Baked Potato and (Vegan) Cheese

This is my go-to vegan "cheddar cheese" sauce. I usually use it as a chip dip but after I brought a sample to my friend Rick and he used it on his baked potatoes, I knew I had do the same. Thanks for the great idea Rick!

Serves 6
1 hour+

6 Russet potatoes, sliced Hasselback style

Cheese sauce
2 cups Raw cashews, soaked at least 2 hours
1 cup Vegetable broth
3 Tbsp White miso (yellow will do)
6 Garlic cloves
1/3 cup Nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice your potato into quarter inch slices, slicing only 3/4 the way down the potato. Line cookie sheet with foil, place potatoes on sheet, drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 1 hour.
2. Throw all your "cheese" ingredients into food processor and process till smooth. Adjust flavors if needed. Prep any other toppings you may be using.
3. Sit and stare at the oven till the potatoes are ready.
4. When potatoes are done, top and serve.

Suggested toppings: vegan butter, broccoli, bac-o bits, chives, vegan chili, jalapenos, this list could go forever.

Original cheese recipe from thePPK

Tart Skillet Apples

God I love skillet apples! I put a lil' twist on these

Serves 4-6
20 minutes

6 Granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
2 Tbsp Vegan butter
1 Lime
1/3 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Arrow root

1. Melt butter in large skillet, add apples and squeeze the content of your lime over the top. Cook 5 minutes, stir occasionally.
2. Mix all your dry ingredients in a separate bowl, add to skillet. Cook another 5 minutes or so, don't let ya apples get mushy.
3. I garnished mine with lime zest. Serve on their own, over quinoa, or vegan ice cream. The possibilities are eeeeendlessssss!

Ginger Garlic Green Beans

This is so simple and so delicious! I throw it on the side of many-a-Asian dish for some extra veggies.

Serves 4
20 mintues

1 lb Green beans, trimmed
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp Tamari
1 Tbsp Ginger, minced
2 tsp Unseasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp Sunflower oil (or vegetable)
1/2 tsp Sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp Sesame seeds, toasted

1. After your green beans are trimmed, steam** them for about 7-10 minutes, the should still have some crunch to em'
2. Mean while mix the rest of your ingredients in a large bowl. When your beans are done, add them to the bowl, toss, serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top. Done!

** Here's a tip I shared in an earlier post about steaming without a steamer

Original recipe from Epicurious

Cha Cha Cha Mushrooms

My co-workers and I stopped into Cha Cha Cha a few weeks back, having very few vegan options I stuck to my veggies. Normally I'm not the biggest mushroom fan but if you try and steal one of these mushrooms from me, you'll find a fork in your hand. 

Serves 4
20 minutes

4 Tbsp olive oil
18 to 22 white mushrooms
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp Basil, dried
1/2 tsp Thyme, dried
1/2 tsp Oregano, dried
2 Scallions, finely chopped, white part only
1/4 tsp Red pepper flakes
1/2 cup Dry sherry
4 Tbsp Vegan butter, in pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. If you have large mushrooms, quarter them. Have all your spices ready to go. Heat olive oil on medium-high heat, throw in your mushrooms, cook 2 minutes continuously stirring. Add herbs, garlic, scallions, pepper flakes, cook 2 minutes.
2. Add sherry, cook till reduced to half. Stir in butter one tablespoon at a time. Add salt and pepper as needed and serve immediately.

Original recipe from Up Your Flavor

Minted Brussels Sprouts

Growing up my sis and I protested Brussels sprouts through and through. Apparently my dad hated them as well but, my mother told him to act as though he liked them to set a good example. So, just to make this clear; three of the four people eating Brussels sprouts loathed them, yet apparently that was not enough to stop my mother from continuing to cook them for us. My father still complains about all the Brussels sprouts he had to eat but the brainwashing worked on me and now I'm a fan.

Serves 2
25 minutes

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, cut off the stems and halve em'
Olive oil
2 Tbsp Rice vinegar
1 Tbsp Tamari sauce
1 Tbsp Fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup Fresh mint, chopped
1 Garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp Red chilli flakes

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat up oil in a saute pan, saute sprouts till edges are golden and a lil' crispy; about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer sprouts to oven safe dish (if your pan is oven safe just keep em' in there), bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the rest of your ingredients in a large bowl.
3. When sprouts are done, add them to your large bowl, toss and serve.

Corn Pudding

If you remember from an earlier post I have been on the look out for a vegan corn souffle recipe. I knew souffle would be impossible so I found something very comparable: Corn Pudding. I know what you're envisioning in your mind: jiggly, gelatinous, off white colored mush speckled with corn. But you have to give corn pudding a break, it comes from the South and the South isn't very talented when it comes to naming foods (i.e. grits, hush puppies, jambalaya, swamp cabbage) but they are talented cooks.

Serves 2-4
1 hour 10 minutes

3 cups Canned corn, drained
1/4 cup Almond milk (or soy)
1 Tbsp Vegan butter, melted
1 Tbsp Arrowroot starch
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Gluten-free corn meal (or All-purpose Gluten-free flour)
2 tsp Baking powder
1 Tbsp Fresh rosemary, diced
1/4 tsp Salt (optional)
Pepper to taste

1. Mix milk with arrowroot starch. Throw 1 cup of corn in your food processor along with your arrowroot mixture. Processes well.
2. Throw in the rest of your ingredients EXCEPT your remaining corn. Process. Now you can add the rest of your corn. Process for just a little bit, you want some kernels intact so it has a nice consistency and people remember that it's corn they're eating, not baby food.
3. Spray small baking pan with canola oil spray. Pour mixture into said pan. Put your pan in the oven and turn it on to 350 degrees. Bake for 1 hour.

Maple Glazed Carrots

I was makin' this recipe even before I was vegan. That means it MUST be good.
Now for some fun carrot facts:
+ Carrots contain more Vitamin A than any other vegetable.
+ Orange carrots were cross bred from yellow and red carrots in the 16th century.
+ Carrots were the first vegetable to be canned commercially.

Serves 4
30 minutes

2 pounds Carrots, cut diagonally 1/4 inch thick
6 Tbsp Vegan butter, split into two parts
2 Tbsp Brown sugar, split into two parts
3 Tbsp Real Maple syrup
1/2 cup Fresh Orange juice (or juice of one orange)
1 tsp Fresh ginger, minced
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup Fresh parsley, chopped

1. In a large pot add two cups water, carrots, 3 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Drain.
2. In the same, empty, pot melt the rest of your butter. Add maple syrup, orange juice, ginger and the rest of your brown sugar. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots, salt and pepper to taste. Cook an additional 5 minutes.
3. Ladle carrots with a slotted spoon into your serving dish, cover them and set aside. Simmer remaining liquid for 5-10 minutes to thicken. Pour over carrots, add parsley, mix and serve.

Kerala Spiced Peas

If you live in San Francisco you know about Mission Chinese Food. If you live in New York, one just opened there, be sure to check it out. If you are unable to access a Mission Chinese Food, I'm sorry. The good news is, this recipe reminds me A LOT of one of their dishes on the SF menu. Enjoy.

Serves 6
15 minutes

2 Tbsp Vegan butter
2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Ground coriander
1/2 tsp Ground cardamom
2 Serrano peppers (or 1 Thai chili), minched
1 Yellow onion, sliced
1 Pound bag frozen petite peas (they're sweeter than regular peas)
2 Tbsp ginger, minced
3-4 Garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp Salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Heat butter in a saute pan. When butter is hot add cumin and mustard seeds for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add coriander, cardamom, peppers and onion. Cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add peas, ginger, garlic and salt. Heat peas through. Add lemon juice, stir and serve.

Somewhere Danny Bowien is turning up his nose at me.

Original recipe from The Kitchn

Green Bean Casserole

This was always a favorite growing up and one of my first challenges after going vegan. In my search for a solution I found one of my favorite (and now revitalized) sites: VeganYumYum. I was very proud to serve this to my boyfriend when we first met but he quickly protested the gravy with the simple statement: I hate mushrooms. I, of course, took this as a personal challenge. As always, I've added my own changes to the recipe and listed the original below.

Serves 4
20 minutes

1 lb Fresh Green Beans
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cups Mushrooms
2 Ribs Celery, diced
4 Tbsp Earth Balance Margarine
4 Tbsp King Aurthur's Gluten-Fee Flour
1 to 1 1/2 Cups Almond Milk
Salt to taste
1 tsp Thyme
1/4 Crushed Red Peppers
1/8  Liquid Smoke
S*#! ton Black Pepper (probably 1/2 tsp)
Walnuts for garnish, roughly chopped

1.Start your steaming mechanism. I throw the mushrooms in a food processor for a more smooth gravy texture. Heat up the EVOO in a skillet and saute mushrooms, celery and a pinch of salt for a hot minute, than remove to a bowl on the side.
2. Start steaming your green beans.
3. Meanwhile; melt "butter" in the same skillet, then add "flour" and whisk. Slowly add "milk", whisking all the way. When milk is all in, add your spices.
4. Add mushroom/celery combo. Add more milk as/if needed.
5. Assemble: green beans down first, dollop of gravy, throw them walnuts on top.

The boyfriend completely approves of the newest version btw.

Original recipe from VeganYumYum 
My Asshole Diet

Mashed Cauliflower

This being my 3rd year as a vegan, I'm still getting used to vegan holiday meals. About this time of year I start warming up with ideas of what to cook. I was having a conversation with a fellow A Hole dieter who suggested this recipe (for the record Katherine couldn't be any more far removed from an A Hole,... besides her diet). I feel like mashed potatoes are so personal, there are so many different ways you can make them: truffle oil, spicy, "cheese & bacon", Italian spiced, wasabi, etc. This is just your jumping point.

Serves 2-4
25 minutes

1 Head of cauliflower, roughly chopped
3 Garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp Earth Balance "butter"
2 Tbsp Almond milk
Salt & pepper to taste
Chives for garnish

1. Steam cauliflower till you can easily slice through it with a spoon. Throw it in a food processor for a quick smooth mashing (or mixer, or labor intensive with a masher)
2. Mix all, minus the chives
3. Devour.
My Asshole Diet