{CARROT AVOCADO CURRY WITH TOFU}

Thanks, Elna and Lucy!  This is my new favorite dish.  So good!

I cooked it in the pressure cooker; it worked great.  (I'll include the original/non-pressure cooker recipe in parenthesis.)

{Tofu}

2 12-oz. boxes firm or extra firm tofu, pressed* and frozen**
1/4 c. apple juice (2 T. water)
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. curry powder
1/2 t. salt
1 dash pepper (1/2 t.)

• Thaw tofu in the refrigerator overnight, or at room temperature for several hours.
• Slice into 1/4 to 1/2-inch cubes.
• Saute in apple juice and spices until completely coated.
• Transfer to a baking sheet.
• Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Set aside.

*To press tofu, remove it from the package, draining off any water.  Wrap the tofu in a paper towel and then a cloth hand towel, and place it on a plate (or cookie sheet if doing several blocks at a time).  Place another plate (or cookie sheet) on top, and put something heavy on top (canned food or books work great).  Leave the tofu to press for one to several hours.

**Freezing tofu changes the texture significantly; it becomes more spongy and "meaty."  After the tofu is pressed, unwrap it, put it in a freezer bag/container, and freeze.  To thaw the tofu, I just took it out of the freezer this morning and set it on the counter.  Quite a bit more water drained out of the tofu as it thawed.

{Curry Sauce}

1 c. water + 1 t. vegan chicken flavored Better-Than-Bullion (1 1/2 c. chicken broth)
1/2 c. apple juice
6 medium carrots, sliced thin
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 t. ginger
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. curry powder
1/2 t. salt
1 dash pepper (1/2 t.)
1 2-inch cinnamon stick


1/3 c. non-dairy milk
1/4 c. raw cashews
1/4 t. almond extract


1 avocado, peeled and sliced
slivered almonds


Pressure Cooker Instructions:

• Combine first ingredients (broth through cinnamon stick) in the pressure cooker.
• Cook on low pressure for 1 minute.
• Quick release.
• Meanwhile, blend milk, cashews, and almond extract until smooth.  Set aside.
• When pressure is released, add cream and tofu.
• Serve over brown rice or quinoa, topped with avocado slices and slivered almonds.

Normal Instructions:

• Combine first ingredients (broth through cinnamon stick) in a skillet or saucepan.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.
• Meanwhile, blend milk, cashews, and almond extract until smooth.  Set aside.
• When vegetables are soft, add cream and tofu.
• Heat on low until heated through.
• Serve over brown rice or quinoa, topped with avocado slices and slivered almonds.

{PAN SEARED PORTABELLOS}

Mom shared this recipe a while ago in an email.  I tried it the other day and loved it!  Mariah (my 3-year-old) also loved them; Elaine (2) and Mike wouldn't even try them. Not mushroom fans.

2-3 large portabello mushrooms (or 1 lb. baby portabellos)
1 T. water
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1/2 t. dried oregano
1 1/2 T. apple juice concentrate
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 T. soy sauce

• Trim mushroom stems flush with base of the mushroom.  Discard stems (or cook them with the mushrooms).
• Combine sauce ingredients in a skillet or sauce pan with a lid.
• Warm over medium heat until bubbly.
• Place mushrooms, top side down, in the pan.
• Cover, and cook for 3-5 minutes.
• Turn mushrooms over.
• Cook, covered, for another 5 minutes.

Here's a how-to video:

{TWICE BAKED POTATOES, REVISED}

I tried the twice baked potatoes again, with some revisions.  They turned out much better.  Click here.

{HOT PASTA}

This recipe comes from Mom's good friend.  We call it "Tammy's Hot Pasta."

16 oz. whole wheat rigatoni noodles
3 cans stewed tomatoes, blended to desired chunkiness
1/4 to 1/2 c. vegan parmesan (or nutritional yeast)
3 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. fresh parsley
1/8 to 1/4 t. crushed red pepper
olives (optional)

• Prepare noodles, drain, rinse, and set aside.

• Saute garlic, parsley, crushed red pepper in water.

• Toss all ingredients together.

{VEGAN WHIPPED CREAM}

This stuff is delicious!!  Mom shared this little secret with us last week, and I made gingerbread cake today just so we could have something to try it on.

1 can Thai Kitchen brand coconut milk
1/4 c. powdered evaporated cane juice (or agave nectar or other sweetener)
1 T. corn starch
1 t. vanilla

• Chill the coconut milk in the fridge overnight.
• 
  
  

  Chill a mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 1 hour.
• 
  
  
  
  
  

  Pierce the bottom of the coconut milk can to allow coconut water/liquid to drain.
• 
  
  
  
  
  

  Open top of can, and scoop hardened coconut fat into chilled mixing bowl.
• 
  
  
  
  
  

  Mix with chilled electric beaters until broken up and starting to smooth.
• 
  
  
  
  
  

  Add powdered sugar, corn starch, and vanilla.
• 
  
  
  
  
  

  Whip with beaters until resembles consistency of whipped cream.  If the coconut milk was set up, the texture should quickly become very much like whipped cream.  If it was a bit (or a lot) runny, it'll take longer.

*Watch a how-to video here.

{BREAKFAST BARS}

I found these on everwell.com and changed them just a bit to be vegan. We all really liked them and they were easy to send to school for a lunch treat. I think I'll do some experimenting with different kinds of dried fruit (we used raisins, but I'd like to try apricots or cranberries).

Makes 16 (small) Bars

1 cup Oats
1 cup Shredded Wheat Cereal
1 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cups dried fruit
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs (1 T. egg replacer + 1/4 c. water)
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.
  

• Place the oats, shredded wheat, walnuts, dried fruit, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped
  

• In a large bowl, whisk together the egg replacer, honey, and vanilla. Add the oatmeal mixture and chocolate chips and stir to combine.

• Transfer to the baking pan and flatten down gently with the back of a spoon or spatula to spread evenly.

• Bake about 18 minutes until the edges turn golden brown and the bars are done. Let bars cool completely in pan before slicing and serving.
  

* These bars freeze well so if you have leftovers, you can wrap individual portions in plastic baggies or aluminum foil and freeze.

* These tasted just a bit honeyish to me, but I don't know if that's because the Shredded Wheat I used was honey sweetened too. I might try agave nectar next time and see if they still hold together as well.

{CANDIED YAMS}

7 medium sized yams/ sweet potatoes
6 2-inch strips orange zest, white, spongy pith removed
4 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
2/3 c. pure maple syrup
1 T. light sesame oil (or olive oil)
2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 t. peeled and finely chopped ginger root
1/2 t. course sea salt

• preheat oven to 375
• peel and halve the yams crosswise, cut each half lengthwise into 4 wedges
• place the yams in a baking dish that will hold them snug in a single layer
• tuck the orange zest and cinnamon sticks amongst the yams
• in a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, maple syrup, oil, lemon juice, ginger, and salt.
• pour the mixture over the yams
• bake for 1 hr 15 min, basting every 15 min, until the yams are tender and glazed and the pan juices are syrupy
• remove the orange zest and cinnamon sticks before serving
  

{THREE BEAN SALAD}

Salad

2 15 oz. cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 15 oz. cans cut green beans, drained and rinsed
2 15 oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. finely chopped onions
1 c. chopped green, red, orange or yellow peppers

Dressing

1/2 c. blended white beans (or stir 2 T. white bean flour into 1/2 c. water, heat and stir until
thickened) or (3/4 cup water total w/ 2 heaping T. of white bean flour)
2/3 c. vinegar (I use 1/3 part balsamic, 2/3 part apple cider vinegar-white vinegar is ok too)
1 1/2 t. veggie chicken broth powder or (veggie broth paste-Better than Boullion)
1/4 c. water
2 T. sucanat and 1/8 t. Stevia (or a total of 1/4 c. sweetener) (I like 1/4 t. Stevia)
1/4 t. celery seed
1 t. minced garlic

*This is a double recipe that stores well in the fridge.

{INDIAN FRESH FRUIT SALAD}

Fruit Salad Sauce

Blend these ingredients:

1 pkg. (12.3 oz.) Mori-nu silken Lite Tofu (soft is best)
1/4 c. pineapple juice
2 T. maple syrup of brown rice syrup
1/2 t. fresh ginger, peeled & grated
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. cinnamon

Fruit

2 c. sliced strawberries
2 peeled and diced mangoes
1 small sweet pineapple (1 1/2 c.)
2-3 sliced large bananas

*optional- 1 handful blueberries, 2 peeled and diced kiwis

• Pour the sauce over the sliced fruit and enjoy!
  

{CRUNCHY BANANA/APPLE MUFFINS}

2 c. mashed bananas (or applesauce)
3/4 c. applesauce
2 c. soy milk
2 T. egg substitute whisked into 1/2 c. water
1 c. honey
1 1/2 t. baking soda
4 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
4 c. whole wheat flour
3 c. oats

• Mix everything but the flour and oats just to blend. Don't overmix.
  
• Add flour and mix slightly.
• Add oats and mix slightly.
  
• Fill greased/sprayed muffin tins 3/4 full.
  
• Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.
• Makes 3 dozen muffins.
  

{HOT CHOCOLATE}

4 c. plain/vanilla soy milk, or rice milk
1/4 t. stevia
2T. cocoa
1/8-1/2 t. vanilla (1/8 t. if using vanilla soy milk)

• The easiest way to heat this is in a blender, but you can also just use a saucepan.
  

{CHILI "CHEESE" FRIES}

This is another recipe that's not really a recipe, but it's one I really enjoy and do a lot.

Potatoes, sliced in wedges and baked with a little bit of cooking spray and salt
Chili beans (pinto beans in a can with chili sauce)
“cheese” sauce (recipe below)
Avocados, diced
Green onions, diced

• Slice the potatoes into thin wedges and bake them until golden and slightly crispy (or use frozen “Simply Potatoes” brand of fries).
• Top potatoes with heated chili beans and then drizzle with “cheese” sauce and top with avocados and green onions.

"CHEESE" SAUCE

1 c. water
⅓ c. nutritional yeast
2 T. cornstarch
1 T. flour
1 T. miso
1 t. lemon juice
¼ t. salt
¼ t. garlic powder
¼ t. paprika

¾ c. soy milk

• Place all ingredients, except soy milk, into a blender and blend until smooth.
• Pour the mixture into a small sauce pan and stir over medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken.
• Whisk in the soy milk and remove from heat.

{TOSTADAS}

(I discovered using large pieces of lettuce as "lids" works well.)

I don't really have an official recipe for these, but they are my husband's favorite meal. He's picky and doesn't like eating the same meal over and over again, but this is one he says he could eat every other day and be happy.

corn tortillas
cooking spray
salt
refried beans
nutritional yeast
mild salsa
taco seasoning
lettuce
tomatoes
avocados
olives
corn
Mexican or cilantro lime rice

• Preheat oven to 425. Spread 6 corn tortillas on a cookie sheet. Lightly spray them with cooking spray and then sprinkle with salt (you can omit the cooking spray and the salt if you’d like). Bake at 425 for 12 minutes, until golden and crispy.
• Mix one can of refried beans with about ¼ c. nutritional yeast, ½ c. mild salsa, and ½ T. taco seasoning. Heat in the microwave, stopping to stir every minute or two.
• Top tostadas with a thin layer of the bean mixture and any other topping you’d like. We usually do the toppings I listed above.

{PIZZA VARIATIONS}

I've done some experimenting with pizza, using Bekah's crust and sauce from the Roasted Garlic Broccoli Pizza. I wish I had pictures of all of these, but if I waited for that, they'd never get posted.

Here are the ones we've loved the most. With all of these, I just use the same crust and sauce recipe in the link above - the only variation is in the toppings, so I'll just list the toppings here along with any necessary instructions.

HAWAIIAN BARBECUE PIZZA

roasted garlic sauce
barbecue sauce
soy chicken strips, grilled (or baked bbq tofu*)
fresh pineapple, roasted
red onions
jalapenos (be careful)
fresh cilantro

• Lightly spread the pizza with barbecue sauce, right over the roasted garlic sauce (I use a little less garlic sauce than I otherwise would have and spread the barbecue sauce very lightly).
• Grill soy chicken strips, using cooking spray.
• Slice the fresh pineapple into 2-inch chunks. Thread the chunks onto a skewer and grill them on an electric griddle. You can skip the grilling step if you’d like, or even used canned pineapple – it’s just not quite as tasty.
• De-seed the jalapenos (unless you’re brave) and finely dice them.
• Spread the pizza with all the toppings and bake according to the original pizza instructions.

* To make the bbq tofu:

• Press and freeze firm or extra firm tofu.  (For instructions, click here.)
• Thaw tofu in the refrigerator overnight, or at room temperature for several hours.
• Slice into 1/4 to 1/2-inch cubes.
• Saute in barbecue sauce and water until completely coated.
• Transfer to a greased baking sheet.
• Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.

SPINACH POTATO PIZZA

*This may not seem that great, but it may be my favorite one we do.

Yukon gold potatoes
Fresh spinach
Salt
Pepper

• Bake potatoes and then allow to cool slightly. Slice very thinly.
• Top crust with garlic sauce, then spinach, then potatoes. I cover the entire surface with the spinach and then again with the potato slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake according to the original pizza instructions.

ARTICHOKE ZUCCHINNI PIZZA

Artichoke hearts, finely chopped
Zucchini, chopped
Yellow squash, chopped
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Almonds

• Layer all ingredients on top of crust and garlic sauce and bake according to original pizza instructions.

APPLE CINNAMON DESSERT PIZZA

*For this recipe, do NOT use the garlic sauce from the original pizza recipe – only use the crust*

2-3 apples, peeled and then thinly sliced
Vegan spray butter
Honey
Cinnamon and evaporated cane juice mixture

• Form the crust, pinching the sides around the edge to create a raised wall. The honey and butter tend to bubble over the edge if you don’t.
• Spray the crust with spray butter, then drizzle with melted honey.
• Put one layer of thinly slice apples over honey and sprinkle generously with the cinnamon and evaporated cane juice mixture.
• Layer again with apples, honey, spray butter, and cinnamon and evaporated cane juice mixture.
• Bake according to original pizza instructions.

*This tastes incredible by itself, but is also quite tasty with vanilla soy ice cream*

*When I reference the original pizza instructions, I am referring to this pizza.*

*With all of these, I usually bake my crust for a few minutes and then pull it back out to add the toppings and then finish baking. I find the crust is a little bit more crispy/crunchy and less soggy that way.*

{SWEET POTATOES WITH BLACK BEAN CHILI}

SWEET POTATOES:

3 sweet potatoes, peeled
1 T. fresh rosemary, chopped (about half that amount if using dried)
salt (or garlic salt)
cooking spray


• Preheat oven to 400°. Coat cookie sheet with cooking spray.

• Cube sweet potatoes. Combine potatoes and rosemary in a bowl. Transfer to cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt, spray with cooking spray, and bake at 400° for 35 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the chili.

BLACK BEAN CHILI:

⅓ c. onion, diced
⅓ c. green or red pepper, diced
⅓ c. tomatoes, diced
2 t. garlic, minced
½ t. chili powder
½ t. ground cumin
¼ t. salt
⅛ t. pepper
1 can black beans, drained
8 oz. can of tomato sauce


• In a medium saucepan, sauté the onion in water for 3 minutes to soften.

• Add the pepper and sauté an additional 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

• Add the tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings and sauté for 2 more minutes.

• Add the black beans and tomato sauce. Stir well to combine and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Serve over cooked sweet potatoes.

{RAW CHOCOLATE PUDDING}

I tried this today for the first time and it's soooo good (at least I think so)! I found it on aniphyo.com originally, but couldn't find it there today so I found a slightly different version here. I changed it a bit.


I think you could easily use this for frosting if you omitted the water at the end.

1/2 c. dates (soaked)*
1/4 c. maple syrup or agave nectar (or maple syrup/honey)
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. mashed avocado
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. water

• Place first 3 ingredients in food processor and blend.
• Add avocado and cocoa powder and process until smooth.
• Add the water and process briefly.
• Chill.
  

*I didn't know what soaking dates involved, so I just put them in water and let them soak for about 15-20 minutes. Seemed to work for me!

{QUINOA STUFFED ZUCCHINI}

Quinoa is a super healthy grain that can be found in bulk in health food stores, or in flavored boxes at normal grocery stores. If you buy it in bulk, it does need to be rinsed before cooking

½ c. quinoa, rinsed*
1 c. water
4 medium zucchini
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
½ c. nutritional yeast
½ c. almonds, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ c. bread crumbs
1 t. water


• Preheat oven to 400.

• In a large saucepan, brown the quinoa over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 c. water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes.

• Meanwhile, cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Arrange the zucchini in a large baking dish, cut-side up.

• Fluff the quinoa and fold in the beans, tomatoes, nutritional yeast, almonds, and garlic.

• Spoon the quinoa mixture into the zucchini.

• Combine the bread crumbs and the water and sprinkle over the quinoa and zucchini. I sometimes spray the tops with a bit of spray butter, too.

• Cover with tin foil and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Remove the tin foil and bake another 8-10 minutes, until bread crumbs are golden brown.

• Serves: 4

* You may also use flavored quinoa in this dish, such as Sun-dried Tomato Basil or Savory Herb. I usually just use plain quinoa but add some basil and Italian Seasoning to the water I cook it in. *

{JAMAICAN BLACK BEAN STEW}

This is a fabulous stew with a really great flavor. Even though it may seem like an odd combination, I highly recommend topping it with the cucumbers and tomatoes (cherry tomatoes are especially delicious) as suggested.

2 c. uncooked brown rice
3 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾ -inch cubes (about 5 c.)
2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾ -inch cubes (about 4 c.)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 can vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. curry powder
1½ t. ground allspice
½ t. ground red pepper
¼ t. salt
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
½ c. raisins*
3 T. lime juice
1 c. diced tomato
1 c. cucumber, peeled and diced


• Prepare rice according to package directions.

• Combine squash, potatoes, onion, broth, garlic, curry powder, allspice, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 5 minutes.

• Add beans and raisins. Simmer 5 minutes more, until potatoes and squash are tender and beans are hot.

• Remove from heat and add lime juice.

• Serve stew over brown rice and top with tomato and cucumber.

• Serves 8.

*We don't do raisins at our house, so I just leave these out.

{CHIP AND SALSA SOUP }

This is a Dr. McDougall recipe. It's a different take on the typical "taco soup" that both my husband and I like better.


3 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 15 oz. can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed*
¼ cup chopped green onions
1 ¼ cups fresh salsa, mild or medium
1 T. canned diced green chilies
1 cup corn kernels
2 cups fat-free tortilla chips
1 cup avocado chunks


• Place the broth, beans, salsa, corn, green onions and chilies in a medium saucepan.

• Cook over low heat for 10 minutes to blend flavors

• Place ½ cup of chips and ¼ cup of avocado in each of four bowls. Ladle the soup over the avocado and chips and serve at once.

* I usually do both!

{BLACK BEAN AND SQUASH ENCHILADAS}

I promise, the enchiladas are under there . . . .

I've served this to non-vegan friends and it always goes over well.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (about 1½ c.)
1 can white corn kernels, drained and rinsed (about 1½ c.)
2-4 cans enchilada sauce (about 3-6 c.)
1 small zucchini (about 1 c.)
1 small yellow squash (about 1 c.)
1 T. fresh cilantro (or 1 t. dried cilantro)
1/2 t. coriander
1-2 t. cumin
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 t. salt
small corn tortillas
nutritional yeast (optional)

vegan sour cream
olives
lettuce
tomatoes
avocados

• Preheat oven to 375°.

• Mix beans and rice with 1/2 enchilada sauce.

• Add diced zucchini and squash.

• Add chopped cilantro and other spices. Mix together and set aside.

• Steam tortillas until they are soft.

• Cover the bottom of a casserole dish with some enchilada sauce. Place a spoonful of zucchini/bean mixture into each tortilla and roll them up. Place side by side in the dish until it is full.  (Or just layer the whole thing like an enchilada casserole.)

• Once dish is full, cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast if desired and cover with foil.

• Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until cheese is completely melted.

• Top with lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, olives, vegan sour cream.

{STROGANOFF}

This has baked tofu in it rather than ground soy.  The mushrooms were also sautéed separately (in apple juice).

This is one of my very favorite meals, but because of the soy hamburger, we don't have it too often. It's adapted from one of my aunt's real beef stroganoff recipes.

Enjoy!

8 oz. - 1 lb. ground soy, or baked tofu**
1 c. onion, chopped (about 1 large onion)
1 T. fridge garlic (or 4 cloves, crushed)
½ lb. mushrooms, sliced (8 oz. or 1 c.)
3 T. flour
1 T. ketchup
2 t. Bragg’s liquid amino acids (or soy sauce)
½ t. salt
⅛ t. pepper
1 can vegetable broth (about 1½ c.)
¼ c. apple juice or water
½ - 1 c. vegan sour cream
noodles or rice, to serve (2 c. uncooked rice or 3 c. uncooked noodles)


• Sauté onion, garlic, and mushrooms in a little bit of water or spray vegan butter for 1-2 minutes*.

• Add (frozen) ground soy hamburger and cook for 2-3 minutes

• Remove from heat and add flour, ketchup, Bragg’s, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth.

• Return mixture to heat and gradually add broth. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

• Over low heat, add apple juice and sour cream, stirring until well combined.

• Serve over noodles or rice.

* My husband is not a fan of onions or mushrooms in whole form. I usually make this stroganoff sauce without the mushrooms and onions - just start with cooking the ground hamburger for a minute or two and then add all the sauce ingredients. I then slice the onion and mushrooms and saute them separately and add them as "toppings" on my own plate.

**{BAKED TOFU}

1 12-oz. box firm silken tofu, pressed and frozen


1/4 c. water
1/4 c. apple juice
1 t. Better Than Bouillon
1 T. ketchup
2 T. soy sauce, or Bragg's
1 pinch pepper

• Thaw tofu at room temperature for several hours, or in the oven at 170 degrees for an hour.
• Cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch cubes.
• Combine marinade ingredients.
• Marinate tofu for a couple of hours (or just sauté until pieces are completely coated).
• Transfer to a baking sheet.
• Bake at 350 for 40 minutes to 1 hour, stirring after 30 minutes.  (I leave my tofu in the oven even after I turn it off.  I like it really dry and chewy.)
• Add the tofu to the stroganoff a few minutes before serving to allow it to moisten a bit.  (The texture is great if you bake it dry and then allow it to soak up some new moisture from the sauce.)

{CILANTRO LIME RICE}

This rice is so yummy! Mom adapted the recipe from a couple of different online sources. (Mom, original sources?) It's fabulous with these beans in taco salad. I also used some in beanritos; very tasty!

I only know the pressure cooker instructions. If you don't have a pressure cooker, just change the amount of water, and cook the rice as you normally would.

2 c. brown rice

2 3/4 c. water

1/4 c. lime juice

4 t. vegan boullion

2 t. garlic (3-4 cloves)

1/2 T. cumin

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro (4 T. dried)

1/2 onion (4 T. dried)

1 smidgeon stevia

• Combine all ingredients in pressure cooker.

• Low pressure, 23 minutes.

• Natural release.

{CHIA SEEDS}

Chia seeds aren't really a recipe, but i thought they might be worth posting. They are pretty much a super food. They don't really have a taste at all, and kind of look and feel like poppyseeds. When they absorb water, they look like little frog eggs. (Don't worry they're not that gross) Just a few of the many good things about them: they are the number one source of Omega 3 fatty acids, even more than flax seeds. This Omega 3 helps circulation and the heart. The omega 3s break up the lipids which cause blood clots, varicose veins, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attacks, cardiac arrhythmias, and high triglycerides. Besides this aspect of them, they help diabetics by slowing blood sugar spikes. They have 3 times the antioxidants than blueberries. The fiber in chia seeds helps with digestion. In 2 ounces of milk there are 120 milligrams of calcium. In 2 ounces of chia, there are 600 milligrams of calcium. That means chia has 5 times the amount of calcium than milk! The other aspect of chia seeds, is their ability to fuel endurance activity such as running, which is why i love them so much. They have 2 times the potassium as a banana which means more electrolytes than in Gatorade. The seeds absorb up to 30 times their weight when put in water so they are great for keeping hydrated during athletic events and just throughout the day. The other reason why they are so good for endurance sports is because the chia gel (formed when you soak the seeds in water) causes a slow release of carbohydrates, which slowly convert to glucose that your body can use for energy.

The way that we've been eating them is by putting them in our green drinks in the morning. For four people you would soak 1/4 cup chia seeds in a little water while you make a normal spinach fruit smoothie. Then, after the seeds have soaked for about 5 minutes (soaking time isn't very important because the seeds absorb any stomach liquid as well so they are affective even if swallowed dry) anyways after they have soaked, blend them in with the green drink and enjoy. You can also just stir a spoonful of the seeds into an 8 ounce glass of water, let it sit, then drink it up. You will be hydrated and energized for the rest of the day!

{RAW OATMEAL COOKIES}

This picture doesn't do these justice! They are really good (I probably just shouldn't post until I get a good picture, but then it might never happen...) Anyway, fun to try and I've made them several times since I found the recipe here (I'll be checking her blog lots- good stuff to try!) They are a great after school snack!

1.5 to 2 cups rolled oats
1 c. pitted dates, chopped
1 c. raisins
1 t. cinnamon

• Place oats in glass bowl with cinnamon, stir together until mixed.
• Chop dates into a semi-fine mush (I used a food processor)
• Add dates to oatmeal mixture
• Add raisins (just so you know, I'm NOT a big raisin fan and I still love these)
• Oil your hands with coconut oil, water, or cooking spray and mash together (might take a while).
• Once the mixture is a dough like consistency, form them into golf ball size rounds and flatten them into a cookie.
  
• They are ready! Just you try to stop eating them!
  

{CROCKPOT ENCHILADA CASSEROLE}

This is so easy to make! I throw it together before church or when I've got a busy afternoon, and then every body is happy at dinner time! I also like it because even if I haven't been shopping in a while, I still have all of these ingredients. I got the original recipe from my friend Shelly and just substituted an extra can of beans for the chicken and simplified the rest. We usually serve with avocados and mexican rice, but it would also be great (although not low fat) with vegan sour cream.

1 Onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T. oil (I used veggie broth)
10 oz. can enchilada sauce
8 oz. can tomato sauce
small can of chopped olives
1/2-1 can green chillies
salt to taste
pepper to taste
8 corn tortillas
1 can ranch style or chili beans
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• Saute onion and garlic in water, veggie broth, or oil.
• Stir in enchilada sauce, tomato sauce, olives, and chillies.
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Mix beans and corn together in a bowl.
• Place 2 tortillas in bottom of slow cooker. Layer 1/3 of sauce mixture, then 1/3 of bean mixture on top.
• Repeat above step two more times, and then top with 2 tortillas and any extra sauce.
• Cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4.
  

{CABBAGE PITAS}

This isn't really a precise recipe, so just play with it. We really like these, and they're great for summer time. (We hit 90 degrees today.) I'm not sure where the original "recipe" came from; my mother-in-law makes it.

1/2 head cabbage, grated

1 large carrot, grated

raw sunflower seeds

vegan mayo (I use fat-free Nasoya Nayonaise)*

vegan plain yogurt*

a few squirts mustard

cayenne pepper to taste (be careful)

• Mix all ingredients.

• Serve on whole wheat pita or flatbread with whatever sandwich fixings your heart desires. (I like avocados, tomatoes, red bell peppers, cucumbers . . . really anything I'd put on a veggie sandwich.)

*I have used just Nayonaise, just yogurt, and nothing at all. Just depends on what I've got on hand, and how moist I want it.

{GARLIC BREAD SPREAD}

Last night we had company. I made this pasta (with bow-tie noodles) and this french bread. I made a garlic spread for the bread that turned out really good. Sorry, no picture.

1/4 c. vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance)

1/2 t. garlic powder

1 t. dried parsley

1 T. nutritional yeast

• Mix well.

• Cut loaf of French bread lengthwise.

• Spread with thin layer of garlic spread.

• Cut bread into pieces of desired size, but don't cut all the way through.

• Place loaves onto cookie sheet.

• Broil until top is golden brown (5-7 minutes).

{GINGERSNAP COOKIES}

I can't believe these haven't been posted on here before. I think my brothers eat about 6 of them every day- they are seriously good!

2 c. whole wheat flour

1 t. ginger

1 t. cloves

1 t. cinnamon

1/4-1/2 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1/4 c. + 2 T. baby food prunes (1 small Gerber container)

1 c. sucanat

1 1/2 T. water

1/4 c. molasses

• Mix sucanat, prunes, molasses, and water.
• Add the spices.
• Add the flour.
• Refrigerate dough for a few hours (if you can wait that long!)
• Roll into ball, dip the top in sugar (evaporated cane juice)
• Smash with your hand and put on lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

(Well, I just turned a perfectly fat-free cookie into a very not-so-fat-free one.  But, oh my!  It's delicious with this coconut cream on it!)

{LEAFY GREENS}

Leafy greens are so important! Here's a great short article about what they can do for you. Smoothies are one of the easiest ways to get enough!

{BLACK BEAN BROWNIES}

These are somewhere between brownies and fudge, and my kids loved them! I came across the recipe here. The banana taste was a little strong, so we used baby food prunes instead and they turned out great.

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 c. baby food prunes

1/3 c. agave nectar

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa

1 T. cinnamon

1 t. vanilla

1/2 to 1 c. rolled oats, processed slightly

• Combine all ingredients, except the oats, in a food processor or blender. (I used a blender this time, but will definitely use a food processor from now on. It was too hard to clean the batter out of my blender.)

• Mix in oats.

• Poor batter into slightly greased 8x8 pan.

• Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

The batter was TASTY!!

*I added a bit more cocoa powder last time and halved the cinnamon, and we liked that variation.

{"CAFE RIO" BLACK BEANS}

These are really good in taco salad! Squeeze a little lime on top, and voila! (Marian found the original recipe here.)

I'm posting pressure cooker instructions. If you don't have a pressure cooker, just adjust the liquid amount and cook the beans as you normally would.

1 lb dry black beans, rinsed and sorted

1 c. tomato sauce/juice/whatever

3 1/2 c. water

1/2 large sweet onion (or 1 regular onion), chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 T. salt

1 to 2 T. cumin (depending on desired spiciness)

• Put all ingredients in a pressure cooker.

• Cook on high pressure, 50 minutes, natural release.

{LEMON GLAZE}

This is a slight variation from the one I did for the carrot cupcakes. Today I used it on cinnamon rolls!

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 to 1 1/4 c. evaporated cane juice

1/2 lemon (I just threw the whole thing in--peel and all)

1 t. vanilla

• Blend all ingredients until very smooth.

Notes: I also added a few drops of yellow food coloring today, just for fun.

This makes a lot. I'm freezing what I didn't use today.

{GARLIC PARMESAN BREAD STICKS}

I made this pizza last night. We were having company, and I was a little worried one pizza wouldn't feed us all, so I decided to make breadsticks as well. I just used the pizza dough recipe, rolled the dough, cut it into strips, sprinkled garlic salt and vegan parmesan on top, and baked them at 500 for 10 minutes. They were great. We dipped them in both the roasted garlic sauce and a store-bought marinara.

I've made this a few times now; we love them! I actually don't add quite as much flour to the pizza dough recipe, and they turn out much lighter and better. I also cook them for less time than the pizza. I'm not sure the exact amounts I use, but try this:

1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour

1 T. honey

1 T. yeast

1/2 t. salt

2 T. applesauce

1 c. comfortably hot water

1/4 to 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

• Mix first group of ingredients.

• Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

• Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour. Dough should be pretty sticky and barely workable.

• Spray hands with Pam, if necessary, and knead dough and roll onto a sprayed cookie sheet.

• Sprinkle top with garlic salt, nutritional yeast, and/or vegan parmesan.

• Use pizza cutter to cut dough into strips. Let stand for 5-10 minutes.

• Bake at 500 for 7-8 minutes.

{BROWNIES}

I found the original recipe for these on McDougall's website, changed a few things, and this is the end result. We're always up for brownies!

Dry Ingredients:

2 c. whole wheat flour

1 1/3 c. cocoa powder

2 t. baking powder

2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. chopped cashews or walnuts (optional)*

Wet Ingredients:

2 c. blended prunes*

1 c. sugar (or whatever you use)

1/4-1/2 t. stevia (or 1 c. sugar...)

2 t. vanilla

4 T. Ener-g Egg Replacer mixed in 1 c. water*

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
• Mix blended prunes and sugar together in a separate bowl.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Mix egg replacer and water together and whisk until frothy.
• Add to sugar mixture and stir to combine.
• Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until mixed.
• Try not to eat all the batter.
  
• Spoon into a lightly greased 9x13 pan or two 8x8 square pans.
• Bake for 30 minutes

*The walnuts in this are great- I just have to chop mine up super tiny so they disappear, otherwise my family rebels.

*To make the prune mix, put 3 cups of water in the blender and add 1 to 1.5 cups of dried prunes until the water hits the 4 cup mark. Blend until smooth. Use 2 cups for the recipe, and then you can freeze the extra or just put it in the fridge to use later. It's a great fat replacer! You can also just buy baby food prunes, but when you are using 2 cups you'd have to buy 8 because they come in 1/4 c. containers.

*Ener-g egg replacer is available at most health food stores. You can also order it on Amazon. It's way cheaper than eggs and it works great! This is what you're looking for:

{CHEEZ SAUCE}

This is not a new recipe; I just decided to post it separate from the Mac & Cheez to make it easier access. We use this sauce on pasta, pizza, veggies, grilled cheez sandwiches, etc. (The original recipe is here.)

1 c. water

1 potato

1 carrot

1/3 c. raw cashews
1/4 c. pureed white beans

1 T. miso

3 T. sesame seeds (1 T. tahini)

1 T. lemon juice

1/2 t. dijon mustard

1/3 c. nutritional yeast

1/8 t. pepper

1/4 t. paprika

1 t. salt

• Peel and chop potato and carrot (I actually don't peel them anymore) and boil them in 1 c. water.

• Meanwhile, place all other ingredients in a blender.

• When the potatoes and carrots are tender, add them, with their water, to the blender.

• Blend until very smooth.

Note: Marian and I once used white beans instead of a potato. I've also substituted leftover butternut squash for the carrot. Both worked great.

{A 3-YEAR-OLD'S THOUGHTS ON DAIRY}

My 3-year-old is very interested in knowing what is or is not good for her body. Tonight we had pizza. She was dipping hers in cheez sauce. We had the following conversation:

Mariah: This cheez sauce is good for my body. Most cheese sauces have sugar in them, so they're not good for my body.

Me: Actually, most cheese sauces don't have sugar in them. They have cows' milk. And cows' milk isn't good for your body.

Mariah: But it's good for cows' bodies.

Enough said . . . .

{DROP BISCUITS}

These are really quick and easy; they're great with soup. The original recipe is here.

2 c. whole wheat flour

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/4 c. applesauce

3/4 c. cold soymilk

• Mix dry ingredients.

• Add applesauce and soymilk.

• Mix to make a soft dough.

• Allow to sit for 2 minutes.

• Drop on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

• Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

*I usually make 9 biscuits.

{HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE SYRUP}

I got this recipe from my friend Diana. It is great for a sweet treat!

2 T. cornstarch

4 T. water

1/2 c. cocoa powder

1 c. water

1 c. sugar or 3/4 c. honey*

dash salt

• Mix cornstarch with 4 T. water. Set aside
• Put cocoa, 1 c. water, sugar, and salt in saucepan
• Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Keep stirring.
• Using a whisk to stir, slowly add cornstarch mixture to boiling cocoa mixture. You probably won't need all of it, just add enough to thicken. If you make it too thick, just add water until you reach the right consistency.

I put this on sliced bananas with chopped pecans (or walnuts, almonds, etc.). It would also be good on ice cream.

* I made this with a half cup evaporated cane juice and 1/4 t. stevia and it worked great. I tried it with 1/2 t. stevia and no evaporated cane juice, and it didn't taste as good, so I'll have to mess with it more.

{FRUIT SYRUP}

This was our Valentines' Day breakfast. I made a raspberry syrup to go on the French toast. It turned out really good. I'm going to post what I did, but you can do the same thing with any fruit/fruit juice of your choice. This made 2 cups of syrup.

2 c. fresh raspberries

1 c. raspberry-apple juice concentrate

1 1/2 T. corn starch

1 smidgen stevia*

• Put fruit and 1/2 c. juice concentrate in small saucepan.

• Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until boiling.

• Meanwhile, whisk corn starch and stevia into remaining 1/2 c. juice concentrate.

• When the fruit mixture is boiling, slowly add the concentrate-corn starch mixture.

• Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until syrup is thick.

*1/4 t. stevia is equivalent to 1 c. sugar. So, this was probably about the same as 2 or 3 T. sugar.