[Recipe makes 5 to 6 servings].

We know, we know...  It's the start of the summer, and we're posting about mushroom stroganoff!?!  It may be a little "off-season", but to us, comfort food shouldn't be enjoyed only certain months of the year.

Stroganoff has been a dish on our list to veganize for quite a while, and after many trials, we finally have our very own version that we're proud of!  This is truly one of those dishes that doesn't taste like you're missing anything, despite the lack of traditional animal products.  You totally get the creaminess from the cashews, and the flavor profile that we all remember from traditional stroganoff from the mushroom powder, 'no beef base', and vegan Worcestershire.

Whether you wait until cooler weather, or decide to make this dish tonight, we hope that you're able to enjoy it as much as have at some point this year.  Happy cooking!

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons vegan butter, divided
1 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and sliced
1 medium onion, julienned
2 tablespoons tomato paste

3/4 teaspoon dried mushroom powder
90 grams (3/4 cup) raw cashews
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons 'no beef base'
2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire
2 cups water
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons truffle oil

12 ounces dried (vegan) pasta

Chives, minced (for garnish, optional), or
Fresh Italian parsley (for garnish, optional)
Vegan Parmesan (for garnish, optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta.

In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat.  Add the julienned onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onions start to get a little color, roughly 10 minutes.  Transfer onions to a small bowl off of the heat.  To the same sauté pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter along with the sliced mushrooms.  Again, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the mushrooms start to get a little color, roughly 10 minutes.

While the mushrooms and onions are cooking:

1. Boil the pasta for the recommended amount of time.  Once done, drain and reserve.  [Side note: If you don't plan on serving a large meal all at once, we recommend cooling off the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process].
2. Make the sauce by adding the remaining ingredients to a high-speed blender (mushroom powder, raw cashews, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, black pepper, thyme, no beef base, Worcestershire, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and truffle oil).  Blend on high speed until smooth, roughly 1 minute.  Reserve.

Add the onions back to the pan with mushrooms, and add the tomato paste.  Cook for 1 minute.  Lastly add the sauce to the pan and cook until heated through.  Season to taste.

At this point, either combine the pasta and sauce together if you plan on eating everything immediately.  Or else keep separate if you intend to eat individual meals over the next few days.  [Side note:  We find that with dishes that call for pasta and a sauce, leftovers are better if the sauce is kept separate from the sauce initially.  If they're combined right away, cooled over night, and reheated in the microwave, the leftovers tend to dry out as the pasta absorbs all of the sauce while cooling].

Top individual servings with chives, parsley, and/or Parmesan.

Recipe adapted from yup...it's vegan.  [Recipe makes 6 servings].
When we ask around for food requests on the blog, one of our most popular responses is for us to come up with easy one-pot dishes.  We both love to cook, but we understand the joys of easy dishes as well.  Spaghetti alla puttanesca has been a go-to meal for us lately due to its convenience.  It can be made start-to-finish in under 30 minutes, it's packed with nutrients, and most importantly, it's packed with flavor.

What other one-pot vegan dishes do you want to see posted?

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 large red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
3 cups vegetable broth
1 (3.8 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained and rinsed
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and chopped
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed large pot over medium heat.  Add the olive oil, followed by the onions.  Cook for several minutes, and then add the garlic and stir for an additional minute.  Add the vegetable broth, and deglaze the pot.  Break the spaghetti in half, and add to the broth.  Lastly, add remaining ingredients.  Cover and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, give the dish a stir, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cover again.  Cook for 12 to 16 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked to your liking.  [Side note:  Make sure to stir several times while the dish is simmering, to make sure that the pasta isn't sticking to the bottom of the dish].

Recipe adapted from Power Vegan Meals by Maya Sozer.  [Recipe makes 4 servings].
We recently came across a new cookbook by Maya Sozer (linked above) and fell in love with the photos.  After looking around for bright colors for a fun summer recipe, we decided to give her version of pad thai a try.  Anytime a recipe calls for stir frying vegetables, we're in, because it keeps the crispness, freshness, and bold colors of each type of vegetable.  In addition, we liked the healthy twist that Sozer gave the sauce since it gave the dish extra protein, fiber, and calcium.  Serve the pad thai up with some fresh scallions and lime wedges on top as well as a cool lime-based drink, and you're set for an enjoyable and healthy summer meal.

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup water
1/2 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed
130 grams (~1/2 cup) peanut butter
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon coconut aminos
1 tablespoon maple syrup
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup or coconut sugar
2 tablespoons coconut aminos

227 grams (1/2 pound) Thai rice noodles
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 carrot, julienned
142 grams (~2 cups) broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, julienned
4 green onions, coarsely sliced

DIRECTIONS:

For the peanut sauce, add the water, white beans, peanut butter, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, coconut aminos, maple syrup, ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes to a food processor and process until smooth.  Check for desired consistency, and incorporate more water if needed.  Reserve.

For the cooking sauce, whisk together the lime juice, maple syrup, and coconut aminos in a small bowl.  Reserve.

For the noodles, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions.  Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.

Lastly, start on the veggies by heating the coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for an additional minute.  Add the carrot, broccoli, red bell pepper, and green onions, and cook for 2 minutes.  Lastly, add the noodles and cooking sauce and cook for a final 2 minutes.

Serve the pasta and veggies in individual bowls, and top with the peanut sauce.  [Side note:  Alternately, the peanut sauce can be incorporated with the remaining ingredients by adding it to the pan when the noodles and cooking sauce are added].

Recipe adapted from Vegan Yumminess.  [Recipe makes 6 servings].
It's official; The Mint Bunny has its first recipe post!

We decided to go with macaroni and cheese today because it's become a go-to dish at our place.  It's easy to throw together, vegetable-based and full of flavor, and reheats beautifully; win-win-win!

For someone who has never tried vegan macaroni and cheese before but is ready to cut out dairy, we'll echo what other vegans say.  And that's that cheese sauces made with nutritional yeast will not taste identical to dairy-based cheese sauces.  They'll be just as 'creamy', have a similar profile, and have a similar appearance.  But sauces made with nutritional yeast will always taste different.  And you know what?  This is totally okay because it's equally as delicious (not to mention so much healthier)!

If this is your first time making a dish like this, let us know your thoughts.  Similarly, if you're a vegan macaroni and cheese expert, what defines the perfect macaroni and cheese in your opinion?

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound dried pasta

156 grams (~1 cup) diced russet potatoes
43 grams (~1/3 cup) diced carrots
43 grams (~1/3 cup) diced onions
2 bay leaves

60 grams (~1/2 cup) raw cashews, soaked in warm water for several hours, then drained
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup reserved vegetable water from potatoes, carrots, and onions
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (~1/2 lemon)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
(up to) 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika
Pinch crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon truffle oil (or olive oil)
1/2 cup unseasoned panko breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS:

Cover the vegetables and bay leaves with cold water in a sauce pan, and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are soft.  Discard the bay leaves and drain the vegetables, making sure to save one cup of the liquid for the sauce.

While you're making the sauce, cook the pasta, drain, and reserve.

For the sauce, add the cooked vegetables, cashews, almond milk, reserved vegetable water, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, paprika, crushed red pepper, and turmeric to a high-speed blender.  Blend until extremely smooth.

For the breadcrumbs, heat the truffle oil in a sauté pan.  Add the panko, and sauté until lightly browned.  Transfer to a separate container once browned, to prevent the panko from burning.

If you wish to serve everything in one sitting, combine all of the sauce with all of the pasta, and serve.  Top individual servings with toasted panko.  [Side note:  We love to add roasted broccoli or cauliflower to our bowls.  Feel free to add your favorite vegetables to the dish for some bonus nutritional points and added texture].

If you plan having leftovers, we recommend keeping the three components of the dish separate.  To reheat individual servings, mix desired amount of pasta with desired amount of sauce in a microwavable bowl and heat in 30 second increments until heated through.  Top with panko and enjoy.