On my honor, I will try:

Girl Scout cookies, I remember selling them, eating them, freezing them so we would have them throughout the year....especially the Thin Mints (better frozen in my opinion!). This year when I went to order some Girl Scout cookies from a co-worker imagine my dismay to find out no vegan ones are on sale this year. That only leaves one option, make my own. Here is a pretty amazing recipe for Vegan Thin Mints I found on the Internet. I'm pretty sure this it the first dessert recipe that's been featured on the blog, so that should tell you how good they are!!




Vegan Thin Mints
Wafer Cookies:
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup vegan margarine
3 tablespoons nondairy milk (I use almond, rice, or soy)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract

Chocolate Coating:
2 cups dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon vegan margarine
½ teaspoon peppermint extract

Wafer Cookies:
In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda until combined. Add margarine, milk, vanilla, and mint extract. Pulse a few times until mixture comes together. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and knead with your hands in the bowl for one minute. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats. Remove dough from refrigerator. Roll a heaping teaspoon of cookie dough into a ball and place onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches in between each ball. Evenly flatten the dough with your fingertips so that it is about ¼ inch thick and bake for 12-14 minutes. Let cool completely.

Chocolate Coating:
Melt chocolate chips and margarine over a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir in the mint extract and mix until smooth. Dip completely cooled cookies into the chocolate and remove with a fork, gently scrapping off excess chocolate using the side of the bowl. Or, spread a thin layer of the chocolate on top of the cookies. Place cookies on a parchment-lined plate or tray and refrigerate until chocolate coating sets. Store in the refrigerator.

I also made a new recipe for dinner, Rustic Winter Stew Over Polenta, except I didn't have mine over Polenta (I made the Polenta, but it was WAY too salty, so garlic bread substitutes nicely!!). Here is the recipe for the stew and the polenta as well....



Rustic Winter Stew Over Polenta
Olive oil (from 1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons, depending how much you feel like using)
1 small onion, diced medium
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
Several dashes fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup green lentils
1 1/2 cups baby carrots
2 lbs plum tomatoes, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1 lb small Yukon gold potatoes, sliced in half (if using large ones, cut into about 1 inch pieces)
2 bay leaves
3 leeks, white & light green parts only, in 1 inch chunks (and washed well)

For the polenta:
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry polenta

To make the stew: Preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat. Saute the onion in olive oil, along with a dash of salt, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, celery seed, pepper and salt and saute a minute more. Add the lentils, baby carrots, tomatoes and vegetable broth. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally for about 20 minutes, until lentils are slightly softened (now is a good time to start the polenta.) Add potatoes and leeks. Lower heat to simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 to 30 more minutes, until potatoes are fork tender and lentils are soft. Let sit for 10 minutes or so to allow the flavors to meld. Serve over polenta, garnished with fresh herbs, if you like.

To make the polenta: Bring vegetable broth and salt to a boil in a 2 quart pot. Add oil. Lower heat to simmer. Add the polenta in a slow steady stream, stirring constantly with a whisk. Whisk for about 5 minutes, until polenta is thickened. Keeping heat low, cover and let cook for 20 more minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

The stew is super hearty and very filling!! So enjoy it, until next week!!

I'd like to introduce my friend the mushroom, he's a real fun guy...

Growing up one of my favorite meals was Salisbury Steak w/Mashed Potatoes & Peas, at the mere thought of it I start drooling (like I am right now). Until now I haven't even thought to transform this into a vegan recipe, but the other day I bought three vegan cookbooks for my iPod (I use the kindle app), one of them being The Happy Herbivore. This book is full of yummy, healthy, low-fat vegan recipes that I am excited to try out. One of the recipes is for a Mushroom Burger, which immediately made me think of Salisbury steak smothered in gravy (drooling again!!). So now is the time to creatively transform this delicious omni recipe into an amazing vegan recipe.

On a side note if you are interested in looking up all the health benefits associated with mushrooms (which aren't vegetables, but are actually fungi) check out this link from the World's Healthiest Foods website... http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=97



Here are the recipes for Vegan Salshroom Steak recipe...

Mushroom Burger
1 slice whole wheat bread
8 oz cremini mushrooms
1 15-oz can pinto or kidney beans, drained
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup vital wheat gluten
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP steak sauce
2 TBSP BBQ sauce
pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450F. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place bread slice in a food processor and allow the motor to run until breadcrumbs form. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Place whole mushrooms in the food processor and pulse until coarsely shredded to the size of sliced olives. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Repeat with beans. Combine all ingredients. Using your hands, form 7 patties. Place patties on cookie sheet, spray with cooking spray, and bake for 10 minutes. Flip, re-spray and bake another 8 minutes. Flip, re-spray for a third time, and bake 5 minutes more. Burgers can also be pan-fried or grilled.

(makes 7 patties...113 kcals/0.7g fat/17.5g carbs/3.5g fiber/8.4g protein) 3P+ for WW

Vegan Mushroom Gravy
2 cups Imagine Mushroom Broth
2 TBSP flour
1 cup sliced onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
salt & pepper, to taste

In a large sprayed skilled saute onions and mushrooms, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms release juices and onions are almost translucent. In a bowl whisk together broth and flour, until blended. Pour into skillet with mushrooms and onions and cook until thickens into gravy, stirring often to avoid scorching. Serve over mashed potatoes and Mushroom Burger. This dish is GREAT with fresh or frozen green peas.

I also made some Roasted Cauliflower as another side dish....I love roasted cauliflower. Roasting this vegetable changes the flavor and the texture. There is something pretty amazing about roasted cauliflower! Here is the recipe...

Roasted Cauliflower with Sea Salt
3 cups cauliflower florets, about 1 medium head chopped into florets
Olive oil cooking Spray
kosher salt, Maldon sea salt or other artisan flaked sea salt.

Preheat oven to 425F. Spray cauliflower florets with cooking spray and sprinkle with sea salt. Spread cauliflower in an even layer on a cast iron pan or a cookie sheet. Roast 10 minutes. Turn cauliflower over and re-spray. Roast another 10-15 minutes, or until cauliflower is just browned and fork tender. Season with more salt if desired.

P.S...I didn't want to leave you wondering what health benefits cauliflower has to offer, so here is the link... http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=13 ...and now you know!!

P.P.S....Now that I've made the dish, I'm gonna have to say the Mushroom Burgers were good but probably better for a BBQ. The Vegan Mushroom Gravy was AMAZING, and when poured over the mashed potatoes and mixed with the peas it was probably the best gravy I've ever had. I could just eat the mashed potatoes and gravy (with peas) and be completely satisfied. Everything was really good and super flavorful, I would just eat them separately next time! Until next week!!

Don't ditch the kale!!!

I was supposed to make Roasted Red Pepper Pizza (that's what I had said I was making last week), but I changed my mind. We had a youth group game night Friday; the day after our bible study, and were having pizza...pizza two nights in a row is a bit excessive! So I changed the menu to Chili Verde con Papas and Corn & Scallion Corn Bread. Thankfully the girls were OK with the change, and enjoyed it. It was really good. Very flavorful, hearty, kinda spicy and thoroughly delicious. Also the addition of kale may seem strange, but it adds a lot of flavor...so if you make this don't ditch the kale, use it!!

Not to leave out the cornbread (as if I could forget about the cornbread!)...it was also really good. There's just something about adding real corn to cornbread that makes it extra yummy! Then adding the green onion took it up another notch. Really good on it's own with some Earth Balance spread, and really good the next day!



Here are the recipes.....

Chili Verde con Papas
1 lb baby Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 jalapenos, seeded and sliced thinly
1 green bell pepper, medium diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup white wine
1 pound tomatillos, papery skins removed, washed and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound kale (about 2 bunches), coarse stems removed, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1/4 cup scallions
1 1/2 cup navy beans
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp light agave nectar

Place the chopped potatoes in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Let boil for about 15-20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onion, jalapenos, and green peppers in the oil for about 7 minutes, until everything is softened and the onions are slightly browned. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano and salt. Saute for a minute more, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the wine and tomatillos, turn up the heat a bit and let the wine reduce and the tomatillos release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, scallions and 1/2 cup of the cilantro. Turn down the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 5 minutes, just to heat through. Use an immersion blender to partially puree everything. If you don't have one, transfer half the mixture to a food processor and blend smooth, then transfer back to pot. Add the kale, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until the kale is soft. Add the cooked potatoes and the beans, and simmer for a few more minutes, until everything is heated through. Add the remaining cilantro, lime juice and agave. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro and scallions.

(6 servings...220 kcals/2g fat/42g carbs/10g fiber/10g protein) 5P+ for WW

Corn & Scallion Corn Bread
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP agave nectar
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly spray an 8-inch baking pan. In a measuring cup, whisk together the almond milk and the vinegar, and set aside to curdle. In a large bowl, sift together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Create a well in the middle and add the almond milk, agave and oil. Mix just until combined. Fold in the corn and scallions. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Slice and serve warm.

(8 servings...160 kcals/4.5g fat/20g carbs/3g fiber/4g protein) 3P+ for WW

I also made dessert but it was a repeat from last week, Banana Chocolate Chip Crepes. I normally don't make a dessert twice in a row, but it was requested by Ms. Toni Monique Gonzalez, so I was happy to oblige her request! After all she was Lady Liberty for a few weeks, and I am patriotic!! See last weeks post if you are interested in the recipe.

I'm stuffed.....literally!!

Recipe of the week....Caramelized Broccoli Stuffed Manicotti (get it, I'm stuffed??? Oh, I crack myself up!!!) with Balsamic Glazed Vegetables.



First things first, don't tell anyone that what they are about to eat has tofu in it because what they don't know won't hurt them or influence their taste buds. That being said, here is the recipe for the most amazing dish EVER. If you aren't vegan just use real ricotta cheese instead of the tofu ricotta, and regular cheese in place of the daiya.

Caramelized Broccoli Stuffed Manicotti
2 TBSP olive oil
4 cups broccoli florets, chopped fine
2 small red onions, thinly sliced
4 tsp red pepper flakes, dried
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 cup tofu ricotta (recipe follows)
1 cup Daiya vegan cheese
1/2 cup tomato paste
28 ounces stewed Italian tomatoes
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 box manicotti, prepared and rinsed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the broccoli, onions, red pepper flakes, and 2 cloves of the garlic. Slowly saute the broccoli, stirring occasionally until it starts to brown all over, about 10 minutes. Add the olives and continue to cook about 1 more minute. Remove from heat and add the tofu ricotta and Daiya, stirring to evenly distribute.



While the broccoli and onions are caramelizing, prepare the tomato sauce. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 cloves garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stewed tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in basil and remove from heat. Spread 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Stuff the manicotti with the broccoli/cheese mixture. Arrange the shells in the baking dish and top with the remaining sauce. Bake, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately.

(6 servings, 307 calories, 11g fat, 16g protein, 36g carbohydrate, 3g fiber per serving)

Tofu Ricotta
1 1/2 pounds tofu, firm, well mashed
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp basil, dried
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup Daiya

Mash all the ingredients together until the mixture has a fine, grainy texture like ricotta cheese. Store in the refrigerator. (You only need 1 cup to make the stuffed manicotti. Save any leftovers and use in another dish. Recipe can be halved)

I made this dish for a dinner/movie date I had with my friend Nicole. We usually go out and find a fun new, trendy restaurant to eat at. This time we switched it up a bit and had a dinner party at my house. It was fun and the food was delicious.



For dessert...because you can't have a dinner party without dessert, we had Banana Chocolate Chip Crepes (my first time making crepes, I will be making them again!!). I've included the recipe for the crepe batter. The filling consists of chopped up banana, top them off with SoyWhip or Whipped Cream, more chopped up banana and a sprinkle of chocolate chips and cocoa powder. Amazing!!

Crepes
3 TBSP Ener-G Egg Replacer
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup almond milk
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 TBSP vanilla extract
3/4 cup + 1 TBSP flour
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt

In a blender or food processor, whip the egg replacer and water together until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla and blend until combined. Add the flour, sugar, nutmeg, and salt and mix for about 1 minute. Pour the batter in a bowl. Spray a saute pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan. As you pour the batter, lift the pan from the heat and twirl it around so that the batter spreads evenly and coats the entire bottom of the pan. Return the pan to the heat and let it cook. Once the edges start to look crispy, loosen with a spatula and turn over. Cook the other side until golden, and slide it onto a plate. Fold it over and cover with wax paper, continue the above steps until you run out of batter. Fill with fruit or nut butter and serve!



Four weeks into the new year and so far I've kept up with this new recipe a week new year resolution. This week for Thursday night bible study I'll be making Roasted Red Pepper Mini Pizzas, look for the post on Friday...hopefully!

Now that's a spicy....beanball?

That's right you heard me, beanball (I really like saying beanball...say it with me beanball!).



Second recipe of the new year...Cajun Beanballs & Spaghetti. I'm not really sure if the title of the recipe truly explains all that is involved here. You're thinking, spaghetti? Easy! But please understand that I made the beanballs and the spaghetti sauce from scratch....from scratch spaghetti sauce tastes so much better than that stuff they stick in jars or cans. So here are the recipes (see note at end for additions I made to the recipes)....

Black Eyed Pea & Tempeh Beanballs

12 ounces tempeh
1 (15-ounce) can black eyed peas
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
black pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt

First, prepare a steamer to steam the tempeh. Once the steamer is ready, break the tempeh into bite-size pieces and steam for 10 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, use a fork or potato masher to mash the beans. They should be well mashed, with no whole beans left, but not completely smooth like a puree. Add the minced garlic, herbs, spices, soy sauce, tomato paste and vinegar, and mix well. When the tempeh is ready, add it to the mixture and mash well. It's good if it's still steaming hot because that will help all the flavors meld before baking. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, add the bread crumbs and salt. Using about 2 tablespoons of the mixture per ball, roll the mixture into 20 walnut-size balls, placing them on the baking pan. Spray with nonsitck cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes, flip the balls, and bake for 10 minutes.



Mom's Marinara

1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
black pepper
1 (24-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat a 2-quart pot over medium-low hat. Saute the garlic in the oil for about a minute. Add the thyme, oregano, and pepper, and saute for a minute more, adding a splash of water if necessary. Add the tomatoes and salt, and stir everything together. Cover the pot, leaving a little gap for steam to escape, and cook for 10 minutes. Taste for salt and seasoning and serve.

Cajun Beanballs & Spaghetti

1 serving Mom's Marinara
12 Black-Eyed Pea & Tempeh Beanballs
8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
2 cups zucchini, cut into thin half-moons
1 cup thinly sliced scallions

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. In the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the zucchini to the pot. Drain the pasta and zucchini, measure out four equal portions onto four plates. Spoon Mom's Marinara sauce over the top of the four plates, add three meatballs and 1/4 cup of sliced scallions to each plate and serve.



The girls really liked the beanballs, I believe I even heard one exclaim that they were better than meatballs!! So...second recipe of the new year another hit!! Yay!! I did make some changes to the recipes. The first change was that I went to two stores and neither one had canned black-eyed peas, so I substituted white beans. If you aren't into black-eyed peas, please know that changing the bean type won't affect the recipe, it still worked out great with a different bean. The second change I made was to add a whole red onion to the marinara sauce. I sliced it thin and added it when I sauteed the garlic, I also added a splash of balsamic vinegar to the onions as I cooked them down. It only enhanced the sauce. That's it, otherwise I followed the recipes as written. This recipe makes four big, hearty servings and is a total of 11P+. The recipes come from my new cookbook, Appetite For Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. 125 low-fat vegan recipes, I'm sure you will be reading about more of the recipes in her book this coming year!

Oh, one more thing.....DESSERT!!! For dessert I made Baked Banana Splits. So decadent, so delicious and only 3P+!!! Here is the recipe....

Baked Banana Splits

1 banana, peeled and sliced in half
2 teaspoons chocolate chips
2 tablespoons Marshmallow Creme
1/2 tablespoon chopped walnuts
3 maraschino cherries

Place peeled and sliced banana on piece of foil. Top with chocolate chips, marshmallow creme and walnuts. Close foil over banana and bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and scoop out onto plate, make sure to pour sauce over banana. Top with cherries and serve while still warm.



It was so good, I licked my plate....no really, I did!! Until next week!!

It's kinda like a tamale but, not...

First recipe of the new year....Black Bean & Corn Tamale Soup w/Oven Baked Corn Chips.



It was good...the thickness of the soup made is super hearty and filling. For those of you following WW this soup makes 5 servings at 6P+ per serving (add 2P+ for the oven baked corn chips and you've got a very filling meal for 8P+). I tasted it as I was making it and added spices accordingly...I like my stuff spicy, you will want to spice yours based on your tastes (I'm not putting any measurements for spices that way you don't feel like you need to follow my recipe exactly...plus to be honest I didn't measure anyways!!). Here is the recipe....


Black Bean & Corn Tamale Soup

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 tsp olive oil or cooking spray
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, large dice
2 zucchini, sliced
1 lg can diced tomatoes
4 cups veg broth
1 cup masa harina
chili powder
cumin
garlic powder
salt
pepper
mexican oregano
paprika

Combine onions, carrot and zucchini in large stock pot and saute with olive oil until carrots start to get tender. Add canned tomatoes and seasonings. Stir in black beans. Add broth. Bring to a boil and slowly stir in the cornmeal. Return to boil and then reduce to a simmer. (the cornmeal thickens the soup and gives it the tamale flavor. If soup gets too thick add 1/2-1 cups water). 10 minutes before soup is finished add frozen corn and cook soup until heated through.







Oven Baked Corn Chips

Corn Tortillas (2 per person), cut into 8 triangles
Cooking spray (I like to use Olive Oil cooking spray)
Chili Powder
Salt
Cumin

Pre-heat oven to 350. Cut tortillas using a knife or pizza cutter. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and lay out tortilla triangles so that none are overlapping. Spray with cooking spray and then sprinkle spices on top. bake for about 8 minutes and then turn over to bake evenly. Bake 8-10 minutes longer, shaking pan every 2 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Serve on side with soup.




So there you go, first recipe completed successfully. Not only is it completed, but it was AMAZING!! Yay me!

Next up will be Spicy Spaghetti w/Cajun Bean Balls...you don't want to miss it, so check back Friday!! (I'm making it for my Thursday night girls bible study. Those girls are amazing, they always eat everything I make. That is love!)

Until Friday!!

New Year Resolutions....

I LOVE making new year resolutions.....seriously LOVE it. I'm also really good at keeping them, I have a very high success rate. One year I vowed to eat no fast food...did it. Another year, no chocolate....succeeded. What can I say, I am very stubborn!! ;-)

The main one this year is that I have decided to make a new recipe every week. Which when the year is finished should give me 52 recipes made, eaten and blogged on. As part of the recipe making I want to make sure I share them with you and let you know how they turned out. This week (since I took last week off from everything but fasting) I am making 2 new recipes. So stay tuned for 2 new blogs regarding the new recipes....I'll give you a sneak peak into what I'm making. Recipe #1 will be Black Bean & Corn Tamale Soup w/Oven Baked Corn Chips. Recipe #2 will be Spicy Spaghetti w/Cajun Bean Balls (this recipe comes from Appetite For Reduction...my Christmas gift from whoever got me the Barnes & Noble gift card...thank you!!).

I'm also hoping to step up my blogging and take some good pictures of the whole cooking and recipe making process...maybe even the eating!! See ya soon!