Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard

50 Fantastic Pumpkin Recipes to Try This Fall

October 17, 2014 9 Comments

You know that holiday song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”? The one you sing at Christmas and the one they play on TV right before back to school starts (ha!)?

Well, we need to start singing that song in the fall too, to celebrate the beauty that is pumpkin season. This versatile veggie can be made into a sweet dish (hello pumpkin doughnuts, I’m lookin’ at you!) or a savory dish. You can also roast the seeds and eat them all toasty and warm. Yum.

There’s just nothing bad that I can say about pumpkin. So, to celebrate this “most wonderful time of the year”, here are 50 fantastic pumpkin recipes you should add to your “to make” list RIGHT NOW.

1. Vegetarian Pumpkin Curry by Julias Album
2. Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate by Fat Free Vegan
3. Soft Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream Frosting by Averie Cooks
4. Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo Linguine by Veggie and the Beast Feast
5. Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls by Eat Live Run
6. Pumpkin Pie Energy Bars by Nutritionist in the Kitch
7. Fluffy Pumpkin Biscuits by Singers Kitchen
8. Vegan Pumpkin Chili by The Iron You
9. Vegan Pumpkin Whipped Cream by Family Fresh Cooking
10. Vegan Pumpkin Bread by Simply Quinoa

11. Orange-Spice Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Waffles by Lunch Box Bunch
12. Pumpkin Maple Vinaigrette by The Cafe Sucre Farine
13. Pumpkin Spice Turnovers by 86 Lemons
14. Pumpkin Maple Pecan Granola by Minimalist Baker
15. Spiced Pumpkin Hummus by Table for Two
16. Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping by The Pretty Bee
17. No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse by Snixy Kitcheb
18. Pumpkin Mac & Cheese by Chocolate Covered Katie
19. Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies by Vegan Insanity

20. Pumpkin Doughnuts with Powdered Sugar Glaze by Vegan Insanity
21. Gluten-Free Gooey Pumpkin Spice Latte Chocolate Pudding Cake by Oh She Glows
22. One Pot Creamy Pumpkin Penne by Heather Christo
23. Baked Pumpkin Mini Donuts by Knead to Cook
24. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars by Vegan Mother Hubbard
25. Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake by Kitchen Grrrls
26. Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Pie by Fork and Beans
27. Raw Pumpkin Pie Cream Squares by Sweetly Raw
28. Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding by Vegan Yack Attack
29. Gluten-Free Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches by Ask Anna Moseley

30. Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies by Eat Drink Love
31. Pumpkin Cinnamon Applesauce by The Novice Chef
32. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Bars by Ambitious Kitchen
33. Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal by The Oatmeal Artist
34. Pumpkin Spice Pancakes by Minimalist Baker
35. Pumpkin Spice Syrup by Seeded at the Table
36. Pumpkin Almond Butter Cups by Yummy Beet
37. Rustic Pumpkin Pie Muffins by Slim Pickins’ Kitchen
38. Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Sage by Avocado Pesto
39. Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing by Alimentageuse

40. Pumpkin Peanut Curry by My Darling Vegan
41. Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Dip by The Glowing Fridge
42. Pumpkin Pistachio Espresso Brownies by Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes
43. Fudgy Pumpkin Brownies by Around my Family Table
44. Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie by Nutritionist in the Kitch
45. Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Blondies by The Healthy Maven
46. Soft Pumpkin Cookies by Whole New Mom
47. Quinoa, Black bean & Pumpkin Soup by Avocado Pesto
48. Vegan Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream by Huffington Post
49. Pumpkin Swirl Brownies by Namely Marly
50. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Overnight Oats by Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Coconut Hemp Granola

October 16, 2014 6 Comments

Big clusters of oats, seeds and nuts? Check. Shredded coconut for extra yumminess? Check. Ability to suffocate my yogurt? Check, check, check.

Apparently, this granola is a big ol’ winner ’round these parts.

It’s not just good on yogurt, either. It’s also yummy as a cereal replacement with a bit of almond milk. Yum. Or you can just shovel it into your mouth with your hands. No bowl required. I don’t judge.

Feel free to add dried fruit in there, too. I just didn’t feel like any this day. So I left ‘er naked. Yep. I went there. Talking about nudity on the blog. This granola makes me do naughty things.

I limited the amount of sweetener in this granola, since most store-bought varieties make me want to gag with how sweet they are. If you add dried fruit, you may even be able to cut down the sweetener a bit more. Hooray for less sugar!

I also added coconut because I opened my pantry and it was staring at me. No really. That’s the only reason. Luckily, it worked out well for me and actually tastes amazing with the walnut, oat and hemp seeds. It’s a good thing I didn’t ruin a whole batch of granola just because I saw some coconut sitting on a shelf and though “why not?”. That would be embarrassing.

In our house, a bath of granola lasts about 2 weeks. With this one, it was gone in less than 1. Okay, so most of that was me just eating it directly from the pan, warm from the oven. But still. That’s improvement!

Coconut Hemp Granola

Recipe Type: Snack

Author: Vegan Insanity

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 5 cups

Ingredients

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup agave or maple syrup (I used agave)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 cup hemp seed
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

Instructions

Heat oven to 350F and spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Set aside.
Combine coconut oil, agave, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a small pot over medium heat, until everything is warmed through and the coconut oil has melted.
In a large bowl, combine oats and nuts. Add the coconut oil mixture and mix everything well.
Spread the mixture on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, stir in the hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds, then bake for another 12-15 minutes, or until the granola is golden brown.
Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before using or storing. You can store this granola at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks.

Lentil Soup with Cumin & Coriander

October 14, 2014 8 Comments

When I was a kid, my favourite soup was chicken noodle. Preferably from a can. And preferably without any chicken and mostly noodles.

I would often eat canned soup for lunch on the weekends. It was easy enough for me to make myself once I knew how to use a can opener and the microwave (that’s right, I didn’t even cook it in a pot on the stove).

Chicken noodle soup was my thang. For years. Even as an adult, it was one of my favourite things to eat when I was too lazy to come up with something a bit more creative.

Now, though, I’m obviously done with chicken noodle, but I still love the comfort of soup. My current favourite is vegetable, but this lentil soup is a close second.

It’s easy to throw together, it’s crazy good for you, and it tastes amazing. Way better than chicken noodle soup ever did.

Side note: Photographing soup is HARD. Photographing brown soup is even harder. Perhaps the green parsley on top will help? What if I stick some green in the background?

Be jealous of my food photography skillzzzz. Or not.

When it’s cold and gray outside (like today at my house!), soup is the perfect remedy. Try this lentil soup and let me know if you enjoyed it as much as I did!

Lentil Soup with Cumin & Coriander

Recipe Type: Entree, Lunch

Author: Vegan Insanity

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small yellow onion, minced
4 medium carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cups green or brown lentils, uncooked (I used brown)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
8 cups vegetable broth
1 large bay leaf
2 whole sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
Salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add in the onion, carrots, celery and garlic, and cook until tender and browned.
Add the lentils, cumin, coriander, broth, bay leaf and fresh thyme. Give it all a good mix, then add lid and simmer over low heat until the lentils are tender, 30-40 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and thyme, and add in the chopped spinach and tomatoes. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until spinach has wilted.
season with salt and pepper, and serve, with some fresh parsley on top for colour (if desired).

This Week’s Vegan Menu Plan

October 13, 2014 13 Comments

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 this week’s vegan menu plan:

Breakfast:

1. Spiced Pumpkin Coconut Muffins by Vegan Richa

2. Avocado Toast by Vegan Insanity

3. Mini Chickpea, Spinach & Tomato Quiche by Divine Healthy Food

4. Tandoori Tofu Scramble + Spiced Fries by Vegan Miam

5. Pineapple, Banana & Hemp Smoothie by Vegan Insanity

6. No Bake Apple Cobbler by Fork & Beans

7. Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes by Oh She Glows

What’s on your vegan menu plan this week?

My Vegan Groceries This Week

October 11, 2014 3 Comments

People often ask me what kind of groceries I buy. I personally love checking out others’ shopping trips, so this comes as no surprise to me. It’s interesting to see what other people purchase and how much they pay for groceries in their area!

I thought it would be fun to share my shopping trips every once in awhile, so you can get a glimpse into how I shop and what kind of things I regularly (and not so regularly!) buy at the grocery store.

*Note: This is not all of the groceries I buy in a week. I also get a weekly delivery of veggies (about 15 items) from a local farm, and also stop in at the health food store once, mid-week, for more fresh fruits & veggies. I also purchase things like nuts, quinoa, frozen fruits and coconut water from Costco twice per month.

My Shopping Trip This Week

1x Silk Chocolate Milk @ $4.49
1x Organic Smoked Tofu @ $3.49
1x Fresh Cranberries @ $2.69
1x Organic Shelled Edamame @ $2.99
1x Basmati Rice @ $5.99
4x Organic Vegetable Broth @ $3.69 each = $14.76
2x Organic Crushed Tomatoes @ $2.19 each = $4.38
2x Organic Diced Tomatoes @ $2.19 each = $4.38
2x Organic Rolled Oats @ $2.99 each = $5.98
1x McCormick Fennel Seed @ $4.99
3x Shredded Coconut @ $1.99 each = $5.97
1x Organic Whole Wheat Flour @ $6.99
2x Pineapple @ $2.99 each = $5.98
1x Organic Baby Spinach @ $5.99
1x Organic Avocado @ $2.69
3x Organic Bunches Banana (1kg each) @ $5.66
1x Organic Broccoli @ $3.99
1x Organic Garlic, 4 Pack @ $5.99
3x Granny Smith Apples @ $6.05
4x Organic Lemons @ $5.67
1x Organic Cherry Tomatoes @ $3.99
1x Red Onion @ $1.78
3x Yams @ $3.17
Tax @ $1.69

Total = $120.73 (in Canadian dollars)

My Vegan Cuts Snack Box Review

October 10, 2014 Leave a Comment

I’m sure you’ve heard of Vegan Cuts by now, but if not, here’s a brief description:

Vegan Cuts offers all kinds of vegan goodies in 2 types of boxes: the Vegan Cuts Snack Box (which I’m reviewing today) and the Vegan Cuts Beauty Box. They also have an online marketplace where you can buy individual vegan products.

The lovely folks at Vegan Cuts sent me a Vegan Snack Box to review last week, and I can’t tell you how excited I was when it finally arrived at my door step. There’s just something about getting a box full of vegan yumminess straight to my door that makes me a little giddy.

In my box I received:

Cobra Corn: Chai Caramel – If you’re a fan of Chai tea, you will love this caramel corn! I found it very reminiscent of the Chai flavor tea I used to drink. Since I’m no longer a Chai tea fan, I didn’t care much for this caramel corn.

One Potato Two Potato Kettle Potato Chips: Hawaiian BBQ – As someone who really REALLY doesn’t like barbecue chips, I was surprised just how much I loved these ones. They were so good I snuck away to eat the whole bag to myself before my family could get their hands on them.

Earth Balance Mac & Cheese: White Cheddar – I was the most excited about this product! After seeing it all over online, but not having access to it in Canada, I was so eager to get my hands on a box. And it really did not disappoint! It was very creamy and cheesy. Absolutely perfect. Now I just need to find the cheddar flavor…

Chewy Banana Bites – I gave these to my husband to take on a trip with him and he told me they were fantastic. Very portable, minimal ingredients, and delicious taste. Now I’m on the hunt for this snack in Canada so I can try them too!

Wild Friends Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter – I loved this stuff on toast! The only thing I didn’t like was that the packaging made it very difficult to squeeze it all out. However, if you’re buying this in a store, you’re going to get it in a jar, anyway. So no worries!

Protein & Green Packets – I liked all but the “Ultima” packet. The chocolate protein drink was pretty good, though, unfortunately, not as good as the Silk chocolate milk I’m so fond of. The “Field Greens” and “Instant Shiitake” went into a green smoothie and I couldn’t taste them, so I guess that’s a good thing, right?

BuddyFruits FruitBreak: Strawberry, Banana & Apple – This was SO delicious! I gave it to my 5 year old, but tried a bit myself first, and it was yummy. I love that it only has fruit in the package, nothing else. This is something I’d definitely feel comfortable giving to my kids!

All in all, I was very impressed with the Vegan Cuts Snack Box. For only $19.95 per month, it’s a fun way to try new vegan snacks that I may not have the opportunity to try otherwise.

This would make for an awesome Christmas gift! I think I might gift one to myself. Yes. Yes, I think I will.

Subscribe to Vegan Cuts

If you’re interested in signing up for the Vegan Cuts Snack Box, the price is $19.95 and shipping is FREE if you live in the US. Canadian orders are an extra $8 and international orders are an additional $15.

Disclosure: This Vegan Cuts review does contain affiliate links, so if you were to make a purchase, I would get a small commission.

Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Chickpeas

October 9, 2014 4 Comments

Brrrr, it’s cold outside! Why did I choose to live somewhere that’s cold for 9 months out of the year?

Despite the cold outside, I am warming up inside with this bowl of butternut squash soup. Mmmm. Super easy to make, super healthy, and super duper warm-you-up-inside. It’s like a hug. A soup hug. Go ahead and give it a squeeze.

There. Don’t you feel better?

This soup is smooth and velvety. Bright and bold. Flavourful and healthy.

Amazing and amazing. No, but seriously. It’s GOOD. As long as you have a large pot and an immersion blender, you are just an hour away from a warm, comforting bowl of butternut squash soup.

The oven-roasted chickpeas are important!

Plain soup is boring. It’s like serving chili without tortilla chips or bread. Just wrong! Chickpeas will add a nice little somethin’-somethin’ to your soup – so don’t skip them!

Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Chickpeas

Recipe Type: Soup

Author: Vegan Insanity

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 50 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash
2 large carrots, chopped
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
6-8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2-3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp basil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F.
Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds (you can throw them out or save them for roasting later). Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil, and place the squash cut-side down on a large baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the middle of the squash with minimal resistance.
While the squash is cooking, line another large baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Add the chopped carrots and onion, chickpeas, and the smashed garlic. Separate the chickpeas from everything else, since they will not be going in the soup. I put them on the left side of my baking sheet and everything else was on the right. Drizzle with 1/2 tbsp olive oil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until tender.
Once everything is cooked, add it all (except the chickpeas!) to a large pot over low-medium heat. Add broth and milk, and use an immersion blender to blend until the soup reaches your desired consistency.
Add spices, stir, and simmer 5-10 minutes. Serve warm, topped with roasted chickpeas.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

October 8, 2014 Leave a Comment

Halloween is just around the corner and the kid in me is more excited than I should probably admit. I get a little decoration-happy over here!

It’s a shame I can’t partake in trick or treating anymore. Not just because I’m a MOM and I’m pretty sure it’s a no-no to beg for candy door-to-door when you’re almost thirty, but also because – have you SEEN the crap people hand out on Halloween? It’s like they’re trying to kill those precious little children.

Everything is loaded with sugar, loaded with salt, and loaded with a bunch of ingredients that should never go into your body ever, ever, ever (I’m lookin’ at you, corn syrup!).

I let my kids go trick or treating, but only because I don’t want them to feel left out. I dump a good 75% of their candy into the trash when they go to bed, and honestly, they don’t miss it.

But I miss it! Before I switched to a vegan diet, I would rummage through my kids’ Halloween bags and eat their Coffee Crisp, Kit Kat, Doritos and Reese Peanut Butter Cups. Now, I have to look at those treats lovingly and then just toss them away. Which is probably a good thing, but I digress…

This year, I decided that if I was going to survive another year of watching my kids eat my favourite non-vegan treats from afar, I was going to need some treats of my own – like these peanut butter cups.

With only 3 ingredients and less than 15 minutes of time, this is probably one of the easiest recipes ever. If you can even call it a recipe.

Hello chocolate, meet peanut butter.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Recipe Type: Snacks

Author: Vegan Insanity

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 12

Ingredients

1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand)
1/2 cup peanut butter (store-bought or homemade)
Kosher salt (optional)

Instructions

Add chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl and heat for about 2 minutes, stirring every 45-60 seconds, until melted. Stir until smooth.
Add paper or silicone liners to a large muffin pan. Add about 1 tbsp melted chocolate to the bottom of each liner. Freeze for about 10 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened.
Add about 1 tbsp peanut butter on top of the hardened chocolate (you may need to spread it out a bit), then add another 1-2 tbsp melted chocolate on top, making sure to cover the peanut butter.
Sprinkle each peanut butter cup with a bit of kosher salt, then put the pan back in the freezer for another 10 minutes or so, until hardened.
Store in the refrigerator (when you want to eat one, remove it from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature).

Breakfast:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snacks/Dessert:

My Shopping Trip This Week

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