Gobhi Aloo...yummy vegan Indian food!

I have tried another version of this dish from another cookbook and it was super yummy. We love Indian food so this was right up our alley! It was easy, cheap to make, healthful, and delicious. Can't beat that combo!! I had to modify it (of course!!) because I didn't have all the ingredients. I served it with rice and veggies to the side. Yummola!

Gobhi Aloo (adapted from Urban Vegan)
3 T oil
1/2 t mustard seeds
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 t salt
2 in piece of peeled ginger, minced
2 t garam masala
1 t ground coriander
1 t cumin
3/4 t turmeric (Braedon was helping me cook and he dumped about 1/8 of a cup of turmeric into my oil - ahhh!! I had to scoop it out so there was more than 3/4 t even after trying to get most of it out! It was still super yummy!)
4 potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups cauliflower (I hardly had any and actually used about 1 cup frozen...I used 5 potatoes to make up the difference)
1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes (didn't have these either! I thinned some tomato paste with water and made a sort of tomato sauce. It was thinner than crushed tomatoes so I didn't add the 3 T water. Worked perfectly though)
3 T water

Heat oil and add mustard seeds. Cover. When seeds start to pop, add onions, spices and ginger. Cook 1 min. Add potatoes. Cook until potatoes start to brown - about 10 min. Add tomatoes and cauliflower (if it is raw - I would recommend waiting if you are using frozen as it will get to done too quickly. If using frozen, I would recommend adding for the final 5 min of cooking). Cover and cook until potatoes and cauliflower are tender.

Serve over rice.

Simple Veggie Pasta

I know I haven't been doing a very good job at sticking to my menu...but I do that a lot!
I made a pretty yummy pasta dish recently - it was very simple and light. I just made it up so I will record the basic steps - it leaves much room for modification! You can add different veggies if you want or sprinkle it with pine nuts instead of almonds, etc. My sister is the master pasta-maker in our family - she frequently makes up pasta dishes that are just fabulous. I am never so lucky to make such delicious pasta dishes without a recipe but this one turned out better than normal!

I cooked some rotini pasta (any pasta will work)according to package instructions. Then I sauteed some garlic in a little olive oil and then added some chopped fresh spinach. I tossed the drained pasta with the sauteed garlic/spinach and some additional drizzles of olive oil. Then I added sliced black olives, about a tablespoon of lemon zest, some salt, cracked pepper, and hopped almonds (I toasted these in a pan first as they have so much more taste than when they are raw). That was it! It turned out pretty yummy. I served it with homemade french bread and veggie sticks on the side. Easy, yummy, good!

I have been wanting to try Morgan's (Little House of Veggies) breakfast burritos for a long time and I finally did. The recipe doesn't call for smoked tofu but my friend Tara (Vegan Piggy) recommended it. I am officially in love with Central Soy's Smoked Tofu. That stuff is incredible!!! The texture is utterly fabulous - chewy and firm, the flavor is delish, and there is no weird tofu taste! I modified the recipe a bit because I didn't have some of the ingredients or because my fam wouldn't have like them. These were delicious!!! Oh and might I say that I used the leftover smoked tofu that I didn't use in the burritos for some yummy wraps?! I made one with some homemade dill dressing (some homemade tofu mayo sprinkled with garlic powder, sea salt, cracked black pepper, and dill) spread on a tortilla, topped with crumbled smoked tofu (warmed), topped with fresh spinach, tomatoes, cucumber, and a drizzle of chipotle hot sauce. Wow!!
I love Vegan on the Cheap and actually just bought it! Yay! This skillet dinner was really yummy. There was nothing fancy about it but it was just good vegan comfort food. Easy and yummy. We drizzled it with ketchup and A1.

Skillet Hash (adapted from Vegan on the Cheap)
2T olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped (I served carrots to the side so didn't add this)
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups chopped seitan (like seitan o greatness or another baked seitan)
½ t each dried marjoram, fennel seed, and salt
¼ t pepper

In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onion, carrots and potatoes and cook until tender. Add seitan and cook until browned. Add spices. Serve.

This recipe comes from VeganDad. It was kind of a funky combo of flavors and veggies but it was good. I am not sure I would make it again but it was a meal that I just felt good about eating! It was loaded with veggies and had a subtle flavor. I served it with homemade apple-peach chutney from last year's visit to the orchard in Marshall (where my parents live - yay for family who lives in the country! :-) ). You can find the recipe at VeganDad (Easy Green Curry). BTW, I used 2 T green curry paste - he doesn't specify amount on that ingredient??
I made Urban Vegan's Monkey Bread Deconstructed. It was pretty yummy but not fantastic. I wouldn't make it again so I am not posting the recipe :-)
I have come up with the perfect Vegan Buttermilk Pancake Recipe! Yummy!!

Vegan "Buttermilk" Pancakes
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups soy milk
2 heaping T soy flour
3 t baking powder
1 t vinegar
2 T sugar
3 T oil

Mix dry ingredients. Mix milk and vinegar and let sit 2 min. Add remaining wet ingredients. Whisk dry with wet. Ladle on to hot griddle and cook on each side until golden.

Sweet and Spicy Chipotle Chili...Orange Scones...Amazing Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies...Paella...Field Roast Meatloaf

NOTE:I am getting so behind on my recipes! I have decided to highlight some of my favorite recipes for now rather than posting everything I am making! I make too many new recipes to keep up :-) If there is a particular recipe you would like that isn't posted, feel free to send me a note and request it:-) Thanks and happy cooking!

So I realized there is only one item on my menu that I haven't made yet, I haven't posted my new menu, and I haven't posted in several days! I'm behind :-) I have been working on a new focus - the whole realm of extreme couponing - and thus have slacked off in my blogging! I have several new recipes to report and I will do my best to get pics and recipes posted as soon as I can. Look for my new menu to the right of my blog - lots of yummyness to come! Happy eating!
This chili was quite spicy but the sweetness of it was actually quite good - kinda funky flavor melding but yummy.


I am constantly looking for tasty things to make for breakfast on the weekends but so many of my breakfast recipes call for so much sugar that they are more desserts than breakfast foods. These orange scones were pretty good but not outstanding. They were a bit too bready to be classified as scones in my opinion. Still good but prob not a make-again.

These chocolate chip cookies were incredible! Perfect softness!! Yum!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup almond milk
1 T tapioca flour
2 t vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t each baking soda and salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Combine sugars, oil, milk, and tapioca flour. Mix well for 2 min. Mix in vanilla. Add remaining ingredients except choc chips and mix well. Fold in chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 6-8 min or until soft but lightly browned. Cool and eat!
For some unknown reason, this took an eternity to cook. Granted, I did use brown rice but seriously?? Two hours - no joke. Ugh! It was ok but not great. The Paella recipe from Conscious Cook was 10x better in my opinion. Oh well :-)

Meatloaf is one of the meals I really miss from my meat-eating days so I was so excited to try Field Roast's version of it (I have wanted to try it for months but coughing up $6.99 for a small loaf was hard for me! I finally did though). Unfortunately, it wasn't very good. It had a weird consistency and flavor I thought. My "meatloaf" was yummier and a lot cheaper. I like Field Roast sausages much better. Now I know!