MY VEGETARIAN FAMILY

These Air Fryer Garlic Chickpeas are the answer to any of your snacking questions. Healthy ✔ Easy ✔ Crispy ✔ Flavorful ✔ Quick ✔ Count me in 🙋‍♀️!

YES! You can make all of your favorite salsas from the Chipotle Mexican Grill Menu right in your own kitchen! Learn the secrets to mild, medium, hot + corn salsa! These Chipotle Copycat Salsas are EXACTLY like the real thing!

When I initially began learning about a whole food, plant-based diet, I was most intrigued by oil-free cooking. I thought the idea of it was completely crazy. How does one cook without oil? I assumed when cooking without oil, everything would stick to the pan, [continue reading]

Learn how to make crispy oven baked tofu with no oil in a few easy steps! This oil- free tofu is vegan + gluten-free and can be tossed in your favorite dish or eaten as is! No fuss + easy. No need to press the [continue reading]

Time to dust off that bag of quinoa sitting in your pantry collecting dust.  If you are a quinoa newbie or a quinoa expert, Quinoa for Beginners is for you! Vegans, vegetarians + yes, even meat-eaters can and should be eating quinoa. Let’s start by [continue reading]

No meat? No problem! These vegan eggplant meatballs are gluten free + oil-free + nut-free + packed with authentic Italian flavors! The hearty roasted eggplant is the star of this dish.  Perfect for vegans, vegetarians, and even meat-eaters will LOVE these!

YES! You can make all of your favorites from the Chipotle Mexican Grill Menu right in your own kitchen! Learn the secrets to mild, medium, hot + corn salsa, cilantro lime rice, guacamole, black beans + sofritas! These chipotle copycat recipes are EXACTLY like the [continue reading]

This Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice is super easy + EXACTLY like the original. Start with your favorite cooked rice + mix in your lime juice + cilantro! Yes, it is that easy to have Chipotle Mexican Grill right in your own kitchen! The best [continue reading]

Chipotle Mexican Grill calls this their mild salsa. I call it awesome! This Chipotle Tomato Salsa Copycat recipe is EXACTLY like the original! Just a few simple ingredients + one bowl is all you need! Healthy + easy + gluten free + oil-free + vegan! [continue reading]

This Chipotle Tomatillo Salsa copycat is EXACTLY like the real thing! Chipotle Mexican Grill calls this one medium salsa, I call it packed with flavor + awesome! The roasted tomatillos combined with tomatoes + spices makes this one a total crowd pleaser!

This Chipotle Hot Salsa copycat is EXACTLY like the real thing! A few ingredients + 15 minutes is all you need to have Chipotle Mexican Grill hot sauce in your own kitchen! The best part? It’s vegetarian + gluten free + easy!

Yes, now you CAN eat rice krispie treats if you do not eat gelatin! No animal products involved in the making of these AMAZING + YUMMY + EASY Vegan Rice Krispie Treats. Customize these with drizzled peanut butter, melted vegan chocolate, sprinkles OR cut them [continue reading]

You will NEVER want to buy store-bought hummus again after you try this easy + yummy + oil-free homemade Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus recipe! This is a snack on regular rotation in our kitchen but can also be rolled into a wrap, dolloped on top of [continue reading]

This Copycat Chipotle Corn Salsa is EXACTLY like the real thing! Vegan + Gluten Free + Oil-Free + EASY! The secret ingredient to its authentic Chipotle Mexican Grill taste is the roasted poblano pepper!

Tara’s Tuesday Tips: Guide to Frozen Vegetables (Myths + Methods!) What do you do when you don’t have access to fresh vegetables? Not eat vegetables? Nope! Go for frozen! Let’s sort through the myths in this guide to frozen vegetables and most importantly, correct any [continue reading]

This vegan + gluten free + oil-free Air Fryer Orange Tofu starts out with crispy tofu cubes cooked in your air fryer and tossed in a sweet + zesty orange sauce.  Tastes just like Chinese take-out! YUM!

Basmati Rice is a pure, fluffy, aromatic rice.  When cooked correctly each grain is light and tender, but when cooked incorrectly it can take on a clumpy, gummy consistency.  Follow these steps to perfect basmati rice every time with or without a rice cooker. Why [continue reading]

This recipe for Homemade Walnut Butter couldn’t be any easier! Learn how to make Walnut Butter in a few simple steps. Walnuts + a food processor (or blender) is all you need for this yummy + easy recipe. The best part? No added oil! Use [continue reading]

These strange times are starting to feel normal. Anyone else feeling like that? Are you wondering how to feel more in control during the pandemic? I AM! It is amazing how something that once felt so uncomfortable can surprisingly start feeling so routine. As I [continue reading]

Bananas + Peanut butter baked into a hearty + sweet loaf of delicious! This eggless peanut butter banana bread is just sweet enough + packed with nutritious ingredients leaving you will all of the yum + none of the guilt!  Eggless + Gluten Free + [continue reading]

This Copycat Chipotle Sofritas Recipe tastes exactly like the original! Super easy to make at home! Vegan + Gluten Free + Nut Free + made without any added oil! Bake the tofu, blend up some spices + there you have it! Vegetarian or not, you [continue reading]

Using my Tuesday Tips this week to bring you My Favorite Kitchen Hacks. Even during a pandemic, My Vegetarian Family is still here 💚 helping my friends and followers survive this crazy time.  We are all still cooking and eating! Still managing grocery deliveries, and [continue reading]

Tahini + Garlic + Lemon + Chick Peas + Chipotle Pepper = the BEST oil-free chipotle hummus you have ever tasted! Super easy + vegan + gluten free + NO OIL!! No joke, I make this hummus every week.  This recipe is a staple in [continue reading]

Oil-Free Salad Dressings? Is it even possible?!?! YES! Today I bring you 10 of my favorite oil-free salad dressings. They are all plant-based + easy! The best part? You can use them on greens, veggies, as a dip, on pasta or noodles, or as a [continue reading]

This Vegan Creamy Italian Dressing is SUPER EASY and oh my yummy! Thick + creamy + restaurant-style + packed with flavor. Perfect as a dip or over salad greens or turn it into a pasta salad! It doesn’t get any more perfect than this dressing.  [continue reading]

This Oil-Free Asian Ginger Dressing is PERFECT! Nut-Free + Vegan + Ready in 5 minutes + perfect for meal prep! Pour over any cold noodles or greens! You are going to LOVE the versatility of this dressing!!!!

This Oil-Free Vinaigrette is super easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. Vegan + nut free + gluten free + perfect for meal prep! This dressing is completely plant-based and perfect for any salad or sandwich!  

This Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing is super easy to make! The perfect oil-free dressing ready in 5 minutes and is made without cashews! Vegan + Gluten Free + perfect for meal prep. Drizzle this awesomeness in your wrap, on your salad, or even dunk your [continue reading]

Vegetable korma is a classic Indian dish you will find on the menu in just about any Indian restaurant.  Now you can make this popular dish right in your own kitchen with a fraction of the calories + cost.  PLUS this recipe for Easy Vegetable [continue reading]

No dairy + No Flour + No Eggs + No Refined Sugar + YUMMY! This edible vegan cookie dough is SO EASY + healthy! Made with chickpeas + peanut butter + dates! You seriously won’t be able to stop eating this!!!  

Are you new to nutritional yeast? Can you believe this? I was until a short time ago! If you are a vegan or vegetarian or just looking for that extra something to up your kitchen game, its time to learn how to use nutritional yeast! [continue reading]

No cheese? No problem! Super easy to make this dairy free 5-Ingredient Roasted Jalapeno Blender Queso with Cashews + Nutritional Yeast + Jalapenos + Garlic + Cumin! No more boring nachos 🙌  

Yes, you heard me correctly! No oil AND crispy! For all the tofu skeptics out there, this is your recipe! This Crispy Air Fryer Tofu comes together in minutes + is flavorful + can be eaten right out of your air fryer or tossed in [continue reading]

Can something as simple as what we eat help prevent us from getting sick? More importantly, can what we eat make us more likely to catch a virus or a bacteria? The short answer is YES and YES! Make it easy + healthy. Words I [continue reading]

You are going to be shocked at how good these are! Whether you are a new vegetarian missing your buffalo chicken wings or a veteran vegetarian looking for a way to up your veggie game, this Healthy Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower is for you! Made [continue reading]

Dairy free + plant-based ranch you can make at home?!?! YES! This Easy Vegan Ranch is the perfect creamy blend of the magic of cashews + a few simple ingredients! When I went plant-based I thought I would never eat ranch dressing again. Think again! [continue reading]

Gone is the day where milk alternatives are sought after by only the lactose intolerant, milk-protein allergic, or the animal rights activists.  Welcome to the era where milk alternatives are part of our everyday culture.  From Starbucks to Dunkin Donuts, kids lunchboxes to dairy-free milk [continue reading]

Homemade Cinnamon Oat Milk! YUM! Easy + 4 Ingredients + Dairy-Free + Healthy! This is the perfect dairy free milk alternative that starts with a simple two-ingredient base and can totally be customized!

Healthy Garlic Knots?!?!?! Yes, please 🙋🏻‍♀️! There are so many things I love about this Cauliflower Gnocchi Garlic Knots Recipe! I absolutely love Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi. Dairy free garlic knots? No Butter? Ready in 20 minutes? YES! You are going to LOVE these!  

True or False? Can You Be Vegetarian and Still Work Out? Tara’s Tuesday Tips this week busts through all of the myths surrounding this question! There are so many things to think about if you are considering going meat-free. Let’s sort through the facts so [continue reading]

Chocolate + coarse sea salt + crunchy oats = does it get any better? This Easy Vegan Chocolate Granola is absolutely perfect in every way! Granola is typically a breakfast food BUT this could easily pass for dessert. No joke. Yummy + crunchy + salty [continue reading]

Finally! All of your questions answered about your air fryer. Whether you are new to cooking in your air fryer or you love it just as much as I do, Air Fryer 101 is a Tara’s Tuesday Tips best and a MUST READ! There is [continue reading]

This is BY FAR the easiest + best way to cook Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi. Forget what it says on the package! Don’t pan fry them if you want crispy gnocchi. Super easy + quick + you can toss them in any sauce you love [continue reading]

4 Ingredients + 5 minutes + EASY + yummy! This Strawberry Banana Nice Cream is dairy free + sugar free + egg free! I could just go on and on about this one. This is a super simple recipe that turns out absolutely perfect every [continue reading]

Oats are fabulous! You don’t have to be great cook, you don’t need a complicated recipe, you don’t even need fancy kitchen gadgets. Oatmeal can be a blank canvas for any creation you dream up. On the flip side, they can get redundant and boring.  [continue reading]

These little cutie cranberry peanut butter energy bites are the perfect take-along snack for picnics, bike rides, long car rides, pre-workout, post-workout, “mom I’m hungry” moments, lunch boxes, and they even make a quick portable breakfast you can grab and go on busy mornings. The [continue reading]

Chia seeds are tiny little seeds packed with enormous health benefits.  My favorite thing about chia seeds is the way they soak up water. Every time I put chia seeds in a recipe I feel as though I am doing a science experiment watching those [continue reading]

Easy Vegan Fried Rice Noodles … your busy weeknight dinner question has just been answered! All you need is a package of your favorite noodles, some veggies, and 15 minutes! Yes, I did say easy!

Are there truly good carbs and bad carbs? Should you avoid all carbs? What are carbs anyway? Can diabetics eat carbs? Do carbs cause obesity? Are low-carb fad diets healthy? Read on to find out the truth about carbs.  

No beans from a can, no standing in line at Chipotle, no lard, no oil, no meat, no chopping veggies! Yep, you heard me right! Today I bring you the EASIEST recipe for Instant Pot Black Beans! Yummy + vegan + lots of plant-based protein. [continue reading]

Healthy + Vegan + Whole 30 compliant + low-carb + ready in MINUTES! These Teriyaki Zoodles are perfect for busy nights, quick lunches, or meal prep!  

Another OIL FREE salad dressing! 🙌 This Creamy Vegan Avocado Dressing takes only a few minutes to make! No Oil + No Dairy + No Nuts … BUT packed with flavor! Get your salad bowls ready, this one is a keeper!  

Perfect EVERY TIME! Just a few simple ingredients + ready in 20 minutes. This Healthy Air Fryer Cauliflower is crispy + vegan + gluten free + no fuss! Perfect side dish for busy nights or as a quick + healthy snack! YUM! It is so [continue reading]

 A whole food plant-based diet doesn’t have to be confusing or overwhelming. The data, the research, and the science heavily support eating more whole, natural, minimally processed foods to meet your nutritional needs.  By doing so, yes, you might lose weight, but at the same [continue reading]

Need a new dinner idea to change things up? How about peppers stuffed with healthy quinoa and black beans + flavored with Mexican inspired spices?!?!? This recipe for Quinoa Stuffed Peppers is so easy + healthy + packed with plant-based protein!  

Do you love Thai food? I do! This Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing is a restaurant-style salad made with NO OIL! Creamy + full of flavor + packed with nutrients! Salads can get so boring, not this salad! This a perfect salad that you can [continue reading]

Figuring out how to lower your cholesterol or simply keeping your cholesterol in good range can be overwhelming! Follow these easy, helpful tips to get started. Small changes add up and a little knowledge goes a long way. This is a must read!

This one is a keeper! Pin it, print it, bookmark it. Whatever you do to save recipes, save this one!!! This Instant Pot Vegan Lentil Soup is SO EASY + SO GOOD! Perfect for lunchboxes, busy weeknights, or meal prep.  

Looking for a healthy alternative to Mexican Rice? Here you go! Packed with flavor, super easy AND this Mexican Cauliflower Rice is vegan, gluten free, low carb, and Whole 30 compliant!! Does it get any better?!?!?!  

Super easy + NO MAYO required in making this vegan-ized version of traditional broccoli salad 🥗 Perfect for lunch, brunch, meal prep, or as a quick dinner side dish. This Vegan Broccoli Salad takes only a few minutes to make and is SO GOOD!  

Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas Some say black eyed peas bring good luck when eaten on New Years Day.  Others say black eyed peas are just healthy and should be eaten every day! I say cooking beans in an Instant Pot is so easy that [continue reading]

Easy Blender waffles made with oats, bananas, vanilla, and water! Vegan, gluten free, sugar free, easy, healthy, perfect for meal prep. This recipe is absolute perfection! Like a bowl of banana oatmeal blended into a waffle.  Layer on your favorite toppings, you are going to [continue reading]

Vegan or not, these Vegan Sugar Cookies are the perfect recipe to have around for adding holiday shaped cookies to your celebration! Decorate, cut into shapes, drizzle with chocolate, or top them with icing. Another awesome addition into my eggless baking recipes. Let’s bake!  

This Easy Tofu Scramble is the perfect replacement for scrambled eggs! High protein, easy, and healthy. Just a few simple ingredients + 10 minutes is all you need for this recipe!  

So glad you are here! The holiday season can be a VERY stressful time of the year.  My tips this week can help you stay healthy during the holidays and every day!  

YUM! That is all I have to say. This Fennel Apple Salad is one of my FAVORITE salads! Shaved fennel + thin sliced apples + nuts + lemon + fennel fronds + so much more! You are going to love this one.   

Three Ingredient Tomato Sauce? A marinara sauce with only three ingredients, cooks in 45 minutes, AND that actually tastes good? I was a skeptic myself, but now I am a big believer. Everyone has a go-to sauce recipe that they faithfully follow or a jar [continue reading]

  These Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Cups are super easy to make + refined sugar free + gluten free + an amazing vegan treat that you can quickly pull together when you need something sweet to eat. Just a few simple ingredients + no added sugar [continue reading]

These Halloween Tortilla Cutouts are perfect for Halloween night or even for a Halloween party! These are super easy to make with just your favorite tortilla + a cookie cutter. Let’s do it!  

Homemade snacks served with tea are a regular tradition in an Indian home. These snacks are typically a little spicy, salty, and often have a variety of lentils, or nuts, or raisins in the mix. Something similar to American trail mix. Chivda is a traditional [continue reading]

Meet your new favorite ice cream flavor! This recipe is truly the best cinnamon ice cream EVER 🍦 Marble Slab copycat perfection!!!!! All you need to make this amazing treat is milk + cream + sugar + cinnamon + vanilla + your ice cream maker! [continue reading]

Vegetarians + Falafels are a perfect match ❤ How wonderful is it to be vegetarian and be able to eat a really good sandwich? Let me tell you … it is wonderful. Sometimes a girl just needs a real hearty sandwich. Not the puny wrap [continue reading]

I love easy recipes! 5 simple ingredients. 15 minutes. One bowl. Done + yum! You can eat this as a dressing, spread onto a falafel, or it can be used as a dip. This easy tzatziki sauce can be made vegan or vegetarian!  

Diet research and advice emerges every day. What we once believed, we are now told not to do. Diet culture, wellness influencers, social media, fad diets. We have seen plenty of nutrition advice change over the last few decades. Regardless of the diet of the [continue reading]

Who needs chicken when you can dunk a bean in buffalo sauce and crisp it to perfection?!?! These Air Fryer Buffalo Chickpeas are the answer to any of your snacking questions. Healthy ✔ Easy ✔ Crispy ✔ Spicy ✔ Quick ✔  let’s cook!  

I love tomatoes. Any way you slice them, I love them. Raw, cooked, simmered into a marinara, sliced onto a pizza, diced into a salsa, I love them all. I especially love this recipe. Healthy and easy and creamy, this skinny tomato soup is the [continue reading]

SO MUCH BETTER than store bought! I am that serious, I used all caps 😀. Seriously! These crinkle cut sweet potato fries turn out perfectly crispy on the outside while staying soft + super delicious on the inside. They are WAY healthier than any you [continue reading]

Peanut sauce is probably in my top 10 of favorite things to eat. This is probably the most versatile recipe I have ever developed.  Pin, print, or bookmark this one, it is a keeper!  Here, I have added it to a tofu stir-fry but you [continue reading]

Vegetarian or not,  if you are diabetic, interested in lowering your sugar intake, suffering with fatty liver disease or another health condition, and you want to lower your sugar intake, you need to understand refined sugars and the alternatives you can enjoy! My tips this [continue reading]

Put sweet potatoes in everything. That is my new goal in life. Pretty awesome goal if I do say so myself 😊. These sweet potato cookies are divine. Perfect for breakfast, snack, travel snacks, hiking snacks, pre-workout, post-workout, brunch, just about any time 🧡. Can [continue reading]

Meet my latest creation: the most prefect, spicy, creamy, egg free mayo. Put it in a wrap, on a veggie burger, dunk your veggies or fries in it, or simply eat it with a spoon. Yes, this Vegan Chipotle Mayo is that good 😋.

I love creating copycat recipes! This one is by far the best!! This Copycat McDonald’s Spicy Paneer Wrap is even better than the original! No need to go all the way to India, you can make one in your very own kitchen!

SO creamy and SO yummy! This dairy free sweet potato mac n cheese is so super easy to make and packed with healthy ingredients. It’s too good to be true 👏.

Lentils are such a perfect food for vegetarians or vegans or just about anyone! Learning to cook with lentils is essential if you are a plant-based eater. These Instant Pot Turmeric Lentils make it super easy to have a yummy bowl of lentils ready to [continue reading]

Today I bring you my version of cornbread! Vegan, eggless, made without butter or dairy milk, bite-size, made in one bowl, and ready in under 30 minutes.  These mini vegan cornbread muffins. Perfect for Thanksgiving or any time of the year!

Meet zucchini noodles aka zoodles. Yep, they were a thing about 10 years ago. They are still a thing. Therefore, you need to learn how to make perfect zucchini noodles. Zucchini noodles are the perfect alternative to pasta and super easy to make!

Intermittent Fasting sure is having a moment in the world right now. What is this style of eating? Are there health benefits? What are the best foods to break a fast? Are there special considerations for vegetarians? Today, my tips answer 10 common questions regarding [continue reading]

Yum! That is all I have to say. These fries are perfect. Perfect little sticks of yum! Personally, I never met a french fry I didn’t like but, I have met a zucchini I didn’t like. Air Fryer Zucchini Fries: the best of both worlds [continue reading]

Cooking oats has never been so easy! Do you have an Instant Pot Yet? Here I go again … I love my Instant Pot.  I think I make up recipes just to use it.  If you haven’t found a reason to get an Instant Pot [continue reading]

When it comes to Indian food, this is an absolute must-try! Even if you have never tried cooking any other Indian dishes, start with this one! This Easy Batata Poha is a wonderful, aromatic combination of flattened rice flakes, potatoes, onions, and the most amazing [continue reading]

I love ice cream. I love ice cream in summer and in winter and after dinner and before dinner and for dinner. Homemade ice cream. It doesn’t get any better. My absolute favorite dessert made right in my very own kitchen 🙌 I love ice [continue reading]

Hi There! We Are Back! 🙌🏻 MyVegetarianFamily.com took some much-needed time off, but we are back! Over the last year we were blessed to venture out on many travel adventures, met family from around the country and around the world! We learned lots and lots [continue reading]

What is Rotli? A Rotli is a Gujarati Indian flatbread served alongside vegetables and daals. Rotli are really nothing fancy. They are simply a way to scoop up your vegetables. A traditional rotli is an unleavened flatbread usually made from wheat flour and water. My [continue reading]

Air Fryer Vegan Gluten Free Broccoli. Healthy, easy, addicting, so delcicous! #myvegetarianfamily #kidfriendly #vegan #glutenfree #airfryerrecipe

One of the most common questions I get asked is if granola is actually healthy. Granola is simply oats and nuts, right? So, then it is healthy, right? Not all granola is created equal. If you buy store-bough granola, you must read the ingredient label [continue reading]

Yes, I did! I created a cookie that is perfect for any food allergy or dietary restriction! You can eat it for breakfast or a snack or dessert.  If you need to, you can add nuts, cranberries, vanilla, cinnamon or whatever! Fold in your optional [continue reading]

Easy, healthy, ready in minutes, vegan + gluten free?? Count me in!  Doesn’t everyone love spinach? Maybe not.  Let me try that again.  Doesn’t everyone need spinach? YES! Everyone can love spinach, you just need to cook it correctly! You have come to the right [continue reading]

These vegan cinnamon rolls with icing are THE BEST! Fluffy + stuffed with sweet cinnamon.  Above all, they are vegan and made right in your own kitchen without too much fuss 🙌🏻.

Chocolate covered strawberries are the perfect treat to whip up to bring to a dinner or brunch or even enjoy at home! They are so pretty, and I just love bite-size treats! The best part of learning how to make chocolate covered strawberries at home [continue reading]

You have come to the right place to learn How To Cook Tofu! Maybe you’ve never cooked tofu before or maybe you have and it didn’t go so well! Tofu is an ever-evolving dish for me.  I am always experimenting with tofu.  However, some people don’t [continue reading]