Roasted Peppers

This will be a simple post. I roasted some peppers and added them to my pasta for dinner last night so I thought I would share how.

 

You can probably use whatever type of pepper you like I had red bell pepper, green bell pepper, poblano and a hot chili.

Just cut them in half and place in a casserole dish with seasoning.

Broil in the oven for 5 minutes on each side.

You can place them in a brown paper bag to cool and then remove the skin but I skipped this for all except the poblano. enjoy!



Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

Its been way too long since I posted on here. I have been busy getting married and going on long honeymoons :)
With all the planning and events over I am ready to start posting all my recipes.
I found this recipe on pinterest so I cant take all credit for its deliciousness. I did make some modifications because the original recipe used soymilk for the base instead of coconut milk. This would be a lowfat less yummy option. I also left the skin on my sweet potato and I think it blended well.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tbl chipotle powder
lime juice and diced avocado for topping

I baked my sweet potato the night before at 400 for about an hour. This way when I got home from work I had a 15min meal.

Combine coconut milk and vegetable broth in a pot and heat on medium high. Add the sweet potato.

Use a hand blender to blend the soup or blend in a regular blender. Add chipotle powder. Serve with avocado and lime juice.

Enjoy!

How to: Crispy Tofu

I wanted to do a post on how to cook tofu because I often get complaints along the lines of: "I like tofu but mine is always mushy." This is the process that I take my tofu through to get crispy tofu without a mushy inside. An alternative to pan frying is baking at 350 until crispy or broiling for a couple minutes on each side. When I oven bake mine I will add a marinade.

Ingredients:
1 block extra firm tofu (silken or other soft tofus are best for sauces and soups)
1 tbl high heat oil such as coconut oil

Start with removing the tofu from the package and removing the water. Place on towel and wrap the towel around the tofu.

Place the tofu under something heavy. I used a large ceramic bowl full or apples.

This will squish all the extra liquid out of the tofu. For best results you should give this process a few hours. I actually did mine before bed and left it overnight. In the morning it should look like this.

You can cook it right away or store in the fridge for a day.  I wouldnt store it in the fridge too long because without the water tofu spoils quickly. It actually gets slimy and gross. You can also marinate it after pressing all the water out.
Cut the tofu into cubes, or any shape you like. And cook with the oil in cast iron pan on medium high.
Stir frequently to prevent burning.

Enjoy!



Lentil Meatballs

They look a little crispy in the picture but these were very tasty. I found this recipe in a random email I got from subscribing to recipes.com. The recipes aren't always vegan but you can modify. I followed the recipe for the most part. It said to use zucchini and celery which I didn't have but I did add mushrooms. Also sprouted lentils weren't a requirement but I don't digest them well if not plus sprouting is soo healthy. I should do a post on sprouting...hmm. Anyways these were fairly easy and definitely worth it because they were super yummy.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked lentils
1/2 onion,diced
1 clove garlic,minced
1 carrot,diced
5 mushrooms(I used crimini), sliced
1 tbl Italian seasonings
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tbl ground flax seeds
3 tbl Worcestershire sauce
2 tbl chickpea flour(or other) + 2 tbl water

Place lentils in a bowl and mash with a fork. I tried this step and they didn't mash well. I think next time Ill use a food processor. Set aside when done.

Add onion and garlic to a pan and heat on medium while you clean and chop the other veggies.

Add carrot and mushrooms to the pan and saute until soft.

Add the veggies to the bowl of lentils and stir. Add to the same bowl the breadcrumbs,Italian seasonings,flax seeds and Worcestershire sauce.

Mix the flour and water in a small bowl and then add to the lentil mixture.

Form the mixture into balls. If it seems dry add some water or non-dairy milk. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium high and cook until crispy on the outside.

I served mine on spaghetti with tomato sauce. Enjoy!

Potato Tacos

The new veg news magazine arrived this weekend and was full of delicious Mexican recipes. I think I might have to make them all! These are the potato tacos and they turned out great! I think I would add bell peppers and mushrooms next time. The "cheese" which is seasoned tofu could have been omitted in my opinion. But I did like the crunch and flavor of the cumin seeds which I will keep next time. I also made tomatillo salsa to top them which is an earlier recipe I posted.

Ingredients:
tortillas
3 russet potatoes (or whatever kind you like, just modify bake time)
1 package firm tofu
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
juice 1/2 lemon
1 tsp paprika
1 avocado
cilantro and tomatillo salsa to top them

If you want to make the "cheese" crumble tofu into a bowl and toss with olive oil, lemon juice and cumin seeds. Allow to sit in fridge while you cook the potatoes.

Cut potatoes into bite size pieces and arrange in casserole dish. The recipe said to toss with oil but I skipped this and they turned out great. Toss the potatoes with paprika and bake at 350 for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Serve on tortillas with "cheese", avocado, cilantro and salsa. Enjoy!

Black Bean Soup

This soup was really easy to make and made the house smell really good. I modified a recipe I found on pinterest to make it vegan. I made fresh beans but the recipe used canned. I think canned beans would have given it a more creamy texture. For some reason canned beans are always softer. The original recipe also used seasoned black beans but I roasted some chilies and added them instead. yum!

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 onion, chopped
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp cumin
3 cups or 2 cans black beans
1 roasted jalapeno and 5 roasted red peppers (optional)
4 cups veggie broth

Add garlic and onion to a large pot.

Stir fry on low for a couple minutes and then add seasonings, stir. Remove the seeds from the jalapeno and chop both peppers. Add them to the pot.

Add the beans and broth and bring to a boil. I don't know if it is necessary to bring to a boil but I followed the recipe.

Reduce to a simmer and blend with an immersion blender. Enjoy!

 



Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

This soup is so yummy! I roasted the mushrooms with garlic before adding to the soup and I don't think it was necessary but the roasted garlic added a good flavor. I used a wild rice blend with quinoa and other rice which worked really well.

Ingredients:
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 tbl flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 tsp thyme
2 cups veggie broth
1 cup wild rice, cooked

I started cooking my rice while I worked on the soup. In a casserole dish I combined the mushrooms and garlic. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
In a large pot combine carrots, celery and onion. Sautee on low until soft.

Add flour and stir to coat. Cook for another few minutes.



Deglaze with the wine and then add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Serve with salt and pepper. I added some vinegar too. Enjoy!