Plants to Plate ...recipes, encouragement and guidance for your plant based way of eating.
You can enjoy these creamy and cheesy Oil-Free Au Gratin Potatoes without worrying about the ill effects of dairy cream or cheese.
In my house, potatoes are the main star of most meals. Yesterday, I was excited to play with my new food processor (a very awesome gift from my daughter!) and I was in such awe of all the options it has that my old one doesn’t. One of the coolest options is an adjustable blade for slicing. Slicing up these Yukon Gold potatoes was so easy and fun!
…
This rich hearty rib-sticking Vegan Hungarian Goulash Stew served over noodles or rice will warm you and fill you up on a cold winter evening.
Obviously, this isn’t a traditional Hungarian goulash, as those were typically made with tough cuts of meat. The Hungarian recipes included lots of paprika and a few veggies if any. If you search for American Goulash, you will see that the seasoning is different and ground meat is used.
…
These packable, shareable, delicious Vegan Oil-Free Oatmeal Trail Cookies are perfect for that afternoon tea break and for any other cookie eating occasion.
I should have added a book to that photo and then it would have been a true depiction of one of my favorite ways to take an afternoon break. You can’t tell, but between that last sentence and this one, there was an hour pause while I sat down with a cup of tea and a cookie and my book. Ahhh…I’m ready to get back to work.
This recipe is one that was created because I used to love a “Cowboy Cookie” back in my non-vegan oily days.
I found this info about where that name came from:
“Cowboy Cookies are said to be a cookie that cowboys on the trail enjoyed. They were considered the first power bar. They were a quick and easy way to get nutrients for the long travels that cowboys made. They also kept well.”
Other sites claim they were called Trail Cookies. Either way, this is a version that I can feel pretty good about indulging in.
…
These little Omega Bites are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids and are a tasty little snack. Great for packing in kid’s lunch boxes too.
Getting enough protein on a plant-based diet is not something I worry about. As long as we eat enough calories of whole plant foods, we will get enough protein, fiber and all the other components of a healthy diet. Adding in small quantities of nuts and seeds will help us get the Omega-3’s that we need. If you are still reducing your weight or dealing with heart health issues, you will want to limit yourself to one or two of these a week. They are a high-fat food. …
With three kinds of beans and a deep Molé flavor, this chili will have you bringing Holy Molé Vegan Chili to your table often (and to your potlucks, as well) !
My experience with molé is limited to some delicious dishes that my mom used to make when I was a kid. All I really knew about it is that it had CHOCOLATE in it! I found it both weird and cool that I would like a savory sauce that had chocolate in it, but I sure did like it.
…
Vegan, oil-free and gluten-free breakfast sausage patties…now you can have those breakfast sandwiches, burritos, and casseroles that you’ve been missing!
If you’ve been looking for a breakfast sausage to make your favorite breakfast recipes with, this might be the one. I gave up trying to find a plant-based alternative to pork sausage when I stopped eating oils. I was able to find gluten-free, plant-based versions occasionally, but all of them were loaded with oils and saturated fats. Some were even higher in saturated fat than the meat versions! This version is not fat-free, but it is all plant-based and made with whole foods and no oils.
…
These vegan gluten free flourless muffins are a rich and flavorful treat. Great paired with a cup of tea or coffee and also make a nice snack for kids.
Gluten-free, oil-free, dairy and egg-free…flourless…they’re not pretty…but don’t judge them until you’ve tried them. If you are like me and you avoid gluten, dairy, eggs, and oils, muffins are a tricky thing to make!
This is a recipe that I have adapted many times over as I removed various things from my diet. I can vouch that they taste delicious, but I can’t do a thing about how they look and that’s okay with me. Looks aren’t everything, right?
…
This rich and gooey Vegan Oil-Free Cheesy Lasagna will be a popular item on your holiday table. You might want to make two of them!
Lasagna is one of my comfort foods. It was always something that I loved before I changed my diet to a whole food, oil-free way of eating.
I’ve tried many different versions of lasagna over the years. Some were full of veggies but really watery. Some replaced the cheese with vegan cheese, which is really slimy…not to mention full of oil. I really wanted something that would be similar in texture to a traditional lasagna. Something that would withstand being cut and served with a spatula.
And of course, I wanted it to be delicious. I think this one fits all my criteria and I hope it fits yours….
This Vegan Meat-free Loaf is the perfect dish for a cool fall evening. It works beautifully as a main course for your holiday table. Great hot or cold!
The garlic mashed potatoes were supposed to be on the plate, but I got excited to get the picture and forgot to add them first. So fill in that blank spot with your favorite side dish.
This loaf satisfies my need for a main dish that is full of flavor and has some chew to it and the oats give it that chewy mouth-feel and the lentils hold it all together. I like white mushrooms in this, but any variety will do well, I think. You could even leave the mushrooms out.
The spinach can be replaced with another hearty green, like chard or kale. I recommend chopping them into small pieces.
I have found that this loaf is even better the next day. If you make it as recommended in the two pans, it will be cooked well and will slice nicely after resting for about 15 minutes. But, if you wait until the next day you can slice it thin enough to make “meet loaf” sandwiches. We generally eat the first loaf and save the other one for future meals.
Be sure to pick a barbecue sauce that you like. I like a spicy one, so I make one loaf with my favorite and the other with a mild one for my mom. She’s not a fan of spicy.
Let’s Begin…
Get out two loaf pans and set aside.
Start by cooking your lentils (you can also purchase cooked lentils. I get mine at Trader Joe’s in a vacuum pack that lasts months in the fridge, so I try to always have them on hand).
After cooking (or opening the package…ha ha!) dump them into a bowl and mash them a bit.
Get a large frying pan and cook your onions until they are tender. Add your chopped mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are tender.
Add the lentils and mix it all up. Stir in the tomatoes with the juices from the can and the spices.
Turn off the heat and add the oats and combine thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Line the bottom of each loaf pan with half of the barbecue sauce (divide it between the two pans) and evenly divide the loaf mixture between both pans. Use the remaining barbecue sauce to top each loaf.
Bake it in the pre-heated oven for about 50-60 minutes. The loaves should get crispy/caramelized around the edges.
Remove from the oven and let them rest about 15 minutes. Use a spatula to slice and serve.
If you make this, let me know how you liked it!
This is a vegan meat-free loaf that is delicious served hot or cold.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees, get out two loaf pans.
Bring lentils to a boil over medium heat and then reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook until water is mostly absorbed and lentils are tender but not mushy. Remove from heat and mash a little bit.
In a large pan, cook onions until tender (add a splash of veggie broth, water or wine to deglaze the pan when/if the onions start to stick and brown).
Add mushrooms and garlic and continue to cook and deglaze the pan until mushrooms are tender.
Add mashed lentils to the pan and mix thoroughly.
Add spinach and stir to incorporate evenly.
Stir in tomatoes (with the juice from the can) and spices.
Turn off the heat and add the oats and combine completely.
Spoon half of the barbecue sauce into the bottom of the loaf pans (dividing it between the two pans) and evenly divide the veggie mixture between the two pans.
Top each loaf with the divided remainder of barbecue sauce.
Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 50-60 minutes or until the barbecue sauce gets crispy around the edges.
Remove from the oven and let rest on a rack for about 15 minutes.
Slice with a spatula and serve.
This loaf is even better the second day. It slices nicely and is good cold as well as re-heated.
Some people have baked this in a shallow casserole dish with success. It just depends on the size/shape that you want. I like it in two loaf pans so that I can cut it in slices for cold sandwiches.
Let’s talk about transitioning to a plant based diet…
Helpful Tips for a Successful Plant Based Diet|Your Mom’s Vegan
I’m going to give you tips to make the transition to a whole foods, plant based diet easier.
…