Yummy Veggies

Casual "Chicken" Pot Pie

2014-11-05T09:49:00.001-08:00

1 pkg frozen biscuits (20+/-)
1 onion - diced
3 stalks celery - diced
3 carrots - peeled and diced
3 lg potatoes - peeled and diced
1 cup frozen peas
8 pieces of chicken substitute - diced
1 cup raw cashews
3 tbsp of flour
Salt to taste
2 tbsp of nutritional yeast flakes

Sauté onion in 1 tsp oil and add water as needed. Add celery and carrots cook until all are tender. Add diced potatoes and cover with just barely enough water so some corners are showing. Cook until tender. Add salt and seasonings.

Bake biscuits as directed.

Blend cashews and flour in 2 cups of water until smooth...stopping to scrape down sides of blender every so often.

Pour cashew mixture into cooked veggies and check seasoning. Serve poured over biscuits.

golubci / голубцы Russian Cabbage Rolls

2014-03-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

These have to be the most healthy comfort food around!!! I just don't know how I survived without these! :)

I grew up eating my Oma's (German Grandma) Cabbage rolls, they were filled with ground beef or turkey, cooked rice and seasonings, and about the size of a small potato. However, when she made them vegetarian - using a meat substitute - they never held together well, so the contents spilled all over when you cut into them. I tried many ways to get them to solidify (kind of like a meatball) inside the cabbage, but even adding lots of breadcrumbs and eggs didn't really do the trick.

Later in life I met a large Romanian community at my church who made amazing cabbage rolls. They were small, about 2 inches long and about the thickness of your finger. They were so good, but very different from my Oma's. They didn't have meat or a meat substitute. I was excited to snatch up the recipe, but since they were so tiny I was afraid it would be too much work and never tried them out for myself.

Then this fall the mother in law of my Russian sister came and volunteered to make them for our family. I intended to watch and learn as much as possible, and she was eager to show me even before I asked! There was a language barrier, but it didn't get in the way too much and I learned how easy they were to make! The only complication was I didn't have tomato paste and she asked if I had a red pepper sauce. I did, but she didn't realize it was a spicy one, so put a really large amount into the filling. I was really nervous that they might not be edible...but they really were not too bad. My husband was very excited by them because he loves spicy food. The most amazing thing about these was that they didn't have to have meat, eggs or breadcrumbs to hold them together. The rice is uncooked before, so it cooks inside the roll and binds all the veggies together on its own! Brilliant!

I have since made them several times on my own, and added a little of myself to the recipe. :) My Oma makes a dish where she cooks things on top of potatoes, and I enjoyed trying this recipe with potatoes on the top or bottom of the pot - that is definitely my own twist.

Russian Cabbage Rolls (golubci / голубцы)

Ingredients:
1 med. head of cabbage
1 onion
1-2 carrots
1 stalk celery
1 cup white rice
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 t - 1 T saracha (hot red pepper/garlic sauce) (use to taste)
Yeast flakes (optional)
soy sauce (optional)
Salt

(optional ingredients)
4 mushrooms
1 onion
4 Yellow Potatoes

Directions.
Start a medium to large pot of water boiling on the stove (for cabbage), add some salt, soy sauce and yeast flakes to make a broth, or a bullion cube.

Grate carrots, celery and onion (or you can dice the onion, but I like to put everything through the food processor shredder so its easier on me and clean up).

Saute in some olive oil in a frying pan until cooked. If using the mushrooms you can either chop fine, or put into food processor with blade. I just like the flavor of the mushrooms, I don't necessarily want to bite on them - but that's just me.

Once everything in tender, add the tomato paste and saracha (if using). Once it is well mixed in, remove to a bowl and add the uncooked rice and mix together.

Cut a generous amount off the top of the cabbage (try to avoid the core if possible), and lay it curved side down in the boiling water (you can also shred some of the cabbage near the core and cook with the onion mixture). You just want to blanch the leaves, don't cook too long or they will tear when stuffing them. Remove leaves with tongs as they blanch and set aside in an empty bowl.

**If you want to do the potatoes cooked with the cabbage rolls, this is when to start working on them. If not skip this section. Set the cabbage and stuffing aside. In a medium pot, saute a second diced onion until caramelized.

**Peel and cut potatoes into good sized wedges. Once onions are done, toss in potatoes and stir until combined. Add salt to taste.

**Saute potatoes and onions for a few minuets - they don't have to be tender yet. Remove from the pan to a separate bowl.

Take the leftover cabbage near the core and cut wedges to line the bottom of the pot with. Use a pot that has a thick bottom if possible. I like to use a dutch oven, but that is not necessary. Lining the pot with the cabbage keeps your cabbage rolls from burning - as seems to always happen to me. This is why I removed the potatoes from the pot, when I put them on the bottom they burned a little.

Now it's time to roll them! Take a leaf and cut into smaller strips. You can make them large, but they really should be about bite sized. So a large leave might make 4 rolls, and a smaller one 1-2.

Use a small amount of stuffing, maybe 1/2 tsp - 1 tsp. You want to roll tight so there are no areas for the contents to escape. The rice is going to expand too, so use less then you think. These often end up triangular in shape, so don't feel bad if they don't look perfectly cylindrical. :)

Once rolled, lay the seam side down and wedge into corner or the edge of pot. As you add them, fit them tightly together.

Once you're finished, if you have a large leaf, cover them as much as possible.

Now add the potatoes and cover the cabbage rolls. ***If you are not going to eat this immediately, refrigerate at this point and cook right before eating.*** Now pour the broth you blanched the cabbage in over the cabbage rolls (and potatoes if using) until it is almost covered. Cook on med/high for 30 minuets. Check and if you can still see water, cook until the water is gone.

Serve by removing potatoes to a dish, then the cabbage leaf from the top. Dump rolls into a large bowl and serve immediately. Sour cream or mayo is traditional to eat with them, you might need something if they are a bit spicy. So yummy!!!!

Meal Planning so you can have yummy food without spending every day cooking and cleaning the kitchen!!!!

2014-01-09T19:36:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I posted a new recipe...and to be honest...it's because I have not done anything new to me. This fall we began homeschooling Emily and I decided to start taking piano lessons along with Emily...so my free time in the kitchen is really gone gone gone! However we are still alive and eating healthy, but I had to change my strategy. It started when I discovered that I had lost all desire to cook or plan meals. I just didn't care and when I bought the stuff I didn't make it, we ate sandwiches, or smoothies, or Grillers...or Taco Bell more then one time per week! AAAHHHH! This is not normal for me and I was not sure how to kick myself back into gear.

My first step was inspired by a friend who made a weekly menu board from a pinterest post. I made my own version...but what was exciting to me about it was that I chose a limited amount of recipes (something I NEVER would have considered doing before) that rotated. Wrote them out on 1/2 of a 3x5 card with the ingredients on the back for easy shopping lists and then clipped them in place for the each day of the week. I did follow this pretty faithfully for a month, and even made one for a girlfriend, but though it did get me back into cooking - took the creative part I was not interested in away - the creative part revived from the break and eventually I didn't want to be confined to a rotating list of meals anymore. I was back to my old self...sort of...

The problem, which had started this whole thing - and is something I find many friends relating to, is lack of time to cook creative, healthy and yummy meals everyday. Before all my commitments I had tons of time and not much money...so I made lots from scratch and experimented away. Now I don't have the time anymore but didn't want to sacrifice on creativity or health, or yum either.

So as I was facebooking one evening I noticed a post from one of my favorite cookbook authors, Happy Herbivore - who also sells meal plans very successfully, about a lady who had cooked the whole week of meal plans in one day and just had to reheat every meal. Hummm.... Tempting...

So I pondered for a while on how to make it work with my schedule and tried rearranging a few things, but finally settled on using Sunday as my shopping/cooking marathon day. I go out first thing, gotta beat the church crowd or you'll be in check out for a LONG time, shop, come home, prep and then cook. It is a long day, i'll admit, but the rest of the week with thank you! I have successfully done this 2 weeks now and it has worked out great!

So here's a little bit of what my strategy is these days...

1. Make a weekly meal plan you can fill in. This is what I made using Word and printing on a 1/2 sheet of paper. (I like to make homemade books, but that's another post for another blog...) But make yours something you can duplicate and use easily. :)

2. Don't go crazy planning a zillion meals. :) Keep things simple. I generally plan 1-2 meals/day. 1 main meal eaten at lunch time (I sleep better with an empty stomach). Then Supper is either leftovers or a smoothie. Breakfasts I tend to plan to spread over two days. I make Muffins for Sabbath and don about 4 dozen at a time and freeze, so it isn't a weekly routine. Also put things that are more perishable sooner in the menu and things that freeze well or last longer at the end. Remember to think about any out of the house things you might be doing that day so you don't plan something that needs lots of prep time day of and you are busy. Like a complex breakfast the day you have to be out of the house early for piano lessons....I have NEVER done something like THAT before.... :O

3. Make stuff in bulk. When you're planning meals, if one calls for rice, look and see if another meal might work well with rice too...then you just have to make double once. :) OR make double or triple a recipe and freeze the rest for fast food later on. I do this with beans, I make at least 2 lbs. of dried beans at a time in my crock pot. I just put them in 2 cup. measures in ziplocks in the freezer for easy use in recipes later. Homemade gluten...same thing. I've learned burritos freeze really well. Make tons of them and individually wrap in plastic wrap and freeze in a large ziplock baggie. Rice freezes well too. Cassaroles and lasagna do too. Think about all those frozen dinners in Walmart...if they can freeze it...so can you.

4. So once you've made your meal plan you need to go shopping. Here is a view of my shopping lists. I print these off, 4 columns per page, on both sides. Top of one side is all my fresh stuff, fruits and veggies, tofu, etc... Bottom of that side are my dry, boxed or canned goods, bread, etc... I try to stay away from prepared foods as much as possible, so I don't need a ton of space for this section. Top of the back side is frozen/refrigerated stuff, like soymilk and frozen veggies. Bottom of the back is for household stuff. If I have to hit a 2nd or 3rd store, then I give them a small area in the middle of my list on front or back. Look through your pantry to see if you're running out of flour, oil, salt, sugar, etc... I don't want to make a second grocery run - doesn't help my time management or wallet!! Don't impulse buy unless it is a fresh fruit/veggie or a super sale on something healthy. ;)

5. Now that you've gotten home with a car full of groceries. Clean out the fridge (or do that before you leave. ;)). Try to empty it of leftovers, rotting fruit/veggies, stale bread, etc... If you have leftovers, but didn't plan them in your menu, put into the freezer for later or toss. Now make a plan for executing your cooking... Here's mine for next week. I am trying out my new artisan pizza and flatbread in 5 min a day cookbook, so have two meals calling for the premade dough. I don't always do everything in order. I usually start things like rice or beans cooking and then move to something else. Anything you can multitask on, do. But don't burn stuff either. ;) Another thing I found that was cool. When you cook lots at the same time, you often end up with a lot of vegetable broth leftover, or other things that can help each other. Say onions, if 3 recipes call for sautéed onion...do them all together and divide up. Use the food processor for quick chopping. You can rinse out and put in next ingredient and keep going...

6. Lastly, if you are concerned about food spoiling by cooking so far in advance, freeze it, or just prep it for quick cooking the day of. Remember things like potatoes need to be covered in water after peeling so they don't turn black. Baked items you can premeasure the wet and dry ingredients, don't mix until the day you want to bake them.

Black bean and quinoa sausages

2013-07-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

These patties have become a staple in my breakfast routine. I've never been one to enjoy sweet breakfast foods like pancakes and cold cereal, so I'm always looking for something savory. I've also been trying to avoid processed veggie meats, so these have been a really good fit. Here they are on a whole wheat bagel with sliced avocado.

Black bean and quinoa sausages
1 cup dry quinoa cooked and cooled
1 can black beans rinsed
1tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp soy sauce
1-2 tsp mustard (i used Dijon)
1 tsp steak sauce (opt.)
+/- 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

Pre-heat oven to 450°

Put beans and all but quinoa and gluten flour in a food processor and pulse until creamy...add a tad of water if needed.

Mix with cooled quinoa until incorporated. Add gluten flour and mix with hands until they stick together.

Spray two large cookie sheets with cooking spray (or line with parchment paper). Scoop out a large amount and roll and flatten into a party. Place on tray. They should be fairly thick. Spray with cooking spray and bake 15 min, flip and spray again, bake 10 min. Repeat until crispy. Yield 8-10.

These are great pre-made and frozen. Reheat in a toaster oven for about 10-12 min for best results. Great for breakfast or as a burger.

Cauliflower "Fish" and chips (G/F option) Vegan Tartar Sauce too!

2013-06-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

So one of the things I crave about giving up meat is deep fried fish! Long John Silver's is definitely a temptation. I just have never found a fish substitute that got near enough in taste and texture (though many are quite good).

Enter kelp... I found this awesome mock tuna recipe on the Happy Herbivore website (http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/mock-tuna-salad/) and was pleasantly surprised at how satisfying it was in both taste and texture to real tuna salad. Unfortunately my family was not so wild about it, as my husband always considered tuna to be cat food and the girls are not wild about "salads" with mayo. So the concept sat on the back shelf for quite a while. A few years ago my friend Maggie introduced me to cauliflower patties and my whole family fell in love with them. The bad thing was that they turned out best when breaded in bread crumbs and fried... and as I've been trying to avoid adding fat to my cooking, this recipe kind of got pushed aside as well.

Well the other day I decided to splurge on them anyway. I had noticed a similar recipe for cauliflower steaks in my mom's stash and they'd recommended eating on a sandwich with tartar sauce. So as I was cooking the cauliflower...and feeling a bit guilty...I decided to see if I could make them in large patties and add some kelp and old bay seasoning to really make them more fishy, and then bake them in the oven to avoid adding fat. They were quite lovely, the taste was spot on (also helped I whipped up some vegan tartar sauce) and the texture of the chunks of cauliflower was very similar to a flaky fish. But they didn't hold together as well as when fried. My kids loved them, though they were wary of the tartar sauce and since they've never had meat they didn't appreciate them to their fullest...and maybe no one else in my family will, but I am happy. :)

I've been pondering this obstacle for a while and have finally gotten a solution together... I got this idea, again, from Happy Herbivore's cookbooks, where she makes some lovely chick pea nuggets (huge success with my kiddos) and uses vital wheat gluten as a binder. I used this concept to make some quinoa and black bean breakfast sausages (post to come later) which are now a daily staple. So now to apply to my fishy patties. :)

Cauliflower "Fish" and chips
1 small head of cauliflower. (increase all the rest of the ingredients slightly if you have a large head)
1/8 c. nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. old bay seasoning (too much will overwhelm them)
1/4 tsp. kelp granules
2 TBSP flax meal (optional for nutritional benefit)
2 TBSP bread crumbs (plus more for breading) (optional as well, can use G/F cracker crumbs or skip)
+/-1/3 c. vital wheat gluten (can use 2 eggs/4 eggwhites here if gluten free)

Pre-heat oven to 400. Remove leaves from cauliflower and drop florets into a pot of generously salted water. Peel and dice stem and add to the florets, cook until quite tender. Strain over a colander and use a manual potato masher or back of a wooden spoon to press out extra water trapped in the florets. Pour into a medium/large mixing bowl and mash until in small pieces and some is mashed up well. If its all mashed (like for potatoes) it will not have the right texture.

Add all but last ingredient to the bowl and mix together with a large spoon. Once incorporated add the gluten flour a little at a time until the mix becomes a sticky ball. You don't have to use that exact amount, you want to add until its sticky, you don't want it too dry...but if this happens just add a little water and mix in.

Divide into 6 portions (more if you have a large head of cauliflower) and form into a thick round patty. Dip one side into breadcrumbs and then place breaded side DOWN on a sprayed cookie sheet. I tried with parchment paper the first time and it was a mess. Flatten out and then sprinkle bread crumbs on the top part. Repeat until done.

Spray with cooking spray and bake for 20 min. Flip and spray again, bake 10-20 more, until they look nice and golden brown.

Serve with oven fries, tartar sauce and ketchup.

Vegan Tartar Sauce
1/4 cup vegan mayo (fat free if possible, as you'll want to eat a lot. ;) )
1-2 tsp. spicy brown mustard (optional)
6 pickle slices (more or less per taste), diced well
1 tsp finely chopped onion (optional, I left out for girls sake, onion powder would work well too)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
dash paprika
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Mix and serve.

Teriyaki Tofu with mushrooms and broccoli

2013-03-05T16:39:00.002-08:00

I am currently trying hard to cut fat from my diet and increase protein...so I stocked up on tofu and then needed to use it up. Whenever tofu is more then week old I throw it into the freezer so it doesn't spoil...then I don't have pressure to use it. Freezing tofu changes the texture...it becomes more sponge like and firmer. What I like is that it makes it easier to squeeze water out and then it will absorb a marinated quickly and well.

Baked Tofu
1 block firm water packed tofu
1 1/4 cups marinade of choice (I used homemade teriyaki sauce)

Freeze tofu in packaging overnight - at least. Thaw and squeeze out all the water. Cut into desired shape/size. Lay in the bottom of a medium sized baking dish. Pour marinade over tofu. Allow to marinate for at least 10 min or preferably an hour. Preheat oven to 450. Once its finished marinating, pour the marinade into a mixing bowl and using a spatula, press out as much of the marinade as you can from the tofu (this will help it crisp up in the oven).

Arrange tofu in the baking dish and spray with cooking spray. Bake for 15 min. Flip and spray again. Bake 15 more minuets, or until browned and crispy on top and bottom (sides will still be white). Place in a medium size serving bowl.

While tofu is baking, whisk in 1 tbsp of corn starch to your marinade. Heat on medium heat until thickened. Pour over tofu and any other add-ins you choose (I chose steamed broccoli and roasted mushrooms).

Serve over brown rice.

Teriyaki sauce
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp garlic pepper sauce (optional, adds a tiny kick)
1 tsp ground ginger (fresh is better if you have it)
3 cloves of garlic, crushed

Whisk together before pouring over tofu.

Creamy Kale Pesto Linguini

2013-02-11T15:23:00.001-08:00

Having a hard time getting your kids to like Kale? Well I know as a kid greens of any type were scary..of course back then people just boiled the life out of them so maybe that was the only problem? :)

I have learned that sauteed and seasoned and cut up really tiny helps a lot too. Hiding them in a sauce is also helpful. My girls love pasta so that is usually the easiest way to get them to try something new. Tonight they were fighting over it...and wearing it...

Creamy Kale Pesto Linguini.

1 bunch Kale or 1/2 bag of pre washed
1 can coconut milk
3 clove garlic
1 Tbsp tahini
Olive oil
1/4 c. Nutritional Yeast flakes
2 Tbsp flour
1 lb Linguini

Cook pasta according to directions.

Wash Kale and remove all hard stems and veins. Saute in as little oil as possible. Salt. Once dark and tender, place in blender with 1/2 can of coconut milk, nutritional yeast and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Blend until as creamy as you can get it.

Add several Tbsp of oil to the pan and add flour and crushed garlic. Saute until garlic and flour are golden. pour in coconut milk that remains and tahini. Whisk until smooth. Add contents of blender. Allow the sauce to thicken...add a free Tbsp of water if needed.

Drain pasta well and mix with sauce in the pan. Serve immediately.

What to do with beets?!

2012-10-16T09:44:00.001-07:00

I don't know about you, but beets were not my favorite vegetable as a kid. They were served boiled and under seasoned and weeped a pinkish red color staining the rest of the food on my plate. Nightmares still lurk...

In the process of experamenting with some homemade veggie meat slices I purchased a bunch of beets and was a bit frustrated that I had more then I wanted. What to do with them...

This week our family is trying to eat as unprocessed as possible and following some diet guidelines from a health seminar. Every lunch should include salad and so yesterday I grated some fresh beet on the top of my salad with a similar taste as carrot being the result. 1 beet down, 2 to go.

Today as one of my vegetables for lunch I made a similar replica to a beet salad I had eaten in Austria during a summer spent learning German. I cooked both remaining beets as I will use the other one and cooking liquid in my veggie meat recipe.

Lastly I decided to stir fry the beet greens and made a peanut sauce to go with them as they were a bit bitter. In the end I mixed the greens and peanut sauce into the brown rice I was alao cooking, resulting in something like a rice cassarole.

I was quite pleased with my lunch.

Austrian-style Beet salad
2-3 beets, peeled and sliced thin. Boil in salted water until tender and drain. Drizzel woth olive oil, dill and yeast flakes. Toss and chill in fridge.

Beet greens with peanut sauce
Greens from 3 beets, remove pink stems
1T. Creamy peanut butter or tahini or other nut butter
2t. Soy sauce
1T. Soy milk
1t. Lemon juice
1/4t. Saracha
1 clove fresh garlic minced
Water 1T. at a time until desired consistency

Cut greens as fine as desired and saute until tender. Mix the rest of the ingredients with a whisk until a nice smooth consistency. Keep a littlw on the thin side. Add to the greens and allow to simmer and sauce reduces a little. Serve over rice or on the side like a creamed spinach.

Mixed salad with roasted butternut sqash and cauliflower

2012-10-15T14:41:00.001-07:00

I am not fond of making salad...too much chopping and washing...and all for a food that is cold! However I do enjoy them and when I can dream up a good warm complement to my salad I do occasionally indulge. Usually it is beans or choplets that win me over, but today it was two of my favorite roasted veggies that really put this salad over the top.

Roasted vegetables
1/2 small head of cauliflower cut into florettes. Toss with 2T olive oil, salt, nutritional yeast flakes and bread crumbs.
1/2 small butternut squash cut into small cubes tossed in olive oil, garlic and onion powder, and salt.
Roast at 425 for 20-30 min until they brown nicely.

Mixed salad with roasted vegetables
3 cups Romain Lettuce shredded
1/2 cup grape tomatoes cut in half
1 cucumber seeded and diced
1/4 cup shredded fresh beet
1/2 avocado diced
Carrot sticks for garnish

Layer salad in order in a bowl or on plates - this makes enough for 3 adults. Top with roasted veggies and your favorite dressing.

Great with a small bowl of hot soup!

Cream of Broccoli Soup inspired by Panera Bread

2012-09-28T15:40:00.001-07:00

I love broccoli soup and am often dissappointed with what I order at a restaurant because the quality of broccoli is tough or its like broccoli floating in cheese sauce.... So I was pleasantly surprised by Panera's soup...until I learned it was not vegetarion. Oops!

What I liked was how homemade it tasted and the addition of grated carrot made it seem cheesy without being super rich. So I set out to make a vegan version and here is what I came up with.

Broccoli Soup
1 lg head broccoli
1 onion
2 carrots
1 c. Cashews or 1 can coconut milk
1T. Salt
1 c. Water (omit if using coconut milk)
1/4 c. Yeast Flakes

Cut flourettes from 1/3 of the broccoli and trim off stems. Break them into tiny pieces and set aside.

Peel onion and quarter, saute in a large pot with minimal oil or a small amount of water. Peel broccoli stems and cut into large chunks along with the rest of the tops. Add to onion and add salt and enough water to cover broccoli in pot. Peel carrots and grate with the large side of a box grater, set aside. Add any large pieces to cooking broccoli.

Once broccoli is cooking, heat a large non-stick pan and saute broccoli flourettes and grated carrot until tender. Set aside until later.

If you don't have a high power blender, soak your cashews for 30 min in boiling water before blending them with the water and yeast flakes. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the blender several times to make sure the mixture is not gritty. Blend for at least 2 min.

Once broccoli and onion are tender, scoop out and add to Cashew milk, adding broth as needed to cover broccoli in blender and blend until creamy. If all the broccoli onion mixture is blended and significant broth is leftover, then pour into a different container for later use. Pour soup back into pot and stir in sauteed broccoli and carrot. Add extra broth or water as needed for desired consistency. Check seasoning and serve immediately.

This soup is best fresh. Leftovers can have a strong odor.

Enjoy with crackers or flesh bread.

Vegan Cheesecake

2012-04-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

This is the most decedent and creamy vegan cheesecake I've ever made.

Vegan Cheesecake
Crust
1 3/4 c. finely crushed graham crackers
1/4 c. finely chopped walnuts
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. canola oil

Filling
2 pkg. Tofutti cream cheese
1 pkg. MoriNu firm silken tofu
1 c. sugar
2 T. flour
1 t. vanilla
1 lemon's zest
3 T. ground golden flax meal
9 T. hot water
1/4 c. milk

Preheat oven to 375. Crush graham crackers and walnuts, mix in cinnamon and drizzle canola oil in as you mix it together. Press into a spring form pan. Set aside.

Mix the flax meal into the hot water and allow to stand for 1 minuet as it thickens. Blend the rest of the ingredients together until smooth. Mix in flax meal mixture and pour into the spring form pan.

Bake for 45-50 minuets (8 in pan) or 35-40 minuets (9 in pan), or till center appears nearly set when shaken. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minuets. Loosen the crust from sides of pan and cool 30 min longer. Remove the sides of the pan and cool completely. Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving.

Vegan Fish Tacos...

2012-04-29T13:38:00.002-07:00

I have an interesting relationship with Tofu. My first experience was with tofu lasagna...not a good one, crumbled tofu does not replace ricotta. However I have had better tofu lasagna experiences recently, so don't give up. :) I did have some lovely crusted silken tofu once and realized the potential, but didn't understand the difference between water packed firm and silken tofu, so soon gave up trying to imitate it. I eventually reconciled with scrambled tofu, it took a while since I wasn't a fan of scrambled eggs so was not interested from that perspective. And started experimenting making quiches and using it to replace sour cream or eggs in baking. However, usually I was trying really hard to hide or disguise it. I was not my husband, who could just take it out of the package, cube it, and pop it into his mouth without a grain of salt or anything!!!!! Horrors!

I did learn that freezing firm tofu makes it even firmer, and a lot easier to squeeze the water out of. I learned that shelf stable firm silken tofu makes a lovely sour cream substitute and even a cottage cheese substitute. And today I learned that it makes a nice substitute to fish. :)

I love watching cooking shows, and that is rubbing off on my eldest (5), so now notices what they're making and if its meat, is quick to say "We could use choplets for that instead, right?" Love it. We watched a show with some lovely fish tacos and I started to realize we had many of the ingredients at home, and the ones we didn't have we could substitute, and became determined to make it. Here is what we came up with.

Fish Tacos
1 pkg. firm or extra firm tofu, frozen and thawed. (or you can warm it in the microwave or in a dry non-stick skillet as well)
2 avocados
2 mangoes
3 limes
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 TBSP soy sauce
1/2 c. cooked quinoa
3 c. Shredded lettuce
8 Taco shells

Squeeze all the water out of your thawed tofu and dice into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss into a med/high non-stick skillet drizzled with canola oil. Allow them to brown on the edges, keep tossing until they are a nice texture all over and golden brown. Set aside.

Dice mangoes and avocados, squeeze in the lime juice and toss. Add the oils and soy sauce and toss in the tofu and quinoa. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary. A little shot of hot sauce would be nice - but we skipped because of our kids.

Layer lettuce and then the tofu mixture inside the taco and enjoy!

Egg Rolls

2012-04-29T09:40:00.001-07:00

Egg rolls are always a guilty pleasure since normally they are deep fried. But recently I read about someone baking them and decided to give it a shot. They actually turned out pretty well and I decided that giving them a quick spray with pam would take them over the top.

Here's what I came up with.

Egg Rolls
1 pkg pre-made egg roll wraps (you can find vegan ones)
1 onion, cut into thin strips
2 carrots, julienne
1/4 head of cabbage, sliced fine
1 lb. mushrooms, diced

Pre-heat oven to 400. Saute onions first, I like mine to be very soft as my family does not like to bite into a partially cooked onion. Add mushrooms next, you want them to crisp up - this is the flavor factor. In a separate pan, saute carrots and cabbage with very little oil and water. You want them to still have a little crunch. Once water has evaporated, mix in with the mushrooms and onions and set aside.

Veggie mixture ready for stuffing.

Set up a wrapping station with a small cup of water.

A nice scoop of vegetables. Then use your finger and wet two adjacent sides of the wrap. Fold dry sides over without touching the wet sides, then fold in the corners and roll up.

Spray a baking pan, line with egg rolls, and spray again over the top. Bake for about 10-15 minuets until nice and golden brown.

Served with marinated tofu and pasta with asian spices

Vegan Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

2012-04-28T20:41:00.003-07:00

These are amazing comfort food!!! I learned (from a Bobby Flay Throwdown) that my traditional though of Philly cheese steak sandwiches (peppers, onions, sliced steak and white cheese), is actually not traditional. Peppers are not used, and onions are optional. One of the favorite cheeses is cheese whiz... Really?!!! :)

So I really enjoy cooking shows, and often they inspire supper... So I'll be non-traditional (since we're getting rid of the steak and cheese - the only two parts to an authentic Philly Cheese Steak sandwich anyway) and make it using my new favorite uncheese, red and yellow peppers, onions and home made gluten chops. :)

Yes I have another great vegan cookbook and this one focuses on homemade vegan cheeses.

The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook: Delicious Dairy-Free Cheeses and Classic "Uncheese" Dishes

I have not loved everything in the book, but many recipes have been great, especially the one for French Onion Soup with a vegan Gruyere cheese, p. 78. It really is worth buying this book if you're interested in making your own cheeses at home. The flavor profiles are good and my issues have been more textural (but I usually can find a way around them by looking at a cheese I do like...) so I've been able to make many things work for me.

Vegan Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches
8 Gluten steaks, slice as thin as possible
1 onion, cut into strips
1/2 red pepper, cut into strips
1/2 yellow Pepper, cut into strips
1 recipe Gruyere uncheese (or use your favorite vegan cheese that melts or cheese sauce)
4 hogie buns

Saute thin strips of onions and peppers until they are golden and very tender. Set aside. In a non stick skillet, saute the gluten strips until they brown. You should not need oil, but add a little if they start to stick.

Prepare cheese sauce. Once it is finished, spread on the hogie buns, both sides, generously. Layer the peppers and gluten strips inside and enjoy! Normally I like my buns toasted, but for this sandwich it is not a good idea, you want a soft bun.

Gumbo!!!!

2012-04-28T20:19:00.003-07:00

So Creole food usually scares me a bit. I love flavorful foods, but am leery trying new spice combinations. When it comes to new flavor profiles I really need to taste the food before eating it.

For some reason just the name Gumbo really sound strange and I just had no interest in trying it. However... I was attending a health seminar with a sponsored vegan lunch and had the opportunity to try a Gumbo and really fell in love with the flavors. Thankfully the recipe was emailed to me, and after reading it and watching a few videos online this is what I ended up with.

There are meat free authentic Gumbos out there, but I really wanted a meaty flavor, so relied on meat substitutes more then I do in my everyday cooking. And for this recipe I feel it is important.

Gumbo

Roux (the heart of the Gumbo)

1/2 c. white flour

1/2 c. canola oil

Veggies

1 onion (fine diced)

2 stalks celery (fine diced)

1 green pepper (fine diced)

1 lb. fresh okra (you can use frozen, much less mess, but it is not sliced as fine as I prefer) Sliced into thin circles. (it gets slimy, that's normal, it will cook away so don't get grossed out). :)

4 cloves fresh garlic (fine diced)

6-8 medium tomatoes (this is a stray from most recipes I found, but I liked what it added to the gumbo)

1 jalapeno chile, or 1/4 c. salsa verde medium

"Meat"

1 pkg. Morningstar Farms Sausage links

8 homemade gluten chops or 1 pkg. Morningstar Farms Chicken Strips

Salt to taste (1-3 tsp)

Water (use cooking water from tomatoes, just enough to make a nice liquid over the vegetables)

**It is advisable to prep all of your raw vegetables as much as possible beforehand, as you'll need to keep stirring the roux. **

Start by making a roux (1:1 ration flour to oil). This is the heart of the gumbo flavor. You want to cook it low and slow, so be sure your pot/pan has a heavy bottom so it does not burn. You want to stir constantly and it will take at least 20 min. The roux should turn the color of hot chocolate, but not burn. :) A cast iron skillet/casserole is perfect for this (though mine is a bit small and I had to transfer to a larger pot eventually).

Roux beginning to cook.

Wash tomatoes (as you'll want the cooking water later on) and remove the core, blanch until the skin splits so you can easily peel them. Remove from heat and remove skins with tongs as they will be hot. Dice tomatoes into chunks and set aside in a bowl for later use. This makes a watery mess, but save as much of the liquid as you can.

Tomatoes Blanching

A quick way to thaw my frozen links. :)

Roux darkening

Roux finished!

Once the Roux is finished, add the finely diced onion, pepper and celery. You need to stir well, it will cause the roux to thicken up. You don't need to stir as often as before, but keep an eye on it. Heat should be med low. If you are using a fresh jalapeno, add now, otherwise add salsa with the tomatoes.

Roux with onions, celery and peppers added

Once they have cooked and are getting soft, add the okra. You will notice lots of slime coming from the okra as you stir it. This is a sign that it is not cooked enough. Keep stirring and cooking until the slimy strings are gone.

Added Okra

Once mock sausage and chicken (or gluten chops) have thawed, cut sausages into little rounds and chops into strips. In a separate non-stick pan, brown with a tiny bit of oil and set aside.

Once the okra is finished, add the tomatoes and mock meats. You will need to add some of the cooking liquid so it looks like the below picture.

Allow to cook 20-30 min longer so the flavors really meld together

Transfer to a larger pot if necessary. :) Cook until the okra is very tender.

Serve with a scoop of brown rice in the middle (rice is traditional, but we liked it better just as a soup).

"Cheesy" Bean Dip

2012-04-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

I love bean dips, and my favorite one before giving up dairy, was to drop chunks of pepper jack cheese into a pot of black beans and let it melt together. Of course the non diary cheeses have not really done the trick for me, so I had kind of given up on the idea of a good gooey cheesy dip.

However, I decided to try using my cashew cheese recipe with some red pepper flakes and see what happened, and was really pleased with the result - as was my family. My youngest ate at least 1/3 of the recipe. :) It was very easy, and paired with a fresh salsa...it was a full meal. :)

"Cheesy" Black Bean Dip

3 cups of cooked black beans, drain some of the juice, but not all of it.

1 recipe of slice-able cashew cheese + 1/2 t. more salt - it needs it for this dish.

1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes

Pre-heat oven to 450. Pour beans into a medium size baking dish (mine is oval and about 10 x 5 in). Make the slice-able cashew cheese according to directions, after blending, stir in the red pepper flakes and pour over the beans and pop into the oven. Heat for 15+ minuets, you want it to get bubbly around the edges. Remove from the oven and serve immediately with corn chips and salsa.

Cheese is thick and runny

My salsa is "weeping" :)

Tender Vegan "Crock Pot" Pot Roast

2012-03-29T19:55:00.001-07:00

Even during my meat eating days, I was never fond of steak or hamburger. I just was not a fan of beef - unless it was my Oma's pot roast - at least I think that's the best was to describe it. Cooked until if fell apart and melted in your mouth with a rich brown gravy. Something a vegan tries not to dream about too much, lol.

However, I saw a picture of a pot roast recipe the other day and thought...Why can't I do that with gluten?! Then I found a few recipes in Julie Hasson's Vegan Diner (which I HIGHLY recommend) and decided to try it. However I lacked a few key ingredients for her recipe, so decided to use it as inspiration and go with Simone's Hand-washed Gluten Steaks recipe instead. I decided to try using bread flour, upon Simone's recommendation (we keep egging each other on about tweaking this dough to make more recipes - fyi: whole wheat flour does not work well...), and was ready to start.

Tender Vegan "Crock Pot" Pot Roast

Ingredients:

1 recipe Simone's Hand-washed Gluten Steaks dough

1 large onion, diced fine

3 stalks of celery, diced fine

3 carrots, cut into large chunks

8 cloves of garlic

8 cups of vegetable broth (I make my own, see above recipe)

Spray oil

1 package onion soup mix

Directions:

I made just one recipe of the dough from the above linked recipe. I put into a bowl of HOT water so I could form it nice and smooth. Now I was afraid it would stick to my crock pot, so I poured a generous amount of oil on the bottom before adding the gluten. This is unnecessary and a light spray will do. Then I poured the powdered soup mix on top of the gluten (see picture below), and added veggies. Pour in the broth and let it cook at least 8 hours on high. Mine went about 24, and I turned it to low overnight because I was not sure what would happen.

I wanted the broth to reduce and really soak into the roast. This is how it looked when I removed it from the pot. There was a lot of dark brown broth leftover, slightly thickened. This I blended with some flour and make into a gravy. If you look close at this picture you can see I started slicing it really thin. Then I wondered if it would look nice on the plate and began to cut larger pieces. However, slicing it thin is key. This roast has several horizontal layers, when you slice it thin, its texture becomes more like tender roast beef.

My favorite way is to serve with mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans or vegetable of choice.

**Upon reflection, I'd suggest making several loafs at the same time, then freeze the ones you don't eat. Its a bit of work and long time in the cooking - so why not multiply the reward? :)

Simone's Hand-washed Gluten Steaks

2012-03-29T19:30:00.001-07:00

I am a big fan of Gluten!!! If you haven't noticed already, this is the 3rd recipe for homemade gluten steaks on my blog (1st, 2nd). The first two use vital wheat gluten (a flour that is just the gluten, the rest has been extracted) as the base. Vital wheat gluten is wonderful because it works instantly as a binder for lots of different recipes, bread, meatballs, sausage links, gluten steaks... However it can be kind of pricey depending on where you live. Currently the best price I can find locally is $7.99/lb. twice what I used to pay.

So when I learned that my dear friend Simone made her gluten out of regular unbleached flour I was very excited to try it out!!! The other wonderful part of the recipe is the versatility available. You can boil in an endless variety of broths (beefy and chicken-y versions below, but your imagination is the only thing to hold you back here). AND you can also control the texture and shape of the final product as well.

This recipe is kind of rough, there are no exact measurements, kind of a touch and feel situation. But it is very tasty and my husband has said he wouldn't mind if this was the only type I made from now on!

Simone's Hand-washed Gluten Steaks
Utensils:
Dough mixer (doing this by hand would be tough, but not impossible)
At least one large bowl
Large stock pot
Tongs (to remove veggies/chops from boiling broth)
hand strainer (to change water when washing gluten)

Dough:
3 c. water
Flour (about 1/2 of a 5 lb. bag - add slowly)
**This makes about 4 meals worth for a family of 4 - I often double/quadruple recipe while I'm at it**

Broth (beefy flavor): (I usually double the recipe of dough for this much broth, or quadruple and do half the dough at a time)
1 lg. onion chopped into wedges
3 stalks celery, whole
6 cloves garlic whole
1 cup soy sauce (I use reduced sodium)
1 tbsp salt
1 gallon water (+/-)

**(chicken-y flavor broth - add 2 carrots, 1 cup yeast flakes, reduce soy sauce to 1/4 c., add 1 TBSP seasoned salt)

Directions
Add the water to the bowl of your mixer (I have a Bosch universal, Simone has a kitchen-aid - she does flour first, but it didn't work too well with my machine so I did it backwards), add flour slowly 1/2 c. at a time and allow the dough hook to mix it in well. You want to keep adding flour until the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl, mostly incorporated, and not sticky to the touch. Flour the counter top and knead dough a few turns and form an oval loaf.

Dough soaking in water (3 loaves in a turkey roaster - more then 5lb of flour to make these)

Fill a large bowl with water and place dough loaf into the water, water should cover loaf completely. (if multiplying the recipe have a bowl for each loaf, or use a large container where they don't have to stack or touch each other) Ideally you should leave it overnight, but in a pinch I have waited about 3 hours.

Broth about to boil

When you're ready to wash the gluten, start your broth in your largest stock pot. The broth measurements are approximate to my personal taste. I am not a huge measure-er, so taste and be sure its not too salty, it will reduce and get saltier as you go. But remember, this is the only flavoring for your gluten, so don't leave out the salt. Start boiling to cook the veggies, before you add the gluten remove the veggies from the broth as they can make it a bit messy.

Rinsing Gluten (water begins to look like milk)

To wash the gluten, pour off the water and add fresh, you'll notice the water is cloudy from the starch in the flour. Refill the bowl with warm water and start squeezing, kneading, washing like you would with clothes, until the water in the bowl looks opaque white like whole milk.

Changing the water - using a strainer helps catch any stray gluten pieces

Very carefully pour off the water, so you don't lose any bits of gluten that might have fallen off. Having a mesh strainer (medium - large size) is very helpful!!! Add fresh water and repeat over and over again.

Dough ball begins to "fall apart" - don't panic! :)

After the 2nd rinse I usually notice that my loaf has started to fall apart. Don't panic, it will come together again, this is why that strainer is super important.

Gluten has come back together in a ball (notice how much smaller it is - about 1/3 - then the original dough loaf)

You want to keep rinsing until the water does not turn an opaque white anymore and the gluten has formed a ball again. The more you rinse, the firmer your gluten will be. I like a tender gluten, so once the ball forms I stop.

Cutting off pieces of Gluten - don't drop into boiling broth from this height or you'll splash yourself and get burned!

At this point you've got some options from cooking it. You can cook as a ball and slice it later (they look prettier, more uniform in shape). If you want to make a pretty ball, place your rinsed gluten into a bowl of HOT water for a few minutes, this makes it really flexible and you can shape it into a ball easily and drop into your boiling broth. The other way is to cut it raw (I use scissors) and let each piece fall into the broth to cook on its own. I find that the flavor is better when I cut it into the broth, so that's my favorite way. The chops do expand in the broth, so keep that in mind when cutting raw dough.

Finished chops (notice broth has reduced - if you're doing a second batch add more water and taste again to determine if you need more seasoning)

Removing Chops from Broth

Boil at least 30 minuets. Use tongs or a long handled slotted spoon to scoop out of the broth.

Package of about 8 chops, ready for freezer. Best results when you allow to cool before stalking in freezer.

I like to put about 8 chops into a bag and freeze for convenience (enough for one meal with my family). Or you can put into a plastic container and store in your fridge for about 7-10 days.

***Variation***
Using a flour with a higher gluten content makes for a nice texture and a little easier to wash. I recently tried the "better for bread" flour and was pleased!

Photos courtesy of my 5 year old!

Holiday "Turkey" Roll

2011-11-29T19:09:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but a Tofurkey just seems like the easy way out of Thanksgiving or any holiday celebration. Something about how "real" they try to make it look, or maybe I just like to give things my own twist, but here's what I came up with for our dinner this year.

Holiday "Turkey" Roll

1/2 recipe Gluten Chops and broth

1 pkg puff pastry (can use phillo dough if you choose, but its more work)

1 pkg pepperage farms stuffing (or about 6 cups of dried bread cubed)

1 lg onion

2 stalks celery

vegetable broth (follow instructions on pkg for amount - whole bag)

olive oil

Mix ingredients for gluten dough, but instead of making it into a log shape, roll into a thin flat rectangle and press between two cookie sheets. Chill 2 hours min (good thing to do a day or two in advance).

Thaw the puff pastry at this point.

In a large stock pot, start boiling the water, seasonings and vegetables. Boil the whole gluten sheet for 45 min. (I would recommend using several sets of tongs to remove from broth when you're done, its slippery and easy to tear. But it will still work even if it does tear) Lay it flat and allow to cool. Rub with olive oil. Save broth.

Saute onion and celery (according to stuffing pkg) in equal amount of olive oil instead of butter. Use broth from the gluten chops to complete stuffing. Set aside.

Place a large piece (or two) of plastic wrap on the counter top and lay puff pastry sheets on it, end to end. If desired, cut out some shapes with a cookie cutter or freehand.

Trim your gluten so it is smaller in width and the same length as your puff pastry (save scraps for use in a different recipe). Place half of the stuffing down the center of the gluten, the other half down the center of the puff pastry.

Carefully roll up the gluten into a log and transfer on top of the puff pastry/stuffing. Remove any puff pastry cut outs from plastic wrap. Use the wrap to help you roll up your puff pastry. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Place the cut outs decoratively on the roll. Bake according to package directions until golden brown. You will probably have to cut it in half lengthwise unless you have a very long platter.

Garnish and serve with "Turkey" Gravy

Holiday "Turkey" Gravy

Gluten broth and veggies

1 cup flour

Olive oil

Remove the celery, carrots and mushrooms from your gluten chop broth. Strain out the onions and garlic cloves and place in a blender, along with enough broth to fill it. Blend until smooth.

In a good sauce pan, brown 1 cup of flour. You have to baby sit this and stir often with a whisk. It will seem like FOREVER before it starts to toast, but when it does it goes FAST!! Have the oil standing close by. Once it gets golden brown, whisk in olive oil until in forms a nice roux or thick paste. Pour in broth slowly and keep whisking to avoid lumps. Add enough broth to get the gravy to your preferred thickness (remember it will thicken as it cools). Taste and adjust salt (soy sauce is a nice way to season this) level to taste.

Serve with Mashed Potatoes and Holiday "Turkey" Roll.

Falafel burgers

2011-10-31T17:48:00.001-07:00

I have always loved falafels, but I have never been able to make them right. My early attempts used canned chickpeas, cracker crumbs and egg, then they were rolled in crumbs and pan fried. When I tried to deep fry them they just crumbled into a million pieces. Later attempts had me googling authentic recipes but again every thing just crumbled. I began to bake them - which is much healthier... But not as tasty.

Finally in desperation I watched a video and learned where my mistakes had come from. The beans. DO NOT USE CANNED BEANS, SOAK DRIED ONES OVERNIGHT. What a thought. I was worried as they did not stick together in my hand very well before frying, but to my amazement they were perfect!

Here is the recipe I go by now.

FALAFEL
1 c. Dried Chickpeas (soaked overnight in 2-3 cups of water)
1 sm. Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
2 corriander
3 TBSP Bread Crumbs

Place all ingredients in the food processor (except bread crumbs) and process until fine crumbs. Cut fresh herbs into smaller pieces with scissors before processing. Mix in bread crumbs.

Heat at least one inch of canola oil in a pan on med high. Form ping pong ball sized falafels and flatten them a little, pack them tight. Fry in oil until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towls and serve with tahini sauce.

** Make into a burger size and eat on a bun **

TAHINI SAUCE
1 lemon's juice
3 TBSP olive oil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper sauce

Place all ingredients into food processor or blender. Blend until a smooth sauce. Add additional water and oil if it is too thick.

Rich and Cream Vegan Alfredo, with broccoli and mushrooms.

2011-09-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

So I'm experimenting with some new recipe software, and its taken me a while to get everything entered in and ready to go. But here's my first post using it.

I love pasta. In the last few weeks I have been trying to eat fruits, nuts, grains and veggies only. Its been a good experience, but I'm lost my love for cooking a bit. So today I decided to try out and finalize a recipe for the Holiday Tasting Extravaganza that our church sponsors every fall.

This is a very versatile rescipe, you can vary the vegetables, pasta shape, blend some red pepper or greek olives into the sauce, add your favorite gluten or soy protein... Its a favorite. Often I make this with gnocci, asperagus and soy turkey strips.

Rich and Creamy Alfredo

1	lb	pasta (shaped is best)
2	cans	Coconut Milk
3	tbsp	tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/4	cup	nutritional yeast flakes

1 1/2	tsp	salt
4	cloves	garlic clove, crushed
1/2	lb	mushrooms, chopped
1	lg	Broccoli head, peeled and chopped

1	Cook pasta al dente or less (it will finish in the sauce) as directed on box. You can use any pasta, but shaped pastas work best, and Angel Hair does not work well at all. Drain, but don't rinse, toss with olive oil if sauce is not yet ready and set aside.
2	Peel and cut up broccoli. If using the stem, cut into pea sized pieces. Steam until color is bright, lightly salted. Set aside.
3	Wash and dice up mushrooms in small pieces. Peel garlic. In a large frying pan, add some olive oil and sauté mushrooms and garlic together. Once the mushrooms start to get golden brown, remove to a bowl.
4	In the same pan add coconut milk and turn heat down to med low. Add yeast flakes and salt and whisk in thoroughly. Add tahini and continue to whisk. Once the sauce starts to thicken, add broccoli (mash slightly with a potato masher - optional, but helps spread it evenly through sauce). Then add the mushrooms and pasta slowly, incorporating into the sauce. Once its all together and heated, you're ready to serve.

Servings: 6

Cooking Times

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (11.2 ounces).

Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories	681.68
Calories From Fat (43%)	294.64
% Daily Value
Total Fat 35.27g	54%
Saturated Fat 26.03g	130%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 629.78mg	26%
Potassium 690.99mg	20%
Total Carbohydrates 75.62g	25%
Fiber 7.6g	30%
Sugar 2.1g
Protein 24.87g	50%

Gluten Chops

2011-08-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a second gluten chop recipe. This makes a very tender chop compared with the other recipe I posted.

Chops
1 pkg. Gravy Quick (I often use Kroger brand fat free brown gravy mix)
3 TBSP soy sauce
3 TBSP yeast flakes
3 c. water
3 1/2 c. vital wheat gluten
1 c. unbleached flour

Mix flours together in one large mixing bowl. Mix the rest of the ingredients with water until dissolved. Pour half the liquid into the flour and mix with in quickly with your hands. Dough will form instantly on top and lots of flour on the bottom. Lift up dough as you pour in the rest of the liquid and mix together as best you can until all the flour is mixed in. If it is extremely stiff. Feel free to add 1/4-1/2 cup water to finish.

Cut dough in half and form two logs. Roll each up in a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours.

Broth
4 stalks celery
2 carrots
5 cloves garlic
2 onions
10 mushrooms, (optional)
8 quarts water
1/2 c. yeast flakes
1/2 c.soy sauce
3 TBSP salt

Peel carrots, onions and garlic and trim off ends. Wash the celery & mushrooms and trim off ends. Fill a large stock pot with water and seasonings. Add the vegetables whole, except onions - cut those in half and mushrooms, quarter. Allow to boil.

Once chops have chilled for 2 hours, slice in about 1/4 inch slices and drop into the boiling liquid. You can cook them all at one time. Cook for 30 minuets to 1 hour. Remove from heat. Using tongs or a large slotted spoon, remove chops from the broth and set in a bowl to cool a little - they will be HUGE initially, but shrink down to about 2 x the pre-cooked size very quickly. Set aside any you wish to use initially and pack the rest in sandwich baggies and freeze for later use.

Finished product, breaded in flour and fried.

I usually make a double recipe so that they last for a while.

Warm Yellow Potato and Roasted Mushroom Salad

2011-06-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

This potato salad is similar to one I posted a while ago, but with slightly different ingredients, and both Jeremy and I voted that it was way better. :) The earthiness of the roasted mushrooms with the creamy potatoes and dressing makes this truly a comfort food!

We enjoyed boiled corn and artichokes with this meal and finally feel like we're diving into spring and summer!

Warm Potato Salad
3 lb. Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes (you can use baby red potatoes as well)
8 oz. Button Mushrooms
1 lg. onion
3 TBSP olive oil
Salt to taste
1/2 c. Imitation bacon bits (like bacos)

Dressing
1/2 c. Vegenaise (or other egg free mayo)
1/6 c. Soy Milk (or other non dairy milk of choice)
2 TBSP spicy brown mustard
1 tsp dill weed

Boil potatoes whole with skin on until tender. Drain and cover with cool water until you can touch them easily. Peel off skins, dice into bite size pieces, and put into a large mixing bowl.

Clean mushrooms, trim and quarter. Bake at 400 for 30 minuets.

Peel and finely dice onion, saute with generous amount of olive oil until tender and beginning to turn golden brown.

Toss with the potatoes until they are nicely coated. Salt to taste. Add mushrooms and imitation bacon bits.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients.

Toss with potato salad. Serve immediately.

Artichokes!

Trim down the stem, and cut off the tips of the leaves, especially if they are sharp, so it can stand on its top. Boil nearly covered in water for 45 minuets. Drain well, and set in a small bowl, discard the outer most leaves. Peel each leaf and scrape off the soft flesh on the inside with your teeth. Great dipped in melted margarine & lemon juice or vegenaise. Be sure you put out an empty bowl to collect all the leaves. Once the leaves are gone, use a small spoon to scrape out the fuss sitting on top of the heart. Spread some of your dip on the heart and enjoy!

I love Shepherd's Pie!!!

2011-05-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

I love watching cooking shows, I need to stop, I waste too much time there. But honestly I get lots of great vegan cooking ideas from them. I'm a big fan of Gordon Ramsey and watching him make Shepherd's Pie for several failing restaurants (on Kitchen Nightmares) made me eager to do one of my own. Then I found his video of how to make it, so I base my inspiration and proportions for this dish on what I learned from him. If you use lamb its a shepherd's pie, if you use beef its a cottage pie, what do you call it with soy curls...? :)

Vegan Shepherd's Pie
Filling:
2 TBSP olive oil
3 c. dehydrated soy curls, re-hydrated
2 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
1 large onion (grated)
1 large carrot (grated)
1 TBSP lovage leaves
4 cloves minced garlic
Salt
1 tsp bbq sauce
1/2 sm. can tomato paste
1 c. vegetable broth

Mash:
2 lb. Yellow Potatoes
1/2 c. cashew cream (1:1 water and raw cashews, blend at least 2 minuets until silky smooth)
3 1/2 TBSP soy margarine (earth balance is good)
Salt
1/4 c. vegan Parmesan (galaxy food's is my favorite)

Re-hydrate soy curls, drain extra liquid and marinate with the soy sauce for about 30 min. Rough chop in a food processor with the bbq sauce. Heat oven to 400.
Peel and slice potatoes, start to cook. Clean garlic and crush, grate onion and carrot, set aside.
In a hot oiled pan, brown the soy curls. When they start to get some golden color, add the garlic, lovage, onion and carrot. Keep stirring. After about 5 minuets, add tomato paste and a little of the vegetable broth as needed. You want it to be moist, not runny. Spoon into a medium sized baking dish.

Once potatoes are done, add butter and salt, mash. Add the cheese and the cashew cream. Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary. Spread over the top of your soy curls mixture. Use a fork to add some texture to the top. Pop into the oven for 20 minuets. Allow to set about 2 minuets before serving.

This is a one dish meal, but it certainly would not hurt to serve this with a crisp salad. It was so good we nearly at the whole thing, and the girls ate about as much as we did. That's my excuse for lame photos. :)

This is all that was left!

Emily after 3rds or 4ths...

Abigail - it tastes so good I'm wearing it!

Grilled Portabello Mushroom Tacos

2011-05-03T18:07:00.001-07:00

I got this idea from the Vegetarian Times email subscription (http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11292?utm_source=DFVegan&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=DFVegan). But there were several changes I made, so I'm going to post my pictures and variations.