Red Lentil Soup

Red Lentil Soup before boiling

I have made this twice already, it's great for a cold winter day. Plus I accidentally poured like, two pounds of red lentils from the dispenser. So... lots of soup for us!

From Allrecipes.com

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 pinch fenugreek seeds I don't know what these are so I skipped. :o
  
• 1 cup dry red lentils
• 1 cup butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg



Finished Red Lentil Soup

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the onion, ginger, garlic, and fenugreek until onion is tender.
2. Mix the lentils, squash, and cilantro into the pot. Stir in the water, coconut milk, and tomato paste. Season with curry powder, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until lentils and squash are tender. 

I got a huge butternut squash that filled about two-cups, so I added a cup and a half more water, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, and most of the can of coconut milk.  This way you will be ensured left-overs for the next days lunch.

Vegan Banana Bread!

So, this one is definitely a winner. It rained all day yesterday so I decided to fill my house with warmth from the oven, and delicious aromas from the kitchen.

Vegan Banana Bread with Soy Choco chips

Recipe is from VegWeb.com.

1/3 cup non dairy milk
1 tsp vinegar
1 3/4 cup Flour
1 1/2 cup Sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 1/2 teaspoons Egg Replacer + 5 tablespoons water
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup soy chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease 9x5 loaf pan.  Make buttermilk by adding the vinegar to the non dairy milk, and set aside.

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

In a different bowl, mix bananas, oil, and buttermilk mixture.

Combine the banana mixture and flour mixture; stir well.  Whisk egg replacer with water until frothy, then stir into the mixture.  Add pecans, chocolate chips or whatever else! Pour into prepared bread pan.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Vegan Eggplant Casserole

Vegan Eggplant Casserole

Okay so I was going to link directly to this page on vegweb, but my browser is saying it is a site under attack. Hmm..

Typing recipe in from my phone then:

1 large eggplant, sliced and cut into 1/4"
3 large potatoes, sliced and cut into 1/4"
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush eggplant and potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Bake on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes. Note- separate the eggplant and potatoes in the pan, this will make building your casserole much easier.


One large onion, chopped
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp fresh oregano
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fennel ( I wasn't sure if this meant fresh or the seeds. I used the seeds.)
14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
12 ounces veggie crumbles

Saute onions in olive oil until translucent.  Add oregano, parsley, basil, cilantro, garlic, fennel, tomatoes, and crumbles.

6 ounces fresh spinach
3 cups (or one package) vegan mozzerella cheese (you can find this at Sprouts or Whole Foods)

In 9x13 glass casserole dish, layer in potatoes first. Next cover potatoes with half the "meat" sauce.  Add the layer of spinach. Add layer of eggplant and top with remaining sauce. Top with mozzerella cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bake for 40 minutes.

Vegan Eggplant Casserole

Serves 4-6  Preparation time 1 hour total.

Vegan Broccoli Mushroom Quiche

Broccoli Mushroom Quiche

This is an easy one that I found at about.com, reprinted from The Compassionate Cookbook. The recipe is as follows:

• 1 pre-made pie crust
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• 1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1 pound firm tofu, patted dry
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup soy milk

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and sautee the onion, green pepper, broccoli and mushrooms until cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, blend the tofu, nutmeg, turmeric, basil, salt and soy milk until smooth. Stir the vegetables and the tofu mixture together and add pepper to taste.
Pout the batter into the pie crust. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted just off-center into the quiche comes out clean.


I found an awesome pre-made whole wheat crust in the freezer section of Whole Foods. It tasted excellent, and it was a two-pack so now I get to make another quiche this week. Make sure you dry out the tofu a bit before you mix it with the other dry ingredients. My quiche was watery after 30 minutes, so I baked it for an additional 20. Other than that, it was delicious! I am thinking that I may add in some faken bacon next time to add to that breakfasty feel.

Vegan Potato Leek Soup

This is another awesome recipe from vegweb.com.  The recipes is as follows:

1 medium onion, chopped finely
    4 small leeks or 3 medium ones, chopped finely (use white parts mostly)
    3 tablespoons olive oil
    4 medium potatoes, peeled and finely sliced
    3 cups water (the water should almost cover the ingredients)
    salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, add the olive oil and saute the onions and leeks for two minutes. For leeks, you may use the green part, but this will change the flavor of the soup; you can use the green foliage of the leeks in a stir fry. Add the potatoes to the pot, and also the water.

2. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until cooked (potatoes are soft) Remove the pot from heat. If you have a hand blender, let the soup cool and then blend until smooth. You may wish to reheat the soup. Season with salt and pepper.

3. If you do not have a hand blender, with a ladle, scoop up the chunky parts and process in a blender or food processor until smooth. You may need to do this in two parts, so have a bowl ready in which to transfer processed soup. Once all the soup is processed, mix it to the liquid left in the pot, and add pepper and salt.


Makes: 5-6 servings, Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes

This turned out nicely and I have made it twice in two weeks. Perfect for a cold day.  After reading some of the comments I decided to add a vegetable bullion cube to the water for flavor. I also invested in an immersion blender (thanks Shane!) so that I don't have to scoop out the chunks and blend in my small blender. That was messy, and way too much work.  Next time I will probably leave some chunks so it's not so pureed.

Vegan Cornbread

This little recipe is from allrecipes as well.

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons egg replacer (dry)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease six muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. In a small bowl, beat together egg replacer and water. In a separate bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add egg mixture, oil and water; stir until smooth. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins using approximately 1/2 cup for each muffin.
3. Bake in pre-heated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. 
4.  

Now the pictures people posted on allrecipes.com looked nice and fluffy. Mine came out, well, kind of sad and forlorn. For one thing, they were not even close to done after 15 minutes, and I made sure to preheat AND my oven is always right on target for temperature. It took an extra 10 minutes to get them cooked all the way through. I followed the directions with one change- palm sugar instead of white refined sugar. They were tasty little muffins nonetheless. Perfect for soaking up the eat that was emanating from the potent chili I made.  

Vegan Chlil

This is from Allrecipes.  The directions are as follows:

• 1 (12 ounce) package vegetarian burger crumbles
• 3 (15.25 ounce) cans kidney beans
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons hot chili powder
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 cube vegetable bouillon
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup hot water

Directions

1. In a slow cooker combine vegetarian crumbles, kidney beans, onion, celery, bell pepper, bay leaves, chili powder, molasses, bouillon, cilantro, hot sauce, salt, pepper and 1 cup water. Cook on high for 3 hours.
2. Dissolve flour in 1 cup hot water. Pour into chili and cook 1 more hour. 

I'm trying not to use refined flour at all, so I decided to  pour the water in first, then whisk in a scoop of cornstarch with the bullion cube.  This was FINE and I didn't have to open up the crock pot after 3 hours (when you open a crock pot you lose at least a half hour of heat). In fact, after about two hours it was done. I don't know if I have a super duper crock pot or something, but my food seems to be finished earlier than what is stated in many recipes.

Some of the comments said that the taste was bland, so I added some basil, way more cilantro (at least a 1/2 cup), and my husband added more chili powder. It was really hot. My sinuses are now cleared.  

Will probably do less chili powder and more beans next time-either another can of kidney or black beans.

Oh, and I didn't add hot pepper sauce because I don't know what that is. :o

This is definitely a great base recipe for vegan chili, I will for sure make it again. I think even meat eaters can appreciate this dish.

Vegetarian Sausage and Beans

Wow this is really filling! Meat lovers can probably be fooled with this one. The recipe goes as follows from Vegweb.com

  1 15 oz can black beans, drained
    1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
    1 small onion chopped
    1 14 oz tube Lightlife Gimme Lean sausage flavored
    Any spices you wish to add

Directions:

Saute onions in oil until transparent in large frying pan.  Crumble sausage and combine with onion.  Continue to saute until sausage is browned.  Add black beans, tomatoes, and spices and mix well until warm all the way through.

Serve over rice, couscous, or pasta.

I used organic Italian flavored diced tomatoes and scooped the sausage mixture over wheat pasta. This made it really filling. I think next time I will do orzo or a brown rice. This was very tasty, and quick to make. I sprinkled nutritional yeast on top for some added B-12.  This is definitely a keeper, and easy for a workday evening.

The Amazing Mexican Mouthgasm

Holy moly this was GOOD! Easy too. Here is the recipe, submitted by VeganBess on Vegweb.com:

1 cup rice (I use white aborio, but short-grain brown is also good)
    14 oz can of black beans
    1 small red onion
    1 small green pepper
    3 vine-ripened tomatoes or smaller regular tomatoes
    1/2 cup medium salsa (I use peach mango, yum!)
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon black pepper
    1 tablespoon canola oil
    vegan sour cream (optional)
    1 avocado (optional)

Directions:Rinse your rice in a strainer with warm
water until the water runs clear. Put
the rice and 1 1/2 cups of water into
the rice steamer and set to "Cook."

Warm your canola oil in a deep medium pan over medium heat.

Dice your onion and pepper into 1/2-inch chunks and dump in the pan. You want them to carmelize, so adjust your heat to high-medium.

Cut your tomatoes into 1-inch chunks and set aside. Drain your black beans and rinse in a strainer.

When the onions and peppers begin to turn translucent and carmelize add the salt and pepper and allow to cook for about one more minute.

Add the tomatoes, black beans and salsa. Stir all together and turn the heat down to allow the mix to simmer and reduce. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Slice an avocado into thin long cuts and cut those in half.

By now your rice should be done. Spoon out of the steamer and into the pan, mixing all the ingredients together. Add more salsa if you want a more liquidy texture.

Place the rice and bean dish into a bowl
or on a plate and arrange your avocado
how you see fit. Add about a tablespoon
of vegan sour cream and enjoy!

For this recipe I used brown rice and made it in my rice cooker. While the rice is cooking, cook up the veggies. The brown rice too longer than I expected so I had to just let the veggies (I added scallions yum) simmer on the lowest setting while I waited. The rice didn't fit in my pan so I just dished out the rice in a bowl then covered with the veggies. Putting on the avocado and vegan sour cream is a MUST to make it TO DIE FOR. I didn't even miss the cheese. Ya, I know right? Weird.

World's Simplest Hearty Vegan Crockpot Stew

My husband picked this one out, and I must admit, he done did good. This stew is AWESOME. Great for winter, filling, and relatively simply. Just throw the ingredients in the pot and set on low. Here are the ingredients:


3 heaping tablespoons cornstarch + water
    5 cups faux chicken broth
    3 tablespoons soy sauce
    1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    salt and pepper, to taste
    5 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire   
    1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
    1-2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil and garlic
    3 cloves garlic, crushed
    1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
    1/2 cup white mushrooms, diced
    1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped
    4 carrots, peeled and chopped
    2-3 zucchini, sliced
    3/4 cup corn
    3/4 cup peas
    1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
    3/4 cup uncooked red lentils
    1 cup regular garbanzo beans
    1 cup green garbanzo beans

Directions:

1. Whisk cornstarch with a bit of water until not clumpy.

2. Throw everything in crockpot (I refuse to pre-saute anything or add ingredients at different times because that defeats the purpose of the crockpot, to me).

3. Leave it for 6-8 hours on low, or 4 or so hours on high, come back et voila: dinner!


I found all the ingredients easily at Whole Foods but I think Sprouts also carries the vegan chicken broth and other vegan items. Next time I will lesson the amount of broth because I have a smaller crockpot- mine was overflowing but the time I got to the zucchini. Maybe just put in two cups and add more at the end if you have room. I didn't do the green garbanzo beans because I had no clue what those were ;P. It was still YUM.  I think I may have overcooked it a bit too. The directions say to cook it on low for 6-8, I'm thinking it only needs 4-5. You can add vegan sour cream or nutritional yeast on it for an extra yum kick.

Highly recommended!

Pimp ass Vegan Pizza

So what about Friday nights? As a vegetarian I always LOVED cheese or veggie pizza so I feared the weekend these past few weeks. But I have been saved! Tofurky, the makers of the famous Tofurky turkey many of my friends make on Thanksgiving, now makes pizza. With cheese! Fake cheese! I'm sure that it's not the healthiest of items-it does have a ton of sodium in it- but this of course would not be consumed on a daily basis. It's more of a treat to satisfy those pizza cravings. I tried the Supreme last week and have the Pepperoni ready for tomorrow night. It tastes OKAY, not supercalifragalistic great. Try it for yourself if you are preparing for a Vegan diet change. You can find it at Sprouts or Whole Foods.

Couscous Confetti Salad

This recipe is from the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart App. Don't you just love our day and age? Being vegan is SO MUCH EASIER than it used to be. Just Google away, and you will find kick ass recipes. The recipe includes the following:

1 1/2 cups dry whole-wheat couscous
2 cups boiling water
3 – 4 green onions, finely chopped, including tops
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 carrot, grated
1 – 2 cup finely shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup golden raisins or chopped dried apricots
1 juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon curry powder (we like to use 1 tablespoon for extra curry goodness)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Method:
In a large bowl, combine couscous and boiling water. Stir to mix, then cover and let stand until all the water has been absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Add green onions, bell pepper, carrot, cabbage, parsley, and raisins or apricots.
In a small bowl mix lemon juice, vinegar, oil, curry powder, and salt. Add to salad and toss to mix. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Makes about 8 1-cup serving

Chop all the veggies while the couscous is cooking. Put all the veggies in a large bowl then add the couscous. Toss with the oil mixture then eat or put in the fridge. This made a TON, and still tasted great the next day.  I used dried pineapples instead of apricots because they were hella expensive! (What up whole foods? Really? pssh) Anyway, this was awesome and is becoming a weekly staple in my house. You will feel full and satisfied, and you will be full of nutrients too!

Back in the saddle...

I'm back! It's a new year, and though it might be the end of the world on December 21, we all should live like we will make it to 90. Maybe 95.  So this year I am trying to go as VEGAN as possible. I know. Me? I love cheese! I'm a cheese WHORE! Cheetos, nachos, quesadillas, mac and cheese... I have always loved it all.  And as a vegetarian I always poured on the cheese with the excuse that I was getting good protein from cheese products. But after viewing Forks Over Knives I was re-inspired. If you have yet to view this film, you should. It made me realize that I was stuck in the "Pleasure" loop, coffee in the morning, diet coke in the afternoon, tired ALL the time.  I have only been sans animal products, including dairy, for a few weeks and my energy level is much better. I wake up better, sleep better, and don't have to nap during the day.  I never thought about the effects of dairy, but now I hope I never go back. The licking of Cheetos laden fingertips is just not worth it.

So I've dived back in, researching and cooking new meals. Many of my friends have asked for the recipes, so I will post away. It's February, the month of love... so let's get cooking!