust' shirt. It is available in Men's + Women's styles, but I especially love this crop-top cut version. We paired it with a Cranberry Apple Salad with Pepitas + Apple Cider Vinaigrette because it is the perfect fall meal - and it's packed with plants! The tart apples and tangy dressing help balance out the sweet of the cranberries, and the pepitas make a great crunch at the end. This salad is packed with good-for-you ingredients and is a great starter before a meal or as a meal in itself. 

You can get the recipe by scrolling down a  bit. To enter the giveaway to WIN your very own 'In Plants We Trust' tee, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page and fill out the widget. We'll let the widget randomly choose one winner and we'll email that person directly for size information + gender preference. GOOD LUCK! 

INGREDIENTS
Apple Cider Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon each salt + pepper
​
Salad:
4 cups mixed greens
2 green apples, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries 
1/2 cup pepitas

DIRECTIONS
In a blender combine online oil, garlic, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. If you don't have a blender or would prefer more of an oil + vinegar style dressing, simply mince garlic and whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

​In a large mixing bowl toss together the mixed greens, thinly sliced apples, cranberries + pepitas. Drizzle with dressing and serve! 

​NOTES
Extra dressing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Serves 4.

'Tis the season of potato salad! Seriously, I've made more cole slaw and potato salads this month than I think I ever have...which is fine with me! We've had a lot of BBQ's, backyard parties, and things to celebrate this summer so we've been loving experimenting with different ingredients, and until last week, I had never thought to toss tahini in my the mix. I know - WHAT?! I LOVE pouring tahini on all things potato normally, and literally make a snack out of baked potatoes with tahini, lemon and dill on the regular. So how had I never poured any in my potato salad and served it up? Well, it was love at first taste. The addition of crunchy veggies and a little vegan mayo for creaminess makes it next-level good. I've been eating the leftovers all week! You AND your dinner guests will love it, too, I promise. So what're we waiting for?! Let's eat! 

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs. red potatoes, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped 
3 ribs of celery, thinly sliced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup vegan mayo
1 cup tahini
2-4 tablespoons of lemon juice
3 tablespoons freshly chopped dill
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS
​Place the potatoes in a large pot of water over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

While the potatoes are cooling, chop up the onions and celery and them set aside.

Whisk together the mayo, tahini, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Toss in the potatoes, chopped red + green onions and celery, and toss to combine. 

Serve + enjoy immediately or keep it in the fridge up to a week!

NOTES
Serve 6-8.

Leftovers may need to be tossed as the lemon juice and tahini will separate slightly overtime. 

This simple salad was originally something I though might make it into my upcoming cookbook, Homestyle Vegan, but didn't make the cut. It's delicious and one of my favorite ways to get my greens in, but wasn't quite the caliber of comfort food I wanted in the book, so I'm serving it up here instead! I know what you’re thinking - so many GREENS! But I promise, this salad is a game changer. It’s incredibly simple to make but packs a ton of good-for-you ingredients and tastes incredible. We dress it in a light, tangy champagne vinaigrette that’ll leave you craving more. 

Looking for other salad inspiration? Try our Golden Beet Salad with Balsamic + Cashew Ricotta, ​Strawberry Walnut Kale Salad with Creamy Champagne Vinaigrette, or Mexican Wheat Berry Salad!

INGREDIENTS
Salad:
5 ounces (135 g) lacinato kale, rolled and thinly sliced
5 ounces (150 g) brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded
3/4 cup (50 g) green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (70 g) pine nuts

Champagne Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
1 small garlic clove
2 tablespoons (30 ml) champagne vinegar 
1 tablespoon (15 ml) maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons (8 ml) lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
pinch each of salt + pepper
​
DIRECTIONS
Place prepared kale, brussels, green onions and pine nuts in a large bowl and toss to combine. 

Prepare the dressing by blending olive oil, garlic, champagne vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a high-speed blender or food processor until creamy. 

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Enjoy immediately!
​
​NOTES
Don’t have any champagne vinegar? Use whatever vinegar you have on hand, instead!​

You can prepare the veggies and dressing separately ahead and dress as needed.

​Serves 4.

If you're into football you're probably getting ready for the big game next weekend! The Super Bowl, at least for my family, was always more about the food than the football. The focus was always on creating delicious, snack-able dishes to enjoy with our guests, but always included a TON of fried food. Ick. 
Now that we're adults and can watch the game at our own place, we're more interested in making delicious dips and snacks that don't make us feel crummy or guilty about eating wayyyy too much. Because I inevitably will eat way too much. Luckily, we're gearing up some super delicious, healthier-for-you, gameday recipes to share with you all week...starting with our recipe for the BEST guacamole! 
This guacamole is our absolute favorite. We''ve been making this version for a few years, and it's pretty similar to Chipotle's style, if you're familiar. There are a million different ways to make this green gold, but we like ours full of fresh lime juice, red onion and cilantro. We serve it up at every taco night, take it to parties, and munch it on gameday, too! It's going to become your NEW favorite guacamole. Let's get dippin'!

INGREDIENTS
4 medium, ripe avocados
3 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
​1 small jalapéno pepper, seeded and finely diced OR 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for spiciness)

DIRECTIONS
Slice the avocados in half lengthwise, tossing the seed and scooping the green innards into a large mixing bowl. Mash the avocado with a fork or potato masher until it reaches your desired consistency; my recommendation is to keep it a little chunky. 

Pour in the red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and peppers, if using. Stir to combine. Serve immediately with chips or as an accompaniment to tacos or fajitas! 

Serves about 4. 
​
NOTES
DON'T go squeezing (and ruining for everyone else) all the avocados at the store! If it has a little give and the stem doesn't just fall off, you're good. If it is overly softened or the stem falls off easily, revealing a dark or black area underneath, skip it. 

The best way I've found to save leftover guac without it turning too brown is to cover it with plastic wrap, but push the plastic wrap against the guac in the bowl, so no air can stay trapped between the two. Alternately, you can try one of the million tricks found on the internet. Again though, the plastic wrap trick works pretty well. So does scraping off the brown layer and eating the perfectly good guac underneath. 

It's getting all kinds of wintery up in here! Okay, so not like actually wintery because I live in Southern California where there is seemingly eternal sunshine - but winterish. Definitely more wintery in some places than others, but tomorrow it is officially December. Almost Christmas, and New Year's and 2016...but before that, we have a hard, long holiday season where the weather is cold and the sweets are always around and maybe you just can't possibly stomach another baked good. I get that. So here I am, offering friendship and a meal that'll pick your immune system off the floor and right the balance of good bacteria in your belly. It's packed full of fall + winter foods and drizzled with a tangy cranberry vinaigrette, which nicely rounds out the sweet and savory flavors. It's easy, it's delicious - let's EAT! 

INGREDIENTS
Salad:
4 cups spinach mix OR mixed greens 
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 medium sweet potato, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
2 persimmons, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch wedges
1/4 cup pomegranate arils
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Cranberry Vinaigrette:
3/4 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sweet white onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon champagne OR apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup OR agave nectar
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Wash spinach and arrange on a serving plate or in a large bowl. 

Slice sweet potato rounds, arrange onto a lined baking sheet and drizzle with the coconut oil. Add a sprinkle of salt + pepper, if you like. Roast them for 20-25 minutes, flipping about halfway through.

While the sweet potato roasts, prepare the persimmons, pomegranate arils, and pepitas and set aside. 

When the sweet potato is finished, dress the greens with the sweet potato slices, persimmon wedges, pom arils, and pepitas. 

To prepare the vinaigrette, simply combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender until dressing comes together. Adjust to your tastes as needed. 

Toss the salad in the vinaigrette or drizzle it over the top, serve, and enjoy!

NOTES
Serves 2-4, depending on portion size. 

Another easily customized dish. Don't have sweet potatoes? Use squash! Don't have pumpkin seeds? Try sunflower seeds or dried cranberries. The must make here is really that tangy, fall-friendly vinaigrette - it tastes great!

You know what's better than gravy that's ready in just over 5 minutes? ALMOST NOTHING. Gravy is like my lifeblood -  I could eat it slathered on just about any vegetable and I think it makes everything taste better. A good gravy, that is. I'm not much for store-bought packets, so whenever I want gravy I follow pretty much this exact recipe and whip up a batch to dump on everything. And since I've made it so many times, I've gotten pretty darn good at it. So good at it, I figured it was about time I shared it with you guys. And just in time for Thanksgiving! Kitchen time on Tofurkey Day is valuable, so who wants to waste it slaving over an hour long gravy recipe? NOT YOU! And sure as heck not me. So grab a pan, whip up a batch of this easy, flavorful gravy, and go smother some mashed potatoes in it. Or share it with our friends at the dinner table, if that's your jive turkey. Let's eat!

Looking for more Thanksgiving sides? Check out our Celeriac Mashed Potatoes, Lemon Miso Cranberry Sauce, and Homemade Tofurky! 

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1/4 cup flour (AP or WW)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon miso paste
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a small cast iron pan (or sauce pan, but we like the flavor and the way the butter browns a bit more in cast iron) melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour. The mixture will be chunky.

Stir and let brown for 1-2 minutes, then pour in vegetable broth, miso paste, onion powder and pepper. Whisk vigorously until completely combined. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling and thickening.

Turn the heat to low and simmer a few more minutes, until your desired gravy thickness is achieved. Serve immediately! 

NOTES
Makes about 2 cups.

If you don't have flour/ want to keep it GF, you can substitute cornstarch. Start with an equal amount and use more to thicken as needed.

Leftovers can be refrigerated up to a week in an airtight container. 

Here in Southern California, the growing season starts earlier than most places. Thanks to our high temps and sunny days, our garden started growing back in March and hasn't stopped since. In other words, our parsley plant  is bigger than most peoples large dog. We have SO MUCH parsely- we're overrun! And there's only so much garnishing you can do with parsley before you're sick of it. A better way to use up mass amounts of fresh, fragrant parsley? This simple Parsley Pesto recipe! It whips up quickly and taste great spread on everything! I'm loving pairing it with sweet cherry tomatoes on crackers and crusty bread and mixing it into pasta dishes like this Caprese Pasta Salad. I was hesitant when I started messing around with this stuff- what if I didn't like it as much as my traditional Hemp Seed Basil Pesto? What if it just didn't taste right? Well, SURPRISE! It tastes AMAZING! Adding the green onions and extra garlic give it a ton of flavor and take away from the bitterness of having too much parsley, and the nuts keep it smooth and mellow. It's green gold! And it saves well in the fridge for up to a week, so you can enjoy fresh, flavorful pesto all week long. Lets eat! 

INGREDIENTS:
3 packed cups fresh parsley, stems removed
1 cup almonds or cashews
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:
In a high speed blender (we used our Vitamix) or a food processor, combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth, or until your desired texture- you can leave it chunkier if you like! [If you don't have a great blender to work with, try soaking your nuts in warm water for at least an hour before blending them, it'll help break them down much more easily.] Spread it on everything from bread and crackers to pizza dough and rice cakes. Saves well in an airtight container for about a week, or until pesto begins to brown. Enjoy! 

We've been fans of Field Roast for a few years now and have always loved incorporating their flavorful grain-based sausages in jambalaya, soups, and on their own in a bun and slathered in mustard and onions. At Expo West this year, we FINALLY tried the long-awaited and AMAZING Chao cheeses in all three flavors - tomato cayenne, creamy original, and coconut herb. They're super realistic in flavor + texture to what I remember munching on a kid and they are the perfect filling for an ooey-gooey grilled cheese. Alex is big on finding the PERFECT veggie burger- and as far as texture and flavor goes, Field Roast's Hand-Formed is his first choice. Is it the most realistic looking burger to a meat patty we've seen yet- especially pre-cooked. You could convince any meat eater that whats in the plastic is a turkey burger for sure...if you trash the label, of course. The burger base is a blend of whole barley, carrots, garlic, onions, and celery- and of course, a secret blend of spices! They're high in protein and non-GMO, and are hand-made in small batches, by hand, in Seattle. 
When we were sent a few extra samples after the Expo, we decided to create (what we're calling) a Fiesta Burger smothered in Firecracker Sauce, Roasted Poblano Peppers, and Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw...and its fucking delicious. So, let's just pretend we're celebrating Cinco de Mayo three weeks early, grab a margarita, and get cooking. Olé!

INGREDIENTS
2 Field Roast Hand-Formed Burgers 
2 slices of Field Roast Chao Tomato Cayenne Cheese
2 focaccia buns, sliced
1 large or 1 medium poblano peppers
2 cups shredded purple cabbage
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegan mayo
1-2 tablespoons hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 avocado, pitted and sliced

DIRECTIONS
Roasted Peppers:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roast washed, halved, and seeded peppers on a lined baking sheet for 15-25 minutes, until skin gets bubbly and brown. Remove from oven, let cool, and peel off bubbly skin so you're left with just the meaty part of the pepper. Set aside. 

Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw:
In a large mixing bowl toss together cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Set aside. 

Firecracker Sauce:
In a small bowl combine mayo, hot sauce, and paprika. Stir well to combine. 

Fiesta Burger:
Heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat in a large cast-iron pan. Fry Field Roast patties until crisp and browning on one side. Flip burgers, toss on a slice of tomato cayenne cheese, and let burgers cook until equally crisp and browning on the bottom side. 
While the burgers cook, slather bottom patties with about 2 tablespoons each of the Firecracker Sauce. Top with the cooked burger and melty cheese, then layer on the roasted poblano peppers, Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw, and sliced avocado. Spread a bit more Firecracker Sauce on the top bun, add it to the pile, and enjoy! Serves 2. Leftover slaw + firecracker sauce can be refrigerated for up to a week.