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.