What You Will Need For This Recipe:

Extra firm tofu

Broccoli florets

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Coconut aminos 

Agave 

Rice vinegar

Garlic powder

Arrowroot starch

Other Healthy Recipes To Try:

Vegan Bang Bang Cauliflower

Gluten free & vegan bang bang cauliflower made in the air fryer! This cauliflower is the perfect easy side dish or appetizer! Quick, easy, and delicious. Made with vegan mayo, sriracha, and lots of spices to give the cauliflower the perfect flavor. Pair with rice or eat before your meal.

Meal Prep Sesame Chickpeas with Almond Butter Sauce

These sesame chickpeas with almond butter sauce are one of my favorite vegan recipes. It’s great to meal prep or just great to make for dinner. It doesn’t take too long so it’s a perfect weeknight dinner! I love using this almond butter sauce on other recipes too.

Paleo Salted Caramel Cups

These paleo salted caramel chocolate cups are made with only 6 ingredients. They’re also gluten free and vegan! Trust me, if you love easy and tasty desserts, you’ll love this recipe! The caramel filling is made out of dates + almond milk. I love making desserts in mini form- why does everything mini taste better?!

Tofu Teriyaki Sheet Pan Meal

 There’s nothing easier than a sheet pan meal. You don’t have a pile of dishes to wash and you don’t have to manage a bunch of different pans in the oven. This vegan sheet pan tofu teriyaki meal is a must make!

Prep Time

20 Minutes

Cook Time

22 Minutes

Serves

4

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Tofu:

1 block extra firm tofu

3 cups broccoli florets

2 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and black pepper to taste

Sauce:

1/3 cup coconut aminos 

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons agave 

2 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp arrowroot starch

Method

1. Cut the tofu into cubes
2. Press the tofu. What I do is wrap the tofu in a tea towel, put it on a plate, and add heavy plated on top. 
3. Let the tofu press for 20 minutes. 
4. Preheat the oven to 400F.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper 
6. Place the pressed tofu onto the pan 
7. Add the broccoli florets to the pan
8. Drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper on both the tofu and broccoli
9. Bake for about 22- 24 minutes, tossing the tofu and broccoli halfway, until the tofu is browned.
10. While the tofu and broccoli bake, make the teriyaki sauce.
11. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce minus the arrowroot powder 
12. Bring the sauce to a boil then whisk in the arrowroot powder 
13. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens, you want the arrowroot powder to dissolve 
14. Once the tofu and broccoli have finished baking, toss in the teriyaki sauce 
15. Remove and enjoy! 
16. Makes 4 servings. I like to pair with rice!

Did You Make This?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

The post Tofu Teriyaki Sheet Pan Meal appeared first on Choosing Balance.

What You Will Need For This Recipe:

Apple

Coconut Oil

Cinnamon

Almond flour 

Maple syrup 

Coconut oil 

Coconut sugar

Other Healthy Recipes To Make:

Healthy S’mores Cookies

One of my all time favorite cookie recipes ever. The perfect texture with this soft, chewy cookie mixed with the gooey marshmallows + chocolate chips. Sounds pretty perfect, right? This dessert will be on repeat this fall because s’mores = fall in my book! Not that these wouldn’t be delicious anytime of year but they especially hit the spot during these cooler nights.

Healthy Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies

These healthy gingerbread oatmeal cookies are easy to make and absolutely delicious! The perfect way to start the day during the winter months. The flavor is delicious and they have the perfect amount of gingerbread flavor! Not overpowering but just enough to make you feel like you’re in a winter wonderland. Okay, maybe that’s a stretch but they’re ready in less than 20 minutes and perfect for on the go!

Pumpkin Pecan French Toast Bake

My hands down, end-all-be-all favorite breakfast food has always been french toast. My stepdad would make it for me on the weekends growing up and I think that plays into it beyond how AMAZING it is haha. There’s something about the food we ate growing up that connects us to memories + feelings of home. So this pumpkin pecan french toast bake not only tastes amazing but also brings back all the memories for me. But it’s way easier than the traditional french toast + a little healthier too.

Gluten Free and Paleo Cinnamon Sugar Pancakes

Cinnamon Sugar Pancakes! A dream come true for any cinnamon roll lovers! These pancakes are gluten free, paleo, and just so tasty. I topped mine with melted coconut butter and oh. my. gosh. was it good!!! We are so obsessed with these and I love to make a big batch and freeze some of them! They reheat well if you pop them in the toaster.

Single Serving Apple Crisp

Paleo & Vegan Single Serving Apple Crisp. If you need an easy dessert, this is a good one! Just so cozy and feels like fall in a mug,

Prep Time

5 Minutes

Cook Time

10 Minutes

Serves

1

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

1 apple 

½ tbsp coconut oil 

½ tsp cinnamon 

Crumble topping: 

2 tbsp almond flour 

1 tsp maple syrup 

1 tsp coconut oil 

1 tsp coconut sugar

Method

 Preheat oven to 350F

Heat a skillet over low medium heat. 

Dice 1 apple and add to a skillet with a little coconut oil + cinnamon. Sauté until soft, about 3-4 minutes. 

Grease a small ramekin or baking dish, add the apples to it. 

In a small bowl, mix together the crumble: 

2 tbsp almond flour 

1 tsp maple syrup 

1 tsp coconut oil 

1 tsp coconut sugar* optional but I wanted mine to taste sweeter like a dessert. 

Mix the crumble ingredients together then sprinkle over the sautéed apples. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350. 

Enjoy!

Did You Make This?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

The post Single Serving Apple Crisp appeared first on Choosing Balance.

What You Will Need For This Recipe:

Romaine lettuce 

Bell pepper 

Cucumber 

Carrots 

Cabbage

Avocado

Basil 

Rice noodles

Peanut butter

Maple syrup 

Apple cider vinegar 

Coconut aminos or soy sauce 

Other Healthy Recipes:

Air Fryer Buffalo Tofu Bites

A delicious and fun plant based recipe that you can make for dinner, as an appetizer, or even a healthy snack! We’re trying to do more meatless dinners over here but it can get boring if you rely on the same recipe as your go to. I definitely fall into that habit. Well the good thing is nothing is boring about these air fryer buffalo tofu bites ! Even if you fall into the rut of making them over and over again (which you might because they’re amazing).

Air Fried Barbecue Cauliflower Gnocchi

Need a whole30, paleo, gluten free appetizer for game day or Bachelor Mondays? I have you covered! Made with only 3 ingredients, you can’t go wrong with this easy and tasty recipe. The only problem is that if you make it for a group, you won’t want to share haha. This air fried barbecue cauliflower gnocchi is perfect for any occasion but is such an easy crowd pleaser that it’s perfect for some parties!

Copycat Cashew Cookie Larabar

I am a huge snacker so these no bake bars are right up my alley. The problem is constantly eating protein bars gets pricey. Making them at home can be kind of tricky sometimes but not these bars! Made with only 5 ingredients, paleo, gluten free, vegan, and whole30. This copycat cashew cookie larabar recipe is the perfect snack to have on hand.

Vegan Peaches & Cream Overnight Oats

Let me introduce you to the easiest breakfast, these vegan peaches and cream overnight oats. They are a great vegan, gluten free, plant based recipe to have all week long. It takes about 10 minutes to prep enough for the whole week so in my mind it’s a no-brainer to make these for the week.

Spring Roll Salad

 A veggie packed, vegan lunch or dinner. The peanut sauce on this recipe is so tasty!

Prep Time

5 Minutes

Cook Time

15 Minutes

Serves

6

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Veggies:

2 cups chopped romaine lettuce 

1 chopped bell pepper 

1 cup chopped cucumber 

1/2 cup chopped carrots 

1 cup chopped cabbage 

1 avocado, chopped 

1/4 cup basil 

Other:

2 cups cooked rice noodles 

Sauce:

1/2 cup peanut butter 

1 tbsp maple syrup 

1 tsp apple cider vinegar 

1 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce 

1/4 cup water

Method

Add all of the chopped veggies & cooked rice noodles together.

Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions & let cool completely before adding. 

In a food processor or blender, mix the sauce ingredients. 

Mix the salad together.

Pour the sauce on top or save to add as you eat it throughout the week!

Did You Make This?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

The post Spring Roll Salad appeared first on Choosing Balance.

What You Will Need For This Recipe

Vegan vanilla ice cream 

Spinach

Vegan vanilla protein powder –  It’s so hard to find protein that mixes well and isn’t chalky. I love Ritual’s vegan vanilla protein. It blends so well on its own or in recipes.  I have a discount code to save you 20% on your first purchase! It’s code PeytonP20 and it’s linked here! 

Peppermint extract 

Frozen bananas 

Vegan milk of choice

Topping Ideas

You can enjoy this shake on its own but I love adding some toppings. To make it feel more like a shamrock shake, add some crushed oreos on top and some almond milk whipped cream! 

Other Healthy Recipes

Vegan & Gluten Free PB&J Oat Loaf

Vegan & gluten free pb&j oat loaf! A healthy breakfast that is perfect to meal prep for the week. Is there anything more classic than a pb&j?!

Vegan Cinnamon Roll Minis

These gluten free and vegan cinnamon roll minis are so easy to make and so fun. Do you remember when Mcdonald’s used to have cinnamon rolls, I think they were called cinnamelts? Oh my gosh, those were delicious. These kind of remind me of those little perfect bites of cinnamon rolls. The icing for this recipe is made with just two simple ingredients and is my go to icing recipe!

Vegan Banana Bread Bites

I love banana bread in any form but these bites just hit different. Mini form anything is just more fun and therefore tastier, right? Plus these are made with only 5 ingredients and are gluten free + vegan. We’ve been trying to eat more plant based recipes lately and these bites are a great plant based breakfast, snack, or dessert. Basically, these vegan banana bread bites are tasty any time of time!

Vegan Cinnamon Roll Smoothie

This vegan cinnamon roll smoothie is a great healthy breakfast that is ready in less than 5 minutes. Packed with healthy fats, carbs, and protein. This smoothie tastes like your favorite cinnamon roll but only has sugar from bananas! You can add in a little maple syrup if you want to make it sweeter. I added a yogurt rim with cinnamon which is so fun to do for smoothies.

Vegan Shamrock Shake

Easy vegan shamrock shake. You only need 6 ingredients to make this recipe. 

Prep Time

5 Minutes

Serves

2

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup vegan vanilla ice cream 

Handful of spinach (can add more to enhance the color) 

2 tbsp vegan vanilla protein powder 

1/2 tsp peppermint extract 

2 frozen bananas 

1 cup vegan milk of choice

Method

Add everything into a blender and blend until smooth.

Add more spinach to make your shake greener! 

Topped with  almond milk whipped cream and Oreos.

Did You Make This?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

The post Vegan Shamrock Shake appeared first on Choosing Balance.

What You Will Need: 

Oat milk 

Cocoa powder 

Vegan chocolate chips 

Maple Syrup

Vanilla

Other Healthy Recipes To Try:

Pumpkin Pecan French Toast Bake

My hands down, end-all-be-all favorite breakfast food has always been french toast. My stepdad would make it for me on the weekends growing up and I think that plays into it beyond how AMAZING it is haha. There’s something about the food we ate growing up that connects us to memories + feelings of home. So this pumpkin pecan french toast bake not only tastes amazing but also brings back all the memories for me. But it’s way easier than the traditional french toast + a little healthier too.

3 Ingredient Holiday Cocktail

Here is the easiest holiday cocktail recipe! No, seriously it is so simple. You just need champagne, orange juice, and pomegranate juice. Add some fun garnishes to elevate it if you want! This recipe makes 4 servings so make sure you double or triple it for a crowd.

Gluten Free Pretzel Bites

These gluten free pretzel bites are an easy, healthy appetizer. Made from pizza dough, you won’t believe how simple these are to make! I love to pair these gluten free pretzel bites with my vegan queso. I’m going to make a cinnamon sugar version soon too because I’m in love with how delicious and easy these are!

5 Ingredient Vegan Hot Chocolate

Vegan Hot Chocolate! I am all about the cozy drinks right now and it doesn’t get easier than this recipe! Enjoy on a cozy evening in. Made with only 5 simple ingredients.

Cook Time

10 Minutes

Serves

2

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups oat milk 

2 tbsp cocoa powder 

3 tbsp vegan chocolate chips 

1–2 tbsp maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want it)

1/2 tsp vanilla

Method

Heat everything over medium heat until combined and warmed to your liking!

Did You Make This?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

The post 5 Ingredient Vegan Hot Chocolate appeared first on Choosing Balance.

Benefits of Pumpkin:

I love pumpkin mostly because I love the flavor in both sweet and savory dishes. The fact that you can use a can of pumpkin to make chili or pasta and also use it to make a delicious brownie is incredible. I love being able to make the most out of ingredients that I buy. It stinks when a recipe calls for 1/4 cup of something and then you’re left with so much extra that will go bad in a few days.

I normally store leftover pumpkin in an old mason jar in the fridge for a few days after I open a can. Then I’ll use it another dish somehow so I don’t waste it. Beyond being super versatile, it’s packed with vitamins to add some good to any dish.

Here’s a great article from a website I love (Well +Good always has great information) about pumpkin benefits. I’ll give a quick summary here. Just a reminder I’m not a doctor so this is information is my own personal research.

It’s packed with vitamins, especially Vitamin A. Vitamin A helps with your eye health, a lot of foods with the bright orange color from beta carotene do! Pumpkin has a lot of Vitamin C which has what seems to have basically endless health benefits. It’s said to be immune boosting and help increase collagen production, which I love.

Why Sourdough:

I like sourdough because personally it’s easier to digest. Sometimes with regular bread, my stomach doesn’t agree with it and I get really bloated. Who wants that when they’re just trying to enjoy some delicious Maple Pumpkin French Toast!

I’ve found that with sourdough, that doesn’t happen. It has to do with how it’s fermented and it’s prebiotic and probiotic content. Also it doesn’t have any sugar added, unlike other bread. Again do your own research because everyone’s body is so different!

How to Make a Flax Egg:

In this recipe, I used a flax egg to replace the traditional egg you’d have in french toast. It’s actually incredibly easy to make! You take 1 tbsp of flaxseed meal + 2.5 tbsp of water. In a small bowl, whisk those two together. Let them sit for 5 minutes to thicken and get more of an egg like texture. Then you’ll add into the recipe like a normal egg.

I wish I could take credit for the idea of a flax egg but I can’t. I’ve seen it a million times in other recipes. It works pretty well a lot of the time, especially in this recipe!

Other French Toast Recipes:

Vegan French Toast

French Toast For One

Maple Pecan French Toast Skillet:

Vegan Maple Pumpkin French Toast

This vegan maple pumpkin french toast is the best healthy vegan breakfast. The perfect fall breakfast recipe that is also healthy and easy to make. A great go to healthy breakfast for Saturdays or a brunch!

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

4 slices bread ( I used sourdough) 

1 flax egg ( 1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 2.5 tbsp water) 

1 cup unsweetened almond milk 

3 tbsp pumpkin puree

3 tsp maple syrup 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp pumpkin spice 

1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

Method

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. 
2. Then in a small bowl mix together the ingredients for the flax egg. Set aside and let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken. 
3. In a shallow bowl, big enough to dip your bread in, mix the rest of the ingredients. You’ll add the milk then the spices then the pumpkin. Finally, add the flax egg once it’s thickened. Mix everything together well. 
4. Take a slice of bread and soak it in the mixture on both sides. Then add a little coconut oil to the pan and add the bread. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side and repeat for each slice. You can add as many slices as your pan will hold! 

Did You Make This?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

The post Vegan Maple Pumpkin French Toast appeared first on Choosing Balance.

The best way to prepare myself for a busy day is to make breakfast the day before or even a few days before. Then whenever I’ve snoozed my alarm 5 times (oops…) I don’t have to sacrifice my breakfast There’s nothing worse than running around hangry. With these vanilla blueberry oatmeal cups, you don’t have to worry about that!

For these oatmeal cups, I combined all my ingredients together in a bowl, used a spatula to mix all the ingredients together, sprayed a muffin pan with nonstick coconut oil spray, then baked for 20 minutes. Having these on a semi warm spring morning made my soul so happy. Nothing makes me more excited for spring/summer than fresh berries- I am SO ready for fruit season to be upon us!

The recipe made about 10-11 cups. I haven’t tried freezing them but you could probably do that or cut the recipe in half. I stored the extras in the fridge for about 4 days. But trust me- you’ll want all of them I topped mine with a little bit of nut butter- perfect pairing! But anything goes well with nut butter haha.

I used vegan vanilla protein in these but you could use any protein powder you have on hand!

If you want more meal prep breakfast ideas:

Healthy Meal Prep Breakfast

Pb&j Baked Oatmeal

Paleo Protein Bites

Maple Pecan French Toast Skillet

Overnight Maple Cinnamon Oats

Vanilla Blueberry Oatmeal Cups

These vegan, healthy, plant based vanilla blueberry cups are the perfect easy meal prep breakfast. They also would be a great healthy meal prepped snack! If you want the best simple vegan breakfast- this is a tasty recipe!

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

2 scoops vegan vanilla protein (I used Nuzest USA)

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup blueberries

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. In a bowl- add in all the ingredients except the blueberries. Mix everything together with a spatula or wooden spoon. Then add in the blueberries and mix together.
3. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick spray or rub a little oil on it.
4. Evenly pour the oat mixture into the cups, about 3/4 full. Makes 10-11 cups
5. Bake for 20 minutes!
6. Enjoy

Did You Make This?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

The post Vanilla Blueberry Oatmeal Cups appeared first on Choosing Balance.

I originally wanted to make pho and spring rolls but quickly discovered… pho is really tricky and complicated to make haha. I’m leaving that recipe to the professionals! Instead, I recreated these easy veggie spring rolls and enjoyed it even without pho

I packed them with as many veggies as I could: red cabbage, cucumbers, red peppers, carrots, and romaine. Eating the rainbow has never tasted so good!

I first washed all my veggies and then started cutting them julienne style. Basically that just means cutting them long and thin.

Next, I soaked my rice paper in water for 30 seconds- a minute. I did them one at a time so they didn’t get soggy in between wrapping them. Make sure you use a container big enough for the full wrap to be soaked.

After I soaked the wrap, I laid it on a flat cutting board. Then I added in the filling.

After I had my filling in it (I placed it right in the middle of the wrap), I folded in the edged then slowly rolled the wrap. I rolled it until it was completely closed. The wrap is naturally sticky so it holds itself together well.

Tada! That’s it! Seriously. You can add whatever you want to the middle- shrimp, chicken, whatever veggies you want. I paired these with a super delicious paleo ‘peanut’ sauce that is ready in 5 minutes!

I loved making these at home because it was actually so simple, I didn’t have to spend $10 on spring rolls, and you know exactly what goes in to it. A win win in my book! Hope you guys enjoy this recipe. It would be so fun for a dinner party or date night in

Veggie Spring Rolls

These healthy, easy veggie packed spring rolls are the easiest way to make spring rolls! Vegetarian, gluten free, and loaded with veggies.

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

5–6 spring roll wrappers

1/2 cup red cabbage

1/2 cucumber

1 red pepper

3–4 carrots

romaine

Method

1. Wash all of your veggies
2. Cut the pepper, carrots, cabbage, and cucumber julienne style. Basically really thin.
3. Get a bowl out big enough to soak your rice paper. Add water into it, enough to coat the paper.
4. Soak a sheet of rice paper in the water for 30 seconds-1 minute.
5. Remove and add to a flat surface.
6. Add the filling to the wrap, put it in the middle of the wrap.
7. Fold in the two ends of the wrap then roll it until it’s closed all the way- it’s sticky so you won’t have trouble getting it to stick
8. Cut in half or leave whole!

Did You Make This?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

The post Veggie Spring Rolls appeared first on Choosing Balance.

Back to this plate- oh my goodness was it tasty! If you haven’t tried Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi- DO IT! I waited a few months after I saw it all over Instagram because I wasn’t sold on the idea but trust me, you’ll love it. My nearest Trader Joe’s is almost 2 hours away so I always bring a cooler to stock up. They also sell cooler bags there if you forget then just stop at a gas station to pick up a bag of ice for a few dollars.

I’m saving the way I make gnocchi on my Instagram story highlights (you can find me on Instagram here) and I can also do a step by step blog post if you all want. Just let me know! Basically- the key to cook it is to ignore the package instructions haha. To start- I either microwave it or boil it. Just some method to thaw it. Then, I cook it in a skillet over low medium heat with lots of avocado oil.

Adding enough oil here is key. If you skimp on it- the gnocchi sticks to the pan. Make sure you stir it around and keep an eye on it. It takes about 5-6 minutes to sauté it until it’s crispy. Remove the gnocchi from the pan and add in the kale and mushrooms. Sauté again for about 4 minutes.

Combine the gnocchi on the plate with kale, avocado, mushrooms, and tomato. You can really add any savory goods you want. Some homemade pesto would be amazing. I only used about 1/3 of the cauliflower gnocchi here and saved the rest for later. Aka probably dinner tonight haha.

Get ready for more plant based recipes as well as more cauliflower gnocchi recipes because both are current obsessions of mine Hope you enjoy!!

Cauliflower Gnocchi Plant Based Breakfast

This plant based, healthy savory breakfast plate is simple to make but oh so tasty! 

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

1 package of Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi 

1 tbsp avocado oil 

1 cup kale

Avocado 

Tomato 

Mushrooms 

Method

Cauliflower Gnocchi: 

1. Add gnocchi to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave with a little bit of water in the bowl for 3-4 mins
2. Heat a skillet over low medium heat. Once it’s hot, add enough avocado oil to coat the pan. Then add it cauliflower gnocchi
3. Cook the gnocchi for 5-6 minutes, until it’s browned on the edges. Make sure you’re stirring it constantly so it doesn’t stick as bad. 
4. Remove and serve immediately or store it in an airtight container.

Savory Breakfast Plate: 

1. Once you remove the gnocchi, add in more avocado oil if needed. 
2. Then add in the kale and cut mushrooms
3. Sauté for 4-5 minutes. 
4. Paired with avocado, Trader Joe’s everything but the bagel seasoning, and tomatoes

 

 

Did You Make This?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

The post Cauliflower Gnocchi Plant Based Breakfast appeared first on Choosing Balance.

I paired it here with chickpea pasta which is packed with protein and fiber! I like having it versus wheat or white pasta for that reason. I like Banza brand but so many stores are carrying generic brands that are great now! I’ve shared another pasta recipe with it: Plant Based Pasta that used store bought organic sauce! Which is amazing if you’re in a time crunch. But if you’re looking for an easy homemade sauce- this is the one for you! 

It kind of looks like hummus but I promise it tastes nothing like hummus haha. What’s in this magical sauce? Soaked cashews (you have to make them soft to blend!), water, almond milk, garlic powder, and onion powder. Optional but also a little bit of salt if you’re into that. But seriously- does it get simpler than that?! 

I soaked the cashews for 2-3 hours in water to get them soft to make them possible to blend! After soaking them, I rinsed them with water and added them to my blender. Then I added some water, almond milk, garlic powder, and onion powder. Blended it all up and it was ready to go! If it comes out a little thicker, add more water to the mix until it’s the consistency you want.

I served mine with the easy chickpea pasta (made the same way as regular pasta), broccoli, and sautéed mushrooms. So tasty and so easy! It would be soooo good with some sweet potato noodles too (dying to make my go to sweet potatoes noodles to go with it *insert heart eyes*). The possibilities are endless! Good thing I have some leftovers  

Happy Thursday guys!! Soooo close to the weekend! 

Plant Based Pasta Sauce

This easy and healthy plant based pasta sauce is easy to make and soooo tasty!!

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup cashews

1 cup + 2 tbsp water

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

sprinkle of pink Himalayan salt

Method

Plant Based Pasta Sauce: 

1. Soak cashews in water for 2-3 hours
2. Rinse cashews with water and add to a blender
3. Add in the water, spices, and almond milk into the blender
4. Blend up and that’s it! Add more water if you want it thinner

Pasta Details:

I used Banza chickpea pasta, sautéed mushrooms, and broccoli.

 

Did You Make This?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

The post Plant Based Pasta Sauce appeared first on Choosing Balance.

I made them gingerbread flavored but you could easily just use cinnamon to give them a less ginger flavor. Although, if you don’t like gingerbread flavored cookies… who are you?! Haha kidding kidding- to each their own!

I made almond milk a few days ago and saved the pulp from the almonds in the fridge. If you haven’t made homemade almond milk before, you just need almonds, a blender, and a nut milk bag! Two days later, I whipped up these babies with the leftovers! These cookies are not only paleo but also vegan and refined sugar free. And the cookies had the best texture- soft but they didn’t fall apart like some vegan cookies tend to do without the egg to hold them together.

They get some natural sweetness from bananas and coconut sugar. They aren’t incredibly sweet so you can easily add more if you like your cookies sweeter.

I am obsessed with all things gingerbread right now (like my Gingerbread Baked Oats). I’d never cooked with ginger before this holiday season and now I am in love. It gives baked goods the BEST flavor. Cinnamon used to be my go to but it has now been replaced with ginger haha.

These cookies only took 15 mins to bake which is another great thing about cookies: you don’t have to anxiously wait for them to be done. Compared to other desserts, they are made in no time. I haven’t tried these as no bake but I think they’d be great that way too!

Hope you enjoy guys and happy Sunday!!

XO,

Pey

Paleo Gingerbread Almond Pulp Cookies

Paleo, gluten free, vegan almond pulp cookies. Spiced with a gingerbread flavor!

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup packed almond pulp

1 banana

1/2 cup almond butter

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ginger

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Combine the pulp, almond butter, and mashed banana into a bowl and mix together
3. Add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and coconut sugar
4. Mix it all together and form into cookies
5. Line a pan with a silicone baking sheet or spray a pan with nonstick spray
6. Bake for 15 minutes
7. Makes 16-18 small cookies

Did You Make This?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

The post Paleo Gingerbread Almond Pulp Cookies appeared first on Choosing Balance.

This pasta bowl provides the comfort of pasta but is also loaded with veggies and protein. You can’t beat that combo! If you’re craving pasta but also want to make sure you’re getting veggies in- this meal is your answer.

I sautéed some veggies in a skillet- use whatever veggies you have on hand! I used zucchini, leftover cooked brussel sprouts, tomatoes, and broccoli. It’s a great meal because you can really switch it up depending what you have on hand.

I sautéed the veggies while the pasta cooked and it all took about 10 minutes in total. Ready to eat in under 15!  I kept it simple with an organic pasta sauce. Keep an eye out for sneaky added sugar in these. I always check the ingredients to make sure they haven’t added sugar into it.

I crave warm meals alllll fall and winter long. It’s already snowing here so I am ready for all the cozy meals!! Aka this meal will be on repeat a couple times a week because it’s so simple and easy. It’s great to have easy ideas like this one in the bank for when you need a quick meal!

Hope you love it as much as I do!

Plant Based Pasta

Easy plant based pasta packed with veggies and protein!

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup chickpea pasta- I used Banza

Organic pasta sauce

Zucchini

Cherry Tomatoes

Brussel Sprouts

Broccoli

Spinach

Italian Seasoning

Oil- I like using avocado oil

Method

1. Boil water and heat a skillet over medium heat
2. Add oil into the pan then add in cut up zucchini, tomatoes, and I added leftover brussel sprouts and broccoli. Use any veggies you want!
3. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes
4. When the water is at a boil, add pasta in. Let cook for 8-12 mins
5. Combine cooked veggies and pasta into a bowl on top of spinach. Add is as much pasta sauce as you want. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and dig in!

Did You Make This?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

The post Plant Based Pasta appeared first on Choosing Balance.

It’s been getting colder in the mornings over here so I have been loving easy + cozy breakfasts. This one is so nice because you can throw it in the oven and forget about it while it bakes. It would be perfect to meal prep for the week too!

In my mind, I envisioned myself eating a warm breakfast like this on a Saturday morning in these new rocking chairs I bought on a whim off of Facebook Marketplace. Sounds so nice, right? Only to find out when I picked them up they were child size hahaha. Eli was pretty amused after hearing me talk about how cute and fun they were going to be.

The chairs disappointed me but this cinnamon apple baked oatmeal meal did not! Even though it was eaten in my regular kitchen and not in crisp fall air- it was still pretty perfect. I will definitely have to continue the hunt for the perfect outdoor chairs but not for the perfect fall breakfast haha.

I cut the cinnamon apple baked oatmeal into four slices and have three left for later on this week (plus maybe I’ll share a slice… maybe). Then I topped it with some almond milk yogurt + warm sautéed cinnamon apples to put this meal over the top! Seriously drool worthy right here.

Perfect fall breakfast that the entire family will love or it’s perfect to prep for just one person to eat throughout the week! Either way, you can’t go wrong!

Hope you love it as much as I did this morning!

Love you guys!

Pey

Cinnamon Apple Baked Oats (GF, plant based)

A healthy and easy fall breakfast! Gluten free and plant based. A perfect cooking for one recipe or for the entire family.

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups gluten free oats (I like these)

1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 scoops vanilla protein powder  (I like this plant based brand- use code choosingbalance15 for a discount)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tbsp coconut sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 apple

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix all the ingredients together
3. Spray a cast iron skillet (or regular baking pan- whatever you have works!) with nonstick spray
4. Pour mixture in
5. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes

Notes

Topped with almond milk yogurt + warm sautéed cinnamon apples

Did You Make This?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

The post Cinnamon Apple Baked Oats appeared first on Choosing Balance.