My mom also loves falafel, so she saved this recipe from her local newspaper. She made it for me when I was home for Easter and it was really great. I’m including the recipe below, because it’s delicious and really easy to make vegan:

My mom made the following changes to the recipe:

• She  lightly fried the onions before adding them to the mixture
• She used gluten-free bread to make the breadcrumbs (she’s gluten-sensitive)
• She used vegan sour cream (Tofutti) instead of the yogurt for the cucumber sauce

The falafel were so good that I was craving them at lunch today. I decided to substitute the breadcrumbs with quinoa for an extra protein boost…

… I also didn’t have any parsley on hand, so I decided to use cilantro (fresh coriander) instead…

… and with that came the idea serving it with an avocado-tahini dressing!

I did a test-run of one of the quinoa falafel balls and found that it crumbled quite a bit during the frying stage. So, I added 2 vegan eggs worth of EnerG egg replacer to the rest of the mixture, and that really helped to keep the patties from falling apart.

These aren’t your typical hard round falafel patties – they’re soft and light…

Serve them straight-up – as an appetizer or a main – or in pita bread sandwich. You could also make the patties bigger to make falafel burgers. Mmm!

5.0 from 6 reviews

Quinoa Falafel with Avocado Tahini Dressing

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Recipe type: Appetiser, Main, Entree

Cuisine: Middle Eastern, Southwest

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 540 mL can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ⅓ cup cooked quinoa
• 2 tbsp cilantro (fresh coriander)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 2 vegan “eggs” (Ener-G Egg Replacer)

Avocado Tahini Dressing

• 1 ripe avocado
• ¼ c tahini
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice (about ½ lime)
• 2 tbsp cilantro (fresh coriander)
• ½ cup water

Instructions

1. Blend all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. Set aside.
2. Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor until no more whole chickpeas remain.
3. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium heat and fry the onions and garlic until soft.
4. Combine chickpeas, onion mixture, quinoa, cilantro, cumin, salt, pepper, and vegan “egg” mixture.
5. Form the mixture into 12 balls, and flatten them slightly.
6. Heat a couple tablespoons vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add the falafel patties and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned.
7. Serve with dressing, either straight-up, or in pita bread with lettuce, tomato, etc.

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This is a pretty basic recipe. The next time I make it, I will try to make it into a one-pot-meal, but as it is now, it’s still an easy recipe that is suitable as a weeknight meal.

This isn’t very spicy, so if you like things spicy, you’ll want to toss in some Sriracha sauce.

While you can certainly make your own red curry paste, this brand is widely available and works well:

It’s vegan and gluten-free, and the best part is that the ingredients list is very straight-forward: Red Chili, Garlic, Lemongrass, Galangal (Thai Ginger), Salt, Onion, Kaffir Lime, Coriander, Pepper.

I used a mix of onions, carrots, red bell pepper (capsicum), and broccoli. But really, any colorful veggies would work, including Asian eggplant, butternut squash/pumpkin, snow peas, etc…

Updates

April 8, 2013 – I just made this again tonight and realized that my liquid measurements were way off! This dish is not meant to be a traditional curry, so it should be a 1/2 cup of broth/water, not 1+1/3 cup. I’m updating the recipe below – thanks to everyone who commented on the “soupy” texture! Also, I increased the brown sugar to 2 tbsp – that really brings out the flavor of the coconut milk.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Quick & Easy Red Curry Quinoa

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

This Thai red curry quinoa dish can be made in less than 20 minutes! Vegan / Gluten-Free / Nut-Free

Author: Angela @ Vegangela.com

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Thai

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 (400ml) can coconut milk
• ½ cup vegetable broth (or water)
• 1.5 tbsp vegan red curry paste
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce (if you like things hot)
• 1 tsp coconut or vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 cups colorful veggies (onions, carrots, red bell pepper, brocolli, etc)

Garnish

• Fresh basil and/or cilantro (coriander)

Instructions

1. Mix quinoa, coconut milk, vegetable broth, red curry paste, brown sugar, and Sriracha sauce (if using) in a medium saucepan and bring to boil. Lower heat to lowest setting, cover saucepan and simmer until quinoa is ready, about 15 minutes.
2. While quinoa is cooking, heat oil over medium heat and stir-fry the garlic and veggies.
3. Mix veggies with quinoa and serve, garnished with fresh basil/cilantro.

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What better way to celebrate the end of winter than with a bright and fresh salad? To be perfectly honest, I actually made this recipe a couple months ago, but found the photos on my phone this week and decided that it was about time I blog about it. The recipe comes from Bon Appetit magazine, but I promise that I’ll have an original recipe to share with you all next week!

Notes

• You should be able to find black rice at the grocery store or good health food store. Here in Toronto, I found it at Bulk Barn.
• While I love this salad, I find that the original recipe yields too much for our household of two. I’ve therefore halved the recipe, below.
• The original recipe was vegan except for the fish sauce. I left it out completely, but if you’re up for it, you can make some vegan fish sauce. I bet it adds great complexity, but I don’t think it’s necessary.
• I doubled the peanuts because I really love their crunch in this salad!
• I used crushed red pepper flakes instead of jalapeno, and served some on the side, along with extra peanuts.
• When I make this again, I’ll probably increase the protein by serving it with some grilled tofu, or just adding some fried tofu cubes into the salad itself.

4.7 from 3 reviews

Black Rice Salad with Mango and Peanuts

 

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This colorful salad screams “summer”, but the ingredients should be easy enough to find year-long. Vegan / Gluten-Free

Recipe type: Salad, Side

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 1 orange
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tablespoon vegan fish sauce (optional)
• 1 cup black rice
• salt
• 1 just-ripe mango, peeled, pitted, cut into ½-inch dice
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• ½ cup finely chopped red onion (about ¼ large onion)
• ½ cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Remove peel and white pith from orange. Working over a medium bowl to catch juices and using a small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release orange segments into bowl. Squeeze membranes over bowl to release any juices. Strain juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl; reserve orange segments.
2. Add lime juice, oil, and vegan fish sauce (if using) to bowl with orange juice; whisk to blend. Set dressing aside.
3. Bring rice and 1¼ cups + 2 tbsp water to a boil in a large saucepan. Season lightly with salt. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 25 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Spread out rice on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with dressing, and season lightly with salt; let cool.
4. Place mango and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add rice and toss gently to combine. Season lightly with salt and more lime juice, if desired.

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The quinoa cooks directly in the oven, so you don’t have to worry about boiling and preparing it first. If you have a stove-top-to-oven dish (like this gorgeous Le Creuset one), then this is a one-pot meal. If you’re working with a limited kitchen (like me), then you’ll have to fry up the onion and garlic in a frying pan before tossing them into to your casserole dish. Either way, this is a super easy dish that I hope you’ll love as much as I did.

I stirred-in canned beans and corn at the 45-minute mark, but felt that the beans were a little tough. I’ve therefore written the recipe so that they’re added after 30 minutes instead, giving them a half-hour to soften up.

When I pulled the casserole out of the oven, I thought that it needed a bit more color, so I tossed a couple handfuls of baby spinach into it. Pretty + healthy for the win!

This is good straight-up, but pretty darn amazing topped with a dollop of vegan sour cream, diced avocado, and fresh cilantro. You could also melt some vegan cheese (such as Daiya) on top. Mmm!

I’m so excited by the prospect of just tossing everything into one pot and letting it cook-up in the oven. My next step will be to reconfigure my Quinoa Chili recipe so that it uses the same technique!

4.9 from 7 reviews

Oven-Baked Mexican Quinoa Casserole

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

70 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

 

Fry up the onion and garlic, then toss everything in a casserole dish and let it cook in the oven for 1 hour. Too easy! Vegan / Gluten-Free / Nut-Free / Low-Carb

Author: Angela @ Vegangela.com

Recipe type: Main, Entree, Side

Cuisine: Mexican / Southwest / Tex-Mex

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup quinoa
• 796 ml (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp chili powder (more if you like things spicy)
• Salt & freshly ground pepper
• 540 ml (19 oz) can black beans, rinced and drained
• 311 g (11 oz) can corn kernels, with liquid
• 3 cups baby spinach
• Toppings of choice: vegan sour cream, avocado, cilantro, vegan cheese, etc.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium frying pan (or stove-top-safe 2.8 liter/3 quart casserole dish). Add onion and garlic, and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; and transfer to oven-safe casserole dish if not already using one.
3. Add quinoa, deced tomatoes (with juice), water, nutritional yeast, tomato paste (or ketchup), and spices. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
4. COVER and place in oven and set timer for 30 minutes.
5. Caferfully remove casserole from oven and stir in drained beans and corn (with liquid). If the mixture looks dry, add a half cup of water.
6. Return to oven WITH LID and set timer for another 30 minutes.
7. Caferfully remove casserole from oven and stir in spinach. It will wilt from the heat.
8. Top with sour cream, diced avocado and/or cilantro and serve.

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My mom made a few desserts that were waiting for me upon my arrival in Ottawa, including homemade apple sauce (my favorite!), Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls and Everyday Healthy Truffles.

Puffed Quinoa Peanut Butter Balls

Everyday Healthy Truffles

These are healthy truffle-type recipes, but for something more dramatic, some Decadent Vegan Truffles would do the trick.

Decadent Vegan Truffles

My mom also made some incredible gluten-free chocolate chip cookies that I’ll be featuring in an upcoming post. Stay tuned for that, but until then, check out the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies that she veganized for me last year. They’re perfect with a big cold glass of almond milk!

Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made the Creamy Cashew Kale & Chickpeas recipe with my mom back in November and she absolutely loved it, so we decided to make it again on the weekend. It’s so nutritious and delicious. We love it!

Creamy Cashew Kale & Chickpeas

My brother and sister-in-law held their annual get-together last night (Christmas Eve). I brought along a double batch of my Basic Hummus that was pumped-up with a couple cloves of roasted garlic. I think it was a big hit because the bowl was empty at the end of the night.

Basic Hummus

My sister-in-law made my Quick and Easy Vegan Cheesecake, only she used lime instead of lemon. It was absolutely delicious and reminiscent of my Raw Key Lime Cheesecake. I was so thankful that she took the time to make something special for me! Funny enough, my mom also made the easy vegan cheesecake for me. I’ll be enjoying it for Christmas dinner, served with a dark cherry sauce. I’m spoiled!

Quick & Easy Vegan Cheesecake

(Almost Raw) Vegan Key Lime Cheesecake

For Christmas dinner tonight, I’m making the Spinach & Lemon Quinoa Bake that I blogged about last week. It’s creamy and nutritious and I think my mom will love it as well. I’m going to eat it with cranberry sauce. Is that weird? Ah, who cares, it’s Christmas!

Spinach & Lemon Quinoa Bake

That’s it for now, I need to get back to the kitchen to help my mom out with everything. Merry Christmas everyone! :)

I looked for sugar scrub recipes online but was worried about their shelf life, so I fell back on this trusty recipe from a couple years back. Bath salts have taken on a whole new meaning lately, but I promise that these will do nothing but induce relaxation and calm :)

I found these cute little jars at the dollar store, but upcycled jam and Mason jars with painted lids would be just as nice.

The addition of a high-quality essential oil is what makes these bath salts especially luxurious. I chose grapefruit oil because of its many benefits including:

• Its aroma – it’s refreshing, uplifting and energizing
• Its antiseptic properties – it’s disinfecting and detoxifying
• Its skin benefits – it’s been known to help with cellulite and stretch marks

Notes

• Do your research and choose a skin-appropriate essential oil.
• I avoid chemical-laden beauty products so I don’t add artificial coloring to my bath salts.
• Beware of naturally-derived dyes, as they could contain animal by-products such as cochineal.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Homemade Bath Salts

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Author: Angela @ Vegangela.com

Recipe type: Bath Salts, Health, Beauty

Ingredients

• 3 cups Epsom Salt
• 2 cups sea salt
• 2 tbsp essential oil
• 1 cup baking soda

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix Epsom salts and sea salts.
2. Add essential oil and mix well to break-up any clumps that have formed.
3. Add baking soda and mix well.
4. Pour into *clean* glass jars.

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The recipe produces 6 cups of bath salts, enough to fill approximately 6 of these small jars.

Fun little gifts for the bath-loving people in your life :)

I decided to load this up with roasted garlic, chives, and nutritional yeast. I used vegan margarine, but a drizzle of olive oil would be really tasty too.

The result is a wonderfully light and flavorful side dish that you wouldn’t feel too bad about if you ended-up eating a whole bowl full. Who me? Never…

I always like to include a couple cloves of roasted garlic in my mashed potatoes (or in this case, mashed cauliflower), but if you don’t have the time, feel free to substitute a fresh clove of garlic.

Roasting Garlic Cloves

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Cut off the end of the garlic cloves to expose the flesh. Place them on a piece of foil and drizzle them with salt and pepper.
3. Wrap the cloves up with the foil and place them on baking pan. Bake them for 1 hour. The cloves should be soft and fragrant.
4. When cooled, pop the cloves from their skins, and mash them up before incorporating them into your dish.

4.8 from 5 reviews

Mashed Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic & Chives

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

This vegan cauliflower mash / cauliflower puree with roasted garlic, chives, and nutritional yeast is so healthy, they won’t feel guilty asking for seconds! Vegan / Gluten-Free

Author: Angela @ Vegangela.com

Recipe type: Side

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 2 big cloves of roasted garlic (or 1 clove raw garlic)
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp vegan margarine
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Chop the head of cauliflower into small florets.
2. Place cauliflower in a large pot and fill with just enough water to cover the florets.
3. Bring the water to boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Steam until tender, about 6 minutes.
4. Drain the cauliflower well.
5. Place the cauliflower in a large bowl, and puree with potato masher or immersion (stick) blender.
6. Mix in remaining ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

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Recipe Notes

• I replaced the cottage cheese and eggs with vegan sour cream and Ener-G egg replacer.
• I left the breadcrumbs out to make it lighter/healthier, and everything still holds together nicely.
• I added lemon zest, which results in such a fresh flavor. Don’t skip this ingredient!
• I added nutritional yeast, but feel free to leave it out if you’re not a fan or don’t own any. It’s not a deal-breaker.
• I used fresh thyme because I happened to have some on hand, and dried rosemary. Fresh herbs are always better, but feel free to use dried if that’s all you have.
• Rather than blanching the spinach first, I just tossed it into the onions and let it wilt from the heat. Why create an extra step when you don’t need to?

Planning Ahead & Serving Tips

• If you’re already preparing quinoa for another meal this week, make an extra cup of it and shave the first step off this recipe!
• This is great served warmed-up, at room temperature, or even out of the fridge (as I’ve been doing all week!)
• This make 4 mains, 8 sides, or 16 mini bites.

4.7 from 3 reviews

Spinach & Lemon Quinoa Bake

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

95 mins

Total time

1 hour 50 mins

 

Served as a main or a side, hot or cold, this baked quinoa casserole is bursting with fresh lemon and herb flavors. Vegan / Gluten-Free

Author: Angela @ Vegangela.com

Recipe type: Main, Side, Starter, Appetizer

Ingredients

• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup quinoa (or 2 cups cooked)
• Olive oil
• 2 tsp vegan Ener-G egg replacer + 4 tbsp water
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 1 pound spinach leaves, picked and washed
• 1 cup Tofutti sour cream (or cashew sour cream or tofu sour cream)
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Instructions

1. Bring broth and quinoa to boil. Lower heat to lowest setting and simmer while covered for about 20 minutes or until it is fluffy and the tiny curls stick out from the seeds.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-by-8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with olive oil.
3. In a large medium mixing bowl, whisk egg replacer and water together. Set aside.
4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium pan. Add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes.
5. Add thyme, rosemary, and red-pepper flakes, and spinach and sauté until just wilted. Remove from heat; transfer to the egg mixture.
6. Add quinoa, sour cream, lemon zest, pepper, and nutritional yeast to the spinach-onion mixture, and stir until well combined.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and place in the oven. Bake for 60 minutes, until set and edges are brown. Let cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living magazine, September 2001

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Now I’ve made raw vegan cheesecake many times. It’s totally amazing and I highly recommend making it when you get the chance. However, as easy as it is to put together, I didn’t have the time for all the soaking and freezing involved. I was also running low on coconut oil and cashews. So instead, I decided to leverage a few grocery store staples and make a quick yet decadent traditional-style cheesecake.

What you’ll need and how to make it

A Keebler Graham Ready Crust – they’re vegan and available at most grocery stores.

2 packages of Tofutti cream cheese, a lemon, some sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.

(Yes, Redpath sugar is vegan!)

Then juice and zest half the lemon…

Blend everything together…

And pour it into the graham crust.

Bake it for 30 minutes, refrigerate it for an hour, and then top it with fresh fruit.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take any photos of the cheesecake when it got sliced-up and served at the party. But the feedback was excellent and like most good vegan desserts, no one could “tell” it was vegan. So there you have it – an easy holiday dessert that will please everyone at the table. Enjoy!

4.8 from 6 reviews

Quick & Easy Vegan Cheesecake

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

This delicious cheesecake will be loved by vegans and non-vegans alike. And it’s so easy to make, the hardest part with be sharing it with others!

Author: Angela @ Vegangela.com

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 Keebler Graham Ready Crust
• 2 8oz containers of tofutti cream cheese
• 1 lemon
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• Topping of choice (fresh fruit, fruit sauce, chocolate sauce, etc)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. From the lemon, prepare 1 tbsp of fresh juice and 1 tsp of lemon zest.
3. Add them to a mixing bowl, along with the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and salt. Blend well.
4. Pour into the graham crust, bake for 30 minutes, and then chill in the fridge for an hour.
5. Decorate with fresh fruit, a fruit sauce, or chocolate sauce.

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I was putting a Christmas gift basket together for my boss this week and I thought it would be nice to include something homemade. These pecans are just the right amount of sweet and spicy, and once packaged up in a cute jar with some holiday trim, they make really easy personal gifts.

Notes

• These aren’t overly sweet.Feel free to add a couple tablespoons of sugar if you want them to be more like candied pecans.
• They also aren’t overly spicy. Again, feel free to add more chili and cayenne if you want a real kick!
• Leftovers would be really good sprinkled on a salad. I don’t suspect they’ll stick around long enough for that in this house!

Maple Spiced Pecans

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Serves: 4 cups

Ingredients

• 4 cups raw pecans
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ginger
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• ⅛ tsp allspice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
3. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine.
4. Spread pecans in a single layer on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
6. Remove baking tray from oven and spread the nuts onto a large plate in a single layer, ideally not touching each other.
7. Place plate in the fridge for 10 minutes (this cools the nuts and makes them extra crispy).
8. The pecans can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container up one week.

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