Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

 

Vegan Macaroni and Cheese 

 

12 ounces macaroni (I used whole wheat)

1 shallot, peeled and chopped

1 medium potato, peeled and chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup onion (I used red onion)

1/2 cup chick peas

1 cup water

1/4 cup raw cashews

some extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp garlic, minced (I used garlic powder)

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne

1/4 tsp. paprika

Cook pasta, drain, rinse with cold water and then set aside. In a pan add shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion, beans and water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until tender (15-20 minutes). When that is done preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176 Celsius). In a blender process cashews, salt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, cayenne and veggies with their water. Process until smooth. Toss the pasta with the sauce, put in a dish and bake 25-30 minutes.

It may seem unbelievable (because it was to me) but this really, REALLY tastes like mac and cheese! I was so thrilled when I made it because it was so easy and so delicious. I made it last week and it was a hit with my husband. 

 

I actually made it again today (yes, it's that good) and mixed in some sauteed spinach, peas and roasted red peppers. I also doubled the "cheese" so that we had extra to put on top because it's so tasty.

I got this recipe from a website called Feed Me I'm Cranky although a gluten-free version was posted. Please, please try this!

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

I got this recipe from a website called Vegan Magic so please go to her website and check out the actual recipe. It explains in great detail what type of ingredients to use.

This is my version of it using the tools and ingredients I had available to me in Córdoba.

Vegan Chocolate Mousse

2 400ml cans coconut milk 

(The only brand here is Goya but I would recommend using a better quality one. It's the main reason I had to use 2 cans. Again, see the website above for more detailed information)

18 soft, natural dates

1/3 cup cocoa powder

a few drops vanilla extract

Before beginning the recipe place your can(s) in the fridge so that the coconut cream and the coconut milk can separate. (I placed them in overnight). Open them and save the liquid to use in another recipe. (I used it to make some strawberry smoothies!) Scrape out the thick cream and place in a bowl. Put two tablespoons of the cream and the dates in a blender and blend until smooth. Then mix in the rest of the cream, the vanilla and the cocoa powder. Place in the fridge overnight so the flavors can blend. Then enjoy!

The quality of the coconut cream really makes a difference. Mine did not have as high a fat content as the original recipe but the mousse still came out thick. I really recommend taking a look at the original recipe as she suggests ways to improve the mousse. But for my first attempt it came out really decadent. This recipe will definitely impress your non-vegan friends!

Vegan Falafel Burgers

Vegan Falafel Burgers

400g bottle of chickpeas 

a handful of dried parsley

1/2 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

(I used a seasoning that has a mixture of Indian spices in it like turmeric, curry and coriander. Just use what you have in the kitchen.)

1 lime

some salt to taste

2 Tbsp. white whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp. sunflower oil

1 small red onion, chopped in small pieces

1 garlic clove, minced

Put about 1/4 tsp. sunflower oil in a pan with the garlic and onion and cook until onion is soft. While that is cooking mash up the chickpeas in a bowl. Once they are mashed add the spices, lime and flour. Mix until well blended. Once the garlic and onion is done add them to the chickpeas and mix again. Shape them into about 4 patties and fry with the 2 Tbsp. sunflower oil. Fry on one side until golden brown, then flip once to brown the other side. Serve hot.

I've wanted to make falafel for awhile now and I am very happy with the results. I made this vegan dish once before using a recipe I found on Google+ but it didn't have enough flavor. So I remade them adding my own spices and changing how they are prepared. The lime is a must as well as cooking the garlic and onion separately. This recipe is so easy that you don't even need a blender!

Vegan Recipe: Lemon Poppy seed Loaf

This recipe was a hit at my dinner party. Everyone was asking me for the recipe afterwards. Plus my husband is always trying to get me to make it for him. It's really easy and super yummy!

Vegan Lemon Poppy seed Loaf

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups brown sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon zest

2 cups water

¾ cup vegetable oil

2 Tbsp vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup lemon juice (1 lemon)

¼ cup poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Sift all the dry ingredients together then add the lemon zest and poppy seeds. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients mixing well and then pour into the loaf pan. Bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

 
Glaze: 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 lemon and enough powdered sugar to get the consistency you want. Immediately after taking the cake out of the oven pour the glaze over the top.

Vegan Recipe: Vegan Cornbread

This is the easiest recipe ever and goes with absolutely any meal. The first time I made it, it accompanied some vegan chili. I made some minor adjustments but the recipe came from Post Punk Kitchen that has an exhaustive list of vegan eats. Check them out!

Vegan Cornbread

2 cups cornmeal (In Spain all I could find was polenta but it worked out fine)

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 cups non-dairy milk

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

½ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease and flour a baking pan. In a bowl wisk together the non-dairy milk and vinegar. In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients together. Add the oil and brown sugar to the non-dairy milk mixture and wisk until it becomes foamy and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Then add the mixture to the baking pan and bake 30-35 minutes.

 

Vegan Recipe: Apple, Radish and Avocado Salad

The salad dressing for the recipe is also courtesy my awesome cookbook Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook. However, the salad ingredients were all me! I hope you enjoy!

Dressing:

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup fresh orange juice (1 large orange)

2 Tbsp lime juice (1 lime)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp soy sauce

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

Salad:

Roughly 1 ½ grated apples

A bunch of radishes sliced thinly

1 small red onion sliced thinly

1 ripe avocado sliced thinly

Depending on how much salad you want to make you will have to adjust the ingredients. This recipe is enough for approximately 6 people. Make the salad dressing then add everything except the avocado to the bowl and mix. Once it’s mixed well you can add the avocado and mix gently to distribute. It's a versatile salad in that pretty much anything you desire can be added to it. So be creative! I think some salad greens and/or shredded carrots would be delicious in this salad as well.

Vegan Recipe: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I caved people! I just couldn't wait until next week to share my first yummy vegan recipe of 2013. It seems fitting to introduce the first new recipe with the start of a fresh, new, month.

Happy February all!

To (re) jump-start this vegan recipe series we'll start with a ridiculously easy dessert recipe. My last vegan recipe was Chinese inspired noodles with dulse and chia seeds. 

I initially wanted to provide a recipe every Thursday but that didn't exactly work out as the above recipe was posted last year!

However, now that I have my spectacular vegan cookbooks, plus re-newed imagination and creativity, I will be bringing a new recipe every week. 

As you can see the hubby and I are loving our vegan lifestyle. What initially started off as a 6-month vegan challenge became so much more. 

We are 15 months vegan and going strong. We're even trying to incorporate more raw, or live, foods into our diets. This summer we will be starting another challenge of sorts. (More on that later)

As for the vegan recipe series, I don't want to pin myself down to a particular day of the week, because life happens. Simply enjoy the first of this delectable series and watch out for more to come! 

I made another version of these oatmeal cookies awhile back but these are definitely the improved version. I mean delish!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1/3 cup non-dairy milk

2 Tbsp ground flax seeds

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

¾ cup flour

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats

½ cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl mix together the non-dairy milk and flax seeds. Add in the sugar and oil and mix until it resembles caramel, about 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Sift in the flour, spices, and salt, mixing the dry ingredients as they are being added. Fold in the oatmeal and raisins. Drop dough in generous tablespoons onto the baking sheets. Flatten the tops a bit, since they don’t spread much. Bake for 10 minutes for chewy cookies and 12 minutes for crunchy cookies. The recipe makes 2 dozen cookies.

 This recipe is courtesy the fabulous cookbook: Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero