Vegan Mac and Cheese

Vegan Mac and Cheese

I stumbled across this recipe a few months ago and I am really happy I did.  The recipe is for a dry cheese sauce mix you make in your blender or food processor and you store the mix in your refrigerator so it’s ready when you want to make a vegan version of Mac and Cheese.  To make the Mac and Cheese, you add 1/3 cup of the dry mix to 1 cup of plant-based milk and you warm it in a skillet.  Once thickened, you add in cooked pasta and stir it all to combine.  It’s a super easy recipe and I think it’s just delicious.  The recipe claims to be like boxed Mac and Cheese that many of us grew up having, but I don’t really think that is true.  But I really enjoy this dish.  I like to top my Mac and Cheese with hemp hearts and vegan Parmesan cheese.  I’ll post the vegan Parmesan cheese recipe below as well.  When I make this recipe, I always make up some mixed vegetables that I almost always have in the freezer.

As always, I tweak recipes a bit based upon ingredients I have or don’t have.  The cheese sauce mix recipe calls for tapioca flour but I substitute an equal amount of arrowroot powder.  Also, the cheese sauce mix calls for oat flour and I used an equal amount of instant/quick cooking oats.  Below you will see instructions for how to make the cheese sauce into Mac and Cheese.  The recipe calls for 1 cup of pasta.  I think I use slightly more than that (I make three servings of pasta which is about 165 grams of pasta and I use 1/3 cup of the Cheese Sauce Mix and 1 cup of almond milk).

Here is the link for the Cheese Sauce Mix.

https://www.vegkitchen.com/well-crafted-vegan-macaroni-and-cheese-mix/

Mac and Cheese Sauce Mix Recipe

Here's a healthy vegan alternative to the kind of mac and cheese mix that comes in a box. This one's based on cashews, nutritional yeast, and seasonings.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashews
• ¾ cup nutritional yeast
• ¼ cup oat flour
• ¼ cup tapioca flour
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon organic sugar
• 2 teaspoons powdered mustard
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons onion powder

Instructions

1. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and process until a powder is formed. There should not be any discernible chunks or large granules of cashews, so this may take 3 to 4 minutes of processing.
2. Store this in a jar or portion out into 1⁄3-cup increments and put in ziplock bags and store in the pantry for a month or two or in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

How to use this mix
Cook 1 cup of dry macaroni according to package instructions and drain. Combine 1⁄3 cup mix with 1 cup water or unsweetened nondairy milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk well and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 minute, then toss with hot cooked macaroni.

This mix is also a great answer for turning yesterday’s leftovers into a quick casserole. Just combine leftover pasta, potatoes, or grains, some veggies, and any other odd scraps you think might be a good fit and mix it in a casserole dish with some of the cheese mix and water.

You can add additional spices and herbs if you wish. Then bake it all up into creamy goodness. You can also use the mix to make quick sauces for veggies or add it to soups for extra cheesy flavor and richness—it’s quite versatile.

Here is the link for the Vegan Parmesan Cheese

 https://lovingitvegan.com/vegan-parmesan-cheese/

Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (150g) Raw Cashews*
• 1/4 cup (15g) Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 3/4 tsp Sea Salt

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the ingredients to the food processor and pulse it on the S blade until it reaches a fine consistency.
2. Keep it in a sealable jar in the refrigerator where it will keep for weeks!
3. Sprinkle it on pastas, pizzas, casseroles, salads and anywhere else you can possibly think of!

Bowties & Beans (Easy Vegan Pasta Skillet)

BOWTIES AND BEANS

I am so excited to tell you about this recipe.  We’ve made a version of this recipe for years in my kitchen.  It started with a recipe called Skillet Lasagna which I believe was from a Better Crocker cookbook (some sort of fast and easy cookbook... my mom gave it to me... thanks, Mom!). The original recipe called for Italian pork sausage, bell pepper, onion, mushroom, dry pasta, mozzarella cheese, pasta sauce, water and spices. Over the years I got to the point where I could just throw things in the pot and it was always good.  We never added mushroom and we always added in extra spices and we always added some Parmesan cheese to each serving.  More recently, we’ve made the recipe with ground turkey and eliminated the mozzarella cheese to make the dish lower in fat.  

My husband recently decided to join me in eating an exclusively plant based diet (no food from any animal sources) and every recipe we have been gravitating toward has been Mexican-inspired. Mexican Lasagna, Black Bean and Potato Burritos, Taco Pizza, Tostadas... you get the idea.  While we both love Mexican-inspired dishes, you can have too much of a good thing.  I was getting to where I was craving something like spaghetti and meatballs. I have tried a number of vegan “burger” recipes in the past several weeks so I started to research vegan “meatball” recipes.  Despite my research, I was determined I was not going to find a recipe that would yield a nice firm meatball. I was even contemplating looking at the frozen vegan “meatballs” at the grocery store and maybe trying something like that. 

It suddenly occurred to me that I was just overthinking this.  We decided to make the Skillet Lasagna recipe and just add a can of beans and eliminate the meat.  So easy!  The end result was delicious and we both loved it.  We got adventurous and tried out some interesting toppings.  

You can see some of the toppings in the close up photos below. 

 We tried topping the pasta with hemp seeds.  Result: delicious!  

We also tried a topping that I made in my blender:  Vegan Parmesan cheese (bread crumbs, sliced almonds, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder).  Result: also delicious!  

The toppings are optional but I like them both.  The toppings are a great way to add some additional vitamins and protein to the dish.

Lots of great spices from the spice rack.

Okay, here is the recipe:

Bowties & Beans (Easy Vegan Pasta Skillet)

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion (I used a sweet onion), diced

1 medium bell pepper (any color; I used red), diced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

3/4 teaspoon salt (I used kosher salt)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Several grinds of black pepper

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)

3 cups of pasta (I used Barilla brand Mini Farfalle “bowties”).  May substitute 8 to 9 ounces of a different shape small pasta such as small shells or penne pasta.

1 jar (24 ounces) of pasta sauce (I used Barilla brand Tomato Basil sauce)

24 ounces of water (fill the pasta sauce jar with water)

1 can (15.5 ounce) cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained (May substitute any bean such as dark red kidney bean or garbanzo bean, but I liked the creaminess of the cannellini beans.  Next time we make this, we might add in two cans of beans instead of just one.

Heat a large pot over medium to medium to medium high heat; add in 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil.  Once the oil is hot, add in the bell pepper and onion.  Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 to 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften.  Add in all the spices (oregano through sugar).  Stir to coat the vegetables with the spices and cook an additional minute.

Next add in the remaining ingredients (pasta, pasta sauce, water, and beans). Stir to combine and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The cooking time will vary depending upon which type of pasta you use so I recommend checking your pasta at about 15 minutes for desired tenderness.  I live at high altitude so pasta takes a bit longer to cook here.

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

HEMP SEEDS: I recommend giving them a try.

VEGAN PARMESAN CHEESE:

In a blender or food processor, combine 1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko bread crumbs), 1/4 cup sliced raw almonds, 1/8 cup nutritional yeast, and a pinch of garlic powder.  Pulse in the blender or food processor until the almonds are pulverized.  Sprinkle over pasta dish.

TOP WITH SOME GREENS:

I did not try it today but I’ve been at Italian restaurants where my pasta dish was served with a handful of raw arugula on top.  I think that would be a great addition to this pasta recipe.  Also, one could easily stir a few handfuls of raw spinach in to this pasta recipe when the pasta is cooked through.  My husband would not go for that, but I would like that.  

If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to hear about it.  

Lots of leftovers. Love that!

Here’s a close up of the pasta dish with some of the Vegan Parmesan Cheese (above).

Mmm! Simmering on the stove top (above).

Here is a sample plate where we were trying out the toppings (hemp seeds on the left and Vegan Parmesan Cheese on the right).

Very Frugal Vegan Not Chicken Noodle Soup

Very Frugal Vegan Not Chicken Noodle Soup

Since switching to a plant based diet, I have joined some Facebook Groups related to plant based cooking. One group is called “Plant Based on a Budget Support Group”; the group is hosted by Toni Okamoto.  She is a cookbook author among other things and one of her cookbooks is called “Plant Based on a Budget”.  The other day, I was watching one of Toni’s YouTube Videos. She showed what she ate in a day and she showed that the ingredients in her meals were all from the Dollar Tree store.  I recall she made a smoothie with frozen fruit and almond milk, a brown rice stir fry with frozen vegetables, and a veggie burger with more rice and veggies on the side.  I’ve been known to purchase some frozen fruit and veggies at my local dollar store as well.

The other day when I was shopping at my local Kroger store, I found some bargains and I made up a quick and easy soup.  This meal really hit the spot since I’ve been suffering from a nasty head cold for a week now.  There’s nothing like a nice hot and steamy bowl of brothy soup when you have an icky cold.  This recipe makes a really big bowl of soup which can be easily be made into two smaller portions if desired.  My calculations reveal this recipe (one big bowl of soup) contains about 10 grams of protein.  

The vermicelli I purchased for this soup cost 29 cents.  The frozen veggies were $1.00.  The vegan “chicken” bouillon cost a few dollars but it’s actually quite economical because the eight bouillon cubes in the package make a total of 16 cups of broth.  

Very Frugal Vegan Not Chicken Noodle Soup

2 cups of water

1 bouillon cube (I used Not Chick-N brand)

1/2 cup (55 grams) vermicelli

I cup of frozen mixed vegetables (thawed)

Option: garnish with a dash of fresh or dried parsley.

In a small pot, bring the water to a boil. Add in the bouillon cube and stir until dissolved.  Add in the vermicelli, reduce heat, and simmer until noodles are desired tenderness (my package directions specified the noodles should be cooked for 5 to 7 minutes).  Add in the mixed vegetables and cook another minute so that the vegetables are warmed through.  If desired, garnish soup with a sprinkle of fresh or dried parsley.  

Lemon Parmesan Pasta with Shrimp

This is a recipe from a really nice cooking blog called "Family Fresh Meals".  My son and his girlfriend are both staying with us for a few weeks and this was a meal I thought they would like. Zach and Sylvia made this recipe with me so that was a lot of fun.  Zach will be living in an apartment next school year (Senior year of college!) and he needs to learn some recipes and some more cooking skills.  I happened to have a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer so we made the recipe as written but I told the kids how they could easily alter this recipe to use chicken instead so it would be a bit more budget friendly.  When we made this recipe I encouraged the kids to add in the garlic when the shrimp was basically cooked through so the garlic only cooked for about one minute.  Garlic can burn easily and I notice when new cooks are cooking they tend to not have a feel for when to turn the heat up or down based on what's going on in the pan.  I imagine that's something you get a knack for once you have been cooking longer.

Here is the recipe link:

https://www.familyfreshmeals.com/2017/03/one-pot-lemon-parmesan-shrimp-pasta.html

The Family Fresh Meals cooking blog has a lot of really great looking recipes on the site. I encourage you to check it out. I have a few more recipes from that blog that I think will be a hit with the kids. I'll be sure to let you know what recipes we try.

LEMON PARMESAN SHRIMP PASTA

Ingredients

• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, uncooked
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1½ cups whole milk
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• Juice of ½ lemon, approx. 1Tablespoon (we used all the juice from one whole lemon)
• Parsley, for garnish
• 8oz pasta of choice, cooked

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the shrimp and saute, until the shrimp has turned pink and is cooked throughout, approximately 3-4 minutes.  Add in the garlic and cook one additional minute.
2. Remove the shrimp to a small bowl, and set aside.
3. Add whole milk to the skillet and whisk occasionally, bringing to a simmer. Whisk in cornstarch. Next, Stir in the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, 2- 4mins. Add in the pasta and shrimp, stirring to coat.
4. Right before serving, drizzle the lemon juice over the whole skillet. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley.

Sausage & Pepper Pasta

Sausage & Pepper Pasta

This recipe calls for diced canned tomatoes; instead, I opted to use this jarred marinara sauce that I found at Sam's Club.

It was the first day of Spring on Monday and we went snow skiing.  We have a great place to ski less than two hours from our home.  The ski area is called Monarch Mountain and it's on the Continental Divide.  Since my dad was on the ski patrol, I skied a lot as a kid, but I've only been snow skiing four times in the past 30 years.  It sure is a treat to go.  On our way home, we stopped for amazing burgers and fries at a place in Salida, Colorado.  The restaurant is called "50 Burger" (it is right on Highway 50).  It's not your typical burger joint... we are talking gourmet burgers all the way.  I had a salmon burger with avocado, chipotle mayo, lettuce, and tomato, all on a challah bun.  Good stuff.  I did not even notice what my husband ordered; I was too busy eating.  When we got home, we sure were tired.  My husband was hungry again and he suggested we go out to pizza. I suggested I make him some pasta since I had shopped for ingredients to try out a new recipe for him.  I found this recipe on the Internet; the recipe source is listed below.

I snapped a few photos from our skiing adventure. As you can tell, the weather was just beautiful!

I made a few changes to the recipe. The recipe indicates you can make this meal in just one pot. I was in a hurry so I opted to use two pots; in one pot I cooked the pasta and in the second pot I browned the sausage and then also simmered the sausage, peppers, onions, and tomato sauce.  Also, the recipe calls for canned diced tomatoes; instead I used a jar of marinara sauce.  Since I added flavorful sauce in place of unseasoned diced tomatoes, I did not use all the spices called for in the recipe. Finally, the recipe calls for three hot Italian sausages and three sweet Italian sausages. I opted to use one package of Johnsonville brand Hot Italian sausage links (5 sausages in one package).

After making this dish and after getting my husband's opinion, next time I make this dish I will use less pasta (about 3/4 pound or a little less).  The dish just seemed quite heavy on pasta and there was not a lot of sauce.  Despite the pasta/sauce ratio being a little off, my husband gave this dish two thumbs up especially after being so hungry after hitting the slopes.  He's been gobbling up the leftovers too. 

SAUSAGE & PEPPER PASTA

INGREDIENTS

Servings: 4-5

1 pound any short pasta (I used mini bowties, use less than 1 pound of pasta if you like more sauce)

1 tablespoon olive oil (I used less)

3 hot Italian sausages plus 3 sweet Italian sausages (I used Johnsonville Hot Italian Sausage, 5 links)

1 red bell pepper, large diced 

1 green bell pepper, large diced (I used an orange pepper in place of the green)

1 yellow bell pepper, large diced 

½ white onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

28 ounces can diced tomato (I used a 24 ounce jar of marinara sauce; see photo above)

1 teaspoon oregano (I just used a pinch)

1 teaspoon salt (I just used a pinch)

1 teaspoon black ground pepper (I just used a pinch)

PREPARATION

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add a generous amount of salt, and cook pasta 2 minutes less than the package instructions. 

2. Strain pasta and set aside. Toss with a small amount of oil to prevent sticking

3. In the same pot, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and fry sausages, working in batches as needed, until deeply browned on all sides. 

4. Remove sausages, slice in ¾-inch rings, and set aside.

5. Sauté all of the bell peppers, onion, and garlic for about 2 minutes.

6. Add the canned tomatoes (or marinara sauce) all of the spices, and the sausage slices to the pot (see notes above). 

7. Simmer about 10 minutes.

8. Add the pasta back to the pot and stir gently until all the ingredients are coated in the sauce. Continue simmering until pasta is al dente.

9. Serve with grated parmesan.

Here is the recipe source:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewilnyckyj/one-pot-sausage-and-peppers-pasta?utm_term=.amLMm5lKam#.ce6mP8n7YP

Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi with Spaghetti

Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi with Spaghetti

Well, let me start off by saying, I really screwed up when cooking this recipe for Zach the other day but it was still edible!  Zach was out shoveling snow for the neighbors so I was trying to time it just right so he'd have this hot meal when he came in from the bitter cold.  I cooked the shrimp and then kind of had everything on hold until just before he came in.  When I first glanced at the recipe, I thought it called for just a few tablespoons or teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, but just as I was about to add the lemon juice, I looked at the recipe again and would have sworn it called for 1/2 a cup of fresh lemon juice.  I madly squeezed more lemons and then added nearly 1/2 a cup of lemon juice to the simmering sauce.  Then I looked at the recipe again and, to my HORROR, I read I was supposed to add only "the juice of 1/2 of a lemon".  So yes, I added 4 times as much lemon juice as I was supposed to add!

But Zach was a trooper and he ate it and said it was good, but we agreed... next time, I should add 1/4 cup of lemon juice or less.  The recipe does not call for pasta. I cooked up about 8 ounces of spaghetti and added it to the lemony-garlicky-wine-butter sauce at the very end.  I had a taste of this and I thought it was pretty yummy, albeit very lemony!

Zach just reheated another portion of this in the microwave and he said it was great reheated.  He said the leftovers were less lemony.  And yes! I DO love alliterations.

Here is the recipe source: http://77easyrecipes.com/famous-red-lobster-shrimp-scampi/

Famous Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients

• 1 lb medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon pure olive oil
• 2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups white wine, I use chardonnay
• 1/2 fresh lemon, Juice only
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter                                              
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 
• optional:  add in 8 ounces of cooked spaghetti at the end if desired.                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Directions

1. Heat cast iron skillet (or non-stick skillet) and add olive oil.
2. Add shrimp and cook until tender and no longer translucent, reduce heat. Remove Shrimp and set aside.
3. Add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes. Do not allow garlic to brown - it will make it bitter.
4. Add white wine and lemon juice.
5. Cook until wine is reduced by half. After it is reduced, add Italian seasoning.
6. Reduce heat to low, and add butter. If pan is too hot, the butter will separate.
7. Add shrimp back into sauce.  Add in pasta (if using); add parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan Cheese.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Zach is home from college and I saw this recipe on line.  I read the ingredients to him and he thought it sounded great so I made it yesterday for him.  He loves it and I love making up a big of pot of anything so he can reheat some leftovers for himself here and there when he's hungry. 

I followed the recipe as directed with just a few exceptions.  I used turkey bacon instead of pork bacon and, since the turkey bacon did not render out any fat, I used two tablespoons of butter instead of just one.  Also, I used salted butter instead of unsalted because it was what I had on hand.  With all the salt in the butter, cheese, and Ranch seasoning packet, I did not add any additional salt to this dish (although I did add salt to the pasta water when I cooked the pasta).  Also, just now I looked at the recipe and I realize I accidentally doubled the amount of cheddar cheese called for! No wonder this is so good.

Here is the recipe.

CHICKEN BACON RANCH PASTA

• 1 pound of pasta (I used spaghetti)
• 6 strips of bacon, diced (I used turkey bacon)
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 packet Ranch Seasoning Mix
• 2 cups milk (I used 2 percent milk)
• 1 tbsp butter (I increased to 2 tablespoons of butter since I used turkey bacon)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into pieces)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I accidentally use 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese)

1. Start by cooking your pasta, draining it, and setting it aside.
2. While you are making your noodles; cook your bacon in a skillet, drain the grease but keep 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in the pan.
3. Add butter to the bacon drippings and toss in your chicken breast pieces (cook until no longer pink/browned).
4. Pour the ranch dressing mix and flour over the chicken then add the 2 cups of milk. Stir until it is bubbly and thick.
5. Add the cheese and half of your diced bacon pieces to the pan; stir until melted.
6. Combine the sauce and pasta noodles together – add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Top off the dish with the extra bacon pieces and ENJOY!

HERE IS THE RECIPE SOURCE:

http://www.craftymorning.com/chicken-bacon-ranch-pasta-recipe/

Zach... going back in for seconds!

Delicious comfort food on a super cold day!

Cooking with Zach: Part 3 / One Pot Chicken Alfredo

One Pot Chicken Alfredo

I saw a video on line and was hoping it would be a good recipe to teach Zach. He loves pasta with Alfredo sauce, the recipe has just a few ingredients, and the dish is made in just one pot. Sure, we got some measuring cups, a cutting board, a knife, and some other utensils dirty as well, but it was well worth it. 

Here is the video link (it's only 30 seconds long):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IZmZfwwWkwY

Chicken Pasta Alfredo

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

salt and pepper

seasoning salt (optional; we used Johnny's Seasoning Salt)

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bit sized pieces

3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press

14 ounces (1 can) low sodium chicken broth

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 pound penne pasta (we used mini-bow tie pasta, Barilla Brand called "Mini Farfalle"

1 1/2 cups of grated parmesan cheese

In a large pot, heat oil over medium to medium high heat. 

Season the chicken breast on the cutting board (a few pinches of salt and pepper and seasoning salt if using). 

Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil on the pot and reduce heat to medium. Allow chicken to brown on all sides but it's not necessary to cook the chicken all the way through at this point.

Add the garlic to the chicken and allow to cook for 1 to 2 minutes; the garlic will become fragrant.

Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, and pasta to the pot.  Stir to combine and bring to a boil.  When it comes to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce to a simmer over low, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes to 20 minutes. Since we used small pasta, it was perfectly done at 15 minutes.  We stirred the pasta once or twice during the 15 minutes.  Test the pasta to ensure it is done.  Once it's done, stir in the parmesan cheese until well incorporated and warmed through.

Enjoy!

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This pasta is really delicious. Why wouldn't it be!?!  Heavy cream, pasta, and cheese!  Zach and I talked about how you could alter the recipe.  I like that Zach had the idea to add the Johnny's Seasoning to the recipe. 

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I just saw this funny article on the internet and it made me feel good that Zach is learning to cook some great looking meals.  Here's an article about some epic cooking fails if you'd like to take the time to look at the article and photos, the link is HERE.