Hoff's Veggie Lasagna

Hoff's Veggie Lasagna
Yields: About 8 large servings
meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free
 
Ingredients:

• 1 box Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles (no boil)
• 1 jar Spaghetti Sauce (Prego Light)
• 1 15 oz. can of Tomato Sauce
• 2 cups Fresh Spinach 
• 1 Zucchini (shredded, water pressed out)
• 1 Yellow Squash (shredded, water pressed out)
• 12oz. of organic Firm Tofu
• 1 can Black Beans (rinsed & drained)
• 1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
• Juice from 1/2 Lemon
• 2 tbsp. minced Garlic
• 1 tbsp. Italian Herbs
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt

Directions:

1. In a 9x13 dish, soak Noodles in hot water until pliable, about 30 minutes
2. Drain water and set aside
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
4. Blend Tofu, Black Beans, Nutritional Yeast, Lemon Juice, Garlic, Italian Herbs & Salt until creamy
5. In a 9x13 baking dish, create the following layers
6. First Layer: coat bottom of dish with Spaghetti Sauce, 1 layer of Noodles & Tofu Ricotta
7. Second Layer: 1 layer of Noodles, Spaghetti Sauce & Zucchini
8. Third Layer: 1 layer of Noodles, Spaghetti Sauce & Spinach
9. Fourth Layer: 1 layer of Noodles, top with can of Tomato Sauce
10. Cover with parchment lined tin foil & bake for 1 hour
11. Remove from oven, uncover and allow to sit for 20 minutes so the Pasta reabsorbs the liquid

Airfryer French Fries

Airfryer French Fries
Serves: 2 people
meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, gluten-free, soy-free

Ingredients:

• 2 large Russet Potatoes
• 2 tbsp. Water
• 4 tbsp. Nutritional Yeast
• 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Pierce each Potato with a fork & microwave for 5 minutes 
2. Place in fridge for at least a few hours (not essential, but better outcome)
3. Slice Potatoes into consistent sized pieces
4. In a large bowl toss with Water to coat
5. Add Yeast & Salt, toss to coat
6. Spread evenly in Airfryer basket, do not layer on top of each other (may require more than one round of cooking)
7. Bake at 360 degrees for 13 minutes
8. Using a spatula, toss to expose uncooked Fries
9. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, periodically checking for doneness

Doc: Globesity: Fat's New Frontier

This doc examines how obesity is spreading around the world - penetrating Third world countries where obesity was rare only a decade before.  It's predicted that by 2030, 1 billion people will be obese. 

Globesity examines the key factor contributing to this epidemic, the Standard American Diet & all our of our wonderful processed food bullies.  It's really quite disgusting how companies like Coke and Nestle are destroying communities through their stomachs and economic strapped wallets. 

Just goes to show how vital proper nutrition education is.


While this doc exposes what the problem is and the reason behind it, it offers no solutions.  But, knowing the issue at hand is half the battle.

Check it out for yourself:

What will your last 10 years look like?

Check out this video snack!

Hoff's Spiral Oil-Free Fries

Hoff's Spiral Oil-Free Fries
Serves: 2
dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free, gluten-free


Ingredients:

• 2 Russet Potatoes
• 1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Using a Spiralizer, cut the Potatoes
2. In a large bowl, toss Potatoes with Yeast & Salt
3. Place Potatoes into an Airfryer
4. Set to 360 degrees for 13 minutes
5. Periodically remove basket, and using tongs, toss Potatoes around
6. Return basket & cook until done, periodically checking for doneness

New Toy - The Portable Personal Crock Pot!

Healthy Hoff Peeps, I just can't help myself - I got another toy!

My philosophy is that like information, when a helpful tool presents itself, it's for a reason and if one ignores said tool, it will keep smacking you in the face until you wake up and do something about it.

So that brings me to my latest toy, the Crock-Pot® Lunch Crock® Food Warmer, Deluxe Edition!   

Why you ask?

Because I prefer my work lunches to be hot!  I'm not a big fan of the community microwave, so I needed a personal heating solution and this little pot hooks me up!  Note that this little guy is for heating only, not cooking.  That being said, the food gets hot - so hot that I need to shut it down 30 minutes prior to lunchtime so the food is cool enough for consumption.

I was concerned at the smallness of this device, a mere 24 oz. but that turned out to be more than enough to facilitate a filling meal.  To give you some perspective, I easily fit a 19 oz. Progresso can of soup, plus a cup of rice.

Aside from the fun colors (I went with purple), I appreciate the built in handle, easy on/off switch and the removable inner stainless steel container with airtight lid.  I also like the cordless design that allows you to leave the heating element at work and take the container home although I just take the inner container back and forth.  If you're concerned about smell, don't be, the double lid design prevents aromas from escaping until you're ready to eat.  The price is not bad either, $39.99, but check the site, because they run really good sales - right now it's $29.99!

Check it out!

Hoff's Cheddar Sauce

Hoff's Cheddar Sauce
Yields: 4 Cups

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz. can Garbanzo (rinsed & drained)
• 2 cups plain unsweetened Cashew/Almond Milk
• 1 Roasted Red Pepper (jar)
• 3/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
• 2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar 
• 1 tbsp. Arrowroot
• 2 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Paprika

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into a Vitamix or other high power blender
2. Blend on high for 6 minutes

Hoff Thoughts: Pour over veggies like Broccoli or Potatoes or Pasta for Mac & Cheese night - whatever you feel needs cheesy sauce in your life.

Gwyneth Paltrow Launches Organic Edible Vegan Beauty Line!!!

Seeing as skin, our largest organ absorbs up to 60% of what we put on it - right into the blood stream, an organic, edible, vegan beauty line is a godsend!  As if it couldn't get any better, this new line of Juice Beauty products is the brainchild of Gwyneth Paltrow!  Gotta love that girl!

The Phyto-pigments Makeup Collection (need to work on that name) consists of 11 affordable products for complexion, lips, eyes, and cheeks made from plant-derived phyto-pigments that utilize ingredients such as cold-pressed oils, organic juices, and fruit extracts. The products are free of gluten, silicone, talc, acrylates, parabens, glycols, PEGs, artificial dyes, and synthetic fibers.  The Juice Brand also carries vegan makeup brushes!

Check it out!

PHYTO-PIGMENTS™
Makeup Collection

Vegan Under Pressure: Contest Giveaway!!!

You guys know how much I love my kitchen gadgets.

Last year was a big year for me as I tested out pressure cooking for the first time with the help of my Instant Pot!

I relied on many resources to get me started; one of which was The Veggie Queen herself, Jill Nussinnow.

So, I was honored when I was approached to review a copy of her latest book, Vegan Under Pressure.

In this new cookbook, Jill takes on both the stovetop and electric pressure cooker, so whichever camp you're in, this book has you covered.  But seriously - why don't you have an Instant Pot already?!?


Featuring 175 recipes dedicated to vegan pressure cooking, this is one cookbook you'll want in your kitchen library; because it covers the basics like brown rice and vegetable stock to more elaborate meals like Sassy Sesame Tofu & Red Lentil, Sweet Potato Burger.

Here is one of the many recipes you'll find in this book:

But this cookbook offers much more valuable information beyond recipes; it's like a Pressure Cooking 101 course.  Whether you're a newbie or a pro, you'll benefit from the experience and know-how that Jill has with pressure cooking.  (I have so many pages dog-eared!)

Vegan Under Pressure is available now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble & Indie Bond!

But, for the first person who emails thehoff@healthyhoff.com with your favorite pressure cooker recipe, you will receive Vegan Under Pressure for FREE courtesy of The Veggie Queen!  Winner will be notified via email.


Check it out!

Hoff's Lunchtime Lentil's N' Rice (Instant Pot)

Hoff's Lunchtime Lentil's N' Rice (Instant Pot)
Yields: 5 servings
meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free

Ingredients:

• 6 cups Jasmine Rice prepared
• 4 cups Veggie Broth
• 2 cups Water
• 2 cups dried Lentils
• 1 cup Sauerkraut
• 1 15oz. can diced Potatoes (rinsed & drained)
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 tbsp. Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (omit for gluten/soy free)
• 2 tsp. Cumin
• 2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 2 tsp. Garlic
• 2 tsp. Onion Powder
• Season with Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Add everything to Instant Pot and stir to combine (Bay Leaves on top)
2. Set Manual setting at High Pressure for 15 minutes
3. Quick release steam
4. Remove Bay Leaves
5. Spoon Rice into bowls/Pyrex containers, pour Lentils on top

Hoff Thoughts: This is another creation that I divide out for lunch throughout the week.  I make my Rice in the IP too - 2 1/2 cups Water to 2 cups Jasmine Rice, select Rice setting, natural or quick release steam.

Many Uses Of Oil In Beauty Treatments

If you know me, you know that I don't eat oil - I don't cook with it and I avoid products containing it.  So, it may surprise you to learn that I keep a variety of oils in the house...for beauty reasons.

Oils can be very beneficial outside of the body.  Now bear in mind, our skin can absorb up to 60% of what we put on it.  With that in mind, make sure your oils are 100% organic, unrefined and cold-pressed.

Check out which oil is best for your needs:


Sweet Almond Oil

• Facial Cleanser
• Facial Moisturizer
• Make-up Remover
• Eyelash Enhancer (apply like mascara before going to sleep)
• Dark Circles
• Crow's Feet
• Prevent & Reverse Signs of Aging
• Conditioning Hair Treatment 
• Leave-in Conditioner (dry hair)
• Hand/Foot Cream

 
Avocado Oil

• Facial Moisturizer
• Conditioning Hair Treatment 
• Leave-in Hair Treatment 
• Body Moisturizer
• Improves Wound Healing

Argan Oil

• Bug Bites
• Leave-on Hair Conditioner
• Shine & Hair Frizz (dry hair)
• Nails/Cuticles
• Heel Softener (overnight treatment)
• Facial Moisturizer
• Skin Infections
• Skin Rashes

Jojoba Oil

• Facial Cleanser
• Facial Moisturizer
• Make-up Remover
• Chapped Lips
• Saving Prep/Aftershave
• Conditioning Hair Treatment
• Body Moisturizer
• Massage Oil

Olive Oil

• All-body Moisturizer 
• Conditioning Hair Treatment
• Body Scrub (mix w/brown sugar)
• Eye Makeup Remover
• Cuticle Conditioner
• Heel Softener (overnight treatment)

Coconut Oil

• Eye Make-up Remover
• Lip Moisturizer
• All-body Moisturizer 
• Conditioner
• Conditioning Hair Treatment 
• Cuticle Oil 
• Dandruff Treatment
• Deodorant
• Sunburn Soother
• Massage Oil
• Shaving Cream (use caution - slippery)
• Bath Oil
• Eye Cream 
• Minor Cuts/Burns

Allow me to impart a tip from the modeling world (no, I've never been a model) - after washing your face, rinse 30 times to ensure the cleansing product is fully removed.  You can actually feel the texture of your face change as whatever product you used, comes off.  This trick is particularly important when using any type of oil as a cleanser.

Check it out!

Sources:
http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-almond-oil-for-skin-hair-and-health/
https://www.desertessence.com/top-uses-jojoba-oil

La Fashionista Compassionista

You're a vegan and you love fashion, but all the standard magazines are loaded with non-vegan stuff.  :(

So what's a trendy girl to do?

I present you with La Fashionista Compassionista, an online magazine filled with cruelty free fashion & beauty!

And get this...it's FREE!

Look who's gracing the Holiday 2015 cover...The Jazzy Vegetarian!

If you're boarding the boat late, no worries, all of their back issues are available online.




 Check out their launch party at the 2015 Fashion Week in NYC!

Check it out!

The Cuisinart Griddler!

Santa was good to me once again!  This year the man in the big red suit left me a Cuisinart Griddler (what a cute name!) under my tree and I love it!

Move over George Foreman - this Griddler has multiple mad skills!

This baby is a contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle and can turn into a half grill/half griddle!  Talk about versatility.

I really like the modern, stainless steel finish and the BPA Free, non-stick, reversible plates. You can even buy an additional waffle plates.

You can also adjust the temperature settings from 200°F to 425°F; as you would an oven.  I like how the lights switch from red to green to indicate the Griddler is up to temperature.

The self-adjusting cover gives you flexibility in the thickness of food that is cooked.

But, what I love most of all is the fact that the plates easily pop out for cleaning (either hand wash or dishwasher).  No more fretting about getting the inner workings wet.

I will say I was disappointed in overall size of this machine.  While it's convenient for storage - this machine is best for a single or two person household; unless cooking in batches doesn't bother you.

Since Christmas, I have been a grilling/panini master!  So far, I have made veggie burgers, quesadillas and grilled "cheese!"

I plan to test out my Summer Lovin' Grilled Veggies and Reuben recipes, as well as trying my hand at grilled fruit.


Check it out!

Enjoy Life Mixes

Being a whole-food vegan, I am typically making bakery from scratch.  But sometimes, I yearn for the times when I could just buy a ready-to-go mix off the shelf, add a few ingredients (typically animal products & oil) and whip something up without tearing the kitchen apart or eating up a large portion of my day.

Because of this, I was super excited to try Enjoy Life's new line of baking mixes.

Recently, Enjoy Life sent me their new line of baking mixes to check out.

This new line contains the following mixes:

• Brownie
• Pancake/Waffle
• Pizza Crust
• Muffin
• All-Purpose Flour

What sets these mixes apart from any other on the shelf is that they do not contain the following common allergies:

I'm not exactly sure when Potatoes became a major allergen, but that sucks - sorry Potato-free people!

On top of all that, these mixes, as well as all Enjoy Life products are vegan, non-GMO certified, Kosher certified and Halal certified (I had to look this one up).  Halal means foods allowed under Islamic Shari'ah (law) (I had to Google that one).  Another added bonus is the addition of Probiotics.  Not that a pan of Brownies is going to uproot your daily Probi, but it's a nice enhancement.

Now these mixes do call for oil.  Being an abstainer of oil, I simply didn't use any and because the quantity called for was so low, I did not substitute the oil with the Brownies, Pancakes/Waffles & Pizza mixes.  As the Muffin mix calls for 1/4 oil, that's getting into potential end result malfunction territory, so I simply substituted an equal amount of Apple Sauce.  And guess what...these mixes performed perfectly.

Now I just need Enjoy Life to come out with a Chocolate Chip Cookie mix and my vegan life shall be complete (well mostly...).

Check it out!

In-flight Meal - Vegan Style Part 2

In "In-flight Meal - Vegan Style", I went very in depth about what I bring to sustain my voracious, vegan appetite during an airplane flight.  Great list of things to bring on your flight out, but what if you're round tripping it?  Sure, you can rely on a bunch of processed, prepackaged nibbles, but recently, I took this one step further...

On the day before my flight left, I hit up a local supermarket's grab-and-go counter.  To my delight, but not really surprise, there waiting for me was vegan sushi in a convenient travel container - perfect fit for my carry-on.  And with it, a little soy sauce and pickled ginger.  To my surprise, a bonus find of one of my personal favs - seaweed salad (very nutrient dense). I just had to be sure to grab a plastic fork from the in-store cafe on my way out.  I always request a room with a mini fridge, so storage was no problem.  The trick is to remember to grab everything as you're bolting to your plane the next morning.

I have since done this many times - hitting up Whole Foods or the local grocers depending on where I am.  The stress of making mad dash through the airport for vegan scraps prior to boarding is gone!  I love indulging on my fresh grab-and-go vegan finds and typically, my neighboring fellow travelers look on with envy as their questionable in-flight meals are served.

A little prep does a mind, body & spirit good...

Healthy travels!