Blueberry Muffins...Nacho Taco Salad...Smoky Chipotle Tempeh...Tofu Piccata

I haven't been very good about keeping up on my recipes and pictures! Here are several new yummies!Recipes to come...

This blueberry muffin recipe turned out perfect! I veganized the Better Homes and Gardens recipe for muffins and added blueberries.Yum!

Blueberry Muffins
1 cup white flour
¾ whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 t baking powder
½ t salt
1 T flaxmeal mixed with 3 T water
¾ cup almond milk
¼ cup oil
1 ½ cups frozen or fresh blueberries

Combine dry ingredients. Separately combine wet ingredients. Fold wet ingredients into dry. Fold in blueberries. Distribute evenly into 12 muffin cups. Bake at 400 for 15-18 min.


I made the cheezee sauce from Vegan on the Cheap to accompany these nachos. The nachos were good overall, though I likely wouldn't make the sauce again. It was pretty strong in flavor. It was fairly good mixed with the other ingredients but just wasn't our favorite. I had some leftover "chicken" seitan that I pulsed into "grounds" and seasoned with garlic salt, cumin, and chili powder. I layered tortilla chips with the cheezee sauce, guacamole, salsa and seitan. Quite a yummy Mexican meal.

Cheezee Sauce (Vegan on the Cheap)
2/3 cup nutritional yeast
3 T cornstarch
1 1/4 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
1 T olive oil
2 t lemon juice
2 t apple cider vinegar
1 t mustard

In saucepan, combine yeast, cornstarch, salt, and garlic powder. In separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Slowly whisk wet ingredients into dry over medium heat. Continue stirring until mixture becomes thick and hot.


I found this recipe in the Candle Cafe cookbook and modified it a bit. The recipe made a huge amount of marinade so I cut it in half. It was still more than enough sauce. I also decided to slice the tempeh and layer it on rolls rather than cutting it into burger-like shapes. I didn't marinate it overnight either but it was still really yummy. It was best when dipped in a pool of the marinade/bbq sauce. A bit spicy but not too hot. Unfortunately, we had grumpy kiddoes so I was in such a hurry to get dinner on the table that I forgot to take a pic until after we had already finished dinner and I was putting leftovers away! So, the pics aren't all that great of this meal but at least you have an idea of what the tempeh adn sauce look like!


I have been so pleased with making baked tofu - crusting it with panko makes for such a nice crisp coating without all the fat of frying. I saw a recipe for a lemon caper sauce served over tofu and modified it a bit and then crumb-coated and baked my tofu instead of using the method in the original recipe. I thought it turned out surprisingly well and the lemon-caper sauce was very piccata-like, thus the name I chose for this semi-made-up recipe!

Barbequed Tempeh-Chipotle Sandwiches (adpated from The Candle Cafe Cookbook)
1 t chipotle chili powder
1 minced garlic clove
1 1/4 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup coconut crystals or sugar
1/8 cup mustard
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t sea salt
1 8 oz package tempeh
buns

Combine all ingredients except tempeh and buns in a ziptop bag. Mix well. Simmer tempeh in pot of water for 20 min. Add to marinade. Marinate for as long as possible (preferably a few hours but not necessary). Remove tempeh from marinade and slice into strips. Heat oven to 425. Place slices of tempeh on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Cook 5-7 min on each side. Place strips on buns. Heat remaining marinade and serve to the side.

"Fish" Tacos

I was browsing Morgan's website(http://littlehouseofveggies.blogspot.com/) and came across her recipe for "fish" tacos. They looked fabulous so I added them to my menu for the week . Last night I decided to make them but upon looking at the recipe more closely, realized I was out of several of the ingredients. So, I modified and modified until the recipe really didn't even resemble Morgan's version. I will have to try her true version sometime but for now, these turned out delish! The tofu was fabulous - I was so impressed with the flavor and texture of the baked, crusted tofu. I was thrilled as I have found that we like tofu the best when it has been pan-fried and that is far from healthy! I didn't have any creole seasoning either so I found a recipe for making it myself and it turned out great as well. Sorry for the picture - it turned out terribly but we were sitting down to eat and had 2 grumpy and hungry kiddos! Keith enjoyed this too - amazing!

"Fish" Tacos

For the "fish":
1 package of extra firm tofu
1/2 cup of white whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or regular wheat flour
2 Tbsp. creole seasoning (if using homemade, see recipe below)
1/2 cup of almond milk
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Combine all ingredients except tofu and milk. Slice tofu into strips - about 1/2 inch thick. Pour milk into separate bowl. Dredge tofu strips into milk and then crumb mixture, pressing to coat strips. Bake on cookie sheet coated with cooking spray for 20 min at 425.

For the slaw:
4 cups shredded cabbage
2/3 cup vegan sour cream
1 t each cumin, chili powder, minced onion
3/4 t garlic salt
2 t cider vinegar
1 t sugar
Combine all ingredients except cabbage. Add cabbage and toss to coat.

Additional ingredients:
Warm tortillas
Salsa
Guacamole
Lime wedges

Layer a tortilla with "fish" strips, slaw and desired additional toppings.

Creole seasoning (source: http://www.ochef.com/r90.htm)
Ingredients:
2-1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Instructions:
Combine all the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Store in an airtight container away from light. Use within three months.

Green Beans With Carmelized Onions and Balsamic

I made vegan hot dogs the other night - homemade ones. Yum! I made a delicious green bean recipe to go with them (along with oven fries and corn as you can see!). This recipe is one I used to make but the starting ingredient is bacon! So, it took some veganizing for sure. They turned out just as delicious as the original.

Green Beans With Carmelized Onions and Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and washed

1 small onion, diced

1/2 T olive oil

1 t coarse sea salt

1 T brown sugar or coconut sugar

2 T balsamic vinegar

Heat oil in skillet and add onions. Cook until they start to brown. Add green beans. Cook until green beans are tender and onions are starting to carmelize. Add salt, sugar and balsamic. Cook until sauce becomes sticky.

Sausage and Zucchini Marinara

I needed a quick and tasty meal for lunch so I threw together this yummy pasta dish. It turned out really yummy. I used a couple of convenience items I had on hand to speed the process - organic bottled pasta sauce and some Tofurky sausage.

Sausage and Zucchini Marinara


2 T olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 large zucchini cut in half and sliced into quarter moons
2 links Tofurky sausage, sliced
1 t sea salt
2 cups marinara sauce
1/2 lb thin spaghetti, cooked (I used half whole wheat, half regular)
crushed red pepper and vegan parmesan for topping

In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onions and cook until just beginning to brown. Add sausage and cook until browned and onions are starting to carmelize. Add zucchini and salt and cook 3 min. Add marinara and cook until zucchini is just tender and sauce is bubbly. Serve over cooked pasta. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and vegan parmesan.

Chipotle Chili and Cornbread

This was a really simple and pretty tasty slow cooker chili. It was a bit spicy and delicious topped with some corn chips. Served it with my veganized version of my favorite cornbread recipe. Yum!

Smoky Chili (adapted from Vegan on the Cheap)

1 T olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 T chili powder

1 t paprika

1/4 t liquid smoke

1 1/2 t cumin

1/2 t oregano

1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

4 cups cooked pinto beans (or a combination of different beans such as black beans, black eyed peas, kidney beans etc)

1 chipotle chile in adobo, minced

1 cup water

1 t salt

1/4 t pepper

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 5-6 hours.

Corn Bread (adapted from Quaker)

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 cup almond milk

1/4 cup canola oil

substitute for 1 egg ( I used EnerG)

Combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Fold wet into dry. Stir until fully incorporated. Pour into a greased 8 in square baking dish or 12 muffin cups. Bake at 400 for 10-12 min.

Check it out!

New recipes and product reviews - check them out on the righthand side of this page under "Pages". You won't want to miss out on info for delicious new products plus fabulous recipes for taste delights such as Fauxsage and Broccoli Pasta With Lemon Spiked Tofu Ricotta, Deviled "Egg" cracker topping, and more!

To all my viewers!

A note: I am going to be working on adding regular posts that might appeal to those looking for vegan recipes that don't require lots of whacky vegan ingredients. This effort is inspired by the fact that my mom lives in the little town of Marshall and most specifically-vegan ingredients are not available at her local stores - there are definitely no Whole Foods anywhere near her town! And since my wonderful cooking mom likes to look at my blog and use my recipes (thanks Mom!) I want to make it easier on her (and others who want to do the same). I realize that many of my viewers are not interested in totally "going vegan" but rather are looking for ways to clean up their diet by adding a few vegan meals to their weekly menus, so I would like to provide a plethora of recipes that are easily prepared using everyday ingredients. Look for these recipes in coming posts...but also be patient with me as I develop and plan these items! Enjoy!

Southwestern Stew...perfect for a chilly fall day!

This recipe is one my sister is famous for - well, before I veganized it that is! I simply left out the stew meat to make it vegan and I thought it was still just as delicious, with all the veggie-ful goodness of the original. This stew is a bit spicy but the heat can be reduced simply by using mild salsa (what my sister does as she is not a fan of spicy foods). I heated up some multi-grain baguette to go with the soup and it was a complete and filling meal. I usually make this recipe stove-top but decided to throw all my ingredients in the crockpot before church so we would come home to lunch prepared. Worked great!

Southwestern Stew

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 1/2 cups corn

1 16-oz package frozen green beans

1 T dried parsley

2 t faux beef boullion

1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes

1 cup salsa

1 t cumin

1/2 t salt

Combine all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low 4-6 hrs or 3-5 hrs on high. Serve with warm, crusty bread!

Seitan sub sandwich...granola bars...veggie fritters...and apricot glazed seitan roast

While we were at the grocery store yesterday, my hubby said a sub sandwich sounded really good. I thought: Why not try thinly sliced seitan (leftovers of Seitan O Greatness) as lunch meat and make some yummy sandwiches? So I did - I layered a sub roll with veganaise, spicy brown mustard, jalepeno slices, lettuce mixed with vinaigrette, avocado and tomatoes. AMAZING!! So delish!

My husband and sons are snackers and I decided to be clever and give homemade granola bars a go - I have made them before but they were not vegan I suspect and it was years ago. These chewy, crunchy bars turned out yummy.

As-You-Like It Energy Bars (adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
4 t flax meal
1 1/2 T warm water
2 T brown rice syrup
1/2 t vanilla
2 T brown rice flour
1/8 t baking powder
1/8 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1/2 cup craisins
1 1/4 cups walnuts
1/4 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate

Coat loaf pan with cooking spray. Heat oven to 350. In a bowl, mix flax and water. Stir. Add brown rice syrup and vanila. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and soda and salt. Add to wet ingredients. Fold in craisins, nuts, and chocolate. Press into loaf pan. Bake 20-30 min. Let cool. Cut into bars.

Today's lunch consisted of our favorite Brussels sprouts, veggie fritters and apricot glazed seitan (again using more of the Seitan O Greatness - that recipe makes enough for several meals!). Though this wasn't my favorite way to have seitan, it was still pretty good - seitan is really becoming a favorite for me. It took me a while but I really like it now. Not sure I would make this glazed recipe again but I might. It wasn't outstanding but it was good. The veg fritters were much like potato pancakes but different in that they had much more flour in them so were closer to corn fritters. They were pretty yummy topped with a squirt of ketchup!

Vegetable Fritters (adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated potatoes
1/2 cup grated carrots
2 cups flour
3/4 cup plain non-dairy yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for frying
1/4 cup soy milk
1 t salt
1 t pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix until well combined into a sticky, thick batter. Form into patties. Heat oil on a griddle or in a skillet to 1/4 in depth. Fry fritters until browned and then flip and brown on other side. Drain on paper towels before serving.



Apricot Glaze (adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
Note: since I had leftover Seitan O Greatness, I simply made this glaze and topped the seitan with it. I baked it for a few minutes to warm the seitan and heat the glaze.

10 oz apricot jam
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 cup olive oil
1 T spicy brown mustard
Combine all ingredients until smooth and incorporated.

Veganized "Beef" Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff has been a long-time favorite in my family - my hubby loves it as do I. My mom created the most fabulous from-scratch recipe years ago and I have at least used that as my foundation for the recipe, though I never measure ingredients for this recipe and it is a tadbit different every time. But always delicious! As I am becoming more confident in my vegan cooking skills, I am trying to venture out into the land of personal recipe creations. I decided it was definitely time to give stroganoff a makeover. The results? FABULOUS! After sampling a bite, I was completely amazed with myself (not in a vain way, just in a "I am so thrilled I succeeded" way :-) ). I tried to pay closer attention to measurements so I could recreate it here. The picture doesn't do the dish justice - it's kinda hard to make stroganoff look gourmet. I am sure someone else could make this dish visually appealing (Tara, I am talking about you!) but that person is not me. Enjoy!

"Beef" Stroganoff

1 package Gardein beef tips, each piece cut into 3rds

1 large onion, diced

2 T olive oil

6 T nondairy butter

6 T flour

1 1/2 - 2 cups unsweetened soy milk (depending upon desired thickness)

2 t faux beef boullion

2 t vegan Worcestershire

2 t ground black pepper

3/4 t garlic salt

1/2 cup vegan sour cream

Hot cooked noodles

In large skillet, heat oil. Add onions and cook 3-4 min or until starting to brown. Add Gardein. Cook until onions and Gardein are nicely browned. Sprinkle with pepper and garlic salt. Stir to combine. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour to form a roux. Slowly add milk until desired thickness is achieved. Add boullion and Worcestershire and stir to incorporate. Add sauce Gardein and onions. Add more milk if sauce is too thick. Stir until bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream. Serve over hot noodles.

Apple Fritters - WOW!!

A Note: These are not quite so good leftover - they get kind of tough and dried out in my opinion. So, my advice to you - eat them all in one sitting :-)
Joni Newman (justthefood.blogspot.com) has such a fun blog and I discovered these amazing morsels on her blog this morning. I took advantage of my body thinking it was later and got up at 4 this morning - meant I had ample time to whip these up before church :-) They were time-consuming but well worth the effort - fabulous, yum...can't say enough great things! They are best while still warm. Please be warned, however, that they are far from healthy - they are deep fried and have a hefty dose of sugar in them. But, they are a much better choice than a donut shop treat - enjoy! Beware - if you leave these out on the kitchen counter, they will disappear rather quickly!!



APPLE FRITTERS
For the dough:
1 cup (235 ml) water, heated to lukewarm
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup (75 g) evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar, divided
1 envelope (1/4 ounce, or 7 g) Quick-Rise yeast [[it can’t be quick-rise and active dry]]
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 cup (235 ml) soymilk
4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the apples:
2 cups (220 g) cored, peeled, and finely chopped apples (about 2 medium apples)
1/2 cup (100 g) evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the glaze:
2 cups (240 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 cup (60 ml) nondairy milk
Vegetable oil, for frying

To make the dough: Combine the water and 2 tablespoons (25 g) of the sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat until lukewarm, about 30 seconds. Stir in the yeast and let sit for a few minutes until bubbles appear, to ensure the yeast is active. Mix the oil and milk into the yeast mixture.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, remaining 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing until combined.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, add more flour as needed, and knead for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pliable. Alternatively, use a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. The kneading time will be the same, mixing until the dough forms a ball.

Place the dough ball back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and let rest for 20 minutes, while you prep the apples.

To prepare the apples: Add the chopped apples, sugar, and cinnamon to a resealable bag or container with a tight-fitting lid. Close and toss to completely coat the apples. Set aside.

After the 20-minute rise, work the apple mixture into the dough (in the bowl), distributing the apples evenly. The dough will become wet and sticky. That’s okay. Once the apples are thoroughly folded in, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour to rise.

To make the glaze: Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and milk in a shallow dish until smooth. Set aside.

Using your deep fryer or a deep pot, heat the oil to 350°F (180°C). Scoop about 1/2 cup (140 g) of dough out of the bowl (yes, it is slimy and slippery!) and form into an oblong disk shape with your bare hands. Carefully place in the hot oil. Fry until dark golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, flipping halfway through using tongs. Transfer to a wire rack to drain off the excess oil.

Once the fritter is cool enough to handle, but still warm, dip in the glaze and return to the rack. Once the glaze has hardened, flip over and dip the other side, then return

Zuppa Toscana and Sweet Poppy Seed Slaw

I have always loved the Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden - it is a beautiful pairing of sausage, kale, potatoes and onions. I haven't eaten at Olive Garden in ages and would no longer feast on that meatful soup but still love the blend of flavors and several years ago I made up my own homemade version of the soup. I decided it was high time to try my hand at a vegan version of it. I added Tofurky to the soup to replace the Italian Sausage - my first time at using Tofurky. Unfortunately, I wasn't real impressed with the sausage in the soup. Not sure if it got too soft in the broth or what but the consistency was like bologna (yuck!!!!) and it had a funny taste. The soup itself was quite good. Next time I would probably add homemade seitan sausage or leave it out altogether. On another note, my mom recently made a similar potato kale soup and I got to sample it. It was incredible! I will be getting that recipe and posting it for sure! For now, here is my veganized version of Zuppa Toscana.

Zuppa Toscana

2 onions, sliced

8 potatoes, sliced

7 cups faux chicken broth

1 T crushed red pepper

1 cup vegan sausage, lightly browned

2 cups kale, cut from stems and torn into bite-sized pieces

In a crockpot, combine all ingredients except sausage and kale. Cook on high 3-5 hours or until potatoes and onions are tender. Add kale to pot and cook additional 10 min. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle sausage over soup (so sausage doesn't get soggy).

I also made a delicious slaw to go with the soup. Forgot to take a picture though (I made it again, this time with red cabbage and took a picture!).

Sweet Poppy Seed Slaw

4 cups sliced cabbage

1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds

1/2 cup poppy seed dressing (see below)

Toss all ingredients. Let sit 30 min to meld flavors.

Poppy Seed Dressing (adapted from Favorite Recipes)

1/3 liquid sorghum (I used honey actually because honey is one of the non-vegan things I still use!)

1 t salt

2 T vinegar

1 T mustard

2/3 cup canola oil

1 T minced dried onion

3 t poppy seeds

Combine all ingredients. Stir thoroughly.

New cookbooks coming out - yay!

As you can tell from the many recipes of my blog, I love the cookbook 500 Vegan Recipes! It is by far my fav! This morning I discovered that Joni Newman and Celine Steen are coming out with several new cookbooks in coming months. I can hardly wait to get my hands on them! Joni Newman's blog is loads of fun to browse through as well (http://justthefood.blogspot.com/). My bookshelf is going to be full of these cookbooks very soon I hope :-)

I decided to try the famed Seitan O' Greatness and was thrilled with the results. I sliced fairly thin pieces of the "log" and dipped them in soy milk to moisen them. I then pressed them into a mixture of panko, garlic salt, vegan parmesan, and Italian herbs. Then I pan fried them in a bit of olive oil in a cast iron skillet. As you can tell, the picture is not very appealing but the meal was actually fabulous. The Mustard Kale Potatoes were mediocre - lacked flavor (so I am not posting the recipe as I wouldn't make it again :-) ). But still paired nicely with the seitan. I also topped the seitan and potatoes with some leftove mushroom gravy to round out the meal. I of course had to make more Brussels sprouts - this recipe wasn't nearly as good but they were still delish! It is ridiculous how much we love those silly little cabbages -especially after disliking them for so many years. My hubby keeps asking (daily!) if we are having Brussels sprouts with our meal! An overall very tasty meal! I am looking forward to using this seitan in other recipes. It has a fabulous consistency and is much firmer and more dense than boiled seitan. It is very flavorful as well.



Seitan O' Greatness (adapted from http://www.leanbodiesfitness.com/showthread.php?t=9730)

The Recipe O' Greatness:
Ingredients:
1.5 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1-2 tsp pepper (I use 2 tsp)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (you can use 1/8 tsp if you like it less spicy)
2 tsp garlic powder


3/4 cups water
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 325°.

In a large mixing bowl mix dry ingredients. Mix the rest of the ingredients (liquid ingredients) in a smaller mixing bowl. Whisk well until mixed.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well, then knead for a minute or two.. it doesn't need long.

Form into a log (7-8" longish), wrap tightly in foil, twisting ends. Bake for 90 minutes - turning 2-3 times during cook time. When done baking, unwrap and leave out to cool all the way. Then wrap it foil or plastic and refrigerate. Slice to use as desired.

Mushroom Gravy (Adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes - recipe actually called "Soppy" but that doesn't sound yummy to me so I changed the name!)
2 T vegan margarine
8 oz button mushrooms (my fam doesn't like mushrooms so I pulsed in a food processor to mince them)
1 cup diced onions
2 cups faux beef broth
2 T soy sauce
2 T steak sauce
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 t black pepper
1 t dried parsley
2-3 T flour mixed with 1/4 cup water to make slurry
Melt butter in frying pan. Add mushrooms and onions an saute until onions are translucent. Add broth, soy sauce, steak sauce - deglaze the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 min. Stir in yeast, pepper, and parsley. Simmer 5 more min. Slowly stir in slurry until desired thickness is reached. Remove from heat.

Deviled Brussels Sprouts (Adapted from Favorite Recipes)
2 lbs Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed and halved
1/3 cup melted nondairy butter
2 t prepared mustard
1 t vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 T ketchup

Combine all ingredients except sprouts. Stir. Add sprouts and toss to coat. Spread sprouts on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 15 min or until tender but not mushy.

My new favorite veggie - Brussels sprouts! YUM!!!!

A stalk of Brussels sprouts from Whole Foods - the most hilarious looking thing but deliciously fresh and soooo good!










Gardein "Chicken" Parmesan, Mustard Garlic Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Pasta with Smoky Pumpkin Marinara - a truly fabulous meal!











Smoky Pumpkin Marinara (adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 t olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic minced
1 can (15oz) tomato sauce
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 t dried basil
1/4 t liquid smoke
1 t fine sea salt
1/4 t pepper
1 t chili powder
1 1/2 t sugar

Heat oil in saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add remaining ingredients and cook 10 min on low simmer. Serve over pasta.

Garlic and Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts (adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup liquid sorghum
2 T spicy brown mustard
2 T minced garlic
1 lb Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed, halved

Combine all ingredients except sprouts. Stir to combine. Add sprouts and toss to coat. Spread evenly on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min.

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"Chicken" Avocado Pitas

For the life of me, I cannot find this picture - I know I took one though! Sorry for the boring-looking post ;-( I still wanted to share the recipe because it turned out to be a delicios success. This is an old family favorite and I was delighted with the vegan results. Gardein starred as usual - love Gardein! This is an easy meal - round it out with veggies and sweet potato fries!

"Chicken Avocado Pitas
1 package Gardein Crispy Tenders
2 avocadoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup Veganaise
3 t curry powder
1 T minced dried onions
1/4 t salt
dash of pepper
1/4 cup raisins
Pita (4-6 depending on how full you fill your pitas!)
Bake Gardein per package instructions. Chop into bite-sized pieces. Combine Gardein with remaining ingredients except avocado. Stir. Fold in avocado. Serve in pita.