Deliciously Vegan Fridays

Welcome to another edition of Deliciously Vegan Fridays! This week’s recipe: Peanut Butter Cup Soft Serve. I adapted this recipe from one I found online here.

Peanut Butter Cup Soft Serve

Ingredients:
2 cups banana chunks
8 Tbsp almond milk
2 Tbsp all natural peanut butter
4 Tbsp vegan mini chocolate chips
2 dark chocolate peanut butter cups

Directions:
1. In a blender, blend the banana chunks, almond milk and peanut butter on high speed for 20-30 seconds (or until smooth). Add the chocolate chips and crumble in the peanut butter cup; blend for 10-15 seconds.

2. Put mixture into an ice cream maker for 10-15 minutes or until frozen. Serve and enjoy!

On a scale of 10, we would give it a 7. It wasn't bad it just wasn’t extraordinary. It only made about two generous servings, so be sure to up the ingredients if you are making it for a crowd.

That’s my recipe for the week. If you made a vegan recipe and would like to share be sure to link up below. Happy Friday!

Deliciously Vegan Fridays

Welcome to another edition of Deliciously Vegan Fridays! This week’s recipe: Nacho Taco Salad. I adapted this from a recipe found in Vegan on the Cheap.

Nacho Taco Salad

Ingredients:
15.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
15.5 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups salsa
2 tsp chili powder
1 cup vegan cheddar cheese, shredded
4 cups tortilla chips
3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
2 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
Optional toppings:
sliced pitted black olives
green chiles
avocado

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, combine the black beans, pinto beans, 1 cup of the salsa, and the chili powder. Use a fork to mash a portion of the beans. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally to heat through, for 5 to 7 minutes. Keep warm.

2. To serve, divide the tortilla chips among plates or shallow bowls. Spoon the bean mixture over the chips. Sprinkle with vegan cheese. Sprinkle on the lettuce and tomato and serve at once, passing the remaining salsa and any desired toppings at the table.

On a scale of 10, we would give it a 8, without the cheese. We were not fans of the vegan cheddar cheese - it was softer than the vegan mozzarella cheese we have used in the past, which made it really hard to shred. Plus, it tasted kind of nasty (in our opinions) so we wouldn’t recommend using that.

That’s my recipe for the week. If you made a vegan recipe and would like to share be sure to link up below. Happy Friday!

Deliciously Vegan Fridays

Welcome to another edition of Deliciously Vegan Fridays! This week’s recipe: Baked Ziti.

I found this recipe in Vegan on the Cheap. This was our first dish made with tofu. We were a little intimidated by it at first, but we decided that if it was mixed in with pasta and marinara it couldn’t be too bad :-)

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
12 ounces ziti
3 1/2 cups Marinara Sauce
1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly oil a 3 1/2 quart casserole dish and set aside. (We used a 2 1/2 and a 1 quart casserole dish)

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the ziti over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain well and return to pot. Add 2 cups of the marinara sauce and toss to coat.

3. In a large bowl, combine the tofu, yeast, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.

4. Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of the prepared casserole. Add half of the pasta mixture and top with the tofu mixture. Top with the remaining pasta and spread the remaining marinara on top.

5. Cover tightly with foil and bake until hot, about 45 minutes. Serve hot.

On a scale of 10, we would give it a 8. We thought it still had a strong tofu flavor, but the rest of the ingredients do a good job of adding additional flavors to cover it up enough to be pretty darn good. I think we will definitely be trying tofu in another dish again soon!

That’s my recipe for the week. If you made a vegan recipe and would like to share be sure to link up below. Happy Friday!

Deliciously Vegan Fridays

Welcome to another edition of Deliciously Vegan Fridays! I missed a couple of weeks but I’m back with some new tasty recipes! This week’s recipe: Black Bean Soup with Kale and Rice. I found this recipe in Vegan on the Cheap.

Black Bean Soup with Kale and Rice

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup long-grain brown rice
4 cups cooked or 3 (15.5 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
3 cups chopped kale
5 cups vegetable stock

Directions:
1. Pour the oil into a 4-quart slow cooker and turn it on low. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, and rice.

2. Add the beans, tomatoes with their juice, cumin, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add the kale, pour in the stock, and stir to combine. Place the lid an the slow cooker and cook until the rice is cooked and the vegetables are tender, 6 to 8 hours. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Serve hot.

On a scale of 10, we would give it an 8. It was really filling but didn’t feel heavy. This dish made really good leftovers and was extra yummy when we dipped chips in it :-)

That’s my recipe for the week. If you made a vegan recipe and would like to share be sure to link up below. Happy Friday!

Deliciously Vegan Fridays

Welcome to another edition of Deliciously Vegan Fridays! This week’s recipe: Cauliflower Cheese Pasta Bake.

I found this recipe online here. The prep work seemed to take a long time (boiling pasta, steaming cauliflower, chopping basil, and grating cheese), but it was still a pretty simple and straight forward recipe. We’ve been using Trader Joe’s soy cheese for all of our vegan recipes because that’s usually all I can find - but I think it’s time to seek out some new options for more flavor.

Cauliflower Cheese Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

• 200g angel hair pasta – boiled, rinsed with cold water and set aside
• 250g VEGAN cheese that melts well, grated
• olive oil for drizzling on top
• ½ a large (or 1 small) cauliflower – use the florets, steamed, and set aside
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon of vegan margarine
• 1 cup vegan cream (I used Trader Joe’s Soy Creamer)
• a handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 12-15 cherry tomatoes
• 2-3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped (optional)

Directions:
1. Grease a 13 x 9 Pyrex (or similar) oven dish. Meanwhile, add all the ingredients, except for half the chopped basil and tomatoes, in a large bowl, and mix well with a fork.

2. Next, place in your dish, even out, and garnish with the rest of the basil leaves.  Drizzle on some olive oil.

3. Place in a hot oven (we did 350 degrees) for 20 minutes, then remove from oven to place your tomatoes on top.

4. Cook for a further 20 minutes until golden all over.

On a scale of 10, we would give it a 6. This dish didn’t taste bad, it just didn’t have a lot of taste to it. At least not in the way these meat, cheese, butter, and egg eaters are used to. Overall it was pretty good and made for some nice leftovers.

That’s my recipe for the week. If you made a vegan recipe and would like to share be sure to link up below. Happy Friday!

Deliciously Vegan Fridays

Welcome to another edition of Deliciously Vegan Fridays! I’m a little late posting today but, hey, it’s the holidays; can you blame me? Anyway, on to this week’s recipe: Chocolate - Blueberry Crumble.

I found this recipe in Vegan on the Cheap. Blueberries are a little out of season so I used frozen and I think they worked out great. I was a little intimidated by the vegan margarine, but it really wasn’t bad :-)

Chocolate-Blueberry Crumble

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
1/2 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick oats
3/4 cup vegan margarine, melted
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and zest, mixing well. Spread the mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie plate. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, margarine, and cinnamon. Mix until crumbly. (I think I mis-measured and used too much margarine so mine was not quite crumbly. Oops!)

3. Sprinkle the mixture evenly on top of the blueberries. Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

4. Cool on a wire rack at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm spooned into bowls.

On a scale of 10, we would give it an 8. It would be the perfect dessert after a light meal. Tons of chocolate, tons of blueberries, and a little bit of crunch. Yum!

That’s my recipe for the week. If you made a vegan recipe and would like to share be sure to link up below. Happy Friday!

Deliciously Vegan Fridays

Welcome to a holiday baking edition of Deliciously Vegan Fridays! This week’s recipe: Peanut Butter and Chocolate Squares.

I found this recipe online here. We made this for a holiday party we went to and everyone seemed to love it! We didn’t even tell them it was vegan… until later ;-)

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Squares

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. chunky peanut butter
1/2 c. melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c. powdered sugar
2 c. gluten-free/vegan graham crackers, crushed
1 bag vegan chocolate chips, melted

Directions:
1. Mix peanut butter, coconut oil, vanilla, sugar and crackers together.

2. Press into a parchment-lined 9×13 pan.

3. Pour the chocolate over on the top.

4. Refrigerate for 2 hours (or longer)

On a scale of 10, we would give it a 10. Maybe an 11. It was super easy to make and tasted soooo good. And it disappeared really quickly.

That’s my recipe for the week. If you made a vegan recipe and would like to share be sure to link up below. Happy Friday and Merry Christmas!

Deliciously Vegan Fridays

Welcome to another edition of Deliciously Vegan Fridays! This week’s recipe: Super Easy Vegan Chili.

I found this recipe in The Part-Time Vegan. As the name implies, this recipe is super easy and gives you a little bit of flexibility in the ingredients you use so it can suit your taste.

SUPER EASY VEGAN CHILI

Ingredients:
1 (12 oz) jar of salsa
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 (14 oz) cans kidney beans or black beans (we used kidney beans)
1 1/2 cups frozen vegetables of your choice (we used a mix of onions and peppers)
4 veggie burgers, crumbled (black bean burgers work great)
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Take a stock pot and combine everything in it. Get the mixture simmering over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.

2. Voila! Yummy and super easy chili. Enjoy!

On a scale of 10, we would give it a 9. We really liked the flavor and texture of the chili. After dinner we felt full but not over stuffed. It was perfect for a chilly night!

That’s my recipe for the week. If you made a vegan recipe and would like to share be sure to link up below. Happy Friday!

Deliciously Vegan Fridays

Welcome to another edition of Deliciously Vegan Fridays! This week’s recipe: Penne and Broccoli with Tomatoes, Walnuts, and Raisins.

I found this recipe in the book Vegan on the Cheap. It looks like there are a lot of ingredients involved but really I just needed to buy the broccoli, penne, and tomatoes. This is super easy to make and didn’t make a huge mess or require lots of pots an pans. That alone makes it a winner in my book!

Penne and Broccoli with Tomatoes, Walnuts, and Raisins

Ingredients:
1 pound broccoli, cut into 1/2 inch florets
1 pound penne
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup toasted walnut pieces
1/3 cup raisins
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp sugar

Directions:
1. Steam the broccoli until just tender, about 4 or 5 minutes. Drain, run under cold water to stop the cooking process.

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes.

3. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Add the walnuts, raisins, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, crushed tomatoes, and sugar and simmer until the liquid reduces slightly.

4. Add the cooked broccoli and toss to heat through.

5. When the pasta is cooked, drain well and return to the pot. Add the broccoli mixture and toss gently to combine. Serve hot.

On a scale of 10, we would give it a 8. Again, this recipe made a ton of leftovers so we have been enjoying it for lunches all week!

That’s my recipe for the week. If you made a vegan recipe and would like to share be sure to link up below. Happy Friday!

Deliciously Vegan Fridays

Welcome to another edition of Deliciously Vegan Fridays! I’m hoping that someone will link up and share another vegan recipe with us this week! Even a salad with no toppings that include animal products or meat is technically vegan so feel free to linkup and share what you made even if it seems simple. This week’s recipe: Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash.

I found the recipe online here. I thought it was really easy to make and didn’t require rare ingredients which makes it super easy to pick up the needed items at the store. I still had some leftover soy cheese from the pesto recipe I made a few weeks ago so that made it even easier. The only hard part was getting Dave to agree to eat squash (because he hates squash), but he was a good sport and was willing to try it out.

Southwestern Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash, cut in half
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 medium red pepper, diced
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp vegan tzatziki
1/2 cup shredded non-dairy cheese (I used soy cheese)
Salt, pepper, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder to taste

Directions
1. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and scrape to remove the seeds. Rub a little bit of olive oil on the inside side, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the two halves on a cookie sheet, with the inside part facing down. Roast in the oven at 375F for 50 min or until tender. Allow to cool for 30 min.

2. Use a fork to scrape the inside out, forming spaghetti-like clumps of squash. Just scraping it will cause it to look like spaghetti - no special moves necessary.

3. In a pan, sauté the onion and pepper on low. Then add the spaghetti squash, corn, black beans, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, and spices, and cook for another 5 min, stirring occasionally. If you’d like, you can stir in Tzatziki to make it more creamy.

4. Transfer the squash-bean-corn mixture back into the now hollow squash skin. Top with some shredded soy cheese. Stick it back into the oven for about 5 min until the cheese has melted. Scoop out and enjoy!

See?! Super easy and we thought it tasted pretty good. The only thing I would do differently is drain and rinse the black beans before adding them to the skillet. On a scale of 10, we would give it a 7. This recipe made a lot of food so we’ll be having leftovers all weekend :-)

That’s my recipe for the week. If you made a vegan recipe and would like to share be sure to link up below. Happy Friday!