Tag: vegan substitutions possible

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Simple Tostadas

Ingredients:

  • Tostadas
  • Refried beans (make sure they’re vegetarian! Amy’s is a great vegetarian brand)
  • Salsa
  • Cheddar Cheese (or any substitution)
  • Jarred or fresh jalapenos
  • Black olives (optional)
  • Other misc. toppings, such as guacamole, lettuce, or sour cream

Directions:

  1. Spread your refried beans on the tostada and build your other toppings on top. I prefer to do it in the order of: refried beans, salsa, jalapenos, olives, and cheddar cheese. If you are adding guacamole, lettuce, or sour cream add AFTER heating
  2. Place your tostadas on a baking tray/sheet and place in the oven or toaster oven. If your oven/toaster oven has a broil function, set to low and leave for about 4 minutes. Check regularly to ensure nothing is burning. If you do not have a broiler function, set your oven to a low temperature and monitor regularly.
  3. Once out, if you would like to add fresh toppings, do so! Allow for it to cool to a handling temperature and enjoy.

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Simple Avocado Toast

Ingredients:

  • 2 pieces of bread
  • 1 Ripe avocado (preferably medium or large)
  • Lime juice
  • Salt
  • Hot sauce (optional, I prefer Cholula)
  • A fried egg/egg white (optional)

Directions:

  1. Toast your bread as desired. I find that toastier bread leads to a better flavor dynamic with the toppings
  2. As you wait for the toast to finish, cut your avocado in half length-wise, and twist to open. If you have a sharp, heavy knife, whack the pit and twist to remove. If you do not, or are worried about cutting yourself, cut the half of the avocado with the pit into small slivers so that it pops out, or remove it carefully with a spoon.
  3. Once your toast is ready, scoop your avocado out of its skin and place ½ of the avocado on each piece of bread.
  4. Using a fork, mush the avocado and spread around the toast, dispersing as you see fit.
  5. Add your toppings to your taste and enjoy!

If you still need additional help with how to remove the pit and remove the avocado from its skin, see this tutorial

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Mandelbrot Cookies

Yield: 3 Dozen

Ingredients:

  • 3 Eggs (Can be replaced with egg replacer to make vegan cookies)
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • ½ cup Vegetable Oil
  • 3 teaspoons Vanilla
  • 3 ¼ cups Unbleached Flour
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder
  • Sugar (for topping)

Optional Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, to add to the Cocoa for a sweeter cookie
  • Lemon or Orange Rind
  • ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
  • ¼ cup chopped Walnuts

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 °F.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add sugar and mix well, then add oil and vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and any additional ingredients
  4. Add to the egg mixture to your dry ingredients and stir until well blended.
  5. Divide the dough in half and add the cocoa to half the dough.
  6. Take ½ of the vanilla half and ½ of the chocolate half, and squeeze them together to form a long marble

roll about 13 inches long by 3 inches wide. This is easily done right on the baking sheet with floured

hands. Repeat the process, forming one more marble roll with the remaining dough. Sprinkle sugar on

top. (This is how it is traditionally prepared)

  1. Alternatively, my family takes the same process but flatten the vanilla dough, place a log of the cocoa dough in the center, and roll it into a log with vanilla on the outside and cocoa in the center. It allows for a nice mix of the flavors! The dimensions will remain the same
  2. Bake these rolls for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and once slightly cooler, cut into ¾ inch slices. Let the cookies cool well before enjoying
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Mac N’ Cheese Sauce

Makes approximately 2 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 Tbsp flour
  • 1 cup milk (any kind)
  • Nutmeg, to taste
  • Cheese- any kind, to taste (I choose to use about a cup of cheddar)

Directions:

  1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Once melted, add the flour to create a roux and let cook until the mixture begins to turn golden.
  2. Once golden, add the cup of milk and whisk together until there are no clumps of roux left. Add nutmeg, if desire, and allow the milk to heat until lightly boiling.
  3. Add in the desired amount of cheese and mix until incorporated. The sauce should be thick, but note that it will thicken as it cools down or extra cheese is added

To serve, simply mix with your pasta of choice and enjoy! If you would like to make a vegan version, simply use a plant-based milk of your choice (I like almond milk for this recipe) and a vegan cheese substitute.

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Basic Pancakes

Yield: approximately 8 pancakes

 

Dry Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups milk (any kind)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (vegetable oil can be used for a vegan substitute)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional, but recommended)
    • For a unique flavor, use 1/2 tsp lemon extract. Adds a very nice, subtle lemon flavor.

Instructions:

  1. Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl
  2. Whisk together wet ingredients in a separate bowl
  3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. If you are going to fold in additional mix-ins, do so now
  4. Spoon approximately 1/3 cup batter onto a hot, greased/non-stick gridle or pan. Cook until the top begins to bubble and the bubbles begin to pop, and then flip.  Cook on both sides until each is the desired shade.
    • If not served immediately, the pancakes can be warmed in a 150-200˚ oven until you are ready to serve them. Do not leave in for too long or at too great a temperature

Note on substitutions for a vegan version:

  • If you are going to swap this for a vegan alternative, I suggest applesauce, as it adds a nice, light flavor. Do NOT use bananas unless you really, really, really want your pancakes to taste entirely like bananas.
  • The melted butter can be swapped for oil, though if done, it is recommended you go for one of the smaller possible values of butter/oil to be used
  • The milk used can be any kind, including a plant-based substitute

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Basic Waffles

Yield: approximately 8 standard-sized waffles

Dry Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp sugar

Wet ingredients:

  • 3 large eggs, well beaten
  • 4 to 16 tbsp melted butter (Variance determines texture. 4 tbsp is a reduced-fat waffle, 8 tbsp is a classic, fluffy waffle, 16 tbsp is a crunchy waffle.)
  • 1 1/2 cups milk

Instructions:

  1. Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl
  2. Whisk together wet ingredients in a separate bowl
  3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Gently whisk them together. The batter should have a pebbled look. (Fold in mix-ins now if desired)
  4. Spoon approximately 1/2 cup of batter onto your hot waffle iron. Close the lid and bake.
    • If not served immediately, the pancakes can be warmed in a 150-200˚ oven until you are ready to serve them. Do not leave in for too long or at too great a temperature

Note on substitutions for a vegan version:

  • If you are going to swap this for a vegan alternative, I suggest applesauce, as it adds a nice, light flavor. Do NOT use bananas unless you really, really, really want your waffles to taste entirely like bananas.
  • The melted butter can be swapped for oil, though if done, it is recommended you go for one of the smaller possible values of butter/oil to be used
  • The milk used can be any kind, including a plant-based substitute