one of the most common questions i get – how to start when transitioning to a vegan lifestyle ?
my number one advice is to get online. find vegan blogs / communities / forums / facebook groups / youtube channels that you like and can help you with staying motivated and with common questions and problems. not to mention with recipe ideas !

so to help out i’ve decided to make a new video series !
i’m calling it vegan inspo, and here i will share with you some of my favourite vegan bloggers for you to get inspiration from. i hope you like the idea, it’s all about spreading that vegan love !

first edition : kathy patalsky – founder of both healthy happy life (where kathy posts her own recipes), and finding vegan (a site where all vegan bloggers can post their amazing food pics and recipes). i follow both on facebook, and my feed is now always filled with beautiful vegan food pics to give me ideas on what to cook next. so if you’re after some vegan food ideas, i can highly recommend following both healthy happy life and finding vegan on facebook.

kathy’s also the author of gorgeous new cookbook healthy happy vegan kitchen, which i’m a proud owner of ^^
in today’s video, kathy has let me borrow her recipe for lemon-pepper fettuccine alfredo from the cookbook. doesn’t look half bad eh ?

lemon-pepper fettuccine alfredo
serves 58 ounces (225 g) fettuccine pasta
alfredo sauce
1 cup raw cashews, soaked
1/2 cup plain nondairy milk (optional)
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons white miso paste, or sea salt as needed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of freshly grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
garnish
fresh basil
freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated lemon zest
easy vegan parmesan (page 226 in the cookbook, i used nutritional yeast instead)
drizzle of truffle oil (optional, i didn’t use)
ultra-creamy : substitute plain soy creamer for the nondairy milk for a super-decadent sauce !

– bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. add the pasta and cook until al dente, 8-12 minutes. drain the pasta, reserving at least 1 cup (250 ml) of the pasta cooking water.
– for the alfredo sauce : drain and rinse the cashews and place them in a food processor or blender. add 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, the nondairy milk (or an additional 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water), nutritional yeast, lemon juice, miso garlic powder, lemon zest, and pepper and process until silky smooth. add more or less pasta cooking water to achieve the consistency you’d like for the sauce adding less water thickens the sauce. taste and add salt to taste.
– toss the sauce with the warm pasta and serve with basil, pepper, lemon zest, and vegan parmesan (i used plain nutritional yeast instead) over the top. add truffle oil for extra richness, if desired.
variation : while stirring, cook 1 cup shiitake mushroom in 1 teaspoon olive oil and finish with a few teaspoons of white wine, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

thank you kathy for the recipe !