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

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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

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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.

Why?

1. It’s based off of my all-time favorite cookie.
2. It reminds me of High School Alexa’s favorite treat from Starbucks, Lemon Loaf.

I’m choosing a chocolate dessert 99.9% of the time, but…I love citrusy things this time of year. Pittsburgh is impossibly grey most of the late winter/early spring, and nothing puts a pep in my step like a lil lemony baked good.

So naturally, I was craving a lemon cookie.

But I wanted something quick. And easy. I didn’t want to use a million ingredients, chill the dough, do a little dance, or wait 24-48 hours until I enjoyed my treat.

I wanted it ASAP, so I looked to the easiest cookie I know for inspiration: my Nana’s To Tos.

They are, quite possibly, the easiest cookie you’ll ever make. Mix the ingredients, roll ’em up, bake, glaze, done.

So easy, and it’s a shock I don’t make them every week because I love them so very much. They’re a cakey cookie, not chewy, and they have a lovely crisp exterior. And a vanilla glaze!

But after the 9753rd cold day this year, I needed something a little brighter. A little lighter.

Enter: Lemon Loaf Cookies.

Your regular cookie cast of characters can be found in the ingredient list:

• Butter (vegan)
• Sugar (cane)
• Lemon (zest)
• Vanilla (bean paste or extract)
• Flour (all-purpose)
• Powder (baking)
• Powder (soda)
• Salt (kosher)
• Milk (almond)
• Oil (neutral)

Cream your butter, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix your flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Add your dry ingredients and almond milk to the creamed butter mixture and you have a dough.

Then comes the slightly unconventional part: rolling your cookies into balls with oiled hands.

YES. Oiled hands.

As I said in the original recipe, I think we do this to ensure a nice crisp exterior on our cookies. But then again, I’m not 100% certain. But if Nana did it, I’m doing it too.

Then you bake, glaze with a simple powdered sugar, almond milk, vanilla, lemon zest glaze, and you’re done! Eat ’em up!

I really love these cookies, and it’s kinda crazy how much they remind me of Starbuck’s Lemon Loaf. I actually had one with coffee the other day, and it made those vibes so much stronger.

And my dad, fellow lover of To Tos and all-things lemon, also was a fan. He said (and I quote) “They are excellent! I wouldn’t change anything.”

Can’t get much better than that.

Lemon Loaf Cookies

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An easy, no-chill cookie recipe that’s zippy, lemony, and cakey. A lemon and vanilla bean glaze takes them over the edge!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 13 cookies
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

DOUGH:

• 1/4 cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup raw cane sugar (or your fave granulated sugar)
• zest of two small lemons
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
• 240 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• pinch kosher salt
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, at room temperature
• neutral oil (like avocado) for rolling

GLAZE:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
• zest of one small lemon

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine vegan butter, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla bean paste in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer and a large bowl). Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed.
3. Meanwhile, combine your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
4. Reduce your stand mixer speed to low and slowly add 1/3 of your dry ingredients, followed by half of your milk, 1/3 of your dry ingredients, the remaining milk, then the remaining 1/3 of your dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and mix until just combined.
5. Take chunks of your dough (I like making mine slightly bigger than a golf ball, about 2 tablespoons), oiling your hands in between each, and roll them into a ball. Stick them on your baking sheet with a bit of room between each (they don’t spread too much). Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until you can see the bottoms slightly browning.
6. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet, then move them to a cooling rack for glazing.
7. Whisk the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Dunk the tops of the cookies in the glaze, swirling so the entire top is covered. Place the cookies back on the cooling rack so that the glaze can drip down. Allow to set up at room temperature.

The post Lemon Loaf Cookies appeared first on Fooduzzi.

But yeah. Combining two of my favorite sweet treats into one mega-treat?

Genius behavior.

I’ve had a bit of a love affair with almond croissants as of late. Perfectly crispy, not too sweet, loaded with almonds, and almost juicy in a way words can’t quite explain.

La Gourmandine here in Pittsburgh is a great place to get them. They always hit the spot, and the almondy filling (known as frangipane) always gets extra crispy on the edges and it is just so gobbleable. I love them. And I saw Viridis (100% vegan and recently re-opened in a new location!!) has vegan almond croissants available some days.

So when I saw Trader Joe’s started selling almond paste, I got an idea.

A wonderful, crazy idea.

What if I stuck a little nugget of almond paste in the middle of a sugar cookie? And then topped it with sliced almonds, granulated sugar, and a little powdered sugar?

Would it sorta give me almond croissant vibes without needing to make a yeasted dough, laminate said dough, and spend a few hours shaping and baking a batch of finicky (yet delicious) croissants from scratch?

Spoiler alert:

The cookie base is my go-to sugar cookie recipe (the same one from this lemon blueberry variety!), requires no chilling time, and comes together all in one bowl. No weird ingredients, all easily purchaseable from your local mega mart.

Then you’ll need some almond paste, typically found in the baking aisle at the store. Like I mentioned, Trader Joe’s has started selling it, so yay. Easy.

It’s sweet, chewy, soft, and very almond-forward in flavor, and it becomes an almond cookie dough-like center for our cookies.

And the topper? Granulated sugar and sliced almonds. You’ll want to flatten the cookies with the topping on top (with the bottom of a measuring cup, bowl, or similar) so that everything sticks. It gets a little messy, but it’s worth it.

To really drive home the whole almond croissant visual and feel, I topped my cookies with powdered sugar right before serving. Totally optional, but I think it looks cute. You don’t need a lot; just a light little dusting will do.

These are so good and fun, and I think they’d be perfect for the holidays.

TGFFB.

(Thank God For Fall Baking)

Almond Croissant Cookies

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Soft, chewy, sugar cookies with a surprise almond paste center! The almond topping is nice and crispy, and this recipe is 100% vegan as written!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 13 minutes
• Total Time: 28 minutes
• Yield: 9-10 cookies
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: Holiday
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

DOUGH:

• 1/2 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 1 and 1/4 tablespoons water
• 112 grams (1/2 cup) vegan butter, softened
• 105 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
• splash vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• 160 grams (about 1 and 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• If needed: 1 tablespoon plant milk (like almond)

FILLING:

• 9–10 teaspoons almond paste*

TOPPING:

• 1/4 cup raw sliced almonds
• granulated sugar
• powdered sugar

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F with a rack positioned in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, combine your ground flax and water. Mix to combine and set aside.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat your butter and sugar together well until light and fluffy, for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add vanilla and salt, and beat again until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
5. Add your flax mixture, and beat again until combined.
6. Add your flour, baking soda, and baking powder, and beat again until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl if necessary. If the dough is dry (mine was), add a tablespoon of plant milk and mix well. Try not to overmix.
7. Roll dough into 9-10 golf ball-sized balls.
8. Put a finger into the middle of the dough, and place a 1 teaspoon chunk of almond paste in the divot. Enclose the almond paste with the dough, and flatten slightly. Place cookies on your prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly because they will spread a bit.
9. Top each cookie with your sliced almonds and a sprinkle of granulated sugar. Keep in mind that almonds/sugar not on the cookie may burn on the parchment paper, so do this part with a little care. Press the topping into each cookie with the bottom of a measuring cup or bowl so that the almonds stick. See photos for what they should look like pre-oven!
10. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges of each cookie.
11. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
12. Top with a light dusting of powdered sugar if desired right before serving.

Notes

*Almond paste is not marzipan. You can typically find almond paste in the baking section of your local mega mart. It comes in a tube, and it’s typically in a box. I got mine from Trader Joe’s, and that particular one is vegan. Be sure to find a vegan (eggless!) one if that’s important to you.

The post Almond Croissant Cookies appeared first on Fooduzzi.

If you’re a sweet potato fan, you must put this recipe on your to-make list this season.

I always have a couple of sweet potatoes in my pantry. Always. They’re one of my favorite starchy meal add-ins, and I especially love them when they’re roasted.

They have such an incredible natural sweetness that’s accentuated when roasted slow in the oven.

And now that the temperatures are dipping (finally!), it’s time for my oven to do some heavy-lifting in the meal department.

While this recipe offers the coziest of vibes, it’s extremely simple and straightforward.

You’ll tossed some cubed sweet potatoes with maple syrup, oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. The potatoes never get too sweet, even with the addition of maple syrup, because the small amount of apple cider vinegar is there to tame the flavors a bit. Then you’ll simply roast the potatoes, covered, at 400 degrees F.

I like popping the top off for the last five minutes of roasting to develop some extra caramelization and flavor, but it should take about 30 minutes for your potato cubes to become soft and tender.

And since they’re nice and soft after roasting, I like to top them with something crunchy. Enter: granola!

I’ve been having a true moment with granola, and I love the crisp, nutty bite it gives this final dish! I used a maple-flavored version, but a cinnamon one would be great as well. Anything with seeds and/or nuts is a plus because they bring even more texture to the party.

And that’s that! A very simple, highly delicious side dish for your this-time-of-year needs.

I hope you love it as much as I do!

Vegan Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Granola

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An easy Thanksgiving side dish that’s totally vegan and only requires 7 ingredients! Full of texture, not too sweet, and a big crowd-pleaser.

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4-6 servings
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Roast
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into ~1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• salt + pepper, to taste
• a few handfuls of granola (maple-flavored or otherwise!)

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine your sweet potatoes, maple syrup, oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix to coat, then dump all of the contents onto your prepared baking sheet, spreading into an even layer.
3. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, then bake for 15 minutes.
4. Carefully remove the potatoes from the oven, uncover, and toss with a spatula.
5. Return to an even layer, cover, and bake again for an additional 15 minutes.
6. Carefully remove the cover and bake for another 5 minutes, or until done to your liking. At this point, your potatoes should be soft and slightly caramelized. The maple syrup burns quickly when the potatoes are uncovered, be vigilant!
7. Carefully remove the pan from the oven, and scoop your potatoes (and any liquid) into your serving plate/platter/bowl. Top with lots of granola, and serve with additional granola on the side!

Notes

Adapted from Eating Well.

The post Vegan Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Granola appeared first on Fooduzzi.

Does it need a full-blown article on the internet? Questionable.

Does it deserve a full-blown article on the internet? Absolutely.

I’m a big big fan of pumpkin, cinnamon, and all-things fall. This truly is my favorite time of year (followed closely by winter), and I feel like a whole new person when wearing my turtlenecks, boots, and jackets.

So I want to incorporate the very best things about this time of year into my every day. And if I can add a little fall flare to my snack time, it’s a huge win.

This parfait situation is so good, full of good fall flavors, and just really fun. Anything with the name “swirl” in the name is automatically fun, right? And it really couldn’t be more simple.

You’ll take some plain plant-based yogurt (use your fave, but I’ve been loving the unsweetened cashew stuff from Trader Joe’s), and swirl in some vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste if you have it for those cute little vanilla specks!). Then set it aside.

In another bowl, mix some pure pumpkin puree with cinnamon, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom). In the US, you can find pumpkin pie spice already mixed in the spice aisle, but feel free to skip it and use more cinnamon. Similar vibe and way easier for a simple snack like this!

Of course, you could totally just mix all of this (aka the yogurt and the pumpkin mixture) together and save a bowl, but then you wouldn’t have the swirl, and as previously established, swirled food is more fun. That said, you do you!

Then layer it in a cute little glass with granola. I used a store-bought maple granola for the fall vibes, but feel free to use your fave.

A perfect little fall treat in a jar! It’s simple, cute, super fun, and really very delicious. Enjoy, my friend!

Vegan Pumpkin Swirl Yogurt Parfait

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A simple, fall-flavored snack! Using dairy-free yogurt makes this recipe totally vegan, and you can use gluten-free granola if desired.

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 1 parfait
• Category: Snack
• Method: Mix
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsweetened dairy-free yogurt
• vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (what I used), if desired
• 1/3 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1–2 handfuls granola (maple or your favorite flavor)

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Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix your yogurt and vanilla. Set aside.
2. In another small bowl, mix your pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
3. Swirl your pumpkin mixture into your yogurt mixture.
4. If desired, grab a jar and add half of your pumpkin/yogurt mixture followed by a layer of granola. Repeat, topping with additional granola.* Enjoy!

Notes

*Of course, you could just mix all of this together in one bowl of maximum ease. But the swirling and layering is fun if you have a bit of extra time!

The post Vegan Pumpkin Swirl Yogurt Parfait 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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

In fact, if I needed to give up every piece of technology but one, air conditioning would be the one I could not live without.

Goodbye, internet. So long, computer and cell phone. I shall be comfortably cool at a perpetual 72 degrees forever, thank you very much.

That is the reason why I am so hesitant to turn on my oven during the summer. It heats up my house for hours, which makes my air conditioning run for hours. Not fun.

So! I try to avoid my oven in the summer. It’s just not my jam.

And luckily, there are many creative ways to make the foods you’re craving without the use of an oven.

Enter: this stovetop blueberry crumble!

This is a quick recipe, provided that you buy store-bought granola (which is what I did and recommend). This will act as your quick and easy crumble topping. Clever, eh?

There are loads of different granola options available at pretty much any grocery store, so get one that you think would pair well with blueberries. Granola with coconut, almonds, vanilla, and/or cinnamon would all be great, and if you can get your hands on a lemon granola, all the better.

P.S. If you’re less averse to turning on your oven in the summer, you can also make your own lemon granola (it’s my favorite granola recipe ever).

The blueberry mixture comes together in a snap –– you’ll just need some fresh blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Dump it all into a sauce pan, and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the blueberries are to your desired crumble texture.

I like mine plenty jammy but still a bit chunky. You can see the texture in the pictures!

Once your blueberry mixture is to your liking, you have a decision to make: do you portion the mixture out into individual servings? Or do you pour it into a pie plate to feed a crowd? As you can see from the pictures, I did both: one for everyone, and one for me to sample ahead of time. A lil treat for the chef, if you will.

You’ll want to add the granola right before you’re ready to serve, so allow it to cool slightly before assembling to avoid sogginess. I really like this crumble warm or at room temperature, but to be fair, I have eaten it straight from the fridge as well. You really can’t go wrong here.

This is such a fun and easy recipe that perfectly celebrates one of summer’s best fruits! Enjoy, my friend!

The post Quick & Easy Stovetop Blueberry Crumble (No Oven!) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

And I mean, it makes sense. All of the ingredients scream nostalgia and summer, and you can make it in the comfort of your very own kitchen in like… five minutes.

Plus they are completely and totally non-put-downable.

I love a s’more. Rich and creamy chocolate + cinnamony graham crackers + ooey, gooey marshmallows = one happy and delicious little treat.

So today we’re taking all of those elements and… rearranging them? And making it a kitchen-friendly, fire-less recipe instead.

You’ll need three bowls, two of which need to be microwave-safe. Once you have that, it’s really just four steps:

Step 1: Melt your chocolate & peanut butter

So peanut butter might not be traditional in your s’mores, but in my s’mores, it’s a necessity. I love the combo of peanut butter + graham crackers, and as we know, chocolate + peanut butter is a match made in flavor heaven.

Peanut butter also tames down the sweetness in this dessert. It adds a rich, salty, nuttiness that really does take this dessert away from “cloying” and into the “wow, I can’t stop eating this” territory.

If you don’t do peanut butter, try a different nut or seed butter like almond or sunflower. Just make sure that it’s salted.

You’ll also want to add a nice pinch of salt here too. Again, for balance!

Step 2: Break your graham crackers

I used thick cinnamon graham crackers in this bark. They are an impulse buy more often than I care to admit, and I love them dunked in almond milk or spread with peanut butter. I ended up using about 100 grams (or 8 total graham crackers).

That said: if you want your s’mores bark to be less chunky, add less graham crackers. If you want it more chunky, add more. You really can’t mess this recipe up. Trust yourself, you s’mores lovin’ fool you!

P.S. If you want to keep this recipe vegan, make sure your graham crackers don’t have things like honey or eggs in them.

Step 3: Melt your marshmallows

I melted my marshmallows for just 30 seconds in the microwave, and it worked perfectly. I simply mixed them with a silicone spatula when they were warm, and it formed an ooey, sticky mixture.

You’ll add your graham cracker pieces to the marshmallow, mix slightly to combine, then mix your warm and melted chocolate mixture.

Use a little bit of care here so you don’t crush your graham crackers, but you will need a bit of elbow grease because things are a bit sticky at this point! The marshmallows get nice and stringy and chewy and weird looking and delicious. Trust me.

Step 4: Freeze!

YEP. We’re freezing these s’mores bites. Why? Because this recipe is a texture playground when frozen.

After you take it from the freezer, the marshmallow is nice and chewy while the chocolate and graham crackers are firm and crispy. You can also let it sit for 5ish minutes at room temperature if you like things a little less firm. It’s really just so good, and I love keeping this bark in the freezer at all times so I can pull out a chunk or two whenever the craving strikes.

I think this would be a great recipe to make with some younger kiddos or late at night when you want a little sweet bite without making too big of a mess of your kitchen.

Regardless of how or when you make these, I think we can all agree with the fact that an easier avenue to s’mores bliss is never ever a bad thing.

Vegan S’mores Bark (No Campfire Needed!)

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A quick and easy summertime dessert! This vegan s’mores bark comes together in minutes and is a great solution for getting your s’mores fix without the campfire!

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 servings
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Mix
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

• 6 ounces (a little less than 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips*
• 2 tablespoons salted peanut butter
• nice pinch of salt
• 6 large or 8 medium (or ~100 grams) cinnamon graham crackers*
• 14 marshmallows*

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Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, add your chocolate chips, peanut butter, and salt. Melt in 30-second increments in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until warm and melted. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, break your graham crackers into bite-sized irregular pieces. Place in a bowl.
4. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt your marshmallows in 30-second increments in the microwave. Mine took just 30 seconds. Stir until thick and sticky.
5. Immediately toss your graham cracker pieces into the marshmallow mixture and mix. Add your melted chocolate, and mix until everything is well incorporated and coated in chocolate.
6. Pour the mixture onto your prepared baking sheet, spreading the mixture into one layer. It’s okay if the mixture is separated into chunks — you’re going to break it up with your hands later anyways!
7. Place the baking sheet in the freezer to set, 10-20 minutes.
8. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and break up the bark into bite-sized pieces (or cut it with a knife). Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge/freezer for later! If you store it in the freezer and it’s too hard, you can allow the bark to come back up to room temperature for 5ish minutes before consuming so the marshmallow is easier to chew.

Notes

*If you’re making this recipe vegan, ensure that the starred ingredients are vegan and don’t contain ingredients like milk, butter, and/or honey. Vegan marshmallows can be tricky to find, but the marshmallows from Trader Joe’s are vegan, as well as a brand called “Dandies” that can be found at places like Whole Foods.

The post Vegan S’mores Bark (No Campfire Needed!) appeared first on Fooduzzi.

To be completely honest, this is the second time I’ve posted a “peanut butter egg” recipe. The first one was Y-E-A-R-S ago, and I used a few different ingredients (most notably: oat flour).

I also made my own chocolate? Why? I have no idea.

This recipe is much simpler, just as delicious, and customizable based on a few simple swaps!

Can we all agree that peanut butter eggs are far superior to their peanut butter cup cousin?

There’s something about the shape, the softness of the coating, the proportion of filling to coating, and the texture of the filling in peanut butter eggs that just… I have zero control when I’m near them.

I think the texture of the filling is the biggest thing. It’s very much a dough versus a creamy, oozy peanut butter. It’s stiff, a little grainy, and almost like a softer cookie dough.

I’ve found that I can pretty much nail that texture using:

1. Coconut oil
2. Maple syrup
3. Almond flour

When you add coconut oil and maple syrup to a nut butter (or other butter… more on that in a sec), the nut butter starts to firm up all on its own. It’s definitely the maple syrup. If you’ve ever tried to make your own nut butter and tried to sweeten it with a liquid sweetener, you’ll probably know that the nut butter tends to seize when that liquid sweetener is added.

Luckily that’s what we’re going for here! We want the mixture to seize so that a dough starts to form.

And then we’ll use a little bit of almond flour to really help us achieve that perfect doughy texture. I love using almond flour in cookies, truffles, and even parmesan cheese, so I always have it in my fridge. It itself is a bit grainy, so it helps us really nail that classic pb egg texture!

Two Other Ways to Level-Up Your Vegan Peanut Butter Eggs

I made two other iterations of the classic peanut butter egg that I think you’re going to love. Both are still very much vegan and delicious, they’re just fun spins to make your treat a little more special:

Cookie Butter

Use melted cookie butter and a nice pinch of salt in place of your peanut butter. You’ll need less almond flour to create a “dough” since the cookie butter is, well, made of cookies. It just doesn’t need as much stiffening power because of its other ingredients. I get my cookie butter at Trader Joe’s, but lots of mega marts have the Biscoff brand!

These “eggs” are so decadent. The cookie butter has a nice cinnamony flavor that pairs so beautifully with the maple syrup. Plus the texture is a bit firmer than the other versions, and the finished product almost reminds me of a peanut butter meltaway. Just too good.

Almond Butter, Cocoa, and Chocolate Chips

Allergic to peanut butter? No worries! Use almond butter. You can stop there or add some cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips for a fudgy, nutty take on the classic.

This one is all about that texture. I find almond butter isn’t typically quite as smooth as peanut butter to begin with, but then you add those mini chocolate chips? So fun!

I love these so much, I couldn’t get through writing this post without getting up and grabbing two to snack on (classic and cookie butter, if you’re wondering).

It’s hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to… I think I’d go with the classic peanut butter. Nothing better in my opinion than chocolate peanut butter doughy goodness!

Vegan Peanut Butter Eggs (Three Ways!)

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Three delicious takes on the classic peanut butter egg! All recipes are vegan, easy, and require only up to 6 ingredients! One of my favorite easy desserts.

• Author: Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 18 eggs (6 of each flavor)
• Category: Dessert
• Method: No-Bake
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

CLASSIC PEANUT BUTTER:

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• pinch salt, optional
• 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons packed almond flour*

COOKIE BUTTER:

• 1/2 cup cookie butter
• pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon packed almond flour*

ALMOND CHOCOLATE:

• 1/2 cup natural almond butter
• pinch salt, optional
• 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons packed almond flour*
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons vegan mini chocolate chips

CHOCOLATE COATING (enough to make a batch of all three flavors):

• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

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Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet (one that you can fit in your fridge!) with parchment paper.
2. Classic Peanut Butter: Melt your peanut butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl in the microwave (about 30 seconds). Add a pinch of salt if your peanut butter is unsalted.
3. Add your coconut oil and maple syrup and whisk to combine. The mixture will start to thicken.
4. Switching to a silicone spatula, add your almond flour and mix until combined. You’re looking for a moldable dough that isn’t too wet or dry. Think: cookie dough texture. If it’s too wet, add more almond flour. If it’s too dry, add a bit more melted peanut butter.
5. Form into 6 egg-like shapes, place them on your parchment paper, and allow them to set up in the fridge for 30 minutes.
6. Cookie Butter: Melt your cookie butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl in the microwave (about 30 seconds). Add a generous pinch of salt.
7. Add your coconut oil and maple syrup and whisk to combine. The mixture will start to thicken.
8. Switching to a silicone spatula, add your almond flour and mix until combined. You’re looking for a moldable dough that isn’t too wet or dry. Think: cookie dough texture. If it’s too wet, add more almond flour. If it’s too dry, add a bit more melted cookie butter.
9. Form into 6 egg-like shapes, place them on your parchment paper, and allow them to set up in the fridge for 30 minutes.
10. Almond Chocolate: Melt your almond butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl in the microwave (about 30 seconds). Add a pinch of salt if your almond butter is unsalted.
11. Add your coconut oil and maple syrup and whisk to combine. The mixture will start to thicken.
12. Switching to a silicone spatula, add your almond flour and cocoa powder and mix until combined. Add your mini chocolate chips** and mix to combine. You’re looking for a moldable dough that isn’t too wet or dry. Think: cookie dough texture. If it’s too wet, add more almond flour. If it’s too dry, add a bit more melted almond butter.
13. Form into 6 egg-like shapes, place them on your parchment paper, and allow them to set up in the fridge for 30 minutes.
14. Chocolate Coating: Melt your chocolate chips and coconut oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts. Mix until completely smooth.
15. Remove your eggs from the fridge and dip each, one-by-one in chocolate, coating all sides. I used my fingers, but feel free to use a fork to make this process a little less messy.
16. Tap any excess chocolate off of the eggs, and place them back on your parchment-lined baking sheet. Once all eggs are coating, return to the fridge so that the chocolate can set, about 15 minutes.
17. Clean up the edges with a small pairing knife if desired (I didn’t bother) and enjoy! Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Notes

*This is just a guideline, as all nut butters have slightly different textures. Adjust as needed. Remember: you’re looking for a moldable dough that isn’t too wet or dry, like cookie dough! Add more almond flour if it’s too wet, and if it’s too dry, add a bit more melted nut (or cookie) butter.

**Make sure your mixture isn’t hot or your chocolate chips will melt!

The post Vegan Peanut Butter Eggs (Three Ways!) appeared first on Fooduzzi.