I made this revamped version for the first time at my Party for the 2020 Super Bowl. We did a themed sliders menu for the teams: Kansas City Barbecue Slider and San Francisco Crab-less Cakes. I know, I’m super cute. These were awesome as sliders topped with slaw ,but they are easier and just as good to eat them as the meal themselves!

What Exactly Is a Vegan Crab Cake? 

Things You Should Know Before You Make These Vegan Crab Cakes:

Let’s Talk About Sauce Baby:

Can I Make These Gluten Free?

For the Road … here’s some more meatless seafood options:

• Calamari Street Tacos
• Seafood Cioppino
• Fish Tacos

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Vegan Crab-less Cakes with Red Pepper Aioli

• Author: Jackie DeSana
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 10 cakes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Pan Frying
• Cuisine: East Coast
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

These vegan crab cakes have all of the fresh bright flavor of a traditional crab cake but with zero crab! Chopped artichoke hearts mixed with creamy mayo, spicy dijon mustard, flavorful Worcestershire sauce and lots of fresh herbs and lemon juice, these are a true perfect recipe.

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Ingredients

Crab Cakes 

• 2 cups canned artichoke hearts, chopped
• 1/4 cup liquid from artichoke can
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1/2 white onion, finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 2 tsp old bay seasoning
• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour (see notes)
• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (see notes)
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 2 tbs capers
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise (see notes)
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (see notes)
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• vegetable oil (enough to fill 1/2 inch at the bottom of a pan)

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli 

• 1 cup mayo (see notes)
• 1/2 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
• juice of 1 lemon
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper

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Instructions

• Chop all your vegetables and drain and the artichokes, reserving 1/4 cup of the can liquid. In a large bowl combine all of the crab cake ingredients. Mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are combined into kind of a paste.
• Heat the oil on your stove until it’s ready for frying. It’s ready when you splash water into it and the water sizzles.
• Dust your hands with flour so that they won’t stick to the crab cake mix. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out the crab cake mix and flatten it with your hands into a cake.
• Place the crab cakes into the hot oil and cook until they’re slightly browned and crispy. This will take about 3 minutes on each side.
• Make the red pepper Aioli by placing all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
• Serve the crab cakes with an extra squeeze of lemon and the red pepper Aioli on the side or drizzled on top! This recipe is also delicious with my homemade tartar sauce from my fish taco recipe.

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Notes

• If you’re vegan, you can substitute vegan mayo and make sure you buy vegan Worcestershire sauce. You can use soy sauce as a substitute as well
• For a gluten free option, I recommend using chickpea flour or brown rice flour. You can either buy gluten free breadcrumbs or I recommend using almond meal which has a breadcrumb-y texture.

Keywords: vegetarian, vegan, crab cake, mayo, dijon, red pepper, aioli, parsley, dill, fresh, gluten free, dinner, appetizer, sliders

The post Vegan Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Aioli appeared first on Almost Like Mom's.

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World’s Best Cauliflower Buffalo Wings

• Author: Jackie DeSana
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: Appetizers
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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Description

These battered cauliflower buffalo wings are the perfect appetizer to treat yourself to this Super Bowl Sunday. Share with friends or just eat all to yourself.

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Ingredients

Battered Cauliflower

2 heads cauliflower, cut into florets

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups non-dairy milk, more if it needs thinning (can be subbed for water if necessary)

2 tbs onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

2 tbs Frank’s Red Hot

Medium Buffalo Sauce 

1 stick butter or 8 tbs vegan butter

8 tbs Frank’s Red Hot

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tbs garlic powder

Make them Sloppy 

Take a 1/2 cup of the medium buffalo sauce and add a 1/2 cup of blue cheese dressing

Try them with our Homemade Honey Barbecue Sauce

Serve with our Chunky Blue Cheese  

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Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine all of the batter ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk until fully combined and forms a thick batter. If it’s too thick to stir add a little more almond milk.
• Take the cauliflower florets and dip them, one at a time into the batter, tap them on the side to shake off the excess batter and place them on the lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the florets are battered and place in the preheated oven.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the batter begins to crisp. If you’re making buffalo or sloppy wings, remove them from the oven and brush with the buffalo sauce. If you’re making barbecue wings, brush them with the barbecue sauce. Place them back into the oven and bake for 5 more minutes.
• Remove from the oven and toss in whatever sauce you’re choosing, or make all three and toss 1/3 in each sauce. To make them sloppy toss them in half blue cheese and half buffalo sauce. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing, celery and carrot sticks.

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Notes

Make it Vegan: Use vegan butter for buffalo sauce and nix the blue cheese for vegan ranch

Keywords: cauliflower, wings, Super Bowl, snack food, buffalo sauce, barbecue

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Orecchiette pasta with spicy tempeh sausage served with broccoli rabe and fresh basil.

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Tempeh “Sausage” Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe

• Author: Jackie DeSana
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 servings
• Category: Pasta
• Method: Stove top
• Cuisine: Italian
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Orecchiette pasta with spicy tempeh sausage served with broccoli rabe and fresh basil. A bright, simple and delicious weeknight pasta dish.

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Ingredients

8 oz tempeh

1 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 sweet onion, finely diced

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp fennel seed

2 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp sage

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp tomato paste

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp dijon mustard

4 tbsp butter

1 lb broccoli rabe, chopped

1 lb orecchiette pasta

1 tbsp cherry peppers

1 cup reserved pasta water

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

chopped basil for garnish

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Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
2. While the water is coming to a boil start the sausage. Pulse the tempeh in a food processor 5-7 times, it should be crumbly not blended. Transfer the tempeh to a large bowl.
3. In a small pan, heat the tablespoon of olive oil and add the garlic and onion with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Saute for 3-5 minutes until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Add the onion garlic mixture to the food processor and pulse 5 times. Pour the garlic and onion into the bowl with the tempeh.
4. Add the fennel seed, Italian seasoning, sage, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, soy sauce, white pepper, salt and dijon and mix until everything is fully incorporated.
5. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a cast iron skillet. Add the tempeh and spread flat across the skillet. Let cook for 5 minutes until the bottom side is crispy. Then flip it over and cook the other side for 5 more minutes. Once the tempeh starts to crisp, add the remaining butter and continue to cook, flipping and stirring every few minutes until the majority of the tempeh is browned and the butter is fully cooked into the tempeh.
6. Set the tempeh sausage aside. Add the broccoli rabe to the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes until it starts to wilt. Remove the broccoli rabe from the water with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Add the pasta to the same boiling water and cook by the package instructions.
7. When the pasta is almost cooked, scoop out one cup of the water and set aside. Strain the pasta and return to the pot. Add in the tempeh, broccoli rabe and cherry peppers and stir until combined. Add in the parmesan cheese, two teaspoons of olive oil and a the reserved pasta water about 1/4 cup at a time stirring in between. If it looks too watery before you’ve added the full cup stop.
8. Season the pasta with salt and pepper to taste. You likely won’t need to much salt as both the tempeh and the cheese is salty. I like to finish it with fresh ground black pepper and top with fresh basil.

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Notes

• If you’re vegan, substitute butter for vegan butter or olive oil, just know using olive oil will change the flavor profile slightly
• Substitute parmesan for vegan parm either store bought or, make your own by mixed 1/4 cup of cashews and a 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast with 1 tsp of salt in a food processor.
• If you can’t find broccoli rabe  (rapini) substitute for another dark, bitter green like chard.

Keywords: pasta, vegetarian, vegan, tempeh, rapini, broccoli rabe, quick, easy

The post Tempeh “Sausage” Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe appeared first on Almost Like Mom's.

Every once in a while I make a recipe that literally makes me jump for joy when it’s done, this was one of those recipes, hence the name the Best Tikka Masala. I had been feeling an utter lack of inspiration lately (as you can likely tell from how far behind I am on posting) and this was exactly what I needed to perk me back up and remember why I love cooking so much! This recipe is also the perfect comfort food for cold winters (as we are in now).  

I don’t know if there’s a type of food more consistently comforting than Indian cuisine. It’s spicy, delicious, warm and filling. As a bonus, unlike traditional comfort foods, Indian food is not super unhealthy. This specific dish came from my desire to recreate the tikka masala I had at this restaurant in Chicago, Cumin. We went on my birthday a few years ago and I took one bite of the paneer tikka masala and was in heaven, I knew I had to figure it out at home. I also have to give a shoutout to Jamie Oliver as the homemade tikka masala paste I created here, is largely based on his recipe from his book Food Revolution. If you do not own that cookbook, honestly buy it right now.  

One thing to remember about Indian food is that if you think you’ve put enough flavor into a dish, you probably haven’t. That’s why the tikka masala paste here really takes this dish over the top! By combining all these ingredients together, in addition to the onions, ginger and jalapenos already in the dish, the sauce takes on a more robust and bold flavor than it does when you just toss random spices into the pot.  

The most important thing about this sauce, and probably what I’m most proud about is how amazingly creamy it is! When I was researching this dish I found that it is often made but with yogurt and coconut milk. However, I cut the yogurt here and the full fat coconut oil here adds the perfect amount of creaminess to the sauce and it tastes amazing. (Bonus, this bad boy is Vegan).  

If you’re sitting at home, thinking of how cold it is, and how you’re sick of quarantining and just want to go out to eat, I promise this dish is special enough to make you feel like you went out for a nice meal. Best part, your at-home restaurant is always BYOB.  

If you’re stuck in the house and looking for more comfort food recipes, here are some of my favorites:

Vegan “Chicken” Riggies

Tofu “Chicken” and Waffles with Sriracha Maple Syrup 

Chicken Fried Tofu with Mom’s Best Ever Mashed Potatoes 

Lots of Love,  

Jackie  

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The Best Tikka Masala with Sweet Potatoes

• Author: almostlikemoms@gmail.com
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 50
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 servings
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Indian
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

A comfort food showstopper! Sweet potatoes simmered in a flavorful masala sauce with tofu, finished with thick, creamy coconut milk and served over top tangy cilantro, lime rice.

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Ingredients

Tikka Masala 

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 block extra firm tofu, sliced into 1 inch pieces

3 tbsp butter or ghee (sub coconut oil for vegan)

2 white onions, sliced

2 jalapenos, diced

2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1 large sweet potato, diced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced into circles

4 celery stalks, sliced

28 oz can diced tomato, drained

2 cans full fat coconut milk

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Chopped cashews (optional)

Tikka Masala Paste 

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp paprika

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 jalapeno, minced

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

2 tbsp brown rice flour or almond flour

Cilantro Lime Rice 

3 cups cooked brown rice (see notes)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 plus 2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

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Instructions

1. Start your rice on the stove. Next prepare and cut all the vegetable ingredients for both the paste and the tikka masala before you do anything else. If you’re going to press your tofu (see notes) then you’ll want to do that first so it presses while y0u cut everything else.

2. Make the paste by pulsing all the ingredients into a large food processor until fully mixed. Set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet and pan fry the tofu until it starts to brown. Remove the tofu from the pan and set aside.

4. Melt the butter in the same skillet you fried the tofu in. Add the onions, jalapenos and fresh ginger and saute until the peppers get soft and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

5. Add the paste over the vegetables and cook for 3 more minutes until it starts to brown. Add in the sweet potato, carrots and celery and toss to coat in the paste.

6. Add in the diced tomato and coconut milk and toss lightly to full mix. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the sweet potato and carrots are soft.

7. Add back in the tofu and toss, add in the lime juice, cilantro and mint and toss. Make the cilantro lime rice but combining all the ingredients. Serve topped with more fresh mint and crushed cashews.

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Notes

I used brown rice to make it “healthier” but the cilantro lime rice can totally be done with white rice, basmati rice or other rice of your choosing.

 

If you’ve never pressed tofu before it’s really easy. Take the brick and slice it into about 5 rectangles each about 1/2 an inch wide. Lay the rectangles across a tea towel or layers of paper towel. Place paper towel or the other side of the tea towel over the top and set a heavy object on top. I set like 3-5 heavy cookbooks on top. Set it aside for at least 15 minutes, preferably 30.

Keywords: vegan, vegetarian, tofu, sweet potato, tikka masala, ginger, jalapeño, spicy, dinner, comfort food, Indian food

The post The Best Tikka Masala with Sweet Potatoes appeared first on Almost Like Mom's.

So times are still really weird out there right now, believe me I get it. Sometimes it feels like we’re stuck on a wheel and it’s hard to tell where work starts and ends. However, it is memorial day weekend and, for those of us in the midwest, is about to be our first warm weather stretch of the year! So whether or not you can socialize outside your home, let’s embrace the weekend and make barbecue food starting with this delicious Chipotle Potato Salad!

I brought this dish to a labor day party last year and one of my friends, who is literally a trained chef, asked me for the recipe. At that moment I knew I had a winning recipe! The chipotle crema is honestly better than any mayo based potato salad I’ve ever had. It’s creamy and the perfect amount of spicy! Finally, the other fun secret here is the roasted poblano peppers which really take this dish to the next level!

I have just a few notes about this recipe. If you want to short cut and not bake the potatoes, you can definitely cut out that step. Also, if you’re sensitive to spice, feel free to cut down the number of chipotle peppers in the sauce. This recipe verbatim is a medium-high spice.

Finally, if you don’t feel like cooking this weekend, just order in and get drunk with one of our awesome cocktail recipes:

Grapefruit Basil Gin Gimlet

Fresh Ginger Mezcal Mule  

Whisky Basil Citrus Smash 

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday weekend, I know I will.

Jackie

Chipotle Potato Salad

• Author: almostlikemoms@gmail.com
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: Appetizer, Side Dish
• Cuisine: American, Mexican, southwest

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Description

The perfect accompaniment to memorial day weekend. A spicy and creamy potato salad with smoky roasted poblanos. Plus, surprise, it's totally vegan and might even be kind of health!

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Ingredients

• 3 lb yellow potatoes (can substitute for redskins )
• 2 tbsp olive oil (plus more for poblanos )
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 poblano peppers (roasted and diced )
• 1 red bell pepper (diced )
• 1/2 red onion (diced )
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeno
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped, plus more for garnish )

Chipotle Cashew Crema

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (See notes )
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes )
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 4 chipotle peppers (from can, see notes )
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp juice from pickled jalapenos

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Instructions

1. Make the Crema first. Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend on high until creamy. Transfer to another container and chill in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the potato salad. 
2. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Place the potatoes in a large pot with water, bring to a boil and boil until they are fork tender. While the potatoes are cooking, chop your vegetables. 
3. Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes until the edges become crispy. 
4. At the same time prepare another baking sheet. Rub the poblanos with a small amount of olive oil, sprinkle with a touch of salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes until the outside is browned. Remove and let cool. 
5. When the potatoes and poblanos are done cooking, let them both cool for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes to a large bowl. Remove the skin from the poblanos, dice them and add them to the bowl. Add the remaining vegetables and toss. 
6. Pour the cauliflower crema over the top and toss until creamy. Garnish with more cilantro. 

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Notes

If you do not have a high speed blender for making the crema, you can use a food processor but I recommend soaked the cashews ahead of time to make them easier to blend. 

 

I use 4 canned chipotle’s here but that makes these dish a medium/high spice level. If you are sensitive to spice feel free to cut it out. Canned Chipotle peppers in adobo are super easy to find at the supermarket, they’re either in the ethnic isle by the mexican food (usually by the canned chilis and jalapenos) or some places they’re just in the canned foods isle. 

Keywords: barbecue, chipotle, memorial day, poblanos, potato salad, spicy

The post Chipotle Potato Salad appeared first on Almost Like Mom's.

Today is Earth Day!! Here’s a pop quiz, did you know that one of the best things you can do to protect Earth and prevent climate change is to cut back on your meat consumption? You can look up all the facts about the amount of water and land it takes to produce beef on your own time, I’m sure you’ll see plenty of articles about it out there. I’m not here to preach to you about that, I’m here to give you some real and delicious recipes that will help you make that meatless Monday goal a reality.

The thing is that you don’t need to full adopt the vegetarian lifestyle or go full vegan to make a difference for the planet. If everyone out there just started swapping out a few meals a week from meat to vegetables, we as a society would cut back drastically on meat consumption. And the thing is, the more you do this, the more you’ll realize that it’s not really necessary to add meat to every single thing you cook.

I have put together a collection of my favorite 10 recipes off the site where I specifically substitute veggie products for meat. Some of these are closer to the real thing than others but the important thing is that they are all delicious and satisfying meals that have a much smaller impact on the earth than grilled cheeseburgers. I’m not here to prove that tofu tastes like chicken, I’m here to prove that you can make yourself an amazing dinner without meat.

Here we go:

1. Cauliflower Lemon Rice Soup 

This soup is the perfect recipe to show how easy it is take meat out of something. I add the cauliflower in here for extra texture and add some special ingredients (miso and a ton of seasoning) to mimic a rich and flavorful chicken broth. YUM!

2. Vegetarian “Seafood” Cioppino

This recipe is one of my favorites of all time! I used nori to give the broth a complex flavor, and use a variety of vegetables including eggplant, oyster mushrooms and hearts of palm for a mix of textures all very similar to seafood. This one will really introduce you to the joy of plant based cooking!

3. Easy Vegan Pot Roast with Cream of Mushroom Gravy 

You have to eat this recipe to truly believe it! The pot roast is made of whole, slow cooked celery root which pulls apart perfectly after hours in the crockpot and the mushroom gravy is so thick and creamy it will make you question why you’ve ever put heavy cream into recipes.

4. Tofu “Chicken” and Waffles with Sriracha Maple Syrup 

These waffles are EVERYTHING! Savory herb waffles, with spicy maple syrup and topped with crispy fried tofu! It might not be as greasy as fried chicken with waffles, but it is extremely tasty and an amazing indulgent at home brunch.

5. Spiced Tempeh “Lamb” Burgers

Come to MAMA!! Tempeh is one of the best substitutes for meat I have encountered since cooking, it has that meaty texture and absorbs flavor so well with minimal marinading. This recipe is a doozy of flavor, the tempeh is spiced to perfection and pairs perfectly with the homemade tzadziki.

6. Meatless “Lobster” Rolls with Oyster Mushrooms 

I’ll tell you what, if this recipe doesn’t turn you on to the magic that is oyster mushrooms, I don’t know what will. When baked, these mushrooms have a magic umami flavor and their texture if perfect for mimicking seafood. I have made these sandwiches for multiples parties and they are always a hit!

7. Crockpot Mushroom Carnitas 

This is another one of my favorites. Slow cooked mushrooms with all the citrus and sweet flavors of carnitas, shredded and put into a taco. You can start it in the morning and my dinner and a delicious meal ready for everyone!

8. Spicy Fried Cauliflower Sandwiches 

Probably one of the most ridiculous recipes I’ll ever make, this deep fried cauliflower sandwich is my answer to fast food spicy chicken and in my opinion, it’s even better! The spicy batter here will knock your socks off!

9. Vegetarian “Sausage” Roll 

We’re at it again with Tempeh on this one. The tempeh sausage has become a true staple in our home because it’s has even more flavor (I think) than regular crumbled sausage and, if you add enough butter (or oil if you’re vegan), even has the grease factor!

10. Chicken Fried Tofu with Mom’s Best Ever Mashed Potatoes 

This was one of the first recipes I ever made after going vegetarian and it’s a favorite in our home to this day. It’s literally the ideal comfort food with fried and battered tofu, a rich creamy gravy and my personal favorite mashed potato recipe of all time!

Happy Earth Day!

Jackie & Andrew

The post 10 Meatless Monday Meals to Celebrate Earth Day appeared first on Almost Like Mom's.

I don’t know about anyone else, but Andrew and I’s drinking has drastically increased since quarantine started. To be fair to us, we were down to only two days per week beforehand, but now we’re up to every day. The upside is that I have become quite the mixologist. I also happen to know from talking to friends, that we are not alone in the increased quarantine alcoholism department. So I figured it was the perfect time to put out a drink!

We have become a Mezcal household in the past year or so. I don’t know what started it, but Andrew started tasting different types at bars and it quickly escalated to us buying expensive bottles to treat ourselves. You don’t have to use mezcal for this drink but if you’re substituting regular tequila, and you do like a smoky flavor, I’d highly recommend muddling some jalapeno as well as the ginger to add the smokiness.

This drink is a fresh mule, meaning it’s made with roughly 1/4 the amount of sugar as a regular mule that uses ginger beer and has more real ginger flavor. Topped with a small pinch of cayenne pepper and you have a spicy, sweet, smoky cocktail that is also perfect to drink outdoors.

Stay safe out there,

Jackie

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Fresh Ginger Mezcal Mule

• Author: almostlikemoms@gmail.com
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 2 drinks
• Category: Drinks
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This drink gives you the spice of ginger beer with less sugar and a smooth sweet yet smoky flavor from mezcal and honey. It's a brilliant cocktail for any season.

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Ingredients

• 2 tbsp fresh ginger (peeled and sliced )
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp simple syrup
• 2 limes
• 4 ounces mezcal
• 8–12 ice cubes
• splash club soda (for topping )
• mint leaves (garnish)
• pinch of cayenne (garnish)

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Instructions

1. Peel and slice your ginger and place it at the bottom of a cocktail shaker
2. Heat the honey and simple syrup in a small bowl in the microwave for 15 seconds, just enough for the honey to soften. Whisk the two ingredients together with a fork.
3. Add the honey and simple syrup mixture to the shaker with the ginger and muddle vigorously. A big part of how good this drink turns out depends on how well you muddle the ginger, really beat it up and get all the juices out of it.
4. Squeeze the juice of both limes into the shaker and add the Mezcal.
5. Fill two old fashion glasses to the top with ice. Add 4-5 ice cubes to the shaker and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds.
6. Strain the drink evenly between the two glasses, top with a splash of soda water just to give it a small amount of carbonation. Garnish with a mint leaf and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.

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Notes

You can make this drink with tequila if you don’t have mezcal but it won’t be smoky. If you do tequila and still want that smoky flavor, I highly recommend adding a small amount of chopped, fresh jalapeno to the shaker and muddle it with the ginger. This will add a smoky flavor. 

Keywords: cocktail, drink, ginger, mezcal

The post Fresh Ginger Mezcal Mule appeared first on Almost Like Mom's.

Greetings! I hope everyone is staying safe and having a good quarantine. Thank you for taking a break from watching Tiger King to read this post. Today I am sharing a delicious and really easy recipe that can be made almost entirely with pantry items. Allow me to introduce, Vegan “Chicken” Riggies.

Riggies is a creamy pasta that hails from upstate New York. At first I was convinced that Riggies was something Andrew made up, and that it could not be different than any other creamy pasta sauce. I now can admit, there definitely is a difference. And, while I cannot explain why exactly, this recipe is the best creamy pasta I have ever made.

The secret is that I made a vegan cream cheese using cashews and let it chill so it was thick when added to the sauce. This is what gives the sauce it’s signature stickiness. I hope you love this recipe as much as we did!

Love,

Jackie

While we’re here, here’s some other great Almost Like Mom’s pantry-heavy recipes:

Barbecue Mac and Cheese Skillet

Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Chili

Cauliflower Lemon Rice Soup

Vegan Stew with Roasted Potatoes 

Vegan “Chicken” Riggies

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: almostlikemoms@gmail.com
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: dinner, Main Course
• Cuisine: American, Italian

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Description

A vegan twist on the classic upstate New York pasta dish. Creamy, rich and flavorful tomato sauce tossed with rigatoni pasta and topped with marinaded tofu.

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Ingredients

Marinaded Tofu

• 14 oz block extra firm tofu (pressed and cut into 1 inch squares )
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar (you can sub for red wine vinegar )
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp dry oregano

Pasta and Sauce

• 1 cup raw cashews (soak them ahead of time if you don't have a high speed blender )
• 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice ((about 1 lemon))
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 lb rigatoni
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 sweet onion (diced)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 pickled cherry peppers (see notes )
• 5 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 red bell pepper (diced)
• 1 yellow bell pepper (diced)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock

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Instructions

1. Make the cashew cream. Place the cashews, non-diary milk, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder and 1/2 tsp of salt into a high speed blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl, cover and cool in the fridge. It's best to give it a day to cool but just giving it an hour will work.
2. Marinade the tofu at least 30 minutes in advance.  Whisk together the red wine, sherry, olive oil, garlic and oregano in a small bowl. Place tofu pieces into a tupperware container and pour the marinade over it. Shake a few times to cover and set in the fridge to marinade while the pasta cooks. 
3.  When you're ready to cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook to al dente according to the package directions. 
4. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add in the onions with sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Saute the onions until they become translucent, about 2-3 minutes then add in the cherry peppers. Cook for another two minutes until the peppers start to release their juices and get fragrant. Add in the garlic and bell peppers. Saute until bell peppers start to soften, about 5 minutes, be careful not to burn the garlic. 
5. Pour the wine over the vegetables and bring to a simmer. Simmer the wine for 2 minutes until it is reduced by about half. The add in the tomato paste and whisk until smooth. Add in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable stock mix and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce covered for 15 minutes. 
6. While the sauce is simmering, heat a cast iron skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the tofu to the skillet and stir fry until brown and crispy. This should take 6-8 minutes depending on how hot the pan is. 
7. When the sauce is done simmering, add the cashew cream and whisk until creamy. You can add extra red pepper flakes to taste if you like it spicier. 
8. Toss the noodles in the sauce, add the tofu and some fresh basil if you have it! Enjoy!! 

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Notes

I have found pickled cherry peppers on amazon but if you can’t find them, any other pickled hot pepper will do! You can also just substitute for 1 tbsp red pepper flakes but it’s really not the same. 

Keywords: cashews, cherry peppers, cream cheese, creamy, dairy free, spicy, vegan, vegetarian

The post Vegan “Chicken” Riggies appeared first on Almost Like Mom's.

Okay time to admit something, I suck at writing and it’s the worst part about blogging. It feels very disingenuous to feel like I have to write four paragraphs about every single recipe and it drags on. So in the new year, we’re trying out a new format, short and sweet! I may bring back long form content in another fashion at some point through a newsletter (basically just for our mom’s) or through travel content. But for the food content, we’re cutting straight to what the people want, food!

And to start the new format, I got a great one for you, Vegan Roasted Tomato Soup. This recipe is incredible and SUPER easy! It’s minimal steps and mostly passive time. It’s also the perfect consistently, the coconut milk give it the perfect amount of creaminess and roasting the tomatoes give it a great, rich flavor. Just make grilled cheese one the side and you have the perfect comfort food combo!

Until Next Time,

Jackie

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Vegan Roasted Tomato Sauce

• Author: Jackie DeSana
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 75 minutes
• Total Time: 90 minutes
• Yield: 6 bowls
• Category: dinner, Soup

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Description

All the rich, tasty and creaminess of traditional tomato soup but totally dairy free!

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Ingredients

• 5 lbs vine tomatoes (cut in half and gutted )
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 springs fresh rosemary (chopped)
• 5 springs thyme (chopped)
• 2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 sweet onion (diced )
• 5 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cans full fat coconut milk (refrigerated )

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line the halved and gutted tomatoes on a baking sheet cut side up. Drizzle with 2 tbsp the olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tsp each salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes until the tomatoes are broken down and crisped on the edges. 

2. While the tomatoes are cooking, heat the remaining olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, onion and the rest of the salt. 

3. Cook the onions for 15 minutes until caramelized. Add in the garlic and stir until fragrant being careful not to burn. If the tomatoes are still cooking remove the onions and garlic from the heat to make sure they don't burn. 

4. When the tomatoes are done, remove from the oven and add them directly into the pot. Turn the heat back on and break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Add the vegetable stock to the pot and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. 

5. After simmering, remove from heat and transfer soup to a blender. Blend on high until smooth. 

6. Add the blended soup back into the pot. Open the coconut milk cans and scoop the hardened coconut out of the top. Whisk until fully incorporated into the soup. 

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Keywords: coconut milk, creamy, dairy free, dinner, gluten free, health, healthy, soup, tomato, vegan

The post Vegan Roasted Tomato Soup appeared first on Almost Like Mom's.

So full disclosure time, I’m been having a ridiculous creative block lately. I’m not sure if’s being busy with wedding planning or work sucking up all my time but it’s like every time I sit down to write, I’m coming up completely empty. The worst part is that I have a ton of recipes that are done, shot and edited that I’m just not posting because I don’t know what you write about. I decided I can’t deprive all 200 of my followers these recipes so I’m going to get them out even if I have to start every post with a paragraph like this. Strap in people!! First recipe up are these Fancy AF Biscuit BLT’s with Spicy Mayo.

Why are these Fancy AF you may ask??? Well I’ll tell you, it’s the arugula, that’s literally it.  Well also avocado and spicy mayo. But I have to say that even though the combo might not be as fancy as you were expecting, this recipe is DEEELICIOUS!!

There’s something else different on this one that I have to share and that’s that this biscuit recipe is new and improved.  I made a biscuits and gravy recipe and while back and the biscuits were good, but these, these are the answer!! I learned the secrets after Andrew and I went to New Orleans and went to this place called Willa Jean. If you ever go to New Orleans, please go there, you will not regret it!!

Now, I still think that Willa Jean is doing more to those biscuits than their chef will admit online, specifically we’re pretty convinced they fry them in lard or something, but this recipe will make them soft, layered and flaky on the inside and the perfect amount of crispy on the outside.

I’m telling you guys, between our trip to New Orleans and my subscription to Southern Cast Iron, this Midwest Yankee is going to slowly turn herself into a Southern Chef. I just have to not go too crazy on the fried food so I can fit in my wedding dress.

Thanks so much for listening to my rambling today, more recipes to come very very soon including tacos, enchiladas and corn chowder!

Lots of Love,

Jackie

Fancy Biscuit BLT's with Spicy Mayo

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

An elevated version of your classic BLT with arugula, topped with spicy mayo and sandwiched inside the best biscuits you can make in your home.

Author: Jackie DeSana

Recipe type: Breakfast, Sandwich

Cuisine: Comfort Food, Vegan

Serves: 8 sandwiches

Ingredients

• Biscuits/Toppings
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 tbsp salted, chilled butter (see notes for vegan)
• 1 cup buttermilk (See notes for vegan)
• heirloom tomatoes
• arugula
• avocado (optional)
  
  
• Tempeh Bacon
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• pinch salt and pepper
• 1 8 oz block tempeh, sliced thin
• oil for frying
  
  
• Spicy Mayo
• ½ cup mayo (or vegan mayo)
• 1 tbsp sriracha
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• pinch salt
• 2 tsp lime juice

Directions

1. Whisk all the ingredients for the bacon marinade together in a small bowl, place the tempeh slices into the marinade and let marinade for at least an hour or overnight.
   
   
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place a baking sheet into the oven. If making the vegan version, whisk together the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and set it aside for 10 minutes until it starts to thicken.
   
   
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt until combined. Cut the butter into pieces and use your hands or a pastry cutter to work it into the flour until it is mixed it and becomes a texture pretty similar to sand.
   
   
4. Form a well in the flour and pour the buttermilk or vegan buttermilk into the well. Mix with a spatula until it it forms a thicker dough. You should be able to handle it fairly easily, if it's too sticky to handle, add more flour a little at a time.
   
   
5. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, knead it a few times until smooth and then use a floured rolling pin to roll it out into a square, it should remain an inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 equal rectangles and place onto a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the freezer for 20 minutes.
   
   
6. Remove from the freezer and transfer to the hot baking sheet into the oven. Brush with buttermilk or almond milk if you're vegan and bake for 20 minutes until the tops start to brown.
   
   
7. When you're ready to make the bacon, place a little bit of oil in a skillet and heat it up on high heat. Pan fry the bacon until it starts to brown on both sides.
   
   
8. Make the spicy mayo by whisking together the ingredients.
   
   
9. Assemble the sandwiches by spreading the spicy mayo on both sides of the biscuits, place the tomato on the bottom, then the bacon, top with arugula and avocado if you're using it. Enjoy!

Notes

If you're vegan, use vegan mayo for the spicy mayo, vegan butter for the biscuits and to substitute buttermilk, add 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of non-dairy milk and let sit for 5-10 minutes. That's actually how I make mine and it works great!

3.5.3226

The post Fancy Biscuit BLT’s with Spicy Mayo appeared first on Almost Like Mom's.