VEGAN RECIPES

Vegan Apricot Bread

2012-02-16T12:35:00.000-08:00

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 3 mini loaves

Ingredients:

3 T. ground flax seeds, also known as flax meal
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup finely ground cashews
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/3 cup plain soy milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh apricots

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine the ground flax seeds and water in a small cup, mixing until well combined and goopy. Lightly oil 3 mini loaf pans and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, ground cashews, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the soy milk, lemon juice and oil until well combined. Add the wet ingredients and the flax seed mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Fold in the chopped apricots until evenly distributed.

3. Portion the batter into the prepared loaf pans and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf emerges clean. Allow bread to cool in the pans on a wire cooling rack. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold

Addictive Kale and Vegan Italian Sausages

2012-02-16T12:11:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 vegan sausage links (Tofurky Italian recommended)
1 onion
1 large head of kale
sea salt (to taste)
red pepper flakes (to taste, I like it spicy)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Heat a large pot on medium with olive oil. Slice onion in half to root then thinly slice it. Put in pot with small amount of water. Cover while cooking.

Slice Sausage and toss that in with the onion.

Rinse kale and pull leaves off of the tough stem. Onion and sausage should be cooking good by now. Put all the kale on top of the sausage and onion. Sprinkle salt and red pepper. Cover again. Cook until kale is cooked through to taste. yummy

Serves: 2 (or one big one)

Preparation time: 20 min

Source of recipe: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=8445.0

Vegan Red Risotto with Baby Greens

2012-02-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups of cooked white rice
10 oz. of favorite tomato/pasta Sauce + 1 oz. of water
1 green pepper
3 garlic cloves
2 portabello mushrooms
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/4 cup of chopped onion
1 cup of white cooking wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 bag of spring mix baby salad greens
oregano

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet--burner should be on medium. Mince garlic; chop green pepper, onion, and mushrooms into bite size pieces. Combine veggies and garlic; place mixture into pan with heated oil in 1/4 amount increments. After all of mixture is in pan, let saute for roughly 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in vegan wine and stir. Cover with a pan lid and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until peppers are tender. Spoon in cooked rice and mix together. Pour in tomato sauce, mixing well with rice. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to heat and stir mixture until creamy--if you need to add a little water or oil to reach a tasty consistency, please do!

Arrange baby greens on a plate and top with thoroughly heated risotto. Shake on some oregano onto plate and meal for presentation and a dash of flavor.

This is great with garlic vegan bread!

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 30-45 minutes

Source of recipe: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=9091.0

Sesame UnChicken Fingers with Spicy Mustard Dip

2012-02-12T16:09:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 packages chicken style or regular seitan
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil for frying
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/4 cup dry mustard
2 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon arrowroot dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (I use Spectrum)

Directions:

Spicy Mustard dip:

In a saucepan, combine the mustard, vegan sugar, and salt. Add the vinegar and dissolved arrowroot, blending well (its very important that you dissolve the arrowroot in the water *before* adding it. Otherwise, the mixture will get lumpy). Cook 2-3 minutes on low, stirring constantly with a whisk or fork, until the mixture thickens. Remove to a small mixing bowl, and refrigerate 10-15 minutes, then stir in vegan mayonnaise, mixing thoroughly with a whisk or fork. Store in refrigerator. Should keep for several days, if not longer. Note: you can use less mayo or more mustard if you like the sauce spicier.

Sesame Seitan:

Slice the seitan into narrow strips or fingers. The thinner and smaller the pieces, the crispier they will get, but I haven't had a problem burning or undercooking them, so you don't need to worry too much about precision here. Combine the flour and sesame seeds (which you can toast lightly, if you like) in a shallow bowl, and dredge the seitan until coated. I find that packaged seitan holds the coating well without additional liquid, but if its not sticking, you can dredge the seitan in a little plain soymilk first, and then coat it in the flour mixture.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan. Depending on the depth of your pan, you might need more or less oil; the important thing is that the seitan can be submerged so that all sides brown evenly. When the oil is super hot, carefully place a few of the coated strips at a time in the oil and fry until golden brown (about 5-7 minutes). (To test the oil for hotness, I usually just drop in a teeny broken off piece of the coated seitan and see what happens. The oil should bubble up all around it, but it won't splatter if you use pure oil and a clean pan.) Again, fry to your own taste, but I find that the longer you leave the strips in, the crispier they get. Remove the fried strips from the oil with a metal spatula or slotted metal spoon, and place on paper towels to absorb the extra oil. (You can blot gently, as well.) Repeat until all the seitan is fried. Serve with the mustard dip. You can eat the strips hot, or you can let them cool to room temperature.

Serves: 2-4

Preparation time: 30 min.

Vietnamese Noodle Soup (Pho Chay)

2012-01-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

6 cups (1422 g) water
6x4 in. (12 g) piece of kombu
6 dried (22 g) shiitake mushrooms
2 whole anise stars
2 whole cloves
1 in. piece ginger cut lengthwise
1 medium onion, sliced (110 g)
1 lb (454 g) fresh vegetables: carrots, pak choi, yu choi, nappa cabbage and scallions
1/2 teaspoon salt (1163 mg sodium)
1/4 cup (64 g) soy sauce (3040 mg sodium)
2 seitan steaks, sliced (320 g)
Rice noodles, cooked
Optional condiments: fresh basil, fresh cilantro, lime wedges and bean sprouts

Directions:

1) Soak the kombu and mushrooms in the water for at least 3 hours. Remove the mushrooms; slice them and add them back to the pot. Heat the water; when its almost boiling remove the kombu and discard.

2) Place the anise and cloves in a tea infuser. Add the: tea infuser, ginger and onions to the broth. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, lightly steam the vegetables in a large sauce pan. Use a small amount of the broth for liquid. Salt the vegetables.

4) When the broth has finishe'd remove the ginger and tea infuser. Add the soy sauce and seitan. Turn off burner.

5) Place noodles in individual bowls. Top with vegetables and add hot broth. Soup should be eaten hot; if it isn't hot enough heat it with a microwave.

6) Add condiments if desired.

Serves: 10

Preparation time: 4 hours (including soaking time)

Vegan Shamrock Shake

2012-01-29T05:17:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 cup non-dairy vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup nondairy milk
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
4 to 5 drops green food coloring (optional)

Directions:

Add all ingredients to food processor or blender. Blend on HIGH until smooth. Pour into glass and enjoy the creamy mintyness.

Makes: 1 serving, Preparation time: 5 minutes

Soymilk Mayo

2012-01-26T10:09:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1/3 cup soy milk (I use Silk original at home, and Trader Joe's unsweetened at work)
3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, distilled white vinegar, or lemon juice (I prefer vinegar)
1 tablespoon dijon or yellow mustard (not grain mustard)
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
2/3 cup canola oil
4 tablespoons canola oil, if needed

Directions:

1. Start with soy milk directly from the fridge. Pour in the vinegar, and let it sit for a minute or so. It'll get a little chunky. This is a good thing.

2. With a stick blender, blend the soy milk mixture well. If you don't have a stick blender, use a regular blender. If you have neither, please go and get one, as this requires the high speed of the blender to get the emulsion going.

3. Once the soy milk and vinegar are well blended, plop in the mustard. Blend well. Add the salt. Blend well. Essentially, you're starting to whip some air into the emulsion, and making sure that the initial emulsion is very strong, to stand up to the oil.

4. Then, 1 teaspoon at a time (for the first 3 teaspoons), add the 2/3 cup oil while blending. If you have a stick blender, move it around a bit. Then, add the remaining oil (of the 2/3 cup) in a steady stream, while blending the whole time.

5. In total, it should come together in about 3 minutes. Keep the stick blender moving continuously through the emulsion to get it completely combined. If the mayo is too runny, add the reserved 4 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it's to your desired thickness. Chill.

If you substitute olive oil for canola oil, make the mayo a tiny bit more runny than you think you'll want it, because olive oil sets up and thickens in the fridge. This mayo keeps for about a week.

Source of recipe
(just replaced milk with soy milk)

Tofu Dill Dip

2012-01-11T04:07:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 block firm tofu (silken best)
2 tablespoon dill weed
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2-4 clove garlic
1 tablespoon miso (mellow)
2-4 tablespoon finely minced onion
water

Directions:

Put all ingredients into blender and blend well. Add water until it is desired consistency. Let sit for flavors to blend.

I use approximations...this isn't a hard and fast recipe. Put in as much or as little as appeals to your individual tastebuds. I find silken tofu is best, regular still tastes good, but the finishe'd product isn't very smooth.

Can be used over a salad, to dip veggies in, or as a topping on potatoes. Has a somewhat sour cream taste to it.

Serves: 4-6

Preparation time: 10 min

Perfect Cinnamon Muffins

2012-01-11T03:54:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

1 egg replacer (I used 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons hot water)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup nondairy milk (I use almond)
1/2 cup oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix flaxseed meal and water, and let sit for 10 minutess. While waiting, sift together dry ingredients.

2. Combine egg replacer, milk, and oil in a bowl. Add dry ingredients to this mixture and stir until just moistened.

3. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake for 10-12 minutes.

I just sprinkled cinnamon on top before baking, but you can make some really yummy icing using powdered sugar and nondairy milk, or roll muffins in melted earth balance and then in a cinnamon sugar mix for extra sweetness.

Source of recipe: This recipe was modified from this one: http://www.food.com/recipe/cinnamon-muffins-25969

Makes: 9 muffins, Preparation time: 10 mins, Cooking time: 10-12 mins

Black Olive and Caper Pasta Sauce

2012-01-07T06:59:00.001-08:00

Ingredients):

2 14.5 oz cans of stewed tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 can of black olives, sliced
1.5 oz of capers [1/2 standard 3+ oz.bottle]
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley
Oregano, basil, Black Pepper and Red Pepper to taste
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of vegan sugar

Directions:

Sautee garlic and onion until transparent. Then add capers into the olive oil and further sautee. Add the cans of tomatoes, crushing larger pieces. Add olives, vinegar, vegan sugar and all other ingredients.

Cook 1/2 hour uncovered and 1/2 hour partially covered.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Taco Salad

2011-12-27T06:52:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

4 burrito-sized flour tortillas
cooking oil spray
1 11-ounce can corn
1 pound ground soy "meat"
1 1/2 cups chunky-style salsa
1 teaspoon each: chili powder, cumin, ground annatto (optional)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
6 cups torn romaine lettuce leaves
2 green onions, white and green part, sliced
2 small avacados, sliced just before serving

Dressing:
1/4 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)

Preheat oven to 350F. Push a tortilla into an 8-inch cake pan or other small pan to make a bowl shape. Spritz lightly with cooking oil spray and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Repeat with other tortillas. Set aside.

Set oven to broil. Drain corn well and spread on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Broil 2-3 inched from heat for 5 minutes, or until corn begins to brown, stirring frequently.

Stir together soy "meat", salsa and spices in a sauce pan and heat.

To assemble salads, place 1 tortilla bowl on each of 4 plates. Toss together 3 tablespoons of dressing with lettuce and green onions and add to bowls. Put salsa mixture in the center of the lettuce, and top with corn and avacodo slices. Spoon more dressing on top.

Serves 4

Note: The dressing is very good with asian-inspired salads, too.

Adapted from Vegetarian Times.

Cranberry Orange Cake

2011-12-23T07:30:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Ginger
2 clementine oranges, separated
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

2. In round cake pan, mix together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). Make a well in the center.

3. Add orange juice, vegetable oil, orange zest, vanilla, and ginger.

4. Add clementine pieces and cranberries; mix until just thoroughly mixed.

5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Source of recipe: Modified by picky vegans recipe

Makes: 8 servings, Preparation time: 15 minutes, Cooking time: 40 minutes

Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

2011-12-14T03:31:00.000-08:00

Use your favorite graham cracker or cookie crust. The basic idea is 25 sandwich cookies (oreo style, any flavor) crushed with 1/3 cup margerine and 1/4 cup sugar. Chop it up in the food processor then press it into the bottom of an 8" springform pan.

Preheat oven to 350.

You'll need an 8" springform pan (as noted above) and a watertight 10" pan (I use my spaghetti pot) to use as a water bath. Spray 8" pan with oil.

Ingredients:

2.5 packages (8 oz each) vegan cream cheese
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1.5 tsp vanilla
2 T ener-g egg replacer dissoved in 3/4 cup water (this is not according to ener-g package directions)
1 package (2 cups measured) chocolate chips, melted
3/4 cup whipping cream (Rich's or Silk coffee creamer)

Combine cream cheese and sugar in bowl. Beat with electric beaters on medium until fluffy. Add vanill, egg replacer (dissoved in water), and melted chips, beating well after each addition. Add cream, beat well.

Put 8" pan into 10" pan. Pour batter into 8" pan. Fill 10" pan with water half way up the sides of the 8" pan.

Bake 1 to 1.5 hours until the cake rises and starts pullng away from the sides of the pan. The middle will be shiny but will not look set. It's fine, take it out. Let it rest on the counter until it's cool enough to remove the 8" pan from the 10" pan. Then (here's the part that kills me) put the cake in the frige for at least 12 hours, preferably 24.

Top with whipped cream if desired. The Soy Whip that you whip yoursef (sold at Pangea) is really good.

This recipe is adapted from the Delicious Choices recipe book.

Orange Chicken Style Tofu

2011-12-05T16:35:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound extra firm tofu, drained and pressed, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
hot cooked rice, to serve

Directions:

1. Saute tofu in 2 tablespoons oil until browned. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, saute garlic and green onions in remaining 1 tablespoon oil until garlic is golden.

2. Add water, orange juice, lemon juice, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium.

3. In a small cup or dish, mix together cornstarch and water until thoroughly blended. Pour cornstarch mixture into sauce, stirring constantly.

4. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until sauce thickens to your liking. Remove from heat and combine with tofu until completely coated. Serve over rice.

Use more or less cornstarch mixture depending on how thick you like your sauce. You can also add ginger if you like that flavor. Or orange peel or orange juice concentrate for more orange flavor. Enjoy!

Makes: 1-2 servings depending how hungry you are
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Banana Popsicles

2011-12-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

Bananas halved
Stick in popsicle sticks (optional)
Dip in: soy milk, soy yogurt, jam, or butters (peanut, almond, etc).
Roll in: wheat germ, flaxseed meal, carob chips/powder, or chopped nuts.

Wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze. Eat. Enjoy.

Spinach and Salsa Burritoes

2011-11-21T17:07:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked grains (see note)
1 cup cooked beans (see note)
1 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry.
1-1/4 cups chunky-style salsa
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
6 burrito-sized (large!) flour tortillas
olive oil spray

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix together the grains, beans, spinach, salsa, chili powder, and cumin. Divide among the 6 tortillas and roll up, tucking in the ends. Spray or brush lightly with olive oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden, turning over once.

Note: This recipe is extremely versatile, and an easy way to use up those bits of things that you have in the freezer. You can use more beans or no beans, or sub some packaged burger crumbles, reconstituted tvp or tofu that’s been frozen, thawed and crumbled, for some of the grains. It all works, as long as the total of grains + beans + soy is about 3 cups.

These freeze well, either before or after baking.

French Bread Pizza

2011-11-08T03:28:00.000-08:00

Adapted from Joanne Stephaniak's The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook

1 loaf French bread, cut in half width- and lengthwise
1/2 lb. firm regular tofu, rinced, drained, and crumbled
2 T tomato paste
2 T olive oil
1 T tamari or balsamic vinegar
1 t ground fennel or dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1 t crushed garlic
1/8 to 1/4 t cayenne (I omitted this)
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450. Put bread on baking sheet or pizza stone. Mix all other ingredients in food processor until it becomes a paste, then spread it on the slices of french bread. Cook until topping is browned and bread is crisp (10 - 15 minutes). Eat it while it's hot!

Basic Barbeque Seitan

2011-10-24T23:59:00.000-07:00

You don't have to get fancy to make seitan taste fabulous! This simple recipe is tasty on its own or in a sandwich.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 package prepared seitan, or about 14 oz, cut into strips
1/2 yellow or white onion, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup barbeque sauce

Preparation:
Sautee onions in olive oil until soft, about 3-5 minutes.

Add seitan and cook until just barely golden brown, about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add barbeque sauce, and stir well. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until sauce has cooked down, about 10-15 more minutes.

Mexican Seitan Fajitas

2011-10-11T01:20:00.001-07:00

Colorful seitan fajitas look just like real meat, but are, of course, lower in fat and cholesterol-free. Wrap these vegetarian fajitas in a flour tortilla and serve with Mexican rice and beans for a complete meal.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 package seitan, about 1 pound, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika (optional)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:
Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are soft, about 3-5 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and allow to cook, stirring frequently for 7-10 minutes, until seitan is thoroughly cooked.

Wrap in flour tortillas and serve plain or with taco sauce, homemade guacamole, cheese and sour cream and enjoy!

Raspberry Lime Muffins

2011-09-23T02:06:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lime, zested
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 cup nondairy milk (I use soy)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin tin. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and lime zest.

2. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, milk, oil, lime juice, and vinegar. Mix well. Add to flour mixture. Stir until just blended.

3. Gently fold in raspberries. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into muffins comes out clean.

4. Remove from oven. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and cool on a wire rack.

Serves: 12, Preparation time: 30 minutes

Taco or Burrito Filling

2011-09-23T02:01:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

1 pound burger-style crumbles or broken up patties
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning
1 cup water

Directions:

1. Using a large skillet, stir fry the crumbled meat substitute in the oil until browned.

2. Mash beans. When the meat is done, put the tomato paste, taco seasoning, mashed beans, and water into the skillet and stir until mixed.

3. Cover and let simmer on low heat until it bubbles. Use as a filling for tacos or burritos, or alone as dip.

Serves: 6, Preparation time: 30 min

Vegan Spicy Chilli

2011-09-13T00:18:00.000-07:00

Vegan Spicy Chili

Ingredients:

2 (15 ounce) cans dark kidney beans
2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans
2 (15 ounce) cans chili beans
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
1-2 tablespoons jalapeno peppers, minced (I use pickled)
2 tablespoons jalapeno juice
1/2 cup lentils, optional
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon mild chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in crockpot.

2. Cook 6-8 hours on low.

I like to get mine ready in the morning and let it cook all day on low. When I come home, its ready! Cornbread is a must with this. Be careful, this can be very spicy! You may want to adjust the amount of jalapeno juice.

Serves: 6-8, Preparation time: 8 hours

Vegan Pie

2011-08-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

Vegan Key Lime Pie

Ingredients:

2 8 oz. containers vegan cream cheese
2 tablespoon soy milk
1 cup natural sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon grated lime peel
4 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 9inch vegan graham cracker crust
sliced strawberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend cream cheese, soymilk, vegan sugar, vanilla, grated lime peel, lime juice and cornstarch until smooth. pour mixture into graham cracker crust, place on baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool, refrigerate overnite. Top with sliced strawberries.

Serves: 8

Preparation time: 1 hour

Tofu Pot Pie

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

2 prepared pie crusts
1 1/2 large potatoes, chopped
water, veggie broth or bouillon to boil potatoes
2 handfuls white onion, chopped
1 pound frozen mixed veggies (I use carrot/pea/corn/green bean blend)
3/4 pound extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2" cubes
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 stick (1/2 cup) vegan butter (I use Earth Balance), divided
whole wheat flour, as needed
dried thyme, to taste
dried poultry seasoning, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
nutritional yeast, to taste, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and set aside one of the pie crusts on a baking sheet. Boil the potatoes in a large pot of vegetable broth (water is fine too, but you'll have to add extra spices later). When the potatoes are almost done, add the onions and at least half the bag of vegetables.

2. Let them cook a few minutes, then pour off some of the broth, if needed. You're going to be adding flour to the mix to make a thick saucy filling, so it's up to you how much liquid you want to keep. Up to 1" liquid over the veggies is usually fine.

3. Add the tofu, garlic (save a couple small pieces), and about half the stick (1/4 cup) butter. Gradually stir in the flour until you've reached a nice, thick consistency. Add salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, thyme, and nutritional yeast, to taste.

4. Melt the rest of the butter with the extra garlic and a few pinches of thyme and pour some of it into the bottom crust. Dump the filling in to crust. Place the other crust on top and press the two edges together. Cut a few slits in the top crust and pour the rest of the melted butter mix on top. Bake about a half hour or until the crust is browned.

Serves: 6-8, Preparation time: 1 hour

Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

2 cups raw cashes
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup refined coconut oil
2 cups crushed graham crackers
6 tablespoon vegan butter
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
12 ounces vegan cream cheese
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon nut milk (prefer almond)
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Whipped Cashew Cream
1) To make the whipped Cashew Cream, put cashews in a bowl and add enough cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight (around 12 hours of soaking). Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place them in a blender with enough fresh cold water to barely cover the cashews. Blend on high for several minutes. I use a food processor and leave it on for about 5 minutes. Your want it to be ground as much as possible. If you don't have a food processor or a good blender, use a fine mesh sieve to give you a nice and smooth cream. Now you have thick cashew cream.

2) Place 1 cup of the cashew cream in a blender (there will be extra cream left over, you can make another batch of the whip cream for some pumpkin pie, which is what I tend to do). Add the agave nectar, vanilla, and a 1/4 cup of water to the cashew cream in the blender/processor. Blend until thoroughly combined.

3) At this point you need to have your coconut oil ready. You do this by warming it up on the stove until it becomes an liquid.
With the blender running, slowly drizzle the coconut oil in through the hole of the blender. Blend it until it is emulsified.
Pour into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator, covered, for 2 hours. Stir before serving.

Peanutbutter Pie
1) Prepare the pie crusts. Using a food processor, crush graham crackers and cocoa powder. Then slowly add the melted vegan butter until it is combined. Press onto a pie pan. DO NOT COOK. The crush is suppose to be a bit crumbly. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

2) Mix the vegan cream cheese, peanut butter, powdered sugar and almond milk with an electric mixer until it is smooth. Fold in the whipped cashew cream and mix until smooth. Add the chocolate chips and then pour the mixture into two prepared pie crusts. Freeze for at least 5 to 6 hours, preferably overnight. Thaw for 10 minutes before serving.

Source of recipe: I went on a quest to make my mom's frozen peanut butter pie vegan. I was successful and boy does this pie taste amazing! The cashew whipped cream is an adaptation of the Conscious Cook's version but mind adds very little water to keep it more firm, necessary for the pie. Keep in mind this pie has a few steps that require chilling and freezing. The cashews must be soaked over night. The whipped cream must be chilled for a few hours as well. So plan ahead! This frozen desert will definitely impress!

Makes: 2 Pies, Preparation time: 1hour prep and 5hr freezing, Cooking time: None

Mediterranean Vegetable Pie

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 eggplant, sliced
2 zucchini, sliced
2 onions, sliced
olive oil, as needed
1 head garlic
1 cup frozen corn
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 pie shells
3 roasted red peppers
1 (8 ounce) package vegan mozzarella
oregano, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush two large baking sheets with olive oil. Place zucchini, eggplant, and onion on prepared baking sheets and brush with more olive oil.

2. Chop off top of garlic head, leaving the skin on. Place on tray with veggies and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes, switching trays halfway through.

3. Mix roasted eggplant, zucchini and onions with tomato paste and the frozen corn. Squeeze roasted garlic from the head and divide between 2 pie shells, spreading on the bottom.

4. Spoon a layer of the roasted vegetable mix on top of the garlic, followed by the roasted red peppers, then vegan cheese, pepper, salt, and oregano.

5. Repeat layers (not including garlic). Bake pies in oven for 30 minutes or until the crusts are golden and cheese substitute is melted.

Serves: 5, Preparation time: 90 minutes

Vegan Muffins

2011-08-01T02:33:00.000-07:00

Vegan Banana Muffins

Yields 6 Giant Muffins

1 cups soy milk (additional quarter cup may be needed)
1/4 cups oil
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/4–1/2 cup brown sugar (for a sweet muffin, use 1/2 cup or more)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 ripe bananas, mashed (potato masher works well)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup walnuts, rough chopped

Pre-heat oven to 400º. Oil a 6-cup muffin tin. Mix together all ingredients until incorporated. Mixture will be quite thick. Add more soy milk if dry. Do not over mix. Mound the batter into the 6 muffin cups so it stands about an inch or so above each hole in the tin. Place on a cookie sheet (in case there is spillage) and bake for about 40-45 minutes, checking every 15 minutes. If muffins are browning too fast, lower temperature to 375º. Remove muffins and let cool 10-15 minutes before carefully removing and placing on serving platter. Delicious!

Recipe by Laura Theodore, The Jazzy Vegetarian.

Vegan Apple Muffins

For the muffins you'll need:

2 cups strong cinnamon tea (or any tea you love)
2/3 cup uncooked quick oats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger (use more for a spicier cake)
1 1/2 cups vegan sugar (you can use white sugar if you like)
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 apple, peeled and diced

Prepare the tea ahead of time by steeping three teabags in two cups of boiling water until cool.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 13 X 9 baking pan.

Combine the dry ingredients, including the sugar, in a large mixing bowl. In a separate smaller bowl combine the tea, applesauce, vinegar, extract, and the diced apple. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out free of crumbs.

Vegan Oatmeal Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup of all purpose flour
1 cup of oatmeal flour*
1 cup of soaked, dried cranberries, preferably sweetened
1/2 cup sugar
3 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
egg substitute to equal one egg
1/4 teaspoon salt (may be omitted)
3/4 cup soy or rice milk
1/3 cup neutral-tasting oil
a handful of sunflower seeds, chopped almonds, etc.

Directions:

*To make oatmeal flour, whizz oatmeal in a food processor until finely ground

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Add wet ingredients, adding the egg replacer first. Add cranberries. Add seeds and/or nuts. Fold in until the batter is just moist; do not over-mix.

Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes or until light brown. Let cool in pan for one minute; remove from pan to finish cooling.

Soy protein powder may substitute for a small part of the flour to boost the amount of protein in each muffin.

Serves: 12

Preparation time: 15

Vegan Blueberry Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup nondairy milk
2/3 cups brown sugar
6 tablespoons applesauce
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup blueberries (OR 1/2 cup raisins OR 1 chopped apple OR any combination of any fruit/nut of your choice!)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine wheat bran and milk; let stand for 10 minutes.

2. In another bowl, beat brown sugar, applesauce, vanilla. Add to wheat bran mixture.

3. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry. Fold in blueberries (or filling of your choice)

5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 16 to 20 minutes!

Makes: 12 muffins, Preparation time: 15 minutes, Baking time: 20 minutes

source: www.vegweb.com , http://www.foodaphilia.com

Irish Cream Pancakes

2011-07-12T04:31:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegan coffee creamer (like Silk Hazelnut Creamer; if you use plain, add 1 teaspoon almond extract)
3 tablespoons whiskey
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
4 teaspoons WARM water
3 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
2 cups Bisquick-like baking mix (check ingredients)
1 cup nondairy milk
1 teaspoon vegetable oil + extra for pan
4+ drops green food dye (optional)
nondairy whipped topping (optional; like Soyatoo brand)

Directions:

1. Bailey's Irish Cream Substitute: In a bowl or container, thoroughly mix coffee creamer, whiskey, and chocolate syrup.

2. Egg Substitute: In a mixing bowl, mix Ener-G Egg Replacer and WARM water until smooth.

3. Pancakes: In a bowl, combine baking mix, milk, Irish cream substitute, egg substitute, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, and food coloring; mix until smooth as well.

4. Cooking: In a pan, heat a coin-sized amount of oil over medium heat until slightly hot. Add batter and cook until the pancake starts to bubble and the bottom side of the pancake has become golden. Flip and continue cooking until the other side is golden.

5. Serve warm and topped with whipped cream. Enjoy!

Makes: 10 (4-inch) pancakes; Preparation time: 5 minutes

Source: www.vegweb.com

Carribean Rice

2011-07-05T05:34:00.000-07:00

Recipe submitted by Kristine Foster gfoster@ny.tds.net

Ingredients:

1 cup jasmine rice (uncooked)
1 cup coconut
1/2 can crushed pineapple drained
1/2 red pepper, diced and 2 handfuls cashews
3 scallions, sliced lengthwise, then finely cut diagonally
1/4 -1/2 teaspoon (depending on your tastes) crushed red pepper flakes
1 bottle Arizona Style virgin pina colada beverage
1 8 oz. pkg. mori-nu silken tofu
1 bottle Arizona style pina colada
red food coloring drops to get pinkish color
sea salt & old bay seasoning

Directions:

Put 1st eight ingredients in large glass microwave safe dish and stir to mix well. Cover with wax paper and microwave on high for 5 minutes, then simmer for 18 - 25 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

To make mock shrimps: soak tofu that has been shaped into little shrimps or prawns in dish with pina colada. add red food coloring so is pink in color like shrimps. Add salt and old bay seaoning to taste. soak for 2 hours. Then roll and coat shrimps with shake and bake seasoning for fish. Bake on cookie sheet sprayed with Pam for 10 minutes (5 on each side), and add to the rice casserole before serving..... Enjoy! Guaren'teed to make you sing; Ay Ay Ay...... I like to Mambo!

Serves: 4-6

Preparation time: 10 mins.

source: www.vegweb.com

Mandarin Coconut Whipped Pie

2011-07-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
3 tablespoons vanilla soy milk

Filling:
1 banana
1 cup silken tofu
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 package Sour Supreme vegan sour cream (about 6 oz, or 1 cup volume)
1/2 cup margarine (unsalted)
1 egg equivalent (flax seed derived)
6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup shredded coconut
1 8oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
low sugar apricot jam (optional topping)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Mix together all crust ingredients, press into 9-in pie pan. Extend crust to the sides of the pan, also. Bake for 10 minutes. take out, and set aside. Reduce heat to 360 F. Cool pre-baked crust for 15 minutes (make filling).

Combine all ingredients listed above up to and including the 1/4 cup flour:
Mash together by hand first, to make banana small. Then beat, starting with lowest setting and increasing to fastest setting. Fold in the vanilla and orange juice, then beat again. Fold in the coconut and mandarin oranges. Pour into the cooled crust.

Bake at 360 for 45 minutes, then turn off oven and let pie stay in oven for 1 hour. Take out, cool for another hour, on the kitchen counter, covered.

Refrigerate. May be eaten at any time, best after refrigeration (because its more refreshing!)

I didn't make any topping for it, but low-vegan sugar apricot jam tastes well with it.

Serves: 8

Preparation time: 1 hour 15 minutes (plus cooling time)

Spicy Lentils and Rice

2011-06-30T01:33:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

3/4 cup red lentils
1/4 cup brown lentils
1 cup rice
salt for seasoning
1 tablespoon chilli powder (or as desired)
600 ml of water and stock

Directions:

1) Allow red lentils to soak for one hour or overnight
2) Cook the rice seperately, drain and put to one side
3) Combine the remaining ingredients in a pot bringing
the mixture to a boil, and then simmer for about an hour. Keep an eye on the process - do not allow the mixture to burn, add water as necessary.
4) Combine the rice with the lentil mixture and stir well. Season with salt the individual dishes.

Each serving, of approximately two cups, is approximately 500 calories. The meal is nutritious as it combines both grain and protein, and the chilli powder facilitates ones metabolism process. The amount made can be halved or doubled and the mixture can be frozen.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 2 hours

Mango peach smoothie

2011-06-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 (6 ounce) package vegan peach yogurt
1 cup frozen mango
1 cup frozen peaches
1 banana
2 teaspoons sweetener (I use pure via)
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup vanilla nondairy milk (I use soy)
1/4 cup vegan whipped cream, optional

Directions:

1. Blend ingredients, except whipped cream, together thoroughly in blender.

2. Top with vegan whipped cream, if desired.

Makes: 2 smoothies, Preparation time: 2 mins

Salsa de Llaja

2011-06-24T02:23:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

3 lbs fresh or canned tomatoes
1 small bunch fresh or 1.5 tablespoon dried cilantro (this is also called
fresh coriander or Chinese parsley)
1 small bunch scallions (you may substitute 1 medium onion)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic
7-10 tomatillos (optional - see Note)
10-20 Fresh hot peppers (serrano or jalapeno peppers or a mixture)

Directions:

This is a very hot Mexican style salsa picante. Traditionally, it is eaten as a dip with tortilla chips, or spooned over anything that needs spicing up.

The name comes from most peoples first response to it - YAA HAAA. I aint kiddin about it being HOT.

The recipe is original. I would prefer, howe'ver, to call it traditional, as there is nothing particularly unusual about it.

Procedure:

1. Deseed the tomatoes and press out most of the liquid. The more you squeeze the tomatoes, the less liquid the salsa will be. Chop them moderately fine (1/4 inch or so). Put in a NON METALLIC bowl or jar.

2. If you are using fresh cilantro, wash it and discard the stems. Chop the leaves and add to the tomatoes. If you're using dried, just dump it in.

3. Chop the scallions, garlic and tomatillos and add.

4. Deseed the peppers (see Note), chop finely, and add.

5. Add the vinegar and mix well. If you are using dried cilantro, let it sit for a few minutes to let the dried leaves soften.

6. This is can be served immediately, although the flavors will be better mixed after a few hours in the refrigerator. It will keep indefinitely if refrigerated.

Notes:

1. Squeezing tomatoes is fun, but they tend to squirt. Watch your aim.

2. I have heard it said that tomatillos should be lightly steamed or microwaved before being added. I don't notice any difference either way.

3. Fresh hot peppers are a bit dangerous to handle. The oil that makes them HOT seems to stay on your hands forever. WASH YOUR HANDS with lots of soap after cutting them up and before touching your eyes or nose. Under NO circumstances use your thumbnail to scrape out the seeds. I did once and regretted it for a week. Some cookbooks insist that you wear rubber gloves while handling the peppers; I think this is a bit extreme. Do be careful, though.

4. This is supposed to be HOT. If you don't like this strength, feel free to reduce the number of peppers. Note also that the salsa will mellow a bit after a day or so in the refrigerator.

Note also that peppers may vary drastically in hotness depending on growing conditions. Taste to make sure. To check peppers for hotness, don't just pop a chunk in your mouth. If you do, all you will taste is hot. Put a small piece of the pepper on a tortilla chip, and eat the whole thing.

5. You can use pickled peppers here, but the taste is quite different, and, to my taste, far inferior. I prefer the taste of canned tomatoes, though. Around here (the Washington, D. C. area), it seems like all you can get fresh are the dreaded orange tennis ball tomatoes.

6. Just about any kind of capsicum pepper can be added. Different peppers will give different tastes. Experiment! Note that the serrano or jalapeno peppers mentioned above are quite small - reduce the number appropriately if you use larger peppers. The general rule for peppers is the smaller and greener it is, the hotter it is. Pepinos (very small and green) are spectacularly hot, while red bell peppers have practically no heat.

7. Dont let anything metallic sit in the salsa for any length of time. Metal (even stainless steel!) will cause an off taste as it dissolves.

Tomato and Basil Pasta

2011-06-20T23:59:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti or thin spaghetti
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
fresh basil, to taste (I use 2 tablespoons prepared basil)

Directions:

1. Cook whole-wheat spaghetti according to package directions (make sure to salt the pasta water!).

2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. While skillet heats, add tomatoes to pan. Add garlic to skillet and season with salt and pepper.

3. Saute the mixture until tomatoes are blistered and garlic is fragrant (be careful not to burn the garlic!). Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.

4. Return pasta to pot and add the tomato mixture. If you like a thinner sauce, add water to desired consistency. Add basil and toss.

Source of recipe: I modified this from a recipe in Better Homes and Gardens.

Makes: 4 to 6 servings, Preparation time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 20 minutes

Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Walnuts

2011-06-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 large or 4 smaller sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
1 cup sweetener (I use 1/2 cup brown rice syrup and 1/2 cup maple syrup, or 1 cup brown sugar)
1/2 cup vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (I use freshly grated)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Steam the sweet potatoes for 10 minutes or until slightly tender, but not cooked through. Rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly. Place the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl with the apples.

2. In a frying pan, combine remaining ingredients, except walnuts. Boil for at least 1 minute, then add walnuts. Boil for at least another minute.

3. Pour mixture over potatoes and apples and mix well. Bake for 45 minutes uncovered.

Makes: 8 servings, Preparation time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 20 minutes

Veggie Tofu Scramble

2011-06-15T02:13:00.000-07:00

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 small onion finely chopped
1 red pepper finely chopped
1 link soy-sausage
1 cup spinach finely chopped
1/2 block tofu
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 small clove garlic minced
salt, pepper, your choice of seasoning

Directions:

- Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat
- Add onion, season and saute
- Add sausage and stir
- In a separate small pan, heat olive oil over medium heat
- Add tofu and garlic
- Break up in pan, season and cover
- In pan with onions, add red pepper and spinich and season lightly
- Add tofu and stir

Serve alone or with pita bread and lebneh (recommended)

Serves: 3ish

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes

Kick-Ass Tofu Pesto Sandwiches

2011-06-12T00:21:00.000-07:00

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

Pesto:
1 to 2 garlic cloves, to taste
2 cups fresh basil
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Tofu Steaks:
1 (12-ounce) block extra-firm tofu

Tofu Steak Marinade:
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika

The Sandwiches:
sourdough bread (or any kind you like, but sourdough really complements the flavor)
spinach leaves
Roma tomatoes, sliced
avocado, sliced
sprouts

Veganaise or other vegan mayo(optional)

Directions:

Pesto:
1. Chop garlic in a food processor, then add the basil, pine nuts, and salt, chop. Drizzle in olive oil and balsamic vinegar while the food processor is running. Refrigerate over night.

Tofu Steaks:
2. Cut one block of tofu in half width-wise, then cut the halves in thirds (if that makes sense? Or to whatever size will work best with the bread you're using.) Put the tofu steaks in a container in a single layer.

Tofu Steak Marinade:
3. In a bowl, mix together oil, white wine vinegar, lemon pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Pour over your tofu steaks. Let them hang out in the fridge with your pesto overnight. (The pesto and Tofu steaks are better if they sit overnight but it's not necessary if you want them right now. Of course you can use a store bought marinade for the steaks, and/or store bought vegan pesto.)

The Sandwiches:
Now that you've patiently waited for you tofu and pesto to become delicious you will be rewarded with sandwiches.

4. Heat a frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Fry the tofu steaks for a few minutes on each side, until their slightly browned. Set them aside.

5. On each side of sourdough bread, spread a generous amount of pesto. On one slice of bread, layer spinach on top of that, then sliced Roma tomatoes, tofu steaks, avocado slices, and sprouts. On the other slice of bread, spread with some vegan mayonnaise.

6. Fry the sandwiches over medium heat until they're nice and golden brown on each side, I like to use the same pan the tofu was fried in for a little extra flavor. (A panini grill or whatever would work too if you don't want to pan fry them.) Enjoy!

Source of recipe: The pesto recipe is from Vegan Brunch. The rest isn't.

Makes: 2 Sandwiches (or 4 smaller sandwiches), Preparation time: 10 min (or 24hrs), Cooking time: 10 minutes

Vegan Spirulina Pesto

2011-06-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

2 cups organic basil
1 cup ground/powdered white sesame seeds
1/2 cup white miso
1 teaspoon peanut butter
1 clove garlic
1-11/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon Spirulina

Directions:

Serves: 2.

Preparation time: 5 min.

Cut stems and wash Basil. Grind sesame seeds in coffee grinder to a powder equalling 1 cup.

Add all dry ingredients to blender adding water gradually to desired consistency with blender running.

*Turn off blender then add spirulina powder to desired color.

Source: Margaret/Dennis Malone

Vegetable Stuffed Red Peppers au Gratin

2011-06-07T00:41:00.001-07:00

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 large eggplant
2 large red peppers, halved and seeded
1 large sweet onion-yellow, diced (1-2 cups, approximately)
2-3 shallots, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (12 ounce) package fresh spinach, cleaned and chopped
1 cup flavored bread crumbs
olive oil, as needed
1 egg substitute to bind, optional
salt and pepper, to taste
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Clean eggplant and pierce the skin all over with a fork or knife. Place a pan or cookie sheet on the center rack, and put the eggplant on the top rack, centered over the pan. Bake for about 1/2 hour, or until thoroughly soft. When done, carefully remove from the oven and place in a large bowl. Let it cool enough to be handled safely.

2. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet. In a large frying pan, saute the red pepper halves, turning them, until they are softened, but still retain their shape. Remove from pan and place on prepared pan. Let cool. Put the onion, shallots and garlic in the pan used for the peppers, and saute over medium-low heat until softened and transparent. Be careful not to burn.

3. While the onion mix is sauteing, cut open the eggplant and carefully spoon the meat into the bowl. Chop, mash, or puree; keep it meaty, but smooth. Add the spinach to the onion mixture, gradually enough so that it all incorporates. When the spinach wilts enough so that there is room, begin adding the eggplant.

4. Add more oil as needed. Continue sauteing and when the vegetables are well-blended, slowly add the vegan bread crumbs. Stir to coat and continue cooking until the mixture is blended. If needed, add egg substitute to bind. Throw in the oregano and parsley, then season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat and let stand until you can handle it safely.

5. With a large spoon, fill each pepper half with mixture, as much as possible (overflow is okay). Top with the mozzarella and bake until the cheese is melted and lightly crusted. Cool for about 5 minutes.

Serves: 4-8, Preparation time: 1 hr. approx

In Search of Vegan Food

2011-06-02T00:11:00.000-07:00

Here a brief list of kitchen staples in which animal-derived ingredients can be included in or used in the processing of the final product. This list is not considered to be all-inclusive.

BBQ sauce - It can be easy to find vegan BBQ sauce, but be sure to check the label, as any of the following might be listed: anchovies, chicken fat, rendered beef fat, beef extract, beef stock, eggs and honey... to name a few.

beer - Some beers are fined before bottling using isinglass (from sturgeon fish bladders), gelatin, albumin derived from eggs or dried blood or casein/potassium caseinate (from milk products). Some beers also include other ingredients (e.g. flavorings, caramel, honey, lactose, colorings, preservatives). Beer can also use glyceryl monostearate, an anti-foaming agent that sometimes is an animal derivative, pepsin, a heading agent sometimes derived from pork, and sugar that may or may not be whitened using bone char. See the Barnivore Vegan Alcohol Directory for a list of vegan beers and wines.

bread - Along with eggs, milk, butter, buttermilk, whey, and honey, bread can contain the following which may or may not be derived from animals: mono and diglycerides, exthoxylated mono and diglycerides, glycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylate, emulsifiers and DATEM (Di-Acetyl Tartrate Ester of Monoglyceride). However, there are vegan breads out there, many of which can be found at natural food stores.

brown sugar - Many brown sugar producers make brown sugar by adding cane molasses to completely refined sugar (cane sugar or beet sugar). Cane sugar is either filtered through activated carbon or bone char. Brown sugar that is advertised as non bone-char processed can usually be found at natural food stores. Sucanat is a good alternative, since it is unrefined cane sugar that has not had the molasses removed.

cereal - The usual suspects such as milk, whey, sugar (see the entry below about sugar) and gelatin can often be found in cereal. One ingredient that is not so obvious is Vitamin D, which cereals are sometimes fortified with. Vitamin D without a subscript refers to either Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), or Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol). Vitamin D3 may be derived from lanolin, a substance that is secreted by the sebaceous glands of sheep. Vitamin D2 is derived from fungal and plant sources.

flour tortillas - Flour tortillas can contain lard, whey, and glycerides from animal or vegetable sources. Check the ingredients, and if you don't find a vegan version at your grocery, try a natural foods store.

maple syrup - Maple syrup requires an agent to reduce the foam on the syrup. This is done by adding a small amount of fat to the liquid. Vegetable oil is a common defoaming agent, but lard, milk, cream, butter or a defoamer containing monoglycerides and diglycerides from either animal or vegetable sources can be used.

margarine - Margarine can contain whey and other dairy derivatives, Vitamin D3 from animal sources and mono and diglycerides from animal or vegetable sources. One popular vegan, non-hydrogenated, butter alternative is Earth Balance.

mayonnaise - Mayonnaise often contains eggs. One popular eggless mayonnaise is Vegenaise, and is typically found at natural food stores.

powdered sugar - Also known as confectioners' or icing sugar, powdered sugar is granulated sugar that has been pulverized into a very fine powder, sifted and mixed with cornstarch, flour or calcium phosphate to keep it dry and to prevent caking. The source of the sugar can be either cane sugar or beet sugar. Cane sugar is either filtered through activated carbon or bone char.

sugar - Commercially-produced white, granulated sugar comes from either cane sugar or from beet sugar. Cane sugar is either filtered through activated carbon or bone char but beet sugar is not. Sugar that hasn't been filtered through bone char can usually be found at natual food stores. Additional alternatives consist of Sucanat (non-refined cane sugar that has not had the molasses removed), turbinado sugar (made by steaming unrefined raw sugar), Stevia, maple sugar (about twice as sweet as standard granulated sugar), and date sugar (an unprocessed sugar made from dehydrated dates). Liquid sweeteners such as brown rice syrup, pure maple syrup (see the entry above about maple syrup), agave syrup, malt syrup and fruit juice concentrates can also be used.

wine - Animal-derived ingredients used in wine making can include isinglass (from sturgeon fish bladders), gelatin, egg whites (or albumin) and casein. Animal blood has been used to fine wine, but it is rarely used anymore. It was declared illegal for use in European wines. See the Barnivore Vegan Alcohol Directory for a list of vegan beers and wines.

Worcestershire sauce - Worcestershire sauce can contain anchovies and sugar, but vegan versions are available online and at many natural food stores.

Some other food items that can contain animal-derived ingredients are:

cake mix
mustard
pasta
pancake mix
soup packets
refried beans

Veggie burgers and other meat alternatives can contain eggs, milk, whey, lactose, casein, and other dairy derivitives. Some soy/rice/almond cheese alternatives can contain casein and other dairy derivitives.

Here is a Vegan list which can help you determine what is vegan and what isn't.

Chocolate-Chip Oatmeal Nut Cookies

2011-06-02T00:09:00.000-07:00

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1/3 cup cashew butter, almond butter, or peanut butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup sugar or Sucanat (granulated cane juice)
1/3 cup nondairy milk (I use soy)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (try Sunspire brand)
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts or walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Oil a large baking sheet; set aside. Whisk together first five ingredients (through vanilla) until very smooth.

2. Add remaining ingredients, and stir to combine (be sure to mix in thoroughly the baking soda and salt; you may want to stir these into the flour first).

3. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until tops just begin to crack. Remove sheet from oven, and wait 10 minutes before transferring cookies to a plate or wire rack.

They are great for bake sales, to serve to skeptical meat-eating friends, or just as a reward for a week of hard work!

Makes: 24 cookies

Portobello Burgers with Balsamic Mayonnaise

2011-05-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

2 portobello mushrooms, stems removed
8 ounces vegan cream cheese
2 shallots or green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic , minced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil, as needed
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
romaine lettuce, to serve
sliced tomatoes, to serve
vegan buns, to serve

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Take mushroom stems and finely chop. In a medium bowl, combine the stems, cream cheese, shallots, garlic, thyme, parsley and salt and pepper. Mix well.

2. Drizzle olive oil all over the top and bottom of the mushrooms. Stuff mushrooms with filling and put in baking dish. Drizzle olive oil on top of stuffed mushrooms. Cook for 20-25 minutes until cream cheese is a light golden brown.

3. In small bowl, add the mayonnaise, vinegar and pepper. Blend well. When there's about 3 minutes left on the mushrooms, toast the buns in the oven.

4. Spread the balsamic mayonnaise on both sides of the bun. Top with the mushroom, lettuce and tomato. Enjoy!

Serves: 2, Preparation time: 35 min

Strawberry Muffins

2011-05-29T09:51:00.001-07:00

4 oz. unsalted margarine
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 banana
2 cup flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soy milk, with a little arrowroot as thickener
1 teaspoon vanilla
15 fresh strawberries, dry, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)

Directions:

Cream together margarine and vegan sugar until light and fluffy. Add the banana, and cream until well blended. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Combine soy milk, arrowroot and vanilla. Alternate adding wet and dry mixtures to creamed mixture. Fold in strawberries. Fill muffin tins nearly full, and bake at 375F for 25 to 30 minutes.

Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake

2011-05-29T00:58:00.000-07:00

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Thoroughly mix dry ingredients first (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt).

3. Mix in wet ingredients (water, vegetable oil, vinegar, and vanilla). Continue mixing until you obtain an even batter (no lumps).

4. Pour into a cake pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes.

I recommend topping the cake with Chocolate Frosting by Sarah.

Serves: 12 slices, Preparation time: 15 minutes

General Tao's Tofu

2011-05-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 (12 ounce) box firm tofu, in 1" cubes (frozen and thawed, if desired)
1 egg equivalent (e.g., EnerG Egg Replacer), prepared
3 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons water, divided
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon cornstarch, divided
vegetable oil for frying + 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2/3 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon sherry, optional
red pepper, to taste
steamed broccoli, to serve

Directions:

1. Mix the egg replacer as specified on the box and add an additional 3 tablespoons water. Dip tofu in egg replacer mixture and coat completely. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cornstarch over tofu and coat completely. Watch out that the cornstarch doesn't clump up at the bottom of the bowl.

2. Heat oil in pan and fry tofu pieces until golden. Drain oil. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in pan on medium heat. Add green onions, ginger, and garlic; cook for about 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic.

3. Add vegetable stock, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, sherry, and red pepper.

4. Mix 2 tablespoons water with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and pour into mixture stirring well. Add fried tofu and coat evenly.

Serve immediately with steamed broccoli over your choice of rice.

Serves: 4, Preparation time: 30 Minutes

source: www.vegweb.com

Mark X's Seitan

2011-02-25T04:13:00.000-08:00

Adapted from a recipe posted online by Mark X

"Chicken" Roast

Preheat oven to 325 F.
In a large bowl, mix together:
2 cups vital wheat gluten flour (1 box arrowhead mills)
1 Tbs nutritional yeast
2 Tbs powdered vegan chicken broth or bouillion
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp of turmeric (optional, but it gives the roast a yellowish hue, reminicent of real chicken!)
Gluten liquid
In separate bowl mix together:
1 Tbs olive oil (optional-for those McDougallers out there!)
1 + 1/2 cup of water
Pour into flour mixture.
Stir/knead until is a dough ball
(add additional water or gluten flour if needed to get proper consistency. All of the flour should be well incoporated but the dough should be firm and not tacky to the touch).
Knead vigorously for additional 1 minute

Basting liquid
Whisk together in measuring cup:
2-3 Tbs of chicken broth powder
1 Tbs of olive oil (optional)
then add enough water to make 3/4 to 1 cup (see below for precise measurement) total liquid
Set aside basting liquid
Spray a bread loaf pan with cooking spray:
Stretch gluten ball into a loaf and place in loaf pan (ensure it has room to expand in the pan). Pour basting liquid over the gluten loaf (loaf should be 1/3 to 1/2 submerged in the liquid (no more). Baste over the loaf.
Cover with foil and bake in oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Baste every 20 minutes or so.

Beef variation:

Eliminate turmeric. Substitute beef flavored broth for chicken broth throughout recipe. Add 2 tbls of soy sauce to gluten liquid, reducing water by same. Add 1 tbls of A1 sauce and 1 tablespoon of vegan worcestershire to basting liquid and reduce the amount of water accordingly.

Ham variation:

Eliminate turmeric. Substitute ham flavored broth for chicken broth throughout recipe. Add 1 tbls soy sauce and 1/2 to 1 tsp of liquid smoke to gluten liquid and reduce water by same amount. Add 2 tbls of soy sauce, 1 tsp of liquid smoke and 1 tsp of brown sugar to the basting liquid. Reduce water accordingly.

Basic seasoned gluten roast:

Eliminate turmeric. Substitute vegetable broth powder in lieu of chicken broth throughout recipe. Omit nutritional yeast. After gluten and basting liquid are in the loaf pan add a cup or so (depending on size of loaf pan, but allow room for seitan to expand) of the any of the following vegetables: Carrots, onions, leeks, celery, garlic, or other vegetbles appropriate for a pot roast. You can then eat the veggies when the roast is done, but they are pretty soft.

Traditional Asian Gluten roast:

Though not truly traditional, because in Asia they usually simmer the gluten.

Omit all spices. Add only vital wheat gluten flour to water. for basting liquid, add 2T of soy sauce to the basting liquid, reducing water accordingly, and add several strips of sea vegetable (kombu, wakame, hijiki, nori, or whatever you got).

Your Customized Seitan roast.
You can really monkey with this however you want. You could try to make a fish roast, if you could get some seafood broth to substitute for the chicken broth. You can also have mexican roast, by adding in chili powder, red pepper, cumin, and adding some dashes of hot sauce to the basting liquid. You can also make a curry loaf, adding in a table spoon or two of curry powder in lieu of the chicken broth. I also like mixing in some paprika, and cumin and red pepper to the ham variation, and adding some ketchup (2T) the gluten liquid to get kind of a pepperoni type of roast.

For an Italian sausage roast:

Go with the ham variation. Omit turmeric. Substitute red pepper for black pepper. Add 1 T of sage and another of thyme to the dry ingredients. Eliminate brown sugar in basting liquid. 2 tsp of Italian seasoning mix (basil oregano). Be sure to include oil.

Bagels

2011-02-25T04:06:00.000-08:00

adapted from Nick Malgieri's book How to Bake

You can use some whole wheat flour in this recipe if you like, but add the smallest amount of flour first because the ww flour absorbs more liquid than the refined white flour. It's easier to add more flour than it is to add more liquid. They're easy and taste so much better than the ones you get in the store.

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 envelope)
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees)
5-6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I've never, ever used 6 cups - sometimes I've used less than 5 cups)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt

1. Whisk yeast into the warm water in a bowl and set aside.
2. In the bowl of your food processor (*see note*) combine the smaller amount of flour, sugar, and salt - and be sure to use the metal blade. Pulse the food processor to mix it and then add the yeast mixture and continue to pulse until the dough forms into a ball. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then run it again for 30 seconds at a time. This is a very firm dough. The rest of the flour is kneaded in by hand - I don't always use the rest of flour, though. It just depends on how moist or dry the dough is when I'm done with in the food processor.
3. Take the dough and shape it into ball and place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise until doubled, usually about an hour.
4. Bring a 6-qt. saucepan of water to a simmer.
5. Punch down risen dough and divide into 10 or 12 equal pieces. Roll each into a 8-10 inch cylinder and keep the dough covered as you work - you don't want it drying out. Moisten the ends of the cylinders with water and stick them together, so they form a circle.
6. Preheat your oven to 450 F.
7. I usually let the bagels rise somewhat (not for longer than about 20 or 30 minutes) before simmering. I just like for them to be a little bigger when baking them. They'll still rise in the oven after the simmering process, so doing this second rise isn't necessary at all. Place your bagels, no more than 2 at a time, in the simmering water for about a minute, turn, and simmer for another minute. Remove bagels and drain. Do this with all of the bagels. When they're dry, bake them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown and shiny.
8. Transfer to a rack and cool. Oh, and then eat!

*Note: Make sure your food processor can handle this much flour!! This is how I burnt up the motor in my old food processor. To mix the dough by machine, mix all of the ingredients in the bowl of your heavy-duty mixer and mix on low speed using the dough hook. Do this for ten minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

**You can sprinkle your bagels with sesame seeds, or poppy seeds if you like before baking - sprinkle them on just after they come out of the simmering water so they stick.

Couscous with Scallions

2011-02-11T23:29:00.001-08:00

adapted from Food Network.

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 cup plain couscous
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add scallions and couscous. Cover the pan and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, add the parsley (if using), and salt and pepper to taste. Eat up!

Crispy Cajun Burgers

2011-02-06T10:45:00.000-08:00

These are based on the Crispy Cajun Chickpea Patties from Vegan Dad. If you don't have all the spices, you can leave some out, or substitute something similar, such as basil for oregano.

1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1/4 cup diced celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
15 ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 cup bread crumbs
¾ cup wheat gluten
3 tablespoons mayo
1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon paprika (I used Spanish smoked)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper
water as needed
oil for brushing

Heat oil and sauté onion, pepper, celery and garlic until tender. Pulse chickpeas briefly in a food processor, leaving mixture a little bit chunky (just make sure there are no whole chickpeas, as these will make the burgers fall apart.) Transfer to a bowl and add sautéed vegetables and remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine and add water 1 tablespoon at a time as needed. (I used two tablespoons.)

Heat oven to 375. Form burger mixture into 6 patties and brush both sides with oil. Bake for 12 minutes a side.

Banana-Flaxseed Snack

2011-01-22T09:28:00.000-08:00

Melissa's Version of Banana-Flaxseed Treats

2 large bananas
1/4-1/3 cup whole flaxseeds

Mash the bananas well. Add the flaxseeds. Spread on a plastic sheet (my food dehydrator has a special plastic tray just for dehydrating mashed fruits and such). You could also use wax paper if you don't have a plastic tray to fit your dehydrator. Spread it less than 1/4 inch thick (maybe 1/8 inch or so). Dry until it is crispy. Break it up into pieces and store in an airtight container. Makes a great snack and is sweet and nutritious.

Lentilbolognese

2011-01-16T04:02:00.000-08:00

adapted From Vego Paradiso by Pia Hall

1½ cup red lentils (3 dl)
1 onion
1 clove of garlic or garlicpowder
1 tablespoon oil
3 carrots
1 paprika or 3 tablespoons of Ajvar relish
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 cube of vegetable broth
2 tablespoons chili sauce (optional)
Salt, pepper
1 tablespoon basil

Cook the lentils for 10 minutes or so they are supposed to fall apart, drain them, chop the onions and garlic sizzle them for a bit in the oil. Chop the carrots, add them and leave it for a while.
Add the parika or Ajvar relish. Add the lentils, tomatoes and cub of broth and the chili sauce if you want it. Let simmer for a few minutes. Season it with salt, pepper and basil plus whatever seasoning you prefer.
Serve with pasta, I usually add some green olives when I eat it. I usually make a bunch and freeze most of it. Works fine.

Summer Pasta Salad

2011-01-16T03:59:00.000-08:00

Adapted from Cooking With Herb, The Vegetarian Dragon by Jules Bass

1/2 pound dried bow-tie pasta
1 cup broccoli florets
2 tomatoes, chopped
12 oil-packed sun dried tomato halves, chopped
1/2 cup fresh or defrosted peas
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
6 fresh basil leaves

Cook pasta. In last 5 minutes of cooking add the broccoli. Drain and rinse with cold water and put into a bowl.
In a small saute pan add the olive oil and the garlic and over low heat cook until the garlic is golden. Remove garlic. Pour oil over the pasta and then add the remaining ingredients. Toss and serve.

Caramel Sauce

2010-11-17T22:40:00.000-08:00

Adapted from Living Cuisine

Caramel Sauce

5 Tbs raw almond butter or raw cashew butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tbs cold-pressed coconut butter
1 Tbs vanilla extract
2 pitted soft dates
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Pinch sun-dried sea salt

Blend up everything in a food processor or blender until nice and creamy. You may need to add a few drops of water to help blend it up, but remember that the more water you add the thinner it will be. Serve over everything you want to eat caramel sauce on!

Peanut Mustard Sauce

2010-11-17T22:35:00.001-08:00

This recipe is adapted from an Eden Foods recipe booklet.

Peanut Mustard Sauce

1/2 cup water
2 tsp. prepared mustard
4 Tablespoons peanut butter or almond butter
2 tsp. shoyu soy sauce

Whiz it all together in a blender until creamy and serve.

You can add chopped parsley, green onions or chives for more flavor if you like.

Secret Recipe Spaghetti Sauce

2010-08-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

1 bag burger crumbles, optional
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 (12 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 (7 1/2 ounce) can pitted ripe olives, drained and rinsed, sliced
1 bay leaf
2 (1 1/4 ounce) envelopes spaghetti sauce mix
3 cups water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon oregano

In a large soup pot, saute the burger crumbles, garlic, onion, and green pepper in a bit of olive oil until soft.
Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a low boil, cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours stirring often.

Mediterranean Grill

2010-07-31T06:13:00.000-07:00

1 sweet onion, sliced into about 6 pieces
2 red bell peppers, sliced into about 6 pieces
2 Chinese or Japanese eggplants (8-12 ounces), sliced into coins
1 zucchini, sliced into coins
4 portobello mushrooms, cut into 4 pieces each

marinade:
½ cup olive oil
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup water
¼ cup Braggs Liquid Aminos or tamari
¼ cup mirin
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil, cut into strips

Place all vegetables in a watertight container or ziplock bag. Mix marinade ingredients and add to vegetables. Close container and turn upside down to coat vegetables. Marinate 1 hour, turning container once or twice.

Prepare grill for cooking. Drain vegetables and cook on a grill pan over medium-hot coals. Serve with pita bread, hummus and fruit.

Makes 4-5 servings.

This is an original recipe.

source: vegpeople.com

Fruit Soup

2010-07-02T10:50:00.001-07:00

1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup mango
1/2 cup papaya
1/2 cup pineapple
1 Tbs lime, lemon or unsweetened orange juice
2 Tbs avocado

Blend until smooth. Garnish with think slices of lime or oranges and with shredded fresh mint leaves.

This makes a great snack or dessert for two people.

- Adapted from Kathy Cooks Naturally by Kathy Hoshijo

Mexican Spaghetti

2010-06-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

1 medium onion, chopped
ground meat substitute (I used an 8oz box of Trader Joes vegan breakfast patties crumbled up, but you can use crumbled tofu, burger crumbles, etc.)
1 - 8oz can tomato sauce
1 envelope taco seasoning (we used the spicy kind)
7oz package of whole wheat spaghetti

In a sauce pan, saute the onion in a bit of oil until translucent. Add the meat substitute and mix it up with the onion. Then add the taco seasoning, tomato sauce and 3 cups of water, bring to a boil. Break the spaghetti into thirds and add to the sauce. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring often to keep it from sticking to the bottom. The original recipe calls for shredded cheese sprinkled over the top, but I have never been a fan of that so we left it off, but you can add it if you wish.

Makes 4 large servings

Cherry Tomato Couscous

2010-06-23T03:33:00.000-07:00

Keep your eyes peeled for whole wheat or barley couscous - either would work great here. You can easily make this vegan by leaving out the feta - maybe do some sort of harissa drizzle instead?

3 cups cooked couscous*
1/2 a basket of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup cooked chickpeas

1 lemon, cut in half
1 lime, cut in half
about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup basil or cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Combine the couscous, tomatoes, cucumber, and chickpeas in a large bowl. Lori - squeezes the lemon and lime juice directly into the bowl, so start by giving a good squeeze of lemon and lime juice into the bowl, add the olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Toss well, taste, and adjust with more of the above until it tastes just right. Lori notes - this really needs a generous amount of salt, and the lemon and lime juices might need to be adjusted depending on how juicy the fruit is.

Add the basil and feta and toss gently until it is evenly dispersed.

Serves 4 - 6.

*To cook the couscous: Either follow the package instructions or bring 3 1/2 cups of water to a boil, stir in a scant 2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt and 2 cups of couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Steam for 5 to 10 minutes and then use a fork to fluff up the couscous.

source: http://www.101cookbooks.com

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-06-21T06:37:00.001-07:00

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup Earth Balance, melted OR use a non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening, melted
1/2 cup pureed firm silken tofu
1 tsp vanilla extract
Ener-G for 1 egg
12 ounces chocolate chips

Prehead oven to 350F degrees.

Mix together dry ingredients and set aside.

Hand mix Ener-G and set aside.

Puree tofu in food processor. Add melted margerine, sugars, vanilla and Ener-G. Mix again.

Add dry ingredients and process until just mixed. Take mix from food processor bowl and put in regular mixing bowl. Fold in chips.

For best results chill dough for at least 10 minutes before cooking, and put in refrigerator between batches. Works well to make dough ahead of time and store in frige.

These cookies do not spread a lot so they can be placed fairly close together on baking sheet.

Make each cookie from 2 tablespoons of dough. Bake 14 minutes (times may vary with each oven, check after 11 minutes).

If you can stand it let them cool before you eat them. They are better when they are completely cool.

Banana Pudding

2010-06-18T04:08:00.001-07:00

From Valerie

1 box firm Japanese style (Mori-Nu) tofu
1 large over ripe banana
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Put everything in a food processor and puree. Chill. Eat.

Black Bean Burgers

2010-06-17T05:34:00.000-07:00

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1/2 cup corn kernels, frozen or canned okay
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 4-ounce can chopped green chilis, undrained
3 cloves garlic, run through a garlic press or very finely minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin
scant 1 teaspoon salt
1 cup bread crumbs
¾ cup wheat gluten
Olive oil for coating burgers

Pulse beans, corn, olive oil and chilis in a food processor until there are very few whole beans. Some chunks are okay – don’t make this perfectly smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients except wheat gluten. Sprinkle about ¼ cup of wheat gluten over the surface and stir in. Add another ¼ cup wheat gluten the same way. Repeat with the remaining wheat gluten. (Stirring in the gluten this way keeps it from clumping until it’s blended with the other ingredients.) If necessary,stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time until mixture will just hold together (I didn’t need any water.)

Stir well with a wooden spoon for at least 3 minutes to give the gluten a chance to bind the burgers.

Form into 6 patties. Coat each side with olive oil and grill over medium coals until browned on the outside and cooked through.

Chili Potato and Grilled Vegetable Burritos

2010-05-29T05:49:00.000-07:00

2 cups chili
Try this or this, or you can use a 15-ounce can - the spicier, the better.
2 cups cooked, diced potatoes
Use some potatoes made like these, with or without the spices.
2 cups grilled vegetables
I’ve made the recipe with leftovers from this and this, both of which can be frozen.
4 large flour tortillas

Combine chili, potatoes and vegetables and heat. Roll up in tortillas. Serve as is, or brush/spray with some olive oil and bake at 350 for 10 minutes until lightly crispy.
Serves 4 generously

Hot Spiced Wine

2010-05-15T16:59:00.000-07:00

4 cups red wine (Burgundy or Pinot Noir are preferable)
4 ounces brandy
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 oz. lemon juice
1 cup orange juice
3 whole cloves
7-10 whole peppercorns
4-5 whole cinnamon sticks

In a four-quart saucepan, combine all ingredients except the wine.

Bring to a boil and and keep at a steady boil for about 10 minutes until the liquid is reduced by about half.

Lower heat and add the wine. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes but be careful not to bring it to a boil a second time. Strain the fragrant product through a fine sieve.

Serve hot and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Pasta e Fagiol

2009-10-16T04:36:00.000-07:00

This is quick and easy! Adapated from the The McDougall Program: Twelve Days to Dynamic Health.

Pasta e Fagiol

2 15-oz. (or 1 32-oz.) cans of crushed tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 water or veg broth
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. uncooked whole wheat pasta

Saute onion and garlic in 1/4 water in a large pot for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the pasta, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Cook pasta separately and drain. Remove bay leaf from the sauce and combine with the pasta in a 3-quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Stuffed grape leaves

2009-08-14T01:27:00.000-07:00

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

For hors d'oeuvres, use 36 leaves and 1 and a half tablespoons of filling for each leaf. Serves 12.

FILLING

2 cups vegetable stock or purified water
1 cup brown rice, uncooked
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup grated radish
1/3 cup chopped scallions or green onions
1/2 cup minced celery
3/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup currants or yellow raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 pinch salt (optional)
36 grape leaves
1 bunch chives
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a large pot bring the stock or water to a boil, then add the rice and salt. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Fluff the rice with fork.

In a large bowl, mix together the rice and all the other filling ingredients, tossing thoroughly with a spoon. Rinse the grape leaves and pat dry. Spread the grape leaves out and spoon 1 to 1 and a half tablespoons of the filling on the end of each leaf, and then roll up, folding the outer edges in. Take three 5-inch-long chives and tie them around each stuffed grape leaf. Place the leaves in a small casserole dish and drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice over them. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes at 350°F.

Serve warm or cold.

Makes 36 grape leaves, 3 per person.

Five Tofu Marinades

2009-04-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

Smoky BBQ

¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (or mirin)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1-1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons paprika or chili powder

Blend all ingredients and pour over tofu. Makes about 1/2 cup, enough for 1 pound.

Asian I

¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

Blend all ingredients and pour over tofu. Makes about 1/2 cup, enough for 1 pound.

Asian II

¼ cup vegetarian oyster-mushroom stir-fry sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons ume vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

Blend all ingredients and pour over tofu. Makes about 1/2 cup, enough for 1 pound.

Thai Curry
(spicy)

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons Thai curry paste
¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced

The coconut turns this marinade into a paste. Spread on both sides of tofu. Makes about 1/2 cup, enough for 1 pound. Serve with the coconut still on the tofu.

Note: check the ingredients to make sure there is no shrimp paste in the curry paste.

Thai Sesame Peanut
(mild)

¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
2 tablespoons mirin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Blend all ingredients and pour over tofu. Makes about 3/4 cup, enough for 1 pound.

Chick Peas a la King

2009-01-31T10:07:00.000-08:00

This is adapted from Vegan Vittles by Joanne Stepaniak.

Serves 4

1 T oil (I skip this and sautee in water)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (double)
1/2 cu chopped red bell pepper (double)

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (to make gf use 1/4 cup chick pea flour and 1/4 cup sorghum flour. Rice flour is not recommended.)

1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 t salt
1/2 t paprike
1/4 t thyme, crumbled
1/8 t black pepper

2 cups nondairy milk (unsweetened soymilk works very well)

1 15 ounce can chick peas (about 1.5 cups)

1/2 cup finely sliced scallions

Sautee mushrooms and red pepper in oil or water until cooked. Remove from heat. Stir in flour, nut. yeast, salt and spices. Gradually add milk a little at a time. Return to heat, medium high, and stir until low boil, then reduce heat and stir until mixture thickens. Don't cook it all the way down. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Serve over baked potatoes, rice, noodles or toast.

No-Pork Sausages

2009-01-17T17:24:00.000-08:00

Recipe from The Compassionate Cook by PeTA.

10 oz (16) pack frozen lima beans, thawed
3/4 (1) C veg broth
1/4 t dried sage (2T fresh)
1/4 t dried rosemary leaves, crumbled (1 T fresh)
(2 T fennel seeds, crushed into powder using a morter)
(1/2 t salt or herbamare)
(1/4 t cayenne)
6 (9) T cornmeal
veg oil for frying

Use a food processor to coarsely chop lima beans and broth.

In medium saucepan heat ben mix with spices and 4 (7) T cornmeal. Cook until thick and bubbly. I had to add a little more water. Cool to room temp. I put it in the frige for an hour.

Put the rest of the cornmeal (or more) on a plate. Pat the bean mix into patties (1/4 cup measure) and coat with cornmeal. Fry in oil.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

2008-12-16T22:53:00.000-08:00

4 large or 6 medium sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled
2 tablespoons margarine
1/4 cup soy creamer or soymilk
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup unbleached white flour
3/4 cups chopped pecans
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a 2 quart casserole dish with non-stick spray (or wipe with canola oil).

Mash the sweet potatoes with the margarine until smooth. Add the soy creamer, orange juice, vanilla, sugar, maple syrup, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour into prepared casserole dish.

Mix the topping ingredients together until well-combined. Spread or sprinkle over the casserole and bake for 45 minutes or until hot throughout.

Adapted from The Fat Free Vegan Kitchen: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/

Ginger Sesame Noodles with Broccoli and Carrots

2008-12-14T15:34:00.000-08:00

Adapted from Robin Robertson's Quick-Fix Vegetarian (healthy home-cooked meals in 30 minutes or less!!)

2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons mirin (I have been using good quality sake lately)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I have been using 1/2 teaspoon of the red pepper flakes that are at the bottom of the chili oil jar w/a bit of the oil)
1/4 cup tamari
2 tablespoons water
12 ounces soba noodles (or spaghetti, udon or linguine)
8 ounces broccoli florets
3 small-medium carrots, cut into thin coins
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
Toasted sesame seeds or gomasio

In a small bowl, mix together the tahini, brown sugar, mirin and red pepper flakes. Stir in the tamari and water.

Put the water on to boil for the pasta. When it's ready add your pasta and cook it until it is almost done. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli and carrots. Drain and rinse with cold water and then toss with the sesame oil. Set aside.

Heat the canola oil in a skillet. Stir-fry the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds. Add the noodles and vegetables and the sauce. Toss and heat through. Serve with toasted sesame seeds or gomasio sprinkled on top.

Eggless Salad

2008-12-12T14:30:00.000-08:00

adapted it from Food Network and made some changes to accomodate my tastes.

14 oz. package of soft tofu
1/2 cup Nayonaise or Vegenaise (I usually end up adding 2 heaping tablespoons more when I'm done)
3 TBS Dijon mustard
1 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley (dried works too)
1 TBS chopped fresh dill (dried works too)
3 green onions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
(Sometimes I add sweet pickle relish to it as well)

Mash tofu in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and combine well. Chill and serve as a sandwich or over a bed of greens.

Chick’n and Avocado Sandwiches

2008-12-12T14:24:00.000-08:00

1 8-ounce package Morning Star Farm Chick’n Strips*
2 small Haas avocados, sliced
3 hoagie buns, preferably whole wheat
Boston lettuce leaves
sweet onion slices
chipotle mayonnaise (see below)

Heat chick’n strips in a small, non-stick skillet until just heated through. Layer strips on buns, top with avocado slices, and serve with lettuce, onion slices and mayo.

For chipotle mayonnaise:
Puree a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the blender. Stir about ½ teaspoon of the puree into about ¼ cup of vegan mayonnaise. Taste and add more if you like. Store remaining chipotle pepper puree in a small glass jar in the refrigerator. The puree will keep for a year.

* If you use seitan or a different brand of chick’n strips, sprinkle them with pinches of salt, black pepper and either cayenne pepper or paprika before heating.

Serves 3. This is an original recipe

A good side for this is sliced pineapple or fruit salad.

Slow Cooked Ziti Casserole

2008-11-28T18:08:00.000-08:00

Adapted from Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson

2 T olive oil
1 large onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
12 oz. package frozen vegetarian burger crumbles
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 T chopped fresh basil leaves, or 1 t dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz. ziti, cooked according to package directions until al dente, drained, and rinsed
2 T chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan or soy parmesan cheese

1. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium. Add onion, cover, and cook about five minutes (until onion is softened). Add the garlic, cooking an additional 30 seconds (until fragrant).

2. Place the onion mixture into a 4 quart crockpot, then add the tomatoes, meat crumbles, water, and wine. If using dried basil, add that too, as well as salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low setting for 3 1/2 hours.

3. Add the cooked ziti, cover, and continue to cook on low for an additional 20-30 minutes.

4. Stir in parsley. If using fresh basil, stir that in as well. Sprinkle with soy parmesan and serve.

5. SHARE!

Perfectly Easy Seitan

2008-11-01T04:41:00.000-07:00

This is based on two recipes – Bryanna Clark Grogan’s Soy and Seitan Turkey and Seitan O’Greatness from the Post Punk Kitchen forums. It's a bit easier than Bryannas but still has that nice "chickenish" flavor that goes in other dishes well.

Dry ingredients:
2-1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
½ cup chickpea flour (besan)
½ cup nutritional yeast flakes
3 tablespoons vegetarian chicken broth powder (I use Frontier Foods brand)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon sage
½ teaspoon thyme

Wet ingredients:
1-3/4 cups water
2 tablespoons tomato paste (I use the double concentrated kind from a tube)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I like Braggs for this)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 325.

Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, briefly beat together wet ingredients with an electric mixer. Add about 1/3 of the dry mixture (about a cup) and beat on medium for 2 minutes. Set a timer and don’t cheat! Add another cup of the dry mixture and beat on low for another 2 full minutes. Add remaining ingredients and blend in with a spoon. If necessary, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until dry ingredients are just combined.

Divide dough into two equal pieces and roll each piece into a log about 6 or 7 inches long. Wrap each log tightly in aluminum foil, twisting the ends to seal.

Bake for 90 minutes.

Makes 2 pounds of seitan, about 12 servings.

Golden lentil soup

2008-06-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

Golden lentil soup, 4 portions

1 chopped onion
1 packet saffron (Â½ gram)
2 tbsp oil
4.2 cups water (1 liter)
1 cube vegetable bullion
About 1.2 cups red lentils (3 deciliter)
3 average sized potatoes in cubes
1 tbsp tomato purÃ©e
2 tbsp lemon juice
Herb salt, pepper

Fry onion and saffron in oil for a few minutes. Add water, cube of bouillon and bring to a boil. Add the rinsed lentils, potatoes, tomato purÃ©e and the lemon juice. Let the soup simmer under a lid for about 20 min. Herb salt and pepper to taste

Roasted Potatoes, Broccoli and Carrots casserole

2008-05-30T16:00:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

* Potatoes, skins on and cut into 1 inch piece
* Carrots, cut into 1/2-3/4 inch slices
* Broccoli, cut into florets
* Fresh garlic, minced
* Fresh dill (or use dried)
* Olive oil
* 1/2 onion chopped and sauted
* Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Put cut veggies in a casserole dish. Drizzle with oil. Season with S&P and add herbs. Toss to coat. Bake covered for 35-45 minutes (until tender). Stir every 10-15 minutes.

Frijoles Borrachos

2008-05-29T16:50:00.001-07:00

1 tb vegetable oil
1 c diced tomatoes
2 large scallions, chopped
4 cups cooked pinto beans
1/2 cup beer (corona extra)
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 4oz can chopped chiles
salt to taste
2 cups sharp cheddar, grated

Get a really big skillet. Heat oil. Add tomatoes and scallions, and saute over medium-low heat 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, stir, cover, simmer over low heat 30 minutes. Uncover. Mix in cheddar, stir until dissolved into liquid. If there is too much liquid, cook uncovered until it thickens. Serve hot.

Grilled Squash and Zucchini Sandwiches

2008-05-26T10:49:00.001-07:00

1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 red bell pepper
1 sweet onion (a 1015 or Vidalia)
1 baguette (12 ounces)

Marinade:
¾ cup white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
¾ cup water
½ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, or 1 teaspoon dried
1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Spread:
2 tablespoons Veganaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

Cut zucchini, squash and pepper into short, thin strips. Slice onion, cut slices in half, and separate into half-rings.

Combine all marinade ingredients. Put vegetables in a container with a lid or ziplock bag and pour on marinade. Marinate for an hour or so, turning once or twice.

Prepare grill. Drain vegetables and grill until tender.

Slice baguette lengthwise. Mix spread ingredients and spread on bottom half of baguette. Add vegetables and cut into four servings.

Curry-roasted Butternut Squash Raita

2008-05-26T10:14:00.001-07:00

2 cups peeled, seeded and diced (about 1/2 inch dice) winter squash, such as butternut, buttercup, kabocha, sweet dumpling or pumpkin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
pinch of sugar
Salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt (soy yogurt can be used), drained
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons shelled sunflower seeds, toasted

Heat oven to 425. Toss together the squash, oil, curry powder, sugar and season with salt. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast about 20 minutes, until lightly browned and tender. Let cool.
Combine the yogurt, scallion, cilantro, lemon juice and then gently fold in the squash and sunflower seeds. Serve with warm pita or naan. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tofu Pie

2008-05-25T02:09:00.000-07:00

2 boxes silken tofu
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 Tbs maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
graham cracker crust (or you could buy one):

1 1/2 cups graham crackers, crushed
1/4 melted vegan margarine
1 Tbs sugar (opt.)

Instructions:

filling:

Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler (I use a microwave) and add to tofu in a blender. Blend until smoot. Add maple syrup and vanilla, and blend again.

crust:

Combine crumbs, margarine, and sugar and mix well. Press into bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan. Prebake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees (do not bake if you're using for baked pies)

assembly:

Soften peanut butter and gently spread on the bottom of the pie shell. Pour tofu mixture into shell and chill until set. Then serve

Sesame Tofu Nuggets

2008-05-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

1 cup tofu, drained and pressed
1/2 cup of cooked brown rice
2 Tbs low-sodium soya sauce
3/4 cup ground almonds
3/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup wheat germ

Mash tofu in a bowl. Blend half the cooked rice in a processor with the tofu until it's a thick paste. Transfer to a bowl and mix in everything else EXCEPT only 1/4 cup of the sesame seeds. Mix well. Roll into 1-inch balls (should make around 15 or so) and roll each ball in the remaining 1/2 cup sesame seeds to coat them.

Bake on a lightly greased sheet at 350 F for around 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve with a tossed salad. Kids apparently love these.

Moussaka (Baked Eggplant Casserole)

2008-05-22T04:55:00.000-07:00

(adapted from: "The Green Way To Healthy Living" - Radha Soami Satsang Beas)

Moussaka (Baked Eggplant Casserole)

3 eggplants (about 3 lbs or 1½ kg)
Flour and water for dipping
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, thinly sliced
3-4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (or use canned tomatoes)
¼ cup parsley, chopped (or 2 tbsp dried)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Bechamel Sauce (below)
1 cup Vegan Parmesan cheese

(The original recipe wasn't vegan ... milk was changed to soymilk, butter was changed to soy and cheese was made vegan)

Cut eggplants lengthwise into ¼-in (6-mm) slices. Sprinkle with salt and let stand in a colander for about half an hour. Pat dry. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Dip the eggplant slices in flour. Place in an oiled baking dish and bake for about 15 minutes on each side. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Add onions and saute until soft. Add tomatoes, parsley, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring to mix all the ingredients.
Prepare the bechamel sauce according to directions (below). Add salt and ¼ cup (1 oz or 30g) of the vegan parmesan cheese.
Reduce the oven heat to 350° F (180° C or 4 G). Place half the eggplant in a baking dish. Cover with the onion/tomato mixture and sprinkle with ¼ cup (1 oz or 30 g) of the cheese. Place the remaining eggplant on top and pour the bechamel sauce over the casserole followed by the remaining vegan parmesan cheese. Bake 45 minutes or until done.

Bechamel Sauce

4 tablespoons soy butter
4 heaping tablespoons flour
4 cups soymilk
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Prepare the bechamel sauce in a small saucepan by heating the soy butter over low heat until it melts. Add the flour stirring constantly to avoid lumps and cook a few minutes.
Add the soymilk gradually, stirring all the while. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Keep stirring the sauce until it thickens.

Root Vegetable Salad

2008-05-20T23:53:00.001-07:00

1 15-ounce can diced beets, drained
1 small jicama, peeled and cut into thin strips
2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons stone-ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried dill

Put the root veggies in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Pour over the salad and toss up to mix. Eat either warm or chilled.

Adapted from Foods That Fight Pain by Neal Barnard

Chickpea Breakfast Pizza

2008-05-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

adapted from World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey
This is a great morning "pizza" Although I find it more omelette than pizza and super simple to make.

2/3 cup chickpea flour
1/3 tsp salt
3 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed rosmary (dried)
Fresh ground pepper to taste
3 tbs Tomatoes any kind seeded and chopped (I used marinated sun dried)
chopped cilantro (to taste)
3 tbs finely chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup water

mix chickpea flour and salt then pour half of the water slowly mixing quickly as you pour. Stop and stir out any clumps and add the rest of the water and stir. Let sit for 30 min. Use this time to prepare the other ingredients. I put the tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro and pepper in a bowl and mixed them up together. Preheat the oven to broil and find a 12 inch saute or fying pan (make sure it has a metal handle so it can go in the oven).
After 30 min are up add rosmary and stir. Put 1 tbs of oil in pan and heat on med high till hot and then pour mixture quickly into pan and let it heat up for a few minutes. Do not stir. When it starts to bubble sprinkle the onion/garlic/tomato/cilantro mix over the surface and drizzle the remaining 2 tbs of oil on the top. Grind pepper over top of pizza to taste. Wait about 5-6 minutes and then pop in the oven 5 inches under the broiler. Leave until the top begins to brown.
Take out and let cool, or serve hot (right out of the oven it won't hold together quite as well)

The vegetable amounts are not set and you can vary them and the seasoning amounts to your own taste. if you wanted it spicy it would be great with some chopped jalepenos. I put a quick drizzle of soy sauce on mine.
I haven't tried it yet but I bet the batter would keep overnight and could be cooked in the morning to save time.

Banana date pudding

2008-05-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

adapted from "The Raw Truth"

6 dates, seeded
1/2 cup filtered water
seeds from 1/2 of a split vanilla bean
6 ripe bananas, peeled and halved crosswise
chopped walnuts, for garnish

Soak the dates in the 1/2 cup of water for 1 hour, or until soft. In a food processor blend the dates and their soaking water and vanilla seeds until smooth. Add the bananas, blend until smooth, pour into serving dishes (serves 2 - 4) and refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until chilled. Serve with chopped walnuts sprinkled on top.

* this recipe is suitable for raw food diets *

Carrot Cake

2008-05-14T04:53:00.001-07:00

1 cup unbleached cane sugar
1 8-oz. can unsweetened, crushed pineapple in juice
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 cups grated carrot, lightly packed
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8x8 inch glass baking dish.
Mix the sugar, pineapple and its juice and the oil in a bowl. Stir in the carrot, raisins and walnuts. In separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Then gradually stir the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredient mixture. This is going to be a rather thick batter (and mighty tasty, too!). Spoon this into your baking dish and bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting it or dusting with powdered sugar.

Adapted from Vegan Vittles.

"Emergency" Muffins

2008-05-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

(this recipe was adapted from a Nava Atlas 'basic muffin' recipe)

2 C all purpose flour
2 T ground flaxseeds
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 strawberry soy yogurt - 6oz (the original recipe lists 1 C vanilla soy yogurt or 1 C applesauce)
2 T safflower oil
1/3 C soy milk (I used closer to a 1/2)
handful of raisins

Preheat oven to 350F
Mix together all the dry ingredients (except the raisins)
In a separate bowl mix together the yogurt and oil
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yogurt and oil, add enough milk to pull it together as a stiff batter
Throw in the raisins

Lightly grease a muffin tray and divide the mixture equally between 10 muffin cups (the original recipe claims to make 12, but I've had better results with larger muffins, making only 10).

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until you can poke them with a knife/skewer and it comes out clean. The tops should be golden brown.

Once they're cool enough to handle, pop out of the muffin cups and cool on a wire rack

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

2008-05-11T07:44:00.001-07:00

For hors d'oeuvres, use 36 leaves and 1 and a half tablespoons of filling for each leaf. Serves 12.

FILLING

2 cups vegetable stock or purified water
1 cup brown rice, uncooked
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup grated radish
1/3 cup chopped scallions or green onions
1/2 cup minced celery
3/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup currants or yellow raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 pinch salt (optional)
36 grape leaves
1 bunch chives
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a large pot bring the stock or water to a boil, then add the rice and salt. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Fluff the rice with fork.

In a large bowl, mix together the rice and all the other filling ingredients, tossing thoroughly with a spoon. Rinse the grape leaves and pat dry. Spread the grape leaves out and spoon 1 to 1 and a half tablespoons of the filling on the end of each leaf, and then roll up, folding the outer edges in. Take three 5-inch-long chives and tie them around each stuffed grape leaf. Place the leaves in a small casserole dish and drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice over them. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes at 350°F.

Serve warm or cold.

Makes 36 grape leaves, 3 per person.

Testing

2007-12-26T10:46:00.000-08:00

dubrovnik

Pesto soup

2007-11-13T15:24:00.000-08:00

adapted from "The Raw Truth"

10 large fresh basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 Tbsp red miso
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2 cups water
2 cups diced tomato (about 4 tomatoes)
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
2 Tbsp shredded carrot
2 Tbsp shredded beets (I skipped these)
2 Tbsp minced onion, rinsed
1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

Blend the basil, garlic, pine nuts, miso, nutritional yeast while adding the water. Once it is smooth, add the tomato, bell pepper, carrot, beets, onion and salt, and blend until mixed but still chunky.

Mexican lasagna with black beans and corn

2007-11-07T13:50:00.000-08:00

5 largs (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 c corn (15oz can)
1 1/2 c black beans (15oz can)
1 1/2 c diced tomatoes (15oz can)
1/2 c diced chiles
1 1/2 c tomato sauce (15oz can)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic finely diced)
1 tsp sugar
1 large egg
16 oz regular sour cream (avoid light and fat-free, they will curdle)
2 c shredded Mexican cheese blend (pepper jack works well)
1/2 c chopped scallions (1 bunch)

Grease 13x9" casserole dish. Heat oven to 400F. Get 4 mixing bowls. 1) grated cheese 2) corn & beans 3) tomatoes & spices 4) sour cream, egg, & cheese mixture.

Stack tortillas on cutting board and slice through them lengthwise into 3 strips each. These will not be uniform due to the round shape of a tortilla.

Grate cheese into a bowl.

Mix corn and beans in a bowl.

Mix tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and sugar in a bowl. Spoon half of this mixture into the bottom of the dish. Cover with 5 tortilla strips. It is okay if they overlap a little.

Break egg into bowl. Beat with whisk or fork until foamy. Add sour cream and 1 cup of grated cheese. Mix well. Spoon half of the mixture evenly over the tortilla layer, and spread with back of spoon. Spoon half the corn and black beans over the sour cream mixture.

Put 5 more tortilla strips evenly over the corn and black bean layer. Top with remaining sour cream mixture, then with remaining corn and black beans. Put remaining tortilla strips over dish. Pour remaining tomato mixture over the tortilla strips. Spread evenly with back of spoon to moisten all strips.

Cover dish with foil, and bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. While the dish is baking, rinse and trim the scallions. Slice thinly, using all of the whites and enough of the green tops to make 1/2 cup.

When the lasagna has baked for 30 minutes, remove and uncover. If not hot and bubbly, return uncovered for 5 minutes. When it is hot and bubbly, scatter green onions on top. Bake uncovered another 5 minutes. Remove and sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over the dish. Bake until cheese melts, roughly 3 minutes.

Remove from oven, let stand 10 minutes, cut into squares, and serve.

YIELD: 8 servings
Adapted from Desperation Dinners

Vermicelli Salad

2007-11-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

1- 8 oz. Package of Vermicelli broken into 1â€ pieces. Place in boiling water for 5-7 mins.
Drain. Set aside to cool.

Shred 1 cabbage head
Grate 2 carrots
Add Â½ cup of each celery, green pepper, & onion

Make Salad Dressing with following:
Â½ cup vegan sour cream
3 T. sugar
2 T. vinegar
1 cup veganaise ( can use Â½ cup) different taste but still great
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix well and pour over vegetables and cooked vermicelli and stir
Chill well before serving
Will keep for a week in covered bowl in refrigerator.

Vegan White Sauce for Crepes

2007-10-31T18:05:00.001-07:00

1-1/2 cup plain soy milk
½ cup white wine
¼ cup Earth Balance margarine, melted
¼ cup flour
3 ounces soy cream cheese (about 1/3 of an 8-ounce carton), cut into 2-inch pieces
¼ teaspoon dried tarragon
Salt to taste

Add wine to soy milk and set aside. Melt margarine over low heat. Stir in flour and cook for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add soymilk and wine. Stir to combine completely using a wire wisk. Use a spoon to scrape edges of pan, if necessary. Put sauce back on burner and raise heat to medium. Stir continuously until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add tarragon and cream cheese and continue to stir until it melts.

I use this with crepes and soy “crabmeat” from the Asian market, but this would probably be great with mushrooms and shallots as a filling, and I’ve used it over pasta. For crepes, you stir about a third of the sauce into the filling, and spoon the rest on top of the rolled crepes and bake until hot.

Velvet Tofu-Mushroom Sauce

2007-10-31T18:04:00.001-07:00

1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup (8 oz) mashed tofu (the softer the better -- silken or soft tofu work best)
1/4 cup or a bit more water or vegetable stock
2 tsp low-sodium tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or to taste

1. Heat a bit of water in a saucepan and saute the onions. When the onions are almost tender, add the mushrooms and saute until tender.

2. While the vegetables are cooking, place the tofu, water or stock, and tamari in a blender or food processor. Blend until very smooth and creamy. Add as much water as is necessary to yield a sauce of the desired consistency.

3. Add the tofu cream to the sauteed vegetables and stir the sauce over medium heat until it is warm, but do not bring it to a boil.

Serve over pasta, vegetables, or grain dishes.

A couple of little tips -- make sure you don't add the liquid too quickly, or you'll wind up with a thin mess, and start out with just a little bit of the salty stuff (Bragg's or tamari), because it's hard to get it just right. For two people, I'd probably double it.

Serves: 2-4

Time: 15 minutes

Adapted from Cooking with the Right Side of the Brain by Vicki Rae Chelf

Vegan Sweet Potato Muffins

2007-10-29T23:58:00.000-07:00

2 cups oat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ cup walnuts, ground
½ cup walnuts, chopped
1 Tbs flax seeds, ground
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
½ tsp Cloves
1 tsp Ginger
2 EnerG egg replacers
1/2 cup applesauce (I had homemade from my Mommy!)
1/2 cup apple juice (organic, unfiltered, if you can)
1 mashed sweet potato (should be a big ole honkin' thing)
½ cup maple syrup

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Boil sweet potato until cooked. When finished cooking pour cold water over it and take off the skin. Mash.

Sift together oat flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix in ground walnuts and the ground flax seeds.

Add the spices, apple sauce, maple syrup, apple juice and egg replacers to the mashed sweet potato. When thoroughly mixed, add to dry mixture. Be careful not to overmix. Stir in chopped walnuts.

(I have a non-stick muffin pan, so if you don't, I would spray some oil on the pan.) Put in pans and bake.

Homemade Vegan Tortillas

2007-10-29T23:55:00.000-07:00

2 c. flour (I use 1. c whole wheat pastry flour and 1 c. white flour)
1 tsp salt
6 Tb vegan shortening
2/3 c. water

Get a large skillet out and fire up the stove. These bad boys should be cooked on medium to medium-low. I use a large, flat, square-shaped cast-iron skillet. No greasing is necessary whatever type you use.
Mix the flour and the salt. Cut in the shortening and mix with your fingers until crumbly like coarse bread crumbs.
Slowly stir in the water and mix until combined.
Lightly knead the dough (30 seconds to a minute) and then let the dough rest for five minutes.
Roll the dough out into a log shape and divide into six equal portions.
One by one, roll each dough ball into a circular shape, using a dusting of flour as needed. After one is rolled, place it on the skillet and cook it for approximately 1 - 2 minutes on each side; if overcooked, it'll get crispy. If the temp is too high, it'll get burned spots. Continue cooking the rolled dough one by one.

Cocoa fudge cookies

2007-10-25T23:15:00.001-07:00

This was slightly modified from Cooking Light magazine to provide a vegan option.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter/baking margarine
7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup plain low-fat (soy) yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Melt margarine in pan over low heat. Remove pan from heat. Add sugars
and cocoa and stir. Mix in (soy) yogurt and vanilla. Add remaining
ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt). Drop by level tablespoons onto
baking sheets. Bake about 10 min. Makes about 2 doz.

banana cake

2007-10-25T23:11:00.001-07:00

2 very ripe bananas
4 tablespoons milk (soymilk?)
0.6 cup sugar (1.5dl)
Almost 1 cup flour (2 ¼ dl)
½ tsp bakingsoda
½ tsp bakingpowder
Eggsubsitute for 1 egg
1/4 cup oil (50g) (was butter in the recipe before)
Mash the bananas with the sugar a fork works well for this, the more ripe the bananas are the better. Mix with milk, eggsubsitute and oil. Add the flour, bakingsoda and bakingpowder. Grease dish tin and sprinkle with crumbs
Bake in 347F° for about 40 minutes.

Better than sex cookies

2007-10-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegan butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (190 C).
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
Add water and vanilla.
Blend in the sifted ingredients to form a soft dough.
Stir in the chocolate chips.

Take out ungreased cookie sheets, and drop teaspoonfulls of the dough onto the pan.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden.
Let cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring them onto a cooling rack.

Tip: I like to not use the mixer and jsut knead the dough with my hands. It's a little sticky, but gets the dough so well done that it's better than the mixer. Then again, I just love using my hands for everything

Vegan Wholegrain Baking Mix

2007-10-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
4 cups oatmeal flour
¼ cups Ener-G egg replacer
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon salt

Sift all ingredients together well. Store in an airtight container. Fluff up mix with a fork before measuring for the recipes below.

Pancakes

2 cups baking mix
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 ¾ cup vanilla soymilk
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons walnut oil

Serves 3-4

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Grated rind from 1 lemon
Juice from ½ a lemon
¾ cup vanilla soy milk
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 ¼ cup baking mix

Preheat oven to 425. Measure poppy seeds and set aside.

Stir together lemon rind, lemon juice, soy milk, sugar and oil in a medium bowl until thickened. Add baking mix and poppy seeds and stir until just moistened. Spoon into 6 oiled muffin cups and bake for 11-13 minutes, or until tops spring back when touched.

Brownies

1-1/2 cups baking mix
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ cup sugar
¾ cup vanilla soy milk or apple juice
4 tablespoons melted margarine
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Stir together the baking mix, cocoa powder, and sugar. Add soy milk or apple juice, and melted margarine. Stir until just mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon into an oiled 8 x 8-inch baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until set.

“Cheesy” Beer-Onion Bread

This is great with soup.

2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup finely diced onion
2 tablespoons almond butter
8 ounces beer (I used brown ale)
2 cups baking mix
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon melted margarine (such as Earth Balance)

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté onion until soft and slightly golden, about 6 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together almond butter and beer. Add baking mix and nutritional yeast and stir. Add onions.

Spray an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with cooking oil spray and spoon in batter. Spread melted margarine on top and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Peach and Strawberry Cobbler

2 cups peaches, peeled and sliced
2 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1 cup sugar, divided use
1 cup baking mix
1 cup vanilla soymilk
3 tablespoons margarine, such as Earth Balance

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a medium saucepan, stir together fruit and ½ cup sugar. Heat just to the boiling point and remove from heat. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together baking mix, remaining ½ cup sugar and soy milk.

Put margarine into a 3-quart casserole dish or an 8 x 11-inch pan. Put into the oven until margarine melts, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour batter into the center of the margarine. Do not stir. Spoon fruit mixture with juice evenly over the top. Again, do not stir.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is set in the center. The fruit will sink to the bottom.

Serves 6.

Notes:

To make just enough mix for one recipe of pancakes, use:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup oatmeal flour
1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) Ener-G egg replacer
1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt.

Makes about 2 cups baking mix

About converting recipes:

This baking mix replaces all the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs. If a recipe contained eggs, you’ll need an extra ¼ cup liquid for each egg. This mix works just fine for recipes that didn’t have eggs in them to begin with.

If a recipe was originally made with white flour, you might also need an extra tablespoon of liquid for each cup of mix, since whole-grain flour absorbs more liquid. Also, when I first made muffins from this, they were coming out flat. I turned the oven up by 25 degrees, and my muffins rose.

If the other recipe was made from a baking mix, you’ll need to add some oil or melted Earth Balance margarine as baking mixes typically contain shortening. About 1 tablespoon oil or margarine per cup of baking mix is enough, unless the original recipe called for more.

I called for vanilla soymilk in most of these recipes because that’s what I have on hand, but I’m sure they would work fine with the milk of your choice. If plain, you might want to add a bit of vanilla.

Baking mix recipe first inspired by the pancakes in Vegan with a Vengence. Other recipes adapted from The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, Cooking Light, and Lone Star Legacy II.

Vegan Mayonaise

2007-10-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

I package Soft or Silken Tofu
Three tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Mustard: Optional
Salt

Place tofu in the blender and blend on high until smooth. While still blending, slowly add olive oil them lemon juice. Add a little mustard and taste. Add more if you like or leave it alone dipending on your taste. Add salt to taste and pour into a jar.

This mayo is a little wetter that regular Mayo and if you make sandwiches too long ahead of time they will get soggy. It lasts in the fridge about a week.

Quick and Tasty Tofu Sandwich

2007-10-16T01:35:00.000-07:00

Adapted from This Can't Be Tofu! by Deborah Madison

1/2 block firm tofu, drained
3 Tablespoons vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 onion, sliced
1 large portabello, sliced
Toasted bread

Slice the tofu crosswise into 4 slices and place them on a towel and dry. Heat your nonstick pan (you can add a bit of spray oil if you desire) over med-hi heat. Add tofu and cook until golden on each side. Pour the Worcestershire sauce over the tofu and turn one time. Keep frying it until the sauce is absorbed into the tofu. Take of heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. While you are cooking the tofu, saute your onions and mushrooms in a bit of water until they are nice and golden brown. Spread vegenaise over your toasted bread, add two tofu slices and top with the onions and mushrooms and add a piece of cool, crisp lettuce. A tomato would be great too. This took me about 15 minutes to make this whole sandwich. It's yummy, easy, and fast! Makes 2 sandwiches.