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White Bean Soup with Spinach and Leeks

Serves: 4-6

Difficulty: Easy

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

An easy and quick soup that you can make as thick as you’d like!

2 tsp olive oil

4 leeks, bulb only, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3-4 cups veggie broth (or you can substitute water)

2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

2 bay leaves

2 tsp ground cumin

½ cup whole wheat couscous

2 cups packed fresh spinach or 2 cups frozen spinach

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic; saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, cannellini beans, bay leaves and cumin. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low. Stir in the couscous. Cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in spinach and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes:

Other spices such as rosemary can be substituted for the cumin for a different take on this soup.

This recipe freezes very well, so you can make a big batch and not worry about leftovers.

This soup can be very thick. To thin it a bit, you can add more water or broth, or cook the couscous on the side.

Regular couscous can be used instead of whole wheat.

Can also be served over rice if you don’t have couscous.

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Butternut Squash Fries

Serves: 4-6

Difficulty: Easy

Prep time: ~10 minutes

Cook time: ~35 minutes

The work needed to cut up the squash will justify the tasty results of these fries.

1 Butternut Squash (about 1½ – 2 pounds)

2 tsp olive oil

½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds and strings. Cut the squash into two or three easy-to-work-with pieces. Use a paring or chef’s knife to remove the rind. Cut the squash into fry-shaped pieces. Toss the squash with the oil and salt and spread into a single layer on an aluminum foil-lined pan. Bake for 20 minutes and gently flip. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Notes:

Delicious sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.

Watch the squash carefully while baking to ensure to ensure they don’t burn.

The more uniform the fries, the more evenly they cook.

The fries are best eaten the same day, but can be refrigerated and eaten later, though they may become soggy. A better taste might result if reheated in a skillet on medium-high heat.

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Blueberry Pancakes

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Prep time: ~10 minutes

Cook time: ~25 minutes

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tbs sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 tbs ground flaxseeds

¼ cup water

1 ½ cups soy milk

1 tsp vanilla

¾ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (thawed)

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, and set aside. In a blender, combine the flaxseeds and water and blend until thick, about 30 seconds. Add the soy milk and vanilla and process until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Fold in the blueberries. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Ladle about ¼ cup of the batter onto the pan. Cook on one side until bubbles form on the top and the edges of the pancake are no longer shiny, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancake and cook until the other side is lightly browned, about one minute.

Notes:

This recipe should do well with substitutions including nuts, seeds other berries, other non-dairy milks, etc.

Any egg replacer will most-likely do, including Ener-G, pureed fruit, applesauce, etc.

Adjust the liquid depending on how thick you like your pancakes.

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Baked Sweet Potato and Green Pea Samosas a.k.a. Yammy Sammies

Serves: ~5

Difficulty: Medium

Prep time: ~40 minutes

Cook time: ~35 minutes

Don’t be afraid of a little extra work! These samosas are great for entertaining or mid-afternoon snacks. Well worth the effort!

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup water (plus ~2 tbs or more)

1 tbs plus 2 tsp (peanut) oil, plus more for brushing

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 large sweet potato, baked until tender, peeled and diced

½ cup frozen peas, thawed

1 garlic clove, minced

1 ½ tsp curry powder

1/8 tsp cayenne or to taste

salt

In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, water, and the 2 tsp oil until well blended. Knead into a smooth ball, approximately 5-10 minutes. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

Heat the 1 tbs oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a floured work surface, roll out the dough. Try to make an approximately 16 square, about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 16 four-inch squares. Place a small amount of the filling in the center of each square and fold one corner over the filling to the opposite corner to make a triangular shape. Seal the edges with water. Place the samosas on a lightly oiled baking sheet and brush lightly with oil. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes:

In lieu of making your own dough, try to find either spring roll wrappers at the Asian grocery or phyllo dough at a conventional market.

Peanut oil adds a nice touch, but regular oil will work just as well.

The filling tastes great on its own. You can give it a try over rice.

Regular potatoes substituted for the sweeter varieties make a nice savory change to the recipe.

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No Bake Cookies

Serves: 24

Difficulty: Easy

Prep time: <10 minutes

Cooling: 1-2 hours

An easy, versatile recipe for the sweet-toothed types!

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup vegan margarine

1/2 cup non-dairy beverage (soy, almond, rice, etc)

1 pinch salt

3 cups quick cooking oats

1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, bring sugar, cocoa, margarine, milk, and salt to a rapid boil for 1 minute. Add quick cooking oats, peanut butter, and vanilla; mix well. Working quickly, drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper and let cool.

Notes:

The humidity and the length of the boiling time may affect the cookies ability to set. Boil the sugar, cocoa, margarine, milk and salt for at least one minute, if not two or three. You may want to make smaller batches until the cookies set right.

If you aren’t fond of or can’t eat peanut butter, any other type of nut butter would be a good substitute.

You can add nuts or seeds for a little extra flavor and texture.

Using extracts other than vanilla may also work nicely.

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Asian Cucumber Salad

Serves: 6

Difficulty: Easy

Prep time: <10 minutes

Marinate: 2-3 hours or overnight

This extremely easy Japanese-inspired salad makes for a quick picnic or potluck addition.

1½ cucumbers

½ tsp salt

1½ tsp veggie oil

1 tsp sugar

1 tbs and 1½ tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbs and 1½ tsp soy sauce

Cut the cucumber(s) lengthwise, scoop out seeds with a spoon, and slice cucumber(s) in bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a salad bowl. In a small bowl, mix together salt, oil, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce. Pour over cucumber(s) and gently toss. Refrigerate for several hours before serving, tossing every so often.

Notes:

One good size English cucumber can be substituted for the 1½ regular cucumbers.

Canola oil works well, as it’s lack of flavor doesn’t interfere with the other seasonings.

You can use any mild vinegar. I usually use a brown rice vinegar instead of the rice wine vinegar.

Use low sodium soy sauce to help reduce the salt content of the dish.

The cucumbers may get soggy if this recipe is made too far in advance. One way to combat this is to remove the marinade after the initial 2-3 hour exposure. The cucumbers will retain the flavor, but won’t become soggy as quickly.

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Chocolate Cake

Serves: 8

Difficulty: Easy

Prep: ~15 min

Cook time: ~45 minutes

A very simple cake made with items already in your cupboard. Be ready to shock your non-vegan friends!

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp distilled white vinegar

1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar and water. Mix together until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Notes:

I’ve used brown rice vinegar instead of white in a pinch.

You can substitute applesauce for the oil to lower the fat content, but the texture of the cake may be compromised.

Nuts and/or vegan-friendly chocolate chips make nice additions to this cake.

You may want to flour or lay some parchment paper in the bottom of the pan in addition to greasing it. I sometimes have a little trouble removing the cake.