By Natalie Gingerich Mackenzie | May 9, 2017 Special to espnW.com

Courtesy of Toni Pressley

Florida State grad Toni Pressley's soccer career took her from coast to coast in the U.S. -- as well as overseas to Russia -- before landing her with the NWSL's Orlando Pride in her home state last year. Despite an exhausting schedule, the self-proclaimed "pretend Food Network star" loves to cook -- and fill her Instagram feed with photos of her creations.

One recent theme: Pressley has been following a vegan diet for about four months. She began as an experiment and quickly noticed that she was getting leaner and had more energy on the field. "I loved learning about which substitutions I could make and how to reinvent recipes and food," she said. "There are so many options available that veganism is not as hard as many people think."

She has found that it's easier than she thought to get the muscle-building protein she needs. "I make sure I get my protein with plant-based protein shakes, tofu, meat replacements (I really like pea-based options), and I also take a daily vitamin," she said.

She shared one of her favorite dishes: vegan mushroom risotto.

Courtesy of Toni Pressley

Day and time: Any day for dinner

Place: My home! I love to cook.

What I'm eating: Vegan mushroom risotto

Whose recipe: Mine

Why I'm eating it: Mushroom risotto is one of my favorite things to eat on this planet!

The recipe: Ingredients: 2 cups Arborio rice 4 cups assorted mushrooms 1/2 cup diced yellow onion 7-8 cups veggie broth 3 cloves garlic 1 cup vegan Parmesan cheese 1 cup raw cashews, plus enough water to cover them completely in a container 1 tablespoon vegan butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped chives Salt and pepper to taste

Courtesy of Toni Pressley

1. Make cashew cream. Soak cashews in water overnight or for at least 8 hours. Using a high-speed blender or food processor, blend for about 2 minutes to make cream.

2. In a large skillet on medium heat, add vegan butter and olive oil. Add mushroom onions, and saut for 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, and saut for another 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add Arborio rice, and stir thoroughly.

4. Add one cup of veggie broth, stirring constantly until the broth is almost all absorbed. Repeat this step for the remaining six to seven cups of broth.

5. Test rice to ensure it is cooked through. If not, cook until tender.

6. Add vegan Parmesan and chives and mix well.

7. Add a half cup to a cup of cashew cream, depending on how creamy you like it. I use a half cup.

8. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Link:

What athletes eat: Soccer player Toni Pressley's vegan mushroom risotto - ESPN