Recipe 30: Vegan Chex Mix Galore

I'm getting ready for our first Ugly Sweater Christmas party that we will be having at our apartment in 2 weeks. I wanted to start practicing making some inexpensive, yet tasty treats for the party so I thought I'd try out a party favorite Chex Mix! I made a salty and a sweet recipe. They both turned out great, and I'm eating some as I type. It's quite addicting!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chex Mix (Vegan, Gluten & Soy Free)

Takes about 5 minutes to make!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vegan/gluten free chocolate chips (Try Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, which are Gluten/Dairy/Soy Free. I picked some up at Vons grocery store).
• 1/2 cup organic creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup Earth Balance
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 7-8 cups of rice Chex
• 2 cups of powdered sugar

Method:

Melt together chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in the microwave. Stir every 30 seconds until melted well, approximately 1 1/2-2 minutes. After melting, add in the vanilla extract and mix. Pour mixture over rice chex and carefully mix together. Transfer to a plastic baggie with powdered sugar. Shake up the bag well and it's ready to eat!

Vegan Original Chex Mix

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Earth Balance butter
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1-1/4 teaspoons garlic salt
• 3 cups Corn Chex cereal
• 2 cups Rice Chex cereal
• 1-1/2 cups peanuts
• 1-1/2 cups small pretzels

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Melt butter in a shallow pan. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and garlic salt. Add Corn Chex, Rice Chex, nuts (peanuts, pecans or cashews), and pretzels. Mix until all pieces are coated with the butter mixture. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool...enjoy!

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Recipe 29: Vegan Guilty Breakfast Sandwich

This breakfast sandwich will blow your mind!!! Guilty breakfast sandwich without the added fat of pork sausage or chicken eggs that are high in cholesterol.

Vegan Guilty Breakfast Sandwiches

YIELD: 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 2 English muffins
• 2 thick of slices firm tofu
• 1/2 teaspoon each Lawry's seasoning salt, pepper, and turmeric
• 2 slices of vegan cheddar cheese (try Rice Vegan American Flavor slices)
• 2 vegan breakfast sausages (try SoL Cuisine's Veggie Breakfast Patties and they are non-GMO)
• 1 teaspoon of Organic Earth Balance buttery spread
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Method:

Sprinkle the tofu slices with a small amount of the spice mixture. Heat a pan over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once it's heated, place the tofu into the pan, grill until golden brown on each sides. Place vegan cheddar slice on top and cover with a lid. Allow the cheese to melt and then remove from heat. In a separate pan heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook 2 vegan sausage patties until browned. While sausage patties are cooking toast muffins.

Slice the muff in half, place a piece of tofu and sausage. Serve and enjoy!

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Recipe 28: Sara's Tofu Noodle Soup

This soup is great for a sore throat or cold! It's a hearty, vegan version of chicken noodle soup with kick of ginger. I made it tonight for dinner, because my boyfriend and I are both starting to get sick. I hope that the soup is a miracle worker, and we wake up healthy and not sick! Fingers crossed!!!

 

 

Sara's Tofu Noodle Soup

(Adapted from Sarah's Tofu Noodle Soup on allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 sliced carrots
• 1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 3-4 cups baby bok choy, chopped
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons of grated ginger
• 2 cubes of vegetarian chicken-flavored broth (Try Not-Chick'n Bouillon Cubes)
• 12 ounces of fresh rice noodles (Try Trader Joe's Fresh Rice Noodles)
• 1 (14 ounce) container extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry or Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons cold water

Method:

Heat the olive oil, garlic, and onion in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until browned. Stir in the carrots, celery, ginger, and bok choy and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes.

Pour ingredients from the saucepan into a medium-large pot with the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling add the tofu, seasonings salt and pepper. Dissolve the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the soup. Return soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the rice noodles to cook for the last 5 minutes at medium heat.


Prep: 15 min
Cook: 40 min
Ready In: 55 min

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Recipe 27: Sweet and Sour Teriyaki Tofu in the Slow Cooker

This is my second slow cooker meal that I've tried from The Vegan Slow Cooker . This is super healthy and super easy to make. This dish is not as saucy as sweet and sour tofu is at an Asian restaurant, so if you are looking for a little more sauce to add on top before serving try this recipe here. I plan on making extra sauce to top it off next time! 

Sweet and Sour Teriyaki Tofu 

(Recipe Adapted from The Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester)
Ingredients:

• 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple in juice
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 to 3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 package baked teriyaki tofu (Try Trader Joe's Organic Baked Teriyaki Tofu)
• 1 medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 1 medium-sized head broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons cold water

The Night Before:

Open the pineapple can and drain the juice into a small bowl. Add the soy sauce and ginger to the juice to make the sauce. Store the sauce, pineapple chunks, and cut-up tofu, onion, people, carrots, and broccoli in an airtight container in the fridge.

In the Morning:

Combine the sauce, onion, carrots, and tofu, in the slow cooker.

About 30 to 45 minutes before serving, turn up the slow cooker to high and add the pepper, broccoli, and pineapple chunks. Dissolve/mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Then, add it to the slow cooker and mix well. It's ready when the sauce has thickens and the broccoli is tender.

Serve on top of brown or white rice.

Yield: 4 servings
Total Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Cooking Time: 6 to 8 hours

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Recipe 26: Caramel Corn

Happy World Vegan Day!!! Today, November 1st, marks the start of World Vegan Month. World Vegan Month celebrates the coining of the term, ‘vegan’ and the founding of The Vegan Society in November 1944. Celebrate this month by trying one of my recipes!

I hope you had a nice Halloween! Now that Halloween is over I am ready for the holidays to start. I have some great recipes to post. I can't wait!

My boyfriend and I went to Disneyland the other night and we were both dying for some caramel corn popcorn. I decided I would make some homemade for us on Halloween night. It was super easy and turned out so delicious. We brought some to his parents and shared it with our friends.

 

Seriously Addictive Caramel Corn (Vegan)

(I found this recipe here at it's a Greyt Vegan Life, which they Adapted from Recipe Rhapsody)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup organic popcorn kernels (about 12 cups popped)
• 1 cup lightly salted peanuts or cashews (I like the sea salt varieties)
• 1/2 cup non-dairy butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 250F. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Use an air popper to pop the corn into a large bowl. Pick out the un-popped kernels, then sprinkle the nuts over the top and set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, melt the non-dairy butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, agave nectar, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly, then allow to boil for 4 minutes (reduce the time by half for higher altitudes) without stirring. Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda and the vanilla.
4. Pour the caramel over the popcorn/nuts and stir well to coat. Spread the mixture out on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and stir the caramel corn, then return the baking sheet to the oven and bake an additional 15 minutes. At the end of the baking time, transfer the caramel corn to waxed paper on the counter and spread evenly.
5. Place the chocolate pieces in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 45 seconds; stir. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth.
6. Using a spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the popcorn and allow it to cool completely before breaking apart.
7. Store in an airtight container or Ziplock bags.

I made my own popcorn on the stove top. Much cheaper than buying microwave popcorn bags. Click here to see how to pop popcorn on the stove. 

 One last picture of the yummy caramel corn!

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Recipe 25: Cashew Cheese

Cashew Cheese:  

(Adapted from Healthy Happy Life)

• 1 cup cashews, soaked/drained/rinsed
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder (optional - for heat)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil 
• 4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup water (use only as much as you need to create desired consistency)

Method: 

Soak the cashews for at least 30 minutes in salted water. If you have time or plan ahead, soak the cashews overnight in salted water.

 

Drain your soaked cashews and rinse them in water. Add the drained/rinsed cashews to a food processor. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper (optional chipotle powder), and a splash of water. Start the processor on low. Add in more splashes of water until the mixture is churning well. Allow to mix until smooth. Add in only as much water as you need to achieve a smooth hummus-style consistency. Taste test. Add in a pinch more salt and pepper if desired. Dip with chips, serve on top of nachos, or on enchiladas like I did.

 

Cashew Cheese in the food processor

 Vegan Sweet Potato Enchiladas with Cashew Cheese

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Recipe 24: Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto

We had some friends over for dinner last night for "mussel night." My boyfriend still eats fish products, and this is one of his favorite meals to make for all of our friends. I had to make a dish that I could eat, yet a side dish that everyone else would enjoy. I had a butternut squash that my boyfriend brought from his garden at his work. I've made butternut squash risotto before I was vegan with lots of cheese, and I must say I enjoyed this recipe better! It was lighter, still creamy, and the sage made it so flavorful. Everyone loved it and requested that I make it again for our next party!

Butternut Squash Risotto

(Makes 4 servings)
Adapted from Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup arborio rice
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice (mine yielded 4 cups of diced squash)
• 4-5 cups hot vegetable stock (you could use water, but a stock is far more preferable for better flavor)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage or 1 tsp dried sage
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cashew "cheese"
(optional) made by blending together:

• 1/4 cup cashews,
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup of water 
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the butternut squash, onion, a pinch of salt, and some ground black pepper.
2. Saute over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes or until the squash starts to soften and caramelize. 
3. Turn down the heat to medium-low. Add the rice and stir it with the squash until it begins to turn opaque, about 1 minute. Season again with salt and pepper.
4. Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until the wine's almost evaporated. (Be careful not to burn the rice and make sure your are stirring frequently and watching the rice.) 
5. Add 1/2 cup of vegetable stock and stir it in. Once the stock has almost evaporated, add another 1/2 cup. Repeat until the rice is cooked. It took me about 35 minutes. Don't forget to season again with salt and pepper at the end. You might need more or less stock, and you basically want the rice to be tender yet slightly toothy, or al dente. In other words, you don't want mushy rice. You also don't want the rice to be dry and lumpy. It should be smooth and creamy.
6. Now add the cashew "cheese", if you're using it, and stir it in. Immediately add the sage and mix. Turn off the heat.
7. Serve Hot.

Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto

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Recipe 23: Vegan Lentil and Split Pea Soup in the Slow Cooker

I adapted this recipe from a cookbook I've had for awhile now, The Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester. I've had my slow cooker for over a year, and have finally taken the time to pull it down from the cupboard and make something! I love the idea of just flipping a switch in the morning, and coming home to my house smelling delicious! I swapped out the spinach in the original recipe for zucchini. My boyfriend brought home a giant zucchini from the garden at the school he works at. I only used half of the zucchini for this dinner. Some for the soup and some for zucchini cornbread muffins.

The gigantic zucchini!

 

Vegan Split Pea and Lentil Soup

(Soy Free & Gluten Free)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 cup lentils
• 1 cup split peas
• 6 cups water
• 2 tablespoons vegan chicken-flavored bouillon
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoons ground rosemary
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 2 cups of zucchini

The night before:

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onion until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute longer. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

In the morning:

Combine the sauteed onion, lentils, peas, zucchini, water, bouillon, bay leaves, tarragon, marjoram, rosemary, and salt and pepper in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

The finished soup.

Vegan Zucchini Cornbread Muffins

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Recipe 22: Vegan Sausage and Mushroom Mole Tacos

The best thing that Tuesday's have to offer is.... Taco Tuesday's! $1.00 tacos at most Mexican restaurants. One of my favorite places to go for Taco Tuesday is Taco Loco in Laguna Beach. I love their blackened tofu tacos!! At home, we've been cooking up lots of different tacos for our own Taco Tuesday. Enjoy this recipe!

Vegan Sausage and Mushroom Mole Tacos 

(Serves 4)

Ingredients: 

• flour tortillas
• Field Roast Chipotle Sausage or soyrizo
• 8 ounces of crimini mushrooms (diced)
• 1 onion (diced)
• mole sauce
• 1 avocado
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• hot sauce (optional)

Method: 

Sauté onion with salt and pepper in olive oil for 2 minutes. Then, add in mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes. Next, add in the sausage or soyrizo with the mole sauce (I used Frontera Mexico City Peanut Mole Simmer Sauce or make your own) and cook on low-medium heat for 5 minutes. Heat flour tortillas (I used La Brea Bakery's Soft Tortillas) while the taco filling cooks. Fill tacos, top with avocado, and hot sauce. Enjoy!  

 

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Recipe 21: Vegan Banana Cream Pie

I wasn't a huge fan of the Banana Ice Cream Pie I made two posts back, so I thought I'd try another banana pie recipe. This recipe was so flavorful, yet healthy. It was a little bit time consuming to make, but I love spending time in the kitchen! It was so yummy!!! 

Vegan Chocolate Banana Cream Pie 

(adapted from Hungry Foodies Pharmacy and Dairy Free Cooking)

• 1 (14 ounce) box of silken tofu, drained
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup raw cashews, finely ground
• Your favorite vegan prepared pie crust or graham cracker crust

Prepare the vegan pie crust of your choice according to the recipe. Fit into a 9″ pie plate and bake according to the recipe’s instructions. Allow crust to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

In a blender or food processor, process the silken tofu until creamy. Add the sugar, salt, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and coconut oil and process until well combined and very creamy. Add the mashed bananas and finely ground cashews and process until smooth. Pour into the prepared pie crust and chill for at least 2 hours or until set.

Vegan Chocolate Ganache

• 16 ounces good quality dark dairy-free chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk (not light version)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the coarsely chopped dark chocolate in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the coconut milk until bubbles just begin to appear around the edges and steam rises from the surface. Pour the hot coconut milk over the chopped chocolate and let stand without stirring for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir the chocolate-coconut milk mixture until glossy and smooth (this will take about 2 minutes of gentle stirring). Add the vanilla extract and stir until incorporated. Use warm or slightly cooled.

To finish the pie:

Prepare the Vegan Dark Chocolate Ganache according to the recipe. Pour immediately onto the set banana filling and allow to cool completely until set. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve cold.

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Recipe 20: Vegan Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"

And I'm back to blogging. I got a little discouraged awhile back, because I thought that...well nobody was reading my pathetic blog. Although I haven't really put any effort into advertising my blog like you should to actually get people to read/comment on your blog. But hey...even if nobody does read my blog at least I will have an online recipe diary for myself!

I have been into making broccoli mash for dinner lately. I thought I'd switch it up to some cauliflower mash when I found this recipe on Pinterest. It turned out great!


Recipe adapted from Happy Healthy Abundant by Jia Ni Teo

Ingredients:

• 1-2 heads of cauliflower
• 3 cloves garlic (I put a TON of garlic because I've been so sick)
• Chives - as much as you'd like! I did a small package.
• Himalayan/Celtic Sea Salt (to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)
• Nutritional yeast (optional, to taste)

Directions:

1. Boil water. Once water comes to a boil add in cauliflower. Cook cauliflower till fork pokes through but still slightly hard, about 7-10 minutes. (Avoid overcooking for a cauliflower-y taste)

2. While cauliflower cooks, sauté some garlic in olive oil until golden brown. Set aside.

2. Blend in a high speed blender or food processor or mash with a hand masher (I did it this way...much faster...easier clean up) with garlic cloves till smooth and fluffy.

3. Add lots of herbs and chives.

4. Sprinkle sea salt, black pepper, nutritional yeast to taste.

I served my cauliflower mashed potatoes with oven roasted vegetables and BOCA chik'n patties topped with vegan gravy. BOMB.com!

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Recipe 19: Banana Ice Cream Pie

Another Pinterest recipe inspiration, which I repined from VegNews Magazine. This recipe took a lot longer than I expected, and I was much to impatient to wait for it to be fully complete. I've never made an ice cream based dessert so I didn't know just how long it takes! It still tasted wonderful and it's much healthier than an ice cream cake or pie!

Recipe adapted from This Misfit Baker blog. Check out her vegan baking in a not so vegan world here.

Banana Ice Cream Pie, with Cookie Crust

For the Banana Ice Cream:

• 3/4 cup Pureed Banana
• 3/4 cup Coconut Milk, well shaken (full fat)
• 1/4 cup Agave Nectar

For the Crust:

• 1 cup Cookie Crumbs of your choice.
• 2 tbsp Coconut Oil, melted

For the Ganache:

• 3 tbsp Coconut Milk
• 1 tbsp Peanut Butter
• 1 ounce (6 teaspoons) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1. In a food processor or blender, puree bananas. Add coconut milk and agave nectar. Process until thoroughly combined and smooth. Pour mixture into a shallow container with lid and place in freezer. After about 1 1/2 hours, stir mixture and return to the freezer until fully frozen (this could take 5 – 8 hours).
2. After ice cream has frozen, stir the cookie crumbs and oil together until combined. Press firmly into an 8 inch pie plate. Place in freezer and chill for about 10 minutes (this could also be done a head, covered tightly and frozen until ready to use).
3. When crust is chilling, remove ice cream from freezer. Spoon into food processor or blender and process until smooth and looks like soft serve. Pour into chilled pie crust and smooth surface. Return to freezer.
4. To make the ganache, bring milk to a simmer, in a small pot. Stir in peanut butter. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until melted and thoroughly combined. Allow to cool then pipe onto pie. Return pie to freezer until ganache has firmed (5 – 10 minutes).
5. Cover pie tightly and return to freezer until fully frozen (2 – 4 hours).

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Recipe 18: Tempeh of the Sea

Tempeh of the Sea 

With this summer heat wave in California I wanted to avoid turning on the oven or heating up the kitchen in order to make dinner tonight. This tempeh of the sea salad was perfect for avoiding heating up the kitchen. I put it on my panini press and voila! The heat wave is going to continue the rest of the week, and I will have plenty of this salad to eat leftover in the fridge. 

Before I was vegan, I used to love a great chicken salad sandwich. I found this tempeh of the sea recipe from my new favorite friend to follow on Pinterest... VegNews Magazine. Check out VegNew's boards here. VegNews Magazine is the only vegan lifestyle magazine that I've come across. VegNews got this recipe was from the blog For the Love of Food. Check out the original recipe here.

Tempeh is used to replace the “tuna.”  (If you are unfamiliar with tempeh you can read more about it here). You can eat this in cold/hot sandwiches, on top of romaine salads, with crackers, or just plain. 

   

Tempeh of the Sea

Serves 4

• 1 -8 oz package plain tempeh, crumbled
• 1/4 medium red onion, diced
• 2 green onions, diced
• 3 celery ribs, diced
• 3 Tablespoons sweet relish
• 1 cup vegan mayo
• 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Crumble tempeh and mix with the red onion, green onion, celery, relish, mayo and brown mustard.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve cold or grilled.

 

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Recipe 17: Chickenless Dumplings

I found this total comfort food recipe for Chickenless Dumplings on Pinterest (I have about a million more recipes pinned to try, but doesn't everyone on Pinterest!). The recipe is adapted from Molly Alice Nests, a recipe blogger from LA. I just signed up for her newsletter! This meal was requested by my boyfriend, a lover of comfort food as you can see by some of my other posts when I've mentioned him. It made our apartment smell like winter and chicken noodle soup. Enjoy this hearty meal!

Ingredients

for the roux

• 2 c your choice of fresh or frozen vegetables (I used peas, carrots, and corn)
• 1/2 of a sweet onion (chopped)
• 2-4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 c water
• 1/2 c flour
• garlic salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil 

for the dumplings

• 1 c flour
• 2 tbsp cold margarine or shortening
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 c soy or almond milk

Method

1. Pour veggie broth into a medium pot and bring to a boil. 
2. Sautee chopped onion in a pan with a little olive oil for approximately 2 minutes. Season with garlic salt and pepper.
3. While waiting for the broth to heat up, make your dumplings! Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in margarine or shortening until crumbly. Add soy or almond milk and stir to form a thick dough. You may need to take it out and work it with your hands.
4. Transfer dough to a nonstick surface and press flat, about 1/4″ thick. Cut into squares and gently drop dumplings into the broth. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Add your sauteed onions, vegetables, cover, and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked.
6. Remove from heat and use a slotted spoon to gently spoon dumplings and vegetables into a large, heat-proof bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together water and remaining flour and add to leftover broth. Return to heat and bring to a boil to form a thick roux, stirring constantly to avoid clumps.
7. Remove from heat and add vegetables and dumplings, gently stirring to coat. Add salt, pepper, or any additional seasoning to taste.

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Recipe 16: Vegan Lasagna

This lasagna is definitely something I will be making for my kids one day. It's easy, can be prepped, and put in the oven in just 30 minutes!  

 

Vegan Lasagna

 (adapted from Jessica on Allrecipes.com)

Prep Time:
30 Min

 Cook Time:
30-40 mins

Ready In:
1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 package (12 ounces) of meatless ground beef 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 5-6 bella mushrooms
• 4-5 cloves of minced garlic
• 1-2 cans (approximately 28 ounces) of marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe's Toscana Marinara Sauce)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
• 2 pounds firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 or 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• dried Italian herbs 

Method

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the lasagna noodles for 9 minutes, then drain and rinse well.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Add chopped onion and cook for 2 minutes. Then, add in mushrooms and continue to cook for approximately 3-4 minutes. Season mushrooms and onion with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs. Remove from heat. Place mushrooms and onions in a food processor and blend for 2 minutes (Note: If you do not have a food processor, you can add the mushrooms and onions into the sauce or tofu mixture unblended).
4. Place the tofu blocks in a large bowl.  Add blended mushrooms and onions. Add the garlic, basil and parsley. Add the salt and pepper, and mash all the ingredients together by squeezing pieces of tofu through your fingers. Mix well.
5. Assemble the lasagna: Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole pan. Arrange a single layer of lasagna noodles, sprinkle one-third of the tofu mixture over the noodles. Distribute the spinach evenly over the tofu. Next ladle 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce over the tofu, and top it with another layer of the noodles. Then sprinkle another 1/3 of the tofu mixture over the noodles, top the tofu with 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, and place a final layer of noodles over the tomato sauce. Finally, top the noodles with the final 1/3 of the tofu, and spread the remaining tomato sauce over everything.
6. Sprinkle some nutritional yeast and dried Italian herbs over the top for some extra flavor!
7. Cover the pan with foil and bake the lasagna for 30-40 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy.

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Recipe 15: Vegan Fried "Chicken"

My boyfriend is a huge fan of comfort food! Fried chicken cutlets and fried rice is one of his favorite meals that his Mom made for him growing up. This was my trial run to make sure this fried chicken was up to par. I found the recipe from Pinterest done by The Sweetest Vegan. I adapted the recipe a little bit using what I had on hand. It turned out well, but lacked seasoning. I think next time I'll try some Lawry's seasoning salt, Louisiana chicken wing seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder to season the batter. Check back to see an update on the fried chicken!

Vegan Fried "Chicken"

(Yields: 2 Vegan Fried "Chicken" Breast)

Ingredients

• 2-3 cups canola oil, for frying
• 2 teaspoons salt free seasoning blend or seasonings of choice
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 vegan "chicken" breasts (I used Gardein chick'n scallopini)

Method:

Heat canola oil over medium - high heat in a large pot or deep fryer.

Whisk your seasonings, all purpose flour, and nutritional yeast in a shallow bowl.

Mix together mustard and water in a separate bowl. Stir 1/3 cup of the flour mixture to the mustard.

Whisk baking powder into the remaining flour mixture.

Dredge, dip and coat, the chicken breast into the mustard and then the flour, one at a time.

Fry the chicken until crispy and golden brown.

Serve with some maple syrup, ketchup, hot sauce, or BBQ sauce! Yummy!!!

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Recipe 14: Vegan Pesto Fettuccine

I celebrated my birthday earlier this month, and my boyfriend got me a Cuisinart 4-Cup Mini-Prep Plus Processor. I finally can make homemade sauces, salad dressings, marinades, hummus, and much more! I'd been waiting to receive the processor from an acquaintance who got us an awesome discount on the product. I knew the first thing I was going to make as soon as I got it was pesto! Vegan pesto is hard to find premade at health food stores, and if it is premade it is usually quite costly. Plus, fresh pesto is much better!

 

 

Vegan Pesto

(modified from Cuisinart 4-Cup Mini-Prep Plus Processor Recipe Booklet)

"It is a favorite for dressing pasta but is also wonderful on boiled or steamed potatoes, steamed fresh vegetables, or as a spread on a fresh tomato and mozzarella sandwich. You may vary your pesto by using other herbs such as cilantro, mint or parsley and by using other nuts such as almonds, pecans or hazelnuts."

Makes enough for 4-6 servings on pasta

• 2 cups nutritional yeast
• 1 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts (heat in non-stick pan on medium until golden brown to toast)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves, washed and dried completely
• 2⁄3 cups extra virgin olive oil

Place the nutritional yeast in a bowl and set aside. Add the nuts to the work bowl and pulse on chop 5 times; remove and place in bowl with nutritional yeast. Add the garlic and salt to the work bowl and process 5 seconds on chop; scrape the bottom and sides of the work bowl. Add the basil leaves and half the olive oil. Pulse on grind 10 times, then grind continuously for about 15 seconds. Scrape the work bowl. With the machine running on grind, add the remaining oil slowly, in a steady stream, through one of the holes in the recessed area of the lid. After all the oil has been added, process on grind for an additional 10 seconds. Add the reserved nutritional yeast and nuts to the mixture. Pulse 10 times on chop to blend. You may need to stir and add a little bit of olive oil if the nutritional yeast is not completely blending. Let the pesto sit for 30 minutes or longer to allow the flavors to develop. Pesto sauce will keep refrigerated for up to a week, or may be frozen. Transfer the sauce to an airtight container.

For the Vegan Pesto Fettuccine meal I used Organic Fettuccine - Whole Foods Brand. I also mixed in some finely diced sauteed zucchini and broccollini into the pesto sauce before serving. Then I served the pasta with a mixed green salad dressed with Follow Your Heart vegan caeser dressing (which I also purchased at Whole Foods).



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Recipe 13: Vegan Sloppy Joes

A semi-healthy comfort meal that vegans and non-vegans are guaranteed to enjoy!

Vegan Sloppy Joes

(Serves 4-5 people)

• 1 package of soy ground beef of choice
• 1 chopped yellow onion
• 1 chopped green bell pepper
• 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce of choice (I used a mushroom marinara)
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• garlic salt to taste
• pepper to taste 
• hamburger seasoning to taste (I used Grill Shakers Hamburger)  
• hamburger buns of choice

Method: Sautee chopped onion with small amount of olive oil in a pan until golden brown. Add in green bell pepper and ketchup. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until green bell pepper is soft. Stir in soy ground beef and cook for 3 minutes. Add in remaining ingredients and serve on buns of choice. I used onion hamburger buns. Yummy!

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Recipe 12: Garden Fresh Quinoa Salad

This past weekend I visited my Grandpa in San Diego for a Bastille Day Party. I had a great time, and got to harvest some vegetables from my Grandpa's garden! He's an avid gardener and grows a variety of things. I hope one day I can have a nice garden to grow fresh food. He sent me home with red onion, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, and tomatoes. He also gave me a bottle of rosé wine. I usually prefer red wine, but this wine is perfect for summer time! It's called Quinson Fils Cotes de Provence Rosé. I enjoyed a couple of glasses at the party, and you can pick it up at Trader Joe's for only $4.99!

With the vegetables just one day old (awesome!) I decided to make a cold quinoa salad. I used most of the ingredients for this recipe from my Grandpa's garden. I wish I could cook with produce like that everyday!

Garden Fresh Quinoa Salad

-2 cups organic quinoa
-4 cups water
-3 diced zucchinis
-1 diced yellow squash
-1 diced eggplant
-3 diced tomatoes
-1 diced red onion
-3-4 segments/cloves of minced garlic
-1 3/4 teaspoons cumin
-1 teaspoon red pepper
-Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing
-olive oil
-red wine vinegar
-dijon mustard

Method: Sautée garlic in pan with olive oil until golden brown. Stir in the zucchini, squash, and eggplant. Cook for approximately 8-10 minutes or to desired. In rice cooker, cook 2 cups of quinoa and 4 cups water. Mix cooked vegetables and quinoa together in a bowel. Top with tomatoes and red onion. Chill salad for about an hour. Mix dressing in when ready to serve.

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Recipe 11: Blueberry Flaxseed Smoothie

Flaxseed is a great source of non-animal Omega-3 fatty acids.

10 Benefits of Flaxseeds and Flaxseed Oil  

1. Flaxseeds are a a great source of fiber and work as a natural laxative. They are a great way to keep things regular.
2. Flaxseed oil contains concentrated amounts of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fat. Vegetarians and vegans often use this as a substitute for fish oil, although there are differing opinions over whether the Omega-3 in flaxseed oil is as beneficial as that in fish oil.
3. Ground flaxseed has been shown to work just as well as statins in lowering cholesterol.
4. Flaxseeds are a good source of magnesium.
5. Flaxseeds contain high levels of lignans. Lignans may protect against estrogen-dependents cancers such as breast cancer.
6. An ounce of ground flaxseed per day was shown to regulate estrogen levels in post-menopausal women.
7. Flaxseeds have been shown to protect post-menopausal women from heart disease.
8. Flaxseed decreases insulin resistance and may protect against diabetes.
9. Preliminary research in mice shows that flaxseeds may prevent or slow the spread of prostate cancer.
10. Studies in mice show that flaxseed may prevent or slow the spread of melanoma.

Blueberry Flaxseed Smoothie

• 2 tablespoons of Trader Joe's flaxseed with blueberries (or flaxseed of choice)
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup strawberries
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 1 cup vanilla almond milk (or nondairy milk of choice)
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter (or almond butter)
• 1 1/2 cups ice

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Enjoy anytime of the day!

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Recipe 10: Texas Caviar

I hope everyone had a nice 4th of July! I went to a friends house for a party and brought along some Texas Caviar!

Sara's Texas Caviar

• 1 can black-eyed peas
• 1 can corn
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 4-6 roma tomatoes, chopped
• 3 avocados
• 1 large English cucumber, chopped
• 2 tsp. garlic salt (or to taste)
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. (or to spice preference) Tabasco sauce or Trader Joe's Jalepeno Pepper Hot Sauce
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Drain and rinse black-eyed peas and corn. Combine in a large bowl chopped peppers, onions, cucumbers, avocados, and tomatoes.

Mix red wine vinegar, hot sauce, sugar, garlic salt and pepper. Pour over salad and stir gently to coat. Refrigerate for several hours to overnight before serving.

Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or as a side dish.

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