Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard

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

Pineapple, Banana & Hemp Smoothie

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Pineapple-Banana-Smoothie

This is one of my favourite smoothies for 2 reasons:

1. It has pineapple, which is one of my favourite fruits that I don’t buy year-round because they taste best only when in season.

2. It’s fast. Most smoothies are fast, but this one is EXTRA FAST.

Banana-Pineapple-Smoothie

Pineapple-Banana-Smoothie-Vegan

Pineapple Banana Smoothie
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Smoothie
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond)
  • 1 large, ripe banana, cut into chunks
  • 1/4 pineapple, cut into chunks
  • 4 ice cubes
  • 1 tablespoon hemp hearts
  • pumpkin seeds, for topping (optional)
  • hemp seeds, for topping (optional)
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Top with more hemp hearts and some pumpkin seeds, if desired.

 

Loaded Skillet Potato Nachos

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Skillet-Potato-Nachos-Vegan

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!

Skillet-Potato-Nachos

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!).

Potato-Nachos-Vegan

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.

Vegan-Potato-Nachos

 

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!

Vegan-Skillet-Potato-Nachos

Loaded Skillet Potato Nachos
Recipe Type: Appetizer, Snack
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
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
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for at least 2 hours
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • Nacho Cheese Sauce
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • heaping 1/4 tsp paprika
  • heaping 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • heaping 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 large roasted red pepper
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • Cashew Cream
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
  • 1/4 cup water (or more depending on how thin you want the cream to be)
  • Guacamole
  • 3 large avocados, peeled & pitted
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2 small tomato, sliced & seeded
  • 1 medium garlic clove
  • 1/4 cup red onion, chopped small
  • 1/4 cup parsley
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Toppings
  • Olives
  • Tomatoes
  • Green Onions
Instructions
Potatoes
  1. Preheat your oven to 425F and spray your cast iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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
  1. 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
  1. Add all ingredients to a food processor or high-powdered blender and process/blend until smooth.
  2. Pout mixture into a medium pot over medium heat and warm it up for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
Cashew Cream
  1. 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
  1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth or a bit chunky (whatever you prefer).

 

Mini Vegan Tortilla Pizzas

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This past weekend was awesome for 2 reasons:

Sunshine. Lots of sunshine.

These mini vegan tortilla pizzas. Ohhhhhhh yes. They were good.

vegan-mini-pizzas
It’s as easy as cutting up tortillas, popping them in a muffin tin, throwing on some toppings, baking, and stuffing your face.

I’m not even going to tell you how many of these I ate, but believe me when I say it was MORE THAN I SHOULD HAVE.

Worth it, though. Totally worth it.

mini-pizzas

You can put on any kind of toppings you want – that’s what makes pizza so freakin’ amazing. It’s versatile.

My husband doesn’t like Daiya cheese shreds, so for some of his pizzas, I put our homemade vegan nacho cheese, and on some others, I didn’t put cheese at all – just loaded them up with sauce and veggies.

He approved. I approved. The kids approved. Everyone approved.

This was an awesome meal.

baked-mini-pizzas-vegan

I think these would also work as dessert pizzas, by just swapping out sauce, cheese and pizza toppings, and instead baking she shells, then putting melted chocolate and fresh fruit inside, freezing until semi-firm, and topping with coconut whipped cream.

Mmmm, yes, that is a good idea.

Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard.

mini-pizzas-vegan

I made these babies for dinner, alongside a big kale salad, but they would also work well for lunch, as an appetizer (just halve the recipe), and even as a snack.

They would work  pretty much any time of day. Except breakfast. Unless you’re into pizza for breakfast. In which case – you could eat these pizzas any time of day and be happy and full and satisfied. Enjoy!

vegan-baked-mini-pizzas

Mini Vegan Tortilla Pizzas
Recipe Type: Snack, Lunch, Appetizer
Cuisine: Pizza
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 8 small flour tortillas (corn may work too, but I haven’t tried)
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • cheese of choice (I used, vegan parmesan, Daiya shreds, and [url href=”http://www.veganinsanity.com/recipes/quinoa-black-bean-burger-with-nacho-cheese-sauce/”]nacho cheese sauce[/url])
  • toppings of choice (I used green lentils, green pepper, kalamata olives, and zucchini)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray 2 muffins tins with non-stick cooking spray (or use refined coconut oil) and set aside.
  2. Using a doughnut cutter or small drinking glass, cut out your mini pizzas from the tortillas. I placed mine over the muffin tin first, to see how big to make my pizzas. You want them to be a bit bigger than the opening of the hole.
  3. Place your tortilla pizzas inside your muffin tins, pressing down gently.
  4. Add a bit of sauce, then cheese, then toppings, to each tortilla pizza.
  5. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the tortilla is a nice golden brown color, and the sauce & toppings are warm and the cheese has melted.
  6. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. If you handle them too early, they may not pop out of the tins easily.
  7. Run a butter knife around each pizza, and pop it out – but only if it’s ready. If it doesn’t come out easily, let it cool for a few more minutes.

 

The Breakfast Smoothie Bowl

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I must have been living under a rock for awhile, because I hadn’t heard of smoothie bowls until last month.

Now, they seem to be popping up everywhere I look! Not that I’m complaining or anything…

Smoothie-Bowl

What is a smoothie bowl, you ask? Simple: a smoothie – in a bowl (made a bit thicker). Yes, I’m serious. Yes, it’s way more fun than it sounds. Yes, it’s just as tasty in a bowl as it would be in a glass.

This was my first every smoothie bowl that I made last week. It’s just frozen blueberries, a large banana, some ground flax seed and a bit of almond milk, topped with homemade granola, coconut and fresh raspberries.

Big-Smoothie-Bowl

It did not disappoint. I love that I can add all kinds of toppings, which you can’t really do with a “regular” smoothie (drinking shredded coconut and granola would probably not work very well)!

Now, what can I make next? If you’ve made smoothie bowls before, what do you like putting in yours?

Berry-Smoothie-Bowl

 

The Breakfast Smoothie Bowl
Recipe Type: Smoothie
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 large ripe banana
  • 1 cup frozen mixed berries
  • 1 tbsp ground flax seed (optional)
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond)
  • Topping of choice (I used granola, coconut and fresh raspberries)
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients (except toppings) to your blender, and blend until smooth & creamy. You want it to be a bit thicker than a traditional smoothie that you would drink.
  2. If the mixture is too thin, add another 1/2-1 banana or more berries.
  3. Scoop mixture into your bowl and top with your toppings of choice. Eat with a spoon!

 

How to Make Chia Seed Jam

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Chia-Seed-Jam I can’t believe I’ve kept this super easy jam recipe a secret from you, but it seems as though I did. I’ve always loved homemade jams, and would buy them often at farmer’s markets in the summer, but never made them myself because I felt like it would be too much work. A few months back, a friend of mine introduced me to chia seed jam, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Now I make homemade jam all the time. Vegan-Chia-Seed-Jam I love how simple it is to prepare a fresh batch of my very own jam, adding as much, or as little, sweetener as I want. Store-bought jams are almost always way too sweet, aren’t they? I think so. Strawberry-Chia-Seed-Jam
 So far I’ve only made blueberry jam and this strawberry jam, but once I do some raspberry picking this summer, I’ll make a batch of raspberry jam, too. Blackberry would also be nice. And peach. And grape. Ahhh, there are so many options! Toast-with-Chia-Seed-Jam And all thanks to the goodness of chia seeds, which are amazing because they: Balance blood sugar Add healthy omega-3 oil to your diet Make you feel more energized Cut your cravings Combat diseases Provide you with stronger teeth & bones Are a great source of protein Help fight belly fat and so much more! I love these little guys. Chia-Seed-Jam-Vegan

How to Make Chia Seed Jam
Recipe Type: How-to Guide
Cuisine: Chia Seed Jam
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: Varies
Ingredients
  • Fruit of choice (I used 1 pound of strawberries)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup or agave (I used maple syrup)
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
  1. Prepare your fruit. For my strawberries, I washed them, hulled them, and cut them into really small pieces. I’ve also made blueberry chia seed jam, and for those, I just washed the blueberries.
  2. Add your fruit and maple syrup or agave to a small pot, and heat on medium for about 10 minutes, or until the fruit starts to liquefy. Once this happens, start to gently smash your fruit. The smoother you want your jam, the more you’ll have to mash up the fruit.
  3. Once the fruit has reached your desired consistency, bring it to a boil, and allow to cook for about 5 minutes.
  4. Add in your chia seeds and stir to combine. Remove from heat and then walk away and come back in 10 minutes – voila, homemade jam!
  5. Allow the jam to cool completely before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

 

Warm Potato & Lentil Salad

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Vegan-Lentil-Potato-Salad

It seems as though there are people that love lentils and people that hate lentils – but no one in between. You don’t hear people say “lentils are okay” or “lentils are good, but not great”.

No – you hear “lentils are awesome!” or “lentils are gross!”.

Which one are you? I hope you’re the “lentils are awesome!” person, because if not, I’m afraid you won’t be too eager to try this recipe (but you should, because it’s SO SO good).

Vegan-Lentil-and-Potato-Salad

I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen back in February, and put it on my to-make list, then promptly forgot about it.

Until last week when I was cleaning up the files and bookmarks on my computer and I found it again. I emailed myself the link so I wouldn’t lose the recipe for a second time, and then made it the next day for lunch.

The only thing I did differently, was that I omitted the shallots from Deb’s recipe, partly because I didn’t have any, and partly because my husband despises them. I also used less red wine vinegar and less chopped parsley. I also added a bit of onion powder to make up for the missing shallots (kind of). Otherwise, I stuck to this recipe quite close.

Warm-Potato-and-Lentil-Salad

 

And I’m not gonna lie – I was skeptical. This salad has a lot going on.

But – as soon as I took my first bite, I was in love. The creaminess of the potatoes, the tangy-ness (is that a word?) of the dressing and the meatiness of the lentils – it all works so well together and makes for a very tasty and satisfying dish.

 

Warm Potato & Lentil Salad
Recipe Type: Entree, Lunch
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Lentils
  • 1 cup green lentils, uncooked
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • Pinch of salt
  • Potatoes
  • 1 pound small potatoes (I used russet and chopped them up, but fingerling would be nice, so would baby red or yellow potatoes)
  • Dressing
  • 1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons capers, roughly chopped (if they’re salted, rinse them off)
  • 2 tablespoons dill pickles, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
Instructions
Lentils
  1. Rinse well, then place your lentils in a medium pot with the thyme, bay leaf, a pinch of salt and 4 cups of water.
  2. Simmer lentils over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until firm-tender. Drain (discarding the bay leaf) and keep them warm.
Potatoes
  1. While you are cooking the lentils, cover potatoes with 1-2 inches of water in a large pot. Cook for 10-20 minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes/potato chunks), or until they can be pierced with a knife. Do not overcook.
  2. Drain and keep them warm.
Dessing
  1. While the potatoes and lentils are cooking, you can prepare your dressing. This is where the magic happens! Add red wine vinegar, minced garlic, onion powder, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste, to a small bowl. Whisk together well, then add the in capers and pickle. Mix everything together until combined.
Putting it all together
  1. If using fingerling or baby potatoes, cut them into bite size pieces. Put all potatoes in a large bowl, add lentils and dressing, and mix well (but be gentle with the potatoes).
  2. Add more salt & pepper, if necessary.
  3. Serve in individual bowls, with a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top.
Notes
[i]Adapted slightly from [url href=”http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2014/01/warm-lentil-and-potato-salad/” target=”_blank”]Smitten Kitchen[/url].[/i]

 

link

Quinoa & Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad

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Quinoa-Chickpea-Tabbouleh Oh, how I love simple meals! We visited my mother in law for Mother’s Day this past weekend (the weekend after the actual holiday, because my hubby was sick on that day), and I brought along this dish for two reasons: 1. It’s SO quick and easy to prepare. 2. It’s travels well. 3. It’s freakin’ delicious, light, healthy and tastes good straight out of the fridge. Okay, that was more than 2 reasons. All legit, though, of course. Quinoa-and-Chickpea-Tabbouleh-Vegan We served it along side these oven roasted garlic sweet potatoes, and WOW DELICIOUSNESS. The two went very well together. Vegan-Quinoa-and-Chickpea-Tabbouleh
 This protein packed salad is the way to go if you’re looking for a quick and easy side dish or lunch. I found it very filling, and it’s also healthy enough that you can have multiple servings and not feel guilty about it. I anticipate this dish being our regular potluck contribution to family gatherings! Quinoa-and-Chickpea-Tabbouleh

Quinoa & Chickpea Tabbouleh Salad
Recipe Type: Salad, Side
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 1/2 cups chickpeas (if using canned, drain and rinse them first)
  • 1 small cucumber, sliced
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 cup green onion, chopped small
  • 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup mint leaves, chopped
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice (2 large or 3 medium lemons)
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Put the cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Add the chickpeas, cucumbers, minced garlic, cherry tomatoes, green onion, parsley and mint. Toss well to combine.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper. Adjust S&P as needed.
  3. Pour the dressing over the quinoa & chickpea mixture and mix well. Adjust seasonings again, if necessary.
  4. Serve cold or at room temperature. *
Notes
*This dish lasts 2-3 days in the refrigerator, so feel free to make it ahead of time to save even more time in the kitchen.

 

Oven Roasted Garlic Sweet Potatoes

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We went to my mother-in-law’s house yesterday, and we brought these delicious roasted sweet potatoes with us. They were so good, that the first thing I’m doing this morning is writing up a post telling you all about them – because – YUMMY.

Oven-Roasted-Sweet-Potatoes

Honestly, I’m not usually big on sweet potatoes because I find them too, well, sweet. Something about a potato that is sweet just weirds me right out.

But – my husband loves them and so does my mother-in-law, so I made them for our visit yesterday. And strangely enough – I actually LOVED these sweet potatoes, too! Hence why I am so eager to share this recipe with you.

Roasted-Sweet-Potatoes

Not only are these sweet potatoes super easy to throw together, but they’re so versatile, that you can serve them with pretty much anything and they will likely go really well (they’re really tasty in a quinoa bowl, that’s how I ate them yesterday, and my husband, mother-in-law, and kids ate them on their own).

Roasted-Sweet-Potatoes-Vegan

You can switch up the seasonings to your own tastes. If you like things really hot, you can add more paprika, or even a dash of cayenne pepper. If you like things sweeter, add a drizzle of maple syrup or agave.

Vegan-Sweet-Potatoes

Oven Roasted Garlic Sweet Potatoes
Recipe Type: Sides, Snack, Lunch, Dinner
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into medium chunks
  • 1/3 cup vegan butter (I used soy-free Earth Balance)
  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and put your sweet potato chunks in a large bowl.
  2. Add the paprika, salt & pepper to a small bowl.
  3. Add the vegan butter and minced garlic to another small bowl, and melt in the microwave.
  4. Mix together the butter/garlic and spices, and pour over the sweet potatoes. Mix everything really well, so that every sweet potato chunk is covered.
  5. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until you can easily pierce through the largest chunk with a knife.