Hi guys! Today I’m giving you three super easy plant-based recipes. For those of you who don’t know, my husband is vegan and has been for about five or so years, and I’ve been pescatarian for almost a year. We are no strangers to plant-based food, but I totally understand that it can be really intimidating when you’re first starting out. I’ll be honest, some plant-based options are YUCK, but that’s the case with ANY food, right? I mean even the meat-eaters out there can agree that you’ve had an amazing burger and you’ve also had a really terrible one. The good news is, plant-based brands have come a LONG way and some options out there are IDENTICAL to the “real” thing - it’s crazy!

I’m here to tell you about 3 recipes that you’ll love. Full disclosure, this blog post is NOT sponsored, but I did work with Kroger on some Instagram content. So if you’re in the south you can find all of these ingredients there. I genuinely just want these recipes to be easily available to you guys whether you’re dipping your toes into the plant-based world or just doing meatless Fridays because of lent.

PLANT-BASED BERRY SMOOTHIE:

Serving Size: 1 Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 banana

• 1 cup mixed frozen berries

• 3/4 cup oat milk

• Hand full of spinach

• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

• 2 tbsp PB2 

Blend until smooth and serve with a reusable straw. :)

PLANT-BASED DELI SANDWICH 

Serving Size: 1 Sandwich

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat bread

• Simple Truth Plant Based Ham Deli Slices

• Field Roast Chao “cheese” slices

• Hand full of spinach 

• Half an avocado 

• Cucumber slices 

• Mustard of your choice

Put it together and enjoy! This one is great for the kids lunches or in our case, we always take sandwiches when we go on the boat in the summer time. The deli “meat” and the “cheese” slices are A+ and if you don’t live in the south, I highly recommend anything you see from the brand “Field Roast” because it’s available all over the country.

Plant-Based Alfredo Pasta with Broccoli and Savory Smoky Crunchies

Serving Size: 2 

Ingredients:

• 8 oz of pasta (we used rigatoni)

• 1 head of Broccoli 

• 1 tbsp or less of Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil

• 1 cup Coconut

• 2 tsp Liquid Aminos (Tamari or soy sauce would work as well)

• 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke

• 4 tsp Maple Syrup

• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have large non-stick skillet on stand by. 

2. Cut head of broccoli into bite size pieces. Toss in olive oil (or vegetable oil), salt, and pepper. Place on baking tray and bake for 8-10min or until lightly browned. 

3. While broccoli is cooking, add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the directions on package. Most likely it will be around 8-10 minutes until al dente. When pasta is finished cooking, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and put to the side, drain the remaining pasta water, return pasta back to the large pot and keep off heat. 

4. To make the savory crispy bits, place a large non-stick skillet over low heat. Add coconut flakes, Liquid Aminos, liquid smoke, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss consistently until the coconut is evenly coated and the coconut is cooked until slightly browned. This should take 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate or bowl when done. 

5. Add the Alfredo sauce and 1/2 cup of pasta water to the cooked pasta. Reduce over low-medium heat.

6. Divide the saucy pasta into two dishes. Top with broccoli and crunchies. Salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!

If you guys have any plant-based brands that you love, please drop them in the comments below. I also love the No Evil Pulled Pork, JUST egg, Miyoko’s Mozzarella, Earth Balance butter, Nasoya Kimcbhi, Field Roast Apple Sage Sausages, FIeld Road Choa slices (used in recipe above), and Treeline French-style nut cheese (SO GOOD with crackers) to name a few!