Yummy Bread Salad

So I was really sick this past week. After eating food that was not homemade for two days (and by not homemade I mean store bought pizza and broiled chicken) I had to "resort to" something so simple that my kids could really help with most of the work and it didn't require me to cook! After thinking for awhile I remembered last summer I used to make this often and recalled how super easy it was to prepare. I had my kids crumble the bread (which they REALLY enjoyed) and I basically chopped a little spinach, tomatoes and tofu and amazingly dinner was done! Plus, this serves 8 so if you make it for lunch you can use the rest at dinner!

Ingredients:

1 8 oz pack WestSoy tomato basil baked tofu
or any 8 oz pre-marinated tofu cut in small cubes

1 pound loaf fresh or day old - torn into 1

inch chunks
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 cup tomato juice
1 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together the balsamic vinegar, tomato juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Combine with the chucks of bread, tomatoes, tofu, and spinach just before serving.

My Favorite Veggie!!!!

One of my favorite food, brussel sprouts!

The Ultimate Spinach Sandwich

I eat mostly vegan meals these days and miss having warm sandwiches for lunch, so I started playing around with garlic - which is my favorite. I discovered my all time comfort food sandwich! It has few ingredients and can be made in 5 minutes flat!

Ingredients:

1 bunch washed spinach
5 cloves garlic or less
2 slices bread
Vegenaise
Oil

Directions:

Warm a a little oil up in a pan on med heat while you slice up your garlic. I don't mince the garlic but rather keep them in large pieces since I love the taste of garlic!

Next place your garlic in the pan and gently fry.

Place your bread in the toaster.

Now that your garlic has been frying for about 45 seconds place your spinach in with the garlic and gently mix it around. Turn the heat down a bit and the spinach will start wilting down.

Take out your lightly toasted bread and spread your chosen mayo around, we use Vegenaise . Once the spinach is all wilted, place on the bread. Cut and serve warm!

This sandwich goes great with raw baby carrots or possibly some homemade baked fries!

Coconut Curry Quiche

Here is a recipe I have been playing around with. I made a pastry crust and used coconut oil to increase flavor and reduce the amount of oil that can release free radicals while cooking. I love the taste of this recipe as it reminds me of some yummy curry recipes I have made and is a great new twist to some of my favorite flavors!

Crust Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp turbinado sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp non-dairy milk

Quiche Ingredients:

1 16-ounce package extra firm tofu, pressed for about 30 mins
8 ounces chopped mushrooms
2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves, packed
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup almond milk
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder


Crust Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Mix together sugar, flour and salt. Whisk the oil and milk together next, pour onto flour mixture. Mix well. Press dough as even as possible against bottom and sides of pie tin.

Place foil over pastry shell and bake in oven for 5 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 3 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.


Quiche Directions:

Reduce heat on oven to 375F. Heat a few tablespoons water in a large skillet. Add onions and mushrooms, cook for about 10 minutes, adding water as needed and stirring often. Next, lower heat and add spinach, simmer until spinach has wilted.

Next, place the tofu, almond milk, garlic, curry powder, onion powder and garlic powder in food processor and blend until smooth. Add the quiche mixture to vegetables and mix well.

Scoop mixture into pie shell and bake 45 minutes or until the quiche is golden brown.

Let quiche cool 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Portobello and Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers

This is an amazing idea! Instead of making a burger patty for your veggie burger you can marinate portobello mushrooms and eat it like burger patty! How healthy is that? I had one burger and struggled to eat it all but man was it delicious! Plus, I used an 11" Round Grill GreenPan so that means fat free since I didn't need to use oil!

Ingredients:

4 (5-inch) portobello mushrooms, stemmed

1 (20-ounce) can pineapple rings

Pineapple juice reserved from can
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1/8 cup water
1 tablespoon organic cornstarch

Spinach

4 whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

Remove stems from mushrooms. Using a small spoon gently scoop out the brown gills under the mushrooms. Using a damp paper towel wipe the mushrooms clean making sure no residue or dirt is left behind. Place mushrooms and pineapples in a casserole dish.

Put 1 cup of the reserved pineapple juice, sugar, soy sauce, garlic and ginger into a small bowl and stir together. Pour marinade over mushrooms and pineapple rings, cover and set aside. Turn occasionally while everything marinates for a few hours.

Drain marinade from mushrooms and pineapples, transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water together. Next whisk the water mixture into the marinade and boil until thickened. Set aside.

If not using a GreenPan, oil your grill pan lightly. If using a GreenPan, line the pan with a little water. Place two mushrooms in your grill pan and grill both sides for about 5 minutes along with the pineapples. Assemble your burger with all your favorite fixing, drizzle with you teriyaki sauce or serve it on the side and serve immediately!

Tofu Cubes aka Chickless Nuggets

My kids love real chicken nuggets but I think they are gross in every way!!!!!!! So, instead of buying the boxed nuggets at the store I prefer to make these. When they ask whats for dinner I say muffled chicken-less nuggets and at first they were like "hey, these are nuggets!" but the little cubes are actually pretty good and they don't complain about eating them so hey, I keep making them!

Ingredients:

1 14 oz block extra firm tofu with the water pressed out
1/3 non-dairy milk
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 pieces of bread ( I used potato bread and dried it out in the oven) or 1 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven 350F.
Stir non-dairy milk and nutritional yeast in a small bowl. Mix parsley and bread crumbs in small bowl.
Slice tofu into small bite size cubes and dip in milk mixture first, next coat with breadcrumbs.
Lightly oil a baking pan and bake tofu cubes for 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve with a nice side of veggies! Dinner is served... YUM!

Meatless Burger Patties

I am not a meat lover and never really have been. I love patties that are full of veggies and crunch! Now my daughter on the other hand well, she is a turkey patty loving gal so, this recipe was created for her! When I made this she didn't even notice it wasn't meat! That is a pretty powerful thing to say as she is 9 and has some years on her so I thought this recipe was pretty impressive! You can change the seasoning to include anything you want like chili powder, lemon, cajun seasoning, just taste it before you cook it to make sure it tastes good! These patties are also pretty thick and durable enough you can put them on the grill over some lightly oiled tin foil, just in case!

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup TVP
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup silken soft tofu
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp BBQ sauce
2 Tbsp Braggs
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic
dash salt and pepper, to taste
oil for frying

Directions:

Mix the TVP and the vegetable broth in a large bowl. Rehydrate TVP according to package directions and drain any excess moisture after fully rehydrated.
Combine the TVP with the remaining ingredients and stir to combine well. The mixture needs to be a sticky consistency.

Form the mixture into patties and fry in oil on each side until lightly browned.

Serve on a lightly toasted bun with your favorite sides.

Garbanzo Bean Salad

I started making this dish years ago before I ever accepted the idea that meat doesn't need to be served with every meal. I love how fast and easy it is to prepare. This dish is so versatile and flavorful you can make it when uninvited guests show up as a quick dip or turn it into a full dinner meal by adding some chicken and then have it for lunch as a "salad" the next day!

Ingredients:

2 cups or 1 can garbanzo beans , rinse well
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
1 bunch cilantro

Salad Dressing:

2 T fresh lime juice or the store bought if you must
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:
 
Chop cilantro and green onions then dice tomatoes. Combine beans, tomatoes, green onion, cilantro and mix with dressing, stir gently until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste and put covered in refrigerator for about an hour.

Shake or toss well before eating. Best served chilled!

I made this in a few minutes while my toddler sat on the counter next to me picking out the beans and tomatoes as you can see in the picture below!

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

I have made sweet potato and black bean burritos a million times and when I went to go make them this time around they turned into delicious quesadillas. Packed full of veggies, one quesadilla is sure to be enough! There is a little bit of prep work involved in this recipe but rest assure if you double or triple the recipe they freeze well and make a quick healthy meal! Taste great with Daiya Cheese!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup cooked beans (I used black)
1 1/2 cup cooked rice or quiona
2 bell peppers, your choice, finely diced
2 cooked sweet potatoes, skins removed or not
1 cup corn
2 large bunches kale or leafy green veggie, chopped
1 cup corn
1 zucchini, diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp creole seasoning
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
2 tsp olive oil
8 whole wheat tortillas

Directions:

In the large skillet heat up 1 tsp oil on medium heat. saute peppers, corn, & zucchini until brown. Remove from heat and pour in large bowl. Mix in the beans, cumin, onion powder and creole seasoning and lime juice, mix well. Set aside.

In the same skillet add remaining 1 tsp oil, heat skillet on medium and add in the kale sauteing for 7 minutes. Remove from heat place in your bowl that already has your veggies in it and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 350F. Take 1 tortilla and spread a thin layer of sweet potatoes. Next add your veggie mix on top. Take another tortilla and spread a thin layer of sweet potatoes on it and place on top of the other making a quesadilla! Do this for the other 6 tortillas making 3 more quesadillas! Place on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Dairy and Egg Free Buttermilk Bread Recipe

This is MY go to bread... This recipe is AMAZING, soft on the inside with a thin slightly crunchy outside layer! YUM! I make it at least once a week and it is so easy!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups of plain soymilk
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of lemon juice OR vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons vegan buttery spread
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2-2/3 cups white bread flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 pkg. (2 to 3 teaspoons) dry yeast
1 tbsp vital wheat gluten (my addition)

Directions:

Put all ingredients into your bread pan and choose the "dough" setting and press start.

Let the bread machine go through half a cycle or the full cycle if you choose. Take the bread out and put into a lightly oiled bread pan and allow to rise again for about 45 minutes.

After the bread has risen bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.


All credit goes to Heterotechno!

Baked Eggless Meatballs

Homemade meatballs seem like such a special treat so when ground turkey goes on sale I buy bulk amounts and make food to freeze for later. This recipe is super easy and the ingredients can be kept the same or you could add some oregano for an Italian flavor or creole for a Cajun flair. The whole point of this recipe is they are free from eggs and can be seasoned to your liking!

Ingredients:

2 lbs 90/10 ground turkey

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp dried parsley or oregano

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all ingredients well and roll into golf sized balls. Place meatballs on non-stick baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. 

After 20 minutes open oven and roll all the meatballs over so all will be browned evenly. Bake another 12 minutes. Insert meat thermometer and to ensure internal temperature is 160F and they are done!

Place on paper towels to drain a little. Serve immediately or freeze for later!

WUV this sandwich MOM!

This sandwich came to light when I realized my boys would eat anything smothered in ketchup and vegenaise! We were all under the weather this week and I made this up to get my boys to eat something, anything! The creamy yet, rich flavor in this recipe is sure to be a hit! My oldest son who is 4 proclaimed "I WUV this sandwich!"

Ingredients:

1 recipe seitan cutlets, diced or 1 lb. fully cooked chicken, diced
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup vegenaise
4 good squirts of worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
pinch black pepper
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 buns

Directions:

While I preheat my oven to bake the buns, I wrap up my mushrooms in foil and place on the top of the oven to cook.

Prepare the WUV sauce by combining the ketchup, vegenaise, worcestershire sauce, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper in a bowl. Min until well combined. Add the diced chicken and stir to coat.

Divide the WUV muxture evenly between the 8 buns and top with your mushrooms. Serve warm!

Whole Wheat Buns

Everyone has a recipe for homemade buns and this is one I tweaked over time and changed a million times to suite my bread needs! These buns are thick and wholesome and everyone loves them!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
2 tsp Ener-G egg Replacer mixed with 2 tbsp warm water
1 tsp sea salt
3 1/2 cups all-purpose whole wheat flour


Directions:

I use my bread machine to do all the mixing for me. So, place the yeast and warm water at the bottom of the bread machine. Stir in the oil and sugar, and let the mixture rest for 5 minutes.

Add the mixed Ener-G egg Replacer, salt and flour into the bread machine and set on the dough setting. Wait until it forms a soft dough. If kneading by hand, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces, shaping into round circles.

Cover the dough with a towel and let them sit at least 10 minutes. In the mean time preheat your oven to 425F.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until nice and golden brown.

Fresh Corn and Celery Relish

Who says that your veggies alway needs to be a side dish? Can't we just throw some veggies together and top our tacos with it and call it a day? I'm sure there are a million recipe for corn relish so I just made one up to suite my familys taste. It seems I go through less hassle trying to get my oldest son to eat his veggies when his whole meal is "all in one!"

Ingredients:

3 celery stalks, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 ear corn, stripped of kernels
2 scallions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Enough water to barely cover bottom of pan

Directions:

Place everything in a small pan. Cook gently on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until corn is tender. Serve on your tacos!

Simplest Rich Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting Review

Simplest Rich Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting is from a pretty cool vegan recipe book called Sweet Utopia. The title says it all! SIMPLEST one bowl cake ever! Since I was only testing the recipe I made only half but I should have made more since the boys actually took the dish and ate right out of it!! I had to snap a quick picture before it was inhaled!

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups soymilk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting:
1 1/2 cups nondairy chocolate chips
1/3 cup vegan butter substitute
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and oil and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the soymilk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract and stir until just combined. Pour evenly into the prepared pans and bake for about 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on racks.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate chips and vegan butter substitute in a double boiler over gently simmering water. Alternatively, place them in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at medium power for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave for 25 seconds longer and stir until smooth. If necessary, microwave for an additional 25 seconds. Stir in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Let the frosting cool for 8 to 10 minutes.

Homemade Powdered Sugar

While I was on my quest for the perfect vegan birthday cake I ran out of powdered sugar mid way through a recipe. My google search brought me to The Vegan Chef where she gives a recipe for powdered sugar. This fascinating idea blends cane sugar and cornstarch together and voila... powdered sugar and it works! Vegan or not this is a great idea for when you are in a pinch!

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached cane sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch

Directions:

In a blender or food processor, blend sugar and cornstarch for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and blend an additional 30 seconds. Store in an airtight container.

Chinese Miso Soup

Here is another favorite soup that is EASY especially with left over chicken or seitan, frozen stir-fry vegetables and that cooked rice you have stored in your freezer. Everything comes together quick for and easy last weekday dinner!

Ingredients:

5 cups rich broth
1 package frozen stir fry vegetable blend (the ones I buy are 14oz)
2 cups cooked chicken or seitan
1 tsp minced fresh ginger (I mince mine and freeze for later use)
1 tsp soy sauce or braggs
1 tsp yellow miso
1 cup cooked rice or 3oz you favorite noodle
1/2 cup dry sherry

Directions:

In a large saucepan add ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Seitan Street Tacos

Super easy dinner (period!)

Grab your food processor and take some onion and pulse it, set aside. Take some cilantro and pulse a few times, set aside. Now, it's the end of the week which means I usually make a vegetable medley of what ever we have left from the weeks vegetables I bought. I toss them in my food processor and pulse a few times, season and wrap in foil. Next, I prepare some seitan cutlets wrap them in foil and steam my veggies and cutlets together. After 20 minutes I remove the veggies and seitan cutlets and now place the corn tortillas on a piece of foil on my steamer and cover to lightly steam. Unwrap you seitan and chop into small bite size pieces or if you already washed your food processor you can use that, too! Assemble your street tacos and serve along side you veggies. Dinner done!

Chicken or Vegetable Noodle Pot Pie

This week was rainy so I made some chicken noodle soup which means I always have leftovers! Here is a recipe for all the left over noodle soup you have but would rather not freeze!

Ingredients:

1 left over noodle soup recipe
2 3/4 cups liquid from noodle soup
1 sheet puff pastry
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup nutritional yeast

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Lightly oil a 9x9 casserole dish.

Using a fine mesh strainer drain out all the liquid from your left over noodle soup and place 2 3/4 cups in a small pan over med heat. Once the liquid started to boil add the whole wheat pastry flour and nutritional yeast and blend until mixed well. Lower heat and simmer until it starts to thicken. Set aside.

Pour remaining soup into casserole dish and top with with your thickened soup liquid. Please pastry puff sheet on top and place in oven.

Cook for about 20 minutes or until the pastry puffs up and turn a nice golden brown.

White Winter Chili

So last week was hot here in So Cal and we have been eating lots of fresh fruits, cut up veggies and popsicles! However, when I woke up one morning early this week the weather changed for the worse and it was cold, overcast and raining! So instead of letting the day put me down I decided to do what I love best... Cook! As I said it's cold so I opted to make Chili!

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp + 2 tsp oil
1 onion, chopped
1 T chopped garlic
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried parsley
2 4 oz cans diced mild green chilies
1/2 cup minced green/red/yellow peppers (your choice which you pick)
4 cups soaked white beans (Or possibly 2 cans low sodium white beans if you are in a pinch)
4 cups rich broth 

1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
2 greens onion, chopped

Directions:

While heating 2 tsp. oil in your heavy soup pot trim all fat from the chicken breasts. Please use med-low heat because the goal is to only use one pot to save time.

While the chicken is slowing browning I take out my small $10 Target food processor and "mince" my onions and set aside. Next I mince my garlic and bell peppers, set aside. Once the chicken is browned on both sides remove from pot and place right in the food processor and push the buttons a few times so the chicken gets chopped up a bit now, set aside. I personally place most everything back on the cutting board in the order it will go it the pot.

Heat the other 2 teaspoons of oil in your pot, then saute onions until they're softened and just starting to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add minced garlic, peppers, ground cumin, parsley and saute a couple minutes.

Add 4 cups white beans, 4 cups chicken broth and canned diced chilies, turn to low and simmer. Let cook for 30 minutes.

After the chili has simmered for 30 minutes, add the chicken and simmer about 5 minutes more.

After adding the chicken, chop up the cilantro and green onions. After 5 minutes add chopped cilantro and simmer about 5 minutes more. Garnish with green onions and serve hot.

Other easy toppers are:

  Sour cream or vegan alternative, Cheese or vegan alternative and Tortilla Chips