vegan casserole recipes

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, oil free vegan recipes, one pot recipes, Vegan

Cheesy Vegan Cauliflower & Potato Casserole

Posted on November. 2022November. 2022 by writinstuff

One pot recipes. They are a staple in most households because they’re easy and–often–contain vegan cheese, but that’s not always the case.

One pot vegan meals are wonderful if you’re a busy vegan like me, consumed with a ghostwriting career, publishing romance novels and sharing yummy vegan recipes with the world. And when the weather gets chilly and sunlight fades too soon, sometimes you just want a vegan meal that is quick and easy, and doesn’t require using all the dishes in the kitchen.

Am I right?

This particular vegan dinner recipe is similar to casseroles I’ve eaten most of my life as a born & bred girl of the Midwest. Take a bunch of veggies, add potatoes and cheese and you have yourself a casserole! It brings back wonderful memories of a time when calories and nutrition meant very little to me and all that mattered was the ooey-gooey dish baking in the oven…and eating two helpings. At least.

These days it’s more of a convenience and a way to indulge in a mostly guilt-free way. Feel me?

Anyway this vegan dinner recipe is pretty simple, had limited ingredients and is so delicious everyone will swear you slaved in the kitchen for hours.

Fingers crossed.

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Casseroles, International vegan cuisine, one pot recipes, Vegan

Vegan Spanakopita ~ Photo Fail, Recipe Success!

Posted on July. 2022July. 2022 by writinstuff

Since I was so busy last week I figured I would give you with an extra, albeit short, post.

Last week I made another attempt at spanakopita and this one was more of a success than my last, in terms of taste, seasoning and composition. It was however, a photo fail as you will see. Soon.

I didn’t used to be much of a spinach fan and today I’ll stay that I don’t love it but I don’t hate it either. I can tolerate it in a few instances, such as a variety of spinach & artichoke recipes:

Spinach & Artichoke Open-Faced Sandwiches
Squash & Spinach Vegan Queso Dip
Spinach & Bean Pinwheels
Vegan Sausage, Spinach & Mushroom Risotto
Southern Style Vegan Black Eyed Pea & Spinach Stew

Which of course means I had to jump right to vegan spanakopita, right?

Right!

I hope you enjoy this Vegan Spanakopita Casserole Recipe.

You can make it however you choose, in a large baking dish to serve family style, individual casserole dishes or you can even do it fancy by rolling into little bite-sized triangles. The choice is yours.

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Bowls, Cheese, Potatoes, Vegan

Retro Comfort Food ~ Vegan Mashed Potato Casserole

Posted on April. 2022April. 2022 by writinstuff

I don’t know about you all out there in the world but when I was a kid I loved a good mashed potato casserole. Sometimes it would be like an off-shot of a Shepherd’s Pie with ground beef and peas, other times it would just be straight up cheesy goodness with some animal served on the side.

Check out this vegan comfort food recipe: Vegan Schnitzel & Cheesy Pasta

However it was done, I loved nothing more than an old-fashioned mashed potato casserole. So I decided, why not take this classic recipe and veganize it?

Why not, indeed?

The key to any good mashed potato casserole is, of course, the mashed potatoes, which leaves you free to do whatever else you please…if you want anything else at all.

This recipe is pretty easy to complete, very delicious and it promises to provide loads of comfort, whether you need it or not!

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Bowls, French, Grains, International vegan cuisine, Plant Based, Vegan

Cajun Seitan Sausage Casserole

Posted on July. 2021July. 2021 by writinstuff

I don’t know about where you live, but here in Romania the weather has been a bit…let’s say temperamental. It’s been incredibly hot and humid one day, chilly and rainy the next, and them my personal favorite, the unbearable mix of super hot and incredibly humid.

Fun, right?

Yeah, I’ve been finding ways to not let the weather get to me, mostly by ignoring the heat, but also making use of the little desktop fan that I have all to myself. When the weather is really ridiculous, I just switch it up and wait until close to sundown to start working & writing, because I have that luxury.

But what about those days when the weather dips just a little? Well, on those days I take advantage and have something unexpected in this stupidly hot summer. Enter, Cajun vegan sausage casserole.

We can all agree that July is just too damn hot for any type of casserole, except when it isn’t. When that day rolls around, I’m taking full advantage. So…here we go!

When you’re in search of an easy vegan casserole recipe, I find the Cajun or Creole style options are wonderful. And very forgiving. These types of vegan recipes work really well if you want a spicy dish or a milder one, and you can experiment with grains to change it up and prevent mealtime boredom.

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Beans, Bowls, Plant Based, Potatoes, Soup, Vegan

Vegan Sausage & Bean Casserole w/Garlicky Mashed Potatoes

Posted on March. 2021May. 2021 by writinstuff

I know, I know. Beans and sausage are both proteins and totally unnecessary in one desk. I know. Really, I do. In fact, most nights of the week I’ll be the annoying vegan making that argument. But a deal is a deal and when we decided, ages ago, that as long as we had the ingredients and the know-how, we would make the dish the other person requested to the best of our ability.

And we’d just bought some Verdino brand vegan sausages, and there are ALWAYS beans in the pantry, so I had no excuse not to do it. Other than being difficult, of course, which I am always happy to do.

But, I didn’t. Bummer.

But, life goes on.

He asked for Sausage & Bean casserole with mashed potatoes and this is what I came up with.

Before we get to the yummy smells and full bellies, we need to gather our ingredients.

Ingredients:
Cannellini beans
Vegan sausage
Onion
Garlic
Potatoes
Bell pepper
Dried chili peppers
Red wine
Tomatoes (fresh or crushed)
Vegan butter
Plant milk (I used almond, unsweetened)
Thyme
Bay leaf

This lovely graphic is courtesy of Cronometer.com, the app I use to track my calories/nutrients.

You can cook the vegan sausages in the pan to start if you’d like, but I cranked the oven up and cooked them in there, turning every 3 to 5 minutes until good & crispy on all sides. It’s a good way to multi-task and a better way to make this a no oil added vegan dish.

Take a minute to get your potatoes boiling so everything finishes around the same time.

Next, heat up the skillet and add the onion, dried chilies and bell pepper, cook until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, cook until fragrant.

Then, add the red wine and simmer until it starts to reduce.

Add beans and cover, simmer 10 to 20 minutes, or until a thick sauce starts to form.

When potatoes are tender, drain and reserve some of the starchy water in a measuring cup. Add the vegan butter to the same hot pot you used to boil the potatoes until it sizzles. Toss in the minced garlic until brown & fragrant, turn down heat and remove the pot to a sturdy, flat surface so you can give the potatoes a proper mashing.

Use plant milk and starchy water to get the consistency you’re going for and return to heat until its warmed through.

Take the vegan sausages from the oven and toss with the bean sauce, serve on top of the potatoes.

This meal is perfect when you want red wine in your dinner instead of with it, when the weather gets cold, which it seems be doing whenever it feels like for the past few weeks, or when you’re in the mood for a protein-heavy vegan meal. It’s pretty much perfect any way you look at it.