Hearty Shepherd's Pie

This would be a great main-dish for a holiday dinner or cozy winter night. But I also enjoyed it on a random wednesday in August. For this shepherd's pie, I was inspired by a recipe on VegNew's website.

First, start boiling 4 yukon gold potatoes, cut in pieces. Then, saute a chopped yellow onion and carrots, along with some garlic in a skillet. Once the onions and carrots have cooked for a few minutes, add the veggie crumbles and continue to saute.

For the gravy: Bring 2 cups of veggie broth to a boil with a dash of tamari. Reduce heat to low, and add a mixture of arrow root and water and stir continuously for about 3 minutes. The sauce should thicken to become a gravy.
Add the gravy and 3/4 cup of frozen peas and mix together. Lightly oil a casserole dish and add the veggie mixture.
For the mashed potatoes: Combine Earth Balance vegan butter, almond milk, salt, pepper, fresh rosemary, and thyme and mash well.
Top with veggie mixture with an even layer of the mashed potatoes.

Finally, sprinkle bread crumbs and olive oil over the top and cover with tin foil. Bake for 40 minutes on 350, then remove foil and continue to bake for another 15 minutes.
We were so pleased with this dish. It was really tasty. The best part was that it was even better as left-overs!

Homemade chiken nuggets

This was my first experience making seitan... so bare with me!  We made a really simple seitan recipe using my food processor's dough-blade (just combine vital wheat gluten and water, then boil in vegetable broth for about an hour).  Then we sliced the seitan, dipped them in almond milk and panko, and fried.

panko and almond milk

I'm definitely going to need to keep experimenting with seitan, but my first attempt was mostly successful!  I was surprised how easy it is to make.  And I love chiken nuggets!  The rosemary mashed potatoes on the side were good too.

Easy Vegan Lasagna

If you are looking for a vegan lasagna that reminds you of classic meaty-cheesey lasagna, this is it.  Plus, it's really easy to make. 

Ingredients:
Lasagna noodles (I like De Boles brand of rice noodles because they don't need to be pre-cooked!) 
Marinara sauce
Onion
Garlic
Mushrooms
Frozen veggie crumbles
Olive Oil
Basil, oregano, salt, pepper, splash of agave nectar, dash of cayenne pepper
Extra-firm tofu
Daiya vegan cheese

First, make some tofu-ricotta.  Just combine extra-firm tofu, salt and pepper, olive oil, and italian spices in a food processor until smooth.
Next, saute the chopped onions and garlic in a little oil.   After a few minutes add the veggie crumbles and cook until they start to brown.  Add the sauce and extra spices.  Finally, add the mushrooms and cook for a couple more minutes. 

In a casserole dish, start with a thin layer of sauce on the bottom.  Then place a layer of noodles, tofu ricotta, sauce, and sprinkle cheese.  Repeat with noodles, ricotta, sauce, cheese.  3 layers is best.  Cover with tin foil and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes on 350.  Take the foil off and broil for about 10-15 minutes to get the top nice and brown.   

Peach berry cobbler

My mom and I made this peach-blackberry cobbler while I was visiting in Knoxville. I forgot to get a good picture of the finished product... oops! But it was fun and easy to make. I got this Fresh Peach Cobbler recipe from www.chooseveg.com and I added blackberries and a little less sugar than it called for. It was a great recipe!
http://www.chooseveg.com/display_recipe.asp?recipe=214

Here is a picture of the cooked peaches right before adding the buscuit dough on top, then baking it for about 25 minutes.

Coconut milk ice cream on top was a good choice!

BBQ Tofu, Homestyle Potatoes and Broccoli

The other night we made fried tofu with BBQ sauce, steamed broccoli and carrots, and oven-baked homestyle potatoes.

First, the potatoes were sliced and then put in a casserole dish, added some Earth Balance vegan butter and spices, and let it all bake for about 15 minutes. Then we added some whole wheat bread crumbs (I just put a slice of bread in the food processor and pulse for quick crumbs) and let it all bake for about 10 more minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through and it all looks brown and yummy. The bread crumbs make it crunchy.


For the tofu, it is a good idea to press it between paper towels for a few minutes to get the excess water out. Put a couple of layers of paper towels around the block of tofu then set something heavy on top. (I let it press for a couple minutes while I cut up the broccoli and carrots.) Then we sliced the tofu in triangles and fried it in some coconut oil until slightly brown. Next we poured BBQ sauce on top and put it in the oven for about five minutes.


It was a hearty dinner!

Typical summer lunch

Did I mention that I love braised greens and quinoa?  Oh, I already did?  Oops.  The pic is kind of blurry but the lunch was fresh and delish!  On the side is avocado, tomato, and french bread with hummus.  My favorite lunch.

Spinach Pasta with Tomato Sauce

I've seen this locally-made pasta made by Decio Pasta sold at farmers markets and Whole Foods, so I thought I'd give it a try. They have many different flavors, and I decided on "Spinach Basil Garlic" infused linguine. (Upon visiting their website I realized this is their #1 seller). In just four minutes the noodles are perfectly al dente. The flavor isn't over-powering, but the essence of spinach, basil and garlic was there.


I also sauted some onions and garlic, then added sliced veggie italian sausage (Lightlife brand Smart Sausage). A friend gave me some cherry tomatoes from her garden, so I sliced them in half and sauteed them before adding a jar of organic pasta sauce.


I can't wait to try other some of the other pasta "flavors" made by Decio. It was delicious!

Spicy Chick'N Quesadillas

For a quick snack or dinner when I don't feel like cooking, these spicy quesadillas are a real hit. Just heat up a Boca Spicy "chicken" patty in a pan with a tiny bit of oil, then cut it into pieces.  Make sure to read the label because not all Boca products are vegan, but some are.  If you want to use a different type of veggie patty, just sprinkle some cayenne pepper while you heat it and it does the trick.  I also like to make a spicy aoili sauce with vegenaise and hot sauce to spread on the tortillas.  I like whole wheat.  Then I grate plenty of Daiya vegan cheese and grill up the 'dilla.  (on medium heat using a little butter--Earth Balance vegan spread-- on the tortillas)  

 I made that plate in preschool. 

Tamale Lunch

I love buying frozen tamales from the Tamale Store here in Phoenix. They set up stands at most of the the local farmers markets and sell both hot and frozen tamales. You can also call in an order and you can pick it up at the market or at their store in north Phoenix. The Tamale Store offers a selection of vegan tamales that I love. They are delicious when steamed, but also taste good out of the microwave for a quick lunch (great for work).


Today I had a "Southwest Chipotle" tamale-- spicy chipotle masa, sweet corn, onions, cilantro, and peppers. On the side I sliced up an organic tomato, some fresh guacamole, and Tacupeto chips and salsa. Don't forget the We Can't Say It's Cheese nacho dip!

What's in my fridge??

It's been a whole month since I've updated my blog, so to kick things off and start fresh, I'll do a special post called "What's in my fridge" (an idea I got from my favorite magazine, VegNews.) So here it is!

Some highlights and must-haves that I cannot choose not to live without:

1. Almond milk
2. Sriracha hot sauce
3. Vegenaise
4. Nathan's kosher dill pickles
5. Daiya non-dairy cheese in mozzarella and cheddar
6. Dilly beans purchased at local farmers market (next to them is a container of fresh guacamole I made and Tacupeto salsa)
7. A plethra of dairy alternatives: Earth Balance vegan butter, Silk soy yogurt (with probiotics), Follow Your Heart vegan cream-cheese, Tofutti vegan sour cream, and We Can't Say It's Cheese vegan nacho cheese.
8. Selection of beers including Rogue Hazelnut Brown, Old Chub, and PBR.
9. Blue Sky organic cola
10. Fresh pineapple that I cut up and put in containers last night
11. Mock meats: Smart Deli pepperonis for pizza, Tofurkey Hickory Smoked sandwich slices, and Tofurkey beer brats.
12. Organic tomatoes and strawberries
13. Produce drawer: Rainbow chard, green leaf lettuce, baby bella mushrooms, onions, shallots, red and green peppers, green beans, etc.
14. Mingus was curious and wanted to see what's up.

I love a well-stocked kitchen because it gives me inspiration for meals and prevents me from eating out too much. Lots of great vegan products keep me and my omnivorous boyfriend happy (for about a week until it's time to go shopping again. :)

I also wanted to put extra emphasis on this amazing new product I just bought for the first time: We Can't Say It's Cheese non-dairy cheesy spread.


I had read about this product a couple months ago in VegNews Magazine, but hadn't seen it in the store until now. It's vegan, soy and wheat free, and made with all natural ingredients. I am in love with this creamy, tasty, cheesy stuff! Last night I used it as a dip last night alongside guacamole and salsa.. SO good.

Cool Kelp Noodle Salad

I have had these kelp noodles sitting in my refrigerator, waiting and waiting to be eaten. They were just so mysterious. What will they taste like? What should I make with them? How should I prepare them? Finally, I just had to go for it! After opening the package and tasting a noodle, my first thought was "Mmm, crunchy!" They are a raw food and all you do is rinse them and they're ready to eat.

So I decided to make a cold salad with the kelp noodles and a bunch of veggies. First, I tossed the noodles in a simple garlic-tamari sauce. This kind of noodles doesn't really have much flavor on their own. Along with the veggies, the result was kind of like an Asian-inspired coleslaw and I thought it was delicious.


Ingredients:
Kelp noodles
Shredded savoy cabbage
Roasted beets (see below)
1/2 Diced shallot

Diced carrots

Sauce:
Tamari (soy sauce)
Fresh minced garlic (2 cloves)
Sriracha hot sauce
Red pepper flakes
1 tsp oil

About the beets: Beets might be my new favorite veggie. First of all, you get 2 veggies in one (the greens and the roots) and I love me some braised beet greens! In this recipe, I could have used raw beets, then it would have been a completely raw dish. But, I had already roasted the beets yesterday so I used those. Fresh roasted beets are awesome. Just wrap the whole thing in tin foil and bake on 400 degrees for about an hour. You can just put them directly in the fridge and they will store for a couple days if you don't want to use them right away. You will need to peel the outside skin before eating.

Vegan Shrimp? Interesting...

I must admit that I have mixed feelings about Vegetarian Plus brand Vegan Shrimp. On one hand, its appearance and texture really do bring back fond memories of delicious shrimp that I once enjoyed. On the other, it's lacking in taste and isn't quite as tender as I'd like. My conclusion is that vegan shrimp is more of a fun novelty vegan food, but worth a try if you used to like shrimp like me. (I would like to try mixing it in a food processor to see if i can make something like a krab cake or krab rangoons. We'll see how that goes later.)

For this pasta, we used whole wheat angel hair noodles, diced red pepper, sliced crimini mushrooms, diced onion, fresh garlic, olive oil, and crushed red pepper. I let the shrimp thaw before tossing it in with the other ingredients, then at the end mixed in the noodles and let it all cook together for a minute at the end.

(There is Daiya vegan cheese garlic bread in the background... so good.)

Quick Falafel Pitas

We made some yummy Falafel Pitas the other night. For quick falafels, I just use the box falafel mix that you mix with water. After about 10 minutes you just form little balls and fry them for about 10 minutes in some oil. Stuff the whole-wheat pitas with falafel balls, tomato, lettuce, (yes, i put Vegenaise on mine too...), diced dill pickle and Sriracha hot sauce. Cucumber would be good but I didn't have any. I also made some brown rice and heated up the indian "Bombay Potatoes" and garbanzo beans made by Tasty Bite. It was a quick and tasty dinner.

Brownies and Ice Cream

Vegan baking can be a little tricky sometimes... So this is a fool-proof vegan desert that even I can master! Yes, they come from a box (sorry, Mom), but these brownies turn out great every time.
I use Cherrybrook Kitchen Fudge Brownie Mix. They are amazingly vegan and gluten-free. Top them off with some Purely Decadent coconut milk ice cream (cookie dough) and you have a bad-ass desert! It's kind of like Ben&Jerry's "Half-Baked"-- used to be my favorite flavor-- but waaaay better.

Breakfast Tofu Scramble

I used to really love eggs before I became vegan. Now, I make tofu scrambles instead. It has a similar texture to scrambled eggs, and it is so much better for everyone involved.

Ingredients:
Sliced red potatoes
Diced red onion
Minced garlic
Diced red pepper
Minced jalapeno
Extra-firm tofu
Salt and black pepper
Cumin
Cayenne pepper
Smoked paprika

(Other ingredient options include sliced mushrooms, soy-chorizo, cilantro, green pepper, etc. depending on what's in the fridge).

Start with some oil in a skillet (I used a wok with a glass lid) and add the potatoes. Let them cook under med-low heat for a few minutes.

Next, add the onions and garlic, cover, and simmer until the onions are translucent.


Use your hands to crumble the tofu as you add it to the mix. Add peppers and seasoning, mix, and cover to cook for a few more minutes.

When all of the ingredients are cooked/heated thoroughly, turn up the heat and brown a little.
We also toasted olive bread and buttered it with Earth Balance, and I sliced up some heirloom tomatoes on the side. Oh, and washed it down with Chocolate Almond Milk. :)

Hoagie Sandwiches

Who isn't a huge fan of sandwiches? I had to take some pics of this hoagie I made because it was just too good! The hoagie bread is made by Breadsmith (sold at the local farmers markets and Whole Foods). FYI my favorite type of vegan deli slices are Tofurkey Hickory Smoked.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you! The tomatoes were orange. and beautiful! I added green leaf lettuce, Vegenaise (a must), and I think I may have spread a little tofu ricotta on there too, because I made these a couple days after making the manicotti and I had some left over.

Dee-lish!

Not your mom's manicotti

This stuffed manicotti uses tofu ricotta cheeze, topped with a faux meaty sauce, and served with Daiya cheezey garlic bread. Such good cookin and all vegan.
Here's what you need:


First, boil the noodles for about 10 minutes and set aside. Then, make the tofu ricotta

Tofu Ricotta Ingredients:
1/4 Diced shallot
Minced fresh garlic
Extra tirm tofu, drained and crumbled
Salt/pepper
Basil
Oregano


Combine all ingredients in a food processor until it has a creamy, ricotta-like texture.


Stuff the manicotti noodles with the tofu ricotta (We had to slice them to make it easier to stuff).



Then make the sauce

"Meaty" Red Sauce Ingredients:
1/4 Diced onion
Minced fresh garlic
Olive oil
Frozen ground crumbles
Sliced crimini mushrooms (or whatever type)
Organic tomato sauce
Basil
Thyme
Oregano
Salt/pepper
Cayanne (just a little)
Agave nectar (just a little, to cut the acidity)

Saute the onions and garlic first in some oil, then add the frozen crumbles. When they are warm, add the sauce and the rest of the ingredients.


Then top the noodles with the sauce, grated cheeze, and a little bit more tofu ricotta.


Cover with tin foil and bake on 375 for about 35-40 minutes. Remove the tin foil at the end so that it melts.


We also made cheezy garlic bread because we went to whole foods today and got 2 types of Daiya! Yum!



The whole meal was so delicious words can't even describe!
My plate:

Chris' plate:

Braised greens and quinoa (again)

Tonight I made myself a nice healthy dinner and made sure I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I used red quinoa, braised kale and red chard, and a 3 bean salad from Trader Joe's, which I served cold. I love Trader Joe's.


All in all, it was just perfect. It didn't leave me feeling heavy, but it still is a hearty meal. Plus, I almost always have these ingredients on hand so it's a great fall-back meal that doesn't require too much prep time or cooking time.

Sorry this pic is weird, I had to use my phone... :/

Also, I want to recommend this veggie "beef" stock that I use when making both the greens and the quinoa. The cubes are really convenient and I like this brand Edward & Sons.