The vegan thread

[Pixie]

So I may be alone on this but maybe some of you might be interested in the occasional vegan meal - so I thought a thread to group our favorite recipes might be nice. 

Don’t worry I won’t be posting anything complicated, I’m a world class lazy fuck when it comes to cooking or baking, so if it has more than 10 steps and 10 ingredients I’m out XD


I’ll try to lure you in with some cakes first, here is my to go carrot cake recipe, the only change I make is reduce the sugar by half because American recipes always have way too much sugar for my taste 

Ingredients
For the Carrot Cake:
▢ 2 cups All Purpose Flour (250g)
▢ 1 tsp Baking Powder
▢ 1 tsp Baking Soda
▢ ½ tsp Salt
▢ 2 tsp Cinnamon
▢ 1 tsp Nutmeg
▢ 1 ½ cups Light Brown Sugar (300g)
▢ 2 ⅓ cups Grated Carrot (255g)
▢ 2 Flax Eggs (2 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed Meal with 6 Tbsp Water)
▢ ½ cup Canola Oil (120ml) or Vegetable Oil
▢ 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
▢ 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
▢ 1 cup Walnuts (100g) Chopped, Optional
For the Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
▢ 4 cups Powdered Sugar (480g)
▢ ½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
▢ 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
▢ 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
▢ 2-3 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
Decoration:
▢ Walnuts Chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray two 7-inch cake pans or two 8-inch cake pans (see notes*) with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.
Sift the all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix together.
Add the light brown sugar and grated carrot to the mixing bowl.
Prepare your flax eggs by adding 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed meal to a bowl with 6 tablespoons of hot water. Let it sit for a minute to become gloopy.
Add the flax eggs, oil, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar and chopped walnuts to the mixing bowl.
Mix everything together. If it seems like it won't come together and the mix is too dry then step away from the bowl for a couple of minutes and then come back to it. The carrots will have released more moisture into the batter allowing it to come together into a thick batter.
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
While the cakes are cooling, prepare your frosting.
Add the powdered sugar, vegan butter, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the bowl of your stand mixer.
Start mixing on low speed gradually increasing speed until your frosting is thick and smooth.
If your frosting is too thick then add in the extra tablespoon of lemon juice, a drop at a time and only as much as needed to get to a spreadable consistency.
Frost the cake and decorate the top with chopped walnuts.

to see the pretty cake pictures XD
lovingitvegan.com/vegan-carrot-cake-lemon-buttercream-frosting/

[mostroop]

Hmm, this looks like a delicious way to add flax seed to my diet

[sputnik]

this is a great idea and i don't think you'll be alone in it either.
i'm not vegan but i would say easily 75-80% of my meals are, especially if i'm eating at home.
i'm not much of a baker but that cake looks yummy.

[Sarzy]

I'm vegetarian but I eat a lot of vegan meals. That carrot cake looks so tasty!

[Pixie]

It is honestly SO EASY to make.
Grating the carrots is the worst part, and you only need like 5 carrots XD
Then it's just "toss everything in a bowl, pour in a form, stuff in the oven and wait"

I usually don't bother with the layer of cream in the middle as the carrots make it juicy enough and I don't like my cakes too sweet.
And also, I'm lazy

[sputnik]

a few nights ago i made butter cauliflower, a vegan version of indian butter chicken, and it was delicious. i had it over rice and topped it with cilantro and some pickled jalapeños and onions and it was a great dinner, no meat necessary!
a surprisingly good recipe from halfbakedharvest, who tends to specialise in very kind of heavy american comfort food type dishes. i tweaked the amount of spices (added more) and i also added cumin seeds and a cinnamon stick (the cumin seeds i added before the onion, to pop them in the oil, and the cinnamon stick jsut after the turmeric and curry powder and garam masala, etc) and i topped it with pickled onions and jalapeños because i didn't have any mango or chutney and because i think pretty much everything tastes better with pickled veg on top.




Ingredients

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 1/3 cups canned full fat coconut milk
4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 inches fresh ginger, grated
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
1 can (6 ounce) tomato paste
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
steamed rice and naan, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the broiler to high. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil.

2. In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower, 1/3 cup coconut milk, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, and a pinch of salt. Let sit 10 minutes to "marinate". Spread the cauliflower in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and broil for 3-4 minutes, until the cauliflower is just beginning to char on the edges.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add the remaining garlic and ginger, cooking another 5 minutes. Stir in the garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, and cayenne, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Add the tomato paste and remaining 2 cups coconut milk. Stir to combine, bring the sauce to a boil, cook 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in coconut oil. If the sauce seems thick, thin with 1/2 to 1/2 additional coconut milk or water. Add the cauliflower and any juices on the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Serve the cauliflower and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh naan and mango chutney, if desired. Enjoy!


recipe here: www.halfbakedharvest.com/indian-coconut-butter-cauliflower/

[constancespry]

^^ That looks so good, sput. And so does the cake, pixie.

In winter, I make roast vegetables at least twice a week. Add a salad and you are good to go.

[sputnik]

^^^
i really recommend the butter cauliflower, and i'm not a cauliflower fanatic. it's fine but i'm not on the make-everything-out-of-cauliflower bandwagon and i think cauliflower rice and pizza crusts are nasty. 

i'm also a big fan of roasted veggies, and sheetpan dinners are my jam in winter. i also roast or steam veggies once or twice a week and keep them in the fridge to either heat up or just add cold to a salad.

another one i make often when i want a hearty breakfast but don't feel like eggs is a black bean and tofu scramble burrito.

i take a can of black beans (usually the super plain organic ones but sometimes the TJ cuban black beans when i have them) and zhush it up by first frying up an onion in a pan in some avocado oil, then add the can of beans with some of the can liquid, some adobo seasoning or any seasoning you like. depending on your mood you can leave the beans whole or mash them up a little with a spoon or masher. obviously it's even better if you have homemade black beans lying around but i'm a big fan of canned for convenience. 

for the tofu scramble, i crumble some extra firm tofu in a bowl (small crumbles if you want it crunchier, larger ones if you want some softer/fluffier pieces that are like scrambled egg curds), add a bit of rice vinegar, tahini, salt and pepper or TJ everyday seasoning and mix it up, and throw it into a hot pan. it doesn't take long to cook so cook i tto your desired consistency (less time if you want them softer, more if you want crunchier bits).

take a warm tortilla and add the beans, tofu scramble, and anything else you want. i like to add pickled cabbage and jalapeños, avocado, sour cream (or vegan sour cream), cilantro, really anything you have around. wrap into a burrito.

[Pixie]

Oooooh, I like anything that ressemble a curry, this looks delicious

[palta]

i am a carrot cake specialist but not a vegan one so thank you for this recipe!
i think the only thing i need to replace on my recipe are the eggs because i don't do the frosting thing. just a quick lemon+powdered sugar glaze (icing?).

also, i use sunflower oil, canola oil has a very strong flavour and smell for me.
and for the spices i go crazy with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and lemon zest. i tried clove but it was too much for me. some recipes use cardamom, but around here is very pricey.

[funky]

Something sweet? I made them for my whole family once, and everyone loved it.


7-Ingredient Vegan Cheesecakes



7-ingredient vegan, gluten-free cheesecakes that are creamy, slightly tart, perfectly sweet, and 100% irresistible. Better than real cheesecake and the perfect healthy, simple dessert to feed a crowd (or just you).

PREP TIME

1 hour 30 minutes


TOTAL TIME

1 hour 30 minutes


Servings

12

(mini cheesecakes)


Freezer Friendly: 1-2 Weeks

Does it keep?: 2-3 Days


Ingredients

CRUST



1 cup packed pitted dates
1 cup raw walnuts


FILLING

1 1/2 cups raw cashews (quick-soaked)

1 large lemon (juiced // 1 lemon yields ~scant 1/4 cup or 50 ml)

1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)

2/3 scant cup full-fat coconut milk (see instructions for note)

1/2 cup agave nectar or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)

FLAVOR ADD-INS optional

2 Tbsp salted natural peanut butter

1/4 cup wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)

3 Tbsp bourbon caramel sauce


Instructions



Add dates to a food processor and blend until small bits remain and it forms into a ball. Remove and set aside.

Next add nuts and process into a meal. Then add dates back in and blend until a loose dough forms – it should stick together when you squeeze a bit between your fingers. If it’s too dry, add a few more dates through the spout while processing. If too wet, add more almond or walnut meal. Optional: add a pinch of salt to taste.

Lightly grease a standard, 12 slot muffin tin (as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). To make removing the cheesecakes easier, cut strips of parchment paper and lay them in the slots. This creates little tabs that makes removing them easier to pop out once frozen.

Next scoop in heaping 1 Tbsp amounts of crust and press with fingers. To pack it down, use a small glass or the back of a spoon to compact it and really press it down. I found the bottom of a glass works well. If it sticks, separate the crust and the glass with a small piece of parchment. Set in freezer to firm up.

Add all filling ingredients to a blender and mix until very smooth. For the coconut milk, I like to scoop the “cream” off the top because it provides a richer texture. But if yours is already all mixed together, just add it in as is.



You don’t need a Vitamix for this recipe, just a quality blender. I mixed mine for 1 minute, then “liquified” or “pureed” it until silky smooth. If it won’t come together, add a touch more lemon juice or agave or a splash more coconut milk liquid as the liquid should help it blend better.

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If adding peanut butter, add to the blender and mix until thoroughly combined. If flavoring with blueberry or caramel, wait and swirl on top of plain cheesecakes (optional).

Divide filling evenly among the muffin tins. Tap a few times to release any air bubbles, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze until hard – about 4-6 hours.

Once set, remove by tugging on the tabs or loosening them with a butter knife. They should pop right out. Our favorite way to devour these was with a little more caramel and a touch of coconut whipped cream. But they’re perfect as is! Keep in the freezer for up to 1-2 weeks.


Optional: You can set them out for 10 minutes before serving to soften, but I liked them frozen as well.

[Pixie]

No pretty pictures this time, but I thought I'd share one of my made-up recipes that has become a regular meal, because it turned out so good XD
It may feel like an automny recipe because it contains pumpkin, but who wouldn't eat pumpkin whenever?





First, shove chunks of pumpkin (or sweet potato) in the oven with oil salt pepper and some paprika spice. There are absolutely no measures whatsoever in this recipe because I always improvise everything XD

The stew:
Fry yellow onion with generous garlic, fresh chili, ginger.
Put two cans of coconut milk
Add half a can of crushed tomatoes
Put in spices as generously as you like, best to try and add more in the end if you want so that it's not too strong : salt, pepper, , cinnamon, cumin, some yellow curry powder and a dash of cardamom.

Let the spices sink in for a while, and then add
Chickpeas
Green peas (I usually use frozen ones)
A whole bag of baby spinach
A squeeze of lime

Just let it boil together until the pumpkin is ready.
Serve rice with stew and sprinkle pumpkin and raisins on top.



I do this a lot because it's super tasty, and usually it's stuff I do always have in my kitchen, it's a very cheap and healthy meal that doesn't require a ton of efforts to prepare (I HATE dicing or slicing vegetables, I'm all for recipes where you just shove everything as it is in a pot or the oven XD)

[sputnik]

^^^^
i make a chickpea pumpkin curry that's basically the same. sometimes if i'm out of fresh veg i go even lazier and instead of roasting pumpkin, i use canned pumpkin purée. haven't tried adding peas yet, that's a good idea!

[panic]

Sockeye salmon is pretty much the only non-vegan food I eat except for random times here and there so it's fun to see how people mimic delicious non-vegan dishes with all-vegan ingredients. When I saw the vegan cheesecake post here, I think I swooned.

Someone recently told me that white miso is a good substitute for parmesan cheese in pasta dishes. Haven't tried it yet so don't know if it's true.

[Pixie]

Ooooh, I’ll have to try that!
I don’t necessarily miss ‘normal’ dishes, so I don’t really try to imitate them with fake meat or fake chicken or fake whatever, but if you are trying to get a vegan version of a traditional dish, cheese is the hardest stuff to get right.
It either doesn’t melt, or it does but it doesn’t taste good, or it tastes good but the texture is off XD