Parmesan cheese was one of my favorites before going vegan. I always hated when I made an Italian dish and didn't have any on hand to top off the dish. Now I use this Parmesan Cashew Cheese and as long as I have cashews I can make it in less than 5 minters! I love using this stuff not only because it tastes good, but it's so much easier for your body to digest than regular cheese.   (more…)

This is the Spicy Tex Mex Tofu Hash from the breakfast menu at Blu Jam Cafe. Organic Tofu scrambled with black beans, onion, chipotle, cilantro, potatoes, tomatoes, salsa fresco and avocado! I give it 5 stars! If you're vegan Blu Jam has great options besides just granola or oatmeal! This place is scrumptious and serves organic ingredients! Blu Jam Cafe has two locations in Los Angeles. 

I love caesar dressing, but once I found out all the chemicals in the bottles at the store plus loads of unnecessary calories, I stopped buying it.  I'll let the bottles stay on the shelf at the store and use real food to make it at home. This dressing will actually benefit your health rather than consuming empty calories with processed brands. 

The main ingredient is avocado, which assists in supplying our bodies with more benefits from the plants we eat. We need healthy fats to help us absorb more nutrients from food. You'll also be getting a good supply of B vitamins from the Nutritional Yeast. The garlic has cancer fighting properties and Apple Cider Vinegar comes with all kinds of benefits.

This dressing is so easy to make. All you do is blend everything together. Store the rest in the fridge in an airtight container to enjoy for a week. I love adding this to a bed of romaine and topping it with my parmesan cashew cheese. It's a prefect side with my Meggplant Lasagna or any Italian dish.

This recipe was adapted from Detoxinista 

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HEALTHY CAESAR DRESSING (VEGAN)

Please use all organic ingredients when possible!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes minutes

Total Time 7 minutes minutes

Author Megan Lawson

Ingredients

• 1 ripe Avocado pitted
• 1 cup Water
• 2 ½ tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1½ tbsp Lemon Juice
• 3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
• 6 small Garlic Cloves minced (use 4 cloves if they're big)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

• Combine all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender & blend until completely smooth.
• Taste before and adjust any of the seasonings you feel needed
• Put on Romaine lettuce & toss.
• I like to top mine with my Parmesan Cashew Cheese or nutritional yeast goes great with it too!

 A study conducted by researchers at Harvard University found that younger women who ate two or more servings of carotenoid-rich fruits and veggies a day (including CARROTS, spinach, broccoli, romaine lettuce, oranges) had a 18% lower risk breast cancer than women who ate fewer than four servings a week.  Cut up some carrots and serve with hummus or other dips! A simple snack that is sooo good for you! Other benefits of carrots include:

1. Clean your teeth while eating them

2. They have anti-aging properties that keeps you looking young

3. Prevent heart disease

4. They help cleanse the body

5. Fight Cancer    

This is a delicious dairy-free alternative to regular cheese dip. It's made using only real food ingredients. You will be shocked how similar it tastes, but it's so much better for you.  (more…)

This Eggplant Lasagna is filled with plant-protein making it a hearty and healthy meal. It's meat and dairy-free, but still filled with loads of flavor. Eggplant is a great substitute for noodles and comes with lots of health benefits. They help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, they protect cells from damage by free radicals and even help control weight gain. (more…)

Do you like having a green smoothie in the morning, but don't have the time to cut everything up? Well, do the time consuming work of cutting up all your ingredients on the weekends and freeze it for during the week. Use freezer bags or glass jars. I like to put the greens and veggies on the bottom and fruits on the top. Take one out the night before and put in fridge or the morning of with enough time for it to thaw out a little bit. Then just throw in blender and go! 

Benefits of peaches include:

1. Help cleanse your kidney & bladder

2. Fights cardiovascular disease

3. Healthy stress-reliever that helps reduce anxiety

4. They keep the skin healthy w vitamins that regenerate skin tissue

5. Reduce hair loss w positive effect on the scalp

Love when it's peach season! They are so good for you! That's just some of their benefits above! Have a peach when you're wanting something sweet!  

New York is known for having amazing pizza, but the problem is a lot filled with hidden MSG and other terrible things for your body. There is one place where you can get an organic slice of goodness and that's Organika in the West Village. This slice has Mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, roasted peppers, tomatoes, goat cheese, arugula and truffle oil. I give it 5 stars! It's simply scrumptious! 

These Chewy Cacao Almond Cookies are a go-to dessert when I need something quick for friends stopping by or just craving something sweet, but still want it to be healthy. They are naturally sweetened, and a good source of antioxidants, fiber and protein. They are also raw, for any of you following a raw diet.  (more…)

Ginger root is known for its immense health benefits. It's starting to be called a staple in the medicine cabinet. 

It is commonly used as a remedy for nausea, dizziness, vomiting, and stomach problems like gas, bloating and diarrhea.

Ginger also helps the body detox by stimulating digestion. It is said to help eliminate waste and toxins from the colon and liver.

Ginger root contains magnesium and zinc, both of which regulate blood flow, so it is also good for menstrual cramps!

Pregnant women benefit from it too, as it helps curb morning sickness.

Drinking ginger tea regularly has shown to help improve metabolism and reduce junk food cravings, so it is also effective for weight loss and controlling blood sugar.

But most of all, ginger root has been proven to slow down the growth of cancer cells, including skin, lung, colon, ovarian, prostate and breast cancer.

Aside from being a powerful anti-inflammatory herb, ginger is also delicious when added in soup, salad, smoothies and more.  

This is my favorite smoothie to use it in.

It can be used powdered, dried, juiced, but of course, fresh ginger root is best. 

Ginger Tea

To make homemade ginger tea, put a 3 oz piece of ginger in a tea cup, pour 6-8 oz of boiling water over it and let it steep. Add in things like lemon, dairy-free milk or sweetener of choice. Adjust to taste.

Don't forget to buy organic ginger root when possible!

It's best to also buy it local, if it is available in your area at a Farmer's Market.

How To Store

I like to wash and cut mine into 1 inch pieces and store in the freezer. They will also store in the fridge from 3 weeks to a month.

If it feels lighter or has wrinkled skin, it's possible that it has dried up.

More Benefits of Ginger Root:

1. Helps treat the common cold
   
2. Eases muscle pain
   
3. Provides relief from asthma, cough and bronchitis
   
4. Fights off infections and boosts the immune system
   
5. Improves appetite
6. Prevents bloating
7. Keeps your heart healthy

How do you like to use ginger? Leave your favorite ways in the comments below!

This is way better to give your kids(or yourself) instead of the store bought stuff. It's filled with antioxidants and other goodies for the body! A yummy sweet treat with just four ingredients! 

INGREDIENTS 

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