Category: Dinner

Vegan Nut-Free Mac ‘n’ Cheese

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Vegan Nut-Free Mac 'n' Cheese

One major aspect of my philosophy when it comes to vegan cooking is to not get too hung up on veganizing dishes that rely heavily on non-vegan foods, with cheese as a prime example. I was drawn to this recipe, however, because it uses simple vegetables to create the cheesy sauce, as opposed to cashews, which can be expensive, time-consuming, or dependent on a high-speed blender to turn into sauce; or a concoction of non-dairy milk and flour, which can be bland or troublesome to thicken.

I also love that this recipe can be made entirely on the stovetop, not requiring any oven time.

I opted to add some herby toasted breadcrumbs to add a bit of crunch of the dish, but this is totally optional.

Two Bowls of Vegan Nut-Free Mac 'n' Cheese
 

Vegan Nut-Free Mac ‘n’ Cheese Recipe

Ingredients (Serves ~2)

Vegan Cheese Sauce:

  • 1 cup potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used Butter Potatoes)
  • 1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
  • .5 can Great Northern Beans (or any white beans), rinsed and drained
  • ~.40 cup of unsweetened plant-based milk or water (I used Silk soy milk)
  • 2.5 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • .5 tbsp lemon juice
  • .5 tsp salt
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic or .25 tsp garlic powder
  • .25 tsp onion powder
  • A very small splash of liquid smoke (optional)
  • .25 tsp tomato paste (optional)

Other Ingredients:

  • .5 pound dried pasta, I used shell pasta
  • .25 cup reserved pasta water
  • 1 tbsp vegan butter (I used Earth Balance) (optional)
  • 1 tbsp additional nutritional yeast (optional)
  • .5 tbsp olive oil (optional)
  • .5 cup panko breadcrumbs (optional)
  • Dried oregano (optional)
  • A few fresh basil or parsley leaves (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Boil the potatoes and carrots together in a large pot for about 20 minutes or until fork-tender.

2. While it boils, cook the pasta according to the package instructions.

3. Once the potatoes and carrots are soft, put them into a blender (or leave in the pot to immersion blend) along with all of the other Vegan Cheese Sauce ingredients. Blend well and adjust seasonings as needed.

4. Once the pasta has cooked, reserve .25 cup pasta water, drain the pasta, and add it to the large pot of Vegan Cheese Sauce.

5. Mix well and adjust seasonings as needed. If it seems too thick, slowly add some of the reserved pasta water. If it doesn’t seem cheesy enough, add the additional nutritional yeast, butter, and/or salt and pepper.

6. For the breadcrumb topping: In a separate pan, heat .5 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat until the oil can be swirled around the pan and is nearly smoking.

7. Add the .5 cup of panko breadcrumbs to the pan and stir constantly until they all look goldeny brown. Keep an eye on them the whole time! Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. Mix in some dried oregano to your liking.

8. Spoon breadcrumbs mixture over the top of your vegan nut-free mac ‘n’ cheese, and rip up some fresh basil (or parsley) to garnish. Enjoy!

This recipe was inspired by “Nut Free Vegan Mac N Cheese” by Alexa Fueled Naturally. Thank you for sharing!

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Vegan Chipotle White Bean Quesadillas

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These are so good, it should be a sin! A sinquesadilla, perhaps?! Because they are without cheese..

Mexican food is probably my favorite my cuisine, and I love that you can get so many vibrant, intense flavors in Mexican dishes without even breaking the bank or buying something obscure. Lime, red onion, cilantro, corn, cumin.. it doesn’t take much to get that distinctly Mexican flavor, even in the absence of cheese! This was my first time cooking with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and wow, it might be a game changer! Just opening the can, the aroma was amazing!

 

Vegan Chipotle White Bean Quesadilla Recipe

Ingredients (2 Quesadillas)

  • Chipotle Spread:
    • 1 can Great Northern Beans (or any white beans, such as Cannelini), drained and rinsed
    • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
    • 1-2 cloves of garlic
    • Juice of 1 lime
    • 2 tsps cumin
    • 1 tsp salt
    • .5 tsp oregano
    • Black pepper to taste
  • 4 burrito-size flour tortillas
  • 2 dollops of vegan butter (optional)
  • .25 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
  • .25 cup corn (I used frozen, but fresh would be even better)
  • .25 cup red onion, finely diced
  • .25 cup bell pepper, diced
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 scallion/green onion (optional), finely sliced
  • Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • Lemon juice
  • Olive oil (optional)

Method

1. Add all of the Chipotle Sauce ingredients into a food processor and process until it forms a homogenous paste.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the black beans, corn, red onion, cilantro, and bell pepper (the above measurements are approximate). Season with salt, pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, and a little lime juice if there is any remaining in the lime after using it in the Chipotle Sauce.

3. Heat a dollop of vegan butter on medium-high. While it heats up, assemble the quesadillas by spreading a layer of Chipotle Sauce on one tortilla, sprinkling on half of the fresh vegetables mixture evenly, then placing another tortilla on top.

4. When the pan is hot, add the quesadilla and let it get crispy, but ensure it doesn’t burn (probably 2-3 minutes maximum). Flip and get the other side nice and crispy, too.

5. You may need to add another dollop of vegan butter to the pan before crisping the second quesadilla.

6. Serve with guacamole (smashed avocado with salt, pepper, a splash of lemon juice, a sprinkle of cumin, fresh cilantro, and scallion) and salsa. Enjoy!

This recipe was inspired by “Vegan Quesadillas with Chipotle and White Beans” by Cilantro and Citronella. Thank you for sharing!

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Vegan Farro Bowl with Mint Lemon Vinaigrette

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This bowl is SO EASY! Sometimes I opt not to make bowls because it ends up taking forever just to make each component, but not with this dish. It was easy and pretty quick!

I’m leaving off any measurements because you can essentially eyeball how much of each component you prefer.

 

Vegan Farro Bowl with Mint Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe

Ingredients (Serves 2)

  • Carrots
  • Red onion
  • Cucumber
  • Tofu, drained
  • Dry farro
  • Fresh mint
  • Lemon juice
  • Garlic
  • Dijon/stone ground mustard (we used honey mustard)
  • Avocado
  • Fresh herbs as garnish (we used cilantro)

Method

1. Start farro according to package instructions. For two bowls, we used 1/2 cup dry farro.

2. Drain, press, and dry tofu.

3. Slice carrots and toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add to roasting sheet and set in 450°F oven. Monitor them, but plan for about 20 minutes.

4. While carrots are roasting, prepare other ingredients: Finely dice raw red onion. Slice cucumber into small pieces. Crumble pressed tofu into feta-like chunks and toss with salt and pepper.

5. Prepare vinaigrette: in a processor, combine approx 3 lemons-worth lemon juice, 10 fresh mint leaves, 1 tsp mustard of choice, .5 or 1 small garlic clove, .25 cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and taste to adjust seasonings.

6. Compile bowls: farro topped with roasted carrots, crumbled tofu, red onion, and cucumber. Season with salt and pepper. Top with freshly sliced avocado and cilantro or fresh herb of choice. Drizzle vinaigrette on top and enjoy!

7. This recipe is based on Spring Vegetable Salad with Lemon and Farro Vinaigrette by Spices in my DNA. They also add peas, arugula (rocket), asparagus, and radishes. You could also add broccoli or kale. So versatile and bright!

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Vegan Tofu Tikka Masala

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I’m so excited to share this recipe—it has evolved so much from the original recipe that I found online and I feel proud to call it my own.

This dish might seem complicated or labor intensive but it totally isn’t!

Directions

Tofu

  1. Drain, press, and cube tofu and add to a mixing bowl
  2. Season with curry powder, soy sauce, salt, nutritional yeast, a splash of lemon juice, and some finely grated ginger
  3. Set aside to marinate (I probably left it for about 30 minutes)
  4. Pan fry in some vegetable oil so that all sides fry and get a bit crispy

Tikka Masala Sauce

  1. The base of the sauce can be started simply with sliced onion, but I didn’t have any, so I used sliced mushrooms, yellow bell pepper, and a finely chopped jalapeño
  2. Cook for 3–5 minutes, then add 1/2 cup coconut milk, 4-6 tbsps plain unsweetened vegan yogurt, 1/2 cup roasted tomatoes (primarily targeting the tomato liquid with just a few tomato chunks)
  3. Whisk together and simmer as you season with garam masala, chopped fresh cilantro, salt, and a splash of lemon juice
  4. Let everything simmer for 5–10 minutes and taste often to adjust flavor. For more thickness, add additional yogurt or coconut milk. If the flavor is too mild, add more tomatoes.
  5. Before serving, incorporate the tofu into the pan and prepare some rice (mine was microwaveable but if starting from scratch, rice should be rinsed and started first)

Finishing Touches

  1. Spoon tofu tikka masala over rice
  2. Garnish with additional fresh cilantro
  3. I like to pair mine with fresh sliced avocado! Give it a try, it cools down the spiciness of the jalapeño and heat of the dish
  4. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the avocado

Vegan White Artichoke Pizza

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Last night, I went to go make My Favorite Vegan Homemade Pizza when I discovered I didn’t have any roasted tomatoes to make the pizza sauce. This inspired me to make a white pizza instead!

 The Sauce

  • 1/2 of an 8oz container of vegan cream cheese, I use Tofutti brand
  • 3-5 tbsp of vegetable broth
  • garlic powder
  • salt
  • red pepper flakes
  • dried oregano

Method

  1. Heat the cream cheese in the microwave for about 20 seconds so that it will be easier to mix
  2. Incorporate vegetable broth 1 tbsp at a time until it reaches an easily spreadable consistency

Toppings

  • Approx. 4 artichoke hearts from a can, rinsed, drained, quartered, and left to dry in a tea towel
  • White mushrooms, sliced
  • Bell pepper, sliced
  • Grape tomatoes, sliced into thirds longways
  • Jalapeño, halved, deseeded, and sliced
  • Seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano

Maybe I’m a little obsessed with barbecue sauce, but I always drizzle some on top of my pizzas, too, for added flavor.

Bake for about 10 minutes at about 450 degrees.

Top it with some scallion, fresh basil, and olive oil. Et voila!