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. 

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Quicky salad recipe!

Instagram Photo (User: veganmiss)

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: n/a
* Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz.) can cooked chickpeas, drained, rinsed
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 tbsp basil, chopped
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 tbsp sunflower seeds
• salt and pepper, to taste
• balsamic vinegar, to taste
• olive oil, to taste

* Recipe:

1. Combine all ingredients in bowl. Mix well. 

Grilled Mushroom, Onion, & Spinach Truffle Oil Flatbread Pizza and Cherry Tomato Salad

It has been a while since I have posted a recipe! There has been a lot of things happening in your blog doll's life over the last two months that have prevented her from cooking in a kitchen. Sorry for the long delay and there will be more recipes on the way!

Grilled Mushroom, Onion, & Spinach Truffle Oil Flatbread Pizza

* Prep Time: 1 hour
* Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
* Ingredients (for flatbread dough):

• 1 tsp sugar*
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• flour, for dusting

* Ingredients (for pizza topping):

• 8 (or more) cippolini onions, sliced
• 2 cups mushroom assortment (shiitake, button, cremini), sliced
• 2 cup fresh spinach
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 tbsp olive oil, for sauteing
• salt and pepper, to taste
• truffle oil, to top, drizzled

* Recipe (for flatbread dough):

1. Follow package instructions to activate yeast. You will use the sugar and part of the warm water in this step (1/4 cup water). Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. While yeast is activating, combine the flours and salt in a mixer or bowl. Mix well.
3. Add the olive oil, warm water, and yeast. Combine until dough climbs the bread hook.
4. Leave in bowl covered for 45 minutes to 1 hour to let dough rise. Once risen, punch it so it collapses.

* Recipe (for pizza topping):

1. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions. Once onions start to become translucent, add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper.
2. As the mushrooms begin to cook, add the spinach and basil (if using).
3. Once the leaves have wilted, turn off pan and set aside.
4. Heat a grill frying pan over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Dust a counter and your hands with flour. Roll out the dough on the counter and cut into four pieces. 
6. Roll out one piece of dough until a long flatbread shape is made.
7. Place on grill pan and cook until grill marks begin to appear. Flip and cook the other side. 
8. Top flatbread with pizza topping and drizzle sparingly with truffle oil (a little goes a long way).  
9. Repeat steps 6-8 with another piece of dough. 

* Note: Make sure your sugar is vegan!

This recipe will give you about half the dough leftover. I drizzled some olive oil in a freezer ziplock bag, dusted the dough, rolled the dough in the olive oil within the bag, and froze the leftover. If you want 4 pizzas, just double the topping recipe or you could cut the dough recipe in half as well.

Cherry Tomato Salad with Buttermilk Basil Dressing

* Prep Time: 20 minutes
* Cook Time: n/a
* Ingredients: 

• 3 cups cherry tomato assortment, halved
• 1/3 cup non-dairy milk*
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp vegan sour cream*
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Recipe:

1. Combine the milk and vinegar in a bowl and place in fridge for 10 minutes. This will let the milk curdle.
2. While the milk mixture is in the fridge, let the uncut red onion soak in an ice water bath. This will give the onion less of an abrasive taste when in the salad.
3. Combine the tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. 
4. Add the sour cream to the milk mixture and beat until all lumps are out. Combine with the tomato salad.

* Note: I used flax seed milk for non-dairy milk. Feel free to use whatever you prefer. The vegan sour cream I used was Tofutti.   

Baked Tomato with Tofu Spinach Basil Ricotta & Panko Topping

Before I begin, Vegan Miss is now on Instagram! Follow "veganmiss".

I had 3 organic tomatoes sitting in my fruit bowl and had been pondering what to make with them. Too much tomato in a salad isn't my taste and there were not enough to make a good sauce for pasta or lasagna. Then I thought, hey, why not core them and bake like a pepper? I used a ricotta filling that could be used in a vegan lasagna and topped with panko for a nice crunchy finish.

Baked Tomato with Tofu Spinach Basil Ricotta & Panko Topping

* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
* Ingredients (for filling):

• 1/2 block firm tofu (12 oz.), mashed
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp spinach, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp non-dairy milk*
• 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp vegan Parmesan*
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

* Ingredients (for topping):

• 1/3 cup panko crumbs
• 1 tsp fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper, to taste
• olive oil, to taste

* Ingredients (remaining):

• 3 or 4 medium tomatoes
• olive oil, to top
• vegan Parmesan, to top
• salt, to top

 * Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mash the tofu and add the rest of the filling ingredients. Mix well.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine the topping ingredients. Add enough olive oil just to make the crumbs stick. 
4. Cut the top of each tomato and take out the core. Add the filling to the tomatoes then top with the panko mixture.
5. Place tomatoes on a small baking dish. Also place the tomato tops in the dish, but not on top of the stuffed tomatoes yet. Drizzle everything with a bit of olive oil.
6. Put in oven and let bake for about 5-10 minutes until you notice the panko starting to brown. Remove from oven and using a fork, add the tomato tops back to the tomatoes covering the panko. Return to the oven and let bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the tomatoes seem soft and baked.
7. Top the baked tomatoes with vegan Parmesan and salt. 

Instagram photo

* Note: For non-dairy milk I used almond milk. Feel free to use whatever you like. The vegan Parmesan is optional but I enjoy it which is why it is in this recipe. I used Galaxy topping.

Vegetable Miso Soup (with Kabocha)

In my organic produce box, I received a kabocha squash. Kabocha is one of my favorite vegetables and Japanese cuisine is my favorite type of cooking. Usually, you see kabocha made as tempura or simmered lightly with sauce. The tempura kabocha is then sometimes made as a sushi roll too. I haven't really seen it prepared other ways and one squash makes a lot of food. I decided to use it two ways, but I still have half a squash left over! I may just simmer it or make tempura after all. This soup is really great on a cold day. It is very healthy and simple to make as well.


Vegetable Miso Soup (with Kabocha)

* Prep Time: 20 minutes
* Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 2-3 strips kombu*
• 2 cups kabocha, seeds removed, skinned, cubed
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 medium daikon radish, quartered round
• 1 medium carrot, quartered round
• 1 lotus root, quartered round*
• 1/3 cup wakame, roughly chopped*
• 1 cup spinach, stems removed*
• 4 tbsp white miso paste
• 1/3 cup green onions, sliced

* Recipe:

1. Soak kombu in 8 cups of water within a large pot for one hour. Remove kombu when done soaking. This is your dashi or Japanese soup base.
2. Heat water over medium heat. Add kabocha, onion, ginger, daikon, carrot, and lotus root. Cook until vegetables become tender, about 20-30 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, combine the miso with about 1/3 cup of the soup stock. Mix well to remove clumps. Add to the vegetable soup.
4. Add the remaining ingredients: wakame, spinach, and green onions. Cook for another 5-10 minutes.

* Note: Kombu is a type of seaweed used for dashi. You can find it at many health food stores or at any Asian grocery. Seaweed contains B12 that vegetarians and vegans must supplement as it is found basically only in animal products. So, wakame and kombu are good for you! But, do take a daily supplement of B12 along with your seaweed. I used a fresh lotus root, but feel free to buy a frozen bag instead. Wakame is another type of seaweed. Lastly, if your daikon radish has a lot of good looking greens on the tops, use those instead of spinach. If it doesn't, try spinach or any other dark leafy green like kale or turnip greens.

Just some quick photos above of some of the holiday presents I made. The goodies are raspberry jam shortbread cookies, earl grey tea shortbread cookies, chocolate espresso oatmeal cookies, and cream cheese brownies. The recipes were taken from Vegan Cookies Invade Your  Cookie Jar. I also made a pumpkin pecan raisin bread that isn't shown from Vegan Holiday Kitchen. The other photo has the card I got from one of my favorite card stock websites, Fenderskirts Vintage. The other card I made through Shutterfly with a picture of my two blind rescue cats, Lucy (left) and Popeye (right). The canned items are all made homemade by me. They are pear vanilla bean jam, roasted macadamia nuts with fresh organic herbs, a soy candle in an antique teacup, giardiniera, and pickles.

Italian Wedding Soup

I do miss Italian wedding soup a lot. This was pretty taste. I would recommend using the Galaxy brand Parmesan if you can find it. I tried three Whole Foods, but couldn't find anything so I settled for Parm which I do not particularly care for. It has too much of nutty taste for me. The floating bits in the pictures are from the Parm. Apparently that's what happens to it when added to liquids. There is also couscous at the bottom of the soup too which you can not see in the pictures. Some people prefer spiral pasta noodles, though, so pick whichever strikes your fancy! 

Italian Wedding Soup

* Prep Time: 15 minutes
* Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
* Ingredients (for meatballs):

• 1 package (8 oz.) Italian style seitan, finely chopped*
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup vegan Parmesan*
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 "eggs", made as directed by box instructions*
• 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs*
• 1 tbsp olive oil

* Ingredients (for soup base):

• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 2 tbsp vegan Parmesan
• pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup white wine*
• 1/2 cup couscous
• 2 tbsp olive oil

* Recipe (for meatballs):

1. Mix all the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Form into small to medium shaped balls.

* Recipe (for soup):

1. Over medium heat in a pot, add the olive oil. Brown each side of the meatballs for about 10 minutes.
2. Remove the meatballs and set aside.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for another 20-30 minutes.
4. When done cooking, place some broth in a bowl and add several meatballs.

* Note: For my seitan needs, I swear by local seitan gods, Upton's Naturals. You can find it online at vegan stores. You could use other seitan-style meat crumbles such as Boca Ground Crumbles,Gimme Lean Sausage by Lightlife, or Yves Meatless Ground Round Original. For ease, one could just use frozen vegan meatballs too such as Nate's. For vegan Parmesan, I recommend Galaxy brand. I basically only use Ener-G for egg replacement purposes. Make sure your breadcrumbs are vegan as they often have dairy in them! I use Whole Foods brand. Make sure your alcohol is vegan.

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.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

I have to say, this dip is addictive. It was SO good!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

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

• 2 oz. vegan Parmesan cheese*
• 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 jar (14 oz.) plain artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2/3 cup vegan sour cream*
• 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise*
• 1 cup vegan cream cheese*
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup vegan mozzarella cheese, shredded*

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* Recipe:

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees.
2. Combine all the ingredients except the last in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Put the mixture into two ramekins.
4. Bake the dip for 20 minutes.
5. While it is baking, add shred the vegan mozzarella cheese.
6. Take the ramekins out of the oven and top each with the shredded cheese.
7. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until cheese has melted or turned a golden brown color. 

* Note: For vegan Parmesan, I used Galaxy topping. The sour cream I used was Tofutti. Mayonnaise was Vegenaise. The cream cheese and mozzarella were Follow Your Heart.