Vegan Chicken Ceaser Salads

       Hey you! Yeah, you! In the mood for salads but don't want just a plain old salad with vinaigrette dressing/ no dressing at all? Well do I have the perfect salad for you!

Vegan Chicken Ceaser Salad

What you'll need:

• 365 Chickenless Nuggets (in the freezer section)
• Salad
• Coconut Oil

For the ranch dressing:

• 1 CUP imitation mayonnaise
• 1/3 CUP imitation sour cream
• ¼ CUP unsweetened almond milk
• 1 TABLEspoon lemon juice
• 1 TABLEspoon dried chives
• 1 TABLEspoon dried parsley
• 1 TEASpoon dried dill
• 1 TEASpoon garlic powder
• 1 TEASpoon garlic salt
• 1 TEASpoon onion powder
• ½TEASpoon dry mustard

       Start by getting your ranch dressing ingredients out. Combine all of them into a bowl, and mix together until everything is whipped up and all the ingredients are spread apart. Cover, and put inside your refrigerator. 

     Take out a frying pan (or a fillet, whatever your preference is) and lightly coat the bottom of the pan with Coconut oil. If you're new to coconut oil, take oMout a spoon and get a spoon-full of the oil and place it in the pan. The oil will melt, causing it to look like oil (lol). Grab your nuggets and place them on the pan, turning the heat to about simmer (a bit hotter is fine too!) 

       Move around and lift the nuggets up every 10-15 SECONDS.  Make sure it doesn't burn at the bottom! Once the bottom is a nice dark golden brownish, flip it and repeat the process. 

      Take out a cutting board and put your crispy chickenless nuggets on. Cut them vertically (you can cut them about three times). Take out your salad and rinse it a bit. To get the access water off, grab a paper towel and dry it off. Put it into a big bowl, and put your nuggets on top. Mix it up, buttercup!

      Find a couple of plates and put the salad on. Serve with the heavenly vegan ranch and have a healthy dinner!

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at: thevganteen@gmail.com
Hope this was a quick meal!
-Ilana xo

      

Breakfast

       The first thing you should ALWAYS put into your body when you wake up is FRUIT! Fruit kick starts your day, and it makes you feel healthy through out it, too! The other day for breakfast I had 7 strawberries cut in half, one whole mango (sliced) and two pieces of bread with earth balance butter on them. It was SOOO good! I loved it.

Tonight!

       Tonight is the night! Keep your eyes open for a nice 'chicken ceaser salad' with a nice 'ranch' dressing and 'buttered' noodles!!
       So happy im over my sickness, can't WAIT to cook for you all!!!!! :) :) :)

      

        If you have any questions or concerns please email me at: thevganteen@gmail.com
       Get pumped!!!:)
       -Ilana xo

Thursday Update

       Hey all of you viewers... I am SO sorry I haven't been posting recipes in a while, Iv'e been sick for a couple of days now. I promise the second I get back on my feet, I will post millions of recipes! For now, I'll do my 'homework' and research a bunch of amazing places for people to eat at in a couple of different cities, states, and countries!

       

Thank you all so much for looking at my recipes and fashion, and stay tuned!

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at: thevganteen@gmail.com

Comment below of what cities/states/countries you want to see in my new post!
-Ilana xo

Organic Treatments When You Have A Cold!

       Hi everyone. I have bad news, and good news! The bad news is, I can't post the salad recipe just yet, I am sick with a cold! Headache, sleepy, chills, and I'm warm.
       I feel so so so bad that I said a recipe was going up tonight, but here - how about I cook you all up a recipe for feeling better! I'll go through what you should eat, drink, and do when you're sick with a Cold.

Get at least 10 - 12 hours of sleep! The reason why you're tired all the time is because your body is working and working to fight this sickness that you have, and it needs backup! When you sleep, your body actually heals itself. Cool, isn't it?

       #1 Thing to drink: Tea! Green tea boosts your immune system, and if you like honey in your tea, then get honey!
Now you might ask: Ilana, didn't you say honey ISN'T vegan? Yes, I did! Get a load of this though! One day I was on the phone with my sister and she told me that there was a type of vegan honey, but I have yet to find out the details.
For now, just use these honey alternatives!
agave nectar, maple syrup or molasses are great choices. They're amazing vegan sweeteners! 


       #1 Thing to eat: VITAMIN. C. BAYYBAYY! Vitamin C hydrates you, and helps rid your body of the sickness. If you are looking for a meal though instead of JUST fruits, eat tons of onions and garlic. From my experiences with onions and garlic, it helps me breathe better because it clears out some of my sinuses. It also helps keep a healthy distance away from people ;)


       Okay so, I kinda... lied. Here's a recipe but no pictures yet! I got this recipe from my friends sister (thanks Lo-Yo!). What you'll need: Tofu, one onion, a container of white mushrooms (already chopped) oilve oil, and one clove of garlic.
       Peel off the outer skin of the garlic and onion. Chop the onion up into how much, how little, how small or how big you would like it, but once you have your raw garlic cut it in half horizontally. Put your cut up onion and garlic into a frying pan. Take out your tofu, drain it, then cut up into bite sized cubes. Once you've done that, throw it in the frying pan also! Cover the bottom of the pan with olive oil, and drizzle just a bit on top of the yummy dish! Cook on medium heat for about 7-14 minutes. Push it around with a spatula JUST enough so the tofu doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Once that time is up, put in a small bowl (or a plate, preferably a bowl) and eat it alllll up! Yum! :)

       

       If you like bubble baths, then listen up! Bubble baths make you feel relaxed, and it calms you down a lot more. And how long has it been since YOU ever had a bubble bath? Pretty long, right? Take one and just calm down. Let your body fill the bath, and let your inner soul dance along the top of the water with the soapy bubbles. 


       This isn't a cold healer, but don't you HATE it after you've recovered from a cold and there are patches of irritated skin around your nose and you can't seem to just PICK THEM OFF? Well first, don't pick them off. It only irritates it more! Grab some Jojoba oil (original jojoba) and put just a bit on your fingers. Cover the dry patches with the oil, and they will be gone in no time! 

If you have any more suggestions to help fight colds, please comment below or email me at: thevganteen@gmail.com
Feel better!! :)
-Ilana xo

Salads!

       Hey all! Keep your eyes open for tonight's dish - A nice 'chicken' ceaser salad with 'ranch dressing'!



Thanks for viewing!
Means a lot.
-Ilana xo

A Hearty Side Dish (Or Meal!)

       Okay so, you see a post on my blog, think it looks really pretty but you decide that 'aint nobody got time fo dat!' Well if you're one of the people who think that, then this recipe is DEFIANTLY for you!

What you'll need:

• Olive oil
• Earth Balance (its a type of butter, I get it in a tub)
• 2 onions (feeds three people)
• One potato (If you're feeding three people, then get three potatoes)
• Frying pan

       

       Take your potato, and grab a fork. Puncture a bunch of holes in it, and place it in the microwave for about 4 minutes and 30 seconds. While that's warming up, take out an onion and cut the ends off. After you cut the ends, peel it! Then, cut it up into smaller pieces. Don't dice it, just make sure you have small thin strips or cubes or however you want to do it. Put that in the frying pan, cover with olive oil, and put the frying pan on the stove. Turn the stove on to high heat.

       After the 4 minutes and 30 seconds is up, flip it over and re heat for another 4 minutes and thirty seconds. Return to your onions, and sautee until golden brown. 

       Once the other 4 minutes and 30 seconds is up, take out your potato (CAREFUL - IT WILL BE HOT! HAVE A PLATE READY!) Cut the ends of the potato off immediately, then cut up the potato. Mash around with your fork, and make sure it covers the plate. Put some earth balance on the potato, and spread that around (apply as much as you want). Immediately put the onions on, and add a dash of salt - enough to lightly cover the onions. Serve hot, and enjoy! 

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at: thevganteen@gmail.com

Hope this was as tasty as it was for me!
-Ilana xo

What's Next?

       Hi beautiful viewers and followers! Every single time I post a recipe, I wonder if you all like it or not! I feel that there is so many more recipes I could do, so viewers of the world PLEASE tell me what recipe i should do next! What would you like to see 'veganised'? Leave a comment below, or contact me at thevganteen@gmail.com !!

So excited for your answers!
-Ilana xo

Green Pasta!

       You're probably looking at the title of this and thinking, okay Ilana... pasta, we understand you have an immense love for it but really? Green? You're over the top. But hear me out!


What you'll need: 

• A head of broccoli
• Bok Choy
• Two carrots
• Tofu (firm)
• Green onion
• Pepper
• Salt
• Olive Oil
• Any type of pasta you want

       

       Take two big pots out, a frying pan and a cutting board. Fill one pot a little less than half way with water, fill the other pot with enough water that satisfies the 'how to make the pasta' directions. Place the pasta pot (PP) on the stove, and turn on high heat. Place the other pot on the stove too, just don't turn heat on for that pot right now.
       Grab your cutting board and take your broccoli and bok choy, and rinse them off really really well. Cut off the ends of both. Chop up your broccoli any way you want, but after you cut the ends off of the bok choy cut in have vertically and place in the vegetable pot, not the pasta pot. Dump the broccoli in there, too! Place a cover over the pot, and you know when everything is done steaming when the bok choy shrivels up.

       While you wait for the pasta pot to boil, take out your carrots and rinse them. Peel the first layer off, and throw in the trash. Cut off both ends, and do the same with the next carrot.

       By then, your pasta water should be ready! Put in the pasta (add however much pasta you would like). 

       Watch your vegetables carefully, making sure the water doesn't evaporate. If it does, add more water. Apply as much water as you need. 

       Take out your tofu, and drain it. Cut up into small or big pieces (whichever you prefer) and throw in the pan. All the tofu really needs is to be heated up, but if you have your own way you want to cook the tofu then go ahead! Rock that tofu swagger.

       When the veggies are done, drain them and put them back in the pot. When the pasta is done, drain that too! Put it back in the pot that you cooked it in. When the tofu is done, turn the heat off for that and make sure NO burner is on! If a burner is on and its the burner for the veggies, the veggies will seriously BURN and stick to the bottom of the pan! NOT good. This isn't called burnt pasta - its GREEN pasta! ;)

       Return to your cooking board, and chop up the green onions as many as you want, and as small or as big as you want. 

       Apply olive oil into the noodles, but layer it so you don't have too much hanging around at the very bottom. Add tofu, veggies, and green onions. Mix it all in nice and green! Put that aside for about three seconds and grab your carrots. Peel your carrots on top of the pasta, and mix the carrots in as well. 

       Serve, and enjoy!




If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at: thevganteen@gmail.com
Comment below of what recipe you want to see next!
-Ilana xo

Garden Sandwich

       My dad got home around 8 pm last night and I had already made onion soup - but it got cold and gross. So I improvised a really easy and quick meal that I could whip up for my parents, and it hit me. Vegetables are SO good for you, and Iv'e been wanting to grill for the past like week since its warmer out so I said why not and came up with this:

and TRUST me, it was SOOO GOOD!

What you'll need:

• A bundle of Asparagus
• Tofu (I used firm)
• Two carrots
• Two yellow peppers
• Zucchini, I only needed one.
• Earth Balance (vegan butter)
• Olive Oil
• Whole grain bread
• Lettuce (spring mix)
• Nayonaise (Or any other type of mayonnaise replacer) 

       First, steam your asparagus by taking a medium sized saucepan and covering the bottom with water (about 1/3 of the way). Chop the asparagus in half and throw the top portion (that looks like small trees) inside of the pot and cover it. Watch the asparagus consistently so just in case all the water evaporates you can put more water in. Apply as much water as needed 

       While that's steaming, take out a cutting board! Cut up the zucchini into long strips (don't peel), and set aside. Take out your carrots and PEEL THESE! :) Cut into thick strips. Take your  yellow peppers and cut the tops off, cut into strips. Take out the tofu, drain, and cut into big bite sized squares!

       

        Coat the bottom of the pan with this butter, and put it on the stove - heat on simmer. Wait until that melts, and grab your carrots. Place your carrots on a fillet and basically burn them (not exactly, just keep reading.)! Flip over and over, press down on them a bunch as IF you were burning them. Wait until they look like they were grilled outside on a BBQ! Keep flipping, and repeat with all of the vegetables. Do the same with the whole wheat bread, except only toast one side. After every vegetable re-coat the bottom of the pan with butter. When the veggies are done, put a little bit of olive oil on the pan and press down on the bread - wait about 5-7 SECONDS and it will be toasted and ready to go!

       Take off your asparagus, and set aside.

       Take one piece of bread, and (not toasted side up!) spread nayonaise on it. Then, put as much veggies and lettuce on as you want! Just make sure the lettuce is rinsed off! Take another piece of toasted bread and put nayonaise on that. Put on top to finish your sandwich, and enjoy! 

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at: thevganteen@gmail.com

Enjoy your vegetable sandwich!
-Ilana xo

Cute, fruity drink!

       Ever tired of plain old WATER? No? Okay that means you're a little TOO vegan. ;) 

Just joking! Here's how to make a cute fruity drink in just 5 minutes!

       

       What you'll need:

• Any type of fruit you want!
• Water (obviously)
• Ice
• A glass to keep this all in!

       Grab a glass and fill it up with water. Set that aside. Second, take the fruit to your loom and cut it where too angles are meeting to a point right at the core, kind of like a V... except 3D. Cut little slits in them, and put on the sides of your cup. Throw in as much ice as you want and serve as a cool, refreshing, srank (snack drink)!!!

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at: thevganteen@gmail.com
Hope your srank is great!
-Ilana xo

Asparagus Spaghetti

       Enough with the BOWTIES and BROCCOLI, G-d Ilana! It's time to shift gears and give you all my fabulous recipe for this tasty dish.

What you'll need:

• Whole grain angel hair pasta (Capelinne) 
• Asparagus
• Mushrooms
• Tofu
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Green onions

       Grab your asparagus and rinse, and cut off about mid way. Transfer to a paper towel and let that sit for a second. Take a medium sized saucepan out and fill the bottom up with water, a bit less than half. Dump your asparagus in and put on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. Watch that carefully, so in case all the water evaporates you have just enough time to put more in! Apply as much water as needed.

       While that's steaming, take out your tofu and drain it. Cut into big bite sized squares and dump it in a frying pan. Throw in those mushrooms, too! Coat it with olive oil, and put on the stove at medium heat. Cook until the mushrooms are a a darkish (but not too dark) brown. The tofu will be done whenever the mushrooms are (all the tofu really needs is to be heated up)

       Take out your whole grain goodness and follow the directions on the packet to cook the pasta.

       Make sure you keep an eye on what you're sauteing (the mushrooms with tofu) and stir it around with a spatula just so the mushrooms don't burn and stick to the bottom. Apply a bit more olive oil. Once your pasta is cooked mid way or 3/4ths of the way, take the ASPARAGUS off and drain it. Keep it in the strainer until the tofu and mushrooms are done, and drain everything together. Put all of it back inside of the pot that you cooked the asparagus in.

       In the same strainer, dump the pasta in and drain. Layer the pasta now, so you have an even amount of everything going in! Pasta, olive oil, then veggies. Pasta, olive oil, veggies. Repeat until all the pasta is gone from the strainer! Wash and chop up your green onions and throw those on top.

       Finally, the best part. EAT IT! 

If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at: thevganteen@gmail.com
Warning: Any stealing of food off of one another's plate is NOT MY FAULT!
-Ilana xo :)

Vegan Grilled Cheese and Onion Soup

       Yesterday was such a long day! I slept in from my big Chicago trip, and I decided to cook a really nice meal. I checked my Facebook, and what a coincidence! My lovely sister posted a recipe on my wall. Thank you http://www.olivesfordinner.com for these wonderful guidelines. 


What you'll need:
for the cheese
1/2 can full-fat coconut milk (if you don't have a can, assume the that it is 8oz. Use 4oz (half a cup))
1/2 TSP coconut vinegar
1/2 TSP salt
1 TSP agar powder
1/2 TB tapioca flour
1 TB nutritional yeast (nooch) (This is a yellow color. Don't get Dry Active yeast! Only Nutritional Yeast.)

for the soup
3 large onions
5 TB Earth Balance (Earth Balance is a type of vegan butter, get it in a tub.)
Salt
1 TB flour
1/2 cup sherry
4 cups vegetable stock with ONE Not-Beef bouillon cube

5 springs of fresh thyme (or thyme tied with bakers twine)
2 bay leaves

to make the sandwiches
Whole wheat bread, sliced
Earth Balance

Preheat the oven to 350.

To make the cheese

Combine all of the cheese ingredients except for the nutritional yeast in a small saucepan. Whisk briskly continuously until the mixture comes to a boil. It should feel kind of harder to move around, and it should look like a marshmellow that just got heated. Remove it from the heat, stir in the nooch (nutritional yeast) and take it off the stove. Cover the pot and chill in the refrigerator for an hour.

To make the soup

Start by slicing the ends off of the onions and peeling them. Slice them vertically in half, then slice each half making the onions as large or as small as you want. In a large bowl, put 5 TBS of Earth Balance in and stick it in the oven. Let the earth balance melt. As soon as it melts, put the onions in and sprinkle with some salt. Place a top over the big bowl, and let it cook for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, uncover the bowl and sprinkle and stir the onions with a little more salt. Stick it back in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour more, stirring no more than two or three times, to allow the color to deepen. 

Once that is done, drain the onions of the butter, and put back into the same big bowl. Sprinkle the onion with flour and stir well for about a minute. Add in the sherry to deglaze the pot, then stir to combine. Allow to sit for 5-7 minutes more, then remove about 1/2 cup of the onions and place to the side.

Take out a large soup pot and put your vegetable stock in. Put that on the stove, and pour in your onions. Grab your Not-Beef bouillon cube and put that in, too! Put in a pinch of thyme, and put on medium heat. 

To make the sandwiches

While the soup is simmering, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove your cheese from the refrigerator and mash it around with a fork. Spread a thin amount onto a piece of bread. Place a little Earth Balance onto the hot skillet, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Place the bread on top of that, cheese side up. Once your whole wheat bread is toasted, quickly flip it over to allow the cheese to slightly melt, only a second or two, then flip back over, cheese side up. Spoon some of the reserved onions over the top. Toast another piece of bread, and coat lightly with 'cheese' - the same way you did the first time, only don't add more onion. After that is ready to go,place that on top of your sandwich.

Return to your soup, and turn the heat off, or just lower the heat to simmer. Serve immediately with the sandwich.

If you have any questions or concerns please email me at: thevganteen@gmail.com
Hope yours turns out great!
-Ilana xo

Chicago!

       Hi to all of my viewers! I am so deeply sorry I wasn't on for the past two days, I was in Chicago for a school trip! I hope you can all forgive me.
       To make it up to you, tonight I am going to ATTEMPT battered tofu with VEGAN ranch dressing! Also, I will be making vegan french onion soup and a grilled cheese sandwich along with it. Stay tuned! 


If you have any questions, comments or concerns please email me at: thevganteen@gmail.com
Hope this turns out right! 
-Ilana xo

Vegan Pad Thai

       In the mood for Asian food? Whip up this delicious meal in about 30 minutes! 
What you'll need:

• Sesame Oil
• Liquid Braggs (Or any type of soy sauce - just be cautious of ingredients)
• Stir fry sauce (Be aware of this too - Some stir fry sauces have oyster sauce or fish sauce in it. If you cant find anything, look for Hoison sauce. I got the sweet kind, i'm not a spice fanatic.)
• Snow Peas
• Garlic
• One lime
• An onion
• Baby corn
• Tofu (I used firm)
• Green onion
• Bok Choy
• Linguine (whole wheat if possible - or any other type of pasta. I just chose Linguine.)

     Alright - grab a cutting board and let's start! First, this depends on how many people you're serving. I served four people, so I used the whole tub of tofu. I guess if you're serving two, use half. Place a bunch of napkins on the cutting board, put the tofu on the napkins, then cover that with more napkins. Put a plate on top of the napkins that are on top of the tofu, and press down. That will get allllll the moisture out (which is a good thing)!! 

      

       Take out a small pot and cover the bottom with water. Put it on the stove, but don't turn any heat on yet. Put in as much bok choy as you want (I got a baby bok choy and just put that in), but don't forget to rinse it first! If you want to cut it, you can. Keep coming back to the bok choy just in case the water evaporates and you have to put more in - no one likes burnt vegetables! Cook the bok choy for about 10-14 minutes (or whenever the bok choy looks crumpled up and wilted). 

      

      After the moisture is out, cut your tofu up into small squares. Let sit until you put a frying pan on the stove (I used a big red cast iron). Put the stove panel on simmer. Start a boiling pot of water to put your linguine (or whatever pasta you're using) in. Follow instructions for the pasta.

    

      Take out your onions (not green onions yet!), peel and cut as many as you'd like! Use about 3/4ths of it (if you don't like onions as much, use about half or none at all). Do the same with the garlic! 

      Put your linguine in whenever the water boils!

      

      Open up the can of baby corn, and drain it. If your bok choy is ready, drain that and throw it in the cast iron.

   

      I got snow peas in a little plastic container, so I just grabbed two hand-fulls and put it in the cast iron. Once the snow peas are in, put the tofu, baby corn, onions, bok choy and garlic in. Turn heat to high, and add about 3 tablespoons of sesame oil, 2-2 and a half tablespoons of Braggs, and 2 tablespoons of Hoison (just be careful, the Hoison that I got tasted kind of pickley, so if you don't want to add Hoison into the pan, serve it as a side. IF YOU serve Hoison as a side, add 3 or 4 tablespoons of Braggs.) Cook on high heat for about 6-9 minutes, or whenever the tofu gets a golden brown color. 

      By now, your linguine should be done. Drain it, and put it back into the pot that you cooked it in. Add about 4 tablespoons to that. 

      Take out your green onions, and cut about 4 of them up as small as you want. Chop those things up! :) Sprinkle on top of the mix in the cast iron.

     Whenever your vegetables get done, put those all inside of the pasta. Stir around a bit, add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and serve! 

If you have any questions or concerns PLEASE email me at: thevganteen@gmail.com

Hope your night is spiced up! ;)

-Ilana xo