My Plant-Based Family

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

Recipes

Vegan Burgers

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I love a good vegan burger. What can I say, I’m girl who loves burgers and fries. Trying to find a delicious, plant-based, oil-free burger is not impossible. This whole food bean and oat burger is my favorite vegan burger of all.

Vegan Burgers

When I went plant-based in 2011, there were limited vegan burger options. Thankfully, we’ve come a long way! Several restaurants near us offer vegan options, and I can get a frozen burger I enjoy at Sprouts. But this one, it’s my favorite!

Bean and Oat Burger

This burger’s main ingredients are kidney beans and rolled oats. They make up the bulk of the burger and give it a great texture. This burger holds it’s shape very well, I’ve never had it come out crumbly. I can pile it high with toppings and it still stays together.

Vegan Burger

Seasonings and Condiments

This burger recipe uses a mix of spices and condiments to give it a great flavor. I looked back at my first Veggie Burger recipe from 2012 when I first started blogging and tried to improve on that. This recipe uses:

  • onion powder
  • garlic powder
  • Tamari (or Soy sauce)
  • Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
  • Ketchup
  • Mustard

If you aren’t a fan of one of those flavors, leave it out. I don’t feel like I can taste any of them on their own. They just make the burger taste more savory.

Burger Toppings

Of course you can add your favorite toppings to your burger. Some days I go with the classic lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, ketchup and mustard. Other days I go with avocado, tomatoes, onions and peppers. Other times I use every thing I can find!

Burger and Fries

I cook this burger in a 400 degree oven. The main reason is that I wanted to be able to cook these burgers and my oil-free potato wedges or even homemade fries at the same time. I get the potatoes in first, then make the burgers and they are ready about the same time!

Vegan Burgers

These bean and oat burgers are easy and delicious. Your family will love how versatile they are and how well they reheat.

Ingredients

  • 1 can Red Kidney Beans (15 ounce can, drained and rinsed)
  • 3/4 cups Rolled Oats
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce (or tamari or liquid aminos)
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tbsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Ketchup
  • 1 tbsp Yellow Mustard
  • Burger Buns
  • Burger toppings

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Put the rolled oats in the food processor and pulse. The texture should be similar to instant oats.
  3. Add the drained kidney beans, spices and condiments. Pulse 6 or 7 times or until a coarse crumb forms. Do not over mix.
  4. Scoop out roughly 1/2 cup of the mixture at a time and form into equal sized patties. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through.
  6. Divide between plates and top with your favorite burger toppings.

Store leftover burgers in an air tight container in the fridge for about a week. Reheat in the microwave or oven.

Yield: 3

Vegan Burgers

Vegan Burgers

These thick, hearty Vegan Burgers are oil-free and delicious. Enjoy them with your favorite burger toppings.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 can Red Kidney Beans (15 ounce can, drained and rinsed)
  • 3/4 cups Rolled Oats
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce (or tamari or liquid aminos)
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tbsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Ketchup
  • 1 tbsp Yellow Mustard
  • Burger Buns

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Put the rolled oats in the food processor and pulse. The texture should be similar to instant oats.
  3. Add the drained kidney beans, spices and condiments. Pulse 6 or 7 times or until a coarse crumb forms. Do not over mix.
  4. Scoop out roughly 1/2 cup of the mixture at a time and form into equal sized patties. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through.
  6. Divide between plates and top with your favorite burger toppings.

Notes

This recipe makes three good sized burgers. If you want more, double the recipes. The leftover reheat well.

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© Holly Yzquierdo
Category: Recipes

Oatmeal Cups

by 1 Comment

These vegan Oatmeal Cups are beautiful and delicious. I started making these in early 2020. We were addicted and made a batch every week until it became too hot to bake here in Arizona.

Vegan Oatmeal Cups

I’ve made a lot of baked oatmeal recipes but these always seemed more festive. The combination of the dried fruit and the nuts and seeds always made them feel like a Christmas snack. I decided to wait all year to share them and now it’s time.

Most of the time I made them in my Pampered Chef brownie pan. You may have seen some Instagram stories of them. They taste just as good whether they are square or round.

Vegan Oatmeal Cups

I love that these are oil-free but taste decadent thanks to the seeds, nuts, and dried fruit. Those all help them to be really filling too! We eat them for breakfast, snack and dessert!

Another bonus to this recipe is it makes 18 oatmeal cups. Trust me, a dozen is never enough for our crew. We are also able to package some up and give them to others.

Yield: 18

Fruit and Nut Oatmeal Cups

Fruit and Nut Oatmeal Cups

These plant-based Fruit and Nut Oatmeal Cups are not only delicious, they are also beautiful.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed
  • 6 Tablespoons water
  • 3/4 cup applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup dried fruit (I use a cranberry, golden raisin and cherry mix)
  • 1/4 cup dried fruit (for topping)
  • 2 Tablespoon raw pepitas (divided)
  • 2 Tablespoon hemp seeds (divided)
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 cup plant-based milk (we use rice milk)

Instructions

  1. Make flax eggs by combining ground flax seed and water in a small bowl. Stir well then set aside.
  2. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
  3. In a big bowl, add applesauce, vanilla, salt, maple syrup, pumpkin spice seasoning together and stir well.
  4. Next, add baking soda, 1 cup of the dried fruit, have the hemp seeds and half the raw pepitas, and all the walnuts. Stir well.
  5. Add the oats, flax seed mixture, plant-based milk and stir well. I like to let this sit for 5-10 minutes so the oats absorb the liquid.
  6. Scoop the mixture into a muffin pan. My muffin pan is nonstick. I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup. The muffin cups will rise slightly. If things tend to stick in your pan, use a little cooking spray.
  7. Sprinkle the remaining dried fruit and seeds on top of the muffin cup. (If you forgot and added it all inside that is ok too. You can add a little more on top if you want).
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The oatmeal cups will be golden brown.

Notes

Store muffin cups in the refrigerator in an air tight container for about a week.

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© Holly Yzquierdo
Category: Breakfast

Substitutions

This versatile recipe works with a lot of substitutions.

  • If you don’t have applesauce you can used mashed bananas. See more tips here.
  • Can’t have nuts, you can skip them all together.
  • Can’t have seeds? The flax seeds work as a binder so you could try an egg replacer. I think it would work fine if you skipped it.
  • Can’t have oats? We are working on some variations using other grains because my husband can’t have oats.
  • Don’t have this dried fruit mix? You can use other dried fruit like raisins or dried cherries. I haven’t tried dried tropical fruit yet.
  • No maple syrup? You can use another sweetener like date paste or agave. You could also use sugar.
  • Want to use less sweetener? Go for it. The applesauce and dried fruit provide some sweetener already.
Vegan Oatmeal Cups

Our family LOVES this oatmeal cups recipe! If you make these I’d love to hear what you think!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowl

by 2 Comments

This Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowl has been living on my personal meal plan for months! We love it! Most often it takes the form of a Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad because I put all the ingredients on top of a giant bowl of greens.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowl

I first shared this recipe during the Next Step Challenge. It’s been a big hit!

The flavor of this salad is my main reason for loving it. We love sweet potatoes and black beans. Corn and tomatoes are always a good choice for me. Add in the avocado and I’m a happy camper! Of course when I can’t find good avocados I’ll use a little packaged guacamole. Then, instead of salad dressing I use salsa!

The next reason is because I feel great after eating it. The potatoes and beans give me a lot of energy and fuel for my day. I get a lot of greens and veggies. Sometimes I even throw some fruit in there, usually berries.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowl

Batch Cook

To make this easy to throw together on busy week days, we like to batch cook the sweet potatoes on the weekend. You can also cook your beans but I’ve been using canned black beans for ease.

To batch cook the sweet potatoes, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then wash and peel your sweet potatoes, then dice them into bite sized pieces. Bake them for 40 minutes.

This recipe serves about 4. It will depend on how much of all the veggies you use. We like to prepare this for busy week day lunches because we can throw everything together in a few minutes.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowl

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowl

Ingredients

  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 head Romaine (or your favorite greens)
  • 1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup Tomatoes, diced
  • 1 can Corn, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup Salsa, divided
  • 2 Avocados

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Wash and peel 2 sweet potatoes. Cube them into bite sized pieces and place them on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle salt on the potatoes and bake for 40 minutes. Allow to cook before eating.
  3. Assemble the bowl, starting with a layer of romaine or greens of your choice, add in black beans, cooked sweet potatoes, corn, tomatoes, and avocado. Top the bowl with your favorite salsa.

Other additions we enjoy is adding fresh lime, cilantro, fresh jalapeno, sauerkraut (really), and any other veggies that need to be used up.

Yield: 4

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowl

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowl

This Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowl is incredibly satisfying. You'll get a great variety of veggies in an easy to assemble meal. This vegan meal will leave you full and energized.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 head Romaine (or your favorite greens)
  • 1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup Tomatoes, diced
  • 1 can Corn, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup Salsa, divided
  • 2 Avocados

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Wash and peel 2 sweet potatoes. Cube them into bite sized pieces and place them on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Sprinkle salt on the potatoes and bake for 40 minutes. Allow to cook before eating.
  3. Assemble the bowl, starting with a layer of romaine or greens of your choice, add in black beans, cooked sweet potatoes, corn, tomatoes, and avocado. Top the bowl with your favorite salsa.

Notes

You can also use fresh lime, cilantro, fresh jalapeno, sauerkraut, and any other veggies that need to be used up.

If you plan to carry this to work, I recommend using cherry tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes.

Save time by batch cooking the potatoes ahead of time.

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© Holly Yzquierdo
Category: Recipes

Salads don’t have to be only veggies, adding beans, potatoes and other higher calorie foods like avocados and nuts (if you make them a part of your diet) can help make your salads satisfying and give you the energy you need to conquer your day!

Plant-Based Taco Bar

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Back when we did potlucks, a Taco Bar was always a favorite! It’s easy, everyone can make their own, and almost everyone loves tacos. A Plant-Based Taco Bar is also really versatile because all the ingredients can be mixed and matched! Tacos, burritos, taco salads, choose your own adventure.

Plant-Based Taco Bar

Whether you are feeding a crowd (whenever we get to do that again) or your family, give the Taco Bar a try!

Keep in mind that you don’t have to make it super complicated. You don’t have to have all of these options or toppings. Just in case you need it, I’m giving you permission to simplify this and do the easiest version with ingredients you already have!

Vegan Taco Meat

We choose whole food versions of taco filling. My absolute favorite is my Instant Pot Lentil Taco filling. The stove top version is really good too!

I also have a version that combines Quinoa and Lentils or a version with just quinoa.

Tortillas

Our tortilla choice varies but we usually have corn tortillas for the adults and flour tortillas for the kids. Sometimes we will use lettuce wraps or tortilla chips. We mix and match based on what we are in the mood for and what’s available.

Plant-Based Taco Bar

Taco Toppings

This is where the fun begins. You can use whatever you like but my favorite taco toppings for a Taco Bar include:

  • Lettuce
  • Diced Tomatoes
  • Sliced Jalapenos
  • Corn
  • Pico de Gallo
  • Salsa (red and green)
  • Avocado or Guacamole
  • Black Beans (whole)
  • Pinto Beans (whole)
  • Cilantro
  • Lime

Some people like pickled onions and dairy-free cheese but we aren’t into that. I have used vegan sour cream or vegan plain yogurt for a little extra tang!

Oil-Free Refried Beans

Side Dishes for a Taco Bar

I don’t think you really need side dishes when it comes to a taco bar but since I love these I’ll mention them. Plus, they go perfectly with tacos!

Mexican Rice is so easy to make. Cook it in the Instant Pot or stove top. Refried Beans are easy too, just a little time consuming to make from dry beans but don’t let that stop you. I actually prefer to follow this recipe for Instant Pot Refried Beans (oil-free of course)!

What are your must have Vegan Taco Bar options? I’d love to hear if you use the same basics or if you have other options we haven’t thought of!

By the way! I just started a Youtube Channel! I’d love it if you would subscribe! Just CLICK HERE to check it out!

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa

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We’ve been eating my Mexican Rice and Bean Casserole for years. It’s a crowd pleaser. I’ve adapted it and made many different versions. It seems like it’s time to do it again. I’m taking the same flavor and most of the ingredients plus quinoa! It make it even easier, I’m making it in my Instant Pot!

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa

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If you are like me, you probably have a giant bag of quinoa in your pantry. I don’t know why, but in the summer I always gravitate toward quinoa.

What is Quinoa?

Quinoa is technically a seed but most people treat it like a grain. It should be cooked before eating. Quinoa has a slightly nutty flavor.

Quinoa is a great versatile food to add to your rotation. We enjoy it in stir frys instead of rice, in breakfast bowls instead of oats, as a replacement for taco meat, your imagination is the limit.

Should I Washing Quinoa?

If you are new to quinoa, you will want to rinse your quinoa first. Quinoa is coated in saponin. It’s bitter and will make you think quinoa is gross. If you rinse the quinoa well, we use a fine mesh strainer, you’ll be able to get the saponin off easily.

Many brands of quinoa will prewash it to remove the saponin.

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa

I love how versatile this recipe is. I enjoy it hot and cold. Whether I reheat leftovers or serve them cold, I love topping it with my pico de gallo. What can I say, fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and cilantro are irresistible.

When I know I need a filling meal on the go, this is one of my top choices.

Yield: 4 servings

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa

Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa is a quick and easy recipe your family will love. Adapt it to your individual preferences.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 15 ounce can Black Beans (drained, rinsed)
  • 1 1/4 cups water or veggie broth
  • 1 cup Quinoa (uncooked)
  • 1 cup Diced Tomatoes (from the can, drained)
  • 1 cup Frozen Corn
  • 2 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1 Lime, sliced for garnish
  • 2 Avocado (diced)

Instructions

  1. Dump the black beans, water/veggie broth, quinoa, tomatoes, corn, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt into the Instant Pot.
  2. Close the lid and close the pressure valve. Press manual/pressure cooker and cook for 5 minutes on high pressure. Once it is done, release the pressure manually. Remove the lid carefully.
  3. Serve in bowls topped with lime wedges and diced avocado. Fresh pico de gallo is my favorite way to enjoy it.

Notes

Refrigerate leftovers in an air tight container. Enjoy for 3-4 days.

You can eat leftovers warm or cold.

Did you make this recipe?

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© Holly Yzquierdo
Category: Instant Pot

Vegan Peach Crisp

by 4 Comments

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 peaches 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.

Recommended Products

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

Did you make this recipe?

We'd love to see it! Tag us and use #MyPlantBasedFamily!

© Holly Yzquierdo
Category: Dessert