vegan kosher recipes – Page 4

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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Summer Favorite: Vegan Kebabs Grilled in the Oven

There are definitely some things about living in an apartment that bum me out. My last apartment was a basement apartment and had approximately two tiny windows, which meant little to no natural light. That was really big bummer for me (and nearly all of my plants died!). So, when I was looking for a new apartment, one of the major requirements was an apartment with lots of natural light.

Luckily, I was able to find one with tons of windows that allows lots of light in (and allows my plants to thrive). But there are still some things that aren’t great about living in an apartment. The biggest thing right now is that I don’t really have any outdoor space of my own. I dream of having a garden where I can grow fresh fruits and vegetables to use in my recipes. I also would love to have a grill for recipes. I always thought some grilled recipes would be just impossible. But I was wrong!

It felt like a summertime ritual for my family to make kebabs when I was growing up. It was a very joyful part of my summer – all of us pitching in to build this meal and then sitting down to eat it together outside. So, I decided to try “grilling” kebabs in my oven to get a little bit of that summertime magic back in my apartment.

“Grilling” in the oven turned out really good! It’s not quite the same as grilling outdoors – you won’t get the char lines, but the veggies and alternative vegan meat turn out crispy and delicious. I used Hodo Foods Curry Nuggets, which were delicious and flavorful and had a great texture for a kebab. These nuggets are gluten free and kosher! You could also use other vegan meat alternatives or something like tempeh or tofu. I would recommend using extra firm tofu if you decide to go that route.

I also decided to use bell peppers, red onion, shitaki mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes as my veggies, but you can get really creative and use other veggies, as long as they will be able to stick through the skewer. Harder vegetables may need more time in the oven though! Some other veggies I might recommend are:

Zucchini
Carrot
Eggplant
White or Yellow Onion

Lastly, when I made these kebabs, I was going for pretty basic so I just used salt, pepper, and smoked paprika and sprinkled all of them over the kebabs. If you wanted to make a sauce, you could do something like BBQ or a simple garlic butter sauce. Get creative and make what’s fun and what sounds delicious to you!

If you live in an apartment (or a house) and don’t have access to a grill, I highly recommend giving this recipe a try! I would love the hear what you think and if you make any changes to this recipe. 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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Oven "Grilled" Vegan Kebabs

Don't have access to an outdoor grill? No problem! This summertime classic - vegan kebabs - turns out just as delicious when cooked in the oven.

Prep Time8

Cook Time20

Total Time28

Course: Main Course

Keyword: easy vegan dinner, easy vegan meals, easy vegan recipe, meals in under 30 minutes, meals with veggies, summertime vegan meals, vegan kebabs

Servings: 8 kebabs

Equipment

skewer sticks

Ingredients

1 package Curry Nuggets Hodo Food Brand (or other vegan meat alternative)
½ red onion chopped into large pieces
1 red pepper chopped into large pieces
1 green pepper chopped into large pieces
1 cup baby bella mushrooms
16 cherry tomatoes yellow or red
1 tbsp olive oil
a dash of salt and pepper or whatever other seasoning you'd like to use

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Ensure all of your veggies are chopped to the appropriate size. You want them to be large enough that they stay on the skewers, but not so large that they cannot be eaten in 1-2 bites.
Add the veggies and vegan meat alternative in whatever pattern you'd like. You can also add the vegetables randomly, but a pattern helps to ensure that you add them somewhat evenly and don't end up with a stick just filled with one vegetable. Repeat for all 8 sticks.
Arrange the sticks on the baking tray.
Lightly brush all of the vegetables with the olive oil so that they are coated on all sides.
Sprinkle the salt and pepper on top of all of the skewers and then add whatever other seasoning you'd like to add.
Place the tray in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 3-4 minutes before digging in!

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Simple Spicy Vegan Mac’n’Cheese

Before jumping into the post, I want to note that Outstanding Foods provided me with the Texas BBQ Pigless Pork Rinds pictured below for free. All of the opinions and ideas on my blog are my own.

When I first went vegan, I ate A LOT of mac’n’cheese. I fell in love with Daiya’s packaged vegan mac’n’cheese – it was so easy to make after a long day of classes and clubs and volunteering and whatever else I happened to be doing. Mac’n’cheese quickly became one of my favorite meals to eat. While I still love Daiya’s mac’n’cheese and I still do eat it on occasion, I started to make my own recipes, especially now that I have more time and a desire to eat more home-cooked food. Thus, this mac’n’cheese recipe was born.

This recipe is super easy (still a must-have for me) and takes less than 45 minutes to make. It uses my nacho cheese sauce recipe combined with your favorite noodles and a fire roasted pepper. I used a jalapeño pepper because I really love spicy food. This added both the spice and some really great flavor. However, if you’d just like to add a bit of pepper flavor, you can substitute a bell pepper of your choice. Choose your favorite bell pepper color because each will add a bit of a different flavor.

The Outstanding Foods Texas BBQ Pigless Pork Rinds on top add a bit of a crispiness, as well as a subtly sweet flavor which really levels up this recipe. In addition to just being delicious, these rinds are packed with protein (7g per bag!), gluten-free, and kosher. This entire recipe is kosher and gluten-free, as long as you use gluten-free noodles. You’ll need two full cups of these rinds to top your mac’n’cheese – so be sure not to eat the whole bag while you’re making your recipe!

I would love the hear what you think of this recipe and any changes you made. 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 Vegan Spicy Mac'n'Cheese

This delicious mac'n'cheese has quite a bit of spice from oven roasted jalapeño and a layer of crunch from vegan prok rinds on top. But don't let how delicious it is fool you into thinking it takes all afternoon to make - this recipe comes together in under 45 minutes.

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy vegan dinner, easy vegan meals, easy vegan recipe, mac'n'cheese, spicy vegan food, vegan mac'n'cheese

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 jalapeño
½ box your favorite noodles
1 serving nacho cheese sauce
2 cups Texas BBQ Pigless Pork Rinds Outstanding Foods brand

Instructions

Fire Roasting Your Jalapeño

Place one of your oven racks in the middle of the oven and one on the top slot. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
When the oven is preheated, place the jalapeño on the top rack of the oven. Let it sit for approximately 25 minutes, rotating with tongs every once in a while as a side gets charred. Be sure to use oven mitts to ensure you don't burn yourself.
When each side has been charred, remove the jalapeño from the oven and wrap in tin foil (or place in an air tight container). Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the skin of the jalapeño to loosen.
Once the jalapeño is removed from the oven, lower the temperature to 350°F.
Use a fork to push off the skin of the jalapeño. When removed fully, chop into small pieces and set aside.

Making the Mac'n'Cheese

Make the nacho cheese sauce. The link to the sauce recipe can be found above. Set aside.
Make your noodles according to the package directions. Set aside.
In a food processor or blender, add the rinds and pulse until most of the rinds are crushed and there are a few bigger pieces (some pieces about a half inch in length should remain). You can also crush the pieces by hand in a bowl using a large spoon, but it will take a bit longer.
Combine the nacho cheese, noodles, and fire roasted jalapeños in a bowl and mix well. Add more salt as needed.
Pour into a baking pan or pie pan and spread evenly through the tray. Sprinkle the mac'n'cheese with the ground up rinds until evenly covering the mixture.
Place the mac'n'cheese in the oven (make sure it is set to 350° as stated in the instructions above) on the middle rack. Let bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5-10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

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Zach’s Tasty & Easy Guacamole

Before jumping into the post, I want to note that Outstanding Foods provided me with the Original Pigless Pork Rinds pictured below for free. All of the opinions and ideas on my blog are my own.

My partner, Zach, and I have always connected over food. In fact, some of my favorite memories of our early relationship involve food: our first date was at our favorite vegan restaurant in Chapel Hill, we made countless stir-frys together for dinner, and we watched Netflix while eating takeout on our apartment couch until late at night. Cooking together, sharing a meal, or exploring a new restaurant or cuisine have all been weaved into the fabric of our relationship.

So, it’s only natural that Zach should have a place in my recipes as well. And y’all, I knew the first recipe had to be his guacamole. Zach has been making this guacamole since before we even dated and has been perfecting it over time since then. I really do think this is the perfect guacamole.

Zach’s guacamole is flavorful and just the right amount of chunkiness to creaminess. It’s also packed with flavor from lime juice, red onion, cilantro, garlic, and smoked paprika. If you like a spicy guacamole, keep the jalapeño in, but feel free to take it out if not. I asked Zach why he mashes all of the ingredients together instead of just the avocado first and then adding the ingredients later: “It’s the lazy way.” It may be the lazy way, but I also think this allows the flavors from the tomato and red onion to really mix in with the avocado fully.

Doing it the “lazy way” also means that this recipe is quick and easy. The places not to be lazy? Don’t skip out on really mincing the red onion and garlic – if you get too big of a chunk in your guacamole it won’t be the most pleasant bite.

Lastly, there are tons of options for dipping into guacamole – tortilla chips are the obvious favorite. You could even try making your own at home! When Zach and I made this guacamole, we didn’t have any tortilla chips at home or the ingredients to make our own, but we did have these Original Flavor Pigless Pork Rinds. And y’all, it was surprisingly really good! The puffiness and crunchiness of the rinds went well with the texture of the guacamole and the flavors paired well too. Also, because the rinds are all curvy, you can get some good chunks of guacamole on them, which is really the most important part, right? A chip is just a dip vessel.

This quick and easy recipe is a must try – it’s the guacamole I’ve been eating for years. I would love the hear what you think of it and if you made any changes. 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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Zach's Tastiest Guacamole

If you're looking for a fresh and flavorful guacamole, this is the recipe for you. Filled with fresh vegetables and a few spices frequently found on your spice rack, the recipe is quick to fix up and sure to please.

Prep Time15

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: easy guacamole, easy vegan dips, easy vegan recipe, gluten free, gluten free vegan, vegan dips, vegan guacamole

Servings: 3 cups (approximately)

Equipment

potato masher (or a fork, but it will be slower)

Ingredients

3 Haas Avocados
1 clove garlic finely minced
⅛ red onion finely minced
¼ beefsteak tomato diced small
1 jalapeño diced small, optional
1½ tsp minced cilantro optional
1-2 tsp lime juice
salt to taste
smoked paprika to taste, optional

Instructions

Prepare all of the fresh ingredients (the avocados, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and cilantro).
Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl and use the potato masher (or a fork), to mash the avocado.
After the avocados are well mashed, mix the ingredients with a spoon to ensure everything is evenly distributed. Taste test to see if any additional ingredients need to be added (such as extra salt, smoked paprika, lime juice, or cilantro, to taste).

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