lunch | Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard

Oven-Roasted Cauliflower Bites with Lime & Cilantro

August 1, 2014 2 Comments

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.

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?

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!

Oven-Roasted Cauliflower Bites with Lime & Cilantro

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Side

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
¼ cup cilantro
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp hot sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat.
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.
Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and has browned.
Add the lime juice and hot sauce to the roasted cauliflower and mix gently. Cover each piece with the lime juice and hot sauce.
Remove to a serving dish, sprinkle with more fresh cilantro (optional), and serve immediately.

20 Delicious Vegan Quinoa Recipes

July 29, 2014 1 Comment

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!

20 Delicious Vegan Quinoa Recipes

1. Apple Pie Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

2. Quinoa Lentil Salad with Crispy Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Shallots

3. Quinoa & Black Bean Burger with Nacho Cheese Sauce

4. Gluten-Free Quinoa Pizza Dough

5. Quinoa Sushi Rolls

6. Pineapple Fried Quinioa… In a Boat!

7. Quinoa Corn Edamame Salad

8. Quinoa & Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad

9. One Pan Mexican Quinoa

10. Quinoa Taco Meat

11. Vegan Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

12. Quinoa Taco Salad

13. Quinoa & Sweet Potato Chili

14. Vegan Quinoa Tortillas

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

16. Quinoa Cauliflower Bowl with Almond Sriracha Sauce

17. Gluten-Free Quinoa Bread

18. Baked Cheezy Quinoa Casserole

19. Quinoa Fritters with Garlic Aioli

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

Vegan Breadsticks with Herb Topping

July 22, 2014 2 Comments

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.

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.

Vegan Breadsticks with Herb Topping

Prep time

60 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Bread

Serves: 20

Ingredients

Breadsticks

1½ cups very warm water (not too hot, not too cold - think bath water)
2¼ tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp brown sugar
½ 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
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp basil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt

Instructions

Breadsticks

Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray (or use a non-stick mat or some parchment paper).
In a medium bowl, add water, sugar and active dry yeast. Stir and set aside until a proofed (about 10 minutes).
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.
Place the dough on a floured surface and knead for a few minutes, until smooth.
From the dough ball, pull golf ball sized pieces and roll them into balls, then into long pieces. Add to your baking sheet.
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.
Remove breadsticks from the oven and heat to 375F.

Herb Topping

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).
Bake the breadsticks in the oven for about 15 minutes, then remove and spread the rest of the herb topping onto them.
Serve warm!

Notes

Adapted from Namely Marly.

20 Minute Garlic & Tomato Pasta

July 11, 2014 Leave a Comment

My love for pasta cannot be put into words – it’s that strong. If I could eat breakfast for every meal of the day, I’d be one happy girl (I’ve been known to cook up a pot of pasta for breakfast on really cold mornings! I’m weird, I know.).

Alas, this is not possible, so I indulge whenever I can. And when I do make pasta, I try not to complicate things. Simple is often best. Like this pasta here, for example.

There is very little added to it (just tomatoes, garlic, basil, parsley, lemon juice and some herbs), and it tastes amazing. Also, because there are so few ingredients, it takes no time at all to prepare!

I love simple pastas!

Isn’t it pretty?

Use any kind of pasta you want for this – it will work with almost all kinds, but I love linguine. Spaghetti and spiral noodles work well, too. This was just an organic white pasta, but I usually use spelt, whole wheat or brown rice pastas – and they all work well in this recipe!

Garlic & Tomato Pasta

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Pasta

Serves: 2

Ingredients

8 oz. pasta (or ½-1 cup per person)
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
½ cup tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp avocado oil
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
½ tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Boil pasta according to package directions.
Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once warm, add garlic and cook until lightly browned, then add in the tomatoes and cook for another few minutes (3 or 4).
Drain your cooked pasta and add it to the pan. Mix everything together, and then add in your basil, parsley, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Mix again.
Serve immediately.

Spicy Cumin Carrots with Coriander Tahini Sauce

July 8, 2014 Leave a Comment

I received a bunch of gorgeous, organic carrots in my farm share box last week! This was my first time getting carrots with the greens still attached (I had to trim them down quite a bit) – I always bought them in a bag.

And wow – they are so small and adorable and TASTY. My husband and I were both marveling at the fact that these were the best carrots we’ve ever had. I don’t know if I can go back to the bagged variety.

Look at how different they all look, too. I love the one that’s all bent! I snatched it up first, right after I was done taking photos. It was delicious – just like the others.

Instead of just roasting these carrots, I rolled them in some cumin, salt & pepper, then drizzled a tahini & coriander dressing over top. Yum, yum – big time YUM.

Spicy Cumin Carrots with Coriander Tahini Sauce

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Side Dish

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Carrots

1 bunch carrots (5 per person), washed and dried
½ tbsp avocado oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (more or less, depending on your heat preference)
½ tsp poppy seeds (optional)

Tahini & Coriander Dressing

1 tbsp tahini
2 tsp lemon juice
½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp coriander

Instructions

Carrots

Preheat your oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with a non-stick mat or parchment paper.
Place carrots on your baking sheet and drizzle with avocado oil, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper. Roll the carrots around until they are all completely covered.
Roast for 15 minutes, or until fork-tender.

Coriander Tahini Sauce

In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and coriander. Drizzle over roasted carrots, sprinkle with poppy seeds (if desired) and serve immediately.

Super Simple Vegan Pad Thai

June 20, 2014 26 Comments

I’d never eaten Pad Thai until I started eating a vegan diet. I had never even heard of it – can you believe that?!

After so many different recipes on so many different blogs, I thought I’d give it a try myself.

That was 6 months ago, and this is the vegan Pad Thai recipe I seem to make the most. It’s just so easy, so delicious and so – SO – filling!

If you like your veggies to be a bit crunchy, don’t let them cook as long. If you don’t like cilantro, add parsley (that’s what I did). If you don’t have red peppers, use orange or yellow. If you don’t… you get the idea. This dish is very versatile! One time I was out of rice noodles, so I just doubled the amount of spiralized zucchini – YUM!

All I know, is that if you love Pad Thai, this simple recipe is definitely a must-try (LOOK MOM! I RHYMED!).

Vegan Pad Thai

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Entree

Cuisine: Asian

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

Main Dish

2 tbsp olive oil, divided
½ block super firm tofu, drained and chopped into cubes*
1 cup/8oz. rice noodles
1 medium head of broccoli, very small chopped florets
2 large zucchini, spiralized
½ small red pepper, sliced thin
1 medium garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, chopped small

Sauce

¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp garlic powder

Toppings

½ cup peanuts
1 tbsp sesame seeds
fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

Instructions

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and cook your tofu until browned on all sides, 5-10 minutes. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add your rice noodles and cook according to package directions.
While your noodles are cooking, heat another tbsp of olive oil in the same large pan you used for the tofu. Then add in your broccoli, zucchini and red pepper. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until softened. Add in the minced garlic and cook for another minute or two more. Drain the rice noodles and add to the pan of veggies. Add the tofu, as well, and toss everything together.
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until well combined. Pour all over the noodles, veggies and tofu.
Divide between bowls, and top with peanuts, sesame seeds and chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve warm.

Notes

*Use soy-free tofu to make this dish soy-free.

30 Tasty Vegan Lunch Ideas

June 10, 2014 8 Comments

Vegan lunch ideas have always been a challenge for me. Lunch in general has always been a challenge, actually.

Breakfast is easy. There’s cereal, coconut yogurt with granola & berries, vegan pancakes, hash browns with veggies, french toast, etc. Dinner is not necessarily easier in terms of ideas, but at that point in the day, I am more eager to make something interesting.

Lunch, on the other hand, is right in the middle of my day, which disrupts my work routine, and just frustrates me. So – I usually have either breakfast for lunch, or leftovers from dinner the night before.

Not anymore, though!

I forced myself to put together a lost of vegan lunch ideas that would help me any time I got into a lunch rut (which seems to be often these days!). These ideas are all great for lunch, not hard to make, and many of them can be prepared the evening before, so all I have to do is heat them up (or eat them cold) for lunch the next day.

If you’ve ever had problems deciding on meal ideas for lunch, take a look at this list. Hopefully it will help us both!

30 Tasty Vegan Lunch Ideas

1. Sweet Potato Salad with Creamy Cashew Dressing

2. Asian Slaw Salad with Peanut Dressing

3. Homemade Vegan Calzones with Sun-Dried Tomato & Pesto Spread

4. Vegan Broccoli Mac & Cheese

5. Quinoa & Chickpea Tabbouleh

6. Chickpea Avocado Mash with Lemon

7. Super Cheesy Vegan Pesto Pasta

8. Tofu Salad Sandwich or Egg Salad

9. The Big Vegan Salad Plate with Creamy Tahini-Dill Dressing

10. Tomato & Chickpea Salad

11. Easy Cheesy Vegan Quesadillas

12. Best Ever Vegan Fried Rice with Scrambled Tofu

13. Southwestern Quinoa Pasta Salad

14. Inner Goddess Detox Salad

15. Spicy Sesame Noodles with Peanuts

16. Almond “Tuna” Salad

17. Herb Falafel & Tzatziki

18. Vegan Grilled Cheese with Hummus

19. Roasted Sweet Potato & Cilantro Cashew Cream Sandwich

20. Kale & Quinoa Salad with Black Beans

21. Millet, Lentils & Veggies with Creamy Pesto Sauce

22. Asparagus & Avocado Spring Rolls with Citrus Dipping Sauce

23. Deconstructed Falafel Bowl

24. Potato, White Bean & Kale Vegan Soup

25. Super Simple Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Veggies & Cashew Dressing

26. Crunchy Thai Kale Salad

27. Cauli-power Fettuccini “Alfredo”

28. Lentil & Cauliflower Rice Tacos

29. Spicy Blackened Chickpea Scramble Sandwich

30. Mini Vegan Tortilla Pizzas

What is your favourite vegan lunch to make?

Loaded Skillet Potato Nachos

June 5, 2014 8 Comments

Just look at this skillet full of yumminess. Delish, right?

Well, it was, let me tell you that. It was so. damn. good. Just like all nachos. I’ve never met a plate of nachos I didn’t like.

I usually make nachos with tortilla chips – but recently tried them with potatoes, since I was out of chips.

And guess what. Potato nachos? Even better!

The velvety smooth nacho cheese sauce really makes these nachos, so don’t skip it. Please don’t skip it. Your nachos just won’t be the same.

The cheese sauce makes a lot, so you will have some leftover that will last at least 5 days in the refrigerator. Simply heat it up and dip some tortilla chips in it (see – that‘s what you can do with the tortilla chips – dipping in nacho cheese!).

I wanted some really sexy nachos, so I went a bit crazy with the toppings. Feel free to cut some things out if they don’t suit your fancy or you’re a bit strapped for time (just not the nacho cheese – it’s a must!).

Your toppings can be just about anything you desire, too. I added olives, tomatoes and green onions, but feel free to add whatever you have on hand and enjoy.

One thing I must mention is that these vegan potato nachos don’t re-heat well. They will be soggy. Eat them as soon as they’re ready (I think you’ll find it pretty hard to end up with leftovers anyway – they are too good to leave alone!).

Even my almost 5-year old and 2 year-old ate these – and they are some of the pickiest eaters on the planet!

Now who’s ready for a plate full of potato nachos? Come and get ’em!

Loaded Skillet Potato Nachos

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

55 mins

Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Appetizer, Snack

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Potatoes

2 medium russet potatoes, sliced thin (I used my mandolin for even slices)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Taco Meat

1 cup walnuts, soaked for at least 2 hours
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for at least 2 hours
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Nacho Cheese Sauce

1¼ cup water
1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
3 tbsp lemon juice
heaping ¼ tsp paprika
heaping ½ tsp onion powder
heaping ½ tsp garlic powder
1½ tsp salt
1 large roasted red pepper
¼ cup nutritional yeast

Cashew Cream

½ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
¼ cup water (or more depending on how thin you want the cream to be)

Guacamole

3 large avocados, peeled & pitted
2 tbsp lime juice
½ small tomato, sliced & seeded
1 medium garlic clove
¼ cup red onion, chopped small
¼ cup parsley
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Toppings

Olives
Tomatoes
Green Onions

Instructions

Potatoes

Preheat your oven to 425F and spray your cast iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray.
Once you've sliced your potatoes, dump them into a bowl fulled with ice water. Let them soak for about 5 minutes, then remove to a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.
Layer your potatoes around the skillet, filling it up completely. It's okay to let them overlap a little but, but not too much, otherwise your potatoes won't crisp up as well.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender and have browned nicely. Remove from the oven.
At this point, you can take the potatoes out to individual plates and then add your toppings, or you can leave them in the skillet, add the toppings, and scoop some out for each person. It's messy, but it's fun! Top with nacho cheese, taco meat, your toppings of choice (I used tomatoes, olives and green onions), a drizzle of cashew cream and some guacamole.

Taco Meat

Add drained walnuts, drained sun-dried tomatoes, garlic powder, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper to a food processor and process until combined, but still a bit chunky.

Nacho Cheese Sauce

Add all ingredients to a food processor or high-powdered blender and process/blend until smooth.
Pout mixture into a medium pot over medium heat and warm it up for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Cashew Cream

Add drained cashews and a bit of water to a food processor or high-powdered blender and process/blend until smooth. Add more water if you need it, to get it to your desired consistency.

Guacamole

Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth or a bit chunky (whatever you prefer).