Spinach &Artichoke Dip [Vegan]

Spinach, I hate on it's own. Artichokes, I really hate on their own. But spinach and artichoke together in a creamy cheesy mix, is amazing. This was my first attempt at making a spinach and artichoke dip, ever. I did a little research on different ingredients and found that the most common things used to make it creamy are: mayo, cream cheese, sour cream, alfredo, and shredded cheese. I needed this recipe to be simple as I didn't have a lot of time to make if before it was to be consumed, so I went with 2 of the items on the list. The only hard part was cutting up the artichoke because it kind of creeped me out. But it was worth it in the end.

Ingredients
1 14oz can of Artichoke Hearts
1 1/2 cups Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed
8 oz Vegan Cream Cheese
10 oz White Vegan Cheese (Mozzerella or Montery Jack), Shredded


Preheat oven at 350. Cut artichoke hearts into small pieces. Mix all ingredients together and place in an 8x8 baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then stir dip to help the shredded cheese melt and blend. Bake for another 15-20 minutes.

Once it's done cooking, mix one more time and place in serving dish. Serve with tortilla chips or bread.

I was really nervous about this dish. It's the first vegan dish I've served to a group of people, none of which are vegans or even close to being. And unless they are GREAT liars, they all really enjoyed it. They was only about a 1/2 cup left by the end of the night.

7 Days of Super Simple PastaDay 7: Spaghetti with Tomato sauce

for our last recipe, here a simple tomato pasta sauce that can be used with any pasta dish.

Ingredients
1 8oz can of diced tomatoes
1 6oz tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil


Heat diced tomatoes and tomato pasta in a medium sauce pan. Mix in remaining ingredients and cook until warm.

7 Days of Super Simple PastaDay 6: Baked Ziti

Baked ziti is a wonderfully gooey, cheesy dish. Vegan cheese doesn't melt like real cheese, but that doesn't matter in this dish. Cooked long enough, it turns liquid-y so it blends well with the noodles and sauce. This is a great alternative to ziti made with real cheese.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups uncooked Ziti Noodles
3 cups Vegan Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
2 Cups Tomato Sauce


Preheat oven at 350. Cook ziti noodles until al dente. Mix cooked noodles with sauce and 2 cups of shredded cheese. Place in an 8x8 baking dish. Use remaining cup of cheese to cover top of noodles. Bake for 40 minutes then enjoy.

This recipe only has 3 ingredients. How awesome is that! It's so simple to make. The only hard part is being patient while it's cooking.

7 Days of Super Simple PastaDay 5: Parmesan Orzo Pasta

Orzo pasta is not to be confused with rice. It's not rice. It looks like it, but it's not. It's a pasta. Orzo means 'barley' in Italian. It's a wonderful nontraditional pasta that you can use like rice. It is not so good when you try to treat it like a pasta noodle. So no red sauces and don't drown it in alfredo. Orzo is best with light cream sauces. I made this recipe a while ago when I was preparing a Greek dinner. It's a great side dish and went well with a veggie burger.

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked Orzo Pasta
1/4 cup Vegan Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Dried Chives
1 tbs Vegan Parmesan
1/4 cup Chopped Green Onions

Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Once pasta is done cooking and has been drained, pour into bowl and mix ingredients.

The last time I made this we had it with some fried tofu. It was amazing! One cup or orzo makes a lot of pasta. Its a great side dish and would feed 4 people.

7 Days of Super Simple PastaDay 4: Farfalle with Basil Feta Cream

Bowtie noodles are my absolute favorite. They make me feel like a kid. I get so upset when a restaurant doesn't have them. Then I act like a kid and throw things at the server. I most enjoy farfalle noodles with a heavy sauce. Anything less just runs off. I made this cream sauce one night simply because I had leftover feta and basil from my earlier pasta recipes. As luck would have it, this turned about delicious.

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked farfalle
3 oz feta
1/4 cup basil
2 tbs oil
2 tbs milk or creamer
1/4 cup water


Cook pasta according to directions. In a food processor, place feta and basil. Blend until mixture has crumbled into tiny pieces. Add oil and milk or creamer and blend again till mixture forms a thick paste. Next add the water and blend. Your sauce should still be a bit thick but not so much that it wouldn't run off of a spoon. If it's still too thick, add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Once your sauce is at your desired consistency, you can mix it with your cooked and drained noodles.

That's it! This pasta is heavy because the sauce is a cream, so if you eat a lot, prepare to feel very full. It's so awesome and tasty that you will probably eat it all. We had this with
garlic bread and the left over cream sauce tasted soooo good on the bread. I suggest you try that as well.

7 Days of Super Simple PastaDay 3: Spaghetti O's

Even adults have to admit they love spaghetti o's. Tiny little O shaped pasta in a really delicious tomato sauce? Oh yeah! It was the only time I'd ever eat tomato sauce! But, sadly, spaghetti o's are not vegan. They have cheese in the sauce. So, for my 7 Days of Super Simple Pasta, I decided to attempt to make something comparable to this childhood treat. I have to say, that from what I remember, this tastes pretty close to the real thing. And it's got way less ingredients! Super easy and super yummy!

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked Pasta Wheels
1 can Condensed Tomato Soup
1/4 cup water
1/2 tbs Paprika
1 tbs Vegan Parmesan

Cook pasta wheels according to directions (Don't prepare them al dente. The texture is not nice with this sauce). Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, heat condensed tomato soup and water. Mix in paprika and parmesan (it is ok to leave the parmesan out if you don't have any. It won't change the flavor too much).

When the pasta is done and the sauce is hot, mix the two together and serve.

That's it! So simple it's outta control! I always preferred my spaghetti o's cold, so I didn't heat the sauce when I made this recipe the second time. It was just as good.

7 Days of Super Simple PastaDay 2: Italian Pasta Salad

I could eat pasta salad everyday. I could eat it with anything. It's such a great pasta because it doesn't have a heavy sauce and there are veggies in it so you don't feel so bad after eating it. Though, I am picky about what kind of pasta salad I'm eating. I absolutely detest traditional picnic pasta salad, the one made with mayo. Gross. But Italian pasta salad coated in an oil based dressing is divine. If you've only had pasta salad in mayo, please try this. It is a much tastier version of pasta salad.

Ingredients
8 oz uncooked Penne Pasta
1/2 cup Cucumber
1/2 cup Bell Pepper
1/2 cup Sliced Black Olives
1/2 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes (you can use regular but sun-dried have a sweeter taste)
3 oz Vegan Feta (cut into cubes or crumbled)
1 cup oil based dressing (I use the fat free baslamic from Trader Joe's)

Cook pasta al dente. While it's cooking, cut up your cucumber and bell pepper. You need 1/2 cup each, after they are chopped.

Once pasta is done, allow to cool and dry a bit. Then you can add the rest of your ingredients and mix it up. Cool in the fridge for at least an hour, longer is better but if you're like me, you can't wait to eat it!