Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard

Vegan Insanity >> Vegan recipes that are delicious and easy to make. Plus, kitchen, cooking & shopping tips!

Chocolate Beetroot Dougnuts

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Chocolate-Beet-Doughnuts-VeganExtra, extra! Read all about it!

I put beets in my doughnuts and I’m loving every last bite of these chocolate morsels!

Chocolate-Beet-DoughnutsI used to be one of those people who hated beets. In fact, just the sight of them alone would give me the heebie jeebies. My mom used to always buy the pickled beets in a jar, and those, I would eat, but fresh beets? No way! Those things are weird!

Well, flash forward to 2014 and fresh beets have now become a staple in my diet. They’re great for more than just eating, though! I also love (read: am obsessed with) them in my smoothies and juices. And they’re good for you!

Beets:

Lower your blood pressure
Boost your stamina
Fight inflamation
Are an aphrodisiac (no really!)
Are high in many vitamins and minerals
Help your mental health

Oh, beets. You are magic and I love you long time. Let’s be friends forever.

Chocolate-Beet-DonutsSo! These doughnuts!

They’re pretty, right? That’s just another thing beets can do – make pretty food and drinks.

These doughnuts have a chocolate frosting on top (cause’ duh – chocolate), and I also added some beet juice & icing sugar on top to finish them off. And then I proceeded to eat 3 doughnuts before I could even snap a picture. Oops.

I bet you can’t eat just 1 either! Go ahead, try it. I dare you.

Vegan-Chocolate-Beet-Doughnuts

Chocolate Beetroot Dougnuts
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • Doughnuts
  • 3/4 cups + 1 tbsp kamut or all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup grated beet
  • Doughnut Topping
  • Chocolate: 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips, melted
  • Beet Glaze: 3 tbsp beet juice + 1/3 cup icing sugar, whisked together
Instructions
Doughnuts
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a doughnut pan with no-stick spray and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, mix together the flaxseed, almond milk, coconut sugar, vinegar, olive oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Fold in the grated beets.
  3. Spoon the mixture into your doughnut pan and bake for about 8 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
Doughnut Topping
  1. Spread the melted chocolate on the cooled doughnuts, then drizzle with the beet juice + icing sugar mixture.
  2. Enjoy!

Vegan-Chocolate-Beet-Donuts

Mini Cauliflower Crust Pizzas with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

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Cauliflower-Crust-Pizzas-VeganThe other day I was thinking out loud and my brain forced me to blurt out “cauliflower crust pizza I need you in my liiiiiife”. And clearly if I’m thinking about a particular food, I need to make it, or my brain will not be happy. And so I obliged. I made cauliflower crust pizza. And it was just as amazing as I thought it would be.

Cauliflower-Crust-PizzasThe reason I went with mini pizzas is because every time I try to make a full-size pizza, the crust always falls apart and I cry and curse and hit things.

So I went with mini pizzas this time. Thankfully, there was no foul language shooting out of my mouth when these babies were done. My husband was thankful.

I topped my pizzas with marinara, lentils, green peppers and a healthy dose of vegan parmesan cheese. The result? An easy to eat, healthy, gluten-free vegan pizza and makes my tummy happy. Success!

Vegan-Cauliflower-Crust-Pizzas

Mini Cauliflower Crust Pizzas with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Recipe Type: Pizza
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • Marinara Sauce
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, not packed in oil
  • 1 cup chopped tomato
  • 1/2 chopped cucumber
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp salt
  • Cauliflower Crust
  • 1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
  • 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
  • 6 tbsp water
  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp basil
  • 1/4 tsp oregano
Instructions
Marinara Sauce
  1. Soak your sun-dried tomatoes for at least 2 hours, then drain.
  2. Add all marinara ingredients to a food processor or blender and process/blend until combined.
Cauliflower Crust
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Set aside.
  2. Place the cauliflower into a food processor (you may need to do this in batches, depending on how large your food processor is) and pulse until you get a rice-like texture.
  3. Add the cauliflower rice into a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain the cauliflower rice and allow to cool completely.
  4. Once cooled, the the cauliflower rice and transfer to a large, clean dishtowel. Wrap it up and squeeze out as much of the remaining liquid as you can. The more, the better.
  5. Mix together 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons water and set aside to thicken.
  6. Add the cauliflower to a large bowl, then add in the chia seeds, almond meal, salt, garlic, basil, oregano and flax egg. Mix well, then divide the mixture into about 12 balls. Form those balls into small pizzas and place on the baking sheet. Press together well so that the crust stays together when baking.
  7. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the top is dry and golden brown. Flip, and bake another 5-10 minutes.
  8. Then, add your toppings and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, or until everything is nice and warm.

 

Lentil Soup with Cumin & Coriander

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Lentil-SoupWhen I was a kid, my favourite soup was chicken noodle. Preferably from a can. And preferably without any chicken and mostly noodles.

I would often eat canned soup for lunch on the weekends. It was easy enough for me to make myself once I knew how to use a can opener and the microwave (that’s right, I didn’t even cook it in a pot on the stove).

Chicken noodle soup was my thang. For years. Even as an adult, it was one of my favourite things to eat when I was too lazy to come up with something a bit more creative.

Vegan-Lentil-SoupNow, though, I’m obviously done with chicken noodle, but I still love the comfort of soup. My current favourite is vegetable, but this lentil soup is a close second.

It’s easy to throw together, it’s crazy good for you, and it tastes amazing. Way better than chicken noodle soup ever did.

Side note: Photographing soup is HARD. Photographing brown soup is even harder. Perhaps the green parsley on top will help? What if I stick some green in the background?

Be jealous of my food photography skillzzzz. Or not.

Lentil-Soup-VeganWhen it’s cold and gray outside (like today at my house!), soup is the perfect remedy. Try this lentil soup and let me know if you enjoyed it as much as I did!

Lentil Soup with Cumin & Coriander
Recipe Type: Entree, Lunch
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, minced
  • 4 medium carrots, chopped
  • 4 celery stalks, chopped
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups green or brown lentils, uncooked (I used brown)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 2 whole sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 cup chopped spinach
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
  2. Add in the onion, carrots, celery and garlic, and cook until tender and browned.
  3. Add the lentils, cumin, coriander, broth, bay leaf and fresh thyme. Give it all a good mix, then add lid and simmer over low heat until the lentils are tender, 30-40 minutes.
  4. Remove the bay leaf and thyme, and add in the chopped spinach and tomatoes. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until spinach has wilted.
  5. season with salt and pepper, and serve, with some fresh parsley on top for colour (if desired).

 

Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Chickpeas

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Butternut-Squash-SoupBrrrr, it’s cold outside! Why did I choose to live somewhere that’s cold for 9 months out of the year?

Despite the cold outside, I am warming up inside with this bowl of butternut squash soup. Mmmm. Super easy to make, super healthy, and super duper warm-you-up-inside. It’s like a hug. A soup hug. Go ahead and give it a squeeze.

There. Don’t you feel better?

Vegan-Butternut-Squash-SoupThis soup is smooth and velvety. Bright and bold. Flavourful and healthy.

Amazing and amazing. No, but seriously. It’s GOOD. As long as you have a large pot and an immersion blender, you are just an hour away from a warm, comforting bowl of butternut squash soup.

Butternut-Squash-Soup-VeganThe oven-roasted chickpeas are important!

Plain soup is boring. It’s like serving chili without tortilla chips or bread. Just wrong! Chickpeas will add a nice little somethin’-somethin’ to your soup – so don’t skip them!

Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Chickpeas
Recipe Type: Soup
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 medium butternut squash
  • 2 large carrots, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 6-8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 2-3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp basil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds (you can throw them out or save them for roasting later). Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil, and place the squash cut-side down on a large baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the middle of the squash with minimal resistance.
  3. While the squash is cooking, line another large baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Add the chopped carrots and onion, chickpeas, and the smashed garlic. Separate the chickpeas from everything else, since they will not be going in the soup. I put them on the left side of my baking sheet and everything else was on the right. Drizzle with 1/2 tbsp olive oil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until tender.
  4. Once everything is cooked, add it all (except the chickpeas!) to a large pot over low-medium heat. Add broth and milk, and use an immersion blender to blend until the soup reaches your desired consistency.
  5. Add spices, stir, and simmer 5-10 minutes. Serve warm, topped with roasted chickpeas.

Healthy-Vegan-Butternut-Squash-Soup

Sesame-Orange Tofu Rice Bowl

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Orange-Tofu-Rice-BowlWhat’s another word for “in love”?

Infatuated? No… Obsessed? No…

I know – enamored. Yes, enamored. That’s exactly how I feel about rice bowls. Completely and utterly enamored. I guess you could say I’m infatuated and obsessed, too, but either way: LOVE.

Vegan-Orange-Tofu-RiceSo GORG! Swoon.

I piled a heap of brown rice, sauteed kale and a sweet & savory sesame-orange tofu on my plate and then sprinkled with some sesame seeds and green onions. DINNER IS SERRRRRRVED. YES.

The combination of orange juice, sesame oil, and a hint of heat from the red chili flakes, makes your mouth be all “what is this deliciousness I’m tasting and why don’t you feed it to me more often?”. I’m sorry mouth. I will do better.

Orange-Tofu-Rice-Bowl-VeganCan I also mention that my kids ate this and kinda sorta liked it? For real! My anti-tofu, anti-anything green kids liked this meal. Surprise of a lifetime. Guess that means no leftovers for me. But my kids ate greens! And tofu! Who are they?!

Vegan-Orange-Tofu-Rice-BowlNow it’s your turn to dig into this super yummy bowl of everything awesome. Enjoy, friend!

Sesame Orange Tofu Rice Bowl
Recipe Type: Entree
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • Marinade
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 3 tbsp tamari
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 lb extra-firm tofu, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
  • Rice Bowl
  • Sliced green onions, for garnish
  • 1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 cup kale, chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Add cornstarch and water in a small bowl until the cornstarch is fully disolved. Set aside.
  3. In an 9×9 inch baking dish, add orange juice, orange zest, red pepper flakes, tamari, maple syrup, vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, salt and pepper, and the cornstarch & water mixture. Stir to combine .
  4. Add tofu coat it with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate 30-60 minutes.
  5. To bake, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, flipping the tofu over halfway through cooking time.
Rice Bowl
  1. While the tofu is cooking, heat a large pan over medium heat. Once warmed, add your olive oil, then the minced garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is lightly browned. Add in the kale and cook until wilted, another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. In a bowl or on a plate, add rice, then the kale, then the tofu. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

 

Roasted Salt & Pepper Delicata Squash

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Roasted-Delicata-SquashMy absolute favourite squash of all time is the gorgeous delicata squash. Not only is it beautiful, but it’s SO tasty! My favourite way to cook it is by roasting it in the oven with a bit of oil, salt & pepper. I can eat it as a snack on it’s own, that’s how good it is. Usually, though, it’s a side dish.

This recipe is hardly a recipe at all, considering there are only 4 ingredients (and one of them is the squash!). But it’s so delicious, I just had to share.

DelicataSlice your squash in half, and remove the seeds. This is the fun part. No really!

Normally I just throw out the seeds, but this time, I kept them, and roasted them, too, after the squash was done. They were so good!

Delicata-SquashAdd to your baking sheet, toss with a bit of oil, salt & pepper. Then bake!

Vegan-Roasted-Delicata-SquashCome oooooon. Look at those little cuties? Don’t you just want to snatch them up and eat the whole entire bowl-full yourself?

No? Just me?

Roasted-Delicata-Squash-VeganI added the squash to a rice bowl this time, with some sauteed greens and lentils. My belly was happy. Your belly would be happy too, if you made this squash! Do it!

Roasted Salt & Pepper Delicata Squash
Recipe Type: Sides
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3-4 sides
Ingredients
  • 1 medium delicata squash
  • 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt (add more or less, to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (add more or less, to taste)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375F.
  2. Wash the squash, then slice off the stem, and cut the squash in half, length-wise. Do not remove the skin. Remove and discard the seeds (or you can save them and roast them for a snack!). Slice squash into half-moon shapes, about 1/2 inch thick.
  3. Spread your squash out on a large baking sheet. Add the oil, salt & pepper, and mix well, with your hands, until every half-moon is covered.
  4. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time, or until the squash has browned and you can easily pierce it with a fork or knife.
  5. Serve hot!

 

Crazy Good Baba Ganoush

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baba-ganoush-vegan

Here’s a true story: Up until a few months ago, I had never eaten eggplant. Everyone I knew said it was either gross or bland or awful or terrible… you get the idea.

So, believe me when I say I was disappointed when I received 2 of them in our farm share box in July. I was going to have to throw them out. Because – gross. bland. awful. terrible. Right?

Well, thankfully, I didn’t throw them out. No offence friends & fam, but I wanted to try them myself instead of just taking your word for it.

baba-ganoush

I tried them roasted. Bland. Gross. Awful. Terrible.

I tried them steamed. Even more bland. Even grosser. Even more awful. Even more terrible.

And then I only had one eggplant left, so I asked my friend Pinterest for help, and found this recipe from Minimalist Baker: Baba Ganoush. Like hummus! I love hummus!

So I made it. I tried it. I devoured it. I guess I do like eggplant. Prepared certain ways, of course.

vegan-baba-ganoush

I’ve received at least a dozen more eggplants from the local farm since July, and I’ve always either made eggplant fries (recipe for those coming soon!) or baba ganoush. I used Dana’s recipe as a base, then added a few more of my faaaaaavourite things, and that created some seriously crazy good baba ganoush.

I wonder if I could get my friends & family to eat it…

Crazy Good Baba Ganoush
Recipe Type: Dips
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1-2 tbsp avocado oil (or other high-heat oil)
  • 1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch circles + bit of salt
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to broil on high.
  2. Sprinkle your eggplant circles with a bit of salt and allow to sit for about 15 minutes to remove excess liquid. Wipe clean with a dry paper towel or dish cloth.
  3. Arrange eggplant on a large baking sheet, drizzle with 1-2 tbsp of oil, and broil for about 8 minutes, turning once, until the eggplant is golden brown and soft.
  4. Add eggplant to your food processor, along with garlic clove, lemon juice, tahini, extra virgin olive oil, onion powder, cumin, coriander, and salt. Adjust for seasonings. Add fresh parsley and pulse until just combined.
  5. Serve with fresh veggies and enjoy!

crazy-good-baba-ganoush

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie

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Vegan-Sweet-Potato-Shepherds-Pie

Fall is in the air. Can you smell it?

Though it’s not technically fall yet, I have already started making fall foods, because fall foods are the BEST EVER EVER.

Like this sweet potato shepherd’s pie. Gluten-free and loaded with good stuff like lentils, peas, carrots and corn. Perfect for fall.

Shepherds-Pie

You can really add any veggies you’d like to this dish, but I’ve always loved corn, peas and carrots. Along with celery, onions and garlic for some flavour, of course. I also swapped the traditional potato topping and used sweet potato instead.

Sweet potato:

Is a good source of magnesium (which helps with relaxation)
Is a source of vitamin D, which is hard to get in a vegan diet
Is naturally sweet-tasting
Contains almost twice as much fiber than other types of potatoes
Is good for your heart

So go ahead – stuff your face with sweet potatoes!

Shepherds-Pie-Vegan

I love the hint of sweetness that the sweet potato brings to this dish. It really balances nicely with the vegetables and seasonings.

I always add a sprinkle of paprika on top of my shepherd’s pie, both for flavour and because it looks pretty. And good looking food just tastes better. It’s a fact. Look it up.

So let’s eat up, my friend! This sweet potato shepherd’s pie is not gonna last long around me – get it while you can!

Sweet-Potato-Shepherds-Pie

Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
Recipe Type: Dinner
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped into small pieces
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1/2 cup diced onions
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 cup diced carrots
  • 4 1/2 cups cooked lentils
  • 2 cups diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp non-dairy milk (I used almond)
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • paprika & fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Steam your sweet potatoes and set aside.
  3. While the sweet potatoes are heat a large pan over medium heat. Once warmed, add a tbsp or so of oil, then add in the diced celery, onion, garlic, tomatoes and carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until softened.
  4. Add the cooked lentils and soy sauce to the veggies, and heat until warmed through.
  5. Once your sweet potatoes are finished steaming, mash with the non-dairy milk some salt & pepper.
  6. Scoop the lentil & veggie mix to the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish, then spread the mashed sweet potatoes over top and spread in an even layer.
  7. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top has browned lightly. Sprinkle with a bit of paprika and fresh parsley, if desired. Serve warm.

Vegan-Shepherds-Pie