Tag: vegetarian

Vegan  Spinach Artichoke Cups

* Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. All opinions are my own.

Hello everyone and happy (almost) summer,

The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, the lawn needs mowed, and everybody suddenly is having get togethers again. I haven’t made my incredibly delicious summer pasta salad yet or even my indulgent vegan macaroni salad, but I did come up with something new. I was at the store and spotted “egg roll” wrappers and decided that I was going to repurpose them for bite size appetizers. After some kitchen cabinet, refrigerator, and soul-searching, I came up with Vegan  Spinach Artichoke Cups.

This savory snack is ready in under 30 minutes and calls for just ten ingredients (including spices!). Have a party this evening, but no time to prepare for it except the morning? No problem! These vegan spinach artichoke cups are the perfect appetizer that you can serve at room temperature. Give them a try! They’ll fly off the platter.

What are some of your favorite go to snacks for summer parties?

Cheers and happy eating!

Jocelyn

5 from 1 vote
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Vegan Spinach Artichoke Cups

These vegan spinach artichoke cups are the perfect appetizer that you can serve at room temperature. These are savory, indulgent and ready in under 30 minutes!

Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword Vegan Appetizer, Vegan Spinach Artichoke Cups, Vegan Wontons
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes

Ingredients

  • 24 vegan wonton wrappers
  • 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup vegan sour cream
  • 12 oz. vegan cream cheese
  • 1/2 15 oz. can artichokes diced
  • 1/4 red pepper, extra large diced
  • 1 cup spinach chopped
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and place cupcake liners in a muffin tin. 

  2. Press a wonton wrapper into each of the baking cups and fold the sides in a bit. (If you can't find vegan wonton wrappers, you can cut summer roll/ egg roll wrappers into quarters).

  3. Bake for 6 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. 

  4. While the cups are baking, dice the red pepper and artichokes.                    

  5. Heat the vegan cream cheese until soft. Mix the vegan mayonnaise, vegan sour cream, smoked paprika, garlic salt, onion powder, salt and pepper.

  6. Add the artichokes, red pepper, and spinach. Mix well.

  7. Remove the cups from the muffin tin and cupcake liners and place on a cooling rack for five minutes.

  8. Scoop the vegan cheese and veggie mixture into the cups.

  9. Top with smoked paprika and enjoy!

A Vegan Guide to New Orleans

* Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. All opinions are my own.

Hello everyone,

Ah, New Orleans. A town full of history, jazz, beignets, gumbo, beans and rice, and…vegan food? I have to admit, while planning my recent trip to The Big Easy, I was left wanting more. I couldn’t find an updated, honest and comprehensive vegan guide to New Orleans. Luckily, the dearth of information doesn’t actually correlate to a lack of vegan-friendly food in the city.

As always, I created a loose itinerary with whatever vegan options I could find—many of which were places that didn’t specifically cater to vegans or vegetarians. When given the option, I will always financially support the cruelty free venture. I am happy to report that while traversing the streets of the French Quarter an beyond, I stumbled upon some of the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants I’ve had the pleasure to eat dine in! Check out my top ten places to visit on your next trip to the Crescent City.

Have you been to New Orleans? What are your favorite places to grab a bite to eat or decadent dessert?

Cheers!

Jocelyn Continue reading “A Vegan Guide to New Orleans” →

The Impossible Burger: My 5-Minute Review

Hello everyone,

Staying warm? Enjoying the snow? I don’t know about you, but when it’s cold outside I crave comfort food. One of my favorite comfort foods is a hearty vegan “burger.” That’s right—a faux meat patty topped with gooey, melty vegan cheese, Heinz ketchup, banana pepper rings, and a dollop of Just Mayo. It always hits the spot! Well, I’ve been hearing buzz about the Impossible Burger for months and months, so I finally decided to find one nearby to give a try. Today I am here to finally provide The Impossible Burger: My 5-Minute Review.  

After years of research and $180 million in funding, the Impossible Burger debuted in the summer of 2016 in NYC at Momofuku Nishi. Now, this restaurant is not a burger joint. It’s an asian fusion restaurant. Possibly an odd place to launch a veggie burger, but it worked! People were lining up hours before the restaurant opened to get a bite of the Impossible Burger.

So why was everyone in a tizzy? Well, the Impossible Burger is a plant-based burger that looks and cooks like ground beef. These qualities are supposed to make it satisfy vegans/ vegetarians and omnivores alike. How does it achieve this? It includes heme—a molecule extracted from fermented yeast that mimics the same molecule that’s found in animal blood. This enables this meatless burger to “bleed” and sear, just like animal-based burgers.

Impossible Burger

Now, these qualities are off-putting for many vegans/ vegetarians, but considering I didn’t cook the burger, I didn’t mind it. The Impossible Burger looks like a medium cooked  regular burger, but so do many other veggie burgers. In fact, I found it to be similar to Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger in both flavor and texture. The Impossible Burger tasted juicy and a bit greasy, with a slightly crispy exterior and soft center. I ate mine topped with pickles, vegan cheese, lettuce and ketchup, and boy, did it hit the spot! Continue reading “The Impossible Burger: My 5-Minute Review” →

Recipe: Hearty Vegan Chili

fullsizerenderHello everyone,

We’re well into soup season so I wanted to share my quick and easy hearty vegan chili recipe. There is nothing better than sitting down with a big, comforting bowl of chili on a bitter cold evening. And it is certainly cold in Cleveland!

This recipe calls for a few pantry staples, as well as some easy to find produce. I recommend making a big pot of this chili on Sunday or Monday and eating it throughout the week. This recipe keeps for about 7-10 days, and it tastes just as good as leftovers!

It’s so easy – just chop, sauté, and simmer your way to a delectable vegan chili. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Happy cooking! Cheers!

Jocelyn Continue reading “Recipe: Hearty Vegan Chili” →

Settlers of Catan Vegan Nachos!

Hello everyone,

A few weeks ago my Facebook feed became flooded with links to a Nerdist article about Settlers of Catan Nachos. Two of my favorite things in one! Can I get the longest road of Settlers nachos? I’m not sure how that would work, but I’ll try! I’m determined!

Obviously, as soon as I saw the article, I knew I had to have a game night and make these nachos. It was a no brainer. And really, who doesn’t love a good nacho bar? It’s cheap, it’s relatively easy, and your guests can customize their plate to their own liking.

These Settlers of Catan nachos are made possible by purchasing small hexagonal weigh boats to house the ingredients. Then you simply divvy up your nacho ingredients and voila! You have a beautifully colorful, edible game day snack! Continue reading “Settlers of Catan Vegan Nachos!” →