Recipe :: Lasagna Rolls (The Carnivores vs The Vegan)

Well Hello! I haven’t done a recipe in a few weeks, but never fear, I’m back! This time, with a recipe for EVERYONE! Late last week my new roommates and I went on a quest to try something new for dinner, something satiable, and edible by all dietary restrictions. And this is what we ended up with: Lasagna Rolls, a vegan and non-vegan version!
*Recipe for vegan ricotta here*

Begin by boiling water and cooking your noodles; while they come to a boil begin to prep your mix. Combine your spinach, cheeses, egg, and salt and pepper to taste in a mixing bowl. Heat up/cook your protein and add that in as well!Once your pasta is done, drain and rinse; then lay out either wax paper or saran wrap on the counter or work space and lay a few pieces at a time. Add about 2tbsp of filling to each piece of pasta, in a THIN layer, and roll from one end to the other. While you roll you can begin to preheat your oven to 400 degrees.Add your lasagna rolls to a non stick pan, then lather on the tomato sauce, making sure every bit is covered so the pasta does not dry out. For an extra cheesy effect, add a layer of shredded cheese to the top!
Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and you’re done! Healthy, delicious, and less mess than normal lasagna!

Let me know if you try this recipe! And Don’t Forget to Follow Me!

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Recipe Monday: Pretzel-Honey Mustard Crusted Tofu

So my roommate found and made a recipe for pretzel and honey mustard chicken on Pinterest one night; it smelled and looked so good I was compelled to try it with my tofu! The results; perfection. Only 4 ingredients, about 30 minutes of time, and it’s stress relieving. This dish had the sweet, salty, and healthy factor and literally just melted in my mouth. The only drawback was that I did NOT make enough for all the people who ended up wanting the vegan dish!

Ingredients you will need:
3/4 cup of Honey mustard
2-3 cups of pretzels
1-2 blocks of extra firm tofu
1 cup of Almond Milk
Begin by mixing your honey mustard and almond milk in a bowl until even and smooth. While doing that, or after, put your pretzels into a bag and crush as best you can! Using, whatever you can, as I did. Being vegetarian I didn’t have a meat cleaver, though I suspect that would work best.

After you drain your tofu with paper towels, make sure they are sliced about 1/4″ thick, then lather in the mustard-milk mixture, press into the pretzel mixture (make sure there’s a nice, thick, and even coat on there) then sear in a dash of oil in a frying pan! Sear until golden brown on each side.

I served mine with a side of broccoli and some extra honey mustard mix glazed on top. Like, I said, this is an amazing melt in your mouth dish that vegans and meat eaters alike enjoyed. Let me know if you try this recipe, or any variation of it with meat, or seitan, or what you think would work well!

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Recipe Monday: Enchilada Lasagna

Mexican meets Italian in this vegetarian, hybrid, all inclusive meal. WHAT? SO GOOD.And filling. And Spicy. AND DELICIOUS.

Here’s what you’ll need:
Rice
1 can of black beans
Red salsa
Salsa verde
5 tortilla wraps
1 packet crumbled “meat”
Cheese! (Daiya shredded or veggie slices for us veg’s, regular shredded for the rest of you!)


First, pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees farenheit, then begin cooking your rice and crumble. Once the rice is done, add the beans and mix evenly.
Take a round pan, add a layer of salsas, a tortilla, followed by a layer of rice and beans, and a layer of cheese. After another tortilla add your meat filling, sauce, another tortilla, more rice/beans/cheese, tortilla…et cetera. This part is so much fun when viewed on VineApp, are you using it yet!? It creates mini .movs/GIFs for iPhone only! I use my Vine for videos of my cat, food, and styling outfit of the day’s. If you use Vine, follow me username: Sahra Starr

Once you add your last layer, bake until crispy brown and melted cheesy. Take out, cut, and serve! This was a decently quick, and exceptionally delicious dinner for all!

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Recipe Monday: El Desparado ((Vegan Brunch!))

One of my favorite Providence restaurants, Julian’s, has this amazing Mexican take on the Eggs Benedict called El Desperado; it’s so good I figured I’d try it out at home and spice it up a bit by making it vegan friendly! It was DELCIOUS! And so now, I share it with you!

Ingredients you will need:
Extra Firm tofu (use a poached egg if you’re not vegan!)
Salsa
1 avocado
Sliced bread (the thicker the better, I learned!)
Spinach leaves
Ingredients you will need for Vegan Hollandaise sauce:
Silken tofu
Siriacha sauce
Corn or vegetable oil
Salt
Lemon or lemon juice
Tumeric
Nutritional yeast

Begin by heating your frying pan, and placing on two thick pieces of extra firm tofu; while those fry and cook slowly, put about 1/4 packet of silken tofu on a plate and microwave for 45 seconds. Then, transer to a blender and blend until smooth. Once it’s smooth, add in 1/2tbsp of salt, 1/2 tbsp tumeric, 2tbsp lemon juice, 1tbsp nutritional yeast, 2tbsp of oil, and a few drops of siriacha sauce (remember, that ‘ish is spice-ayyyyy!) and blend until smooth. Congrats, you have made vegan hollandaise!

In between the mixing of your hollandaise, be sure to keep an eye on your firm tofu that’s frying, and to flip it when you can see the bottom getting golden brown.
Start toasting your toast, lightly, then adding the layers of spinach and avocado. Once your firm tofu is cooked through, place it on the greens, then lather in a layer of your hollandaise. Lastly, top with an exorbitant amount of salsa, because yum.

Et Voila! A happy, healthy, green and clean brunch of spicy deliciousness and vegan-ness! Let me know if you try this recipe out and/or put your own spin on it! I know I’ll be toying with some variations of this in the coming weekends for a cheap brunch fix 😀

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Recipe Monday: Pumpkin Trifle

Here’s a lovely, and delectable, dessert for all your holiday parties! A pumpkin trifle!

Ingredients you will need:

1 box Gingerbread cake mix
1 can pumpkin puree
4 boxes of butterscotch pudding
1 egg
Pie spice (allspice, nutmeg,, cinnamon
1 1/4 cup water
4 cups milk of your choosing (I use soy)
1 carton Cool Whip

Begin by baking your gingerbread cake; mix the egg, mix, and water, cook at 350 degrees until brown on top. Let the cake cool COMPLETELY.
While it’s cooking, prepare your pudding mix; whip together the milk and pudding powder, then slowly add in the pumpkin puree until a creamy, smooth texture is achieved.

When your cake is COMPLETELY cooled, crumble it; then begin by pouring 1/4 of it into your serving dish. Layer 1/2 your pudding mix on top, 1/4 the cake crumble, 1/2 the cool whip, and repeat. Finish off with a few crumbles and spices as garnish.

Chill in the refrigerator at least an hour before serving; then ENJOY!

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Recipe Monday: Vegan Stuffing

The Winter holidays are engulfing us, and with that comes plenty of eating. As a 13 year vegetarian my plates have always been lackluster, but with my sister going veg and my mom trying to eat healthier, my family has come up with more veg-friendly options!
This week I’m sharing with you a recipe for vegan stuffing; it’s delicious and hearty and everything you need as a holiday side!

Ingredients:
2 bags of Pepperidge Farms Stuffing bread cubes
1/2 chopped onion
2 chopped apples (red delicious)
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 chopped pecans
2 stalks sliced celery
2 tsp parsley
2 cans of vegetable broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp sage

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a frying pan, sautee the onion, celery, and apple with the spices. Put all your bread cubes in a bowl and add the broth first, seasoned vegetables blend next and toss.

Pour into a casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes, until the top is browned and crisp.

Serve and Enjoy! Have a great Holiday season!

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Recipe Monday: Corona Cupcakes

Right after I found this recipe on Pinterest I knew it was one I’d have to try! And did I! This delectable dessert caters to all my booze loving friends and Ofcourse, myself. The recipe is decently easy and the frosting is seriously heaven; it completely makes the dessert!

Cupcake Ingredients:
3/4 cups butter or margarine
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder (not to be confused with baking soda)
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lime zest/juice
6 pack of Corona beer
1/4 cup milk

Now, I began by indulging in all things Mexican, just to get in the mood. Enchiladas for dinner, cracked open one of the beers, and began prepping (read: Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and lining my cupcake tin with cupcake liners).

Take your flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk together in a medium sized mixing bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, stir your butter and sugar together until smooth, even “fluffy”. Then add the eggs, vanilla, and lime to this concoction.
In a small mixing bowl combine your milk and beer (and be sure to keep stirring so they don’t separate).

Now comes the fun part. Slowly, alternatingly, add your flour mixture and the beer mixture into the butter/egg mixture. Once this is all together and a smooth cupcake-y texture you can start pouring it into your cupcake pan, filling each cup 3/4 of the way. Place cupcakes in the oven and bake for 18 minutes, and your ready to start making your frosting!

Frosting Ingredients:
8oz cream cheese
3 cup of confectioner’s sugar
4 tbsp butter or margarine
2 tbsp lime juice/zest

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl until a thick, frothy frosting. Make sure to taste test, as this, in my opinion, is the best part of the cupcake.

Okay, time to take out your cupcakes! Take a fork and, while still warm, poke holes in the top of the cupcake and use a pastry brush or spatula to glaze on some more Corona. It really helps soak the flavor into the cupcake. Let them cool fully before frosting!

Voila! Feel free to garnish with lime slices or beer tabs as you like! And don’t forget to fully enjoy (responsibly) and share these delicious desserts with your friends!

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Recipe Monday: Pumpkin Risotto

Welcome from the heart of Hurricane Sandy! I’m beating the rainy blues by cooking until the power goes out, and I’ve been feeling festive! Today’s recipe; pumpkin risotto, complete with butternut squash.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp of butter or margarine

1 tbsp Olive oil

2.5 cups of Arborrio rice

3 cups butternut squash

1 can Pumpkin puree

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, diced (or 2 tbsp of minced garlic from a can)

1 can of vegetable broth

Begin by cooking your garlic, onion, butter, and oil in a pan. When the butter is melted, add 1 cup of rice and 1/4 the can of broth, and 1 scoop of pumpkin. Stir continually, adding in the butternut squash, more rice, broth, and pumpkin puree as you go and the rice soaks up the broth and flavors.

 

While I worked on the risotto (it takes a solid hour-hour and half of cooking, until all the rice has soaked up all the liquid) my dad cooked a pumpkin dessert! Needless to say, our kitchen smelled amazing.

When you’ve finished soaking all up, turn off the stove and let cool a bit, then transfer to a serving dish. I chose to add some sprinkles of parsley before serving!

Enjoy! This is a delicious and warm addition to any festive meal!

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Recipe Monday: Mandarin Mango Curry “Chickn”

Ever since my mom accidentally bought Gardein brand faux meat I’ve been in love, experimenting and cooking weekly with all the different “meats”. Finally, I came across what in my mind can only be called a perfect meal. I introduce to you, Mandain Mango Curried “Chick’n” over brown rice with spinach leaves.OH YES.

Ingredients:

Gardein Mandarin Chicken

Brown rice

Bag of Spinach leaves

Archer Farms mango curry sauce

Mayonnaise

Vegetable oil

Begin by boiling your rice, or tossing it in the microwave like I do with my boil in a bag style.

Pour some oil into a pain and begin frying your “chicken”.

While that is frying, take your mandarin sauce, mango curry, and mayonnaise and combine in a small bowl. It should be about equal parts mayo and mandarin sauce, and as much mango as you’d like (I use quite a bit). Feel free to add some extra red pepper flakes if you’d like it spicier!

Once everything is done cooking you can put it together. Now, I have OCD so I’m really particular about the presentation. I start with about 3/4 cup of rice in each bowl, then add on a thin layer of spinach leaves, then the “meat”, followed by the pouring on of the curry.

Enjoy!

Like I said this is one of my favorite meals I’ve learned to cook. Let me know if you try it!

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Recipe Monday: Calzone

Made this DELICIOUS meal last night with some friends I’d spent the weekend with. It was possibly the best thing I’d eaten all week.

ingredients:
Pizza dough (recipe here)
1 egg white
Uncooked spinach
Ricotta cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Tomato purée
1 jalapeño
Minced garlic
MorningStar “bacon” strips (feel free to use real bacon if you’re not veggie)

Start with the sauce; chop and mince the jalapeño pepper, then add it, along with a tablespoon of minced garlic and the tomato purée, to a sauce pan and heat stirring the entire way through. Feel free to add other spices such as onion powder, garlic powder, pepper and salt, to taste.
Next, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and begin to spread your pizza dough. Then put the sauce over about half of it, leaving about 1/2 inch perimeter. Add your ingredients to only that half, then add more sauce to the whole bit of the dough, save for the edges.

Fold the dough only half over, making sure to squish the edges together so they cannot desperate during the baking.
Take your egg white and glaze the top of your calzone, and cut 3-5 1inch slits for ventilation.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden on top. Take out and let cool, then dig in!

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