Ingredients

1 14.5 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes with green chilis 
1 t fresh jalapeno pepper, more if you like it spicier (jarred is ok in a pinch)
1/4 cup yellow onion chopped
2-3 cloves fresh garlic chopped
1/2 t cumin

Throw all the ingredients in a blender and blend for a few seconds. If you like it thicker, add some tomato paste until desired consistancy is reached.

This is a recipe I made up years ago when I was vegetarian. I made my own ricotta cheese out of tofu, vegan sour cream, nutritional yeast, garlic and lemon. Check out my recipe below and I hope you enjoy it as much as my friends and family did.

Vegan Ricotta Cheese:
 
Ingredients:

1 lb of firm or medium firm tofu
1/2 cup of unsweetened non dairy yogurt (I used So delicious yogurt)
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
2 T nutritional yeast
1 t lemon
2 cloves minced garlic

Put all ingredients in a bowl and smash everything together with a fork until it resembles ricotta cheese. Add more vegan sour cream if necessary.

Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 16 oz bag of vegan cheese
2 T olive oil
2 cans organic crushed tomatoes
1 small can of organic tomato paste
1 onion
3-4 cloves of minced garlic, more if you love garlic, less if you don't
1 16 oz package of mushrooms, sliced
1 large zucchini chopped
a splash of red wine
1 package of lightlifefoods veggie sausage or any other meat substitutes you like
1 16 oz pkg of vegan parmesan cheese
2 16 oz pkg of lasagna noodles (I used the ones you don't have to boil and it turned out really well)

Pre heat oven to 275. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Saute onions until translucent and then add garlic. Continue to saute for a couple of more minutes. Add the splash of red wine (can be skipped if you do not like wine in your sauce). Saute until wine evaporates. Add the chopped mushrooms and zucchini and continue to saute for another 5- 6 minutes or so. Add the crushed tomatoes and blend in. Add the your meat substitute and heat for about 15-20 minutes.

To make lasagna, lay noodles on a large rectangular baking dish. Add 1/2 of the tomato sauce you just made. Add another layer of noodles and top that layer with the homemade ricotta cheese. Add another layer of noodles and top them with the mozzarella cheese. Add one more layer of noodles and top with the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top and cover with tin foil. Bake for about an hour. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes. Enjoy!

I had several ears of corn left after a barbecue we had. I decided to try making corn chowder loosely based and veganized off of this recipe by serious eats!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 quarts vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon whole fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 4 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk of celery chopped
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups diced potato)
• 1 cups plant based milk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:
1) Cut off kernels from corn with a sharp knife. Reserve kernels and cobs separately.
2) Use the back of a knife to scrape corn cobs into a medium saucepan to collect and milk left in the bases of the kernels. Break corn cobs in half and add to saucepan. Add vegetable stock, bay leaf, fennel seed, coriander seed, and whole black peppercorns. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to just below a simmer, and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and discard cobs and spices.
3) While stock infuses, melt vegan butter in a separate 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, celery and corn kernels, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are softened and kernels are tender, about 7 minutes. Add white wine and let burn off. Reduce heat if vegan butter begins to brown. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
4) Stirring constantly, gradually add infused corn stock, letting mixture come to a simmer. Add potato cubes and 1 teaspoon salt. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add plant based milk and stir to combine. 
5) Transfer 1/4 of soup to a blender and blend on high heat until smooth, about 1 minute. Return to pot and whisk to combine. Alternatively, use a hand blender to blend in the pot until desired consistency is reached. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I have not made Rice Krispie treats since becoming vegan. You could substitute vegan marshmallows in a regular Rice Krispie treat recipe but that can be pricey (I found Dandies on Amazon for 6.60 for a 10 oz package) or you can make them like this!

Ingredients:

3 cups Rice Krispies (use gluten free for a gluten free version)
1/4 chopped nuts, I had cashews on hand for the above picture which was good, but feel free to use peanuts or whatever other nuts you like
1/4 cup vegan chocolate
1/4 cup peanut butter

Topping
1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Prepare an 8 x 8 pan by putting parchment paper in it. Mix rice krispies and chopped nuts together in a bowl. Melt the vegan chocolate and peanut butter in a pan until well mixed and melted. Add this mix to the bowl of rice krispies and mix well. Put in the prepared pan and freeze about 30 minutes or so. Meanwhile, melt the 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. You can also use melted vegan white chips or make a glaze with powdered sugar and vegan milk as a topping also. Use your imagination!

Ingredients for cake:

1 T vanilla extract
3.5 cups flour
1 T baking powder
1 cup vegan margarine (softened)
1 t salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup cashew milk (or whatever other vegan milk you have on hand)
1 cup silken tofu or regular tofu but if you use regular tofu, you will have to add 1/2 cup of the liquid it's in
1 cup vegan butter
​
Method:
 Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare two 8 in. round aluminum pans or 1 large cake pan with parchment paper and vegetable pan spray. Puree silken tofu in food processor or blender. 
In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In large bowl, beat vegan buttery spread and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add pureed tofu and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture alternately with almond milk, beating well after each addition. Continue beating one minute. Divide evenly into prepared pans if using two or put entire mix in the large cake pan; smooth tops. 
Bake 70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes on cooling grid; remove from pan and remove parchment paper from bottoms of cakes. Cool completely before filling and icing.

Buttercream frosting

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup shortening 
1/2 cup vegan margerine
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 T cashew milk (or whatever you have on hand

Method:

​Cream together the shortening and margarine. Add the sugar and mix. Add the vanilla extract and the cashew milk.

Ingredients

2 packages of Pillsbury crescent rolls
2 packages of vegan cream cheese
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
6 T ranch spices - I use the Penzeys ranch spice
2-4 cloves garlic pressed
Use what ever veggies you like chopped small. I used about 5 cups of broccoli, cauliflower, yellow peppers, carrots and tomatoes. You can use more or less veggies of your choice.

Method:
Roll the crescent rolls out on a cookie sheet and pinch edges together to form a pizza like crust. Bake according to instructions. Let cool completely. Meanwhile, mix the vegan mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, garlic and ranch spices together in a bowl. Top the pizza crust with the ranch mixture and veggies, slice in squares and enjoy!

Surprisingly, I never tried Little Debbie cookies. I wasn't a huge fan of oatmeal or oatmeal cookies growing up and by the time I grew up and expanded my food interests, I was already vegan. Despite never trying them,  I can tell you that these cookies are better because they are amazing. The cookies are soft and spiced perfectly, with the best sweet center. Give them a try yourself!

**This recipe is a variation of My Baking Addiction's recipe, but veganized!

My husband accidentally purchased two heads of cauliflower so I had to figure out what to do with the extra one. Below is what I came up with for a family get together where even the non vegans liked it!

1 head of cauliflower chopped into bite sized pieces
1 T fresh chopped ginger
3-4 cloves of garlic chopped or pressed
1/3 cup of SAN-J Gluten Free asian dressing - Tamari Sesame
1-2 t siracha
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy)
1/4 cup warm water

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix everything together well except the cauliflower. Coat the cauliflower well with the mix. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until cauliflower is soft. Enjoy!

Our wedding was intimate and perfect. We didn't want it especially generic or traditional, but we also didn't shy away from customary wedding plans. And most importantly, we made sure it was vegan. From the groomsmen's suits and ties to the wedding dress to all the food, we made sure everything was vegan. On top of that, we wanted to make sure, as much as we could, that everything was thoughtfully purchased and booked. We made our own signs which were at various locations at the reception, I included succulents in my bouquet so I could repot them afterward, I got my wedding dress from a non-profit whose proceeds support families fighting cancer, and we got our rings from an antique store (and my Grandmother's wedding ring). It ended up being better than I could have ever expected. For more information on vendors, scroll to the bottom of the post.