But this time, we’re leaning on the flavors from summer’s best sandwich: the BLT.

Now, we’ve done the BLT thing here before. And it’s great. I make that recipe all the time, and it’s perfect as-is.

But…

You can only fit so much summer veg between two slices of bread. And when you eat dinner on the couch (as I often do), eating a sandwich is risky and downright messy.

So I threw everything in a bowl, and now we’re here.

I kid you not, I have made this recipe almost every day for a week. I’ve swapped ingredients in and out, I honed in on a smoky-sweet dressing, and I have loved every single dining experience that has involved this here salad.

It. Is. Delightful. And just a really great way to celebrate allllll the in-season summer produce.

The core ingredients for this salad are, of course, the same as in your traditional BLT:

• Bread, toasted. Preferably a nice sourdough.
• Tomatoes, marinated. Any kind you want.
• Lettuce, shredded iceberg. No fancy lettuces here.
• Bacon, vegan. Of the coconut variety.

If you’ve never had coconut bacon before, it’s just unsweetened marinated coconut, pan-fried until crisp. It sounds weird, it is a little weird, but it is so, so good. Just trust me.

It’s best if you can find that thick flaked coconut (it is just so wonderfully crisp and chewy this way!), but shredded coconut (like I used in the pictures here) works too.

Then to make the most of our bowl and all that summery goodness, we’ll just load up the salad with anything that tickles our fancy. I went with corn, cucumber, green onion, and avocado, but you do you.

I really think you’ll love this salad just as much as I do. It has become a full-blown obsession in my house at this point, and I cannot wait for you to try it, too.

Three cheers for summer veg!

BLT Panzanella

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

A smoky-sweet BLT-inspired panzanella salad made vegan! Load it up with your favorite summer veg and dive on in.

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 minutes
• Total Time: 13 minutes
• Yield: 2-3 servings
• Category: Salad
• Method: Mix
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

COCONUT BACON:

• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (like grapeseed)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut chips/flakes*

DRESSING:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• pinch salt
• fresh-cracked black pepper

BREAD:

• 1 large slice of good sourdough bread, torn into bite-sized chunks
• 1/2 tablespoon oil
• pinch salt
• freshly-cracked black pepper

SALAD**:

• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1–2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1/4 cup corn kernels (I used thawed frozen)
• 1/4 english cucumber, sliced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. MIX UP THE COCONUT BACON: In a medium bowl, combine your soy sauce, oil, maple syrup, tomato paste, and smoked paprika. Whisk to combine.
2. Add your coconut chips and toss to coat completely. Allow to marinade for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line a large plate or cookie sheet with paper towels.
3. MAKE THE DRESSING: Whisk your dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add your diced tomatoes into it to quickly marinate. Set aside.
4. COOK THE COCONUT BACON: Heat a large pan over medium-low heat. Working in two batches, scoop out some of the coconut bacon and add it to your pan, leaving any additional liquid in the bowl to discard.
5. Cook your bacon, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until golden. If certain pieces start to get darker than others, you can use tongs to remove them and place them on your paper towel-lined plate. Try to keep the pieces of coconut separated as they cook. They’ll crisp further as they cool. Set aside.
6. TOAST YOUR BREAD: Toss your bread, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toast in a toaster oven or air fryer until golden. I used a toaster oven at 335 degrees F for about 5 minutes. Add to your dressing/tomato mixture and toss.
7. ASSEMBLE: Add your other salad ingredients to the bowl with your tomatoes and bread, and toss again. Top with a nice handful or two of your coconut bacon (leftovers store well in an air-tight container in the fridge). Dive in, and enjoy!

Notes

*I used shredded coconut because I couldn’t find the big flaked coconut anywhere (I went to multiple stores!). Shredded worked, but the big flaked coconut is better.

**These are the ingredients I used the day I shot this recipe, but feel free to swap in your favorite summer veg!

The post Vegan BLT Panzanella appeared first on Fooduzzi.

This is that something warm and cozy.

My last name ends in a vowel, and thus…I love pasta. And I love how easy it is to make a truly excellent bowl of pasta at home.

You really just need good ingredients, time, and the dedication to do it right. You don’t need any special equipment or techniques to still make something that tastes like it was made with them.

That was the exact vibe I got from this vegetarian “meat” sauce my dad made for me last year. We had lasagna for Thanksgiving or Christmas last year, and he made me my own personal lasagna with this sauce.

Of course, my “personal” lasagna was huge and fed me for a good week, but the leftover sauce was my favorite part.

It was so rich, perfectly chewy, and weirdly very meaty? Even though it was made with only vegetables? It was incredible.

My dad is a great cook, so I really shouldn’t have been surprised. But he really hit it out of the park with this one.

My mind was blown, so I asked him to write down the recipe, and I’m finally publishing the recipe for you all so that your minds are blown too.

The idea of a “Sunday Sauce” comes from the fact that it’s cooked low and slow on the stove over a few hours. So just know that going in; you won’t be eating this sauce in 20 minutes. Instead, it’s a great weekend (Sunday) meal! And it freezes beautifully, so make it once and have it for meals whenever.

To make the recipe, you’ll start where all cozy stuff starts: a soffritto––a mixture of carrot, onion, and celery.

Well…sorta.

I don’t do celery. Never have, never will. The smell, flavor, texture, and pure essence of the thing just totally freaks me out, so I’ll never ever buy it (and therefore never cook with it). So my soffritto is just onion and carrot.

That said, if you don’t think celery is evil, feel free to add some and cut down on the other two. I won’t judge (too much).

The “meatiness” in this sauce comes from mushrooms…but in a few ways! We’ll rehydrate some dried mushrooms, chop them up nice and fine, and add them (along with some of their soaking liquid!) to the sauce. It gives a wonderful umami kick to the final sauce that you just can’t get from fresh ‘shrooms. They also lend a delightful chewiness that isn’t unlike the chew you experience when eating a traditional bolognese.

That said, you’ll also need some fresh mushrooms, as they make up the bulk of the sauce. Baby bella and/or white buttons work great (I used both!).

Your usual cast of characters are the final ingredients needed to make this an actual sauce: whole, peeled, canned tomatoes (spring for the San Marzanos!), tomato sauce/passata, white wine, garlic, and time.

Cooking this sauce over the course of an hour or two really helps the flavors develop and the texture to become more meaty. You’ll also immersion blend the sauce a bit to make it a bit more bolognese-y versus chunks of vegetables in tomato sauce-y.

I love recipes like this because it’s very much a low-effort, high-reward sort of recipe. A few key ingredients + time really do result in a sauce that’s rich, has a nice bite, and is perfect with your pasta of choice and a big ol’ slice of crusty bread and/or focaccia.

Grab yourself a glass of something fun and dive on in.

Dad’s Vegetarian Sunday Sauce (Mushroom Bolognese)

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Look no further! This is an excellently meaty vegetarian/vegan pasta sauce! It cooks low and slow for a few hours, so it’s a great weekend recipe.

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 120 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: ~5-6 cups
• Category: Pasta
• Method: Saute
• Cuisine: Italian
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 1 ounce dried mixed mushrooms (I used porcini and oyster), retain 1 cup of the soaking liquid
• 16–18 ounces baby bella and/or white button mushrooms, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup sweet onion, diced
• 3/4 cup carrot (I used baby!), diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (and a glass for you, if ya fancy)
• 28 ounce can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
• 14 ounces (or more, if you want it extra saucy!) tomato sauce/passata
• To serve: 1 pound pasta (cooked), focaccia, vegan parmesan, fresh parsley, and another glass of wine

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Quickly rinse your dried mushrooms, then place in a heat-safe bowl and pour 1 and 1/2 cups of boiling water on top. The mushrooms should be completely covered by the water. Let them rehydrate in the hot water for 10 – 15 minutes, then carefully remove and mince. Save 1 cup of soaking liquid. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.
2. In a dry pot over medium heat, cook the fresh mushrooms until the water evaporates and light searing starts. Carefully remove the mushrooms and set aside. 
3. Add olive oil and sauté the carrot, onion, and garlic with a pinch of kosher salt until soft, but not browning. 
4. Add the cooked, fresh mushroom to the pot and season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few cranks of black pepper. Mix to combine.
5. Add the wine, mix, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to incorporate any browned bits.
6. Add the minced rehydrated mushrooms and 1 cup of their soaking liquid. 
7. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the San Marzanos and their liquid, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. 
8. Cook uncovered until the tomatoes are broken down and the sauce is more sauce-y, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Cover and continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 1-2 hours. 
10. Add tomato sauce and mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
11. Use an immersion blender to make the sauce as chunky / smooth as desired. 
12. Serve with your favorite cooked pasta and other toppings/sides like vegan parmesan and fresh parsley.

Notes

This recipe freezes well! When cooled to room temperature, transfer sauce into air-tight containers and place in the freezer. Then place it in the fridge overnight to thaw and heat before serving. Yum!

The post Dad’s Vegetarian Sunday Sauce (Mushroom Bolognese) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

And let me tell you why:

1. It is SO quick. It can be as quick as it takes to cook your pasta.
2. It requires minimal ingredients.
3. It can be packed with plant-based protein, which keeps ya full for longer.
4. It’s really so good and comforting. Who doesn’t love a creamy pasta dish?!

My love affair is going strong with this one, my friend. Excited for you to try it!

I use hummus in… everything. It’s a great, creamy, protein-packed, and convenient base to a lot of different things like:

• Toast
• Slaw
• Flatbreads
• Dressing
• Wraps

And… pasta sauce. I’ve used hummus as a pasta sauce a few times here on the blog, but this combination is my fave. Roasted red pepper hummus, some red pepper flakes, a bit of lemon zest if you’re feelin’ it, and your favorite assortment of veggies. Easy, delicious, and just extremely quick for when you’re in a pinch at dinnertime.

Now, when I make pasta for myself, I’m eating some sort of bean pasta (aka one made with chickpeas or lentils) 95% of the time.

While no bean pasta can hold a candle to traditional, bronze dye cut wheat pasta, I love using it because of the extra protein it can bring to the final dish. I used Banza’s Cavatappi in this recipe, but I also love the bean pasta from Aldi and Trader Joe’s. Lots of stores have options these days!

With the addition of hummus as our sauce, we’re really maximizing the amount of plant-based protein in this recipe!

You can choose your favorite vegetables to add to this dish –– I love the best sautéed mushrooms (of course), but zucchini is another fave of mine.

To speed this recipe up even more, you can use a frozen vegetable like broccoli, peas, or corn! Or a combination. The world is your (vegan) oyster. I always recommend throwing a little garlic in there too because what is pasta if not a vehicle for copious amounts of garlic?

Quick, simple, tasty, and filling –– what more could you want out of a weeknight-friendly meal?!

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

A creamy, easy, and weeknight-friendly pasta dish packed with plant-based protein! I truly make this every single week.

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 3-4 servings
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Sauté
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• sautéed mushrooms
• 8 ounces pasta (I use chickpea pasta)
• 10 ounces roasted red pepper hummus*
• up to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes**
• zest of 1/2 lemon (optional)
• ~1/2 cup reserved pasta water
• salt + pepper
• Vegan Parmesan and fresh parsley, for topping

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Start cooking your sautéed mushrooms in a large enough skillet to fit your pasta into once it is cooked. You’ll build the sauce and dish in this skillet!
2. A few minutes after starting your mushrooms, start cooking your pasta in a separate pot according to package instructions. Be sure to reserve at least 1/2 cup of pasta water to thin out the sauce.
3. When the mushrooms are cooked to your liking, add the hummus, red pepper flakes, and optional lemon zest to the skillet over low heat.
4. Slowly add your reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce, then toss your cooked pasta into the sauce. 
5. Carefully taste, and season with salt or pepper if needed –– I really like an extra crank of black pepper with creamy pasta sauces like this!
6. Top with vegan parmesan and parsley and enjoy!

Notes

* It should go without saying, but be sure to use a hummus you like the flavor of. For example, I don’t love the flavor of Sabra, so I don’t use it here. I actually really enjoy Aldi’s Park Street Deli Roasted Red Pepper Hummus in this dish!

** This amount makes this dish spicy. If you’re sensitive to heat or nervous about the amount, start with 1/4 teaspoon and increase if desired.

The post Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta appeared first on Fooduzzi.

I actually crave these when it gets close to dinnertime. And I made these for my parents a few weeks ago, and they both were like, “These are really good mushrooms.”

So yeah, I think they’ve earned the right of being called “the best.”

The technique for this recipe comes from none other than Dan Souza from America’s Test Kitchen. Have you watched the What’s Eating Dan? series on YouTube? It’s so good.

He kind of reminds me of Alton Brown in the way he approaches cooking. It’s a great series, but his mushroom video in particular is fascinating.

Mushrooms are such a weird, cool, versatile, and delicious ingredient to cook with, and in his video, he talks about why it’s impossible to overcook them (it has to do with the substance in mushroom cell walls called chitin, which is very heat-stable).

That said, I think it’s easy to cook them in the wrong way.

They can be slimy or overly oily and just… not very pleasant to eat.

But! When you know how to cook them right, it’s magic. These sautéed mushrooms are so chewy and meaty and actually kind of sweet thanks to this brilliant cooking method..

I guarantee you this cooking method will change the way you approach sautéing mushrooms from now on. And luckily, it’s very simple:

Step 1: Clean and slice your mushrooms. Add them to a skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of water.

Yes, water!

If you’ve ever sautéd mushrooms and cooked them in oil, you’ll know that they really love to suck up that oil. You’ve probably added more and more oil to the pan as the mushrooms cooked because the pan looked dry and your mushrooms start to stick.

Well by starting the cooking process with water, we allow the mushrooms to cook and release their water (which they have a lot of!) before adding a little oil to get them nice and caramelized.

Also, cleaning mushrooms is one of my least-favorite kitchen tasks, but this method has worked well for me:

I stick them in my salad spinner whole, fill it with water, and just spin the mushrooms in the water so that the dirt is gently removed. Then I take the strainer basket out, pour out the water, and spot-clean the shrooms as necessary. Then slice!

Step 2: Let the mushrooms to cook, stirring frequently, until all of the water has evaporated.

You’ll sauté the mushrooms until there’s no more visible liquid at the bottom of your pan and the sizzling sounds “dry.” Your mushroom slices will also shrink through this process since they release a lot of their own water while cooking.

If it looks like the mushrooms have stopped shrinking and there’s still a lot of water in the bottom of the pan, you can carefully tip some of the water out and discard. I ended up doing that with this batch.

Once the sizzling sounds dry, you can go ahead and add your oil and toss the mushrooms to coat. You’ll add salt and pepper to season here as well.

Step 3: Spread your mushrooms in an even layer in your pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook undisturbed for 1-2 minutes.

Adding the oil at this stage (and not before) helps the mushrooms caramelize and become beautifully chewy –– almost meaty! You’ll notice that the mushrooms brown quickly, so after you wait for a minute or two, toss again, spread into another even layer, and continue this process until the mushrooms are almost browned to your liking.

Step 4: Optionally, add more flavor!

I feel like sautéd mushrooms scream for some minced garlic, so that’s what I added here. I like adding the garlic 2-3 minutes before the mushrooms are done to make sure it doesn’t burn.

I also added some fresh parsley once I took the mushrooms off of the heat, but fresh thyme is excellent here as well.

And that’s that! It definitely takes a bit of time, but it is so worth it. I really love using these mushrooms on pizza or pasta, and there may just be a new creamy vegan pasta recipe using these on the horizon here on Fooduzzi very very soon. 😉

The Best Sautéed Mushrooms

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4 from 2 reviews

My very favorite way to cook mushrooms! I love these sautéed mushrooms on pizzas and in pasta dishes, but they’re great as a stand-alone side!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 2-3 servings
• Category: Side
• Method: Sauté
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 16 ounces mushrooms*, cleaned and sliced
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons high-heat oil (like avocado)
• pinch salt
• 3–4 cranks of freshly-cracked black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• fresh parsley

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add your mushrooms and water, and cook, stirring frequently, until the water has evaporated and the mushrooms have released their water and shrunk in size. The sizzling will start to sound dry, and you’ll no longer see any bubbling. This can take 6-10 minutes. If you find that your mushrooms have stopped shrinking but there’s still a lot of water in the pan, feel free to carefully tip some of the extra water out and discard.
2. Once no more (or very little) water remains in the pan, add your oil, salt, and pepper. Toss your mushrooms to coat.
3. Spread your mushrooms in an even layer in your pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook undisturbed for 1-2 minutes.
4. You’ll notice that the mushrooms brown quickly at this stage. Toss again, spread into another even layer, and continue this process until the mushrooms are almost browned to your liking. For me, this took 8-10 minutes.
5. 2-3 minutes before your mushrooms are done, add your minced garlic. Continue cooking and tossing until your mushrooms are caramelized and browned to your liking. You can’t really overcook these, so do what feels best! I love a deep golden color.
6. Add your herbs off the heat, toss and serve. Feel free to adjust any seasoning at this stage as well. I like mine with extra black pepper.

Notes

*I used plain ol’ white button mushrooms here, but baby bellas work great too. And as you can see in Dan’s video, any kind of mushroom is really a-okay!

The post The Best Sautéed Mushrooms appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Yep, it’s pasta time yet again!

Like I said just a few weeks ago, I just really love pasta as a cozy fall food.

We’re going a little wild today and making our own pasta. It’s one of those culinary things that makes you feel like a full-blown chef.

It’s something you can buy pretty much anywhere, but making it from scratch just seems so… fancy. Such a fun way to turn a regular ol’ pasta dish into one that’s really something to talk about.

That’s why I was so excited Bob’s Red Mill launched their 00 Flour this year! 00 Flour is milled extra fine, meaning any dough made with the stuff is extra elastic and tender. It’s perfect for homemade pizza or pasta!

Pasta making has been a bit of a love language in my family over these past few years (see here!), so the whole process of whisking, kneading, rolling, filling, cutting, boiling, and devouring makes me all warm and cozy on the inside.

And I’m excited to share that feeling (and this recipe for these fab vegan ravioli) with you today!

Another reason I love homemade pasta? It requires minimal ingredients.

Because we’re making a vegan fresh pasta today, we’ll mix together:

• Bob’s Red Mill 00 Flour
• Water
• Olive Oil
• Salt

If you’ve never made pasta before, there’s a very specific “well method” that pasta makers use. You can see the video below for a nice little demo, but you’ll make a well in your flour, add the other ingredients into the cavity, and slowly incorporate the flour into your liquid.

Then you’ll mix by hand and knead well until a smooth, taut ball forms. If you lightly poke it, the indent will spring back almost immediately. This means that there’s a lot of gluten development and it is TENSE. It needs to relax a bit before you’re able to roll it out, so you can cover it in plastic wrap and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.

When it comes time for rolling, make sure you have a nice and large working area. Grab your rolling pin and roll it as thin as you can, working on half of the dough at a time.

Because we’re using our arms and not a machine, your dough won’t be as thin as it would be on a machine. Just roll, roll, roll and get it as thin as you can and acknowledge that you are not a machine. It’s okay. Our pasta will just be a wee bit thicker. No big deal.

Then fill it with some vegan ricotta, encase the filling in more dough, cut out your ravioli, and seal it with a cute little fork crimp.

I like to cook my homemade pasta from frozen, and I tossed these ravioli in a spicy tomato sauce. But use your fave, or try:

• Vegan Vodka Sauce
• Lemon Garlic Sauce
• Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
• Vegan “Meat” Sauce

Regardless of how you dress them, these ravioli are fab! Enjoy!

Watch How To Make Vegan Ricotta Ravioli:

Vegan Ricotta Ravioli (No Machine!)

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Homemade egg-free and vegan ricotta ravioli is on the menu! This is such a fun, special recipe to share with friends, loved ones, or yourself!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 2-3 servings
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Boil
• Cuisine: Italian
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

DOUGH:

• 2 cups (256 grams) Bob’s Red Mill 00 Flour
• 1/2 cup water (plus more for sealing)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• pinch salt

FILLING:

• Vegan Cashew Ricotta

FOR SERVING:

• your favorite pasta sauce
• Vegan Parmesan, for topping

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Add your flour to a large bowl. Make a well and add your water, olive oil, and salt.
2. Using a fork, slowly incorporate the flour into your liquid (see the video in the post for a visual!).
3. When it starts to get craggy, use your hands to incorporate all of the flour, kneading well. This process will take anywhere from 5-8 minutes. Knead until a smooth dough ball forms that springs back as soon as you lightly poke it.* Cover well in plastic wrap and allow it to sit for 15-20 minutes.
4. This is a great time to make your vegan ricotta! 
5. When your dough has rested, divide it into two and re-cover one of the pieces — you’ll work on one at a time.
6. Roll your non-covered dough half into a long rectangle. Roll it as thin as you can. It won’t be as thin as a machine can make it, but that’s okay. You got this! Mine ended up being the length of my rolling pin. 
7. Divide this rolled dough in two length-wise (again, use the photos in the post as a reference). 
8. Using a 1 teaspoon measure, dollop little mounds of your ricotta on top of one of the halves, leaving an inch or two between each dollop. 
9. Using a water-dampened finger, wet a circle around each of your mounds, and then lay your other rolled half of dough over the mounds. 
10. Carefully press the air out of your ravioli and press the dough together to seal all around your filling.
11. Using a circle cookie/biscuit cutter (or your cutter of choice) that’s bigger than your ricotta mound to allow for proper sealing, punch out your ravioli, and then crimp the edges using a fork. 
12. Place the ravioli on a flour-dusted cookie sheet, and place in the freezer. I like to cook mine from frozen, but even if you’re cooking them soon, put them in the freezer until it’s boiling time!
13. Repeat the rolling, filling, cutting, crimping, freezing process with your other half of the dough.**
14. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add your ravioli and cook 4-5 minutes (make sure your water comes back up to a boil after you throw in your cold ravioli), or until the dough is cooked through. Serve with your favorite sauce, fresh basil, and vegan parm!

Notes

*If your dough is extra dry, you can add a small sprinkling of water. Just dip your fingers in some water and flick it onto your dough. You really don’t want to over-hydrate your dough, or it’ll be a mess!

**Wondering what to do with your scraps? I combined them, let it rest again, and then rolled it out and cut some fettuccine noodles! You can also just cut them in random shapes and throw them in a soup. I didn’t make any more ravioli because the dough was a little drier and harder to get thin. Feel free to add a small sprinkle of water to help you roll the scraps out, but avoid adding too much!

The post Vegan Ricotta Ravioli (No Machine!) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

My answer: no. It is the quintessential cozy food for me, and I will praise its perfection all year long.

But… there’s something about pasta just hitting different in the fall and winter months. It is extra cozy, extra soothing, extra satisfying.

That’s why, when September started, I woke up craving pasta. And not just any pasta: vodka sauce.

Now, it might have been because I watched this video and read this article and kind of went down the vodka sauce rabbit hole. But still. A craving’s a craving, and it had to be dealt with.

And dealt with it was!

When I read up on vodka sauce, I learned a few things:

1. It’s actually a very simple recipe –– just some aromatics, tomatoes, cream, and (of course) vodka.
2. The origin is debated –– it originated either from an Italian chef or an Italian-American in New York.
3. It got super popular in the 80s and 90s (which must be why I have such a soft spot for it!).
4. It’s really easy to turn it vegan.

So that’s exactly what I did!

Most of the base recipe (mine is based off of this one) is actually vegan. You’ll just sweat down an entire onion in a little olive oil. Then add garlic and red pepper flakes, and once they’re cooked slightly, you’ll want to add your tomato paste.

It’s a lot of tomato paste –– 6 whole ounces! –– but it adds such a lovely and rich depth of flavor to our final sauce. Especially if you cook it a bit before the pan gets all liquidy. By cooking out the tomato paste, you’re concentrating the punchy tomato-ness even more by caramelizing the sugars.

Then you’ll add your whole, peeled canned tomatoes, a sprig of basil, some water, and our “cream” ingredients.

Now, cauliflower and cashews may not seem like creamy ingredients, but once cooked and blended? It helps give our final sauce a velvety, rich texture and flavor. It’s a hack I borrowed from my favorite vegan mac & cheese recipe!

Once you give the sauce a few minutes to cook on the stove, you’ll carefully transfer it to a blender with a knob of vegan butter, and blend until creamy.

Final step is putting the sauce back in your pan, adding the vodka, allowing it to cook for a minute or two, and then adding the pasta. And you’re done!

Surprisingly simple, ridiculously satisfying, and perfectly comforting for this time of year. Enjoy!

Vegan Vodka Sauce

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

A divinely creamy vegan vodka sauce! This recipe is easy, comforting, and super satisfying and made creamy from two secret ingredients!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 servings
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Boil
• Cuisine: Italian
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 6 medium-large cauliflower florets
• 1/4 cup raw, unsalted cashews
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• pinch salt
• 3 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon (or more) red pepper flakes
• pepper
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 14.5-ounce whole, peeled canned tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 sprig basil (plus more for topping)
• 1 pound short pasta
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 2 cups pasta water*
• vegan parmesan, for topping

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Place your cauliflower florets and cashews in a food processor and blitz until it resembles small pebbles. It should yield ~1 cup (a little more is okay). Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat your olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add your onion and a pinch or two of salt, and cook until the onion is translucent, 6-8 minutes. Add a splash of water if things are browning.
4. Add your garlic, red pepper flakes, and a few cranks of black pepper, and cook for another minute.
5. Add your tomato paste with a splash of water, and cook for another minute. You’re caramelizing the sugars and developing more flavors in this step. Look at you!
6. Add your canned tomatoes, water, and your cauliflower/cashew mixture and stir to combine. Add a pinch of salt.
7. Allow the sauce to simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. 
8. Meanwhile, cook your pasta 1 minute less than package instructions (we’ll finish it in the sauce). Reserve two cups pasta water. 
9. Remove and discard your basil, and then carefully transfer your sauce mixture to a high-powered blender with a tablespoon of vegan butter, and blend until rich and creamy.
10. Transfer your sauce back to your pan (wipe it out first to ensure a super smooth sauce!), and return to a simmer over medium heat. 
11. Stir in your vodka and cook for 1 minute, then add your cooked pasta. 
12. Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook until the pasta is cooked to your liking. You can add your pasta water here to thin out the sauce if needed.
13. Carefully taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with additional fresh basil and / or vegan parmesan!

Notes

* You probably won’t add all of this, but it’s better to have more than run out!

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats

The post Vegan Vodka Sauce appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Personally? I’m thrilled. I’m so excited for cooler weather, boots, and all of the cinnamony things.

But if you’re looking for a way to soak up these final fleeting days of summer, allow me to introduce you to my absolute favorite summer sandwich.

Those hunks up there are one of the reasons why this sandwich is so good.

End-of-summer tomatoes just… hit different. They are so juicy and plump and tart and sweet and umami-y. Not to mention totally beautiful.

If you have a local farmers market where you can get some big heirloom tomatoes, I’d vote for that option. You want to find ones that seem heavy for their size to really make sure they’re nice, ripe, and juicy.

Slice them thin, and be sure to season them –– it’s amazing what a little salt and pepper can do to a slice of fresh tomato!

You’ll also need some kosher dill pickles, sliced super thin. I bought “sandwich style” pickles at the store, and they’re perfectly thin to add just a tangy, vinegary bite to our sandwich.

We’ll also need some cheese! In this case, I used Dairy-Free Garlic & Herbs Boursin Cheese. This spread is so good, and I prefer it 1000 times over to any store-bought vegan cheese slices. I get it at Trader Joe’s, but it looks like a few grocery stores around me carry it.

The vegan cheese slice texture just does not do it for me. But this spread? It’s awesome. It’s tangy and herby and a little garlicky, and just really great as a sandwich spread. It sort of reminds me of an herby cream cheese that you’d put on a bagel, and it’s very similar to their dairy-full counterpart as well!

Again, you’ll need a thin layer on one side of each of your slices of bread.

Speaking of, get yourself some good sourdough, sliced thin if you can. We’re all about those thin layers with this sandwich –– no need to unhinge your jaw to devour this bad boy!

Then we toast it in some oil or vegan butter, slice diagonally, and dive right on into those warm and juicy layers.

This is just like… my ideal end-of-summer meal. Effort level is minimal, prep time is basically non-existent, but the flavor?

Let’s just go with what my taste-tester called it: “stupidly, ridiculously good.”

My Favorite End-of-Summer Sandwich

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

This is the end-of-summer sandwich of my dreams! An herby dairy-free cheese spread, ripe heirloom tomatoes, dill pickles, and toasty sourdough bread make up this warm and juicy beauty!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 minutes
• Total Time: 13 minutes
• Yield: 1 sandwich
• Category: Sandwich
• Method: Grill
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 2 thin slices sourdough bread
• Dairy Free Garlic & Herbs Boursin Cheese
• 1 heirloom tomato, sliced thin
• a few thin kosher dill pickle slices
• salt + pepper
• oil or vegan butter, for cooking

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Spread a thin layer of your dairy-free Boursin on one side of both slices of bread (so each slice of bread has one side covered).
2. On one of the cheese-covered sides, add your tomato slices and season with a bit of salt and pepper.
3. Top with your pickle slices, and then top with your other slice of bread, cheese-side down. The cheese should be on the inside of the sandwich.
4. Heat a pan with a drizzle of oil or butter over medium heat.
5. Add your sandwich and cook on one side until browned, 2-4 minutes.
6. Carefully flip and cook the other size until browned.
7. Slice diagonally and enjoy!

The post My Favorite End-of-Summer Sandwich appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Just because you don’t eat meat / are vegan doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a BLT this summer.

And yes, I guess by definition, you can’t enjoy a traditional BLT because the B in a BLT stands for bacon and bacon is decidedly not vegan.

But if we rethink our definition of bacon… stick with me… then just maybe we can BLT just like our omnivore friends.

Today, we are entering the world of coconut bacon.

Stay! I promise it’s good. In fact, it’s SO good. I’ve been using the leftovers all week on… everything.

Coconut bacon is kind of crazy because the texture is just… very bacony. It’s crisp, kind of chewy, nice and fatty, and actually really flavorful (think: salty, smoky, and sweet) if you do it right.

And you know we like to do it right here at Fooduzzi.

A lot of the coconut bacon recipes I’ve seen (and tried) have called for a little ingredient called liquid smoke, but I do not like it. Feel free to try it here if you so desire, but I really don’t like the artificial smoke flavor. I feel like we get enough of the smokiness from the use of smoked paprika, an ingredient I always have because I love it on roasted sweet potatoes, so that’s our only “smoke source” here.

I also see a lot of coconut bacon recipes getting roasted. And like… I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want to turn on my oven when it’s 90 degrees outside. So I decided to see if I could make my coconut bacon on the stove, and it worked great! Just make sure to keep:

1. The pieces moving constantly
2. An eye on the bacon at all times because it burns quick
3. The heat in the medium-low range so things don’t get too crispy too quick

Of course, we’ve got our other normal BLT ingredients here –– crisp iceberg lettuce, fresh salt + pepper tomatoes, creamy vegan mayo, and golden fried bread. You can’t mess with a classic too much, right?

So good. So summery. So easy.

Enjoy, friend!

Easy Vegan BLT

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

A super easy vegan spin on the classic summer sandwich: the BLT! It comes together in just minutes, and you’ll have extra vegan bacon for more vegan BLTs all week long!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 1 sandwich
• Category: Sandwich
• Method: Pan Fry
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

VEGAN COCONUT BACON:

• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (like grapeseed)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut chips

FOR EACH SANDWICH:

• 1/2 tablespoon neutral oil
• 1/2 tablespoon vegan butter (or more oil)
• 2 slices of bread (I used sourdough)
• vegan mayo
• iceberg lettuce, shredded or separated into leaves
• sliced tomato, salt and peppered

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. COCONUT BACON: In a medium bowl, combine your soy sauce, oil, maple syrup, tomato paste, and smoked paprika. Whisk to combine.
2. Add your coconut chips and toss to coat completely. Allow to marinade for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line a large plate or cookie pan with paper towels.
3. Heat a large pan over medium-low heat. Working in two batches, scoop out some of the coconut bacon and add it to your pan, leaving any additional liquid in the bowl to discard.
4. Cook your bacon, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until golden. If certain pieces start to get darker than others, you can use tongs to remove them and place them on your paper towel-lined plate. Try to keep the pieces of coconut separated as they cook. They’ll crisp further as they cool.
5. Repeat with your second batch of coconut bacon, leaving any excess liquid in the bottom of the bowl to discard.
6. In a separate large pan, heat your oil and vegan butter over medium heat. When melted and your pan is hot, add your bread, and toast until deeply golden, about 3 minutes. Remove and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
7. ASSEMBLE: Liberally spread both of the non-toasted sides of your bread with vegan mayo. Add your lettuce, tomato, and a large handful (or two!) of your coconut bacon. Top with your other mayo-spread piece of bread and enjoy!

The post Easy Vegan BLT appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Leave. Lettuce. Alone.

• If you’ve ever had a bag of slimy, brown lettuce in your fridge, this recipe is for you.
• If you’re sick and tired of throwing away unused lettuce week after week, this recipe is for you.
• If you’ve ever ate a salad and thought, “Wow, the lettuce is adding nothing to this dish, and if it wasn’t here, I probably wouldn’t miss it,” this recipe is for you.

Essentially, we’re taking everything good about a salad and leaving out the not-so-good (aka the lettuce).

Why? Because of all of those reasons up there. ☝️ And also because it’s probably my least-favorite part of any salad.

I’m never like “OH YES ROMAINE TONIGHT!” Or like “Mixed greens?! Yes please!” Or even like “Kale? HECK YES.”

I just… don’t love lettuce.

But I do love veggies. And that’s how the “Just the Toppings Salad” was born.

Is it weird to eat a salad that is just toppings? Perhaps.

Should that stop you? No. Especially if you’ve fallen victim to the high hopes of working your way through a bag of lettuce in a week only to find it in a very different color in a deep, dark corner of your refrigerator the following week.

I definitely don’t know what that’s like. Definitely not.

Groceries are just too dang expensive right now to allow for that. At least in my opinion.

That’s why I’ve been making a version of this salad every day for lunch for about a month. It’s everything I love about a salad, and find that I’m eating more veggies this way because I’m not at the mercy of the lowly bag of lettuce anymore.

I am FREE. And you can be free too, my friend.

I realize this has been a chaotic and silly little post about a lettuceless salad, but it really is very good.

And of course, the beauty of this salad lies in whatever ingredients you have on-hand. I always have a mix of veggies like cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, carrots, and olives, but anything you love in a regular salad will work.

I also am just so incredibly into roasted, salted sunflower seeds on my salads right now, so those are not optional. Unless you don’t like them. In that case, you do you.

Add some chickpeas for protein and toast up some bread on the side, and what do ya know! A tasty, veg-filled salad with nary a lettuce leaf in sight.

Out with the food waste, in with yummy, lettuceless salads. Yes, please.

“Just the Toppings” Salad

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Yep, you’re looking at a salad without lettuce. And if you’ve thrown away your last bag of slimy, brown lettuce, this recipe is for you!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 salad
• Category: Lunch
• Method: Chop
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

YOUR FAVORITE SALAD INGREDIENTS LIKE:

• 5 baby carrots, sliced thin into circles
• 1/4 an english cucumber, sliced thin into circles
• 6–8 grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 green onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup chickpeas from a can
• a handful of marinated olives
• 2–4 tablespoons roasted, salted sunflower seeds
• salt + pepper
• Everyday Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette (or your favorite dressing!)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Cut up all of your ingredients and place them in a bowl.
2. Toss with your dressing and enjoy!

Notes

I think a nice Mediterranean spin on this recipe would be fab by using marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers, and maybe even some vegan feta… YUM.

The post “Just the Toppings” Salad appeared first on Fooduzzi.

I am very pro-taco, and these tacos were born from my slight disappointment over some vegan tacos I’ve had out at restaurants recently.

When I get vegan tacos at a restaurant, they seem to be soft and soggy a lot of the time. No texture whatsoever. Just a bunch of mushy ingredients (albeit delicious mushy ingredients) in a soft tortilla.

Most recently, I had some potato tacos and some nopales (cactus) tacos, both of which were filled with ingredients like cooked onions, pickled jalapeños, and stewed tomatoes. Although they both tasted just fine, I felt like the texture was lacking that all-important crunch.

So! I decided to play around in the kitchen. And many overstuffed tacos later, we have the taco situation that makes my heart sing.

And I know: at first glance, it doesn’t really look like there’s anything all that crunchy on this taco.

But my friend, that’s where that vegan creamy slaw comes in!

We’re using it as an ingredient versus just as a topping. And it goes into the tortilla first to give us something fresh, crisp, and zingy to bite into in the middle of the tortilla.

It’s such a simple thing, but it makes all the difference! Instead of having just a little slaw moment with all of your other toppings, it’s the star of the show, the belle of the ball, bringing you a fresh, crisp-chewiness that is just so delectable.

For the slaw, you’ll need vinegar, oil, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and hummus (which makes it creamy!). Then top that slaw-filled tortilla with some savory stewed black beans, salsa, hot sauce, onion, jalapeño, tomato, peppers, cilantro, or whatever you fancy.

You could say I was slightly hungry when I was shopping for ingredients for these tacos, so I grabbed pretty much every topping I could think of. That said, it’s a very customizable recipe, so use what you have/like!

Don’t knock the whole slaw-first-in-a-taco situation until you try it! In a blind side-by-side taste test, my taste tester (me) preferred the slaw-first method 100% of the time.

And I just don’t know how you can argue with that logic.

Black Bean Tacos with Vegan Creamy Slaw

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

My go-to taco recipe these days! This recipe is super simple to make, but it really packs a punch thanks to the crunchy slaw and spiced, stewed black beans!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 5-6 tacos
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Saute
• Cuisine: Mexican-American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

VEGAN CREAMY SLAW:

• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons hummus
• 1/2 tablespoon neutral oil
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic
• pinch sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 oz finely shredded cabbage

EASY STEWED BLACK BEANS:

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15-oz can black beans (with the liquid from the can)*
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 handful cilantro leaves, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

FOR THE TACOS:

• tortillas (corn, flour, or your fave)
• salsa
• hot sauce
• onion (green or white)
• cilantro
• thinly-sliced peppers
• chopped tomatoes
• jalapeños
• lime
• or your favorite taco toppers!

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. SLAW: In a medium bowl, whisk your hummus, oil, apple cider vinegar, granulated garlic, sugar, and salt/pepper. Once combined, add your cabbage and toss to coat. Set in the fridge until ready to use.
2. BEANS: In a large skillet over medium heat, add your oil and onion. Season with a small pinch of salt and cook until mostly translucent, stirring frequently (2-3 minutes).
3. Add your garlic, and cook for another minute or so, or until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
4. Add your beans (liquid and all!), and stir to combine. Add your chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, and smoked paprika, and continue to cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has absorbed but the beans still look saucy, 5-8 minutes. If you run a spoon through the beans, it should leave a trail that closes in about 2 seconds –– see the photo in the post for a visual!
5. Add your cilantro and carefully taste, adding salt and pepper if needed. Because our slaw is so zippy and punchy, I didn’t add any acid to these beans, but feel free to add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to brighten this mixture up!
6. ASSEMBLE: Warm/char your tortillas as desired (I charred mine over my gas burner). Add a large scoop of the creamy slaw into the center of your tortilla. Then add some black beans and your desired toppings!

Notes

*All cans of black beans are seasoned differently, so the salt level of the beans will be fully dependent on that! Use a reduced sodium can of beans if you’re worried about it. I used the blue can from Trader Joe’s.

The post Black Bean Tacos with Vegan Creamy Slaw appeared first on Fooduzzi.