An Imperfect Vegan

The color of red cabbage is one of my favorite colors. It's so vibrant and rich that it's almost hard to believe it exists in nature. It becomes even deeper and more beautiful after roasting in the oven, like these balsamic cabbage steaks. There's something totally magical about how heat and oil/vinegar can transform a vegetable from one thing to something completely different: a caramelized, sweet, tender, charred, flavorful, browned and brightened thing.


I barely ever buy a whole head of cabbage, but I was inspired to try something new (as usual), so I bought a whole head with the idea of roasting up these steaks. All it takes is slicing the cabbage, drizzling the slices with balsamic vinegar and salt, and then roasting them for 15 minutes. It's almost too easy to be true. You'd think these gorgeous wonders took more effort and more complicated preparation, but as often becomes clear to me, simpler is always better.


I whipped up a packet of instant mashed potato…

We try to have a reasonable amount of variety in our diet, so sometimes dishes that are favorites get forgotten for a little while as we are trying new things. But then we always go back. Like these fajitas. They're so quick and so delicious, my two main requirements for a successful meal.


Tempeh is the perfect vegan protein for this meal because it slices up easily without crumbling, and it absorbs the flavors of the marinade very well. It also grills up nicely in the skillet


The tempeh marinade is a mix of spices and lime juice that has a little kick. I used frozen mixed pepper strips in this recipe because I always have a bag in the freezer but you could definitely use fresh if you have them in your fridge.


Ingredients
juice of half a lime
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 package tempeh, sliced 1/2" thick
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
2 cups …

Something about spring makes me want to eat healthier, whether it's because I have to wear a bathing suit soon or because I'm naturally outside exercising more and building good health juju. This kale and radish slaw is a delicious and easy dish to whip up and pair with lots of different meals. Here it's the star of the show, topping (minute) brown rice and some (store bought) baked marinated tofu.


There's an easy miso vinaigrette coating all of these wonderful and nutritious ingredients. It's also bursting with the sesame flavor from toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds. Go out of the box and try this quick recipe for you and your family. I promise you'll love how flavorful and life fortifying is is!



Inspired by My Recipes.

Ingredients
8 tsp rice wine vinegar, divided
2 Tbsp white miso paste
5 tsp water
4 tsp sesame oil, divided
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
3 cups kale, de-stemmed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced radishes
1/4 cup thinly sliced sc…

Everyone loved Sloppy Joe day at school. I fondly remember the frenzy of the Sloppy Joe as a kid, how they dripped down your hands and made a huge mess - what could be more fun than that?


Hubs has never had an actual Sloppy Joe (it's an American thing, fun fact: originally from Sioux City, Iowa), so I made him the next best thing: a vegan Sloppy Joe made with lentils and the real-deal Manwich sauce. Hunt's canned Manwich sauce is accidentally vegan! Yay!

We topped the 'Joes with some bread + butter pickles and crispy fried onions, because why shouldn't we enjoy ourselves in this life?...And anyway the sauce has tomatoes so it's basically a vegetable.


We paired the 'Joes with cole slaw, made from store bought cole slaw mix and a quick and easy dressing. This meal is heavy on the store bought and light on the effort. If you can simmer some lentils, you can make this dinner. I highly recommend it for whenever you're feeling overwhelmed with adult problems, an…

Hashbrowns are undeniably delicious, and the frozen ones are actually pretty high quality. We always have a bag on hand for whenever we are craving hashbrowns for breakfast, or for dinner! Here we topped our easy frozen hashbrowns with some quick, homemade chili, some dairy free cheese, and some cilantro. It turned our hashbrown side game into full on dinner game!!


This chili recipe is a quickie chili that I love to whip up in a pinch. It's so easy, and easy to keep the ingredients on hand. It's great over hashbrowns like this, or with corn bread or over rice! Not only is it delicious, but it's a perfectly balanced meal with healthy amounts of protein, veggies, carbs, and a delicious amount of spice and flavor.



Ingredients
1/2 bag frozen hashbrowns
olive oil
salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 can red kidney beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen Gardein crumbles
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp f…

Love hummus? Want to try it in a new way? Try this edamame hummus made with miso and garlic. It's a fresh take on an old favorite, and it's really easy to make. You can buy shelled edamame in the freezer section. All you have to do is thaw it, boil it for four minutes, and then process it with all the other ingredients. So easy!


It tastes really bright and fresh, and is delicious either warm or cold. We used rice crackers (I highly recommend the wasabi flavor!) and cucumber slices for dipping. It's super healthy and the edamame makes it really high in protein. Yummy taste and great nutrition are one thing but have you seen that green color?? It's gorgeous!



Recipe adapted from My Recipes.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups thawed frozen edamame, plus 1 Tbsp
2 1/2 Tbsp miso paste
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tsp sesame oil, garnish
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds, garnish

Instructions
Bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add edamame and boil f…

I'm on a bit of a homemade Indian food kick lately, and since I still have the spices handy from my Chicken Tikka Masala recipe (hubby's fav), I decided to try MY fav, Chana Masala. This is a slightly spicy, tomato-based chickpea dish that's wonderful served over rice or couscous. It's fragrant, warm, simple, and perfect.


This dish has great protein and is accidentally vegan...which I love! It always feels like I'm getting away with something sneaky when a dish is already vegan. It's also super healthy, and very affordable to make.


I'm definitely not an expert in Indian cuisine, but I really enjoy experimenting with the delicious warm spices and recreating my favorite Indian restaurant's dishes in my own kitchen. You should give it a try too!


Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 medium green chile, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
1 inch piece fres…

Is there anything more indulgent than Baked Macaroni and Cheese? Regular Mac N Cheese is already amazing, but then when you add a topping and bake it to crispy perfection, it just brings it to a whole new level. I love the various textures, from creamy inside to crunchy around the edges, it's an adventure in every bite.


I crave this kind of comfort food (very) often, so I wanted to find a way to indulge my cravings without feeling guilty. This Baked Mac N Cheese is a little bit healthier because it uses a lighter bechamel made with vegan butter, almond milk, and nutritional yeast for the creamy, "cheesy" sauce. It's also very easy to make and takes about 40 minutes start to finish.


I highly recommend topping it with a drizzle of hot sauce and a handful of crispy Brussels sprouts leaves (see below for how to make them). Enjoy and you're welcome! ;)



Ingredients
1 box pasta of choice
1/3 cup vegan butter, plus 1 Tbsp melted
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup unsweetened almond m…

I used to love tikka masala sauce in my vegetarian days. Hubs would have chicken tikka and I would have veggies simmered in this delicious spicy and creamy sauce. I really miss being able to just open a jar from the cabinet and blast everything in the skillet with flavor. I've been putting off making my own vegan tikka masala for a while now, but I finally decided it was time -- and it was worth the wait!


We cooked vegan chik'n strips in our tikka masala sauce as a nod to hubs' national dish, and as a special treat since we don't often eat fake meat products. It definitely made the dish more substantial and authentic, but I definitely think you could substitute chickpeas or tofu and it would taste just as good. It's really all about the perfectly spiced sauce, so feel free to add whatever your heart desires!





Ingredients
olive oil
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 medium green chile pepper, slic…

I spent a year living in England, where I met my English hubs, so needless to say -- he and I both have a fond appreciation for the scone!  We also really love the flavor combination of orange and chocolate, which I found to be much more popular in Europe than in America. I really think my American imperfect vegans will absolutely love these citrus + chocolate pastries though. They're undeniably delicious!


I whipped these up in 30 minutes the other day, no joke. They're so quick and easy -- aka the perfect homemade vegan recipe for your upcoming spring brunches (Mother's Day anyone?), afternoon teas, or just a special dessert for YOU! 


I love baking, especially when the recipe is simple and the result is this good. I suggest using a food processor for mixing the dough (less mess!), and I also highly suggest smothering these babies in vegan butter while they're still warm from the oven. It's just the best.



Recipe slightly adapted from Chef Chloe's Vegan Italian…