feel food club

plant based

Super Easy and Creamy Vegan Mushroom Alfredo Pasta

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Take a delicious pasta favourite recipe and make it healthy. Tangy mushrooms in a creamy vegan sauce tossed with soft pasta. Digging into this bowl is like digging into a bowl of comfort. Such a creamy and rich sauce but still filled with nutrients and so much protein!

What’s special about this dish?

Healthy, creamy pasta. Usually a creamy pasta sauce is either made with lots of cheese and butter or with cream or all together. Not very nutritious but loaded with saturated fats. But is it possible to make such a sauce in a healthy way? Yes it is!

It is very common to make it with soaked cashews. I need to say that I really like this but tbh only soaked cashews tastes very intense. But they do make the sauce really creamy and nutrient dense. In order for this sauce to still be creamy but not too intense, we are using a mix of soaked cashew nuts, butter beans and nutritional yeast.

What’s nutritional yeast:

Nutritional yeast is a very popular cheese alternative for vegans or people who do not consume dairy. It is basically the same as yeast, it just is dehydrated and has a cheesy – like flavour. You can buy this in the form of little flakes. In German it is Hefeflocken.

Is this dish healthy?

It definitely is very nutrient – dense. Why? We have wholegrain pasta as a base. They provide lots of complex carbohydrates and fibre to give you energy and keep you full for longer.

Then we have the mushrooms, which are high in vitamins and fibre like any vegetable. And the sauce: it is made out of butter beans, great source of protein, fibre (lots of that!) and vitamins, cashew nuts, many unsaturated fats and protein, plant based milk to thin everything out. Besides we have nutritional yeast, which also is high in vitamins and antioxidants. That already is pretty much it, so you can see – a very balanced meal with carbs, protein, fibre and fats.

Can wholegrain pasta be tasty?

Oh, yes! Definitely! I totally agree that whole grain pasta can be very boring or not delicious. But there are various things you can do to change this. It starts with the pasta you are buying. I LOVE the one I am using, and have only been buying this ever since I tried this. This really is not sponsored but I am just truly amazed by their quality and taste. I always buy the organic one form Pastafani that is produced in Austria from Austrian ingredients. You can really taste the difference to conventional whole grain Pasta. If you want to try it, you can safe 10% with UNEPETITE10 !

How to make this dish:

Really really simple. First boil the pasta according to package instructions. In the meantime fry the mushrooms with the onions. In the meantime we blend everything for the sauce up. Once the pasta is done cooking, we preserve some pasta water, drain it and then mix it with the mushrooms, the sauce and the water. That’s as easy as it gets!

When, how, meal prep?

You can make this anytime because it literally takes 20 minutes to make max. So it is a great quick lunch or dinner, easy to make and super tasty. It also is very family friendly, since everyone loves pasta and if desired, you can add in some chicken for example. It does work for meal prep, just be sure to know that the sauce won’t be as creamy anymore.

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Super Easy and Creamy Vegan Mushroom Alfredo Pasta

A bowl of (healthy) comfort. A delicious, tangy, creamy bowl of pasta with a healthy mushroom sauce. Definitely not your regular pasta recipe but it's absolutely delicious!

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 20 Minuten
Servings 4 servings
Calories 658 kcal

What you will need

  • 500 g pasta
  • 500 g mushrooms
  • 1 white onion
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 can white beans
  • 20 g cashews (soaked for a few hours if you do not have a high speed blender)
  • 200 ml plant based milk
  • 40 g nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • salt & pepper

How to

  1. Prepare the pasta according to package instructions.

  2. Preheat the oil. Finely chop the onion and slice the mushrooms. Fry them in the oil. To a blender add all of the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Before the pasta is done cooking preserve some pasta water.

  3. When the pasta is done cooking, drain it and add to the mushrooms with the sauce. If too thick add some of the pasta water.

  4. Serve with more nutritional yeast and enjoy!

I really enjoy this pasta and hope that you will enjoy it too!
Have lots of cozy nights and fun cooking,
Happy cooking,
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Chai Pancakes with Super Simple Hot Chocolate Sauce

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If December is not the month of hot chocolate, pancakes and romantic Christmas movies in bed, then which month is it? Picture this; you have a huge stack of (healthy & vegan) chai pancakes that are poured with chocolate sauce and topped with some apple or pear. Sounds good? I know! But you know what? You don’t only have to dream about that but you can make it come true!

What’s special about this dish?

First of all, pancakes that are healthy. Kind of special, right? Usually they are packed with fat and refined sugar but not this one! Second, they are vegan! And please, do me a favour; if you think vegan pancakes are boring and cannot be fluffy, try out this recipe. You’ll be proven wrong! Plus, they are easy to make. If you don’t believe me, try it!

And obviously, they are chai-flavoured, because how could they not in December?! PLUS: a healthy-ish and easy chocolate sauce. Ok enough now. All the goodies but nutritious! Christmas dreams coming true!

What is Chai?

Chai actually is a tea that originated in India. To be exact, a black tea with spices, that is drunken with milk in it. It has become super popular in the recent years and nowadays you can find a chai, a chai latte, a dirty chai latte and so on in every coffee house!

In these pancakes we are not actually using the tea, as in tea bags, but we are using the spices that also can be found in the chai tea. These spices are cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. We are using these spices and adding them to our pancakes, to give them this really comforting flavour.

Are these pancakes healthy?

They definitely are way more nutritious than regular pancakes! Why? Regular pancakes are made from butter, sugar, flour and eggs in most cases. Butter, sugar and flour all are not nutrient-dense.

These pancakes are made of apple sauce instead of butter, which has far less fat and calories, chia eggs instead of regular eggs for extra fibre, wholegrain flour instead of white flour for more fibre and nutrients and plant based yoghurt, apple sauce and a little maple syrup instead of white refined sugar. Those still contain sugar but contrary to white refined sugar, they come along other nutrients.

How do we make them fluffy?

Pretty simple. We are using 2 things to make them fluffy; sparkling or soda water and baking powder. The air in the sparkling water gives nice air bubbles in the pancakes and the baking powder makes them rise when cooking!

How do I know when to flip my pancakes?

There is a great trick for that! You need to cook them on medium-high heat all the time. When they start to get bubbles while cooking, it is time to flip them. But also, be aware that the first few never turn out as pretty as the rest, I don’t know why but it’s always like that. 🙂

How to make these pancakes:

This is nothing complicated where you need to get 100 bowls and mixers out. Definitely not. We start by making a chia egg (simply combine chia seeds and plant based milk), then add the apple sauce, maple syrup, plant based yoghurt and soda/ sparkling water. Then you just whisk in the flour mixed with the spices and baking powder and the batter is done!

Noe we just need to fry the pancakes one by one and make the chocolate sauce. For this, combine the coconut milk, maple syrup, cacao powder and plant based milk and bring it to a boil. That’s pretty much it!

When, with what, meal prep?

When – I don’t think that I have to tell you which time of the day you should have pancakes. breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, literally whenever you want, there is no time when you shouldn’t have pancakes!
With what? – I like to add some fresh fruit like pear, apple or banana but go for whatever you want! You could also add some not butter or maple syrup if that’s what you like!
Meal prep friendly? – yes! You can reheat them in the microwave or freeze them and reheat in the pan, microwave or oven! That way you can always make the whole batch and never have to throw something away when making too many!

I hope that this recipe will make you December a whole lot better and that you will enjoy these many many times! Have a lot of fun cooking and a good time eating!

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Chai Pancakes with Super Simple Hot Chocolate Sauce

Christmas on a plate. Pretty much. Healthy and vegan AND good tasting pancakes. Super easy. super quick and heaven with the chocolate sauce on top!

Course Breakfast, brunch, Dessert
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 20 Minuten
Servings 6 pancakes
Calories 138 kcal

What you will need

For the pancakes:

  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 3 tbsp plant based milk
  • 50 g apple sauce (Apfelmus)
  • 50 g yoghurt (plant based for vegan option)
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 100 ml sparkling/ soda water
  • 100 g wholegrain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cardamon
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • some oil/ butter for frying

For the chocolate sauce:

  • 2 tbsp canned coconut milk
  • 3 tbsp cacao powder
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2-3 tbsp plant based milk
  • some fresh fruit for serving

How to

  1. To make the chia egg combine the chia seeds with the plant based milk and let sit for 3-5 minutes until the chia seeds start getting gelly.

  2. In the meantime combine the flour with the spices and baking powder.

  3. Add the apple sauce, plant based yoghurt, sparkling water and maple syrup to the chia egg and give it a good stir until everything is combined!

  4. Whisk in the flour until having reached a smoothed batter. It should have a cake batter like consistency. If too thick, add some more milk or water, if too thin, add some more flour.

  5. Heat up a pan and melt the oil/ butter in it. Once hot, add the pancakes, about 3 tbsp of the batter for each and cook on medium-high for about 4 minutes. Once bubbles start to form on the top of the pancake, it is time to flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side.

  6. In the meantime make the chocolate sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a pan or pot and bringing it to a boil. Whisk everything so it is combined and take off the heat!

  7. Once all pancakes are done, serve them with teh chocolate sauce and fresh fruit! Enjoy!

Happy cooking,
Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Maple Cinnamon Baked Pumpkin with Super Crispy Walnut Cranberry Granola

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Have you ever had sweet pumpkin? If not, I am very sorry to tell you that you have been missing out. I myself have been missing out for a very long time but really, it is so absolutely delicious. And so easy to make. Definitely not your average dessert!

What is special about this dish?

Sweet Pumpkin. This already is very special. Instead of putting it into soup, pasta, curry, whatever, we are preparing it in a non-savoury way. It is roasted with cinnamon, maple and spices and served with an incredibly delicious, homemade granola.

The granola is the next special part. It is not the kind you need to roast in the oven for ages but the one you throw into a pan, and it is done in like 10 minutes. Pretty good right? A sweet version of pumpkin definitely is worth a try!

Is this dish healthy?

Yesso. Pumpkin is pretty healthy. Super high in vitamins and also in fibre. If you want to read more about why it is such a great vegetable, you can read about it in my November Top 5 blog post! Having a vegetable in your dessert ist pretty amazing because it makes you have a delicious meal but still getting your vitamins in.

The rest is also pretty healthy. Sure, there is sugar in this recipe, but no refined sugar. And the granola is also pretty good. The walnuts add a healthy amount of unsaturated fats, especially omega-3 fats, and nutrients. The oats are high in fibre and carbs too and are pretty healthy! So all in all, definitely healthy!

How to make this dish:

This is fairly simple, as almost all of my recipes. First, you need to brush the pumpkin with the oil-spice mixture. Now it needs to be baked in the oven. This does take a while but in the meantime you can prepare the granola. For this just heat up some oil and honey or other liquid sweetener in a pan and add the crushed walnuts as well as the oats, spices and cinnamon. Let everything crisp up and then let cool a bit. Once the pumpkin is done, serve it with some (plant based) yoghurt or ice cream and the granola.

When and how to best have it:

You can literally have this as breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. You have your veggies and carbs, so I think it is suitable for every meal of the day. I love to have it as a dessert or even as a breakfast! As already mentioned above, it is best served with yoghurt or ice cream and granola!

Substitutes:

Butternut squash – any other pumpkin, sweet potato
Walnuts – pecans, almonds, hazelnuts
Oats – leave them out
Maple syrup – honey, agave
Cranberries – raisins

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Maple Cinnamon Baked Pumpkin with Super Crispy Walnut Cranberry Granola

A sweet version of the fall classic. Soft, sweet and warm, served with a delicious, crispy granola. Next level pumpkin.

Course Dessert, Snack
Prep Time 20 Minuten
Cook Time 1 Stunde
Total Time 1 Stunde 5 Minuten
Servings 6 desserts
Calories 223 kcal

What you will need

For the Pumpkin:

  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 3 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • a pinch salt
  • 1 butternut squash (about 900g)

For the granola:

  • 60 g rolled oats
  • 30 g walnuts
  • 30 g cranberries

To serve:

  • yoghurt, ice cream,..
  • some maple syrup
  • extra cinnamon

How to

  1. Start by slicing the pumpkin into about 3cm thick slices. Remove the seeds from the slices that contain some. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lay the pumpkin on a baking tray with parchment paper. Combine the oil, maple and spices and brush both sides of the slices with it (there will be some oil mixture left). Bake for 45 minutes. Turn the heat up to 200°C an bake for another 5 minutes.

  2. In the meantime add the oats and walnuts to a non-stick pan and toast on high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring continuously. Once golden brown, add the remaining oil-maple mixture that's left after brushing the pumpkin. Turn heat down and stir it it. Add the chopped up cranberries and also stir in. Take off the heat and let cool a bit.

  3. When the pumpkin is done, serve with some (plant based) yoghurt, granola, extra maple and cinnamon. Enjoy!

Easy Oriental Baked Pumpkin with Creamy White Bean Hummus

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It’s finally the season of our all-beloved veggie! Soups, stews, carving, roasting. No matter when and it which way, pumpkin always is a great idea! But the good same old soup can also get a little boring after a while. So let’s bring some new spices into your kitchen and try out having pumpkin in a different way! Soft roasted pumpkin on a bed of creamy white bean hummus, topped with pine nuts and a good drizzle of olive oil. Perfect fall lunch or dinner and great for meal prep! 

What is special about this dish? 

The combination of pumpkin with oriental flavors and the slightly different variation of hummus! Hummus usually is made out of chickpeas, tahin and olive oil. In this recipe, we are using white beans, also called butter beans instead of chickpeas. They make it equally as creamy and taste very similar. The major difference is that compared to chickpeas, white beans have a milder and slightly buttery taste. This goes in great harmony with the roasted pumpkin. This is flavored with an oriental spice mix and then baked. To finish off we are topping it with roasted pine nuts. This gives the final touch and is really delicious! 

Is this dish healthy?

Yes and yes! Let’s start with the white bean hummus. Beans have a great nutritional value. They are an incredibly good source of plant based protein and fibre. Plus, the addition of the olive oil and tahin not only make it super creamy but they also add a decent amount of healthy fats.

Pumpkin, as you can read in my November Top 5 as my food of the month, is also super nutritious. Lots of vitamins such as B1, B2, B6, C and E as well as other minerals. Plus it contains a lot of fibre, which is really beneficial for your digestion. 

Also the pine nuts are really nutritious, as all nuts! Protein, unsaturated fats and minerals. Brainfood at its finest! 

How to make this dish

This actually is super simple. To start, you need to combine the spices with some olive oil and brush the pumpkin with it. Then pop it in the oven for half an hour and that’s all you got to do for the pumpkin! 

Next up, making the hummus. For this you need a food processor or at least a blender! Into this you add the white beans, olive oil, tahin, salt, paprika and garlic powder. And VERY important: you need to add a little splash of vinegar! Sounds a bit unusual at first, but believe me, it makes the difference. The slight acidity makes the hummus so super addicting, I promise, soso good! And last, but not least we also need to add some of the liquid the beans were preserved in. This helps to make it super creamy! 

When and how to best have it

If you are wondering when to best have it, I can only tell you so much: it works at any time of the day! It is a great addition to your brunch, works great as a lunch or a comforting dinner! What is great about this is, that it works amazing for meal prep too! You just need to make the hummus first. This you can store in the fridge for up to a week. The hummus need to be baked and stored separately and can be reheated when you want to eat it! 

In terms of how to best have it, I recommend serving it either with some kind of bread such as pita bread or with some cooked grain as quinoa! If you are not super hungry, it also works great with a green salad on the side!

Perfect comforting and healthy dish for fall to make use of all of the pumpkins that are in season! Easy and delicious! 

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Oriental Spiced Baked Pumpkin with Creamy White Bean Hummus

Creamy, tangy white bean hummus topped with super flavorful, oriental spiced pumpkin and topped with crispy nuts. Fall comfort at its finest.

Course Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine oriental
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Servings 4 servings
Calories 391 kcal

What you will need

For the pumpkin:

  • 1 hokkaido squash
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

For the rest:

  • 1 can white beans
  • 1 tbsp tahin (this is a paste made out of sesame seeds. If you do not have this, simply add more olive oil)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp paprika powder
  • 2-3 tbsp of the liquid the white beans were canned in
  • 2-3 tbsp parsley
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts
  • some PIta bread to serve

How to

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Slice the pumpkin into about 1-2cm thick slices. Lay them out on a baking tray. mix the spices with the olive oil and brush the pumpkin with the mixture. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until soft.

  2. In a food processor combine the drained white beans, tahin, olive oil, salt, paprika, vinegar and the preserved liquid in which the beans have been stored. Blend until creamy. If not creamy enough add more of the liquid or more olive oil.

    Add the pine nuts to a pan and heat them up. Fry them until golden brown, then immediately take them off the heat.

  3. Divide the white bean hummus onto plates. Top with the pumpkin when done. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and parsley. Enjoy!

I hope you will enjoy this recipe!
Happy cooking,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière