Happy new year, guys!
Here we are in a minty fresh and brand new 2019, and although it doesn't feel so different from yesterday, I, like many others around the world, find myself suddenly brimming with new hope for turning my luck around in the next 365 days.
This is the year to lose weight. To get healthy. To finally justify buying that Fitbit and getting that gym membership. To get more sleep.
To. Eat. More...Healthfully?
Just kidding. Eating healthfully is not an afterthought around here, and you well know it. So to kick off this wonderful new year, I have for you 13 recipes that'll help you win over Lady Luck while keeping you looking, and feeling, like a million bucks.
I haven't always thought of the New Year and foods in a superstitious way, but in my years as a food blogger, I've learned that luck and the new year have an age-old relationship.
Around the world different cultures eat certain "lucky" foods at the start of the new year. The Japanese eat soba noodles to leave hardship behind. The Chinese eat long noodles for longevity. The Italians eat lentils to invite wealth. The Germans eat cabbage because its long strands symbolize long life and money. American southerners eat black eyed peas and greens to ensure wealth and prosperity. Some cultures eat circular foods or ring-shaped foods to usher in a full circle of luck.
There are breakfast recipes in this collection, healthy snacks, a detoxing soup that'll leave you glowing inside and out, lots of black eyed peas, greens, and even a couple of circular desserts (not that healthy but vegan, so still better for you) to bring you luck all year.
My New Year's resolution is to be more thoughtful about the world around me and to make more time for myself and my loved ones, instead of running around multitasking like there's no tomorrow -- and to stick with my resolution, because isn't that always the hardest part? 🙂
What's your New Year's resolution? I wanna hear!
- Savory Black Eyed Peas Sweet Potato Pancakes
These Savory Black Eyed Peas Sweet Potato Pancakes are crispy and have layers of flavor from jalapenos, sage, scallions and garlic. A vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free recipe.
- Corn Fritters, no added fat
Who needs cornbread? This recipe for gluten-free vegan corn fritters, with the freshness of leeks, garlic greens, and coriander leaves, will leave your mouth watering for more. And best of all, there is no added oil in this recipe.
- Detox Turmeric, Ginger and Miso Soup
This Detox Turmeric Ginger Miso Soup cleanses you inside out, puts a glow in your skin and a spring in your step, and it tastes fabulous.
- Caribbean Black Eyed Peas Stew
This vegan Caribbean Black Eyed Peas Stew has a ton of veggies, including carrots and potatoes, and it is spiced up with hot scotch bonnet peppers. A vegan, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free recipe.
- Instant Pot Spicy Southern Black Eyed Peas
A perfectly seasoned Instant Pot Spicy Southern Black Eyed Peas Stew is a great way to begin a great new year. Serve this with a bowl of rice or crusty bread. A vegan, nut-free, gluten-free recipe, can be soy-free and made without any added oil.
- Vegan Longevity Noodles with Mushrooms and Ginger
Eat your way to luck in the New Year with these easy but delicious Chinese Longevity Noodles with Mushroom and Ginger. Only, don’t blame me if you live to be a hundred. ? A nut-free, vegan recipe.
- Vegan Gumbo, fat-free and gluten-free
This delicious, gluten-free vegan gumbo has no added fats, and it is packed with delicious beans, okra, mushrooms, thyme and sage. Serve with brown rice for a tasty and healthy meal. A soy-free recipe.
- Dal (Lentils) With Collard Greens
Collards make the perfect recipe for a New Year, so serve up a bowl of this tasty and nutritious dal with lentils and collard greens, very simply and subtly spiced with coriander seed, cumin, and red peppers. A vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free recipe.
- One Pot Curried Spaghetti with Kale
Creamy and with just one pot needed, you don't need a whole lot of temptation to dive into this One Pot Curried Spaghetti with Kale. The recipe comes together in under 30 minutes, with a handful of ingredients, making it the perfect weeknight dinner. Kale adds crunchy, healthful texture, spices add flavor, and coconut milk gives a wonderfully silky mouth-feel. A vegan, soy-free, nut-free recipe.
- Sesame Soba Noodle Bowl with Spinach and Tofu
There is just a hint of fat in this Sesame Soba NoodleBowl with Spinach and Tofu, but this plant-based meal packs more deliciousness and healthfulness than it has a right to. The tofu is baked with a delicious marinade, and the soba noodles are tossed with an addictive sauce of rice wine vinegar, sriracha, ginger and garlic. Soba noodles are made with buckwheat and are usually gluten-free, but read the label. A vegan, nut-free recipe.
- Vegan Cabbage, Leek and Potato Tart
There is no more tasty — and elegant — way to serve up cabbage and potatoes than this vegan Cabbage, Leek and Potato Tart. Delicious spuds, leafy cabbage and oniony leeks are drowned in a creamy sauce and all that goodness is baked in golden, crispy puff pastry. A vegan, soy-free recipe.
- The Best Damn Vegan Brioche Doughnut With a Vanilla Glaze
This vegan brioche doughnut rises a mile high and has a vanilla glaze that crunches between your teeth before you bite into the soft, fluffy, tender doughnut. Being a ring-shaped food they are rumored to bring you luck, and you'll certainly feel lucky eating one. 😉 A soy-free, nut-free recipe.
- Vegan Lemon Yogurt Bundt Cake
This recipe is for all lemony dessert lovers out there. Because what can be more delicious than a Vegan Lemon Yogurt Bundt Cake, drizzled over with a divine lemon glaze? A vegan, soy-free recipe.
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For more detoxing inspiration, check out my 15 Vegan Detox Recipes for the New Year. If you have children, you'll also want my 66 Kid Friendly Vegan Recipes. A Vegan Mom's Guide to Stress-Free, Fun and Healthy Meals for the Family.
