homemade mac 'n' cheese with broccoli

here is thee only vegan mac 'n' cheese recipe i use and it is from Chef Chloe ! the only tweaks i personally make is using less milk so 2 cups instead of 3 cups. my sauce never turns out so thick that i need three cups of milk, two cups is plenty of liquid. i also only use 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 is too much for me and not needed.

right now the only picture i have is the mac mixed in with my chili recipe and it's super delicious that you almost must make the two together. wayy better than either of them apart : )

ingredients:

• 1 pound elbow macaroni (any kind you like is fine)
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine (earth balance)
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour (gluten free is good too)
• 2 cups vegan milk (soy, almond or rice)
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of agave or maple syrup (maple preferred)

how to:

1. bring large pot of salted water to a boil. add macaroni and cook to package directions 
2. add broccoli to the last five minutes of boiling, cook until fork tender. drain and return to pot
3. to make the sauce: in medium saucepan make a paste by whisking the margarine and flour over medium heat for 3-5 minutes
4. add milk, yeast, tomato paste, salt and garlic powder to the saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking frequently
5. reduce heat to low and let simmer until sauce thickens 
6. adjust seasoning to your liking and add in the agave and lemon juice
7. toss the macaroni and broccoli with the sauce and immediately serve

vegetable medley lasagna

The other day I tried a lasagna recipe from my new book called The Plant-Powered Diet by Sharon Palmer and it's absolutely perfect. Exactly what I was looking for in a vegan lasagna. I only made a vegan lasagna recipe one time when I first started being vegan and it was so complicated and it didn't turn out exactly as i'd hope so I completely shied away from all lasagna recipes since then. But this one seemed so simple and included easy step by step instructions. So whether you are an omnivore, vegetarian or vegan you may enjoy this thick, vegetable- rich lasagna. We enjoyed our lasagna with home grown green onions and lettuce, nothing better than that!

*best made in a small, deep baking dish about 7x10 inches

ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium summer squash (about 8 inches long) such as a zucchini, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
• 2 garlic gloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tsps dried)
• 1 teaspoon low sodium herbal seasoning
• 4 ounces (6 sheets) whole wheat lasagna noodles, uncooked
• one 24- ounce jar reduced- sodium marinara sauce
• 2 cups packed chopped kale
• 1 1/2 cups shredded plant-based cheese (such as Daiya)

how to

• heat the olive oil in a large skillet. add the onions, bell pepper, summer squash, broccoli, garlic, black pepper oregano, and herbal seasoning. saute for about 7 minutes.
• preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• pour 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce into a deep rectangular baking dish (about 7/10 inches) and spread it evenly over the bottom of the dish
• place 3 lasagna noodles side by side on top of the sauce. in even layers, add about half of the vegetable mixture, then 1 cup kale, half of the remaining marinara sauce, and 3/4 cup plant-based cheese.
• place the remaining 3 noodles on top and repeat the layers with remaining ingredients.
• cover the baking dish with lid or foil and bake for 1 hour. remove the cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until the dish is golden and bubbly.
• cut the lasagna into six servings and serve immediately.

vegetable and bean couscous

i generally don't time how long it takes me to cook a recipe but this one was super quick! definitely around 30 minutes for such a delicious meal. this is why i now love couscous! it takes no time at all to cook and is in fact one of the very last things added and right after you can turn off the heat and it will do it's magic. it basically just soaks up all the liquid and expands with the heat already created so you don't have to precook the couscous, it's done quite instantly just by letting it sit for few minutes after cooking.

the most time consuming part of this recipe is cutting and preparing all the vegetables which is what i do first. this is going to be added to my "quick weekly recipe". another great thing about this recipe is you can put just about any vegetable or bean in this dish and it will work. so it is great for leftover veggies you don't know what to do with.

i looked at some various couscous recipes to see what the basics are in making couscous and most of the vegetables they suggested to use i did not have. so here is a list of all the different veggies you can use in your dish:

++ zucchini, squash, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes & veggies i used: carrots, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprout, onion ++

*i never really estimated how much of the vegetables i used but in general use how much of whatever vegetable you want. you can't really go wrong. i like a lot of vegetables in every bite so i generally do more.

ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 large carrots chopped
• broccoli chopped
• cauliflower chopped
• brussels sprout
• 1 can black beans (or any other kind) rinsed well
• 2 cups couscous
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• paprika about 2 tablespoons
• lots of salt & pepper 
• vegeta* (typical serbian spice used, optional)

 

how to:

1. heat in your large skillet on medium heat the olive oil and onion for a minute
2. add in your tougher veggies: cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprout, carrots- cook the veggies for a few minutes so they get a little softer but definitely will still be firm.
3. pour in your vegetable stock and season your dish with paprika, salt and pepper. i used plenty of salt and vegeta. you can even use red pepper flakes for some spiciness. play with it to your taste and feel free to definitely try your broth after spicing it to see how it tastes!
4. turn up the heat and bring your dish to a boil- then once its bubbling turn the heat to low
5. add in your beans and spinach- mix it all together for minute (also this is where you would add tomatoes if you used them)
6. now slowly add your measured out couscous- stir in well, you should already start to see the couscous soak up  your vegetable broth
7. cover quickly and remove your dish from the heat
8. let it sit for five minutes so the couscous can finish soaking
9. enjoy it with added red pepper flakes and sliced avocados on the side!

veggie/bean burgers

finally, the recipe post i should have written a long time ago since it quite possibly is my favorite meal to make for the family (and often). the recipe is as simple as you want it to be since you can include whatever ingredient you really want. below is what i usually do for veggie/bean burgers. i generally use four cans of different beans which makes quite a bit of burgers for four and then some leftovers. so definitely half the recipe for two people.

enjoy !

ingredients:

burgers

• four cans beans of any variety (kidney, black, pinto)
• 1 med-large potato shredded (use cheese grater)
• 1 large carrot shredded (use cheese grater)
• 1/2 cup peas (optional)
• lots of salt 
• crushed red pepper flakes for spiciness 

how to:

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. separate all your large ingredients into different bowls; beans, potato, carrot, peas. make sure to rinse the beans very well. tip: shred the potato last
3. get another bowl you can mush these ingredients with a fork easily to later form your burger. take a handful of beans and mush them for a minute (they don't all have to be completely mushed) then take handfuls of all your veggies and put those into your mushed bean bowl. 
4. you can mix all the ingredients with a fork and then add your spices
5. now using your hands form your burgers into a patty shape, you kind of need to press hard to get the beans to stick with all your ingredients but it should go pretty easily. (beware this is the messy part)
6. continue to make more patty's by adding and mushing together more of the mixture.
7. once done oven them for 30-40 minutes on a sprayed aluminum foil over your baking tray
8. the burgers should be slightly golden and crispy on each side. you can turn them over half way.

tip: if your patty's wont stick well it might be too wet which can be fixed with more beans which will make the mixture dryer. it is usually the water from the potato that may make your mixture un-stickable. you may need to squeeze out the water from the shredded potato if you notice it is watery.

toppings

• avocado slices (personal favorite)
• tomato slices
• bell peppers slices
• spinach
• onion slices
• ketchuppp (go organic! avoid HFCS)
• cucumbers (optional)
• toasted whole wheat buns (trader joes has yummy ones)

how to:

1. put all your toppings in dishes so everyone can build their own burger later

side dishes

• sweet potato wedges baked
• it is just fine and even nutritious to eat potato skins so simply wash and scrub your sweet potatoes before you slice them into wedges 
• you can make these while your burgers are in the oven so don't turn the oven off when the burgers are done since these can also bake at 400 degrees F. 
• then prepare your baking sheet. i put aluminum foil over my baking sheet for easy clean up. spray your sheet and then put your wedges on. you can sprinkle more olive oil over your wedges here too.
• use whatever spices you like and sprinkle them over the wedges. salt is usually what i use.
• they go in the oven for about 45-60 minutes depending on your wedge sizes and oven. i never know how long i keep them in because i keep adding the time if they are not ready. aka you want the wedges to be really soft and be able to put a fork through them easily so keep checking! definitely start with 30 minutes and then check every so often.
• transfer the wedges to a plate once done

• spiced chickpeas baked (optional)
• after your sweet potatoes are done you can use the same baking sheet and aluminum foil used with the wedges. 
• first rinse your garbanzo beans really well and then simply place them on your sprayed aluminum foil on the baking sheet
• sprinkles your desired spices, i go with  cayenne pepper and salt
• bake for about 30 minutes on the same 400 degree F as the burgers and wedges.
• the garbanzo beans will get golden and crispy as well.
• transfer them to a bowl and eat them as a snack on the side!

quinoa stuffed peppers

STUFF PEPPERS NOT TURKEYS ! :  )

this is a recipe i made up to my liking and use often. it is quite easy and makes a ton of stuffed peppers so you'll have more for later! i actually made this recipe this thanksgiving as a vegan dinner option which is great for when you have lot's of people to feed. this recipe made about 12 small-medium stuffed peppers so it was plenty.

it happened to be my sisters birthday as well so i made our favorite chocolate vegan cake here because it is so easy and so so good! andddd its FULL of chocolate goodness:)  i ended up decorating the top with sliced kiwi which was almost better than our usual sliced strawberries. mixing kiwis and chocolate was surprisingly really great.

the stuffed peppers i have been using for this recipe lately are green peppers that were kept in the freezer after my mom had already carved out the middle. my parents had plenty of peppers from their vegetable garden this past summer so we freeze any leftover for the winter. so stuffed peppers were the best way to use them up! first i would take them out of the freezer before i started any cooking just to let them thaw out.

ingredients:

• baby bella mushrooms 2 packages sliced
• garlic 2-3 cloves chopped
• one large onion diced
• two shredded carrots
• two tomatoes chopped
• one jalapeno chopped
• spinach about one bag
• coconut oil for cooking
• parsley chopped
• 2 cups red or white quinoa (substitutes: couscous or rice)
• salt
• spices: turmeric, ginger

how to:

1. first thing i do is chop and prepare all the veggies, you can add as much as you like but above are the ingredients i like to use and about how much i use
2. in a large skillet (all depends how much you're going to make) heat two tablespoons of coconut oil
3. once it melts add in the garlic and onions until translucent
4. prepare the quinoa separately in a pan according to package directions- i now add salt to my quinoa so it isn't so plain when added to the main skillet dish
5. once the onions are ready start putting in your veggies; shredded carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes and jalapeno
6. let these cook on medium high heat until they are tender 
7. start adding in your spices (turmeric, ginger) and experimenting with the taste to your liking. i usually add lots of salt because the quinoa tends to be plain. i also add more red pepper flakes if needed, however a jalapeno pepper should be enough. 
8. keep stirring your dish often and once its about done add handfuls of your spinach in at a time. it comes later since it doesn't take long for it to wilt and mix in with the dish. i usually end up adding a whole bag of spinach
9. once your quinoa is done mix it in with your veggie dish and combine well.
10. check the taste and add any more spices if needed
11. once combined and everything is cooked well turn off the heat and mix in your parsley last

 

stuffing the peppers

if you have non frozen whole peppers just cut off the top of the peppers and once your dish has cooled a little start to stuff the peppers. i would also at this time preheat your oven to 400 degrees F while you prepare. sometimes my dish has lots of juice/water in it so i make sure to drain the quinoa stuffing before scooping it into the peppers with a spoon. you don't want that extra juice in your pepper. fill as many peppers as you want and then transfer them to a pan for baking in the oven. i usually pile the pepper right next to each other on the pan and finish it off with pouring some olive oil and water in the pan to coat the bottom so it doesn't burn. you only need a little of each depending on the size of your pan and how many you're making. once prepared you are ready to bake the peppers for about 30-40 minutes. the frozen peppers take longer but just keep checking the peppers until the pepper is soft and tender.

rice and veggie dish

hello everyone, and happy menstruating day 1 to me!
i can't be too ungrateful since my cramped belly decided i needed a light and airy meal today which led to this masterpiece that everyone enjoyed thoroughly.

i love it when my whimsical creations that are mostly little bit of this and little bit of that thrown together actually end up not only edible freakin delicious! and so this recipe will be a little harder to write down...if you really want to try this recipe and need more precise measurements just comment and i will do it but yes, much of this was eye balled in.

oh and by the way i used days old rice that we had in the fridge so if you ever have left over rice definitely try and make this dish. good luck!

ingredients:

• old rice [i had about 2 1/2 cups at least after cooked]
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil for cooking
• 2 carrots chopped into smaller pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 inch of fresh ginger chopped
• 2 green onions chopped
• 1/2 cup packed kale chopped thinly [ i used two big hand fulls-the more the better!]
• 2 tablespoon organic tamari soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon earth butter (optional)
• splash of lime juice (optional)
• salt to taste

how to:

1.  in a large pan heat your coconut oil over medium heat and add in your ginger and garlic stirring it around for 2 minutes, it should be fragrant
2. add in the carrots and cook until they are soft
3. add in the old rice and stir it around to mix everything together then make a hole in the middle for the earth butter and combine with rice as it melts
4. now stir in the liquids, add in the soy sauce, vinegar and splash of lime juice, stir it around  for couple minutes so your rice is well cooked
5. do a taste test and add any salt needed
6. now stir in your chopped kale and turn the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid so the kale wilts but doesn't burn the rice
7. you're done when the flavor is right, veggies are soft and the ingredients are mixed well

* you can also substitute spinach for kale if you happen to not have it, and feel free to add more veggies or exclude things your don't have/ your own version of ingredients

+++

i had this rice side dish with giant portabella mushrooms which i fried as i made the rice.

ingredients:

• 2-4 portabella mushrooms depending on how many people eating
• 1 tablespoon earth butter [or coconut oil]
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil for drizzling 
• sesame seeds sprinkled as topping
• green onions sprinkled as topping

how to:

1. heat the butter in a pan
2. prepare the mushrooms by placing them on a plate after washing. first brush them with some olive oil both sides
3. sprinkle on the sat, pepper or any other seasonings you like on both sides (almost like meat)
4. place in pan and i turn then so cap is down, leave on for couple minutes until browned you can turn over to check, they will wilt and ooze out lots of juice
5. once done transfer them to a plate and sprinkled on some sesame seeds and green onions

^^momma picked some veggies from the garden : )

^^ i threw in some spiced garbanzo beans after the sweet potatoes, great finger food.

dinner for two

 

 ^^ faavorite&only sister. girl makes me laugh

nothing better than ending a sluggish day with a dinner date with my sister. of course we went to our favorite, kings restaurant. we really are now "regulars". it's a pleasant, usually quiet place with lots of funny ahjummas. we usually like to talk about korea, cute asian men that come in, cute old asians that come in, korean music and korean things. yes, we really do love korean things that much. its the current phase of my life. it can't be helped.

^^ nothing better than some merlot wine and kimbap! man it is SO good every time. i wish i could cook korean food {well} and eat it every single day of my life.

+++

good atmosphere + good conversations + my twin = delightful evening <3

tofu pot pie

this was divine. and yes, vegans can enjoy delicious pot pie too!
i found a recipe online but i ended up putting in much more so here is what
i did. mostly because i did not have two small pot pie pans but one big one
and made plenty for four people. also it is great as a leftover!

crust
3 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 stick vegan butter (earth balance)
1/2 teaspoon salt
 ice water

filling
8 ounces super or extra firm tofu
3 tablespoons olive oi divided
2 small yellow onion diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2-3 carrots diced
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 potatoes diced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup fresh/frozen peas
1 tsp (originally asked for 1 tsp thyme and 1 tsp sage)
salt and pepper to taste

how to crust part #1

• chill ingredients and tools (fork or pastry blender)
• place flour in mixing bowl and chill in freezer while preparing filling
• cut the stick of vegan butter into squares and place into bowl and put inside freezer

how to for filling

• preheat 400 degrees F
• take tofu out of package and  press between paper towels to drain water
• cut tofu into 1/3 inch dice or bite sized peices
• heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat 
• cook tofu until golden brown and set aside when done in a bowl
• heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in same skillet
• add onion, celery,carrot, and garlic and saute onion until translucent
• add diced potatoes to skillet and cook until tender not mushy, stir! (might take a while for potatoes to be tender, try them and make sure they are not still hard if you don't know)
• add flour, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce to skillet and stir
• add veg. broth and stir until well combined, scraping brown bits from bottom
• add tofu, peas, sage/thyme, and stir to combine
• remove from heat season to taste with salt, pepper (i found i didn't need a lot so try before you go crazy) 

how to for crust part #2

• take all chilled ingredients and utensils out of the freezer
• break off pieces of butter into the flour and mix it into the flour as best you can (using a food processor for this would make it easier, add flour and vegan butter into processor and mix until you get very small clumps)
• add small amounts of ice water to the flour and mix
• use hands to knead the dough until not sticky anymore
• roll out the dough so that you will have enough for both the top and bottom layers (estimate)
• place the dough in the bowl and cut the extra strips
• the extra is to be used for the top layer of the pie; re-roll out the extra strips and use the bowl to measure that the size of the dough will cover the entire top

assemble and bake

• oil a little the pan you are using and place crust bottom in the pan, press edges using fingers
• spoon in the entire mixture of tofu and vegetables made
• place the top of pan crust left over veggies and fork edge of pan to seal 
• make a large X in the middle of bowl with knife 
• bake until golden brown about 30mins
• let sit/cool, then enjoy!