Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Vegan Creamy Pasta Sauce Ⓥ

This recipe is super quick and simple to whip together. It's delicious and creamy and packed full of flavour. For the vegan-taste skeptics, no one will ever guess it's vegan. ;)

Vegan Creamy Pasta Sauce 

1 pound Brown Rice spiral Pasta (or pasta of your choice)

1 head Broccoli (about 1 pound), cut into small florets

2 cups plain unsweetened Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk)

1/2 cup Vegetable Broth

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

3 cloves Garlic, peeled and pressed

1 tbsp dried Basil

2 tps dried Oregano

1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder (or to taste--optional, but it adds a nice flavour and kick)

dash of Black Pepper

1/2- 1 tsp Salt, to taste.

1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast

2 tbsp Tapioca Flour (potato or corn starch would work as well, or even any flour)

Other optional add-ins:

Chickpeas

Cauliflower, Zucchini, spinach, or other veggies 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to instructions on package. 

While the pasta is cooking, steam your veggies. 

While those are both cooking, make your sauce: 

Combine in a medium saucepan the soy milk, garlic, herbs and spices, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Add the tapioca starch, and stir thoroughly. Increase heat a little and cook until the sauce boils and thickens slightly, stirring every so often. Add more water if needed. Taste-test to see if it needs more salt or pepper. 

Pour the sauce over the pasta and vegetables and stir gently to coat. If the pasta needs more moisture, add a little of reserved pasta water (from the water it was cooking in). 

Serve immediately.

Makes approx. 4 servings. 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Sautéed Tofu Ⓥ

This recipe is so super good and so super easy to throw together. I know it doesn't look that amazing in the photos, but trust me, it is! You could even bread these at the end if you wanted.

Makes a great side to a roast or potatoes!

Sautéed Tofu

1 Block Firm Tofu

1 Tbsp Miso 

1 cup Water

1 Tbsp Tamari

1 tsp Mustard

2 tsp Parsley

1 tsp Turmeric 

1/2 tsp Salt

Chop up your tofu into bite-sized cubes. 

In a large sauce pan, add all of your ingredients and sauté for 10-15 minutes until the tofu starts to brown and absorbs all that delicious flavour. 

Serve!

   

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Ⓥ Cheesecake Smoothie Shake! Ⓥ

Don't feel like making a full cheesecake? Well here's a quick and delicious fix, though it does take a tiny bit of preplanning. 

Makes a great dessert smoothie or even breakfast smoothie since it's healthy! :) 

Cheesecake Smoothie Shake

2 Tbsp Cashews, soaked

3 pitted Dates, soaked

1 Tbsp Chia seeds, soaked

1/2 cup water

1 small Banana

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

3/4 cup Almond Milk

1 tsp Vanilla extract

Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

Soak the cashews, dates, and chia in about 1/2 cup water in a sealable container in the fridge overnight. 

Toss all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add less or more liquid to get your desired consistency and sweeten to taste.  

Makes 1 large or two small servings. Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ 10 Minute - Grilled Tofu Tortillas! Ⓥ

Here's a super easy ten minute recipe for you! 

This makes a great lunch, supper, or even snack. Gluten free and vegan as always. :)

Grilled Tofu Tortillas

1/2 pound Tofu (anything from soft to firm works great)

1/2 medium Zucchini 

1 Tbsp (wheat-free) Tamari 

1-2 tsp of spices (I usually grab a dash of everything; Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, Cumin, ground Mustard, Chili Powder, Parsley)

touch of oil or water

4 Corn Tortillas

Daiya Cheese (or whatever your favourite vegan cheese may be)

You can also use whatever veggies you have handy really, the fun of this is it's easy to play around with and fast to make! 

In a medium pot or frying pan, sauté the tofu and veggies in the tamari and spices on medium-high heat until lightly browned and veggies are tender. Add a little oil to prevent any sticking--I usually just use a little bit of water, but I cook in eco-non-stick pans). 

Top the 4 corn tortillas with the tofu mixture, sprinkle cheese on top, and grill in the oven until the cheese is melty and the tortillas are a little toasty. 

Voila! Food in ten minutes! 

Makes 2 servings.

Enjoy!  

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Ⓥ Peanut Pumpkin Thai Curry Ⓥ

I've only made this once but I thought it was good enough to share immediately. ;) Next time I make it I'll try to make the measurements better for a larger serving instead of a single, but it's great if you have bits and pieces and are making dinner for one. Super easy, quick, creamy and delicious! An explosion of flavours to tantalize your tastebuds! 

Peanut Pumpkin Thai Curry

1 tsp Red Curry Paste

1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree 

1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

1/2 cup Coconut Milk Beverage (not the canned stuff)

1/4 block firm Tofu, cubed 

1 Tbsp Tamari

1/4 cup Vegetable Stock

1/4 tsp Ginger, ground 

1/4 tsp Cumin, ground

Black Pepper to taste

Cauliflower, Broccoli, spinach, or any other veggies you want to add

In a medium sauce pan, sauté the tofu in the tamari, curry, and spices until it browns a bit. Add the remaining ingredients, minus the vegetables, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the veggies and cook another 5-10 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Slowly add the coconut milk, and add more or less to get your desired consistency. 

Serve over rice or quinoa. 

Makes 1 large serving or two small servings. 

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Ⓥ Coconut Lentil Pumpkin Gumbo Curry Ⓥ

There are so many wonderful things you can do with pumpkins! So put them to good use far after halloween! 

This recipe is thanks to my sister for this lovely creation! I finally got around to making this myself, with a few changes since my sister makes awesome food but doesn't tend to write down exact recipes for her creations. ;)

This is delicious and needs to be tried! Healthy, satisfying, oh so goooood! :)

Coconut Lentil Pumpkin Gumbo Curry

Olive Oil

2 tsp Red Curry Paste

2 tsp Yellow Curry Paste

2 medium-large Carrots, diced

1-2 Sweet Potatoes, chopped (or regular potatoes or yams)

2 cups Red Lentils

1 large can, or 2 small cans Pumpkin Puree (or half a large home-grown pumpkin)

1 can Coconut Milk

Kale, Swiss chard, broccoli, or any other veggies you want to add

1 Tbsp Tamari

1 1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper 

1/2 tsp Cumin, ground

1/2 tsp Curry powder

touch of water, to thin it down

In a large sauce pan, sauté the carrots and potatoes in a bit of oil with the red and yellow curry paste. After a few minutes, add in the lentils, rest of the spices, tamari, and enough water to fill over the lentils and veggies--and to allow cooking reduction space. Let simmer on medium heat, stirring occasionally, adding more water if needed. 

Once the lentils are almost cooked, add in the pumpkin and the rest of your ingredients and continue cooking until all the veggies are cooked. 

Add more or less water to get your desired consistency. 

Serve over rice and enjoy! 

Makes a huuuuge batch! About 6 large servings. 

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Ⓥ Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Ⓥ

You know how it is, tis the season for lovely pumpkin recipes! And what's not to love? There is so much you can do! 

Here is a super simple but delicious smoothie recipe if you're craving pumpkin pie but don't feel like making an entire pie. ;)

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree, unsweetened

1/2 Banana

1 cup Almond Milk

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Stevia to sweeten (or other sweetener of your choice)

Toss all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add less or more liquid to get your desired consistency.  

Top with Coconut Whipped cream and you're in heaven! :) 

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Coconut Whipped Cream Ⓥ

This is so simple and delicious you'll wonder why you haven't been doing this for years! Fluffy, smooth, delicious, and free of unhealthy dairy and sugar! What's not to love?! 

Use it to top desserts, for sundaes, smoothies, cupcakes! You can also play around with different flavours! Boooyah! 

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 can full-fat Coconut Milk, chilled

1 tsp Vanilla

Agave, Stevia, or whatever you choose to sweeten

The essential part about this recipe is that you need to refrigerate the coconut milk overnight, so there is a little planning ahead. But the fun part is that you could just keep an extra can or two of coconut milk in your fridge for such an occasion. ;)

Once the coconut milk is chilled, flip the can upside down. This will leave it so that the liquid is now on top and your creamy coconut is on the bottom. Drain the liquid (you won't be needing this part but don't waste it, store it in your fridge and use it in smoothies). Transfer the creamy coconut part into a chilled bowl (the chilled bowl helps to keep the coconut cold and thicker while you prepare it). 

Beat the thick coconut cream in the chilled bowl with a hand mixer until thick and fluffy.

Add the vanilla and sweetener, beating into the coconut cream. I use about a full dropper full of stevia, if you're using agave or something else I'd say 1-2 tbsp, add it slowly so you can taste test.   

Now, the fun part, if you want different flavours: add some cinnamon or cocoa powder (you may want to increase the sweetener a bit); or you can also replace the vanilla with almond, coconut, orange, or any extract or liqueur you'd like! Fun, right?!

You can serve immediately, or transfer the coconut cream to a covered storage container and chill for 2 hours until the mixture firms. It will store in the fridge for about a week, but will harden the longer it's in there, so take it out about an hour before serving in this case. 

Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Peanut Butter Pumpkin "Cheesecake"! Ⓥ

I found this recipe on Pinterest, from the Damy Health, and had to replicate it and through my own little twist on it. My friend, Tam, who has been my awesome cooking partner lately, made this with me in my new kitchen--it was a fun and delicious evening! :)

I am a sucker for anything peanut butter and chocolate! This recipe also has pumpkin in it which adds some awesome health benefits and gives it a fluffy cheesecake-like texture. This recipe is also no bake, vegan, gluten free, sugar-free, and super easy to prepare! You could easily make this raw as well if you had your own pumpkin. 

Peanut Butter Pumpkin "Cheesecake"

Crust Ingredients:

1 Cup Raw Peanuts

1 Cup Raw Almonds

1 Cup Pitted Dates

4 Tbsp Cocoa

1/4 Cup Water

Peanut Butter Filling Ingredients:

1 Cup Pumpkin Puree

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

1/3 Cup Pitted Dates, soaked at least 10 mintures--I like to soak them longer so they blend easier

1 Tbsp Stevia

Chocolate Topping Ingredients:

1 Cup Coconut Oil

1 Tbsp Stevia

1/2 Cup Cocoa

Just a note, I am used to stevia, I love the taste! For some it takes a while to get used to the flavour, but my hubby loved this recipe too and he's not overly fond of stevia. You could also half the amount of stevia and add a little sweetener of your choice, but we wanted to keep this sugar-free and uber healthy! ;)

Separately blend each layer listed above in a food processor. The crust should be dough-like, the peanut butter filling should be smooth, and the top should be liquidy.

If you so choose, grease an 8-inch spring form pie plate with a healthy oil. I tend to skip this step--half the time because I forget, the other half because I've never had any issues with my desserts coming out of their dishes. ;)

First, press down the crust into the bottom of the pie plate. Next, layer and smooth out the peanut butter filling. And finish by pouring your chocolate topping over the top. 

Chill for a few hours in the freezer until the top solidifies. 

Remove, cut into pieces and enjoy! 

I think we're going to play around with this recipe a bit as well so that the top isn't quite as hard. It tastes amazing but when you cut into it it kind of smushes everything else since the chocolate top is hard. ;p I'll update this with any changes we make the next time we make this wonderful recipe. ;)

Makes 1 8-inch cake. Try not to devour it all in one go. ;)

And for your entertainment; how silly we are when making this... 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Pumpkin PB Bliss Smoothie! Ⓥ

It's that lovely fall time of year when the leaves start to turn and pumpkin is all we can think about. Yum! It's in season, it's healthy, it's versatile, it's fabulous! 
So! A week ago my friend, Tam, and I made the most epic Peanut Butter "Cheesecake" ever! Don't worry, I'll be sharing that recipe soon as well. ;) There was pumpkin in it and it was sublime! But I had leftover pumpkin so I decided to experiment and sort of replicate the filling part of last night's dessert, but into a morning smoothie. I am so in love with this that I opened up a new can of pumpkin puree just so that I could remake it again the next day… and the next day… and yesterday… and today... to say I'm a little obsessed with this might be an understatement. ;) But it tastes like dessert and is healthy goodness to start your day! What's not to love?

This recipe is; vegan (as always), sugar-free, and gluten-free! 

Okay, without further ado, awesome Smoothie time! 

Pumpkin PB Bliss Smoothie

1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree (unsweetened, just pumpkin)

1- 1 1/2 Frozen Bananas

1 Tbsp Peanut Butter

1tsp Stevia

1 cup Coconut Milk Beverage

dash of Cinnamon 

Add all of your ingredients together in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy! Add less or more "milk" to get your desired consistency. 

I feel that for the texture the bananas being frozen is essential, so make sure you have some handy in the freezer--they're the best way to have in smoothies anyways. ;) You could easily add more pumpkin pie spice as well for more of a, well, pumpkin pie flavour, but I love it the way I make it. ;) 

Makes 1 serving. Enjoy! 

If you're using pumpkin from a can then make sure you store any leftovers in another container as opposed to the can. I get about 3 smoothies per can (I never measure the pumpkin, I just ballpark it ;)). And, just in case you've never frozen banana before, be sure to remove the peal and then store in a ziplock bag or container before putting int he freezer. ;)  

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Hummus! Ⓥ

This recipe is super simple, super easy, and super delicious! Anyone that has ever tried it has loved it and asked me for the recipe (which clearly has taken me far too long to finally post!). Make this for potlucks or snacks, dips, spreads, whatever your heart desires! My favourite is dipping Mary's Crackers in! :)

Hummus

1 can (398ml) Chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp Tahini

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Water

1-2 tsp Garlic Powder (or 1 garlic clove)

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Chili Powder (optional)

In a food processor, combine all your ingredients and process until smooth. You can add more or less water depending on what consistency you'd like. I've also made this recipe before without the lemon juice altogether and it still tastes awesome (though it does taste even more awesome with it). 

Makes a nice sized tub (pictured). ;)

Enjoy!

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Potato Pea Curry! Ⓥ

Here's a new lovely curry recipe for my lovelies. This makes a lovely dish, especially if you can get your potatoes and peas from your own garden or locally! It makes a lovely dish either way and is a milder curry for the spicy sensitive. 

Pure goodness! 

Potato Pea Curry

1-2 medium Sweet Potatoes or regular Potatoes, cut into small chunks

1 cup Peas

1 1/2 Tsp Red Curry Paste*

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp ground Ginger

1/2 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Garam Masala

1/4 cup Vegetable Stock/Broth

2 Tsp Tamari or Soy Sauce

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 cup Red Lentils (+ 2 cups Water)

1/4-1/2 cup Coconut Milk (beverage kind, not canned kind)

1 tbsp Coconut Oil

1 can Chickpeas (drained and rinsed)(optional)

Optional; ground chilies (if you like it extra spicy) 

*depending on what brand of curry paste you use will depend on how much you want to add, and depends on how spicy you like your curry. This curry is milder. 

In a large saucepan, sauté the spices and curry with the chopped potatoes on medium-high heat for a minute and then add the broth, lentils and water. Simmer on medium heat. Once the potatoes are tender and the lentils get softer (around 15 minutes), add the peas, chickpeas, coconut milk and cook another ten minutes.  

Add more liquid if necessary and you can play around with other veggies, spices, etc if you desire. 

Serve over rice or quinoa. 

Makes about 6 servings. 

Enjoy! 

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Ⓥ Yeast-Free Spelt Crust Ⓥ

So people have been bugging me for this recipe and I am just finally now posting this--finally! ;) Anyways, this was my husband's creation so all credit goes to him. It's super simple and easy to make and you can add any spices you'd like to add a little extra flavour. It rises just fine, while still being a thin crust it's really quite fluffy and I forget that we don't even use yeast--we haven't in years and don't miss it or need it. ;)

This crust is vegan, yeast-free, and wheat-free (but not gluten-free). 

Anyway, recipe ago! 

Yeast-Free Spelt Crust

2 cups Spelt Flour

1 cup Water

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

spices (optional, oregano, basil, cumin are fantastic) 

Combine all the dry ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl and mix well. Slowly add the water until you get a nice doughy consistency, not too runny and not too thick. If you accidentally add too much water then you can always add more flour, no biggie. ;)

Makes 1 crust. 

Top with all your favourite pizza toppings, sauce, and vegan cheese! Bake in the oven at 350℉ for about 20-30 minutes, until the bottom is slightly browned and your toppings have cooked. Voila! Yeast-free pizza crust! 

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Ⓥ Vegan Kitchen: Avocado Super Smoothie! Ⓥ

This smoothie is absolutely dreamy and creamy and delicious! 

Avocados are great in smoothie because they add that lovely creamy texture that melts in your mouth. Some people avoid these super-healthy foods because of their high calorie and fat content, but make no mistake about it, they truly are super! Packed full of anti-oxidants, beta- and alpha-carotenes, vitamin e, high in folate (which combat heart disease, and birth defects if you're pregnant), and are a great source of fibre. Their fat content is also the super healthy kind which helps your body properly digest fats and lowers cholesterol--remember that not all fats are bad! They also help you get more of the nutrients from other food. Avocados also make you feel full (in a good way) so this smoothie is a great start to the day that will keep you satisfied for hours and hours! 

I also pack this smoothie full of goodness like Cocoa, Maca, and Hemp protein--though the maca and protein are absolutely optional but do add a lovely health boost.  

Avocado Super Smoothie

1/2 Banana

1/2 Avocado

2 pitted Dates, soaked

2 tsp Cocoa Powder

1-2 tsp Maca Powder (optional)

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup Coconut or Almond Milk

2 tbsp Hemp Protein powder (optional)

Soak the Dates in the 1/2 cup of water for at least 10 minutes--I prefer to do this overnight in the fridge. 

Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender or food processor until smooth--including the dates and water they've been soaking in. Add less or more water to get your desired consistency. 

Makes 1 smoothie. Enjoy! 

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