Vegan Baked Mac N' Cheese

I haven't updated for awhile - oops! I was pretty busy this summer with my internship at the Oregon Humane Society doing animal cruelty investigations work. It was a wonderful (albeit, sometimes sad) experience. I didn't even really cook or bake much this summer! But I'm back in Seattle now and ready to post some more recipes!

Anyway, now that fall is approaching, it's a great time for some yummy, warm comfort food. This is my adaptation of Chef Chloe's Mac 'N' Cheese that my friend Jenna sent to me. I was actually never a Mac N' Cheese person growing up (weird, right?). My dad would make it for me sometimes from the Kraft box and I HATED it. Now, I have to really be in the right mood for it, but this is one of the best vegan ones I've made at home (the best one I've had in a restaurant is at Hungry Tiger Too, in Portland!). Easily made gluten-free, too, if you want. 

(I don't pretend to be a food photographer - food looks much better in person, and tastes even better!)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. noodles of choice (elbow macaroni is best, use brown rice or other GF noodles if you want gluten-free)
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance)
• 1/3 cup flour (or gluten-free flour)
• 3 cups soy, almond, or rice milk (plain, unsweetened - duh)
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/3 cup Daiya or Follow-Your-Heart Cheddar Cheese, grated (optional, Daiya would probably taste better in this, in my opinion!)
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, optional (make sure it's gluten-free bread, if that's what you're doing)
  

Bring water to a boil, add the noodles, and cook according to the package instructions. 

In a medium sized saucepan, whisk the margarine and flour together for several minutes over medium heat into a roux (paste). Add the milk, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, salt, and garlic powder to the roux and whisk together. Let it come to a boil as you whisk, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer and thicken up. Add more garlic powder or other spices to taste. 

This part is optional, but I like it baked- if you don't, you can serve it with the sauce now and enjoy:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the cooked noodles into a large casserole dish and pour the "cheese" sauce mixture evenly over the noodles. Stir to coat the noodles with the sauce. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with a layer of Daiya or FYH (or stir it in with the noodles). Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the breadcrumbs get toasty and the cheese is melty. Enjoy!

Basic Pie Crust

This is a staple pie crust you can use for sweet pies or savory meals like veggie pot pie or shepard's pie. Use whole wheat pastry flour (or 1/2 whole wheat pastry, 1/2 white flour) for a healthier touch, but all white flour is best for desserts. This recipe makes TWO pie crusts (or one crust and enough dough to cover the top of the pie) - halve the recipe or put half the dough in the freezer for later if you only want one pie or do not want to cover your pie with a top crust.

Pie Crust:

• 1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
• 1 teaspoon Earth Balance vegan butter
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups flour (brown rice flour is good if you'd like a gluten free crust)

Mix shortening with butter and boiling water until creamy. Add baking powder and salt, then gradually mix in the flour. Separate into two equal balls, trying not to knead too much. Chill 20-40 minutes before rolling out, or freeze for later.

Kentucky Pecan, Bourbon, and Chocolate Pie

We wanted to make the perfect pie inspired by the official Kentucky Derby Pie (which I understand to be heavily copyrighted) but obviously our version would be "veganized" and modified. This pie is so good! It took a lot of experimentation to get it just right. However, I've never had real Derby Pie so I don't have a basis of comparison. But my Kentuckian here loves it! Sad story - I made it last year for my dad for Father's Day, and pulled up to his house, pulled it out of the car, and immediately dropped it in his driveway. The glass pan shattered into a million pieces. I tried to salvage some, but there were shards of glass in it. SAD DAY. I admit that I cried. But I always think of that story when I make this pie...

Ingredients:

• unbaked pie crust (this is my Basic Pie Crust recipe)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons flour
• Egg replacer equivalent of 3 eggs (I use Bob's Red Mill or Ener-G generally)
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance vegan butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons bourbon (a little goes a long way! add more to taste... but go slowly)
• 3/4 cup pecans, chopped in a food processor (but not too finely ground)
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (vegan)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything but the chocolate chips until creamy. Add more flour if necessary until you get the right consistency (not too runny, but kind of more of a batter than a dough). Spread the chocolate chips out on the bottom of the unbaked pie crust, then pour the pie mixture over the top. Bake for 45-60 minutes, checking often. It should rise a little bit but you'll mostly know it's done when the crust starts to get lightly browned.

Enjoy! Serve with vegan whipped cream or soy ice cream if you'd like!

Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing + Croutons

I love a good Caesar salad, and this one is cheese and anchovy free, so I can eat it! It's probably low fat or low calorie or whatever as an alternative if you are into that and still want something creamy. I've also been spreading the leftovers on bread as part of my sandwiches for lunch and it's really good! I think this is originally from Veganomicon, but I found it on and copied it from this website. I usually double it because the Silken Tofu box has a lot of extra tofu in it and I don't know what else to do with it.

Ingredients for Caesar dressing:

• 1/3 cup almonds
• 3-4 cloves garlic (or more if you like garlic)
  
• 3/4 cup silken tofu
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh is always best)
  
• 1 heaping tablespoon capers
• 4 teaspoons caper brine
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• Salt

Ingredients for Croutons:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves roasted garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
  
• 1 medium size loaf French or Italian bread (little less than 1 pound), stale and torn or sliced into bite-sized pieces (or, I've just used regular bread in a pinch)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For Salad:

• 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Spinach and/or arugula, torn into bite-sized pieces (optional)
• Gardein "Chick'n" for "Chick'n" Caesar salad, or tofu/seitan if preferred.
  
• Vegan Parmesan cheese, or make your own
  

Prepare the dressing: Pulse the sliced almonds in a food processor or blender until crumbly. Empty the ground almonds into an airtight container that you'll be using to store the finished dressing. Blend the garlic, tofu, and oil in the food processor or blender until creamy. Add the lemon juice, capers, caper brine, sugar, and mustard powder, and pulse until blended. Adjust the salt and lemon juice to taste. Put into the container with the ground almonds and whisk to combine. Cover and allow the dressing to chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes, optimally 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

While the dressing is chilling, prepare the croutons: Preheat the oven to 400F. Combine the olive oil, roasted garlic, and lemon juice in a large bowl. With a fork or immersion blender, mash or blend the mixture until creamy. Add the torn bread and toss to coat each piece with the oil mixture. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, if desired, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes until golden brown. Toss the croutons twice during the baking process. Remove from the oven and cool the croutons on the baking sheet.

Note: This makes a LOT of croutons and they don't often store well, so sometimes I only make half of the recipe amount and make the other croutons fresh when I'm eating the leftover dressing :)

"Yumm/Whole" Style Bowls With Lemony-Garlic Tahini Sauce

If you've lived in Portland or Eugene, you're probably familiar with The Whole Bowl and/or Cafe Yumm, and the delicious bowls of rice, salsa, beans, olives, and special sauce that they serve up. We've been making these type of bowls for a few years, probably at least once a month - they're yummy, quick, and filling; and dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan. The problem is, we don't live near a Yumm Sauce vendor (nor do we want to pay $$ for a jar of sauce), and the Tali sauce (or sometimes called "crack sauce") at Whole Bowl is shrouded in secrecy. So, this is my best attempt to emulate it. I don't know if it's exactly like it, but whatever it is, it's good! We've also thrown the leftover sauce in soup, burritos, and in pasta.

Makes enough for about 4 people, or 2 with leftovers. As with any recipe I post, feel free to omit things you don't like and add things you do!

Ingredients for the Bowls:

• 2 cups of cooked brown or white rice (from 1 cup dry rice)
  
• 1 can of black beans, drained, rinsed, and cooked (or 3/4 of a cup dried black beans, boiled and drained)
• 1 can of sliced black olives
• 3/4 cup salsa of choice
• 1-2 ripe avocados, chopped into cubes
  
• 1 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped (optional, I guess - I have a few friends who don't like cilantro - but mandatory for a cilantro-lover like me!)
  
• green onion, chopped, for garnish (optional)
• sour cream or vegan sour cream (optional, but ewww in my opinion)
• shredded cheese or vegan cheese (also optional, I've never made it with cheese but I believe it is served with cheese at Whole Bowl)
• tortilla chips (I like to eat it with chips instead of a fork! mmm.)
  

To make yourself a bowl, layer desired amounts of cooked rice, beans, olives, salsa, and avocado in your bowl. Add a heaping spoonful of the "secret sauce" (below) and stir with some cilantro. Add whatever else on top if you want (cheese, sour cream, chives).

Ingredients for the Lemony-Garlic Tahini "Secret Sauce:"

• 1/3 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 5-7 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup water

Blend tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and nutritional yeast in a food processor or blender, adding very small amounts of water gradually until the desired consistency is achieved. It will vary depending on the tahini you use (I use this kind, but don't endorse the racist packaging) - I like the consistency of a thick soup or gravy, but runnier than hummus.

Here's a picture of it all stirred together (I was told this looked gross, but whatever... I'm no food photographer!):

Easy and Delicious Tortilla Soup

I loooove making this soup. We made it the other night, and I was so excited about it, I forgot to take a picture... and it's now all gone. As with all the recipes I post, switch it up and add/remove things you don't like - other than the vegetable broth, all the ingredients are optional! And, as usual, this makes a lot (should be enough for at least 4-5 people) and I like to have leftovers to make my life easier the next day- feel free to half it. It's super quick and easy because you're literally just dumping canned things into a pot - I don't even know if this qualifies as cooking, but it's yummy and filling!

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tbs canola oil
  
• 1 cup of frozen corn kernels (or 1 can of corn)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed (or 1 cup soaked/cooked beans)
• 1 can of green chilis
• 1 can of sliced black olives
• 1/2 jar of salsa of choice (or more if desired)
• 8 cups vegetable broth (I usually do 4 cups or 1 carton of veggie broth and add 4 cups water and Braggs Liquid Aminos or salt until I get the desired amount of broth)
  
• Block of firm tofu, cut into 1" squares (optional) - I like to stir fry it around in a separate pan for a minute to brown it before throwing it in
  
• Chipotle seasoning to taste (usually just a pinch for me - more if you want spicy).
  
• 2 ripe avocados
• Monterey Jack cheese (optional - otherwise the recipe is vegan)
• Cilantro (optional)
• Fresh green onion (optional)
  
• Tortilla chips

In a large pot, sauté the onion with oil then add the broth, olives, green chilis, corn, salsa, beans, and tofu (if using). Add water and Braggs (or salt) to get desired broth amount. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cook on medium for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with tortilla chips, and add cheese, chives, and sliced avocado to your bowl of soup if desired. Garnish with cilantro, too!

Source: I've been making this for years based on tortilla soups I've had and gradually making it better!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)

So I never said that all my recipes would be healthy. This is a total fatkid indulgence. But really, really freakin' good. I got the idea from a link my friend Amy sent me, so I decided to "veganize" and jazz up the recipe - and voila! They are le yum. You can also use the recipe if you just want to make vegan chocolate chip cookies, and don't want to also stuff them with gooey Oreo goodness. So, without further ado....

Ingredients (for about 2 dozen cookies):

• 1 cup (2 sticks) Earth Balance vegan butter, softened
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar (I use the unbleached organic pure cane sugar)
• Egg replacer for 2 eggs (Such as Bob's Red Mill, or Ener-G Egg Replacer)
• 1 tbs pure vanilla extract (never skimp on a good quality extract. Trader Joe's is decent. Just no imitation vanilla!)
• 3 1/2 cups flour (I mix unbleached white flour with whole wheat pastry flour to feel slightly less guilty)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 bag of chocolate chips (10 oz)
• 1 package of sandwich cookies of choice - Newman O's, Trader Joe's JoJos, or Oreo cookies - you'll probably have extras left over, too... bummer...

Preheat oven to 350. Cream the butter with the sugar until smooth. Add in the egg replacer and vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and gradually add to the dough. Fold in chocolate chips.

Now, take a regular cookie sized ball of dough (about ping pong ball sized) and shape it around the top of an Oreo cookie. Do the same to the bottom of the Oreo and press together to seal - basically encase the Oreo with dough. It should look like a ridiculously huge cookie.

Bake for 9-12 minutes on a silpat or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet until the top starts to turn lightly golden. You always want to take chocolate chip cookies out right before they start to look really done... let them cool for 5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack.



They're yummy when they're all gooey and warm, but also good for days afterward. The first time we made them, we used vanilla cookies, so feel free to experiment with different kinds - just check the cookie packaging to make sure they're vegan!


Source: idea from here, veganized and used my usual vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe: http://www.beckybakes.net/2011/01/20/oreo-stuffed-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Fresh Guacamole

Fresh Guacamole

Ingredients:
4 large avocados (or 5 smaller ones)
3 tablespoons lime juice (fresh is ideal)
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup diced onion
3 -4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 gloves of garlic, minced
1 pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Peel, pit, and mash the avocados in a large bowl until you get the desired chunkiness/smoothness. Add the lime juice and salt, stir together, then add the onion, tomatoes, garlic, and cilantro, mixing well. If you're using cayenne pepper, stir that in as well.

Definitely make this the day you're using it, because while it's still good the next day, it does get a little browner in color even when covered in the fridge. This makes a good amount of guacamole, and you can certainly half it if you only want to make enough to go with your meal. If you're making it for a party, I'd one and a half it so you have a little extra - it goes fast!

Source: just googled guacamole recipe for inspiration and took the best qualities of different ones

Burritos with Cilantro-Lime Rice, Garbanzo Bean Filling, and Flour Tortillas

Don't be fooled by the mushy picture - these are yummy! And you can easily add other things (sour cream, cheese, salsa, etc) or use pre-made tortillas if time is an issue. Either way, it's a quick, filling, yummy dinner that will also leave you with some leftovers as it makes about enough for 6-8 burritos.

Flour Tortillas

Ingredients:
3 cups flour (white, whole wheat pastry, or a 50/50 mix)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup warm water

Mix ingredients until you get a nice dough, and knead it a little. Separate into 6 equal sized balls (or about 8 balls if you don't have a large griddle as your tortilla will be too big to fit in a normal sized pan otherwise). Roll each ball out on a floured surface into a thin tortilla. Cook on medium-high heat (no oil necessary) and flip it when it starts to bubble/brown. I store leftover tortillas in foil in the fridge and they soften back up again when heated. They also freeze well.

Source: Michelle!

Cilantro-Lime Rice (Chipotle Restaurant Style)

Ingredients:
Rice (I always use brown rice, but I think white works best here and I make an exception)
1 lime (or 1/4 cup lime juice)
1 - 1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp salt

Prepare the rice (1 cup dry rice to 2 cups boiling water, bring to a boil then simmer on low for about 30 min until rice is fluffy). When rice is just about done, add the juice from the lime and some lime zest if you have a zester. Stir, and add in the fresh cilantro and salt. Add more lime juice and salt to taste if desired.

Source: myself, trying to channel Chipotle

Garbanzo Filling

Ingredients:
1/2 of a large onion, diced (optional)
2 cans of garbanzo beans
1 packet of vegetarian taco seasoning
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

Sautee the onion with the oil until translucent on medium heat. Add one can of garbanzo beans WITH the juice, and one can WITHOUT the juice. Stir together and add the packet of taco seasoning. Simmer and stir (tends to stick to the pan) for about 10 minutes until it is a tasty mush. This filling would also be good for tacos, use in a layered dip, etc. Very yummy and doesn't taste at all like garbanzo beans if you're skeptical.

Source: Inspired by post on VegWeb (http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5911.0)

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Fill your tortillas with the beans, rice, and whatever else you want - fresh guacamole, salsa of choice, cheese or vegan cheese, sour cream or vegan sour cream, veggie mix (link coming soon), etc and wrap 'em up! Enjoy.

Vegan Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles)

This makes about enough for 4, or 2 with lots of leftovers – I like to make a lot so I don’t have to cook again the next day! This could be halved easily, although I would still make the full amount of sauce. Depending on how wide and fresh your rice noodles are, you may need to make a little more sauce in order to have enough. Also depends how saucy you like it. You can also use less veggies, I just like a lot... and tofu is optional.

Source: kind of made this up after combining what I'm used to getting at restaurants with various vegetarian and non-vegetarian sauce recipes online... trial and error! And it's not a final product, if you make it and have suggestions for me, let me know!

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion, chopped
• 3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups broccoli
• 1 cup sliced carrots or other veggies (green beans, peas, mushrooms, etc)
• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges (optional)
• Package of wide rice noodles (fresh is better, but I could only find dried)
• Extra-firm tofu, 1 block, sliced into 1-2” squares*
• 1 cup fresh Thai basil or Holy basil
• Green onion, chopped, for garnish
• 1 cup bean sprouts, for garnish

Sauce (most of these can be purchased for around $2 each at an Asian market):

• 1/4 cup soy sauce or mushroom soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons Golden Mountain or other vegetarian stir-fry sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar or palm sugar
• 1 tablespoon Thai chili sauce (or more, if you want it spicier)
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1) Chop the veggies (feel free to deviate from the ones listed here) and stir-fry in a large wok with canola oil on medium heat.

2) While the veggies are cooking, mix the sauce in a separate bowl and stir with a fork or whisk to mix well.

3) Prepare the noodles according to the directions (boil, or soak beforehand) and set aside.

4) Add about half the sauce and the tofu to the nearly cooked veggies and fry together for a few minutes.

5) Add the noodles, Thai basil, and remaining sauce, and continue to fry together for a few more minutes until the noodles have been coated with sauce and the basil has wilted.

Serve with green onion and bean sprouts on top (optional).

* For the tofu, I cheated and found pre-cut and fried restaurant-style tofu for $1.79 at the Asian market, but it can be prepared any way you like. It can be stir-fried in the pan with the veggies, or fried to a golden color beforehand and set aside to be added toward the end with the noodles.

Basic [Vegan] Pesto

I have adapted this recipe from this link here. However, it's really basic, versatile, and I use it a lot, so I'd like to share it. Plus, of all the vegan pesto recipes, I like it the best. Non-vegans will like it and won't even know the difference, which is why I hesitate to give it the 'vegan' label that tends to scare people away.

Ingredients:
About 2 cups fresh basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 heaping cup nuts (pine nuts are best, but they're pricey, so we usually use walnuts, pecans, almonds, or a mix of whatever we have)
5 cloves garlic (I usually use 7 or so, because I'm a garlic lover)
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (to taste)

All you do is mix it all together in a food processor until it's a lovely, tasty green mush. Usually I have to stir it around a few times to get it just right. My quantities are a little different than the recipe linked to because I like to have a little extra. Why? Because it freezes excellently. I always have some in my freezer to quickly thaw and easily add to a meal. It usually lasts us several weeks, then I make more, but it could last a lot longer than that- we just go through it! Trader Joes has a great plastic tub of basil you can buy, if you aren't growing any. I've also heard of people freezing pesto in ice cube trays so they have perfect one-serving frozen blocks.

Here are some ideas on what to do with pesto:

• mix with noodles (I like the gluten-free brown rice elbow noodles) and a little nutritional yeast, and maybe a splash of Braggs for some yummy pesto macaroni and "cheese" - or add mozzarella cheese if you prefer.

• spread on a whole wheat tortilla with mozzarella cheese (or vegan "cheese") and grill yourself a pesto quesadilla (or you can use slices of bread to make a grilled cheese sandwich ). Add fresh tomato to make it Caprese style! In fact, it's great as a spread for pretty much any sandwich.
  

• add globs of it as a pizza topping, or spread it on a pizza crust instead of tomato sauce.eat it as a dip with pita chips (this was discovered on accident at one of the 4th of July beach house gatherings). Mmm!
  

• mix it in with a salad instead of using dressing.
  

As you can see, it's very versatile, easy to make, easy to store for later, and yummy, which makes it an A+ in my book. Enjoy!

Hello!

I'm trying to keep better track of the recipes that I like to cook a lot, and printing them out and assembling them into a book or committing them to memory was just not happening. So, I decided to start archiving things on a blog so I can find them anytime, and so can you! Maybe I will eventually add pretty pictures of the food, too, because I know I don't really like to cook someone else's recipe without at least seeing a picture of it first.

Cooking and baking is a nice escape from the stresses of law school, and I enjoy trying new recipes as well as modifying old ones. Being 90% vegan (sometimes I eat a little cheese) and 100% too poor to eat out every day, I pretty much have to cook a lot. Time is often an issue, so my recipes usually have an emphasis on doing things quickly (ie, using a jar of spaghetti sauce instead of making sauce from scratch...). They're often pretty basic, I'm not saying I'm some super good cook, and I might be the only one that reads this :) And I'm not going to copy someone else's recipe, change the amount of salt in it, and say that mine is "loosely based" off theirs - whatever. I'll give credit where credit is due when I can! I just hope others benefit from my recipe collection and can use it to find something new, healthy, and tasty to cook for dinner.

Oh, one odd thing: you probably won't find mushrooms on here. I'm the only veg person that doesn't like mushrooms. But they can easily be added to most recipes if you're normal and like mushrooms.