Loaded Quinoa Salad

This is one of my favorite salads, it's loaded with protein (Go Quinoa!) and it tastes great hot or cold! It's a crowd pleaser (omni approved) and super easy to make.

Quinoa salad, sweet chili tofu & corn

1 1/2 cups quinoa, dry
3 cups vegetable broth
2 medium carrots, finely diced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 orange pepper, chopped
2 sprigs green onion, chopped
1 small zuchinni, small cubes
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1 part olive oil *(1/8 cup)
2 parts lemon juice *(1/4 cup)
pinch of salt
couple shakes of Italian seasoning

*I did not measure the dressing, amounts are approximate.

Rinse quinoa and combine in a pot with vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 15-20 mins. While the quinoa is cooking, chop all your veggies. In a small container, combine dressing ingredientsm shake until mixed. It will seperate a bit so give it a good little shake before you toss it will the salad. Put all the veggies & walnuts in a bowl, pour warm quinoa overtop and stir. Add the dressing, serve warm or refrigerate to serve cold. Enjoy :)

Sweet Chili Sesame Tofu, Roasted Veggie Fried Rice & Grilled Asparagus

This is the perfect end of summer meal, so fire up your bbq and get ready to enjoy some seriously good food! You can marinate the tofu overnight if you wish but 20 mins is usually all the time I have and it always turns out. I like to make a whole bunch at once and then I have deliciously flavoured tofu on hand for a few days, if it lasts that lonh before I gobble it up! I usually do not measure the marinade, I just huck all the ingredients in a ziploc bag and add the tofu but for your sake I will add approximate measurements. I love roasting veggies, it takes a little longer but that deep, rich roasted flavour is so worth it!

Sweet Chili Sesame Marinade

1-2 tbsps Sesame Oil

3-5 tbsps Sweet Chili Sauce

2 generous squirts of Braggs

1 175g package extra firm tofu, sliced into 8 pieces

Yep, that's it! Combine in a ziploc baggie, mix it around a bit and add in your sliced tofu. I have started pressing my tofu before I marinate as often as I can remember, it seems to hold in the flavour better that way. I wrap the slices in a dish towel and stack some heavy books on top for 15 mins. To save time, you can sandwich the tofu (wrapped in cloth) between two cutting boards and stand on it for a minute. I like to use extra firm tofu because I know it will hold up well on the bbq. How long you cook it on the bbq depends on how you like your tofu. I like to cook it on the top rack for maybe 5-7 mins on each side, just enough to get those nice grill marks.

Roasted Veggie Fried Rice

2 Carrots, quartered lenthgwise

1 cup Brocolli, chopped into florets

1 small Yellow or sweet onion, quartered and layers split 

1 1/2 cups Bell Peppers, 1 inch pieces

2-3 tbsps Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Toss veggies in a large bowl with olive oil, salt & pepper to your taste. Cook in oven for about 30 mins, flipping at the 15 min mark. Remove any pieces that look cooked enough if needed.

1 cup basmati rice, dry

2 cups vegetable broth or water

2 tbsps margarine or olive oil

While the veggies are roasting, it's time to make the rice. I like to make my rice in a deep frying pan rather than a pot, that way when the veggies are done, I can add them right into the pan. The less dishes, the better! I also like to fry my rice until it is see through in a bit of margarine or olive oil before boiling. Just straight boiling will work just fine though. Add broth or water, bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 20 mins. It's that easy! Let the veggies cool down and roughly chop them up before adding to rice.

Lemon Garlic Asparagus

1 lb asparagus

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lemon, juiced

salt

Wash the asparagus and trim the ends off. Arrange asparagus lengthwise in tinfoil, sprinkle with garlic, salt & lemon juice. Wrap it up and it's ready to toss on the bbq. I don't know about you but I like my asparagus just lightly cooked so it is still crisp but tender. Cook for 10 minutes at the most on the top shelf. Do not leave it on the bbq to stay warm, it will overcook and become too chewy. Remove when it is done and it will stay warm in the foil until you are ready to eat :)

Brocolli "Pesto" Dip

This recipe was inspired by Adam Crisis' Kale Pesto recipe that he posted on the Post Punk Kitchen forums. I simply subbed brocolli for the kale, used a bit less miso and added lemon juice. This dip has a decent amount of protein and is low in fat. It is super tasty, even omni approved! Goes well with crackers or pita, you could also use it as a spread in wraps or on a sandwich.
Brocolli "Pesto" Dip

1-2 large heads brocolli, chopped into florets and lightly steamed
1 1/2 - 2 cups walnuts
5 cloves garlic
3 tbsps nutrirional yeast
1 tbsp miso
1-2 tsp lemon juice (adjust according to tastebuds)
salt & pepper (to taste)
1/4-1/2 cup water (start with 1/4 cup & slowly add more to get the consistency you like)

Combine first 6 ingredients in food proccesor & blend. Slowly add water to get the consistency you like. Add lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste. Serve with warm pita or spread on toast, enjoy!

Roasted Carrot & Ginger Soup

The cauliflower gives this hearty soup a thick, creamy base without the added fat of cream or nuts. Roasting the veggies adds a nice depth to the soup and brings out the sweetest of the onion but you could also steam the veggies for a subtler taste. Make sure to check on your veggies while roasting so they don't overcook or burn. The onions tend to cook a lot faster than the cauliflower and carrots so you may want to remove them at the 15 minute mark or you can leave them in for an extra roasty/charred flavor.

Roasted Carrot & Ginger Soup (makes about 6 cups)

1 medium/large head cauliflower, cut into 2 inch florets
4 medium sized carrots, cut lenghtwise into quarters or sixths if they are very thick
1 small yellow or sweet onion, cut into sixths and seperated
3 tbsps olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
2-3 tsps lemon juice
3 tbsps brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, coat cauliflower with 1 tbsp olive oil and spread out on baking sheet. Toss the carrots & onions with 2 tbsps olive oil and spread out on second baking sheet. Sprinkle both sheets with salt & pepper. Bake in oven for 15 mins. Flip veggies, check the onions as sometimes they cook much faster and bake for another 15 mins. Once you veggies are done, transfer them to a blender or food processor. Add 2 cups vegetable broth and blend. You will probably need to do the rest of the blending in 2 batches. Pour out half of the mixture into a bowl. Add 1 cup water, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 1/2 tbsps brown sugar and 1/4 tsp ginger, blend well. Transfer mixture in blend to a pot or other bowl. Blend the other half of the vegetable mixture with the remaining 1 cup water, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 1/2 tbsps brown sugar and 1/4 tsp ginger. Add the blender contents into the pot or bowl and mix well. Taste and add salt & pepper to your liking. You may also want to add the other 1 tsp of lemon juice.

This soup freezes well, I like to do 1-2 cup portions. Let the soup cool, pour into freezer bags and lay flat on a baking sheet to freeze in nice thin, space saving shapes.

Cheese Onion Bread

This is a super simple recipe that I found in the user manual for my Black & Decker, All In One bread machine. I can't say that I am 100% in love with this recipe as it as not as cheesey & oniony as I was hoping for, but it is good. I plan on playing with it a bit to see how much cheese I can get away with adding as well as, maybe next time I will try using fresh onion instead of dehydrated onion flakes. This recipe is for use with the Rapid Bake setting which only takes 70 minutes. There is also another cheese onion bread recipe but it take 3.5 hours, I think that one might actually work better with the fresh onion & more cheese. *I have no idea why there are different measurements for US & Canada in the second recipe.

Cheese Onion Bread (Rapid Bake setting)
1 2/3 cups water
3 Tbsp powdered soy milk
3 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
4 1/4 cups All Purpose or Bread Flour (US, use bread flour)
2 Tbsp dried onion flakes
1/3 cup shredded vegan cheese (I used cheddar Daiya)
4 tsp yeast (rapid or bread machine)

Cheese Onion Bread (Sweet Bread setting)
1 1/4 cups water 
2 Tbsp powdered soy milk
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt (1 1/4 tsp in US)
3 1/4 cups All Purpose or Bread Flour (US, use 3 1/3 cups Bread flour)
1 Tbsp dried onion flakes or 1/4 cup chopped fresh onion
1/4 cup shredded vegan cheese (I used cheddar Daiya)
1 tsp yeast (rapid or bread machine)

*Make sure you measure the ingredients into the baking pan in the order that they are listed.

Barley & Lentil Stuffed Peppers

I didn't have all the traditional ingredients for stuffed peppers so I decided to get creative and use what I had on hand in the pantry. This is what I came up with and it's delicious! *The filling makes quite a bit so you could halve it or make a ton of peppers and freeze for easy meals later :)

Barley & Lentil Stuffed Peppers

Pepper Filling
1/2 cup  pearl barley
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 small head of broccoli, chopped
1/2 yam, cubed small
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 large bell peppers, halved
1 1/2 cups cooked lentils
1 1/2 cups mozzarella Daiya
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsps tomato paste
1 tbsp olive oil

Almond Parm
1/2 cup almonds
1 tbsp garlic salt

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine pearl barley and vegetable broth or water in a pot. Bring to a boil, simmer for 45 mins. While barley is cooking, heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Sautee the onions & carrots with garlic salt & pepper over medium high heat. Microwave yams for 3 mins. Add broccoli & red peppers to the onion mixture, cover and let sit for 5-10 mins or until broccoli looks tender. Add the yams, garlic & garam masala, cover again for another 5 mins. If at any point the veggies stick to the pan add a bit of water and stir. Now add in the tomato paste, lentils, barley & Daiya. Mix well. Stuff the filling into your halved peppers and arrange on a deep baking tray. Sprinkle with almond parm and bake for 30 mins or until tops are browned. Let cool for 15-20 mins and serve.

Cream of Brocolli Soup!

This is by far the best version of vegan cream of brocolli soup that I have made so far, I loved it! I didn’t follow a recipe when making this, I made it up so all of the measurements are approximate…You can tweak to your liking. I like to think of this as a super awesome guideline rather than an actual recipe!

• 1 giant head of brocolli, thick bottom stems removed
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 1-2 tbsps olive oil
• 1 23oz Unsweetened Mimicreme
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• salt, to taste
• cracked black pepper to taste
• 1/2 pkg Daiya cheddar shreds

Heat olive oil in large stockpot, over medium-high heat. Pulse onion in food processor for a minute or two, you want nice tiny pieces. Remove onion & toss in stockpot. Now pulse the brocolli for about a minute, you will have mostly small pieces but some nicer large chunks are okay too. Toss that in the stockpot and season with a generous pinch of salt & pepper. Stir & put a lid on it. Let the veggies soften, this will take about 5 minutes. Now add you vegetable broth, stir and put the lid back on, wait another 5 minutes or so. The brocolli should be a nice bright green & should be tender but not soft & mushy. Add the Mimicreme, turmeric, garlic salt and stir. Let the soup come to a soft boil and turn the heat to low-medium. Taste & add any additional spices. I found that even the unsweetened Mimicreme is a tad on the sweet side so I added quite a bit of salt & pepper, keeping in mind that the Daiya will add a bit of saltiness as well. Once the soup has simmered for about 15 minutes or so, it is probably good to go. Toss in your Daiya shreds, stir and let them melt right in (takes about 5 mins). Your soup is now ready to serve…Let it cool first though so you don’t burn your tongue! This soup will keep for 5 days in the fridge. I didn’t freeze mine but I miagine it would be okay.

Chick'n Caesar Salad. MoFo Day 19.

I love garlic! One of my favorite ways to eat it is straight up, roasted with some margarine. Sooo good. My second favorite is in caesar salad. I like my dressing so garlicy that I have to tame it down if I'm going to share with anyone so unless you are a garlic fiend like myself I suggested starting out with half the garlic I use in the recipe. When I think of caesar salad I think of chick'n, be it nuggets, fillets, burgers or other form; they go hand in hand in my mind. The best chick'n substitute out there is Scheinder's Meatless Chick'n products.
Way better than Yves. This is a super easy side for dinner or small meal, very quick to make and very satisfying. I am always trying to find lower fat versions of my favorite comfort foods so for the dressing I use an almond base. Also very simple and a good support for the rest of the flavours. I find using plain soy yogurt, you can really taste the soy and even though it is plain, it has a subtle sweetness to it that I don't think belongs in a caesar salad.

Caesar Salad Dressing:

1 cup almonds, soaked and peeled (you can leave the skins on for a more textured dressing)

water

2-3 large cloves garlic

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

garlic salt

mustard powder

pepper

Soak almonds in water overnight. The next day the skins should pop off quite easily, just squeeze between your fingers. You can save the skins and dehydtrate them to make almond flour. Put the almonds in a food processor or high speed blender. Blend until smooth, this can sometimes take a while. Slowly add water to get the right consistency. It all depends on how thick or thin you like your dressing, I usually use anywhere from 1/2 cup to just over 1/3. While the almonds are blending, finely dice up the cloves of garlic, if you don't like your dressing too spicy I would suggest starting with just one clove. Add to the almonds along with the lemon juice and a couple shakes each of garlic salt (or powder), mustard powder and pepper. If using garlic salt, start with just a dash, you can always add more but too much salt will leave a bad taste in your mouth. Keep running processor or blender (I use a magic bullet) until super smooth. Now it's time to taste your dressing and see if there is anything you would like to add. Nutrional yeast is always a nice addition, as well as avocado!

I hope you enjoy this as  much as I do.

Happy Birthday Kelly! Let's celebrate with cookies&cream cupcakes! Mofo 17!

Good afternoon! On this fine day, 35 years ago, my dear friend and roommate was born! In honor of this momentous occasion I decided to whip up some cupcakes. What better recipe to use than one from VCTOTW! Oreo's were on sale for 1.49 so I went with the basic chocolate cupcake with cookies  cream frosting. I even got all fancy and piped the frosting using the age old "cut hole in corner of ziploc baggie" technique. I know right! Pretty intense.

These are the first vegan cupcakes I have ever made and I must say I am very pleased. I was a little worried at first because the battery was quite thin and I thought maybe I had forgotten an ingredient. After double checking I knew I hadn't left a thing out and trusted in Isa's recipe knwoing it would be nothing short of amazing. Then I had a momentary frosting meltdown but thanks to the PPk that got sorted out real quick. I hope you will join me again tomorrow. I will be doing some product reviews. Amy's Soups & Sol Veggie Burgers. Thanks for stopping by!

Mofo 16. Cajun Chickpea Cakes from VeganDad

I love chickpeas and am always looking for new ways to use them. Besides hummus (let's admit it, it's everyone's fave) this is the ultimate use of chickpeas. This recipe is from http://www.vegandad.blogspot.com/


* I omitted the parsley, used 1/3 each of green pepper & onion, 19oz can of chickpeas and add 1/2 tsp of garlic salt and you definately need more cornstarch than listed, I used approx. 3 tbsps.

To easily form patties, use a small square of saran wrap of wax paper inside a small shallow bowl, put in mix, fold over wrap and press firmly until your cake forms, remove and plop in pan!


 

Ingredients


- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup diced green pepper
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 28oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp paprika
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp hot sauce


- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- salt and peppper to taste
- oil for frying

The Finished Product

1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute onion, green pepper, and celery for 5-7 mins, until softened. Remove from heat.

2. Place chickpeas in a food processor along with the onion mixture. Pulse until chickpeas are no longer whole, but dont process them too much. Place chickpeas in a bowl and add spices, hot sauce, and parsley. Mix well. Add flour and cornstarch and mix well. Place in the fridge for 30 mins.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan over med/med-hi heat (around 350 degrees). Shape chickpea mixture into 12 patties and fry in batches, about 2-3 mins per side, or until crispy and browned. Flip a few times if they are browning too quickly. If you have trouble forming the patties, add some more cornstarch to hold it all together.

YUM!!!!

.

Savory Squash Soup! MoFo 15

I love making soups. I spent the day boiling veggie scraps to make vegetable broth. This was my first time doing it and I honestly don't know why I have never done this before. It's genius! Not only do you save money by not having to buy broth, but you cut down on waste by using veggie scraps that would otherwise be thrown out and you don't have to worry about recycling tetra packs. Win, Win, Win! Making your own broth is super easy. All you do is save all the scraps you would usually compost or throw out in your freezer. I'm talking EVERYTHING! Onion skins/nubs, carrot peels/ends, garlic ends, pepper seeds, caulfiflower stalks, celery greens/ends...you name it. The only things you don't really want to use in your broth is brocolli, cabbage and any other veggies that might overwhlem the flavour of the other vegetables. Cook on low heat, skimming the foam off the top as needed. This makes for a nice clear broth. The longer you cook it the more flavour you will get.

While my broth was simmering away I realized I had 1/2 of a squash and a lone carrot in the fridge that needed to be used up so I decided to make a nice creamy soup. First I  preheated the oven to 375. Then I peeled the squash & carrot and cut into 1 inch cubes. I then cut a medium onion into quarters and split the layers up. Next I tossed them in olive oil, garlic salt, sage & thyme. I layed them all out evenly on a baking sheet, popped them into the oven and set the timer to 30 mins. Then I had the pleasure of watching episode 3 of The Walking Dead. Holy fork, I don't ever want this show to end...EVER! It is so good, if you haven't tuned in do yourself a favor and dedicated a few hours to watching it, you will not regret it. Ok, back to soup. Once the veggies were done roasting, I let them sit out to cool and finished watching my show. Once it was over I headed back into the kitchen, put the veggies into the food processor with a bit of water and added some salt. That was it. Soup's on!

Ingredients:

1/2 squash of your choice, cubed into 1 inch peices
1 medium onion*, quarted, break apart layers
1 carrot, peeled and cubed into 1 inch peices
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp crushed sage
1/2 tsp crushed thyme leaves

2-3 cups water or vegetable broth
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Toss squash, onions & carrots in olive oil and spices. Roast in oven for 30 mins. Once veggies are cool enough to handle, put in food processor with 1 cup of water or broth. Blend on high until smooth and gradually add more liquid until it is as thick or thin as you like. Add salt & pepper to taste.

*You could use just 1/2 an onion as it does have a strong flavor in the soup. (I love onion!)

Maharagwe My Way! Mofo 14

In my second MoFo post I introduced you to my friends The Vegan Police, now let me introduce you to my favorite recipe posted on their forums. MAHARAGWE!!! This is such a super cheap, quick, easy meal that honestly makes so much and last for days :) I vamped it up a bit and added some more spices but this here is the original recipe it is based off of.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 19oz chickpeas
2 cans diced tomatoes (reserve the juice for a sauce or stew, I put mine in the freezer to be used later)
1 can coconut milk
2 tsps turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp sea salt

Heat the oil in a deep pan and cook the chopped onion until it is soft and golden. Mash the beans with a fork(not too much, you want to leave som whole) and then throw them in with the onion. Add the chopped tomatoes as well. Now put in the spices. After that pour in the coconut milk and stir the ingredients*. Cover the pan and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with quinoa & garlic naan.

*Another great addition to this dish which makes it really awesome is a few handfuls of spinach & cubed tofu.

Bakemania! Vegan Mofo 13 in which I use too many !!!

I intended on getting up nice and early this morning but a bad dream kept me in it's trance for too long :( I finally dragged my butt out of bed around 9:30, the boyfriend and I hopped in the truck and headed to our friend's place! While the men worked on their trucks, us ladyfolk had a funfilled day of baking! It's been a long time since I did any baking since I am on this whole no sugar dealy, but I figured one day of fun with sweet treats in the kitchen wouldn't kill me. On the agenda, rice krispie Treats[plain & chocolate covered], snickerdoodles, chocolate peanut butter pillows and carrot muffins. We wanted to do oatmeal chocolate chip cookies as well but we ran out of time. First up are the rice krispie treats, originally the plan was to do a nice chocolate drizzle on one batch but we kind of failed at the drizzle aspect and ended up making a thin layer on top instead.

These are always a crowd pleaser and a no brainer since the recipe is right on the box! The only substitutions you need to make them vegan are dandies (or any other vegan mallow) and vegan margarine. With only 4 ingredients total and minimal time needed these are a nice quick treat! and here are the choco treats!

Next up are snickerdoodles, my favorite cookie of  them all! I first discovered these when I was 13, my Dad's wife used to make them all the time! These too are super easy to veganize, we used this recipe.
Here they are all ready to go into the oven! I like to leave out the fork smush, I find they are fluffier that way.

All puffy and ready to eat!

Next up are the Chocolate Peanut Butter Pillows which I have made a number of times! We used Isa's recipe, pretty sure it is the only one (that matters anyway).

We also ended up making a chocolate peanut butter sushi type roll with the leftovers, it cracked and broke a little but still tasted great. Unfortunately the photo does it no justice so I shall leave that to your imagination :)

Last but not least our carrot muffins that turned into carrot, apple, pecan, raisin muffins topped with coconut! We used this recipe (omitting the oil, using 2 cups of applesauce, 6 rounded tsps flax powder for the egg replacer, 1/2 cup pecan peices, 1/2 cup golden raisins, 3 cups carrot, 1 large granny smith apple). They turned out beautifully!

Of course what baking date is complete without a picture of your fabulous bakers!!! That's me on the left and Kayla on the right :) Sweet dreams >.<

Chick'n Salad Sandwiches- MoFo Day 12.

I just recently found out that Schneider's Oh Naturel line is now vegan! Can you hear me screaming, singing, rejoicing? The chick'n nuggets were a favorite of mine when I was vegetarian, they taste so close to the real thing it is almost hard to believe. I was really sad when I realized that I could no longer eat them but thanks to a friend I met on the Vegan Forum  I was able to rekindle my love with these little golden nuggets of joy! They are amazing on their own, but since I discovered the awesome yeast free sourdough from Bubby Rose's Bakery  I have been obsessed with sandwiches.

Chick'n salad was the first thing that came to mind. Instead of the traditional mayo base, I used plain soy yogurt for a lower fat version. I have also recently become obsessed with turmeric and find a way to incorporate it in almost every dish so that's why my mixture is a tad on the orange side.

Ingredients:
10 Schneiders Oh Naturel Meatless Chick'n Nuggets (cooked and cooled)
1 stalk celery
1/4 white onion
1 green onion
1/2 single serving size of plain soy yogurt (use 2/3 for a creamier mixture)
1 tsp flax oil
pinch of garlic salt
couple shakes of mustard powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
couple shakes of dried dill
pepper to taste


Cut up the chick'n nuggets into small peices. Mince the celery & onion (you can do larger chunks if you like, I prefer mine to be small). Put veggies in a bowl, add the flax oil, garlic salt, pepper, turmeric, mustard powder and dill. Toss in your chick'n bits, then add the soy yogurt and mix thouroughly. At this point, taste the micture and add any spices you feel it may be missing. Spread onto your favorite bread, toasted if you like.

You could also add dried chopped cranberries or pumpkin seeds to give it a warm, winter flavour!

MoFo Day 11- Shepherds Pie

I spent my morning at the SPCA, hanging out with the kitties. It was a lot of fun, so much fun that it kinda wiped me for the day. I knew I needed some comfort food. Something warm, filling and full of flavour. What better to satisfy those needs than Shepards Pie. I came up with this recipe last year during a very cold Autumn/Winter. I am not a huge fan of potatoes unless they are mashed, garlicy, buttery and a top some veggies & faux meat. I think the mushroom cream sauce is the icing on the cake for this dish. The best part about this dish is it does not require baking, just throw under your broiler to crisp the top and it is ready to serve!

You will need:


Chopping Block
Sharp Knife
Frying Pan
Large Pot
Small Pot
Casserole Dish

Ingredients:

1 pkg Yves Veggie Ground Round
1/2 pkg Taco Seasoning
1 1/4 cup Mixed Vegetables

1/2 cup Mushrom Broth
1/2 cup Rice Milk (Almond or Soy will work as well)
1/2 cube veggie bullion
2-3 tsps cornstarch

6-8 Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 tbsp Earth Balance
1/4 cup Tofutti Cream Cheese
1/3 cup Rice Milk
Garlic Salt to taste



Directions:

In frying pan heat Veggie Ground Round, add taco seasoning with 1/4 cup of water. Heat thoroughly.

Heat mixed vegetables in microwave or on stove top.

In small pot, bring mushroom broth, rice milk and veggie bullion to a gentle boil. Add cornstarch and stir unter thickened. Keep on low heat.

Chop potatoes into quarters. Boil in salt water until soft. Mash potatoes, add margarine, tofutti & rice milk and mix until creamy.

Add mixed vegetables and creamy mushroom broth to the ground round. Pour into casserole pan. Top with potatoes. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Stick under broiler for a few minutes to brown top. Serve and enjoy :)

The BATmelt...MoFo Day 10

I will apologize in advance as I am feeling rather lethargic today and this post will be short.

I love sandwiches. Everything about them is awesome. Bread! Yes, bread...oh so carby and delicious. Mayo! YES freaking please...slather that shit on there. Avocado! Tomato! Cucumbers! Pickles! Cream Cheese! You name it, I want to put it in there. My moto for sandwiches is the more the better. I like a good messy sandwich that you stuff so full things fall out and then you get mini meals. lol. One of my favorite pregan sandwiches is the BLT. Although it is not as complex as I like my sandwiches to be, it is the perfect combination of flavours! I have never been one for lettuce in a sandwich, I feel like it is just filler and really, who wants filler? watery filler. No thanks. Instead of lettuce, I prefer avocado. Creamy, buttery, subtle and delicious. So instead of a BLT, I am more into what I call the BAT, Bacon, Avocado, Tomato. Booyah! what better to enhance a sandwich than cheese and so the BATmelt was born. dundundun.

To start this sandwich right I used an awesome multigrain bread from Bubby Rose's Bakery, lightly toasted with a bit of margarine and Spectrum Light Canola Mayo a cheaper alternative to Veganaiise and also a little more mainstream. I like fatty sandwiches, so I butter and mayo both sides! Next up is Yves Veggie Bacon, I must say I am very impressed with this product, it reminds be more of turkey bacon. Then I add some mozza Daiya shreds and toast for about 30 seconds under the broiler, browning it slightly. Thick slices of avocado are next, followed by thinly sliced beefsteak tomato. Slap those suckers together and BAM! Sammich time. oh oh oh oh. (Sung to the tune of Hammer Time!)

Well ladies and gents, I hope you enjoy my version of a timeless classic. Enjoy :)

Cream of Brocolli Soup. Mofo Day 9

So I am not quite sure what happened, it would seem the last 4-5 days vanished into thin air...Redemption time? Me thinks so. Cream of Brocolli soup has been on my mind for quite some time now. I made a version not too long ago using Rice Dream , it was a little on the sweet side but I kind of liked it. However, I was really craving that super rich, creamy, homemade soup that I grew up with. It was the only way I would eat brocolli as a kid.

I recently got the chance to go to Food Fight in Portland and I picked up some Mimicreme. I have been dying to try it and it just made sense to snatch it up because I don't even know where I would find it here. It is damn good, but super rich. I'm going to share my recipe with you but I would highly suggest halving the creme and using veggie broth otherwise you may not make it through a bowl in one sitting. What better to go with soup than a grilled Daiya & Tofurky sandwich!

You will need:

1-16oz (473mL) Mimicreme
2-3 tbsps vegan margarine
3 large heads brocolli, chopped (no stems)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/2 package Daiya shreds, I used mozzarella
1-2 cups Rice Dream or Veggie Broth
Turmeric
Mustard powder
Salt
Pepper

In a large pot, melt margine over medium heat, add brocolli, garlic & onion with a little salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat until soft. You can add a bit of water and throw a lid on to speed up the process. I was doing other things and lost track of time but I would guess it was around 10-15 mins. Turn head Pour in Mimicreme, and a bit of veggie broth or Rice Dream, I used 1-2 cups, you can use more for a thinner soup. (Rice Dream adds a subtle sweetness, veggie broth will keep it savory). Throw in your spices. I just sprinkled the turmeric in, probably a 1/2 to 1 tbsp. Go easy on the mustard powder unless you like it really spicy. Add you Daiya and let the soup simmer on low for 10 minutes to let the cheese melt and spices do their thing. The longer you leave it, the more the flavour develops. I like quick easy soups, I would say start to finish it took about 30 mins. The flavour was awesome but was really good the next 2 or 3 days that I ate it. More time=more flavor!

Day 3 of Mofo with a side of quiche

I must say, I absoultely love Vegan MoFo. Such an awesome concept, I love reading other vegan blogs and am super stoked that I now have 16 followers! I know some of you are probably thinking 16 is not very many but I had under 5 when I first started the blog so it is really exciting to see that other people out there are interested in what I have to say.

Another thing I love about MoFo is the challenge of not only blogging daily, but creating new dishes and trying new recipes I may have otherwise pushed aside or overlooked. On the menu is Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Brocolli (why does this word never look like it is spelled correctly) Quiche.

Ever since going vegan I have struggled with recreating dishes containing eggs, be it cookies, cakes, omelets, custards or what have you and because of that I had never even entertained the idea of attempting quiche. It is one of my all time favorite pregan meals and was scared I would never again know the love that is that flaky, buttery, salty pastry filled with a deliciously spongy centre of savory goodness. I was pleasantly surprised with the recipe I used with much guidance from the PPK forumers. I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner...I did in fact do that today! To go with it I roasted some beets, (a new found love of mine), along with brussel sprouts (also a new discovery for me) and some yams (a long time favorite)!

I think now that this eggless creation turned out so well, I will attempt a few more dishes I never thought possible. See you all tomorrow.

xoxo.......Momo

Vegan MoFo is here!!!

Vegan Mofo is here!! For those of you who don't know what it is all about, it's basically where a whole bunch of vegan bloggers dedicate a whole month to posting as much as possible about vegan food. Neat right? I think so :) I found out about it through  The Post Punk Kitchen and hummed and hawed about participating since I have been pretty bad about updating my blog lately, but after reading all the awesome threads on The PPK Forums , I got really exicted and totally wanted to be a part of it.

This morning we decided to go to Mo:Le for breakfast. It's one of my favorite places to eat since they have vegan food, raw food and regular omni food for the manfriend. My favorite dish used to be the vegan basic scramble but somewhere along the line the portion got really small and the flavour was super bland so I kind of abandonded it for a while, but today was a scramble kind of day. I was hesitant to order it because I have taken quite a liking to my own cooking...I was pleasantly surprised once it arrived in front of me and I took my first bite. It was nothing like the scrambles I make, not better, not worse, but different in a good way! It had a bit of kick which it never had and I am not usually into spicy food but this was all sorts of awesome.

Served with pesto hashbrowns, sourdough toast with a side of peanut butter, a roasted red pepper which I scored from my man's dish (I still don't understand how anyone can hate on a red pepper), garnished with pea shoots, red cabbage and carrots this definitely made my morning. I was so stoked on the comeback of my favorite dish that I made a scramble for dinner! Behold my version of a timeless vegan classic. The Tofu Scramble.

You will need:

1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 175g package extra firm tofu, pressed of excess moisture
1/2 avocado
Braggs Liquid Aminos
spice combo: generous sprinkle of turmeric, pinch of garlic salt, a little mustard powder, pepper to taste
Olive Oil or Vegan Margarine

Over medium heat, sautee onion & peppers in oil or margarine until tender. Crumbled in tofu, give 2-3 squirts of Braggs, add your spices, stir and cover for 5-10 minutes. Plate and top with avocado. Yeah, it's that easy! Serve with hashbrowns, veggie bacon, and fresh tomatoes or avocado slices.

I did it! My first MoFo post. :)