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Italian

Garden Eggplant Pasta

1/2 package rotini pasta

1 head garlic roasted

1 recipe Nomato sauce

1 tbs avocado oil

½ onion chopped

2 Japanese eggplants roasted (optional)

1 tiny bell pepper from the garden (optional)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp black pepper

½ Nomato sauce

Handful basil leaves chopped / chiffonade

Vegan parmesan

 

Roast the garlic and let cool. Roast the eggplant and let cool. Heat the avocado oil to high heat, add onions, reduce to medium heat, stir and add spices and optional veggies (bell pepper). Cook until onions are soft. Add Nomato sauce and scrape out flesh from eggplant into sauce. Heat thoroughly.

 

Prepare pasta. Drain, but do not rinse. Sauce will stick better to unrinsed pasta.

 

Serve pasta topped with sauce and roasted garlic cloves and sprinkle on vegan parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Zucchini Lasagna with Cauliflower Cheese

From Unbound Wellness

 

For the cauliflower “cheese”

  • 2 cups cauliflower, steamed

  • 3 tbsp olive oil (divided)

  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tbsp + 2 tsp nutritional yeast

  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 cup spinach, chopped

 

For the ravioli

  • 2 medium zucchini’s

  • 1 1/2 cup Nomato sauce

  • 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

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For the cauliflower cheese

  1. Using a nut milk bag, lightly strain the cauliflower to draw out some (but not all) of the excess water.

  2. Add cauliflower to a food processor and blend with 2 tbsp of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth and set aside.

  3. Using a small saute pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil on low heat.

  4. Saute the garlic for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Add the spinach and allow to wilt over 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

  5. Stir the spinach and garlic into the cauliflower mixture and set aside.

 

For the zucchini ravioli

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

  2. Wash the zucchini and slice off the ends. Use a mandolin slicer or peeler to slice into thin slices. Allow to sit for 5 minutes and dab with a paper towel to remove some excess water.

  3. Begin assembling the ravioli by layering two slices or zucchini vertically and two horizontally in a plus sign formation. Add a large spoonful of the cauliflower “cheese”.

  4. Carefully fold the zucchini to secure the ravioli and place in a baking dish with the folded side down. Repeat until the baking dish is full. You should have about six large raviolis.

  5. OR place sliced zucchini in baking dish and layer with cauliflower cheese, sauce and more zucchini.

  6. Top with sauce and bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes.

  7. Remove from the oven and top with sliced basil. Serve with a knife and fork.

Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

Adapted from Minimalist Baker

 

Eggplant

  • 1 medium eggplant

  • 1/4 cup rice flour

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 tsp arrowroot powder

  • 2 Tbs nutritional yeast flakes + 2 tsp oregano + 1/4 tsp salt

Marinara Sauce

  • 1 carrot, cut into large chunks

  • 1 red onion, cut into large chunks

  • 3 roma tomatoes, cut into large chunks

  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled

  • 2 Tbs olive oil (optional)

  • 2 tsp oregano

 

Slice one large eggplant in to approximately 1/4 inch slices. Sprinkle with salt and place in a colander to drain. This removes bitter flavors. Rinse and press between two towels with something heavy on top (chopping board and cast iron pan) to remove moisture. Dip eggplant in almond milk mix and then parmesan mix and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes and flip halfway.

 

Blend marinara ingredients in high speed blender. Add 1 cup sauce to cover the bottom of a baking dish. Place eggplant in dish, top with 1 cup marinara sauce and bake for 10 minutes.

Brussel Sprouts Alfredo

Minimalist Baker

Brussel Sprouts

  • 16 ounces Brussels Sprouts, halved

  • 1-2 Tbsp olive oil

  • Pinch each sea salt + black pepper

 

Sauce and Pasta

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil or vegan butter

  • 4 large cloves garlic, chopped (~3 Tbsp)

  • 1/3 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, + Sauvignon Blanc, are best)

  • 4 Tbsp arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)

  • 1 3/4 cup unsweetened plain almond milk

  • 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast

  • Sea salt + black pepper to taste

  • 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

  • 10 ounces vegan, gluten-free pasta

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and add Brussels sprouts to a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, and season generously with salt and pepper and toss. Arrange in a single layer and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil (for cooking the pasta) and salt generously (~1 Tbsp).

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and garlic. Sauteé for 3 minutes or until fragrant and very slightly golden brown, then add wine. Be careful - it may flame, but only briefly. Stir and sauté for 2-4 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by about half.

Add arrowroot and whisk, then add almond milk and whisk. At this point, it will be very clumpy - this is normal. Transfer to a high speed blender and add nutritional yeast, salt + pepper, and vegan parmesan cheese. Blend on high until creamy and smooth.

Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast for cheesiness, or salt and pepper for more overall flavor.

Transfer sauce back to the skillet and warm over medium-low heat until bubbly while whisking. The sauce should thicken, at which point you can lower the heat to low and simmer until pasta is cooked. If it looks too thick, thin with almond milk. If too thin, increase heat to medium to encourage thickening.

Add Brussels sprouts to the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown and tender, stirring once at the 10-minute mark to encourage cooking.

Around this time, add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions (mine took about 7-10 minutes, so I did that last. You want the pasta and Brussels to be done around the same time).

Once cooked, drained pasta and add directly to the sauce, along with half of the Brussels sprouts and toss to combine. Season with a bit more vegan parmesan cheese (optional) for extra flavor.

Serve with remaining Brussels sprouts and additional vegan parmesan cheese for flavor. I also like a bit of red pepper flake, but this is optional.

Best when fresh, though leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave for best results.

 

Vegan Pizza

Socca Pizza Crust​

MindBodyGreen

  • 1 cup chickpea / garbanzo flour 

  • 1 cup water

  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil + 1 tablespoon of olive oil 

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 2 cloves minced garlic (optional)

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (optional)

  • Toppings of choice (tomato sauce, pesto sauce, pineapple, fresh greens, farmers market vegetables, you name it)

Whisk together all ingredients except for 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toppings and let sit for an hour to let everything soak in. 

Turn your oven on broil and let a 10-inch cast-iron pan (or ovenproof pan of choice) sit in there to get warm and toasty. Remove carefully using oven mitts, then set on stove.

Swirl in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to coat bottom. Pour in socca batter. Tilt the pan around until it's evenly spread. Return to oven and let broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until the edges get brown and toasty.

Remove from oven and add toppings. You can serve it immediately, or if you'd like the cheese to melt, return to oven for 1 to 2 more minutes or until cheese is bubbly. 

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Moxarella

Vexed Out 

It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

  • 1/4+ cup raw cashews (soaked in water for several hours IF you don’t have a high powered blender)

  • 1 cup hot water

  • 2 Tbs + 1 tsp tapioca starch

  • 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil (optional)

  • 1 small garlic clove, minced

  • 3/4 tsp sea salt

  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

 

Blend all ingredients together in a high-speed blender until completely smooth, about 1 minute.

Pour into a small saucepan and cook, stirring constantly over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes. After a few minutes the mixture will start to form lumps, like it’s curdling or separating. Reduce heat to medium and keep stirring so you don’t burn the cheese.

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Keep cooking and stirring until very thick (about 2-3 more minutes) and the mixture becomes like a cohesive mass of melted dairy cheese and stretches.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Raw Zuchinni Raviolis

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Place a slice of zucchini, add some marinara sauce, then cashew cheese, top with another zucchini slice, then top with a fresh basil leaf and sprinkle on vegan parmesan cheese.

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Raw Marinara Sauce

  • 1 medium carrot

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 3 garlic cloves 

  • 2 small onions

  • 2 pounds fresh tomatoes (3 large tomatoes)

  • 1 1/2 tsp dried basil, oregano, rosemary, etc.

  • salt and pepper

Blend everything together.​

Ratatouille

  • 6 oz tomato paste

  • 3/4 cup olive oil

  • Salt, pepper

  • 1/4 garlic finely chopped

  • 1/2 large onion chopped

  • 2 yellow zuchinni 

  • 2 bell pepper (red and green)

  • 1 small eggplant

  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes

  • Fresh thyme, rosemary, oregano

  • Olive oil to drizzle

  • Polenta

​

Mix the tomato paste, water, olive oil in a 10x10 baking pan. Add garlic and onion and mix. Thinly slice veggies and layer in the pan with some thyme and oregano and a drizzle of olive oil. Cover with parchment paper and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Serve over polenta  with a small dollop of vegan sour cream on top.

Vegan Lasagna with Walnut Meat

  • Lasagna noodles

  • Veggies - sliced or spiralized zucchini, grated carrots, shredded kale, spinach, mushrooms, bell peppers

 

Marinara Sauce

  • 15 oz can roasted tomatoes

  • 1/2 onion 

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 1 tsp oregano or few large leaves fresh basil

  • dash of salt and pepper

Blend until smooth in the Vitamix. Bring to boil, then simmer gently on low heat for 15 minutes.

 

Creamy Cheese Sauce

  • 3/4 cup raw cashews

  • 3 tbs nutritional yeast flakes

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1 garlic clove

  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

  • 1 tsp oregano

  • 1 tbs olive oil

  • 3/4 cup water

Blend everything together in Vitamix. 

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Vegan Parmesan 

This recipe form Cookie and Kate uses hemp seeds and therefore bypasses the food processor cleanup 

  • ½ cup hemp seeds

  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste

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Walnut Meat ​based on OneGreenPlanet

  • 1 cup walnuts

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 tbsp tamari 

  • 1 tsp oregano

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)

Blend in the food processor til chunky. 

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In my tiny house I have a toaster oven so my portions are smaller. Boil about 8 lasagna noodles and use a bread pan for layering and baking. Layer marinara sauce, noodles, vegetables, walnut meat, cheese sauce, parmesan, repeat and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Top with fresh basil and more parmesan.

Vegan Lasagna with Cashew Ricotta

Raw Marinara sauce

  • 1 medium carrot

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 3 garlic cloves 

  • 2 small onions

  • 3 large tomatoes (substitute 2 pears or 4 plums or 2 red bell pepper for no tomato version)

  • large handful fresh basil

  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano

  • salt and pepper

Blend everything together. 

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Vegan Ricotta

  • 1 block firm tofu pressed

  • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

  • 2 tsp dried oregano

  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice

  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

  • 1 tsp sea salt

  • 1/4 cup water

  • 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese

​​

  • Lasagna noodles

  • Thinly sliced zucchini

​

Cover bottom of pan with 1cup marinara sauce, cooked lasagna noodles, zucchini, ricotta, then another layer and top with the marinara sauce and vegan parmesan.

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Cover with foil, cook at 375 for 45 minutes, then uncover and cook for 15 minutes. 

Vegan Lasagna So Simple

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Cover bottom of pan with 1cup marinara sauce, cooked lasagna noodles, veggies, drizzle the cheese sauce, then another layer and top with the cheesey sauce.

 

Very rich with the Basil Cashew Cheese and the Raw Marinara sauce. It doesn't need any other seasoning.

Vegan Alfredo

Minimalist Baker

  • 8-10 ounces gluten free pasta

  • 3 Tbsp olive, grape seed, or avocado oil

  • 4 large cloves garlic, minced

  • 4 Tbsp arrowroot powder (used half brown rice flour, half arrowroot)

  • 1 3/4 - 2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk (used homemade hemp seed milk)

  • Salt and pepper to taste (~1/2 tsp each)

  • 4-6 Tbsp nutritional yeast

  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder (used fresh garlic)

  • 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese (plus more for topping)

  • 1 cup green peas 

  • Red Pepper Flake

 

Prepare pasta. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic. Reduce heat slightly and add arrowroot or flour and whisk to combine. Cook for about a minute and then add almond/hemp milk 1/4 cup at a time (adding 1 3/4 cups total, working up to 2 cups later on if needed) and whisk to prevent clumps. Cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to a blender and add salt, pepper, vegan parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and blend on high until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Return sauce back to skillet and cook on medium heat until it bubbles, then reduce heat to low and cook until thickened, stirring frequently.​ Once sauce is ready, add pasta, peas and toss. Cook for 1-2 minutes to warm through, and serve with additional vegan parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

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