This country gravy, also known as a white gravy, is made from milk that is thickened by a roux, which is flour cooked in vegan butter. This gravy recipe is best with a soy milk because of its natural flavor profile. If you don’t use or have soy milk, you can always opt for oat milk or almond milk, just make sure it is unsweetened. Smother this gravy over Country Fried Cauliflower Steaks or biscuits! The choice is yours.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and sprinkle with flour, stirring for 30 seconds. Slowly pour in non-diary milk and whisk until gravy thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve over fried cauliflower steaks and garnish with parsley and side of mashed potatoes and green beans.
Chef’s tip: The best type of plant-based milk is soy because it has the most natural flavor. If you can’t use soy, go for unsweetened oat milk.
These vegan asian lettuce wraps are the perfect way to bring the restaurant to your home. They are quick (less than 30 minutes!) and a healthy dinner alternative that tastes scrumptious! I know this may be a bold claim that these lettuce wraps could be just that good, but they are! I enjoy the marinade by Ginger People so much that I decided to utilize that for the sauce, which cuts time in half and reduces the amount of ingredients needed. Give these a go, your family will surely enjoy them, even the kids!
Drain and press the tofu until majority of the liquid is gone and pat it dry. Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes and lightly dust with potato starch. Set aside.
In a 8” inch skillet on medium heat, add half the oil and sauté the onions with mushrooms for 5 minutes. Season with garlic, salt and pepper; Sauté for an additional minute. Remove mixture and set aside on a plate.
Next, add the remaining oil and cook the tofu for 4-5 minutes or until browned. Add the vegetable medley mix, mushrooms, onions, and sauce. Cook until sauce thickens.
Serve immedietly with a side of lettuce cups, extra sauce, green onions, and sesame seeds.
Chef’s tip: For extra crunch, chop up some water chestnuts!
If you’re 21+ I have the perfect drink for you to make! Margaritas are usually a crowd favorite but when you add fresh watermelon juice to the mixture, it gets a whole lot better. Whether you want this on the rocks or blended into a frozen drink, you’ll enjoy these all summer long (or anytime!).
In a blender, add the sliced watermelon and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and add 4 cups watermelon juice to a large pitcher with lime juice, sugar, tequila, triple sec, and crushed ice. Stir to combine.
Serve in a glass with ice and sugar rim. Garnish with mint.
Chef’s tip: Blend the watermelon and make the juice the night before. You can infuse the juice with mint leaves.
This creamy gourmet mushroom risotto is a real crowd pleaser and a must try! Making a creamy homemade risotto takes time but its well worth it. With just a few simple ingredients, you can turn plain rice into a delicious entree or side dish.
In medium pot, bring vegetable broth to boil and reduce heat to low. Add porcini mushrooms, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Remove porcini mushrooms and slice.
In large pot over medium heat, warm avocado oil and butter mixture. Add porcini mushrooms, baby Bella mushrooms, shallots and onions; cook for 6 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook another 2 minutes. Transfer mixture (including liquid) to bowl and set aside.
In same large pot, combine 2 tablespoons vegan butter with uncooked rice for 1 minute (avoid browning rice). Add salt, pepper and white wine. Cook until liquid absorbs.
Return mushroom mixture to pot with rice. Slowly pour in 1/2 cup hot vegetable broth and stir until mostly absorbed. Add another 1/2 cup and so on until rice absorbs all of the liquid (this step takes roughly 35 minutes). Remove thyme spring and stir in vegan parmesan.
Spoon into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Chef’s tip: In step No. 4, make sure liquid absorbs completely before adding more hot broth. This is VERY important!
If you have heard of nice cream, you are going to love this! For those of you have not, nice cream is essentially a non-dairy ice cream made by freezing bananas and blending them. It is probably the best snack to enjoy on a hot day, after dinner for dessert, or even after a workout. Either way, the options are endless on when you can enjoy this cool blue nice cream bowl! To get this color, I added a natural butterfly pea supercolor powder by Suncore foods. They have tons of amazing powders that can give your foods a natural color boost with added nutrients and benefits. This bowl was topped with banana, dried apricots, and strawberries. Its super simple and a tasty snack to try!
It’s a beautiful day, the birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and you go to water your garden. Upon arriving, you can’t help but notice your vegetable garden has turned into an “ant picnic” overnight!
In a world where we are becoming more understanding of the harmful chemicals we use, it’s important to treat these problems naturally. Since raw vegetables consume nutrients directly from the soil, you want to make sure you don’t harm the fruit, vegetables, or more importantly your body.
Below are three remedies to treat an ant infestation.
White Vinegar, Lemon Juice, and Water Ant proofing your garden can be quick and easy with a simple 1:1 ratio of vinegar and lemon juice with a splash of water. Since citrusy scents are potent to ants’ receptors, it will deter them away as well as remove any scent markings they may have used to navigate.
The benefits of using vinegar are almost like that of lemon juice; anywhere the vinegar is sprayed, the ants will stay away. This method works the best together, rather than using lemon juice or vinegar separately.
Cucumber, Orange, Lemons, and Grapefruit Peels Using the rinds or peels of citrus and cucumber can be another natural way to remove any unwanted garden guests. If you don’t have any vinegar, this method will work just as well. Cucumber has an unfavorable taste to ants when eaten.
However, you will need to replace the cucumber every so often until all of the ants have dispersed. This method works very well with the next natural remedy I will share with you all.
Turmeric and Cayenne Pepper Using turmeric and cayenne pepper with the above method can help speed up the process. An important key factor in the removal of ants and ant farms is to disrupt their navigational signals, so they have to go elsewhere.
Being that these two spices are pungent and inhibit their communication, it’s the perfect line of defense to your home garden.
Tip: If for any reason the above non-invasive measures do not entirely redirect and deter your ant problem, I have an alternative to use instead of chemical ant killer.
Cornmeal is a very enticing snack to ants, but it is lethal. These insects are unable to digest the cornmeal and will die. Just sprinkle with powdered sugar to attract them better and monitor until the problem is solved.
Alright bakers, if you are looking for a refreshing cookie that is light, buttery, and pops with flavor, than these Raspberry Jam Thumbprint cookies are it! The homemade ginger-lemon raspberry jam with the lemon-buttery goodness these cookies have are a great combo. During the summertime, I love to make these Raspberry Jam Thumbprint cookies with different jams, like a fresh strawberry or peach jam. For all those raspberry fans out there, these cookies will curb all those cravings you may be having. Lets get cooking bakers!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until white and fluffy. Mix in the egg replacer, lemon zest, and vanilla.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture until all the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
Using a 1-inch scoop, place cookie balls into the prepared baking sheets. Using your thumb, press a thumbprint into the center of each ball. Fill with roughly 1/4 tsp. raspberry jam.
Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
Serve or store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 1 week.
Chef‘s tip: These cookies are delicious with this strawberry jam!
We all know how busy the mornings can be which is why I have created this simple 3 ingredient pancake recipe. With a little help of ripened bananas, oat milk, and flour, you can make a simple breakfast in a matter of minutes. Topped with a homemade raspberry jam, you can add tons of flavor with toppings, granola, whipped cream, and much more!
In a mixing bowl, combine smashed bananas, flour, and oat milk. Mix until combined and smooth.
Heat a large skillet on a medium-low heat and lightly grease with butter to prevent sticking. Spoon 1/3 cup of batter onto skillet and cook pancakes until tops are covered with bubbles. Flip the pancakes over and cook did an additional minute.
Serve warm with desired toppings like maple syrup, vegan butter, fruits, James, etc.
Chef’s tip: If you want to add chocolate chips or blueberries, place it on the individual pancake once you pour the batter.
This vegan spicy red bell pepper sauce is the perfect recipe for spaghetti nights, sandwiches, and tons more! This recipe is perfect for those weeknights that are busy and packed with tons of activities. As simple as it sounds, this sauce packs a lot of flavor and heat from the scotch bonnet pepper, so if you don’t like spicy foods, leave it out.
Yield 24 oz.
Ingredients
2 red bell pepper, skin removed
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small scotch bonnet pepper, de seeded and minced
On a baking sheet, place the whole red bell pepper and roast until charred, roughly 10-15 minutes. Place peppers into a bowl and cover to trap the steam. After 10 minutes, remove the skin and stems.
In a blender, add the roasted bell pepper, chopped onion, garlic clove, scotch bonnet pepper, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, vinegar, sugar, vegetable broth, and nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth.
Serve over pasta.
Chef’s tip: You don’t have to roast the peppers, you could always purchase a can of roasted red bell peppers to save time.
The flavor of raspberry, lemon, and ginger together is a flavor that brings me back to my childhood. I used to always enjoy plain yogurt with raspberry or strawberry jam swirled together. When you make your own jam, you get to enjoy the freshness and taste of the ingredients you’re using vs. using a store bought jam packed with preservatives. If you keep this sealed tight in the fridge, it can last just about two weeks long. This recipe is great for toast, thumbprint cookies, or even a raspberry mimosa for the adults out there! Either way, it’s a great addition to any kitchen to have some jam.
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