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Deliciously quick & easy vegetarian/vegan recipes 

5th Anniversary Recipe - 5min Vegan Creamy Mushroom Pasta!

11/21/2019

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American Moments Turns 5!

Yes, it was on a cold dark pre-winter November evening (Nov 14th to be precise) in 2014 in  Bluebell, Pennsylvania when the idea for American Moments was born. Now, 5 years later and after more than 222 recipes, its still going strong. I must confess, it has been an absolute challenge to find time to try new recipes, take beautiful well laid out Instagram worthy photos and post them, but I promise they will be posted more regularly. I now make a resolution for the upcoming 2020 to post at least 2 recipes per month? If I falter, please give me a jolt?

I came across this super easy mushroom pasta which looked so creamy without any cheese. How incredible! Just by using flour and coconut milk, a creamy base was created. Packed with mushrooms, it is a perfect weeknight meal. Inspired by mushroom stroganaff, I had to try it and see if my vegan daughters would love it! Yes, its unbelievably quick and easy to make this pasta dish! Girls loved it !! Hv your ingredients all ready and on medium to high heat, this only takes 5 mins!
The recipe below serves 4. 

Ingredients 
250gm (3 cups) large Penne Pasta
3 tbsps vegan butter 
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
500gm white button mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 tbsp crushed garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
4 tbsps plain all purpose flour
200ml thin coconut or any other non dairy milk
100ml veg stock
1 tsp dijon mustard (optional)
Salt and pepper per preference
A sprig of thyme for garnish and a dash of black pepper/chilli flakes

Method
1) Cook the penne pasta till al dente, drain and set aside.


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2) Heat the vegan butter in another pot and fry the chopped onions until softened.
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3) Then, add the crushed garlic, oregano and the sliced mushrooms. Fry till the mushrooms are cooked and softened.
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4) Add the all purpose flour and stir fry for around 1 min. 
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5) Then, add in the coconut or any other non dairy milk you are using and vegetable stock. Keep on stirring till it reaches a simmer. It should be perfectly thick and creamy by now.
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6) Add in the salt, pepper and dijon mustard together with the cooked pasta. Toss well.
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7) Garnish with thyme and serve warm. If it thickens up after some time, add 1/2 cup hot water, stir and warm it up. It should loosen up and be creamy. 
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(223rd Recipe Credit :  LovingItVegan)
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Potato Herb Salad with Chervil Vinaigrette

10/15/2018

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Chervil is a delicate herb related to parsley. Sometimes called French parsley or garden chevril, it is commonly used to season mild flavoured dishes and is one of the essential ingredients in the French cuisine along with other herbs like chives, parsley and terragon. This easy warm potato salad is light and tastes different from our usual mayonnaise potato salads we are used to. 
​Ingredients (serves 4 as a side)
10 small new potatoes
3 tbsps olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salt & Pepper

2 tbps chopped chervil leaves
1 tbsps chives, chopped
1 tbsps terragon, chopped

Method
Make sure you get the potatoes with very thin skin so you don't have to peel them. Wash and boil the potatoes in salt for 10-15 mins till they are just cooked. Not overcooked. We aren't making mashed potatoes.
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2) Meanwhile, make the vinegrette by first whisking the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper till they are well emulsified. Then, add in the chopped herbs.
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3) Drain the potatoes when they are cooked. Mix the vinegrette with boiled potatoes, check for seasonings and serve immediately.
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Hearty Vegetarian Jambalaya

7/31/2018

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Jambalaya is a Louisiana origin dish of Spanish and French influence consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with the rice. I decided to make a vegetarian version of this dish using whatever vegsetables I had on hand and kidney beans as a protein substitute for the meat.

This is a highly recommended dish to anyone who has only 30-45 mins to cook and is looking for a hearty meal to feed the family. And a big plus ? it requires only 1 pot!

Vegetarian Jambalaya (Serves 4)
Ingredients

3 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pounded
2 celery sticks, sliced thin
1/2 a large bell pepper, cut into big pieces
1 litre veg stock
1 can of tinned tomatoes
6-8 baby okras
6-8 baby corns
1 cup of Arboria rice
1 can of kidney beans
Parsley leaves
Salt & Pepper
Chilli Flakes or Paprika

Method
1) First, take a large heavy pot and fry the onion, garlic, celery and bell peper for 8-10 mins till cooked.
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2) Pour in the veg stock.
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3) Add in the diced canned tomatoes. If you don't have any canned tomatoes, just chop up two medium sized tomatoes and add them to the pot. At this point, add salt, pepper and some chilli flakes for heat.
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4) Next, add in the washed Arborio rice. Arboria rice is recommended when your dish requires a creamy texture. If you don't have this specific rice, any shortgrained white or brown rice will do.  Keep stirring regularly to avoid the rice sticking to the base of the pot.
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6) When the stock has reduced in quantity, add the okra pods and the baby corns. I don't add this too early as then the okra will overcook and turn mushy. 
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7) Next add in the kidney beans. 
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8) When the stock has been totally absorbed by the rice and vegetables, turn off the fire and let it cool slightly before serving warm, garnished with parsley leaves. 
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9) Enjoy this wholesome guilt-free, gluten-free vegan Hearty Vegetarian Jambalaya.
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Quick & Easy French Toast

2/17/2018

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An easy french toast recipe that allows you to whip up these sweet delicious protein rich bread triangles in minutes!

​Ingredients (3 servings)
3 slices of bread, cut into triangles
2 eggs 
1/2 cup fresh milk
​2 tbsps caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
​A pinch of salt

Method
​1)Mix all the ingredients and whisk them till well combined.
​2) Dip each triangle into the egg batter and let it soak for a few minutes.
​3) Heat a skillet and swig a little canola oil.
​4) Fry the dipped bread triangles  in batches. 
​5) You can have them on their own or serve with honey and whipped cream too!  
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Fluffy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pancakes

2/11/2018

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There are tons of pancake recipes out there. Why is this recipe so special? Well, this recipe is from my sister June who passed it to me years ago. It has been very well received for years in my family and friends. It’s a simple basic recipe for fluffy soft melt in your mouth pancakes and so many other variations can be made out of this one basic recipe. Like you could add mashed bananas, blueberries or raspberries or choc chips etc. I added chop chips this time round at the request of my younger Daughter Riya.

Ingredients ( for 6 pancakes)
1 cup self raising flour
2 tbsps caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

1egg, beaten
3/4 cup fresh milk
2tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Other additions ( Optional)
Mashed Bananas
Choc Chips
Blueberries
Raspberries

Method
1) Mix all the dry ingredient first and then add all the wet ingredients.
Get a pancake pan ready and when hot, grease it with a mix of butter and canola oil. Pour the batter in and add the chop chips on TOP. Drizzle a few drops of butter and canola oil mix.

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2) When the bottom looks light brown, flip over and let it brown on the other side.
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Enjoy with a drizzle of maple syrup on top and butter on the side.
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    Hi guys! I'm Nilofar Iyer and I have shared my dishes here for you to cook for your own family and friends with love and most importantly with their long term good health in mind. 

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