Tag: vegetarian

Recipes

Quick Pickled Carrots and Red Onions Recipe

Miche

One of the biggest silver linings of quarantine for me has been discovering the wonder of making your own quick-pickled veggies. I am officially a pickle addict!

My new pickling habit has led to a massive, accidental increase in my veggie consumption. I find myself craving them all the time because they make a perfect snack or side for lunch, and the onions make a perfect topping for avocado toast.

Unlike canned pickles which require a canner and exact proportions, making quick pickles is super easy and flexible–you just stick them in your fridge and wait a few hours. I have been making these almost every week, and I usually eat half of them within the first day. They’re just too good!

You can also sub out pretty much any veggie you want, because the pickling broth is really versatile. I’ve tried adding cauliflower and red cabbage and loved it. You could also do cucumbers, jalapeños, green beans–just about anything!

Ingredients:

  • 5 large carrots, chopped into discs*
  • 1 large red onion, sliced
  • 1 cup distilled white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • 4 cloves sliced garlic
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried dill (optional)
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds (optional)
  • 1 bay leaf (optional)

* You can, of course, use any shape you want for the veggies!

Directions:

  1. Combine the vinegar, water, garlic and spices (so, everything but the veggies) in a pot over medium heat. Bring it to a boil, then remove it from heat. Let it sit for a few minutes.
  2. Layer your chopped veggies into a jar. I suggest using a jar with a plastic lid, because the vinegar makes metal lids rust quickly. (You could also put clingwrap over the jar before putting the metal lid on)
  3. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the veggies. The liquid should be able to cover all the veggies–if there isn’t enough to submerge all of the veggies, remove some of them. Put the lid on, turn it over a few times to distribute the spices, and then store in the fridge.
  4. Wait 8+ hours, then enjoy! Keep them stored in the fridge and use them up within a few weeks–it shouldn’t be difficult to 🙂

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,962 other followers

 

Recipes

Vegan Jamaican-style Beans and Greens with Coconut Rice

Miche

This is one of my proudest recipes: cooked completely off the top of my head on a whim, using what I had on hand. And it’s one of my favorites now too. It’s hearty, it’s comforting, it’s nutritious. Not to mention, it’s really simple, doesn’t require many ingredients, and ingredients can be easily substituted (a quarantine must!): instead of the kale you could try collards, chard or other greens, and you could use black beans instead of red kidney beans.

I never found a Jamaican red beans and rice recipe I really liked, but I knew I could find one someday because I’ve loved it in restaurants before… all it took was randomly combining things myself! And the best part is, this was the perfect way to use up kale from my garden that had gotten really big. This recipe really made the kale shine!

Now my Caribbean beans have some competition for my favorite bean recipe.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup white long-grain rice (or brown rice, but add an extra cup of water)
  • 1 can of coconut milk, with 1/2c of it set aside
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cans red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 medium-large onion, chopped
  • 5 cloves minced garlic, 2 cloves set aside
  • 1 bunch kale, washed and chopped
  • 2 tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning
  • 1 tsp chick’n bouillon (or veggie bouillon)*
  • Salt and pepper to taste

*You can also sub chickenless seasoning or other umami seasoning, but you probably won’t need a whole teaspoon of it if you do.

Directions:

  1. Make the rice: add the rice, water, and 1/2c of coconut milk to a rice cooker and start it. (Or make it using your preferred method, but substituting 1/2c coconut milk for 1/2c water)
  2. Add the onion to a pot over medium heat and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add 3 cloves minced garlic and saute 3 more minutes. Add water or oil if necessary to prevent sticking.
  3. Add the beans, the rest of the can of coconut milk, Jamaican spice mix, and chick’n bouillon to the pot. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. While the beans are simmering, prepare the kale: add the chopped kale, 2 cloves minced garlic, a splash of water or oil, and 1/4 tsp salt to a pan over medium heat. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the kale is wilted and tender, about 8 minutes. Taste it and add more salt if needed–it should be a bit too salty to want to eat it on its own. (But that’s what makes it extra amazing in the beans!)
  5. After the beans have simmered for 10 minutes, smash some of them in the pot with the back of a wooden spoon. You want about half of them to be whole beans, half broken/smashed.
  6. Continue simmering until the beans are tender and melt in your mouth, about 5-10 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, erring on the side of undersalted. Add broth if they have dried out too much; you want them to be a similar consistency to the pictures here. Then stir in the kale.
  7. Serve with coconut rice, and top with additional sauteed kale if you have extra! (The more, the better, honestly.)

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,962 other followers

 

Recipes

3 Ingredient Baked BBQ Cauliflower Wings Recipe (Vegan!)

Miche

I went a bit overboard on cauliflower in my grocery delivery last week, so I needed a seriously cauli-heavy recipe to use up a few heads before they went bad. (You can only pickle so much cauliflower!)

I was scrolling through recipes for inspiration when I decided that buffalo cauliflower wings would be the perfect way to use them up! But… I was all out of buffalo sauce. And I didn’t want to use up a bunch of other ingredients. (Quarantine problems.)

So after looking through a few recipes for general strategies, I decided to try my own thing: 3 ingredient baked BBQ cauliflower! They’re fat free and super easy. They’re not quite crispy like buffalo wings: they’re sticky and chewy and oh so good.

And, because I know all of us are running out of ingredients right now–I bet these would work great with teriyaki sauce or other marinades too.

And I bet they would be crispier in an air fryer… I’l let you know once mine finally gets delivered next week (after a month of waiting!). 😉

Ingredients:

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 2/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp water
  • ~1/4 cup barbecue sauce* (I used Carolina Gold)

*The amount of sauce you need depends on how thin/strong it is–you want the cauliflower to have a nice even coating without dry spots, but you don’t want it to be overwhelming either.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450. Rinse cauliflower and chop it into florets.
  2. Combine the flour and water, and add a dash of your barbecue sauce. Add more water or flour as necessary to create a thick glue-like consistency–you want it to be a bit thicker than pancake batter. It should easily coat your cauliflower without running off much.
  3. Coat the florets in the batter, spread them out on a baking sheet, and bake for about 15 minutes or until they start to get golden brown.
  4. Now toss the cauliflower in your barbecue sauce until they’re evenly coated. (I suggest trying one at this stage to make sure they have the amount of barbecue flavor you want!)
  5. Place cauliflower back on the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 more minutes, or until they start getting browned again. The goal is to get them somewhat crispy/firm at this point!
  6. Remove from oven and eat as soon as they’re not too hot! Serve with more sauce, or vegan ranch!

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,962 other followers


Recipes

Easter Treat Vegan Recipe Roundup

Miche

It’s time for another showcase of recent recipes from fellow WordPress bloggers! I don’t know about you, but to me the most Easter-themed food out there is desserts.

So the theme of this showcase is recipes for vegan treats, especially ones that work well for Easter. But, because I know many of us have limited ingredients right now, I’m including a variety of treats!

This Easter is an especially tough one for most of us having to stay at home, but a silver lining is that leaves us with more time to go all-out on cooking.

Lemon blueberry madeleines by Pies & Tacos

Vegan Blueberry Lemon Madeleines

Flapjack M&M cookies by Nourishing Amy

Lemon cheesecake bars by Vegan Miche

(I don’t usually include my own recipes in these features but I love making Easter dessert recipes 😀 )

Canned peach cake by Hungry and Frozen

P1190846

Naturally sweetened chocolate tart by Healthy Goodies by Lucia

Vegan Chocolate tart with blueberries | Healthy Goodies by Lucia Marecak

Rhubarb almond cake by Freistyle

veganer Rhabarber Mandel Kuchen

Healthy chocolate chip cookies by Healthienut

the best healthier chocolate chip cookies

Chocolate shortbread by Megan Louise Home

Carrot cake bliss balls by Vegan Miche

2-ingredient orange chocolate mousse by Clayton’s Cookbook

Lemon chia coconut loaf by Healthienut

lemon coconut chia loaf

Sea salt and caramelized almond brownies by Tassybakes

Matcha cookie dough cups by Healthy Little Vittles

easy vegan dessert recipes

Chocolate coffee donuts by Sugared & Stirred

Decadent chocolate braid by Lucy’s Friendly Foods

No-bake mini chocolate cheesecakes by Upbeet Kitchen

This photo shows one individual vegan chocolate cheesecake on a plate with a bite taken out of it. It's topped with a cherry compote for a punch of tart flavour and colour.

Small batch banana muffins by E2 Bakes Brooklyn

Small Batch Banana Muffins

Do you know of any vegan recipe bloggers who deserve a feature? Comment with a link to them below and I’ll check them out for the next recipe showcase! (You can nominate yourself too!)

I hope you have a very happy, healthy Easter filled with delicious vegan food.

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,962 other followers

 

Recipes

Vegan Cornbread Muffin Recipe [Oil free]

Miche


I’ve been quarantining for two weeks now, and I have been eating a *lot* of beans. (Like this chili recipe from a little while back.) For both lunch and dinner. Don’t get me wrong—I’m grateful to have had a supply of beans since the stores have been out, but it’s nice to add some variety sometimes.

Luckily Goode Foods sent me some of their canned corn awhile back, and I already had corn flour on hand, so I made this cornbread to bring some excitement to my daily beans 😛 When I was a kid my favorite cornbread had whole corn in it—it adds such a delicious crunch to it. So to this day I always make it with whole corn kernels! 

The best part about these is they’re super versatile. Not only do I have them alongside chili, but I have them for breakfast with vegan butter + maple syrup, or jam!

Featuring my protein-packed chili recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups corn flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax seed & 1 1/2 tbsp water)
  • 1 1/2 cups nondairy milk (I used soymilk)
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1 can whole kernel sweet corn, drained

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add the flax to the water to make the flax egg, and let it sit.
  2. Mix the milk and the vinegar in a separate, medium-sized bowl and let it sit–it will curdle and turn into a buttermilk substitute!
  3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, corn flour, baking powder, nutritional yeast, and salt.
  4. Add the flax egg to the buttermilk bowl, along with the maple syrup.
  5. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients bowl along with the can of corn, and stir just until combined.
  6. Spoon mixture evenly into a greased 12-cup muffin tin, and bake for 12-13 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Allow to cool for 15+ mins before trying to remove them from the tin.
  8. Eat plain, serve with chili, or top them with vegan butter, maple syrup, and/or jam!

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,962 other followers

Recipes

My Go-to Red Lentil Chili Recipe (with Instant Pot option)

Miche

Red lentil chili

When I need to bulk cook but am feeling lazy, I break out my Instant pot. And 90% of the time, it’s to make this recipe–it’s my favorite of all my stew/chili recipes!

Not only is it ridiculously comforting and delicious, but it’s a great way to pack in tons of veggies. It’s worked well with whatever veggies I’ve had on hand, so it’s a flexible recipe for using things up too!

Also, if you don’t have an instant pot, it works just fine on the stove too. (You just can’t be quite as lazy 😛 )

Ingredients

Base chili:

  • 3 cups dry red lentils, rinsed
  • 4 cups veggie broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 15oz can diced tomatoes
  • 6oz can tomato paste
  • Large onion, diced (white or red works)
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • Heaping tsp cumin
  • 3-4 heaping tsp chili powder*
  • 2-3 tsp smoked paprika
  • Heaping tsp cayenne
  • 2-3 tsp normal paprika
  • 1/4c brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Veggies I added (optional/add whatever you like!):

  • 6oz mushrooms
  • 8oz frozen peppers
  • 8oz bag chopped kale (or use 4oz frozen)
  • 5oz broccoli
  • 15oz can corn
*For spices where the amount ranges, if using an instant pot, I suggest using the high end of the range; for normal pot, use the lower end. Of course this also varies by how spicy you like things, and how many veggies you add!

Directions

  1. Add everything but the corn into an instant pot, put on high pressure for 17 mins, and allow to release naturally.
  2. (Or, if making on the stove: add all the ingredients except corn to a large pot over low heat. Cover and let simmer until the lentils are soft and the veggies are tender, stirring occasionally to make sure the bottom doesn’t burn)
  3. Stir in corn, and salt to taste. If you add as many veggies as I do, you may want to add garlic powder and more chili powder.
  4. Top with avocado, chili garlic salt, or if you’re feeling fancy, vegan sour cream.

 

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,962 other followers

Recipes

Vegan Cheesy Beef and Potato Calzone Recipe

Miche
Mashed Potato, Beef and Cheese Boxty

Sometimes you just want comfort food. And one of the great things about intuitive eating is that you can have it whenever you want, without guilt!

Before I was vegan, I loved the Irish boxtys they’d serve at a pub in San Diego–essentially a potato-filled calzone with cheese and meat. (I’ve since learned that’s not what a boxty technically is, but that’s not the point!)

So on a dark and stormy night, I decided to come up with my own vegan version… which ended up surprisingly healthy for the comfort food goal. And then at my fiancé’s request, I made it again the next night, and the next week. We’re addicted. It’s definitely found its way into our comfort food rotation that used to primarily consist of homemade burgers and pizza.

It’s hearty and very savory thanks to the beef, and the potatoes are super satiating. Plus, the cheese sauce is secretly based on whole foods!

Makes 1 large calzone, serves 2

Calzone

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium peeled gold potatoes, about 450g total
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened nondairy milk (I used soy)
  • Dash of garlic powder
  • Half a package Beyond Beef ground (or sub another vegan beef)
  • 1/2 cup chopped white onion
  • 1 large uncooked pizza crust (I use whole wheat)
  • 2/3 the cheese sauce recipe below, save the rest for dipping!

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 440 degrees F. Put potatoes in a pot, fill with enough water to cover them by a few inches, and put it over high heat. If you want them to boil faster, chop the potatoes before putting them in the pot. Boil potatoes until they are fork-tender and able to be mashed.
  2. Meanwhile, sauté the beef and onions together according to the directions on your vegan beef package. For the Beyond ground, break it up into chunks as you sauté it so it turns into crumbles (or whatever sized chunks you’d like in your calzone). Remove from heat once the beef is cooked and onions are translucent. Be careful not to overcook, since they’ll get cooked more in the oven.
  3. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a bowl. Mash the potatoes, adding the dash of garlic and milk as you do until they are a creamy texture. Add more milk as necessary, or you could add vegan butter if you want them to be richer.
  4. Roll out the pizza crust into a circle, as you would for a normal pizza. I use parchment paper on top of a baking sheet, but you can use whatever pizza baking method you prefer. First layer on the mashed potatoes, then layer the beef and onions on top, then add the cheese sauce. Be sure to leave at least an inch around the edges free of any toppings. Then, fold the crust in half so that the edges line up, and pinch it together. (If any filling comes out the sides at this step, don’t worry about it–I just eat it 😉 )
  5. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 440 degrees, or until the crust begins to get firm when tapped and is golden brown.
  6. Remove from oven, cut it in half, and serve! You can hold it in your hand like a pizza pocket if you’re in an especially comfort-food-y mode (that’s what we do!). We also sometimes dip it in the extra cheese sauce, or drizzle it on top.

Cheese sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup roughly chopped gold potatoes
  • 1/4 cup chopped carrots
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened nondairy milk (I use soy)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Directions:

  1. Boil the potatoes, carrots, and onion until tender. (You can do this along with the potatoes for the calzone–just be sure you separate them to get the right amounts in each!)
  2. Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Add more salt and lemon to taste.

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,962 other followers

 

Recipes

Easy Granola Recipe (with oat-free option)

Miche

For today’s recipe, I have a super easy but addictive granola that’s heavy on nutritients, but light on time & effort.

It can either be made the normal way (aka with oats), or with an oat replacement. Why would anyone want an oat replacement, you may ask?

I’ve alluded to this vaguely on my instagram, but something tragic has happened: after years of having oats for breakfast most days, I finally figured out that me and oats don’t get along. Specifically, whenever I have them for breakfast, I get CRAZY bloated after lunch for the rest of the day. (And my stomach is pretty impervious to the typical bloating triggers, like lentils and beans and onions… nothing else does this to me besides oats!) It took me years of experimenting, but I’ve finally accepted it. After researching it, it looks like the protein avenin in oats is known to cause some people problems.

I thought I’d just have to accept no longer having oatmeal, or granola, or oat pancakes/pastries. But at my local food co-op, I found something that looked amazingly oat-like… rye flakes!

And lo and behold, they taste and cook JUST like oats, but without the horrible bloating! I first tried out ryemeal (aka rye oatmeal), and came up with the recipe on the fly to try them in granola for the first time. And it is AMAZING!

Of course, if you don’t have a problem with oats, you should probably just use those because they’re easier to find at stores and whatnot. 😛

Ingredients:

  • 1/2c rolled oats or rye flakes
  • 1/4c pecans
  • 1/4c walnuts
  • 1/4c almonds
  • 1/4c maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp hemp seeds (optional)

Directions:

  1. Coarsely chop all the nuts, preferably using a nut chopper (I have this one).
  2. Combine all the ingredients, and spread them out evenly on a baking sheet.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, then stir. Bake for 3 more minutes or until evenly golden brown. If it begins to get browner around the edges than the middle, stir every few minutes until it’s all golden brown.
  4. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet for 10 minutes.
  5. And enjoy! I suggest trying it sprinkled it on smoothie bowls, oatmeal, or yogurt, using it as cereal, or even having it on its own as a snack!

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,962 other followers

 

Recipes

The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Miche

Last weekend I got to attend the loveliest holiday cookie party with an awesome group of vegan girls. We had vegan eggnog and peppermint mochas, a cookie contest, a white elephant gift exchange, some of the cutest Christmas decor I’ve ever seen, games, and most importantly, a ton of amazing cookies and holiday treats.

I decided to bring my ol’ faithful cookie recipe: classic chocolate chip cookies. I’ve been making these for years and everywhere I’ve brought them, someone has asked for the recipe–without fail.

So I thought it was finally time I posted it here for you all!

I know a lot of blogs call every recipe “the best ___”, and I haven’t done it before, but I really have heard from a lot of vegans AND omnivores that these are the best chocolate chip cookies they’ve had. 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 2 & 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup vegan butter, melted (I use miyoko’s)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup non-dairy milk* (I used soy)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

*If using vegan margarine instead of miyoko’s, use 1/4c milk instead.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda to a large bowl and stir until combined.
  3. After melting the vegan butter in a medium bowl, add the brown and white sugar, non-dairy milk, and vanilla. Stir until combined.
  4. Pour the butter mixture into the flour mixture, and stir until it begins to come together. Add the chocolate chips and stir until just combined.
  5. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet–I usually get about 20 cookies per batch.
  6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms and edges turn golden brown.

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,962 other followers

Recipes

Protein-Packed Vegan Chili Recipe

Miche

Today I’m teaming up with Goode Foods to bring you a recipe that’ll help keep you warm in the cold weather: chili!

I’ve been eating Thanksgiving leftovers for almost every. single. meal. since we celebrated it last weekend. I guess that’s what happens when you make 7 dishes for 4 people. 😉 And after all that heavy comfort food, all I wanted this weekend was something veggie packed and oil free—but still comforting. And this chili fit the bill perfectly!

I also made tofu sofritas to put a fun spin on it and up the protein factor. It’s so chewy and delicious, and a perfect contrast for the melt-in-your-mouth beans and veggies!

So, thank you Goode foods for inspiring me to make this! I’m a big fan not only because their canned beans & veggies are delicious and grown by local farmers, but they support veganism—all their products are vegan, and they team up with vegan bloggers (like me!) to get more healthy vegan recipes out there.

Chili Ingredients:

  • Large yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 large cloves garlic
  • 3/4c chopped bell pepper
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 4 large celery stalks, chopped
  • 3 – 15oz cans of pinto and black beans (I used Goode Foods: 2 cans black, 1 can pinto–any combo works!)
  • 2 – 15oz cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 – 15oz can corn (I used Goode Foods)
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp dried cilantro (optional)
  • Salt to taste

Chili Directions:

  1. Mince or press garlic (I use this garlic press) and add to a large pot over medium heat, along with the onion. Saute until the onion begins to get translucent, about 3-5 mins.
  2. Add bell pepper, carrots, celery, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika to pot. Saute about 2 mins, or until veggies begin to get tender.
  3. Add the beans and tomatoes to the pot, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. You want the veggies to be tender, and the beans to be very soft and start falling apart.
  4. Stir in the lime juice, maple syrup, can of corn, and the tofu sofritas.
  5. Enjoy on its own, or top with vegan sour cream, or cornbread muffins (stay tuned for that recipe!)

Tofu Sofritas Ingredients:

  • 1 block super firm tofu (~400g)
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

Tofu Sofritas Directions:

  1. Combine nutritional yeast, soy sauce, lime juice, syrup, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Stir until combined.
  2. Using your fingers, crumble the tofu into a large skillet. Pour in the sauce you made in step 1, and stir until tofu is evenly coated.
  3. Saute tofu on medium heat, stirring frequently, until it browns. (The drier it is, the chewier it’ll be in the chili!)
  4. Remove from heat and set aside until step 4 of the chili.

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,962 other followers