This is the vegan version of my Mother-in-Law’s ultra tasty potato salad! Enjoy!!
Connie’s Famous Potato Salad
My mother-in-law makes the best potato salad anyone could eat! This is my vegan take on her awesome dish.
Equipment
- 1 Pot
- 1 Colander
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Garlic Press
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Mixing Spoon
Ingredients
- 12-15 Small Potatoes These are approximately kiwi sized. You can use any size, but try to guess how many you need for approximately this many small potatoes.
- ½ cup Vegan Mayo
- 3 Zesty Dill Pickles, diced small If you prefer sweet pickles you can substitute them.
- 4 Medium Garlic Cloves, pressed
- 2 Tbsp Pickle Juice
- 1 Tbsp Prepared Mustard
- 1 tsp Celery Seed
- 1 tsp Black Salt (Kala Namak) Feel free to add more or less depending on how you like the taste of this salt.
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Fill your pot half way full of cool water.
- Wash and cut potatoes in half. You can peel your potatoes if you prefer. If you are using larger potatoes, dice all the potatoes into similar sized larger chunks.
- Add the potatoes to the water and heat over high heat until the water starts to boil. (You can add 1-2 tsp of salt to your water for extra flavor.) Once the water is boiling, reduce heat to medium and cook the potatoes for 10-20 min. Test the potatoes after 10 min. You want them firm, but not raw. You should be able to just stab them with a fork, but they should be firmer than you would normal cook potatoes for mashed potatoes. If in doubt, remove a chunk, cool it under cold water briefly and try to slice it into bite-sized chunks. It should slice easily, the potato should not taste raw, and it should not turn into mashed potato. If it tastes raw, cook the potatoes few minutes more. If you get mashed potato, you should probably start over.
- While the potatoes are cooking, dice the pickles into smallish chunks.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, rinse them under cool water until cool enough to handle. You are trying to stop them from cooking by cooling them so you get less mashed potato.
- Once the potatoes are cooled, slice each chunk into bite-sized pieces. The size of these chunks is a personal preference. Just think normal potato salad size. If you get a few mushy chunks you can either add them or throw them away. A little mush adds to the creaminess of the salad.
- Place the potato chunks into the mixing bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Slowly mix the salad by folding the mixture over itself. You want to be careful so you don't make too much mashed potato!
- Chill the potato salad in the refridgerator for 2 or more hours before serving. You really want to give this salad a chance for the flavors to develop. Overnight chilling is probably the best! Taste prior to serving and add extra salt, pepper, pickle juice or black salt to taste. Enjoy!
This post was posted in Salads, Uncategorized
Caesar Salad
Caesar Salad for vegans!?! Yup, she did it! This salad requires a bit of prep time but I promise this salad will be as satisfying as the original, as well as a decadent side dish or main course that will impress!
Caesar Salad
An ungraded vegan version of the classic caesar salad. Go big, or go home with this one!
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Large Bowl
- Salad Spoons
Ingredients
- 8 cups Chopped Lettuce (Use your preference. Iceberg, Romain, or any combination of greens will work)
- 1 Bag Vegan Crutons (Can make your own if you can't find any)
- ¼-½ Cup Vegan Bacon Bits
- 1-2 Avocados, Diced
- ½-1 Cup Vegan Parmesan Cheese (recipe below)
- 1 Batch Tofu Eggs (recipe below)
- 1 Batch Caesar Dressing (recipe below)
Extras
- 2-3 Medium Tomatoes, Diced
- ½ Bag Butler Soy Curls (Rehydrated with Better Than Bullion No Chicken Broth)
Instructions
- Begin by making your Caesar Dressing. This will taste the best if you allow it to sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.
- Cook your Tofu Eggs using the recipe below.
- While your eggs are cooking, chop or rip your lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
- (If using) Rehydrate your soy curls following packaged directions using 2 cups hot water mixed with 1 TBSP bullion. Once hydrated, fry your soy curls in 1-2 TBSP olive oil and season generously with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Dice your avocado and tomatoes
- To serve you can either assemble the salad in layers or serve buffet style. To assemble layer in the following order:Toss lettuce in salad dressing (Bottom), then layer Soy Curls (if using), Tofu Eggs, Tomatoes, Avocado, Croutons, and Bacon Bits and Parmesan sprinkles on top.To serve Buffet Style (my family's preference) place all ingredients in separate serving bowls. Allow each person to construct his/her salad according to preference. You can pre toss the lettuce in the salad dressing, or allow each person to add their own.
Low Fat, Vegan Caesar Dressing
A great alternative to the real thing!
Equipment
- Small Bowl
- Measuring Spoons
- Garlic Press
- Whisk
- Small Food Processor
- Spatula
- Small Container with Removable Lid
Ingredients
- ½ cup Vegan Mayo
- 1 Tbsp Rice Milk (only substitution is Almond Milk, but Rice is better)
- 1 Tbsp Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Garlic Cloves, pressed
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 Tbsp Vegan Parmesan (recipe below)
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- ¼-½ tsp Black Salt (Kala Namak) (add more for an eggier taste)
- ½-1 tsp Black Pepper (this is to taste)
Vegan Parmesan
- ¾ cup Cashews
- ¼ cup Hemp Hearts
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1½ Tbsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
Caesar Dressing
- Add all ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until smooth and all ingredients are well blended. Chill for at least one hour before using for the best flavor. If you would like a thinner dressing, add rice milk to thin one TBSP at a time. If you would like to tone down the flavor, add additional mayo. If you would like an "eggier" flavor, add additional Black Salt.
Vegan Parmesan
- Add all ingredients, except the lemon juice, to a small food processor or blender. Pulse the food processor until there are no noticeable chunks of cashews. The mixture should look granular, similar to parmesan. You may need to use a spatula to scrape the sides loose so that the cashews are more evenly chopped. If you have the occasional chunk of cashew that is a little large, that's ok. You want to stop pulsing before the mixture turns sticky. If it looks sticky instead of dry, stop immediately!
- Add lemon juice by sprinkling it over the top of the parmesan mixture. You can either pulse your food processor a few more times to mix in the lemon juice or mix the lemon juice into the mixture in a small bowl. Either way you will want to remove your parmesan from the food processor, scrape it into a container (that has a lid), and give it a good mix to ensure that the lemon juice is evenly distributed. You can use your parmesan right away, or save it for later. It should keep in a sealed container, in the refrigerator for at least a week.
Vegan Parmesan Cheese
The next best thing to Parmesan for anyone avoiding lactose
Equipment
- Small Food Processor or Blender
- Spatula
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Small Container with Removable Lid
Ingredients
- ¾ Cup Cashews
- ¼ Cup Hemp Hearts
- 2 TBSP Nutritional Yeast
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- 1½ TBSP Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients, except the lemon juice, to a small food processor or blender. Pulse the food processor until there are no noticeable chunks of cashews. The mixture should look granular, similar to parmesan. You may need to use a spatula to scrape the sides loose so that the cashews are more evenly chopped. If you have the occasional chunk of cashew that is a little large, that's ok. You want to stop pulsing before the mixture turns sticky. If it looks sticky instead of dry, stop immediately!
- Add lemon juice by sprinkling it over the top of the parmesan mixture. You can either pulse your food processor a few more times to mix in the lemon juice or mix the lemon juice into the mixture in a small bowl. Either way you will want to remove your parmesan from the food processor, scrape it into a container (that has a lid), and give it a good mix to ensure that the lemon juice is evenly distributed. You can use your parmesan right away, or save it for later. It should keep in a sealed container, in the refrigerator for at least a week.
Scrambled Eggless Eggs
An eggless scramble for anyone craving a little egginess!
Equipment
- Large Fry Pan
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula (for Cooking)
- Small Hand Towel or Paper Towels
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- 1 14-16oz Extra Firm or Super Firm Tofu (the firmer, the better!)
- 1-2 TBSP Olive Oil or Vegan Butter (for frying)
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1½ tsp Onion Powder
- 1½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- ½-1 tsp Black Salt (Kala Namak)
- 1 TBSP Lemon Juice (you want exactly this amount, no more or less!)
Instructions
- Dry you tofu using a hand towel or paper towels. If you would like you can even press your tofu for 10-15 minutes, but this is not necessary. The drier the tofu is, the faster it will cook.
- Heat your fry pan over medium heat and add your oil or butter. Don't skimp on your fat. Just like with regular eggs, the fat improves the flavor and since tofu has no fat, it needs that boost!
- Crumble your tofu into your hot oil. Be careful. The water in the tofu will spit if your oil is nice and hot. You do not need to be overly concerned on your crumble size. As the tofu cooks, brake it into smaller and smaller pieces using a spatula or wooden spoon. I feel that the flavor is better with pea sized pieces of tofu. Feel free to experiment and decide with you prefer. Stir you tofu often. You want to cook the tofu crumbles until the tofu starts to lightly brown and get slightly crispy on the outside. It should be nice and dry. The drier, the better! This may take 10-15 minutes so be patient.
- Once the tofu is crispy, add all seasonings but the lemon juice. Stir the mixture,½ trying to evenly distribute the seasonings. Now add the lemon juice by sprinkling it over the tofu. Mix well. Continue to cook your tofu eggs for another 3-5 minutes, stirring often. This will allow the flavors to combine. Taste your eggs. If you want a stronger "eggy" flavor, add more Black Salt.
Notes
If you do not have Black Salt, use regular salt. These eggs will be eggier with Black Salt, but are delicious with regular salt too. I would start with 1/2 tsp of regular salt and add more to taste. You can also season your eggs with pepper for some additional spiciness.
This post was posted in Salads
Macaroni Salad
This delicious Macaroni Salad has been a crowd favorite for multiple family get-togethers. This salad uses basic ingredient, but it comes together beautifully into a crowd pleasing basic cold pasta salad. I hope that it will be as big a hit with your family as it has been with mine!
Macaroni Salad
This basic macaroni salad recipe is perfect for a summer potluck or a simple weeknight dinner!
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife
- Medium to Large Pot
- Colander
- Small Bowl
- Large Bowl
Ingredients
- 16 oz Macaroni, Cellentani, or Pasta of your Choice
- salt
- 1 cup Pickles, Diced Use whatever pickle you prefer to eat. I use Vlasic Zesty Dills.
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, Diced
- 1 cup Celery, Diced
- ½ cup Red Onion, Diced very small
- 1 cup Peas, thawed in warm water
- 1 recipe Macaroni Dressing
Macaroni Dressing
- 12 oz Silken Soft Tofu, drained Do not use anything other than Silken
- ¼-⅓ cup Vegan Mayonnaise
- 1½ Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tbsp White Sugar (+ 1 tsp)
- 1 tsp Celery Salt
- 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Fill your pot with water and add a tsp of salt. Bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to the instructions for al dente. Unless you like really soft pasta you want your noodles to be firm (not crunchy) so that as they chill they will not become too soft.
- Once cooked, drain and rinse your pasta until it is cool. Add the noodles to a large mixing bowl.
- While the pasta is cooking you can being to dice your vegetables. I recommend dicing everything but the onions into smallish, bite sized pieces. Unless you really like the strong taste of onion, you will want to almost mince your onions so that you don't get large chunks in each bite. Once diced, add the pickles, red pepper, celery, and onion to the large mixing bowl.
- Thaw your peas by filling a small bowl with hot water and adding the peas. When you are done cutting up the other vegetables, drain the peas and add them to the large mixing bowl.
- Add Dressing to your large mixing bowl (if you have not already done it) and stir all the ingredients together. You want everything coated in the dressing.
- Refrigerate your salad for at least one hour. I would recommend making this in the morning and chilling it until you are ready to eat it. Unless you like soft pasta, this salad is better eaten the day you make it. It will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator, and the leftovers are still tasty!
Macaroni Dressing
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and blend until smooth with a hand mixer. You can do this in your large mixing bowl before adding the other ingredients or in a separate bowl and add the dressing last. You could also use a food processor or blender but they are not necessary. You just want all of the ingredients thoroughly combined.
Notes
This recipe was adapted from a six vegan sisters recipe.
This post was posted in Salads, Uncategorized