All the Vegan Dishes I’ve Learned to Make This Year

And we’re only one month into 2020!

February 04, 2020

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No Queso “Queso", as seen on Food Network Kitchen.

No Queso “Queso," as seen on Food Network Kitchen.

Photo by: Lauren Volo

Lauren Volo

Get The All-New Food Network Kitchen App

Download Food Network Kitchen now to sign up and take advantage of the latest offer and get 40+ live classes a week, hundreds of on-demand cooking classes, in-app grocery ordering and so much more.

In this series, we're showing off some of the coolest recipes, tips and tricks we've learned from chefs in the all-new Food Network Kitchen app.

This year, I’m on a mission to eat less meat and fewer animal products. While I’m not trying to go full-blown vegan, there are lots of good reasons to bring more vegan dishes into my recipe rotation. (Have you ever tried Vegan Mac N “Cheeze?” Seriously, mind blowing.)

Thanks to the new Food Network Kitchen app, finding a variety of vegan recipes has never been easier. After all, one cannot go vegan on veggies alone.

In just one month, I’ve come across several recipes I didn’t think could even be vegan. And what’s more, the app’s treasure trove of on-demand and live classes have truly de-mystified so many aspects of cooking vegan. (I am no longer afraid of nutritional yeast! See earlier reference to mind-blowing mac and cheese.)

If you’re trying to go “vegan-ish,” too, kick off your 2020 with these classes that anyone can master.

Raquel Pelzel's No Queso “Queso", as seen on Food Network Kitchen.

Raquel Pelzel's No Queso “Queso", as seen on Food Network Kitchen.

Photo by: Lauren Volo

Lauren Volo

No Queso “Queso”

A cheese-less cheese dip? Feels like an oxymoron, but I assure you, it’s a delicious one! This recipe is a great starting point for beginners. (We know you have a blender somewhere in your kitchen!) Raquel Pelzel shows us all that you don’t have to compromise on flavor when treating yourself — or serving hungry guests.

Photo by: Rob Pryce

Rob Pryce

Cocodate Cookies

The name says it all: Cocodate cookies are made of coconut and dates. With a food processor — a seemingly essential tool when it comes to vegan cooking — Catherine McCord uses just four ingredients to make a naturally sweet (shout out to medjool dates) and safe-to-eat cookie dough (an unexpected perk of these vegan treats).

By the end of the class, I was so surprised to see that, despite the chewiness of the dates and lack of traditional ingredients, the oven-baked dough results in satisfyingly crisp cookies.

Vegan Baked Ziti

This class is so much more than a how-to on vegan baked ziti. Whitney English teaches not only how to turn this Italian-American classic vegan, but she also shows you how to make a super-versatile “cheese” sauce that can also be used in ziti and other dishes, like lasagna.

But wait, there’s more! By the end of this class, you’ll also have mastered the art of making vegan Parmesan cheese. It’s for the ziti, of course, but we all know once you’ve unlocked the secret to vegan Parm, you’ll be sprinkling it over everything.

FN_FN Kitchens Vegan Sloppy Joes.tif

FN_FN Kitchens Vegan Sloppy Joes.tif

FN_FN Kitchens Vegan Sloppy Joes.tif

©2012, Television Food NEtwork, G.P. All Rights Reserved

2012, Television Food NEtwork, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Spicy Vegan Sloppy Joes

You know you’ve made it to the vegan big leagues when you’re faking meat. Emily Weinberger shows you that it’s all about replacing ground beef with mushrooms and walnuts – and having a food processor. The recipe includes a dash of beer – even more reason to give this class a try.

Mushroom Calamari

Genius? Inventive? How did no one think of this before?! Amanda Cohen, owner and James Beard-nominated chef of vegetarian restaurant, Dirt Candy, shows us how to turn mushrooms into calamari with merely a circular cookie cutter. Her class pretty much proves that just a little creativity can go a long way, especially when it comes to making your favorite dishes vegan.

Check out the Food Network Kitchen app for these exclusive classes and more!

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