My Plant-Based Family

Feeding My Family a Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet, On a Budget

Holly

Vegan Peach Crisp

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I love peaches! Every year as summer gets closer I patiently wait for the peaches to hit the stores. This year, the peaches and nectarines have been exceptionally good. With an abundance of peaches, it’s time to make my oil-free Vegan Peach Crisp.

Oil-Free Vegan Peach Crisp

Don’t get me wrong, I love fresh peaches but baked peaches are out of this world. I don’t make a lot of desserts because most are full of oil and sugar. This easy Peach Crisp is oil-free and uses maple syrup to sweeten it.

It’s not overly sweet. This is not a gooey peach cobbler. I love traditional peach cobbler but this is not a cobbler recipe. You can’t make cobbler crust without oil, butter or lard and I’m not doing that. A whole bunch of foods trigger headaches for me so I’m avoiding anything that could be a trigger and keeping to simple ingredients that make me feel good.

Oil-Free Vegan Peach Crisp

You can’t get much simpler than these ingredients. Other than peaches, the rest are pantry staples.

  • Peaches
  • Rolled Oats
  • Maple Syrup
  • Applesauce

You can add other ingredients to liven it up. Cinnamon, lemon juice and lemon zest, vanilla, almonds, pecans or even other stone fruit.

The topping on this crisp is similar to my oil-free granola. Since it doesn’t use oil or added fat, it doesn’t get super crispy. You can also add a scoop of your favorite dairy-free vanilla ice cream.

We think this Peach Crisp tastes best after a day or two.

Vegan Peach Crisp

Can I use frozen peaches for Peach Crisp?

I know it’s difficult to get delicious peaches all year long, don’t worry, you can use frozen peaches! Just let them thaw all the way first.

You can use a mix of fruit too. I’ve made this with a mix of peaches and nectarines and it was glorious!

Is Peach Crisp gluten-free?

Yes, if you use gluten-free oats. Most oats are processed on the same equipment with wheat. If you need to eat gluten-free, make sure your oats are certified gluten-free.

What can I substitute for applesauce?

If you don’t have applesauce you can use an apple for a substitute by blending it in your blender. If you don’t have an apple you can mash a banana or puree a peach. See more Applesauce Substitutes here.

Is Peach Crisp a dessert?

Yes and no. This Peach Crisp is so good for you, you could eat it for breakfast. It’s pretty similar to my Baked Oatmeal.

Yield: 6

Vegan Peach Crisp

Vegan Peach Crisp

Delicious oil-free Vegan Peach Crisp is an easy plant-based dessert. Fresh peaches and a few pantry ingredients are all you need.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Rolled Oats (divided)
  • 3/4 cup Unsweetened Applesauce
  • 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
  • 4 Peaches (pit removed, 3 cups peeled and sliced)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray. (8x8 works too)
  2. Put 1 cup of rolled oats into a blender or food processor and blend until the oats are a fine oat flour.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, pour applesauce, maple syrup and oat flour together and mix well. Dump in remaining 2 cups of oats and stir well.
  4. Pour about half of the oat mixture into your prepared pan and mash down to form a crust. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
  5. Pour peeled and sliced oats on top of the layer of oats in the baking pan.
  6. Spoon the rest of the oat mixture on top of the peaches. Try to cover the peaches evenly.
  7. Bake for 25 minutes.

Notes

Store Peach Crisp in an air tight container for about 4 days. It can be kept on the counter but will last longer refrigerated.

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© Holly Yzquierdo
Category: Dessert

Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels

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These fresh and colorful Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels are a delicious no-cook meal. Choose your favorite veggies or let everyone make their own for a fun snack or meal. Vegan Pinwheels are a fun appetizer too.

Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels

The best part, in my opinion, of these Veggie Pinwheels is that you can get a lot of veggie variety in a couple of bites. The second best part is that everyone can make their own so you get your favorite veggies!

Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels

Rainbow Pinwheel Veggies

You can use any veggies you like to make these Veggie Pinwheels but I like to use all the colors of the rainbow!

My favorite veggies to include are:

  • Red Bell Pepper
  • Carrots
  • Yellow Bell Pepper
  • Baby Spinach
  • Purple Cabbage

I like to have other options for my kids becuase they don’t love bell peppers the way I do. Other veggie favorites include:

  • Tomatoes (with seeds removed so they don’t get too wet)
  • Sweet Peppers
  • Cucumbers
  • Avocados
  • Radishes

These are the complete opposite of the meat and cheese versions I made a decade ago. I called those tortilla roll ups and they were a staple for potlucks and after school snacks. These are a much better alternative, full of fiber and actually good for you!

Veggie Pinwheels with Hummus

Cream cheese is the traditional filling in pinwheels but we use hummus! My Oil-free Hummus is perfect because it’s easy to make with only a few ingredients and tastes great!

Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels

Keep Pinwheels from Getting Soggy

The only problem with with making pinwheels ahead of time is they can get soggy. It’s the high water content of veggies. Some veggies will increase the chances of them getting soggy more than others. There are a few options to decrease the chance of your pinwheels getting soggy.

Prep the Veggies but Assemble Later

You can have all your veggies washed, cut and stored separately. Then when it’s time to eat, simply smooth hummus over your tortilla and arrange your veggies. Roll up your pinwheel and slice them up for easy snacking. This is the best option!

Assemble but Don’t Cut

Another option is to assemble your pinwheel but don’t slice it. Instead, wrap it in a paper towel and carefully store it in a container. Then when you are ready to eat, slice and enjoy.

Cutting Ahead of Time

If you have to cut your pinwheels ahead of time because they are going in a lunch box or to a potluck, wait as long as you can before cutting them. If you can cut them right before you leave, you’ll have a better chance of them not being soggy. I would probably wrap them in a paper towel if possible to help absorb moisture in the container.

Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels

Vegan Pinwheels are perfect for taking to parties or get-togethers. Everyone loves finger food! You can make them more colorful by using different colored tortillas. Green, red/orange and blue are easy to find.

If you are gluten-free, choose gluten-free tortillas instead of wheat.

Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels

Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 large wheat tortillas
  • 1 cup hummus
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
  • 2 carrots, shredded or matchsticks
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
  • 1/2 cup purple cabbage, sliced thin or shredded

Instructions

  1. Spread about ¼ cup hummus over each tortilla. Leave room on the edge. 
  2. Arrange the veggies on the hummus covered tortillas (in the order of the rainbow).
  3. Roll up each tortilla tightly.
  4. Cut crosswise into pinwheels and serve.

Notes

See posts for additional notes.

© Holly Yzquierdo
Category: Salads & Wraps

Vegan Lettuce Wraps

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Vegan Lettuce Wraps are the perfect light meal for hot or busy days. These whole food plant-based lettuce wraps are easy to customize with your favorite ingredients and sauces.

Vegan Lettuce Wraps

This page contains affiliate links.

I’ll often prep all the veggies ahead of time and assemble these quickly on my lunch break.

Years ago, I’m talking like almost 20 years ago, I used to order chicken lettuce wraps at Chili’s. They stopped serving them but the memory always stayed with me.

After going plant-based I realized how easy these would be to make using whole foods. These Asian inspired Vegan Lettuce Wraps are perfect for quick meals and easy snacks.

I prefer to eat them with raw veggies. They are so light and refreshing. If you have trouble eating a lot of raw veggies, you could steam or stir fry the veggies first, then assemble the wraps.

Best Lettuce for Lettuce Wraps

I’ve tried a lot of different types of lettuce for lettuce wraps but my favorites are:

  • Butter Lettuce
  • Red Leaf or Green Leaf Lettuce
  • Romaine Lettuce

I recommend using what you like or using what you have. If all else fails, chop it all up and make a salad! Yes, I do that too.

Tofu Filling for Lettuce Wraps

I’m happy to eat my lettuce wraps with just the raw veggies and sauce but I prefer to add tofu. Using baked tofu, sauteed tofu or air fried tofu helps make the lettuce wraps more filling. Leftover tofu is perfect for this. If you aren’t a fan of tofu, or can’t eat soy, I recommend chickpeas.

I won’t always go through the effort to cook tofu but if I have it, I’ll add it. If you are new to tofu, check out my Tofu Starter Guide.

Vegan Lettuce Wrap ingredients

Sauce for Lettuce Wraps

The thing that really makes these plant-based lettuce wraps my favorite is the sauce! Oh, how I love the sauce! It’s mostly natural peanut butter and tamari but I also add a little maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, lime juice and water. Sometimes I’ll add ginger, garlic or turmeric. You can also add crushed red pepper or Sriracha.

The natural peanut butter is way easier than regular peanut butter to mix into a smooth sauce. If you can’t use peanuts, sunflower seed butter works perfectly too. I think tahini would be a good substitute but you may need to change up the proportions.

I use tamari because it’s gluten-free and delicious. If you eat soy, you can use soy sauce. If you need to avoid soy, use coconut aminos.

Vegan Lettuce Wraps

Plant-Based Lettuce Wraps

These quick and easy Vegan Lettuce Wraps are a great way to use up a lot of veggies and eat the rainbow. Lay out all the ingredients so everyone can build their own.

Lettuce Wrap Ingredients

  • Large Leaf Lettuce
  • Shredded Red Cabbage
  • Bell Pepper, julienne cut (I like red or yellow)
  • Carrots, matchstick or shredded
  • Red onion, sliced
  • Cucumbers, sliced into long sticks or diced

Tofu Ingredients

  • Tofu, drained, pressed and cubed
  • Spices are optional but you can use tamari, onion powder and/or garlic.

Sauce Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
  • 2 Tablespoons Tamari
  • 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
  • water (to get pour able consistency)

Directions

For Tofu (optional)

  1. Drain and press your tofu to remove extra moisture. I use my EZ Tofu Press.
  2. Season if desired.
  3. Put tofu on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Then flip tofu and bake for 15 more minutes.
  4. Allow to cool.

For Lettuce Wraps

  1. Wash and chop all veggies as mentioned in the ingredient list.
  2. Place a lettuce leaf on a plate and stack the veggies on top of each other. Don’t overload the wraps or they will be too difficult to pick up and all your ingredients will spill.
  3. Set aside

For Sauce

  1. In a medium bowl, add your peanut butter and tamari and stir well.
  2. Then add the maple syrup, rice wine vinegar and lime juice. Stir again until everything is mixed together. If you are using any other flavors like ginger or turmeric, add them now.
  3. Add water a few tablespoons at a time until you reach the desired consistency. I like mine easy to spoon our or pour. You want it about as thick as cold maple syrup, that will help it stay put.

Assembling the Lettuce Wraps

Take your lettuce wraps filled with veggies, add tofu if you are using, and spoon or pour your sauce on the inside of the lettuce wraps. If your lettuce wraps close, great, if not, tilt your head and eat them like a taco.

Yield: 4 servings

Vegan Lettuce Wraps

Vegan Lettuce Wraps

Vegan Lettuce Wraps are the perfect light meal for hot or busy days. These whole food plant-based lettuce wraps are easy to customize with your favorite ingredients and sauces.

The veggies and sauce come together quickly. If using tofu, it will take the longest to cook.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

Lettuce Wrap Ingredients

  • Large Leaf Lettuce
  • Shredded Red Cabbage
  • Bell Pepper, julienne cut (I like red or yellow)
  • Carrots, matchstick or shredded
  • Red onion, sliced
  • Cucumbers, sliced into long sticks or diced

Tofu Ingredients

  • Tofu, drained, pressed and cubed
  • Spices are optional but you can use tamari, onion powder and/or garlic.

Sauce Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
  • 2 Tablespoons Tamari
  • 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
  • water (to get pour able consistency)

Instructions

For Tofu

  1. Drain and press your tofu to remove extra moisture. I use my EZ Tofu Press.
  2. Season if desired.
  3. Put tofu on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Then flip tofu and bake for 15 more minutes.
  4. Allow to cool.

For Lettuce Wraps

  1. Wash and chop all veggies as mentioned in the ingredient list.
  2. Place a lettuce leaf on a plate and stack the veggies on top of each other. Don’t overload the wraps or they will be too difficult to pick up and all your ingredients will spill.
  3. Set aside

For Sauce

  1. In a medium bowl, add your peanut butter and tamari and stir well.
  2. Then add the maple syrup, rice wine vinegar and lime juice. Stir again until everything is mixed together. If you are using any other flavors like ginger or turmeric, add them now.
  3. Add water a few tablespoons at a time until you reach the desired consistency. I like mine easy to spoon our or pour. You want it about as thick as cold maple syrup, that will help it stay put.

Assembling Lettuce Wraps


Take your lettuce wraps filled with veggies, add tofu if you are using, and spoon or pour your sauce on the inside of the lettuce wraps. If you lettuce wraps close great, if not, tilt your head and eat them like a taco.


Notes

See substitution notes in blog post.

You can prep this on the weekend by cutting up all the veggies, cooking the tofu and making the sauce. Then assemble in 5 minutes to enjoy throughout the week.

These do not last long once they are assembled and shouldn't be stored for more that a day assembled. The ingredients will stay fresh for 4-5 days if stored separately.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

© Holly Yzquierdo
Category: Main Dish Recipes

If you like these flavors, you will love my Quick and Easy Veggie Pad Thai! It comes together just as quickly.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

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Getting your family interested in eating better is one of the best things you can do to make feeding your family easier. Our biggest hold out, my 11 year old has made huge progress in eating healthier over the last year. In fact, I’m letting him help choose meals for this plant-based meal plan.

Plant-Based Meal Plan featuring breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner.

Like many people, he doesn’t want to feel pressured into doing something he doesn’t want to do. We let him take the lead and give lots of positive encouragement for good choices.

Plant-Based Meal Plan

I did a little batch cooking this weekend! We have Taco Soup, Baked Potatoes, Instant Pot Oatmeal, One Pot Broccoli Rice Casserole and Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing. I plan to make some Air Fryer Tofu and Overnight Chia Pudding today too.

Plant-Based Breakfast

We have all be eating a lot of Instant Pot Oatmeal! I’ve made two double batches in the last week. My son has been on a big Chocolate Overnight Oats kick! A few mornings lately, we’ve had mid-morning smoothies too.

Plant-Based Lunch

Soup is one of my favorite leftover lunches. My kids are happy with sandwiches or oatmeal they make themselves. Last week it was leftover Tortilla Soup, this week leftover Taco Soup. Our batch cooked baked potatoes will be a great addition to lunch.

Plant-Based Snack

Plant-Based Dinner

Monday: Quinoa Lentil Salad is perfect to start off the week. We have a lot of veggies from our weekend grocery delivery.

Tuesday: Lentil Tacos or Taco Salad with Instant Pot Refried Beans and Mexican Rice.

Wednesday: Leftovers!

Thursday: Vegetable Pasta using all the extra veggies that haven’t gotten eaten yet. Definitely tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, onions, garlic and more!

Friday: Tostada’s are becoming a weekly favorite! They are so easy and everyone makes their own on our assembly line.

Last week I mentioned that I had preordered Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome by Will Bulsiewicz. I got it Thursday and I’m loving it! I’m learning a lot about our microbiome and how it impacts our health.

Sale
Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome
Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome
  • Hardcover Book
  • Bulsiewicz MD, Will (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 400 Pages - 05/12/2020 (Publication Date) - Avery (Publisher)
$19.29
Buy on Amazon

What are you eating this week?

Tortilla Soup

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We love Mexican Food! Beans, peppers, cilantro…you name it, we love it. Plant-Based Tortilla Soup is one of those favorites that deserves a plant-based make over!

This Tortilla Soup is similar to my Taco Soup and Enchilada Soup but is different in several ways. This recipe is designed for only 4 servings and uses spices differently.

Make your own Tortilla Strips

I make my own tortilla strips using soft corn tortillas. They aren’t as crunchy as the store bought version that has oil but I don’t mind.

Don’t forget to preheat your oven because the tortilla strips will bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. I don’t put them in the oven until the soup is simmering but it’s important to have your oven ready.

When the soup is simmering on the stove I’ll cut up my corn tortillas. I like to sprinkle them with fresh lime juice and dust them with onion and garlic powder, sometimes I’ll add paprika. These bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Plant-Based Tortilla Soup

I start this one off by doing a water saute of my onions, garlic, jalapenos and cilantro. I normally reserve cilantro for a garnish in most recipes but in this one, it’s one of the first ingredients.

Once this is cooking for a few minutes I normally start hearing from family members, they come from every room in the house and want to know what I’m cooking. The fragrance fills the house.

Next I add all my spices. I’m sharing the mild version today but you can spice it up by adding 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle pepper. You can also add extra jalapeno. If you really like chipotle flavor then add a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. It will have a kick!

Dump in your black beans, corn and diced tomatoes. I’ve used fire roasted tomatoes and plain. Both are good!

Add in your lentils. I’ve used brown lentils and red lentils. Both work. The red lentils break down a bit more, creating a creamier soup. The brown lentils stay whole, creating a chunkier soup. I don’t have a preference.

Lastly, the tomato paste is optional. We’ve made this soup with and without the tomato paste. I think it depends on the flavor of your broth. I used my Dry Veggie Broth Mix! It had a nice flavor but we are a fans of tomato-based soups.

Plant-Based Tortilla Soup

The soup needs to simmer for about 20 minutes. At the 15 minute mark, the brown lentils weren’t quite ready. If you have a tendency to forget you are cooking, set a timer. This soup doesn’t have a lot of excess liquid and you’ll simmer it out if you don’t check on it. If that happens just add more broth.

You can add some tortillas to your soup as it simmers. If you do this, use small pieces to make it easier to eat.

This soup has a lot of textures but I add even more by topping it with the tortilla strips, fresh Pico de Gallo, cilantro, avocado, and anything else I have. Oh, and don’t forget the lime! Squeeze fresh lime juice over each bowl!

Yield: 4 servings

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup

This hearty plant-based Tortilla Soup is filling and delicious. A few easy additions can give it extra heat if you like it spicy.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1 sliced jalapeno (remove seeds for less spicy version)
  • 1/4 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups veggie broth (see note in recipe)
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can of organic corn, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup dry lentils
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for the tortilla strips.
  2. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic and cilantro to a large pot on medium heat. Stir occasionally and as the veggies stick, add a few tablespoons of water and stir again.
  3. Cook these veggies until the onions become translucent.
  4. Add the broth, spices, black beans, corn, tomatoes, tomato paste and red lentils. All the ingredients should be submerged in broth, if they aren't add little more liquid.
  5. Bring the soup to a simmer and cover with a lid. You don't need a boil, that will cause too much water to evaporate.
  6. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  7. Cut your corn tortillas into strips, you may add seasoning if you want but it's not required. Bake for 10 minutes.
  8. Then test lentils to make sure they are done.
  9. Allow soup to cool some before eating. Top with tortilla strips. I like to top with fresh pico de gallo and cilantro too.

Notes

Want your soup to be spicier? Add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or more jalapenos to the soup.

© Holly Yzquierdo
Category: Soups, Stews, & Chili

Are you a Tortilla Soup fan?

Plant-Based Meal Plan

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This week’s Plant-Based Meal Plan features easy breakfast ideas, leftovers for lunch, simple snacks, and delicious dinners.

Plant-Based Meal Plan featuring breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner recipes.

This page contains affiliate links. That means I may make a small percentage of commission if you make a purchase using one of my links.

My kids have gotten into a nice routine of making their own breakfast and lunch each day. Sometimes they will still ask me, “what’s for lunch” and I remind them of all the things they can make. They usually choose easy things like oatmeal, PB&J’s or beans.

Plant-Based Breakfast

This week we will be having Blueberry Baked Oatmeal (recipe coming soon), smoothies, Strawberry Banana Muffins and maybe Instant Pot Oatmeal.

Plant-Based Lunch

This week, I plan to enjoy dinner leftovers for lunch as much as possible. Soup and salad is always a favorite! My kids will love having tostada’s again. They’ve been making their own lunches every day and I love it. They’ve been eating lot’s of sandwiches and beans.

Plant-Based Snacks

Plant-Based Dinner

Monday: Hearty Veggie and Potato Soup is one of my favorites! It’s great for leftovers too.

Tuesday: Tostada’s using Instant Pot Refried Beans, lettuce, tomato, jalapenos, salsa and corn. Everyone loves tostada night!

Wednesday: Veggie Burgers with Oil-Free Potato wedges. I like to have a big salad right before or with dinner.

Thursday: As good as making pizza would be, pasta and sauce is much easier. Of course, Pizza Pasta is always an option!

Friday: Snack food night! We will have veggies and hummus, quesadillas, popcorn, potato wedges and maybe Chickpea Nuggets. The kids love eating stuff like this, especially when they get to eat in the living room while watching a movie!

I recently preordered a new book that is coming out this week! I’m excited to read Fiber Fueled! A new plant-based book all about gut health. Yes, I know I’m a geek but I’m still mentioning it in case you haven’t heard about it and want to preorder too.

Sale
Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome
Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome
  • Hardcover Book
  • Bulsiewicz MD, Will (Author)
  • English (Publication Language)
  • 400 Pages - 05/12/2020 (Publication Date) - Avery (Publisher)
$19.29
Buy on Amazon