Flaky Biscuit Topped Lasagna Casserole

"Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman - or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle." -George Burns

Give Your Taste Buds the Gift of Happiness With My 'Badass Lasagna Casserole' Recipe

1 14oz block tofu, drained

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme

½ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp black pepper

10 oz vegan “meat” (I used Boca - see my tip at the bottom)

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1.5 cup frozen broccoli cuts, thawed

1 lb and 1 cup pasta sauce

8 oz oven-ready uncooked lasagna, broken up into pieces

Olive Oil Biscuit dough

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend first 6 ingredients in blender or food processor until creamy. Set aside, this is your rosemary and thyme tofu ricotta. Then heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat and sweat onion and garlic until aromas are released. Saute veggie “meat” until browned. Then dump everything (broken bits of uncooked lasagna, tomato sauce, broccoli, tofu ricotta, veggie “meat”) into a casserole dish/ pan (I used a 3 qt). Mix it all up until everything is evenly coated and thoroughly incorporated. Make Olive Oil Biscuits (this takes just minutes - what a quick and easy biscuit!) dough. Stretch and form dough on top of casserole in your desired pattern. Bake for 30- 35 minutes. Let settle before cutting into it. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips:

-Be sure to coat the uncooked pasta pieces nicely with the casserole to ensure they cook well.

-If you are mixing and notice you haven’t broken the lasagna pieces small enough or to your liking, no worries.  Just press down on them gently with your wooden spoon when mixing everything together in the baking dish. 

-This is a great dish to prepare earlier in the day or in advance using a baking dish with container lid. Just follow all the directions except the baking part and store in refrigerator until ready to bake.


-If you don't have any veggie "meat" on hand but have vegan burgers, you are in luck! I often (and in this case) use Boca Burgers in place of ground veggie "meat". For this recipe I microwaved 4 burgers just enough to defrost, then mash and crumble before sauteeing. Its sometimes even cheaper to do this since veggie burgers are so moderately priced.

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Here's To Healthy Food That Tastes Good!

The portobello mushroom is known for being a high protein vegetable (5g+ per serving - hello portobello steaks!). This flavorful mushroom is also packed with thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, zinc and manganese. The portobello is also an excellent source of dietary fiber, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, potassium, copper and selenium - providing over one third of your daily recommended values of these and also containing as much potassium as a banana! Here's to eating food that tastes damn good and is crazy-healthy for you too!

Celebrate Health and Taste With My 'Portobello Mushroom Chunks & Sweet Garlic Marinade' Recipe


What you will need:
2 large portobello mushroom caps, cut into chunks
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp vegan butter, melted
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (you can use shoyu, soy sauce, or tamari instead)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp onion powder

What you will need to do:
Gently wipe off any dirt from your portobello caps with a damp paper towel. Then carefully cut them into chunks. Whisk the last 5 ingredients to make your marinade. Pour marinade over mushroom chunks in a shallow container or bowl and cover. Let marinade in refrigerator for at least 1- 2 hours (the longer they marinade, the tastier and more flavorful they will be). Saute on medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, tossing once or twice. Enjoy!



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It's 5 o'clock Somewhere!

"Even though a number of people have tried, no one has yet found a way to drink for a living." -Jean Kerr

You all know that I am not really one for anything with the word "skinny" in it. Skinny lattes (what's that crap? gimme a full fat soy latte!), skinny jeans (cute but try getting out of those suckers after a long day), skinny dipping (okay I must admit, I like skinny dipping)...


But when I was served a Skinny Pina Colada at a restaurant, I must say I fell in love not only with the concept, but also with the tropical and refreshing flavor. Think about it, if it's lighter and tastes amazing, why not in those cases get the skinny version and use the extra calories on some http://www.dirtyveganfoods.com/ (shameless plug)?


Here is my version of the Skinny Pina Colada. I hope you enjoy. And like I said in my last Booze Post, always drink responsibly, do NOT drink and drive, do not drink underage (believe me you have plenty of time to drown yourself in bottles of liquor when you have bills and responsibilities, now just enjoy getting high on youth instead), and it is not advisable to drink while on the job using the excuse that "the Dirty Vegan made you do it" - that excuse is not yet valid.


The Skinny Pina Vegan-lada


2 parts coconut flavored rum
1 part pineapple juice 
1 part tonic/ seltzer water


Shake in ice filled shaker and poor into a cool looking cocktail glass that is halfway filled with crushed ice. Doing a little dancing while you shake is optional...that's just what I do. Garnish with a pineapple slice or a cherry on top! You might even want to add a cute paper umbrella.


What are you drinking?

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Hippie Butter!

The folks at Hippie Butter were kind and generous to send me some of their Hemp Seed Protein Powder to try; thanks HB! You all must have noticed me Twittering and having conversations about hemp protein lately. I wanted to find something new to try for these Energy/ Protein Balls. Although I found Vega's flavor combinations to be extremely tasty and intriguing, readers were mentioning that they also found brands like Vega to be pricey. I wanted to review the product Hippie Butter sent to me, because it might be a better option for those of you looking for a less expensive protein powder. 

When I received my protein I immediately was drawn into the product's packaging. As you can see, there are nudies on the packaging, which is awesome! After a long moment of staring at the lovely artwork (the butts), I finally unglued my eyes and re-focused them on to opening the package. Conveniently there is a peel-off notch on the sturdy bag and it is resealable. Also, it is recommended to seal and refrigerate after opening. The powder is a nice earthy and hearty greenish color; very natural and free of additives. This is not the flavored kind, so if you want to make something flavored and use this, you will have to add flavor, fruits, etc. The nice thing about this is that it is just the Hemp Seed Powder and you know exactly what you are eating. I like the protein content in this also, which is 16g protein per 4 tablespoons. I have seen some with less, but those kinds were not the pure protein like this. Besides protein, Hippie Butter is high in fiber (6 dietary, 5g insoluble), good source of omega-3 and omega-6, and has tons of vitamins, iron, and nutrition per serving. Iron alone is 40% daily value per serving of this stuff, so I don't want to hear people complaining about iron deficiency - eat your hemp, you will be fine! I also like that this protein is labeled as being "Grown without in-crop pesticides", which is comforting. When you purchase products like these that contain other types of ingredients in addition to the protein, you don't know where everything is sourced from - another perk of using a one ingredient protein product. Also, taste-wise this was great in my protein ball recipe and mixed in very well. The taste was nutty and not too overpowering. It also seems like a little bit goes a long way, so if you are getting enough of your protein and omegas in other areas, you might want to cut the serving in half.

There are lots of pros with this product nutritionally and cost-wise. The cons might be that it needs refrigeration, in case you want to keep it in a gym locker if you like to make shakes on the run. Also, that there is not a flavor to it. If you were to get the more expensive brands like Vega, yes it has things like flavor and probiotics in it, no you don't exactly know where each of their ingredients were sourced from, and yes you are paying the price for all the things added to the protein. So it is basically your preference. Personally, I would take the natural Hippie Butter and the great price over the other brands. Especially in recipes like my Energy Balls where you have other flavors going on and use agave as a sweetener (also perfect for baking or adding a scoop to smoothies); nutritionally speaking, it seems better and more "whole". Also, I just like the nudie packaging - I think that is really cool!

I hope you have a Dirty and nudie kind of day - wink, wink!

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Messy (and Quick) Meal!

"I always start writing with a clean piece of paper and a dirty mind." -Patrick Dennis

Make a Mess With My 'Not-Honey Mustard & Not-Chicken Cheezy Quesadilla' Recipe!


2 soft tortillas of choice (I used Food For Life, Ezekiel)
4 Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders
Generous sprinkle of Daiya  mozzarella shreds
1 tbsp yellow mustard
1/2 tbsp agave nectar


Place tenders and cheese on one of the tortillas. Microwave for 1 minute. Top with other tortilla and flip over (carefully, may be hot). Microwave for 40 seconds more. At some point, mix together the mustard and agave to make your "honey mustard sauce". After retrieving from microwave, open quesadilla up, drizzle sauce inside, and close it back up. Cut in half or in quarters, if you like. Alternatively you can make this in a quesadilla maker, in a pan or skillet, or on the grill. This is just the quickie version. Enjoy!

This was so messy! I got the Not-honey mustard all over my clothing and even in my hair! You could always use less of the sauce, but why would you want to? Would I get messy all over again? You betcha!

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Vegan Mexican "Chicken" Bake

I really liked the idea of Vegan Vintage Cat's Black Bean Casserole recipe that she shared with me the other day on Twitter, so I was inspired to create a DV bake. I liked that VVC used a beans and Daiya cheese combo, so I wanted to make something that incorporated those two ingredients. I also wanted to make this high protein (if you have busy days like I usually do, you will want your dinner to be fulfilling and nutritious) so I made it a "chicken" dish. I don't prefer extra spicy, so I used mild salsa, but feel free to use spicy in yours if you want the kick. I hope you all like this Mexican bake that is packed with protein, lycopene, and other nutritional goodness. It definitely has the yum factor while using minimal ingredients that most vegans have on hand.

Served this with brown rice - will try soft tortillas next time!

Enjoy a Margarita With My 'Dirty Vegan Chick'n Mexi-Bake' Recipe

1 15.5oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
12 Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in halves
1 cup salsa
1 cup Daiya cheddar shreds


Preheat oven 350 degrees. Layer a casserole pan with black beans. Place 12 Gardein tenders in two rows of 6. Then layer grape tomatoes and salsa on top of that. Finally, top casserole with the Daiya shreds. Bake covered for 1 hour. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes to allow the top to completely melt and slightly brown. Serve by itself, over/ in tortillas or taco shells, over rice, with tortilla chips, or even over pasta if you like! You can also add a dallop of Tofutti Sour Cream or guacamole if you want to add extra oomph. Enjoy!

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My Thai - One of Boston's Best Vegan Eateries in Chinatown

Formerly known as Buddha's Delight, My Thai Vegan Cafe in Boston's Chinatown district (Beach Street), is a vegan food paradise! If you live in or around the Boston area and have not been here, you really must stop by. Or if you are planning a trip to Boston, plan to stop here for a bite, or two, or three!

My Thai is an Asian vegan cafe with Vietnamese and Thai influences. They have so much to offer on their vegan menu and I've enjoyed everything I've eaten there; you really have to check this place out. Here are my top faves...

Golden battered and fried tofu

These Tofu Fingers mimic "chick'n fingers" but are actually way better!

Fried dumplings but you can also get them steamed. The inside of these are yummy and so very gingery.

Vegan Bubble Tea! Made with fresh fruits, coconut milk, and vegan tapioca beads. Best bubble tea ever! Here we got honeydew melon and mango; both were incredible. I can't wait to go again and try another flavor!

Here is the cool view from My Thai, which is on the top level. Below it, is an awesome noodle place that has awesome noodle soup bowls and the best peanut sauce in which I smother my noodles in. Around the corner is another restaurant that we go to at night when/ if My Thai is closed. They have tons of vegan stuff and a very cozy atmosphere. I will do more reviews on vegan-friendly Boston restaurants in the future. Stay tuned for them.

What are your favorite places to eat in Boston? If you've never been, are you totally going to plan a trip now? How about vegan eateries in other parts of the world; what are your faves? I'd like to hear about them. Well until next time, have a Naughty day!

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