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.