The Happy Gluten Free Vegan

We had a jar of vegan mayonnaise in our refrigerator, and since we hate to see anything go to waste, we wracked our brains to determine what to do with it.

Sometimes, you crave something sweet — like right NOW — but you don’t have a lot of ingredients in your cupboard. It can be a drag to go to the store on a hot summer afternoon, especially for a few items.

Summer squash grows like crazy, and sometimes you’re stuck with more of these vegetables than you know what to do with! Quite a conundrum! What’s a savvy vegan and gluten-free chef to do?

We still had a few tomatoes left over from our neighbor’s recent gift, as well as a small pile of fresh zucchini. These two vegetables are divine baked together.

Do you have a bottle of white wine languishing in the corner of your cupboard? Well, who doesn’t? Add a cup of it to this exotic dish, mix it with mushrooms and cannellini beans, and you’ll end up with something truly special.

These are not your mother’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! (sorry, Mom). Our vegan, gluten-free treat is scrumptious, sweet, and nourishing, without the use of butter or other animal products.

Has this ever happened to you? You check your cupboards for pancake mix, only to discover that you’ve run out. You’re still in your pajamas, so you don’t want to go to the store. There’s no reason to despair, however, because you can easily make your own vegan, gluten-free pancakes with surprisingly few ingredients. No need for store-bought mix!

Sometimes it’s hard to know exactly how to cook butternut squash. Sure, you can bake it, but what else can a person do? We recently discovered a butternut squash-based taco recipe that is so delicious we’re still salivating over our meal, hours later. The addition of whipped vegan cream cheese with avocado and fresh jalapeno makes this dish a total winner. And it’s so easy to make! The hardest part is cutting the skins off the squash. But persevere with the task, because the end result will be worth it.

We don’t know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but it’s cold and gloomy here. The skies are pitch-black by 5:00 PM, and we do whatever we can to stay warm. Nothing soothes you more on a cold December evening than a bowl of creamy potato/broccoli soup. The texture is like manna for the throat, and the robust, yet delicate flavor comforts as it fills you up. Invite some friends over for a soup party! Everyone will rave about this delicious meal.

Many of us have unpleasant childhood memories of being forced to eat Brussels sprouts. Such a mindset is unfortunate because, cooked properly, this cruciferous vegetable is both tasty and nutritious. Many chefs are beginning to appreciate the flavor of the oft-maligned Brussels sprout, so the tide is slowly turning in its favor. Our delicious vegan, gluten-free recipe utilizes dried cranberries, orange zest and toasted hazelnuts to create a taste sensation. You’ll be proud to showcase this offering on your Thanksgiving table. It’s crunchy yet tender, with a hint of sweetness, and packed full of vitamins. The hazelnuts add a bit of protein to our elegant side dish. Yum!

You’re faced with a dilemma: you want to eat an elegant international meal, but you don’t have much time and/or cash on hand. What’s a hungry gourmet to do? The answer is simple — whip up a platter of our Pepper, Peanut, and Potato Sabzi! Though it looks deceptively like a simple, stir-fried dish of potatoes and peppers, once you experienced your first bite, you’ll know there is something special going on. The exotic flavor comes from the addition of cumin and fennel seeds, spices that are popular staples in Indian cuisine. The peanuts add protein, and the potatoes are hearty and filling. Just perfect for these chilly autumn nights!

There’s no dessert quite like cheesecake. Smooth, creamy, sweet, decadent — what’s not to love? However, most of the cheesecakes you encounter in restaurants and coffee shops are made with tons of dairy and gluten. Since we love this delectable confection so much, we decided to make our own, using plant-based ingredients. The filling utilizes cashews and coconut milk, blended to perfection. Stunned by our stellar results, we decided to share the secret with you. You can thank us later.

You’ve undoubtedly had the disheartening experience of going to a potluck and encountering a slew of dairy-based dips and spreads. This can be frustrating if you’re doing your best to follow a vegan, gluten-free diet. Don’t despair! Here is a delicious, creamy spread you can make from tofu that tastes just as good as the dairy-based variety! Even your non-vegan friends will love it. They may even beg you for the recipe. The spread is healthy, since it utilizes basil and Italian parsley, herbs that are rich in vitamin C. The tofu adds protein and calcium. Much healthier than your average spread, and so easy to make!

Autumn is well underway, and our desire to devour pasta dishes continues in earnest. Pasta puttanesca is a traditional Italian dish that tastes great, even without the addition of anchovies. It’s hearty, filling, delicious, and so easy to make. Though most pasta puttanesca recipes utilize thin spaghetti noodles, we had some dried, gluten-free fettucine noodles in our kitchen and decided to use those instead. We were delighted by the results. You don’t need many ingredients to make this wonderful meal. It’s super inexpensive! In fact, you probably have most of the ingredients in your cabinet or refrigerator already.

Do you still have a few leftover zucchinis from your summer garden? You may be wondering what to do with them. Most likely, you’ve given several of them away to friends, and they’ve made it clear they don’t want or need any more. Try as you might, you can’t get rid of all of them! Never fear — our sweet bread recipe will give a whole new purpose to those succulent, green vegetables. The addition of unsweetened cocoa and walnuts will send you into orbit. Good thing this recipe makes two loaves, because you won’t have any trouble devouring the first one.

This super easy Instant Pot gluten-free vegan pizza noodle recipe is a great substitute for greasy delivery. Don’t skip the seasonings – they give the dish the traditional pizza flavor. This recipe makes it easy for everyone to customize their own bowl with their favorite toppings! Noodle substitutes can be made, but the timing might need to be adjusted – the spaghetti in this recipe is made with corn and quinoa so it’s rather sturdy and doesn’t get mushy in the Instant Pot easily.

Fall is coming on strong! We don’t know about you, but we’re craving some carbs! It’s best to stick to the healthy kind, like organic potatoes. Recently, we found ourselves with a small sack of red potatoes — don’t ask how THAT happened — and wanted to do something fancier than just boiling them and slathering some Earth Balance over the top. So we modified a German potato salad recipe, substituting tempeh bacon for the animal variety, and were wowed by the results! We found smoky bacon tempeh at the supermarket, and found that it imparted the delicious flavor that is so essential to German potato salad.

It’s already fall where we live, and our thoughts naturally turn to pumpkin treats. And what is more autumnal than pumpkin pie? Normally, this cool weather delicacy is made with eggs and condensed milk, but our vegan, gluten-free version calls for unsweetened almond milk and cornstarch (or arrowroot powder). The texture is more jiggly than a traditional pumpkin pie, but our version still tastes great and goes down smooth!

These Instant Pot Gluten Free Vegan Perfectly Baked Sweet Potatoes are easy to make and don’t take an hour to bake. Enjoy the health benefits of sweet potatoes, as they are rich in fiber and antioxidants, without even having to cut them up. If you want mashed sweet potatoes, cook them a bit longer in the Instant Pot instead of the last few minutes in the oven – the skins peel off easily and allow for an easy mash. Make a bunch of baked potatoes and serve as a side or use for a potato bar. On busy nights, pop these in the Instant Pot and your vegetables are deliciously and healthfully steamed!

It already feels like autumn where we live, and we’re craving warmer, heartier foods. Of course, sweet desserts are delicious any time of the year. We recently modified a traditional rhubarb/pear/almond crumble recipe by substituting Earth Balance for butter, and gluten-free flour for the whole wheat kind. Our results were stellar. You’ll keep going back to the pan for this dessert — again, and again and again. Try your hardest not to devour the entire thing!