Pasta – The Spicy Spatula

Pasta, Vegan, Plant Based, oil free vegan recipes

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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Casseroles, Grains, Pasta, Plant Based, Sauces & Creams, Vegan

Vegan Comfort Food ~ Vegan Broccoli Mac & Cheese

Posted on January. 2023January. 2023 by writinstuff

There’s nothing quite like a warm, comforting bowl of vegan mac and cheese on a cold winter day. Not only is it delicious and satisfying, but it’s also a great way to incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet. Broccoli is and has always been one of my favorite vegetables and this vegan dinner recipe is a staple in our house, but you can add cauliflower, carrots or any other vegetable that tickles your fancy.

One of the great things about vegan comfort food is that it can be just as indulgent and creamy as its non-vegan counterparts, but without the negative health consequences. By using plant-based ingredients like nuts, seeds, and vegetables, you can create rich and flavorful dishes that are much lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than traditional comfort foods.

One of my favorite vegan comfort food recipes is vegan mac and cheese with broccoli and garlic. Not only is it packed with flavor, but it’s also loaded with nutrients thanks to the addition of broccoli. Plus, the garlic adds a nice depth of flavor and helps to boost the immune system.

What is your go to vegan comfort food recipe?

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International vegan cuisine, Italian, oil free vegan recipes, Pasta, Plant Based, Sauces & Creams, Vegan

Vegan Stuffed Pasta Shells with Silken Tofu Ricotta

Posted on January. 2023January. 2023 by writinstuff

Happy 2023!!!

Show of hands, who loves pasta? The easy answer is just about everyone except one girl I’ve known since I was a kid!

One of the pasta dishes I haven’t thought about in a long time is stuffed pasta shells. Back in the day I used to love it, bursting with bubbly cheese and a thick tomato sauce–usually from a can–I couldn’t get enough of it. But then as the years went by, I kind of forgot about it for years and years and years.

Until recently (well not so recently but these suckers aren’t easy to find in Europe) when I found myself watching some non-vegan cooking show and what did I see? Stuffed pasta shells. I looked everywhere, at all the grocery stores in town, even online and there was nothing.

Then one day at Lidl, which does a fantastic job of bringing in specialty items from week to week, I saw a giant bag of pasta shells. Score!

I still had a box of silken tofu in the fridge for just this purpose so I knew what would happen, and SOON.

So, if you’re looking for a delicious and easy vegan twist on the classic stuffed pasta shells recipe, look no further! This recipe uses silken tofu as a substitute for ricotta cheese, and is filled with flavorful vegetables such as spinach, onion, tomatoes, garlic, and bell peppers. Plus, the addition of tomato paste adds a rich and savory depth to the filling.

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Casseroles, Cheese, International vegan cuisine, oil free vegan recipes, one pot recipes, Pasta, Plant Based, Sauces & Creams, Vegan

Hot & Spicy Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe

Posted on September. 2022September. 2022 by writinstuff

My husband loves mac & cheese. I mean he REALLY loves it and if I wouldn’t turn my nose up at it, he would request it at least once a week. Calories and fat and inflammation be damned.

Not that I mind (don’t tell him that) because vegan mac & cheese is delicious, especially this version that doesn’t actually include any cheese at all, not even vegan cheese. This is basically a thick and creamy vegan bechamel sauce with turmeric for color, tons of nutritional yeast, herbs & spices for a big ol’ pop of flavor.

The best part of all is that this vegan mac & cheese recipe is hot and spicy, and super easy to make!

If you’re not a big fan of spicy foods, I would recommend that you either take out ALL the seeds of the chili peppers or omit them altogether because I also added hot sauce to the bechamel because I am a crazy person who LOVES spicy stuff.

This is a quick and easy vegan recipe and you’ll be able to feed your family or a crowd of vegan guests in 30 minutes or less!

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Grains, International vegan cuisine, Italian, oil free vegan recipes, Pasta, Vegan

Vegan Tuna Orecchiette with Lemon & Capers

Posted on August. 2022August. 2022 by writinstuff

Back in my early 20’s I spent a lot of time learning, or rather re-learning how to cook because my grandmothers cook mostly soul food and my dad was (and is) a huge steak eater and that was pretty much my culinary education. Well unless you count making those Lipton rice packets and ramen noodles, a la nearly every college student ever.

Anyway I watched a lot of Food Network to learn more about cooking. The basics, different ingredients and how they worked together, why we do certain things like rinse or drain pasta. I learned a lot and one of the things that stuck with me was a love of orecchiette.

Weird, right?

Anyway Tyler Florence, Rachel Ray and even Ina Garten used these little pasta “ears” in a variety of ways that I always enjoyed and so whenever I find them, they find their way into my shopping cart. That’s just the way it is.

Not sure what orecchiette is or how to identify it, check it out here.

When it was my partner’s turn to cook I have him just a few parameters about what I wanted: orecchiette, lemons, capers and vegan tuna. “Do what you want,” was my only other direction and this dish is what he came up with.

It’s simple and delicious and earned him two gigantic thumbs up. Ok, I have normal size thumbs but you get what I’m saying, right?

Let’s get to the kitchen and make some vegan food!

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Grains, International vegan cuisine, Italian, Pasta, Sauces & Creams, Vegan

Easy Vegan Dinners ~ Creamy Vegan Tagliatelle w/ Chanterelle Mushrooms

Posted on August. 2022August. 2022 by writinstuff

I don’t know how to say this without sounding weird so I’m just gonna say it. I have an ongoing love affair with mushrooms. I LOVE some Pleurotus(oyster) mushrooms and I will use them whenever possible. They are great as a vegan meat alternative, especially if you’re looking for something like Vegan MInce Stuffed Mushrooms, Shredded Vegan BBQ Pork or King Oyster scallops, but they also work well in so many vegan applications that I literally never get tired of eating them.

But there’s also shitake mushrooms, enoki and even wood ear mushrooms, which are great pickled, all of which hold special places in my heart. But chanterelle mushrooms? These elusive beauties are hard to find in even the largest grocery stores throughout Europe so you know when I find them, I always grab a box. Or two.

There is just one huge, glaring downside to Chanterelle mushrooms. They are dirty. So, so dirty. And yeah, that is a good thing because they are natural and all that jazz, but they can also be a gigantic bitch to clean. After many years of trying–and failing–different methods of cleaning chanterelle mushrooms without noshing on grit and rocks, I’ve finally figured it out and I’m going to share it with you because everyone should be eating this fungi especially if you’re vegan and doubly especially if you have a mushroom addiction.

As soon as I spotted these golden babies I knew exactly what I wanted. Okay well not exactly but I knew tagliatelle pasta would be involved and some kind of cream sauce. So when I got home, that’s where I started and this is where I ended up.

Chanterelle mushrooms & creamy vegan pasta sauce

What’s your favorite quick and easy vegan dinner recipe?

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Grains, Herbs, Italian, oil free vegan recipes, Pasta, Plant Based, Vegan

Quick & Easy 30-Minute Vegan Pasta Recipe

Posted on July. 2022July. 2022 by writinstuff

Let’s be honest with ourselves if not each other, shall we? Some nights you just don’t feel like making a delicious vegan dinner but in the spirit of being a responsible adult who doesn’t want to waste money on crap, we do it anyway.

Some nights the result isn’t worth the effort. Some nights it is.

Instead of making due with crappy or greasy vegan takeout meals that are nutritionally imbalances, gross or just filled with processed foods, how about we try to find ways to make the results worth the effort.

How?

For starters, 30 minute meals. Whether you’re a parent, single or merely part of a couple, 30 minute vegan meals are a great way to get a healthy vegan meal on the table without a lot of hullabaloo.

(Like that word, don’t ya?)

The other night I was very hungry because some days I am always hungry, but I digress. I wanted food but it was incredibly hot outside (over 30 degrees Celsius) and spending time in the kitchen did not sound like any kind of fun. But adult here and so I had to, plus it was my night to cook.

So I went to the pasta cabinet and grabbed this tomato tagliatelle I found at Lidl that had no eggs, no milk powder, and no other unnecessary animal products. From there I grabbed a handful of ingredients and I was ready for something tomato-y, a little bit spicy and above all else, delicious.

Enjoy this simple vegan Tagliatelle Arrabbiata

Grab your ingredients and get in and out of the sweltering kitchen in thirty minutes. Or less!

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Cheese, French, International vegan cuisine, Pasta, Plant Based, Sauces & Creams, Vegan

Creamy Vegan French Onion Pasta

Posted on June. 2022June. 2022 by writinstuff

Anyone else have a serious carb addiction? Just me?

Okay.

Anyway…

I spend some of my time perusing the vegan food blogs for recipe ideas because as much as I am creative and well-traveled and experienced with new cultures, there are many, many times where someone else is more so. When that happens, I make an effort to defer to those know either know more or do it better. At least…somewhat.

So when I came across tons of vegan recipes for variations on French onion pasta, I was eager to try it, experiment with it and make it my own. Because that’s what we do as creatives, as vegans, as home cooks, as…humans.

Right?

This is a simple vegan recipe that also happens to be a 30-minute vegan recipe which in my eyes kind of makes it the gold standard of the perfect vegan weeknight dinner. The only thing is, this one was of my recipe requests which means that my partner, Cos, made it.

And it was simple, delicious and exactly what I wanted.

Creamy Vegan French Onion Pasta (tagliatelle)

Ready to get started?

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Grains, International vegan cuisine, Italian, Pasta, Sauces & Creams, Vegan

Easy Creamy Vegan Chicken Alfredo

Posted on May. 2022May. 2022 by writinstuff

Hello, my beautiful people. Today we have another quick and easy recipe because I am–still–knee deep editing Mustang Prairie so I can get it off to the editor as soon as possible. I promise not to skimp on details for this delicious weeknight vegan dinner, but I’m also not going to give you some long backstory on the recipe.

But there will be a short backstory, lol.

Does anyone watch Love After Lockup? Anyway someone suggested it and I decided to give it a shot this season and one of the former inmates blew off the girl that had been waiting for him for over a decade while he was in prison, to go to a strip club which isn’t the worst part of the story, if you can believe it.

His excuse? The strip club has “bomb ass shrimp alfredo”. Yep, you read that right. he blew her off for strip club alfredo, which is what I named this recipe in my Cronometer App but for reader, Google and SEO purposes, I’ve switched it up.

This is a quick and easy vegan recipe that doesn’t require soaked cashews, coconut cream or any of that. This is the perfect vegan dinner when you want something delicious that won’t take hours in the kitchen.

I promise.

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Bowls, Grains, International vegan cuisine, Italian, oil free vegan recipes, Pasta, Sauces & Creams, Vegan

Spicy Red Orzo & Vegan Feta ~ Easy Orzo Recipes

Posted on March. 2022March. 2022 by writinstuff

Sometimes you want pasta for dinner but you don’t really know what you want, which is exactly what happened to me the other night. We have pasta in the pantry. Always. All types and shapes of pasta, but that doesn’t make the decision any easier.

Looking for a new way to use broccoli? Check out this Pasta & Creamy Broccoli Sauce recipe!

So the other night The Hubs and I were both out of ideas for dinner. It was his turn to pick and didn’t know, which is usually something I enjoy because it means I get to choose what to make. But on this night I had no idea. I didn’t feel like anything in particular and I was just plumb out of ideas.

Until I spotted the bag of orzo in the pantry. It’s not something that’s widely available here in Romania so when Lidl had one of their specialty weeks–Greek week for this particular item–I knew I would find it.

So I grabbed a bag of mince, a mix of fresh and canned tomatoes, a chili pepper and then I was off to the races, as they say.

This spicy orzo with red sauce is full of flavor, easy to make and a great excuse to bust out the vegan feta cheese you just bought but refuse to eat with just a knife.

This is a quick and easy vegan meal that works especially well on those nights you don’t feel like making dinner or you have other things waiting for you. Enjoy!

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