Lentil Soup

I must admit that this soup is a bit of an adaptation from that 'so cute you almost hate her' petite, Italian lady Giada de Laurentis.  Her lentil soup recipe isn't too far off from vegan, and is a simple, filling, and healthy dish that just gets better as a leftover.  

2 TBSP olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 14oz can of diced tomatoes

1 lb lentils

11 cups veggie broth

4 to 6 sprigs of thyme

2/3 cup dried elbow pasta

1 cup shredded vegan parm (optional)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, and saute down the onions, carrots, and celery until translucent.  Add garlic and cook for another minute.  Add the can of tomatoes with their juices and simmer until the juices break down and the tomatoes break down a little, about 8 minutes.  Add the lentils and mix to coat.  Add the broth and stir.  Add the thyme sprigs.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.   Stir in the pasta, and simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.  Season and take off the heat.  Serve up in bowls, and add parmesean is desired.   

Vegan Hollandaise

Which kind of sounds 'non-appetizing'... I will be the first to admit that there is no sex appeal in the sound of this one.  At the same time, desperate times calls for creativity.  We have a long standing tradition in my family of eggs benedict and lots of mimosas on Christmas morning.  Whereas the mimosas require no adaptation, I wanted to be able to toast baby Jesus with both the drink and our traditional food this year.  By golly, I think that it WILL be done! The plan: english muffin, grilled portobello mushroom, grilled asparagus - or possibly grilled green onion - all drizzled with this.....

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

2 TBSP flour

1 cup water

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp Dijon mustard

juice from 1/2 to 1 whole lemon

Whisk all the ingredients together - except the mustard - in a sauce pan over medium heat.  This sauce is prone to burning, so make sure and stir frequently.  Once it becomes noticeably thicker, add the mustard and simmer on low for a few minutes.   Enjoy!

   

Tuscan White Beans and Swiss Chard

This is fresh, healthy, quick, and just yummy satisfying...  Using the Swiss Chad stems seems odd, but it works beautifully.

1/2 vidalia onion, chopped

large bunch of Swiss chard, stems chopped off
1 teaspoon minced garlic
15 oz. can diced tomatoes (or 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered with juice)
15 oz. can cannelloni beans (or any white beans). drained and rinsed
4 large fresh sage leaves, minced
 salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

Wash chard and slice off stem ends.  Dice stem ends--approximately 1/4 inch dice.
In wok or large frying pan, warm olive oil.
Once oil is warm, vidalia, chard stems, sage and garlic. Sauté until soft.
While chopped veggies are sautéing, roughly chop remaining chard leaves and drain and rinse beans. Add both to pan, dump in contents of diced tomatoes (including liquid) and cover.  Once chard is soft, stir it up and add salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.

Serve hot with rice!

LOVELY Lima Bean Soup

Lima beans are no longer yuck.... This soup will change everyones perception of what lima beans are all about.

2/3 cup diced onion

3 TBSP soy margarine

1 TBSP olive oil

1/3 cup diced carrot

1/3 cup diced celery

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups lima beans

1 apple, peeled and sliced

4 cups veggie broth

salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large pot, saute the onion in the margarine and oil over medium head until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, and garlic and cook another 5 minutes.

While the veggies are cooking, boil the lima beans for about 10 minutes to make them extra soft. Drain the lima beans and add them to the pot with the veggie stock and apples. Lower the heat and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Puree with a hand blender and season with salt and pepper! Mmmm...

Pasta with Hummus Sauce

A couple things... I know that hummus sauce sounds a little iffy.  Also, this is a casserole...and I generally always say no to casseroles.  I guess I am a little of a snob like this.  This dish was developed from trying to get rid of a bunch of pasta left over from the previous recipe....and WOW! Yumm!! The hummus doesn't really even taste like hummus as much as a binder to create a creamy texture.  Comfort food in it's best fashion!

    1 lb your favorite whole wheat pasta
    1 can diced tomatoes
    1 small can tomato sauce
    5 oz kalamata olives (pitted and diced)
    1 bag frozen spinach (thawed and drained) or 1 bag sauteed fresh spinach
    1 large container garlic hummus or equivalent homemade hummus
    1 cup textured soy protein hydrated with 1 cup water
    1/2 to 1 cup soy milk

    1 TBSP oregano
    salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease large casserole dish.

Cook pasta according to package.

In large bowl mix together all ingredients except pasta and soy milk.
Stir in cooked pasta and add soy milk until pasta is coated and mixture is moist.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour into casserole dish.

Cover and bake for about 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for about 10 more minutes, or until the top of the casserole starts to get crispy.

Serve and enjoy!

Bowtie Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes

This is an extremely easy recipe to throw together on a busy night.... After the pasta is cooked, it takes another 10 minutes max. The EVEN BETTER part is that all the leftovers it makes can be turned around into the casserole I will post next!

12 oz bowtie pasta

20 sundried tomatoes, not packed in oil
 5 cloves garlic, mined
 3-4 tablespoon olive oil

1 portobello mushroom cap, chopped
1 bag of fresh spinach
 2-3 tablespoon toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup white wine

zest of 1/2 lemon

a little chopped fresh thyme

Boil bowtie pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, soak sundried tomatoes in boiling water for about 5 minutes.  Remove and chop coarsely.  Put olive oil in a heated saute pan, and saute about 3 minutes until more translucent.  Add garlic, white wine, sun dried tomatoes and spinach. Cook until spinach is just wilted.  Add cooked drained pasta, walnuts, lemon zest, and mix thoroughly while still over heat.

Enjoy!

Superstar Veggie Stir Fry

If you are craving a huge dose of fresh, crunchy veggies with a splash of flavor, this is your recipe! Outside of the simplicity, this is such a satisfying and fulfilling meal that will quickly become a favorite! Add more of, or delete, those things that you like or dislike more...make this your own!

2 TBSP canola oil

1 red bell pepper, julienned

1 yellow bell pepper, julienned

1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup small broccoli florets

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2+ cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup Szechuan Stir Fry Sauce

2 cups sliced bok choy

1 cup bean sprouts

1/2 cup snow peas

1/2 tsp black pepper, or more to taste

1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste

2 TBSP sesame oil

Cut up all your veggies first....this goes quick and you need to be ready to go! 

Using a large wok, or similar pan, heat the oil until it is almost smoking. Add garlic, onion, and peppers. Cook down about two minutes.  Add broccoli and stir fry sauce, stirring constantly, for about another two minutes.  Add bok choy, sprouts, salt, pepper, and mushrooms.  Cook for about another 2 minutes until crisp tender.  Stir in snow peas sesame oil, salt to taste, and serve immediately!

Indian Jeera Rice

So I guess there is a RICE theme this month! This time it is perfect, "buttery", and delicious Indian Jeera rice.  As you can likely tell, I am a big fan of any international cuisine...namely Indian.  I serve this rice with my Channa Masala, curry dishes, or just plain!

2 cups Basmati Rice

3 TBSP olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoon cumin SEED

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups hot water

1. Wash the rice in luke warm water, drain it completely and let it sit. ** Don't skip this step!

2. Heat the oil on medium heat.  Add the bay leaves and cumin seeds and saute for one minute.

3. Add the rice and saute for a few minutes

4. Add the hot water and the salt.  Boil until almost all of the water has evaporated.

5. Cover and reduce the heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes or so - stir it often and make sure that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan

6. When there is just a TINY TINY bit of moisture left, remove it from the heat and let it steam out the water..the extra water will evaporate.  

Perfect Brown Rice Every Time...

Rice has been my nemesis for quite a long time....but I am fortunate enough to do good internet searches.  I came across this idea a while ago at Saveur Magazine site, and it planted the seed for a great base.  Like most all internet recipes I found, it took a little tweaking - and now it works for me! So, likely you will need to do the same to my recipe to make it work perfectly for you :) 

You need:

Brown Long Grain Rice

Water

A strainer

A large pot with a lid

salt

For every 1 cup of dry rice, place 4 cups of water in the large pot.  2 cups rice to 8 cups water, etc.  Rinse the rice REALLY well....for at least 30 seconds, passing your hand through the rice to make sure that it has all been covered.  This takes out the extra starch, and is very important.

Bring that water to a boil.  Once it boils, add the rice to the water.  Reduce the heat to MEDIUM and boil UNCOVERED for another 30 minutes.  Next, STRAIN the rice and RETURN it to the pot and put the lid on.  Reduce the heat to the LOW setting and let the rice STEAM until the remainder of the rice has evaporated.  SALT to taste and SERVE!!

The Ultimate Vegetarian Chili

    3 tablespoon olive oil

    3 chopped onions
    1 tablespoon chili powder
    1 tablespoon ground cumin
    1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    2 peppers, chopped
    3 garlic cloves, chopped
    3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
    1 large can, undrained, of tomatoes, chopped
    1 cup water
    1 can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
    1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
    2 cups fresh or frozen corn
    1/2 cup bulgur or quinoa
    salt and pepper
    cilantro (optional)

Directions:

In a large pan, saute the onions and spices.  Add peppers and garlic for 1 min. Add cocoa, tomatoes, and water; bring to a boil. Add kidney and black beans, corn and bulgur.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 min. or until bulgur is cooked.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  To serve, sprinkle with  cilantro.

Shiitake Mushroom Miso Soup

Miso happy I have a great miso soup recipe! Besides the fact that it is super delicious, it is supposed to be good for you or something... :) I make this with my ginger dressing salad and veggie sushi.  Throw in some Sake and Sapporo and you have a themed dinner night!

• 1 bunch scallions, sliced thin, white and green parts separated
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 8 cups water
• 3 (6-inch) pieces dried kelp (kombu)
• 1/4 cup bonito flakes
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 3 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1/2 cup light miso
• 1 pound baby bok choy, cut in quarters

In a large soup pot over medium heat add the scallion white parts, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. Cook for 1 minute and add 8 cups water. Rinse the kombu and add it to the pot along with the bonito flakes. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes - do not let it boil. Remove the kombu and set it aside. Add the dried mushrooms and miso to the pot and let it simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are hydrated and tender. Add the bok choy and simmer until it is tender, about 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the reserved green parts of scallions. 

Fettuccine with Walnuts, Artichoke Hearts, and Parsley

This is a hearty, out of the ordinary, and absolutely scrumptious meal.  And did I mention that it is SUPER simple? IF you are cooking for some non-vegans, just saute some shrimp in a bunch of olive oil and garlic and add it to the dish once you have taken your portion out.  

3/4 box of whole wheat fettuccine

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup olive oil

5-7 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup veggie broth

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 container marinated artichoke hearts, drained

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup soy Parmesean cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain.  Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a small, dry skillet over medium-high heat until they are fragrant, stirring frequently, 3 to 5 minutes.  In the pot that the pasta was cooked in, heat the oil with the garlic over low heat, stirring until the garlic is soft and fragrant, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Return the pasta to the pot, add the broth, walnuts, parsley, artichoke hearts, salt and pepper, and toss to combine, cooking over low heat for 2 or so minutes.  Add the soy Pamesean and toss again.  Serve! Garnish with parsley and more toasted walnuts if you are feeling fancy!

Green Bean and Walnut Salad

As I was making this scrumptious little dish, I couldn't help but think about going on a picnic...  This would be perfect!  There are a million versions of blanched green beans, but the Dijon really separates this one from the pack.  

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed

1/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted and chopped very finely

3 TBSP finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

3 TBSP finely chopped red onion

1 TBSP walnut or olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Blanch the green beans for 4-5 minutes and then transfer them to an ice bath.  Transfer them to a medium serving bowl.  Toast the walnuts in a small, dry skillet over medium heat until they are fragrant and then chop them finely and transfer them to a small bowl.  Add the parsley and onion and stir to combine.  

In another bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and mustard.  Toss the green beans with the dressing, top the walnut mixture, and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Serve!

White Bean and Roasted Garlic Dip

This dip is great with raw veggies, or even used as a sandwich spread! Anything with beans and tons of roasted garlic can't be wrong!

Two 15.5 ounce cans of Canneloni beans (or any white bean), rinsed and drained

2 whole bulbs of garlic, roasted and squeezed from it's casing (use 2-3 TBSP in the dip, per your tastes)

3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

To roast the garlic, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Cut off the top third of the garlic head to that the tops of the cloves are exposed.  Wrap the head in some aluminum foil and drizzle with about 1 TBSP olive oil.  Seal the aluminum foil up and bake for about 45 minutes until it is golden brown and caramelized.  Let it cool, and then squeeze it out of their casings.  I would suggest to roast each garlic head individually in its own foil.  

In a food processor, combine the beans, roasted garlic, oil, and lemon juice and process until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with parsley.  

Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

If you have a few sweet potatoes around the house, this couldn't be a simpler way to cook them up.  Pretty yummy if you ask me....

3 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs), peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP honey

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the potatoes in a 9x13 inch baking dish.  In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, honey, and lemon juice.  Pour the mixture over potatoes and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with salt, and bake, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 1 hour.  Season with more salt to taste and serve.

Japanese Style Ginger Lime Dressing

You know the ginger dressing that you get at sushi restaurants? Well, this is that dressing vegan-ified.  It isn't as creamy as what you often find - obviously - but packs all the same punch! I serve it over Bibb or Butter lettuce with some julienned carrots, radishes, cherry tomato halves, thinly sliced red onion, and maybe even raw corn.  As always, season to taste before serving and adjust. 

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 TBSP soy sauce

1 TSBP rice vinegar

1 TBSP finely diced shallot

1 TBSP grated fresh ginger

2-3 teaspoons sugar

2 TBSP peanut oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and let it stand for at least 10 minutes before serving!

Apple Pecan Waffles

Take these up a notch by serving my cooked apples cinnamon compote on top..mmmmm...

1 cup soy milk

1/2 cup melted Earth Balance

1 TBSP vanilla

Equivalent egg substitute for 3 eggs

One apple, peeled and shredded

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 TBSP baking powder

5 tsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup toasted pecans, ground to a powder

Apple Cinnamon Compote, recipe follows

Tools needed: Waffle maker and food processor

Preheat oven to 375º and toast the pecans about 8-10 minutes or until fragrant and a darker shade of brown. Place toasted pecans in the food processor and whiz until they become a powder consistency.

Mix the egg substitute so that it is in it's liquid state. To that, add soy milk, melted Earth Balance, vanilla, pecans, and apple. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and sugar. SIFT into the wet mixture and mix well. I generally put exactly 3/4 cup into my waffle maker and cook for 5-6 minutes on medium high.

Apple Cinnamon Compote

2 cups water

1/3 cup sugar

1 TBSP good vanilla

1 tablespoon Calvados or brandy

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch salt

8 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cubed

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine the water, sugar, vanilla, Calvados, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt and bring to a boil. Boil gently until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the apples and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very tender and the mixture thickens, about 20 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature before serving.

Teriyaki Mushroom and Green Bean DE-Lite

Eat the mushrooms alone or complemented with the green beans...either way is YUMMY..  I could imagine that if I ate steak, this would be a perfect side dish.  You CAN make it with only white button mushrooms, but even better would be a mixture of oyster, crimini, and white mushrooms..especially if you eat the mushrooms straight.  And I know that it seems odd to use STEAK seasoning, but it is only a mixture of red pepper, garlic powder, and black pepper).

2 lb mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1/4 teriyaki sauce (I strongly suggest Veri, Veri Teriyaki) plus 1/8 cup more sauce

2 TSBP olive oil plus 1 TBSP more

1 bunch of scallions, chopped in 2 inch pieces 

2 TSBP steak grill seasoning

1 lb trimmed green beans

2 tsp garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Put a large pot on the stove for your green beans with water to boil.  

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, mix the 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce with the mushrooms.  Pour the mixture onto an edged cookie sheet, and toss in scallions, vegetable oil, and steak seasoning.  Toss this all together to coat well.  Put this in the oven for 20 minutes.

Once the water is at a rolling boil, liberally salt the water and add the green beans.  Blanch the beans for 4-5 minutes, or until they are crisp to taste.  In a separate pan, saute the oil and garlic until fragrant, 30 seconds or so.  Add the green beans the MOMENT that you remove them from the boiling water.  To this, add an additional 1/8 cup of the teriyaki sauce and salt and pepper to taste.  Once it tastes yummy, add the cooked mushrooms.  Don't be alarmed...it is a lot of mushrooms to green beans, but it is supposed to be like this! Mix and serve!

Frosting Crack

So.... I am the gal who likes the corner piece with the roses on the birthday cake....and the left over icing off of other people's cakes that they can't stomach. Yes, I am THAT girl. Needless to say I was over the moon with this mixture came together!

1/4 cup Earth Balance buttery stick
1/4 cup vanilla soy creamer
2 cups confectioner's sugar

Cream together buttery stick and soy milk. Slowly add sugar and beat until thick (2 minutes or so).

Refrigerate and let set.

King Cake a Month Late

Being that I am from New Orleans, it is rough to go through Mardi Gras without a taste of delicious king cake. Luckily, thanks to Pakupaku - the Vegan Cake Maker to the Stars - we never have to go without again.

1 cup whole wheat bread flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unbleached granulated sugar
1/4 cup (four tablespoons) Earth Balance
1/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1/4 cup tepid water
1/2 cup soy yogurt (regular would work too)
1 tablespoon Ener-G egg replacer (dry--don't mix with liquid)
2 teaspoons organic orange zest, divided
1 1/2-2 cups unbleached white flour
1-1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and more non-dairy milk for glaze.

1. In the bowl of a mixer with a dough hook, combine the whole wheat flour, yeast, salt, and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar.
   
2. Heat the Earth Balance and non-dairy milk over medium low heat, until the Earth Balance is melted. Remove from heat and add the warm water. Bring the temperature to 110F.
3. Add the warm liquid to the flour and and beat to combine. Add the yogurt, Ener-G and zest and continue to beat until well blended.
4. Add in 1/2 cup of white flour and mix to combine. Continue to add the white flour in 1/2 cup increments until the dough is soft and firm, but still a bit tacky (mine only needed 1 1/2 cups).
5. Knead for ten minutes by hand or five with a dough hook, until the dough is smooth and elastic (it will be slightly tacky to the touch).
6. Gather the dough into a ball and let rise in a large bowl covered with a tea towel in a warm area, until doubled in size about 2 hours. (I put mine in the oven with the pilot light lit).
7. Once the dough has risen, punch it down, preheat the oven to 350F.
   
8. Lightly flour your counter and rol lthe dough out into a long rectangle about 26"X20" (keep the wide end facing you). The dough should be about 1/4" thin.
   
9. Once the dough is rolled out, it's time to fill it. Spread your choice of filling over the whole thing, but leave a 1" margin at the top and sides to help prevent the filling (see below) from squirting out when you roll it.
   
10. Starting at the bottom edge, carefully roll up the dough, jelly style--don't forger to hide a tiny baby in the cake somewhere (you can use a dry bean, too). Pinch the seam really well, and connect the ends to form an elliptical ring. The sides will need to be pinched extremely well too, because they often leak.
11. Carefully transfer to the dough to a parchment covered cookie sheet and bake until brown about 35-45 minutes.
12. Let cool ten minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool more.
    
13. While the dough cools, make the sugar glaze. Sift the sugar in a bowl, and add just a tiny bit of milk-teaspoon by teaspoon- until it's a thick but pourable consistency. Pour over the mostly cooled cake and decorate with purple, gold and green sugar**.
    

*Fillings
I usually make one of the following (or a combination), the cake shown in the pictures above is half blueberry and half cinnamon sugar. Usually if I make a cream cheeze cake, I sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top. See the picture below.

1. Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
   
2. Granulated sugar mixed with ground cinnamon
3. Preserves

Coconut Belgian Waffles

I just got a waffle maker...actually I gave it as a birthday gift to my boyfriend in exchange for the random gifting of waffles. I am still tinkering with this recipe to get that light and fluffy texture, but even as they are they are delicious enough that I have found myself falling asleep to coconut waffle dreams!

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup soy milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (can sub coconut, if you have it)
1 banana
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Serve with fresh strawberries and maple syrup

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients (except coconut). In a separate bowl, mash banana very well and add remaining wet ingredients to it. Add wet to dry and stir until just mixed. Fold in the coconut.

Let sit for at least 10 minutes, or it will be too runny! I often put mine in the fridge overnight. The consistency of the batter may change depending on the size of your banana, so add a little flour if it seems too loose or add more milk if it seems too stiff.

Pour batter into waffle maker and cook for roughly 5 minutes on the medium to high setting. The waffle will be ready when a steady stream of steam ceases to escape. Slather on some vegan margarine, cut up fresh strawberries, and REAL maple syrup and enjoy!

Serves: 3-4 belgian waffles

Artichoke Puttanseca with Angel Hair Crowd Pleaser

From what I understand, Puttanseca sauce was named for the ladies of the night in the Italian brothels. They would lure the men in from the smell of the sauce and serve it to them after their "workout". I have subbed capers in for the traditional anchioves for a delicious spin on the classic. I love this one because it is spicy, fast, and easy (sorry ladies)...

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 jars marinated artichoke hearts
1-3 TBSP crushed red pepper flakes (or less if you prefer less spicy)
20 oil-cured black olives, cracked away from pit and coarsely chopped (from bulk bin)
1 6oz jar capers
1 (28-ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained (I prefer hot spiced such as Chipolte)
A few grinds black pepper
1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) flat leaf parsley, chopped
2/3 - 3/4 pound angel hair, cooked to al dente or whole wheat
1 TBSP oregano
1 bay leaf

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil, garlic, oregano, bay leaf, and crushed pepper. Saute mixture until garlic is tender, about 3 minutes: your kitchen never smelled so good!
Lower heat to a simmer and add olives, capers, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, black pepper, and parsley.
Bring sauce to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer 10-15 minutes. While sauce is simmering, cook pasta.
Add s+p to taste – careful with the salt since the capers already make it salty. Toss sauce with cooked pasta.

Simple Mushroom Curry

I love Indian food...I mean REALLY love it. I now keep this on hand with some roti to stop the constant cravings!

16 oz mushrooms, sliced
12 cloves garlic
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoon chili powder 1
teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
about 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or to taste)
olive oil (for sauteing)

Directions:Saute onion in olive oil for 3-4 minutes. Next, add garlic and saute for an additional minute.Now, add cumin, coriander, chili and turmeric and continue to cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add water if the mixture becomes dry -do so one tablespoon at a time to avoid making the mixture too runny.Finally, add the mushrooms, tomato paste and salt. You can add more water (anywhere from 3 tablespoons to 1/2 cup depending on the consistency that you personally want to achieve.) Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes.Remove from heat and add the chopped fresh cilantro. I serve this dish over a plate of couscous.

A Vegan 'Spin' on Crab Cakes

7 slices whole wheat bread, broken into large pieces
3/4 cup minced celery
3/4 cup white onion, chopped
1/2 cup minced carrot
1 small green pepper, minced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup canola oil (or other veg oil)
1 teaspoon salt
16 ounces firm, regular tofu, pressed (I like vacuum sealed White Wave)
2 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor or blender, whirl vegan bread pieces into fine crumbs. Place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until dired and toasty. Remove from oven and set aside.2. Brush a skillet with oil and cook celery, onion, carrot, pepper and parsley until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.3. Pulse tofu in food processor to a cottage cheese consistency, being careful not to puree it. In a large bowl, combine tofu, sauteed vegetable mixture, 1/2 cup vegan breadcrumbs, mayonnaise and seasoning. Mix well.4. Using about 1/3 cup for each, form mixture into 10 patties about 3 inch across and 1/2 inch thick. Coat each patty with remaining vegan bread crumbs to cover.5. Place patties on a sprayed or nonstick baking sheet and spray tops lightly with cooking spray. Bake 15 minutes. Carefully turn cakes over and return to the oven to bake until second side is toasty and browned, about 10 minutes.

Frijoles Barrachos

Drunken beans...that's what that means. I'll get drunk on these beans any time...

1 1/2 lb dried pinto beans, cleaned, rinsed and soaked overnight in water to cover
3 - 3 1/2 quarts water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large white onions, finely chopped
3 large tomatoes, finely chopped
4 jalapenos, finely chopped
2 cups finely chopped cilantro
Sea Salt
3 cups dark beer

Once the beans have been soaked overnight, place the beans in a large pot and add 3 times their volume in water. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 1/2 -2 hours or until the beans are tender. If needed, add more warm water.

Once the beans are ready, heat the oil in a large, deep, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and fry until lightly browned. Add tomatoes, chilies, and cilantro. Add cooked beans, salt, and beer. Continue to cook, uncovered, over low heat until the mixture thickens, about 45 minutes.

Cheesy Bean and Cheese Vegan Oxymoron Enchilada Pie

Too good to be true? Seems like it until you make it! What started as enchiladas quickly became something more closely resembling a tamale pie...and then ended up looking like a sloppy mess of absolute heaven! I affectionately call it my Mexican Enchilada Slop....very affectionately! To REALLY make this, serve Tofutti Sour Cream and my Charred Guacamole on top. And to really make it perfect, whip up a batch of my Frijoles Barachos and use them in place of the can of pinto beans...and then as a side dish!

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups water
1 tsp brown mustard
1 jalapeno
5-8 corn tortillas
1 can black beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small can green chilies
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup medium salsa
1 large can of medium enchilada sauce
Charred Guacamole (another February recipe)
Tofutti Sour Supreme Sour Cream

Saute onions and jalapenos together and set aside. In a medium-large saucepan, combine flour, nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic powder. Add the water and mix thoroughly. Whisk on medium heat until the mixture is bubbly and thick. Remove from heat and stir in the mustard. Now you have the miracle cheese mixture part of this dish.... It doesn't taste like cheese, but it is ok...the big picture is where it all comes together. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cheese on the side in a separate container.

Add the onions and jalapenos, beans, cilantro, and salsa to the sauce.

In a casserole dish, pour 1/2 of the enchilada sauce to well coat the base. Line the bottom of the pan/enchilada sauce with a layer of tortillas and again coat them with a little more enchilada sauce. Spoon in the filling over the tortillas. If you can continue to layer like lasagna, do so until the casserole dish is full to the top. Cover with the remaining enchilada sauce and reserved cheese as the top layer.

Bake this whole yummy slop mess in the oven at 350 degrees until brown, about 30-45 minutes. Serve Tofutti and guacamole on top.

Homeade Energy Bars

These are like cookies...but healthy and delicious. I make these for my triathlete roommate and his other triathlete friends, and they can't get enough of them. Yes..it is a lot of ingredients and work...but the final product is WELL worth it!

1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/3 cup Earth Balance or other soy margarine, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup golden molasses
Egg substitute for 1 egg (I used Energ-E)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup soy drink powder (found in bulk bin at Whole Foods or other similar store)
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch gray salt
1/2 cup soy milk
1 TBSP Earth Balance or other soy margarine to grease pan

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Place oats and sliced almonds on a baking sheet. Toast in oven for 10 minutes. Set aside. Turn the oven to 325 degrees F. Place raisins, apricots, oats, and almonds in a food processor. Pulse about 10 times until coarsely chopped. Set aside.

Mix the egg substitute and set aside.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the soy margarine, brown sugar, molasses and egg substitute until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine both flours, dry milk, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture. Add the soy milk and mix thoroughly. Add dried fruit mixture.

Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan. Pour in the batter and spread evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes, until set. Cool in the pan. Cut into 18 (1 by 4-inch) bars.

To store, wrap bars individually in plastic wrap. Will keep for about 1 week. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months.

Chinese Cabbage Slaw

I am so addicted to this slaw that I can't help but make it at least once a week. It makes a ton, and is the perfect thing to munch on all throughout the day. This is a spicy little number, so if you don't handle that well I suggest either omitting the jalapenos, cutting the chili oil to 1 TBSP or doing both.

1 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Asian chili oil
1 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 cups finely shredded napa cabbage
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 jalapenos, sliced VERY thin in rings
1/2 cup thinly sliced snow peas
3 scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, chili oil, vegan mayonnaise and soy sauce in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, peppers, snow peas, jalapenos and scallions and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld

Broccoli with Garlic Sauce

Once you make this, you will never get Chinese take out again!!!

5 medium broccoli crowns, seperated into florets
1 head of garlic, minced
3 large carrots, julienned
1 can water chestnuts
1 can straw mushrooms
2 veggie stock bouillon cubes
1/8 to 1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 TBSP red pepper flakes
2 TBSP sweetner
1 TBSP cornstarch

Boil 2 cups of water, adding the bouillon cubes and stir to dissolve. Add the garlic, soy sauce, ginger, red pepper flakes, and sweetner. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 TBSP of cold water. Cook the broccoli and carrots over high heat in an oiled large skillet for 2 minutes. Add the garlic mixture, water chestnuts, and straw mushrooms. Let this simmer for 7-10 minutes, depending on how crisp you like your veggies. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir to distribute it. Cook for 1-2 minutes, adding more cornstarch (dissolved in cold water first) if you would like the consistency to be thicker.

Serve over rice!

Charred Corn Holy Guacamole

What I love about this recipe...other than the fact that it is mind blowingly delicious guacamole? It is just a little different twist to your average. Enjoy!

2 ears of corn
2 TBSP olive oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
2 ripe avocados
1-2 serrano chiles
1/2 red onion, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
chopped tomato, optional
cumin, to taste (optional)

Cut the corn off the cobs and char the kernels in a heavy skillet, such as cast iron, over medium high heat. Combine the remaining ingredients, and season to taste. Add the charred corn to the mixture and serve with tortilla chips.. You will be ADDICTED!

Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Manicotti

Why head to an Italian restaurant when you can get the same comforts at home. And I would have never guessed that something like manicotti would be an option to me...equally delicious and loads healthier and more ethical. Everybody wins! As always, season to your liking with my suggested spices. I just add until it tastes right.

Sauce:
1 medium onion
2 TBSP olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic
1 good size jar tomato sauce
Enough water to "clean" out the jar
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Stuffing
1 lbs. firm tofu
1 10 oz package frozen spinach (thawed)
3-4 cloves fresh garlic - chopped
1/4 cup nurtritional yeast flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt & fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
3 or 4 tablespoon nice olive oil
1 package manicotti noodles

Topping (Optional)

Vegan Mozzerella cheese
Vegan Parmesean Cheese
Breadcrumbs

Mix equal portions together in a bowl and cover the top of the casserole.

Directions:

Remove tofu from water and put into food processor or bowl. Add spinach, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, yeast flakes, and about 2 Tbsps olive oil. Pulse or mix by hand in bowl until well mixed and smooth, scaping sides of bowl. Taste. Adjust seasoning. Fill large zip lock or regular plastic bag w / mixture. Snip about a dime size hole in bottom corner. Pipe mixture into manicotti shells, filling compactly.

Ladle 1/2 sauce into a rectangular 8 1/2 x 11 (ish) size glass pan. Put stuffed manicoti into sauce. Top w / remaining sauce. Bake , covered 20 - 25 min. Remove cover and bake another 10 - 15 min, until nice and bubbly and a little crunchy. Let cool a bit and ENJOY!!

Green Bean Casserole..The Original Comfort Food

This is the first Christmas that I experienced as a vegan. There are just some things that make Christmas Christmas, right? For me, it's green bean casserole. That's where the idea began, and I was pleasantly surprised at what I got. It was exactly what I was looking for, and now that I know how to make it it has become a popular side dish at my house. As always, season according to taste. Use my spicing framework as a basis. I generally continue to season to taste the entire time I am cooking.

This recipe is done in three steps: making the "Buttermilk" White Sauce, blanching the green beans, and "casseroling" it.

"Buttermilk" White Sauce

2 TBSP vegan margarine
1/4 cup flour
2 cups soy milk, room temperature
1 TBSP white vinegar
1 TBSP Ranch dressing mix ** (Hidden Valley is NOT Vegan)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Mrs. Dash

Melt the butter in a medium sized heavy saucepan over medium heat, whisk in flour until smooth. Cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. In a seperate bowl, add one tablespoon white vinegar to the soy milk and stir to combine. Gradually whisk in the soy milk mixture, cooking over medium heat and whisking contantly until it is thickened significantly and bubbly. Remove from heat and add the remainder of the items, seasoning to taste.

Blanched Green Beans

1 1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed

Cook the green beans in boiling, salted water to cover for 4-6 minutes. This cooking time will leave the beans still crunchy, so cook it longer if you prefer. Either use immediately or plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

"Casseroling" It

Buttermilk White Sauce
Blanched Green Beans
1 cup french fried onions, from the can, crushed
1/2 cup Japanese breadcrumbs (Pancho) - or more
1/2 cup pecans, chopped - or more

Preheat the oen to 350 degrees. Stir together white sauce and green beans. Place the mixture in a greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Combine the French fried onions, breadcrumbs, and pecans and spread over the green bean mixture to cover. Be as liberal with this mixture as you please. I personally probably use more than the base suggestion of 1/2 cup pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Avocado Bread...Don't Be Scared...

Yes, I am like you... I saw the idea and was a bit disgusted. Then I suggested the idea to my parents and THEY were disgusted. But then I tried it... And tried it again... mainly because I could not get enough of this little slice of heaven. It was NOTHING like I thought it would be. Delicious....delicious like peanut butter from the jar or the first sip of a very cold beer on a patio on a hot day. And this isn't BREAD BREAD. Think banana nut bread or zucchini bread.

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, sifted
1/2 cup chickpea(garbanzo bean) flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups vegan sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 non-eggs (I use Ener-g egg replacer)
3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup well mashed avocado
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together "eggs", vanilla, and sugar. Add avocado and oil and blend until smooth. Add all sifted dry ingredients slowly. Using a mixer, cream the mixture together, adding the 1/2 cup water, until it is silky like. Stir in the nuts. Pour the whole mixture into a lightly greased, loaf pan. Bake for 75-90 minutes at 350 degrees depending on your oven. This is a very thick bread, so it takes a long time to cook. When it is done, the top will be somewhat sweet crusty and a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool before slicing. Voila!

Da Bomb Basil, Tomato, and Garlic Bruschetta

Warning: Once you put one of these in your mouth, you just can't stop popping them. Serve them as an appetizer, but be aware that you might be full before the main course. And word to the wise... I know that the San Marzano tomatoes are expensive, but don't skimp...it helps to really make this dish. Also, I would prepare the tomato mixture a few hours ahead of the time you plan on serving it in order to allow the flavors to marry. Right before serving, toast the bread, top it with the tomato yumminess, and voila!

1 loaf of thin, crusty, French baguette
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 28oz can San Marzano tomatoes, drained and diced
6 roughly torn large basil leaves
3 TBSP olive oil
1 head of roasted garlic
A splash of balsamic vinegar (optional)
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut off the top of the head of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil, and bake for 45 minutes or until golden and caramalized. Set aside to cool.

Thinly slice your baguette into little rounds and line them all on a cookie sheet or baking pan. While the garlic is in the oven, toast the bread rounds until they are browned on each side. This will take less than 8 minutes, so watch them carefully so they don't over toast. They will be crunchy when you take them out. Working quickly, rub each hot bread round with the garlic clove until one side has been completely covered. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, roasted garlic, and salt and pepper. Let this mixture set for a few hours in order for the flavors to marry.

Top each toasted bread round with the tomato mixture and serve. Stand back so you aren't trampled when folks run back for more.

Wild Stuffed Roasted Squash

This dish is DELICIOUS and impressive!! This would be a perfect main dish or side to anyone having guests over or for the holidays. The rice mixture is so great alone for those who are a little apprehensive about squash. This is becoming a main staple in my dinner rotations.

2 acorn squash
1 cup wild rice (I used brown/black/wild)
2 veggie bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
a small yellow onion
2-3 stalks of celery
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
a dash of garlic powder and salt
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Start cooking the rice according to package directions, but dissolve one veggi bouillon cube for every cup of water the package cooking directions call for. This step generally takes up to 50 minutes, so the rice will cook pretty much the entire time that the squash is roasting.

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Put a little oil or butter on the cut sides and place them flesh down on a cookie sheet. Roast them for one hour, or until they collapse easily when pushe'd with a wooden spoon.

Chop the onion, celery, and walnuts. About 15-20 minutes before the squash is complete, heat the olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Put in the onion and saute it for about 3 minutes, then add the celery and saute it for around 2 more, then add the walnuts and saute a little longer until the onion is transluscent, the celery is on the soft side, and the walnuts are a little toasted.
Turn off the flame and stir in the vinegar, tarragon, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked rice to the onion mixture and allow the flavors to all blend.

Allow the squash to cool for 5 or so minutes, stuff the center hole with the rice mixture and enjoy!!

Lemon Caper Spaghetti Squash... Who Knew?!?

Imust admit...the idea of spaghetti squash always grossed me out. Truthfully, until my most recent experimentation with squash, the idea of squash really kind of grossed me out. I have seen the light. I can't seem to get enough of squash now - and this is one of my new favorites.

1 small spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 TBSP non-hydrogenated, vegan margarine
2 tablespoons drained capers 1
diced zucchini (green rind mostly)
1 diced red bell pepper
the juice of 1 full lemon
4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 chopped Roma tomatoes
salt and pepper

Directions:Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. (Toss them out for the birds.) Rub the inside well with the olive oil, use more than 2 tablespoon if you need to. Put the squash cut side down on a pan (cookie or pizza, whatever you have) and cover with foil. You don't have to make a tight seal but you don't want it too loose. Bake the squash until the squash "flesh" (sorry to use the "f" word) is done and can be easily scrapped out with a fork, about 40-45 minutes. Scrape out the spaghetti strings and put them aside.

Melt the margarine in a large pan and add the zucchini, bell pepper and capers, cooking them until they're tender. Stir in the lemon juice, parsley and season with salt and pepper. Once the mixture is to taste, mix in the squash and tomatoes. Once completed, place in the refrigerator for up to one hour and enjoy!!

I think that this dish is best served cold, but that is your choice.