Cheesy Broccoli Pizza

Tonight's sinfully delicious dinner was cheesy broccoli pizza! I love cheese, I love broccoli, and I love pizza, and I never knew how fabulously they would go together. This stuff was so good! Don't let looks deceive you. My pizza may not be as pretty as the one here, but I assure you, it tasted fantastic! I wasn't able to find the dough required by this recipe so I used one a pre-made one but it was still delightfully yummy! Next time, I will make my own dough.

I've missed you, cheese pizza. Thank goodness I've found you!

Sweet Potato Pie

Dessert tonight was killer! This has actually been my first experience with baking vegan sweets and it turned out fabulous! Some whipped cream would have been nice, but silly me, I bought the pie ingredients, but I didn't think to pick up the whipped cream ingredients as well. Oh well, there's always next time!
Yet another great holiday dish! I realize it's not the holidays but I love sweet potato pie and pumpkin pie, so when I found a recipe I had to try it!

The recipe is for a crust-less pie but I used a graham cracker crust anyway! I think I may be on my way for a third piece... :) If you love sweet potato pie, you'll find a great recipe for it here. And if you'd like some whipped cream, you might want to see this.

Vegetable Pasta Carbonara

Vegetable pasta carbonara is an Italian pasta dish with a creamy white sauce, usually with bits of ham and veggies thrown in. It is a dish that I enjoyed many times when I lived overseas in Italy and Germany. I had thought of it recently when I saw a jar of carbonara sauce at Kroger, but I was saddened to know it definitely wasn't vegan. So I did some searching and found an amazing vegan carbonara recipe! Actually, I found a video and typed out the recipe so that I and others could more easily make it.

Ah yes, looks and sounds delicious, doesn't it! It certainly was and was very authentic! I used a whole wheat linguini pasta and used veggie bacon instead of bits and it worked out great.This may become a new staple in our household. Here is the finished product: 

 Now here is the recipe, typed for your convenience: 

Vegetable Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Cold Pressed)

Finely chopped small onion

1 heaping tablespoon of flour

1 vegan bouillon cube

Black pepper

Sea salt

Milk of choice

1 small zucchini

¼ cup vegan bacon bits

¼ cup fresh peas

Heaping tablespoon of nutritional yeast

½ box pasta of choice

Directions:

1.      Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2.      While bringing water to a boil, turn heat on med and put about two tablespoons of oil into a sauce pan.

3.      Throw in the onion. Cover and allow to cook for three to five minutes. Stir occasionally.

4.      Once the onions start to caramelize and sweeten, sprinkle in the flour and stir it around. Have a ladle ready to spoon hot boiling water into the onion-flour mixture.

5.      Using the ladle, slowly pour in water as you whisk (around 1 ½ to 2 cups of water).

6.      Turn heat on high, throw in the bouillon cube, and pour in milk. Whisk again.

7.      Bring to a boil and allow to reduce until thick. Allow to simmer, whisking occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick.

8.      Cook pasta. Reduce cooking time by 3 minutes as the pasta will cook for two minutes in the sauce and 1 minute on the plate. Use about half a box of pasta. Give it a stir and allow it to cook.

9.      Switch burners to cook vegetables. Put a tablespoon of oil in the pan, throw in the zucchini, and while it sautés drain the pasta and throw the bacon into the zucchini. Then throw the pasta in the pan and mix.

10.  Next pour the sauce into the pasta and mix together. Add the nutritional yeast and pepper.

11.  Reduce heat to low and cover one minute. Last, throw in the peas, mix, and serve. 

Baked Macaroni n' "Cheese"

Macaroni and cheese has been a long-time favorite of mine since I was a wee child. When I discovered this recipe, it was like having an epiphany: I came to find that vegan cheese can be just as good, if not better, than real cheese. I was so happy to have found this recipe!
Here's a photo of the "cheese", just to show how creamy and thick and cheese-like it is:

I normally make this recipe as-is, but this time I added some baked butter nut squash and topped it with Panko bread crumbs. This dish really hit the spot! My life as a vegan is complete, now that I can enjoy a dish I have been enamored with since childhood.

Tofu-Spinach Lasagna

Today's post is for my mother, who once told me she could not live without her ricotta cheese. I challenge her to try this tantalizing dish: Tofu-Spinach Lasagna. The faux-ricotta in this recipe is so good, it could pass for the real deal. It filled my mouth with joy at the fond memories it produced of non-vegetarian lasagnas past. The lasagna tasted divine, and it is so much better for you than the greasy, meaty versions. I used whole grain noodles and added drained chili beans along with the spinach on top of the ricotta layers. You could also try adding your favorite ground "meat." I like Smart Ground.
Well, without further ado, I present to you the lasagna my husband and I just devoured.

Green Bean Medley

Due to the fact that I've got some awesome Vidalia onions from the farmer's market I've been wanting to try and had a pound of green beans I needed to eat before they go bad, tonight's dinner was Green Bean Medley. If you want something tasty yet healthy, this is a good dish with lots of veggies. I used baby portobellas for the mushrooms in this dish, but you are free to use whatever you prefer.

Healthy, fat free food can be surprisingly downright delicious! I hope your appetite will be delighted! 

Broccoli and Rice Casserole

If you are a fan of broccoli and cheese, you're going to love today's recipe: broccoli and rice casserole. This stuff is sooooooo cheesy and delicious. It will really hit the spot if you're desiring an authentic cheese taste. I substituted the white rice for brown rice and it was fantastic. Cheese lovers, you are going to be in Heaven.

Belgian Waffles

I love Belgian waffles, especially when they are done the right way: not thick and heavy and artery clogging, but fluffy and airy and oh-so-delicious! I've even heard it from the omnivores that these are better than their non-vegan counterparts! One great thing about waffles is that they are so versatile. You're not limited to the traditional maple syrup. Chocolate chips, fruit, powdered sugar, Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (for the Nutella lovers)... oh my, there are so many ways to eat a waffle!
This morning I had the traditional waffle with Earth Balance butter and maple syrup. Yum yum yum!

If you're craving Belgian Waffles, HERE is the recipe for you! Enjoy!

Green Bean Casserole

Hello, my name is Morgan Tangren, and I'm a vegan. Welcome to my food blog, "What I eat"! I am often presented with such a question, and I know there are many other vegans out there who are asked the same thing. The purpose of this blog is to show omnivores and carnivores alike that vegans can indeed enjoy a rich, tasty diet. What I will be doing is making regular posts about a meal or two that I enjoyed that day, along with a recipe for those who would like to give it a try! These are mostly not my personal recipes; they are just recipes that I hope others like myself will enjoy too!

And so without further ado, tonight's dinner was... 

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

This has to be my favorite meal and one of the ultimate Southern comfort foods. Perfect for almost any holiday, or just when you are in the mood (like me!). 

It was so good, my husband and I ate every single bite of that casserole in one sitting. Want to try it? Check out this recipe HERE and enjoy!