Ingredients:
serves 4
8 ounces soba noodles
3 large carrots
1 bunch (about 6) scallions
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

1. Cook the noodles for 6-8 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and toss with just a drizzle of cooking oil to keep them from sticking together. Put in the refrigerator to cool.

2. Peel the carrots and shave with a peeler or mandoline. You should have about 2-3 cups of loose carrot shavings. Chop the green parts of the scallions and set the white parts aside for another recipe.

3. Whisk the sesame oil, vinegar, and soy sauce together and taste. Adjust for taste. Toss the carrots, scallions, chilled noodles and sesame seeds together and serve.


thekitchn.com

Ingredients:
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
2 jalapenos, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups oats
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder or minced garlic
pinch salt 
2 tablespoons flax
oil, as needed

Directions:

1. Add quinoa to pot with water, and bring to boil. Cover and simmer until done, about 15 minutes. Put jalapenos, carrots, celery into food processor. Grind into small bits.

2. When quinoa is cooked, put beans, veggie bits, and oats into same bowl and squish with a big spoon. Add spices and garlic.

3. Add flax, and mash all ingredients (except oil) together. Form into patties. Cook in oil until golden on each side.

vegweb.com

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
For the noodles:
1 8-ounce package thick white rice noodles, cooked, drained
Salt, to taste
Sesame oil, to taste


For the dressing:
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon tamari, or other gluten-free soy sauce
3 tablespoons creamy nut butter
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 tablespoon Sriracha
Zest of 1 lime

For the stir fry:
1 15-ounce package fried or smoked tofu
1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
2-1/2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1/2 cup snow peas, strings removed
3/4 cup chopped asparagus
2 medium carrots, sliced into coins
1/4 cup soybean sprouts
1/3 cup scallions, chopped
3/4 cup fresh broccoli florets

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, add noodles, salt lightly, and drizzle with a touch of sesame oil.

2. For the dressing, in a medium bowl whisk together all ingredients. Coat noodles with dressing until evenly coated.

3. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, toss together tofu, peanuts, and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and sauté until browned, about 7 minutes. Set aside. Add remaining sesame oil, snow peas, asparagus, carrots, sprouts, scallions, and broccoli and sauté, stirring often, until vegetables are brightly colored and slightly tender. Combine veggies with tofu and peanut mixture.

4. To serve, divide noodles evenly among serving bowls and top with veggies, tofu, and peanuts. Serve hot.

vegnews.com

vegan, serves 2-3

Ingredients:
Salad:
1/2 cup light Asian dressing (recipe below)
6 cups savoy cabbage (or romaine lettuce), roughly chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup salt and pepper shiitakes (recipe below)
1/2 cup mandarin oranges, drained (canned or fresh works)
Gardein Crispy Chick'n bits (recipe below)

garnish:
fine black pepper
5-10 tamari rice crackers
optional garnish: crushed peanuts

Salt/Pepper Shiitakes:
2 Tbsp safflower oil
1/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp fine black pepper
1 1/2 cups shiitakes, thinly sliced
1 tsp tamari

Light Asian Dressing:
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil (opt'l)
2 tsp tamari (or soy sauce)
extra sweet: add in a splash of maple or agave
spicy: cayenne to taste
for a drier, less sweet dressing: sub rice vinegar with apple cider vinegar

Chick'n:
1 bag Gardein Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n
1/4 cup safflower oil

Directions: 

1. Prep your salad veggies and add to large mixing bowl.

2. Add the dressing ingredients to a cup and whisk briskly. Pour over top greens and toss well. Layer salad greens on serving plates or bowls.

3. Mushrooms: heat the safflower oil in a saute pan. Wait until oil is hot. Add in the mushrooms. Saute until tender and slightly crisp on edges. During last minute of cooking, add in the salt/pepper and tamari. Remove shrooms from pan. Set aside.

4. In same pan, add 2-3 Tbsp safflower oil. Wait until very hot. Cook the Gardein product as instructed on package - adding sauce last once chick'n is mostly cooked. Turn off heat, set aside.

5. Add mandarins and rice crackers to salad. Top with the shiitakes and Gardein crispy chick'n bits. Fine pepper to
taste. Crush peanuts are optional.

Serve while lettuce is still chilled and the shrooms and chick'n is still warm

lunchboxbunch.com

vegan, makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup arborio rice
3+ cups of mushroom or vegetable broth

Harvest Mix:
1 small apple, diced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups butternut squash, diced
1/2 cup carrot or sweet potato, diced (or use more squash)
1/2 cup celery, chopped
about 1 Tbsp of fresh mixed herbs: fresh thyme + chopped rosemary + chopped sage
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or safflower oil
salt + pepper to taste

also:
1/3 cup sliced almonds
fresh sage
non-dairy (plain) creamer or milk (warmed - optional)

Directions:

1. In a large saute or sauce pan, add the risotto rice and 1 cup of the broth. Turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil. When boiling, begin to stir the rice with a large spoon or spatula. Keep stirring casually until the liquid has absorbed. Add in the remaining amount of broth in splashes as you keep stirring - until all the rice has absorbed the
liquid. Now do a taste test of the rice. It should be velvety and tender when ready, so if the inside still tastes al dente, add in a few more splashes of broth. Keep adding until the rice is as tender as you'd like it.

2. While your rice is cooking, you can do your harvest mix. You can either roast all these ingredients in the over (400 degrees for about 20 minutes) - or you can saute them in 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Whichever method you use, just cook until tender and ready to eat.

3. When both your rice and harvest mix components are cooked, you will not combine them to serve. Per one serving: add 1 cup of the risotto to a saute pan, over medium heat. Add in the almonds and fold well. Add in one fresh sage leaf torn into pieces. Fold well. Lastly, gently fold in 1/2 cup of the harvest mix. Allow to warm a bit then transfer to serving plate. Top with another spoonful of harvest mix and some fresh sage and almonds to garnish! Pepper on top is nice too. Add a splash of warmed non-dairy milk or creamer over top if desired.

This dish is best served on a warmed shallow bowl. 

lunchboxbunch.com

Ingredients:

Pasta + Veggies:
2 cups dry bow tie pasta
2 cups broccoli florets (cut from one large head of broccoli, thick stem removed)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced or diced
2 ounces black olives, sliced (or kalamata olives)
2 Tbsp capers (optional)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)

Lemon Pepper Tahini Dressing:
3 lemons, juices + 1/2 tsp lemon zest (organic)
2 tsp maple or agave syrup (optional, adds hint of sweetness)
2-3 Tbsp tahini
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (use more or less according to tastes for richness)
1/4 tsp dried bell pepper
1/4 tsp dried onion or garlic
1/2 tsp fine black pepper
1/2 tsp chili pepper
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
*all the spices in this dressing are adjustable to taste as well

Avo-Spinach Walnut Pesto:
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1 small avocado
1/3 - 1/2 cup pasta water (or warm water)
1/2 tsp chopped garlic or roasted garlic
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup baby spinach (1 large handful)
1-2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
salt to taste OR add 2 tsp white miso paste which is naturally salty

Directions:

1. Start out by boiling some salted water on your stove and dropping your bow tie pasta.

2. While your pasta cooks, you can prep all your veggies and mix up your dressing in a side bowl.

3. About 2 minutes before your pasta is tender, drop the broccoli into the boiling water. This will blanch the broccoli to a tender state, but not overcook it. This is also easy because you do not have to cook it separately.

4. Drain your pasta and broccoli and transfer to a large mixing bowl. I like to now add in my nutritional yeast and toss a bit. Also add in your fresh veggies: peppers, onion, carrots. Also fold in the olives and optional capers.

5. Next you want to gently fold in the tahini dressing. Be careful to toss gently so you do not break apart all the bow-ties. After you have tossed the pasta and veggies and dressing do a taste test and salt to taste. You can also add more seasonings and nutritional yeast if you'd like. Cover bowl and allow the flavors to settle and marinate while you prep the pesto.

6. Pesto: Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste test and salt to taste. As you blend - add more or less water to thin out the blend.

7. You have two options, serve the pasta now slightly warm with the warm pesto OR chill everything. Then you can serve both chilled or serve re-heated pasta with chilled pesto or re-heat both. Both the pasta and pesto taste yummy warm and cold - so you cannot really go wrong here.

lunchboxbunch.com

Ingredients:

For the stew:
Olive oil (from 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons, depending how much you
feel like using)
1 small onion, diced medium
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
Several dashes fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup green lentils
1 1/2 cups baby carrots
2 lbs plum tomatoes, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1 lb small yukon gold potatoes, sliced in half (if using large ones, cut into about 1 inch pieces)
2 bay leaves
3 leeks, white & light green parts only, in 1 inch chunks (and washed well)
Fresh rosemary or thyme for garnish (optional)

For the polenta:
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry polenta 

Directions:

To make the stew:
1. Preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat. Saute the onion in olive oil, along with a dash of salt, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, celery seed, pepper and salt and saute a minute more.

2. Add the lentils, baby carrots, tomatoes and vegetable broth. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally for about 20 minutes, until lentils are slightly softened (now is a good time to start the polenta).

3. Add potatoes and leeks. Lower heat to simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 to 30 more minutes, until potatoes are fork tender and lentils are soft. Let sit for 10 minutes or so to allow the flavors to meld. Serve over polenta, garnished with fresh herbs, if you like.

4. To make the polenta: Bring vegetable broth and salt to a boil in a 2 quart pot. Add oil. Lower heat to simmer. Add the polenta in a slow steady stream, stirring constantly with a whisk. Whisk for about 5 minutes, until polenta is thickened. Keeping heat low, cover and let cook for 20 more minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

theppk.com

vegan, serves about 3-4

Ingredients:
2-3 Tbsp vegan buttery spread
1 large carrot, diced (or 1 cup matchstick carrots)
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 1/2 Tbsp Muchi Curry powder (or use basic turmeric
for a less-spicy flavor)
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 small orange, juiced (about 1/4 - 1/3 cup juice)
1 tsp orange zest
15 ounces extra firm tofu, cubed or Silken tofu, well-chopped
1-2 cups frozen or fresh spinach

optional, you can add any of these:
2 Tbsp+ vegan cheese (such as Daiya, which is also gluten-free)
1 tsp agave syrup
sprinkle of nutritional yeast 
serve with: chunky salsa, cinnamon-raisin toast 


Notes:
* you can switch up the veggies. Try bell peppers, mushrooms or zucchini instead of carrots - or try kale or chard instead of spinach. Keep this dish fresh, by simply changing up the veggie ingredients.

Directions:

1. Prep all your veggies and your tofu. You want to make sure to use a paper towel or tofu press and squeeze out as much excess tofu liquid as possible. The more water you can squeeze out, the more flavor can infuse inside the tofu.

2. Turn your burner to med-high and add your vegan buttery spread. Allow it to melt and begin to sizzle.

3.  Add your carrots, onions - and about half the amounts of: soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, curry powder, cumin and a dash of pepper. (Add the remaining amounts when you add the tofu). Saute until the onions have translucent edges and the carrots have softened.

4. Next, add in the remaining amounts of the seasonings, along with the tofu, orange juice and orange zest- also any optional add-in's like nutritional yeast or agave syrup. Saute for 4-5 minutes over medium heat.

5. Tip: add in some soy creamer or soy milk OR water OR orange juice if the edges of the pan get dry.

6. At this point, do a taste test and modify the spices as needed. I always end up adding in a dash more of whatever spice it is I'm craving that day. You can also salt your tofu to taste. Salt added will depend on how much soy sauce you use and what your salt preferences are. I'd dash at least 1/4 tsp though to bring out the flavors. Tofu can be quite bland without adding a pinch of salt.

7. When your tofu is just about cooked and all the excess liquid has been absorbed or steamed off, add in your spinach. Saute until heated. Or wilted, if using fresh spinach. Remove pan from heat. You can fold in some vegan cheese if you'd like, or more nutritional yeast.

lunchboxbunch.com

Makes 12

Ingredients:
1/3 cup hot water
1⁄4 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup agave nectar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrot
1 grated apple
1-3⁄4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
 
Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small cup, add water and ground flaxseed, stirring with a fork. Let it sit for 5  minutes, until mixture thickens.

2.In a small bowl, combine agave nectar, maple syrup, vanilla, and applesauce. Add in zucchini, carrot, and apple. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. To agave mixture, add flaxseed mixture and stir to combine. Mix dry ingredients to wet, and stir to combine.

3.Divide batter evenly into muffin tins and top with walnuts, if using. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick
inserted comes out clean.

VegNews.com

(serves 4 to 6)

Ingredients: 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons minced ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
4-5 cups diced carrots
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup light coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
 
1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onions and saute until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add ginger and saute for another 4 minutes, until softened and fragrant.  Add coriander and diced carrots.
Stir to incorporate.  Add the vegetable broth, reduce heat, and simmer mixture until carrots are completely softened, about 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for 20 minutes.

2. Using a blender, blend soup in batches until smooth (or use an emulsion blender in the pot).  Return soup to pot, stir in coconut milk.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve soup warm with crusty vegan bread.