I used to be a HUGE fan of chicken salad! It was my go to sandwich/wrap, and I made it regularly for a quick, homemade meal. Now that we’re mostly plant based, I have transitioned to tuna salad or egg salad, but I feel myself getting closer and closer to a vegan lifestyle. Next step? Chickpea salad! Plus, I figured we all probably have a can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans in our pantry since this quarantine has taken effect. This recipe came out better than I expected, and I will continue to experiment with different condiments and keep you guys updated 🙂 *Note: To keep it simple and based off what I have on hand, I chose to use a combo of mayo and dijon mustard to make this as close to chicken salad as possible. I still need to test with veganaise and avocado to make it completely vegan, but I’m sure it will taste just as amazing. If you try it, please let me know!

Plant Based Chickpea "Chicken" Salad

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Author: Little Adapts By Jax

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 1 can of garbanzo beans, rinsed + drained
• 1 celery stalk finely diced
• 1 slice of white onion finely diced
• ½ tbsp mayo or vegan mayo
• 1.5 tbsp dijon mustard or honey mustard
• Salt + pepper to taste
• Optional: 1 tbsp mustard seeds

Instructions

1. Place garbanzo beans in a medium sized bowls and use a fork or potato masher to mash half of the beans so you have a half mash and half bean consistency.
2. Add in mayo, mustard, salt + pepper and mix.
3. Add in onion, celery + mustard seeds and mix again. Taste test to see if you need to add more salt + pepper.
4. Serve on a piece of toast on top of a layer of raw spinach and top with everything but the bagel seasoning as an open fast sandwich. You can also eat in lettuce wraps, with crackers or add to your favorite salad. Enjoy!

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

3.5.3251

Hope you enjoy this as much as I do (Dubs and I may or may not have finished the whole thing in one sitting – whoops!) Stay safe + healthy, friends 🙂

With Health + Happiness Always,
Jax

PS – Tuesday, March 31st is the LAST day to get access to my exclusive offer — Virus Vitality Power Hour! If you are still struggling to figure out your new normal and want personalized, healthy recipes and tips on how to stay fit + sane at this time, email me or book the power hour today so you don’t miss out! (Note: All of my other programs are 6 week + 12 week programs!)

It’s hard not to LOVE pizza when you live in NYC, but with my dairy allergy I rarely indulge in a real NY slice. This means that I’m always trying to satisfy my pizza craving from home (which I don’t hate because I can “little adapt” it even more!) My favorite brand of tortillas and tortilla chips, Siete, now makes burrito sized tortillas which is a game changer. Note: They only sell it in store in the freezer aisle. I use their smaller tortillas to make breakfast + veggie tacos on the regular since they are so easy and taste amazing.

You might be wondering now – well why is this recipe about pizza?! Well, I’m all about that thin crust pizza and this tortilla is the answer. The crust gets super crispy on the outside, but is still thick enough to hold toppings and not fall a part. Plus, it only takes about 15 minutes to make if you keep the ingredients very basic 🙂 I figured this would be a quick + nutritious meal to try while we’re quarantined! (PS – I have not tried this with other burrito size tortillas, but imagine they would work very similarly!)

Vegan Gluten-Free Tortilla Pizza

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: Little Adapts By Jax

Serves: 2-3 servings

Ingredients

• 2 burrito size Siete tortillas
• ½ cup marinara or tomato sauce
• 4 tbsp vegan pesto sauce
• ½ cup vegan shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 heirloom tomatoes sliced
• ½ cup raw baby spinach

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. While the oven is heating, place parchment paper on 2 baking sheets and take the tortillas out of the freezer. Once the tortillas are thawed enough to separate, place each tortilla on the parchment paper and put the baking sheets in the oven for about 3 to 5 minutes. Note: Make sure to place the tortillas with the side that naturally curls up face down on the parchment paper.
3. Take the pizza crusts out of the oven and top with tomato sauce, sliced tomatoes and shredded vegan cheese.
4. Place back into the oven for another 7 to 10 minutes until the pizza crust gets nice and brown.
5. Turn off the oven and take pizzas out to top with raw spinach + pesto.
6. Place back into the oven for another 2 minutes to heat up the pesto and wilt the spinach.
7. Let it cool for a few minutes. Then slice and serve with your favorite salad!

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

3.5.3251

If you try these, please tag me 🙂 Also, don’t have tortillas on hand? Try my Vegan English Muffin Pizzas instead. You can also try the smaller sized tortillas and make it a personal pizza!

With Health + Happiness Always,
Jax

PS – Still feeling overwhelmed by this pandemic? I’m offering a Virus Vitality Power Hour now through Wednesday, April 1st for anyone who wants to put a healthy + happy routine in place during this difficult time. (Note: This is the most cost effective way to work with me as I currently only offer 6 + 12 week programs!) Email me with questions to see if this program is right for you.

The biggest question I get on the Reboot because it’s a vegan menu is: “Where am I supposed to get my protein?” All foods are made up of macronutrients: Fat, Protein + Carbs. If you are eating a variety of plant based foods, they all contain some proportion of protein (yes, you can get protein from dark leafy greens!) This will ultimately add up over the day if you are varying your foods. You also want to make sure you are incorporating high protein sources of plant base food like:

• Nuts + seeds
• Beans + lentils
• Hummus
• Avocado
• Falafels
• Quinoa
• Veggie burgers 
• Ezekiel bread (Note: It contains gluten + you should stay away from it if you have a gluten allergy!)

One of my favorite plant based protein sources is the lentil. Did you know that 1 cup of lentils contains 18g of protein?! That’s insane and it’s also super delicious. Although I’m not one to count calories, macros, carbs, etc. — here is a good rule of thumb if you are looking to see how much protein you should be consuming daily:

• 50% of body weight in grams for maintaining health – For example, 150 pounds = 75g of protein
• 75% of body weight in grams for burning fat – 150 pounds = 131g of protein
• 100% of body weight in grams for building muscle – 150 pounds = 150g of protein

If you want to add lentils to your diet, try out this tasty + hearty vegan lentil soup!

With Health + Happiness Always,
Jax

PS – Only less than a week left to sign up for my 6 Week Nutrition 101 Program! Want to be healthier but don’t know how to take your health to the next level? This is the perfect program for you so don’t wait as there are only a few spots left! Email me with questions 🙂

Happy first week of January! While I’m sad my vacation is over, I’m very excited to be back in NYC and to crush the beginning of 2020 in all areas of my life. I’m also very excited to do my 12 Day Real Food Reboot Program with my clients again starting on Monday, January 13th! I’m not going to lie, but I definitely indulged more than I typically do over the holidays + traveling. The food in SE Asia was definitely #worthit and now I’m ready to get back to my “little adapts” norm.

This new recipe is for all of my sweet potato + mediterranean lovers as it combines the best of both worlds! It is also #rebootapproved so you can totally eat this next week when you do the Reboot with me 🙂

Don’t forget to tag me on social media if you make it!

With Health + Happiness Always,
Jax

PS – Sign up for the “12 Day Real Food Reboot” if you need to jump start your health this month!

With the cold weather upon us and my body craving warmth for lunch + dinner, I decided I needed to recreate a good ol’ fashion chicken soup (but of course without chicken)! This recipe is packed with veggies, jackfruit + chickpeas to make it high in protein + fiber. Of course, if you want it be a little more filling, you can serve it with 1/4 of a cup brown rice or quinoa and/or avocado “croutons” (diced avocado). I promise it will become your winter staple 🙂

Vegan Jackfruit "Chicken" Soup

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Author: Little Adapts By Jax

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 can jackfruit in water
• 1 jalapeño, seeds removed + finely diced (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 14 oz can of chickpeas, drained + rinsed
• 1 can of artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed, chopped
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp dried dill weed or 2 tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
• 2 cups of shredded kale or raw spinach
• 1 tbsp of lemon juice or the juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

1. In a large pot, add olive oil to the pot on medium heat. Add in carrots, onions, celery, jackfruit, jalapeño, bay leaf + salt and pepper. Sauté for about 10 minutes until the vegetables soften + the jackfruit starts to shred. As you stir the vegetables, press down on the jackfruit to break it up and separate so it starts to look like “shredded chicken” pieces. There should be no big hunks of jackfruit by the end.
2. Add in vegetable broth, chick peas, artichoke hearts, water + dill. Bring the pot to a boil by turning the heat up to high + covering the pot. Then bring it down to a simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
3. Add in kale or spinach and lemon juice and simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Take off heat and then taste test to see if you need any additional spices or lemon.
5. Serve plain or with a ¼ cup of brown rice or quinoa and/or avocado "croutons". Enjoy!

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

3.5.3251

(*Note: This recipe was adapted from The Modern Proper, which is an original chicken soup recipe if you want something with meat!)

With Health + Happiness Always,
Jax

PS – Need a quick detox before the December holidays?! Sign up for my “Pre-Holiday 5 Day Real Food Reboot” starting on Monday, December 9th!

I’ve been asked to share more plant based meals, and this is a one of my original “Reboot” recipes. One of the benefits of the doing the Reboot is that you get access to new + exclusive recipes that are not on my website yet! Speaking of which, I’m launching a Mini Holiday Real Food Reboot due to popular demand starting on Monday, December 9th for those of you interested in cleansing in between the holidays.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Burger

 

Print

Prep time

45 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

 

Author: Little Adapts By Jax

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 1 cup canned unsalted black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1½ cups cooked brown rice
• ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
• ½ cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 1 cup baby kale
• 2½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel sweet potato and dice into cubes. Bake on a cookie sheet naked for about 35 minutes (flipping over in between). You want the sweet potato soft so you can easily blend it. Once done, turn the oven down to 375 degrees F.
2. While potatoes bake, cook brown rice according to box.
3. Place all ingredients into the food processor or Vitamix. Make sure not to over blend as you don’t want it creamy, but rather smooth with tiny chunks for texture.
4. Roll into patties and place them onto a baking sheet that is covered in a sheet of parchment paper (so they don’t stick).
5. Bake for about 35 minutes and flipping them at about halfway through. Take out of the oven and cool for 10 minutes before eating before serving them on a butterhead lettuce bun, served with sides or over a bed of greens, avocado, red onion, and tomatoes.

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

3.5.3251

Throw these burgers over some greens with pickles + tomatoes with a little bit of mustard + ketchup and enjoy!

With Health + Happiness Always,
Jax

PS – For other healthy recipes, click here!

Ever have the craving for Chinese food, but know that it’s probably not the best option for takeout? Well, this cashew cauliflower fried rice tastes just like the real deal but is WAY healthier for you! It satisfies your craving but is lower in soy, salt, sugar + carbs and filled with lots of fiber, nutrients + vitamins. The best part — it takes less than 30 minutes to make!

Cashew Cauliflower Fried Rice

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: Little Adapts By Jax

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• ¼ white onion diced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tbsp minced ginger or ground ginger
• Sea salt + pepper to taste
• 2 cups sliced white or brown mushrooms
• 1 finely diced green pepper
• 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
• 1 cup shredded kale
• 1 cup cole slaw (cabbage/carrot mix)
• 1 bag frozen cauliflower rice
• ¼ cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup raw cashews
• Optional: chopped scallions for serving

Instructions

1. Heat a large pan on high and once it's heated, add in the sesame oil and lower the heat to medium-low to low.
2. Add in diced onions, garlic, minced ginger with a sprinkle of sea salt + pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions start to brown.
3. Add the mushrooms + diced green peppers into the pan to sauteé. Cook for about 10 minutes or so until mushrooms start to brown.
4. Then add in the peas, shredded kale + cole slaw. Stir everything together and cover the pan. Cook for another 5 minutes + stir occasionally.
5. Then add in the cauliflower rice with the coconut aminos/soy sauce. Stir everything together again and then taste test to see if you need to add in anymore pepper and/or ginger. Cover the pan and cook on low so all of the flavors cook together.
6. While the cauliflower rice is cooking, heat up a small pan on high. Crack + scramble the eggs in a bowl. Coat the pan with ghee or coconut oil and turn down the heat to medium-low to low. Add the eggs to the pan and cook them to an egg scramble (making the scramble pieces small).
7. Once the eggs are fully cook, add them into the large pan + stir. Taste test once more to see if you need to add any additional spices or coconut aminos/soy sauce.
8. Cover the pan and cook for another 3 minutes.
9. Finally add the raw cashews to the pan and turn the heat off. Mix up one final time and cover the pan so the cashews absorb the flavor. Let it sit for 2 minutes and then take the cover off to cool.
10. Serve with chopped scallions + enjoy!

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

3.5.3251

With Health + Happiness Always,
Jax

PS – Don’t forget to sign up for my FREE 3 Day Detox Guide if you haven’t already. Best way to prep for the upcoming holidays 🙂

My boo + I used to be BIG burger fans – trying different burgers throughout the city to see which one was the best. Now that we’re pescatarian with eggs, we still crave burgers but the veggie kind 🙂 I know there are many plant based brands out there that mimic the burger taste + texture, but at the end of the day I want my burgers packed with fiber + nutrients and not just protein. We typically stick to our sweet potato burgers, but when you typically want sweet potato fries on the side – it’s a good idea to pack your burger with something else. These are also Reboot + Vegan approved!

White Bean Mushroom Cajun Burgers

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: Little Adapts By Jax

Serves: 7-8

Ingredients

• 2 cans cannellini (white kidney) beans
• 2 cups crimini mushrooms, diced
• ½ yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• ½ tbsp nutritional yeast
• 4 flax eggs (4 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water)
• 1 cup rolled oats ground into “breadcrumb size”
• ½ tbsp cajun spice (If you don't have cajun spice, you can use a combo of paprika, celery seed, garlic, basil, pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme + parsley.)
• ½ tbsp paprika
• ½ tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp olive oil + drizzle more to coat the baking tray

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and make flax eggs. Combine the flaxseed + water into a small bowl, whisk and let it sit until you're ready to add it to the burger mixture.
2. Heat a pan on medium low heat and then add 1 tbsp of olive oil. Dice the mushrooms + chop onion + garlic.
3. Once the pan is heated, add in onions and cook for about 5 minutes until they start to brown. Once that happens, add in mushrooms + garlic and cook for another 5 - 7 minutes until the water from the mushrooms has cooked off.
4. While the onions, garlic + mushrooms are cooking, rinse and dry the beans and then throw into a bowl and mash up with a fork or potato masher.
5. Add the rolled oats to a blender or food processor and pulse on low until you get a "bread crumb" consistency. Don't over pulse because you don't want it to be a flour - we want some texture!
6. When the onions, garlic + mushrooms are done cooking, turn off the heat and place into a small bowl to cool for about 5 minutes or so. You need to let it cool as you mix the batter with your hands and you don't want to burn yourself!
7. Add the oats, flax eggs, cajun spice, paprika + coconut aminos into the bowl with the mashed beans. Once the other mixture is cooled, add that in as well.
8. Mix the burger batter with your hands until it is well combined.
9. Drizzle olive oil on the baking tray and then form patties with your hands and place onto baking tray.
10. Bake for about 5-7 minutes on each side until you see the outside of the patty get crisp.
11. Cool for about 5 minutes and serve over a mixed salad and/or side of baked sweet potato fries. Enjoy!

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

3.5.3251

With Health + Happiness Always,
Jax

PS – Want access to other plant based meals? Click here for more recipes!