Cass B Chickpea

I have enjoyed learning more about other cultures through their food. I did not get a ton of exposure to different cuisines growing up, and I was so picky that I'm not sure I would have liked it. Now that I'm older, I've been trying new things. Over the last year, I've been experimenting with Indian dishes and spices. Since I love making pasta, I thought one of the easiest ways for me to learn Indian spices was through one of my favorite dishes, so I created this Vegan Curried Mac with my normal cheese sauce with a twist in the spice section. I added peas because they're one of my favorites to add to pastas, and you can see how beautiful the color and texture turned out. Please like, share, and follow for more content! And let me know how you like this recipe! Vegan Curried Mac   Yield:  4-6 servings Prep time:  20 minites Total time:  30 minutes Ingredients Pasta Noodles |  1 box  Cashews |  3/4 cups Almond or Coconut Milk | 1 cup...

Did someone say soup and chili season? This Roasted Corn Chowder is the first of the lineup I have planned. It is a great way to get in lots of in-season veggies, plus it is super tasty. Please like, share, and follow for more content! And let me know how you like this recipe! Roasted Corn Chowder Yield:  4 Prep time:  40 minutes Total time:  70 minutes Ingredients Roasted Corn: Corn on the Cob |  5 - 6 ears  Olive Oil |  1-2 tbsp Salt and Pepper |  to taste Chowder: Russet Potatoes |  2 diced  Carrots |   5 medium, peeled and diced  Red Pepper |  1 diced  Jalepeño |  1 diced Vegetable Broth |  5 cups   Unbleached all purpose flour |  2 tbsp Olive Oil |  1 tbsp   Minced Garlic |   1 tsp Raw Cashews |  1/4 cup Almondmilk |  1/2 cup Bay Leaf |  1  Roasted Corn |  1 batch from above Green Onions |  for serving Crackers |  for serving D...

Happy Labor Day! I know this means end of summer is here, but I'm going to soak in the final warm weather days by enjoying a Vegan Orange Cream Popsicle. This is a family recipe that my grandma shared with a vegan twist.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And please let me know if you try this recipe and how you like it. Orange Cream Popsicles Yield:  6 - 8 servings Prep time:  10 minutes Total time:  4 hours Ingredients Orange Juice Concentrate |  1 12 oz can Water |  12 oz (refill empty juice concentrate container) Vegan Vanilla Yogurt |  2 5 oz containers or 10 oz Directions 1. Whirl orange juice concentrate, water, and yogurt in a blender until combined.  2. Place mixture in popsicle molds. It makes between 6 - 8 popsicles.  3. Freeze until solid approximately 3-4 hours.  4. Enjoy!  Nutrition Facts Per 1 serving: Calories:  110 |  Fat:  1 g  |  Saturated Fat : 0 g |  Chole...

Any end of summer gathering needs veggie burgers and pasta salad. This Vegan Pasta Salad is super simple and only takes about 15 minutes to make.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And let me know how you like this recipe! Vegan Pasta Salad Yield:  5 - 6 servings Prep time:  10 minutes Total time:  15 minutes Ingredients Pasta |  1/2 - 1 box  Red Bell Pepper |  1 diced Orange Bell Pepper |  1 diced Carrots |  1 or 2 medium peeled and diced  Jalepeño |  1  diced Sun-dried tomatoes |  1/4 cup Vegan Mayonnaise |  1/2 cup + 1 tbsp  Mustard |  1/4 cup Black Pepper |  to taste Dill |  1 tsp Italian Herbs |  1 tsp  Salt |  1 tsp Sugar |  1 tsp Directions 1. Cook pasta according to directions. 2. While pasta is cooking, prepare veggies.  3. Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir to combine.  4. This recipe is best served after being chilled ...

The end of summer is near with this weekend being Labor Day Weekend. While summer is my favorite time of the year, I am looking forward to soup and chili season and the fall colors.   Please like, share, and follow for more content! And please let me know if you try this recipe and how you like it. Spicy Bean Burgers Yield:  6 servings Prep time:  15 minutes Total time:  35 minutes Ingredients Banza Rice |  1 cup Uncooked Quinoa |  1/2 cup Vegetable Broth |  2 cups  Black Beans |  1 can Tomato Paste |  3 tbsps Nutritional Yeast |  2 tbsps Ground Flax Seed |  1 tbsp Water |  1 tbsp  Paprika |  1 tsp  Garlic Powder |  1 tsp  Black Pepper |  1/2 tsp  Chili Powder |  1 tbsp Directions 1. Add quinoa and vegetable broth to a pot and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 15 - 20 minutes until the water is absorbed. 2. Cook the rice according to directions. I used a mixture of ri...

A quick lunch is always welcome during busy weeks. I love to use Banza rice, add some corn and beans, salsa, cheeze sauce, and lettuce to make this quick burrito bowl.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And let me know how you like this recipe! Vegan Burrito Bowls Yield:  4 bowls Prep time:  10 minutes Total time:  15 minutes Ingredients Banza Rice |  1 packet Corn |  1 can Black Beans |  1 can Cheese Sauce |  1  batch  for serving Lettuce | for serving Salsa |  for serving Directions 1. Cook rice according to directions.  2. Add beans and corn to the rice and heat through. 3. In a bowl, add rice mixture. Then add desired amount of cheese sauce, salsa, and lettuce. 4. Enjoy! Nutrition Facts Per 1 burrito bowl: Calories:  456 |  Fat:  11 g |  Saturated Fat : 0  g |  Cholesterol:  0 mg |  Sodium:  583  mg  |  Total Carbs:  71 g |  Die...

I actually don't love sweet potatoes, but when stuffed with a casserole, they aren't so bad.   Please like, share, and follow for more content! And let me know how you like this recipe! Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Yield:  4 - 8 servings Prep time:  40 minutes Total time:  60 minutes Ingredients Sweet Potatoes |  4 medium Banza Rice |  1 package Salsa |  8 oz jar Corn |  1 15 oz can Black Beans |  1 15 oz can Vegan Cheeze |  1/2 cup - 1 cup Plant Based Sour Cream |  for serving Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400 and poke holes in the sweet potatoes. Cover in aluminum foil and bake for approximately 40 minutes until a knife goes through easily.  2. Set aside until cool to the touch. 3. Cook Banza rice according to directions. 4. Then add rice, rinsed black beans, corn, first 1/2 cup cheese, and salsa to a bowl and combine.  5. After sweet potatoes are cool to the touch, cut in half and either (1) mash the insides ...

Sunday morning breakfast is always my favorite and today I got to share it with my mom over these Vegan Waffles. I did some research and found out that there really isn't a ton of difference between waffles and pancakes. You can add a bit more sugar to make them brown more or some oil to prevent sticking. I chose to add a little bit of maple syrup at the end to do both and it worked well.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And please let me know if you like this recipe.  Vegan Waffles  Yield:  2 - 3 servings Prep time:  10 minutes Total time:  25 minutes Ingredients Dry Ingredients: Unbleached All Purpose Flour |  1.5 cup  Organic Sugar |  2 tbsps  Baking Powder | 1 tbsp  Flax Egg Ingredients: Water |  1 tsp  Ground Flax Seed |  1/2 tsp Wet Ingredients: Almondmilk |  1 cup  Apple Cider Vinegar |  1 tbsp  Vanilla |  1 tsp Maple Syrup |  1 tbsp (optional - for mix...

I think I invented a new pasta sauce - Sour Cream and Chives. I had leftover sour cream and decided to try this new creation. It was really good. I was a little bit surprised since I have only ever had this flavor in chips, but it worked well as a sauce.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And let me know how you like this recipe! Sour Cream and Chives Pasta Yield:  3 Prep time:  10 minutes Total time:  15 minutes Ingredients Banza Pasta |  1 box  Plant Based Sour Cream |  1 container  Almondmilk |  1/4 cup Olive Oil |  1 tbsp Unbleached all purpose flour |  1 tbsp Chives |  1 - 2 tbsp dried Black Pepper |  to taste Directions 1. Cook pasta according to directions. 2. While pasta is cooking, in a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Then add the flour to form a roux.  3. Add almond milk and stir until no chunks. Then add the vegan sour cream and spices and stir to combine.  ...

My favorite restaurant nachos are from Café Sunflower. I haven't been able to perfectly recreate them, but this Chili Cheeze Nacho recipe is pretty close. I start by making a chili recipe and my perfect cheese sauce. Then I baked the chips, chili, and cheeze to perfection before adding some of my favorite toppings - salsa, jalepeños, and sour cream. I forgot to buy shredded lettuce, but that would belong on here too.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And let me know how you like this recipe! Vegan Chili Cheeze Nachos Yield:  4 - 6 Prep time:  5 minutes Total time:  45 minutes Ingredients For the chili: Black Beans |  1 15 oz can  Pinto Beans |  1 15 oz can Kidney Beans |  1 15 oz can Corn |  1 15 oz can  Tomato Sauce |  1 15 oz can Tomato Paste |  1 6 oz can Vegetable Broth |  1 cup Chili Powder  |  1.5 tbsp Garlic Powder  |  1 tsp Paprika |  1 tsp Black Pepper |  1...

It may be summer, but casseroles will always be one of my favorite things to make. It's so easy since you mix the ingredients and bake. This one has an extra step since the quinoa needs to be cooked first, but that's still only 15 minutes of cooking.  For this recipe I used quinoa, black beans, salsa, corn, my vegan cheeze sauce, and my enchilada sauce. If you don't want to make your own batched of cheeze sauce of enchilada sauce, store bought versions will work too. I am not quite sure the proportion of homemade to store bought but my batches usually create 1.5 - 2 cups of each.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And let me know how you like this recipe! Enchilada Quinoa Casserole Yield:  4 Prep time:  5 minutes Total time:  40  minutes Ingredients Quinoa |  1 cup Vegetable Broth |  2 cups  Salsa |  8 oz jar  Black Beans |  1 15 oz can Corn |  1 15 oz can Vegan Cheeze Sauce |  1 batch or 2...

Making the perfect vegan sandwich can be hard. Nothing really compared to sliced deli meat and cheese that most people ate as a kid though I know some companies do make vegan deli slices now. I tried to make a sandwich that wasn't imitating anything. This Hummus and Veggie Sandwich is a great summer lunch and the veggies can be whatever is in season. I cook the veggies in a bit of olive oil until they are softened. Then I toast the bread in the toaster, add some hummus, veggies, and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And let me know how you like this recipe! Hummus and Veggie Sandwich Yield:  6 Prep time:  5 minutes Total time:  10 minutes Ingredients Hummus |  1 container or batch Bell Pepper |  2 sliced into strips Banana Peppers |  1/2 cup Zucchini  |  1 medium thinly sliced Olive oil |  1-3 tbsp for cooking Bread |  12 slices Salt and Pepper |  to taste for servi...

I heard I missed national lasagna day yesterday, so let's make up for that today. This Vegan Lasagna Soup is yum and takes less time to make than an actual lasagna. Plus no baking which means you can eat this all year around.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And let me know how you like this recipe! Vegan Lasagna Soup Yield:  4 Prep time:  5 minutes Total time:  30 minutes Ingredients Lasagna Noodles |  1/2 box Olive Oil |  1 tbsp Carrots |  2 - 3 medium, peeled and diced Zucchini  |  1 diced Marinara Sauce |  1 jar Vegetable Broth |  2 cups Almond milk |  1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar |  1 capful Italian Seasoning |  1 tbsp Garlic Powder |  1 tsp Black Pepper |  to taste Ricotta |  1/2 batch for serving Directions 1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add veggies and cook for 5 - 10 minutes until turning fork tender.  2. Add marinara sauce, spices, vegetable broth, and almo...

I have been working to create my own vegan versions of popular vegan cheeses, like mozzarella, cheddar, and pepperjack. I perfected my versions of cheddar and mozzarella, and I hope to have pepperjack released soon.  You might notice my cheddar cheeze is very similar to my normal cheeze sauce and that's because it is. The only difference is instead of all-purpose flour, tapioca starch is used. When heating the mixture with tapioca starch, the cheeze begins to solidify into a block of cheeze. Once the mixture is in uniform texture, I pour into an 8 oz ramekin and cool until hardens. If it hardens long enough, it can be grated or it can be sliced and used in a variety of dishes.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And let me know how you like this recipe! Vegan Cheddar Yield:  1 batch Prep time:  30 minutes Total time:  2 hours Ingredients Cashews, Raw |  1/2 cup Almond Milk |  3/4 cup  Nutritional Yeast |  1/4 cup Tap...

On my trip to California last week, I tried a new restaurant. It was not a fully vegan place, but it had a couple of options that could be made vegan. I ordered their Spaghetti Squash and Beetballs without the cheese and a side of cajun fries. I want to start with the fries because they may be some of the best fries I have ever had. The seasoning was great and they were super fluffy on the inside and the right crisp on the outside.  The Spaghetti Squash and Beetballs was also great. It was actually my first time trying spaghetti squash, and I liked it. I didn't particularly enjoy the beetballs, but it think they fit perfectly with the dish.  I also googled Lazy Dog, and there is one near Atlanta. I might have to go there to get more cajun fries. 

Taco Tuesday! This easy quinoa taco recipe can quickly be made on the stove top and eaten with your favorite toppings. I use quinoa, corn, black beans, and salsa. Then I put them on a tortilla and topped with vegan cheese. You can add extra salsa, lettuce, guac, or whatever your heart desires.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And please let me know if you try this recipe and how you like it. One Pot Quinoa Tacos Yield:  8 servings Prep time:  1 minute Total time:  30 minutes Ingredients Quinoa |  1 cup Vegetable Broth |  2 cups Taco Seasoning |  1 packet or batch Salsa |  8 oz Black Beans |  1 15 oz jar Corn |  1 15 oz jar Lime |  juice of 1 lime Tortillas, etc |  for serving Directions 1. Add quinoa, vegetable broth, and taco seasoning to a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes until water has been absorbed. Then add salsa and continue to simmer until remaining liquid has cooked off. ...

Writing for this blog encourages me to try new foods. Before I started writing, I had never used Indian spices in a recipe or tried curry. I want to branch out of my comfort zone for recipes and that means I started trying more new foods, including curry. This easy curried chickpea recipe is a great meal prep option for your weekly lunches. I serve the curried Chickpeas with Banza rice which I guess makes this a chickpea on chickpea recipe. Please like, share, and follow for more content! And please let me know if you try this recipe and how you like it. Curried Chickpeas Yield:  4 servings Prep time:  5 minutes Total time:  35 minutes Ingredients Chickpeas |  1 15 oz can Cashews |  1/4 cup Almond Milk |  1/2 cup Diced Tomatoes |  1 15 oz can Tomato Sauce |  1 15 oz can Curry Powder |  2 tbsps Green Peas |  1 cup Directions 1. Create cashew cream by blending cashews and almond milk in a high speed blender. 2. Add tomato sauce...

For lunches I love pairing veggies with a grain. This Roasted Veggies and Cous Cous dish is so easy to make and works great for meal prepping lunches throughout the week. The veggies can be switched out to whatever you like but the roasting time may need to be adjusted. For example the zucchini in this recipe should roast for less time than the broccoli or carrots, and you can Google or check on Pinterest for the recommended cook time.  I roasted mine in a mixture of olive oil, hot sauce, and salt and pepper, but if you don't want the kick of hot sauce, you can substitute more olive oil. When serving you can add a little bit if extra hot sauce and olive oil or add a dressing.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And please let me know if you try this recipe and how you like it. Roasted Veggies and Cous Cous Yield:  4 servings Prep time:  5 minutes Total time:  50 minutes Ingredients Cous Cous |  4 servings Chickpeas |  1 can Br...

I tried the viral pasta chips trend that I've seen on Instagram, and I honestly kinda hated it. I used a chickpea pasta noodle which may have been why I didn't like it since the videos I've seen use white pasta. The one good part of my pasta chips recipe was my Vegan Ranch dipping sauce. I've used this Vegan Ranch recipe with cauliflower wings and tacos. It's just a few ingredients and only takes a few minutes to make. I used Follow Your Heart as the Vegan Mayo base. I read that the best way to make your own vegan mayo is with an immersion blender. Since I don't own one, I buy this brand though I would like to eventually make my own.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And please let me know if you try this recipe and how you like it. Vegan Ranch Yield:  1 batch Prep time:  1 minute Total time:  15 minutes Ingredients Vegan Mayo/Vegenaise |  1/3 cup Almond Milk |  a splash (less than 1 tbsp) Apple Cider Vinegar |  1/2 capful C...

If you have been watching my stories, you know I started on a road trip to Minnesota with my mom and dog last week. We are here to visit my Grandma, my sister, and my new niece.  Before we left for our road trip, I walked to the Publix a few blocks from my place and decided to try some new vegan snacks. I love eating grapes and Clif bars on road trips, but I wanted something else as well. I found these From the Ground Up Cauliflower Crackers. I think there were 2 different flavors, but I only bought the nacho flavor.  These crackers were fantastic. They look like Cheeze-Its but are crunchier. They are thinner as well which adds to the crunch. The flavor was really good too. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it tasted like my expectation of nacho flavor. The box says 4 servings, but they were so good that I ate it in 2 sittings.  I generally don't buy or keep crackers around, but I may be going back to buy the other flavor before my trip to California on Saturday. ...