 Mac and cheese is a Southern staple. This cozy, creamy, comfort food is the epitome of soul food and the side dish that always steals the show. It is also one of my daughter's favorite foods, and I wanted to learn to "veganize" it well. This recipe is a winner, and it's kid and husband approved. I can't take all the credit though. I have to give a shout out to the tofu that made it all possible.  There are many brands of tofu, but the Southern Barbecue Tofu Cubes from Hodo Foods were exactly what I needed for this recipe. I used the Harissa cubes in my vegan pot pie recipe, and I knew the barbecue would add the right flavor to my mac and cheese. The smokey blend of paprika, garlic, mustard, cumin, and cayenne in the dry rub says it all. Hello taste buds! They are more than just a pretty face though. They contain 13 grams of USDA certified organic, gluten-free, kosher, plant based protein! I am a label reader, and I like to know exactly what I am feeding myself and my family. I learned that just because a product is labeled "vegan" doesn't necessarily mean it's good for me. If I look at the label and see fine print listing forty ingredients that sound like a science project, then we have a problem. I learned that first hand when I started my vegan journey. Ingredients matter. It was refreshing to read the label on the package of the barbecue tofu. I only saw fresh, wholesome ingredients. This definitely is the best tofu for my family. All the prep work is done, too. There is no draining the package, pressing out the liquid, figuring out which seasonings to use, or a long cooking process. They are literally ready to eat in five minutes. Time is so precious, and the Hodo tofu cubes are a quick and easy plant based meal option. If you like barbecue and pizza, you should definitely try this easy vegan pizza recipe. You can thank me later.   Creamy, cheesy, smoky, tasty, and only ten ingredients!
Author: The Sensible Vegan Recipe Type: Entree Cuisine: Vegan Serving: 8 Ingredients: 1 lb elbow macaroni pasta 1 tbsp garlic powder 1 tbsp turmeric 1/2 cup raw carrots 1 cup raw whole cashews 1/2 cup potato leek soup. I found this one at Publix. 1 package Southern Barbecue Tofu Cubes 1/2 cup coconut milk 2 1/2 tbsps nutritional yeast 1 tbsp smoked paprika Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Soak cashews and carrots in bowl of hot water for 30 minutes. I boiled a bowl of water for five minutes in the microwave, added the cashews and carrots, and covered them. Prepare pasta and set aside. When the cashews and carrots are tender, remove them from water and add them to your blender. You may also use a food processor. Add in garlic powder, smoked paprika, turmeric, soup, coconut milk, and nutritional yeast. Blend or pulse until thick and creamy. Add macaroni to skillet on medium low heat. Stir in tofu cubes. Pour cheese sauce atop pasta and stir until evenly combined. Season with salt to taste. Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes. You may use a baking dish or oven skillet pan. Remove from oven, dust with a few pinches of smoke paprika, and enjoy! For Serving: Drizzle with your favorite barbecue sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley. Nutrition Info: Serving size: 1/8 Calories: 418 Fat: 15.9g Saturated Fat: 3.25g Protein: 16.6g Sugar: 4.3g Fiber: 4.5g Sodium: 398mg Carb: 53g
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 As I was getting together the ingredients for everything I needed to prepare the Father's Day meal for my husband last weekend, I received the most amazing message. A dear friend of mine messaged me that she was going vegan and was asking about Mexican restaurants with vegan options in Atlanta. Needless to say I was pretty excited about this. I absolutely love Mexican food. Some of my favorite recipes on my website are vegan quesadillas and vegan burritos, and I was really looking forward to making these vegan chick'n tacos for Father's Day. Along with my vegan banana pudding they were fabulous.  Tacos are great for many reasons. They are tasty, inexpensive, family friendly, and quick and easy to make. In this recipe I used Gardein meatless chick'n strips. The flavor and texture is perfect for tacos, but you can substitute any vegan meat or even forego using mock meat and fill them with fresh veggies and a delicious sauce! Everyone in the family and your dinner guests can choose their own ingredients to customize their tacos. I love spicy foods and seasonings, but my husband and daughter don't. I usually top mine with spicy salsa, while my husband and daughter savor the mild version. Everyone wins.  Tasty, crunchy, filling, flavorful, and only five ingredients!
Author: The Sensible Vegan Recipe Type: Entree Cuisine: Vegan Serving: 6 Ingredients:
Nutrition Info: Serving size 2 tacos Calories: 250 Fat: 9.9 g Saturated Fat: 0.7g Protein: 10g Sugar: 0.8g Fiber: 7.8g Sodium: 367.2mg Carb: 31.5g  Meal prepping is a normal routine in our home. From veggie bowls to salads, meal prepping saves us a lot of time and money. One of my favorite prep meals is pasta. Pasta is inexpensive, loaded with protein and fiber, and can be customized into many different recipes. I usually make a large pot of pasta that typically lasts four or five days. This recipe is a family favorite.  I use Gardein chick'n strips in many recipes. It's great in vegan quesadillas as well. I just tossed them in a little avocado oil for this recipe, and they browned perfectly. They are packed with protein and can be seasoned to suit your taste. I usually add a little chili powder and lime if I am using them with tacos or burritos and saute them in a pan with onions and peppers.  Savory, cheesy, flavorful, and only eight ingredients.
Author: The Sensible Vegan Recipe Type: Entree Cuisine: Vegan Serving: 12 Ingredients:
Baked sprouted grain garlic bread Nutrition Info: Serving size 2 cups Calories: 416 Fat: 3.1 g Saturated Fat: 0g Protein: 13g Sugar: 5.8g Fiber: 7.3g Sodium: 195mg Carb: 60g  We try to have a weekly pizza night at our house. My daughter loves creating her own pizza! Sometimes we order the amazing vegan pizza from Mellow Mushroom, but most of the time we like to make our own. Each time I go to the grocery store I am constantly amazed at all of the new plant based products hitting the shelves. Vegan options are in high demand, and it is very exciting to see. I love creating vegan pizza recipes, and this time I decided to try some new products.  The toppings you use on your pizza can make or break the recipe, but I believe the right crust makes all the difference. I have used several different kinds of crusts in my recipes, but when I stumbled upon this product at Whole Foods, I had no idea it would end up being my preferred crust for future pizzas. Years ago when I first became vegan I was devouring documentaries and watching as many as I could. I remember watching the Forks Over Knives Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue with Rip Esselstyn, so I was super excited to see this Engine 2 pizza crust! Rip is the Engine 2 founder. He is also a former firefighter, premier triathlete, and All-American swimmer. When he was with the Austin Fire Department, he introduced the whole foods plant based diet and helped rescue a firefighting brother's health. This birthed the best selling book, The Engine 2 Diet. In 2009 Rip teamed up with Whole Foods Market as one of their Healthy Eating Partners and continues to raise awareness about the benefits of a whole foods plant base diet through books, speaking engagements, podcasts, a phenomenal food line, and so much more. The pizza crust is excellent! It delivers the pizzeria taste with plant based, non-GMO ingredients.  Saucy, spicy, meaty, cheesy, and only seven ingredients.
Author: The Sensible Vegan Recipe Type: Pizza Cuisine: Vegan Serving: 3 Ingredients:
Nutrition Info: Serving size 2 slices Calories: 333 Fat: 7.7g Saturated Fat: 2.7g Protein: 12.3g Sugar: 6g Fiber: 8.7g Sodium: 573mg Carb: 49g  ..If you're looking for a simple, fast, nutritious, and delicious family meal, then you should consider making stir fry. These days you can buy entire stir fry meal kits in stores, but I like to be in control of things like sodium content. Some of the kits contain sauces that are very high in sodium. One of the things I do enjoy using in my stir fry recipe is frozen veggies. It saves so much time, and there are so many to choose from. The package I used contained carrots, snow peas, shelled edamame, mung bean sprouts, mushrooms, and water chestnuts. Of course you can use your own combination of fresh veggies as well. Both are equally delicious.  For my protein, I used Gardein chick'n scallopini. It's lightly seasoned, tender, juicy and perfect for stir fry. It also contains 9 grams of protein per serving. I look forward to trying the scallopini in other vegan chick'n recipes.  Savory, protein-rich, filling, and only four ingredients!
Author: The Sensible Vegan Recipe Type: Entree Cuisine: Vegan Serving: 8 Ingredients:
Nutrition Info: Serving size- 1.5 cups Calories: 153.6 Fat: 2.7g Saturated Fat: 3.9g Protein: 9.3g Sugar: 5.6g Fiber: 4g Sodium: 362.5mg Carb: 11.3g  Before becoming vegan, tuna salad was one of our favorite quick meals. My daughter absolutely loved it. After becoming vegan I started making vegan tuna salad, but it still was not the same. Don't get me wrong. The chickpea tunaless salad did the job, but then along came fish-free tuna by Good Catch™ Foods, and the rest is history!  When I opened the pouch to begin making my tuna salad I was amazed by the taste and texture of the tuna. It has the chunky albacore taste and texture without the cruelty! What cruelty? Many people don't think about the cruelty that's involved in the fishing industry. PETA has compiled a very good list regarding tuna. Besides being absolutely tasty, this tuna has 14 grams of protein per serving and is made with a six-plant protein blend.  To make the perfect sandwich you have to have the right bread, and I think I've found it. Sometimes when I look at labels for "healthy" foods I am amazed at the number of ingredients in some products. This bread only contains four: Freshly Stone Milled Whole Grain Sprouted Spelt Flour, Filtered Water, Freshly Stone Milled Whole Grain Spelt Flour and Sea Salt. That's it! It's alkaline, a great source of fiber, non-GMO, and made with spelt gluten which is naturally more water soluble that wheat gluten and easier for the body to break down. On top of all that it's absolutely delicious. It's made by Berlin Natural Bakery.  Protein-rich, filling, chunky, creamy, and only six ingredients!
Author: The Sensible Vegan Recipe Type: Salad Cuisine: Vegan Serving: 3 Ingredients:
Nutrition Info: Serving size- 3 tbsps Calories: 95 Fat: 4.7g Saturated Fat: 0.2g Protein: 9.3g Sugar: 1g Fiber: 1g Sodium: 340mg Carb: 5g  I was about to purchase a veggie bowl at Whole Foods the other day. They had brown rice, tofu, brussel sprouts, green beans, and several other items to add. Everything was great until I asked how the tofu was prepared. I was disappointed to find out that it was cooked in the same oil as the meat items. This should not be! Needless to say, I walked away and decided to make my own stir fry instead. I found the perfect veggies for my family meal, and picked up some Gardein Chick'n to add to the recipe as well.  Gardein Crispy Chick'n Gardein products are absolutely superb. Before my husband became vegan I would use Gardein products in my recipes, and he didn't even know he was not eating meat. When I talk to people about becoming vegan, one of the excuses I often hear is "but I can't live without meat!" It doesn't phase me, and I assure them that they can. I tell them that they like the taste of meat and like how it's seasoned and prepared. Then, I usually explain how true carnivores in their natural habitat don't season their meat. They catch their meat with their teeth and claws while ripping through fur and crushing through bones. Those are true meat eaters. They don't season their meat with herbs and spices made from plants. There are hundreds of vegan products on the market today that look and taste like meat. You can have the taste without the cruelty or animal abuse involved. Some of my favorites are Tofurky, Beyond Meat, Hilary's, and Dr. Praeger's products.  Protein-packed, colorful, savory, and only six ingredients!
Author: The Sensible Vegan Recipe Type: Entree Cuisine: Vegan Serving: 10 Ingredients:
 Last week was an exciting week. It's always great to receive product samples, and I was anticipating my package from VIVOTRIBE. The company makes ready-to-eat organic beans with flavors like Chimichurri, Pad Thai, and Miso Ginger. I was extremely impressed with the products, and I will do a seperate review post soon. The first one I sampled was the Chimichurri. It's high in protein and packed with fresh flavors like organic parsley, organic cilantro, organic garlic, and fresh organic black beans. The delicious flavors immediately reminded me of tacos, but I had decided to make vegan pizza for dinner. So, I decided to combine my love for both foods, and I created a taco pizza. This is a quick and easy vegan recipe. You can use your creativity to customize it, and make it your own. I look forward to hearing from you!  Festive, flavorful, speedy, spicy, and only nine ingredients to make!
Author: The Sensible Vegan Recipe Type: Entree Cuisine: Vegan Serving: 2 Ingredients
Nutrition Information Serving size: 1/2 Naan Calories: 259 Fat: 10.8g Saturated Fat: 2.9g Carbohydrates: 28g Sugar: 3.2g Sodium: 437mg Fiber: 4g Protein: 7g  I have been on a seitan kick lately. We made vegan quesadillas using it, and that was a huge success. Since it was pizza night, I thought, why not give it a try on a pizza? The results had me thinking, "Why didn't I think of this sooner?" I mean, my BBQ chick'n pizza was the best by far, until I made this pizza. It is now my favorite and my husband's absolute favorite as well. He actually asked me to make it for lunch the next day, too. Although this dish tastes absolutely amazing, I had to change a few things once I started calculating the nutrition information. The only thing I do not like about the recipe is that it is 900 mg of sodium per serving. YIKES! When I am shopping in stores, if I want to buy a packaged meal I always make sure the sodium is less than 500 mg per serving, If it's more than that, then I won't buy it. So basically, I would not purchase this pizza at the store because of the sodium content. Granted, we barely consume sodium in our diet. The recommended daily allowance for sodium is between 1500 mg-2300 mg per day according to the American Heart Association, but then again that same organization also recommends eating meat and dairy so....Anyway, since I don't consume much sodium daily, I was not worried too much about the sodium content this time. But, for those watching their sodium intake I would: (a) cut the serving of cheese and seitan in half the next time I make it and use a different crust (the Stonefire Naan crust was 440 mg of sodium per serving) (b) make my own seitan and crust. The best thing about this pizza is what I top it with after it comes out of the oven, Ol' Dirty Sheets Hot Sauce! I received a bottle of it in my swag bag when I spoke at The Cleveland Vegfest in Ohio. This stuff is the absolute truth! I use it on pizza, burritos, steamed veggies, etc. I need to get more because my bottle is on it's last leg. If you love hot sauce, this brand is unlike any brand I have ever tasted. You have to try it for yourself. You''ll thank me later.  Of course, I cannot leave out my daughter! This is the pizza she made. She loves cooking and made this spinach and vegan cheese pizza.  Sweet, spicy, cheesy, packed with protein, and only six ingredients to make!
Author: The Sensible Vegan Recipe Type: Entree Cuisine: Vegan Serving: 4 Ingredients
Nutrition Information Serving size: 1/2 Naan Calories: 440 Fat: 14.5g Saturated Fat: 3.5g Carbohydrates: 55g Sugar: 13.7g Sodium: 900mg Fiber: 5g Protein: 21g  I was standing in Whole Foods the other day waiting on the person in front of me to choose their item out of the mock meat section. As they blankly stared into the glass, I knew they would be a while. I finally said "excuse me" and proceeded to grab two packages of seitan. They looked at me and said, "What are you gonna do with that?" I love when people ask me food questions! I proceeded to let them know and educated them about the product. They were so excited, I was happy, and I was feeling great about gaining a few new followers to my blog. Seitan is such a quick, versatile, inexpensive, and high-protein ingredient. It is made from cooked wheat gluten. I have used it in many meals, and on this particular day I wanted to make vegan quesadillas. My husband liked the idea, so we made it a family event. My husband, daughter, and I had a blast creating this meal, and I hope you enjoy the recipe!  Flavorful, filling, guac-tastic, nutritious, and only seven ingredients to make!
Author: The Sensible Vegan Recipe Type: Entree Cuisine: Vegan Serving: 6 Ingredients
Nutrition Information Serving size: 1 whole quesadilla Calories: 398 Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 3.5g Carbohydrates: 70.5g Sugar: 2g Sodium: 430mg Fiber: 10.3g Protein: 23.2g |
About Tabatha JamesTabatha James is a wife, mom, and children's book author who loves creating vegan recipes with 10 ingredients or less! Vegan Categories
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