Vegan Onion Dip

The holidays are upon us, which often means parties!!  Here is a simple and delicious recipe for a vegan chip dip that is sure to please.

You will need:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 C sweet onion, diced
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 C vegan mayo
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Combine onions, olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt in a saute pan over medium heat.  Cook onions until caramelized, stirring frequently - about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.  Meanwhile, mix together mayo, garlic powder, white pepper, and the remaining salt in a medium sized bowl.  Add the cooled onions and stir to combine.  Refrigerate over night and stir again before serving.

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Vegan Chocolate Silk Pie

If you ever crave chocolate (which I do often!), this is a recipe for you.  It is one of the easiest recipes with just a few ingredients - and 100% vegan!

You will need:

9" premade vegan chocolate crust (most chain grocery stores carry these)
12 oz non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 packages first tofu
3 Tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.  Place tofu in a blender and blend until smooth.  Add chocolate and maple syrup (or agave nectar) and blend until fully mixed.  Pour into crust and refrigerate at least 2 hours.  Serve with vegan whipped cream.  Enjoy!!!

Stuffing in a Pumpkin

I have made this recipe a few times in the past - usually for Thanksgiving.  I have adapted it from a recipe by Tyler Florence.  It is one of my favorites!  This is the first year I made it vegan.  It was every bit as good!

You will need:

1 pumpkin
1/4 C melted vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
Salt & Pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp fennel seed
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley, divided
1/4 C chopped fresh sage, divided
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cubed
1 package vegan Italian sausage, diced
3/4 C Sauvignon Blanc wine
1/2 C vegan sour cream mixed with 1/2 C non-dairy plain milk (can use 1 C cashew milk here)
1 - 16oz package cornbread stuffing
2 tbsp flax meal mixed in 6 tbsp water
1 1/2 C vegetable broth


Preheat oven to 350 F.  Cut off the lid of the pumpkin and set it aside.  Pull out the seeds and strings from inside the pumpkin.  Brush the inside flesh with melted butter and season with salt & pepper.  Place pumpkin on a roasting pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over moderate heat.  Add onion, celery, garlic, celery seed, fennel seed, and 2 tbsp each parsley and sage.  Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the apples and cook 2 minutes.  Add the sausage and cook for about 5 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with wine, cook down for 2 minutes to evaporate the alcohol.  Stir in the sour cream/milk mixture, check seasoning.

Scrape the sausage mixture into a bowl and fold in the cornbread.  Gradually blend in the flax meal and broth until the stuffing is evenly moistened.  Add the remaining parsley and sage.  Fill the pumpkin with the stuffing, return to the oven, and bake for 20 minutes until the stuffing as a little lift.  Serve in the pumpkin topped with the lid.

Sweet & Spicy Carrots

My family loves carrots.  But, we usually eat them raw.  I decided to change things up a bit and cook them.  I wanted something sweet and a little bit spicy, so this is what I came up with.  You can adjust the chipotle powder according to your taste.

You will need:

7-8 large carrots, peeled, halved, and then quartered
1 tbsp vegan butter
1/3 C brown sugar
1/3 C water
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
juice from 1/2 lime
dash or 2 salt

Melt butter over medium heat in a skillet or sautee pan.  Add carrots, stir to coat, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften.  Add the brown sugar and allow to dissolve.  Add the remaining ingredients, mix well, and cover.  Reduce heat to simmer.  Cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until the carrots are cooked through. Enjoy!

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts

Brussels spouts were on sale recently, so I felt obligated to get some.  I wanted to try something new.  So I searched the web until I found this recipe.  It was great!  The original recipe called for broth, but I substituted white cooking wine to add more flavor.

You will need:

1 pound fresh brussels sprounts
2 shallots, diced fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
White dry cooking wine (you can substitute vegetable stock here)

Clean the brussels sprouts and cut in half vertically.  Coat a pan in olive oil, heat, and place the sprouts in a single layer, cut side down.  Sprinkle the shallots and garlic on top.  Allow to cook until the sprouts start to turn golden brown.  Flip the sprouts over, add the cooking wine to cover the bottom of the pan, and allow to steam until the liquid has cooked off.  Enjoy!

*recipe adapted from www.cooksister.com

Vegan Crepes

I was watching a show on Food Network last night, and they were making crepes.  I love crepes, but didn't think I could figure out a way to make them vegan.  The show inspired me to try...and I'm glad I did.  They were every bit as good as traditional crepes!  Be sure to use a nonstick pan lightly coated with cooking spray to prevent sticking.  You will need:

For the crepe batter:

1 C all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 1/2 C non-dairy milk (I used Silk Vanilla Almond Milk)

Place all ingredients into a blender and mix on high until all lumps are gone.  Preheat your pan on medium low.  Pour some batter into the center of the pan.  Then, swirl around to form a thin pancake.  Once it has cooked through to the top, gently tease up the edges with a spatula and flip.  Allow to cook for an additional 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until lightly browned.

For the crepe filling:

1 container Tofutti brand cream cheese
1/2-3/4 C powdered sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.  Add more or less sugar to taste.  Spoon into the center of the crepe, spread around leaving a nice border, and roll like you would a burrito.  Top the crepe with some fresh or frozen fruit.  I used frozen mixed berries.  I also topped with a little chocolate sauce...so yummy!

Curried Cauliflower Pancakes

Potato pancakes are a favorite of mine.  So, when I found some recipes for pancakes made from vegetables, my interested was piqued.  I came across one using cauliflower, which I love to cook with.  I decided to spice it up a bit and give it an Indian twist.  They were a hit!

You will need:

1 head cauliflower, diced and steamed until soft (about 6 minutes in the microwave)
1/2 C plain bread crumbs
1/4 C Daiya cheese (I used mozzarella style, but cheddar would be good too)
2 tbsp flax meal mixed with 6 tbsp warm water (allow to set for at least 3 minutes)
1 tbsp minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp mild curry powder (add a 1/2 tsp more if you love curry!)
1 tsp olive oil or cooking spray

In a food processor or blender, finely chop the cauliflower.  It should not be smooth, but rather coarse with very small chunks left.  Add to a large mixing bowl.  Combine the remaining ingredients except for the oil.  Mix until well combined.  Warm a pan or griddle to medium-high.  Add oil or cooking spray.  Form cauliflower mixture into patties, using about 1/3 - 1/2 C mix for each patty.  Place on heated pan and cook for about 6-7 minutes per side or until golden brown.  I served them with my curry aioli (see post from October 2011), but you could serve plain or with a side of sour cream or greek yogurt.