Simple Homemade Ramen

You know that fancy ramen place in town that you LOVE but can’t afford to visit every night? Same. Here is my version of ramen and it’s so simple and easy! It’s important to note that you can use different veggies than the ones i listed below…get creative if you want! This recipe is meant for 2, so adjust as you need. Grab your chopsticks and a big bowl and let’s get started.

4-5 green onion stalks

1 tablespoon of coconut oil (you could also use olive oil)

1-2 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger

bok choy (roughly 3 stalks depending on the size)

1/2 cup of shiitake mushrooms

one red bell pepper

corn (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons of miso paste

1-2 tablespoons of red curry paste (depending on how spicy you’d like it…add more!)

1 can of coconut milk

2.5 cups of veggie broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

squeeze of lime, cilantro, red pepper flakes and sriracha (optional) for toppings

First thing you’ll need is a 2 large pots, one for boiling your noodles and the other for making the base of the dish. In one pot on medium heat, add the coconut oil, chopped bok choy and corn. Let that sauté for about 8-10 minutes until the bok choy and corn are slightly tender and brown. Reduce the heat a little bit then add in the green onions, garlic and ginger. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Next add the mushrooms, bell pepper and salt and pepper letting that sauté for about 5-8 minutes. After that, add the miso and red curry paste and continue to stir everything together for another 3 minutes. Then you’ll add in the coconut milk, veggie broth and soy sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. You’ll cook this on low while you cook your noodles! NOTE: taste test your broth. You might find you want MORE flavor or spice, or you might find that it’s too much and you want to add more broth. Next is the noodles. You can get really fancy with your noodles, or to save a buck, use the noodles from the good ole ramen packets (college dorm flashback). If you do this, obviously throw that little seasoning packet right in the trash because you make your own magic. Once the noodles are ready it’s time to combine your creation. To serve this dish start with placing your noodles into bowls first, then add your broth/veggies. Top with cilantro, a squeeze of lime, red pepper flakes or sriracha for that extra heat. Enjoy!

Creamy Mushroom Soup

I made this creamy mushroom soup for dinner the other night and it was DELICIOUS! Mushrooms are amazing for your health and perfect to add into your diet during the colder months. If you’re needing a big cup of cozy, try this dish out for your next meal!

1 tablespoon of olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic

i white onion

1 heaping cup of mushrooms (shiitake + baby bella mixture works really well)

large handful of fresh thyme (roughly 1/4 cup)

large handful of fresh parsely (again, about 1/4 cup will do)

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups of veggie broth

1 can of coconut milk

3 tablespoons of cornstarch + 1/4 cup of water (this is slurry)

1/4 cup white wine

rice (white or brown, optional)

First things first, chop the onion and throw that plus the minced garlic into a large pot with olive oil and let that sauté for 5-8 minutes. Then you’ll add your mushrooms, thyme and white wine so those flavors can come together. Stir and let that cook for about 5-8 minutes. Next, add your veggie broth into the pot and in a separate bowl, create your slurry. Add the cornstarch and water and stir until it’s not clumpy. Then pour that into your pot and stir it all together slowly for a minute or so until you start to see the soup thicken. Next you’ll let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. This allows all the flavors to come together. Turn the heat off after those 15 minutes and add the coconut milk, parsley, salt and pepper. For a little extra you can add some rise into the soup, but this is optional! You’ll for sure want some toasted bread to go with this soup, trust me. Enjoy!

CeCe's go-to Chili!

Winter is near and this cold weather is the perfect time to make a warm, cozy pot of chili! This is our go-to for dinner because it’s delicious, nutritious and super easy to make. This recipe can make enough chili for 2-4 people, depending on how hungry your friends/family are! Here’s what you’ll need to make this yummy, plant-based 3-bean chili.

1 small white onion

2 cloves garlic (minced)

3 stalks celery

2 large carrots diced

2 tablespoons of chili powder

1/2 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon cayenne (can be left out if you don’t want too much spice)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes (don’t drain)

1 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can great Northern beans (or any other bean of your choosing, drained and rinsed)

1 can red kidney beans

3 cups veggie broth

a blender (optional)

On medium heat, sauté the garlic and onion for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add in the celery and carrots and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until soft. Add all the spices in and cook veggies for about 10 minutes. Add in black beans, white beans, tomatoes and corn and stir everything together. Add your veggie broth. Bring the entire pot to a simmer, then reduce to a low heat, cover and let it slowly cook for 30 up to 1 hour*. Once your chili is ready, use an immersion blender and give it a few pulses for that classic chili-style texture (this part is optional and doesn’t affect the flavor of the dish).

*you can turn the heat way down low, and cook for an hour+ if you really want all the flavors to intensify!

Once you’re ready to eat, give your chili a little squeeze of lime and add avocado, nutritional yeast, vegan sour cream, or whatever sorta toppings you desire! Enjoy!

Make Your Own Oat Milk!

One day i woke up really inspired to create my own version of Oat Milk! I consume oat milk daily in my matcha and started to become sick of always have to go to the store and purchase oat milk when i was out. So i thought, “how hard can it be to make my own”? After a few trial runs and lots of QT with my blender, I’ve created the most delicious and easy to make Oat Milk.

Before you begin you’ll need a high speed blender, a nut bag (or a clean t-shirt) and a container to keep your milk in! I used an old glass bottle for my milk. Let’s get to it!

OAT MILK (makes ~3 cups)

1/2 cup rolled oats (works best with rolled oats)

1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

1 tbsp hemp seeds (optional but great for added protein)

3 cups of filtered water

1 cup whole, raw cashews

pinch of sea salt

1-3 pitted dates (for sweetness)

1 tsp vanilla extract or maple syrup (optional but if you like your oat milk on the sweeter side add it in)

Pour boiling water over your cashews and let them soak for 20-30 minutes. While they soak add your rolled oats, coconut, hemp seeds, salt, dates and water to a blender but DO NOT BLEND YET. Once your cashews are done soaking, strain and add them to the blender. Blend everything on high for 1-2 minutes. Grab a nut bag or a thin (clean) t-shirt. Give your cloth a rinse in cold water to get rid of any dust. Then place the bag over a bowl and slowly our your milk over the cloth. This is a slow process (anywhere from 10-15 min) so don’t rush! You can gently squeeze the bag to help the milk flow. You also might have to empty the bag a few times during this process to get rid of any pulp (you can save the pulp and add it to your smoothies for extra goodness). Once this is done pour your milk into a container and keep it in the fridge up to 4 days. YUM!