vegan food – Eat Well Mademoiselle

Curried Chickpea Salad on Toast

Smashed Chickpea salad on toast is so satisfying and scrumptious. It has a similar texture to tuna salad or chicken salad. The curry flavor added to this dish is savory and rich, but not spicy at all. This is a great meal to enjoy for breakfast, lunch, OR dinner. Enjoy!

Preparation + Cook Time: 25 minutes

Makes about 7 servings

Ingredients:

2 15 oz Cans of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 C Vegan Mayonnaise (Vegenaise)
2 t Curry Powder
1/4 C Chopped Red Onion
1 Clove of Garlic, Minced
1 Stalk of Celery, Chopped
1 Shredded Carrot
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1/4 C Fresh Chopped Cilantro
Dash of Salt + Pepper
A few Slices of Bread (I used Northern Bakehouse “Delicious Vegan & Gluten Free Seeds and Grains Bread”)

Instructions:

Pour your drained/rinsed chickpeas into a large bowl. Mash them with a potato masher until completely mashed. Tip: I like to keep a few chickpea chunks in there for texture!
Stir in the Vegenaise.
Add the curry powder to the mixture. Make sure the curry is evenly incorporated into the chickpeas.
Add the red onion, garlic, celery, carrot, lemon juice, and cilantro. Add as much salt and pepper as needed. This completes your chickpea salad.
Toast the bread. Load the Chickpea salad on top of the toast. You may add any additional toppings that you like. I like to add radishes, sprouts, or avocado.

Benefits of this recipe:

-Chickpeas help control blood sugar levels, improves digestion because of high fiber content, helps protect against heart disease, is a good source of protein, and contains many beneficial vitamins and minerals such as zinc, folate, phosphorus, and B vitamins.

-Celery helps lower cholesterol, lowers inflammation, treats high blood pressure, protects liver health, and helps digestion.

–Carrots are high in vitamins which are great for your eye sight, skin, and hair.

The information on the benefits of the ingredients was researched from http://www.draxe.com

Mango Coconut Squares

These mango coconut squares are no bake and easy to make. They are a flavor-packed treat made with healthy ingredients to satisfy your sweet tooth. Enjoy!

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C Dried Mango (I used an entire bag of Trader Joe’s Unsweetened & Unsulfured Dried Mango)
6 Pitted Medjool Dates
1 1/2 C Shredded Coconut
2 t Melted Coconut Oil
1/2 C Raw Unsalted Cashews
3 T Maple Syrup or Honey
A Dash of Sea Salt

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until everything is finely chopped up. It may take several minutes until everything is processed.
Scoop the mango coconut mixture out of the food processor and press into a square pan. Press the mixture down with your hands or a spatula until it is about 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick. As you can see from my photo below, the mixture didn’t cover the entire bottom of the pan. That is okay- you don’t want to spread it too thin.
Set the pan in the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes. When you are ready to enjoy, remove the pan from the fridge. Cut into large squares, mini squares, strips, or whatever your heart desires!
Feel free to top the mango coconut squares with shredded coconut or cashews.
This recipe makes about 6 2.5″x2.5″ squares. You can cut them down into smaller pieces to make more squares. Keep the mango coconut squares in the fridge to keep them fresh.

Benefits of this recipe:

-Dried mango can soothe inflammation in the skin, aids in digestion due to the fiber it contains, improves bone density, and boosts body circulation. However, dried mango is high in natural sugars, so enjoy in moderation.

-Coconut improves immunity, improves the digestive system, and boosts heart health.

-Cashews protect bone health and promote heart health. They also contain many important proteins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and B vitamins.

The information on the benefits of the ingredients was researched from http://www.organicfacts.net

Sweet & Creamy Carrot Pudding

Carrot Pudding?! I know… it sounds crazy to use a vegetable as the main ingredient of a dessert. But it really isn’t. Think of pumpkin pie. This is the same concept. In fact, my creamy carrot pudding tastes very similar to pumpkin pie. This is delicious. Give it a try! Enjoy.

Preparation + Cook Time: 60 minutes

This recipe makes about 2 C of pudding.

Ingredients:

7 Organic Medium-Sized Carrots*
1/2 C Maple Syrup
1 T Melted Coconut Oil
1/4 C Almond Milk
3/4 t Allspice
1/2 t Cinnamon
1/4 t Nutmeg
1 t Organic Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

Rinse, peel, and chop the carrots into small pieces.
Place the carrots into a pot of water. Cover and turn onto a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn down to a simmer. Cook the carrots until they are soft.
Drain the water from the pot. Place the carrots into a bowl and put them in the fridge for approximately 20 minutes until they are completely cooled.
Put the carrots in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add all the rest of the ingredients to the blender and combine until everything is evenly mixed in.
Store the pudding in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, spoon the pudding into bowls. I would recommend topping the pudding with non-dairy cream and some pecans or pumpkin seeds.

*If you use regular non-organic carrots, they are usually much larger so you will only need about 5 carrots instead of 7.

Benefits of this recipe:

-Carrots are very high in Vitamin A, which protects eye health and vision. They are high in antioxidants, can help lower cholesterol, help protect against cancer, improve immunity, boosts skin health, and helps improve brain function.

The information on the benefits of the ingredients was researched from http://www.draxe.com

Simple Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

This is my simple recipe for shepherd’s pie. For me, it is true “comfort food”. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 lbs Potatoes
3 T Organic Coconut Oil (Melted)
1 1/2 C Cashew Milk (unsweetened, unflavored)
1/2 t minced Garlic
2 T Fresh Parsley
2 C Green or Brown Lentils (Uncooked)
2 T Olive Oil
1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
1 C Cremini Mushrooms, chopped
1 stalk of Celery, chopped
2 Medium size Carrots, peeled and chopped
1 T Balsamic Vinegar
2 t Dried Thyme
2 t Fresh Rosemary
1 t Paprika
1/4 C Red Wine

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Start by making the mashed potato layer that goes on top of the shepherd’s pie. Peel and chop the potatoes. Place them in a pot on the stove and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Once it is at a boil, turn down the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are soft and fully cooked.
Drain the water from the pot, leaving only the potatoes. Keep the heat on low. Add the melted coconut oil to the potatoes. Start mashing the potatoes with a potato masher. Slowly add in the cashew milk. Mash until smooth. Mix in the minced garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to stir the potatoes to fully mix in the seasoning. Once the mashed potatoes are finished, set aside.
Start making the lentil layer. Place the lentils in a large pot and cover with about 5-6 C of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer. Cook on low for about 25 minutes until lentils are thoroughly cooked.
In a large skillet, add the olive oil and turn the heat on medium-high. Once the olive oil is heated, add the onions and saute. When the onions are carmelized, add the carrots, celery, and mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes until soft and slightly browned.
Season the veggies with the balsamic vinegar, thyme, rosemary, paprika, and dash of salt and pepper.
Add the cooked lentils to the veggies. Add the red wine to the skillet and let it cook off for a few minutes.
Pour the entire lentil veggie mixture in a 8×12 casserole dish. Press down with a spatula so that the mixture is compressed and covers the bottom of the dish evenly. Add the mashed potato as the top layer. Make sure that it is completely even and flat.
Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before eating.

Benefits of this recipe:

-Lentils can help lower cholesterol, high in protein, good for digestive health, and beneficial for heart health

-Carrots are high in vitamins which are great for your eye sight, skin, and hair

-Mushrooms are a great source of protein, fiber, antioxidants, and high in B vitamins