Tofu Avocado Benedict

Happy Veteran's Day Weekend! Thank you to those who have served to protect our country. What a better way to start of the weekend... but with some Tofu Benedict! Found this recipe from The Sweet Life and she did an amazing job a recreating a hollandaise sauce that's vegan. I can't wait to use the sauce on other dishes! 

Enjoy your weekend and I hope you have a 3-day weekend like me!!! 

 

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Tofu Avocado Benedict

Recipe from The Sweet Life 

Serves 2

• 2 English muffins (Try Food For Life's - 7 Sprouted Grains English Muffins)
• 4 thick slices of heirloom tomatoes
• 4 -1/2 inch slices of extra firm tofu
• a small handful of romaine lettuce
• 1 avocado
• vegan hollandaise sauce (recipe follows)
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp of Earth Balance butter

 

Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

• 2 tbsp Earth Balance butter
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp nutritional yeast
• 2-3 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice (to taste)
• salt and pepper
• pinch of cayenne
• pinch of turmeric (for color)

Method

To make Hollandaise Sauce:
Place the vegan butter in a small sauce pan and bring to boil. Add flour and whisk until it forms a paste. Slowly add milk, whisking continuously until well combined. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking frequently, until sauce begins to thicken (about 1-2 minutes). Remove from heat and add nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and seasoning. Add additional non-dairy milk if you find it's too think. Stir together. Taste to ensure that it's to your liking. Set aside. Reheat before serving.

To make Tofu:
Heat butter over medium heat. Slice tofu 1/2 inch thick and sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. Place tofu in pan with hot butter and pan fry on each side for about 4-5 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat.

To assemble the Benedict:
Slice English muffin in half and toast. Top each muffin with a small amount of lettuce and one tomato slice each. Place pan-fried tofu atop each tomato and smother with Hollandaise Sauce.  Finish with sliced avocado and serve immediately.

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Vegan Corn Chowder

Happy Fall!!! Wait... it's going to be in the 90's all weekend in SoCal!? Well I can dream about cold weather, fireplaces, cozy sweaters, crock-pot recipes, and soup! I made this corn chowder soup for dinner for the Breaking Bad series finale episode last weekend. Wasn't the ending just amazing? Finally an ending to a show that gave audiences a closure not an ending that is open to interpretation...cough cough...like Dexter! Anyhow enjoy this corn chowder soup recipe I adapted from this tiny recipe book I found for only $2.99 at Marshall's!

Ingredients 

(Serves 6) 

• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil 
• 1 onion, finely chopped 
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 leek, finely chopped 
• 2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme 
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 
• 6 1/3 cups vegetable stock 
• 1 sweet potato, finely chopped 
• 3 1/2 cups organic frozen corn kernels 
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method 

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Gently sauté the onion, carrot, leek, garlic, and thyme for 5-8 minutes, or until the onion is softened and translucent.
2. Stir in the flour and cook for an additional minute, then pour in the stock and stir well.
3. Add the sweet potato to the pan, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sweet potato is soft.
4. Stir in the corn kernels and cook for an additional five minutes.
5. Transfer 2-4 cups of the chowder to a food processor or blender (depending on how smooth or chunky you want the soup). Blend until smooth and then return to the pan. Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper. Read heat the soup, then serve immediately.
6. Serve with your favorite warm bread.

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Chive Tofu Scramble

• 1 package of extra firm tofu (14 ounces)
• 3 small red potatoes 
• 1 yellow onion, chopped 
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 3 small red heirloom tomatoes, chopped 
• 1/2 a cup of chives, chopped 
• 1 teaspoon of garlic, crushed
• 1/2 a teaspoon of turmeric 
• Cajun seasoning to taste, try McCormick's Cajun Seasoning  
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

1. Cut the red potatoes in half. Add potatoes to a medium-sized pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Boil potatoes until you can poke a fork through them. But...you don't want the potatoes too soft, because you will brown them again later.
2. In a large saucepan add olive oil and garlic. Cook at medium-high heat for 1 minute so that the garlic is browned slightly. Then, add in the onions and the bell pepper. Stir continually until they are soft. 
3. Next, add in the potatoes. Season potatoes with Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook for approximately 5 minutes to allow the potatoes to form a brown crust. 
4. Crumble the tofu into the pan. Season the tofu with turmeric, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for approximately 3 minutes. 
5. Lastly, add in the heirloom tomatoes and chives. Stir and cook for approximately 5 minutes. 
6. Serve and enjoy! 

All the ingredients chopped and ready! 

Tofu scramble view in the pan. 

Close up view of the tofu scramble. Yum! 

I served the tofu scramble with some sourdough toast on the side. 

Scarlette enjoying the smells of breakfast and some Sunday morning sunshine. 

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Vegan Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

Save a lamb and try these delicious vegan gyros! 

Vegan Gyros! 

(Serves 2) 

• 1 package of Viana Veggie Gyros (Can be purchased at Whole Foods)
• 1/2 of a red onion, sliced 
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced 
• 1/2 cup of romaine lettuce 
• 2 pieces of pita bread 
• salt and pepper, to taste 
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil 

*Prepare Vegan Tzatziki Sauce below before so it has time chill before preparing gyros.

Then, prepare onions, tomatoes, and romaine lettuce as listed in recipe above. Saute Viana Veggie Gyros with 2 tablespoons of olive oil/coconut oil for approximately 4-5 minutes over medium heat or until slightly browned. Warm pita bread in a toaster oven or oven for 3-4 minutes at 350 degrees. Add veggie gyros onto pita, tomatoes, onion, lettuce, and tzatziki sauce. Serve with a side of rice pilaf as pictured below!

Vegan Tzatziki Sauce (Adapted from Veganized)

(Serves 4-6 and stays up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge)

• 12 ounces firm silken tofu (1 box)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
• 2 -3 garlic cloves, chopped or 2 teaspoons of crushed garlic2 tablespoons olive oil
• pepper, to taste
• 1/2 a cucumber, seeded and grated
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or dried dill

Directions:

1. In a blender/food processor blend silken tofu, lemon juice, vinegar and salt. When creamy, add chopped garlic and oil. Blend again. Taste, add pepper to taste and more salt if needed. Be careful not to add in too much salt...you can't take it back once it's added! Set aside and prepare cucumber.
2. Slice cucumber in half, peel, and remove seeds by scooping them out with a spoon. Dice cucumber slices. Add cucumber and dill to tofu dip, and mix. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1/2-1 hour so it's chilled before adding to gyro. Save leftovers for later to dip with veggies or chips!

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Spicy Thai Pasta Salad

This is a super quick and easy pasta salad. You can purchase everything from this recipe from good ol' Trader Joe's! I brought this over to share with friends when we watched Dexter a couple weeks ago, and it was a big hit!

Ingredients

• 1 bag of Trader Joe's Organic Brown Rice Pasta Fusilli (16 ounces)
• 1 bottle of Trader Joe's Spicy Peanut Dressing
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced 
• 1 cup of Trader Joe's Organic Broccoli Slaw 
• 1 cup of Trader Joe's Shredded Green Cabbage 
• Lime juice, to taste  
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Method

Boil large pot of water and add salt. While water is heating prepare vegetables to be added into the salad. Once water is boiling, add pasta, and cook according to directions (8-10 minutes) or al dente. Don't over cook the pasta, because you don't want the pasta to be soggy once the dressing is added. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta, and rinse it thoroughly with cold water. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. 

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Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip (Paleo and Vegan)

Dexter just started this past Sunday!!! We get together (every Sunday) at my friends parent's house, eat yummy food, drink, play ping pong, and of course watch Dexter! I brought along this fabulous creamy spinach artichoke dip for my friend, Suzette, who just went paleo! It was my first paleo vegan recipe, and I definitely will be making it again and again!

 

 

Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Adapted from Paleo Spirit

Ingredients

• 2, 10 ounce boxes frozen, chopped spinach
• 2, 14 ounce cans or jars of artichoke hearts (I used cans of Trader Joe's Artichoke Hearts )
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 teaspoons crushed garlic, or 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (adjust to taste and depending on how salty the artichoke hearts are)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups (approximate) cashew cream

Instructions

1. Defrost the spinach and squeeze out the excess water. Set aside.
2. Drain and roughly chop the artichokes.
3. Sauté the onions in the olive oil until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
4. Stir in the chopped artichokes, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne and heat through.
5. Add in the spinach and lemon juice and stir until heated through.
6. Stir in the cashew cream.

This dairy-free spinach-artichoke dip is best served warm. We enjoyed it with slices of cucumbers and yellow bell peppers because they were good for scooping. Not paleo... but great served with tortilla chips too!

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Vegan Chunky Monkey Cookies

Did you know that bananas make an excellent egg replacer! This was my first experience in using bananas as a substitute for eggs. I usually use an egg replacer powder. They aren't quite as powerful as egg replacer powder or flaxseed, but they worked great in this cookie recipe. Try using bananas instead of eggs in your next favorite baking recipe!

  

(Adapted from Namely Marley)

• ¼ cup vegan buttermilk, (soy milk with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar)
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup margarine, softened
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 bags vegan chocolate chips
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 375°.
2. Combine soy milk with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and set aside. Next, combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) in small bowl. Beat margarine, peanut butter sugars, and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add bananas and beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture and then soy buttermilk mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes (depending on your oven) or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Place in an airtight container to keep fresh or bring them to work to share with your co-workers like I did!

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Anthony's Vegan Pizza

I must admit that my boyfriend is an AMAZING cook, and I love featuring some of his creations on my blog! Check out this yummy pizza he made!

 

 

Everything for this recipe can be purchased at Whole Foods (aka Whole Paycheck)! And lots of ingredients are measured "to taste," because Anthony cooks most things by taste!

Ingredients

• Vicolo Organic Corn Meal Crust (Package contains 2 personal sized pizza crusts)
• Whole Foods San Marsano Pizza Sauce (found near the pizza crusts) or your pizza sauce of choice
• 1 frozen package of Nate's Savory Mushroom Meatballs
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 a bunch of organic broccolini, chopped
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 peeled and boiled, sweet potato
• Bragg's Liquid Aminos, to taste
• 1 tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil

Quick and Easy Pesto

• 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup of basil
• 2-4 tablespoons of olive oil
• garlic powder, to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste

 

Directions

1. Sauté garlic, chopped onion, kale, and brocollini in a pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in Bragg's Liquid Aminos (to taste/your liking), pepper, and white balsamic vinegar. Cook for about 7 minutes. Put mixture aside to cool.
2. Boil water in a seperate pan. Peel sweet potato. Once water is boiling, add in sweet potato. Cook until you are able to pierce the potato with little resistance. Once the potato is done, remove from pot, and let cool. Once cooled thinly slice the potato.
3. In another non-stick skillet. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add in the meatballs and cook for appoximately 5 minutes. Add a little pizza sauce to coat the meatballs. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. In a food processor blend olive oil, basil, nutritional, garlic powder, pepper, and salt.
5. Assembling the pizza: Place all the items on the pizza in this order...Pizza sauce, sliced sweet potato, green mixture, sliced bell pepper, meatballs. Pour a little pizza sauce on top of the meatballs. Drizzle some of the pesto on top of the pizza.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
7. Let cool, slice, and top with some vegan ranch! Yum!!!

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Beyond Meat Fajitias

 

So I had to try cooking with some of the new Beyond Meat chicken-free strips after reading Vegan Crunk's blog review on it, and trying it in a delicious savory crepe at LA Vegan Crepe this past weekend! Bianca of Vegan Crunk said, "This is the most realistic-tasting vegan meat on the market." Beyond Meat advertises their plant protein as "the first plant protein that looks, feels, tastes, and acts like meat." I must say I'd have to agree with Vegan Crunk and Beyond Meat's advertising statement. It is quite incredible plant-based protein. Not only does it taste incredible, but it's vegan, gluten free, and has 20 grams of cholesterol-free protein/per serving (4 per package)! I tried Beyond Meat out in some fajitas tonight, and I can't wait to use it in many more dishes!

Recipe adapted and inspired from Vegan Crunk...an awesome Southern vegan chick from Memphis!

Beyond Meat Fajitas

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons, vegetable oil or coconut oil 
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock  
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 orange pepper, sliced into strips 
• 1 yellow pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 12-ounce package of Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips, Southwest Style
• 2 tsp. Mexican chili powder
• 1 package of Simply Organic fajita seasoning (Whole Foods carries it) or taco seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tortillas 
• Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream
• Tapitio
• cilantro, to garnish 

Method

1. Heat the oil on medium heat in a non-stick skillet. Add the onion, salt, pepper, and Mexican chili powder sauté for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the peppers and sauté for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften.
3. Add the Beyond Meat strips and spices. Stir to coat. Add in small amounts of vegetable stock, adding in more as it's absorbed. Saute 7 to 10 minutes, until Beyond Meat is browned and veggies are tender. 
4. Serve in tortillas with vegan sour cream, Tapitio, and garnish with cilantro.

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How I Spent My... Weekend

Dined in and got take out at Veggie Grill with our free entree cards we got from Tour de Pier. I love their new menu items like the Baja "Fish" Tacos (top right) and The Grilled Cookie with frozen yogurt (bottom left).

Made a trip up to LA just to go to for a late lunch at LA Vegan Crepe! And OMG it was totally worth the drive just to go eat there! The food, service, and hospitality was spectacular. I love that it's owned by a French husband and wife! Maybe that will be Anthony and I one day. We'd love to own our own restaurant. The highlight by far was the Mushroom Pate (top right) and the crepes were amazing too!

Relaxing Saturday night with wine and magazines out on our patio. 

Painted my nails with Wet n Wild Fastdry - The Gold & The Beautiful

Failed at making homemade kale chips. Next time I'll get it!

I hope you had a spectacular weekend, and didn't eat as much food as I did! 

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Southwestern Breakfast Hash

My favorite thing about the weekend is my Saturday mornings. I love sleeping in (although this morning my body decided to wake up at 6:30), making a yummy breakfast with coffee, and relaxing on the couch with my love. It's the BEST part of my weekend! This southwestern breakfast hash turned out spectacular, and I have plenty left for breakfast tomorrow morning!

I found this recipe on Pinterest...well where I find most of my recipe inspirations. I've created quite a recipe collection on there! Check out all my pinned vegan recipes on my Pinterest here. This recipe was orginally featured on WholeLiving.com (Martha Stewart's food magazine). You can find the orginal recipe here. I modified the recipe a little bit to add a little more flavor and extra veggies! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 8-9 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 zucchinis, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
• 3 scallions, cut into 1/4-inch slices (reserve 1 for garnish)
• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast seasoning
• 1 package (8 ounces) plain, organic tofu, diced into squares
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 medium avocado
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• garlic powder

Directions

1. Bring potatoes to a boil in a pot of salted water. Cook until knife-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a separate pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter on medium-high heat. Lightly dust the tofu in a flour mixture (flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder) and add into pan. Cook until both sides of the tofu are browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin and minced garlic, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
4. Heat remaining oil over medium heat. Cook zucchinis, jalapeno, scallions, tomatoes, beans, and nutritional yeast, stirring, until tomatoes begin to break down, 5 to 7 minutes. Add potatoes and tofu, cook until heated through. Remove pan from heat. Top with avocado and Tapatio.

*Remember to always season and taste as you go. And always try and use organic ingredients whenever possible!

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Recent Vegan Product Favs

 

[clockwise from left]

1. GT's Kombuca ~ Green Chia 2. Pacific Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk 3.  Lundberg Pico de Gallo Bean & Rice Chips  4. Tofutti Yours Truly Cones

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California Quinoa Salad

 

I had a family dinner this past weekend and wanted to make something that everyone in my family would enjoy...a quinoa salad! It turned out that my Grandpa was thinking the same thing, and he made a quinoa salad too! They luckily were both very different, and everyone had fun comparing the two. I didn't know my salad would be such a topic of conversation at the table!

 

This salad has a mild sweetness to it from the mangos. It's also great to make for spring, because most varieties of mangos that are coming from Mexico are in season in April and May. Mangos are definitely more of a "comfort fruit," because they are higher in sugar. Mangos have three times the sugar content of raspberries. Although, mangos are higher in sugar they are rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, mangos contain an enzyme with stomach soothing properties similar to papain found in papayas. These comforting enzymes act as a digestive aid! This quinoa salad was a perfect digestive aid for my carnivorous family who ate this alongside BBQ ribs!

 

California Quinoa Salad

(Adapted from "My Quest to Become Plant Strong")

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups of quinoa
• 4 cups water (for cooking quinoa – I cooked mine in my rice cooker)
• 1 can of organic black beans
• 1 package frozen mango, thawed OR 2-3 diced fresh mangos
• 1/2 large red onion, diced
• 1 medium to large red pepper, diced
• 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped 
• 1-2 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut (I opted out on the coconut)
• 3/4 – 1 cup unsalted, dry-toasted slivered almonds
• 1-1 1/2 cups raisins (I used the golden raisins from Trader Joes)
• 2-3 cups frozen edamame, thawed
• Juice of 4-5 limes
• 3 – 4 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar (I used organic white balsamic vinegar from Whole Foods)

Instructions:

1. Rinse quinoa well, cook as directed.
2. Fluff quinoa well when done, spread out and let cool.
3. Add all other ingredients and toss.
4. Enjoy cold!!

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Vegan Donuts!

It was a cloudy overcast day this past Sunday so I thought...hey...I'm going to make DONUTS! I headed over to Michael's craft store (with my 40% off coupon). I purchased a non-stick donut pan and some rainbow sprinkles for just $8! Score!

This recipe is a lot healthier than fried donuts, because you will use a lot less oil. In this recipe you will bake the donuts instead. The consistency is more cake-like, but they are still just as satisfying!

Vegan Donuts

 (Adapted from vegan Chef Chloe. Watch her YouTube video on vegan donuts here)

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Topping
1/4 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips (melt in microwave, stir every 30 seconds, until smooth)

Glaze Topping
1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons soy milk, one drop of food coloring (I used turquoise and a magenta)

Toppings: sprinkles, nuts, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, or anything else you want!

Method

1. Set oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients separately.
3. Mix wet ingredients separately.
4. Then, mix dry and wet ingredients together. Do not over mix it.
5. Take a gallon sized plastic bag, roll bag inside out, choose a corner, and put the dough inside the bag towards the corner. Cut the tip of the bag, and twist the plastic bag at the top just where the dough stops. Cut the tip. (You can also use a pastry bag if you have one)
6. Pipe the dough out into the donut pan per each donut.
7. Put donuts in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Watch them carefully. You want to cook them just until they are slightly golden.
8. Take out donuts and let them completely cool.
9. Dip the top of the donut into the glaze and turn it around with your hand to wipe of the excess. Immediately top with your favorite toppings!
10. Eat right away or store in a airtight container for later!

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Vegan Super Bowl Snacks

Photo by Getty Images

The best part of Super Bowl Sunday for me is kicking back on the couch with some good food and friends. Oh and the half time show! Didn't Beyonce rock her performance? She was amazing...best performance at the Super Bowl I've seen yet. Any girl would want to be able to move like she does!

I made two dishes that were quick and easy! All of our non-vegan friends seemed to enjoy them too! I found both recipes via Pinterest. You can check out the rest of my favorite Vegan Super Bowl Snacks on my board here.

Warm “Vegveeta” Cheese Sauce

adapted from Plant Powered Kitchen

• 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked in water for at least 1 hour, and then drained)
• 1 tbsp tahini (I used Trader Joe's Tahini Sauce)
• 1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (no need for this if you use the Trader Joe's Tahini Sauce, which already has lemon juice in it!)
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup + 1-3 tbsp of plain unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder (I used cornstarch because I didn't have arrowroot on hand)
• 1/2 tsp (little scant) paprika
• 1/8 – 1/4 tsp turmeric (for color)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 ½ -2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until very, very smooth (start with 1 cup + 1 tbsp milk). Transfer mixture to a small/medium saucepan, and heat over low/low-medium heat for 5-8 minutes, until mixture is starting to slowly bubble and thicken (stir frequently through heating). To thin sauce slightly, stir in another 1-2 tbsp of milk. Avoid thickening sauce over high heat (or increasing heat too quickly), since this sauce can scorch easily. Once sauce has thickened, transfer to a serving dish… and get dipping!

For a nacho “Vegveeta”-style dip, try stirring about 1/3 – ½ cup of your fave salsa into the heated sauce. I stirred in my favorite "Trader Joe's Homestyle Salsa Especial" and extra dashes of cayenne pepper to add some heat.

 

 

Chalupa Dip

from Vegan in the Freezer

• 2 tablespoons olive oil for sauteing
• 1 yellow onion finely diced
• 1 'soyrizo' 12 oz. package
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• cayenne pepper to taste to add some heat (optional)

For Dipping:

• Scoops Corn Chips
• Pita Chips
• Cucumber
• Celery
• Jicama

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet.
2. Add the onion and saute until translucent.
3. Add the spices and cook for a minute.
4. Remove the wrapping from the soyrizo and add to the onion mixture in the skillet.
5. Cook another 10 minutes.
6. Add the can of beans and cook another 5 minutes.
7. Serve warm with chips and veggies.

All of her recipes on Vegan in the Freezer feature healthy and delicious vegan food that you can enjoy now or freeze for future meals. So this dip can actually be frozen and reheated for another party!

 

IF FREEZING:

Let cool to room temperature. 

Package in rigid sided containers as defined in my article http://veganinthefreezer.com/preparing-food-for-the-freezer

TO PREPARE AFTER FREEZING:

Remove from the freezer and put in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.

Heat in the microwave and serve with chips and veggies of your choice.





All of the yummy vegan super bowl snacks!!!

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Spicy Low-Carb Noodle Soup

This is a cheap and satisfying soup that you can eat before a meal or make as a meal in itself. I love soups, because you can throw in all the veggies that you have in the house, spice it up, and voila! I found these Tofu Shirataki Noodles while shopping at Whole Foods in the tofu section. These noodles are made out of tofu, and one package has only 40 calories, one gram of fat, four grams of fiber and two grams of protein. It’s also cholesterol-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, vegan and kosher certified. Miracle noodles...what?! The best part of the Shirataki Noodles is that they are less than $2.00 a package!

Spicy Low-Carb Noodle Soup (Vegan...of course!)

• 8 oz Tofu Shirataki Spaghetti (1 package), you can find these at Whole Foods
• 1 box of low-sodium vegetable stock (32 oz.)
• 1 teaspoon of Organic Better Than Bouillon vegetable base (vegan)
• ½ of a yellow onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 bok choy heads, chopped (celery or whatever other veggies you want to throw in)
• garlic salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon of caynne pepper (optional)

Bring all ingredients to a boil except for the noodles. Once brought to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes or until veggies are cooked. While the broth is cooking, prepare the noodles. To prepare the noodles, drain and rinse the noodles. Microwave the noodles in a bowl for 1 minute. Dry noodles well. Add the noodles to the broth, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Taste before serving and add in any extra seasonings neccesary.

 

 

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Nacho Cashew Cheese

I had a major craving for some nachos the other day! A woman I work with, Connie, suggested I try nacho cashew cheese and use a red bell pepper. The red bell pepper gives the cashew cheese a nice nacho looking color and adds just the right amount of sweetness.

Nacho Cashew Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw cashews
• 1 cup water
• 1 red bell pepper (diced)
• 3 cloves garlic (if you don't have garlic on hand use garlic powder or garlic salt to taste)
• 4 tbs nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp of Mexican chili powder

Soak raw cashews for 1 - 2 hours in a bowl of water (not the 1 cup of water that you will use when blending) and drain.

Then place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix til smooth (several minutes). Taste and add more salt or chilli powder to your liking.

Pour into a bowl and let sit a few minutes to thicken up a bit. Bake onto chips for nachos like I did, dip with veggies, spread onto bread for sandwiches, or whatever you'd like!

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Vegan Quinoa & Kale Patties

Happy New Year!

For my first recipe post of 2013 I am featuring quinoa, because 2013 has been declared, "International Year of Quinoa" by the UN! The purpose of the of the International Year of Quinoa is to "focus the world's attention on the role that quinoa´s biodiversity and nutritional value plays, in providing food security and nutrition, the eradication of poverty in support of the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals." "The International Year of the Quinoa (IYQ) was proposed by the government of Bolivia, with support from Argentina, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Georgia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, and FAO, and approved by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2011. The Conference took note of the exceptional nutritional qualities of quinoa, its adaptability to different agro-ecological floors and its potential contribution in the fight against hunger and malnutrition."

Quinoa is a golden grain!

This protein packed, gluten free grain was considered the "golden grain" by the Incas. Quinoa is now considered a superfood!!! Quinoa is a complete protein containing all nine amino acids. It contains 2x as much fiber compared to other grains. Quinoa is rich in nutrients like iron, lysine, magnesium, B2, and manganese.

Vegan Quinoa & Kale Patties

 (Recipe adapted from Yummy Supper)

• 1 cup quinoa (I used Trader Joe's Organice Tricolor Quinoa...6 grams of protein in 1/4 cup!)
• 2 cups water
• 6 teaspoons of Ener-G egg replacer (equivalent to 4 eggs)
• 4-8 tablespoons of water
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup steamed kale, chopped
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

I topped mine with fresh squeezed lemon juice and avocados. Yum!

Cook 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water in a rice cooker. If you don't have a rice cooker...go out and buy one! You can find small rice cookers for as cheap as $12. Once you use a rice cooker to cook grains you will never go back to the stove top! When the quinoa is done cooking, remove from rice cooker, place into a bowl, and let it cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl whisk together 6 teaspoons of Ener-G egg replacer and 8 tablespoons of warm water. Then, mix in cooked quinoa, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, steamed kale, and breadcrumbs. Let everything sit for a few minutes to absorb the liquid. You want the batter to be moist, but not runny. You may need to mix in more water a little bit at a time to make it a little more moist. Form patties and set aside for cooking.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook up to 4-6 patties on the pan depending on how larger your skillet is. Cover the pan and let the patties cook for 7-10 minutes until the they are golden brown. Flip and cook the other side for another 7-10 minutes until both sides are nice and brown. Let patties rest on a cooling rack or paper towels while you finish the next batch.



***Stay tuned to my next 30-day blog challenge, but until then enjoy my vegan recipes!***

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