Vegan Italian Potato Roll Up

Potatoes are my favorite food group. Mashed, fried, baked, loaded, stuffed, you name it.

So obviously I am not going to bat an eye at the idea of using them as the vessel that holds in all of the cheesy, “meaty”, saucy goodness in this roll up!

My whole family loved this recipe and fought over the leftovers! If you are not a fan of vegan sausage, you can easily swap it out for any meatless crumble you like, or even use a mixture of diced veggies.

I used vegan tofu ricotta in this recipe. If you have never made it, its super easy and any leftovers keep for about a week in the fridge. I love it and kind find so many ways to use up whats left over!

The super thin potatoes crisp up when you bake the roll, making the perfect gluten free alternative to a pastry wrap. Plus, potatoes are delicious and agin my favorite food group, so I don’t even miss a bready wrap!

This recipe is hearty, filling and sooooo good! Just know that a fight might break out over any left overs, so get your game face on.

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INGREDIENTS:

• 2-3 russet potatoes, peeled (I used 2 large potatos)

• 1/2 batch tofu ricotta

• 1 package vegan sausage (I used Lightlife) or you can use 4 vegan sausage, casing removed and crumbled up.

• 16 oz fresh spinach

• 1/2 to 1 cup marinara sauce

• 1/2 cup vegan parmesan shreds, any that melt (we used follow your heart)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Using a mandolin, cut the potatoes on the 1/8 inch setting. If you do not have a mandolin, you can try thinly slicing them on a box grater, using the side that has one single blade, or carefully, thinly slice them using a sharp knife. They need to be around 1/8 of an inch thick.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and lightly spray with some cooking oil. Sprinkle the pan with 1/4 cup of the parmesan shreds.

3. Lay the potatoes on the pan in a thin single layer, making sure each potatoes is touching and overlapping just a little. You should be able to cover the pan with the potatoes. Give the potatoes a little sprinkle of salt, and another spray with some oil. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

4. While the potatoes are baking, prepare the ricotta according to instructions.

5. Add the sausage to a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it into a crumble with a spatula and allowing it cook though. When the sausage is 3/4 of the way done cooking, add the spinach to the pan and let it wilt, and finish cooking with the sausage.

6. Check the potatoes after 25 minutes. They should be soft and sticking together. If they do not seem done, give them 5 more minutes. Once they are done cooking, remove from oven (but leave the oven on) and allow them to cool on the pan for about 10 minutes.

7. Once the potatoes have cooled, spread a nice thick, even, layer of ricotta over the surface of the potatoes. Next sprinkle the sausage and spinach mixture over the ricotta. Lastly, cover the sausage layer in a layer or marinara.

8. Starting at the end that you began layering the potatoes, carefully begin rolling into a burrito shape, using the parchment paper to help you get started. One potatoes might break when you are rolling it up, just press them back together and keep rolling. Give the roll up another spray of oil, and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of parm shreds over the top. Put the roll up back in the oven for about 25 minutes. You want the roll up to heat through, and the parm to melt and brown.

9. Remove from oven and allow to cool some before slicing and serving. Sprinkle with dried parsley or oregano to garnish.

Vegan Dry Rubbed Brisket

When we used to eat meat, smoked brisket was on the top of my meat favorites list!

Brietet Sandwichs, brisket knish, brisket slathered in bbq with side of baked beans and potato salad. Now I am super hungry!!

Obviously its been a LONG time since we have eaten brisket, but from what I remember, this vegan brisket is a close second!

We added some jackfruit to the jazzed up seitan recipe to add some extra meaty texture and it worked great. This vegan brisket is perfectly seasoned and coated in a savory, sweet dry rub.

If you have a food processor this recipe could not be easier. Just dump everything in there, let it mix and knead. Wrap it, bake it, and LET IT REST. Really, head my warning, it must rest to firm up. Don’t come at me if you cut right into yours and its not firm. I warned you!!

You can serve it as is, or pop it on the grill with some BBQ sauce and sliced up for the most delicious BBQ brisket sandwich. I have added a drool worthy picture below of said magnificent sandwich!!!

It firms up nicely and can be sliced extra thin using a mandolin, if you let it rest as stated above!

So if you have been missing smokey, savory, dry rub crusted brisket, hopefully this recipe will do the trick! I for one know what’s going to be on our grill this summer!

! Glory Glory! Brisket is back, baby!!!

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INGREDIENTS:

You will need aluminum foil, and a 9x13 baking dish for this recipe

• 1 can jackfruit in brine

• 1 cup vital wheat gluten

• 1/4 cup tapioca starch

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1 teaspoon Vegetable Better than Bouillon

• 2 tablespoons water

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or coconut aminos

• 2 tablespoons oil ( I used grape seed)

• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons onion powder

• 2 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

DRY RUB:

• 3 tablespoons smoked paprika

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons onion powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• 1 teaspoon thyme

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INSTRUCITONS:

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Drain and rinse the jackfruit. Chop the jackfruit in your food processor by pulsing a few times.

2. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and mix for a minute, until a sort of dough forms.

3. If you do not have a food processor, finely chop the jackfruit using a sharp knife. In a medium bowl add the jackfruit and remaining ingredients. Using your hands, (I promise its just easier) mix all of the ingredients together until a dough forms. Knead the dough by hand for a few minutes.

4. Form the dough into a sort of oval shape, mimicking a brisket. Tear off a piece of foil that is about 3 times the size of the dough.

5. Mix up the ingredients for the dry rub in a bowl.

6. Pour dry rub into the middle of the foil. Take the “brisket and roll it in the rub to cover all sides.

7. Spray the brisket and the foil with some cooking spray and wrap the brisket in the foil, sealing it up. Just make sure it is going to be easy to open.

8. Place the foil covered brisket into a 9x13 pan and place in the oven on the top rack. Bake sealed for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes open up the foil pouch and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes.

9. Allow the brisket to cool and rest in the fridge overnight. The brisket should slice easily once cooled. It should even be firm enough to thinly slice on a mandolin.

You can also baste the brisket it BBQ sauce and grill to reheat. I normally place brisket on a piece of foil on the grill to avoid a mess. I let it grill with the lid closed just until its heated through, then slice for sandwiches.

Vegan Casey's Corner Slaw Dog

Our family LOVES Disney!. We are lucky enough to live in sunny Florida, only a few hours from the park, and have the additional perk of discounted residence season passes. I

f you are fan, or frequent visitor of Disney’s Magic Kingdom as well, then you probably know all about Casey’s Corner.

For those not familiar, it is a quick serve restaurant that serves hot dogs and fries. In the last couple of years Disney has really stepped up their vegan game, adding lots of vegan options including beyond burgers, and sausages to all of their parks.

Thanks to these new offerings, Casey’s Corner now has a vegan hot dog that is so crazy good! It is actually a beyond sausage topped with pickle slaw, grilled corn and a special sauce.

I not only ate mine, but half of one of my kids, and wished I had another.

So when we came home from our last Disney day, I decided we could easily recreate this tasty treat, but maybe make it a bit healthier, and more budget friendly using carrot dogs.

I have never been a big fan of faux meat hot dogs, and although I love the Beyond brand sausage, we can not always easily find them, and they are not nearly as cheap as a bag of carrots!

You could 100% use any vegan sausage or hot dog you like for this recipe you like if you are not a carrot dog fan. I can tell you first hand it is just as delicious as a sausage, or a carrot dog!!

So if you have been to the park, had this hot dog, and are still craving more, it’s so easy to make yourself one or 3 (I’m not judging) at home.

If you have never had this hot dog, then you really have try it!! And if you ever get over the the Magic Kingdom, just know your biggest issue finding something vegan to eat, is actually just deciding on WHICH vegan thing to eat! Not a bad problem to have at a theme park!

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INGREDIENTS::

• 1 batch carrot dogs, or store bought vegan hotdogs or sausage

• 1 pack hot dog buns

• 2 cups slaw mix or shredded cabbage

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons vegan mayo

• 1/4 cup finely diced dill pickles

• salt and pepper to taste

• 2 ears of corn

THE SAUCE

• 2 tablespoons mayo

• 2 tablespoons bbq sauce

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DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare carrot dogs according to instructions. They are best if marinated over night, but I often will start a batch in the morning and grill them at dinner time.

2. In a medium bowl add the cabbage, pickles, mayo, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and stir. Store in the fridge covered until ready to use.

3. You can grill the carrot dogs (my preference) or also heat them in a skillet. If using the grill, lightly spray the grill surface with some spay oil. Grill the carrots for about 10 minutes or until you have some nice grill makes on all sides. If heating in a pan, spray pan with some oil, and heat carrot dogs for about 5 minutes to make sure they are cooked through.

4. Shuck and clean both ears of corn. If using a grill, lightly spray the corn with some oil or brush with vegan butter, and place on the grill along with the carrot dogs. Grill for about 10 minutes turning the corn serval times to avoid burning. If you do not have a grill you can boil the corn for 5 to 10 minutes just to heat through.

5. Allow the corn to cool. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the corn off of the cob.

6. Whisk together 2 tablespoons of mayo and bbq sauce in a small bowl.

7. To serve, top the carrot dog with slaw, some corn, and a drizzle of sauce.

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Seves 6-8

If you like this recipe, try these:

Carrot Dogs

Carrot Corn Dogs

Vegan Pigs in a Blanket (carrot dogs)

Vegan Beer Battered Fish Tacos

The magic of battering and frying up banana blossoms is mind boggling. It looks like, feels like, and tastes like fried fish!

So aside from eating a giant plate of vegan beer battered fried fish fillets(which I will gladly do with some fries and tarter sauce) fish tacos are my next favorite way to enjoy this magic!

Now, I know most people serve fish tacos on a flour tortillas, but the fact is, if you know how to prepare corn tortillas, they reign supreme over flour all day! I was pretty anti corn tortillas until someone (my brother in law, Dan) showed me if you cook them in a hot pan with a little oil and seasoning, they are seriously the best thing.

We also made the slaw with sauerkraut instead of fresh cabbage for this recipe. We make our own quick dill kraut, and it is the perfect amount of briny tang, mixed with creamy vegan mayo, and little sugar to round out these tacos. If you have never made a slaw from kraut, as my mom always says, don’t knock it til you try it! It’s also a convenient option if you do not have any fresh cabbage on hand. I normally have a jar of sauerkraut in the fridge making a quick slaw that much quicker.

And lets not forget the '“fish” is beer battered, so as far as I am concerned, there is nothing not to love about these tasty vegan fish tacos!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can of banana blossoms in brine

• 3/4 cups all purpose white flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon old bay

• 1 teaspoons dulse flakes

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 can of cold beer, any beer is fine as long as it’s not a dark, thick beer

• Oil for frying (I used peanut)

• 8-10 corn tortillas

• 1 lime

• 1 avocado

• 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 2-3 tablespoons plain vegan yogurt or sour cream

The Slaw:

• 1 cup quick dill sauerkraut (or any sauerkraut you have)

• 1/4 red onion thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup shredded carrots

• 2 tablespoons vegan mayo

• 1-2 tablespoons sugar, or agave

• A few shakes of dried parsley or cilantro

• black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mash the avocado and mix it with juice from half of the lime, sour cream or yogurt, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste until it is nice and creamy. You can also drop all of the ingredients into a bullet blender or food processor. Set aside.

2. Mix the sauerkraut (not the juice, just the cabbage) and remaining slaw ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.

3. Drain can of banana blossoms and carefully remove the blossoms, laying them out on a paper towel to remove some liquid. They can easily fall apart so be careful. I found that only a few blossoms in the can that were fully in tact. I simply took all of the loose leaves and stacked them back together to resemble full blossoms. I have only been able to find one brand of blossoms on Amazon. I am uncertain if this is an issue with all canned banana blossoms, but stacking the leaves back together worked just fine for me.

4. Transfer the blossoms to a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons of dulce flakes and a dash of salt.

5. For the batter, whisk together the flour, baking powder, teaspoon salt, old bay, and 1/2 can of cold beer (oh well, guess you have to drink the rest) in a medium sized bowl. The batter will be thick.

6. Heat a deep skillet with a few inches of oil over medium/ high heat.

7. While the oil is heating, begin carefully dipping the blossoms into the batter. For any blossoms that you had to reassemble, place them into the batter, and using a spoon, cover the top in batter. This will help keep the blossom in tact vs attempting to dip them. Carefully transfer the blossoms to the hot oil. TIP: if you are not sure if the oil is hot enough, place a chopstick into the oil, if tiny bubbles form around the chopstick, the oil is ready!

8. Fry each blossom for a minute or two on each side, or until they are golden brown. If they seem to be browning too quickly, reduce your heat a bit. Transfer the finished blossoms to a wire cooling rack that has been placed on top of a paper towel lined cookie sheet.

9. Heat a large skillet and spray with some cooking oil. Heat tortillas on each side, sprinkling them with a little all purpose seasoning, or any seasoning you like, and a squirt of lime juice. You just need to let them heat for a minute or two on each side, just until they get a little brown and crisp. This will help the tortillas taste amazing and not rip.

10. Cut fish fillets into bite size pieces. Place a few “fish” pieces in each tortilla, along with some slaw, and a drizzle of avocado cream to serve.

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serves 4-6

If you liked this recipe, try these:

Beer Battered Vegan Fried Fish Fillets

Alabama White Sauce Tempeh Tacos

Grilled Watermelon and Tofu Tacos

The Perfect Vegan Lasagna

If you have been looking for the perfect, cheesy, gooey, saucy, vegan lasagna, look no further! Layers of noodles, tofu ricotta, homemade marinara, and the perfect vegan mozzarella sauce make this lasagna the best vegan lasagna I have had, hands down!

It’s my go to dish to bake up for all of our non vegan friends and family, because no one ever even knows its vegan! We are house divided where lasagna is concerned, some preferring veggie lasagna, and others a classic “meaty” lasagna. So I have given instruction on making this lasagna 2 ways! Because two kinds of lasagna are always better than one!! Right?!?!?

If you are looking for a mini version that is perfect for meal prep, check out the links below for our Muffin cup lasagna, and ourLasagna stuffed peppers!! The lasagna cups are perfect for easy meal prep. Just bake them in a muffin tin and freeze. Pop out what you need later and reheat!! Easy Peasy!

I am telling you, you will never want to use store bought shredded mozzarella again after using this perfect cheese sauce. It’s super easy to whip up, and gets ooey gooey, bubbly, and browns. Its magic and it is staple in our house for so many recipes! Sometimes, like right now with this vegan lasagna, the secret is in the sauce!

So bake up a pan for yourself, and one for a neighbor or friend. They will be so thankful for a night off from cooking and so impressed that this lasagna is actually vegan! I always say the way to convince someone that vegan food is just a delicious, if not more, than the non vegan version is by sharing it!!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box lasagna noodles (regular or gluten free) DO NOT BOIL THE NOODLES. We will be using them dry in the recipe. This works fine, and there is no need to boil them first. Do not use “no boil” noodles. They typically contain eggs. Just use regular lasagna noodles.

Tofu Ricotta:

• 1 package extra firm tofu, drained

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• Juice from 1/2 lemon

• 2 teaspoons miso paste

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1/2 onion

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

1. Add the onion to a high speed blender or food processor and blend for a minute to mince up. Add remaining ingredients and blend until completely smooth.

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White Cheese Sauce:

• 1 cup of cashews (soaked in hot water a few hours, or coved in water and microwaved 3 minutes)

• 2 cups of water

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup corn, or tapioca starch

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1.Drain cashews. Add cashews and remaining ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth and liquified. Make sure there are no little bits of cashews left.

2. Add the mixture to a medium sized sauce pan and heat over medium heat, whisking continuously. The mixture will go from liquid to thick very quickly so do not stop stirring! You want the cheese sauce to be the constancy of a thick pudding. If it gets clumpy or too thick, you can add a little more water to the pan and it will thin back out.

The Sauce:

• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes drained

• 1 carrot, diced

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 1 bell pepper, diced (optional)

• 1 cup diced mushrooms (optional)

• 4 cups raw spinach (optional)

• 2 cloves crushed garlic

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• salt and pepper to taste

• splash or 2 of red wine (optional)

“Meaty” option:

If you would rather have a ‘meaty” sauce, you could omit the carrot, pepper, and mushroom, spinach, and add a bag of meatless crumbles, or even use 2-3 Beyond Beef brand burgers. Simply thaw them ,and cook as you would ground meat before adding to the sauce.

1. In a large sauce pan, sauté all of the veggies and garlic in a few teaspoons of oil until tender. if using spinach, add it last and let it cook down for a few minutes to evaporate some of the liquid.

2. Add Wine and let cook for a minute

3. Add both cans of tomatoes, and spices, and let the sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes.

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Start by adding a little sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

2. Add a layer of noodles. Next, spread a nice sized scoop of tofu ricotta over the noodles, followed by marinara, then a layer of cheese sauce.

3. Repeat layers until you have used up all of the ingredients.

4. Make sure the top layer is the white cheese sauce. You can add some Italian seasoning to the cheese sauce if you like before you bake.

5. Cover with foil a and bake at 350 degrees for 45- 60 minutes. Remove the foil after about 20 minutes so the top can begin to brown . If you have filled the pan to the top you might want to put it on a baking sheet, incase it decides to bubble over.

6. Let lasagna cool a bit before before cutting, and serving.

If you like this recipe, try these:

Muffin Cup Vegan Lasagna

Vegan Lasagna Stuffed Peppers

Vegan Buffalo "Chicken" Mac and Cheese

Creamy, cheesy, gooey, spicy, vegan buffalo “Chicken” mac and cheese with jackfruit! You heard me right. It’s a thing, and it is AMAZING!

Jackfruit is a great substitute for chicken in many vegan recipes and was the first thing that came to mind when I deiced to veganize my favorite dip, to create a vegan buffalo chicken cheese dip! It’s inexpensive, healthy, a great source of fiber, and it mimics the texture of shredded meat very well. It has little flavor on its own when you buy it canned in brine, and takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it in!

I love buffalo flavored anything, and I super love buffalo “chicken” dip! Like I could eat vegan buffalo every single day probably and not get tired of it. I also love Franks brand buffalo sauce and let just all give a big hallelujah that it is actually vegan!!

So taking my favorite vegan buffalo chicken dip recipe with a few adjustments, and mixing it into macaroni changed my favorite appetizer into dinner (insert me doing a happy dance!) I does not get much better than this, y’all!

It’s the best of both worlds. My favorite dip and favorite side dish, all rolled into one seriously comforting dish.

This mac and cheese is hearty enough to be a meal on its own with side salad, or a super delicious side dish!! It freezes and reheats well making it perfect for meal prep, too.

So if you love mac and cheese and you love buffalo sauce on everything too, we might be new best friends! Buffalo sauce lovers of the world unite!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 16 oz package of macaroni noodles

• 1 can jackfruit in brine

• 1 8oz of vegan cream cheese, homemade or store-bought

• 1 cup of buffalo sauce (I use Franks)

• 1/2 cup vegan mayo

• Pinch of salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1 plus 1/2 cups vegan cheddar shreds, homemade or store-bought

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter (for the drizzle)

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Cook noodles according package instructions. Drain, rinse and set aside.

2. Drain jack fruit, rinse, and chop the pieces, or shred them using you fingers into a medium sized bowl. The fruit pulls apart easily, and I find using my fingers easier than chopping.

3. Add 3/4 cups of the buffalo sauce, 1 cup of shredded cheese, plus the remaining ingredients minus the butter, to the jackfruit and mix well.

4. Add the noodles to the jackfruit mixture and mix well.

5. Transfer the mac and cheese to a 9x12 baking or caserole dish, and sprinkle the top with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.

6. Melt 2 tablespoons of vegan butter and mix with the remaining 1/4 cup of buffalos sauce. Drizzle the mixture over the mac and cheese.

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until all of the cheese on top is nice and melted and the mac is heated through.

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If you liked this recipe, try these!

Buffalo “Chicken” Bites

Buffalo “Chicken” dip

The Jax Biscuit Sandwich

Just outside of our neighborhood is the best vegan breakfast and lunch spot in our city! It is our family’s go to spot for an always quick and delicious meal.

One of my most favorite menu items is something called the Blisscuit!

It is an herb biscuit topped with vegan egg salad, sauerkraut, and avocado.

So naturally for all y’all that are not in Jacksonville FL and who can not visit the infamous, Southern Roots, we decided to create our own version of this delicious bite with a few changes.

We used our fluffy southern biscuit recipe,tofu egg salad, and quick dill sauerkraut to create what we call the Jax Biscuit Sandwich!

We make a really simple quick dil sauerkraut to top this biscuit with. All you need is some cabbage, dil, vinegar, salt, and a microwave. You will have kraut in minutes!! It will only get better with time but is good from the start!

Our vegan egg salad using tofu is one of my favorite quick lunches and something we make almost weekly. Try and find some black salt (kala namak) if you can. Its actually pink and might also be called Indian kala namak. It is sulfur salt so taste and smells strongly of eggs. Its perfect for any and all vegan “egg” dishes you make!

And although we think our biscuit is pretty darn good, and you should definitely make yourself one or five, if you ever find yourself in our river city, go by and try the real deal! You won’t be disappointed! We are forever grateful for the full bellies Southern Roots brings us and all the tasty inspiration!

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Ingredtiens:

• 1 batch fluffy southern bisucits

• 2 avocados

• 1 - 2 cups quick dill sauerkraut (depending on how many people you are serving)

Vegan Tofu Egg Salad:

• 1 cube extra firm organic tofu

• 1 teaspoons turmeric

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 3 tablespoon diced pickles (plus a teaspoon of pickle juice)

• 1/4 cup vegan mayo

• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard (optional)

• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions:

1. Drain tofu and wrap in a clean kitchen towel or a few paper towels. Place a few cookbooks or a heavy pan on top and let sit for 10 - 15 minutes to press out the excess liquid from the tofu.

2. Crumble tofu into a medium sized bowl using your hands or a fork. Mix in the remaining egg salad ingredients along with the tofu, and mix well. Adjust seasoning to taste.

3. Cut biscuits in half and add a scoop of tofu egg salad, sauerkraut, and a few slices of avocado.

4. Eat and be happy!

If you liked this recipe, try these:

Brown Bag “Chicken” Fried Seitan Biscuit

Vegan Deluxe Biscuits and Gravy

Vegan Philly Fries with Beer Cheese Sauce

What do you get when you mix a Philly cheese steak and a plate of fries, then top it off with vegan beer cheese sauce.

The best thing you have ever eaten?!?!?! That is probably a stretch BUT, these fries are really, really, really good!

Trust me when I tell you that you do not want to skip the vegan beer cheese sauce. Any other cheese sauce is a sad second.

Also if you have never made homemade easy basic seitan, now is your chance! Its super easy to make and can be used a gazzilion different ways. You an also use any seitan you like in this recipe. Flank steak, chicken, whatever!

We even have a video on the site to help you see the process of making homemade seitan! Just look under the video section!

You only need half a batch for this recipe, so pop the rest in the freezer for another nights dinner! Look at you meal prepping without even trying!!

So lets hear it for Philly fries and beer cheese!! You many never use a bun for your Philly again! You may never use another cheese sauce again, either. But honestly, who could blame you!

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INGREDIENTS:

• Half batch of basic seitan, seitan chicken, or flank steak (around 3 cups sliced, refer to video if you are new to seitan)

• 2 cups sliced mushrooms, white or baby portabello are fine

• 1/2- 1 red or orange bell pepper

• 1 small yellow onion

• 1-2 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

• 2 teaspoons tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 3-4 tablespoons coconut aminos

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 -2 cups vegan beer cheese sauce

• 4 medium russet potatoes

• Diced scallions (optional as garnish)

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INSTURCTIONS:

1. Wash the potatoes, peels on

2. Cut potatoes into fries.

3. FOR FRYING THE POTATOES, heat a few inches of oil in a deep skillet (I use a cast iron skillet)on medium heat.Once the oil is nice and hot, start adding small batches of the fries to the oil. Allow them to fry until nice a crisp, about 5 minutes. Once they are done frying, remove from oil and place on a wire cooking rack with some paper towels underneath. This will help them stay crispy while you finish frying the rest.

4. FOR OVEN BAKING, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat fries in a few teaspoons of oil and place them on a cookies sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure the fries are not over crowded. Sprinkle with salt and bake for about 15 minutes or until the fries seem crispy on one side. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven, and turn the fries with a spatula or a pair of metal tongs. Put the fires back in the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the fries seem fully crisp.

5. USING AN AIR FRYER: Lightly spray potatoes with some cooking oil, sprinkle with salt and place in the air fryer basket. ( you may have to fry in batches if you have a smaller air fryer) cook on 400 for 15 minutes, taking the basket out and shaking it around a few times during the cooking process. If the fries are not crispy after 15 minutes, put them back in for 5 more minutes or until they have reached the desired crispness.

6. FOR THE PHILLY, Slice seitan into thin strips. Thinly slice onions and peppers. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a few teaspoons of oil. Add onions, garlic, and pepper and sauté until the onions begin to get soft. Add the mushrooms and let them cook for a few minutes. Add the seitan, all of the seasonings, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, liquid aminos, and cook for another 5 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the seitan is beginning to brown.

7. To serve, stack fries on a plates, topping with Philly mixture and drizzled with Beer Cheese. You can also sprinkle some diced scallions if you like extra kick of onion.

   Serves 3-4

IF YOU LIKED THIS RECIPE, TRY THESE!

Vegan Chili Cheese Fries

Vegan BBQ Cheddar Fries with Slaw

Vegan Gorgonzola and Balsamic Glazed Chips

Funnel Cake Fries

Vegan Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Challah

If you have not noticed my affection for challah bread by now, then let me reiterate that I LOVE challah, LOVE IT!!!

I used to bake and sell challah each week actually, until I started this site and life got too busy.

I have t-shirts expressing my challah love, socks too. Challah at ya! Challah y’all! Challah day, celebrate! I ain’t no challah back girl. I could go on and on with my challah puns.

I love it start to finish, dough to bread. I love the act of preparing challah on shabbat, and I love finding new ways to stuff it so it becomes a total meal.

Challah takes some time to make, but it is 1,000% worth it!

This vegan challah was the request of our 13 year old daughter. She loves our Buffalo “chicken” dip with jackfruit and stuffing that magic into warm, soft, fluffy challah seemed like a no brainer to me! Covered in melted vegan cheddar and drizzled with hot sauce glaze, its now on my top 5 favorite stuffed challah list!

So bake up a batch of our Vegan Buffalo “chicken” dipand stuff your own vegan challah. Then challah at me and let me know how much you loved it!

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Challah:

Follow the recipe for my basic Challah Y'all, Vegan Challah. You will follow the instructions through the first rise, then follow the below instructions for stuffing and braiding.

• 1 batch of Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip, baked and cooled

• 1 cup leftover aquafaba

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

• 3 teaspoons buffalo sauce (I always use Franks)

• 1 cup shredded vegan cheddar (I always use homemade or follow your heart cheddar shreds)

Stuffing the Challah:

1. Once Challah has completed its first rise, remove from oven and separate dough in half. This recipe will yield 2 stuffed challah loaves.

2. Cut each half into thirds. (each loaf will have three pieces of dough. Work with one loaf at a time, leaving the other three pieces of dough covered in a bowl until you are ready to use them)

3. Take one piece of dough in your hand and begin to stretch it both length wise, and width wise and the same, time, letting gravity help with the length. You want a rectangle of dough that is about 5 inches wide and about 6-7 inches long. Once your dough is the correct size, Add a few scoops of dip to the center of the dough. Do not get too close to the edges, if the dip wets the dough it will not seal together.

4. Once stuffed, bring the outside edges together, and pinch to seal. Once dough is sealed, pick it up and start to gently stretch the dough into a fat rope. You will have to kind of squeeze and pull at the same time, just do not squeeze so hard that the filling comes out. You just need the rope long enough to braid, 10-12 inches.

5. Repeat with the other two strands.

6. Once all three strands are stuffed, and formed, carefully braid the three pieces together. If the seams begin to open, pinch them back and continue braiding. Tuck both ends of the loaf under when done braiding. Once again I will refer you to Tori Avey's challah braiding guide if you are unfamiliar with braiding challah! She does a fantastic job showing all the different ways to braid your bread, plus she has some really great recipes on her site.

7. Repeat with the second loaf, and place both stuffed loaves on a baking sheet, and back in the oven to rise again for about 45 mintues. Once they have risen, remove from oven and pre-heat to 350.

8. Mix 1 cup of left over aquafaba, maple syrup and buffalo sauce. Brush each loaf of challah with the mixture and sprinkle with vegan cheddar shreds. You can also add a little extra hot sauce to the aquafaba mix and drizzle it over the challah before you bake it.

9. Bake both loaves for about 35 - 45 minutes. You can tap the tops to see if they sound a little hallow. It is hard to tell when stuffed challahs are done when there are wet ingredients inside, so if they do not seem cooked through after 35 minutes, let them keep cooking for 5 - 10 more minutes.

10. Remove challah from the oven, and allow to cool some before cutting.

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*Follow us on Instagram @86.eats and check out step by step challah making in our highlights. This shows making aquafaba, and the stages of the dough!

Check out our other challah recipes on the site:

Beyond Meatball Stuffed Challah

Spiced Apple and Pecan Stuffed Challah

Soft Vegan Challah Pretzels

Challah Y’all, Vegan Challah

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Raw Sesame Zucchini Noodle Salad

I love making noodles out of zucchini.

If you do not have one of those zoodle making gadgets, don’t fret! A regular vegetable peeler works fine for veggie ribbon noodles!

This Raw sesame zucchini noodle salad is one of my favorites because it is so easy, delicious, and healthy. Just peel, toss, and serve! I mean really, you don’t even cook it, how easy is that!

Toss on some grilled tofu, and this perfectly light side dish transforms into fully satisfying, healthy lunch or dinner in just minutes!

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Ingredients:

• 3 medium zucchini

• 1 and 1/2 cup shredded cabbage or slaw mix

• 1 cup match stick or shredded carrots

• 1/2 thinly sliced red onion

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

• 1/4 chopped cilantro

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup coconut aminos or soy sauce (if using soy skip the extra salt)

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons of agave or white sugar

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Instructions:

1. Wash and trim ends from each zucchini. Using a veggie spiralizer (zoodle maker) cut noodles from each zucchini into a large bowl. If you do not have a zoodle making gadget, you can cut ribbons from the zucchini using a regular veggie peeler. Just make long ribbons from the zucchini until you reach the core. The seedy part does not peel well.

2. Add the slaw mix, carrots, onion, sesame seeds, and cilantro to the bowl with the zoodles and toss.

3. In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. You can taste and adjust to your liking. Pour dressing over the veggies and toss. Garnish with extra cilantro, and sesame seeds if you like.

Serve at room temp or allow to chill before serving.

Open Faced Vegan Roast "Beef" Sandwich with Jackfruit

Our oldest daughter used to order an open faced roast beef sandwich any chance she could get. Once we went vegetarian and eventually vegan, it was a dish she often mentioned missing.

While it was not something I ever craved, I decided I would try to make a vegan version of an open faced roast beef sandwich that would hopefully satisfy her craving.

Although the jackfruit does not mimic the usual thinly sliced beef, the flavor is rich and convincing. This recipe takes a while to cook, but the prep time is fairly short. So if you are hanging around the house on a weekend, you can easily prep a batch of this vegan roast jackfruit, and let it cook while you go along your merry way!

I add red wine to this recipe and it truly makes all the difference in the rich, savory flavor, so I strongly suggest not skipping that ingredient. If you choose to skip out on the wine, I can not account for what that will do to the flavor of the jackfruit. I would suggest adding extra water or maybe some mushroom broth if you do decide to skip it!

This recipe is warm, savory, delicious, comfort food that has now become a regular on our families winter dinner rotation and hopefully yours, as well!

Ingredients:

• Sliced sourdough or french bread

• Vegan cheese slices

• 2 cans of jackfruit in brine

• 3 teaspoons low sodium Vegetable Better than Bouillon

• 1 and 1/2 cups water

• 1/2 cup red wine

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 larger yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

For the Gravy

• 1 yellow onion thinly sliced

• 3 tablespoon all purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons Vegetable Better Than Bouillon

• 2 cups water

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons vegan butter

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Heat a dutch oven, or another large OVEN SAFE pot, over medium heat on the stove top. Add a little oil, and the sliced onion, and cook until the onions are translucent. While the onion are cooking, drain the jackfruit, and using your fingers, shred the jackfruit apart into the pot with the onion. Add the Better than Bouillon and let the onion and jackfruit continue to cook for a few minutes to help remove the brine flavor the jackfruit tends to have.

2. After about 5 minutes, add the water and remaining ingredients to the pot. Stir well and allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Once it is simmering, put the lid on the pot and carefully transfer it to the oven.

3. Allow the jackfruit to cook in the oven with the lid on for about 1 hour. After an hour, remove the lid and cook for another hour, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Check on the jackfruit and give it a stir a few times while it’s in the oven. Once all the liquid has been absorbed, carefully remove the pot from the oven and place the lid back on. Set aside while you prepare the gravy.

4. For the gravy: In a medium deep skillet (I use my cast iron) add a few teaspoons of vegan butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onions and garlic and sauté until translucent. Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons of flour over the onions and allow the flour to cook for a few minutes. Reduce heat to low. Whisk the Better Than Bouillon into the water and carefully pour the mixture into the pan. Add the remaining seasonings and stir well. Continue to stir the gravy until it has thickened.

5. Place enough slices of bread on a baking sheet and top with cheese. Place in the oven until bread is toasty and cheese has melted (if you do not want cheese, just put the bread in until toasted).

6. To make the sandwiches, top toasted bread with jackfruit roast “beef”and gravy.

Yields 6 - 8 open faced sandwiches.

Cheesy Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

I love potatoes and I love cheese. So what’s not to love about these super easy cheesy vegan scalloped potatoes.

All you need is a pretty simple vegan cheese sauce, some thinly sliced potatoes, an 8x8 pan, and you are on your way to a veganized classic!

I used a mandolin to slice the potatoes to get them extra thin. You do need the potatoes as thin as you can get them. If you do not have a mandolin you can use the long cutting side of a box grater or a really starp knife.

Basically you cut a pile of thin potatoes, whip up an easy cheese sauce, layer and bake. It’s that easy.

if you are allergic to cashews, you can replace them with sunflower seeds or a mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Just follow the same measurements and instructions for the cashews!

This side dish is warm and comforting and pretty easy to make. Its gluten free, too!

I am all in when it comes to my favorite carb and anything vegan cheese related!

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Ingredients :

• 4 - 5 medium russet potatoes

• 1 cup cashews soaked in hot water for a few hours

• 2 cups water

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon light miso paste

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 4 tablespoons tapioca or corn starch

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup plant milk (I used almond milk)

• diced green onions for garnish (optional)

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Instructions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Wash potatoes, but do not peel. Thinly slice the potatoes using a kitchen mandolin. If you do not have a mandolin you can thinly slice the potatoes using the single blade side of your box grater, or cut them as thinly as possible using a sharp knife. If they are on the thicker side it will just take them longer to bake.

2. Drain the cashews, adding them and the remaining ingredients,minus the plant milk, to a high speed blender or food processor. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth.

3. Transfer the cheese mixture to a medium sized sauce pan and heat over medium heat. Whisk the mixture continuously until it begins to thicken to the consistency of thick pudding. Once it has thickened, whisk in 1/2 cup of plant milk.

4. Lightly spray an 8x8 casserole pan with oil. Start by placing a thin layer of potatoes on the bottom, cover in some cheese sauce, then another layer of potatoes, cheese sauce, and continue the pattern until all of the potatoes and cheese have been used. The top layer should be cheese sauce.

5. Bake for about 45minutes to one hour, or until the potatoes are cooked through. The time may vary depending on how thick you cut the potatoes. If the top seems to be browning before the potatoes are finished, you can cover the pan with some foil for the remainder of the bake.

6. Once the scalloped potatoes are finished cooking, sprinkle with diced green onions to serve.

Cilantro Avocado Tofu Wraps

Easy weeknight dinners are a must in our busy house.

So, I always make sure to have some extra firm tofu in my fridge for quick dinners like these cilantro avocado tofu wraps.

The marinated tofu, creamy avocado, crispy lettuce, and tangy sauce make for a perfectly delicious, healthy filing meal!

These gluten free wraps are packed with plant protein ,and healthy fats to keep you full and fueled!

Feel free to add extra veggies like match stick carrots, radish slices, sliced onion, or anything else you may like.

These wraps are easy, healthy, delicious, and low carb! Perfect!

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Ingredients:

• 1 - 2 heads romaine lettuce

• 1 block extra firm tofu

• 1 - 2 avocados

• 1/2 cup coconut aminos

• 1 teaspoon agave

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon oil (olive or grape seed)

• juice from 1 lime

• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

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Smokey lime cream sauce

• 1/3 cup vegan sour cream, or plain unsweetened vegan yogurt (I use Kite Hill plain yogurt)

• Juice from 1/2 lime

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions:

1. Drain tofu and wrap in a a clean kitchen towel or a few clean paper towels. Place a few cookbooks on top for 10 - 15 minutes to press out as much liquid from the tofu as you can. Once pressed, dice tofu into 1/2 inch cubes.

2. In a shallow 8x8 dish, whisk together the aminos, oil, agave, garlic, paprika, and lime juice. Add the cubed tofu to the dish and allow it to marinate for 10 - 15 minutes.

3. While tofu is marinading, wash and pat dry the lettuce, and trim the ends. Slice avocado into thin strips. Wash and chop 1/3 cup of cilantro.

4. Prepare the smokey lime cream sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

5. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Spray with some cooking oil or add a few teaspoons of oil to the pan as it heats. Add the tofu AND the marinade to the pan. Allow the tofu to cook until all of the liquid is absorbed and the tofu has started to brown and get a little crispy around the edges.

6. To build the wraps, line each lettuce leaf pieces of tofu, a few slices of avocado, drizzle with sauce, and sprinkle with cilantro.

Serves 4 - 6.

Beer Battered Vegan Fried Fish Filets (Fish and Chips)

Before we went vegan, I could have lived off of fried fish and chips!

Beer battered cod was an all time fave that I never passed up.

Imagine my excitement when I discovered I could batter and fry canned banana blossoms and feel like I was eating one of my favorite foods from years past! I think I probably squealed a little!

The banana blossoms somehow magically recreates the texture of flaky fish fillet. They are really mild in flavor and with the help of some seaweed flakes for a fishy kick, it is remarkable how convincing these blossoms are! I mean seriously, who thought of this to begin with. I need to give them a hug!

I looked high and low for banana blossoms at my local Asian markets with little luck, but easily found them on Amazon! I hear that many Asian markets do in fact carry them, so you may find them locally!

In all honesty I was cautiously optimistic when creating this recipe, for fear of once again being super disappointed by lofty internet food magic claims. Some things just seem too good to be true. But this recipe is not. It is all true and delicious and amazing!

I made sure to include a picture of the inside of one of these fillets so you could see just how convincing it looks. These things look, feel, and taste like fried fish!

Now i’m not swearing this recipe will blow your mind, but it did mine. Suffice to say that banana blossoms are now a staple in my pantry, and fish fry Friday is back in action in our house!

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Ingredients:

• 2 cans of banana blossoms in brine

• 1 and 1/2 cup all purpose white flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon old bay

• 2 teaspoons dulse flakes

• 3 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 can of cold beer, any beer is fine as long as it’s not a dark, thick beer

• Oil for frying (I used peanut)

Vegan Tartar Sauce:

• 1/2 cup vegan mayo

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 2 - 3 tablespoons diced dill pickles

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

• salt and pepper to taste

• optional: 1 - 2 teaspoons capers

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Instructions:

1. Drain cans of banana blossoms and carefully remove the blossoms, laying them out on a paper towel to remove some liquid. They can easily fall apart so be careful. I found that only a few blossoms in each can were fully in tact. I simply took all of the loose leaves from each can and stacked them back together to resemble full blossoms. I have only been able to find one brand of blossoms on Amazon. I am uncertain if this is an issue with all canned banana blossoms, but stacking the leaves back together worked just fine for me.

2. Transfer the blossoms to a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons of dulce flakes and a dash of salt.

3. For the batter, whisk together the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, old bay, and the entire can of cold beer in a medium sized bowl. The batter will be thick.

4. To make the tartar sauce, whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

5. Heat a deep skillet with a few inches of oil over medium/ high heat.

6. While the oil is heating, begin carefully dipping the blossoms into the batter. For any blossoms that you had to reassemble, place them into the batter, and using a spoon, cover the top in batter. This will help keep the blossom in tact vs attempting to dip them. Carefully transfer the blossoms to the hot oil. TIP: if you are not sure if the oil is hot enough, place a chopstick into the oil, if tiny bubbles form around the chopstick, the oil is ready!

7. Fry each blossom for a minute or two on each side, or until they are golden brown. If they seem to be browning too quickly, reduce your heat a bit. Transfer the finished blossoms to a wire cooling rack that has been placed on top of a paper towel lined cookie sheet.

8. Serve finished banana blossoms with a few lemon wedges, homemade tarter sauce, french fries, or malt vinegar.

serves 4

Vegan Reuben Latkes

I’ve never met a potato dish I didn’t like, but my all time favorite way to eat a potato is a latke!

Golden brown potato pancakes, fried up to crispy perfection.

Deciding to marry my favorite potato dish with my favorite sandwich to create a vegan reuben latke is almost too much for me to handle.

Thinly sliced seitan works so well in this recipe, and mixes beautifully with the potatoes and tangy sauerkraut.

You can follow my recipes for your preferred seitan meat, or use your own favorite recipe, or store brand.

So, if you are eating these to celebrate Hanukkah, or just to celebrate your love for latkes and reubens, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

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Ingredients:

• 5 cups shredded russet potatoes

• 2 cups thinly sliced/shaved vegan pastrami, basic seitan, vegan dry rubbed brisket , vegan roast beef

• 1 1/2 cups sauerkraut (plus more for garnish)

• 1 flax egg

• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch

• 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon dried dill (optional)

• pepper to taste

• 2-3 diced green onions for garnish

• oil for frying

Vegan 1,000 Island dressing:

• 1 cup vegan mayo

• 1/4 cup ketchup

• 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tablespoon diced dill pickles

• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions:

1. First, try and remove as much liquid from the shredded potatoes as you can. You can dump the shredded potatoes into a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze out as much liquid as you can, or you can put the shreds in a mesh sieve and press out the liquid that way. The more liquid you remove, the crispier the latkes will be.

2. Remove as much liquid as you can from the sauerkraut using the same method.

3. For the seitan, you can follow my recipe, or watch my video for making homemade seitan, or use store-bought. I used a kitchen mandolin to thinly slice mine then chop it up. If you do not have a mandolin, attempt to slice it as thinly as you can with a knife. You want thin small pieces.

4. Once the liquid has been removed from both the potatoes and the sauerkraut, add both, along with remaining latke ingredients (minus the green onion,) to a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a few tablespoons of oil. I normally use grape seed oil for frying. Using a large spoon to scoop out about 1/4 cup portions of latke mixture. Add the latkes carefully to the hot oil and use a spatula to flatten them out. You do not want to over crowd the pan, so only cook 3 or 4 latkes at a time depending on your pan size. Let the latkes cook on the first side for a few minutes before flipping. Repeat on the other side. I normally repeat this a few times on each side just make sure they are nice and crispy. You want them to be brown, and crisp around the edges. If they seem to be burning, reduce the heat. You may also need to add more oil between batches. Place finished lakes on a wire cooling rack that has been placed on top of some paper towels.

6. Prepare the 1000 island by mixing all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

7. To serve, stack 3 or 4 latkes on a plate and top with vegan 1,000 island, green onions, and extra sauerkraut if you like.

Serves 4 - 6.

Savory Cranberry Vegan Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes

I often make meatballs wth thawed Beyond Meat Burgers.

They work very well as a meat substitute in all kinds of recipes other than just using them as burgers.

Once thawed, they can be used just as you would ground meat. This particular recipe is sweet, tangy, and savory.

The sauce screams holidays, and would make a perfect alternative to a traditional holiday meal.

The cranberries, onion, and savory spices make such a beautiful sauce for the meatballs, and wonderful topping for the mashed potatoes.

You can just as easily use a bag of frozen plant based meatballs, but I really encourage you to try a batch using the Beyond Burgers! Or use whatever homemade seitan meatball you already make!

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Ingredients:

• 1 batch plant based meatballs (Use frozen or follow recipe below)

• 1 can whole cranberry sauce

• 1 cup water

• 1 yellow onion

• 2 teaspoons Vegetable Better Than Bouillon

• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons tapioca or corn starch

• salt and pepper to taste

Mashed Potatoes:

• 4 - 5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter

• 2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese or plain vegan yogurt

• salt and pepper to taste

• a few splashes of plant based milk

Meatballs:

• 4 Beyond Meat Burgers, thawed

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 pieces of sliced bread (whatever you have on hand)

• 1 flax egg

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Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. For the meatballs: If using frozen, bake to package instructions. If making meatballs with Beyond Meat Burgers, put sliced bread into a blender or food processor, and break them down to crumbs. Combine bread crumbs, thawed Beyond Beef patties, flax egg, and dried thyme in a bowl. Mix well. Form meatballs with a small scoop or spoon and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

2. While meatballs are baking, thinly slice the onion. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add a few teaspoons of oil or vegan butter. Drop the onions in and sprinkle with a little salt. Let onions cook until they become translucent and soft. Add the cranberry sauce, balsamic vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir well and reduce heat to low.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the water, Better Than Bouillon, and starch. Add to the pot of cranberry sauce and stir. Allow sauce to simmer and thicken while the meatballs finish baking. Once the meatballs are done baking, add them to the pot of cranberry sauce and let them simmer along with the sauce while you prepare the mashed potatoes.

4. Bring another large pot of water to a boil, then add the diced potatoes. Let potatoes boil until they are soft enough to pierce with a fork. This should take about 10 - 15 minutes. Drain the water from the potatoes and return them to the pot you boiled them in. Using a hand masher or an electric hand mixer, begin to mash the potatoes. Add the butter, cream cheese or yogurt, salt and pepper. Begin adding milk, just a few tablespoons at a time, until the potatoes are your desired consistency.

5. To serve, scoop some potatoes onto a plate and top with meatballs and sauce. Garnish with fresh time or parsley flakes.

Serves 4 - 6.

Stewed Sauerkraut with Lentil Meatballs

I will find any way I can to incorporatesauerkrautinto a meal. So when I ran across a non vegan recipe for a dish similar to this, I knew it was something I would love. I mean come on, sauerkraut is so good for you and the tang mixed with the creamy tomatoes in this recipe is just perfection!

The lentil “meatballs” are tasty and filling, and the stew is warm and comforting. You could use any premade meatball you want if you are not in the mood to whip up some lentil balls, but they are pretty quick and easy to make.

The zesty kraut and tomatoes, coupled with the cream cheese and milk are a perfect combination. Trust me here. I just keep repeating myself about this perfect combo, but I seriously pretty much licked my plate the first time I made this meal. No lie, it was not my classiest moment. Moving on…..

This meal is delicious on its own and even better with some oven crisped potatoes. Well, because we all know crispy potatoes can make the worst day better, and an already great meal an absolutely fricking fantastic, rainbows and unicorns, kind of meal. So just go ahead and make the potatoes.

One thing I am certain of is this stewed sauerkrautand lentil meatball dish is definitely going into my regular winter dinner rotation and hopefully yours, too!

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Ingredients:

Lentil Meatballs

• 1 cup dried brown lentils

• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

• 1 medium onion

• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch

• 1 teaspoon garlic powser

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Stewed Sauerkraut

• 1 25 oz jar of sauerkraut, store bought or homemade

• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

• 2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese

• 1/2 cup unsweetened plant based milk

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon salt

• pepper to taste

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Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Add lentils to a medium sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow the lentil to cook 15 - 20 minutes. You want then soft enough to bite through but now mushy. Drain and set aside.

2. Peel and cut onion in half. Pop it into a food processor or high speed blender, and blend until it is nice and minced up.

3. Next, add the lentils, oats, and remaining meatball ingredients and blend until the mixture is well combined. It should be thick and a little sticky.

4. Scoop up lentil mixture with a small scoop or spoon, and from 1 inch “meatballs”. Place the “meatballs” on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.

5. In a large pot or dutch oven, while “meatballs” are baking, combine all ingredients for the sauerkraut stew, stirring well to incorporate the cream cheese. Heat over medium heat, reducing to low once the stew has come to a simmer.

6. Once “meatballs” are done baking , add them to the sauerkraut stew pot, and allow them to simmer in the pot for 5 to 10 minutes.

7. Serve in bowls topped with vegan sour cream, or with a side of oven crisp, or air fryer potatoes.

Serves 4 - 6.

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Vegan Chicken Divan

To be honest, I had never even heard of Chicken Divan until I was married and my husband introduced me to this southern classic.

It was a staple and favorite in his house growing up! It is traditionally a creamy, cheesey, chicken, and broccoli comfort food that is often served with rice.

Since going vegan we haven’t been able to have this dish in years, so naturally it was one that needed veganizing! Using jackfruit in place of the chicken works very well as long a you cook the brine flavor out of the jackfruit first.

I took the suggestion of my friend Mike who said his grandmother always added curry powder, and he was right! It is a delicious addition!

So if you have never heard of this dish, or have had it in the past and miss it, go ahead and try this vegan version. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

And thanks to my mother in law, Debbi, for introducing me to this southern classic!! We wouldn’t have this vegan version with you!

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Ingredients:

• 2 cans of jackfruit in brine, or 4-5 easy vegan chicken breast diced

• 1 head of broccoli

• 1 cup vegan sour cream or plain yogurt (I use Kite Hill plain almond milk yogurt)

• 1 cup vegan mayo

• 1 cup vegan cheddar shreds

• 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon, plus 3 tablespoons water

• 1/2 cup cashews

• 1 cup water

• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch

• 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast

• 1/2 of a small yellow onion

• 2 teaspoon curry powder

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs (use whatever bread you have laying around, gf works fine too)

• 2 tablespoon melted butter

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

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Instructions:

1. Drain jackfruit. Chop or use hands to break up the pieces to resemble shredded meat. if using the chicken, dice into small pieces.

2. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the Better Than Bouillon and 3 tablespoons of water. Next, add in the jackfruit, and allow to cook until all of the liquid is absorbed (about 5 minutes). Cooking the jackfruit like this will help cut down on some of the brine flavor it has.

3. Wash and chop up the head of broccoli. Add it to the pot with the jackfruit, and allow the broccoli to cook for 3-5 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Once it’s done remove the pot from the heat, set aside.

4. Put the cashews in a microwave safe container. Cover them in water and microwave for 3 minutes. Place the 1/2 onion into a high speed blender or food processor and blend until it is broken down. Drain the water from the cashews and add them, plus the 1 cup of fresh water, nutritional yeast, starch, and lemon juice to the blender with the onion. Process until the mixture is completely smooth. Transfer mixture to a sauce pan and heat on medium/low heat, whisking the whole time, until the mixture begins to thicken into a thin pudding consistency.

5. Pour the cashew mixture over the jackfruit, or chicken and broccoli. Add in the sour cream, mayo, curry powder, cheddar shreds, salt and pepper to taste, and stir until combined. Transfer mixture to a 9x13 baking pan.

6. In your blender or food processor, break down the soft bread into crumbs. Stir in the melted butter and spread the mixture evenly over the casserole. Bake the casserole for 35 - 45 minutes on the middle rack of your oven.

7. Serve “chicken” divan as is, or over rice, and sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese.

Crispy Coconut Tofu with Tropical Rice

This coconut tofu with tropical rice is perfect for quick and easy weeknight dinner. It is light, yet filling and satisfying.

My husband adores coconut, and even though I sit on the fence depending on the recipes, this is also one of my favorite tofu recipes. Even all of our kids happily eat it. And trust me in our house with 6 people what is no easy feat!!

The tofu is perfectly crispy and coated in delicious sweet shredded coconut. The tofu sits on a bed of basmati rice mixed with some savory veggies and topped with a sweet, creamy, spicy, citrus sauce.

This recipe actually comes together pretty quickly, especially if you own a rice cooker. I prefer cooking my tofu in an air fryer but an oven works just fine, too!

If you are not a fan of cilantro leave it off. (I truly don’t understand those who hate cilantro but I will respect your aversion!) If you are a fan DO NOT LEAVE IT OFF!! It is my favorite pop of flavor in the whole repine!

So if you are in need of a pretty easy and super delicious tofu recipe that is sure to please all the people, here you go!! And let me know if you love it too!! I love to hear when our favorites become your favorite, too!!!

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Ingredients:

• 1 block extra firm tofu

• 4 cups cooked brown basmati rice

• 1 carrot

• 1/2 small red onion

• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

• 1 can full fat coconut milk or coconut cream

• 1 flax egg

• 1/2 cup tapioca or corn starch

• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, or shredded coconut

• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (make sure your the brand you are using is plant based)

Creamy citrus chili sauce:

• 1/2 cup vegan plain yogurt (I use Kite Hill)

• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

• juice from 1/2 a lime

• 1 tablespoon orange juice

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce or coconut aminos

• black pepper to taste

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Instructions:

1. Drain tofu and wrap in a few paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Place a few books on top for 15 minutes to press the tofu.

2. Cook the rice according to package instructions on the stove top or use a rice cooker. You will need 4 cups cooked rice.

3. Cut the pressed tofu into 1 inch by 1 inch cubes. Mix up you flax egg in a medium size shallow bowl. After the flax egg has thickened, add the can of count milk to the bowl and whisk. Add the starch to a large kitchen plate. On a separate plate mix together the coconut and panko.

4. First dip the tofu cubes into the coconut milk mixture then into the starch. Dip again in the coconut milk mixture, then into the shredded coconut and panko, pressing the panko/coconut mixture into the tofu to ensure it sticks.

   OVEN INSTRUCTIONS: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place tofu on the pan. Light spray the tofu with some spray oil and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes carefully turn the pieces over and bake another 10 minutes or until browned and crisp. I keep mine on the middle rack until the end of baking to avoid burning the coconut You can move the pan to the top rack the last few minutes of baking if the pieces are not browning to your liking.

   AIR FRYER INSTRUCTIONS: Place coated tofu into your Air Fryer basket. Light spray the pieces with some cooking oil. Set the fryer at 380 degrees for 15 minutes.

5. Peel the carrot into ribbons with a vegetable peeler, then finely chop the ribbons into small pieces. Next, thinly slice the 1/2 onion. Once rice is done cooking pop the veggies in the pot and let them sit with the lid on until ready to serve.

6. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl.

7. To serve, fill shallow bowls with 1/3, to 1 cup of rice. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and top with 3 - 4 pieces of coconut tofu. Drizzle with sauce.

Serves 4 - 6.

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Loaded Vegan Roasted Red Potatoes

I love carbs and I love potatoes.

This potato dish is actually really easy to make.

You simply have to roast some little red potatoes, whip up a super easy vegan cheddar cheese sauce, and top it all of with some onions, vegan sour cream, vegan bacon.

This recipe is simple comfort food that everyone in my family loves.

Sever these potatoes with a nice healthy side salad and dinner is delicious and done!

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Ingredients:

• 4 cups quartered red potatoes

• 1 batch vegan cheddar cheese sauce

• 1/2 cup vegan sour cream, or plain yogurt ( I use plain Kite Hill Almond Milk Yogurt)

• 3 diced green onions

• salt and pepper to taste

• optional: 1 teaspoon garlic salt

• 1 teaspoon olive or grapeseed oil

• optional: coconut bacon

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Cheddar Cheese Sauce:

• 1/2 cup cashews ( plus water for soaking)

• 1 cup water

• 2 teaspoons light miso paste

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch or corn starch

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• smoke paprika

• turmeric

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Instructions:

pre heat oven to 400 degrees

1. Toss the quartered potatoes in a teaspoon of oil, sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder if you like, and place in an iron skillet or casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. You will need to stir the potatoes around a few times durning baking.

2. While the potatoes are baking, prepare the cheese sauce by adding the soaked and drained cashews, 1 cup of water, and remaining ingredients to a highspeed blender or food processor. Blend on hight until the mixture is completely smooth.

3. Transfer cheese mixture to a sauce pan, and heat on medium heat, whisking the whole time, until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat once it has thickened. If it gets to thick you can thin it back out with a little water.

4. Once potatoes are cooked through, and a little crispy on the edges, remove from the oven and drizzle a hearty portion of cheese sauce over the potatoes. Pop the potatoes back in the over for a few more minutes. ( you may have leftover cheese sauce. It can be refrigerated for about a week and used on nachos, as a chip dip, or any way you like)

5. Remove Potatoes from the oven and top with diced onions, dollops of sour cream, and coconut bacon.

Serves 4