INGREDIENTS:

• 1 butternut squash, make sure it fits in the instapot
• 1 cup of water

METHOD:

Add the trivet rack to the (6-8 quart) pressure cooker & pour the cup of water into the pot. Next, place the butternut squash on it.

Make sure you have the pressure release valve set to the “Sealing” option. Set the timer to Manual for 25 minutes on high pressure.

Once the timer goes off, let the pressure “Release” come down for about 5-10 minutes & then remove the lid.

Once it cools, remove the squash, peel it if needed, cut, scoop the seeds & eat right away, or store it in the fridge for a few days/freeze for a few months. Make soups, roast it more, mash it, add it to bowls, salads, or enjoy it any other way you like to.

INGREDIENTS (makes 6 servings):

• 4 & 1/2 cups of rolled oats
• 3 bananas, sliced
• 6 tbsp chia seeds
• 9 tbsp vegan chocolate chips
• 9 tbsp agave or maple syrup
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 cups of plant milk of choice (I used soy milk)
• 3 scoops of any flavor vegan protein powder of choice (I used @Orgain Peanut Butter flavor code: Lauryn711 for savings)
• 6 tbsp nut butter of choice (I used almond) ***optional***
• Option to garnish with shredded coconut & walnuts.

METHOD:

• Add sliced bananas to each jar. Set a few banana slices aside for the topping of each jar.
  
• In a large bowl, mix together the remainder of the ingredients. You can do the dry ones first & then add the wet ones. I like to use a whisk to mix it really well.
• Divide the mixture equally into 6 mason jars (12 oz each) with lids. Add the rest of the banana slices & then sprinkle coconut shreds & walnuts on top of each.
  
• Seal the jars & put them in the fridge overnight. In the morning, grab them & go. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 butternut squash, about 3 lbs, peeled, seeds scooped, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped (could use red or orange too)
• 3 carrots, peeled, chopped
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2-3 bulbs of garlic, tops cut off
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp rosemary
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 4 cups of veggie broth
• FOR THE CASHEW CREAM:

• 1 cup of cashews, soak in warm water for at least 10 minutes
• 1 cup of hot water, to soak cashews
• 2 tbsp Nutrional yeast
• 1 tsp light yellow miso paste
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper, silicone baking mats or lightly sprayed with cooking oil. Soak the cashews in hot water & set them aside.
• Cut up the veggies into similar sizes & add them to the sheet pan. I like to use the pressure cooker to cook the butternut squash first, but you can skip this step. Add about 1-2 tbsp of olive oil plus the seasonings (garlic powder, onion, powder, oregano, rosemary, thyme, salt & pepper) to the veggies & toss to coat.
• In the middle of the pan make a space to roast the garlic. On a square piece of foil, cut the tops off of the bulbs of garlic, sprinkle with olive oil, salt & pepper & seal the foil adding the packet to the center of the sheet pan. Roast it for 35-40 minutes or until the veggies are tender when poked with a fork or knife.
• While the veggies are roasting, make the cashew cream. Drain cashews & add them to a blender with a cup of hot water, Nutritional yeast, miso paste, lemon juice & water & blend until smooth.
• When the veggies come out of the oven, carefully open the packet of garlic & let it begin to cool. Using a large pan, slow cooker or Instapot, combine the veggie broth, cashew cream, roasted veggies & squeeze the cloves out of the roasted garlic.
• Carefully use an emulsion blender to blend until smooth. Make sure the blender is pressed all the way down to the bottom of the pan so there are no splashes or burns.
• Heat, mix & devour. Serve it hot, store it in the fridge for a few days or freeze it for a few months.
• Optional garnishes, fresh basil, vegan parmesan cheese shreds.

INGREDIENTS:

• For the Challah:
• 5 cups of bread flour, plus a bit more for kneading
• 1 & 1/2 cups of warm water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup neutral oil (I use vegetable or canola)
• 1 packet or 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp salt
• Optional 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
• For the Cinnamon Sugar topping:
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• For the Glaze:
• 1 tbsp soy milk
• 1 tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup

METHOD:

• In a large bowl (I use my stand up mixer bowl), add the warm water, the active dry yeast & the granulated sugar, whisk & set aside for a few minutes.
• Add the oil & whisk, add the bread flour & salt & combine, this would be the time to add the vegan chocolate chips if you are using them as well, by kneading or using a stand up mixer (my personal choice) until it comes together. It is ok if it is a bit lumpy looking at this point.
• Cover with a towel and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
• Add some flour to your work surface & knead by hand or in the mixer on medium for about 10 more minutes. If it is sticky, add more flour.
• Once the dough is ready, add a little oil to the bowl it will be sitting it, put the dough in it and then cover it with a dish towel. Let it rise for about 2 hours. I usually punch it down in the middle about an hour into the rising time.
• Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Make sure you have a floured work surface again & remove the challah from the bowl after it has had time to rise. You can google lots of videos on how to do braid challah, but I have found that it usually still looks pretty even when I am just winging it.
• Once you have the challah braided & ready, add it to the parchment paper lined baking tray, cover with a dish towel & let it sit for another 30-60 minutes. It should continue to rise.
• Prepare the glaze by mixing 1 tbsp of plant milk & 1 tbsp of agave nectar or maple syrup in a small dish. Prepare the optional cinnamon sugar topping by mixing 1 tbsp sugar & 1 tsp cinnamon together in another small dish.
• After the challah has had 30 minutes to rise, brush it with about half of the glaze & bake it for 30-35 minutes. Remove it from the oven, brush it with the remainder of the glaze, option to sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on it, & let it cool. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb Pearl Oyster mushrooms
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 2 tsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or spray lightly with cooking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the olive oil, tamari or soy sauce, lemon juice, liquid smoke & all seasonings (nutrional yeast, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt & pepper) & whisk together well.
• Shred the mushrooms. I like to cut the end of the stem off and shred from top of the cap down the stem. Toss with the diced shallot & minced garlic. Add to the marinade & toss well to coat.
• Lay the Gyro mushroom meat flat on the baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes. Shake the pan & bake for another 10-15 minutes. I like to check it every 5 minutes. You can even turn the oven off and leave it in to crispen a bit more.
• Serve with your favorite sides. I used rice, leftover roasted veggies, vegan Tzatziki from Trader Joe’s, lettuce, tomato, red onion & pita bread.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE EGGPLANT:

• 1 large eggplant, sliced thin into about half inch pieces
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup plant milk (I used soy)
• 1/4 cup all purpose or GF flour
• 1 cup of vegan panko or breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 cups of tomato sauce

FOR THE VEGAN MOZZERELLA CHEESE:

• 1 cup of raw cashews
• 1/2 cup plant milk (I used soy)
• 1/2 cup plain dairy free yogurt, I used almond milk yogurt
• 2 & 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Optional garnishes: Fresh basil, vegan parmesan cheese shreds

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Slice the eggplant into slices about 1/2 inch think and salt them. Let them sit for about 15 minutes. Press any excess moisture out after.
• Set up a dredging station with 2 bowls & a lightly sprayed or parchment paper lined baking sheet pan. In one bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup of plant milk & flour to make a wet batter. In the other bowl, mix the vegan panko/breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning & oregano to make a dry coating. Dip each slice of eggplant into the wet batter, then the dry coating & lay them flat on the baking sheet pan until all of them are coated. Bake for 20 minutes & then remove from the oven.
• Meanwhile, make the vegan mozzarella by adding all of the ingredients to a blender & blending until smooth. Pour it into a saucepan & heat for 2-3 minutes on medium, whisking continuously. Remove from the heat.
• Lower the oven temperature to 375F. Prepare a 9X13 baking dish with 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce spread on the bottom. Layer the cooked coated eggplants on top of the tomato sauce, add some more tomato sauce on top of them and then add a spoonful of the vegan mozzarella to each one. Layer the rest of the eggplants the same way until all ingredients are used. Return the dish to the oven & bake for 15-20 more minutes.
• Garnish with fresh basil and or vegan parmesan shreds. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE SOUP:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 leek, cleaned & chopped

• 3 large carrots, peeled & chopped

• 4 celery stalks, chopped

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 7-9 cloves of garlic, minced

• 8 cups of vegetable broth

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

FOR THE MATZO BALLS:

• 1 cup of matzo meal

• 3 tbsp tapioca starch

• 1/4 cup oil

• 1 cup water

• 2 tbsp ground flax
• 6 tbsp water

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp nutritional yeast

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp pepper

METHOD:

FOR THE SOUP:

• Add olive oil to Instapot or large stove top pot on medium high heat. Add all of the chopped vegetables: leeks, celery, carrots, onion, spices, garlic & sauté for about 5 minutes.

• Add the vegetable broth & bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and let it simmer for a couple of hours. Meanwhile, make the matzo balls.

FOR THE MATZO BALLS:

• Make 2 flax eggs by mixing the 2 tbsp ground flax & 6 tbsp water together in a dish and set it aside for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, Mix all of the remaining ingredients together: matzo meal, tapioca starch, oil, water, baking soda, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, onion powder & pepper & stir until incorporated. Stir the flax eggs and add them mixing well.

• Cover the mix & put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Remove the dough and roll it into even size balls, they will expand while cooking so make them small. Then I like to return them to the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

• Bring the soup back to a boil & drop the matzo balls into the boiling soup for about 30-45 minutes. Serve hot.

• Reheat the balls in the warm soup for about 30 minutes before serving it. Enjoy!