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.
The butternut squash looks lovely
Ohh emm geee Angela! These also look TO DIE FOR! Living with a traditional Polish family, my mom tends to make a lot of not-so-light dinners, so I’m trying to find inspiration to cook up a healthy meal from time to time. Thank you for this list; it’s definitely given me a place to start :)
Hope you’re enjoying the New Year!
xo
Natalie
nataliemint.com
OMG I love potato burgers – I will be trying that one tonight as my Friday treat! Love it :)
The thai sweet potato burger… is the tastiest dish I’ve made this year. I went vegan overnight six months ago and I’ve loved your recipes ever since. I add a bit more tamari in the peanut sauce and it’s so good. My boyfriend loves it too. Thank you for making a compassionate lifestyle easier for so many of us. I can’t wait for your book!
Thank you Asa, so glad you enjoyed the burger! Wishing you a great 2014.
Huge kudos to your for writing your blog and cookbook at the same time – I faced the same challenge in 2013 and can completely relate – it’s fun/exciting/exhilarating, but can be very stressful and make you feel like you’re always in a grind. I can’t wait to see your book! And in the meantime, I can enjoy these mouth-watering lunch and dinner recipes. Love everything you do, lady! You’re an inspiration!
I’ve tried the raw pad thai, the “tuna” salad, and the smoky butternut squash pasta from that list. All three were awesome! I must admit that my favourite 2013 recipe was the chilled chocolate pie with almond crust and strawberry compote. I loved it not just because it is dessert (although that helps!), but because it blew away my very skeptical “meatatarian” friends who initially growned when I said that I’d made a vegan dessert.
I remember that when I made the change to vegan back in March 2013, one of the first recipes I made was the Nacho Plate, but with waffle fries. It was sooo incredible! The during the summer I made the Rainbow salad and I ate it for a few weeks straight. All so good!
Hi, Angela,
Happy New Year. Sometime around this time last year, I posted a comment about preparing your recipes for my dearest, oldest friend who was battling cancer. The end of 2012 and most of 2013 were very hard for her and though I have some bad memories of that time, I also have that one champagne-popping, joyful memory of her telling me she was declared cancer-free this past October.
I know it’s just for now — but we’ll take it!
All the best to you in 2014 and beyond. Sharing your food with her and her family this past year was a consistent bright spot, and I thank you for making healthy eating so comforting.
Carla
p.s. All cancer drama aside, the ultimate 4 layer vegan sandwich put me at risk of becoming a seriously chubby vegan. :)
The #5 quiche is a recipe I make often. Thanks so much for posting. I gotta try those nachos next!
Incredible. Thank you so much for this and happy new year!
My favourite ……Black Bean and Potato Nacho Plate. Looking back at this list… the Powerhouse Pesto Plate is calling me……..
Angela, your site was my favourite discovery of 2013! You absolutely saved my life (or at least my diet!) when my husband and I decided to focus on a plant based whole food diet. Every recipe of yours I made was a success which was not necessarily true of some others that I tried!!
I love the smoky butternut squash sauce and the ultimate vegan sandwich from this list. I also regularly make your perfect veggie burger, lemon tahini dressing, hemp seed dressing, italian bean balls and of course I never would have roasted such perfect spaghetti squash without your help!
Can’t wait to try the rad raw pad thai and the quiche plus all the amazing recipes in your book and on the blog this year :)
Hi Natalie, You have no idea how happy this makes me!! I’m thrilled. Thank you for trying out so many. Here’s to a tasty 2014!
Just had the rad rainbow pad thai (with brown rice glass noodles) for dinner and it was AH-mazing!! Thanks for another tasty meal :)
I’ve made your Rainbow Pad Thai salad for a party and everyone asked for the recipe. Since I found it a couple of months ago, I have already made it 4 times, including 2 times for large events. It’s absolutely lovely to look at as well with all the colors. This one is a keeper!
These posts are reminding me of all the recipes of yours I need to try! I now have the kale salad and those thai veggie burgers on the shopping list. It’s going to be a tasty week!
I love that saying too; it’s inevitable that we all get knocked down at some point but how react to it is what matters most. Best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2014 Angela!
Oooh this all looks so good! Definitely going to try the Roasted Buddha Bowl, Rad Rainbow Pad Thai, and 4-Layer Vegan Sandwich. Thanks for the round-up!
Wow so many great recipes to try, but I think I will start with the Easy Flaked Almond ‘Tuna’ Salad.and then move on to the rest.
So grateful for all the new ideas. My cooking will surely get a lift. Especially excited about the macaroni dish :)
Thanks for the delicious reminders! Looking forward to trying some of these in 2014.
I decided it was time that I should finally comment on your blog. Last January I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 28. Because of that, I significantly changed my diet and lifestyle–becoming vegan and eliminating white, brown, and cane sugar from my diet. At first it was very hard, but over the year, I have learned to enjoy vegan food and to love cooking. I first tried your recipes from the ones Kroger mailed, and that led me to your blog. Now I absolutely love your blog and have tried so many of your recipes. It has definitely made the transition much easier. So thank you! And thankfully, God is really gracious to me, and my cancer is gone, hopefully to never return. :)
Hi Jenny, I’m so happy to hear that you are cancer-free. What an inspiration you are! I’m so glad that my recipes could help with your transition. :) Wishing you continued good health in new year ahead.
Just made, and ate, your Thai sweet potato burger. Holy moley, amazing!!!! I could drink that peanut sauce. :) Best veggie burger, hands down. Thank you!!!
Hi Mel, so glad you enjoyed it so much! thanks for letting me know :)