Summer Pasta in a Light, Vegan Cream Sauce:

This is the kind of pasta that you get when you don't want to dirty another pan to make a sauce and when you're out of most of the ingredients that you usually use to make said cream sauce. 

(In other words, this recipe is perfect who those of you who are just starting out as vegans and have absolutely no idea what nutritional yeast is, let alone where to buy it). 

I have a TON of different recipes for vegan cream sauce. In fact, I rarely make the same one twice. I will tell you, however (no matter how convoluted this particular recipe may be), that every single one of my cream sauce recipes is pretty simple to make. 

All day at work, I was dreaming about a creamy pasta, laden with vegetables. I knew that I had broccoli that I needed to use up, and I almost forgot about the bell peppers that were hiding in my fridge. I also knew that I had almond milk and a little bit of vegan margarine sitting on the door of the fridge, so I figured I'd combine the ingredients. The result? This delicious and (almost) guilt-free vegan pasta. 

Because I usually use Tofutti products and nutritional yeast to thicken my cream sauces, and because I had neither of which when I made this, the sauce is thinner, and thus, has a much lighter feel. It's perfect during these waning days of summer.

In fact, I enjoyed it while sitting on my front porch, watching my neighbors walk their dogs. There was a light breeze, and the sun was just beginning to set. I'm finally starting to feel a bit settled in. :)

Ingredients:

1 box Farfalle pasta, cooked according to package instructions

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 1/2 cups broccoli, cut into medium florets

1 small yellow onion, sliced

5 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1/4 cup white cooking wine, divided

1/4 cup plain unsweetened almond milk

2 tbsp. vegan margarine

2 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Dash of paprika

Serves 4 to 6.

Total Cook Time: about 25 minutes.

Instructions: 

1. Once the pasta water is boiling, add the pasta and the crushed garlic. Cook according to package instructions. 

2. While the pasta is cooking, add the onions, a dash of salt, and about 1/4 tbsp. of the olive oil to a large skillet. Cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes, and then add about 1/8 cup of the white cooking wine to the skillet. Continue cooking until almost tender, about 6 minutes. 

3. Next, add the red pepper, broccoli, and the remaining white cooking wine to the skillet. Add another dash of salt and the paprika. You probably also want to add another 1/4 tbsp. of olive oil. Cook on medium-high heat for another 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Drain the pasta, and then add the vegan margarine, the remaining salt, and another dash of paprika. Stir, and add the almond milk. 

5. Turn the burner on low, and let the almond milk thicken up a bit, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for another 3 minutes or so. (The sauce should thicken up a bit more).

6. Stir the veggies in with the pasta and serve.

Another favorite: Rotini in Vegan Lemon Cream Sauce.

Vegan Rice Bowls with Hummus, Broccoli, and Onions:

Though I'm generally a bigger fan of pasta, every once in awhile, I just love rice bowls. They're so simple and can be combined with so many different ingredients. I don't think that I've ever eaten the same rice bowl. In this recipe, I combined slightly caramelized onions with charred broccoli, white rice, and creamy hummus. I also added touches of sesame oil, lime juice, and cayenne pepper in order to gain a few more layers of flavor. This hummus recipe is nice because it has a few ingredients and ends up being super creamy and light, with just enough flavor.

Ingredients:

For the Hummus:

1 can chickpeas (19oz.) - reserve most of the liquid

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp. tahini

1 to 2 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

Dash of cumin

Instructions: Hummus:

Add all of the ingredients to your food processor (or blender). 

Pulse until smooth, adding any other ingredients to taste. 

For the Rice Bowls:

1 cup rice, cooked according to package directions

1 cup broccoli, cut into medium-sized florets

2/3 cup white onion, sliced

1 tbsp. sesame oil (or olive oil)

1 tsp. lime juice

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. + dash of salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

Serves 2.

Total Cook Time: 20 to 30 minutes. 

Instructions:

1. Cook the rice and set it aside.
2. Add the sesame oil, sliced onion,  1/4 tsp. salt, and garlic powder to a medium skillet. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
3. Stir the broccoli into the skillet with the onions, and add the lime juice and the dash of salt and cayenne. Cook for another 5 minutes or so on medium heat. If you'd like your veggies to be charred, turn the heat up after the 5 minutes, and cook them on medium-high to high heat for another 3 minutes (or until charred).
5. Serve the veggies and hummus on top of the rice.

Sriracha and Spicy Brown Mustard Boca Burgers + How to Season a Boca Burger:

I hope that everyone had an awesome weekend. I sure did. It was beautiful here in Orlando, and I was able to spend time with lots of friends.

Anyways, I figured I'd share this recipe because it's quick and easy, and I just loved the way the seasonings came together on these burgers. Feel free to omit the sriracha if you're not a fan of spicy. I just figured that it was a nice change from ketchup (and I just picked the sriracha up the other day and wanted to use it).

Ingredients:

4 Boca Burgers

Sriracha, to taste

Spicy Brown Mustard, to taste

1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

Dash of Cayenne Pepper

1/4 tsp. Paprika

1/4 tsp. Seasoned Salt

2 tsp. olive or canola oil

You'll Also Need:

4 burger buns

1 tomato, sliced

1 cup spinach

Serves 4. 

Total Cook Time: 15 minutes.

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the Boca burgers, and sprinkle the salt, garlic powder, cayenne, paprika, and seasoned salt over them. Flip burgers so that they have the seasonings and oil on each side.

2. Reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, flipping occasionally.

3. Serve on buns with spinach, tomatoes, sriracha, and brown mustard. (I put my sriracha and brown mustard on the side, just in case I wasn't feeling the heat of the sriracha). 

Vegan Red Pepper and Lentil Sloppy Joes:

I know. I know. Lentil Sloppy Joes have been done a million times over, but these are the real deal. Sweet and spicy, with a little kick and a nice hint of garlic. They're perfect for any day, and they're super healthy for you.

Add whatever spices to taste. The cumin and paprika add different layers of flavor to this recipe, keeping it interesting and delicious. If you want a spicier sauce, add more hot sauce and cayenne. For a sweeter sauce, add more brown sugar. Also, I estimated on the salt, so feel free to add more if need-be.

Though this recipe has a lot of ingredients, you should have most of them on-hand. You can sub the Dijon mustard for regular mustard if necessary, and you can probably omit the cumin (though I highly recommend using it).

Other than that, I hope that everyone is having a great Monday. I'm pretty behind and probably should've waited to post this, but I'm procrastinating a little. Looks like school work is next for me. I have to finish a Professional Responsibility and a Torts outline for one of my classes, and I really should get started on my paper. I also need to clean my room. It's a cluttered mess at the moment (which is also hindering my productivity). Oh, and my resume. I really need to polish my resume a bit, but I just don't know what I want to do with it.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked lentils, soaked and rinsed (about 2 1/2 cups soaked/cooked lentils)

1 cup water

1 white onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

2/3 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar (or more, to taste)

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. non-dairy buttery spread

3 cloves garlic  

3 tsp. olive oil, divided

2 tsp. salt, divided

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. white or apple cider vinegar

1 to 2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. paprika

Dash of hot sauce (to taste)

Dash of cayenne pepper

Makes about 6 Sloppy Joes. 

Total Cook Time: about an hour, plus time for soaking the lentils.

You'll Also Need:

6 burger buns 

Instructions:

1. Soak the lentils in water for at least an hour.  Drain and rinse.

2. In a large saucepan, bring about 6 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the lentils to a boil. Continue cooking the lentils until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

3. While the lentils are cooking, add the onions, red pepper, garlic, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a large skillet. Cook on medium-high heat until tender. Stir in the tomato paste, water, lemon juice,  vinegar, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and hot sauce. Continue cooking for another 3 minutes or so.

4. Stir in the ketchup, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, buttery spread, and the parsley. Cook on medium-high heat until most of the water has reduced, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for another 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

5. Scoop about 1/2 cup of the lentil mixture onto each burger bun, and serve with a nice, big salad or fries. 

Vegan Bean Burritos & Avocado Lime Guacamole:

The nice thing about this recipe is that you can easily customize it. I think that jalapenos would be a very nice addition, as well as salsa or rice. You could also substitute black beans or chickpeas for the refried beans. These burritos are  definitely filling and delicious. You can definitely get your protein fix here. Your omni friends and family won't miss the meat at all, promise. Also, I would've preferred to use flour tortillas, but I only had spinach wraps at the time. Just use your favorite kind of tortillas.

Guacamole:

Ingredients:

1 avocado, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. lime juice

Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor. Process until nice and smooth.

Burritos:

Ingredients:

1 (15.5 oz.) can refried beans

1 tomato, diced

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tsp. olive oil, divided

2 tsp. water

1/4 tsp. salt

4 flour tortillas

1/2 cup Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream (optional)

Hot sauce (to taste)

Instructions:

1. Add 2 tsp. of the olive oil, the onion, and the garlic to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until soft and a little browned, about 10 minutes. Add the 2 tsp. of water if the onions get too dry while cooking.

2. Once the onions and garlic are soft, stir in the refried beans, salt, a dash of hot sauce, and remaining 1 tsp. of olive oil. Continue cooking on medium heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.

3. Once the beans are ready, assemble the burritos. Fill the middle of each tortilla with the refried beans (add whatever else you want in there: more hot sauce, salsa, peppers, etc.), and fold.

4. Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook one burrito at a time, on each side until browned, 3 to 5 minutes.

5. Mix the sour cream and some hot sauce together. Top the burritos with the guacamole, tomatoes, and sour cream/hot sauce mixture.