Plant Based

Easy Vegan Soups ~ Red Lentil & Ramen Veggie Soup

Categories Asian Food, Grains, International vegan cuisine, Noodles, Plant Based, Soup, VeganLeave a Comment on Easy Vegan Soups ~ Red Lentil & Ramen Veggie Soup

One of my favorite things to make when it’s cold outside is soup. Or stew, or a delicious combination of the two that I liked to call, stewp.

Give me a bunch of veggies and a handful of grains served with a delicious broth and I am good to go.

At least, that’s what I tell myself. But one day after a particularly grueling workout, I couldn’t decide if I wanted ramen soup (which I LOVE) or lentil soup. They couldn’t possibly go together, could they?

Could they?

Turns out, just about anything is possible with the right motivation, and what better motivation than hunger?

Don’t be afraid to load your soup up with a small amount of a large variety of vegetables, especially this season when you need all the vitamins and minerals possible to keep you healthy.

Continue reading ➞ Easy Vegan Soups ~ Red Lentil & Ramen Veggie Soup

Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes ~ Chickpea Masala

Categories Asian Food, Beans, Bowls, Curry, Grains, Indian, International vegan cuisine, Plant Based, VeganLeave a Comment on Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes ~ Chickpea Masala

Life as we know it under normal circumstances is…a distant memory. You know that as well as I do, and as such, we have all been doing the best we can as often as we can. For the purposes of today’s blog, that means making sure you get a good chunk of whole foods in your vegan diet.

When was the last time you ordered/cooked a meal without soy or seitan? How about the last time you cooked a meal, period? Or one that consisted mostly of vegetables, grains, beans and/or legumes? It’s not a judgment, believe me. Some weeks I have to really go through the photos to find a meal without pasta or tofu or vegan burgers. It happens and I’ve forgiven myself.

Have you?

Good because today we have a quick and easy vegan chickpea masala for those nights when you just need something simple, whole and plant based to eat.

The chickpeas are the main source of protein in this, but the good thing about a plant based, vegan whole food diet is that you get tons of essential vitamins and nutrients from ALL of the ingredients.

To get this vegan dinner started, you start with the onion, ginger and hot chili peppers. If you’re using oil, add that into the pan, otherwise look the vegetables cook until fragrant, adding water or waste-free broth a little at a time.

Add the garlic along with any herbs and spices such as: cumin, turmeric, curry, smoky paprika, garam masala seasoning and chili powder. Stir until well coated and then add the chickpeas (rinsed & drained) and cherry/grape tomatoes or just canned crushed tomatoes which is what I used, because this was a day before shopping meal for us.

Add some broth and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring regularly so it doesn’t stick. You want to let this liquid reduce a little so the end result is thick and creamy.

Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add coconut milk (for cooking) at the last five or so minutes, making sure to taste as you go and adjust for flavor preferences.

Serve on a bed of rice and that’s a pretty darn quick and easy vegan recipes, perfect for lunch or dinner.

If you need a little extra spice, jalapenos or Sriracha will do the trick, but my hubs thought it had a nice little kick to it, emphasis on little.

The other thing I loved about this vegan chana masala? It’s super calorie friendly, even with the creamy coconut milk added to it.

This is for one serving but ingredients list is chickpea masala for 2.

Quick and easy and delicious, so next time you’re in need of a whole food vegan meal, consider hitting up your pantry for that can of beans you haven’t used in forever and toss’em in a pot.

Linguine & Vegan Balls with Red Sauce

Categories Grains, International vegan cuisine, Italian, Pasta, Plant Based, Sauces & Creams, VeganLeave a Comment on Linguine & Vegan Balls with Red Sauce

Spaghetti and meatballs, it’s pretty much a classic among pasta meals and it’s been a long damn time since I’ve eaten any variation of them. Part of it is because meatballs can be a really cumbersome task, more so when they’re vegan, at least that was the case when I first went vegan in Germany. The options were limited and getting them to hold their structure in the sauce was, well, a big ol’ mess.

But this is 2021 and times have changed for vegans the world over. Whether you’re looking for a nostalgic meal because you love pasta and vegan meatballs, or you’re looking for easy vegan meals for Veganuary, this is an excellent one to try.

There’s no need to go crazy with the vegan tomato sauce, if you don’t want to, but I always think we should all go a little bit crazy when whipping up a pasta sauce. Here’s a tip: don’t skimp on your herbs. Red sauce loves herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil or marjoram. Buy the little cheap-o packets in the herbs & spices section at the grocery store to test them out and see what you like.

You’ll thank me for this tip, but you don’t have to. Just knowing that you obeyed and loved it, is enough for me!

Other than herbs and spices you’ll need:

Vegan soy balls (or falafel, seitan, tempeh, or veggie balls)
Onion
Garlic
Linguine (or spaghetti or other long pasta)
Bell pepper
Tomatoes
Vegan Worcestershire
Cornstarch
Red chili flakes

If you cook with oil, you’ll want to sauté the onions, bell pepper and garlic in hot oil, otherwise use water or broth, added periodically to keep them from sticking to the pan, on medium-high heat. Add onions and bell peppers first, adding the garlic when the other vegetables are just about done.

Dice the tomatoes by hand or mix them in a food processor until you have a fresh tomato sauce without all the added sugar. Add the tomatoes and chili flakes to the sauté pan and bring to a boil, then simmer until the sauce starts to thicken. Add a cornstarch-Worcestershire-water mixture to thicken, and don’t forget to season your veggies or your sauce!!!

Cook the pasta according to instructions and when it’s done, scoop it straight from the pot to the skillet to toss with the sauce.

For the vegan meatballs, just season them and pop in the oven for 10 minutes or until warmed through and slightly crispy around the edges. Add to sauce until fully coated. If you want them extra crispy, put them in the air fryer for a few minutes and see what happens.

With a little bit of prep work, this is an easy vegan meal that can be on the table in 30 minutes or less.

The best thing of all about this easy linguine and vegan soy-balls dinner is that you can mix it up, however you want. Add almond milk and vodka for a nice vodka sauce. Or add spicy peppers for a type of arrabiata sauce. Add olives and capers for an upscale vegan Bolognese. The point is this is one of those easy vegan meals that you can switch up by adding different herbs, spices and pasta types to the dish.

What is your go to pasta dish when you have a carb craving and which kind of red wine do you drink with it?

Vegan Brunch Recipe ~ Hangover Edition

Categories Beans, Breakfast, Cheese, Plant Based, Potatoes, Sides, VeganLeave a Comment on Vegan Brunch Recipe ~ Hangover Edition

Happy New Year!

I’m not much for resolutions and all that, so my sincere hope for you is that 2021 is better than the previous year. Cook better. Eat better. LIve better. Be better.

And I just might be able to help you with the first two. Maybe.

Full disclosure: I was not hungover when I whipped up this recipe but as I put it all together, it occurred to me that this the perfect vegan breakfast fry up for when you consume a little too much booze the night before. But hey, even if you don’t overdo it, this is a great vegan meal to put together on a Sunday afternoon, or any other day you enjoy brunch.

Unlike most vegan breakfast recipes, you won’t find tofu scramble here but not becuase I don’t love them, I totally do. The real reason is just simple oversight, I thought I had firm tofu in the fridge and when I went to search for it, surprise! No tofu.

Continue reading ➞ Vegan Brunch Recipe ~ Hangover Edition

Easy Vegan Pizza Bread

Categories Cheese, International vegan cuisine, Italian, Plant Based, VeganLeave a Comment on Easy Vegan Pizza Bread

What do you do when you want to make vegan pizza at home, but you don’t want all the calories that come with store bought (or homemade) pizza dough?

You get a nice hunk of bread from the bakery, making sure to read the ingredients that most store bakeries list to look for non-vegan ingredients such as milk powder or cheese powder. I recommend ciabatta bread or some kind of wide-ish roll that will hold enough vegan pizza toppings to satisfy your appetite.

There is no secret to this recipe, it’s vegan pizza only it’s served on bread. So gather your favorite vegan pizza toppings and cook them, or not, depending on how you like it and pop it in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

Continue reading ➞ Easy Vegan Pizza Bread

Banana & Oat Vegan Cookies

Categories Desserts, Grains, Plant Based, VeganLeave a Comment on Banana & Oat Vegan Cookies

I don’t know about you but whenever I have a few overripe bananas, which I do often because my partner buys them and pretends that he will eat them so they get overripe and I have no choice but to use them, the first thing I think of is banana bread. Of course.

Even though I’m a vegan who isn’t a huge fan of bananas, I can admit to a deep love of banana bread, with or without blueberries, walnuts, pecans, cranberries or any other add-in. But thanks to the above mentioned surplus of overripe bananas lately, a woman like me is forced to be creative.

So I dug deep in my well of vegan cookie knowledge and came up with something new, at least to me.

Vegan banana oat cookies.

This is an easy vegan cookie recipe that you can halve or double from the original 24 cookies.

Continue reading ➞ Banana & Oat Vegan Cookies

Chinese Takeout at Home for the Lazy Vegan

Categories Asian Food, Bowls, Grains, International vegan cuisine, Plant Based, VeganLeave a Comment on Chinese Takeout at Home for the Lazy Vegan

Most of the time, especially in this strange year we’ve all found ourselves caught in, your desire to have vegan takeout is prompted more by convenience than by taste. Right?

When I lived in Los Angeles and, to a certain extent Germany, there were more than a few takeout places that just had damn good food. But, more often than not it’s the case that the best selling point of the vegan takeout is that I don’t have to cook it. Which doesn’t say much good about you or the restaurant.

But the absolute best thing about 2020 is the abundance of options when it comes to vegan food choices. You no longer have to make your own vegan eggroll wrappers and hope for the best, now you can just buy frozen vegan eggrolls, vegan potstickers, dim-sum, or whatever your favorite vegan Chinese takeout is, and make it yourself!

And that’s just what we did. Quick and easy vegan fried rice with tofu and vegetable gyoza.

We kept it simple with vegetable fried rice and vegan potstickers, but if you’re in search of more, don’t skip the frozen section of your local market because even here in Romania, they are always adding new vegan options to their shelves.

Continue reading ➞ Chinese Takeout at Home for the Lazy Vegan

Creamy Vegan Mushroom Tetrazzini

Categories Grains, International vegan cuisine, Italian, Pasta, Plant Based, Sauces & Creams, VeganLeave a Comment on Creamy Vegan Mushroom Tetrazzini

Whenever I think of tetrazzini, instantly I’m propelled back to the 90’s when my former step mother would make this dish with leftover dry chicken (or turkey if it was just after Thanksgiving) and mushrooms and some cream-type style. It wasn’t my favorite dish back then, other than the fact, you know, that pasta is delicious.

In fact, I’d argue that pasta is a lot like pizza. Even cold and a day old, it’s pretty damn good.

So why on earth did I request mushroom tetrazzini when it was my night to choose what we would have for dinner?

No clue.

But here we are, or rather, there we were.

Just so we’re clear, this is a bastardized version of whatever ‘traditional’ tetrazzini is supposed to be, but it’s close enough in my opinion that I’m called it a vegan mushroom tetrazzini, whether you like it or not.

Continue reading ➞ Creamy Vegan Mushroom Tetrazzini

Vegan Meatball Stew & Creamy Polenta

Categories Bowls, Grains, International vegan cuisine, Italian, Plant Based, Sauces & Creams, Soup, VeganLeave a Comment on Vegan Meatball Stew & Creamy Polenta

Nothing is better than a nice stewy dish when the weather is cold, and let me tell ya, the weather here has been COLD!!!

I was really in the mood for a hearty vegetable stew but my partner wanted me to make creamy polenta so I split the difference and added a lot less broth and served it on top of polenta. With the help of Beyond Burger vegan meatballs.

Continue reading ➞ Vegan Meatball Stew & Creamy Polenta

Spicy Mushroom Vegan Tacos

Categories International vegan cuisine, Mexican Dishes, Plant Based, Sauces & Creams, VeganLeave a Comment on Spicy Mushroom Vegan Tacos

Taco Tuesdays are a thing in our household, then again we can have tacos or burrito bowls or fajitas or mole, pretty much any night of the week. Mexican cuisines is not only super delicious, but with the abundance of beans in many recipes, it’s really easy to make vegan Mexican food at home.

Any night of the week.

If you want a quick and easy dinner recipe, look no further than these spicy mushroom carnitas tacos.

I prefer oyster mushrooms or king oyster mushrooms for this recipe, but honestly just about any mushroom will work as long as you cook them properly. And by properly, I mean you need to cook them until they are no longer soft or rubbery, unless that’s the consistency you’re going for.

Continue reading ➞ Spicy Mushroom Vegan Tacos