Spinach, Basil Pesto, & Ricotta Lasagna

For ricotta, I usually use a tofu mixture. I saw Tofutti made a vegan ricotta which I'd never heard of store bought vegan ricotta before. I thought I'd make a lasagna out of it! Maybe next time I'll make a pasta. Overall, the Tofutti ricotta turned out lovely in this lasagna. I think I may prefer it over a tofu mashed ricotta mixture. It gave it a more authentic feel.

Spinach, Basil Pesto, & Ricotta Lasagna

Instagram Photo (User: veganmiss)

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 1 hour
* Ingredients:

• 1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 1/2 container (5 oz.) fresh spinach, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil pesto*
• 1 tub (16 oz.) vegan ricotta cheese*
• 1/3 cup vegan Parmesan* 
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
• 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg
• black pepper, to taste 
• 1 jar Italian herb tomato sauce
• 1/2 - 1 cup vegan mozzarella shreds*

* Recipe:

1. Preheat 350 degrees.
2. In a big pot of boiling water, add a pinch of salt and drizzle of olive oil and cook 4 sheets of lasagna noodles at a time.
3. Combine the spinach, pesto, ricotta cheese, Parmesan, oregano, thyme, salt, nutmeg, and pepper in a bowl.
4. Spread a layer of tomato sauce in a baking dish. Add a layer of noodles, tomato sauce, and ricotta mixture. Repeat layering this way and finish the top with just a layer of noodles and tomato sauce. Bake for 35 minutes uncovered.
5. Add the mozzarella shreds to the top of lasagna and bake for another 10 minutes.

* Note: I made the pesto fresh from scratch, but you can opt use store bought. The ricotta cheese is from Tofutti. The vegan Parmesan I use is Galaxy brand. Lastly, the vegan mozzarella shreds I used was Daiya. 

Beefless Beef Stroganoff

As I mentioned in my recipe post of country fried steak with gravy, I only used half a can of Worthington Multigrain Cutlets for that recipe. The other half I saved in the fridge and made this recipe with a few days later. I didn't want to just coat and fry the cutlets, so I thought the seitan steaks chopped up would be good in a beefless beef stroganoff.

Again, I'm not aware of any seitan steak products like these. Most seem to be made like crumbles or pieces. For this recipe, you could easily use West Soy seitan pieces. You could make your own seitan cutlets to achieve the same results in this recipe (and you would have leftover seitan for something else). Here is my seitan cutlet recipe.

Beefless Beef Stroganoff

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1/2 can (4) multigrain cutlets, drained, cut into bite size pieces
• 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 cup vegan sour cream*
• 1 cup non-dairy milk*
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 package (8 oz.) ribbon noodles* 

* Recipe:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add noodles and cook until slightly al dente (around 8-10 minutes).
2. In a large frying pan, heat oil and saute onions and seitan until the seitan starts to brown.
3. Add the mushrooms and sautee until soft.
4. Combine the milk and cornstarch.
5. Add half the green onions and cook until soft. Once soft, add sour cream and milk mixture.
6. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Reduce to low heat and allow to simmer until thick.
7. Add noodles directly from the boiling water to the stroganoff. Stir until completely coated. 
8. Garnish with the remaining green onions and serve.

* Note: For vegan sour cream, I used Tofutti. I like almond milk, but feel free to use whatever non-dairy milk you enjoy. For ribbon noodles, I used Eden Foods Organic Spinach Pasta Ribbons. Traditionally, stroganoff is made with egg noodles and these are somewhat similar.

Kasha Varnishkes

Being half Russian and a quarter Polish, I enjoy my kasha (buckwheat). Here is my kasha pilaf recipe that my aunt veganized for me. This is another simple Eastern European dish that I enjoy. I think it would go good with pierogies and cabbage!

Kasha Varnishkes

* Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
* Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil or vegan butter*
• 1 cup buckwheat (kasha)
• 2 "egg replacers", follow box instructions*
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup bow-tie pasta, cooked

* Recipe:

1. In a deep skillet or large pot over medium heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil or butter and cook the onions and mushrooms until the onions are translucent.
2. In a bowl, combine the egg replacer and kasha. 
3. Add the kasha mixture to the skillet and cook until the kasha starts to toast or brown further. 
4. Next, add the vegetable stock, salt, pepper, and bring to a boil. Let the kasha cook covered until tender.
5. Add in the cooked bow-tie pasta and the remaining olive oil or butter. Combine well.

* Note: I used olive oil for my version and for egg replacer, I used Ener-G.

Stuffed Zucchini Cups, Pear Stuffed Heart-Shaped Ravioli in Walnut Sage White Wine Reduction, & Heart-Shaped Raspberry Tiramisu

Ah, Valentine's Day. To me, I always think Italian food is the way to go for this holiday. Last year, I made a lovely dinner of raw kale salad, spaghetti and heart-shaped meatballs, and tiramisu. This year, I changed the tiramisu recipe to a raspberry version that is heart-shaped. Who doesn't love cute lovey-dovey food on this holiday?!

Stuffed Zucchini Cups

* Prep Time: 10 minutes

* Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

* Ingredients: 

• 2 large zucchini
• 2-4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium white onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small green pepper, finely diced
• 1 package (8 oz.) vegan ground crumbles*
• 1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 cup tomato basil pasta sauce*
• vegan mozzarella, to top*
• vegan Parmesan, to top (optional)*
• sea salt, to top (optional)*

* Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
   
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onions with salt and pepper until translucent. Add the garlic, green peppers, mushrooms, and crumbles. 
3. Cook for about ten minutes until the crumbles are brown. Add the basil, parsley, and oregano and keep cooking for another two minutes.
4. Cut the zucchini in about one inch pieces. Using a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out the insides of the zucchini being careful not to take out the bottom. 
5. Fill the zucchini with the crumble mixture and top with pasta sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
6. On a lightly oiled cookie sheet, bake zucchini cups for 20 minutes. When done, top with a bit of sea salt.

* Note: For ground crumbles, I diced up a package of Upton's Naturals ground beef style seitan. You can get it around the Chicago area at Whole Foods or otherwise online. If you can't find Upton's, you can use Boca crumbles or Yves brand. The pasta sauce I used was Whole Foods 365 Organic brand. I used Daiya vegan mozzarella. The Parmesan and sea salt are optional, but I would suggest Galaxy topping for vegan Parmesan. 

Pear Stuffed Heart-Shaped Ravioli in Walnut Sage White Wine Reduction

* Prep Time: 45 minutes

* Cook Time: 15 minutes

* Ingredients (for ravioli filling):

• 2 anjou pears, finely diced
• 1 whole shallot, sliced
• 1/4 package (2 oz.) vegan cream cheese*
• 1/2 cup tofu ricotta*
• 1/4 cup vegan mozzarella*
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, roasted, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/8 tsp oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Ingredients (for dough):

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup semolina flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp olive oil, for boiling water
• pinch of salt, for boiling water

* Ingredients (for reduction):

• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup vegan butter*
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 3 tbsp fresh sage, minced
• 1 cup white wine*
• salt and pepper, to taste

 * Recipe (for filling):

1. In a medium skillet, cook the pears and shallots for about 10 minutes over medium heat until they are soft. 
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. 
3. When pears are cooked, add to the bowl and mix well.

* Recipe (for dough):

1. Mix the all-purpose flour, the semolina flour, and salt well in a medium bowl.
2. On a clean counter space, create a mound with the flour mixture. In the center, create a well. In the well, put in the olive oil and water. 
3. Slowly start to mix and then knead dough until smooth.
4. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough until slightly thin.
5. Cut the dough with a 3 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter.
6. Place 1 tbsp of the filling in the center of the dough.
7. Using water, wipe the edge of the dough. Top with another heart-shaped dough piece. Press the edges with a fork.
8. In a medium pot of boiling water, add the salt and olive oil, then cook the ravioli until the float (only a few minutes). Let cook for one minute after they start to float. Do not overcrowd the pot with ravioli or else they will stick together.

* Recipe (for reduction):

1. In a medium skillet, toast the walnuts over medium heat.
2. Add the butter, white wine, sage, salt, and pepper. Reduce to half.
3. Stir in the parsley once reduced.

* Note: For vegan cream cheese, I used Tofutti brand. The tofu ricotta recipe was taken from the Veganomicon cookbook. See recipe here. For vegan mozzarella, I used Daiya. I used Earth Balance for vegan butter. Lastly, make sure your white wine is vegan!

Heart-Shaped Raspberry Tiramisu

* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients (for lady fingers):

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup white sugar*
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk*
• 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted*
• 3 "egg" Ener-G egg replacer (follow box instructions)*
  

* Ingredients (for custard filling):

• 1 8 oz. container vegan cream cheese*
• 1/2 cup vegan sour cream*
• 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 1/4 cup amaretto
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp agave nectar*
• 2 tsp cornstarch (mixed with 2 tbsp water)

* Ingredients (for coffee mixture):

• 1/2 cup espresso*
• 1 1/2 tbsp Grand Mariner  

* Ingredients (for topping):

• fresh raspberries
• raspberry jam
• cocoa powder, to dust
• powdered sugar, to dust
• shaved dark vegan chocolate, to top

* Recipe (for lady fingers):

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine wet ingredients in another small bowl.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Make sure no lumps are in the batter.
4. In an oiled medium baking dish, add the batter in a level fashion.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden and a toothpick can come out clean from the center of the cake.

* Recipe (for custard filling):

1. Combine all the ingredients except for the cornstarch mixture. Whisk together until no lumps are found.
2. In a small pot, add the custard mixture and heat on medium heat. When it starts to boil, add the cornstarch mixture.
3. Turn to low to medium heat and cook for about five minutes. It should look rather thick (rather than runny).
4. Set aside until needed for building process.

* Recipe (for coffee mixture):

1. Combine freshly made espresso with Grand Mariner.

* Recipe (for building):

1. Using a 3 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts from the lady finger cake.
2. Dip each heart in the coffee mixture on both sides of the cake.
3. Place one heart on a plate. Top with a layer of raspberry jam and then custard mixture.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 one more time.
5. Once done adding custard to the last cake piece, top the tiramisu with fresh raspberries, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and shaved chocolate. 

* Note: Make sure all the sugar in this recipe is vegan. You can find marked vegan sugar at health food stores. I used soymilk, though feel free to use any non-dairy milk. I used Earth Balance for vegan butter. Ener-G is an egg replacer one can find in the baking area of health food stores. There are other means of egg replacing such as using apple sauce. For vegan cream cheese, I used Tofutti brand. The sour cream was Tofutti brand. Agave nectar is a natural sweetener used to replace honey. One can find it near the honey in the green/organic/natural section of your grocery. I have an espresso maker, so I just made my espresso for this. They do make powdered espresso that I'm sure you could add water to. It would be in the baking section of your grocer.

 

Penne in Forest Mushroom Vodka Sauce

I've been meaning to try and make a vegan vodka sauce for a very long time. I haven't had it in many years so this was a fun project for me. Buon appetito!

Penne in Forest Mushroom Vodka Sauce

* Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
* Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1 dozen hothouse tomatoes*
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 medium carrot, grated
• 1 cup vodka
• 2 oz. dried forest mushroom blend, rehydrated, chopped
• 12 oz. penne pasta
• 6 fresh basil leaves, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
• 1/2 cup vegan heavy whipping cream*
• 1/3-1/2 cup frozen peas
• vegan Parmesan, to taste* 

 * Recipe:

1. In a large pot, boil the tomatoes until the skin starts to crack and peel. Remove from pot and peel the skin off the tomatoes.
2. Take the water out of the large pot and add the tomatoes, olive oil, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Cook on medium heat until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the carrot and vodka. Reduce by 1/4th or for about 15 minutes.
4. In a medium sized pot, rehydrate the mushrooms. Once soft, remove and boil pasta in the mushroom water.
5. Once the sauce is reduced, add the basil, parsley, thyme, heavy whipping cream, peas, and chopped mushrooms. Cook until peas are soft.
6. Remove the bay leaf. Combine the pasta with the vodka sauce. Serve with Parmesan to top.

* Note: You can use roma tomatoes instead of hothouse. Feel free to use whatever you like or for convenience, 2 large cans of whole peeled tomatoes can be used instead. For heavy whipping cream, I used Soyatoo. For vegan Parmesan, I used Galaxy Topping.

Spinach & Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo

This recipe was an accident. Not planned, just happened! I love it. It was very good and tasted a lot like real fettuccine alfredo which I miss dearly.


Spinach & Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo 

* Prep Time: 30 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 10 oz. each of dried porcini & dried chanterelle mushrooms, rehydrated, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk*
• 2-3 tbsp vegan butter*
• 1/2 lb. fettuccine pasta, cooked slightly under
• 1 cup spinach, cut chiffonade
• 7 oz. silken tofu
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/8 cup vegan Parmesan*
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped

* Recipe:

1. Soak the mushrooms in the milk for 30 minutes. Strain the mushrooms and reserve the milk. Slice the mushrooms thin.
2. Cook the pasta until slightly underdone. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
3. In a food processor, blend the tofu, milk, nutritional yeast flakes, and Parmesan.
4. In a medium pan on medium heat, melt butter with salt. Saute mushrooms and garlic until tender.
5. Add the spinach and basil to the pan until they are wilted.
6. Next, add the tofu mixture, parsley, and pasta water to the pan. Cook low until it starts to thicken.
7. Toss with fettuccine noodles.
8. Serve with cheezy garlic bread.

* Note: For non-dairy milk, I like almond milk. Feel free to use whatever you would like. For vegan butter, I prefer Earth Balance olive oil based. Lastly, for vegan Parmesan, I like Galaxy brand.

Chick'n Parmesan Sandwich

Someone requested I make a chick'n parmesan dish, so I made this! Feel free to put this over spaghetti (I just didn't have any or else I would have done that probably).

Chick'n Parmesan Sandwich


* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 2 Gardein Chick'n Scallopini*
• 4 Ener-G egg replacers (follow box instructions)*
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs*
  
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp vegan Parmesan*
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 6 1/4" slices vegan mozzarella
• 4 slices Italian bread, toasted

 * Recipe:

1. Place 2 tbsp of olive oil in a medium skillet. Turn on medium heat.
2. In a bowl, mixed the egg replacer ingredients together. Whisk until lumps are gone.
3. In another bowl, put the Italian bread crumbs and 2 tbsp vegan Parmesan. Mix well.
4. Dip the chick'n patties in the egg replacer making sure it is thoroughly covered. Dip into the Italian bread crumbs and cover completely. Repeat this process one more time.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
6. Place the breaded chick'n in the hot skillet and fry both sides until golden.
7. While the chick'n is frying, in yet another bowl combine the crushed tomatoes, oregano, rosemary, basil, thyme, black pepper, sea salt, remaining vegan Parmesan and garlic slices. Mix well.
8. At the bottom of a small Pyrex pan, add the remaining olive oil. Spread about 3 tbsp spoons of your tomato sauce over the top of the olive oil.
9. Place the chick'n patties in the pan, top with the remaining tomato sauce.
10. Finally, place the vegan mozzarella on the very top of the pan.
11. Bake for 20 minutes.
12. When done baking, serving as a sandwich with the Italian bread.

*  Note: Gardein is a great vegan brand that has these excellent Chick'n Scallopini's.If you haven't had this brand yet, you must! You can find it at many chain grocery's such as Jewel and Whole Foods. You can alternatively order it online. Ener-G is a type of egg replacer. It is my personal favorite. If you have another, please use that. A  lot of bread crumbs contain milk, so be sure to check! Lastly, for vegan Parmesan I used Galaxy brand.

Mac and Beer Cheese Soup

So, I post a lot of "vegan junk food" recipes on here mostly because I enjoy veganizing the impossible, so to speak. This leads me to believe I am not too self reflective of my personal diet on here! These recipes I post on Vegan Miss are mostly fun weekend projects. Now, because I feel I've done too much junk stuff in the recent past (with the exception of maybe my raw kale salad which I am truly obsessed with), I've committed myself to making a few salad posts coming soon. Be on the look out!


Mac and Beer Cheese Soup

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp soy butter*
• 1/3 small white onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 1/2 large stalk celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
• 1/4 cup vegan bacon, chopped*
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/3-1/2 cup lager*
• 1 1/3 cup elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 cup almond milk (+ 1/3 cup almond milk)*
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, mixed with the 1/3 cup almond milk until lumps gone
• 1 10 oz. roll of vegan melting cheddar cheese*
• vegan Parmesan, to top, optional*

* Recipe:

1. In a large pot on medium heat, let the butter melt. Add the onions and cook until they become translucent.
2. Next, add the carrots, celery, garlic, broccoli, bacon, salt, and pepper. Cook until the become soft.
3. Add the vegetable broth, beer, macaroni, milk, and flour mixture; stir. Cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Lastly, add the cheese and mix well. Simmer on low for five minutes. Top with vegan Parmesan if desired.

* Note: For soy butter, I used Earth Balance with olive oil (my personal favorite kind of their brand). For vegan bacon, I used Upton's Naturals vegan bacon. Alas, one can not buy it in stores. It is for food vendors only, though I get it through the Chicago Vegan Co-Op. One could use Lightlife brand instead. Make sure the lager is vegan on Barnivore. Of course, one could also just take out the beer all together if one wants. Almond milk is just what I happen to prefer. Use any sort of non-dairy milk you like. The melting cheddar cheese I used was Teese brand. I'm sure one could cook down Soy Kaas or even Follow Your Heart. Lastly, the optional Parmesan I would suggest is Galaxy topping.

Valentine's Day: Raw Kale Salad, Spaghetti & Heart-Shaped Meatballs, Tiramisu, & Caprese Martinis

Below are my recipes for a complete Valentine's Day meal. Romance your love with this tasty, cruelty-free dinner!

Raw Kale Salad

I love the raw kale salad at Whole Foods. I may, in fact, be obsessed with it. This is my recreation of it and it tasted just like it!

* Prep Time: 5 minutes
* Cook Time: 5 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1/2 bunch kale, washed, cut 
• 2 tbsp dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 1/2 medium tomato, diced, optional
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

* Recipe:

1. Divide the cut kale into two salad bowls.
2. Top each bowl with 1 tbsp cranberries and 1 tbsp pine nuts. Add half the tomatoes to each bowl (optional).
3. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
4. Add more olive oil or lemon juice to taste, if desired.
5. Top the salad with the dressing. Enjoy!

  
Spaghetti & Heart-Shaped Meatballs


* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients (for pasta sauce):

• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt, heavy pinch
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade
• 3 fresh medium tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup red wine*
• 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes with herbs
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• pepper, to taste

* Ingredients (for meatballs):

• 2 packages Upton's Naturals ground beef style seitan, crumbled*
• 1/3 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp vegan Parmesan*
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 "egg" Ener-G egg replacer (follow according to box directions)*
• 1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs*
• 1/4 cup olive oil, for frying, add more if needed

* Ingredients (for pasta):

• 6 oz. spaghetti, cooked by box instructions
• fresh Italian parsley, to top
• fresh basil, to top
• vegan Parmesan cheese, to top

* Recipe (for pasta sauce):

1. Sautee the onions and garlic in the olive oil and salt until the onions have sweat.
2. Add the diced fresh tomatoes, thyme, basil, and wine. Cook down until wine is reduced to half. This step may take about twenty minutes.
3. Lastly, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and pepper. Simmer for about ten minutes.

* Recipe (for meatballs):

1. Combine the first 11 ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan.
3. While the oil is heating, shape the meatballs into heart-shapes.
4. On a plate, add the bread crumbs. Roll the meatballs in the bread crumbs.
5. Cook in the skillet until golden brown.

* Recipe (for pasta):

1. To assemble, place cooked pasta on a plate. Top with the sauce and meatballs.
2. Add the parsley, basil, and Parmesan to the pasta plate. Buon appetito!

* Note: Make sure your red wine is vegan on Barnivore. I used Our Daily Red organic, vegan red wine. Upton's Naturals is a local Chicago seitan company. They sell their faux meats here in Chicagoland. You could use other seitan-style meat crumbles such as Boca Ground Crumbles,Gimme Lean Sausage by Lightlife, or Yves Meatless Ground Round Original. Vegan Parmesan brand I use is Galaxy topping. Ener-G is an egg replacer one can find in the baking area of health food stores. There are other means of egg replacing such as using apple sauce. For the bread crumbs, make sure to check they are vegan. Oftentimes, they will contain dairy. I used the Whole Foods brand, 365.

Tiramisu


* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients (for lady fingers):

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup white sugar*
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup almond milk*
• 2 tbsp soy butter, melted*
• 3 "egg" Ener-G egg replacer (follow box instructions)*
  

* Ingredients (for custard filling):

• 1 8 oz. container vegan cream cheese*
• 1/2 cup vegan sour cream*
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup amaretto
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp agave nectar*
• 2 tsp cornstarch (mixed with 2 tbsp water)

* Ingredients (for coffee mixture):

• 1/2 cup espresso*
• 1 1/2 tbsp Grand Mariner  

* Ingredients (for topping):

• cocoa powder, to dust
• powdered sugar, to dust
• shaved dark vegan chocolate, to top

* Recipe (for lady fingers):

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine wet ingredients in another small bowl.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Make sure no lumps are in the batter.
4. In an oiled medium baking dish, add the batter in a level fashion.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden and a toothpick can come out clean from the center of the cake.

* Recipe (for custard filling):

1. Combine all the ingredients except for the cornstarch mixture. Whisk together until no lumps are found.
2. In a small pot, add the custard mixture and heat on medium heat. When it starts to boil, add the cornstarch mixture.
3. Turn to low to medium heat and cook for about five minutes. It should look rather thick (rather than runny).
4. Set aside until needed for building process.

* Recipe (for coffee mixture):

1. Combine freshly made espresso with Grand Mariner.

* Recipe (for building):

1. Using a round cookie cutter (or a round form), cut out circles from the lady finger cake.
2. Dip each circle in the coffee mixture on both sides of the cake.
3. Place one circle on a plate. Top with the custard mixture.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 two more times.
5. Once done adding custard to the last cake piece, top the tiramisu with cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and shaved chocolate. 

* Note: Make sure all the sugar in this recipe is vegan. You can find marked vegan sugar at health food stores. I used almond milk, though feel free to use any non-dairy milk. For soy butter, I used Bestlife which I found at my local Jewel. Ener-G is an egg replacer one can find in the baking area of health food stores. There are other means of egg replacing such as using apple sauce. For vegan cream cheese, I used Follow Your Heart brand. The sour cream was Tofutti brand. Agave nectar is a natural sweetener used to replace honey. One can find it near the honey in the green/organic/natural section of your grocery. I have an espresso maker, so I just made my espresso for this. They do make powdered espresso that I'm sure you could add water to. It would be in the baking section of your grocer.

 Caprese Martinis


* Prep Time: 6-12 hours
* Cook Time: 20 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound tomatoes, sliced 1/4 in. thick
• 3/4 cup vodka
• kosher salt
• 8 grape tomatoes
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 bunch fresh basil
• 4 small vegan mozzarella balls*

* Recipe:

1. Put tomato slices in a large glass container or pitcher. Add the vodka (make sure it covers the tomatoes) and a pinch of salt. Let infuse for 6-12 hours at room temperature. Strain the vodka, then chill until ready to serve.
2. Meanwhile, prick the grape tomatoes with a skewer (or toothpick); toss with the balsamic vinegar in a bowl and marinate for 4 hours at room temperature.
3. Drain the grape tomatoes, reserving the vinegar. Bring the vinegar to a boil in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until syrupy, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
4. For each drink, drizzle some balsamic syrup into the bottom of a chilled martini glass. Muddle 2 to 3 basil leaves with a splash of tomato-infused vodka in a cocktail shaker. Add another 1 1/2 oz. tomato-infused vodka and 1 cup of ice; shake and strain into the glass. Skewer 2 marinated grape tomatoes, 2 basil leaves, and a mozzarella ball on a cocktail pick (or toothpick) and set in martini.

* Note: The caprese martini recipe was taken from Food Network Magazine March 2011 edition. To spare some time, one could just add squeezed tomatoes to the vodka instead of infusing. For the mozzarella balls, I used Soy Kaas as it is easy to form into a ball because of its texture.