The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Kolaches (Dough + Filling) Recipes

I had been begging my mother for two and a half years to make me some vegan kolaches. My family heritage is Czech, and I grew up watching my grandmother and now my own mother bake large batches of kolaches in the kitchen. I'm Texan and this is a big deal down where I'm from. I finally planned a full day to attempt a batch of vegan kolaches, and these have been given the stamp of approval by my Czech grandmother (who still speaks Czech!). She gobbled them up and when I said they were vegan, all she said was, "Ain't it?"

Special thanks goes out to Helen Pitlik of Vegtastic.net for giving me permission to share her own dough recipe that I slightly modified. Thanks again for a wonderful recipe!

Vegan Kolache Dough
yields 4 dozen small kolaches

Ingredients
2 cups lukewarm non-dairy milk
2/3 cup sugar
2 packages dry yeast
1/3 cup oil
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
6 cups flour, divided
4 Tbsp. vegan butter

Directions
1. Add sugar to lukewarm milk and stir in yeast in a large bowl. Let sit for a few minutes until foamy.
2. Stir in oil, 3 cups flour, and salt and mix until combined. Stir in remaining 3 cups of flour.
3. Shape into ping pong–sized balls and place on a greased baking pan about 1 inch apart. Let rise until more or less doubled in size (about two hours).
4. Press down centers on "wet" side that was facing down on your pan with your thumb and fill with desired filling.
5. Let rise again for another hour.
6. Brush the tops with melted vegan butter and bake at 350° for 15–18 minutes.

Filling options
1 can poppyseed filling
1 package Beyond Meat Grilled Chick'n
1 package Tofurkey Roast Beef
1 package Daiya Cheddar or Swiss cheese
Cream cheese with popsika (instructions below)
1/2 can cherry pie filling

Cream Cheese Filling
yields filling for 20 kolaches

Ingredients
1 package Tofutti Better Than Cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Directions
1. Soften cream cheese in microwave for 30 seconds.
2. Blend together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
3. After following steps 1–3 for the kolache dough, press down centers of the risen dough with a spoon to create a small "bowl".
4. Add filling mixture and top with popsika (directions below).

Now onto the topping for the fruit kolaches. This was always something my grandmother let me do, and I honestly have no idea what popsika even translates to. My cousin calls it "The Crumble", so whatever works!

Popsika (The "Crumble") for Fruit-Filled Kolaches
yields topping for 3 dozen fruit kolaches

Ingredients
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/8 cup sugar
1/8 cup flour

Directions
1. Blend ingredients together with a fork until it begins to crumble. Continue to add equal amount of sugar and flour until crumble is achieved
2. Sprinkle over the top of the fruit-filled kolaches.

The HappyCow Cookbook: Recipes from Top-Rated Vegan Restaurants Around the World

One of the first websites that I found after going plant-based was HappyCow. I remember carefully selecting a restaurant to try out with my adventurous and supportive coworkers and sharing my passion for great food that is focused on keeping cows happy. And mooing. I even reached out to HappyCow to request to add my blog to their list, and upon doing so, discussed contributing a few posts to the HappyCow blog. The community there is supportive and kind, and there's always a new restaurant to be found anywhere on the globe. I also have a search on my Plant-Based Resources section that is easy to use and can query vegan and vegetarian-friendly options near you!

A couple of months ago, my dad handed me the latest issue of the The Houston Chronicle with a headline "Vegan Aloud". He saw the word vegan and immediately snagged it to show me later. When I opened up the section, I realized the article was about The Loving Hut, a vegan restaurant that I had been to a few times before. Then I squealed with joy as I realized they had been listed in The HappyCow Cookbook, which I didn't even realize was being released!

I couldn't wait to find out what amazing recipes were inside, and I received my preview copy a couple of weeks later. I was also overjoyed to see a recipe from Counter Culture, an Austin favorite of mine that I miss dearly. The cookbook includes over 80 recipes from across the globe and features interviews with the owners. It's full of beautifully photographed (and extremely yummy-looking) dishes that are approachable and easy to understand. I love that restaurants have shared their menu items for all of us to try out!

I am probably completely biased because I absolutely love dessert, but here are some of the recipes that are on my must-try list:
Chia Pudding from Luna's Living Kitchen, Charolette, NC
Chocolate Raspberry Hazelnut Cake from G-Zen, Branford, CT
Gluten-Free Coconut Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes from Chaco Canyon, Seattle, WA
Peanut Butter Blondies from Green Cuisine, Victoria, BC, Canada
Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding, Counter Culture, Austin, TX
Raw Brownie Bliss Bites from Choices Cafe, Miami, FL

WIN A COPY OF THE HAPPYCOW COOKBOOK
If you'd like a chance to win a copy of The HappyCow Cookbook, comment below with the name of your favorite restaurant and be sure to check out others on the HappyCow site.

To give you a sneak peek into the cookbook, I've included the Spicy Cha Cha from The Loving Hut here in Houston, TX below.

From Loving Hut in Houston, TX

Spicy Cha Cha

Serves 4–8

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1 cup cornstarch

2 teaspoons and 3 cups rice oil

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons sea salt

3 cups water

2 pounds vegan sea crescents (aka “vegan shrimp”) each sliced in half*

3 cups bread crumbs

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

½ yellow onion, diced

4 stalks green onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons vegan mushroom seasoning

2 teaspoons dried hot chili powder

*Can be purchased online.

Put the all-purpose flour, sugar, cornstarch, 1 teaspoon rice oil, baking soda, and a pinch of sea salt in a large bowl. Add water slowly and mix well until it becomes a thick batter.

Dip the vegan sea crescents into the flour mixture then roll the vegan sea crescents in the bread crumbs. Make sure each vegan sea crescent is fully covered with the bread crumbs.

Add 3 cups of rice oil in a deep frying pan or a medium-size pan, then turn the burner to medium heat. Place the vegan sea crescents into the pan and fry them until they become golden in color. Take the vegan sea crescents out and set aside on a plate with a paper towel to blot any excess oil.

Add 1 teaspoon of rice oil into a hot pan. Add all diced vegetables (bell peppers, celery, onions) and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the fried vegan sea crescents. Sprinkle with vegan seasoning, sea salt, and dried hot chili powder. Stir well for an additional 10 seconds. Remove from the heat and serve alone or ideally on a bed of chopped lettuce with steamed rice.

Casa De Luz Review

Sometimes I find myself in a rut when it comes to eating vegan, but I've been so lucky to have Casa De Luz so close to our home. I've never experienced anything quite like it before, and I was impressed with the super clam atmosphere. Walking in, you instantly feel relaxed. You pay $12 per person when you walk in the door, and this covers a soup, salad, entree, and either tea or water.

Review of Vegan Dishes at Thai Taste

I've enjoyed living in South Austin for the last several years, and feel lucky that we have such a wide array of different culinary options within a few mile radius of our apartment. Less than a half mile away, we have Thai Taste, which never disappoints! I had never really had Thai food before, but my husband was a fan for many months before taking me there for dinner one night. There have been many nights when I would rather call in an order instead of cooking something, and they always provide large portions that can also serve as my lunch the next day.

Healthy Vegan Sloppy Joe Recipe

I'm a sucker for comfort foods, and one of those meals used to be Sloppy Joes made from a can of Manwhich with some ground beef. Since I no longer eat animal products, I challenged my husband to create a vegan version. He's tested this recipe several times, and I am in love with this. I hope you enjoy it, too!

The Benefits of Adding Greens to Your Plate

Whether you're plant-based or an omnivore, eating greens isn't just for Popeye. I could go on and on about the benefits, but that's included in the infographic from Vegan Mainstream below.

Easy Vegan Tofu Scramble Recipe

We've always been a fan of Happy Herbivore's Tofu Scramble, and eventually we began to tinker with the recipe and make it our own. We enjoy making this on weekends and eating it with some whole wheat flour tortillas as breakfast tacos. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Interview with Tofurky Founder Seth Tibbott

Since going vegan, we occasionally consume some meat alternatives and usually reach for Tofurky products. We enjoy their Breakfast Sausage links, Beer Brats, Italian Sausages, and Kielbasa. We even had a cookout for our omnivorous family members with the brats and sausages, which they enjoyed! I reached out to Tofurky to express our gratitude for making these different products for vegans everywhere and never expected such an awesome response.

None other than the founder of Tofurky, Seth Tibbott, responded to my email. I was totally shocked and amazed at how down to earth he was and he promptly agreed to answer some of my questions. I was really curious about his story and the history of Tofurky and excited to hear what led to such a successful company who hasn't lost sight of what is important (hint: their customers!). Check out how it all began and why he chose to live in a treehouse for seven years below!

LRJ: How long have you been vegan and what brought you to that decision?

Seth: I became a vegetarian, not a vegan, in 1973 after reading Francis Moore Lappe's book, Diet For A Small Planet. She beautifully explained that animals were a wasteful way to produce protein which made sense to my environmental/naturalist ears. After this initial environmental-based conversion, I looked at the health benefits and the ethics of not eating animals and the diet added up from those angles, too.

Several years later, I became a "pure vegetarian" (vegan was not a term used yet) after visiting The Farm, an intentional community in Tennessee. After that, I cycled back and forth between vegetarian and vegan diets, finally settling onto my current vegan diet which I don't plan to ever leave. Looking back, this change to plant-based foods was one of the top three decisions that I made in this life.

LRJ: Take me back 35 years and tell me how you started making tempeh as a hobby. What inspired you to start there?

Seth: When I first stopped eating meat, my mom was really worried about me getting enough protein. I told her to relax; I was eating soybeans and felt fine. At that time I was eating a lot of soy grit burgers, not the most digestable or tastiest of things, but pretty decent. When I went to The Farm in Tennessee, I learned about tempeh and bought some starter from them.

I was working in Tennessee during the hot summer of 1977 and I went home and made some tempeh right away, putting it out to incubate in a bread pan covered with tin foil in a field by Lake Nolichucky, where I was working as an environmental specialist. The next morning, a beautiful white fluffy crop of mold grew on my beans. It smelled great and I cooked it up with some silver queen sweet corn, okra, and tomatoes. It was one of the best meals of my life. I still salivate thinking about that meal!

LRJ: After you decided to focus on plant-based protein, you founded Turtle Island Foods in 1980. How big was the demand for plant protein and how did you gain your foothold with health food stores?

Seth: In 1980, the natural food movement was in its infancy in Portland, Oregon. There were about six main stores, two of which were in dark warehouse sort of spaces and not much to look at. There was also one vegan restaurant. It was pretty easy getting space in those stores. When I approached Nature's, the biggest store in town, they said, "Cool! Now we can fill up our shelves with something! Do you have any more products?" Today it's a little bit harder to place products on shelves!

Few people had heard of tempeh so there was a lot of education and demos involved, of which I personally did several hundred. My vision was centered around the fact that in college you had to make your own granola, yogurt, and other foods because none was available (except for at the hippie head shop that I worked in that sold rainbow-colored bags of granola right under the rolling papers). Five years later, there was a whole shelf of granola in every supermarket in America. I thought that tempeh would follow the same path.

LRJ: Your family helped finance some of your ventures in the beginning and you put up $2,500 of your own. What were you focusing on for those first couple of years that have helped you succeed and expand in the early 80's?

Seth: Turtle Island and Tofurky worked because they had to work. There was no "Plan B" for me. I probably should have quit somewhere after the first ten years of only making $300 or less a month but the business was never about money. Working hard, doing everything from production to sales and marketing and accounting gave me a deep respect and appreciation for the people who we now employ to do those jobs here. It's hard work producing and marketing a food product. I am grateful of everyone on our team here and I want to increase everyone's benefits and work environment here. The last 33 years have been a great learning experience; very thrilling, but also very humbling.

LRJ: Tell me about your tree house! As a minimalist enthusiast, I'd love to hear how that process was, and possible delve into that deeper in another interview/blog post. What made you decide to live in a three-story tree house, and how did that affect you personally?

Seth: When you aren't making much money, life becomes a creative game of survival. I rented the trees for $25 a month and spent about $2,000 on the treehouse that I lived very comfortably in for seven years. That comes to about $60 a month when you include utilities, or 1/5 of my monthly salary, so that was about right. I was single and did not have a family to support at that time. There were actually two other treehouses in our valley which inspired me to build mine, and we would call each other to check in when the wind would blow strong over the mountains. My treehouse was 11'x16' with a deck, sleeping loft and cupola. I had a telephone, wood stove, propane cookstove, running water, electricity and a treehouse "peehouse". All the essentials!

LRJ: When you develop new products, what kinds of things are in the back of your mind and how do you gauge what will fly off the shelves?

Seth: New product development is always a risk. It's as much intuition and art as it is science certainly, and no one ever bats 1000%. We try and stay close to our customers and listen to what they are telling us. Facebook and social media of course makes this much easier than ever to do. We also try and pay attention to what we ourselves can't get but want. Currently we have a great Research & Development team here that takes it's time and mostly gets things right.

LRJ: Looking back through the years, were there any moments that truly stand out in your mind as the biggest indicator that you and your company was headed for success?

Seth: When Tofurky hit the market in 1995, our fortunes changed. We moved from a non-profitable regional company to a slightly-profitable national company. It was pretty cool how it happened so suddenly thanks to all the media attention. I remember I was at this party of people I hardly knew around Thanksgiving. I was walking from room to room and everywhere I went I was overhearing people talking about this crazy Tofurky product. The next day I went to work and the phone was ringing off the hook. Once I had to put The Wall Street Journal reporter on hold to talk to The Washington Post! Pretty heady times for a small town guy living in a tree.

Special thanks to Seth for taking some time out of his busy life to speak with The Little Red Journal! 

Tropical Fruit & Spinach Smoothie Recipe

I'm terrible at eating breakfast. I mean, I would rather sleep in the extra fifteen or so minutes. I knew this wasn't a good idea, and that I needed to eat something. At my last job, I had no problem with this, as I brought in oatmeal and fruit all the time. However, my new job wasn't really ideal to eat a breakfast such as this. Drinking my breakfast was a much better solution! I've really got my smoothies down to just a few minutes to prepare and I'm flying out the door before the clock hits 9 a.m. This one is my favorite, and it's super easy, I promise!

Tropical Fruit & Spinach Smoothie Recipe
yields 24 oz

1 c. frozen fruit
1-1/2 c. almond milk
1/4 c. frozen spinach
1 whole banana
1 Tbsp. flax seed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract

1. Toss all in blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add more milk if the smoothie is too thick to drink through a straw.
3. Put into a large cup with a lid and you're good to go!

Kristin: Adopting a Plant-Based Diet After Unexpectedly Expecting

I always enjoy hearing the stories of those who read my blog. I urge any other readers to reach out to me so that I can share your triumphs and challenges that we all face in our lives, whether it's through our plant-based journey, road to financial happiness, or our adventures into minimalism. Whatever the story, it always put a big smile on my face to know that other readers out there are relating to my own life, and are learning something in the process.

When Kristin reached out to me, I was excited to see if she'd share her story with all of you.

LRJ: What made you decide to go plant-based and change your diet?

Kristin: In the fall of 2012, my husband and I watched several food documentaries including Food Fight, King Corn, Supersize Me, and Forks over Knives. Coincidentally, we watched Forks over Knives on Thanksgiving night. After watching that documentary, we sat down and decided to discuss trying a plant-based diet. My husband was very supportive and purchased the Forks over Knives cookbook immediately, which set me on the right path from the start.

LRJ: What kind of health problems have you experienced in the last few years and what led you to change your ways?

Kristin: In the summer of 2010, at the ripe old age of 37, I was diagnosed with hypertension and mild sleep apnea. I started taking medication for the hypertension but opted to not purchase a CPAP for various reasons. At the end of 2010, I was surprised to find out that I was pregnant. During my pregnancy, although I lost weight, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome (Class I). I almost died the day after my emergency c-section due to the medication being given to me because of the HELLP syndrome.

 It truly wasn't until my little man was old enough to eat solid foods with us that I decided to change my eating habits. Since he has a severe dairy allergy, I couldn't see fixing two separate meals for three people. With the hypertension and my little one's dairy allergy, it really became an obvious choice to change our eating habits. Also, I was diagnosed in August of 2012 as pre-diabetic with the recommendation to start medication for that issue. Having seen my father and his father deal with diabetes in their later years, I knew I didn't want to do the same thing. Another reason for making the change.

LRJ: What have been the biggest health benefits or changes that you've noticed since changing your diet?

Kristin: Surprisingly, I've lost at least 20 pounds since changing my diet. Because of the weight loss, and eating healthier, I'm no longer pre-diabetic. And, I've been able to cut my blood pressure medication in half. In fact, I'm now taking 1/4 of the dose I was originally prescribed in 2010.

LRJ: Did you face any challenges in the beginning?

Kristin: Plenty! First, I never knew how much junk we had in our pantry until I started looking at labels and was really being challenged to watch our intake. I did start pretty simply by making only things that I felt comfortable making easily. And I'm definitely not ready for Iron Chef (I still have trouble cutting an onion), but I'm getting there. I was scared to death of all of the crazy ingredients I saw listed in the Forks over Knives cookbook! We live in a small Southern town, so I still can't find many of the ingredients. But I now have the confidence to work around any ingredient issues and utilize the internet for moral support.

Second, I didn't enjoy cooking in the least when I first started. I had no confidence so I really never knew if something was going to taste good or not each meal. Thankfully, I've been blessed with a wonderful husband who is very supportive of our change. He has definitely given me the confidence to at least attempt everything once. I will say, though, the "No-Cheese Sauce" in the Forks over Knives cookbook has been shelved indefinitely. Not going there again any time soon. :)

Third, I'm not the healthiest person on the planet. But even my healthier friends were challenging me on cutting out meat. And it seems that even now I'm often left to fend for myself because of a lack of understanding. In fact, I had someone ask me if I didn't believe that God wants us to eat meat. And I had someone else who wanted to bring us lunch one day and decided on roast beef & ham sandwiches. Not sure what you say to that except "thank you."

LRJ: Tell me about your blog, Unexpectedly Expecting. What inspired you to create this blog?

Kristin: Pregnancy. At 38, I never imagined I would be having a baby. When I titled my blog "Unexpectedly Expecting," that hit the nail on the head. We absolutely and resolutely never wanted to have children. My husband and I had been happily married for over 10 years and just didn't feel the need to "ruin" our lives with a child. We had come to a reconciliation with the Lord that it ultimately wasn't our decision but His. However, we weren't free-wheeling either... well not every time, at least. :)

So I decided to start a blog to record my growing belly along with milestones. All of our friends and family knew how strongly we felt about not having children so they sincerely wanted to know how we were handling this change in our lives. And as this country goes, you just don't live close enough to the ones you love for them to be involved in your lives. So, the blog started. Now that I have a very active toddler, it's been more difficult to get the blogs posted on a monthly basis. I do what I can and post when I have the opportunity.

LRJ: I'm childless but incredibly interested in raising my future son or daughter as a vegan. Does your son Noah like to eat plant-based meals?

Kristin: Actually, he really enjoys some of them. Obviously there are days when the food goes into the trash because he just wasn't in the mood. But since he's so young, he doesn't know what dairy products taste like due to his allergy. And, I've given him so little meat over the course of his life that he really doesn't even know it's not there. We will, on very limited occasions, give him a little chicken or hamburger, but only when we know the source of the meat. No store bought meat will enter his system if I can help it. Even today, I had some soy sliced ham on a sandwich for his lunch. He just wasn't interested in the "meat." And, he's the healthiest one of the three of us. I made most of his baby food and still make most of his food. Again, he doesn't know anything different so it really is easy with him.

LRJ: You also mentioned you were delving into minimalism. What brought you to that, and how has that affected your life?

Kristin: Interestingly, many things have brought us to that place. I worked full-time until the day I left to have Noah. When I left that day, we had planned on my going back to work at the end of my leave. How that would work, we just didn't know. By the time Noah was six weeks old, I was on the floor pleading with the Lord to make it work somehow that I wouldn't have to go back to work. (What?!) I NEVER imagined I would WANT to stay home with a child. I just didn't see that coming. So when we finally decided that I wouldn't go back to work, we really had to buckle down and see what was absolutely necessary in order to sustain our lives. My husband owns his own business so we really have to watch how we spend our money. (And his business is driven by the weather, which can be an added stress factor at times.)

Some things have been easy to cut out, like eating out and travel. We've also cut out our home phone and only have cable internet. When we cut our cable off, we thought that would be the end of our lives. But there is way more content on the internet that's free than we ever thought possible.

I even started making my own laundry detergent with your recipe. And I'm looking to make soap and shampoo soon to help cut those disposable costs. We're always looking at ways to cut out revolving expenses like our trash pickup (we can take it to a friend's dumpster) and putting up a clothesline to help cut energy costs this summer. But God has been so good to us by taking care of our finances. We actually have been able to give money to others on many occasions and are more free with our possessions than ever before.

LRJ: What advice would you give to others who are considering making a lifestyle change, whether into a plant-based diet or minimalism?

Kristin: Go slowly. I've had several people who said that based on my story they wanted to change their ways as well. I've encouraged them to take their time. I'm a stay at home mom with some time on my hands. But having come from the corporate world, I know how exhausted one gets after working all day. To try and take an additional two hours to put a meal on the table after working a full day would be maddening! Just do what you can when you can.

 If you can afford to take some short cuts, do that by buying the pre-cut veggies at the store. And don't get overwhelmed. I am definitely much faster at throwing a meal together now than I was six months ago. One thing that helps me is to always have some rice or other grain already made on hand. Brown rice takes up to 45 minutes or longer to cook. If you can have it done and in the fridge or freezer waiting for you to make your meal, all the better! Again, just take it slow and do what you can.

LRJ: You've obviously had some big changes over the last couple of years. Looking back, what would you say is your proudest accomplishment in your journey?

Kristin: This question actually brings tears of joy because my life is my proudest accomplishment (and I don't say that with pride). Obviously, without the Lord none of this would be possible. But had we not had Noah, this conversation would have never happened. There's a verse in the Bible that says, "I will give you the desires of your heart..." When we first found out about our little guy, that verse didn't make sense. A child was not the desire of our hearts. BUT we didn't know what our desires truly were. Only the Lord knew. And for that, we truly can't thank Him enough. So my proudest accomplishment is just this... life. I'm loving this life.

LRJ: Anything else you'd like to add?

Kristin: The only thing else that I would say is this: be okay with who you are. Coming from me, that's a very odd thing to say. But I'm realizing that who I am today is who I was created to be. And that's okay. Take some time and find out who you were created to be and then be okay with that person. What joy is there if we're never happy with who we are and are always striving to be somebody else? The other thing is to trust Christ in you. Take time to find out who He is. He created you, so take some time to get to know Him.

Thanks again to Kristin for sharing her story! Check out her blog, Unexpectedly Expecting, to keep up to date on her journey.

Black Refried Beans & Corn Quesadillas

I recently found myself hungry at 8:45 p.m. and didn't really have any food laying around for dinner. My husband and I ran to the grocery store to pick up some quick items for dinner. We wanted two completely different meals, but I grabbed some whole wheat tortillas, a can of refried beans and an avocado for some quesadillas. Without further ado, here's the recipe that took less than ten minutes to make!

Black Refried Beans & Corn Quesadillas
yields four quasadilla quarters

2 whole wheat tortillas
1 small avocado
1 tsp. garlic
1 tsp. onion
1/8 c. refried beans
1/4 c. frozen corn
sprinkle of vegan cheddar cheese (Daiya)

Directions
1. Warm up frozen corn in microwave.
2. Mash avocado in a small bowl and add spices.
3. Spread the avocado mix and refried beans onto both tortillas.
4. Add corn and cheese on the tortillas and sandwich together.
5. Cook the quesadilla in a Teflon skillet for a few minutes on each side until lightly brown.
6. Cut into quarters and serve with a side of salsa or vegan sour cream.

An Omnivore's Guide to Eating Plant-Based

While talking with my dad a while back, he mentioned that my mom wasn't really ready to go full-vegan. I'd been trying for months to get her to eat more plant-based as a way to reverse her diabetes. A friend of mine also said that she was thinking of eating more plant-based meals recently, and that really had me thinking. I know many people aren't interested in going full plant-based and still want to eat animal products. I have accepted that as a fact, and no longer expect everyone I know to go vegan overnight. With all of this in mind, I thought I would write up a few tips for those omnivores to dabble with meatless dishes without fully committing to veganism.

1. Add a meatless dish into your weekly meal plan. Meatless Mondays are a great way to ease into eating more plant-based, and it's not too tough to remember which day you'll give veganism a try, even just for on meal. Starting with one meal a week is not too daunting and you may even begin to look forward to planning that one meal a week or day. If you need some ideas, check out my Recipes page or my Pinterest board with over 500 recipes.

2. Make a smoothie in the morning as you run out the door. We bought a Nutribullet (a glorified blender) and it's super easy to make a quick smoothie before I head to work. Buy some fruit in the frozen section of the grocery store instead of stocking lots of fresh fruit that may go bad before you use them. I like to buy strawberries and bananas, a berry mix, a melon mix or pineapple. Then I toss in a cup of frozen fruit, almond milk, ground flax seeds, a handful of spinach, vanilla extract, almond extract, and blend until smooth. This healthy smoothie can keep your hunger at bay while you work through the morning and is probably better than not eating anything like I used to do!

3. Veganize your favorite dish for your next family dinner. When I went fully vegan cold turkey, the toughest part was missing my old favorites. Then I realized that you can pretty much Google your old favorites with the word "vegan" in front of it. We've figured out to make kale mac & cheeze, a meatless lasagna, ice cream, and even pudding. Before you say, "It can't be as good as the 'real thing'," try out a recipe. And if it's not a good recipe, find another one! I'm still on the hunt for the "World's Best Vegan Macaroni & Cheeze", and I've tried a few different recipes that totally sucked. I haven't given up just yet!

4. Purchase a carton of almond, soy, rice, or coconut milk. I'm not a big fan of soy milk (it's almost too thin for me), but I did finally find a brand of original almond milk that I love. I've never tried rice milk, but coconut milk is perfect for baking. Cutting out cow's milk and adding a plant-based milk is a great idea for those who aren't ready to make the full switch just yet. You'll start to getting used to using it for all kind of things (did I mention smoothies?!), and hopefully it can become a staple on your weekly grocery list.

5. Cook a grain to pair with your dishes for the week. If you have a rice cooker, this one is super easy. Early on in our adventures into plant-based cooking, we found that making a grain (such as brown rice, barley or quinoa) was an easy way to make the meals stretch a little further. Not only is it more filling, but it's a good foundation to almost any meal that you're making. We would cook a few cups and use it throughout the week during our lunch breaks to help us stave off hunger before dinnertime.

How are you working more plant-based meals into your diet?

Herbivore Herbivore Abroad Cookbook Review

I'm sure many of you know by now that I 'm a huge Happy Herbivore fan. I found her after doing some searches on the internet for plant-based lifestyle research, and it's been so great to have a resource with quick and easy recipes. I've even been featured on her blog as an Herbie of the Week near my one year veganniversary! She's continued to be a source of inspiration for my plant-based lifestyle, as well as introduced me to the idea of minimalism. Be sure to follow her on Twitter and Facebook, as her posts always put a smile on my face.

Happy Herbivore Abroad is the third cookbook that Lindsay S. Nixon (The Happy Herbiviore) has created, and she's now working on her fifth, with the fourth due out in December 2013. We're excited to purchase the next two books, and I highly recommend her recipes to everyone who shows an interest in eating a plant-based meal. My dad used to say that I couldn't even boil a pot of water, so to find some cookbooks that were 30 minutes or less to make a meal and didn't use crazy ingredients was a huge relief for me. Not only did this make going plant-based super easy, but it also helped me feel comfortable in the kitchen.

When we received this cookbook in the mail, I waited until my husband arrived home so that he could open it. We were pretty excited to try out these new recipes since we loved her first two, and were not disappointed in the least. After we get home from a long day at work, we can usually pull out this cookbook (or any of her others) and quickly whip up a meal. I like the no-fuss instructions, common ingredient lists (no searching the supermarket for a vegetable I've never heard of!), and they always turn out delicious. You can find this cookbook on Amazon for less than $12, and I've found that it's paid for itself time and time again!

Here's a few of our favorites from the cookbook:

Cuban Black Bean Soup (p. 17)

Thai Noodle Soup (p. 20)

Lentil Taco "Meat" (p. 43)

Taquito's (p. 53

German Potato Salad (p. 63)

Champ (p. 64)

Thai Mango Curry (p. 93)

Thai Pineapple Curry (p. 94)

Stuffed Poblanos (p. 96)

Roasted Tomato Pilaf (p. 124)

Crepes (p. 158)

Curry Ketchup (p .191)

Enchilada Sauce (p. 201)

Bacon Bits (p. 246)

Sunshine Muffins (p. 250)

Carolina Casserole (p. 265)

Ninny's Fruit Spring Rolls (p. 276)

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake (p. 280)

Our dog, Taffy, posing with my Happy Herbivore Abroad cookbook

Lentil Taco "Meat"

Making enchiladas with the Lentil Taco "Meat"

Enchiladas with Lentil Taco "Meat"

Crepes

Ninny's Fruit Spring Rolls with peanut dipping sauce

Carolina Casserole (a hit with our omnivorous family members!)

Pineapple Upside-down Cake

Cuban Black Bean Soup with rice

Taquitos with vegan sour cream

Roasted Tomato Pilaf

Conquering Veganism One Weak Moment At a Time

While we were walking through the grocery store one evening, my eyes began to wander down aisles that we hardly visit anymore. There was a whole section of frozen pizzas, pizza bites, and every other frozen food that I used to eat before switching to my plant-based diet. I used to eat all of that without even really thinking about how bad it was for my health, or how much weight I would gain by eating all it (30+ lbs., which I've completely lost in 6 months). 

The funny thing is, I had just bragged to my husband that I had "conquered" veganism. And by conquered, I meant that it was "so easy" for me to eat plant-based. I'll tell you that it is easy to eat this way physically and financially. Conquering your eating habits mentally is another thing altogether. As we walked through the store, he saw me gaze at the forbidden foods, and I said, "Oh man, this is hard to walk by all of this food..." He jokingly said, "I thought you had conquered that whole veganism thing."

The truth is, I haven't. I'm not about to tell you that I'm not longer vegan—I totally am. What I mean to say: It is tough to walk by all of the things I used to eat. I don't really have the urge to tear open the packaging and eat it, I just have some serious memories of eating as an omnivore. And I should, as I lived as an omnivore for 24 years of my life. However, I will tell you that I have never been more happier, healthier, and more content with my life as I am right now. I feel so lucky to have regained my health at my age. Even at 23, I was battling high cholesterol, and that's downright terrifying. 

I'm here to tell you that it's totally normal and fine to have that weak moment where you look at that item of food and think about when you used to eat it. I don't intend to ever eat that way again and plan to be a vegan  until the day I die. And it's fine if you mess up! Get right back on track the next meal, not the next week or month. Don't ever let anyone else make you feel bad about what you are doing or why you are doing it. If you're eating healthier and are working towards a plant-based lifestyle, congrats! I'm here for you if you ever need any guidance or just need a friend to support you in this. 

We're creatures of habit, and while it can be tough to look at that [insert name of omnivorous food item here], don't forget why you're doing this, and what the end goal is (better health)! Keep in mind that this will probably be a lifelong battle, and figure out what is more important to you: your health or your cravings. We're not perfect. Heck, we had a Tofurkey pizza the other night. (Don't judge me!) We're eating healthy, plant-based foods 90% of the time and more importantly, we're doing what we feel is right for our bodies, the environment, and all of the animals we share this earth with. You'll conquer your veganism too, one weak moment at a time! Hang in there and stay strong.

Vegan Diet 101: The Overconsumption of Food

I like to frequent Reddit, and one of my favorite subreddits other than r/minimalism and r/vegan is r/anticonsumerism. After watching the video below, I found myself repulsed in many ways. Even now that I am a vegan, there is still something unsettling about the video. There are no words in the video simply because they were able to tell this story without them. If you're still consuming animals, then it's worth taking a look.

Especially in the beginning of my lifestyle change, many people would respond to my journey as though they could never make these adjustments as I had. At first, I insisted that I was doing this only for my health. As time went on, my journey started to take another turn. I now realized that after reading Skinny Bitch and watching half of Earthlings (once you watch it, you'll understand why I only sat through an hour of it), something hit me.

These animals are no different than our dogs or cats. Why were we consuming them instead of our dogs? What makes them different? And more importantly, how were they being treated so inhumanely without anyone really caring? When I bring this up to non-vegans, I often hear, "I don't care about the animals..." or "They are for US to eat!" Would you allow your dog to be put in a cage, poked, prodded, watch its tail be cut off?

I know I may sound extreme (oh no, I sound like I did when I first went vegan!), but this happens to billions of animals each year. The total tally is over 56 billion, to give you some idea. I can't even fathom that number! Take a look at the video below and take a peek inside some of the food industry's darkest secrets.

Will it move you to change?

ATXFBA City Guide: Austin’s Healthy Vegan Eats

I've explored many new places to eat since going plant-based in February 2012 and wanted to share some of my favorites as part of the Austin Food Blogger’s Alliance’s City Guide! Check out the other vegan posts in the City Guide, including Lizz Delicious on Date Night, Red Hot Vegans on Desserts, and Lazy Smurf's Late Night Vegan Food.

Beets Cafe | 1604 W 5th St. - This upscale raw food always makes me feel super healthy. Among my personal favorites are the Raw Reuben and the Mock Tuna on Greens salad with a spirulina dressing. They also have a wide variety of desserts, which include pies, cookies, and cheezecake. There's plenty of parking in the garage behind it, so there's no worries about finding a spot during busy lunches.

Mother's Cafe | 4215 Duval St. - Their enchiladas can be made vegan and their Bueno Burger has been voted the best veggie burger in town. I can personally attest to their Sloppy Mama Joes and their vegan soups are always amazing. The ambiance is pleasant and the last time I visited there was a musician playing during our dinner. Check out their awesome desserts, too!

Casa De Luz | 1701 Toomey Road - With a menu that changes daily, you're always sure to be served a fresh meal cafeteria-style. One of the best things about this place: you pay and eat immediately. No waiting around! You grab a bowl of soup, a plate full of salad, and then you are given a huge entree plate. The communal eating is also a perk, and I've met many interesting people by sitting at a table that can seat eight.

Counter Culture | 2337 East Cesar Chavez - I've been to Counter Culture for every meal and have always been impressed with the food I received. If you're going to try them out for brunch, try the Stuffed French Toast with cashew cream. I used to visit this place for lunch with a friend and would get the Philly Seitan.  For dinner, I'd recommend the Pesto Rawviolis with a side of Roasted Root Vegetables. | Review

The Vegan Nom | 120 East North Loop-B - We stumbled upon this food truck recently and I couldn't how awesome their Rockin' Vegan Chili Con Queso is. The appetizer is more like chili than anything else, but it has an authentic taste that just blew my expectations out of the water. I've been craving it ever since! Try the Ranchera Luna, a tofu scramble with veggies and a smokey creamy chipotle sauce.

Schmaltz | 913 East Cesar Chavez - I discovered this place during a lunch break with some coworkers and we've been back many times since then. I am in love with the 'Harvey P' Seitan 'Pastrami' Reuben and their 'Frankenthaler' Falafel Wrap. Both are amazing and you can enjoy your food in a cozy little picnic area next to the trailer beneath a parachute. I also recommend the Classic Deli Potato Salad! | Review

Conscious Cravings | 1901 Rio Grande & 1311 South First St. - Once I had my first wrap at this food truck, I immediately began to crave another. We found out this trailer was serving vegan food and had to try them out. I love The Bella and my husband swears by the BBQ Seitan. I've also had the Mango Thirst Quencher and Stawberry Banana Thirst Quencher, both of which complement the wraps so well. | Review

Tarka Indian Kitchen | 5207 Brodie Ln #120 & 2525 W Anderson Ln #300 - When I have a craving for Indian food, I head to Tarka and know it will be quick and the portions will be large. The Roti bread tastes great and I can say from experience that it's hard to make at home. They have several vegan dishes and that alone keeps me coming back to try new ones each time. They also take the Go Local Austin card for 10% off your meal!

The Vegan Yacht | 1110 East 12th St - The 'Freeto' Burrito is their amazing signature meal and while the portion is massive, I have no problem eating it all in one sitting! The outdoor eating area is nice and the trailer has a retro feel to it and even features a large hipster octopus on the front. Be sure to check their website before heading over, as they are popular and tend to sell out of their food quick. | Review