Dairy, like coffee, is one of my vices that I have an on-again, off-again relationship with. I’m closer than ever to weaning myself and have been very pleased to see what the new wave of dairy-free substitutes have come up with.

Enter Parma.

Parma is a vegan parmesan cheese substitute. They graciously sent me several samples to try and I have been quite enjoying them! They totally hit a nostalgia factor that has been missing since I eschewed old school Kraft parmesan some time in the 90’s. My suspicions of Kraft were not unwarranted; it appears their “100%” Parmesan cheese has been cut with cellulose, commonly derived from wood pulp.

Anyone else remember this stuff??

Like the ‘parmesan’ of my youth, Parma has a fine, granulated texture that makes it perfect for sprinkling atop any kind of Italian dish you can think of. Unlike the cellulose-laced ‘cheese’ of my youth, Parma’s ingredients are as follows: Nutritional Yeast, Organic Sunflower
Seeds, Walnuts, Himalayan Crystal Salt, Organic Hemp Seeds (original flavor). So instead of a dose of inflammatory milk proteins, I’m shaking out some lovely omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins onto my plate. I’m digging it. Also, it creeped me out that Kraft cheese could sit on the counter for 3 years and never taste off. Why is that?!?! Parma must be kept in the fridge. That’s a sign it’s real food, people.

Parma adds a burst of lovely flavor to popcorn, pasta, dips and sauces.

So you can bet I busted open the Original flavor to try on some gluten-free pasta with marinara once my samples arrived! I did a side-by-side comparison of the original and the garlicky-green Parma and must say the flavor bump of the garlicky green won me over! I think I could put that on just about anything!

Soon after I was hit with a craving for a creamy dressing so I made what ultimately ended up being a zesty, creamy dip that I’m loving paired with artichokes (truly life-changing) and other veg. It’s added a nice shift in typical flavors I work with and I’m really excited to bring Parma into my repertoire to keep things interesting as I (again) pursue dairy-free living. Parma is in most urban health food stores (even in Anchorage, Alaska!) and is also available on Amazon (here)*

Try this dip the next time you get your hands on a steamed artichoke or any time you want a zesty, cheesy dip or sauce!

Creamy Parmesan Dip (vegan/gluten-free)

First, make an Egg-Free Mayo
(recipe adapted from the New York Times)

• 1/4 cup liquid from a can or pot of cooked chickpeas (this is known as aquafaba)
• 1/4 tsp ground mustard
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 3/4-1 cup avocado oil or other neutral oil

Add aquafaba, mustard, salt, vinegar, and honey into a blender. Whirl on high, and slowly drizzle in the oil until the liquid emulsifies into a mayonnaise.

Next, make dip:

• 1 cup aquafaba mayonnaise
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2/3 cup Parma Vegan parmesan
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• salt to taste

Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Store in the refrigerator; keeps for about 2 weeks or longer. Can be mixed in with pasta, roasted vegetables, or used as a dip for cucumbers, artichoke (this is the best!) and other veggies.

DISCLOSURE: Product samples were gifted to me, but all opinions expressed are my own. Affiliate links allow Amazon to send me a small commission as a thank you for the referral. The price on any item is the same for you whether it is an affiliate link or not, and using affiliate links contributes to supporting VIBRANCE, a small, female-owned business.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup cassava flour
~ 1 cup water
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup hot sauce

Preheat oven to 450F.

In a medium-sized bowl, gently whisk together cassava flour, water, garlic powder and salt. You may need to add more water to get a dippable consistency; aim for something resembling thick pancake batter.

Roll cauliflower into the batter a few pieces at a time, making sure to coat each piece completely. I use my hands for this to ensure a nice, even coat is applied to each piece. Place the battered cauliflower on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, or use a silicon mat for a non-stick surface. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, tossing halfway through.

In the meantime, add the hot sauce in a large bowl. When cauliflower is done, remove it from the oven and gently toss it in the hot sauce mixture until all pieces are well coated. Return the cauliflower to the baking sheet and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until slightly crispy.
Resist temptation and let the cauliflower cool for 15 minutes before serving, lest you burn your tongue and expose your raw tongue flesh to scalding capsaicin. Serve with your favorite dairy-free creamy dip or dressing (Tessame’s Creamy Ranch is delightful!)

This January, as part of leveling up my healthy habits, I started subscribing to Prep Dish. Since I’ve been in grad school I have found that getting well-rounded meals to the table reliably has become much harder, especially during finals! Prep Dish offers paleo and gluten-free, dairy-optional menu plans that are heavy in veg and family-friendly. Since starting, I’ve been able to become a food prep pro and have taken a huge mental load off of choosing new recipes and figuring out my grocery list. Allison has masterfully assembled the menu for the week, organized the shopping list for me, and given clear, concise instructions to batch prep 4 dinners, a salad, snack, breakfast, and dessert for the week in just one afternoon. With practice I’ve been able to reduce my weekend prep time and have either heat and eat meals or meals which take about 30 min to cook all prepped and ready to go. Each menu serves a family of 4, so our family of 2.5 has leftovers for lunch that keep us through the entire week as well, so this really takes a lot of meal planning logistics off the table for me.

When you eat vegetables in the morning, I feel like celebrating!

Some of my favorite recipes I’ve tried this year are the Lamb Kofka w/ Tahini Sauce, Paleo Snickerdoodles, Cider Cream Scallops over Mashed Cauliflower (which I’ve made multiple times), Chicken w/ Peanut Dipping Sauce, Sesame Broccoli & Brown Rice, Paprika Roasted Chicken w/ Trio of Roasted Vegetables, Apricot-Glazed Chicken Thighs w/ Broccoli & Sweet Potatoes and lots more. Nearly every week has at least one “home run” recipe that I can add to my repertoire of tried and true favorites. Each Friday I get my instructions emailed to me, so I can do my shopping that night after work or on Saturday for Sunday prep.

This week’s breakfast is a Mediterranean Frittata that is so loaded with veg that each slice has 1.5 servings of vegetables. This makes me SO HAPPY, because getting veggies in the morning is quite a challenge for lots of people. This frittata has a lot of flavor and is a filling way to get started in the morning. Make it on a Sunday and enjoy it for the next few days! Serve it for Brunch on the weekends! Special thanks to Allison Schaaf, creator of this recipe, for permission to repost it here. If you are ready to take hours of time back in your week spent planning your meals, be sure to check out Prep Dish. 

Mediterranean Frittata

by Allison Schaaf, MS, RD, LD of Prep Dish

Makes 8 servings

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 14 oz. canned or frozen artichoke hearts, thawed or drained
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 tsp olive or coconut oil
• 1 tbsp. Herbes de Provence
• 1/2 cup diced Kalamata olives
• 5 oz baby spinach
• 8 eggs
• 4 oz feta (optional; omit for paleo/dairy-free)

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Dice artichoke hearts and add to diced onion and garlic in a glass bowl. Half cherry tomatoes and add to the bowl.
Add 1 tsp olive oil or coconut oil in a deep skillet on medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, herbes de provence and salt and pepper to taste to the skillet. Sauté for 6-8 minutes, allowing the moisture to evaporate. Add spinach and olives and cook 2-3 minutes more until spinach wilts significantly. Return to the bowl to cool.
Crack 8 eggs into a large bowl and whisk until well mixed. Stir in cooled vegetables, adding 4 oz feta if desired. Place into an oiled 9″ by 9″ dish or pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until center is firm.

Sooo tasty!

Do not underestimate the combination of nut butters and noodles! DELISH! If you have a peanut allergy, almond butter, cashew butter, or any other nut and seed butter would work fine in this recipe. One serving is half a cup.

1⁄3 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari or coconut aminos
1 1⁄2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon crushed garlic
cayenne pepper
water
12 ounces gluten-free spaghetti
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced
toasted sesame seeds, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine nut butter, tamari, vinegar, oil, syrup, ginger, garlic and pepper into a large bowl.
Stir until smooth.
Whisk in enough water to create a pourable sauce (about 1 cup).
Boil noodles in lightly salted water.
Drain well after rinsing with cool water.
Add to bowl and toss until noodles are evenly coated.
Chill thoroughly before serving.
Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, if desired.

NUTRITION INFO
Serving Size: 1/2 cup (57 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 8

AMT. PER SERVING
Calories 229.8
Calories from Fat 69
Total Fat 7.7
Saturated Fat 1.5
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 52.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate 34.9 g
Dietary Fiber 0.7 g
Sugars 1.5 g
Protein 9 g

This peanut lime vinaigrette is an adaptation from a recipe recommended to me by a member of the VIBRANCE Village of Health on Facebook. The lime lightens up the sauce a lot and, unlike a traditional peanut sauce, this one does not feel heavy and comforting for winter, but rather light and refreshing and best enjoyed on hot summer evenings or days when you are pining for hot summer evenings. Having discovered it in dreary, grey January, it’s been a culinary reminder of days to come.

If you’ve not spiralized I highly recommend it! It’s a fun way to get extra veggies in (think carrots, zucchinis, yams, and more) and kids enjoy being part of the spiralizing process, which then has them more invested in eating the outcome. I have a Paderno I picked up 5 years ago that is still going strong but would now totally choose this Spiralizer on Amazon because it comes with extra blades and recipe ebooks.

If you’re like 87% of Americans and struggling to get enough veggies in, our totally free challenge, 30 Days of Glorious Greens is the perfect challenge for you. Offered only once year in March, this program dives into best practices to get greens in, delicious recipes, and fascinating science behind the glory that that is the humble green. You can sign up below the recipe!

Zoodles with Peanut Lime Vinaigrette

Makes 1 cup of sauce and 4-6 servings of zoodles.

Ingredients:

3 zucchini

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/4 cup chopped scallions

For Sauce:

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. tightly packed cilantro
2 tbsp. peanut butter (use sunbutter or almond butter for paleo adaptation)
3 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp coconut aminos

1/4 tsp. fish sauce (omit for vegans)
1 tbsp.rice vinegar
1 tbsp. ginger, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sriracha, or more to taste
1/4 cup avocado or mild olive oil

Options:

• Add chopped nuts, sprouts and extra cilantro on top before digging in.
• Add 1.5 cups diced chicken, shrimp or tofu to make it a meal

1. Spiralize zucchini (I use the leftover ‘core’ as a dip for hummus)
2. In a blender, puree all sauce ingredients except the oil.
   While the blender is running, add oil in a thin stream until dressing is emulsified.
3. Mix zucchini with carrots and scallions. Add the dressing and toss well to mix thoroughly. Best enjoyed within 24 hours, but will last 2-3 days (note that over time the zucchini will lose moisture and become more dense, but still delicious).

Recipes like this, and much more, are part of the 30 Days of Glorious Greens Challenge. Sign up now to reserve your seat and receive my best, most delicious tips and practices to keep vegetable intake high. Registration is open now and we begin March 4th!