Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Pasta Skillet Recipe (Video)

Guess what we ate for dinner a lot before going vegan?

Hamburger Helper and those Birds Eye Voila Skillet Meals. 

Don't judge me.

I liked the convenience of those meals and really thought cooking a homemade meal would take too long.

I was wrong.

As you can see in the dinner recipe video below, this meal will only take about 30 minutes and its filling, simple and delicious.

I usually double the ingredients to serve my family of 5.

The ingredients listed below are for 4 people.

This meal should take you about 35 minutes and you can serve it with vegan garlic bread and a salad.

Don't like mushrooms? I think more vegetables, black beans or vegan sausage (from a brand like Field Roast) will work as a good replacement.

Creamy Mushroom & Spinach Pasta Skillet Recipe

by Brown Vegan

Keywords: vegan vegetarian

Ingredients (Serves 3-4 people)

• 1 teaspoon coconut or olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 12 oz mushrooms, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• (2) 15 oz cans of coconut milk
• 1 lb farfalle/bow-tie pasta (uncooked)
• 3 handfuls of fresh spinach
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large skillet, saute the onion for 5 minutes on medium heat.

Add in mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.

Mix in red bell pepper, garlic, cumin and vegetable broth.

Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Shake the cans of coconut milk, open and pour into the skillet along with the bow-tie pasta.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium.

Be sure to mix the pasta every 2-3 minutes to ensure that it doesn't stick together (should be ready in 20 minutes).

Mix in spinach and cook for about 1 minute.

Season to taste with salt & pepper.

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Let me know what you think once you try the recipe.

Here's How To Make Your Favorite Recipes Vegan

I'm working on improving the quality (and consistency) of the videos on my YouTube channel, so I've been watching a lot of cooking video for inspiration.

Majority of the videos I come across online aren't vegan, but with a few adjustments, you can make nearly any recipe vegan. 

Here's what you do...

Continue to eat some of your favorite dishes, but switch out ingredients for vegan options that are more compassionate (to animals and the planet) and your body.

In the two examples below, I will show you how you can easily switch out the meat, dairy, etc. to make each recipe vegan. 

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken from the Tasty YouTube channel

Here are the ingredients we need to switch out to make it vegan....

Instead of honey, use agave nectar or Bee Free Honee.

Instead of animal flesh, you can purchase vegan chicken from brands like Beyond Meat and Gardein (frozen section at Target).

If you make this recipe, be sure to add the vegan chicken in as the last step because it's already cooked.

---

Loaded Baked Potatoes from Tasty YouTube channel

Here are the ingredients we need to switch out to make it vegan....

Replace with brands like Field Roast or Daiya 

A couple of options to replace it...

1) Purchase coconut bacon from Phoney Baloney

2) Make your own coconut bacon with this recipe 

A couple of options to replace it...

1) Buy it in the store- Tofutti is the brand I see most often

2) Make your own -

• 15 oz can full-fat coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice

• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Put the unopened can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight. Open the can and remove the creamy coconut on top (you can use the water for smoothies).

Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and serve as usual.

Replace this with Earth Balance vegan margarine or olive oil.

Replace with unsweetened almond, coconut milk, soy or almond milk. 

 

Have you veganized any of your fave recipes lately?

Let me know in the comments. :-)

Be Vegan...Even At the Cookout

With Labor Day coming up, I want to give you some tips (& recipes) on how to be a vegan at cookouts.

Here are a few more tips:

• Don't feel like you have to bring up the fact that your dish is vegan. Just put your food with the rest of the dishes.

• Eat after you leave - I'm the queen of hitting up Chipotle on the way home from any social event. You can also stash nuts, fruit, and seeds in your car to hold you over until you get home.

• Don't preach! Just chat with those who want to know more (and people will) in the most loving way possible. Try not to get defensive when someone has a sly comment. It happens! *sigh*

Check out these recipes you can bring to the cookout:

Pasta Salad

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans, Corn & Avocado

Spinach Artichoke Dip

You can also take pre-made vegan hotdogs & hamburger patties with you to throw on the grill. Field Roast & Beyond Meat are brands with great options.

Also, I love this homemade vegan burger that's perfect for the grill.

I hope this is helpful!

Why "What The Health?" Is Making Folks Go Vegan

I spoke to one of my vegan friends about the What the Health documentary yesterday.

She asked me why I think the documentary has such mainstream appeal.

To be honest, I didn't even realize the documentary was doing so well until I noticed a massive influx of Instagram & YouTube followers and podcast downloads.

Last week on Instagram live, my new folks (heyyy, y'all!) said they found me while searching for vegans after watching the doc.

The impact has been incredible for sure!

The truth is, I think the title is why most folks hit that Netflix play button to watch. Peeps are browsing Netflix and thinking,"Yeah, I want to improve my health" and have no idea it's about going vegan.

Let's keep it real, the average person sees the word "vegan" as a cuss word. Just saying...I used to be one of those people. lol

Here's how I know most people are probably unaware about the topic before watching...

Back in 2010, I saw a paparazzi picture of Victoria Beckham holding a book called Skinny Bitch.

I thought it was a weight loss book and immediately bought it -- having no idea it was about veganism. I was blown away!

I had no desire to go vegan, but after reading it, I knew I needed to make a change!

Whatever it takes to get folks to:

• See the cruelty of factory farming

• Understand how our food choices affect other people (usually poor people) just as much as animals

• Eat more fruit and vegetables

• Protect our planet for future generations

...is all good with me!

It's all about planting the seed and helping folks start a simple and long-term vegan life! :-)

I know what it feels like to want to make a lifestyle change, but have no idea where to start.

I ate sunflower seeds and water for 2 weeks after reading Skinny Bitch because I had no idea what to eat!

You don't have to do this alone!

Zero to Vegan will give you the step-by-step guide on how to start your vegan journey in a delicious and practical way.

When you sign up you will receive:

• Meal plans

• Audio and video training with strategies on how to ditch dairy, how to eat out as a vegan, etc.

• 30-page workbook

• Private Facebook group for support

>>> Get the course here <<<

Let me know if you have any questions about the course!

How to Be Vegan When You Don't Like Cooking

Even though I have a family, I wasn't much of a cook before going vegan in 2010.

Mostly everything we ate came from a package or box.

I would throw some Gordon's fish sticks in the oven, steam some frozen broccoli and pull out the Kraft mac & cheese. I was burning, baby. lol

No matter what anyone says, you have to do some level of cooking if you want to stay on a vegan journey.

You don't have to be a gourmet chef every night, but you do have to be okay with playing with spices and chopping up some vegetables for a quick stir-fry.

If you don't feel confident about cooking, it's probably because you're afraid to mess up or didn't do too well with it in the past.

Guess what? It's normal to struggle a bit -- burn a couple of dishes, forget to include an ingredient, or even feel like you can't cook the most basic dishes.

Get in the kitchen and do it anyway! Practice is the only way to get better. :-)

Here are some tricks on how to get more confident in the kitchen:

• Make sure you have the right tools -- A quality chef's knife, cutting board, blender (I have a KitchenAid one I spent less than $100 for), and vegetable peeler will save you so much time and help you feel "ready" to conquer the kitchen.

• Build up your spice cabinet -- Before I was a vegan, I think I only used salt and pepper to add flavor to our meals. There sooo much more you can do it make your meals more flavorful. Some of my faves: cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, basil, and garlic powder.

• Learn basic knife skills -- This will save you time and build your confidence. You can take a class or practice while watching a few YouTube videos.

• Experiment with simple meals -- When you make simple meals a few times a few times a week, it will give you the confidence to improve and explore more recipes. Here's an easy recipe to start with.

Stop saying you want to go vegan and do it! It doesn't have to be overwhelming, restrictive or hard.

Let's get it!