Vegan Oreo Cheesecake

Did you know that Oreos are vegan?? It's a little unsettling...but apparently they are, so I wanted to make a dessert with them. This recipe is super simple, but what is difficult is deciding what kind of ingredients to use. There are many different brands of vegan products, and every grocery store carried different types. I encourage you to try different types and see what your personal preference. 

This recipe calls for vegan butter, make sure you get actual vegan butter, and not margarine. I prefer Earth Balance, but I encourage you to find your own preference. 

As for the cream cheese, the only kind that my super market carries is made by Galaxy, and I like it. Hopefully, your grocery store has a better selection!

Ingredients


19 cream filled sandwich cookies, divided (I use Oreos)2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
1 (8 ounce) container vegan cream cheese3/4 cup sugar

1. Crush 15 cookies and place in a pie pan. Add melted vegan butter. Toss crumbs around to coat. Use the back of a spoon to press buttered crumbs on to pie pan to make a crust. Put the crust in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients except the leftover sandwich cookies and mix thoroughly.
3. Spoon into prepared pie pan and set in the freezer for at least 1 hour. Top with additional whipped topping and garnish with additional cookies.

I made this for my extremely picky roommate for his birthday, and he loved it!

Vegan Banana Pancakes

I wanted to post a breakfast recipe, since my posts have been focusing mostly around dinners and snacks.
These banana pancakes are great for breakfast, but I had them for dinner last night :)

One thing I really like about this recipe is that it doesn’t use any butter (obviously because its vegan) and it doesn’t use and fake butter substitutes. If you remember from a couple weeks ago, I have a real issue with those :(  Check out that week’s blog if you get a chance (it was on a quick veggie dinner) here if you missed it.

This recipe calls for whole wheat flour, which if you aren’t already, you should always use when a recipe calls for flour. White flour is so processed that many of the nutrients are removed before you eat it. Whole wheat flour is exponentially better for you.
  
Ingredients
2 bananas
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt

Combine together the dry ingredients until they completely mixed.

Add all of the wet ingredients and mix until there are no bumps. If the mixture seems to dry or runny, add some more almond milk or flour appropriately.

Finally, slice the banana into 1/4 inch thick slices and gently add to the mixture.

On a hot skillet, add a little olive oil and let heat up to medium heat. Place the batter on the pan with an ice cream scoop into dollops about twice the size of a quarter.

Once the pancake starts to form small bubbles on top, usually about 4-5 minutes, flip over and let the other side cook.

Serve with some more maple syrup!

This recipe can be great for kids because it’s healthy, and you can make shapes! I’ve become an expert at the Mickey Mouse pancake :)

Vegan Pasta Alfredo

Hello all!

So this recipe is a little different than my past few. This is a recipe designed to taste like it’s not vegan, even though it is! It turned out well, so I encourage you to try it.

Unlike my last few recipes, this one is more important that you stick to the recipe, because the sauce can be a little temperamental. Keep some cornstarch nearby and add a pinch if the sauce seems too thin. 

Just as a note for vegan cooking, make sure that you use the freshest ingredients you can. Especially when it comes to herbs, make sure that you buy fresh not frozen, it makes a difference!

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons raw pine nuts
1 1/2 cups water
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/16 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
4 cups cooked fettuccine (or other pasta of your choice)
3 tablespoons freshly minced parsley
¼ cup corn
¼ cup peas

Blend together the cashews and pine nuts. Add the water, lemon juice, garlic, nutmeg and salt.

Add the peas and corn, and then move the mixture into a saucepan over medium heat for about 7-8 minutes. Make sure you are stirring so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom. 

Serve over pasta (I suggest whole grain!). If you're still eating white grains, check out this article, it may change your mind! This recipe is a great replacement for a fatty dairy-alfredo dish.   

Honestly, I can taste the difference, so don’t try to trick yourself into thinking it’s a regular dish. It’s the healthy sister of a fatty meal!