This is quick, easy, and yummy. It is also one of my go-to dishes for the midnight munchies because it is so simple and healthy. :-)

Baked Mac n Cheeze (can be gluten and soy free)

1 box pasta of choice (I used tri color quinoa pasta)
1 can of peas (optional, or you can also use frozen)
2 to 3 T. of vegan bread crumbs
2 cups of non-dairy milk (I used almond milk, but any non-dairy milk will do)
1 T. Soy sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos (sub balsamic vinegar if you want a soy-free version)
3 T. nutritional yeast
2 to 3 T. flour of choice (I used rice flour)
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. cumin (or more, to taste)
1 t. turmeric (you could sub yellow or spicy mustard for this, too)
1 T. Italian herbs
Black pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, whisk all sauce ingredients (non-dairy milk through salt) in a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue to whisk until sauce thickens. If sauce is too thin, slowly whisk in a little more flour/nutritional yeast.

Preheat your oven to 375.

Once pasta has finished cooking, drain and pour it in a baking dish. Add the peas, if using them, and pour the sauce in the dish, mixing well to make sure the pasta is coated. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until top is slightly crispy. Serve immediately. This also reheats well (I like to bring leftovers… if there are any…. for lunch). :-)

The Rehoboth Beach VegFest is only a week away! www.rehobothvegfest.org

I was craving something hearty and warm, but I didn’t have many options in my pantry. I did have some silken tofu and some whole wheat penne, so I decided to try making an “alfredo” sauce with it. It turned out awesome and really delicious, so I gotta share! :-)

Pasta with Vegan Alfredo Sauce

1 box pasta of choice (I used whole wheat penne)
2 cups fresh/frozen broccoli or veggies of choice
16 oz. silken tofu
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic
2 T. dried Italian herbs (I used Bragg 24 herbs and spices seasoning)
1 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta has 5 minutes of boiling time remaining, add fresh or frozen veggies and allow to boil with the pasta. Drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, combine all ingredients from silken tofu to water in a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Taste, and adjust garlic/herbs if desired and add salt and pepper to taste. If you find the sauce to be too thick, you can add a little more water. But don’t add too much, or it will thin out the flavors!

Transfer sauce to a medium sized saucepan and warm it up over medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes. If you think the sauce is too thin (it shouldn’t be) whisk in a little more yeast. Once sauce is heated through, toss with pasta/veggies and serve. Yum!

This is probably my favorite Lebanese dish. It’s so simple, but it is delicious!

Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce

1 head of cauliflower, destemmed, cut, and washed
2 cups water
Pita bread of choice

For the tahini sauce:
2 T. tahini (sesame paste)
1 clove garlic
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. water

Put the cauliflower in a large pot with 2 cups of water. Cover, and allow to boil/steam over medium high heat for 15 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 400. Once cauliflower is finished boiling, using a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes, then switch oven to broil and broil on high for 15 minutes or until cauliflower is lightly browned on top.

Meanwhile, make your tahini sauce. Mash the garlic in a bowl or shallow dish with a pestle (or use the bottom of a glass to mash it in a plastic bowl). Add the tahini to the garlic and with a fork, whisk in one tablespoon of water until the tahini is white and smooth. Slowly add the second tablespoon of water and whisk it in. Finally, add the lemon juice and whisk in until smooth. Taste, and adjust lemon if desired. If sauce is too watery, mix in a bit more tahini.

Once cauliflower is finished roasting, serve with pita bread and tahini sauce. Use small pieces of the bread to hold the cauliflower, dip in the tahini, and enjoy!

We had a Fat Tuesday potluck at work and I figured a big crockpot of chili would be a fairly simple dish to make. I wasn’t totally wrong, but it was my first time cooking with dried beans, so it took a little bit of trial and error. But, it turned out great and I hardly had any leftovers remaining from my huge pot. One coworker even took some home with her. Winning! :-) Waking up to the delicious smell of cumin and spices is pretty winning, too. Yum!

Using dried beans might take a bit more planning and time, but they are much cheaper than canned beans and they produce less waste. Plus, soaking the beans for 8-12 hours helps to remove the gaseous starches. My work mom told me that you can add half a teaspoon of baking soda to the soaking water, which will also help to remove the starches. I will give that a shot next time!

8 Bean Crockpot Chili 

3 cups of dried beans – soaked for 8-12 hrs, then rinsed (*Note: I used cannellini beans, Dominican red beans, small red beans, kidney beans, pink beans, Roman beans, pinto beans, and white beans – but you can use whatever beans you want, and it doesn’t have to be 8 different kinds – it’s just what I had on hand!)
5 cups of water + 1 veg bullion  or 5 cups of veg stock (or enough water/stock to cover the beans)
1 large onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, diced
1-2 garlic cloves, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (or more than one, depending on desired spice level)
1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
2 T. cumin
1 T. garlic powder
1-2 T. chili powder (depending on desired spice level)
1 T. oregano
1 T. black pepper, or to taste
1 T. salt or garlic salt, or to taste
2 bell peppers, diced (I used one green and one yellow)
1 15 oz can of corn (optional)

Combine beans through salt (except for one of the diced tomatoes) in a crockpot and set to high for 1 to 2 hours. Reduce heat to low and allow to cook overnight (or all day, depending on when you want to eat your chili!).

Add the diced peppers, the 3rd diced tomato, the can of corn, and adjust seasonings as desired and continue to cook on low for 1-2 hours.

**Another Note: If your chili is too watery, uncover and cook on high for about 1 hour, or until some of the liquid has evaporated and consistency is to your liking.

I took this picture at The Mulholland Ridge Open Space located in Moraga/Orinda, California. It’s a breathtaking area and a great place for reflecting and being near nature.

Gandhi’s words of wisdom ring so true.

Namasté!

When I was visiting my aunt in California, I had the opportunity to experience some of the best eats around. One of my favorites was The Plum Cafe in Sacramento. I had their sweet potato and avocado panini – delicious!

I had some roasted butternut squash on hand, so I decided to do a play on that. It turned out amazing (and it’s really simple, too).

Roasted Butternut Squash and Avocado Panini

4 slices bread of choice (I used organic multigrain)
1/2 a butternut squash, roasted [to roast, rub some maple syrup and cinnamon on the squash's flesh - I use my fingers - then roast it, flesh side down on parchment paper, in the oven at 350 for 45 min to 1 hr]
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 a small red onion
1 cup arugula
1/2 cup hummus
1 T. smoked seasoning (optional – I used Trader Joe’s African Smoke seasoning *You could also use smoked paprika, but this is what I had on hand)
1 t. chili powder

Mix the hummus with the chili powder and smoked seasoning and set aside. Layer your sandwiches, starting with one slice of bread each, then slices of the roasted squash, the avocado slices, the red onion slices, and the arugula. Spread the hummus mixture on the “topper” slice of bread and press each sandwich in a panini maker. If you don’t have a panini maker, you can also press them in a pan over medium heat and use something heavy, like a glass/ceramic plate, to press the sandwich into the pan. Flip, then do the same on the other side, until the bread is nice and toasty. (You may need to use a little oil or spray oil if you are not using a nonstick pan.)
Cut in half, and enjoy. :-)

*Note: You can roast the entire butternut squash and refrigerate it to use for more paninis. It will save some time when you want to make these again (because, trust me, you will want to make them again!)

I was walking my Nina this evening and the stinging cold was so unbearable, I wanted to cry. I hate wintertime. But I do love soups and decided that would be the perfect thing to warm me up and put the feeling back in my fingers.

Creamy Butternut Squash, Kale, and Pinto Bean Soup

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small butternut squash, cubed
2 t. cumin
1 15.5 oz. can of pinto beans
3 cups of kale, shredded and destemmed
5 cups of water
1 6oz. can of tomato paste
2 veggie bouillons
1/3 cup of raw cashews, soaked for 1 hour or more + 1/2 cup water + I minced clove of garlic (optional- if you want the soup creamy)
1 T. ground pepper
Dash of garlic salt

Heat about 2 T. of water in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until fragrant and onion is translucent. Add the squash and cumin and allow to sauté with the onion and garlic for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water, tomato paste, pinto beans, and veggie bouillons and stir well, until bouillons are dissolved. Cover and let cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer. Add the kale at this time and allow it to simmer in the soup.

(Note: If you don’t want a creamy soup, you can skip this step and just simmer- it is still really yummy!) In the meantime, make the cashew cream by blending the cashews and water in a food processor. Once it’s creamy, add the diced clove of garlic and blend well then add this, the black pepper, and dash of garlic salt to the simmering soup and cook for another 15-20 minutes. (The longer the soup simmers, the more flavor it will have… But it is still really good by this point.) :-)

The co-op I go to has a really yummy no-egg salad that they sell in their prepared foods section. I had some tofu I needed to use and I had the right ingredients, so I experimented with my own version. It’s delicious. (And my taste testers think it’s even better than the co-op’s) ;-)

Simple No-egg Salad

1/2 a block of tofu (about 8 oz.)
1 T. plain hummus
1 t. white vinegar
juice of 1/4 lemon
1/4 t. black salt
2 t. yellow mustard
2 t. dried dill
1 t. ground black pepper
A pinch of garlic salt (optional)

Combine all ingredients and mash with a fork until mixed well. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Serve with pita chips, crackers, cucumber slices or other veggies… (or make a sammie).

*I know black salt isn’t a common pantry ingredient. (You can find it online.) I think you could get away with making this recipe without it, though. Just fyi :-)