Little House of Veggies

Vegan Holiday Kitchen- Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Hint of Chocolate!

2011-11-16T12:34:00.000-08:00

Good Morning friends! How is everyone? How many of you feel a little anxiety when we approach the holidays? What to make? How to prep and plan a holiday menu? Great vegan dishes to serve that the crowd will love? It can be a fun challenge and I get many emails asking me for suggestions and menu ideas. So I'm here today with a review/recipe for you that I am totally excited about! First let me just say that I really don't review things on here too often. I will however happily review things that I personally love and enjoy and actually use myself. And this book is definitely one of my new favorites. I wanted to make sure I got this review up in time for the holidays because it is a must buy in my opinion! I actually rarely cook out of cookbooks (this is the inner chef in me!) and I am always brainstorming and testing my own new creations. But I have several staple books that I love and I think they are a must in any vegan (or not!) cookbook collection.

Vegan Holiday Kitchen

The book is called Vegan Holiday Kitchen written by Nava Atlas. This book is a beautiful hardbound book that is organized so well. It has tons of beautiful food photos, and the recipes all look very good! The books chapters are divided by Holidays and events to help you plan from which include...

Thanksgiving
Christmas and The Holiday Season
Jewish Holidays: Passover, Rosh Hashana, and Hanukkah
Easter
Independence Day and Summer Entertaining
Brunches, Appetizers, and Potluck Dishes

For each of these chapters are tons of menu and meal ideas. I love this idea and I think it would be such a helpful tool for so many of you! I definitely recommend this book! Of Course, I can't leave you without a recipe from the book. They have generously let me share one of the recipes with you. So naturally I chose something perfectly fitting for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. This looks so good, and I myself have added this pie to my menu for Thanksgiving. I am really excited to try it out! The recipe is the picture below of the pumpkin cheesecake in the picture collage. How good does that look? Enjoy everyone!!!

Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Hint of Chocolate

recipe from Vegan Holiday Kitchen

makes 1 9-inch pie feeds 6-8
printable recipe

What you need:

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

1/4 cup walnuts

1 9-inch good quality natural pastry crust, vegan, and preferably whole grain

1 12.3-ounce container extra-firm silken tofu

1/2 cup vegan cream cheese

2/3 cup natural granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups of well baked, coarsely mashed sugar pumpkin or butternut squash

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or more to taste

1/2 cup chocolate chips for optional chocolate drizzle

vegan whipped cream for garnish, optional

How to make:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine 1/4 cup chocolate chips and walnuts in a food processor and pulse on and off until finely chopped.

3. Scatter the chocolate chip and walnut mixture evenly over the bottom of the pie crust and then set aside.

4. Combine half the tofu, half the cream cheese, and half the sugar in a food processor and process until smoothly pureed. Pour into the pie crust and smooth down with a cake spatula.

5. Combine the pumpkin or squash pulp in the food processor with the remaining tofu, cream cheese, and sugar, along with the cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Process until smoothly pureed and pour into the pie crust over the plain tofu layer and smooth down with a cake spatula.

6. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the mixture is set and the crust is golden brown. Let the pie cool to room temperature. Cut into 6-8 slices to serve.

7. If you would like to garnish each slice of pie with chocolate drizzle, melt the chocolate chips in a double broiler on the stove top. Transfer the melted chocolate to a pastry bag, or less fancy but almost as effective, a ziploc bag. If using the Ziploc, snip a tiny hole in one of the corners and gently squeeze the chocolate over each slice of pie in an attractive zig-zag pattern. You can also garnish with a vegan whipped cream..

Adorable childrens coloring zine for Thanksgiving!

2011-11-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Happy Monday! How is everyone? I just wanted to check in and tell you about a new find that I am loving! If you have children, this is perfect for them for this holiday season!
This is a Thanksgiving coloring zine written by the talented children's author Nathalie Vanbalen. She is the author of the children's book Garlic-Onion-Beet-Spinach-Mango-Carrot-Grapefruit Juice which I have reviewed in the past and love. Its an adorable book that teaches children why we eat a plant based diet, and she does so in a hilarious, laugh out loud, lighthearted manner. My kids love her first book and we read it all the time. So naturally when she contacted me saying that she had made a special coloring zine to teach children about a Turkey-less Thanksgiving, I couldn't wait to read it! The book is called

Happy Thanks Living!

This is an absolutely adorable activity to get for your veggie kids to enjoy during Thanksgiving! Love love love it! I haven't seen anything else out there like this. It is a 20 page coloring zine on all recycled paper, which makes me even more excited. I love Nathalie's style of writing, witty and catchy! Here's a few of the cute pages from the book.

Seriously, how cute is this?! This coloring zine will only be available for the rest of this week. At $5.00 a book, its a great buy and a really fun Thanksgiving activity to do with your kids!

Order your copy here at her website!

Winner of the nut milk bag giveaway!

2011-11-07T09:04:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! Just here this morning to post the lucky winner of my very favorite nut milk bag! The winner was chosen at random through Random.org and the winner is ...

Tricia, who wrote
"Congrats on the good news! I have tried nut milk in the past and it is so good. Would love to try with the AWESOME nut bag!! :"-) "

Congrats Tricia! I will be sending you some more info and getting in contact with you so we can get this mailed right out and you can start start making your own nut milks!

For any of you that are interested in purchasing this bag that didn't win, you can do so by clicking here....

This is by far the highest quality nut milk bag I have owned! I have had many over the years and none of the others have compared in quality, durability, etc. I highly recommend it!!!

Well, I am off to throw in some of my refried beans in the crock pot for tostadas tonight, one of my all time favorite meals! If you haven't made this one before , its so delicious, easy, and awesome for leftovers! I will attatch the link to the recipe below! Definitely give this one a try! Have a great Monday!

Tostada with Morgan's Amazing Refried Beans

click on the name for the recipe!

Creamy chai spiced pumpkin seed milk (raw) and a giveaway!

2011-11-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

Hello hello my lovely friends! I hope all of you are doing well! So I am here today as promised with an awesome giveaway, a super healthy and delicious recipe, and a little announcement! Where should I start?!

Well, first I guess I should let all of you in on the good news! No its not food related, but I thought you would enjoy the news anyways! The husband and I are very excited to be expecting baby number 4. I am just about done with the first trimester, and I'm hoping that means that this morning sickness I have had will ease up a little. I have to be honest in saying that I haven't been able to keep a whole lot down. Or cook anything too exciting for that matter. But, I am really excited to be getting my appetite back a little and I am especially excited to create some new Thanksgiving dishes this year! I love coming up with new cruelty free and healthier ideas and hopefully inspiring others to give them a try! So there you have it. This house of veggies is about to get a little crazier than it already is, but in the best way ever! This will probably be the last little bambino for us so I am going to try to really take in the pregnancy and enjoy it fully. I will keep everyone updated on any new news!

Ok, ok, now back to what you all really come here for, the food! This recipe is a creamy chai spiced pumpkin seed milk that is entirely raw, so good for you, no sugars added (only from a banana) and a delicious treat that can replace all of the sugar loaded not so good for us "festive holiday drinks". I promise you that you will love this! Even my little two year old drank a whole glass and kept saying "mmmmm, yummy". Make sure that you use the raw pumpkin seed kernels (also called Pepita's). They are little green pumpkin seeds, and really mid in flavor. And they are just packed with such good nutrition! They are one of the healthiest seeds out there!

It's giveaway time!!!

If you have never made your own nut milk before, do not be afraid! It could not get any easier! You will however, benefit greatly from a good nut milk bag. I have bought and used many over the years, and my favorite is the one made by The Health Seekers Kitchen. You might think I am biased because she is in fact my Mom, but the quality of her bags can not be matched! They are the most durable and easy to clean, and I just love them! And guess what...I have one to giveaway to one of you lucky readers! If you don't have one yet, now is the time to try and win this one! All you need to do to enter to win is leave me a comment on why you want to win the nut milk bag below. And that's it! Good luck to everyone!! Winner will be chosen Monday morning of next week!

And now its recipe time! mmmmmm mmmmmm tasty tasty!

Creamy chai spiced pumpkin seed milk

(raw)

printable recipe

What you will need:

1 cup of raw pumpkin seed kernels (also called Pepita's) Soaked in a bowl with water for a few hours

5 cups fresh water

2 tsp cinnamon

Seeds from 1 vanilla bean, or 1 tsp good quality vanilla extract

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cardamom

fresh nutmeg (about 10 grates on a microplane)

2 packets of stevia

1 large very ripe frozen banana

To Make:

After soaking the pumpkin seeds for a few hours, drain the water off and place into a Vitamix blender or any blender that you have. Add 5 cups of fresh water, and blend for several minutes, until the seeds are blended up very well. Using a large bowl, dump the milk into a nut milk bag and strain into the bowl. Squeeze the bag gently to get all the liquid out, and the pulp will stay behind in the bag. Discard the pumpkin seed pulp, you won't need it. Rinse the blender out well, and then dump the strained milk back into the blender. Add all the rest of the spices and the banana, and blend again to combine well. Will last about a week stored in the fridge. Soooooo Yum!!!!

Morgans amazing Broccoli Cheese Soup

2011-10-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

Of course, without the cheese, or the cream, or the milk. :D My version is soul satisfying, body nourishing and comfort food from my childhood at its best! It is exactly what I want when there is a chill in the air. If you call almost 70 degrees in southern California "a chill". haha But I know many of you are in full blown snow heaven right now so see...I made this recipe just for you! Get cooking, get cozy, warm your belly and watch some new good movies! Stay tuned for my next recipe! It includes an awesome giveaway, and of course something pumpkin! Watch for that, and have a wonderful wonderful soup eating weekend!!! Until next time my friends..

Morgan's Amazing Broccoli Cheese Soup

Makes a ton! About 8 servings and is awesome for leftovers!!

printable recipe

What you need:

1 batch of creamy cashew cheese (recipe below)

3-4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 onion

4 cloves garlic

4 small or 2 large celery, diced

4 small or 2 large carrots, diced

pinch of salt and pepper

3 32-ounce boxes of organic vegetable broth

about 4 heaping cups of chopped broccoli florets (3 small heads of broccoli)

1 tsp salt and a crack of pepper

1/4 tsp. ground mustard

creamy cashew cheese:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for about an hour

5 sundried tomatoes
1 cup nutritional yeast

juice of 1 small lemon

1 Tbsp. mustard

1/2 of a small jalapeno pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 cup fresh water

After you have soaked the cashews, place the nuts and all other ingredients into a Vitamix or a good blender and blend until completely smooth.

To make the soup:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes until softened slightly. Add the celery and carrots and a pinch of salt and pepper and saute a few more minutes. Then add the vegetable broth, broccoli, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the broccoli becomes tender. While the soup is cooking make the creamy cashew cheese.

Gently blend the soup in batches in your blender or using an immersion blender, but do not over blend.. I scooped it in batches into my Vitamix blender and then just blended it for a few seconds on a very low setting. The soup should be mostly smooth but still with some very small chunks here and there and a little texture. Taste the soup at this point and then add any additional salt and pepper you need. You can serve this as is or top with store bought or freshly made croutons!

Wholesome and Healthy Spicy Lentil Chili

2011-09-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hello hello! Hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the beginnings of all things Fall! This is by far my favorite time of year! I love the holidays that are spent with loved ones, I love the beautiful weather, and I love the food! Soups being at the top of that list. In this chili I use lentils, which are a powerhouse of health and nutrition. Lentils are a legume and grow similar to peas in a pod. And do you ever get this lovely question from your friends.. "Where do you get your protein?" Well us veggie eaters get our protein from many natural sources. Did you know that lentils are 26% protein?! And they are also packed with folic acid, soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, high levels of vitamins A and B vitamins, and are one of the highest sources of antioxidants found in the winter growing legumes! Some other awesome health facts of the humble little lentil are...

The type of fiber they have reduces cholesterol
Good for those with diabetes- the fiber in lentils traps carbohydrates, which slows the digestion of them, which prevents wild swings in blood sugar levels
so so good for digestion, and constipation issues, again, because of all that fiber!
Really great for weight loss! Keep you full longer and the insoluble fiber passes through you virtually intact which means low calorie but filling!
A study at the Department of Nutrition at Harvard has shown that there is a link between diets high in lentils and reduced risks of breast cancer
Linked to reduced risk of coronary heart disease

Oh Lentils, how I love you! You keep me energized and healthy! There are several different varieties of lentils. I chose for this recipe to use 2 different colors, but you can use whatever kind you get. This is a soup that will nourish you and warm your belly and soul this time of year! Enjoy friends, and now lets go make some soup!

Wholesome and Healthy Spicy Lentil Chili

Serves 6-8

printable recipe

What you will need:

4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 Anaheim chili, seeded and diced (if you are sensitive to spicy food, just leave this pepper out)

1 Tbsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. blackstrap molasses

2 1/2 boxes (just estimate) of vegetable broth/stock (using the 32-ounce boxes)

1 14.5 ounce can tomato sauce

a few tsp. salt (to taste)

pepper

2 cups of lentils, I used 1 cup of red lentils, and one cup of french lentils

Vegan sour cream

tortilla chips to dunk in the soup

To make the soup:

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large soup pot. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes until softened..Add in your bell peppers and Anaheim chili with another pinch of salt and pepper and saute for a few more minutes. Add in all the spices, vegetable broth, tomato sauce, 1 Tbsp. maple syrup, 1 tsp. blackstrap molasses, a couple tsp. of salt, and lentils and stir well. Bring to a boil, and them simmer for about 35 minutes or until the lentils are soft and tender. Taste the broth after it is finished cooking and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve:

Ladle soup into bowl. Top with a dollop of vegan sour cream and chips either crumbled on top, or served on the side for dipping! YUM!

Pizza with creamy sunflower seed and cashew nut cheese, roasted peppers, olives and mixed greens

2011-09-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

Hello Hello my lovelies! How is everyone? Well, considering that I am in the process of moving, and I should be packing at every chance I get, I have chosen to forgo the task at hand for my one true love...cooking up some awesome vegan food! :D And I just had to share my newest recipe with you all! Think thin crust pizza/flatbread covered in an Italian herbed sunflower seed and cashew nut cheese, and topped with roasted red peppers, jalapeno stuffed olives, and a salad gently tossed in a light vinaigrette on top. perfection on my tongue! If you don't like spicy food, just use regular olives or kalamata olives if you like those. Either would be great. But if you do like jalps, definitely go with the jalapeno stuffed olives. I had the in-laws in town for a visit and all of my taste testers loved this! It was a perfect game day snack, cut up in to little rectangles. Use any extra sunflower seed cashew cheese on sandwiches! Hope you all have a great week!! Enjoy!!!

Pizza with sunflower seed and cashew nut cheese, roasted peppers, spicy olives and mixed greens

makes 2 baking sheet sized pizzas

printable recipe

Pizza Dough: (I got this pizza dough recipe from a very good friend of mine, Maria, who got it from HER sister. It is fabulous!! After Maria made me some amazing bruschetta pizza a few weeks ago, I emailed her begging for the recipe. They were so kind to give me the dough recipe!! I just swapped out the white flour for wheat but you can use white if you want. Also, I made my dough in a Kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook)

*you can skip this step if you want and use a pre made pizza dough*

1 1/2 c. warm water
2 tsp. dry active yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
About 3 1/2 to 4 cups of white whole wheat flour, or regular white flour

Whisk the warm water, yeast and sugar together in a large mixing bowl or in a Kitchenaid. Let sit for about 5 minutes until it is bubbly and active. Add the salt and your first 2 cups of flour. Using the dough hook on the lowest speed or using a wooden spoon, mix the dough until combined. Then add another cup. and continue to mix After the 3rd cup has been added, add by the 1/2 cup. If you are not using a Kitchenaid, start kneading with your hand when the dough becomes to hard to stir. The dough should be wet but not overly sticky. you should be able to work with it without it sticking to things. You want to add as little flour as possible without it sticking to the surface. at this point, Divide the dough into two balls and place each in their own Ziploc bag or wrap in saran wrap and place int he fridge until ready to use. If you are only making 1 pizza you can freeze the other one and then thaw before using.

Sunflower seed and cashew nut cheese

makes about 3 cups of cheese

1 C. raw cashew pieces

1 c. raw unsalted sunflower seeds

1 clove garlic

4 sundried tomatoes

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 c. fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

2 Tbsp. mellow white miso paste

2 Tbsp. dried oregano

3 tsp. ume vinegar or red wine vinegar (try to find the Ume vinegar if you can!)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2-1 tsp. salt (add slowly to taste)

pepper to taste

Soak the cashews and sunflower seed for about 1 hour. Drain and add into a vitamix blender or a regular blender. Add all other ingredients. Begin mixing and add water slowly to help it mix. Start with 1/2 cup water and from there add more as you need to help your blender mix the ingredients well. Be careful not to add too much water and make it overly runny. You want it to stay thick and spreadable. You want this to be the consistency of a soft cheese or a hummus. Once mixed well, taste, store in a container in the fridge until ready to use.

Salad Vinaigrette:

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. Veganaise, vegan cream cheese, or about a Tbsp. of silken tofu to help make creamy)

1/2 tsp each oregano, parsley, and garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

About 1/2 cup Olive oil

In a bowl add all ingredients except Olive oil. ix, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil until creamy. Set aside until ready to use.

To make the pizzas:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Dust a baking sheet or a pizza stone with some cornmeal. on a clean surface dust a little flour and roll out your dough into either a circle (if using a pizza stone) or a rectangle (if using a baking sheet). Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and poke the top all over with a fork to puncture and prevent bubbles. Brush the top with about 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. then sprinkle with a pinch of garlic powder and dried oregano Bake for 12-15 minutes, until slightly golden and cooked through. Remove fro the oven and place the crust on a cutting board or other surface to cool very well.

For pizzas toppings:

sunflower seed cashew nut cheese

roasted red bell peppers (you can buy them jarred and ready to go)

Jalapeno stuffed olive (these can be found just at the regular grocery store usually)

Spring mix lettuce

Vinaigrette made earlier

Once cooled, spread pizza crust with about a 1/2 inch layer of the sunflower/cashew cheese. Next layer the roasted red bell peppers.

In a bowl toss about 4 large handfuls of mixed greens with just enough vinaigrette to coat well. Pile about 2 cups per pizza on the top. You can then either sprinkle the jalapeno stuffed olives all over ( I add them generously) or you can serve the olives on the side and people can add as they wish.

Enjoy!!!

Mo's Fab Fajitas

2011-08-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

Hello hello my friends! Hope you are all doing well! My kids started school this week (I KNOW, school started so early this year!) and I have been busy busy but we are finally starting to get back into our groove. Me and my little Ezra are home for a few hours alone now and enjoying our daily avocado lunch dates together. We love our avo's. That and fruit top my list of "summer favorite foods" and I eat them in ridiculous amounts. Good eatin' y'all!

So today I have an awesome (and easy) and perfect for summer recipe for you! it is deeeeeeeelish! I mean, I didn't call these "Mo's Fab Fajitas" for nothin' people! Give them a try and let me know if they made you do the yummy in the tummy dance after you ate them. Ha ha. OK, kidding. But seriously, this will satisfy the veggie and the non veggie people in your life. So now is the time for all of you to join me in my fajita party and get cookin'! Happy weekend to you all! New posting coming next week!!! xoxo

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Mo's Fab Fajitas

makes a lot! Feeds 6-8 people, or makes amazing leftovers all week!

printable recipe

Ingredients you need:

4 Tbsp. olive oil

2 small zucchini

2 small yellow squash

4 carrots

1 c. frozen or fresh corn (if frozen, thaw for about 30 minutes on counter)

3 portabello mushrooms

1 yellow onion

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. chili powder

2 heaping tsp. paprika

2 heaping tsp. smoked paprika

salt and pepper (to taste)

flour tortillas

avocados or guacamole

salsa or hot sauce

To Make:

Start by cutting all of your vegetables into "finger" sized sticks. For the onion, slice it in half and then slice across for very thin slices. Add some olive oil to a large skillet. add the onions, carrots, corn, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes until onions are softened. Add all other veggies and all other spices, plus another pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for about 8 more minutes until everything is cooked through well. Taste and make sure it is seasoned well.

To Serve:

Warm up your tortilla (I did mine over an open flame) and add some of the veggies into it.Top with avocado or guac, hot sauce (or salsa) and roll up and enjoy! soooooooo good! Hope you all enjoy!

Summer grapefruit salad with citrus vinaigrette

2011-07-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Is it already Friday? Really? Where has my week gone?! Not to say I am not thrilled for the weekend1 And why? Well...I have a date night surprise for the hubby, and my all time favorite babysitter (AKA my best friend) watching our babies for the evening while we have a night out and some romance. If your house has adorable little kiddos running around all the time, you know how precious these date nights can be!!
So whats on the agenda for today? Well, we have here what I would call a perfect summer salad! Very light, very refreshing, bright citrus summery flavors, a little crunch, some creamy avocado and tart/sweet grapefruits, and fast and easy to make with no heat. Perfect summer love going on! I thoroughly enjoyed every bite, and it left me wanting more! I served this with a simple piece of toast, and it was a wonderful light lunch or snack.
As you all probably noticed, I added a new Veggie Kids recipe earlier this week, and I am going to be incorporating many more of those. Meals that my children love! I have had a ton of requests regarding kids and getting them to eat healthy, so watch for more Veggie Kids from Mrs. Little House of Veggies. :D
And now on to the deliciousness...

Summer grapefruit salad with citrus vinaigrette

feeds 4-6

printable recipe

Ingredients needed:

3 large grapefruit, peeled ad sectioned

2 tomatoes, cut into small wedges

2 avocados, sliced

Mixed organic greens, or organic spinach

1/2 cup of slivered almonds, toasted (instructions below)

Citrus Vinaigrette (recipe below)

How to toast almonds:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds out onto a baking sheet and bake for about 5-8 minutes, shaking the pan once in that time to move the almonds around. As soon as you can smell them, get them out!!1 They are done and will burn very quickly!

Summer Citrus Dressing;

juice of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lime

juice of 1 orange

2 Tbsp. agave nectar
2 Tbsp mellow white miso paste
4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive oil
pinch of salt and pepper

Whisk all ingredients until blended well.

Assemble your salad:
I prefer this dish plated individually. Then you can make sure each bowl gets a little bit of everything in it. Start by adding about 2 Tbsp. of the dressing into the bottom of the bowl. Add the lettuce on top, then the fruits, and a few Tbsp of almonds. Add a teeny tiny pinch of salt and pepper to the top of the salad. Toss when ready to eat, to incorporate dressing. Enjoy!

Veggie Kids: Ladybug Pizzas

2011-07-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

Hello fiends! How is everyone doing?! I am doing fab. We have been busy busy busy! We are looking for new housing which I have to admit is not my cup of tea. But it must be done. :D So send me some good house hunting vibes please!
One of the questions I get asked the most is what I feed my kids and also just requests in general for more "kid friendly" foods. I completely understand that kids can be picky, and hard to feed sometimes. But in all honesty my kids are pretty adventurous eaters and love a wide variety of foods. I have just pretty much fed them exactly what I am eating from day 1. So if it is a raw food dish, or salads, or sweet potato soups, sandwiches and wraps, etc. I just give it to them. Sometimes the sandwiches and wraps can be hard for them to eat so I have found that deconstructing the dish a little gets great results with the kiddos. For instance, instead of giving them a falafal pita, I will give them the falafal balls, their pita on the side cut into triangles, some sliced cucumbers, and some tomato wedges with hummus for dipping it all in. So they are eating the exact same foods as I am, just in an easier fashion. Give kids foods that they can dip and they are happy!
One of my kids favorite things to make are these ladybug pizzas. They love them! And they love making them! My daughter originally saw something similar to this in a Rachel Ray cookbook and wanted to make it. With some quick swaps and some changes, we had a healthier vegan version of the original. We always make them on Ezekiel Sprouted Grain English muffins which makes these even more nutritious. This is a great way to teach your kids how to cook and prepare their own healthy food and this one is about as easy as it can be!
Stay tuned. I am going to add more frequent veggie kid friendly meals on here. Including great ways to get your kids to eat lots of kale and lots of other good tips on helping them develop good eating habits at a young age! I have some really great ideas for you! Have a wonderful meatless Monday all!!! Give these pizzas a try with your kids and they will think you are the coolest! :D Oh, and in case I forgot to mention it, these are great for us grownups too!

Veggie Kids: Ladybug Pizzas

Serves 4-6

Printable Recipe

What You Will Need:

1 bag of Ezekiel sprouted grain English muffins (these are often in the freezer section)

2 can of Eden Foods organic Pizza/Pasta sauce (or your favorite pizza sauce)

Teese or Daiya vegan cheese (or any other kind you like). We used Teese for this recipe so that we could slice it in rounds easily

tomatoes

black olives chopped fine

Garlic powder

dried oregano

To Make:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice through each English muffin and layer each with sauce, vegan cheese (if using), tomatoes, and olives. Place on the baking sheet and sprinkle the tops with a little additional garlic powder and dried oregano. Bake for 12-17 minutes until muffin is slightly crispy and the toppings are all warmed through.

Buffalo Tempeh Salad

2011-06-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! Hope you are all having a wonderful week! I am loving the sun, summer fruits, and beach lately and that's pretty much all I want to do. Sit at the beach, eat tons and tons of fruit, and soak up some vitamin d! Does it really get any better than that?
A few upcoming things I am working on...

Stay tuned for an upcoming post geared towards children and healthy snacks!
some pre planned menu ideas for a weekly menu
and upcoming recipe for lentil tacos that is so yum! We loved it!!!

All exciting and fun things I am adding soon! Until then, you can feast your eyes and taste buds on this buffalo tempeh salad! This is spicy and fresh and a great way to introduce tempeh into your life! If serving this to young children, you can serve the baked tempeh (without the buffalo sauce) on a plate with some of my vegan ranch to dip it in along with some cut up carrots, jicama, and a little bowl of black beans. They will love it! Give it a try and tell me how you like it! have a great week!

Buffalo Tempeh Salad

Serves 4-6

Printable recipe

What you will need:

1 recipe for boiled and baked crispy tempeh (recipe below)

1 recipe for buffalo sauce (recipe below)

1 recipe for vegan ranch (recipe below)

6 cups (or large handfuls) of spinach

1/2 of a large jicama, peeled and given a small dice

2 15-ounce cans black beans (or cook your own dried beans, about 3 cups) drained and rinsed well

8-ounces of frozen corn, thawed.

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/4 red onion diced

1 ripe avocado, diced

Step 1: Prepare the vegan ranch

2/3 cups Veganaise (vegan mayo)

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic salt

fresh cracked pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

Whisk all ingredients will in a bowl and set aside until ready to use.

Step 2:Prepare the boiled tempeh:

1 8-ounce pkg. of tempeh

5-6 cups of water

1/4-1/2 cup soy sauce

Using a large skillet pan fill it half way up with water. Start adding enough soy sauce to make the water subtly salty, but not overly so. Just add slowly and taste the water as you go, until it is barely salty. Bring the water to a boil, and then add the tempeh. Turn the temperature down to the low and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the tempeh fro the water and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

Step 3: Make the crispy tempeh

boiled tempeh from step 2

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup plain unseasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Get a baking sheet ready. Dice the boiled tempeh into small bite sized pieces. Get 3 shallow plates or bowls out and in one add the almond milk. In another add the whole wheat flour mixed with the onion powder, chili powder, and garlic powder. And in the last bowl add the breadcrumbs. Now bread the tempeh pieces by dipping in the almond milk, then the flour, then back into the milk, and then finish by dipping into the breadcrumbs. Lay the pieces on the baking sheet for baking. Bake the tempeh for 18-20 minutes until crispy on the outside. While the tempeh is baking prepare your salad.

Step 4: Prepare the salad

In a large salad bowl combine the spinach, black beans, corn, bell pepper, red onion, and avocado.

Step 5: Making the Buffalo Tempeh

Baked crispy tempeh from step 3

1/4 cup Louisiana Hot Sauce

3 Tbsp. Earth Balance butter

1 tsp garlic powder

Melt the 3 Tbsp. of Earth Balance butter. To that add the Louisiana Hot Sauce and garlic powder.. Whisk well. Pour into a large bowl and add the tempeh. Toss to coat.

Step 6: Add buffalo tempeh to the salad

Add the tempeh to the salad and top with vegan ranch. Then take a little visit to sweet sweet salad heaven y'all. ENJOY!!!

Side Note: If serving to young children, just don't toss their tempeh in the buffalo sauce. Serve it plain with ranch for dipping and some other dipping veggies! They will love it!!

Stuffed Shells with Sun-dried Tomato Tofu Ricotta, Spinach, and Garlic and Herb Tomato Sauce

2011-06-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah! Stuffed shells baby!!

Happy Friday! I am so excited for the weekend! For starters, I am married to a sexy man and it is his birthday. So I need to bust out some of my baking skills and make him something delicious! Also going to hit up the beach which I always love! I'm also pretty excited that LA is getting a new drive thru, all vegan restaurant! Definitely going to visit them and taste test! What are your plans for the weekend?

The winner of the Bee Free Honee giveaway was chosen today at random through Random.org, and the winner is KATHY HESTER. Please contact me with your mailing information and I will mail this right out to you! You will love it!

So you are in for a treat! My stuffed shells will most definitely be a hit with your veggie and non veggie friends and family! They are so delicious, very satisfying, healthy, and for you Mom's and Dad's, they re really kid friendly! I know because not only did my kids thoroughly love making and stuffing the shells all by themselves, but they loved eating them too! It is so important to include children in the kitchen while cooking to give them skills in making and preparing healthy food! It will help them develop healthy habits and learn to enjoy preparing good meals, plus, I have found that if they help prepare the meal, they are much more likely to want to eat it and try all of the spinach and veggies they put in. For the pasta sauce, you can definitely take the shortcut route and just buy your favorite vegan store bought brand. But its pretty easy to just whip up a sauce in the blender. Either way!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Stuffed Shells

with Sun-dried Tomato Tofu Ricotta, Spinach, and Garlic and Herb Tomato Sauce

Makes about 25 Jumbo shells
printable recipe

Step 1: Sun-dried Tomato Tofu Ricotta with Spinach:
1 Pkg. Organic Extra Firm Tofu, drained and crumbled
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh basil
3 Tbsp. Italian parsley
2 Tbsp. Nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ume plum vinegar, or red wine vinegar
fresh cracked pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
8 ounces organic frozen spinach, thawed. Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as possible.

In a large bowl, crumble the tofu up. Add all other ingredients and mix well to incorporate. Set aside.

Step 2: Garlic and Herb Tomato sauce
1 29-ounce can Organic Tomato puree (I used Muir Glen)
3/4/ cup vegetable broth (look for no salt added)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
2 tsp. ume plum vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes (add 1/2 tsp if you like more heat)
fresh cracked pepper

In a Vitamix or regular blender add all ingredients. Blend for just a minute until incorporated and mixed well. Set aside.

Step 3: Cook the jumbo shells
Using a very large soup pot, cook the shells until they are very Al Dente. Think of it as under cooking them slightly. You don''t want the noodles to get too soft or it will be really hard to work with them and stuff them. Once they are cooked to very Al Dente, drain the noodles. Rinse briefly with cold water to prevent them from sticking together.

kids love to help stuff the shells!

Step 4: Stuff the Shells

This is the perfect task to ask your kids to help you with! My 5 and 7 year old thought it was so fun! First get a large Pyrex or any large dish that you have that is oven safe. Cover the bottom of the dish with some of the sauce to cover it completely, reserving plenty of sauce to cour over the top of the shells. Fill each shell using a spoon and place in the dish. After you have stuffed all of the shells, pour the remaining sauce all over the top. Then drizzle an extra 2-3 Tbsp. of olive oil over the top.

didn't the girls do a great job stuffing these?

Step 5: Baking the shells

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Loosely cover the shells with some foil and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove the foil completely and continue to cook an additional 20-25 minutes, until all the shells are warmed and cooked and warmed entirely.

Step 6: ENJOY

Serve the shells garnished with some extra parsley and enjoy! As you can see from this photo of my baby Ezra, this meal is very kid friendly!

My Kids loved these!

And I gotta give a shout out to my favorite little Sous Chefs!

Berry Pecan Salad with Strawberry-Lime Basil dressing

2011-06-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

How beautiful is this salad?!

OK people. I know this is totally shocking, but its the truth! I have reunited with my camera! :-) WOOHOO!! After being camera-less with a broken camera for several weeks, and after a somewhat expensive visit to the camera doctor, we are back in business! Er...that is the food blogging business. And as promised, I have two new recipes for you this week! Plus, an awesome giveaway for Bee Free Honee, an amazingly tasty honey alternative! In case you missed that post, go check it out and make sure you leave a comment so you are eligible to win! Trust me, its so good!

So summer is upon us and that means lots of fruit and veggies! One of my favorite things to do is have fresh salads with berries. But for me, a heavy dressing can distract from the delicate flavor of the berries. So my Strawberry-Lime basil dressing was born. And it is so so good! It is bursting with bright sweet and citrus flavors, with a touch of basil and creaminess from the cashews. And I just felt good after eating a big bowl of this! Its a must try! Hope you all enjoy it!

Berry Pecan Salad

with Strawberry-Lime Basil Dressing

serves 4-6

Printable Recipe

Strawberry-Lime Basil Dressing:

1 16-ounce container of strawberries

Juice of 1 lime

4 Basil leaves

3 Tbsp. raw cashews

2 Tbsp. agave nectar or sweetener of choice

tiny pinch of sea salt and black pepper

In a Vitamix, or just using a regular blender toss all ingredients in and blend until very smooth. Set aside.

For the Salad:

4-6 cups (or big handfuls) of baby spinach

1 16-ounce carton strawberries, sliced

12-ounces of blackberries (a few cups)

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Strawberry-Lime Basil Dressing

Place all salad ingredients into a bowl, and either toss with the dressing or serve on the side for drizzling.

Bee Free Honee Giveaway!

2011-06-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

Bee Free Honee!

Happy Monday! I haven't been able to post up a new recipe for a few weeks due to a broken camera but it is back and this week is bringing two new recipes, plus this awesome giveaway!

This is a small company called Bee Free Honee, and it is amazing!!! It tastes so good! It is made from apples and lemons and lightly sweetened, but it is 80% apples and the apples used are top quality! The company is still small and growing, so it isn't sold many places yet, but it is available for purchase on Amazon (and a few stores in a few states). It is delicious drizzled on oats, or on a piece of toast with a little earth balance and cinnamon, or squirted on your finger and eaten right off of it! YUM! And one of you lucky readers will get to try it out for free! And trust me, you want to try this one! I am positive you will love it!!

image from here

A few facts on bees and why we should choose alternatives to honey...

Did you know that scientists are estimating that bees will be extinct in the US by the year 2035! This is a terrible thought! WHY?? because...
Worldwide there are 90 different food plants that depend almost exclusively on the honey bee
Virtually all of our non-grain food is largely dependent on honey bee pollination to a large degree

And then there is bee cruelty....

Bees travel 55,000 miles and visit roughly 2 million flowers to produce just one pound of honey, and although polen is a bees main source of nutrition, its own honey is its only source of food during cold weather months when other alternatives are not available.
To prevent Queen bees from leaving their hives, their wings are sometimes cut off
large commercial companies sometimes take all of the honey, instead of leaving enough for the bees to get through the winter. The honey is then replaced with a cheap sugar substitute (and most beekeepers remove all of the spring season honey)

Things we can do to help reduce this threat to our honey bees...

have nectar plants in your own garden so that the bees have the food that they need
Reduce (or try to completely remove) pesticides from being used in your own garden and do not buy things grown with pesticides. Choose those products grown without!
Choose not to buy honey or products containing honey. Instead, enjoy other sweeteners like agave nectar, brown rice syrup, pure maple syrup, and many others including Bee Free Honee!

And now on to the giveaway!

Win a FULL SIZED bottle of Bee Free Honee simply by....

Leaving a comment below
tweet about the giveaway
and for any extra entries you can follow my blog, facebook page, and twitter page.
make sure that you leave a seperate comment for each different entry above for more chances to win!

The winner will be chosen at random Friday morning, June 10th! GOOD LUCK!

Also, stay tuned for two new recipes this week!!!

And the winner is...

2011-05-20T16:11:00.000-07:00

The winner of the necklace giveaway was chosen today at random through Random.org, and the winner is...

Inspirehealth16

Suzanne says

"I love being vegan b/c I am doing it the right way this time. I went vegan years ago, but only replaced meat w/ meatless foods. Gained weight, didn't feel any better. This time I've done my research and I LOVE it. I feel amazing, I am fighting cancer and heart problems, helping animals, helping the enviroment and doing my part to make life better."

Way to go girl! Please contact me and we will get this necklace right out to you! For the rest of you, thank you all so much for the vegan loving comments! I really enjoyed reading all of them! If you still would like a necklace Shelly at Lavoro Jewelry has offered a 15% discount on everything she is selling exclusively to Little House of Veggies readers by simply adding in the special code VEGGIES at checkout!

So make sure you all go check out her Etsy shop LAVORO..

Have a great weekend everyone!!!!

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY!! Sport your Vegan love with pride!

2011-05-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Meatless Monday my veggie people! I hope all of you are going to be celebrating this weeks Meatless Monday with delicious, healthy, and cruelty free meals! If you need some recipe inspiration, you have come to the right spot! :D Please excuse my lack of posting any new recpies recently. My camera has a boo boo and had to see the doctor, so hopefully it will be back in action soon. I am just not myself without my cmera. :(

In other news...check these out...

Pictures from Lavoro Designs

I have a very cool giveaway for you all. Aren't these necklaces cool?! Love them! Let me first just say that I have already ordered one of these for myself and I can not wait to wear my Vegan Love with lots of pride! My friend and fellow vegan Shelly, who runs an Etsy shop called Lavoro jewelry designs, has made these cute Vegan necklaces and is not only letting me give one of them away, but also giving anyone else who wants one a 15% discount, a special exclusive for Little House of Veggies Readers! This necklace has two separate discs. You can choose to have the necklace say Vegan and the date you went vegan, or Vegan/ Love (the one I am getting), or Raw and vegan/love. And you can coose your bead that goes with it. All you have to do to be eligible to win the necklace is...

leave a comment expressing why you love being vegaan
*like* Lavoro jewelry designs on facebook by clicking here
follow Little House of Veggies on Twitter, Faceebook and/or the blog.
tweet about this giveaway
Each entry above can be left with separate comments. And each comment makes you that much more likely to win!

That's it! The winner will be chosen at random this coming Friday morning, May 20th.
For those of you who do not win, but would like to order a necklace, you can purchase one at the Lavoro Etsy shop by going HERE and using the code VEGGIES to receive 15% off of this necklace and anything else that you see that you like!

GOOD LUCK FRIENDS and stay tuned for some awesome upcoming recipes!!

Cinco de Mayo recipe roundup

2011-05-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

What are you going to make your family in the spirit of Cinco de Mayo today? Mexican inspired food is always so good, so full of flavor, and one of my favorites! Here are my top 10 favorite Mexican inspired dishes from my blog and a few from my Mother's blog to help you choose something awesome to make for the holiday today!

Morgan's Cinco de Mayo

recipe roundup

1. VEGAN TAMALES: These vegan tamales are so amazing! A little more work than some recipes, but full of great flavor, and leftovers for the next day! And your guests will be very impressed!

2. LOADED NACHOS WITH ROASTED PEPPERS AND SMOKEY "CHEESE" SAUCE: Nachos with "the works". Chips, beans, roasted poblano peppers, corn, bell peppers, pico, cilantro, and to take it over the top, my own smoeky "cheese" sauce which is hummus based and so cheesy delicious! Need I say more? This is sure to be a crowd pleaser of veggies and non veggies!

3. BLACK BEAN TORTILLA SOUP: So delicious. An Easy and pretty budget friendly one pot meal that can be eaten as soup the first round, and then... wait for it... it morphs into ablack bean queso dip for the most delicious side dish/appetizer ever! So good!

4. BLACK BEAN TACOS WITH CORN AND AVOCADO SALSA: This is one of my very favorite recipes on the blog. Its so easy to make, so full of good flavor, and everyone I have ever served it to loves it! It was also one of the most popular recipes on the blog last year! Your really can't go wrong with this one!

5. TEMPEH AND BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS WITH TOFU CHEESE AND RED SAUCE: You cant have a Cinco de mayo party without enchiladas on the menu! And mine are far from anything traditional. Tempeh and black bean filling, creamy tofu cheese with lots of cilantro, and smothered in red enchilada sauce! Serve with a side of brown rice!

5. CRISPY FISH TACOS WITH CABBAGE SLAW AND SPICY TOMATILLO CILANTRO SAUCE:

Inspired by "fish tacos"', these are incredibly good and very addictive!

6. GLAZED TEMPEH TACOS WITH JICAMA, MANGO AND AVOCADO SALSA, AND LIME SPIKED SOUR CREAM: These delicious tacos have really unique flavor and if you havent had jicama before, well, now is the time to try some! it is so good that most of it ends up in my mouth while cutting instead of in the mango salsa! Oh and speaking of mango and avocado salsa, you can eat this stuff with a spoon plain, its so good!

7. TACO STYLE SALAD WITH SPICY TOMATILLO CILANTRO DRESSING: I pretty much love anythign served over chips. But what really makes this meal awesome is the spicy tomatillo cilantro dressing! If you didn't notice, this uses the same dressing as the "fish" tacos. So you can make two cool meals with just one dressing.

8. CHICK"N CHILI VERDE SOUP: from The Health Seekers Kitchen. How amazing does this sound? This is one of my Mom's recipes and pretty much anything that she cooks up I love to eat! her food is so good!

9. Roasted Sweet Potato and Anaheim Pepper with chili-lime dressing: from The Health Seekers Kitchen . Another one of my Mom's amazing recipes. The ingredients in this look so interesting and so delicious! And the dressing looks awesome!

10. SPICY TWO BEAN TAMALE PIE: from The Health Seekers Kitchen . This looks hearty, healthy and like perfect comfort food!

Have a Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Israeli Couscous Salad with Spicy Toasted Chickpeas and Fresh Veggies

2011-05-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Meatless Monday to you all! I hope everyone had a great weekend! I spent some time over the holidays with some of my family who lives states away from me and it was so fun to see everyone! I especially loved to see all my little nieces and nephews. I know everyone says this about their own, but mine are just the cutest ever! I always miss them, but I see them every few months so its not too bad.

Ok, onto this delicious salad. I made it with Israeli couscous, which is a toasted pasta shaped like little tiny balls. It is much larger than the couscous that you are used to. The flavor is delicious, and fun for children to eat, and it has a great presentation if you are making this to take to a gathering. With the addition of spicy toasted chickpeas for a punch of complete protein,and lots of fresh raw vegetables, it makes the perfect, light yet filling meal. And it is great eaten chilled, so its also perfect for packing in lunches for yourself or your kids. If you can not find Israeli couscous, you can make this using regular couscous or whole grain pasta noodles that are smaller shaped (like elbow macaroni noodles) and get great results.

Hope you all enjoy this as much as we did, and if you didn't know what to make your family for meatless Monday, well, now you know. :) And stay tuned. More coming to you this week from my kitchen!

Israeli Couscous Salad

with Spicy toasted chickpeas and fresh veggies

Serves 4-6

printable recipe

What you need:

2 C. uncooked Israeli Couscous

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

pinch of sea salt

Cook couscous according to package directions. Fluff, and then add...

1/2 c. green olives, sliced in half

1/2 c. black olives, sliced in half

1 cucumber, seeded and diced

1/2 avocado, diced

juice of 2 lemons

2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. of Ume plum vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1 recipe for toasted chickpeas (recipe below)

Spicy Toasted Chickpeas:

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed well, and blotted with a towel to get extra moisture off.

1 Tbsp. olive oil

good pinch each of salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chickpeas and salt, pepper, and a good pinch of cayenne pepper. Toss and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, then remove from the heat and let cool for 5 min. Fold into the salad.

Split Pea Soup

2011-04-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

Where do us vegans get our protein? I know I am not the only one that gets asked this! It seems to be the question of the day. I usually just smile, and tell them that my protein is hidden in so many things all over the place and not to worry, I'm getting plenty. For instance, the huge bowl of split pea soup I had after I made this. Did you know that there are 16g of protein in just 1 cup of cooked split peas? If that isn't great enough, one single serving also contains about 16g of dietary fiber! This soluble fiber lowers cholesterol, and helps to remove plaque from your blood vessels. Any diabetic readers out there? Well, guess what? Peas are a great food for you that help to stabilize the blood sugar while releasing a steady amount of energy. Shall we call this Superhero split pea soup? lol Really though, there is enough good packed in there to fight any "battle of the protein" conversation for sure!

Split Pea Soup

serves about 4-6

printable recipe

What You Need;

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 carrot, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

pinch of salt and pepper

2-3 Tbsp. olive oi

8 cups of water

4 Rapunzel brand "no salt" vegetable bouillon, or any salt free vegetable bouillon.

2 cups of dried split peas

2 tsp. sea salt

pinch of black pepper

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 cup rice milk

2 Tbsp. plain ume plum vinegar

fresh parsley

crusty baguette for serving soup with

Making the soup:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrot, garlic, and pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes to soften vegetables a little. Add your water, bouillon, split peas, dried herbs, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. The soup is done when the split peas have kind of melted away a little into the soup. At this point add in your rice milk, and ume plum vinegar. Taste and adjust any additional salt and pepper if needed to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh iItalian parsley and serve with a crusty baguette.

Lentil wraps with sauteed vegetables and fresh herbs

2011-04-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

Happy mid week! Ok, here is our challenge of the day: try lentils (if you havent already) . And I have the perfect way for you to do that! The simplicity of this meal in the ingredient department is exactly what I love about it. Everything is pretty much from ground to table. Lentils are an awesome power source of nutrition being high in iron and protein, containing 2 different B vitamins, high fiber, and virtually zero fat. This tiny little legume comes with a big punch. Plus, they are pretty quick and easy to cook up! And did I mention cheap to buy? See, thats why I love them so much!

Lentil wraps with sauteed veggies and herbs

Makes about 4-6 wraps

printable recipe

What you need;

Cooked and seasoned lentils (for these you will need vegan bouillon cubes)
baby spinach
1 pound fresh green beans, clean, ends trimmed

3 carrots, cut into matchsticks

2 bell peppers, cut into matchsticks

1-2 avocados, sliced

1/4 cup mint

1/4 cup parsley

ume plum vinegar
salt and pepper

whole grain wraps of choice

Making the wraps:

Cooking lentils:
Usin a few cups of lentils, rinse them sell by placing them in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with water and swish the lentils aroudn with your hand. Drain and repeat one more time.
In a medium saucepan, add the rinsed lentils, and enough water to cover them by a few inches. DO NOT SALT THE WATER. Throw in 1 Rapunzel (no salt added) brand vegan bouillon cube for every 2 cups of water used. If you cant find these just use any vegan vegetable bouillon. Cook for about 30 minutes. Until the lentils are tender.Season them with a few tsp of ume plum vinegarand pepper (to taste)

In a large saute pan, add a few Tbsp. of olive oil, and then add your green beans, carrots, and bell peppers. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes.

Warm up a whole grain wrap, add 1/4 cup of lentils, some sauteed vegetables, a few slices of avocado, a few sprigs of mint and parsley, and an additional dash of ume vinegar. Add some cracked black pepper to the top a

Serve with a side of fresh berries or fruit of choice.

Black bean tortilla soup

2011-03-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Meatless Monday to ya'! Hope you all had a great weekend. So despite the fact that I live here in sunny Southern California, it has been pretty rainy, and a little colder lately, and I have totally been in soup mode. And so, my black bean tortilla soup was born. It is super deliciousness. Think flavor explosion people. And the crunchy tortilla chips and creamy avocado just top it all of perfectly. But wait...it gets even better. Using the leftover soup I came up with a black bean queso dip that was maybe one of the best bean dips I have had. It was such a great way to use leftover soup! The bonus black bean queso recipe will be listed at the bottom, why, oh just because I love ya. :)

Have a fab meatless Monday and make something plant based tonight!

Black bean tortilla soup

serves 6-8

printable recipe

What you need:

4 shallots

6 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

12 cups of water

4 vegan vegetable bouillon cubes (Rapunzel brand NO SALT added is great)

4 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

7-8 corn tortillas, cut into smaller pieces

lime wedges, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, and crushed tortilla chips for garnish

Making the soup:

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil, and saute the shallot and garlic for a few minutes until softened. Add all the rest of the ingredients except the garnishes, and simmer for about 25 min. Using an immersion blender blend the soup until smooth, or blend in batches in your blender. Taste the soup and add any additional salt if needed.

ladle into a soup bowl, and garnish each bowl with a squeeze of fresh lime, sliced avocado, crushed tortilla chips and a few sprigs of cilantro.

Black bean queso dip:

Fill a soup bowl with a few cups of black bean soup. Add about 1/4 cup of hummus, 1/4 cup of pico de gallo, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, and sliced black olives. Squeeze fresh lime on the top and garnish with cilantro. Serve with chips for dipping.

Chinese cabbage salad with orange sesame dressing

2011-03-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

Hey hey my little veggie lovers...

This salad is the bomb. Really. It is. Its my spin (kinda) of a Chinese chicken salad, although mine is kicked up a notch with tons and tons of fresh veggies, and a very clean and healthy dressing that has zero refined sugars, lots of vitamins, and tons of good sesame flavor.

Make this salad a few hours in advance and let it sit in the fridge so that the dressing can soften the cabbage and the flavor of the red onions will be a little more mild. Also make sure when making the dressing that you use Grade B Maple Syrup. It is a completely different product than Grade A. It does cost a little more but is so worth it. It is full of good vitamins.

Hope you all have a great weekend and make yourself something vegan and delicious while you are at it!

Chinese cabbage salad

with orange sesame dressing

serves 4-6

printable recipe

What You Need:

2 small heads of green cabbage, washes and shredded

2 5-ounce packages of Teriyaki flavor baked tofu *Trader Joe's has a great one, but there are other good brands at your health food stores too* cut into cubes

2 cups sugar snap peas, cut in half

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

1/4 of a red onion thinly sliced

1/2 cup of slivered almonds

2 small or 1 large can of mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 cup cilantro

Sesame orange dressing:

1 cup good quality orange juice (not from concentrate)

1 inch of fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic

3 Tbsp. Grade B maple syrup

2 Tbsp of brown rice vinegar or regular vinegar

2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

3 Tbsp. sesame oil

3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp soy sauce or Tamari

1/4 cup cilantro

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Assemble Salad:

In a large serving bowl mix all salad ingredients except the almonds. Add the dressing. Toss well to coat. Allow the salad to sit in the fridge for about 2 hours before serving to soften the cabbage. Add the almonds all over the top just before serving.

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup with tempeh bacon

2011-03-10T16:31:00.000-08:00

Trust me when I say that you have to make this for dinner! This is a must. Even if you don't think you are a fan of sweet potatoes. It is so good for you, affordable, and easy. And my new favorite soup. In fact, I am actually making it for dinner again tonight. And topped off with a little tempeh bacon equals perfection.

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

with tempeh bacon

serves 6-8

printable recipe

What You Need:

1 large yellow onion

4 cloves of minced garlic

2 large, or 3 small carrots, peeled and chopped

salt and pepper

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 large sweet potatoes, small chop (I did not peel them)

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp paprika

3 "no salt added" Rapunzel brand vegan vegetable bouillon or any vegan vegetable boillon

6 cups water

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

salt and pepper to taste

2 packages Lightlife tempeh bacon, baked or placed under a broiler until crisp.

To make:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions and carrots are slightly tender. Then add in the chopped sweet potatoes and saute for 5 more minutes. Add the salt, onion powder, paprika, vegetable bouillon, and water. Simmer for 20 minutes, partially covered until the sweet potatoes are very tender. Puree the soup either with an immersion blender or in a Vitamix or regular blender in batches. Return blended soup back to the soup pot and stir in the almond milk. Heat for a few minutes. Add any additional salt and pepper to taste, top each bowl with crispy tempeh bacon, and enjoy.

Stocking your healthy vegan kitchen

2011-03-07T16:24:00.000-08:00

This post is coming from many many requests for help with shopping and stocking a vegan kitchen and pantry. Many ask what my favorite staples and essential items are. This post will hopefully be helpful to those who are newly vegan and trying to transition and convert their homes from what is has been to a healthy vegan, animal free and cruelty free home. This transition can take time and you wont be able to do everything in one day. Over time, it will be "out with the old" and "in with the new" and you will have a fully stocked vegan home for yourself and your families. These are just some of my staples and what I buy on a regular basis. They are things I always have around, and then I purchase what I need to add to the staples to make meals and weekly menus. Please add in the comments section a few of your own essentials and favorites that aren't on my list. I would love to know! I am going to start putting together some menu plans that are based around this essentials list. You will only need to add a few items to the things you already have to create awesome meals and these will come with a printable shopping list. Stay tuned!

image from here

Stocking your healthy vegan kitchen
printable shopping list

For the pantry:

dried black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, quinoa, barley and brown rice. Get these from the bulk section to cut back on packaging and also cost. Package them in containers yourself or large class mason jars and label.
several varieties of whole grain pasta noodles or brown rice/quinoa noodles if gluten free
several jars of marinara sauce (look for ones with short ingredient lists)
whole grain flour
white whole wheat flour
Bob's Red Mill all-purpose gluten-free flour
raw unsalted almond butter, all natural peanut butter
tahini (for making hummus and sauces)
olives
nutritional yeast flakes
Nori
oatmeal
Bob's Red Mill Muesli (my fave)
evaporated cane juice sugar
Grade B maple syrup
soy sauce or Tamari
apple cider vinegar
Ezekiel or whole grain bread
canned beans for quick meals
potatoes and sweet potatoes

For the fridge:

unsweetened almond milk
unsweetened applesauce
Earth Balance vegan butter (I liked the whipped original)
Veganaise (vegan mayo) I like the one made from Grapeseed oil
Hummus
Salsa
Tempeh and tempeh bacon (lifhtlife brand is so good)
Tofu
1-2 fresh herbs at a time
a few different varieties of fresh fruit (aside from avocados and bananas)
4-5 varieties of vegetables for one week, depending on meals (aside from carrots, spinach and kale)
spinach and/or Kale
carrots
bananas
avocados

Other items:

extra virgin olive oil, grape seed oil, and coconut oil
raw cacao powder
vegan chocolate chips (most semi-sweet and dark chocolate is vegan)
chia seed powder (great vegan source of calcium)
raw maca root powder (full of amazing vitamins)
probiotic capsules (keep in refrigerator)
raw unflavored hemp protein powder

For the Freezer:

frozen mixed vegetable
frozen strawberries and berries for smoothies
frozen ripe bananas
several varieties of raw nuts kept in the freezer for freshness. I always have almonds, pine nuts walnuts and cashews
ground flaxseeds

Spices I Use the Most:

cumin
coriander
onion powder
garlic powder
paprika
cayenne pepper
smoked paprika
dried oregano
dried dill
curry
turmeric
dried red pepper flakes
favorite salt-free, all-purpose seasoning (such as Spike seasoning)

Tempeh and black bean enchiladas with tofu cheese and red sauce

2011-03-02T15:44:00.000-08:00

Hello hello foodies and bloggies! Happy "mid week" to you. So one of the questions I get asked all the time is, "where do you get inspiration from when coming up with new recipes?" and my answer to that is, simply out of my own cravings I am having. So as you can see, last week I was craving something Mexican inspired and covered in enchilada sauce. This turned out so awesome, and totally has a "cheesy" feel to it. Its very kid friendly. If you love Chile Verde sauce (green sauce), go ahead and use that, but make sure it doesn't contain milk in it, as many do. This makes for some incredible leftovers too! Enjoy my friends!

Tempeh and black bean enchiladas with tofu cheese and red sauce

makes about 12 large enchiladas

printable recipe

What you need:

2 8-ounce packages of tempeh

2 15-ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

5 cups of water with a splash of soy sauce

3/4 of an 8-ounce container of Tofutti vegan cream cheese

1 4-ounce can of fire roasted green chilies

1 recipe for tofu cheese (below)

16-ounces vegan red enchilada sauce or green sauce
Whole grain tortillas

Pico de Gallo for topping

avocado for topping

cilantro for garnish

Tofu Cheese:

1 12-ounce container extra firm tofu, drained

juice of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp salt

crack of fresh pepper

1 heaping cup of cilantro

Mix in the blender until smooth. set aside.

Making the enchiladas:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven heats, start by making the tempeh. In a soup pot bring the 5 cups of water to a boil. Add in about 1/2 cup of soy sauce to gently season the water. Cut the tempeh in half so that you have 4 large pieces and simmer int he water/soy sauce mixture for about 20 minutes. Take out and cool slightly. Then cut up into a small dice.

In a bowl, mix the tempeh, black beans, tofutti cream cheese, 1/2 of the tofu cheese mixture, green chilies, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat everything well.

Using whole grain wraps (look for ones with minimal ingredients) start filling your tortillas with about 1/3 cup of the mixture. Roll up (no need to close the ends) and place in a large rectangular glass Pyrex baking dish. You will need two of these dishes to fit all your enchiladas. Spread the rest of the tofu cheese mixture over the top of the rolled tortillas, and then cover generously with red enchilada (or green) sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil for an extra 5-10 minutes until heated through. Serve with tons of fresh pico piled on top, a few sprigs of cilantro, and sliced avocado.