Hi beautiful cats! How are you? Are you enjoying your weekend? Last week, I finished the macrobiotic detox, but I keep making miso soup and drinking kukicha tea just to keep me right. However, I am also reintroducing the food that I couldn’t eat during the detox, i.e. pasta. And this Creamy Vegan Noodle Casserole by ConnoiserusVeg is exactly what I needed! Easy and delicious with minimum effort – perfect for a weekday lunch.

Ingredients

• 10 ounces dried rotini pasta (about 3 ½ cups of pasta)
• ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 8 hours, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons vegan butter, divided
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium celery stalks, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 3 vegetable bouillon cubes, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs

Method

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions. Drain the pasta into a colander when done.
2. Place the cashews and water into a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
3. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with two tablespoons of the vegan butter and place it over medium heat.
4. When the butter has melted, add the mushroom slices in a relatively even layer.
5. Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove them from the skillet and transfer them to a plate when done.
6. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Once the butter melts, add the onion, celery, and carrots.
7. Cook the veggies for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften.
8. Add the garlic and flour. Stir the mixture well to coat the vegetables with flour and continue cooking the mixture for about 1 minute.
9. Slowly begin adding the non-dairy milk, stirring in just a bit at a time to prevent the flour from clumping. Once all of the milk has been added, stir in the cashew mixture, bouillon, thyme, and cooked mushrooms.
10. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a low boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened slightly. Preheat the oven to 350°F while the sauce simmers.
11. Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
12. Combine the cooked pasta, sauce mixture and peas in a 2-quart casserole dish.
13. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
14. Cover the casserole dish and place it into the oven. Bake the casserole for about 20 minutes, until heated throughout.
15. Remove the foil from the dish and sprinkle the casserole with panko breadcrumbs. Bake 5 minutes more.
16. Let the casserole sit out for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Love,

TVCL x

Happy Sunday beauties! How are you enjoying the autumn weather? Last night we changed the clock and I had just a long lie in this morning, I felt very rested and managed to do so many things! Also, I am coming to the end on my “Macrobiotic Detox” that I felt I could celebrate with a nice dessert which is still mostly Macrobiotic. In case you are interested, I am preparing a post explaining a bit the macrobiotic diet. In the meantime, I leave you today’s recipe: Chickpea Blondies by Rainbow Nourishments.

Ingredients

• ~1 ½ cups (250g) chickpeas, canned or fresh and drained well (I got this amount from one 15oz or 440g can)
• ½ cup (125g) cashew butter, or nut/seed butter of choice
• ½ cup (45g) oat flour,
• ½ cup (170g) maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ⅛ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ½ cup (85g) mini dairy-free chocolate chips plus extra to decorate

Method

1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Add all the ingredients except the chocolate chips to a food processor or blender Blend until the mixture is as smooth as possible. It should be slightly runny.
3. Remove the blade of your food processor. Add the chocolate chips and mix with a spoon or spatula. Make sure your blondie batter isn’t warm when you add the chocolate otherwise the chocolate will melt.
4. Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan. Smooth the surface with a spoon or spatula. If desired, sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top of the batter and press them in.
5. Bake the chickpea blondies for 23-28 minutes. The blondies are ready when they have puffed up and the surface is golden brown. If you insert a toothpick in the middle, it should come out clean (a few moist crumbs are fine but there shouldn’t be any wet batter).
6. Place the square baking pan on a wire rack. Allow the blondies to cool completely in the baking pan for at least 1 hour. The blondies are very soft when they’re warm.
7. When the blondies have completely cooled, remove them from the baking pan and cut them with a sharp knife. The blondies are very fudgy so it may help to run your knife under hot water before cutting them. If desired, sprinkle the blondies with flaky sea salt or enjoy with vegan ice cream.

Enjoy!

Love,

TVCL xx

Hey lovely peeps! How are you enjoying this weekend? I was working yesterday and the week has just been mental, non-stop, 2 meetings to attend (one very interesting with potential for a big community project!) and 2 events – ooft, I would need a week to recover and not just one day (when will we go for a 4-day week instead of 5-day?!?). But I also managed to see a good friend for a beautiful foraging walk and helped a lot to recharge the spirit! And still no oven in the new place, but you know me and my sweet tooth so I am here to present you the perfect mug-cake recipe: Double Chocolate Mug Cake by PickUpLimes.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp (17 g)all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp (13 g) Dutch processed cocoa powder)
• 2 Tbsp (28 g)granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 Tbsp (45 mL)unsweetened soy milk
• 1 Tbsp (15 mL)vegetable oil
• ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
• 0.7 oz (20 g) dairy-free dark chocolate

Optional toppings

• fresh mixed berries
• powdered sugar
• vegan ice cream

Method

1. In a large microwave-safe mug, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. Then add the milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
3. Using your fingers, press half of the chocolate into the middle of the cake batter in your mug. This is so you have some melted chocolate in the centre of your cake (yum!). Add the other half of the chocolate to the top of the batter.
4. Microwave on high (800 – 900 W) for 2 minutes*, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the cake isn’t cooked through yet, place it back in the microwave at intervals of 15 seconds.
5. Let the mug cake cool slightly, add your desired toppings, and enjoy!

I hope you’ll enjoy this easy and quick recipe!

Love,

TVCL xx

Hello beauties and Happy Sunday! How is it in your neck of the woods? Here it’s been another busy week, especially at work, it has been non-stop and have been on cat-feeding duties for my ex-neighbours for now two weeks. On top of it, I still have boxes to be unboxed, but I’m getting there and the oven should arrive in a couple of weeks! Also, next Thursday my parents will come to visit and while it will only be 4 days, I really can’t wait! So, loads of positives. As it has been so busy, I haven’t been cooking as much as I used to before the move but still want something flavourful and quick for my lunch on weekdays (I don’t want to make pasta all the time or sandwiches). These Blackened Tofu Tacos with Caramelized BBQ Onions by VeganRicha have saved me a lot of time and are just amazing!

Ingredients

For the tofu:

• 14 ounces (400 g) firm or extra firm tofu pressed for at least 15 minutes and cubed
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce or use tamari for gluten-free
• 1 teaspoon oil

For the blackening spice:

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or chili powder blend
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

For the BBQ onion topping:

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/2 cup of onion
• A good pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce

For the rest of the tacos:

• lime juice as needed
• 2 cups of chopped lettuce or cabbage as needed
• vegan ranch or vegan sour cream as needed
• tortillas as needed Glutenfree as desired

Method

1. Press and cube the tofu if you haven’t already. Then add to a bowl. Add the soy sauce and 1 teaspoon oil and toss well to coat.
2. In another small shallow bowl, mix all the spices then sprinkle the spices over the tofu and toss well to coat.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.Add 2 teaspoons of oil and let the oil heat up then add in your spiced tofu.
4. Cook for 7-10 minutes or until the tofu is golden, is crispy on most of the edges.
5. You might want to be careful with the end of cooking so as to not burn the spices.
6. Make the BBQ onions: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the onion is golden. 7-8 mins. Stir occasionally.
7. Then add in your BBQ sauce and hot sauce and toss well to coat then take off heat.
8. To assemble tacos, warm your tortillas on a gas stove or a pan then layer a layer of lettuce. Add a good helping of the tofu.
9. Squeeze some lime juice over the tofu then top it with the BBQ onions, more lettuce, and vegan ranch, or sour cream as needed.
10. Repeat for all your tacos and serve immediately.

They are really delicious and I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I did!

Love,

TVCL xx