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. 

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.

Mummy Pizzas

This idea was stolen from Marla over at the Vegan Feminist Agitator (who also runs Chicago VeganMania [free vegan festival] which everyone in Chicagoland should go to on November 5th, 10-5pm, Pulaski Park Fieldhouse). She tagged me in a photo of the mummy pizzas she made last year as I love me some cute looking vegan food. I decided to recreate them for a kid-friendly Halloween post. They're very simple, yet tasty, to make! The serving here is just for one English muffin (which makes two mummy pizzas). Replicate the instructions per English muffin to make more.

Mummy Pizzas

 * Prep Time: 5 minutes
* Cook Time: 10-15 minutes 
* Ingredients:

• 1 English muffin, split in half
• 6 tsp pasta sauce
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• 8-10 thin slices vegan mozzarella*
• 1 Kalamata olive, sliced

* Recipe:

1. Spread 3 tsp of pasta sauce over each inside part of the English muffin. Add half the Italian seasoning on each and evenly spread.
2. Layer the vegan mozzarella in "mummy-like" fashion. Leave spots peaking out where one can see the pasta sauce.
3. For "eyes", use sliced Kalamata olives.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees, then broil on high for another 30-60 seconds to get the cheese to melt thoroughly.

* Note: For vegan mozzarella, I used Follow Your Heart because it is in a block shape and it was easiest to make strips for "mummy wrapping". If your kids don't like olives, one could get some vegan pepperoni and cut holes in the middle of the slices for eyes.

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.

English Muffin Pizzas

One of the Vegan Miss Facebook fans asked me to post a kid-friendly healthier recipe. This is pretty basic, but replacing pizza dough with English muffins is a nice health switch-a-roo. I used whole wheat muffins to up the health factor ante. To make it more adult-like, one could replace the pasta sauce for vegan pesto or an exotic oil (porcini mushroom oil with added spices is divine). 

English Muffin Pizzas

* Prep Time: 5 minutes
* Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 8 tbsp pasta sauce*
• 4 tbsp Daiya mozzarella cheese* 
• 2 tbsp vegan Parmesan*
• 2 English muffins, split in half

* Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put two tablespoons of pasta sauce on each piece of English muffin.
3. Top with half a tablespoon of Parmesan on each piece of English muffin and then one tablespoon Daiya.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the Daiya is golden brown.

* Note: I used organic mushroom pasta sauce. Pick whatever you fancy in a sauce! Daiya is found in most health food stores nowadays. For vegan Parmesan, I prefer Galaxy brand. Make sure your English muffins are vegan! 

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.

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.