Holistic in a Heartbeat

02/18/2026

Vietnamese Tofu with Tomato Sauce

This is a dish that I've had out before and loved so I thought I'd try making it myself!

I used fried tofu that I found at the Asian Market but you can use a block of firm tofu
2 shallots or 1 onion
3 tomatoes or 1 can of diced tomatoes
4 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp maple syrup
Chopped scallions
Sesame seeds

If using firm tofu, cut into bite size pieces and bake or add to the air fryer to crisp roughly 10 minutes. Dice the onion and tomato. Saute until onions are tender. Add in the water, soy sauce, maple syrup, and tofu until well combined. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

There's not many ingredients but it has a great flavor!
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02/06/2026

Pink Rice Risotto with Asparagus, Mushrooms, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes.

This is my first time trying to make risotto! I had found some pink rice, which is made from black rice, and read on the box that it's great for risotto. It came out really good. Rich and creamy and full of flavor. Next time I will use a little more liquid, but I ran out of veg broth. It did take a while to cook and a lot of stirring, but worth it! I used Chatgpt to help come up with a recipe based on the ingredients I had in the fridge.

1 cup pink rice
4-5 cups warm vegetable stock
1/2 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch asparagus, cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Parsley to garnish

Warm your stock and keep it on simmer in a pan.
In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Add mushrooms and cook until they release moisture and start to brown.
Toast the rice. Stir in pink rice and toast for 1-2 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup of vegetable broth and stir until mostly absorbed
Add warm vegetable broth one cup at a time, stirring frequently. Let each addition absorb before adding the next. This will take 35-45 minutes.
Add asparagus about 10 minutes before the rice is done.
Stirring in sun-dried tomatoes near the end.
Garnish with parsley

Pink rice comes from partially milled black rice. It's rich in anthocyanins which help fight inflammation and support heart and brain health. It has a slightly nutty flavor and chewy texture.

02/05/2026

01/30/2026

Still in soup mode! This is a cozy, comforting bowl of broccoli potato soup. Creamy with rich flavors and all healthy ingredients!

1 medium onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
3 medium potatoes diced
3-4 cups broccoli
4 cups low sodium veggie broth
1 cup unsweetened plant milk (I used oat)
2 Tbs nutritional yeast
1 tsp miso paste
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
Salt to taste
Pumpkin seeds and scallions to garnish

Sauté onions until soft. Add garlic and cook and additional 30 seconds. Add veggie broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmering and cook for 10 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add broccoli and cook another 5-7 minutes until soft. Turn off heat and blend in a blender or with an immersion blender. Stir in plant milk, nutritional yeast, miso paste, smoked paprika, and salt.
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01/28/2026

Nothing better on these cold days than a warm comforting bowl of soup. I made a hotpot for the first time and loved it! A hotpot is a communal East Asian meal where you cook ingredients in a simmering pot of flavorful broth (usually at the center of the table, but I had it simmering on the stove). I made a miso broth and added mushrooms (beech and portobello), broccoli, baby boy choy, asian cabbage, rice noodles, and tofu. Topped with scallions, cilantro, minced garlic and a little sesame oil.

I found it to be such a nourishing meal and very meditative especially if you use chop sticks, having to focus your attention on the food. Each bowl you make takes on a different flavor the more you add to the broth and the longer it simmers.
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01/14/2026

Creamy, delicious and healthy whole food plant based fettuccine Alfredo. I used 100% whole spelt flour pasta, sautéed mushrooms, asparagus, and spinach with garlic. Here's the recipe for the Alfredo sauce:

1 cup raw, unsalted cashews soaked in hot water for at least 30 min.
1 cup plant milk- I used oat
2 Tbs nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbs lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp white miso paste

Blend everything together until it's creamy and smooth. Heat in a pan until warm.

Eating healthy isn't about giving up the foods you enjoy. It's learning how to cook them differently.
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01/07/2026

Join me for The Lift Project!

12/31/2025

Healthy cookies?! Yes! You can have cookies that are delicious and have whole, nutritious ingredients. I made these 2 recipes because they have a lot of the same ingredients and it was easier to make them at the same time, especially to use up a can of pumpkin! Both are sweet, satisfying, and soft. Here are the recipes:

Https://nutritionstudies.org/recipes/dessert/pistachio-cookies/

Https://monkeyandmekitchenadventures.com/vegan-pumpkin-cake-drop-cookies/

For this recipe I used 1 cup of maple syrup instead of maple sugar which made it more liquidy so I added more flour until it seemed like a good consistency. I also used oat flour instead of all purpose flour.

12/28/2025

Cheers and Happy Holidays! I want to share this amazing vegan eggnog recipe with you all! This is the best eggnog that I've had and it's so easy to make. Here's to a wonderful year filled with great memories, great accomplishments and growth.

2 1/2 cups oat milk (unsweetened)
1/4 to 1/3 cup deglet dates depending on how sweet you want it (I use 1/4)
1/4 cup cashews (dry roasted, unsalted)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla

Add oat milk, dates, and cashews to a blender and let sit for roughly 20-30 minutes to allow the dates a d cashews to soften. Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. I use a strainer to strain out any remaining pieces of dates and cashews but you don't have to! Enjoy!

11/11/2025

I recently just heard about pigeon peas and wanted to try them so I looked up a recipe for pigeon pea soup with pumpkin since it's pumpkin season! I love the texture and flavor of pigeon peas. They have somewhat of a nutty flavor and are more firm. They have numerous health benefits including high in protein and fiber and packed with nutrients such as iron, potassium, magnesium, folate, and b vitamins. They contain antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. The recipe is from vegancaribbeankickstart.com/pigeon-peas-and-pumpkin/

I also made some healthy cornbread to pair with it. Yum!

1 1/2 cups oat flour (ground fresh from oats in my blender)
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 TBS baking powder
1 TBS maple syrup
1 cup plant milk
1 1/4 cup water
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl then mix all wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Mix dry and wet until combined stirring with a whisk. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and pour batter in. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

10/31/2025

This pumpkin hummus tastes just like pumpkin pie filling! You wouldn't even know it was made with chickpeas. A healthy treat this fall season! Did you know that pumpkin is nutrient rich, high in fiber, and aids in immune function?! Serve with apple slices or tortillas!

1 can chickpeas (drained)
1 can pumpkin
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend until smooth!

10/03/2025

Keeping it simple with chickpea salad in a farm fresh tomato! Chickpea salad is easy and delicious! Mash 1 can of chickpeas. Add either vegan mayo or for a healthier option hummus. Add seasoning such as Italian and Kirkland no salt seasoning. I added diced onion, cucumber, and pickle. Enjoy!