Showing posts with label Hearty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hearty. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Italian Roasted Veggies over Chive & Turmeric Mashed Potatoes


It's Summer time and vegetables are plentiful. We have so many fresh zucchini, summer (yellow) squash, green beans, & tomatoes. Roasted Veggies is a very frequent meal at our home in the Summer and mashed potatoes are ALWAYS a favorite...so let's have BOTH!

This is an easy meal. I'm taking the short cut of using mashed potato flakes and "doctoring" them for convenience (nothing against homemade, please use homemade if you have the time). All you have to do is cut up your vegetables, toss them in your marinade (which becomes a delicious sauce for your potatoes!), and roast while you do your laundry,  help kids with homework, or enjoy a glass of wine while catching up on one of your favorite shows. This is so simple, it will become a staple in your home too.


RECIPE:

3 small yellow squash, chopped 
1 large zucchini, chopped 
8 oz. Mushrooms 
2 cups green beans, chopped 
2 cups carrots, chopped 
1 large purple onion, chopped 
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes w/ juice
1 head of garlic cloves, pealed
1 cup Italian dressing 
Salt, pepper, paprika to taste
6 servings of mashed potatoes 
Fresh chopped chives 
1 Tbsp. Turmeric 


METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 450°

2. Toss chopped veggies with diced tomatoes (do not drain!), Italian dressing, salt, pepper & paprika.

3. Pour veggies into a large roasting pan. 

4. Cook 30- 40 minutes (depending on how large you chopped your veggies), stirring once about half way through.

5. Prepare your mashed potatoes adding fresh chives and turmeric. 

6. Once your veggies are "fork tender", remove from oven.

7. Layer your mashed potatoes & top with roasted veggies. Make sure you get the pan sauce to pour over your mashed potatoes because it's delicious!

Makes 4-6 servings

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Vegan Fajita Soup



Who doesn't love all the flavors of fajitas? I know we do! This is a easy recipe to pull all those flavors into an simple, one pot meal. Just serve with some colorful tortilla strips and a few chunks of avocado and you have a new "go to" soup for those lazy nights. 

This soup can be easily modified to fit your tastes and time schedule. If you prefer to use a vegan protein like Seitan or chick'n in this dish, it will still work perfectly. Just cut your vegan protein into bite sized pieces and cook as you would the mushrooms. I just used mushrooms because that's what we had on hand & they are easy to find in all parts of the world. You can substitute the vegan cream cheese for silken tofu and my vegan cheese sauce for any vegan cheese you can find at your local store, nutritional yeast, or just leave it out if you're not a fan. To make it easier, a bag of frozen bell peppers and onions can be used in place of fresh, chopped peppers & onions. 

All my recipes are open to your own personal interpretation. Just use the recipes as a guide as you learn to cook vegan meals. As you get used to the substitutions, please, make it your own! I love it when readers leave comments on their adaptations they have tried & enjoyed so others can try their creations too... that's how we learn 💜


Recipe:

1 (8 oz) package of mushrooms, chopped 
1 (15 oz) can of corn, drained 
1 pobalno pepper, seeded & chopped 
1 purple onion, chopped 
2 bell peppers, seeded & chopped 
1 (1 oz) package of taco seasoning
1 (15 oz) can of black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 (15 oz) can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed well
2 (32 oz) vegetable broth 
1 (10 oz) can of diced tomatoes with green chilies 
1 (8 oz) container of vegan cream cheese 
1 bunch of fresh spinach, chopped 

**Optional add ins & toppings**

1/2 tsp of liquid smoke  
1 fresh jalapeño, chopped 
Vegan sour cream 
Crispy tortilla strips 
Chopped avocado
Lime wedges 
Fresh chopped Cilantro 

Method: 

1. In a deep, soup pot over medium heat, cook your mushrooms, poblano pepper, bell peppers, onions and corn until tender. 

2. Add black beans, pinto beans, taco seasoning, diced tomatoes with green chilies, vegan cheese sauce, vegetable broth, vegan cream cheese, liquid smoke (optional), spinach, salt and pepper to your soup pot. 

3. Reduce heat to medium low and cook an additional 15 minutes, until warm and bubbly.

4. Top with chopped jalapeños, tortilla strips, vegan sour cream, lime juice, Cilantro, and avocado (or other desired toppings) before serving. 

Makes 6 servings 






Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Three Cheeze Baked Ziti



Follow me for more great Vegan ideas: Facebook   Pinterest   Twitter   Instagram

This is a classic dish in our family. It is usually made with ricotta and ground beef topped with lots of cheese. This is my veganized version of this classic dish. It's just as hearty and delicious as the original & perfect for serving at family dinners because no will know it's vegan!


**Recipe**

Tofu ricotta :

1 (14 oz) tofu, do not press
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast 
4 cloves garlic, pressed 
3 Tbsp. Olive oil 
1 tsp. Italian seasoning 
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. lemon juice 
1/4 cup plant milk 


Beefless sauce:

1 (13 oz ) Gardein beefless crumbles *
1/2 tsp garlic powder 
1/2 tsp onion powder 
1 tsp cumin 
Olive oil 
32 oz. Pasta sauce 

1 (16oz ) ziti pasta
Cheddar and mozzarella style vegan cheese 

**Method**

Preheat oven to 400°.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta. Boil about 8 minutes. (Pasta should be slightly under cooked). Drain well. 

Cook beefless crumbles, garlic powder, onion powder and cumin with a little olive oil over medium high heat until browned. 

Reduce heat to low.

Stir sauce into the beefless crumbles. 

Cover your sauce and simmer while you make your "ricotta".

Combine all ingredients for tofu ricotta in in a mixibg bowl. Smash and mix together well, until smooth. 

Pour beefless sauce and ricotta over pasta. Mix well. 

Pour into a greased 11x13 casserole dish. Top with vegan cheeses. Bake 25 minutes. 

Makes 6 servings 





Friday, March 4, 2016

BBQ Tempeh & SouthWestern Cauliflower "Rice"


Follow me for more great vegan ideas: Facebook   Pinterest   Twitter   Instagram

This recipe is fun to get the kids involved in cooking. My kids enjoyed pushing the pulse button on my food processor and watching the cauliflower become "rice". They liked dipping the tempeh in BBQ sauce because it was messy. They liked helping me mix everything together and layering up their plated full of food they created. It was a very quite dinner table tonight, which is rare. My kids cleaned their plates and didn't even stop to speak! My husband was in a "food trance" too, completely quite. ( Which is weird because he usually eats the tempeh, but he doesn't like it). After we were finished eating, everyone asked me to please make this again and post it on the blog! so, here it is, for you all to enjoy in silence! 

Looking for more great Vegan recipes for your family?  Try my Cheezy Butternut Macaroni , Cabbage and Bean Soup, Kale Stuffed Eggplant Parm, "Beefless" Hand Pies, & Mediterranean Hummus Pizza *don't for get desert!! Try Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes


Recipe :

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets 

2 Tbsp vegan butter (or veggie broth if you don't use oils)
1 /2 tsp turmeric (optional, but it makes your "rice" a beautiful yellow color & adds nutrition )
1/2 tsp of paprika 
1/2 tsp. Cumin 
1 (15 oz )can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of corn 
1 fresh jalapeno, diced (optional )
1 medium onion, diced 
1 mediumred pepper, diced
1 bunch of kale, steamed & chopped  (or spinach )
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 (8 oz) packs of tempeh, sliced into 1/4" pieces 
BBQ sauce of your choice 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°

Grease a large baking sheet  

Dip tempeh in BBQ sauce and place on baking sheet. 

Bake 10 - 12 minutes.

Place cauliflower into a food processor. Pulse until cauliflower is rice consistency. 

Cook cauliflower in a deep skillet over medium heat with butter, turmeric, paprika, cumin ,salt and pepper for about 6 minutes (until tender ).

Pour hot rice into a mixing bowl.

You can use the same pan you used for the rice to char your veggies. Just turn your heat to high.

Add jalapeño, red pepper, onion, and corn to your pan. Cook about 4 minutes, until charred slightly.

Add hot veggie mixture and black beans to the mixing bowl with the "rice".  Stir to mix well.

Remove browned tempeh from oven.

Layer tempeh on top of cauliflower "rice" before serving. Top with extra BBQ sauce if needed.

Serves 4-6.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Chili & Cornbread Casserole (Vegan potluck)




Follow me for more Vegan ideas :  Facebook   Pinterest   Instagram    Twitter   

I have been making this recipe for over 20 years for my family. It started out as a cheap meal for us right after we got married. I was a server and my husband delivered pizzas back then, so, money was tight. We always had rice, cans of chili, and the cheap (2 for $1) boxes of cornbread muffin mix. I used to make this with hamburger, eggs and milk, but I have adapted it easily to a vegan recipe. 

I decided this Sunday that I would be brave and go to the once a month potluck at my church. I always skip it because I figure there is nothing for us to eat. (We are the the rural country area of North Carolina where everything is cooked in ham or covered in gravy). This time we decided to take a meal for our family and just enjoy seeing everyone and the program that followed the meal. I decided to make this recipe because it had always been a hit in the past. People had ate it many times as a omni dish and even as a vegetarian dish and never knew the difference ( I just used veggie chili). I also made my delicious Banana Pudding Pie topped with coconut whipped topping. If there was nothing else there, we could have a good meal still.

 Turns out, there was a hummus and veggie tray there that no one else really touched, but we loved it. That dish stood out here in this town...looked far too healthy to taste good I guess. Funny part was, the actual healthy dish (mine) was cleaned out. People went back for seconds! My dish was a hit. I kept hearing the cornbread topping was amazing and the dish was delicious. My pie was all gone except 2 slices, but that was a surprise too on a desert table full of southern classics like coconut custard pie and homemade chocolate cake. Definitely a success! No one even knew it was vegan!

I'm sharing this EASY vegan casserole with you all in hopes you will take it to a potluck or just share it with your family. It's a meal that won't seem "too healthy" or "odd" to share with everyone.



Chili & Cornbread Casserole: 

2 (8.5 oz.) packages of cornbread muffin mix 
2/3 cup unsweetened plant milk
6 Tbsp. aquafaba (chic pea juice )*
1 (15 oz ) can of corn, drained
2 (13 oz )cans vegan chili
1 package frozen veggie crumbles**
1 package frozen onions and peppers
3 cups cooked rice
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Cumin
1 fresh chopped jalapeño (optional )
Salt& Pepper

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cook veggie crumbles ,onions& peppers with cumin, paprika, salt and pepper over medium heat.

Mix cornbread muffin mix, plant milk, aquafaba, and 1/2 cup of corn together in a mixing bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, combine chili, rice, remaining corn, and veggie crumbles mixture. Mix well.

Spray a 13x9 casserole dish with non stick spray.

Pour chili mixture into casserole dish and top with Cornbread. Spread cornbread out evenly across chili.

Cook for 25 minutes, until cornbread is golden brown.

Serves 8

*If you don't have aquafaba, use same amount of applesauce.

**If you don't like to use "fake meats", just add 1 (15 oz.)can of drained and rinsed chic peas 

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Vegan Philly & Cheeze



Follow me for more great Vegan Recipes:   Facebook   Pinterest   Twitter   Instagram   Tumblr


You have to have a good sandwich every once in a while. As much as I love peanut butter and banana sandwiches, they are not "dinner worthy". I wanted a sandwich to serve my teenage son that would make him say "wow!". 

This whole idea started with the portobella mushrooms being on sale at the store this week. I grabbed 4 big mushrooms and through them in the cart and started looking for inspiration. It always takes me time in the grocery store, because I do love to browse and look for new ideas. I just walked up and down the isles gathering my already planned meals and looking for something, other than Stroganoff  I could make for dinner. (Nothing wrong with Stroganoff, but we have had this meal a lot & I'm just tired of it at the moment.)

 I found a steakhouse marinade when looking at pasta sauces. I decided to try and marinade my mushrooms and grill them up into a Philly style creation using up the rest of my Lazy vegan Beer Cheese sauce. This was not a recipe for the health conscious vegans out there, it was a recipe for a family dinner without worries. My messy, gooey, cheesy, tangy, "meaty", hearty, and delicious sandwich was a hit at dinner & will be come a regular rotation at the house since it was so easy to prepare.


Philly Portobella & Cheeze Sandwiches:

4 (8oz.) Packages fresh mushrooms, sliced*
1 (16 oz) steakhouse style marinade *
1 (16 oz) Frozen peppers and onions
1 cup Lazy Vegan Beer Cheese , or other vegan cheese sauce
4 sub style rolls
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sliced jalapeños (optional )
Just Mayo (optional )

In a deep bowl, cover mushrooms in marinade. Cover tightly.

Place bowl in refrigerator for at least 1 hour ( I did this in the morning before work & cooked them when I got home).

Preheat oven to broil .

Warm up your flat griddle to high (or heat up a non stick skillet over medium heat heat).

Drain excess marinade from mushrooms.

Cook mushrooms, peppers and onions on griddle for about 8 minutes, until browned. Season to taste.

Place split rolls on a cookie sheet.

Coat each side with cheeze sauce

Brown under broiler. Remove from

Top rolls with mushrooms, peppers and onions. Pour more hot Cheeze sauce over mushrooms and top with desired toppings.

Makes 4 sandwiches

* For a quicker sandwich, you can use 2 bags of Gardein Szechuan beefless strips. Save the glavor packet for another meal. Cook strips over medium high heat with olive oil, A1 sauce & 8 oz. Chopped mushrooms.

Prepare as directed above.



Monday, January 11, 2016

Baked Spinach and Artichoke Pasta




Follow me for more great vegan recipes & tips: Facebook Tumblr Pinterest Instagram Twitter

My son loves spinach and artichoke dip, so he is my inspiration tonight. This was a modified version of the cauliflower alfredo I make for my kids. The idea struck me, while grocery shopping, that I could do better than just plain alfredo for dinner tonight. I wanted to make it hearty. A meal to stand up to this cold weather and make you feel loved. I think I accomplished that with this dish. This is a dish good enough to take to a potluck & have no one notice it's vegan. I served this with broccoli steamed in fresh lemon juice and tossed in a little italian seasoning... it was a perfect meal for the kids tonight. I hope you family will enjoy it on a cold night in the future. 



For the Pasta sauce :

1/3 cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, crushed 
3 cups Frozen or fresh cauliflower, thawed & chopped into small pieces
2 1/2 cups unsweetened plant milk
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 (12 oz ) jar artichokes, rinsed and drained
1 (16 oz) package of cooked rigatoni

For the breadcrumbs:

4 slices of bread
2 Tbsp vegan butter, melted
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp. dried parsley

To Assemble:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat oil and garlic over medium low heat until garlic is golden brown and fragrant.

Add milk and allow to come to a boil.

Add cauliflower, salt and pepper to taste. Cook an additional 5-6 minutes.

Remove from heat and add nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Set aside.

Toast bread.

Break toast up into rough pieces and add to a food processor with nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, & dried parsley.

Pulse on high until toast becomes breadcrumbs.

Add cauliflower mixture to a high powdered blender.

Set to "food puree" and blend until smooth.

Pour cauliflower sauce over rigatoni in a deep mixing bowl . Add spinach and artichokes. Stir to combine.

Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.

Pour rigatoni into casserole dish and top with breadcrumbs.

Drizzle melted butter over breadcrumbs.

Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until breadcrumbs are golden brown and pasta is bubbly.

Makes 4-6 servings


Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Chipotle Mac-n-Cheese & Smokey Lentils




Follow Me:    Pinterest    Facebook   Instagram   Twitter



This is a recipe that I started and had no idea where it would end up... You probably have those moments too. I needed to go to the grocery store, but it was too late. I had to work with what I had on hand for dinner tonight. I pulled out the usual suspects - pasta, spaghetti sauce, veggies, lentils,left over veggie broth and my last pobalno pepper to figure out what would make sense out of this group of random ingredients ( which is how most of my cooking always starts). 

At first, I though I would make an American chop suey with lentils, but I needed to use up my last pobalno pepper from my garden before it went bad. Strike the chop suey. I decided to just start cooking the pasta, because I knew that was going to be the base of my meal. While the pasta cooked, I started the lentils (which my husband does not like any other way than "smokey" with lots of cumin and paprika in veggie broth). My basic recipe was started, but where was it headed?

As my pasta and lentils cooked, I looked around for a flavor idea. In the freezer I found some of my potato and carrot cheese I keep on hand. *Recipe can be found here -vegan cheese sauce * I always make a double batch of this and freeze it in 1/2 cup portions to have on hand for quick meals. I had a mac-n-cheese idea working! In the refrigerator I found a little vegan sour cream and the last of my jar of chipotle peppers. That was the inspiration I needed. Smokey, cheesy, creamy, spicy...yes, I love all those flavors! That is how I ended up here tonight. Vegan "hamburger helper" is what this reminded me of, so, I served it with just a few slices of bread in a big bowl. 

My husband raved, which is huge with a lentil dish! He loved it so much I added it to this blog just for him to remember later. It is not a "pretty" or "gourmet" meal, but a real meal that a busy Vegan mom can throw together after a hard day of work and make her family happy. That is what my cooking is all about, Family. If they won't eat it, there's no point in me making it. Dinner came together in under 30 minutes, from cheap, on hand, ingredients and everyone was happy. That's a successful night around here. 


Recipe:

1 lb. Cooked pasta, drained
1 cup dried lentils
2 cups veggie broth 
2 tsp. Cumin 
1 tsp. garlic powder 
1 tsp. smokey Paprika 
Salt & Pepper 
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 poblano pepper, chopped fine 
1/2 cup of corn
Oil
3 cups Vegan cheese sauce
3-4 Tbsp. Vegan sour cream of choice 
1 Tbsp. of jarred Chipotle peppers in their sauce

Cook lentils with veggie broth, cumin, garlic powder, paprika and salt and pepper over medium heat until tender (about 15 minutes).

Drain any excess liquid from lentils. 

Sautée onions, poblano peppers and corn over high heat with a little oil until slightly charred.

Toss pasta, lentils, sautéed veggies, Sour cream, Chipotle peppers and Cheeze together. Serve with a little extra sour cream or Sriracha if you want it hotter.

Makes 4-6 servings

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Classic Vegan Chili


Follow Me :  Facebook     Pinterest    Twitter     Instagram

This is the first vegan chili I have ever attempted & I won 2nd place in a cook off tonight! I had such a wonderful time talking to everyone and sharing vegan food with new people. I set up my table with a store bought vegan sour cream and my Lazy Vegan Beer Cheeze sauce  to show just how delicious a real vegan meal tastes. I gave everyone who asked my blog address so I could share this recipe & hopefully a few more with my new friends. (You never know who you have reached at the right moment.) I can now say I make an "award winning" chili - that's pretty awesome!


Award Winning Vegan Chili:

1 (13.7 oz.) bag of Gardein beefless crumbles
2 Tbsp. oil of choice
2 Tbsp. chili powder to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. smoked paprika
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. thyme
3 -4 large cloves of garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. chopped chipolte peppers in adobe sauce
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 Yellow pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 small onions, chopped
1 pobalno pepper,  chopped
2 (28 oz.) cans of petite diced tomatoes
2 (15 oz.) cans of seasoned tomato sauce
2 (15 oz.) cans of red beans, drained & rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can of pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 (26 oz.) can of black beans, drained & rinsed
2 cups veggie broth
Salt & pepper to taste

Optional toppings :

Hot sauce
Lazy Vegan Beer Cheese Sauce
vegan sour cream 

Method :

Brown Gardein beefless crumbles in oil over medium heat. Add chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion powder, oregano, thyme, and soy sauce.

Add onions & peppers with Gardein beefless crumbles. Cook an additional 5-6 minutes, until tender.

Add garlic to the skillet. Allow to cook through, but do not burn.

Pour Gardein mixture into a large crock pot on low heat.

Add chipolte peppers, red beans, pinto beans, black beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and veggie broth to crock pot. Stir to combine all ingredients.

Add salt and pepper to taste . 

Cook on low heat for about 6 hours.

Serve with vegan cheese sauce, vegan sour cream and your favorite garnishes.

Makes 12-16 servings




Sunday, August 16, 2015

Cabbage and Bean Soup





Follow Me :   Facebook    Pinterest     Twitter     Instagram

This recipe has been a family favorite since I was pregnant with my oldest child, who is now almost 21. I craved this soup every day. I had to learn to make it or I would go broke eating at the local restaurant which served it along with garlic cheddar biscuits. (Recipe for the veganized biscuits can be found Here) This had to be veganized because it was an important part of our family's history.

This soup is easy to make & inexpensive to feed a crowd. That was a must raising 4 children. I would not post it until I got the seal of approval from my husband that it was good enough to be called "Cabbage and Bean Soup" and published. I hope this soup will keep you warm in the coming Fall months and become a family favorite in your home.

Looking for more vegan recipes?  Try my Award Winning Chili, Vegan Comfort Soup, Cheezy Butternut Macaroni, BBQ Tempeh over Southwestern Cauliflower "Rice"


Recipe:

1 (12 oz.) bag of veggie crumbles (vegan hamburger) *
Olive oil
1 Tbsp. cumin
1/4 -1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional, but recommend)
2 (32 oz.) Mushroom broth**
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. smokey paprika
2 (15 oz.) Red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 small cabbage, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a stock pot, brown veggie crumbles over medium heat with a little olive oil until browned.

2. Add Mushroom broth, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, paprika, cumin, garlic powder,  onion powder, beans, cabbage to your pot. Add salt & pepper to taste.

3. Cover and cook about 30 mins until cabbage is softened.

Serve with vegan garlic cheddar biscuits or vegan cornbread for a hearty meal.

Makes 6 -8 servings.

* you can use 8 oz. Finely chopped mushrooms if you don't want to use "fake meat".

** vegetable broth will work fine if you can't find mushroom broth.