My Plant-Based Family

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

Recipes

Oil-Free Pumpkin Granola

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Since September 1st is the beginning of pumpkin season I decided it was time to share my pumpkin granola recipe. This is no ordinary pumpkin granola! It has my favorite fall flavors in an easy to make oil-free granola.

This oil-free Pumpkin Granola recipe has the best fall flavors mixed in. Pumpkin spice, pecans and even cranberries!

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Most granola recipes are made with oil and it can be tricky to make it without. The payoff is worth it because you get a delicious chewy granola. (My husband loves chewy granola.) Don’t get me wrong. It still has plenty of crunch from raw pepitas and pecans. If you have a nut allergy, you can leave the pecans out but they are my favorite part!

This oil-free Pumpkin Granola recipe has the best fall flavors mixed in. Pumpkin spice, pecans and even cranberries!

I typically make my granola mild, I don’t want flavor too strong so it doesn’t overpower whatever it is served with. The funny thing is, I can’t stop snacking on this one by itself. I finally had to put it away because it’s way too tempting when left on the counter.

If you are looking for an easy and delicious granola recipe that has the best flavors of fall, try this recipe! You get the pumpkin, maple syrup, the classic pumpkin pie spices, raw pepitas, pecans and dried cranberries!

If you aren’t ready for fall after reading that list, nothing will help you! But don’t worry, if you aren’t a cranberry fan, you can leave them out. I made a batch of both but I’m partial to the cranberries!

This oil-free Pumpkin Granola recipe has the best fall flavors mixed in. Pumpkin spice, pecans and even cranberries!

One important note, if you need to be gluten-free because of an allergy or celiac disease, make sure you use gluten-free oats. I completely trust GF Harvest!

Oil-Free Pumpkin Granola

Enjoy this Pumpkin Granola on vegan yogurt, baked fruit, a smoothie bowl, pumpkin pudding, or like me, by the handful!

Oil-Free Pumpkin Granola
 
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Serves: 5 cups
Ingredients
  • 3 Cups rolled oats (choose certified gluten-free oats if needed)
  • ¾ cup pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup plant milk (I used rice milk)
  • ¼ cup raw pepitas
  • ½ cup pecan halves
  • ½ cup dried cranberries (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add your rolled oats and set aside.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, add your pumpkin puree, maple syrup, spices, vanilla and plant milk. Stir well.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the oats a little at a time and stir well. Once all the wet ingredients are incorporated into the oats, add the raw pepitas and pecan halves and mix again. Don't add the dried cranberries yet!
  5. Scoop mixture onto the parchment covered baking sheet. Be careful not to get it too close to the edge. If there isn't enough room, use two baking sheets.
  6. Bake for 40 minutes total but pull it out every 10 minutes to stir gently. Once done, allow to cool.
  7. After the granola is cool, mix in the dried cranberries and store in an airtight container.

You can skip the parchment if you have a Silpat! It’s a non-stick silicone baking mat (and it makes a great gift).

This oil-free Pumpkin Granola recipe has the best fall flavors mixed in. Pumpkin spice, pecans and even cranberries!

Did I leave out any of your favorite fall flavors? 

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

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You may have noticed an abundance of Instant Pot recipes lately! I’m working my way through updating old recipes and adapting them for my pressure cooker. My latest success is adapting one of my favorite recipes, Instant Pot Minestrone Soup! Instant Pot Minestrone Soup may just be the perfect plant-based soup! Veggies, beans, broth and pasta create a hearty and healthy soup! I have been in love with the stove top version of this delicious, plant-based soup for years. The only thing I don’t love about it is how long it takes to make it. It still takes time to cut the veggies but making it in the Instant Pot means I can walk away from it and come back when it’s done. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you’ll love my stove top version of Minestrone Soup that has been a reader favorite for years! Instant Pot Minestrone Soup may just be the perfect plant-based soup! Veggies, beans, broth and pasta create a hearty and healthy soup!

Pressure Cooking with Pasta

The one thing that concerned me about making Minestrone in a pressure cooker was the noodles. Pasta and pressure cooking don’t always mix. I’ve had the best luck with whole wheat pasta like rotini or penne. I haven’t gotten gluten-free pasta to work in my pressure cooker, yet. If you are gluten-free, I recommend cooking your pasta on the stove and adding it to your soup after it is done. Even if you are not gluten-free, you may want to cook your pasta on the stove anyway. This soup creates a lovely broth, the noodles will soak it up and leave you with a casserole type dish instead of a soup. It tastes great either way but you can avoid that by adding cooked pasta right before serving. Instant Pot Minestrone Soup may just be the perfect plant-based soup! Veggies, beans, broth and pasta create a hearty and healthy soup!

Building Flavor

One of the reasons I’ve always loved Minestrone Soup is the variety of ingredients. You have veggies, beans, pasta and a flavorful broth. When I cook this on the stove I’ll let it simmer and tweak the flavors as it cooks. You can’t do that in the Instant Pot. I use my dry Veggie Broth Mix to give this soup a robust flavor. If you have a favorite veggie broth, by all means, use it instead of water. I simply add 1 Tablespoon of Veggie Broth Mix for each cup of water. For this recipe, that is 1/2 cup of Veggie Broth Mix. You’ll want to add salt and pepper to taste as well. I prefer to sprinkle both on my bowl right before eating. Instant Pot Minestrone Soup may just be the perfect plant-based soup! Veggies, beans, broth and pasta create a hearty and healthy soup!

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

This soup has a long ingredient list but it’s really easy to make. If you will be pressed for time, you can precut the onion, carrots, and celery ahead of time. The rest of the ingredients are dumped into the pot.

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
 
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Recipe type: Instant Pot
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 4 stalks chopped celery
  • 2 cups chopped carrots (2-3 carrots)
  • 1 15 oz can white navy beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 oz can green beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 8 cups of water with ½ cup Veggie Broth Mix (or 8 cups of your favorite veggie broth)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 cups whole wheat noodles (or gluten-free noodles if needed)
  • 2 cups spinach (optional)
Instructions
  1. Dump onion, celery, carrots, and canned items into the pot.
  2. Add water and Veggie Broth Mix (or veggie broth) along with other spices.
  3. If using whole wheat noodles, add them to the Instant Pot. Make sure they are covered with liquid. This should be below the max fill line.
  4. Close the lid, press manual and decrease the minutes to 5 minutes. Adjust the pressure to low.
  5. It will take a while for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure. After it finishes cooking, use the quick pressure release method. Be careful, escaping steam and liquid will be hot.
  6. Carefully remove the lid and add the spinach. Replace the lid, sealing isn't necessary.
  7. Let sit for 10 minutes, then remove lid and stir.

This delicious soup is easy to adapt if you are missing an ingredient. I usually have all of these on hand but occasionally I’ll be missing green beans or spinach. I forgot to add spinach when I made the recipe for these photos! It still tastes great! You can also use frozen or fresh ingredients instead of canned. It still comes out great! Do you love Minestrone Soup? Have you tried it in the Instant Pot?

Instant Pot Refried Beans

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Before we get too far into this post I need to be upfront. These aren’t actually refried beans. They aren’t fried and contain no oil! I call them Instant Pot Refried Beans so you’ll know this recipe is for the Instant Pot and so you’ll know what to expect bean wise.

Enjoy restaurant style refried beans without sacrificing your health. These oil-free, plant-based refried beans are made in the Instant Pot.

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In 2012 when I started blogging, one of my first recipes was called Unfried Beans. I love that recipe but it has people confused and it doesn’t exactly rank high in Google searches because no one searches for unfried beans.

This new recipe, designed for the Instant Pot, is basically that same delicious recipe I’ve made hundreds of times. Since it’s all being cooked together I add fresh onion and garlic. I usually added those when I cook beans on the stove top as well.

Enjoy restaurant style refried beans without sacrificing your health. These oil-free, plant-based refried beans are made in the Instant Pot.

I first developed the old recipe when we went plant-based. We wanted the same delicious flavors we had always loved without the meat and lard! It’s kinda gross to think about.

Thankfully, this version uses spices we always have on hand because I put them in everything!

Enjoy restaurant style refried beans without sacrificing your health. These oil-free, plant-based refried beans are made in the Instant Pot.

If you have a food processor, it will save you a lot of time. I have a 10 cup Hamilton Beach food processor that we’ve used over 5 years. It’s not too expensive and has never let me down.

If you don’t have a food processor you could use a blender, immersion blender, potato masher or a fork. A food processor works the best though.

Instant Pot Refried Beans

We enjoy these beans on anything and everything! Try them in Nachos, Tostadas, burritos or a big bowl by themselves!

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Instant Pot Refried Beans
 
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Enjoy this easy and delicious refried bean recipe the whole family will love. This oil-free, plant-based recipe is low in fat but high in flavor!
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Recipe type: Instant Pot
Ingredients
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced or chopped finely
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 cups dried pinto beans
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons salt (to your taste)
Instructions
  1. Add diced onion, minced garlic, spices, beans and water to the Instant Pot.
  2. Cook on manual for 40 minutes on high pressure.
  3. After natural pressure release, scoop out excess water. Reserve it in case you need extra.
  4. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, more or less to your own taste
  5. Use a food processor, potato masher or immersion blender to puree.
  6. Add reserved bean water if needed until you get a smooth texture.

Enjoy restaurant style refried beans without sacrificing your health. These oil-free, plant-based refried beans are made in the Instant Pot.

If you have an Instant Pot, be sure to give these refried beans a try! They are perfect for batch cooking because you can use them in so many other recipes!

What are your favorite ways to eat refried beans?

Pineapple and Tofu Kabobs

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These Pineapple and Tofu Kabobs are the perfect introduction to tofu!

These easy Tofu Kabobs are a great way to introduce your family to tofu!

When we first went plant-based I was a little afraid of tofu. I had never tried it and didn’t know what to expect. Years later, I’m happy to say that we love tofu. We don’t have it often but when we do it’s a crowd pleaser.

Cooking Tofu

There are a few different ways I like to eat tofu; we eat it crumbled in a tofu scramble, diced and cooked in a skillet, or cooked in my Air Fryer.

When I bought my GoWiseUSA Air Fryer I had two things I wanted to make, crispy fries and Tofu Kabobs.

Grilling isn’t an option for us. Our grill is pretty old and since we stopped cooking meat, we stopped using it and it fell into disrepair. Broiling and roasting in the summer is out because we live in Arizona and it’s too hot. In the summer, I don’t use my oven because it heats up the house.

You can definitely make these on the grill or in the oven if you don’t have an Air Fryer. I’ve even cooked them in a skillet but they don’t cook as evenly since the individual veggies and tofu pieces don’t all touch the surface of the pan at the same time.

These easy Tofu Kabobs are a great way to introduce your family to tofu!

When I came up with this recipe, I really wanted to mimic the kabobs we used to make on our grill. Those had meat but the tofu was a great replacement. I also wanted to add my favorite veggies! Grilled bell peppers and onions are my favorite veggies to grill! Turns out, they are also great in the Air Fryer.

These easy Tofu Kabobs are a great way to introduce your family to tofu!

If you are new to making tofu there are a few things to know.

First, tofu will take on the flavors of the other things you are cooking, so season your food well.

Second, tofu is packed in water and absorbs it like a sponge. You’ll want to squeeze it out. I used to put it between two plates and put heavy books on top. I recently bought an EZ Tofu Press and it’s much easier to use.

These easy Tofu Kabobs are a great way to introduce your family to tofu!

Pineapple and Tofu Kabobs

Get your wooden skewers ready for these easy and delicious kabobs.

Ingredients for Tofu Kabobs

  • 1 block firm tofu
  • 1 pineapple, cubed
  • 1 onion, chopped into large chunks
  • 1-2 bell peppers, chopped into large chunks

Ingredients for Marinade

  • 1/2 cup tamari (or soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Optional sriracha

Do

  1. Press tofu to remove excess water. This will take about 10 minutes. While the tofu is pressing, soak wooden skewers in water. I broke mine in half so they would fit in my Air Fryer.
  2. Mix up the marinade in a shallow bowl or baking dish.
  3. Cube the tofu, then place the tofu in the marinade to soak for about 10 minutes.
  4. Chop veggies and pineapple and set aside.
  5. Build the kabobs by alternating veggies, tofu, and pineapple on the skewers.
  6. If cooking in Air Fryer, at 320° for 15 minutes, shaking after 10 minutes. If cooking in a skillet, stir or turn tofu, pineapple, and veggies until lightly browned on all sides.

These easy Tofu Kabobs are a great way to introduce your family to tofu!

Use these spices and ingredients as a starting point, add your favorites like mushrooms, grape tomatoes, zucchini, and more!

You should know that the veggies cook way faster than the tofu. If you use small chunks of veggies and big chunks of tofu the veggies will dry out if you cook them longer than 15 minutes.

One last tip! Use the leftover marinade to cook your quinoa, rice or noodles! If you are sauteing the veggies in a pan instead of making kabobs, use the leftover marinade in the skillet. The photo below is pineapple, tofu, and veggies that were sauteed in a skillet. No oil was used, just the marinade or a little water to keep it from sticking.These easy Tofu Kabobs are a great way to introduce your family to tofu!

What are your favorite (plant-based) kabob ingredients?

Plant-Based Nachos

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Can Plant-Based Nachos solve every problem in the world today? No, but it might be exactly what you need to help your family start making healthy food choices.

When we first transitioned to a plant-based diet, we made healthier versions of our old favorites. One of those favorites was nachos!

Your whole family will enjoy these healthy, plant-based Nachos!

We put a healthier twist on nachos by making non-dairy cheese sauce and oil-free beans. We include our favorite toppings like tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and more. I like to douse mine in salsa but I leave it on the side when the kids will be sharing. Don’t forget the jalapenos and guacamole!

One of the reasons we love making Plant-Based Nachos is because everyone loves them. I get a lot of emails from people asking how to get their families to eat plant-based. Nachos is the answer!

Of course, you can’t live on nachos but a standing Nacho night isn’t out of the question.

If your whole family will be sharing, make a Nacho Bar so everyone can build their own! You can let them choose between black beans or pinto beans (both are oil-free).

Your whole family will enjoy these healthy, plant-based Nachos!

Make Your Own Chips

The least healthy thing about the nachos are the chips. Granted, chips aren’t healthy. You can choose healthier versions or make them yourself.

To make your own oil-free chips, buy soft corn tortillas, check the ingredients to make sure they only contain corn, water, and maybe lime juice.

Cut them into triangles or strips and bake them until crispy! It’s easy!

Your whole family will enjoy these healthy, plant-based Nachos!

Nacho Victory

Some of you aren’t as concerned about the chips, just getting your family to eat beans is a win! I firmly believe that healthy nachos could be the step to healthy eating for some.

Once you get your family enjoying Plant-Based Nachos, you can get them to try Tostadas, Burritos, Casseroles and more.

Your whole family will enjoy these healthy, plant-based Nachos!

Plant-Based Nachos

This recipe is more art than science. We have our favorite way to make them, but I’ll mix and match different ingredients based on what we have.

If you set up a Nacho Bar, you can have all of the ingredients in bowls for your family.  Each person can make their own nacho masterpiece. If you are creating a group platter, you’ll want to layer chips, beans and cheese sauce in a pan and broil them for a couple of minutes, then add all the toppings.

Ingredients

  • 1 batch Unfried Beans (That is what I call my oil-free refried beans)
  • 1 batch dairy-free cheese sauce
  • Other toppings of your choice like tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, salsa, avocado, etc.
  • Chips or baked corn tortillas

Do

  1. Start cooking the cheese sauce because it takes the longest to make (unless you are cooking the beans from scratch).
  2. Prepare the beans, you can use beans you cook yourself or canned beans.
  3. Chop or prepare the other ingredients
  4. If making a Nacho Bar, place all the ingredients in bowls for your family to build their own serving. If you are making it family style, layer chips, beans, and cheese sauce in a pan. Broil it for a few minutes to get it all warm, then top with your favorite ingredients. I recommend you keep any ingredients that won’t be well received, on the side.

This is one of those recipes that is easy to make on a busy night or to use up leftovers! The dairy-free cheese sauce takes the longest unless you are cooking the beans from scratch, but it reheats well.

I like to plan nachos after I’ve batch cooked beans!

You have to admit, these look good even if you aren’t plant-based. Go ahead and show the video to a family member and see what they think!

I have to thank my friend Melodee from Melodee Lynn Photography for these amazing pictures. She is an artist with the camera!

Double Chocolate Donuts

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UPDATE 08-09-2020: The brand used in this recipe is no longer in business. I will create a replacement and list it here soon.

I invited you all to join me in the My Plant-Based Family Facebook group. We’ve been having a daily accountability check in! It’s been fun seeing what everyone is doing to stay on track.

Buying and preparing the right foods is crucial to eating healthy. For me, that means eating mostly unprocessed foods and that when I do eat something that is processed, it uses healthy ingredients.

When I’m eating the healthiest, it’s because I’m prioritizing food prep. That doesn’t necessarily mean batch cooking, although you can do that if it works for you. That means if I’m going to eat something, I’m going to take the time to make it. Usually, I’ll make extra so I can have leftovers.

That also means I can’t deprive myself. I’m not someone who can function if I’m hungry. I’m not a nibble on some carrot sticks all day kind of girl. I need food, preferably beans or potatoes or both.

My kids are like me, except there is no end to their eating. They are always hungry and almost always eating. We rotate through standard snacks between meals like fruit, smoothies, popcorn, etc. Sometimes I surprise them with treats that make me the best mom in the world. Treats like these donuts!

Secretly Healthy Double Chocolate Donut are top 8 allergen free and delicious.

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Let me let you in on a secret, these donuts are really black bean brownies bites. I’m so tricky! Go ahead and insert evil villain laugh.

See, I used to make all my gluten-free treats from scratch. I needed several types of flour, leavening agents, egg replacers and other ingredients that practically took up a whole shelf in my pantry. I don’t have that kind of real estate. Then when I went to actually bake, one of my flours would be past its expiration date.

I had had enough and decided to stick with mixes. It was so much easier to bake when I didn’t have to worry about all of the ingredients. The hard part was finding a mix that was actually healthy.

Zemas Madhouse Foods baking mix is made with ancient whole grains and is gluten-free and vegan.

I discovered Zemas Madhouse brand of mixes this year and was pleasantly surprised when I read the ingredient list. They read like actual ingredients you would buy if you cooked from scratch. You can’t say that about most mixes.

Black Bean Brownie Bites! are top 8 allergen free and delicious.

Their mixes are vegan, gluten-free, top 8 allergen free and non-gmo!

Black Bean Brownie Bites! are top 8 allergen free and delicious.

I decided to take their Ancient Whole Grain Black Bean Brownie Bites mix and give it a try! WOW! No one would believe there were beans in the mix!

Then I took it a step further and transformed them into donuts. All you need is a donut pan. That’s right, these are baked, not fried.

Gluten-Free and Vegan Double Chocolate Baked Donuts

Did you think it was possible to get a baking mix that was full of good for you ancient whole grains, no fillers and are top eight allergen free, rice free and corn free?

Try making these donuts (or the mini-muffin form) the next time you need to take a treat to a get-together!

Gluten-Free and Vegan Double Chocolate Baked Donuts

Secretly Healthy Double Chocolate Donuts

You’d never guess these donuts (or mini muffins) are healthy! Shhh…don’t tell your family they contain ancient grains and black beans, they would never guess!

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Secretly Healthy Double Chocolate Donuts
 
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This recipe can be used to make brownie bites in a mini muffin pan or baked donuts.
Ingredients
  • 1 box Zemas Madhouse Foods Black Bean Brownie Bites Mix
  • ½ cup canned black beans, rinsed
  • 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 10 ounces of water
  • ¼ cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray cooking oil into the donut (or mini muffin pan) and set aside.
  3. In a blender, puree black beans, vanilla, and water; set aside.
  4. Pour entire mix into a bowl and add liquid mixture, combine thoroughly.
  5. Fill donut pan (or muffin cups) ¾ full.
  6. Bake for 12 minutes, Cool for 10 minutes on a baking rack.

Store leftovers in an airtight container or freeze in individual servings for easy snacking.

Don’t forget the glaze for the top of donuts. It’s the easiest thing ever!

Simply melt 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of your favorite peanut butter (or peanut butter alternative) in a small bowl and stir. That is all. You get a thick and rich glaze that is delicious on donuts, strawberries, pancakes, banana bread and anywhere else you want a rich, chocolate treat.