Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard

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

Oven-Roasted Cauliflower Bites with Lime & Cilantro

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I’ve got a thing for cauliflower. The possibilities are endless with this stuff, so I use it whenever I can get my hands on it.

Though it’s good as a pizza crust, mashed like potatoes, baked like chicken wings, and stuffed into tacos – it’s also good on it’s own, roasted in the oven, covered in an array of spices.

Spicy-Oven-Roasted-Cauliflower

Mmm mmm good.

I could eat this cauliflower all by myself – the whole thing – and I wouldn’t feel guilty. Because it’s cauliflower! And it’s healthy! And it’s better than most other savory snacks I can think of!

Oh, and did I mention that it’s crazy easy to make, too?

Vegan-Spicy-Roasted-Cauliflower

Chop cauliflower, toss with seasonings, bake, eat. The end.

Serve it up on it’s own as a snack, or alongside pretty much any meal you could possibly be eating. Burgers? Yep. Pasta? Why not? Tacos? Of course!

This cauliflower goes with everything. Eat it up!

Spicy-Roasted-Cauliflower-Vegan

Oven-Roasted Cauliflower Bites with Lime & Cilantro
Recipe Type: Side
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 medium-large head of cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp hot sauce
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, olive oil, cilantro, salt & pepper. Once mixed thoroughly, add the cauliflower pieces and toss, making sure every piece gets coated nicely.
  3. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and has browned.
  4. Add the lime juice and hot sauce to the roasted cauliflower and mix gently. Cover each piece with the lime juice and hot sauce.
  5. Remove to a serving dish, sprinkle with more fresh cilantro (optional), and serve immediately.

 

Vegan Cheesy Dill Popcorn

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I used to visit this popcorn store near our house all the time before I switched to a plant-based diet. Kernels. That was their name – and they sold all different kinds of… you guessed it – popcorn. They often had buy one, get one free deals doing on too, which made my decision to stuff my face full of popcorn even easier.

Since all of their popcorn is coated in butter, I can no longer visit them and buy copious amounts of popcorn. Sad face.

vegan-cheesy-dill-popcorn

My favourite flavour was cheesy dill. It was finger-lickin’ good, and I don’t say that lightly. That stuff was addictive. I couldn’t get enough! Once I quit cheese and butter, this delicious treat was off the menu for me.

And for months, I just sulked and whined about it. I want my cheesy diiiiiiiiiiiiiiill. I NEED it. I can’t survive without it! I’m going to dieeeeeeeeee…

Ahem.

cheesy-dill-popcorn-vegan

Thankfully, I [kind of] know my way around the kitchen, so I thought I’d try out my own homemade cheesy dill popcorn – a vegan version that I was actually able to eat.

And I did it!

It is:
Cheesy
Dill-y
Satisfying
Healthy (ish)
Delicious
Mouth-watering
Crunchy
Full of flavour

dill-and-cheese-popcorn

Now I can stuff my face whenever I want! SCORE.

Seriously, if you’re a popcorn love and cheese and dill are your thang, give this popcorn a try. I dare you not to stuff your face, too.

cheesy-dill-popcorn

Vegan Cheesy Dill Popcorn
Recipe Type: Snack
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup popcorn kernels
  • 1/4 cup vegan butter, melted (I used Earth Balance)
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
Instructions
  1. Pop your popcorn and place into a large, brown paper bag.
  2. Drizzle half of the melyed butter, close the bag, and shake and about 15 seconds. Repeat with remaining butter. Do the same with the apple cider vinegar.
  3. Sprinkle the fresh dill, nutrotional yeast and sale over the popcorn. Close the bag and shake again – for 15-30 seconds, or until all popcorn is coated well.
  4. Dump popcorn into serving bowl(s) and serve immediately.

 

cheese-dill-popcorn

 

20 Delicious Vegan Quinoa Recipes

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Let’s talk about quinoa for minute, mmkay?

Where has this stuff been all my life? I mean, seriously. It’s only been about a year since I found quinoa, and my love for it grows stronger every day. For serious. You can make breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and even desserts with quinoa. There are SO MANY OPTIONS!

And not only is it crazy versatile, but quinoa is actually crazy good for you, too.

  • Quinoa is loaded with protein. There’s 12 grams in a 1/2 cup serving!
  • Not only protein, but quinoa is loaded with fiber, too. 6g in a 1/2 cup serving.
  • Let’s not forget about iron. Quinoa has that, too!
  • Quinoa is gluten-free, so even those with a gluten intolerance can enjoy it.
  • Because it’s high in riboflavin, or vitamin B2, quinoa can help reduce instances of migranes.
  • Quinoa is very low in fat and will keep you fuller longer than dishes made with pasta or rice.

Plus, it just dang tastes good!

Vegan Quinoa Recipes

20 Delicious Vegan Quinoa Recipes

Apple Pie Quinoa

1. Apple Pie Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
Quinoa Lentil Salad Pic

2. Quinoa Lentil Salad with Crispy Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Shallots
Black-Bean-Quinoa-Burger

3. Quinoa & Black Bean Burger with Nacho Cheese Sauce
Quinoa Pizza Crust Pic

4. Gluten-Free Quinoa Pizza Dough
Quinoa Sushi Rolls Pic

5. Quinoa Sushi Rolls
Pineapple Fried Quinoa Pic

6. Pineapple Fried Quinioa… In a Boat!
Quinoa Corn Edemame Salad Pic

7. Quinoa Corn Edamame Salad
Vegan-Quinoa-and-Chickpea-Tabbouleh

8. Quinoa & Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad
Mexican Quinoa Pic

9. One Pan Mexican Quinoa
Quinoa Taco Meat Pic

10. Quinoa Taco Meat
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Pic

11. Vegan Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Quinoa Taco Salad Pic

12. Quinoa Taco Salad
Quinoa Sweet Potato Chili Pic

13. Quinoa & Sweet Potato Chili
Quinoa Tortillas Pic

14. Vegan Quinoa Tortillas
Roasted-Veggies-Quinoa-Bowl

15. Super Simple Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Veggies & Cashew Dressing
Quinoa Cauliflower Bowl Pic

16. Quinoa Cauliflower Bowl with Almond Sriracha Sauce
Quinoa Bread Pic

17. Gluten-Free Quinoa Bread
Quinoa Casserole Pic

18. Baked Cheezy Quinoa Casserole
Quinoa Fritters Pic

19. Quinoa Fritters with Garlic Aioli
Quinoa Pizza Crust Photo

20. 5-Ingredient Quinoa Pizza Crust
What are your favourite vegan quinoa recipes?

Our Menu Plan This Week

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Vegan Lunch Bowl
I love making “bowls” for lunch and dinner. So easy!

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:

Lunch:

Dinner:

Snacks/Dessert:

  • Fruit
  • Raw Nuts
  • Banana Ice Cream
  • Vegan Cheez-Its
  • Coconut-Lemon Bites
  • Raw Brownie Bites

What’s on your menu this week?

Raw Vegan Dessert Pizza

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dessert-pizza

Summer makes me crave cold food, so when my husband suggested pizza for dinner the other night, I offered up a much cooler suggestion – dessert pizza!

That’s right. Dessert for dinner. Why not?

dessert-pizza-vegan

This ain’t your usual dessert pizza, though. Those are often made with a sugar cookie crust, and I just wasn’t in the mood for a big cookie for dinner (although I did consider it).

So, I thought I’d try for a raw crust, and since Medjool dates are always plentiful in our kitchen, I used those as my inspiration. I opted for a chocolate crust, because… well, IT’S CHOCOLATE. And you can’t complain about chocolate. Ever. Chocolate is always delicious.

homemade-dessert-pizza-vegan

I wasn’t really sure what would work best for the pizza “sauce”, so I tried cashew cream, but thickened it slightly, by adding less water than I normally do. It was perfect. Next time I may add some cocoa powder for an even bigger chocolate kick.

After freezing the crust and “sauce” until firm, I topped the pizza with fresh fruit, a drizzle of chocolate, and called it a day. A damn good day, if I do say so myself.

And I must add – my husband loved the pizza. OF COURSE.

vegan-homemade-dessert-pizza

Vegan Dessert Pizza
Recipe Type: Vegan Dessert Pizza
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • Pizza Crust
  • 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand)
  • Cashew Cream
  • 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp agave
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Chocolate Drizzle
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 1 1/2 tsp agave
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • Fruit Topping
  • 1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
  • 1/2 cup raspberries
  • 1/2 cup kiwi, peeled & sliced
Instructions
Pizza Crust
  1. Rub a bit of coconut oil on your pie plate, lightly covering the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Set aside.
  2. Add the dates, almonds, oats, cocoa powder, coconut oil, vanilla and salt to a food processor and process until a chocolate “dough ball” emerges, about 2 minutes. Make sure there are no large chunks left in the mixture. Add the chocolate chips and pulse for just a few seconds. You don’t want to chop them up, just incorporate them into the “dough”.
  3. Transfer mixture to your pie plate press the crust into it, making sure to cover the bottom of the pan evenly. You also want to go up the sides of the pan a bit. Set aside.
Cashew Cream
  1. Add cashews, water, lemon juice, agave, and salt to your food processor or high powdered blender. Blend/process until smooth.
  2. Pour sauce over the pizza crust and spread around, without going all the way to the end of the crust (leave about an inch or so that has no cashew cream on it). Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours, or until the cashew cream is firm.
Chocolate Drizzle
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, agave and cocoa powder, until smooth. Set aside.
Putting it all together
  1. Remove the pie plate from the freezer about 30 minutes before you plan to add your toppings. This will make the pizza crust come out of the pan much easier. Remove and place on a large plate, cutting board or serving platter. Layer strawberries, raspberries and kiwis on your pizza, overlapping just a bit.
  2. Drizzle with chocolate, cut into pizza slices and serve.

dessert-pizza-recipe

Vegan Breadsticks with Herb Topping

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vegan-breadsticks

I’ve been searching for the perfect breadstick recipe for years.

I’ve tried countless of them, and they all fell flat. Either they took 500 hours to rise (not really, but still – FOREVER), they didn’t rise at all, they were chewy, or they just plain didn’t taste good.

Then – I found Marly’s recipe and life has never been the same.

vegan-bread-sticks

They’re light, fluffy, they rise in less than an hour, and they taste ridiculously good for being so simple.

I’m in love. My breadstick kick is back, and I am now enjoying these sticks on a regular basis.

Instead of all-purpose, I use kamut flour. I just love the flavour of it (and I really hate using all-purpose). I also switched up the herbed topping ingredients for a bit more flavour. The next time I make these I’m going to try “pizza” flavour. Yum.

These would also be yummy with melted vegan butter, cinnamon and brown sugar instead of herbs. Mmmm hmmm. Just don’t serve those with pasta. That would be weird.

bread-sticks-vegan

Vegan Breadsticks with Herb Topping
Recipe Type: Bread
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 20
Ingredients
  • Breadsticks
  • 1 1/2 cups very warm water (not too hot, not too cold – think bath water)
  • 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 3-4 cups of kamut flour (all-purpose would also work, so would light spelt)
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted (I used Earth Balance)
  • Herb Topping
  • 3 tbsp vegan butter, melted (I used Earth Balance)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp basil
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
Instructions
Breadsticks
  1. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray (or use a non-stick mat or some parchment paper).
  2. In a medium bowl, add water, sugar and active dry yeast. Stir and set aside until a proofed (about 10 minutes).
  3. In a large bowl, add the flour and salt. Stir to combine. Add the yeast mixture and melted butter mix well, until a dough ball forms.
  4. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead for a few minutes, until smooth.
  5. From the dough ball, pull golf ball sized pieces and roll them into balls, then into long pieces. Add to your baking sheet.
  6. Preheat your oven to 150F. Once it reaches that temperature, turn it back off, and place the breadsticks in the oven. Now they have a warm place to rise. Allow them to sit in there for about 35 minutes.
  7. Remove breadsticks from the oven and heat to 375F.
Herb Topping
  1. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix well. Spread half of the mixture onto the breadsticks (after they have doubled in size, and before you bake them).
  2. Bake the breadsticks in the oven for about 15 minutes, then remove and spread the rest of the herb topping onto them.
  3. Serve warm!
Notes
[i]Adapted from [url href=”http://www.namelymarly.com/2014/06/homemade-garlic-breadsticks/” target=”_blank”]Namely Marly[/url].[/i]

 

Our Menu Plan This Week

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Veggies Veggies
Steamed Broccoli & Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower.

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:

Lunch:

  • Leftovers x3
  • Cheese Quesedillas, Raw Berry Crisp
  • Poutine with Homemade Ricotta Cheese
  • Vegan Cesar Salad, Thin Crust Pesto Pizza (on the BBQ!)
  • Zesty Pasta Salad

Dinner:

  • Vegan Chili with Sour Cream & Nacho Cheese Sauce, Homemade Flat Bread
  • Beer-Battered Cauliflower Tacos
  • Swiss Chard Stuffed with Chickpeas & Rice
  • Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Broccoli & Edemame
  • Potato Curry, Crispy Coconut Tofu
  • Homemade Gnocchi
  • Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Israeli Couscous Salad

Snacks/Dessert:

  • Fruit
  • Raw Nuts
  • Banana Ice Cream
  • Mini Black Bean Brownies
  • Mini Cinnamon Rolls
  • Homemade Nutella & Fruit
  • Baked Almond “Feta” Cheese & Crackers

What’s on your menu this week?

My Grocery Shopping Trip This Week

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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.

Vegan-Groceries-July-2014

My Shopping Trip This Week

4x Organic Granny Smith Apples @ $2.20
1x Stonemill Baguette Royale @ $2.69
1x Tropicana Pure Premium Homestyle Orange Juice with Pulp, 1.75L @ $5.29
1x Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery Squirrelly Bread @ $4.49
1x So Good Soy Beverage, Original, 1.89L @ $4.29
1x Silk Soy Beverage, Chocolate, 1.89L @ $3.79
1x Longos No-Salt-Added Diced Tomatoes, 798mL @ $1.49
2x Organic Tomatoes @ $2.20 each
1x Sunrise Tofu, Extra Firm, 350g @ $2.69
1x Ginger Root, 150g @ $0.99
1x Organic Red Potatoes, 2.27kg @ $6.99
2x Small Yams @ $0.66 each
1x Hot Jalapeno Pepper @ $0.33
1x Red Bell Pepper @ $1.76
1x Green Pepper @ $0.88
1x Organic Garlic, 180g @ $5.99
1x Green Onions @ $0.99
1x Longos Brown Gourmet Mushrooms @ $1.69
1x Swiss Chard @ $1.99
2x Kale @ $1.99 each
1x Organic Romaine Hearts, Pkg of 3 @ $5.99
1x Boston Lettuce @ $3.99
1x Broccoli @ $2.49
1x Longos Organic Spring Mix Salad, 142g @ $4.99
3x Kiwi Fruit @ $0.75 each
3x Bananas, 1.5 kg bunches each @ $2.94 each
1x Avocado @ $2.29
2x Large Red Plums @ $0.99 each
1x Small Red Grapefruit @ $0.99
3x Oranges, Medium Navel @ $1.32 each
2x Organic Lemons @ $1.12 each
1x Sweet Cherries, 400g-600g @ $5.28
2x Organic Blueberries, 4.4oz @ $2.99 each
3x Ontario Strawberries, 1 Quart @ $4.99 each
Taxes @ $1.30

Total = 132.34 (in Canadian dollars)

Vegan-Groceries-July-2014-pt2