Seitan Baked in Sweet and Sour Orange Sauce- from FatFreeVegan.com

Last night I made this awesome recipe from Susan at FatFreeVegan, found here.  I used the other half of the sauce in the recipe to pour over zucchini I'd stir-fried.  It was a great meal!  (And her recipes are the best, am I right?!)

Mushroom And Rice Stew

I think I could have this for dinner every day.  It's hearty and hits the spot!


1 Tbl Oil
1 Onion, chopped
2 Celery stalks, diced
8 oz package Mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
Fresh herbs, chopped finely (I used Sage)
4 Tbl Whole Wheat Flour
5 cups Vegetable Broth
1 Tbl Lite Soy Sauce
3 cups Brown Rice
opt: Tofu strips, cooked and cut into cubes
(pan-fried or baked previously)
green onion, optional

Heat oil in deep sided skillet or large saucepan.  Saute onion, celery, mushrooms, and herbs till softened, stir in flour and cook just a little bit till browned a little, and then add vegetable broth and soy sauce.  Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until rice is cooked.  Try not to open lid often while cooking.  Optional : Add already cooked tofu at the end and serve when all is warm. 

In this Bok Choy and Baked Tofu Stir-fry wtih Ginger-Citrus Sauce recipe I explain how I make baked tofu.  If done right, tofu tastes good!  I like when my friends say "there was tofu in that?"  That's when I think it's done right-when it's not noticable but enhances a dish. Tofu is great because it takes on any flavor it's with.

Garnish this dish with chopped green onion and enjoy.

Barbecue Portobello Mushroom Quesadillas

I put a couple of recipes together to make this tasty lunch today.  Since the classic mushroom taste and texture are NOT what you notice or taste when you are eating, I think even non-mushroom lovers will love this meal.

You'll need:
2 Portabella/Portobello Mushrooms (there are 2 different spellings for the same thing) de-stemmed and 'fins' cut off then coarsely chopped
(here's an ehow video on how to do that.  do you love ehow.com?  It has taught me many things... like some acupressure techniques for one and what to do with anise for another.)  
1/2 onion, chopped
Chipotle Barbecue Sauce (recipe below) (or other bbq sauce)
Cheeze Sauce (recipe below) (or other veggie cheese or cashew cheeze)


Heat a little oil or water in a skillet.  Add portabellas and cook 5 minutes.  Add onions and cook maybe another 3-5 minutes or until mushrooms and onions are soft.


Meanwhile make barbecue sauce and cheeze sauce.  (I love this bbq sauce recipe!  The deep smokey flavor of chipotle and the surprise flavor of cinnamon make it a really special one.) 
Spicy Chipotle Barbecue Sauce -recipe found here at fatfreevegan.com-
4 cloves garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup organic ketchup
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (or other sugar or agave nectar-I used agave)
2 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo
1 teaspoon tamari soy sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed (optional)


Stir all ingredients together then add to skillet of cooked mushrooms and onions.  Cook for 2 minutes and remove from heat.


Cheeze Sauce -recipe found here at fatfreevegan.com-
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup plain, fat-free soymilk (may use other non-dairy milk)
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon mellow white miso (or additional salt)
black pepper to taste
blend in blender or food processor.  Simmer in saucepan or skillet till thickened.


Assemble quesadilla:  Spread mushroom/onion and barbecue sauce mixture on whole wheat tortilla, drizzle cheeze sauce on or serve on side. Brown each side of tortilla on the skillet.  You could use bottled bbq sauce and veggie cheese for a quicker meal.  But you'll save yourself eating a lot of sugar/high fructose corn syrup, sodium, and preservatives if you take a few minutes to make homemade!  Make a double batch and put extra in the freezer!

Coconut Curry

I blame/give credit to my friend Shelley for putting the thought of coconut curry in my head the other day.  She was describing a dish she had a long time ago and I almost immediately had to go make some curry.  --I shared with her of course.  I thank my friend Mika for teaching it to me in the first place a long time ago.

Curry is easy to make.  Use whatever color curry paste you like, (depending on how great/poor the international section of your grocery store is, you may have to go to an international market) put some coconut milk and veggie broth with it (in whatever proportions you like), and pour over veggies you stir-fried.  I've used a broccoli blend before with lots of veggies but today I chose simple and sweet with just carrots and zucchini.  A great spice to add is one used in traditional Indian dishes called Garam Masala.  It's a spice blend including coriander, black pepper, cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon.  Serve your curry over brown rice.

Here's the ingredients I used for today's curry:

1-3 Tbl Red curry Paste (amount to taste)

1 Tbl Garam Masala

1/2 tsp Onion Salt

1 Tbl Oil

1 can Lite Coconut Milk

1 1/2 cups Vegetable Broth

Carrots, sliced long

Zucchini, sliced long

Almonds, sliced

Flaked, dried Coconut (optional)

Brown rice, cooked

Heat oil in skillet, add curry and masala.  Cook for 1 minute.  Add coconut milk, onion salt, and vegetable broth.  Vary amounts to your taste and the amount you want to make.  Add sliced carrots and zucchini.  Cook all, simmering until vegetables are soft but not mushy.  Mound cooked rice on plate and surround with the coconut curry.  Pile vegetables on top and sprinkle on almonds and coconut.

Cauliflower Pizza Casserole (Chipotle Pizza and Asian Pizza Versions)

Back in November I was watching the Dr. Oz show when a gal that had lost 100 lbs shared one of her tricks to weight loss which was replacing traditional pizza with this recipe for cauliflower pizza.  Since then I have been experimenting with the recipe, but have yet to make the crust hard enough to pick up.  Hence- pizza casserole to be eaten with a fork.

Although the texture is not exactly the same as traditional pizza crust, the spices really make this "crust" taste like pizza but, of course, it's much healthier.  Think of the cancer-fighting properties of cauliflower as well as the high amounts of vitamin c and k when making this great dish.  Susan of FatFreeVegan mentioned yesterday her chipotle guacamole and got these spices on my mind which inspired me to make the Mexican version of this pizza last night.  More than heat, chipotles bring deep flavor and smokiness to a recipe.  Going out to Thai food the other night with girl friends and talking about our love of peanut sauce inspired me to make the Asian pizza.  Both were amazing!

Crust Ingredients:
Cauliflower, 2 cups steamed, grated (by hand or blended in food processor)
2 "eggs"  (I soak 1 Tbl ground flax in 3 Tbl water for 3 mins per egg)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup veggie cheese
Spices: (quantities and/or spices you like, or "pizza seasoning", or what I did:)
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

Blend crust ingredients in food processor.  It should look like this:

Spread crust 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  Cook at 450 (F) degrees for 20 minutes.  You can do this in a casserole dish, or on a pre-heated pizza stone/pan with cornmeal underneath.  (I used both methods and although the pizza pan way didn't yield a pizza you could pick up with your hands, I still liked it because it gave some crispiness to the bottom of the crust that I liked.  Both ways were amazing though!  Maybe I'll try a skillet next time.)  Add toppings of choice, see chipotle pizza topping or asian pizza topping below, and bake another 10-15 minutes.

Chipotle Pizza Topping
1/2 to 1 chipotle (canned "chipotles in adobo sauce" in the mexican foods section)
1/4 cup oil/ veggie broth (I used oil this time)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup black beans (or any kind of bean)
1/2 cup pinto beans
1 red pepper, diced (or any color pepper)
1/2 cup veggie cheese (optional)
Blend in food processor the oil/broth, garlic powder, and chipotle.  Spread on half-cooked dough.  Top with beans and pepper (and cheese if using.)  Cook for 10-15 more minutes.

Asian Pizza Topping
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 to 1 tsp chili sauce
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
1/8-1/4 cup brown sugar
water for thinning sauce
dash lime juice
mushrooms, chopped
red pepper, diced
green onion, sliced

I used the peanut sauce my friend taught me for my Vietnamese spring rolls for this version.  Stir together peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, and chili sauce and lime juice.  Taste and make sure there is enough sweetness, sourness and spice to your liking.  Thin with water as you mix.  Should be not watery, but not as thick as the peanut butter.  Spread on half-cooked dough.  Top with mushrooms, pepper and green onion.  Cook for 10-15 more minutes.

(I only wish I'd have put LOTS more toppings on!)

Meat-less Loaf

I found this recipe here and  modified it a little bit.  Although I'd read many rave reviews about this recipe I was still surprised by the complexity and strength of flavor in this dish.  Susan calls it "Thanksgiving" meat-less loaf and I agree, it would make a great holiday meal.  I made it last Sunday though, and it seems like it would make a great Sunday dinner tradition.

Ingredients:
1 medium sweet potato
1 onion
2 ribs celery
1 medium carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans (or I used pinto, being out of cannellini), drained and rinsed
1/3 package of extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon mustard
Spices: (substitute with what you have or what you like or with fresh herbs)  1 Tbl dried parsley, 1/2 Tbl dried sage, 1/2 Tbl dried rosemary, 1 Tbl dried crushed thyme, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper 
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup oats or quinoa flakes

Cook the sweet potato in the microwave (stabbed with a fork to vent, and covered in a paper towel for 6 minutes, or until soft) then let cool.  Meanwhile dice onion, celery, carrot and press/mince garlic.  Cook in a skillet until soft, (about 6 minutes) adding tablespoons of water as necessary during cooking so nothing sticks or burns.  Remove from heat.  Rinse and drain beans and add to skillet, mashing beans with fork or slotted spoon.

Peel the sweet potato and blend it in a food processor along with the drained tofu, tomato paste, soy sauce, mustard, spices, and nutritional yeast.  Put walnuts in a pulse will walnuts are smaller but not pureed.  Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in oatmeal (or quinoa flakes) and the skillet-cooked vegetable/bean mixture.

Stir all together and spread in a loaf pan.

Cook at 375 F degrees for 25 minutes.  Cover and cook another 25 minutes.  Make sure middle is firm and outside is lightly browned.  Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Chilled Thai Squash Soup

I found this recipe here.  Click for the simple instructions that involve yellow and zucchini squash, coconut milk, curry powder and red curry paste.  (I'm sure you could substitute the red curry paste for any other color curry you like as well.  Here is some info on curry.)  It was simple to make in the morning and let chill till dinner time.  I added some leftover cilantro sauce from my avocado spring rolls- it was great.

Gnocchi with Sweet Potatoes, Leeks, and Mushrooms

There are three way to gnoocchi.  1, buy the gnocchi frozen, 2, make easy gnocchi, or 3, make gnocchi the long way.  (Which really isn't complicated, you just have to boil potatoes and put them through a ricer.)  The other day I did the second way.

Next I boiled some sliced sweet potatoes (you could also use butternut squash) until semi-soft.  Then I put the slices in a hot oiled skillet, added diced mushrooms, slivered leeks, and some oregano and thyme.  I let it all cook until it got a little color on everything, then served hot.

Creamy Corn Soup

Sometimes the best meals are the simplest.  This dish is one of those- corn, onion, oats, and red pepper- simple, but so delicious.  This recipe was found here.

Ingredients:

FOR RED-PEPPER SAUCE

• 2 red bell peppers (1 lb total)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
• dash of salt

FOR SOUP

• 4 ears of corn  (or about 15 oz frozen, thawed, corn)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 cups water
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• dash of salt
  

  
  

ROAST PEPPERS FOR SAUCE:

• Roast peppers on racks of gas burners on high, turning with tongs, until skins are blackened all over, 10 to 12 minutes. (Or broil peppers on rack of a broiler pan 5 inches from heat, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes.) Transfer to a bowl and let stand, covered, 10 minutes.

MAKE SOUP WHILE PEPPERS ROAST AND STAND:

• Cut kernels off cobs, then scrape cobs with knife to extract “milk.”  (Or defrost frozen corn in the microwave.)
• Cook onion in oil in a heavy medium pot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add corn with its “milk,” water, oats, and sea salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

FINISH RED-PEPPER SAUCE WHILE SOUP SIMMERS:

• Peel peppers (do not rinse), then halve lengthwise, discarding stems and seeds.
• Purée peppers in a blender with oil, lemon juice, hot sauce, sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with hot sauce and salt, then transfer to a bowl

FINISH SOUP:

• Purée soup in 2 to 3 batches in cleaned blender until smooth (be careful!  it's hot!), then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl if desired. Reheat soup if necessary, then season with salt.
• Serve soup drizzled with some red-pepper sauce and serve remaining sauce on the side or reserve for another use.  (optional- what I did- top with some chopped fresh cilantro for garnish and taste)

* In the picture you'll see a little stuffed cherry tomato baked in some phyllo dough sheets in a mini-muffin tin.  I felt it my *duty* to use the phyllo dough that was in the freezer left over from making Christmas dinner.  I cut the tomatoes twice, opened, then stuffed them with toffuti cream cheese, mixed with chopped green oinion, soy sauce, and a little onion powder.  They made for a cute appetizer.

Pearl Pie

I based this creation off of this and this recipe and used the leftover whole wheat pastry dough from my whole wheat pop-tart recipe.
3/4 cup pearl barley (also known as 'farro')
1 Tbl Olive Oil
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped scallions or something else you like from the onion family
1 cup ricotta substitute or something comparable you like (toffuti cream cheese? cashew cream?
1 batch of whole wheat pastry dough

Cover pearl barley with water for 30 minutes.  Drain.  Cover with 3 cups water and a dash of salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 15-20 minutes.  Drain
Meanwhile saute mushrooms and onions in 1 Tbl Olive Oil until soft.  Add garlic at the end and heat till oils release being careful not to burn.
Stir up ricotta substitute while mushrooms cook.  Add all to the pearl barley and mix.  Roll out pastry dough and cut into two equal pieces for top and bottom of pie.  Spread filling on one part of dough, leaving a half inch border.  Top with other part of dough and press edges together to seal.  Cut a few lines in the top to vent while cooking.  Cook at 400 degrees F for about 45 minutes.

Ricotta Substitute
1/3 package firm tofu, drained
1 Tbl garlic powder
1 Tbl Olive Oil
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Stir ingredients together.

Easy Chili

I made this chili the other day on a whim and a desire to get dinner done in the morning.  It turned out to be so delicious and is going on our list of favorite foods.

Normally I don't promote eating anything from a package.  It's bad for you and usually doesn't taste good.  But this day I used some packaged tempeh.  It was "lifelight organic smoked tempeh strips" and was made mostly of soy, lactic acid, and brown rice.  If you don't use this tempeh you could just use some liquid smoke to add that smoky flavor- something I've not done before but a lot of vegan recipes use.

Opt)Smoked Tempeh, cut into small chunks
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced (or 1 1/2 Tbl dehydrated onion)
1 can dark kidney beans, rinsed
1 can pinto beans, rinsed
1 can stewed tomatoes with juice
1/2 can tomato paste
2 Tbl chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp crushed red pepper

Combine all (I put 1 Tbl olive oil in the bottom of my crockpot and spices and turn it on high while i dice my veggies, then add everything.  Put on low for 5/6 hours.

If you are not making your chili the quick way like I did, you should rinse and soak your dry beans overnight, then add all your ingredients and cook everything for 8 hours.

Healthy Sushi

Sushi is fun and easy to make.  And if you make it this way it's healthy too.

1 cup jasmine brown rice

2 cups water plus more to soak

seasoned rice vinegar

opt: 1 Tbl brown sugar 

veggies cut into strips (I used green pepper, yellow pepper, cucumber, carrots, and spinach)

opt:  fresh ginger and green onions

nori (roasted seaweed wraps)

or soy wraps

To make some sticky brown rice, soak 1 cup rice for 1/2 hour at the least (a few hours at the most.)  Drain and rinse rice.  Pour 2 cups water over and bring to a boil.  Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes or until rice is tender.  Let rice cool a little and stir in about 3 Tbl rice vinegar and 1 Tbl brown sugar.  

Put a fist sized ball of rice on nori and spread flat leaving 1/2 inch border at top.  Spread some water with your finger on the border so it will glue shut.  

Put any veggies you want in the middle of the rice and a little strip of green onion and some grated ginger for flavor.

Roll up.  It's easiest with a little bamboo roller that you can buy for about 1 or 2 dollars.  If you don't have one, why not try a thin kitchen towel?  Cut into 1 inch pieces and enjoy with some wasabi, soy sauce, maybe some chili sauce, or this magic little dip:  equal parts soy sauce and white vinegar, plus a little of water and a dash of sugar. 

For seaweed haters, I found these soy wrappers that are virtually tasteless.  They are super cute and made different colors naturally (with turmeric etc.)

Grilled Skewered Veggies and Polenta

I got this recipe here from fatfreevegan.com.  It was super easy and my whole family liked it.  I had never eaten or made polenta before. It was great!
Cube up vegetables like:
Green Pepper
Red Pepper
Mushrooms
Yellow Sqash
Zucchini
Butternut Squash
Drizzle a little olive oil or spray on them and then top with spices you like such as:
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 large garlic cloves, minced
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Stir, cover and let sit for 1 hr or so to marinate.

Preheat the oven broiler. Put the vegetables onto skewers, alternating ingredients. Place the skewers across a baking dish so that the skewer touches the sides, but the vegetables do not touch the dish (I used an 11x9-inch dish). Place under the broiler, turning often, and cooking until the vegetables are tender. Watch carefully so that they don’t burn

Make Polenta:
2 cups water
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. yellow cornmeal (use yellow–it’s healthier than white)
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or margarine (optional)
generous grating of black pepper
basil, oregano, or other herbs (optional and to taste)

Put the water, cornmeal, and salt into a large microwavable casserole dish or 1-quart measure. Cook at full power for 6 minutes. Stir well and cook again at high power for 4 more minutes. Remove from the microwave, stir in the optional oil or margarine, the pepper, and any optional herbs you’d like. Stir well.
Oil a loaf pan or any container that holds about 2 cups. (I’ve done this in a plastic cup to make tubular polenta.) Pour in the polenta and smooth over the top. Refrigerate until chilled and solid. Remove from the pan and slice about 1/2-inch thick. Brown in a lightly-oiled non-stick pan

Raw Taco Salad

I LOVE this simple and delicious recipe found here at greenereating.com that they got from The Cooking Lady.  It's amazing how the ground walnuts really taste like taco meat thanks to the taco seasoning.

Top spinach and lettuce with taco meat and cilantro cashew "cheese." To make "meat" grind in a food processor:
1 c. raw walnuts
1/2 T. ground cumin
1/2 T. ground coriander
1/2 T. liquid aminos, tamari, or soy sauce
1 pinch salt


To make the the cilantro cashew "cheese" grind in the food processor:

1-2 cloves garlic

1/2 t. salt

1 c. raw cashews

2 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice

1/4 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 c. water

 

Lemony Quinoa with Butternut Squash

This is another great recipe from 'fat free vegan' found here.  It's about the easiest, quickest, most filling recipe a person can make.  Quinoa is a whole grain; it's so good for you; and takes less time than brown rice to make.  I love butternut squash because it lasts so long.  I always have one sitting in my pantry to put in a quick meal like this.
10 ounces butternut squash (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup quinoa
1/4 cup chopped shallots
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts (optional)
1 teaspoon minced fresh chives (optional)

Cut butternut squash into big chunks, removing skin as you go (it takes a little bit of muscle!)  Toss with lemon juice and put on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for 15 minutes in the oven.  Meanwhile put shallots (or other onion) and garlic in a deep skillet or saucepan with a tiny bit of olive oil and warm for a couple minutes.  Add rinsed quinoa and cook maybe a couple of minutes till quinoa becomes fragrant.  Add the squash, thyme and vegetable broth.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add lemon peel, a squirt of lemon juice and pine nuts if using.  (They say you can toast the pine nuts in the oven if you want.  I, personally, skip any step I can when I cook.  I'm too busy to do unnecessary things!)

Pumpkin Biscuit Pot Pie

I found this recipe from fatfreevegan  here.  It was easy to make and most importantly, great to eat.  *Note this recipe makes 2 casserole dishes full.  When I first made it I tried my best to pare it down to one dish, but I still had more veggies than anticipated.  (I put one in the fridge for later.)

Vegetables:
2 pounds potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used half white potatoes and half sweet potatoes)
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
2 large carrots, diced
1 1/2 cups frozen baby peas (I used green beans instead)

Spices (whatever you like, or:)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper — or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon mellow white miso
6 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water

Biscuit Topping
2 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups white whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup pumpkin (canned or cooked and water pressed out)
1 cup non-dairy milk –mixed with 2 tablespoons lemon juice
additional milk or water as needed


Optional: Seitan (or make your own with:)

1 cup vital wheat gluten
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup Imagine No-Chicken Broth, cold (or other veg. broth)
1 tablespoon tahini or other nut butter



Dice up each vegetable (potatoes, onion, celery, mushrooms, carrots) (add peas later) and add it to a pot with water as you go.  When you finish chopping make sure the water covers the veggies with a little extra.  Add the spices.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer uncovered for about 20/ 30 minutes depending on how small you chopped your veggies.

Meanwhile, prepare the seitan if using: Mix the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Combine the broth and nut butter. Stir the broth mixture into the dry ingredients until well blended. Knead gently 10 times. Turn out onto a cutting board and press it as flat as possible. Let it rest for about 5 minutes. Then using a sharp knife, cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. Add the seitan cubes to the simmering vegetables, taking care to separate them before they go into the pot. Stir well and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After 20/30 minutes, remove the bay leaves and add the peas. Mix the miso, cornstarch, soy sauce in a small bowl with a little of the hot broth, and then add it to the stew, along with the nutritional yeast.  Bring to a boil, stirring often. When mixture thickens, reduce heat and allow to simmer while you make the biscuits. (If stew does not seem thick enough, add a little more cornstarch/water.)
(You can make the recipe up until this point the day before serving and refrigerate the filling. When ready to assemble, reheat the stew as you make the biscuit topping. Stew should be hot when the biscuits are placed on top.)

Preheat oven to 400 and oil two or more deep casserole dishes (any combination of casserole dishes or pie pans to hold about 6 liters). Mix the dry ingredients for the biscuits in a medium bowl. Stir in the pumpkin and the soymilk/lemon juice. Add additional soymilk or water a teaspoon at a time as you stir until all flour is moistened and dough forms a ball. Turn out onto floured board and knead two or three times. Roll out to 1/2- inch thick, and cut into circles using a 1 1/2-inch wide floured glass or biscuit cutter. Gather remaining dough and use it to cut additional biscuits. You should have between 24 and 30. (Alternately, cut the biscuit dough to fit the pans, leaving about an inch all around to allow for dough to expand.)
Pour the stew into the prepared pans, making sure there is at least 1/2-inch free at the top. Place the biscuits on top, spacing them evenly. Bake until biscuits are lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.

Bok Choy and Baked Tofu Stir Fry with Ginger Citrus Sauce

This recipe is from Susan of fatfreevegan.com found here.  I think it is my new favorite!  Somehow I already had everything in my fridge to make it (besides FRESH waterchestnuts.  Does anyone have those in their fridge?  I will have to look for them...)

(opt) 1 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu, pressed, marinated and baked (or 8 ounces packaged baked tofu)

Veggies:

1 1/2 pounds baby bok choy

1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks

1 tablespoon minced ginger root

1 cup slivered water chestnuts (or 1/2 canned, drained waterchestnuts plus 1/2 of an apple diced small)

6 ounces mushrooms, sliced (she called for shitake but I made mine with baby bellas)

3 cloves garlic, minced

opt: green onions, diced

Sauce:

1/2 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or gluten-free tamari

2 teaspoons agave nectar

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons cornstarch

If using tofu, bake.  (Picture above.)  Susan has a great recipe here but I decided to make this last minute and didn't marinate the tofu.  I just sliced 1/2 container up, put it in a hot oiled skillet on each side till browned, then put it in a 350 degree oven for 10 mins while I diced up my veggies.  Dice up bok choy, carrots, and ginger (I just sliced up my ginger.)  Put those in a hot skillet with a little oil or spray (except leave the green part of the bok choy out.)  Let those get a little soft, (I put the lid on for a while to help it cook faster) then add the sliced up green parts of the bok choy, the diced mushrooms and the diced water chestnuts and apple (if using...recommended!)  Stir together sauce ingredients.  In a couple minutes add your garlic, baked tofu, and green onions, if using, and the sauce.  Let the sauce thicken and reduce for a minute and then serve.  I ate it as is, but it would be great on brown rice too.

Chickpea Cutlets

I got this awesome recipe here from Isa at The Post Punk Kitchen here.
1 16 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup vital wheat gluten (it looks like flour and is in with the baking items.  it's primarily used in bread making.) (Bob's Red Mill makes it and it can also be found in the bulk section at some stores- like Sunflower Market here in AZ)
1 cup plain breadcrumbs (in this case you NEED -for consistency, store bought, not homemade)
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup soy sauce
Any spices you like,  (I used thyme, paprika and some garlic salt)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
Olive oil for pan frying
Optional ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Mash chickpeas with a fork (just till each chickpea is broken.)  Add oil (I use less than what is called for) breadcrumbs, veggie broth or water, and spices.  Stir together, then knead together for about 2 minutes, until strings of gluten have formed. It should look like this:

Divide into 8 pieces, flattening and stretching a bit.  Place the cutlets in a pan with a little oil in it and cook on each side for 3 minutes on each side, till browned. Add more oil, if needed, when you flip the cutlets. Put on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 10  mins.  Or just cook on the stove top for about 7 mins each side, covering with a lid in between flips.  Now let them rest for a bit and you’re done!
I used my gravy recipe for on top and it tasted great!

Thai Butternut Squash with Almonds

www.savvyvegetarian.com

Ingredients:1 butternut squash, 2 - 3 lb

2 stalks celery or 1 fennel bulb

2 medium carrots

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded. If you don't have it, use 1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne

2 thin slices raw ginger, peeled, or 1/2 - 1 tsp dried ginger, if you don't have fresh

2 Tbsp sunflower oil

1/2 tsp ground cumin seed

1 tsp. ground coriander seed

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground fennel seed

2 cups coconut milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 lb firm tofu

1/2 cup sliced almonds
Fresh cilantro and/or basil leaves for garnish

(optional:  Grilled tofu slices)

Recipe Directions:


If you're serving this with a grain, put that on to cook first, or while the veggies simmer, depending on how long the cooking time

Heat ghee or oil on med. in a large shallow saucepan

Mince the fresh jalapeno and ginger, if you're using them

Cut the squash in thick rounds, and peel by cutting down around the sides

Remove the seeds, and dice in 1" pieces

Thinly slice the celery or fennel,and carrots

Add the veggies to the oil, turn the heat up a bit, and sauté for five minutes

Add the remaining spices, and stir another few minutes

Add the coconut milk and salt, bring to boil, then simmer on low until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring several times

Add the tofu and toasted almonds, and simmer another 5 minutes

Slow Cooker Directions:  Skip the skillet steps and just put some oil in the crockpot on high, added the jalepeno and ginger and let them get hot while cutting veggies up.  Then throw everything in (minus the almonds and tofu if using) and cook on high for 2 or 3 hrs or low for 5 or 6, adding the tofu the last 1/2 hour.  Serve over brown rice and topped with sliced almonds.