OH MY Vegan Lasagna!!

31 Mar 2010 1 Comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

This is insane!! I love Daiya Vegan Cheese, amazing! The “ricotta” is beyond creamy and delicious. This is the Ultimate of all Comfort Foods! Both Michael and I were loving this. I have a feeling the next time we have company this is what I will make 😉 I am sure my guests will agree just how yummy this is! This is a crowd pleaser for vegans and carnivores alike!!

This is a perfect example of not only how easy living a vegan life is, but also how truly delicious and satisfying it can be!!

P.S. We are having a 2lb Chia Seed Giveaway that ends at Midnight on 4/2 – so don’t forget to enter HERE!!!

Amazing Vegan Lasagna

  • 1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 12 oz. bag of soy crumbles
  • 18 oz jar of marinara sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 cup shredded vegan cheddar (preferably Daiya!!)
  • 1 cup shredded vegan mozzarella (preferably Daiya!!)
  • 1/2 – 1 tub lite firm tofu
  • tub of vegan cream cheese
  • drizzle of olive oil
  • few squeezes of lemon juice
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In skillet, saute soy crumbles with olive oil, onion, and garlic. Once browned, add marinara sauce, basil and oregano.
  3. In food processor, make “ricotta.” Put tofu, cream cheese, olive oil, and lemon juice. Pulse until mixed. Try to maintain coarser texture.
  4. In a 9x13x3 glass dish, layer bottom with noodles, then soy crumbles, then “ricotta”, then “cheeze”on top. Repeat layering process 2-3 more times. Top with oregano. Cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and put back in the oven for 10-15 more minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes or so before serving.

Uncooked

Cheesy Baked Penne with Cauliflower and Crème Fraîche & VEGAN Version! SO GOOD!

18 Mar 2010 10 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who does not love Mac&Cheese? My friend Shalon gave me this recipe which she super enjoyed and I had to agree! Of course I made this Vegan so I could partake in all the fun and I am SOOO happy I did. Michael and I are obsessed with this dish! This made a huge batch and we were happy to have it to eat all week long 🙂 Thanks Shalon!! YUM!!!!

Note: Daiya Cheese – Ummm have you tried this yet? It is ABSURDLY AMAZING! There has never been a Vegan Cheese this good! I have had it before at restaurants but this was my first time cooking with it. SO amazing!! It was easy to find at whole foods, so awesome!

SO Yummy!

Without Breadcrumbs - Look how cheesy!

Cheesy Baked Penne with Cauliflower and Crème Fraîche – VEGAN VERSION IN ITALICS AND BOLD

* 1 – 1 1/2- to 1 3/4-pound head of cauliflower, cored, cut into 1-inch florets
* 1 12oz can of diced stewed tomatoes (drained)
* 5 tablespoons butter (EARTH BALANCE)
* Coarse kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
* 1 cup 1% lowfat milk (8th continent light soymilk)
* 21/2 cups coarsely shredded sharp cheddar cheese (DAYIA – Used 3 cups)
* 3/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated Parmesan cheese (Didn’t use)
* 1 cup crème fraîche (Tofutti vegan Sour Cream)
* 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
* 10-12 ounces penne (3 1/2ish cups) (Used 14.5 ounces high protein penne)
* 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

  1. Cook cauliflower in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Using large sieve, transfer cauliflower to bowl. Reserve pot of water.
  2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter (earth balance) in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cauliflower; sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes. Cook 1 minute to blend flavors. Remove from heat. Season with coarse salt and pepper.
  3. Return reserved pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; return pasta to same pot. Stir in cauliflower mixture.
  4. Melt 2 tablespoons butter (earth balance) in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk (soymilk). Cook until sauce thickens, whisking occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add 2 cups cheddar cheese (daiya cheese); whisk until melted and sauce is smooth. Whisk in 1/2 cup Parmesan (didn’t use), then crème fraîche (tofutti vegan sour cream) and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir into pasta and cauliflower in the pot.
  5. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon in pasta mixture and with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (daiya cheese). Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in small skillet. Add breadcrumbs and toss to coat. Remove from heat; mix in 1/4 cup Parmesan (didn’t use). Sprinkle crumbs over pasta.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake pasta uncovered until heated through and bubbling, about 35 minutes.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

24 Jan 2010 1 Comment

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , ,

I have been craving and cooking so many soups lately because of these bitter cold wintery days! This one will be sure to warm you up but I love that it is also super low in fat! Michael and our friend Jesse were both pleasantly surprised and happy to find out how yummy low-fat soups can be. Enjoy this one! Yum!!

Broccoli Cheese Soup
6 servings

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 potato, peeled and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 28-32 ounces vegetable broth
  • 2 bunches of broccoli, stems (peeled and chopped) and florets (chopped)
  • 1 – 2 cups shredded fat-free or reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup fat-free or reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until the onion and celery soften, 5 – 6 minutes. Add potato and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring continuously for 2 minutes.
  2. Add broth and broccoli;  bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
  3. Use an immersion blender or pour into a blender and puree soup. If you want leave it a little chunky, but I preferred a smooth puree. If you used a standing blender, pour the puree back into the pot.
  4. Stir in Cheddar and sour cream; cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.

Vegan Creme of Artichoke and Mushroom Soup with Pesto

21 Jan 2010 3 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

This soup was sooo good! Thanks Bryanna! It was super easy and super deelish! I love artichokes and the taste that lingers in your mouth after you have eaten them. This soup is just divine and super creamy and Vegan! Yum! Highly recommend! Bryanna also listed the nutrition stats, which is always helpful!

Plus I just found out this is the coldest winter in NYC since 1977. No wonder I am craving soups lately!

Vegan Creme of Artichoke and Mushroom Soup with Pesto
adapted from Vegan Feast Kitchen
Servings: 4

2 tablespoon vegan margarine or olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh crimini or white mushrooms, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons white unbleached flour
6 cups lite soy milk or other nondairy milk
2 tablespoons No-Chicken Bouillon/Soup Base
2/ 14 oz. cans artichokes hearts in water, well-drained and chopped
(OR use two 9 oz. pckgs. frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained and chopped)
2 tablespoons non-dairy basil pesto (I made my own but you can just use a packaged brand )
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

  1. Melt the vegan margarine or heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the mushrooms and shallot and stir-cook over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in flour and stir-cook for 1 minute.
  3. Vigorously stir in the nondairy milk and bouillon and let it come to a boil, stirring. Cook 1 minute, stirring consistently.
  4. Add the artichokes, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
  5. Either use an immersion blender to puree the soup or Carefully pour into a blender and puree there.
  6. If you are using an external blender pour back into the pot.
  7. Add the pesto and stir to combine.
  8. Serve and Enjoy immediately.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 285.1 calories; 27% calories from fat; 9.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 3578.0mg sodium; 1272.9mg potassium; 44.1g carbohydrates; 12.9g fiber; 14.5g sugar; 31.2g net carbs; 22.3g protein; 5.6 points.

Check out the steam coming off the top of the soup!

Wild Mushroom Lasagna

18 Jan 2010 2 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , ,

Yum! Wild Mushroom Lasagna! Is this not the most perfect, comforting food for a Sunday? This wasn’t just any Sunday, it was the day after the big blizzard in NYC and I had no intention of leaving the house at all 🙂 Although there is still a bunch of cheese in this recipe, I tried to tone down the amounts I used and made it a little more low-fat than the original recipe. But this is definitely a deelish and uplifting meal.  I love mushrooms and especially that decadent porcini taste. Plus of course, this meal also feeds a crowd, at least 8-10 people! So invite some friends over and Enjoy 🙂

Sorry, this is not the best side picture, but at least you get some idea.

Wild Mushroom Lasagna
Adapted from recipe in Gourmet

For mushroom filling

  • 3 cups water
  • 2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 cup)
  • 2 pounds fresh white mushrooms
  • 2 large zucchini, diced
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 tablespoons Sherry or White Wine
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For sauce

  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups low-fat milk
  • 1 cup of heavy cream
  • 4 1/2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • eighteen 7- by 3 1/2-inch sheets dry no-boil lasagna (about 1 pound)
  • 1/2 pound freshly grated mozzarella (about 2 cups)
  • 1 1/2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan (about 1/2 cup)

Make filling:
In a small saucepan bring water to a boil and remove pan from heat. Stir in porcini. Soak porcini 20 minutes. Lift out porcini, squeezing out excess liquid, and reserve soaking liquid. In a sieve rinse porcini to remove any grit and pat dry. Chop porcini and transfer to a large bowl. Simmer reserved soaking liquid until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Pour liquid through a sieve lined with a dampened paper towel into bowl with porcini.

Quarter white mushrooms and in a food processor pulse in 3 batches until finely chopped. In a 12-inch heavy skillet heat 1 tablespoon butter over moderate heat and cook one-third white mushrooms with 2 tablespoons Sherry, stirring, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and they begin to brown. Add mushroom mixture to porcini. Cook remaining mushrooms in 2 batches in butter with remaining Sherry in same manner and add to porcini mixture. In skillet cook zucchini in 1 tablespoon butter until tender and stir into porcini mixture. In skillet cook onion in remaining tablespoon butter, stirring, until softened. Stir in garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir onion into mushroom mixture until combined. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Make sauce:
In a 3-quart heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes and whisk in milk. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, and simmer, whisking the whole time for 3 more minutes. Stir in Parmesan, mustard, and salt. Remove pan from heat and cover surface of sauce with wax paper. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring sauce to room temperature before proceeding.

Preheat oven to 375°F and spray or butter a 13 x 9-inch (3-quart) baking dish.

Assemble lasagna:
Spread 1 1/4 cups sauce in baking dish and cover with 3 pasta sheets, making sure they don’t touch each other. Spread one-third filling over pasta sheets in dish and top with 3 more pasta sheets, gently pressing down layers to remove air pockets. Top pasta sheets with one-third mozzarella. Continue layering in same manner with sauce, pasta sheets, filling, and mozzarella, ending with mozzarella (dish will be filled to rim). Spread remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with Parmesan. On a foil-lined large baking sheet bake lasagna in middle of oven until bubbling and golden, about 45 minutes. Let lasagna stand 20 minutes. Lasagna may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring lasagna to room temperature and reheat before serving.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Pumpkin, Pear Soup

06 Jan 2010 3 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , ,

MMM! Super creamy and tasty soup! It is soooo cold outside! There is nothing better in this weather than a deelish bowl of warm soup. And this one is super good and really low-fat. The flavors also undeniable wintertime, love that! I used sour cream for garnish to mix in, but you don’t have to. Actually, since there was lots of leftovers, I have been enjoying this so much without the addition of the sour cream and it is so good! This soup is super delightful on its own 🙂 Make this one soon, it is sure to impress.

Roasted Butternut Squash, Pumpkin, Pear Soup
6-8 servings

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt and ground black pepper
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned well and chopped
2 Bosc pears, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup port
7 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (from can)
1 large sprig fresh thyme plus some for garnish
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 cup reduced-fat or vegan sour cream,  (optional)
3 tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large roasting pan, combine the squash and carrots with the oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes, then add the leeks and pears. Toss together and continue to roast for another 30 minutes.
  2. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately add the wine and port. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bits and vegetable from the pan. Carefully, transfer the vegetables mixture to a large pot. Pour in the broth and add the thyme sprig, grated ginger and pumpkin puree, bringing the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour.
  3. Remove the thyme sprig and puree the soup with an immeserion blender or standing blender.
  4. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Dollop with sour cream, if desired, and sprinkle with crystallized ginger and chopped thyme leaves.

Channukah Pot-luck part 2

22 Dec 2009 4 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , ,

And the fun continues….

Pot-pie is so comforting and deelish. I figured everyone else must love it as much as me, so I made this for the pot-luck. It was vegetarian but I used faux-chicken and I think everyone really liked it.  But I know we were happy to have some as leftovers 🙂

I used a 13×9 glass baking dish, but in the past I have also used 2 8×8 glass dishes so I could bake one and have the other one in the freezer for an easy cooking night. But of course if you are feeding a crowd, go with the larger dish.

It was easier to make both the crust and the filling the night before and kept them separate and covered. So all I had to do the night of the party was roll out the dough and cover the filling before baking. Simple 🙂

Sorry I didn’t get to take pics of the pot-pie sliced up, but trust me, it was gorgeous and scrumptious!

For the 2nd dish I also made my version of Dina’s Chili-lime Ginger Tofu in Coconut Basil Broth with Rice Noodles. I almost never repeat dishes, and I have made this one 3 times in the last month. This is a real winner!

Shannon brought over some gorgeous sides to go with the entrees. Yum! Grilled Aspargus, Citrus & Cranberry Quinoa Salad (love quinoa!!) and roasted veggies. Thanks!!

Channukah Pot-Pie: I sense a tradition starting!

Pasta and Tofu

Asparagus

LOVE quinoa!

Vegetarian Pot Pie
8-10 servings

  • 16 ounces faux-chicken, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik’n Strips)
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2/3 cup frozen corn
  • 2/3 cup frozen peas
  • 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter (use Earth Balance)
  • 3-4 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), Cleaned well and sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream (soy cream)

Herb Crust
Recipe from Bon Appétit
Makes 1 crust

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (earth balance)
  • 1/2 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 6 1/2 tablespoons (about) ice water

Make the crust first:
Blend first 5 ingredients in processor until herbs are very finely chopped. Add butter and shortening. Blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Using fork, mix enough ice water into flour mixture to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; flatten into rectangle. Cover and chill 30 minutes. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly before rolling out.)

Then begin on the pot-pie:

  1. Butter or spray your baking dish. I used a 13×9 dish (as mentioned above you could use 2 8×8 dishes as well).
  2. Bring the broth to boil in a large pot; reduce heat to low. and add faux chicken for 3 minutes. Skim them out using a slotted spoon and cool before cutting and then add to baking dish. Add carrots and potatoes to the broth in pot. Simmer uncovered until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. Skim them out and transfer to baking dish. Add corn and peas and cook for about 3 minutes. Transfer to baking dish. Strain and reserve broth.
  3. Melt butter in same pot over medium heat. Add leeks, onions and thyme. Sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and white wine. Increase heat to high and bring to boil, whisking constantly. Add cream and boil until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, whisking frequently, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour gravy over mixture in dish. Stir to blend. Cool 45 minutes. (Filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
  4. Preheat oven to 400F. Roll out crust dough on parchment paper to a rectangle that will fit on top of dish. Using paper as aid, turn dough over onto filling. Trim the dough that is hanging off the sides and tuck dough edge inside dish. Roll out dough scraps to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into fun shapes. I used Magen David’s (Star of David’s since it was a Channukah party) Brush bottom of cutouts with water and place on crust; cut slits in crust to allow steam to escape.
  5. Bake until crust is golden and gravy is bubbling, about 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Pre-cooked pot-pie

Cooking the pasta

Check out the haze of steam on the pasta!

Cauliflower Mash

06 Dec 2009 5 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , ,

We love cauliflower mash in my house. It is so good yet so much healthier than mashed potatoes. Plus check out the gorgeous Yellow Citrus Cauliflower I picked up from Satur Farms, so fabulous! That really made this batch so special. I know people have been making this dish for years, but it is just so satisfying and always a great side dish.  Instead of margarine or butter I normally use Brummel and Brummel All Natural Yogurt Spread and I love it! Click on the link and see how great the stats are compared to regular butter or margarine. I also use almond or soy milk instead of whipping cream. Of course whipping cream would make this sinfully great, but my version is still pretty amazing!

Note: Now that I am completely vegan – I used Earth Balance instead of Yogurt Spread

Cauliflower Mash

1-2 heads cauliflower, trimmed
sea salt
1/4 cup whipping cream, soy milk, almond milk or regular milk (or more to taste)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine (or less, to save on calories) – I use Earth Balance

Cut the cauliflower, including the core, into large pieces/ Use a steamer to cook the cauliflower till they are tender, 15-20 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a food processor or Vita-mix. Add the liquid and butter and puree until completely smooth. Season to taste with salt.

Cream of Pumpkin Soup Topped with Curried Pecans

15 Nov 2009 2 Comments

by marisashealthykitchen in Home Cooking, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

This was so delightful! One of the creamiest vegan soups I have ever had!!! Such a great flavor and the nuts added so much! This will be a great fall and winter go-to soup. The recipe is super simple and super quick. I have mentioned canned pumpkin puree before as it is a wonderful ingredient to take advantage of! Super fast, deelish and very low in calories. I am sure you could substitute butternut squash if you prefer that over the pumpkin but the puree keeps this simple. If you are looking to cut calories definitely use a light can of coconut milk as it will still be creamy and deeelish!!!

IMG_2754

Cream of Pumpkin Soup Topped with Curried Pecans
Recipe inspired by the Quick-Fix Vegetarian cookbook
Serves 4

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pecan pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, Cover and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the curry powder and the pumpkin puree, then whisk in the broth until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.

2. While the soup is simmering, make the curried pecans. In a small bowl, combine the pecan pieces with the remaining maple syrup and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt, tossing to coat. Place the pecans in a small baking dish and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. If you have an an immersion blender use that to puree the soup right in the pot. Otherwise, transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Stir back into the pot. Return the soup to the stovetop, turning the heat to low. Whisk in the coconut milk, taste to adjust seasonings. Heat until hot, do not boil. Serve the soup garnished with the pecans.

IMG_2757

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