Cass B Chickpea

For the last two weeks, I traveled to a few southwest national parks. I drove over 5,000 miles, visited 4 national parks, saw the Texas Historic Winter Storm, and ate loads of vegan food.  I started my journey with the goal of driving from Atlanta, GA to Dallas, TX before continuing from Dallas to Big Bend National Park. However, the forecasts talked about a historic weather event coming with the worst night being Sunday night. I adjusted my plans to try to go under the storm by going through Houston and staying in San Antonio for Saturday night hoping to make it to my destination on Sunday before the storm. The idea was great, but the storm was bigger than expected. The temperatures dropped and ice patches began to form about 90 miles from San Antonio. After I slid on some ice, I decided to find the nearest hotel and call it a night. The next day, I found a Texas resource of road conditions that showed half of the roads to get to Big Bend were fine, so I left that hotel and starte...

Vegan alfredo can have many bases. I rotate between three - cashew, cauliflower, and potatoes. The potato alfredo is thicker and creamier than the others and full of protein.  My potato alfredo has 4 parts: vegan cream cheese, vegan parmesan, potatoes, and spices.  I make the vegan cream cheese and vegan parmesan from scratch using ingredients I buy in bulk. If you don't have time to make these, buying store bought versions should work just as well.  I start by making the vegan parmesan and setting it aside. Then I make the vegan cream cheese while boiling the potatoes. Then I blend it all together and put on top of my favorite noodles. I love using the Banza brand pasta noodles which add extra protein to the meal.  Feel free to like or share this recipe and let me know how you like it.  I'll be sharing the cauliflower and cashew cream base throughout the next couple of months, so stay tuned.  Vegan, Potato Alfredo Yield:...

After using Trader Joe's Vegan Pesto on the sandwich I posted recently, I wanted to make my own pesto. This Cashew, Kale Pesto is easy to make and is best leftover to give the kale extra time to soak. Using fresh ingredients is key as it makes it more flavorful. It is also important to wash and soak the kale and basil for a few minutes to make it easier to combine in the food processor. Then all you have to do is process in a food processor until combined. If not combining well, you can add either more water or more olive oil. Please like, share, and follow for more content! And please let me know how you like it. Cashew, Kale Pesto Yield:  4 Prep time:  10 minutes Total time:  15 minutes Ingredients Macadamia Nuts |  1/4 cup Cashews |  1/4 cup Fresh Basil |  2 cups, stems removed Kale |  1 cup, stems removed Olive Oil |  1/2 cup  Water |  1/2 cup  Nutritional Yeast  |  1/4 cup  Salt |  1 tsp Cumin | ...

I was supposed to be camping in a national park on Valentine's Day but instead I'm snowed in at a crappy hotel in a small Texas town wishing I had access to my kitchen right now. With the snow around and a wind chill below zero, I would definitely make this 3 Bean Chili to warm me up and feel like home.  This recipe only takes about 45 minutes and you can top it with whatever you want. I chose to top it with Kroger's Simple Truth Plant Based Sour Cream and their Plant Based Cheddar Shreds.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And please let me know when you try out this recipe.  3 Bean Chili Yield:  6 servings Prep time:  10 minites Total time:  45 minutes Ingredients Black Beans |  1 15 oz can  Pinto Beans |  1 15 oz can Kidney Beans |  1 15 oz can Corn |  1 15 oz can  Diced Tomatoes |  2 10 oz cans  Tomato Sauce |  1 15 oz can Tomato Paste |  1 6 oz can Vegetable Broth |  1.5 ...

Valentine's Day is this weekend. Instead of buying store bought chocolate that comes in a lot of packaging, how about making them the perfect chocolate treat from scratch. Or if you need a fun at-home activity to do by yourself or with your sweetie, you can make these together.  These Vegan Peanut Butter Cups take about 45 minutes to make, but 30 of that is cooling in the fridge. Please like, share, and follow for more content! And please try it and let me know how you like them.  Vegan Peanut Butter Cups Yield:  16 mini cups Prep time:  5 minites Total time:  45 minutes Ingredients Allergen Friendly Chocolate Chips |  1 cup - 1.5 cup Canola Oil |  1 tbsp Peanut Butter |  1/2 cup Directions 1. Line a mini muffin tray with cupcake liners. 2. Add chocolate chips and canola oil to a small dish and heat in the microwave until melted, stirring every 15-20 seconds. You can also use a double broiler which will prevent the chocolate from being...

Baked Feta has gone viral lately, and I decided to hop on the bandwagon and make a vegan version with homemade vegan feta.  I made homemade vegan feta using a nut mixture of almonds and cashews. I processed it until combined.  In a baking dish I added some cherry tomatoes and green beans. I topped it with the feta cheese and added olive oil on top. I baked on 350 for 30 minutes. Then I started on the pasta noodles and put the feta and veggies back into the oven after stirring them. After the noodles were done, I removed the baked feta and veggies and combined it together.  Please like, share, and follow for more content.  Baked Feta: Vegan Edition Yield:  3 Prep time:  20 minutes Total time:  65 minutes Ingredients For the feta: Almonds  |  1 cup Raw Cashews |  1/4 cup Lemon Juice |  1/8 cup  Olive Oil |  1/4 cup  Nutritional Yeast |  1/4 cup Water |  1/3 cup Minced Garlic  |  1 tsp...

In time for the Super Bowl this weekend, I am releasing my Vegan Nachos Recipe. Nachos are easily modified, and I expect I will post other combinations in the future because switching out ingredients can make a big difference. However, this attempt is perfect for this weekend's game. I use my queso batch and a can of refried beans, chips, and even zucchini to make this delicious recipe.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And enjoy game day even if that looks a little bit different this year. Vegan Nachos Yield:  2-4 Prep time:  10 minutes Total time:  20 minutes Ingredients Vegan Queso |  1 batch (recipe here ) Refried Beans |  1 can Tortilla Chips|  1 bag Zucchini |  1, diced Salsa |  optional Jalapeños  |  optional Hot Sauce | optional Guacamole  |  optional Shredded Lettuce |  optional  Directions 1. Preheat oven to 350. 2. On a sheet pan, create 2 - 3 layers in the following order: ...

In the vegan world, potatoes + carrots + cashews = something like cheese. I used these ingredients plus a few others to make my form of vegan queso.  I start by dicing some potatoes and carrots. I add the potatoes, carrots, and cashews to a pot to boil until fork tender. Then I strain them and add them to a food processor with the remaining ingredients.  Once blended, this makes a delicious, spreadable queso sauce that is perfect as a dipping sauce, for nachos, or with a little bit of vegetable broth, it can be made into a mac and cheeze sauce.  I anticipate making other varieties of queso as I continue to develop my cooking skills, but this will be my first Vegan Queso recipe.  Please like, share, and follow for more content! And let me know how you like it. Vegan Queso Yield:  1 batch Prep time:  15 minutes Total time:  20 minutes Ingredients Yukon Gold Potatoes |  4, peeled and diced Carrots |  2, peeled and...