Lazy Vegan Kitchen

Spicy Tomato Vegetable Soup

I made this soup to use up all the random produce floating around the kitchen and it was so food that next time I'm going to make it on purpose.

• 1 tbs of olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 3 ribs of celery, chopped

• 1 jalapeño, minced

• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

• handful of baby carrots, chopped

• 1 zucchini, chopped

• 1 mostly full can of chickpeas (I literally cleaned my fridge out for this soup.)

• 2 ears of corn, kernels removed

• 2 small tomatoes, diced

• 1 small can of tomato paste

• 1 (32 ounce) container of vegetable broth, plus one cup of water

• a few handfuls of kale, rough stems removed and chopped

• a ton of fresh basil and a pinch of fresh rosemary

• pinch of cayenne pepper or a dash of hot sauce, or both

• salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion, celery, garlic, jalapeño and carrot in the olive oil over medium high heat for about five minutes. Add zucchini and corn and cook for another five minutes. Throw in everything else except the kale. Bring soup to a boil then reduce to a low heat and simmer for twenty to thirty minutes. Turn off heat and stir in kale. Serve with extra basil. There are basically two rules in my kitchen; kale goes with everything and there's no such thing as too much basil.

Lentil, Kale, and Chickpea Stew

• 1 tbs. olive oil

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 cup of carrots, chopped

• 1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 32 ounce container of vegetable broth, plus one cup of water

• 2 cups of lentils

• 2 sprigs of rosemary

• 2 tsp of smoked paprika

• tiny pinch of cayenne pepper

• salt to taste

• 1 bunch of kale, rough stems removed and roughly chopped

Sauté garlic, onions, and carrots for about five minutes. Add everything else but the kale, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. After lentils and carrots are cooked through, 20-30 minutes, turn off heat and stir in kale. Remove rosemary stems. Boom. Dinner.

Apple Pie Pancakes

Good news! If you, like me, have been desperately searching for a way to eat pie for breakfast and still cling to your last shred of dignity, you're in luck. I've found the perfect solution in these pancakes.

Pancakes:

Mix the instant oats with water and let them hang out for about 15 minutes. Add everything else and combine. Pour batter on a heated griddle with lots of Earth Balance and cook like you would any other pancake.

Topping:

Melt Earth Balance in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add everything to the pan and cook until apples are soft. About 10-15 minutes. Remove apples and cook your Gimme Lean sausage patties in the same pan.

You are welcome.

Soyrizo Scramble

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until tender. Crumble tofu and soyrizo in the pan, cook until soyrizo is browned. Stir in green chilis and salsa. Serve over hashbrowns with more salsa, vegan sour cream, and guacamole.

Frozen Banana Bites

Frozen dark chocolate and peanut butter covered bananas? Yes, please.

Dark Chocolate Sauce

Heat chocolate and almond milk in a small sauce pan over low heat, stir occasionally until chocolate is melted. Once everything is melted, stir in sugar.

Peanut Butter Glaze

Combine ingredients in a small sauce pan over low heat, stir until everything is incorporated.

Keep both the chocolate and peanut butter mixtures over low heat until ready to use.

Slice four bananas into 1/2 inch peices. Dip each piece in the chocolate, making sure it's completely covered, then place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. After you've dipped them in chocolate, drizzle peanut butter over the top and put them in the freezer for about 3-4 hours. You can then transfer them to a tupperware container for easy storage.

Eat the remaining chocolate and peanut butter sauces with a spoon. Duh.

Cafeteria-Style Pasta Salad

You know that pasta salad they have on every salad bar in America? Well, this is how you make it.

• 1 (12 ounce) package of rainbow rotini

• 2 cups of broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces

• 1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 can of corn, drained and rinsed

• 1 tomato, diced

• 1 cup of prepared Italian dressing

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• salt and pepper to taste

Toss the corn and beans into a colander, rinse, then add broccoli on top. Boil pasta and drain in the same colander with the veggies. Let sit for 5 minutes, this softens up the broccoli. Put the corn, beans, broccoli, and pasta in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients. Toss and chill for at least 3 hours.

Fruit salad is my favorite thing to eat when it's hot outside. It's healthy and requires minimal effort, just use whatever fruit you have on hand. This has pineapple, clementines, grapes and cherries.

Balsamic Quinoa Salad

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Roast asparagus and cut into bite sized peices. Toss everything together in a large bowl and chill for 3-4 hours. Serve over lettuce or put it in a wrap with hummus and sunflower seeds.

Jazzy Edamame

Heat oil in a large saute pan or wok over medium high heat. Cook garlic and ginger for a few minutes then throw in edamame, soy sauce, and sriracha sauce. Toss it all together for about a minute until edamame is heated through.

Mexican Lasagna

Remember when I posted that taco salad recipe and said you could use that taco filling for anything? Well, this is my favorite thing to make with the leftovers.

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish.

Layer:

Cover and bake for 30 minutes, uncover and turn oven to 375 degrees, continue to bake for 15 more minutes. Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.

Protip: If you fry the tortillas in hot oil for 10-15 seconds it will make them waterproof so your casserole won't be all gross and soggy. It takes a little extra time, but it's totally worth it.

Taco Salad!

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Cook onion and pepper until soft. Add Meatless Grounds and heat through. Stir in taco seasoning, water, and salsa and cook until water evaporates. Turn off heat and add green chilis, beans, and corn. Serve over lettuce and chips.

This is also good in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and enchiladas.

Taco Seasoning

Use this in place of those dirty old taco seasoning packets at the grocery store. Just combine everything and toss it in your favorite mexican dish with a half cup of water. 

Slow-Cooker Black Bean Soup

I love my slow cooker. It is the ultimate staple for a lazy kitchen.

Throw everything in a slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours. Garnish with limes, tofutti sour sream, fake cheese, cilantro, pickled jalapenos, avocado, or tortilla chips.

Cinco de Mayo Pizza

     You Will Need

Don't get crazy and bake the avocado on the pizza, add it after it's cooked. Duh. Oh, and I squezed some fresh lime juice over the whole thing after I baked it. This is also the point when most people would add fresh cilantro. I did not because I think it's nasty (tastes like soapy metal) but, to each his own. Add it if you like it.

(If you bought a dough ball you can bake it at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.)

Beanie Weenies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt Earth Balance in a skillet over medium high heat and brown the veggie dogs. (This step is purely optional, but highly recommended. It's just my opinion that everything tastes better if you sauté it in earth balance first.) Meanwhile mix remaining ingredients together in a large bowl, then stir in veggie dogs. Pour it all in a greased casserole dish, cover and bake for 20-25 minutes.

This, my friends, is what my child looks like after eating the previously posted spaghetti recipe. If this doesn't prove that it's delicious then I don't know what does. And if you don't look like this when you're finished eating, you're obviously doing something wrong.

The proof is in he pudding, folks. Or rather, the spaghetti.

Basic No-Frills Spaghetti

Start by heating oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 to 6 minutes until it turns translucent, then add garlic and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Next throw the meatless crumbles in the skillet and cook until heated through. Meanwhile toss the whole tomatoes, tomato paste and basil in a food processor, whir it around until the whole tomatoes aren't whole anymore and the basil is finely chopped. Dump that in the skillet with the can of diced tomatoes and continue to cook over low heat for 20 minutes or so. You have now made spaghetti sauce. Pretty easy, huh? So don't let me catch you buying that nasty jarred stuff again. There's no excuse. Got it? Good. Now go eat some spaghetti.