10 Vegan Recipes Worthy of a Cookout

For the non-animal product eating, summer cookouts can occasionally feel, how shall we say, limiting: ribs! Burgers! Cheeseburgers! Ice cream! Potato salad swimming in mayonnaise! This — despite an otherwise excellent selection of picnic sides — can be a little discouraging. But! Cookouts need not be so — and vegan folks need not just linger by the spread of side dishes hoping for an ear of corn or a frozen veggie burger, either.

Here are 10 delicious vegan recipes from Food 52's Gena Hamshaw worthy of a summer afternoon barbecue:

Creamy Vegan Avocado Potato Salad

Tempeh Kebabs with Homemade BBQ Sauce

Sweet, tangy homemade barbecue sauce is a perfect complement to the nutty, earthy taste of tempeh. 
 

Grilled Avocado Halves with Cumin-Spiced Quinoa and Black Bean Salad 

Creamy, satisfying avocado meets a hassle-free, versatile quinoa salad that works on its own as an anytime summer side dish.

Black Bean and Corn Burgers

These veggie burgers are a little bit spicy, thanks to a mixture of paprika, cumin, and chili, and a little bit sweet, thanks to fresh summer corn. 

Penne with Sweet Summer Vegetables, Pine Nuts, and Herbs

Think of this recipe as summer in a bowl. The sweet corn, bursting cherry tomatoes, and tender zucchini lighten up a savory, satisfying bowl of pasta. 

Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits

A sweet or savory spin on biscuits that feature sweet potato for a tender, moist interior and a very pretty golden color.

Vegan Summer Succotash

The combination of sweet vegetables and buttery coconut oil makes this easy dinner an irresistible delight.

 Perfect Vegan Pie Crust

This pie crust is totally authentic and yet totally dairy free -- all thanks to the magic of coconut oil. 

Strawberry Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream

This rich, dreamy ice cream -- which no one would ever guess is vegan -- benefits from fresh ingredients: seasonal, freshly picked strawberries and fresh vanilla bean. 

No-Fuss Vegan Cornbread 

This cornbread is a perfect balance of savory and sweet, rich and light.

[via Food 52]

26 Vegan Recipes For Comfort Food

1. Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheeze: Two Ways

Butternut squash pureed into macaroni and cheese just sounds like a match made in heaven, doesn’t it? It is also a fun way to sneak in another veggie. Get the recipe here.

 

2. Nirvana Enchilada Casserole 

Layers of corn tortilla sopping up spicy, fragrant, red sauce then overstuffed with mushroom, pinto beans and roasted potatoes. On top is a voluptuous cashew creme that will have you rolling your eyes to the back of your head like a zombie. An enchilada zombie.

3. Matzo Ball Soup
These matzo balls are firm and hold together awesomely well. They’re soft on the outside, but delightfully dense and toothsome in the middle. Try it out for yourself.

4. Tofu Popcorn Chick’n (+ it's gluten free)
This tofu chick’n recipe is so versatile. You can eat them on their own as popcorn chick’n or nuggets. You can put it in a wrap or a sandwich, on a pizza – so many possibilities! Try it!

5. Broccoli & Cheeze Soup
Why should dairy eaters have all the creamed soup fun? Create this delicious vegan option, instead.

6. Almost Famous Fried Pickles
It’s hard to believe the pickle can be improved upon, until you fry it up and taste it for yourself. Get the recipe here.

7. Peanut Butter Banana Chip Cookies
In this amazing recipe the sugar content is fairly low. They aren’t cakey, but not too crisp either. Somewhere in the middle with a pleasant crunch and a complex sweetness. And of course, they have a lovely peanut buttery undertone.

8. Mushroom Stout Pie With Potato Biscuits
A fluffy potato biscuit soaking up a deeply savory gravy that is at once mysterious and familiar. The stout really gives this dish an allure, and two kinds of mushrooms make it meaty and earthy and just umami like nobody’s business. And ya know, for a special occasion, it’s not too fussy.

9. Crispy Baked Onion Rings
Crispy, flavorful, and good-for-you, these onion rings make a great snack or addition to any meal. I could also see a big batch of these being made for a party served with a homemade dip. Can also be made gluten-free.

10. Vegetable Lasagna With Kale, Beluga Lentils & Carrots
This delicious lasagna recipe will make you forget about meat and cheese with kale and lentils!! Get the recipe here.

11. Creamed Kale
Nondairy milk and cashews combine to create a creamy sauce for kale or your favorite leafy greens. Try it for yourself!

12. Homemade Vegan Caesar Cocktail
Is this a vegan version of a Caesar cocktail or is it an adapted version of the Bloody Mary? I can’t decide. Whatever you call it, this is one fantastic drink with a whopping 4 servings of vegetables per 500 ml glass. Be sure to add the seasonings to taste and you can’t go wrong. Bottom's up!

13. Chocolate Cupcakes With Avocado Chocolate Icing

They say avocados and chocolate are brain foods right? (I don’t know who says, but it seems like something I might have read somewhere). I know it sounds weird and maybe a little gross to put them together but it actually works to make really thick and rich chocolatey frosting. Try out this recipe.

14. Creamy Polenta And Mushrooms

Creamy polenta, chickpeas and a mix of sautéed mushrooms & tarragon. This recipe is sure to be a main stay.

15. Mushroom “Alfredo”

Almonds blended with almond milk make a rich sauce for this vegan pasta dish. We like the flavor and smooth texture of spelt pasta and the way rotini traps the sauce, but feel free to substitute your favorite pasta. Get the recipe here.

16. Mozzarella Sticks

For the full diner experience, crack open a jar of pickles, whip up some vegan milkshakes, and make sure you have marinara sauce on hand. And remember, all food tastes better around 2AM. Dig into the recipe here.

 17. Double Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

A double dose of cinnamon gives these cookies a wonderful spicy aroma and even bigger cinnamon flavor.  Try them out now!

18. Vegan Chili

Hearty, healthy, and always ready to make you happy, this chili makes for a dependable partner. Whip up a batch with this popular recipe.

 

19. The Philly Reuben Sandwich 

A hefty sandwich, filled with sauerkraut and tangy Russian dressing that oozed out of the edges of the sandwich with each bite. Filled with marinated seitan and wrapped in warm rye bread. Try the recipe yourself! 

20. Spinach “Chicotta” Stuffed Pasta Shells

“Chicotta” is a new creation that will change the way you look at plant-based cheeses. It’s a ricotta-like cheese made from… chickpeas! With just some chickpeas and a few other simple ingredients, you can whip up the creamiest and most delicious non-dairy cheese you’ve ever tasted. Try this recipe tonight.
 

 

21. Miso Shitake Soba Soup
This soup is full of warming healing ingredients (shiitakes, ginger, miso, etc)… and would be the perfect thing if you’re under the weather… figuratively or quite literally. Get the recipe here.

22. Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich
Being a sandwich, this is totally a legit lunch. Grab a pink of Trader Joe's "Soy Creamy" vegan vanilla ice cream! Get the recipe here.

23. Creamy Broccoli And Mushroom Pasta
The vegan parmesan goes so well with the creamy mushrooms, the salty broccoli and the toasted pine nuts with the touch of heat from the red chili flakes. Yum yum yum! Try this recipe tonight!



24. Butterfinger Candy
This recipe is very simple, but you need to know two things before we begin: you must have a candy thermometer for this recipe, and you must read through the entire recipe before you start. Everything comes together quickly, and I certainly don’t wish a candy disaster on anyone.

25. Vegan Big Mac
Not only is this burger healthier and yummier than the original, it is also extremely easy and crazily filling! What a great way to impress your dinner guests with a vegan Big Mac! Try this recipe now!

26. Easy Cheezy Pizza
Nothing beats a yummy cheezy pizza…. Mmmmmm.  Get the recipe here.

[via Buzzfeed]

Go Vegetarian, Live Longer

There's plenty of evidence showing that vegetarian diets are great for your heart and waistline and even protect against cancer. But a new study of more than 73,000 Americans showed that it can help you live longer too. People with a plant-based diet in the study had a 20 percent lower mortality rate than meat eaters.

This study is one of the first to look at data from a living population of such a big size and to analyze the participants' eating patterns so meticulously. The researchers also controlled for lifestyle factors that could undermine health and lifespan, such as obesity, smoking, drinking, lack of exercise, poor sleep patterns, and age. Even despite all of these, the vegetarians and semi-vegetarians (one serving of meat per week max) lived longer, healthier lives than those who ate meat even a few times a week.

"Based on this study and other recent research, on average, vegetarians and semi-vegetarians tend to add about 10 years to their lives," says Sam Soret, coauthor of the study and associate dean of Loma Linda University School of Public Health. "This doesn't mean that every individual can automatically extend his life by going vegetarian because, besides diet, the genetic lottery plays a role in longevity. But having these results from such a huge group of people makes it undeniable that diet is a critical component impacting [lifespan]."

What makes a plant-based diet such a life saver? "It seems that there are fundamentally two factors at play," Soret says. "One is that the more plant foods you eat, the less meat you tend to consume. Meat has detrimental effects in its own right, which we know from evidence accumulated over the last century linking it to heart disease and cancer. So the more meat you eat, the more you expose yourself to these negative factors."

Secondly, plant foods provide their own health perks. "We also have important evidence that proves plants contain protective elements such as phytonutrients," Soret says. "Even semi-vegetarians, who eat some meat but still consume a lot of plant foods, minimize their exposure to the bad stuff in meat while upping their exposure to protective stuff in plants. It's a double whammy."

– Melaina Juntti

[via Men's Journal]