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Category: Lunch & Dinner

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Chopped Salad with Homemade Ranch

Chopped Salad

Chopped Salad

Sometimes a big salad paired with homemade ranch is just what we need in life. This plant-based alternative may not have all of the dairy but it sure is not missing out on any flavor. With all of the fresh ingredients, this salad is truly something your entire family will enjoy. Whether you are making this for a lunch or a big family dinner, you can always add your own favorites to make this salad to your liking. Get ready to toss this together because once you taste the flavor this salad packs, you will be craving more with each bite!

Chopped Salad

Yields 2-3 servings

Ingredients

3 hearts of romaine, chopped and diced

1 cup chickpeas, cooked

1 (8 oz.) cherry tomatoes, halved

3 corn on the cob

2 avocado, diced

2-3 Tbsp. hemp seeds

1 cup shredded carrots

Ranch Dressing:

1 cup vegan mayonnaise

1/2 cup vegan sour cream, (optional)

1/4 cup cashew milk

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. Vitacost Himalayan Fine Pink Salt

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. fresh parsley 

1/2 tsp. fresh dill

1/2 tsp. chives

1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Directions

  1. In your blender, add all of the dressing ingredients (except parsley, dill, and chives) and blend until well mixed. Mix in the herbs and set in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to meld together.
  2. In the mean time, prepare the salad by chopping the lettuce and filling a medium bowl. In segments, add the carrots, avocado, tomatoes, and chickpeas.
  3. Top salad with hemp seed and pour dressing on top when ready to serve.

Chef’s tip: To adjust the thickness, add or remove some cashew milk depending on your preference. 

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Tofurky and Roasted Vegetable Medley

Tofurky and Roasted Vegetable Medley

Tofurky and Roasted Vegetable Medley

Roasted to perfection, these oil-free potatoes and veggies are the ultimate holiday experience! Using some vegetable broth and lemon, you can actually create a natural oil that will allow your food to not stick. Toss in fresh slices of orange and some herbs from your garden to give you the perfect side dish for any dinner or holiday party. Simply add your roast of choice and allow all of the flavors to meld together until its all done.

Tofurky and Roasted Vegetable Medley

Yields 5 servings

Ingredients

1 Tofurky

1/4 cup vegetable broth

24 oz. potatoes

3-5 small carrots

1 celery stick, cut in 4 pieces

1 small onion, halved and quartered

1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. Vitacost Himalayan Fine Pink Salt

1/4 tsp. black ground pepper

Tofurky and Roasted Vegetable Medley

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a roasting dish, place the thawed Tofurky on the bottom. Season and coat evenly with poultry seasoning, vegan butter, and thyme.
  3. Place the potatoes, onion, celery, and carrots around the Tofurky.
  4. In a small bowl, mix the rosemary, parsley, lemon juice, and garlic. Pour this mixture over the potatoes and season with the salt and pepper.
  5. Place in to the oven and bake for 1-1/2 hours.
  6. Serve and enjoy

Chef’s tip: You can always add orange slices for extra citrus flavor!

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Stuffed Pumpkin with Rice and Mushroom

Stuffed Pumpkin with Rice and Mushroom

Stuffed Pumpkin with Rice and Mushroom

Have you ever tried stuffing a pumpkin and roasting it to perfection? If not, then you should try this recipe! Every Thanksgiving, my aunt makes this stuffed pumpkin with rice, sautéed onions, celery, and lots of sausage…so I took the challenge of re-creating her dish with a vegan twist. Living a plant-based life can be easy and enjoyable; I’m here to show you that all of your favorite foods can still be made with plant-based ingredients. Instead of sausage, I reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms for a “meaty” texture which gives the dish a wonderful flavor profile!

Stuffed Pumpkin with Rice and Mushroom

Yields 2-3 pumpkins

Ingredients

2-3 pumpkin pie pumpkin (or 1 large pumpkin)

2 oz. dried Shitake mushrooms, chopped and reconstituted (see notes)

4 cups white rice, cooked

1 stick vegan butter

2 cups onion, chopped

1-1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup red wine, de-glaze

3 Tbsp. Worcestershire, to coat each pumpkin

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. Vitacost Himalayan Fine Pink Salt

2 tsp. pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. To reconstitute the dried shitaki mushrooms, fill a bowl with hot water and soak for 1 hour. Remove the stems once they are all soft and dice the shiitake mushroom into 1-in. Note: Make sure that the mushrooms are soft and well hydrated.
  3. Saute the onion and celery for 5-7 minutes. At this same time, cook your rice according to the package instructions. Remove the onion and celery from the pan and set aside in a small bowl.
  4. In the same frying pan, add butter and reconstituted mushrooms and pan fry for 3-5 minutes. Add the red wine to the mushrooms and cook on high for 2 minutes. Add to the cooked rice, onions and celery mixture, season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
  5. Cut the top off of your pumpkin and remove the top, seeds, and clean the inside out. Brush the inner walls with Worcestershire and add the mushroom and rice mixture.
  6. Place the pumpkin inside of a pan with 1-in” water to steam. Cover the pumpkin with the top and bake for roughly 40-50 minutes. The pumpkin should be soft and the outside should be charred.

Chef’s tip: The darker the pumpkin the better. The

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Garlic and Chive Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes

This plant-based mashed potato with garlic and cloves is so unbelievably delicious! Not only is this perfect for those Thanksgiving side dishes, but it may even qualify for Christmas. The best combination (in my opinion) are russet and Yukon gold potatoes. They really give you that perfect fluffy and creamy texture that you are looking for. Pair that texture with the fresh herbs, seasoning, and cashew milk and you’ll have yourself the perfect duo!

Mashed Potatoes

Yields 3-4 servings

Ingredients

4 potatoes, peeled and diced

1/4 cup cashew milk

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

2 Tbsp. chives

1/2 tsp. Vitacost Himalayan Fine Pink Salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Directions

  1. In a pot on medium-high heat, add the peeled and diced potatoes and cook until you can stick it with a fork and it falls off. Pour into a strainer and add to a mixing bowl.
  2. In the bowl with potatoes, begin to mash with a mixer (or stand mixer) and add the butter. Next add the cashew milk, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic, nutritional yeast, and chives.
  3. Place potatoes into a serving dish and enjoy

Chef’s tip: If you would like to make these a bit more on the garlic and cheesy side, feel free to add double the amount

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Nanas Stuffing

Thanksgiving stuffing

Thanksgiving stuffing

My Nana’s stuffing recipe will complete any Thanksgiving meal or dinner! Here is another favorite of my Nana’s holiday cooking that I am excited to share with you all. Tossing homemade dried bread cubes with celery, onions, butter, and then topped with vegetable broth and baked to perfection. Pouring hot gravy over this stuffing is really what I crave each Thanksgiving, it’s just really that good. Be sure to save some room on your plate this year for this incredibly fresh and moist stuffing.

Thanksgiving stuffing

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

3 loaves of stuffing bread (or day old bread)

1-3/4 cup vegetable broth

2 sticks vegan butter

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

6 Tbsp. Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer + 12 Tbsp. filtered water, mixed

Seasoning:

2 tsp. poultry seasoning

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. fresh dill, chopped or 1/2 tsp. dried dill

1 tsp. paprika

Directions 

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
  2. Place the poultry seasoning, paprika, dill, onion powder, salt, pepper in to a small bowl and mix. Set aside.
  3. On a baking sheet, place the sliced bread on to the pan and bake for 15 minutes, and turn bread cubes around. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes slowly turning the cubes around. Once all of the bread is toasted, put them into a big bowl (you may need to use two).
  4. In a frying pan, add the butter, onions, and celery. Sauté for 5-10 minutes or until the celery is soft. Dump the mixture directly over the bread cubes. 
  5. Then pour the seasoning mixture, egg replacer, and vegetable broth over evenly, mixing until well incorporated. The bread cubes should be wet but not soggy or overly soaked.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  7. In a greased casserole dish, add the bread mixture and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. 
  8. Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.

Chef’s tip: Feel free to make this the day before and place it in the refrigerator overnight.

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Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole

It’s the dish that most of us have been waiting for all year, Green bean casserole! Using cashew milk to recreate a “cream of mushroom” soup is a fantastic way to alter this classic side dish for Thanksgiving. Topped with crispy fried onion and baked to perfection, this plant-based alternative will leave you are your guests mouths watering for more!

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. avocado oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 small shallot, diced

2 lbs. green beans, trimmed

1/2 cup baby Bella mushrooms, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp. Himalayan pink salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup cashew milk

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

1 Tbsp. tahini

1 1/2 cups crispy french fried onions

Directions 

  1. In a frying pan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and onions and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add in the mushrooms and garlic, sauté for an additional 4-5 minutes.
  2. Next, add in paprika, nutritional yeast, pepper, salt, thyme, and flour. Coat the veggies and add the cashew milk, vegetable stock, and tahini.
  3. Turn heat to medium, and allow mixture to thicken, roughly 2-3 minutes. Set aside in the stove. 
  4. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Dice and trim off the green beans ends, slice in half, and place in boiling water. Cook for 2-3 minutes and remove green beans from pot into a bowl of ice water.
  5. In a big mixing bowl, add your cooked & drained green beans and pour the sauce over the green beans. Add about half of the fried onion crisps to the bowl and give a good mix.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  7. In a greased casserole dish, pour the mixture in and top with remaining onion crisps. 
  8. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking until top is browned and bubbling.
  9. Serve immediately.

Chef’s tip: If you do not like mushrooms, you can leave them out of this recipe.

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Pineapple Stuffing

Pineapple Stuffing

Sweeten up your Thanksgiving dinner with this decadent Pineapple stuffing! Growing up as a kid, each holiday, my Nana would make this recipe for the family. It is really one of those dishes that you may have to double so that everyone can get enough. This super easy and simply 5-ingredient recipe is buttery with a burst of pineapple flavor with each bite you take. This amazing side dish will only take a few minutes to prepare so don’t worry about making this the day before.

Pineapple Stuffing

Yields 5-6 servings

Ingredients

1 (20 oz can) crushed pineapple

1/2 cup vegan butter, melted

1 cup organic cane sugar

6 slices of white bread, cubed

4 Tbsp. Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer +8 Tbsp. filtered water, mix and set aside

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar, egg replacer, and pineapple and mix until well incorporated.
  3. Add the diced bread and fold the mixture.
  4. In a greased casserole dish, pour the bread and pineapple mixture in and bake for 1 hour or until top of golden brown.

Chef’s tip: You can always add Maraschino cherries if you would like.

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Cashew Broccoli

Cashew Broccoli

Cashew Broccoli

You don’t need to call for take-out to enjoy this vegetable wok of goodness tonight. I promise this recipe will be a huge hit at your next family dinner! Cashews and broccoli are some of my favorite things to eat (and they’re really healthy too!), so when you put those together for this classic dish, your taste buds won’t know what hit them. Paired with some steamed rice or quinoa, you will have yourself a hearty and nutritious packed meal for any occasion!

Cashew Broccoli

Yields 2 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted raw cashews

1 broccoli head, florets head only

1 small onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 celery stalk, diced

1-2 Tbsp. vegetable broth

Cashew sauce:

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbsp. agave 

1/4 cup saki, (optional)

1/2 tsp. ginger

1 garlic clove

1/4 cup filtered water

3 tsp. cornstarch

1/8 cup green onions

Cashew Broccoli

Directions

  1. In a skillet, add a little bit of vegetable broth and turn to medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Then add the broccoli, celery, and carrots, adding more vegetable broth as needed so it does not stick. Sauté for roughly 5 minutes longer and then add the garlic and ginger. 
  2. Turn to high heat and deglaze with saki. Once alcohol has cooked off, add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, agave.
  3. Mix together cornstarch and water and pour into the pan. Allow sauce to thicken and remove from heat.
  4. Toss in cashews and green onions.
  5. Serve with white rice or noodles. 

 

Chef’s tip: If you would like to use oil instead of vegetable broth, use 1 Tbsp. avocado oil or sesame oil.

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Another “Neat” Taco

Another Neat Taco

Another Neat Taco

Fast and healthy meals don’t always have to be made from scratch, but that doesn’t mean they need to be completely store bought either. This taco “meat” is really neat! (pun intended) Why you may be wondering? Because it has all of the flavor and ingredients inside, all you need to do is add water and give it a good ol’ mix and voila- you are ready to go. You will be delighted to find out how great this Mexican style taco neat “meat” tastes! Don’t forget to kick it up a notch by adding a bunch of plant-based toppings like lettuce, guacamole, and mango salsa!

Another Neat Taco

Yields 8 tacos

Ingredients 

1 pouch Neat Foods Mexican-Style

1/2 cup water

1 small onion, diced

1 Tbsp. avocado oil

1/2 cup cooked white rice

1/4 tsp. Vitacost Himalayan Fine Pink Salt

1/2 lime, squeezed 

1 tsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Toppings:

Guacamole

Mango salsa

Lettuce

Directions

  1. Using a bowl, pour the contents of the pouch into a bowl and mix with water. Set aside.
  2. Heat a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add the oil and onion, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes.
  3. Add the neat Mexican style “meat” to the pan, breaking it up into crumbles as if browns, roughly 10-12 minutes.
  4. In another bowl, add the rice, minced cilantro, salt, and lime juice and mix (season to taste).
  5. In either a hard or soft shell, place some of the rice, followed by taco meat, lettuce, salsa, and guacamole (or with whatever toppings you’d like). 

 

Chef’s tip: if you would like to spice up the neat Mexican style mix, add 1-2 tsp. siracha. 

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Southwestern Black Bean Salad

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

Cut the carbs and try this loaded salad for #TacoTuesday today! This salad is filled with fresh fruits and vegetables like red onion, juicy mango and pineapple, cherry tomatoes, and creamy avocados. One bite and you won’t be able to stop! That’s because the reviving taste of the fresh lime juice mixed with the black beans and other flavors will keep you wanting more!

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

Yields 2 servings

Ingredients

16 oz. organic spring mix

1/2 cup black beans

2 Tbsp. hemp seeds

1/3 cup mango salsa

1/8 cup red onion, sliced

1/2 avocado, sliced

1 tsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup avocado oil

1/8 cup agave

1/2 cup lime juice, fresh squeezed

1 tsp, garlic

1/2 tsp. Vitacost Himalayan Fine Pink Salt

1/4 tsp. Spicely Organics Ground Black Pepper

Directions

Salad:

  1. On a large plate, place all of the lettuce down in a big layer. Top with cooked black beans, hemp seed, mango salsa, red onion, cilantro, and avocado.

Dressing:

  1. In a small bowl, mix together all dressing ingredients until well combined.
  2. Top salad with dressing and serve with sides of lime wedges.

Chef’s tip: To spice things up, add 1/4 tsp. jalapeño to the dressing,