Vegan Lox? Whaaaat?

So when you go vegan, you often crave foods that you used to eat.  Well, everyone knows a perfect bagel has cream cheese, salmon or lox, and red onion.   So, when I heard about vegan lox, I was intrigued.   And I decided to make it.  That was one of today's projects.  

Saturdays have become my cooking days.   Since I've been home schooling. the day is filled with helping with studies and going through stuff and making sure work is done.  So experimenting in the kitchen is out on those days.  

But on Saturday, while the kids play and do their thing, I cook.

Today, I made a Giant Burrito Crunch Cake for supper, which was not only delicious, it was packed with healthy vegetables and plant proteins.   I made up a guacamole  to serve with it and it was even better.

The guacamole was my own recipe

2 avocados, mashed
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 TBSP lime juice
1 cup thinly sliced cherry tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste


I also made carrot hot dogs, which I was pretty excited to try.  I mean, I was skeptical; how could carrots taste like hot dogs?  But I decided carrots aren't that expensive, and I had all the ingredients on hand, why not give it a go?  And I did.  And I did not regret it.  They were delicious!  The boys both liked them, but hubby refused to try.   His loss.  This was the recipe.

I decided to tackle a recipe for home made ricotta cheese, but I cheated and used store bought almond milk and it did not turn out.  

But I also found that recipe for Vegan Lox, and threw some carrots in the oven, covered in salt, and let them roast.  Then, after they had cooled, I added the brine.   Now they have to sit for two days.   I can't wait.   I have bagels and vegan cream cheese just waiting...

 But while I was waiting for the carrots to roast, I whipped up some of our family's favorite, these Mama Glo Bars bars from Oh She Glows.  

They are so good, and everyone loves them.  The best thing about them is they are pretty healthy.   No additives or high fructose corn syrup, they are sweetened with brown rice syrup.   And packed with lots of mother earthy type ingredients that you can feel good about, and they taste delicious.  So a win all around.

Everyone talks about how expensive vegan/vegetarian food is, but the truth is, you can make so much of that stuff at home at a fraction of the cost, AND it tastes better.  So it is possible to be vegan or vegetarian and live on a budget.   It is also possible to get all your nutrients in a vegan diet.  For example, people are worried that I won't get calcium if I don't drink milk.  Almond milk actually has MORE calcium than dairy milk does!   And B-12 can be found in lots of plant based foods, not just meat.

We've literally spend about a third of what we usually spend on groceries when I cook from scratch.   And that's with hubby, who is an omnivore, buying stuff he wants to eat.

And every week, it gets even easier, because I find recipes we all like and I know those work.  

Hope you enjoy these recipes!  I sure did.