Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard

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

Homemade Peanut Butter in Minutes

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Homemade nut butters have got to be one of the easiest things to make, ever. With only 1 ingredient, you can have delicious, creamy almond, peanut, cashew… any type of nut butter you desire, in just minutes.

Vegan-Peanut-Butter

Skip the store-bought stuff that is loaded with junk on top of more junk. Homemade nut butter is where it’s at.

Not only is it easy to make, and delicious, but it’s also way, way cheaper than buying it from a grocery store.

Peanut-Butter-Vegan

In our house, we go through a ton of peanut butter every week. Our 2 kids eat it almost daily, we have it in oatmeal, in smoothies, and in a lot of baked goods that I whip up. That means I always need to have peanuts on hand to make delicious homemade peanut butter at least twice each month.

Homemade-Peanut-Butter

I use either my KitchenAid food processor or the Twister Jar for our Blendtec blender to make my nut butters (I used the food processors for the peanut butter in these photos).

Both of them work really great for peanut butter, but I prefer the Twister Jar because it usually gets the peanut butter much smoother. If you like a chunkier peanut butter, you can just use a food processor.

When you make this peanut butter, the peanuts will go through various stages:

  • Crushed peanuts
  • Fine peanut powder
  • Peanut paste
  • Peanut butter dough
  • Chunky peanut butter
  • Smooth peanut butter

Once it’s done, it will be pretty thin because of the warmth from the food processor/blender, but let it sit in the fridge for a few hours and it will thicken up.

Homemade Peanut Butter in Minutes
Recipe Type: Condiments
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
Homemade peanut butter in no time flat! Easy, delicious and inexpensive. What could be better?
Ingredients
  • 2 cups of peanuts (I used raw & unsalted, then roasted them in the oven for about 5 minutes and allowed to cool)
  • 1/2 tsp salt (optional)
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar (optional)
Instructions
  1. All peanuts to your food processor or blender, the process/blend until it reaches the smoothness you like, stopping to scrape the sides of the canister if necessary. For me (I like very smooth peanut butter), it took about 7 minutes in the food processor.
  2. Add in the salt & coconut sugar, if desired, and pulse a few times to incorporate.

 

Vegan Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese

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Vegan-Lasagna-Homemade

If I was given the chance to choose my last meal in life, I wouldn’t hesitate to ask for lasagna.

Lasagna is, hands down, my favourite meal on the planet.

And this vegan lasagna with homemade ricotta cheese is freakin’ amazing.

Vegan-Lasagna

I used my food processor to whip up my vegan ricotta cheese, but a high-powered blender would work, too.

Lasagna-Vegan

I kept things simple and just added spinach as my veggie of choice, but I often add a whole heap of veggies, such as bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and anything else I have sitting in my fridge.

Add whatever you love.

I also sprinkled a bit of fresh parsley on top, but this is optional. I just love the little flecks of green.

Homemade-Vegan-Lasagna

Vegan Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese
Recipe Type: Pasta
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-12
Ingredients
  • ½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Veggies of choice (I just used spinach to keep things simple, but you could also add mushrooms, bell peppers, and more!)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups pasta sauce (homemade or store-bought)
  • 1 box lasagna noodles (buy oven-ready to save some time)
  • 1 batch vegan ricotta cheese (link at end of post)
  • 1-1 1/2 cups vegan cheese shreds (I used Daiya Mozzarella)
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 400F.
  2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, then saute your vegetables until they are cooked to your liking. Add in the minced garlic and cook for a few minutes more. Season well with salt & pepper.
  3. Add a layer of pasta sauce to the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. This will help prevent the lasagna noodles from sticking to the dish.
  4. Add a layer of noodles, vegan ricotta cheese, and some vegetables.
  5. Repeat with more pasta sauce, noodles, ricotta cheese and vegetables, until all of your ingredients are gone.
  6. Top with vegan cheese shreds, cover the pan with foil (poke a few holes in the top to allow steam to escape), and bake for about 40 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven, take off the foil, and broil for another 5 minutes or so, until the lasagna is lightly browned.

Recipe: Vegan Ricotta Cheese

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Vegan-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies

The other night I had a craving for chocolate (what else is new?), but I didn’t feel like going too heavy on the chocolate – just a hint of it would satisfy my cravings.

Chocolate chip cookies were the answer of course. Nothing is better than a homemade, fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie.

Am I right?

Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-Vegan

I’ve made quite a few vegan chocolate chip cookies, and they would either come out too crispy and flat, or too cake-like. Never anything right in the middle.

With a bit of experimentation, I landed on this recipe. And it’s been my go-to recipe every since. Everyone that eats these cookies loves them, and they can’t even tell that they’re vegan!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe Type: Cookies
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12 cookies
The most delicious vegan chocolate chips cookies I’ve ever had. They’re perfect!
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax seed + 3 tbsp water)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cup kamut flour (or all-purpose)
  • 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together the ground flax seed + water for the flax egg, and set aside to thicken (at least 5 minutes).
  2. Add the brown sugar and butter to a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat them together until creamy. Beat in the flax egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt.
  3. Beat in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, and then fold in the chocolate chips.
  4. Form the dough into small balls and place on your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
  5. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before eating.

 

Sweet & Salty Vegan Caramel Corn

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Caramel-Corn

If you’re craving something sweet today, I’ve got you covered. If you’re craving something salty – well, I’ve got you covered, too!

Enter – sweet & salty caramel corn.

Vegan-Caramel-Corn

As someone who has tried to make caramel corn many, many times (and failed every time), I can tell you that this recipe is foolproof. The recipe comes from a non-vegan friend of mine, who uses butter in her recipe, so the only thing I changed is that I used vegan butter instead.

And it worked! It actually worked! I made caramel corn and it didn’t turn into a soggy, mushy mess!

Caramel-Corn-Vegan

If you’ve never made caramel corn before – or if you did, but it didn’t turn out right, I beg you to give this recipe a shot. It’s perfect, it’s easy, and it’s freakin’ delicious.

Sweet & Salty Vegan Caramel Corn
Recipe Type: Snack
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10-12 cups
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup popcorn kernels, popped and ready to eat
  • 1/3 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 250F and lay a Siplat baking mat down on 2 large baking sheets (or you can lightly oil them). Make sure your popcorn is in a large bowl, waiting to be covered in this yummy caramel sauce.
  2. In a medium pot, melt the vegan butter over medium heat, then add in the salt, brown sugar, vanilla and maple syrup. Bring to a boil.
  3. Allow to boil for about 5 minutes, then remove from heat and add in the baking soda. Mix well, and pour over your popcorn right away.
  4. Mix in the caramel, making sure to cover all of the popcorn. Then, pour the popcorn onto the 2 baking trays and bake for 30 minutes.
  5. Remove from oven and stir, then allow to cool for about 15 minutes.

 

Lemon Chia Muffins with Vanilla Glaze

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Lemon-Muffins

When I came across this recipe on Lindsay’s blog a few months ago, I added it to my “must try” list (in vegan form), because lemon muffins and I are best friends. Me and lemon anything are best friends, really.

Although the ingredients list is quite long for these muffins, you shouldn’t be intimidated. This recipe is NOT hard one bit. In fact, it’s one of the easiest muffin recipes I’ve made. One of the tastiest, too.

Vegan Lemon Muffins

Lemon Chia Muffins with Vanilla Glaze
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • Lemon Muffins
  • 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax seed + 5 tbsp water)
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups kamut or all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup coconut yogurt (I used vanilla flavoured, but plain would work, too)
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond)
  • 3 tbsp chia seeds
  • 2 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1 1/2 tbsp agave or maple syrup (I used agave)
  • Vanilla Glaze
  • 1 cup vegan powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 tbsp non-dairy milk (I used almond)
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted
Instructions
Lemon Muffins
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a muffin tin with coconut oil or non-stick spray. Whisk together the ground flax seed and water for the flax eggs and set aside to thicken, at least 5 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and coconut sugar, rubbing the two together with your fingers for a few minutes.
  3. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, then stir to combine.
  4. In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vanilla, olive oil, coconut yogurt, non-dairy milk, chia seeds, poppy seeds, agave or maple syrup, and your flax eggs.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
  6. Scoop batter into greased muffin tins and bake for about 13-14 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Vanilla Glaze
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, non-dairy milk and melted butter, until smooth.
  2. Drizzle each muffin with glaze (or dip the tops of the muffin into the glaze, which is what I did).
  3. Sprinkle a few more chia seeds on top and wait for the glaze to set before eating (5-10 minutes).
Notes
[i]*Adapted from Pinch of Yum.[/i]

 

The Big Vegan Salad Plate with Creamy Tahini-Dill Dressing

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Vegan-Salad-Plate

Who is ready for some healthy summer salads? Even though it’s still spring (and even though it was snowing 3 days ago!), I am pretending it’s summer. This winter has gone on long enough.

After a week of eating way too much junk food and way too much comfort food, it was time to get back on the healthy bandwagon.

Enter – this awesome salad. I made it for lunch the other day.

The-Big-Vegan-Salad-Plate

I looked in my fridge and grabbed pretty much any vegetable I could find, added some nuts, seeds, hummus and avocado, then drizzled on a delicious creamy dressing.

Salad-Plate

Ah-mazing! I felt so good after eating this plate of nutrients, and was so incredibly stuffed that I didn’t eat again until dinner at 5pm. Coming from someone that usually needs to eat something every 2-3 hours, that says a lot!

The Big Vegan Salad Plate with Tahini-Dill Dressing
Recipe Type: Salad
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • Creamy Tahini-Dill Dressing
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
  • 3 tbsp flax or hemp oil
  • 1/2 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tsp dried dill weed (or 1 tbsp fresh)
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Salad Plate
  • 2 cups mixed salad greens
  • 1 small tomato, chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 1/2 cup cucumber, sliced
  • 1/2 tbsp hemp seeds
  • 1/2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tbsp slivered almonds
  • 1/4 cup carrots, shredded
  • 1/4 cup beets, shredded
  • 1/2 small avocado, sliced
  • 1/4 cup hummus (homemade or store-bought)
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • Poppy seeds (or black sesame seeds)
Instructions
Creamy Tahini-Dill Dressing
  1. Add all ingredients into a food processor or blender and process/blend until smooth. If the dressing is not getting smooth enough, you may need to add a bit more water.
Salad Plate
  1. Add a bed of salad greens to your plate, making sure to cover the plate completely.
  2. Add the other ingredients, layering them nicely around the plate. Make it pretty! Pretty food is fun to eat.
  3. Drizzle on a bit of the creamy tahini-dill dressing, sprinkle on some green onions and poppy seeds (or black sesame seeds) and enjoy!

 

Thin Crust Pesto Pizza

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Pesto-Pizza-Vegan

I used to be all about the frozen pizzas. Delissio here, Dr. Oetker there. And then I switched to a vegan diet and BAM. Those pizzas were a no-no for me. Which is a good thing anyway, considering how high they are in salt, sugar and other crap your body doesn’t need.

So, I started making my own pizzas at home. Okay, so, my husband is usually the one that makes them, but I always assist with toppings, so that counts.

I love that I can experiment with different flours, different sauces and different toppings, and still come out with a tasty, healthy pizza (usually). This is one of them!

Vegan-Pesto-PizzaEven though everyone on the planet seems to be able to, I can’t make a circular pizza to save my life, so I made them rectangular. The pizza still tastes the same, so who cares, right?

Thin Crust Pesto Pizza
Recipe Type: Pizza
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • For the crust
  • 3/4 cup warm water (not hot, not cold)
  • 1 3/4 cup flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat, 3/4 cup kamut)
  • 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • For the sauce
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts (I’ve also used cashews or almonds)
  • 4 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • For the toppings
  • Whatever your heart desires! (I used zucchini, yellow pepper, kalamata olives and tomatoes)
Instructions
For the crust
  1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in water and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
  2. Pre-heat oven to 500F.
  3. Add flour and salt to the yeast and sugar. Mix until combined.
  4. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 3-4 minutes.
  5. Press dough into a large circle and place it on a lightly greased pizza pan (or sprinkle some cornmeal on a [url href=”http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B002RC4X0C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=390961&creativeASIN=B002RC4X0C&linkCode=as2&tag=mrsjan0b-20″ target=”_blank”]wooden pizza wheel[/url] (to later slide onto a pizza stone in the oven).
For the sauce
  1. Add all sauce ingredients to a food processor or high-powered blender and process/blend until smooth.
Putting it all together
  1. Spread the sauce on the pizza crust, add your toppings, and bake in the pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes, or until the edges have lightly browned and the middle of the pizza is cooked all the way through.

 

Zucchini Fritters with Vegan Sour Cream

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Zucchini-Cakes

The other day I was trying to come up with a way to use a large zucchini that had been in my fridge for a few days and was not going to last much longer. It was lunch time, and I was aching for food.

I didn’t feel like making a sweet treat with it, I didn’t feel like a vegetable soup or stir fry or pizza. I wanted the zucchini to be the star of the show.

So, I made zucchini fritters for lunch! And they were awesome.

Vegan-Zucchini-Cakes

I topped the zucchini fritters with some of my vegan sour cream that I’d made the day before, and it was delicious!

Zucchini Fritters with Vegan Sour Cream
Recipe Type: Appetizer
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
These zucchini fritters make the perfect appetizer, and also work great for lunch or dinner (especially when paired with a salad!).
Ingredients
  • 1 large zucchini, grated
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup kamut flour (or all-purpose)
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
  1. Sprinkle some salt over your grated zucchini, allow to sit for about an hour to remove some water.
  2. Put the zucchini in a large, clean dish towel, and squeeze out any excess water. Put zucchini in a large bowl.
  3. Add in the minced garlic, flour, coriander, onion powder, and black pepper. Mix well.
  4. Form into balls and press gently to flatten.
  5. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook until golden (about 5 minutes), then flip and cook for another few minutes, or until that side has also browned lightly.
  6. Serve, with a dollop of vegan sour cream on top (or on the side).
Notes
[b]To make sour cream:[/b] To your blender, add the following ingredients and blend until smooth: 1/2 cup cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours and drained), 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/3-1/2 cup of water (as needed).