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.