Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard

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

Deconstructed Falafel Bowl

5 Comments

Falafel-Bowl-Deconstructed

As much as I love falafel, I really hate making them. They’re tedious and I’m lazy, so it’s rare that I make them. I have to really, really want falafel.

Of course, I’m a perfectionist and my falafel balls must all be identical in size and shape, so perhaps that’s why they take me so long to prepare, but who knows. All I know is that I love falafel and wanted to find a way to make this dish quicker.

As luck would have it, I stumbled across this post on Vegan Yack Attack (recipe from Megan at The Vegan Cookbook Aficionado) for deconstructed falafel bowls.

Falafel-Bowl

All of the deliciousness of falafel, without the hard work involved. Now that’s my kind of recipe!

I adapted it slightly, removing some ingredients and lessening others to suit my personal tastes, so feel free to check out the recipe on Vegan Yack Attack for Megan’s take on these bowls.

Deconstructed-Falafel-Bowls

Deconstructed Falafel Bowl
Recipe Type: Entree
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2-4
All the goodness of falafels with only a fraction of the work! This bowl is full of good stuff, and takes no time at all to put together! [i]Adapted from [url href=”http://veganyackattack.com/2014/01/18/deconstructed-falafel-bowl/” target=”_blank”]Vegan Yack Attack[/url] & [url href=”http://www.cookbookaficionado.com/” target=”_blank”]The Vegan Cookbook Aficionado[/url].[/i]
Ingredients
  • Roasted Chickpeas
  • 3 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Tahini Dressing
  • 1/3 cup tahini
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 large clove garlic, grated with microplane
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
  • Putting everything together
  • Roasted chickpeas
  • Cooked quinoa
  • Lettuce, shredded
  • Cucumber, sliced
  • Tomatoes, sliced
  • Hummus
  • Tahini dressing
  • Hot sauce
Instructions
Roasted Chickpeas
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375F.
  2. Add chickpeas to a large bowl (if you’re using canned chickpeas, rinse them first). Add olive oil, lemon juice, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper, and mix well, until the chickpeas are all coated completely.
  3. Add chickpeas to baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking.
  4. Toss with the fresh parsley and set aside.
Tahini Dressing
  1. Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until everything comes together nicely. Add more water, if necessary, 1 tbsp at a time.
Putting it all together
  1. In bowls, add some of the cooked quinoa, a bunch of roasted chickpeas, some tomatoes, some cucumber, a handful of lettuce, and a big dollop of hummus. Drizzle on some of the tahini dressing and a squirt (or more) of hot sauce. Serve and enjoy!

 

Indian Butter Cauliflower

9 Comments

butter-cauliflower

Are you ready for a party in your mouth? Because I’ve got something good for ya!

You guys – this dish. Oh my gosh, this dish. It is damn good, and I don’t say that lightly.

As someone who used to despise Indian cuisine, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but this is one of the best entrees I’ve made in a very, very long time!

Indian Butter Cauliflower
Recipe Type: Entree
Cuisine: Indian
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Wow – talk about a flavour explosion in your mouth! This dish is creamy and satisfying, with a ton of Indian flair! [i]Adapted from [url href=”http://fooddoodles.com/2013/04/11/vegan-butter-cauliflower-with-coconut-brown-rice/” target=”_blank”]Food Doodles[/url][/i]
Ingredients
  • Cauliflower
  • 4 cups cauliflower (chopped into bite-size pieces)
  • 1 tbsp oil (I used avocado oil)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp tandoori seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Sauce
  • 2 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)
  • 1 small onion (diced)
  • 3 large garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 3/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 cups crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425F.
  2. While oven is heating up, add chopped cauliflower, 1 tbsp oil, lemon juice, tandoori seasoning and salt to a large bowl. Mix well so that all of the cauliflower pieces are coated.
  3. Add cauliflower to a baking sheet and cook in pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
  4. In a large skillet, add 2 tbsp oil and heat on medium heat. Once warmed, add onions and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chili powder, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon, and mix well. Add crushed tomatoes, and mix until combined.
  5. Simmer on medium heat for about 15 minutes, then add coconut milk and sugar. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Add salt & pepper to taste, then add in the cooked cauliflower and cook until everything is heated through.
  6. Serve over rice, quinoa or grain of your choice (I used basmati rice).

 

Chocolate Mug Cake in 3 Minutes

5 Comments

chocolate-mug-cake

I had a hankering for chocolate yesterday, but no energy to whip up cake or cookies or anything else, so I did the next best thing, I made cake in the microwave!

This cake is simple, delicious and only takes 3 minutes start to finish. You’ll want to make it over and over again (I may or may not have made 2 of these in a row).

Add a scoop of your favourite vegan ice cream on top, and you’ll be blown away!

Chocolate Mug Cake
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
Chocolate cake that’s vegan [i]and [/i]ready in only 3 minutes? Count me in! This recipe is a keeper!
Ingredients
  • 3 tbsp spelt flour
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbsp orange juice
  • 2 1/2 tsp olive oil
Instructions
  1. Sift flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and baking soda in a large mug.
  2. Add orange juice and olive oil, and whisk together.
  3. Microwave for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes.
  4. Allow to cool, and enjoy!

 

Hash Browns with Veggies

5 Comments

hash-browns-with-veggies

This is undoubtedly my favourite breakfast ever. It’s so simple to put together and in less than 30 minutes I can stuff my face. Which, honestly, is exactly what I do, because it is THAT good.

Vegan Hash Browns

The vegan cheese is a must, in my opinion. Although the dish is good without it, the cheese just makes it 10x better!

Hash Browns with Veggies
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 1
A great way to start the day!
Ingredients
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large potato (I use organic red potatoes)
  • 1/4 cup green pepper (chopped into bite-size pieces)
  • 1/3 cup tomato (chopped into bite-size pieces)
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4-1/3 cup vegan cheese shreds, optional (I used Daiya cheddar shreds)
  • 1 green onion stalk (chopped)
Instructions
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
  2. Rinse and scrub your potato well. Dry, and using a box grater, grate the potato. Add to a colander and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Press a clean, dry towel on top and “push” out as much liquid as you can.
  3. Add olive oil to skillet and spread it out evenly. Add in your potatoes, green pepper and tomatoes. Do not mix. Let everything get all brown and crispy on the bottom, about 5 minutes.
  4. Once the potatoes start to brown on the bottom, you can mix them up. Add in the garlic and cook for 5 minutes more.
  5. Add salt, pepper, onion powder, vegan cheese shreds (if using), and green onion pieces, and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked and crispy.

 

Sweet Potato Salad with Creamy Cashew Dressing

Leave a Comment

sweet-potato-salad

So, I found myself with an extra sweet potato that really needed to be used up this week.

Not one to waste food (especially this time of year, when produce is ridiculously expensive), I put on my thinking cap. Unfortunately, nothing very creative came to me, so I just decided on a sweet potato salad.

The good news – this salad is OFF THE HOOK. It was so good that I plan on making it again next week. And maybe the week after. And the week after that…

Salad with Sweet Potato

 

The creamy cashew dressing on it’s own is.. just.. wow. I love cashews. Love, love, love. And the cashew dressing works perfectly with this simple (but delicious!) salad.

 

Sweet Potato Salad with Creamy Cashew Dressing
Recipe Type: Salad
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
A delicious, easy, and very healthy salad for any day of the week!
Ingredients
  • Salad
  • 2 cups salad greens of choice (I used mixed greens)
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into large chunks
  • 1/2 tbsp oil for high heat (avocado, grapeseed)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 tsp poppy seeds
  • large handful crushed tortilla chips
  • Dressing
  • 1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 3 hours
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 tbsp agave nectar
  • 1/4 cup water + more as needed
Instructions
Salad
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375F. While the oven is heating up, add your sweet potato chunks to a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix them all up so that every potato chunk is coated. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until you can pierce the sweet potato with a fork.
Dressing
  1. Drain and rinse the cashews and put them in a high-speed blender or food processor. Add lemon juice, garlic clove, salt, oil, agave nectar and water.
  2. Process cashew mixture until creamy, scraping down the sides and adding more water as needed.
Preparation
  1. Add salad greens to a bowl or plate, top with sweet potato, slivered almonds, chia seeds, poppy seeds, crushed tortilla chips, and drizzle with cashew dressing. Serve immediately.

 

Carrot Spice Muffins

Leave a Comment

carrot-spice-muffins

Here’s a fun and easy way to sneak more veggies into your diet (or, in my case, the diet of my two young kids, who refuse to eat anything other than bread, pasta and chocolate)!

When I made these vegan carrot spice muffins on a gloomy Sunday morning, my day was instantly better once these babies were cooked, cooled, and I popped them into my mouth. They’re incredibly delicious!

Carrot Spice Muffins
Recipe Type: Breakfast
Author: Vegan Insanity
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12 muffins
These vegan carrot spice muffins are not only delicious and easy to make, but they’re healthy! [i]Adapted from [url href=”http://ohsheglows.com/2011/04/11/vegan-carrot-spice-muffins-for-grandpa/” target=”_blank”]Oh She Glows[/url][/i]
Ingredients
  • 1 & 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour (spelt flour would also work better)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
  • 1 tbsp ground flax seed
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp chia seeds
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp agave nectar (or an extra tbs maple syrup)
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup vanilla coconut yogurt
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
  • 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a muffin tin with liners (don’t skip the liners or the muffins will be impossible to get out of your tin!).
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, ground flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt.
  3. In a separate, small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, agave, applesauce, coconut yogurt, water, and vanilla). Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just incorporated. Don’t over-mix!
  4. Fold in the carrots and walnuts.
  5. Scoop batter into the muffin liners. You’ll want to fill them right up to the top to get 12 large muffins. Bake for about 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for at least 5 minutes.