Are you ready to embark on a culinary journey that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving for more? In this blog post, we're going to introduce you to three mouthwatering vegan recipes that will not only satisfy your cravings but also nourish your body with plant-based goodness. From a hearty Vegan Lasagna to a refreshing Vegan Caesar Salad with Crisp Chickpeas, and finally, some delightful Cookie Dough Balls for dessert, we've got your vegan cravings covered.
1.Vegan Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1tablespoon olive oil
- 1small white or yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2tablespoons tomato paste
- 1teaspoon Italian seasoning (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
- ¼teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 1(14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices
- 1(14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1tablespoon vegan sugar (optional)
- Kosher salt, to taste
For the Vegan Ricotta
- 2cups raw cashews
- 1small garlic clove
- 3tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1(15-ounce) block extra-firm tofu, lightly pressed between paper towels to remove excess moisture
- 2tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Kosher salt and black pepper
For Assembly
- Olive oil, for greasing
- Kosher salt
- 9 to 12uncooked lasagna noodles
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)
Preparation
- Make the marinara sauce: Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for another minute. Stir in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning and red-pepper flakes, then stir in the diced and crushed tomatoes and sugar, if using. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, uncovered. Add salt to taste. You can leave the sauce textured or purée it with an immersion blender, depending on your preference. Remove from heat.
- Make the ricotta: Add the cashews and garlic to a food processor and process until the cashews form a coarse meal, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the processor, then turn the processor back on. While it’s running, drizzle in ½ cup water and the lemon juice. Process until completely smooth and the texture resembles hummus, another 2 minutes.
- Crumble the block of tofu into the processor, add the nutritional yeast, and season with salt and pepper. Continue processing until the mixture is smooth and resembles ricotta, stopping to scrape the sides of the processor as needed, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Assemble the lasagna: Heat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Bring a large, salted pot of water to boil. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions, until they’re al dente. (Skip this step if you’re using no-boil noodles.)
- Layer 1 scant cup marinara sauce at the bottom of your lasagna dish. Cover it with a layer of 3 to 4 lasagna noodles. Cover the noodles with half the vegan ricotta. Cover the ricotta with another layer of noodles, followed by another cup of marinara and the remaining ricotta. Add a final layer of noodles and the remaining marinara sauce. Bake the lasagna for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the marinara on top is dark and the lasagna is bubbling. Top with torn basil leaves, if desired, and serve.
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2. Vegan Caesar Salad With Crisp Chickpeas
Ingredients
- ½ small loaf crusty bread, such as sourdough, torn into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
- ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1(14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and thoroughly dried
- 1large bunch lacinato kale, stems removed and roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
- 1large head romaine lettuce, roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
- Cherry tomato
- ½ avocado
- ½ sweet potato
For the Dressing
- 1cup whole (unroasted) cashews
- 1snack-size (2-by-3-inch) sheet roasted nori, crumbled (optional)
- ¼cup nutritional yeast, plus more for serving
- ¼cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
- 3garlic cloves
- 2teaspoons brine from a jar of capers
- 1teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1teaspoon white miso paste
- ¾teaspoon kosher salt
- ½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a medium baking sheet, toss the bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil; season generously with salt and pepper. On a second baking sheet, toss the chickpeas with remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Bake both until chickpeas and croutons are browned and crisp, stirring both halfway through, about 10 minutes for the croutons and 20 minutes for the chickpeas. Set aside.
- While the chickpeas and croutons roast, prepare your dressing: To a high-speed blender, add all the dressing ingredients, plus ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and ¾ cup water; blend until completely smooth, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula every now and again. Set dressing aside. (You should have 1½ cups).
- In a large bowl, add the kale and the dressing. Using your hands, massage the kale until slightly softened. Add the lettuce, croutons, cherry tomato, baked sweet potato, avocado and half the roasted chickpeas; toss to coat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with additional nutritional yeast. Top with remaining roasted chickpeas; grind black pepper over, and serve immediately.
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3. Cookie Dough balls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour
- 2 scoops vanilla vegan protein powder
- 1/4 cup peanut butter nut butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (I used sugar free)
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Preparation
- Line a baking sheet or plate with parchment paper and set aside. Add everything to a large bowl except chocolate chips and mix until well combined. The dough will be sticky, so I recommend using a rubber spatula.
- Slowly fold in chocolate chips. Roll into 10 balls and refrigerate for 15 minutes to set. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days!
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