Dining In - Creamed Spinach

Creamed Spinach - Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen

I'm actually swooning over spinach after tasting this. It's unbelievably delicious! I'm definitely making this again and will add to the holiday menu next year. This simple, gluten-free dish was certainly creamy, like its name suggests, and with a pinch of salt it had the perfect flavor. It only took about 15 minutes to prepare and as soon as I was done I caught myself eating almost half of it before I could serve it for dinner! Oops. Luckily my non-vegan boyfriend shared my sentiments, but sadly we devoured it all within minutes. I blame myself for serving up significantly less than the original batch, but this just means it will be bookmarked for future meals. With a bit of olive oil and raw cashews it serves up some healthy fats that go so well with sweetened cooked onion, fragrant garlic, and wilted spinach. This recipe is from Chloe Coscarelli's latest cookbook Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen (buy yourself a copy here to fully enjoy!).

1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 oz. fresh spinach
Ground black pepper
Sea salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg (I left this out and didn't think the dish was missing anything)


Start by blending the raw cashews and water together on high speed in a blender for about 1 minute. It will resemble a white milky liquid when done. Tip: boil cashews with the water for 10 minutes first or use hot water to get a creamier consistency. I still ended up with some larger pieces of cashews because my blender is not the best, but I actually really liked that texture in the dish. 

Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium heat and add in onions. Cook until onions are softened and then add in spinach. Watch as the spinach shrinks down and turns a dark green color, stir occasionally. It will take about 5 minutes to cook the spinach. Once done add the garlic and cook for another minute, while stirring. Next add in the cashew cream and continue cooking for a minute or 2 more so it's heated throughout. 

Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper (and nutmeg if you so choose) and do a taste test, but don't get carried away like I did :) Add more seasoning, as needed.

Dining In - Sweet-and-Sour Party Meatballs

Sweet-and-Sour Party Meatballs - Chloe's Kitchen

I've now made this recipe twice, but for two occasions that were a couple years apart. The first time I made them for a holiday party I was hosting and the second time was this year for a Thanksgiving appetizer. Both times they were a crowd pleaser for vegans and non-vegans. I caught my uncle going in for thirds at Thanksgiving and my friend kept asking for the recipe after my holiday party. We have Chloe Coscarelli to thank for this one. You can find this recipe and others in Chloe's Kitchen (buy your copy here). 

The ingredients are so filling that it can be good and bad as an appetizer - good because you may be too full to overindulge on the main course, but bad because you may be too full to fully enjoy the main course! Either way these are made with lots of healthy, hearty goodness. They have a creamy, nutty taste and the sweet and sour sauce goes perfectly with them to give little punch of tangy flavor. The sauce when cool starts to resemble a jelly from the cornstarch thickener and can be difficult to dip into, so it's best to serve both the "meatballs" and sauce warm.

Party Meatballs 1 8 oz. package of tempeh
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz. can lentils, rinsed and drained
1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil

Sweet and Sour Sauce
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons cornstarch

To Prepare Meatballs: 

Start by steaming the tempeh to remove the bitterness. Break up the tempeh block into about 4 pieces to fit into a steamer basket over a small pot of water. Heat water on low to medium and steam tempeh for about 20 minutes. 

Heat olive oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet and cook onions until softened. Add garlic and cook for a few more minutes, until fragrant. 

Using a food processor, add steamed tempeh, lentils, walnuts, flour, basil, salt and pepper and pulse until everything is blended and forms a thick paste. Though difficult to do, I like to leave some texture to the meatballs by not over-processing, but make sure all ingredients are incorporated together.

Using your hands scoop out mixture and form into 1-inch balls and place on a plate. 

Heat canola oil on medium heat and fry the meatballs using a wooden spoon to turn them to cook on all sides. It's hard to keep these perfectly round shaped, but moving them around often with the spoon helps. Transfer cooked meatballs to a paper towel covered plate to soak up excess oil. 

Soak up excess oil with paper towels

Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

To Prepare Sweet and Sour Sauce: 

In a medium saucepan, whisk all sauce ingredients together and heat on medium-high heat until mixture begins to boil. Reduce heat down to medium-low and continue cooking until the sauce thickens and big bubbles form, keep stirring throughout.


Stick a toothpick or fancier hors d'oeuvre pick into each ball for easy serving. Serve warm with sauce on the side or poured over meatballs so they are already covered.

Dining In - Pumpkin Pecan Brownie Pie

Pumpkin Pecan Brownie Pie

When I was searching for vegan Thanksgiving desserts last year I knew it had to include pumpkin (one of my favorite holiday flavors), but I also knew there would already be pumpkin pie served, so I found a yummy alternative. This combines the best fall flavors with chocolate. I made two of these to share with my family and it was a hit. The brownie portion was more cake-like, while still being moist. The buttery pecan topping was my favorite part and it went very well with the pumpkin. Made in a pie pan, this is best served in slices with dairy-free vanilla ice cream! Sadly I was too distracted and eager to dive in, that I neglected to get a shot of the finished product!

I found this recipe from a Buzzfeed list, an usual place to find vegan recipes. It comes from the blog Oh She Glows. There is also a variation for Pumpkin Pie Brownie Cupcakes. Here is the link to recipe. Enjoy!



Pumpkin Brownie
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup & 3 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, softened
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda



Pumpkin Pie
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons almond milk
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Pecan Topping
1/4 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a pie pan.

To Prepare Pumpkin Brownie:
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer blend together the coconut oil, pumpkin, vanilla,
and sugar until blended well. Add in the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking, soda, and sea salt and stir until incorporated. Pour batter into the pie pan. Make sure batter is evenly distributed.

To Prepare Pumpkin Layer:
In a large bowl mix together the pumpkin, vanilla, and milk. In a small
bowl, mix together the cornstarch, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Slowly add the dry ingredients
to the wet and mix well until all clumps are gone. Now add on top of brownie mixture.

To Prepare Pecan Topping:
Mix all ingredients until well combined and sprinkle on top of the pie.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Let cool. Serve with vegan ice cream, vanilla will go beautifully with it, but if you're a chocolate lover, go for chocolate!

Dining In - Tempeh Piccata & Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Tempeh Piccata & Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Chloe's Kitchen

Tempeh Piccata - Chloe's Kitchen

Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Chloe's Kitchen

Two amazingly delicious Chloe's Kitchen recipes in one meal! I've made the Tempeh Piccata before, but never attempted the Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes, although it is a recommended pairing in the Chloe's Kitchen cookbook (buy your copy here). The Tempeh Piccata is a fairly simple one-skillet recipe that begins by steaming the tempeh to remove the bitterness. This dish has great flavor and is very filling. The homemade sauce is tangy and savory. The capers add just the right saltiness.

Parsnips

The Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes have a little secret - potatoes make up only 1/3-1/2 of the recipe not 100% like regular mashed potatoes. Parsnips are one of the unique additions to this recipe. If you're not familiar with this root vegetable, it is similar to a carrot in shape, but has a cream color. It's a sweeter vegetable, which comes through in the recipe. You can balance this out by adding more salt. The roasted garlic was delicious and something I'd never prepared before. I enjoyed this side dish, but might try it with one parsnip instead of two next time to reduce the sweetness.


Tempeh Piccata
8 oz. tempeh, thinly sliced (available at Trader Joe's)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon Earth Balance margarine
2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes
1 head garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped into small cubes
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine


To Prepare Tempeh Piccata:

Start by slicing the block of tempeh in half, lengthwise. Then slice the two halves into small triangles. Place in steaming basket over water and steam for 20 minutes to remove bitterness.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet and cook tempeh pieces until browned on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. 

Tempeh Piccata

Using the same skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high heat. Cook onions until softened. Add garlic and cook for a few minutes. Season with sea salt and pepper. Slowly pour in vegetable broth. Reduce heat and let broth thicken for 1-2 minutes. 

In a separate small bowl mix together water and cornstarch. Add mixture to skillet and stir continuously until sauce thickens. Add tempeh and reduce heat to low. Add in lemon juice and carefully flip tempeh to cover in sauce. Turn off heat. Stir in margarine, capers and parsley until the margarine is melted and ingredients are incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes. 


To Prepare Guilt-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Peel outer layers from a full head of garlic. Slice tips off top of the head. Place on tin foil and drizzle with olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper. Fold up tin foil to create a closed pouch for garlic. Place on baking sheet and cook for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. To remove garlic cloves, squeeze from bottom of head, they should pop out, or you can peel them out.

In a very large pot, add chopped potatoes, parsnips, and cauliflower and enough cold water to cover the vegetables. Add salt. Bring water to a boil and cook until fork tender. Drain.

In a large bowl, mash together cooked vegetables, almond milk, and margarine. Season with salt and pepper. 

Dining In - Veggie Pot Pie

Veggie Pot Pie - Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook

I was skeptical about this recipe. Based on the ingredients list I thought this would turn out bland. There are no extra seasonings besides salt and pepper. I was wrong. Without a doubt this was the best pot pie I have ever had! It all came together so well. The sauteed vegetables made for a simple, yet delicious creamy filling with subtle sweetness from the almond milk. The flaky crust was buttery and salty, perfectly complimenting the filling. My boyfriend and I thoroughly enjoyed this for dinner, nodding in approval the whole time and eating way too much of this six-serving pie. Oh and did I forget to mention, still vegan? As if it wasn't obvious. But what may not be so obvious at first glance - it's soy-free! This is going on my "Make Again...and Again!" list. You can find this recipe and others in Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook.


Shopping note: I bought all of the ingredients for this recipe at Trader Joe's, with the exception of the vegetable shortening.

Finished Product - Veggie Pot Pie

Pie Filling
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 celery stalk, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup broccoli florets (used frozen, thawed)
1 cup sweet peas (used frozen, thawed)
1/2 stick or 1/4 cup Earth Balance margarine
1/4 cup flour
2 cups plain almond milk

Pie Crust
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
~1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/8 cold water
3-4 tablespoons ice cold water


Start by making the pie crust in case you need to chill it, which I recommend. This pie crust recipe was included in the back of the cookbook for an apple pie recipe, but for this you simply halve it, which is why some portions aren't exact. 

In a large bowl combine flour and salt. In a liquid measuring cup add 1/8 cup cold water then add vegetable shortening to equal 1/2 cup line. Pack down the shortening with a spoon to remove air bubbles. Then scoop out shortening and add to flour mixture, discarding of the extra water (this part was confusing to me, but I tried it nonetheless). 

Using pastry cutter (or your hands if you have nothing else) quickly cut shortening into flour until you form small, crumbly dough balls. Add 3-4 tablespoons of ice cold water and mix with a spoon after each one is added. Chill the dough for 30 minutes in refrigerator. Set aside for later use. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees before starting on the filling. 

Heat grapeseed oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add in broccoli and peas. Continue cooking for about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Onions, Carrots, Celery, Broccoli & Peas - Veggie Pot Pie Filling

Veggie Pot Pie Cream Sauce

Heat margarine in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add in the flour slowly and stir together. Continue cooking, while stirring for about 3 minutes. Add in almond milk and stir constantly. Simmer for about 3 minutes, sauce will thicken. 

Add cooked vegetables to the sauce and stir carefully. Once combined spoon mixture into a 9-inch glass pie pan (I only had a metal one to use, as you can see from photos, but it still worked out fine). Roll dough into a ball and then flatten out into a circle a bit wider than pie pan. Lay out dough over pie. Pinch edges and use knife to slice holes into top before cooking.

Bake pie for 35-40 minutes. Serve hot. 

Veggie Pot Pie Before Adding the Pie Crust Dough

Pre-Cooked Veggie Pot Pie

A Very Vegan Thanksgiving

This may be a tad bit delayed, but I hope it's relevant for any new vegans who find themselves preparing for a meat and dairy-free Thanksgiving next year!

This year marked my first ever vegan Thanksgiving! I have a lot to be thankful for this year, and making a transition to a vegan diet is certainly on the list. I passed on turkey for the first time this year, but there was a bounty of other delicious vegan-friendly dishes and they left me just as satisfied. In fact, even being overly full I noticed I had more energy post-meal than previous years! The extra glasses of wine didn't help, but I didn't feel quite as weighed down by the feast. 

My vegan menu consisted of dishes made by my vegan cousin and myself:

Walnut Pâté with Melba Toast
Stuffing
Homemade Seitan Pot Pie
Butternut Squash with Toasted Almonds and Brown Sugar
Thyme for Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
The Best Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Zucchini Sandwich Cookies

My First Vegan Thanksgiving

Dining In - The Best Vegan Green Bean Casserole

The Best Vegan Green Bean Casserole - Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen

Since I transitioned to a vegan diet in March of this year I had never experienced a "cruelty-free" Thanksgiving until now, but becoming vegan didn't stop me from enjoying some of my favorite dishes of the season. Check out my Thanksgiving post (coming soon) for details on my vegan meal! 

Green bean casserole is a staple at our Thanksgiving meal and I was excited to try this dairy-free version. The name convinced me. I'm not a big fan of mushrooms, but I still very much enjoyed the flavors of this dish, especially the bread topping. My family dug right in and gobbled it all up! This is another recipe that I must give credit to two different sources - the original version and the vegan version. The vegan version I found on Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen blog, despite the name this is sadly not fat-free. The original version came from A Veggie Venture. 

Green Beans:
2 quarts of water
1 tablespoon salt (or a little less, if this is too much for you)
1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans, trim ends and cut into 1 inch pieces

Sauce:
10 oz. button mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon dry sherry
3/4 cup soy creamer (I used Silk brand)

Topping:
1 1/2 slices of multi-grain bread
1 tablespoon Earth Balance margarine
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of black pepper

3 oz. (1 can) French's French fried onions

Boil salt and water in a large pot and add in green beans. Cook for about 6-8 minutes then drain, rinse with cool water, drain again. Set aside.

Spray a large skillet with canola oil and heat on medium-high. Add in mushrooms, garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are soft, reduce heat to low-medium. 

In a small bowl, mix together vegetable broth and flour. Add this mixture to skillet. Add in sherry. Simmer for a few minutes until the mixture thickens, stirring continuously. Add in soy creamer and continue cooking for about 5-10 minutes, until mixture thickens more. 

In an oiled casserole dish mix together the sauce and the cooked green beans. 

For the topping, use a food processor and blend together the bread slices, margarine, salt and pepper until crumbly. Pour into a small bowl and mix in French fried onions (without snacking on them!). 

Cover the green beans with the bread and onion topping. Preheat oven at 425 degrees and cook for about 15-20 minutes.