Category Archives: Fridge Finds

Crock Pot Vegan: Sweet Potato, Kale, and Chickpea Soup

Posted on January 13, 2014 | 1 comment

And….we’re back! After a few weeks off for bad behavior and a new ACL, I’m glad to be back. I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a few weeks now. It is sweet, savory, smooth and lumpy (in the best chickpea way). It’s sure to keep you full and warm when battling the winter chills. The original recipe calls for farro from Cookie + Kate but since I didn’t have any handy, I grabbed some wheat berries instead which I cooked first on the stove and added toward the end. 

 

Ingredients
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 small to medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (or butternut squash)-I used a mix of both as I had some cubes frozen from fall.
  • Salt, to taste
  • 2-3 T red Thai curry paste (available in the Asian section at most grocery stores-check to be sure no anchovies or shrimp were sacrificed for your paste)
  • 1 C uncooked farro, rinsed (or 2 C cooked whole grains, like wheat berries, spelt berries or kamut)
  • 6 C vegetable broth (or water flavored with vegetarian bouillon cubes)
  • 1 C coconut milk (from a can-okay to use light)
  • 2 C cooked chickpeas (or one can of cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained)
  • 1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 small bunch of crinkly purple kale or green kale, finely chopped
  • Sriracha to taste, I dropped in 1T
Instructions for crock pot:
Chop and dump. Simple as that. Omit the cooked wheat berries and chickpeas until about an hour before you are going to serve then pop them in the cooker to warm up with the rest of the items. My soup took 6.5 hours in a large crock pot. I used the last hour to add the wheatberries and chickpeas.
Instructions for stove top from Cookie + Kate:
  1. In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Stir in the onions, raw sweet red pepper, and sweet potato and a big pinch of salt. Sauté for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften.
  3. Add the curry paste and stir until the onions and sweet potatoes are coated and the curry is fragrant (about a minute).
  4. Add the farro, if that’s your grain of choice, and six cups of veggie broth or water and bouillon cubes and the coconut milk.
  5. Bring to a boil, then set the timer for thirty minutes, cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer.
  6. After thirty minutes, uncover the pot and add the chickpeas. Taste and season with more salt as needed (if it tastes flat, add more). If you chose to use cooked whole grains, add them now. Cover and simmer for another twenty minutes.
  7. Uncover, stir in the kale, add cayenne pepper if desired, and serve.
Notes

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Posted in Dinner, Fridge Finds, Lunch, Make Ahead, Meatless Monday, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Love at first juice

Posted on December 9, 2013 | 4 comments

Amazon delivered my Breville Juice Fountain yesterday and today Mr. Wonderful and I made our first juice. Last week we watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and wanted to give a juice fast a try before the holidays.

Let me first tell you how liberating making a juice is. The whole process feels good. The noise feels good. The drinking feels good. The murdering of innocent veggies, feels good!! Even the clean up even feels good! I know, I’m on some nutrient dense high or something but seriously. Good.

This first time was basically about figuring out of how to operate the thing which was surprisingly uncomplicated. Choosing the fruit/veg came via whatever was in the fridge so here is our attempt recipe:

  • 3 navel oranges
  • 3 bunches kale
  • 5 super mini apples
  • 1 C cranberries
  • 12 mini carrots

Juice ingredients one at a time, greens first. DRINK!

This made about 5- 16 ounce juices which is about a one person juice fast day.

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4 Comments

Posted in Breakfast, CSA, Fridge Finds, Juice, Less is more, Make Ahead, Product Review, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Virtual Vegan Potluck – Ginger Carrot Soup

Posted on November 16, 2013 | 20 comments

I know what you were thinking….when is the next Virtual Vegan Potluck? Well, it is YOUR lucky day. VVP is TODAY! The VVP is an online party that happens twice a year where food bloggers share PLANT-BASED recipes (of course) in any one of eight courses. We’ve been eating an obscene amount of soup in our home lately due to the dreary, drizzly, midwestern weather we are enduring in the mitten state so I didn’t have to go far for this recipe selection.

The coolest thing about the VVP is the linking up of every blog via the “back” (Vegan Runner Eats) and “forward” (Quinoa Kale and Exhale) buttons on the bottom of each blog in the Potluck. You are welcome for providing you with the opportunity for entering this veggie wormhole! Be sure to visit my friends in the other categories of course, but soup…soup is where it’s at. Click the buttons below for delish noms for the fall/winter months. I know you are spending most of you work time browsing the web for Thanksgiving meal ideas anyway, so why not hang out in the potluck for a while?

virtual vegan potluck welcome logo

I make a trek to Whole Foods Ann Arbor every so often and the first thing I usually grab from the produce section is a 5 pound bag of their organic carrots. I do this to 1) remind myself that baby carrots are not really a carrot, 2) that I love the serene process of preparing veggies for consuming (i.e. peeling, chopping, etc), and 3) that carrots have a TASTE. Yes. An. Actual. Taste. You don’t get a whole lotta taste from those Dole carrots at my local supermarket. You just don’t.

While scouring the Interwebs for delish recipes I often find that I like certain elements of multiple recipes, or a regular recipe that could stand to be veganized, and so I collect them, mix them up and then execute delish, satisfying, warm-in-your-belly soup.

  • 2 pounds carrots, peeled and diced small for fast cooking
  • 1 tsp garlic powder or 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-2 tsp onion powder or 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp curry powder (I did 1 tsp hot, 1 tsp sweet)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1-2 T fresh chopped ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger (the fresh gives it a certain lively flavor in your mouth and a lot of zip!)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp garam marsala (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 5-6 C water (you want all of your carrots covered with liquid to start)
  • 2 veg boullion cubes
  • 1 can (14-16 oz) nondairy milk (in keeping with the spice theme above, I chose light coconut milk)
  • fine grain sea salt (as much as you need)

Process your carrots by peeling and chopping into uniform chunks so they cook at the same rate.

If using real garlic, onion, and or ginger heat a stock pot add 1 T of water and drop in raw ingredients. Heat until transluscent over medium heat careful not to burn fresh garlic. After your fresh ingredients are cooked through, or if not using fresh garlic, onion, and/or ginger, next drop carrots into stock pot followed by all other ingredients and bring mix to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to simmer or low and cook the soup until the carrots are tender. Remove from heat and let cool.

If you wish to puree the soup with a hand blender you can probably get away with blending right in the pot off the heat with some care so as not to splash molten carrot on yourself. If using a blender, be careful as you transfer hot liquids and above all consider the pressure factor in putting hot liquids in a covered blender. I will leave a part of the lid open and cover with a towel lightly so as to avoid an explosion. With either method, you control the consistency with additional water, veg broth, or as one blog suggested, orange juice! Taste and season with salt or more curry after your soup is pureed.

Some of the recipes I viewed suggested a squeeze of lemon after puree to bring out a lightness in the soup. Others finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, lemon oil, nut oils, sesame oil or chili oil. We love our carbs at the Wallace-DeVries home, so instead of oil, we finished this soup with Naan 🙂

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Ideas for this mashup come from: The Curvy Carrot, Eat Live Run, Whole Foods,  Simply Recipes, Mind Body Green, and May I Have That Recipe.

VVPL go back                                                             VVPL go forward

20 Comments

Posted in Fall Food, Fridge Finds, Make Ahead, Meatless Monday, Recipes, Soup, Vegan, Virtual Potluck

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Overnight Oats: Date & PB2 Edition

Posted on November 4, 2013 | 8 comments

I have a love affair with overnight oats now; however, the first time I tried them I gagged and swore them off for good. That is until I discovered I didn’t care for the soaked chia texture present in so many of the overnight oat recipes, it was NOT the actual oats that I found offensive-just the cha, cha, cha chia. I researched a bunch of recipes and discovered that not all oats are created equal and that I could have oats sans chia without any fretting. From then on, I’ve had auto ship attached to my Amazon.com order for Bob’s Red Mill Oats every 30 days (I prefer the extra thick kind) and a full stomach well past the noon hour if I eat them for breakfast. And really, isn’t that every working girl’s dream? To NOT be STARVING at lunchtime? I think so. There is nothing worse than ravenous pre-noon snacking, binge drinking coffee to fill up your belling and/or a casual noon time stuffing that will put a pooch in your pencil skirt and a frown on your face for the rest of the day. Enough about my body image issues…you are here for the food.

jar of overnight oats with banana

Overnight oats:

  • 4 dates, pitted and sliced
  • 1/3 C whole oats
  • 2/3 C nondairy milk, I prefer almond milk (unsweetened)
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 heaping T of PB2
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 banana, sliced just before you drop it into the oats the next day

The night before, add all ingredients but banana into a jar and place in fridge overnight. Next day, drop in sliced banana, stir and enjoy.

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Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Fridge Finds, Less is more, Make Ahead, Quick Cooking, Vegan, Vegetarian

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VeganGR: Lasagna with Roasted Cauliflower Ricotta & Spinach

Posted on October 28, 2013 | 2 comments

My friends at VeganGR are pretty rad. From time to time they help me with content on this blog which is a life-saver really. Here’s a post that will help you with the fall chill. 

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s The Post Punk Kitchen and her cookbooks. One of our favorites is Appetite For Reduction. There are 125 low-calorie vegan recipes in it. The best thing we’ve found about these recipes is that none of them feel like diet food. Each dish is a fully satisfying meal.

One of the easiest (and delicious) meals to make is the Lasagna with Roasted Cauliflower Ricotta and Spinach. This recipe is super easy, very forgiving, and a great one-dish meal. This has been a wonderful dish to share with non-veg friends, as it always gets rave reviews. It’s also easy to modify and add your own touch. You could add vegan sausage, other veggies, vegan mozzarella cheese, or whatever you can dream up!

Here is the version I made last week:

For the Roasted Cauliflower Ricotta:

1 medium-size head cauliflower, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 t. olive oil
1/4 t. salt
1 pound extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 pinches of citric acid
2 T. of water (normally you can skip this and the citric acid and just use 2 T. of lemon juice, but I was out)
Ground black pepper to taste.

Roast the cauliflower in the oven by tossing it with olive oil and salt and laying it down on a pan with parchment paper. I like mine dark so I turn my oven up the highest it will go and let it stay in the oven until pieces start to char. I toss it a few times during this process.

When it’s done, I pull out the food processor and give the roasted cauliflower just a few pulses to break it down some (don’t over chop – you don’t want it to be too small). Then I mix that together with all the other ingredients to create the ricotta cheese layer. I usually end up adding a few extra pinches of salt till I have it tasting how I want it. This ricotta recipe is a great addition to any pasta dish – it doesn’t have to be used solely for this recipe!

For the Red Sauce:
There’s a recipe in the book to make your own, but I was lazy and used a jar of G.B. Russo’s Fire Roasted Eggplant and Zucchini sauce. Whatever your favorite is will do!

The Assembly:
For this part you’ll need lasagna noodles and about a cup of fresh spinach.Put a small amount of sauce in the bottom of your pan. Just enough to get it wet. Then repeat this 2 times.

  • Lay your noodles. I used No Bake Whole Wheat Lasagna noodles by Delallo.
  • Put down 1/3 of your ricotta mix
  • Cover that with a layer of spinach.

Top that with one more layer of noodles and a little sauce. Normally I sprinkle some black olives over the top to give it some saltiness (per Isa’s instructions in the book), but on this round I was out, so instead I saved a bit of the ricotta mix and put a little of that down for my top layer.

Bake for 40 minutes on 350 and you’re done!

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Posted in Fall Food, Fridge Finds, Product Review, Recipes, Vegan

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Yesterday Tacos, Today Taco Soup

Posted on September 16, 2013 | 2 comments

Yesterday I made the tacos that I sometimes dream about in the winter, full of summer veggies practically radiating sunshine, tender-crisp, and juicy.  I love tacos, but even I can’t eat them every night for leftovers, so this seemed like the perfect solution: taco soup for the freezer and rest of the week.

Recipe:

Cook all veggies using summer tacos recipe found here spices and all, we will add a little more flavor below due to the dilution from the water. While I was charring all the veggies, I set half of each batch into a soup pot to create taco soup for later in the week.

To that add:

  • 1 tsp epazote
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1-2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp to 1T chipotle en adobo (sauce), depending on your like of heat
  • 2-3 C or 1-2 cans black beans, drained
  • 3 cans diced tomatoes, these can be fire roasted or normal diced tomatoes
  • 2 cubes veggie boullion 
  • 4-6 C of water, depending on your thoughts on consistency of soup

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Heat all ingredients through give it a taste and adjust the seasonings (salt for sure). Serve warm with a squeeze of lime, vegan sour cream, and tortilla chips or freeze to preserve the summer.

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Posted in CSA, Dinner, Fall Food, Fridge Finds, Leftovers, Less is more, Make Ahead, Meatless Monday, Michigan, Recipes, Seasonal Ingredients, Soup, Vegan, Vegan MoFo, Vegetarian

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The sandwich so fresh & juicy you eat it over the kitchen sink

Posted on September 9, 2013 | 4 comments

Growing up my family didn’t do a tremendous amount of gardening unless it was in the form of flowers, which my mother has always been extremely fond of. The landscaping of our home was meticulous. My grandma however, had a pretty good size garden which was kinda like a neighborhood garden before community gardens were all the rage. She and her neighbors would plant their favorite veggies between the sticky cherry tree and big tire swing, in front of the pine layer separating her home from the IGA, and just beyond the sandbox so that none of us would “go messin’ with it.” The garden made for two things: 1) the most amazing go-cart racing track was formed from its perimeter, and 2) the amount of tomatoes that came from it in August/September was something of the stuff legends are made.

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This is the “grown up” vegan version of the tomato sandwich that we would eat nearly every day in the summer at the peak of tomato season which was comprised of gooey Wonder Bread, Miracle Whip, heavy with salt, and layered with iceberg lettuce and fresh, juicy tomatoes. So messy and heavy that you would have to eat the sandwich over the sink or end up changing your shirt after lunch.

Tomato Sandwich

  • 2 pieces soft vegan bread, toasted lightly
  • 1 medium sized ripe tomato of your choice
  • 2 big knifefuls of Vegenaise, use BBQ flavor if you want it to really make it sing
  • 1 handful, fresh picked greens of your choice, pictured here, arugula

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To assemble: spread Vegenaise on bread, layer tomato slices with arugula, smash and enjoy over the kitchen sink.

4 Comments

Posted in Dinner, Fridge Finds, Less is more, Lunch, Meatless Monday, Michigan, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Seasonal Ingredients, Vegan, Vegan MoFo, Vegetarian

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Rustic Vegan Kale Salad – Also, VeganMoFo Intro, Yo.

Posted on September 3, 2013 | 5 comments

vegan mo fo banner

I have no idea how I could have let this recipe go unpublished from my blog for this long. I keep a recipe blog for selfish reasons really, it keeps all my lovely meals in one place so I’m not concerned with the bookmarking madness that is my Chrome browser. So when I went searching for ‘kale salad’ in my own blog and found not one result I became really upset…at…myself. Damn it self!

This little number is a weekly dinner and lunch staple, so my apologies for letting this one slip through the cracks. I also managed to forgot it’s Vegan MoFo! The Vegan Month of Food where veg bloggers are to unite and blog DAILY about vegan noms [OMG, that won’t be a reality for me, but I will try a few times a week this month]. I VeganMoFo’d in 2010 and 2011, but must have lost my mind in 2012 where I can find no archived MoFo posts. Boo.

Luckily, my good friends at VeganGR guest blogged for me today, so I am just one day behind the daily blog for Vegan MoFo 2013. This recipe comes from Heidi over at 101 Cookbooks. I’ve taken a few liberties to veganize her dish but have stayed true to the taste. Not ready to go vegan on this…keep the cheese, and for God sake butter the bread to make breadcrumbs if you are not vegan.

  • 1 bunch Tuscan kale [really any kale will work here, if you find it tough, be sure to let the lemon dressing do some work on the kale in a bag or bowl for a few hours to soften the texture – you know, if you are serving the queen or something]
  • 2 thin slices country bread, or two handfuls good, homemade coarse breadcrumbs
  • 2 garlic cloves, mashed and minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
  • 1/4 cup vegan parm or other salty vegan cheese [Not vegan? Hit it hard with Romano-and thank me later.]
  • 1.5-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish [I go lighter on this one adjusting for the lemon juice I net, I hate an oily dressing, I prefer more juice to oil]
  • Zest of one lemon
  • Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

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  1. Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Slice the kale into 3/4-inch ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.
  2. If using the bread, toast it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout. Tear into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, or crumbs to your liking.
  3. Pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, EVOO, lemon juice, lemon zest, pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves). Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the bread crumbs, additional cheese, and a drizzle of oil.
  4. This makes the most excellent lunch for DAYS. Also tastes super yummy with some grilled tofu on the side or mixed in. The tangy dressing will more than make up for the blandness of the tofu so no need to marinate the tofu before hand. Perhaps though add a little extra salt to the tofu steaks when grilling them up to round out the taste.
  5. Find Heidi’s original recipe and more kale noms here: 101 Cookbooks.
  6. Wanna get really crazy? Try this with orange juice and orange zest.

5 Comments

Posted in Fall Food, Fridge Finds, Leftovers, Less is more, Make Ahead, Meatless Monday, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Vegan, Vegan MoFo

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VeganGR Blog Take Over Part 2: Quick Sauerkraut

Posted on September 2, 2013 | 1 comment

You know you have good friends when they take a veggie gift and your smartass comment about blogging for you and actually do it. So Jon and Kolene over at VeganGR have been the recipient of some ridiculous veggies from my summer surplus…Jon, the resident chef, and Kolene, the photographer came up with Sauerkraut when faced with a do or die cabbage situation a few weeks ago. Here’s what happened, according to Jon:

Faced with an exorbitant amount of cabbage (I mean, A TON of cabbage. See previous post about Adrienne’s gift of 40lbs of veggies), there was only one choice.

Sauerkraut.

Now, let’s be clear about this. I am lazy, and I hate waiting. I also have a mild fear of home fermentation.  Recent attempts at rejuvelac based cheese turned into a science experiment into mold than a delicious vegan chèvre. I am determined to plod on, but until I become the king of producing lactic acid, I needed another solution.

A Google search for “quick sauerkraut” turned up far fewer hits than you’d think. This recipe looked promising, so I went with that.

I didn’t have apple cider on hand, ‘cause like, who does? So I doubled the water. To balance and bring in the sugar I think the cider was intended to, I added a little sweetness. The result was really nice, and the hit of a recent summer barbecue!

Ingredients:

  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced very thin
  • 1 medium green cabbage, sliced thin
  • 1 ¼ C apple cider vinegar
  • 1 C water
  • 1 T salt
  • 1 tsp caraway seed
  • 2 T sugar

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in pan, and add onion. Cook over medium heat until onion turns translucent.
  2. Add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook covered over low heat for 30-45 minutes. You want the cabbage nice and tender. Keep an eye on it, you may need to add a little more water.

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Posted in BBQ, CSA, Dinner, Fridge Finds, Gluten Free, Less is more, Make Ahead, Meatless Monday, Michigan, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Salad, Seasonal Ingredients, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Curried Chard Vegan Frittata

Posted on August 12, 2013 | Leave a comment

Swiss chard is one of those greens I’m not wild about unless it is IN something else or heavily, heavily seasoned. This recipe is modified from Vegan Brunch in the spirit of curried scramble and can be customized with herbs and seasonings in just about any combination. It keeps well and tastes amazing tossed into a pita with arugula and garlic vegenaise for lunch the next day.

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch swiss chard, rough stems removed, chopped well (about 4 cups)
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 pound firm or extra firm tofu
  • 1 T tamari or soy sauce (use tamari if gluten free)
  • 1/4 C chives, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp hot curry powder
  • 1/4 tsp sweet curry powder
  • 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/4 tsp granulated onion
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon tumeric
  • several dashes fresh black pepper
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
  • salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Preheat a large heavy bottomed pan over low-medium heat. Add the oil and the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. What you’re doing here is “blonding” the garlic, it’s ready when it’s turned a light amber color.

Add the chard, oregano, all spices, chives, and and turn the heat up to medium high. Saute for about 5 minutes, until chard is completely wilted/ Add splashes of water if needed to get the chard to cook down. Turn the heat off.

While the chard is cooking, prepare your frittata base. Give the tofu a squeeze over the sink to remove a little of the water. Use your hands to crumble and squeeze it in a large mixing bowl, until it has the consistency of ricotta cheese (about 3 minutes). Add the remaining ingredients to the tofu and mix well. When your chard is ready, incorporate it into the tofu. Be sure to get all of the garlic, but if there is any moisture in the pan try to avoid adding it to the tofu. Taste for salt.

Lightly grease an 8 inch pie plate and firmly press in your frittata mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, until firm lightly browned on top. Let cool for about 3 minutes, then invert onto a plate and serve.

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Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, CSA, Fridge Finds, Leftovers, Less is more, Lunch, Make Ahead, Meat Substitutes, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Shit! I don’t have any taco seasoning.

Posted on July 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

This is my second Shit! I don’t have any…. recipe blog post. My first had to do with chili powder. My anger level seems to have risen as this title involves an actual explicative and before I was just using a mild substitute; or maybe I just REALLY wanted to make tacos tonight…I digress and give you taco seasoning for when you realize you have none. This recipe shakes out to be WAY less sodium than the packaged brands, so do yourself a favor and just make it yourself before you have a taco seasoning emergency. It takes all of about 3 minutes. I made 5x the amount (some math involved, hooray) and store it in a mason jar to keep any new emergencies at bay.

  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 ancho chili powder (this is an add in for more flavor, not necessary for “normal” flavor)
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp sea salt (more or less to taste)
  • 1 tsp black pepper

1. In mason jar, measure out all items listed above and give it a little shake until well mixed. If you like it spicy, add more red pepper flakes or mess around a little and try some dried chipotle pepper, etc. This is totally customizable. Adapted from allrecipes.com and many other bloggers before me.

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Posted in Dinner, Fridge Finds, Less is more, Meatless Monday, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Strawberry Chia Freezer Jam

Posted on June 24, 2013 | 4 comments

My friend Jen had to sell me on this idea big time as every other time I have had or used chia seeds except in a granola bar, I have come away feeling icky with bloating, and all those black seeds sticking in my teeth, gelling and [in my imagination] growing [cha, cha, cha chia]. This however, seems like an appropriate place for chia seeds-in freezer jam.

This recipe was adapted from Oh She Glows  and came together in a blender, in a blink. Since this is freezer jam, pop it into a freezer safe container AFTER you let it sit for a few hours and be sure to leave plenty of headspace for the chia to work it’s magic.

Ingredients

  • 6 C blended strawberries [AFTER blending you want 6 C which is about 12 C of whole berries]
  • 3 T maple syrup (or other sweetener of your choice)
  • 6-12 T water
  • 3 T chia seeds
  • 2-3 T lemon juice
  • zest from 2 lemons

Wash, hull, blend strawberries together, stir in syrup, chia, zest, juice and 6 of the T of water. Depending on the consistency you want from the jam, add up to 6 T more water. We added all 6 as our chia were already thickening past the point we really liked it while it was sitting waiting for us to scoop it into the jars.

Ladle into freezer safe jars, allow to sit 6-8 hours before putting in the freezer to gain perfect chia thickness. Store in freezer up to 6 months. The Mountain Mama Cooks adds vanilla to hers if you would like for a more “cooked” versus raw taste. If you are a purist, Eating Bird Food always has strong chia recipes even for the chia-shy like me.

This recipe tasted like a fresh picked strawberry with a kick. I will need that come winter.

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Posted in Fridge Finds, Less is more, Make Ahead, Meatless Monday, Michigan, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Seasonal Ingredients, Vegan

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Wheat Berry Spring Salad

Posted on June 10, 2013 | Leave a comment

A recipe doesn’t have to be very complex. Sometimes I just grab stuff that is either: 1) about to go bad in my fridge, 2) really fresh in my fridge, or 3) stuff that sounds good and hope it all tastes good together. This was #3 for a quick dinner and several more lunches.

Not rocket science, hell sometimes I don’t even measure…

Ingredients:

  • Everything in my fridge cut up (asparagus raw, tomato raw, english cucumber, dried cranberries, red grapes halved, a little romano cheese cut in chunks-0mit for vegans)
  • 2 c cooked wheat berries

Dressing :

  • 1/2 C apricot balsamic vinegar (or any other flavor really)
  • 1/8 C evoo
  • salt and pepper to taste

Tossed the dressing with the wheat berries and severed over microgreens. Tasted amazing the next day in a pita.

Wheatberry Salad

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Posted in CSA, Dinner, Fridge Finds, Leftovers, Less is more, Lunch, Make Ahead, Meatless Monday, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Salad, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Fakin’ CheeseBurger (Vegan)

Posted on June 3, 2013 | 2 comments

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It’s summer. Flame broiled burger smells are in the air, and you are still eating burgers off a grill from the frozen food section of the local IGA? I’m sorry to break this to you, but you’re doing it all wrong. Take a few minutes, whip up your own burger and revel in the excitement that is all of the ordinary and none of the animal. Veggies, you know what I mean.

This recipe comes to you courtesy of The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet (so far this book has proven to be true to the title).

Ingredients:

  • 1 C TVP granules
  • 1 scant C veggie broth
  • 1/4 C imitation bacon bits, store-bought or homemade
  • 1 C vital wheat gluten flour
  • 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
  • 1/2 C nutritional yeast
  • 1 T garlic powder
  • 1 T onion powder
  • 1/4 C peanut butter
  • 1/4 C pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 C vegetable oil (I got away with 1/8 C)
  • 1/4 C bbq sauce
  • salt and pepper
  • oil for frying/grilling

Directions:

In a large micro-safe bowl, mix together the TVP granules and the broth, cover tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and microwave for 5-6 minutes. Alternatively, bring the broth to a boil, pour over the TVP, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Add the bacon bits, flour, liquid smoke, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, peanut butter, maple syrup, oil, bbq sauce, salt and pepper to the bowl. Knead together for 5 minutes or so, then let sit a few minutes to thicken up.

Form into 4-6 patties. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

Cook as desired. Panfry, grill or bake in a 350 oven until cooked through with a crisp-ish outer coating. They freeze well.

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Posted in BBQ, Dinner, Fridge Finds, Make Ahead, Meat Substitutes, Meatless Monday, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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How do I overnight oats? Let me count the ways….

Posted on May 20, 2013 | 8 comments

My first encounter with overnight oats contained chia seeds which I love in smoothies, but loathe in anything that is required to set and then eat or drink. the consistency is well, cha, cha, cha, chia…and if you are a child of the 80’s then you will know exactly what this means – gel-like, icky, sticky and gross.

This recipe and countless variations becomes breakfast at least 4 days a week. With an unlimited amount of creations you can concoct with this base, it is sure to become a morning staple in your home too. I put these oats together at night before bed, pop in the fridge, then grab while I’m running out of the house like my hair is on fire in the AM. I eat them at the office while I’m checking email and making coffee.

Overnight Oat Base:

  • 1/3-1/2 C rolled oats ( I use Bob’s Red Mill, thick cut ) – not instant here – if you like it a little runny opt for less oats
  • 2/3 C any non dairy milk ( my go to is unsweetened almond milk )

Typically I add:

  • 2 T PB2
  • 1 sliced banana ( just before I eat the oats )

My next fave is:

  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 T reduced fat coconut
  • 1 C sliced strawberries (just before I eat the oats)

I also really love:

  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 C blueberries (just before I eat the oats)

Sometimes I even get really crazy and add:

  • 2/3 C unsweetened chocolate almond milk ( instead of the unsweetened plain milk in the recipe above )
  • 2 T Chocolate PB2
  • 1 sliced banana

Directions: combine oats and any add in EXCEPT fruit, then pop in the fridge overnight. 6 or so hours they are ready to consume. Add fruit before eating. If you add fruit the night before the water escapes into the oats and make them watery and icky. A very technical term, icky.

Pictured below is the “really crazy” variety minus the banana. My fave jar to use is pictured. Seems to be the perfect size for 1) the spoon and eating and 2) the oats for soaking in the milk.

IMG_7296 IMG_7295 overnight oats in ball jar from side top overnight oats in jar from top overnight oats in ball jar side view overnight oats in ball jar on desk with computer overnight oats in ball jar macro side IMG_7291 overnight oats close up

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Posted in Breakfast, Fridge Finds, Less is more, Make Ahead, Quick Cooking, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Mint Chocolate No Bake Cookie Bites

Posted on May 6, 2013 | 1 comment

I do a lot of reading. For school, for work, for fun, I’ve always liked reading. Sometimes I read a recipe and it bypasses the bookmark function and gets me straight away into the kitchen, particularly when I have all the ingredients on hand and want to eat cookies. I mean really, when I want to eat cookies. I’m a big fan of no bake items particularly those that don’t require chemistry to work and you can kind of “eye-ball” the measurements. When these didn’t come together just as planned with the original recipe I improvised a little with the natural sweetness of maple syrup and a few extra dates. I dare you to eat just one.

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 12-16 medjool pitted dates
  • 3 T dark cocoa powder
  • 2-4 T nondairy milk
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp peppermint extract 
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
Dough should just stick together out of the food processor

Dough should just stick together out of the food processor

IMG_7490

A perfect scoop

A perfect scoop

Use a scoop to portion out the dough

Use a scoop to portion out the dough

Roll into balls after you measure out the dough

Roll into balls after you measure out the dough

Nondairy milk, dates and cocoa powder

Nondairy milk, dates and cocoa powder

In a food processor mix the cashews and oats until they are a powdery consistency. Then add the dates, cocoa powder, 2 T milk and peppermint extract and mix until a dough starts to form. If the dough looks dry, add a bit more milk. Roll into balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Set in the fridge to firm up. I got 25 bites out of my batch using a small pampered chef scoop to form the cookie bites.

Adapted from My Whole Food Life

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Posted in Baking, Dessert, Fridge Finds, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Vegan

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Butternut Black Bean Tacos

Posted on March 25, 2013 | Leave a comment

I could eat tacos every. single. day. Honestly.

Tacos as we know them in the Wonderful residence, typically are born from whatever is leftover in the fridge, or what can be tossed together before it goes bad in the fridge. I had a few onions that were about to sprout and take over the cupboard, so I used those for the base of these tacos. PS: anything on a tortilla tastes good. Knock yourself out in your own kitchen.

  • 2 C butternut squash mash (pulled from freezer) – okay to use from freezer section at store-cubed is fine too; heck use sweet potatoes if you want
  • 2 C black beans, cooked (pulled from freezer) – okay to use canned
  • 2 large yellow sweet onions
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp Mexican oregano
  • 1 tsp powdered garlic
  • 1 tsp powdered cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • corn or flour tortillas, your choice
  • topping [obviously pickled jalapenos, arugula, salsa, and taco sauce]

Saute onions in olive oil until transparent or bronzed. Add smashed or cubed butternut squash and black beans to this mix along with all spices. Warm through. Serve on a tortilla.

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Posted in Dinner, Fridge Finds, Leftovers, Less is more, Meat Substitutes, Meatless Monday, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Fast, Cheap, Vegan Red Sauce

Posted on March 3, 2013 | Leave a comment

I bought this really great loaf of bread of a few days ago when I was in Holland at Pereddies. The rosemary salt loaf has been a guilty pleasure of mine for many years. The inside is just barely cooked through so it’s still a little gooey,  and the outside is crunchy and salty, like a pretzel almost. It’s a perfect food. However, one can’t, no wait, shouldn’t eat just a loaf of bread for dinner, right? It is probably frowned upon. As I am a total slacker in the grocery shopping category right now, I had limited foods in the fridge; however, out of necessity/laziness, a red sauce was born…a little of this…a little of that and you have a pretty tasty red sauce for pasta or just bread dipping…I won’t judge you.

Ingredients:

  • 5 red bell peppers, cut into slices
  • 2 cans, 14.5 oz roasted tomatoes or regular tomatoes
  • 1 jar crack tomatoes from freezer (optional)
  • 1 can, 15 oz tomato sauce (no sugar added please)
  • 2 T balsamic vinegar
  • 2 T garlic, minced
  • 1 T Italian seasoning, or fresh herbs
  • 2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 4 medium sized shallots, diced

In a pan with a significant edge (think saute, sauce, or dutch oven), saute the sliced red bell peppers and the shallots until roasted over medium high, nearly caramelized. Add all other ingredients and bring to low boil. Cover, turn heat down to simmer and forget about this dish for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and place 1/2 to 3/4 of sauce mix into blender and process until smooth. Return blended sauce to pan, stir to combine. Serve over pasta, spaghetti squash, gnocchi, etc. Freeze remaining for up to 6 months.

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Posted in Dinner, Fridge Finds, Meatless Monday, Noodles, Recipes

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Ceci-Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Posted on December 31, 2012 | 1 comment

New Year’s Eve is for two things:  1) resolution making and 2) drinking, heavily.  The day after your first thought:  1) resolving to not EVER drink again….like for real this time, ever.  Right?  So for your hangover cure I did a little research and decided that one of my fave soups can be your cure for what you overdo on NYE.

Nutrient-rich foods that are good to eat with a hangover are bananas, red peppers, broccoli, nuts, and oats. A banana smoothie is an excellent choice, as it acts as a natural antacid as well as replenishing vitamins and minerals. To make one, blend together one ripe banana, one a half cups of nondairy milk, and two tablespoons of honey or agave (for those of you that are strict vegan).

This soup is great.  Protein, vitamins, sits on stove all day without getting icky so you can eat when you get that small window of opportunity when you feel “better” than you did when you woke up at Noon.  Tastes excellent with saltines…see, it’s like perfect.  Take care.

  • 2 large red bell peppers
  • 1 medium size onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp. rosemary, dried
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 2 c. tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 tsp. ground coriander
  • 3 c. vegetable broth
  • 1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. Cut out the stems of the peppers and discard along with the seeds. Stand the peppers in a small baking pan to roast the peppers for 35-50 minutes.
  3. Remove from oven and let cool, additionally, I removed the skin, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
  4. Saute the onion in a large pot in very little oil (or none at all if you like) for 5 minutes until translucent.
  5. Add garlic, rosemary, salt, and black pepper to pot and saute for another minute.
  6. Mix in tomatoes (canned are okay here too, let’s be honest you aren’t going to cut up tomatoes hungover) and stir for another minute.
  7. Add coriander, vegetable broth, and chickpeas and stir.
  8. Bring contents of pot to a low boil and cook covered for 15 minutes or all day…whatever you need/want.
  9. Add the roasted peppers.
  10. Blend half the soup with an immersion blender OR blend about half the soup in a blender, being careful not to let the steam build up in the blender while you are blending, add the blended soup back to the pot.
  11. Let soup sit for a few minutes, taste for salt, and serve.

Adapted from Appetite for Reduction; shown here with bread and goat cheese (omit goat cheese for vegans).

IMG_6222

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Posted in Bread, Fall Food, Fridge Finds, Leftovers, Make Ahead, Meatless Monday, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Vegan Baked Oatmeal

Posted on December 24, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’m on a little oatmeal kick recently…well, at Costco I bought about a zillion RAW oatmeal packets that come together in a jiffy and have quinoa, chia, flax, oats and great taste without all the sugar that Quaker has.  I came across this idea from a friend’s Facebook page today while procrastinating.  I made it and LOVE it.  If you are a non-oats person because of the texture of hot or cold oatmeal, this will cure you of your oat-phobia (yes, of course that is a technical term).  A quick, warm breakfast on a cold day is possible.  Try it for Christmas morning so you can dedicate time to your gifts and not the prep of your breakfast.  With this in your belly in the AM, it’s basically permission to eat cookies for the other two meals of the day.  Cheers!

Baked Oatmeal

  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond or coconut milk (any nondairy milk should work here, I used unsweetened nonflavored almond)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds (any nut will work)
  • 1/2 cup dried Michigan cherries (or other dried fruit of your choice)
  • 1 large un-peeled Honey Crisp apple, grated (apple should be firm)
  • 2 TBSP pure maple syrup (you choose, but use natural, not a syrup made with artificial sweeteners-Agave is a good sub here)
  • Cooking Spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Coat a 3 quart (large) casserole dish or baking pan with cooking spray
3. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl
4. Place mixture in the casserole dish
5. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes

Feel free to toss Chia or Flax in there too…a little sprinkle won’t hurt.

*Makes 6 1-cup servings (divide other servings into small containers for a quick grab-n-go breakfast next week for work!!!)

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Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Brunch, Fridge Finds, Less is more, Make Ahead, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Sriracha Tofu

Posted on December 17, 2012 | 2 comments

Tofu glazed srirachaBorn from boredom as most delicious things are.

Are you ready for the recipe?

Smoking hot pan. Canola and sesame oil splashes. Drop cubed and pressed tofu into pan. Brown on all sides. Toss in one turn of mirin cook till evaporates. Toss in two turns of tamari and one inch of chopped ginger. Cook till tamari evaporates. Add as much Sriracha as you can tolerate cook one more minute and remove from heat.

This photo has wilted kale underneath that was just kale and about a teaspoon of evoo cooked together till wilted-toss in some garlic if you are feelin’ feisty.

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Posted in Fall Food, Fridge Finds, Less is more, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes

Posted on December 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

Because there is NO way you are sick of pumpkin yet, right?  This recipe is a blend of 3-4 Spark People recipes for pumpkin pancakes.  The combo of baking soda and baking powder give you fluffy and lighter pancakes despite the heavy pumpkin and whole wheat flour (you could sub white too I suppose).

  • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup soy milk
  • 2 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup mashed, cooked pumpkin
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or white if necessary)

Combine soy milk with the tsp vinegar in a separate bowl. Give it 5 minutes to curdle – you have just created vegan buttermilk. Stir together pumpkin, spices, water and soy milk in mixing bowl. Add in remaining ingredients and stir JUST UNTIL MOIST, NO LONGER or your batter will become flat, dense and lifeless, like your ex-husband. Let sit 5 minutes to rise and lightly stir again. Let rest 5 more minutes and cook them up as you would regular pancakes.

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Posted in Breakfast, Fall Food, Fridge Finds, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Vegan Pancakes

Posted on December 3, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’ve tried many recipes for vegan pancakes, all have left me feeling full, but had a texture that was flat, and dense-unpleasurable.  Apparently Isa had the same problem.  So, puffy pillow pancakes were born.  So far, I can’t argue with this recipe.  It’s everything a vegan pancake should be…including normal.

  • 1 1/2 C all purpose flour
  • 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 T sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 C almond milk (or soy milk)
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 T ground flax seeds
  • 1/2 C water
  • 2 1/2 T canola oil
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center.

Measure the milk into a measuring cup. Add vinegar and ground flax seeds, and use a fork to vigorously mix the ingredients until foamy. This will take a minute or so.

Pour the milk mixture into the center of the dry ingredients. Add the water, canola oil and vanilla and use a fork to mix until a thick, lumpy batter forms. That should take about a minute. It doesn’t need to be smooth, just make sure you get all the ingredients incorporated.

Preheat the pan over medium-low heat and let the batter rest for 10 minutes.

Lightly coat the pan in oil. Add 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake, and cook for about 4 minutes, until puffy. Flip the pancakes, adding a new coat of oil to the pan, and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Pancake should be about an inch thick, and golden brown.

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Adapted from PPK

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Posted in Breakfast, Fridge Finds, Less is more, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

Posted on November 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

A Thanksgiving miracle…two blog posts in one week.  I dare you not to put this on everything at your Thanksgiving meal.

Pretty great dressing or dip.  Pretty good FOR you too.

Enjoy.

In a food processor or blender, blend the following until pureed:

  • 2/3 C. maple syrup
  • 1/3 C. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. coarse mustard
  • 1/2 Tsp. salt
  • 1 Tsp pepper
  • Slowly add 1 C. extra virgin olive oil.

I served mine over just about everything from quinoa and chickpea bowls, to brussels sprouts to a salad of roasted squash, onions, apples and pears (shown).  Try it out at Thanksgiving dinner.

Courtesy of Jen & Company, a food and fitness blog.

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Posted in Fall Food, Fridge Finds, Leftovers, Less is more, Make Ahead, Recipes, Salad, Seasonal Ingredients, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Butternut Coconut Rice

Posted on November 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

Good use of leftovers here.  Had brown rice, marinated tofu, and roasted butternut squash in the freezer, so just had to chop up some ginger, garlic and shallots.  Had this dish on the dinner table in under 20 minutes.  YUM!  This rice dish freezes well after you put it together too-add some more veg broth and coconut milk, maybe a little curry powder and you have soup.  So many possibilities.

Ingredients:

  • 1 c brown basmati rice (I used pink rice)
  • 2 c water
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 lbs butternut squash
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 c sliced shallot
  • 1 tbl minced fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 c light coconut milk
  • 1/4-1/2 c veg broth (I just used water)
  • 1 tbl freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions:

  1. Cook rice (add rice, water and pinch of salt)-I pulled this pre-made from the freezer
  2. Preheat oven to 400, bake squash for about 45 minutes-you could microwave this too if you are in a big hurry
  3. When squash is cool to handle, preheat a large skillet over med-high heat. Sauté shallot in the oil for about 7 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, lime zest, red pepper flakes and salt, saute for 2 minutes, turn heat to low
  4. Scoop the flesh out of the squash into the pan, add the coconut milk. Mash into a creamy consistency. Add rice and stir well. Add 1/4 c veg broth (or water) and mix well. You can add up to another 1/4 c of brother to get a creamier consistency if you want. Add lime juice, salt if needed and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Appetite for Reduction, my most used and abused vegan cookbook.  Go get it.

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Posted in BBQ, Dinner, Fridge Finds, Less is more, Meat Substitutes, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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