Red Lentil Stew-Plant based

I loved making this stew today. It was made with simple ingredients, all of which I normally have on hand. It used two pots, a knife and cutting board, and came together quickly without a fuss. We loved it over quinoa with hot, crusty sourdough bread.

1 quart canned tomatoes and juices 

2 cups rinsed red lentils

1 quart water

1 quart vegetable broth

1 medium onion, diced

4 celery stalks, chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 Tablespoon grated turmeric (or 1/2 t. dried and ground)

2 Tablespoons liquid aminos

1/4 cup 100% maple syrup

1/3 cup lime juice

1 Tablespoon Chile powder

1/2 Tablespoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Salt to taste

Black ground pepper to taste

After rinsing lentils, place in a pan with 1 quart water. Bring to a boil. 

Once boiling, cover with a lid, and remove from heat. Allow to sit for 20 minutes. 

In the meantime, saute celery, onions and garlic in 1-2 Tablespoons of water, until soft. 

Add tomatoes, use potato masher or fork to break into smaller chunks. 

Add broth, lime juice, aminos, and spices. 

Add lentils, then add maple and salt to taste and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to reduce liquid and blend flavors. 

Serve over grain (rice or quinoa), along with hot crusty bread. 

Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and ground black pepper. 

Tomato Mac or pasta

I have a Blue Jeans pressure cooker cook book and came across this recipe tonight and was pleased with the outcome, after a few twists to make it plant based.
The author states that this is a comfort food from Quebec. I was surprised at how much I liked it-it has a similar, yet lighter taste than the red pepper pasta.



1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, smashed and diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 quarts canned tomatoes (or equivalent) with liquid
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/2-1cup water
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon (plant based link)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup water
3 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups whole wheat pasta
2 Tablespoons tomato paste

Saute vegetables in 1-2 Tablespoons water until tender.
Add tomato paste, and spices. Stir to mix them in.
Add tomatoes and pasta, and cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Allow to quick release of the steam.

I'm the meantime, blend and, 1 cup of water, add additional garlic, bouillon, and smoked paprika, basil and salt to taste.

Once pasta has cooked, stir in almond mixture and serve..

2 minute Good (not your momma's gluey) oatmeal

                       Here's a super quick, easy, and delicious way to add some oatmeal to your life.
                                                   
I grew up on oatmeal, and hated (insert many other strong words here) oatmeal. And some people in our house used to save and freeze the leftovers and serve them up later in the week too (bless them for trying to save a penny, but it put me off of oatmeal for years).
Then, several years later, I was at a friend's house and she was headed out the door and said, "just grab some oatmeal for breakfast." She was a tough fire fighting, plane jumping chick, and I was amazed she would eat oatmeal every day. I saw a canister of oats on her counter and was puzzled. I asked how she usually made it, and she shared the following recipe with me.

And if you've never liked oatmeal-you just might like this. I like the 2 minutes and 30 seconds bit.
Pay attention here-its pretty slick.

1 handful oats. (I buy the double box of Quaker oats at Costco-they aren't blended and broken down to bits already)
                                                 
By the way, my handful is approx 1/2 cup. The quantity doesn't matter, but that's the perfect amount that fills me and isn't too much.

Place oats into a microwaveable bowl.
Cover with water, then add 1/8-1/4" more. So it's just over the top.
                                                 


Microwave for 2 minutes.
While it is cooking, crush some nuts, get out some fruit, sweetener (if you need it - I like maple syrup) and a dash of salt.

I like blueberries or raisins usually. Sometimes I add a little nutmeg or cinnamon.

Another option is to smash up one banana in the bottom of a bowl. Add a handful of oats and mix in. Add enough water to cover plus 1/4". Microwave for 2 minutes. Add walnuts and cinnamon and it tastes like banana bread or a muffin.

So many options... And only 2 1/2 minutes!
                                                

We use plastic cups to send this out the door with our kids in the mornings too!

Thai Butternut Soup

This soup is a perfect all season soup.  It isn't too light or too heavy. Served with crusty bread it is bursting with flavors and ever so satisfying. 

4-6 cups roasted butternut squash (I pressure cook, OR quarter and scoop out the insides, then bake with a bit of water in the bottom of a baking dish, covered with foil until tender- usually about an hour at 350*). 

1 yellow onion

1 head fresh garlic- peeled & crushed

1 quart vegetable broth

5 cups water +/-

1 Tablespoon soy sauce or aminos

2 Tablespoons lime juice

1 can (14 oz) coconut milk

1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1 Tablespoon 100% maple syrup

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Salt to taste

Cayenne or red pepper flakes to taste

Place onion and garlic into sauce pan and saute over medium high heat with 1-2 T. water until soft. 

Scoop flesh from squash skin and place in blender. 

Add sauteed vegetables, and blend, adding enough water to allow squash to puree. 

Once smooth, pour mixture into pan, adding additional water (for desired consistency), lime juice, aminos/soy, maple syrup, and spices. Heat over medium high heat.

Once heated, add 3/4 can of coconut milk. Reserve remainder for serving. 

To serve garnish with chopped cilantro, roasted ground peanuts, and drizzle remaining coconut cream, black and cayenne pepper and salt to taste. 

Kale and avocado "massaged" salad

When my friend told me about this salad, I was pretty dubious. It just sounded weird. But oh my! Love this one and will definitely be making it again!

4-6 cups kale (roughly chopped (stalks discarded

1 medium avocado

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon minced garlic (fresh)

1/2 t. Cumin powder

1/8 t. Cayenne pepper

2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice

Place kale in large bowl, add avocados and massage the avocados into the kale with hands. The kale will begin to shrink and will almost wilt. 

Add remaining ingredients and massage into kale until thoroughly mixed.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

We love tomato soup at our home-especially made from home canned tomatoes. My grandmother taught me to make this as a child, and here's my plant based version.

1 quart tomatoes (or canned equivalent)*
4 garlic cloves
1/2 medium onion
1-2 Tablespoons basil
1/4 t. Cayenne pepper
Black pepper and salt to taste
2 teaspoons plant based chicken bouillon
1 cup raw cashews
4 cups water

* If using store bought canned tomatoes, add 2 additional teaspoons of 100% maple syrup or sweetener  (to taste) and 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice and additional salt as needed.

Place tomatoes, spices and seasonings into a blender (I prefer a Vitamix) and puree until smooth.

Pour mixture into a large pan and heat on stove.

Add cashews and water to blender and process until smooth and creamy.

Add to tomato mixture in pan on stove and whisk until well combined. Continue to whisk as mixture heats-just below a boil. 
The cashew milk will thicken soup, thin if needed with water.

Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and fresh basil.

Serve warm

Plant Based Lasagna

Lasagna has always been a family favorite, and I've had to try several recipes until I found a combination of two different recipes which we like. I've tweaked these recipes to my family's tastes, and omitted the oil and sugar from the original recipes. 

Here's a close up showing all of those lovely layers! 

While it takes a bit of time, and is done in 3 steps - Marinara, Ricotta Sauce, then the actual assembly, this recipe is probably my kid's most requested meal, and it feeds a crowd. 

Marinara

1 cup red lentils 

2.5 cups water

1/2 t. salt

Rinse lentils in a sieve, then combine ingredients and heat in a pan, boil in water for 15-20 minutes. 

Set aside. 

-------------------------------

1 medium onion - chopped

1 medium red, orange, or yellow bell pepper - chopped

5 large mushrooms - sliced

5-6 garlic cloves, minced

1 quart canned tomatoes, or equivalent (including juices)

1 six oz can tomato paste

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1-2 Tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon oregano

1.5 teaspoons fennel seeds - crushed

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 Tablespoon basil

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste - optional)

black pepper - to taste, optional

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add oregano, paprika, fennel & basil and toast lightly, stirring constantly. Add fresh veggies and red wine vinegar. Saute until softened. Add water if needed to keep ingredients from sticking. 

Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Use a potato masher to break tomatoes down to desired chunkiness if needed. Season to taste. 

Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Add additional water to thin if needed, or blend if a thinner consistency is desired. 

Add 3 c. cooked lentils to marinara, mix thoroughly.  Set aside.

------------------------

Cashew ~ Tofu Ricotta

1.5 cups raw cashews

16 ounces of firm tofu, cubed

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon (optional)

3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon smoked Paprika

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning

Salt to taste

Place cashews in blender or food processor, process until ground to a medium fine consistency. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  Set aside. 

-------------------------------------

Lasagna

1-2 packages whole wheat or 100% semolina durum lasagna noodles

3 cups fresh spinach or greens

Preheat oven to 350* F. 

Line a large baking casserole dish with foil. 

Cover the bottom of the casserole dish with a thin layer of sauce. 

Arrange noodles in a single layer in casserole dish. Gently break off corners of needles if needed to make fit.

Using a spatula, spread a layer of ricotta over noodles. 

Cover noodles with a layer of spinach or greens. 

Cover greens layer with a layer of marinara sauce. 

Continue layering in this pattern until last layer. 

For the final layer spread ricotta onto the noodles, then cover with a final layer of marinara.

Sprinkle with finely grated cashews.

Bake for 1 hour. Allow to rest for 10 minutes prior to serving. 

Smoky Baba Ghanoush - vegan, plant based and oil free

We recently took a trip back to Florida where we used to live. On my MUST list, was a trip to my previously favorite Turkish restaurant where I would go with friends for baba ghanoush and lavash.

Unfortunately, I didn't realize that their recipe used dairy and I was very sad. As I was lamenting to a friend, she reminded me that mine was way better than theirs anyways (thanks Sandee!) and SO much cheaper. Here's my oil free adapted recipe, and now I will continue to eat baba ghanoush to my heart's content.

This is a repost and adaptation from a post Sept 13, 2014. 

 For any of those eggplant haters out there - I'm with you.  My mom made it when I was a kid - hated it.  I tried it several different ways as an adult, and just hated it.  Then I had baba ghanoush, and am totally in love - it tastes nothing like eggplant to me this way. 

The baba ghanoush gets a smoky flavor from being roasted, as in roasted to a char. 

Place two medium sized egg plants on the grill (some recipes say poke them, but they fill with steam and cook better without holes).  While they can be roasted on a gas range, or in the oven, a grill really brings out the smoky flavor.  

Grill for 10-15 minutes, and then very carefully turn, using tongs. Roast an additional 15-20 minutes, until the eggplant is so charred that you are completely sure that it is inedible (you may find that it has exploded or burst from the interior steam - no worries.)  

Remove from grill, wrap in foil and let it steam for 15 minutes.  

Carefully make a lengthwise slit in the eggplant and open.  With a spoon, scrape out all of the flesh from the inside of the eggplant. 

Place flesh into a salad spinner and gently spin to remove excess liquid. 

Place in a bowl, and add three minced garlic cloves, and two Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.  Mix until it becomes creamy. 

Mix in three Tablespoons of tahini, and three Tablespoons of coconut milk until

 thoroughly incorporated.  

Stir in 1/4 cup chopped parsely. 

Season with 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt (to taste).   

Serve with lavas(h), naan, roti, or pita chips/bread, crackers or veggies. 

Smoky Baba ghanoush

2 medium sized egg plants

3 Tablespoons tahini

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

3 minced garlic cloves

1/4 cup chopped parsley

3 Tablespoons coconut milk

Sea salt to taste

Roast egg plant on gas grill for 30-40 minutes, until blackened and charred, turning once.  

Enclose in foil and allow to sit for 15 minutes. 

Carefully scoop out flesh (discard charred bits), and place in a salad spinner, and gently spin to remove excess liquid. 

Place in a medium sized bowl and mix until creamy with lemon juice and garlic. 

Add tahini, and coconut milk.  

Stir in parsley, and add salt to taste. 

*Note all ingredients can also be blended in a food processor or blender if a creamier consistency is desired. 

Serve with lavas(h), roti, baked tortilla chips, veggies, or crackers. 

Taquitos! Vegan, Whole Food, Plant Based

You may have noticed a taquitos theme in my previous posts.  All roads (or recent posts it seems) lead to taquitos.  

What can I say, other than we've missed them and these were pretty fabulous?

Be warned that this recipe contains several links to full recipes of some of the ingredients. If you don't already have the bouillon, ranch dressing, or salsa this recipe can be time consuming (but oh so worth it!), then again, if you are cooking or eating wfpb, you probably expect time consuming cooking anyways.


Taquito Shells - plan for 4-6 per person (this should allow for leftovers/lunch the following day)
1 Vegan Meat recipe
(1 cauliflower, 1 cup walnuts, 4-6 large shiitakes, 2 T. soy sauce or liquid aminos)
1 onion - diced
4 large garlic cloves - minced
1-2 T. chicken bouillon (vegan)
1 t. cumin
salt to taste (if needed)
2 medium potatoes - baked and peeled (cooked for 6-8 min in microwave until soft, then placed in plastic bag to sweat for 10 min., (to allow for easier peeling) then peeled)


Toppings
Ranch Dressing - vegan & oil free
Taquito Salsa - oil free
chopped spinach, arugula or lettuce
chopped tomatoes

Meat Filling:
Place vegan meat into large fry pan. Add peeled potatoes, onion, garlic and bouillon and mix with a potato masher, until potato is thoroughly mixed into the meat mixture.

Heat through with the addition of a couple of tablespoons of water (to keep it from sticking).

To assemble taquitos, place meat filling in the bottom of taquito shell, add chopped greens, tomatoes, then taquito salsa and finally vegan ranch.
 

Salsa for Taquitos

Salsa para los taquitos - continuing with the taquitos theme, these are a requirement for eating taquitos - at least good, homemade ones.

I was a little dubious about omitting the oil from these when cooking them, but it turned out great. The consistency is a little bit thicker, but the flavor remained unchanged.

10-15 dried red chiles (arbol or japones) - usually found in the latin spice section at store

6 cloves of garlic, smashed and half set aside

1 coarsely chopped onion, half set aside

1 can 14 oz. tomato sauce 

1 T. chicken bouillon - vegan 

Using gloves (or sandwich baggies which I always have on hand (clever huh?) but not so much with the gloves) crush or break the chiles and remove and discard seeds and inner veins (or save these and use them for crushed red pepper seasoning).  

Place in a frying pan with 3 T. water and sautee until they become slightly tender. Add half of the onions and half of the garlic and continue to sautee until tender, adding additional water as needed so that it doesn't stick.  

Place pan contents and remaining ingredients into a high powered blender and puree until smooth. 

Salt to taste (if needed). 

Serve over taquitos.

Baked Corn Tortillas - tostadas, chips, strips, tacos and taquito shells (no oil)

We love hispanic foods and use corn tortillas in a lot of different ways.


We use corn tortillas which have the least amount of ingredients with no oils or sugars (and if I can't pronounce or don't know what an ingredient is (or if I google it and it sounds funky), then we move along to another brand or make them ourselves with maseca.)

 The best tortillas contain the fewest ingredients - corn and lime (a mineral used to break the corn down) should be the two main ingredients.

For Simple Tostadas:
Simply separate, then lay corn tortillas on the oven rack and broil for 5-10 minutes, turning once when browned.  If you prefer crunchy, let them go a little longer, if you prefer them a little more chewy, use a little less time.  Remove and allow to cool, then serve topped with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, pico de gallo, avocados, olives, hot sauce - whatever you've got on hand. This is a fantastic snack, or super easy go to meal we use when we are short on time or ideas.

Easy Tortilla Chips:
If we are lazy, we simply break up tostadas (above) for dipping. However, some people want the uniform triangle chip, and cut them with a pizza cutter (or knife) into triangles (8 from each tortilla) and arrange them on a baking sheet and bake at 350* turning once, for 10-15 minutes.  

Tortilla Strips:
Tortilla strips can be made just like the tortilla chips by simply cutting into strips and baking at 350* for 10-15 minutes, turning at least once until browned.

Taco or Taquito Shells:
Corn tortillas - as many as desired (we plan for 4-6 + per person, which allows for lunches the next day).
Heat oven to 350*
Working in batches of 12, use a tortilla warmer like this  (they aren't expensive and they are amazing!) to heat up a stack of tortillas for 2 minutes in the microwave.

Tortillas can also be wrapped into a dishcloth or papertowel if a tortilla warmer is not available , heat for 2 minutes in the microwave.

This steams the tortillas and makes them pliable.

When they come out all steaming and pliable, simply drape them across the rungs of the oven rack - covering two rungs (they break when draped across just one rung - trust me, I've tried.)



Bake for 10 minutes until slightly golden brown, then remove and allow to cool.

These are a little wider mouthed than store bought taco shells, but still give a great crunch, and are easier to fill!

Ranch Dressing - Non Dairy

I know, several of my recent posts have been about taquitos - what can I say? We love taquitos and to eat them properly, you need ranch and special salsa. As seen in this photo:

In my recent quest to make wfpb acceptable taquitos, I created this ranch dressing recipe - the spices combination come from wellness mama, but she didn't have a dairy free option for the dressing part of it. So here's mine. It's not Hidden Valley, but it is plant based and still tastes great too.

Spice Mixture
1/4 c. dried parsley
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1 T. dill weed
1 T. garlic powder
1/2 t. basil
Mix in food processor and store in airtight container.

Dressing
1 c. raw cashews (drained if soaked for 2-4 hours if you don't have a high powered blender)
1/2 c. silken tofu
3 T. coconut milk
2 T. lemon juice
salt to taste
1/2 - 1 c. water

In a high powered blender, blend ingredients until a smooth dressing like consistency is reached - add water slowly as needed until desired viscosity is reached.

Add 1 Tablespoon +/- of the spice mixtures, then season to taste with salt and additional ground black pepper if needed.

Versatile Plant Based "Meat" from Cauliflower, Walnuts and Shiitake Mushrooms

In the (almost) year that we've been eating whole food, plant based, I've learned an important rule.
NEVER cook something you used to love, expecting it to taste like it used to. Just don't, because you'll be disappointed - I've been disappointed a lot! When you cut out the sugar, oil, processed flours and ingredients, of course the flavor will change. There's just no getting around it.

Note - This photo contains onions, garlic, potatoes and taquito seasonings

In trying to find a meat substitute, we played with jackfruit for a while, trying to come up with some pulled pork options with little success. We had jackfruit tacos at a restaurant and we loved them (but I'm pretty sure they still used sugar and oil), but we couldn't replicate them - no matter how many variations on a theme we tried.  My point is, things just don't work, or turn out the same.

That said, I was super dubious about trying some different recipes for fake meat using cauliflower, mushrooms and walnuts.  Let me be clear - this doesn't taste like meat. Even with seasonings, it doesn't taste like meat. It does however, have a great texture, and a very mild flavor that carries flavors VERY well (perfect for mexican dishes).  We've used it for tacos, power bowls, and taquitos (all different flavor profiles) and we've been very pleased with it. My teenagers will eat it - need I say more? Super simple, and you can adjust your seasonings as needed for your dish.

1 small head of cauliflower - trimmed and broken into 1-2 inch pieces
1 cup walnuts
4-6 large shiitake mushrooms - cut into 1 inch pieces (+/-)

Using a food processor, one ingredient at a time, process into a coarse crumb, sized to your preference - between a corn kernel, and a rice kernel.

Mix in bowl.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce or liquid aminos and mix thoroughly.

Heat oven to 350*, and spread mixture into a shallow baking pan.
Bake for 30 minutes. Stirring once at 20 minutes.

Season as desired.

Chicken Bouillon - plant based

When we started eating WFPB, a lot of our favorite staple recipes had to be retired. We weren't big beef eaters, but we ate a lot of poultry. Yesterday as I sat down to make a menu (er...figure out what the heck I was going to try to feed my family) I was thinking about how much my family loved taquitos - the ones my friend Berta taught me to make years ago. They are nothing like the frozen grocery store taquitos and even though we didn't make them very often, they were always a huge hit.

I was day dreaming about them and I wondered if they could be made WFPB, but then I remembered that my recipe calls for (and heavily relies on) chicken bouillon.  I figured, "why not see if there are any alternatives out there?" and googled it - coming up with a surprising number of results.  Some WAY more complicated than what would be worth the work.

Here's my adaptation of several different recipes. I was shocked at how much it tasted like chicken bouillon - shocked, and then overjoyed. My husband tasted it and was also amazed. I added some to a glass of hot water and made a broth and it STILL tasted like chicken bouillon!

Thrilled, I reworked my taquitos recipe and we had them for dinner. People (including me) moaned. They weren't our normal taquitos, but they were still pretty dang good - all thanks to the chicken bouillon.

Note - this recipe (and every other that I came across) calls for nutritional yeast. My family can't stand the stuff, but I figured I would try it one last time to see if it worked in this recipe. In my previous experience buying the nutritional yeast flakes, I purchased the large flakes. Yesterday however, I bought a much finer flake, and was very surprised by it - I didn't mind it nearly as much. If you have the option, my recommendation would be to use the finest/smallest flake available.

1 cup nutritional yeast (see note above)
2 t. onion powder
1 t. onion salt
1/2 t. sage
1/2 t. majoram
3 T. dried parsley
1.5 t. garlic salt
1.5 t. celery salt
pinch basil
1 t. thyme
1 t. rosemary
1 t. sorrel (I LOVE the flavor this herb adds, but it is a bit obscure and difficult to find. I found some seeds this year and grow it, but have never seen it for sale - so if you can find it, grab some, it is delightful!)

Combine ingredients in a food processor or blender.
Store in airtight container.

**For broth - add 1 Tablespoon to 1 cup of boiling water. Adjust taste as needed.

Umami Cabbage & Lemongrass Soup over Seasoned Rice

There's something about this soup...some people at our table may have moaned audibly, several times, and had seconds and thirds. 

I know it doesn't look like much, and when I first read the ingredients, I was seriously doubtful - but I thought I'd try it out, and then I tweaked and played with the flavor, and man oh man...am I ever glad I did. My family requested that I add this one to the blog...you know, for posterity's sake. 

This is a spin off of a recipe by Jill Nussinow.  After making her basic recipe, it felt like it needed something more, so I added and played with the seasonings and decided to serve it over a garlic and seaweed flavored rice-which doesn't necessarily sound amazing I know. But, when it all combines together...oh my-you too may just moan! For us, this is definitely a umami recipe! 

1.5 cups diced onions
4 peeled medium potatoes - cut into fourths, then sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
1/2 cabbage thinly sliced (6-8 cups)
4 large garlic cloves, smashed and diced
2 Tablespoons diced or grated fresh ginger
4 stalks lemon grass, cut into 4-6 inch pieces
2 new Mexican chile peppers or jalapeno
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water
1.5 cans coconut milk
1/3 cup key lime juice
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons salt (additional/or to taste)
2 Tablespoons liquid aminos or soy sauce

Rice
4 cups water
2 cups Jasmine rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 large smashed garlic clove
1/4 cup wakame (dried seaweed)


Turn pressure cooker to saute setting, and heat 2 T. water. When heated, add onions and saute. Add ginger, garlic, chili, and lemon grass. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add potatoes and cabbage and stir a couple of times as they begin to soften.
Add broth, water, and coconut milk, salt and pepper.
Place lid on pressure cooker and cook for 4 minutes.
While this cooks, prepare rice (below)
Remove lid and add cumin, key lime juice, paprika, liquid aminos, cayenne, and additional salt to taste. Remove lemongrass stalks prior to serving.

Rice
Add water to saucepan and begin to heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt, smashed garlic, rices and wakame.
Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 1 minute. Stir, then cover with lid, and turn heat to lowest setting. Cook without disturbing for 20 minutes.
Remove lid, allow to sit for 5 minutes before fluffing.

Place rice in the bottom of the bowl, cover with soup and serve.

2 Non-Dairy Plant Based Corn Chowders, & Basic Grilled Corn

I made this a couple of weeks ago with a cashew cream base, and thought that it would also be awesome with fresh, grilled corn. This recipe is one of my teenager's favorites and I've adapted it into two recipes - one with a cashew base, another with a non-nut base. This recipe works well with freshly grilled, canned or frozen corn.

I normally cook my corn in the husk in the microwave for 6 minutes, and it comes out steamed and juicy. With this recipe, because I really wanted the grilled flavor, and I didn't want to cook 24 ears in the microwave, and I had some extra kids hanging around with time on their hands who were available to help shuck corn and man the grill...I created the grilled option - but work with what you have!

To grill corn: (this process takes about an hour)
Carefully peel husks back, (some outer leaves may be removed) and remove silk. Pull husks back up into place to protect the corn.

Soak corn in a bucket or tub of water with 1-2 Tablespoons salt for 10 - 30 minutes. This will help the husks to not burn so quickly.

Shake off excess water, and place corn on preheated grill, and turn every 5 minutes, grilling for about 20 minutes. Take care not to burn (too much). If a charred look or flavor is desired, peel husks back, and place on grill for a few moments to achieve desired charring.

To release corn kernels from husks, stand cob in a large bowl or pan, and with a knife placed close to the center of the cob, slice/cut in a swift downward motion. Slightly rotate corn, and repeat until all kernels are removed from the cob: I learned this trick from my grandfather who had dentures - and he usually used a butter knife.

Chowder Recipes

*3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-2" chunks (Russet or Yukon) - see note
*1.5 cups peeled carrots - sliced into 1-2" chunks - see note
*3 quarts water with 1 teaspoon salt - see note

OR
1.5 cups raw cashews
4 cups of water

Corn kernels from 4-6 ears of corn on the cob (or two 16 oz cans canned corn)
1-2 cans diced green chiles, or 1 diced jalapeno
1/2 - 1 cup. dry Maseca corn tortilla mix (found in hispanic or flour section of grocery store)
1-2 t. liquid smoke (optional) OR 1 t. smoked paprika
1 t. lemon juice
1.5 t. cumin (adjust to taste)
1/2 t. chili powder (adjust to taste)
Dash cayenne powder (optional - adjust to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

While the corn is grilling, place potatoes and carrots in a pan, with water, and boil until tender, (about 10-15 minutes.)
Remove from pan with a slotted spoon, (leave water in pan) and place them into the blender. Add water from pan to blender as needed, and puree until smooth. Return to pan (with the water), and stir to combine.

OR  Blend cashews in 4 c. water until smooth and place in a large pan.

Sautee onion, garlic and celery in a frying pan with water until tender. Add to the potato/carrot/water mixture OR cashew/water mixture.  

Place 2 cups of grilled corn into blender (or 1 can), and blend until smooth. Use potato/carrot water mixture or add additional water as needed.

Add to pan with other ingredients.
Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

For potato/carrot option - to thicken this chowder base, place 1/2 cup Maseca corn/tortilla flour into a small bowl and add cold water, mixing until it reaches the consistency of a thick gravy.  Remove 1/2 cup of boiling chowder from the pan and mix into the maseca mixture - it will quickly thicken. Stir this mixture back into the chowder to thicken, and repeat this process until desired thickness is achieved.

For cashew cream option, if mixture is already at desired consistency, do nothing. To thin, add additional water to desired consistency, or use the maseca option above to thicken if desired.

Add additional corn kernels (1-2 cups,) diced (grilled optional) jalapenos or diced green chiles (including juices,) cumin, chili powder, lemon juice, liquid smoke/smoked paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Sweetness may be adjusted with a small amount of maple syrup or molasses if needed. Heat, then serve.

Garnish with chopped bell peppers, cilantro or pico de gallo if desired.

We enjoy this with a fresh garden or fruit salad, and hot sourdough bread with either chimi churri, or a fresh herb spread (chopped fresh herbs, salt, and a little coconut milk blended together.)

*Note - for a quicker  or cashew cream based chowder, the boiled potatoes and carrots may be omitted and replaced with a cashew cream.  To create this, combine 1.5 cups raw cashews in a high speed blender with 4 cups of hot water.  Blend until smooth, and use this as the chowder base. This cream base will thicken when heated, so it may need to be thinned with water to desired consistency.

Dairy Free Hot Chocolate ~ Creamy Cashew Cocoa

Rich, creamy, & chocolatey - this cocoa is made to be sipped and savored, rather than chased down the gullet, but my kids are still working on the concept of savoring, as they would drink this by the gallon if I let them (and they've been requesting the recipe here, so that they are no longer reliant upon me when their need for smooth and creamy chocolate hits.) 

This is what I find 2 minutes after I've made this for them: 

Keep in mind that this recipe is a guideline, and amounts should be adjusted to taste - add more cashews for a creamier consistency, more or less cocoa powder for depth/darkness of chocolate, and more or less dates or maple syrup for desired sweetness.  

1 cup raw cashews

2 T. cocoa powder

12-14 deglet noor dates 

4 - 6 cups hot water

1/8-1/4 t. salt

 Dash (or two) cayenne pepper (optional)

Dash (or two) cinnamon (optional)

1 tsp. vanilla

100% maple syrup for additional sweetening (if needed...I don't need it, but my kids think they do)

Place all ingredients into a high powered blender -

 (or soak cashews for 4 hours beforehand in hot water.)

Blend for 3-5 minutes, until the beverage is heated, and all ingredients are thoroughly blended (er..blasted into microbits and emulsified into a delicious nectar, rather than still in chunks). 

Taste, and adjust for preference. 

Note, the salt brings out the sweetness, and the cayenne, cinnamon and vanilla add depth and a very subtle, difficult to figure out what the slight essence of flavor is, but oh so much yumminess! 

Vegan Comfort foods - Cream of Mushroom Sauce

As we've been adapting to our new whole food, plant based lifestyle in the kitchen, we've made some really gross food, and we've refined some recipes into family favorites - it's definitely been trial and error.

Below is one of our favorite go to's -  probably number one on our kids list of favorite vegan foods.  For me, it is the ultimate comfort food for a girl who was raised on Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup!

1 cup raw cashews
3 cups hot water
1 cup thickly sliced shiitake mushrooms (or whatever you have but shiitake are our favorites)
1 medium onion - diced
4 garlic cloves, smashed and diced
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce

Place cashews and water in blender and allow to soak for 15 minutes to soften the cashews.

Place onion and mushrooms in medium frying pan and sautee in tamari or soy sauce for 5-7 minutes, occasionally stir gently. Add garlic and sautee for an additional 2 minutes to release the juices and oils.

Using high powered blender, blend the cashews until they are completely smooth, then with the heat on, add to the onion, mushroom, and garlic in the frying pan, stirring while adding.
Continue to stir as sauce will begin to thicken.  Salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Once heated, serve over rice, potatoes, pasta, or grain.

*This can also be thinned with additional water and served as a soup.

Moist Cornbread - Vegan, Sugar and Oil free

It took me a really long time to find a cornbread recipe that I liked...and then we decided to cut all animal products out of our diet. And so, following is the vegan, no sugar, oil, or processed ingredients version of my favorite cornbread recipe. Let it be known that my kids LOVE this (so do the adults) and we aren't really big cornbread fans. It's a keeper! 

3/4 cup cornmeal
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup
1 can corn (pureed with corn liquid in blender)
1 can corn, drained (not pureed)
1/2 cup chia gel (add 2 T. chia seeds to 4-5 T. water, let sit 10 minutes)
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove - minced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 can coconut milk

Sautee the onion in small amounts of water for 25-30 minutes, stirring and adding water as needed.
Add minced garlic and jalapenos and saute for an additional 5 minutes.

Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt in a medium sized bowl.
Add syrup, pureed corn, chia gel and coconut milk - mix well.

Add drained corn and onion mixture. Stir to mix.

Line a 9x13 glass pan with aluminum foil and bake at 375* for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool before turning out of pan.

Vegan/WFPB "Chicken Tortilla Soup" Inspired Black Bean and Rice Soup

After thumbing through several vegan cookbooks tonight, I had decided to make a basic black bean and rice soup. However, as I began collecting ingredients, it morphed into something new, warm, comforting and reminiscent of chicken tortilla soup.
                
This soup comes together quickly and is awesome served over rice, topped with Pico de gallo, diced avocados, tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese (optional).

2.5 quarts boiling water
*2 cups cooked black beans
*1.5 cups cooked white beans
1 quart canned tomatoes (if home canned tomatoes are not available, add an additional 2 Tbsp. Lemon juice, & 1 Tbsp. sweetener such as maple syrup or sugar of your choice for taste as needed)
1/3 c. chopped leeks or onions
5 garlic cloves, diced or crushed
1 Tbsp. cumin powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup diced fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp crushed coriander seeds (to taste)
1.5 Tbsp. white miso
1/2 cup Maseca corn tortilla flour
Salt and black pepper to taste

Cooked Jasmine Rice
Pico de Gallo
Diced avocados
Baked corn tortillas broken into pieces
Grated Cheese and sour cream (optional)


Add water to large pan and heat to boiling. While water heats, blend tomatoes until smooth. Add tomatoes to water, then add beans, leeks, garlic and spices. Stir to mix.

Scoop several Tbsp. of liquid into a small bowl, then add miso and mix until smooth. Add this mixture back into the large pan and stir.

Place Maseca flour into the small bowl. Add cool water, mixing until it is a thin paste, (similar to the viscosity of honey), adding water as needed.  Once smooth, add a small amount of the tomato liquid mixture (1/2-1 cup) to the Maseca and stir until smooth. Once mixed, add back to the large pan and stir to combine. This will thicken the soup slightly.

Add coconut milk and cilantro, and season to taste.

To serve, place a serving of rice in the bottom of a bowl, add soup and garnish with Pico de gallo, diced avocados, tortilla chips, sour cream and cheese as desired.

*I pressure cooker or slow cool beans and freeze them in 2 cup quantities.

Plant Based Carne Asada

I'm a sucker for latin foods...oh me oh my! 

This carne asada is one of my most visited recipes here, and it's probably in my top 5 favorite foods. My daughter asked for carne asada for her birthday and while I made hers with skirt steak, I was bound and determined to figure out how to make carne asada vegan style so that I could enjoy it too. 

I bet you can guess what we'll be having for Mother's Day??! Can't wait! 

I hope you'll enjoy this much as we do. I've tweaked my marinade and added mushrooms and honestly, could eat this raw as a salad as well as cooked.  

Carne Asada Marinade or Mojo
1/4 c. key lime juice (the very small green limes)**this is key for the flavor
1/4 c. coconut milk
2 T. white vinegar
4 garlic cloves - pressed or very finely diced
1/2-3/4 c. chopped cilantro
1/2 t. ground cumin
2 t. kosher salt (less if table salt)
Jalapeño or serano chiles, minced (optional - to taste)
1/4 t. crushed red peppers (optional - to taste)
2 t. pure maple syrup (more or less to taste)

3-4 cups sliced mushrooms - portabello and shiitake

Combine ingredients except for mushrooms in a non-metal bowl. 

Add 3-4 cups sliced portabello and shiitake mushrooms and toss to coat. 

Allow to marinade for at least 1 hour, gently tossing - occasionally.

Heat grill. 

Place ingredients onto a sheet of foil, and fold edges to seal. Wrap with an additional layer (or two) of foil. 

Grill for 10-15 minutes, turning once. 

Remove and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. 

Serve inside of warmed corn tortillas, with black beans, rice, pico de gallo and guacamole.