Easy Vegan Nachos

These nachos are super easy and damn tasty. Paired with beans & and salad they could be a complete meal or served as an app on Cinco de Mayo!

What you will need:
Tortilla chips
Vegan cheese shreds
Diced tomatoes
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Cumin
Vegetable oil spray

1. Preheat oven to 425º. Line a cookie sheet with foil and lightly spray with vegetable oil.

2. Layer chips evenly across the sheet. Sprinkle with cheese, tomatoes & spices.

3. Heat in the oven for 5-6 minutes (the chips can burn quickly so keep your eye on them!) until cheese is hot & bubbly.

I served mine with organic refried black beans. Sadly all my avocados had gone bad or else I would have sliced some of those up to go with it as well.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

This is an easy vegan baked eggplant "parm" (I didn't have vegan parmesan so I used mozzarella instead). Much healthier than a fried version.

What you will need:
1 large eggplant
1/2 cup soy milk
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 jar marinara sauce
3/4 cup vegan mozzarella shreds
salt

1. Slice eggplant in 3/4" slices, layer in a strainer in a single layer and sprinkle with salt. Lay a plate or casserole dish on top of the eggplant. This will draw extra moisture out of the eggplant. Let drain for an hour or so. Remove slices from strainer, and pat with a dry paper towel.

2. Preheat oven to 400°. Put soy milk & bread crumbs on 2 separate plates. Dip each side of a piece of eggplant in the soy milk and then breadcrumbs and place on a lined cookie sheet. Repeat with all pieces.

3. Bake for 5-6 minutes on each side.

4. Pour half of the marinara into a casserole dish, layer on the eggplant, cover with the rest of the sauce then sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Vegan Grilled Cheese w/Tomato & Avocado

I love grilled cheese sandwiches. Before going vegan, grilled cheese with tomato soup was my husband and I's staple meal throughout the winter. I would crave them from In N Out Burger (it's been almost 20 years since I've consumed red meat, so it's all I would order there). I always told myself that cheese would be the biggest factor for me not to be vegan. Luckily, I got over that and discovered the wonderful world of vegan cheese. I really don't miss the nasty, casein filled crap I used to consume on a regular basis.

I whipped up these delicious sandwiches the other night and they were awesome. The bread is crispy and the avocado is warm and creamy - heaven. These would go great with a big bowl of tomato soup in the winter or homemade gazpacho in the summer.

What you will need:
Bread of choice, I went with sourdough
Vegan butter (Earth Balance is my favorite)
Daiya Mozzarella cheese shreds (or your favorite brand)
1 ripe tomato, diced
1/2 avocado, sliced thin or diced
Garlic salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat a large skillet (use one that has a lid) over medium high heat.

2. Butter 1 side of two pieces of bread. On the non-buttered layer the Daiya, tomatoes and avocado then sprinkle with spices. Place the second piece of bread butter side up on top and place in hot skillet.

3. Keep your eye on it, and flip over when you have your desired doneness of the bread.

4. Put the top on the skillet while the second side cooks. This helps the Daiya get all melty and wonderful. Again, watch for your desired doneness.

5. Remove from skillet, slice and dig in.

 

 

Mini Polenta Pizzas

I love polenta and I love pizza so I figured I would combine the two and see what happened. The result was magical. Like, Neil Patrick Harris and The Magic Castle magical.
Great to serve as an appetizer or pair it with a large side of sauteed greens for a delicious meal!

What you will need:
1 package polenta
Olive Oil (try an infused oil for more flavor!)
1 jar tomato sauce
Daiya Mozzarella Cheese Shreds
Italian Seasoning
Ground Pepper


1. Line a cookie sheet with foil and preheat oven to 400°. Slice polenta into 1/8-1/4" rounds and place in a single layer on the sheet.


2. Drizzle olive oil on each piece and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and switch it over to broil.


3. Spoon tomato sauce onto each round, follow with a sprinkle of Daiya and then spices to taste.


4. Place under the broiler and cook for about 5 minutes or until Daiya is melty and bubbling. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a minute before eating.

Pitfire Pizza

The first time I had Pitfire Pizza was the day we moved to Los Angeles. After unloading the truck and about a billion trips up and down the stairs, we were starved. Luckily my cousins suggested Pitfire and we headed over to their West LA location.


I have to admit I was a little disappointed at first because I figured I would be stuck with a boring salad (not satisfying after a day of hard labor). I was delighted when I grabbed a menu and saw that they offered vegan cheese (and Daiya no less!). I swear I could hear angels singing. I ordered the margherita and let me tell you, a pizza never tasted so good. The crust wasn't too thick or too thin and perfectly cooked with just the right amount of crispy fire-singed goodness. They didn't go overboard on the Daiya which is always a plus and the tomato sauce was sweet and tangy. Pitfire immediately became one of our favorite places. Since that initial visit we have returned many times trying a numerous variety of topping combos, none of which have disappointed.

Last night I had an amazing dinner planned out: tofu and veggies stir fried in a General Tso sauce over spicy greens. I was very excited about this meal until I discovered the sauce had oysters in it - BOOOOO! So we needed a back up and decided on Pitfire (getting to lounge in your jammies while someone else cooks your food and brings it to your door is always a bonus). This time I went with marinated tomato and fresh basil and I added a generous sprinkling of crushed red pepper. It was YUM. My favorite combo so far I think :)


Overall this is a great place for some delicious vegan pizza, I highly recommend it!