Summer time is when Basil is abundant and inexpensive. This is one of my favorite things to have on hand to toss with pasta, or roasted veggies, to smear on a warm piece of bread, on a sandwich, add to lasagna, I could honestly go on and on. It's the best time to make this Vegan Basil Pesto and freeze it for when basil isn't as available. This version is nut free, but you can use the traditional pinenuts, or walnuts, even hazelnuts make a great pesto. I prefer sunflower seeds because I always have them on hand and I can make sure anyone with a nut allergy can have some. Enough of my long winded reasons to make this, haha. Let get to it....
To your food processor or blender add
1 1/4 cup fresh Basil
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 lemon juiced
Roasted garlic to taste,
I use 1/2 of a large head
Blend and gradually add in water
3 Tbsp - 1/4 c water depends of how thick or thin you want it
Salt and pepper to taste
Blend until it is the consistency you like. Taste it and add anything you think it needs. Spice it up with any seasoning you like.
Whether you are making breakfast in bed for your love, or your kids. Having a sweet lunch date, or a romanic dinner, these are tried and true dishes are easy to prepare, but seem like you spent WAY to much time in the kitchen, shhhh I wont tell if you don't, haha. I'll be making some of these for my family on Valentine's Day. I hope you enjoy your Valentine's Day and treat yourself with the same amount of love you are giving to others, because YOU deserve it! MUCH LOVE~ Des!
BREAKFAST-
Oat pancakesThese pancakes are easy even on a weekday.
Breakfast SausageWe always have sausage in the freezer ready to heat up for any special occasion when you want to seem like your going that extra mile without much work involved.
LUNCH- Creamy Baked Pasta can be prepped the night before. Make the sauce and pasta put in the oven safe dish cover and pop in the fridge. When your ready to bake top with bread crumbs and pop it in the oven. I'll be really honest... it's delicious without the bread crumbs and extra step of baking.
DESSERT- Chocolate Cake this is such an easy cake that literally takes no time and you probably have everything you need on hand.
Chocolate Chip Cookies are something that we take when our kids need to have options and share with others so if you or your kids are having a Valentine' day party make these and everyone will thank you!
This soup is everything I've ever wanted in a soup. It is hearty, healthy and oh so delicious! As quick and easy my Easy Vegan Lasagna is, this is even quicker, easier and the taste just as amazing! AND, I get to use one of my favorite kitchen gadgets.... The Instant Pot! If you don't have one don't worry, I've got you covered, with a stove top version. The whole family loved it or I wouldn't be sharing it. Even Ethan loved it. He is beginning to like tomato based dishes, which is so AWESOME! That just goes to show us that we really can begin to enjoy foods that we once didn't. OK, let's get cooking shall we! Ingredients:
1 medium chopped onion
3 celery stalks chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper chopped
3 large carrots or a hand full or 2 of baby carrots sliced
8 oz. Mushrooms sliced
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 Tablespoon Tomato paste
2 teaspoons Dried Parsley
2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 medium or 2 small Zucchini sliced into half moons
32. oz of your favorite Marinara Sauce jarred or homemade (you can use the ingredients for mine here, just add the ingredients right to the pot)
Using the Sauté mode add the onion, celery, pepper and carrots and cook until soft, I add a little water as needed to prevent sticking (sautéing isn't necessary if you are in hurry).
Add the mushrooms, garlic, dried herbs and tomato paste, stir to combine then add zucchini stir
Pour in jarred marinara (or add the ingredients for this sauce), vegetable stock and water, stir. Adjust seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
Add broken pasta, stir to make sure the pasta is covered.
Check your instant pot lid to make sure the sealing ring and gaskets are all on properly. Put the lid on and set it to sealing.
Press the off button to stop the sauté mode. Then press Manual and adjust the time to 4 minutes (cooking pasta in the ipot is half time cook time on the box minus 1 minute).
Release the pressure after the 4 minutes is done. Remove the lid away from you.
Stir the soup then stir in the Spinach.
Optional: Top with your favorite vegan ricotta. Or make the THIS ONE from Easy Vegan Lasagna while the soup is cooking. It comes together so quick and it AMAZING! Add fresh Basil ribbons on top.
ENJOY!!
Stove top version: is super easy too. The only difference is the cook time after you add the pasta, follow the cook time on the box of Lasagna noodles you purchased.
Please make this! Especially if you like Lasagna, it's amazing. If you have any left over it won't be as soupy the next day, but it's still delish. You can top it with more marinara if you would like, but I don't think it's necessary.
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Watch the video if you want to see how I made it.
I forgot to stir in my spinach at the end... Story of my life!
You do better than me, and don't forget it, haha!
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My end goal in life will always be getting as many veggies as I can into my family, haha. I know to some this is not a huge goal, but let's be honest, this is one of those goals that just makes you such a super magical force. When you make THESE AMAZING COOKIES for your family and tell them I'm glad you like because it's made from beans, or this SAUSAGE is made from oats, or this Creamy Baked Pasta is made from CAULIFLOWER, and your 10 year old son looks up at you with huge eyes like you've just solved the Pythagorean Theorem, that my friends is a goal I will forever be reaching for and hope to continue to meet each time I make a dish with hidden veggies! Ok, If you can't tell this was a hit and I'm not sure why I'm surprised because Cauliflower is an amazing versatile ingredient. I've made this a couple different times with a different flare like Mexican (added chili powder and cumin for a taco Mac flavor) and Cajun (I used Tony's cajun seasoning and it was sooo good and a little spicy). I make sure to have a few bags in the freezer for quick and healthy dishes when I just don't have time to think about it.
My oldest daughter asked if I could make a "creamy" pasta. I thought about using a cashew base (too high in fat me to down a huge plate full) or a fat free vegan béchamel (which doesn't offer any nutrients), neither of these really had everything I wanted in a creamy sauce. So I scan the kitchen and decide to change up my Southern Gravy recipe to make it more pasta friendly. This is what I ended up with and the whole family loved it. Let get to it.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and get 1 lb. of pasta pasta of choice started. I used 1 lb. of this Brown Rice Pasta.
Bring a pot of water to boil ADD the following:
16 oz. frozen or fresh Cauliflower
1 small Onion
3-5 large cloves of garlic (we like a lot of garlic I use 5 and it's not overpowering, but I LOVE garlic)
2-4 Tablespoons Sunflower seeds optional (You can use any nut or seed you like. It adds a nice mouth feel, but is totally optional!)
Boil until the cauliflower is tender enough to mash easily. Drain the pot but keep about a cup of the cooking liquid incase you need a little to help blend it. You can watch the video below to see how I pulled it together.
To a blender ADD
Drained Cauliflower mixture
Tablespoon or 2 at a time of the cooking liquid (don't make it too thin)
salt and pepper to taste (if you are using the mushroom seasoning remember, it's salty)
Now's the time to add whatever flavors your going for. This is great as is but really tasty with additional spices like Chili Mac flavors or Tony's cajun to spice it up!
Blend until smooth and creamy. Add this to your cooked and drained pasta. Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning again if needed. Pour Creamy Pasta into a baking dish and top with Seasoned Bread Crumbs recipe below. Pop into a 375 degree oven until the top is golden brown about 15 mins.
Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Panko bread crumbs (I used these). USE GLUTEN FREE IF NEEDED. Options below*
I hope you make this and enjoy it as much as we do. Don't forget to make this into your own dish and season it up how you and your family enjoy! Then snap a picture and tag me on Instagram tell me what you did different so I can try it too!! MUCH LOVE ~ Des!
PIN IT!!
WHAT THE VIDEO!
Please follow us on social media! I LOVE connecting with you all so much! Here's where you can find us, we are The Plant Eaters on all of them, or you can click the links and you'll find us! Don’t forget to snap a picture and tag us on social media!
*VEGAN GLUTEN FREE BREAD CRUMBS: Potato bread crumbs I had no idea potato bread crumbs were an actual thing I'm DEFINITELY trying these)or I haven't tries these either these are on my list too,Chickpea bread crumbs. Let me know your favorite Gluten free bread crumbs so I can try them!!!???
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I love lasanga, but I never liked making it because of the whole "labor of love" that goes along with it. But recently, I've had a hankering for it, and haven't made it since we went vegan. But, I needed something easy. All the recipes I've seen and even used to make, I had to cook a bunch of stuff before I even put it all together, and cook it again for another hour! That's not something I have time for, and honestly, if I had that kind of time, lasagna is not at the top of my list for long lengthy things to do, now a massage, that I'd waste hours on, I digress. So, I wanted an easy vegan lasagna I could layer some stuff, along with our favorite tofu ricotta, throw it in the oven and call it delicious.
I literally did just that, tossed a bunch of stuff that I know my family likes, and even snuck in some spinach, kale and arugula! I didn't precook anything! I know, I say this all the time, but please just remember this is a guide ADD the thing you know your family will like. But sneak in some chopped greens of choice your family will not bat an eye! You may be concerned the raw mushrooms will give off too much liquid, to be honest I kind of was too, but they don't! The noodles are the oven ready version so I didn't worry too much since 1. I didn't add a ton 2. the extra little bit of liquid would help the noodles cook. The tomato sauce is so easy too I opened a couple of 32 oz. cans of my favorite crushed tomatoes after they finished the job of pressing the tofu for my tofu ricotta. Which isn't totally necessary, but they needed a job while I figured out what I was going to throw into this Easy Vegan Lasagna.
Tomato sauce (recipe below), or use your favorite jarred sauce
Tofu ricotta (recipe below)
In a casserole dish add a layer of tomato sauce to the bottom, add a layer of oven ready lasagna noodles (you may need to break a few of them to make them fit, again you can watch the video to see how it worked out for me), then a layer of the tofu ricotta enough to cover the noodles, sprinkle the chopped greens of choice I use a spinach, kale and arugula blend, add chopped artichoke heart and sliced mushrooms, then add another layer of tomato sauce, noodles, ricotta, greens, artichokes, mushrooms, sauce, I sprinted a little almond "parm" of top it's just finely grated almond, nutritional yeast and salt totally optional. Cover with foil and bake according to the oven ready noodles you use. I baked at 375 F. for 50 minutes, then removed the foil and baked another 10 minutes. Let in rest for about 10-15 minutes. ENJOY! Please please snap a picture and tag me on Instagram!
Tomato sauce recipe:
Mix together
2 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes (I love Cento brand, you can find these at most grocery stores)
mix everything together no need to cook it or even heat it just put it to the side and wait until you are ready to add it to the lasagna.
Scarlet loves the Tofu ricotta she loves to help "clean" the spatula, haha.
Tofu Ricotta recipe and instructions:
1 block of extra firm tofu drained and pressed if you want to I do because I prefer the texture if you don't care do waste your time.
juice of 2 lemons and the zest of 1
3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast (I try not to use the enriched kind)
1/2 cup fresh basil
1 Tablespoon oregano
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
Put everything in a food processor or blender pulse and scrap as needed until the consistency you like, I like it pretty smooth you can see the YouTube video here and below where I show the texture we like.
This is my plate and I went back for 2nd's!
We served it with salad and Homemade Bread you should always have some on hand!
Pin it and follow me on Pinterest, I'm just starting to add some of our recipes and I'd love to follow you for ideas!
Here's the YouTube video if you're interested in seeing how I there it together!
