Creamed Celeriac

I didn't have any leeks to make my usual celeriac leek soup so I just decided to make this quick recipe. It is really simple but yummy.

Ingredients:
1 celeriac
1/2 onion,diced
4 cloves garlic,minced
3 cups veggie broth
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 cup soy milk
fresh lemon juice

Start by peeling the outer part and cutting the celeriac into cubes.

In a pot saute onion and garlic.

Add celeriac and broth. Simmer until celeriac is soft.

I used an immersion blender to puree it but you could transfer it to a regular blender. Add seasonings,soy milk and lemon juice. Enjoy!

 

 



 

 

Seitan Roast

This roast is delicious! Surprisingly easy to make and inexpensive. It is similar to the tofurkey roast and chris says it even tastes better. I followed the recipe (http://www.theppk.com/2011/11/seitan-roast-stuffed-with-shiitakes-and-leeks/ ) almost exactly I just didn't have leeks so I substituted yellow onion.

Ingredients for the stuffing:
2 tablespoons oil
6 oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
Fresh black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Ingredients for the roast:
3 cloves garlic
3/4 cup cooked pinto beans, rinsed and drained (fresh or canned)
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce 
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups vital wheat gluten (flour)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed between your fingers
1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed between your fingers
Several dashes fresh black pepper

Preheat a large pan, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Saute the mushrooms and onions in oil until soft, about 10 minutes.

Add salt, pepper, garlic and thyme. Cook for about 2 more minutes, stirring often.

Sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and toss to coat. Cook the mixture, stirring very often, until the breadcrumbs are toasty and the mixture is relatively dry. This should take about 5 minutes, and the breadcrumbs should turn a few shades darker.

Drizzle in the broth and lemon juice and toss to coat until moist. If it still seems dry drizzle in a little extra olive oil. Set aside until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a food processor, pulse the garlic until well chopped. Add the beans, broth, olive oil and soy sauce and puree until mostly smooth (a few pieces of bean are okay, but they should be no bigger than a pea.)
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, herbs and spices. Make a well in the center and add the bean mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts coming together to form a ball of dough. Knead until everything is well incorporated.

Roll out the dough on a flat surface. The recipe says to make a square but I couldn't get a shape other than circle.

Place the filling in the center and roll dough around filling making a log. I had trouble with mine holding together so my filling ended up more on the side but it didn't fall out so whatever works for you.
Wrap the log in foil and bake for an hour, rotating every 20 minutes. It should feel firm when done.

Allow to cool before serving. Enjoy!

Winter Roasted Veggies

Roasted veggies are so versatile and easy to make. I made these roasted veggies using what I had on hand but you could make any variation. I sometimes include whole cloves of garlic, mushrooms and broccoli. I served the veggies in a burrito with brown rice and black beans. Yum!

Ingredients:
Veggies (I used butternut squash, zucchini, carrots, beets, potato and onions)
Herbs ( I used fresh rosemary and sage)

Cut veggies into bite size pieces and place in casserole dish. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and bake at 350 for 45 minutes, no oil necessary :)
Enjoy!

Collard Greens with Smoked Tofu

Chenelle has been cooking her greens in the slow cooker and I thought it sounded great! The smoked tofu is a substitute for bacon which is typical in southern collard green recipes. I think I might use a half package of tofu next time or make more collards because I have tofu leftover.

Collards:
1 bunch collard greens, large stems removed
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bouillon cube
2 cups water

Tofu:
1 package firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 tbl smoked salt
2 cups water

Place onion and garlic in the bottom of the crockpot.

Cut collards into strips and place on top of onion mix in the crockpot.

Add water and bouillon cube. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3.
With an hour left begin marinating tofu by mixing smoked salt with water and pouring over tofu.
Drain marinade after an hour and broil the tofu for 10 minutes in each side.

Serve tofu on top of warm collards, Enjoy!

Curry Stuffed Pumpkin



 

I love these curry stuffed pumpkins. We try to do a couple a year while its squash season. The original recipe used meat and heavy cream as the filling so I made up a veg friendly version. I use sugar pie pumpkins and they are small so I only fill the inside with the curry sauce and mushrooms and then steam extra veggies on the side to add after it cooks. They take a couple hours to cook but definitely worth the wait.

 

Ingredients:

1 pumpkin, top cut off and seeds removed

1 can lite coconut milk

2 tbl red curry paste, or 1 tbl if you like it mild

cube fresh ginger,peeled

dried shitake mushrooms

1/4 onion, sliced

veggies for steaming (I used broccoli, carrots and mushrooms)

 

Wash and prep the pumpkin. In a bowl mix together coconut milk and curry paste.

Place onions,ginger and dried shitake mushrooms in pumpkin and top with curry sauce.

Place pumpkin in a foil lined (for easy clean up) casserole dish and bake at 350 for 2 hours. Steam veggies and eat with cooked pumpkin.

Enjoy!

 

 



BBQ Tofu

You can use different sauces and make different versions of this bbq tofu. I cooked the tofu in the cast iron pan but broiling the tofu works really well too. I ate the tofu on top of a salad but it would be good in a bun or with some brown rice.

Ingredients:
1 package of firm tofu
1 tbl oil for the pan
2 tbl bbq sauce ( I used Trader Joes)


Press the tofu overnight to make sure all the moisture is out of it and then cut it up in cubes. Place oil in pan and heat on medium high and add tofu.

When the tofu gets crispy remove it from the pan and mix in bowl with bbq sauce.

Serve as desired, enjoy!

Herbed Lemon Potatoes

I really don't eat as many potatoes as it seems by looking at my blog but I guess most my blog worthy dishes have potatoes in them. I used red potatoes for this one and I think they were the best choice. Gold potatoes would be good or anything except russets.

Ingredients:
2 medium red potatoes (this was more than enough for 2 people as a side dish)
1/2 lemon, zested
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp fresh thyme

Cut potatoes into bite size pieces and place in a casserole dish. I lightly sprayed mine with oil just to avoid sticking to the pan. Sprinkle lemon zest and herbs over potatoes. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until soft. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of cooked potatoes. Enjoy!

Potato Beet Hash

Its beet season and I have been pickling, jucing and finding new recipes for them. This hash is like homefries with a colorful addition. I think it added a crunchy texture and good flavor to the classic dish.

Ingredients:
2 large potatoes,diced
1 large beet,diced
1/4 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

place potatoes and beets in a large pot and cover with water. Boil until tender but not soft. Hope that makes sense.

In a large skillet or cast iron pan heat onions and garlic on medium low for a couple minutes. Add potatoes and beets to skillet and cook until warm. I actually left mine heating on low for 20 minutes and they got crispy on the bottom, yum. Enjoy!

Chia Oats

This is a really easy raw version of making healthy oatmeal. I make it the night before so its ready to eat in the morning. You can make so many different types using different combinations of fruits, nuts,seeds and sweeteners. Fun!

Ingredients;
1/2 cup milk alternative
1/2 cup oats
2 tsp chia seeds
sweetner and toppings

Mix milk, oats, sweetner and chia seeds in a container.Add toppings. Allow to sit overnight or up two days.
Enjoy!

Ethiopian Cabbage

Chenelle sent me this recipe and I luckily had half a cabbage that needed to be used. I modified the recipe slightly because I think it was meant for a larger crowd (5 potatoes!). I think it make a great side dish.

Ingredients:
2 large russet potatoes, cubed
1/2 head green cabbage, sliced
4 carrots, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper, tumeric, cumin
1 tbl oil

In a large skillet heat oil. Add onion and carrot. Cook on medium for 5 minutes.

Add cabbage and spices. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Add potatoes and cover. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until potatoes are soft, 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom.

Enjoy!

Potato Quinoa Chili

This is a hearty easy to make chili. It tastes great topped with cilantro and avocado. The original recipe used sweet potato but I used a russet.

Ingredients:
1 tbl oil
1/2 onion,chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 can tomato paste
1/2 tbl chili powder
1/2 tbl oregano
1 tsp cumin
4 cups water
1 bouillon cube
1 cup dry quinoa\
1 large potato cut into bite size pieces
1 cup cooked beans or 1 can (I used pinto)
1 cup kale

Heat oil in a large pot and add onion and garlic. Saute for five minutes.

Add tomato paste and spices. Cook for a minute just to mix everything together.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Add kale and stir through until cooked. Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup

This my quick healthy version of tortilla soup. You can add less quinoa or more water to make it more soupy but I like to make it more hearty and this way it travels well.

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 lb zucchini, chopped (yum lots of zucchini!)
1/2 onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1 28oz can diced tomatoes with juice
3 cups water
1 veggie bouillion cube
1 cup raw quinoa
1/2 bunch cilantro,minced
juice of 1 lime

Add garlic,carrots,onion and bell pepper to a large pot before turning on the stove.

 Turn to medium low and saute for 5 minutes. Add zucchini, can of tomatoes, water, bouillon cube and quinoa.

Turn to high and boil (I left mine uncovered) for 20 minutes. Add cilantro and lime. Enjoy!

Pineapple Salsa

This tropical treat is great with some tortilla chips or on top of grilled fish

 Ingredients:
1 fresh pineapple, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything in a bowl and enjoy!

Ratatouille With Barley

Wow it has been way too long since I posted on here. I have just been so overwhelmed with school and moving and getting a job that I took break from making interesting meals. I will try to keep up more. I made this ratatouille in the crockpot so it was really easy. I added the barley to make it more filling but I think it could have used a little more.

Ingredients:
1 small eggplant cubed, I didnt peel mine
2 zucchinis chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 8oz can of no salt added diced tomatoes
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 yellow onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 cup barley
1 bouillon cube or use veggie broth instead of water

Prep the veggies and place them in the crockpot with the bouillon cube and barley. Add enough water to cover everything by about an inch. Place the crockpot on high and cook for about 3 hours or until the barley is done. I served mine with fresh basil. Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower

The cauliflower is roasted with garlic and sundried tomatoes. Yum! It was easy to make and turned out delicious. I will be having this as a side dish for dinner tonight. I used sundried tomatoes that are packed in oil so I did not add any extra but if you use dry ones make sure to add a couple tbl of oil.

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
4 oz sundried tomatoes, miced (I have an 8oz container and used about half)
5 cloves garlic, minced

Wash the cauliflower and break into bite size pieces. Place in a large mixing bowl.

Add the sundried tomatoes and garlic to the cauliflower and mix well. Place in a large casserole dish or baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until tender. Enjoy!

Greek Salad with "Feta"

I got this recipe from the VegNews magazine. The feta is made from tofu and tastes very good. It adds a salty flavor to the salad. I left out some of the veggies for the salad because I didn't have them but you can add: green bell pepper, red onion and capers.

Ingredients:
1 package of firm tofu
2 cups water
juice of 1 lemon
3 tsp salt
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano

For the salad:
3 tbl olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
10 kalamata olives, sliced

Start by pressing your tofu. Place a kitchen towel around the tofu and put the tofu on top of a plate with something heavy on top (I use my cast iron pan). Leave it there for about 30 minutes and then flip it to the other side, repeat a couple times.This removes all the excess water from the tofu.

Cut the tofu into cubes and place in a pot with the water, lemon juice and seasoning. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Leave the tofu in the liquid and place in a bowl in the fridge overnight.

Combine all the ingredients for the salad and mix well. Drain the liquid from the tofu and add the tofu to the salad and enjoy! :)

Salsa Verde

Tomatillos are in season!! I was very excited to see these fresh local organic tomatillos at the market and I knew right away that I was making a batch of salsa. I love it so much I could eat it with a spoon. It is surprisingly easy to make. Dylan gave me the recipe last year and I think I pretty much follow it...maybe. Anyways it always turns out great and I recommend you try it. Chris and I ate it with our black bean chickpea tortilla tacos tonight.

Ingredients:
about 6 tomatillos
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeno
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste

If your tomatillos have an outer husk, remove it and then rinse them. In a non-stick skillet cook the tomatillos on medium heat. I don't add any oil.

 When the tomatillos get very soft and charred remove them from the pan and place in a blender. Add the jalapeno, cilantro and garlic.

Blend until smooth. Mix in a bowl with the chopped onion and enjoy! :)

English Muffin Pizzas

Sorry about the lack of posts. I have been so busy with everything and not making many interesting meals, except a chickpea pot pie fail. I decided to just post something that I have been eating. These mini pizzas make an easy quick meal. I usually make them in the morning and bring them with me for lunch. You can use lots of different veggies to add variety.

Ingredients:
whole wheat english muffins
pizza sauce
veggies

Cut english muffins in half and place on a baking sheet or in a casserole dish.

Spoon about a tablespoon of pizza sauce on top and spread across.

Layer veggies on top of the muffins and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Enjoy! :)