Italian

Bar Food, Cheese, Herbs, International vegan cuisine, Italian, oil free vegan recipes, Pizza, Vegan

Vegan Feta & Agave Pizza

Posted on March. 2024March. 2024 by writinstuff

I know plenty of people say they have a problem with social media or they simply bemoan the existence of it, but I love it. It’s not only a great marketing tool for my books but it is a great way to interact with people who like the things you like. And best of all? There’s an endless supply of quick recipe videos so I don’t have to expend too much creativity in the kitchen coming up with recipes.

Why bother when the interwebs have already done that part for me?

So one day I was scrolling, as I do sometimes when I’m stumped and I saw this recipe for a honey and feta sausage pizza. At first I was just gonna scroll past it but the thumbnail image was too enticing to ignore. So I clicked on it and watched the video and the idea of feta and honey together sold me.

Immediately my mind went to Violife brand vegan Greek block because that stuff is mighty delicious, and agave syrup. I knew those would be the perfect substitutes so it was only a matter of what to use for the vegan sausage. My first thought was Naturli vegan sausage because…well, vegan sausage. But the recipe used that ground sausage and I really wanted to give the actual recipe a veganized shot so I kept thinking.

There’s always vegan mince but that didn’t feel right either. And those nut-blend mince recipes are great but holy smokes are they caloric. So I decided I had to make the ground vegan sausage myself. And by make it myself I meant grab a brick of firm tofu and season & marinate it myself, just so we’re clear.

And that’s the short story long version of how today’s vegan recipe came to be.

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Bar Food, International vegan cuisine, Italian, oil free vegan recipes, Plant Based, Vegan

Crispy Baked Eggplant Recipe

Posted on February. 2024February. 2024 by writinstuff

I don’t know about y’all out there in the internet land but when it comes to fried foods, I have a love-hate relationship with them. I love them. I love to eat them provided they aren’t greasy to too caloric, which is to say that I don’t actually love to eat them in reality. In theory or perhaps in my memory, I love them but I don’t like that greasy feeling coating my mouth and teeth, I don’t like the act of frying food and I don’t like the way it makes me feel afterwards.

But I do love the crispiness of fried foods so the conundrum is and has been for many years, how to achieve that crispiness without all the downsides.

The two obvious answers are baked or air fried, right? Of course. But that’s not always enough. The key with most fried vegan food is finding the right combination of breading without–again–going into the land of lots o’ calories. But today I think I have achieved the right blend of crispy and crunchy and not over the top calories.

Hooray!

I eliminated some of the common tricks I’ve seen including the crispy-maker combo of flour and cornstarch, because what they add in crispiness does not make up for what they add in calories.

This crispy eggplant recipe is baked but it totally tastes fried, calorie friendly and you can use it for all the vegan recipes that require fried eggplant such as the famous vegan eggplant parmesan. It’s not too cumbersome as a recipe since I’ve managed to eliminate one of the breading stations so…you’re welcome.

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Breads, International vegan cuisine, Italian, oil free vegan recipes, one pot recipes, Plant Based, Soup, Vegan

Vegan Italian Bread Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro) Recipe

Posted on February. 2024February. 2024 by writinstuff

Hey there, guys!

I don’t know how much you know about Romania but there are two major influences in this country in two distinct ways. German influences are everywhere, most obvious when it comes to corporate influences. Many of the biggest companies here–grocery stores, home wares, construction–are based in Germany.

And then there’s Italy. Many Romanians live in Italy and bring back parts of the culture for those at home, including food. Okay maybe most especially food.

Which brings me to my point. Finally. I had quite a bit of leftover bread and it was hard but not moldy so I was loathe to just toss it out. My options were limited, breadcrumbs or breadcrumbs. So what did I choose?

At my husbands advice, I chose an Italian style bread soup.

Now if you knew me at all you would know that I have a thing about soggy bread. I don’t like it. That’s my thing. It’s one of the reasons I don’t like any dish–vegan or otherwise–that makes use of soggy bread that I’m required to eat.

Nope. No, thank you.

But I did my research and found an Italian recipe Pappa al Pomodoro, which ironically means “tomato mush” when translated, and I decided it was something within my skill set and I had the required ingredients.

Verdict? It came out pretty delicious if I say so myself. But be warned, even though I didn’t put the bread in the pot, but rather at the bottom of the bowl and poured the rest of the soup on top of it, that bread was hot as hell!!

My only complaint, I swear!

This vegan soup recipe is easy to make, doesn’t have a rigid list of ingredients and can be used as a perfect throw away vegan recipe, as in you can use things that might have to be thrown away if doesn’t get used soon.

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Cheese, International vegan cuisine, Italian, one pot recipes, Plant Based, Vegan, Vegan Food Products

Quick & Easy Vegan Gnocchi & Vegan Parm Cream

Posted on January. 2024January. 2024 by writinstuff

I don’t know about where you live but here in my neck of Romania there is just one brand of gnocchi that is accidentally vegan, meaning it is free of eggs and any other dairy or animal products, which is cool except it’s not very good gnocchi. For starters they balls are too big and too dry and that just won’t do.

For the record, I like my gnocchi not boiled. I prefer it browned in the skillet or the oven with a bit of a bite to it, not mushy and the giant gnocchi balls aren’t really conducive to that. But last week at Lidl there was a few more vegan food products from Vemondo and one of them was–yep, you guessed it–vegan gnocchi. No eggs, no milk and no cheese in these yummy potato balls.

So I grabbed them and we also found vegan parm, also from Vemondo, and I knew without a doubt the hubs would make something with both of those ingredients. He did not disappoint.

This is a very simple weeknight vegan meal and even with the sauce, it doesn’t take long to put together.

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Bar Food, International vegan cuisine, Italian, oil free vegan recipes, one pot recipes, Vegan, Vegan Food Products

Vegan Salami & Sausage Stromboli

Posted on January. 2024January. 2024 by writinstuff

Happy Monday, my fellow vegans! I hope you’ve had a fantastic weekend, I know I did.

What I did do, no one at all asks? Well I make mucho progress on book 2 in my Emerald Creek book series. It’s shaping up to be a fun and sexy story that I can’t wait to finish!

While taking a quick break from the writing cave, I came upon the most recent episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (that’s the name, right?) and even though most of the dishes are so meat-centric that they cannot be recreated, occasionally there are vegan dishes and sometimes there are things that can actually be veganized. The stromboli on this episode was one that could be recreated.

And not just recreated and veganized, but for me this is a throwback episode from my college days. Back in Charleston when I attended good ol’ Eastern Illinois University, there was this restaurant called Jerry’s (which oddly enough there is also a pizza chain here in Romania called Jerry’s) and they made a delicious stromboli. It was filled with vegetables, sausage, chicken and some kind of ham, of course lots and lots (and lots) of cheese. I LOVED it and whenever we held Mock Trial meetings there, that’s what I would get.

So to see my old friend again was all the reminder I needed to recreate it with a vegan twist.

I must tell you right up front that this is not a calorie friendly recipe because pizza dough is just never going to be calorie friendly, unless of course you have a dehydrator and make a cauliflower pizza crust, but I digress. Aside from the calories, you’ll find this recipe easy to make, delicious and quite memorable.

Whether it’s pizza night, football (soccer or American) night, or just movie night and you want something pizza-esque but not, consider this vegan salami and sausage stromboli recipe!

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Bowls, Grains, International vegan cuisine, Italian, Pasta, Plant Based, Vegan

Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Pasta

Posted on November. 2023November. 2023 by writinstuff

Hi Everyone! I hope those of you who celebrated, enjoyed your Thanksgiving.

I decided to skip the whole tradition of cooking too much food this year and just had a relaxing day with my hubs. But now we’re back and ready to talk about another delicious vegan recipe.

When you’re searching for a delicious weeknight vegan dinner recipe, look no further than pasta. For someone like me who works from home, pasta is a good way to turn a lunch recipe into a big batch of vegan food that can double for dinner…with or without a few strategic changes.

I LOVE spinach & artichoke variations, whether its sandwiches, pizza brot or pasta, it’s a great combination that’s versatile and tasty. Today’s vegan pasta recipe is no different, so grab your ingredients, get busy with your prep work and feed your household pretty darn quickly.

Choose your favorite vegan pasta. I opted for a whole wheat pasta because it’s more satisfying and that extra bite just makes me feel like I’m eating FOOD. Choose whatever pasta you want and the vegan protein is totally optional. The choice is YOURS.

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Bowls, Herbs, International vegan cuisine, Italian, Pasta, Plant Based, Sauces & Creams, Soup, Vegan

Eggplant Ragout Two Ways – Vegan Eggplant Stew Recipe

Posted on November. 2023November. 2023 by writinstuff

One of the things I like to do when the weather gets cold and my schedule gets busy is make a big batch of stew, but sometimes I don’t like eating the same meal back to back like that. My Hubs calls it fancy and I just like variety in all the ways I can get it since often I’m sitting in the same spot staring at a blinking icon on a blank page.

Hey, I have to change it up where I can!

Am I right?

Anyway I saw this vegan eggplant and walnut ragout recipe and it looked so delicious that I wanted to give it a try, but with some alterations. First off, as much as I love walnuts, the amount in this recipe would have turned it into a calorie bomb, at least for me. So I got a little creative and took this vegan eggplant ragout recipe and made two separate but totally delicious meals out of one pot of stew or ragout or however you want to call it.

It was so flavorful, the perfect fall vegan meal really. Well meals, technically and they were both wickedly delicious!

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Bowls, Casseroles, Grains, International vegan cuisine, Italian, oil free vegan recipes, Plant Based, Vegan

Mediterranean Style Vegan Orzo & Capers

Posted on October. 2023October. 2023 by writinstuff

Sometimes you just get a craving for something and you have to have it. Maybe it’s not a craving, per se, but just a desire to have a certain flavor combination. Does that ever happen to you?

It rarely happens to me and i love it, just seeing where the ingredients take me and my husband from one day to the next. Recently though, I was in the mood for Mediterranean flavors. Maybe it’s the unseasonably warm temperatures or maybe it’s because I’m ready (beyond ready) for another vacation, but I wanted it and so I made it.

The thing I love about Mediterranean flavors and vegan food is that they are simple but pack a huge flavor punch. Herbs, tomato, lemon juice and garlic…what’s not to like?

This Mediterranean vegan recipe is super easy to make, takes less than thirty minutes to cook and will make whoever eats it think you spent a long time in the kitchen. The biggest tip I have for vegan Mediterranean cooking? Fresh herbs and spices whenever you can. There’s nothing like fresh oregano even though it is highly impractical since I never use it all. But it does usually end up in my waste free broth.

So, let’s get this Mediterranean party started, yeah?

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Bar Food, International vegan cuisine, Italian, oil free vegan recipes, Plant Based, Sandwiches, Vegan

Vegan Veggie Ball Sub Recipe

Posted on September. 2023September. 2023 by writinstuff

I’ve been on a bit of a sandwich kick lately because sandwiches are easy and let’s face it, super delicious. But I often shy away from vegan sandwiches in favor of bowls and salads because you get all the sandwich goodness with half the vegan sandwich calories.

Feel me?

This particular vegan sandwich recipe is actually an outlier because it’s not exactly calorie friendly but I was really in the mood for a vegan sandwich that was sauce-y and delicious and that was my one and only goal.

The thing you’ll love about this particular vegan sandwich recipe is that it’s pretty easy to make, delicious and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. Do you food prep and this will be an incredibly easy vegan recipe that you’ll (probably) add to your regular vegan meal rotation.

You can use vegan meatballs–I used Naturli brand–or falafel, bean veggie balls or any other vegan ball that tickles your fancy. It’s easy and delicious, and goes great with a side of vegan kimchi and ice cold vegan friendly beer.

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

LOW-KEY VEGAN EGGPLANT PARM RECIPE

Posted on August. 2023August. 2023 by writinstuff

It’s so incredibly hot and I’m sure you guys are tired of me complaining about the heat so I’m not complaining, just explaining why today’s vegan recipe is a sandwich.

First, I’m lazy.
Second, it’s hot.
Third, I found a beautiful eggplant and I knew exactly how I wanted to use it.

This isn’t your regular eggplant parmesan so don’t come for me. First, it’s not breaded or fried. It’s just seasoned and baked. Second, I didn’t have any vegan parmesan on hand but I did have vegan mozzarella so that’s what I used. So I guess this is more of a vegan eggplant mozzarella.