a very happy and compassionate holiday to everyone from my dog and me...see you in 2010!!
a very happy and compassionate holiday to everyone from my dog and me...see you in 2010!!
Posted at 04:24 PM in event | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
when the days are as cold as they are here, nothing beats a soup that kicks it up a notch on the heat level. enter taco soup. what's so great about this soup is you can really make it as spicy or mild as you prefer.
AND, it's so easy to make, with it's warm, spicy, flavorful and "stick to your bones" texture, you'll be making this a staple on your winter menu.
tofu taco soup
1 package
extra firm tofu (drained and crumbled)
1
can black refried beans
1
can chili beans
1
can black beans
1
can kidney beans (optional)
2
cans diced tomatoes
2
large Anaheim peppers – chopped
1
jalapeno – chopped
1
medium yellow onion – chopped
2 cloves garlic – chopped
3 celery ribs - chopped
1
tbsp cumin
1
tbsp chili powder
1/2
tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp
garlic powder
¼ tsp
red pepper flakes
1 ½
tbsp olive oil
salt
and pepper to taste
serve
with a cold beer.
enjoy!
Posted at 12:44 PM in soup, stew, chili | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: chili, onion, peppers, soup, spicy, taco, tofu, vegan, vegetarian
as the weather gets colder it's a lot harder to wake up to a cold bowl of cereal, or a typical slice of toast. i think these muffins are the perfect solution.
full of grains and fiber to fill you up
packed with flavors of cinnamon, banana and vanilla to kick the tastebuds into gear
oh, and did i mention that they're good for you?
you've just found a new way to start your day.
hearty morning muffins
makes
12
1
large banana
1/3-cup
soy flour
1/3-cup
cornmeal
1/3-cup
whole wheat
1/3
–cup earth balance
1/4-
cup wheat germ
1/3-cup
brown sugar
1 ¼
cup soy cream
squeeze
of ½ lemon
1
tsp salt
1tsp
baking soda
1
tsp baking powder
1
tsp vanilla
1
tbsp cinnamon
handful
of craisins
canola
oil spray
preheat
your oven to 400 degrees.
stir
together until mixed.
spoon
into pan and bake for 12 minutes, remove and add the craisins on top. put back into the oven for 3-5 minutes,
or until golden brown. be sure to
use a toothpick to see if your muffins have been cooked thoroughly.
serve
with a warm cup of josephine and a little bit of earth balance.
enjoy!
Posted at 11:44 AM in breakfast, dessert | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: banana, breakfast, cinnamon, craisins, muffins, sweet, vanilla, vegan, vegetarian
ugh.
that's how i feel.
too. much. of. a good. thing.
so, let's have something a little lighter...a little less filling. something that rejects thanksgiving and all of it's wonderful splendors.
szechuan it is then.
spicy, spicy szechuan.
grilled szechuan tofu w/
broccoli slaw and toasted almonds
serves
4-6
½ cup
szechuan sauce
1
large package of wildwood tofu (super firm)
3
tbsp toasted sesame oil
1
package broccoli slaw
2
tbsp soy sauce
1
tbsp rice wine vinegar
1
clove garlic – chopped
¼ tsp
fresh ginger
handful
almonds
salt and pepper to taste
slice
your tofu into 1 in thick cutlets.
combine
the cutlets in a large bag with the szechuan sauce and 1 tbsp sesame oil. let marinate for 30 minutes tossing the
cutlets around every 10 minutes or so.
in a
large bowl combine your broccoli slaw with the chilled oil/vinegar mixture. add salt and pepper to taste. put back into fridge to keep cool.
heat
your grill (or grill pan) to medium/high.
toss your tofu cutlets on and grill each side for 5-8 minutes or until a
mice marking has developed and then flip and continue to grill for another 5-8
minutes.
remove
from heat and toss back into the marinade bag. let sit and cool for 15 minutes so that the marinade will
cling to the cutlets.
chop
up your almonds into tiny pieces; in a small skillet heat your chopped almonds on
medium until the aroma fills the room.
remove and toss with the tofu cutlets.
pile
a cutlet or two onto some slaw, drizzle with a little more szechuan sauce and
serve with a glass of chilled white wine.
enjoy!
Posted at 09:07 AM in asian, grilling, main course | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: almonds, broccoli, cutlets, grilled, oil, sauce, sesame, slaw, szechuan, tofu, vegan, vegetarian
a friend of mine had been reading alicia silverstone's new book and told me that her favorite squash was the kabocha. she was curious what it tasted like and suggested i make something with it.
naturally soup seemed like a good, quick option.
this version is so rich and creamy, and topped with crispy fried leeks and the toasted seeds makes for a wonderful starter or side for the holidays.
raosted kobacha squash soup
w/ crispy fried leeks
serves
6-8
1
medium to large kabocha squash
2
cloves garlic – chopped
½ yellow
onion – chopped
2
celery ribs – chopped
1
carrot – chopped
4
cups broth
½ cup
dry sherry
1
cup cashew cream sauce
1
leek – sliced
seeds
from the squash
1
tsp curry powder
1
tsp turmeric
olive
oil
½ cup
canola oil
salt
and pepper
hot
water (in case you need to thin out your soup a bit)
heat
your oven to 400 degrees.
peel
your squash and seed and cut into 1-inch pieces. toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and the garlic, and
roast for 40-50 minutes, or until soft.
in the
meantime, in a medium pot, add 1 tbsp olive oil and your onions. cook until transparent. add your dry sherry and reduce for 5
minutes. You can now add you
carrot and celery. cook until
slightly al dente. add the broth
and continue to cook on medium to low.
in a
small saucepan, bring the canola oil to a higher heat and add your leeks. Let them fry, stirring constantly until
they brown just slightly. remove and
drain.
once
the squash is finished, add it to your broth. add your curry and turmeric.
toss
your seeds in a little olive oil and throw them into the oven for 20 minutes,
or until browned.
remove
the soup from heat and with an immersion blender, blend until silky
smooth. put back onto a low heat
and add your cashew cream sauce. if
you should need to, add hot water
or broth to thin the soup should it be too thick.
add
salt and pepper to taste.
garnish
with the leeks and seeds.
serve
with a crisp white wine.
enjoy!
Posted at 08:26 AM in event, soup, stew, chili | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: curry, fried, kabocha, leeks, seeds, sherry, soup, squash, vegan, vegetarian
no need to show up to thanksgiving without a center piece, right?
this "turkey" style roulade has a wonderful texture and taste. served with some creamy smashed potatoes and stuffed with an herbed stuffing, this also makes for wonderful hot sandwiches the next day.
vegan “turkey” style roulade
serves
6-8
dry ingredients:
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. onion salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
wet ingredients:
1 package firm tofu
¾ cup water
2 tbsp. soy sauce
½ tbsp olive oil
1 cup veggie broth
2 cups grandpa earls stuffing
heat your oven to 250 degrees.
in a blender, combine your wet
ingredients. in a separate bowl,
combine your dry ingredients.
in a larger mixing bowl combine the wet with
the dry. knead together a ball for approximately 10-12 minutes. split the ball in ½ and make 2
rolls. flatten each roll out as
much as possible without tearing. add
to each flattened roll, 1 cup of stuffing. roll up the flattened ball into a large log with the
stuffing running throughout the middle (like a pinwheel). seal the gluten and be sure there are
no holes.
place the logs onto a greased baking
sheet. cover with a little broth, just
enough so that they are both moist.
cover with foil and bake for 2 ½ hours. turn over after 2 ½ hours and cook for another 30-40 minutes
covering with broth again.
once they are cooked and slightly browned,
remove and let sit 15-20 minutes before slicing.
serve with your favorite sides and a glass of
red wine.
enjoy!
Posted at 08:40 AM in event, main course | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: celery, dish, onions, roulade, side, stuffing, thanksgiving, turkey, vegan, vegetarian
for my second thanksgiving idea, i present creamy smashed baby reds with a white wine, carrot and rosemary gravy.
can we say yum?
creamy smashed baby reds w/
white wine, carrot and rosemary gravy
8-10
medium sized baby reds – peeled and chopped
3
cloves garlic, chopped
2
tbsp. vegan butter
handful
of fresh chives - chopped
½
cup soy creamer
salt
and pepper
½ cup
vegan sour cream
1
tsp garlic powder
salt
and pepper to taste
for
gravy
½
yellow onion – chopped
1
clove garlic – chopped
1
tbsp olive oil
3
carrots – chopped into larger pieces
1
celery rib – chopped
3
1/2 cups broth – veggie or no-chicken (reserve
½ cup for thinning of gravy)
1
tbsp fresh rosemary – chopped
1/2
cup white wine
salt
and pepper to taste
in
a stockpot, heat your oil and add your onions and garlic. cook until transparent. add your carrots and celery and
broth. cook until the carrots are
very tender, approximately 10-15 minutes on a low/medium heat.
add
vegan butter and soy creamer, and mash until smooth. add garlic powder, salt,
and
pepper
to taste. add sour cream until desired texture is achieved. fold in chopped
chives.
enjoy!
Posted at 08:47 AM in event, vegetable, sidedish | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: baby reds, carrots, chives, creamy, garlic, herbs, potatoes, rosemary, thanksgiving, vegan, vegetarian, white, wine
the holiday's can be a stressful time for everyone, especially when others are concerned about "what to make". so, for the next week i plan on posting simple recipe ideas for you to use or share with family and friends.
i hope each of these recipes will make things a little less stressful for you and yours.
my first recipe i would like to share is from my late grandfather.
we call it grandpa Earl's stuffing.
it is so rich and flavorful that your family will want the recipe to have as their own.
grandpa earl’s stuffing
2
tbsp olive oil
½ yellow
onion – chopped
½ tube gimme lean – sausage style (or you can use mushrooms)
2 celery ribs - chopped
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1
tbsp poultry seasoning
½ bag
herb seasoned croutons
2-3
cups no-chicken broth (or you can use veggie or just water)
3
tbsp earth balance
salt
and pepper to taste
heat
your oven to 375 degrees.
in
a medium pot, heat your broth or water with the celery until the celery is soft.
set
aside.
add
your olive oil and onions to a medium skillet. once the onions are transparent, add your gimme lean
sausage, small pieces at a time, the rosemary and the thyme. cook
until slightly browned.
remove
from heat and set aside.
in a
large mixing bowl add your croutons and poultry seasoning. slowly add your broth/water and mix
until the croutons have softened quite a bit. (you may not need to use all of your broth/water)you can now
add your sausage and onions and fold together well.
pour
into a casserole dish, top with the earth balance 1 tbsp at a time.
pop
into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the top is a crispy brown.
serve with a delicious homemade gravy.
Posted at 02:53 PM in event, vegetable, sidedish | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: herbs, rosemary, sausage, stuffing, thanksgiving, thyme, vegan, vegetarian
this VERY simple and delicious soup is a staple item in my house. instead of using dairy free cream and the like, i decided to steam and blend fresh cauliflower to add a subtle, sweet earthiness to this soup since the rosemary and olive oil add such a nice flavor punch.
(don't let the simplicity of the soup fool you...its clean, earthy warmth will keep you coming back for more)
this definitely works well on a cool, crisp fall night.
3
cups navy beans
3
celery ribs – chopped
1 large scallion – minced
2 coves garlic - minced
5
cups water
½ cup
white wine
1
tbsp fresh rosemary
1
bay leaf
2
tbsp fresh chives – chopped
olive
oil
salt and pepper to taste
in
a medium stockpot heat 1 tbsp olive oil.
add your scallions and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until
transparent. add your water,
beans, celery, bay leaf and a little salt and pepper. cook until the celery is soft. add your
white wine and cook for another 6-8 minutes to reduce.
remove
the bay leaf.
Posted at 11:14 AM in appetizer, main course, soup, stew, chili | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: bean, cauliflower, cream, fresh, herbs, oil, olive, rosemary, soup, vegan vegetarian, white
if there was a salad dressing out there i didn't think i'd be having again, it was a caesar dressing.
no offense to the many that exist right now, but i am very, very picky as to what my dressing tastes like. so, much to my surprise, i really think i hit upon something here.
its peppery, rich, creamy texture with a subtle taste of the sea makes for the perfect vegan caesar dressing.
vegan caesar salad
serves
4-6
1
avocado
1
cup vegan sour cream
½
cup vegan mayo
2
tsp nori
1
tbsp minced red onion
3
cloves smashed garlic (using a garlic press)
2
tbsp vegan worcestershire
1
tbsp red wine vinegar
2
tsp onion salt
1
tbsp cracked black pepper
¼
cup vegan cream
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
squeeze of 1 lemon
1
medium baguette
2
tbsp olive oil
1
clove garlic – minced
salt and pepper to taste
3
cashews – shaved
serve with a glass of cabernet.
enjoy!
Posted at 08:45 AM in appetizer, salads, vegetable, sidedish | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: avocado, baguette, caesar, cashews, croutons, dressing, garlic, nori, salad, vegan, vegetarian


