Vegan Cooking With Love https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com Eat more plants for your body, for the animals, and for the planet Sun, 04 Mar 2018 18:39:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.5 https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/cropped-VCWL-Logo-2018-1-32x32.png Vegan Cooking With Love https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com 32 32 The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Substitutes https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2016/03/vegan-substitutes/ https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2016/03/vegan-substitutes/#respond Fri, 04 Mar 2016 11:09:18 +0000 https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/?p=2478 The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Substitutes

Last Updated: 2/7/18

Look at all of the amazing vegan substitutes that are available in grocery stores! There are over 150 of them. With so many options and new ones popping up all of the time, it’s a great time to explore a vegan diet.

Depending on where you live in the world, some may be easier to find than others, but I guarantee that if you look around, you’ll be surprised at how many options you actually have within 30 minutes of your home.

Over 150 amazing vegan substitutes that you can buy in grocery stores or online!
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Table of Contents

  1. Bread & Baked Goods
  2. Cheese
  3. Condiments
  4. Desserts
  5. Eggs
  6. Meat
  7. Milk
  8. Ready to Eat Meals
  9. Seafood
  10. Yogurt

Vegan Substitutes: Bread and Baked Goods

Vegan Substitutes: Vegan Cheese

Rounds & Wedges (Artisan)

  • Daiya Wedges: Jalapeño Havarti, Cheddar, Jack
  • Heidi Ho: Creamy Chia Cheeze, Spicy! Chia Cheeze, Smoky Chia Cheeze, Ne Chèvre – Pure, Ne Chèvre – Black Lava
  • Kite Hill: Soft Fresh Original, Soft Fresh Truffle Dill & Chive, Soft Ripened, Ricotta
  • Miyoko’s Kitchen: Classic Double Cream Chive, Double Cream Sundried Tomato Garlic, High Sierra Rustic Alpine, Fresh Loire Valley in a Fig Leaf, Limited Edition Mt. Vesuvius Black Ash, French Style Winter Truffle, aged English Sharp Farmhouse, Aged English Smoked Farmhouse, Country Style Herbes de Provence
  • Treeline Treenut Cheeses: Classic Hard Cheese, Cracked Pepper Hard Cheese, Herb-Garlic French Style Soft Cheese, Scallion French-Style Soft Cheese

Shreds & Slices

Vegan Substitutes: Vegan Condiments

Cream Cheese

Honey

Margarine

Mayonnaise

Salad Dressings

Sour Cream

Spreads & Sauces

Whipped Cream

Vegan Substitutes: Vegan Store Bought Desserts

Brownies

Cookies

Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts

Vegan Substitutes: Vegan Eggs

* This egg replacer works best when a recipe calls for 2 or less eggs

Vegan Substitutes: Vegan Meat

Bacon

Beef

Beef, Ground

Burgers

Deli Slices

Chicken

Hot Dogs

Jackfruit (Pulled Pork)

Meatballs

Meatloaf

Pork

Sausage, Ground

Sausage Links

Sausage, Breakfast

Turkey

Vegan Substitutes: Vegan Milk

Milk

Creamers

Vegan Substitutes: Vegan Convience Meals

Pizza

Vegan Substitutes: Vegan Seafood

Vegan Substitutes: Vegan Yogurt

 

 

Am I Missing Something?

I’m sure I am! Fill out this form and I’ll update the list. Thank you!

]]> https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2016/03/vegan-substitutes/feed/ 0 Go Vegan in Just 7 Steps https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2016/01/go-vegan/ https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2016/01/go-vegan/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2016 02:13:53 +0000 https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/?p=2335  

7 Steps to Go Vegan + 27 Page Workbook // Vegan Cooking with Love

So, you’ve decided to go vegan or have considered it and you don’t know where to start? You are in the right place!

I transitioned to a vegan diet in 2009 when I learned about factory farming. I was horrified and immediately decided that I would not participate in that nonsense. I couldn’t do it with a clear conscience. I was vegetarian for one month, until I realized that the dairy cows and hens didn’t have it much better. I went vegan the next month and haven’t looked back.

Yes, there have been times when I wanted to taste certain flavors and textures, but I either tried to recreate them or just moved on. Even though, 2009 wasn’t that long ago, the vegan food industry has come a long way and there are vegan substitutes for almost everything! Lucky you!

Here are 7 steps to go vegan…

7 Steps to Go Vegan!
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Summary

  1. Decide why you want to go vegan & realize that going vegan isn’t the only option
  2. Decide if you want to quit all at once or take small steps
  3. Learn about animal products and how to find them on food labels
  4. Learn about your options for replacing meat in your meal
  5. Remove and replace non-vegan food in your home
  6. Pick 3 vegan go-to meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner
  7. Stay encouraged and continue to learn

Step 1: Decide why you want to go vegan & realize that going vegan isn’t the only option

Each person has his/her own personal reason for going vegan. Maybe you…

  • Have learned about factory farming and want to make changes to save animals,
  • Know about the impact of animal agriculture on the environment and want to make changes to save the earth, or
  • You want to eat less meat to improve your health

Consider this. Going vegan isn’t your only option if you want to make a difference.
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Congratulations for your decision to make a difference!

A quick Twitter search reveals that many people feel compelled to go vegan, but don’t feel like they can.

They say things like, “I want to go vegan but…

  • chicken is so f$%in good. I can go without the rest of that sh*!
  • the concept of giving up egg noodle is terrifying but the treatment of chickens is also terrifying whelp
  • I love hamburgers
  • idk where to start on giving up eggs and bacon, which are two of my favorite things
  • I can’t! Meat is sooo good! But I still love animals.”
  • i love pasta with cheese so much send me to hell
  • I like hot wings and bacon too much
  • I want to eat steak too

My personal vegan godmother (she actually doesn’t know this, but I gave her this title) Colleen Patrick-Goudreau says,

Don’t do nothing, because you can’t do everything. Do something. Anything.

From @JoyfulVegan “Don’t do nothing, because you can’t do everything. Do something. Anything.”
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You don’t have to go vegan to save animals, the earth or improve your health. Any change you make matters, and makes a difference. Your goal should be to do something.

You don’t have to be vegan, but you should exercise your decision-making power to make a difference.

Exercise your decision-making power to make a difference.
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Maybe you are like some of the people on Twitter and you don’t want to take the leap because you don’t want to give up certain foods – eggs, bacon, hamburgers, cheese.

Consider this.

What if you ate those foods once a week, but the rest of the time you didn’t? What if you ate them once a month?

Do you think that would make a difference? It absolutely would.

Whatever your why is – the animals, the earth, or your health. Just eating less makes a difference and is a worthwhile, admirable thing to do.

Let that sink in for a minute.

Just eating less makes a difference.

Just eating less makes a difference.
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What you eat and what you don’t eat is your personal decision and should feel right to you, not anyone else.

Step 2: Decide if you want to quit all at once or take small steps

Let’s say you’ve decided you want to go vegan and go “all in” right away and remove all animal products from your diet. Depending on your personality and desire, you can either stop eating all animal products at one time, or stop eating one at a time over a longer period of time.

This is your personal journey. Do it in a way that feels right to you.

A Warning about Sharing Your Journey

Something weird  happens when you tell people “I’m going vegan.” Sometimes they become very defensive and say things that feel antagonistic and even downright mean. In the beginning, I wanted to tell people because I was excited and still in shock with what I had learned about factory farming. But I quickly learned that sharing wasn’t worth the rude comments that I heard, particularly from those closest to me. I encourage you to seek out like minded people in your town by using Meetup.com or online through all of the many online forums and groups.

A Warning about the Vegan Police

There is an unofficial group of vegans that some of us refer to as “the vegan police.” These vegans often have good intentions when they point out people’s missteps along their vegan journey. However, to the person who is just trying to figure everything out, they can actually be discouraging and frustrating. If you encounter “the vegan police” along the way, don’t engage with them or let them steal your excitement and desire to live a more compassionate and healthy life.


Download the 7 Steps to Go Vegan Workbook

Step 3: Learn about animal products and how to find them on food labels

The easiest way to go vegan and limit the amount of label reading you have to do is to make the bulk of your diet whole foods. These include fruits and vegetables in the produce department. They also include foods that have may have a label, but that label only has one or two ingredients like, nuts, seeds and grains.

The primary ingredients you want to look for on labels of prepared food are eggs and milk.

Lucky for you, these ingredients are common allergens and in 2006 the FDA required all food manufacturers who produced foods regulated by the Food and Drug Administration to comply with comply with FALCPA’s food allergen labeling requirements. This is shown on labels as a “contains statement” and it’s typically in bold at the end of the ingredients list.

Reading Labels is Essential if You Are Going Vegan

However, there are times when eggs or milk isn’t listed in the “contains statement,” so you’ll want to scan the ingredients list and look for things like:

  • casein/calcium caceinate
  • cream
  • egg whites
  • lactose
  • milk
  • milk fat
  • nonfat milk
  • skim milk
  • whey

Pro Tip

Don’t assume an item is vegan just because the front of the package says: veggie, non-dairy, or vegetarian. Always read the ingredient list.

Get in the habit of reading labels and work toward buying fewer foods that come in packages with a long list of ingredients. It gets easier.

Always read the ingredient list. Don’t trust the front of the package.
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References

Step 4: Learn about your options for replacing meat in your meals

7 ways you can replace meat in your meals
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Following are 7 ways you can replace meat in your meals.

  1. Vegetables
  2. Beans
  3. Tofu
  4. Tempeh
  5. Seitan
  6. TVP
  7. Commercial meat replacements

Before we get into the list, let’s manage expectations. There are instances where replacing meat will be less noticeable when you are going vegan. But in many instances, don’t expect the replacement to taste like meat or give you the same feeling when you eat it. Remember, that’s not always the goal.

The goal is to do less harm – to the animals, to the earth, to your body. That’s it. Remember – Do something. That’s our goal here.

Get your mind right 🙂 and let’s go through this list.

Vegetables

Vegetables can be used to replace meat. Think about dishes like portobello mushroom burgers where the burger replaces the meat. Chunky vegetables, particularly starchy vegetables can replace meat in stews. Smaller bite-sized vegetables can be a great substitute for meat in marinara sauce for a pasta dish.

Beans

Beans get the worst rap ever. They really do and it’s a shame because they are so good for you. The health benefits are amazing and they are super cheap, whether you buy them in a can or cook them from scratch. They are the main reason why the “cost excuse” doesn’t fly.

Many chili recipes already include beans, so you can just leave out the meat and you’ve got a meat-free meal. Black bean burgers can fill in on the days that you aren’t eating meat too. Beans are also a great replacement for meat on salads.

Tofu

Tofu is tricky. I’m not going to lie. But once you know how to prepare it, you’re in business.

Here are 2 of the easiest ways to cook it:

Press, Dry Fry & Add Sauce

  1. Press the tofu to get the water out so you can later get the flavor in. Use a tofu press or use this method. I prefer to press my tofu for at least one hour, so this requires advance preparation.
  2. Cut the tofu into bite-size pieces. (Watch me cut it in this video)
  3. Dry fry the tofu. This means that you are heating a nonstick pan over medium heat, without oil and browning the tofu on each side. You may have to do this in batches. The tofu should be in a single layer in the pan.
  4. Put all of the tofu back in the pan, pour in a thick sauce, toss to coat and heat through and serve with rice and vegetables. A thick sauce that you buy in a bottle will work best, like an Asian sauce or barbecue sauce.

Press, Marinate & Sauté

  1. Press the tofu (see above).
  2. Cut the tofu into bite-size pieces and place in a container. Cover the tofu with your marinade. One of the bottled marinades will work perfectly. Marinate your tofu for 30 minutes or an hour.
  3. Sauté the tofu in a pan, in a single layer with a little oil. Once it’s brown on the bottom, turn it over and brown the other side.

Tempeh

Tempeh is fermented soybeans. It looks strange (and honestly somewhat unappetizing) in its uncooked form. It was one of my favorite foods to eat when I became vegan, because it gave me something to chew.

To prepare tempeh, cut it so it fits into your steamer basket and steam it for 15 minutes to remove the bitterness.

Then you have several options:

  1. Bake it with a thick sauce
  2. Marinate it and brown it in a skillet or bake it
  3. Braise it
  4. Brown it in a skillet and toss with sauce

Seitan

Seitan, pronounced say-ten, is made with vital wheat gluten flour. It has the meatiest texture of all. Making your own takes some skill and knowledge, but several companies sell it and Asian restaurants often use it for faux meat in dishes. Many upscale vegan restaurants will also have it on their menus.

TVP

TVP is textured/texturized vegetable protein, also known as textured soy protein (TSP), soy meat, or soya chunks (read more on Wikipedia). It comes in different forms, like crumbles, chunks and strips. It’s the simplest to prepare. All you have to do is rehydrate it in boiling water.

Commercial Meat Replacements

Food science and technological advances have been amazing for vegans. Companies like Gardein, Beyond Meat and Field Roast have done an amazing job of mimicking the texture of meat with vegan chicken, beef, pork and fish.

Click below to get recipes highlighting these ingredients!


Download the 7 Steps to Go Vegan Workbook

Step 5: Remove and replace non-vegan food in your home

This is a critical step once you’ve made the decision to change your diet and go vegan. Depending on what you decided for step 1, you may want to do this all at once, or a little at a time. You may want to eat what you have and not replace it or you may want to give it away or throw it in the trash.

Here is a list of foods that you’ll want to remove from your…

Refrigerator

  • Meat (including fish)
  • Milk
  • Eggs
  • Butter
  • Cheese
  • Sour Cream
  • Cream Cheese
  • Coffee creamer
  • Yogurt
  • Mayonnaise
  • Salad dressings with milk or eggs in the ingredients list

Freezer

  • Pizza
  • Frozen dinners with milk and cheese in the ingredients list
  • Frozen desserts with milk in the ingredients list

Pantry

  • Chicken/Beef broth or stock
  • Canned soups with animal products
  • Box food mixes with animal products in the ingredients list

When it comes to replacing these items, I recommend only replacing some of these right away, if you eat them several times a week.

  • Milk
  • Butter
  • Coffee Creamer
  • Cream Cheese
  • Yogurt
  • Salad dressing

Check out this master list of vegan substitutes for brands that you should look for in your local grocery store. You’ll typically find non-dairy milks near the dairy milks. However, the other items are typically in the organic/natural section of the grocery store.

Go to a few stores and look around. Find the organic/natural section and see what they have. Make a mental note of who has what.

Eggs

I do not recommend replacing the eggs right away, because different egg replacers work for different recipes. Ener-G powdered egg replacer is nice to have on hand, if you bake. Follow Your Heart recently released a VeganEgg that you can scramble, but it’s in high demand and currently out of stock in many online stores.

Step 6: Pick 3 vegan go-to meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner

Start by making a list of the meals you eat over and over again. Think about how they could be easily veganized.

Let’s look at some examples.

Breakfast

  • Cold cereal  //  Veganize it: Use non-dairy milk
  • Oatmeal  //  Veganize it: Use non-dairy milk or water
  • Yogurt + Fruit + Granola  //  Veganize it: Buy vegan yogurt

Lunch (made at home)

  • Salad with Grilled Chicken  //  Veganize it: Buy vegan chicken or swap chicken for black beans

Lunch (bought at a restaurant)

  • Pizza: Hold the cheese
  • Sub: All veggies, hold the cheese
  • Asian: Sub tofu for the meat

Dinner

  • Pasta with Meat Sauce and a Salad  //  Veganize it: Swap meat with vegan crumbles or TVP and use a milk/egg-free vinaigrette for salad dressing
  • Meat + Vegetables + Baked Potato  //  Veganize it: Swap meat for tofu, tempeh or a commercial meat substitute and use vegan margarine on your potato and vegetables

After you have veganized your regular meals, browse the internet and check out a few vegan cookbooks from the library and try a few new recipes.

Step 7: Stay encouraged and continue to learn

You’re not going to be perfect and that’s okay. Perfection isn’t the goal. Making a difference is. There are several books that you can read and documentaries that you can watch to learn more about the benefits of a vegan diet.

Perfection isn’t the goal. Making a difference is.
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Download the 7 Steps to Go Vegan Workbook

]]> https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2016/01/go-vegan/feed/ 1 Ginger Carrot Soup https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/10/ginger-carrot-soup/ https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/10/ginger-carrot-soup/#respond Sat, 18 Oct 2014 18:58:51 +0000 https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/?p=1898 Vegan Ginger Carrot Soup

This Vegan Ginger Carrot Soup is part of a collaboration with 7 other vegan YouTubers – Soup-er Vegan Soups!

Vegan Soups YouTube Collaboration

I adapted this recipe from The Splendid Table’s Carrot Ginger Soup recipe.

Ginger Carrot Soup
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Makes: 4 cups
 
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • ½ cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 pound carrots, chopped
  • 1¾ cups vegetable broth
  • ¼ cup orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh peeled ginger
  • 14-ounce can coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the carrots, broth, orange juice and ginger; bring to a boil.
  4. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.
  5. Remove from the heat.
  6. Puree with immersion blender or let cool for 15 minutes and blend in a blender, until very smooth.
  7. Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the coconut milk, lemon juice, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
  8. Reheat the soup over medium heat until hot.
  9. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

 

Check out the Other Vegan Soups

Split Pea Sweet Potato Soup

EcoVeganGal // Website, YouTube Channel

 

Creamy Potato Curry Soup

Fellowship of the Vegetable // Website, YouTube Channel

 

Filipino Rice Porridge

AstigVegan // Website, YouTube Channel

 

Soft Pretzel Bites

SimplyBakings // Website, YouTube Channel

 

Vegetable Lentil Stew

The Divine Hostess // Website, YouTube Channel

 

Red Lentil Coconut Curry

Veggietorials // Website, YouTube Channel

 

Lentil Soup with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Spinach

Brown Vegan // Website, YouTube Channel

]]> https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/10/ginger-carrot-soup/feed/ 0 Sweet Chili Lime Tofu https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/09/sweet-chili-lime-tofu/ https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/09/sweet-chili-lime-tofu/#comments Tue, 02 Sep 2014 18:38:33 +0000 https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/?p=1861 Sweet Chili Lime Tofu // Vegan Cooking with Love - Original Recipe by Lauren Ulm of Vegan Yum Yum

Lauren Ulm’s website, Vegan Yum Yum, was one of the first vegan websites that I found when I started my vegan journey. I totally forgot about this tofu recipe and how much I love it until a few weeks ago. I’ve adapted it just a bit to make sure there’s enough sauce and to make sure the sauce thickens. It will not thicken without the cornstarch slurry.

A few more tips…Don’t be tempted to take short cuts, like not pressing the tofu, not slicing it thin enough and not dry frying it. These are essential to getting a chewy texture for the tofu. Play around with the sauce if you like, but follow the technique for the tofu.

Now, there is an exception. If you are someone who likes the soft, somewhat mushy texture of tofu, feel free to skip the dry frying, but do everything else.

Sweet Chili Lime Tofu
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Dish
Makes: 4 Servings
 
Ingredients
  • 2, 14 ounce blocks extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into thin small triangles or squares

  • Sweet Chili Lime Sauce
  • ¼ cup organic granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • Zest of 2 limes
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • Slurry
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
  1. Whisk all of the ingredients together for the sauce until the sugar and salt is dissolved. Set aside
  2. Make the slurry by mixing the cornstarch and water and set aside.
  3. Dry fry the tofu in batches, in a non-stick pan without any oil over medium heat. It should take about 5 minutes on each side.
  4. Remove the tofu as it’s ready and set aside.
  5. When you’ve dry fried all of the tofu, add it back to the pan, turn the heat up to medium-high and heat it through for about 1 minute.
  6. Stir the sauce one more time and pour it into the pan.
  7. Toss the tofu in the sauce for about 1 minute or until it has thoroughly coated the tofu.
  8. Stir the slurry again and pour it into the pan.
  9. Stir the tofu until the sauce thickens. It will probably take less than a minute.

]]> https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/09/sweet-chili-lime-tofu/feed/ 1 Vegan Cornbread Muffins https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/08/vegan-cornbread-muffins/ https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/08/vegan-cornbread-muffins/#respond Tue, 26 Aug 2014 18:12:38 +0000 https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/?p=1853 Vegan Cornbread Muffins

These cute little cornbread muffins are perfect to take to your Labor Day cookout or any potluck or social event. Of course, you could also make the vegan cornbread that I posted in the fall, but the presentation of the muffins is kind of fun 🙂

This was the first time that I made muffins without the muffin tin liners. I don’t know why I’ve been so nervous about it Lol! They came our perfect! I love the crisp edges.

Get this recipe and more than 20 others in my course

]]> https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/08/vegan-cornbread-muffins/feed/ 0 Unmeal Plan for the Week 8/25 https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/08/unmeal-plan-for-the-week-825/ https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/08/unmeal-plan-for-the-week-825/#comments Mon, 25 Aug 2014 21:33:52 +0000 https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/?p=1845 Unmeal Plan

Learn more about this series.

I was late prepping my meals this week and it stressed me out. I really need to make sure I make it a priority on Sunday mornings before I get lazy. I think I’m going to switch my filming day back to Saturday or to Thursday night. This Sunday schedule hasn’t worked. All I want to do is lay around…not good.

Breakfast

For breakfast, I’m having the same thing I ate last week – Quickie Overnight Oatmeal. Simple. It works.

Lunch

For lunch, I’m doing a trial run of Vegan Yum Yum’s Sweet Chili Lime Tofu. I used to make it all the time when I was a young vegan 🙂 I loved it! This was always the recipe that I would teach someone if they asked me to show them how to make a vegan dish. It’s been so long since I’ve made it though. I wanted to make sure it worked and adapt the recipe to my liking.

This Sweet Chili Lime Tofu will probably be next week’s video. I’m eating it with rice and sautéed spinach. I put lemon juice on the spinach after it was done and it turned a little brown. Looks kind of gross, but it should taste fine. I meant to steam the spinach, not saute it. I’ll do it properly next time. Isn’t it crazy how much spinach shrinks! This is 2, 9-ounce bags worth of spinach!

Chili Lime Tofu

Dinner

I made my friend Chris’s Raw Nut-Free Avocado-Kale Pesto Zoodles with Peach and let me tell you…I changed this recipe too much. It tastes okay, but I probably should have either left it alone or stopped while I was ahead with the tweaking. I used spinach instead of kale and added a bell pepper.

Chris makes beautiful raw vegan food and shares her pics on Instagram. Search for year of the fox. I’m trying to get Chris to start a blog for her awesome raw vegan recipes…hint hint…in case you’re reading this, Chris 🙂

Here’s her original recipe…

Chris’s Raw Nut-Free Avocado-Kale Pesto Zoodles with Peach

Source: Renew Richmond’s Facebook Page

Serves 4

4 zucchini, spiralized or julienned
2 peaches, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic
2 avocados
1/2 cup olive oil
1 small bunch of kale, de-stemmed and chopped
2 stems of fresh basil
Juice of 1 lemon

  1. Place zucchini in a colander to drain extra liquid.
  2. Put avocado and garlic cloves in food processor and start processor. Slowly add lemon juice and olive oil through the top opening as it runs.
  3. Once evenly mixed, begin to add in chopped kale and one stem of basil bit by bit.
  4. Season to taste with a little sea salt and pepper.
  5. Toss pesto into zoodles then top with peaches and fresh basil!

Avocado-Spinach Pesto Zoodles

Look at what the original, flawless photo looks like…Boy did I destroy this recipe. Sorry Chris!

Chris's Avocado Pesto Zoodles

Chris’s Avocado Pesto Zoodles

 

]]> https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/08/unmeal-plan-for-the-week-825/feed/ 3 Unmeal Plan for the Week 8/18 https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/08/unmeal-plan-for-the-week-818/ https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/08/unmeal-plan-for-the-week-818/#comments Mon, 18 Aug 2014 11:16:13 +0000 https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/?p=1779 Unmeal Plan

Every so often on my YouTube channel, someone asks me about meal ideas. Well, the the truth is, my meals are pretty boring. I don’t do traditional meal planning like many other people for several reasons:

  1. I’m single and I only have to feed myself.
  2. I don’t require a lot of variety in my diet.

When I was in college, it was not abnormal for me to eat the same thing for breakfast or lunch every day for an entire semester. My freshman year, I ate belgian waffles with whipped cream, bacon and eggs EVERY DAY. I ate a fried chicken sandwich and a side salad for lunch EVERY DAY. Yes, that’s the kind of personality I have. Weird, I know…

So, when I’m on top of things, I prepare my breakfast, lunch and dinner for the week and eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Friday. Not very interesting, but very simple and efficient and I love efficiency 🙂

Each week, I’ll share with you what I’m eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the week. What I probably won’t show is whatever recipes I’m testing for my YouTube channel. I tend to be behind schedule with that and am scrambling to find/tweak something that meets my standards.

If whatever I’m testing comes out good, I’ll usually save some and take the rest to work so my colleagues can taste and eat it. I know if a recipe meets their standards, I’m on the right track.

So, here we go!

Breakfast

Overnight Oatmeal

This is far less involved…and admittedly not quite as tasty as my Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oatmeal, but it works for me.

1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup non-dairy milk 
1 cup of fruit in light syrup (my favorite is pears)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

  1. Mix it up and refrigerate overnight

Quick Overnight Oats

Lunch

I’m trying to create more meals around rice because it’s so easy and quick. So, this week, I have store bought General Tso’s sauce, jasmine rice, dry fried tofu and zucchini made using Chow.com’s recipe, How to Make Easy Sautéed Zucchini, which basically involves doing this:

  1. Cut zucchini into matchsticks. (I used 2 zucchinis)
  2. Heat a pan over medium-high heat.
  3. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to the pan.
  4. Add 1 smashed clove garlic, simmer for 30 seconds and remove.
  5. Add 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and the zucchini.
  6. Cook 1 minute, toss, cook 1 more minute.
  7. Season with salt and pepper.

In the morning, I’ll pour some rice, tofu and zucchini into a glass container, pour some sauce over it and take it to work.  At lunch time, I’ll just stir it together and heat it up in the microwave.

Lunch

Dinner

For dinner this week, I made some simple salads in a jar, layered with

  • Red, yellow and orange bell peppers
  • Carrots
  • Lettuce
  • Cabbage

I made my agave mustard dressing and will be heating up some Beyond Meat Lightly Seasoned Chicken-Free Strips to go on top of the salad.

I know most people would eat the salad for lunch, but I’ve always preferred eating dinner-type food during lunch. Sandwiches and traditional “lunch food” has never appealed to me as an adult.

Dinner

 

]]> https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/08/unmeal-plan-for-the-week-818/feed/ 4 Vegan Parfait https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/08/vegan-parfait/ https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/08/vegan-parfait/#respond Tue, 12 Aug 2014 09:54:04 +0000 https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/?p=1730

This almost doesn’t qualify as a recipe. Something creamy, something crunchy and something fruity layered beautifully in a clear vessel of your choice. And there you have it…a parfait!

Vegan Parfait

Makes: 2 parfaits (a larger glass will require more ingredients)

1 cup sweet cashew cream, prepared or vegan yogurt
1 cup fruit, chopped
1 ¼ cup granola, nuts or crushed vegan cookies

Layer ingredients in each glass in this order:

¼ cup cream
½ cup granola
¼ cup fruit
¼ cup cream
2 tablespoons granola
¼ cup fruit

Sweet Cashew Cream

Makes: 1 cup

1 cup cashews
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt

  1. In a saucepan over high heat, bring the cashews and enough water to cover them to a boil; boil for 7 minutes.
  2. Drain and rinse the cashews.
  3. Pour milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt into a blender.
  4. Pour in the cashews and blend until completely smooth. This could take 3-5 minutes depending on your blender.

Vegan Parfait with Sweet Cashew Cream from Vegan Cooking with Love

]]> https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/08/vegan-parfait/feed/ 0 Raw Marinara Sauce https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/07/raw-marinara-sauce/ https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/07/raw-marinara-sauce/#respond Tue, 29 Jul 2014 11:27:02 +0000 https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/?p=1677 Raw Marinara Sauce // Vegan Cooking with Love

When I asked my YouTube viewers how they enjoyed their spiralized zucchini, the one answer that intrigued me the most was Raw Marinara Sauce. After testing and tweaking I came up with this surprisingly flavorful sauce. I tried to eat it cold like the raw foodies do, I really did, but it wasn’t much fun… So, I heated it just enough to knock the chill off and loved it.

Raw Marinara Sauce

Makes: 2 cups

Adapted from Gena Hamshaw’s and The Rawtarian’s recipes

1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes on the vine (about 2 tomatoes)
¾ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped*
¾ cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon agave nectar
½ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon dried thyme
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper

  1. Pour all of the ingredients into a blender.
  2. Pulse the blender to slowly chop the vegetables, then turn it on high and blend until the sauce is smooth.
]]> https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/07/raw-marinara-sauce/feed/ 0 Pasta with Spiralized Zucchini and Carrots and Peanut Sauce https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/07/pasta-with-spiralized-zucchini/ https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/2014/07/pasta-with-spiralized-zucchini/#comments Tue, 08 Jul 2014 10:39:59 +0000 https://www.vegancookingwithlove.com/?p=1651 Pasta with Spiralized Zucchini & Carrots & Peanut Sauce // Vegan Cooking with Love

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen this dish recently! Here’s what I’ve been throwing together several nights of the week.

Here are links to the 2 products I show in the video:

Pasta with Spiralized Zucchini and Carrots and Peanut Sauce

Single Serving

Serves 1

2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon warm water (this is different from the video)
½ tablespoon soy sauce
½ tablespoon rice wine vinegar
½ tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup
1 teaspoon canola oil (sesame is a great option too)
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (optional)
1 cup pasta (spaghetti, thin spaghetti, fettuccine works best), cooked
1 cup julienned or spiralized zucchini
½ cup julienned or shredded carrots

  1. In a small bowl or jar with high sides, mix together the water, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, agave nectar, oil and Sriracha (if using). It doesn’t have to be perfectly blended.
  2. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat.
  3. Add the sauce and the pasta. Stir for about 2 minutes, until the pasta is warmed through.
  4. Mix in the zucchini and carrots and stir for 30 seconds, just long enough to warm the vegetables slightly, not long enough to cook them. You want them to retain their crunch.

Multiple Servings

Serves 4

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup
2 teaspoons canola oil (sesame is a great option too)
2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (optional)
4 cups pasta (spaghetti, thin spaghetti, fettuccine works best), cooked
4 cups julienned or spiralized zucchini
2 cups julienned or shredded carrots

  1. In a medium bowl or jar with high sides, mix together the water, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, agave nectar, oil and Sriracha (if using). It doesn’t have to be perfectly blended.
  2. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  3. Add the sauce and the pasta. Stir for about 3 minutes, until the pasta is warmed through.
  4. Mix in the zucchini and carrots and stir for 1 minute, just long enough to warm the vegetables slightly, not long enough to cook them. You want them to retain their crunch.
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