Author: Lindsey Hintz

We just love potatoes! And this dish is to die for when the weather starts to warm up. We love making a huge batch and have leftovers for a couple days. That way we don’t have to worry about what to make when we get home.

It’s a 100% healthy, feel great about eating this comfort food type of recipe. Plus, it’s loaded with protein, complex carbohydrates and the perfect amount of healthy fat if you dice up some avocado and throw that on top (which we highly recommend)!

Simple Vegan Potato Salad 

8-12 medium red or Yukon potatoes, chopped

1 8 oz package firm or extra firm tofu

2T yellow mustard

1T Dijon mustard

4 cloves garlic, minced

1T fresh lemon juice

1/2t sea salt

1/4-1/2 c dill pickle relish

2-3 stalk celery, finely diced

1/3 medium red onion, finely diced

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Freshly chopped dill, cilantro and avocado optional.

1. Place potatoes in pot of boiling water over med-high heat. Simmer just until tender. Drain and allow to cool.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine tofu, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, sea salt. Blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Add relish. Stir well and add celery and onion. Stir again and then add potatoes. Season with sea salt and pepper. Add fresh dill and cilantro. Top with diced avocado for extra creamy goodness.
4. Cover and chill for 1 hour (if you can wait that long to dive in and eat it).
5. Store up to 1 week in fridge.

I was recently asked how to make healthy meals with what we have on hand. The answer to that would lie in what to stock up on in the first place.

The following is a list of food items we always make sure we have in our pantry. We highly recommend this list for you too, especially in a pandemic where people are hoarding food and going to the grocery store is harder. These foods are all very nutrient dense (they are packed with protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats and have all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidant properties your body needs to stay strong and healthy) and will give you the most bang for your buck financially as well. From here, you can pretty much make any kind of staple meal.

In a time like now, fresh produce might be the most difficult for people to buy. We try to purchase organic when we can, but right now just getting anything fresh is more important. Please make sure you wash ALL produce before eating. Thank goodness for all the hard working grocery store employees (who are helping more then we know right now) as most bigger stores offer online ordering, pickup or delivery so people don’t have to go in to shop. This list features whole foods that have a longer shelf life so you really can’t go wrong on stocking up a bit.

1. Beans– Canned or dried, beans are the ultimate staple food. They are jam packed with nutrients like protein, fiber and carbohydrates, have a long shelf life and are budget friendly. They have virtually endless uses too. We use them as our main ingredient in most dishes but can be added to almost any dish and be a great substitute for meat. You can also bake brownies with them! Dried beans offer the better value, but take a bit longer to prepare since you have to soak them first.  We love black, garbanzo, cannellini, pinto to name just a few.
2. Lentils– Similar to beans on many levels. They are nutrient dense, can be used in almost any dish and have many, many uses. They are also easy on your wallet. We use red lentils the most because they cook up softer and are perfect for Indian style dishes, which we absolutely love. Brown or green lentils can be cooked or simmered into a soft purée. Black lentils are best for salads, bowls, and stews. Store them in a cool, dark and dry place in airtight containers.
3. Whole grains– Rice (all varieties), quinoa, oatmeal, popcorn are our top four go to grains. There are LOTS of other grains to choose from like amaranth, buckwheat, barley, millet, bulgur, maize, rye, teff, triticale, farro to name a few. Whole grains are packed with plant based protein, which most people don’t know, but are also a great source of fiber. They are staples in our diets because they help lower the risk of disease and inflammation and are loaded with lots of other nutrients to keep our immune system strong. People who consume whole grains regularly are shown to live longer, healthier lives.
4. Nuts/Seeds– Almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, Brazil nuts (one a day for your daily serving of selenium) are what we usually stock. Again, lots of choices, but these are all very nutrient dense and give you your dose of healthy fats. Watch your consumption though, as we recommend to keep fat intake low.  Continue reading “The Best Grocery Items To Always Have On Hand For A Time Like Now” →

Chickpeas, otherwise known as garbanzo beans, are jam packed with nutrients. They’re a great source of plant-based protein, fiber and carbohydrates. They are also rich in antioxidants that help boost your immune system and help prevent diseases like diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol to name just a few. Chickpeas are also a great source minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, folate and phosphorous. The nutty tasting legume has a number of essential vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C, A, B6, B12, and vitamin K too.

We love them because they’re so versatile and can be used in almost any dish. You really can’t go wrong with falling in love with chickpeas. This recipe was made with the ingredients we had on hand and only took about 10 minutes. It’s not complete without some sort of complex carbohydrate though so make sure you have rice or quinoa cooking in that Instant Pot before you start with this recipe.

You can use dried chickpeas but be sure to soak them overnight for about 8 hours first. We used canned garbanzo beans because we were short on time and hungry. We rinsed them well before adding them to the pan.

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed