Plant Based U

Fat-Free and Low Fat Vegan Plant Based Recipes

Dinner

Vegan Soy Veggie Ground Tacos with Mushrooms

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Sometimes you get a hankering for those tacos you used to make at home. You know, back when your family cooked up some ground beef and had family taco night? (At least my mom did this when I was growing up!)

But now you can have delicious meat-free tacos and jazz up them with your favorite toppings and make them a little healthier. This vegan taco recipe uses veggie ground that you can purchase at most grocery stores or health food stores. And while I don’t eat fake or packaged meat-like products very often, sometimes your friends or family might want something that has a  familiar meaty taste. These fit the bill. Alternatively for a soy-free whole food option you can cook up some brown lentils (or used canned) and substitute that for the veggie ground if you wish.

These vegan tacos are pretty easy to whip up, and take no more time than traditional homemade tacos. And best of all you don’t have to worry about touching or cooking and draining fatty ground beef and making a mess! (That was never fun anyways, right?) You can also top these tacos with your favorite garnishes like homemade pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole and more. I even reused some leftover fajita seasoning mix I made for another recipe so I don’t have to use the high salt msg laden one they sell at the store. Yay 🙂

Now let’s check out the recipe!

Yves Veggie Ground Tacos with Mushrooms

Serves 4

Taco Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
6 oz./170 grams mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 340 g package regular Yves Veggie Ground (or Gardein Veggie Ground) *or sub drained, brown lentils
2 tbsp salsa (low sodium)
2 tsp fajita or taco seasonings (see my homemade recipe here)
Herbamare or salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 package of taco shells or soft corn tortillas

Taco Garnishes:
Salsa or diced tomatoes
Shredded Lettuce or shredded cabbage
Chopped Cilantro
Homemade guacamole *optional

Directions:

Preheat oven (to temperature specified on package of tortilla shells)

1. In a large non-stick pan sauté onions and mushrooms for 5-6 minutes until soft. Add a little water if necessary if it begins to stick to your pan.

2. Add the garlic and the veggie ground and break up with a wooden spoon or spatula.

3. Add salsa and fajita or taco seasoning and cook until veggie ground is browned and heated through.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and cover.

5. Lay tortilla shells on a baking sheet and bake as directed until crispy.

6. Assemble tacos with seasoned veggie ground and top with tomatoes/salsa, lettuce, cilantro and any other garnishes.

7. Serve and enjoy immediately!

Variations:

Alternatively you can substitute cooked brown lentils for the veggie ground for a gluten free or soy free option. Add seasonings to taste. You may need some water or broth to prevent sticking in your sauté pan.

What’s your favorite way to eat tacos? Hard shell or soft tortillas?

Bun Chay (Vegetarian Vietnamese Vermicelli Herb Noodle Salad)

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I love how fresh and light vegetarian Vietnamese food is. Vietnamese dishes don’t tend to be very vegan friendly because many items have chicken stock or fish sauce in them, so you may not always be able to find something that is truly vegan at a Vietnamese restaurant. Bun Chay is a vegetarian vermicelli noodle salad seasoned with fresh herbs, bean sprouts and Nuac Chom (a fish based sauce.)

So I wanted to show you how you can make Bun Chay totally vegan at home. This is a really fun and impressive recipe to make for one, or even a dinner party. If you can slice some veggies and toss them together to make a regular salad, trust me you can make this! It’s super easy and fresh and you can customize it with your favorite vegetables or proteins like tofu or tempeh as well.

This salad also keeps well and can be taken to work for a healthy lunch (just make sure to keep the dressing separate). If you’re longing for a recipe to mix up your salad routine, this is it! It’s very low in fat, as well as filling. I hope you like it!

Bun Chay (Vegetarian Vietnamese Vermicelli Herb Salad)

Serves 4

Salad:

250 g/8.8 oz package of rice vermicelli noodles (thin)
1 carrot, peeled and shredded or spiralized
2 Persian/small seedless cucumbers, julienned
1-2 cups fresh mung bean sprouts
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped and/or 1 cup Thai basil leaves, chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup peanuts, crushed *optional

Vegan Nuac Cham (Sauce for Bun Chay):

1/4 cup lime juice (1 1/2 large limes)
1/4 cup vegetarian fish sauce (see recipe here)
1/3 cup hot water
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 -4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 – 1 thai chili, finely chopped *optional
2 tbsp shredded carrot *optional

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, turn off the heat and add the noodles and stir to break up.

2. Let noodles sit for 2 minutes.

3. Drain noodles and run in cold water to shock them. Drain in a colander.

4. Prep veggies.

5. Arrange noodles in serving bowls. Garnish with carrots, cucumber, chopped herbs, mung beans and peanuts.

6. Combine ingredients for Nuac Cham sauce in a bowl and whisk until sugar dissolves. (You want it to be strong tasting as the noodles are bland and will soak up the flavor.)

7. Serve Bun Chay with a side of Nuac Cham. Pour sauce over it and toss well to combine.

Additional Tips:

Please note that Thai basil has a very different taste than regular Italian basil, so if you cannot find it, please use mint and cilantro (coriander) instead. Thai basil has green and purple tipped leaves and has a very exotic flavor.

I used a Japanese turning slicer to spiralize my carrots. I find them prettier this way instead of just shredding them. This is what I used.

If you can’t find Persian/Iranian (mini seedless cucumbers) use English cucumbers.

Make sure to put lots of herbs in this salad as it will be very mild tasting, you get most of the flavor from the Nuoc Cham sauce and the herbs. Otherwise it will mostly be rice noodles, carrots and bean sprouts.

If desired you can serve it with some hoison sauce (I tend to avoid as it has msg) or Sriracha hot sauce. You can find these at Asian stores and sometimes regular grocery stores as well.

Have you ever had Vermicelli salad or “Bun” before? What did you think of it?

Seitan Makhani (Vegan “Unbutter Chicken”) Recipe

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Ok I have to admit something to you.

I’ve never actually had buttered chicken, but it’s because once upon a time I was a little afraid of spicy food and afraid I would not like Indian food… (Hah funny I know right.) I also stopped eating butter and dairy a long time ago and also did not eat foods with dairy products. So I will not try to argue that I know this is an “authentic” recipe or anything like that.

Just because you eat plant based now doesn’t mean you have to miss out on delicious Indian curries!

BUT I will tell you that this vegan version of “Buttered” Chicken is oil-free, butter free and cream free, so you can feel a little less guilty about indulging in a creamy Indian curry. Since I don’t like to use fake meat products often, I made my own “wheat meat” also known as seitan. (Seitan is not gluten free, so if you are allergic you can sub tofu or chickpeas).

This was a fun experiment as I’d never made “wheat meat” before but it was actually pretty easy.  See my instructions for seitan here.

This curry sauce can be used for any item really, if you want to cook tofu, vegan chicken, chickpeas, potatoes, cauliflower etc. instead of the seitan you can do that as well. It goes really well on top of rice or Indian bread such as roti or chapati (more vegan friendly than naan bread.)

Indian curries can be a little complicated to make if you make fresh curry pastes, but this recipe is very easy and uses readily available dried spices. Plus it’s also much healthier than using jarred curry sauces from the store and you can adjust the spiciness to your liking.

I hope you have fun making it!

Seitan Makhani (Vegan “Unbuttered Chicken) Recipe

Serves 6

Curry Ingredients:

1 onion, finely chopped
4 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 tsp ground ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp curry powder
1 1/2 – 2 tsp chili powder
4 tsp ground cumin
3 bay leaves
2 cups tomato puree (you can puree canned tomatoes)
2 cups almond or soy milk (original unsweetened)
1/2 cup plain vegan yogurt (I used So Delicious coconut – plain)
2-4 teaspoon garam masala
Cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 tsp Herbamare or salt or to taste
Black pepper to taste

Vegan Chicken:

1 (16 oz) package chicken-style seitan, cut into cubes (See my recipe here) Or sub tofu or chickpeas
1-2 teaspoon garam masala

Roti/chapati or basmati rice to serve with

Directions:

1. Heat a large non-stick  saucepan or wok over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice, water, ginger, garlic, curry powder, chili powder, cumin, and bay leaves. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato puree and cook for 3-4 minutes more. *Note I used canned tomatoes and just pureed them in the blender beforehand.

2. Reduce the heat to low and mix in the almond milk. *For a creamier curry, transfer contents to a blender or food process and process until smooth. Return to pan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the vegan yogurt and season to taste with garam masala, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Heat a separate medium sized non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the seitan and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and season the seitan with teaspoons garam masala. Stir in about a 1/4 cup of the tomato-yogurt sauce and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes so it can absorb some of the flavours.

4. Transfer the seitan mixture to the saucepan and heat through.

5. Serve. (Curry will be really saucy and goes well on rice.)

Variations:

Sub the seitan for sliced tofu, chickpeas, potatoes or cauliflower for variety.

You can also double the amount of seitan or add vegetables to make a chunkier curry.

Have you ever had butter chicken before? Have you ever made your own Indian curry at home?

Engine2 Inspired Tempeh Mushroom Panini Melts

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I was watching Engine 2 Kitchen to the Rescue on Netflix the other day and got a hankering for a homemade panini melt like Rip was showing in the recipe section of the film. This recipe is DELICIOUS! I’m definitely going to be making this regularly because the combination of mushrooms and caramelized onions is one of my favorites.

Hummus is a great cheese-free way to make an ooey gooey panini melt because it adds some nice flavor and moisture to it and gets all melty when heated. So make sure to slather it on thick! For a healthier oil free version of hummus be sure to check out my recipe link below.

This is an adaptation of Engine2’s recipe and I’ve added more ingredients to the panini.  🙂

Vegan Hummus Mushroom Tempeh Panini Melts

Makes 2 panini

Ingredients:

4 slices whole wheat bread (look for oil free) *use GF if desired
low fat hummus (see my recipe)
4-6 strips of tempeh (I used sesame garlic tempeh)
6-8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 slice of onion cut into strips
1 tsp soy sauce or gluten free tamari
1 tsp maple syrup *optional
handful of baby spinach
2 pieces of fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. In a small non stick pan, cook the tempeh strips over medium heat until lightly browned on both sides. Set aside. (You do not need any oil.)

2. Sauté the mushrooms and onion slices in a non-stick pan in soy sauce and maple syrup for 5-6 minutes until soft. Set aside.

3. Spread all 4 slices of bread with a thick layer of hummus (you don’t want it to be too dry!) and top 2 slices with tempeh, mushrooms and onions. Lay some spinach leaves on top and sprinkle on a few bits of cilantro. Top with the other slice of bread.

4. In a non stick or cast iron skillet place the sandwiches one at a time over medium low heat. Top with something heavy such as a cast iron skillet, pot or plate with a weight on it. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes until browned being careful to not let them burn. *Alternatively you can use a sandwich press (cut it in half first) or a panini press and cook for 4-5 minutes.

place the sandwich on a non stick pan with something heavy on top of it

*Or use a sandwich maker or panini press and close the top down on the sandwiches

5. When done slice in half and serve.

panini made in the sandwich maker

panini made in the pan with weight on top

Variations:

If you don’t want to include the tempeh, feel free to leave it out. I like adding it so it’s a little higher in protein and more filling.

You can also mix up your panini by using a different flavored hummus, adding roasted bell peppers, jalapeños, artichokes or smoked tofu instead of the original ingredients.

What’s your favorite vegan grilled sandwich or panini?

Gluten Free Vegan Yam Black Bean Burgers (Adapted From TheGlutenFreeVegan.com)

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Here we go with another yam recipe! Ahem… “sweet potato” if you are in the states and kumara if you are in Australia. This recipe is an adaptation of fellow blogger Megan Lust whom I met at the International Food Blogger conference in Portland, Oregon last August.

Funny story, so we sort of found each other with a few other vegan bloggers (there weren’t many!) and bonded over the lack of vegan food at the conference and being pretty hungry. We hung out and then after we saw each others’s business cards we were like hey you sound familiar…. I found out we’ were both Canadian and she was from Saskatoon. Then I thought odd… I swear I know a gluten free vegan in Saskatoon.

And we find out we had actually been vegan food swap buddies a few months before. We tried it out this Canada blogger vegan food swap for 2 months when it first started before giving up (because too many people were sending prepackaged vegan junk you could easily get at the store.) But the cool thing was she had lovingly made me some HOMEMADE ginger pear jam because I begged to not be sent anything junkie with oil and said anything else would be awesome. Here is my previous blog post about the lovely things she sent me.

Faster forward to a few months later and the other day I was cruising her website The Gluten Free Vegan and saw these yummy homemade “sweet potato” burgers. (We Canadians use that word online generally so Americans know what we’re talking about! and most of our blog traffic comes from the USA and not Canada) and I decided to make them myself.

I wanted to try these. I JUST HAD TO.

So in my version of course I stripped the oil out of it and tried to make it lower fat, and also changed up the seasonings to it as well. If you like smokey black bean yam burgers that have a South Western taste you’re going to love these!

These vegan patties also stay together really well because Megan (the genius that she is) uses spiralized or shredded yam pieces in the patty to help it stay together without needing breadcrumbs which makes for a tasty gluten free vegan yam burger! (Much tastier than my previous attempt of yams with black beans and breadcrumbs, that recipe has never seen the light of day because it just wasn’t delicious enough lol.)

You end up with a delicious and crispy on the outside moist in the middle veggie patty that is perfect to serve between burger buns, or even set it atop of some rice or pilaff. So check it out!

Gluten Free Yam Potato Black Bean Burgers

Adapted from Megan Lust’s recipe at The Gluten Free Vegan

Makes 6-8 patties

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups grated or spiralized yams/sweet potato (about 2 small ones)
1 19 oz.(large) can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed well
6 green onions/scallions/spring onions, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic
3/4 cup walnut pieces
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4-1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F/205°C.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Add walnuts to the bowl of your food processor and pulse until finely ground.
4. Add in the carrot, celery, green onions and garlic and pulse to finely chop. Be careful not to let it become a paste. Remove contents and set aside in a bowl.
5. Add in the black beans to the food processor and gently pulse until chopped. Add 1 1/2 cups of the grated yams and pulse into a chunky puree. Scrape out into same bowl.
6. Add the remaining 1 cup  of grated yams and seasonings. Stir and combine well.
7. Form into 8 patties with your hands and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
8. Bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned and set.
9. Garnish with condiments and serve as desired. (I use hummus instead of Veganaise, ketchup and relish or pickles and lettuce.)

Additional Tips:

If you don’t have smoked paprika or chipotle pepper, I recommend it, but you can use regular. It just won’t have that full bodied smokey flavor to it.

For a gluten free option, serve patties in a large lettuce leaf or use gluten free buns.

Additionally you can serve these like sweet potato cakes over top of rice.

Store remaining patties in between sheets of parchment paper, either in the fridge or seal and place in freezer. To reheat, place into a non stick pan and heat over medium heat until warmed through.

Have you ever made your own vegan burger patties? What do you put in them?

Vegan Soy Curl Fajitas With Yams (Sweet Potatoes)

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I don’t often use “fake meat” substitutes and prefer to make almost everything from scratch.  But my favourite “just like chicken” product is Soy Curls because they do have a great taste and texture once they are seasoned.  They don’t contain a lot of ingredients, just soy and they are gluten free (and GMO free as well).

So far everything I have put Soy Curls in has turned out delicious. You really can’t screw up Soy Curls.  Essentially you take the dried product and soak it in warm/hot water for about 10 minutes to plump up and you drain them.  I like to add some salt and seasonings to them while they soak, or else they don’t taste like anything. They do need some salt to have flavor.

Then you can just sauté these dry in a pan (they taste better if you cook some of the water out) I cook them for 10-15 minutes until they seem done and have a good texture. You can then add the Soy Curls to any recipe you desire, but they taste best if you season them or put a sauce over them. See my previous Soy Curl recipe here that is one of my favorites.

If you don’t want to buy Soy Curls you can omit them and just use the veggies and yams in this recipe instead.

It’s also really hard to make fajitas look appetizing when you have so many brown/beige colours with the whole wheat tortillas, mushrooms, onions and Soy Curls! At least my new colorful plates help…

Vegan Soy Curl Fajitas With Mashed Yams (Sweet Potatoes)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 small yams (orange sweet potatoes/kumara)
Roasted cumin (I use McCormick’s) to taste
Herbamare or Sea salt to taste
Chipotle chili powder or chili powder to taste
1 1/2 cups Soy Curls (dried)
1 sweet onion, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 cup mushrooms slices
9-12 small corn or small wheat tortillas
1-2 tbsp fajita seasoning (recipe found here)

Directions:

Peel and slice the yams. Place in a pot or steamer basket and steam until fork tender. 15-20 minutes depending on size. Set aside when done.

Soak the Soy Curls in warm/hot water for 10 minutes. Season with some salt if desired (I do). Drain.

In a large non-stick skillet or wok saute the Soy Curls over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add the onions and peppers and season to taste with fajita seasoning. Cook until peppers and onions are at desired tenderness (about 1-3 minutes).

Place the yams in a bowl and mash them and season to taste with cumin, salt and chipotle powder. (Don’t over season, just give it a little flavour.)

Lay out a tortilla, spread some mashed yams and add the fajita ingredients.

Serve with guacamole or salsa if desired.

Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Additional Tips:

For warm tortillas you can microwave them for a few seconds until warm or heat them in an oven wrapped in tinfoil on low while you prepare your ingredients.

Feel free to add other veggies as desired like zucchini or carrots. Cook longer if necessary.

Soy Curls can be cooked a lot without burning because they are so moist so keep cooking them until your vegetables are at desired tenderness.

 

What are your favorite ingredients in veggie fajitas?

Asian Vegetable Stir Fry in Tahini Sauce

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Stir fries can vary widely from delicious and tasty to boring and bland, and as a vegan it isn’t always the most appetizing dish to make (if you’ve eaten it a thousand times before.)

I find the solution is to vary the sauces you use and I like to make different ones. You can also change up the rice you serve them on by using brown rice, white rice, red rice or a combination of any of them.

You can use this tahini sauce over steamed vegetables or stir fried vegetables in a non stick pan. (You don’t need to use oil in non stick pans, you can cook the vegetables by themselves or in a little water if necessary).

Use your favorite veggies and get creative!

Asian Vegetable Stir Fry in Tahini Sauce

Serves 2

Tahini Sauce Ingredients:

1/3-1/2 cup water (I use the lower amount, my Vitamix pulverizes everything, only use higher amount for low powered blender)
2 tbsp tahini
2 large medjool dates, pitted (and chopped if necessary for your blender)
1 large clove of garlic
2 tsp of fresh chopped ginger
1 1/2 tbsp low sodium tamari or soy sauce (GF if desired)

Stir Fry:

3-4 cups frozen or fresh mixed vegetables
1 1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice

Directions:

1. Combine sauce ingredients in a Vita-Mix or blender and blend until smooth. If using a basic blender you may need to use the higher amount of water and chop your garlic, ginger and dates to ensure that it blends properly.

2. Saute fresh or frozen vegetables in a wok or non-stick skillet with 1/2 cup water. Cover with a pot lid and steam until tender. Add additional water if necessary.

3. Assemble bowl. Add brown rice to a bowl or plate, top with vegetables and drizzle with tahini sauce.

4. Serve.

Additional Tips:

You can customize this sauce by adding more or less garlic or ginger or dates, or by swapping out the tahini for almond or peanut butter instead for variety.

To make this recipe really quickly you can use frozen stir fry veggies or pre cut fresh veggies from the produce section of the grocery store.

What’s in your favorite stir fry recipe? 

Vegan Baked Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Mushrooms

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Sometimes I like to play around with my own recipes and change them up for variety! This is a different spin on my Low Fat Vegan Baked Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese. This time I’ve left out the panko breadcrumbs so you can see all those lovely vegetables inside!

I’ve added lightly steamed broccolini/brocolette (a milder form of broccoli) and sautéed mushrooms to the mix!

So now not only is this probably the healthiest baked mac and cheese ever (cuz it’s oil free, cheese free and gluten friendly) but it’s packed full of nutritional powerhouse vegetables such as butternut squash, garlic and onions (used in the sauce) and broccoli and mushrooms.

This is just one of 60 delicious recipes in my Vegan Comfort Foods From Around The World recipe ebook.

I’m sure kids would love this recipe too because the veggies are fairly mild tasting and covered in sauce!

Vegan Baked Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Mushrooms

adapted from my Baked Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese in Comfort Foods From Around The World

Note: Because I added vegetables to this recipe, the flavor of the sauce needs to be enhanced so I increased the amounts of seasonings.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

½ medium butternut squash (or 1 2/3 cups cooked and mashed)
16 oz./454 g package elbow macaroni or spirals (for GF use Tinkyada brown rice pasta for best results)
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. salt (*optional for pasta)
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped into little pieces
1 cup mushroom slices, chopped
1/2 – 3/4 cup vegetable broth (for cooking)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 – 4 tsp. brown rice miso (use a lot more if using shiro/white/yellow miso)
3 cups almond milk (unsweetened original)
2 tbsp. flour or cornstarch
3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 – 1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
3/4 – 1 tsp. salt (*optional for sauce)

Topping:
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

Directions:

1. Peel and cube the butternut squash and bring to a boil and steam just until soft. Alternatively you can cook in a pressure cooker at high pressure for 5-7 minutes. Drain well. (Tip, if your squash is hard to peel or cut, pop it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes to soften the skin to make it easier to slice.) Measure out 1 2/3 cup of mashed squash and set aside.

2. In a large pot, bring water to a rolling boil and then add salt if desired. Add pasta and cook just before tender (about 2 minutes less than package directions). Generally it’s about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander and rinse in cold water. (Do not overcook the pasta.)

3. In a non-stick pan, saute mushrooms in 1/4 cup of water over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and a little more water and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 177 C.

5. In a large saucepan heat vegetable broth over medium heat and add the onions. Cook for 5-6 minutes until tender adding broth when needed to prevent burning.

6. Add cooked onions and any remaining broth from pan into Vita-Mix or food processor, add mashed squash, 1 cup almond milk and miso and blend until combined. Set aside.

7. In the same large saucepan add 1 cup of the almond milk and sprinkle 1 tbsp. of the flour or cornstarch when hot and whisk in. Add the remaining 1 cup of milk and sprinkle in another tbsp. of flour. Whisk this together fast. It’s ok if there are a few small bits of flour still.

8. Cook the sauce for a minute or two until hot and quickly add the squash mixture and whisk in. Heat through another minute or two and then add the nutritional yeast and whisk in. Turn off heat and add remaining seasonings starting with the lower amounts. Taste test and add additional seasonings to your liking.

9. Add drained pasta and mushrooms and broccoli to sauce pot and stir to coat. Spread out in a casserole dish. (If you want to add some vegan cheese like Daiya cheese you would layer some in now and mix it in, but I don’t feel the need to add it personally.)

10. Bake for 20-30 minutes just until pasta is tender. (20 minutes if you slightly overcooked your pasta, 30 minutes if you didn’t)

11. Serve.

Additional Tips:

To save time you can use frozen cubed butternut squash and then cook it and mash it, or use canned butternut squash. Both are sold at health food stores in North America.

Smoked paprika (also called Spanish Paprika) is much more flavourful than traditional paprika, it lends a nice smokey flavor to this cheesy sauce. McCormick makes one, or you can get it at some ethnic or Indian markets.

Brown rice miso paste is the best for this recipe, is has a stronger tangier flavor than the lighter misos. This is what gives the sauce a tangy cheezy flavor. If you don’t use it your sauce will not taste like a cheese sauce.

If you’d like a runnier mac and cheese you can add an extra 1/4 cup of almond milk to the sauce, but you’ll need to add some more seasonings to readjust the flavor.

Have you ever made an oil free, cheese free mac and cheese recipe? What did you use? 

Vegan Quinoa Chickpea Pilaff

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Quinoa is all the rage now, and so are quinoa salads and pilaffs. There are hundreds of ways to season quinoa and you don’t have to just eat it plain on the side. If you find cooking quinoa properly still a challenge, check out my post How To Cook Quinoa Perfectly to make sure your next batch turns out amazing.

This time I decided to mix things up and make my quinoa a little different. A heartier side filled with chickpeas, carrots, onions and celery. This would work as a warm side dish, a cold salad, or you can make it a meal by adding some sautéed tofu, tempeh or soy curls on top as well.

To get those pretty colours I used both white and red quinoa in this dish. Feel free to use either, I just like the look of multicoloured quinoa for some variety. This recipe makes a lot so it’s great for leftovers you can keep in the fridge or freezer for a quick meal or snack later on as well.

Quinoa Chickpea Pilaf

 
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa (I used 1 cup white and 1/2 cup red)
3 cups/709.76 ml low sodium vegetable broth
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large carrot, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 15 oz./425g can of chickpeas
2-3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or GF tamari)
2 tsp roasted cumin (ground)
1/2 tsp roasted coriander (ground)
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
2 tsp Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute (or other salt free seasoning mix) *optional

Directions:

1. Sauté the onions, carrots and celery in 1/2 cup of broth for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute and add the chickpeas.

2. Add remaining broth to a medium pot, quinoa, seasonings and saucepan ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low (about 3 on the burner) and cook covered for 25 to 30 minutes until quinoa is cooked. (If you put it on very low, or 1, it probably won’t have enough heat to cook the quinoa because of the other ingredients.)

3. Stir as required to prevent sticking at the bottom.

4. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Have you ever had a quinoa pilaff? What’s your favorite way to season quinoa?

Fat Free Vegan Spaghetti Marinara With Chickpeas

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So this is a recipe I made one day when I wasn’t sure what to throw into the spaghetti… I thought why not try a bit of chickpea for something to chew on. The results were not bad, but you definitely need a lot of sauce to add some flavour.

I used whole wheat pasta in this recipe, you can use gluten free or another variety if desired as well. Feel free to add some chopped steamed veggies to your marinara sauce as well if desired.

I just thought this vegan spaghetti recipe was too pretty not to share!

Low Fat Vegan Chef's Fat Free Vegan Spaghetti With Chickpeas

Spaghetti and Chickpeas With Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce:

Yields 50 oz/1.5 L of sauce

1 large onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
5 cups canned tomatoes, diced whole or crushed (about 3 14 oz/396 g cans)
1 6 oz./170 g can tomato paste
3 tbsp sugar or sweetener (or as desired)
2 tsp dried oregano
3 tsp dried basil

Spaghetti:

1/2 box whole wheat or gluten free spaghetti
1/2 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot with cool water and bring to a boil. Add salt if desired and then add pasta and cook until desired tenderness.

2. Meanwhile prepare the pasta sauce. In a large non-stick skillet or saucepan add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute or two. Add the tomatoes and seasonings and cook for 5-8 minutes until the tomatoes break down a little. Add sauce to a Vita-Mix, food processor or blender and then blend until smooth. Return to pan to keep warm.

3. When pasta is cooked, drain and then combine with the pasta sauce. Use whatever pot is bigger and toss the pasta with the sauce.

4. Plate and then garnish with chickpeas and additional basil if desired.

What’s your favorite addition to vegan spaghetti?