Yummy Veggies

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!

Tofu "meat" balls

2011-03-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

Tofu Walnut Balls (7 Secrets - Neva and Jim Brackett)

2 c. soft bread crumbs (Use several pieces of bread, crushed in food processor, rather then what you get at the store, it adds great texture)

3/4 c. finely chopped walnuts (I use roasted sunflower seeds, they blend well and add flavor)

1/2 c. quick oats

1/2 c. finely diced onion

1/2 t. garlic powder

1 t. onion powder

1/2 t. Vege-Sal (I use McKay's Beef Seasoning)

2 t. McKay's Chicken Seasoning

16 oz. brick firm tofu

1/2 c. water

2 T. Bragg Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)

2 T. flax seed meal (this is my addition, I'm always looking for recipes to add this great source of Omega 3's to)

1 c. TVP rehydrated in broth, drained (optional, I like the flavor and added texture).

Place Tofu, Onion and all liquid and seasoning ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add to all the dry ingredients. Mix and form little meatballs.

Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 350 for 30 minuets. Freeze or use in a recipe once they're cool.

My favorite way to make these is to cover them in a brown gravy and bake, then serve with Mashed Potatoes. But they're also good with a spaghetti sauce or sweet and sour sauce. If taking to a potluck, be sure you give lots of extra gravy/sauce, so they don't dry out.

Asian salad and side of pasta

2011-03-02T19:06:00.000-08:00

This meal was part of a trial of a new product to me, Soy Curls. I have seen them mentioned in many recipes, so I had to give them a try. I really liked them. They are firmer and more fibrous then traditional gluten or TVP. They are dehydrated and unseasoned, so you can easily prepare them and flavor them for what you need.

I've made this Asian salad before as part of a meal and decided that if I added the soy curls it could be a meal in itself. (I'm always looking for one dish meals - so much faster to prepare). As I was cooking I suddenly decided that a side of pasta would seal the deal (I have a hard time eating cold food and feeling satisfied - strange glitch in my wiring I guess), so I started to experiment with what was in my fridge and came up with this dish - which got rave reviews from Emily.

Asian Salad

1 cup dried soy curls, re-hydrated and marinated in (2 cloves crushed garlic, 1 in. cube crushed fresh ginger, 1 TBSP soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil) for 30 minuets at least

1 head of red leaf lettuce (or romaine would work as well) cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and diced into bite size chunks

1 can Mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 red onion (cut into long THIN strips)

2 avocados, cut into bite sized chunks

1 pt. grape tomatoes

I layered the ingredients in this order, then poured on the dressing and tossed.

Dressing

1 lemon, juiced

1 TBSP soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 TBSP peanut butter

2 tsp sesame tahini

1 TBSP olive oil

3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed

1 in. cube fresh ginger, crushed

Whisk these together, and taste, adding more or less of what you like. Toss with the salad.

Pasta

1/2 lb. linguine (or fettuccine)

1/2 c. dry roasted peanuts

2 TBSP sesame seeds

1 dried red pepper (optional)

3-4 green onions (cut into 1 inch pieces)

Olive oil

Soy sauce

Beef like seasoning (I had a leftover ramen noodle packet, one was enough)

Cook pasta as directed, be sure to salt water. In a frying pan, toast the peanuts and sesame seeds until they are golden brown. (add seeds later as they go faster). Set aside. Saute the green onion pieces in some olive oil and add your whole red pepper (this makes it easier to remove later, but infuses some spice into the oil). When the pasta is finished, drain and return to pot with just a touch of the water left. Add your beef like seasoning and some soy sauce until the pasta is flavored as you'd like it. Toss with the peanuts, sesame seeds and green onions, and serve immediately!

**The pasta would have been spectacular with some zucchini noodles, Julienned carrots, spinach, thin strips of asparagus, etc... jazz it up with veggies to make it more colorful**

Simone's Stroganoff

2011-03-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

Our Church hosts a wonderful event each fall called the Holiday Tasting Extravaganza. Its an event where we serve about 600 people 1 oz. tastes of about 60+ fabulous vegetarian and vegan foods. The last fall was my first experience as a cook. And I must say it was quite the experience, making 650 meatballs, gravy and butternut squash. But I really enjoyed it, and the food was fabulous. However, I learned that 67 tastes is more then a normal meal. ;)

One of my favorite dishes belongs to my friend Simone who is originally from Brazil. Her stroganoff had a twist that I didn't expect, the addition of tomatoes, and I left dreaming of it (especially since she packed up some of her leftovers for me to eat the next day, but somehow they got lost in the dismantling of our stations). It did contain dairy, so I was formulating a way to veganize it when she came to me one Sabbath beaming that she'd figured out how to do it herself and it tasted great! Now I had to get on with making it. My first attempt was wonderful. She suggested using Toffutti cream cheese instead of sour cream, a direction I wouldn't have gone on my own, and it added a wonderful richness. Unfortunately when I made it the second time, for this post, I accidentally bought the garlic and herb flavored cream cheese. Oops! Its great on bagles, but not in my stroganoff! So I decided to improvise. I do have a traditional stroganoff recipe that I like that contains tofu and cashews, and I had an extra block and some leftover cashew cheese on hand so I decided to see if it would work. Its tolerable, but not rich and creamy like we were used to. So no skimping on this one! However it looks very similar in the pictures so I'm going forward with this post.

I also had quite a bit of my Oma's Spaezle to use up, so instead of the garlic quinoa rice Simone Recommended, we used the homemade German noodles instead.

1/4 c. canola oil
1 TBSP garlic, mashed
2 c. chopped Loma Linda Tender Bits (or homemade gluten chops work well too)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (I omitted)
2 TBSP finely chopped parsley
1/2 c. diced onion
1 c. sliced mushrooms
2 c. petite diced tomatoes lightly mashed in food processor
1 tsp salt
1 pkg. Toffutti cream cheese (plain)

I recommend getting all your ingredients prepped before starting! Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Cook the onion in the oil for 1 minuet. Stir in the garlic and cook until the garlic is golden brown. Add the mushrooms and Tender Bits (gluten, cut into 1 inch cubes) stir for 3-4 minuets; add the petite diced tomatoes, cayenne pepper and salt. Cover the saucepan, and allow to simmer on low heat for about 10 minuets. If this seems too dry you may add a little bit of water and simmer. Turn off the heat, add parsley and Toffutti Cream Cheese, stir as it melts into the sauce. Serve immediately!

Spaezle - German Homemade Egg Noodles

2011-03-02T15:25:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago we had an International Themed potluck at church. So exciting because we have so many talented cooks, and many from other countries, possibly a dangerous event to attend. :)

At this point in life I keep a vegan kitchen, unless cooking for someone else. I have no moral issue with eating eggs, dairy or meat for that matter, however I choose to live without that stuff because I know its better for my body and I feel a difference! I do eat eggs and dairy when visiting others, if its hard to avoid in the meal, and often when needing to eat out while traveling. All that said, I really wanted to do justice to my Oma's (Paternal Grandma) Spaezle, one of the things she is famous for at potluck! Its been a while since I've made these, so I really over estimated how much to make. I used a dozen eggs, this made about 4 9x13 pans worth. I brought a lot of it back home, so have been finding ways to use it. Thankfully they freeze well. :)

Spaezle - German Homemade Egg Noodles

(I'll preface this post with the fact that my Grandma does not use recipes, she cooks by feel and taste. So everyone in our family has a different version of this recipe. This is mine, and I found it a bit problematic, so I've modified (did some research) to how it probably should be.)

4 eggs

3 c. flour

1/4 c. cream of wheat

3/4 c. water

I used a dough machine to mix all the ingredients, wet first and slowly add dry. You want a stretchy dough.

Allow the dough to "rest" while you get a large pot of water boiling. Add salt. Once the water is boiling, take a large spoonful of dough and place in the spaezle press (or a potato ricer). Carefully squeeze into the boiling water, cutting noodles every few inches and stirring so they don't clump together.

Cook 13-15 minuets after water boils again. Drain well (I used a pierced spoon to fish them out, and drained in a collendar)

Toss with a pat or two of butter.

You can heat in an electric frying pan and serve with meatballs and gravy. Or put into a freezer bag and keep until later. If needed to reheat after frying, place a small amount of water in the bottom of a baking dish, and cover with foil. Heat in the oven until warm.

Pasta two ways!

2010-12-17T14:19:00.000-08:00

Sometimes mistakes and upheaval in the kitchen create some of the BEST recipes. Today that was the case. I'd planned this overly ambitious menu for Friday evening. I like to make soup for Friday night, a nice Sabbath tradition, but lately I've been enjoying soup and sandwiches, and of course the sandwiches are best if they're hot and contain lots of cool ingredients...translated to - LOTS of work. That does not fit into my preparation day schedule.

So today my menu was: cream of mushroom soup and roasted eggplant and tomato sandwiches, on homemade Foccacia bread (which I have not made for MONTHS, so who knows if it would've worked out). So once I realized what a fool I was I decided to abandon ship and make pasta with the veggies. Then I remembered that Abigail is having a reaction to tomatoes, so decided to do two different sauces to accommodate. I needed to use up some whipping cream, that I don't normally buy (but that's a different story), and knew that without tomatoes Abigail's sauce wouldn't have too much to hold it together, so decided to do a chopped onion and mushroom cream sauce with some vegan Parmesan. Then I took my tomatoes, blanched them and did a lovely fresh marinara. I sliced and roasted my eggplant as previously planned, but chopped into small pieces and added to each sauce. Cooked up some Linguine and presto!

Jeremy told me this was the best meal I'd EVER made him...humm... So thought I'd better pass it along. I'll give you a great vegan version, since that's what I"ll do next time when I plan this. Also notable, I tried to mix the two sauces and it was not good. Having two different pastas, contrasting tangy with rich, was LOVELY, so do plan to do BOTH. So I apologize that my picture is not the best, we didn't have much of the mushroom leftover to photograph.

Quick Marinara

8 roma tomatoes

1 large onion

3 cloves garlic

1 large eggplant, diced and roasted

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Several large fresh basil leaves!

Cut and roast eggplant with a little olive oil and salt in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 min, depending on how done you want it.

Blanch washed tomatoes in the water you're pasta is cooking in for about 3 minuets, the skin should burst, but doesn't have to. Dice up the onion and garlic fine, and saute in olive oil in your largest frying pan. Peel and core the tomatoes, dice fine and add to the mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once the eggplant is done, toss into the sauce and cook about 3-5 more minuets so it absorbs the flavor (you can save half for the mushroom sauce if you're so inclined, but I probably won't next time since its flavor is tangier). Snip the basil leaves with kitchen scissors and add at the last minuet.

Once the pasta is done (I did a lb. of linguine), add about half to the pan and allow to simmer for a minuet, toss to coat and serve, sprinkled with your favorite vegan Parmesan (I like the galaxy food's Vegan Grated Topping).

Creamy Mushroom Sauce

1 lb. diced mushrooms

1 LG onion, finely diced

1 c. coconut milk

8-10 raw cashews

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 c. vegan parmesan

1 TBSP yeast flakes

1 tsp tahini

1 TBSP chicken-like seasoning + 1 cup water (or vegetable broth)

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

Dice mushrooms, garlic and onion, saute in a few TBSP of olive oil until onion is completely soft.

Blend coconut milk, cashews, yeast flakes and tahini for at least 2 minuets, you want the cashews to be smoothly blended, no grit or chunks! Add to mushrooms, add the broth as it starts to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cheese close to the point when you're ready for the finished pasta. Allow to cook in the sauce for a minuet or so. Add more Parmesan to taste.

We did not eat a vegetable along with this meal, but I'd imagine green beans or broccoli would be wonderful, or even a large fresh salad!

Updated Burger

2010-12-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

I had an amazing burger at the Holiday Tasting Extravaganza (a vegetarian tasting event sponsored by my home church) last month. Upon scanning the ingredients that day I realized it was similar to my oatburger recipe, except had the addition of sunflower seeds. Today I set out to make them, but alas could not find my cookbook from the event. So improvisation ruled (not only in my recipe, but in the mannor of forming and baking them). I was baking a few other things at the time, including the buns pictured above, and needed to raise the temperature from 350 to 425. I was also in a hurry for those last 4 burgers, so formed them differently. End result was success! Here's what I came up with:

Meaty Oatburger
4 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 TBSP canola oil
1 TBSP flaxseed meal
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 TBSP McKay's Beef style seasoning
1 cup sunflower seeds (roasted)
1 cup TVP granuals
4 cups of rolled oats
sesame seeds (optional)

Blend the following ingredients:
1/2 c. water, soy sauce, yeast flakes, oil, flaxseed, garlic, onion powder, McKay's, sunflower seeds. Blend for at least 2 minuets on high, be sure the seeds are as smooth as possible.

Pour mixture into a large soup kettle, fill your blender with the remaining 3 cups of water and slosh around to get all the seasonings out, and add to the pot. Heat mixture until boiling. Add TVP, cook for 1 minuet, add the oats and remove from heat, leave the lid on. Preheat oven to 425

Once the mixture has cooled enough to touch (about 20 min), take about 1/4 cup and drop onto a piece of plastic wrap that you're holding in your hand, form into a walnut sized ball, then set onto the counter top and press into a patty, about 1/3-1/2 inch thick. You can be flexible about size and shape depending on your personal taste. Pressing the patty firmly gives a better end result in texture.

Place on a greased cookie sheet (sprinkle with sesame seeds) and bake for 17 min on each side. Recipe makes about 16 patties.

These patties are firmer and crispier on the outside, due to how they're shaped and baking at a higher temperature. The sesame seeds on the outside gives a great flavor and texture.

"Chicken" Gravy

2010-11-17T13:38:00.002-08:00

Vegan Chicken Gravy

1 small onion diced finely

1 large mushroom diced finely

1 2 inch stalk of celery with leaves (from center of stalk) diced finely

1 tsp dried parsley (crush in hand to powder)

¼ tsp celery salt

1 tsp salt

2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 TBSP Yeast Flakes

2-3 TBSP Flour (depending on how thick you like your gravy)

2 ½ c. water

Sauté vegetables in olive oil and add small amounts of water to help them steam until they’re tender. Add all seasonings. Once the vegetables are tender, transfer to a blender, add the flour and about 1/3 c. water. Blend until they are smooth. Pour back into the skillet and bring to a boil. Add whatever water you have left from your original 2 ½ cups, or more if necessary. Check for seasoning and add more if necessary. Also add more water if needed. Allow to cool slightly before serving, as this will help it thicken a little more.

"Chicken" Loaf

2010-11-17T13:38:00.000-08:00

Vegan Chicken Loaf (or patties)

1 bag Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chicken Strips, thawed and cubed.

1 16 oz. block firm tofu, drained and rinsed.

3 TBSP nutritional Yeast Flakes

1 TBSP Soy Sauce
1 ½ c. Special K cereal (or Rice Krispies)

1 c. Soda Cracker Crumbs (Whole Wheat ones work well too)

1 small onion or one bunch of green onions (all the white and about 2 inches of green)

2 tsp. Celery salt

1 tsp. Seasoned Salt

1 tsp. parsley

Rinse tofu, break into about 8 pieces and put into a food processor with the onion (unless you’re using green onion), Yeast Flakes, soy sauce and seasonings. Puree. Put diced chicken strips, (chopped green onion if applicable), Special K and cracker crumbs into a large mixing bowl, pour the tofu mixture over and stir until evenly mixed. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and spoon mixture in, smoothing the top so its slightly higher in the middle – shaped like a loaf of bread would be. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Allow to chill at least 2 hours, or even overnight. Slice, lay on a oven safe platter and reheat for your meal, about 20 minuets.

If making patties, form the patties (2“ diameter, ½ inch thick) instead of putting the mixture into a loaf pan. Place on a baking sheet coated with non stick cooking spray and bake for 20 minuets. Serve immediately.

This dish goes well with mashed potatoes, Vegan Chicken Gravy and Savory Butternut Squash, and any other Thanksgiving Day items you enjoy.

Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

2010-08-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm totally stoked. I finally found a vegan Fettuccine Alfredo recipe that TASTES like the real deal. I've been trying lots of recipes over the last few years and have just found bitter disappointment. Mostly because my dear vegan friends are very health conscious and no offence, but healthy alfredo isn't too appealing, we like it because its rich and buttery. So I decided there just HAD to be a way to make an unhealthy vegan sauce. ;) Recently I've been making lots of curry and realized that coconut milk is very versatile and high in fat, humm would that work instead of cream? Well I also knew that cream is not what really gives alfredo its taste, its the parmesan cheese. The homemade version that I use as a topping just wasn't quite going to cut it, so I started researching parm substitutes. Unfortunately (or so I've been informed) in the area of the country the healthfood stores cannot order vegan parmesan cheese, even though its for sale online. So I decided that before I spent a fortune on shipping for one small container (or ordered a case and hated it), I'd try it with one of the casean parmesan substitues and see if it would work. I'm hear to tell you it DOES. Yay!!! So here you go. Feel free to fine tune to your personal taste, but this recipe is based on my classic no fail real fettuccine alfredo.

Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
1 lb. Fettuccine noodles (whole wheat is great, but I went for regular noodles here, however probably would consider spinach noodles next time)
1/4 c. soy margarine (I just started using earth balance and its GREAT, however smart balance light is also vegan, but its not so great tasting...)
2-4 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
1 can coconut milk (don't use lite, if you want to be healthy, don't make this)
1/4 c. raw cashews (can skip if nut allergy, it just adds a bit more creamy texture)
1/4 roasted red pepper (optional, this adds some pink color and a nice flavor)
1 tsp. salt
2 TBSP nutritional yeast flakes
1 TBSP sesame tahini
1/4-1/2 c. vegan Parmesan Cheese

I like to saute mushrooms and steam broccoli to go along with this dish, but you can jazz it up with whatever veggies you like.

Cook pasta as directed. Drain in a colander when done cooking, and rinse with cold water.

Pour 1/4 c. coconut milk and 1/4 c. raw cashews, tahini, yeast flakes, salt and red pepper (if using) into a blender. Blend at least 2 minuets or until the mixture is smooth. Set aside. In the same pan you cooked the pasta, melt margarine and crush garlic, saute garlic until it starts to get golden. Pour in the coconut milk and blended up nut mixture. Allow to boil. Add drained pasta and toss to coat. Turn off the stove and add the parmesan cheese slowly and toss it into the pasta. Taste and decide if you need more salt or cheese. Toss vegetables in or add on the side. Serve immediately.

Pizza!

2010-08-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

I really really like pizza and have tried lots of different vegan cheeses in an effort to enjoy this favorite dish again, but just have not been satisfied - and the cheeses are pretty expensive! So I went back to my old faithful slice-able cashew cheese and adapted it to work with Pizza. Its been great and I won't be going back. The "cheese" solidifies to the consistency of a ricotta and has a nice flavor.

Vegan Pizza

1 pre-made crust (I had two medium with extra toppings)

3-4 TBSP Pizza sauce

Your favorite fresh toppings (I used fresh spinach, black olives, green pepper and fresh mushrooms)

1 recipe of "cheese" topping

2 cups water
3 TBSP agar flakes (or 3 tsp of agar powder)
1 cup raw cashew nuts
6 kalamata olives, pitted.
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP nutritional yeast flakes
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
boil together the agar and water for 1-2 minutes (it thickens, but has not set yet, that happens when it cools). Place in blender with all the remaining ingredients and blend for 1-2 minuets until very smooth.

Spread pizza sauce over the pre-made crust. The idea is to use less sauce then you think, it goes a long way, so your pizza is not soggy. Spoon the cheese sauce over the pizza and then add topping, or you could add toppings first.

Bake according to pizza crust directions. Top with a vegan Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Cauliflower Patties

2010-08-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

I can't take credit for these delicious patties, I got the recipe from my friend Maggie. I've vegan-ized them and probably strayed a bit from the original, but our family is crazy about them - especially Emily!

Cauliflower Patties

1 large head of cauliflower.
2+/- TBSP flour
1 TBSP flax meal
1 TBSP chicken like seasoning
1 tsp salt
soda cracker crumbs for breading
olive oil

Cut the cauliflower into florets and you can even peel the skin off the stalk and cut it up too. Cook until tender. Drain in a colander and cool in your fridge or freezer (depending on how much of a hurry you're in).

Mash with a potato masher and add flour and seasonings. Mix together and add more flour if needed so they'll stick.

Scoop and form small patties, roll in cracker crumbs.

Fry in olive oil until nice and crispy. These are full of protein so could be used as that in a meal or as a vegetable. We like to eat them along with curry and rice, but also with potatoes and vegetables.

Serve immediately. To reheat use an oven rather then the microwave.

Vegan Mac n "Cheese"

2010-08-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

I think its a toss up between Macaroni and Cheese and Fettuccine Alfredo as to which dairy item I miss the most. Comfort food. But I do finally have a good recipe for the nice creamy baked Macaroni and Cheese that I grew up eating, and its vegan. This is the closest that I've gotten to the cheesy cream sauce that I used to use, and its been a hit with my family. Its best the first day, but does reheat nicely, its just firmer.

Mac n "Cheese"
2 cups water
3 TBSP agar flakes (or 3 tsp of agar powder)
1 cup raw cashew nuts
1/4 roasted bell pepper
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

2 TBSP Tahini
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp hot sauce

1/2 lb. elbow noodles

olive oil

bread, cracker or corn flake crumbs

Cook pasta as directed. Drain and rinse with cold water. Boil together the agar and water for 1-2 minutes (it thickens, but has not set yet, that happens when it cools). Place in blender with all the remaining ingredients and blend for 1-2 minuets until very smooth.

Pour "cheese" over pasta and mix. Pour into a baking dish.

Since we're skipping the melted cheese on top, I like to make a breadcrumb topping. I pour about 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs into a frying pay (you can use cracker or cornflake crumbs instead) and add enough olive oil to make them start to stick together. Heat until they begin to brown.

Sprinkle on top of the Macaroni and bake for 30 min at 350, or until bubbly.

Serve immediately.

MaryAnn's Fabulous Coconut Milk Curry!

2010-08-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

So I have a fear of curry. I've had a few that were either too spicy, sweet or full of a strange spice that I hated, so I didn't even TRY to make any recipes I stumbled upon. Then I got lucky. See when eating Indian food, I find it best to go through a buffet where I can smell and taste food before committing to eating it. My dear friend MaryAnn (who still claims to not be much of a cook, but we all know she's wrong about that) make some wonderful curry that I couldn't stop dreaming about until I'd replicated it. Thankfully its one of the easiest recipes too, thanks to curry paste, which pre-mixes the spices for you and you can add the amount you'd like.

MaryAnn's Fabulous Coconut Milk Curry!

3 cans of coconut milk (the lite is okay, but not as creamy, go for regular here)

3 large carrots (diced into thick half coins)

3 large potatoes (diced)

3 large onions (sliced in wedges)

3 cans imitation duck (or about 6 gluten chops, sliced into strips) (or sub in some garbanzos or lentils)

1 TBSP sugar

salt to taste

4 TBSP (+/-) mild curry paste (or use hot if that's how you like it)

olive oil

Chop onion into wedges and sauté in olive oil and sugar until they start to caramelize. Peel and chop potatoes and carrots and add to the pot. You don't want to over cook these veggies, especially not the potato, as they'll fall apart or be soggy, so keep that in mind.

Pour in the coconut milk and allow to boil.

Add curry paste one TBSP at a time until it tastes the way you'd like it. Salt to taste.

I like mine to have a strong flavor but not be spicy, so I stick to mild curry paste. However usually Jeremy doctors his up with several TBSP of HOT curry paste or Chinese chili paste.

I like to brown my choplets in a frying pan or the oven and then add to the curry. Pictured above is the curry with lentils, which was ok, but not as good. Serve over brown rice and eat with naan bread.

Fast Hot Asian Lunch

2010-08-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

This has become a favorite for Emily and I. I have this weird thing where if I don't eat hot food in a meal I just feel like I'm still hungry, so a sandwich for lunch usually doesn't sound exciting. Before becoming vegan I loved heating up mac and cheese or Lipton pasta/rice packets for a quick hot lunch, but now I'm looking for something a bit healthier. :) I also ate way too much ramen. I know most former college students have nightmares of an impending test whenever they eat these, but honestly I don't suffer from that problem in the least. ;) I do realize that eating a white pasta alone is not that great for you, so I've started to doctor it up a bit with some veggies and protein, and this is what I've come up with.

I pkg. Ramen Noodles (I like Top Ramen's Oriental Flavor, it does not contain animal fat, however you can easily toss the packet and season with your favorite vegetable based seasoning too.)
1 small onion
1 large handful of fresh spinach (1-2 cups)
1/4 cup TVP (textured Vegetable Protein), re-hydrated according to pkg.
Soy Sauce to taste
Oil to sauté veggies.

Chop onion and sauté in oil until they begin to be tender. Meanwhile, begin to cook ramen according to directions. And re-hydrate the TVP. I like to put some of the seasoning packet in with the TVP as it does not have any flavor on its own. Soy sauce does work too. Once the onion begins to be tender, toss in all the fresh spinach (just keep it there until it wilts, you don't want to cook it too much). You do not need to chop it up unless the leaves are very large. Add drained noodles and tvp and allow to get brown in the pan for a little bit. Serve immediately. Serves one.

Eggplant, Tomato Pesto Linguine

2010-08-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

I love pesto, but usually want to eat it with a LARGE amount of Parmesan Cheese. I've had lots of trouble finding a vegan Parmesan cheese for sale lately. So I ventured to make one of my own. After looking at several recipes, here is what I've come up with. It has a good flavor and texture, but obviously does not melt and would not fool anyone, but it is a great topping for pasta!

Non-Dairy Parmesan "Cheese"
1/4 c. Yeast Flakes
1/3 c. sesame seeds
1/3 c. walnuts
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 T. chicken-like seasoning
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. salt

Put all ingredients in a small food processor and chop until its a fine powder. Store in an air tight container in the fridge.

Eggplant, Tomato Pesto Linguine
1 large eggplant
6 oz. tomato paste
1 onion diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 c. fresh basil (or if you're in a pinch, 1/3 c. dried basil)
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 T. lemon juice
2 t. salt
1/2 c. non-dairy Parmesan
1 1/2 c. water (add if vegetables begin to stick, but eggplant is not tender yet)
1 lb. linguine

Peel eggplant, dice into small chunks and toss with a generous amount of salt. Allow to sit for at least 30 minuets so it can brine. Begin cooking pasta as directed. When its finished drain and set aside.

Once the eggplant has brined, rinse off, and toss with lemon juice. In a large frying pan (electric frying pan works well) begin to sauté eggplant. Dice the onion finely and add garlic to the pan. Allow to cook until the eggplant begins to get tender. Puree the rest of the olive oil, basil and tomato paste and then add to the eggplant. Cook until the eggplant is very tender. Toss with the non-dairy Parmesan and the linguine. Serve immediately.

Roasted Vegetable Foccacia Sandwich

2010-07-07T17:50:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful light fresh sandwich for a hot summer day. And its so flavorful that you won't even notice that it is vegan. ;)

Roasted Vegetable Foccacia Sandwich

1 loaf Foccacia Bread

8 oz. Greek Olives (pitted), chop in a food processor until in small pieces.

1 large Onion Sliced and grilled

1 lb. sliced mushrooms (or 2 portabella mushrooms, sliced) sauteed

1 Summer Squash, sliced and grilled (sprinkle with salt, onion and garlic powder first)

1 Red Pepper roasted (you can get these in a jar and its much faster)

Fresh Spinach

1 Cucumber

1 pkg. Tofu (prefrozen and thawed and marinated with soy sauce) sliced and grilled

Trader Joe's Goddess dressing (or Kraft Cream Italian (4T.) + 1t. Tahini + 1/4t. soy sauce)

Bake whole Foccacia Bread about 10 min in a 350 oven, just to give it a nice crunch. Remove and cut down the middle (the long way to form top and bottom).

Spread bottom of bread with the olive mixture. Next layer the onion and mushrooms over the whole sandwich. Next the summer squash (there really is no set way, although I'd keep the cucumber and spinach at the top).

Next Tofu or Gluten chops (as seen in picture). Next red pepper.

Next Cucumbers and Spinach. Drizzle with dressing, add the top to the sandwich and cut into easy to eat pieces.

Polynesian style Meatballs

2010-06-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

I am very proud of this recipe since I am normally not the type of person who likes to stray from a traditional European palette which is in general savory. My husband is constantly whining that I try something new, like say Thai, Indian, African... While I'm not opposed to these cuisines, I find that I either love or hate the spices, so trying something has a 50/50 chance of failure. But I've been making an effort. Here is the fruit of some of my labor.

Polynesian style Meatballs
1 recipe Sweet and Sour Sauce (see recipe below)
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 cup FRESH pineapple
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Dash of soy sauce
Dash of olive oil
20-30 meatballs (one of my favorites are Tofu Walnut Balls)

Place meatballs in a small baking dish (9x13 is too large).

Cut peppers and onions into strips and cut strips in half. Saute pepper, garlic and onion in the olive oil and soy sauce until they begin to get tender. Scatter on top of meatballs.

Cut up fresh pineapple into bite sized chunks and add to the pan you sauted the peppers in. Lightly brown the pineapple and then toss on top of the meatballs.

Pour sweet and sour sauce over the meatballs and bake for 30 min on 350. Serve immediately.

** This would also be a nice topping for gluten chops or grilled/fried tofu or some other meat substitute.**

Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/2 c. Brown Sugar
4 t. corn starch
1/2 c. Vegetable broth
1/3 c. lemon juice
2 T. soy sauce
1/2 c. coconut milk
4 T. tomato paste
1 t. olive oil
1/2 c. toasted shredded coconut (fastest way is in a frying pan - no oil - on med heat, keep flipping them so they don't burn)

Mix ingredients together (minus coconut) and heat on medium heat until thickened slightly. Add coconut and mix in.

Split Pea Soup

2010-04-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite soups, but I'm picky, I don't like THICK split pea soup. So this isn't quite the same as traditionally done.

Split Pea Soup

1/2 lb. dried split peas (soak overnight, then rise)

1 onion

3 carrots

3 cloves garlic

3 TBSP fresh Lovage (herb) or Parsley if you can't find it. Can use 1 TBSP celery seed.

2 potatoes

2 TBSP chicken like seasoning

Salt to taste

Olive oil

Cook soaked and rinsed split peas until they fall apart on their own (about 30 min) in a small pot. In a large kettle, sauté onion and crushed garlic in a small amount of olive oil, add some water if it begins to stick. Cut carrot into small pieces, about the size of a pea. Once the onion is translucent add the carrot. Peel and dice potatoes, a little larger then the carrot, but not much. Add to the large kettle and add enough water to barely cover the vegetables. Add the seasonings. Chop up the lovage into fine pieces, add to soup.

Once all the vegetables are tender, combine the cooked peas with the rest of the vegetables. Simmer about 5 minuets before serving.

Gluten Lo Mein

2010-04-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

This is one of those dishes that I really have to watch myself to not pig out on. Thankfully its just the stir fry oil that I need to keep an eye on, because everything else is so good for you! :)

Gluten Lo Mein

1 lb. Whole Wheat Linguine (Fettuccine works too, or if you're trying to cut carbs, try the tofu noodles)

10 Homemade Gluten chops (or your favorite soy meat or 3 portabella mushrooms or even tofu)

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 small head of cabbage (about 1 lb)

1 med. onion

3 carrots

2 stalks celery

1 cup edemame (immature soy beans - look for them in the freezer section of your grocery store)

Soy sauce

Salt

Olive OIl

(all these to taste)

Cook pasta as directed. Once finished, rinse in COLD water and set aside.

Cut gluten chops into long strips. Toss in the flour, soy sauce and sesame oil. Fry them in oil until golden brown and crispy. (If using tofu, marinate it in the soy sauce and sesame oil for at least an hour before frying, and skip the flour) Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

Chop raw veggies into large chuncks, in the shape you desire. I like to make long strips, about 1/4 inch thick, out of each veggie. I like to chop the cabbage and onions very thin.

Using a wok or an electric frying pan (I have a large one and all this fits in, a wok might need to be done in two batches), drizzle with olive oil and pour in all the raw veggies. I keep my electric frying pan on the hottest setting, but a wok probably should be on med/high. Dash on soy sauce and stir fry. Add edemame beans after about 5 minuets.

Once the veggies are starting to get tender, add noodles and gluten. You might need a bit more oil, but that's up to you. Taste the veggies to see if they are seasoned as you'd like.

Serve immediately!