Sides and sauces

Ingredients

1 pound pasta (spaghetti, orichiette, papperdelle, etc.)
1/3 cup olive oil
8-10 large garlic cloves, sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup vegan parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons salt plus 1 teaspoon for later

Method

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt to the boiling water. Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. * IMPORTANT*Before draining pasta, set aside 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet. Add sliced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes until lightly golden brown, stirring often. Don't let it burn. Add red pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds more. Slowly add reserved cooking water to oil and garlic being careful as it tends to sizzle and splatter. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer adding 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes to thicken a bit. Add the pasta then remove from heat. Add in the parsley and the vegan parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

Celeriac Mashed Potatoes are a Combination You Will Love

November 18, 2017 by thehamptonsvegan

Celeriac Mashed Potatoes Bring Up the Flavor!

                                         "Mashed potatoes in the sky, in the sky, in the sky.

                                          Mashed potatoes in the sky, the sun is the butter."

This was the song I sang with my grandfather when I was very small. It was our swing set song. We sang it while swinging back and forth, looking at the sky. And I imagined all those fluffy clouds as mashed potatoes. They were my favorite food.

A lot of changes have taken place since way back then but I still love mashed potatoes. Of course, now I make them vegan!

And celeriac mashed potatoes take my favorite food to another level altogether!

…

Nautical Not Tuna Sandwich Because It’s Better

September 12, 2017 by thehamptonsvegan

The nautical not tuna sandwich is a swashbuckling sandwich for seafarers,

salty dogs, and everyone else, too!

PD Pirate — Our Salty Dog-
PD Ceasar Danger

Ahoy, Mateys!

Why do you need a not tuna sandwich? Because you are feeling adrift without your old standby tuna fish sandwich? Marooned on your own private desert isle while others enjoy their can of chicken-of-the-sea? Then come about and sail over to the Hamptons Vegan harbor to make your very own naturally nautical not tuna sandwich!

This super tasty filling will have you exclaiming “shiver me timbers!!” after the first bite.

“Aarrggh!”, you say?! Impossible, you think?

But wait! Tis true! We’ve got the treasured booty right here.

So consider us your PVD (personal flotation device ) on the vegan sea!

Our Not Tuna Sandwich is a vegan buoy on the world’s rough seas!

First, the naturally nautical not tuna salad is made of easily available ingredients from your galley. And next, it mixes together quickly. But, best of all, there’s no pillaging, no savagery, and no plundering involved. Now we’re making way!

Because this will make a great lunch any day of the week. But most definitely on September 19th! What’s so special about that day, you ask?

That’s International Talk Like A Pirate Day! Arr, Arr, Arr!

So brush up on your pirate swagger for that eventful day. Then get ready to take your taste buds along for the voyage with us!

Hoist the mainsail and scuttle the jib! Old standby tuna fish sandwiches are going asunder!

Now hop aboard our vegan vessel. And it’s all hands on deck. Because this naturally nautical not tuna sandwich is seaworthy and it’s made for everyone.

Because no fish are harmed in the making of this treasure and it contains healthy grub, you’re in for clear sailing!

So your seafaring dreams have come true with a fish-like sandwich without the fish. Now that’s what mermaid dreams are made of!

Now, let’s weigh anchor and set sail for blue skies, calm waters, and naturally nautical not tuna lunches. Yeah, it’s a mouthful. And a tasty one, too!

Coming ashore for a not tuna sandwich!

While chowing on the naturally nautical not tuna sandwich is a perfectly yummy seafood substitute we have plenty of veggie alternatives to satisfy everyone.

So don’t worry, all you land lubbers! Because The Hamptons Vegan is your home port for all things vegan; not just the faux fishy choices but so much more. And check out one of these other sandwich fixins below for plenty of tried and true, plant-based goodies:

Try our Glorious Grilled Veggie Sandwich, Extra sloppy for ya’s sloppy joes, or enjoy our Party Potato Salad with one of our sandwich choices!

September 19th is coming!

Meanwhile, let’s work on that pirate lingo for the big day!

“Batten down the hatches and swab the poop deck!”

“Ahoy, me hearties!”

A”Blimey bucko, this naturally nautical not tuna sandwich is the bounty we’ve been pillaging for!”

ARR, ARR, ARR!!

A treasure chest of credit for the not tuna sandwich

No pirate worth their weight in doubloons would survive without a little help from their fellow vegan shipmates! And while we’re on this vegan voyage together, no man (or woman) is an island.

Hence, a boatload of credit is due to one of the captains (captian-ettes?) of blogging, the minimalist baker.

Her recipe for a vegan chickpea sunflower sandwich is our model for this recipe. And we would be adrift at sea without her blog to help navigate the waters. So, we lift a growler of grog to her!

Naturally Nautical not tuna sandwich

A substitute for tuna, made with chickpeas.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings: 2 servings

Course: lunch

Cuisine: sandwiches

Ingredients

1 15 ounce can or box chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
1/4 cup vegan mayo
2-3 tablespoons onion minced I prefer red
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning optonal
1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds,salted
1 tablespoon finely chopped pickle or pickle relish optional
1 teaspoon maple syrup
salt and pepper to your liking

Method

Drain chickpeas and pour them into a bowl or pie plate wide enough to mash. Mash up chickpeas with fork or potato masher leaving some whole. Add in rest of ingredients. Use for sandwich filling, dip for crackers or wrapped in a lettuce leaf.

Notes

My favorite way to enjoy this sandwich is on lightly toasted ciabatta bread or roll with romaine lettuce and a thick slice of tomato. Love it!

Magnificent Marinara Sauce is Full of Homemade Goodness

August 30, 2017 by thehamptonsvegan

Magnificent Marinara Sauce

So as you can see in the vegan lasagna photo above, I like a lot of marinara sauce with my pasta. And I was a bit heavy-handed with the sauce ladling that day but it was just so good. Because sometimes you gotta have a little pasta with your bowl of sauce, ya know what I mean?

Anyway, It’s not a fancy recipe. And it’s nothing too tricky. It’s just throwing together a few ingredients, a little simmering, and voila! Before you know it, you have a mouth-watering marinara of your own!

Should have made this marinara sooner!

I mistakenly believed a good marinara sauce was complicated and time-consuming. Now if only I started making homemade marinara sooner! Because it wasn’t a big undertaking, like I thought, after all.

The store-bought jars were my way around a marinara sauce. Whatever. Because when my four kids were little there wasn’t a lot of extra time to look up a recipe, let alone make one.

There was homework, dance class, gymnastics, football, softball, baseball, and lacrosse. And boy scouts, girl scouts, playdates, and music practice, and, and, and, everybody had something going on like every day of the week! Wow, flashback. (Deep breath in, deep breath out).

So, yeah, sauce in a jar. Done.

But now, I’ve found, it was never really that difficult to make a nice homemade marinara sauce. Who knew?! 😉 Because it just simmers while the pasta is cooking or while you make a salad. And no wasted time.

No shame

But I’m not here to shame anyone for using a jar no matter how easy this sauce is. I still keep a jar, like Victoria’s Vegan Sauces, in the cupboard. Because it still comes in handy. And I’m not going for the Martha Stewart wannabe award in this lifetime. Although, secretly, I did aspire to that unattainable dream once upon a time. Yup, I was most definitely a closeted Martha fangirl.

So, anyway, I hope you like our Magnificent Marinara Sauce! And I hope you find, as I did, that great taste doesn’t have to involve an overabundance of effort or time.

Buon Appetito!

vegan marinara sauce — The magnificent marinara sauce simmers!

P.S. Incorporate our marinara sauce into the Lovely Luscious Vegan Lasagna!

It also delivers in our Elegant Eggplant Parmesan.

vegan eggplant parmesan — Elegant Eggplant Parmesan made vegan

And try our Perfect Parmesan-vegan style sprinkled on top!

vegan parmesan — perfect parmesan vegan style

thehamptonsvegan

Magnificent Maranara Sauce

A vegan marinara sauce that takes little time or effort but delivers big, flavorful results.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings: 4 cups

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Italian, vegan

Ingredients

28 ounces diced tomatoes
14 ounces tomato sauce
10 ounces bruschetta sauce can use another 14 ounces diced tomatoes in place of bruschetta
1/3 cup red wine
3 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce can use sugar instead
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sliced garlic about 4-6 cloves
3-4 leaves basil, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Method

Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet.
Add sliced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes -until fragrant, not brown.
Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and bruschetta- or additional diced tomatoes if not using bruschetta- and basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Cook for about 5 minutes.
Add in wine and apple sauce.
Simmer on low for about 30 minutes.

This Ricotta Replica is Cheesy Magic

August 30, 2017 by thehamptonsvegan

Rockin’ Ricotta Replica

crumbled extra firm tofu — Turn mashed tofu into…..

Ricotta replica is a hero around our Hampton Vegan home.

What would Italian food be without Ricotta?!

Well, an Italian entree usually makes an appearance around our dinner table about once a week. And it’s not always the same thing. So it might be spaghetti one week, stuffed shells the next, while lasagna might happen the following week. Then eggplant parmesan is one of my favorites so that plays a role, as well.

So taking ricotta off the dinner table left a gaping hole and a need to find a replacement when vegan became our new way to eat. Spaghetti wasn’t going to cut it every week. Because, hey, we like a little variety here!

When I could take it no more, scouring the web produced some very fancy creations. Then there were recipes that needed a lot more attention than I really wanted to give them. But I tried several anyway and decided to keep looking until I found a perfect fit. I believe in Goldilocks way of thinking. Continue the search until you find the one that’s just right.

Vegan Ricotta Cheesse-Found It!

So, I did find it! And the simplest, easiest one (thankfully) was also the best-tasting recipe as well! Giant heaps of praise to the queen of vegan- The PPK, Isa Chandra Moskowitz. (Long may she reign). Therefore, her recipe is now my recipe and is now your recipe.

And it would be impossible to make our Elegant Eggplant Parmesan or Lovely Luscious Lasagna without the help of this basic cheesy creation. Love this!

Yup! Vegan Cheese, people!

If you are in need of a little cheese love for your homemade dishes, you should also try our Perfect Parmesan-vegan style. It’s great on pizza and tops all kinds of other foods!

Also, check out the recipe for Posh Pesto for your basil/cheesy hook-up.

Another must-try is our Vegalicious vegan cheese sauce. It’s an unbelievably good cheesy sauce.

Finally, if you’re craving nachos, you’re craving our Quicky Quality Queso sauce.

quicky quality queso dip — vegan queso sauce

With these cheesy recipes in your vegan recipe box, you’ll be snubbing your nose at all those dairy versions!

thehamptonsvegan

Ricotta Replica

A vegan version of ricotta cheese that works perfectly in all your Italian dishes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings: 2 cups

Cuisine: vegan

Ingredients

1 container (about 14 ounces) firm or extra firm tofu drained (pressed if you want a drier consistency) I ususally do a light press
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 or 2 tablespoons vegan pesto optional or chop/chiffonade a few basil leaves for added flavor (optional)

Method

Mash with a fork or crumble the ricotta with your hands to resemble the consistency of ricotta.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and blend well
Store in refrigerator for up to a week.

Posh Pesto for the best addition to your meals!

August 30, 2017 by thehamptonsvegan

So many uses for Pesto!

basil leaves — It all began with a little basil.

pesto ingredients — Then basil and their friends get together.

Pesto is one of those necessary recipes that everyone needs to have. And this recipe is also vegan. Plus, it can be frozen for a quick dinner.

It’s wonderful to mix into pasta or to add another level of flavor to your food. Or mix it into your vegan mayo for a great sandwich spread. Also, it gives a depth of character mixed into your vegan ricotta recipes. And my favorite way to indulge my pesto urges is in Pesto Pasta Primavera.

I usually just chop up some carrots, some broccoli, and whatever other veggies I have on hand. Maybe I’ll use brussel sprouts, red peppers, or zucchini. Then I roast those in the oven while boiling penne or farfalle pasta on the stove. Of course, any type of pasta will do!

Sometimes I might sauté onions and mushrooms in a skillet, as well! Then I take out my freezer stash of the green goodness, mix in a couple of tablespoons of the pasta cooking water, and mix that into my cooked pasta.

Add that to your dinner plate surrounded with all the veggies and you too can enjoy an easy dinner of Pesto Pasta Primavera!

Pesto all year!

There’s just something about pesto that makes it feel like a spring or summer day. Maybe it’s the bright green color or perhaps it’s the basil scent. But it’s great not only to eat this when basil is abundant in the spring and summer months but also when all the leaves are off the trees and the grass has turned to brown.

The long dark cold days of winter need a burst of vivid green! And we need to taste and smell the aroma of plants long past gone. So thank you, freezer, for bringing me a connection to the seasons that I miss when they’re gone (aka summer), by keeping my pesto for me! And thank you, blender, for helping me mix this little taste of plant life happiness into my favorite green sauce whenever I want. So three cheers for Posh Pesto! Wait, actually, four cheers!! One for each season of the year to eat this treat! Oh yeah.

Oh the Possibilities

I’ve read many an article about this green sauce. (Yeah, I sound like a pesto-nerd, I know) But the point is, there are plenty of possibilities! According to Cooks Illustrated, bruising the basil leaves, either with a mortar and pestle or with a rolling pin inside of a gallon plastic bag, imparts a bigger basil taste. Tried this and I’m not sure I tasted the difference. Also, I think the bruising contributed to a less green outcome. Probably won’t do this tip again! (And why the gallon plastic bag, anyway?)

Cook’s Illustrated also recommends blanching the basil leaves to preserve the bright green color. They say 30 seconds in boiling water, then remove and dry. Another site recommends only 5 seconds in boiling water, then plunging into an ice water bath. Haven’t tried this one as one of the reviewers said the flavor was lost.

Ina Garten (fellow Hamptonite!)’s tip to store basil is to rinse the basil leaves in water, spin them dry, then store them in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel in the fridge to help them stay green for several days.

I’ve also heard, to store basil, treat it like a flower by placing it in a jar of water and covering it with a plastic bag over the top to act as a greenhouse effect.

Posh Pesto Please!

There is a bundle of basil advice and a plethora of pesto possibilities swirling around out there so we hope you give our recipe a try. And let us know how it goes!

Best basil wishes for all your pesto pursuits!

It sits atop our Elegant Eggplant Parmesan

we often add it to our Lovely Luscious Vegan Lasagna

and it gives a nice addition to the flavor of Ricotta Replica, too!

And how about a little Posh Pesto mixed into our Pilaf recipe?! Yum!

Posh Pesto

A flavorful vegan sauce that will brighten your dishes and wake up your tastebuds.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings: 1 cups

Cuisine: Italian, vegan

Ingredients

2 cups basil leaves packed
1/2 cup walnuts (can be lightly toasted 5 minutes in dry skillet) or pine nuts (pignoli), raw cashews,pumpkin or sunflower seeds
2-3 cloves garlic about 3 teaspoons
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

Place nuts, garlic and basil leaves in blender or food processor. Blend or pulse on low to grind briefly. While blender/processor is on low, drizzle in olive oil slowly. Then add rest of ingredients (lemon juice, nutritiional yeast, salt and pepper). Turn up speed to blend well for about 10 seconds. Use immediately, or refrigerate for a few days or freeze for longer storage.

Bada-Bing-Bada-Boom Bruschetta in a New York Minute

August 30, 2017 by thehamptonsvegan

BADA-BING-BADA-BOOM BRUSCHETTA

Simple, Simple, Simple.

garlic cloves — a little bit of or a lotta bit of) garlic

and add a little olive oil, basil, and salt… Voila! Bruschetta

Bada-Bing-Bada-Boom Bruschetta couldn’t be simpler to make. It’s the amazing burst of flavor that astonishes such a simple dish. Fresh from the garden, farmers market, or any market tomatoes are always in abundance at the mid to end of summer here on Long Island. So one of our favorite ways to enjoy them is a simple but robustly delicious bruschetta.

And there are so many ways to enhance this little gem! But I suggest you start with the basic recipe and then make it your own. It’s perfect when you have too many tomatoes and a day-old baguette. The makings of bruschetta are calling your name! So it’s a problem turned into a plan! And lemons into lemonade! You get my drift.

Bruschetta Memories

I still remember the first time I had this lovely treat. It was at my brother and sister-in-law’s house in Corning, NY.

Jackie, my sister-in-law, took out a container of bruschetta from her fridge. Then she toasted up the baguette and spooned on the bright red mixture. The aroma from the oven was heavenly. Soon, after the first bite, my Mom and I and our family were blown away. And how had we never had this amazing taste creation? It was difficult to modestly eat one or two. Because we seriously could have polished off the entire baguette of blissfulness.

We talked about it on the drive back to Mom’s house in Binghamton, that night. And we knew this new-found food would definitely be added to our menu rotations. We laughed about how we would’ve eaten it with a spoon straight out of the bowl but didn’t want to shock my dear sister-in-law, Jackie 🙂

How do I love thee, let me count the ways…

Our bruschetta love continues. Ans although our first encounter was fifteen or twenty years ago, it is still enjoyed here at our Hamptons Vegan home. I make it for Sunday football games and whenever we want an appetizer. Also good for book clubs, or when the kids had sleepovers. And make it for a light lunch, New Year’s Eve, summer picnics, parties, and potlucks, too.

And, I incorporate it into my Magnificent Marinara Sauce, as well! It’s fantastic and we love it so much. So, thank you, Jackie! And, thank you Italy, the original creator! Also, one more muchas gracias to a restaurant in Varadero, Cuba (the restaurant name escapes me, I’ll keep thinking and let you know!) Because they had one of the best bruschetta appetizers I’ve ever eaten. So good in fact that I made it my dinner entrée that night!

Also, for a creamy cheesiness add some Violife Feta on top! AAHHHmazing!

More Italian love

So Italian food is a favorite around here! Therefore, we have some other good specialties we think you’ll like as well!

Try our Lovely, Luscious Vegan Lasagna for an easy but filling comfort food dish.

Another good Italian classic is our Elegant Eggplant Parmesan

vegan eggplant parmesan with bruschetta — Elegant Eggplant Parmesan made vegan with bruschetta

And for cheesy additions to compliment your Bada-Bing-Bada-Boom Bruschetta,

make our Perfect Parmesan, our Posh Pesto, and our Ricotta Replica to top it all off!

And that’s Amore!

thehamptonsvegan

Bada-Bing-Bada-Boom Bruschetta in a New York Minute

A simple recipe that’s bursting with flavor.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings: 2 cups

Course: appetizers, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Italian, vegan

Ingredients

5-6 tomatoes diced I usually use plum tomatoes but any type will do.
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
6-8 fresh basil leaves chopped chiffonade style (rolled together into log, then thinly sliced from one end to the other)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano optional
pepper to taste optional

Method

Mix together all ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl and let marinate for 1-2 hours for the best flavor.

Notes

To serve on a baguette, slice the baguette into 1/2-inch slices and toast in the oven until golden. Remove from oven, brush a little olive oil on one side of the bread slices, and then top with spoonfuls of bruschetta. Add a sprinkle of vegan parmesan, Violife feta, or black olives to garnish if desired.

This Vegan Parmesan is Quick, Easy, and Perfect

August 24, 2017 by thehamptonsvegan

The Perfect Parmesan-Vegan Style!

“Extra Sloppy For Ya’s” Sloppy Joes!

Hey, You know what? The Perfect Vegan Parmesan is the perfect condiment for anybody’s style!

And you don’t have to be vegan, of course! If you have a blender or food processor, you can whip this up in under a minute and then store it in the fridge to add to soups, casseroles, tofu scrambles, pasta, pizza and so much more.

Because it’s made with just a few ingredients, it couldn’t be easier. It’s great to have such a big, bold flavor-enhancing product. And it’s so simple!

So, this easy recipe is found all over the web and in vegan cookbooks, blogs, and on Pinterest. And I’ve seen it made with various kinds of nuts and seeds and a host of various herbs and spices. It’s a common, useful recipe, shared by many. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should give it a try. Because it will spice up your dishes.

Perfect Vegan Parmesan For All Our Favorite Italian Recipes

Italian restaurants don’t hold the same draw they once did since going vegan. When you take the cheese from the equation, nothing’s left but mostly just spaghetti IF the sauce wasn’t made with meat.

So what do you do? Two choices: Buy a Parmesan alternative cheese like Go Veggie or make your own vegan versions like our perfect parmesan, that’s what! Now I no longer miss lasagna, stuffed shells, or eggplant parmesan thanks to all the creative ways to simulate ingredients like meat and dairy. We just make our own.

Now one of my favorite recipes that utilizes the Perfect Parmesan-vegan style creation is our Elegant Eggplant entrée. It’s delicious, and light but still filling, with a lot of flavors and great presentation. So if you want a great recipe to start using your Parmesan-like condiment, this is one I’d recommend.

But don’t stop there! I like a great big sprinkle of perfect parmesan on our Goulash. And it tops our Garlic Aioli like a champ. Our Killer Kale Salad would be sad without it, as well. It just compliments so many dishes!

Need no stinkin’ dairy parmesan cheese, now!

Nope. We have our vegan variations that are healthy, tasty, and satisfying.

So you can use this recipe for all your Parmesan needs and you won’t miss the dairy stuff. (The cows say thank you!)

Now, moooove over dairy Parmesan, there’s a new cheesy taste creation in town. Healthier and so quick to make, too!

More, vegan parmesan, please.

Yep, no problem! How about using the Perfect Parmesan-vegan style in our Lovely Luscious Vegan Lasagna?!

It also works on our

“extra sloppy for yas” sloppy joe sandwich

Try it, you’ll like it!

This is the brand of nutritional yeast I usually use- Bragg’s

thehamptonsvegan

Perfect Vegan Parmesan

A vegan parmesan made with simple ingredients that accentuates any dish in need of a little cheesy flavor.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings: 1 cup

Course: condiments

Cuisine: vegan

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Method

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor.
Blend/pulse for about 30 seconds or more until grated cheese consistency. Don't blend too long to avoid turning to nut butter.

Notes

Do not soak cashews, always use dry ingredients for this recipe.

Quicky Quality Queso/Quick Equality Queso that everybody will love!

August 19, 2017 by thehamptonsvegan

Quicky Quality Queso A.K.A. Quick Equality Queso!

Quicky Quality Queso!

Now say it out loud three times. Yes, it’s both: A quicky, quality queso, and a quick, equality queso. It’s quick. It’s quality. And it’s equality for vegans who can now have their queso too! So for the love of cheese, people, you must make this one!

It’s quicky quality for all!

So how about this:

It’s the perfect dip for your tortilla chips, for sure! Also, it’s great drizzled on your enchiladas, your vegan hotdogs, mixed into rice, a top your baked potato, a dip for your veggies, and on your hot pretzels. And the possibilities are endless! So this is the cheesy-tasting dip you’ve been waiting for!

Take queso to your potlucks and tailgates

This sauce goes to many of our potlucks and meetups and we always have requests for the recipe. This queso is a keeper and I’m happy to share it with you.

Football season and sleepovers for your kids…

This dip will be seeing a lot of action for the upcoming football season snack menu. And it’s perfect for sleepover snacks and after-school treats, too. Because it’s so easy and crowd-pleasing. And we’re just getting started!

Queso any time of day!

Yes, even breakfast. First of all, your breakfast home fries would love a drizzle and your tofu scramble says “Si, por favor!”

Next, lunchtime tomato soup is requesting a dollop and your plain jane pasta feels naked without it!

Then, dinnertime quinoa is a perfect match… quicky quality queso quinoa, anybody? With a side of black beans, please.

Finally, dessert is great …but I’ve got nothing. Sorry. Maybe quicky quality queso isn’t a good fit for dessert. Oh well.

queso dip for chips — perfect cheesy dip for vegans and everyone!

Some ideas for that!

Now if you have an idea for a queso dessert, be sure to let us know!

But when you need a dessert that doesn’t involve that, how about our scrumptious strawberry pie?

And our summer sunflower chocolate cupcakes are also pretty and delicious

summer sunflower chocolate cupcakessummer sunflower chocolate cupcakes — a bouquet of summer dessert flowers

But our chocolate chip cookies are pretty delicious too!

thehamptonsvegan

Quicky Quality Queso/Quick Equality Queso that everybody will love!

A spicy vegan cheesy sauce. Delicioso and versatile!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 2

Total Time 7

Servings: 2 cups

Course: appetizers, snacks

Cuisine: vegan

Vegalicious vegan cheese sauce recipe.

Ingredients

1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with chilis like Rotel tomatoes
1 jalapeno pepper, small dice or use 1/4 cup jarred pickled jalapenos pepper slices, chopped
1 recipe vegalicious vegan cheese sauce see notes for recipe link

Method

Mix vegalicious cheese sauce with the can of tomatoes with chilis and the chopped jalapeno pepper in a saucepan to heat through. Or heat in a glass bowl in the microwave for about 2 minutes untll heated through. Serve warm.

Notes

This Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce is a Dream Come True

August 19, 2017 by thehamptonsvegan

Vegan Cheese Sauce is life-changing!

Our favorite delicious vegan cheese sauce has enriched our vegan menus and we can’t wait to share it with you!

Cheese is that comfort food in mainstream cooking that is hard to replicate and hard to relinquish. We feel your pain. Starting on a journey that doesn’t include any form of cheese is tough.

Just look at how many foods have cheese in them. It’s mind-boggling! Seriously, we’ve seen cheese listed in the ingredients in the most unnecessary places. Potato chips, guacamole, spaghetti sauce, crackers, soups, and boxed rice mixes all have it. I swear, it feels like almost every frozen dinner has some form of cheese in it too. Sheesh! Cheese has become an invasive species.

Competing in the cheese food group for a vegan was like David going up against Goliath without his trusty slingshot. Come on!

Until we whipped out our magic weapon! Now we have some ammunition people! Vegalicious vegan cheese sauce to the rescue.

Changing to a vegan lifestyle

It is a decision we finally made permanent in 2013. We thought that being vegetarians was enough. We believed we were distancing ourselves from the suffering and death of animals. We ate no animals or seafood of any kind. We ate “cage-free” eggs, imagining they came from chickens living a peaceful life on farms. Chickens with access to green pastures, fresh air, and room to roam. But it’s not so. We drank cow’s milk labeled organic and hormone-free, believing these cows were treated more humanely. Also, not so. Those foods were easy to let go of, compared to cheese.

If all vegans were surveyed, we’d wager that about 85% would say cheese is the hardest food to give up. It’s like a very addicting drug that has a stranglehold on our stomachs and minds. We must have it on pizza, pasta, tacos, and enchiladas. It is essential on almost every conceivable sandwich, veggies, and bagels. The list goes on and on.

Going “cold turkey” so to speak, is one way to let go of the cheese addiction. But it will make you ch-angry! Cheese-angry: like hangry- but for cheese.

Having a cheese substitute is much easier, though.

Finding a good cheese substitute

There are so many cheese alternatives on the market now. The problem is finding one that tastes good. We tried a lot of faux cheeses on our vegan journey and honestly, not many were keepers. But good news! Vegan cheese has improved.

We recommend Chao cheese, as one good choice. Chao’s American or spicy version is good in a grilled cheese sandwich! Miyokos spreadable cheeses are also a great choice. (Miyoko Schinner has written an excellent cookbook with cheese recipes entitled, The Homemade Vegan Pantry.) Also, try the Follow Your Heart brand (probably our family’s favorite). They make wonderful smoked Gouda cheese and have an extensive line of various other flavors of cheese. Another brand to try is Treeline. But wait, we can’t leave out Daiya. You can buy the popular Daiya brand at many grocery stores. Their mozzarella is often used in restaurants.

New cheese alternatives enter the market regularly now (yay!). If you haven’t enjoyed any of those yet, keep trying and sampling. They’re just getting better and better all the time! So don’t give up! Making homemade vegan cheese sauce is always a good idea, too.

The magic of making vegan cheese sauce

When looking at the ingredients for this vegan cheese-like sauce, I couldn’t believe it would remotely taste like cheese. If something doesn’t taste how I expect, I prefer to go without it. If it doesn’t taste good I’d rather go without it than eat it.

After suffering through many cheesy imitations, I decided to forget about it. Fuhgeddaboudit for all you Brooklynites.

Then, I tried again despite my stubborn decision to give up before for lack of an acceptable substitute. That’s when the magic happened. I found this version of our favorite vegan cheese sauce on the PETA website. I want to give them credit for this spectacular recipe. Everyone loves this cheese sauce.

My advice is to keep sampling. Keep on, keeping on with the quest. And by all means, try this recipe.

XOXO

P.S. One of my favorite ways to enjoy this delicious vegan cheese yumminess is in my Quicky Quality Queso Sauce. You have to try it when the craving for nachos strikes! It’s our spicier version of cheese sauce.

It would make a nice topping on Glorious Grilled Veggie Sandwiches

Grilled eggplant, zucchini, peppers and onions on chabatta bread — Grilled Veggie Sandwich

or “Extra Sloppy For Ya’s” Sloppy Joes, too!

thehamptonsvegan

Vegalicious Vegan Cheese Sauce

Creamy, versatile cheese-like sauce that works perfectly for macaroni and cheese, nachos, on baked potatoes, vegetables, tacos, enchiladas and so much more!

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings: 2 cups

Course: appetizers, dinner, lunch, snacks

Cuisine: vegan