Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard

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

Creamy Vegan Ranch Dip

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Ranch-Dip-Vegan

I’ve never been a big fan of Ranch dressing on salads, but for some reason, I find it incredible when dipping fresh veggies into it. Which is pretty much the same thing, since salads = fresh veggies. I guess I’m just weird.

The last time I tried my hand at Ranch dip, it was too runny for my taste, so I changed things up a bit, and now this one is much more to my liking. If you don’t like your dip to be as thick, or if you want to use it as a dressing instead of a dip, just add a bit more plant milk.

Vegan-Ranch-Dip

I used cashews for the dip you see in the photos, but I’ve also made it with tofu with great success. If you want to keep things soy-free, just use cashews.

Creamy Vegan Ranch Dip
Recipe Type: Dips/Dressings
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 Cup
This ultra-creamy ranch dip is a much healthier version than the kind sold in grocery stores, and it really cannot be any simpler to make. Yum!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours OR 1/2 block firm tofu
  • 1/4 cup plant milk (I used unsweetened almond)
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dried dill (if using fresh dill, up this to 1 tbsp)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend/process until smooth & creamy.
  2. Serve with raw veggies, crackers or just spoon it into your mouth. Mmmm.

 

Strawberry Banana Coconut Smoothie

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Banana-Strawberry-Coconut-Smoothie

I had about a cup of coconut milk leftover from a recipe and decided to throw it into my smoothie the other day – and, well, my mind was blown. Why has no one ever told me to put coconut milk into a smoothie before? It’s ridiculously good!

Strawberry-Banana-Coconut-Smoothie

I’ve made this smoothie twice now, and the second time I made it, I added a handful of spinach as well. It didn’t look as pretty, but it tasted just as good, and gave me added nutrients from the spinach!

Strawberry Banana Coconut Smoothie
Recipe Type: Beverages
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1-2
This smoothie is easy, delicious, and a great way to start your morning! Feel free to experiment with the ingredients, as it’s really hard to mess up a smoothie!
Ingredients
  • 1 Cup Strawberries, Sliced
  • 1 Large Banana, Sliced
  • 1 Cup Coconut Milk (I used full-fat coconut milk)
  • 3-4 Ice Cubes
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Pour and enjoy!

 

Deconstructed Falafel Bowl

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Falafel-Bowl-Deconstructed

As much as I love falafel, I really hate making them. They’re tedious and I’m lazy, so it’s rare that I make them. I have to really, really want falafel.

Of course, I’m a perfectionist and my falafel balls must all be identical in size and shape, so perhaps that’s why they take me so long to prepare, but who knows. All I know is that I love falafel and wanted to find a way to make this dish quicker.

As luck would have it, I stumbled across this post on Vegan Yack Attack (recipe from Megan at The Vegan Cookbook Aficionado) for deconstructed falafel bowls.

Falafel-Bowl

All of the deliciousness of falafel, without the hard work involved. Now that’s my kind of recipe!

I adapted it slightly, removing some ingredients and lessening others to suit my personal tastes, so feel free to check out the recipe on Vegan Yack Attack for Megan’s take on these bowls.

Deconstructed-Falafel-Bowls

Deconstructed Falafel Bowl
Recipe Type: Entree
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-4
All the goodness of falafels with only a fraction of the work! This bowl is full of good stuff, and takes no time at all to put together! [i]Adapted from [url href=”http://veganyackattack.com/2014/01/18/deconstructed-falafel-bowl/” target=”_blank”]Vegan Yack Attack[/url] & [url href=”http://www.cookbookaficionado.com/” target=”_blank”]The Vegan Cookbook Aficionado[/url].[/i]
Ingredients
  • Roasted Chickpeas
  • 3 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Tahini Dressing
  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 large clove garlic, grated with microplane
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
  • Putting everything together
  • Roasted chickpeas
  • Cooked quinoa
  • Lettuce, shredded
  • Cucumber, sliced
  • Tomatoes, sliced
  • Hummus
  • Tahini dressing
  • Hot sauce
Instructions
Roasted Chickpeas
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375F.
  2. Add chickpeas to a large bowl (if you’re using canned chickpeas, rinse them first). Add olive oil, lemon juice, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper, and mix well, until the chickpeas are all coated completely.
  3. Add chickpeas to baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking.
  4. Toss with the fresh parsley and set aside.
Tahini Dressing
  1. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until everything comes together nicely. Add more water, if necessary, 1 tbsp at a time.
Putting it all together
  1. In bowls, add some of the cooked quinoa, a bunch of roasted chickpeas, some tomatoes, some cucumber, a handful of lettuce, and a big dollop of hummus. Drizzle on some of the tahini dressing and a squirt (or more) of hot sauce. Serve and enjoy!