healthy vegan blog

This pizza is INCREDIBLE with the pizza shop crust and melted Daiya. Most crust recipes require a three hour process, and who has time for that? But Ethical Pizza has a fabulous recipe and video for a super easy pizza crust that you mix in the morning and finish after work. Below is my take on their recipe.

Dough

• 1 ½ cup warm/hot water
• ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1 ¾ teaspoons salt
• 2 ¼ cup organic unbleached white flour
• ¾ cup organic whole wheat bread flour
• additional white flour for shaping the crust (about 1/2 cup)

Tools

• parchment paper
• 16 inch large pizza pan (we like the ones with holes)
• wire cooling rack

Toppings

• 15 ounce can organic pizza sauce
• 8 ounce bag of daiya mozzarella

In the morning . . .

1. In a large bowl, add warm water and yeast. Allow the yeast to dissolve in the water.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the salt, white flour, and whole-wheat flour.
3. Stir the yeast/water mixture and make sure all the yeast is dissolved.
4. Add the flour mixture to the yeast/water. Mix until all the flour is wet.
5. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 8-12 hours. Do not stir or touch it.

At dinner time . . .

1. When you are ready to make the pizza, put flour on a towel or flour the counter. Scrape the dough onto the flour. Add enough flour on top of the dough to make it easy to shape. Form a ball, cover with the towel, and allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 450º. Place parchment paper over the pizza pan. Put dough ball on the paper. Press with your hands into a pizza shape adding flour as needed. (The dough will rise in the oven so I press it pretty thin.)
3. Bake just the crust for 10 minutes on the lowest rack. Add sauce and bake another 10 minutes. Add cheese. Carefully slide the pizza off the paper/pan and bake another 10 minutes directly on the lowest oven rack. Total of 30 minutes of bake time.
4. Transfer to a wire rack and cool about 5 minutes. Cut on cutting board and return uncut part to the wire rack (it gets a bit soggy when left on the cutting board).

We like to put basil and organic smoky tempeh on our pizza. Topping possibilities are endless! This reheats well in the toaster oven or is tasty cold.

Everyone needs a good go-to lasagna recipe, right? The vegan version is healthy, low fat, and will appeal to your nonvegan friends. In this recipe, the cashew cheese really adds to the flavor and feel of the lasagna – it is reminiscent of Parmesan cheese. It takes about a half hour to prep and an hour to bake. If you are not a fan of zucchini, you could substitute other veggies or omit.

• 1 cup of cashew cheese (see recipe here)
• 2 x 14 ounce packages of extra firm tofu (the refrigerated kind)
• 6 heaping tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons oregano
• 1 tablespoon dry minced onion
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 12 ounce box of whole wheat lasagna noodles (like bionaturae)
• 2-3 zucchini, sliced and halved
• 2 x 26 ounce jars of tomato sauce

1. Prepare cashew cheese. (see recipe here)
2. Remove tofu from the package and allow the liquid to drain off (no need to press).
3. To prepare the “ricotta cheese” mixture, place the following ingredients in a large bowl: tofu, nutritional yeast, salt, oregano, dry onion, basil, and lemon juice. Use an immersion blender to mix until the tofu is smoothish, like the consistency of ricotta cheese. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use an electric mixer or food processor.)
4. Put a large pot of water on to boil.
5. Microwave sliced zucchini for 2-4 minutes to precook it a bit.
6. Spread about 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9×13″ glass baking dish.
7. Once the water is boiling, as you build the lasagna, boil 4 noodles at a time for 4 minutes. Remove the noodles from the water with tongs and place in a strainer for a few seconds before adding to the lasagna.
8. Place four boiled noodles on top of the sauce in the 9×13″ dish.
9. Place a single a layer of zucchini on top of the noodles. Spread about a cup of sauce on top of the zucchini. Using about 1/3 of the “ricotta cheese” mixture, drop small spoonfuls on top of the zucchini/sauce.
10. Preheat the oven to 350º.
11. Place another layer of 4 boiled noodles, single layer of zucchini, 1 cup sauce, and 1/3 of the “ricotta cheese” mixture.
12. Place a third layer of 4 boiled noodles, 1 cup sauce, remaining 1/3 of the “ricotta cheese” mixture, and 1/2 of the cashew cheese.
13. Place last layer of 4 boiled noodles on top. Cover with the remaining sauce.
14. Cover with foil and bake at 350º for 45 minutes.
15. After 45 minutes, remove foil, sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cashew cheese on top. Bake an additional 15 minutes uncovered.
16. Let cool for about 15 minutes before cutting.

I never ate shepherd’s pie as an omnivore, but Chet has fond memories of the dish. This meal is so delicious and perfect for cool fall evenings and cold winter nights. It is super healthy and fat free!

Potato Part

• 6 large potatoes (2+ pounds)
• 1/3-1 cup soymilk
• 1 teaspoon dry parsley
• ½ teaspoon salt
• fresh ground pepper

Lentil Stew Part

• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon Organic Vegetable Base (or substitute 4 cups of vegetable broth for the 4 cups of water)
• 1 cup uncooked brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
• 2 large carrot, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 large onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 celery stalks, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon flour mixed with 1/4 cup water
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn

1. Wash potatoes. Cut into quarters; leave on skins. Boil potatoes until they are very tender.
2. In another pot (at least 3 quarts), boil 4 cups of water.
3. Add Better Than Bouillon to the boiling water. Mix well.
4. Add lentils and boil for 15 minutes.
5. Add carrot, onion, celery, and garlic to the lentils. Simmer for 15 more minutes .
6. Once potatoes are tender, pour them through a strainer. Use an electric mixer to mash them. Mix in soymilk, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add enough soymilk to may creamy. Set aside.
7. Combine the flour and water. Stir it into lentil stew; simmer about 5 minutes until thickened.
8. Add thyme, oregano, and parsley.
9. Remove from heat and add the peas and corn.
10. Pour the mixture into a 3 quart casserole dish. Spoon the mashed potatoes on top.
11. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 or until the potatoes are lightly browned.

I found this recipe for vegan meatballs on My Vegan Cookbook. I have no idea if they taste like meatballs, but they are DELICIOUS!  I doubled the recipe and used high heat canola oil instead of olive oil because most olive oils are not meant to be heated (see my post on oils).

• 1 cup cooked lentils (measured as 1/2 cup uncooked)
• 2 cup cooked brown rice (measured as 2/3 cup uncooked)
• 1/2 cup oats
• 3/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dry onion flakes
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons high heat canola oil
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon  lemon juice

Put all ingredients in a bowl and use your hands to mix very well. Spray a cookie sheet with high heat canola oil. Take about 2 tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into a ball with your hands. Place on the cookie sheet. (I rinsed my hands a few times between ball rolling because the mixture starts to stick to your hands. Slightly wet hands make rolling easy.) When you are getting close to finishing,  preheat the oven to 300 degrees.   Place into the oven and cook 15 minutes on one side. Turn the balls and cook 15 more minutes. After cooking, let the balls sit for 2-3 minutes and then remove them from the cookie sheet. Cool on a rack. Once cooled, you can refrigerate them for a few days. Microwave for a short time or drop into spaghetti sauce to heat. The balls stay together really well. Makes 24 balls.

I found these “meatballs” to be extremely filling. I can only eat 3 of them, but my rock-climbing/mountain-biking/calorie-buring husband ate 11! One ball has 64 calories, 2.3 g fat, 0 saturated fat, and 2.5 grams of protein. They are very easy to make, but a bit time consuming because you have to boil brown rice and lentils. They are definitely worth the effort.

The “cheesy” topping is our cashew cheese (recipe here).

This smoky vegan “cheese” sauce is yummy on noodles and veggies. It tastes like it should be really bad for you, but it is low in fat, high in protein, and full of vitamin B-12 from the nutritional yeast. One quarter of this recipe (a heaping 1/2 cup) has 149 calories, 2.75 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, and 12 grams of protein.

• 1 cup nutritional yeast (not the bread kind)
• 1/2 cup organic white flour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups unsweetened organic soy milk
• 3 tablespoons organic tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

In a sauce pan, mix dry ingredients (yeast, flour, paprika, salt). Add the rest of the ingredients (soy milk, tomato paste, and liquid smoke). Whisk well. Place on low-medium heat (4 out of 10 on my stove). Stir CONSTANTLY with a utensil that allows you to scrape the bottom of the pan. Heat until the mixture thickens and is hot (about 10 minutes). Pour over pasta and sprinkle with a bit more paprika.

To build the delicious meal in the photo, I placed noodles on the plate, added sauteed mushrooms, bits of vegan sausage, and then poured on the cheese sauce – YUM!

This hearty winter stew is perfect for cold nights, and it is fat free and loaded with veggies and lentils – YUM! Shown here with my crusty whole wheat baguette.

• 1 pound dry lentils
• 4 1/2 cup water
• 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 medium onions, diced (2 1/2 cups)
• 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, diced (4 cups)
• 3 carrots, diced (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 small bunches of celery, diced (2 cups)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons dry parsley
• 1 teaspoon each of thyme, oregano, basil, and salt
• 8 cloves of garlic, crushed

1. Rinse and drain lentils.
2. Put lentils, water, and both kinds of tomatoes in a large pot.
3. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a slow simmer.
4. Add the remaining ingredients as you chop them. Add all spices.
5. Simmer covered over low heat for at least 2 hours. (I like my soup well simmered and will keep it going over very low heat for about 3 hours.)

Makes about 5 quarts.

We had steamed green beans, baked corn, rum cranberries, mashed sweet potatoes and Celebration Loaf. This is the first time that we had Celebration Loaf, and we thought it was quite yummy. Since we were at my parents house, we just microwaved it very briefly, and this worked fine. Recipes for baked corn and rum cranberries can be found on this blog.

As I mentioned before, I am a bit lazy in the kitchen and always look to make recipes easier. I have become obsessed with these zucchini cakes and have simplified the recipe. I no longer sauté the veggies and I bake them instead of broiling. I like the taste and consistency better; they are very vegetabley. The outside gets crispy/firm and the inside stays soft. It takes me 20 minutes to make and clean up the veggie mixture and another 5 minutes to form patties right before baking.

1 small onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 clove crushed garlic
2 carrots, shredded (about 1 ½ cups)
3 small zucchini, shredded (about 5-6 cups)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup of kidney beans (or any beans, really)
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
4 – 5 teaspoons Old Bay
whole wheat flour (for coating patties)

Food process the onion and garlic. Put into a large bowl (10 cups or so). Microwave for 1 minute. Drain off liquid. Use the the shredder attachment to shred the carrots and zucchini. Add to large bowl. Food process beans with 2 tablespoons of water to make a paste. Add to the bowl. Add oats, Worcestershire sauce, and Old Bay. Mix well with your hands. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Spray a cookie sheet with high heat canola oil. Place flour on a plate. Divide veggie mixture into 8 same size balls. Take each ball and flatten it into a patty.  Drop the patty into the flour, pressing the flour onto both sides. Place patties onto cookie sheet. Bake at 400º for 30-35 minutes. Flip once after 15-20 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes. We keep left overs in the fridge and nuke them for 1 minute and then toast them for a few minutes. Easy veggie to go. Each patty has 144 calories, 1 grams of fat, 0 saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, and 6.5 grams of protein.

Back when I was a vegetarian, I used to make zucchini “crab cakes.” They had eggs and mayo in them and were fried – definitely not part of my current healthy vegan diet. I was pretty sure that I could make them without eggs and mayo, but wasn’t sure how to cook them. My friend Maggie made veggies burgers from allrecipes.com (substituting beans for the eggs and cheese), and she broiled them. I combined my old recipe with her new one, and these zucchini cakes turned out delicious with a nice crispy outside and soft, moist, flavorful inside!

1 small onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 clove crushed garlic
2 carrots, shredded (about 1 ½ cups)
3 small zucchini, shredded (about 5 cups)
1 cup mushrooms, chopped (optional)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup of garbanzo beans (or any beans, really), mashed or processed
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
4 – 5 teaspoons Old Bay
whole wheat flour (for coating patties)

Note: I used the food processor to chop and shred all veggies.

Put about 2 tablespoons of water in a frying pan. Cook the onion and garlic over low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms, cover, and continue to cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. When veggies are tender, drain most of the liquid from the veggies (I didn’t press them, but I used a strainer and I froze the vegetable broth for a future recipe). Put veggies in a bowl. Mix in oats, beans, Worcestershire sauce, and Old Bay. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Place flour on a plate. Form the vegetable mixture into round patties and drop each patty into the flour, pressing the flour onto both sides. Spray a cookie sheet with high heat canola oil. Place patties onto cookie sheet and broil at 500º for 7-9 minutes, flip and continue broiling for another 7-9 minutes or until heated through and browned. Cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack. These can easily be reheated in the toaster oven.

If you make 8 huge patties, each patty has 153 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 saturated fat, 0 cholesterol, and 6 grams of protein. Nutritionally, this doesn’t quite count as a protein, so we added baked beans and fresh Lancaster County corn for a fabulous summer meal.

UPDATE: See revised recipe here.

I love blogs/websites that have photos of food with recipes included. The other night we tried Mariachi Macaroni from myvegancookbook.com, and it had a fabulous flavor!! I am definitely making it again soon.

I followed the recipe almost exactly except I used 3 tablespoons of pine nuts, 1 cup of soy milk, 1 tablespoon of minced dry onion instead of onion powder and grated onion, and NO OIL (avoid cooking with oil).

YUM!