a collection of vegan recipes

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cheesy pasta

Drunken pasta. Best. And so easy to make!


Serves one drunken vegan.

1/2 bag shirataki spaghetti noodles
3 chanterelle mushrooms
3 tbsp roasted tomato paste
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup broccoli florets
1 tbsp tamari soy sauce
4 drops liquid smoke
1/2 tsp kelp
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Heat the chanterelles on a pan with soy sauce; add the remaining ingredients and heat through. Serve with ketchup (nom) and attempt to sober up ;)

vegan eggnog cupcakes with dandies and spiced chai frosting!

Diet failed. Time for some cupcakes instead! (Who cares about being healthy in the holidays anyway?) I decided to spent my whole afternoon baking, and made a crust as well as a frosting for these cupcakes, although I'm sure that either are omittable!


Serves 12

the cupcakes:
1 cup Almond Noel nog (or any vegan eggnog)
1/2 cup rum (+more to drink with leftover eggnog whilst baking)
1/4 cup oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups spelt flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
dandies (vegan marshmallows)

the crust:
3/4 cup nuts (pecans, cashews, walnuts, almonds)
1/4 cup soaked dates
1 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp honey/agave (if needed; or additional molasses)
pinch of nutmeg, cardamom, cloves
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
coconut flakes (optional)
1/4 cup candied ginger (optional but recommended)

the frosting:
1/4 cup Earth Balance buttery spread
2 tbsp eggnog
1 tbsp rum
pinch of nutmeg
2 1/2 cups icing sugar (or more, if needed)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup powdered chai tea


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In your food processor, grind the nuts, then add the remaining crust ingredients and process until it is like a paste. Push 1 or 2 tbsps of the "crust" into lined mini-muffin tins.
Combine first 4 ingredients of the muffins in a small bowl, and combine the others in a large bowl. Whisk the wet into the dry (the mixture will be fairly runny), and add coconut flakes if desired. Spoon a little less than 1/4 cup measures of the mixture into lined muffin tins; add one marshmallow (or more) to each cupcake and cover with remaining mixture. Bake for approx. 15 minutes, until the cupcakes spring back at the touch and a toothpick comes out clean when they are poked. Be careful not to overbake; the crust may burn slightly (though it will not necessarily taste bad, it will be very hard).
Meanwhile, prepare the frosting by combining all the icing ingredients in a blender, food processor, or electric whisk. 
When the cupcakes are cooled, use a toothpick to claw little wormholes through their middles and spoon the frosting into them, as well as glazing the muffin tops. Next, if you still have cupcakes left ( and haven't eaten them all up in the process like I did), eat 'em up!

Note: Recipe can also be made into an "eggnog pie". Simply spoon the crust, muffin, and frosting batters into a pie pan instead. in the same order as above. (Being ambitious as I am, I made both cupcakes and a pie! Deeeelish)

pre-cleanse

I need to reconnect with my body. I've been feeling detached.
With the stress of finals and long hours of studying, I need to start feeding my body good food and good energy as opposed to the vegan muffins, cookies, and rice krispie bars I've been stuffing myself with every day. Yep. I go to a lovely, cozy coffee shop to study every time exam period starts. The only problem? Their delicious vegan goodies. The first few days of going there I just get myself the usual tea. Then, I start up the habit of a muffin a day. A few days later? You guessed it, I've added on a peanut butter stuffed chocolate chip cookies for good measure. Not to mention, a few days ago, I began to add their yummy matcha rice krispie squares to the tally as well. 
When I'm studying, I eat to distract myself. I eat for comfort, and I eat because I convince myself that my brain will work better if I reward myself. But these rewards -- continuing daily for the past 2 weeks -- are costing me my health, energy, and mood. Squeezing in a light workout at the gym a few times a week won't cut it, and otherwise, I've hardly moved my arse an inch, to say the least. It's time for a change.

nutty coconut broccolini and sprouts-fry


Delicious vegan 5-minute dinner! Can be low-calorie (substitutions below).

Serves one generously

1 tbsp peanut oil, or water
3 tbsp chopped onion
1 tsp miso paste
1 tbsp crunchy peanut/almond butter
2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
1/8 cup light coconut milk, or other milk
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 1/2 cups broccolini

optional:
garlic powder
nutritional yeast
red pepper flakes
black pepper
kelp granules

Heat the onion in a pan until transparent, either in oil or water. Add miso paste, milk, and nut butter; next, throw in sprouts and broccolini, drizzling them with soy sauce and additional toppings. Heat through and devour!

per serving:
430 kcal (calculated using oil, nut butter, and coconut milk)
311 kcal (calculated using water, nut butter, and coconut milk)

252 kcal (calculated using water, nut butter, and unsweetened almond milk)
Remove an extra 100 calories if excluding the nut butter; I can't vouch for the authenticity of taste when these substitutions are made!

crunchy cauliflower and brussel sprout "chips"


This snack is super easy to make, and a great low-calorie, healthy alternative to chips or fries!

Serves 2

1 small head cauliflower (or broccoli works too, but bakes faster-- watch the tree-tops so they don't sizzle into charcoal!)
30 brussel sprouts
oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break the cauliflower up into little heads, and halve the brussel sprouts. Spray lightly with cooking oil and stick in the oven for ~ half an hour. Keep checking regularly for desired crunchiness.
I like to eat 'em up with a mixture of ketchup, dijon, tamari, tabasco and liquid smoke.

156 kcal per serving, oil and sauce not included