RECIPE: Oat Milk

Oat Milk
for Environment911.org - “But Make It Vegan”
January 2022

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If you love non-dairy milk, and are looking for a way to reduce your environmental impact by buying less packaged goods, making your own mylk at home is incredibly easy. 
None more so than oat milk! 

Two, maybe three, ingredients, a blender and finely woven tea towels and you’re set – plus you save yourself a trip to the store. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 cup rolled oats 

• 4 cups of cold (preferably filtered) water (less if you want thicker milk) 

OPTIONAL: 

• Pinch of salt 

• Vanilla extract  
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add the water, oats and optional ingredients into a blender. 

At high speed for 20-30 seconds (DO NOT over-blend as it will get slimy) blend together. 

Over a large bowl, place a clean, finely woven tea towel, and then slowly pour in half of the mixture (it’s easier to do in stages). 

Gently squeeze out the milk – too hard and you’ll get the oat sediment coming though – and then repeat with the second half of the blended mix. 

Optionally once the milk has all been removed, you can do a second pass through another tea towel to remove any sediment that made it through. 
 
Transfer to your desired containers, place in fridge to cool and enjoy. 
Make sure to shake before consuming as it may separate a bit. 
 
Should last a few days in the fridge/possibly up to a week (give it a smell!).

RECIPE: Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo

Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo– But Make It Vegan
for Environment911.org

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Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo 

 
This alfredo sauce isn’t the same as it’s cream and cheese-based counterpart, but it's delicious in its own right. Whether you’re looking for something to mix into your pasta, use as a base for a white pizza, or top off your vegetables, it’s an incredibly versatile vegan recipe. 
 
I’ve even frozen it after making a big batch, so there’s a quick option for a weeknight meal! 
 
INGREDIENTS 
 
- 4 cups of cauliflower florets 
- 2 cups of non-dairy milk (or vegetable stock) 
- 4 (or more) cloves of garlic, minced 
- 1 tsp vegan butter 
- ½ cup nutritional yeast 
- 2 tsp oregano 
- salt & pepper 
- optional: 1-2 tbsp olive oil 
- optional: vegan parmesan 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 
 
In a large pot, bring the non-dairy milk, or stock, to a low boil. 
Add the cauliflower, cover and cook for 7-10 mins depending on the size of your florets. Cauliflower is done when easily pierced with a fork. 
 
While the cauliflower is cooking, melt butter in a small pan, add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, then set aside. 
 
Scoop the cauliflower out of the pot with a slotted spoon, reserving the milk/stock, and place in a high-speed blender. Add in the cooked garlic, spices, and nutritional yeast. Add in about 1 cup of the cooking liquid in and blend on high until smooth. At this time, while the cauliflower is blending, you can slowly add in some olive oil to help make an even creamier sauce. 
 
Taste for seasoning, (if you’d like you can add other ones in here, such as Italian seasoning, and more nutritional yeast, and/or vegan parmesan) and if the sauce is too thick, add more of the cooking liquid.  
 
If you’re making pasta, heat in a pan and add the pasta JUST before it’s done cooking – the pasta water will help make the sauce even creamier (add more pasta water if it’s too thick). 
 
This sauce reheats well on its own (on low, covered so it doesn’t splatter), but when reheating it mixed with pasta, you may need to add a little water to rehydrate everything. 
 
Store in the fridge for a few days, or freeze (do NOT fill all the way to the top as it will expand while freezing) for up to 3 months (if you can resist that long!).

RECIPE: Vegan Chilli

Vegan Chilli – But Make It Vegan
for Environment911.org

It’s cold. You want something hearty, easy and vegan. You need chilli.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 4 to 6 cloves of garlic

• 1 red onion

• 1 or 2 red peppers (1 if large, 2 if small)

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp cumin

• 2 tbsp of chilli powder (I used two different kinds for more variety)

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 540 mL can of black beans, drained

• 540 mL can of red kidney beans, drained

• 796 mL can of tomatoes, crushed or diced works, depends how chunky you like them in your chilli

• 1 cup vegetable broth

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Finely chop onions and red pepper.

2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and then add in the onions and pepper, cooking until soft (about 8 minutes).

3. Mince the garlic and add it to the pot, along with all the spices (chilli powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt). Stir to combine and cook for an additional minute.

4. Add the beans, the tomatoes and the broth to the pot and stir. Bring to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer, cooking for another 35 mins with the lid on the pot. Stir the mixture occasionally making sure the bottom isn't burning.

5. Serve with your choice of (healthy) topping and over rice (if desired).

6. Should last at least 3 days in the fridge, and can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

*Tip I found on the internet: Scoop up a cup or two of the mixture and place it in a blender, then fold back into the chilli. It will thicken it/give it a bit more consistency.

RECIPE: Vegan Egg Salad

Vegan Egg Salad – But Make It Vegan 
for Environment911.org

Every now and then I get a craving for an egg salad sandwich but between the eggs and the mayo, it just ends up being too much for me. 
 
When I found out I could make something that tastes almost exactly like it with Medium-Firm Tofu, and it would have the same texture, I knew I needed to give it a try.  
Since then, especially with the addition of Shani Seasoning (a Vancouver company), it’s become a lunchtime favorite for me. 
 
I even made it for an afternoon tea with friends and blew their minds that it wasn’t actually eggs! 
 
INGREDIENTS: 

- 1 package of medium-firm tofu (this firmness is KEY) 
- ¼ cup of vegan mayo (you might need more to taste) (can also sub a mashed avocado) 
- 2 green onions, finely chopped 
- 1 celery rib, diced (optional) 
- 2 tsp of Shani Seasoning * 
- crusty bread 
- sprouts or lettuce 
 
* If you cannot find Shani (they ship world-wide), a mix of turmeric, black salt, and fresh ground pepper will work. Taste for seasoning. 
 

INSTRUCTIONS: 
 
Drain the tofu and press to release excess water. You can use a tofu press or wrap the tofu in a clean tea towel and weigh it down with heavy books for at least 10 minutes. 
 
Roughly chop the tofu into small squares (like you would with egg), but you can also optionally finely crumble some of it to give the texture that the yolk has. 
 
Mix the seasoning in with the mayo, and then the mayo, green onion, and optional celery in with the tofu. 
Taste for seasoning, and you might need a bit more mayo to hold it together. 
 
Chill until ready to use, and serve on some good crusty bread with your favorite lettuce or sprouts. 

RECIPE: Vegan Banana Bread

RECIPE: Vegan Banana Bread
for Environment911.org
September 17, 2021

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This classic loaf is easy to adapt to a vegan version!

I came home after a weekend away and the bananas in my house were extremely ripe. Sure, I could have tossed them in a smoothie, but it had been a while since I made a loaf of banana bread.

This is my mom’s banana bread recipe that I’ve used for years, but I tweaked it a tiny bit (mainly replacing the two eggs with two flax eggs) to make it vegan. Plus, I added vegan chocolate mini-chips for fun.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 2/3 cup of sugar (make sure it’s vegan, coconut sugar works well)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening

• 1 cup, mashed/puréed, over-ripe bananas, approximately 3

• 2 tbsp flaxseed meal

• 5 tbsp water

• 1/4 cup of mini vegan chocolate chips, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Grease a loaf pan with a small amount of the vegetable shortening. (You can also flour it, but I’ve always skipped that step.)

2. In a small bowl, whisk the flaxseed and the water together to create 2 flax eggs. Set this aside for at least 5 minutes while you mix the rest of the batter.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4. Either with two knives in a cutting motion or with your hands (my preference), crumble the shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs and feels like sand.

5. Stir in the banana and flax eggs, (add chocolate chips here too, if using) until just combined, and no dry spots are left.

6. Pour into the pan and spread evenly.

7. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes and then check the loaf—every oven is different, so you don’t want to overdo it. My oven takes about an hour to get it to the nice golden brown I like. Stick either a toothpick or a knife into the centre of the loaf. If it comes out clean, it should be done.

8. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack and let it cool completely.

9. I store it wrapped in tinfoil and it lasts several days.

ENJOY!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip – But Make It Vegan
for Environment911.org

I love a good spinach and artichoke dip and miss sharing some with my friends. This one is easily sharable if you bring plates and a serving spoon and everyone can choose their own dipping materials. 

Usually, this dish is full of cheese and dairy, but using white kidney beans as the base and tapioca starch to keep it together, you won't even know it’s dairy-free.  

Serves 6-8 (approx.) 
 
INGREDIENTS: 

- 1 large onion chopped 
- 1 tbsp olive oil 
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced (more or less doesn't hurt, it's all preference) 
- about 6 cups of baby spinach or kale (or combo of both) 
*- 1/2 cup of soaked raw cashews 
- 3/4 cup of almond milk 
- 1 tsp lemon juice 
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar 
- salt & pepper 
- 1 tsp onion powder 
- 1/2 tsp dried basil 
- 2 tbsp of tapioca starch 
- 1 395mL can of white kidney beans 
- 1 can of artichokes (in water, not oil), drained 
- 3-4 tbsp of nutritional yeast, additional for sprinkling on top 
 
- veggies, pita, corn chips to dip 
 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

*Soak cashews overnight, or for a least 3-4 hrs, or for an hour in boiling water* 

Preheat oven to 425. 

Sauté chopped onions in olive oil in a pan over medium heat for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Add in garlic and stir. 

In batches add in the spinach or kale and stir until it wilts (I used a lid to help this along), until all of the greens have been added and they have wilted. Take off the heat and set aside. 

In a blender or food processor, add the drained cashews and blend until broken down. 

In a small bowl add some of the almond milk to the tapioca starch to dissolve it then add it and another 1/4 cup of the almond milk to the blender with the cashews, along with the apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt & pepper, onion powder, dried basil and 2 tbsp of the nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth adding some almond milk if needed. 

Next toss in the kidney beans and the artichokes, as well as the remaining almond milk, and again blend until smooth. You can add a bit more milk if required, but try not to make it soupy! 

Pour the processed mixture into a baking dish, then stir in the remaining nutritional yeast, and fold in the greens-onion-and-garlic until it's evenly distributed in the dish. 

Sprinkle the top with some more nutritional yeast and you have the option to drizzle some olive oil on the top too. 

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until bubbling, and starting to brown. Switch oven to broil to get a nice toasty layer on the top should only take about 3-5 minutes, just watch it closely. 

Carefully remove and let stand for a few minutes, and then serve with whatever sides you'd like!