Maddie – Page 6 – The Jewish Vegan

Vegan Summer Salads: Watermelon Kale Salad

Summer is coming to a close soon (I can feel it getting cooler at night!), and I’m really trying to find ways to use up my favorite summer produce before I can’t find it anymore in the grocery stores. I’ve written about my love of watermelon before, especially how refreshing it is in the summer, and this salad is no different. I’ve never been one for salads before, but kale is honestly really making me come around. And of course, it’s hard to not love a salad filled with watermelon (and feta!).

I actually was trying to think of some way to use up the rest of my watermelon after making some delicious sweet recipes with it. Using watermelon in a more savory dish was not the most intuitive thing to me because watermelon really screams sweet to me. But the sweetness of the watermelon really complements the saltiness of the olives and feta, and the textures of the different ingredients of this dish go very well together.

I decided to use Violife Feta (which is certified kosher) in this recipe, but you can use another vegan brand or make your own at home.

You can also find the instructions for a very simple balsamic dressing in the recipe below – feel free to find ways to infuse it with other flavors or use a store-bought balsamic if you have one you like!

Lastly, if you pick up a whole watermelon for this recipe and don’t end up using the whole thing, check out my Watermelon Ice Cream Bars recipe or my Watermelon Slushies recipe for ways to use the rest of your melon.

If you’re trying to find a unique way to use your watermelon or you just love watermelon like me, give this Watermelon Salad a try! I would love the hear what you think of the recipe and if you made any changes to it. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

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Vegan Watermelon Kale Summer Salad

This refreshing summer salad features watermelon and vegan feta cheese, as well as a simple balsamic vinegar dressing. As a gluten free dish, it can be the feature of your outdoor gathering or a side dish you bring along to impress your friends.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Main Course, Salad

Keyword: easy vegan dinner, easy vegan meals, easy vegan recipe, meals in 10 minutes, summertime vegan meals, vegan salad, vegan summer, watermelon recipes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

½ cup slivered almonds raw, unsalted
1 tbsp spiralized mint leaves plus extra for garnish
¼ watermelon approximately 2 cups, cut into ½ in to 1 in cubes
8 cups kale removed from the stems
½ package Violife feta
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and add the almonds. Toast for 7-8 minutes, being sure to watch carefully for the last 2 minutes or so to ensure it doesn't burn. Remove from the oven and let cool as you finish preparing the rest of the meal.
Cube the watermelon, prepare the kale, break apart the feta, and spiralize the mint leaves. To spiralize the mint leaves, roll a mint leave up tightly on its' shortest edge and then slice through the roll to create spirals.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the balsamic and olive oil to create the dressing.
Mix all of the ingredients together!

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Easy Vegan Cashew Pesto with Gnocchi

I’ve been thinking above making from scratch some of the pre-made products I usually buy at the grocery store – both as a way to have a little more control over what I’m eating and also as a way to practice more recipes! That’s what inspired me to give making a homemade vegan pesto a try (plus, I just really love pesto!).

I usually buy the Trader Joe’s Kale, Cashew, & Basil Pesto to use with a bunch of different dishes. While I do love this pesto, normally I spice it up a bit by adding lemon juice, salt, and pepper (and sometimes other things depending on the dish). It’s also obviously a little easier to use a pre-packaged pesto – just scoop it out of the package and add it to your dish.

So, definitely give the Trader Joe’s pesto a try if you’re looking for the easiest option (and it’s available to you!). But if you want a homemade pesto that’s also pretty easy to make, this pesto is for you! Besides roasting the garlic, the only other step is throwing everything into the blender and blending it all up!

If you’d like to serve your gnocchi or pasta with roasted grape or cherry tomatoes, it’s very easy to do. Cut the tomatoes in half, drizzle them with olive oil, and add a dash of salt and pepper. Then, roast them in the oven for 20-25 minutes on 400 degrees F.

I also highly recommend making some vegan parmesan to sprinkle on top of your dish. It’s very easy to make as well and takes just 5 minutes pulsing all of the ingredients in a food processor until fine and crumbly:

1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1.5 tsp salt
.25 tsp garlic powder

You can store the parmesan in an airtight container in the fridge for two weeks. One note is that it’s very important for your food processor to be fully dry before you add your ingredients, or your parmesan will turn to mush instead of a fine crumble texture.

Lastly, you can use this pesto with many different recipes. I’ve used it here with Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi (which makes this recipe completely gluten free), but you could do any kind of pasta you like. You can also stray from pasta entirely and use it on sandwiches, paninis, melts, pizza, on vegetables, and more. Get creative with it! The recipe makes enough for about four servings of pasta, so keep that in mind when determining how much you might need.

If you’d like to try making your own pesto at home, this recipe is for you! I would love the hear how this pesto turns out for you and how you end up using it. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

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Homemade Vegan Pesto with Gnocchi

This homemade vegan pesto is easy to make and is made in the blender. With a slight cheesy taste from nutritional yeast, this vegan and gluten-free sauce is perfect for gnocchi (or whatever pasta you're craving)!

Prep Time25

Additional Cook Time for Gnocchi20

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Keyword: easy vegan dinner, easy vegan recipe, gluten free, gluten free vegan, gluten free vegan recipe, kosher recipe, vegan pesto recipe

Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

blender

Ingredients

20 grape tomatoes roasted, see above for instructions
1 bag frozen Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi or your favorite gnocchi
2 cloves garlic
½ cup cashews raw, unsalted
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tbsp nutritional yeast
3½ cups kale leaves stems removed
salt & pepper to taste
vegan parmesan optional as garnish, see above for recipe

Instructions

If you are planning to use the grape tomatoes with this dish, follow the instructions above and set the tomatoes aside when done.
If you are using the Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi, preheat the oven to 400°F and place the gnocchi on a parchment paper lined tray in a single layer. Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway.
While the gnocchi is in the oven, place the cloves of garlic in tin foil or on a small baking pan and drizzle with oil. Roast for 20 minutes.
After the garlic is done, put all of the ingredients (cashews, olive oil, roasted garlic, parsley, kale, and lemon juice) in the blender and blend until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides or stir the mixture to ensure it is evenly blended and smooth.
Taste the pesto and add salt and pepper to taste.
Mix the pesto with the gnocchi and serve warm with the tomatoes and sprinkled with vegan parmesan.

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Easy Recipes For Your Repertoire: Roasted Cherries & Toasted Almonds

It has gotten noticeably cooler here (and by “noticeably cooler,” I mean “not scorching hot”). While I would normally be jumping for joy at the first signs of cooler weather and the return of fall, I’m actually pretty bummed because this was one of the first years that I started to take advantage of the range of fresh fruit that’s available during the summer. I incorporated watermelon, mango, cherries, pears, and more fruit into recipes and meals this summer, and the loss of the fresh fruit is feeling like a real bummer.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to work with as many fresh fruits as possible, even if it’s just in small ways. Fruits can be added as really great accents to other recipes and main dishes. Oftentimes, you don’t even have to do anything fancy to them to make a really wonderful and impressive looking dish. Hopefully, this easy roasted cherries recipe can inspire your own creativity in making dishes that complement the fresh cherries you can find as the summer comes to an end!

This recipe is really quite simple: remove the pits from the cherries (I pulled mine out after cutting them in half) and quarter them, mix the pieces with lime juice and agave, and then roast for 15 minutes. The lime juice is really helpful in pulling out even more sweetness from these cherries, so I would definitely recommend including it.

I’ve also included a recipe for toasting almonds because 1) they pair really well with roasted cherries both in flavor and texture, and 2) they smell AMAZING. I honestly think toasted almonds are one of my favorite smells now. Seriously, toasting almonds is worth it for the smell alone. Anyways, you’ll want to be careful when toasting the almonds in the oven, as most nuts go from toasting to burning very easily. You’ll want to keep a careful eye on them during the last few minutes of toasting to ensure they aren’t burning.

I paired my almonds and cherries with Oatly vanilla ice cream, which I have to say is one of the best vanilla ice creams I’ve ever had. There are lots of things you could do with these, however:

use different flavors of ice cream
add the cherries to a smoothie or milkshake
pour over cakes or sweet breads
eat with hot oatmeal, overnight oats, or chia pudding
mix with yogurt
and so many more options

Get creative and find what works for you! You can add this recipe to your repertoire and use it whenever you have a craving for cherries or another recipe needs a little something extra. I would love the hear how you use this roasted cherries and toasted almonds recipe, and what changes you make to it to make it your own. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

roasted cherries, toasted almonds, and ice cream

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Roasted Cherries with Toasted Almonds

This easy way to prepare cherries really highlights their sweetness and can be paired with a variety of other vegan options for breakfast or dessert, such as cakes, ice creams, yogurts, oatmeal, and more! Throw on some toasted almonds to add a bit of crunch and their subtle flavor.

Prep Time8

Cook Time15

Total Time22

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy vegan baking, easy vegan recipe, roasted fruit recipes

Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

½ cup almonds slivered
1¾ cups cherries pitted and quartered
½ tbsp lime juice
1½ tbsp agave nectar

Instructions

Toast the almonds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in the oven on 350°F for 7-8mins. For the last 2 minutes, be sure to watch closely, as nuts in the oven go quickly from toasting to burning!
While the almonds are toasting, quarter your cherries and mix them with the lime juice and agave nectar. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Once the almonds are done, place the cherries in the oven on 425°F and roast for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve over your favorite desserts or breakfast items.

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Taco Tuesday: Vegan Cabbage Tacos with Beans Your Way

Taco night may be the best night of the week – and not only because tacos are absolutely delicious. What I love even more than how delicious tacos are, is how tacos are so easy to customize and add in the flavors you’re craving on the night you’re having them. Or, in the case of these tacos, you can use up the leftover ingredients from other recipes!

These tacos feature red cabbage because I bought a head of red cabbage over two weeks ago and STILL hadn’t used all of it. My partner & I have been working on ways to lower our food waste, so I have been striving to really use every bit of the fresh vegetables we get every week. With just a bit of it left, I knew it would make the perfect ingredient in my taco night. By adding a bit of lime juice and a dash of salt, I was able to bring out the sweetness of the cabbage in a great way that added something different to these tacos. It also added a really nice color!

The beans featured here are a staple in my house – we use them for lots of different recipes and swap in and out ingredients as needed for the specific flavor profile we’re going for. I’ve used smoked paprika and lime juice here as a complement to the cabbage. You can use other ingredients you have in your kitchen, and feel free to play with the spices to find a unique flavor that you love.

Lastly, go wild with the toppings. Whatever you have in the fridge and in your kitchen, go for it. Some ideas might include:

minced red onion
taco shells, hard or soft (or eat this in a bowl!)
tortilla chips
diced tomato
cilantro
avocado
vegan cheese
vegan sour cream
hot sauces
jalapeño slices
sauteed peppers and onions or mushrooms
cilantro lime rice, or Spanish quinoa
cheese sauce
& so many other options!

I’m really interested in how other folks are thinking about food waste, and what you are doing to combat it in your own homes. I would also love the hear how this recipe turns out for you and how you made it your own. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

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Cabbage Tacos with Beans

Top these easy to make cabbage and bean tacos with your favorite veggies, sauces, and sides for a fun meal for the whole family!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Keyword: cabbage tacos, easy vegan meals, easy vegan recipe, meals in under 30 minutes, taco tuesday, vegan tacos

Servings: 8 tacos

Ingredients

Cabbage

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups red cabbage sliced into small pieces
1 tbsp lime juice
salt & pepper to taste
smoked paprika to taste

Beans

1 can black beans
1 tomato chopped
1 yellow or white onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp minced cilantro
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp lime juice
salt & pepper to taste
any additional vegetables corn, spinach, peas, etc.

Optional Ingredients

red onion minced
hard or soft taco shells
tomato diced
cilantro
avocado
vegan cheese
other toppings as desired

Instructions

To Make Cabbage

Heat the oil over medium heat in a pan. Add the cabbage and sauté for about 4-5 minutes until it starts to get softer. Add the lime juice and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Then season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to taste.

To Make Beans

Add all of the ingredients into a pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Lower to medium-low and let simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the onions become translucent. Adjust seasonings to taste.

To Make Tacos

Add all of your ingredients to your tacos shells as desired! You may want to double up on your soft shells so that it all doesn't leak through. Enjoy!

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Meals in Under 10 Minutes: Vegan Egg-Less Salad

I was never a big fan of chicken eggs, even before I went vegan. I didn’t like their consistency or how they tasted at all – I always avoided dishes that featured them prominently for the most part. In all honesty, eggs were one of the easiest things for me to stop eating when I went vegan because I didn’t really eat them very much (other than eggs that were already in products).

I never really craved eggs after going vegan either, but I did start to crave vegan alternatives to egg dishes. For example, I absolutely love tofu scrambles now (even though I hated eating scrambled eggs as a kid). I also really like Just Egg as a scramble and as an “egg” in dishes like ramen bowls or fried rice. Eating these dishes made me start thinking about the other vegan “egg” dishes I could create, so I decided to give egg-less salad a try!

This egg-less salad is so easy to make – it’s ready in about 10 minutes. The most complicated part is chopping up the tofu – you want to chop it so it resembles the variable shapes and sizes of the egg whites in non-vegan egg salad. You can do this by first turning the tofu in its side and cutting it in half the long way. Then turn it on its back (the biggest face of the tofu) and slice it along the long edge about 1/4 to 1/2 inch apart. Lastly, you’ll roughly chop it to the desired shapes and sizes, but it should be relatively small.

After chopping the tofu, the rest of the recipe is really just adding all of the other ingredients. The celery and red onion are optional, but they add a bit of a contrasting texture to the rest of the salad that I think is really nice (plus some more veggies!). The most crucial aspect of this dish is the black salt.

You can learn more about black salt here, but it’s important to note that it also goes by Indian black salt or Kala namak and it is used widely in dishes in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and other parts of Southern Asia. It’s become popular in vegan cooking because it has a sulfuric taste to it that tastes (and smells) like egg! This ingredient is really important in this recipe to making this egg-less salad taste like egg.

You can adjust the amount of black salt to alter the egginess of the recipe. I would check the egginess first before adding any additional salt, as both the pickle juice and black salt will add salt flavor to the dish.

One last note – this recipe is gluten free! Just be sure to pair it with a gluten-free bread or wrap, or add it to the top of a salad to complete your meal. I would love the hear how this recipe turned out for you or any changes you made to make it your own. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

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Vegan Egg-less Salad

This creamy vegan egg-less salad features tofu and black salt, which give it the dish's "egg-y" texture, flavor, and smell! While this dish tastes super delicious, it takes almost no time to make.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Main Course, Salad

Keyword: easy vegan meals, meals in 10 minutes, quick vegan meals, vegan egg salad, vegan salad

Servings: 3 servings

Ingredients

1 block extra firm tofu
1½ tbsp dill roughly chopped
¾ tsp black salt
1 tsp dijon mustard
5 tbsp vegan mayo
1 stick celery, large finely chopped
1½ tbsp pickle juice or sub lemon juice
2 tbsp red onion minced
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Remove the tofu block from the package and squeeze over the sink between your hands. Press firmly to release as much water as you can without mashing the tofu. Alternatively, you can press it for longer using a tofu press (but I usually skip it with this recipe because it isn't necessary and it makes the recipe faster).
Place the tofu block on its side and cut in half. Then place it on its "face" (the largest rectangle) and chop from one end, cutting through every ¼ to ½ inch or so. Lastly, roughly chop the tofu at all angles to create variable sized and shape pieces (like you might find in a non-vegan egg salad from the egg whites). Move to a mixing bowl.
Add all of the other ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Taste before adding any additional salt, as the pickle juice and black salt are both salty. If the egg-less salad isn't "eggy" enough, try adding a bit more of the black salt before adding plain salt.
Serve cold on sandwiches, in wraps, on beds of lettuce, or however floats your boat!

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Easy Orange Glaze Sauce over the Crispiest Tofu

I’m taking an online vegan baking class right now that is really getting my creative juices flowing. I’m getting to try all different kinds of recipes that I otherwise would never have thought to try, and I’m learning all new kinds of techniques and knowledge I hadn’t known before. One unexpected side effect of taking this class is that it is getting me to think about flavors in new ways.

Before taking this class, I had a pretty regular repertoire of meals and ingredients I would use. But for this class, I have to use different ingredients and I have to use them in new ways. This is really helping me think outside the box – not only in my baking, but in all of my meals. So, when I was thinking about my crispy tofu recipe, I wanted to try working with a flavor I rarely work with in the kitchen – orange!

Of all the citrus fruits, I work most often with lemon and lime (in fact, there’s rarely a non-baking recipe I don’t use them in). And while all three are acidic by nature, they definitely taste differently. Oranges, versus limes and lemons, tend to be much sweeter more sweet than tart when compared to a lemon or lime. Even different kinds of oranges can taste differently (think of eating a blood orange versus a mandarin orange). For this recipe, I picked up just some run-of-the-mill oranges that my local grocery store was carrying, but you could try out different oranges to see their different flavor profiles.

I used many of the same ingredients as my General Tso’s tofu recipe, but I opted for fresh ginger this time. Overall, this recipe is very easy to make – it really just involves heating up the ingredients on the stove and whisking in the cornstarch evenly. Adding a bit of the cornstarch at a time is pretty important, otherwise you’ll get clumps of cornstarch in your sauce that’s hard to get out even with a whisk.

You’ll also want to make sure to start the crispy tofu before the sauce, as well as any grains you’d like to have with the tofu (such as ramen or rice). I recommend adding some toppings, like green onion and/or sesame seeds. And if you’re gluten free, be sure to substitute the soy sauce for liquid coconut aminos.

The orange flavor really comes through in this sauce, especially after it’s been tossed onto the tofu. I would love the hear what you think of this recipe and what changes you made to it to make it your own. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

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Orange Glazed Tofu

This easy meal really shines with the flavor of fresh squeezed oranges combined with crunchy tofu. Served with your favorite grains (like ramen or rice) and sides, this orange glazed tofu is sure to be a hit.

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Main Course

Keyword: crispy tofu, easy vegan dinner, easy vegan meals, easy vegan recipe, tofu, vegan tofu recipes

Servings: 2 servings

Equipment

whisk
sieve/strainer

Ingredients

Orange Glaze Sauce

½ cup orange juice
½ tbsp fresh ginger finely minced
1 clove garlic finely minced
1 tbsp soy sauce sub liquid coconut aminos if gluten free
1 tsp rice vinegar
½ tbsp maple syrup or light agave nectar
1 tbsp cornstarch

Other Ingredients

1 batch crispy tofu*
other toppings sesame seeds, green onions, purple cabbage, etc.
grains or other sides

Instructions

Make the crispy tofu and set aside. Make any sides or other grains you'd like to serve the tofu over, such as ramen or rice.
Place the liquids in a sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, add the garlic and ginger and cook, simmering, for about 2 minutes.
Sift the cornstarch in, as small amount at a time, whisking as it is added. Whisk until it is evenly incorporated.
Let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Add it to the tofu while it is still warm, and serve. Sprinkle sesame seeds and/or green onions on top!

Notes

*You can find the crispy tofu recipe here.

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Summer Treats: Veganized Watermelon Ice Cream Bars

The recipe in this post is based on a recipe on the Watermelon Ice Cream Bars recipe from Watermelon.org. I veganized the recipe and have posted the instructions and ingredients for making the vegan version of that recipe in this post. The idea for the recipe, however, is attributed to Watermelon.org.

Watermelon is one of the greatest fruits of summer, in my humble opinion. According to Healthline.com, watermelon is made up of 91% water – it doesn’t get much more refreshing and hydrating than that on a summer day! When I saw the ripe watermelons in my grocery store, I knew I wanted to start incorporating them into some recipes and I was inspired by the folks over at Watermelon.org to do so.

If you’ve been following me on Instagram or reading these blog posts, you know that I love a sweet treat, so the Watermelon Ice Cream Bar recipe immediately caught my eye. And luckily, with just a few substitutions and some vegan magic, it wasn’t too hard to veganize the recipe!

The biggest change is that you will need an egg substitute: I recommend aquafaba in this case. You can whip the aquafaba up just like you would the eggs with a hand or stand mixer. You’ll do something similar with the can of coconut milk. One other thing to be aware of: the curd will get much thicker as it cools in the fridge, so it’s okay if it isn’t super thick in the pan.

I also had a hard (read: impossible) time finding watermelon juice in the grocery store, so I ended up blending my own using fresh watermelon. This is actually really easy to do. Just add chunks of watermelon to your blender and blend until it gets to be a juice consistency. You can strain your juice to ensure no seeds get into the finished product at the end. Any leftover juice can be used in smoothies, other recipes, or you can straight up drink it as juice!

Some things to watch out for: when buying graham crackers, you’ll want to check for honey on the ingredients list if you avoid it. Many brands available in the grocery store are not vegan because of this, but the Nabisco brand does not have honey added in. The other thing to note is that these bars do need to freeze for a while – so if you’re planning to make them for a party, you’ll want to prepare them at least the day before. They will keep in the freezer for a quite a while (at least a week).

Lastly, I highly recommend garnishing these with fresh mint leaves. They add a really nice pop of color and a wonderful flavor and texture contrast with the sweet ice cream bars.

Overall, veganizing this recipe from Watermelon.org was a lot of fun and turned out absolutely delicious. My partner and I ate all of these bars pretty quickly – they were such a refreshing treat, especially during this intensely part of summer. I would love the hear how this veganized recipe works out for you or any changes you make to it. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

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Vegan Watermelon Ice Cream Bars

Veganized from Watermelon.org's Watermelon Bars, these smooth and creamy bars are the perfect treat on a hot day. Sweet with a bit of tart from lime juice, these bars will having you reaching for seconds for sure.

Prep Time30

Cooling/Freezing time6

Total Time6 30

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: vegan dessert, vegan summer, watermelon recipes

Servings: 9 bars

Equipment

blender
hand mixer or stand mixer
food processor (optional, but helpful)

Ingredients

Watermelon Curd

¾ cup watermelon juice
2 tbsp lime juice
½ cup light agave nectar or maple syrup
pinch of salt
6 tbsp aquafaba
⅛ tsp cream of tartar optional
½ cup vegan butter cut into small cubes (I used Earth Balance)
2 tbsp cornstarch

Whipped Cream

1 cup canned coconut milk
½ tsp cornstarch
¼ tsp cream of tartar

Crust

8 graham crackers crushed
2 tbsp light agave nectar or maple syrup
4 tbsp vegan butter melted and cooled
pinch of salt

Garnish

mint leaves optional

Instructions

Whip the aquafaba with the cream of tartar until fluffy using a hand or stand mixer. When you pull away the "beaters" the aquafaba on the beaters should form stiff peaks when you flip it over(like you're looking at a "v"). If it doesn't maintain the "v" shape, you'll need to continue whipping it.
Once the aquafaba is fully beaten, make the watermelon curd by combining the watermelon juice, lime juice, agave syrup, and salt in a large pot. Combine those ingredients, then fold in the aquafaba. Add a small amount at first to incorporate it into the mixture. Once it's been incorporated, add the rest.
Place the pot over medium heat and cook, adding the cubed butter to it and stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken over time, until it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it through a fine mesh sieve. All the mixture to cool completely in your fridge. While it is cooling, make the crust.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Add the graham crackers to a food processor and pulse until rough crumbs form. Add the agave, salt, and melted butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper, then press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Bake the crust for about 10 minutes, or until it just begins to brown. Allow it to cool completely.
When both the crust and curd are cooled completely, whip the coconut milk with the hand or stand mixer using the cornstarch and cream of tartar. It will get thick and creamy, and less stiff peaks will form than with the aquafaba (basically like a droopy "v").
In the bowl containing the curd, push the curd to one side. Add the whipped coconut milk to the other, and fold the cream and curd together gently with a rubber spatula until the color is even throughout.
Pour the mixture over the graham cracker crust. Place the pan in the freezer and let it freeze completely, 4-6 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, loosen the sides by pulling at the parchment paper gently. The bars should pull away from the side easily (otherwise it's not frozen fully). You can remove the bars from the pan completely before cutting or keep them in the pan and cut 9 bars through to the bottom. Add a mint leaf to the top of each bar and serve frozen!

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Easy Weeknight Meals: Creamy Vegan Kale & Mushroom Pasta

My family’s go-to fancy restaurant growing up was always Olive Garden. This was where we went on special occasions – graduations and birthdays. Creamy pasta dishes are a pretty big staple at Olive Garden (not to mention the bread sticks and salad, but maybe I’ll tackle those in another post). For a long time when I first went vegan, I thought a lot of creamy dishes would be “off-the-menu” forever for me!

But there are lots of vegan alternatives that can make your creamy recipes a reality. My go-to for creamy dishes is usually cashew cream – it’s easy to make and I don’t have to buy any special ingredients (just cashews and water). You can make as much of it as you need for a recipe, too, as the ratio is 2 parts cashews to 1 part water. I generally find that 1/2 cup of cashews is enough for 2 servings of whatever sauce you are making. You can scale up from there!

Then, all you need to do it blend those cashews in a blender! High speed blenders will get you an even creamier consistency (and they will do it much quicker), but less efficient blenders with less sharp blades will work fine as well (honestly, that’s what I’m working with at home right now – my partner’s mom gave us HER old blender, so we’re using a hand-me-down). You can flavor the cashew cream with whatever you’d like – spicy, sweet, savory, cheesy, the sky’s the limit.

In the recipe, I’ve made a creamy, slightly cheesy, sauce that pairs perfectly with the sauteed kale and mushrooms. The entire recipe can be pulled together in under 25 minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight or a busy weekend. And there are no special ingredients needed – you’ll likely have everything you need already in your pantry or on your spice shelf. It also doesn’t even require any chopping – you can just tear the kale off the stems and cook the mushrooms as they come.

I used Rigatoni in this recipe because I like to try using different kinds of pasta shapes, but you can use whatever kind of pasta you’d like. Spaghetti or Angel Hair pasta would probably work very well, too. And don’t forget: you can substitute gluten-free pasta to make this meal completely gluten free.

This quick and easy Creamy Vegan Kale & Mushroom Pasta uses just one pan and your blender, but really packs a flavorful punch. I would love the hear what you think of this recipe and if you made any changes to it. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

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Creamy Vegan Kale & Mushroom Pasta

This recipe is bound to make you feel like you are out on the town - and yet, it's so easy to make. Creamy from blended cashews and full of flavor from the mushrooms and kale, this pasta dish is sure to delight.

Prep Time15

Cook Time7

Total Time22

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: easy vegan dinner, easy vegan meals, easy vegan recipe, gluten free vegan, meals in under 30 minutes, vegan pasta dishes

Servings: 2 servings

Equipment

blender

Ingredients

Cream Sauce

½ cup cashews raw, unsalted
¼ cup water
1½ tsp olive oil
2 tsp nutritional yeast
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp vegetable broth
salt & pepper to taste

Other Ingredients

2 servings your favorite pasta* I used rigatoni
4 cups kale
1 cup baby bella mushrooms

Instructions

Make your pasta following package instructions. Set aside.
Boil the cashews in water for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, drain the cashews and add them to a blender. Add the ¼ cup of water and start to blend.
Once the cashews have started to get creamy, add the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth & creamy.
In a small sauté pan, add a dash of olive oil or vegetable broth and heat over medium heat. When hot, add the mushrooms.
Sauté for 4-5 minutes, until the mushrooms start to brown and get smaller. Add the kale and cook, covered, for another 2 minutes, or until the kale has begun wilting.
Remove the pan from heat and add the pasta and the sauce. Mix well and serve hot.

Notes

*use a gluten-free pasta to make this dish gluten free!

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Summer Salads: Best Easy Vegan Coleslaw

The prospect of having a big outdoor cookout is pretty slim this year considering my lack of outdoors space (I live in an apartment building) and the global pandemic and all. Despite that, I’ve been taking my normal cookout foods indoors (if you missed my recent oven-“grilled” kebabs post, check it out here). A great addition to any cookout (or at least all of the cookouts I’ve been to and my family has had) is coleslaw!

Now, sometimes I can be a little bit lazy when it comes to chopping – especially when I’m really hungry. I also really enjoy the crunch that comes with cabbage, and that’s on full display in this chunky coleslaw. You can really chop the cabbage as finely or as thickly as you’d like – I went for a variety of sized ranging from over an inch in size to a little less than a half inch.

This salad is really packed full of veggies: two types of cabbage, carrots, celery, and parsley. The cabbage alone is really great for you: according to Eating Well, cabbage packs a real punch when it comes to vitamin K and C and it is anti-inflammatory, among other benefits. Plus, if you buy cabbage, you’ll have cabbage for days – a head of cabbage goes a really long way (just check out my instagram to see how many cabbage posts I made).

The rest of the ingredients are fairly simple: add a little dijon, vegan mayo (I really love Spectrum Organic’s vegan mayo), apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix it all together and you’ve got your coleslaw!

This backyard barbecue favorite is great whether you’re picnicking after a hike, throwing a socially distance cookout in your yard, or hanging out in your living room on the weekend. I would love what you think of this recipe and any changes you made to it. Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

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Best Chunky Vegan Coleslaw

This quick and easy way to make coleslaw is also absolutely delicious. This coleslaw is also packed with veggies and will leave you full and satisfied.

Prep Time15

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy vegan recipe, gluten free vegan, vegan coleslaw, vegan salad

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

4 cups green cabbage
3 cups red cabbage
2 medium carrots peeled and shredded
2 celery sticks chopped small
1½ tbsp chopped parsely
2 tsp dijon mustard
5 tbsp vegan mayo I use Spectrum Organic brand
½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Chop the green cabbage and red cabbage roughly. You can decide how large or small you'd like the pieces to be - I prefer them to be a little chunky.
Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve cold.

Notes

This coleslaw can be stored in a container in the fridge and will last for up to one week.

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Easy Vegan Peanut Butter & Banana Dog Treats

I adopted my dog Charlie four years ago this month, and we have been through so much together these past four years. I have learned a lot about being responsible for another living being, and he’s taken care of me in many ways as well. I’ve gotten to know him really well – his likes, his dislikes, and, of course, his favorite foods. I also have to be careful about what I feed him because he very easily can get an upset stomach! Charlie also VERY easily gets bored of store-bought treats. But one thing he never gets bored of? My homemade treats.

Charlie goes absolutely wild for these peanut butter and banana treats. He drools all over the place and can’t take his eyes off of me (see the picture above)! Luckily, they are so easy to make that I can make them all the time for my boy – particularly when I have an overly ripe banana that needs to be used. These treats take just 15 minutes to make (including baking time!) and use only 3 ingredients you probably already have at home.

One thing to note is that these treats will be hot when they come out of the oven, so you’ll want to make sure they cool completely before feeding them to your dog. If you don’t, you’ll burn your poor pup’s mouth! This recipe makes 16 large dog treats, but you could also make the treats a smaller size (such as half an inch for 32 dog treats) for smaller dogs or if you wanted to use them for training treats. Be sure to reduce the baking time a bit if you reduce the size of the treats!

Are you ready to treat your dog with these peanut butter and banana dog treats? I would love the hear what your dog thinks of these treats! Let me know in the comments or message me at @thejewishvegan on Instagram. And, as always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out. Now, let’s get started!

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Easy Peanut Butter & Banana Vegan Dog Treats

If you want to make your dog a special treat, look no further than this recipe! My dog Charlie goes wild for these, and they are so easy to make! Taking around 15 minutes to make and using just three ingredients, your dog will be enjoying these in no time.

Prep Time6

Cook Time9

Total Time15

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dog treats, easy vegan dog treats, homemade dog treats, vegan dog treats

Servings: 16 large treats

Equipment

food processor or blender

Ingredients

½ cup rolled oats
1 very ripe banana
2 tbsp peanut butter

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor or blender, add the oats and blend or pulse until the oats have turned into more of a flour.
In a mixing bowl, mash the banana using a fork.
Add the peanut butter and oats to the bowl and mix together well. It will turn into a sticky dough.
Using your hands or a spoon, create about one inch round balls and place them on the baking sheet around ½ inch apart. You can create smaller balls if you'd like to make something more like training treats or if you'd just like to have more treats.
When you've used all of the dough, place the tray in the oven and bake for 8-9 minutes.
The treats will be somewhat soft when they come out of the oven. Let them cool on the tray for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before sharing with your pup.

Notes

The treats should be stored in an airtight container. They will last in an airtight container for approximately a week. They can also be frozen and will last longer that way - approximately an additional 2 weeks.

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