Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: comfort food

  • Winter Vegetable Lentil Pie

    Winter Vegetable Lentil Pie

    Christmas snuck up so fast this year, I can’t believe I am already posting my Christmas food!  I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season so far! Normally I make lasagna for Christmas but I decided to make something different this year.  I have always wanted to make a savory pie for Christmas and this year I finally got around to making one! I wanted it to be filled with veggies, and some protein so I came up with a Winter Vegetable Lentil Pie! It turned out so delicious I had to share the recipe with you all!

    For the filling I included my favorite veggies, sweet potatoes, squash, and mushrooms with sautéed onions, celery and garlic. I wanted to include some protein and I thought lentils would be perfect! I love them in a vegan shepherds pie, so I thought why not add them this kind of pie as well? I added in a touch of thyme, nutritional yeast and tamari and the filling was delicious!

    Now normally I make my own pie crust but I haven’t had a lot of time lately with the holidays and work so I thought I would use a store bought vegan pie crust this time.  I bought a Dufour pastry crust from Whole Foods Market.  I haven’t bought a store bought crust since before I went vegan so I wasn’t sure how it would be, but it was so delicious!  It made the perfect flakey and delicious crust!  I definitely recommend if you are in need of a store bought crust!  It rolled out nicely, as well!

    This pie turned out soooo good!  The filling was savory and packed with veggies, all of my favorites in one pie, it was filling hearty and that flakey crust was the perfect package for them!  My Mom complimented the pie as well, saying it was very delicious which meant a lot to me.  It was the perfect thing to make for Christmas, but I think this will be a great meal throughout the winter as well!  If you want a switch up from pot pie, give this Vegan Winter Vegetable Pie a try!

    Winter Vegetable Lentil Pie

    Makes 1 9 inch pie

    Ingredients:

    • 2/3 cup green lentils
    • filtered water
    • 2 cups squash cut into 1 inch dice
    • 2 cups sweet potatoes cut into 1 inch dice
    • 2 tsp avocado oil
    • 1 cup celery, diced
    • 1 cup yellow onions, diced
    • 2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 tsp black pepper
    • 1 Tbsp tamari
    • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
    • 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1 store bought vegan pastry crust (double crust, you need a top and bottom, I used Dufour which can be found at Whole Foods Market)
    • unsweetened plant based milk

    Instructions:

    1. In a pot, combine the lentils and water and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes until the lentils are soft.  Remove from heat and drain well.  Set aside.
    2. Place the squash and sweet potatoes in a steamer basket, and steam for about 10 minutes until tender.  Set aside.
    3. Heat the avocado oil in a non-stick skillet over medium and add the celery, onions, mushrooms and garlic and sautee until they are tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from heat and add to a bowl, along with the lentils, squash and sweet potatoes.  Add the sea salt, pepper, tamari, thyme and nutritional yeast to the bowl also, and mix everything well until everything is evenly distributed.  Set aside in the refrigerator to cool completely.
    4. When the filling has cooled.  Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
    5. Roll out one of the pie crusts into a 10 inch circle and fit it into the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate.  Spoon the filling over it and spread it out evenly.
    6. Roll out the other pie crust into a 10 inch circle, place it on top of the filling, and crimp the edge of the top crust and bottom crust together.  Cut vents into the top crust, brush with the plant based milk, and place in the oven.
    7. Bake the pie for about 1 hour until it is bubbling the the center and lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
  • Creamy Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

    Creamy Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup

    At pretty much every restaurant in Minnesota you will find some version or other of creamy wild rice soup, usually with chicken, and everyone claims that theirs is “famous” and the “best”.  I tried a few growing up, and I never thought any of them were that great, except for the version that my Mom made, which was pretty good.  I now make my own version, Creamy Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup and I think it is pretty darn delicious!  I always cook off some wild rice ahead of time because it takes a while, so it doesn’t take a super long time to make.  Some people complain about the smell of wild rice, but I actually like it.  It is an earthy delicious smell.  Something that reminds me of special salads and soups when I was little because wild rice is also considered kind of gourmet.  Or at least it was when I was little.  It is a bit more spendy than regular rice (and is actually not rice at all, it is a grain producing grass), but if you buy it in the bulk section at your health food store (which is what I do), it is cheaper.

    For the protein source in my soup, I use French lentils.  They happen to be my favorite, and they are honestly a staple in my kitchen.  I admit when I was younger I used to be intimidated by them and I thought that they were inferior to beans, but that was before I went vegan and began to discover what a great source of protein they are and how deliciously savory they are! They go awesome with the wild rice too, since they both have that sort of earthy flavor.  I keep the rest of the ingredients pretty simple, mushrooms, celery, onions, and garlic.  Thyme is my herb of choice, and actually my favorite cold weather herb.  It goes beautifully with the wild rice. At the end, I add  a bit of thickened oat milk to make this creamy and crave worthy.

    The soup is sooo good!  It was way better than any of those soups I had as a kid, and my Mom has tried this soup as well and approved!  If you are looking for a delicious soup to make for a cool day, this Creamy Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup is a winner. It makes me think of chilly nights warming up by the fireplace in warm sweaters in some Northern Minnesota café.

    Creamy Vegan Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
    Serves2-3

    Ingredients:

    • 2/3 cup uncooked wild rice
    • 2 1/2 cups filtered water
    • 4 large celery stalks, sliced
    • 1 small onion, diced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
    • 1/3 tsp sea salt or to taste
    • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
    • 2/3 cup French lentils
    • 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1 1/2 cups plant based unsweetened milk (I used Oatly oat milk, you want to use something thicker, coconut milk would also work or soy milk)
    • 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch dissolved in 1 Tbsp filtered water

     

    Directions:

    1. Place the wild rice in a pot, cover with filtered water by at least 3 inches and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until the rice has “bloomed”, about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes depending on your rice. Drain the rice and set aside.
    2. Combine the 2 1/2 cups filtered water, celery, onion, garlic, mushrooms, sea salt, thyme, and lentils in a pot and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and cook for about 40-45 minutes until the lentils have are tender.  Stir in the wild rice.  Add the nutritional yeast, milk, and arrowroot mixture and cook until thickened.
    3. Serve!

     

     

  • Vegan Lasagna Roll Ups

    Vegan Lasagna Roll Ups

    When I was in middle school and I ate school lunch, one of my favorite things were the lasagna roll ups. When I saw that they were on the menu, I looked forward to lunch time.  Oddly enough though, I haven’t actually ever had lasagna roll ups since I left middle school, because most people, myself included make lasagna the old school way.  I had a coworker at the deli who made them and they always smelled good and I told myself I would eventually make a vegan version (since hers weren’t vegan) but I never got around to making them.  Until now that is!

    Last week I decided to make some because I had bought some lasagna noodles that I wanted to use up in my cupboard.  It was the perfect excuse to make the lasagna and I had the time to make the rolled version.  To be honest, I don’t usually even make my lasagna with traditional noodles, I make it with short noodles and make a “lasagna” casserole, so this would be much more fancy!

    For the “ricotta” filling, I used a tofu base, because that is what my Mom used to use when she made lasagna when I was little and I loved it!  The texture comes out perfect and you don’t even miss the cheese! I mixed in a little cashew butter to give it a little richness and it was perfect!  I wanted to keep this lasagna fairly simple, so I just added spinach instead of sauteeing a bunch of other veggies.  Plus I figured it would roll better.

    Once it was all assembled and I put it in the oven, it smelled so wonderful while baking! I could not wait to try it! When it was dinner time, it was sooo good!  This tastes every bit as delicious as those lasagna roll ups I enjoyed growing up, with none of the dairy!  If you are looking for some delicious comfort food, give these a try!

    Vegan Lasagna Roll Ups

    Serves 4

    Sauce:

    • 2 tsp olive oil
    • 1 small red onion, diced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
    • 1 tsp dried basil
    • 1 tsp dried oregano
    • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt

     

    Ricotta:

    • 1 16 oz package extra firm tofu
    • 1/3 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
    • 2 tsp white miso
    • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 2 tsp lemon juice
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 cup chopped spinach

     

    Pasta and assembly:

    • 1 12 sheet package lasagna noodles
    • spinach
    • vegan mozzarella cheese

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a pot, and add the onions and garlic. Sautee over medium heat until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes.
    2. Add the vinegar, herbs, tomatoes and sea salt and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes until the flavors have blended and the tomatoes are more softened. Remove from heat.
    3. Meanwhile, to make the ricotta, combine the tofu, cashew butter, miso, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, and sea salt in a food processor and process until blended.  Add the chopped spinach and pulse until distributed.  Set aside.
    4. Cook the noodles according to package directions, and drain well. Set aside (not stacked on top of each other, spread them out, as they may stick).
    5. Oil a 2 quart casserole dish.
    6. To assemble, spread about 2 Tbsp of the ricotta over each noodle, place a few spinach leaves on top, and roll up.  Place in the prepared pan.  Repeat with remaining noodles, ricotta and spinach.  Pour the pasta sauce over the rolls in the pan evenly, and sprinkle the vegan mozzarella over it.
    7. Place in the oven and bake until bubbling and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.
  • Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese

    Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese

         

    Who doesn’t love mac and cheese?!  Growing up, I pretty much lived off of things with cheese like grilled cheese, or mac and cheese.  Not that I was picky or anything, but I just loved them so much and would ask my parents if I could have them often.  I can still enjoy mac and cheese now as an adult, even if I am vegan, because making vegan mac and cheese that tastes delicious actually isn’t difficult at all!  I have perfected my own cheese sauce recipe that is to my liking, and it is even good on potatoes if you are not in the mood for pasta. Or even poured over steamed broccoli, like my Grandma used to do. Except she used Cheese Whiz.  But I thought it was the greatest thing ever when I was little. Which got me to thinking, why not just put broccoli in my mac and cheese?!  

    So I made some broccoli mac last week.  I had some lentil based fusilli pasta on hand, so it was perfect!  I know lentil pasta might sound a little weird, but it is actually quite delicious and tastes pretty much like regular pasta but much higher in protein so it is a complete meal.  For my cheese sauce, I use a mostly veggie base. I have seen other people use a combination of potatoes and carrots, and I have tried that one, but it isn’t my favorite. I use roasted sweet potatoes for the bulk of my base. 

    You can use orange or white fleshed variety, but I used the white. I just like their flavor slightly better in mac and cheese. I used a little Dastony raw cashew butter from Raw Guru along with it, just enough to make it creamy. I find that some mac and cheeses that use only cashews as their base can get a little too heavy and I don’t digest them well.  This sauce is creamy, rich tasting and sooo good!  I have even added some chipotle to it to make a nacho cheese sauce and that is delicious as well. 

    I just threw some broccoli into the pot about 2 minutes before the pasta was done cooking and it was tender and cooked just right!  This mac and cheese turned out bomb!  If you think you can’t have delicious mac and cheese as a vegan, give this one a try, I think it will change your mind! 

    Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese

    Serves 4

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups mashed cooked sweet potato* (the white fleshed variety)
    • 1 cup hot filtered water (or as needed)
    • 1/3 cup Dastony raw cashew butter
    • 1 medium garlic clove
    • 2 tsp stone ground mustard
    • 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
    • 1 Tbsp white miso (optional)
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
    • 16 oz organic lentil pasta
    • 1 large head organic broccoli, cut into florettes and stem peeled and cut into small pieces

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine the sweet potato, water, cashew butter, garlic, mustard, vinegar, yeast, and sea salt in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and the consistency of cheese (if it is too thick add a little more water).  Set aside.
    2. Cook pasta according to package directions, and when there is 3 minutes left, add the broccoli and cook until it is bright green and tender.  Drain, the pasta and the broccoli then place back in the pot, add the cheese and and stir to coat.
    3. Pour into a serving dish, and serve!

    *To cook the sweet potatoes, I like to roast them in the oven.  Take a large sweet potato, poke a few holes in it, and cut in half lengthwise.  Place cut side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment and bake for about an hour at 400F degrees or until tender.  Remove from oven and let cool before mashing.

  • Vegan Butternut Squash and Chickpea Chowder

    Vegan Butternut Squash and Chickpea Chowder

    We are full swing into soup season, and in the deli I work in it is just flying out of the pots because it is the most popular thing we have right now.  I mean, I don’t blame people, I go home and eat warming soup too this time of the year most nights.  You would think that I would get tired of making soup at work and not want to make it at home, but that actually isn’t the case.  I love warming soup!  I was going through our box of recipes the other day at work and I came across a soup that I used to enjoy but can’t eat anymore because it isn’t vegan.  Well, I might just have to go home and make it I thought to myself. It was a butternut squash parmesan chowder and I remember it being really delicious. 

    I have been there 13 years, but it was 7 years ago I went vegan so I haven’t had it since then.  I do remember how it tasted though, enough to recreate it!  I had some butternut squash and all of the ingredients at home already so it was the perfect thing to make!  Don’t you just love when you don’t have to shop to make a recipe you are craving?! The original one was loaded with heavy cream, cheese, butter and refined flour.  I wanted to make mine a bit healthier while veganizing it.  I think I succeeded pretty well.

    For the creamy base, I used a mixture of coconut milk, broth and a little cashew butter instead of the cream.  It was just as thick and creamy as the original and I didn’t need to even add anything to thicken it, it was pretty thick on its own. To give it a cheesy flavor, I added some nutritional yeast and miso and it tasted as if I had added parmesan which is exactly what I was going for. For the veggies, it had to have butternut squash of course, but I also added in potatoes since it was a chowder, and celery and garlic for flavor. I figured it didn’t need carrots since it already had the sweet squash. Lastly, I added in some chickpeas for protein. 

    It smelled amazing and I couldn’t wait to try it!  It was soooo good!  Rich and creamy with a cheesy flavor, aromatic thyme and tender sweet squash and potatoes!  I only wished I had some crusty bread to dip in it.  Because I love doing that with soup!  If you are in the mood for comfort food, give this a try!  It is pretty quick and easy to make!

    Vegan Butternut Squash and Chickpea Chowder

    Serves 2-4

    Ingredients:

    • 2 tsp avocado oil
    • 1 small yellow or white onion, diced
    • 1 stalk celery, sliced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
    • 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
    • 2 cups yukon gold potatoes, cubed
    • 1 15 oz can full fat or lite coconut milk
    • 1 1/2 cups veggie broth (or as needed)
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
    • 1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
    • 1/4 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
    • 2 tsp white miso dissolved in 1 Tbsp filtered water (optional)
    • 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
    1. Heat the oil in a medium soup pot with a lid, and add the onions celery, and garlic.  Sautee for a few minutes until starting to turn translucent, and add the thyme, potatoes, squash, coconut milk, water, salt and pepper.
    2. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and let cook about 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
    3. Add the cashew butter and nutritional yeast, and cook until they are well blended into the soup, then add the chickpeas and cook until heated through.
    4. If it is too thick, add a little more broth. Enjoy!
  • Vegan Broccoli Cheese Chowder

    Vegan Broccoli Cheese Chowder

    Growing up, I used to eat a lot of canned soup and I thought nothing of it. That is, until me and my Mom started to make our own soups at home when I was in high school from a soup cookbook we had bought and when I later started working in a deli that makes its own soup. I never went back to the canned. It just tasted tinny to me and just over all inferior to the home made stuff. I guess I am just sort of s soup snob, or have been for a while.

    I am even super picky if I order soup in a restaurant and it is sub par because I make so many soups at my work and they have to taste good. So, one time (before I was vegan) I decided to order a broccoli cheese soup at a restaurant that was supposed to be good and I was really disappointed. It was really bland, and too thin, and cooked to oblivion. There has to be a better way to make this at home I thought, and I ended up making a version that was really good that I later made at work and the customers loved it! I hadn’t really made a veganized version of it yet, that is until last weekend. I decided it was time I make some because it used to be so good and I was sure I could come up with an even better animal product free version.

    I wanted it to have plenty of veggies in it, not be just pureed broth with a cheesy flavor. So, I added in broccoli, carrots, onions, potatoes, and garlic. Really I guess it was more of a chowder, which is why I am calling it that. I made a silky creamy broth with coconut milk, cashew butter and nutritional yeast to give it a cheesy flavor and it was so good you would swear it has dairy in it.

    I think I like this version even better than the original, and it is much better for you instead of the loads of cheese in the other soup. Even my boyfriend Eric likes it and he is not vegan, so that counts for something! If you are looking for a soup that is pure comfort food but still filled with veggies, give this a try!

    Vegan Broccoli Cheese Chowder

    Serves 2-4

    Ingredients:

    • 2 tsp avocado oil
    • 1 small yellow or white onion, diced
    • 2 stalks celery, sliced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
    • 2 cups yukon gold potatoes, cut into cubes
    • 1 large head broccoli, flowrettes removed and stem peeled and diced (cut off the tough end)
    • 2 medium carrots, cut in half and sliced
    • 1 15 oz can lite coconut milk
    • 1 1/2 cups veggie broth (or as needed)
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
    • 1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
    • 1/4 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
    • 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp filtered water
    1. Heat the oil in a medium soup pot with a lid, and add the onions, celery and garlic.  Sautee for a few minutes until starting to turn translucent, and add the thyme, potatoes, broccoli, carrots, coconut milk, water, salt and pepper.
    2. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and let cook about 20 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
    3. Add the cashew butter, nutritional yeast, and cornstarch mixture and cook until they are well blended into the soup and it has thickened slightly.
    4. Enjoy!
  • Creamy Coconut Curried Split Pea Soup

    Creamy Coconut Curried Split Pea Soup

    We went from 40F degrees here at the beginning of the week to a cold snap of below zero temps in a matter of one day.  It is kind of a shock to the system, and sometimes I wonder how as a high schooler I spent every day in the Winter practically outside at nordic skiing practice.  Lots of layers I guess and moving around a lot.  But it feels so much colder now for some reason.  I shouldn’t complain though, we are having a warmer than average Winter over all and it is supposed to warm up again soon.  Either way, I have been making warming comfort food dishes to take the chill off after being outside.  One of which was a Creamy Coconut Curried Split Pea Soup!

    One of my coworkers in the deli I work at had recently made a split pea soup for the customers and I thought it sounded good.  I hadn’t made any in a really long time at home, and I had a bunch of split peas in the cupboard ( I bought way to many the last time I bought them) and I knew that use them up soon.  The reason I hadn’t made split pea in a while was because the last time I made it was kind of a disaster.  I am one of those people who tries to squeeze in too many things at once to multi task at because I want to get a lot done, and I had the split pea soup cooking on the stove while I did other things and I burned it on the bottom.  That is like the worst feeling in the world, when you have to throw a pot of soup away because it tastes burnt (I hate wasting things).  And, it happens quickly with split pea because it is thick.  So just so you all know, I have kitchen disasters too.  One time someone said to me she imagined me like I had a magic kitchen where everything goes perfect and I had spices dancing around and whatnot, but that is so far from the truth.  It is sometimes a disaster area and it is not usually neat until I am done cooking and clean up.  So never feel bad if you mess up once in a while when you are making things.  Anyways, back to my soup I made this week.

    I made it similar to a classic split pea, and included the carrots, onions and celery as well as hearty potatoes.  But for the flavor, I used mild curry powder to give it a nice warming spices quality. It was so good with the split peas!  I wanted to add a little richness too, since this recipe actually isn’t made with any oil, so I added in some full fat coconut milk at the end.  It made the texture smooth and silky.  This soup is so good!  Even though split peas take a while to cook, this really doesn’t require much hands on time or anything and is pretty simple to make.  So if you are a split pea soup fan or you just want some healthy warming comfort food because it is cold right now where you live too, give this a go!

    Creamy Coconut Curried Split Pea Soup
    Serves 2

    Ingredients:

    • 1 small onion, chopped
    • 2 stalks celery, sliced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 cup dried split peas
    • 3 cups filtered water
    • 1 Tbsp mild curry powder
    • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less depending on the spice level you want)
    • sea salt to taste
    • 2 medium organic carrots, sliced
    • 3 medium organic red potatoes, diced
    • 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a pot, combine all ingredients but the carrots and potatoes, and bring to a boil.
    2. Lower to a simmer, and cook until the split peas are softened, about 40 minutes, then add the carrots and potatoes and cook until they are tender and the split peas are falling apart.
    3. Stir in the coconut milk until well combined and serve!
  • Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff

    Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff

    Stroganoff is a dish that is big here in Minnesota.  People usually make it with venison or beef, and it is considered comfort food and who doesn’t need comfort food when it is 20F degrees below zero in the Winter?!  I grew up eating it and actually liked it, mostly because of the noodles and creamy sauce, not the meat and because I thought it was kind of fancy since we didn’t eat it often.  Back when I was vegetarian I used to make a meat free version of it once in a while that still had dairy that was good.  But up until now I hadn’t veganized it.  Surprising because it is kind of a classic!  Well, last week my Mom asked if I could veganize it and so I finally made some.

    It was a win all around because I feel like the vegan version is so much easier to make and less fussy than the original and even the vegetarian recipes were.  In place of the meat, I used plenty of meaty mushrooms.  I love mushrooms.  I know they are kind of a polarizing food that people either love or hate but I love their earthy  umami flavor and meaty texture.  They give this dish so much good flavor along with the garlic and onions I included in it.

    For the sauce, it had to be silky and rich, so I added some coconut milk to it as well as some Dastony brazil nut butter from Raw Guru.  I know that may sound like an odd combo, but the brazil nut butter is perfect for savory dishes just like cashew butter is, it is rich, creamy  and silky smooth.  I used a gluten free pasta made from chickpeas, so this had protein in it as well, and was a complete satisfying meal!  Yes it is rich, and something I would consider serving for a special occasion with maybe a light salad on the side.  Maybe for the Holidays!  It was super delicious though!  I enjoyed it way more than the meat version I ate as a kid.  This comes together in about 35 minutes, so it is also a good weeknight dinner option. It certainly made the snowy day we had the night I made it seem a little less chilly!

    Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
    Serves 2-4

    Ingredients:

    • 8 oz gluten free fusilli pasta
    • 2 tsp avocado oil, or olive oil
    • 1 small onion, diced
    • 4 cups sliced organic mushrooms (I used crimini, button and shiittake mushrooms)
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
    • 2 Tbsp white wine
    • 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk at room temperature
    • 3/4 cup Dastony brazil nut butter* or raw cashew butter
    • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
    • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
    • pinch of cayenne (optional)
    • 3 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley

    Instructions:

    1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, place back in the pan, cover and set aside on the stove.
    2. Meanwhile in a large ceramic pan, heat the oil, and add the onions and mushrooms.  Sautee until soft and tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and white wine and cook until the wine has evaporated.
    3. Whisk together the coconut milk, brazil nut butter, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, pepper, and cayenne in a bowl, then pour over the mushroom mixture and cook until heated.
    4. Pour the mushroom mixture over the pasta in the pot, and stir to combine.
    5. Add the parsley and mix until incorporated.
    6. Serve!

    *If you do not have brazil nut butter, you can use the same amount of raw cashew butter in the recipe.

  • Thai Red Curry Vegan Mac and Cheese

    Thai Red Curry Vegan Mac and Cheese

    When Eric and I were at Twin Cities Veg Fest last Sunday, the Herbivorous Butcher food truck had some Thai Red Curry Mac and Cheese that sounded good, but we didn’t get any because we had already spent our money.  It sounded good really though, good enough to inspire me to make my own at home.  I loved mac and cheese growing up, but after a while when I got older and started learning more about nutrition I realized that it really wasn’t that good for me.  So I didn’t eat any for a really long time.  That is until I became vegan.  I couldn’t justify to myself eating that much cheese and refined flour (from the noodles) and no vegetables for dinner.  I guess I tended to go more unhealthy in the form of dessert if I wanted to indulge back then. But when I became vegan I discovered making mac and cheese with healthy things that I wanted to put into my body that would make it feel good.  The mac and cheese that I make now is loaded with veggies in the sauce!  Now don’t let that deter you, you don’t really notice that it is there, it just tastes good.  In fact, I pretty much nailed the mac and cheese my Mom made out of a box when I was little.  Yes, I liked that box stuff.  My secret ingredient for the sauce?  Sweet potatoes! Or sometimes butternut squash too!

    I always have sweet potatoes on hand anyhow, so I thought one day, why not use them to make a cheese sauce?  I had seen other people make it with potatoes and carrots and I have tried that and it wasn’t my favorite but the sweet potatoes are perfect! I didn’t want a completely fat free sauce because I still wanted the rich mouthfeel of actual cheese for my mac and cheese, so I added in some raw cashew butter.  That combo was a winner!  Of course I add in other seasonings as well, some of which may sound odd like the vinegar, miso and nutritional yeast, but just trust me on this one, it is delicious!  I made this batch with plenty of Thai red curry paste, and a bit of cayenne for a little kick, plus some green onions and red bell pepper for color.  The sauce was super delicious, like cheese but it didn’t leave me feeling heavy or yucky after eating it.  Probably because I was getting a serving of veggies instead of just cheese like in non vegan mac and cheese.

    For the pasta I actually used a gluten free elbow pasta made from quinoa and brown rice.  It actually tastes just like traditional pasta too!  If you are looking for a healthier mac and cheese packed with flavor, give this one a try!  It is actually really quick and easy to make too so perfect for a weeknight when you are in need of some comfort food!

    Thai Red Curry Vegan Mac and Cheese 
    Serves 4

    Ingredients:

    • 2 1/2 cups mashed sweet potato*
    • 1 cup hot filtered water (or as needed)
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 2 medium garlic cloves
    • 1/4 cup Thai red curry paste
    • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
    • 1 Tbsp white miso (optional)
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
    • 16 oz organic gluten free elbow pasta
    • 1 red bell pepper, cut into small dice
    • 2 green onions, thinly sliced

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine the sweet potato, water, cashew butter, garlic, Thai red curry paste, cider vinegar, miso, yeast, cayenne, and sea salt in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and the consistency of cheese (if it is too thick add a little more water).  Set aside.
    2. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, then place back in the pot, add the cheese, red peppers and green onions, and stir to coat.  Pour into a serving dish, and serve!

    *To cook the sweet potatoes, I like to roast them in the oven.  Take a large sweet potato, poke a few holes in it, and cut in half lengthwise.  Place cut side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment and bake for about an hour at 400F degrees or until tender.  Remove from oven and let cool before mashing.

  • Vegan Garlic White Cheddar “Bacon” Mac and Cheese

    Vegan Garlic White Cheddar “Bacon” Mac and Cheese

    Two of the biggest excuses that people use for not going vegan, or eating plant based are…cheese, and bacon.  “But I could never go without my cheese!” that was me when I was vegetarian.  “But bacon is so good!” I hear everyone say when I tell them that I am vegan.  Well, guess what?  I would rather not be killing pigs just because it is good, or contributing to the torture of cows just because of cheese.  I didn’t even know how bad the dairy industry was back when I was vegetarian, but if I did, I would have gladly given up cheese.  Guess what?  You don’t have to go without cheese and bacon on a vegan diet, I soon learned after deciding to be vegan.  There is delicious vegan cheese out there, and I don’t even miss real dairy cheese.  And I have discovered coconut bacon.  It has all of the crunch, saltiness, smokiness and flavor of real bacon, and is the closest thing I have had to the real thing.  Trust me, growing up I loved bacon, because I didn’t put two and two together about where it came from.  But what I loved was the flavor and texture, so I can get all that from coconut bacon.  Not only that, it is pretty easy to make.  And, even though I am vegan I can enjoy delicious vegan bacon mac and cheese.

    Which is exactly what I decided to make last week, and I thought you might be craving something similar so I am sharing the recipe with you all. I had made a Vegan Garlic White Cheddar  recently, and decided to use half for mac and cheese.  The texture was creamy and rich, and I knew it would easily melt into a perfect cheese sauce. I had some organic pea pasta that I wanted to try out too and I was excited about.  I am loving all of these gluten free bean based pastas on the market now.  It is awesome that they have protein, so you don’t need to add extra to your pasta dishes.  Not only that, most of the ones I have tried taste just as good as traditional pasta if not better!  This one smelled a little like peas while it was cooking, but it didn’t end up tasting like peas at all.  It made the mac and cheese a lovely green color!

    This is super simple to make if you have the cheese and bacon already made.  I like to make a big batch of coconut bacon ahead of time, and keep it in a container in the refrigerator for topping salads and popcorn and whatnot.  As far as the cheese goes, I usually make a batch, then save half cut up in the freezer for when I need it for dishes like this.  All you have to do is whisk a bit of the hot pasta water into the cheese and you have a silky delicious sauce!  This turned out so good!  Once the crunchy coconut bacon and savory scallions were stirred in it was crave worthy!  Next time you are hard core craving comfort food, give this a try!

    Vegan Garlic White Cheddar “Bacon” Mac and Cheese

    serves 2-3

    Ingredients:

     

    Instructions:

    1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook for about 8 minutes or until the pasta is cooked to your liking.
    2. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the water.  Add the cheese and sea salt to the pot with 1/4 cup of the reserved water, and whisk until smooth, adding more water as needed until it is a sauce like consistency.  Add the pasta, 3/4 cup of the bacon and most of the scallions.  Stir to coat the pasta.
    3. Remove to a serving plate, sprinkle with the remaining coconut bacon and scallions, and serve!
  • Vegan Chipotle Mac and Cheese with Greens 

    Vegan Chipotle Mac and Cheese with Greens 

    I loved mac and cheese when I was little.  I could have had it for every meal of the day every day.  Well that and grilled cheese.  I guess I was just a cheese loving little girl.  It never dawned on me that it might not be healthy because I didn’t really care I just knew that it was good.  I would beg my parents to make it for me, and we always had it on hand.  My Mom at least tried to add veggies to it to make it healthier.  When I got older and was more aware of what I was eating and the nutritional value that it had, I didn’t really enjoy mac and cheese anymore.  To me it was just a pile of white carbs with cheese and cream which wasn’t really what I was going for.  Not that it isn’t fine to indulge once in a while because you should but I try to have at least something healthy in every meal.  So I gave it up for a long time.  That is until I went vegan and began experimenting with healthier options with veggies included.  Because there should be veggies in every savory dinner as far as I am concerned.  My Mom was telling me about this frozen Mac and Cheese that she bought and I said to her, “I bet I can make an even better vegan version”.  It was on.  Although I was pretty confident because I have made vegan mac and cheese quite a bit before. I am one of those people who likes to experiment with things and make them in different ways to find the best one so this was going to be a different version.  I have made the regular potato and carrot version of mac and cheese that many vegans seem to swear by but I actually prefer something like squash in the base.  My Mom however doesn’t like squash and I was making this mac and cheese for her and to suit her tastes so I went with yams.

    We both love yams, so this was going to be good. I decided to make it chipotle mac and cheese as well with a little kick.  My Mom loves to sprinkle a little chipotle powder on things the way most people use red pepper flakes so it was perfect.  This cheese sauce is actually really easy to make once your yams are cooked and it comes together fast in a blender.  It is so good you will want to eat it with a spoon, or maybe dip some chips in it…I might have done both of those things while making it.  It reminds me of the mac and cheese sauce I enjoyed as a child but better. The thing that makes it appear to be rich like cheese is the cashew butter that I add.  But it is surprisingly mostly yams.  Who would have thought they would make such a good cheese sauce.  Banza had sent me some pasta to try, so that was what I used this time.  I use gluten free pasta 99% of the time, but I only like the ones made with beans that actually have protein in them.  This one was made from chickpeas, which is awesome!  Don’t worry, there was no beany flavor, just tasted like regular pasta.

    Once it was all mixed together I added in some greens to give it even more nutrients. It was super delicious.  My Mom loved it as well, she said it was better than the mac and cheese she had bought and the flavors were perfectly balanced.  Also, that it tasted like dairy and you would not be able to tell it was vegan.  That makes me so happy!  If you are craving mac and cheese, but want it to be healthy as well, you must give this a try!  It may become a staple this Winter!

    Vegan Chipotle Mac and Cheese with Greens 
    Serves 4

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups mashed yam potato*
    • 3/4 cup hot filtered water (or as needed)
    • 1/3 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1 medium garlic clove
    • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
    • 16 oz gluten free pasta
    • 2-3 large handfuls of arugula or baby spinach

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine the sweet potato, water, cashew butter, garlic, cider vinegar, yeast, chipotle, and sea salt in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and the consistency of cheese (if it is too thick add a little more water).  Set aside.
    2. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, then place back in the pot, add the greens and cheese, and stir to coat.  Pour into a serving dish, and serve!

     

    *To cook the sweet potatoes, I like to roast them in the oven.  Take a large sweet potato, poke a few holes in it, and cut in half lengthwise.  Place cut side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment and bake for about an hour at 400F degrees or until tender.  Remove from oven and let cool before mashing.

  • Vegan Lentil Goulash

    Vegan Lentil Goulash

    Goulash is a classic comfort food that many American families had in their recipe box growing up. But my Mom did not cook that sort of thing.  She was never really a big fan of hamburger helper type things, and I can totally understand why as ground beef never usually appealed to me either growing up.  But I did however eat some really good goulash at the Church daycare I went to when I was in elementary school.  Those lunch ladies who made the goulash were amazing cooks, and although the goulash was nothing special to look at, it was super delicious.  It was flavorful, hearty and had plenty of veggies along with the beef.  If Grandmas across the country made goulash like that, I can see why people liked it, and I can see how it would be something easy and economical to make for a big family. I had not even thought about that goulash lately, I mean it has been over 14 years since I even ate beef, but I was recently discussing what was in goulash with a coworker.  Which made me think to myself, I should make a vegan version!

    I am a big fan of healthy comfort foods, and I figured I could swap out the beef for lentils instead.  Even if you are not a vegan, I think you could be a fan of the health benefits of this swap.  After all, lentils are packed with fiber, and lower your risk for heart disease where as beef increases your risk.  I try to have lentils at least 3 times a week for dinner.  I admit they used to intimidate me because they looked weird to me when I first became vegan, and I had been just eating beans up until then, but then I tried some amazing Indian food with them and I was hooked.  I started experimenting with them in recipes and came to love their flavor, texture and the fact that they cooked faster than beans. So back to that goulash…they were the perfect swap for the beef!  I made a flavorful tomato sauce with tomatoes from my Grandpa’s garden that I had roasted.  If you have fresh tomatoes from the garden I highly recommend doing this, they are so good that way.  I combined them with Italian herbs, bay leaf, and alliums, and let it simmer for a while to let the flavors get all happy and delicious together.

    I then added in some lentils I had cooked, along with some gluten free chickpea fusilli and it was as simple as that!  A big pot of comfort food!  It was super delicious, rich in flavor, no greasy meat, and loads of yummy tomatoes. I shared some with Eric and he approved as well. If you were a fan of goulash growing up and want to enjoy it without the beef, give this recipe a try!

    Vegan Lentil Goulash

    Serves 3

    Ingredients:

    • 2/3 cup French lentils
    • filtered water
    • 1 tsp olive oil
    • 1/4 cup diced red onion
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • 1 tsp dried basil
    • 1/2 tsp fennel seed
    • 1 tsp dried oregano
    • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
    • 1 Tbsp tamari
    • 3 cups crushed canned tomatoes or fresh roasted*
    • bay leaf
    • filtered water as needed
    • 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
    • sea salt
    • 4 oz gluten free fusilli pasta or macaroni pasta

     

    Instructions:

    1. To cook the lentils, place in a pot and cover with filtered water by 3 inches.  Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender.  Drain, and set aside.
    2. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan. Add onions, and sauté until tender.  Add the garlic, tomatoes, bay leaf, herbs, tamari, pepper, vinegar, and filtered water as needed.  Bring to a simmer, and allow to cook until the tomatoes are very soft and the flavor has melded, about 15-20 minutes. Add the lentils and allow to heat through, taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, and drain. Mix the pasta into the lentil mixture, and serve.

    *To roast the tomatoes, cut them into 2 inch wedges, and spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Place in a 400F degree oven and roast for about 30-45 minutes until tender and starting to brown at the edges. Remove from oven and you are ready to use them in this recipe.

  • Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese (GF)

    Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese (GF)

    I loved anything with cheese when I was little. Grilled cheese, mac and cheese, cheesecake.  I mean cheese was delicious.  I begged my Mom to make mac and cheese a lot, and what I liked was the boxed variety.  We always had some on hand, but what we didn’t usually have on hand was milk.  My Mom was not much of a milk drinker so we didn’t have any unless we specifically bought it for a recipe.  But one time I wanted mac and cheese and we had no milk.  So my Mom improvised and added apple juice and some mustard to the boxed mac and cheese.  It may sound really weird, but I ended up loving it so much that I always wanted her to make it that way.  It worked out because we usually had juice on hand. It had a delicious tangy cheesy flavor that I craved.  Whereas the normal recipe on the box was kind of blah.  So that is my random funny story about mac and cheese.  When I got older and started cooking more I made mac and cheese occasionally, but it usually had special stuff in it like veggies or something to give it some healthy qualities and some kind of fancy blend of cheese to make it taste delicious.

    When I went vegan of course, I had to change up the way I made it and get creative.  Cashew mac and cheese is pretty darn delicious, but I don’t always want my entire sauce made out of cashews because they can be pricey, so I have found I like to add other ingredients to make a creamy sauce and just some cashew butter so it still tastes rich but is more wallet friendly and not so heavy.  One of my favorite things to make cheese sauce out of is sweet potatoes.  The white fleshed variety that is a little less sweet and more savory work perfect for it.  They make a silky sauce once blended up with cashew butter and once you add in a few special ingredients to give it a cheesy flavor, it is amazing!  Not only that, then you are getting a serving of veggies without even realizing it.

    I use whatever pasta I have on hand normally, but since I found some actual elbow pasta that was gluten free I thought I would make a classic mac and cheese this time.  I kept is simple, no mix ins since I served a salad on the side instead.  This reminded me of the mac and cheese I had as a kid but of course the ingredients are real and I feel good after eating it, not sluggish.  So, the next time you are craving rich mac and cheese, give this a try!

    Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese (GF)
    Serves 4

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups mashed sweet potato* (the white fleshed variety)
    • 1 cup hot filtered water (or as needed)
    • 1/3 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1 medium garlic clove
    • 2 tsp stone ground mustard
    • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
    • 1 Tbsp white miso (optional)
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 3/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 16 oz organic gluten free elbow pasta

     

    Instructions:

    1. Combine the sweet potato, water, cashew butter, garlic, mustard, cider vinegar, yeast, cayenne, sea salt and turmeric in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and the consistency of cheese (if it is too thick add a little more water).  Set aside.
    2. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, then place back in the pot, add the cheese, and stir to coat.  Pour into a serving dish, and serve!

    *To cook the sweet potatoes, I like to roast them in the oven.  Take a large sweet potato, poke a few holes in it, and cut in half lengthwise.  Place cut side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment and bake for about an hour at 400F degrees or until tender.  Remove from oven and let cool before mashing.

  • Vegan Colcannon with Tempeh Bacon

    Vegan Colcannon with Tempeh Bacon

    My Mom e-mailed me a recipe the other day for colcannon with bacon, asking me if I could veganize it. I have actually never had it or made it before, but I thought why not give it a go!  It sounded good to me, and like the perfect comfort food for a chilly day.  Also, since St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, and it is an Irish dish, it was perfect!  If you have never heard of it before, it is a traditional Irish dish, made with mashed potatoes, cabbage, milk, and butter.  Sometimes it has leeks, and things like bacon added, which is where I went with it.  I can’t believe I have never made it before, because it is the type of thing I enjoy when I want comfort food, and there are lots of veggies added which is always a plus in my book!  My Mom says that I make the best mashed potatoes, just as good if not better than my Grandma’s and I know she is not just saying that because she is super picky.  So, I figured I would start this dish off with my classic mashed potato recipe.

    I have a secret ingredient that I put into them that makes them really good.  And that is coconut butter.  It may sound odd, but seriously, it melts into them and makes the most luscious mashed potatoes ever!  You don’t even need to add any milk or other non-dairy butter or anything because they are so tasty with just that and the cooking water.  They turn out super fluffy too if you put them through a ricer.  I could eat a whole bowl of these potatoes just as they are, but it is even better adding veggies to them!  So I sauteed some leeks and cabbage with some garlic and mixed those into the potatoes and soon found out how good colcannon was.  I didn’t stop there though, this dish had to have a little protein too since it was going to be a main dish.

    So, I had made some tempeh bacon both to stir into it and sprinkle on top.  I admit, the idea of tempeh bacon is so much more appealing to me then regular bacon because no animals were harmed in the process, and it isn’t all greasy.  Once that was stirred into the colcannon it was super delicious!  I was proud to share it with my Mom, because I knew she would love it too!  If you are looking for a comfort food dish to make for St. Patrick’s Day, give this a go!  It might not be the prettiest, but it is darn delicious!

    Vegan Colcannon with Tempeh Bacon
    Serves 2-3

    Ingredients:

    For the Potatoes:

    • 3 large russett potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
    • filtered water
    • sea salt
    • 1/2 cup reserved potato cooking water
    • 3 Tbsp coconut butter (not oil)

     

    For the tempeh:

    • 1 8 oz pkg tempeh, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
    • 1 Tbsp olive oil
    • 2 tsp maple syrup
    • 1 Tbsp tamari
    • 2 tsp liquid smoke
    • 1/8 tsp ground chipotle pepper

     

    Veggies:

    • 1 Tbsp olive oil
    • 2 medium leeks, sliced
    • 3 cups chopped cabbage
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • sea salt to taste

     

    Instructions:

    1. To cook the potatoes, place them in a pot of filtered water with about 1 tsp sea salt, and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes.  Drain, reserving about 3/4 cup of the water (you may not need all of it but just in case) and put potatoes through a ricer (or mash) into a large bowl.  Add the reserved water and coconut butter, and stir in until well combined (you may add more if you need to in order to make them fluffy and smooth).
    2. To make the tempeh, preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
    3. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the tempeh strips to it and carefully mix them around until they are coated. Place the tempeh strips on a parchment lined sheet pan, place in the oven and cook for about 20-30 minutes until starting to brown and crisp up. Remove from the oven, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
    4. Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in a sautee pan, and add the leeks.  Sautee until starting to get tender, about 4 minutes.  Then add the cabbage and garlic and cook until tender.
    5. Add the cabbage and leeks to the potatoes, add sea salt to taste, and mix well.  Fold in the tempeh, and enjoy!

     

     

     

  • Vegan Florentine Pizza

    Vegan Florentine Pizza

    Florentine Pizza 3

    Do you ever accidentally buy too much of something, and realize that you need to use it up fast before it starts to go bad?  Well, I have.  I sometimes buy things like large containers of greens thinking I will eat more than I end up eating in a week, or I just don’t use them up fast enough.  Well, I am not one to waste things.  So I find ways to use them. I had bought a big thing of spinach, and at the end of the week, I said to myself, this needs to be eaten.  Like now.  So, I came up with a delicious recipe to use that large amount of spinach, a vegan Florentine pizza!  Because pizza is always good, especially on a cold Winter day.  It was 8F degrees, I think that qualifies as cold.  I was excited about this pizza, I had some vegan mozzarella in my freezer that I had already made, and ingredients to make a ricotta cheese for the spinach portion, so it was perfect.

    Florentine Pizza 2

    I had this huge bag of sunflower seeds, and I decided to make a nut free ricotta cheese with some of them.  Because I know there are a few nut free peeps that read this blog, and I want them to be able to enjoy recipes too.  I blended up the sunflower seeds like I would cashews with my other typical cheese ingredients in the blender and it turned out yummy!  I knew it would be good mixed with the spinach and spread over the pizza.  I have made creamed spinach before, and this was sort of like that only with cheese instead of the cream.  I sautéed the spinach with little garlic and olive oil before I mixed it into the cheese, and the combination was delicious!  Once it was spread over the crust, sprinkled with mozzarella and ready to bake, I thought, this is going to be good!  What’s not to like about cheese, greens and pizza?!

    Florentine Pizza 1

    It turned out super tasty, and decided to be nice and save some for Eric, who was at work at the time.  I may have eaten whole large pizzas by myself when I was in high school, but now I practice a bit more restraint.  At least this one comes with healthy greens!  Who says vegans can’t have delicious pizza with gooey cheese?!  This is way better than the traditional chain takeout pizza I had as a teenager, and way healthier!

    Florentine Pizza

    Vegan Florentine Pizza

    Makes one 14 inch pizza

    Vegan mozzarella Cheese:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk
    • 2 Tbsp arrowroot starch
    • 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp filtered water
    • 3 Tbsp agar flakes or 1 Tbsp agar powder
    • 2 tsp lemon juice
    • 1 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt
    • 1 Tbsp virgin coconut oil
    • 1 tsp guar gum

     

    1. To make the mozzarella cheese, heat the coconut milk in a saucepan until it comes to a simmer.
    2. Meanwhile, dissolve the arrowroot starch in the water and set aside.
    3. Once the coconut milk has come to a simmer, add the agar flakes, and heat until they are dissolved (mine took about 8 minutes, if you are using the powder, it should dissolve within one minute).
    4. Next, add the lemon juice and sea salt to the coconut milk.
    5. Mix the coconut oil with the guar gum so that the guar gum does not clump up.
    6. Turn off the heat and add the arrowroot mixture, guar gum and coconut oil. Whisk for about 30 seconds, then pour into a silicone mold (I used a loaf pan, but if you had another shape you would like to use go ahead). Refrigerate for a few hours until firm, then pop out of the mold. You will need half the cheese for this recipe, reserve the other half for another use in the fridge, wrapped in an airtight container.  Shred the half you will be using into a bowl, and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

     

    Pizza Dough:

    • 1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
    • 1 Tbsp olive oil
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
    • 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp filtered water

     

    1. To make the pizza crust, combine the flour, xanthan gum and sea salt in a bowl, and whisk until well blended. Add the oil and water, and mix in until you have a soft dough.
    2. Turn out onto a sheet of parchment paper with a light dusting of flour, and roll out into a 14 inch circle.  Set aside.

     

    Sunflower Seed Ricotta:

    • 1 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked in filtered water 1 hour and drained*
    • 1/2 cup filtered water
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 2 tsp white miso (optional)
    • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

    To make the ricotta, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Set aside.

     

    Spinach:

    • 1 Tbsp olive oil
    • 8 cups of spinach
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • sea salt to taste

     

    1. To make the spinach, heat the olive oil in the bottom of a pot, add the spinach, garlic and salt and cook until the spinach is just wilted.
    2. Add the ricotta, and stir until blended.

     

    Pizza Assembly:

    1. Pre-heat the oven to 400F degrees.  Set a pan on the center rack with an upside down sheet pan, or a pizza stone set on it. Brush the crust with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and slide the parchment with the crust on it onto the stone.
    2. Bake crust for 10 minutes, then remove the crust from the oven (still on the parchment). Top the crust with the ricotta spinach mixture spreading around evenly. Then top with the cheese, making sure it is all evenly distributed.
    3. Place the pizza in the oven, turn up the temperature to 475F and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown (keep an eye on it after 15 as some ovens cook faster than others). Remove the pizza and parchment from the oven, slide pizza onto a cutting board or plate, slice and enjoy!

    *If you are not a sunflower seed fan, you may use raw soaked cashews instead.

  • Vegan Lentil Walnut Meat Loaf

    Vegan Lentil Walnut Meat Loaf

    I was never a huge meatloaf fan when I was younger.  Probably because I did not like the meat itself, and it was unappealing and greasy looking to me.  But vegan lentil loaves are another story.  Back when I was in high school I remember having a really good one from a local co op.  It looked like traditional meatloaf but it was vegetarian.  I made my own once as well for Thanksgiving when I wanted a main dish, it had wild rice and mushrooms in it as well as the lentils.  It was wonderful.  But I didn’t have a blog at that point to share it with everyone.  The only other time I made lentil loaf, it was a raw one, and it turned out awful. I did not like how it tasted at all and it ended up in the garbage.  That was supposed to be for Thanksgiving but I ended up just making a hearty salad for dinner.  Just goes to show not everything always turns out perfect that I make.  Anyways, that is my history with making lentil loaves.  I never really had a recipe that was something I would make often because it seemed like so much work.  But I just remedied that on my day off.

    vegan lentil walnut meatloaf 4

    I decided to make a lentil loaf, because a little while back, my Mom had enjoyed some she bought at the local co op and asked if I could make some. Took me a while to do so, but I finally did.  It ended up being way less time consuming than I thought.  Really not a lot of hands on time, just cooking time.  Lentils are a big staple in my diet, so cooking them is like second nature. I added in the usual meatloaf ingredients like onions, garlic, and tomato paste but I also added walnuts for more protein and texture.  Oats held these together but you could not tell they were in there once they were all finished.  I topped them off with a simple glaze, but not ketchup this was a less sugary tomato maple glaze.  They were baked in mini loaf pans so that they cooked faster and were easier to portion out.

    vegan lentil walnut meatloaf

    They smelled amazing and tasted even better.  My Mom loved them and said that they were even better than real meatloaf!  They are really pretty easy to make, even with a couple steps that they have, and they are perfect served with mashed potatoes and green beans!

    vegan lentil walnut meatloaf 1

    Vegan Lentil Walnut Meat Loaf

    Serves 4

    Loaf:

    2/3 cup uncooked French lentils
    filtered water
    1 tsp olive oil
    1 small onion, diced
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    2 Tbsp tamari or shoyu
    1/4 cup organic tomato paste
    1 Tbsp miso paste
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
    1 cup gluten free rolled oats

    Glaze:
    2 Tbsp organic tomato paste
    1 Tbsp maple syrup
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    1/4 cup filtered water or as needed

    To make the meatloaf, add the lentils to a pot, and cover them with enough water to have a few inches above the lentils.  Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 40 minutes until the lentils are tender.  Drain, and set aside.

    In a pan, heat the olive oil and onions, and cook until the onions are softened and tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and sautee a minute more until fragrant.  Add to a food processor, along with lentils, and all other loaf ingredients.  Pulse until everything is blended but not completely smooth.

    Preheat the oven to 375F degrees, and oil two mini loaf pans.  Spoon the loaf mixture into the pans, smoothing the top, and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

    Meanwhile, mix together the glaze ingredients, whisking in a little more water if it seems too thick. Once the meatloaf has cooked for 30 minutes, brush the glaze over it and return it to the oven for another 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before slicing and serving.