Lettuce Wraps

"I'm pretty good at sticking to what I know. You don't see me social commentating on health-care or presidential debates. I talk about what I know because I'm petrified of being wrong."- Gary Vaynerchuck

Hi Friends, I've been blogging for a few months now and I love it...but I would love to take my blog into a new direction. I still want to be adding in vegan recipes because I love creating these recipes, however I am still really passionate about fashion (I am a fashion designer for those who don't know). Actually, I was initially really into ethical fashion and then from there I started studying more about veganism and the lifestyle.  I've had a lot of people ask me about sustainable fashion companies and I want to be able to share these companies with all of you. I hope for this blog to morph into an ethical lifestyle blog. 
Plus I can't wait to finally finish the new blog design and share it with all of you. :) 
💕💕💕💕💕

Lettuce Wraps 

Makes 4 wraps 

4 pieces of lettuce

1 avocado 

half a tomato 

1/8 cup of chopped onions 

Spicy Lemon Dressing 

juice of half a lemon 

pinch of Cayenne pepper 

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp of Maple Syrup 

Instructions 

1. Cut avocado and tomato into cubes and mix with chopped onions 

2. distribute onto lettuce leaves

3. Mix Dressing Ingredients 

4. Pour Dressing over the lettuce Wraps 

5. Enjoy 

Green Goddess Salad

"Time and health are two precious assets that we don't recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted." - Denis Waitley

Hello Friends. It's been awhile! first I was on Hornby island over Christmas with family and then I was in Las Vegas for work. Meanwhile I was upgrading my website to self hosted, although I'm still not sure if I will be using the website for my fashion label blog (which will include Vegan recipes) or for my personal food blog (this one).  Too many directions!!!

I'll admit I haven't been eating the healthiest lately. Healthy food in Vegas is hard to find!. But now that I am back and hopefully things will slow down for awhile, I'm going to be cooking and posting some really healthy, yet delicious recipes on here. 

This one I made for my friend yesterday and was really just a combination of the green food in my fridge. but the sauce is what gives it some wicked flavour.  It's already one of my favourites.

Green Goddess Salad

Serves : 2

Time : 30 mins 

Ingredients: 

1 Avocado 

2 Broccoli heads 

2 handfuls of Arugula 

10 Brussel Sprouts 

3 TBSP of Walnuts 

2 TSP Butter

1 tsp Maple Syrup 

Dressing : 

1 TBSP Vinegar

1 TBSP Maple Syrup 

1 TBSP Olive oil

1 TBSP Tahini 

pinch of Salt 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Peel Brussels sprouts so they are individual leaves (as much as you can) and put into oven for about 20 minutes. or until the leaves are starting to brown. 

Put Broccoli into boiling water and cook for 15 mins. 

While the Broccoli and Brussels sprouts are cooking prep the salad dressing and the Plate

First mix all the Dressing ingredients together. 

cut the avocado into pieces and put on the plate

Drizzle the avocado with a couple tsp's of Dressing 

add a couple handfuls of arugula on top of the avocado 

once brussels are done mix them in a bowl with 2 TSP of butter and 1 tsp of maple syrup, make sure to mix them well. 

Put the brussel sprouts leaves on top of the salad 

add the walnuts and broccoli on the salad 

Drizzle with some more dressing.

Enjoy!

Roasted Beet Hummus

"It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves - in finding themselves." 

-Andre Gide

Hi Guys, Hope you had a great weekend. 

 The only negative thing that happened to me when I became vegan is, I became anemic. Anemia is when you have an unusually low supply of red blood cells in your body, sometimes caused by iron deficiency. 

Although I do take a iron supplement every night I try to get as much iron as possible from the food I eat. The common misconception is that iron only comes from red meat but that just isn't true. You can get it from soybeans, spinach, lentils, tofu, nuts, pumpkin seeds, and more. But... just today I found out chickpeas are super rich in iron so obviously the first thing I do is make a hummus. 

This hummus is really easy and tastes amazing with tons of flavour (secret ingredient is the apple cider vinegar) 

What are your favourite chickpea recipes?

Roasted Beet Hummus 

Ingredients 

2 medium sized beets

1 19 oz can of chickpeas (drained)

2 Tbsp olive oil 

2 Tbsp lemon juice 

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp tahini 

1 Tsp salt 

1 clove garlic 

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees

Wrap whole beets in tinfoil and put into oven for an hour 

Take beets out of oven and let cool before cutting off the peels 

Blend all ingredients including the beets in a blender on high speed 

Spread on toast and sprinkle with hemp seeds or dip your favourite vegetables in the dip 

Enjoy 

Autumn Buddha Bowl

"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear." - Buddha

Happy Monday All! 

Today I made an awesome vegan Sante fe salad with a peanut lime vinaigrette that I really wanted to share but I was so hungry when I got home from work that I couldn't take the time to take pictures. All good I had extra dressing left over so I will definitely be making it again this week to share with you guys. 

In the mean time enjoy my super delicious Buddha bowl recipe. 

This bowl is not only really yummy, but it's filling and healthy as well. So many nutrients are packed in this meal, making it a good meal for an athlete. You also don't have to follow the exact ingredients, feel free to take away or add whatever you like. This is just what I put in mine. 

Awesome Autumn Buddha Bowl 

serves 1

Takes 30 mins to make 

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa 

1 beet 

1/4 sweet potato 

1 potato 

quarter medium sized onion 

half avocado 

few lettuce leaves 

dash rosemary (or any other herb you like)

Maple vinegar dressing 

1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar 

1 table spoon oil (I use olive oil)

2 tsp Maple syrup 

1/2 tsp salt 

Instructions :

Boil 2 cups of water 

add the quinoa to the boiling water 

cook on medium-high until water is gone 

While the quinoa is cooking preheat oven to 400 degrees

cut up the beet, onion, potato and sweet potato 

drizzle with oil and cook for 20-35 mins or until soft 

remove from oven 

to make the maple vinegar dressing, mix all ingredients in a blender for a minute. 

to assemble the bowl, put quinoa at the bottom 

add the roasted vegetable mix

add as much lettuce and avocado as you want

pour dressing over buddha bowl 

and finally sprinkle with whatever herbs you want. 

Enjoy 

please comment below on an recipes you would like me to make a vegan version of. 

Apple Pie Nice Cream With Caramel Date Sauce

"If something is wrong, fix it. But train yourself not to worry, worry fixes nothing" - Ernest Hemingway

Hello and happy Tuesday!

  For thanksgiving this week I made gravy, stuffing, pumpkin cheese cake and apple crumble (all vegan and delicious).  *All recipes coming soon. 

I had an abundance of apples from the crumble I made, so I thought why not try an apple pie nice cream. I've had two massive guilt-free bowls already, and I totally wouldn't feel bad about having another. 
 I have no doubt there is going to be many more nice cream recipes on this blog because I am just soooo happy my life long dream of eating ice cream everyday is coming true. 

      Apple Pie Nice Cream with Date Caramel Sauce

Serves 1 

5 mins to make 

Apple Pie Nice Cream 

2 frozen Bananas

half frozen apple 

1 tsp Cinnamon 

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. 

Clean out the blender before you make the date sauce

Date Caramel Sauce

10 dates

1/4 cup water

Blend in blender until smooth

pour over nice cream 

Enjoy 

Follow me on instagram @amandamariegomes 

First Day Raw

"Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication" - Leonardo da Vinci  

I wanted to break up the first round of recipes with an update on how my first raw vegan day went on Wednesday.

Morning -  was great, I made a massive smoothie with beets, cherries and a banana (picture above) once I got to the office my boss had some fresh juice so we did a little swap. I think his had ginger, citrus and pineapple in it. 

Afternoon - I sipped on the smoothie through out the afternoon but then needed something a little more substantial so I made a salad with tomatoes, basil, and avocado. Once I got home I made that delicious black forest banana ice cream from my previous post, and it actually filled me up. 

Evening - because I am eating whole foods all day you need more of them to fill you up, so my first mistake was not being prepared. I realized I probably should have had zucchini noodles to make a raw pad thai, or at the very least more bananas. but I didn't and I wasn't sure what else to make so I caved and ate a bowl of chili which is still very healthy just not raw.

overall I don't think my first raw day was failure, it actually went pretty well and I learnt what I needed for next week. if anyone has any raw vegan recipes that they love please send them my way.

-Amanda

Black Forest Nice Cream

"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it" - Henry David Thoreau

You know what I like about eating raw? is that it forces you to eat whole foods, and you know that your not putting tons of chemicals and preservatives into your body. 
   When I went vegan I did not want to be buying store bought substitutes that are probably not super healthy for you. so i chose to make my own raw sour cream, cashew milk, and cream cheese (totally awesome recipe coming soon) That way I know exactly what is going into my food.

 If you asked me the question, what food would you eat for the rest of your life, if you could only choose one? it would have to be ice cream. The smooth, sweet, creamy flavour is just too good to resist. and guess what?!?! you can make a really healthy one with no added sugar, no chemicals, and no dairy that tastes just as good and it's raw... winning! 

Black Forest Nice Cream 

*serves two 

2 bananas

12 pitted cherries 

1 tbsp of cacao powder

blend all ingredients together. Top with a cherry. 

Enjoy 

Raw Wednesday - Zucchini Pomodoro

“ We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations. ” — Anais Nin

Do you ever find a recipe you love so much that you make it over and over for dinner 5 nights in a row. this is one of them. 

The older I get the more I realize I'm having more and more in common with my mom. I'm not ready to admit that I may be turning into her but ... when we get together we can converse for hours about books and health all while spending hours in thrift stores. 

this was one of those days. My mom and I had just got back from thrift shopping (we bought mainly books) super hungry and wanting to try a raw vegan recipe she had found online.  

out came the fresh tomatoes and zucchini  from their garden - boy do I love that garden. and together we made this fresh lunch. 

This is one of those recipes that you can eat 3 bowls of and not feel guilty at all. in fact the more you eat the fresher you feel. and it takes no time at all. 

Raw Zucchini Pomodoro

3 small zucchinis 

1 cup tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil 

1 date

2 tsp parsley 

1 tsp of salt 

2 garlic cloves

if you have a veggie spiralizer, great, get that guy out and make your zucchini noodles. If not grating the zucchini is fine however make sure for both ways you use paper towel to soak up the excess water otherwise your pomodoro will turn into pomo-soup 

blend the rest of the ingredients in a food processer on medium. you still want it a bit chunky. 

pour over noodles 

it really is that easy.

Hello.

Hello and welcome to my blog. 

Just last year around this time I decided I wanted to cut all animal products out of my diet once a week. I'm not sure where this desire or idea came from but after the first day I decided I wanted to do it for longer. One day turned into one week, turned into one month that has now turned into one year. 

while I initially did it for the animals, there are so many more benefits to going vegan.  

1. My skin cleared up - after years of acne I realized I had a dairy allergy and it was making me look like a witch. now I have clear glowing skin. 

2. I had more energy. seriously getting up in the morning used to be the worst. now I actually have energy. 

3. Money savings. - eating a $1 can of beans is $4 cheaper than a chicken breast and the beans have more nutrients and protein. plus you eat at home a lot more so your saving money by not going out to restaurants.  

4. a new found passion -  for cooking. I love trying new recipes sometimes they work, sometimes they don't but I'm enjoying the process. 

5. Weight loss - this one was a nice surprise. I lost about 7 lbs by going vegan and it's not easy to put the weight back on if you stay vegan. 

6. and finally new friends. the vegan community around the world is amazing. I am meeting all kinds of awesome people by being vegan. 

so what is this blog about? 

many of you have been asking for recipes for the pictures I've been posting on Instagram, so mostly I'll be sharing my recipes with you. I also have been really involved in bullet journalling lately so I wanted to share some of my processes about that with you.  

Hopefully I will be able to keep this up with my busy lifestyle and I hope you enjoy reading. 

-Amanda

Picture : I call these ones PNW bars names for the abundance of berries you find in the Pacific Northwest (my home). recipe to come.