All posts by Charisse Flynn

Vegan Recipes

Vegan Snack: Crispy Chips

What you’ll need:

  • Mountain Bread (Trademark/Australia) – Natural Wraps (2)
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (2 tsp.)
  • Sea Salt (to taste)
  • Nutritional Yeast (1 tbs.)
  • Cookie Sheet (covered by parchment paper)

Preheat oven to 300. Brush flatbread with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and nutritional yeast on top. Cut into even pieces, and place on cookie sheet without overlapping. Bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

Store any unused portion in a paper sack.

Note: These delicate chips are yummy on their own, or they can be eaten with hummus, kalamata olives and baby arugula. They are also great with salsa.

Variations: Before baking, top with chopped olives. Or, top with other spices. Oregano. Cilantro. Curry Powder. Onion Powder. Garlic Powder. Chili Powder. Etc.

Sweet Variation: Before baking, top with cinnamon and sweetener.  Or, top with chopped dried fruits. Apple. Coconut. Dates. Banana. Etc.

Vegan Recipes

Vegan Meal: Smashed Potato Bowl (Spicy)

What you’ll need:

  • Large Russet – Boiled & Smashed (see recipe)
  • Leafy Greens – Chopped (1 cup)
  • Tomato – Chopped (1 medium)
  • Veggie Patty – Chopped (I prefer Boca brand)
  • Mustard (2 tbs.)
  • Chili Paste (to taste)
  • Sweetener (to taste)
  • Unsweetened Almond Milk (for consistency)

Layer first four ingredients in bowl, starting with smashed potato. Whisk together last four ingredients and pour over top.

Refrigerate any unused portion.

Note: You can add other fresh veggies such as grated carrot, chopped bell peppers or onion.

Vegan Recipes

Vegan Snack: Protein Biscuit Bites

What you’ll need:

Mix ingredients together into a pasty blob. With two spoons, drop 12-15 balls onto a parchment-papered cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes at 450 degrees.

Refrigerate any unused portion.

Note: Add spices to kick these up a notch. The photo below shows them with Cajun seasoning.

Note: For a delicious pairing, serve with Vegan French Onion Dip. You’ll find my favorite recipe at Veggie Inspired. Because I like this dip on the thinner side, I follow the suggestion and add more soy milk. Even my non-vegan friends ask how it’s made!

Note: I don’t usually write about calories or nutrition, but this entire batch is around 400 calories and has 28 grams of protein. To me, that sounds like an ideal on-the-go snack.

Vegan Recipes

Vegan Snack: Air-Fryer Shoestring Fries (Skins On)

What you’ll need:

  • Air-Fryer
  • Russet Potato – Scrubbed (1 med.)
  • Olive Oil Spray
  • Sea Salt (to taste)

Slice potato lengthwise into 6-8 slabs. Cut each slab into 6-8 slices. Throw into a bowl and coat with spray. Toss with salt. Place potatoes into air-fryer basket. Set air-fryer for 20 minutes at 385 degrees, tossing/stirring every 7 minutes until desired crispness.

Note: There will be enough to share, or you can eat every single one yourself like I do. I keep the skins on, because they’re loaded with potassium. These fries are delicious as is, but you can spice them up with other flavorings, such as white pepper, curry powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.

Additional Recipe: Chili Cheese Fries—Stack shoestrings on a small serving plate, then top them with vegan chili, chopped tomatoes, vegan cheese, black olives, green onions, vegan sour cream, and guacamole.

Vegan Recipes

Vegan Snack: Sweet Biscakes (Mini)

What you’ll need:

  • Bisquick Brand Mix (1/3 cup)
  • Unsweetened Almond Milk (1/4 cup)
  • Ground Cinnamon or Ginger (1 tsp)
  • Sweetener (to taste)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Add all ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and mix well. Consistency will be more pancakey than biscuit.

Lightly coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Spoon-drop mixure onto sheet, creating medallion-sized dollops. Leave a little room between each, because the biscakes will expand. (Yields 10-12.)

Bake on middle rack for 5 minutes. Flip biscakes over and press down gently. If they stick, be a little more aggressive with the spatula.

Bake 4-5 minutes more, monitoring carefully to prevent burning.

Biscakes are delicate, so don’t press too hard if/when using a spread.

Refrigerate any unused portion.

Note: Reducing almond milk by 1/6 cup will give you biscuits. Adding 1/6 cup almond milk will create pancakes. I like to bake these, because they’re crispier, and I can make a bunch at once. However, you can griddle them if you prefer.

Suggestions: These treats are delicious on their own but also work as a base. I slather them with vegan butter and fruit jelly. For something fancier, layer biscakes with vegan cream cheese, sliced strawberries, and mint.

Savory Variation, substitute the cinnamon and sweetener with one or more of the following: Sea salt. Onion powder. Garlic powder. Curry powder. Chili powder. Smoked paprika. Cayenne pepper. (Topped w/smokey vegan cheddar and chopped onion.)

Vegan Life

Living with a Non-Vegan

My husband and I have been together for more years than I care to admit. He’s seen me through many a diet, and he’s even joined me on a few.

We have a good and fair arrangement. He does the shopping, and I do the cooking. And he LOVES it when I cook.

But my decision to go vegan was alarming to him. Sure, I’d still be preparing his meals, but how tasty could those meals possibly be without meat? Or eggs? Or cheese? Or milk?

At first, he augmented his dinners with various meats and cheeses. I’d make vegan burritos, and he’d add roasted chicken and mozzarella. I’d make vegan chili, and he’d add kielbasa and sour cream. No big deal, because he wasn’t forcing me to eat it.

Then after eight months of being vegan, something strange happened to me. I started getting compliments on how much healthier I looked. Not only that, but my husband could tell how much better I felt. I had more energy and was getting up earlier and staying up later.

So, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when he told me he wanted to become pescatarian (vegetarian + fish) and give up all other meats. But because eggs smelled yucky to me, and cheese and butter were still tempting, I talked him into taking it one step further. I asked him to go vegan + fish instead, which I call pesca-vegan. He said he’d give it a month.

It should be noted that my husband is within his weight range, but the pounds were inching up, and he wasn’t happy with how his clothes were fitting. The stats after the first week? He lost over six pounds! It was enough to keep him motived.

We’ll see how the remaining month goes, but because it’s been so easy for him (with me packing his lunch and preparing dinner), I think he’ll continue even after the trial period is over.

Honestly? I never thought he’d make it this far.

Update: He gave it the month, and he plans to commit to another month again soon. No pressure from me.

Vegan Recipes

Vegan Meal: Four Bean Stew

What you’ll need:

  • Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (3 tbs)
  • Sweet Onion – Chopped (1 large)
  • Fresh Garlic – Pressed (4 cloves)
  • Red Bell Pepper – Seeded and Chopped (2)
  • Celery – Chopped (4 stalks)
  • Carrots – Peeled and Chopped (4)
  • Vegetable Stock (4 cups)
  • Tomato Paste (6oz can/1)
  • Roasted Tomatoes – (15oz cans/2)
  • Kidney Beans – Drained and Rinsed  (15oz can/1)
  • Pinto Beans – Drained and Rinsed (15oz can/1)
  • Black Beans – Drained and Rinsed (15oz can/1)
  • Garbonzo Beans – Drained and Rinsed (15oz can/1)
  • Ground Coriander (1 tbs)
  • Ground Cumin (1 tbs)
  • Ground Marjoram (1 tbs)
  • Ground Oregano (1 tbs)
  • Ground Tarragon (1 tbs)
  • Sea Salt (to taste)
  • White Pepper (to taste)

In a large pot, sauté onion and garlic until translucent. Add bell pepper, celery, and carrots, and cook until soft. Stir in remaining ingredients and heat over medium.

Refrigerate unused portion.

Note: When serving, add chopped green onion and a dollop of vegan sour cream.

Also: If you cube a leftover baked potato into a bowl and pour stew over the top, this becomes a hearty meal.

Vegan Recipes

Vegan Meal: Soba Noodle Bowl

What you’ll need:

  • Soba Noodles (2 oz. dry)
  • Baby Arugula (1-2 cups)
  • Vine-Ripened Tomato – sliced and halved (1-2)
  • Soy Sauce (1 tbs.)
  • Water (1 tbs.)
  • Rice Vinegar and/or Lemon Juice (1 tsp.)
  • Sesame Oil (1 tsp.)
  • Fresh Garlic – pressed (1 small clove)
  • Fresh Ginger – grated (1 tsp.)
  • Fresh Green Onion/Scallion – sliced thin (2 tbs.)
  • Sea Salt (to taste)
  • Tobacco (to taste)

Cook noodles according to package. Rinse with cold water and pour into large bowl. Add arugula and tomato. Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over top. Mix well with tongs.

Note: This is a cold dish. It can be eaten as an entrée or divided as a side.

Vegan Recipes

Vegan Dip/Spread: No-Cook Non-Fried ReFried Beans

What you’ll need:

  • Red Kidney Beans (15 oz. can)
  • Black Beans (15 oz. can)
  • Fresh Garlic – Minced or Pressed (1-2 medium cloves)
  • Sea Salt (to taste)
  • Tabasco (to taste)
  • Unsweetened and Unflavored Almond Milk (1/4-1/2 cup milk)
  • White Onion – Chopped or Minced (1/4 onion)

Rinse and drain beans. Add them with garlic, salt, Tabasco, and 1/4 cup milk to blender. Pulse until smooth, adding more milk as needed. Transfer to bowl and fold in onions.

Refrigerate unused portion. Use within 7 days.

Note: This makes a nice addition to TexMex dishes. Spread it on tortillas and breads. Mix it with vegan cheese, minced jalapeños, and minced tomatoes for queso/bean dip. Or use it as a base for 7-layer dip.