Vegan Mac and Cheese Sauce with a Kick:

Here I go with the spicy flavors again! Don't worry though. This recipe isn't all that spicy. I only added a little bit of cayenne pepper and Cajun seasoning to make it a little more interesting.

I smashed the diced rutabaga, but you can always puree it in a food processor or blender if you're trying to hide the veggies from any unsuspecting children.You can also add a little extra almond milk for a creamier sauce.

Ingredients:

1 package your choice of pasta, cooked according to package directions

1 15oz. can diced rutabagas, drained 

1/2 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup plain unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of Cajun seasoning (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

2. While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil, garlic, and onions to a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat until translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in the diced rutabagas, garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Smash the mixture with a potato masher until it is smooth and creamy, and then continue cooking on medium heat for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.*

3. Stir in the almond milk and then the nutritional yeast. Cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes.

4. Drain the pasta when necessary. Once the sauce is ready, add it to the pasta and serve.

*If you choose to puree the rutabaga mixture in the food processor before, add the diced rutabagas, garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and Cajun seasoning to your food processor before you put it in the pan, and then process it until smooth. Add it to the saucepan, cook for 5 minutes, and then proceed to step #3.

Vegan Nachos & Nacho "Cheese":

Well, this is lame. I think I'm going to stay in, rent The Holiday, and watch it on repeat by myself all night. Haha. At least I ate well today. I made nachos with "cheese" sauce, jalapenos, diced tomatoes, and avocados. I also made sweet rolls with cinnamon buttery spread. ♥

Clearly, daylight savings time has become my arch enemy in getting good pictures these days. It has also been particularly gloomy for Florida lately. Needless to say, it's frustrating. Oh well, the  nachos tasted amazing anyways. You can also add in diced onions, black beans, bell peppers, and/or tempeh for more variety. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 ripe tomato, diced

 1 avocado, sliced

1 jalapeno, sliced

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. dried cilantro

Tortilla chips

1 cup nacho cheese (see recipe below) 

Hot sauce (to taste)

Instructions:

Lay the tortilla chips out on a plate or casserole dish. Toss the diced tomato with the olive oil and cilantro. Drizzle the tortilla chips with the cheese and hot sauce, and then top them with the tomato, avocado, and jalapenos. 

Vegan Nacho Cheese: 

1 1/2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp. sesame tahini
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp. chiles, minced
1/4 tsp. miso (optional)
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
A few dashes of cayenne pepper

Instructions:

1. Whisk the almond milk, tahini, nutritional yeast, chiles, miso, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt together in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in the flour.

2. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium, and let simmer until it thickens, another 10 minutes, whisking often.

3. Remove from heat, and let stand for 10 minutes. It should thicken a little more.

OMG - Vegan Polenta Stackers in Lemon "Butter" Sauce:

OMG! This is so decadent. My mouth was watering the whole time I was cooking. You might die when you taste this, and again when you realize that you made such a rich, delicious, gourmet meal in less than 25 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups arugula

1 tube polenta (about 2 cups), sliced

1 large tomato, sliced

1 1/2 cups broccoli, cut into medium florets

1 cup kale, ripped into medium pieces

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, sliced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts  

1 tsp. olive oil

1 1/2 cup dry white wine

2 to 3 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. Earth Balance

2 sprigs thyme

1/2 tsp. salt, divided

Dash of black pepper

Dash of paprika

Dash of cayenne

Serves 4.

Total Cook Time: 25 minutes.

Instructions:

1. Add the white wine, lemon juice, broccoli, Earth Balance, and thyme to a medium saucepan. Stir, and mix in the pepper, paprika, cayenne, and half of the salt. Bring to a boil. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low, add the chickpeas, and continue cooking until reduced, about another 8 to 10 minutes.

2. While the sauce is cooking, heat the polenta and tomatoes in a large sauce pan: add the olive oil, polenta, tomatoes, and salt to the pan. Cook on medium-high for about 5 minutes, and then turn the heat up to high. Continue cooking until the tomatoes are brown, 3 to 5 more minutes. (Take the polenta out of the pan if it begins to burn).

3. Stack the polenta, tomatoes, and other ingredients on top of a bed of arugula...and then try not to eat it all yourself. ❤

Vegan Baked Broccoli Pasta in Avocado Cream Sauce:

So anyways, I used gluten free quinoa noodles for this recipe. They were good!  This recipe is relatively quick, and it's just so comforting!

How's everyone's weekend? I'm about to make lunch for my friend and I, and then we're heading over to UCF for the homecoming game. The weather is perfect: 77 degrees with a high of 81. It's a beautiful day to be a Knight, but then again, it's always a beautiful day to be a Knight. Unfortunately, this may be my last UCF tailgate for awhile, but I do plan to return one day with a big RV.  (I'm always jealous of people with RVs at tailgate).  Have a good day and enjoy! ❤

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups small shells, cooked according to package instructions
1 1/2 cups broccoli, cut into medium-sized florets
1 cup yellow onion, diced or sliced
1/2 cup avocado
1/2 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. olive or canola oil, divided
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dried parsley (or 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped)
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt (probably a little more, to taste)
Dash of black pepper
Dash of paprika

Serves 2.
Total Cook Time: 35 minutes. 

Instructions:

1.  Cook the pasta according to package directions, strain, and reserve about 2 tablespoons of the cooking water. Add the pasta back to the pot that you cooked it in, and stir in 1 tsp. of the oil and a dash of salt and black pepper.

2. Add the avocado, almond milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and garlic to the food processor. Process until it's smooth and creamy.

3. Preheat the oven to 350. In a large saucepan, add the remaining 1 tsp. of oil, the broccoli, and the diced onions. Cook on medium-high heat until tender, 7 to 10 minutes. (You may want to add a little more oil if it begins to stick).

4. Stir the cream sauce and the broccoli/onion mixture in with the pasta. Add the paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

5. Add the pasta to a casserole dish, cover, and bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes.