Tag: christmas

Recipes, Uncategorized

Cream of Mushroom Soup

veganlivingbydanielle

Green bean casserole has always been my favorite side dish at holiday dinners (sorry mashed potatoes). When I went vegan, I knew there had to be a way to make this dish vegan or I’d cry. Yes, the year that we messed up the green bean casserole and didn’t have it for Thanksgiving is infamous with my family.

Even after years, and all the great vegan products that have come out lately and hit mainstream grocery stores, I still cannot find pre-made vegan cream of mushroom soup. When I Google canned vegan cream of mushroom soup I only find recipes, and some of them are complicated!! We all have enough going on for holidays, especially if you have multiple dishes to make, are hosting, or just don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen!

Here is MY recipe that works really well with my green bean casserole.

PS. I follow the green bean casserole recipe on the back of the French’s Crispy Fried Onion container, but substitute this soup and some original flavor oat milk or other dairy-free, unsweetened milk to veganize! You know what else? This recipe yields enough soup that I can freeze half of the soup when I make it for Thanksgiving and use the rest for green bean casserole at Christmas!

I hope you find it as easy, and as delicious as I do!

YOU try to take a flattering picture of cream of mushroom soup, okay?

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 small white or yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 lb baby portabella mushrooms or other small mushrooms, thinly sliced or chopped
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp thyme (recommended but optional)
  • 3 Tbsp flour
  • 2 cups vegetable stock or broth
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy, unsweetened, original milk (I prefer oat milk)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a medium/large pan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onion and saute until translucent, not brown.
  3. Add mushrooms and saute until tender (about 5-8 min) stirring frequently. (Tip: I use a mandolin to get my mushrooms nice and thin quickly! I’m so slow with chopping and cutting so having a mandolin saved me so much time.)
  4. Stir in a pinch of salt and pepper, garlic powder, and thyme if desired.
  5. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies in the pan.
  6. Stir in 1 cup of vegetable stock or broth until the flour blends in and cook until it boils.
  7. Stir in the remaining broth and non-dairy milk.
  8. Reduce heat to simmer.
  9. Add any salt, pepper, or additional broth/stock to taste and desired consistency.
  10. Remove from heat and serve!

Enjoy!

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Recipes, Uncategorized

Winter Kale Salad

veganlivingbydanielle

Winter Kale Salad | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:

Salad –

  • 1/4 cup dry quinoa (I think red or tri-color quinoa look the best)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 8 cups of kale, thick stems removed
  • 1/4 cup hemp seeds (walnuts work well too, we have a nut allergy in the family so I sub hemp seeds)
  • 2 apples, chopped (I like fuji and honeycrisp best, but chose your favorite apples!)
  • 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds (sub dried cranberries)

Dressing –

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

  1. Put dry quinoa in a small pot with of water.
  2. Set timer for 15 minutes once the burner is turned on.
  3. Move the temperature to low or medium-low once water is boiling. (You’ll know quinoa is fully cooked when the kernels opened and look fluffy.)
  4. Remove the thick stems from kale and cut into bite-size pieces.
  5. Put all kale in a pot to steam with about 1-2 cups of water. Stir kale and repeat until all kale is very slightly cooked.
  6. Once kale is cooked, drain the pot and pat kale dry with paper towel if needed.
  7. In a small bowl, mix the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and syrup.
  8. In a large bowl, combine cooled kale, cooled quinoa, fruit, seeds/nuts, and dressing.
  9. Toss until mixed thoroughly and dressing is evenly distributed.
  10. Enjoy!

Makes about 4 side salads, or 2 lunch-sized salads!

Lifestyle Tips, Uncategorized

Veganize Your Holiday!

veganlivingbydanielle

Hi everyone!

With Easter around the corner, I’m here to share some tips on how to make lots of dishes vegan! Lots of holiday recipes call for milk or butter, but lucky us! We live in an era where vegan substitutes for non-vegan items are becoming more accessible and taste better than in the past.

Here are some tips to a vegan or dairy-free holiday:

You can create a vegan form of a recipe by swapping out dairy milk for unsweetened, original soy milk!

You can also do this with butter by using Earth Balance spread or stick instead. Also, check the ingredients of some margarines for “Contains Milk,” because some margarines are made with milk, but some use olive oil or soy ingredients instead, like Country Crock Calcium plus Vitamin D spread.

Vegan candy for Easter baskets! Sour Patch Kids, Swedish Fish, Air Heads, Dots, Mike and Ikes, Smarties, Dum Dums, Fireball, Jolly Ranchers, and Blow Pop! Most dark chocolates don’t contain milk, but always double check the label. Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter cups are vegan and Target’s vegan chocolate selection has been expanding!

Hoppy Easter!

 

xo,

Danielle