Vegan Carrot Cake with a Cream Cheese Glaze

If you like carrot cake, you're gonna love this one! It's so moist, it almost melts in your mouth. The secret ingredient to this vegan carrot cake...carrot puree.

1/2 cup non-dairy milk
½ tablespoon white vinegar
1 pound carrots, peeled and thinly sliced or 1 pound of shredded or matchsticks carrots
1 cup canola oil  
1 cup of organic granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour  
2 teaspoons baking powder  
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt  
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of golden raisins (optional)
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (optional)
Vegan Cream Cheese Glaze

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Grease a bundt pan with oil and flour it.

3. Pour the milk and vinegar into a small glass and stir. Set aside.

4. Pour carrots in a saucepan and pour in enough water to cover; bring to a boil and boil for 15-20 minutes until soft.

5. Drain carrots in a colander, then add to the bowl of food processor or container of blender. Cover and process or blend until pureed, about 20 seconds. 

6. In a large bowl, mix the canola oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer. 

7. Pour in the carrot puree and milk and mix again.

8. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, until thoroughly combined. 

9. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well with a spoon. Do not use an electric mixer.

10. Fold in the walnuts, raisins and coconut, if using. 

11. Pour the batter into bundt pan.

12. Bake for 50 minutes on 325 or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.

13. Let cake cool in the pan for 40-50 minutes until it is room temperature. The cake shouldn’t feel warm when you touch it. 

14. Turn out cake onto a plate and drizzle a thin layer of vegan cream cheese glaze over it.

15. If using 2, 9-inch cake pans, 2 1/2 cups per pan, bake at 350 for 45 minutes. 

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

Source: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

1/4 cup vegan margarine, softened
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese, softened
1 cup organic confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk for a glaze 

1. Mix margarine and cream cheese with an electric mixer until just combined.

2. Pour in ½ cup of the confectioner's sugar and mix again.

3. Continue to add ½ cup of the confectioner’s sugar at a time.  

4. Pour in vanilla extract and milk and mix again.

5. Keep tightly covered and refrigerated until ready to use.

Did you make this recipe? Show me! Tag @vegancookingwithlove on Instagram.

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Steamed Vegetables with a Vegan Herbed Butter Sauce

Kick up the flavor of your steamed vegetables with this vegan herbed butter sauce! Watch the video and see how I steam my veggies without a steamer.

Steamed Vegetables with a Vegan Herbed Butter Sauce

Vegetables

1 bunch or 3 crowns broccoli, cut into florets
1 large carrot, julienned or thinly sliced or half of a 10oz bag of matchstick carrots
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Sauce

1/4 cup vegan margarine or olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

1. Pour salt, oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, black pepper and crushed red pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Melt margarine or heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.

3. Once it’s simmering, add the spices and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

4. Stir in lemon juice.

5. Remove from the heat.

Option 1 - If you don’t have a steamer basket

1. Heat 1 cup of water in a skillet on medium-high until boiling.

2. Add the vegetables, stir them once and steam them for 5 minutes.

3. Drain vegetables in a colander, transfer them to a large bowl and pour the sauce over them.

4. Toss to coat thoroughly.

Option 2 - If you have a steamer basket

1. Steam the vegetables until crisp tender in a steamer basket.

2. Transfer them to a large bowl and pour the sauce over them.

3. Toss to coat thoroughly.

Did you make this recipe? Show me! Tag @vegancookingwithlove on Instagram.

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Guacamole

Try this simple guacamole and adapt it to your taste with as many additions as you like.

Guacamole

1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon lime juice 3 ripe avocados 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 1/4 cup minced red onion 1 minced jalapeno or serrano pepper 3/4 teaspoon salt

1. Pour lemon and lime juice in a bowl.

2. Cut each avocado in half, remove the seed and scoop the flesh from the skin; add to bowl with juice.

3. Mash avocado with a potato masher or a fork, until smooth.

4. Mix in cilantro, red onion, jalapeño pepper and salt and stir.

5. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown.

6. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Did you make this recipe? Show me! Tag @vegancookingwithlove on Instagram.

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Wannabe Falafels with Vegan Tzatziki

Finally, here’s my chickpea patty that I am lovingly calling my wannabe falafel. It cooks up crispy on the outside and is moist on the inside. Unlike the star he admires, this falafel is super quick to throw together.

Wannabe Falafels with Vegan Tzatziki

Yield: 8 patties; 2 per serving (4 servings)

2 slices bread, torn into pieces
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1 cup dry chickpeas/garbanzo beans, soaked overnight in enough water to cover them once they double in size
2 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Oil, enough to pan fry the falafels

1. Place bread in small bowl and pour milk over it. Use your fingers to make sure that all of the bread is soaked with milk. Set aside.

2. Mix cornstarch with cold water and set aside.

3. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and pour them in the food processor.

4. Pour in the cornstarch mixture, vegan mayonnaise, salt, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper.

5. Pulse until the chickpeas are finely chopped but not mushy.

6. Squeeze the bread and drop it in the food processor.

7. Pulse the chickpeas a few more times to make sure the bread is evenly incorporated.

8. Scoop out ¼ cup of the mixture and flatten to form each patty.

9. Heat a pan on medium heat and add enough canola oil to coat the bottom.

10. Cook patties for 5 minutes on each side until brown.

Tzatziki Sauce

Source: Vegan Dad

1, 12 ounce package firm silken tofu
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon dried dill
¼ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup seeded and finely chopped cucumber (about 1 cucumber)

1. Blend tofu, lemon juice, canola oil, dill, garlic, salt and black pepper in a blender

2. Transfer it to a bowl.

3. Place diced cucumber in a towel and squeeze out excess moisture.

4. Stir the cucumber into the bowl.

Did you make this recipe? Show me! Tag @vegancookingwithlove on Instagram.

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Vegan Stuffed Shells

Ricotta Recipe (adapted) from All Recipes

Yield: 4 servings, 3 shells each

15 jumbo shells

Italian Sausage Sauce

1, 24 oz jar marinara sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari
½ tablespoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon ground sage
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground thyme
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup textured vegetable protein
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Ricotta

1, 14 ounce package extra-firm tofu (drained and not pressed)
¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook Pasta

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.

2. Once water is boiling, cook pasta for 15 minutes.

3. Drain and rinse the pasta.

4. Transfer the pasta to a plate, separating the shells to make sure they don’t stick.

Prepare Baking Dish

1. Pour ¾ cup marinara sauce in the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish. Set aside the remaining sauce.

2. Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare Italian Sausage Sauce

1. Pour water and soy sauce in a saucepan.

2. Mix in fennel, sage, onion powder, basil, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and salt.

3. Bring it to a boil and remove from the heat.

4. Stir in the TVP making sure it all gets evenly coated, and let sit uncovered for 10 minutes.

5. Pour in the remaining marinara sauce and the balsamic vinegar.

6. Stir and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Prepare Ricotta

1. Break the tofu into large chunks and drop in the bowl of a blender or food processor.

2. Pour in the remaining ingredients for the ricotta and blend until smooth.

Assemble Shells

1. Scoop a spoonful of ricotta into each shell and place it in the prepared 8×8 baking dish.

2. Pour meat sauce over shells.

3. Bake for 25 minutes covered.

4. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes until it’s bubbling.

Did you make this recipe? Show me! Tag @vegancookingwithlove on Instagram.

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