Vegan recipes from Food Network!

My all time biggest inspiration has to be Chloe Coscarelli who was the first vegan who won Cupcake Wars! Quite a few vegan bakeries actually compete but few win, and even fewer post the recipes they competed with online so I really appreciate Chloe's website! I have her first cookbook and am going to buy her dessert cookbook which just came out this month. Recipes and more at http://chefchloe.com/vegan-recipes.html and episode review and pic credit to http://archives.quarrygirl.com/2010/06/22/vegan-cupcakes-ftw-chloe-coscarellis-huge-food-network-victory/

Next up has to be Trisha Yearwood's Black Bean Lasagna. I'm not a big fan of Southern cooking, but I watch her show just in case, and I'm glad that I did because the whole entire episode was vegan! She won me over with making using tofu ricotta with nutritional yeast on national television. These are seemingly secret vegan cooking methods that hardly anyone knows about so I was really moved almost to tears that she showcased this alternative on her show. I'm so happy that families like hers have a Veggie Night every now and then and because of this episode I am hopeful that other families who don't have one yet will try it! Recipe here http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/black-bean-lasagna-recipe/index.html

More dessert from guess who? Giada De Laurentiis! As a big fan of her show, I would recognize that clean, beautiful presentation anywhere, but little did I know one exciting fact. In the episode, she revealed that her mom is vegetarian. I wonder if she knows Chloe Coscarelli? With things like Italian sausage and pepperoni, Italian vegetarians is something I had not heard of until Chef Chloe. The only qualm I would have about this recipe is that I'm guessing it must be consumed within a couple of days or less otherwise I imagine the avocado would spoil fast like it usually does but when I feel like melting chocolate I definitely want to try this recipe. Thanks Giada! Recipe here http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chocolate-avocado-mousse-recipe/index.html

One recipe I've been dying to try is these Pierogis. I was pretty moved when I saw them in Home Made in America with Sunny Anderson because they were made by a woman who is also named Kathleen. Even better, she said she uses them as payment to get heads to help on her horse rescue farm, and at the time I was really into a farming game on Nintendo 3DS, so I felt we were intensely related, though I was only farming in a game xD. Recipe here http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pierogies-recipe/index.html

Lastly is this vegan chili also from horse rescue farm home cook Kathleen <3. I think about it every now and then because of how satisfying the meat eating farm helpers said it was in the episode. When I can gather the numerous amount of ingredients used to make this chili flavorful and hearty, I really look forward to putting it together. Two Kathleen's making vegan chili ftw! Recipe here http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/veggie-chili-recipe/index.html

Vegan Soy Chorizo Taco Lasagna (Halloween Style)

9 lasagna ribbons, dash of salt and canola oil
1 can Trader Joe's vegetarian refried beans
1 package medium firm tofu, drained then cubed
1 package soy chorizo
1 cup onion, diced
1/3 cup orange bell peppers, diced
1/3 cup yellow bell peppers, diced
1/3 cup red bell peppers, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Chinese black rice
2 tbsp canola oil
3 cups vegetable stock
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin

Drain tofu, place on a plate and plate another plate on top of it. Place an object, such as a bottle of ketchup on top of the plate, and let water drain from tofu for at least 20 minutes.

In a large pot stir fry the onion, bell peppers, garlic and rice in oil for 3 minutes. Add the stock and diced tomatoes plus the juice. Bring to a boil, and stir in chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes, or until rice is done and liquid gone.

In a different large pot, fill 2/3 with water and bring to a boil. Add lasagna ribbons, salt, and oil. Cook three fourths of the way and remove from fire. Let sit in water for 5 minutes or until lasagna is desired size but still firm enough to grab. With tongs, remove lasagna ribbons onto plates to cool and set aside. While the lasagna ribbons are boiling, spread refried beans onto the bottom of an 11x13" pyrex.

While lasagna is cooling, use the same large pot to saute tofu for 1 minute to remove additional moisture that has not been removed from draining. Add soy chorizo, stir till well combined, let simmer for 5 minutes, and remove from fire.

To assemble the lasagna, lay down three ribbons, and top it with half of the soy chorizo and tofu mixture. Top it with three more ribbons, and the rest of the soy chorizo and tofu mixture. Lastly, top it with the three last ribbons and the black rice. If you have Halloween style cookie cutters and extra pieces of bell peppers left over, shape bell peppers with cookie cutters and arrange on top of rice as a cute decoration

Altered from http://vegweb.com/recipes/mexican-brown-rice

Vegan Kabocha Squash Lasagna

9 lasagna ribbons

2 1/2 cups brown onions (3 small onions), chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

1 pound Kabocha squash (half of a small squash), peeled and cut into 1/4″ slices

2 cups veggie broth

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp sage

1 box tofu

2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshy ground pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 package Daiya nondairy cheddar cheese shreds

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Preheat large saute pan for 30 seconds. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and saute onions until soft, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Return same pan to heat and add sliced squash, broth and herbs. Bring to a boil and cook on high heat until broth almost all of the broth has evaporated. Separate from broth and set aside.

Meanwhile blend tofu with the lemon, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne.

Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pyrex with the remaining broth.

Lay down 3 lasagna noodles and coat with tofu ricotta. Place squash on top of the lasagna in a thin layer. You’ll be making two layers of the squash so just use half now. Place half of onions on top of squash and sprinkle around desired portion of shredded daiya. Repeat for the second layer.

Top with the final 3 lasagna sheets. To finish sprinkle with shredded daiya.

Bake for 20 min or until daiya shreds are melted.

Altered from http://gavanmurphy.com/butternut-squash-lasagna/

Vegan Spinach Lasanga

2 cans Hunt's tomato sauce or Prego or Ragu
1 box lasagna ribbons, boiled and drained
1 block firm tofu
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 block vegan gourmet mozzarella cheese, shredded or ~2 cups Daiya Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
2 cups frozen spinach, boiled and drained
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt

In a blender, process tofu, onion, garlic, juice, basil, oregano, and salt then mix in spinach. Cover the bottom of a 9x13 Pyrex with 1 cup of sauce. Place three ribbons on top of the sauce about an inch apart. Cover the ribbons with half of the tofu mixture and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Place three more ribbons on top of the tofu mixture about an inch apart. Cover the ribbons with 1 cup of tomato sauce, the rest of the tofu mixture, and another 1/2 cup of cheese. Place three more ribbons on top of the tofu mixture about an inch apart. Cover the ribbons with 1 cup of tomato sauce and 1 cup of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and cool. 


Altered from How it All Vegan! cookbook