Indian Spiced Chickpea Soup

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cans chickpeas, drained
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 (14-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
• Warm pita, any flavor or variety, toasted

Directions
Heat a medium pot with extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onions, cook 2 to 3 minutes. Grind the chickpeas and onion and garlic in food processor. Place mix to pot and cook 5 minutes. Season the chickpeas with cumin, cardamom, turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stir in stock, then tomatoes. Simmer soup 5 to 10
minutes to combine flavors. Serve with warm pita for dipping.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Merry Christmas!!! This is the perfect side dish to your yummy holiday dishes. Enjoy!

Salad
Spinach
Lettuce - red leaf, green leaf, and/or Romaine
16 oz. strawberries, sliced thin
1/2 cup Candied pecans (recipe below)
Strawberry Dressing (recipe below)

Candied Pecans
1/2 cup Pecans, chopped
2 TB butter (I use Earth Balance)
2 TB Brown Sugar (I use Succanat)
Brown on Med-Med High til Pecans seem caramelized. Careful not to burn.

Strawberry Dressing
1/3 cup Strawberries
3 TB balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 TB sugar (I use Turbinado/evaporated cane juice)
Sea Salt, dash
Pepper, dash
Blend in Vita Mix til creamy

Banana Pumpkin Bread

Tastes best the second and third days...

2 ripe bananas, smashed
Equivalent of 2 egg replacer
1/6 cup Sunsweet Lighter Bake (buy at WinCo)
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raisins or dates(optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 9x5 inch loaf pan or two smaller loaf pans (I actually got three small loaves out of this).
2. In a large bowl, stir together the mashed banana, egg replacer, Sunsweet lighter bake, pumpkin, honey and turbinado sugar. Combine the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pie spice and cinnamon, stir into the banana mixture until just combined. Fold in the dates or raisins if desired. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fajita Bean Dip

Absolutely delicious dip for veggies or spread for burritos!

1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 c. cashews
1/3 c. sundried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 lemon juiced
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 Tb. nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
2/3 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt

Process or blend until creamy.

CREDIT GOES TO: Tandi

Whole Wheat Rolls

I never thought I'd find a home-made roll where I liked the taste and texture. I was wrong. These rolls are so soft. They are perfect - and don't have any oil or animal products OR high fructose corn syrup OR hydrogenated oils. Amazing! They are perfect veggie sandwich rolls too or they fit in just right with a savory Sunday meal comprised of mashed potatoes and gravy.

2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup Sunsweet Lighter Bake (you can find this at WinCo - it an oil/butter substitute - if using butter, use 1 cup)
2-3 egg replacer substitute - I like flax meal - use 3 heaping TBSP flax meal, 6 TBSP water and allow to sit for 5 minutes
2 Tablespoons yeast
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
6 cups whole wheat flour

In a bowl, pour boiling water over honey. Mix and allow to cool. Soften yeast in 1/3 cup water, then add to bowl along with Sunsweet Lighter Bake and the egg replacer mixture. Add baking powder, sea salt, and one cup of flour, and beat with a spoon. Stir in remaining flour and let rise for two hours.

Shape into rolls and put in greased pans. Allow to rise until light. Bake 15-20 minutes at 400*F. This makes 3-4 pans of rolls depending on the size. We like larger rolls for sandwiches, so it makes 2 pans for us.

Chicago Chocolate Cinnamon Cake

I served this cake tonight in cup cake form and was asked if they had coconut in them. They are delicious and very moist. Thanks Megan!

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup Turbinado raw sugar/organic evaporated cane juice
1/2 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup plant milk with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar - to make a buttermilk substitute
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon real vanilla
Equivalent replacer for 2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour and sugar. Bring Earth Balance, cocoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Pour over flour mixture and mix well. Add buttermilk substitute, soda, cinnamon, vanilla, egg replacer, and salt. Mix well. Pour into greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350.

CREDIT GOES TO: Megan

Fire Roasted Tomato Soup

This is very similar to Paridise Bakery's Fire Roasted Tomato Soup - without the dairy. It is delicious! Today I canned 10 bottles to store away for cold winter days....can't wait!

Ingredients:

l-2 large onions, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 - 28 to 32 oz cans tomatoes

1 - 32 oz bottle fire roasted tomatoes

2 - 8 oz cans tomato sauce

2 - 6 oz cans tomato paste

2 cups water

8 - 10 vegetable bouillon cubes (for more flavor)

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 cups unsweetened soy milk (more if you like a thinner soup)

1/8 cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

In a large soup kettle saute onion in water until almost translucent. Add garlic and continue to saute a few minutes more. Add tomatoes, sauce and paste - along with water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Puree in blender until desired consistency.

Ginger Veggie Stir-Fry

A definite favorite at my house...

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons, grated, fresh ginger root, divided
1/4 cup sesame oil, divided
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 cup snow peas
3 mushrooms sliced thin
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup julienned carrots
2 tablespoons tamari sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tablespoon salt (or less)

Method:
1. In a large bowl, blend cornstarch, garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, and 2 tablespoons sesame oil until cornstarch is dissolved. Mix broccoli, snow peas, mushrooms, and carrots tossing to lightly coat.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Cook vegetables in oil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Stir in tamari sauce and water. Mix in red pepper, onion, salt and remaining 1 tablespoon ginger. Cook until vegetables are tender but still crisp.
3. Serve over white or brown rice. Use Bragg's Aminos to flavor.

Blueberry Jam

Fantastic! I love the rich taste of this jam - with a tinge of lemon. Yummy. My son grinned and exclaimed, "Delicious!" Delicious - it truly is.

Ingredients
4 C Blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 1/4 C White grape juice (frozen) concentrate
4 TB Cornstarch or tapioca powder
1 tsp Lemon juice (next time I'm going to add the zest of one lemon)

1. In a saucepan, combine juice concentrate, lemon juice and thickener. Stir until dissolved.
2. Bring to boil and simmer until mixture is clear.
3. Pour in blueberries and remove from heat.
4. Refrigerate.

Yield: 5 cups

Vegan Breakfast Sausages/Maple Sausages

These are super easy to make and taste way better that Tofurky Sausages. The texture is so similar to sausage it is scary.! I went crazy with the spicing: fennel, rosemary, sage, thyme, basil, oregano, parsley (and no red pepper flakes). Feel free to throw in whatever you want. I made 6 sausages instead of 4.

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup cold vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (I use Tamari Sauce)
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or very finely minced
- 1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed, crushed
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Several dashes fresh black pepper

METHOD
1. Before mixing your ingredients, get your steaming apparatus ready, bring water to a full boil. The rest of the recipe comes together very quickly. - I use my rice cooker as my steamer.
2. Have ready 6 sheets of tin foil. In a large bowl, mash the pinto beans until no whole ones are left. Throw all the other ingredients together in the order listed and mix with a fork. Divide dough into 6 even parts. Place one part of dough into tin foil and mold into about a 5 inch log. Wrap dough in tin foil, like a tootsie roll. Don’t worry too much about shaping it, it will snap into shape while it’s steaming because this recipe is awesome.
3. Place wrapped sausages in steamer and steam for 40 minutes. (Steam for 20 minutes for 25 small sausages.)
4. OPTIONAL: Place sausages in a frying pan with 2 tbsp of water and 1/4 cup maple syrup. Bring to bubbling and simmer until syrup thickens. Serve.

- To make maple sausage increase maple syrup by replacing 1/4 of the water with maple syrup. Also, add 1/2 tsp maple extract. Makes six large sausages or 25 small.

CREDIT GOES TO: http://vegandad.blogspot.com/2008/03/breakfast-sausages.html

Vegan Caesar Salad

Thanks to Maple Spice's last blog entry, I now have a Vegan Caesar Salad recipe. Its yummy. The weights and measurements are a bit different than here in the USA, so I put the approximate measurements I used.

Serves 2:

150g Romaine lettuce, torn roughly (about half a head of Romaine or 6-8 leaves)

60g hummus (1/2 cup - 2/3 cup)

1 tsp dijon

1/2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

40g garlic and herb croutons - homemade is lovely (we just added what we wanted)

freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Follow Your Heart Mozzarella

Place the lettuce and croutons into a large bowl. In another bowl stir together the hummus and mustard, slowly stir in the oil then add the Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. Stir well. Pour this over the leaf and toss well (use your hands) Dish it up with a good grating of Follow Your Heart Mozzarella Cheeze on top.

CREDIT GOES TO: http://www.maplespice.com/2010/07/vegan-caesar-salad.html

Queso Dip with Raw Cashews

I can't find the link to the blog I got this recipe from - but thanks to some blog in cyberspace I have a new yummy dip to serve at parties, gatherings and just for fun. My son claims it is his "favorite" and loves to dip tortilla chips in it. It is amazing!

Makes approximately 7 ½ – ½ cup servings

Ingredients:

½ cup raw cashews, soaked and drained
½ cup oatmeal, ground into flour
1 ½ cups water
2 teaspoon onion flakes, dried
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 clove garlic, peeled
14 ounces diced tomatoes or about two cups salsa if you like heat (Pace, Mild is great)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 crushed red peppers to taste (optional)
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 dash cayenne
1 teaspoon real sea salt

Directions:

Combine the cashews, oatmeal, water, onion flakes, turmeric, and garlic in your blender. Puree until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into a heavy bottom saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring often to keep it from sticking. Add the canned diced tomatoes with their liquid (or salsa if using), paprika hot crushed peppers, chili powder and cayenne and stir to combine. Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper, as you desire. Cook the mixture (continuing to stir) until it is hot and the texture you want. You can add more liquid if it gets too thick.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 65.95
Calories From Fat (39%) - 25.78

Total Fat - 3.08g
Saturated Fat - 0.55g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 5.32mg
Potassium - 209.9mg
Total Carbohydrates - 8.69g
Fiber - 1.68g
Sugar - 2.01g
Protein - 2.35g

Comments:

This dip is thick and rich and tastes much more decadent than it actually is. We like to eat it with corn chips, but more often it shows up on a baked potato stuffed with broccoli.

Each serving of the queso dip contains 600IU of vitamin A, and 70mg of phosphorus.

Vegan Aebleskiver

I converted Maple Spice's metric recipe to American measurements...

Makes 2 pans of aebleskiver (14 balls):

2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 heaped tsp baking soda
1/8 heaped tsp sea salt
4 tsp turbinado
2/3 cup plain, unsweetened soy yogurt
1/2 cup soy or almond milk - use a little less than 1/2 cup (can be sweetened or unsweetened)
1/3 cup melted vegan margarine - Earth Balance
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the dry ingredients together. Whisk the yogurt, milk and vanilla together then slowly whisk in the melted margarine until fully incorporated. Pour this into the dry ingredients the fold in with a rubber spatula until no more flour shows. The batter will be very thick and lumpy, it may even look slightly curdled if using soy milk - that's ok. Heat your aebleskiver pan till hot then turn down to the lowest heat. Brush the holes with leftover melted Earth Balance then spoon in the batter till level with the top. Turn with a toothpick. Cook until golden all over and a toothpick comes out clean. Keep warm in the oven while you make the next pan.

Serve with Earth Balance and warmed maple syrup over top, and of course the applesauce and sugar!!

** May also use this recipe to make blueberry pancakes. Increase the milk to a full 1/2 cup, butter the frying pan, spoon on some batter, you'll have to spread it out a bit. Dot the top of the pancake with blueberries (don't add the blueberries to the batter), cook till golden underneath then flip over. Serve with Earth Balance and warmed maple syrup.**

CREDIT GOES TO: http://www.maplespice.com/2009/01/vegan-aebleskiver.html

Banana Coconut Bread

Melts in your mouth! Mmmmmm. My favorite version is with flax meal because the bread is super moist and soft. If you like bananas and coconut you will not be disappointed! I actually make this in four little loaf pans and cook it only for about 45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out perfectly clean.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Earth Balance (healthy butter OR use 1/4 cup applesauce + 1/2 cup Earth Balance)
• 2/3 cup agave nectar
  
• 1 1/2 cups mashed super-ripe bananas (about 3)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 egg replacer equivalent - Ener-G Egg Replacer and Flax meal (1 heaping Tbsp. flax meal with 2 Tablespoons warm water - let sit for 5 minutes) both work well
  
• 1/2 cup soy milk (Silk brand)
  
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I like Bragg brand)
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes or coconut flour (I used coconut flour)
  
• 1 cup spelt flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour - I want to try whole wheat or brown rice flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 cup chopped nuts (almonds or walnuts)

Combine soy milk and cider vinegar and set aside. In a mixer, cream the butter, agave nectar, and bananas. Add egg replacer and vanilla. Add all dry ingredients. THEN add soy milk/apple cider vinegar mixture. Mix well. Pour into loaf pans (makes 2 loaves) and bake at 325 for 1 1/4 hours.

Chickpea Flour Bread

1 c. + 2 Tb. chickpea flour

1 c. cornstarch

1 c. + 1 Tb. tapioca flour

3 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tb. light brown sugar - I don't know if succanut will work here, but plan to try it sometime.

3 Tb. flaxmeal

1/3 c. water

1 c. + 1 Tb. warm water

3 Tb. sunflower oil

1 package active dry yeast

Mix the flaxmeal and 1/3 c. water together in a bowl and set aside. Oil a 9X5 loaf pan.

In a large bowl mix the flour, cornstarch, tapioca and xanthan gum, salt and sugar with a large whisk. Add together all ingredients and stir until smooth. Transfer to loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 90 minutes. Bake in 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.

CREDIT GOES TO: Tandi

Pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls with chocolate chips

Yummy!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tsp. active yeast

1 c. warm vanilla soymilk

1/2 c. turbinado

1/3 c. Earth balance

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. pumpkin

1/2 Tb. pumpkin pie spice

2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 c. unbleached flour

1/4 c. vital wheat gluten

Warm the soymilk in a saucepan until warm to the touch, pour in mixer with yeast, let sit 3-5 minutes until yeast begins to bloom to proof yeast. Add turbinado, pumpkin and salt, mix well. Add Earth balance, wheat gluten and flour, mix after each cup of flour until dough forms.

Let dough rise in a warm area for 1 hour or until it doubles in size. Remove from bowl and roll out into a long rectangle about 9X16.

Filling:

Melt 1/3 c. of Earth balance and brush it on the dough

2 1/2 Tb. pumpkin pie spice

1 c. succanut

Combine the spice and succanut in a bowl and sprinkle over the top of the dough.

1 1/2 c. dairy free chocolate chips. Spread over the dough evenly. Roll the dough from side to side. Cut into 1/2 inch slices and arrange on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 400, Let rise 15 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes.

Icing:

1/2 c. Earth Balance

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

3 Tb. soymilk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

dash salt

Mix in a mixer until creamy. Spread over cinnamon rolls when they are nice and warm and the icing will melt nicely over them and then will firm up when they cool.

Yeast Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free Bread

Yummy! Super moist. Don't expect a yeast bread. Really delicious!

3 cups whole grain, non-gluten flour - (i.e. buckwheat, millet, amaranth, rice, corn, or potato, etc.).

2 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk

2 TBS. (non-aluminum) baking powder Rumford

1/2 tsp. sea salt

3 heaping teaspoons flax meal soaked in 3/4 cup water as an egg substitute
1 tsp. guar gum (to help the bread not be so crumbly)

Batter Preparation and Cooking

Mix liquids and dry ingredients separately; then combine and mix well

Place in greased and floured 9" x 5" loaf pan or 9" x 9" cake pan or completely line pan with unbleached parchment paper.

Bake at 450° F (middle rack of preheated oven) for 20 minutes. Turn off oven and leave bread in oven to cool (approximately 3-4 hours).

Eggplant Parmesan

Okay, this recipe is awesome! When we ate it at our friends house the food tasted as if we were eating out at a famous restaurant or something. Kudos to Kristy! Way to go. Thanks for sharing this with us. It is now a staple at my house. :)

Recipe:

1 eggplant
soy milk
flour, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano
homemade or store bought bread crumbs
olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
8-10 mushrooms, sliced
olives, sliced (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
oregano, basil, lots of rosemary, salt and pepper

Directions:

Make red sauce first: In skillet saute onion and bell pepper. Add in mushrooms, olives and garlic. Cook through. Add in canned tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce and herbs to taste. Let simmer while preparing eggplant.

Slice eggplant into 1/2" thick slices. Put a fresh skillet on the fire and heat 1/4" of olive oil until smoking, turn down heat. Put soymilk into a plate for dipping. Mix together flour, some garlic salt, pepper and oregano for dredging, this can go on a sheet of waxed paper. On a another sheet of waxed paper, spread out some bread crumbs. Dip both sides of each eggplant slice into soy milk. Dredge in flour mixture. Dip into soy milk again, dredge again. Dip into soy milk and dredge through bread crumbs. Fry both sides in skillet, remove when done to paper towels to drain.

Place two or three eggplant slices on serving plate, cover with red sauce. Sprinkle with vegan mozzarella and parmesan if desired.

Serves: 4-6

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Great with side salad, and whole wheat angel hair pasta

CREDIT GOES TO: Kristy

Rice Milk

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

4 cups warm water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Blend in a blender until smooth and then strain the milk.

Dinner Rolls

¼ cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast
¾ cup warmed soy or rice milk
¼ cup honey/Turbinado/succanat
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg substitute
¼ cup olive oil
3 ½ to 3¾ cup flour (half white, half whole wheat works well too)

In bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, sugar substitute, salt, egg substitute, olive oil, and half the flour to yeast. Mix with spoon until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to handle easily. Turn onto lightly floured board. Knead until smooth (5 min.) Round up in greased bowl, bring greased side up. Cover with cloth. Let rise in warm place (85*) until double, about 1 ½ hour. Punch down; let rise again until almost double, about 30 minutes.

Roll dough about ¼ inches thick into a 12 inch circle. Cut into 16 pie-shaped pieces. Beginning at rounded edge, roll up. Place on pan, point underneath.

Let rise until light, 15 to 20 minutes. Heat oven to 400*. Bake 12 to 15 minutes on lightly greased pan or baking sheet. Serve piping hot.

Hummus

Best Hummus I’ve had. Its great on tortillas.

1 can garbanzo beans, undrained

1 Tb. lemon juice

1 Tb. Tahini (buy at Whole Foods, Good Earth, Sunflower Market)

1 clove garlic

2 tsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

process in the food processor until creamy.

**this is really good on wraps instead of veganaise, it's lower in fat and calories.

CREDIT GOES TO: Tandi

Corn Bread

1 cup yellow corn meal

1 cup whole wheat flour

4 Tablespoons honey

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup rice/soy milk

1 egg substitute

¼ cup olive oil

Mix dry ingredients, add wet and mix again. Grease 8-inch square baking pan. Bake 425* for 20-23 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean.

Fresh Salsa

So simple. Soooooo good!

12 cups tomatoes (or 12 good sized tomatoes)
1-2 medium onions
3-6 garlic cloves
5-10 jalapenos
4-8 green chiles (anaheim peppers)
1 Tablespoon salt
4-8 sprigs cilantro

Add ingredients according to taste. Serve with corn tortilla chips.

Granola

10 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup wheat germ
½ pound shredded unsweetened coconut
2 cups raw sunflower seeds
1 cup sesame seeds
3 cups chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts or combination
1 ½ cups succanut, firmly packed
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
½ cup honey
½ cup molasses (I use blackstrap)
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. vanilla
Raisins or other dried fruit if desired.

Preheat oven to 350* F. Ina large bowl combine oats, wheat germ, coconut, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and nuts. Blend well. In a large saucepan, combine succanut, water, oil, honey, molasses, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Heat until sugar is dissolved, but do not boil. Pour syrup over dry ingredients and stir until well-coated. Spread into five 13” x 9” baking pans or cook sheets with sides. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bake 15 minutes longer for crunchier texture. Cool and add raisins or other dried fruit, if desired. Put in airtight containers. Label. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 months. Makes about 20 cups of Granola Mix.

Taco Salad

Sweet Lime Cilantro Rice

1 quart vegetable broth (4 cups water, 4 low sodium vegetable bullion cubes)

2 cups brown rice (short grain is lighter)

2 limes squeezed or 2 Tablespoons of lime juice

2 Tablespoons veganaise

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon cilantro

1 teaspoon sea salt, optional

Stir ingredients together in rice cooker or on stove top and cook until tender.

Black Beans

2 cans black beans, drained

1 cup tomato salsa

1 Tablespoon cumin

Warm and Serve.

Tortilla Strips

Slice corn tortillas (white or yellow) in ¼-1/3” strips. Spread thinly on cookie sheet and toast in 350* oven for 10-12 minutes. Cool and store in pantry for up to two weeks.

Serve with Romaine, green leaf or red leaf lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, onions, salsa, Tofutti Sour Cream.

Chocolate 'thin mint' cookies

These rival Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies - but they are better for you!

Makes 75 cookies

5 Tb. Earth Balance

3/4 c. succanut

Cream together in a mixer.

1 Tb. flaxmeal

1 Tb. arrowroot

1/4 c. water

Combine and wisk, set aside.

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 c. cocoa

3/4 tsp. peppermint extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Add remaining ingredients to creamed earth balance and mix until dough forms into a ball. Chill for 1 hour. Form into two disks and freeze 15 minutes.

Roll out 1 disk 1/8" thick. It should be paper thin! use a small cookie cutter or lid to cut into circles and bake 325 for 12 minutes. Roll out 2nd disk 1/8" thick and cut into circles.

Melt 1 bag dairy free chocolate chips and mix in

1 tsp. peppermint extract or 4 drops peppermint essential oil

Brush cookies with a good layer of chocolate and set on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Chill until chocolate hardens.

CREDIT GOES TO: Tandi

Raspberry Banana Ice Cream

If you're looking for a dairy free/natural sugar alternative this recipe is fabulous. We rated it an 'A' considering it has no milk or sugar. Compared to "real" ice cream it gets a B+. Guar gum is a must! - it will make the ice cream smoother and creamier. When you need a light and refreshing treat - try it!

1 (13 ounce) can coconut milk
1 quart rice milk (Rice Dream)
1 (12 ounce) can raspberry apple juice concentrate (100% juice)
1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries
3-4 bananas
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon guar gum (Good Earth has this)

Combine, blend in blender, pour into ice cream freezer, and freeze according to directions.

Sun-dried Tomatoes

Sun-dried tomatoes are sooo delicious. I use these in my Stromboli recipe.

About 6-7 Roma tomatoes sliced (or garden tomatoes)
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup fresh basil finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Put all ingredients in a freezer bag and toss until well coated. Lay on dehydrator sheets and dry 125 degrees for about 18 hours.


CREDIT GOES TO: Tandi

Gluten Free Pancakes

I just whipped this one up this morning, since I'm trying gluten free diet to see if it will help my digestive system. I was pleased with the results. Who knew garbanzo bean flour would be good in pancakes!

1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup soy milk or nut milk
1 egg equivalent (I use 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with 1/4 cup water and let it sit for 5 minutes to create a bonding solution)

Mix up and fry like a pancake!

Gravy

1 cup water

1 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons tamari sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning herb blend

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 Tablespoon whole wheat flour

1/4 cup water

Bring the top group of ingredients to a boil, combine the cornstarch, whole-wheat flour and water together and pour into boiling broth, stir until thickened. If it doesn't thicken enough just do another cornstarch, whole-wheat flour and water and pour it in until desired consistency.

CREDIT GOES TO: Tandi

Broccoli and Rice Casserole -sort of

350 Degrees
4 Servings

Prepare and set aside:
1 bunch of broccoli, chopped and cooked
1 carrot sliced thin
1/2 onion, diced

Sauce:
4 Tbsp Earth Balance
¼ cup flour
dash poultry seasoning
dash onion powder
dash garlic powder
½ tsp salt
1 vegetable bullion cube
1 cup hot water
1/4 cup veganaise - grape seed kind
1/2 tsp curry powder
Juice of 1/2 lemon or equivalent

In a medium saucepan, melt the Earth Balance. Stir in the flour, poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, curry powder and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Add bullion cube. Whisk in the hot water, keeping the mixture smooth and free of lumps. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, reduce the heat, add veganaise and lemon juice and cook until thickened and smooth. Use the sauce hot, or cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Place veggies in 8x8 pan. Pour sauce over top. Bake covered with foil for 1/2 hour or until bubbly. Serve over brown rice.

Stromboli, Pizza Dough, Pizzza Sauce

Ingredients:

Basic Pizza Dough, recipe follows

Basic Pizza Sauce - for dipping Stromboli in

2 links Tofurky Italian Sausage, sliced thin

1 cup sliced yellow onions

1/2 thinly sliced red bell pepper

1/2 thinly sliced green bell pepper

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1 package (or 2 cups) Follow Your Heart Vegan Mozzarella, grated

Mushrooms - I used one 4 ounce can, drained - but fresh would work

Sun-dried tomatoes - will post recipe soon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the Tofurky sausage over medium-high heat until browned. Set aside. Saute the onions, bell peppers, (and jalapenos) in small amount of water, stirring, until very soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cool.

Punch down the dough and divide half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to a large rectangle, about 10 by 14 inches. Spread half of the cooled sausage mixture across the dough leaving a 1-inch border. Overlapping slightly, layer half of the sun-dried tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese over the top. Roll up the dough into a cylinder, pinching the edges to seal. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Let the dough rise, 20 to 30 minutes.

Brush the top of each stromboli with soy milk (to imitate egg wash). Bake until nearly completely golden brown and starting to crisp, about 20 - 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes. Slice thickly and serve.

Basic Pizza Dough:

1 cup warm (110 degrees F) water

1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon

3 cups flour - I used 1 cup whole wheat, 2 cups white

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, honey, and 1 tablespoon oil and stir to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition, until all the flour is incorporated but the dough is still slightly sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky, 3 to 5 minutes.

Oil a large mixing bowl with cooking spray. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Use as directed.

Basic Pizza Sauce

1, 14.5 ounce can tomatoes - pureed

1 Tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/8 teaspoon basil

1/8 teaspoon thyme

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Makes 1 cup. Double this recipe for 2 stromboli.

Orange Oatmeal Cookies or Bars

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup turbinado
1 cup succanut
2 egg replacer equivalent (I use Ener-G egg replacer)
1 tsp. real vanilla extract such as Mexican Vanilla
1 grated peel of 1 orange
3 cups quick or old fashioned oats
May also add raisins, chopped dates, or craisins for a yummy variation.

Preheat oven to 375* F.
Combine all ingredients. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets. May need to smash down a little.
Bake 7-8 minutes, or until done.

These can also be made into cookie bars by spreading dough onto jelly-roll pan. Bake until light brown or done.

Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa Recipe

Blueberries may replace blackberries, honey may replace agave nectar, and walnuts may replace pecans.

1 cup soy, almond, or rice milk
1 cup water
1 cup red or buff colored quinoa, (rinse quinoa)
2 cups fresh blackberries
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted*
4 teaspoons agave nectar

Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in blackberries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with pecans. Drizzle 1 teaspoon agave nectar over each serving.

Serves 4.

*While the quinoa cooks, roast the pecans in a 350F degree toaster oven for 5 to 6 minutes or in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

Hurry Up Alfredo

I cannot call this Alfredo, because it tastes nothing like Alfredo, however it is a delicious pasta sauce. I like it over angel hair pasta.

Hurry Up Alfredo

Makes 2-3 Servings

1 Cup Soymilk

1/3 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews

1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast

3 Tbs Low-Sodium Tamari or Soy Sauce

2 Tbs Earth Balance Margarine

1 Tbs Tahini

1 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice

2 tsp Dijon Mustard

1/2 tsp Paprika (smoked is awesome)

1 Pinch Nutmeg

2-4 Cloves of Garlic, optional

Black pepper, to taste

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. This may work best in a high-speed blender (like a Vita-Mix), but you can definitely make it in a regular blender. Just blend extra-long, or perhaps strain if if you want it perfectly smooth. Tiny bits of cashews won’t hurt anyone though!

If you’re making this sauce for pasta, drain the pasta and return it to the hot empty pan. Pour the sauce over, place on medium heat, and stir until heated through. Serve with lots of fresh cracked black pepper. I love it with steamed broccoli added in!

CREDIT GOES TO: http://veganyumyum.com/2009/09/hurry-up-alfredo-vyy-cookbook/

Scrumptious Squash Soup

1 Squash (3-3.5 lbs) - Peeled, Cubed

1 Onion

2 Cloves Garlic

3 Tbsp Earth Balance - you could leave this out and substitute water

1 tsp Cinnamon

3-4 C Vegetable Stock/Broth - I use veg bullion cubes

2 Tbsp Maple Syrup

Salt

Pepper



Cut squash in half width wise, right where it bulges, then cut those halves again lenth wise. Scoop out the seeds. Cube the squash and set aside. Cut onion in half then cut into chunks. Peel Garlic and cut into quarters. Melt Earth Balance in a large pot medium heat. Cook chopped onions for about 5 minutes, then add garlic and cinnamon until you can smell garlic (about 3 seconds). Add squash and add enough stock to cover squash. Turn heat on high until it boils. Turn heat down to low and let veggies cook gently for about 20 minutes. Veggies should be very tender. Remove from heat and ladle veggies into blender. Do this until all veggies are blended. Add stock to get the consistency you want for your soup. Add maple syrup. Salt and Pepper to taste.

CREDIT GOES TO: Kristin

Seitan and Broccolini with Clementine Teriyaki

Serves Two

8 Ounces Sliced Seitan - I use West Soy brand
1 Cup Sushi Rice
6-8 Stalks of Broccolini - broccoli works too
2 Clementines - oranges work
1 Tbs Vegetable Oil - Olive oil works
Japanese Seven Spice, optional - Did not use

Clementine Teriyaki Sauce
1/2 Cup Low Sodium Tamari
1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Fresh Clementine Juice
1/4 Cup + 1 Tbs Rice Vinegar
1/4 Cup Water
Zest from 1 Clementine

Rinse your sushi rice in cool water and drain. Cook in your rice cooker or on the stove according to package directions, but 1 cup of sushi rice is usually cooked in 1 1/4 cups of water. Allow to cook completely and steam for 5-10 minutes off the heat while you are preparing the rest of the meal. Total cooking time for the rice will be around 20 minutes.

Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small pan let it go at a lively simmer for 20 minutes, until reduced and slightly thick. The sauce will NOT be super thick when it is hot. It will very slightly cover the back of a spoon and look syrupy, but it’s not going to be thick until it cools, so don’t worry if it seems runny. At the end of the cooking you should see large, excited bubbles (this is the sugar caramelizing), so if you don’t see those, keep cooking. Once the sauce is done, it’ll taste good but pretty strong. Set aside.

While the sauce and the rice are cooking, prepare your seitan and broccolini. Slice the seitan into 1/8″ thick medallions, or something similar. I usually don’t prep broccolini any more than rinsing it and chopping off the ends, but if the stalks are particularly thick, you may wish to half them lengthwise. This shouldn’t be the case with most bunches you find in the store, however.

Heat a large non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the seitan and let brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl, turn up the heat to high, and add broccolini in one layer. Once you get color on one side, flip, reduce heat to low, and cover the pan to finish the cooking, another 2-3 minutes. The broccolini should be bright green and cooked to a tender-crisp.

Once you are ready to serve, add the seitan to the pan with the broccolini. Drizzle enough teriyaki sauce in to coat everything. Beware, if the pan is too hot you risk burning your sauce, so take good care here. Once everything is heated and covered in a nice glaze, serve immediately with the sushi rice. Top with seven spice if you like a little heat.

This sauce is strong so you just need enough to coat — save any extra for a future meal.

CREDIT GOES TO: http://veganyumyum.com/2010/01/seitan-and-broccolini-with-clementine-teriyaki/

Blackberry Crisp

Filling:
4 cups blackberries

Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar (not a whole food - but sometimes its nice to splurge!)
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
4 T olive oil
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Allspice

Preheat oven to 350°. Turn blackberries into a greased 8x8-inch baking dish. Set aside.

Mix together all of the topping ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over blackberries. Bake for 30 minutes or until blackberry filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown.

CREDIT GOES TO: http://www.seattlevegan.com/Blackberry-Crisp

Autumn Millet Bake

The real trick to this recipe is getting the millet to cook all the way though, so don't over toast it, and keep adding liquids if you need to.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus oil for the dish (I did not use this much oil!)
3/4 cup millet
1 med. butternut or winter squash or small pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup fresh cranberries (craisins work here)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon minced sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
1 cup vegetable stock or water, warmed (I use low sodium vegetable bullion)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds or coarsely chopped hazelnuts

Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a 2-quart casserole, a large gratin dish, or a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.

Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the millet and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and golden, about 3 minutes don't overdo it). Spread in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Scatter the squash or pumpkin cubes and the cranberries on top of the millet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and the sage and drizzle with syrup. Carefully pour the warmed stock/veg. bullion over all. Cover tightly with foil and bake without disturbing, for 45 minutes.

Carefully uncover and turn the oven to 400F. As discreetly as possible, sneak a taste and adjust the seasoning. If it looks too dry, add a spoonful or two of water or stock. (This is key! The millet should be close to being cooked through at this point, if not you need to add liquid and keep it moist and cooking - I used another 1/4 cup+ of veg. bullion here). Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top, and return the dish to the oven. Bake until the mixture bubbles and the top is browned, and the millet is cooked through - another 10 minutes or so. Serve piping hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4 to 6.
This would fit well with Thanksgiving Dinner.

Cashew Pimento "Cheese" Sauce

– good for a potato bar

Put in a blender and process until smooth:
1 cup raw (unsalted) cashews
1 4 ounce jar pimentos
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt

Add the following:
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup water

Can use as a dip, sauce or in a cheese soup.

Celebration Pot Pie with Pumpkin Biscuit Crust

We ate this for dinner - and loved it! I halved the recipe and still had oodles left over. Enjoy!!! It is much easier to make than it looks...

Use any combination of baking dishes--several smaller or two larger--but be sure they're deep enough to hold about 1 1/2-inches worth of stew plus another inch for the topping. You can easily turn this into a shepherd's pie by substituting mashed potatoes for the biscuit topping.

2 pounds potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
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
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 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper -- or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 1/2 cups frozen baby peas
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon mellow white miso
6 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water

Seitan
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

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 unsweetened soymilk --mixed with 2 tablespoons lemon juice
additional soymilk or water as needed

Put 12 cups of water on to boil in a large (at least 6-quart) soup pot. Add each vegetable (potatoes, onion, celery, mushrooms, carrots) to the pot as you chop it. Add the bay leaves, thyme, sage, garlic, poultry seasoning, onion powder, celery salt, soy sauce, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the seitan: 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 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After 45 minutes, remove the bay leaves and add the peas. Mix the miso in a small bowl with a little of the hot broth, and then add it to the stew, along with the nutritional yeast. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and 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.

Servings: 12

CREDIT GOES TO:
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/11/celebration-pot-pie-with-pumpkin.html

Light Golden Pancakes

¼ cup Earth Balance (healthy butter, I buy at whole foods, good earth or sunflower market)

1 cup whole wheat flour

3 Tablespoons succanat

1 cup rice or soy milk

1/3 cup applesauce

1 Tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon vanilla

Dash salt

Mix well. Fry in griddle.

CREDIT GOES TO TANDI

Pumpkin Pancakes

Light fluffy and delicious pancakes for a cold fall morning.

INGREDIENTS:
2 c. whole wheat pastry flour or whole wheat flour
1 c. pumpkin puree
1 c. soymilk/rice-milk
1/2 c. apple juice
1/4 c. maple syrup
2 Tb. coconut oil
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Preheat a skillet on the stove to medium-high heat. Mix until the batter is thick and creamy with no lumps. Pour about 1/3 c. at a time on a non-stick skillet and cook until lightly brown, about 1-2 minutes, flip and cook another 1-2 minutes until golden brown.

CREDIT GOES TO TANDI

Burnt Almond Fudge Ice Cream

This is THE best ice cream you will ever taste!

INGREDIENTS:

3 c. soymilk (Silk brand is best)

2 1/2 c. cashews

2 Tb. coconut oil

3/4 c. cocoa

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. maple syrup

1/2 c. turbinado sugar

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

2 Tb. non-dairy choc. chips (optional)

2 c. of the roasted almonds chopped

Blend all ingredients except for the chopped almonds. Stir in chopped almonds. Freeze according to your ice cream makers manufacturer directions. Enjoy!

CREDIT GOES TO TANDI