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Top 12 Vegan Recipes of 2018

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It’s almost 2019!

Which means, second to the top vegan recipes of 2018… you may be looking back on the ebbs and flows of the last year…your successes, your learning experiences, your highlights, your epiphanies… Life is full of change and it is truly a game if you learn to accept that.

Never take things too personally to too seriously… Live with acceptance that you don’t know all the answers… Give that direction you’re weirdly pulled to a chance… Put time into the passions you know you have, and if you haven’t found your passion, then be patient, have an open mind, and follow your gut…

Do things that make you happy and be with people who bring you up to be your best you.

Whew, where did that come from!?

Pretty much, life is ever-changing, you are ever-growing. Annnnnd, without getting too deep and rambly, let’s bring it back to the light vibe of this blog and get into the most popular recipes of 2018!

12 days of Christmas… or top 12 fricken awesome vegan recipes of always and forever?!

2nd, please.

Vegan Omelette + Hollandaise Sauce

Vegan Egg Nog ~ Whole Food Creaminess

Sweet Potato Toasts

BBQ’d Cheezy Sweet Potato Perogies

Spinach Artichoke White Bean Dip

Grateful Fred Stuffed Tofu Turkey  ~ Holiday Main

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Curry Tahini Sauce ~ Holiday Main

Maple Dijon Pecan Hasselback Butternut Squash ~ Holiday Main

Hemp Pesto Pasta Salad

Carrot Cake ~ oil-free

Sachertorte ~ dense chocolate cake

Chewy Chickpea Coconut Cluster Cookies

There you have it! Lots to choose from here, and more through out the site.

There’s something for everything when you eat plant-based.

It’s definitely NOT just carrot sticks and lettuce, but an abundance of textures, colours, flavours, concoctions and delicious tastes.

Tag me if you make any of these! (@hookedonplants on instagram)

I LOVE seeing your recipes.

… and if you want more:

Sign up to my emails for weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants!

 

Try the #PlantsForAWeek challenge by grabbing my brand new E-Book!

On sale until Dec. 24!

Hello Christmas presents and Veganuary!

Energizing Orange Pecan Mushroom Vegan Fudge

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The other day I was flippin’ through my fave mag (Veg News) and luckily came across a drool-effect vegan fudge recipe by Jackie Sobon (Vegan Yack Attack). I say ‘luckily’ because… now you get to bask in the introduction to this decadent, melt-in-your-mouth fudge. I switched it up a bit to create what is seen here: Vegan Orange Pecan Chocolate Mushroom Fudge. It’s a mouthful…of AMAZINGNESS!!!

You can even benefit from eating this delicious dessert-y concoction.

I amped up her fudge recipe by adding in some Four Sigmatic goodness. A packet of Adaptogenic Coffee, and a packet of Cordyceps Mushroom Coffee gives this dessert even more of  a reason to devour it.

Adaptogenic herbs are incredible. They help balance everything out in your body, or in other words, they bring you back to homeostasis.

In today’s case, I’m talking about ashwaganda (anti-inflammatory, plus anxiety + stress + blood sugar + cortisol reduction), tulsi/holy basil (for hormone balance, stress and acne reduction), and Siberian ginseng (for stamina, endurance, and overall wellbeing).

They’re like that comforting Grandma, who brings you back down to earth when craziness hits the fan. If your adrenals are wired, they’ll help slow them down. If you’re immune system is out of wack, they’ll strengthen it up. If your mood swings are as steep as the Eiffel Tower, they’ll do their best to calm them back down to the flat-ness of the Saskatchewan plains kind of level.And mushrooms. There’s so much research coming out about the mushroom kingdom. They’re antioxidant powerhouses with immune system boosting powers. Reishi, Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, Chaga…. they’re each good for something different, and something amazing. Whether you want more focus, more energy, less anxiety or more immunity, they’ve got you. Today we’re adding Cordyceps to the mix to make this fudge super energizing.

Not only does this fudge bring the adaptogens and mushrooms… but it shines for what it doesn’t have.

No dairy. No cream. No butter. No milk.

Yet, it’s still incredibly decadent, creamy, fudge-y and mouth-wateringly heavenly.

Orange Pecan Mushroom Fudge - Adapted from Vegan Yack Attack
 
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A vegan, melt-in-your-mouth fudge with adaptogens, coffee & mushrooms! An energizing and delicious gift for the holidays, to your loved ones... or yourself!!
Author:
Recipe type: dessert, holidays
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Lightly greece an 8 x 8 baking dish with butter or coconut oil.
  2. Fill medium sized pot with 2-3 inches of water, and warm it up over medium heat.
  3. Create a double boiler by placing a steel or glass bowl over the pot.
  4. Add chocolate chips, coconut milk, maple syrup, butter and orange extract.
  5. Whisk occasionally until smooth (about 5-8 minutes)
  6. Add the Four Sigmatic packets, whisk until smooth.
  7. Remove the bowl from the heat and fold in ½ cup cranberries, ½ cup pecans, 1 tbsp orange zest.
  8. Pour fudge mixture into the prepared baking dish (spread evenly)
  9. Sprinkle the toppings on there (1/24 cup each of cranberries and pecans, 1 tbsp orange zest, sea salt)
  10. Place in the fridge for 1 hour before serving.
  11. Chop it up and enjoy (place chunks in mason jars for an amazing Christmas present)

If you make this tag: @hookedonplants @vegnews @veganyackattack on instagram so we can see!

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Sign up to my emails for weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants!

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Maple Dijon Pecan Hasselback Butternut Squash | Simple Vegan Holiday

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Simple.

Beautiful.

Delicious.

Tha’s what I’m talkin’ about!

This Holiday, why not skip the Turk and whip yourself up a hasselback butternut squash?

Hasselback it up to prett-ify it to the maximum, and you have yourself a wow-effect kinda dish.

Why Hasselback? According to the Google-tron, it’s because once upon a time at the Hasselbacken hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, they sliced up potatoes like this, served them to the guests and dubbed them the funky name. Ya learn something new every day.

If you’re a last minute kind of person, and you need to whip something special up for the holiday table, I’ve got you.

In just a few steps, your house will be smelling better than Jamie Oliver’s fancy kitchen.

This is a dish that looks fancier than the minimal effort you put into it. Shhh… You can tell everyone you were in the kitchen for hours and hours, I won’t tell.

This Maple Dijon butter topped off with caramelized pecans really does take your typical butternut to the next level. Grab a beauty organic squash from Spud (you can use my code if you’re around the Vancouver area CRVAN-MURJUB, for 20$ off 🙂

Happy Holidays!!

Maple Thyme Hasselback Butternut Squash | Simple Vegan Holiday Dish
 
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A delicious way to devour the butternut squash. If you're looking for a beautiful dish for the holiday table, you've come to the right place! A simple dish with a big wow factor.
Author:
Recipe type: Holiday
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 large butternut squash, halved length-wise, seeds scooped out, then peeled to the bright orange colour
  • 1 tsp coconut oil (or avocado oil)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 garlic clove, sliced

  • Baste:
  • 1 tbsp thyme, minced
  • 1 tbsp vegan butter (I used 'Melt')
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1½ tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
  2. Place squash face down on a parchment-covered baking sheet, rub with oil and sprinkle with salt.
  3. Bake for 10-15 minutes (to soften).
  4. Take out of the oven, and transfer to a cutting board to cool for 10 minutes.
  5. When the face-down squash is cool enough to handle, slice the hasselback cuts as thinly as you can. Stop slicing ¾ of the way down the squash to keep the base in tact.
  6. Place the squash, face-down, back onto the parchment covered baking sheet.
  7. Stuff a few garlic slices throughout the sliced squash.
  8. Bake for 10 more minutes while you make the baste.
  9. Make baste: whisk all of the baste ingredients together in a bowl.
  10. Remove the squash from the oven and pour ¾ of the baste over both halves. Use a basting brush to get it all over!
  11. Bake for another 20 minutes. Then add the pecans to the rest of the baste, and pour this mixture over the squash. Use the basting brush to spread any excess liquid on the pan, overtop of the squash.
  12. Bake 10 more minutes.
  13. Serve with roasted veg!

Tag me if you make this! (@hookedonplants on instagram)

I love seeing your recipes.

… and if you want more:

Sign up to my emails for weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants!

Try the #PlantsForAWeek challenge by grabbing my brand new E-Book!

Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Spice Muffins + Charcoal Turmeric Icing

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I can’t boolieve it’s Halloween already!

Time for a funky, trying to be scary…not so scary…super dense, delish muffin recipe. These Pumpkin Spice Jack-O-Lantern Muffins are a cute replacement or add-on to your carved up big one. Or, if you don’t want to carve up a big one this year, just make these little guys and enjoy that halloween pumpkin-y feeling, and eat it, too.

These turned out better than Jack himself could have hoped for.

Sweetened mostly with dates, and packed with pumpkin-y goodness makes them so dense and so flavourful!

Smush in some vegan butter and call it a good day! (Used ‘Melt’ vegan butter here OMG)

…Density. A must have in a good muffin.

Add in that activated charcoal and turmeric to the cashew icing mix and you can pretty much call them superfood muffs!

Grab some kids, or call out your inner child, along with the squeeze bottles to create some delicious art (that will hopefully turn out spookier than my attempt at scary).

And…. Happy Halloween!

For more Halloween-y treat ideas, check out this Homemade Candy Bar round-up or these Top 15 Candy Recipes!

Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Spice Muffins
 
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Dense, halloween-y, super pumpkin-y muffins with a superfood-y turmeric and charcoal cashew icing!
Author:
Recipe type: halloween, snack, dessert
Serves: 10
Ingredients

  • Dry Ingredients:
  • 2 cups oat flour (blend 2 cups oats into a fine flour in a food processor or blender)
  • ½ cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup chopped pecans

  • Wet Ingredients:
  • 1 can pumpkin pie mix puree
  • 2 chia eggs (2 tbsp chia soaked in 6 tbsp water for 5 minutes)
  • ¾ cup medjool dates (about 6-8), soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • Icing:
  • 1 cup cashews, pre-soaked for at least 3 hours (or over night for smoother icing)
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • ½ cup vanilla almond milk
  • 1½ tsp activated charcoal
  • 1½ tsp turmeric
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
  2. Mix together dry ingredients.
  3. In blender, mix together wet ingredients until smooth.
  4. Then add the wet to the dry and until combined.
  5. Spoon about a ¼ cup in each lined (with paper muffin cups or re-usable silicone ones) muffin tin.
  6. Bake for 22 minutes.
  7. Make the icing: In a small food processor, or blender, blend all pre-soaked cashews, almond milk and maple syrup until smooth (you will have to scape down the sides and leave it running for a few minutes).
  8. Take out a ¼ of the cashew icing and set aside. Add the turmeric to the icing in the blender and blend until combined.
  9. Spread this orange icing over the top of the muffins.
  10. Then, add the white icing back into the blender with the activated charcoal. Blend until smooth.
  11. Scoop this black icing into a squeeze bottle or a ziplock with a tiny hole cut in the corner, and create your jack-o-lantern art!
Notes
*Prep-time does not include the soaking of cashews

Tag me if you make these! @hookedonplants on instagram.

I love seeing your recipes.

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This week’s email was all the crazy things that happen by going vegan for just 1 day, plus a Doc spotlight on Joel Fuhrman.

Grateful Fred Stuffed Tofu Turkey | Vegan Holiday Feast

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The holidays are all about love, connection, community, cheersing and good times. The food and the love that goes into it is always big part of all the festivities. So, this Thanksgiving, here’s a stuffed tofu turkey recipe to spread the love, and fall in love with…without the cost of the turkey, Fred (he’s grateful).

Turkey shmurkey. Ham shmam. Steak shmeak.

Eating plant-based during a holiday dinner party isn’t always an easy task, that is unless you bring this comfort-food recipe of a lifetime!

I wanted to help you create something that won’t be a compromise… and may even be just as popular at the Thanksforgivin’er shindig than your Auntie’s turkey pie!

If you’re looking for a pre-made option, Gardein makes a delicious ‘stuffed turkey’ (use CRVAN-MURJUB to shop at Spud to get 2 free ones in your order), and Tofurky does too.

But, if you want to go the cooking route and put as much of that love ingredient in there as possible, look no further!

Fred is thankful he can live out that Turkey life of his, and the fam will be thankful that the vegan doesn’t bring carrot sticks to the comfort-food party!

This turned out really well. The outside is browned, the inside is tasty with pecan stuffing, and the overall feel is incredibly turkey dinner-like.

Top it all off with this mushroom gravy, and this mashed cauliflower for your tastebuds to explode.

Pin this!

Other ideas for a Holiday dinner recipes… Meatless Balls, Whole Roasted Cauliflower, Mashed Butternut Swirl, Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake, or this Apricot Butternut Lentil Loaf (an oldie but a goodie).

Pin this!

Grafeful Fred Stuffed Tofu Turkey
 
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A perfect replacement for Fred the Turkey for a holiday feast! This pecan stuffing rolled up in a tofu 'turkey' will shine on the centre of the dinner table.
Author:
Recipe type: thanksgiving, holiday, christmas, dinner
Cuisine: holiday, thanksgiving
Serves: 8
Ingredients

  • Tofu Turkey:
  • 4 blocks organic firm tofu (each 350g)
  • 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 tbsp onion powder
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2½ cups of vegan stuffing (recipe below)
  • 3-4 tbsp Bragg's liquid aminos (for basting)

  • Vegan Pecan Stuffing (makes enough for stuffing the tofu turkey, plus a side dish):
  • 8 cups bread of choice, cubed
  • 1 cup large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1½ cups celery, chopped
  • 7-8 white mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 tbsp dried thyme, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh sage, minced
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • ½ cup pecans, chopped
  • ½ tsp Pink Himalayan or sea salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper

  • Goes well with this Mushroom Gravy
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Press tofu: Place a layer of paper towel on a plate, then the tofu cubes, then another couple layers of paper towel, then a cutting board, then a bowl filled with water. Let sit for at least 30 minutes (the longer the better)
  3. Meanwhile, make the stuffing! Start by spreading the cubed bread out over a cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes (stir at the 10 minute mark), until it's dry...smells so good.
  4. In a large pot, oil-free sauté the onions, celery and mushrooms for 5 minutes (just add a bit of the veggie broth if it's sticking), until softened. Add the herbs and salt and pepper. Mix it up, then add 1½ cups of broth. Add the bread and pecans then mix everything well. The stuffing should be moist, but not soaking wet. If your stuffing is still a little dry, keep adding a bit of veggie broth until it's moist (you shouldn't need more than 2 cups total)
  5. Set aside 2½ cups of stuffing for the turkey filling.
  6. Pour the rest of the stuffing into a baking dish and bake in the oven for 25 minutes (hello side dish!)
  7. Prepare your 'turkey' zone: Lay out 2 sheets of tin foil, side by side overlapping about 3 inches, with a layer of parchment on top. The parchment paper should be about 15 inches long by 13 inches wide, with the tinfoil as a border beneath it.
  8. Time to make the 'turkey': To go easy on your food processor, start by blending half of all the tofu turkey ingredients together (except for the stuffing and Bragg's liquid aminos) for at least 1 minute in your food processor, or until a dough-like ball starts to form. Place that mixture as a ball on the parchment paper.
  9. Then, blend the other half of all the tofu turkey ingredients (again, except for the stuffing and Bragg's liquid aminos) in the food processor, and add it to the pile on the parchment.
  10. Spread out the tofu mixture into a ½ - ¾ inch thick rectangle (about 8x12")
  11. Spoon the 2½ cups of stuffing into the middle of the tofu rectangular 'turkey' in a lengthwise tube shape.
  12. Use the parchment paper to roll one side of the tofu turkey over the stuffing, then the other side until the tofu turkey just overlaps. Give it a nice squeeze to make sure it's all overlapping by at least 1 inch.
  13. Unwrap it and fold the ends. Use your fingers to press down any open areas, or cracks.
  14. Pour Bragg's liquid aminos over top and use basting brush to cover the whole turkey.
  15. Then wrap it up with the parchment and tinfoil nice and tight, folding on top and twisting the ends (so it looks like a tootsie roll turkey)
  16. Bake in the oven for 1 hour.
  17. Let cool 15 minutes, then place in the fridge.
  18. When you're ready to serve it, take it out of the fridge, slice in 1 inch slices, wrap it back up and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F.
  19. Serve with the mushroom gravy from this recipe and this cauliflower mash!
  20. Happy Holidays! The Turkey's thank you!
Notes
*Great to make ahead of time, then store in the fridge until you're ready to put it in the oven for 30 more minutes before serving
*If you want to make it right before, just skip the fridge part, and keep it in the oven for another 15-30 minutes, then slice when it comes out!

Tag me make this! (@hookedonplants on instagram)! I love seeing your recipes.

Want more?

Sign up to my emails for weekly inspiration, recipes, plus a free PDF on How to Get Hooked On Plants!

This week’s email is all about the most important thing to be grateful for… yourself, and what you should do about it.

Try the #PlantsForAWeek challenge by grabbing my brand new E-Book!

 

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