Homemade Vegan Pot Pie Casserole

Yet again we find ourselves at the beginning of another week, a Monday. Today marks the last full week of shopping. While the hustle and bustle of your week is just beginning, I’m hoping that this recipe will ease the stress of the week and provide a delicious meal that you and yours can sit down and enjoy!

This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe that I originally saw in this year’s Holiday issue of Food Network Magazine, which should only go to show how easy it is to take your favorite recipes and make them vegan by substituting in new ingredients.

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Homemade Vegan Pot Pie Casserole

Ingredients:

1/2 a stick of vegan margarine 

4 carrot sticks, chopped into small pieces

2 stalks of celery, finely chopped

8oz of baby bella mushrooms

1 1/2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons of flour

1 1/2 cups of soy milk

1/2 cup of soy creamer

1 14oz block of tofu cut into small squares (save the water*) 

1 15oz can of peas

7 slices of bread, made into bread crumbs**

Salt and peper to taste

Directions: 

1.  Melt you butter in a large oven safe dish. 

2. Add in the carrots, onions, and celery. Cook until they are slightly softened, remembering to still occasionally. Usually around 5 minutes.

3. Add in the mushroom and the soy sauce and cook until the vegetables are soft. Usually around 3 minutes. 

4. Add in the flour, stir, and cook for one minute. 

5. Add in the soy milk, soy creamer, 1 cup of water, and salt to taste.  

* I like to use the water my tofu was packaged in, if it is not quite one cup just add water to bring it to a cup. 

6. Bring your mixture to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened.

7. Add the can of peas and the tofu, bring to a simmer, and then add salt and pepper to taste. 

8. Remove from heat, stir thoroughly, and add the bread crumbs evenly to the top of the dish. Then bake in the oven @ 425 for about 8 minutes or until the top is slightly browned. 

**Cheap vegan bread crumbs are not an easy thing to find, so I tend to just make my own. I toast the bread, break it into small pieces separating the crust from the bread. In a food processor, I blend the bread first and pour that into a bowl. Then I do the crust, and mix it all together in bowl. 

For this recipe, I add both the crust crumbs and the bread crumbs into the food processor and add 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt. 

I'm making this for dinner tonight with my Dad. I can't wait to share our reviews and of course some pictures with you! (:

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A Vegan Review: Olive Garden

Tonight I'm going share with you my tips and tricks at eating vegan at my favorite Italian restaurant, Olive Garden! :) 

First, let's talk about the appetizers, which of course means the bread sticks, the salad, and the soup. 

The bread sticks are vegan, as long as they are ordered with garlic but no butter. This is a special order, but it is never a problem and they always bake them fresh. Who wouldn't love fresh out of the oven breadsticks?! I know that I do. 

The salad that Olive Garden serves are vegan, as long as it is ordered with no croutons and dressing, as both contain milk. The dressing has parmesan cheese!

Finally, the Minestrone Soup is vegan and delicious. I love soup in the winter and this one pairs nicely with the breadsticks. 

For my main corse, I love the spaghetti and marinara sauce. Olive garden really does marinara sauce well. I love how chunky it is. 

Currently, Olive Garden is doing a buy one- take one promotion. Which of course means that you can eat twice for one price. :) 

As you can see from the packaging above, the order is for a "Four Cheese and Meat Sauce", which I ask to be substituted with marinara sauce. 

Do you love Olive Garden? What do you order? 

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Thanksgiving 2013: Turkey Substitutes

The most central part of any Thanksgiving table is the turkey, that is of course unless you don't eat turkey. (: 

Choosing not to eat turkey on Thanksgiving doesn't mean that you have to miss out on Thanksgiving traditions. 

In fact, whether you are looking for vegan or vegetarian options, you will have plenty of options to choose from. 

In fact, I've compiled a list of 5 vegan and vegetarian turkey substitutes that are sure to make your Thanksgiving feast complete. 

1. Quorn Turk'y Roast

This roast is of the vegetarian variety as it contains milk and eggs. Although it is one of the cheaper options, it does have some great pros, including the fact that it is soy free. 

If you like the idea of seasoning your own meal, much like you would have to do with a Turkey, this is the pick for you. 

Quorn products are very juicy and have a great texture that is very similar to that of real meat. 

The Quorn Turk'y Roast is very good, in fact before I was vegan this was my holiday favorite. 

2. Tofurky Vegetarian Feast

This roast is a vegan alternative to turkey made from tofu. This roast is stuffed with Tofurky’s signature Wild Rice Stuffing. Additionally it comes with a 'giblet' gravy.

This roast feed around 6 people, and it is definitely nice that it includes not only your Turkey alternative, but also your stuffing and gravy; making it a one stop kind of deal.

In Thanksgivings past I’ve served this, and in my experience this is very hit or miss. My guest either liked the Tofurky Roast very much or they weren’t fans.

Check out the Tofurky website for more information.

3. Vege USA Vegan Whole Turkey

This is the option that looks the most similar to an actual turkey. In addition, 

their website promises a 'subtle flavor and texture' the promises to have 'everyone asking for seconds'.

If looks are important to you, this would be the vegan option for you. It really does look just like a turkey! 

4. Gardein Savory Stuffed Turkey

If you haven’t ever heard of (Gardein) you should definitely check them out. They make a whole list of products that are vegan and while I’ve never had the (Savory Stuffed Turkey), I’ve always been impressed with their other products.

This product is perfect for one or two, as the package contains two small stuffed patties with gravy.

This will be the Turkey substitute that I will be serving this year at my Thanksgiving, since chances are I will be the only one eating any, but that's alright that just means more for me. (:

5. Field Roast Celebration Roast

The Field Roast is made from grain meat that has been mixed with butternut squash, mushrooms, and granny smith apples. 

It has a very distinct taste after being seasoned with sage, garlic, and lemon. 

I personally love the way the field roast tastes, and would recommend this as a great vegan alternative to turkey.

Which ones will you be trying this Thanksgiving? 

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A Vegan Review of Ruby Tuesday’s

So far it seems like all of the restaurants that I have showed you have ended up being fast food places. Today, I want to break this routine and talk about a nicer sit down restaurant.

A Vegan Review of Ruby Tuesday’s

Ruby Tuesday is probably most known for their salad bar, so it’s been a go to place for me to go out with my friends for quite a long time. Especially when I was in college because I could eat salad to my hearts content and my friends could order whatever non-vegan dish they wanted. It was a win-win.

Last week, on our date night, my boyfriend and I went out to Ruby Tuesfday’s beore going to see Thor. Which on a side note if you haven't seen yet, you should totally make plans to go, it was really good. 

This was my order: 

A Veggie Trio Combo, in which you can choose three sides, as well as soup or the salad bar. I choose the salad bar and for my sides; plain baked potato, steamed broccoli with no butter, and steamed green beans with no butter. 

This is my salad, dressed with oil and vinegar. I love the salad bar, because I can change up what I want every time I get a new  plate. 

This was my dinner plate, and my veggies were delicious. Though they did need some salt and pepper, since the seasoning they used was pre-mixed into the butter. 

These made for a great meal that I would totally recommend, keeping in mind that you could switch up the veggies if you so chose. :) 

Do you like Ruby Tuesday's? 

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Meatless Monday: Vegan Stir Fry

It’s Monday, which is not a fun day.

I would guess, your want to try something meatless.

Okay, so maybe I’m not the best at rhymes but I’ll bet you will love this stir-fry recipe.

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Vegan Stir Fry

Ingredients:

Canola Oil

Rice

Assorted Vegetables*

Soy Sauce (or other preferred sauce)

*I recommend using some or all of the following: mushrooms, onions, carrots, bean sprouts, peppers, zucchini, water chestnuts, baby corn, or really any other vegetable that you like. Your options are limitless!!

Directions:

1. Boil rice per the directions on the rice package.

2. Chop the veggies to the desired consistency.

3. Place them in a hot and oiled pan and cook them until as desired.

Frying Tip: I like to add water into my vegetables while they are cooking. I use a squeeze bottle but a cup works too! This extra water adds moisture to you veggies, which helps them from drying out. It also allows you to cut down on the oil that you need to use, which helps cut down on the fat.

4. When the veggies are close to done, mix the rice and soy sauce into the pan and mix together.

Serve & Enjoy!!

What veggies are you using? I’d love to see your spin on this delicious dish!!

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Chipotle's Braised Tofu Sofrita

Today’s fast food idea is something totally new and exciting coming from Chipotle. If you haven’t heard about this fast food chains newest menu item, then you will love this. (:

Chipotle recently released the new Braised Tofu Sofrita, which they have advertised as being vegan.

In fact, they claim it is so delicious that both vegans and carnivores will unite to enjoy this dish.

The chain is using organic tofu from Hodo Soy, which they have shredded and cooked with varying peppers and spices.

I have yet to try one of these delicious looking creations, but I definitely plan to very soon & when I do I will definitely post a review to let you know what I think! (:

Have you tried this new Chipotle dish? Are you going to? 

As of now, this dish is not available everywhere so check out the Chipotle website to see if it is available in a restaurant near you! 

Join the conversation on facebook. 

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Update!!

SO, looking at the pictures on Chipotle's website were just too tempting. I gave in a went to my local restaurant. (: 

My usual order is the veggie bowl, but tonight I got the Sofrita Bowl. 

IT WAS DELICIOUS!! 

The Sofrita was spicy and the texture was the perfect touch to the vegetables  and beans in my bowl. 

Here is a close up of the Sofrita: 

Another exciting thing I learned in my Chipotle adventures is that the pinto beans are now being made with a new recipe that doesn't contain pork. 

This means that both the black beans and the pinto beans are now vegan! 

I fully recommend that you get yourself to a chipotle asap. (:

Meatless Monday: Fried Avocado Tacos

It's Monday, which means it's time for another Meatless Monday recipe! (: 

Today's recipe is a little unconventional, but it's delicious none the less. 

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Fried Avocado Tacos.

You will need: 

A frying pan 

A spatula 

A knife

A cutting board

3 small bowls

Ingredients: 

Small flour tortillas

Black Beans

Onions

Avocados

Flour

Water

Shredded Lettuce 

Salsa 

Directions: 

**Before you start prepping your avocado, I recommend that you begin heating a frying pan with about 1/4 inch of olive oil, so that your oil will be hot when you are ready to start cooking**

1. Using the knife, slice open the avocado and slice it length wise into long slices. 

2. Dip your avocado into water, then roll it in your bowl of flour, and once it is thoroughly covered it is read to fry. 

3. Place these slices into your pan, flipping them over after about 5 minutes.

You want the outside to be crispy, but for the best taste you want to keep the inside soft and creamy. 

4. When they are ready, pull them out of the frying pan (I recommend using tongs) and place your avocado slices on some paper towels to help absorb any extra oil. 

**Since I had the pan and the oil already heated up, I chose to go ahead and sauté my onions as well. This is a completely optional step, depending on how you like your onions. 

Now it's time to build you tacos!

I built this scrumptious taco, by layering black beans and onions on the bottom of my soft taco shell. Then I placed several slices of avocado into my taco and covered that with lettuce, salsa, a little salt, and some pepper. 

I served my tacos with margaritas, and they were a big hit! The avocado slices were the perfect touch to my tacos, they had that extra little crunch on the outside but maintained there smooth creamy rich texture on the inside. They complemented the salsa and other vegetables quite nicely. 

If you give this recipe a try, I would love to know what you think!

Enjoy!

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Veggie Sandwich!

Today’s fast food option is another hit from Wendy’s. This vegetable sandwich isn’t actually on the menu, but rather something that is a special order.

What I Order: A premium toasted bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle. No cheese. No mayonnaise.

This literally means you are getting a hamburger bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle.

Sometimes, I eat it just like that. Sometimes I bring my own vegan chicken patty or vegan hamburger with me and just grab the bun when I’m feeling lazy.  I’ve also added my own sauce to this sandwich as well.

Keep in mind that the new pretzel bun does contain milk, so if you are still transitioning, are a vegetarian, or for any other reason don’t mind milk as an ingredient; then you can certainly ask for a pretzel bun in lieu of the premium toasted bun.

If you are looking to make this a meal, checkout my post on Wendy's Hit The Spot Fries!

If you give this sandwich a try, let me know what you think!

As always, join us on facebook!

Enjoy!

Meatless Mondays: Mac & Bean Casserole!

Today’s Meatless Monday recipe is a filling and delicious casserole of sorts. It’s simple, quick, and perfect for an on the go dinner.

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Mac & Bean Casserole

Makes 4 large servings.

You will need:

A 2 quart microwaveable safe bowl

A spoon

A large strainer

Ingredients:

1 box of Elbow noodles

1 28 oz can of baked beans*

Directions:

1. Fill your bowl with water and your noodles.

2. Cook your noodles for 3 minutes and then stir. Repeat.

3. Cook for an additional 4 minutes, stir, and strain the noodles.

4. Mix the noodles with the beans, stir thoroughly, and microwave for another minute.

Enjoy!

**I use Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans

If you try this recipe, leave me a comment & let me know what you think!

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Vegan Chili

Tonight’s recipe is going to use the Bocca Ground Crumbles that I talked about last night.

It’s great for throwing in a crock-pot on a cold morning, like this morning, and let it simmer all day.

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Vegan Chili

You will need:

A crock-pot

A ladle

Strainer

Ingredients:

1 can of light kidney beans

1 can of dark kidney beans

2 cans of tomato sauce

Chili Powder

1 bag of Bocca Ground Crumbles

Directions:

1. Open both cans of kidney beans, drain them, and pour them in your crock-pot.

2. Open the cans of tomato sauce and mix it in.

3. Add the desire amount of chili powder for your taste.

4. Mix in your desired amount of ground crumbles, adding more for the “meatier” you want your chili to be.

5. Let it cook in the crock-pot for 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high.

Enjoy!

As always, if you try this recipe out make sure to comment below and let me know what you think!

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5 Can Salsa.

I apologize in advance for how late this post is, but hopefully you will find that it was worth the wait. (:

Tonight I had several friends come over to watch the Halloween Episode of Pretty Little Liars and the world première of Ravenswood. So, I got distracted making snacks and preparing for them to come over.

So tonight, I’m going to break my routine and instead of talking about  a fast food chain I’m going to show you an awesome dip I made to share.

This recipe actually comes from some friends of mine and after eating this once at their house, I had to have the recipe.

This salsa is AMAZING.

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5 Can Salsa

Ingredients:

1 can of black beans

2 cans of Rotel Tomatoes

1 can of shoepeg corn (if you can’t find shoepeg substitute with white corn)

1 small onion

Corn chips

Directions:

1. Open can of black beans, drain, and pour into a large bowl.

2. Next open and mix in the cans of tomatoes and corn.

3. Dice the small onion and add in.

4. Stir until thoroughly mixed.

5. Serve with corn chips.

This is a great recipe for any get together, including tailgates, house parties, and even potluck dinners. This appetizer is simple, quick, and easy but at the same time it is still full of flavor!

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think!

Did you guys watch PLL or Ravenswood tonight? What did you think? 

Meatless Monday: Sautéed Veggie Platter

Today’s Meatless Monday recipe is unique, in that I didn’t actually make it; but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

It’s not just a flash back to this 2007 commercial. 

I went away this weekend for a little R&R and quality time with my Mom. 

This morning, I was trying to pack up my stuff and check out and get back home in time for work SO I got food from the hotel restaurant, where they whipped up this delicious meal. 

As you can probably see, it's sautéed vegetables. This particular plate has tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, and potatoes; with a side of toast. 

This is something that you could easily recreate with whatever vegetables that you like. 

A great traveling tip, is to take some food essentials with you so that if somehow you can't find something to eat, you can have something with you. 

I packed a half a stick of Blue Bonnet Light and kept in our fridge, so I was able to butter my toast. :) 

If you try recreating this, let me know how it turns out!