Eric's Roasted Potatoes

Today is my wonderful amazing fantastic boyfriend's birthday! And although he loves my cooking, we will be enjoying dinner at our favorite Indian restuarant tonight. This blog is dedicated to vegan recipes but I think sometimes it is important to remember that food is not the only factor in being healthy. Part of having a healthy mind and heart is by surrounding yourself with positive people who are uplifting, supportive, and genuine. (I'm not trying to sound gushy, but my boyfriend is definitely all of those things.) So on his birthday, I thought instead of posting his favorite recipe that I make, I'm going to post my favorite recipe that he makes.

When I met him, my boyfriend ate the same thing for dinner every night: chicken and broccoli and rice. And while he is still an omnivore, he is 100% supportive of my choice to be vegan and loves to try the vegan food I make. His skills in the kitchen have expanded since we met and there are a few things he does better than me. 1) Steam veggies. I don't know how, but he has this internal clock that just tells him exactly how long everything needs to be steamed and they are always perfect. I have a tendecy to over steam. 2) Cook rice. Now I can put white rice in a rice cooker and press start, but he is flawless with brown rice and purple rice on the stove, which is something I always mess up. 3) Roasting potatoes. This following recipe is something he adapted over time from who knows where, but they really are the best roasted potatoes I have ever had. I am so lucky to be able to come home to a healing plate of steamed veggies, spinach salad, and these amazing roasted potatoes.

Click Here for the recipe: Eric's Roasted Potatoes!

Light Asparagus Chickpea Soup

Spring has arrived! And with spring comes asparagus! Asparagus is a super-vegetable. One cup gives you more than the daily recommended Vitamin K. Asparagus also reduces inflammation, is high in anti-oxidants, and is great for digestion. Oh and not to mention, asparagus does this really weird thing too... it makes your pee smell like asparagus. But don't worry, most people will never notice. Although 4 out of 5 people are afflicted with asparagus smelling pee, only 1 in 5 can smell it.

This asparagus soup was inspired by the giant bag of asparagus we bought from Costco. Whenever we have an abundance of something, my first thought is always, "Blend it!" But because it's spring time (and Davis thinks its summer) having a thick and hearty soup sounded far too hot. So this soup is very light, but still packed full of protein and vitamins! 

Asparagus Chickpea Soup

Print Recipe Here!

Ingredients 

1 lb of Asparagus 

1 can of Chickpeas, rinsed and drained 

3.5 cups of Vegetable Broth

1/2 of a Yellow Onion 

3 Cloves of Garlic, crushed 

3 of the inside tender Stalks of Celery 

1 Cup of Frozen Peas

1 TBSP of Garlic Salt 

1TBSP of Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil over asparagus on baking sheet and add salt and pepper. 

2. Place roughly chopped onion, celery, and garlic in a large pot with vegetable broth and chickpeas. Add salt, pepper, and half of the garlic salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. 

3. Roast asparagus in oven for 20 minutes. 

4. Blend asparagus and the soup together. In a blender you have to do this in two batches. Return to stove on medium heat. 

5. Add frozen peas and the rest of the garlic salt and let simmer for 10 minutes. 

6. Serve with croutons or french bread and enjoy! 

Sundried Tomato Pesto with Cashews

 One of the things that people say the most to me when they hear that I'm vegan is "Wait, really? NO CHEESE?" Yes, no cheese and as a lactose intolerant individual, people should thank me for that, if you catch my drift. But in all seriousness, I don't eat cheese, however, that doesn't mean I don't miss it sometimes. There are certain foods that are full of delicious flavor but also full of cheese. So every once in awhile I get it up my butt to try and recreate a cheesy dish as a healthy vegan deliciousness.



One such amazing dish is PESTO! I love pesto. The basil is bright and delightful and the cheese makes it creamy and sultry. Naturally, I thought making a cheese-less version would prove difficult, but I could not have been more wrong. The sundried tomatoes give this pesto an earthy flavor, the basil is effervescent and the cashews are fatty and give the pesto just the perfect texture. My boyfriend and I have enjoyed this on pasta and sourdough toast. I had it for lunch on cucumber pasta! We even used it on pizza instead of red sauce and my boyfriend didn't even add cheese to his. He said his veggie topped pizza was perfectly yummy because of this pesto.

Sundried Tomato Pesto with Cashews

Print Recipe Here!

Ingredients

1 Bunch of Basil
1/4 Cup of Sundried Tomatoes in oil
1 Tbsp of the oil from the sundried tomatoes
1 1/2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Tbsp of water
1 Handful of Spinach
1/2 Cup of Cashews (raw or roasted)

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions

1. Thoroughly wash spinach and basil. Add to food processor.

2. Crush cloves of garlic to allow for maximum release of flavor.

3. Add all remaining ingredients to food processor and pulse until cashews are in small pieces but not smooth.

4. Use pesto as a topping for pasta, as pizza sauce, or a delicious psread for sandwiches.

Keeps in refrigerator for at least one week. Not sure after that, it hasn't lasted longer in my house!

Vegan Shepherds Pie with Potato Biscuit Topping

I have a slight confession to make. I don't like mushrooms. And as a vegan, I feel like I'm committing some sort of crime. Mushrooms are everywhere in vegan cuisine because they add an umami flavor to dishes that mimics that savoriness that comes from meat. As a kid, I hated mushrooms and spent many nights picking them, and the olives, off the Cowboy pizza my family always got from Papa Murpheys. As an adult, I have chosen not to revisit mushrooms, a decision I know I will eventually have to change. But for now, I will continue to explore all the delicious ways I can cook vegan food without ever having to taste a mushroom.

One of my boyfriends and mines favorite meals, pre-vegan, was shepherds pie. Back then I used to expiriment with ground turkey instead of the traditional beef and added cheddar cheese. Although, interestingly enough, a shepherds pie made with ground beef is actually called a cottage pie. It has to be made with lamb to be a shepherds pie. But whether I was making it with beef, turkey, cheddar, or purple potatoes, I never imagined I would have to find a substitute for mushrooms. Because, you see, most vegan meat pies are made with mushrooms. 

There are plenty of faux meat products out there, but when trying to make a more whole foods focused meal, they don't qualify. This version of shepherds pie really developed out of what I had in the fridge, and the pantry, and the freezer, and by then, I thought "Why not just throw in the kitchen sink?" But to be honest, that's how great recipes are made: out of creativity, boredom, and the kitchen sink. Most of my great ideas come at the end of the week, because that's when you've run out of time to make all those fancy meals you planned, or you have ingredients left over, and the reality is that you just need to use the stuff before it goes bad. So you throw it all together (preferably in a one-pot dish), cross your fingers, send a little "Wish me luck" up to your favorite vegan chef/cook, and sit back and watch magic happen. Or you smell the horror of your creation, dump it in the trash, and go out for some delicious vegan Indian food. 

Thank goodness this recipe ended with the first outcome: heavenly, umami-filled, shepherds pie that always has me going back for seconds. 

Vegan Shepherds Pie with Potato Biscuit Topping 

This recipe is split into two recipe cards:

Print Recipe for Shepherds Pie Filling!

Print Recipe for Potato Biscuit Topping!

Ingredients 

For filling:

1 can of Lentils, slightly drained 

2 Leeks, chopped and rinsed 

2 leaves of Kale, chopped (or a handful or baby spinach)

1 Carrot, diced (or 6-8 baby carrots diced)
2 Celery stalks, diced

1 handful of frozen Peas

1 clove of Garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of dried Rosemary

2 teaspoons of dried Thyme 

1 tablespoon of reduced sodium Soy Sauce 

1 tablespoon of Olive Oil 

Salt and pepper 

For topping: 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon of dried Rosemary

1 large clove of Garlic, minced 

1 cup Mashed Potatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup cold water

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Sauté leeks and garlic in Olive oil on medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until leeks start to turn translucent. Add rosemary and thyme. 

3. Add carrots and kale and continue to cook for another three minutes, or until kale begins to wilt. 

4. Add the lentils and some of the lentil cooking liquid as well as the soy sauce. Turn to low heat and let simmer while making the biscuit dough. 

5. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Add the olive oil, water, and garlic to mashed potatoes and whisk with a fork. 

6. Create an indent in the flour and add mashed potatoes. Mix together with a fork until it reaches a doughy consistency. (May need to add a little more water if too dry) 

7. Roll dough into a ball and knead a few times. Then roll out into a circle for your pie dish. If you are using individual ramekins, simply cut the dough into a square that will fit each one. 

8. Add the frozen peas to the pan and stir to combine. Spoon your filling into your pie pan or ramekins accordingly. Add the biscuit dough on top. And bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Biscuits should be browning on top.

9. Let your pie cool if you can. If you just can't wait, beware and as always, enjoy! 

I know that I can't avoid mushrooms forever. Eventually I'm going to have to give them another chance. Hopefully when I do, I find them delicious, just like when I recently gave dates a second chance.