Archive for Vegan – Page 3

Homemade Italian Caponata


By Leslie · Comments (3) · November 29th, 2012

Holy cow! We’re two days away from December!  This time of year always make me think of the amazing Holidays I’ve spent with my family on the East Coast.  I thought I’d share one of my favorite recipes from my Great Aunt Rose.  This is her recipe for Caponata a delicious vegetable spread that’s perfect for Holiday parties and family dinners!

Aunt Rose’s Caponata

What you’ll need:

3 medium eggplants, diced into 1/2 inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup tomato puree

2 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

3 stalks celery, diced

1/4 cup sliced black olives

3 tbsp. chopped parsley

2 tbsp. capers

salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:

Saute the eggplant in a large frying pan with a little olive oil and salt until it’s soft.  Set aside.

In another large frying pan, saute the onion with a drizzle of olive oil.  Saute 2 minutes.  Add the tomato puree and sugar and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add the vinegar and saute another 2 minutes.  Add in the eggplant, celery, olives, and capers.  Saute another couple minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Chill in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.  Serve at room temp.

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Comments (3)
Categories : Dips, Ethnic: Mediterranean, featured, gluten free, Party Ideas, recipes, Vegan

Swiss Chard Puffs


By Leslie · Comments (4) · November 21st, 2012

Need a super easy fabulous appetizer for your Fall get together?  Well, I’ve got one that’s simple, easy, and very tasty!  Love the combo of the chard and cashews!  When I came up with these I was actually going to use a different nut and when I saw cashews sitting there, I said, why not give those a try!?  So glad I did!  I hope you enjoy!

Swiss Chard Puffs

What you’ll need:

2 sheets of puff pastry, defrosted

1 lb. swiss chard, chopped

1/4 cup halved or roughly chopped unsalted cashews

salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

On a floured cutting board, lay out the puff pastry and cut into 2 1/2 to 3 inch squares and lay on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

In a frying pan, saute the swiss chard in a little olive oil.  After about 2 minutes, add in the cashews.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  When the chard is soft, dollop a spoonful of chard mix onto the center of each puff pastry square.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the puff pastry “puffs” and turns golden.  Serve warm :)

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Comments (4)
Categories : Appetizers, featured, recipes, Thanksgiving, Vegan

Vegan Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Crust and Coconut Whipped Cream


By Leslie · Comments (7) · November 15th, 2012

Hard to believe this velvety rich pumpkin pie is eggless but it is!  To add to the decadence, I used Hail Merry chocolate macaroons for the crust, but you could easily substitute with your own cookie crust or traditional pie crust.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie with Coconut Whipped Cream

Makes 1 10 inch pie

For the pie:

1 3.5 oz. package of Hail Merry chocolate macaroons

29 oz. can of pumpkin or roasted pureed pumpkin

2 cup plain soy or almond milk

1 cup of sugar

1/4 cup corn starch

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. salt

For the coconut whipped cream:

1 15 oz. can of coconut cream (I like Trader Joe’s brand)

3 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Press the macaroons in a 9 inch pie pan evenly.

Using a hand mixer, blend the pumpkin, milk, sugar, cornstarch, and spices until very smooth.  Pour into the pie crust and cover the crust with foil.  Bake for 60 minutes.

For the coconut whipped cream:

Refrigerate the can for 6 hours or overnight.  Open the can and scoop out all the white solid “stuff” and place in a mixing bowl.  Whip with the powdered sugar and vanilla until it light and fluffy.

Comments (7)
Categories : Desserts, featured, gluten free, recipes, Thanksgiving, Vegan

Can-Free, Dairy-Free Green Bean Casserole


By Leslie · Comments (3) · November 15th, 2012

Green Bean Casserole is a staple on so many Thanksgiving tables, but who needs cans when you can make it fresh?  This recipe is super easy and so much more tasty when made from scratch.

Green Bean Casserole

Serves 8

1 1/2 fresh green beans, washed, trimmed, and cut into 2 inch pieces

3 tbsp. butter substitute like Earth Balance

4 oz. mushrooms, chopped

1/2 onion, finely diced

2 garlic, diced

1 tbsp. flour

1 cup plain soy milk

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

salt and pepper

1 vidalia onion, halved and sliced

4 tbsp. flour

a pinch of paprika

a pinch of cayenne

Mix the flour, paprika, and cayenne in a bowl and toss the onion slices in.  In a frying pan, heat a inch of oil on high.  Shake the excess flour off the onions and fry in batches quickly until golden then let sit on a paper towel to absorb oil.

Steam the green beans until soft, but still crunchy (you’re going to bake them so they will cook more), set aside.

In a sauce pot, on medium heat, melt the butter and add the mushrooms, onion and garlic.  Saute until the onion is soft and translucent.  Add the flour and nutmeg and stir continuously until it becomes a paste like consistency and tan colored.  Carefully add the soy milk and continue to stir continuously.  Toss the green beans in the sauce and pour into a casserole dish.  Top with the crispy onions, cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes on 350 degrees.

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Comments (3)
Categories : featured, recipes, Thanksgiving, Vegan

Creamed Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms


By Leslie · Comments (2) · November 14th, 2012

My Grandmother’s Creamed Spinach is a legendary staple on my family’s Thanksgiving table (and very non-vegan lol!).  I tried my hardest to veganize her recipe and this is the closest I could get…  Grandma’s recipe calls for cream of mushroom soup and since I clearly wasn’t using a canned dairy-based soup, I thought, why don’t I just put it in a mushroom?  Voila!  I hope you enjoy!

Creamed Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Makes 24 mushrooms

24 mushrooms, I used “stuffing” mushrooms which are medium size portobellos

3 tbsp. butter substitute like Earth Balance

1/2 onion, finely diced

2 garlic, diced

1 tbsp. flour

1 cup plain soy milk

1 1/2 lb fresh spinach, chopped

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

salt and pepper

Place the chopped spinach in a large frying pan.  Do not turn on the heat.  In a sauce pot, on medium heat, melt the butter and add the onion and garlic.  Saute until the onion is soft and translucent.  Add the flour and stir continuously until it becomes a paste like consistency and tan colored.  Carefully add the soy milk, and nutmeg, and continue to stir continuously.  When the flour is dissolved pour the sauce over the spinach in the frying pan.  Turn the pan on medium heat and toss until the spinach has wilted.

Scoop the spinach mixture into the mushrooms and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.  Serve warm.

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Comments (2)
Categories : Appetizers, featured, recipes, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetables: Mushrooms, Vegetables: Spinach

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins!


By Leslie · Comments (2) · November 10th, 2012

This my absolutely FAVorite Fall recipe!  It has been in the family forever and when I veganized I found I liked them even more!!  I hope you enjoy!

And check out my video on how these can make the perfect gift!

Harvest Pumpkin Chip Muffins

Makes 2 dozen

What you’ll need:

3 cups gluten free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Baking Flour) Or all-purpose, sifted

3/4 tsp. chia seeds

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

3 heaping tsp cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

3 cups sugar

1 cup melted vegan butter (Earth Balance is my favorite)

1 15 oz can pure pumpkin

2 mashed ripe bananas (mash them well)

12 oz bag of dark chocolate chips or carob chips

What you’ll do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the flour and carefully mix in the chia seeds, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg and set aside.

Mix sugar, butter, pumpkin, and butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a standing mixer (kitchenaid) When incorporated, add the bananas.

Add slowly to the dry mixture to the wet mixture.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spoon into muffin cups (pretty full since they don’t rise much)

Bake for 30 – 35 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Lesliesarnasig

Comments (2)
Categories : Dasani ECOmmunity, featured, Muffins, recipes, Vegan

Wild Mushroom Gravy


By Leslie · Comments (1) · November 6th, 2012

Mashed potatoes without gravy is like me without my puppy Pepe. Not the same! Coming up with an equally yummy vegan version of this rich and deep wild mushroom gravy that’s been a fave on my family’s Thanksgiving table for years was not so easy.  But this gravy will have vegans and meaties alike calling ‘pass the gravy’ all dinner long!

Wild Mushroom Gravy

Serves 4 – 6

What you’ll need:

1 small to medium onion, halved and diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp. butter substitute like Earth Balance

1 medium portobello mushroom, chopped

4 oz. wild mushrooms, sliced (these could be crimini, shitake, oyster or whatever you like)

2 tbsp. flour (for gluten free, just use more cornstarch)

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

2 tbsp. soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:

In a large frying pan, on medium low heat, melt the butter and add in the onions, portobello mushrooms and garlic.  Add a pinch of salt.  Saute for about 2 minutes.  Add the wild mushrooms and saute for another couple minutes.  Add the flour and mix until dissolved.

Add in the vegetable broth and cornstarch.  Stir to dissolve all the cornstarch.  Let cook for another couple minutes and add the soy sauce.  Taste and season.

Comments (1)
Categories : featured, recipes, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetables: Mushrooms

Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes


By Leslie · Comments (42) · November 6th, 2012

It’s Fall!! Well, sort of… Here in Southern California where the temperatures are said to reach the 90′s this week it hardly feels like mid October!  But none-the-less I wanted to share with you a super easy and fabulous Fall recipe I whipped up the other night when some friends came over for dinner.  This would make a perfect protein substitution for Thanksgiving or a fabulous side dish for those veggies and gluten-free’s coming over for dinner.  I hope you enjoy as much as we did :)

Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Serves 8

What you’ll need:

4 sweet potatoes

1 cup quinoa

2 cups vegetable broth

1 tbsp. butter substitute like Earth Balance

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 cups kale, broken into 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

1/4 cup (plus) dried cranberries

salt and pepper

What you’ll do:

Bake the sweet potatoes in a 350 degree oven for 1 hours or until fork tender.  While they are cooking, make your filling.  Cook the quinoa in the vegetable broth.  And while that is cooking, saute the onion in the butter and olive oil with a pinch of salt until soft.  Add in the kale, almonds, and cranberries and saute until the kale is soft, about 3 minutes.  Add the finished quinoa to the frying pan and mix together.

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Comments (42)
Categories : Entrees, featured, gluten free, Quinoa, recipes, Thanksgiving, Vegan

Creamy Mashed Potatoes


By Leslie · Comments (1) · October 30th, 2012

Thanksgiving is on it’s way!  I’ve been cooking up a storm of new recipes and when I thought about which one to post first, I thought I’d start with one of the ultimate staples that will probably appear on every American table.  Mashed potatoes.  You have to love them, they are the foundation on which you can pile just about everything lol!  So here is how I make mine :)

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Serves 4

1 lb. potatoes (I like a 50/50 combo of yukon gold and red potatoes)

4 tbsp. butter alternative (like Earth Balance)

1/4-3/4 cup plain soy milk

salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:

Boil the potatoes with the skin on in salted water until fork tender, about 25 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes.  Drain and peel if you are not fond of the skins.  I personally peel about half of them cause I like a little skin ;)  Place the potatoes back in the pot or a large bowl with the “butter”.  Mash with a potato masher and add the soy milk a 1/4 cup at a time until you get your desired consistency.  Today it took about 1/2 cup.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Helpful tips & ideas:

- If you like your potatoes extra smooth, you can use a hand mixer.  Just be sure to not raise the power above medium.  If you whip them on high the potatoes will become “gluey” and gross.

- Feel free to stir in ingredients!  Mashed potatoes are delicious with sauteed leeks stirred in or chopped green onions.

- One of my favorite things is using half sweet potatoes and half yukon gold potatoes, they turn out amaaaazing!  Def give it a try!

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xoxo

Comments (1)
Categories : featured, gluten free, recipes, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving, Vegan, Vegetables: Potatoes

17 Bean and Barley Soup


By Leslie · Comments (0) · October 29th, 2012

With Winter on it’s way and Hurricane Sandy about to hit the East Coast I thought I’d post about a fabulous hearty soup I made.  This is a great recipe to have handy, because I usually always have all the ingredients on hand.  For this recipe, I found myself inspired in Trader Joe’s.  (Have you gotten your copy of the Cooking with Trader Joe’s Cookbook I contributed to?)  I love all the interesting and unique products they carry that all come with a little sense of humor.  I found myself with a package in my hands of “17 bean and barley mix”.  The bag had a picture of a man leading a cow and an old woman saying “Joe, this time if you sell the cow, don’t settle for less than 17 beans”.  It’s humorous little touches like this that make me want to shop there.  So I bought my bean mix and here is the soup I made.  If there is no Trader Joe’s close to you, you can easily sub out for a pound of your favorite beans.

17 Bean and Barley Soup

Serves 6-8

What you’ll need:

1 package (1 lb.) 17 beans and barley mix

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

6 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (more if you like a kick)

a handful of fresh parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:

If you have enough planning sense to soak the beans overnight than do so, or you can “quick soak” by combining the beans and 8 cups water in a pot and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to medium low so they are are simmering and let simmer for 2 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and let soak for an hour.  Drain.

In a large stock pot, saute the onions, garlic, and carrots for about 5 minutes in a couple tablespoons of olive oil with a pinch of salt.  When the carrots begin to feel tender add in the broth, (drained) beans, oregano, and cayenne.  Let simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Serve warm topped with some freshly chopped parsly and some warm crusty bread.

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Enjoy!

Comments (0)
Categories : Entrees, featured, recipes, Soup, Vegan
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