I've been cooking away this week...trying lot of new things. I had to take a picture of the beautiful colors in my crockpot today - I was making veggie broth and it just looked so bright!! I recently checked out a book from the library called Detox in a Weekend (Maggie Pannell). It's a very interesting book and I will likely use the detox method sooner or later. However, for now I have decided to incorporate some of the super healthy meals in the book into my menu planning. I made a delicious salad today for lunch - a funny but yummy combination of ingredients (artisan lettuce blend, tomatoes, oranges, and asparagus drizzled with olive oil and balsamic). I also made a veggie bean soup that was simple in flavor but tasted really good and wholesome. I also recently checked out Artisan Vegan Cheese (Miyoko Schinner) and am loving trying some new vegan cheeses. The recipes are a little tough to master but I finally was able to successfully make a batch of cashew yogurt. The yogurt separated a bit but all I had to do was whisk it thoroughly to smooth it out. I hope to have some success with many more vegan cheeses!

Chick-Un Divan Casserole

Growing up, Chicken Divan was a family favorite - wow my mom made the best divan on the planet!! Over the years, my mom, my sister and I all made slight adjustments to the recipe (making everything from scratch instead of using canned soups, adding spinach to the dish as well as the broccoli, increasing the curry powder in the bread crumbs etc). When I decided to start cooking vegan fare, I decided I must try veganizing this dish and I successfully made a delicious version (see previous blog post for the recipe : http://veganizingfun.blogspot.com/2010/12/breads-cookies-and-more.html). I have made the veganized version many times and today I decided to give it a makeover with a few changes to the recipe! The results were fabulous and I might add that this will likely be the way I make it from here on out! My 3 year old ate 3 helpings! This dish is usually served over rice but this time I mixed the rice into the sauce with the broccoli and "chicken" and baked it all together. Wow!!

Chick-Un Divan Casserole

Sauce:
5 T vegan butter
2/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups plain unsweetened soy milk
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 T faux chicken boullion ( I like Better Than Boullion brand)
2 t curry powder

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until thick paste forms. Slowly add soy milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Continue to stir until thick and bubbly. Whisk in water, boullion, and curry powder. Stir until mixed, thick and bubbly. Set aside.

Remaining ingredients:
4-5 cups cooked brown rice (use 4 cups if you want a saucier casserole and 5 if you want a little less saucy casserole - either way will yield a creamy casserole)
4 cups chopped broccoli
1 package Gardein "chicken", chopped (the scallopini will work, the mandarin or terriyaki will work too, just keep the sauce for another use)
2 1/2 T canola oil, divided
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1 1/2 t curry powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t Italian seasoning

Steam broccoli until crisp tender. Run cold water over it to stop the cooking. Place in a large bowl. Add the rice and the sauce (recipe above) and stir to incorporate. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 T canola oil in a skillet and add chopped Gardein. Cook until browned (about 5-8 min). Add Gardein to the rice mixture. Stir to incorporate. In a separate bowl, combine remaining 1 T oil, bread crumbs, curry, salt and Italian seasoning. Stir until spices, oil and crumbs are well mixed. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and transfer rice mixture to pan. Smooth top. Sprinkle bread crumbs over top of casserole. Bake at 400 for about 20 min or until bubbly. Serve with extra veggies on the side!

Strawberry Parfait

I made several yummy meals this week but didn't do a good job at taking decent pictures! This delightful creation doesn't require a recipe but it was so delicious I figured I would at least post a picture and a "how to". I have recently discovered Almond Milk Yogurt and our family really likes it. It resembles dairy yogurt more closely than some of the other vegan yogurts and is less sweet but more tangy. I made granola this week and strawberries were on sale so a parfait was just waiting to be made. All I did was layer the plain yogurt, granola and strawberries and it was fabulous! Such a delicious breakfast!

Taco Salad with BBQ Citrus Drizzle

Taco Salad is nothing new to us...in fact it is a frequent staple at our house. Everyone in the family likes it and it is easy to throw together. However, my usual taco salad consists of seasoned pintos, seitan crumbles, lettuce or cabbage, salsa, guacamole and vegan sour cream on occasion. I've recently been in the mood to make up fun new recipes so this week I spiced up my taco salad with some citrus-y flare! Turned out pretty yummy!

Taco Salad with BBQ Citrus Drizzle
(makes 2 dinner-sized portions or 4-6 smaller side salad portions)


Dressing:
1/8 cup canola oil
1/8 t garlic powder
juice from 1 lime
1 T orange juice
1/2 T agave
1 T bbq sauce
2 T vegan mayo
2 T fresh cilantro
Combine dressing ingredients and stir or shake until well mixed. Set aside.

Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine or lettuce of choice
2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
1 large or 2 small avocados, peeled and diced
1/2 cup sliced olives
3/4 cup pinto beans
3/4 cup corn
1/4 t each garlic powder, chili powder, cumin
1/2 t salt
1 T chopped jalepenos (fresh or canned)
2 T salsa
Tortilla chips (I used tortilla chips with a hint of lime - delicious!)


Divide lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, and olives between two large salad bowls. In a separate bowl, combine beans, corn, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, jalepenos, and salsa. Stir to combine. Divide bean mixture between salad bowls. Drizzle with dressing and serve with tortilla chips.