Dairy-free Recipes

[Mama Mangia]

Bold & Raw “Cheese” Sauce (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free)
Altered from "May All be Fed" by John Robbins
Ingredients:

1-8 ounce package firm tofu, crumbled
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
1/3 cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes (see our Product List)
1/3 cup Raw Tahini (see our Product List)
3 Tablespoons Wheat-Free Tamari or Low Sodium Soy Sauce
3 Tablespoons Water
1 teaspoon Dried Basil
1/8 teaspoon Turmeric
1 Garlic Clove, minced
¼ teaspoon fresh Ground Black Pepper or Paprika.
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Best served at room temperature or heated a bit. Very bold flavor, a little goes a long way.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Healthy Nacho Cheez Sauce (Vegan, Soy-Free)
This cheez with Mexican food appeal comes from Chef Alex Bury
Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups water
½ cup safflower oil
1 Tb wet mustard
1 Tb cider vinegar
Directions:

Mix dry ingredients well, with a whisk in a heavy sauce pot.
Whisk in water and oil. Add mustard and vinegar.
Cook until thickened.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Lessarella Cheez (Vegan, Nut-Free, Wheat-Free, Soy-Free)
The following recipe came from the 5 star "Country Life Vegetarian Cookbook" by Diana Fleming.



Ingredients:

2 cups water
3 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
1/3 cup quick oats
1/4 cup arrowroot or cornstarch
1 Tbs onion powder
1/4 cup tahini (if you don't have tahini, you can use sesame seeds - tahini is sesame seed paste)
1 1/2 tsp salt
Optional: You can also add 1/2 chopped red bell pepper if you want to make the cheese more orange coloured. I like to do this. Also, if you are not going to set the cheese, you can leave out the cornstarch. The oats are enough to thicken the cheese for pizzas and other savoury cheese dishes.

Blend all ingredients on high for one minute. Pour into saucepan and cook on medium, stirring constantly until thickened. Put into loaf pan or other mold. Chill overnight. Remove from mold and slice. Delicious on crackers, pizza or in sandwiches. For pizza or fondue, use half the amount of arrowroot.

You can use this cheese on pizzas, to make lasagna, macaroni cheese, on the top of mashed potatoes when making a beanshepherd's pie, on toast with tomatoes. You can make it thick and set it and cut it the next day or you can make it thinner and pour it over vegetables as a cheese sauce. I use this recipe most frequently as it has no nuts or seeds which makes it cheaper. However, if you can afford them, the recipes with nuts and seeds are so good for nutritional value.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Melty “Cheese” I (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free)
Ingredients:

2 cups Water
¼ cup Diced Tomatoes
¼ cup Raw Almonds, Cashews, or Sunflower Seeds (for nut-free)
¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Onion Powder
½ Tablespoon Sea Salt
½ Tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch or Arrowroot Powder
¼ cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until very smooth. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it becomes thick. Recommended on macaroni, vegetables and potatoes.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Pimento “Cheese” (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free)
Adapted from the “Country Life Vegetarian Cookbook"
Ingredients:

1½ cups Water
5 Tablespoons Agar Flakes
¾ cup Cashew Pieces, may substitute Sunflower Seeds for nut-free
2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds or 1 Tablespoon Tahini (see our Product List)
1¼ teaspoons Sea Salt
2 teaspoons Onion Powder
¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
¼ cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes
½ cup Diced Red Pepper or Pimentos
2½ Tablespoons Lemon Juice
Directions: Put the first two ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Place the agar mixture and the remaining ingredients in a blender. Blend all ingredients on high 1 - 2 minutes until creamy, stopping the blender once or twice to stir the contents and scrape down the sides. Pour the “cheese” into a mold and chill overnight. Un-mold the cheese and use sliced or shredded in place of commercially made cheese in your favorite recipes, or enjoy with crackers, breads, or fruit. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7-10 days.

Variations: To make different flavors, fold in one of the following before pouring cheese into mold:

¾ cup finely Chopped Olives
2 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seeds
1½ Tablespoons Caraway Seeds
2 Tablespoons Dill Weed Powder
or 1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Onion Flakes and 2¼ teaspoons Dill.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Simple Melty “Cheese” Sauce (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free)
Ingredients:

½ cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes (see our Product List)
½ cup Cornstarch or Arrowroot Powder (see our Product List)
2 Tablespoons Flour (your choice on the type, can be GF)
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
2 cups Water
1 teaspoon Prepared Mustard
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens and bubbles. It will thicken the longer it cooks. This is a kid approved recipe for spreads, sauces, and popcorn.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Vegan Parmesan (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free)
If you use sesame seeds, just throw all the ingredients into a food processor and give it all a quick whizz.

Equal amounts of:

Almond meal or ground sesame seeds
nutritional yeast flakes
Any or all, to taste:

salt
pepper
chicken-style bouillon powder
garlic powder
onion powder
Mix all ingredients together and use on pasta, lasagne or anything that calls for parmesan cheese.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Tofu Ricotta (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free)


1 box Mori-Nu silken tofu
1 lb firm, fresh tofu
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tb chopped garlic
2 Tb nutritional yeast
1 Tb salt
1 tsp pepper
2 Tb herbs (basil, parsley, oregano, etc)
¼ cup lemon juice


Directions:

Puree in a food processor with the “s” blade, but not too well—ricotta has a little bit of texture, it’s not completely smooth. You can also make in a bowl with a potato masher. Taste and adjust seasonings to your own personal tastes. Bake in a lasagna or on polenta.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Anne's Not-Your-Average Mac'n'Cheese (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free)

Anne's Not-Your-Average Mac'n'Cheese

Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Vegan

1 bag Tinkyada rice pasta (I like spirals)
1½ Tbsp Earth Balance spread
1½ Tbsp sweet brown rice flour
¾ c plain soy milk
½ tsp salt
1 pkg Follow Your Heart vegan cheddar , (this is by far the best vegan cheese)
½ c organic red cabbage
3+1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 c organic broccoli florets
2 organic carrots
1 medium red onion
½ organic red cabbage
1 Tbsp oil for sautéing

Chop the veggies into whatever sizes and shapes you like, but small enough to fit on a fork. Shred the Follow Your Heart, reserving 2 tbsp for topping. Set pasta water to boil.

Make a roux by melting the Earth Balance in a small saucepan then adding the rice flour until it becomes a hot paste. Add ½ cup soymilk to the roux and bring to a simmer. Add the cheese, and 3 tbsp yeast, and stir until it melts. It will melt, eventually. If your sauce needs more liquid, add soymilk.

Sautee veggies in oil, with salt and pepper, until tender, but crisp. Toss noodles and veggies with the cheese sauce in an oven-safe pan, taste for seasoning, and top with the remaining yeast and. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until cheese melts. Enjoy.

Feeds 5

 

[Mama Mangia]

Homemade Potato Gnocci
In restaurants, Gnocci is often made with parmesan and smothered in butter. Try making this simple version at home, where you can control what goes in and on top of this tasty potato pasta.
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

675g or 1½ lbs Potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
150g or 5oz Plain Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 teasp Baking Powder
1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Black Pepper
Directions:

1. Place the potato in a large saucepan of cold salted water, bring to the boil then cook for 20 minutes or until tender.

2. Drain the cooked potatoes well, return to the pan and mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth.

3. Add the remaining ingredients to the mashed potatoes and mix well to form a dough. Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead the dough until smooth, dusting with extra flour if necessary to prevent sticking.

4. Pull off pieces of the dough about the size of a cherry tomato, and roll into balls. Set each one aside on a floured surface whilst you finish the remainder.

5. Flatten the balls with the back of a fork, using the tines to create ridges then fold them in half, with the marks on the outside. The overall size should be approximately 2.5cm/1 inch in length but it's not too important, just make sure the sizes are ore or less even.

6. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, then keeping the water bubbling, add the gnocchi, and cook until they float to the top. This only takes a 2-3 minutes depending on the size.

7. Drain well and serve with a Basil and Tomato sauce or another sauce of your choice. Or make it mock-restaurant style, drizzling a respectable amount of butter flavored shortening (such as Earth Balance Buttery Sticks) over the gnocci, and sprinkle with vegan parmesan.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Pork, Peppers & Pasta (Soy-Free)

Ingredients:

3 thick pork loin chops, cut down into bite sized pieces
1 white onion, chopped up
4 cloves of garlic, smashed (not diced)
2 green bell peppers, cut into thin long strips
Onion salt, as desired (cover pork with)
Ground Ginger, as desired (cover pork with)
Italian Seasoning, 1/2 tsp (cover pork with)
Any type of pasta will do, but I used spaghetti with my dish
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for sauteeing veggies- to your discretion
1. Cut up all of your veggies and add onion & garlic to a frying pan with enough EVOO to cover the bottom. Cut up your peppers and put in a bowl off to the side. Chop up your pork loin chops into bite-sized pieces (I did it by slicing the pork loin diagonally into semi-thick strips, and then chopped those up into bite sized pieces so it cooks faster), add your spices and set aside. Start your pasta if you don’t have day-old pasta (start boiling water). If you have day-old pasta in a pot, cover it up and put on low heat so it heats up nicely.

2. Sautee the onion and garlic til translucent, add peppers and cook til they start to “wilt” a bit (not too much! You still want a little bit of crunch). Add the pork and cook til thoroughly cooked. You can also set it on a lower heat to let it simmer down a bit and cook on its own.

3. When both the pork & peppers mixture and the pasta are all ready to be served, serve in a bowl or a plate together and there you have it! Enjoy!

 

[Mama Mangia]

Vegan Ravioli & Vegetable Medley (Vegan, Nut-Free*, Soy-Free*)

"A delicious and healthy pasta dish that is quick and easy to prepare. Great for vegans and non-vegans alike!"

Makes 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 packages Rising Moon Organics ® frozen vegan ravioli (or your own favorite brand of vegan ravioli)
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
12 stalks broccolini, chopped
12 stalks asparagus, chopped
3/4-cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil or water – use the dry, pre-chopped variety)
1 tomato, finely chopped (remove seeds)
4-cups baby spinach
Directions:

Cook the ravioli according to package directions (be sure to increase cooking time slightly, in order to fully cook two packages of ravioli).

About 5 minutes before ravioli is ready, heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the chopped garlic cloves, stirring continuously. When the garlic cloves start to turn brown (after about 2 minutes), add the chopped broccolini and asparagus.

After about 2 minutes of sautéing the garlic, broccolini, and asparagus, add the sun-dried tomatoes, chopped tomato, and 4 cups of baby spinach. When the spinach begins to wilt, reduce the heat to medium and continue stirring and mixing the vegetables in the skillet.

When the ravioli is done cooking, turn off the heat (under both the ravioli pot and the vegetable skillet) and ladle the ravioli into 3 individual serving bowls. Lightly toss the vegetable mixture in the skillet (off the stove) and distribute among the three serving bowls, over the ravioli.

Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and serve immediately.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Hawaiian Style Pasta for Kids (Gluten Free, Soy Free)

Serves: 4


Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package pasta (your shape and type of choice)
1 cup tomato based pasta sauce
2 slices fresh or canned pineapple, cut into pieces
2 cups chopped ham or salami
Vegan Mozzarella or Parmesan (optional)
Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a saucepan over medium heat, add the tomato sauce, pineapple, and ham/salami. Toss in the cooked pasta, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to bubble (about 10 min). Serve sprinkled with vegan mozarella or parmesan if desired.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Penne with White Beans and Greens (Vegan, Soy-Free)

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
5 cups chopped escarole or Swiss chard
Dash of salt and pinch of ground black pepper
One 15-ounce can whole tomatoes
One 15-ounce can white beans or navy beans, drained
6 to 9 ounces penne
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Directions:

• In a medium skillet, heat the oil. Add the onions and saute 5 minutes over medium heat until translucent.

• Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the escarole, salt and pepper.

• Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, covered, until the greens are bright green, wilted and reduced by at least half.

• Add the liquid from the tomatoes and coarsely chop tomatoes with a knife right in the can.

• Stir the tomatoes and beans into the skillet and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.

• Cook the penne in boiling water, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain.

• Stir the lemon juice into the sauce. Divide the pasta into 4 serving bowls.

• Top with the sauce and serve immediately.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Acorn Squash Rings (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free)


serves 4

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup orange marmalade (I used Smucker’s All Fruit – yum!)
1 tsp ground ginger

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.


Slice top and bottom from each squash and discard ends. Carefully slice each acorn squash into four rings, making eight rings in all.

Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Lay rings on cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

Combine maple syrup, marmalade and ginger in a small bowl.

Remove squash rings from oven and brush with maple syrup mixture. Return to oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with glaze once again. Bake for 10 minutes, or until tender.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Potato Latkas (Nut-Free, Soy-Free)


Potato latkas

Oil for frying
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 large onion, grated very fine
Salt and pepper to taste
8 large potatoes, grated very thin for smooth texture, or coarser for crunchier texture

Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan (about 1/3") until very hot.

Mix all ingredients except potatoes in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add potatoes last, and mix thoroughly without squeezing so as not extract moisture. Work very quickly so they do not get time to get discolored. Form medium-small patties and throw in hot oil, or drop by tablespoons. Fry until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Take out and drain on paper towels. Best served immediately after frying, with apple sauce, vegan sour cream (use homemade recipe from Go Dairy Free for soy-free) or soy yogurt (use coconut-based yogurt for soy-free). If you must make them in advance, reheat uncovered at 300 degrees for about 15mn, till hot and crisp.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Italian Potato Wedges (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free)


500g White Potatoes (about 1 lb)
4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp Dried Thyme
2 tbsp Dried Basil
2 tbsp Dried Sage
Freshly ground Black Pepper

1 - Preheat the oven to 210°c. Chop the potatoes into wedges, making sure they are all reasonably similar in size. Place on a baking sheet.
2 - Mix the herbs together and sprinkle over the wedges. Drizzle the oil over the top of them and mix thoroughly with your hands. Make sure all the wedges are evenly covered.
3 - Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until soft. Turn them half way for an even crispy coating.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Barley Pilaf (Vegan, Soy-Free)


Ingredients:

3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup barley, hulled or pot
3 scallions, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, boil vegetable stock (set aside about 3 Tbs. for later use) over high heat.
Add barley, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until tender (about 50 mins).
Drain and place in a large bowl.
In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 3 Tbs. of stock over medium heat.
Add the scallion and celery and cook until the celery is crisp-tender (5-6 mins).
Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are soft and most of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporate (about 5 mins).
Stir the cooked vegetables into the barley and mix well. Serve hot or cold.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Basic Dairy-Free Risotto (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free)


Basic Vegan Risotto

Recipe reprinted with permissions from the Vegan Culinary Experience

Type: Main Dish
Serves: 2
Time to Prepare: 25 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup of Arborio rice
½ tsp. of olive oil
3 to 4 cups of veggie stock
1/8 tsp. of salt
Option: ½ cup of white wine in place of ½ cup of veggie stock

Instructions
Warm the veggie stock in a pot.
Heat the oil over a medium heat in a separate pot.
Add in the uncooked rice and toast it until some of the grains turn golden.
Add in ½ cup of veggie stock and stir.
Keep stirring slowly.
When the liquid is mostly absorbed, add in another ½ cup of veggie stock.
Repeat this process of stirring, absorbing, and adding stock until the rice is soft and creamy.
Add the salt at the end.

Kitchen Equipment
Medium sized Pot for the veggie stock
Medium sized Pot for the risotto (an enameled cast iron pot works best for this)
Ladle
Wooden Spoon to stir the rice
Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoon

Presentation
This recipe is only the base for other risotto recipes, so there is no presentation to speak of.

Time Management
Risottos require constant attention for them to work because the stirring is what creates the creaminess of the rice. Make sure to warm the stock as the warm stock will absorb faster than one at room temperature. Lastly, if you want to be able to walk away from the risotto, you can cook it in a pressure cooker. Saute the rice the same way as above and then add all the ingredients to your pressure cooker and cook it for 7-10 minutes.

Complementary Food and Drinks
The basic risotto recipe is incredibly versatile. It can take classic Italian ingredients like mushrooms and basil. It can take hot Southwestern peppers. It can be mixed with Thai curry paste for good effect and nuts go very well with almost all risotto recipes.

Where to Shop
Arborio rice can be purchased packaged in most grocery markets. However, the best place to get it is in a store that has it in bulk. You’ll get a better price on it and often a store with bulk bins will have an inexpensive organic version of it.

How It Works
Risotto is known for its creaminess and that creaminess is derived from the starch of the rice. Rice has two starches. Amylose and amylopectin. Rices with a high proportion of amylose turn fluffy, while rices with a high proportion of amylopectin, a long chain starchy molecule with lots of protrusions that bind to other amylopectin molecules, turn creamy. Short grain rices, like Aroborio rice, contain higher portions of amylopectin than they do amylose. Stirring the rice slowly knocks off the amylopectin molecules into the stock, where they bind together and create a creamy texture. This is why the stock must be added slowly. If it is added quickly, there is not enough time for the amylopectin to work itself out into the liquid and create that creamy texture. Also, if too much of a volume of liquid is added at once, the amylopectin molecules will disseminate in the liquid and not touch, meaning that they won’t have the opportunity to bind. Sauteeing the rice in oil also retards the absorption of the liquid, which allows the amylopectin more time to bind. This also gives the rice a deeper, nuttier flavor.

Chef’s Notes
Risotto is a bit labor intensive, but it is well worth the effort and time put into it. Keep in mind that it is very filling, so you will not need a lot of it to feed yourself and your guests.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Bryanna's Traditional-Style Vegan Bread Stuffing (Vegan)
Yields: 7 cups

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup celery and tops, chopped
3/4 pound bread cubes or corn bread cubes
11/2 cup vegetarian broth
1/2 teaspoon each of sage, thyme and savory or to taste
Asian sesame oil
Directions:

Saute the onion and celery in a large lightly-oiled frying pan until softened, adding a little broth if necessary to keep from sticking. Remove from heat and add the remaining stuffing ingredients. The bread should be moist. Mix well. Grease cooking dish with Asian sesame oil. Pack in the stuffing. Brush with more sesame oil. Cover with foil. Bake at 325-375F for about 1 hour.