Easy Fun Vegan

Sweet Red Bean Stuffed French Toast

Paht, or sweet red bean paste, meets golden-crisp toast for a breakfast that nods to Korean cafés while keeping sugar in check.

Prep: 10m Cook: 15m Total: 25m Serves: 4

Ingredients: 1/2 cup vegan liquid egg 2 tablespoons soy or oat milk 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup sweetened canned red bean paste 8 slices white bread (sourdough, vegan milk bread, or gluten-free) 2 tablespoons vegan butter 2 tablespoons apple or maple syrup

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, whisk egg, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt.

Spread red bean paste on 4 slices of bread. Top with remaining slices to make 4 sandwiches.

In a medium nonstick skillet or griddle, melt butter over medium heat. Dip sandwiches into egg mixture, coat well, and cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Use spatula to flip sandwiches on their sides to brown edges.

Drizzle with syrup and serve. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days.

Veganized Irish Chocolate Mint Dessert

Veganized recipe from the cookbook Irish Cooking (2005) by Publications International.

Crispy Mushroom Galette with Flaky Olive Oil Dough

Serves 6 as a snack, 4 as a main course

Dough:

1¾ cups all-purpose flour (8 oz / 227g)

1 tablespoon sugar (0.46 oz / 13g)

1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (0.11 oz / 3g)

¼ teaspoon baking powder

7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (3.4 oz / 96g)

Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder to combine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Work in the oil: Pour 6 tablespoons of the oil (2.9 oz / 83g) into the well and use a fork to incorporate some of the flour from around the sides of the bowl until you have shaggy pieces. Break up the pieces with your fingertips so they’re no larger than a pea. Bring the dough together: Drizzle ¼ cup cold tap water (2 oz / 57g) into the bowl, stirring constantly with a fork, then switch back to your hands and knead the mixture inside the bowl until a dough comes together. Transfer the dough to a work surface, leaving any floury bits behind in the bowl, then add more water 1 teaspoon at a time to the bowl to bring the rest of the dough together; add it to the rest of the dough. Knead and chill: Knead the dough a few times just until it’s smooth (you don’t want to work the dough too much, although the oil does help prevent gluten development, thus protecting it against toughness). Press the dough into a ½-inch-thick square, wrap it tightly in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll in more oil to create flakiness: Roll out the dough between two large sheets of parchment paper, periodically peeling off and repositioning each piece of the parchment, one at a time, for wrinkle-free rolling, to a ⅛-inch-thick square. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and brush the remaining 1 tablespoon oil across the surface of the dough. Starting at the side closest to you, fold up the dough into a flat, loose roll. Flatten the roll with the heel of your hand across the entire length. Roll out the dough into a rough rectangle that’s about ¼ inch thick, then bring the left and right sides of the dough inward to fold it in thirds (this step ensures lots of flaky layers). Wrap the dough in plastic, pressing out any air, and press down on the dough with the heel of your hand to flatten it into a ½-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate the dough until it’s relaxed, at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. It’s now ready to use.

Galette:

7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (7 oz / 200g), plus more for assembling

2 large leeks (1 lb 8 oz / 680g), dark green tops discarded, white and light green stalks split lengthwise, rinsed, and chopped

1 tablespoon grainy Dijon mustard (0.63 oz / 18g)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound (454g) shiitake, cremini, oyster, and/or maitake mushrooms, sliced or torn into 1-inch pieces

5 garlic cloves, 4 smashed and peeled, 1 finely grated

2 fresh rosemary sprigs, plus 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

All-purpose flour, for rolling out

2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs

2 teaspoons nutritional yeast

Preheat the oven and prepare the baking sheet: Arrange an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Make the melted leek base: In a medium skillet (preferably cast-iron), heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water to the skillet as needed if the leeks are starting to brown, until they’re very tender and starting to break down, another 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl and set aside to cool. Wipe out the skillet and set it back on the stove for the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms: Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the same skillet and heat over high heat until shimmering. Add half of the mushrooms, 2 of the smashed garlic cloves, and 1 of the rosemary sprigs. Toss the mushrooms once just to coat in oil, then let them cook undisturbed until they’re browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned all over, have released their liquid, and are tender, 5 to 8 minutes longer. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Scrape into a separate medium bowl and set the bowl aside to cool. Repeat the process in the same skillet with 2 more tablespoons of oil, the remaining mushrooms, 2 smashed garlic cloves, rosemary sprig, and more salt and pepper. Reserve the skillet again for toasting the panko. Roll out the dough: Unwrap the dough, place it on a lightly floured surface, and lightly dust the top with more flour. Roll out the dough, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking, into a round about 12 inches in diameter. If it starts to shrink back as you’re trying to roll it, cover the dough and let it rest on the surface for 10 minutes, then proceed. Assemble the galette: Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Spread the cooled leek mixture across the surface of the dough, leaving a 1½-inch border all the way around. Scatter the cooked mushrooms and garlic (discard the rosemary) over the leeks. Fold up the crust: Using the parchment paper to help you, fold the sides of the pastry up and over the mushrooms, leaving the center open and creating a series of evenly spaced pleats all the way around. Press firmly on the pleats to help the pastry adhere to itself, then brush the exterior of the pastry with more olive oil. Sprinkle more salt and pepper across the entire surface of the tart. Bake the galette: Bake the galette until the pastry is golden brown and the tops of the mushrooms are crispy, 45 to 55 minutes. Make the garlicky bread crumbs: While the galette is baking, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the panko, nutritional yeast, grated garlic, and rosemary leaves and cook, stirring constantly, until the panko is golden brown and the mixture is very fragrant, about 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, season the mixture with salt and pepper, and scrape it onto a paper towel–lined plate to cool. Finish the galette and serve: Remove the galette from the oven and let it cool before topping with the garlicky panko and cutting into slices. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Brown Butter Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Recipe posted on Twitter here. Ingredient amounts are approximations. Adjust according to your preference.

1 large sweet potato

2.5 cups of all-purpose flour

salt (to taste)

4 gloves of garlic

4 tablespoons of vegan butter

1 shallot

8 oz. mushrooms (any kind)

1 can diced tomato

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp maple syrup

1 handful fresh spinach

fresh parsley to garnish

bake a large sweet potato. let it cool & mash it. throw in 2.5 cups of flour. u want the dough dry enough to roll into logs. roll into 8ish logs. cut logs into lil pieces & use a fork to make the lil ridges

boil a pot of water. add salt. add gnocchi & boil for 5-6 mins. until all the gnocchi are floating at the top. take them out of water & let em chill while u make the sauce

for the sauce get some butter (i use earth balance) in a pan. let it brown but not burn. add garlic (A LOT) & shallot. throw in some 🍄 (i used shiitake) & 🍅. let that cook down with a splash of veggie broth

add gnocchi to the pan. season with salt, smoked paprika, cumin, nutritional yeast & a lil maple syrup to highlight the sweet potato. add spinach & fresh parsley at the end. once the greens wilt ur good to gooooo

Spicy Southern Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo

I don’t know what it is about the combination of this spicy broccoli and this perfectly creamy alfredo sauce, but it is beyond comparison. This healthy pasta dish is so dang comforting you would be hard-pressed to convince anyone it is simply roasted broccoli and pureed cashews.

Serves 4

Spicy Broccoli:

1 large head broccoli, cut into

1-inch (2.5-cm) florets

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

1 tbsp (15 ml) agave syrup

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp cayenne pepper

Fettuccine Alfredo:

1 lb (450 g) fettuccine

1 cup (110 g) raw cashews, soaked (see Tips)

¾ cup (180 ml) nondairy milk

4 cloves garlic

2 tsp (10 ml) fresh lemon juice

3 tbsp (12 g) nutritional yeast

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1. To make the spicy broccoli, preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C).

2. Put the broccoli florets in a large bowl, then drizzle them with the oil and agave syrup. Sprinkle the broccoli with the paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Toss to coat the broccoli evenly.

3. Put the broccoli on a medium baking sheet and roast for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the broccoli is slightly brown.

4. In the meantime, make the fettuccini alfredo. Cook the fettuccine according to package directions. Drain the fettuccine and return it to the pot.

5. While the pasta cooks, drain the soaked cashews and add them to a blender with the milk, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt and black pepper.

6. Blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed, until the sauce is completely smooth.

7. Pour the alfredo sauce on top of the pasta. Toss to combine the fettuccine with the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

8. Add the spicy broccoli to the pasta and serve.

Tips for Soaking Raw Cashews:

There are two ways you can soak raw cashews. Choose the method that works best for you.

• Place the amount of raw cashews you need into a bowl. Cover them with cool or tepid water. Let them soak in the water for at least 6 hours. This is something you can prep in the morning or the night before.

• Place the amount of raw cashews you need in a heatproof bowl. In a small pot, bring enough water to cover the cashews to a boil over high heat. Pour the boiling water over the cashews and let them soak in the hot water for about 30 minutes.

Cashew Nut & Lemon Linguine

SERVES 2 | prep 15 mins | cook 30 mins 

For the cashew cream: 

180g (6¼oz) blanched unsalted cashew nuts  3 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest 2 tbsp nutritional yeast 1 tsp fine pink Himalayan salt freshly ground pepper 240ml (8fl oz) soya milk For the vegetables and pasta: 1 tbsp fine pink Himalayan salt 4 fine asparagus spears 2½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil squeeze of lemon juice 2 shallots, finely chopped 130g (4½ oz) frozen green peas 200g (7oz) dried linguine 

1. Add all the cashew cream ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy. Set aside.

2. Bring a deep saucepan of water to the boil and add a pinch of salt. Trim the asparagus, then add it to the pan, upright, and cook for 8 minutes. Drain, place the asparagus into a bowl of cold water with another pinch of salt and let it cool. Once cool, drain, place the spears in a dish and drizzle over a little olive oil and the squeeze of lemon. Set aside to marinate.

3. Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat, add the shallots and cook for 30 seconds. Add the peas and a pinch of salt and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Meanwhile, half-fi ll a deep pot with water, add 1 tbsp salt, then bring the water to the boil. Add the linguine and cook for 10 minutes, until al dente.

5. Add the cashew cream to the peas in the pan along with a splash of water, and cook on a low heat for 3 minutes. Drain the linguine, then add it to the creamy peas and gently mix them together using tongs. Serve with the asparagus. 

PER SERVING: cals 1,072 | protein 45g | carbs 96.7g