The Wise Vegan

Stuffed Crust Pumpkin Pizza

2012-01-27T13:48:00.000-08:00

I have made this pizza a number of times but never with stuffed crust, actually I have never done stuffed crust on any pizza I have made. I just thought it would be a fun and easy way to mix up pizza night. Pizza is one of those quick and easy weekday dinners that everyone loves and this one in particular has become a family favorite. If you have never had pumpkin and arugula together you are missing out! It is my go to green for any dish I make with pumpkin. They complement each other so well. You will see what I am talking about when you bite into it!

You Will Need:

Pizza dough homemade or store bought, I usually pickup pre-made frozen dough (check to make sure it is vegan first)

1/2 can unsweetened pumpkin puree.

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tbs agave nectar

1/2 a package vegan daiya mozzarella cheese

10 red grapes cut in half

1 shallot thinly sliced.

A handful of fresh arugula

TVP crumbles

2 tsp Fennel seed

a little olive oil

1 tbs. nutritional yeast

1 tsp. oregano

Preheat oven to 425. Hydrate your TVP with boiling water. Then cook in a little oil with the fennel until browned. Roll out your dough so that it larger than your pizza pan. In a bowl mix together the pumpkin, pie spice and agave nectar. Spread some of the cheese around the edge of the dough then fold the dough over the cheese and press the dough together. Brush the crust with olive oil. Then sprinkle with the nutritional yeast and oregano. Spread the pumpkin mixture over the dough. (I use about half and save the rest for our next pizza night) Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese, your grapes, shallots and prepared TVP. Leave off the arugula for now. Bake for about 20 mins. Remove from oven and toss the arugula on, allow to cool. Slice and serve.

Edamame Pesto and "Chickn" Stuffed Shells

2012-01-27T13:08:00.000-08:00

This is a fun and different way to do vegan stuffed shells. I recently got Isa new cookbook Appetite for Reduction. I decided to use her recipe for Edamame pesto, I was trying to think of different uses for it since it was so delicious and that is how I came up with this little number. I hope you enjoy and if you haven't picked up a copy of her new cookbook yet, please do so. She is my inspiration in kitchen.

You will need:

Jumbo pasta shells
1 package vegan daiya mozzarella cheese
1 tofutti vegan cream cheese
1 package vegan 'chickn' strips
Marinara sauce

1 Recipe Edamame Pesto: 2 cloves garlic, 1 cup packed basil leaves, 14 oz. shelled edamame, 1/2 cup veg broth, 2 tbs. lemon juice, 1 tsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 2 tbs. nutritional yeast. (blend all ingredients in a food processor.)

Preheat oven to 350.
Boil your pasta shells until tender, strain and let cool.
In a mixing bowl mix together all other ingredients (except the marinara and only half the bag of cheese.)
Stuff your shells and place in a glass baking dish, when you run out of filling top the shells with the rest of the cheese.
Bake for until cheese on top starts to brown.
Serve with marinara sauce.

Broccoli and Quinoa Casserole

2011-10-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again...the time where you don't mind standing in front of a warm oven with some cider and a creamy concoction heating up for dinner. Yep It's casserole season! Here is a great recipe that you will be sure to be making time and time again....you will find yourself waiting for fall just to whip this up again. I promise you!

Vegan Cream of "Something" Soup
(*works great for any recipe that calls for cream of "something" soup)

1 1/2 cups soy milk
2 tbs vegan veg broth powder
1 tbs onion powder
1 tsp basil
1tsp thyme
salt and pepper
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
2-3 tbs corn starch

In a sauce pan heat the milk. Once it comes to a simmer whisk in all other ingredients until it starts to thicken...should take about 5 mins or so....if it doesn't thicken add a bit more corn starch or flour. Also you can add chopped mushroom or celery to make a cream of mushroom or celery. (P.s. If you do, and you don't want it to be chunky...just toss it in a food processor)

1/2 cup vegenaise
1tsp nutmeg
1tbs agave nectar
1/2 cup daiya Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup TVP "Bacon" crumbles. (If you don't have these available in your area try bacos they are vegan.)
extra soymilk to thin out if needed

In a bowl mix together all the ingredients, including the soup you made. If it seems to thick use the extra soy milk.

1 cup cooked quinoa

2 cups broccoli

1/2 onion diced

1 large portabella mushroom cap chopped

In a pan sautee the broccoli, onion and mushroom until tender...then mix together with the quinoa and the sauce. Put into an 8x8 casserole pan. Top with extra cheese and or breadcrumbs. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

ENJOY!

Chicken-less and Lime Rice Enchiladas in Salsa Verde Ranch Sauce

2011-10-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

I found a delicious looking burrito recipe that inspired this recipe. Minus the meat and diary of course, So I took it, Veganized it and put my own spin on it naturally! I hope you enjoy this one....our family certainly did. Oh and you can easily make this gluten free just by swapping out the flour tortillas for corn.

Sorry about my picture quality the lighting in my kitchen sucks right now!

Lime Rice

1 cup rice, either long grain or basmati

2 cups Veg broth

1/4 tbsp salt

1 tbs garlic powder

juice of 1 lime

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 tsp cumin

1/3 cup cilantro

1 can black beans or 3/4 cup dried black beans pre-cooked. (I always use dried beans because they are better.)

Melt butter in a pot & add all seasonings. Add rice & cook over medium heat for 2 minutes stirring constantly then add stock & lime juice return to simmer, turn the heat to low. cover & cook about 30 minutes. Once done add the cilantro and black beans. Stir and set aside.

Salsa Verde Ranch Sauce

1 cup salsa verde

1/2 cup vegan Ranch (the one I used is also gluten free).

1/3 cup cilantro

1/3 cup vegan sour cream

1/3 cup veganaise

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp coarse salt

1 tbls fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

In 2 tbsp of oil saute your choice of chicken-less strips. I used Trader Joe's "Chickenless chickn strips"

8 whole wheat tortillas (use corn to make this gluten free)

shredded Mozzarella Daiya vegan (and gluten free) cheese

2 avocados mashed with 1/4 cup nutritional yeast.

Assemble

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large casserole dish spread half of the sauce in the bottom of the pan. In each tortilla spread a spoonful of the avocado, then two spoonfuls of the Lime rice and beans. Top with a few "chickn" strips and then roll up and place seam side down into the pan. continue until the pan is full. Cover with the remaining half of the sauce and sprinkle with the daiya cheese. Cover in foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Sorry about my presentation.....It's so hard finding time these days! But Hey I finally got up a new recipe.

Pretzel and Peanut Crusted Tofu in a Mango Gravy with Stuffed Potatoes

2011-05-21T08:15:00.000-07:00

I made this last night for dinner and it was delicious. I am Scottish so I was raised on meat and potatoes...Being vegan and have come to enjoy a much much broader range of food, However this really took me home last night. I hope you enjoy this recipe. (P.S. I am sorry for the picture quality...my computer is not working at the moment and the laptop I am using does not have photoshop.)

Pretzel and Peanut Crusted Tofu

1 cup pretzels
1/2 cup peanuts
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1 tbs flax meal
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup soy/almond milk
1 block tofu pressed and sliced into 12 pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor mix the pretzels and peanuts until they resemble a bread crumb texture. Place in a bowl and mix in additional seasonings. In a separate bowl add the milk. Dip each piece of tofu in the milk and then coat in the crumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes turning once in the middle of cooking.

For the Mango Gravy

2 tbs vegan butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cup vegan beef flavored broth
1/4 cup mango chutney
salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pan on medium melt down the butter. Add the flour and mix until a paste forms stir continuously, until golden and fragrant. Add the onions and cook for a few more minutes. Then whisk in the broth. Let in thicken and add the chutney, salt and pepper. Adjust to taste. Remove from heat to let thicken more.

Stuffed Potatoes

2 large red potatoes, baked
2 tbs butter
2 tbs soy/almond milk
salt
TVP bacon flavored bits
Parsley, cilantro, or chive
chopped onion or garlic
Pepper Jack Daiya cheese

I baked my potatoes wrapped in tin foil at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. Once cooked all the way remove from oven, cut in half and allow to cool. Once cooled carefully scoop out the middle and place in a bowl. Mash the potatoes with the butter and milk. Then mix in salt, TVP, onion, and herbs. Scoop the filling back into the potatoes and top with cheese. Put back in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Jenni's Mac'n'Cheese Bake.

2011-05-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

I have had quite a few different versions of a vegan Mac'n'Cheese Bake. So many in fact, I have never taken the time to make my own version. I have pulled inspiration for this recipe from a couple lovely ladies. The first being little miss thing Isa Moskowits. The second being my friend Felecia who made an amazing bake not too long ago for one of our little neighborhood vegan feasts. It was so yummy it left me wanting more so I decided it was time to make some mac bake myself. I don't know about you but Mac'n'Cheese has always held a special place in my heart and well..... vegan mac is just not the same. However This recipe may not taste the same....but, I think it does taste better. Now that is quite a break though in my book. Obviously you shouldn't take my work for it. Try it out for yourself. This is one of those recipes that really comes down to personal preference. However I promise you it won't be too dry or taste bland by any means. I did get a two thumbs up from a meat eater when I gave her a bite of my left overs, which I brought to school with me for lunch today. (Note: Sorry for the lack of pictures...My life has been a little busy lately.)

Ingredients:

1 box of pasta. Shells or macaroni. (I used medium shells)
3-4 slices of bread, buttered (Earth Balance)

For the Sauce:

1 1/2 cups raw cashews
2 cups vegan chicken flavored broth.
4 tbs olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
1/3 cup flour
2 cups almond milk (you can use soy)
1 package daiya cheddar
1 tsp tumeric
salt and pepper to taste
4 tbs nutritional yeast
2 tbs lemon juice

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your pasta. In a food processor add your cashews and the broth. Blend until there are no cashew chunks left. In a cast iron skillet saute the garlic and onion in a tablespoon of oil until translucent. Set aside. wipe out your skillet and add the remaining olive oil. Heat on medium and add the flour. Mix well to form a paste. Add more oil if necessary. You want to stir this constantly for about 10- 15 minutes. It is ready when it is a medium brown toasted color and it smells fragrant. Whisk in the almond milk and then the cheese. Whisk constantly so the sauce does not form clumps. Add the broth and cashew mixture. Then whisk in all your spices and lemon juice. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. When done pour the sauce over the pasta and mix well. Pour into a 9x13 glass bake. Tear up the pieces of bread and place on top of the pasta evenly. This prevents it from drying out in the oven. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 more. If you want the bread on top to be more toasted turn on your broiler for a minute or two.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Teriyaki Tempeh and Sweet potato Sushi

2011-05-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more awesome Ideas for sushi fillings. The first I used Teriyaki Tempeh with wasabi Avocado and chive and the second is spiced mashed sweet potato with shiitake mushrooms and chive. In order to save time I am going to provide a few links to some past recipes I have done....I have been pretty short on time since starting school, hence the lack of posts lately.

For the Teriyaki Tempeh

1 package Tempeh cut into small cubes
1 recipe Teriyaki Sauce

In a non stick skillet cook the tempeh until lightly browned and then pour over the sauce...let simmer until the sauce is absorbed. Set aside and let cool.

Wasabi Avocado

1 ripe avocado mashed
2 tbs wasabi powder
2 tsp hot chili sauce
Nutritional Yeast (optional)

In a bowl mash your avocado and mix in all ingredients. Adjust flavoring to taste.

Spice Sweet Potato Filling

1 Sweet Potato baked and mashed
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground clove
2 tbs pure maple syrup

Combine all ingredients. For this roll you can add some shiitake mushrooms.

Follow my first sushi recipe for instructions on how to prepare the Sushi. Here

Heirloom Tomato Au'Gratin

2011-04-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

Oh Boy, we were loving this this. You just cant go wrong with the flavors of Heirloom tomatoes and Fresh thyme. If you are a huge fan of Heirloom Tomato's you must try this out. I can't wait to make this again with the tomatoes from our garden this year.

Ingredients:
3 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes, cut 1/3-inch slices
sea salt
extra virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
2 cups seasoned panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons agave nectar
freshly ground black pepper
3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 cup vegan Parmesan cheese
1 cup daiya mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place sliced tomatoes into a colander and sprinkle with sea salt.
Brush the bottom of a 9x13 inch glass backing dish with olive oil. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for about five minutes or until onions are translucent, not brown. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and 1-1/2 teaspoons thyme. In a bowl combine the tomatoes, agave, and pepper. toss lightly. In another medium bowl, mix together bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1-1/2 teaspoons thyme, Parmesan, daiya, salt and pepper. Layer half the tomatoes in your baking dish, overlapping them slightly. Season with freshly ground black pepper and sprinkle with half of the onion mixture, and then half of the the bread crumb mixture. Then repeat the layers again. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until crumbs are golden and tomatoes are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Black Bean and Corn Layered Quesadilla bake

2011-04-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

This is something quick and easy to throw together for dinner when you don't have much time to cook.

Ingredients:
5-6 flour tortillas (10 inches)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups cooked black beans
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1/2-3/4 package daiya cheddar cheese.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeño, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add beans and water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and remove from heat. Taste and adjust for seasoning. In an 8x8 square glass bake pan, brush a the bottom of pan with a dab of oil. Place a tortilla in the bottom layer with seasoned bean and veggie mixture then sprinkle with a bit of cheese and scallions, then top with another tortilla and continue until all your mix is gone...you can make as many layers as you wish...I did 5 layers. Bake until cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes. sprinkle pie with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges. Top with vegan sour cream, salsa, guacamole whatever you like

Roasted Red Pepper, Avocado, Chili Enchiladas

2011-03-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

So this recipe is a Tex-Mex inspiration. Enchiladas used to be my favorite thing to make before I became a vegetarian. I perfected a recipe and made them all the time, Everyone loved them and every-time I made them it seemed that the huge pan was empty after 5 minutes. Since becoming a veg head I have yet to feel that same excitement over my enchiladas...Until last night. Now saying that I have long since stopped missing the taste of meat, but it seemed I could never match the deliciousness of my non veg enchiladas with my many veggie/vegan attempts. I promise that even a carnivore wouldn't miss there meat after one bite of these. I contemplated keeping this recipe to myself, (All good cooks should have a few secrets right?) but I have a hard time not sharing, whenever I try to keep a secret recipe it always gets out eventually so I might as well blog about it now. I do hope you give these a try, you won't be sorry.

Ingredients:

10 whole wheat flour tortillas (To make this recipe gluten free all you need to do is use gluten free tortillas)
1 Lg can Green Enchilada sauce
1 can Amy's chili (or you can use homemade if you prefer)
1 onion, chopped
1 tbs oil
3/4 cup roasted red pepper, skin removed and sliced. (you can use jarred to save time)
1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, Extra for garnish if desired
2 tbs fresh lime juice
2 ripe avocados
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast.
about 1 1/2 cups diaya cheese, I used half cheddar and half mozzarella

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a skillet and saute onions until translucent. Then add roasted red peppers, mushrooms, and lime juice. Let simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Then add your cilantro and can of chili. continue to simmer for 3-5 minutes. In a bowl mash the avocados with salt and nutritional yeast. A chunky texture is fine. In a large 9x13 glass casserole dish pour in enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom. On your tortilla spread a spoonful of the mashed avocado and then top with a spoonful of the mix and spread evenly in the center.

Roll up and place in pan with the seam on the bottom. Continue until the pan is full.

Then top with the rest of the Enchilada sauce and sprinkle the top with cheese. Cover the pan with foil and cook for 16-18 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes. Garnish with cilantro, salsa, sour cream, whatever you like.

Teriyaki Stir-Fry

2011-03-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

This is such a great thing to throw together for dinner, you can make it as simple or as elaborate as you want and it will still taste amazing. If you want a quick dinner you can always get the pre-made sauce from the store, but I recommend making your own. As I am always trying to make my own sauce now, Everything tastes better home made. So give this a try, its very good.

Teriyaki Sauce

1/3 cup tamari
1/4 cup water
3 tbs agave nectar
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs toasted sesame oil
1 tbs molasses
6 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tbs ginger, minced
1 1/2 tbs arrowroot powder

Stir-Fry

1 tbs oil
Vegetables of your choice, I used a bag of frozen mixed veggies
tofu, drained, pressed, cubed, and cooked. I fried mine
cashews, sesame seeds, bean sprouts, etc.
Cooked rice or Soba noodles.

Prepare your sauce, add ingredients into a bowl and mix well. In a skillet heat oil and add your veggies, cook until tender, add your prepared tofu and cashews heat thoroughly. Add the sauce and the cooked noodles (if using noodles) and stir-fry using thongs or chopsticks. Toss with bean sprouts and sesame seeds. If using rice serve over cooked rice. This recipe if very versatile, this is my favorite way of making it.

Orange Cashew Biscotti

2011-03-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

You will Need:

1/3 cup Fresh Orange juice
2 tbs flaxmeal
3/4 cup organic raw sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbs arrowroot powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs packed orange zest (zest your oranges first and then squeeze for juice)

1/2 cup lightly crushed cashews.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together the orange juice and flax meal. Add the sugar, oil, extract and mix well. Sift in the flour, arrowroot, baking powder, salt and orange zest. When the dough starts to form kneed in the cashews. The dough will be a bit sticky, Grease a baking sheet and form your dough into a log shape about 12 inches long. Place on your baking sheet and press down to flatten the dough to about 4 inches wide. Bake for 28 minutes or until lightly puffed. Remove and allow to cool for about 30 minutes. Turn the oven to 375 degrees. Once cooled transfer to the cutting board and with a shape knife cut into slices pressing down in one motion. You don't want to use a serrated knife or saw the slices, because this will cause them to crumble into pieces. Place back onto the baking sheet cut side down and bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.

Sushi Lovers

2011-03-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

So Last night I made sushi for the first time! It was a lot of fun and pretty easy too. I thought it was so delicious. Jesse said it was the best sushi he has ever tasted, Although I find that hard to believe, I guess it was pretty darn good. However I can't really take any credit for this I all goes to my girl Isa. Having never made sushi before I decide to use the Spicy Tempeh Nori rolls from the Veganomicon. You can't go wrong with any of Isa recipes. If you don't have the veganomicon you should pick up a copy, I think it is a cookbook every vegan and non vegan alike should have in there kitchen. For non vegans this cookbook will prove that we don't sacrifice taste or nutrition for compassion. I will for sure be making sushi all summer, since it requires very little cooking it is perfect for hot summer nights! Now that I have down the method of making sushi I will be experimenting with my own Ideas from now on. I will be sure to post what I come up with. In the mean time I will leave you with Isa recipe It is a great place to start if you have never made sushi before.

Spicy Tempeh Nori Rolls (makes 4 rolls)

For the Sushi rice:

1 cup sushi rice
2 tbsp rice vinegar (do not use regular white vinegar)
1 tsp sugar

(Jenni's Notes: I actually didn't realize I was out of rice vinegar when I started making this. It's something I always have so I forgot to check when I was making my shopping list. I ended up using Mirin, it is sweet rice seasoning, It worked fine but next time I will be sure to use rice vinegar.)

Spicy tempeh filling:

1/2 (4 oz) package tempeh
2 tbsp vegenaise
1/2-1 tsp hot chile-sesame oil
4 sheets nori seaweed
1 scallion, white part discarded, sliced lengthwise into narrow strips
1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, and sliced into 1/4 inch-wide strips
1 tbs toasted or black sesame seeds (more if using them to coat inside out rolls)

(Jenni's Notes: I could not find Chile-sesame oil so what I did was mix together Asian chili hot sauce and some sesame oil. I ended up using about 4 times the amount the recipe called for because it was not spicy enough for me, so adjust to taste.)

In a heavy-bottomed, 2 quart pot or saucepan with a cover, combine the rice plus 1 1/4 cups cold water. Turn the heat to high, bring the water to a boil, and stir the rice just once. Lower the heat to low, cover the pot, and steam the rice for 20-22 minutes, until it is tender and the excess liquid has been absorbed. Or, prepare the rice according to the package instructions. Remove from heat.
Empty the hot rice into a large glass or plastic bowl. sprinkle with the rice vinegar and sugar, folding in the rice gently with a large spoon or rice paddle to mix thoroughly. The rice should be moist and have a very mild vinegar flavor. Cover with plastic wrap and let cool for 10-15 minutes. When the rice is slightly warmer than room temperature (but not completely cold), it's ready to work with.
While the rice is cooling, prepare the filling by steaming the tempeh. Allow the tempeh to cool for 10 minutes, chop into small cubes, and place in a medium-size bowl. Add the vegenasie and chile-sesame oil and mash until chunky; taste and add more chile-sesame oil if desired.

To assemble:

Fill a hallow cup with about 1/3 cup of water and a ablespoon of rice vinegar, and keep near your sushi workstation. Follow these steps to the perfect nori roll:

1. Place the nori sheet on the bamboo mat. With wet hands, take a snowball-shaped handful of rice, about a cup's worth, gently pat onto the bottom two-thirds or so of your nori sheet. The layer of rice should be less thank 1/3 inch think.

2. Place a small amount of the fillings across the center of your rice. Lay or spread them horizontally to each side of the nori to create a straight line of filling- the less filling, the easier the sushi will be to roll. Aim for about 1 1/2 tbs of spicy tempeh, three strips of avocado, and some scallion strips. You'll figure it out.

3. Using the mat, gently roll up that sushi starting from the rice-topped end; try to keep our grip relatively tight, for a firm roll.

4. Slice your roll into 1-inch pieces with a shar, serrated knife. That's it!

Variations:
Pear and Tempeh Roll: Substitute 1/2 recipe (about 1 1/2 cups) of creamy Asian Pear and Tempeh Salad, for the spicy tempeh filling.

Creamy Asian Pear and Tempeh Salad with Wasabi Dressing

1 8 oz package tempeh, diced
1/2 cup small, sweet fresh or frozen green peas
2 tsp soy sauce
1 scallion, sliced very thinly
1 Asian pear or other firm, crisp pear, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 cup vegenaise
1 1/2-2 tsp wasabi powder
2 tsp lime juice

In a steamer basket, steam the tempeh for 10 minutes, Add the peas and steam for another 3-4 minutes untill the peas are bright green and tendar. Remove from the steamer, sprinkle with soy sauce, and toss into a large bowl with the scallion. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Crush the cupes of tempeh a little with your hands. and toss in the diced pear.
In a small bowl , whisk together the vegenaise, wasabi powder, and lime juice. Taste and adjust the spice level with more wasabi if necessary. pour dressing over tempeh mixture, stir to combine everything, and place in an airtight container. Chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight, to allow the flavors to blend.

(Jenni's Notes: I was in a hurry when I was at the store and did not read the ingredients of the wasabi powder I picked up. So when I stated making this and opened the container the powder with white which was weird because wasabi is green. So I looked that the ingredients and noticed that there was actually absolutely no wasabi in it at all. I was so upset, because I actually really love wasabi and felt like the container is basically a fraud. What you are actually getting is ground horseradish. But it is not the same there is actually a big difference. It doesn't look, smell, or remotely taste the same. So I was really disappointed, I usually read all the labels but I was in a hurry and by the looks of the container I thought I was getting exactly what it said. So be care if you go to pick out wasabi powder and don't be fooled like I was.)

Inside Out Rolls

Maybe you've been rolling your own for a while, or you just need to look like a master sushi chef right now! Then inside-out rolled nori rolls will get you the attention you so deserve, and with way less stress than you might expect.
Simply prepare your nori roll as directed, spreading the rice onto about 2/3 of the nori sheet. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top, gently slide your hand underneath the bamboo mat and rest your other hand on top of the plastic wrap. Then in one quick motion....flip everything upside down. Remove the bamboo mat from underneath and place on the countertop. Place the nori and rice-plastic wrap side down on the mat. Place the fillings as usual on the edge without the rice underneath it. Then, carefully roll everything up, using the bamboo mat to firmly push everything together and being careful to peel away the plastic wrap as you go.

For best results, roll your spiffy inside-out rolls in fun things like toasted sesame seed, black sesame seeds, toasted nori flakes or Japanese ground up red pepper.

Cinnamon and Sage Crusted Tempeh in a Piccata Sauce

2011-03-08T06:57:00.000-08:00

Cooked this up for dinner last night and the flavors were excellent. The Cinnamon cuts the citrus of the sauce so perfectly and then the sage brings an earthy and pungent flavor to the dish. This is an easy dish to prepare and also a budget friendly meal. If you are looking for something new to try I highly recommend trying this out. If you do please leave your comments below, I would love the hear with you think. I based this recipe from one I found in Vegetarian times, but I made some adjustments and decided to add cinnamon.

Piccata Sauce

1 tsp olive oil
1 tbs minced garlic
1 cup white cooking wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbs capers, drained
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch dissolved in 1 /12 tablespoons of water

Cinnamon and Sage Crusted Tempeh

1 8oz package of tempeh cut into 6 equal triagles
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tbs chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
oil for cooking

To prepare the sauce, heat the oil over medium high in a sauce pot and add the garlic, cook for 30 to 40 seconds. Add the wine, lemon juice, capers, salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes on a soft simmer.
Stir in the corn starch mixture and continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

Heat about 1/8 inch oil in a skillet on medium high. Add the milk in a small bowl and then in a separate bowl add the cornmeal, sage, and cinnamon, mix well. soak the tempeh in the milk and then coat in the cornmeal mixture. Cook in the skillet until golden on both sides.

I served this with some fettuccine that I tossed in a dab of oil, salt, garlic powder and sage. Drizzle sauce over the tempeh and fettuccine.

Emerald Curry

2011-02-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

I love Thai food! I love the taste, the smell, the look, basically everything about it. I have to say that my favorite Thai dish is green curry. I have made green curry every way you can think of, I have made green curry paste from scratch, used all fresh spices and herbs, tried different vegetables, different faux meats. After all my trial and errors, I finally out did myself tonight. This curry tastes very similar to Thai take out...which has been my goal all along. Best Thai green curry I have ever made. There were a few ingredients that I wanted to use but was unable to find, so this recipe will have a few options, I was told that there is an Asian market around here but I have not been there yet, I am hoping that they have the items I could not locate at Hannaford/whole foods.

Ingridents:

2 table spoons organic coconut oil
1 1/2 cans organic coconut milk
2-3 table spoons pre-made green curry paste. (pre-made works best because a lot of the ingredients needed to make it are hard to find so using pre-made actually gives a more authentic taste)
2-3 Kaffir lime leaves (if you can't find use 1 tbs lime zest)
1 cup Thai eggplant or regular egg plant. (Thai eggplant is seasonal here)
1 cup zucchini chopped
1 cup green beans
1 can chick peas
1 can seitan (you can find this in the Thai section at whole foods)
2 tsp palm sugar (you want to use palm sugar because it gives it a richer flavor, also in the Thai section at whole foods)
4-5 fresh basil leaves
Rice vermicelli noodles, or cooked rice

Directions

In a wok or large skillet on medium heat the coconut oil, add the coconut milk stir and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for about a minute and then add the green curry paste, mix well and let simmer for a few more minutes. If you were able to find Kaffir lime leaves add them after the curry paste. (If using lime zest you want to want till the end to add it. Use the small holes on your grater to skim the outside peel of your lime, you don't want to hit the white part because that will add a bitter taste to your curry) Add the eggplant, zucchini, and green beans. Let cook for 8-10 minutes. If it starts to splatter at any point reduce the heat. Add your chickpeas and seitan, palm sugar, zest, and basil. Let cook for a few more minutes. Serve over rice vermicelli, or rice. Enjoy!

Beer Battered Tofishy Tacos

2011-02-25T19:06:00.000-08:00

So I don't make these very often for a few reasons the first being that they are not very healthy, considering that they are fried. Second because they are time consuming and leave quite a mess in the kitchen. However Jesse just loves them and is always asking me to make them for him. I love them too but since I am the one who does all the cooking and cleaning, well........ So here we go

For the Sauce

1 cup vegenaise
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs vinegar
2 tbs fresh dill, chopped
2 tsp capers, in brine
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika

In a small bowl mix together all the ingredients well.

For the Beer Batter

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbs sugar
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp kelp granules
1 cup vegan beer of your choosing (Go with a micro brew, you don't want to use cheap beer)
1/4 cup almond milk

Combine all dry ingredients, add the beer and milk and mix well. You want the batter to be the consistency of pancake batter, so add more beer/flour as needed.

For the Tacos

1 lb pressed tofu, sliced into large triangles
1 packet miso soup mix (check labels a lot of them contain fish)
kelp granules
extra flour
oil for frying
corn tortillas
cabbage, shredded
Lots of paper towels

Heat about 3/4 of an inch of oil on medium high in a cast-iron skillet. Prepare your miso soup mix according to directions. Add some kelp granules and mix. Soak the tofu in the mix no longer than five minutes and drain. Fill a small bowl with flour and coat the tofu triangle. Then dip into batter to coat and place in the heated oil. (You will get messy and it helps to use both hand, the batter is heavy and the tofu will break apart if you don't lift it with both hands. Try to let the extra batter drip off before you put it in the oil). Cook until golden brown on both sides. Place on a layers of paper towels to soak up extra grease. When all the tofu is cook and can use the same oil to fry your corn tortillas. spoon some sauce on the taco shell, then add the fried tofu, top with cabbage and extra sauce if desired.

Garden Burgers with Spiced Scalloped Potatoes

2011-02-22T18:07:00.000-08:00

Garden Burgers

1/2 cup cooked Adzuki beans
1/2 cup cooked black eyed peas
1/2 cup zucchini, grated
1/4 cup green onion, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced
1/4 cup baby bella mushrooms, finely diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp garlic minced
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup water

Directions: In a medium sized bowl mash up the beans until they resemble a paste. Add all other ingredients and mix together. With your hands mold into patties, If to dry add a tbsp of water. Cook in a skillet on the stove with a bit of oil. I grilled up some onion and mushrooms to top the burgers, These are very versatile, Change up the veggies, add different spices, use different beans, try a different type of flour if you can't have gluten. Adjust to your preferences. Top with anything you want. Makes approximately 8 patties

Spiced Scalloped Potatoes

4-5 potatoes, thinly sliced. (I used red, but any will work)
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup almond milk
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp gram masala
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sesame seeds
2-3 tbsp nutritional yeast.

Directions:Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place your potatoes in a baking dish slightly overlapping. Pour over the vegetable broth, then drizzle on the milk. I used a spray bottle of oil to mist the tops of the potatoes. Sprinkle on the garlic and spices. Then spray or drizzle again with the olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Chocolate Almond Mint Cookies

2011-02-22T17:24:00.000-08:00

I was doing a little spring cleaning today, I cleaned out the fridge and after I was done I just felt like baking. Maybe I just wanted the house to smell nice, I don't know. So I looked through my pantry and decided to put my cocoa powder, mint extract, and almond slivers to good use. In my head it sounded like a great combination and well I just love how these came out. The texture is great and the flavor even better. If you are a fan of mint chocolate you have to try this out. Its so quick and easy.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour (I used unbleached all purpose whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup unrefined sugar
1/4 cup almond slivers
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp mint extract
3/4 cup canola oil

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. In a small bowl mix together the syrup, extract, and oil. Add the wet to the dry and combine with a spoon. It should be a little crumbly...If to dry add a little more oil. Mix in the almonds. Roll the mix into about a 1 inch balls and then press flat with you palms. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Do not bake for any longer or they will dry out. Makes 20-24. Enjoy!

Thai Chick-Un Pizza from Eat Drink and Be Vegan

2011-02-21T16:33:00.000-08:00

This was so so yummy I have to share the recipe with you all. I highly recommend picking up a copy of Eat Drink and Be Vegan by Dreena Burton. It's filled with great recipes!

Peanut Sauce

2/3 cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp tamari
2 large cloves garlic, quartered
1 1/2 tbsp frish ginger, chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup light coconut milk
1/2 tbsp water (or additional milk)
1 1/2-2 tbsp agave nectar

Pizza
1 (10-12 inch) pizza shell .....( I used the pre-made pizza dough from Shipyard)
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1-1 1/2 cups red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3/4 cup fresh pineapple, chopped. (I used canned)
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 cup mung bean sprouts (I used soy bean sprouts because they were out at the store when I went)
Peanuts and cilantro chopped as garnish (optional)

Prepare the sauce in a food processor, all all ingredients and puree until smooth. Add water or more milk to adjust thickness. Adjust to taste, add more red pepper flakes, or agave.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread sauce onto your pizza dough. Distribute chickpeas, bell pepper and pineapple evenly. Bake for 17 -20 minutes, sprinkling on green onions for last minute of cooking, until the crust is golden. Serve sprinkled with the bean sprouts.

Review on Cocoa Coconut Chili

2011-02-15T06:41:00.000-08:00

I recently ordered a new vegan cookbook from Amazon. Eat Drink and be Vegan by Dreena Burton is an awesome cookbook. Most of the recipes are wheat free. There are so many I want to try out. They all sound amazing. Last night I made the Cocoa Coconut Chili (wheat free). It was awesome! So full of flavor. Sweet and spicy my favorite two flavor combination's. It was very mildly spicy and my one year old son Radley went to town on a bowl! Hadley not so much but I think it was because she was tired and grumpy. She fell asleep in the middle of the living room floor while I was cooking it. We had to wake her up to try to feed her and she just wasn't having it. This chili made my whole house smell amazing....I wouldn't be surprised if our upstairs neighbors were enjoying the smell as well. So your welcome up there!

Ingredients:
1-11/2 tbsp coconut oil
2 cups onion, diced
1 1/4-11/2 cups celery, diced
1/2 cup red or yellow bell pepper diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp mild chili powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp all spice
2 1/2-3 tbsp dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 cans of 28 oz diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can light coconut milk
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tbsp chipotle hot sauce
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1-1 1/2 tsp agave nectar
1-2 fresh limes

Directions:
In a large pot on medium heat, add oil, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally; reduce heat if onions or garlic starts to burn. When onions start to soften, add cocoa and stir for 1-2 minutes, then add tomatoes, beans, coconut milk, and coconut. Stir to combine. Increase heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in corn kernels and agave nectar, and cook another 5 minutes to heat through. Remove cover to let liquid reduce if desired. Season to taste with additional pepper, or hot sauce. Serve with lime wedges and squeeze on generous amounts of juice.

I decided to use dried beans rather than canned. I let the beans soak overnight. Also by the time we feed the babies and got them to bed. So we could sit down with a movie and enjoy dinner without the kids. I forgot about the lime wedges. I bet it would have been good with them but they are not necessary.

There she is with her thumb in her mouth passed out surrounded by toys!

Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus

2011-02-15T06:02:00.000-08:00

I love hummus and when I made this a few nights ago I was just in heaven. Hummus is 100 times better when you make it yourself. From time to time I get the store bought hummus and that is what inspired this recipe. I was at Trader Joe's and picked up their Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus. I enjoyed it so much that I had to make some myself...So this is what I came up with.

Ingredients:

2 cups unpacked cilantro
2 large jalapenos seeded and roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups chickpeas
2-3 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cloves chopped garlic
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

In a food processor toss in your cilantro and jalapeno and mix until it is well combined and looks minced

Add the chickpeas and mix some more.

Add all the other ingredients and mix until smooth. Adjust flavors to taste. If too thick you can add a tablespoon or two of water.

We decided to use this on some wraps for dinner. They came out really well. I just grilled up some of the morning star chickn' starters, some baby bella mushrooms, and some orange bell pepper. I spread the hummus on the wrap and added some romaine lettuce and then the chickn' n veggies and topped with a little daiya cheese.

Vegan Lunch Pockets

2011-02-14T12:52:00.000-08:00

I just finished making these today. They are by no means quick to make, but once you make them you can bag them and toss them in the freezer. They are easy to take with you to work or to use in sack lunches for your little vegan monsters to take to school. Although my one year old twins are not in daycare or school they love these and it is something I can quickly warm up and give them. I was able to make 24 total, 8 "Ham" n "Cheese" 8 Pizza and 8 Tofurkey, broccoli and "Cheddar".

I was inspired to make these because I missed my hot pockets....

Hadley and Radley chowing down on the Ham n Cheese Pockets.

Ingredients:

4 cups Unbleached all purpose whole wheat flour
1/2 cup flax meal
1 1/2 cups cold vegan shorting or butter
2 tablespoons organic sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water

Mix together all the dry ingredients then with a pastry cutter or two butter knives held together cut in the shorting until the flour is crumbly. Add the water and mix well. If too sticky add more flour, If its too dry add a little more water. Cover a refrigerate for at least and hour.

For the fillings:

1 package vegan ham slices cut into squares
1 package vegan turkey slices cut into squares
1 package vegan pepperoni
1 package cheddar daiya cheese
1/2 package mozzarella daiya cheese
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1 cup frozen broccoli

"Ham"n"Cheese: Mix together the cut up ham and 1 1/4 cups cheddar cheese.
Tofurkey Broccoli and Cheddar: Mix together cut up tofurkey, broccoli, and 3/4 cup cheddar cheese.
Pizza: Mix together the pepperoni, marinara and mozzarella cheese.

To Prepare preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Divide your dough into three equal balls. On a clean surface with a rolling pin roll out your first ball. Place a bowl about the size or 6-8 inches upside down and cut the dough around the bowl. I was able to get 8 circles out of each ball of dough.

Add a couple spoonfuls of the filling onto the dough and then fold in half. With a fork press the edges together. Continue until all your dough and/or filling is gone. Bake for about 30 minutes or until browned. Allow to cool before placing into freezer bags and freezing. I hope you enjoy!

Review on Hazelnut-Crusted Sweet Chili Tofu

2011-02-01T14:54:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a recipe post on Veg Portland I have found a new and awesome go to vegan cooking blog. Although I have never made anything other than the hazelnut crusted sweet chili tofu from Como Water, after browsing through the recipes it is sure to be a contender for my favorite cooking blog. This very quick and simple tofu recipe is packed full of a sweet, spicy, and nutty flavors...go figure the name says it all. I will be using this again and again on the nights I don't feel like cooking a big dinner.

This was the sweet chili sauce I used which I believe is a different sauce than the one featured in the recipe. Also In case you were wondering here is the recipe for the side I prepared to go with it. It paired quite nicely.

Steamed Collards and Kale

3 cups fresh collards roughly chopped (Or use your hands to tear)
3 cups fresh kale roughly chopped
1/4 cup water for steaming
1/3 cup nutrional yeast
1/3 cup almond slivers
2 tablespoons minced garlic
salt to taste

In a stock pot on medium low heat add the 1/4 cup water and the freshly washed greens. With toss occasionally until wilted. Add the nutritional yeast, almonds, garlic, and salt. Toss well and serve.

Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake

2011-01-30T17:16:00.000-08:00

A long while back a good friend of mine Kaleena made my family one of these delicious cakes. So I have to thank her for giving me the idea of making it vegan. I have played around with a basic recipe a few times and have found a good way to make this cake cruelty free. It has a great balance of moistness and fluffiness. As well as having a crystallized cinnamon sugar coating. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup organic sugar
1 tablespoon of butter for greasing your cake pan

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup softened vegan butter
1 cup organic sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup soy milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup of sugar and tablespoon of cinnamon. Grease your bundt pan with a little butter then dust the entire inside of the pan with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. I usually use about 1/3 off the mixture a good way to do this is to hold the pan over the sink and turn it to its side while spinning it slowly, this will get it more evenly coated.Save the remaining sugar and cinnamon mixture and set everything aside.

In another small bowl mix together the milk and vinegar. Set it aside for about 10 minutes to let it curdle.Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Beat just the butter on medium speed for one full minute. Add the white sugar and mix for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and blade and add the brown sugar. Mix for 2 minutes until the mixture looks light brown and uniform in color. Add the milk mixture and beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the apple sauce. beat well.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar mixture over top the cake. Spread the rest of the batter into the pan and sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 1 hour before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. aside.

Mock Tuna Casserole

2011-01-27T14:05:00.000-08:00

On my last grocery list I planned for a few casseroles because my twins just switched over to solids. I want them to be able to enjoy dinner with us. I figured this would be a great way to do that since they still don't have all there teeth.

Ingridents:

4 tablespoons vegan butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups re-hydrated TVP
2 tablespoon soy sauce
3-4 crumbled roasted seaweed sheets.
1/4 cup flour
2 cups veggie broth
1 1/2 cup almond milk (or soy milk)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 box macaroni pasta
salt and pepper, to taste
paprika, to taste

1 cup French fried onions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your pasta in a medium sized soup pot. Heat 1 tablespoon vegan butter in a skillet. (I used my cast iron) and add the onion, celery and mushrooms. Saute for a few minutes, until tender then add the TVP, soy sauce and crumbled seaweed. Keep cooking for about 10 minuets mixing every so often. At this point the pasta should be done. Strain the pasta and set aside. In the same pot, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter over low heat. Stir in the flour and whisk for a few minutes. It will get thick. Start adding the broth bit by bit, whisking all the while and bring to a boil. Add the milk little by little and continue to stir and simmer. Add the mushroom/celery/onion mixture and lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper and paprika and pasta. Stir gently to combine. Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and spread French fried onions over the top and bake for another 5-6 minutes or so or until the top is browned and crispy.

Vegan "Chicken" Salad and Vegan Curried "Egg" Salad

2011-01-25T15:25:00.000-08:00

I whipped up a large batch of both of these for the twins birthday party and even my parents who turn their noses up at my vegan food enjoyed them both. I practically had to force my mom to eat the curried "egg" salad made with tofu because she thinks she hates tofu.(I just feel that she hasn't had it prepared correctly) After she ate it she said she liked it better than the faux chicken salad...go figure.

"Chicken" Salad made from TVP

2 cups re-hydrated TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)
1/2 cup vegenaise
3/4 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup chopped celer
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
salt n pepper to taste

Mix all together and refrigerate till ready to serve. Use less or more vegenaise if you prefer. Serve on whole wheat finger rolls for a party or normal bread for your everyday lunch.

Curried "Egg" Salad

1 lb firm pressed, drained, and crumbled tofu
1/2 cup vegenaise
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked potatoes (I used russet but any would work)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
3-4 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
1/2 cup almond slivers

Again mix all together and adjust vegenaise to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve on bread of choice.

Jenni's Party Sangria

2011-01-23T16:08:00.000-08:00

I just love making this when we have gatherings. It is really simple and always a hit. Personally I am a wine lover anyway so this is just a fun way to spice it up.

You will need

1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
12 oz any lemon lime soda
1 cup rum
1/2 cup orange juice
1 large bottle of Merlot

Slice your orange, lemon, and lime. Toss into your pitcher and add the soda, rum, juice, and wine. Mix and cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let it sit in your fridge for at least 24 hours. This helps all the flavors meld. Also the longer you let it sit the more fermented it gets. One time I made this for a girls night and had some left over and it was sitting in my fridge for three or four days. We had a friend come over to chill and watch movie and he got pretty drunk off this stuff. Good times!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Strawberry frosting and Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Banana Frosting

2011-01-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

So these were Hadley's and Radley's First Birthday Cupcakes. My twins turned one on January 19th and we had there Birthday party yesterday. I must say they were both so yummy.

Hadley's Strawberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Strawberry Frosting

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup non dairy milk (I used almond milk)
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 cup oil
2 teaspoon rum extract (I actually thought I was putting in strawberry extract but accidentally grabbed the rum, One of the best accidents I've made in a while.)
2 cups strawberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350° F and line cupcake pans. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Cream margarine and sugar together until fluffy. Add applesauce. Combine the milk with the vinegar and let stand for ten minutes. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla into the margarine sugar mixture. Then add the flour mixture gradually. Mix in the strawberries. Fill the cupcake tins 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes.

Chocolate Strawberry Frosting

1/2 cup vegan shortening
1/2 cup Earth Balance or vegan margarine
3-3 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon strawberry extract

Cream together the shortening and butter for 3 minutes. Add extract, cocoa powder, and coconut milk then beat another 5-8 minutes. Frost cooled cupcakes or cake.

Radley's Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Banana Frosting
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup natural unsweetened peanut butter
1/2 cup vegan shortening
1 cup
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup apple sauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Mix the milk and vinagar together and let sit for 10 minutes. Add graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, milk, shortening, apple sauce, and vanilla. Beat mixture with electric mixer on low until moistened, and then beat on medium for 2 minutes. Fill you cupcake pan 2/3 of the way full and bake for 25- 30 min.

Banana Frosting

1/2 cup vegan shortening
1/2 cup Earth Balance or vegan margarine
3-3 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons banana extract

Cream together the shortening and butter for 3 minutes. Add extract and coconut milk then beat another 5-8 minutes. Frost cooled cupcakes or cake.

This is a great base frosting. The coconut milk really helps to fluff up the frosting and since it does not have a strong coconut flavor it takes on the flavor of anything you add. If you do want a coconut flavor I would add coconut extract and some dried shredded un-sweetened coconut.

Salad with Orange Sesame Dressing and Pizza Dough Bread Sticks

2011-01-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

I try to make all my sauces and dressings from scratch myself, in an attempt to eat less processed food. Often what I come up with taste better than anything you can buy on a store shelf. So to me it's worth the extra time and effort. Here is a pretty good dressing I like to use. It is really more of a summer dressing but I was craving it.

For the Dressing:

1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tea spoons cornstarch
1/2 cup soft tofu
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions: In a sauce pan, combine all ingredients except the tofu and sesame seeds. Bring mixture to a simmer or medium-high heat, stirring often until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, stirring every so often to keep from getting gelatinous. In a small mixing bowl,beat the tofu with a whisk until creamy. Once the orange mixture is cool add to the tofu and whisk until blended well, then add the sesame seeds. I save all my jars and reuse them for dressing and sauces.

Pizza Dough Bread Sticks:

1 package of pizza dough. I usually use Trader Joe's or Pepe's
1 tablespoon olive oil
Garlic powder
nutritional yeast

Directions: Tear small pieces off and roll them between your palms while pressing. Lay them out on a baking sheet. Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the garlic powder and nutritional yeast. Bake according to package temperature until they are puffed up and golden.

For the salad I used and organic herb mix and tossed in whatever veggies I had at the time. I topped it with some grilled vegan chickn' cutlets that I cut in to strips. I'm not sure of the brand they were given to us from our friends who took a trip to New York and came back stocked up on vegan goodies. They were pretty tasty though

The Vegan Omelette

2011-01-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

Warning: This recipe can be a little tricky. Not that it is difficult to prepare...that part is very simple. The folding and lifting of the omelette is the tricky part. Yours may not come out in one piece but it all tastes the same in the end. Also bare in mind that this will not taste similar to an omelette that is made with eggs. This recipe is more of a crispy tofu scramble. My family enjoyed it very much and I will be sure to make it again.

Ingredients

1 lb extra firm tofu drained and pressed

1/2 onion minced

5-6 cloves fresh minced garlic

2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped (or other herb of your choice)

2 teaspoons turmeric

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon or less of oil

Daiya cheddar cheese

Vegetable/filling of your choice. I used mushrooms and bell pepper.
Toppings of choice if desired. I used salsa and cilantro.

Directions

With a cheese grater grate your block of tofu. The longer you can get the strands the better. This technique is what helps meld and hold the tofu together. Once you have it grated you will want to add the onion, garlic, herbs and spices. Mix together as gentle as you can. You don't want the tofu strands to get smashed. In a non-stick skillet on medium heat the oil. spoon in the tofu mixture and press down gently. Sprinkle the top with cheese and add your topping. Cover and let cook for about 10 minutes. Very carefully fold in half. and continue to cook for a few more minutes. When it's done your best bet is to slide it out of the skillet. If for some reason you can't slide it out then use a spatula to transfer it to your plate. You may need to cut it in half to keep it in one piece. Either way it will still taste amazing. Good Luck!

This makes a great brinner (a.k.a. Breakfast for dinner) We usually start our day with coffee and munch on fruit, and veggies in the morning. I rarely ever cook breakfast, maybe a few times a year. So we love having brinner. For some reason we think it taste better at night.

Authentic Beef-less Fajitas

2011-01-17T10:58:00.000-08:00

These are the best fajitas I have had since I left California Six years ago. Partly because they are vegan but also because authentic Mexican food is hard to come by in Maine. (For those of you who don't know me personally I was born and raised in the High Desert of So-Cal. I lived there for 20 years until I moved here to Maine.) There were dozen's of locally owned Mom'n'Pop Mexican eatery's in my area. Since I have moved the most authentic Mexican food I have had, are the dishes I have prepared myself. Unfortunate the only Mexican restaurants in Maine are very Americanized. At least all the ones I have been to. So If your your like me and have been missing that south of the boarder flavor you must give this a try! They really hit the spot. I may be a white girl but I promise you will not be disappointed.

Marinade:

1 package of vegan beef strips. I used Trader Joe's Beef-less strips. (They are pre-seasoned so give them a good rinse.)
Juice of 2 oranges
Juice of 3 limes
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/2 cup minced onion
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 to 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (I used 1/4 but it depends on how spicy you like it. If you can't handle spice very well I recommend using just a dash of chili powder.)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Wisk together all the ingredients with a fork and then add the beef-less strips. Cover, refrigerate, and let marinade for 2 day. Seems like a long time to wait but it will be well worth it.

Fajita:

1/2 red onion sliced
1/2 red bell pepper sliced thinly
1/2 green bell pepper sliced thinly
Fresh cilantro
Fresh lime juice
Fresh Salsa
Small flour tortillas

Heat your electric skillet on a medium low heat. Drain the Beef-less strips from the marinade and toss in the skillet. You want to slow cook them for about 20 minutes. You don't want them to brown just steam them. Raise the heat and toss in the onion and peppers. Continue to cook until the beef-less strips are browned and the peppers are tender. If it starts to get to dry squeeze in some lime juice. I used a panini press to warm my tortillas. Scoop the fajita mix into your warm tortilla and top with fresh salsa and cilantro.

If you give this a try I would love to know what you think.

Tempeh Kale and Tomato Wraps or "TKT's"

2011-01-16T09:32:00.000-08:00

This is one of my family's dinner staples. Partly because they are quick and easy to make but mostly because they are delicious and healthy. This time I used the garlic and herb wraps from Valley Bread pictured below. They were really good and I enjoyed them. The only down side is that they have about 18g of carbs. So they are not the healthiest option. We usually use whole wheat wraps. Sometimes we use bread and grill it which is very good as well. Or and even healthier option would be to omit the bread/wrap all together and wrap it in a large leaf of kale. Kale is by far my favorite off all the greens. So you will see that I use it quite often. I don't recommend using iceberg lettuce only because it doesn't have much nutritional value. Being vegan I try to get as much nutrients from my food as possible. Also we always use the Lalibela Farm tempeh. (It is the best tempeh I have ever had and it's local.) However when we went to whole foods this week they were all out so we settled for the Trader Joe's brand. Trader Joe's tempeh is good, it crumbles easily which is not always a good thing. I guess it depends on how you are using it. Something like this where you want clean slices it is not the best.

Marinade for the Tempeh

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup Red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons low sodium vegan soy sauce
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 package tempeh sliced into 1/4 inch thick strips.

Mix together all the ingredients in a shallow container or bowl. Add the tempeh, if for some reason the liquid does not cover the tempeh add some more broth and vinegar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. I always let it marinade over night.

For the Wrap

Wrap/bread of your choice
vegenaise
Nutritional Yeast (optional)
Kale
tomato

Directions

I used an electric skillet to cook the marinaded tempeh. I reason I chose it is because you do not have to use any oil to cook the tempeh, also you can slow cook it which really helps to bring out the flavor. If you do not have one any skillet will do. Cook until golden brown using tongs to turn the pieces. Spread your vegenaise on your wrap, sprinkle with nutritional yeast, and add your kale and tomato slices. When your tempeh is done toss that on top and fold each side of the wrap and roll.

Tofu and mushrooms with peanut sauce

2011-01-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 lb extra firm tofu, drained and pressed and cut into triangles
1/2 onion coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper coarsely chopped
7 baby bella mushrooms quartered

For the Sauce

1/2 cup chunky unsweetened peanut butter
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 onion finely chopped
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons curry powder

Directions: In a well seasoned cast iron skillet on medium heat the oil. Add the tofu and cook until golden. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together and set aside. Once your tofu is cooked well add the onions, cook until translucent. Add the bell pepper and mushrooms. continue cooking until tender, Then pour the sauce over and reduce the heat let simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Serve hot over rice.

Vegan Tamales

2011-01-15T06:24:00.000-08:00

I have been making vegan tamales since I became a vegan years ago. I Love tamales not just because they are delicious but for many other reasons too. Tamales are a traditional Hispanic meal. On Holidays and special occasions the entire family will participate in making tamales. It is considered a family tradition in the Hispanic culture. I appreciate and admire their culture very much. Being born and having lived in California for 20 years I was exposed to a lot of authentic Mexican food and miss it very much. One of my favorite smells is the smell of steaming tamales filling my home. Isn't it awesome how certain smells can trigger past memories. So making tamales is my way of remembering and reminiscing the amazing food and experiences I had in California. Tamales are fairly easy to make but you should plan on spending a few hours in the kitchen because they are time consuming. I guess by now you may be be wondering why I am doing a cooking blog on cooking when my blog is centered on crafts. Well my friend Kaleena asked me if I would do a guest post for her on her cooking blog and I loved the Idea. So I would like to say Thank You to Kaleena for letting me share my favorite recipe her and her followers. I hope you enjoy making tamales as much as I do.

You will need

Corn Husks
A few large bowls
A large/tall steamer pot
Or if you don't have a steamer insert you can do it the Mexican way and use a large/tall pot and a disposable aluminum casserole pan flip it upside down and punch a bunch of holes in it with a fork or knife. Personally I like to use a knitting needle. Hows that for being crafty and frugal in the kitchen! P.s. don't throw it away you can save it and use it to steam practically anything!

For the Masa
4 cups Masa Herina or Masa Flour
1 cup softened vegan margarine
1 tbs baking soda
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
approximately 3 cups HOT water.

For the Filling
1 box Spanish rice and diced tomatoes
1 jar tamatillo salsa
1 package of Soyrizo ( I used Melissa's)
1 package of Field Roast Mexican Chipotle style sausage (Chopped)
2 cans chopped green chilies

(makes approximately 30)

Directions

First you will need to boil 6-8 cups of water. While you are waiting for the water to boil you will want to separate and clean your corn husks. I usually only use about half of the package. Once you have them separated and cleaned place them in a large bowl and pour the boiling water over them. You will want to let them soak for at least an hour. ( Tip: Often the corn husks will float above the water level so I will place another large bowl on top of them with a few canned goods inside the bowl to way it down. This will ensure that all the husks get submersed in the water.) Set aside.
To prepare the filling you should start by making the Spanish rice according to directions. In another large bowl or pot you will want to add all the filling ingredients and mix together. Once the rice is finished cooking you will add that to the filling and mix well. Set aside.

To prepare the masa you will want to start by adding the cup of softened butter to a large bowl. Personally I like to mix in the butter with the masa flour first. it will get crumbly. Then I add the spices and baking soda and Hot water but add just one cup of water at a time. I enjoy using my hands to mix the masa but you can use a spoon or a mixer. ( Tip: You may not need to use all the water the end result of the mix should the the consistency of really thick peanut butter and easy to mold.)

To assemble the tamale you will want to take a corn husk and lay it flat. You can spread on the masa with a spoon or you can use your hands. Again I prefer my hands though. You will want to use about 2 tbs of masa mix and spread it from the top but leave room at the bottom to fold. You will want the mix to cover about 2/3 width wise. Then you will add a scoop of the filling and fold the husk. (see pictures below.)

( Tip: Some of the corn husks are smaller you can take two small corn husks and layer them together to form a bigger husk. Don't get to technically thought they do not each have to be identical with exact measurements. You can make every one a different size it does not matter.)
Once you have all of your tamales assembles you will want to place them in the steamer pot. Leave at least an inch of space between the tamales and the water level in the pot. You do not want them to touch the water. Cover pot with a lid but leave room for steam to escape and steam for 1 hour and 15 minuets to and hour and a half. Once done you should allow to sit for at least a half hour before eating! Enjoy

A few more things before I go. Tamales are excellent reheated the next day. They are one of those few meals that are even better after they sit over night. Also if you end up with any filling leftovers (I always have some) save it for taco night! It makes a great taco filling as well. Again Thanks to Kaleena and to her followers I really enjoyed doing this guest post!

Healthy Vegetable Miso Soup

2011-01-11T16:17:00.000-08:00

My kitchen pantry was pretty bare when I made this soup, but sometimes when you throw together whatever you have you end up being pleasantly surprised. The ingredients in this soup are some of my basic kitchen staples, which you may not have on hand. I highly recommend that you add miso paste and the grain mix from Trader Joe's to your kitchen staples. Miso paste is is full of vitamins, minerals, and protein. It has also been linked to preventing breast cancer in some studies. There are many different types of miso, so explore your options. I prefer Barley miso and that is what I used here. Another great thing to have in your kitchen is a mix of grains. I usually grab a bag of Harvest grains from Trader Joe's. I can't remember what it is called but I took a picture of what it looks like before it is cooked. It is really healthy and great for soups. I use it in a lot of soups. I also keep a variety of frozen vegetables in the winter.

Ingredients:

1 tbs olive oil

4 tbs minced garlic (Yes, I use a lot of garlic)
3 cups water
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
2 tbs barley miso paste
1 1/2 cups of harvest grain mix
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp mustard powder
1 cup frozen black eyed peas
2 cups frozen broccoli
1 cup frozen green beans
1 can mushrooms

Directions: In a large stock pot on medium low heat add your oil and garlic. Saute' till golden stir often so it does not burn. Add your water and vegetable broth cubes. Raise the heat to get the water to boil in order to dissolve the cubes. Once dissolved add your miso pasted and mix well, then add the grains, spices, and frozen black eyed peas.

Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for approximately 30 minutes, stir occasionally. Once the grains and peas are cooked thoroughly add all vegetables. If the most of the water absorbed add more so that there is some broth to the soup. Let cook another 15 minutes. Serve hot.