Vegan Sausage and Potato Breakfast Skillet

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Crispy potatoes for breakfast is always a good idea. Combine that with some veggies and your favorite vegan breakfast sausage, and you’ve got one comforting meal!

Sausage not your thing? You can totally sub for black beans or just leave it out entirely in favor of extra potatoes.

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Prep time: 10 minutes – Cook time: 20 minutes – Serves about 4

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium russet potatoes, cut into cubes (about 1/2″)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 yellow onion, diced
  • Vegan breakfast sausage of your choice*
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • kosher salt, to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 green onions, sliced

*I used 5 links of Field Roast’s Apple Maple Breakfast Sausage (not sponsored, just the truth!)

Instructions:

  1. Boil potatoes until fork tender, and set aside.
  2. Warm olive oil in a large skillet/pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes until starting to soften, then add the boiled potato cubes. Crisp the potatoes up for 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Add the sausage, bell pepper, vinegar, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes or so, stirring often, until peppers have softened and sausage is browned.
  4. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Add to serving bowls and top with sliced green onions.
  5. Serve with ketchup, hot sauce, or whatever your heart desires!

Buffalo Chickpea Kale Caesar Wraps

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Excuse how stereotypically vegan this next statement is: I am obsessed with kale. Now that that’s off my chest, I figure the title of this recipe is explanation enough. Buffalo. Chickpea. Kale. Caesar. Wraps!

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– Makes about 4 large wraps –

Ingredients:

For the buffalo chickpeas:

  • 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons of your favorite vegan buffalo sauce

For the kale caesar salad:

  • 4 cups curly or tuscan/dinosaur kale, chopped
  • desired amount of vegan caesar dressing (recipe below)
  • vegan parmesan of your choice (optional)

For the vegan caesar dressing:

  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight or in hot water for 15 minutes
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or extra water)
  • the juice of 1 small lemon and its zest
  • 1 tablespoon vegan dijon mustard
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire
  • 1 heaping tablespoon non-pareil capers
  • 1 tablespoon hemp hearts (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • pinch of parsley flakes for color (optional)
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Instructions:

  1. If making your own caesar dressing, add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Preheat your oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Toss chickpeas with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Add them to your baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring once halfway through. When they are done roasting, toss with buffalo sauce.
  3. Assemble the wraps. Add kale tossed with caesar dressing and buffalo chickpeas to a whole wheat wrap. Top with vegan parmesan, extra buffalo sauce, fresh ground pepper, avocado slices, or whatever else you’d like. Fold and enjoy! Makes about 4 large wraps.

No Mayo Chickpea Salad (Vegan, Oil-free)

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So, I’ve made countless chickpea salad recipes over the years. I always end up heavily modifying each one, so I decided to pull my favorite parts of my favorite recipes together to create one chickpea salad to rule them all.

This chickpea salad is packed with so much flavor, texture, and goodness. I hope ya like it!

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For the above pinwheels: I spread some dijon mustard on a spinach wrap, then the chickpea salad, and topped with lettuce. Tightly roll the wrap into a log and use a bread knife to cut 1/2 inch pinwheels. Stick them on a plate and enjoy as a meal or serve them as appetizers.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 tablespoon stone ground dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon agave (alternatively, maple syrup or coconut sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped dill pickle
  • 1/4 cup finely diced celery
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion (green onion would work here, also)
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dill (I used dry)
  • 1 teaspoon paprika (I’ve also used Old Bay here)
  • 1 tablespoon roasted sunflower seeds (optional)
  • the juice of half a large lemon
  • salt and pepper, to taste
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Instructions:

  1. In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork or hand-masher until there are just a few whole chickpeas left.
  2. Mix all of the other ingredients in with the mashed chickpeas, taste, and adjust seasonings to your preference.
  3. Add the chickpea salad to a sandwich with lettuce and tomato, roll into pinwheels, add to wraps, have it with crackers, or just eat it out of the bowl!

Vegan Penne alla Vodka

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Penne alla Vodka was one of the first recipes I ever made in my first apartment, around 5 years ago. Mind you, I wasn’t vegan at the time so I didn’t know about the wonders of cashew cream. But now I do and here we are.

This dish is simple, creamy, hearty, and delicious – what more could you want?

So why vodka?

“Along with the penne pasta, this dish generally contains cream sauce mixed with marinara sauce or tomato paste, which are a combination unusual in Italian cooking because the acidity of the tomatoes tends to make the oil in the cream separate. The ethanol (vodka) serves as an emulsifier, allowing the water and lipids to remain mixed together.”

“Ethanol is also thought to solvate certain flavors from the tomato that would otherwise be inaccessible in water. This is seen in other vodka sauces, as well.”

Pretty neat! Read more about the origins of the dish here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penne_alla_vodka

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Prep time: 5 minutes – Cook time: 35 minutes – Serves about 4

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight*
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 3 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 1/2 a large yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • A generous pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)
  • 1/2 cup vodka
  • 1 (28 oz) can of crushed or petite diced tomatoes (sometimes I’ll do a 15 oz can of each for a more interesting texture)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Penne, cooked according to box instructions
  • Fresh parsley or basil for serving (optional)
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Instructions:

  1. Add the cashews to a blender along with the nutritional yeast and water, and blend until very smooth.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onion in butter for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and sauté another 2 minutes until the onions are soft and slightly browned, and the mixture is very fragrant.
  3. Pour in the vodka and let cook for about 5 minutes, until the alcohol has cooked off.
  4. Add the tomatoes, stir, and let the mixture simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened – you may need to lower the heat some.
  5. Stir in the cashew cream and cook for about 10 more minutes, until the sauce is thick and creamy.
  6. Add salt and pepper to taste (I usually end up not needing any), and mix well.
  7. Serve over penne cooked according to box instructions, top with parsley or basil, and enjoy!

Notes:

*If using a high powered blender, you don’t need to pre-soak your cashews to soften them. If you’re short on time, you can immerse the cashews in boiling hot water for 15 minutes (don’t keep the water boiling, just make sure it’s very hot when you put the cashews in, and then let them sit)

Savory Baked Tofu Crumbles

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You only need 5 ingredients for these crumbles and they’re so easy to make. If you’ve got some tofu in the fridge, skip the store-bought and make these for way cheaper instead!

I love adding these crumbles to:

a big pile of nachos,

tacos and enchiladas,

spaghetti or bolognese

a hearty bowl of chili

You name it!

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Ingredients:

  • 1 14 oz block extra firm tofu
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 3 to 4 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
  2. To a medium sized bowl, add the nutritional yeast, soy sauce, olive oil, and liquid smoke. Whisk together.
  3. Crumble the tofu into small pieces and stir it into the liquid mixture.
  4. Spread the crumbles out on a parchment-lined baking sheet in an even layer and pop that tray in the oven.
  5. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. (I usually will first stir it after about 20 minutes, and then every 5 to 10 minutes until it becomes nice and brown and crispy.)
  6. Go forth and use the baked crumbles however you desire!