Stringy Zucchini and Squash Pasta

1 pound of your favorite stringy pasta (I used fettuccine in this batch), cooked
2 Tbsp vegan butter (Earth Balance preferred)
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 medium yellow squash, shredded
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 to 1 C nutritional yeast, to taste
(Any combination of your favorite Italian seasonings will work. Here's what I used...)
1 Tbsp all-purpose Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp basil
salt and pepper to taste
dash cayenne pepper

• While your pasta is boiling away merrily, heat your olive oil in a large skillet. When it's nice and hot, but not so hot that it's smoking (big no-no!), toss in your garlic and saute for a minute or two, until it starts to just barely change color. 
• Add your squashes, lemon juice and seasonings (except the "nooch") to the skillet and saute until squashes are soft and most of the water has evaporated, about 7 to 10 minutes. 
• When your pasta is cooked, drain it and return it to the pot you cooked it in. Add the butter and toss to coat the pasta with it.
• You can either toss the "nooch" in with your pasta and then ladle the zucchini mixture on the top when you serve, if you like the main ingredient to be visible (hey, some people dig that - nothin' wrong with it). Or you can just chuck everything into the large pot and stir it up. Salad forks work great for this.
• Enjoy!

Vegan Italiano: Dishes from Sun-Drenched Italy 

Nonna's Italian Kitchen: Delicious Homestyle Vegan Cuisine

The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook

Lentil-Rice Burgers on Whole Wheat Buns

There are several versions of the lentil patty floating around the internet and, while they all have lentils in common, their remaining ingredients are often quite different. The point is that you can play with this recipe a lot and it's still going to taste great! This particular recipe is my own favorite version, but sometimes I spice it up with different ingredients like mushrooms or zucchini when I have extras laying around the kitchen.
My absolute favorite way to serve this burger is with homemade BBQ sauce and mushrooms sauteed in vegan butter and garlic salt ladled on top. It's sooooo good!

Here are the recipes for the buns, the burgers, and the sauce. Enjoy!

THE BUNS
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 C, plus 2 Tbsp warm water from the tap (not too hot)
1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/3 C vegetable oil
1/4 C agave nectar, or sugar
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp salt
2 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C whole wheat flour

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of the warm water. Mix together with a whisk until bubbly.
• Add oil and sugar, and whisk. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the egg replacer and remaining 2 tablespoons of water, then add it to the dough mixture.
• Add the salt and the flour and mix together with a hand mixer, using the dough hook attachments. If you don't have dough hooks, you might just have to stir with a wooden spoon until dough thickens and then mix it the rest of the way with your hands.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Divide into 12 equal pieces. I do this by rolling the dough out into a long snake formation and using a knife to make equal cuts, starting from the center.
• Shape each piece into a ball and place 3 inches apart on 2 separate baking sheets.
• Cover dough and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
• While the dough is resting, preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Bake dough for 6-8 minutes, or until desired "brownness" is attained. Watch out - the bottoms burn easily, so don't let them brown too much.
• Remove to wire racks to cool.   

THE LENTIL PATTIES 
4 C water
1 C uncooked lentils
1 C uncooked brown rice
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
1 small onion, peeled and grated
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
a few shakes of liquid smoke, to taste
2 small to medium russet potatoes - peeled, cubed, boiled, then mashed1/8 C olive oil, or non-stick cooking spray

• Place 4 cups of water, lentils and rice in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Allow to simmer on medium-low heat until lentils and rice are soft and water has evaporated, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Once lentils have cooled, add your cooked potatoes and mix.
• Add all remaining ingredients and stir well.
• In a large skillet (preferably a well-seasoned cast iron skillet) heat the oil over medium.
• Shape mixture into 12 equal-sized patties and cook in the skillet until nicely browned on both sides (can take up to 5 minutes per side). 
• Be gentle with the patties when you handle them as they are fragile and can fall apart easily.

THE BARBECUE SAUCE 
(enough for 12 burgers)
4 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp yellow mustard
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp light brown sugar, or agave nectar
Dash of unsweetened cocoa powder
A few shakes of liquid smoke

• Whisk all the ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Hope you enjoy the burgers!

Guide to Delicious: Masterminding this Vegan Cookout

Vegan Barbecues and Buffets

Vegetarian Barbecue

Homemade Maple Syrup

I'm probably really late in discovering this phenomenon, but did you know that you can make your own homemade maple syrup at pennies on the dollar to the real stuff?
Of course it's not as "healthy" as real maple syrup, but it's a lot cheaper and it's a heck of a lot better for you than all the imitation syrups at the grocery store which are full of high fructose corn syrup and dyes.
Here comes the math...
For me, a jug of Target brand maple syrup costs $6.99. At 12 oz in the bottle, that ends up costing me 58 cents per ounce. Ouch!
The homemade stuff makes 2 cups (16 ounces) of syrup.
The sugar cost about $1.25 for four pounds (8 cups), and I only used 2 cups of that in the recipe, making the cost of the amount of sugar used in this recipe only 30 cents.
The water is incalculable, since I just used CowTown's finest, straight from the tap.
And the maple flavoring cost $1.99 for 1.5 oz. I only used half a teaspoon for the recipe. There are 9 teaspoons in one and a half ounces, so I only used about 11 cents' worth of flavoring.
Add it all up and the recipe cost only 41 cents to concoct, making each ounce of homemade syrup cost just over 2 cents.

The only drawback is that it's sugar! So, you have to watch your intake. I used a recipe calculator to determine that each tablespoon of the homemade syrup has about 50 calories. Drizzle lightly.
And enjoy!
Here's the recipe that came straight off the back of the maple flavoring box...

2 C sugar
1 C water
1/2 tsp maple flavoring

• Dissolve 2 cups of white (or brown) sugar in 1 cup of water and boil 1 minute.
• Cool syrup and add 1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring.
• For extra fine flavor add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla flavoring.

There are countless other recipes to be found on the internet. Literally, hundreds. So, feel free to search and experiment until you find your favorite combination of ingredients. And if you find (or invent) a really good one, post it here!

BBQ Black Bean and Tofu Wraps

I was brutally hungry and on the hunt for something quick and easy this afternoon. I went searching through my pantry and found a lone can of black beans just itchin' to get cooked up and go into my belly. And I'm a Texas girl who sometimes misses good barbecue, so I'm always looking for ways to quell that craving (it's not the meat I crave, it's the sauce. Nom nom, barbecue sauce... drool, drool...) Now, voila! I present to you a barbecue-licious tofu wrap. In the words of Han Solo, "She may not look like much, kid, but she's got it where it counts." The same applies to these little cuties. Try them out. You won't be disappointed.

Spritz of oil x2
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
A few shakes of liquid smoke
Salt and black pepper
1 15.5oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14oz block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 large tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons, give or take, fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
8 corn or flour tortillas

• In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, molasses, mustard, soy sauce, sugar, liquid smoke, and salt and pepper to taste. 
• Heat a large non-stick or cast-iron pan, and spritz it with a light coating of oil. 
• Add the onion, and saute until soft.
• Add the beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and the BBQ sauce, stirring occasionally, until hot and well mixed. Set aside, cover, and keep warm. 
• Cut the tofu into quarter-inch strips. Heat and spritz another pan with oil. Add the tofu and cook until golden brown, turning as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• If you have a cast-iron skillet, I highly recommend using it to warm your corn tortillas over medium low heat. I do each of mine individually as I dress the wraps, and it makes all the difference. 
• To serve, divide the tofu strips among warmed corn tortillas. Spoon BBQ bean mixture on top, roll and enjoy! 

CLICK/SHOP/SUPPORT
Vegan Barbecues and Buffets

Vegetarian Barbecue

Cookin' Southern Vegetarian Style

Southern Style Breakfast Hash

You know how you occasionally get a craving to eat breakfast food at dinner time? Well, that's what happened to me tonight. I wanted hot, cowboy breakfast hash on a corn tortilla. I'd never attempted to do it vegan-style, so I was wary about what I was going to be able to come up with. But, oh man, it turned out great! I was so pleased. And it made a lot, so I get to have it for breakfast again in the morning. Woo hoo! Give it a try. Here's the recipe...

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/8 - 1/4 C water, as needed
1 14oz block extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and chopped
2 thick slices vegan sausage, pre-cooked according to package directions
1/2 C cooked brown or white rice (I used leftover Chipotle rice in this batch)
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 15.5oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 C nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp all-purpose seasoning
Dash cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste

• Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic. Saute over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add tofu, soy sauce and water. Saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
• Add all remaining ingredients, except sausage, and saute until combined and hot. 
• Add sausage and stir. Add more water, if needed, a Tbsp at a time, to prevent sticking.
• Cover and simmer on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and all ingredients and nice and hot. 
• I like to serve with warmed corn tortillas and vegan butter.
• Enjoy!

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Hot Damn and Hell Yeah! Dirty South Vegan Cookbook

One-Ingredient Ice Cream!

I ran across this article on The Kitchn today and I can't wait to try it!! 

How To Make Creamy Ice Cream with Just One Ingredient!

Yes, that's right; you heard us. Creamy, soft-serve style ice cream with just one ingredient — and no ice cream maker needed! What is this one magic ingredient that can be whipped into perfectly rich and silky ice cream, with no additional dairy, sweeteners, or ingredients needed whatsoever?

If you guessed BANANA, congratulations! You're right!
What? You didn't know that bananas can make some of the best ice cream? Well, I didn't either until last week, when my sister called me up and mentioned that she's been freezing bananas and then pureeing them into ice cream.
"That's the sort of thing you discover," she sighed, "when all your friends are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-allergic, and you're on a sugar-free diet." I'd deal with a list of dietary restrictions twice as long, though, if it meant discovering more treats like this one.



It turns out that frozen bananas are good for more than just dipping in chocolate. If you freeze a banana until solid, then whiz it up in a blender or food processor, it gets creamy and a little gooey, just like good custard ice cream. I was surprised at this bit of kitchen wizardry; I assumed that a blended banana would be flaky or icy. But no — it makes creamy, rich ice cream.
Some bananas, depending on their ripeness, have a bit of that green aftertaste. My sister has been experimenting with adding in another ingredient or two, like a tablespoon of peanut butter and another of honey. Delicious!
Have you ever tried frozen-banana ice cream? Try it! It's an easy way to stay cool and use up over-ripe bananas at the same time.

Want more detailed instructions and step-by-step photos?

• Step-by-Step Instructions for One-Ingredient Ice Cream

Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love

The Vegan Scoop: 150 Recipes for Dairy-Free Ice Cream

Vice Cream: Gourmet Vegan Desserts

Veggie Bolognese Over Linguine

Justin, over at Marx Foods, was kind enough to send me a sample pack of several different varieties of their  dried mushrooms to experiment with. Lucky day for me! I love mushrooms, but you know The Bankrupt Vegan can't always afford the fancy stuff. So, it was really nice to get to play around with these.
This recipe features the dried porcini mushrooms from Marx Foods. I received eight varieties to try and this is the first one I've had a chance to use so far. Porcinis don't come cheap, though, so feel free to try the recipe without them and see how you fare. But, if you're able to get your hands on some dried porcini mushrooms, you will find that even a small amount can impart a delicious, rich and meaty flavor to your pasta dishes, soups and more. I really dig the flavor.
Here's the recipe...


1/8 C olive oil
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 8oz package white mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 C dried porcini mushrooms
1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 C dry red wine
1/4 C water
salt and pepper, to taste
1 16oz package of your favorite linguini
nutritional yeast, for garnish

• Place dried porcinis in a blender or coffee grinder and chop until finely ground. 
• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. 
• Add onion, carrot, celery, and white mushrooms. Saute until soft - about 10 minutes.
• Add the wine and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Add the water, salt, pepper, crushed tomatoes and porcinis.
• Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.
• While the sauce is simmering, cook linguine according to package direction.
• To serve, scoop the pasta into a bowl and ladel with sauce. Sprinkle "nooch" on top, to taste.
• Make 4 "Texas-sized" bowls of pasta, or 6-8 normal sized bowls.
• Enjoy!

FungusAmongUs Dried Mushrooms

Vegan Italiano

Nonna's Italian Kitchen

Porcini Mushrooms

Chocolate No-Milk Shake

Oh. My. God! This tastes just like a chocolate milkshake made with ice cream. You could easily fool any die-hard dairy lover. It's sooooo good! And, best yet, it's pretty healthy too.
The recipe calls for a cup of raw cashews, and raw cashews don't come cheap, but I got lucky and found them for 2 bucks a pound at my local salvage grocery store! Big-time score!!!
Here's the recipe...
(you are going to love me so much for this)

1 C raw, unsalted cashews
1 tray of ice cubes (about 3 cups)
1/8 cup powdered unsweetened cocoa
1 C soy or nut milk
1/4 C agave nectar, maple syrup, sugar, or stevia
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

• Toss all ingredients, except the ice, into a strong blender and blend until smooth. 
• Add ice cubes through the hole in the lid one at a time, and continue to blend until nice and creamy.
• Try substituting maple or mint flavoring for the vanilla sometime. Both are equally yummy!
• Enjoy!

Kristen Suzanne's EASY Raw Vegan Smoothies 

Green Smoothie Revolution

Banana Pancakes

If you have some funky bananas laying around, these pancakes are a great alternative to banana bread! My daughter loves them. Observe...

 She's got a little "bed-head" going on, but you get the idea.

BANANA PANCAKES

from Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Food

3/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 C whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 C plain soy milk or oat milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 medium ripe banana, mashed

Vegetable oil for the pan

• Combine the flours, salt, baking powder, and sugars in a medium bowl. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the soy milk, vanilla and banana.
• Stir together just until combined. Some lumps are okay. 
• Oil a griddle (we used a cast-iron skillet) and warm over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Ladle the batter onto the hot griddle and cook until bubbles form on top, about 3 minutes. 
• Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Whole Wheat Vegetable Lasagna with Tofu "Ricotta"

I am a slave to my cravings. I really am. And when I desperately crave something that I cannot generally find vegan-style at a restaurant or the grocery store, and I don't know how to make it, I have no choice but to experiment. Sometimes it works out and sometimes I'm left disappointed, with only my unsatisfied craving to keep me company.
Today I was craving Italian food. Chewy, ooey, gooey, cheesy, piping hot, carb-rich Italian food. As usual, I'm broke, so restaurants are out. Plus, not many Italian food joints cater to the veg crowd. We have a great vegan restaurant here in town, but they don't really have what I'm looking for with this particular craving anyway. And none of the vegan Italian offerings at the grocery store are up to snuff compared to their price. So, I went into the kitchen and started playing around. And, I'm happy to report that the result was delicious!
My methods may be weird, but try it for yourself. Here's the recipe...

TOFU "RICOTTA"
1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained, squeezed and crumbled
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp all-purpose Italian seasoning, or any blend of your favorite Italian herbs
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 C nutritional yeast, plus more for garnish
1/4 C olive oil
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

•  Place all ingredients into a bowl and stir until everything is mixed and tofu is well-coated. Set aside.

LASAGNA 
9 whole wheat lasagna noodles
5 or 6 large mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini squash, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1 can of regular tomato sauce (I used plain ol' Target store brand)

• Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Layer ingredients in the following order (or mix it up if you want), from bottom to top, in a medium casserole dish
• a quarter of the marinara sauce
• 3 noodles
• half of the tofu "ricotta"
• a quarter of the marinara sauce
• squash
• 3 noodles
• the rest of the tofu "ricotta"
• the rest of the marinara sauce
• zucchini
• mushrooms
• 3 noodles
• all of the tomato sauce
• Sprinkle extra nutritional yeast all over the top, or splurge and use veggie mozzarella!
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour, or until veggies are cooked and the whole thing is hot and bubbly. 
• Allow to cool for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. 
• While lasagna is cooling, heat the plain tomato sauce in a small sauce pan.
• Enjoy!

Vegan Italiano

The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen 

The Tropical Vegan Kitchen

Easy Tempeh Tostadas

I've been in a real Tex-Mex kind of mood lately. I think it's because the days are getting hotter and sizzling, steamy dishes that make me sweat just aren't as appealing. Tostadas have always been a Manriquez Family favorite because they're easy to make and even more fun to eat. Jason picks his up and eats it bite by bite, like a mini pizza, while I crunch mine up with a fork and eat it like taco salad. Another great thing about these is that you can mix up the ingredients based on what you happen to have on hand. Sometimes I'll add a cheesy sauce made from nutritional yeast, and when the price of avocados allows, I'll top with guacamole. Roasted veggies are also great on these! If you don't have tempeh, use textured vegetable protein or quinoa. Feel free to get creative.
Also, this recipe fills a lot of bellies. You can get 8 good-sized tostadas, if not more. So, go for it champ! Here's my basic recipe...

8 prepared tostadas (mine were store bought, but you can fry up some corn tortillas if you like)
1 8oz package of tempeh
1 packet of taco seasoning 
1 15oz can of vegetarian refried beans (Central Market has organic for a buck fifty right now)
Your favorite salad greens
1 small can of red enchilada sauce
Homemade or store bought salsa
Vegan sour cream, to taste 

• Place tempeh in a pot of shallow, boiling water. Reduce heat and let the tempeh sit, covered, for several minutes, until softened.
• Drain water and place the taco seasoning, along with the amount of water it calls for, into the pot with the tempeh. Prepare according to package directions, breaking up tempeh with a wooden spatula as taco sauce thickens. Once it's cooked, stir, remove from heat, cover and set aside.
• Now, open your can of refried beans and heat up its innards in another small pot. You can use the microwave if you want to, but we're hippies and we fear microwaves.  
• Now, start assembling your tostadas! You can go in any order you like, but I prefer to always start with a nice base of refried beans and build from there. Have fun with it.
• When you've got all your goodies piled up on the tostadas, top 'em with some vegan sour cream and a light drizzle of enchilada sauce. Or top with guacamole and "nooch" or whatever else you have on hand. Up to you. You can't screw up this dish.
• Enjoy!

 Vegi-Mex: Vegetarian Mexican Recipes

A Vegan Taste of Mexico (Vegan Cookbooks)

Vegan Fire & Spice: 200 Sultry and Savory Global Recipes

My Favorite Summer Salsa

In several recent recipes I've referenced homemade salsa, and the only link I have takes you to a hummus quesadilla recipe wherein the salsa is defined. So, I figured it was high-time to give my favorite salsa a place of its own. And when I say "favorite" I mean it! I make a veritable troff of this stuff once a week and we ladle it on everything we eat. When we want a snack, we grab a bag of Santitas (hey, they're 2 bucks) and go to town. It's delicious! Give it a try. Here's the recipe...

8-10 large tomatoes, diced
1 white onion, diced
3 - 4 large cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 15-ounce can of sweet corn, drained
1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup lime juice (or less, to taste - I like it "lime-y")
1 tablespoon paprika (optional)
1 teaspoon salt (optional)

• Throw it all in a big bowl, stir it up real good, cover it and stick it in the fridge.
• Tastes best after it's had a few hours in the fridge.
• This makes a HUGE bowl. Perfect for parties. If you don't want so much, try cutting the recipe in half.
• It will keep well in the fridge, covered, up to a week.
• Enjoy!

A Vegan Taste of Mexico

Viva Vegan!

Vegan Fire & Spice