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vegan mac and cheese by notetoiris
DishesRecipes

Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese, Southern/Caribbean Style 🧀

written by notetoiris

Cheese. Probably what I miss most since going vegan. A lot has changed in the last 5 years! You can now find vegan cheese in most supermarkets! That’s why I thought I’d create this recipe, inspired by my husbands family who are of Caribbean heritage. It is creamy and cheesy and will likely fool every non-vegan.

vegan mac and cheese by notetoiris

I think the most important thing is to not overcook the macaroni, as I have done this before… As long as you keep an eye on that you should be okay.

We had this mac and cheese over the holiday season at a friends place, with jollof rice, salad, coleslaw, grilled greens, and my kale sweet potato salad. They are not vegan and enjoyed the mac and cheese too 🙂

Here’s my mix of creole seasoning if you can not find it at your local shop, mix some yourself.

All the cheese alternatives I use are from Sainsbury’s own brand (this is not sponsored by any brands!) I used the garlic & herb soft cheese,  cheddar-style grated cheese, Alpro almond milk, Bute Island mozzarella style grated.

I also have a healthier version of mac and cheese, where the sauce is created with hidden veggies, I would recommend that more for an every day meal or kids meal. You can also use spelt macaroni for a healthier alternative.

 

vegan mac and cheese by notetoiris

Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese, Southern/Caribbean Style

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Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons margarine
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tub soft/cream style cheese (170g)
  • ½ cup almond milk (more if you want it a little runnier)
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon creole seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon mustard powder
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
  • ½ cup mozzarella style vegan grated cheese
  • ½ cup cheddar style grated cheese

  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 225g/8 ounce uncooked Macaroni

Instructions

  1. Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.
  2. Add butter to skillet, as soon as butter melts whisk in flour. Continue whisking until flour is fully mixed with butter. Then cook for about a minute to get rid of the flour taste.
  3. Slowly add evaporated milk a little at the time, followed by the half and half ; you do not want the mixture to form any lumps. Simmer for about 3-5 minutes until mixture thickens slightly.
  4. Add seasonings, onion and garlic powder, creole seasoning and cayenne pepper.
  5. Bring to a simmer and let it simmer gently for about 2 minutes.
  6. Stir in the cheeses (reserve some as toppings later), and continue stirring until everything’s melted and evenly combined and, smooth. Salt & pepper, to taste.
  7. Then add the cooked  pasta to the pot, stir to evenly incorporate.
  8. Transfer the pasta mixture into a the pan or into a lightly greased 2-qt. baking dish; top with remaining cheese
  9. Bake at 375 Degrees F° for 20 minutes or until bubbly.
January 3, 2020
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DishesRecipes

Spicy Sweet Potato Curly Kale Salad 🥬

written by notetoiris

Kale growing up was like my evil enemy. Greens were not what I liked at all as a kid…

This recipe has been a favourite of mine for quite some time. I grew up eating curly kale mixed in with potatoes, in the Netherlands we call this dish ‘boerenkool’ or ‘farmers cabbage’. We usually cooked the kale separate from the potatoes and mashed together when both cooked.

With this recipe I don’t cook the kale, I let it sit, soften and marinade. The radio potato to kale is also the other way around. Where normally in the Dutch dish the potatoes are the main ingredient, this time the kale shines.

I’ve mixed in a little hemp seed oil for flavour and texture but you could easily substitute this with a little water. You can also add your desired heat to the dish. No need to make it spicy if you would just prefer a sweet salad. Add whatever veggies you have leftover. One day I added tomatoes, red bell pepper and spring onion. Other times I might add cucumber or olives… One thing I always add is creole seasoning, you can either buy it in the supermarket or mix your own with this recipe here.

This was a very successful side dish for our festive season 2019!

sweet potato kale salad recipe by notetoiris

Let me know what you think by using the hashtag #notetoiris and you can find me everywhere @notetoiris

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Happy January and therefor happy Veganuary! If you are starting your vegan journey, detoxing with more veg in your meals, or just plant curious, this @weareveganuary I’m going to post a new plant based recipe each day! ✨🌱 Hopefully this will inspire you to incorporate more plants 🌶🥦🥒🍋🍆 . Today I’m going to share my favourite recipe for eating curly kale raw. Yes it’s bitter on its own and the texture is pretty tough. That’s why mixing it with cooked sweet potato, and leaving it to soak up some of the moister and flavours, it softens, carrying the sweetness and spices very well. It holds a good texture, unlike other salad leaves 🍃 You can also make this in advance or make a big batch and have leftovers the next day 🍠🥬 Link in bio ✨ We are back in London now and this dish brings some much needed colour and heat into our lives 🔥 #veganeveryday #veganuary #veganuary2020 #plantbased #veganshare #crueltyfree #tryvegan #eatplants #veganlife #freerecipe #recipe #feedfeed #easyvegan #cleaneating #kalesalad #vegan

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sweet potato kale salad by notetoiris

Spicy Sweet Potato Curly Kale Salad

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: Cooking Time:

Ingredients

  • 6 cups kale, stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 medium sized sweet potatoes
  • tomato if desired
  • half a red bell pepper cut in little pieces
  • kalamata olives
  • spring onion
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon oil, such as hemp
  • 2 tablespoons creole seasoning
  • pinch salt
  • pinch pepper
  • More cayenne pepper or creole seasoning to desired heat

Instructions

Boil a pan of water for your potatoes

Peel and cut the sweet potato in same sized chunks, drop them in the pan once to a boiling point

Cut the curly kale in strips, removing the centre as these pieces are a little too tough (you could add these in a smoothie or juice them)

Once potatoes are cooked, drain and mash with a fork or potato masher, add a little oil or water is necessary to generate a softer texture, add this to the kale and then add the seasoning

Leave to stand for at least 30 minutes or until soft as you like, this can also be eaten the next day

 

January 1, 2020
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Red Pesto Pasta - notetoiris
DishesFood & Drink

Simple Peppery And Sweet Pepper Pesto (Vegan)

written by notetoiris

Red Pepper Pesto is so versatile, I love it on pasta, toast and stir it in stir fries!

Red Pepper Pesto - notetoiris

All peppers are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, but red peppers are simply bursting with them. Antioxidant vitamins A and C help to prevent cell damage, cancer, and diseases related to aging, and they support immune function. They also reduce inflammation like that found in arthritis and asthma. Vitamin K promotes proper blood clotting, strengthens bones, and helps protect cells from oxidative damage.

Red Pepper Pesto - notetoiris

Red Pepper Pesto - notetoiris

 

Red Pepper Pesto - notetoiris

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Serves: 6 Prep Time: Cooking Time:

Ingredients

  • 4 long sweet peppers
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • Fresh chili (depending on your level of spice, I like 3 fresh red chilis)
  • 1/3 cup walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon mixed herbs
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Bunch of basil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. De-seed, de-stalk and slice your peppers in half or quarters.
  2. Next: roast the pepper and garlic in a hot oven… To do this, keep the garlic in its skin and place on an oven tray along with the pepper and place in a pre-heated oven (gas mark 7/425°F/220°C should work fine). Roast garlic for up to 10 minutes and the pepper for about 15-20 minutes (or until the pepper is easy to pierce). No need to let the pepper char. Note: I find it easier to roast this ahead of time – get on with something else – and then set them out to cool for a little while before adding to the rest of the ingredients. (You can also fry them in a non stick frying pan)
  3. It’s best to wait until the garlic cools down a little before you pop it out of it’s skin. Gently chop off the top; then squeeze out the fleshy garlic and place in a jug ready to blend with everything else.
  4. Add all ingredients to a jug/blender/food processor and blend until you reached your desired consistency.
  5. Chill in the fridge before serving.

 

 

February 26, 2018
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Dishes

Quick Sweet and Spicy Curried Fennel

written by notetoiris

It’s so quick to make, and meanwhile has managed to catapult itself very high on our (yes even mine!) favourites list of quick lunches. But we also have it as a starter or side-dish, for example as an addition to a Sunday lunch. But not only is it pretty and tastes great, according to the World-Health-Food Website it also contains a lot of Vitamin C and other nutrients, is high in fibre, and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Curried fennel

Recipe based on: Roasted Curried Fennel, by Soni, at soni’s food

The ingredients below are based on Soni’s original recipe with the addition of fennel seeds. Instead of mixing the spices together, I just sprinkle them liberally on the fennel one-by-one, so quantities I use may vary, also depending on the size of the fennel bulb. Adding the spices one-by-one also means that the fennel is more unevenly coloured with beautiful yellow-orange to red rainbow patches…

1 fennel bulb
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (or cayenne pepper)
1/2 tsp mild paprika powder
1 tsp fennel seeds
salt
extra virgin olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/175C Fan. Line 1-2 baking trays with parchment paper. Clean the fennel: cut off any brown or mushy bits with a small knife. Remove the stalks (leaving a couple of centimetres on the bulb) and feathery green leaves (they can both be used for soups, so freeze for later use). Rinse, then slice into app. ½ to 1 cm thick slices from top to bottom. Arrange the slices on the backing trays.

February 10, 2018
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Red Beans - notetoiris
DishesFood & Drink

Easy Peasy Caribbean Rice and Peas (Vegan)

written by notetoiris

Many people from the Caribbean refer to kidney beans as “peas,” so don’t let the title fool you. This classic Jamaican rice dish is low in fat yet high in fiber, protein, and calcium.

I’ve adapted a recipe from the Caribbean and put your own spin on it. I normally use uncooked beans and leave to soak overnight but this is a speedier recipe for when you’re in a hurry. Hope you like it 🙂

 

Rice and Peas - notetoiris

Tonight’s meal Rice and peas with baked sweet potato and aubergine I don’t cook rice often as I tend to cook grains but was craving rice and peas for a week and finally made it #riceandpeas #carribean #meatlessmonday #meatlesseveryday #vegan #notetoiris #nourishyourself

Easy Peasy Caribbean Rice and Peas (Vegan)

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Serves: 2 Prep Time: Cooking Time:

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 chilli pepper (optional)
  • 3 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • Half an onion
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice (such as jasmine)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Instructions

  1. Wash rice until water runs clear. Drain water.
  2. Heat a saucepan with oil. Then add onion, garlic, thyme, and chilli pepper, sauté for about a minute.
  3. Stir in rice to the pan, followed by beans for about 2 minutes, then add bay leaf, vegetable stock cube, with 1/4 cup of water, bring to a boil reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer until rice is cooked, about 20 minutes or more. Stir occasionally from the sides to prevent burns , add more water if needed.
  4. Adjust for salt and pepper. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs. You have to stir occasionally to be preventing any burns.
  5. Serve warm

Notes

Serve with Spring onions 🙂

August 17, 2017
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Simple Satisfying (and Soy-Free) Vegan Potato Salad by notetoiris
DishesRecipes

Simple Satisfying (and Dairy-Free) Vegan Potato Salad

written by notetoiris

As a kid I loved my grandmothers potato salad, so I gave it a vegan makeover… Hope you guys like it! Let me know what you prefer to add to your potato salad…

I used plain Plamil egg and soy free mayo.

Simple Satisfying (and Soy-Free) Vegan Potato Salad by notetoiris

Simple Satisfying (and Dairy-Free) Vegan Potato Salad by notetoiris

Simple Satisfying (and Dairy-Free) Vegan Potato Salad

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Serves: 4 Prep Time:

Ingredients

  • 1kg of new potatoes
  • 4 tablespoons Plamil Egg free Mayo
  • Quarter of a small cucumber
  • 1 stick of celery
  • About 20g of ready made sweet corn or 1 corn on the cob (pre-boiled)
  • 5 spring onions
  • 10g of chives (optional)
  • 1/2 a lime, juiced
  • Lots of salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Half or quarter any of the larger potatoes, then place them all in a pan of cold water with a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 18-20 minutes until cooked through.
  2. While the potatoes cook, finely chop the spring onions, cucumber, celery and chives.
  3. When the potatoes are cooked through remove from the heat and drain. Leave the potatoes to cool before stirring through the mayo (you can run them under cold water to speed up the process).
  4. Stir through the cucumber, celery, sweet corn, spring onions, chives, lime juice, salt and pepper.
  5. Finely chop the remaining spring onion and chives and sprinkle over the potato salad as decoration before serving.
June 12, 2017
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Jonathan Pielmayer, vegan, pasta, macaroni
DishesFood & DrinkJournalRecipesVeganise

Super Creamy Easy Vegan Mac & “Cheese”

written by notetoiris

Vegan comfort food at its finest, this tasty vegan mac and cheese is made with butternut squash, carrots and other real-food ingredients. No weird stuff here – just natural macaroni and cheese-like deliciousness!

Mac and Cheese has always been a favourite since meeting my partner Joel. When we met, he made it with indulgent dairy cheese and I remember we (almost) fell a sleep straight away after eating it! Now we make it with vegan dairy free cheese and it’s still indulgent but without the food naps…

Jonathan Pielmayer, vegan, pasta, macaroniI’ve been contemplating giving it a plant-based and healthy make over for a while now. Creating a sauce from cooked butternut squash and carrots as the base of the the creaminess. You could also use sweet potato instead of carrots. Adding a bit of nutiva coconut manna to make it a little more decadent plus you have the option of adding vegan dairy free cheese on top for that little extra 😉 The good thing about using this coconut butter, it’s organic and 100% coconut! Check the back of canned coconut milk and you’ll find lots of ingredients and usually only 50-70% coconut…

This recipe is perfect for getting children or fussy adults to eat more veg. The carrots give it a natural sweetness 🙂

Let me know how you get on and if you decided to change some of the ingredients around to your own taste! You could add fresh chopped chilli for instance and make it spicy.

Jonathan Pielmayer, vegan, pasta, macaroni

Super Creamy Easy Vegan Mac &

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Serves: 4 Prep Time: Cooking Time:

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces macaroni pasta (penne, shells and rotini are also good)
  • 1/2 small butternut squash diced (3 cups )
  • 2 medium carrots (or 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced, about 2 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1/2 medium chopped onion (about 1 cup)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon mustard of choice
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth (or use the boiling water you used to cook the butternut squash)
  • 3/4 cup coconut butter (or use coconut milk: the sauce may just be a bit thinner)
  • 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon soy sauce, to taste

Instructions

  1. Fill a large pot 2/3 full with water and place over high heat. Once boiling, add a few generous pinches of salt and add the pasta. Cook according to the time on the package until al dente. Drain and return to pan (off heat). Set aside.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, fill another large pot 2/3 full with water and place over high heat. Add the squash and carrots. Bring to a boil and cook until the veggies are fork-tender, 7-8 minutes. Drain and add to the pitcher of a heat-proof, high-powered blender (or a normal blender). Set aside.
  3. Place a medium saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the coconut oil. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the mustard, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir. Remove from heat. Pour in the vegetable broth and stir to release any of the browned bits of onion and spices. Pour into blender pitcher. Add coconut butter and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Puree until completely smooth. Taste and add additional soy sauce, a teaspoon at a time, to taste, along with more salt and pepper if desired.
  4. Pour sauce over cooked pasta in the pan. This recipe makes a lot of sauce (because I like it saucy!) so you might not want to use it all. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until all of the pasta is coated.
  5. Add grated dairy free cheese on the top of your oven dish if you want that extra indulgent and place under the hot grill for 10 minutes. Serve…

 

Notes

If you would like to add nutritional yeast to the sauce, I found 2 tablespoons to be a good amount. Just add it with the sauce and blend.

June 6, 2017
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