Chick Pea Cutlets from Veganomicon

some times you really just crave a big ole piece of protein with some veggie and starchy side like mom used to make, i busted this recipe out and decided to try it because I had heard such great things...and I was NOT disappointed, as usual i tweaked it just a bit by adding some cayenne pepper into the mix which gave it just a little kick. The recipe calls for frying or baking, when fried they tend to remind me of chicken fried steak, or in this case chicken fried chickpeas :) You can also bake them which is a much healthier option than soaking them in oil...and equally as tasty. For the fried version you can southern it up by adding a white gravy you can follow this amazingly simple and delicious recipe here, though these cutlets need no sauce nor gravy to make them, they are good all on their own, but sometimes you just want something nostalgic.

I think next time i will divide them into nugget size!

I paired mine with my raosty potatoes, recipe Here and some sauteed fresh asparagus in olive oil with a little garlic and sea salt

1 c. chickpeas
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. vital wheat gluten
1/2 c. plain breadcrumbs
1/4 c. vegetable broth or water
2 T. soy sauce
2 garlic cloves , pressed or grated
1/2 t. lemon zest
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. Hungarian paprika
1/4 t. dried rubbed sage
to taste olive oil , for pan frying or baking
to taste cayenne pepper **optional

DIRECTIONS

Mash the chickpeas and oil together until no whole chickpeas remain. Add remaining ingredients and knead for 3 minutes until strings of gluten have formed. Preheat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Divide dough into four equal pieces. Flatten each piece and stretch to roughly 4" x 6"

PAN-FRYING: Add a thin layer of olive oil to to the pan. Place cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for 6 to 7 minute They are ready when lightly brown and firm to the touch.

BAKING: Preheat oven to 375°F, and lightly oil baking sheet. Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil, place on baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes. Flip patties and bake another 8 to 10 minutes until firm and golden brown.
 

:)

Brad's Raw Kale Chips

Alright, so this is not a recipe, but every now and then you come accross something too awesome not to shout from the rooftops, and these kale chips my friends, should be blasted from every rooftop. I was shopping at my fav local store The Heritage and they had these out for sampling... I died, soooo good! delicious crispy little pieces of fresh kale a little spicy, a little salty, but not cooked so all the nutrients remain in tact. I have since purchased way too many boxes and and ate them all. you can find a local retailer in your area here

Now go find some and snack guiltlessly!!!!

Vegan Meatball Subs

alright folks, so this is a real easy one...as a matter of fact, you dont actually have to do anything beyond hitting a button on the microwave and pushing the broil option on your oven... But this is a quick easy and surprisingly filling meal. I make these when I want something that makes me feel like I just ate a home cooked meal but only have about 10 minutes.

vegan sub or hoagie rolls
vegan meatballs (I use Trader Joe's brand meatless meatballs)
marinara sauce (I like to use an arrabiata sauce to give it a little kick)
Daiya Mozzarella style shreds

I use my pizza stone when baking these delicious sandwiches...keeps the bread on the bottom from burning.

cook meatballs according to directions (mine just pop in the microwave for 1 minute)
i like to put a layer of sauce on both sides of the bread to keep it from browning too much...but if you like your subs crispy you can skip this step. put a layer of sauce over the meatballs and top with cheese more or less to your preference. put oven on the broil setting and pop in until cheese is melted and edges of sub roll is crispy.

http://www.daiyafoods.com/

Vegan potato and cheese perogies

Perogies....yum yum yum, I came across this delicious recipe and made a few tweaks, it is soooooo goooooood. My boyfriend ate practically the whole batch! of course this is one of those vegan recipes that completely disproves the theory that all vegans eat healthy, so please make and eat these sparingly in your diet!

Ingredients

Perogie dough:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt

Filling:
4 Potatoes (boiled and mashed)
1/2 onion (finely chopped)
1 or 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds (personal taste)
Earth Balance

Directions

To make dough, mix ingredients together and knead until smooth. If mix is dry, add 2 tablespoons warm water. This will form a slightly sticky ball. Leave in a bowl covered with a towel for 30 minutes.

Saute onion and garlic with Earth Balance. When they start to brown add mashed potatoes and stir in more Earth Blance to your taste (use enough to make potatos creamy). Add Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds (again to your personal taste)and stir until just melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Once dough has rested for 30 minutes, take half of the dough and roll it out until it is approximately 1/4 inch thick. Use a round cookie cutter or cup to cut round pieces from the dough.

Take each round piece and roll it out so it is even thinner. Then take a small amount of the potato/Daiya Style Shreds filling and place near center of the circle. Fold the circle in half and press around the edges with a fork to seal them.

**do not over fill or they will not seal. Repeate for each circle.

To cook, place perogies in a pot of boiling water until they float (this will only take a few minutes). Once they float, remove from water. Placed boiled perogies in frying pan with Earth Balance and fry until brown.

Serve with your favourite perogie toppings. I recommend topping with vegan sour cream, finely sliced chives and bacon bits (as pictured above).


http://www.daiyafoods.com/

Nay-Nay's roasty potatoes

affectionately named by my niece and nephew (they call me Nay-Nay) these potatoes are so simple and super tasty. always a great side (I had some tonight with green beans and Morningstar BBQ riblets) also a great side to bring to potlucks or family dinners.







1-2 bags (depending on how many you plan on feeding) baby yukon gold potatoes (I find really awesome extra small ones at Trader Joes.
olive oil
dried dill
sea salt
garlic salt
black pepper

There are no measurements because it varies by taste and amount.
preheat oven to 450

place potatoes in a large bowl and coat them thoroughly in olive oil. Sprinkle dill, sea salt garlic powder and pepper on top and mix well until all potatoes are evenly coated.

place on large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes (potatoes will whistle)

serve with your favorite dish!!!

Forks over Knives

So I just have to take a short paragraph to let everyone know how amazing Forks over Knives is, seriously, it changes lives, I have friends whose whole families are going vegan now. If you have some free time please take a moment and watch this intriguing inspiring documentary. It's currently streaming free on Netflix.

For those of you who aren't familiar, Forks over Knives is a documentary about the dangers of the foods we eat, mainly animal products and byproducts and the health and life benefits of solely eating a whole foods, plant based diet.

http://forksoverknives.com/

Creamy cheesy vegan butternut pasta bake

So my best friend is getting married in like 36 hours...out of town. Naturally i'm a little stressed... making sure I have everything I need, speech written etc... Normally I don't post my "idonthaveanythinginthehousesoimjustgonnathrowsomethingtogether" recipes on my blog, but this one turned out so good and was so easy, it would be a sin not to share! now the butternut squash soup is a brand I see often in most stores and is vegan, I just happen to keep some in my house at all times because of it's yum factor, I've included a pic of the brand I used. Also, I eyeballed the ingredients as I was preparing this since I was in a hurry so I guessed on the exact measurements, you can add more to taste as underestimated to prevent overdosing on a particular ingredient.


1 package elbow style pasta (I prefer DeBoles artichoke)
1 box vegan creamy butternut squash soup
1/4 cup earth balance
1/2 cup tofutti sour cream
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup Daiya cheddar style cheese shreds
2 tsp paprika
2tsp sage
sea salt and pepper to taste
bread crumbs

preheat oven to 350

prepare pasta as directed
meanwhile pour soup into large pan and bring to simmer on med heat
add butter, sour cream, nutritional yeast and stir well. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add spices and let simmer about 5-10 minutes. Pour soup mix over pasta, top with breadcrumbs and bake about 10 minutes... YUM!!!

The worlds greatest party dip...no, seriously

So, football season is upon us, which means parties.I discovered this recipe at a football party at my sisters house, brought by a non vegan friend and I have been hooked ever since! This is my staple go to party dish for a lot of reasons:
1. I know I will have something to eat if I am attending a non vegan party
2. its a crowd pleaser, it's not a specialty vegan dish, it's just a delicious dip that happens to also be vegan.. like oreos
3. It's just so freaking good!!!! plus it's pretty healthy when compared to sour cream and onion or layered dips.
so without further ado...I give you the best party dip ever!!!


1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
3 stalks celery, diced into tiny pieces
1/2 red onion, diced
1 yellow and/or red pepper, diced
1 bag of frozen white corn, thawed

sauce: 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup vinegar (I use apple cider), 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp pepper

Mix and refrigerate. Stir occasionally. The longer the better, but I can hardly wait more than a few hours!!! Best served with organic blue corn tortilla chips

Raw Kale and Avocado Salad

This is just one of those dishes that hits the spot, especially when you are craving something...but you don't know what... It's so healthy and filling and chocked full of nutrients your body needs. this is whole, raw vegan eating at its finest...yum!!!


1/2 head kale, shredded (curly kale is the best type)
1/2 cup tomato, chopped (I've used heirloom, grape and cherry)
1/2 avocado (set some chunks aside to add after mixing)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
juice from 1/2 lemon
sea salt, to taste
18 tsp cayenne (optional)
topping options: sunflower seeds, raisins, hemp seeds, shredded carrots, sesame seeds or untoasted nori


Preparation

In mixing bowl, toss all ingredients together. Mush everything together (with your hands) to create wilted effect on kale. This makes it much tastier and easier to digest.

Vegan pot pies

mmmm the ultimate comfort food, pot pie... i scoured the internet and every recipe book i owned trying to perfect the vegan pot pie and this is my result.... I prefer to make mini pies out of this recipe, they are perfect individual meals and re heat and freeze well. In my opinion these might even be better than non vegan pot pies!



I hope you enjoy, and guys, my email is on this blog if you ever have questions feel free to ask!!


Preheat oven to 400

Crust:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup white flour (optional, if you prefer, you can do all whole wheat)
4 tbsp veg shortening
1/2 tsp salt

mix flours and salt, cut in shortening with fork or knife. add cold water and stir with fork until dough has right consistency and divide into two balls ( i actually divide mine into 8, i like to do 4 mini pot pies)

Filling:
3 cups veg broth
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup flour ( again you can use whole wheat for a healthier pot pie)
1/2 cup oil  (i use olive or peanut)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1 to 1  1/2 cups (depending on how many different veggies you use) of each; peas, carrots, celery, onion ( this is where you can make it your own by adding whatever veggies you want. in the past iv'e used potatoes broccoli, green beans and corn)
*optional 1/2 cup faux chicken cubes (i use gardein brand chicken cutlets) or tofu cubes, you can also use faux beef tips or even tempeh or seitan cubes...or you may omit this part all together and stick with veggies

combine yeast and flour in a large non stick skillet and stir over medium heat until toasted (not burnt) just until the flour and yeast have browned very slightly, about 2-3 minute. add oil stirring constantly to form a roux (thick paste) slowly whisk in the broth, garlic, pepper and salt add your veggies and simmer about 10 to 15 minutes.

meanwhile roll out your dough and place in pie pan(s) trim to fit. place in oven for 5 minutes (you may omit this part too if you like soft crust, do not skip this part if you prefer flaky crispy crust)
remove pie shell(s) and fill with vegetable mix, top your pie(s) with remaining dough and bake 20 minutes

**** you may simplify this recipe by purchasing a ready made pie crust, just read carefully as most pre made crusts contain lard (yuck!) I believe Marie Calendar makes a non lard pre made frozen crust you can use.

Lasagna

So I LOVE lasagna, like we're BFF's....I thought I would never be satisfied with a vegan variation but I played around with it until even my dad didn't know he was eating a veganized lasagna! It's the sauce that makes this dish, it's a vegan play on my moms homemade sauce she used to make...just a little betterand much more compassionate :)

Ingredients:

1 package DeBoles artichoke flour Lasagna noodles cooked and drained

Cheese Filling
1 package firm tofu, drained
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregeno
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp parsley
1 tbsp olive oil
pepper to taste
1 package Daiya Mozzarella style shreds (minus one small handful for topping)
1/2 container vegan galaxy nutritional foods vegan grated topping (keep other half for topping)

directions for cheese filling:
crumble tofu and add spices and oil, mix with daiya and vegan grated topping place in bowl to the side

Sauce
1 large can tomato sauce
2 small fresh Roma tomatoes, diced
1 small can tomato paste
1 small can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tsp each of thyme, sage, sugar, cayenne pepper (if you like a little spice)
1 tbsp oregeno, basil and parsley
1 c diced celery
1 small diced onion
1 c green pepper, diced
1 package gimmie lean ground "sausage"

directions for sauce:
in a large saucepan, saute onion, celery, garlic pepper and sausage for about 5 minutes
meanwhile in large pot, combine tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste olive oil and fresh tomatoes, bring to a simmer. add sauteed veggies and sausage, stir. add spices, i always eyeball the spices so you can adjust the measurements to your taste preference, allow sauce to simmer about 15 minutes

in a lasagna pan, assemble layers. I like to start with a layer of sauce on the bottom so my noodles don't burn or stick, then alternate with a layer (or double layer) of noodles sauce, then cheese filling, i always finish with a noodle layer, topped with sauce and i sprinkle a the handful of daiya and the remainder of the vegan grated topping.

bake at 400 for 30 minutes and enjoy

some variations include using this for a stuffed shells or manicotti also, sometimes when I'm not feeling like a salad appetizer, i will add a package of thawed spinach to the cheese mixture to get all my greens

****update, i made this today and added some carrots to the sauce...yum!



http://www.daiyafoods.com/

Vegan Beef Stroganoff

One of my fav dishes that I honestly thought I would just have to give up once I went vegan, I figured animal life is totally worth not ever having stroganoff again. I had resigned myself to the fact....then I found tofutti sour cream :) I work...really long days and am enrolled in classes right now too, so quick and easy hearty meals make me happy...and macroeconomics makes my face hurt. this dish is really simple but tastes like it is really complicated and time consuming. use it to impress your friends.

Ingredients
24 oz vegan egg style pasta (DeBoles makes a delicious brand)
1 container tofutti better than sour cream ( i use the non hydrogenated, better consistency)
1 package Gardein beefless tips
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 small onion chopped
1 1/2 cups mushrooms sliced
1 1/2 tbsp paprika
1/8 tsp sage
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

cook noodles according to directions
meanwhile saute onions, garlic and mushrooms until soft
add sour cream and beef tips
add paprika, salt pepper, and sage
reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes

combine pasta and sauce and enjoy!!!!

Vegan pecos pasta

yum yum yum, so i started craving this tex mex dish I used to eat pre-vegan...and decided to veganize it! the result was an even tastier, and of course sympathetic version of what I used to eat...enjoy!









Ingredients:

1lb elbow style pasta (I used DeBoles artichoke flour pasta)
1tbs olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic

1 c bell peppers, (i use red orange and green for a more colorful dish)

1/2 onion diced

1 can vegan chili (I prefer Amy's organic)
1 can corn drained
cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper to taste
daiya cheese to top

prepare pasta according to box
meanwhile, in nonstick pan, heat oil and saute onions, garlic and peppers for 3 minutes
add chili, corn and spices, reduce heat and let simmer 10 minutes
drain pasta and add sauce to noodles, combine together and serve topped with daiya cheese (i like to use the cheddar and mozz shreds together to mix it up a little)

other variations: you can also opt to use a can of tomato sauce and your chili seasoning of choice if you are making a large batch or like a saucier dish, when i prepare it this way i usually add black beans and diced green chilis

http://www.daiyafoods.com/