Yum....

The title is brief. The food is simple. An old recipe with a new twist. Broccoli "Beef" Stir-fry (this is the old part) with Peanut Sauce (that's the new part).



I recently bought a bag of partially defatted peanut flour at Trader Joe's.

It's been sitting on my kitchen counter waiting to be used. I had no idea what to do with it until last nights meal. I was already making Broccoli "Beef", so I thought a peanut sauce could only make it taste better...and I have the bag of peanut flour, what's the worst that could happen??? Ummmmmmmmm, how about I LOVE it and now I want more? It was as simple as taking a 1/4 cup of the flour, mixing it with some soy sauce, chili pepper flakes, vinegar and a little bit of water to thin it out. Make your Broccoli Beef as you normally would (mine is simple...broccoli, onion and Gardein Beef-Less Tips). Cook the broccoli, onions, beef and whatever else you feel like adding. When the broccoli beef is almost done cooking pour the peanut sauce over everything, cover and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir to mix well and serve over rice, garnish with some peanuts for fun. It was really good, the only down side is that I hear Trader Joe's is discontinuing carrying peanut flour. Which means I will have to stock up, and you should run out and buy some too before it's all gone!

Rise and Shine....

This is not one of my new recipe blogs, this is bonus for all of you...Janet and Elizabeth (HA!), who actually read the blog! I thought I'd just share with you one of my breakfast favorites...Tofu Scramble. The one I'm going to share with you today I call Tofu Rancheros, because it has a little bit of a Mexican flair to it (meaning; it's really good with tortillas, Pico de Gallo and avocado slices). I prefer to make mine with extra firm tofu because I like the texture of it better than the softer versions. I also like to buy organic tofu because then I know they did not use GMO-soybeans. (Want more info on GMO's??? Go here... http://www.saynotogmos.org/)



Next step is to get your frying pan out and saute some onions and bell pepper. I tend to use cooking spray instead of oil to cook with...that's just my preference though, feel free to use some good oil and saute your veggies.



When your onions and bell pepper are cooked till tender and the onions have released their juices, add crumbled tofu. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder and Turmeric. If you don't know anything about Turmeric check out this website... http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/20-health-benefits-of-turmeric.html. It's one of those spices that have natural healing qualities, it's almost flavorless and makes everything a bright yellow color (it makes my tofu almost look like eggs!)



After you add the spices, stir everything up so that it gets all mixed together. Then add a couple spoonfuls of Pico de Gallo (without the liquid if possible, otherwise your scramble will be too wet). Cook for an additional 8-10 minutes to allow flavors to blend.



Serve with additional Pico de Gallo, warmed whole grain tortillas, and avocado slices (I didn't have an avocado at home when I made this, it was still good...but it would have been better with the avocado!)



This is just one of the millions of Tofu Scramble recipes out there, I have about 4 different ones that I make on a regular basis. Think of what kinds of things you like in an omelet, those are the items you could also put in a scramble. This is also the best way to try tofu out for the first time. It takes on all the flavors of what you are cooking it with and using extra firm makes the texture egg-like.

I'll be posting my new recipe later on this week, I'm making Spicy Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash...I can hardly wait!

"We're gonna eat at a new restaurant, I can't pronounce the name but you're gonna love it..."

Last night we started our girls Thursday night Bible study back up after a month long break. I usually cook for the girls, but things have been a little crazy lately with my schedule and cooking was the last thing I really wanted to do. Instead we went to a little Vegetarian restaurant in my neighborhood that I have wanted to try for at least a year. The restaurant is run by Hindu's (or at least I think they are Hindu). The food was good and I will be going back again.

Jyoti-Bihanga is on Adams Ave in North Park. It's a little hole in the wall place, that doesn't really do much to draw you in other than it's a vegetarian restaurant. Here's what we ordered....


Hummos Dip (VEGAN)
Our fresh homemade hummos on a bed of lettuce served with cucumbers and grilled organic whole-wheat chapati slices.


Dinner Salad (VEGAN)
Lettuce, sprouts, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and beets with your choice of salad dressing. My dinner came with a side salad, I got it with the Lemon Tahini dressing.


Shiva Wrap
Light and satisfying. Our Curry of the Day with lettuce, carrots, beets, sprouts and sweet apple chutney sauce. Becca got this menu item, she really liked it and said it tasted great!


Turkey Avocado Wrap
One of our favorites. Grilled soy turkey with avocado, cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion and mayo-tamari sauce. Toni, who chose not to be photographed, ordered this...she also enjoyed her wrap. (2 for 2!!)


Brahma Burrito
The ultimate vegetarian burrito: a tasty combination of refried black and pinto beans with jack cheese, brown rice, lettuce, guacamole, salsa, and a side of sour cream. This was Monica's dinner, she loved it...but it did require a knife and fork after it fell apart. It was huge, so if you're hungry this is the item to get.


Curry
Our "not too spicy" Indian curry of the day with brown rice, raita (yogurt, cucumber and spices), sweet apple chutney and organic whole wheat chapati bread. This was my dinner choice, the curry of the day was Saag "Chicken" Curry. It was really, really good...I would definitely order it again!


Apple Pie (VEGAN)
Still the best pie around! Fresh sliced Granny Smith apples with a little brown sugar in a whole wheat crust, baked in an enormous pie pan so the slices are big! I ordered this to go, because I was FULL. I ended up giving it to the girls to give to their mom, she's been sick and I'm pretty sure apple pie cures the flu!!

All around we all enjoyed our meal and will go back again. There are a ton more items I want to try. Here is the link for the website, check it out and then go! http://www.jyotibihanga.com/index.htm . The menu descriptions come from the menu on the website. Until next week!

A Recipe Reprieve....

I was reminded on Wednesday, as I was sitting at Discount Tire waiting for my new $200 tire (one tire, not multiple tires) to be installed that I hadn't blogged last week. I know I made a new recipe, but hadn't taken any photos of said recipe so I hadn't blogged on it...because that would be boring for you and for me. So instead of a recipe this week I have decided to showcase some of my favorite items from Whole Foods. I am having a not-so-secret love affair with Whole Foods. It's an expensive love affair to say the least, but there is no turning back now. Whole Foods is a vegans paradise...so many options for me, both healthy and not-so-healthy, but vegan none the less!! Here are a few of my favorite items from Whole Foods...some of which can certainly (sometimes) be found at other more traditional grocery stores for less money.


I love Tofurky Deli Slices. I often times have a Tofurky sandwich in the mornings, on really good sourdough bread with some Vegenaise (next product!!). It is so good, the hickory smoked slices are my favorite of the deli slices.


I really like mayonnaise, but since egg and my body don't get along I had to find a substitute. Vegenaise is great, I actually like it better than regular mayonnaise. I like to get the Reduced Fat because it is more calorie friendly, but still tastes great. It's great on sandwiches, or in a potato salad! I love it!


Mother of Pearl...I love Gardein!! This has made being vegan so much easier, and tastier. These meat substitutes are made from whole grains, thus sometimes called "wheat meat". You should give them a try, I especially recommend the Homestyle Beefless Tips....delicious (especially in a stir fry, think Broccoli Beef)


Thought I'd throw a little dessert in here, to sweeten up the blog a bit. These are so amazing and delicious...sometimes it's hard to stop at just one!


I love this pizza, I don't usually get the rice crust though...I get the whole wheat crust. It's good and ONLY 160 calories for the whole pizza. It can be found in the frozen foods section.


I don't get these very often; because Subway is closer, but when I want a more gourmet kinda sandwich I come here. I am NEVER disappointed!!



IT MELTS!!!! Need I say more? If you have any experience with vegan cheeses you know that the melting part is an issue. This cheese melts and it tastes good. It's made out of cassava root instead of soy.


Love this broth, almost as much as.....

this one!! Both are great in soups, rice, sauteing veggies, etc.


Final product of this blog. This stuff is fabulous, I always have a package at home. I use it in tacos, enchiladas, lasagna, shepherd's pie, spaghetti sauce, tamale pie, etc. Try this and I can almost guarantee you will like it!

Thanks for letting me take a break from blogging about my recipes, the next one will be a restaurant review. Until next time!

Kiss me I'm Irish...no really, I am!

In honor of St. Patrick's Day (which is exactly one month away) I made Vegan Irish Stew and some Vegan Soda Bread. Also, I have a cold sore right now so you may not want to kiss me...it's taking over my face and is VERY painful. I have no idea where it came from, but it's here! Anyway....

I'm pretty sure there is nothing better or more satisfying than peasant food. You know, good earthy food...potatoes, bread, soups, stews, food that you can eat with your hands or a big ol' spoon. It's simple, it's easy to make, it's cheap, it feeds a ton of people and it tastes amazing. Peasant food is defined as..."those dishes specific to a particular culture made from accessible and inexpensive ingredients and usually prepared and spiced to make them more palatable. They have often formed a significant part of the diets of poor people. Peasant foods often involve skilled preparation by knowledgeable cooks using inventiveness and skills passed down from earlier generations. Such dishes are often prized as ethnic foods by other cultures and by descendants of the native culture who still desire these traditional dishes even when their incomes rise to the point where they can purchase any food they like."

Here are the recipes....




Vegan Irish Stew
Ingredients:
4 cups red potatoes, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 parsnips, diced
1 turnip, diced
3 whole cloves
1-12 oz. bottle Guinness
32 oz vegetable or mushroom broth
3 sprigs thyme
1 cup baby carrots cut in bite-sized pieces
1 cup mushrooms, quartered
1 cup baby Brussels sprouts, halved
1 tbsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen peas (add last 30 minutes of cooking)

Place all ingredients in crock pot (except peas, those will be added the last 30 minutes of cooking). Turn crock pot to low and allow to cook 6-8 hours. Last 30 minutes of cooking, turn heat up to high and add peas.

Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oats
1 cup soy milk mixed with 1 TBSP vinegar

Directions:
1. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and oats in a bowl.
2. Mix in the buttermilk and form a dough.
3. Shape the dough and place it on a baking sheet or in a loaf pan.
4. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 40 minutes (the top should be golden brown).

Seriously the EASIEST bread ever. I added about 4 tsp caraway seeds to mine for some extra flavor, some people also add raisins...but I really don't like raisins, at all!

Until next week!

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!!