German-ish Potato Salad

 (Shown top left of photo)

 Makes 4 Servings

2 White Potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed

1-2 chopped green onions
3 TBSP apple cider vinegar
2 TBSP veg. oil
2 tablespoons brown mustard
1 TBSP sugar

2 TBSP Bacon Salt (you can find this at any grocery store in the spice aisle - or use Bacon Bits)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Place potatoes in water with a little salt and bring to a boil

Boil 10-15 min. until potatoes are fork-tender but not mushy

(You should be able to easily stick a fork in them, but they shouldn't fall apart)


In a large bowl, whisk together the bacon substitute, green onion, vinegar, oil, and mustard.
Toss the potatoes into the bowl and mix until the potatoes are well-coated.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm or room temperature.

Vegan Omelette

 We do eat free-range eggs at home now from the Farmer's Market (and by "we" I mean hubby and Little B., I think eggs are kind of gross)...

But if you need an alternative to eggs, and are feeling creative and want to go beyond tofu scramble, this is a good choice.  I made 2 for breakfast this morning and I found the recipe makes 2 servings, not one.

Taken directly from Fat Free Vegan's blog:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/09/vegan-omelette-for-one.html

(Picture of the omelette I made today)

Pizza Popcorn

Ok, this isn't a "recipe" really, but I thought I'd post anyway.  We had early dinner and now we are starving again so instead of getting an actual pizza, we made pizza popcorn

Pop the popcorn on stove (we love this recipe http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_popcorn/)

In a bowl, spray popcorn with cooking spray and top with the following spices

Oregano
Basil
Garlic
Nutritional yeast (for the "cheese" flavor)
Bacon salt
Pepper

Pretty convincing flavor!

Perfect for Friday movie night!  :)

Brussel Sprout Salad

I had a handful of fresh brussel sprouts left in the refrigerator and wondered if we could eat them raw -

Well, they are just mini cabbages, so the answer is YES!  Eaten raw, and shredded they are mild and not bitter like some people find them when cooked.

Tonight is BBQ night and this will make a slightly sweet and delicate side dish 

to go with our grilled Tofurky veggie sausages!

(http://www.tofurky.com/tofurkyproducts/sausages.html)

*This recipe could easily be adapted for "Asian Night" by subbing in sesame oil for some the olive oil, sub in soy sauce for the salt, adding green onions and topping the salad with baked tofu chunks (leave out the cranberries but keep rest of recipe the same otherwise)

 

Ingredients:

10-15 Fresh brussel sprouts, cut thin (I held mine by the base, cut in half lengthwise while holding them, then thinly sliced from tip to stem with a serrated knife)

1/2 c. Dried Cranberries or Cherries

3 TBSP Slivered Toasted Almonds (I buy these at Trader Joe's)

3 TBSP Olive Oil

1/2 c. Orange Juice

1 TBSP Honey (*Strict vegans do not use honey but we use it in our house - You could sub in Agave)

1 TBSP Nutritional Yeast (Sub for Parmesan Cheese in this recipe)

Freshly ground pepper (I used White Pepper)

1/2 tsp Salt

Combine all and refrigerate to let the flavors blend

Ethiopian Inspired Chickpeas

(I left potatoes out since we were also having a cabbage dish with potatoes in it)

Ingredients:

1 can Chickpeas, drained
1 Large Tomato, chopped or 1 can Diced Tomatoes, drained
1/2 Red Onion, diced
1/2 c. Frozen Green Peas, microwaved until warm
1/2 c. Carrots diced and microwaved with a little water until soft (about 4-5 min.) or use Canned or Frozen Carrots
1 Potato, peeled, diced and boiled (about 10 min.)

Spices: About 1 tsp each
Cumin
Ginger (or use fresh grated ginger)
Paprika
Salt
Pepper

In a large pot, heat a little olive oil and fry the onion until translucent
Add all remaining ingredients, including spices and stir
Add 1/2 c. water and simmer about 10 min.

Serve with pita or injera (found at Ethiopian markets - a spongy sourdough pancake), or serve over rice, quinoa etc.

Mango French Toast (vegan)

Mangoes are 2/$1 right now at Kroger so we like to stock up while we can get this delicious, exotic fruit.

I love hearing little B. demand "more mango!" - he can't get enough of fresh, diced mango at snack times!  I feel so fortunate to live in a country where we have such an abundant variety of produce and that I'm able to shape his little palate for healthy, nutrient rich foods as he grows!

*For more about Mango health benefits, see the end of this recipe

Since we love mangoes, I thought it might be fun to try to incorporate them into breakfast another way, other than fresh and raw.

This French Toast is simple, egg-free and will impress guests if you're making a brunch!
(and to make "regular" vegan French Toast, just omit the mango and keep recipe as is otherwise)

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:

2 Mangoes, peeled and cut from flesh (carefully!)

1 1/3 c. Nondairy milk of choice (Soy, almond etc.)

3 TBSP Flour

Pinch of salt

1 TBSP Nutritional Yeast *Optional
(Found at Whole Foods in vitamin section, adds a nutty/cheesy/eggy flavor to the batter)

6 Slices hearty, whole grain bread
(I used Great Harvest bread - you need a thicker bread that won't get overly soggy and disintegrate in the batter)

Method:

Place flesh of 1 Mango, milk, flour, yeast and salt in a blender or mini food processor (I used the Ninja)

Puree until liquid

Pour into a large pan (I used a 9x13 Pyrex)

Lay bread in pan, 2 at a time, letting pieces soak for a few minutes on each side

Heat a large frying pan with butter or oil on Medium heat
(I find using a spatula vs. a fork to turn pieces makes for less bread breakage and mess)

Fry each slice of bread about 5 min. per side, remove slices when both sides are browned but not burned

*Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a try with parchment, warm cooked French Toast in the oven as you are cooking the rest and while you are waiting to eat

Dice 2nd Mango and set aside

Finish by topping  French Toast with diced mango and syrup
(and powdered sugar if you're feeling fancy!)

Health benefits of Mangoes

• Mango fruit is rich in pre-biotic dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and poly-phenolic flavonoid antioxidant compounds.
  
• According to new research study, mango fruit has been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. Several trial studies suggest that polyphenolic anti-oxidant compounds in mango are known to offer protection against breast and colon cancers.
  
• Mango fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin-A and flavonoids like beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin. 100 g of fresh fruit provides 765 mg or 25% of recommended daily levels of vitamin A. Together, these compounds are known to have antioxidant properties and are essential for vision. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in carotenes known to protect body from lung and oral cavity cancers.
  
• Fresh mango is a very rich source of potassium. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
  
• It is also a very good source of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin-C and vitamin-E. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen free radicals.  Vitamin B-6 or pyridoxine is required for GABA hormone production in the brain. It also controls homocystiene levels in the blood which may otherwise be harmful to blood vessels resulting in CAD and stroke.
  
• Copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes, including cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide dismutase (other minerals function as co-factors for this enzyme are manganese and zinc). Copper is also required for the production of red blood cells.
  

From http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/mango-fruit.html

"Mexican" Pasta with Black Beans and...

Brussel Sprouts!  Didn't want to put them in the title and scare anyone off! (shh!!)

These sprouts are first sauteed in butter and chiles with broth, butter and sour cream - they melt in your mouth.  They are then mixed with pasta and beans to create a unique and filling main dish!

You could also eat these sprouts on their own as a side dish, I just chose to incorporate them into a pasta main dish


Brussel Sprout Ingredients/Recipe

4 c. raw, fresh Brussel Sprouts (or 1 bag frozen and cooked in microwave)
*Half the sprouts before cooking with broth etc.

1 c. Vegetable Broth
2 TBSP Butter (I use Earth Balance)
2 TBSP Sour Cream or Tofutti Sour Cream (vegan version, sold at Whole Foods etc.)
1 tsp Chipotle Chiles in Adobo sauce -
All grocery stores carry in the Mexican section  
*I use 1 "cube" (see below)

(I blend a can up in my Ninja, then freeze into ice cube trays, half full and then put them in a baggie in the freezer, so I can just pop one "cube" out when I need it for recipes - this stuff is strong and spicy so a can would go to waste otherwise!)

Method:

In a large soup pot, melt 1 TBSP butter,
Add in the halved brussel sprouts, stir to coat and cook 1-2 min.
Add in 1 c. broth and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated (about 10 min., stirring frequently)
Add in the cube/tsp of Chipotle Chile sauce and 2 TBSP Tofutti Sour Cream (or dairy sour cream)
Stir to combine and set aside sprouts


Pasta with Beans

1/2 Box Whole Grain Pasta (I used Rotini), cooked
1 Can Black Beans - Drained and Rinsed
Brussel Sprouts (cooked as above)
1 Large Tomato, Diced - About 1 c. diced (or 1 can of Diced Tomatoes, Drained)
1/2 Red Onion, Finely Diced
Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper to taste

Combine cooked pasta with all the ingredients, add spices to taste and stir

Can be eaten hot, room temperature or cold like a pasta salad!

Broccoli Potato Soup with "secret" White Beans - Low Cal/Low Fat (vegan)

This is a VERY easy recipe and only requires a microwave and blender - Done in about 10 min. flat

Make ahead of time for 4 days worth of take-to-work lunches, or freeze in individual containers for a rainy day!

Great way to get lots of veggies/beans and fiber into your day without even trying (or feeling like you did)!

Makes 2 cereal bowl sized servings 

approx. 300 cal, 1 fat each!

1 Medium Russet Potato scrubbed, pierced and microwaved until soft

1 can White Northern Beans, undrained

2 c. Fresh or Frozen Chopped Broccoli,  microwaved until cooked/hot

1/2c. water

Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder to taste

Nutritional Yeast (About 2 TBSP) - Optional

Throw all in a blender until pureed smooth and that's it!

Top with sour cream, cheese, croutons or eat as is either alone, or with a salad or sandwich

*To make this a chunkier soup, reserve half of the potato/broccoli and chop into chunks, then puree the remaining, adding the chunks back to the soup after blending

Tropical Mango & Sweet Potato Slaw

A summery tangy twist to traditional coleslaw - Great for potlucks or BBQs!

Simple, easy ingredients and quick to assemble

1.

I.  Ingredients

1 Sweet Potato (Raw - yes, you CAN eat them this way!) - Peeled and run through a food processor so that it's grated
1 Mango - Peeled and carefully cut away from pit and diced
2 c. Kale (2 c. roughly torn pieces, before chopped) - Finely chopped (I use the Ninja) - Makes about 1 c. finely chopped kale

Combine prepared ingredients above in large bowl

II.  Dressing
1/4 c. Orange Juice
2 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Celery Seed
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper

*If dressing is too tart, add some sugar 1-2 TBSP

III.  Whisk dressing ingredients 

Pour dressing over slaw and stir

Transfer to serving bowl and serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve

Potato Salad (with Secret Cauliflower and White Beans!) - Vegan

It's official, I have a love affair going with white beans.  

Since I began using them earlier this year I've snuck them into everything - including dessert!

They are so mild they blend into anything, adding extra fiber and protein without even noticing (or tasting!) that you are doing anything "healthy"!

You will never ever guess there is cauliflower and white beans in this 
healthy potato salad - Promise!

Ingredients:

4-5 Russet Potatoes, Peeled and Cubed

1 c. Cauliflower, Chopped

1 can White Northern Beans, Drained
1/2 c. Vegenaise (vegan mayo) - Available at Whole Foods & Earth Fare
http://www.followyourheart.com/product-family.php?id=14

1 Tbsp. apple cider or white vinegar

1 Tbsp. brown mustard

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 cup thinly sliced celery

1/2 cup chopped green onion (scallions) 1/2 White Onion, diced (optional)

Extra Firm Tofu, chopped for “hard boiled egg” effect (optional)

1.  Put cubed potatoes with cauliflower in cold salted water,
Bring to boil

Boil about 10 min., Drain & Set aside

2.  Drain White Beans and puree in food processor (I use the Ninja), with some water, until it forms a smooth paste, like hummus, Set aside.

3.  In large bowl or pot - Pour in cooked and drained potatoes/cauliflower

Mash 1/2 the mixture with potato masher, breaking up as much cauliflower as you can

Add in all of the rest of the ingredients, including white bean puree

Stir
Put in bowl and top with paprika

Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Tofu Broccoli Stir Fry

Based on original recipe from this blog

http://delectablyfree.com/2010/12/tofu-broccoli-stir-fry/

1.  Stir Fry Sauce

1/4 c. Orange Juice
1 TBSP Minced Garlic
1 TBSP Minced Ginger
1 TBSP Sesame Oil
2 TBSP Soy Sauce
1 TBSP Honey
1 TBSP Rice Vinegar (can be found in Asian Markets)
2 tsp Cornstarch
Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Whisk and set aside


2.  Tofu

1 block Extra Firm Tofu, drained and cubed
Fry in 1 TBSP Olive Oil until browned evenly, about 10 min. total, 3 min. between turnings
Set Aside

3.  Pour Stir Fry Sauce over browned tofu in frying pan
Fry until cornstarch thickens (a few minutes)


4.  Add 1-2 c. chopped broccoli
Cover and cook 5 min., Stir and cook until broccoli has softened

5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds

Serve over brown rice

Jicama Pineapple Watermelon Salad with Fresh Mint

For our "Cinco de Mayo" Mexican Night - Very easy and a great side dish!

You can make this salad a day ahead of time, that's what I did, then add the mint leaves just before serving.
I was unfamiliar with jicama until I tried doing a raw food diet years ago - needless to say that didn't last long, although my love for fresh produce definitely grew during that period of my life as I learned to eat new and fresh things (like jicama and sweet potato raw)

Jicama is similar in texture to a water chestnut but is sweeter, although only slightly.  It is awesome in refreshing salads like this one - adds a nice crunch without overwhelming the other flavors of the dish. 

http://www.foodreference.com/html/art-jicama-history-facts.html

1 Jicama, Peeled and Diced
1 c. Watermelon, Diced
1 c. Pineapple, Diced
Fresh Mint Leaves - washed and torn
1 c. Orange Juice
2-3 TBSP Lime Juice
1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 tsp Salt
Dash of Cayenne Pepper

Combine diced jicama, watermelon and pineapple with wet ingredients and spices except mint leaves


Tear mint leaves into tiny pieces and toss with salad 30 min. before serving

Vegan "KFC Cole Slaw" Copy Cat Recipe

Not eating animal products doesn't mean you have to give up your past indulgences!

I've found I just make little adjustments to recipes and I never even feel like I'm missing anything - and I feel great knowing that even if dishes are higher in fat sometimes, they are still lower in cholesterol and don't contribute to the horrible factory farming industry and animal suffering this country is known for.

This recipe takes only simple ingredients, the only one you might not know is Vegenaise, which is a vegan mayo that you can easily buy at Whole Foods in the refrigerated section for a few dollars.  It's worth it.  In  my opinion, other vegan mayo is just plain gross.  Vegenaise tastes like a nice, mellow deli mayo you're probably used to getting at a sub shop or diner anyway.  :)  No one I know who has tried it, vegan or not, hasn't like it.  Some non-vegans I know use it over any other mayo anyway!
http://www.followyourheart.com/products.php?id=3

Not the most flattering picture, but what cole slaw is "beautiful"?

Ingredients:

1 bag pre-shredded coleslaw with carrots, shredded even finer in a food processor, until the size of grains of rice

1/2 Red Onion - Process in a food processor until the size of grains of rice, then combine with coleslaw mix that has already been processed (above)

1/2 c. Vegenaise

1/4 c. PLAIN Soymilk (I use Silk unsweetened) whisked with 1 1/2 TBSP White Vinegar and let set 5-10 minutes (most people don't know this, but this makes a vegan "buttermilk" anytime a recipe calls for buttermilk, such as in cupcakes etc.)

1/4 c. additional PLAIN soymilk (separate from the "buttermilk")

2 1/2 TBSP Lemon Juice

1/3 c. Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Black Pepper

Method:

In a large bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients, including salt and pepper

Fold in finely shredded cabbage/carrot/onion mixture and stir

Ready to serve, or you can refrigerate

No one will ever know it's vegan unless you tell them!  Promise!

Serve alongside some Gardein Crispy Tenders and yummy mashed potatoes and then watch this and smile...you'll never want "real" KFC again!

(Note: Video is humorous and a music video, but may not be appropriate for little ones)

Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Baked Tofu (Using Napa Cabbage, Cucumber and Mango)

Multi-step process but worth it! 

I do it throughout the day as I have time, set each "piece" aside in a container in the refrigerator and then assemble all when ready to eat.  This dish can be made ahead of time and then eaten the next day also.

1.  Tofu
Drain and Press Tofu
(I drain mine in Tofu Xpress but you can also press it between 2 heavy plates with something heavy on top for at least 30 min. to get out excess water)

Cut into 3 slabs and marinate in Trader Joe's Soyaki Sauce at least 30 min.

Bake at 350 on aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray, checking every 10 min., turning over, and baking until tofu is browned and firm (about 25-35 min. total)

Cut cooled baked tofu into cubes and set aside

2.  Napa Cabbage - cut or shred, wash, and dry in salad spinner

3.  Edamame - I buy frozen, shelled edamame.  Microwave 1 c. about 3 min., set aside

4.  Cucumber and Mango - Dice and set aside

5.  Soba Noodles - Cook 2 bundles, rinse in cold water toss with dressing (recipe below), then set aside

 Dressing for Soba Noodles

1/2 cup rice vinegar (found in Asian markets)

4-5 TBSP sugar

tsp Salt

3 Garlic Cloves, chopped

Sriracha chili sauce, optional, to taste http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/sriracha.htm

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 TBSP Sesame Oil (found in Asian Markets) 

 

Whisk well and toss with cooked, drained soba noodles

When ready to assemble, do in this order:

Cabbage in bowl, top with all toppings listed above

Then top with slivered almonds and sesame seeds

Serve with dumplings or egg rolls

Penne with Spinach and White Beans

Super easy - It's more beans, greens and grains...

1 Box whole wheat Penne Pasta - Cooked and set aside
1 Can Northern White Beans, Drained
1 Bag Frozen Spinach, microwaved until thawed
2 Medium Tomatoes (or 1 can diced)
Handful of Mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
Onion, chopped
Salt, Pepper, other spices (oregano, basil, more garlic powder etc.) as desired

In a large soup pot, heat a small bit of olive oil
Add in spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, onion and fry several minutes
Add in White Beans and Cooked Pasta
Add salt, pepper and spices to taste
(I also add in 1 heaping TBSP Tofutti Sour Cream and a little water)

Take off burner and stir - pasta will soak up liquid and dry out over time so eat right away or add in more oil/sour cream prior to eating

Serve with salad