writinstuff

Childhood Classics Revisited ~ Vegan Fish Stick Sandwich

Posted on February. 2023February. 2023 by writinstuff

Okay so today’s recipe isn’t so much of a recipe as it is just sharing a childhood favorite among friends.

Things have been so busy lately with my clients keeping me busy and trying to edit my back catalog (shameless promo here if you love romance books and small town romance in general: ), that I haven’t been doing a lot of cooking. Okay, that’s not true either. I have been cooking but mostly things I’ve made thousands of times before.

Vegan salads and Noodles. The end.

But we decided to try out a new vegan food product, more fish sticks. Why do I keep trying these recipes when they inevitably disappoint me? The honest answer is that my husband is responsible for this latent sense of hope that I feel, always with my fingers crossed that I’ll find some I like.

But the truth is that I’m not a fish sticks (fish fingers for my UK friends and readers) fan. Back in my childhood days I would suffer through it because it was that or nothing but I’m just not a fan and these new vegan fish sticks? They taste just like I remember.

So instead of wasting them by tossing them out, I did what I used to do back in the day, turned it into a sandwich! It was my own homemade kiddie version of a filet-o-fish and this time, it was veganized.

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Bar Food, International vegan cuisine, Plant Based, Sauces & Creams, Vegan

Oyster Mushroom Barbacoa Recipe

Posted on February. 2023February. 2023 by writinstuff

Hi, my name is Natasha and I am a vegan foodie.

This is where you say, “Hi, Natasha!”

As such, this means that I spend time on YouTube, online and pretty much any other venue scrounging around for other other vegan bloggers who have come up with delicious creations for me to sample. Today’s recipe is no different and it’s from one of my favorites, Yeung Man Cooking.

That’s right folks, this sort of simplistic vegan blogger with a specialty in Asian cuisine is one of my favorites because he has a magical ability to take one Asian recipe and turning into 47 different recipes, which is great for me because I just can’t get enough.

Today’s vegan recipe is mushroom barbacoa. Mushroom Barbacoa, y’all!

Will used King Oystery mushrooms but not only are those suckers expensive but they aren’t widely available at all the grocery stores here in Romania. However my favorites, oyster mushrooms, can be found anywhere barring any food shortages so I did what every good vegan has to do once in a while (or more frequently), I improvised.

So let’s get to it!

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International vegan cuisine, Plant Based, Soup, Travel, Vegan, Vegan Food Products

Vegan Soup Recipes ~ Ciorba de Burta vegana (Vegan Romanian Soup recipes)

Posted on February. 2023February. 2023 by writinstuff

So there’s this Romanian soup and it’s called Ciorba de Burta, and my husband used to love it. When we lived in Los Angeles there was one Romanian restaurant and they served it every single day. I used to (and still do) call it brain soup, but it’s not made of brains.

…Or so he says.

Anyway I won’t bore you with the details of Ciorba de Burta, only to say that recently we went to Bucharest and decided to enjoy a vegan lunch before we headed back home.

We’ve been to this place, Vyro, before and it is fantastic. It is a completely vegan restaurant and they also serve raw vegan food, which is pretty damn good too.

My point, and I’m getting to it right now, is that this place served a full on vegan ciorba de burta and it was fantastic.

How do I know?

I don’t, not really. There was a creamy mushroom soup on the menu and I was like, “Yum, that sounds delicious. I’ll have that.” When it arrived at the table, my Hubs recognized the scent, the look and everything else, as Ciorba de burta.

We shared it, because of course we did.

It was fantastic.

So delicious that he insisted I attempt to make it at home, which I totally did.

And it was just as (possibly more) fantastic.

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Herbs, one pot recipes, Plant Based, Soup, Vegan

Vegan Soup Recipes ~ Roasted Fennel & Carrot Soup

Posted on February. 2023February. 2023 by writinstuff

One of the best things about cold weather is that you get to eat tons and tons of soup! It also means that I get to break out my slow cooker but this is not a slow cooker recipe. In fact, I would call today’s vegan soup recipe a sheet pan soup if that makes sense?

This is going to be a quick post because I am totally in the zone with Indigo’s story, which is book 2 in the Green St. Girls series if you’re interested. Shameless plug, I know!

Anyway I digress, this creamy vegan sheet pan soup is healthy and delicious but it is also super easy to make. I know I say that often, but I promise this is one of those do it and forget about it until later vegan recipes.

Grab your sheet pan and your fresh herbs and let’s get this vegan soup recipe started!

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Dips, International vegan cuisine, Plant Based, Sauces & Creams, Vegan

Beyond Vegan Steak & Chimichurri Sauce

Posted on January. 2023January. 2023 by writinstuff

I was scrolling on Facebook the other day and one of my friends went to one of those Brazilian steakhouses which I, of course, rolled my eyes at because…gross. But there was some of the beautiful green chimichurri sauce that caught my eye.

Again.

Let me give you a little background, okay? I’ve tried a few times over the past few years to whip up a nice chimichurri sauce (evidence here) that wasn’t too oily and each time it didn’t come out right. I know, I know, I used too little oil in a dish that is specifically oil-based so I shouldn’t be all that surprised that it didn’t turn out right.

BUT…there’s always a but, isn’t there?

This time I used a different combination of ingredients, starting with carrot greens. If you’ve been here more than once you might know that I use greens from a variety of root vegetables in plenty of different ways. Today I added carrot greens to the vegan chimichurri sauce because they were vibrant and lovely and I was sure they would help the flavor and moisture content of my vegan chimichurri.

So, let’s dig into it and you guys tell me what you think!

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Vegan, vegan lifestyle

Vegan Lifestyle Products ~ How To Level Up Your Veganism

Posted on January. 2023January. 2023 by writinstuff

When it comes to veganism most people think of replacing the use of animals in your diet, which means no meat or dairy or honey. But you might be surprised to find out that animal products aren’t just in your food.

I know that I was.

About two years after adopting a vegan lifestyle I actually adopted a vegan lifestyle and it was hard and pricier at first, but these days you can find vegan lifestyle products just about everywhere.

Today we’re going to talk about a few vegan lifestyle items that you may or may not know CAN contain animal products.

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oil free vegan recipes, Pasta, Plant Based, Vegan

Easy Vegan Pasta Recipes ~ Mushroom & Leek Pasta

Posted on January. 2023January. 2023 by writinstuff

Sometimes you see a recipe online and you just have to have it. That’s what happened with today’s recipe, I was scrolling on Facebook and came across a delicious looking vegan pasta recipe that was pretty simple with mushrooms and leeks. The photos were fantastic and mouthwatering and I knew as soon as I made my next trip to the market, this dish would be going right in my belly.

And here we are with a belly full of leeks and mushrooms.

The good thing about this recipe is that it is super easy to make which means that it doesn’t take a long time to make.

This is an easy vegan recipe with just 7 ingredients, or maybe a few more depending on what kinds of herbs and spices you need to make your tastebuds sing. Either way it is so easy and so flavorful that your friends or family will think you spent at least an hour in the kitchen!

So, let’s get to it.

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Asian Food, Bowls, Indian, International vegan cuisine, Plant Based, Vegan

Oyster Mushroom Vegan Mujadara Recipe

Posted on January. 2023January. 2023 by writinstuff

Mujadara is a delicious and hearty dish that is perfect for vegans looking to expand your culinary knowledge or to simply tickle your tastebuds. I love trying out new recipes from around the world because it’s fun to veganize them and then I get to experiment with new herbs and spices in all kinds of other dishes.

Made with golden lentils, wild rice, and oyster mushrooms, this easy vegan recipe is full of flavor and nutrition. The addition of ginger, garlic, onion and turmeric give it a warm and comforting taste that is sure to please.

You can use a variety of vegan meat alternatives to make this dish include tofu, vegan beef strips or even beans. The choice is yours!

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Bar Food, International vegan cuisine, Italian, Plant Based, Vegan

Vegan Junk Food! ~ Naturli’ Vegan Kebab’ish Pizza

Posted on January. 2023January. 2023 by writinstuff

I found another new vegan food product! Today it’s pizza. It was pizza last time too, wasn’t it? Who knows, let’s just go with it because it’s vegan pizza and there’s never enough good vegan pizza in the world.

Today’s pizza, called “Kebab’ish,” is a unique twist on a classic dish, featuring a kebab-inspired flavor profile and all vegan ingredients.

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

Easy Vegan Lunch Recipes ~ Vegan Cowboy Sushi Salad Bowl

Posted on January. 2023January. 2023 by writinstuff

Many of you have seen my Sushi Salad Bowl Recipe, or the Vegan Sushi Salad and it’s been a pretty big hit, which I’m super stoked about so thank you. But recently I wanted the same salad but…with a twist.

Know what I mean?

I have this problem often. I’ll create a recipe that I LOVE and then I’ll have it a few times, and after that it kind of loses its luster and I’m ready to improve on it, move on and turn it into something else. And that’s how today’s vegan lunch recipe got started.

Vegan Cowboy Sushi Salad Bowl wasn’t necessarily a spark of an idea from me out of thin air, but I wanted pickled ginger and soy sauce and wasabi but I also wanted something warm. So here we are.