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.

Cheeze Berger

I needed some comfort food, dammit! And a cheeze berger really hit the spot. I used a whole wheat keiser roll, cheddar Daiya, Boca vegan patty, lettuce, tomato, vegenaise and ketchup. Just the way I like em, with a pickle on the side. :)

Pizza Supreme

Pizza Pizza! My favorite! Good thing you can make some really good cheezy-melty vegan pizza with the right ingredients. I enjoy making my own whole wheat dough (It's actually super easy in the food processor. I'll post a recipe next time I make it), but when I go to Whole Foods I usually pick up some of their whole wheat dough and put it in the freezer. It is so convenient-- just set it out on the counter for a few hours until it has thawed.

I am also lucky that my boyfriend is good at tossing the pizza dough. I'm not so good at that part so I prep the veggies while he builds the pizza.


Ingredients:
Plain pizza sauce (preferably from a jar not a can)
Sprinkle of Basil
Sprinkle of Oregano
Shredded Cheese alternative mozarella style (use a fine grater so that it melts more easily)
Sliced Mushrooms
Diced Green Pepper
Diced Red Onion
Boca Ground Crumbles
Yves "Pepperoni"
More Cheeze (I normally use Daiya or Follow Your Heart brand)

Bake at about 450 until the crust is completely done and cheeze starts to brown just a little. Make sure that the middle gets done!



Top it off with some vegan "Parmesan" and crushed red pepper.

Guacamole es delicioso...

Today I had a couple avocados that needed to be eaten so I made guacamole and nachos for my afternoon snack. I'm always in the mood for guacamole!

Ingredients:
2 Avocados
Minced red onion
Diced Tomatoes
Minced Jalapeno
Chopped Fresh Cilantro
Lime juice
for seasoning I use salt, cumin and cayenne pepper.

Here's a pic of the ingredients before they were mixed


Just smash all the ingredients together with a fork until they're all mixed.

For my afternoon snack (merienda), I topped the chips with Daiya cheddar style and some black beans that I cooked last night in my pressure cooker. We also have this amazing salsa that's local and has chipotle and green onion in it.


Open wide! haha

Simple Potato Salad

Tonight's dinner will include pulled BBQ sandwiches, baked beans, and potato salad. The baked beans are from Trader Joe's (canned) and the pulled BBQ is also bought pre-packaged (see previous post). Potato salad is something that I love to experiment with; each batch is a little different from the time before.

Ingredients:
Baby red potatoes and fingerling potatoes (but any type will do)
Diced red onion (1/4 cup)
Diced heart of palm (about 3 short stalks)
1/2 Minced kosher dill pickle
Vegenaise
A dab of Grey Poupon
Oregano
Basil
Salt and pepper
Sprinkle of cayanne

Cut the potatoes into bite size pieces. I kind of half-peeled them, because a little skin with this type of potato is good.


Put them in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Then, drain and rinse with cold water.

Mix in the onions, pickle, palm heart and spices and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.


Then, mix in some spoonfuls of Vegenaise and a dab of Grey Poupon. Put it in the refrigerator to cool. :)

Los Tacos Mas Ricos

I love making vegan tacos. They're even better when you have Daiya cheddar "cheese" to melt on top. I am so happy that my nearest Whole Foods decided to carry it (in the refrigerated vegan section).

For this meal, I used frozen Boca ground veggie crumbles. (Make sure to read the labels on these type of products, though, because some Boca or Morningstar Farms (etc.) products contain eggs or milk. Always double check.) I sauted some garlic, onion, and green pepper and jalapeno to season the "beef." I also added cayane, salt, pepper, and cumin. After the veggies have sauted for a couple minutes just mix in the crumbles, heat, season, and enjoy. Quick and easy.


I like to put Daiya, tomatoes, lettuce, fresh cilantro, and salsa on my tacos. And I made a little taco salad on the side. So good!

Veg BBQ

In honor of the Superbowl tomorrow, I thought I would post about one of my favorite "I don't feel like cooking" meals: pulled BBQ sandwiches. Sooo easy you just heat up the BBQ, toast the bun, garnish with lettuce and enjoy.

I have tried a couple types of pre-made BBQ non-meats and I like them both. The Lightlife Smart BBQ is my favorite of the two because it's a little more tangy and the protein is in smaller pieces. You can find them in the refrigerated section at most supermarkets along with the veggie lunch meats, tofu, etc.