Once again, long, long post! Hubby's back at work :-)

Green Bean Almondine, Au Gratin Potatoes and Coconut Tempeh Nuggets
The green beans turned out quite nicely. A lot of flavor and a nice twist on plain steamed beans. The potatoes were okay but not my fav the first time around. However, the next day, these potatoes were quite flavorful and yummy. The Crispy Coconut Tempeh Nuggets were a disappointment to me. I was so excited about them but the recipe just didn't work well. The batter for dipping the tempeh nuggets in was so thick it had to be caked on to each nugget, they were a pain to make and they were rather lacking in flavor. I was so excited about them too! I am going to give them another go sometime and see if I can adjust the recipe to work better.

Green Beans Almondine (adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 lb fresh green beans
2 T nondairy butter
1 cup diced onion
2 T minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped and toasted almonds
1/2 t sea salt

Melt butter in saucepan. Combine remaining ingredients except almonds in saucepan. Cook until veggies are tender. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve

Au Gratin Potatoes (adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 3/4 lbs potatoes, sliced
1 onion, sliced
12 oz extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 T sesame oil
1/2 cup soy creamer
2 T cornstarch
2 T white miso
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 T paprika
1 t sea salt

Preheat oven to 400. In a food processor, add all ingredients except potatoes, onions and salt. Whirl until smooth and creamy. Layer potatoes and onions in 9x13 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt. Spread creamy mixture over top of potatoes. Bake 45 min or until potatoes are tender.

Crispy Coconut Tempeh Nuggets (adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 lb tempeh
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup canola or coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut tempeh into nuggets. In a shallow dish, combine coconut milk, flour, flakes. Stir to combine. Coat each nugget in the flour mixture. Heat cast iron skillet and add oil. Panfry nuggets in cast iron skillet until golden on all sides.
Who says you can't have a delicious, filling, and traditional queso dip when eating a vegan diet? This dip was fabulous and perfect for the crockpot! I modified it slightly but overall, the recipe is as written. I decided to crockpot it instead of cooking it on the stove. Worked perfectly and tasted great.

Warm Chili Con Queso Dip (adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans drained and rinsed if using canned)
1 cup veg broth
2 T minced dried onions
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1 cup soy creamer
1 cup nondairy sour cream
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 T white miso
1 1/2 cups ground meat alternative (I used BOCA crumbles)

Combine all ingredients except beans and crumbles. Stir until smooth. Add beans. Cook on low 5-6 hours or high 3-4 hours. Add crumbles during last hour of cook time or if you will not be available to add them at this time, just add them at the beginning.

My husband loves coconut and I quite like coconut combined with something a bit tart. When I saw this recipe, I knew it was a must try! These bars turned out quite delicious - the crust is incredible!

Coconut Lime Bars (Adapted from Urban Vegan)
1/2 cup plus 3 T flour
1 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup almonds
2 t lime zest
3 1/2 -4 T lime juice
1 T soy milk
1 t coconut extract
1 cup shredded coconut
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8x8 pan. In a food processor, grind nuts to a flour. Add 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar and a pinch of salt. Slowly add oil. Press dough into prepared pan. Bake 20 min or until golden. Let cool slightly. In a medium bowl, stir together 2/3 cup sugar, 3 T flour, lime zest and juice, milk, and extract until smooth. Mix in shredded coconut. Spread mixture over crust. Bake 20-27 min or until set and just starting to turn golden. Let cool for about an hour and cut into bars.

I love lasagna! Making a vegan version that is delightfully cheesy and wonderful as a traditional lasagna is perhaps one of the big vegan challenges in my kitchen! The truth is, I love cheese so cooking without it (though usually it's not really something I think about or crave) is sometimes hard in dishes that are traditionally dairy-heavy. I was very impressed with this rather made-up version. I used my homemade tofu feta in it which was a tasty addition. I cheated and used bottled spaghetti sauce. I use very little prepared food but on occasion, it's nice to open a jar of sauce rather than simmering a pot of homemade. Convenience every once in a while is worth it! I made spaghetti earlier in the week and used the rest of the sauce from that (which was another cheater version - I sauteed BOCA crumbles and onions and added bottled sauce!) as well as some additional bottled sauce for additional sauciness! The result was really delicious. The capers added a wonderful briny bite. I have written the recipe as if no leftovers were used and you were starting from square one. Yum!


Red Lasagna With Meat Sauce and Tofu Feta
12 cooked lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups BOCA crumbles
1 diced onion
1 t minced garlic
1 T olive oil
2 jars prepared spaghetti sauce
1 recipe Tofu Feta (see below)
3 T capers

Tofu Feta (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
14 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
3 T olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1 T dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Crumble tofu into a bowl until it resembles feta. Add remianing ingredients and mix together with your hands.
In a large saucepan, heat oil. Add onion and garlic. Saute 2 min, Add BOCA crumbles. Cook until browned. Add sauce. Simmer on low for 10-15 min to allow flavors to meld. Mix feta with capers. In 9x13 baking dish coated with cooking spray, layer noodles, feta and sauce until ingredients are gone. End with sauce. Bake 20 min or until bubbly and heated through.

These potatoes were absolutely fabulous! Full of flavor, so easy and just incredibly yummy!

Ginger Curry Potatoes (adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
2 T peanut oil
1 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
1 T green curry paste
1/2 t ground ginger
1 clove minced garlic
2 T water
In a large frying pan, heat oil. Add potatoes and cook until golden brown - about 10 min. In a small bowl, whisk together curry paste, garlic, ginger and water. Pour over potatoes and stir to coat. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender.
A perfect fall treat!

Pumpkin Cupcakes (adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 t apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soymilk
1/2 cup plus 2 T flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t fine sea salt
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 T canola oil
2 t vanilla extract

Combine vinegar and soymilk and allow to curdle a few min. Add pumpkin, applesauce, oil and vanilla to milk. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until smooth. Divide evenly among 12 muffin cups. Bake 15-18 min or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

These rolls were much denser than I expected but were still quite yummy and a good addition to a warm casserole or hearty soup.



Blooming Onion Rolls (adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
2 T nondairy butter
1 T Italian seasoning
3 T minced dried onions
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 t fine sea salt
1 t sugar
2 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 t bread machine yeast
canola oil to coat bowl
1/4 cup warm water for brushing roll tops
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

IN a saucepan, melt butter and add onions and Italian seasoning. Combine with warm water in large bowl. In separate bowl, combine salt, sugar, 2 cups flour, and yeast. Stir wet ingredients into dry. Add remaining 1/3 cup flour as needed to prevent dough that is too wet. Knead with dough attachment or by hand until dough is smooth and pliable. Coat with canola oil. Let rise 90 min or until doubled in size. Roll out on cutting board or counter into rectangular shape about 14x12 in. Cut lengthwise into 6 strips. Roll each strip into pinwheel. Place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush each roll with warm water and sprinkle with coarse salt. Let rise 40 min. Bake at 375 for 14-16 min or until browned.

Reviews

I have added a new section for displaying my product reviews. Check them out on the right-hand side of the blog. Find additional recipes that correspond to the reviewed products in these sections. Enjoy!

Oranger Than Thou Carrot Coins

I was in such a hurry to get lunch on the table the day I made these that I didn't take a picture. They were fabulous though and thought they needed a definite spot on my blog!
Oranger Than Thou Carrot Coins (Adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
2 T canola oil
4 cloves minced garlic
2 t cumin seeds
1 t ground coriander
1 t ground ginger
1 t curry powder
2 t coarse sea salt
10 carrots peeled and sliced
1/2 cup orange juice

In a large saucepan, heat oil. Add garlic, cumin,coriander, ginger, curry, and salt. Cook 2 min. Stir in carrots and cook 2 min. Add juice. Bring to boil. Cover and cook until carrots are tender, about 10-15 min.

Southwestern Bean Soup

Again, this was a recipe that started out as a 500 Vegan Recipes recipe but I adapted it so much that it once more became an original! It was totally simple, full of flavor and perfect fare for our little family struggling with colds! What a wonderful aroma was present in our house when we came home from church today!
Southwestern Bean Soup
2 T nondairy butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 T minced garlic
1 cup faux chicken broth
1 cup crushed tomatoes
½ t cumin
1 t chipotle chili powder
1 t coriander
2 cups cooked black-eyed peas
½ cup soy creamer
optional toppings: nondairy sour cream, avocado, crushed tortilla chips

In a crockpot, combine all ingredients except toppings. Cook on high 3-4 hours. Serve with optional toppings.

Coconut Cream of Mushroom Soup

This started out as a recipe from 500 Vegan Recipes but I modified it so drastically that I decided it was no longer that recipe! This soup is very mild in flavor and is warming and yummy. Perfect for a cool day!
Coconut Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 T nondairy butter
16 oz button mushrooms ( I only had a small amount of mushrooms and it could have used a ton more!)
2 T minced garlic
1 chopped onion
2 cans (14 oz) coconut milk
½ t sea salt
½ t black pepper
1 t dried thyme
1 ½ cups cooked rice

Heat butter in saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook until golden. Add mushrooms. Cook 2-3 min. Add remaining ingredients. Cook until heated through.

Creamy Curry Coleslaw (Adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)

This was a perfect combo of spice, sweetness and crunch!
Creamy Curry Coleslaw (Adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
For coleslaw
1 head cabbage, shredded
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup craisins

For dressing
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
3 T apple cider vinegar
2 T curry powder
salt and pepper to taste

Combine coleslaw ingredients. Combine dressing ingredients and stir until smooth. Combine slaw with dressing.

Chocolate Orange Marmalade Muffins

A perfect pairing of dark chocolate and orange. Deliciously moist and wonderful!
Chocolate Orange Marmalade Muffins (Adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
2/3 cup orange marmalade
2 t vanilla extract
¼ cup sorghum
2 T canola oil
½ cup almond milk
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T cornstarch
½ t baking soda
¼ t baking powder
¼ t sea salt
½ cup nondairy chocolate chips ( I was out of these so didn’t use but they would have been extra great with them!)

Combine wed ingredients. Combine dry ingredients except chocolate chips. Add dry to wet ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in chocolate chips. Divide among 12 muffin cups. Bake at 350 for 15-18 min.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Just downright delicious!

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (Adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
¼ cup plus 2 T poppy seeds
¼ cup sorghum
¼ cup lemon juice
4 t grated lemon zest
½ cup oil
½ cup sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 cup nondairy sour cream (I used part homemade and part Tofutti)
1 ¾ cup flour
1 t baking soda
¼ t fine sea salt
Combine dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients and cream until smooth in mixer. Add dry ingredients to wet. Divide among 12 muffin cups lined with paper liners. Cook 20 min in 350 degree oven.

Vanilla Cupcakes

This recipe used yogurt in it which added a slightly tangy component that was surprising to find in a cupcake but actually quite yummy!

Vanilla Cupcakes (adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes)
2 cups nondairy yogurt
1 cup canola oil
2 T vanilla
3 cups flour
2 cups powdered sugar
4 t baking powder

Preheat oven to 350. Line 18 standard muffin cups with liners. In large bowl, combine yogurt, oil and vanilla. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until combined. Divide batter evenly. Bake 15-18 min. Frost if desired.

Gardein scores again...and loads of other yummies!

This always seems to happen! On my hubby's days off, I don't do much blog-writing but then when he is back at work and I am ready to hop back on the blog-wagon, I have a plethora of new pictures and taste delights to share and I am overwhelmed by all of the recipe writing and posting! Ah well - gives me something to look forward to when he is back to work for the week :-) Probably take me a while to get caught up but enjoy the pictures and know that if the recipes aren't up right away, I will be sure to share them! Happy browsing!
Gardein scores again! A new product - Crispy Orange "Chicken" - yum! I was thrilled to find that Target is now carrying Gardein (Yay!!!! And it's cheaper than Whole Foods - double yay!) and when I went to the frozen section to pick up a package, I was so excited to see this new addition. I made it for dinner on Monday - such a nice and easy covenience. I stir-fried it with a bit of oil and some green onions and then tossed in some frozen organic broccoli with the sauce. After it was heated through, I served it atop Lundberg basmati for a delicious meal. My only problem with this product - not enough sauce included. It needed about 3x the amount of sauce I think. Next time, I will whip up an orange sauce to accompany the packet given. Overall, very tasty!

Breakfast Burritos...again

I have been totally in to breakfast burritos recently. I have found that when eating a vegan diet, it is far easier to make sweet breakfast goodies than savory ones. And honestly, I get tired of sweet stuff (I know, weird!). I decided to make breakfast burritos with just a mixture of potatoes and seitan bacon (a new kind!). They turned out perfect! Yum!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe was from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar and though they were yummy, they weren't quite up to my desired yumminess. I love dense yet chewy chocolate chip cookies and these were thin and not dense in the least. I like them to have a bit more substance. Nonetheless, no one else in the fam was complaining! Still yummy, just still searching for the perfect choc chip cookie!

Tofu mayo, sour cream, feta

I got really inspired to make some funky recipes and thus made tofu mayo, sour cream and feta. In the pic, they appear all the same! I have tried the mayo in dressing and it works great. I haven't tried the other 2 though I plan to use the sour cream in a recipe tomorrow. We shall see how it holds up to Tofutti! Note: I used the sour cream in a muffin recipe and it worked great!

Tofu Mayo (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
7 oz extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
1/4 cup raw cashews, groung into fine powder
1 T lemon juice
1 T sugar
1 1/2 t brown mustard
1 t apple cider vinegar
1/2 t sea salt
6 canola oil
Place tofu, cashew powder, lemon juice, sugar, mustard, vinegar, and salt in a blender and whirl. Slowly drizzle oil into blender until you get desired consistency.

Tofu Sour Cream (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
7 oz extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
1/4 cup raw cashews, groung into fine powder
1 T lemon juice
1 T rice vinegar
1 T white miso
1 T canola oil
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until very smooth and creamy.

Tofu Feta (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
14 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
3 T olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1 T dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Crumble tofu into a bowl until it resembles feta. Add remianing ingredients and mix together with your hands.

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Again, Mexican food without cheese is a little hard to take sometimes (although I always say that if you have guacamole, who needs cheese!!) - but once again, I was pleasantly surprised at the yum factor of this Mexican style dish. The nutty cheese once again showed itself to be perfectly delicious and flavorful. I absolutely loved these quesadillas topped with guacamole and salsa. The recipe calls for green chiles but I am the only one in my family who likes them so I left them out. I had quite a bit of leftover filling because I didn't make the full amount of quesadillas. My plan is to make the remaining filling into enchiladas with the addition of the enchilada sauce used on the enchilada casserole from a few posts ago...can't wait! Note: unfortunately, my hubby wasn't all that fond of these. Oh well, I thought they were fabulous!

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup corn
8 oz Nutty Cheese, Mexican variation (see below)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
4 oz nondairy cream cheese
6 flour tortillas
In a mixing bowl, mix together all ingrediets except tortillas. Spread mixture evenly over tortillas. Cook on a dry griddle until browned on each side or drizzle oil in skillet and lightly crisp outer edges until browned. Serve with salsa and guacamole.


Nutty Cheese (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 oz agar agar powder
2 cups water
2 cups raw cashews, finely ground into powder
3 T lemon juice
2 T olive oil
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 t fine sea salt
½ t onion powder
½ t garlic powder
Prepare loaf pan by spraying with cooking spray. Place the agar agar in water and bring to full boil. Boil for 5 min. Stir often to prevent boiling over. Place remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into the water-agar mixture and whisk until creamy and smooth. Quickly pour into oiled loaf pan and refrigerate until set.
Mexican variation: Add 1 t cumin to mixture in food processor.

Vegan Ice Cream to Die For!!!!

I love ice cream and though I never consumed a whole lot of it, I still love it! I tried a recipe from Vice Cream several months ago and was sadly disappointed with the results of the recipe. It was a cashew cream ice cream and turned out very grainy, probably because the quality of my food processor is not good enough to create perfectly smooth cashew cream. I was thrilled to come across "Lick It", a vegan ice cream cookbook, that called for pretty normal ingredient and didn't use nut bases (thus making me think I wouldn't run into grainy results). I made chocolate ice cream and swirled in peanut butter (not part of the recipe!) as choc-pnut butter ice cream is my all-time favorite. All I can say is WOW! Well, I can say a few more words...this ice cream is every bit as good as regular ice cream, perhaps even better! This particular recipe used a mixture of soy milk and coconut milk as the creamy factors. It is creamy as can be and deliciously rich. The recipes in the book all call for using an ice cream maker but also list instructions for doing it by hand. It was a bit time-consuming but totally doable without the ice cream maker. Soooo good - I think there is lots more ice cream making in my future!!

Veggie Egg Rolls

I LOVE egg rolls. They are one of my favorite foods ever - unfortunately, they are the best when they are pan-fried rather than baked - in my opinion. I serve them with homemade sweet and sour sauce and usually serve them with rice or lo mein. This time I served them with rice and edamame for a complete and very tasty meal! I usually throw in seasonings as I go and that's what I did this time. I kept track of the ingredients I added though and this combo was a keeper!

Veggie Egg Rolls
1 t minced garlic
2 T oil plus oil for frying
1 cup sliced cabbage
1 cup carrots cut into matchsticks
1 cup sliced green onions
2 cups sliced baby bok choy
2 T black bean garlic sauce
1 T hoisin sauce
1 t sugar
2 T soy sauce
2 t hot Chinese mustard
won ton wrappers
In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onions, carrots and garlic and cook 3-5 min. Add cabbage and cook 2 min. Add boy choy and stir to combine. Add remaining ingredients except wrappers. Cook 2-3 min to allow flavors to meld. Scoop veggies into won ton wrappers (about 1 T per wrapper). Fold 2 sides in and roll into egg roll shape. Pan fry for best results.

Creamed Corn...and Zucchini

This was a recipe for just creamed corn but I love the mixture of corn and zucchini so I adjusted the recipe a bit. Needed salt but otherwise was creamy and delicious!

Creamed Corn and Zucchini (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
2 T nondairy butter
1 cup diced onion
1 T minced garlic
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
2 cups corn kernels
1 cup sliced zucchini (my addition)
1 t sea salt ( my addition)
Hea saucepan and add butter. Melt. Add onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add flour and stir. Slowly add milk and whisk to avoid lumps. Stir until smooth. Add corn and zucchini and sal. Cook until thick and bubbly and zucchini is tender.

Banana Muffin Tops

Ok, so there are probably some of the best muffins I have ever made. Yum yum yum...and more yum!

Banana Muffin Tops (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 cup shredded coconut
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t fine sea salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 plus 2 T sugar
2 T molasses
1 ripe banana
3 T almond milk
1 t vanilla extract
1/3 cup nondairy chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Coat muffin tin with cooking spray or use pape liners. IN a large bowl, combine coconut, oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, stir together oil, sugar, molasses, banana, milk nad vanilla until smooth (recipes calls for using a blender but I vigorously stirred it and it worked fine). Fol wet ingredients into dry. Fold in chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. Bake 15-18 min or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Cauliflower Pasta Crisp and Garlic Rolls

Have I mentioned how much I love "500 Vegan Recipes"?! This meal was really quick yummy - the rolls were fantastic - could have used a tad more salt but otherwise, perfect! The pasta was a definite comfort delight - creamy, subtle flavor. Would be perfect on a cold winter night...which will be here before I know it, unfortunately! The crumbly walnut mixture on top was wonderfully surprising in taste and texture - I think it really made this dish extra tasty!

Cauliflower Pasta Crisp (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup tahini
1 T cumin
1 t paprika
1/4 t cayenne
1 t fine sea salt
2 t brown rice flour or other flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk

For topping:
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 t lemon zest
1 t dried thyme
1/2 t ground black pepper
1 t coarse sea salt
1 cup panko
2 T olive oil
1 t nondairy butter to coat dish
1 lb cooked pasta (I used small shells)
Steam cauliflower until tender. In a saucepan, heat oil and cook garlic and onion over medium heat for about 2 min. Add tahini, cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt adn flour. Cook 1 min. Whisk in milk and cook until it begins to thicken. Combine cauliflower and sauce in blender and puree until smooth. Toss sauce with cooked pasta and place in 9x13 baking dish (coated with the 1 t nondairy butter). In a food processor, combine topping ingredients except panko, and pulse until crumbly. Add panko and lightly pulse 1-2 times to mix. Sprinkle over pasta. Bake for 15 min or until golden brown.

Baked Chimichangas

These lightly browned parcels of tofu, black beans,and creamy sauce were very tasty. I think next time I would actually leave out the tofu and sub rice, seitan or tempeh instead. For some reason the tofu flavor stood out more than I would have liked. Despite this fact, however, they were quite good. The creamy salsa sauce was fabulous. Keith pre-determined that he didn't like them but as always, he was required to try at least one bite. And what-do-ya-know, that sweet little 4-yr old of mine gobbled his serving, said "Oh you were right. These are so good!", and asked for seconds. I loooove that!!! Oh how that thrills my little vegan mommy's heart ;-) We cleaned our plates before I realized I hadn't taken a picture - thus the picture of the lone chimi on a lid without toppings. Oh well, you get the idea!
Baked Chimichangas

Baked Chimichangas (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)

For cheesy salsa:
1 T cornstarch
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 cup soy creamer
1 T tahini
1 cup salsa (I actually was out of salsa and subbed about 3/4 cup taco sauce and it was delish!)
In medium saucepan, combine cornstarch and nutritional yeast. Slowly whisk in creamer and tahini. Add salt. Cook until thick and smooth. Stir in salsa. Set aside.

For filling:
1 T peanut oil
1 lb extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and torn into small pieces
1/2 t sea salt
1 T nutritional yeast
1 clove minced garlic
1 cup cooked black beans
6 flour tortillas
1 T olive oil for brushing chimis
Hot sauce, sour cream, guacamole for serving
In a large skillet, heat oil. Add tofu. Fry for 5 min. Add salt and yeast. Cook until browned. Stir in cheesy salsa, beans and garlic. Divide filling equally among tortillas. Brush tortillas with oil. Place on baking sheet. Bake 15-18 min in 375 degree oven. Serve with desired toppings.

White Pizza with Veggies...Wow!

It was pizza Friday at our house so I decided to try a new version. Wow!! This pizza turned out sooo good - the best crust I have ever made and it was delightfully crisped cooked in a cast-iron skillet (in the oven). I added several toppings to it and used seitan sausage instead of smoked tofu on top. I also use only half the dough and sauce and put the rest away for another meal as this recipe makes 2 pizzas. I have included the original recipe so it will make 2 pizzas. A very delicious meal and a definite item to add to the weekly pizza menu!

White Pizza (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 recipe cast-iron deep dish pizza dough
fresh basil leaves
1 recipe bechamel sauce, garlic and basil variation
1 cup sliced olives
1 cup sliced green bell pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup Italian seitan sausage

Preheat oven to 450. Prepare 2 cast iron skillets and coat with cooking spray or a bit of oil. Divide dough in half and press each half into prepared skillet. Top with sauce and toppings. Serve with crushed red pepper and Vegan parmesan.

Cast-iron Deep Dish Pizza Dough
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 t sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups flour
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup water
3 T olive oil, divided

Mix together yeast, sugar and warm water. Let stand 10min. Add flours and salt, 1 T olive oil and remaining water. Use dough hook to knead for 6-7 min. Coat with 2 T olive oil and set aside to rise for 1 hr. When dough has risen, proceed with above recipe.

Bechamel Sauce
1/2 cup non-dairy butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 t garlic powder
1 t dried basil
1 t sea salt
Melt butter in saucepan. Whisk in butter to form paste. Slowly add milk and whisk until smooth. Cook 1-2 min or until desired thickness is achieved. Add spices and stir.

Chocolate Breakfast Cake

This moist, dense breakfast cake was a nice twist to the morning! It is rich and filling and actually has some goodness in it! It is slightly sweet and I threw in some walnuts for added omega-3s and crunch. Yummy with a dab of butter on top!

Chocolate Breakfast Cake (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t fine sea salt
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 ripe banana
1/3 cup sucanat
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8 in square baking dish with cooking spray. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In mixing bowl, mix remaining ingredients and beat on med-high speed until smooth and creamy. Add flour. Mix well. Toss in a handful or so of walnuts. Mix. Pour into baking dish. Bake about 30 min or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Enchilada Casserole

I never thought a cheese-less enchilada recipe could be all that good but these were delicious! They lacked nothing and to top it all off, Keith liked them so much he asked for a second helping! Woohoo! "500 Vegan Recipes" is fast becoming one of my favorite cookbooks!!

Enchilada Casserole (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
6-8 corn tortillas
1 recipe enchilada sauce
1 recipe Seitan chorizo crumbles
1 recipe nutty cheese, Mexican variation
Black olives, vegan sour cream, and jalepenos to serve

Layer tortillas, sauce, chorizo, and crumbled nutty cheese in baking dish coated with cooking spray. End with sauce. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min or until tortillas are tender but not mushy. Top with olives, sour cream and jalepenos.

Enchilada Sauce (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
¼ cup chili powder
1 T paprika
1 t garlic powder
1 t cumin
¼ t chipotle chili powder
3 T canola oil
2 T flour
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 ½ cups veg broth

In a saucepan, heat oil. Add flour to form paste. Add spices. Add tomato sauce and broth. Stir to combine and create a smooth silky sauce. Simmer for 15 min, covered.

Nutty Cheese (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 oz agar agar powder
2 cups water
2 cups raw cashews, finely ground into powder
3 T lemon juice
2 T olive oil
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 t fine sea salt
½ t onion powder
½ t garlic powder
Prepare loaf pan by spraying with cooking spray. Place the agar agar in water and bring to full boil. Boil for 5 min. Stir often to prevent boiling over. Place remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into the water-agar mixture and whisk until creamy and smooth. Quickly pour into oiled loaf pan and refrigerate until set.
Mexican variation: Add 1 t cumin to mixture in food processor.

Seitan Chorizo Crumbles (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
½ cup vital wheat gluten
2 T nutritional yeast
½ t fine sea salt
1 t ground cumin
¼ t cayenne pepper
½ t paprika
2 t chili powder
½ t dried minced onion
2 T water
2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T ketchup
1 T canola oil
Combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add wet to dry until crumbly dough forms. Heat skillet and add a bit of canola oil to coat the pan. Fry crumbled mixture until browned.

The longest post ever!!

A word about the following recipes...
 The Tuna-Less Casserole was strangly reminiscent of tuna casserole with loads of tasty flavors. Lemon-Scented Carrots were incredible and the kale was so-so.
 Creamy Broccoli Mushroom Bake is a new favorite for sure - will be made many times in my kitchen! Oh so delicious and creamy. Wow!! Thanks Amber (@AlmostVegan) for making it first! You inspired me to try it too!
 I was very impressed with these burritos – especially since I made them up! I am getting adventurous! These satisfied my craving for breakfast burritos totally – didn’t even miss real bacon and eggs! Keith (my 4 ½ yr old) even ate his – yay!
 These green beans were delicious! Always looking for new ways with veggies and this is a certain keeper. Yum!
 Sweet potatoes are delicious alone but top them with this creamy spicy-ness and they are fabuloso!
 Ginger scones are a favorite in this family – the recipe comes from my grandma who is a wonderful cook herself! I veganized them and they were just as good as the original. Score!
 I have discovered my love for polenta and I made this recipe up with ingredients I had on hand on a busy Sunday after church. Keith has recently decided he likes onion rings so I whipped up a batch and he loved them!
Enjoy!
Tuna-Less Casserole, Sesame Garlic Wilted Kale, Lemon-scented Carrots

Tuna-Less Casserole (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
1 pound pasta, cooked according to package instructions (I used a combo of penne and bowties as I had 2 half-boxes)
sheet toasted nori, crumbled
6oz extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and crumbled
6oz tempeh, crumbled (I simmered mine for 20 min prior to crumbling)
½ cup peas
½ cup corn
½ cup nondairy butter, melted
½ cup unsweetened soy milk
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 T flour
1 t each garlic powder, onion powder, Old Bay seasoning, paprika
¼ t black pepper
1 cup vegetable broth
½ cup panko bread crumbs mixted with ½ t garlic salt and 1 T canola oil

Preheat oven to 400. In a saucepan, melt butter. Add flour to create a roux. Slowly add soymilk to create smooth mixture. Add yeast and spices. Slowly whisk in vegetable broth until creamy, smooth sauce forms. In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, tofu, tempeh, corn, peas, nori and creamy sauce. Stir until all ingredients are well mixed. Pour into large casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle panko over the top. Bake for 20-25 min or until top is browned.

Sesame Garlic Wilted Kale (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
2T olive oil
2 T minced garlic
12 oz kale, stems and ribs removed
2 T sesame seeds
Heat olive oil. Add garlic and cook 2-3 min. Add kale and cook until desired level of doneness is achieved. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Lemon-Scented Carrots With Capers and Coriander (Source: Urban Vegan)
4-5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
1 T olive oil
1 ½ T lemon juice
1 t ground coriander
1 t dried parsley
2 T capers
¼ t cumin
½ t sea salt

Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add carrots and cook until soft. Drain. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Creamy Broccoli Mushroom Bake

Creamy Broccoli Mushroom Bake (Source: Vegan Yum Yum)
Alfredo Sauce
1 cup soy milk
2 T Earth balance
2 T soy sauce
2 T tahini
1 T lemon juice
¼ cup nutritional yeast
¼ cup raw, unsalted cashews
2 T cornstarch
2 t dijon mustard
2-4 cloves garlic

1 cup orzo
1 stalk broccoli
1 cup mushrooms
2-3 T olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
¼-1/2 cup bread crumbs for topping
1 pinch salt
½ t paprika
black pepper

To make alfredo sauce, mix all sauce ingredients (soy milk through garlic) in a blender until smooth and set aside.
Begin boiling water for orzo and add when ready.
Preheat oven to 400.
Separate florets from the stem of the broccoli. Chop stem into smallish pieces and place in the food processor. Pulse a few times to break it down some more, Add florets and pulse until entire mixture is fairly fine though some chunks of broccoli are fine. Remove from processor.
Process mushrooms in processor until uniform, remove from processor and add to broccoli.
Heat a bit of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and saute until softened and beginning to color. Then add broccoli/mushroom mixture and salt and saute until it cooks down slightly and everything has softened, about 5-7 min. Drain pasta when done. Add to the broccoli/mushroom mixture and pour alfredo sauce over it and mix. Scrape mixture into an oiled baking dish. Top with bread crumbs mixed with a bit of olive oil, salt, paprika and pepper. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 min. Remove foil and bake for 5 min more.

Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast Burritos
7oz extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and crumbled
½ t garlic salt
½ t turmeric
½ t ground pepper
2 t canola oil
½ cup seitan bacon crumbles (see recipe below)
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2-3 T canola oil
Flour tortillas, salsa, jalepenos, to serve

In a skillet heat 2t canola oil. Add tofu and cook until it starts to brown. Add garlic salt, turmeric, and pepper. Cook 2-3 additional minutes. Meanwhile, in another skillet., heat 2-3 T canola oil and add diced potatoes. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Cook until browned and crispy. Heat tortillas (use as many as you would like, depending on how full you want your burritos to be). Layer tofu, potatoes and bacon crumbles into each tortilla. Top with salsa and jalepenos.

Seitan Bacon Crumbles (Source: 500 Vegan Recipes)
½ cup vital wheat gluten
2 T nutritional yeast
1 t pure maple syrup
2 T soy sauce
1 t liquid smoke
1 t ketchup
1 T peanut oil
2 T water
Combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add wet to dry until crumbly dough forms. Heat skillet and add a bit of canola oil to coat the pan. Fry crumbled mixture until browned.

Haricots Verts Et Tomates and Spicy Sweet Potatoes

Haricots Verts Et Tomates (Source: Urban Vegan)
2 pounds green beans washed and trimmed
3 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large tomatoes, chopped
2 t dried basil
1 t dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 t sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet, heat 2 T olive oil. Add onion and garlic. Cook 4-5 min. Add green beans. Cook additional 3-4 min. Add remaining ingredients. Cook until beans are tender.

Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potato Topper
1 cup vegan sour cream
2 T sorghum (or agave)
2 T chopped pickled jalepenos
Mix all ingredients and use to top sweet potatoes with .

Ginger Scones

Ginger Scones
2 ¼ cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
¼ t grated lemon zest
11 T chilled Earth Balance
½ cup plain soy creamer
¼ cup plain almond milk
2/3 cup diced crystallized ginger

In a food processor, blend flour, sugar, baking powder and zest. Add butter and pulse until crumbed mixture appears. Slowly add milk and creamer and pulse until tacky dough forms. Add ginger and pulse to incorporate. On floured cutting board, shape dough into 10-in circle. Cut circle as you would a pie into 8 pieces. Spray cooking sheet with cooking spray. Bake in 400 degree oven for 12-15 min or until lightly browned.

Polenta With Sauteed Veggies, Onion Rings and Roasted Carrots

Polenta With Sauteed Veggies
1 cup fine cornmeal
4 cups vegetable broth
2 zucchini, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 T olive oil
2 t fennel seed
1 t sea salt
1 t black pepper
1 t crushed red pepper

Bring veg broth to a boil. Slowly pour in cornmeal. Stir until thick and smooth. Polenta is done when it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. In a skillet, heat oil. Add onion. Cook 6 min. Add zucchini and remaining ingredients. Cook additional 4-5 min or until zucchini is tender but not mushy. Serve veggies over polenta.

Onion Rings
1 large onion sliced into thick rings
¾ cup cornmeal
1 ½ t garlic salt
1 t black pepper
½ cup almond milk
Combine onions and milk – toss to coat and set aside. Combine cornmeal and spices. Pour onion mixture into dry ingredients. Press as much coating as possible onto onions. Heat cast iron skillet filled with about ½ in oil. Drop “blobs” of onion-cornmeal mixture into skillet. Cook until browned on both sides, flipping as needed.

Roasted Carrots
5 large carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
2 T olive oil
1 t cumin
1 ½ t coarse sea salt

Toss all ingredients together. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Spread carrots over sheet. Bake at 425 for about 15 min or until carrots are nicely browned.

New look for fall...

I decided to try a new design with some fall "spunk"! I kind of liked it and then thought maybe I should just leave my old style - but for some odd reason, I can't figure out how to get back to my old style! So, the fall "spunk" stays :-). I have been having loads of fun with new recipes this week - enjoy!

Serious Vegan Comfort Food!

Pan Fried Chick-un Seitan Cutlets with Mushroom Gravy and Colcannon

Pan Fried Chick-un Seitan
4 thin seitan cutlets (I cut my cutlets in half horizontally so they weren't so thick)
1 cup panko
1 t garlic salt
2 t Italian seasoning
1 t cracked black pepper
olive oil for pan-frying

Mix panko and seasonings. Press crumbs onto cutlets to coat as best as possible. Heat cast iron skillet over med-high heat. Add oil. Pan fry cutlets until browned and crispy on both sides - about 4 min each side. Keep warm.

Mushroom Gravy (Source: 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.

Colcannon (500 Vegan Recipes)
1 T canola oil
1 chopped onion
5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups washed kale, chopped from stems
1/4 cup almond milk
3 T vegan margarine
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 t black pepper
1 t coarse sea salt
2 minced garlic cloves
In a large saucepan, heat oil. Add potatoes, onion and garlic. Cook until mixture starts to brown. Add small amounts of water to loosen browned bits on the bottom. Cook until veggies are mostly done - continuing to add water as needed. Add remaining ingredients and stir to incorporate. Cook 5 more minutes. Mash with potato masher.
Chocolate Cupcakes with Fudgey Chocolate Frosting - can you say decadent?!

Chocolate Cupcakes (Source: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract, chocolate extract, or more vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-processed or regular
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).
Pour into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting (Source: Veganized version of Hershey's Cocoa Chocolate Frosting Recipe)
1/2 cup vegan margarine
2/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup almond milk
1 t vanilla

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add sugar and milk, beating on med. speed to spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla.

Pecan Streusal Coffee Cake

Quite yummy!

Pecan Streusal Coffee Cake
Cake:
3 T Earth Balance
6 T full-fat silken tofu
1 cup sugar
1 t sea salt
2 t vanilla
3 T soy flour
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground ginger
1/4 t nutmeg
2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 cup plain soy yogurt
In a bowl, mix Earth Balance, tofu, sugar until extremely well blended. Add salt, vanilla, and soy flour until blended. In another bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture. Add yogurt and beat on low until blended.

Streusel
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 t cinnamon
1 t flour
3 T Earth Balance, melted
Mix together until crumbly.

Spray bundt pan with cooking spray. Pour half of batter into pan. Top with streusel mixture. Top with remaining batter. Bake at 350 for 40-50 min or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Shredded "Pork" Sandwiches

I have recently read a couple recipes that call for jackfruit. When my friend Tara at Vegan Piggy popped up with a recipe, I knew I needed to give it a try. Though the jackfruit is a bit odd, I must say it's a good substitute for a BBQ pulled pork sandwich! And matter of fact, I am looking forward to leftovers tomorrow! Hubby liked them ok though I don't think they were his favorite. My 4 yr old wasn't fond of it but ate it anyway! The jackfruit shredded quite nicely and didn't have much flavor of it's own so it soaked up the flavors of the sauce quite well. I thought it had a slightly flowery flavor to it - nothing overwhelming, just a hint. I will certainly experiment a bit more with this wacko-looking fruit! Served this meal with onion rings and leftover Cool and Spicy Slaw.

Asian Seitan Tacos

These were one of the first vegan dishes I had on my menu and we quite liked them so I made them again! I have drastically simplified the recipe so it only sort of resembles the one out of Conscious Cook. They are delicious - especially served alongside Cool and Spicy Slaw and sauteed baby summer squash!

Asian Seitan Tacos
Mix together following ingredients. Set aside.
2 T rice vinegar
2 T sugar
1/2 t Dijon mustard
5 T canola oil
1 T sesame oil
1/2 T sesame seeds

Filling:
1/2 T canola oil
1/2 T minced fresh ginger
1/2 T minced fresh garlic
4 cups finely diced seitan (I used chicken style - store-bought because I think it holds up better in this recipe)
4 cups sliced cabbage
2 T soy sauce
1 T rice vinegar
2 T sorghum (resembles honey - sub agave instead if you'd like)

In a large skillet, heat oil. Add ginger, garlic and seitan. Cook until all are beginning to brown. Add cabbage. Stir-fry 2-3 min. Add soy sauce, vinegar and sorghum. Cook additional 2-3 min. Pour dressing (above) over mixture and cook 5 min.

For taco shells:
16 wonton wrappers
canola oil
In a frying pan, heat enough oil to reach 1/4 in in bottom of pan. Fry wrappers until golden in the shape of tacos.

Assemble tacos by filling fried wrappers with seitan mixture.

Cool and Spicy Salad (modified from Speed Vegan)
5 T canola oil
1/2 T dried minced onions
1/2 t garlic powder
3 T rice vinegar
2 T Sriracha sauce
1 T sorghum
1/2 t sea salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
2 T minced fresh cilantro
3 cups shredded red cabbage. Combine all ingredients except cabbage. Stir until well combined. Toss with cabbage. Let sit for about 30 min if possible to allow flavors to meld.

Tofu Quiche...Seriously?!

I have come across several vegan quiche recipes but I have been scared to try them, thinking "There is no way in the world vegan quiche can even think about resembling real quiche!" I must say, our family has an incredibly delicious quiche recipe that we have been making for many years and it is hard to think of anything comparable. I was delightfully surprised, however, when I decided to bite the bullet and make Urban Vegan's Quiche Du Jour. I chose baby zucchini (from the farmers' market) and organic corn kernals as my veggies and added some Daiya mozzarella. The result was wonderful. I used a slightly modified version of my family recipe for almond pie crust as well. My 4 yr old liked it (wow!!) and my hubby said he liked it even better than my original quiche - double wow! Though I quite enjoyed it, I wouldn't say it was quite as good as the original egg-milk-cheese laden pie but it turned out to be a pretty delish lunch!



Quiche Du Jour (modified from Urban Vegan)

Crust (my recipe):
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/2 t salt
1/4 t paprika
6 T canola oil
Combine all ingredients in 9 in. pie plate and stir until crumbly. Press firmly into pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min. Remove from oven and set aside

Filling (I halved the original recipe because I wasn't sure we would like it and didn't want to end up with a big quiche no one liked! The quiche was quite thin so you could still use the full amount and have it fit nicely in your crust. I have provided the original filling recipe - so halve it to make it like mine or use the exact measurements to have a thicker quiche):
14 oz tofu (use the kind in the aseptic box, not the refrigerated kind)
3 T fresh chopped parsley
5 T nutritional yeast
2 t cornstarch
1/2 t salt
2 T soy creamer.
Blend all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Add-ins that I used:
1/2 cup organic frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup thinly sliced zucchini
2/3 cup Daiya mozzarella

Sprinkle cheese over pie crust. Top with veggies. Spoon filling over veggies and smooth over entire pie. Bake at 400 for 30-40 min (half the time if you use a half recipe like I did).

Spicy Cabbage Slaw

I made seitan tacos yesterday - used the Vegan Dad "chicken" seitan which actually was a bit crumbly because I sliced it too thin. Anyway - the tacos were delish but not very pretty, hence no picture! I made cumin-dusted sweet potato fries and Spicy Cabbage Slaw to go with them. Delightful! This slaw is surprisingly sweet and spicy and wonderfully crunchy and fresh. Definitely a make again recipe. I changed a couple things so this is a slightly modified version of Spicy Red Cabbage Slaw from Speed Vegan.

Spicy Cabbage Slaw
3 cups shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 t garlic powder
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t ancho chili powder
1/4 t paprika
1 T sorghum (resembles honey quite well - you can use agave instead if you'd like)
1/4 cup Veganaise
1 t chopped chipotle chili with adobo sauce
Mix everything but the cabbage and cilantro until smooth. Toss with cabbage. Let sit 20-30 min to meld flavors.

Mom's Pancakes, Revamped..."Buttermilk" Syrup

Growing up, my mom made pancakes that were deliciously moist and fairly healthy as well. My mom, sister, and I still make them but I have tweaked the recipe to fit our veganized living. The result was lovely - tasted just like Mom's! I was delighted of course :-) I also used to make a buttermilk syrup that is unequaled by other syrups in my opinion but one of the key ingredients is buttermilk (obviously, from the name!). I decided to try my hand at making a veganized version - and what do ya know? It turned out yummy! Yay! The syrup looks frothy in the picture - the recipe uses baking soda and it bubbles up and foams - doesn't sound all that good but it is! The foam settles down after being refridgerated and re-heated. This was a nice Sunday morning breakfast paired with a big bowl of fruit.
Mom's Pancakes
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup almond milk
3/8 cup soy yogurt
replacement for 1 egg
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t baking powder
Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Heat griddle, spray with cooking spray and ladle batter onto griddle. Cook until bubbles start to form. Flip and cook until browned on both sides.

"Buttermilk" Syrup
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup demarara sugar
3/4 cup soy milk (before pouring milk into measuring cup, add 1 T vinegar to cup measure and pour milk over it to curdle it and allow it to resemble buttermilk)
1/2 cup Earth Balance
1 t baking soda
2 t vanilla
Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a large saucepan. Watch carefully as the syrup will foam and boil over. Bring to a boil. Boil 7 min. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
(I know this is a lot of sugar but it makes a lot of syrup!)

Curried Udon Noodles...Roasted Green Beans...Asian Slaw with Honey Ginger Balsamic Dressing

Curried Udon Noodle Stir-Fry (Source: Veganomicon)
½ lb dried udon noodles

Curry Roux sauce
2 T peanut oil
2 T flour
1 ½ t curry powder
½ t garam masala
½ cup vegetable broth
2 t sugar

Udon Stir-Fry
2 T peanut oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced
1 t grated fresh ginger
½ lb broccoli, chopped
¼ cup veg broth
2-3 T soy sauce

Prepare the udon first. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Curry Roux: Combine the flour and peanut oil in a small saucepan. Cook over med-low heat stirring constantly with a spoon until mixture browns to the color of caramel – about 10min. Stir in curry and garam masala and cook for another minute. Switch to using a whisk, then pour in the veg broth in a steady stream. Whisk in the sugar and cook the rouzx, stirring constantly until thick sauce forms. Remove from heat and set aside.

Stir-Fry
Heat 2 T peanut oil in a large skillet. Add onions and cook until softened. Add ginger and broccoli and stir-fry until broccoli is bright green. Add noodles to broccoli, sprinkle with soy sauce and stir-fry 2-3 min. Whisk ¼ cup veg broth into curry roux in the saucepan. Pour the sauce over the udon stir-fry and stir to coat everything. Cook until sauce is simmering and noodles are warm.

My sister-in-law has blessed me with several tasty gifts recently. She visited the Tasteful Olive in old Overland Park and bought me Blood Orange Fusion Olive Oil, Tangerine Balsamic Vinegar, Honey Ginger Balsamic Vinegar, and Roasted Onion Cilantro Olive Oil - so generous and thoughtful!!!! My sister-in-law makes this amazing salad of tossed romaine, fruit (peaches, grapes, oranges - whatever she has on hand!), roasted almonds and drizzles of Blood Orange Fusion and the Tangerine Balsamic. It is to die for!!!! Seriously, I could eat that salad every single day (and have since the day she bought it for me :-) ). I was excited to try the other treats and used both in today's lunch.

Roasted Green Beans
1 lb fresh green beans, washed, ends snipped
2 T Roasted Onion Cilantro Olive Oil
1/2 t coarse sea salt

Toss all ingredients. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Pour beans on sheet. Bake at 425 10-15 min - we like ours a bit crisp and brown.


Asian Slaw with Honey Ginger Balsamic Dressing
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup mandarin oranges
2 T toasted sesame seeds
2 T Honey Ginger Balsamic Dressing
1 T sesame oil

Toss all ingredients and serve. Letting the mixture sit for 20-30 min allows flavors to meld even more if you have the time.