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!

Fresh Corn Salad

Corn salad this time, to beat the heat. This recipe is from allrecipes.com as well.

Ingredients:

• 8 ears fresh corn
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup Italian-style salad dressing

Okay, if you know me, you know I'm lazy and I'm not going to spend the time to shuck 8 ears of corn. I used two cans of corn, drained.

Chop up the zucchini, cucumber, and onion. I used baby cherry tomatoes and sliced them once down the middle. I forgot the bell pepper, so I sprinkled some red pepper in there for a little kick, along with some black pepper.

I mixed inNewman's Oil and Vinegar dressing.