lunch | Vegan Recipes from Cassie Howard (2024)

Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Entree

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

Barbecue Chili

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium-large red bell pepper, diced
• ½ large onion, peeled and diced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 6 cups diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
• ½ cup vegetable broth
• 3 tbsp tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 cup cooked kidney beans
• 1⅓ cup cooked black beans
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 tbsp barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped green onions for garnish, if desired

Sour Cream

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
• ¾ cup water
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

Barbecue Chili

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the pepper and onion and cook until onion becomes translucent (about 5 minutes). Add in the garlic and good for another minute or so, or until lightly browned.
2. Add in the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and mix well.
3. Add in the beans, frozen corn, and barbecue sauce, and mix again. If it looks too thick, add in some more vegetable broth, just a bit at a time. Remember that it will thicken as it cooks, so you don't want it to be too thick right off the bat. Cook for about 20-30 minutes.
4. About 15 minutes before the chili is done cooking, add in your chopped greens, salt and pepper. Adjust s&p as necessary.
5. Serve, topped with vegan sour cream, chopped green onions, or whatever else you like on your chili!

Sour Cream

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor or high powdered blender and process/blend until smooth. Will keep in the fridge up to 5 days.

Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Salad

Serves: 1-2

Ingredients

Creamy Green Sauce

• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for at least 2 hours)
• ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
• ¼ cup parsley (cilantro would work, too)
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 medium garlic clove
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Taco Meat

• 1 cup walnuts, soaked for at least 2 hours
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for at least 2 hours
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp salt
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Taco Salad

• 4 cups chopped lettuce (I used mixed greens)
• ⅔ cup cooked quinoa
• ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
• ¼ cup corn
• ¼ cup cooked black beans
• ¼ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• ½ cup salsa
• Handful of crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Instructions

Creamy Green Sauce

1. Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender or food processor and blend/process until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Taco Meat

1. Drain walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes.
2. Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until combined, and still a bit chunky. Set aside.

Taco Salad

1. On one large plate or 2 medium-sized plates, add your lettuce, quinoa, red onion, taco meat, corn, the black beans, cherry tomatoes and salsa.
2. Drizzle on a heavy amount of dressing, sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips, if desired, and dig in! If you have any left over, the dressing should last in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Notes

*Make this recipe gluten-free by omitting the tortilla chips (or using a gluten-free variety).

Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Lunch, Dinner

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Lentils

• ½ cup brown or green lentils
• 1½ cups water
• 1 medium-large garlic clove, crushed
• 1 bay leaf

Quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water

Greens

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup greens of choice (kale, spinach, swiss chard)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Dressing

• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 3 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp tamari
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 medium-large clove of garlic, grated
• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1.5 tbsp tahini

Instructions

Lentils

1. Add lentils, water, garlic and bay leaf to a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low-medium and simmer about 25-40 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the lentils are tender. Remove bay leaf and crushed garlic. Set aside.

Quinoa

1. Add quinoa and water to a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low-medium and simmer about 12 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender.

Greens

1. Heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Once warmed, add the greens and cook until softened. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper, turn off the heat, and set aside.

Dressing

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth.

Putting it all together

1. Divide quinoa between bowls, then add in the lentils and sauteed greens.
2. Pour a healthy amount of dressing over each bowl. Serve warm!

Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Lunch, Dinner

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 cups wheatberries
• 1½ cups cooked chickpeas
• 1 cups chopped peaches, skins removed
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 4 cups chopped raw kale or spinach (I used kale)
• ½ cup almonds, chopped
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Dressing

• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1½ tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp hemp oil
• 1 tsp flax oil
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt

Instructions

Salad

1. Cook your wheatberries by combining 1 cup wheatberries and 3 cups water to a large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for about 1 hour.
2. Sautee your kale in a pan of water (just a bit of water is fine), until wilted. Set aside.
3. Chop your almonds and add to a large bowl with peaches, blueberries, strawberries, chickpeas, sauteed kale and cooked wheatberries. Add in the dressing (all of it), and mix well, being careful not to smash the fresh fruit.
4. Serve cold or at room temperature (I think it tastes best at room temperature).

Dressing

1. Add all ingredients to a small mason jar (or small bowl) and shake/whisk until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.

Notes

Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Salad

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

Dressing

• 1¾ cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours, then drained
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp tamari
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Salad

• 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• ½ serving Caesar dressing
• Homemade croutons

Instructions

Dressing

1. Add all ingredients into a high-powered blender or food processor and blend/process until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Salad

1. Add lettuce to a large bowl and add ½ of the vegan Caesar dressing. Mix very well.
2. Divide salad among bowls and top with croutons. Enjoy!

Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Entree

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

Rice

• 1 cup rice (I used basmati rice)*
• 2 cups water*

Baked Tofu

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 1 tbsp oil (I used avocado oil)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Veggies

• 1 small head broccoli, chopped small
• 1 small bell pepper, thinly sliced (I used yellow)

Teriyaki Sauce

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sweet rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• ½ tbsp sesame oil
• ½ tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water (mixed well)

Putting it all together

• Sesame seeds
• Green onions, chopped

Instructions

Rice

1. Cook rice according to package directions (usually 1 cup rice to 2 cups water*). Set aside.

Tofu

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Wrap tofu in a clean towel, add something heavy (I usually use a few heavy cookbooks), and set aside for about 15 minutes to press out some of the water in the tofu. Slice your tofu into cubes or thin squares (like I did).
2. Mix together cornstarch and oil. Add the tofu and coat each piece evenly. Spread tofu on a large baking sheet, lined with parchment paper or a Silplat baking mat. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, then flip and bake for another 20 minutes until browned (a nice deep brown is ideal, but not black!).

Teriyaki Sauce

1. Whisk together the soy sauce, sweet rice wine vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, and fresh garlic. Then add the cornstarch/water mixture. Bring to a simmer in a small pot. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.

Broccoli

1. Steam broccoli & sliced peppers until fork-tender. Set aside.

Putting it all together

1. Add rice to your bowls, and top with tofu, broccoli and peppers. Drizzle the teriyaki sauce on top, then sprinkle some sesame seeds and green onions on top.

Author: Vegan Insanity

Recipe type: Entree

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

Lime-Infused Cashew Cream

• ⅓ cup raw cashews
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• zest of 1 lime
• 1 garlic clove
• ¼ cup water
• ½ tbsp chia seeds
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Beer Batter

• ½ cup kamut flour
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water)
• ⅓ cup beer
• 1 tsp cooking oil (I used avocado oil)
• 1 tsp lime juice

Putting it all together

• ½ large cauliflower, cut into "steaks" or bite-sized pieces
• corn or flour tortillas (I used flour)
• lettuce of choice
• 2 large roasted red peppers, thinly sliced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• ½ cup cooking oil (I used avocado oil)

Instructions

Lime-Infused Cashew Cream

1. Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender or food processor and blend/process until smooth. Set aside.

Beer Batter

1. Combine flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, chili powder and smoked paprika in a large bowl. Add in the flax egg, beer, oil and lime juice. Mix together very well, making sure everything is combined.
2. Add about ½ cup oil to a medium pan over medium heat.
3. Once the oil is nice and hot, dip each piece of cauliflower into your batter and then place on the pan (you will need to do this in batches to prevent over-crowding the pan). Fry for about 3 minutes on each side, or until browned.
4. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with a bit of salt.

Putting it all together

1. Add one cauliflower steak (or a few bit-sized pieces) to each tortilla, top with lime-infused cashew cream, the lettuce of your choice, some roasted red peppers and a few green onion pieces. Repeat with remaining cauliflower. Eat and enjoy!

Notes