The Smoothie Vegetarians

            When my friend Madison cooked me this mac and cheese for the first time, I was shocked at how delicious it tasted. It reminded me of that Velveeta mac and cheese because its so rich and creamy. She made it again for a pot luck we went to and EVERYONE (even the non-vegans) at the event was raving about it and saying it was the best mac and cheese they have had. I wanted to make it for my mom, aka the biggest cheese lover I know, and see if even she would like it. I asked Madison for the recipe, she sent it to me, and I was shocked! It was basically the easiest recipe I have ever seen. I would not even call it a “recipe”, just throwing some things in a pot. Long story short, I made it in like 15 minutes and even my mom loved it. So, I thought I should share it with everyone!             I know Daiya vegan cheese gets a bad reputation in the vegan community,...

Mushrooms are so wonderful because they have a great flavor on their own but still take on any seasonings and tastes you add to the recipe. Their chewy texture is almost meat-like and has been known to fool people. Our recipe for sticky mushrooms features crispy mushrooms and a really zesty sweet and sour sauce. Maybe zesty isn't the right word. It's not spicy but the flavors are really strong and a perfect blend of sweet brown sugar and sour red wine vinegar. And soy sauce is amazing in everything. 1/4 cup canola oil 2 1/2 cups mushrooms, chopped into chunks 1/4 cup cornstarch 1 tbs sesame oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 inch chunk fresh ginger, minced 2 tbs brown sugar 1 tbs red wine vinegar 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 tsp cornstarch 1 tsp water In a wok or large skillet, start heating up the oil. While that's going on, sprinkle a little water on your mushrooms to dampen them and mix in the 1/4 cup of cornstarch so that they are well coated. When the oil ...

I'm not much of a baker and I don't have the patience or precision for complicated recipes. That's my husband's domain. But this is one vegan cookie recipe that is fool-proof. You don't need a stand mixer and you can really whip up the whole batch using just a single bowl if you want. Including baking, you're looking at just 30 minutes of your time too.  Yes, I know they look scrumptious. You should make a batch right now.  These cookies are fairly low on sugar and you can adjust the "extras" to suit your own taste. We like dark chocolate chips but you can go with chopped nuts or shredded coconut if you want. I'll bet some chopped dried fruit would be nice too. You don't have to use precisely a 1/2 cup but if you add much more, the cookies won't hold together well. 2 1/2 cups whole rolled oats 3/4 cups flour* 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 cup non-dairy m...

There are a few options besides fast food that you have for during a flare or are too tired, when you're not up to cooking, or not up for cooking a lot. These are the tips I've figured out over the years: Meal prep, and cook in batches. At the beginning of your week, meal prep your food (or the middle, depending on your schedule, and whether you work or not). Or make a large batch of a dish, or a few dishes. Things like soup, chili, and pasta all keep and reheat well. There are practically endless options online, especially on apps/sites like pinterest . Plenty of other suggestions  here . It's really helpful for me to cook in large batches and have leftovers in the fridge or freezer to reheat. Your circumstances may be slightly different, and you may find it more desirable to cook smaller amounts more frequently. Just do whatever you prefer. Have items on hand to make food prep and storage easier. Such as food processor or mini-chopper; blender; rice cooke...

I am a huge fan of spicy food and people look at me like I’m crazy for putting sriracha sauce, salsa, and jalapenos on my food. I like to make a lot of spicy recipes like tacos and nachos because those are some of my of my favorite foods. If you do not want any of these recipes in a tortilla you can also change the recipe and use tortilla chips to make nachos, burritos, fajitas, or another dish instead. (photos by Danielle) I like to make several variations of each type of recipe so that each time I make a dish of the same type, it will be a bit different each time I prepare the recipe. Instead of using plain white tortillas, for this recipe, I used the Habanero Lime Tortillas from Trader Joe's to put a twist on the meal. (photos by Danielle) I topped these tortillas with Gardein’s Fishless Fillets after they were baked. Then, I put in all my other ingredients. In this photo, I used orange bell peppers, beets, some greens, jalapeno, and a spicy sauce. ...

I have a confession to make. Before my transition to veganism opened my eyes, I worked for a local pizzeria as a full-time delivery driver and part-time manager. It was such a fun job, and at first I didn’t see any negatives. My boyfriend, Gavin, would stay at home with our children, and I could drive around all day, smoking cigarettes and collecting money. Added bonus: as a franchise rule, I could make myself a free large pizza to take home if I worked an 8 hour (or more) shift. The house would remain a mess, but this meant free dinner 6 nights a week, and who doesn’t love pizza? Well, after a few years, I didn’t love pizza. I didn’t even like it. I couldn’t stand that I was directly involved in delivering meaty, cheesy, heavy dinners to families around my hometown. The world felt like it was crashing down on me, because I was promoting morals that I didn’t believe in, just for an easy way to make a quick buck. I couldn’t see that there were other ways to live at the time. Th...

Hi guys! Today I am going to share with you a brand spanking new recipe! The idea for this recipe hit me in the middle of the night. When I was growing up, one of my favorites was a chicken parmesan sandwich. Recently I have had a craving for something similar. I tried to find a cruelty free version, but I could not find one that was just right. What a better way to solve this problem than to create a recipe of my own! When I started creating this recipe, I wanted something that did not have super thick batter and that did not require me to have to buy a whole bunch of abnormal things. This recipe's ingredients are all things that I keep in my kitchen! The produce used in this can simply be grown in a garden. A few tips to help you make this recipe the best it can be! The first one is to make your own tomato sauce. If you are in a pinch or do not have much time it is easier to use store bought. I love the flavors that I can build up in a home made ...

Happy Tuesday everyone!! It's been a long week but I am so happy I am back to putting my recipes up. So today, I would like to do a spin on my famous cream of broccoli soup. I like making it for Thanksgiving, but it can be made at any time. So there are some things we will need to alter. So, for some odd reason, some recipes like to use chicken broth for their cream of broccoli soup. I have never used it for any reason in a cream of whatever soup I have made. Instead of butter, I used olive oil, and instead of heavy cream, I just use soy milk. I can't really taste much of a difference from this recipe compared to the original. Also, some will just throw the broccoli in with everything else and sometimes the cream of broccoli soup turns kind of brownish or a really gross green color. What I usually do is I blanch my broccoli first (put it in boiling water for 15-30 seconds) and then I instantly shock it (throwing it in an ice bath) to halt the cooking process. In this sense,...

Hello everyone! It's another wonderful day! What I have prepared today is eggplant parmesan. Which is wonderful just as a heads up. I am not a fan of eggplant, but I do enjoy it in this dish. There are minimum modifications to do to this recipe to make it vegan. So instead of using the typical egg wash for the recipe to bread the eggplant, we are going to use an almond milk mixture. And of course, vegan cheese for the recipe. Enjoy! -Maranda Ingredients 1 medium eggplant  1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1 cup panko bread crumbs  2 Tbsp vegan parmesan+ more for serving 1 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk 1 tsp cornstarch Pasta Marinara Sauce Directions: Slice eggplant into thin rounds slightly less than 1/2 inch thick, and sprinkle each side liberally with salt. Let rest for 15 minutes, then rinse and arrange on a clean absorbent kitchen towel. Top with another clean dish towel and lay a baking s...

Serving-3-4 Cups Ingredients - 2 cups raw/live oat groats -4 cups of pure water  Directions: -Soak 2 cups oat groats (raw/live) oats in 4 cups of pure water -fully immersed,  ( distilled, reverse osmosis, spring water )  for 8 – 12 hours. Rinsing every 2 hours where possible.  -After 12 hours, place all seeds ( some may start sprouting) on a flat surface to dry in the sun for  another 8-12 hours. -Collect dried/sprouted seeds and place in an airtight jar until ready to make flour. -Place dried seeds in a high-speed blender and blend for 2 minutes or until fully powdered. Increase ingredient for a larger yield.  -Store flour in an airtight container in the refrigerator. -Use in any raw recipe (or not raw) of your choice & enjoy! Jan P. López

Raw Blueberry Muffins. *From Jan's Raw Kitchen Kreations* As the summer comes to a close and people are looking to have more comfort raw vegan foods, I decided to share one of my 'no bake' recipes. Stay tuned for a live sprouted oat groat recipe coming soon! Ingredients 2- 3 Servings . 1.5 cups fresh blue berries chopped in halves. 0.5 cup homemade raw applesauce 1- 1.5 cups homemade raw oat groats 'flour' 1/4 cup overnight soaked walnut pieces. 0.5 Cup coconut water Directions : In a bowl mix all ingredients and knead until firm. Add more oat groats flour if needed Form into 1/4" balls and Spoon into a muffin tray Dehydrate for 8- 12 hrs at 115 F. Set at room temperature, serve and enjoy!  Jan P. López