Szechuan Spicy Eggplant

This is a super quick and delicious way to enjoy eggplant without all the oil! (my new favorite dish! I think even dad will like it because the eggplant get super soft and totally saturated with flavor!)

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sesame oil (or olive if you dont have sesame) for sautéing
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons water (plus more as needed)
couple handfuls chopped fresh basil
Sauce:
     4 tablespoons braggs aminos (soy sauce can be used too but this will drastically increase the sodium  
     and doesnt taste very different)
     1/4 fake chicken or veggie stock
     1-2 tablespoons siracha (depending on how spicy you want it!)
     1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions:
-mix together all 'sauce' ingredients in a bowl and set aside
-mix together water and cornstarch in a separate bowl and set aside
-saute minced garlic in sesame oil for a couple mins in a saute pan until browning
-add diced eggplant and sauce and stir making sure sauce has coated all the eggplant, put a lid on and simmer for 5-8 mins (make sure it doesnt burn to the bottom of the pan! if it looks like its burning to the bottom of the pan at any point just add a couple tablespoons more water!)
-when looking dry add cornstarch mixture and chopped basil and stir again, replace lid and simmer until eggplant is soft (another 5-8 mins)...enjoy! (serve over brown rice)

vegan 'paella'

ok so this is delicious but probably doesn't taste like real paella as there is no fishy taste (not that Ive ever had paella so not that I would know :) feeds 5-6 ***NOTE: I halved this because it makes a ton


Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup quinoa
1/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed ... OR turmeric if you dont have saffron
2 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
dash cayenne (or more than a dash...I also added several diced hot peppers)
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 14-ounce can light red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 3/4 – 3 cups vegetable broth
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 can artichoke hearts, rinsed and cut into quarters 


Instructions:
Sauté onion and garlic in a deep non-stick skillet with a little oil (if you're using artichokes in a jar using the extra oil is tasty). Add the quinoa and saffron and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Add paprika, cumin, cayenne, tomatoes, peppers, beans, and 2 3/4 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, and cook covered for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, check to see if more broth is needed. If it looks dry, add the remaining vegetable broth. Place the zucchini on top of the quinoa and re-cover. Cook for about 5 more minutes, until quinoa is done. Remove the cover, stir in the peas, and cook uncovered until peas are warm and all liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Arrange the artichoke hearts on the top and serve. Add salt at the table, if necessary.

**NOTE: I added all the veggies at the same time so the zucchini would be more tender and the artichoke hearts would be mixed in...up to you though!

super easy mac and cheeze

I'm a sucker for mac and cheese (no surprises here...) and fortunately this is something that can be veganized in at least a semi-satisfying way! At least after 8 months of forgetting what real mac and cheese tastes like.


-boil however much pasta you want to eat (I use whole wheat) in veggie broth until it cooks down (so dont put in to much water because you want it to cook down not to strain it away).
-grate a package of follow your heart vegan cheese (chedder or mozerella).
-when pasta is ready, mix the grated cheese with the pasta ( a little remaining broth is ok) until it melts and enjoy!

mom's chocolate chia pudding

This is a yummy way to get useful omega 3's from chia!! And don't worry the you get used to the weird slightly slimy texture (yumm haha want to go out and make this now?!)


Ingredients:

• 1 ½ c. nondairy milk (I like almond the best for this recipe)
• ½ c. chia seeds
• 2 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 2 tsp. cocoa powder
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon (plus more for sprinkling on each serving)
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp. almond extract (optional)
• Pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together all ingredients.  Make sure all the chia seeds are saturated.  Using a whisk or a fork helps break up any clumps of cocoa powder that might form, since cocoa doesn’t like cold liquid very much!

Let the mixture sit uncovered at room temperature for about 20 minutes, at which point it should be thick & creamy.  Serve immediately or cover & store in the refrigerator.  If desired, sprinkle each serving with additional cinnamon & drizzle with a little extra agave and enjoy!

spinach artichoke dip

I made this on a whim one night because I was craving the dairy version by fusing about 6 different recipes I found online - and it actually turned out to be fantastic! Not a super healthy recipe but worth the calories. Serve with slices of toasted french bread.

Ingredients:
-1 ~12 oz package of frozen spinach, chopped
-1 jar of artichoke hearts, chopped
-1/2 yellow onion (or just use the whole thing...whatevs), chopped
-cayenne or paprika for dusting

-cream sauce
     -1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked for 1 hour or more...if you didnt plan ahead its fine, it will just be a      
      little less smooth no big deal)
    - 1 12oz package silken mori-nu tofu
     -1/2 cup non-dairy milk
     -1-2 small cloves garlic
     -1 tbsp lemon juice
     -1 tbsp dijon mustard (or more to taste)
     -1 tbsp miso paste (I've found color doesn't matter)
     -1 tbsp tahini
     -1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

     -splash apple cider vinegar

Instructions:
-preheat oven to 350
-sauté onion in a little earth balance for about 5 mins, then add artichokes & spinach for an additional ~6 to 10 mins or until soft
-blend all cream sauce ingredients in a food processor until totally pureed
-toss artichoke mix with cheese sauce mix and spread into greased glass baking pan
-sprinkle with cayenne (or paprika if you dont like spicy)
-bake for about 25-40 mins (depending on desired firmness, longer bake time = firmer dip) until hot and a little brown on top
-serve with crusty french bread and enjoy!

mango mousse

This is a perfect delicious summer dessert. I made this for a picnic/jazz concert at the Hammer museum and it was perfect! (healthy too :) oh and mine definitely didnt look as pretty (this is another internet pic...but I did serve it with slices strawberries wich made it extra delicious!)


Ingredients:
-1 bag of trader joes frozen mango halves (~4 mangos --> you can of course use fresh mangoes if you want but frozen is more cost efficient and results in firmer texture...if you use fresh mangos add 1/2 cup of ice)
-either a can of coconut milk -OR- 3/4 cup soy milk and 3/4 cup sweetened vanilla almond milk
-2 tsp agave necter (*NOTE* this is optional, I made mine with the soy/almond milk combo and chose not to add additional sugar - it came out light, creamy, and refreshing instead of overly sweet)
-2 tsp agar agar (which is what most online recipes call for...I used 3 tsp cornstarch instead because I didnt have agar agar) 


Instructions:
-bring non-dairy milk and agave if using, to a boil over medium high heat
-reduce to medium heat and add agar or cornstarch, stirring constantly
-whisk for about 5 mins until powder has disolved
-combine mangos, and milk mix in a blender and puree 
-poor into serving dishes and refrigerate for at least an hour
-garnish with strawberries and enjoy!

roasted brussel sprouts with mushrooms and balsamic vinegar

This recipe came to me from one of the other vegan food blogs I loosely follow, Julia's Vegan Kitchen. Its simply delicious and is definitely one of those recipes that has the ability to convert even brussel sprouts haters...


Ingredients:
-1.5 lbs brussel sprouts
-4 shallots or green onions, sliced
-10 whole garlic cloves, peeled 
-.5 lbs white mushrooms, sliced
-1/4 cup olive oil
-3 tbs balsamic vinegar
-2 tbs fresh rosemary, chopped (dried ok too)
-salt/pepper to taste


Instructions:
-preheat oven to 425
-removed blemished outer leaves from brussel sprouts and slice in half
-toss all ingredients together and place in greased 9x12 baking dish
-bake uncovered for 25 mins
-stir and roast an additional 20-25 mins
-enjoy! 

golden mushroom gravy

This recipe is a Colleen Classic - perfect as is! I (much much) prefer my pureed but some like to skip this step and leave it chunky.


Ingredients
2 teaspoons nondairy butter (Earth Balance...or you can use a drizzle of olive oil to saute the onions/mushrooms and this still tastes amazing and is lower-cal)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 pound white mushrooms, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups vegetable broth
2-3 tablespoons tamari soy sauce (I find 2 to be enough because I like things lower-sodium but this should obviously be to taste)
2-3 tbs fresh rosemary, chopped (dried ok)
Pepper to taste


Instructions:
-saute onion and mushroom over high heat, stirring frequently about 15 mins
-in the meantime, use a separate pot to whisk together flour, stock, tamari, chopped rosemary, and pepper and heat on low/medium
-when lump are gone from the flour/broth mix in onion/mushroom mixture and continue to cook on low/medium until thickened (several minutes)
-puree in a blender or with a blending stick and enjoy! (obviously play with the flavor if anything needs to be adjusted at this point)

roasted potatoes and wilted kale with spicy tahini dressing

 

This is straight up amazing. Its actually my favorite dish probably ever! A friend emailed me a recipe that I altered here because she knew I love kale (really was making fun of me for getting excited about the 'sale on kale' at whole foods, but hey it worked out for me :) anyway, make this and you wont be disappointed.

Roasted Potatoes and Wilted Kale
1 pound sweet potatoes
1 pound regular potatoes
1/3 cup olive oil
4-8 cloves peeled garlic (depending on how much you like garlic!! it gets roasted so its not that intense)
3/4 pound (1-2 bunches) chopped kale with the ribs removed
1/2 tsp of each salt, peper, garlic and onion powder, or to taste

Creamy/Spicy Tahini Dressing
1/4 cup well stirred tahini
4 tbs water
3 tbs lemon juice
1 garlic clove
1-3 tbs siracha (basically to taste depending on how spicy you want it dressing should be pink though)

Instructions:
-preheat oven to 400
-cut and peel the potatoes into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes
-toss with oil, whole garlic cloves, the salt/pepper and garlic/onion powder
- spread evenly on baking sheet (sheet should be covered in tin foil) and roast for 30 mins stirring every 10 mins
-meanwhile, toss the shredded kale in a (tiny) bit of oil (optional...I use m spritzer) and sprinkle with more garlic powder (note: this is NOT garlic salt)
-add the kale for the last 5 mins of cooking, just enough time to wilt it
-to make the tahini sauce:
          -in a food processor, puree tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, and siracha
          -if to thick add more water
-after kale is wilted remove from oven, stir potatoes, garlic and kale together and drizzle with tahini and enjoy!