Sunday, June 3, 2012

Vegan Grilling

Our weather has been so nice recently and we have been eating outside a lot! I decided to grill last weekend and made a yummy bundle of things without heating up the house. I grilled garlic bread, brussels sprouts tossed with a bit of oil, sea salt, a squeeze of fresh lemon and dill, fresh corn and summer squash with a little butter, salt and pepper, and big slices of vidalia onions put directly on the grill. It was fresh and yummy - and we ate outside.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Red Lentil Curry

I love Indian food so much and this Red Lentil Curry was amazing! My mom was in town yesterday and we had a very fun day at the zoo. Before we left to head to the zoo however, I wanted to put something in the crockpot for our dinner so I didn't have to whip something up when we got home. I am so glad I did - we came home to delightful aromas!! This dish was fantastically delicious. I served it atop jasmine rice with naan, cabbage and fresh fruit to the side. I tweeked the recipe as usual :-)I forgot to take a picture until I had put the food away so this is a picture of leftovers of it! Not as pretty as the original dinner plate but gives the general idea!
Red Lentil Curry (adapted from Allrecipes)
1 cup red lentils
1 T canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1-2 tablespoons curry paste ( I used about 1 T and it was spicy but not too spicy.
 2 T will likely give you a VERY spicy dish so add according to your taste)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
 1 teaspoon minced garlic
 1/2 t dried ground ginger
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chilis (like Red Gold or Rotel)
1 cup water
 In crockpot, combine all ingredients except lentils and water. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Cook lentils according to package instructions (usually they take about 15-20 min to cook). Add lentils and water to crockpot during the final 15 minutes of cooking to heat thoroughly. Serve over rice.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

First Harvest!

This year I purchased the coolest thing ever - a Tower Garden. This vertical garden is seriously an awesome contraption that makes gardening a breeze - and I harvested my first batch of lettuce this week. Delicious and fresh! If you have never seen a tower garden, they really are awesome...I have included a couple pictures. I love to make meals out of things I have grown. Yay for easy gardening!

Monday, May 7, 2012

Easy Tempeh Salad

I have discovered that I absolutely love tempeh! Not only have I found out how easy it is to make my own tempeh bacon (and how delicious it tastes!), but I have also realized several other ways of enjoying it. The flavor is so nutty and yummy. I recently made a fabulous salad with some some leftover tempeh cubes. I used the cubes in another dish - I simply rolled tempeh cubes in some flour and then browned them in some oil in a skillet. For the salad, I heated the tempeh cubes and then tossed them with some Louisiana hot sauce. I made a salad of baby cucumbers, tomatoes, petite peas and peppers (any veg combo will do!) and then tossed the salad ingredients with the tempeh and a bit of vinaigrette dressing. Sounds a bit strange but it was fabulously simple and absolutely delicious!!

Friday, April 27, 2012

Penne with Caramelized Cauliflower...Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries

I always love finding new delicious Brussels Sprouts recipes! This one was a winner for sure. The carmelized cauliflower pasta was also really yummy and super simple. Two definite make-agains! Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Dried Cranberries (adapted from Everything Vegan) 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted 1 1/2 T walnut oil (or other mild oil) 1 1/2 lbs Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half 1 cloved minced garlic Salt to taste 1/4 cup craisins Heat oil. Add garlic and Brussels. Cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned but still crisp. Sprinkle with salt and cook just until crisp tender. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with nuts and craisins and toss. Penne with Caramelized Cauliflower (adapted from Everything Vegan) 4 T oil 1 small head cauliflower, cut into large florets 1 cup fresh parsley leaves 1 T freshly grated lemon zest 1 T capers, drained 1 lb penne pasta 1/2 t red pepper flakes sea salt Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and lay cauliflower over surface. Drizzle oil over cauliflower and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Roast at 440 degrees for about 15 min or until nicely browned. Remove from oven and set aside. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Set aside. In food processor, combine parsley, lemon zest and capers and pulse until chunky sauce forms. Toss cauliflower, pasta and sauce together. Sprinkle with pepper flakes. Serve.

Vegan Waldorf Salad

This simple salad was fabulous! Perfect as a spring or summer side dish! Classic Waldorf Salad (adapted from Vegetarian Times 4/12) 3/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted 4 celery stalks, sliced (I didn't use these because my hubby doesn't like celery) 2 red-skinned apples, cored and diced 1 cup red grapes Dressing: 1/2 cup vegan mayo 1 T lemon juice 1 T chopped fresh parsley 1/2 t honey (not vegan - use agave if you would rather or omit) Stir dressing ingredients together. Mix salad ingredients. Toss with dressing. Serve

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Vegan Camping!

Our family went camping on Friday night for a trial run with all four of us - we had a fun time but got no sleep at all. Cows mooing, loud and obnoxious other campers, and not enough blankets to keep us warm, the night was very rough but it was still a fun family time. I had a blast coming up with a vegan menu, though a few of my creations need work before we venture on a camping trip again!






We roasted our corn on the grill and it got a bit too done on one side but was still very delicious. We put our sweet potatoes in the coals and cooked them that way which turned out super tasty. The "hot dogs" I made were more like burgers in consistency - yummy flavor but really tasted nothing like hot dogs. I started out with a recipe but ended up improvising a lot because I didn't have the exact ingredients I needed. Unfortunately, it would be hard for me to duplicate the recipe. The marshmallows were nothing like marshmallows - again I had to improvise a bit with ingredients and equipment (I didn't have a candy thermometer) - there are so many recipe for them that I will just need to play with them and find a winner. These marshmallows ended up being like cream filling in a cookie (like oreo filling) and though they made good graham cracker cookie sandwiches, they tasted nothing like smores. I made graham crackers and they were yummy - I have made that recipe before. Breakfast was a winner. I browned potatoes and Gimme Lean Sausage balls before leaving home and then heated them in foil over the fire for breakfast along with bread to the side and fresh fruit. Super delish and loved by the whole fam. So, I have a challenge to create the perfect vegan camping food by the next time we go camping!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Vegan BLTA...Corn Fritters...Hot Rice with Cold Lemon and Tomatoes...

I ate a bunch of leftovers today, including Hot Rice with Cold Lemon and Tomatoes and Corn Fritters. Both of these dishes were tasty, although I would probably tweak both recipes next time. My usual corn fritter recipe has a bit more flavor and it moister. I did enjoy the fun flavor that the Old Bay Seasoning added to the fritters (this recipe can be found in Vegan Yum Yum). The Hot Rice was super creamy but the blend of flavors was just a bit different. I love the creaminess of the Arborio rice and this recipe is not a risotto requiring time consuming stirring and adding of liquids.

Hot Rice with Cold Lemon, Tomato, and Basil (I didn't use basil because I didn't have any fresh)

From "The Kind Life" by Alicia Silverstone
Number of Servings: 2

Ingredients

*1 cup Arborio rice
*2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
*3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
*3 pinches of fine sea salt
*2 pinches of freshly ground black pepper
*1/2 cup (or as much as you want) fresh tomato, large dice
*2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions
Serves 2

Place the unrinsed rice in a saucepan with 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes (until mostly tender but still a little firm in center of the grain). Drain any of the water that wasn't absorbed and transfer rice to a mixing bowl.
Add the olive oil, lemon juice, and and salt and pepper to taste (add a little bit at first and then add more if you need it). Mix well, add tomatoes, sprinkle with basil, toss to combine, and serve.


I made Urban Vegan's Spaghetti Carbonara a couple nights ago and the recipe calls for vegan bacon. The last time I made it, I used the pricey Fakin Bakin made by Lightlife. Though the Fakin Bakin has a strangely delicious flavor, it is pricey and I have always wanted to try making my own. I decided to courageously attempt my own homemade tempeh bacon, using a Vegetarian Times recipe (recipe can be found here http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/10560). I am happy to announce that the result was delicious and my boys kept coming into the kitchen asking for more "bacon" while I was cooking dinner. I was so thrilled at their enthusiasm and enjoyment of it. I will never buy store-bought Fakin Bakin again because mine turned out just as yummy as store-bought for a fraction of the cost. All of that to say, I made myself a Bakin, Lettuce, Tomato, and Avocado Sandwich tonight using some of this bakin. It turned out very yummy!!

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

My baby is 3!

My youngest turned 3 last week - so hard to believe! Braedon loves tractors so I made a cake with such decor...used the following recipe. Yum!



Chocolate Cake (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.
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 8x11 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting (adapted version of Hershey's Cocoa Chocolate Frosting Recipe)
1/2 cup vegan margarine
2/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/8-1/4 cup almond milk (add gradually until desired consistency reached)
1 t vanilla

Combine all ingredients in mixer and cream until smooth.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Biscuit Topped Beefless Pot Pie

It has been dreary and rainy in Kansas City for the past 3 days and last night I wanted to make some warming comfort food. This Beefless Pot Pie fit the bill . You can use any veggies you like...mushrooms would have been a great addition but I didn't have any. You can also top this with pie crust instead of biscuits.

Biscuit Topped Beefless Pot Pie
2 T canola oil
3/4 cup cleaned leeks, chopped
5 carrots, peeled and diced
4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups washed, chopped green beans
1/2 cup canned or frozen corn
2 cups mushroom broth (or veg broth)
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup flour
3 t faux beef boullion
2 t dried thyme
1 t cracked black pepper

Heat oil in large saucepan. Add leeks, potatoes, and carrots. Cook until beginning to brown. Add green beans and cook until veggies are tender. Add 1 cup broth and stir to continue cooking. Slowly add remaining cup of broth to flour in a small bowl to create a slurry, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Add milk and boullion to flour mixture. Slowly pour flour mixture into veggies. Stir until thick sauce forms. Add more broth if needed to thin sauce if too thick. If sauce is too thin, combine small amount of flour and more broth to create more slurry. I didn't measure so might need to be adjusted a bit. Pour mixture into a large pie plate or casserole dish. Set aside while biscuit dough is made.

Biscuits (adapted from Kind Diet recipe)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup bran
1/2 t salt
1 T baking powder
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup soy milk

Combine all dry ingredients. Combine milk and oil in separate bowl. Slowly add wet ingredients to dry until dough forms. Pat dough out on a cutting board to about 1/2 in thickness. Use biscuit cutter to cut about 7-8 biscuits. Top pot pie with biscuits.

Bake at 425 until pie is hot and bubbly and biscuits are browned lightly.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Birthday boy...Chick-un Salad

I officially have a 6 year old! I had to include this adorable picture...even though the carrot cake I made him this year was only mediocre. It was too dry in my opinion. Keith asks for a carrot cake every year and this year I tried a new recipe - won't make this one again! It was ok, just not great.

I tried the chicken-style seitan recipe from Vegan Yum Yum recently and was quite impressed. Great blend of flavors. I used it to make a chick-un salad which turned out yummy. I made a new dressing recipe too but wasn't fond of it so won't include!! I made Country-Fried Seitan for the salad, also from Vegan Yum Yum. Both recipes adapted a bit.

Chicken-Style Seitan

1 1/2 cups gluten
2 T nutritional yeast
1 t Old Bay seasoning
3/4 cup cold water
1 T soy sauce
3 T soy milk
1 T oil

Combine dry ingredients. Mix well. Combine wet ingredients and slowly add to dry. Stir. Knead several times until elastic. Add more liquid if needed to form smooth, elastic dough. Divide into cutlets.

Braising Broth:
2 cups water
1 veg bouillon cube

Heat broth to boiling and drop cutlets in broth. Simmer for 20-30 min, flipping halfway through. Store in broth in refrigerator.

Country-Fried Seitan
Dry mix:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 t Old Bay seasoning
4 t baking powder

Wet Mix:
1/3 cup dry mix
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup soy milk
3 T mustard

Combine flour, yeast, Old Bay; stir. In separate bowl, mix 1/3 cup dry mix, water, soy milk, and mustard; stir. Add baking powder to remaining dry mix. Dip Seitan cutlets in wet mix and then dry mix. Heat oil in skillet to just cover bottom of pan. Cook on both sides until golden brown. Slice and serve on salad (or any other way you want!)

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts With Gremolata...Tempura Zucchini With Sriracha Aioli

It is so sad how infrequently I am able to post anymore! My sweet hubby sent me off on a date by myself today and told me to relax and have fun with my blog - so nice! I have tried several really yummy recipes lately...

I have been doing a lot of experimenting with Brussels Sprouts recently - I kinda got tire of my usual recipe. I made a new recipe last night and it was fabulous! So fresh and delicious. I actually just made a totally veggie dinner - White and Sweet Potato Fries, Roasted Asparagus With Walnut Oil and Walnuts...Brussels Sprouts and Zucchini. Yum! It was the perfect dinner.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts With Gremolata (Vegetarian Times Nov. 2011)- find recipe here:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11786?section=178

The recipe for the zucchini was actually intended for use with green beans but I used zucchini and it was delicious! I left out the egg yolk of course and I used all purpose flour for all of the flour as that's all I had. I didn't use mushroom powder. I also didn't have ponzu sauce so I just used vegan mayo and sriracha for the sauce. So yummy - my hubby said it was the best zucchini he had ever had. I also just pan fried it in some oil instead of deep fat frying it. I would imagine this recipe would be fabulous with any vegetable. My 2 yr old couldn't get enough of it! Find the recipe here: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11763?section=179.

My asparagus recipe is super easy and delish! Can hardly be called a recipe!!

Place washed, trimmed asparagus in a glass baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle with walnut oil, sprinkle with sea salt and top with chopped walnuts. Bake for about 10 minutes in a 425 degree oven.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Vegan Patty Melt


This is a super easy recipe I made up and it is so delicious! I made my own pastrami but I think you can buy vegan pastrami if you want to pay for it. You could also use another type of baked seitan. I am going to give the recipe for 1 sandwich so you can easily make it for one serving or several.

Vegan Patty Melt
2 slices French bread or sourdough
2 t vegan butter
5 slices vegan pastrami (silver dollar size)
1 t oil
2 T sliced sauteed onions
2 T sliced sauteed mushrooms
1 1/2 T vegan mayo
1 T ketchup
1 t spicy brown mustard

In a skillet, heat oil and brown pastrami slices. Meanwhile, mix together the mayo, mustard and ketchup and set aside. Spread vegan butter on one side of each bread slice and place in a skillet coated with cooking spray. Cook until lightly browned. Place bread slices, toasted side down, on plate and top with browned pastrami, sauteed mushrooms and onions and spread sauce over the top. Top with second slice of bread. Enjoy!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Sweet Sesame Tofu

I made a super yummy Valentines dinner last night - unfortunately, hubby got stuck at work and got home late so we didn't get to eat as a family. This dish was one of 3 that I made - I also made a veggie lo mein that was thrown together with leftovers of noodles, veg and sauce. It wasn't anything super special so didn't take a pic. Also made Peanut Tofu (recipe can be found under my review of Tofu Xpress to the right on my blog). This was a new recipe and was very yummy. Enjoy


Sweet Sesame Tofu (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

Step 1:
Cut 1/2 block of drained, pressed tofu into cubes
Combine 3 T soy sauce, 1 t sesame oil, and 2 t agave. Add tofu to this mixture to marinate. Set aside.

Step 2:
Combine 1 1/2 cups veg broth, 2 T soy sauce, 3 t agave, 4 t cornstarch, 1 T rice vinegar and 1 t chili paste. Set aside.

Step 3:
Cut 1 head of broccoli into small florets. Set aside.


Step 4:
Heat 2 t canola oil in large skillet. Remove tofu with slotted spoon from marinade. Add to skillet along with 1 T fresh grated ginger and 3 cloves minced garlic. Cook until tofu is browned. Add broccoli and sauce from step 2. Cook until sauce thickens and broccoli is crisp tender.

Serve over rice.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

New England Style "Clam" Chowder


This is a recipe I made a couple times and our whole family loved it. It was out of a cookbook I had gotten from the library and after returning the book, I forgot about it and never wrote down the recipe. After a year of trying to search for the cookbook I had found it in, I finally discovered which cookbook I had used and the beloved recipe. This soup is so flavorful and delicious...though it doesn't really taste like clam chowder to me, it is fabulously yum!

New England-Style Chowder (adapted from Vegan Planet)
2 T olive oil
1 large onion chopped
2 celery ribs chopped
5 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups vegetable stock
1 2in piece of kombu
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 T mellow yellow miso dissolved in 2 T water (I actually tried mellow brown rice miso in the batch I made the other night - I would prefer the mellow yellow soy miso as it is milder but the brown rice was still tasty, just a bit stronger)
8 oz mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 t old bay seasoning

Heat stockpot with oil in it. Saute the onions and potatoes until browned. Add the stock, kombu, bay leaf, salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook until veggies are soft. Remove kombu and bay leaf. Use food processor to puree half of the soup mixture. Return to pot. Add milk, 1/2 t Old Bay and miso and stir until well combined. In a separate pan, heat 2 t oil and add mushrooms and celery. Cook until tender. Sprinkle with 1/2 t Old Bay and stir until well distributed. Serve soup topped with a spoonful of mushroom mixture.

Ok so I know this isn't a recipe but I had to share this picture of the perfect rainbow of color! Is it even possible to have a fruit salad this beautiful during the winter months? Thankfully a bunch of fruit has been on sale and we have been enjoying it thoroughly!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Breakfast Bagels


Just a simple breakfast sandwich that is super easy and delicious. It could hardly even pass as a recipe! Here are the easy steps!

1. Place slices of smoked tofu on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15 min. (I use one large slice of tofu per sandwich so use that as your guide to how many slices you want to make)
2. Toast a bagel (one per serving)
3. Whip up some hollandaise sauce (2 T vegan mayo, 1 t lemon juice, 1/2 t mustard per sandwich).
4. Place a slice of tofu on one half of the bagel, pour hollandaise on top and put the bagel top on.
5. Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Vegan Breakfast Sandwiches

Seriously the best breakfast I have made in a while! I wanted to make a breakfast sandwich so I got creative and whipped this up. It was super yummy!

I bought this Nasoya Super Firm Sprouted Tofu from Whole Foods last week - I had never tried it but got a super great deal on it. It is soooo yummy. I is very firm - more like the consistency of pressed tofu. In fact, I didn't even press it.

I dusted slices of tofu with a mixture of nutritional yeast, black salt, and fresh cracked pepper. then I pan seared it in a couple teaspoons of canola until browned and a tad crispy on both sides. Next, I cooked some sliced Gimme Lean Sausage and cooked it in a skillet lightly coated with canola until browned on both sides.




I lightly spread some vegan butter on sliced Italian bread and toasted it on one side in a hot skillet. I topped the bread with tofu and sausage slices and topped with another slice of bread. I served this taste delight with some homemade vegan hollandaise (a combo of tofu mayo, veganaise, mustard and lemon juice)for light dipping.

Fabulous!

Cheesy Mac...Blue Plate Special

Recipes can both be found in Vegan Diner!
Cheesy Mac

Vegan Diner is such a great book! Love the recipes and pictures. This picture doesn't look all that interesting or even appetizing! I don't claim to be a good photographer! Despite this downfall, however, this Cheesy Mac was yummy! Very creamy, quite easy and full of creamy flavor!
Blue Plate Special

Yup, another Vegan Diner classic! Though the combination of flavors and ingredients might seem a little odd, this was fabulously yummola. I made it for breakfast but it would make a perfect lunch or dinner too. I actually would change the spice combo when I make it again I think - the smoked paprika was delicous but it wasn't my favorite to have at breakfast-time. Super yummy - several steps involved so not a speedy breakfast choice but delish!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Vegan Magic Cookie Bars...Hearty Sweet Potato and Veggie Stew...Vegan Simplicity of Veganness!

I really wanted to try a vegan version of magic cookie bars around Christmas time (I know, it's taken me that long to post!!) - these turned out pretty yummy. The "sweetened condensed milk" wasn't really anything like sweetened condensed milk but the cookies were still yummy and did resemble magic cookie bars. Find the recipe at http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/10/vegan-magic-cookie-bars_5400.html.

My mom gave me a recipe for a hearty stew that sounded fabulous - I modified it quite a bit to fit what I had on hand but the end result was very tasty indeed!

Hearty Veg Stew
2 cups quartered mushrooms
1 large onion, diced
2 cups peeled and sliced carrots
2 cups veg broth
2 t poultry seasoning
1/2 t salt
1 t pepper
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups torn kale
Combine all ingredients except kale in a crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Okay so this isn't exciting and it isn't a recipe really - just had to take a picture of a meal I had this week. Hubby was working and I didn't have any leftovers...so I baked a huge potato and then sauteed some zucchini and mushrooms in a little olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. This was the best meal I made all week! I love simple, delicious vegan-ness!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Tofu Scramble...Chick-un Noodle Soup...Vegan Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Once again it's been a while since I posted! I miss blogging but our lives are so much fuller now that we are homeschooling. Enjoy these delish and easy recipes!

a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOgmrfKTbT0_Br5lKKB2ILOdvDYVlPJDUbRPH2T7iTYuWx1Ls-J2olFS2FPYV4tksrvfj0Rv32xXT6uctJpHe9YlQJ_9kTByrxFjoUO1yaWLADFA899kMrtYD6SgTu3xZF11LiTjJFgUU/s1600/tofuscramble.jpg">I haven't made too many tofu scrambles that I am just crazy about but this one was super yummy. I have recently tried Gimme Lean sausage and I have to say it is fabulous! I love both the sausage and the ground "beef" style - such a great product. This scramble was a complete success and super easy too.

Tofu Scramble
4 med size potatoes, peeled, diced
1 package extra firm silken tofu, drained, crumbled (you could use regular tofu but I didn't have any and I think it has a stronger taste too)
1/2 package Gimme Lean sausage, crumbled (or other vegan sausage)
canola oil
black salt
pepper


Heat canola oil in skillet - enough to barely cover bottom of pan. Add potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. Add tofu and sausage and cook until all ingredients are browned. Sprinkle with black pepper and black salt - I just sprinkled these on without measuring. Black salt has a distinct and strong flavor that resembles the sulfur taste of eggs so don't use too much. It really did give a nice "eggy" flavor to this scramble. Serve

ZThis soup was very yummy - perfect chicken soup substitute. I used Reames egg-free noodles which make the best soup I think! This is the perfect soup to have around when you are down with a cold!Recipe can be found in the Happy Herbivore cookbook.

Once again this recipe for vegan biscuits and sausage gravy was made with Gimme Lean sausage. These were so good - the best I have made.

Biscuits
2 cups flour
1 t salt
1 T baking powder
5 T vegan butter
3/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
Combine dry ingredients. Mix. Cut in butter. Add milk until dough forms. Do not knead. Pat into circle and cut biscuits - I usually make it thick enough to make about 8 biscuits. Bake at 400 for about 10-12 min.

Gravy (adapted from Vegan Diner)
1/2 package Gimme Lean sausage, crumbled
1/4 cup flour
3 T nutritional yeast
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
1/4 t granulated onion
1 t salt
1 t black pepper
2 T vegan butter

Brown sausage in skillet in a lightly oiled pan. Remove sausage and set aside. Add vegan butter until melted. Add 2 T milk. Whisk in flour until paste forms. Slowly add remaining milk, constantly whisking until smooth and thick. Add spices. Add sausage. Serve over biscuits.

Crispy Herbed Potato Stack

Crispy Herbed Potato Stack
I was going to try a recipe for herbed scalloped potatoes and at last minute decided to do something fast and easy. I made up the recipe and it was yummola! I layered sliced russet potatoes in a baking dish, drizzled with olive oil, and then sprinkled with coarse sea salt, fresh ground pepper, basil, rosemary, paprika, and garlic powder. Then I baked them at 425 fr about 45 minutes. They were crisp and very flavorful!

My thrown-together salad today - after discovering I had no leftovers for lunch!

Tamale Fixings

Tamale Fixings
Plain pintos (for Keith), pintos, corn and onions; corn, jalepenos and Daiya; mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, and chard

Making these was a bit time-consuming but kinda fun! They didn't turn out as good as I had hoped - the outer tamale part (not the filling) just wasn't as flavorful as tamales I have had in restaurants. I have another recipe I will try for the dough next time. Tamales are one of my favorite foods so I won't give up on this one!

"Buttermilk" Blueberry Pancakes

"Buttermilk" Blueberry Pancakes
I modified one of my favorite pancake recipes to make it vegan and then I added blueberries. Turned out quite yummy. Soymilk sours and thickens well - very similar to buttermilk. I have been really impressed with it's ability to substitute for real buttermilk.

"Buttermilk" Blueberry Pancakes

Egg replacement for 1 egg
1 1/4 cups soured soy milk (put 2 T vinegar into a 2 cup glass measuring cup. Add enough soy milk to equal 1 1/4 cups)
2 T canola oil
1 cup flour (I wouldn't recommend whole wheat or whole wheat pastry - it really takes away from the fluffiness of these pancakes)
1 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
Blueberries, optional

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Heat griddle pour about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Sprinkle blueberries on pancakes after ladling onto griddle. Cook just until golden on both sides.

Veggie and Seitan Lo Mein

Veggie and Seitan Lo Mein
Overall, this was fabulous! However, I don't think the seitan added much so I would just leave it out next time. The lo mein also needed about double the sauce so I would simply do that next time for added flavor. This was especially spicy and yummy with some Sriracha drizzled on top. I made our favorite veg egg rolls to go with this and it was truly a Chinese treat!!

Veggie Seitan Lo Mein

I really did my own thing for this recipe so I am just going to outline the instructions and include the sauce recipe. I heated oil in a large skillet and added 3 minced cloves of garlic and about 1 cup of half-moon cut onions (I was out of green onions but next time I would use green onions as I like them a lot in Chinese food) and about 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots. After about 5-6 minutes, I added about 1/4 lb of whole green beans. I cooked these veggies until tender. Meanwhile, I cooked a 16oz package of chow mein noodles. Once the veggie mixture was cooked, I poured the sauce on the veggies, heated through and tossed with the noodles. Next time I would double the amount of sauce and have adjusted amounts below to reflect double recipe.

Sauce (Source:Adaptable Feast)
3 T soy sauce
3 T rice wine (I used 3 T rice vinegar and 1 t sugar as I didn't have any rice wine)
3 t sugar
4 T black bean garlic sauce
Mix all ingredients and toss with above mixture.





Chinese Broccoli Wontons in Ginger Soy Broth

Chinese Broccoli Wontons in Ginger Soy Broth
Pretty yummy. I found that steaming the wontons worked much better than the recipe suggestion to boil them. The broth was very mild and a bit too mellow for us. Still pretty yummy though. I added extra veggies to the wontons and scallion to the broth. The seasoning in the wonton filling was quite tasty!

Chinese Broccoli Wontons in Ginger Soy Broth (Source: Vegan Yum Yum)

(As usual, I modified several things so it's not exactly the recipe in Vegan Yum Yum!)

1 cup chopped broccoli
3/4 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 T oil
1 t fresh ginger, minced
1 clove fresh minced garlic
1/2 t hot chili sauce (such as Sriracha)
1 t hot Chinese mustard
2 T plus 1 t soy sauce
4 cups water ( I think this might have been more flavorful had I used vegetable broth or faux chicken broth???)
6 slices fresh ginger
1 T mirin (I used a splash of cooking wine as I didn't have mirin)
1 1/2 t sugar
2 t rice vinegar
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup chopped scallions
16 wonton skins

For filling: Heat oil in skillet and add broccoli, ginger, garlic, carrot, onion and cook until veggies are crisp tender. Add chili sauce, mustard, 1 t soy sauce and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make wontons, take one skin and place in diamond shape. Fill with 1-2 t filling. Fold in half to make a triangle and moisten edges with water and pinch sides to seal. Set triangle in front of you with point up and take the 2 side points and bring them together in front to cross. Set aside and prepare remaining wontons. When finished, place wontons in a steamer basket and steam over pot of boiling water until translucent.

Meanwhile, in a pot, combine remaining ingredients (except wontons) and simmer 10-15 min.

Place 3-4 wontons in bowl and ladle broth over wontons. Serve.