Vegan Rice Bowls with Hummus, Broccoli, and Onions:

Though I'm generally a bigger fan of pasta, every once in awhile, I just love rice bowls. They're so simple and can be combined with so many different ingredients. I don't think that I've ever eaten the same rice bowl. In this recipe, I combined slightly caramelized onions with charred broccoli, white rice, and creamy hummus. I also added touches of sesame oil, lime juice, and cayenne pepper in order to gain a few more layers of flavor. This hummus recipe is nice because it has a few ingredients and ends up being super creamy and light, with just enough flavor.

Ingredients:

For the Hummus:

1 can chickpeas (19oz.) - reserve most of the liquid

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. tahini

1 to 2 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

Dash of cumin

Instructions: Hummus:

Add all of the ingredients to your food processor (or blender). 

Pulse until smooth, adding any other ingredients to taste. 

For the Rice Bowls:

1 cup rice, cooked according to package directions

1 cup broccoli, cut into medium-sized florets

2/3 cup white onion, sliced

1 tbsp. sesame oil (or olive oil)

1 tsp. lime juice

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. + dash of salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

Serves 2.

Total Cook Time: 20 to 30 minutes. 

Instructions:

1. Cook the rice and set it aside.
2. Add the sesame oil, sliced onion,  1/4 tsp. salt, and garlic powder to a medium skillet. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
3. Stir the broccoli into the skillet with the onions, and add the lime juice and the dash of salt and cayenne. Cook for another 5 minutes or so on medium heat. If you'd like your veggies to be charred, turn the heat up after the 5 minutes, and cook them on medium-high to high heat for another 3 minutes (or until charred).
5. Serve the veggies and hummus on top of the rice.

A Simple Summer Snack:

Hey everyone! Here's a simple and healthy recipe for a snack or light lunch. I utilized some of the season's best ingredients here. (I think by now, it's pretty apparent that I love tomatoes and avocados). If you love these veggies as much as I do, this recipe's for you. Add a little sriracha to the mix, and you've got yourself a little snack party. 

Ingredients:

1 large yellow tomato, diced

1 small white onion, thinly diced

1/2 an avocado, sliced 

2 tbsp. hummus

2 tsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. Sea Salt

1/4 tsp. dried cilantro (1 tsp. fresh)

Dash of cayenne pepper

Serves 2.

Total Cook Time: 5 minutes. 

Instructions:

1. Add the diced tomatoes and onion to a bowl. Stir in the olive oil, sea salt, cilantro, and cayenne. Toss to coat.

2. Split the tomato mixture into two servings, top each with half of the avocado slices and 1 scoop of hummus. Serve with tortilla chips (optional). 

Summer Chickpea Salad with Bell Peppers & Citrus:

It has been particularly rainy here in Florida over the past week or so. I'm convinced that I brought it back from home with me.

On my last day home, we went to my little brother's flag football game, where the rain was coming down sideways, and the temperature neared freezing. All in all, though, I love going to his flag football games.

There's something amusing about watching seven year-olds running back and forth down the football field, the overly-enthusiastic parents' yelling, and the excited look that my little brother gives me right before the play's about to start.

The rain is okay with me, but only because it reminds me of spending time with my family that day. I obviously picked the wrong week to go home because my family keeps bragging about how beautiful the weather has been all this week. They deserve it though, they've made it through the long, cold winter, and, believe me, that is a pretty tough thing to do.

Anyways, I'm sitting out here, on my patio, in the rain, with my squirrel and duck friends. It's cloudy and grey, but I'm a little thankful for the excuse to not feel obligated to be at the beach or the pool (though the beach sounds pretty awesome right about now).

Yesterday was a much nicer day, and I made this summery chickpea salad. It's so easy to make, and you can easily double it. The lemon and lime go so well with this dish. Cilantro would also be a nice addition, though I forgot to use it.

Fortunately, the outlook for the week ahead is sunny and hot, and it better be because I graduate from law school next weekend! I'm pretty sure that I deserve a pool day with lots of piña coladas and sun.

Ingredients:

1 15oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. lime juice

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

Serves 4.

Total Cook Time: 10 minutes.

Instructions:

Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl. Toss to coat, adding more salt/vinegar/seasonings to taste.  Serve wrapped in flour tortillas (optional).

Fresh Vegan Veggie and Basil Pesto Sandwich:

Looking for a fresh and healthy meal option? Look no further than this basil pesto and vegetable sandwich. I had it when I was visiting Disney with my family, and it was so good that I figured I'd recreate it here. Pesto is so good for you, and it lends a nice and summery flavor to the dish, as do the fresh vegetables. Just look at how colorful this sandwich is! Whip these up for lunch or dinner any day. They're also perfect for a beach day or hiking trip.

Anyways, I hope that you are all having a wonderful Monday. I had a pretty busy and crazy weekend, so I'm struggling a bit, but I guess that's the price you pay for having too much fun. I had to take the MPRE (an ethics test for attorneys), so I decided to take it in South Florida and visit some good friends at the same time.

After the exam, we got all prettied-up and went to my friends' law prom. It was a lot of fun. Their prom also had a lot of good veggie options. The starter was a fancy and decadent pear, walnut, and spring mix salad. My entree consisted of carrots and asparagus in some sort of glaze (I had a few too many dirty martinis at that point, so I can't remember the exact flavors all that well, but I do know that the chef did a great  job and actually made an effort to put flavor in my dish). The vegetables also came with a delicious polenta, which took me all of ten seconds to scarf down.

Along with my yummy entree, I had a hefty serving of bread dipped in oil and vinegar. I'm pretty sure that I ate at least seven pieces. (Fatty). They brought cheesecake out for dessert, and though it looked delicious, I obviously declined. But when I got the munchies at the end of the night, they had huge bowls of hummus, chips, and salsa out for everyone. Unfortunately, some of that ended up on my white dress, and I just paid a ridiculous sum of money to have it dry cleaned last week. It was worth it though. I guess I'll be heading back to the dry cleaners again this week, and I'm sure they'll shake their heads.

Getting back to the food, here's the recipe!

Ingredients:

4 slices of focaccia bread

1 tomato, sliced

1/4 to 1/2 white onion, sliced

1/2  medium cucumber, sliced

1 roasted red pepper, cut in half

A few pieces of lettuce

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. roasted pine nuts

1/3 cup hummus 

1/4 tsp. salt

Makes 2 sandwiches.

Total Cook Time: 10 minutes. 

Instructions:

1. Add the basil, pine nuts, salt, and olive oil to your food processor. Process the mixture until it's smooth and creamy.
2. Next, spread 1/6 cup of the hummus on two slices of focaccia. Top each with a few slices of tomato, cucumbers, onions, roasted red pepper, and lettuce.
3. Spread the basil pesto mixture on the remaining two pieces of focaccia, and place on top of the sandwich. Cut each sandwich in half, and enjoy!

At the ball with Monsignor, who, by the way, is one of the most interesting people in the world. He is also the amazing person who puts our Spain study abroad trip together.

Vegan Cajun Pasta with Kidney Beans:

I hope that you all had a Happy Easter! I definitely did. It ended up being  pretty tiring, but I was able to cook  and take engagement pictures for my friends. It was beautiful outside, sunny with a light breeze, so it was nice to do some good deeds and hang out with some of my acquired family here in Florida. It was also nice to express my creativity a little. Since I started law school, this blog has pretty much been the only place where I get to be creative in my everyday life, so I was very happy that I had the opportunity to take some pretty photos yesterday.

Getting back into everything today was a little rough, but I'm currently lounging outside on my patio enjoying some delicious food. The next few weeks are going to be pretty crazy around here. The semester's starting to wind down, which really only means that there are lots of tests, papers, and presentations looming in my near future. The nice part about it is that graduation is coming up, and then I only have one more big step before becoming a real, grown-up attorney...passing the Bar Exam. It's been a long road, but I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's all very exciting.

If you've been on my blog at all recently, you can probably tell that I have been on a spicy kick lately. I got home from work late and was starving, so I figured a quick and hearty pasta would do the trick. I love Cajun spices, and I was craving kidney beans....so I mixed the two with some tomato sauce, and voila! I ended up with a spicy and flavorful pasta dish in less than 20 minutes. This is perfect for any time, but it's especially perfect for nights when you're starving and just want to get out on your patio to enjoy the gorgeous Spring weather.

Ingredients:

1 package penne

1 2/3 cups tomato sauce

1 15.5 oz. can kidney beans, drained

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/4 tsp. sea salt, divided

Cajun Seasoning, to taste (I used about 1 tsp.)

Dash of black pepper

Dash of dried basil

Serves 6.

Total Cook Time: 20 minutes.

Instructions:

1. Pour 1 tsp. of the sea salt in a large pot of water. Pour the pasta in and stir. Add the chopped garlic, and continue cooking according to package directions.

2. While the pasta is cooking, add the kidney beans, remaining 1/4 tsp. of salt, Cajun seasoning, black pepper, and basil to a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, and then stir in the tomato sauce.

3. Cook the sauce and beans on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. It should thicken. Turn the heat down to medium-low if the sauce begins to splatter.

4. Once the pasta is ready, strain it and return it to the pot. Add in half of the sauce and stir. Top with the remaining sauce and serve.

Gluten Free & Vegan Zucchini and Tomato Bruschetta Pasta:

Hey all. I know it's been almost a week since I last posted, but I was out of town. School has also been pretty crazy since I got back, but I did have an awesome time in Colorado. I'm sure I'll finally get to posting about it this weekend. My trip was refreshing, and it was so nice to get away. Though I'm frustrated trying to get this paper done, good things are happening for me right now. I hope things are going well for all of you too.

That said, here is a simple and quick recipe for days when you need the nutrients to get you through a rough day, sans the energy and time that's normally required. This can be made in 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your chopping skills. It's fresh and summery, the perfect reminder that warm weather is just around the corner. Drizzle it with a little balsamic vinaigrette for even more flavor. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 medium to large zucchini, julienned

1 1/2 cups tomato, diced

1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped

1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of dried thyme

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss to coat.

Vegan Campanelle with Red Peppers, Onions, and Arugula:

I know that I've been MIA this week, but some of my family was in town for part of it (more on that later), and I was also pretty busy with school. I had to take a mock MBE (the multiple choice portion of the Bar Exam) yesterday, and that drained me a bit. Needless to say, though I should be at the beach with my friends, I'm not doing much today except laying around. I think that I may have had a little too much fun last night.

Anyways, if you need something quick and easy to make, this pasta is a great option. It takes about 20 minutes to make, and it's healthy and delicious. I added touches of thyme, cayenne, and paprika to give the recipe a little depth. I also used some olive oil and sherry wine, so this dish is definitely not lacking in flavor.

Ingredients:

1 package campanelle noodles, cooked al dente

1 1/2 cups red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 cups arugula

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons sherry wine (or other dry white cooking wine)

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of ground black pepper

Serves 4.

Total Cook Time: 20 minutes.

Instructions:

1. While the pasta is cooking, add the red bell pepper, onions, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large skillet.

2. Next, add the thyme, salt, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper. Cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, and then stir in the sherry. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the arugula during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

3. Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the remaining olive oil and the cooked veggies. Add salt and more black pepper if necessary.

Vegan Buffalo Hummus:

If any of you  have ever had buffalo chicken dip before going vegan, this buffalo hummus is pretty close to it. It's so delicious, and you can put it on anything. So far, I've eaten it off of the spoon and in a wrap. I think this would also be good in a burrito or enchilada....the possibilities are pretty much endless. It's such a comfort that I have extra in my fridge right now.

Because buffalo is such a subjective flavor with respect to how much spice different people like, add the minimum amount in the recipe, and add more to taste after you've blended everything together. I served mine with a side of arugula, lentil sprouts, and cherry tomatoes with a lemon and orange vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

1  (1 lb. 13. oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 to 2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. tahini (optional)

2 to 3 tbsp. hot sauce (to taste)

1/4 tsp. salt (or more, to taste)

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of chili powder

Dash of paprika

Serves 6.

Total Cook Time: 5 to 10 minutes. 

Instructions:

Add all of the ingredients to your food processor. Pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Once the mixture is smooth, taste to see if you need any more salt, hot sauce, etc. If so, add whatever ingredients you need, and then pulse a few more times to incorporate all of the flavors together. Enjoy on just about anything.

Product Review: Amy's Rice Macaroni With Dairy Free Cheese:

Gluten Free ⋆ Dairy Free ⋆ Soy Free

While perusing the frozen food section the other day, I came across Amy's Gluten Free Dairy Free Rice Macaroni & Cheese. I've been wanting to try it out for awhile, but I never remember to look for it.

Needless to say, I finally broke down and bought it, though I know that I can make vegan mac and cheese much healthier and for about a third of the price. This turned out to be the real deal, though. If you're ever feeling a little mischievous, this mac and cheese is for you. They used Daiya Dairy Free Cheddar Cheeze in the sauce, which, in my opinion (and I'm pretty sure many others in the vegan community agree), is one of the best dairy free cheeses on the market.

I was a little disheartened when I turned the box and looked at the nutrition facts, however. 520 calories for one serving? 22 grams of fat? That was a bit of a bummer, but I was surprisingly pretty full half way through eating it. To make it a little healthier, I steamed some broccoli and carrots with a little olive oil and salt and added them to the dish. It was delicious. The richness of the "cheese" sauce will make you feel satisfied and fuller faster, but the rice macaroni helps in not weighing you down....and it does have 8 grams of protein, after all. Not too shabby.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's feeling the need for quick and easy comfort food. It really does taste like mac and cheese.

Where I found it: Publix freezer section.

Price: $3.29

Click here for my at-home must-try Vegan Mac & Cheese Recipe. ❤

30-Minute Skillet Pasta:

This recipe is for those days when you just don't have the time, energy, or motivation to cook,  but still need something delicious to eat. This meal disproves the myths that you have to sacrifice flavor for convenience, and that you need to use a lot of dishes in order to cook a good, vegan meal. Hope you like it. Feel free to play around with the sauce a little...a little apple cider vinegar would give it a nice bite, and a little more sugar or agave will please you lovers of sweeter tomato sauces.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups uncooked shell pasta

1 can petite diced tomatoes (15.5 oz.) + 2 cans of water

1 cup greens of your choice

1 yellow onion, diced

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. white sugar or agave nectar

A few drops of lemon juice

Total Cook Time: 30 minutes.

Serves 4. 

Instructions:

Add all of the ingredients to a cast iron skillet. Stir until the veggies, pasta, and seasonings are blended well. Bake for 25 minutes, taking the skillet out of the oven to stir at least twice. (To make sure the greens don't burn).