Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard

Vegan Insanity >> Vegan recipes that are delicious and easy to make. Plus, kitchen, cooking & shopping tips!

How to Make Chia Seed Jam

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Chia-Seed-Jam I can’t believe I’ve kept this super easy jam recipe a secret from you, but it seems as though I did. I’ve always loved homemade jams, and would buy them often at farmer’s markets in the summer, but never made them myself because I felt like it would be too much work. A few months back, a friend of mine introduced me to chia seed jam, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Now I make homemade jam all the time. Vegan-Chia-Seed-Jam I love how simple it is to prepare a fresh batch of my very own jam, adding as much, or as little, sweetener as I want. Store-bought jams are almost always way too sweet, aren’t they? I think so. Strawberry-Chia-Seed-Jam
 So far I’ve only made blueberry jam and this strawberry jam, but once I do some raspberry picking this summer, I’ll make a batch of raspberry jam, too. Blackberry would also be nice. And peach. And grape. Ahhh, there are so many options! Toast-with-Chia-Seed-Jam And all thanks to the goodness of chia seeds, which are amazing because they: Balance blood sugar Add healthy omega-3 oil to your diet Make you feel more energized Cut your cravings Combat diseases Provide you with stronger teeth & bones Are a great source of protein Help fight belly fat and so much more! I love these little guys. Chia-Seed-Jam-Vegan

How to Make Chia Seed Jam
Recipe Type: How-to Guide
Cuisine: Chia Seed Jam
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: Varies
Ingredients
  • Fruit of choice (I used 1 pound of strawberries)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup or agave (I used maple syrup)
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
  1. Prepare your fruit. For my strawberries, I washed them, hulled them, and cut them into really small pieces. I’ve also made blueberry chia seed jam, and for those, I just washed the blueberries.
  2. Add your fruit and maple syrup or agave to a small pot, and heat on medium for about 10 minutes, or until the fruit starts to liquefy. Once this happens, start to gently smash your fruit. The smoother you want your jam, the more you’ll have to mash up the fruit.
  3. Once the fruit has reached your desired consistency, bring it to a boil, and allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
  4. Add in your chia seeds and stir to combine. Remove from heat and then walk away and come back in 10 minutes – voila, homemade jam!
  5. Allow the jam to cool completely before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

 

Best Ever Banana Crumb Muffins

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banana-muffins-photo

I bought a box of about 40 bananas last week (what? you don’t do that too?) because I have plans for lots of banana ice cream now that the hot weather is here, and I also wanted to make some banana desserts & breakfasts.

So – yesterday I made vegan banana muffins. But not just any banana muffins – no, I made banana crumb muffins. And yes, the crumb part is necessary to mention. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that the “crumbs” totally make this muffin.

vegan-banana-crumb-muffins

Just look at all that crumbly goodness. It tastes just as good sprinkled in your mouth as it does on the muffins.

Just sayin’.

vegan-banana-muffins

These vegan banana crumb muffins are awesome for many reasons:

They take just 30 minutes to make, from start to finish
They have just the right amount of sweetness
They’re super moist
They’re very filling (but it’s hard to eat just one!)

banana-crumb-muffins

 

I changed up the recipe I found on Minimalist Baker just a bit, and this has now become a keeper recipe for our family. In just 24 hours, we devoured all 12 muffins!

Actually, that may have happened in less than 12 hours…

Stop whatever you are doing and GO MAKE THESE MUFFINS! You’ll be happy you did.

banana-crumb-muffins-vegan

Best Ever Banana Crumb Muffins
Recipe Type: Breakfast, Snack
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • Crumb Topping
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup kamut flour
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
  • Banana Muffins
  • 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax seed, 6 tbsp water)
  • 4 medium bananas, mashed (make sure they are very ripe)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance), melted
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups kamut flour
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup walnuts, optional
Instructions
Crumb Topping
  1. Using your fingers, mix together the brown sugar, flour and butter in a small bowl, until it resembles wet sand. Set aside.
Banana Muffins
  1. Preheat oven to 375F and spray your muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray (or use coconut oil).
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add your ground flax & water for the flax eggs. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes.
  3. After 10 minutes, add the mashed bananas, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, vanilla & melted vegan butter. Mix well.
  4. Add flour, rolled oats, and walnuts, and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
  5. Fill your muffin tins about 3/4 of the way fill with the banana muffin mix.
  6. Sprinkle your crumb topping over each muffin.
  7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
[i]Adapted from [url href=”http://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-banana-crumb-muffins/” target=”_blank”]Minimalist Baker[/url].[/i]

 

Warm Potato & Lentil Salad

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Vegan-Lentil-Potato-Salad

It seems as though there are people that love lentils and people that hate lentils – but no one in between. You don’t hear people say “lentils are okay” or “lentils are good, but not great”.

No – you hear “lentils are awesome!” or “lentils are gross!”.

Which one are you? I hope you’re the “lentils are awesome!” person, because if not, I’m afraid you won’t be too eager to try this recipe (but you should, because it’s SO SO good).

Vegan-Lentil-and-Potato-Salad

I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen back in February, and put it on my to-make list, then promptly forgot about it.

Until last week when I was cleaning up the files and bookmarks on my computer and I found it again. I emailed myself the link so I wouldn’t lose the recipe for a second time, and then made it the next day for lunch.

The only thing I did differently, was that I omitted the shallots from Deb’s recipe, partly because I didn’t have any, and partly because my husband despises them. I also used less red wine vinegar and less chopped parsley. I also added a bit of onion powder to make up for the missing shallots (kind of). Otherwise, I stuck to this recipe quite close.

Warm-Potato-and-Lentil-Salad

 

And I’m not gonna lie – I was skeptical. This salad has a lot going on.

But – as soon as I took my first bite, I was in love. The creaminess of the potatoes, the tangy-ness (is that a word?) of the dressing and the meatiness of the lentils – it all works so well together and makes for a very tasty and satisfying dish.

 

Warm Potato & Lentil Salad
Recipe Type: Entree, Lunch
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Lentils
  • 1 cup green lentils, uncooked
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • Pinch of salt
  • Potatoes
  • 1 pound small potatoes (I used russet and chopped them up, but fingerling would be nice, so would baby red or yellow potatoes)
  • Dressing
  • 1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons capers, roughly chopped (if they’re salted, rinse them off)
  • 2 tablespoons dill pickles, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
Instructions
Lentils
  1. Rinse well, then place your lentils in a medium pot with the thyme, bay leaf, a pinch of salt and 4 cups of water.
  2. Simmer lentils over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until firm-tender. Drain (discarding the bay leaf) and keep them warm.
Potatoes
  1. While you are cooking the lentils, cover potatoes with 1-2 inches of water in a large pot. Cook for 10-20 minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes/potato chunks), or until they can be pierced with a knife. Do not overcook.
  2. Drain and keep them warm.
Dessing
  1. While the potatoes and lentils are cooking, you can prepare your dressing. This is where the magic happens! Add red wine vinegar, minced garlic, onion powder, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste, to a small bowl. Whisk together well, then add the in capers and pickle. Mix everything together until combined.
Putting it all together
  1. If using fingerling or baby potatoes, cut them into bite size pieces. Put all potatoes in a large bowl, add lentils and dressing, and mix well (but be gentle with the potatoes).
  2. Add more salt & pepper, if necessary.
  3. Serve in individual bowls, with a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top.
Notes
[i]Adapted slightly from [url href=”http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/01/warm-lentil-and-potato-salad/” target=”_blank”]Smitten Kitchen[/url].[/i]

 

link

Our Menu Plan This Week

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Box of Bananas
I’m kind of in love with bananas. And by kind of, I mean TOTALLY.

Every week, I create a menu plan for the week ahead. I’ve always found menu planning to be helpful, but especially when eating a vegan diet.

Sometimes I forget to make one, and those weeks are just awful. I stare into the fridge and whine that there’s “nothing to eat”, even though the fridge is packed full of deliciousness. It’s bad. So – I menu plan every week (usually) to make things easier on myself. And it works. I promise.

Here is the menu plan for my family this week:

Breakfast:

  • Smoothie Bowl with Granola, Nuts & Seeds
  • Tandoori Tofu with Spicy Breakfast Potatoes
  • Strawberry & Blueberry Refrigerator Oatmeal
  • Pineapple & Coconut Refrigerator Oatmeal
  • Bagel with Vegan Butter, Fruit Smoothie
  • Banana French Toast
  • Toast with Peanut Butter & Chia Seed Jam, Fruit Smoothie

Lunch:

  • Salad Bowl with Hummus, Shredded Carrots, Black Beans & Baked Tofu (marinated with Sriracha & soy sauce)
  • Tortilla/Pita Pizzas, Homemade Juice (Carrot, Kale, Apples)
  • Potato Nachos with Black Beans, Tomatoes & Cashew Sour Cream
  • Quinoa Pasta with Zucchini, Spinach & Lentils
  • Leftovers x3

Dinner:

  • Scalloped Potatoes, Chickpea & Edamame Salad
  • Burmese Fried Rice, Black Beans & Peas
  • Falafel Salad
  • Eggplant Parmesan
  • Quinoa & Lentil Tacos
  • Quinoa Bowl with Oven Roasted Broccoli & Chickpeas
  • Dinner Out

Snacks/Dessert:

  • Fruit
  • Raw Nuts
  • Grilled Pineapple, Toasted Pecans & Coconut Ice Cream (Coconut Bliss)
  • Homemade Nacho Cheese Doritos
  • Banana Ice Cream
  • Hummus & Veggie Sticks, Pita Wedges
  • Popcorn

What’s on your menu this week?

8 Ways to Add More Beans to Your Diet

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Beans are so much more than just a meat substitute. They are so nutritious that everyone should be eating a ton of them, and not just vegans. Everyone.

Lots-of-Beans

Here are some interesting facts about beans:

  • Beans are comparable to meat when it comes to calories.
  • Beans make you feel fuller, faster, because of their high fiber and water content.
  • Beans are high in antioxidants, a class of phytochemicals that incapacitate cell-damaging free radicals in the body (free radicals have been implicated in everything from aging, cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s).
  • Beans have an extremely low glycemic index (which means you would get less than half the blood sugar spike from eating beans than if you ate the same amount of carbs in the form of bread, potatoes or pasta).

Beans

kidney-beans

Canned vs. Dry
Canned are convenient, but can be loaded with salt. Choose a low-sodium variety if you can. Make sure to rinse and dry your beans well if buying canned. This will help remove a lot of the salt (but not all of it). It will also prevent your beans from getting too soggy in your recipe.

Dried beans are a bit more work (soak 8 hours, then cook for 30-60 minutes), but the benefits are that there is no added salt, they’re much more inexpensive than canned beans, and they have zero traces of the plastic chemical BPA. I also personally find that dried beans taste a thousand times better than canned beans (I think canned beans are more “mushy”).

8 Ways to Add More Beans to Your Diet

More-Beans

1. Incorporate beans into your favourite meals, especially Mexican dishes like burritos and tacos.

2. Add beans to soups and stews. This is an easy way to “sneak” more beans into your diet. I love making a vegetable soup with black beans and chickpeas, and I’ve also had some really tasty white bean soups.

3. Eat more hummus. Who doesn’t love a bowl of hummus and some fresh veggies and pita slices? This protein-packed snack is super simple to make! You don’t just have to use chickpeas though. I’ve had some yummy hummus made from black beans and also white beans! Hummus is not just for dipping, either. Enjoy it in salads and spread it on tortillas and sandwiches!

4. Throw them in your salads. Adding beans to your salad will give you much more protein than any veggies you could throw in there, and it will fill you up faster and keep you fuller longer, too. I love putting chickpeas in my salads!

5. Roast some chickpeas. Stick them in the oven with a touch of oil and some spices (I like adding a splash of vinegar and some salt!) and bake until they are golden and crispy. This is a healthy snack that is easy and full of protein!

6. Add them to chilis. Instead of just using the usual red kidney beans, try to add a variety of beans to your chilis. I often add black beans and chickpeas to mine, but I’ve also started making a white bean chili with lots of different white beans, which is delicious, too!

7. Add them to tomato sauce. The next time you make up a batch of tomato sauce for your pasta, throw in some beans for added fiber and protein!

8. Make bean desserts! One of my secrets for getting my young kids to eat more beans is to hide them in desserts. Black bean brownies are their favourite! I also make chickpea chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cake made with red kidney beans!

Beans-in-Your-Diet

How do you like to eat your beans?

Quinoa & Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad

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Quinoa-Chickpea-Tabbouleh Oh, how I love simple meals! We visited my mother in law for Mother’s Day this past weekend (the weekend after the actual holiday, because my hubby was sick on that day), and I brought along this dish for two reasons: 1. It’s SO quick and easy to prepare. 2. It’s travels well. 3. It’s freakin’ delicious, light, healthy and tastes good straight out of the fridge. Okay, that was more than 2 reasons. All legit, though, of course. Quinoa-and-Chickpea-Tabbouleh-Vegan We served it along side these oven roasted garlic sweet potatoes, and WOW DELICIOUSNESS. The two went very well together. Vegan-Quinoa-and-Chickpea-Tabbouleh
 This protein packed salad is the way to go if you’re looking for a quick and easy side dish or lunch. I found it very filling, and it’s also healthy enough that you can have multiple servings and not feel guilty about it. I anticipate this dish being our regular potluck contribution to family gatherings! Quinoa-and-Chickpea-Tabbouleh

Quinoa & Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad
Recipe Type: Salad, Side
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups chickpeas (if using canned, drain and rinse them first)
  • 1 small cucumber, sliced
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 cup green onion, chopped small
  • 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup mint leaves, chopped
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice (2 large or 3 medium lemons)
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Put the cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add the chickpeas, cucumbers, minced garlic, cherry tomatoes, green onion, parsley and mint. Toss well to combine.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper. Adjust S&P as needed.
  3. Pour the dressing over the quinoa & chickpea mixture and mix well. Adjust seasonings again, if necessary.
  4. Serve cold or at room temperature. *
Notes
*This dish lasts 2-3 days in the refrigerator, so feel free to make it ahead of time to save even more time in the kitchen.

 

Oven Roasted Garlic Sweet Potatoes

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We went to my mother-in-law’s house yesterday, and we brought these delicious roasted sweet potatoes with us. They were so good, that the first thing I’m doing this morning is writing up a post telling you all about them – because – YUMMY.

Oven-Roasted-Sweet-Potatoes

Honestly, I’m not usually big on sweet potatoes because I find them too, well, sweet. Something about a potato that is sweet just weirds me right out.

But – my husband loves them and so does my mother-in-law, so I made them for our visit yesterday. And strangely enough – I actually LOVED these sweet potatoes, too! Hence why I am so eager to share this recipe with you.

Roasted-Sweet-Potatoes

Not only are these sweet potatoes super easy to throw together, but they’re so versatile, that you can serve them with pretty much anything and they will likely go really well (they’re really tasty in a quinoa bowl, that’s how I ate them yesterday, and my husband, mother-in-law, and kids ate them on their own).

Roasted-Sweet-Potatoes-Vegan

You can switch up the seasonings to your own tastes. If you like things really hot, you can add more paprika, or even a dash of cayenne pepper. If you like things sweeter, add a drizzle of maple syrup or agave.

Vegan-Sweet-Potatoes

Oven Roasted Garlic Sweet Potatoes
Recipe Type: Sides, Snack, Lunch, Dinner
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into medium chunks
  • 1/3 cup vegan butter (I used soy-free Earth Balance)
  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and put your sweet potato chunks in a large bowl.
  2. Add the paprika, salt & pepper to a small bowl.
  3. Add the vegan butter and minced garlic to another small bowl, and melt in the microwave.
  4. Mix together the butter/garlic and spices, and pour over the sweet potatoes. Mix everything really well, so that every sweet potato chunk is covered.
  5. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until you can easily pierce through the largest chunk with a knife.

 

Our Menu Plan This Week

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Potato Nachos Photo
Super yummy potato nachos!

Every week, I create a menu plan for the week ahead. I’ve always found menu planning to be helpful, but especially when eating a vegan diet.

Sometimes I forget to make one, and those weeks are just awful. I stare into the fridge and whine that there’s “nothing to eat”, even though the fridge is packed full of deliciousness. It’s bad. So – I menu plan every week (usually) to make things easier on myself. And it works. I promise.

Here is the menu plan for my family this week:

Breakfast:

  • Smoothie Bowl with Granola, Nuts & Seeds
  • Bagel with Vegan Butter, Fruit Smoothie x2
  • Peanut Butter & Chocolate Pancakes
  • Loaded Breakfast Potatoes with Mushroom Gravy
  • Banana French Toast
  • Toast with Almond Butter, Fruit Smoothie

Lunch:

  • Mac & Cheese with Peas
  • Egg-less Egg Salad Salad Sandwiches
  • Spring Salad with Pan-Fried Garlic-Ginger Tofu
  • Leftovers x2
  • Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Veggies & Cashew Cream
  • Vegetable Pasta with Fresh Basil & Spices

Dinner:

  • Lentil & Potato Salad
  • Noodles & Greens
  • Quinoa Tabbouleh, Pasta with Sauted Garlic & Kale
  • Veggie Stir-Fry
  • Potato Curry, Rice
  • Individual Mini Pizzas, Cucumber Roll-Ups (Stuffed with vegan ricotta cheese!)
  • Quinoa Bowl with Oven Roasted Sriracha & Garlic Cauliflower, Chickpeas and Sauted Kale

Snacks/Dessert:

  • Fruit
  • Raw Nuts
  • Avocado Chocolate Pudding with Fresh Fruit
  • Apple Crisp with Coconut Ice Cream (Coconut Bliss)
  • Homemade Nacho Cheese Doritos
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Banana Crumb Muffins

What’s on your menu this week?