Crispy Quinoa Cakes and delish Waffles

This was another Vegetarian ones recipe that I wanted to try but it was not vegan. I didn't have any spinach either so added zucchini instead. I basically re-created the entire recipe so it hardly resembles the original. The results were tasty - lacking only a sauce to top the crisp parties with. They were a bit dry on their own. I made up some remoulade to send with the cakes in my husband's lunch tomorrow. Weshall see how that tastes!

Crispy Quinoa Cakes
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 T flour
1 1/2 T tahini
1 1/2 t apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup grated sweet potato
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup smoky cheese (see recipe in smoky grilled cheese post)
1 t minced dried onions
1 T chopped cilantro
1/4 t garlic powder
1 t salt

Preheat oven to 400. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Form large spoonfuls into patties. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 25 min or until golden.



I love waffles! I always have. I recreated a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens to fit our veganizing lifestyle. Super yummy!

Perfect Vegan Waffles
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 wheat bran
1 T baking powder
replacement for 2 eggs (I used EnerG)
1/2 t salt
2 cups soy milk
1/3 cup oil

Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Add wet to dry and stir well. Heat waffle iron and cook. Serve with a bit of butter and maple syrup or jam.

Homemade Apple Pie...Fresh Salad Wrap...New Menu

As I have mentioned in recent posts, I haven't had the time to do as much experimental cooking or new recipes since we have started our homeschooling journey - thus the great reduction in the number of weekly posts!Our current school unit is all about Apples, though, and I thought I would share the delicious recipe for the apple pie we made yesterday. Keith made his own mini-pie - both turned out fabulous! We used some of the apples we picked at a local orchard which made the experience even better!

Vegan Apple Pie (adapted from an Amelia Bedelia book!!)
1 double pie crust, uncooked
8 cups apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (we used Jonathons)
1/2 cup flour
scant 2/3 cup sugar
2 T lemon juice
1 t cinnamon
butter for dotting

Place half of rolled pie crust in 9in pie plate. Combine apples, flour, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and toss until well coated. Pour into prepared pie crust. Dot with vegan butter. Top with second pie crust and crimp edges to seal. Make 3-4 slits in top of crust for steam to escape. Bake at 400 for 40 min or until golden brown.




Yesterday I didn't have much in the way of leftovers for lunch so I threw together this wrap - super tasty and super easy! My kind of meal for sure! I enjoyed it with some delicious apples from our orchard outing on Monday. All I did was take a flour tortilla and spread about 3 teaspoons creamy dill dressing over the surface (see recipe below). I then took about 1/2 cup leftover salad (romaine, carrots, red pepper, celery, peas, and tomatoes) and sprinkled it on top of the dressing. I topped it off with half of a sliced avocado and folded it in half. Yum!


Creamy Dill Dressing
1/2 cup vegan mayo (I used homemade tofu mayo)
2 t dried dill
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t sea salt
3/4 t fresh cracked pepper
Combine all ingredients until well mixed.


I have revised my menu - I made the Spaghetti Con Salsa Fresca last night and though it was fine, it wasn't anything blog-worthy. I made the grilled tofu as well but forgot to take pictures. Basically my thought on that - grilled tofu is absolutely delicious! Turns out with a nice smoky flavor and chewy delicious texture - served with any sauce or rub, it's a winner

I started a post a while back and never got around to finishing it! So, it is showing up as an "old" recipe and is below the most recent posts - check it out! It was super yummy :-)

Smoky Grilled Cheeze Sandwiches

I was completely excited about trying this recipe - I got this book from the library and it has great pictures and recipes. This cheese is amazing! It is super easy and tastes delicious. My entire family - yes, including my 2 1/2 yr old and 5 1/2 yr old - loved this meal. An absolutely delicious vegan grilled cheese - not chewy like a normal grilled cheese but ooey and gooey and fabulous!

Great Smoky Mountain Cheeze (adapted from Vegan Diner)
1/2 cup water, divided
2 t agar powder
1 (12.3 oz) package silken extra firm tofu
1/4 cup plus 2 T nutritional yeast
3 T canola oil
1 1/4 t sea salt
1 t smoked paprika
1/2 t granulated garlic
1/2 t granulated onion
1/2 t regular paprika
2 T plus 2 t cornstarch

Combine agar and 1/4 cup water, wisk, and set aside. In separate bowl, combine remaining water and cornstarch, wisk and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in food processor and whirl until smooth and silky. Add agar and cornstarch mixtures to food processor and whirl a few more times. Transfer mixture to saucepan and heat for 2-3 minutes for the agar to totally dissolve. Return mixture to your washed food processor and whirl for 20 seconds until completely smooth. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Place a piece of wax paper over the top of the cheese and lightly press down. This will prevent a skin from forming on top. Refridgerate until set. This can be sliced or spread.

Smoky Grilled Cheezy Sandwiches (adapted from Vegan Diner)
8 slices of french or sourdough bread (I used sliced Kaiser buns as I was out of sliced bread! Worked perfectly!)
Homemade Great Smoky Mountan Cheeze (see above)
1 large tomato
Vegan margarine

Take 2 slices of bread and spread margarine on one side of each slice. Spread 2-4 T cheeze over the unbuttered sides of the bread and top with tomatoes. Press cheeze sides together and place in a heated skillet. Cook until browned, flip, and brown opposite side. Enjoy

Cheesy Seitan Meetballs

These veg meetballs were an adapted version of a recipe I found in Vegetarian Times - the recipe was vegetarian but not vegan. Actually, I modified the recipe so much, it isn't really at all like the original but it at least started there! I wasn't sure if they were going to turn out but they actually were very yummy. Serve with spaghetti and pasta sauce for a tasty main dish (I forgot to take a picture of the original meal so this is a picture of the leftovers, not so pretty, but at least gives the general idea!)

8 oz. seitan (I used boiled seitan, pulsed in the food processor to make coarse crumbles)
1/2 cup nutty cheese, crumbled (I flavored mine with fresh basil - see recipe below)
1/3 cup panko
1/2 cup diced onion
1 T lemon juice
2 t flax seed mixed with 2 t water
1/2 t dill
1/2 t salt
1 T fresh minced parsley
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t baking soda
oil for panfrying

Combine all ingredients except oil in food processor and pulse until well mixed and a bit "squishy". Transfer contents to skillet and heat for 3-4 min (this allows the mixture to meld together and become a bit sticky in order to stick together into balls). Remove from heat and cool slightly - just until it is cool enough to handle. Form into balls and panfry until golden on all sides.

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.

Chorizo Pasta

I bought some Soy Chorizo at Trader Joes and have been itching to try it. I couldn't find a recipe I wanted to try so I came up with one on my own. This turned out quite yummy. The chorizo is a definite score - no funny faux meat taste.

Chorizo Pasta
3/4 cup crumbled soy chorizo
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 T oil
1 can corn
1 lb penne pasta, cooked according to package instructions
2/3 cup marinara sauce
1/2 t salt
2 t chili powder

Heat oil in skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until golden. Add chorizo and cook until browned. Add corn, salt and chili powder. Cook until heated through. Toss cooked pasta with marinara sauce. Add chorizo mixture to pasta and toss. Serve.

Colorful Dilled Potato Salad

I haven't done a good job of making the items on my posted menu - my hubby has been working an insane amount of hours and I haven't been cooking anything too fun most days! Just simple, fast meals. I have posted a new menu though, with a couple added items. I did make the Herby Polenta and it was ok but not blogworthy. I have made a few standby favorites (Chick-un Tacos, Taco Salad) but nothing new to blog about. However, I did make a potato salad yesterday to serve at our Labor Day festivities today and it turned out really yummy. We are headed to my parents' today to join up with my sister and family for a day of BBQ and fellowship. On our menu: Grilled Tofu, Dilled Potato Salad, Fruit Salad, Succotash, and Vegan Chocolate Cake. Yum!

Colorful Dilled Potato Salad
4 med-large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3/4 cup chopped peppers (I combined red, yellow and green)
1/3 cup sliced olives
1/2 cup petite peas, thawed
1/2 cup vegan mayo
1/4 t garlic powder
1 t salt
1/2 t dried dill
1/2-1 t fresh cracked pepper

Combine dressing ingredients (mayo through pepper). In a bowl, combine veggies and toss with dressing.

Have a great Labor Day!

Edwards and Sons Product Review

This review can also be found to the right of the screen but I figured I would feature it here first. Enjoy!

I was completely thrilled when a wonderful representative from Edwards and Sons recently offered to let me review some new products. When I first tried Edwards and Sons wonderful offerings (several months ago), I was delightfully pleased with EVERY SINGLE item! Delicious! Needless to say, I was eager to try the Canned Organic Grapefruit, Canned Cremini Mushrooms and Canned Portobellas when they arrived in the mail the other day. Once again, I have been thoroughly pleased! I loved mushrooms soooo much but my family isn't fond of them so I don't eat them nearly enough! This was the perfect opportunity to whip up a simple meal for myself (my hubby was working and I made sandwiches for the boys!). I threw together some mashed potatoes (a bit of butter, salt and fresh cracked pepper transformed some boiled potatoes). Next I lightly sauteed my little can of creminis in a tad of butter, salt and fresh cracked pepper (I know, sounds redundant!). I piled the mushrooms on a mound of potatoes and dove in! They were amazingly fabulous - chewy, flavorful, and downright yummy. They didn't need a fancy or exotic dish to shine - they were wonderful with just a little added flavor and a mild partner (the potatoes!).

I tried the grapefruit yesterday - it was gorgeous! I opened the can and thought I must be staring at oranges, not grapefruit! The segments were perfect and bright orange - surrounded by slightly sweet, 100% grapefruit juice. Yummy! If you like your grapefruit sweet, I would recommend a light sorinkling of sugar as these tender segments are bittersweet - just like a grapefruit should be in my opinion! What a wonderful thing to have in the pantry all year round!

The portobella mushrooms were just as delicious as the creminis! I was so excited to try them in a skillet of seitan stroganoff yesterday and they were fabulous. It was so nice to pull out the can, open it, and add them without any cleaning, chopping or extra cooking needed! Just a quick stir into the stroganoff and the dish was complete. Yum!



"Beef" Stroganoff

1 package Gardein beef tips, each piece cut into 3rds or 2 cups chopped seitan
1 large onion, diced
2 T olive oil
6 T nondairy butter
6 T flour
1 1/2 - 2 cups unsweetened soy milk (depending upon desired thickness)
2 t faux beef boullion
2 t vegan Worcestershire
2 t ground black pepper
3/4 t garlic salt
1-2 cans Edwards and Sons portobella mushrooms
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
Hot cooked noodles

In large skillet, heat oil. Add onions and cook 3-4 min or until starting to brown. Add Gardein. Cook until onions and Gardein are nicely browned. Sprinkle with pepper and garlic salt. Stir to combine. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Whisk in flour to form a roux. Slowly add milk until desired thickness is achieved. Add boullion and Worcestershire and stir to incorporate. Add sauce Gardein and onions. Add more milk if sauce is too thick. Stir until bubbly. Add mushrooms and heat through. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream. Serve over hot noodles.

Easy Cornmeal Scrapple, Product Review, New Menu and More!

I haven't been real successful in getting back into the routine of blogging this week! I have been very busy getting our house and routine back to normal after our 2 week vacation and my blogging has taken the back burner. I have a couple things to post and a couple updates to share so here it goes!

A week from tomorrow, I will be starting on an exciting journey - homeschooling my 5-yr-old! We are so excited and a little overwhelmed too! This means, my time to do things like blogging will be greatly reduced. I will still be posting regularly but not nearly as frequently as I have done in the past. Still look for new and delicious recipes though, as I will be working on finding fast and easy dishes that will be doable in our new schedule!

I have posted a new menu! Since my time in the kitchen will be more limited in upcoming days, I will be making a lot of recipes that I have tried in the past - and therefore I won't be posting as many new ones. Thus the short list of new items on the menu!

I just received a new package of goodies from Edwards and Sons! Look for a new product review in the next few days. Just look under product reviews at the right of my blog!

I got to enjoy a fun vegan sandwich from a little restaurant in San Diego one of the days we were on vacation. The shop was called Devine Pastabilities and they had a very fun and delicious creation. It was a sub roll stuffed with penne, vegan meatballs, spinach, garlic and marinara sauce. Very funny combo but super yummy!

Yesterday I tried a new breakfast recipe that turned out so good! I modified the recipe to make it even easier. The recipe comes from my beloved Urban Vegan cookbook!

Easy Cornmeal Scrapple (adapted from Urban Vegan)

3 1/4 cups veg broth
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
1 t sage
1 t fennel seeds
1 1/4 t salt
1/4 t fresh ground pepper
14 oz breakfast style vegan sausage

Bring broth to boil. Combine cornmeal, flour and spices. When broth is boiling, slowly whisk in dry ingredients and stir until smooth and creamy. Continue to stir for about 5 min. Meanwhile, slice or crumble sausage into a skillet and cook until browned. Add browned sausage to cooked cornmeal mixture. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 T oil. Drop large spoonfuls of the cornmeal mixture into pan and cook on each side until browned. Serve.

I'm Back!

I am back from vacation - we had a fabulous trip to California and Oregon but it's also great to be home! I did take some pictures of some of the vegan delights I tried but I am still in the process of getting pictures uploaded. I did take a picture (and have it uploaded!) of a delightful fruit salad I made at my Aunt's house in Lewiston, CA. We picked cups and cups of wild blackberries while we were there and this salad shows of their beauty. I also got the privilege of gathering apples from my Aunt's tree and chopping them into this salad as well. Yum! I am working on putting together a menu of delicious new items but it is yet to be completed! Stay tuned...