One-Pot Cheesy Pasta & Sausage Recipe (VIDEO)
You already know I had to come back with another one-pot family-friendly recipe. Check out the previous one here
This meal is simple, delicious, filling and takes about 30 minutes to put together.
It features pasta, vegan sausage, and cheese.
Never tried vegan sausage or cheese?
Check out these brands...
Popular brands of vegan cheese:
Popular brands of vegan sausage:
Get the full recipe and watch the video below...
One-Pot Cheesy Pasta & Sausage Recipe (VIDEO)
Cook Time: 30 mins
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 1 teaspoon oil or vegetable broth
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- (1) 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 lb linguine pasta, uncooked
- 1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese (Field Roast, Daiya and Follow Your Heart are options)
- 4 links of vegan sausage, chopped (Field Roast & Tofurky are options)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil (to garnish)
Instructions
In a deep skillet (use the deepest you have since everything will go into it), sauté onion and garlic for 5-6 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Stir in oregano, basil, black pepper, and salt.
Mix in tomatoes and vegetable broth and bring it to a boil.
Add in linguine and cook based on the instructions on your box, mixing with tongs every 2-3 minutes.
Once the pasta is done, mix in vegan cheese and sausage.
Season with salt & black pepper (if necessary).
Garnish with fresh basil and additional vegan cheese.
How to Boost Your Confidence in the Kitchen
Even though I have a family, I didn't really start cooking until I became a vegan. Facts only.
I would throw some Gordon's fish sticks in the oven, steam some frozen broccoli and pull out the box of mac & cheese. I was burning, baby. lol
Don't believe the hype -- You have to get comfortable in the kitchen if you want a delicious and long-term vegan life.
Sure you can live off of french fries, Oreo cookies (yep, they're both vegans) and smoothies but I know you have a family, so that's just out of the question.
With a few basic skills, you can dominate in the kitchen and not spend a million hours in there prepping and cooking.
6 Tips to Get Confident in the Kitchen
1. Have the right kitchen tools
You don't need a million different pieces of kitchen equipment to be effective in your vegan kitchen. Here are some essentials that will make life easier: a good chef's knife, blender, cutting board, 7-cup food processor (you can find an inexpensive one at Target), and a produce brush (to wash your fruit and vegetables). I've been vegan for 5 years and still don't own a fancy blender or food dehydrator. With several basic kitchen tools, you will not only gain confidence in the kitchen, but also get the job done quickly.
Here's an oldie but goodie YouTube video with some of my favorite kitchen essentials...
2. Get comfortable playing with spices/seasonings
Sometimes vegan meals have a reputation for being bland and boring. Vegan life is what you make it! I don't know about you, but I'm not interested in blah meals. I live for flavor! Some of the most common spices/seasoning I use Salt, black pepper, cumin, garlic and onion powder, cayenne, smoked paprika, and oregano.
Blog post and audio with more information about pantry and spices basics here
3. Shortcuts are okay
A lot of people say they couldn't be vegan more than a few weeks because it "requires too much time." Here's the thing, if you know an easier way to make vegan life work for you, DO IT.
If you don't want to make your own almond milk (like I did in this video), stew your own tomatoes (you can buy jarred or canned), buy a loaf of bread (instead of making a homemade version), use canned beans, or prefer to purchase fruit and vegetables pre-chopped, do all of that.
Do whatever works for your lifestyle.
As you get more comfortable in the kitchen and continue to research, you will find out what is worth making homemade and what's worth buying pre-packaged to save time.
Don't beat yourself up if everything can't be homemade. You want a vegan life that will work for you and your family long-term.
4. Learn basic knife skills
You will chop a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables as a vegan, so the faster you can be the more meals you will experiment with.
I chop a lot of onion in my vegan kitchen, so start there with this video....
Here's a playlist from Jamie's Oliver YouTube channel with a ton of kitchen basic videos (not all are vegan) that will help you get confident in the kitchen. He has videos on how to mince garlic, chop carrots and green leafy vegetables.
Also, check and see if there's a knife skills class near you - community colleges and places like Sur la Table offer monthly classes with chefs. I need to a class myself and have been trying to convince Eric that this is a great date night option. He doesn't agree but wishes me luck. lol
5. Prep as much as you can ahead of time
If you're following a recipe, chop your vegetables and organize your workspace ahead of time, so you're not scrambling around looking for ingredients. Also, make sure you shop with a grocery list to ensure that you have everything you need each time.
Here are some tips on how mise en place will save you so much time and headache in the kitchen >>> Easy Cooking Tip: Mise En Place Will Keep You Stress-Free
6. Cook simple meals over and over again
If you're new to cooking, you probably aren't too comfortable with the idea of cooking an elaborate dinner. I can definitely understand that! You should start off by cooking simple meals that don't require a lot of effort. One of the easiest ways to get comfortable in the kitchen is by cooking meals that you know will turn out delicious. Keep a food journal of recipes that worked and have fun making them several times. I promise this will build your confidence and open you up to explore new recipes.
Here are 2 really simple recipes to start with....
In Conclusion....
It will take time to get comfortable in the kitchen, but I promise with consistently it will get so much easier.
Don't be hard on yourself and decide that you will move forward despite the obstacles that may come up. Take your time. Have fun and happy cooking!
How to Eat More Green Leafy Vegetables
It doesn't have to be all or nothing to get started on eating a more healthy and compassionate diet.
Even if you're not ready to go vegan, you can still start to crowd out some of that meat, dairy and eggs with more leafy greens and other vegetables.
Eating more green leafy vegetables reduce your chances of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and aids in helping your immune and digestive systems.
The 5 tips below will work for anyone, no matter how busy you get.
Tips on How to Eat More Greens:
Skip the french fries for a side salad while dining out - This is a hard one for me, but I always feel so much better eating my veggie burger with a side salad instead of french fries. Check to make sure the server skips the croutons (which usually contain diary) & cheese and ask for a vinaigrette instead of a creamy dressing.
Throw some greens on your veggie burgers and sandwiches - You can use spinach, any type of lettuce or/and massaged kale and throw on as many greens as you can handle.
Blend up some greens - A smoothie with a handful of raw greens is an easy way to bulk up your vegetable intake. Make a quick one with strawberries, frozen banana, liquid (water, juice, almond milk) and fresh spinach, kale, collards, or swiss chard for breakfast. If you've never had a green smoothie, start your green smoothie journey with raw spinach. You don't taste the spinach at all. Check out green smoothie recipes on Simple Green Smoothies Instagram
Add an extra green leafy vegetable to your dinner plate - Even if you're still eating meat, eggs, and dairy, you should add an extra vegetable to your dinner plate each night to help crowd out some of those dishes. Keep it simple by steaming or sautéing some spinach, collards or bok choy and season it with salt, black pepper, etc. Or you can massage a bowl of fresh kale with a little olive oil and lemon juice and then toss with a little red onion and nutritional yeast.
This salad has spring mix, tomatoes, avocados and red onion
Snack on a daily salad - I know. I know. You probably already think most vegans eat just salads anyway. I promise this isn't true! I just think salads make for an awesome snack. Make a large bowl early in the week and pack it up to snack on while at work. This is sooo much better than hitting the vending machine every day.
I hope these tips are helpful!
Eat those greens, yo!
How do you get more greens into your diet? Leave me a comment below
Coconut Mushrooms & Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Here's an delicious dinner that doesn't take a million hours to put together and has inexpensive ingredients.
Even though I didn't include this in the directions, I usually add in a teaspoon of cumin because I will find any excuse to use it. I'm addicted!
Never used canned coconut milk in a recipe? You're in for a treat! There's no weird coconut flavor in this dish and it makes a nice light gravy to go with the potatoes.
Enjoy!
Coconut Mushrooms & Mashed Potatoes
Keywords: saute entree vegan vegetarian
Ingredients (Serves 5)
- 1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
- 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 shallots, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 cups cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 15 oz can of coconut milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, washed, peeled and cut lengthwise into quarters
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk (add more if necessary)
- 1/4 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance and Smart Balance are options)
- 1 teaspoon salt (1/2 teaspoon more salt for the cooking water)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Mushroom InstructionsHeat a large shallow pan on medium heat with oil. Add in bell pepper, shallots and garlic for about 3 mins. Then add in mushrooms, stirring frequently for 4 minutes.
Pour in coconut milk and bring to a boil until liquid has reduced by half. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Mashed Potatoes InstructionsPlace potatoes into a large saucepan. Add cold water to the pan until the potatoes are covered by at least an inch. Add in 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Bring the potatoes and water to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer and cover.
Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until you can easily poke through them with a fork.
When the potatoes are done, drain the water and place the potatoes back into the pot.
Add in the milk, margarine, salt and pepper and mash with a potato masher.
Add more milk to smooth out the potatoes, if necessary. Don't overbeat the potatoes or the mashed potatoes will end up gluey.
Adjust seasoning.
To serve: Scoop mashed potatoes into a bowl. Top with about 1⁄2 cup of coconut mushrooms and cilantro
Let me know what you think when you try this recipe :-)
One Pot of Chili...3 Meals | Vegan Meal Planning
Listen, I know you're busy...
Working full-time...
Taking care of the kids (including that big kid that's sleeping in your bed lol)...
Maybe you're taking a couple of college classes, too...
And you still have to clean, meal plan & cook along with about 10 other things. *sigh*
This is one of the main reasons we eat soup, stew & chili all. year. long.
Not just because it's delicious, but because meals like that are inexpensive and usually have leftovers for the next day.
I live for leftovers
A few weeks ago, I doubled my chili recipe and made three meals with that one pot of chili.
(1) Chili & vegan cornbread
(2) Chili & rice
(3) Chili taco salad-with lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole & salsa (similar to this recipe but I used the chili instead of walnut taco meat)
Save yourself some time and money and think about how you can remix leftovers for your fam.
I hope this was helpful!