Day 53!

Hello!

I have been harboring up recipes like there is no tomorrow!  My culinary creativity has been exploding lately.    I must say I do love cooking vegan,  I feel such a sense of self accomplishment when I do.  When I began veganism, I think I was more looking at the health concerns and curiosity when I started to do it.  I did also do it because of the animals, and how awful it was for them, but now...I feel like a true vegan when I got upset about something at work and was thinking to myself how these poor animals had to die, so that people who did not understand food come in and send it back, mainly out of their lack of knowledge towards it.  I do love being a vegan to, absolutely love it.  Any who, so back to recipes.  Today I am going to share with you three recipes, and since I am off tomorrow I am going to add three more recipes after that, but as of right now I am going to share with you Vegan Eggplant Lasagna,  Vegan Pizza, and Spaghetti Squash.

Vegan Eggplant Lasagna:
1 Eggplant,  Peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
1 Package Vegan Mozzarella (I found at Stop N' Shop)
1 Package of Lasagna Noodles ( I also found at Stop N' Shop,  just read ingredients)
1 Can Sans Marzano Tomatoes (I know I use ALL THE TIME, but I <3 it)
1/2 Can Small Tomato Paste
3 Cloves, Fresh Minced Garlic
1/2 Onion, Small Dice
2 Tsp Oregano 
Oil to coat the pan
Red Pepper Flakes, to your liking
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.

Get a pot of boiling salted water on the stove.  Get this going before you start sauce, so its ready when you are finished with the sauce.  Remember you want the water salty, like the ocean.  (That's what they used to say while I was in culinary school. )

Get a pot on the stove put on medium, coat the pan with oil (- I should probably mention this, when cooking do not use olive oil when needing to cook things in a pan or to saute stuff,  it was a high smoke point and will smoke out your kitchen in no time,  I usually use vegetable oil when cooking and add olive oil to stuff afterwards if needed, olive oil is for the taste-)

So anyways coat the pan with oil, bring to heat.  Add the garlic and the onion and cook until tender.  In a food processor add your can of sans marzano tomato and pulse, leaving a few chunks in there.  Add to the pot on the stove,  fill can 1/3 way up with water and put into the mix.  Add half a can of tomato paste, making sure to stir it in so it isn't clumpy. Add Oregano (Oregano is my favorite seasoning to use in Italian cooking,  usually I use dry, but when I am feeling it I buy the fresh, which is absolutely amazing and I recommend you try it someday!)  Season with Salt, Pepper and Red Pepper Flakes, depending on your ability to handle heat.

Put the lasagna noodles into the water and cook according to the directions.  (I actually do not follow the directions, I just keep an eye on it until its Al Dente.  If you are unfamiliar with lasagna though, I recommend you follow the directions, you do not want mush for your lasagna noodles ).  Place on a plate when pulling out of the water.

Get a pan out to cook your lasagna in.  Coat bottom of pan with sauce, then add a layer of eggplant, lasagna noodles, sauce, cheese, eggplant, lasagna noodles, sauce cheese, etc.  Ending with a layer of sauce on top of lasagna noodles (If you want you can add some cheese to the top.)

Bake in the oven 25-35 minutes, keeping an eye on it, every oven is different

Sooo good, and you don't even realize its completely vegan.  Enjoy!

Vegan Pizza:

2 Cups Flour
1 Pinch Sugar
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Warm Water
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Single Package Yeast

Pizza sauce of your choice (You can use the above recipe for sauce, that's what I used)

Toppings of your choice ( I used a vegan mozzarella, vegan cheddar, oregano, and sliced fresh tomatoes)

Preheat oven to 550.  ( I know insane, but it really worked like that)

Directions For Dough:
Place flour, sugar, vegetable oil, salt and yeast into a mixing bowl, stir with your hand just to incorporate everything.  Then add the water, mixing again with your hands, work the dough in the bowl moving around in the bowl for about 10-15 minutes, until the dough stops sticking to your hand.  You may need to add a bit more flour to it, just keep an eye on it.  After it is mixed and not sticking, let rise for 30 minutes, cover with a damp paper towel.

After the dough is risen, punch down.  Flour a clean surface and flour a rolling pin and roll very thin.  Add sauce, cheese and your toppings.  

Place on a pizza pan, bake for 10 minutes.  Before eating let cool for 5 - 10 minutes, the cheese will fall right off if you don't and you can burn the roof of your mouth.

Enjoy!

So last one here is really easy, and I made the spaghetti squash with the lasagna, because I thought it was funny how it really looked like spaghetti.  

Ingredients:

1 Spaghetti Squash

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Get a pot of water boiling and add the spaghetti squash, cook for 45 minutes- 1 hour.  It is done when you can stick a knife through it like a potato.  Cut it down the middle, lengthwise and remove the middle gunk and the seeds.  Take a fork and pull the squash out, it will look like spaghetti strands.  Now you can put whatever you like on it, I have heard of people putting tomato sauce, salsa, etc.  I just used good old olive oil and salt + pepper.  It is really filling and so delicious.

I just wanted to add this one culinary tip when boiling anything you want to start cooking in cold water anything from the ground (Potatoes, Carrots, Etc.)  So you would want to add the water and the item to the pot at the same time, but you are going to want to start cooking anything not from the ground in hot water, it just comes out better that way,  so you would add item after the water has come to a boil.

That's all for now, I am definitely going to update more with includes a Sweet Potato Roasted Cauliflower and Roasted Red Pepper Bisque,  Vegan Brazilian Strogonaff and a Vegan Veggie Burger made from scratch!

Namaste,

V