Vegan Buffalo "Chicken" Mac and Cheese

Creamy, cheesy, gooey, spicy, vegan buffalo “Chicken” mac and cheese with jackfruit! You heard me right. It’s a thing, and it is AMAZING!

Jackfruit is a great substitute for chicken in many vegan recipes and was the first thing that came to mind when I deiced to veganize my favorite dip, to create a vegan buffalo chicken cheese dip! It’s inexpensive, healthy, a great source of fiber, and it mimics the texture of shredded meat very well. It has little flavor on its own when you buy it canned in brine, and takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it in!

I love buffalo flavored anything, and I super love buffalo “chicken” dip! Like I could eat vegan buffalo every single day probably and not get tired of it. I also love Franks brand buffalo sauce and let just all give a big hallelujah that it is actually vegan!!

So taking my favorite vegan buffalo chicken dip recipe with a few adjustments, and mixing it into macaroni changed my favorite appetizer into dinner (insert me doing a happy dance!) I does not get much better than this, y’all!

It’s the best of both worlds. My favorite dip and favorite side dish, all rolled into one seriously comforting dish.

This mac and cheese is hearty enough to be a meal on its own with side salad, or a super delicious side dish!! It freezes and reheats well making it perfect for meal prep, too.

So if you love mac and cheese and you love buffalo sauce on everything too, we might be new best friends! Buffalo sauce lovers of the world unite!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 16 oz package of macaroni noodles

• 1 can jackfruit in brine

• 1 8oz of vegan cream cheese, homemade or store-bought

• 1 cup of buffalo sauce (I use Franks)

• 1/2 cup vegan mayo

• Pinch of salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1 plus 1/2 cups vegan cheddar shreds, homemade or store-bought

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter (for the drizzle)

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Cook noodles according package instructions. Drain, rinse and set aside.

2. Drain jack fruit, rinse, and chop the pieces, or shred them using you fingers into a medium sized bowl. The fruit pulls apart easily, and I find using my fingers easier than chopping.

3. Add 3/4 cups of the buffalo sauce, 1 cup of shredded cheese, plus the remaining ingredients minus the butter, to the jackfruit and mix well.

4. Add the noodles to the jackfruit mixture and mix well.

5. Transfer the mac and cheese to a 9x12 baking or caserole dish, and sprinkle the top with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.

6. Melt 2 tablespoons of vegan butter and mix with the remaining 1/4 cup of buffalos sauce. Drizzle the mixture over the mac and cheese.

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until all of the cheese on top is nice and melted and the mac is heated through.

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If you liked this recipe, try these!

Buffalo “Chicken” Bites

Buffalo “Chicken” dip

The Jax Biscuit Sandwich

Just outside of our neighborhood is the best vegan breakfast and lunch spot in our city! It is our family’s go to spot for an always quick and delicious meal.

One of my most favorite menu items is something called the Blisscuit!

It is an herb biscuit topped with vegan egg salad, sauerkraut, and avocado.

So naturally for all y’all that are not in Jacksonville FL and who can not visit the infamous, Southern Roots, we decided to create our own version of this delicious bite with a few changes.

We used our fluffy southern biscuit recipe,tofu egg salad, and quick dill sauerkraut to create what we call the Jax Biscuit Sandwich!

We make a really simple quick dil sauerkraut to top this biscuit with. All you need is some cabbage, dil, vinegar, salt, and a microwave. You will have kraut in minutes!! It will only get better with time but is good from the start!

Our vegan egg salad using tofu is one of my favorite quick lunches and something we make almost weekly. Try and find some black salt (kala namak) if you can. Its actually pink and might also be called Indian kala namak. It is sulfur salt so taste and smells strongly of eggs. Its perfect for any and all vegan “egg” dishes you make!

And although we think our biscuit is pretty darn good, and you should definitely make yourself one or five, if you ever find yourself in our river city, go by and try the real deal! You won’t be disappointed! We are forever grateful for the full bellies Southern Roots brings us and all the tasty inspiration!

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Ingredtiens:

• 1 batch fluffy southern bisucits

• 2 avocados

• 1 - 2 cups quick dill sauerkraut (depending on how many people you are serving)

Vegan Tofu Egg Salad:

• 1 cube extra firm organic tofu

• 1 teaspoons turmeric

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 3 tablespoon diced pickles (plus a teaspoon of pickle juice)

• 1/4 cup vegan mayo

• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard (optional)

• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions:

1. Drain tofu and wrap in a clean kitchen towel or a few paper towels. Place a few cookbooks or a heavy pan on top and let sit for 10 - 15 minutes to press out the excess liquid from the tofu.

2. Crumble tofu into a medium sized bowl using your hands or a fork. Mix in the remaining egg salad ingredients along with the tofu, and mix well. Adjust seasoning to taste.

3. Cut biscuits in half and add a scoop of tofu egg salad, sauerkraut, and a few slices of avocado.

4. Eat and be happy!

If you liked this recipe, try these:

Brown Bag “Chicken” Fried Seitan Biscuit

Vegan Deluxe Biscuits and Gravy

Vegan Philly Fries with Beer Cheese Sauce

What do you get when you mix a Philly cheese steak and a plate of fries, then top it off with vegan beer cheese sauce.

The best thing you have ever eaten?!?!?! That is probably a stretch BUT, these fries are really, really, really good!

Trust me when I tell you that you do not want to skip the vegan beer cheese sauce. Any other cheese sauce is a sad second.

Also if you have never made homemade easy basic seitan, now is your chance! Its super easy to make and can be used a gazzilion different ways. You an also use any seitan you like in this recipe. Flank steak, chicken, whatever!

We even have a video on the site to help you see the process of making homemade seitan! Just look under the video section!

You only need half a batch for this recipe, so pop the rest in the freezer for another nights dinner! Look at you meal prepping without even trying!!

So lets hear it for Philly fries and beer cheese!! You many never use a bun for your Philly again! You may never use another cheese sauce again, either. But honestly, who could blame you!

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INGREDIENTS:

• Half batch of basic seitan, seitan chicken, or flank steak (around 3 cups sliced, refer to video if you are new to seitan)

• 2 cups sliced mushrooms, white or baby portabello are fine

• 1/2- 1 red or orange bell pepper

• 1 small yellow onion

• 1-2 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

• 2 teaspoons tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 3-4 tablespoons coconut aminos

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 -2 cups vegan beer cheese sauce

• 4 medium russet potatoes

• Diced scallions (optional as garnish)

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INSTURCTIONS:

1. Wash the potatoes, peels on

2. Cut potatoes into fries.

3. FOR FRYING THE POTATOES, heat a few inches of oil in a deep skillet (I use a cast iron skillet)on medium heat.Once the oil is nice and hot, start adding small batches of the fries to the oil. Allow them to fry until nice a crisp, about 5 minutes. Once they are done frying, remove from oil and place on a wire cooking rack with some paper towels underneath. This will help them stay crispy while you finish frying the rest.

4. FOR OVEN BAKING, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat fries in a few teaspoons of oil and place them on a cookies sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure the fries are not over crowded. Sprinkle with salt and bake for about 15 minutes or until the fries seem crispy on one side. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven, and turn the fries with a spatula or a pair of metal tongs. Put the fires back in the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the fries seem fully crisp.

5. USING AN AIR FRYER: Lightly spray potatoes with some cooking oil, sprinkle with salt and place in the air fryer basket. ( you may have to fry in batches if you have a smaller air fryer) cook on 400 for 15 minutes, taking the basket out and shaking it around a few times during the cooking process. If the fries are not crispy after 15 minutes, put them back in for 5 more minutes or until they have reached the desired crispness.

6. FOR THE PHILLY, Slice seitan into thin strips. Thinly slice onions and peppers. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a few teaspoons of oil. Add onions, garlic, and pepper and sauté until the onions begin to get soft. Add the mushrooms and let them cook for a few minutes. Add the seitan, all of the seasonings, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, liquid aminos, and cook for another 5 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the seitan is beginning to brown.

7. To serve, stack fries on a plates, topping with Philly mixture and drizzled with Beer Cheese. You can also sprinkle some diced scallions if you like extra kick of onion.

   Serves 3-4

IF YOU LIKED THIS RECIPE, TRY THESE!

Vegan Chili Cheese Fries

Vegan BBQ Cheddar Fries with Slaw

Vegan Gorgonzola and Balsamic Glazed Chips

Funnel Cake Fries

Vegan Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Challah

If you have not noticed my affection for challah bread by now, then let me reiterate that I LOVE challah, LOVE IT!!!

I used to bake and sell challah each week actually, until I started this site and life got too busy.

I have t-shirts expressing my challah love, socks too. Challah at ya! Challah y’all! Challah day, celebrate! I ain’t no challah back girl. I could go on and on with my challah puns.

I love it start to finish, dough to bread. I love the act of preparing challah on shabbat, and I love finding new ways to stuff it so it becomes a total meal.

Challah takes some time to make, but it is 1,000% worth it!

This vegan challah was the request of our 13 year old daughter. She loves our Buffalo “chicken” dip with jackfruit and stuffing that magic into warm, soft, fluffy challah seemed like a no brainer to me! Covered in melted vegan cheddar and drizzled with hot sauce glaze, its now on my top 5 favorite stuffed challah list!

So bake up a batch of our Vegan Buffalo “chicken” dipand stuff your own vegan challah. Then challah at me and let me know how much you loved it!

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Challah:

Follow the recipe for my basic Challah Y'all, Vegan Challah. You will follow the instructions through the first rise, then follow the below instructions for stuffing and braiding.

• 1 batch of Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip, baked and cooled

• 1 cup leftover aquafaba

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

• 3 teaspoons buffalo sauce (I always use Franks)

• 1 cup shredded vegan cheddar (I always use homemade or follow your heart cheddar shreds)

Stuffing the Challah:

1. Once Challah has completed its first rise, remove from oven and separate dough in half. This recipe will yield 2 stuffed challah loaves.

2. Cut each half into thirds. (each loaf will have three pieces of dough. Work with one loaf at a time, leaving the other three pieces of dough covered in a bowl until you are ready to use them)

3. Take one piece of dough in your hand and begin to stretch it both length wise, and width wise and the same, time, letting gravity help with the length. You want a rectangle of dough that is about 5 inches wide and about 6-7 inches long. Once your dough is the correct size, Add a few scoops of dip to the center of the dough. Do not get too close to the edges, if the dip wets the dough it will not seal together.

4. Once stuffed, bring the outside edges together, and pinch to seal. Once dough is sealed, pick it up and start to gently stretch the dough into a fat rope. You will have to kind of squeeze and pull at the same time, just do not squeeze so hard that the filling comes out. You just need the rope long enough to braid, 10-12 inches.

5. Repeat with the other two strands.

6. Once all three strands are stuffed, and formed, carefully braid the three pieces together. If the seams begin to open, pinch them back and continue braiding. Tuck both ends of the loaf under when done braiding. Once again I will refer you to Tori Avey's challah braiding guide if you are unfamiliar with braiding challah! She does a fantastic job showing all the different ways to braid your bread, plus she has some really great recipes on her site.

7. Repeat with the second loaf, and place both stuffed loaves on a baking sheet, and back in the oven to rise again for about 45 mintues. Once they have risen, remove from oven and pre-heat to 350.

8. Mix 1 cup of left over aquafaba, maple syrup and buffalo sauce. Brush each loaf of challah with the mixture and sprinkle with vegan cheddar shreds. You can also add a little extra hot sauce to the aquafaba mix and drizzle it over the challah before you bake it.

9. Bake both loaves for about 35 - 45 minutes. You can tap the tops to see if they sound a little hallow. It is hard to tell when stuffed challahs are done when there are wet ingredients inside, so if they do not seem cooked through after 35 minutes, let them keep cooking for 5 - 10 more minutes.

10. Remove challah from the oven, and allow to cool some before cutting.

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*Follow us on Instagram @86.eats and check out step by step challah making in our highlights. This shows making aquafaba, and the stages of the dough!

Check out our other challah recipes on the site:

Beyond Meatball Stuffed Challah

Spiced Apple and Pecan Stuffed Challah

Soft Vegan Challah Pretzels

Challah Y’all, Vegan Challah

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Raw Sesame Zucchini Noodle Salad

I love making noodles out of zucchini.

If you do not have one of those zoodle making gadgets, don’t fret! A regular vegetable peeler works fine for veggie ribbon noodles!

This Raw sesame zucchini noodle salad is one of my favorites because it is so easy, delicious, and healthy. Just peel, toss, and serve! I mean really, you don’t even cook it, how easy is that!

Toss on some grilled tofu, and this perfectly light side dish transforms into fully satisfying, healthy lunch or dinner in just minutes!

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Ingredients:

• 3 medium zucchini

• 1 and 1/2 cup shredded cabbage or slaw mix

• 1 cup match stick or shredded carrots

• 1/2 thinly sliced red onion

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

• 1/4 chopped cilantro

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup coconut aminos or soy sauce (if using soy skip the extra salt)

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons of agave or white sugar

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Instructions:

1. Wash and trim ends from each zucchini. Using a veggie spiralizer (zoodle maker) cut noodles from each zucchini into a large bowl. If you do not have a zoodle making gadget, you can cut ribbons from the zucchini using a regular veggie peeler. Just make long ribbons from the zucchini until you reach the core. The seedy part does not peel well.

2. Add the slaw mix, carrots, onion, sesame seeds, and cilantro to the bowl with the zoodles and toss.

3. In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. You can taste and adjust to your liking. Pour dressing over the veggies and toss. Garnish with extra cilantro, and sesame seeds if you like.

Serve at room temp or allow to chill before serving.

Open Faced Vegan Roast "Beef" Sandwich with Jackfruit

Our oldest daughter used to order an open faced roast beef sandwich any chance she could get. Once we went vegetarian and eventually vegan, it was a dish she often mentioned missing.

While it was not something I ever craved, I decided I would try to make a vegan version of an open faced roast beef sandwich that would hopefully satisfy her craving.

Although the jackfruit does not mimic the usual thinly sliced beef, the flavor is rich and convincing. This recipe takes a while to cook, but the prep time is fairly short. So if you are hanging around the house on a weekend, you can easily prep a batch of this vegan roast jackfruit, and let it cook while you go along your merry way!

I add red wine to this recipe and it truly makes all the difference in the rich, savory flavor, so I strongly suggest not skipping that ingredient. If you choose to skip out on the wine, I can not account for what that will do to the flavor of the jackfruit. I would suggest adding extra water or maybe some mushroom broth if you do decide to skip it!

This recipe is warm, savory, delicious, comfort food that has now become a regular on our families winter dinner rotation and hopefully yours, as well!

Ingredients:

• Sliced sourdough or french bread

• Vegan cheese slices

• 2 cans of jackfruit in brine

• 3 teaspoons low sodium Vegetable Better than Bouillon

• 1 and 1/2 cups water

• 1/2 cup red wine

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 larger yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

For the Gravy

• 1 yellow onion thinly sliced

• 3 tablespoon all purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons Vegetable Better Than Bouillon

• 2 cups water

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons vegan butter

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Heat a dutch oven, or another large OVEN SAFE pot, over medium heat on the stove top. Add a little oil, and the sliced onion, and cook until the onions are translucent. While the onion are cooking, drain the jackfruit, and using your fingers, shred the jackfruit apart into the pot with the onion. Add the Better than Bouillon and let the onion and jackfruit continue to cook for a few minutes to help remove the brine flavor the jackfruit tends to have.

2. After about 5 minutes, add the water and remaining ingredients to the pot. Stir well and allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Once it is simmering, put the lid on the pot and carefully transfer it to the oven.

3. Allow the jackfruit to cook in the oven with the lid on for about 1 hour. After an hour, remove the lid and cook for another hour, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Check on the jackfruit and give it a stir a few times while it’s in the oven. Once all the liquid has been absorbed, carefully remove the pot from the oven and place the lid back on. Set aside while you prepare the gravy.

4. For the gravy: In a medium deep skillet (I use my cast iron) add a few teaspoons of vegan butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onions and garlic and sauté until translucent. Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons of flour over the onions and allow the flour to cook for a few minutes. Reduce heat to low. Whisk the Better Than Bouillon into the water and carefully pour the mixture into the pan. Add the remaining seasonings and stir well. Continue to stir the gravy until it has thickened.

5. Place enough slices of bread on a baking sheet and top with cheese. Place in the oven until bread is toasty and cheese has melted (if you do not want cheese, just put the bread in until toasted).

6. To make the sandwiches, top toasted bread with jackfruit roast “beef”and gravy.

Yields 6 - 8 open faced sandwiches.

Cheesy Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

I love potatoes and I love cheese. So what’s not to love about these super easy cheesy vegan scalloped potatoes.

All you need is a pretty simple vegan cheese sauce, some thinly sliced potatoes, an 8x8 pan, and you are on your way to a veganized classic!

I used a mandolin to slice the potatoes to get them extra thin. You do need the potatoes as thin as you can get them. If you do not have a mandolin you can use the long cutting side of a box grater or a really starp knife.

Basically you cut a pile of thin potatoes, whip up an easy cheese sauce, layer and bake. It’s that easy.

if you are allergic to cashews, you can replace them with sunflower seeds or a mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Just follow the same measurements and instructions for the cashews!

This side dish is warm and comforting and pretty easy to make. Its gluten free, too!

I am all in when it comes to my favorite carb and anything vegan cheese related!

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Ingredients :

• 4 - 5 medium russet potatoes

• 1 cup cashews soaked in hot water for a few hours

• 2 cups water

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon light miso paste

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 4 tablespoons tapioca or corn starch

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup plant milk (I used almond milk)

• diced green onions for garnish (optional)

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Instructions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Wash potatoes, but do not peel. Thinly slice the potatoes using a kitchen mandolin. If you do not have a mandolin you can thinly slice the potatoes using the single blade side of your box grater, or cut them as thinly as possible using a sharp knife. If they are on the thicker side it will just take them longer to bake.

2. Drain the cashews, adding them and the remaining ingredients,minus the plant milk, to a high speed blender or food processor. Blend on high until the mixture is completely smooth.

3. Transfer the cheese mixture to a medium sized sauce pan and heat over medium heat. Whisk the mixture continuously until it begins to thicken to the consistency of thick pudding. Once it has thickened, whisk in 1/2 cup of plant milk.

4. Lightly spray an 8x8 casserole pan with oil. Start by placing a thin layer of potatoes on the bottom, cover in some cheese sauce, then another layer of potatoes, cheese sauce, and continue the pattern until all of the potatoes and cheese have been used. The top layer should be cheese sauce.

5. Bake for about 45minutes to one hour, or until the potatoes are cooked through. The time may vary depending on how thick you cut the potatoes. If the top seems to be browning before the potatoes are finished, you can cover the pan with some foil for the remainder of the bake.

6. Once the scalloped potatoes are finished cooking, sprinkle with diced green onions to serve.

Cilantro Avocado Tofu Wraps

Easy weeknight dinners are a must in our busy house.

So, I always make sure to have some extra firm tofu in my fridge for quick dinners like these cilantro avocado tofu wraps.

The marinated tofu, creamy avocado, crispy lettuce, and tangy sauce make for a perfectly delicious, healthy filing meal!

These gluten free wraps are packed with plant protein ,and healthy fats to keep you full and fueled!

Feel free to add extra veggies like match stick carrots, radish slices, sliced onion, or anything else you may like.

These wraps are easy, healthy, delicious, and low carb! Perfect!

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Ingredients:

• 1 - 2 heads romaine lettuce

• 1 block extra firm tofu

• 1 - 2 avocados

• 1/2 cup coconut aminos

• 1 teaspoon agave

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon oil (olive or grape seed)

• juice from 1 lime

• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro

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Smokey lime cream sauce

• 1/3 cup vegan sour cream, or plain unsweetened vegan yogurt (I use Kite Hill plain yogurt)

• Juice from 1/2 lime

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions:

1. Drain tofu and wrap in a a clean kitchen towel or a few clean paper towels. Place a few cookbooks on top for 10 - 15 minutes to press out as much liquid from the tofu as you can. Once pressed, dice tofu into 1/2 inch cubes.

2. In a shallow 8x8 dish, whisk together the aminos, oil, agave, garlic, paprika, and lime juice. Add the cubed tofu to the dish and allow it to marinate for 10 - 15 minutes.

3. While tofu is marinading, wash and pat dry the lettuce, and trim the ends. Slice avocado into thin strips. Wash and chop 1/3 cup of cilantro.

4. Prepare the smokey lime cream sauce by whisking all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

5. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Spray with some cooking oil or add a few teaspoons of oil to the pan as it heats. Add the tofu AND the marinade to the pan. Allow the tofu to cook until all of the liquid is absorbed and the tofu has started to brown and get a little crispy around the edges.

6. To build the wraps, line each lettuce leaf pieces of tofu, a few slices of avocado, drizzle with sauce, and sprinkle with cilantro.

Serves 4 - 6.

Beer Battered Vegan Fried Fish Filets (Fish and Chips)

Before we went vegan, I could have lived off of fried fish and chips!

Beer battered cod was an all time fave that I never passed up.

Imagine my excitement when I discovered I could batter and fry canned banana blossoms and feel like I was eating one of my favorite foods from years past! I think I probably squealed a little!

The banana blossoms somehow magically recreates the texture of flaky fish fillet. They are really mild in flavor and with the help of some seaweed flakes for a fishy kick, it is remarkable how convincing these blossoms are! I mean seriously, who thought of this to begin with. I need to give them a hug!

I looked high and low for banana blossoms at my local Asian markets with little luck, but easily found them on Amazon! I hear that many Asian markets do in fact carry them, so you may find them locally!

In all honesty I was cautiously optimistic when creating this recipe, for fear of once again being super disappointed by lofty internet food magic claims. Some things just seem too good to be true. But this recipe is not. It is all true and delicious and amazing!

I made sure to include a picture of the inside of one of these fillets so you could see just how convincing it looks. These things look, feel, and taste like fried fish!

Now i’m not swearing this recipe will blow your mind, but it did mine. Suffice to say that banana blossoms are now a staple in my pantry, and fish fry Friday is back in action in our house!

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Ingredients:

• 2 cans of banana blossoms in brine

• 1 and 1/2 cup all purpose white flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon old bay

• 2 teaspoons dulse flakes

• 3 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 can of cold beer, any beer is fine as long as it’s not a dark, thick beer

• Oil for frying (I used peanut)

Vegan Tartar Sauce:

• 1/2 cup vegan mayo

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 2 - 3 tablespoons diced dill pickles

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

• salt and pepper to taste

• optional: 1 - 2 teaspoons capers

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Instructions:

1. Drain cans of banana blossoms and carefully remove the blossoms, laying them out on a paper towel to remove some liquid. They can easily fall apart so be careful. I found that only a few blossoms in each can were fully in tact. I simply took all of the loose leaves from each can and stacked them back together to resemble full blossoms. I have only been able to find one brand of blossoms on Amazon. I am uncertain if this is an issue with all canned banana blossoms, but stacking the leaves back together worked just fine for me.

2. Transfer the blossoms to a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons of dulce flakes and a dash of salt.

3. For the batter, whisk together the flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, old bay, and the entire can of cold beer in a medium sized bowl. The batter will be thick.

4. To make the tartar sauce, whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

5. Heat a deep skillet with a few inches of oil over medium/ high heat.

6. While the oil is heating, begin carefully dipping the blossoms into the batter. For any blossoms that you had to reassemble, place them into the batter, and using a spoon, cover the top in batter. This will help keep the blossom in tact vs attempting to dip them. Carefully transfer the blossoms to the hot oil. TIP: if you are not sure if the oil is hot enough, place a chopstick into the oil, if tiny bubbles form around the chopstick, the oil is ready!

7. Fry each blossom for a minute or two on each side, or until they are golden brown. If they seem to be browning too quickly, reduce your heat a bit. Transfer the finished blossoms to a wire cooling rack that has been placed on top of a paper towel lined cookie sheet.

8. Serve finished banana blossoms with a few lemon wedges, homemade tarter sauce, french fries, or malt vinegar.

serves 4

Vegan Reuben Latkes

I’ve never met a potato dish I didn’t like, but my all time favorite way to eat a potato is a latke!

Golden brown potato pancakes, fried up to crispy perfection.

Deciding to marry my favorite potato dish with my favorite sandwich to create a vegan reuben latke is almost too much for me to handle.

Thinly sliced seitan works so well in this recipe, and mixes beautifully with the potatoes and tangy sauerkraut.

You can follow my recipes for your preferred seitan meat, or use your own favorite recipe, or store brand.

So, if you are eating these to celebrate Hanukkah, or just to celebrate your love for latkes and reubens, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

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Ingredients:

• 5 cups shredded russet potatoes

• 2 cups thinly sliced/shaved vegan pastrami, basic seitan, vegan dry rubbed brisket , vegan roast beef

• 1 1/2 cups sauerkraut (plus more for garnish)

• 1 flax egg

• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch

• 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon dried dill (optional)

• pepper to taste

• 2-3 diced green onions for garnish

• oil for frying

Vegan 1,000 Island dressing:

• 1 cup vegan mayo

• 1/4 cup ketchup

• 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tablespoon diced dill pickles

• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions:

1. First, try and remove as much liquid from the shredded potatoes as you can. You can dump the shredded potatoes into a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze out as much liquid as you can, or you can put the shreds in a mesh sieve and press out the liquid that way. The more liquid you remove, the crispier the latkes will be.

2. Remove as much liquid as you can from the sauerkraut using the same method.

3. For the seitan, you can follow my recipe, or watch my video for making homemade seitan, or use store-bought. I used a kitchen mandolin to thinly slice mine then chop it up. If you do not have a mandolin, attempt to slice it as thinly as you can with a knife. You want thin small pieces.

4. Once the liquid has been removed from both the potatoes and the sauerkraut, add both, along with remaining latke ingredients (minus the green onion,) to a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a few tablespoons of oil. I normally use grape seed oil for frying. Using a large spoon to scoop out about 1/4 cup portions of latke mixture. Add the latkes carefully to the hot oil and use a spatula to flatten them out. You do not want to over crowd the pan, so only cook 3 or 4 latkes at a time depending on your pan size. Let the latkes cook on the first side for a few minutes before flipping. Repeat on the other side. I normally repeat this a few times on each side just make sure they are nice and crispy. You want them to be brown, and crisp around the edges. If they seem to be burning, reduce the heat. You may also need to add more oil between batches. Place finished lakes on a wire cooling rack that has been placed on top of some paper towels.

6. Prepare the 1000 island by mixing all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

7. To serve, stack 3 or 4 latkes on a plate and top with vegan 1,000 island, green onions, and extra sauerkraut if you like.

Serves 4 - 6.

Savory Cranberry Vegan Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes

I often make meatballs wth thawed Beyond Meat Burgers.

They work very well as a meat substitute in all kinds of recipes other than just using them as burgers.

Once thawed, they can be used just as you would ground meat. This particular recipe is sweet, tangy, and savory.

The sauce screams holidays, and would make a perfect alternative to a traditional holiday meal.

The cranberries, onion, and savory spices make such a beautiful sauce for the meatballs, and wonderful topping for the mashed potatoes.

You can just as easily use a bag of frozen plant based meatballs, but I really encourage you to try a batch using the Beyond Burgers! Or use whatever homemade seitan meatball you already make!

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Ingredients:

• 1 batch plant based meatballs (Use frozen or follow recipe below)

• 1 can whole cranberry sauce

• 1 cup water

• 1 yellow onion

• 2 teaspoons Vegetable Better Than Bouillon

• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons tapioca or corn starch

• salt and pepper to taste

Mashed Potatoes:

• 4 - 5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter

• 2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese or plain vegan yogurt

• salt and pepper to taste

• a few splashes of plant based milk

Meatballs:

• 4 Beyond Meat Burgers, thawed

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 pieces of sliced bread (whatever you have on hand)

• 1 flax egg

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Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. For the meatballs: If using frozen, bake to package instructions. If making meatballs with Beyond Meat Burgers, put sliced bread into a blender or food processor, and break them down to crumbs. Combine bread crumbs, thawed Beyond Beef patties, flax egg, and dried thyme in a bowl. Mix well. Form meatballs with a small scoop or spoon and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

2. While meatballs are baking, thinly slice the onion. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add a few teaspoons of oil or vegan butter. Drop the onions in and sprinkle with a little salt. Let onions cook until they become translucent and soft. Add the cranberry sauce, balsamic vinegar, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir well and reduce heat to low.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the water, Better Than Bouillon, and starch. Add to the pot of cranberry sauce and stir. Allow sauce to simmer and thicken while the meatballs finish baking. Once the meatballs are done baking, add them to the pot of cranberry sauce and let them simmer along with the sauce while you prepare the mashed potatoes.

4. Bring another large pot of water to a boil, then add the diced potatoes. Let potatoes boil until they are soft enough to pierce with a fork. This should take about 10 - 15 minutes. Drain the water from the potatoes and return them to the pot you boiled them in. Using a hand masher or an electric hand mixer, begin to mash the potatoes. Add the butter, cream cheese or yogurt, salt and pepper. Begin adding milk, just a few tablespoons at a time, until the potatoes are your desired consistency.

5. To serve, scoop some potatoes onto a plate and top with meatballs and sauce. Garnish with fresh time or parsley flakes.

Serves 4 - 6.

Stewed Sauerkraut with Lentil Meatballs

I will find any way I can to incorporatesauerkrautinto a meal. So when I ran across a non vegan recipe for a dish similar to this, I knew it was something I would love. I mean come on, sauerkraut is so good for you and the tang mixed with the creamy tomatoes in this recipe is just perfection!

The lentil “meatballs” are tasty and filling, and the stew is warm and comforting. You could use any premade meatball you want if you are not in the mood to whip up some lentil balls, but they are pretty quick and easy to make.

The zesty kraut and tomatoes, coupled with the cream cheese and milk are a perfect combination. Trust me here. I just keep repeating myself about this perfect combo, but I seriously pretty much licked my plate the first time I made this meal. No lie, it was not my classiest moment. Moving on…..

This meal is delicious on its own and even better with some oven crisped potatoes. Well, because we all know crispy potatoes can make the worst day better, and an already great meal an absolutely fricking fantastic, rainbows and unicorns, kind of meal. So just go ahead and make the potatoes.

One thing I am certain of is this stewed sauerkrautand lentil meatball dish is definitely going into my regular winter dinner rotation and hopefully yours, too!

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Ingredients:

Lentil Meatballs

• 1 cup dried brown lentils

• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

• 1 medium onion

• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch

• 1 teaspoon garlic powser

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Stewed Sauerkraut

• 1 25 oz jar of sauerkraut, store bought or homemade

• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

• 2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese

• 1/2 cup unsweetened plant based milk

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon salt

• pepper to taste

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Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Add lentils to a medium sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Allow the lentil to cook 15 - 20 minutes. You want then soft enough to bite through but now mushy. Drain and set aside.

2. Peel and cut onion in half. Pop it into a food processor or high speed blender, and blend until it is nice and minced up.

3. Next, add the lentils, oats, and remaining meatball ingredients and blend until the mixture is well combined. It should be thick and a little sticky.

4. Scoop up lentil mixture with a small scoop or spoon, and from 1 inch “meatballs”. Place the “meatballs” on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.

5. In a large pot or dutch oven, while “meatballs” are baking, combine all ingredients for the sauerkraut stew, stirring well to incorporate the cream cheese. Heat over medium heat, reducing to low once the stew has come to a simmer.

6. Once “meatballs” are done baking , add them to the sauerkraut stew pot, and allow them to simmer in the pot for 5 to 10 minutes.

7. Serve in bowls topped with vegan sour cream, or with a side of oven crisp, or air fryer potatoes.

Serves 4 - 6.

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Vegan Chicken Divan

To be honest, I had never even heard of Chicken Divan until I was married and my husband introduced me to this southern classic.

It was a staple and favorite in his house growing up! It is traditionally a creamy, cheesey, chicken, and broccoli comfort food that is often served with rice.

Since going vegan we haven’t been able to have this dish in years, so naturally it was one that needed veganizing! Using jackfruit in place of the chicken works very well as long a you cook the brine flavor out of the jackfruit first.

I took the suggestion of my friend Mike who said his grandmother always added curry powder, and he was right! It is a delicious addition!

So if you have never heard of this dish, or have had it in the past and miss it, go ahead and try this vegan version. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

And thanks to my mother in law, Debbi, for introducing me to this southern classic!! We wouldn’t have this vegan version with you!

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Ingredients:

• 2 cans of jackfruit in brine, or 4-5 easy vegan chicken breast diced

• 1 head of broccoli

• 1 cup vegan sour cream or plain yogurt (I use Kite Hill plain almond milk yogurt)

• 1 cup vegan mayo

• 1 cup vegan cheddar shreds

• 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon, plus 3 tablespoons water

• 1/2 cup cashews

• 1 cup water

• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch

• 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast

• 1/2 of a small yellow onion

• 2 teaspoon curry powder

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs (use whatever bread you have laying around, gf works fine too)

• 2 tablespoon melted butter

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

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Instructions:

1. Drain jackfruit. Chop or use hands to break up the pieces to resemble shredded meat. if using the chicken, dice into small pieces.

2. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the Better Than Bouillon and 3 tablespoons of water. Next, add in the jackfruit, and allow to cook until all of the liquid is absorbed (about 5 minutes). Cooking the jackfruit like this will help cut down on some of the brine flavor it has.

3. Wash and chop up the head of broccoli. Add it to the pot with the jackfruit, and allow the broccoli to cook for 3-5 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Once it’s done remove the pot from the heat, set aside.

4. Put the cashews in a microwave safe container. Cover them in water and microwave for 3 minutes. Place the 1/2 onion into a high speed blender or food processor and blend until it is broken down. Drain the water from the cashews and add them, plus the 1 cup of fresh water, nutritional yeast, starch, and lemon juice to the blender with the onion. Process until the mixture is completely smooth. Transfer mixture to a sauce pan and heat on medium/low heat, whisking the whole time, until the mixture begins to thicken into a thin pudding consistency.

5. Pour the cashew mixture over the jackfruit, or chicken and broccoli. Add in the sour cream, mayo, curry powder, cheddar shreds, salt and pepper to taste, and stir until combined. Transfer mixture to a 9x13 baking pan.

6. In your blender or food processor, break down the soft bread into crumbs. Stir in the melted butter and spread the mixture evenly over the casserole. Bake the casserole for 35 - 45 minutes on the middle rack of your oven.

7. Serve “chicken” divan as is, or over rice, and sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese.

Crispy Coconut Tofu with Tropical Rice

This coconut tofu with tropical rice is perfect for quick and easy weeknight dinner. It is light, yet filling and satisfying.

My husband adores coconut, and even though I sit on the fence depending on the recipes, this is also one of my favorite tofu recipes. Even all of our kids happily eat it. And trust me in our house with 6 people what is no easy feat!!

The tofu is perfectly crispy and coated in delicious sweet shredded coconut. The tofu sits on a bed of basmati rice mixed with some savory veggies and topped with a sweet, creamy, spicy, citrus sauce.

This recipe actually comes together pretty quickly, especially if you own a rice cooker. I prefer cooking my tofu in an air fryer but an oven works just fine, too!

If you are not a fan of cilantro leave it off. (I truly don’t understand those who hate cilantro but I will respect your aversion!) If you are a fan DO NOT LEAVE IT OFF!! It is my favorite pop of flavor in the whole repine!

So if you are in need of a pretty easy and super delicious tofu recipe that is sure to please all the people, here you go!! And let me know if you love it too!! I love to hear when our favorites become your favorite, too!!!

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Ingredients:

• 1 block extra firm tofu

• 4 cups cooked brown basmati rice

• 1 carrot

• 1/2 small red onion

• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

• 1 can full fat coconut milk or coconut cream

• 1 flax egg

• 1/2 cup tapioca or corn starch

• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, or shredded coconut

• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (make sure your the brand you are using is plant based)

Creamy citrus chili sauce:

• 1/2 cup vegan plain yogurt (I use Kite Hill)

• 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

• juice from 1/2 a lime

• 1 tablespoon orange juice

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce or coconut aminos

• black pepper to taste

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Instructions:

1. Drain tofu and wrap in a few paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Place a few books on top for 15 minutes to press the tofu.

2. Cook the rice according to package instructions on the stove top or use a rice cooker. You will need 4 cups cooked rice.

3. Cut the pressed tofu into 1 inch by 1 inch cubes. Mix up you flax egg in a medium size shallow bowl. After the flax egg has thickened, add the can of count milk to the bowl and whisk. Add the starch to a large kitchen plate. On a separate plate mix together the coconut and panko.

4. First dip the tofu cubes into the coconut milk mixture then into the starch. Dip again in the coconut milk mixture, then into the shredded coconut and panko, pressing the panko/coconut mixture into the tofu to ensure it sticks.

   OVEN INSTRUCTIONS: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place tofu on the pan. Light spray the tofu with some spray oil and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes carefully turn the pieces over and bake another 10 minutes or until browned and crisp. I keep mine on the middle rack until the end of baking to avoid burning the coconut You can move the pan to the top rack the last few minutes of baking if the pieces are not browning to your liking.

   AIR FRYER INSTRUCTIONS: Place coated tofu into your Air Fryer basket. Light spray the pieces with some cooking oil. Set the fryer at 380 degrees for 15 minutes.

5. Peel the carrot into ribbons with a vegetable peeler, then finely chop the ribbons into small pieces. Next, thinly slice the 1/2 onion. Once rice is done cooking pop the veggies in the pot and let them sit with the lid on until ready to serve.

6. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl.

7. To serve, fill shallow bowls with 1/3, to 1 cup of rice. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and top with 3 - 4 pieces of coconut tofu. Drizzle with sauce.

Serves 4 - 6.

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Loaded Vegan Roasted Red Potatoes

I love carbs and I love potatoes.

This potato dish is actually really easy to make.

You simply have to roast some little red potatoes, whip up a super easy vegan cheddar cheese sauce, and top it all of with some onions, vegan sour cream, vegan bacon.

This recipe is simple comfort food that everyone in my family loves.

Sever these potatoes with a nice healthy side salad and dinner is delicious and done!

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Ingredients:

• 4 cups quartered red potatoes

• 1 batch vegan cheddar cheese sauce

• 1/2 cup vegan sour cream, or plain yogurt ( I use plain Kite Hill Almond Milk Yogurt)

• 3 diced green onions

• salt and pepper to taste

• optional: 1 teaspoon garlic salt

• 1 teaspoon olive or grapeseed oil

• optional: coconut bacon

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Cheddar Cheese Sauce:

• 1/2 cup cashews ( plus water for soaking)

• 1 cup water

• 2 teaspoons light miso paste

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch or corn starch

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• smoke paprika

• turmeric

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Instructions:

pre heat oven to 400 degrees

1. Toss the quartered potatoes in a teaspoon of oil, sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder if you like, and place in an iron skillet or casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. You will need to stir the potatoes around a few times durning baking.

2. While the potatoes are baking, prepare the cheese sauce by adding the soaked and drained cashews, 1 cup of water, and remaining ingredients to a highspeed blender or food processor. Blend on hight until the mixture is completely smooth.

3. Transfer cheese mixture to a sauce pan, and heat on medium heat, whisking the whole time, until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat once it has thickened. If it gets to thick you can thin it back out with a little water.

4. Once potatoes are cooked through, and a little crispy on the edges, remove from the oven and drizzle a hearty portion of cheese sauce over the potatoes. Pop the potatoes back in the over for a few more minutes. ( you may have leftover cheese sauce. It can be refrigerated for about a week and used on nachos, as a chip dip, or any way you like)

5. Remove Potatoes from the oven and top with diced onions, dollops of sour cream, and coconut bacon.

Serves 4

Vegan Cincinnati Pumpkin Chili

I grew up in the south, so Cincinnati chili is not something I had ever even heard of until I was a teenager.

It seemed very odd to me to be topping pasta with chili and cheese, and I could not get behind this idea. That was until I was an adult and a friend served it to me. I HAD BEEN SO WRONG.

Not only does it work, but it’s delicious. I hate to admit it, but obviously we don’t know everything here in the south, because we didn’t know about this magic!

Also, don’t worry about the pumpkin in this Cincinnati chili recipe. It just makes it a little less acidic since we are using less tomato than usual. It adds a thickness we need, and along with the cauliflower and beans, makes for a super healthy and hearty chili!

So if you are from the south and have never had Cincinnati chili either, just do it. I promise we will not revoke your southern card!

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Ingredients:

• 1 package spaghetti noodles (regular or gluten free)

• 2 cups vegan cheddar shreds (I use Follow Your Heart)

• 1/2 diced yellow onion

• I batch pumpkin chili

Pumpkin Chili

• I 15 oz can of pumpkin puree

• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatos

• 1 15 oz can of black beans

• 1 15 oz can of red kidney beans

• 1 small head of cauliflower

• 1/2 yellow onion

• 1 4 oz can green chilis

• 1 cup water

• 1 teaspoon Vegetable Better Than Bouillon

• 2 teaspoons cumin powder

• 1-2 teaspoons chili powder

• 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• pepper to taste

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Instructions:

1. Wash and finley chop the head of cauliflower. You can also take larger pieces and toss them in your food processor, pulsing a few times until its all chopped up.

2. Dice the onion. Half will be used in the chil,i and the other half will be used to top the chili once it’s done.

3. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add a few teaspoons of oil to the pot. Once oil is hot, add 1/2 of the onion and all of the cauliflower. Cook for a few minutes, until onions become translucent.

4. Drain and rinse the beans and add along with the remaining chili ingredients to the pot. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. While the chili is cooking, cook the noodles according to package instructions.

6. Once chili and noodles are done, serve by topping noodles with the chili, cheese and 1/2 of the diced onions.

7. The chili will freeze really well, so if you have any leftovers, just pop them in a gallon size freezer bag, and freezer for up to a month. You can quickly thaw it later for an even quicker Cincinnati chili weeknight dinner!

Serves 6

Vegan BBQ Cheddar Fries with Slaw

If you know me at all, you know my love for fires. The worlds most perfect carb. The only way they could possibly be better is if you add cheese sauce.

via GIPHY

I would eat them everyday and I am afraid to admit to you just how often I do eat them. I mean I air fry them half the time so that has to make it ok, right?!?!

Anyways, the only thing I love more than fries is loaded fries. Piled high with toppings and always some kind of cheese.

We make Bbq jackfruit pretty often because its cheap and easy. Dump two cans of jackfruit into a crock pot with some bbq sauce and leave it alone. Dinner when you get home that takes 5 minutes to prepare. We often have leftovers and once upon a time the leftovers yielded these glorious fries!!

Deliciously easy jackfruit bbq, easy vegan slaw, and the best vegan cheddar cheese sauce, ever. All piled high onto of homemade crispy fries!!

Remember if you don’t want to fry them in oil and own an air fryer, that will work just fine! I set mine to 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes depending on how many fries I am making. I give the basket a little shake a time or two while they are cooking to help them not stick and to move them around a bit.

Also If you don’t feel like making them yourself you can just buy frozen! I won’t judge you. I have 3 bags of frozen Trader Joes fries in my freezer right this moment. Some days call for frozen foods. Thats all there is to it!

The cheese sauce is pretty easy to make and good on sooooo many things, if you happen to have any leftovers you can use it on lots and lots of stuff. It makes a tasty chip dip, its delicious on baked potatoes, in a quesadilla, on nachos, or even drizzled over chili!

So if you are looking for a new loaded fry and love bbq, look no further! These things are so good and pretty addictive. And if you eat fries more than twice a week, just know you are not alone in your love of the worlds most perfect carb.

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Ingredients:

• 4 - 6 russet potatoes

• oil for frying

BBQ Jackfruit:

• 2 cans jackfruit in brine

• 1 bottle bbq sauce

Vegan Cheddar Cheese Sauce:

• 1/2 cups cashews soaked overnight, or covered in water and microwaved for 3 minutes then drained

• 1 cup water

• 2 tablespoons corn starch or tapioca starch

• 1 teaspoon light miso paste

• 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon smoke paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

The Slaw:

• 14 oz bag of shredded cabbage

• 1 carrot

• 1/2 small yellow onion

• 1/3 cup vegan mayo

• 1-2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• optional, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

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Instructions:

1. FOR THE BBQ JACKFRUIT; Drain both cans. Chop or shred the fruit. I find it easiest to just use my fingers to shred the jackfruit. Add the jackfruit and BBQ sauce to a crock pot on medium heat for 6 - 8 hours. You can also cook it on the stove top if you prefer. Just add jackfruit and BBQ sauce to a large pot and cook on medium/low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. The longer the BBQ cooks, the more flavorful and convincing it will be. I prefer the crockpot method for this reason, but it works fine to cook it on the stovetop.

2. TO MAKE THE CHEESE SAUCE; Add all of the ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor, and blend until completely smooth.

3. Transfer the cheese mixture to a medium pot and heat on medium/low heat, whisking continuously until the cheese begins to thicken to a queso consistency. If it gets too thick, you can add a little more water to thin it back out.

4. FOR THE FRIES; Wash your potatoes and cut them into fries. Heat a few inches of oil in a deep skillet (I use a cast iron skillet) on medium heat. Once the oil is nice and hot, start adding small batches of the fries to the oil. Allow them to fry until nice and crisp, about 5 minutes. Once they are done frying, remove from oil and place on a wire cooking rack with some paper towels underneath. This will help them stay crispy while you finish frying the rest.

5. FOR OVEN BAKING; Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat fries in a few teaspoons of oil and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure the fries are not over crowded. Sprinkle with salt and bake for about 15 minutes or until the fries seem crispy on one side. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven, and turn the fries with a spatula or a pair of metal tongs. Put the fries back in the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the fries seem fully crisp.

6. FOR THE SLAW; Shred the carrot using a box grater and finely dice the onion. Add onion, carrot, and cabbage together in a bowl. In a smaller bowl combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour the wet mixture over the cabbage mixture and stir well.

7. Top fries with BBQ jackfruit, cheddar sauce, and slaw to serve.

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Serves 4 - 6.

If you like this recipe, try these

Gorgonzola and Balsamic Glazed Chips

Philly Fries with Beer Cheese Sauce

Vegan Ruben Latkes

Southwest Black Beans and Cornbread

Who doesn’t love a quick and easy weeknight dinner that will leave you full and satisfied?

A quick batch of vegan cornbread topped with some jazzed up canned beans, tomatoes, onions, avocado, and a tasty southwest dressing will become one of your new favorite simple dinners!

You can also replace the all purpose flour in the cornbread recipe with your favorite gluten free flour blend, making this a perfectly filling gluten free meal.

I love quick dinners that a filling, comforting, and inexpensive like this meal and pretty much everyone in the family happily eats this every time.

I just buy canned black beans and spice them up. If you are one of those people who have and love an instanpot, I assume you could cook up some dried black beans pretty quickly and just add the spices while they cook! You can also sub out the black beans for chickpeas or any other bean you may have on hand, as well.

Home cooked meals do not have to be overly complicated or expensive to be delicious, and beans and cornbread have never been so good!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 2 15 oz cans of black beans

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon Low Sodium Better Than Bouillon

• 1/2 cup water

• Juice from 1 lime

• 1 tomato

• 1 avocado

• 1/2 red onion

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

• 1 pan Perfect Vegan Cornbread

Southwest Dressing:

• 1/2 cup vegan mayo

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon each, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder

• 1/2 teaspoon each, salt, and chili powder

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Instrucitons:

1. Prepare cornbread according to instructions, baking in a prepared 9x13 baking dish or jelly roll pan.

2. Pour both cans of beans, liquid included, into a medium pot. Add paprika, garlic, bouillon, juice from half of the lime, and water. Heat on medium heat until the beans begin to boil. Lower heat, and let simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Dice the tomato, onion, and avocado into a small dice. Mix the diced veggies, cilantro, and juice from 1/2 of the lime in a bowl, with a dash of salt.

4. Mix all ingredients together for the southwest dressing in a small bowl or mason jar.

5. To serve, cut cornbread into rectangles. Top a few pieces of cornbread with a scoop of black beans, some of the diced veggie mix, and a drizzle of southwest dressing.

serves 4-6

Jackfruit and Orzo Soup

If you are missing classic chicken and rice or chicken noodle soup, this recipe is for you! We use jackfruit to mimic the chicken and orzo in place of noodles or rice! This soup is savory, delicious, comforting, and so easy to throw together. Perfect for chilly weather, or for helping mend a cold or flu. It also will freeze really well, so go ahead a make a double batch and freeze half. That way the next time you are feeling under the weather, you can easily thaw and heat a batch of this classic comforting soup!

Ingredients:

• 1 can jackfruit in brine

• 2/3 cups dried orzo

• 2 carrots, diced

• 3 stalks of celery, diced

• 1 small yellow onion, diced

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 8 cups water

• 2 teaspoons Reduced Sodium Better than Bouillon

• 1 teaspoons dried thyme

• 1-2 teaspoons dried dill

• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

• 1 teaspoons salt

• pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat a few teaspoons of oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, garlic, and celery, and allow to cook until the onions are translucent.

2. Drain jackfruit, and roughly chop the pieces, or use your hands to shred them. Add to the pot, along with 2 teaspoons of Better than Bouillon. Sauté the jackfruit with the veggies, and the bouillon paste for a few minutes.

3. Add the water, and remaining ingredients. Stir well, then educe heat to low, and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes.

4. Serves 4 - 6.

Unstuffed Vegan Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage rolls are one of my favorite comfort meals, however they are not quick. That’s why I love this recipe for “unstuffed” cabbage rolls. It’s so much faster, and just as delicious, and comforting.

I seriously love cabbage rolls, but my kids are not huge fans so there is no way I am going to take all that time rolling them up if only a few people in the house are going to enjoy them. And seriously this taste just the same as the rolled version but WAY faster, and WAY easier!!!

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This recipe makes a lot and freezes well, so it’s also perfect for meal prep, or even a pot luck.

I use Beyond rand meat, either the crumbles, 1 lb block of groud, or 4 thawed burgers. You can use any vegan ground you like, though.

So if you have 0 time to mess around with rolling cabbage rolls, but love them like I do, then this is the answer!! A super delicious, quick, and easy answer!

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Ingredients:

• 1 medium to large head of green cabbage; cored, and cut into strips

• 1 bag meatless crumbles, or 4 Beyond Meat Burgers thawed

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 cups cooked brown rice

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 teaspoon each dried thyme, dill, garlic powder, and salt

• 2 teaspoons smoke paprika

• pepper to taste

• juice from 1 lemon

• fresh, or dried parsley for garnish

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Instructions:

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat a few teaspoons of oil medium heat. Add diced onion, and meatless crumbles, or Beyond Burgers to the pan. Cook until the crumbles have cooked through.

2. Next, add the cabbage, and water. Allow the cabbage to cook for about 5 minutes, just long enough for it to cook down a bit. Add the remaining ingredients, and give every thing a good stir.

3. Once it begins to come to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cover with a lid.

4. Allow to cook for 30-35 minutes, stirring occassinsaly to keep anything from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

5. Serve garnished with some fresh, or dried parsley.

This recipe will serve 6 - 8 people. If you are single, or a small family, you can easily freeze any leftovers portioned in freezer bags. I often freeze half for a quick week night dinner. Just leave out to thaw, and reheat in a pan on the stove top.