Fat Free Easy Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie – Frozen Veggies, Potato, Sweet Potato, Herbs WFPB

Fat Free Easy Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie – Frozen Veggies, Potato, Sweet Potato, Herbs WFPB

vegan fat free lentil shepherd's pie

Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with Herbs, Sweet Potatoes, Frozen Vegetables

This 45 minute easy recipe features mashed white and sweet potatoes spread over a tasty filling made of mashed canned lentils, canned beans and tender frozen vegetables plus tomato paste.  

The filling is nice because it is seasoned with herbs like: bay leaves, ground marjaram, ground thyme, poultry seasoning and salt and pepper.

Onion free, garlic free, dairy free, gluten free, meat free vegan shepherd’s pie

This vegan recipe has no onion, no garlic and no butter and is very gentle on the stomach.

With this whole foods healthy vegan dinner recipe, you can skip the oil, and make a delicious and healthy cholesterol free plant based lentil shepherd’s pie (also known as a cottage pie) from simple ingredients in about 45 minutes.  

Jump to Recipe

vegan lentil easy shepherd's pie

Beans are the thickener

The lentils and beans are mashed in water with the simmering seasonings, which makes the filling thick and flavourful, and not soupy. 

You can’t really see the beans.  No other thickener is required. 

Recipe for Fast and Healthy Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie (Vegan Cottage Pie) with Sweet Potato that Tastes:

  • simple
  • homey
  • filling
  • comforting

With a nice mix of textures

  • from mashed potatoes,
  • chunky vegetables, and
  • smooth (and hidden) canned lentils and beans.
orange sweet potato

What does Vegan Lentil and Vegetables Shepherd’s Pie look like?

  • A piece of this shepherd’s pie looks like a traditional shepherd’s pie.
  • It has a generous layer of hand whipped, dairy-free, mashed potatoes on top. Optionally including a small amount of orange sweet potatoes / yams.
  • A bottom layer of nicely seasoned bean mash and small frozen vegetables.
  • The lentils and beans are hidden, because you mash them when cooking them.  
  • This technique is fast, and allows the lentils to absorb the wonderful herbs.
Half eaten vegan shepherd's pie

How do you make quick vegan gluten free shepherd’s pie?

  • You can create this easy lentil shepherd’s pie on your stovetop, no baking required.
  • Ready to serve in approximately 45 min.
  • You’ll need simple ingredients: dried seasonings, potatoes, canned lentils, canned other beans of your choice (mixed beans like kidney, black, pinto beans work well) and frozen mixed vegetables.
  • Easy, right?

Lentils and beans

I used canned lentils and canned kidney beans here (both are rinsed and drained).  

I would also recommend black beans or pinto beans, because they seem to have milder flavours.  

lentils and kidney beans

Mash the lentils and beans into the simmering herbs

the filling colour looks similar to a traditional shepherd’s pie: 

mashed beans with seasonings

Steps to making an easy meat free lentil shepherd’s pie

  1. Peel and cube white and sweet potatoes and set them on the stove to boil.
  2. Add a generous amount of seasonings like marjaram, thyme, poultry seasoning and bay leaves to simmering water in a separate large wide pan.
  3. Mash canned lentils and beans into the simmering herbs and water, to make a bean mash that looks like a traditional shepard’s pie color.  Similar idea to re-fried beans in mexican food. 
  4. Add frozen veggies to the mash, and cook about 5 min, 
  5. stir in some tomato paste.
  6. Drain and mash the potatoes.
  7. Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the beans and veggies.
  8. Sprinkle with smoked paprika.
  9. Cut into pieces, triangles or squares, 
  10. Serve your lovely, healthy, comfort dinner pie.  We like it with Ketchup.

See recipe below for instructions with images. 

vegan shepherd's pie

Who would like this Low Calorie Vegan Shepherd’s Pie Recipe?

If you:

  • like traditional recipes veganized – this is based on a classic easy shepherd’s pie,
  • like mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes,
  • don’t mind a bit of muscle work – it takes some arm power to mash the potatoes, plus mashing the beans, 
  • like to lose weight, or stay slim, 
  • like seasonings like bay leaves, thyme, poultry seasoning, and marjoram, mmmmm,
  • like lentils and beans to be hidden in the background and not very noticeable,
  • like cooking with frozen vegetables,
  • need a meatless monday dinner idea,
  • like to reduce your cholesterol, with whole foods plant based meals,

Bonus, it is gluten free and is a dinner dish most kids and non-vegans enjoy as well!

Lentil cottage pie fat free

How many people are you feeding?

The recipe as written makes a lot of shepherd’s pie.  About 10 – 12 servings. Good for a party!  

But, if you are looking for less, half it and only use one can of beans. 

Can you freeze meat free shepherd’s pie?

Absolutely!

Cut into pieces and freeze for later thawing in the microwave.

Lentil Shepherd's Pie Graphic
vegan lentil easy shepherd's pie

Easy Vegan Lentil Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato, Frozen Veggies, and Herbs, No-Garlic No-Onion No-Oil WFPB

Jeanette
Healthy simple herb seasoned vegan lentil shepherd's pie that can be made in 45 minutes on the stove. Comforting flavours. Fat free and healthy. Onion free and garlic free. Vegetarian cottage pie.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course dinner
Cuisine healthy vegan, low fat vegan, meatless monday, no-oil vegan, on a budget, vegan family dinner, vegan family meals, vegan kids dinner, whole foods plant based
Servings 12 servings
Calories 359 kcal

Equipment

  • stovetop
  • large pot for boiling cubed peeled potatoes
  • deep wide skillet, at least 10 inches wide and 3. 5 inches deep. for cooking lentil and bean mix and assembling the pie in
  • potato masher for mashing potatoes, and mashing beans in the pan

Instructions and Ingredients
  

Prep mashed potatoes for top of pie.

    Put a large pot of water on high heat to boil. Peel the white and sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes. Add all potatoes to the pot, with enough water to cover them. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium.

    • 7 cups gold potatoes Or white potatoes. Peeled and cubed. About 6 medium potatoes.
    • 2 cups sweet potato The orange coloured one. Peeled and cubed. 2 small sweet potatoes, or 1 medium/large.

    While the potatoes boil, in a wide deep skillet / pot that is at least 10 inches wide, and 3.5 inches or more deep.

      On medium-low heat, add the following in this order:

      • 1.5 cups water
      • 2 bay leaves
      • 2 tsp ground marjoram or 1 tsp oregano (marjoram is similar to oregano, but milder, and personally I much prefer marjoram)
      • 0.5 tsp ground thyme
      • 2 tsp poultry seasoning adds such a comforting flavour
      • 1 tsp salt or seasoning salt
      • 0.25 tsp pepper

      Use a whisk to stir the spices into the water. If the water is simmering, turn to low while you open the canned beans so it doesn't evaporate.

        Add rinsed and drained beans, to the simmering seasonings, and mash them up with a potato masher, until they are no longer recognizable as beans.

        • 19 oz lentils 1 large 540 ml can, drained and rinsed
        • 19 oz mixed beans 1 large 540 ml can, drained and rinsed. A can with a mix of beans such as: pinto beans, romano beans, kidney beans, black eyed peas, chickpeas, black beans works really well. Or, a can of just one of those bean types would work fine too.

        Once beans are mashed, stir in the frozen vegetables, and cook for 5 minutes on medium, stir frequently to prevent burning. Add 1/4 cup potato cooking water if needed to keep from sticking.

        • 3 cups mixed frozen vegetables small sizes, such as peas, corn, carrots, green beans mix.

        Remove the 2 bay leaves.

          Once potatoes are soft to a fork, drain them into a colander, rinse briefly with hot water (gets rid of excess starch).

            Place potatoes back in their cooking pot, and mash vigorously with a potato masher or electric tool, until the mix of white and sweet potatoes are a smooth and whipped consistency.

              Stir tomato paste into bean mixture.

              • 4 oz tomato paste 3/4 of small 156 ml can

              Once the frozen vegetables are cooked, spread the bean mixture flat in the pan.

              • Spread mashed potatoes over top of the bean and vegetable mix.

              Optionally, sprinkle with paprika, or even better smoked paprika if you can get some of that, or nutritional yeast.

                Cut into triangle shaped pieces and serve, we like to eat ours with ketchup.

                • Example amounts of white and orange sweet potatoes
                  gold and sweet potatoes
                • Image of cubed potatoes and sweet potato boiling.
                  boiling potatoes
                • Example of the dried herbs / seasonings in water, with bay leaves.
                  simmering seasonings

                Notes

                Tips:
                Potatoes take longer than sweet potatoes to boil, so chop and add the sweet potatoes to the water last. 
                Mashing the beans into the seasoned water adds moisture and masks the bean flavour. 
                Don't add the tomato paste until the mashed potatoes are ready, because it makes the bean mixture quite thick, and it starts to blurp in the pan. 
                If the bean and vegetable mixture gets too soupy (say you added water) then let it simmer until it becomes more firm before spreading the potatoes over top.
                Leftovers will taste even better than freshly cooked. 
                Lasts well in the fridge for days. 

                Nutrition

                Nutrition Facts
                Easy Vegan Lentil Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato, Frozen Veggies, and Herbs, No-Garlic No-Onion No-Oil WFPB
                Amount Per Serving
                Calories 359 Calories from Fat 9
                % Daily Value*
                Fat 1g2%
                Saturated Fat 1g6%
                Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
                Monounsaturated Fat 1g
                Sodium 435mg19%
                Potassium 1404mg40%
                Carbohydrates 71g24%
                Fiber 22g92%
                Sugar 5g6%
                Protein 19g38%
                Vitamin A 5633IU113%
                Vitamin C 37mg45%
                Calcium 90mg9%
                Iron 6mg33%
                * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
                Keyword canned lentils, casserole, cottage pie, easy, fat free, lentil pie, mashed potatoes, no-garlic, no-onion, sweet potato, vegan shepherd's pie, vegan sweet potato shepherd's pie
                Tried this recipe?Mention @veganenvy or tag #veganenvy!
                 
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                FOLLOW HERE!

                JOIN the VeganEnvy.com Community 

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                People Exploring Plant Based Eating

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                Help others learn – share on social media!

                Healthy Vegan Whole Foods Pumpkin Pie – Guilt Free Goodness! Eggless, Dairy Free

                Healthy Vegan Whole Foods Pumpkin Pie – Guilt Free Goodness! Eggless, Dairy Free

                baked low fat pie crust

                No Bake Quick Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie Filling with Dates – Delicious, Sugar Free in a Blender 

                Make a fast, easy, pumpkin pie with your blender.

                This pumpkin pie is low fat, uses dates instead of sugar, pecans instead of margarine, has really nice pumpkin pie spices and texture, and tastes great!

                This is a whole foods plant based pumpkin pie recipe that is dairy free, egg free, oil free and full of nice tasting real foods.

                My family enjoys this pie, it is a hit even with these picky eaters.

                We feel great in our tummies and bodies after eating it.

                People cannot tell that this is a vegan, no sugar, no margarine/butter, no eggs, healthy pumpkin pie

                They will have no idea.  They will just think, wow, that pie was delicious, and sweet, and had amazing texture and flavour!

                Guilt free

                No processed ingredients

                Healthy!!

                Yummy!!

                How easy is it to make an eggless and dairy free whole foods plant based pumpkin pie from scratch?

                It is really easy!

                Graham Cracker Crumb Pie Crust

                Use my fat free graham cracker crumb pie crust recipe, and while the crust bakes for less than 15 min, prepare the pumpkin filling in a blender.

                Heat the filling in a saucepan to thicken, pour it into the pie crust, cool, and enjoy a delicious, fresh, quick and easy crowd pleasing pie.

                Can you make a low calorie pumpkin pie?  Yes!

                I experimented and found that instead of using butter, eggs, or sugar, you can make a wonderful and truly tasty pumpkin pie with pecans, cornstarch, and dates.

                Low calorie, healthy, and scrumptious.

                What ingredients make the best pumpkin pie spice?

                A combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, with a touch of salt make a most delicious pumpkin pie spice.

                See the full pumpkin pie recipe below for just the right amounts.

                best spices for pumpkin pie

                This vegan pumpkin pie filling is dairy-free and eggless

                Use a blender to whip pecans, with the pumpkin pie spices, cornstarch, dates, and pumpkin puree – to a light and airy consistency – no dairy , sugar, or eggs required.

                The dates and cornstarch both work as thickeners.

                Heat the vegan pie filling in a pot on the stove

                Once boiled, poured into the crust, then cooled, the pie filling becomes firm, and holds it shape even days later.

                It is beautifully creamy as well, a very decadent treat, much nicer than a store bought pie.

                Blended pecans taste better than margarine!

                It’s a neat discovery.

                low fat pumpkin pie wfpb

                How to make homemade pumpkin puree from a real pumpkin?

                Would you like to make your own pumpkin puree?

                Instructions for making quick pumpkin puree in the microwave are in the recipe below.

                After Halloween I turn pumpkins into pies.

                Otherwise you can use canned pumpkin (the kind with nothing else added) in this recipe.

                make your own pumpkin puree

                To make this pie, heat the blended filling, for a few minutes in a saucepan, to cause it to thicken.

                This pie is quick and easy, and the filling does not need to be baked in the oven.

                The filling in the saucepan will look like this.

                A surprise when making this pie, is how thick it will already be when you are stirring it on the stove (it must reach a boiling temperature to cook the cornstarch).

                The 10 minutes or so it takes to heat the eggless pumpking pie filling to a boil, ensures the pie stays firm and stable once cooled.

                no bake vegan pumpkin pie filling

                Bake the graham cracker crumb crust, and it will be ready for filling

                Put the raw crust in the oven for 11-13 minutes, (this is called blind baking it apparently), and then it will be ready for the yummy pumpkin filling you have in the saucepan.

                Graham cracker crumbs taste really nice with pumpkin, it is a better crust choice than pastry, in my opinion.  I hope you agree.

                No need to wait for the crust to cool, just scoop the pumpkin pie filling in hot.

                baked low fat pie crust

                Cool the pie in a fridge or freezer – no need to bake the pie!

                Let the pie cool so that it becomes firm.  I use the freezer and it usually takes about 30 minutes to cool enough for us to eat.

                The filling will set and can be served once it is almost at room temperature, slightly warm is usually fine.

                Enjoy this healthy, delicious, firm, yet creamy pumpkin pie!

                WFPB Pumpkin Pie

                Why whole foods pie?  Health benefits of WFPB pie

                My recipes do not include margarine, butter, or oil. Recipes on veganenvy use whole plant based foods like seeds and nuts instead of margarine or oil.

                Why? Because man-made oils and fats provide no minerals, vitamins, nutrients, or fiber. Oil is what is left once all the plant goodness has been stripped out.  Also, to make oil and margarine shelf stable, it is highly processed.

                Eating oil or margarine or butter (or meat) contributes to clogging our arteries, and can lead to heart attacks, strokes and dementia. Pure fat is the highest calorie food there is, so it usually leads to eating more energy than we can typically use, causing weight gain.

                Whole foods like nuts, and seeds contain healthy fats, bundled in fibre, so you get nutrition, gut biome probiotics, antioxidants, fresh taste, and less calories!

                Please enjoy this wonderful pumpkin pie that is margarine and butter free!  Your body will thank you.

                A caution about dates

                Some people may not be used to eating dates, and can have trouble digesting the fructans in them.  Eating dates could cause bloating or gas pains for some people.

                One solution is to use half sugar and half dates.  This reduces the dates per piece of pie.

                A question I struggle with, is, why it is easier to digest sugar than dates? Unfortunately for some people dates hurt, and sugar won’t.

                Another solution is to start with a small piece of pie and see if it bothers you.

                It may take the gut biome a day or so to grow the bacteria that will help digest the sugars and the fiber in dates

                The gut gets the exact right bacteria from you eating the dates in the first place.

                When eating new whole foods, a good approach is to start small, and gradually increase portion sizes over a few days, so your gut biome has time to adjust.

                This slow and steady method can greatly increase the pleasure of digesting a variety of foods, and the diversity of your gut bacteria.

                In the long run, we will be healthier with a diverse and whole foods diet. But, like exercise, sometimes it takes effort to get there.

                whole food vegan pumpkin pie

                Easy Delicious Whole Food Vegan Pumpkin Pie WFPB No-Shortening

                Jeanette
                This is a very easy, creative, and tasty pumpkin pie variation. It doesn't require the whole pie to be baked. The graham cracker crumb crust is baked alone, which makes it nice and crisp, rather than soggy.
                For those looking for a very healthy vegan dessert, this recipe is sugar-free, egg-free, dairy-free, whole foods, no-oil, vegan, and so satisfying and delicious.
                It's a wonderful, flavourful, pumpkin pie, the spice blend is just right, very complementary to the pumpkin, and the dates really make it sweet!
                While the graham crumb crust blind bakes, make the pie filling in a blender, and saucepan.
                Pour the hot filling, into the crust, cool in a freezer or fridge (or outside if you live in Canada like me), and it will be set and ready to eat.
                Puree Choices: You can use pure pumpkin puree from a can, or follow the microwave instructions below to cook your own pumpkin.
                5 from 1 vote
                Prep Time 30 minutes
                Cook Time 11 minutes
                Total Time 31 minutes
                Course Dessert
                Cuisine American, Plant Based, Vegan
                Servings 10 slices
                Calories 190 kcal

                Equipment

                • 9 1/2 inch Pie Dish
                • Blender
                • Sauce pan
                • Oven

                Instructions and Ingredients
                  

                Graham Crumb Crust

                Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Pie Filling

                • 2.5 cups Pumpkin Canned or fresh. See bottom of instructions below for how to make your own pumpkin pie filling.
                • 1/2 cup Pecans No need to soak first.
                • 3/4 cup Medjool Dates about 12 medjool dates. See below - you will soak and microwave them in the water first, to make it easier on your blender. Make sure the dates have no pits. or the following substitutes should work, but I haven't tested them: 2/3 cup brown sugar, or 2/3 cup maple syrup (reduce water by 1/2 cup if using maple syrup). Taste test for sweetness if you use substitutes.
                • 1 1/3 cup water
                • 3 tbsp cornstarch
                • 1 tsp cinnamon
                • 1 tsp ginger
                • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
                • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
                • 1/2 tsp salt
                • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. See below if making pumpkin filling from a pumpkin.

                1) Prepare and Blind Bake the Graham Crumb Crust in 9.5 inch pie plate. This prevents the crust from being soggy.

                • Add the dry crust ingredients (graham crumbs, almond flour) to a medium bowl, and mix well.
                • Mix the maple syrup and water together, then add to the crumbs, mix with a fork, until crumbly balls form.
                • Pour all the crumbs into the pie dish. With a medium sized spoon, press the crumbs into the bottom, and up the sides. About a centimeter (1/3 inch) thick.
                  If the crust is too thin, you may have trouble getting pieces out later. Make sure it is thick, especially up the sides.
                • Bake crust alone, for 11 - 16 min.
                  The crust should rise slightly, and look like a lightly baked cookie. Make sure it is cooked, and not still doughy.
                  It should all be the same light golden color, dark spots likely need a few more minutes baking time.

                2) Prepare Whole Foods Vegan Pumpkin Pie Filling

                • While the crust bakes, prepare the filling.
                • Place the dates in the water in a small bowl, and microwave for 60 seconds to soften them. This should help your blender to process them.
                • Add all filling ingredients to a high powered blender.
                • Blend until liquid and smooth. You may have to stir it down a few times at the start, until the dates get blended. I start on slow speed.
                • Pour into medium saucepan.
                • On medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning, heat the mixture to bubbling, to thicken it and cook the cornstarch.
                • Turn the burner to Medium Low once it starts bubbling, cook another 2-3 minutes. Have a lid handy if you need to step away, as it can splash out of the pot due to the thickness. Careful not to burn yourself.
                • The filling should be very thick, boil a bit longer to evaporate some water if yours is runny. 
                  Should take about 5-10 minutes total on the stove.

                Pour Cooked Filling into Baked Pie Crust

                • Take the crust out of the oven. Pour the filling from the saucepan over top of the hot crust, into the pie plate.
                  No need to cool the crust, but if it did cool a while, that shoud be fine too.

                Let the Pie Set / Cool

                • The pie will be soft and runny at this point. Do not serve hot. Let the pie set first. The cornstarch, dates, and pecans will thicken as they cool.
                  Place the fresh cooked pie in the fridge or freezer to speed the process. Once the pie is a bit warmer than room temperature it should be firm enough to be served.

                Add Toppings

                • Top the pie with vegan ice cream or coconut whip cream and enjoy! Cover with plastic wrap to keep fresh in the fridge for a few days.

                How to use the microwave to make your own fresh pumpkin puree:

                • Pumpkin is a versatile ingredient that adds something special to so many dishes. After Halloween, I will cook up the pumpkins and get creative with pumpkin in recipes.
                  make your own pumpkin puree
                • Wash outside of pumpkin, cut into pieces that fit into a large covered microwave dish. Add 1 cup water. Microwave on high for 25-30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft and steamed, and the skin can be easily punctured with a fork. 
                  microwave cooked pumpkin for pie
                • After the pumpkin is cooked, let it cool for a few minutes, then remove the seeds and strings with a spoon. This is much easier after cooked than before!
                  remove pumpkin seeds after cooking
                • Remove the pumpkin flesh from the skin. Scoop the flesh into a measuring cup to measure out what you need for pie.
                  scrape seeds off of cooked pumpkin
                • Save the remainder of the pumpkin in the fridge for a couple days, for soups, future pies, and other baking!
                  Save the cooked pumpkin

                Notes

                One time I used pumpkin puree from the fridge - and the cold temperature made it hard to blend up the dates and pecans.  I would recommend you microwave the puree first, so it is hot before blending, if you are using cold puree.
                I have a Vitamix blender, thank goodness, and using the stir stick device that goes right through the lid, made it much easier to get the filling blended!

                Nutrition

                Nutrition Facts
                Easy Delicious Whole Food Vegan Pumpkin Pie WFPB No-Shortening
                Amount Per Serving
                Calories 190 Calories from Fat 54
                % Daily Value*
                Fat 6g9%
                Saturated Fat 1g6%
                Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
                Monounsaturated Fat 2g
                Sodium 257mg11%
                Potassium 209mg6%
                Carbohydrates 35g12%
                Fiber 2g8%
                Sugar 17g19%
                Protein 3g6%
                Vitamin A 2489IU50%
                Vitamin C 3mg4%
                Calcium 29mg3%
                Iron 1mg6%
                * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
                Keyword dairy-free, egg-free, healthy dessert, healthy snack, low fat, low sugar, no-oil vegan recipe, oil free dessert, vegan dessert, vegan pie, vegan thanksgiving, wfpb dessert, wfpb snack, whole foods pie, whole foods plant based dessert
                Tried this recipe?Mention @veganenvy or tag #veganenvy!
                 
                FOLLOW and SUBSCRIBE to VeganEnvy.com on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook!

                Get FREE healthy vegan information and recipes!

                FOLLOW HERE!

                JOIN the VeganEnvy.com Community 

                VeganEnvy.com Facebook Group

                Click here to EXPLORE

                People Exploring Plant Based Eating

                Adding Healthy Plant Based Meals to Your Menu is Easy!

                Help others learn – share on social media!

                Easy Low Fat Graham Cracker Crumb Pie Crust No-Shortening

                Easy Low Fat Graham Cracker Crumb Pie Crust No-Shortening

                baked low fat pie crust

                Low Fat Healthy Graham Cracker Crumb Pie Crust Without Shortening – Delicious!

                What fillings can you put in this homemade graham cracker crumb pie crust?

                • Pumpkin Pie try my no bake, whole foods recipe here!
                • Banana Cream
                • Lemon
                • Cherry
                • Chocolate
                • Apple, and more….

                Yummy!!

                How to make a whole food pie crust from scratch, without butter?

                It is super duper quick and easy.

                It is very convenient to keep graham cracker crumbs in the cupboard.

                Then, whatever size pie crust you want, you can easily mix up a crust, spread it out in the pie plate, give it a quick bake while you prep the pie filling, and have a delicious, fresh, crowd pleasing pie.

                Easy low fat, dairy free pie crust recipe

                I experimented with various margarine substitutes and found that a simple mix of water, maple syrup, and almond flour make a great healthy easy and tasty graham pie crust.

                I used to buy pre-made graham crumb crusts, and often they would go stale, or crack, or be too small.

                Plus they are greasy, have preservatives in them, and just don’t taste as good as this fresh made pie crust does.

                Mix the graham cracker crumbs with water and maple syrup

                Also, add some almond flour – this replaces the butter/margarine the original graham crumbs package recipe probably calls for.

                The crumbs will turn into balls, pour them into your pie plate.

                wfpb graham cracker pie crust no-oil

                Use a spoon to press the crumbs into the pie plate

                Make a consistent thickness, especially up the sides.

                At this point your crust is still raw, and would look like this:

                low fat graham cracker crumb pie crust

                Do you need to bake graham cracker crumb crust? Yes, bake the crust, then it will be ready for filling

                Put the raw crust in the oven for 11-13 minutes, blind bake it, and then it will be ready for whatever yummy filling you have planned.

                Follow the instructions on your pie recipe for whether the crust needs to cool or not.

                Some recipes may require the pie to be baked again after filling it. Others, like my Whole Food Vegan Pumpkin Pie and Banana Cream Pie do not.

                low fat pumpkin pie wfpb

                Is this a vegan pie crust?  Sorry, no, ethical vegans may avoid honey because it is produced by animals

                It is very difficult to find graham cracker crumbs that don’t contain honey. This may be a concern for some of us.

                According to this article, not all honey is produced the same way: Is it Possible to Find Honey that Doesn’t Harm Bees?

                Apparently, when honey is certified organic that also means it’s been extracted without using harmful beekeeping methods.

                So possibly then, if we use organic graham cracker crumbs, we may be making a better choice for bees.  I leave this up to you to decide.

                How is pie crust with no margarine better?  Health benefits of WFPB whole food pie crust.

                My recipes do not include margarine, butter, or oil. Recipes on veganenvy use whole plant based foods like seeds and nuts instead of margarine or oil.

                Why? Because man-made oils and fats provide no minerals, vitamins, nutrients, or fiber. Oil is what is left once all the plant goodness has been stripped out.  Also, to make oil and margarine shelf stable, it is highly processed.

                Whole foods like nuts, and seeds contain healthy fats, bundled in fibre, so you get nutrition, gut biome probiotics, antioxidants, fresh taste, and less calories!

                Eating oil or margarine or butter (or meat) contributes to clogging our arteries, and can lead to heart attacks, strokes and dementia. Pure fat is the highest calorie food there is, so eating it usually leads to us consuming more energy than we can typically use, causing weight gain.

                WFPB Pumpkin Pie

                Please enjoy this wonderful graham cracker crumb crust that is margarine free!  

                Your body will thank you.

                baked low fat pie crust

                Easy Low-fat Whole Food Graham Crumb Pie Crust WFPB No-Shortening

                Jeanette
                You can make a delicious whole foods pie crust without margarine and without butter.
                This pie crust is so easy, and works well with my Vegan Banana Cream Pie and Vegan Pumpkin Pie variations.
                I make this all the time, and my kids think it is delicious. No one misses the butter.
                Usually, I make no bake pies in this crust.
                While the crust is in the oven for the fast blind bake, I will blend up a pie filling, then I remove the crust from the oven, pour in the filling, and the pie is ready to eat once it cools and sets.
                No ratings yet
                Prep Time 5 minutes
                Cook Time 13 minutes
                Total Time 18 minutes
                Course Dessert
                Cuisine American, Plant Based, Vegan
                Servings 10 slices
                Calories 110 kcal

                Equipment

                • 9 inch or 9 1/2 inch Pie Dish
                • Oven

                Instructions and Ingredients
                  

                Vegan Graham Crumb Crust for Pie

                • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

                1) Prepare and Blind Bake the Graham Crumb Crust in 9 or 9.5 inch pie plate. This prevents the crust from being soggy.

                • Add the dry crust ingredients (graham crumbs, almond flour) to a medium bowl, and mix well.
                • Mix the maple syrup and water together, add to the crumbs, mix with a fork, until crumbly balls form.
                • Pour all the crumbs into the pie dish. With a medium sized spoon, press the crumbs into the bottom, and up the sides. About a centimeter (1/3 inch) thick.
                  If the crust is too thin, you may have trouble getting pieces out later. Make sure it is thick, especially up the sides.
                  Tap/press down on the top of the sides to make a flat thick edge.
                • Bake crust alone, for 11 - 13 min. The crust will rise slightly, it does not need to be browned.

                2) Prepare Pie Filling

                • While the crust bakes, prepare a filling.

                Pour Filling into Baked Pie Crust

                • Take the crust out of the oven. It is ok to pour hot filling from a saucepan over top of the hot crust, into the pie plate.
                  No need to cool the crust, but if it did cool a while, that shoud be fine too.

                If is a No Bake Pie, Let the Pie Set / Cool

                • Place the fresh cooked pie in the fridge or freezer to speed the cooling process.
                  Depending on your filling, once the pie is a bit warmer than room temperature it should be firm enough to be served.

                If it is a Baked Pie - Bake the pie crust again, with the filling in it.

                  Add Toppings

                  • Top your pie with vegan ice cream or coconut whip cream and enjoy!
                    Cover with plastic wrap to keep fresh in the fridge for a few days.

                  Nutrition

                  Nutrition Facts
                  Easy Low-fat Whole Food Graham Crumb Pie Crust WFPB No-Shortening
                  Amount Per Serving
                  Calories 110 Calories from Fat 18
                  % Daily Value*
                  Fat 2g3%
                  Saturated Fat 1g6%
                  Sodium 139mg6%
                  Potassium 9mg0%
                  Carbohydrates 22g7%
                  Fiber 1g4%
                  Sugar 8g9%
                  Protein 2g4%
                  Calcium 9mg1%
                  Iron 1mg6%
                  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
                  Keyword dairy-free, egg-free, healthy dessert, healthy snack, low fat, low sugar, no-oil vegan recipe, oil free dessert, vegan dessert, vegan pie, vegan thanksgiving, wfpb dessert, wfpb snack, whole foods pie, whole foods plant based dessert
                  Tried this recipe?Mention @veganenvy or tag #veganenvy!
                   
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                  Fun Healthy Easy Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Hot Dogs (no-oil)

                  Fun Healthy Easy Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Hot Dogs (no-oil)

                  Vegan mac and cheese

                  Easy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Cut Up Veggie Dogs (Vegan and Dairy-free) Recipe

                  This is a kid friendly, healthy, and creamy low fat plant-based vegan macaroni and cheese recipe.  It has the traditional mac n cheese color, and adding cut up veggie dogs makes it a familiar and inviting meal for kids and adults too.

                  It really is easy!  Use your microwave and blender, to have this recipe done in 30-40 minutes. 

                  Butternut squash is a wonderful cheese substitute because it is nutritious, orange, and creamy.  Also, it is a great source of vitamin A.

                  For my family, this plant based mac and cheese recipe was a hit on day one, and the leftovers were tasty for lunches the next day.

                  Rather than using a store bought vegan cheese, here is how to make your own scrumptious dairy free cheese sauce in the microwave.

                  Store bought vegan cheeses tend to contain too much oil for our tastes.

                  Nuts (almonds or almond flour or other nut or seed of your choice) make the sauce creamy instead of butter.

                  Butternut squash, carrots and onions.

                  How make a quick and easy butternut squash vegan cheese sauce?

                  For this recipe, I cut a large butternut squash in half, and peeled it.  Then, I left the peel on the remaining half, covered the cut end with plastic wrap, and stored it in the fridge for over a week with no issues.

                  Cut the squash into cubes, scoop out any seeds or strings, and place them in a microwave safe dish with the carrots and onion.

                  Microwave until soft and then blend until creamy with additional ingredients – see the recipe below.

                  It’s fun to eat plant based weiners in a saucy macaroni and cheese

                  Veggie hot dogs have no cholesterol, which means your arteries won’t get clogged.  Also, low fat meals will help you stay slim and trim, while providing better overall nutrition and fibre.

                  Try mixing gourmet plant based frankfurters with simple veggie dogs to please both adults and children.  I used 4 frankfurters (not as healthy I’ll admit, but very tasty) and 5 small low fat veggie dogs.

                  Veggie Weiner Examples

                  Looking for an easy plant based mac n cheese recipe that kids like?

                  Kids generally like pasta, and hot dogs, this dish combines the two with a healthy no-oil butternut squash and carrot sauce.  “Instead of cheese, you can use butternut squash, carrots and onion, combined with some simple seasonings to bring the dish together.

                  Can you make mac and cheese without milk?  Yes, try using plant based milk and nutritional yeast “nooch”.

                  Yes! This vegan mac and cheese recipe shows you how to make mac and cheese without dairy.  

                  Optionally use “nooch” otherwise known as nutritional yeast for even more orange color and cheesy taste. 

                  Another butternut squash vegan recipe idea

                  Another recipe I created a few years ago, at the beginning of my vegan journey:  Butternut Squash Apple Galette

                  Vegan mac and cheese

                  Healthy Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Cut Up Veggie Hot Dogs

                  Jeanette
                  Comforting and creamy, macaroni with cut up veggie dogs in a smooth carrot, butternut squash, and onion dairy-free sauce.
                  5 from 1 vote
                  Prep Time 10 minutes
                  Cook Time 20 minutes
                  Total Time 30 minutes
                  Course dinner, kids lunches, supper
                  Cuisine healthy vegan
                  Servings 7 people
                  Calories 345 kcal

                  Instructions and Ingredients
                    

                  Sauce

                  • 3/4 cup onion peeled and chopped.
                  • 2 cups butternut squash peeled and cut into small cubes.
                  • 1.5 cups carrots peeled and in small pieces, or whole baby carrots.
                  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
                  • 1/4 tsp salt or less, to taste
                  • 1/4 tsp ground pepper
                  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
                  • 1/4 cup almonds or almond flour (what I used)
                  • 1/4 cup plant milk Such as oat, soy, or almond milk.

                  Pasta

                  • 375 g whole grain macaroni 1 small box

                  Plant Based Weiners

                  • 450 g veggie dogs 7-12 plant based weiners / frankfurters
                  • Add butternut squash, carrots, 1/2 cup water, and onion to a microwaveable dish. Cover and microwave until soft. About 10-17 minutes.
                  • Optionally, prepare a vegetable side dish (for example, we recently ate chopped and steamed bok choy with this meal).
                  • Start water boiling for the pasta, I add the macaroni pasta to the water even before it is boiling, and I stir it so it doesn't stick to the bottom. This is a trick I learned to speed up pasta cooking, from another internet chef on You Tube. One the pasta and water are boiling, set a timer for the pasta cooking time, Remember to stir!
                  • While the pasta cooks, place the following in a high speed blender: almond flour (or whole almonds), garlic powder, pepper, nutritional yeast, and salt.
                  • Chop weiners into thick slices and place in a large pot (no heat yet).
                    Alternatively, say you don't want to dirty another pot, you can put these aside and add them for the last minute or two of the pasta cooking water to heat them up.
                  • Take the cooked squash, carrots, and onion out of the microwave, and add them to the blender, along with their cooking liquid plus the plant milk.
                  • Blend on high until creamy, taste test (beware it will be hot) for seasonings. Add another 1/4 cup plant milk if the mixture is too thick to blend. I use a stir stick that came with my Vitamix, it fits in the top of my blender and I can stir with it while blending, it is fantastic.
                  • Add the blended sauce to the large pot of sliced plant based weiners and set to medium heat. Stir until bubbling, immediately reduce heat to medium low.
                    Alternatively, if you added the weiners to the cooking pasta water, drain that, and return to the pot, then add the sauce from the blender, no need to heat further, you can remove it from the heat and serve.
                  • Drain cooked pasta and add to the pot with the sauce and weiners. Stir to combine.
                  • Serve with greens on the side.

                  Notes

                  Optionally serve with cooked cut up greens on the side, your guests may wish to stir them into the pasta.  We ate this with chopped, steamed bok choy.  Peas would taste good as well. 
                  Great as a school lunch leftover. 

                  Nutrition

                  Nutrition Facts
                  Healthy Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Cut Up Veggie Hot Dogs
                  Amount Per Serving
                  Calories 345 Calories from Fat 36
                  % Daily Value*
                  Fat 4g6%
                  Saturated Fat 1g6%
                  Trans Fat 1g
                  Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
                  Monounsaturated Fat 2g
                  Sodium 804mg35%
                  Potassium 454mg13%
                  Carbohydrates 58g19%
                  Fiber 5g21%
                  Sugar 7g8%
                  Protein 22g44%
                  Vitamin A 8853IU177%
                  Vitamin C 11mg13%
                  Calcium 80mg8%
                  Iron 6mg33%
                  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
                  Keyword butternut squash sauce, dairy-free pasta sauce, healthy no-oil vegan macaroni, vegan mac and cheese, vegan pasta sauce
                  Tried this recipe?Mention @veganenvy or tag #veganenvy!
                   
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                  Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp, low-fat, vegan, gluten-free, low FODMAP, healthy dessert

                  Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp, low-fat, vegan, gluten-free, low FODMAP, healthy dessert

                  Healthy Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp – gluten-free, low FODMAP – With Oats and Optional Pecans

                  Our family loves fruit crisps and fruit crumbles, they are naturally vegan, and here is a method to make rhubarb crumble, with no-added-fats, with a nice crunchy topping.  

                  Mmmm mmm!  In this easy recipe, I used rhubarb and strawberries on the bottom, quick cooking oats and optionally ground pecan nuts on top, with no-butter, no-oil.  The topping is crispy, not soggy, and if you add them, the ground up nuts make it healthier, while adding flavour, depth and fibre!

                  So delicious with the warm, juicy, soft, slightly sweetened fruit and crispy oat topping.  

                  Lemon juice makes the topping stay together, and adds a wonderful delicious zing.  I was worried that lemon wouldn’t work with rhubarb, since rhubarb is sour, but the lemon/light sugar mix in the topping tastes soooo good!  

                  It’s like rhubarb lemonade!

                  Optionally use a food processor or blender to mix the oats, lemon, nuts and sugar together to make a crumbly, crispy, tasty rhubarb strawberry fruit gluten free crisp topping.

                  Or, for a stirring by hand method, that is easy to clean up, omit the nuts and mix all the ingredients in bowls, no food processor required.  

                  Either way, I can have this crisp ready for the oven in 20 minutes.

                  I used to add allspice or cinnamon, and salt, but my family told me they prefer the flavours of the rhubarb and strawberries au natural.

                  After making it a few times without spice, I agree!  It’s better plain.

                  I hope you enjoy the rhubarb in this delicious healthy dessert or satisfying snack!

                  It’s easy to make a homemade strawberry rhubarb crisp that is gluten-free, plant based, vegan, healthy, and low fodmap (rhubarb and strawberries don’t bother people with IBS as much as some other fruits)!

                   
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                  FOLLOW HERE!

                  Rhubarb With Leaves

                  Healthy Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp/ Crumble, Gluten-free, Low FODMAP, Vegan, Dessert

                  Jeanette
                  This healthy rhubarb strawberry crisp recipe is incredibly simple to make, and very tasty.  The whole foods crumble on top contains lemon juice and optionally nuts. Both variations produce a crunchy topping, pleasurable to eat with soft fruit.
                  Frozen pre-sliced strawberries or fresh strawberries both work fine. As do other sweet frozen fruits like blueberries.
                  Rhubarb is sour like a lemon, and strawberries are naturally sweet and together they transform into a comforting and delicious dessert or healthy snack. 
                  5 from 1 vote
                  Prep Time 15 minutes
                  Cook Time 40 minutes
                  Total Time 55 minutes
                  Course Dessert, Snack
                  Cuisine American, Western
                  Servings 10 servings
                  Calories 266 kcal

                  Equipment

                  • 9 x 13 Uncovered Baking Dish
                  • Food Processor

                  Instructions and Ingredients
                    

                  For the Fruit Filling:

                  • 7 cups rhubarb diced
                  • 3 cups strawberries frozen or fresh, sliced
                  • 2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
                  • 1/4 cup sugar or dry sweetener of your choice

                  For the Crumble Topping:

                  • 3 cups rolled oats quick cooking
                  • 1/3 cup brown sugar I use brown sugar in the topping for the color.
                  • 1 1/4 cup pecans optional
                  • 1/4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed or bottled, or orange juice
                  • Preheat oven to 350° F

                  Prepare the Fruit Filling

                  • Wash and dice rhubarb into evenly sized , 1/2 inch (1.5cm) approx pieces.  Wash and slice strawberries.
                    Rhubarb Strawberry
                  • Place fruit into a 9x13 ungreased baking dish.
                  • In a small bowl mix cornstarch and sugar until well combined and lump free.  Sprinkle evenly over the fruit with a spoon. 

                  Prepare the Oat Crumble Topping

                  • If using nuts: In a food processor, on high speed, blend oats, sugar, and optional pecans.  
                    Once the nuts are finely ground, while processing on medium, slowly add the lemon juice to make the mixture crumbly.  
                    Do not over process, or the mixture will form into balls/ be too mushy.
                  • For nut free version: combine oats, sugar, and juice in a medium bowl with a spoon.
                  • Taste test for sweetness and add more sugar if desired.
                  • Sprinkle oat topping crumble over the fruit.  Use a spoon to break up any chunks first. 
                  • Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes.
                    The crisp is done when the fruit is bubbling and the topping is medium brown in the center.

                  Notes

                  If you have less fruit, adjust the amount of oats to be less as well. 
                  Fresh lemon juice seems to burn more easily than bottled, watch your topping for burning when you use fresh. 

                  Nutrition

                  Nutrition Facts
                  Healthy Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp/ Crumble, Gluten-free, Low FODMAP, Vegan, Dessert
                  Amount Per Serving (1 g)
                  Calories 266 Calories from Fat 99
                  % Daily Value*
                  Fat 11g17%
                  Saturated Fat 1g6%
                  Sodium 37mg2%
                  Potassium 467mg13%
                  Carbohydrates 40g13%
                  Fiber 6g25%
                  Sugar 16g18%
                  Protein 5g10%
                  Vitamin A 99IU2%
                  Vitamin C 35mg42%
                  Calcium 110mg11%
                  Iron 2mg11%
                  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
                  Keyword crisp, crumble, gluten free dessert, healthy dessert, healthy gluten free rhubarb crisp, low fat, low fodmap dessert, Plant Based, rhubarb, strawberries, vegan, vegan dessert, Whole Foods
                  Tried this recipe?Mention @veganenvy or tag #veganenvy!

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                  Butternut Squash Apple Galette – Whole-Foods Plant-Based

                  Butternut Squash Apple Galette – Whole-Foods Plant-Based

                  Whole-Foods Plant-Based Galette with Whole-Wheat Pastry – Creamy Tofu, Apple, Fennel Filling

                  Are you looking for a whole-foods plant-based butternut squash galette recipe?  I couldn’t find one, so I created this for us to enjoy.

                  This vegan galette recipe has butternut squash, sliced and roasted, then layered beautifully over a soft filling made from food processing, or blending a fennel bulb (or dried fennel), crabapples (or regular apples), extra firm tofu, and yummy sage, rosemary, nutmeg and other fall flavours.

                  All snugly embraced in a galette dough pouch, for a cozy harvest meal.

                  Basic vegan galette dough:

                  Whole-wheat whole-grain flour, almond flour (healthy unprocessed fat, replaces margarine), non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, and some seasonings.   Made in a food processor.

                  The dough is easy to handle, rolls out fine, but was a little tough right out of the oven – due to lack of oil I expect, and potentially I cooked it too long.

                  The pastry softened up in the fridge and was nicely tender as leftovers.

                  • Next time I’ll blend 3-4 dried prunes into the dough for moisture.
                  • I’m confident prunes will make it great, because I use prunes in my oil-free pizza crust and it is really fantastic,

                  BUT I haven’t tested prunes in the galette dough yet.

                  I’m posting the version I did test, next time I’ll add prunes and update the ingredients.

                  Think of a galette as a lazy pie, or a lazy quiche.

                  I was surprised how easy it was to roll out the dough, spread the ingredients on it, wrap it gently and pop it back in the oven.

                  I used a large oven safe wok, which shaped the sides nicely.  An extra-large skillet would also work, as would a baking sheet.

                  We got easy to pack galette leftovers, perfect for school and work lunches.  I can see how little mini galettes would make great individual servings.

                  Butternut Squash Dinner Idea That is Vegan

                  This galette is wonderful at the end of summer, since you make it with autumn harvest vegetables, helping you use up that butternut squash on your counter.

                  I will definitely be making this again throughout the winter. 🙂 

                  whole foods plant based galette

                  Vegan Butternut Squash Galette - Whole-Foods Plant-Based

                  Jeanette
                  With butternut squash, and a savoury tofu filling with fennel, and crabapples (or regular apples), this galette is simple, satisfying, and a great way to use up food harvested from your backyard.  
                  The soft creamy tofu filling is delicate and tasty, the pastry complements the ingredients well.  Butternut squash is the perfect not too sweet, firm colourful topping.
                  Let this vegan galette cool slightly before slicing and serving.
                  No ratings yet
                  Prep Time 20 minutes
                  Cook Time 40 minutes
                  Total Time 1 hour
                  Course dinner, Main Course
                  Cuisine Egg Free, French
                  Servings 8 servings
                  Calories 217 kcal

                  Instructions and Ingredients
                    

                  Pastry

                  Filling

                  • 1 butternut squash peeled and sliced, see instructions
                  • 1 1/2 cups fennel bulb small sized, sliced
                  • 2 cups apples crabapples, cored and sliced
                  • 340 g extra firm tofu
                  • 1 teaspoon sage dried
                  • 1 tablespoon rosemary fresh, or 1 tsp dried
                  • 1 teaspoon salt
                  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
                  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
                  • 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed

                  Topping

                  Bake the Filling (Squash, Apples, Fennel)

                  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Take out an extra-large oven-proof skillet with high sides or a wok.  A baking sheet can work too.
                  • Peel the entire squash, you can roll and peel lengthwise.   Then cut the squash into two pieces to separate the bottom rounder part from the narrower top section. 
                    Cut both parts in half and remove any seeds. 
                    Cut all four pieces into 1/4-inch-thick slices. 
                    Core and slice the apples, slice the fennel into small pieces (it will be food processed anyways).  Note: if you are short on time, you could add the apples raw to the filling in the food processor instead of baking.
                    roast butternut squash no-oil
                  • Spread sliced squash, apples, and fennel on baking sheets.  Place the apples and fennel together, you will scoop them up with a spatula to move to the food processor. 
                    I didn't line or oil my sheets, some of the squash edges stuck, but was easy to scrape off.  
                    Bake until the squash, apples, and fennel are tender, about 25-30 minutes. 

                  Prepare the Pastry (Food Processor)

                  • While the squash is baking, put the flour, almond flour, nutritional yeast (if using), and salt in a food processor. 
                    Pulse to combine.  Add 1/3 cup of the non-dairy milk, process, it should still be floury.  Add additional non-dairy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough sticks together (to test, remove the top and gather the dough in your fingers. If it sticks together without crumbling, it’s ready). I ended up using another full 1/3 cup of milk.
                    Be careful not to over mix once it is doughy, it makes it tough. 
                    Soak or clean the food processor, you will need it again to finish the filling.
                    whole-wheat fat-free galette dough
                  • Transfer dough to a lightly floured board or counter, and shape the dough into a disk. 
                    With a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a very large circle about 1/4-inch thick. 
                    Transfer dough into the large skillet, baking sheet, or wok, let the dough hang over the edges if necessary, you will fold it over the ingredients.

                  Prepare the Tofu-Filling (Food Processor)

                  • Add extra firm tofu, sage, rosemary, salt, nutmeg, pepper and lemon juice to the food processor.  You could also add the apples raw at this stage if you chose not to bake them, say maybe because you ran out of time to slice them :o.  
                  • When the vegetables are done baking, scoop the apples and fennel with a spatula and add them to the food processor with the extra firm tofu.  It's fine/better if they are still hot.  Blend until well mixed. Taste test and adjust seasonings.

                  Assemble the Galette

                  • Spread the apple-tofu (ricotta) mixture over the top of the pastry, leaving a 1-inch border. 
                    Arrange the squash prettily, in a spiral pattern, over the apple-fennel-tofu-ricotta mixture and fold the edges of the pastry toward the center of the galette. 
                    whole-foods plant-based galette
                  • Sprinkle almond flour, garlic powder and salt over the center of the galette and optionally onto the crust.
                    vegan whole foods plant based galette
                  • Bake until the crust is crisp and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.
                    vegan butternut squash galette fennel apple whole-wheat crust

                  Notes

                  Serve with a bright green salad, also goes well with steamed brussels sprouts.  

                  Nutrition

                  Nutrition Facts
                  Vegan Butternut Squash Galette - Whole-Foods Plant-Based
                  Amount Per Serving (1 / 8th of recipe)
                  Calories 217 Calories from Fat 45
                  % Daily Value*
                  Fat 5g8%
                  Sodium 646mg28%
                  Potassium 618mg18%
                  Carbohydrates 36g12%
                  Fiber 6g25%
                  Sugar 6g7%
                  Protein 9g18%
                  Vitamin A 10010IU200%
                  Vitamin C 23.9mg29%
                  Calcium 96mg10%
                  Iron 2.5mg14%
                  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
                  Tried this recipe?Mention @veganenvy or tag #veganenvy!

                   

                   
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                  Tahini Roasted Broccoli – Whole-Foods Plant-Based

                  Tahini Roasted Broccoli – Whole-Foods Plant-Based

                  Vegan Roasted Broccoli – Whole-Foods Plant-Based – Crunchy Side Dish Delight with Tahini, Garlic, and Lemon

                  Toss broccoli in a vegan and gluten-free mixture of tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, soy sauce, and pepper, then bake for 10 minutes.  
                  It’s crispy and creamy at the same time.  

                  Tired of steamed and boiled broccoli?  Try crisping your broccoli in the oven.  It’s a very fast and simple way to make broccoli interesting as a side dish.  Whole-foods plant-based vegetables done right.

                  A lemon garlic infused side dish, broccoli with a citrus twist.

                  Add some hot sauce for fun!

                  SERVE WITH: Lazy Vegan Frittata – minus the spinach and peas.

                  Roasted Tahini Broccoli Whole Foods Plant Based

                  Tahini Roasted Broccoli

                  Jeanette
                  Broccoli roasted with tahini, garlic, and lemon becomes crispy and creamy.
                  I loved how quick and easy this was to make, and also how delicious it was. 
                  I recommend this recipe for someone searching for a more interesting take on roasted broccoli.
                  Try serving with my Lazy Vegan Frittata - minus the spinach and peas. 
                  No ratings yet
                  Prep Time 10 minutes
                  Cook Time 15 minutes
                  Total Time 25 minutes
                  Course Side Dish
                  Cuisine Mediterranean
                  Servings 7
                  Calories 102 kcal

                  Instructions and Ingredients
                    

                  • 2 tablespoons tahini well stirred
                  • 2 tablespoons almond butter or peanut butter
                  • 6 tablespoons lemon juice fresh, plus more to serve
                  • 3 garlic cloves large, minced
                  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
                  • Several grinds black pepper
                  • 10 cups broccoli cut into bite sized florets
                  • Preheat oven to 450° F. 
                  • Place all of the ingredients except for the broccoli in a large bowl and whisk to combine. 
                    Roasted Tahini Broccoli coating recipe vegan
                  • Add broccoli and toss well to thoroughly coat. 
                  • Scatter on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes. 
                    Serve hot for best flavor, squeezing a little extra lemon juice on top.
                    Goes great with Lazy Vegan Frittata.

                  Notes

                  In case you don't have tahini in the refrigerator, I think that miso and Sriracha, or peanut butter would be good, too.

                  Nutrition

                  Nutrition Facts
                  Tahini Roasted Broccoli
                  Amount Per Serving (1 / 7th of recipe)
                  Calories 102 Calories from Fat 45
                  % Daily Value*
                  Fat 5g8%
                  Sodium 92mg4%
                  Potassium 483mg14%
                  Carbohydrates 11g4%
                  Fiber 4g17%
                  Sugar 2g2%
                  Protein 5g10%
                  Vitamin A 810IU16%
                  Vitamin C 121.5mg147%
                  Calcium 85mg9%
                  Iron 1.3mg7%
                  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
                  Tried this recipe?Mention @veganenvy or tag #veganenvy!
                   
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                  SaveSave

                  Garam Masala Baked Acorn Squash – Stuffed With Cranberry Rice

                  Garam Masala Baked Acorn Squash – Stuffed With Cranberry Rice

                  Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash With Cranberry Rice & Garam Masala

                  Oh acorn squash – how I thought you were disgusting when I was a child, and, now I know what it takes to make you delicious!

                  Many adults aren’t squash fans, probably because their family didn’t serve it very well.  This recipe can change all that.

                  Healthy Vegan Baked Acorn Squash – No-Oil, Whole-Foods Plant-Based

                  Most people don’t know how to stuff vegetables, do they?   The ones I know anyways, are wowed when presented with a flavourful rice filled acorn squash.

                  No need to be impressed folks, because this stuffed acorn squash recipe is a dead easy meal to make.

                  Downright relaxing for the cook actually.

                  Jump to Recipe

                  Roasted With Wild Rice, Dried Cranberries, Garam Masala, Spinach and Black Beans

                  This whole-foods plant-based (wpb) oil-free roasted and stuffed acorn squash is extra deliciously complex, because the whole grain wild rice (any nice healthy whole grain rice should do) has extra scrumptious dried cranberry bits in it, plus the east Indian dessert pepper spice Garam Masala.

                  Nutrition Facts
                  Garam Masala Baked Acorn Squash - Stuffed With Cranberry Rice
                  Amount Per Serving (1 / 4th of recipe)
                  Calories 568 Calories from Fat 18
                  % Daily Value*
                  Fat 2g3%
                  Sodium 727mg32%
                  Potassium 1617mg46%
                  Carbohydrates 125g42%
                  Fiber 18g75%
                  Sugar 21g23%
                  Protein 20g40%
                  Vitamin A 4325IU87%
                  Vitamin C 37mg45%
                  Calcium 170mg17%
                  Iron 6.1mg34%
                  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

                  You can buy Garam Masala in the ethnic section of your grocery store.  I have a large bag of it, it goes nicely with fruit as well, like apple slices before bed, or on oatmeal.

                  Garam masala, cranberries, and acorn squash are a great combo.  Very romantic.

                  Plus, I’ve stirred some spinach ribbons, and optionally black beans, through this sticky sweet, spicy, rice, making things very much more interesting.

                  Can You Eat the Skin of Acorn Squash?

                  I looked it up and people said that the skin of acorn squash is edible if cooked long enough, so I announced this to my family, when serving them, they promptly all said “no thanks”.

                  Then I proceeded to try some of the skin on my squash, spit it out, and declared it was much too tough.

                  “Told you so” my husband said.

                  I would not encourage others to enjoy eating the skin.

                  Do enjoy the rest though. 🙂

                  FODMAP rating – without the black beans this recipe is Low FODMAP.  With the black beans, be sure to used canned, eat 1/4 cup or less of the canned beans and it is moderate FODMAP.

                  vegan garam masala cranberry rice stuffed acorn squash

                  Garam Masala Baked Acorn Squash - Stuffed With Cranberry Rice

                  Jeanette
                  Stuffed acorn squash presents well at any family gathering or dinner party, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.  The warm, peppery and sweet seasonings pair perfectly with fall and winter weather.
                  I can't over-emphasize how easy this dish is to make, but makes you look like a fairly accomplished cook.  As long as you have time to cook rice, it will come together 5 minutes after the rice is done.
                  This vegan no-fat version has dried cranberries, rice, spinach and optionally black beans, so it can easily serve as your entire meal.  
                  No ratings yet
                  Prep Time 10 minutes
                  Cook Time 45 minutes
                  Total Time 45 minutes
                  Course Main Course, Side Dish
                  Cuisine Indian, Western
                  Servings 4 people
                  Calories 568 kcal

                  Instructions and Ingredients
                   
                   

                  • 2 cups wild rice or other healthy whole grains, like short grain brown rice, brown basmati rice, or quinoa
                  • 4 cups water or as per rice package instructions
                  • 1/2 tsp salt
                  • 3 tsp garam masala
                  • 1 cup dried cranberries I use Craisins (sweetened)
                  • 2 acorn squash small, or 1 large, washed and halved
                  • 5 cups spinach finely chopped
                  • 398 ml black beans, can small can, optional - if you are serving as a meal rather than a side dish
                  • Preheat oven to 400F
                  • Add rice, water, salt, garam masala and cranberries to a pot on high heat.  Bring to a boil, immediately reduce to low simmer, and cook for 45 minutes, or as per rice package instructions.  Check and stir often, to prevent the cranberries from burning.   If the rice is not soft once the water is gone, add more water and cook longer.  The dried cranberries can absorb liquid the rice needs.
                  • Break stem off acorn squashes (if there is one).  Cut in halves.  Scoop out the seeds and strings.  Sprinkle with pepper and salt, place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 30 - 45 minutes (timing will depend on the size of the squash).    
                  • Once the rice is done, turn off the heat.  Stir chopped spinach into the rice so it 'melts'.
                  • If using, drain and rinse black beans, add to rice mixture.  Let sit for a few minutes to warm the beans.
                  • Once done, remove acorn squash from the oven.  The squash should be soft all the way through.
                  • Spoon spinach, black bean, cranberry, rice mixture into squash, you should be able to pile it quite high, serve warm.

                  Notes

                  Omit the black beans to make this recipe a side dish. 
                  Goes well with lentil loaf at holidays.
                  Cut large squash into quarters before serving.
                   

                  Nutrition

                  Nutrition Facts
                  Garam Masala Baked Acorn Squash - Stuffed With Cranberry Rice
                  Amount Per Serving (1 / 4th of recipe)
                  Calories 568 Calories from Fat 18
                  % Daily Value*
                  Fat 2g3%
                  Sodium 727mg32%
                  Potassium 1617mg46%
                  Carbohydrates 125g42%
                  Fiber 18g75%
                  Sugar 21g23%
                  Protein 20g40%
                  Vitamin A 4325IU87%
                  Vitamin C 37mg45%
                  Calcium 170mg17%
                  Iron 6.1mg34%
                  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
                  Tried this recipe?Mention @veganenvy or tag #veganenvy!

                   

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                  Italian Cornmeal Zucchini Polenta – 20 minutes

                  Italian Cornmeal Zucchini Polenta – 20 minutes

                  Easy Vegan Zuchinni Cornmeal Italian Polenta

                  Turn a Bag of Cornmeal into Italian Creamy Zucchini Polenta, FAST – with Savoury Seasonings

                  Nutrition Facts
                  Vegan Italian Cornmeal Zucchini Polenta - 15 minutes - Fat-free
                  Amount Per Serving (1 / 4th of recipe)
                  Calories 177 Calories from Fat 27
                  % Daily Value*
                  Fat 3g5%
                  Saturated Fat 1g6%
                  Sodium 309mg13%
                  Potassium 408mg12%
                  Carbohydrates 33g11%
                  Fiber 5g21%
                  Sugar 3g3%
                  Protein 6g12%
                  Vitamin A 186IU4%
                  Vitamin C 17mg21%
                  Calcium 24mg2%
                  Iron 2mg11%
                  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

                  I’d never made polenta from scratch before.  Have you?

                  I didn’t know you could make a vegan, fat-free, polenta (think corn porridge!) using cornmeal, for dinner, and that it would only take 15 – 20 minutes.

                  It’s really easy and very yummy when you add some seasonings and zucchini to it.  The zucchini keeps it moist and stops it from hardening as much, as it cools.

                  Jump to Recipe

                  Cornmeal polenta is faster than pasta, easier than potatoes, speedier than quinoa, quicker than rice, and seriously lip smacking good.raw cornmeal for vegan polenta

                  If you do know how to make polenta, then you probably agree, making creamy vegan cornmeal polenta is really easy, and naturally tastes great as a no-oil gluten-free whole-grain plant-based quick easy vegan side-dish.

                  Simple Creamy Vegan Polenta

                  Boil water, add seasonings and extras (if any), add cornmeal, wait a few minutes, done!

                  My kids probably would have preferred if I left out the seasonings and extras.

                  But… I still had 4 zucchini squash from my neighbours and aunt taking up most of my counter ledge.

                  Must. Use. More. Zucchini. Autumn harvest and all.

                  So I created this shredded zucchini polenta recipe that turned out wonderfully.

                  Simple Creamy Vegan Polenta with Zucchini and Italian Seasonings

                  Boil water, food process a generous sized zucchini (mine made 4 cups), add salt, Italian seasonings like oregano, and rosemary, with generous pepper, add zucchini to the water, stir in cornmeal, wait 5 minutes, voila!

                  Savoury, vegan, fat-free, gluten-free, low FODMAP (for us folks with IBS), Italian style polenta.

                  Feeding Vegan Children – Skip the Green Bits

                  My kids were disappointed that the polenta had the seasonings, and the green bits of zucchini skin.

                  If you are feeding vegan children who are picky about mixed in green things, like mine, I would suggest you peel the zucchini and make the polenta with just salt, pull the kids portions out, then quickly add remaining seasonings for the non picky eaters.  Serve broccoli or something else green on the side, full transparency kids.

                  Fast

                  I say quickly, because cornmeal thickens up real fast in boiling water, I was very surprised, and pleased by this.  It is why I suggest adding the spices before the cornmeal in the recipe below, otherwise it is tricky to stir them into the thickness.

                  I ended up with lumps, and discovered they are very tasty, so don’t worry about those.  What a great easy carb for a supper on a busy night.  Polenta weekly from now on?!

                  Mmmmm Kind of Texture

                  The polenta is such a comforting texture when it is warm, like thick porridge, but more smooth, sophisticated, and appropriate for dinner.

                  Is this what grits are?  I really don’t know.

                  As soon as I find out, I will share my knowledge with you, it’s my mission.

                  To make vegan families the norm.

                  FODMAP rating – low FODMAP.  For people with IBS, no onions in this dish, and cornmeal is low fodmap, yay!

                  Vegan Dinner Idea Italian Cornmeal Zucchini Polenta

                  Vegan Italian Cornmeal Zucchini Polenta - 15 minutes - Fat-free

                  Jeanette
                  Take water, a bag of cornmeal, a zucchini, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper and turn it into a filling, lip smacking, yummy, warm, vegan comfort food, that comes together so fast and tastes wonderful.
                  Whole-grains, gluten-free, plant-based, no-oil.  Tastes a bit like thanksgiving.
                  Use a food processor to prepare the zucchini, peel it first if serving picky children, throw it in some boiling water with the seasonings, add cornmeal, stir and wait 5 minutes for the cornmeal to cook.  
                  Very simple.  Very cozy.  Very smooth and full of taste.
                  Great recipe to try on a night you are running late and looking for a fast, easy, simple, vegan carb/starch side-dish for your supper.
                  No ratings yet
                  Prep Time 5 minutes
                  Cook Time 15 minutes
                  Total Time 15 minutes
                  Course Side Dish
                  Cuisine Italian
                  Servings 4 servings
                  Calories 177 kcal

                  Instructions and Ingredients
                   
                   

                  • 3 cups water
                  • 3 cups zucchini approximate, coarsely shredded in food processor, or grated. One large zucchini.
                  • 0.5 tsp salt
                  • 0.25 tsp black pepper or to taste
                  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast optional, truly, you won't miss it
                  • 0.5 tsp oregano dried, or 1/2 tbsp fresh
                  • 0.5 tsp rosemary or thyme, dried, or 1/2 tbsp fresh
                  • 1 cup cornmeal cornmeal
                  • Grate or food process zucchini. Peel first if serving to picky children, or picky adults.  Add zucchini and water to a large saucepan, stir to combine and bring to a boil.
                  • Add salt, pepper, oregano, rosemary, and nutritional yeast, if using.
                  • With water / zucchini and spices bubbling, add cornmeal in a thin stream, stirring with a wooden spoon to incorporate.  
                    raw cornmeal for vegan polenta
                  • Turn heat to low.  Keep stirring over low heat for at least 5 minutes as the cornmeal cooks and loses it's raw taste. It thickens into polenta very quickly, which is why it is important to have the seasonings in the liquid before the cornmeal. Otherwise it is tricky to stir it all together.
                  • Taste test (blow on it, don't burn your tongue!) and adjust seasonings to your preference.
                  • After the cornmeal has been cooking, it should get thick, turn off heat, let it sit 5 more minutes, then it should be ready to serve.  The longer the polenta sits, the thicker it will get and the herbs will mellow out.  Oregano can be quite strong, I find it tastes better the longer it sits, and is really nice as leftovers.
                    Creamy fat-free vegan zucchini cornmeal polenta
                  • Snip green onions or chives overtop when serving, some people like this with freshly squeezed lemon as well, or cranberry sauce.
                    vegan no-oil cornmeal polenta with zucchini

                  Notes

                  Stir in black beans before serving if you are looking to add a vegan protein.
                  Serving ideas, with:
                  carrots sautéed in water, add spinach and fresh dill when carrots are almost done.
                  kidney beans or chickpeas and canned mushrooms microwaved in a steamer dish, seasoned with cumin or chili powder and freshly squeezed lemon.  
                  a nice dark leafy greens salad.
                  cranberry sauce.

                  Nutrition

                  Nutrition Facts
                  Vegan Italian Cornmeal Zucchini Polenta - 15 minutes - Fat-free
                  Amount Per Serving (1 / 4th of recipe)
                  Calories 177 Calories from Fat 27
                  % Daily Value*
                  Fat 3g5%
                  Saturated Fat 1g6%
                  Sodium 309mg13%
                  Potassium 408mg12%
                  Carbohydrates 33g11%
                  Fiber 5g21%
                  Sugar 3g3%
                  Protein 6g12%
                  Vitamin A 186IU4%
                  Vitamin C 17mg21%
                  Calcium 24mg2%
                  Iron 2mg11%
                  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
                  Tried this recipe?Mention @veganenvy or tag #veganenvy!

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                  Green Tomatoes Chickpea Avocado Edamame Rice Salad

                  Green Tomatoes Chickpea Avocado Edamame Rice Salad

                  Mix Avocado, Fresh Green Tomatoes, Chickpeas, and Edamame Beans for a Creamy Vegan Spread or Salad Bowl

                  Use up fresh green tomatoes in this creamy avocado, edamame, chickpea, whole-foods plant-based green goddess recipe.

                  Put it on rice, quinoa, or other grains with some greens, like a bed of spinach.  No-oil needed, it’s fat-free but full of natural omega fats to keep your body glowing.

                  Also try smashing this green spread on toast or as a filling in a lettuce wrap.

                  Hard to go wrong, and very easy to go right, with avocado and edamame, some frozen peas, and optionally green tomatoes.

                  Create yourself a super vegan creamy mixture and delight.

                  FODMAP rating – medium low amount of FODMAPS.  Monash recommends eating less than 1/4 cup of chickpeas, and less than 1/4 cup of thawed peas in a sitting.  If you proportion more grains and spinach and less of the filling, IBS sufferers should be able to enjoy this recipe.

                  Nutrition Facts
                  Chickpea Avocado Edamame Rice Salad
                  Amount Per Serving (1 / 6th of recipe including rice and red pepper)
                  Calories 530 Calories from Fat 99
                  % Daily Value*
                  Fat 11g17%
                  Saturated Fat 1g6%
                  Sodium 510mg22%
                  Potassium 1119mg32%
                  Carbohydrates 89g30%
                  Fiber 16g67%
                  Sugar 10g11%
                  Protein 20g40%
                  Vitamin A 3685IU74%
                  Vitamin C 83.7mg101%
                  Calcium 132mg13%
                  Iron 6.2mg34%
                  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

                   

                  chickpea avocado edamame rice bowl

                  Chickpea Avocado Edamame Rice Salad

                  Jeanette
                  This has a green goddess appeal when you use green tomatoes fresh from your garden or local farmer's market.  Fresh and green, with creamy avocado, edamame, the tomatoes add a light citrus.
                  Red tomatoes also work, or omit the tomatoes.
                  On toast, on rice, in a lettuce wrap how else can we use this delicious filling, spread and smash?
                  No ratings yet
                  Prep Time 15 minutes
                  Cook Time 30 minutes
                  Total Time 30 minutes
                  Course dinner, lunch
                  Cuisine Vegan, Western
                  Servings 6 servings
                  Calories 530 kcal

                  Instructions and Ingredients
                    

                  • 2 cups brown rice or a brown rice, quinoa blend
                  • 1.5 cups edamame beans, frozen
                  • 1 avocado
                  • 540 ml chickpeas canned, drained and rinsed
                  • 1.5 cups green tomatoes diced, optional
                  • 1 tsp salt
                  • 3 tbsp dijon mustard or more to taste
                  • 1 cup peas frozen
                  • 2 tbsp green onions as garnish, discard the white parts of the onions to make this recipe low FODMAP
                  • hot sauce to taste
                  • 4 cups spinach
                  • 2 red peppers

                  Cook Grains

                  • Cook grains, I used a rice quinoa mix.  Set aside to cool.

                  Prepare Edamame, Avocado, Chickpea Mix

                  • Microwave edamame in a microwave steamer to cook, as per package directions.  Usually 5 minutes. 
                  • Add avocado, drained chickpeas, green tomatoes, salt, and dijon mustard to a medium/large bowl.  Taste and adjust amount of mustard to your preference.
                    vegan green tomato avocado chickpea salad
                  • Add edamame to the bowl.   Mine were in their shells still, so I microwaved them in their steamer bag and then shelled them into the bowl.
                    Chickpeas, avocado, edamame smash
                  • Mash with potato masher until desired consistency.
                    Edamame, Avocado, Chickpea Filling
                  • Stir in frozen peas, still frozen, they will cool it down and then you don't need to refrigerate.

                  Notes

                  To Assemble Salad:
                  Line a bowl or plate with fresh baby spinach or romaine lettuce.
                  Add rice/grains, and then the edamame, avocado, chickpea mix.  
                  Top with sliced red peppers, use scissors to cut green onions on top.
                  Add hot sauce.

                  Nutrition

                  Nutrition Facts
                  Chickpea Avocado Edamame Rice Salad
                  Amount Per Serving (1 / 6th of recipe including rice and red pepper)
                  Calories 530 Calories from Fat 99
                  % Daily Value*
                  Fat 11g17%
                  Saturated Fat 1g6%
                  Sodium 510mg22%
                  Potassium 1119mg32%
                  Carbohydrates 89g30%
                  Fiber 16g67%
                  Sugar 10g11%
                  Protein 20g40%
                  Vitamin A 3685IU74%
                  Vitamin C 83.7mg101%
                  Calcium 132mg13%
                  Iron 6.2mg34%
                  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
                  Tried this recipe?Mention @veganenvy or tag #veganenvy!
                   
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                  Get FREE healthy vegan information and recipes!

                  FOLLOW HERE!

                  Adding Healthy Plant Based Meals to Your Menu is Easy!

                  Help others learn – share on social media!

                  Gorgeous Vegan Gravy

                  Gorgeous Vegan Gravy

                  Fast Vegan Microwave Gravy – Fat-free

                  Being able to make a quick healthy vegan gravy will expand your plant-based cooking options. Not only is it delicious, but gravy can serve as the protein for your meal.

                  Look how much iron is in one serving of this gravy, and it contains 28% of your daily protein needs too, with zero fat and cholesterol.

                  This smooth, brown, thick gravy reminds us of Thanksgiving dinners and stuffing, and good times at family gatherings.   It is the perfect traditional brown gravy colour and has savoury flavour.

                  Nutrition Facts
                  Fat-free Vegan Lentil Gravy in 10 minutes
                  Amount Per Serving (1 / 7th of recipe)
                  Calories 194
                  % Daily Value*
                  Sodium 172mg7%
                  Potassium 598mg17%
                  Carbohydrates 34g11%
                  Fiber 12g50%
                  Sugar 2g2%
                  Protein 14g28%
                  Vitamin A 15IU0%
                  Vitamin C 2.4mg3%
                  Calcium 32mg3%
                  Iron 5.3mg29%
                  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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                  Low FODMAP Lentil Vegan Gravy

                  Fat-free Vegan Lentil Gravy in 10 minutes

                  Jeanette
                  In under 10 minutes you can make smooth, perfect, plant-based, fat-free gravy, in the microwave.  You will get almost 4 cups, of smooth warm lump-free gravy.
                  I like to blend most of the lentils into this vegan gravy, and serve the rest of the lentils whole on the plate, or stirred into the gravy so people see they are getting legumes too.  
                  If you are using this gravy as the protein of your meal, one 540ml can of lentils for every 2 people should ensure there is enough gravy and lentils for everyone. 
                  This gravy recipe is also the sauce for my Green Bean Casserole, a classic and very tasty Thanksgiving type side dish.
                  4.50 from 2 votes
                  Prep Time 4 minutes
                  Cook Time 6 minutes
                  Total Time 10 minutes
                  Course gravy, Main Course, Sauce
                  Cuisine Western
                  Servings 7 servings
                  Calories 194 kcal

                  Instructions and Ingredients
                   
                   

                  • 1.5 cups water room temperature
                  • 1.5 tbsp cornstarch or flour
                  • 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning Adjust the seasonings to your taste. This amount makes for a mild flavour.
                  • 1/2 tsp salt Adjust to taste
                  • 1/4 tsp onion powder optional, omit to make low FODMAP for IBS diets
                  • 1 tsp nutritional yeast optional
                  • 1/4 tsp pepper
                  • 38 fl oz canned lentils 2 medium cans, drained and rinsed
                  • Add water to a 5 cup or larger microwave safe bowl that is large enough to handle a hand blender.  I use a glass Pampered Chef 4 cup batter bowl because it has a rim to prevent boil-overs, a lid for storing, and a spout. 
                  • Whisk in the cornstarch, poultry seasoning, salt, optional onion powder, optional nutritional yeast, and pepper so there are no lumps in the water.
                  • Microwave for 2 minutes, whisk to combine well, microwave for 2 more minutes, whisk.  Your gravy should be fairly thick at this point.  Microwave longer if it isn't yet in one minute increments.  Microwave power varies.
                  • Stir in 1 1/2 cans (770ml) of the drained lentils, reserve 1/2 can of lentils.  Blend with a hand blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.
                    Lentil Vegan Gravy
                  • If you have a large enough bowl, stir half of the set-aside lentils right into the gravy.  I like to reserve some plain lentils for anyone (small daughter!) who declines gravy, so they can still have lentils.
                  • Microwave 1 minute, stir and test the temperature. 
                    Vegan Brown Gravy in Microwave
                  • Add gravy to a gravy boat, and serve hot.  Spoon reserved lentils on or beside the mashed potatoes, people can pour gravy over top.

                  Notes

                  Customize your gravy by trying other dried powdered herb combinations.  All of these can produce delicious results:
                  sage, rosemary, parsley, celery powder, seasoned salt, marjoram, thyme.
                  Spoon the lentils onto or near your mashed potatoes, and pour hot gravy overtop. goes great with steamed vegetables - like broccoli and carrots, brussels sprouts, with a cob of corn as well as something green. It's been a real hit.
                  Stir leftover lentils into the gravy for the next day.

                  Nutrition

                  Nutrition Facts
                  Fat-free Vegan Lentil Gravy in 10 minutes
                  Amount Per Serving (1 / 7th of recipe)
                  Calories 194
                  % Daily Value*
                  Sodium 172mg7%
                  Potassium 598mg17%
                  Carbohydrates 34g11%
                  Fiber 12g50%
                  Sugar 2g2%
                  Protein 14g28%
                  Vitamin A 15IU0%
                  Vitamin C 2.4mg3%
                  Calcium 32mg3%
                  Iron 5.3mg29%
                  * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
                  Tried this recipe?Mention @veganenvy or tag #veganenvy!

                   

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                  Our family’s FAVOURITE VEGAN green vegetable medley DINNER SOUP with PASTA, a wonderful meal soup – combination of green peppers, zucchini, SPINACH, corn and black beans, with basil and oregano, in a hearty, whole foods, no oil, vegetarian dinner soup. Fat free.

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                  Gorgeous Vegan Gravy

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