Vegan Pancake Bites

Spring is here and today I have a new and delicious vegan recipe - pancake bites! Packed with the PB2 Performance - Peanut Protein (Dutch Cocoa) Powder, these bites are perfect for on the go, before a workout, or during a weekend breakfast with family.

Todays blog post is amazingly sponsored by PB2 who I’ve had to absolute honor of working with since 2017! See other recipes I’ve made with them here, here, here, and here.

VEGAN PANCAKE BITES

[ INGREDIENTS: ]

Makes 36 mini pancake bites

• 1 cup flour

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 4 tablespoons of PB2 Peanut Protein Powder

• 1 cup non-dairy milk

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• maple syrup for dipping

• topping of your choice (I used vegan chocolate chips and berries)

  [ INSTRUCTIONS: ]

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a mini muffin pan.

  2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, PB2, milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla in a large bowl.

  3. Fill the pan with batter and stud with toppings of your choice.

  4. Bake the pancake bites for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

  5. Serve with a side of maple syrup and enjoy!

If you guys make this, please tag me on IG because that makes my day! Also, if you have any questions or just want to say hey, please use the comments section or DM me on IG and I will always get back to you. Lastly, make sure you follow me on Instagram @MaeLutzz as I post on there almost daily!

Have a great rest of your day!

Vegan Zucchini Bread

The temperature is dropping, the holidays are here, and it’s time to get cozy with a warm piece of deliciously moist zucchini bread. As you guys know by now, I’m always on a mission to make foods that are vegan for my husband, but I definitely don’t want them to taste any different than the original. I tired a few versions to get this recipe right and believe it or not - the best one ended up being oil free, plus it’s packed with the PB2 Performance - Peanut Protein (Dutch Cocoa) Powder.

Todays blog post is amazingly sponsored by PB2 who I’ve had to absolute honor of working with since 2017! See other recipes I’ve made with them here, here, here, and here.

VEGAN ZUCCHINI BREAD

[ INGREDIENTS: ]

• 1 Zucchini (yields 1 cup), grated on smallest setting & ever so lightly squeeze the excess liquid out

• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce (if you don’t have apple sauce, 1/2c canola/vegetable oil also works)

• 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

• 1 tablespoon Flaxseed Meal mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. Mix together and let sit for 5 minutes before adding. (This is your egg replacer and it’s my go-to in baking)

• 1/2 cup Vegan Sour Cream

• 3/4 cup PB2 Performance - Peanut Protein (Dutch Cocoa) Powder

• 1 cup Coconut Sugar (if you don’t have coconut sugar, 1/2c brown sugar and 1/2c regular granulated sugar is delicious as well)

• 1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg

• 1 cup Vegan Chocolate Chips

[ INSTRUCTIONS: ]

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan and add parchment paper for easy removable at the end.

2. Make flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon of Flaxseed Meal with 3 tablespoons on water. Stir together and set aside for about 5 minutes.

3. Wash zucchini and grate. I used a box grater on the smallest setting. Ever so lightly squeeze the excess water out with your hands - you still want it nice and wet though so barely do it.

4. Combine and mix all of the wet ingredients in one large bowl (shredded zucchini, unsweetened apple sauce, vanilla extract, flax egg, and sour cream.

5. Combine and mix all of the dry ingredients in a separate large bowl (PB2 Protein Powder, sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

6. Combine both mixed bowls together.

7. Fold in vegan chocolate chips.

8. Pour batter into greased loaf pan.

9. Bake in the middle oven rack for 45-55 minutes. I like my zucchini bread to be as soft as possible so I’m on team 45 minutes, but Zach likes the outside to be a little more done so he likes it at 55 minutes (of course this depends on how hot your oven cooks).

   Note: The toothpick method doesn’t work with this zucchini bread. I tried baking it until the toothpick came out clean and ended up at an hour with a wet toothpick before I gave up. That loaf ended up having too tough of an outside for my liking. 45 minutes is my ideal time. The entire loaf is soft and moist which is the goal!

10. Remove from oven and let loaf cool for about 30 minutes. As delicious as it is warm, it’s also AMAZING the next day. Enjoy!

If you guys make this, please tag me on IG because that makes my day! Also, if you have any questions or just want to say hey, please use the comments section or DM me on IG and I will always get back to you. Lastly, make sure you follow me on Instagram @MaeElizabethG as I post on there almost daily!

Have a great rest of your day!

PLANT-BASED BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND DINNER

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!

Epic Overnight Oats - Vegan (Blueberry, PB2, cinnamon)

Hi guys! How are you? I hope you’re having an amazing day wherever you are!

This is my first blog post since being a married woman - woohoo! Will I ever get used to saying “my husband” or my new last name? Only time will tell!

Anyhoo! I am back with a new quick and easy plant-based breakfast recipe. This time I’ve teamed up with PB2 (who are wonderfully sponsoring todays post - you rock!) to use their new Performance Almond Protein Plant Powder. After a bit of testing with various ingredients and amounts of each, I came up with this delicioussss fall inspired overnight oats recipe that you have to try! It’s perfect for anyone on the go and is packed with 17g of protein!

This is now my ideal overnight oats breakfast. If you guys aren’t familiar with overnight oats (don’t worry my husband wasn’t either and thought it was weird that I was making cold oatmeal), but I promise you this is SO GOOD and now he is a believer. It’s a few simple ingredients that you toss into a jar, mix together, put on the lid, and put in the fridge overnight. The next morning you can add some extra milk if you want and you’re ready to go - it’s seriously that easy.

That face below is 100% a reflection of my feelings towards this food.

The Most Epic Overnight Oats:

Serving: 1

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

• 1/2 cup old fashioned or “rolled” oats

• 2 tbsp (or use the container scoop, once and leveled) of PB2 Performance Almond Protein Plant Powder

• 1 tsp chia seeds

• 1 tbsp agave

• 1 pinch of cinnamon

• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions:

1. In a mason jar or something similar, add almond milk, oats, PB2 Almond Protein Plant Powder, chai seeds, agave, and cinnamon.

2. Stir these ingredients until they are well combined and then stir in your blueberries.

3. Place the lid on your jar and pop it into the fridge overnight or for about 6+ hours.

4. The next morning you can eat exactly as is, or splash a bit of milk for a creamier texture - your choice!

5. Enjoy!

Nutrition Per One Serving:

Calories: 393 // Fat: 7g // Saturated Fat: 0g // Cholesterol: 0mg // Sodium: 67mg // Potassium: 35mg // Total Carbohydrates: 68g // Dietary Fiber: 8g // Sugar: 28g // Protein: 17g

If you guys make this, PLEASE tag me on IG because that will make my day! Also, if you have any questions or just want to say hey, please use the comments section and I will 100% write back. Also, make sure you follow me on Instagram @MaeElizabethG as I post on there almost every day. Bye and see you next time!

Bonus photo for all of you who love my dogs! Sweetpea says hi!

One Pot Pasta

One Pot Pasta (serves 4):

I'm not much of a cook, so I go for simple and quick. This is a big go-to option for me since it's really low maintenance, fast and I can put in whatever I have in the fridge. It's extremely customizable so add as little or as many vegetables as you'd like.

Ingredients for the pasta pot:
12 oz pasta

3 cups sliced mushrooms

4 cups broccoli

8oz grape tomatoes

1/4 cup cilantro

6 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

2 teaspoon olive oil

2-3 thin slices of lime (lime is strong to cook with, so if you aren't keen on it, use even less)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups water (or you can use broth)

Ingredients for each persons individual bowl:
1/2 cup of spinach
Hot Sauce to taste (I use about a 1/2-1 tablespoon of Franks Red Hot Sauce)
Parmesan cheese (to taste)

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients for the "pasta pot." Turn the heat on high, bring to a boil, stir frequently, and let it cook until noodles are al dente (it took mine about 9 minutes). 

This is where I serve each individual bowl in my house since we all like our pasta seasoned differently, and Zach is a vegan so he skips the cheese. For mine, I stir in a handful of spinach while the pasta is still hot, Franks Red Hot Sauce and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!