Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard

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

Super Simple Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Veggies & Cashew Dressing

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Roasted-Veggies-Quinoa-Bowl

I love me some quinoa bowls.

Not only are they delicious, but they are so simple to throw together. Simply add a bed of quinoa to a bowl and top with whatever veggies you have on hand! To make it extra yummy, a cashew dressing is an awesome idea.

Getting ready for my grocery shopping trip the other day, I looked in my fridge to see what I had to use up before refilling it with more goodies.

Broccoli, cauliflower and a container of cooked chickpeas looked me right in the eye and begged to be used in a quinoa bowl.

So I obeyed. I never say no to a quinoa bowl. Especially when it’s covered in a tangy cashew dressing.

Yum yum yum.

Quinoa-Bowl-with-Roasted-Veggies

You don’t have to follow this recipe exactly – use whatever veggies you happen to have on hand! I’ve made quinoa bowls with green beans, edamame, zucchini, kale, collards, black beans, and so much more. Let your imagination run wild!

But please use the cashew dressing. It is out of this world amazing!

Super Simple Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Veggies
Recipe Type: Lunch or Dinner
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Quinoa & Vegetables
  • 4 cups [b]cooked[/b] quinoa (1 cup dry)
  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas (if using canned chickpeas, drain & rinse them first)
  • 3-4 cups broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 3-4 cups cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • Cashew Dressing
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
  • 4 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 2 medium garlic cloves
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 cup water + more, as needed
Instructions
Roasted Vegetables
  1. Preheat oven to 400F and line two large baking sheets with a non-stick mat, or coat with coconut oil.
  2. Divide the chickpeas, broccoli and cauliflower between the 2 baking sheets, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle on some salt & pepper, and then use your hands to make sure all vegetables are coated with the oil and salt & pepper. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring about halfway through the cooking process.
Cashew Dressing
  1. Add all dressing ingredients to a food processor or blender and process/blend until smooth. Set aside.
Assembly:
  1. Divide the quinoa among 4 bowls (about 1 cup cooked quinoa per person), add the roasted veggies on top, and drizzle with cashew dressing.

 

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Vegan-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies

The other night I had a craving for chocolate (what else is new?), but I didn’t feel like going too heavy on the chocolate – just a hint of it would satisfy my cravings.

Chocolate chip cookies were the answer of course. Nothing is better than a homemade, fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie.

Am I right?

Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-Vegan

I’ve made quite a few vegan chocolate chip cookies, and they would either come out too crispy and flat, or too cake-like. Never anything right in the middle.

With a bit of experimentation, I landed on this recipe. And it’s been my go-to recipe every since. Everyone that eats these cookies loves them, and they can’t even tell that they’re vegan!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe Type: Cookies
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12 cookies
The most delicious vegan chocolate chips cookies I’ve ever had. They’re perfect!
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax seed + 3 tbsp water)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cup kamut flour (or all-purpose)
  • 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together the ground flax seed + water for the flax egg, and set aside to thicken (at least 5 minutes).
  2. Add the brown sugar and butter to a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat them together until creamy. Beat in the flax egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt.
  3. Beat in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, and then fold in the chocolate chips.
  4. Form the dough into small balls and place on your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
  5. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before eating.

 

Sweet & Salty Vegan Caramel Corn

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Caramel-Corn

If you’re craving something sweet today, I’ve got you covered. If you’re craving something salty – well, I’ve got you covered, too!

Enter – sweet & salty caramel corn.

Vegan-Caramel-Corn

As someone who has tried to make caramel corn many, many times (and failed every time), I can tell you that this recipe is foolproof. The recipe comes from a non-vegan friend of mine, who uses butter in her recipe, so the only thing I changed is that I used vegan butter instead.

And it worked! It actually worked! I made caramel corn and it didn’t turn into a soggy, mushy mess!

Caramel-Corn-Vegan

If you’ve never made caramel corn before – or if you did, but it didn’t turn out right, I beg you to give this recipe a shot. It’s perfect, it’s easy, and it’s freakin’ delicious.

Sweet & Salty Vegan Caramel Corn
Recipe Type: Snack
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10-12 cups
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup popcorn kernels, popped and ready to eat
  • 1/3 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 250F and lay a Siplat baking mat down on 2 large baking sheets (or you can lightly oil them). Make sure your popcorn is in a large bowl, waiting to be covered in this yummy caramel sauce.
  2. In a medium pot, melt the vegan butter over medium heat, then add in the salt, brown sugar, vanilla and maple syrup. Bring to a boil.
  3. Allow to boil for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat and add in the baking soda. Mix well, and pour over your popcorn right away.
  4. Mix in the caramel, making sure to cover all of the popcorn. Then, pour the popcorn onto the 2 baking trays and bake for 30 minutes.
  5. Remove from oven and stir, then allow to cool for about 15 minutes.

 

Lemon Chia Muffins with Vanilla Glaze

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Lemon-Muffins

When I came across this recipe on Lindsay’s blog a few months ago, I added it to my “must try” list (in vegan form), because lemon muffins and I are best friends. Me and lemon anything are best friends, really.

Although the ingredients list is quite long for these muffins, you shouldn’t be intimidated. This recipe is NOT hard one bit. In fact, it’s one of the easiest muffin recipes I’ve made. One of the tastiest, too.

Vegan Lemon Muffins

Lemon Chia Muffins with Vanilla Glaze
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • Lemon Muffins
  • 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax seed + 5 tbsp water)
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups kamut or all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup coconut yogurt (I used vanilla flavoured, but plain would work, too)
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond)
  • 3 tbsp chia seeds
  • 2 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1 1/2 tbsp agave or maple syrup (I used agave)
  • Vanilla Glaze
  • 1 cup vegan powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbsp non-dairy milk (I used almond)
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted
Instructions
Lemon Muffins
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a muffin tin with coconut oil or non-stick spray. Whisk together the ground flax seed and water for the flax eggs and set aside to thicken, at least 5 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and coconut sugar, rubbing the two together with your fingers for a few minutes.
  3. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, then stir to combine.
  4. In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vanilla, olive oil, coconut yogurt, non-dairy milk, chia seeds, poppy seeds, agave or maple syrup, and your flax eggs.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
  6. Scoop batter into greased muffin tins and bake for about 13-14 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Vanilla Glaze
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, non-dairy milk and melted butter, until smooth.
  2. Drizzle each muffin with glaze (or dip the tops of the muffin into the glaze, which is what I did).
  3. Sprinkle a few more chia seeds on top and wait for the glaze to set before eating (5-10 minutes).
Notes
[i]*Adapted from Pinch of Yum.[/i]

 

Our Menu Plan This Week

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Raw Lime Tart Photo
Raw Lime Tart

Every Monday, 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:

Blueberry Waffles, Green Smoothie
Green Smoothie, Bagel with Vegan Butter x2
Hash Browns with Veggies x2
Strawberry Vanilla Refrigerator Oatmeal
Cranberry, Pear & Pistachio Smoothie

Lunch:

Leftovers x2
Picnic Lunch
Raw Zucchini Pasta, Sweet Potato Fries
Cauliflower & Barley Salad
Millet & Kale Salad, Spelt Pasta with Tomato Sauce & Ricotta Cheese
Baked Potato with Broccoli, Vegan Ceasar Salad

Dinner:

Sesame Noodles with Veggies
Cauliflower Chickpea Coconut Curry with Naan Bread
Kale Noodle Bowl with Avocado Cream Sauce
Vegan Caesar Salad, Vegan Walnut & Tofu Balls, Roasted Potatoes, Steamed Veggies
Cauliflower & Quinoa Bowl with Sriracha Sauce
Vegetable Fried Rice
Flatbread Pizzas (with Homemade Flatbread)

Snacks/Dessert:

Fruit Smoothies
Sunflower Chocolate Cookies
Fresh Fruit
Raw Nuts
Black Bean Brownies
Veggies & Crackers, Roasted GarlicHummus

What’s on your menu this week?

How to Make Vegan Ricotta Cheese

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Vegan Ricotta

Oh a whim, I decided to make lasagna last week. It was a cold, dreary day, and I was seriously craving some comfort food – and lasagna is my comfort food of choice!

The only thing standing in my way of a delicious pan of hot lasagna was that I didn’t have any cheese to use. I only had a bit of Daiya shreds left (and I don’t like to eat much processed food, so I keep my Daiya consumption to a minimum, even though it’s delicious!), so that wouldn’t work.

After a bit of pondering, I figured I’d make my vegan ricotta cheese to spread throughout the lasagna. Thankfully, I had already soaked some cashews early that morning to use for something at lunch, which I never ended up making, so I used those cashews to make the cheese.

Ricotta-Vegan

It came together so easily, and in no time flat. After making this in my food processor, I scooped the ricotta into an air-tight container and let it sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes, while I prepared the lasagna noodles and marinara sauce. This gave the ricotta ingredients a bit more time to marinate.

This cheese spreads on lasagna very well, but – it’s not just for lasagna! Use this ricotta as a dip, spread on crackers, or even add a dollop to your salad. It’s very versatile. Any way you choose to eat it, this cheese is incredible!

Vegan Ricotta Cheese

Vegan Ricotta Cheese
Recipe Type: Vegan Cheese
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: Just over 2 cups
Use this vegan ricotta cheese in lasagna and pastas, as a dip, spread on crackers, or even in your salad. It’s very versatile!
Ingredients
  • 2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours, then drained
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup plain non-dairy milk (I used soy)
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tbsp dried basil
  • 1/3 cup fresh chives
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
  1. Add soaked cashews, garlic, emon juice, non-dairy milk, maple syrup, oil, basil, and chives to your food processor.
  2. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. If your ricotta is too dry, add a bit more non-dairy milk. It took me about 5 minutes to process my cheese until it was smooth enough for me.
  3. Season with salt & pepper, to taste.
Notes
*You can easily change up the herbs in this recipe to suit your liking. [br]*You can use agave instead of maple syrup.[br]*You can use apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice.

 

Potato, Black Bean & Avocado Burritos

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Burritos-Vegan-Beans

I’ve never really been big on burritos. In the past, the ones I’ve eaten have been bland, flavorless and in all honesty, a pain in the ass to prepare.

So a few weeks ago, I made it my mission to make the perfect vegan burrito.

And I think I’ve done it.

Bean-Potato-Burrito

I filled this burrito with all of my favourite things: potatoes, red pepper, black beans, tomato and avocado. I added some spicy seasonings, and that was it! Easy to make, and it was mighty delicious.

Finally – a burrito I actually want to eat!

Potato-Bean-Burrito

Potato, Black Bean & Avocado Burritos
Recipe Type: Entree
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 3 medium potatoes, chopped into small pieces (I used organic red potatoes)
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 small red pepper, seeded & chopped small
  • 1 small tomato, chopped small
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (if using canned, drain and rinse the beans first)
  • Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste)
  • Tortillas
  • 1 small avocado, sliced
  • Fresh parsley (optional)
  • Vegan sour cream (optional)
Instructions
  1. Cook your chopped potatoes in a large pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes minutes, or until softened. Drain and set aside.
  2. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat, add your oil and potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Add in the red pepper, tomato, chili powder, cumin and lime juice. Mix well, and cook for a few minutes more. Add salt & pepper to taste.
  3. Stir in the black beans and cook just until heated through.
  4. Scoop mixture onto tortillas, top with avocado and chopped, fresh parsley, wrap up your burrito, cut in half and serve (with a dollop of vegan sour cream, if so desired!).
Notes
*Add any other toppings you wish, such as salsa or other fresh herbs.

 

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

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Chocolate-Cupcakes

I love an excuse to make cupcakes, so when we hosted our daughter’s 2nd birthday party a few weeks ago, I made these delicious cakes – and boy, am I ever glad I did. I’m still getting people asking me for the recipe, so I thought I should post it here and have somewhere I can refer people!

The cupcakes on their own aren’t super sweet, which is why I added a bundle of vegan buttercream frosting on top of them, which really just takes them over the top, if you ask me. Delicious and chocolaty!

Vegan-Chocolate-Cupcakes

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
  • Chocolate Cupcakes
  • 1 1/4 cups kamut or all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • Vanilla Buttercream
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
  • 1 1/2 cup vegan powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Non-dairy milk, as needed (I used about 3 tbsp)
  • Toppings
  • Vegan sprinkles (optional)
  • Vegan chocolate candies (optional)
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray an 8×8 baking pan with a oil mister and set aside.
  2. Whisk together flour, coconut sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add in the water, vanilla, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar, whisk again until well combined. Do not over-mix. A few little clumps are fine!
  4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cook completely.
Vanilla Buttercream
  1. Beat the vegan butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add in the vanilla and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Once the powdered sugar is mixed in, add another 1/2 cup, and repeat again. Add in some non-dairy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed.
  3. Beat everything together until the desired consistency is reached. Top with vegan chocolate candies and/or sprinkles, if you want!