Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

Superfilling Breadless High Protein Vegan Lunch Roll

Don’t get me wrong; I have little to no problem with carbs. I don’t eschew bread when it appears on restaurant tables, and I thought that Dr. Atkins was a few sandwiches short of a picnic. But some days, I want a break, a chance to veggie-up and lighten the digestive load, while still enjoying a sandwich that’s easy and filling. I came up with this sandwich, which uses collard greens instead of a wheat wrap, and whose filling has plenty of protein and flavor, making it a seriously satisfying sandwich.

To Make:

-Wash and rinse a large collard green leaf
-Spread a 1/4 cup layer of red quinoa (see nutrition details here) over the leaf, leaving a good 1/2 inch around the edge uncovered
-Dress with your favorite dressing; I like Goddess dressing by Annie’s for tang and non-dairy creaminess.
-Add tomatoes, sprouts, and grated carrots spread over quinoa and dressing, concentrating in the middle
-Lay 4-5 pieces of drained, raw tofu down the middle (about 1/2 cup or a 1/4 of a block)
-Roll up, burrito-style!

Nutrition Estimates (these are just my homemade calculations here):
Calories: 400
Protein: 17 grams
Fiber: 5 grams

Ani Phyo’s Healthfully Decadent Raw Coconut Kream Recipe

Dessert has always been my favorite part of any meal (though I do love apps!) and while I’ve managed to tame my sweet tooth in the last few years, I’ve by no means eliminated it. (By tame I mean I can get my sweet-happys from maple syrup, honey, and desserts made with fruit and less sugar.) Frankly, I’d rather carry around an extra five pounds than skip desserts, in all their toothsome glory. But I try to concoct or uncover desserts that are healthy as well as tasty. Just because it’s dessert doesn’t mean that it has to be a nutrition wasteland!

So stumbling upon Ani Phyo’s wonderful raw dessert cookbook (with 85 recipes!) was a coup. As you may already know, raw foods retain all sorts of wonderful enzymes, vitamins and minerals, plus are less ‘predigested’ (I know it’s a bit gross, but that’s basically what cooking is; partial digestion of food before you eat it). That means your body has to work a bit harder to digest, which makes you feel full longer and is actually really good for your gut. All of which means you get more nutrition and eat less when you go raw. While I’m not a raw foodist by any means, I’m going on my 19th year of vegetarianism and love the way whole foods that are minimally processed taste and make me feel. And the more I’ve read about the benefits of raw, the more I try to incorporate it into my diet.
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The Homesteader’s Kitchen Recipe: Apple-Raspberry Crisp for Autumn’s Bounty

I’m totally in love with The Homesteader’s Kitchen, and I was lucky enough to secure a fun-to-try (ad supereasy) recipe from the book. I love that the ingredients for the filling for this crisp are so simple, relying on the fresh sweetness of the apples and raspberries for flavor rather than a bunch of add-ins. Ditto for the crisp topping; I have all these ingredients in my pantry already. This is a great recipe for children or new bakers as it will be very tough to screw up!

Choose organic apples and raspberries (or pick your own) where you can, and remember, a dessert this healthy also makes a wonderful breakfast (try sheep’s milk yogurt instead of a la mode to add a shot of AM protein to the dish).

Apple-Raspberry Crisp

Serves 6-8
Topping:
½ cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 –inch pieces
1 cup sucanat or brown sugar
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon cinnamon, optional

8 cups sliced firm apples (8 to 10 whole apples or 2 to 3 pounds)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour or tapioca powder
4 cups fresh raspberries
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Starre’s Healthy Summer Coffee Energy Drink Recipe

Too many so-called energy drinks are missing key ingredients to give you truly sustained and healthy power. Too many refined sugars and caffeine, but no sustenance, and ingredients are processed and packaged months before you drink it. Fresh is always better and more life-sustaining– and if you’re looking for real oompf, ‘old’ ingredients just don’t cut it.

The drink below relies on plain old caffeine from (organic) espresso, yes, but it is moderated with a serious dose of protein, vitamins and minerals from raw nutmeats, and sweetness from raw honey, which in addition to sweetening the pot, also contains all sorts of fabulous enzymes which can help stomach ailments (ideal if coffee can bother your digestion at all), and contains anti-bacterials and natural anti-cancer properties. Look for local raw honey for the very freshest and healthiest versions. I live in Connecticut, so I either eat Andrew’s Local Honey (from right here in Fairfield County) or Apitherapy raw honey from Honey Gardens in Vermont.

Raw cacao is ridiculously tasty (I found mine at Whole Foods) and ups the energy ante in this drink through theobromine, a natural stimulant. It also contains plenty of magnesium, calcium and iron, as well as high doses of antioxidants (much more than processed or ‘cooked’ chocolate). Wilderness Family Naturals also makes an excellent raw cacao powder.
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3 Ultra-Satisfying Vegetarian Fall Soup Recipes

Image via: Sneakerdog

Every year, when it starts getting cold, I crave soups and stews packed with greens and garlic. To me, it’s the ultimate comfort food: hot, healthy, and vegetarian. I love to experiment with seasonal ingredients like apples and butternut squash, and add in favorites like spinach and hot spices. Here are three filling, unbelievably delicious meat-free soup recipes that will be in rotation in my soup pot this season.

Garlic, Chickpea and Spinach Soup
By Sneakerdog

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
5 cups vegetable stock
12 ounces potatoes, diced

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