Making satisfying vegan comfort food can seem like a challenge if you’re used to cooking with meat. Most people have the misconception that while vegan food is healthy, it can’t be equally delicious. However, that’s far from the case. Cooking with vegan ingredients gives you plenty of room to experiment and come up with truly wonderful meals that everyone will love. These two recipes are guaranteed to convert even the most die-hard meat-eater.
Buffalo Cauliflower Nuggets
A variation on the classic buffalo wings, these little nuggets pack an impressive flavor punch. They’re incredibly quick and easy to make which comes in handy when you have unexpected visitors. These bite-sized nuggets also make a great low-calorie snack for when those cravings hit.
Ingredients
1 large cauliflower head
1 ½ cups breadcrumbs
Cooking spray or olive oil
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to season
½ cup hot sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
Method
1. Before you begin any of the prep, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Add bread crumbs, paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix with a fork until fully combined.
3. Break the cauliflower head into small bite size florets and spray with cooking spray or lightly brush each with olive oil.
4. Dust the florets with the bread crumb mix, making sure you cover them fully.
5. Line them on a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes. At the halfway mark, flip each floret over to ensure they’re cooked equally on both sides.
6. Whisk together the remaining sauces in a separate bowl. Add some olive oil if necessary to loosen the mixture.
7. When the cauliflower is done, coat each floret with the sauce and then put it back in the oven for five minutes
8. Serve hot with a side of yogurt. These nuggets can be quite spicy, so they yogurt cools down your palate.
Quinoa Burger And Fries
This giant burger is so filling, you won’t even realize how healthy it is. Delicious, hearty burgers have for too long belonged solely to the non-vegan world. This burger is set to change all of that and break down misconceptions about vegan food. It’s perfect for a football night with your friends when you need sinfully delicious finger food.
Ingredients
For The Burger
2 cups cooked quinoa (follow package instructions)
1 cup cannellini beans (mashed into a smooth puree)
1 tsp grated garlic
1 tsp chipotle powder (or red chili powder)
Kosher salt to season
Olive oil
4 burger buns (lightly toasted if desired)
For The Caramelized Onions
2 large white onions thinly sliced
2 tbsps butter
1 cup beer
For The Sweet Potato Fries
4 sweet potatoes cut into thick strips
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to season
Method
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Mix together all the ingredients for the burger patties except for the bread crumbs
3. Scoop out equal portions and flatten into patties. Place these in the fridge for at least an hour to firm up.
4. Mix together the sweet potato fingers with all the seasoning ensure each strip is fully coated.
5. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Then turn over the fries and bake again for another 15 minutes or until fully cooked.
6. For the caramelized onions, add the onions and butter to a skillet and keep mixing over a low for 15 minutes until the onions have browned.
7. Then slowly add in the beer a little at a time. Make sure each addition of beer has been absorbed by the onions before adding some more. Do this until you have finished a cup of beer.
8. Take your patties out of the fridge and spray with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Then coat the patties in breadcrumbs.
9. Shallow fry them over a skillet until fully cooked.
To Assemble
1. Heat the burger buns and spread your favorite sauce over each side. Place a layer of caramelized onions, then the burger patty and finally a few sweet potato fries.
2. If you eat eggs, you can add a fried egg on top of this too.
