Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard (2024)

3 Ingredient Vegan Gnocchi

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The first time I ever tried gnocchi was 2 years ago. I was browsing Pinterest (’cause duh, what else would I be doing with my time?) and came across this mysterious dish called “gnocchi”. Pasta made out of potatoes and flours.

Pu-lease. I am too sophisticated for that.

But I checked out the recipe anyway. I’m inquisitive like that. It looked easy (ha!) and the photos were mouth-watering so I thought I’d give it a try for dinner the next night when my best friend was coming over. Best friends forgive you when you mess up new recipes.

But wouldn’t you know it – my friend, who is Italian (!!!), actually helped me make the gnocchi that night because her grandmother had taught her. We had her granny on speed-dial during the whole process, and every time we got stuck on something (this recipe was supposed to be EASY, you guys!), we’d give her a ring, she’d sigh at our lack of gnocchi knowledge, and proceed to tell us what to do next.

After 3 hours (OMG 3 HOURS MAKING “EASY” GNOCCHI), we were done. Starving, exhausted, but so proud of ourselves! It was one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten.

And then I had to go and become vegan. And so I can’t make Italian granny’s recipe anymore because “the eggs are important”. I think she’d lose her mind if I asked her “would flax eggs work”. And I can’t have a little old Italian lady hating me, so let’s avoid asking her that, mmkay?

But then recently I really, really wanted gnocchi. It came out of nowhere. You know when you’re in the store and you see the most beautiful dragonfruit ever and even though you’ve never had dragonfruit before, you just want to dig right in, right there in the middle of the grocery store.

THAT. That right there.

Imagine that feeling times infinity and that’s how I felt about gnocchi last week. For two days straight, it was all I could think about. Could I use flax eggs? (Shut up, brain!) Could I just eliminate the eggs altogether? What was I going to do? How could I make vegan gnocchi that actually tasted good (and didn’t take 3 hours to make – ’cause no, thanks – not gonna happen again)?

Eventually, I got so desperate that I just started throwing ingredients into a bowl. Flour all over my shirt, in my hair, and mashed potatoes stuck to every surface in my kitchen. But did I care? Nuh-uh. I was making gnocchi!

With a bit of trial and error, I managed to make the most delicious, perfect little gnocchi friends I’ve ever tasted. I even pat myself on the back, I was so proud. And then I ate my way through that pile of gnocchi in no time flat. OMGOSHHHHHH I MISS YOU, GNOCCHI!

Not only is this gnocchi easy to make, it also uses just 3 ingredients. What?! Yes. 3. As in 1, 2, 3. Why do Italian grandmother’s have to make gnocchi so complicated? The quicker I can get gnocchi in my face the better, and this 2-ingredient recipe is my new go-to when I’m craving pasta pillows for dinner.

Homemade Vegan Gnocchi

Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard (7)

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Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Entree

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 6 medium Russet potatoes
  • 3 cups kamut flour (or all-purpose)
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F. Poke your potatoes with a fork and place on a large baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a knife can be inserted into the middle of the potato easily.
  2. Slice the potatoes down the middle lengthwise and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
  3. With a clean kitchen towel, grab hold of one of the potatoes and scoop the flesh out. Repeat with remaining potatoes.
  4. Pass your potato flesh through a potato ricer and place it all on a clean surface in your kitchen (the counter, the table, etc.).
  5. Gently spread out the potatoes on your surface and start sprinkling the flour on top, about a cup at a time. Cut the flour into the potatoes with a large spatula. Once the flour is absorbed, add another cup of flour, repeat and add ½ cup of flour and cut it in, as well. If you need the final ½ cup flour, add it, and cut it in. If you don't need it, just leave it out. You should be able to form the dough into a large disk.
  6. Dust with flour and then wrap your disk in plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes.
  7. Cut a chunk of the dough off of the disk and roll it until it is about ½ inch thick. Cut the roll into 1-inch pieces. Repeat with the remaining dough.
  8. Heat a large pot of water over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add 1 tsp salt, then add a bunch of the gnocchi (do this in batches - don't over-crowd them or they won't cook properly). They should sink to the bottom and then float to the top when they are done (about 2-3 minutes).
  9. Serve with marinara, vegan parmesan cheese and fresh basil or parsley.

Mini Cauliflower Crust Pizzas with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

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The other day I was thinking out loud and my brain forced me to blurt out“cauliflower crust pizza I need you in my liiiiiife”. And clearly if I’m thinking about a particular food, I need to make it, or my brain will not be happy. And so I obliged. I made cauliflower crust pizza. And it was just as amazing as I thought it would be.

The reason I went with mini pizzas is because every time I try to make a full-size pizza, the crust always falls apart and I cry and curse and hit things.

So I went with mini pizzas this time. Thankfully, there was no foul language shooting out of my mouth when these babies were done. My husband was thankful.

I topped my pizzas with marinara, lentils, green peppers and a healthy dose of vegan parmesan cheese. The result? An easy to eat, healthy, gluten-free vegan pizza and makes my tummy happy. Success!


Mini Cauliflower Crust Pizzas with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard (11)

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Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Pizza

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

Marinara Sauce

  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, not packed in oil
  • 1 cup chopped tomato
  • ½ chopped cucumber
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • ¼ tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼-1/2 tsp salt

Cauliflower Crust

  • 1½ cups cauliflower florets
  • 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
  • 6 tbsp water
  • ½ cup almond meal
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp basil
  • ¼ tsp oregano

Instructions

Marinara Sauce

  1. Soak your sun-dried tomatoes for at least 2 hours, then drain.
  2. Add all marinara ingredients to a food processor or blender and process/blend until combined.

Cauliflower Crust

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Set aside.
  2. Place the cauliflower into a food processor (you may need to do this in batches, depending on how large your food processor is) and pulse until you get a rice-like texture.
  3. Add the cauliflower rice into a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain the cauliflower rice and allow to cool completely.
  4. Once cooled, the the cauliflower rice and transfer to a large, clean dishtowel. Wrap it up and squeeze out as much of the remaining liquid as you can. The more, the better.
  5. Mix together 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds with 6 tablespoons water and set aside to thicken.
  6. Add the cauliflower to a large bowl, then add in the chia seeds, almond meal, salt, garlic, basil, oregano and flax egg. Mix well, then divide the mixture into about 12 balls. Form those balls into small pizzas and place on the baking sheet. Press together well so that the crust stays together when baking.
  7. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the top is dry and golden brown. Flip, and bake another 5-10 minutes.
  8. Then, add your toppings and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes, or until everything is nice and warm.

8 Comments

When I was a kid, my favourite soup was chicken noodle. Preferably from a can. And preferably without any chicken and mostly noodles.

I would often eat canned soup for lunch on the weekends. It was easy enough for me to make myself once I knew how to use a can opener and the microwave (that’s right, I didn’t even cook it in a pot on the stove).

Chicken noodle soup was my thang. For years. Even as an adult, it was one of my favourite things to eat when I was too lazy to come up with something a bit more creative.

Now, though, I’m obviously done with chicken noodle, but I still love the comfort of soup. My current favourite is vegetable, but this lentil soup is a close second.

It’s easy to throw together, it’s crazy good for you, and it tastes amazing. Way better than chicken noodle soup ever did.

Side note: Photographing soup is HARD. Photographing brown soup is even harder. Perhaps the green parsley on top will help? What if I stick some green in the background?

Be jealous of my food photography skillzzzz. Or not.

When it’s cold and gray outside (like today at my house!), soup is the perfect remedy. Try this lentil soup and let me know if you enjoyed it as much as I did!

Lentil Soup with Cumin & Coriander

Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard (15)

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Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Entree, Lunch

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, minced
  • 4 medium carrots, chopped
  • 4 celery stalks, chopped
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups green or brown lentils, uncooked (I used brown)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp coriander
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 large bay leaf
  • 2 whole sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 cup chopped spinach
  • ½ cup chopped tomatoes
  • Salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
  2. Add in the onion, carrots, celery and garlic, and cook until tender and browned.
  3. Add the lentils, cumin, coriander, broth, bay leaf and fresh thyme. Give it all a good mix, then add lid and simmer over low heat until the lentils are tender, 30-40 minutes.
  4. Remove the bay leaf and thyme, and add in the chopped spinach and tomatoes. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until spinach has wilted.
  5. season with salt and pepper, and serve, with some fresh parsley on top for colour (if desired).

Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Chickpeas

4 Comments

Brrrr, it’s cold outside! Why did I choose to live somewhere that’s cold for 9 months out of the year?

Despite the cold outside, I am warming up inside with this bowl of butternut squash soup. Mmmm. Super easy to make, super healthy, and super duper warm-you-up-inside. It’s like a hug. A soup hug. Go ahead and give it a squeeze.

There. Don’t you feel better?

This soup is smooth and velvety. Bright and bold. Flavourful and healthy.

Amazing and amazing. No, but seriously. It’s GOOD. As long as you have a large pot and an immersion blender, you are just an hour away from a warm, comforting bowl of butternut squash soup.

The oven-roasted chickpeas are important!

Plain soup is boring. It’s like serving chili without tortilla chips or bread. Just wrong! Chickpeas will adda nice little somethin’-somethin’ to your soup – so don’t skip them!

Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Chickpeas

Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard (19)

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Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Soup

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

  • 1 medium butternut squash
  • 2 large carrots, chopped
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
  • ½ cup cooked chickpeas
  • 6-8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 2-3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp basil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds (you can throw them out or save them for roasting later). Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil, and place the squash cut-side down on a large baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the middle of the squash with minimal resistance.
  3. While the squash is cooking, line another large baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick mat. Add the chopped carrots and onion, chickpeas, and the smashed garlic. Separate the chickpeas from everything else, since they will not be going in the soup. I put them on the left side of my baking sheet and everything else was on the right. Drizzle with ½ tbsp olive oil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until tender.
  4. Once everything is cooked, add it all (except the chickpeas!) to a large pot over low-medium heat. Add broth and milk, and use an immersion blender to blend until the soup reaches your desired consistency.
  5. Add spices, stir, and simmer 5-10 minutes. Serve warm, topped with roasted chickpeas.

Sesame-Orange Tofu Rice Bowl

2 Comments

What’s another word for “in love”?

Infatuated? No… Obsessed? No…

I know – enamored. Yes, enamored. That’s exactly how I feel about rice bowls. Completely and utterly enamored. I guess you could say I’m infatuated and obsessed, too, but either way: LOVE.

So GORG! Swoon.

I piled a heap of brown rice, sauteed kale and a sweet & savory sesame-orange tofu on my plate and then sprinkled with some sesame seeds and green onions. DINNER IS SERRRRRRVED. YES.

The combination of orange juice, sesame oil, and a hint of heat from the red chili flakes, makes your mouth be all “what is this deliciousness I’m tasting and why don’t you feed it to me more often?”. I’m sorry mouth. I will do better.

Can I also mention that my kids ate this and kinda sorta liked it? For real! My anti-tofu, anti-anything green kids liked this meal. Surprise of a lifetime. Guess that means no leftovers for me. But my kids ate greens! And tofu! Who are they?!

Now it’s your turn to dig into this super yummy bowl of everything awesome. Enjoy, friend!

Sesame Orange Tofu Rice Bowl

Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard (25)

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Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Entree

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 3 tbsp tamari
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • ¼ tsp sea salt
  • 1 lb extra-firm tofu, sliced into ¼ inch pieces

Rice Bowl

  • Sliced green onions, for garnish
  • 1½ tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 cup kale, chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Add cornstarch and water in a small bowl until the cornstarch is fully disolved. Set aside.
  3. In an 9x9 inch baking dish, add orange juice, orange zest, red pepper flakes, tamari, maple syrup, vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, salt and pepper, and the cornstarch & water mixture. Stir to combine .
  4. Add tofu coat it with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate 30-60 minutes.
  5. To bake, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, flipping the tofu over halfway through cooking time.

Rice Bowl

  1. While the tofu is cooking, heat a large pan over medium heat. Once warmed, add your olive oil, then the minced garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is lightly browned. Add in the kale and cook until wilted, another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. In a bowl or on a plate, add rice, then the kale, then the tofu. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

38 Comments

ENCHILADA LOVE OVER HERE!

Just look at these beauties. So gorgeous, so tasty, so healthy, so amazing. I’m in love!

This recipe all started with an expired jar of enchilada sauce.

You see, I had planned on making some enchiladas for dinner recently, and so I went to the store to buy some enchilada sauce. Because, you know, I was too lazy to make my own.

I came home, ready to get down to business, and that’s when I noticed that the enchilada sauce that I JUST BOUGHT was expired. By 3 months!

That’s what I get for trying to go the easy route.

After a fit of rage ensued (not really, but kinda sorta yes it’s true), I took some deep breaths and decided to just make my regular enchilada sauce. I had all the ingredients, and it was easy, so fine. I’ll do it. I wanted enchiladas too bad to give up on the whole operation.

After THAT situation was handled, I got to work on the filling for these enchiladas. I just used a few veggies I had in my fridge. When they were done cooking, I then drizzled some super yum cashew cream on top, sprinkled pretty things on top (because I like pretty food), and stuffed my face.

Totally oblivious to the awful enchilada sauce experience I’d just had. Because DAMN, these things are GOOD.


Vegan Veggie & Black Bean Enchiladas

Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard (30)

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Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Main Dish

Serves: 4 Servings

Ingredients

Enchilada Sauce

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp flour (I used kamut flour)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp oregano
  • 4 tbsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 cups vegetable broth

Cashew Cream

  • ⅓ cup raw cashews
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 garlic clove
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Filling

  • ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 small bell pepper, diced (I used red)
  • 1 small zucchini, diced
  • 1½ cups cooked black beans (or 1 15oz can)
  • ½ cup corn kernels
  • ¼ sliced olives (I used black olives)
  • 3-4 green onions, sliced
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro or parsley (I used parsley)
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • 8 flour or corn tortillas (I used flour tortillas)

Instructions

Enchilada Sauce

  1. In a small pot, heat your oil until warm, over low heat, then add in the flour and whisk until there are no clumps remaining. At that point, you can add in your spices, tomato paste and vegetable broth. Whisk until smooth. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until thickened.

Cashew Cream

  1. Add all ingredients to a food processor or high-powered blender and process/blend until very smooth.

Filling

  1. Add your oil to a large pan, over medium heat. Once warmed, add in your diced onion, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Then, add in the bell pepper and zucchini. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until softened.
  3. Add in your cooked black beans and corn, until it's all warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from heat and set aside.
  4. Preheat your oven to 350F and add a big ladle-full of enchilada sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
  5. Add about 2 tablespoons of veggies to a tortilla, top with olives, green onion and cilantro/parsley. Roll it up tightly, and place seam-side down in your baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  6. Pour the enchilada sauce over your enchiladas, making sure to cover everything well.
  7. Cover the baking dish with foil, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
  8. Serve with a drizzle of cashew cream, chopped cilantro/parsley, and a few more green onions on top.

1 Comment

My absolute favourite squash of all time is the gorgeous delicata squash. Not only is it beautiful, but it’s SO tasty! My favourite way to cook it is by roasting it in the oven with a bit of oil, salt & pepper.I can eat it as a snack on it’s own, that’s how good it is. Usually, though, it’s a side dish.

This recipe is hardly a recipe at all, considering there are only 4 ingredients (and one of them is the squash!). But it’s so delicious, I just had to share.

Slice your squash in half, and remove the seeds. This is the fun part. No really!

Normally I just throw out the seeds, but this time, I kept them, and roasted them, too, after the squash was done. They were so good!

Add to your baking sheet, toss with a bit of oil, salt & pepper. Then bake!

Come oooooon. Look at those little cuties? Don’t you just want to snatch them up and eat the whole entire bowl-full yourself?

No? Just me?

I added the squash to a rice bowl this time, with some sauteed greens and lentils. My belly was happy. Your belly would be happy too, if you made this squash! Do it!

Roasted Salt & Pepper Delicata Squash

Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard (36)

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Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Sides

Serves: 3-4 sides

Ingredients

  • 1 medium delicata squash
  • ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp salt (add more or less, to taste)
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (add more or less, to taste)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F.
  2. Wash the squash, then slice off the stem, and cut the squash in half, length-wise. Do not remove the skin. Remove and discard the seeds (or you can save them and roast them for a snack!). Slice squash into half-moon shapes, about ½ inch thick.
  3. Spread your squash out on a large baking sheet. Add the oil, salt & pepper, and mix well, with your hands, until every half-moon is covered.
  4. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time, or until the squash has browned and you can easily pierce it with a fork or knife.
  5. Serve hot!

35 Comments

Have I mentioned that I love mac & cheese? ‘Cause I doooooo, and I just can’t get enough.

This time, it’s mac and cheese made with a creamy cauliflower cheese sauce. De-lish!

I’ve made numerous mac and cheese recipes in my life, but I think this one takes the cake. It’s cheesy and creamy and satisfying and YUM YUM YUM.

Even my mom, who is far from vegan, loved this dish and asked for the recipe. Mom never asks for the recipe! I knew it was a keeper when even she loved it.

I added some smoked paprika on top for a bit of smoky flavour, but you don’t have to. But it’s delicious and it’s pretty, so why not?

Also, a bit of vegan parmesan cheese never hurt anyone. Throw it on there.

Eat up, eat more, and do a happy dance for delicious vegan mac and cheese. Yes!


Vegan Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard (41)

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Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Pasta

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 cups elbow macaroni
  • 1 large head cauliflower, chopped
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • Paprika, as garnish (optional)
  • Vegan parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
  2. Fill a large pot with water, and bring to a boil. Add in the chopped cauliflower and carrots. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until softened. Drain, and add to a food processor or high speed blender.
  3. Add in the oil, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Process/blend until smooth.
  4. Add cheese sauce to your pot full of drained pasta and mix well.
  5. Serve, with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese and some paprika, if desired.

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