A culinary cruise might take a few more months to set sail, but our Food Friday blog is always right on schedule! While the situation outdoors is not ideal, we can find our own ways of coping and maintaining stability in our lives. One way to do so is to garden. Another is to cook. This week, we’ve selected five great vegan food photos that we feel can inspire vegan and vegan-curious people in their own endeavors to make new and more delicious recipes. We’ve got savory tofu, sweet breads and more in store for you!

Ready? Let’s dig right in!

 

@rabbitandwolves begins our blog with these lovely tofu fingers, glazed with great sesame sauce. These great bite-sized tofu portions look like they can be paired with viands (like rice) or can be eaten on their own as finger foods. There’s also a recipe link, so you can make for yourself too. Tofu is a staple in a lot of meat substitute dishes, but on its own, it shines as a delicious piece of plant-based cuisine.

 

 

Next up is @anabell_plant_based_girl’s great photo of her lentil loaf. Lentils have been used as a substitute for meat in many recipes, including “meat” loafs, like this one. This lentil loaf in particular has great grainy textures that we believe are quite superior to the reddish ruddery hue of regular meatloaf. We’re certain that a slice of this delicious-looking meal is both appetizing and healthy.

 

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Spinach Tofu “Ricotta” Stuffed Shells 🍅😍 I used to hate tofu for texture reasons and because I honestly just didn’t really know what to do with it or how to cook it. Once I started to learn more about though it was a total game changer! This is such an easy dish to make that’s a little healthier than normal ricotta but equally as good! Actual quote from my husband (who eats normal cheese and is very picky) “this isn’t equally as good, it’s better.” 😂 Ingredients 📝 FOR THE TOFU RICOTTA: 1 block extra-firm tofu Handful of fresh basil Handful of fresh spinach ¼ cup nutritional yeast 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder Salt + pepper to taste Preheat oven to 400F. Boil your jumbo shell noodles according to the package. In a food processor or blender combine all ingredients for the ricotta and blend until mostly smooth. Prepare a 9“X 9” pan by pouring your marinara sauce into the bottom (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups). Once your noodles are done, drain and rinse them with cold water to avoid sticking. Then fill your cooked noodles with your ricotta and place shells on top of the marinara. Top with a little more sauce and cover with foil. Bake covered for 35-40 mins. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 mins. 😊 • • • #homemadevegan #homemade #pasta #pastalover #vegan #veganrecipes #veganpasta #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedrecipes #tofurecipes #tofuricotta #ricotta #healthyrecipes

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Tofu is featured once again in this recipe by @the_homemade_vegan, showcasing pasta shells stuffed with tofu “ricotta”. Once more, we see the versatility of tofu as a plant-based ingredient, taking the place of ricotta cheese in this mouth-watering vegan pasta dish. The red sauce just pairs well with the white shells and tofu ricotta, an appetizing combination of colors. With the recipe accompanying this image, we’ll be sure to try our own tofu ricotta meals at home.

 

 

Have you ever tried puttanesca? It’s really good! Have you ever tried puttanesca with farro? Well, with @lastingredient’s great food photo to entice us, we certainly want to! We love our pasta dishes, we really do (and if you’ve been following our blog for quite some time, you’ll notice how many great vegan pasta dishes are out there), but we also love getting creative with your vegan cuisine. This green-focused meal has wonderful textures and colors. This meal will certainly gratify one’s taste buds, and with the recipe available in the profile, why wait?

 

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Salted caramel chocolate chip banana bread (vegan & gluten-free) 🤤🤤 say that 10 times fast Recreated @kalememaybe ‘s recipe & made it vegan Banana bread: -3 ripe bananas + 1 extra for the top -1/4 cup almond butter -2 flax eggs -1 tbsp vanilla -1.75 cups almond flour -1/2 cup coconut sugar -1 tsp baking powder -1/2 tsp baking soda -1/4 tsp salt -1/2 cup dark chocolate chips Salted caramel sauce: -1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk -1/4 cup coconut sugar -1/2 tsp vanilla -1/2 tsp sea salt Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Prepare salted caramel sauce – in a small saucepan combine all salted caramel sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ~10 mins. 3. Prepare banana bread – combine all wet ingredients in one bowl & all dry ingredients in another. Add dry ingredients to wet & mix in chocolate chips. 4. Pour half the batter into pan + add 1/3 of caramel sauce + pour other half of batter + 1/3 caramel sauce + banana 5. Bake for 45-60 mins. Let cool & add remaining 1/3 of caramel sauce. 🍌🍌🍌

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Let’s end the week with something sweet! @munching.through.life presents this salted caramel chocolate chip banana bread, adapted from another recipe but made wholly vegan. Banana is one of the best herbs that you can use for a dessert. It has this great mouth feel when eaten raw, and it combines well with a lot of flavors, from peanut to caramel. This banana bread (complete with recipe) must taste amazing once you’ve pulled it off. Sharing such delicious meals with your friends, in our opinion, is what truly makes a dessert sweet.

That’s it for our Food Friday blog. Be sure to visit us next week for a fresh batch of great photos with easy vegan recipes attached to them. Want to join in on our weekly celebration? Simply add the hashtags #FoodFriday and #VacationingVegan on your future vegan food photos, and who knows, maybe you’ll be featured in a future blog!

We’ve got plant-based adventures in store for you in the coming months. Interested in exploring nature up close? Check out our VCC Adventures page for more information on our upcoming tours through USA’s great national parks.

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