We all like to eat healthy. But, sometimes, when you've been taking care of a sick baby all week, when you're sick yourself, when winter just won't get the hint and leave...you need something more than salad. You need CARBS! Lots of carbs! But still cruelty-free carbs.
Ingredients:
- 450 g. elbow pasta (whole-wheat or spelt)
- 1 C. nutritional yeast
- 4 Tbsp. flour
- 2 C. rice milk
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp. mustard powder
- pepper, to taste
- 1 C. bread crumbs
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 C. chopped onion
- 1 C. frozen peas
Step 1: Boil water, preheat oven to 350F.
Step 2: Start cooking pasta! But don't cook all the way. Cook maybe 80% of the way.
Step 3: Add middle section of ingredients (nutritional yeast to pepper) in a large saucepan and mix together. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring constantly for about 3-4 minutes.
Step 4: Add partially cooked pasta to oven-safe casserole dish. Add nutritional yeast "cheese". Mix in those peas! Top with bread crumbs, garlic powder, and onions.
Step 5: Bake in oven for approx 20 min.
You will probably want to serve this with a big serving of some delicious steamed vegetables, like cauliflower. Just to show that you haven't given up the whole health food thing COMPLETELY.
We didn't take any photos, because we were all too busy eating.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
John's Ridiculously Tasty Chili
While I'm not usually one to toot my own horn, I have to say that I have both made and eaten a few chilies in my day, and this one is most certainly one of the very best. It takes a bit of work, but the finished product is well worth the time. And it makes enough to feed several people for a couple of days. The outcome is moderately spicy, so feel free to add or subtract to taste if you prefer it hotter or milder. Without further ado, here's what I'd take to the cookoff:
Ingredients:
2 C. kidney beans*
1 large bell pepper, chopped
4 large potatoes, skin on, scrubbed and cubed
1 C. corn
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 small-medium onion, chopped
500mL crushed tomatoes
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 can of flat dark beer (leave open in the fridge overnight)
1 C. lentils
4 C. veggie stock
- Seasonings:
1 Tbsp basil
3 dashes tobasco
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 dash liquid smoke
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. coriander seed
3 Tbsp olive oil
Directions
If you're preparing the beans from dry, see below.
1. In a large pot, heat the oil at medium heat, then saute the onion, celery, zucchini and pepper for 5 minutes.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes and all of the spices and seasonings. Stir thoroughly.
3. Add the stock and beer to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the lentils, beans, corn and potatoes, stir, and reduce heat slightly to a simmer.
3. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for at least 1 hour.
*It's okay to use canned beans, but it will turn out better if you cook them from dry. One cup of dry beans makes two cups cooked. The easiest way to do this is to soak the beans in a bowl of water overnight. You can also do a quick soak by covering the dry beans with water and bringing them to a boil with some olive oil for 3 minutes. Then drain, rinse with cold water, cover, bring to a boil again, then simmer for 1 hour before continuing with the recipe.
As with all soups and stews, the longer you let it sit, the better it'll turn out. Gives all of the ingredients time to get to know each other. I like to serve the traditional way with a green side salad, garlic toast and a nice red wine. If you have a family chili recipe that you'd like to share, I'd love to try it. Post it in the comments and we'll make yours!
The Chili!
Ingredients:
2 C. kidney beans*
1 large bell pepper, chopped
4 large potatoes, skin on, scrubbed and cubed
1 C. corn
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 small-medium onion, chopped
500mL crushed tomatoes
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 can of flat dark beer (leave open in the fridge overnight)
1 C. lentils
4 C. veggie stock
- Seasonings:
1 Tbsp basil
3 dashes tobasco
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 dash liquid smoke
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. coriander seed
3 Tbsp olive oil
Directions
If you're preparing the beans from dry, see below.
1. In a large pot, heat the oil at medium heat, then saute the onion, celery, zucchini and pepper for 5 minutes.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes and all of the spices and seasonings. Stir thoroughly.
3. Add the stock and beer to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the lentils, beans, corn and potatoes, stir, and reduce heat slightly to a simmer.
3. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for at least 1 hour.
*It's okay to use canned beans, but it will turn out better if you cook them from dry. One cup of dry beans makes two cups cooked. The easiest way to do this is to soak the beans in a bowl of water overnight. You can also do a quick soak by covering the dry beans with water and bringing them to a boil with some olive oil for 3 minutes. Then drain, rinse with cold water, cover, bring to a boil again, then simmer for 1 hour before continuing with the recipe.
As with all soups and stews, the longer you let it sit, the better it'll turn out. Gives all of the ingredients time to get to know each other. I like to serve the traditional way with a green side salad, garlic toast and a nice red wine. If you have a family chili recipe that you'd like to share, I'd love to try it. Post it in the comments and we'll make yours!
Home-made "Sausage"!
My best friend is a celiac, which means she can't eat gluten. I made this recipe to spite her. And because I missed sandwiches.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 C. vital wheat gluten
- 1/4 C. nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. cumin
- 1-2 tsp. pepper
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 3/4 C. cold water
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. crushed tomatoes
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. ketchup
- 2 T. olive oil (I used canola because I was out of olive oil)
- 2 Tbsp. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce, or, if you can't eat soy like me, check out our Stroganesque recipe for a vegan soy free version!)
-1-3 cloves garlic, crushed well
Now go like this!
1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2.In a large mixing bowl mix dry ingredients. Mix the rest of the ingredients (liquid ingredients) in a smaller mixing bowl. Whisk well until mixed.
3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well, then knead for several minutes. (I'm lazy, so I only kneaded it for 3 minutes. The longer you knead it, the better the texture)
4. Form into a log (6-8" long), wrap tightly in foil, twisting ends.
We probably made about 10-12 sandwiches with the finished product, so it's much cheaper than the store bought veggie slices! And I liked it just as much. You could also use it in jambalaya or any recipe calling for sausage. Nom nom nom.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 C. vital wheat gluten
- 1/4 C. nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. cumin
- 1-2 tsp. pepper
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 3/4 C. cold water
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. crushed tomatoes
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. ketchup
- 2 T. olive oil (I used canola because I was out of olive oil)
- 2 Tbsp. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce, or, if you can't eat soy like me, check out our Stroganesque recipe for a vegan soy free version!)
-1-3 cloves garlic, crushed well
Now go like this!
1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2.In a large mixing bowl mix dry ingredients. Mix the rest of the ingredients (liquid ingredients) in a smaller mixing bowl. Whisk well until mixed.
3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well, then knead for several minutes. (I'm lazy, so I only kneaded it for 3 minutes. The longer you knead it, the better the texture)
4. Form into a log (6-8" long), wrap tightly in foil, twisting ends.
Looks like Christmas!
Bake for 90 minutes. When done baking, unwrap and leave out to cool all the way. Then wrap it foil or plastic and refrigerate. Slice to use as desired.
I didn't take any finished photos, but here is a picture of the pig you DIDN'T eat!
We probably made about 10-12 sandwiches with the finished product, so it's much cheaper than the store bought veggie slices! And I liked it just as much. You could also use it in jambalaya or any recipe calling for sausage. Nom nom nom.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Bed Sharing
My three favourite things are
- John
- Rowan
- Sleep
On second thought, maybe there is...
All to myself! Yes! Finally!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Banana Coconut Creme Pie
I've never really been a big "pie" fan. Generally, I don't like cooked fruit. But then someone told me about creme pies, and my life was changed!
John and I made this pie last night to celebrate Rowan's 6 month birthday. He didn't get to eat any, but it was the thought that counts.
Ingredients:
- 19 oz coconut milk
- 1/4 C. maple syrup
- 1/4 C. cornstarch
- 1/2 C. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. yellow food colouring (optional)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp. Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 1/4 C. rice milk
- 3 to 4 ripe bananas, thinly sliced
1. Set aside 1/4 C. of coconut milk (about 2 oz). Combine the remaining coconut milk and maple syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring, until it begins to bubble. Remove from heat.
2. In a new bowl, whisk together the reserved coconut milk, cornstarch, sugar, food colouring, and vanilla.
3. Add egg replacer to the coconut milk/maple syrup, then add the cornstarch mixture. Heat over medium heat, stirring continuously, until it comes to a simmer. Cook, stirring continuously, for about 4 minutes or until thickened.
4. Spread a small amount of the custard in the bottom of the pie shell. Place a layer of sliced banana on top of the custard. Repeat! Repeat again! Let cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate until ready to nom.
5. Nom nom nom.
You can do whatever you want for a pie crust. Store-bought, or home made, doesn't really matter. You're going to want to cook it, though, and let it cool completely before putting in the custard.
John and I tried out a random recipe I found online, and it FAILED. John's theory is that a bitter chef posted it online to screw with all the amateurs.
John and I made this pie last night to celebrate Rowan's 6 month birthday. He didn't get to eat any, but it was the thought that counts.
Ingredients:
- 19 oz coconut milk
- 1/4 C. maple syrup
- 1/4 C. cornstarch
- 1/2 C. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. yellow food colouring (optional)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp. Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 1/4 C. rice milk
- 3 to 4 ripe bananas, thinly sliced
1. Set aside 1/4 C. of coconut milk (about 2 oz). Combine the remaining coconut milk and maple syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring, until it begins to bubble. Remove from heat.
2. In a new bowl, whisk together the reserved coconut milk, cornstarch, sugar, food colouring, and vanilla.
3. Add egg replacer to the coconut milk/maple syrup, then add the cornstarch mixture. Heat over medium heat, stirring continuously, until it comes to a simmer. Cook, stirring continuously, for about 4 minutes or until thickened.
4. Spread a small amount of the custard in the bottom of the pie shell. Place a layer of sliced banana on top of the custard. Repeat! Repeat again! Let cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate until ready to nom.
5. Nom nom nom.
You can do whatever you want for a pie crust. Store-bought, or home made, doesn't really matter. You're going to want to cook it, though, and let it cool completely before putting in the custard.
John and I tried out a random recipe I found online, and it FAILED. John's theory is that a bitter chef posted it online to screw with all the amateurs.
"Let's see them make delicious pie NOW! A-ha-ha-ha!"
And he's probably right. So don't trust random recipes posted on the internet! If you want to make your own pie crust, use THIS recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 C. flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 C. coconut butter
- 3 Tbsp. very cold water
1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut the shortening in the flour mixture until very well mixed, then add the water.
2. Mix together until a dough forms.
3. On a lightly floured surface, knead for a minute or two and then roll into a ball.
4. Wrap dough in wax paper, and chill for 30 minutes. Roll the dough into a pie crust. (about 9")
5. Bake in oven at 450°F for about 15 minutes!
Here's our pie with two generous slices taken out!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Bean Stroganesque
This delightful recipe was based off of a stroganoff, but since we changed a lot of the ingredients, it became something that was not quite a stroganoff, hence stroganesque. This is definitely one of our favourite culinary creations to date!
Bean Stroganesque
Ingredients:
1 tsp canola oil
1 onion, chopped
8-10 medium sized mushrooms, quartered
2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1 C. vegetable stock
2 Tbsp dry red wine
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce*
2 C. cooked red kidney beans
1/2 cup rice milk
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp cornstarch
fresh ground black pepper
2 C. cooked noodles
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Step 1: In a large nonstick pan, heat the oil over medium heat; cook the onion for about 4 minutes, until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 4 minutes until they are soft. Meanwhile, add the lemon juice and vinegar to the rice milk, stir and set aside.
Step 2: Sprinkle in the thyme and paprika and cook for another minute
Step 3: Stir in the stock, wine and Worcestershire sauce. Crush about a third of the beans with a fork, then add to the pan along with the other beans and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until the liquid is slightly reduced.
Step 4: Mix the milk with the cornstarch until smooth, and stir in to the bean mixture. Cook, stirring continuously for another 2 or 3 minutes until the mixture thickens. Season to taste with fresh ground pepper.
Step 5: Spoon over noodles and garnish with the green onions.
Step 6: Om nom nom nom nom!
*Since we couldn't find any vegan and soy-free Worcestershire sauce, we made our own. It went like this:
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
pinch of salt & pepper
1/8 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. blackstrap molasses
dash of liquid smoke
Combine everything in a small bowl and mix thoroughly! It was quite yummy, the liquid smoke gave it that nice, savoury flavour, and it smelled wonderful when it went in the pot.
You may also recall - see the previous post if you don't - that we made a sort of mayonnaise to go with our fake tuna salad. There was quite a bit left over, so we turned it into an herb and garlic alioli and had it over fried potatoes. Here's the recipe:
4 large potatoes, skin on, scrubbed and cubed
1 C. "mayonnaise"
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. sage
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Step 1: In a small pot, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 4-5 minutes until they're just a bit tender, but not fully cooked. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: Put the mayo, garlic, basil, thyme, sage, salt and pepper into the blender and blend on high until smooth.
Step 3: Heat the oil in a non-stick pan on medium-high, add the potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes, flipping the potatoes regularly until they're golden brown and crispy on the outside.
Step 4: Pour the alioli over the potatoes while they're still in the pan, then remove from heat.
Step 5: Nom nom nom.
Aside from being a good day in the kitchen, today was also Rowan's 6 month birthday! He celebrated it by cutting his second tooth. An exciting event, to be sure, but one that he didn't find especially pleasant. In spite of the pain in his gums, he still managed to spend most of the day being smiley and happy. Next item on the agenda: learn how to crawl!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Here are two things you should know about me!
Vegan Soy-Free "Mayonnaise"
Ingredients:
-1 3/4 cups drained cooked or canned white beans (one 15 or 16 oz cans) - I used navy beans!
-2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
-1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar or additional fresh lemon juice
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
-1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-1/3 cup organic canola or safflower oil
1. Place the beans, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and dry mustard in a blender. Blend until very creamy.
2. With the appliance running, drizzle in the oils in a slow, steady stream through the cap opening in the lid. Continue processing until well blended and completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container as needed.
3. Chill thoroughly before using. Keeps about 7 days in the refrigerator
So you can use this as a substitute for anything you would use mayonnaise for. It's kind of like a mild hummus, I suppose. It doesn't really taste like mayonnaise, but it does the trick!
"Tuna" Salad
-1(15 oz.) can chick-peas, drained (or 1.5 c. cooked)
-1/2 C. vegan mayonnaise (I would start with about 1/4 C, and add more until it's at a texture you like)
-1/3 C. minced celery
- 1/4 C. radish
-2.5 T. minced dill pickle
-1/2 T. nutritional yeast
-1 green onion, chopped
-1/2 t. kelp powder (optional, if you like seaweedy taste. I don't.)
- pepper, to taste
1.In a medium bowl, mash the chick-peas coarsely with a fork.
2. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Use on sandwiches or on a bed of salad greens.
Everyone makes tuna salad differently, so this is just what I did. You can add more or less vegetables, relish, anything you want to make it delicious!
- I plan on being a vegan for the rest of my life.
- I love tuna.
Vegan Soy-Free "Mayonnaise"
Ingredients:
-1 3/4 cups drained cooked or canned white beans (one 15 or 16 oz cans) - I used navy beans!
-2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
-1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar or additional fresh lemon juice
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
-1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-1/3 cup organic canola or safflower oil
1. Place the beans, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and dry mustard in a blender. Blend until very creamy.
2. With the appliance running, drizzle in the oils in a slow, steady stream through the cap opening in the lid. Continue processing until well blended and completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container as needed.
3. Chill thoroughly before using. Keeps about 7 days in the refrigerator
So you can use this as a substitute for anything you would use mayonnaise for. It's kind of like a mild hummus, I suppose. It doesn't really taste like mayonnaise, but it does the trick!
"Tuna" Salad
-1(15 oz.) can chick-peas, drained (or 1.5 c. cooked)
-1/2 C. vegan mayonnaise (I would start with about 1/4 C, and add more until it's at a texture you like)
-1/3 C. minced celery
- 1/4 C. radish
-2.5 T. minced dill pickle
-1/2 T. nutritional yeast
-1 green onion, chopped
-1/2 t. kelp powder (optional, if you like seaweedy taste. I don't.)
- pepper, to taste
1.In a medium bowl, mash the chick-peas coarsely with a fork.
2. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Use on sandwiches or on a bed of salad greens.
Everyone makes tuna salad differently, so this is just what I did. You can add more or less vegetables, relish, anything you want to make it delicious!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
You don't win friends with salad!
... You win them with delicious cupcakes!
John and I haven't been doing too much cooking/baking lately. Everything we've made has been along the lines of "what do we have in the fridge?". A lot of stirfrys, and perogies.
But the other night I was feeling antsy, and had a bit of a sweet tooth, so I made some cupcakes!
This recipe is from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, which is the greatest cookbook (bakebook?) to ever exist. Even if you only make cupcakes once a year, you should buy this book.
I did edit it a bit though, so I will put my edited version on here. If you want the real version, buy the book!
Banana Cupcakes
1/2 C. very ripe banana, mashed well (you don't want any lumps. I mashed mine with an immersion blender)
1 1/4 C. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 C. granulated sugar
1/3 C. canola oil
2/3 C. rice milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl. In a seperate, smaller bowl, whisk together the oil, rice milk, vanilla, almond extract, and banana. Create a well in the dry ingredients and fold in wet ingredients, mixing to just combine.
3. Fill cupcake liners two-thirds full. Bake for 20-22 minutes.
4. Cool completely before icing.
I haven't quite figured out how to make a vegan AND soy-free buttercream-style frosting. I didn't want boring cupcakes though, so I made a chocolate glaze... I put 1/4 C soy milk in a little sauce pan over the stove, until it was gently boiling. Then I took it off the heat, added 2 Tbsp. maple syrup, and chocolate chips. I didn't really measure the chocolate chips, I just poured them while slowly stirring with a spatula until it was nice and thick. I probably used about 150 g. Then I poured in about 1/2 oz. of coconut rum!
You can make the glaze while the cupcakes are baking, then set it aside, because you want it to be cooled down when you use it.
When the cupcakes are ready, spoon the glaze generously over top. I topped my cupcakes with a slice of frozen banana! (Fresh works too.)
These were really good. I made them at about 10 pm... They didn't make it through the night.
John and I haven't been doing too much cooking/baking lately. Everything we've made has been along the lines of "what do we have in the fridge?". A lot of stirfrys, and perogies.
But the other night I was feeling antsy, and had a bit of a sweet tooth, so I made some cupcakes!
This recipe is from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, which is the greatest cookbook (bakebook?) to ever exist. Even if you only make cupcakes once a year, you should buy this book.
I did edit it a bit though, so I will put my edited version on here. If you want the real version, buy the book!
Banana Cupcakes
1/2 C. very ripe banana, mashed well (you don't want any lumps. I mashed mine with an immersion blender)
1 1/4 C. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 C. granulated sugar
1/3 C. canola oil
2/3 C. rice milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl. In a seperate, smaller bowl, whisk together the oil, rice milk, vanilla, almond extract, and banana. Create a well in the dry ingredients and fold in wet ingredients, mixing to just combine.
3. Fill cupcake liners two-thirds full. Bake for 20-22 minutes.
4. Cool completely before icing.
I haven't quite figured out how to make a vegan AND soy-free buttercream-style frosting. I didn't want boring cupcakes though, so I made a chocolate glaze... I put 1/4 C soy milk in a little sauce pan over the stove, until it was gently boiling. Then I took it off the heat, added 2 Tbsp. maple syrup, and chocolate chips. I didn't really measure the chocolate chips, I just poured them while slowly stirring with a spatula until it was nice and thick. I probably used about 150 g. Then I poured in about 1/2 oz. of coconut rum!
You can make the glaze while the cupcakes are baking, then set it aside, because you want it to be cooled down when you use it.
When the cupcakes are ready, spoon the glaze generously over top. I topped my cupcakes with a slice of frozen banana! (Fresh works too.)
These were really good. I made them at about 10 pm... They didn't make it through the night.
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