I’ll be honest, there’s a trend a-happenin’ in my family. We’re moving to more variety on our plates and more exploring in our pallets. I think it’s about time, since our toddler is getting old enough to really enjoy the different foods and to tell us what she does and doesn’t like. The baby is getting to where she likes solid foods (as long as they’re soft since she’s still missing her chompers) and my teen, well, he was getting a little bored with a 7-day rotation of dinners. So. I’ve been being more creative. And this weekend it was Vegan Lasagna. It was so delicious. Like a level of deliciousity of 10. I mean, there wasn’t even any complaining from the teen about it being dairy-free or veggie-filled. Even he loved my Dairy-Free and Egg-Free Vegan Lasagna. And that is a feat.

VEGAN LASAGNA

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegan ricotta cheese
• 4 slices vegan zucchini cheese
• 1/2 zucchini sliced lengthwise
• 4-6 lasagna noodles
• 1 cup bread crumbs or 4 slices of toast

Sauce:

• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes
• 2 tspn basil
• 1 pinch sugar
• 2 tspn oregano
• 1 tblspn minced garlic
• 1 tblspn red wine or red wine vinegar
• 1 small can mushrooms
• 1 tspn salt
• 1/2 zucchini chopped

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Vegan Lasagna {Dairy-Free & Egg-Free}

Mac and cheese has been the single hardest recipe for me to recreate. I have tried tons of recipes, and there is just always something “off” about them. I don’t know about you, but the thought of making potatoes and carrots into a cheese-like substance sounds pretty far off the mark.

And that’s why when creating this recipe I went back to my roots.

Best Vegan White Mac and Cheese

 Prep Time 10 minutes

 Cook Time 10 minutes

 Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 16 oz dry pasta
• 1/4 cup vegan butter
• 2 garlic cloves diced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 1/2 cups non-dairy milk unsweetened
• 8 oz vegan cream cheese
• 1/4 cup vegan parmesan
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground mustard
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• Optional Toppings parmesan, tabasco, parsley, red pepper flakes

Instructions

bought a little jar of pesto recently and have been having fun finding ways to add it to everyday recipes. Yesterday I noticed a half bag of macaroni that had been sitting in my pantry for a few months and I just knew it was begging for the pesto treatment. So, I whipped up a quick béchamel sauce, stirred in some grated Romano (Parmesan will also work), and a good dollop of pesto. I poured the luxurious sauce over my cooked macaroni and a couple handfuls of thawed frozen spinach (because I’m all about balance), and had myself the most delicious and creamy pesto mac.

CREAMY PESTO MAC WITH SPINACH

 Prep Time 15 minutes

 Cook Time 15 minutes

 Total Time 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups uncooked macaroni 
• 2 Tbsp butter 
• 2 Tbsp flour 
• 2 cups whole milk 
• 1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan 
• 1/4 cup basil pesto 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• Freshly cracked pepper 
• 1/2 lb frozen spinach 

INSTRUCTIONS

Full Recipes>>Creamy Pesto Mac with Spinach

Oh hey, it’s Whitney and I’m back with another fresh and delicious bowl recipe!

If you’re a fajita fan, you’re going to absolutely fall in love with this fajita rice bowl that is so quick and easy to make!

Veggie Fajita Rice Bowl

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups bell pepper (sliced)
• 1 cup red onion (sliced)
• 1 cup baby bella mushrooms (sliced)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp fresh lime juice (app 2 limes) – divided
• 2 cups cooked rice*
• 2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 avocado (thinly sliced)

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Veggie Fajita Rice Bowl

I can't believe there was a time when I didn't like avocados. I'm sorry I ever doubted your awesomeness you creamy, luscious, little fellas! One thing's for sure: we've got some making up to do for all that lost time. Like with these quesadillas I've been stuffing in my face on the daily. Quesadillas have always been a quick go-to meal for us, but when I stopped eating cheese, well... so went the quesadillas. I desperately wanted them back in my life and although an obvious substitution would be non-dairy cheese, this seemed like a job for avocados! Let me tell you... these babies are for REALS. I love that they're healthier than cheese quesadillas, and I think they taste even better. My husband and I make them all the time, and there are so many variations you can try. Or you can just replace cheese with avocado in any of your favorite quesadillas. We don't even bother cutting them anymore -  we just hold and eat 'em as one big 'dilluh. Napoleon would be proud 😉

Avocado Quesadillas (Vegan!)

Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado, more if you prefer
• 1 small roma tomato, diced
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 2 tsp. nutritional yeast (I use this brand)
• Seasonings of choice (I love smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, etc.)
• Salsa (optional)
• 1 large tortilla

Directions

Full Recipes>>Avocado Quesadillas (Vegan!)

Crunchy baked breaded cauliflower pieces are coated with honey garlic sauce. It’s an easy and delicious weeknight meal.

I can’t get enough of this honey garlic sauce. It’s savory, spicy, and sweet, all at the same time. And crunchy bites of cauliflower are the perfect vehicle for soaking up the thick sauce.

HONEY GARLIC BAKED CAULIFLOWER

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs (I use these)
• cooking oil spray
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• 2 scallions, finely sliced

FOR THE SAUCE: (DOUBLE IF NEEDED, SEE NOTES)

• 6 tbsp honey
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 6 tbsp water + 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp sriracha sauce 

DIRECTIONS:

Full Recipes>>Honey Garlic Baked Cauliflower

Cauliflower is seasoned up with garlic and chili powder before taking a dip in some buffalo sauce.

Once those little guys are roasted to perfection they take another buffalo sauce bath to make them extra saucy and delicious.

…is your mouth watering yet?

After that, you’re pretty much done.

Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos

 Prep Time 5 minutes

 Cook Time 20 minutes

 Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

FOR THE CAULIFLOWER

• 1/2 head cauliflower cut in bite sized pieces
• 4 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 3/4 cup buffalo sauce separated
• pepper to taste

FOR THE TACOS

• 8 taco-sized flour tortillas
• 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
• 1 avocado pitted and diced
• vegan ranch to taste
• cilantro or green onion diced (optional)

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos

I feel like I’ve been hiding out on you guys with this pizza… Another recipe made from my PA kitchen, oops! I meant to share it sooner but then Cinco de Mayo happened and I was like “Umm so you’re going to share tacos for Cinco de Mayo and follow it with an asian-inspired meal? Hmmm, I don’t know Ashley. I just don’t know.” < actual conversation with myself. So I waited a week. Good enough, right?

I had made this pizza back when Drew had left me (ha, that sounds like he left left me/our marriage. What I MEAN by that is he had already moved back to Michigan and I was still living in PA and making all the food with no one to share it with).

easy vegan thai naan pizza

INGREDIENTS

• 2 naan flatbreads
• 2 TBS red curry paste
• 3 TBS tomato paste
• chopped red onion
• thinly sliced red bell pepper
• grated carrots
• nutritional yeast
• cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

Full Recipes>>Easy Vegan Thai Naan Pizza

Eggplant parmesan was among one of my favorite dishes growing up. The crispy breading surrounding the soft delectable eggplant, smothered in tomato sauce and melted mozzarella would be my go-to dish at the local Italian restaurant.  Although the meal tasted so good going down, I never felt great in the aftermath. The heavy cheese and fried breading would leave my stomach feeling like I had swallowed a brick!

This dish that I created has all the wonderful flavors of eggplant parm but transformed in a fresh, light and healthy way.

Eggplant Involtini {Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-free, Vegan}

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants peeled and sliced lengthwise ⅓” thick
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• few dashes of salt and pepper
• 1 cup almond milk ricotta I used Kite Hill brand, or you can make your own, see above for recipe
• ½ cup panko omit for Paleo, and increase ricotta by ¼ cup
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional
• 2 tablespoon chopped basil
• ½ tablespoon lemon juice

Tomato Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 can of organic whole peeled tomatoes chopped, save the juice
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• ¼ teaspoons red pepper
• salt and pepper ½ teaspoon of each

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Eggplant Involtini (Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-free, Vegan)

These Vegan Animal Style Fries are a tasty and healthier version of a classic! Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and ready to serve in under 45 minutes.

If you follow any trendy social media “influencer” who lives in California, you have probably seen the famous Animal Style Fries from In-n-Out.

Well friends, I have good news! You (1) don’t have to eat animal products and (2) don’t have to live in California to enjoy them anymore. Because I’ve created a plant based, better-for-you, but STILL drool-worthy version of my own.

vegan animal style fries (crispy without oil!)

INGREDIENTS

For the Caramelized Onions:

• 1 large Yellow Onion
• 1 ½ cup Vegetable Broth

For The Vegan “Special Sauce”: (makes about 1 cup)

½ cup Silken Tofu

• Juice of ½ Lemon
• 3 tbsp Ketchup
• 2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
• 2 Medjool Dates (or 2 tsp liquid sweetener)
• 1 tbsp Tamari
• 2 tsp Nutritional Yeast
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp Sweet Relish

For the Animal-Style Fries:

• 1 batch of Perfect Oven Baked Fries, made with ½ tsp Smoked Paprika (see notes for Air Fryer option)
• Caramelized Onions, above
• ⅓ – ½ cup Vegan “Special Sauce”, above

INSTRUCTIONS

Full Recipes>>Vegan Animal Style Fries (Crispy WITHOUT Oil!)

I can’t even describe to you guys how excited I am to FINALLY be getting this recipe up on the blog. The day is here! Apple pie. Veganified. Yessssss. Apple pie has been an absolute lifelong favourite dessert of mine. But lets be real here, homemade pies are a little involved. If you’re looking for an easy way to satisfy apple pie cravings, definitely give my Apple Oatmeal Bars a try. But if you’re ready to do the whole sh-bang and make a damn pie, lets go! Just in time to make it on the Thanksgiving menu for all my friends in the USA!

I will admit, McDonald’s apple pie was always my childhood favourite… I know, so sad 😭. BUT, shit ingredients and being über processed aside, those little pockets of deliciousness are in fact accidentally vegan – so that’s slightly comforting

Best Ever Vegan Apple Pie

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Ingredients
Crust:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup vegan butter, cold (I used Earth Balance)
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4-7 tbs water, ice cold

Filling:

• ~ 5 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I used granny smith)
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tbs cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Best Ever Vegan Apple Pie

I remember the first time I ever had this salad. I was at a Christmas party years ago with my family, and my aunt served this salad (Hi Aunt Debbie!!). I had never had anything like it, and I ate seconds. Then thirds. Then begged for the recipe.

Truth be told I’ve only made it a handful of times in the past ten or so years. And every time it’s been devoured at family potlucks and bbq’s.

I prefer to make this salad the night before. I think it gives the dressing time to “soften” the broccoli. However, the recipe as given to me, says to pour dressing on salad right before serving. You decide how you want to serve this…as everyone has different taste buds! Either way, it’s going to be delicious.

Broccoli Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb broccoli florets, cut bite size
• 1/3 cup red onion, cut in strips
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds (no shells)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Full Recipes>>Broccoli Salad

Inspired by an abundance of very ripe tomatoes, this salad (like so many of our recipes) was a spur of the moment decision and it was a great one. I like to serve this Cucumber Tomato Salad with crispy chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, or a steak dinner.

This salad has become a staple on our menu plan over the past year and it’s also become one of the most popular summer recipes here on the blog. I made a quick little video last week, just for fun, so that I could share it with you today as we go into tomato season!

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes diced, about 2 cups worth
• 1 large English cucumber peeled, halved, and thinly sliced, about 2 cups worth
• 5 large basil leaves thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons light flavored olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Cucumber Tomato Salad

Happy Football!!!! College football is finally here. It is like Christmas at our house! I can't wait to watch all the games and eat all the yummy tailgate food! We are having a HUGE tailgate for our game tomorrow. Our whole group will be there, and we will be feasting on tons of great food. I am making this Cracked Out Spinach Dip. It is SOOO good! I am not a huge fan of spinach dip, but I scraped the bowl to get every last bit of this dip. CRAZY good!! PLUS it's healthy because it has spinach - right?? No? Dang it!

You can make this dip ahead of time and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake it for your football party. It tastes great hot or at room temperature. We served this dip with some Fritos, but you could also use tortilla chips or some celery. It will be fabulous either way!

Cracked Out Spinach Dip

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (10-oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8-oz) container sour cream
• 1 (3-oz) package precooked bacon pieces
• 1 (1-oz) package Ranch dressing mix
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

Full Recipes>>Cracked Out Spinach Dip

 Thinly sliced russet potatoes are tossed in traditional Irish seasonings before being baked to crisp, yet tender perfection. Liberally topped with cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, sour cream, pico de gallo, and cilantro- dig on in.

Irish Pub Nachos are pure comfort food. They’re the perfect way to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day, wherever you are on the globe. You can enjoy them any day for an easy lunch, or a perfect appetizer to share with a friend. For a more authentic feel, serve them on game day while watching the European Cup.

Irish Pub Nachos

Prep Time   15 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time   1 hr

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into quarter inch coins
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves
• scant 1/2 tsp ground thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 5 slices thick cut bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• sour cream, or Greek yogurt, to taste
• pico de gallo, to taste
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced optional
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Irish Pub Nachos

Stuffed with a cashew-tofu spinach ricotta, Vegan Stuffed Jumbo Shells are a crowd-pleasing and classic pasta dinner that even the pickiest kids couldn’t turn down…

Ingredients

• (1) 12-ounce package jumbo shells
• (1) 12-ounce jar marinara sauce (about 3 cups)

Spinach Ricotta:

• 2 cups raw cashews
• (1) 14-ounces firm tofu
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• (1) 10-ounce package chopped frozen spinach, thawed

Preparation Method

Full Recipes>>Vegan Stuffed Jumbo Shells & Spinach

I was never super keen on making lasagna. In fact, this vegan lasagna that you see before you represents my first foray into lasagna making.

Which is not to say that I didn’t test the heck out of this recipe! So my first foray was really like….. four forays, or thereabouts.

The reason I never tried my hand at lasagnas until now, was they always seemed awfully complicated and long-winded endeavours. And, you know me, I like to keep it simple!

The Easiest Vegan Lasagna

 Prep Time: 45 mins  

Cook Time: 30 mins  

DESCRIPTION

Super simple vegan lasagna. Rich tomato sauce layered with a creamy vegan bechamel sauce and spinach lasagna, this delicious recipe is rich, cheesy, savory and satisfying.

INGREDIENTS

For the Tomato Sauce:

• 3 Packs Button Mushrooms (26.5oz / 750g in total)
• 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 3 Cans (14oz/400g each) Chopped Tomato (if it has other flavorings added to it like basil, oregano or other herbs, this is great too)
• Salt, Pepper, Spices (as needed – if your cans of tomato are already spiced, then further spice may not be needed).

For the White Sauce (Bechamel Sauce):

• 6 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 5 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
• 4 cups Soy Milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 2 tsp Prepared Yellow Mustard
• Salt
• Black Pepper

For the Lasagna:

• Pre-Cooked Spinach Lasagna Sheets*

For the Topping:

• Sliced Tomato
• Vegan Cheese Slices
• Salt and Black Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Full Recipes>>The Easiest Vegan Lasagna

I love all things caprese, especially in the summer time. This caprese bread may be my very favorite of all! How can you go wrong with toasted bread, plenty of mozzarella cheese, ripe tomatoes and basil? Add a little balsamic glaze and salt and pepper and you’ve got caprese perfecti

This recipe starts with a loaf of bread. Any rustic style bread will do! The bread is sliced in half lengthwise, then brushed with olive oil and rubbed with garlic. A generous amount of sliced fresh mozzarella cheese is layered over the top, then the bread is broiled to melty perfection. While cheesy bread is good on its own, it’s even better with a topping of tomatoes and basil! I use the ripest tomatoes I can find here. I drizzle the tomatoes with balsamic glaze, then add a generous amount of sliced basil, coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.

CAPRESE BREAD

This recipe for caprese bread is a rustic loaf layered with fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes, basil and balsamic glaze.

 Prep Time 5 minutes

 Cook Time 10 minutes

 Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 16 ounce loaf of bread (focaccia, pane rustico, pugliese, any rustic bread)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove cut in half
• 10 ounces fresh mozzarella thinly sliced
• 4-6 ripe tomatoes sliced
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons balsamic glaze
• coarse salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Caprese Bread

My friends and I just started reading a book called Deliberate Motherhood. My first thought was what is deliberate motherhood? Then that day as I was playing at the park with my kids, I saw a mom drive up, drop her kids off at the park, then she preceded to take a nap on a blanket under a tree. Meanwhile, her young kids ran around eating other people’s food and pushing other kids off of the slides. Maybe you can let your kids roam free in other parts of the country but in Florida, you better watch your kids or someone will take them. No joke. And I really can’t judge. Maybe she was having A DAY and her choices were to take a nap or drive her car into the ocean. Who knows. All I know that for that moment she wasn’t practicing deliberate motherhood.

Spinach Parmesan Rice Bake

Ingredients

• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed to remove excess liquid)
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 1 ⁄3 cup melted butter
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 ⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 ⁄3 cup chopped onions or 2 large green onions , chopped
• 1 garlic clove , minced
• 3 large eggs , beaten
• 3 ⁄4 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 ⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese , for topping
• shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

Instructions

Full Recipes>>Spinach Parmesan Rice Bake

One tip that I always give for tacos is to always toast the corn tortillas first. It really magnifies their flavor and helps strengthen the tacos so that you can stuff ’em full without them ripping apart. I’ve  included a photo of my favorite brand, which have proven to be quite sturdy, in the step-by-steps below.

The batch below is fairly small because I only had a half pound of shrimp on hand. With 30/40 count shrimp that meant I had 18 individual shrimp. I put three shrimp in each taco, so that gave me six tacos. Whether you eat 2 or 3 tacos per “serving” is really subjective, so I just listed the price as per taco rather than a suggested servings size.

BLACKENED SHRIMP TACOS

 Prep Time 30 minutes

 Cook Time 10 minutes

 Total Time 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

COLESLAW

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise 
• 1/2 Tbsp honey 
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard 
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• Freshly cracked pepper 
• 1/2 bag coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots) $.75
• 3 green onions, sliced 

SMOKY GARLIC LIME SAUCE

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise 
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder 
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/8 tsp salt $0.01
• 1 lime (1 Tbsp juice) 

BLACKENING SEASONING

• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika 
• 1 tsp dried thyme 
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
• 1/2 tsp cumin 
• 1/4 tsp cayenne 
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder 
• 1/4 tsp onion powder 
• 1/4 tsp salt $0.02
• Freshly cracked pepper 

TACOS

• 1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp (30/40 count) 
• 1 Tbsp butter 
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 6 small corn tortillas 
• 3 green onions, sliced 

INSTRUCTIONS

Full Recipes>>Blackened Shrimp Tacos