Happy New Year! I hope 2014 is being good to you so far. I spent the first day of the year watching the Winter Classic hockey game (so fun!), working on a bonus e-book (details to come), and making a tasty soup recipe with Eric. It was a fun, quiet day…no complaints here!
This past year brought with it many challenges, as they always do. One major work-related challenge for me was juggling recipe creation, writing, and testing for both the cookbook and this blog. Most of the time I felt like I wasn’t accomplishing much on either end, always torn between both demands even though I was working more hours than ever. There were a lot of unexpected stressors that came up along the way. I learned so much from writing a book and I’m so grateful for the experience though. It pushed me way out of my comfort zone and forced me to improve, grow, and learn in many different areas. I like to think of 2012/2013 as recipe creation boot camp. After 2 intense years, I’m eager to start new projects. Oh, and make more time for fun. Who knows what adventures 2014 will bring…
I heard a quote yesterday from Dick Irvin who said something to the effect of, “When life knocks you down, make sure it knocks you forward.” What wise words! It reminds me of my dear grandpa who has been through so many difficult challenges with his health over the past few years. They definitely knocked him forward, I can say with utmost certainty. And not only did his positivity get him through the toughest of times, but he tells my mom what a blessing it has been because it brought out the best in his family. My goal for 2014 is to be knocked forward from whatever challenges may come my way. As luck would have it, I trip on things a lot so hopefully this forward momentum continues!
As I like to do at the beginning of each year, I’ve put together a list some of my favourite vegan recipes from the past year. Since many of us, myself included, tend to be looking for healthy lunch and dinner ideas for the new year, I thought this list would be especially timely. So here they are, my favourite lunch and dinner recipes of 2013! I’ve included the top 3 most clicked entrée recipes at the end of this post in case you are curious which ones got the most hits. And of course, feel free to tell me yours in the comments!
1. Thai Sweet Potato Burgers with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Vegan, gluten-free, soy-free option, refined sugar-free
Bursting with flavour, these Thai-inspired veggie burgers will make your every dream come true! The patties are made with a base of shredded sweet potato and chickpeas and are flavoured with fresh garlic, ginger, cilantro, basil, and a sprinkle of lime juice and sesame seed oil. Oh my lanta, they are good. These burgers are naturally gluten-free and you can make them soy-free by using coconut aminos instead of the tamari (or simply omit the tamari all together).
Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, sugar-free
Crunchy roasted chickpeas and hearty roasted cauliflower and broccoli are topped with a creamy cashew-based lemon tahini sauce. Try serving it with a base of quiona for a meal that will keep you going for hours. I’ve even heard from a few moms that their young children love this bowl!
3. Ultimate 4-Layer Vegan Sandwich
Vegan, no bake/raw, nut-free, soy-free, sugar-free
Do I ever love a great sandwich. Toasted sprouted grain bread is slathered with hummus and homemade sun-dried tomato hemp pesto all topped off with sliced avocado, tomato, and red pepper flakes. This is one vegan sandwich that you won’t soon forget! Try it in a wrap if you don’t want to use toasted bread. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free bread (or wrap) or try serving it wrapped in Bibb lettuce for a grain-free option.
Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, no bake, refined sugar-free, soy-free option
Ready to feel amazing? This salad is inspired by a raw Pad Thai dish I enjoyed at a restaurant called Marbles in Waterloo. It just might be one of my favourite recipes of all time. It’s hard to rival how energized and happy I feel after eating it! For a soy-free option omit the edamame (you can throw in a bean of choice) and use coconut aminos instead of tamari.
5. Sundried Tomato, Mushroom, and Spinach Tofu Quiche
Vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free
This was my first time making a tofu quiche and it blew us away! Many of you are loving it too; I’ve had so many rave reviews about this quiche. Enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack. I’ve made this a few different ways simply by changing up the vegetables used. One version used asparagus (1 cup diced) and broccoli (1.5 cups diced), which was also very nice. The only thing I would advise against is using a high-water vegetable, like fresh tomatoes as it might result in a water-logged quiche. Best of all, it reheats well. Simply place leftover quiche on a baking sheet and pop it in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 350F.
6. Smoky Butternut Squash Sauce with Pasta and Greens
Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, soy-free, sugar-free
Creamy comfort food at its finest. This recipe is adapted from my Butternut Squash Mac and Cheeze recipe from 2011. While the former version is a huge hit on the blog, some of you didn’t like how sweet the sauce is. This version I’m sharing today is still quite sweet thanks to the butternut squash and cashews, but I’ve tried to balance it out better with some smoky seasonings like liquid smoke, chili powder, smoked paprika, and some hot sauce for a kick and more depth of flavour. It’s a big hit in this house. This sauce is also great heated up and poured over roasted vegetables and brown rice if you don’t want pasta. Use it any way you see fit! I think you’ll be surprised by how creamy and satisfying it is all without a lick of butter or oil.
7. Easy Flaked Almond “Tuna” Salad
Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free option, no bake
I think this almond “tuna” salad tastes even better than the real thing. The base of this salad is made with plump soaked almonds which are processed until “flaked” in texture. To bulk up the flaked almonds, I added celery, garlic, and green onion for more flavour and crunch. Finally some oil-based mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and lemon juice brought everything together. The end result is creamy, crunchy, a bit tangy, and seriously, seriously hard to resist. I couldn’t stop eating it straight from the bowl! Try it on top of a salad, in cucumber cups, lettuce wraps, on toasted sprouted-grain bread.
8. Black Bean & Potato Nacho Plate
Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free, sugar-free, nut-free
This is the meal to make when you have no idea what to make.
This is the meal to make when you just want to devour a huge plate of nachos and call it dinner.
This plate is a staple in our house because we usually have most of the ingredients on hand. During the months when tomatoes are not in season, I like to use a jar of salsa instead of the cherry tomatoes.
Here are the 2013 lunch/dinner recipes that had the most page views:
3. Green Powerhouse Pesto Plate
1. Rad Rainbow Raw Pad Thai (<—2013 winner!!)
Did you have a favourite recipe form 2013? Share below!
Wishing you all the best 2014 has to offer.
Wowsers..thanks for all these great recipes…Happy New Year…and here’s to a wonderful 2014. x
vodkaandarose.blogspot.co.uk
All of these recipes sound amazing. I’m pinning just about every single one and can’t wait to try them out!
These all look delicious! I can’t to try the Roasted Buddha Bowl. I don’t know if its from 2013 but I make your cheesy broccoli soup all the time, I LOVE it!
Jesse, I’m glad you are still enjoying that recipe! It’s been a while since I made it, but I think I should dig it up soon.
I make that roasted buddha bowl at least once a month – it’s so incredible!
Happy new year to you, too, Angela! I came across ohsheglows.com in March 2013 and since then have tried so many of your vegan recipes although I have never cosidered becoming vegan before. I still make the odd exception for milk and dairy (mostly so that I don’t offend loved ones who prepared something especially for me) but generally I try to avoid it. Thank you for opening my eyes to vegan cooking in 2013 and for helping me to find enjoyment in cooking and eating again! May 2014 be a great year for you :-)
Hey Charlotte, I’m so happy to hear that you are enjoying the recipes! Thanks for trying them out. And I always say you don’t have to be vegan to enjoy my vegan recipes, so I’m always happy to hear when they fit into a variety of different diets. All the best to you in 2014. :)
Wonderful wrap up and wishing you all the best for 2014!
These all look so yummy, and ever so colourful :)
I loved your gooey banana peanut butter oats! They are seriously amazing!
Over the past few months I have tried many of your recipes and love all of them! You inspired to start my own blog, veganfortheweek.com about my own experiences being vegan (for 6 days a week) and finding easy recipes that my kids will eat too! Thank you for all the great recipe ideas. I can’t wait to try more.
I still need to make that pesto power plate!!! Any success making your own nachos?
What a great list and I can see why all of them are in the top 10! I hope your 2014 is a great one, Angela! The fact that you’ve got your book behind you automatically makes it way calmer, right! :)
Those Thai Sweet Potato Burgers were the first thing I stumbled across to make on your blog and they were SO good that I had to make more… more of them and more of more stuff! Last week I tried the Italian Bean Balls… yummy!
Love your pics! And LOVE the vegan sandwich =) avo toast is amazing!!!
That Pad Thai looks awesome! I’m dying to try it — perfect for January, when all you want is a bowl of veggies (but not a salad — it’s freezing out).
I have to agree with you on that sandwich. I eat it year round very frequently it’s amazing! Any other suggestions for healthy recipes to take to work? I am not a vegan but I do eat a lot of vegan foods in my diet ( thanks to you!) I find that it is harder to bring some of those meals to work. Any suggestions?
The roasted buddha bowl is definitely a favourite that I have made time and time again! I also tried and loved the quiche. Have a wonderful beginning of the year :)
I make your butternut squash mac and cheese all. the. time. I usually sub canned pumpkin for squash because it makes everything come together a little quicker, but it is ridiculously delicious. I haven’t tried the smokey version yet, but I need to asap.
Jordan, I have three cans of pumpkin left over from the holidays. Do you do anything else differently or just sub the pumpkin for the squash and that’s it?
Yes, I just substitute the pumpkin for butternut squash 1:1.
Great recipe recap, we especially need to try the pasta dish – wow! Happy New Year!
Oh my goodness, I TOTALLY forgot about the Thai Sweet Potato Burgers!! Thank you so much for the reminder. It’s been so cold lately that all I want to eat is nice warm meals, so some of these are sounding mighty appealing right now!
Angela, with all that schooling you have why don’t you have a practice, I need a session, always? I always wanted to tell you I’m working on my associates of applied science, working on becoming a medical researcher. god am I doing the right choice all this mind rattling unbalancing studying till Im nutz. I wanted to start a whole foods bar, then I thought it wont pay off or the liability(im in the states), Well I could start a vegan hippy juice bar type of place, the liability thou scares me, will it pay off. So ive just stuck with the medical researcher. Some times I meet people or hear of people that are similar to myself that took a certain path then decided to change there career. well, angela I never can figure out if im choosing the right path as I cry and type these words and I myself do have a lot of health problems since my ed started at 9 years old, im 34 so am I making the right choices? I see your end results and what you have achieved. Hell, I might still go into mortuary science if I can handle more trauma will see huh. I hope your well even thou you don’t really no me. Love always, I love your food, Happy New Year hope I didn’t scare you.