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Gorgeous Summery Caprese Pesto Toast

6/29/2025

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Gorgeous Summery Caprese Pesto Toasts

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 5 Min

Yields: 2 Toasts

What You Need

2 Pieces Sourdough Bread
Unsalted Butter
2 Vine Tomatoes, sliced
1 Ball Fresh Mozzarella Cheese (not pizza mozz), sliced
My Fave Pesto Recipe

www.thehappyveg.ca/recipes/my-perfect-pesto-recipe

Balsamic Glaze
Grana Padano
Chili Oil
Red Pepper Flakes
Himalayan Salt & Cracked Pepper

Directions

Prepare the pesto according to the recipe provided. Alternately, you could use store-bought, but when we're doing recipes that rely on simple & fresh ingredients, I'd highly recommend making a fresh batch.
Get your sourdough slices in the toaster and toast them until crisp and golden brown. In my case, I needed to rotate the slices to toast both sides. Alternately, you could use your grill pan! Once your bread is nice and toasty, slather them in butter. Let's assemble.
I assembled the toasts in a checkered / alternating pattern. Once slice juicy tomato, one overlapping slice of fresh mozz. Continue until your slices are completely coated. Season generously with salt, pepper, and pepper flaks. Dollop pesto around the toasts followed by a drizzle of chili oil & balsamic glaze. Finish with finely shredded grana padano & enjoy!
Remaining pesto can be refrigerated for 4 - 5 days. You could also easily add more toasts to this recipe.

HAPPY VEG

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Rustic Rigatoni with Meatballs

6/28/2025

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Rustic Rigatoni with Meatballs

Prep Time: 40 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hour

Yields: 4 + Servings

What You Need

454g Rigatoni Pasta

MEATBALLS

340g Impossible Beef
2 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
1/2 Yellow Onion, finely diced
1/4 C Fresh Parsley, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. Fresh Basil, rolled and thinly sliced (chiffonade)
2 Tbsp. Italian Breadcrumbs
1 Large, Free-Range Egg
1/4 C Grana Padano, finely shredded
1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 Tsp. Himalayan Salt
Cracked Pepper

SAUCE

3 Tbsp. EVOO
1 Tbsp. Pepperoncini in Chili Oil
4 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
2 Shallots, diced
1 Yellow Onion, diced
2 stalks Celery, diced
1 Carrot, peeled & diced
1 Bell Pepper (not green), diced
2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1 C White Wine (I used a local Ontario Pinot Grigio)
796ml San Marzano Tomatoes
1/2 Can Boiling Pasta Water
Handful Fresh Basil, torn
2/3 Tsp. Himalayan Salt +
Cracked Pepper
GARNISH - Grana Padano, Basil

Directions

Bring a large pot of cold, generously salted water to a boil and leave covered.
MEATBALLS - Add everything to a mixing bowl and work together with your hands until combined. Using heaping tablespoon sized scoops, roll the mixture in to meatballs until you've used it all, transferring them to a parchment lined baking sheet. You should have around 15 meatballs of approximately equal size. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat your oven to 400 F
SAUCE - Begin heating the EVOO, pepperoncini, and garlic, in a large skillet (large enough to accommodate the sauce / noods) set to just about medium. Once heated, let everything sizzle for 30 + seconds before adding the shallot, onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper. Season generously with salt & pepper, stir, and let those veggies cook 15 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the tomato paste, another good pinch of salt, and continue to cook another couple of minutes. Pour in the wine and let that bubble away until reduced by at least half, about 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and bust them up in the skillet. Fill your can to half with your boiling water, swish it around and pour that in the skillet as well. Bring the sauce to a boil and once boiled, reduce to a simmer and stir in your basil & salt. Cover for 25 minutes.

Uncover your meatballs and let them sit at room temp for 5 ish minutes. Now, get them in to the oven to bake for 12 minutes, flip, and continue another 5 or so until golden on two sides and cooked through.
Once your sauce has cooked for the 25 minutes, remove your cover and stir in your meatballs. At the same time, get your rigatoni in to the boiling water. Add a ladle of the boiling water to your sauce if needed. Taste your sauce and season it taste with salt prior to adding your noodles. Once the rigatoni is al dente, strain it directly in to the skillet with meatballs & sauce. Stir / toss to coat all of the noodles in your sauce, stirring continuously to release starches and get the sauce perfect. Remember, you have pasta water if needed to loosen things up. Once everything is coated beautifully, set the skillet off the heat and cover for 5 minutes.
Serve your portions with a generous amount finely shredded grana padano and fresh basil. ENJOY!
Refrigerate any remaining pasta in an airtight container for 4 days.

HAPPY VEG

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The Canadian Classic - Poutine Vibes

6/15/2025

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Poutine Vibes

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 20 - 25 Min

Yields: 2 Poutines

What You Need

650g Bag McCain Jumbo Spicy Crinkles
200g Canadian Cheese Curds
25g Club House Low Sodium Brown Gravy Mix
2 Green Onions, sliced
Himalayan Salt

Notes

For a true Canadian Poutine, it HAS to be cheese curds. Shredded cheese is not a "poutine", rather fries with cheese and gravy. Similar, but not the same.
I always suggest brown gravy because it reads as the most traditional. Make sure to read your ingredients and look for meat based products to ensure you're using a vegetarian gravy. To be safe, you could always use a poutine gravy which is typically veggie friendly.
When it comes to the fries, I LOVE crinkles because they're so crisp outside and so fluffy inside. Alternately, you could swap in whichever fries you'd like. Avoid shoestring if you're baking them because they almost always dry out.

Directions

Preheat your oven according to the bagged fry directions. Get your fries on to a parchment lined baking sheet. Once preheated, bake according to package directions until crispy and golden. Season liberally with salt out of the oven.
With 5 minutes to spare, prepare your gravy according to package directions. I always add a tiny bit more water than what is recommended. Once the gravy has boiled and thickened, turn down the heat and simmer for a couple minutes, whisking as needed.
ASSEMBLY - Divide your crispy fries between two plates and arrange cheese curds around the plates. Drizzle each plate with the hot gravy and top each poutine with some green onions. ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG

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Creamy Mushroom Bucatini

6/13/2025

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Creamy Mushroom Bucatini

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 25 Min

Yields: 4 + Servings

What You Need

450g Bucatini Pasta
1/4 C EVOO
2 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1.5 x 227g Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
1 C White Wine ( I used Pinot Grigio)
400ml Cacio E Pepe Sauce
Pasta Water
1/4 C Fresh Parsley, chopped
Himalayan Salt & Cracked Pepper
GARNISH - Grana Padano, Fresh Parsley

Directions

Bring a large pot of cold, generously salted water to a boil. Leave covered.
Begin heating the EVOO, garlic, and pepper flakes, in a large skillet set to just about medium. Once heated, let everything sizzle together for about a minute before adding the onion and a good pinch of both salt & pepper. Stir and let the onions cook for about 5 minutes. Watch for browning and reduce your heat slightly if needed. After the 5 minutes, dump in all of your cremini mushrooms along with a generous hit of both salt & pepper. Stir and let the mushrooms cook down for 7 - 10 minutes until they've got some nice caramelized colour. Also, don't worry about any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet, our wine will remove that!
Once your mushrooms have cooked down, pour in your wine and at the same time, add your bucatini to the boiling water. Season your skillet with another good pinch of both salt & pepper and let the wine bubble away for about 4 minutes or so until reduced by around half. At this point, pour in your Cacio sauce, add a ladle of hot water to the jar, swish it around, and add that to your skillet as well. Stir to combine everything.

Once the sauce starts bubbling away, reduce your heat slightly and let the sauce simmer until your pasta is almost al dente. Add a ladle of pasta water to keep it simmering and smooth. Once your pasta is about 1 minute away from al dente perfection, strain it directly in to your creamy mushroom sauce. Toss to combine in the skillet and continue tossing as it bubbles away until the sauce is nice and creamy and pasta is cooked perfectly. Turn off the heat and fold in the parsley. Taste and adjust your salt / pepper if needed / desired. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Serve your portions garnished with fresh parsley and heaps of grana padano. ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG

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Cheesy Broccoli Baguettes

6/11/2025

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Cheesy Broccoli Baguettes

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 30 Min

Yields: 4 Pieces

What You Need

400g Fresh Parisian Baguette
1 C Extra Old White Cheddar, shredded
1/3 C Grana Padano, shredded
1 clove Garlic, peeled & gently crushed
1 Head Broccoli, chopped in to florets of approximately equal size
EVOO
Himalayan Salt
Red Pepper Flakes
1 Lemon, cut in to wedges
2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
Ranch Dressing

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425 F. Add your florets to a mixing bowl and drizzle in a couple tablespoons of EVOO. Season to taste with salt and pepper flakes & toss to combine. Transfer the broccoli to a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake your broccoli 15 minutes, flip, and continue 10 + minutes until tender with some charred bits. Use a spatula to smash the broccoli down on the tray, flattening it out a bit.

With a couple minutes to spare before the broccoli finishes, get a grill pan heating on about medium heat. Cut two x 5" pieces of your baguette and cut them in half leaving you with 4 x 5" open faced baguettes. Drizzle the open parts of your baguettes with EVOO and slap them on the grill. Grill until golden brown with gorgeous grill marks, working in batches depending on the size of your pan. Once all 4 of your baguettes are grilled and gorgeous, rub them down with your garlic clove.
Remove the parchment / broccoli from the tray and give it a wipe if needed. Cover the tray with a new piece of parchment and get your baguettes open side up on the tray. Top each one with a sprinkle of cheddar. Divide your smashed, roasted broccoli between the 4 baguettes. Top each baguette with shredded cheddar and shredded grana padano.
Switch your oven to BROIl HIGH and once heated, add your tray of baguettes. Broil until cheese is melty, keep an eye so they don't scorch. Once melted, carefully remove the tray to a wire cooling rack. Give each baguette a squeeze of lemon and top each one with a sprinkle of parsley.
Originally, I ate them alone and thought huh, these are super good and super savoury...but what if I drizzled them with a little Ranch? Game changer. The ranch was just what they needed. ENJOY you guys <3

HAPPY VEG

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Chik'n Caesar Cutlets

6/9/2025

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Chik'n Caesar Cutlets

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 25 Min

Yields: 2 Cutlets

What You Need

2 x Gardein Supreme Chik'n Filets
1/2 Head Romaine Lettuce, thinly sliced
1/4 Red Onion, thinly sliced
1/4 C Grana Padano, finely shredded
Prepared Caesar Dressing
1/2 Lemon, cut in to wedges
Himalayan Salt & Cracked Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
GARNISH - Grana Padano

Notes

I ate both filets myself and was quite full. This is a main for one, or, serve them up with some creamy pasta and you'd get two servings.
Can't find the Gardein filets? Sub in your favourite plant-based chik'n patties.
This recipe is super easy to double / triple as needed.

Directions

Preheat your oven according to package directions for filets. Get two filets on a parchment lined baking sheet and once the oven is preheated, bake them according to directions, flipping halfway for even browning.
Once your filets are almost ready, prepare your quick Caesar salad. Add your thinly sliced romaine and red onions to a small mixing bowl. Add your desired amount of dressing and toss to combine. Once your salad is dressed how you like, fold in a few cracks of pepper and the grana padano until combined.
Serve your filets up on a nice plate and top each filet with a good scoop of your Caesar salad. Garnish your plate generously with grana padano, pepper flakes, and a wedge of lemon. ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG

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Let's Make Weekend Brunch

6/7/2025

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Weekend Brunch

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 20 Min

Yields: 2 Plates

What You Need

398 ml Sprague Campfire Baked Beans
2 x Soft Croissants

TATERS

EVOO
1/2 Red Onion, finely diced
2 Green Onions, sliced
1 Jalapeno, sliced in to rings
1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 C Frozen Breakfast Potato Cubes
2 Tsp. Kashmiri Chili Powder
Himalayan Salt & Cracked Pepper

EGG SCRAM

Splash EVOO
4 Large, Free-Range Eggs
Whipping Cream
1/4 C Extra Old White Cheddar, shredded ( more if desired)
Himalayan Salt & Cracked Pepper
Good Pinch Red Pepper Flakes

Serve with Fresh Fruit. I used some fresh cherries and mandarins.

Directions

Empty your baked beans in to a small, covered pot set to medium low. Once warmed through, reduce to low and leave covered until service.
TATERS - In a medium sized non-stick, begin heating a few tablespoons of EVOO. Once heated, add the red and green onion, sliced jals, red pepper flakes, and a good pinch of both salt & pepper. Let the veggies cook for about 4 minutes before adding the frozen tater cubes and another generous pinch of both salt & pepper. Stir everything together and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the Kashmiri chili powder and toss until combined. Continue to cook another 5 or so minutes until the taters are golden and slightly crisp but cooked through properly. Taste and once your taters are perfect, adjust salt to your liking. Transfer the taters to a plate and wipe out the skillet with a paper towel.

Add a splash of EVOO. In the meantime, whisk together your four eggs with a good splash of whipping cream, the cheddar, and season liberally with salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Add the whisked eggs to your hot skillet. Fold the eggs from the sides to the middle, continuing to work them in the skillet until they're fluffy and cooked to your liking. I prefer a stiffer scram, but you could easily make a looser one if that's your desired texture.
SERVE - Get two big plates out and let's assemble. Get your baked beans in to ramekins and on to the plate. Divide your taters between both plates followed by your egg scramble and soft croissant. Serve up with a side of fresh fruit and you're good to go. Hearty, filling, and delicious for a perfect start to the weekend <3

HAPPY VEG

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Spicy Sausages With Sauteed Peps & Uns

6/5/2025

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Sausages & Sauteed Veg

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 20 Min

Yields: 4 Sausages

What You Need

4 Sausage Rolls
4 x Beyond Meat Hot Italian Sausages
EVOO
1 Bell Pepper, sliced in to strips (not green)
1 Jalapeno, sliced in to strips
1 Yellow Onion, halved and sliced
Himalayan Salt & Cracked Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
Yellow Mustard
Chipotle Mayo

Directions

Begin heating a couple tablespoons of EVOO in a large, non-stick skillet set to just about medium. Once heated, add your onion, pepper, jalapeno, and a good pinch of salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Cook your veggies for about 7 minutes, stirring / flipping often for even colour. Once you've got some charred bits and your veggies are getting soft, push them to the outside of the skillet and drop in your sausages. Fry up the sausages on all 4 sides until blistered and cooked through. This should take another 7 ish minutes. Once the sausages are blistered and gorgeous, turn off the heat to the skillet and get ready to assemble.
Open your buns and place a blistered sausage on each one. Give each sausage a good drizzle of mustard before topping them off with a good scoop of the sauteed veggies. Finish with a drizzle of chipotle mayo and that's it. ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG

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Roasted Tater Tostadas

6/3/2025

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Roasted Tater Tostadas

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 30 Min

Yields: 8 Tostadas

What You Need

8 x Tostadas
440ml Refried Black Beans with Jalapenos
2 Large Russets, chopped in to approximately 1/2" cubes / pieces
3 Tbsp. EVOO
2 Tsp. Tex-Mex Seasoning
1 Tsp. Mexican Chili Powder
1 Tsp. Kashmiri Chili Powder
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp. Onion Powder
Himalayan Salt

ASSEMBLY

1/2 C Red Cabbage, shredded on the mandolin (you may need more / less)
2 Green Onions, thinly sliced
1/2 Small Red Onion, finely diced
1 Jalapeno, sliced
2 Limes, quartered
Spicy Guacamole Salsa ( I use the Herdez Brand)
Valentina Super Hot Sauce
Fresh Cilantro

Directions

Empty your beans in to a small, covered pot set to medium low. Once heated, reduce to low and leave covered.
Preheat your oven to 425 F.
Get your chopped taters in to a medium sized mixing bowl. Drizzle in the EVOO and add the Tex-Mex, Kashmiri, Mexican Chili, garlic powder & onion powder. Toss to combine and transfer your seasoned taters to a parchment lined baking sheet. Season the tray generously with salt. Bake your taters for 15 minutes, flip, and continue until they are tender inside with a light crisp outside. This should take a total of about 25 minutes. Flip a second time if needed for even colouring. Once the taters are finished, taste and season with additional salt if needed / desired.

Assembly - Get your tostadas on your work station and start by dolloping a nice sized scoop of beans in the center of each tostada, spreading it out a little but leaving a good perimeter ring of the tostada with no toppings. Next, scoop some of the roasted potatoes in the center of your tostadas followed by a nice spoonful or two of the guac salsa. Then, garnish with all remaining toppings; a sprinkle of red & green onions, a sprinkle of the crisp red cabbage, a slice or two of the spicy jalapeno, a few dashes of the hot sauce, some fresh cilantro, and a finishing squeeze of lime.
Serve & ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG

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R E C I P E S

Gorgeous Summery Caprese Pesto Toasts

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Creamy Mushroom Bucatini

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Chik'n Caesar Cutlets

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Weekend Brunch

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Sausages & Sauteed Veg

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Roasted Tater Tostadas

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