My Plant-Based Family

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

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Plant-Based Basics: Potatoes

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The third installment of the Plant-Based Basics series. This series is designed for those who are new to a plant-based diet but I think this installment will be particularly helpful to everyone. 

I can’t tell you how often people ask me if they can eat potatoes. Even more often I hear, “I can’t eat white potatoes they are so bad for you.” Once a lady emailed me admitting she hadn’t eaten a potato in 15 years. In her attempts to lose weight she had avoided carbs and starchy vegetables but was now embracing a plant-based diet.

Plant Based Basics Potatoes

What do the Plant-Based Experts Say?

I’ll admit that the potato issue isn’t completely cut and dry. There is some disagreement among the plant-based experts. Some doctors like Dr. McDougall practically encourage unlimited potatoes while Dr. Fuhrman and other recommend limiting white potatoes if you are overweight or diabetic.

For most experts it depends on the individuals unique medical situation.

Why you Should Eat Potatoes

1. Potatoes are full of important nutrients like potassium, vitamin B-6, vitamin C and more.

2. Potatoes are fat-free, cholesterol-free, sodium-free and low in sugar.

3. Potatoes are high in fiber and most people don’t get enough fiber.

4. Potatoes are inexpensive and have a long shelf life is stored properly.

Types of Potatoes & Ways to Enjoy Them

There are over 100 varieties of potatoes. I most often eat Russet, White, Red, Sweet Potatoes, and Yams but choices vary by region.

I believe the biggest problem with potatoes is the way we choose to eat them. Most potatoes are fried in oil, served as chips, or topped with added fats in the form of oil or dairy.

Potatoes can easily be baked or roasted in the oven and taste just as good when “baked” in the Crock Pot. Some people prefer to steam or boil potatoes as well.

My Favorite Potato Recipes

I’ll often grab a leftover baked potato as a snack or a quick breakfast. I have lots of potato recipes but some of my favorite meals are happy accidents with leftover potatoes and whatever else is on hand.

plant based basics potatoes

Pictured above you’ll find Taco Potatoes, Dirty Mashed Potatoes, Lentil and Potato Stew and Breakfast Tacos/Burritos.

More favorites (pictured below) include Sweet Potato Casserole, Lentil Shepherd’s Pie, Light & Fluffy Mashed Potatoes and Bean & Potato Burritos.

plant based basics potatoes

My most popular potato recipe is my Slow Cooker Potato Soup. It’s really easy to make and absolutely delicious. See my Recipe Page for more recipes featuring potatoes.

Don’t miss the previous installments of the Plant-Based Basics Series.

The Plant-Based Diet Starter Guide

 

Plant-Based Holiday Meal Plan and Cookbook

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It’s almost Thanksgiving and Christmas will quickly follow. Do you have a plan for the holidays?

Favorite Foods made Healthier

Food may be at the center of most holiday traditions but that doesn’t mean you have to eat poorly. In fact, many of your traditional favorites can be adapted and made healthier (and allergy-friendly).

You may need to substitute eggs, butter or oil but it can be done. I highly recommend you test each dish before the big day or follow a trusted recipe.

The Holidays can be a Slippery Slope

The problem with straying away from healthy eating habits during the holidays is that most of us don’t stop with one meal. We polish off a turkey dinner and dairy-filled sides with a couple of pieces of pie, then start all over the next day with leftovers. Then we have a “hankering” for rich and fatty foods that can only be quenched with Christmas cookies, cakes and cheese.

Does that sound familiar?

Plant-Based Holiday Meal Plan
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Plan for Health

I’ve collected all of my favorite traditional Holiday foods in one place. The Plant-Based Holiday Meal Plan & Cookbook is a PDF download that contains 20 recipes. This collection is perfect for anyone who eats vegan, gluten-free, or allergy-friendly.

Plant-Based Holiday Meal Plan and Cookbook

Recipes

Let’s take a closer look at the recipes!

  • Thanksgiving Sage Dressing
  • Gluten-Free Cornbread for Dressing
  • Perfectly Whipped Mashed Potatoes
  • Sweet Potato Casserole with optional Pecan Glaze
  • Thanksgiving Mushroom Gravy
  • Green Bean Casserole
  • Creamy Crustless Pumpkin Pie
  • Dry Veggie Broth Mix
  • Cranberry Sauce
  • Holiday Lentil Loaf
  • Cheezy Potatoes (Vegan Scalloped Potatoes)
  • Faux Cheese Sauce
  • Butternut Squash & Quinoa Salad with Oil-Free Cranberry Dressing
  • Oil-Free Cranberry Salad Dressing
  • Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
  • Veggie Pot Pie (this recipe contains gluten but can be made GF using the GF Pie Crust Recipe)
  • Recipe for Easy All Purpose Sauce for Veggie Pot Pie
  • Roasted Asparagus
  • Maple Glazed Carrots
  • Gluten-Free Pie Crust (contains vegan shortening)
  • Apple Pie
  • Creamy Apple Pie Bars

Most of the recipes are also oil-free, the only exception is the pie crust. (I’ve yet to create a truly great pie crust that is gluten-free and oil-free hence the vegan shortening used in the crust).

Plant-Based Holiday Meal Plan and Cookbook

Last year I offered a Thanksgiving Meal Plan but this year I’ve taken that old Meal Plan, updated it with new recipes and made it more user-friendly. If you bought the old Thanksgiving Meal Plan I’m happy to send you this one for free. Just send me an email and I’ll verify your purchase and send you a new download link.

If you haven’t purchased it yet what are you waiting for? The Plant-Based Holiday Meal Plan is only $4.99! Add to Cart

 

It’s also available on Amazon but I HIGHLY recommend this PDF version. The Amazon version is e-reader friendly but the charts get difficult to read do to formatting changes. The larger you screen the easier it is so it will likely work fine on ipads but not as well on iphones.

 

I guarantee it will make your holiday meals healthy and delicious! It’s full of helpful information, a cooking guide and plenty of tips.

Fiesta Pasta

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I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a long time, like over a year. My apologies. I think you will agree that it is worth the wait. I’m the kind of girl who loves a vegan, gluten-free, nut-free pasta that tastes like it belongs in a restaurant. It’s also soy-free if that is important to you.

Fiesta Pasta is Vegan, Gluten-free, Dairy-Free and Nut-Free

What’s better than pasta? Pasta with Mexican flare. I often use macaroni noodles and call this Fiesta Mac but you use whichever noodles you like but if you are feeding toddlers small noodles are usually best.

Fiesta Pasta

Ingredients for the sauce

  • 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
  • 2 Tbsp Brown Rice Flour*
  • 1 tsp salt (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened plant-milk

Ingredients for the pasta

  • 1 package (16 oz) Gluten-Free Pasta (any shape)
  • 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup organic corn (I use frozen)
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes

*cornstarch can be used instead

Do

  1. Dump all of the dry ingredients for the sauce into a medium sauce pan on medium heat. Pour in 1/2 cup plant-milk and stir with a whisk.
  2. In a separate pot bring water to boil to cook pasta. Follow the package directions.
  3. Alternate between whisking the sauce and scraping the bottom with a silicone spatula. As the sauce thickens add another 1/2 cup of plant milk until the full 1 1/2 cups is used.
  4. Pour beans and corn into the pasta in its last few minutes of cooking time.
  5. Drain pasta (and corn and beans), pour Fiesta Sauce on top of pasta and mix well.
  6. Dump tomatoes on top and mix one more time.

Serve

Fiesta Pasta is perfect for a potluck and can be used as the Main Dish or a Side Dish! The Fiesta Sauce gives it just the right amount of cheezy flavor without the dairy. You can also add an 8 oz can of tomato sauce (no need to change other measurements, just cook it a bit longer) for a slightly more savory flavor.

This recipe made me fall in love with nutritional yeast all over again. You can easily alter it to suit your preferences.

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Roasted Red Pepper Dip

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I love eating dips. LOVE them I tell you. Since transitioning to a plant-based diet, oil-free hummus is in my weekly meal plan rotation. This Roasted Red Pepper Dip is oil-free and one of my favorites!

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When I want something with a little more flavor than my classic hummus, I’ll make this Roasted Red Pepper hummus. It’s like magic because I can eat way more veggies when I have hummus than I eat without it. 

Since this hummus is made without oil or tahini, there is very little fat! 

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

What do you eat with hummus?

There are so many foods that pair well with hummus. Raw veggies, pita bread, and crackers are perfect for hummus. I also enjoy hummus on wraps, sandwiches, in salads, and mixed into pasta! Adding roasted red pepper hummus to my Mediterranean Bowl brings it to a whole new level.

Substituting Chickpeas

Hummus doesn’t have to be made with chickpeas. If you can’t eat chickpeas because of an allergy or intolerance, you can substitute another type of bean. I recommend great northern beans or any other white bean. 

I routinely make dips like my Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus, Spinach Artichoke Dip and Green Chili White Bean Dip with white beans. There isn’t a big difference in flavor or texture, especially if it would take another trip to the store, just use what you have.

Do you need tahini in hummus? 

I don’t think you need tahini in hummus. Sure it adds some flavor and creaminess but it’s not necessary in my opinion. I’m not a big tahini fan.

I just leave tahini out of all the hummus recipes I make. 

Kids love dip

I don’t really need an occasion to make humus and I find that my kids love it too. They easily eat twice as many veggies (if not more) when I have a delicious dip to enjoy them with. I’ll often cut up veggies and leave hummus next to them on the counter while I’m cooking. As they smell dinner, they come in to snack while I cook. Without a doubt, they eat way more veggies that they would at dinner.

This dip is really easy to make and is delicious with veggies, crackers, chips or in a wrap.

This dip is allergy-friendly by avoiding nuts, sesame and dairy. It’s also vegan and gluten-free, which is pretty typical around here.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients

  • 1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained
  • 1/4 cup water (more or less)
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup roasted red pepper

Do

Puree beans, water, spices and red pepper in a Food Processor or high-powered blender and blend until smooth. I use my Blendtec and push the “dip” button for super simple and quick option.

Serve

This is the perfect condiment for your veggie wraps and great with raw veggies. 

Yield: 6

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus is an oil-free, low fat hummus that is perfect for people on a whole food plant-based diet.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained
  • 1/4 cup water (more or less)
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup roasted red pepper

Instructions

  1. Puree beans, water, spices and red pepper in a Food Processor or high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
  2. If needed, you can add more liquid to get a smoother consistency.

Notes

Store leftover dip in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

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© Holly Yzquierdo
Category: Sauces, Dips, and Salad Dressings

Meal Plan Monday: Fall Break Menu

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It’s Fall Break so my kids are home from school this week. That means I’ll be doing a lot more cooking with at least 3 times as many interruptions. The weather has finally started to cool off meaning it’s not supposed to be in the 100s. That also means I’m back to using my oven. I’ve been testing a lot of new recipes that will go into an UPDATED version of my Thanksgiving Meal Plan! Stay tuned for more details. I’ve been sharing them on Facebook.

I’m also preparing some food for a Naturopathic Medicine Week Open House at Keystone Natural Family Medicine. If you live in the Phoenix area mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 8th and stop by between 3:00 and 6:00. There will be classes starting every 30 minutes and raffle prizes at the end. I’d love to meet you!

Plant-Based Meal Plan

Plant-Based Meal Plan

This is my Fall Break Menu because when it’s Fall Break I need lots of food available.

Plant-Strong Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon and Raisin Breakfast Rice

Breakfast

I’m taking advantage of the seasonal flavors for most of our breakfasts. Organic Gala Apples were a great price at my local Sprout’s Farmers Market.

Bean and Grain Bowl that is gluten free and vegan

Lunch

I will keep it pretty simple for lunch. My kids will beg for sandwiches everyday and I might give in. I met the Soy Nut Butter folks at the Food Allergy Bloggers Conference so we are trying it out.

Vegan Shepherds Pie

Dinner

If you haven’t made a Meal Plan for the week yet take a few minutes and jot down some ideas. Feel free to use these to check out my Meal Planning Pages for Free Meal Planning Ideas. If you’d like all of the work done for you can purchase a ready-made meal plan complete with a shopping list and recipes.

So, what are you eating this week. Your Meal Plan my inspire others. If it’s Fall Break for you what are you plans?

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Custom Meal Plan

Meal Plan Monday: Quick Meals and Comforting Soups

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September signals fall sports, dropping temperatures and back to school activities (read homework). Thankfully, I’ve found my back to school routine for the most part. Our evening sports practices make for hurried dinners at least twice a week. I love making quick meals and comforting soups, especially when they are easy.

This weekend is my Gluten-Free Lunch Box Class. If you live in the Phoenix area you don’t want to miss it! The deadline to sign up is Tuesday! Next week I’ll be releasing the New Meal Plans so be on the lookout for more clues this week on Facebook and Twitter!

Meal Plan Monday

Breakfast

I know I’ve mentioned it before but I’ve fallen in love with Oatmeal again. The slightly cooler mornings make it my go to breakfast. I always use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats (it’s a 4 packs).

  • Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal
  • Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
  • Cereal (on busy mornings)

Lunch

I pack a lunch for my kindergartener but my preschooler and I eat at home.

Dinner

I just restocked my pantry so I get to have some of my favorites this week.

I’m thinking of doing a little baking too! Maybe these Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins or Gluten-Free Apple Muffins with hit the spot. They would taste amazing with Sarah’s Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Spice Creamer (warning: contains nuts).

What do you have planned for the week? Have the temperatures cooled down enough for warm soups and comfort foods?