8 Healthy And Delicious Vegan Bagel Toppings

Bagels ideas for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

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Bagels Make a Quick and Easy Meal
Who doesn't love a good bagel? But we mostly just toast them, slather cream "cheese" or "butter" on them, and call it a meal. But there's so much more you can do to make these little platters of goodness more interesting. And they can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Starting Out
Start with a good bagel. I'm in love with the Sprouted Wheat bagels by Alvarado Street Bakery. They are not gluten free but they do not contain added gluten, like so many baked goods do. Their main ingredient is Sprouted Organic Whole Wheat Berries. As stated on their package:

"We sprout the whole grains by soaking them in filtered water for several days, until they begin to grow. We then transform these living sprouts into the unique dough that becomes the basis of all our recipes. Sprouting grains helps to increase the availability of some nutrients, are easy to digest, and contain essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber."

Each bagel provides:
250 calories
0.5 total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol
51 g carbohydrates, 2 g sugar
10 g protein
3 g dietary fiber
410 mg sodium

 Of course if you cannot tolerate wheat, then start with a gluten free bagel. 

#1 - Super Seeded Bagel
If you like seeded bagels, you will love this one. When you buy a seeded bagel, the seeds are baked in the process of making it and then toasted when you take it home. All this cooking destroys the delicate essential fatty acids which is why I always prefer eating raw seeds and nuts. For this recipe, just slather Kite Hill vegan cream cheese on your bagel (toasted or not), and cover it with raw seeds, such as hemp, sunflower, and pumpkin. 

Super Seeded Bagel

#2 - The Elvis Bagel
This recipe pays homage to Elvis, who loved his peanut butter and banana sandwiches. We top this one with walnuts for a little extra omega-3 fatty acids. I don't think Elvis paid much attention to that :-) Spread organic peanut butter (creamy or crunchy) on the bagel and top with ripe banana slices and crushed walnuts.

Elvis Bagel

#3 - Avocado Bagel
As I posted earlier this month, Avocado Toast - It's Everywhere! Why It's a Healthy Dish, avocados contain healthy fat, have anti-inflammatory properties, and are a great source of fiber and a host of vitamins and minerals. They also help us absorb cancer-fighting carotenoids. So just slice or smush avocado on your bagel and top with raw seeds, sprouts, fruits, veggies, herbs, or whatever suits you.

Avocado Bagel

#4 - Garlic Toast Bagel
A garlic toasted bagel makes a tasty side to a big raw salad. Just make a paste by mixing a tablespoon of room temperature Miyoko's vegan butter, (or your favorite spread), with a clove or two of pressed or finely minced garlic and dried parsley flakes. Spread it on the bagel and toast until brown and bubbly.

Garlic Toast Bagel

#5 - Jalapeno Hummus Bagel
This bagel is sure to spice up your life. Spread your favorite hummus on a toasted bagel and top with pickled jalapeños and raw pumpkin seeds, or "pepitas."

Jalapeno Hummus Bagel

#6 - Sweet Mango and Almond Butter Bagel
Sweet Ataulfo mangos are in season now and they pair beautifully with almond butter. Mangos are packed with vitamin A and C and a good source of dietary fiber. The almond butter is a great source of vitamin E, which is hard to get. Spread creamy or crunchy almond butter on your bagel, top with finely diced mango and top with black sesame seeds.

Mango and Almond Butter Bagel

#7 - Pizza Bagel
This makes an easy lunch or dinner, with a raw salad. Just toast the bagel first then cover with thick (not runny) tomato sauce, and shredded vegan "cheese". Broil until the cheese melts and then top with whatever you like. I used artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, peperocini, vegan "parmesan" topping, and chili flakes. Toss under the broiler again the heat the veggies and serve.

Pizza Bagel

#8 - Strawberry Fields Forever Bagel
Strawberries are in season now and they make a great topping over Kite Hill's vegan cream cheese. Toast and slather cream cheese on the bagel. Top with strawberry slices and hemp seeds, for that extra omega-3 punch. I also sprinkled it with some blueberry finishing salt to introduce extra flavor.

Strawberry Fields Forever Bagel

I could go on and on with this post but I think I'll leave it here. If you have some interesting concoctions, please comment and share!

Avocado Toast - It's Everywhere!Why It's A Healthy Dish

Sliced or smushed, avocado is a healthy and popular topping.

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A Popular Menu Item

It's seems that whenever I try a new popular restaurant, avocado toast is on the menu. I'm not sure how or when this dish became so popular, but it seems to have really taken off. And why wouldn't it - avocados are one of America's favorite foods. Their consumption has quadrupled since 2000 and by 2015, the consumption of Hass avocados surpassed 2 billion pounds! I eat avocados every day in some form or another.

Although many people worry about avocado's fat content, they shouldn't. Their combination of "good fats"  (phytosterols, polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols, and oleic acid), give avocados their anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is the root of many diseases such as cancer, arthritis, heart disease, Alzheimers, and other degenerative disorders. 

In addition to reducing inflammation, they help us absorb carotenoids, an important plant chemical that protect us against numerous cancers. They are also a great source of dietary fiber, as well as vitamin C, E, K, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, and potassium.

Avocado Toast 

You don't need a particular recipe for avocado toast. Here are some suggestions and ways to prepare that it I've seen in restaurants. 

Select bread for the toast. Pick a small baguette if you are making an appetizer or a larger crusty bread if you are making this dish for a meal. Sour dough bread is an excellent choice. You can also consider using bagels. The picture above is avocado on a sprouted wheat bagel but an "everything" bagel with garlic, onions, and seeds would be an exciting and bold choice. If you want to avoid gluten, use any gluten free bread such as corn bread, homemade bread made with gluten free flour, or any commercial gluten free bread slices. Lightly toast whatever bread you select.

Slice or Smush

Avocado's will quickly oxidize and turn brown so you shouldn't prepare the avocado until you are ready to eat it. Thinly slicing the avocado is often a prettier presentation but feel free to smush the avocado with a fork and spread the avocado on the toast. Although not as pretty, it's easier to eat avocado that is smushed and evenly spread on the bread.

Select a Topping

Here are a few toppings that are healthy and popular. Select one or more.

* Seeds are my favorite topping. The above picture shows raw sunflower and black sesame seeds. Hemp and pumpkin seeds are also a good selection. 

* Crushed nuts such as walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamia, pistachios or sliced almonds are great choices.  

* Raw sprouts are a healthy and attractive topping.

* Fruits and veggies can be added such as thinly sliced apples, pears, mango, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and grilled corn.

* Season with spicy chili pepper flakes or finishing salts and other spices such as fresh dill, cilantro, parsley, and more. 

* For those who enjoy fish, top with thin slices of those high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in mercury such as smoked salmon, anchovies, herring, and sardines.

For other things to do with avocados, check out my post Avocados are delicious and healthy - Here's why you should eat them and 10 ways to enjoy them.

Instant Pot Helps Make Perfect Breakfast Fried Potatoes With Less Oil

Use your Instant Pot for perfect breakfast potatoes.
Make a healthier breakfast for your Valentine!

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Breakfast Potatoes
I must have been Irish in another lifetime because I adore potatoes. Baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, and especially fried breakfast potatoes. Fried breakfast potatoes, however, can take a lot of oil with added calories. They also take a long time to cook, and who has that kind of time in the morning? But the Instant Pot comes to the rescue to help with both of these problems. 

So if your want to make your Valentine some healthy fried breakfast potatoes to go with a tofu scramble or his favorite egg dish, here's a quick recipe for the potatoes. You can always jazz this recipe up by frying some onions or peppers before you add the potatoes, but I like my potatoes as they are.

To save even more time in the morning, you can make the Instant Pot potatoes the night before, refrigerate them, and fry them the next morning.


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Breakfast Fried Potatoes
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 3 to 4 servings]

Requirements
Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker with steamer basket and rack
Large Non-stick Fry Pan

Ingredients
3 cups (1/2" -3/4" inch diced) Yukon Gold potatoes with skin (~ 1 pound)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Place the steamer rack and 1 inch of water in the Instant Pot.

Spread the diced potatoes evenly in the Instant Pot's steamer basket. Place on the rack.

Secure the lid, making sure the top vent is closed. Press the "Manual" button and set for 4 minutes at high pressure. When done, do a quick release, carefully open the lid, and immediately remove the potatoes from the Instant Pot. The potatoes should be almost cooked, but a little al dente. They will continue to cook in the fry pan.

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick (I like enamel coated), fry pan on medium heat. Add the potatoes and spread evenly in the pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender but crispy and brown on both sides, flipping over occasionally, about 10 minutes. 

Serve warm.

Nutrition
Per serving (3): 155 calories, 5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 49 mg omega-3 and 487 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 3 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, and 3 g dietary fiber. 

Per serving (4): 116 calories, 3 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 37 mg omega-3 and 366 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 2 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates, and 2 g dietary fiber. 

Whole Wheat Apple Blueberry Muffins With Walnuts - High In Omega 3

These warm, whole grain muffins make a healthy, fall breakfast.

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Warm Muffins - A Wholesome Addition to Breakfast
As the weather cools down, it's nice to start the day with a warm breakfast. These muffins, bursting with blueberries, apples and walnuts, are delicious with Kite Hill almond-based cream "cheese." Take the leftovers to work or school, as they make a wonderful mid-afternoon snack.

Blueberries are one of the highest antioxidant foods we can eat plus each low-calorie, high-fiber muffin is packed with over a 1/2 gram of omega-3 due to the addition of walnuts and flaxseeds!

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Whole Wheat Apple Blueberry Muffins
Vegan, Dairy Free
[makes 12 muffins]

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for greasing muffin pan
2 cups King Arthur white whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1/4 cup organic can sugar
1 teaspoon powdered stevia
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup non-dairy milk, such as almond or soy milk
2/3 cup applesauce
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
3/4 cup finely diced peeled apples
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners. 

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, flax seeds, sugar, stevia, baking powder, and salt. 

In a large bowl, combine the milk, applesauce, and oil and beat well. 

Add the flour mixture to the large bowl and mix until well blended. Fold in the blueberries, apples and walnuts. 

Using an ice cream scoop or 1⁄3-cup measure, scoop batter into muffin tins. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of a muffin, 18 to 20 minutes. 

Remove from the oven, cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, release the muffins from the pan, and serve warm. 

Warm muffins bursting with apples and blueberries.

Nutrition
Per muffin: 162 calories, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 538 mg omega-3 and 1,600 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 3 g protein, 20 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber and 202 mg sodium.

Whole Wheat Vegan Strawberry Muffins

These yummy strawberry muffins are only 150 calories!

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Another Way to use your Garden Strawberries
My strawberry patch is going crazy so I've been using strawberries in every delicious way I can (you'll be seeing a post next week on a dozen different ways to use strawberries so stay tuned.) For Mother's Day, I baked them into a yummy, low-calorie, low-sugar, whole grain muffin. Here's the recipe!

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Whole Wheat Strawberry Muffins
Vegan, Dairy Free
[makes 12 muffins]

Ingredients
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing pan 
2 cups King Arthur white whole-wheat flour or 1 cup whole- wheat and 1 cup all-purpose flour) 
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1⁄3 cup organic cane sugar
4 (1-gram) packets or equivalent bulk stevia powder 
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1⁄2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1⁄2 cup almond or other non-dairy milk
2⁄3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup diced fresh strawberries
2 fresh strawberries, diced

D I R E C T I O NS 
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners. 

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, flax seeds, sugar, stevia, baking powder, and salt. 

In a large bowl, combine the orange zest, orange juice, milk, applesauce, and oil and beat well. 

Add the flour mixture to the large bowl and mix until well blended. Fold in one cup of diced strawberries.

Using an ice cream scoop or 1⁄3-cup measure, scoop batter into muffin tins. Divide up the two diced strawberries and place on top of each muffin. Gently push them in a little. 

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of a muffin, 18 to 20 minutes. 

Remove from the oven, cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, release the muffins from the pan, and serve warm. 

YI E L D 
12 Muffins 

Per serving: 152 calories, 6 g total fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, 320 mg omega-3 and 674 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein 22 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, and 195 mg sodium. 

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Fruit And Nut Breakfast BowlAn Easy Back To School Breakfast

Healthy breakfast bowl takes advantage of late summer fruit.

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My New Favorite Breakfast
The end of the summer brings us so much wonderful fruit. Sweat peaches are their peak ripeness, the pears are ripening, strawberries are still around, and so much more. A big bowl of fruit may be delicious but it's certainly not filling.This breakfast bowl adds nuts and seeds, cereal, and some probiotic packed, home-made soy yogurt. This provides the protein and healthy fats that will keep you satisfied until lunch time.

I Can't Believe School is Starting!
Although my children are grown, I still get those feelings of disbelief when kids start getting ready to start school in what seems like the middle of the summer. Getting kids fed and ready to leave for school, or even summer day camp for that matter, is one of the hardest thing a parent has to do. Perhaps feeding them this yummy breakfast bowl will get them to eat up without prompting them through ever bite! It's so easy, they can even help you make it.

Feel free to change up the ingredients. Basically you need 3 fruits, 3 nuts/seeds, some healthy cereal for more crunch, and your favorite yogurt. The ingredients below are for two servings but it' easy to double to make it for four.

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Fruit and Nut Breakfast Bowl
Vegan and Dairy Free (if using vegan yogurt) 
Gluten Free (if using GF cereal)
[makes 2 servings]

Ingredients
1 large peach, diced with skin
1 large pear, diced with or without skin
6 large strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup cereal (such as puffed rice or granola)
1 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon chopped raw walnuts 
1 tablespoon chopped or sliced almonds
1/2 cup yogurt

Directions
Divide the chopped fruit between two bowls.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cereal over each bowl. I like to use a mixture of puffed rice and puffed kamut because it has a nice crunch and very few calories. Granola would be very yummy and hearty in this recipe too but adds more calories and sugar.

Puffed brown rice and gamut

Divide the nuts and seeds among the two bowls.

Sunflower seeds, almonds and walnuts

Gently stir each bowl to mix the ingredients. Top with your favorite yogurt and serve immediately.

Peach And Peanut Butter Smoothie With Chia Seeds

Peaches and peanut butter pair beautifully in this smoothie.

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Peach Season
We found some big, beautiful, juicy peaches at the market the other day. This morning we decided to blend some up into a smoothie.

Now peaches and peanut butter might seem an unlikely combination, but they pair beautifully. Besides being delicious together, the peanut butter balances the carbs of the fruit with some fat and protein which keeps you full longer. Almond butter will do the same thing so if you are allergic to peanuts, you can make that substitution. Using peanut butter, each serving provides 5 grams of protein.

I also add some soaked chia seeds to this recipe to improve the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids since peanut butter (and almond butter too) is far richer in omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3. This recipe provides close to a gram of omega-3 per serving. Chia seeds are also a good source of fiber and calcium. Each serving of this smoothie has 7 grams of dietary fiber!

And let's not forget the star of the show. Peaches are a great source of fiber and vitamins A and C, each large peach providing 3 grams of dietary fiber, 19% of your daily requirement of vitamin C and 11% of vitamin A.  

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Peach and Peanut Butter Smoothie
Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
[makes 2 servings]
Requires a blender.

Ingredients
1 large banana (cut in 4 pieces, frozen)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 cups water, divided
2 large peaches, pitted and sliced with skin
1 tablespoon organic peanut butter
4 drops of stevia or other sweetener

Directions
The night before, cut the banana into 4 pieces and place in the freezer. If you plan on using frozen instead of fresh peaches, you don't have to freeze the banana.

About 20 to 30 minutes before you make the smoothie, soak the chia seeds in 1/2 cup of the water. Stir vigorously and set aside. Stir again from time to time until the chia seeds absorb most of the water.

Place the frozen banana, soaked chia seeds and all their liquid, the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water, the peaches, peanut butter and sweetener in the blender. 

Blend until smooth and serve immediately.

Nutrition
Per serving (2): 204 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 906 mg omega-3 and 1,546 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 5 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 7 g dietary fiber and 34 mg sodium.

Make Thick, Creamy Vegan Yogurt With An Instant Pot Or Yogurt Maker - 5 Minutes Prep Time! No Added Thickeners Or Gums Needed

Making this organic yogurt recipe couldn't be easier!

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I Love Yogurt
When I gave up dairy, yogurt was one of the things I missed the most. Store-bought vegan yogurt is pretty terrible. I remember a while back buying 8 different brands and types in order to do a product review for the blog. They contained all kinds of gums and binders, tons of sugar, and very little yogurt flavor. In disgust, I abandoned the article as I couldn't really find one that I was excited about recommending. 

I never tried making my own yogurt until I bought my Instant Pot. Although I use it mostly as a pressure cooker, it also works as a yogurt maker. So before I gave up on yogurt completely, with its healthful and critical probiotics, I thought I would give it a try.

Yogurt Starter
The first thing you need when making a non-dairy yogurt, is vegan yogurt starter. I use Cultures for Health. Check their website carefully for a coupon. They have other yogurt starters that are dairy based so if you can tolerate a tiny amount of dairy, you can try them too. I imagine that they might give a different flavor and consistency but I haven't experimented with them yet.

The vegan yogurt starter is a "direct set" or "single use" starter which means that you should use a new packet for every batch. With the particular recipe and non-dairy milk I am suggesting today, it is possible to make additional batches by using a 1/2-cup of the yogurt and whey from the previous batch. Eventually you may have to use a new packet (I found that using a fresh packet results in a slightly thicker yogurt) although my friend has made countless batches with yogurt and whey from her previous batches and hasn't noticed any differences.

To maintain culture strength, store in the freezer

Next, you'll need a non-dairy milk. My two favorites so far, that curdle and makes thick, creamy, spoonable yogurt without having to add any thickening agents, are Trader Joe's shelf stable organic unsweetened Soy Beverage and Kirkland's shelf stable organic, plain soy milk. Although the Kirkland's brand is organic and very delicious with just a hint of vanilla, the Trader Joe's product is a healthier choice because it just contains organic soy beans and water. Kirkland's contains other ingredients besides the soy milk like organic cane sugar, tricalcium citrate, sea salt, carrageenan, vanilla, natural flavors, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, riboflavin and B12. Natural flavors can mean lots of nasty things and many nutritionists now recommend avoiding carrageenan because it can cause inflammation. 

Making yogurt is incredibly easy in your Instant Pot.
Stir starter into the milk, pour into jars, set time and hit start!

Nothing but soybeans!
A healthier choice than Kirkland's.

Soy Yogurt
Vegan, Dairy Free, Mostly Gluten Free*
[Makes 1 quart or 8 (1/2-cup) servings]
Requires 2 pint glass jars and an Instant Pot or other Yogurt Maker
Allow 8 to 12 hours in yogurt maker and several hours to refrigerate

Ingredients
1 quart shelf-stabilized plain organic soy milk, room temperature
1 packet of Cultures for Health vegan yogurt starter**

*Cultures for Health Vegan Yogurt starter may contain traces of gluten as they use barley as a nutrient for the probiotic.
** Or try using a 1/2 cup of yogurt and whey from your previous batch

Directions
Clean glass jars with soap and hot water. Dry and set aside.

Pour the room-temperature soy milk into a clean pitcher. Sprinkle in a packet of yogurt starter and stir well. If you are using 1/2 cup of yogurt and whey from a previous batch (instead of a packet of yogurt starter), place that into the pitcher first and slowly mix in the quart of milk until it is well combined.

Pour into two pint jars. If you have a little left over, pour it into a small taster jar.

Place all jars into the Instant Pot. Push the "yogurt" button and set for 8 to 10 hours (the longer, the tangier). You may use the cover that comes with the Instant Pot or a 9" snug-fitting glass lid. I like using a glass lid so that I can see what's going on. 

Remove when done and place in the refrigerator. Serve when chilled.

Tip: Prepare it in the morning so that it finishes in the evening and you can pop it into the refrigerator before you go to bed. Then it will be chilled and ready to use for breakfast the next morning. 

Nutrition (using Kirkland)
Per 1/2-cup serving: 50 calories, 2 g total fat, 0.3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 0.5 g dietary fiber, and 55 mg sodium.

Nutrition (using Trader Joe's)
Per 1/2-cup serving: 45 calories, 2.3 g total fat, .3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4.5 g protein, 2 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, and 43 mg sodium. 

Making Yogurt from Almond, Coconut and Rice Milk
I have not been successful making yogurt from other non-dairy milks such as almond, coconut, and rice milk as they require a thickening agent. Often, the resulting yogurt is more like Jello than creamy and curdled yogurt. I also don't think they are as tart. Recently, however, I have found some store bought products that are pretty good. Check out my product review on Cashew, Almond, and Coconut Milk non-dairy yogurts. 


















If you want to try making these on your own, your best bet is to use a recipe using Pomona's Universal Pectin.  I find that there is no need for the calcium water called for in the recipe if the non-dairy milk you are using has sufficient added calcium. 

Experimenting is Fun!
Experimenting with different milks and yogurt starters is fun so if you come up with some great creations, please share them with us!

Check out my product review on Cashew, Almond, and Coconut Milk non-dairy yogurts!