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Vegan Pot Pies with Cornbread Crust

Pot pies. And cornbread. Two of my all-time favorite comfort foods just became BFFs. Can you even imagine? That thick and creamy veggie filling sending herby fall smells amazing vegan recipes all throughout your house. When the cornbread starts to rise and turns golden brown, we officially have magic. Break through that crispy crust with a spoon to get the perfect filling-to-crust ratio and it’s heaven. This is my kind of fall food.

After making these cornbread pot pies, we got up the next morning and headed to the mountains (ok, it was definitely afternoon by the time we left but who’s keeping track?). We knew it was going to be cold. We brought plenty of layers and blankets and a jacket for Scout. What we didn’t know was that it was going to SNOW and be FREEZING cold.

Colorado is teaching us lots of lessons. Like – don’t trust the radar when it says it’s clear. And snow can happen on the second day of fall. And the aspen leaves can disappear overnight, so peep them while you have the chance.

The cold temps and brisk winds had me dreaming about these pot pies all weekend. As we heated up soup in the dark, I kept envisioning myself pulling the one of the leftovers out of the fridge and popping it into the oven. We had 4 left and I wanted to eat every last one of them to warm my bones.

But alas – I had to wait until we got back last night to dig back in. You know how certain foods taste better the next day? Things like chili, curry, brownies, these pot pies. Something magic happens overnight in the fridge that is unexplainable but I am very much a fan. It makes these pot pies even more practical because you can enjoy them all week long. 👌👌👌

Vegan Pot Pies with Cornbread Crust

These pot pies are beyond easy to make! The sauce takes 10 minutes and you can use boxed cornbread to speed things up. They’re the perfect savory and hearty fall comfort food.

Author: Jordan Cord

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2–3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 – 15 oz. cans whole coconut milk

3 gloves garlic, minced

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast*

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

4 cups mixed vegetables*

1 package of cornbread mix

1 chia or flax egg*

olive oil

water

Instructions

In a large pot, heat oil to medium and add minced garlic. Sauté 3-4 minutes, until fragrant.

Add coconut milk, thyme, rosemary, nutritional yeast, salt pepper, and white wine vinegar. Stir or whisk to combine and continue cooking until the sauce thickens and starts to reduce. About 10-12 minutes.

Add vegetables and stir again.

Prepare cornbread and set aside. We used store-bought, but if you’re feeling ambitious, homemade will work too!

Prepare ramekins or baking dish. Spray with olive oil. I also recommend lining a baking sheet with foil to place the pot pies on during baking.

Portion filling into the ramekins, filling them about 3/4 full.

Spoon cornbread mix over top. It’s ok if they spill over – messy is still tasty!

Bake 25 minutes or until the crust has risen and is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Notes

*Nutritional yeast adds a subtle, savory flavor to the sauce while also thickening it. You could swap out for flour if necessary, but I recommend nutritional yeast.

*For the veggies, we used a frozen mixed medley. We thawed and then added the 4 cups to the sauce.

*To make a flax or chia egg, combine 1 tablespoon ground flax or chia and 3 tablespoons of water. Mix and allow to set until gelatinous. (Like an egg!)

*This recipe makes 6 – 9 oz. ramekins or 1 – 9 1/4″ x 7″ casserole dish.

If desired, you could add cooked, shredded chicken to the filling mixture. Probably a half-pound wound do the trick. I would recommend decreasing the amount of veggies if you add chicken, to keep the consistency saucy!

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Vegan Gumbo

This vegan gumbo recipe is hearty, savory, filling and warming. With a mix of beans, mushrooms and okra, this vegetarian gumbo is cheap to make and full of flavour. Starting with a dark, rich roux, key herbs and spices, and a secret umami ingredient, it’s hard to believe that this vegan gumbo doesn’t have any meat in it!

This vegan gumbo recipe is hearty, savory, filling and warming. With a mix of beans, mushrooms and okra, this vegetarian gumbo is cheap to make and full of flavour. Starting with a dark, rich roux, key herbs and spices, and a secret umami ingredient, it’s hard to believe that this vegan gumbo doesn’t have any meat in it!

With the exceptional success of my vegan jambalaya recipe, creating a vegan gumbo recipe was a no-brainer. I must have looked at about fifty recipes for gumbo and ended up more confused than I was before.

There’s just so many ways to make gumbo and everyone swears by their own version!

I had quite a few decisions to make when creating my own vegan gumbo recipes, but one thing I was certain about from the start was that I absolutely wanted it to include okra.

If you read along regularly, you’ll know how often I woefully complain about all the normal fruits and vegetables vegan gourmet recipes that are very difficult to find in Barcelona. Okra is a happy exception – it’s one of the few things that’s actually more accessible to me here than in Canada.

This vegan gumbo recipe is hearty, savory, filling and warming. With a mix of beans, mushrooms and okra, this vegetarian gumbo is cheap to make and full of flavour. Starting with a dark, rich roux, key herbs and spices, and a secret umami ingredient, it’s hard to believe that this vegan gumbo doesn’t have any meat in it!

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I can buy it in the supermarket, but there is a neighbourhood not far from my home with a large South Asian population where I can get fresh, quality okra all year round.

I absolutely love okra in curries and gumbo is a great recipe to start with if you’re not familiar with how to cook this fruit.

Since okra is used to thicken gumbo, whether or not to do a roux was the first decision I had to make. I decided to go ahead with a roux for the deep, nutty flavour that it would add to a meatless gumbo and sauté the okra to remove most of the slime that grosses lots of people out.

Roux isn’t hard to make, you just need to stand over it stirring for a bit. The deeper colour you let it get to, the more flavour it will bring to the dish. I let mine go to a dark caramel, milk chocolate colour that was a little darker than peanut butter.

If you’re nervous, you can do it slowly over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, or turn the heat up to medium-high and have it ready in about 15 minutes.

This vegan gumbo recipe is hearty, savory, filling and warming. With a mix of beans, mushrooms and okra, this vegetarian gumbo is cheap to make and full of flavour. Starting with a dark, rich roux, key herbs and spices, and a secret umami ingredient, it’s hard to believe that this vegan gumbo doesn’t have any meat in it!

Next, to add another layer of flavour I added dark miso paste. Miso is what I often use in vegan curry pastes in order to replace shrimp paste and add a savory, umamai note.

It worked wonderfully in this vegan gumbo recipe, adding a meaty, gravy-like flavour without tasting of miso soup. My husband wasn’t able to guess that miso was the secret ingredient!

Finally, I was quite conservative with the herbs and spices, adding just a bit of thyme, bay leaves and cayenne pepper. But you can get creative here if you want and add any combination of Cajun seasoning, smoky paprika or liquid smoke, oregano, nutmeg, allspice, lemon juice, vinegar or filé powder (or whatever else you like in your gumbo).

This vegan gumbo recipe is hearty, savory, filling and warming. With a mix of beans, mushrooms and okra, this vegetarian gumbo is cheap to make and full of flavour. Starting with a dark, rich roux, key herbs and spices, and a secret umami ingredient, it’s hard to believe that this vegan gumbo doesn’t have any meat in it!

However you choose to make it, this vegan gumbo will fill your belly and satisfy all vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my vegan jambalaya or my smoky Cajun-style black-eyed peas.

Wanna see how to make vegan gumbo? Watch the video and share it on Facebook:

Vegan Gumbo

yield: SERVES 4 prep time: 5 MINUTES cook time: 55 MINUTES total time: 1 HOUR

This vegan gumbo recipe is hearty, savory, filling and warming. With a mix of beans, mushrooms and okra, this vegetarian gumbo is cheap to make and full of flavour.

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup flour

1 medium onion, diced

1 small green pepper, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups (200 grams) okra, sliced

1 can (400 grams / 14 oz) crushed tomatoes

2 ½ - 3 ½ cups vegetable stock

10 button mushrooms, quartered

½ teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)

2 bay leaves

2 cups (330 grams) mixed beans or lentils (I used chickpeas, kidney beans, white beans and brown lentils)

1 tablespoon dark miso paste

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Freshly ground pepper

Brown rice, to serve

A small handful of fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Heat a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and sprinkle over the flour. Stir or whisk continuously until the roux reaches a dark caramel or milk chocolate colour, a bit darker than peanut butter. It will take about 15 – 20 minutes. Don’t let it burn or you will have to start over.

Add the onions and continue stirring continuously until soft. Add the green pepper, celery, garlic and okra. Sauté, stirring frequently for 10 – 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the okra slime has disappeared.

Add the tomato, 2 ½ cups of stock, mushrooms, beans, thyme, cayenne pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

If you like your gumbo a bit thinner and more soup-like, add as much of the remaining stock as you want. Turn off the heat and ladle a small amount of the gumbo into a small bowl and add the miso paste. Stir well to dissolve and add back to the saucepan. Mix well. Taste the gumbo and add salt to taste (depends on how salty your stock and miso are) and pepper.

Serve the gumbo with brown rice and sprinkled fast vegan recipes with some fresh parsley.

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MINI VEGAN PECAN PIES

I recently received a reader email asking for a Mini Pecan Pie Recipe. She said she loved my Mini Pumpkin Pies so much she was hoping I’d also miniaturize pecan pie. Ask and you shall receive! I absolutely loved the idea of little baby pecan pies. Sometimes after a holiday dinner all you really need is just a little sweet bite.

A whole slice of pie can be too much. These cuties would be perfect for serving at any holiday party, especially an hors d’oeuvres or finger food open house type of gathering. But wouldn’t they be fantastic boxed up and given instead of Christmas cookies? If I were going to a holiday cookie exchange, I would absolutely be bringing these. As much as I love healthy cooking, holiday baking is one of my favorite holiday traditions. These vegan mini pecan pies made our house smell sweet and Christmasy. So turn on some holiday tunes and let’s get baking. Fa la la la la!

Vegan pecan pie filling without corn syrup gets mixed in a small saucepan.

Unlike most pecan pie recipes that call for corn syrup, these mini fast amazing vegan recipes pecan pies are sweetened naturally with maple syrup and coconut sugar. There are few different ways to make pecan pie, but this one is vegan if you use a vegan piecrust. Rather than an egg base, this recipe has a roux base. The syrup and coconut sugar get whisked into the roux and bubble away into caramel goodness. Then we toss in some vanilla and the chopped pecans and our filling is done! The crusts don’t need to be baked at all beforehand, which makes things simple.

Cute mini pecan pies baked in a mini tart pan.

Though you can make mini pies in a standard or mini muffin tin, I highly recommend using this Tartlet Baking Set from Williams-Sonoma. This is what I used here and for my mini pumpkin pies. It comes with the perfect sized cutter and tamper, which makes the mini pie making quick and easy. There is a similar tartlet pan available on Amazon (affiliate link). If you are using a different pan than the one I’m using, just be sure to check the pies often as the baking time may change slightly.

These little pecan pie tartlets are so rich and tasty, and one mini pie is just the right amount. I’m packing these mini pecan pies up and storing them in the freezer until our school staff appreciation day. I like to serve these mini pecan pies on a platter with whipped cream and pomegranate arils.

I hope you enjoy these mini pecan pies! Happy holiday baking!

YIELD: ABOUT 15 (2.5 INCH) MINI PIES

MINI PECAN PIES

PREP TIME 25 MINUTES COOK TIME 25 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 50 MINUTES

These darling mini vegan pecan pies are sweetened naturally, without corn syrup. These tasty treats are perfect for holiday parties or gifting instead of cookies.

INGREDIENTS

1 prepared vegan piecrust

2 1/8 cups raw pecan halves

2 tablespoons vegan shortening or butter, such as Earth Balance

2 ½ tablespoons flour

½ cup water

½ cup maple syrup

¼ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out piecrust. Use a 2 ½ inch round cookie cutter, or whatever size cutter works best for your pan to cut out mini piecrust rounds. Fit into the wells of your tartlet or mini muffin tin. Place easy vegan food in the refrigerator to chill.

Chop 1½ cups of the pecans. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the shortening or butter. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the water and cook until thick and bubbly, about 7 minutes. Whisk in the maple syrup, coconut sugar, and salt and continue to cook until thick and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and 1½ cups chopped pecans.

Spoon the pecan mixture into the prepared pie shells. Top each mini pie with one whole pecan. Bake for 25 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Serve with whipped cream.

NOTES

This is half a full pie recipe. Feel vegan gourmet recipes free to double if needed.

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Paleo Fried Pickles

Need A Great Crunchy Snack? These Paleo Fried Pickles Are Perfect!

I’ve been on a quest to create a paleo version of fried pickles. I found these gluten-free pickles that use gluten-free breadcrumbs, but wanted a paleo version.

The first few times I made the pickles the breading just fell off so I was left to eat the crunchy breading and the pickles separately. Not what I was going for. After a few ratio changes and experimenting with a breading versus a batter I think I’ve found the perfect recipe!

Batter is totally the way to go. When I finally found a good ratio of flours the breading worked well but it was just a thin layer and didn’t stay crunchy for long. The ones in the batter had a thick, but not too thick, layer of fast vegan recipes batter and stayed crunchy for about an hour. I know this because I had to resist eating them all before shooting them. Food blogger problems, they’re real.

So while the breading with the correct ratios was OK batter is totally the way to go. It’s not any more difficult either, you just have to add a bit of water to the mix.

After you batter them up and fry in a bit of coconut oil they’re ready to be dunked in whatever sauce you want. My vote is obviously chipotle mayo (Just a mix of mayo and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, add enough peppers and sauce until you reach your desired spicy level which for me is about equal amounts of each. I like the spice!) but ranch works great too.

Since they do in fact stay crunchy for a while these would make a great party food! I’m thinking these will be a staple for fall game days!

Ingredients

5 ounces dill pickles (dliced)

1/4 cup almond meal

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup water

Instructions

Mix together all ingredients except for the pickles and coconut oil. If the batter seems too thick add a touch more water.

Heat a few tablespoons of coconut oil over medium high heat.

Dip a pickle into the batter making vegan gourmet recipes sure you get some on both sides and add kid friendly vegan food it to the pan. Repeat with a few more pickles making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry pickles about 30 seconds per side until they're crisp and golden brown. They don't take too long so keep an eye on them.

Remove and drain on paper towels.

Repeat with remaining pickles.

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BBQ BLACK EYED PEA COLLARD ROLLS

Black Eyed Pea Collard Rolls are hearty, healthy, tangy and plant-based! Bring on the BBQ, y’all! vegan + gluten free

I was craving BBQ. Walking the streets of Fredericksburg, Texas over the holidays put me just about over the top due to the wafting aroma of that sweet and smoky food. So I waited until I got home from holiday travels to whip up some BBQ I could sink my teeth into. Besides, this recipe needed a photography update, so the timing couldn’t have been better.

I love BBQ. I was raised on it.

BBQ is king in Texas and is on every corner. But my pulled pork days are a thing of the past. Do I miss it? Yes and no.

My past food history is chocked full of family BBQs. But I’ve learned new ways to enjoy it; vegetarian-style, that is. So it’s an easy choice when I go back to Texas and head to the nearest BBQ joint with family. The limited veggie choices always win me over, so I go with a baked potato, slaw and corn on the cob.

That’s not to say that I don’t take that tangy BBQ sauce and pour it on my baked potato!

There’s always some cornbread too.

Black eyed peas offer a mouthwatering opportunity to enjoy BBQ. Pair that tangy sauce with black eyed peas and collard greens? Why, you’ve got a recipe worthy of being called Southern! Don’t want to get all fussy with rolling? Try my Black Eyed Peas with Smoky Collards and Cheesy Grits (vegan or vegetarian).

The BBQ sauce in this recipe is my Smoky Bourbon BBQ Sauce recipe, but in a pinch, grab your favorite prepared sauce. Just be sure to check the ingredients. The sauce is quite tangy and the spiciness can be toned up or down. I like mine toned WAY up!

If you’re new to collards or haven’t tried them in a while, I hope you’ll give them a go. They’re in season almost year-round but I find them tastiest after a bit of frost in the fall and winter.

Collards are a sturdy green like vegan gourmet recipes kale and chard. They’re a powerhouse of nutrition and are quite easy to work with. With a bit of seasoning and cook time, their bitterness is toned down. They’re a delicious addition to your table. For more about collard’s super hero power, check out World’s Healthiest Foods.

And even though this is plant-based, if you love traditional BBQ, you won’t be disappointed. These little tender rolls pair well with Texas Potato Salad, or baked potato, and Broccoli Slaw or cabbage slaw.

BBQ BLACK EYED PEA COLLARD ROLLS

Black Eyed Pea Collard Rolls are hearty, healthy, tangy and plant-based! Bring on the BBQ y'all! Vegan + GF

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

Servings: 8 -9 Rolls

Ingredients

For the Rolls:

2 Bunches of Collards enough for 9 Whole Large Leaves, and 3 C Chopped Collards (about 1.2lbs / 616g total)

1 tsp Coconut Oil

1 1/2 C (430g) Slow Cooked Black Eyed Peas drained*

2 C (150g) Crimini Mushrooms, stemmed and chopped in small dice

3 dashes of Tabasco, or to taste

1/8 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Pepper

For the BBQ Sauce:

1 Recipe of: Smoky Bourbon Homemade BBQ Sauce

Instructions

For the Filling:

Fill a large stockpot 2/3 full of water and bring to a boil. Rinse the collards well and chop off the stem at the base of all the collards. Choose the most intact 9 leaves available for the rolls, set aside. Chop enough of the remaining collards for 3 best vegan food ever C packed to be used in the filling. Rinse these in a colander with plenty of water as collards tend to be a bit dirty. Set aside. Place the 9 whole collard leaves in the boiling water and boil for about 6 minutes. If you have a few whole leaves left, you can boil those too, using them to line the casserole dish. Carefully drain the whole leaves in a colander and rinse with cold water. Place a few kitchen towels or paper towels on the counter. Place each leaf, flat, on the towel. Be careful here as the leaves are tender and tear easily.

In a large sauté pan, melt down 1 Tbs of coconut oil. Cook the mushrooms on medium heat until softened and fragrant, stirring only occassionally for about 5 minutes, then add the chopped collards. Cook until just wilted. Turn the heat down to low and add the black eyed peas to the pan and stir to combine ingredients. Add 1/4 C (86g) of the BBQ sauce to the collard mixture. Now is a good time to adjust seasoning to taste. Include Tabasco and salt and pepper.

To Assemble the Rolls:

Preheat oven to 350F. Use pan spray (coconut oil) to coat the bottom and sides of a medium casserole dish. Line the casserole with any extra leaves. Take one collard leaf and place it flat on your work surface. Test the collard to see if the stem will easily bend, as if you're rolling up the collard. If not, gently slice the stem out of slice it so it's thinner. Take about 4 1/2 Tbs of the collard/mushroom/pea mixture and place it towards the base of the collard leaf. Very carefully, begin to roll up the collard leaf, folding the sides over the mixture while continuing to roll (think burrito). If the collard tears a bit, just keep folding and rolling. It will come together. Place the roll into the prepared casserole dish.

Repeat this process until all of the leaves and filling is used up. Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes, or until the inside of each roll is heated throughly (use a fork to heat-test a roll). If they bake too long, the leaves will begin to lose their vibrant green color.

Meanwhile, warm the remaining BBQ sauce in a pan on low for 5 minutes. Drizzle 1/2 of the remaining sauce on rolls and use the final 1/2 for anyone who wants extra!

Notes

I have difficulty finding suitable canned black eyed peas, so I usually cook my own. I've found Eden to be a good sub when I can find them.

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BEST EVER VEGAN SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH PECAN CRUMBLE

Thanksgiving is ONE week away! So much yes. Growing up it was my second favorite holidays (Christmas being first of course). I always woke up early to set the table (always my job that I took very seriously) and help my mom out in the kitchen. Pure bliss. My favorite dish then and now (besides dessert) was/is the sweet potato casserole. Back then we used candied yams, lots of butter, sugar, brown sugar and marshmallows. It’s no wonder why it was my favorite! It basically was a dessert in itself.

With that being said, I wanted to create a grown up, vegan version of my beloved childhood favorite dish. Trust me when I say….I created my new favorite thanksgiving dish. The best ever vegan sweet potato casserole with pecan crumble. I cannot wait to serve this up to my family next week. I know they are absolutely going to devour it. If you’re looking for a sweet potato casserole recipe, look no more. This is it my friend!

The best ever vegan sweet potato casserole with pecan crumble. Super easy to make, naturally sweetened with a delicious creamy base and a sweet & easy vegan food crunchy toasted topping. The perfect dish for the holidays! The base is made with peeled & boiled sweet potatoes which are pureed in the kitchenaide (or food processor/blender in batches). This creates perfectly creamy sweet potatoes. A must with sweet potato casserole! A little vegan butter, maple syrup, coconut sugar, vanilla and almond milk are added to elevate the creaminess and necessary sweetness we all know and love.

But seriously just look at the creaminess!

This vegan sweet potato casserole comes together in around an hour and requires just 10 ingredients! Most of which you probably already have on hand. Plus you can even make the dish a day ahead of time. Make your base, place in casserole dish and cover in the fridge. You can either do the same with the crumble (make sure they’re separate until baking) or make that on Thanksgiving since it only takes a few minutes. Talk about easy preparation.

This is a perfect & easy dish for Thanksgiving. The holiday just wouldn’t be the same without a sweet potato casserole. Your family and friends will be super satisfied and licking their plates at the end of dinner (I know I will be!).

The best ever vegan sweet potato casserole with pecan crumble. Super easy to make, naturally sweetened with a delicious creamy base and a sweet & crunchy toasted topping. The perfect dish for the holidays! 5 reasons you should make this vegan sweet potato casserole:

It’s absolutely perfect for the holidays

Vegans and non vegans will absolutely love it

The prep work and ingredient list is minimal

The crumble on top is sweet, crunchy and heaven in your mouth

Leftovers are insanely delicious

THE EASIEST VEGAN SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH PECAN CRUMBLE

PREP TIME

30 mins

COOK TIME

30 mins

TOTAL TIME

1 hour

The best ever vegan sweet potato casserole with pecan crumble. Super easy to make, naturally sweetened with a delicious creamy base and a sweet & crunchy toasted topping. The perfect dish for the holidays!

Author: Nutritional Foodie

Recipe type: vegan

Cuisine: Side dish

Serves: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

3.5 pounds sweet potatoes (about 10 cups or 4 large sweet potatoes)

2 Tbsp vegan butter (or normal butter if not vegan)

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ cup unsweetened almond milk

3 Tbsp coconut sugar

½ tsp vanilla

Pinch of sea salt & cinnamon (optional)

Topping

1 cup pecans

⅓ cup AP flour (or flour of choice)

½ cup coconut sugar

4.5 Tbsp melted coconut oil

Pinch of sea salt cinnamon (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel and chop your sweet potatoes into fast amazing vegan recipes medium size chunks.

Place in a large pot with water and a healthy pinch of sea salt.

Bring pot to a boil then lower to medium/high and boil until sweet potatoes are fork tender (about 15 minutes).

In the meantime prepare your crumble. Add all crumble ingredients to a food processor and pulse a until combined (or you can do by hand just make sure you use pecan pieces). It took me only 5 or 6 pulses. You still want chunks! Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Once potatoes are done, drain and place in your kitchen-aide mixing bowl along with 2 Tbsp butter. Using your paddle attachment mix until smooth. Next add in the maple syrup, almond milk, coconut sugar, vanilla, sea salt & cinnamon. Mix until smooth & creamy. (alternatively you can mash/mix by hand or use a blender/food processor in batches). I recommend using a device if you can because it creates the extra creamy consistency.

Place your sweet potato mixture into a casserole dish and smooth out. Add your crumble topping so it's evenly distributed. Optional-add a handful of extra chopped pecans on top.

Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve!

NOTES

* You can make this a day ahead of time. Keep sweet potato mixture and crumble separate. Heat up sweet potato mixture in the oven for 20 minutes or until heated through (since it will be cool from being in the fridge) and then add your crumble and cook until golden brown.

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Making Vegan Fried Green Tomato Sandwich

I know that substituting eggs with a mixture of flour, turmeric powder and water is nothing new, but truth be told I’m a bit stumped when this vegan post was requested. I had initially wanted to make a vegan version of the No-Bake Cherry Cheesecake, but I really can’t handle a whole cake in the house right after the last one has just been demolished. In regards to the choice of greens for this sandwich, there are only a few things that tomatoes love most and that’s more tomatoes, salt and basil. So pile on some sweet basil then dip the whole thing in ketchup. Pure bliss, I promise.

VEGAN FRIED GREEN TOMATOES:

[ 2 Medium sized green tomatoes + 1 cup flour + 3 tablespoon rice flour or regular flour + 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder + 2 tablespoon water + ¾ bread crumbs + ¾ cup corn meal + ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper amazing vegan recipes + salt and pepper to taste + oil enough to shallow fry ]

Put the one cup of flour onto a plate.

Combine the 3 tablespoon flour, turmeric powder and water in a shallow bowl. Adjust water if the batter is too thick. fast amazing vegan recipes You can substitute this mixture for 2 eggs (beaten) if you’re not a vegan.

Combine the breadcrumbs and corn meal in another plate.

Slice the tomatoes into 1-inch thick slices.

Place on a rack on top of some paper towel or a tea towel and sprinkle salt before turning them over. Leave them for 10 minutes so the salt can draw out the water from the tomatoes.

Cover the tomato slice with flour.

Then dip it in the turmeric powder batter (or the beaten eggs).

Then cover it with the breadcrumb-cornmeal mixture.

Return it back to the rack and chill in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes just to firm up.

Heat enough oil in a frying pan to shallow fry the tomatoes on medium-high heat. Fry the tomatoes for 2-3 minutes per side. This allows the tomato to soften a bit and the crust to become crunchy.

Drain on paper towels and serve on toasted bread with vegan mayonnaise, topped with a bunch of basil and ketchup on the side.

Enjoy!

Estimated Nutritional Information:

Makes about 8 tomato slices, serves approx. 2-4

Per Serving:

Total Calories: 289kcals

Carbohydrate: 26.3g

Fat: 19.3g (11g saturated)

Protein: 18g

Cholesterol: 114mg

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Mouth Watering Vegan Peach Pie

My Vegan Summer Peach Pie is rustic and delicate. Sweet and spiced. Light yet rich. Tart and buttery. I add a few unique flavor accents to kid friendly vegan food my pie - a hint of cayenne and a dash of cinnamon. Butter (vegan!), spices, peaches - dessert heaven. And that flaky homemade crust? Easier than you think. So grab a bag of fresh summer peaches, pull on an apron - and dust some flour on your nose. It's summer pie baking time!

Spicy Pie. My favorite twist on "peach pie" is to add in spice - almost like a cinnamon-y apple pie. The sweet, tender peaches are coated in a light, spicy warmth that makes them sing.

Fresh peaches float on the par-baked crust. Ready for the top layer and a good 50 minutes in the oven..

vegan-peach-pie

No need to remove the peach vegan gourmet recipes skin. Those skins add so much color, texture and nutrients!..

vegan-peach-pie

Kathy's Summer Peach Pie

1 vegan pie crust - recipe

Filling:

3-4 peaches, roughly diced and sliced

1/3 cup soy milk

1 Tbsp corn starch or arrowroot powder

1/3 cup sugar or maple syrup

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 tsp real vanilla extract

1/4 cup melted butter - cubed

Pie Crust:

2 cups white flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar

1 cup vegan butter, cubed

1/3 cup soy milk

1/3 cup water

extra flour for dusting/pressing out

Directions:

1. Crust. Press out 1/2 of the dough into pie dish. Bake at 350 for ten minutes.

2. Peaches. Fold the peaches into the filling ingredients.

3. Pull the crust from the oven and pour in peaches. Dot with your 1/4 cup cubed butter. Grab chilled dough (other half) and roll out. Slice into strips. Arrange on top.

4. Bake at 350 best vegan food ever for 55 minutes. Cool. Serve warm.

Rustic Pie. Perfection need not apply.

[elliotazca299-blog]

Vegan Cubano Sandwich

You know I’m no stranger to making super meaty, cheesy dishes vegan. I mean, have you seen my list of BBQ recipes?! I won’t lie, there were some freakin’ tasty things I ate before I went vegan. One that I ate right before my transition was a stacked cubano sandwich. If you haven’t had one, it’s got a classic combo of layered meats, swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. For episode #2 of my epic summer sandwich series, I decided I better get cookin’ and whip up a vegan cubano sandwich we can all feed our faces with!

If you’ve got your copy of the hot for food cookbook, you’ve probably flipped past (or even made) my saved by seitan recipe. It’s making an appearance on this cubano as one of the mind-blowing vegan meat layers! The second veg-friendly meat is ‘pork’ made with hearts of palm. The rest is pretty straightforward. Bring these vegan cubano sandwiches to your end-of-summer festivities and let the good times roll.

Don’t forget some extra pickles on the side to munch on! Are you one of those “are you gonna eat that pickle spear” friends, or do pickles make ya wanna barf? I’m definitely here for extra crunchy dill goodness wherever possible!

Oh, and exciting news! Vegan Comfort Classics: 101 Recipes to Feed Your Face was recently featured in OriGym’s article on the Best 27 Vegan Cookbooks. Read it here. Thanks for all the love, y’all!

You'll be blown away that this meaty, cheesy stacked cubano sandwich is completely vegan!

COURSE Lunch, sandwiches

CUISINE American, cuban

KEYWORD cubano, sandwiches, seitan, vegan pork

PREP TIME 25 minutes

COOK TIME 1 hour 45 minutes

REFRIGERATING SEITAN 12 hours

TOTAL TIME 14 hours 10 minutes

SERVINGS 4 sandwiches

AUTHOR Lauren Toyota

ingredients

SAVED BY SEITAN (HALVED FROM HOT FOR FOOD COOKBOOK, VEGAN COMFORT CLASSICS)

1 1/2 C vital wheat gluten

1/8 C nutritional yeast

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 C vegan beef-flavored bouillon stock (or vegetable stock)

1/8 C vegetable oil

1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tsp tomato paste

VEGAN ROAST PALM 'PORK'

2 x (800 ml) cans hearts of palm, drained and hand pulled into shreds

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp + 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari

4 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp granulated garlic powder

1 tsp chili flakes

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp sea salt

vegetable oil

SANDWICH

4 vegan french rolls

4 tbsp vegan mayonnaise, divided

4 to 6 garlic dill pickles, sliced thin

6 to 8 slices vegan swiss cheese or mozzarella, divided

4 tbsp yellow mustard, divided

3 tbsp vegan butter, divided

instructions

Preheat the oven at 350°F.

To make the seitan, in a large bowl add vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, onion powder, sea salt, celery salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, dried basil, ground mustard and ground pepper.

In a separate bowl add your stock, vegetable oil, soy sauce or tamari, apple cider vinegar and tomato paste. Whisk to make sure it’s well combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.

Knead the dough on a clean surface, folding the dough over itself several times so you can feel the gluten forming. Form the vegan soul food dough into a rectangular log about 3.5 x 5-inches. Transfer the dough onto a large piece of heavy duty foil on a baking sheet. Tightly wrap the log and twist the ends. You may need 2 sheets of foil to make sure it’s covered completely and there are no tears in the foil.

Bake for 90 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature before refrigerating overnight. To use, slice thinly with a knife or on a mandolin.

To make the vegan roast palm ‘pork’, take the drained hearts of palm and using your hands, pull the hearts of palm into thin shredded pieces about ⅛ to ¼-inch thick. Then add liquid smoke, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, brown sugar, granulated garlic powder, chili flakes, smoked paprika and sea salt. Toss to coat all the pieces evenly.

Heat up a cast iron pan or a non-stick pan over medium heat. You may need to pan fry the hearts of palm mixture in 2 batches. Add some vegetable oil and the hearts of palm mixture. Pan fry for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly charred in places and warmed through. Set aside.

To assemble your sandwiches, spread 1 tablespoon of vegan mayonnaise on the bottom of the french roll, then add about 80 g of sliced seitan, some vegan roast palm ‘pork’, pickle slices, 2 slices of vegan cheese and spread some yellow mustard on the top half of the french roll.

To grill your sandwiches, put 1 teaspoon of vegan butter in a cast iron grill Thug Kitchen pan set to medium-high heat. Place 2 sandwiches onto the grill pan and weigh down the top. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until the tops have golden grill marks and the cheese is melted. Add more butter when flipping the sandwiches and turn down the heat slightly if needed. Repeat with the last batch of sandwiches. Slice sandwiches in half and serve immediately!

recipe notes

You will need to plan ahead and make the seitan a day before you serve your vegan cubano sandwiches.

[elliotazca299-blog]

Vegan Pumpernickel Bagel Bombs

It’s back to school season, and I can practically hear the #hotforfoodie students in the crowd groaning. September isn’t many people’s favorite season for a reason! The freedom of having fun in the sun is long gone, but that doesn’t mean you gotta stop having fun in the kitchen, peeps. I’m launching a brand new back to school series of seriously wicked recipes to have you eating your best all season long. First up on the agenda? Delicious, fun-sized, spinach dip-filled pumpernickel bagel bombs!

Ya, you read that right! The days of cold boxed cereal and toast are over, y’all. Going to school or work first thing in the morning already sucks. Might as well pair it with an A+ breakfast, right?! I love using inspiration from old recipes and turning them into brand new swanky dishes (exhibit A: my vegan thanksgiving waffles). So I took inspo from my bagel recipe and spinach dip to create these tasty AF flavor bombs!

You’re obviously gonna nosh one of these fresh out of the oven. But the best part is that they’re freezable, so you can pop one in the microwave for easy breakfasts before work or school! Keep them in your work freezer, or microwave a few before you head out the door to gym class. The recipe cranks out about 16 pumpernickel bagel bombs, so you’ll be prepared for at LEAST the whole week! When your colleagues and classmates ask what the heck the recipe for that delicious morsel is, you know where to send ’em. 😉

Make any day extra great by having pumpernickel bagel bombs for breakfast! They're the perfect grab and go meal for school or work.

COURSE Breakfast, Snack

CUISINE American

KEYWORD bagel, pumpernickel, spinach dip

PREP TIME 1 hour

COOK TIME 45 minutes

FREEZE TIME (SPINACH FILLING) 1 hour

TOTAL TIME 2 hours 45 minutes

SERVINGS 16 bagel bombs

AUTHOR Lauren Toyota

ingredients

VEGAN SPINACH DIP FILLING

1 x 340 g/12 oz tub vegan sour cream (we used Tofutti brand)

1/4 C vegan mayonnaise

1/4 C + 1 tbsp thawed frozen spinach, moisture removed and roughly chopped

1 1/2 tsp vegan vegetable broth powder or vegan vegetable soup mix

2 tbsp finely diced pickled hot cherry peppers (about 2 peppers), deseeded (add 1 tbsp with seeds for hot) OR finely diced pimentos in brine

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

BAGEL BOMB DOUGH

3 C bread flour

1 C dark rye flour

1 tbsp dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 tbsp caraway seeds

2 1/4 tsp quick rise instant yeast

1/4 C + 2 tsp fancy molasses, divided (2 tsp used for boiling)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 C warm water (between 120°F - 130°F)

1 tsp baking soda (for boiling)

3 tbsp white sesame seeds

instructions

To make the vegan spinach dip, combine vegan sour cream, mayonnaise, chopped spinach, vegetable broth powder, hot cherry peppers (or pimentos if using), lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper in a bowl.

Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop heaping spoonfuls of spinach dip spread slightly apart onto a parchment lined Thug Kitchen 101 baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the freezer to chill for at least 1 hour until solid.

When the spinach dip is about 15 minutes from being frozen, make the pumpernickel dough in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. In a stand mixer, add bread flour, dark rye flour, dutch-processed cocoa powder, caraway seeds, quick rise yeast, 1/4 cup of molasses, sea salt, vegetable oil and the warm water. Start the stand mixer on low and once the flour starts getting mixed in with the wet ingredients, gradually turn the speed up to medium high. The dough should come together and clean the sides of the bowl. Place a damp tea towel overtop the bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes.

If making the dough ahead, wrap the dough in lots of plastic wrap (not too tightly) and put it in the fridge in a large bowl. It will still rise in the fridge so make sure there’s some room in the bowl. When ready to use, take the dough out of the fridge and let it come down to room temperature (about 45 minutes) before continuing with the next steps.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Divide the dough in half so it’s easier to work with. You will boil and bake the bagel bombs in two batches. Knead the dough 8 to 10 times on the surface by hand until covered in flour. Divide the dough into 8 even pieces (approximately 66 g each). It's best to weigh these portions so that they all cook and bake evenly. Roll each piece of dough into a ball. Then flatten the balls with your hand using a rolling pin to gently roll them into a 3-inch flat round.

Place a frozen spinach dip disc into the center of each and pinch to seal the ends tightly, almost like a dumpling. If the filling has spread out too much during freezing, cut it into cubes/chunks and assemble them together in the dough. Place the dough balls seam side down onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

In a medium pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add baking soda and 2 teaspoons of molasses. Stir until combined and then using a slotted spoon drop two or three balls of dough into the boiling water. Boil for 30 seconds. They should get puffier and float to the surface. Remove them with the slotted spoon and place them back onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Repeat with remaining bagel bombs.

Bake them for 20 to 22 minutes. Some filling might leak out but that’s alright and delicious! While the first batch bakes, roll out and boil the next batch of bagel bombs. Once the first batch is done, transfer the bagel bombs to a cooling rack and let them cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing as the spinach dip will be very hot! Bake the second batch of bagel bombs.

When baking your bagel bombs from frozen. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place 2 or 3 bagel bombs on parchment paper with overhang since you're going to wrap them up. Sprinkle a little water on the bagel bombs. Wrap up the bagel bombs in the parchment tightly, tucking the ends under the bagel bombs. Place this on a baking sheet. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes until the spinach filling is warm and the bread is warm and soft. You can test if the filling is warm by inserting a butter knife into the center of the bagel bombs. Touch the knife that went into the center, if it’s warm then the bagel bombs are done. If it’s cold, continue baking for another 2 to 3 minutes.

To microwave the bagel bombs from frozen, heat them up uncovered for 35 to 40 seconds.

recipe notes

This is the vegetable broth powder we used. A powder works best rather than a boullion base/paste for this so that it doesn't affect the color of the filling.

[elliotazca299-blog]

Vegan Breakfast Taquitos

It’s every students FAAAV time of year… back to school season! I’m no longer a pupil myself, but hearing someone say that back in the day would have made me gag. Back to school season ain’t the greatest, so I’m not gonna pretend it is. What I AM gonna do, though, is give you scrumptious back to school recipes to make September a lil’ more bearable! Last week I shared the first recipe in this series: vegan pumpernickel bagel bombs! And today, I’m bringing you another freezable + reheat-able way to start your day… BREAKFAST TAQUITOS!

I love a good taquito, and got inspired by my spicy black bean taquito recipe from the hot for food cookbook. But what on earth goes in a breakfast version, you ask? Typically this kind of thing would be filled with eggs, cheese, sausage and veggies – similar to what you’d find on a classic breakfast sandwich. But alas, Lauren the kitchen wizard did it again! I checked all those boxes AND managed to make it 100% easy vegan recipes vegan.

The recipe below calls for tofu scramble, which is super tasty and definitely hits the spot. But you can also sub that out for JUST Egg, AKA an amazing product that’ll make all your vegan egg dreams come true. Check out my Instagram @hotforfood to see how to use it! I also stuck to the good stuff with vegan cheddar, some spicy Beyond Meat sausages, and kale. Pop ’em in the freezer, then reheat (via oven or microwave) for breakfast in minutes! Get ready for these breakfast taquitos to make your work or school day a whoooole lot better.

Make early mornings a little easier with these breakfast taquitos! Tofu scramble, vegan cheddar, vegan sausage, and kale are a totally A+ combo.

COURSE Breakfast, brunch

CUISINE American, Mexican

KEYWORD taquitos, tofu scrambled eggs, vegan cheese, vegan sausage

PREP TIME 20 minutes

COOK TIME 40 minutes

SERVINGS 12 taquitos

AUTHOR Lauren Toyota

ingredients

TOFU SCRAMBLE

1 (14 oz/450 g) brick of firm tofu (packed in water)

1/2 a large shallot, minced (about 2 tbsp) *used the other half for sausage mixture below

1 tsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp ground tumeric

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 to 1/2 tsp sea salt, to taste

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 C unsweetened nondairy milk

BREAKFAST TAQUITO

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 a large shallot, minced (about 2 tbsp)

2 spicy vegan sausages, thawed if from frozen (we used Beyond Meat hot italian sausages)

1 C tightly packed baby kale

1/2 tsp whole fennel seeds

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 x (7 oz/200 g) bag vegan cheddar shreds (about 2 cups)

12 x 6-inch vegan flour tortillas

1/2 C tomato salsa or salsa verde (for dipping)

1/4 C tightly packed, finely chopped cilantro or green onion, as garnish

instructions

Use a paper towel to pat the tofu dry. To make the scramble, in a medium nonstick pan over medium high heat, fry the shallot in vegetable oil for 1 minute until soft.

Crumble the tofu into the pan with your hands. Fry it for 2 to 3 minutes. Then stir in nutritional yeast, turmeric, smoked paprika, sea salt, and ground pepper. Fry for 4 more minutes until the liquid evaporates and the tofu begins to brown slightly.

Add the nondairy milk, combine well, cook for another 2 minutes. Separate half the tofu mixture into a large bowl and set aside. Reserve the other half of the mixture for another use. Wipe out the pan.

To make the sausage mixture, remove the outer sausage casing (if applicable). Heat the nonstick pan over medium heat with vegetable oil and crumble the sausage into small bite size pieces into the pan. Add shallot, fennel seeds and sea salt. Sauté until soft and the sausage is browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add baby kale and sauté until wilted. Add the sausage mixture into the tofu scramble and fold it in until combined. Set aside and wipe out the pan which you’ll use again to fry the taquitos.

To assemble your taquitos, add a pinch of vegan cheese shreds to a tortilla, then 2 tablespoons of the tofu and sausage mixture and top with another pinch of cheese. Roll up the taquitos tightly and place them seam side down onto a platter or baking sheet.

Heat up your nonstick pan over low to medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in an even layer. Depending on the size of your nonstick pan, fry 3 or 4 taquitos at a time seam side down, for about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and lightly fry the other side, about another minute. Serve with your favorite salsa.

To freeze your taquitos, individually wrap your cooled taquitos in parchment paper and twist the ends so your ends stick out like a large candy wrapper or a Christmas cracker. Place in the freezer until serving.

To bake your taquitos from frozen, preheat oven to 425°F. Unwrap the taquitos from the parchment and place on a baking sheet. You can re-use the pieces of parchment from the taquitos! Bake for 10 minutes, flipping halfway until the filling is warmed through and the outside gets crispy.

To microwave your taquitos from frozen, put the taquitos (parchment paper and all) on a plate and heat them up for 45 seconds. Some of the filling may seep out so you’ll want a plate under the taquitos. Unwrap and enjoy!

recipe notes

The taquitos freeze well, so if you want to make more than 12 taquitos, using the whole portion of tofu scramble it will make about 20 taquitos. If you’re making 20 taquitos, add 1 extra crumbled sausage link to the above filling amounts. You will also need to get an extra 7 oz/200g bag of vegan cheddar cheese shreds and an extra package of flour tortillas.

[elliotazca299-blog]

Vegan Banana Breakfast Muffins

If there’s any reason to eat baked goods in the best vegan recipes morning, then COUNT ME IN! Is there seriously anything better than eating muffins for breakfast? I could throw back at least half a dozen if I’m not careful. Especially if they’re something as decadent and sweet as these vegan banana breakfast muffins!

Now, you’ve been warned… these are seriously addicting. You know how much I love hemp hearts (read more here), so I incorporated a lil’ something extra to take these over the top… GRANOLA! Although I have my own homemade recipe, I’m obsessed with the Hemp Yeah! granola from Manitoba Harvest. Adding a generous helping of their blueberry or chocolate varieties makes these the best dang breakfast in all the land.

Serve ’em up with a tall glass of almond milk in the AM, a fresh smoothie, or just gobble them on their own. They’ll probably be your new breakfast obsession, so consider yourself warned. Don’t believe me? Make some vegan banana breakfast muffins for yourself to see what I mean!

For more recipes with protein-packed hemp, check out my hemp-crusted tofu or hemp tabbouleh!

These tasty muffins make the perfect morning snack, and have an extra crunch from granola on top!

COURSE Breakfast, Snack

KEYWORD banana, hemp hearts, muffins, vegan muffins

PREP TIME 10 minutes

COOK TIME 25 minutes

SERVINGS 12 muffins

AUTHOR Lauren Toyota

ingredients

1 C nondairy milk

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 C whole wheat flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

3/4 C coconut sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 C Manitoba Harvest Hemp Yeah! Granola (blueberry or chocolate), for topping muffins

instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine nondairy milk and apple cider vinegar in a mixing bowl and set aside to thicken while you prepare the rest of the batter.

Mash bananas in another small mixing bowl.

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt.

Add coconut sugar and vanilla extract to the nondairy milk and vinegar, as well as the mashed bananas and whisk until well combined.

Pour this into the dry ingredients and fold together until just combined. Be sure you don’t over mix - small lumps are good!

Lightly grease the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with vegan butter, a vegetable oil spray, or line with paper liners. Divide the batter amongst the cups evenly.

Add about 1 heaping tablespoon of granola on top of each muffin, covering the entire top of the batter. Slightly press the pieces of granola just into the top of the batter so it sticks after baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. To check, you can stick a toothpick in the center and it should come out clean.

recipe notes

store these muffins in the fridge.

[elliotazca299-blog]

Vegan Benny Breakfast Loaf

Listen, #hotforfoodies, we need to have a talk. The days of boring breakfasts are FAR behind us, m’kay? You deserve way more than a couple slices of crusty toast first thing in the morning! Whether you’re going to the office, to school, or just hanging at home, that sounds like a pretty blah way to start the day if you ask me. The past two weeks I gave you recipes for pumpernickel bagel bombs and vegan breakfast taquitos to level up your back to school game. And for the grand finale… we have this vegan breakfast benny loaf! HOT DAMN.

Let’s take a journey back in time for a minute. Remember my vegan strawberry caramel sticky buns recipe? They were originally meant to be rolls in a pan, but I ended up having leftovers. In true Lauren Toyota fashion, I went ahead and turned ’em into a sliceable franken-loaf that turned out delicious! I loved the ease of being able to cut it into slices, and used that as inspo for this breakfast loaf.

My fave part of this beauty is the creamy, dreamy vegan hollandaise sauce. Don’t you just wanna stick your face in it?! It’s based off of the version from my cookbook but has some slight alterations. This breakfast loaf also takes inspiration from my tofu benny recipe, which if you haven’t tried yet, you GOTTA get on board with. I told ya, fast vegan meals the days of bland toast are OOOOVER, people. Now let’s learn how to make this breakfast loaf dream a reality!

You've never seen breakfast like this before! Take my classic tofu benny up a notch by turning it into a delicious loaf with hollandaise for dippin'.

COURSE Breakfast, brunch

CUISINE American

KEYWORD bread, tofu benny, vegan eggs

PREP TIME 25 minutes

COOK TIME 35 minutes

PROOF TIME 55 minutes

SERVINGS 1 loaf

AUTHOR Lauren Toyota

ingredients

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

1 C unsweetened nondairy milk

2 tbsp vegan butter

1 1/2 tsp tapioca flour

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp ground mustard powder

1/4 tsp granulated garlic powder

1/8 tsp ground tumeric

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar

THAT DOUGH (HALVED FROM THE Thug Kitchen Party Grub RECIPE IN THE HOT FOR FOOD COOKBOOK, VEGAN COMFORT CLASSICS)

1 1/2 C + 2 tbsp all purpose flour + more for work surface

1 tsp quick rise instant yeast

1/2 tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

3/4 C warm water (between 120°F to 130°F)

2 C tightly packed fresh baby spinach

1/4 C finely chopped chives

6 slices vegan deli meat (we used Tofurky original deli slices)

1 C vegan cheddar cheese shreds

instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine nondairy milk, vegan butter, tapioca flour, nutritional yeast, ground mustard powder, granulated garlic powder, turmeric, white pepper, sea salt, lemon juice and white wine vinegar. Bring liquid to a low simmer until thick and foamy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. The mixture will thicken up more as it cools.

Sauté spinach dry (without oil) in a small saucepan over low to medium heat, for 2 to 3 minutes until just wilted. Set aside to cool.

To make the dough, use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. To the mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, quick rise yeast, sugar, sea salt, vegetable oil and hot water. Start the mixer on low until the flour incorporates with the wet ingredients. Then turn the mixer up to medium speed until the dough comes together and cleans the sides of the bowl. Place a damp tea towel over the bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Have all your benedict fillings ready to assemble the bread loaf. Flour a work surface and turn out the dough on top. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Trim dough if needed or use a dough cutter to straighten up the edges.

Brush ⅓ cup of hollandaise all over the dough right to the edges and reserve the remaining for serving. Sprinkle with chives, spinach, vegan cheese shreds and add the deli slices on top in one even layer. Roll up the dough into a log and cut it into 8 even pieces approximately 1-inch wide. Place the rolls in a loaf pan, squeezing in two rolls side by side to make 4 rows of 2, in one layer. Cover the loaf pan with a damp tea towel and let it proof in a warm, draft-free place for 30 to 45 minutes until puffy.

Bake uncovered in a preheated 425°F oven for 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing. Serve with extra hollandaise drizzled on top or warm it up and serve extra hollandaise on the side to dip. Also add more chives on top as a garnish, if desired.

[elliotazca299-blog]

Vegan Jerk Chicken Tortilla Bowls

Dishes are a thing of the past! Have you ever seen one of those neat-looking tortilla bowls at a restaurant? Not only do they add to how delish your meal is, you don’t have to do as many dishes either! 😉 But technically you’ll eat it off of a plate… so maybe that’s not true. Whatever. Tortilla bowls are cool as hell, okay?! Especially when there’s vegan jerk chicken involved.

Now, y’all know I’m obsessed with SOY CURLS. If you’ve never heard of ‘em, I’ve used them in recipes like my sheet pan beef burritos and chicken shawarma bowl. They’re a super versatile ingredient that makes a GREAT mock meat product! They also sop up flavor super well, like the spicy jerk marinade I bought for this recipe. You can use whatever vegan jerk marinade is available where you live, but I used jerk in a jar. And I also think the Grace jerk seasoning is great too!

I’m seriously proud of myself for creating the HOLY TRINITY of foods to pack into this tortilla shell. The different flavors and textures combine perfectly for a literal flavor explosion in your mouth! The rice and beans have a subtle but fresh coconut flavor, the vegan jerk chicken is soooo tangy and mouthwatering, and the final touch is a fresh n’ fruity homemade pineapple salsa!

Well, are you ready for recipe #2 in my vegan chicken series this month?! Keep on scrolling and let’s jump right in!

Vegan Jerk Chicken Tortilla Bowls

Tasty rice and beans, vegan jerk chicken, and pineapple salsa... all in a crispy tortilla bowl!

COURSE Lunch, Main Course

CUISINE Jamacian

KEYWORD jerk spice, rice, salsa, vegan chicken

PREP TIME 30 minutes

COOK TIME 40 minutes

SOAKING TIME 10 minutes

SERVINGS 4 bowls

AUTHOR Lauren Toyota

ingredients

RICE AND BEANS

1 C long grain parboiled easy vegan recipes rice

1 C vegan chicken flavored stock or water (if using water add 1 tsp sea salt)

1 C full-fat coconut milk

3 tbsp finely minced garlic (about 3 to 4 large garlic cloves)

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, stems removed

1 C canned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 C tightly packed green onions, finely chopped + extra for garnishing

1 tbsp lime juice (about half a lime)

VEGAN JERK CHICKEN

2 C soy curls

1 tbsp residual water from soaking soy curls

1/3 C store-bought vegan jerk marinade

1 tbsp lime juice (about half a lime)

4 x 8-inch soft white flour tortillas, at room temperature

vegetable cooking spray

PINEAPPLE SALSA

1 C canned organic pineapple, finely diced

1 heaping tbsp finely diced jalapeño (about half a large jalapeño, seeds and pith removed)

1/3 C finely diced red bell pepper

1/3 C finely diced red onion

2 tbsp finely minced garlic (about 2 to 3 large garlic cloves)

1 tbsp lime juice (about half a lime)

1/4 C loosely packed mint, finely chopped

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

instructions

In a medium pot, add rice, vegan chicken stock or water (if using water add 1 teaspoon of salt), coconut milk, minced garlic and thyme. Turn the heat up to medium high heat and cover the pot with a lid. Cook according to package directions or for about 6 to 8 minutes until it begins to boil, then turn the heat down to low. Simmer with the lid on for another 8 to 10 minutes. When the rice is fast vegan meals done, stir in kidney beans, green onion and the lime juice and place the lid on the pot to keep it warm.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

To make the vegan jerk chicken, pour water over the soy curls and hydrate them for 10 minutes. Squeeze the moisture from the soy curls and add them to a mixing bowl. Add the reserved 1 tablespoon of water, the jerk marinade, and 1 tablespoon of lime juice and combine with tongs until the soy curls are evenly coated.

Add the soy curls to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If your oven is big enough, you can bake the tortilla bowls at the same time.

To make the tortilla bowls, place 4 oven proof bowls upside down on a baking sheet. Lightly spray one side of the tortilla and place the tortilla spray side down over the bowl so the edges are facing down. Follow the natural pleating the tortillas will make and press the folds with your fingers to secure the pleat. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Spray the tops with oil. Bake the tortilla bowls on the lower rack for about 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Let the tortilla bowls cool slightly before removing from the bowls.

Bake the soy curls on the upper rack for 18 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway, until the soy curls are warm and the marinade is slightly drier.

To make your pineapple salsa, combine pineapple, jalapeño, red bell pepper, red onion, garlic, lime juice, mint, sea salt and ground black pepper into a bowl.

To assemble your bowls, spoon rice and beans into the tortilla bowls, top with vegan jerk chicken and pineapple salsa.

[elliotazca299-blog]

Vegan Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos

Let’s taco ’bout tacos for a second. Is there seriously anything better?! I definitely wouldn’t mind if #tacotuesday was every damn day, but the internet would probably combust if that happened. Anyhoo, for the grand finale of my vegan cookbooks vegan chicken series, I figured I had to come through with tacos! These vegan chicken recipes over the last couple weeks that have knocked yer socks off, and this one’s gonna be no different.

Remember last week’s ultimate fried chicken sandwich that I made to settle the great chicken sandwich debate? We’re bringing that insane, crispy batter that y’all fell in love with… and using it again for this hot recipe! If you’re a regular in the #hotforfood world, you’ll know creating killer vegan taco combos is basically in my blood. I’ve got versions using jackfruit, cauliflower, ground round, and that’s just the BEGINNING. I figured some vegan chicken tacos were exactly what my roster was missing!

And SURPRISE! The oyster mushrooms we know and love are making a comeback in this recipe. They’re a perfect lobster substitute in my lobster roll, and make my po’boy tooootally irresistible. Is there anything these shrooms can’t do?! Load ‘em up with cabbage, red onion, pickles and a creamy avocado ranch sauce for the best vegan chicken taco of ya life!

Vegan Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos

Don't be surprised if this is the best taco of your LIFE! Oyster mushrooms make the perfect substitute for battered, fried, juicy "chicken".

COURSE dinner, Lunch, Main Course

CUISINE American, Mexican

KEYWORD chicken tacos, king oyster mushrooms, vegan tacos

PREP TIME 20 minutes

COOK TIME 25 minutes

SOAKING TIME 15 minutes

SERVINGS 8 tacos

AUTHOR Lauren Toyota

ingredients

VEGAN NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN TACOS

4 to 6 C vegetable oil, for frying

about 3 C / 8oz oyster mushrooms, separated

8 soft flour tortillas

3 C packed shredded napa cabbage

1/4 C thinly sliced red onion

2 garlic dill pickles, sliced thin into rounds

avocado ranch sauce (recipe below)

BATTER

1 C unsweetened nondairy milk

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 C buffalo style hot sauce

2 tsp flax meal

2 tsp cornstarch

2 C all-purpose flour

1 tbsp sea salt

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp ground white pepper

1 tsp ground sage

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground allspice

BUFFALO-STYLE HOT SAUCE

3 tbsp melted vegan butter

1/4 C buffalo-style hot sauce

AVOCADO RANCH

1/2 C vegan mayonnaise

1 tsp fresh or dried dill

1 tsp fresh or dried parsley

1/2 tbsp roughly chopped chives

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp unsweetened nondairy milk

1/2 an avocado, pitted and peeled

instructions

The oyster mushrooms should be separated into individual large pieces, but group the smaller mushrooms into groups of 2 or 3 connected by the stem.

Prepare your dredging stations. To make the liquid batter, combine nondairy milk with apple cider vinegar, hot sauce and flax meal in a large bowl. Mix the cornstarch with a small amount of the vegan milk mixture to make a slurry and then add it back into the bowl. Add the mushrooms and let them soak for at least 15 minutes. In the meantime, continue on with the rest of the recipe.

In another large bowl, combine the flour with the sea salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, ground white pepper, ground sage, coriander, smoked paprika, celery salt, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground cumin and ground allspice.

To make the avocado ranch, in a small food processor add vegan mayonnaise, dill, parsley, chives, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, sea salt, ground black pepper, unsweetened nondairy milk and the avocado. Blend until very smooth.

In a medium to large heavy bottomed pot, heat up frying oil to between 325°F to 350°F.

Once the oil reaches 350°F, start battering the mushrooms in batches. Remove the mushrooms from the liquid and place them on a separate tray. Work with the first batch of mushrooms and place them in the dry batter to coat evenly. Now place the mushrooms back into the liquid batter and then back into the dry batter to double dredge.

Carefully place only 2 or 3 battered mushrooms into the hot oil at a time, using a splatter guard if desired. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping halfway. Remove from the hot oil with tongs and place on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

Grill flour tortillas in a cast iron grill pan over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until grill marks appear, but flour tortillas should still be pliable. Alternatively you can broil the tortillas in the oven on a sheet pan on the top rack for about 1 minute, just until the char marks appear, but the tortillas are still pliable.

To make the buffalo sauce, in medium bowl, add melted vegan butter and buffalo-style hot sauce. Brush the hot sauce mixture on both sides of the mushrooms just before serving.

To assemble add napa cabbage to the tortilla, top with the fried oyster mushrooms, red onion, pickle slices and drizzle with avocado ranch. Serve immediately.

recipe notes

Nashville hot chicken is traditionally spicy, so the above amount is for a medium spice level. If you prefer mild, flip the amounts so that it’s 3 tbsp hot sauce and 1/4 C vegan melted butter.

[elliotazca299-blog]

Vegan Thanksgiving Tortellini

It’s Thanksgiving season, friends! For #hotforfoodies in Canada it’s right around the corner (October 18!). And for those of you in the U.S. it’s next month. Regardless, any excuse to cozy up with a big plate of comfort food is a YES from me, and I’m sure you feel the same way! My Thanksgiving tortellini is exactly what you’ve been craving.

Vegan Thanksgiving ain’t no easy task! It comes in all shapes and sizes. There’s main dishes like my cauliflower roast and (if you’re up to the challenge), my vegducken. Then there’s your classic sides like green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and stuffing (all of which I have great recipes for, if ya didn’t know!). But before you break out the dessert options, you GOTTA get on board with this brand new recipe for Thanksgiving tortellini. YASSS!

Wondering why the heck I’m whipping up pasta in time for Thanksgiving? I’m glad you asked! I’m kicking off my new pasta series over on the YouTube channel starting TODAY, and I figured a holiday-inspired dish would be the perfect way to start. These Thanksgiving tortellini are filled with a savory mushroom stuffing filling that’s unlike ANYTHING you’ve ever tasted! You’ll be MORE than thankful this season that ya stopped by the blog today. Hey, it’s what I’m here for! 😉

The tortellini freeze very well so they work perfectly for a great make ahead meal that cooks in 5 to 6 minutes from frozen. To cut down on rolling all the tortellini, yourself, enlist some help! It’s fun and easy to do once you get the hang of it.

It's everything you love about Thanksgiving food in a warm, comforting pasta!

COURSE dinner, Main Course

CUISINE American, Italian

KEYWORD pasta, thanksgiving, tortellini

PREP TIME 4 hours 15 minutes

COOK TIME 40 minutes

SERVINGS 80 pieces of tortellini / 6 servings

AUTHOR Lauren Toyota

ingredients

TORTELLINI DOUGH

1 C all-purpose flour

1/2 C semolina flour

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3/4 C just boiled hot water

MUSHROOM STUFFING FILLING (MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS UNCOOKED / 3 1/2 TO 4 CUPS COOKED)

1 C roughly chopped leek (about 1 stalk just the white part)

1/2 C roughly chopped shallot (about 1 large shallot)

1 C roughly chopped carrot (1 large carrot)

3/4 C roughly chopped celery (1 stalk)

7 C / 22oz whole cremini mushrooms

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp whole fennel seeds

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

1 tbsp sea salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

BROWN BUTTER SAUCE

3 tbsp vegan butter

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 C minced garlic

1/2 tsp chili flakes

10 fresh sage leaves, pulled from the stem

4 C finely chopped or ribboned dino/lacinato kale, stems removed

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 C vegan parmesan + more as garnish

1/4 C reserved pasta water

2 to 3 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)

freshly grated nutmeg, as garnish

instructions

To make the dough, in a food processor with a dough blade, add all-purpose flour, semolina flour, sea salt and extra virgin olive oil. Add the hot water Thug Kitchen Party Grub slowly in a stream until the dough comes together. If making the dough by hand, combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and add extra virgin olive oil and hot water. Work your way from the center out and begin incorporating the flour into the liquid until all the flour is combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature while vegan soul food you prepare the filling.

To make the filling, in a food processor with the chopping blade, add leek, shallot, carrot and celery. Pulse chop until everything is finely chopped, scraping the sides if necessary. Set aside in a large bowl. Pulse blend the cremini mushrooms in two batches. Then add the chopped mushrooms to the carrot, celery and leek mixture.

In a large non-stick pan over medium high heat, add extra virgin olive oil and all of the mushroom and veg mixture. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes and then add fennel seeds, rosemary, thyme, sea salt and pepper. Stir and cook for another 7 to 8 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture starts to brown. Pour into a bowl to Thug Kitchen 101 let it cool while you roll the tortellini.

To roll out the tortellini, knead the dough a few times. Use a dough cutter to cut the dough in half. Reuse the plastic wrap to cover half so it doesn’t dry out. Roll out the other half on a lightly floured surface into a long tube. Use the dough cutter and scale to cut and measure out 6g pieces. Place the pieces on a floured baking sheet and cover them with a damp dish towel so they don’t dry out.

On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to roll the small piece of dough into a very smooth round ball. You may need to pinch the ends of the ball with your fingers to make it very smooth. Smash the dough ball flat to create a round. Then use a thin rolling pin to roll out into a very thin 2 1/2-inch round, by rolling with even pressure with your dominant hand and turning the round 5 to 10 degrees slightly with your other hand between each roll. Occasionally dip the round into flour on the surface, so it doesn’t stick to the board or rolling pin. You’re looking for a super thin tortellini wrapper.

Use a teaspoon to measure out filling and place into the center. Dab some water around the edges and fold the dough in half like a pierogi. Then fold one end of the tortellini over the other almost like you’re crossing its arms. Repeat with the rest of the tortellini. If making ahead, place them on a baking sheet in one layer covered in plastic wrap and freeze the whole sheet. Once frozen you can put them in a freezer bag or condense into another container.

Boil tortellini in salted water for 4 to 5 minutes if cooking them fresh. If cooking them from frozen, boil for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove boiled tortellini onto a baking sheet, but you should simultaneously be making the sauce. Ensure you reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water for making the sauce.

To make the sauce, in a large non-stick pan over low to medium heat, add vegan butter, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, chili flakes and whole fresh sage leaves. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Add kale, sea salt and black pepper and stir for another 3 to 4 minutes until the kale softens. Then stir in vegan parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Add up to 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up as necessary, simmering it on low to slightly thicken the sauce.

To serve, add drained tortellini to a large serving dish and pour sauce over top. Fold in the sauce gently to coat the tortellini. If serving from the pan, use a slotted spoon to add freshly boiled tortellini right into the pan and toss to coat in sauce. Finish with extra parmesan, freshly cracked black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg for serving.