cashews

Vegan Fried Bacon Mac and Cheese

August 17, 2017 By thecuriouschickpea Leave a Comment

Fried bacon mac and cheese (vegan, obviously), is the food of my dreams. Creamy, cheesy macaroni is pan fried with your favorite meat-free bacon. See, it’s the food of your dreams too! If you haven’t already been lusting after having some fried bacon mac and cheese in your life it’s probably because you’ve never heard of Upton’s Breakroom in Chicago. It’s owned and run by the same people who own Upton’s Naturals, and has tasty tacos, sandwiches, soft serve, and, of course, fried bacon mac. We didn’t go there often when we lived in Chicago, because it was on the other end of town and more of a lunch spot, but when in the area I’d go out of the way to get some of their vegan bacon mac….

Penne with Buffalo Cauliflower Cream Sauce

July 13, 2017 By thecuriouschickpea Leave a Comment

I have an unofficial countdown running in my head, as I wait for mid-August to arrive. What happens in mid-August? Well, my best friend from college is moving to DC! She’s going to be right across the street from us! I’m so excited I can’t wait for us to eat all the vegan pizza-I mean all the food-together (did I mention she’s vegan too?)!

She came to visit last month to scope out the area, and while she was here we went out to eat at DC’s newer vegan diner Fare Well. It’s run by the same people of Sticky Fingers and opened last fall. To be honest, I’ve had mixed experiences at the restaurant, while I think the food has been steadily improving, the service has been super hit or miss for us. Nevertheless, while my friend was in town we went there for dinner and ordered an INSANE amount of food for three people. We ordered my favorite appetizer, a house-made vegan burrata that comes with a delicious caper and pesto salad and grilled buttery bread. But we couldn’t help ourselves and ordered a second appetizer that I had been eyeing for months (I just couldn’t bring myself to ever order it over the burrata, ya know?): a whipped cauliflower and cashew buffalo dip. And guys. OMG. The dip was SO GOOD. It was served in this mini-cast iron dish and insanely smokey and deliciously buffalo-y. Like, I’m definitely going to have to take turns with my appetizer ordering in the future….

Same Day Vegan Mozzarella Cheese

May 30, 2017 By thecuriouschickpea 11 Comments

You guys have to try this super easy, 10 ingredient, almost instant, same day vegan mozzarella cheese! This vegan cheese is super versatile. You can use it on pizza (recipe here), put it in stromboli (I especially love the texture of the cheese in this application), and it’s great in a hot or cold sandwich (it would have been perfect in this grilled cheese). You could even eat it plain with some crackers. It can be grated and also slices super well! Basically, any time you want a mild, creamy, melty vegan cheese this recipe is perfect!…

Pea Ricotta Stuffed Shells with Red Wine Marinara

May 9, 2017 By thecuriouschickpea Leave a Comment

Last week I roasted and filled red bell peppers and was reminded how fun and easy and it is to make stuffed foods. It inspired me to make these pea ricotta stuffed shells with a red wine marinara not even a week later! Like lasagna or other noodle-based casseroles, the shells are great hot out of the oven as well as for leftovers. I moved this week, well specifically yesterday and today, and I wish I had some of these shells stored in the fridge for an easy lunch or dinner. Instead I had prepped a kale salad, which of course after a day spent moving heavy furniture I announced that there was no way I was having kale salad for dinner, I needed approximately 10x as many calories, OK? We had to order pizza instead. I suppose I’ll be eating kale for dinner tonight (we have everything we need to make my husband’s favorite salad after all!).

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Roasted Garlic and Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

April 13, 2017 By thecuriouschickpea 3 Comments

I eat a lot more mac and cheese style dishes now that I’m vegan. Which is odd, because I did really love cheesy pasta in my pre-gan days. It’s possible I eat it more frequently now because it comes with a lot less calorie-guilt. Or perhaps because my vegan versions are so pantry friendly. Maybe it’s because there are never ending variations of vegan cheesy pastas, so a regular dinner can still feed my love of experimenting. Whatever the reason, what used to be a special occasion dish has become a staple.

This version has macaroni noodles enveloped in a silky plant based sauce. So vibrantly orange you might think it’s fake, and reminiscent in color to a certain boxed mac and cheese, but much healthier and way tastier. Roasted sweet potatoes and garlic are roasted and blended with some umami-packed ingredients. Vegetable broth and miso bring salty, savory flavor to the sauce, and nutritional yeast and vegan parmesan bring a lot of cheesy flavor. An arrowroot starched-based roux thickens and provides stretchiness to the sauce….

Vegan Jalapeño Cheese and Refried Bean Pupusas

March 16, 2017 By thecuriouschickpea Leave a Comment

Hailing from El Salvador, pupusas are a delicious stuffed bread made with masa–the same corn flour product used to make corn tortillas. Traditionally they are served with curdito, a mildly fermented cabbage slaw, and a spiced tomato sauce. I kept it quick and simple and served mine with a vinegary slaw and spicy store bought salsa, adding guacamole because it’s our favorite. Cooked up, the masa-based dough is soft and pillowy. The pupusas are filled with creamy refried beans and a homemade vegan roasted jalapeño cheese.The cheese is perfect in these pupusas. It’s melty, rich, creamy, and packed with delicious peppery flavor. Bursting with mouth watering hot cheese and beans, these vegan jalapeño cheese and bean pupusas are quite the treat….

Vegan Roasted Jalapeño Cheese

March 14, 2017 By thecuriouschickpea 3 Comments

This jalapeño cheese is an uncultured vegan cashew-based cheese that packs a lot of flavor. Garlic, roasted jalapeños, nutritional yeast and the brine from jarred jalapeños give the cheese depth, while refined coconut oil provides the rich and creamy mouthfeel. Thinner than many cashew cheese recipes, the mixture is thickened with tapioca starch, which also provides some stretchiness, and just a bit of agar. This cheese doesn’t turn super firm, and isn’t ideal for grating, but slices easily and melts really well, making it perfect in many applications. To get a harder cheese you would need a higher cashew to water ratio, more coconut oil (as it is hard at cold temperatures), and possibly more agar powder. This cheese is great on homemade bagels as shown, and also amazing mixed into bread. It could also be used on enchiladas, in quesadillas or grilled cheeses, basically anywhere you would want a peppery, melty vegan cheese!
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