Gettin' Creative in the Kitchen

Easy Vegan No-Bake Brownie Bites

Posted on March. 2023March. 2023 by writinstuff

Yesterday was my birthday and I swear I’m not telling you this just so you’ll say ‘Happy Birthday’ to me, but you totally can if you want to.

When it comes to birthdays I am usually the person who will show up at your door with a homemade dessert and an off-key rendition of Happy Birthday and if you’re really lucky, an off-key version of the Stevie Wonder song. Either way, that’s me.

Except for my own birthday. But this year I was feeling good about myself and making excellent progress on reaching my weight loss goals while also not obsessing about not making my weight loss goals, so I decided I wanted my favorite dessert ever. Brownies.

But of course I couldn’t quite bring myself to make like actual brownies because, well because that’s just not who I am anymore. But I found quite a few different variations on vegan brownie recipes, no bake brownie recipes and I did a little online curating and came up with something a little different.

These no bake vegan brownie bites are super easy, only requires a few ingredients and they don’t require you to pre-heat an oven or bust out a toothpick to check for doneness.

Sounds good, right? You’re totally intrigued to keep reading for my easy no-bake vegan brownie bites.

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Asian Food, Bowls, Grains, International vegan cuisine, oil free vegan recipes, Plant Based, Vegan

Spicy Tofu Stir Fry Recipes

Posted on March. 2023March. 2023 by writinstuff

Stir Fry is one of my favorite lazy vegan meals because you can make it with pretty much anything left over in the fridge before grocery day, and it doesn’t require a lot of extra planning. If you have half a carrot that you want to use before it goes bad, grab some bell peppers and onions and you’re halfway to a good vegan stir fry.

And when it comes to protein? The vegan world is your oyster, or your oyster mushroom (see what I did there?).

Vegan Stir Fry Protein Options:

*Nuts
*Tofu
*Vegan meat alternatives
*Beans
*Seeds

Pick your favorite or leave it out together and opt for a tahini or peanut butter based sauce if you prefer. Add a grain and you’ve got a delicious vegan stir fry recipe you can call on at anytime.

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Asian Food, International vegan cuisine, Noodles, oil free vegan recipes, Soup, Vegan

Cauliflower & Hokkaido Squash Ramen Stew

Posted on March. 2023March. 2023 by writinstuff

Happy Friday & DOUBLE Happy St. Patrick’s Day, folks!

Today’s post isn’t so much a recipe just me sharing a delicious recipe I made recently and I wanted to share. This was one of those off the cuff recipes that could have gone either way and though it might not look great, it was hearty and delicious and oh so satisfying.

I love to experiment with soups and this one turned out better than I expected which means we can ALL expect a repeat recipe sometime soon.

If you’re curious about how to make this soup, think of it like this: hokkaido squash soup with Ramen noodles and oven roasted curry cauliflower.

This week has been crazy hectic for me and I hope my weekend includes writing and relaxing, and of course a delicious celebratory St. Patrick’s day vegan feast!

Bowls, Grains, oil free vegan recipes, Plant Based, Vegan

Quick & Tasty Eggplant Buddha Bowl Recipe

Posted on March. 2023March. 2023 by writinstuff

Today we have another Buddha bowl recipe and it will be quick because this author is incredibly busy this week. I’m making SUCH good progress on Green St. Girls book 2 so I’ll keep this week.

It’s no secret how much I love a Buddha bowl and today’s is no different except, well one of the main ingredients is roasted eggplant, and if you’ve been here a while then you know I’ve slowly but surely developed a fondness for some eggplant dishes.

So let’s keep this short and sweet.

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International vegan cuisine, oil free vegan recipes, Plant Based, Vegan, Vegan Food Products

Creamy Greek Style Vegan Polenta & Greens

Posted on March. 2023March. 2023 by writinstuff

Have I ever told you how much I enjoy polenta? I’ll let you in on a little secret, as much as I love it, my husband has a fanatical love of polenta.

Well, in Romania it’s called Mămăligă and it’s a little stiffer than polenta but they are basically the same. His favorite is mămăligă cu branza which translates to polenta with cheese, and I have to admit that it is super delicious. And I happened upon some vegan Greek white which is an excellent version of vegan feta cheese, and a perfect ingredient to mix into your favorite version of polenta.

I’ve talked a lot here and here about what makes a really good and creamy polenta, so check it out for tips on getting the best polenta you can.

I paired this polenta with a Beyond “steak” patty and kohlrabi greens with garlic and grilled onions because, well because it is wicked delicious.

What’s your favorite thing to pair with polenta?

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Bar Food, Beans, Bowls, International vegan cuisine, Mexican Dishes, Plant Based, Vegan

Jackfruit Recipes! ~ Jackfruit & Black Bean Nacho Bowl

Posted on March. 2023March. 2023 by writinstuff

If you’ve been a vegan for at least the past 5 minutes then you know what jackfruit is. Maybe you’ve had it before or maybe you’re looking to try it. I don’t know.

I had jackfruit for the first time when I lived in Germany. The hubs and I went out for our first anniversary meal as vegans to a really nice restaurant called Grüner Michel and they served this amazing Brazilian spiced jackfruit and I fell in love with it on the spot. And then, of course, we left Germany.

Recently I was at my local Lidl and found a can of jackfruit and I thought to myself, it’s been a long time since that disastrous attempt in which I bought the wrong, sweet version so it was time to try it again.

Right?

I decided to start simple with a nacho bowl. It turned out delicious and flavorful, and I’m thinking I’ll try it again as some kind of shredded barbecue sandwiches.

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Breads, Cheese, International vegan cuisine, Plant Based, Vegan

Vegan Cheese (& other goodies) Tray ~ Vegan Charcuterie Board

Posted on March. 2023March. 2023 by writinstuff

Let’s just start this post by me letting you know that yes, I know that charcuterie is a type of butchery and also yes, I am fully well aware that’s not technically the case with todays’ vegan food showcase. I concede all that if you promise not to take everything so literal.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about what we’ve got going on here today.

My hubs came across this vegan food brand, Rawckers, and because it was mostly vegan cheese products, he was, of course, intrigued. You see, he loves cheese. Unlike me who kind of lost my taste for it after going vegan, The Hubs is still going strong with his cheese love, so give him an option for cashew cheese and he’s all aboard the cheese train.

And best of all? He even had a plan for it. A plan that only required a little input on my part, which in Wife Land we call the best plan of all!

So he made a vegan charcuterie board which we enjoyed a few weeks back while watching UFC. Is that weird? Everyone thinks it’s strange that we were eating vegan food while watching professional combat athletes battle it out in the octagon.

Personally? I felt both fancy and savage, thank you very much.

Since there’s no cooking required there’s no actual recipe, but we’ll talk about…something.

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Asian Food, International vegan cuisine, oil free vegan recipes, Plant Based, Salads, Vegan

Easy Vegan Quick Pickled Wood Ear Mushrooms

Posted on February. 2023February. 2023 by writinstuff

Today’s recipe is one that I have grown totally obsessed with over the past two years and now whenever I find wood ear mushrooms, I have to get at least one package.

Have you ever had these or even heard of them? They are delicious and earthy with this beautiful deep brown color that makes them seem like they’re from another planet. I have had them at an Asian restaurant here or there but most of what I learned about how to prepare these came from good ol’ YouTube University.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy vegan salad, look no further than this pickled wood ear mushroom salad. It’s super refreshing and incredibly flavorful, and best of all? It goes on the side of pretty much anything and especially Asian style dishes.

The good thing about todays’ quick pickled vegan salad is that it is pretty dang easy and only requires a wee bit of patience. And other than the mushrooms, shouldn’t require you to venture outside of pantry and fridge staples.

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Grains, Plant Based, Vegan

Whole Food Vegan Recipes ~ Vegan Buddha Bowl

Posted on February. 2023February. 2023 by writinstuff

Sometimes you just want to eat something healthy but also delicious. Right?

Okay, maybe you don’t but sometimes I just want to get back to my early days of being a whole food, plant based vegan and make something that’s easy and healthy and calorie friendly. When that times rolls around, I grab my favorite veggies and whatever grain makes me smile that day and BAM, I’ve got a meal.

What is it that you do?

Today’s meal is simple and delicious. Why? The short answer is that I’m busy right now and popping a bunch of vegetables in the oven while I make 10-minute bulgur on the oven is just an efficient way to get out of making dinner without going an unhealthy route.

The longer answer is that I’m re-editing my back log of books starting with Mustang Prairie and between that, managing my clients and working on my current work in progress I don’t time to be all up in the kitchen whipping up delicious insta-worthy meals.

BUT, having said all that I did see a gorgeous bunch of carrots with the frunze (leaves in Romanian) on them and I knew exactly what I wanted. Roasted veggies.