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A Virtual Vegan by Melanie McDonald

Satisfy your comfort food cravings with my trusted and delicious vegan recipes. There's a spot waiting in the AVV community just for you and I'll even send you a free e-cookbook!

Featured Post

A Tasty Way to Reduce Food Waste

Hi there, Reader A generous tumble of crispy, crunchy croutons makes any soup or salad better, and by using up odds and ends of stale bread, you also reduce food waste. A win-win situation! I've had a crouton recipe on my website for a while, but I've recently added an air fryer version. It's perfect for the warmer summer months when you don't want to turn on the oven, and you can have them prepped and ready in under 10 minutes! I'll be honest and say that usually when I make these, the vast...

Hi there, Reader Thank you to all of you who left reviews on those recipes I shared recently that needed a little love! I really appreciate it. I thought it might be fun to take a look at the recipes on my website with the most five-star reviews. Not 4.5's or 4.9's. Straight up five stars! I don’t take your reviews lightly. I’m so grateful I get to bring recipes to your table, and hearing how they turn out in your kitchens is the best part. If you’ve been on the fence about trying something...

Hi there, Reader A few days ago, I was tidying my hard drive and came across an old recipe I once shared (years ago) exclusively on Instagram. Crispy golden Greek-Style Fries! I made them for our dinner that night, and they were really delicious, so I thought I'd get the recipe up on my website. These delicious seasoned fries can be made in your oven or air fryer; however, when using an air fryer, be cautious of overcrowding. I recommend either halving the recipe or cooking in 2 batches to...

Hi there, Reader Spring said "sunshine," but the evening forecast said, "absolutely not." Luckily, these fresh yet cozy spring soup recipes are here to handle the seasonal identity crisis one delicious spoonful at a time! GET THE RECIPES πŸ“Œ PIN FOR LATER More Cozy Springy Dinners: Skillet Tofu with Zucchini "Like magic in a pot! Such a low-stress weekday dinner with beyond delicious results." - Tania GET THE RECIPE Chili Garlic Eggplant "This is my new favorite recipe! The subtle sweet...

Hi there, Reader Okay, this email is a little different. I noticed that these 10 recipes somehow have zero ratings or reviews. If you've made any of these, I would love it if you could pop over to my website and leave a star rating and review. I would be so, so grateful! It really helps my recipes to do better in search results, and it helps website visitors to trust my recipes when they are browsing. Thank you in advance! Don't know how to leave a review? You'll find a section like this...

Hi there, Reader Kale Pesto is a delicious way to get your greens in! Made with 5 ingredients in 5 minutes, it's vibrant, packed with flavour, and a great alternative to traditional basil pesto. It's so handy to have a jar of in the fridge. I love it stirred through pasta for a very speedy meal. Note that if you can't use almonds for whatever reason, you can use cashews, walnuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds instead. They all work well. GET THE RECIPE πŸ“Œ PIN FOR LATER More Quick...

Hi there, Reader Cinnamon lovers, this is for you! I'm coming at you with a snickerdoodle or snickerdoodle-inspired recipe for every type of snickerdoodler. We've got my soft and thick enough to really sink your teeth into snickerdoodle cookies, a super quick and easy mug cake, and dessert hummus (don't knock it 'til you've tried it)! 😜 Vegan Snickerdoodles πŸ“Œ PIN FOR LATER These easy vegan snickerdoodle cookies are soft, light, puffy, buttery, cinnamon-y and totally irresistible. Made in one...

Hi there, Reader There's a reason I've never shared a tempeh recipe. It's because if I'm honest, I've never liked it much. I mean, I've tried many, many times, because I feel like it's a vegan rite of passage, but I've never really enjoyed anything I've made with it. I'd pretty much given up, then a few months ago, I was digging into my website's analytics, and saw that lots of people had been searching for tempeh recipes. I don't want anyone to leave disappointed, so my mission to make...

Friends, hello. I hope it's been a good month for you! I try to keep it real, so I won't lie - It hasn't been great for me. I was diagnosed with RA a few months ago, and the symptoms of that and the medication I've been started on (low-dose chemo πŸ˜–), to try to get it into remission, are really putting me through the wringer. On the plus side, the sun is back, my garden is in bloom, my doggos are still super cute (current view below), and there's a new recipe coming on Friday that I'm really...

Hi there, Reader I have a major love for tahini and for using it in recipes. I can't resist the depth, richness, and gorgeous bittersweet nuttiness it gives. Today I've pulled together 3 of my favourite recipes that use tahini, and if you've never made tahini yourself, I'm also including my tahini recipe. It's even nicer when made at home! How To Make Tahini πŸ“Œ PIN FOR LATER All you need is 1 ingredient (sesame seeds), a food processor, and about 10 minutes. You will be rewarded with the most...