According to Harris Polls, 3 percent of the U.S. African American population is vegan or vegetarian. Another 36 percent incorporates at least one vegan or vegetarian meal into their diet each week. Are you looking for meal ideas to satisfy everyone’s taste buds and diets? Here are a few recipes to get you started:
Chef Grandy’s Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese
From Ohhlicious cookbook
3 Tbsp. vegan butter
1 tsp. yellow mustard
Pepper, to taste
2–3 drops of Tabasco
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups of unsweetened nondairy milk
2 cups of Follow Your Heart Cheddar Shreds
1 16-oz. pkg. of elbow macaroni or pasta of choice, cooked
1 cup Cashew Cheese Sauce
1 cup Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds
Panko breadcrumbs and paprika, for garnish
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add mustard, pepper, and Tabasco. Mix until smooth. Whisk in the flour until combined and stir in the nondairy milk. While stirring, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Continue stirring until thickened, about 1 minute. Mix in the Follow Your Heart vegan cheese shreds and stir again until melted and mixture has thickened further about 2 minutes.
- Add cooked pasta and Cashew Cheese Sauce to the “cheese” mixture and mix well. If desired, add up to ½ cup additional nondairy milk for consistency.
- Pour mac and “cheese” into an 8×10-inch baking dish and top with the Daiya vegan cheese shreds and a sprinkling of panko breadcrumbs and paprika.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until “cheese” is bubbling and the top starts to brown.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Maple Sweet Potatoes
From peta.org
2 sweet potatoes, diced
1 Tbsp. vegan margarine
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped pecans
· Place diced sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
· Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray or margarine.
· Place margarine, syrup, and sugar in a small bowl and microwave for about 35 seconds, or until the margarine is melted.
· In a medium mixing bowl, toss the sweet potatoes, margarine mixture and pecans, then pour into the casserole dish.
· Bake for 10 minutes.
Banana Pudding Pie
From peta.org
1 box plain graham crackers
2 large bananas, sliced
2 large boxes regular vanilla pudding (e.g., Jello-O Instant Pudding) mixed with 5 1/4 cups Silk vanilla soy milk
1 can chocolate frosting
• In a flat baking dish, place a layer of graham crackers and then a layer of bananas. Cover with a layer of pudding. Repeat. Push down on the top layer of crackers to ensure that all ingredients meet each other.
• Frost the top layer of graham crackers. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
Makes 4- 6 servings
For more vegan and vegetarian meal ideas visit:
www.foodnetwork.com/topics/vegetarian-recipes
www.allrecipes.com/recipes/87/everyday-cooking/vegetarian
