Vegan Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

This Vegan Pumpkin Pasta recipe is creamy fall goodness!

The perfectly plant-based creaminess comes from dairy-free pumpkin cream sauce.

Made with only T E N ingredients; this will soon to be a go-to during the fall and winter month! Let’s get started on the perfect bowl of fall creamy carbs to get you through those cozy months!!

Ingredients

  • 1 Pound De’ Cecco Penne Pasta
  • 1 cup Coconut Milk (Full-Fat)
  • 1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling!)
  • ⅓ cup nutritional yeast 
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shells & stir to prevent sticking. Cook to al dente according to package directions, 10-11 minutes. Prior to draining the pasta, reserve about 2 cups of the starchy pasta
  2. Blend the pumpkin cream sauce: Meanwhile, as the pasta boils, make the pumpkin cream sauce. Add the coconut milk, pumpkin purée, nutritional yeast, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cayenne, salt, & ground black pepper to a high-speed blender. Blend until it’s nice and smooth & creamy sauce consistency.
  3. Assemble the vegan creamy pumpkin penne: Pour the pumpkin cream sauce over the pasta. Stir to combine, adding in the reserved pasta water little by little until your desired consistency is reached. The sauce should be very creamy, but cling to the pasta nicely.
  4. Serve immediately, topped with fresh herbs, red peppers, or vegan parmesan; as desired.
Buon appetito!

I hope you and yours enjoys this recipe as much as mine has!

De Cecco Penne found at Walmart

De Cecco uses only the finest Durum Wheat Flour Bronze cutting dies
for a pasta texture that holds sauces evenly. Their pasta is air dried (instead of heat dried) to keep the pasta
porous to further hold sauces evenly. Lysine and other vitamins bake
out of pasta when using the drying process of other brands!

Love, Health, & Veggies,

The Vegan Momma

Vegan Madeleines

In French, “Madeleine” means “small rich shelled cake” and “something which brings back a memory; a source of nostalgia or evocative memories”. Make it vegan, and you have the perfect addition to a mid-day cup of coffee or evening tea. The perfect fall & winter addition!

I’ve had Madeleine on my “to-make” list for a while; this small—yet oh–so delightfully delectable recipe that you’re going to want to bake up throughout the upcoming fall & winter months!

Cozy up with your current read, fuzzy soaks, a warm blanket, a cup of tea and truly enjoy these delicate little cakes! My 9 year old daughter is learning French, so this recipe was also integrated into our French studies— a yummy win-win!

Bon appétit!

The Vegan Momma Madeleines

EQUIPMENT

  • Madeleine Shell Pan
  • Mixing Bowl

INGREDIENTS  

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil (or oil of choice)
  • 1/4 cup almond milk (or non dairy milk or choice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoon ground flax seeds
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Preheat oven at 350 F and brush the madeleines pan with oil.
  • Mix water and ground flax in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.
  • In a mixing bowl add coconut oil and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
  • Add in almond milk, flax egg, and vanilla.
  • Finally, add the baking powder and all-purpose flour.
  • Fold in gently and transfer the batter in the prepared madeleines pan.
  • Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.
  • Remove from oven, let them cool on ventilated baking rack.
  • Serve or store in air right containers. Enjoy!

I’m looking forward to seeing what you think of these delicious “little cakes”, my little ones had a blast helping make these, and have now put in madeleine orders for their birthdays!

Best Health Wishes,

Gabrielle

The Vegan Momma

Vegan Matcha Fudge Bars

Matcha is one of those flavors that I’ve always loved, matcha tea, matcha ice cream, matcha lattes. So why not Matcha Fudge?! This was such a fun (and super tasty!) recipe to develop. It is packed with healthy ingredients, yet is truly sweet-tooth satisfying. If you’re a matcha lover like myself, you’re going to love this one, and if you’ve never really had matcha, you need to give this a try!

Matcha is jammed packed with antioxidants including the powerful EGCg, it also:

  • Boosts metabolism and burns calories
  • Detoxifies effectively and naturally
  • Calms the mind and relaxes the body
  • Is rich in fiber, chlorophyll and vitamins
  • Enhances mood and aids in concentration
  • Provides vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium
  • Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar.

Even more reasons to give these bars a try, and a creative and delicious way to get matcha in your diet! I also love that these bars can be stored in the freezer, ready to have on hand when the craving arises! Enjoy!

Matcha Fudge Bars

Fudge Layer Ingredients:

  • 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (finely shredded)
  • 1/2 cup creamy nut butter (i.e. cashew butter, peanut butter, or almond butter)
  • 1/3 cup cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2-3 whole fresh pitted dates* (chopped // medjool is best // or sub more maple syrup)
  • 3 Tbsp cacao nibs or vegan chocolate for topping (optional) I also made them pretty with edible rose petals (optional).

Matcha Layer Ingredients:

  • 3 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 3 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 teaspoons matcha powder

Directions:

  1. Line a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside (adjust number/size of pans if altering batch size).
  2. For fudge base: Add coconut to a food processor or high-speed blender and mix until a creamy “butter” or liquidy paste is formed – about 4 minutes – scraping down sides as needed.
  3. Next, add nut butter, melted cocoa butter, cacao powder, maple syrup, sea salt, and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined, scraping down sides as needed. Lastly, add chopped (pitted) dates and mix once more to combine. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more vanilla for vanilla flavor, cacao powder for chocolate flavor, maple syrup for sweetness, or nut butter for nuttiness.
  4. If the mixture appears too thick, simply thin with a bit more maple syrup or melted cocoa butter! It should be semi-thick but pourable (see photo).
  5. Transfer the mixture to the parchment-lined loaf pan and spread into an even layer. Place in freezer while you make matcha layer.
  6. For matcha layer: In a food processor or high-speed blender, add shredded coconut, process until it looks like coconut butter.
  7. Then add the remaining ingredients and process to combine.
  8. Add this layer on top of the base layer and smooth out with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Top with cacao nibs or vegan chocolate. Loosely cover with plastic wrap or another sheet of parchment paper and freeze until firm to the touch – about 15-20 minutes.
  9. Remove from freezer and cut into even squares. Enjoy immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month. Best enjoyed at room temperature.

Green Goddess Smoothie

As a vegan of over 20 years and momma to 2, I’m often asked about my go-to breakfast meal ideas. I like to keep it simple, with a Green Smoothie every morning, for the whole family. This gets us going on the right foot, with the all of nutritional boosts and benefits to start off our day!

I like to keep our green smoothies with a well-rounded variation of healthy fats, greens, protein, carbs, and added superfoods. I pack it all in my Oster Pro Blender with Texture Select Settings and 2 Blend-N-Go Cups , which has the perfect “Smoothie” setting to keep it easy and worry free every morning. What I love about the Oster Pro Blender with Texture Select Settings and 2 Blend-N-Go Cups, is it has the option to blend at a specific texture, and also a specific setting! Perfect for creamy smooth smoothie guaranteed every morning!

Oster ® Kitchen has expanded its legacy in blenders with the Oster Pro Blender with Texture Select Settings. This new blender gives you more control in the kitchen by allowing you to choose the texture of your smoothies, sauces, salsas, soups and more! I love changing the texture setting and using this in place of a food processor.

The Blend-N-Go Cup feature on the Oster Pro Blender with Texture Select Settings, is perfect for when I make my husband’s smoothie before he goes off to work and the kids aren’t up for their breakfast smoothie yet. I can make it just for him in his Blend-N-Go Cup and just place the to-go lid on and it’s ready for him to take out the door!

The Blend-N-Go Cup is also perfect when we’re all craving different smoothie ingredients, and I can make single servings for whoever wants something different. Or my personal favorite use, to make sauces, dressings, or salsa in smaller and easier batches.

Now onto the recipe that I hope you will try for your breakfast or any time of day, you can customize with your preferred fresh fruit/frozen fruit or added superfood supplements.

Green Goodness Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups Almond Milk (or nut milk of choice)

½ cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk (place in fridge over night for thicker consistency)

1 cup Green Grapes

1 ½-2 cups Powergreens mix (Baby Spinach, Baby Kale, Swiss Chard)

3 stalks Celery

½ Lemon (juiced)

½ Lime (juiced)

3 sprigs Mint

1 ½ cups Frozen Fruit (I used a mix of Peaches, Mango, Pineapple, & Strawberries)

1 Banana

2 tablespoons Chia Seeds

1 tablespoon Spirulina

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place all ingredients in blenders in order of: liquids first, then greens, fresh fruit, frozen fruit, and finally seeds and powers.

2. Blend together on “Smoothie” setting of Oster Pro Blender with Texture Select Settings.

3. Enjoy the Green Goodness and nutritional benefits. Cheers to health!

This delicious smoothie recipe has been sponsored by my new favorite kitchen appliance: Oster® and their new Oster Pro Blender with Texture Select Settings, which can be found at Amazon.com on sale now from 11/22-11/29 for $74.99! bit.ly/2QFkLmI

What’s your favorite type of smoothie? Share with us in the comments below!

Love and Health,

The Vegan Momma

Watermelon Tofu Feta Summer Salad

Who doesn’t love a refreshing, full of flavor, easy summer salad! When I think summer, I think hot days, flip-flops, pool parties, and hydrating watermelon being front and center. I partnered with Alessi Foods to try out their absolutely delicious authentic high quality Italian ingredients that are perfect for salads & vegan recipes! The whole vegan momma family loved this vegan Watermelon Salad with Tofu Summer Feta Salad, it’s definitely going to be a summer staple over here!

Alessi’s White Balsamic infused with Raspberry is a game changer, and I’m adding all their balsamic reductions to everything I possible can! On to the delicious salad, can’t wait for you to try it!

Ingredients
Directions

1. Half the watermelon, either melon ball or slice the watermelon. You can keep the watermelon bowl part to serve the salad in.

2. Crumble Tofu into a bowl and mix in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Himalayan salt. Set aside.

3. Assemble the salad into salad serving bowl: lay down the bed of arugula, avocado, cucumber, raspberries, strawberries, tofu feta. Place watermelon, and then drizzle both balsamic reductions, and raspberry blush white vinegar. Top with mint and pine nuts, toss the salad & serve!

This is very delicious paired with Alessi Thin Breadsticks and Alessi Sputini Italian Crackers with Rosemary! Buon Appetito!

Use my promo code VEGANMOMMA for 15% off your Alessi Foods order (online orders over $20 ship free)!

What’s a summer dish that you always crave when the weather starts heating up? Let me know in the comments below! I hope you enjoy my delicious fresh take on a watermelon salad!

Love & Veggies,

The Vegan Momma

My Favorite Vegan Kitchen Gadgets

As a vegan, who is passionate about both healthy and equally delicious food, I have accumulated a list of very helpful kitchen gadgets that have made vegan cooking fun and easy—as well as time-saving, which all of us Mommas’ need more of in our lives!

Learning how to cook new recipes and completely plant-based may seem challenging at first, but it is actually very easy and can be really fun as you explore new flavors and items, as well as new kitchen gadgets to take advantage of!

All of My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets

1.High-speed Blender: I am absolutely in love with my Blendtec!  It makes my morning green smoothies easy and fast, which the whole family is very thankful for! It is basically what I use for a food processor too, and can even make blended soups and sauces—which you’re going to want for creamy vegan sauces! Also—my daughter’s favorite: Nice Cream—blended frozen bananas that make an ice cream consistency!

2. Cast iron skillet: Not only does it add a source of iron to your cooking, I swear it adds better flavor and all-around cooks everything tastier! I also love that you can make one skillet meals and you can put it in your oven if you want to.

3. Spiralizer: Because who doesn’t like zoodles, or at least saying the word zoodles?! I also enjoy making curly fries for the kiddos with this fun gadget!

4. Good knife set: Makes chopping those fruits and veggies are breeze! I love this colorful & durable set. I also recommend sharping them monthly.

5. Bamboo cutting boards: Bamboo cutting boards are what I prefer to chop on and will last a long time, they’re also pretty!

6. Collapsible strainer: This colorful handy dandy collapsible strainer has a minimal profile, so easy storage!

7. Instant Pot: Multi-functioning, easy, and fast are all things that this amazing kitchen gadget is capable of. You can make rice, soup, chili, yogurt, popcorn, pasta, steamed potatoes & vegetables, beans, and even vegan cheesecake! I’m always learning new ways to use my instant pot and am absolutely in love with it!

You’ll find all of my favorite kitchen gadgets on my The Vegan Momma Amazon Shop https://www.amazon.com/shop/theveganmomma

In future posts, I’ll be sharing with you specific recipes that you’ll be able to make with some of these fun gadgets! Happy vegan cooking y’all!

Love & Veggies,

The Vegan Momma

A Vegan’s Guide to Dining-Out

So, your friends invite you out after work or your family wants to go out for dinner, and you’re not sure how to do this vegan thing while eating out…don’t panic!

Vegan Quiche

Vegan Momma to the rescue!

I fancy myself as a connoisseur of sorts when it comes to eating out as a vegan, I love going out to eat with family and friends, and I always say that no matter where we go, I can and will find something!

There are a variety of options at almost any restaurant. Sometimes you’ll have to substitute or take off the dairy, but it is definitely easy and do-able! I typically first look if there’s already an item on the menu that’s vegan or vegetarian. If there isn’t, remove the meat and or dairy. Depending on the type of restaurant you are at, you could add other yummy vegan add-ons, such as avocado, potato, beans, rice, extra veggies, etc.

Vegan Coconut Ceviche, Plantain Chips

Do your research

Google the restaurant and menu. Often times you can Google “[Restaurant name] vegan items” to see what is or can be made vegan. You could also look up the menu to see what your options are, that way you can plan ahead on what you can order, or if there doesn’t seem to be many options you like and you have a say in the restaurant choice, you can chose another restaurant that better suit you.

Lettuce Tacos with Black Beans & Mexican Rice

Be clear, nice and polite

If you’re making substitutions and changes, try to be as clear and as polite as possible. Don’t just say “make it vegan”, you need to be clear that you do not want any dairy, eggs, meat, or fish in your meal. Be extra nice and polite about your requests, most restaurants will be happy to accommodate you!

Look for codes on the menu

Many restaurant menus these days have a key code guide that will list if an item is vegetarian or vegan. Sometimes it will be a leaf or a green “v”, or some other type of icon. The guide will usually be at the bottom of the menu. I’m always excited when I find these, since it makes it so much easier to find items that will work. Some restaurants will even have a vegetarian or vegan section of their menu, I get super excited when I see this! Vegan win, yay!

What to order

Veggie Wrap

Depending on the type of food you’ve gone out for, I have go-to items that I tend to order at each type of restaurant. Here’s a handy guide to show you some of the options at various restaurants.

MEXICAN

Guacamole, salsa, and tortilla chips are a fav of mine! Bean, bean & rice, or veggie burritos, rice, veggie tacos, veggie fajitas, taco salad. Ask if there is cheese, sour cream, lard (in the beans), bacon (in the beans), or if the rice is made with chicken broth. Sometimes, the refried beans will have lard, but the whole black beans or pinto beans won’t. I like to add extra guacamole or avocado to most items as well!

Veggie Tacos

ITALIAN

Pasta (I like to add grilled veggies) with a non-dairy based sauce. Bread with olive oil & balsamic, salad, bruschetta, olives, grilled artichokes, veggie pizza with no cheese. Tips: Double check that there are no cheese or eggs (in the pasta), also say no parmesan on top of anything.

THAI

Pad Kee Mao, Pad Thai

 I’m half Thai, so I know my way around a Thai restaurant and love the vegan options you can find. What I love is that almost any dish with tofu instead of meat and no fish sauce. Fried rice with no egg, add tofu and extra veggies. I like to add cashews to stir fry, noodle, and rice dishes. Curry, no fish sauce. Soups that are veggie broth based. Vegetable spring rolls for appetizer. For dessert: coconut sticky rice with mango!

CHINESE

Vegetable fried rice (no egg, add tofu), vegetable noodle dishes, vegetable dumplings, vegetable spring rolls, vegetable dumplings, vegetable soups (check that it’s vegetable broth base), bean curd, vegetable stir fry, steamed rice. Make sure that the dishes have no egg, no oyster, and no fish sauce.

JAPANESE

Avocado, Cucumber, & Asparagus Roll

Miso soup, make sure the base is vegetable broth. Vegetable sushi, avocado roll, vegetable tempura (make sure it doesn’t have egg), vegetable stir fry, seaweed salad, steamed rice, edamame. I love either doing miso soup and a vegetable roll and avocado roll or a bento box with a roll, vegetable tempura, and steamed rice.

AMERICAN

Double Veggie Cheeseburger

French fries, veggie burgers or mushroom burger, veggie dogs, potato wedges, onion rings, baked potato. Ask about no dairy in the dishes you order. It’s usually easiest to pick items off of the side-item section and making a meal out of it. Unless you luck out and they have a veggie burger options, always double check that there is no dairy or egg in the veggie patty.

BBQ/STEAKHOUSE

Mushroom “steak”, Sweet Potato Fries, Olives & Pepperoncinis

Yes, I have even found vegan friendly options at steakhouses and BBQ restaurants! The side-items list is going to be your best friend. Here you can usually find, fried pickles, French fries, sweet potato fries, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli, green beans, and corn. House salad, mushroom “steak”, vegetable sandwiches, and sometimes vegetable chili can be found as well. Make sure to ask for no cheese, butter, sour cream, mayo, and any batters that contain buttermilk. I like to order several side dishes to make a meal, get creative!

INDIAN

 Curries, vegetable samosa, channa masala, naan bread (check if it’s made with butter or yogurt), rice, saag, dal, and there’s usually other veggie dishes. Make sure to ask for no butter, cream, ghee, or paneer.

MEDITERRANEAN

Pita & Hummus, Greek Salad

Greek salad, hummus, pita bread, tahini, grilled veggies, pan-friend potatoes, vegetable dolmades, roasted eggplant, grilled veggie wrap, falafels, tabuleh, cous cous. Ask for no cheese or yogurt to make it vegan friendly.

VEGAN & VEGETARIAN

What vegan dreams are made of! You can order anything here, if it’s vegetarian, just make sure it doesn’t have any dairy in it. I like to order items that I can’t typically find vegan, like vegan french toast, vegan quiche, vegan breakfast burrito, and vegan cheese cake! Yum!

Vegan French Toast, Vegan Quiche, Vegan Breakfast Burrito

Last Tip: Use the Apps

Vegan eating has gotten easier with the awesome apps you can download and use on the go right at your finger-tips! This is my favorite way to find vegan friendly restaurants when I travel. My favorite apps are: Happy Cow, Vegman, and VeganXpress (helps you find vegan options at chain restaurants). I also like to use Yelp and search “vegan or vegetarian restaurants”.

Have fun finding vegan items at any restaurant! Let me know what your favorite items to order are or your go-to tips!

Love & Veggies,

The Vegan Momma

Vegan 101

So, it’s a new year, new you and you’ve decided to partake into this plant-based lifestyle trend. But where do you start? How do you transition? What do you add to your grocery list? What can you order when you eat-out?

Transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle can seem overwhelming and daunting, you may feel like you have to completely change your life and throw everything in your kitchen in the trash. Before you have a panic attack about whether or not plants have feelings or not, and if you’ll just have to survive on water & sun alone. Take a deep breath. I’m here to help, Vegan Momma to the rescue!

I’ve been eating plant-based for over 19 years, since I was 10 years old, and I think I know a thing or two about living a sustainable and delicious life through plant-based eating. I’ve also had 2 vegan pregnancies and have 2 vegan kiddos who are healthy, strong, and thriving! We don’t feel like we’re missing out on anything, in fact we feel like we are enjoying our lives to the fullest with the best health we can possibly have.

We’ll start this Vegan 101 series with a list of my favorite grocery staples! I will be keeping it budget friendly, but will also include some “treat” items that will help as you transition, such as my favorite vegan cheese and ice cream; because you’ll still want to treat yo’self once in a while! 

Welcome to the Vegan Momma family, I can’t wait to help you on your vegan journey into health & wellness!

Love & Veggies,

The Vegan Momma

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