Grain-Free

Vegan Vegetable Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta

Flavorful Vegan Vegetable Lasagna with tofu ricotta, garden vegetables, and chickpea lasagna noodles. Perfect for a cozy dish to feed the entire family!

I’ve been doing this food blogging thing for many many years now, but I’ve never made homemade lasagna before!

Not even before I was plant-based.

Even as a child, I would 100% choose a veggie lasagna over a meaty lasagna any day of the week.

My parents used to heat up these frozen family-sized vegetable lasagnas for an easy meal that we happily ate with regularity.

I loved them because it was cozy and cheesy while being *packed* with garden vegetables.

So, I set out to make my first vegan lasagna with soft oozing ricotta and all of the colorful vegetables.

This flavorful Vegan Vegetable Lasagna is made plant-based with a tofu ricotta, garden vegetables, and chickpea lasagna noodles.

It’s the perfect cozy dish to feed the entire family this winter!

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Lime Maple Roasted Kale

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Lime maple roasted kale baked with garlic served with squeezed lime and a drizzle of maple syrup. Perfect for a plant-based side dish to your main meal.

This year we decorated the Christmas tree in the dark.

On this particular evening, I cleared our schedules for Christmas tree decorating and set the scene.

The ornaments were ready, the mini tree perched in the living room, the wine bottle uncorked and breathing.

And then…the power went out for most of the evening in our Maryland neighborhood area!

But we didn’t let that stop us from rocking around the Christmas tree, friends.

Instead, we lit soy candles and turned on our brightest camping lights, treading room to room with flashlights glowing in hand.

We decorated the tree by candlelight with Christmas music blasting from my iPhone speakers.

When the lights finally came back on an hour later, we were almost disappointed.

After the twinge of annoyance, we had fully committed to a cozy evening by candlelight instead of the TV.

We were, however, happy to have the kitchen fully functioning again.

I told M we could just turn off the lights…but maybe after we serve dinner?

For today’s dinner, I’m showing you how to transform cold kale into a warm and flavorful side dish.

This Lime Maple Roasted Kale is baked with garlic and served with squeezed lime and a drizzle of maple syrup.

It’s perfect for a plant-based partner to your main meal this winter!

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Cinnamon SunButter Star Cookies (Zimtsterne)

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Vegan Cinnamon SunButter Star Cookies (Zimtsterne) made with almond flour, SunButter, and a coconut butter icing. Perfect for a Christmas cookie exchange!

Today I’ve got a Christmas cookie recipe for you that’s anything but ordinary.

Move over sugar cookies, I give you…Cinnamon Star Cookies!

When we visited M’s family in Kentucky this fall, they pulled out some old German textbooks for me to continue to learn the language.

One of my main goals for next year (are we allowing new year’s resolutions yet?) is to improve my German!

They also pulled out some classic German cookbooks, including a recipe for these Cinnamon Star Cookies, or, Zimtsterne, in German.

I had a sneaky feeling that I could easily adapt the original to be vegan and gluten-free, and I was right!

The cookies are traditionally made with egg-whites and powdered sugar, but I subbed in flax egg and coconut sugar with a delicious outcome.

The result is these vegan Cinnamon SunButter Star Cookies (Zimtsterne) made with almond flour, SunButter, and coconut butter icing.

They’re perfect to make and bake for a Christmas cookie exchange this holiday season!

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Figs & Pecans

By Flora & Vino Leave a Comment

Sweet and savory oven-roasted brussels sprouts with chopped dried figs and pecans. Perfect to make for a winter appetizer or holiday side.

I know I say this every November, but I truly can’t believe that Thanksgiving is just a few short weeks away.

This year I’m preparing dishes for both my family Thanksgiving AND a Friendsgiving the following day.

That’s a lot of kitchen time here at F&V, friends!

For each of those feasts, you bet I made sure that brussels sprouts were included on the menu.

They’re one of my favorite vegetables and definitely one I think of first when I prepare a fall plate.

If you’re not a big fan of brussels sprouts, then today’s recipe is for you.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Figs & Pecans is my new favorite way to enjoy sprouts.

It’s a little salty, a little sweet, with a slight kick of spice and a lot of texture and crunch.

This dish is perfect to prepare for an easy and delicious winter appetizer or holiday side!

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Candied Yams with Cacao Nibs & Pecans

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Candied yams naturally sweetened with coconut sugar and pure maple syrup served with cacao nibs and pecans. Perfect for a vegan holiday side to share!

Whenever we went to my grandma and grandpa’s house my grandma served candied yams for dinner.

I loved them because to they tasted *so* much better than your average sweet potatoes.

That’s probably because they were dripping in sugar-y syrup, which little Lauren thoroughly appreciated.

I haven’t had candied yams in years, but I wanted to make a lightened up version that’s vegan and naturally sweet.

This version is totally refined-sugar-free and lightly sweetened with coconut sugar and pure maple syrup.

These Candied Yams with Cacao Nibs and Pecans are still sticky sweet and comforting.

Top them with cacao nibs and chopped pecans for a fun vegan holiday side to share!

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Chickpea Macaroni Casserole

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Cozy and quick chickpea macaroni casserole made with Chickapea Elbows and frozen vegetables baked in a creamy cashew sauce. Ready in an hour!

When I was growing up my mom used to make a terrific tuna noodle casserole.

It was bubbling with flaky tuna, garden veggies, and noodles in a cheesy sauce.

I remember it being hot, hearty, and oh so comforting.

This Chickpea Macaroni Casserole has all of those same nostalgic vibes made entirely vegan and grain-free.

It’s made with Chickapea Elbows and frozen vegetables baked in a creamy cashew sauce.

This plant-based meal is wonderful straight out of the oven and equally as delicious reheated as leftovers.

Bake it in under an hour for a cozy warm meal to share!

You’re going to love this cozy casserole in your oven and on your table this fall and winter!

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Vegan Blackberry Sundae

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Vegan blackberry sundae made with plant-based vanilla ice cream and a homemade refined-sugar-free blackberry compote. Serve with more berries and mint!

This summer my mom mentioned about a blackberry sundae she’d had some 20+ years ago.

The recipe idea stuck with me throughout the sticky humidity and heat of August in Maryland.

I’ve always loved sundaes; strawberry and hot fudge and banana split.

But a blackberry sundae was something new to my dessert repertoire.

Naturally, I had to try making one at home for the holiday weekend.

I know the hot days left in the season are numbered, but I want to share this Blackberry Sundae recipe as one last ode to summer.

This Vegan Blackberry Sundae is made with your favorite plant-based vanilla ice cream and a homemade refined-sugar-free blackberry compote.

It’s easier and faster to make at home than driving to your local diner or ice cream parlor!

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Pesto Pasta Salad

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Pesto pasta salad made with Chickapea Penne Pasta in a delicious vegan pesto with juicy heirloom tomatoes. Perfect for a summer main or side!

I missed live music, friends!

This summer I’ve been fortunate enough to attend several concerts to see some of my favorite artists.

Feeling the energy of a live crowd around me pales in comparison to lazy listening in my living room.

I felt intrinsically connected by the pulsing beat, the shared emotion, the pregnant silence between songs.

And it’s even better if you can bring your own picnic with you!

The first time we attended an outdoor show, I threw this Pesto Pasta Salad together.

It was a hot hot day, and I knew we’d be craving something cold and fresh, yet hearty and filling.

M and I devoured the entire bowl listening to Sharon Van Etten at Wolftrap in Vienna, Virginia.

It was so good that I made it for our next outdoor event and at this point it’s a concert tradition.

Today I’m sharing this Pesto Pasta Salad Pesto made with Chickapea Penne Pasta in a delicious vegan pesto with juicy heirloom tomatoes.

It’s perfect to make and share for a summer main or side!

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Sesame Shiitake & Broccoli Stir-Fry

By Flora & Vino 2 Comments

Sesame Shiitake & Broccoli Stir-fry with dried shiitake mushrooms and broccoli in sesame sauce served over rice or your favorite grains.

A girlfriend and I switch off and on houses working remotely together.

Sometimes it’s challenging to schedule, but whenever we make it happen, I’m always *so* grateful for the change in scenery.

Last Friday I brought my laptop and planners to her place and worked at her kitchen table.

There’s something about working somewhere different that always kicks starts my creativity and motivation.

I need to remember this, I thought to myself, as I checked boxes off of my TO-DO list at an unusually quick pace.

And really I have our WFH session to thank for this Sesame Shiitake & Broccoli Stir-Fry recipe.

We brainstormed ways to use dried mushrooms after a lunchtime walk in her neighborhood.

What I finally came up with is this delicious stir-fry made with dried shiitake mushrooms and vegetables in a sticky sesame sauce over rice.

It’s better tasting and probably quicker to make than calling in takeout!

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SunButter Yogurt Dip

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SunButter Yogurt Dip made with non-dairy yogurt, Organic SunButter, and a hint of maple and cinnamon. Perfect as a nutritious dip for sliced apples!

This week I take my second course in Lead Climbing at my indoor climbing gym!

Lead climbing is my latest project in my climbing journey.

Instead of having a set anchor point, the climber leads with the rope, clipping the rope into carabiners along the way.

So, basically, the climber sets new anchor points as they climb!

Climbing like this allows for more versatility in the nature of the climbs, and my ultimate goal is to be able to lead outdoors with M.

But first, I’m trying to master all of the new information indoors.

In class, we have to practice catching and taking falls as both belayer and climber.

When my instructor shouted, “Lauren, Fall, Fall, Fall!” I had to just…let go.

It’s a weird thing to intentionally *fall*, and my feet found the wall again before I could really register the falling or the fear.

It also was a very real representation of what I knew to be true: that the worry, anxiety, and dread is often so much worse than the thing itself.

But I do wish that this SunButter Yogurt Dip had caught me for a sweet soft landing.

This light and fluffy dip is made with just 4 ingredients and is the perfect partner to sliced apples for snack time!

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