Mushroom, Asparagus, & Red Pepper Soup

The color of the soup doesn't come put looking very appetizing but it's really delicious (if I say so myself)

Ingredients (I was hungry so I only made one serving of soup - for larger batches just increase your veggies)

• 1/4 chopped red pepper
• 1 portobello mushroom steak chopped
• about 5 stalks of asparagus chopped
• 1 tbsp of oil
• about 1 1/2 cup of Almond milk
• pepper to taste
• salt to taste

Directions

• Saute veggies for about 5 minutes in the oil
• Add 1/2 cup of Almond milk, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes
• The milk should be almost absorbed by the veggies 
• Transfer to blender and add the additional 1 cup of Almond Milk
• Puree veggies and milk until smooth - add in pepper and salt to taste at this time
• Serve!

Cheesy Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Quinoa
• 3 cups of Almond Milk
• 2 cups of Vegan Cheese (I used Cheddar Daiya Cheese)

Directions

• Cook in a Slow Cooker on high for 3 hours, stirring occasionally

Variations 

• Add salsa
• Add Vegan meat
• Add Broccoli 

Penne in an Avocado Cream Sauce

Ingredients 

• Penne Pasta (I used a gluten free pasta)
• 1 avocado
• about 1/2 cup of vegan cheese (I used Daiya Chedder Cheese)
• 1/2 tbsp cilantro
• 1/4 tbsp sage
• 1/4 cup of Almond Milk
• Lime Juice about 1/4 tbsp
• Apple Cider Vinegar 1/4 tbsp
• Pepper

Directions

• Blend all ingredients besides pasta together

• Cook Pasta and Drain, once pasta is drained add mixture to pasta and cook until cheese is melted on a low heat

Spicy Tofu Portobello Mushroom Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 block of  Firm Tofu
• 1/4 chopped Onion
• 1 Portobello Mushroom grilled and chopped
• 1 tbsp of Chia Seeds
• Pepper to taste
• Hot Sauce to taste (I used about 2 to 3 tbsp)
• 1/2 tbsp liquid smoke
• 2 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds

Directions

• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
• Chill and Serve

"Breakfast Balls"

So I tried my hand at the sweets! They come out almost like a shortbread ball, but still chewy in the middle. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup flour (I used white rice flour, which I guess makes thes Gluten Free also!)
• 1/2 cup of Coconut Sugar
• 1/2 Almond Milk
• 2 tbsp of Vanilla Extract
• 3 tbsp of Vegan Butter
• 3 Spoonfuls of Peanut Butter
• 1/4 cup chopped Walnuts
• 2 Dashes of Pumpkin Pie Spice

Directions

• Beat together until mixed and looks "crumbly"
• Preheat over to 375
• Spoon cookie mixture out and roll into balls
• Bake for 20 minutes 

   

Orzo in a Red Wine "Cream" Sauce

Ok - So here's another Orzo recipe!

Ingredients

• Orzo Pasta
• about 1/4 cup of Red Wine Cooking Vinegar
• about 1/4 cup of Almond Milk
• Asparagus
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• about 2 to 3 tbsp Vegan Worcester Sauce
• Basil
• Pepper
• Vegan Goat Cheese

Directions

• Make the cheese the night before
• Saute Onions, Basil, Pepper, Mushrooms, and Asparagus in the Red Wine Cooking Vinegar and Worcester Sauce
• Cook the Pasta
• Add the Milk and let cook together for about 5 minutes
• Add Pasta to Mixture
• Serve and Top with Goat Cheese

Breakfast Polenta Muffins

And the Cooking Continues!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cup Corn Meal
• 5 Cups water
• 1 Medium Size Onion
• 1 Green Pepper
• 3/4 Cup Chopped Mushrooms
• 3 Vegan Breakfast Links (I used Tofurky Brand)
• 1/2 Cup of Nutritional Yeast
• 1/2 of Vegan Cheese (I used Shredded Cheddar Daiya Cheese)
• Paprika
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

• Boil 5 cups of water
• While water is boiling - saute veggies, paprika, salt, and pepper
• Once water is boiling slowly add corn meal and stir while adding
• After corn meal has absorbed water, add in saute mix, nutritional yeast, cheese and stir until cheese is melted

• Preheat oven to 350
• Place mixture in your choice or pan (I used cupcake pan to make it an easy on the go Breakfast)
• Cover pan Bake for 20 minutes
• Uncover pan and Bake for 20 more minutes

Recipe yields about 12 "muffins" - It was an extra big muffin pan

Quinoa Asparagus "Cheese" Salad

Here's another simple recipe for you! 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup Quinoa (make sure you rinse)
• 3 cups water
• A handful of asparagus (chopped)
• 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
• Cinnamon-Pear Balsamic Vinaigrette (This can be to taste depending on how sweet you want the salad to taste - I used about 4 tbsps)
• I found this recipe for Vegan Goat Cheese and that's what I used for the cheese

Directions

• Make the cheese the night before
• Bring the Quinoa to a boil in the water - reduce heat and cook until water is absorbed
• Saute the asparagus and walnuts in 1 to 2 tbsp of the Vinaigrette
• Cool both the Quinoa and the asparagus - Once cooled mix together and the other 2 tbsp of Vinaigrette
• Top with the cheese

Orzo Pasta in a Tomato Cream Sauce

Hello there! 

Here's a quick and easy pasta meal! I used Orzo pasta for this meal, but feel free to pick the pasta of your choice.

Pasta of Choice - I used 1/2 cup of Orzo
Vegan Cream Cheese - Garlic and Chive Flavor about 1/4 a cup maybe a little more
Marinara Sauce about 1/2 cup (I have a recipe for sauce to come!)
Nutritional Yeast 1-2 tbsp

Cook the pasta, drain, add in cream cheese, marinara sauce, and nutritional yeast stir until smooth and mixed. ENJOY!

Tofu Avocado Salad

This recipe is great for easy lunch wrap sandwiches! 

Ingredients

• Super firm tofu (1 package)
• 1 avocado
• 1 chopped small onion
• 1 medium cucumber seeded and chopped
• Vegan Mayonnaise (about 2 tbsp)
• Lemon Juice (about 1 to 2 tbsp)
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Optional: Carrots or Cranberries
• Tortilla Wrap (heat for about 15 seconds to make the wrap easier to fold)

Directions

• Drain Tofu and crumble into small pieces (I use a fork to sort of mash them)
• Mash the avocado
• Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill before serving
• Serve with your choice of wrap

Red Lentil Quinoa Creation with Slow Cooker

Ok, First I rarely measure things so these are all estimates and I advise a season to taste method as well. 


Ingredients

• About 1 cup of Red Lentils
• 1/4 cup of Quinoa
• 1/2 cup of frozen edamame 
• Chopped Scallions
• 1/2 cup of Cashews
• 1 Tablespoon Tumeric
• 1/2 Tablespoon Cumin
• About 2 cups of water
• Salt n Pepper to Taste

Directions

• Mix water, red lentils, quinoa, scallions, cashews, tarragon into slow cooker. Cook on high for about 2 hours
• Depending on mixture (it should be heading towards the creamy side) - you may need to add water. I suggest 1/2 cup at a time
• Add frozen edamame and cook on low for another 2 hours. 
• Stir occasionally to check consistency

Additional Comments

• If needed you can add nutritional yeast to add B12
• This mixture can be served over rice, made as a spread for wrap sandwiches, or just eat it as is.

Welcome!

Hello All! 

So in the midst of Superbowl Sunday and not feeling motivated to finish my writing assignments for school, I have decided to put together a blog about my vegan cooking adventures. In October 2012, I decided to shift to a vegan lifestyle. In the beginning, it was very much a prepared foods from Whole Foods world. I thought that this would help with the transition. Now that I am a few months in to this switch, I have been preparing my own foods through some really great cookbooks (e.g Forkoverknives, The Complete Vegan Kitchen, and Vegan Slow Cooking). From there, I have been able to put together some tasty meals of my own. Within this blog, I will post my own vegan creations. Typically, I throw things together on the weekend, so this should be updated weekly with whatever I think of. If you give them a go, please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts. 

Happy Cooking!