Easy Vegan Japchae

This Vegan Vampires edition of the Korean dish, Japchae, likely has more vegetables per bite, but it is just as good.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces sweet potato noodles
• 2 carrots, cut to matchstick size
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon canola oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil for the noodles. While the water heats/noodles cook according to package instructions, prepare the vegetables. 
2. Drain cooked noodles and rinse in cold water. Let drain. Cut with kitchen sheers, and mix in a bowl with 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil. Set aside. 
3. Bring a pot of water to boil for the spinach, and heat a large frying pan. Add spinach to boiling water for 3 minutes, drain, rinse in cold water, and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside. 
4. Add onion, carrots, garlic powder, and canola oil to frying pan on medium heat. Cook 5-7 minutes or until onion starts to show some color. Add green onion and mushrooms, cook another 2-3 minutes. 
5. Mix in noodles, spinach, and sesame seeds.

Estimated time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 side servings

Vegan Roasted Chickpea Tacos

Your mortal human guests won't even notice you left off the cheese. These tacos are stuffed with roasted vegetables for loads of fiber, protein, and vitamin k.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked chickpeas (2 cans drained)
• 1 10.5 ounce bag of frozen broccoli florets (let thaw a few minutes and cut larger florets into smaller pieces)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1.5 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or 1 teaspoon paprika + 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• dash of salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (save for last)
• For toppings: chopped spinach, salsa

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, stir chickpeas, broccoli, pepper, onion, soy sauce, and olive oil together until evenly coated. 
2. Add spices and stir until spices are evenly distributed. 
3. Pour into baking tray and bake 20 minutes. Stir/flip and bake another 15 minutes. The broccoli should be slightly charred on the edges. Drizzle with lemon juice, stir, and serve. Top with chopped spinach and salsa. 

Time estimation: 60 minutes

Servings: About 12 hardshell tacos, these can also be served in a flour tortilla or romaine lettuce leaf for a taco boat

This is tweaked from Thug Kitchen to increase the protein and flavor per bite but with significantly less oil.

Roasted Tomato Soup

When the head of our coven used to make this, it was often from a can mixed with water: it was not a favorite. This soup is flavorful and satisfying with a fraction of the sodium from the canned variety.

Ingredients:

• 1 28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes (reserve 1/3 cup of the liquid)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 head of garlic cloves
• olive oil
• 1/2 onion
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 Tablespoons vegan butter
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Half the red pepper and remove stem and seeds. Cut the tops off of the garlic, stem side facing down. Brush pepper and garlic with olive oil. Place cut side of pepper and stem side of garlic against pan. Roast for 15 minutes or until garlic cloves are easily punctured with a toothpick. 
   
2. Remove garlic, and increase oven temperature to broiling. Broil peppers until blackened. Remove and let cool until able to handled (about 5 minutes).
3. In a heated soup pot, add a small drizzle of olive oil, chopped onions, pepper, and garlic. Cook until onion has some color (about 7 minutes).
4. Pour in broth and tomato juice and bring to a boil. While this heats, carefully add the tomatoes, crushing them over the pot before adding (they do not need to be chopped). 
5. Let gently boil for 15 minutes. You can make your toast now.
6. Pour soup into blender and blend until creamy and no longer lumpy. In the empty soup pot (rinse if desired) melt vegan butter and stir in flour until dissolved and bubbling. Pour the soup back into the pot and stir in syrup and salt. Serve. 

Time estimate: 90 minutes

Servings: 4 bowls
This was altered and veganized from Charlotte on All Recipes.

Split Pea Soup: Vegan and High Protein

When 3 out of 4 of my brethren and sistren ended up vegetarian vampires, our mother was pleased to realize one of her classic recipes could easily be converted for her meat-free offspring: split pea soup. Her simple recipe shows the true flavor of the peas while cramming in tons of protein and fiber. Just ditch the ham.

16 oz. split peas, washed
6 cups water
2 carrots
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 T. vegan butter

Rinse peas off in a strainer, removing bad peas. Bring the water to boil with peas. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour 30 minutes. Add carrots, salt, pepper, and butter. Stirring regularly, cook an additional 30-40 minutes or until carrots are tender. Serve.

Estimated time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 bowls

Lentil and Kale Chili: Oil-Free

This is a slightly spicy chili made with lentils rather than black beans for easier digestion. Packed full of vegetables, each serving provides approximately 17 grams of protein and 11 grams of fiber.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces dry lentils
• four cups vegetable broth
• 1 14.5 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced/pressed (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 Tablespoon broth or olive oil
• salt (or onion powder) & pepper to taste
• dash of red pepper flakes
• 1 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 stalks of kale, chopped/torn

Instructions:

1. Heat broth or olive oil in a soup pot, adding onion, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes and add pepper, celery, carrots, and garlic. Let cook another 3-5 minutes. Adding additional spices, cook 1 more minute.
2. Combine with lentils, broth, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 40 minutes or until lentils and carrots are tender.
3. Add juice of lemon, stir, and carefully pour approximately 1/3 of the soup into a blender to puree (or mash entire pot with potato masher to desired texture). Add puree back to soup, and toss in kale. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until kale is wilted.

Estimated time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Estimated Servings: 4-6 bowls

Colorful Spring Rolls

Made with carrots, red pepper, purple cabbage, and peanut butter tofu: these slightly sweet and gently spicy spring rolls are crave-inducing.

Pictured is half a block of tofu (half the recipe)

Colorful Spring Rolls

1 block of tofu cut in half (think of it like a sandwich and you're trying to get two pieces of bread out of it) and pressed for 30 minutes in an absorbent towel 

Ingredients: 

• corn starch (enough to coat) *
• sesame oil (to fry) *

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 T maple syrup
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 1/2 t Siracha (or more if you prefer more spice)
• dash of garlic powder
• 16 sheets of rice paper

Filling:

• Half of a small/medium head of purple cabbage, chopped
• 1 carrot 
• 1 red pepper

Instructions:

1. Cut each half of tofu into 8 pieces (16 total) while the sesame oil heats in frying pan
2. Toss tofu in corn starch to coat, carefully add to heating oil. Flip to coat in oil, and let fry until desired crispiness is reached, turning occasionally. 
3. While tofu fries, combine ingredients for sauce. Microwave about 30-40 seconds, whisk, and let sit until tofu is done. 
4. Cut cabbage into 1/2 inch rounds and then half those rounds. I peel these apart to create the "noodle" filling.
5. Peel carrot, toss exterior peelings or save for broth. Next peel the carrot length-wise 32 times. I do that instead of julienne-ing the carrot and then eat the rest.
6. Cut the pepper into 1/4-1/2 inch wide strips. Julienned pepper will give the pepper less texture to bite and pull out of the roll as you try to tear it away--I find strips work best. :)
7. Turn off heat and pour sauce over tofu, stirring quickly. Flip after a minute or so. 
8. Soak one sheet of rice paper in warm water as you make each roll individually. Lay the sheet out (damp service works best) and add one piece of tofu, a strip of pepper, two folded peels of carrot, and some purple cabbage. 

Enjoy! Left overs are good too, but if you let it sit out a long time before storing, the rice paper will start to dry out.

Servings: 16 rolls 

Estimated Time: 1 hour

* Recipe Notes:

• To cook without oil, press tofu and dry-fry in a non-stick pan until crispy. You can skip the corn starch, too. 
• The most time-consuming part of the recipe is preparing each roll. To save time, you can have each guest/family member roll their own for a bit of fun.

Vegan Primavera

This Italian dish is already vegetarian: simply switch the cheese and you're set for a delicious main course picky eaters are sure to love.

Easy Vegan Primavera

Ingredients:

• 1 carrot
• 1/2 yellow squash
• 1/2 zucchini
• 1/2 onion (I used purple)
• olive oil
• 1 1/2 t. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 1/4 t. salt
• 2 1/2-3 cups noodles
• water
• 1/4 c. vegan parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Finely chop (for picky eaters) vegetables and fry in olive oil with herbs and spices. While veggies cook, bring a pot of water to boil and cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain, stir in with veggies and top with parmesan. Enjoy!

Estimated time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4

Vegan Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

A delicious side-dish, this au gratin is made with an easy cheesy vegan sauce. Pour and bake and you're ready to go. Above is picture a batch where I didn't add the bread crumbs.

Au Gratin

Ingredients:

• 4-6 potatoes, peeled and then thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 C. milk
• 3/4 C. raw cashews
• 1/4 C. (heaping) nutritional yeast
• 1/4 C. vegan butter or oil
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 2  t. salt
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1/2 t. onion powder
• 1 piece of bread
• sprinkling of pepper

Instructions:

1. Thinly cut potatoes with potato peeler, spreading in a casserole dish. 
2. Blend cheese sauce ingredients (milk through onion powder) until liquid. Pour over potatoes and stir to evenly distribute. Crumble/pull apart bread piece to create crumbs for the top. Sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper.
3. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-55 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Uncover and broil briefly if desired. 

Servings: 4-6

Estimated Time: 2 hours

Vegan Broth From Vegetable Scraps

Broth from scraps is so easy, cheap, and delicious. It's a great way to save while still having your dishes maintain their flavor. You can use whatever you want, simply avoid more bitter bits like broccoli.

Vegetable Broth

1 gallon zip-lock bag full of vegetable scraps 

     scraps in order of importance: carrot, onion, celery, potato, mushroom

2 basil leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Empty bag of vegetables into a large pot and cover with water.
Add basil and salt and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until half of the liquid is gone. Strain broth with a cloth into a pitcher or container. Refrigerate leftovers.

*If using in our Cheesy Bacon Chowder, the broth will turn the soup darker in color as it oxidizes. Consider using a store-bought broth for potlucks.

Vegan Cheesy Bacon Chowder

This recipe is based off of a family recipe, and this cheesy potato chowder is not only far more nutritious than the original, it is equally delicious. If you do not have vegan bacon on hand, then never fear: the chowder without bacon is still feast-worthy.

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 1 batch cheese sauce, minus 1/4 C. milk
• 1 package of vegan bacon (about 6 strips)
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup broth
• 1 cup vegan milk of choice
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

1. Fry bacon according to package instructions with onion. 
2. Add potatoes and carrots and fry for about five more minutes. 
3. Add broth, pepper, and milk. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until tender. 
4. Pour in cheese sauce and corn then stir on low/medium heat until desired consistency is reached. Makes about 4-6 bowls.

Servings: 5 bowls

Estimated Time: 70 minutes

Vegan Mac'n'cheese

The babysitter special is still easy for vegans--you can enjoy this in 30 minutes or fewer. I've tried box brands and all the highest-rated recipes online I could find. Some had carrots in the cheese sauce, others with miso which gave it a fishy/salty taste. After tweaking this recipe for almost a year, it is finally post-worthy. 

Mac'n'cheese

• 2 C. dry pasta
• 3/4 C. raw cashews 
• 1/4 C. nutritional yeast (I prefer it slightly overflowing)
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. onion powder
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1/4 C. vegan butter
• 1 1/4 C. plain unsweetened vegan milk
• 1 T. lemon juice

1. While preparing pasta according to package instructions, blend all ingredients very well until liquid. If you are in a hurry, my $25 blender has worked just fine with unsoaked cashews (just blend very well ;) ).
2. Pour over prepared noodles and stir occasionally on low/medium heat until thickened. Serve and enjoy! 

Servings: Makes approximately 4 servings

Estimated Time: 25 minutes

Altered from the Epicurean Vegan.