spicy

Vegan Smothered Burritos with Red Sauce

April 24, 2018 By thecuriouschickpea Leave a Comment

Are you Team Taco or Team Burrito? These days, I’d probably have trouble picking a side, but I was staunchly Team Burrito throughout childhood. Burritos were actually one of my favorite foods, if there was a burrito on the menu, you bet I’d be ordering it!

There is just something so satisfying about burritos, whether handheld or smothered and baked. Breakfast burritos, bean burritos, wraps that pass themselves off as burritos, burritos stuffed with your favorite taco fillings–I love them all! I’m not sure I love photographing them though, haha. Well today I’m sharing a recipe for the kind of burrito I grew up eating, a vegan smothered burrito!…

Mexican Red Chile Sauce

April 19, 2018 By thecuriouschickpea 1 Comment

If you love Mexican food (hi! me!) then you have got to make this red chile sauce. Made from dried chiles it has all that authentic flavor your Mexican food has probably been missing. I’ve been experimenting with this sauce for the past 6 months (basically as an excuse to always have some version of it stashed in the fridge). It’s the perfect base for your taco “meats” and Mexican soups. It makes for the most flavorful enchilada sauce, and adds so much depth to your beans. It even makes a darn good sandwich spread. And it’s the easiest to make! I think you’ll love it! It’s a streamlined, flavor-packed, 8-ingredient recipe with almost no hands on effort and is ready in no time.

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Vegan Singapore Noodles

April 12, 2018 By thecuriouschickpea 2 Comments

Have you ever had Singapore noodles? Contrary to the name, they are not from Singapore at all, but actually a popular dish served at Chinese restaurants! It’s traditionally made with BBQ pork and shrimp, and has fish sauce in it, so it’s not the most veggie-friendly dish to order out. But, an easy one to make at home! For me, the dish is all about the sauce–it’s essentially a curry flavored Chinese noodle stir fry. Two of my favorite cuisines (I probably say that of all the cuisines), Indian and Chinese, in one flavor packed dish! …

Baked Gnocchi with Arrabbiata and Vegan Mozzarella

March 27, 2018 By thecuriouschickpea 4 Comments

I love having gnocchi in the fridge, because it means quick and easy meals are a hop and a skip away. Like sure, usually gnocchi in the fridge means that I’ve put in a little (and I do mean that literally) effort to make it, because 1) homemade gnocchi is easy and tastes better, and 2) I’m very mistrusting* of the monoglycerides and diglycerides found in most store bought versions. Anyway back to the important things, gnocchi in the fridge means I get to make baked gnocchi, which is one of the most delicious dishes. Pillowy gnocchi is tossed in a spicy marinara (arrabbiata) and smothered with a creamy scrumptious vegan mozzarella sauce and baked until the sauce is hot and bubbly and the cheese is browned to perfection. And if you have the gnocchi already, the whole dish is ready in under 45 minutes, including making the mozz sauce and arrabbiata from scratch and 15 minutes of oven-time.

*And that’s just because those ingredients are often animal-derived, their chemistry in cooking and baking is actually pretty cool.…

Vegan Gochujang Bean Burgers

March 22, 2018 By thecuriouschickpea 6 Comments

When it comes to veggie burgers, it’s not all about the toppings. Don’t get me wrong, the toppings are great and you can get so creative with them, but you can go in a million different directions with the patties themselves! And I love that about veggie burgers, with so many options they never get stale! Admittedly, I do have favorites that I keep coming back to (you would too, though) and having made these burgers twice in 2 days, I feel safe saying these vegan gochujang bean burgers will be joining that favorites list. These ultra flavorful, rich tasting patties are topped with kimchi (or fermented veggies of your choice), lettuce, and gochujang mayo (I mean you could just use regular mayo, but where’s the fun in that?) and stuffed between soft burger buns for the ultimate gustatory treat. I’ll take 3, please….

Vegan Chipotle Mac and Cheese with Spicy Tempeh Crumbles

March 15, 2018 By thecuriouschickpea 2 Comments

I think everyone needs at least 500 vegan mac and cheese recipes. This is possibly a conservative estimate, but you have to start somewhere! If you’ve been visiting my site for awhile, you’ve probably noticed that I make a lot of spicy food and have a particular love for chipotle, and so it’s probably unsurprising to hear that we’ve been making vegan chipotle mac and cheese for years. The smokey flavor of chipotles fits perfectly into the creamy mac sauce, which is made from a homemade cashew milk and thickened with a traditional roux. The mac and cheese itself is quick to make, ready in just about 15 minutes. The spicy tempeh crumbles take a bit longer, but that’s mostly hands off time in the oven where they bake into chewy flavorful bites. The smokey, spicy chipotle flavor of this dish pairs perfectly with scallion greens for this perfect vegan meal….

Vegan Malai Kofta: Indian Dumplings in Curry Tomato Cream Sauce

March 6, 2018 By thecuriouschickpea 15 Comments

If malai kofta isn’t one of your top 5 Indian dishes you probably fall into one of these categories: you’ve never been to an Indian restaurant*, you’ve been vegan or lactose intolerant your whole life, you don’t like rich foods, or you’re really bad at ordering. Kofta are meatballs, and there are variations of them from the Balkans and Middle East through South Asia. In this dish they are typically made with potatoes and paneer (a fresh farmer’s cheese). Malai simply means cream. In this recipe we make easy swaps for those two non-vegan ingredients for the most delicious, richest tasting, better-than-restaurant style malai kofta. Sound like dream? Because, it is, and you should be eating it already!…

Vegan Chipotle Seitan and Cheese Tamale Skillet Pie

February 22, 2018 By thecuriouschickpea 2 Comments

If you love tamales like 100000000% but also don’t love the effort of making them even 10%, this recipe is for you. You guys know I love a good cooking project, I mean I’ll sit around for an afternoon shaping ganache and tempering chocolate for homemade truffles (and I highly recommend you do the same, even if you dip in regular melted chocolate) and I love making bread, but sometimes you want to enjoy a food regularly and just don’t have the patience to form a bunch of tamales then steam them for an hour–and did I mention in batches because your steamer basket is only so big? I mean, they’re worth it, but it’s certainly a labor of love. Now, this tamale skillet pie has everything a person could want. Rich and tender masa on the outside, spicy, flavorful chipotle seitan and melty gooey cheese on the inside. And it’s all ready to serve within a couple of (mostly hands off) hours….

Vegan Thai Green Curry with Tofu

February 20, 2018 By thecuriouschickpea 2 Comments

Meet my favorite green curry. It’s vegan (duh), green (also, duh), stuffed full of green veggies (yum), and has fried tofu tucked throughout (yessss!). It’s incredibly easy to make, ready in just over 30 minutes, less if you skip frying the tofu. Throw a pot of jasmine rice on the back burner when you start, and by the time your curry is done you’ll be all set to eat. It’s filling, as it’s full of all the important food groups: protein, vegetables, carbs, and healthy fats (some less healthy ones as well if you fry the tofu.. but, um, whatever). And did I mention how incredibly flavorful and fresh tasting it is? Cause, yum. I think some of the magic comes from using my homemade curry paste, but don’t worry store bought will also turn out some delicious curry (and let’s face it, most Thai restaurants use prepared curry pastes).

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Vegan Roasted Jalapeño Cheese

February 13, 2018 By thecuriouschickpea 8 Comments

This vegan roasted jalapeño cheese is one of my go-to recipes. It packs in a ton of flavor and is so simple to make. It melts and stretches, and makes the best quesadillas. Before going vegan, I would regularly eat quesadillas for lunch or dinner, and would always make those with pepper jack cheese. When I cut cheese out of my life I thought I would never enjoy a quesadilla again. I mean of course I tried all the commercial brands, and while I’m fine with them in certain applications, I did not enjoy them in quesadillas, where the flavor and texture of the cheese is upfront. And then of course the cultured nut cheeses came onto the market, but they weren’t the right fit for quesadillas either! Delicious, certainly, but they weren’t trying to emulate gooey, melty cheeses….