Simple Vegan Recipes

Squash Enchiladas with Green Chile Sauce

2013-10-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Squash Enchiladas

Double wrap the corn tortillas for a heartier wrap, by heating 2 together in the sauce. Double wraps prevent tortillas from tearing. Cashew Sour Cream, Spanish Rice and Guacamole (recipes in the book) complement this meal.

1 Kabocha squash, about 3-3/4 pounds, or you can bake Butternut squash

2 tablespoons liquid aminos Garnish mix (for step 11)

2 cups onions, diced small 1 cup red pepper diced small

1 teaspoon garlic, minced 1 cup yellow pepper, diced small

1 can olives, chopped (4.25 ounces) 3/4 cup green scallions, sliced thin

24 corn tortillas (2 packages – 12 each) 3/4 cup cilantro leaves, minced fine

olive oil spray for bottom of casserole

Green Enchilada Sauce

12 Anaheim Peppers, roasted under broiler until browned, remove skins & tops

10 Tomatillos, medium – Steam in a covered pot for 3-5 minutes, until soft

2 Tablespoons garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 – 1 teaspoon (heaping) Jalapeno Pepper (to taste – some like it hot!)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup steam water, pure, or vegetable broth

Directions for Sauce

Blend ingredients in either a food processor or blender. Yield about 4 cups

Directions for 12 Enchiladas

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350° F.

2. Bake the squash in the oven for about 1-1/2 hours or until tender.

3. Cut squash lengthwise and discard the seeds. Put squash in medium bowl.

4. Sauté onions and garlic in liquid aminos. Mix and stir until they caramelize.

5. Add the sautéed mixture to the bowl with the squash and add olives. Mash until all of the ingredients are well mixed together.

6. Spray all sides of a 14” x 10” Pyrex casserole and pour in 1/2 cup sauce.

7. Slowly add the remaining sauce in a pot and heat on very low heat.

8. With tongs, dip 2 tortillas into the sauce, drain. Place 1/3+ of the filling inside and roll gently. Don’t let the sauce get too hot or it will tear the tortillas.

9. Place the tortilla seam side down into the Pyrex casserole dish. Repeat step 8 until all of the tortillas are filled with the mixture & layered in the pan.

10.Pour the remaining sauce over the top of all the enchiladas with sauce covering each enchilada. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Cover lightly with tin foil. For a crisper enchilada take off the tin foil for the last 5 minutes.

11.Serve hot & top generously with Cashew Sour Cream & Garnish Mix.

Excerpted from Vegan Bite By Bite book by Marilyn Peterson

Zucchetti Marinara Sauce

2013-08-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

Marinara Sauce Zucchetti

Zucchini noodles are recommended for this raw tomato sauce. If you do not own a Spiralizer, they can be purchased at a kitchen shop. The Spiralizer is used as a garnishing machine. You can also use a grater when you opt for a raw “spaghetti” meal made from zucchini. The (Spiralizer) zucchini noodle-like spaghetti is more fun to eat. Perfect meal for these hot summer days!

Zuchetti Noodles

2 zucchini, large, equals 6 cups spiralized (or shredded)

Sauce

10 button mushrooms, medium (4 cups) sliced and marinated. See step #1.

1 tablespoon olive oil (for marinating the mushrooms)

1 tablespoon nama shoyu soy sauce (for marinating the mushrooms)

15 small, ripe, roma tomatoes, quartered (3-3/4 cups)

2 jars (8.5 oz.) sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil

15 sun dried olives, pitted, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 cup fresh basil (4 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon) minced fine

3 tablespoons garlic, rough chop

2 tablespoons capers

1 teaspoon red crushed chile pepper seeds

2 teaspoons sea salt

garnish basil sprig

garnish pine nuts (optional)

Yield 7-1/2 cups sauce

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, marinate sliced mushrooms in one tablespoon olive oil and one tablespoon of nama shoyu soy sauce. set aside.

2. Cut tomatoes in quarters and add them to the food processor. Pulse until chopped. Add to the mixing bowl.

3. Pulse sun-dried tomatoes and garlic in food processor, add to tomato blend in bowl.

4. Chop olives and hand fold in minced basil and add them to the mixture in the bowl.

5. Add remaining ingredients, thoroughly mixing until fully folded together.

6. Spoon the sauce over the zucchini noodles and serve.

7. Garnish with a basil sprig and pine nuts on top of sauce.

Yield serves 4 - 5

You can heat the plates in the oven at 350º before serving, or you can put the noodles in hot water for 3 minutes. Nama Shoyu is an unpasteurized soy sauce.

Excerpted from Vegan Bite By Bite by Marilyn Peterson

My neighbor gave me a huge Zucchini from an organic garden! Here it is in the spiral machine.

Here's a pic of the Zucchini noodles, before adding the marinara sauce.

Vegetable Stir Fry

2013-08-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

Vegetable Stir Fry

1 Brown Rice recipe serves 4

4-1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 pound extra firm *tofu, drain 1 hour, cubed 1/2”

1 cup red onion (1/2 large) sliced thin

2 cups (8 medium) shitake mushrooms, sliced (de-stem)

2 cups celery (2 stalks) cut diagonally, sliced thin

1-1/2 tablespoons ginger, minced, 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

3/4 cup baby carrots, cut diagonally 1/4”

1 small red pepper, deseeded, sliced thin strips

2 cups broccoli (1 small head) cut into florets

2 cups cauliflower, broken into florets

2 cups eggplant (1 small) 1/2” cubes *(sprinkle salt on eggplant to draw out water)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt *(salt and pepper seasoning for tofu Step 2)

1/2 teaspoon white pepper, ground

1 medium head bok choy, sliced diagonally into thin strips

10 asparagus spears, sliced diagonally

5 large cloves garlic (3 tablespoons) sliced very thin (step 5)

3 cups bean sprouts

Sauce

2 teaspoons wasabi powder

1 tablespoon ‘hot & spicy’ *Szechuan sauce (optional)

7-8 tablespoons nama shoyu soy sauce (to taste)

4 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

Thai basil, 30 small leaves, sliced fine (use regular basil if you can't find Thai Basil)

Garnish: black sesame seeds

Directions

1. Keep brown rice and *tofu warm until the stir-fry is ready for serving together.

2. In a medium skillet, heat 1-1/2 tablespoons of sesame oil over medium-high heat, 3 minutes, add tofu and *seasonings, brown evenly while continuously shaking pan.

3. Reserve *tofu for later use. In your wok, or extra large non-stick skillet heat 2 tablespoons of remaining sesame oil on medium heat. Add onions, *eggplant and mushrooms. Do not stir for 4-5 minutes, letting the mushrooms and onions brown. Stir in minced ginger and garlic.

4. Add carrots, celery, broccoli and cauliflower. Do not stir. Turn up heat, 5 minutes, let vegetables brown, al dente.

5. Add bok choy, asparagus, red pepper, garlic slices and bean sprouts, turn up heat full high, add remaining tablespoon of sesame oil. Brown 3 minutes, stir vigorously, flipping vegetables in pan and tossing gently, 3-5 minutes.

6. In a tiny bowl mix sauce ingredients. For 'Spicy' add Szechuan sauce)

7. Turn heat down to simmer, add and stir sauce for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and serve with Brown Rice recipe. Place the warm tofu on top of the vegetables.

Yield serves 4-6+

Eggplant Roll-ups

2013-07-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

Eggplant Roll-ups

For variation, you can use different herbs for this recipe, such as dried Herbes De Provence to baste the eggplant. Mushroom Cashew Gravy recipe goes good with this dish if you want an alternative to the Mushroom Marinara Sauce recipe.

2 eggplants, medium, peeled and sliced=14 slices about 3/8” thick) See step #2

1-3 ounce package *sun-dried tomatoes (soaked for 30 minutes) drain and mince

1 pound tofu, firm (press out water)

3 tablespoons liquid aminos

2 tablespoons garlic, rough chop

1 tablespoon+1-1/2 teaspoons Italian herbs, sprinkled on top of rolls, before baking

1/2 teaspoon sea salt (mix in with dried herbs, above)

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup fresh basil, minced

olive oil spray

Sauce: 2-3 tablespoons Mushroom Marinara Sauce per roll

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 º F.

2. Slice the eggplant stem to bottom, (not side-to-side) into 14 slices, about 3/8” thick.

3. Spray 2 large cookie sheet pans with olive oil and lay out eggplant slices. Bake for about 30 minutes covered with tin foil. Turn the slices over and drizzle olive oil and *dried herbs on top and continue baking about 5 minutes more, until almost tender. The eggplant needs to be tender enough to fold, but not break apart.

4. Blend tofu, liquid aminos, lemon juice and garlic until smooth and add the mixture to a medium size mixing bowl.

5. In a food processor, pulse sun-dried tomatoes until chopped fine. Spoon the tomato

mixture into the mixing bowl with the tofu, gently folding in the fresh minced basil.

6. When the eggplant is cool, lay out the slices, spoon 1 heaping tablespoon measure of filling on top of the smaller end of the un-seasoned side of the eggplant, rolling it up until the other side is met. Place eggplant rolls in a 9” x 12” oil-sprayed Pyrex baking dish. Bake the roll-ups seam side down, so that they do not come apart, for 25-30 minutes.

7. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the heated Mushroom Marinara Sauce recipe on top of each of the eggplant rolls and serve.

Yield 14 rolls

*Assemble rolls so that dried herbs are on top, for presentation.

Instead of soaking *sun-dried tomatoes, you can also purchase an 8.5 ounces jar from Trader Joes. Drain oil, mince l/2 cup and add in step 5.

To press water out in tofu, place a plate or board on the bottom and top and put a heavy weight on the top for about one hour.

Excerpt from Vegan Bite By Bite by Marilyn Peterson

White Bean - Sun-dried Tomato Pate

2013-07-02T13:35:00.003-07:00

White Bean - Sun-dried Tomato Pate

Soak 1 cup of white navy beans the night before, and rinse the beans in the morning, and drain.

1 c. white navy beans

5 c. water

2 bay leaves

Bring beans and bay leaves to a boil and turn down heat, and cook until tender. Skim any white foam off of the top and discard.

In a food processor add:

cooked white navy beans

1/3 c. sun-dried tomatoes (if using a jar, drain off oil)

1/3 c. basil, fresh (packed tightly)

1 tsp. garlic, fresh

1/2 - 1 tsp olive oil

1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. Kalamata olive juice

1 -2 squirts of lemon juice (to taste)

Season with sea salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions

Blend mixture together until smooth and then fill a small bowl with the bean pate.

Garnish

Garnish with slices of red, yellow and orange peppers around the bowl.

This pate can also be served on sliced cucumbers or filled inside celery stalks and served as an appetizer.

Jazzy Vegetable Soup

2013-06-15T14:26:00.002-07:00

Jazzy Vegetable Soup

1 ½ c. celery root, chopped

2 c. onion, white, diced

4 c. carrots, sliced

3 ½ c. potatoes, red, cut bite size

2 Tbsp. garlic, minced

1 – 28 oz. can tomatoes, diced

1 c. marinara sauce

12 c. water, pure

3 lg. bay leaves

1 tbsp. coriander

1 tbsp. cumin

pinch cayenne pepper

1 c. miso, white

2 tbsp. Namashoyu sauce

Season to taste – sea salt and black pepper

Directions

In a 5 quart soup pot add the first four ingredients, adding a tiny amount of water to the mixture and sauté until the onions are golden brown. Add all of the remaining ingredients including garlic, (except miso) liquids and veggies and bring them to a boil, then turn down the heat to simmer. Add the cumin and coriander at this time.

Cook until all vegetables are tender and the flavors are meshed together. Add miso at the end of cooking time, thoroughly dissolving the miso into the soup. Add the remaining seasonings.

Season to your taste. Be sure to remove the bay leaves before serving.

Below is a picture of how I stored the soup for the freezer. Although glass is the healthiest way to store frozen foods, plastics are practical to conserve freezer space because of the way they easily stack.

Although oils do add to the flavors and richen the recipe, many people today are doing their best to cut down and even eliminate un-necessary oils in their diets. For this reason I made up this recipe with a water saute, rather than using oil.

Udon Noodles - Broccoli - Tofu with Spicy Peanut Ginger Sauce

2013-06-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

These recipes are an excerpt from the book Vegan Bite by Bite by Marilyn Peterson

Udon Noodles-Broccoli-Tofu with Spicy Peanut Ginger Sauce

This recipe makes a delicious entree or side dish served hot, or re-served cold. There is economical and nutritional value in peeling the broccoli stems and cutting and slicing them, utilizing the whole vegetable rather than just the florets when preparing broccoli.

Noodles-Tofu & Broccoli

1- 8 ounce package Udon noodles, (follow directions on package)

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 pound tofu, firm, cut into 1/2” square cubes

1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

6 medium (1 cup) shitake mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup red bell pepper, small, 1/4”-1/2” dice

2 cups broccoli florets, pressed tightly in a measuring cup

2 medium carrots (1 cup) shredded

2 tablespoons nama shoyu soy sauce

1/2 cup mung bean sprouts

3 green scallions, sliced thin

2 tablespoons peanuts (dry roasted) chopped

Directions

1. Prepare Spicy Peanut Ginger Sauce recipe.

2. Noodles-Tofu & Broccoli: Cook Udon noodles until tender, rinse and drain. Toss noodles with 1/2 of the peanut sauce in a large bowl and set aside.

3. In a large sauté pan, sauté tofu in sesame oil. Add nama shoyu sauce. Brown on all sides over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, mushrooms, red bell pepper and broccoli and cover with a lid and cook until slightly browned. (Al dente)

4. When the vegetables are almost done and feel slightly tender, toss in carrots, stir around a few times, and take the mixture off of the heat.

5. Combine the Udon noodles and the vegetables with the remaining peanut sauce until the noodles are evenly coated.

6. Serve immediately and garnish with bean sprouts, scallions and toasted peanuts, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

Yield serves 4 - 6

Spicy Peanut Ginger Sauce

Almond Butter can be used instead of Peanut Butter if you prefer. For any leftovers, this recipe goes well with any type noodle or steamed green vegetable. This sauce goes with the Udon Noodles-Broccoli-Tofu recipe.

1 cup peanut butter, unsalted

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1/2 teaspoon shallot, minced

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

3/4 cup water, pure

3 tablespoons nama shoyu soy sauce

3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

1/4 teaspoon red crushed chile pepper seeds

Directions

1. In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

2. Serve over selected recipe choice.

Yield 1-1/2 cups

Note:

This sauce is best made into a medium thick consistency.

EXCERPT FROM VEGAN BITE BY BITE BY MARILYN PETERSON

Purple Kale Pepper Salad

2013-05-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

This multi-colored mini pepper and purple kale salad keeps beautifully for about one week in a ziplock bag, sealed tightly. The lower picture shows how it is stored in the refrigerator. I personally like a Tahini Dressing or any creamy dressing to compliment this colorful garden bouquet.

Ingredients
1 bunch purple kale, washed and thoroughly dried and torn fine. Remove stems.
4 each mini size yellow, red and orange peppers
4 green scallions, sliced
8 medium radishes, sliced
2 c. red cabbage, sliced fine
1/2 c. celery sliced fine

After making up the salad in a large bowl, put it in a ziplock bag for storage in the refrigerator. Save cut stems in a small ziplock bag for a stir-fry or for steaming.

Tofu Medley

2013-05-03T17:21:00.000-07:00

Tofu Medley

This medley can be served over any whole grain, or noodle.

1 – 16 oz. package tofu, medium firm, cubed (in a separate skillet)

(To drain tofu, place tofu between 2 plates with paper towel underneath,

placing weight on top for about 30 minutes).

1 tbsp. olive oil

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Saute cubed tofu in a separate skillet until golden brown on all sides, season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In another skillet

3 cups brown onions, cubed

2 cups peppers, multi-colored, sliced

1 box mushrooms, washed and sliced

1 tbsp. garlic, fresh, minced

3 cups spinach, fresh, washed and drained

1/2 tsp. olive oil for mixture

season with sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Add olive oil, onions and sauté until golden brown.

2. Add peppers until slightly tender.

3. Add mushrooms and garlic

4. When above mixture is al dente, add spinach and mix throughout, shutting off heat.

5. Drain liquid, and gently mix in tofu.

6. Re-season if necessary.

7. Serve hot.

Note

You can also substitute diced potatoes for tofu.

Nachos for Cinco De Mayo 2013

2013-04-18T11:22:00.002-07:00

Cinco de Mayo Nachos

These nachos were made up for guests at Cal-a-Vie resort & spa in Escondido, California, where I worked with Rosie Daley. (Oprah's Chef) I designed and prepared the special diets dishes for vegetarian and vegan celebrities.

The 5th of May is Cinco De Mayo, and celebrations are made up of dishes like nachos (above) and enchiladas (below) tacos and margaritas are often added to this celebration, as a part of the traditional Mexican festivities.

Nachos
Organic corn chips
Vegan cheese shreds, Daiya pepperjack, or your flavor preference
Diced onion
Black olives, sliced
Red bell pepper, diced
Black beans, seasoned with vegan taco seasoning
Vegan ground beef crumble, seasoned with taco seasoning
Vegan sour cream, see recipe below for cashew sour cream
Guacamole
Salsa

Layer organic corn chips in a lotus flower style design and top the chips with sprinkles of Daiya cheese. For this recipe I would suggest Pepperjack style shreds. Garnish the nachos with pieces of red pepper and sliced black olives. Bake in the oven at 350 until the cheese melts and serve hot. Optional toppings also include black beans and/or vegan mock ground beef crumble, seasoned with taco seasoning, salsa, vegan sour cream, etc.

Cashew Sour Cream

1 cup cashews, whole and raw

1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced

5 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup water, pure

Add all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy consistency is reached. Chill in refrigerator.

Guacamole

2 avocados, ripe

1/4 cup onions, diced small

1 tomato, diced small

1 lime, fresh squeezed

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Sea salt, as needed

Scoop out avocados in a small bowl and mash. Add in onions, tomato, and lime juice and mix, leaving as lumpy or mixed as you like. Add in red pepper flakes and salt as needed.

Prepping for Cinco de Mayo celebration!

If you would like to view a picture and see the recipe for Fiesta Tostada, go to www.veganbitebybite.com and sign up for the newsletter before May 1, 2013, as it will be included in that month's newsletter. Also included in the newsletter will be fun facts about Cinco de Mayo, a great article on vegan celebrities, as well as information about Mother's Day and Memorial Day.

2013-04-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

CAULIFLOWER POTATO SOUP

Tonight I made Cauliflower Potato Soup for my family and friends. I like this recipe because it is healthy, simple and tasty, like in nutritionally delicious.

Here is the recipe. Tonight I used the outer green leaves of the cauliflower as well, due to its high mineral value. To this recipe I added some bite sized steamed potatoes for texture. Sliced green scallions garnish the soup. Leftover soup is a great freezer item when you want "fast foods".

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

You can use a stainless submerge blender by Oster, or one by Braun to hand-mix soup in the pot. If using a regular blender for hot soup, be careful because steam pressure can build up. To avoid this, start out on a low setting, and gradually increase to high.

2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes (2 medium potatoes) cut in medium pieces

5-1/2 cups water, pure

1 cup onions, (1 small) sliced

5-1/2 cups cauliflower (1 medium cauliflower) cut into medium pieces

4 tablespoons vegan butter

1 cup soy creamer

1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced

3 tablespoons white miso

2 tablespoons liquid aminos

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Herbes De Provence

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

pinch cayenne pepper

garnish: black sesame seeds (optional)

* If adding cauliflower raw greens, chop fine and add them at step 6.

Directions

1. Pour water into a 5 quart soup pot and bring to a boil, add potatoes, turn down the heat to medium, cook potatoes 5-10 minutes.

2. Add cauliflower and onions, bring to boil, turn heat down and simmer 25 minutes.

3. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except sesame seeds. Simmer 5 minutes.

4. Blend the contents in a blender until smooth and creamy.

5. Ladle into individual bowls.

6. Garnish with black sesame seeds (optional) Serve while hot.

7. If you are freezing leftovers, name and date label with a marking pen.

Yield: serves 4 (8-1/2 cups)

Note:

Optional: Cauliflower greens, chopped fine can be added in Step #3. Blended, the soup will come out with a light green tint or add raw with sesame seeds garnish.

CREATING RECIPES

2013-02-16T11:54:00.001-08:00

I find that when it’s time to prepare a recipe and I don’t know where to start - I just start! I often start with the basics of onions, mushrooms and garlic.

By the time that the basics are done, my intuition will “kick in” and guide me to what can be added next. Of course I have to have some ingredients on hand to work with, so I will scan my pantry for sauces perhaps for flavorings, or the refrigerator to see what vegetables I may have on hand and choose from there. But I let “working with what I have” guide me to a delicious recipe.

Many of my best recipes have come from this type of process, where I leave my mind aside and trust my intuition, often creating recipes outside of the box! Don’t be afraid to take an ingredient that you like the taste of, and add it to other ingredients.

This is a version of an intuitive breakfast I make for my husband and I. I have toasted Hemp bread (French Meadow Bakery) and I have blended chard, added white miso, earth balance butter, bragg’s aminos and a tiny amount of garlic and blended the steamed greens with the steamed water. On the toast, (buttered or un-buttered) I have placed sliced avocado, and tempeh bacon strips. Pour the blender mixture over the open faced covered toasts. Sometimes I will serve this at a time besides breakfast.

Chard and Tempeh over Hemp Toasts

MUSHROOM MARINARA SAUCE-TEMPEH BALLS

2013-02-01T13:52:00.000-08:00

Tempeh Balls are made up of Tempeh, Tempeh bacon, hemp bread, onions, garlic and spices.

Mushroom Marinara Sauce

This sauce is great for pasta, lasagna or Neatballs. You can also substitute *meatless ground for mushrooms, or prepare the sauce without either. If you are adding meatless ground, add 2 cups right after step 2, for 10 minutes.

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups onions, (1 large) peeled, diced, small

3 cups button mushrooms, (12 medium/large) chopped small in food processor

3 tablespoons garlic, minced fine

1 can ‘fire roasted’ crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)

1 can ‘fire roasted’ diced tomatoes (28 ounces)

1 can chunky tomato sauce (28 ounces)

4 medium bay leaves

2/3 cup fresh basil, rough chop

1 teaspoon oregano, dried

1 teaspoon thyme, dried

2-1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1-1/2 teaspoons black pepper, ground

tiny pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

1. In a 5 quart soup pot medium-low heat the olive oil and sauté the onions until they are translucent.

2. Add mushrooms to the pot and stir until browned and tender.

3. Add in the garlic and stir for about a minute.

4. Add the tomato ingredients, bay leaves and dried herbs. Quickly bring the mixture to a low boil. Simmer for two hours, stirring occasionally.

5. Add fresh basil and remaining ingredients, let them simmer for another 10 minutes.

6. Remove bay leaves before serving hot.

7. Ladle one cup of sauce servings over pasta or spaghetti squash.

8. For the freezer, name and date container label with a marking pen.

Yield 8-1/2 cups

Rice pasta is recommended instead of whole wheat or semolina. (follow directions on the package). This sauce is heartier adding either filling. A tiny pinch of cayenne brings out deeper flavors. *Meatless ground may be Yves or Lightlife brand. For stage 2 prepare spaghetti squash as your pasta with Mushroom Marinara Sauce. Recipe can be frozen.

Excerpted from the book by Vegan Bite By Bite by Marilyn Peterson

Spontaneous Brunch

2013-01-11T14:04:00.000-08:00

On short notice I decided to have a holiday brunch for my friends. In the top picture, I chose a basic Curry Tofu Scramble recipe from Vegan Bite By Bite book (page 145) and added spinach to this version of the recipe. The second picture is a package of Tempeh Bacon Strips by Lightlife, which are just crisply browned and heated in the skillet. With this brunch I served organic hemp bagels from French Meadow Bakery with pimento cream cheese, below (page 182 - Vegan Bite By Bite book)

My husband taught me a recipe for non-dairy hot chocolate that we also served with some jams and almond butter for those with a sweet tooth.

Afterwards, we reminisced about our visit to India and some exciting stories were shared about travels all over the world and some of the experiences we've all had. It was a fun day!!
For those of you that may not have the book, I am including the link http://amzn.to/wEH9wq

Stuffed Acorn Squash

2012-12-19T15:26:00.003-08:00

Here is a snapshot of a meal that I made at holiday time for the James Cromwell family many, years ago.

Although I don’t have a recipe for this one, I can tell you how I made it.

Stuffed Acorn Squash
First I baked acorn squash whole, until tender, de-seeded the squash, and cut off the tops to make them look like hats, covering the filling.
Basically the filling is made up of any grain, such as brown rice or quinoa. Cook the grain to twice the amount of water until light and fluffy.

Add the cooked grain to a medium size bowl.
Sautee diced onions, sliced mushrooms and garlic in some olive oil until golden brown.
Add some dried cranberries and mix all of the above together.
Mince small amount of fresh sage, rosemary and thyme to the mixture.
I added about one cup of the following pimento cheese recipe to the mixture to add more flavor. Season to taste.

If you prefer to use a packaged organic stuffing mix, then prepare the mix to the directions and after sautéing the mix, stuff the Acorn Squash. You can still add the dried cranberries and the pimento cheese to make the stuffing more unique.

On the platter pictured there is also Tofurkey, and sliced baked yams. Tofurkey can be purchased at Whole Foods or natural food stores.

Pimento Cream Cheese
This cream cheese recipe holds great stuffed in a cucumber shell and wrapped in both saran wrap and tin foil overnight. With a serrated knife cut thin slices and garnish for serving on an appetizer platter. Or you can spoon it in a tomato shell on lettuce leaves.
1 cup red pepper (1/2 large) rough chop
1 teaspoon garlic, rough chop
1 cup cashew nuts
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions
1. Blend all of the ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth and creamy.
2. Allow for set up in the refrigerator to resemble the texture of cream cheese.
Yield 1 cup

Exerpted from the book VEGAN BITE BY BITE by Marilyn Peterson

Rainbow Parfait

2012-11-19T16:50:00.003-08:00

These parfait desserts make a great presentation. For any leftovers, the chef has the bonus snack. Fruits prepared this way are also excellent for smoothies.

Below I am giving ingredients according to layers. The blueberry mixture is 1st and 3rd layer.

Holiday time is the season for Persimmons!

1st layer
2 ½ cups blueberries, fresh
4 -6 tablespoons agave nectar (amount is determined by the sweetness of blueberries)
2 teaspoons coconut oil
Directions correspond with each bold numbered layer
1. Blend the above in a blender and divide half the mixture between 4 parfait glasses. Spoon approximately ¼ cup in each glass.

2nd layer
1 cup strawberries, fresh
½ cup cashews
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon coconut oil
2. Blend, spoon out 2nd layer, dividing the mixture between 4 parfait glasses. Spoon approximately ¼ cup in each glass.

3rd layer
3. Add the remaining blueberry mixture to the 4 parfait glasses.

4th layer
4. Blend 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks. Make sure that there is enough space left for the 5th layer of persimmons, or blend 2 cups pineapple for layers 4 and 5 if you are not using persimmons) Divide mixture between 4 parfait glasses.

5th layer
5. If you are not using pineapple for this layer then blend 1 large pitted persimmon and finish off the layering process for the glasses.
6. Allow dessert to set up overnight in the refrigerator. Garnish with a strawberry fan and mint leaf sprig.

Yield serves 4

Note: Any colorful combination of fruits can be used. If persimmons are not in season, use another colorful, custard-like fruit, such as mango. or increase the amount of pineapple. Sapote and cherimoya are also delicious custard-like fruits but they lack the color intensity. They make it up in flavor! Natural sugars in fruits vary so adjust sweetness

Yummy and Simple Tempeh Tuna Wraps

2012-10-23T17:50:00.002-07:00

Tempeh Tuna Wraps

INGREDIENTS:
1-8 ounce package tempeh, cut into 4 pieces
1-1/2 cups celery, diced fine
1/2 cup green scallions, sliced fine
1/2 cup Vegenaise
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons liquid aminos
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 package whole wheat tortillas
Garnish: olives

DIRECTIONS:
1. Pulse tempeh in food processor until fine. Put tempeh in a medium size bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, except tortillas and olives and mix together well.

2. Spread 1 teaspoon Vegenaise on each tortilla and layer 1 lettuce leaf with several sunflower sprouts. Spoon out less than 1/2 cup mixture evenly and spread it over the lettuce and roll the tortilla into a wrap. Garnish with an olive and serve.

Yield: 2-1/2 cups or 6 wraps

Tempeh is a fermented soy food high in protein, and easier to digest than tofu as it is less processed. It comes in a variety of different flavors, as well as “to go” burgers in the refrigerated section of natural food stores. The ‘vegetable’ flavor is great for this recipe. This is a great transitional recipe towards raw. This was a mainstay with me when I was transitioning to a higher percentage of raw foods in my diet.

Kim Chi is another condiment that goes great with this dish, as well as helping out with digestion. It can be purchased at a natural food store, but I choose to make my own. I make mine by adding ground up vegetables, such as carrots, beets, celery, cabbage (red & green) zucchini squash, etc. I put those vegetables in the food processor, and then add either a fermentation starter or a mixture of sea salt, lemon juice and a hit of cayenne pepper. The mixture is stored in a large mason jar outside the refrigerator for about one week, then refrigerated. Make certain that the jar lid is on tight.

Hummus and Nut Pate's also make great fillings for the collard wraps.

To find out how to make the other items in the picture (Spicy Beet Borscht and Sundried Tomato Pate), see last month's blog below.

Excerpted from the book VEGAN BITE BY BITE by Marilyn Peterson
www.veganbitebybite.com

Spicy Beet Borscht & Sundried Tomato Pate'

2012-08-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

We go through many transition steps in life, including those that come with embracing a plant-based diet. The next step in my own dietary growth and evolution is to get back to a place where I was before I starting testing recipes for my book.

I was (and still am) very interested in the transition a person must go through to accept a raw foods diet and I was spending time in the kitchen learning how to make dishes that would help others with this transition. My personal progress with the vegan raw foods diet seemed to set up a challenge for me, as I was already experiencing my taste buds starting to really crave raw, healthy foods..

For the most part, I would test myself to see how hungry I truly was at the moment by taking an internal inventory of whether I wanted to eat a food that was simple in taste – or whether I was craving a “tasty” and “rich” food. I would use this barometer to guide me. Sometimes a fruit snack or small fruit meal are the perfect substitute, if you are not too hungry for the simpler tastes at that time.

Many times, by the time you do eat a meal, the simpler food will appeal to you in a greater way.

Whether an exclusive raw foods diet is your goal, or it is just to increase your percentage of raw meals, I strongly encourage you to experiment in the kitchen with more raw dishes.

Although these 2 recipes are not 100% raw, you can see how raw foods are included in the recipe. And of course these basic dishes can be transformed to fully raw if you wish.

This first recipe: Spicy Beet Borscht includes a raw beet. If you would rather make it a raw cold soup, then add fresh vegetables including tomatoes to your blender, instead of V8 juice.

Spicy Beet Borscht /Cashew Sour Cream

Up the garlic and cayenne and call this soup ‘Count Dracula’s Blood’. Adjust the
lemon, garlic and spice to your taste. This soup is best chilled before serving,
and is easy to make up in advance. This soup is a ‘winner’ for those who like
beets. You can store the borscht in the vegetable juice bottle.

Borscht
1 quart vegetable juice, bottle, organic (R.W. Knudsen ‘Very Veggie’)
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
4 small or 2 cups beets, peeled, cubed small
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 pinches cayenne pepper
dill sprig garnish (optional)
Cashew Sour Cream
1 cup cashews, whole and raw
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
5 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup water, pure

Directions
Borscht
1. Blend 1/3 of the vegetable juice in a blender with the garlic. Add the beets,
lemon juice, remaining vegetable juice, and cayenne into the blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Chill in the refrigerator.
Cashew Sour Cream
4. Add all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy
consistency is reached. Chill in refrigerator.
Assembly
5. Place the borscht in a serving bowl. Then add two dollops of the cashew
sour cream to the top of the soup and serve. Garnish with a dill sprig.

Yield Borscht - 1 quart + 1-1/2 cups Sour Cream -1-1/4 cup serves 4-6

For the recipe for the collard wraps, wash and pat dry the collards, de-spine them, line the leaves with a lettuce leaf first and then fill them with the Sun-dried Tomato Pate' recipe.

Sun-dried Tomato Pate'

This pate’ can be used as a spread on crackers, cucumber rounds, celery sticks or a sandwich. It can also be a filling in rolled Collard leaves or Belgium endive. If soaking sun-dried tomatoes, soak for 15 minutes. Use the soak water instead of adding the pure

water in the recipe. This pate’ has a very good refrigerated shelf life.

1 cup walnuts, soaked, rinsed and drained dry = 1-1/3 cups

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed tight, (or 1/2 cup from an 8.5 ounce jar. Drain)

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup basil leaves or 6 medium leaves (packed tight in a measuring cup)

*4 - 6 tablespoons water, pure (see *note below)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon garlic, rough chop

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 pinch black pepper, ground

Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Crush

2012-07-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is only half of how good it tastes!

This non-dairy raw cheesecake is made with a crust of walnuts, pecans, shredded coconut and dates. The filling is cashew nuts, fresh lemon juice, coconut oil, and agave. The topping is fresh blueberries crushed and poured over the top. A ‘Vita-Mix’ blender is ideal for this recipe because lower-powered ‘generic’ blenders just won’t give you a smooth enough consistency for the filling. If using another blender, be sure to stop the blender and hand-mix/stir the contents from time to time throughout the blending process. This is an easy, yummy ‘cheesecake’ to prepare.

Crust
1/3 cup pure water
1 cup walnuts
1 cup pecans
1 cup dried figs, stems removed
2 tablespoons coconut flour, for dusting

Directions
In a food processor, ‘pulse’ the walnuts and pecans until chopped small. Place in a large bowl.
Blend the figs with 1/3 cup pure water in the food processor until smooth and mix with the nuts thoroughly.
In a 7” diameter X 2” high ‘spring release’ cake pan, dust the surface and sides with coconut flour. Press the crust dough down very tightly, lining the bottom and sides to the very top. Set aside.

Filling
2 cups cashews
1 cup *lemon juice
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons vanilla flavoring
1/2 cup water, pure
Topping: 1 box blueberries, fresh, whole, rinsed and drained (see step 2)

Directions
Blend all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth and creamy.
Pour mixture into crust. Blend 1/2 box of blueberries with 1/2 teaspoon of agave and mix with remaining blueberries. Cover ‘cheesecake’ with the blueberry mixture.
Refrigerate a minimum of 24 hours and serve when the ‘cheesecake’ sets up firmly.

Yield: one 7” ’cheesecake’ serves 12-16 Excerpted from Vegan Bite By Bite book.

SIMPLE HEALTHY MEALS

2012-05-10T14:28:00.001-07:00

When I prepare meals, I try to focus on the health benefits of each meal. I never compromise taste. I include as many therapeutic delicious tasting dishes as I can. For me, a meal tastes especially good when I feel energetic after the meal! This is one of the best compliments my guests will often give me - when they tell me how good they feel after the meal, as well as how much they enjoyed it.

Fermented foods are so valuable for their enzymes for digestion. I try to include them whenever it would be complimentary with the rest of the meal. For instance, Miso is a fermented food and I will include Miso in a salad dressing or put it into a soup wherever I can. (never boil Miso or it will destroy its valuable healthy properties of replenishing the intestinal flora. (friendly bacteria in the intestines)

For instance, sometimes I will make a Tempeh Reuben Sandwich with generous amounts of sauerkraut. I prepare my own simple Kim Chee by putting vegetables in the food processor. Carrots, celery, beets, green/red cabbage sea vegetables (arame or hizike), etc. I will either use a fermentation starter and/or add celtic salt, cayenne and sometimes a tiny squeeze of lemon juice. I put this in a large Mason jar with a tight lid and set it out without refrigeration for about a week before putting in the refrigerator. The recipe never comes out the same because I am not using a recipe. I am merely using the vegetables I have on hand in the refrigerator.

Below is a couple of samplings of dishes I recently made for our simple lunch. Simple for me, means the recipes take only a few minutes to prepare! The description of dishes is also below.

The top picture wooden plate is made up of Kim Chee, Spicy Beet Borscht & Cashew Sour Cream, Coleslaw, Potato Salad and Tempeh Bacon with Vegetables (Lettuce/Carrots) Wrap and garnished with olives.

The bottom wooden plate is made up of Coleslaw, olives/Avocado, Jerusalem Artichokes with Sun-dried Tomatoes, basil and capers. and Spicy Beet Borsch/Cashew Sour Cream. Many of the recipes can be found in my book, Vegan Bite By Bite.

When I prepare menu meals for my husband and myself I'm keeping in mind the calcium foods and foods high in iron, etc. I am not concerned with getting enough protein because I know that as long as we are eating whole grains, legumes (beans & lentils, etc.) seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables we are getting plenty of protein, as long as we eat enough calories for our body.

BBQ Tempeh Burger Time!

2012-05-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

This photo includes baked french fries, pickle, ketchup and a lettuce-tomato-cucumber-radish salad.

BBQ Tempeh Burgers

Seeds or nuts can be dry toasted on a stovetop to give a nuttier flavor to a dish. Place the seeds in a sauté pan over low heat, wait a few minutes and stir constantly. When the seeds or nuts begin to brown and give off a toasty aroma they are done. Be careful because nuts and seeds can go from perfect to burned in seconds. Take them off of the heat just a little before you think they are done.

Ingredients:
1 Quinoa recipe
2 packages (12 ounces) ‘smokey Tempeh strips’ crumbled (Lightlife brand product)
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 cups onion, (2 medium) diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Nama Shoyu soy sauce
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, dry toasted
2 teaspoons mesquite seasoning blend
2/3 cup barbeque sauce
olive oil spray

Directions:
1. Toast seeds in medium pan on top of stove and place them in a large bowl.
2. Prepare Quinoa recipe and put it in the mixing bowl with the seeds.
3. In a food processor add the Tempeh and pulse until a crumbled paste. Then add Tempeh to the mixing bowl of Quinoa and sunflower seeds.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
5. In a saute pan place the onions and garlic in olive oil, cook, mixing and stirring until a transparent golden color.
6. Add the onion mixture to the bowl and mix in soy sauce, barbeque sauce and spices, mixing until fully incorporated.
7. Spray a 10’ x 14’ pan or cookie sheet with olive oil.
8. Divide the mixture into 6 equal sized balls and then shape each ball into a tight patty. Place the patties on the cookie sheet or pan and then bake them for about 45 minutes on one side, gently turning them, and then 30 minutes on the other side, until browned.

Note:
Allow the Quinoa to cool before working it into patties or it will burn your hands. These burgers are easy to freeze and have on hand when short on time. This is where the expression “hand to mouth” comes from (just kidding).

Yield: 6 patties

Thinking Outside the Box

2012-05-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

Today my husband Wendel asked for a Scrambled Tofu breakfast. After realizing that I usually put diced potatoes in the breakfast scramble, he exclaimed "We have no potatoes". I surprised him by verifying that we had french fries (baked) in the freezer. I pre-baked them and cut them tidbit size and used those instead. My style of cooking is to create recipes with whatever ingredients I have in the house. In this case I added Cilantro to the recipe.

Below is what the skillet of Scrambled Tofu and Potatoes looked like:

Where there is a will, there is often a way to "think outside the box".

Dinner: Purple Slaw and Butternut Squash

2012-05-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

It is my preference to eat a high percentage of raw foods, especially in the warmer weather with the abundance of summer seasonal fruits. Summer is a great time for cleansing the body by eating lots of organic, raw fruits and vegetables.

For lunch and dinner I will always serve a salad with whatever else I am making. I enjoy fixing different types of salads besides the variety of lettuces, such as watercress, endive, escarole, cabbages, and dandelion greens.

Here's what I made for dinner for myself and my husband the other day: Purple Slaw with Asian Dressing, Chard, Polenta and Butternut Squash. One word: YUM.

I don't have a recipe written down for the chard or the Polenta-Butternut Squash portions. In a nutshell for the latter, I've plated cooked polenta under a mixture of tender butternut squash chunks, red pepper and onions in a coconut sauce. Season to taste.

Here is the recipe for the Coleslaw (it can be found in my book):

Coleslaw & Dressing

I like making up this salad and putting it in a Ziploc bag and storing it in the refrigerator. Hold off on dressing the coleslaw until serving. This dressing also compliments green steamed vegetables.

Ingredients:
3 cups cabbage, green (1 small head) shredded
1/2 cup green pepper, diced small
3/4 cup green scallions (2-3) sliced thin
1-1/2 cups carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup curly parsley, minced

Directions:
Place the four ingredients into a bowl and toss together.
Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.
If serving 4 toss the cabbage with all of the dressing or save the rest.

Yield: serves 4

Coleslaw Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Vegenaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Yield: about 3/4 cup

Note:
Add lemon juice according to your taste, lemon tartness varies.

“Cabbage, both red and green, is one of the least expensive of the vitamin protective foods, and is one of the most healthful vegetables. It is an excellent source of vitamin C. Cabbage contains many minerals: it is rich in calcium and potassium, and contains chlorine, iodine, phosphorous, sodium and sulfur. Red cabbage has more calcium, but less of the other minerals than white or green cabbage.” (Foods That Heal by dr. Bernard Jensen)

The gang showed up for breakfast!

2012-04-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

Unexpected things come up. I've had out of town company and friends show up early mornings, so here's a skillet version of Scrambled Tofu. This time, to the recipe I added potatoes, shitake mushrooms and broccoli to expand the original recipe. When making a dish like this, everything you like can be added. Sometimes the potatoes could be the main ingredient instead of the tofu. It depends on what you want to use from your refrigerator that gives it a recipe title. For instance this recipe could be called "Potato Scramble" instead of "Tofu Scramble".

Lunch: Avocado-Tofu Sandwich

2012-04-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

For lunch: Mixed Greens Salad with Pimento Dressing, Black Bean Soup and Avocado-Tofu Sandwich.

The Avocado-Tofu Sandwich and the Pimento Dressing recipes are in my book, Vegan Bite By Bite, but I created this Black Bean soup recipe on the fly so I didn't have time to document the amounts of each ingredient. Basically, it's:

Soak the black beans overnight, then rinse and drain the beans.
Cook them in enough water or vegetable stock until they are tender (add enough water to leave room for added vegetables).
After the beans are tender, add minced garlic, chopped onions, sliced carrots, celery chunks, bite-sized red potatoes, ground cumin and coriander with a couple of bay leaves. Cook until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the bay leaves. Blend the soup mixture adding white Miso and raw cashew nuts. *NOTE: Miso contains friendly bacteria for the intestinal tract and it is a very delicate property. It's best to heat Miso at low temperatures, but never boil as it will destroy the friendly bacteria value. Cashew nuts, when heated, will thicken.

Here are two lunch recipes excerpted from my book, Vegan Bite By Bite, for Pimento Dressing and Avocado-Tofu Cream Cheese filling for the sandwich:

Pimento Dressing

This colorful dressing is a hit whenever it is served. This recipe contains no added oils, other than the natural oils in the cashew nuts. The best presentation for this dressing is to serve it on top of the salad rather than mixed throughout.

Ingredients:
2 cups red pepper (1 large red pepper) rough chop
1 tablespoon garlic
1 cup cashews
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1-3/4 teaspoons sea salt

Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth and creamy.
2. Drizzle 2 tablespoons on top of the salad or refrigerate in a glass container.

Yield: 2 cups

Note:
The deep colorful red pepper will make the dressing a more brilliant color. This dressing has a good refrigerated shelf life.

Avocado Tofu Cream Cheese

This recipe tastes very good stuffed inside the leaves of butter lettuce. Place a couple of tablespoons of the mixture inside the lettuce leaf and roll it into a log. Or serve as a sandwich or wrap filling, stuffed in a tomato, or on top of a salad.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup tofu, Silken, drain, cut small cubes
1 avocado, medium, pitted and peeled
3 tablespoons Vegenaise
1/4 bunch scallions, (1/3 cup) sliced fine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon liquid aminos
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:
1. Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and mash well.
2. Chill and serve.

Yield: 1 cup

Note:
“The avocado contains fourteen minerals, all of which regulate body functions and stimulate growth. Especially noteworthy are its iron and copper contents, which aid in red blood regeneration and the prevention of nutritional anemia." (Foods That Heal by Dr. Bernard Jensen)