HookedOnPlants

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Recipes

Mind-Blowing Multi-Purpose Vegan Cheese Sauce (Nut-Free)

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This nut-free vegan cheese sauce may be the answer to all of your cheezy needs.

If nutty vegan cheese is too heavy for you to digest but you still want to curb that cheezy craving for all the things, you’ve come to the right place.

That cheezy pasta, or that cheezy dip for your chips, or that cheezy sauce all over your broccoli…

There’s not a thing in this world that I wouldn’t put this stuff on…well ok, maybe that’s a bit extreme.

While I may not douse my oatmeal or chocolate cake in this goodness…this stuff is still magic.

While surfin’ the waves of the inter web, you’ll come across vegan cheese sauce recipes based on cashews, sunflower seeds, or beans. This one, however, puts the veggie kingdom on the pedestal.

That’s right. Carrots and cauliflower can magically turn into cheese sauce. It’s possible, and it’s delicious.

What I love about this is sauce that you can devour a ton of it with zero guilt. It’s packed with nutrients + fibre, yet low in calories and fat. Sometimes the sauces made from nuts (as delicious as they are), can be a little heavy, ya know?

Vegan Cheese Sauce

To create a simple + yum pasta, just cook up your fave noodles, pan sear, then chop up some vegan sausages (the Gusta or Field Roast brands are yum), steam some broccoli florets, then mix everything together with this sauce. Top it all off with green onion and vegan parmesano (make this easy parm recipe, or find yourself some amazing Violife cheese to grate)!

Benefits:

  • Cauliflower is super nutritious, so don’t let the lack of colour fool ya’. This white magic is packed with folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin B6. Plus, it’s a cruciferous vegetable, aka a cancer-fighting super veg with a good dose of antioxidants.
  • Carrots are known for their mega-dose of beta-carotene (an antioxidant that our body converts into vitamin A). What this means for you, is healthy skin and mucus membranes, a stronger immune system, and better eye health and vision.
  • Miso paste is an awesome addition, not only for the flava, but also because it’s fermented. Fermented foods do wonders for your gut aka microbiome aka microflora. This is where most of our bacteria lives! Since around 1/10 of our cells are human and 9/10 of our cells are bacteria, we’ve got to keep these bacterial cells happy by feeding them fermented foods. Eat that miso up.

Mind Blowing Vegan Cheese Sauce (without nuts)

Mind-Blowing Vegan Cheese Sauce (No Nuts)
 
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This nut-free, vegan sauce is a light option for that cheezy comfort food feel. It's perfect for pasta or a dip with veggies and chips!
Author:
Recipe type: Comfort Food, dinner, lunch, appetizer
Serves: 5 cups
Ingredients
  • 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
  • 6 carrots, chopped
  • ¾ cup nutritional yeast
  • ½ large sweet onion, diced (or 1 tbsp onion powder)
  • 2 cloves garlic (or 1 tbsp garlic powder)
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp miso paste
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • ⅛ tsp smoked paprika (optional, but gives it a nice smokey flavour)
  • 1 cup plain almond milk (or any other plain plant-based milk)
Instructions
  1. Steam the cauliflower and carrots until soft (about 10 minutes)
  2. Meanwhile, (unless you're using onion and garlic powder), oil-free sauté the onion and garlic for about 7 minutes. Heat the element to medium, then add the chopped onions and garlic. Let the bottom of the pan brown, then add 1-2 tbsp of water to de-glaze the pan. As the onions cook, continue adding bits of water to prevent sticking if needed
  3. Add the onion, steamed cauliflower, and carrots to the blender with the the rest of the ingredients
  4. Blend until smooth!
  5. If using as a dip, put in and oven safe dish and broil on high for 3 minutes.
  6. Or, mix in with pasta, pour over roasted veggies, or just eat it by the spoonful 😉

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Creamy Lemony Nooch Dressing | Oil-Free & 4 Ingredients

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You’d have a tough time trying to find a day to look in my fridge without seeing a jar of this Lemony Nooch dressing.

I’m telling you now… triple or quadruple this recipe so you can have this amazingness available in your fridge for up to 10 days, and finally get excited to make friends with salad er’yday.

This dressing works with any kind of salad. Greens, beans, grains, legumes, you name it, just add it, and it’s all better.

The best way to use this is to mash your torn up kale leaves in the dressing, and let it sit for 10 minutes in your salad bowl (this softens the kale), then add the rest of your salad ingredients and toss it all up! I try to get a salad in my system on the daily, and this dressing makes it easier than ever!

The nooch, paired with the dijon creates a cheeziness and creaminess without the need for any oil!

If you’re looking for more oil-free salad dressings, here’s a few to play around with.

Feel free to use apple cider vinegar to instead of lemon, and add a bit more maple syrup if you like it sweeter!

Benefits:

  • Nooch (Nutritional yeast) is packed with vitamin B12 (which everyone needs to make sure they get in their diet either by supplementing or eating B12 fortified foods like nooch’ or fortified plant-based milks), and has a cheesy flavour! It’s so delicious to sprinkle on anything, and add to any sauce to get that creamy, cheesy taste.
  • Lemon is detoxifying, great for your skin, high in Vitamin C and helps indigestion.
  • Oil-free dressing means you’re salad will be mega healthy! Oil is a refined fat, without fibre and with minimal nutrients. So if you’re trying to keep your salads low in empty calories, yet nutrient-dense and delicious, try ditching the oil and using these ingredients to create the creamy dressing you’re after!

 

5.0 from 2 reviews
Creamy Lemony Nooch' Dressing | Oil-free & The Best
 
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An oil-free, yet creamy dressing that will make any salad a winner. This is my go-to! Triple the recipe so you have it on hand for easy salad making anytime.
Author:
Recipe type: dressing, sauce
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)
  • ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1-2 tbsp water, optional (depends on how thick or thin you like it!
  • * I recommend tripling this recipe and keeping a jar of dressing in the fridge ready to go*
Instructions
  1. Pour all ingredients (except for the optional water) in a mason jar and shake! Or, pour all ingredients into the bottom of your salad bowl, and whisk!
  2. Add a bit of that water if you want a thinner dressing.
  3. *I recommend adding some kale to the dressing in your bowl, and mashing it in the dressing with your salad tongs, then letting that sit a few minutes before adding the rest of your ingredients. This provides a delicious massaged kale base for the rest of your salad. My usual salad for 2 consists of 4 leaves of the massaged kale, tomato, ½ avocado, 1 pear, 2 green onions, 1 head romaine, 1-2 tbsp raisins and sunflower seeds.

Raw Carrot Cake Bliss Balls + Cashew Frosting

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When carrot cake and healthy bites collide. These raw carrot cake bliss balls are good for… everything in life.

Desserting, snacking, tea timing, adventuring, lunching, or breakfasting.

They really could be your 24 carrot gold ticket for any of these life happenings.

They’re vegan, and easily made gluten-free, with zero refined sugar.

If you run into me in the mountains on a ski tour, bike adventure, hiking mission, or paddle board camping trip, and raid my backpack, you will find some kind of balls in there like these ones, or these coconut hemp ones, or these nut-free maca ones…

They’re the perfect on the go snack, and are ridiculously easy to make.

You could keep it simple and leave the bliss balls naked without the cashew frosting (which would take the cashew soaking time out of the equation), but…

If you want to take it to the next level… MAKE THE CASHEW CREAM CHEEZE.

The taste is on par with your fave carrot cake, but the health factor is untouchable.

So, if you’re into carrot cake, you’re going to dig these balls (it’s official, I’ve said ‘balls’ too much).

Benefits:

  • Carrots. Need I say more? Carrots are a super food. They’re packed with Vitmain A in the form of beta-carotene to make your eyes into warriors. They’ll boost your immunity too because of the antiseptic and antibacterial abilities they have, along with the Vitamin C they’re packing. Of course, they’re high in fibre, yet low in calories which will help reduce cholesterol, heart disease, and aid in your digestion.
  • Dates are nature’s candy! They’re packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre and if you get the juiciest ones you can find, they’re the tastiest things you’ll ever eat. The minerals like selenium, manganese, copper, and magnesium all help prevent osteoporosis. They’re high in iron to prevent anemia, and they’re packed with fibre to help with constipation. Yes.
  • Oats are high in fibre, minerals, and vitamins, too! See a theme here? Whole foods are where it’s at. Oats also have 2 antioxidants that are almost solely found in oats (avenanthramides and ferulic acid), which both help reduce blood pressure by increasing the production of nitric oxide levels to help dilate blood vessels.


Raw Carrot Cake Bliss Balls + Cashew Frosting
 
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These bliss balls are perfect for taking with you on adventures, eating for breakfast or having for a guilt-free dessert!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert, Snack
Serves: 22 balls
Ingredients
  • 3 carrots (about 6 inches long)
  • 9-10 large medjool dates
  • 2 cups oats (gluten-free if needed)
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • ⅛ tsp nutmeg
  • ⅛ tsp ginger
  • ¼ cup walnuts
  • ⅛ tsp salt

  • Cashew Cream Cheeze Frosting (optional but SO GOOD):
  • 1 cup cashews, soaked at least 2 hours (the longer the creamier)
  • ½ cup plant-based milk (I used this hemp milk recipe)
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Blend carrots in your food processor until a fine meal forms.
  2. Set the carrot aside into a bowl.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and blend until evenly blended together, then add the carrots back in, and blend until a sticky ball forms (or close to it).
  4. Roll into 1 inch balls with slightly wet hands.
  5. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
  6. You can be done! Or.... keep going to make a frosting covered bite, mmmm!
  7. Make the frosting! Blend all frosting ingredients together in a blender until smooth and creamy.
  8. Dip your bliss balls in the frosting, and place back in the freezer for storage.
  9. These keep well in the freezer, and travel nicely in a to-go bag!

 

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Vegan SacherTorte aka Dense Chocolate Cake

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Make this Vegan Sachertorte cake and eat it too.

The Vegan Sachertorte…sounds sinful doesn’t it?

Good.

Because you can feel sinful without actually committing a sin. That’s where this cake comes in.

Usually my recipes on here avoid any kind of refined sugar or flours, but you have to make an exception every now and then. I’m not telling you this is a health food because it’s vegan. But I want you to know that while eating whole, unprocessed, plant foods most of the time, you definitely can have the decadent chocolate cake that you’ve always loved, even if you go plant-based. And, it’s definitely a lot better than the traditional Sachertorte recipe that has 6 eggs and lots of butter. SO YES. Make this for a special occasion!

This dense chocolate cake that used to consist of lots of eggs and butter was staple at every birthday before going vegan. And, I’m not going to lie, it was SO delicious.

One of my Mom’s specialties.

From spending years in Europe (competing on the World Cup Freestyle circuit in the 70s- go Mom), my Mom picked up some pretty mean skills in the kitchen when it came to European desserts. Hence, her nickname on the street is now the ‘Dessert Queen’ (you wouldn’t guess it by looking at her). Since she made the switch to the plant-based lifestyle, she was a bit confused about what to make for birthdays, New Years, Christmas and well, you know… those times that Sachertorte and Tarté Tatin were an absolute must to wow people’s taste buds après dinner.

Well folks, we have proven today that as vegans we CAN make this cake AND eat it too.

Not only is it veganized… but it’s easier, less time consuming, better for us, and tastes just as good, if not even better than the original chocolate sachertorte!

WINNING.

It’s dense. It’s sultry. It’s chocolate-y… oooo is it ever chocolate-y. It’s easy. It’s … just something you need to devour at the next birthday party.

The ganache on top is the easiest thing you might ever make, but your friend’s won’t believe it.

For the layer between, we used my Mama’s famous Holiday marmalade, but feel free to use your favourite jam or anything you have kickin’ around the fridge.

If you make this, I’d love to see your creation!

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In other news, if you’re in the US, pick up a copy of the Alive Health Magazine this month! The full article of how I got Hooked On Plants is in there!

 

Vegan Sachertorte aka Dense Chocolate Birthday Cake
 
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A dense chocolate cake with zero eggs, cream or butter! This Vegan Sacrhertorte is easier and tastier than the original version, and it goes perfectly with birthday candles.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert, Cake, Birthday
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • Cake:
  • 1½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup cold water
  • ½ cup marmalade or jam
  • (br) Ganache (chocolate sauce):
  • ⅔ cup powdered sugar
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2-3 tbsp water
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Cover the bottom of an 8" spring form round cake pan with a cut circle of parchment paper.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, or kitchen aid, whisk together first 6 ingredients (until the salt)
  4. Form 2 wells in the mixture, and fill one with the vanilla, and one with the balsamic vinegar. Then, pour water over everything.
  5. Mix until everything is moist. A few little bumps are fine.
  6. Pour the batter into your cake pan.
  7. Bake for 30-35 minutes (stick a tooth pick in the centre of the cake and it should come out clean)
  8. Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes.
  9. Use a spatula to make sure the sides of the cake aren't stuck to your pan. Place a serving plate upside down on the pan, and flip it. Now your cake is on the serving plate ready to make pretty.
  10. Spread a layer of jam or marmalade over the top.
  11. Place the cake in the fridge for a few minutes while you make the ganache.
  12. Make the ganache by whisking together the powdered cocoa and powdered sugar in a bowl. Then add water and stir to make a thick glaze.
  13. Spread the glaze over the jam layer, allowing some to drip over the sides (drooooool).
  14. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes for ganache to solidify
  15. To finish it off, place a paper stencil in the middle of the cake (like a star), and sprinkle powdered sugar over the whole thing through a sieve. Remove the stencil carefully, and serve!

Approved by 3 generations

 

Next Level Vegan Lasagna with Creamy Tofu Ricotta

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Plant-based comfort food to the max. Vegan Lasagna. Or is it lasagne? We’ll stick with the first one.

Lasagna. This word usually means the cheesiest, most tomato-y pasta bake you’ll ever have.

Well, this lasagna still brings that, without the cheese.

Your taste buds and comfort-feels will be completely satisfied while the tofu ricotta and roasted garlic hummus come together to create the most decadent party-in-your-mouth lasagna experience ever.

This vegan lasagna is a good dish to serve up after the holiday indulgence. Your palate is probably still craving that comforting meal, but your brain and bod are begging for that lighter, get-back-to-the-greens kind of meal. Ya know what I mean?

Not to mention there’s just something special about diving your fork into the layered masterpiece we know and love as lasagna.

All that’s in between you and this yumminess is…

Mix

Sauté

Layer

Bake.

Easy it up by using store-bought hummus and tomato pasta sauce.

Or, go for it and make your own roasted garlic hummus from this recipe (double it so you have extra, because what’s a fridge without a tub of hummus anyway…)!

Benefits:

–Brown rice pasta is the pasta for you if you’re sensitive to gluten at all. Pasta isn’t something to be afraid of! YES, avoid white pasta (which is completely stripped of it’s nutrients, vitamins, and fibre), but the other options like quinoa pasta, sprouted whole grain pasta, spelt pasta etc… are all great options! 

–Miso Paste is fermented soy that gives the dish a salty, umami taste. It also is packed with beneficial probiotics to help combat digestive issues by balancing out your gut micro flora. Plus it takes this vegan lasagna to the next level.

–Spinach (lots of it) is pop eye’s fave. I mean common’ what’s not to love. It’s packed with plant protein, chlorophyll, and when it’s cooked you’ll absorb higher levels of vitamins A and E, protein, fibre, zinc, thiamin, calcium, and iron!


Next Level Vegan Lasagna + Creamy Tofu Ricotta
 
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Cheezy and creamy tofu ricotta make this lasagne a plant-based comfort food staple, and one that won't bust your belt!
Author:
Recipe type: lasagna, pasta, dinner, lunch
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 1 package brown rice lasagna pasta
  • 2 cups (one large jar) tomato basil marinara sauce
  • 6 large cremini mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder
  • 2 small or 1 large zucchini, chopped
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2-3 cups packed spinach, chopped
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast
Tofu Ricotta:
  • 1 package firm tofu, pressed 15 minutes (or put in 110°F dehydrator for 1 hour)
  • ¾ cup roasted garlic hummus (store bought, or make this recipe)
  • 7 large leaves of basil, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp miso paste
  • ¾ cup nutritional yeast
Instructions
  1. Make the hummus (or used store-bought).
  2. Pre-heat oven to 400°F. While you're at it, press your tofu if you haven't already (I use a plate, then wrap the tofu in a tea towel, then stack books or a heavy bread board on top for 10 minutes at least)
  3. Heat a pan to medium. Add the onions and mushrooms until the pan browns, then de-caramelize the pan with a bit of water. Add the garlic, vegetable bouillon, and zucchini. Let sauté a few minutes (add a splash of water if it's sticking). Add the peas and spinach. Let sauté a few more minutes until the spinach is cooked down.
  4. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta noodles 2 minutes less than recommended on the package (this helps them stay in tact for layering). Rinse immediately with cold water to prevent them from sticking.
  5. Meanwhile, make the tofu ricotta! Crumble the pressed tofu into a bowl with all the other tofu ricotta ingredients. Mix well to combine. Steal a taste. It's delicious.
  6. In a 12 x 8 inch baking dish, assemble the lasagna: First a thin layer of tomato sauce, Second a layer of ⅓ of the noodles, Third, a layer of ½ the ricotta, Fourth a layer of ½ the sautéed veggies, and again, tomato sauce, ⅓ of the noodles, the rest of the ricotta, the rest of the veggies. Finish it off with the last of the noodles, rest of the tomato sauce, and a generous sprinkle of nutritional yeast.
  7. Cover with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes.
  8. Take tinfoil off and bake for 5 more minutes.
  9. Remove and serve. Will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.

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