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.

Jamaican Red Bean Stew

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/jamaican-red-bean-stew.php

Ingredients:


1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups sliced baby carrots

3 scallions, chopped

1 sweet potato, diced

1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp ground allspice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 (16 oz) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I use only 1 can and make a stew that has more veggies and less beans)

1 (14 oz) can unsweetened light coconut milk

1 - 2 cups vegetable broth or water

Instructions:

Pour the oil into a 4-quart slow cooker and set the cooker on high. Add the garlic and put the lid on the cooker while you prepare the rest of the ingredients

To the cooker, add the carrots, scallions, sweet potato, and tomatoes.

Stir in the curry powder, thyme, red pepper flakes, allspice, and salt and pepper to taste

Add the beans, coconut milk, and broth

Reduce heat, cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours

Quinoa Corn Chowder

This recipe was found here and is one of our regulars and favorites.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup quinoa
• 1 - 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium potatoes
• 16 oz pkg frozen corn kernels OR 4 ears fresh corn on the cob
• 4 cups vegetarian soup stock or water
• 1 cup chopped green beans
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1/2 lg red pepper, diced
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic
• 2 thin slices fresh ginger
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded
• 1 tsp gr coriander
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaf
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro OR 2 scallions sliced, tender greens and whites
• More Heat: Add 1/8 - 1/4 tsp chipotle pepper powder

Stovetop Directions:

1. Soak the quinoa 15 minutes or more
2. Rinse a couple of times, then drain into a colander
3. Peel and mince the garlic, jalapeno and ginger
4. Chop celery, potatoes, and red pepper
5. If using fresh corn, peel and slice the kernels off the cobs
6. Heat the olive oil on medium low in a large skillet
7. Sauté the garlic, ginger, celery, and jalapeno 5 minutes
8. Add the potatoes, green beans and red pepper, sauté 5 minutes
9. Stir in spices
10. Add the quinoa
11. Add the soup stock or water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer 20 minutes
12. Add the fresh or frozen corn, cook 5 - 10 more minutes
13. Add salt and pepper, cilantro or scallions

Crockpot Directions:

1. Set crockpot to high and put a little oil, garlic, ginger, and other spices.  Let them sit on high with the lid off while you chop your veggies.
2. Add all ingredients except corn, cilantro or scallions.
3. Cover and cook on high for 3 - 4 hours or low for 6 or 7
4. Turn heat to high, add the fresh or frozen corn kernels, and cook for the last 1/2 hour
5. Stir in the cilantro or scallions, salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Easy, Delicious Mung Dhal Soup

www.savvyvegetarian.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mung dhal (split mung beans)
• 1 large yam, peeled and chopped in bite sized pieces
• 2 stalks celery, washed and sliced thin
• Optional: 2 cups washed, chopped fresh spinach or frozen spinach
• 1 - 2 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
• Optional: For more heat, add 1 - 2 Tbsp fresh minced jalapeño pepper
• 2 - 4 Tbsp olive oil, or safflower oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp gr. cumin
• 2 tsp gr. coriander
• 1 tsp gr. fennel
• 1/2 tsp powdered turmeric
• pinch cayenne or more, if you like HOT
• Optional: pinch hing (asefetida)
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 6 cups water or vegan soup stock
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Wash and rinse the dhal. Soak in hot water to cover for 1/2 an hour, or 2 hours in cold water
2. Drain the dhal, place in a 10 quart stock pot, and cover with 6 cups of the water or soup stock
3. Bring to a boil, skim the foam, add the bay leaf, and fresh ginger
4. Add the chopped celery, yam and ginger to the dahl, and bring back to a boil
5. Reduce heat to simmer, and cook covered for an hour or more, stirring occasionally. Add more water or stock if the soup seems too thick
6. When the dhal is soft but still intact, fish out the bay leaf
7. Heat the oil on low in a small frying pan. Mix in the dry spices and salt, and heat until they start to bubble - keep your eye on them so they don't burn
8. Spoon a cup of liquid from the dhal, and stir into the spice mixture. Transfer all to the dhal soup and stir it in
9. Add the chopped spinach if you're using it, and lemon juice. Cook for 5 - 10 minutes more until the spinach is thawed or wilted
10. Serve garnished with fresh chopped cilantro

Crockpot Directions:

1. Put the soaked, rinsed dhal in an 8-10 qt crockpot
2. Add all other ingredients except spinach, cilantro and spices
3. Add 6 cups of water or soup stock
4. Cover and cook 6 - 8 hours on low
5. Add more water or stock if the soup seems too thick
6. Turn the crockpot heat setting to high
7. Follow the above directions from #6, heating the oil, frying the spices, adding the spinach and lemon juice
8. Reduce the heat setting to warm or off

Creamy Potato Soup

This recipe is also from the "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook. I've been making all my produce that is going bad into purees and putting them into the freezer or fridge for when I need to stick them into recipes like this soup one. I've also been dicing up veggies like tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and yellow squash and freezing them. It's handy for those days when I'm short on prep time but I still want to make something like soup, veggie/bean enchiladas or anything else that I need diced veggies for . I'm happy when I don't waste any of my produce! And when I can get produce at low prices to use later. And I'm very happy that my grocery bill has decreased since I switched to a plant based diet!

A creamy soup is comfort food to me,and sometimes you just need comfort food. This version was so filling and good! Next time I think I'll try sweet potatoes rather than white potatoes.
2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, cut in half
2 (14 oz) cans veggie broth
2 lbs potatoes, any kind, diced
1/2 c. cauliflower, pureed
1 1/2 c. butternut squash or carrot puree
1 c. non-dairy milk
dash of salt and pepper

In a large pot add oil and saute onions till tender. Add veggie broth, garlic, and potatoes. Boil until potatoes are tender. Mash potatoes then add cauliflower and squash purees. Heat till warm, adding salt and pepper if desired. (I didn't need to add milk to mine, but you can if you need to thin down the consistency)

Portabellas Stuffed with Pesto-Mashed Potatoes

I get an "F" for presentation but an "A" for taste on this recipe I got from fatfreevegan.com http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/06/portabellas-stuffed-with-pesto-mashed.html

A few potatoes, cooked and mashed

A few Portabellas (I made one per person) washed and cleaned out

Walnuts

Garlic, pressed or diced

Basil

Non-dairy milk

Nutritional yeast

Make a pesto with the walnuts, garlic and basil in food processor (I used my blender because I don't have a food processor.) Add to the mashed potatoes, incorporating some non-dairy milk if needed to make creamy. Fill washed and emptied portabellas, sprinkle with nutritional yeast and cook at 375 for 15-20 minutes until starting to brown.

Beet Sweet Potato Soup from fatfreevegan.com

Haven't gotten your oranges and reds in for the day? Here's a great soup with beets and sweet potatoes in it. I added a few things to the original recipe (it seemed a bit bland at first) found here http://fatfreevegan.com/blog/2010/02/26/beet-sweet-potato-soup/ and it turned out great.

1 can veggie broth

4 carrots, grated

4 beets, grated

Some beet greens, diced

1 onion, diced

2 cups carrot juice

1 cup celery juice

1 can tomato paste

2/3 sweet potatoes, diced

Garlic salt (or powder if you don't do salt) or minced garlic (I added it as an after thought so i just used garlic salt)

Whole wheat tortellini pasta, opt., cooked (I also added it as an after thought for my kids so it's not in the picture)

Add everything except the pasta to a saucepan and simmer until the sweet potatoes are cooked. Blend half of the soup in the blender and add back to the pan (makes the soup thicker.) Add pasta if wanted.

Shepherds Pie - from greenereating.com

I finally found a shepherd's pie (gardener's pie?) recipe that was really good.

6 medium potatoes
1 T vegan bullion (opt.)
soy milk (opt.)
salt and pepper to taste (opt.)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 c spinach, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 c dried lentils
1/2 t basil
1/2 t salt
1 T soy sauce
2 cans green beans
1 can corn
2 T nutritional yeast (opt.)
freshly ground pepper (opt.)

- Cook lentils and mash slightly

- Boil potatoes in water & vegan bullion until soft. Mash with soy milk, salt, and pepper to taste. set aside.

- Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute onions and garlic until soft. Add the carrots and cook until soft. (Add water as needed.) Add the spinach, tomatoes, mashed lentils, basil, salt, and soy sauce. Allow to simmer, uncovered, until the liquid cooks off.

- Pour lentil mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Layer with corn and beans. Layer with potatoes. Sprinkle nutritional yeast and pepper on top.

- Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Quinoa and Spinach Soup from Becca

This soup is so good!

3/4 c quinoa

2 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small jalapeno pepper, minced (opt.)

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 t cumin

2/3 c. red potatoes, peeled, diced

1/2 c. carrot, peeled, diced

5 c. vegetable stock

1/2 c. frozen corn

3 c. fresh baby spinach

1/4 c. lime juice

1 t. dried cilantro or 1/8 c. fresh cilantro

1/2 c. green onions, chopped

Rinse quinoa for 3 mins. Set aside. Put oil in a large pot over medium heat and add garlic and jalapeno pepper for a few moments (don't brown the garlic.) Add salt, pepper, cumin, potatoes, carrots and quinoa. Sautee till quinoa starts popping. Pour in vegetable stock and simmer for 12 minutes. Add frozen corn. Simmer another 5-7 minutes. Add spinach, lime, cilantro, and green onion until spinach wilts. Serve!

Roasted Vegetables by Jess

olive oil

sun-dried tomatoes (from the jar)

garlic powder

seasoning salt

sea salt

any veggies like:

onion

eggplant

mushrooms

red and yellow peppers

yams

red potatoes

zucchini

jicama (be creative!)

broccoli

Put seasonings in olive oil and toss with chopped up veggies. Cover with foil in a baking dish for 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Enjoy as is or over rice, noodles, or toasted bread.

Breakfast Burritos by Me

1/2 container firm tofu, roughly chopped
any leftover veggies like:
mushrooms,
peppers,
onions,
eggplant,
potatoes, diced
(I use my veggies left over from my roasted vegetable bake)
any whole grain tortilla shells

Put a little oil in a skillet and lightly fry the tofu. Toss in veggies and sautee everything for a few minutes (until everything is starting to brown.) Wrap in a multi-grain tortilla, top with salsa and enjoy. Or do what I do and put them individually wrapped in the fridge and freezer for future quick breakfasts. (You really can't tell it's tofu and not scrambled eggs!)

Southwest Stew by Me

I made up this delicious recipe yesterday. My friend was over and said "It really IS good- I'm having seconds!" It had the perfect amount of spice and flavor along with a creamy texture (minus the cream.) I think the key to the whole recipe is the butternut squash. And that feeling afterwards: being full. Full of real, nutrient dense food. It's a good life...

4/5 medium red potatoes
1 med/small butternut squash
a little olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes w/ green chilies
1 can vegetable broth
3 Tbl butter substitute (I use a smart balance organic blend of heart healthy oils)
dash of salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper

Boil potatoes and slightly mash (don't over mash! will get "gluey"). Cook butternut squash (I cut it lengthwise, put if face down in a pan with 1 inch water in it and microwave for 10-15 mins). Sautee onion in a little olive oil in a big saucepan. Add all ingredients (scoop squash right out of the skin into the soup) Add more or less crushed red pepper to taste. Enjoy!