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30 Minutes or Less

Pork Stir Fry (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

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pork stir fry in a pan with tongs and lime wedges on the side

This pork stir fry requires just one pan and 20 minutes to make! It’s loaded with crisp, fresh vegetables and finished off with a savory sauce.

pork stir fry in a pan with tongs and lime wedges on the side

I don’t know about you, but I could always use more one-pan, 20 minute meals in my life! This is literally one of my favorite recipes to throw together after a long day when I don’t feel like cooking but also don’t feel like ordering/waiting for takeout.

What You Need To Make Pork Stir Fry

Boneless Pork Chops – The key here is slicing the pork chops against the grain. By slicing against the grain, we cut through the meat fibers making the pork much more tender and easier to chew. However, feel free to slice the pork into whatever sizes you’d like. I prefer about 1/4-inch slices of pork in my stir fry, but even smaller/thinner slices would taste great too! Just remember – the smaller the pieces, the faster they’ll cook. So keep an eye on the meat and remove it from the pan as soon as it’s cooked through.

Rice Noodles – There are an extensive variety of rice noodles out there and almost all will work in this easy recipe. I used pad thai rice noodles since they were the easiest to find and I enjoy their heartier texture. Though I’ve also made this stir fry with vermicelli rice noodles and with buckwheat noodles and both versions were delicious!

Fresh Ginger – Just one teaspoon of fresh grated ginger goes a long way in the sauce for this pork stir fry. I know fresh ginger isn’t a staple in most peoples homes, but I promise it will take all your stir fry/Asian sauces to the next level! The next time you’re at the store, pick up a knob of fresh ginger in the produce section. Once home, store it in the freezer to make it last longer. Fresh ginger is also a great and tasty addition to most teas, broths, and the occasional dessert!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Diet

Make it a Chicken Stir Fry: Simply substitute one pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts for the pork in this recipe.

Make it Paleo: To make this a paleo pork stir fry, replace the rice noodles with zucchini noodles, sugar with coconut sugar, and the corn starch with arrowroot starch!

Make it Vegan/Vegetarian: You can easily remove the meat from this recipe and either increase the amount of mushrooms or fry up some tofu to up the protein of this stir fry. Also, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for the sauce.

Tips For Making Pork Stir Fry

  • Keep the skillet at medium-high heat when cooking the veggies. The goal here is to very quickly sauté the vegetables and doing so at higher heat will help them maintain their delightful crunch!
  • Stir together the sauce for this pork stir fry in a bowl until all of the corn starch has dissolved. If any corn starch clumps are left behind, you risk having a lumpy sauce!
  • Get creative and make this recipe your own! I love throwing in whatever veggies I have in my fridge that are on the verge of going bad. This easy pork stir fry is the best way to use up leftover and/or your favorite produce!
Pork Stir Fry (Gluten-Free)
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Pork Stir Fry (Gluten-Free)

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: MainCuisine: AsianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

This pork stir fry requires just one pan and 20 minutes to make! It’s loaded with crisp, fresh vegetables and finished off with a savory sauce.

Ingredients

  • For the stir fry:

  • 1 tablespoon avocado or vegetable oil

  • 1 pound boneless pork chops, sliced into 1/4-inch thick strips against the grain

  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots

  • 1 cup snow peas

  • 3 green onions, chopped

  • 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced

  • 8 ounces rice noodles, cooked according to package instructions

  • For the sauce:

  • 1 cup chicken broth

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons corn starch

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil

  • 1 tablespoon sugar, see Notes

  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger

Directions

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add in the pork chops and a pinch of salt. Cook for 3 minutes or until cooked through, then remove from skillet and set aside.
  • Add in the carrots, snow peas, red bell pepper, green onions, and mushrooms – quickly sauté for 1-2 minutes.
  • Mix all sauce ingredients together in a bowl then add into the skillet along with the cooked pork.
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce has thickened, then add in the cooked noodles and toss to coat in the sauce.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Sugar: You can use white sugar, coconut sugar, honey, or maple syrup!

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30 Minutes or Less

Swiss Chard Salad (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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swiss chard salad on a plate with a fork and sunflower seeds on the side

This Swiss chard salad is light, fresh, and crunchy! It’s loaded with healthy vegetables and dressed with a simple red wine and dijon vinaigrette.

swiss chard salad on a plate with a fork and sunflower seeds on the side

Why Swiss Chard?

Swiss chard is a nutritional POWERHOUSE! It’s jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. But before I really get into how healthy this Swiss chard salad is for you, let’s first talk about its taste. Swiss chard is sort of a cross between kale and spinach. It’s not quite as tough as kale, but also not as light as spinach. Swiss chard is most commonly cooked or sautéed to help break down its hearty texture. Though, like any raw fruit or vegetable, when you cook Swiss chard, you lose much of its nutritional benefits.

Admittedly, Swiss chard can be tough to chew when raw. HOWEVER, the method in the Swiss chard salad recipe below provides this veggie with the right ingredients and steps to break down on its own – without any exposure to heat. I don’t know about you, but to me, that’s a total win WIN. Swiss chard is a warm-weather vegetable, peaking from early spring to late fall. Unlike other lettuces, it can withstand hotter temperatures making it the last-man-standing during brutal July/August heatwaves. My parents have harvested a large amount of this hearty green vegetable over the last few months. And aside from its health benefits, that was one of the main reasons why I came up with this easy salad recipe!

Ok now back to the nutritional benefits! Swiss chard is full of:

  • Calcium (builds strong bones and teeth)
  • Vitamin C (aids in growth, development, and repair of all body tissues)
  • Iron (gives you energy and is vital to growth and development)
  • Vitamin E (big time antioxidant and protects body against free radicals)
  • Magnesium (supports a healthy immune system and muscle function)
  • Potassium (maintains heartbeat and a healthy blood pressure)
  • Vitamin A (great for skin health and cell growth!)
  • Folate (helps convert carbs into energy)
  • Vitamin K (positively contributes to bone, cognitive, and heart health)
  • Fiber (regulates hunger and blood sugar)

What You Need To Make Swiss Chard Salad

Sunflower Seeds – The sunflower seeds give this easy vegan salad recipe an irresistible crunch! Raw, cooked, unsalted, or salted will all taste equally as delicious in this dish – so use whichever kind you’d like. I went with roasted and salted sunflower seeds and they tasted incredible. This easy-to-find seed acts as a healthier crouton in this Swiss chard salad recipe. However, if you don’t have sunflower seeds, feel free to use any kind of seed or nut you’d like!

Red Wine Vinegar – The acidity in this vinegar is what helps to break down the fibers in swiss chard, therefore making it easier to eat and digest. Red wine vinegar is delightfully tangy, a little fruity, and has just a touch of sweetness. Additionally, I should probably mention just a few of the health benefits of red wine vinegarl. Red wine vinegar has been proven to lower blood pressure and blood sugar, as well as cholesterol. Therefore, as if the swiss chard wasn’t enough, this dressing addition makes this salad even healthier!

Swiss Chard Salad (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
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Swiss Chard Salad (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: SidesDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Chilling Time

15

minutes
Total time

20

minutes

This Swiss chard salad is light, fresh, and crunchy! It’s loaded with healthy vegetables and dressed with a simple red wine and dijon vinaigrette.

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped

  • 1/2 cucumber, sliced

  • 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced

  • 4-5 radishes

  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, see Notes

  • For the vinaigrette:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, see Notes

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

  • Mix all vinaigrette ingredients together in a large bowl then add in the vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Sunflower Seeds: Feel free to use whatever kind of seed or nut you’d like in place of the sunflower seeds in this recipe! Pumpkin seeds, chopped walnuts, or sliced almonds would also make great additions.
  • Red Wine Vinegar: If you don’t have red wine vinegar, you can use white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar instead.

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Dairy-Free

Healthy Cheesecake (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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overhead image of healthy cheesecake with fresh strawberries

This healthy cheesecake is light, tangy, and only tastes indulgent! It’s entirely vegan, gluten-free, and made with the healthiest ingredients. Enjoy a big slice of this healthy cheesecake with some fresh berries for dessert, a snack, or even breakfast – yup, it’s THAT healthy!

close up overhead image of healthy cheesecake with fresh strawberries of healthy cheese

I didn’t always love cheesecake. Most I tried were too dry, dense, and/or sweet. Therefore, in developing this cheesecake I made sure it was light, almost fluffy, and perfectly sweet! And it wouldn’t be a SDHB recipe if I didn’t make it healthier too. I took the best cheesecake recipes I could find, substituted a few simple ingredients, and voilà this better-for-you cheesecake recipe was born!

Ingredients such as vegan cream cheese, vegan yogurt, and a touch of maple syrup make for a more nutritient dense recipe. I wish I had recorded the look on my boyfriend’s face when I told him this cheesecake was SO healthy he could, in fact, eat it for breakfast! Once he processed the near too-good-to-be-true news, he excitedly inhaled a massive slice of this vegan and gluten-free treat.

What You Need To Make Healthy Cheesecake

Gluten-Free Graham Crackers – I used my own recipe for gluten-free graham crackers, though you can use your favorite store bought gluten-free graham crackers instead. To turn them into graham cracker crumbs you can either seal them in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin or heavy object, or add them to a food processor and give them a few pulses. Once all crackers have been ground into crumbs and no large pieces remain, you’re ready to use them in this recipe!

Vegan Cream Cheese – I used and love the Kite Hill Plain Vegan Cream Cheese in this recipe! Though feel free to use your favorite vegan cream cheese instead. If not vegan, you can use regular cream cheese. However, be sure to avoid flavored cream cheeses, plain is necessary for this healthy cheesecake recipe.

Vegan Yogurt – Similar to the vegan cream cheese, make sure your vegan yogurt is plain and unsweetened. Any added flavors or sugar would completely throw off the balance of this recipe. I used plain coconut yogurt and had great results, though any non-dairy plain unsweetened yogurt will work!

Corn Starch – Most cheesecakes contain eggs to help bind the filling once baked. However, this cheesecake recipe is both healthy and vegan with the use of corn starch instead. Corn starch is imperative in getting this cheesecake to firm up and set to its perfectly light and soft consistency. If you don’t have corn starch, you can use arrowroot starch instead.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Diet

  • Add Dairy: Use regular butter, cream cheese, and yogurt in this recipe if not vegan or dairy-free.
  • Make it Paleo: Use paleo graham crackers, coconut oil instead of vegan butter, and arrowroot starch instead of cornstarch to turn this into a healthy paleo cheesecake recipe!
Healthy Cheesecake (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
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Healthy Cheesecake (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate
Servings

8

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Chilling Time

8

hours

This healthy cheesecake is light, tangy, and only tastes indulgent! It’s entirely vegan, gluten-free, and made with the healthiest ingredients. Enjoy a big slice of this healthy cheesecake with some fresh berries for dessert, a snack, or even breakfast – yup, it’s THAT healthy!

Ingredients

  • For the graham cracker crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs, see Notes

  • 5 tablespoons vegan butter, melted

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil

  • For the cheesecake filling:

  • 16 ounces plain vegan cream cheese

  • 2 cups plain unsweetened vegan yogurt

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup

  • 3 tablespoons corn starch, see Notes

  • Pinch of salt

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
  • Add all graham cracker crust ingredients to a large bowl and mix together.
  • Transfer crust to the springform pan, flatten into an even layer across the bottom, then bake for 7-8 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
  • Beat all cheesecake filling ingredients together in a large bowl then transfer to the pan and smooth over the crust.
  • Fill a pan with 1-inch of water and transfer it to the oven on the lower rack.
  • Place the cheesecake on the upper rack, above the water and bake for 30-35 minutes. Crack the oven door and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour.
  • Remove from the oven and chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours before slicing and eating.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crumbs: I made my vegan and gluten-free graham crackers, then turned them into crumbs by pulsing them in a food processor. However, you can use store bought gluten-free graham crackers instead if you’d like.
  • Corn Starch: Feel free to use arrowroot starch instead!

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Dairy-Free

Healthy Cookie Dough (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

By
scoops of healthy cookie dough on a baking sheet

This healthy cookie dough is perfectly sweet and loaded with chocolate chips! With just 5 ingredients and in just 5 minutes, you’ll have a totally edible and good-for-you cookie dough. Sprinkle some of this healthy cookie dough over your favorite vegan ice cream for a healthier no-bake treat!

scoops of healthy cookie dough on a baking sheet

I’m sure we’ve all eaten raw cookie dough. I may or may not have purchased cookie dough in the past for the sole purpose of eating it raw. I know, don’t judge me! While I never thought twice about shoving spoonfuls of cookie dough in my mouth before it even had a chance to make it to the oven, there was always that little thought in the back of my mind like – this is SO not good for me. If anyone out there is like me and actually prefers raw cookie dough to the baked kind, then this recipe is for you!

This isn’t just any edible cookie dough recipe, it’s HEALTHY edible cookie dough. So healthy, in fact, that you could even enjoy it as an afternoon snack if you’d like! Protein-rich almond flour, a dash of natural maple syrup, and healthy fat-packed coconut oil make this edible cookie dough the most nutritious of its kind. I personally love whipping together a small batch of this stuff at around 3pm on a Tuesday when I am in dire need of a pick-me-up. This healthy cookie dough tastes indulgent without leaving you feeling like you overindulged. Trust me when I tell you this, you NEED this better-for-you sweet treat in your life. And lucky for you, with just five ingredients and five minutes you can have this healthy cookie dough in your life!

What You Need To Make Healthy Cookie Dough

Almond Flour – Almond flour is becoming easier and easier to find at the grocery store these days. I love almond flour for most of my gluten-free baked goods and treats. It also does a darn good job as the base in this recipe. If you don’t already have a bag of almond flour on hand, I highly recommend you go pick one up. And when you do, make sure this vegan and gluten-free cookie dough recipe is the first thing you make with it. Though be sure to purchase almond flour, and not almond meal. Almond meal is not as fine as the flour and will result in a grainier dough.

Coconut Oil – Coconut oil, like almond flour, is becoming increasingly easy to find at most major grocery stores. If you’re not a fan of that coconut flavor, try to use an ultra-refined coconut oil in this recipe. The refining process strips the oil of most, if not all of its flavor. If you don’t have coconut oil, you can easily use melted vegan butter or regular butter instead!

Vegan Chocolate Chips – I use and LOVE the Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips for this recipe. Enjoy Life’s chocolate is entirely dairy, nut, and soy-free. Making it the ultimate addition to this healthier recipe. However, feel free to use your favorite vegan chocolate chips in this recipe. You can even chop up a vegan chocolate bar into chunks and add that to your healthy cookie dough!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Diet

  • Add Dairy: Use regular melted butter instead of coconut oil if you’re not vegan or dairy-free.
  • Make it Sugar-Free: Substitute the maple syrup for your favorite sugar-free syrup, or leave it out altogether. Also, be sure to use sugar-free or stevia-sweetened chocolate chips instead!
Healthy Cookie Dough (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
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Healthy Cookie Dough (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

4 from 30 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Total time

5

minutes

This healthy cookie dough is perfectly sweet and loaded with chocolate chips! With just 5 ingredients and in just 5 minutes, you’ll have a totally edible and good-for-you cookie dough. Sprinkle some of this healthy cookie dough over your favorite vegan ice cream for a healthier no-bake treat!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups almond flour

  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup

  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil or vegan butter, melted

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Pinch of salt

  • 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips, see Notes

Directions

  • Stir together all ingredients except chocolate chips, until combined.
  • Fold in the chocolate chips and serve.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • I used mini vegan chocolate chips in this recipe, though you can use any kind of chocolate chips or chunks you’d like!

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Dairy-Free

Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)

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overhead image of vegan graham crackers on a table

These vegan graham crackers are also gluten and refined sugar-free! This easy recipe bakes up deliciously soft cookies and crumbly cookies. Enjoy these vegan graham crackers with a thick slather of peanut butter, some toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate, or simply on their own as a healthy snack or dessert!

vegan graham crackers witha glass of almond milk and rolled oats

I’d like to start off by thanking the person that first invented s’mores. Graham crackers are great, but let’s be honest they’d be nothing without the s’more. S’mores put graham crackers on the map. And it wasn’t until I had leftover boxes of this crispy cookie lying around from s’more-making that I realized how perfect they truly are. They’re soft, light, crumbly, and not to sweet. Graham crackers deserve a moment of their own and I am here to give them that. Think about this for a second – why don’t we place this sweet cracker in the same lineup as say a chocolate chip cookie? They are more than worthy of standing alone in my opinion. Not convinced yet? OK OK just make this vegan graham cracker recipe yourself and you’ll understand.

What You Need To Make Vegan Graham Crackers

Oat Flour – I love baking up my gluten-free treats with oat flour! Not only is it inexpensive, but it’s super easy to acquire. I highly advise against purchasing pre-made oat flour, it’s simply not necessary. Instead, purchase a big bag of oats then grind them in a food processor or blender to make your own cheap and easy oat flour. Oat flour gives these vegan graham crackers their irresistibly soft texture. It also make them healthier and more nutritious!

Maple Syrup – Just a touch of maple syrup gives these gluten-free cookies a bit of caramel color and flavor. You’ll notice that I keep the amount of sweetener in this recipe low because these vegan graham crackers really don’t need much! Maple syrup is a delicious natural sweetener and much healthier than any refined sugar.

Vegan Butter – I use and love the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks in my vegan/dairy-free baked goods. Though any vegan butter will work here, just be sure to melt it completely before adding it to this recipe. You could also sub the vegan butter for melted coconut oil or regular butter if you’d like!

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

Add Dairy: Feel free to use regular milk and butter in place of the almond milk and vegan butter in this recipe.

Make it Nut-Free: Use soy, hemp, or coconut milk instead of almond milk to make this vegan recipe nut-free.

Add Gluten: I haven’t tested this myself, but you can try using 2 cups of all purpose flour instead of oat flour. If you give this a try, start with just the 2 cups then add a bit more flour until a dough forms. And of course, let me know how it goes!

Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)
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Vegan Graham Crackers (gluten-free)

0 from 0 votes
Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Servings

16

cookies
Prep time

5

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Chilling time

1

hour

These vegan graham crackers are also gluten and refined sugar-free! This easy recipe bakes up deliciously soft cookies and crumbly cookies. Enjoy these vegan graham crackers with a thick slather of peanut butter, some toasted marshmallows and melted chocolate, or simply on their own!

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups oat flour, see Notes

  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar, see Notes

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter or coconut oil, melted

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 1/4 cup almond milk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • Mix together the oat flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  • Add in the melted vegan butter, maple syrup, almond milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until a dough forms.
  • Cover and transfer dough to the fridge for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Remove dough from fridge and roll out on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thick.
  • Cut dough into 2-inch squares, transfer to a baking sheet, poke the top of each graham cracker with a fork, then bake for 10-12 mintues.
  • Remove from oven, then let cool slightly on a baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • Oat Flour: Make oat flour by grinding rolled oats in a blender or food processor until a fine flour forms and no large oat pieces remain.
  • Coconut Sugar: Feel free to use cane sugar or white sugar in place of the coconut sugar in this recipe!

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