This is a a little spin on traditional pesto using spinach. It has a nice garlic flavor.
Ingredients:
4 cups of fresh spinach
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp of nutritional yeast
1/4 cup of pine nuts
1/2 cup of non-dairy milk
1/4 tsp of salt
Instructions:
Blend all the ingredients in a blender
This is one of my favorite sauces to make because its super quick and easy. And mostly because it satisfies my love of thai food.
Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can of light coconut milk
1 tbsp of thai red curry paste
2 tbsp of brown sugar (turbinado) *
Juice from 1 lime, freshly squeezed (optional)
Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients in a pan and bring to a low boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar and red curry paste. Remove from heat when the sauce is heated through.
Substitution Note
If you want to skip the sugar, you can use 1/4 cup of raisons or 4 medjool dates (pitted). In a blender, blend coconut milk with the dried fruit before cooking it in the pan.
I know what you'll think when you read the ingredients, cauliflower? Really? Back in my omni days I would have thought the same thing too. That must be so gross and mushy. But I swear it tastes great. Try it, just once. I bet you'll change your mind.
Ingredients:
4 heaping cups cauliflower florets (1 small/medium cauliflower)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup of non dairy milk of choice (also try using broth)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder or 1 additional sautéed onion
1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 additional fresh sautéed garlic
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste
1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
Pasta of choice (I used one (7-oz) bag of Explore Asian Mung Bean pasta)
Choose your favorite toppings, I used pine nuts and fresh tomatoes (the choices are endless: sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, etc)
Instructions:
1) Place cauliflower florets in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a low boil. Once boiling, cook for another 3-7 minutes until fork tender. Drain.
2) Meanwhile, broth sauté the minced garlic (and fresh onion if using it instead of onion powder) over low heat for 4-5 minutes until softened but not browned.
3) In a high speed blender, add the cauliflower, sauteed garlic, milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until a super smooth sauce forms.
4) Cook your pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta.
5) Add cauliflower sauce into the pot (you can use the same pot) and add the drained pasta. Heat over low-medium until heated.
6) Plate and add your favorite toppings.
Hummus is one of the most versatile spreads. Use it as dip, spread in a sandwich, or on a piece of toast. It's a staple in our refrigerator and this roasted red pepper version is a favorite.
Ingredients:
1 red pepper
1 cup of cooked chickpeas (water reserved)
1 roasted garlic clove
1 tbsp of tahini
1/4 tsp of paprika
salt to taste
Instructions:
1) Heat oven to 500 degrees F and roast red peppers on a baking sheet until charred - about 25-30 minutes. Cover in foil for 10 minutes to steam, then remove (peel away) charred skin, seeds and stems. Chop half of the pepper and set aside. Place the other half in a blender.
2) Add the rest of the ingredients into the blender. Add water from the cooked chickpeas 1 tbsp at a time until you get the creamy consistency that you like.
3) Scrape the hummus out of the blender and put into a bowl. Fold in the reserved chopped pepper.
Just because you go plant based, doesn't mean you have to bid farewell to ice cream. After you try this, you'll automatically start buying an extra bunch of bananas to put in the freezer on a weekly basis. I'll be the first to admit, this picture isn't the best. But the flavor is there! I'm still learning how to create the best set up to really showcase the foods.
Ice Cream Ingredients:
2-3 frozen bananas (peel and break into smaller chunks before putting bananas into the freezer)
Chilled Berry Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 to 1 cup of frozen mixed berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)
1/2 to 1 tbsp of maple syrup
1 tbsp of non-dairy milk
Ice Cream Instructions:
There are several ways to make the ice cream depending on what kind of equipment you have. I used an Omega 8006. Just push through the frozen banana pieces with the "open auger" attachment. You can also use a yonanas to get grind the fruit into an ice cream consistency. If you don't have either, pulse the fruit in a blender until you get the creaminess of ice cream.
Chilled Berry Sauce:
Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and pulse for about 1 minute.
Love this creamy pasta dish! It's a simple meal that most kids will love. You can dress it up by adding cherry tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, or any of your other favorite veggies.
INGREDIENTS
PASTA (whole wheat/ bean/ soba or another of your favorite)
2 red bell peppers
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Sea salt and ground black pepper
1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1.5 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder (or other thickener of choice)
Pinch red pepper flake (optional, for heat)
12 ounces noodle of choice
FOR SERVING
• Vegan parmesan cheese
• Finely chopped fresh parsley or basil
For the Vegan Parmesan Cheese blend these ingredients in a blender:
3/4 cup raw cashews
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 500 degrees F and roast red peppers on a baking sheet until charred - about 25-30 minutes. Cover in foil for 10 minutes to steam, then remove (peel away) charred skin, seeds and stems. Set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain, cover with a towel and set aside.
3. While the red peppers are roasting, bring a large skillet over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic until golden brown and soft - about 4-5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Transfer sautéed shallot and garlic to blender with roasted peppers, almond milk, red pepper flake, nutritional yeast and cornstarch. Season with desired amount of salt, pepper and red pepper flake.
5. Blend until creamy and smooth, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt and pepper or nutritional yeast for flavor.
6. Once blended, place sauce back in the skillet over medium heat to thicken. Once it reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and continue simmering.
7. Once sauce is thickened to desired consistency, add noodles.
8. Serve with vegan parmesan, red pepper flake and fresh chopped parsley or basil.
