Meet Jenn – she started her blog, Veggie Inspired Journey, as a way to document a plant based diet over 30 days, to show people that it could be easy and tasty to make healthy choices. I love her perspective on eating: “Health is not something that you achieve and then never have to think about again; it is a lifelong journey.” Her recipes feature plant based ingredients, so you will see lots of vegetarian, vegan, and dairy free options. I love that she has her recipes categorized for every holiday. Check out her healthy Valentine’s recipes for next week! Here are some of her favorites:
Original: Smoky Millet and Black Bean Patties (vegetarian, vegan)
Freezable: Smoky Millet and Black Bean Patties (Log-in required)
Original: Pumpkin & Kale Stuffed Shells (vegetarian, nut-free, vegan)
Freezable: Pumpkin & Kale Stuffed Shells (Log-in required)
Original: Tofu Scramble with Mushrooms (gluten free, dairy free, nut free, vegetarian, vegan, egg free)
Freezable: Tofu Scramble with Mushrooms (Log-in required)
Other great recipes you can find from Veggie Inspired Journey as part of OAMM membership:
- Banana Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
- Slow Cooker Smoky Red Lentil, Chickpea & Orzo Stew
- Super Simple Burrito Bowls
- Buffalo Cauliflower Bites with Cheater Vegan Ranch
For more Veggie Inspired recipes, make sure you follow Jenn on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
How long have you been blogging about food?
I started blogging in July 2013. It started as a one month whole foods, plant-based eating challenge. I documented what I ate for those 30 days to show people that it’s actually pretty easy to eat only healthy, plant-based whole foods and feel incredibly satisfied. After that month was over, I decided to keep going because I enjoyed it so much.
Have you always loved cooking, or was it a skill that you learned to love? Who taught you to cook?
No! My mom likes to remind me often that I really disliked cooking when I was growing up. I don’t know if anyone really taught me how to cook. I watched my mom and grandmothers make family meals often though. I think I picked up some tips and tricks along the way. The food I make now is very different from the food I was used to growing up though. I don’t use meat, eggs or dairy anymore, and I very rarely use refined sugar or white flour. I can read cookbooks like novels and love to watch cooking shows, so I definitely gained some knowledge of food that way. And I love to read food blogs and search Pinterest for amazing recipe inspiration!
What is your favorite meal to serve to family and friends?
When family or friends come over I usually make some kind of pasta. Everyone loves pasta and it’s really easy to make plant-based pasta dishes hearty enough to satisfy omnivores too. My favorites are Spaghetti with Lentil Bolognese or Penne with Roasted Cauliflower, Spinach and Balsamic. Serve it up with a nice green salad, hunks of crusty bread and a bottle of wine…you can’t go wrong!
What is your favorite treat to make for yourself?
My favorite treat is either an indulgent smoothie or banana “ice cream.” Both of these basically use the same ingredients, one is just thicker than the other. For the “ice cream” I blend chunks of frozen banana, peanut butter and cocoa in a food processor until smooth. It turns out just like soft serve! For the smoothie, I blend unsweetened soy or almond milk, an apple, a banana, peanut butter, cinnamon, kale and a few ice cubes until smooth. Delicious!
What is your favorite kitchen tool or gadget? Tell us a little about how you fell in love with it and how you use it in your kitchen.
A chef’s knife! I’m not much of a kitchen gadget person. Almost anything a gadget can do, I can do with a big chefs knife. We consume lots of fresh fruit and veggies, so a sharp knife is important in making quick work of all the chopping and dicing. Following close behind, would be my Vitamix (a high speed blender) and my food processor. Both of these small kitchen appliances I could not live without!
When you are meal planning or looking for new recipes, what kind of guidelines do you follow for choosing them or what inspires you?
As I mentioned before, I get lots of inspiration from cookbooks, cooking shows and food blogs. The only guidelines I have for choosing a recipe is the flavor profile because I know even if it isn’t up to my “healthy standards” I can tweak it to make it that way. There are very few recipes I have ever made by following the ingredient list and instructions exactly.
What items are ALWAYS on your grocery list? What items will you NEVER put on your grocery list?
Jenn’s Pantry
Always: Bananas, Clementines, Grapes, Bell Peppers, Cashews, Chickpeas, Natural Peanut Butter, Tortillas (I am going to start making my own one day soon!), Quinoa, Brown Rice, so many more!!
Never: Sugary Cereals, Soda
Tell us the best kitchen tip or trick that you’ve ever discovered.
Besides making “ice cream” from bananas, it would have to be the amazingness that is Cashew Cream. Blending soaked cashews with just a bit of water, makes the most delicious cream. I use it to thicken soups, casseroles, pasta sauces, etc. A healthy protein boost! You can also make it a sweet cream by adding in a bit of powdered sugar or pure maple syrup. Use this sweet cream as a dip for fresh fruit…yum!
What do you like to do when you aren’t cooking or blogging?
I’m also a full time stay-at-home mom to three amazing kids. I have an almost 7 year old son and 3 year old twin daughters. Spending time with them and watching them grow, learn and discover is truly the highlight of my life. When I do have a few precious alone moments, I love to read, exercise, talk to or hang out with my friends and sometimes indulge in bad (read: awesome) tv (ex: Young and the Restless, The Bachelor, Project Runway).
Have you ever freezer cooked? Share some of your favorite recipes or tips.
I have freezer cooked a few times. It is a BIG job every time, but when all the cooking is done, it is just a great feeling to know that all of those meals are just waiting to be eaten with very little extra effort. With three kids…homework and reading for one, two that are just waking up from nap hungry…dinner time can be the witching hour. If all I have to do is pop something previously homemade into the oven, yes please! My favorite freezer meals are veggie burgers (any kind…they all freeze great), soups/stews, and casseroles.
**Has a recipe of yours been featured in an OAMM menu and/or do you have at least a dozen recipes that you would like us to consider so that you can be an OAMM blog partner? If so, find out more here.**