Vegan for a Day: Fall Favorites

I'm back with some recipes after a little hiatus. I've been cooking a lot, but mostly the same things. I was in a little bit of a rut. And also, I tend to be so hungry that I forget to take photos of the meals I cook.  In fact, I am borrowing photos from a few food websites for this post BUT the recipes are 100% mine/real!

It's officially fall, and you know what that means: boots and blazers (two of my favorite things), warm drinks (though not the soy pumpkin spice latte, which I just learned--after consuming TWO so far this season--is not vegan. Not even close. Time to try it at home!), and, of course, with cooler weather comes the desire for comfort food, which inevitably leads to delicious-smelling homes, like mine was last Tuesday.

Often, I load up on veggies, but they end up sitting in the fridge because I am lazy I don't know what to do with them. So it was with two pretty butternut squashes in my refrigerator. I tweeted a cry for help and got a fantastic recipe in return (that was non-vegan but easily adapted to vegan! Thanks, @PopFizzVintage!). Once I got in the cooking mood, I couldn't help but make my first batch of Maple Apple Walnut Bake (my own recipe, created in my first week as a vegan, and adapted from this recipe from Angela of OhSheGlows).

Vegan Curried Butternut Squash Bisque
(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens recipe)

image via instructables.com

 INGREDIENTS

2 pounds butternut squash

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 14-ounce can vegetable stock

1 13-1/2-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons red thai curry paste (an easy shortcut that adds lots of flavor!) 

1 heaping teaspoon curry powder  

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped cashews (for garnish)

1 cup quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat couscous (to serve)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. Arrange the squash halves, cut sides down, in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn squash halves cut sides up. Bake, covered, 20 to 25 minutes more or until squash is tender. Let cool slightly. Carefully scoop the pulp from squash halves into a medium bowl; discard shells. Mash squash slightly with a potato masher; set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, cook onion in hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and curry paste; cook and stir 1 minute more. Carefully stir in mashed squash (or use immersion/stick blender for easy blending, like I did!), veggie stock, coconut milk, water, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.

3. To serve, spoon hot grain and bisque into bowls. Sprinkle with cashews (and cilantro, if desired). Makes 5 or 6 servings. 

Rustic Maple Apple Walnut Bake

(Vegan and Gluten Free)

image via eccel.com

 INGREDIENTS

Fruit

4 large apples (Granny Smiths are best!)

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

1 T. lemon juice

1 T + 1 t. cornstarch

1 t. maple extract

Topping

1 c. chunky walnuts

1/2 c. rolled oats

1/4 c. sugar

1 T. maple syrup

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt

PREPARATION

1.  Preheat oven to 400%.  Grease baking pan/dish (approximately 1.4 L).

2. Roughly chop apples (you can peel if you want, but I don't! Hence, the "rustic" descriptor on the recipe). Add the sugar, cinnamon, lemon, cornstarch, salt, and maple extract. Mix well and set aside.

3. Process walnuts, if needed, until chunky.  Add topping ingredients to chunky walnuts and mix well (keep chunky!).

4. Mix 1/2 of the topping with apples and add to baking dish.

5.  Sprinkle remaining topping over fruit mix.

6. Cover with foil (poke a few holes) and bake for 40 minutes.

So there you have it!  Amazing smells and tastes, super easy, and best of all, vegan! I have a feeling I'll be making both of these things at least once a week--they're THAT good.


Let me know how you like them if you try (and I hope you do!). Also, if you're looking to vegan-ize any recipes of your own, that's my favorite thing to do.  Send me a challenge and I'll feature it in an upcoming Vegan for a Day post!


xo,
Amanda

Vegan for a Day: Crunchy Asian Sesame Noodle Salad

Hello friends! It's a sad, sad Monday here, even though it's beautiful outside. Q is at work, and I'm here working up a storm. There are no beach smells, no kiddos running around, no family laughing.  Just back to our regular routine.  Of course, sleeping (the whole way through the night) in our own beds was heavenly.

Q's family has a cool tradition at the beach: each family takes a turn cooking a meal one night of the week (we order in/do our own thing on the couple of other nights).  The girls and Q were totally on board with making a totally vegan meal--as long as it included the VegNews mac and cheese I posted a few weeks back.  But I also made a massaged kale salad and this delicious, easy Asian noodle salad.  My mom makes it all the time, but I just veganized her version.  With the cabbage, sesame seeds, and almonds, I could definitely eat this as a meal, but you might just make it as a side dish with some marinated tofu or even another salad.

 Crunchy Asian Sesame Noodle Salad

INGREDIENTS

SALAD
1 large package (1 lb.) cole slaw mix  (or 1 large head of cabbage, shredded)
8 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 packages Oriental Flavor* Ramen Noodles (only noodles--seasonings will be used for dressing!)

*Any of the noodles work, but the flavor packets are used for the dressing, and the oriental flavor happens to be vegan. My mom uses the chicken flavor in hers.  Also, beware of some of the organic ramen noodles if you're keeping it vegan--I checked their oriental version and it contained milk!

DRESSING 
3/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. toasted sesame oil 
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
4 tbsp. sugar 
2 Ramen noodles Oriental flavoring packets


PREPARATION
1. In large bowl, combine cabbage, onions, sesame and almonds. Break up noodles and set aside to be added later.
2. In a blender or jar, combine oil, vinegar, sugar, and seasoning packets from noodles. Blend/shake well and refrigerate 1 hour (if possible...but if you must use immediately, like I did, it's still delicious!)
3. To serve, our dressing over salad mixture and toss well.  Add crunched up noodles on top, and mix again gently, just so they get a little coated with some dressing, but not soggy.

So there it is: your easy, yummy Meatless Monday meal!  Or do you have something else planned?  Share/link in the comments!

Bon Appetit,
Amanda

Vegan (and Gluten Free!) for a Day: Fried Eggplant

Hey guys--Jayme here!  Amanda is at the beach this week so I thought I'd take over her Meatless Monday post and share my own recipe.  I do not follow a vegan diet (or even a vegetarian diet) but I do have my own dietary restrictions.  I have been eating gluten free for almost 2 years now (I wrote a little about it HERE).  So I'm sure you can imagine, when Amanda and I get together it becomes a bit of challenge to find foods that work for both of us.  Recently I made this recipe for fried eggplant (you can also use zucchini--which I actually prefer!  But I just happened to get out the camera when I made the eggplant version...).  It calls for egg, but just as a way to make the breading stick--so go ahead and use vegan egg replacement (suggestions below) and the final product will taste just the same!

Gluten Free Fried Eggplant

Ingredients:
1 medium sized eggplant  (zucchini also works well!)
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 corn meal
1 tsp. garlic powder
*1 egg, beaten (this is for egg wash before dipping eggplant flour/corn meal coating.  For VEGAN version-- replace egg coating by a simply dipping eggplant in soy milk or blended silken tofu)
4 tbsp. margarine
salt (to taste)
*parmesan (for VEGAN version sub with nutritional yeast)

1. Combine rice flour, corn meal and garlic powder in shallow dish.
2.  Put egg or egg replacement in separate small bowl.
3.  Slice eggplant or zucchini into 1/4 inch slices.
4.  Heat margarine in large, deep pan and keep at medium-high heat.
5.  Dip eggplant slices in egg/egg replacement wash, coat in flour mixture then drop into hot margarine.  Cover entire bottom of pan with your eggplant slices.
6.  Fry for 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned, then flip over and brown other side.
7.  Remove slices from pan as they are ready and lay on napkin (to absorb extra margarine).  While still hot, sprinkle with salt and parmesan/nutritional yeast to taste.

I served my eggplant slices alongside a fresh organic heirloom tomato (woohoo...fancy schmancy).  If I didn't have fresh tomato on hand I would serve with a side of marinara sauce for dipping!

I love this recipe!  It is fried food but the batter is super light and you can still taste the veggies through it.
Bon appetit!

Jayme

Vegan for a Day: Quick and Easy (and Vegan!)

If you've read our blogs and tweets this weekend, you probably know I was visiting Jayme in Pennsylvania so I didn't have much time to plan, cook and take photos of a meal yesterday!  But it's still Monday, and it's still meatless.  I thought I'd share with you four quick, easy, and delicious meals that are easily vegan and are perfect for big family dinners.  These are also four of my favorites when I'm feeling less than creative around dinnertime!

1. Spaghetti with Marinara with a Summer Salad

This is an easy and adaptable meal!  Use canned marinara or make your own.  Pile the fruits and veggies (and nuts or seeds!) into the salad bowl with your favorite greens and top with a vegan (usually vinegar-based) dressing.

2.  Black Bean and Rice Burritos with Guacamole

 

It doesn't get much yummier than a burrito bar!  You can use canned black beans (though they'll be pretty bland) or make your own mix with onions and seasoning.  Add rice (season it with lime, cilantro and salt!), salsa, lettuce, tomato, and of course, a healthy dollop of guac. Be sure to check your tortilla label to make sure it's vegan--most of them are, but you never know.  I recomend the Habanero Lime tortillas from Trader Joe's for an extra little kick.  Blue corn chips make a crunchy, easy side for dipping!

3. Pita Bread with Hummus and Mixed Olives

If you're looking for a light, delicious meal, take some inspiration from the Mediterranean.  Make (or buy) your favorite hummus and pita bread for dipping (again, be sure to check the ingredients--no milk or eggs, vegans for a day!).  A bowl of mixed olives is perfect--dip them in hummus, put them on top of the bread, or simply pop them in your mouth (just make sure you don't swallow a pit!)

4.  Veggie Burgers and Oven Fries

 Veggie burgers can be easy to make, but there are definitely some yummy pre-packaged ones out there (I'm a fan of Amy's Texas Burgers myself).  Of course, some of them can contain eggs, so be sure to read the label!  Pile a bun with a burger and your favorite vegan fixings--BBQ sauce, avocado, lettuce, sprouts and tomato are some of my faves.  Bake a quick batch of oven fries on the side.  SO easy and yummy!

 Images/Recipes:  one. two. three. four. five. six. seven. eight.

What's for dinner tonight? I still don't know since I have to hit up the grocery store in a bit, but these options are certainly tempting...

Bon Appetit,
Amanda

Vegan for a Day: Artichoke Stuffed Portobellos

Happy Meatless Monday (again)!  I am pretty psyched to be sharing this recipe with you because I'm still thinking about it today--even though we had it last night for dinner. It was that good.

I'm also excited because this recipe came totally from my creative, food-loving brain rather than a simple modification of a recipe I already had.  All of my cooking has really paid off.

***This recipe is a bit more adventurous for non-vegans because it includes tofu cream cheese, vegenaise and nutritional yeast (aka nooch) and vegan parmesan cheese.  While I challenge you to find and use these items, if you simply want to make your Monday meat-less (not vegan), you could use regular cream cheese, mayonnaise, and regular parmesan cheese to replace the nooch/vegan parm.  But I seriously don't think it will be as good.***

Artichoke Stuffed Portobellos
serves 2

INGREDIENTS
 2 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed 
4 artichoke hearts, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup red pepper (about half a medium sized pepper), finely chopped
1/2 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
1 heaping Tablespoon nutritional yeast
6 Tablespoons whole wheat breadcrumbs
4 oz. Tofutti Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoons vegenaise (vegan mayo)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350. Remove stems from portobellos and scrub outside of mushroom gently with a damp washcloth to remove any dirt. Place mushrooms on nonstick baking sheet and set aside.
2.  Heat olive oil in large pan.  Add garlic, onion, artichoke, and red pepper.  Saute until tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

3.  Combine cream cheese, vegenaise, nutritional yeast, and seasonings in a bowl.  Mix well.
4.  Add cooked veggies and breadcrumbs to the cream cheese mixture and stir until well blended.
5.  Stuff each portobello with the filling. Press down gently after first scoop to fill inside of mushroom. Don't be afraid to heap on top!


6.  Sprinkle tops with vegan parmesan cheese.
7. Place into oven and bake for 15-17 minutes, until tops/parmesan are slightly brown.

 

They were absolutely amazing! So many rich flavors that went well together.  You won't miss the meat at all...trust me.  Q grilled up some zucchini w/ just olive oil, salt and pepper on the side, and we were both extremely full at the end of the meal.

Aurora didn't have a portobello, but instead, indulged in some of her favorite foods: cheese,  hummus (on a tortilla) and peaches.  She tried the zucchini, but wasn't a fan...but she still went meatless!

 

You could also make this filling and fill up a bunch of button mushrooms as an appetizer for a summer party/BBQ (I'm hoping to throw one in the near future and plan on doing this!).

Try it, and I promise you won't regret it!

Bon Appetit,
Amanda

Vegan for a Day: Sweet and Salty Noodles with Baby Bok Choy

I know it's a holiday, but it's still Meatless Monday, y'all!  We had family over for a picnic and baby pool party yesterday, and while I did some cooking, I didn't do very good photography.  So I'm featuring tonight's dinner instead.  This has been one of my go-to recipes on late nights when I don't feel like working too hard to prepare a meal, but I want to eat something delicious (Wait a second...that's every night!).  The best part about this meal is that you can add/subtract whatever veggies you like, so it's great for cleaning out the fridge!

Speaking of cleaning out the fridge, I got this bok choy last week, and the outer leaves were all yucky, so in the photos, it looks like there's not a lot of cabbage (because I had to toss a lot, but your recipe should have more greens.  Q said he thinks it would have been yummy with some yellow peppers too.  I love the sauce best of all because sweet + salty is the perfect combination for the tastebuds.

*I also made this recipe gluten free by using rice noodles and tamari (instead of soy sauce).  But you can also use whatever noodles you have on hand (we had it with whole wheat angel hair, and it was great. We tried it with brown rice noodles and it was gross) and of course, soy sauce if you don't have a gluten allergy.

Sweet and Salty Noodles with Baby Bok Choy

Serves 2...double for a family of 4

INGREDIENTS
8 oz. rice noodles
4 heaping Tablespoons Earth Balance (or margarine)
5 cloves garlic (or 2 teaspoons crushed garlic from a jar)
2 scallions, finely chopped
4 Tablespoons Tamari (or soy sauce)
2 Tablespoons agave syrup + 1 Tablespoon black strap molasses (or 2-3 Tablespoons brown sugar)
4-5 heads baby bok choy leaves (trim off stems)
scallions to garnish

PREPARATION
1.  Boil water and cook noodles as directed on package. Drain well.
2. While noodles are cooking, melt margarine in pan.
3. Once margarine is melted, sautee garlic, scallions for 3-4 minutes.

4. Add bok choy (as well as any other veggies!) and cook for 2-3 more minutes, until bok choy is wilted and veggies are tender.
5.  Add sweetener and soy sauce and mix well, cooking for another minute.

6. Increase heat slightly, add noodles, and toss to coat.

7. Garnish with additional scallions if desired. (I would have, but I finished up my scallions in the sauce! Sadface.)

in my new (thrifted) pasta dish

 

 

up close and personal with this sweet and salty goodness

 

 

Aurora has a big appetite and we have yet to find a food she doesn't like.  She had a lot of yummy food this weekend, including her first real peach (which she devoured).  She loves noodles (which she calls doodles), and so she also gives this recipe the toddler seal of approval!

We wish everybody a happy 4th of July, and hope it was relaxing, delicious, and maybe even meatless!

Bon Appetit,
Amanda

Vegan for a Day: Black Bean, Corn, Tomato, and Onion Salad over Quinoa with Avocado Vinaigrette

Jayme, Andrew and Lyla came for a Virginia visit this weekend, and it was fantastic.

at the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning

 But it was also a little challenging:  I had to figure out how to cook for a vegan (me), gluten-free gal (J), and veggie-hating brother-in-law (to be fair, he did eat some veggies). Food plays an important role in entertaining, and I wanted everyone--self included--to feel happy and satisfied.

snacky snack snack snack

We had a ton of healthy, yummy snacks on Friday (chips, hummus, guacamole, crackers, etc.) before dinner, some pad thai and chicken skewers on Saturday, a Sunday brunch that included tofu scramble, GF pancakes, turkey bacon and fresh fruit, and this delicious salad, along with leftovers for lunch. 

This salad is a meal, for sure: you've got your veggies, your bean, your grains, your healthy fats. It's all in there. And it's easy!  A little prep work for the veggies and dressing, but can be ready in about 15 minutes (or less, if you have some help!).

Black Bean, Corn, Tomato and Onion Salad over Quinoa
w/ Avocado Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

Salad
2 cans (15.5 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
4 ears corn, boiled and cut off cob (you could also use 1-2 cans of corn or a package of frozen, in a pinch, but obviously, fresh tastes best!)
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped

Quinoa
1 cup quinoa (choose your favorite variety)
2 cups water

Vinaigrette
1 medium avocado
3 Tablespoons lime juice (about 1 fresh lime)
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon agave syrup (or sugar)
2/3 cup vegetable stock
1 green onion, minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt

PREPARATION

1.  If boiling corn, prepare the pot with water (no salt).  Add quinoa and water to sacuepan and cook as directed.
2.  Once corn is ready and slightly cool, cut off cob and put in serving bowl.  Add all other vegetable ingredients as well to make salad.
3.  Let quinoa cool while you make the vinaigrette.
4.  Add all ingredients to a small blender or food processor (I used my immersion/stick blender with its shake cup, and it worked perefctly!).  Blend until smooth, but not thick.  It should look like a runny guacamole.  If too thick, add a little more vinegar.
5. Add cooled quinoa to salad and mix.
6. Pour dressing over salad and mix (you may only use 2/3 of the dressing...it's up to you how saucy you want the salad mixture!).

 The colors in the salad are so gorgeous...of course, as the avocado oxidizes, it will get a little more brown, so this is best served within a day or two.  You can eat it warm if you prefer, by adding the quinoa immediately, but we found it tasted best cold.  Refreshing, healthy, delicious!

Have you made any Meatless Monday recipes lately, from this blog or somewhere else? I'd love to hear about them!

Bon Apetit,
Amanda

Vegan for a Day: Pad Thai Pizza

There is a word that makes people really afraid.  That word is:  tofu.  Even before going vegan, I was a little afraid of tofu.  But that's because I'd never had it cooked well! It was always mushy and had a weird texture. Tofu done the right way (it should be firm!) can be an awesome substitute for meat--in fact, Aurora prefers it to any meat she's tried!  

This week's Meatless Monday recipe combines two of my absolute favorite foods:  Pad Thai and Pizza. How could it not be awesome?  It just so happens to contain tofu as a topping.  Are you intrigued?

Q encouraged me to make a vegan dinner for him for Father's Day, and this one got rave reviews.  As a bonus, this is my favorite, self-made Pad Thai peanut sauce recipe and can be easily mixed in with some rice noodles, sprouts, carrots, and scallions (or whatever other veggies you love) for a quick veg pad thai! It's like two recipes in one.

Vegan Pad Thai Pizza

INGREDIENTS

Sauce
 2 tablespoons organic creamy peanut butter
 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari to make it gluten free)
 2 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
 2 teaspoons minced garlic (or 2-3 cloves fresh garlic)
 1 teaspoon agave syrup
 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Crust
Your store bought favorite!  I used Trader Joe's whole wheat crust.  Bob's Red Mill makes a great Gluten Free mix.

Toppings   
5-7 oz. baked tofu, cut into small chunks (I used Trader Joe's Teriyaki version for added flavor.)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup bean sprouts (or pea shoots, which we substituted since our TJ's awas out of bean sprouts!)
1/4 cup chopped salted peanuts
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small red pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional...we don't like cilantro all that much and I didn't have any on hand, so we didn't use it on last night's pizza)

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to prepare pizza crust as necessary (you may need to pre-bake the crust before adding toppings, depending on what you're using. Read the directions first!). While waiting, chop up tofu and veggies.


2.  Mix together sauce ingredients in a small bowl.  Note:  the sauce may seem like a small amount, but unlike tomato pizza sauce, peanut sauce is very rich, so a little goes a long way. 


3. Once pizza crust is ready, cover with half the peanut sauce.

4. Toss tofu chunks with remaining peanut sauce and spread out on crust.

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crust is lightly brown (or according to directions).  A pizza stone will make for the best crust, but a regular pizza pan will do.

6.  Once pizza is cooked, pile veggies on top, sprinkling with peanuts and scallions last.

 Voila! The pizza is so loaded that Q and I each only ate one piece.  That also means we get to have leftovers tonight--SCORE.

 

But that's not all...I also made my favorite kale recipe as a side dish (even though the Pad Thai pizza ended up being SO filling). Kale is a food staple in the vegan world, both raw and cooked.  This is my favorite quick recipe for kale--we eat it at least once a week.  It's a delicious way to get those greens in! Q loves it too.

Q & A's Easy Sauteed Kale

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic (or 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped)  
1 large bag kale (6-8 cups...it really cooks down)
2-3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)
2 (heaping) tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional, but makes it extra yummy.)

PREPARATION

1.  Add coconut oil to frying pan on medium heat.  When it starts to bubble a bit, add garlic and brown lightly, 1-2 minutes.

2.  Add kale to pan, one large bunch at a time.  To help it cook down (and create a sauce), I add 1-2 tablespoons water to the first batch to heat things up.

3. Continue adding kale to pan, tossing well with garlic/oil mixture.  The kale will turn a beautiful dark green and wilt.
4. Once kale is almost completely wilted, add soy sauce to pan and toss to coat the kale.
5. Add nutritional yeast and mix well.  (It adds a slightly nutty, cheesy flavor, and it's so good for you!) 

  
This was a yummy, easy, vegan Father's Day meal--I hope you'll try it and let me know what you think, if you think of any other yummy pizza toppings!  And if you have a favorite kale recipe, send it my way too!

Bon Apetit,
Amanda