The Veggie Gal

Potato pancakes are soooo good!  Of course you can find tons of different ways to make the on the Internet but this is my families favorite way and of course egg free and that means cholesterol and fat free too!  I have tried them with fresh chopped onions but for some reason those little freeze dried onions give it such a good flavor.  I have also found that celery salt brings out an amazing flavor in just about all potato dishes so I use it them often.

Potato Pancakes
Makes; 6-8

1 cup shredded potatoes (can use frozen just let them defrost)
4 Tablespoons of oat flour (whole oats ground into flour in your Magic Bullet) can use gluten free oats if desired
4 Tablespoons dried chopped onions (can do 1/4 cup freshly chopped)
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the oat flour with enough water to make it like you would pancake batter.  Mix in the rest of the ingredients and toss well to blend flavors.

Grab a nice handful and smash it together in your hands to make a pancake.  Don’t worry if it does not stick together perfect once it cooks on one side it will stick together.  Place into a  good nonstick skillet (sprayed with a small amount of cooking spray if needed) and smash down.  Cook over medium heat until golden brown, flip, press down and cook again until golden brown.  That’s it!  ENJOY!

Tags: Breakfast, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Potato pancakes, Potatoes, Quick and easy, Quick dinner, Quick vegan, Side dish, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

I thought vegan cheesecake might taste weird or gross without having regular cream cheese and sour cream, especially since I don’t love the vegan versions of those two things.  WOW I was wrong!  It is so creamy, rich and delicious!  Be careful though it is NOT low fat and something to have on the rare occasion.

Many of the recipes for vegan cheesecake call for you to buy the store bought graham cracker or Oreo crust.  The problem with most of the store bought ones is they have added oils and they are in the hydrogenated form.  Plus they all seem to have high fructose corn syrup which I really stay away from.  I’m sure you can find a natural one if you look but I am too lazy so I made my own.  In included the recipe but if you don’t care about the above things go right ahead and buy the store bought one.

Everyone likes their cheese cake topped with something different so adjust the berry recipe to your liking or eat the cheesecake plain.  I again don’t like to buy the store bought topping because it usually has high fructose corn syrup or heavy corn syrup which are just horrible for you.  I trim corners where I can so if I do cheat with something like this it is not a total guilt fest   For ideas on the substitutions/vegan versions check out my substitution page.

Berry Topped Cheezecake
Serves; 8-10 depending on the slice size

Homemade Crust;

2 cups of vegan cookies of your choice (I use Amy’s chocolate graham bunnies-no hydrogenated oils)
12-14 pitted dates- enough to make it stick together
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until completely broken down and it is starting to stick together.  Grab a handful and squeeze it together, if it stays stuck together well then you have enough dates if not then add 2 more and continue until it sticks together well.

Pour mixture into a round cake pan and press down and to the sides.  Pour the cheezecake mixture into it and follow baking instructions (see below).

Cheezecake Filling;
2 8 oz vegan cream cheese
2 cups vegan sour cream
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 egg re-placers (I use Ener G Replacer)

With a hand mixer blend together the cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until smooth and creamy.   Add the vanilla, flour and egg replacer and blend until completely mixed together.  Pour into your store bought or homemade pie crust (see above for recipe).

Bake 50-65 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.  The sides will start to pull away and crack slightly.  Pan size and thickness of the pan will adjust how long it has to cook so check after 45 minutes.

Cool completely and then put in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours to chill more.

Slice and serve with the Berry Topping (recipe below) ENJOY!

Berry Topping;

1 cup mixed berries or berries of your choice (fresh or frozen)
1 Tablespoon sweetener of your choice
2 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon arrowroot (or cornstarch mixed in a little water) to thicken slightly

Cook all ingredients on medium heat in a small pan for 5-10 minutes until cooked through, the berries are somewhat broken down and it starts to slightly thicken. Cool completely then chill in a covered container until ready to top the cheezecake. Enjoy!

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Tags: Easy Vegan, Vegan, vegan cheesecake, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

Some things just need a topping and I think spaghetti is one of them!  When I was a vegetarian I used to pack tons of cheese on top of my baked spaghetti and everyone loved it.  When I went vegan that same baked spaghetti was pretty dry and bland without the cheese.  Yes, I could pack on tons of Daiya vegan cheese and it would probably be very good and who knows one day I might give it a try but I like to eat low fat where I can so a bread crumb crust is where I landed.  It is a nice landing too because most people like some crusty bread with their spaghetti and this is the best of both worlds.

As many vegan’s know finding vegan bread crumbs at regular stores is almost impossible.  Plus, I don’t like all the stuff that is added and like to add my own spices to flavor it the way I want it so I make my own.  It is quick and easy, don’t worry.  If you have a gluten intolerance you can use rice or quinoa noodles then don’t put the bread crumbs on (unless you have found a great gluten free bread you like-I haven’t).

Baked Spaghetti w/Bread Crumb Crust
Serves 6-8

1/2 package of spaghetti noodles
1/2 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1  28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 Tablespoon sugar
Breadcrumbs;
4-6 slices of whole wheat bread
1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Boil spaghetti in salted water until tender then drain.

Preheat your oven to 400° F.

While spaghetti is cooking steam the onion and bell pepper in a little bit of water until soft.  Add crushed and diced tomatoes, and spices then stir well.

Pour the spaghetti and tomato sauce into a 9 x 12 baking pan, mix well and cover with tin foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.

While spaghetti is baking put the bread slices and seasonings into your Magic Bullet or blender and process until you have nice bread crumbs.

Remove pan from oven, remove the foil and sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top.  Spray the top of them with a quick and even coat of cooking spray so they don’t burn and return to the oven.  Cook until the bread crumbs turn golden brown, 5-10 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes then ENJOY!

Lemon & Vanilla Pudding makes a great dessert after this dish!

Tags: Baked Spaghetti w/Bread Crumb Crust, Dinner, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Pasta, Quick and easy, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

I wanted to point out that I have added a new page to this blog after many requests to do so.  The new Substitutions page will help anyone who is interested in transitioning to a vegan diet by giving you substitutions for all the meat, dairy and other animal based products.  I have put descriptions and pictures of many of the products I personally use and enjoy.  Please check it out and if you see that anything is missing that you might want on there just let me know and I will add it for you.

Have a great day!

Kim~The Veggie Gal

Tags: substitutions