the joys of TVP

TVP has got to be one of the more versatile and cheap meat substitute.  I can get it in the bulk bins at Whole Foods for $1.99/pound.  A normal serving size for us is 4oz.  The hardest thing for me about cooking with TVP is getting the flavor right, cue the TVP Cookbook from The Farm .  It is packed full of great recipes, all using TVP.

Here's one of my favorite fall recipes from this book:



Chuckwagon Soup
Serves 6

Stir together and set aside:
1 cup TVP granules/flakes
3/4 cup hot water
1T ketchup

Heat in a large pot and cook for 5-10 minutes:
2T olive oil
1 large onion chopped

Add the TVP to the pot with:
2 cloves smashed & chopped garlic
1 16oz can diced tomatoes (can sub fresh diced)
4 cups hot vegetable broth
1t each basil, oregano and salt(optional)

When soup begins to boil, drop in:
1 10oz package mixed frozen vegetables**

simmer until veggies are tender.


**feel free to sub fresh chopped veggies such as zucchini, potatoes, beans, corn anything really

Breakfast!!!

So I have to admit breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day! But what is breakfast without eggs, sausage gravy and buttermilk biscuits?  Still yummy, I promise!!!  Speaking of biscuits and gravy, that is my favorite breakfast, so I veganized it!  Thankfully I found quite a few recipes to choose from and jumbled them all together to make my own.

Biscuits:

2 cups self rising flour
1T baking non-aluminum baking powder
1/2t salt
4T margarine (I use Earth Balance sticks)
3/4 cup (6oz) non dairy milk (I use soy)
water to add if dough is too floury

Preheat oven to 450*F
Put all dry ingredients in a bowl. With a fork, cut in margarine till mixture is in fine crumbles.  Add the milk and stir till it clings together.  Add flour a little at a time if too sticky.  pull apart little balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake about 10 minutes or until golden!

(for a dinner variation on these, add garlic, rosemary, basil, etc)

"Sausage" Gravy:

Well I totally don't have my own sausage recipe, I use one from the Post Punk Kitchen:

smoky maple sausages

1T and 1/4 cup canola oil, divided

1 small onion, minced

smoky maple sausages (see link above)

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 1/2 cups non dairy milk (unsweetened works best)

pepper, garlic powder, onion powder & paprika to taste

Heat 1T oil & saute the onion till soft.  Add sausage and heat till browned.  Transfer to a bowl. 

Add 1/4 cup oil and flour to pan.  Whisk and make a roux until it bubbles.  Slowly add milk while dissolving roux.  Stir constantly over medium-low heat to thicken.  Once thickened, add back sausage & onions. Stir well and add spices.  Serve piping hot & enjoy!!

What's your favorite go-to and comfort breakfast??

Banana bread, biscuits and peach pie filling, oh my!!!!

So today has been a busy day!  The kids were busy doing "school stuff", Mance is off doing a side job and me, well I got bored.  So what do I do when I'm bored? I cook of course!

We have our bible study tonight with an Italian food theme, so I thought to recreate Red Lobster's cheddar garlic biscuits. 

 I used a base biscuit recipe:

2 cups self rising flour
1T baking non-aluminum baking powder
1/2t salt
4T margarine (I use Earth Balance sticks)
3/4 cup (6oz) non dairy milk (I use soy)
water to add if dough is too floury

Preheat oven to 450*F
Put all dry ingredients in a bowl. With a fork, cut in margarine till mixture is in fine crumbles.  Add the milk and stir till it clings together.  Add flour a little at a time if too sticky.  pull apart little balls and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake about 10 minutes or until golden!

for the garlic variation I added garlic powder, basil and oregano till it looked and tasted right!  (The great thing about vegan recipes is you can taste test the dough and not worry about getting sick!!

Banana Bread - fat free!

3 ripe bananas cut in chunks

2/3 cup agave nectar or 1 cup sugar

(mash these in a bowl till creamy)

Add to this:

1t vanilla

2 cups flour (i use whole wheat)

1/2t baking soda

1t each cinnamon & ginger (more or less to your liking)

water to make it more doughy if it is too floury

mix till a doughy, preheat oven to 350, place in a greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.

optional:

chopped nuts

raisins

dates

I also currently have 2 quart jar of peach pie filling in the canner
about 30 peaches, peeled & chunked
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
cinnamon
ginger

combine all ingredients in a large pot and boil, mashing fruit every few minutes.  Once you get hte consistenct you want, let simmer over low heat for about an hour or until the liquid is nice and syrupy.  Pack into sterilized hot jars and process in a water canner for about 30 minutes.

Peach Salsa

So I splurged and bought a case of peaches at Whole Foods yesterday...yes its a ton of peaches, but it was only $15.

In an attempt to find something I have never made before, I googled peach recipes and got all the normals - pie filling, peaches in syrup, peach butter....but then I came across peach salsa.  I deviated a bit from teh recipe, following is what I used:

per pint jar:

3 peaches peeled & chunked

1 onion chopped

1-3 jalapenos seeded and chopped

juice of 1 lemon

1 inch fresh ginger grated

palmful of fresh mint leaves

cilantro (optional)

mix everything in a bowl then transfer to a food processor & process till as smooth or chunky as you want it.  Transfer to a bowl (then eat or refridgerate) or to a sterilized pint jar.  Process in water bath canner for 25-30 minutes.

This is great on chicken quesadillas (got my husbands approval) and would be great on grilled chicken, fish, baked tofu or atop some black beans and rice.  However you choose to use it, please leave a comment and let me know how you enjoyed it!!

Homemade Sriracha



So I found a wonderful recipe for my favorite hot sauce on  The Kitchenette and thought I would give it a try. (Click that link for the recipe)  However I made a couple small tweeks.  Since I was using homecanned peppers (a mix of red jalapenos & scotch bonnet) I skipped the overnight soak. Also these were canned in apple cider vinegar so I used that for the vinegar.

Cooking vinegar and hot peppers WILL clear your sinuses very quickly!!!

this turned out wonderfully with a great flavor! A little off from storebought sriracha, but definitely worth making!!  I see myself making lots more of this in the future & have a date with Bianca from Vegan Crunk to make some more!!



Canning Supplies Giveaway!

I have no control over this giveaway but thought i would share!
You can can


And on a canning note, I have been canning like crazy!  pics to come shortly!!

the BIG recipe post! (incomplete)

Thanks to Bree for prodding me into posting my recipes, here's one big post with what I am doing today.

~homemade veggie burgers
~watermelon gazpacho
~pickled watermelon rind
~marinated mushrooms
~yellow tomato salsa
~lemon garlic hummus
~tvp chili


Homemade Veggie Burgers:
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked & seasoned
1 can great northern beans cooked & mashed
minced garlic to taste
onion to taste
feel free to add any minced veggies you want, i keep mine simple

mix all ingredients in a bowl and form into balls. you may need to add a bit of flour to get them to stick.  flatten balls into patties.  now they are ready to cook or freeze!  :)


Watermelon Gazpacho:
you can make this by the cup or by the gallon, but I guarantee you will want more!
pureed/liquified watermelon
fresh cilantro, chopped
minced jalapeno
cilantro sprigs

add all ingredients together in a bowl or jug (depends on how much you are making.  refridgerate till ready to serve.  pour into goblets or soup bowls. top with cilantro sprigs for garnish and serve!  Very refreshing on a hot summer day!!!

review: three angels diner rating: 5/5



All I have to say is WOW!  This little gem of a diner is tucked away just a block off of Sam Cooper Blvd on Broad St. in what is turning out to be a cutsy arts district.  The feel when you walk in the door is not quite that of a small mom & pop diner, complete with pinball machines, a couple couches, tunes playing on a record player and great artwork on the walls..with a bar. 

The staff were all very friendly and the menu & the specials were great.  I opted for the Moma's Veggie Sandwich, which is a slice of baked tofu with lettuce, red bell pepper, onion, mayo (regular or vegan), balsamic vinagrette and some sauce on top of the tofu that was great.  The sandwich was close to 4 inches tall when put together and came with a heaping side of chips.  One bite of this sammy and my eyes rolled back in my head, SO GOOD!!

My kids were thrilled they could order blueberry pancakes for lunch and they were not disappointed!  We opted out of the sweet cream and powdered sugar on top, but even plain these cakes were amazing and huge!

My overall rating:  5 out of 5 soybeans!
You MUST visit this diner!!!!!!!

(sorry it took so long to get this up, I was having camera issues)

cucumber melon salad-picnic fare

this has got to be one of the easiest and tastiest recipes!  perfect of a cookout, day at the pool or everyday!


1 cucumber, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
1/2 canteloupe (any melon will work), seeded, taken off rind and chopped
2-4T balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, toss well to incorporate vinegar and chill until ready to serve.

makes 2-4 servings

my new fav snack: cruncha ma-me

omg y'all, these little beans are sooo good!  i sent off for a free sample two days ago and they came today.

sorry for the blurry pic, that was the best i could get with the webcam.  but these little babies are amazing!  they have the best crunch and arent overly seasoned, so you get the true taste of the edamame.  they are vegan, gluten & nut free.  and with 8 grams of soy protein per pouch, how can you go wrong? 

right now, i am pretty sure they are only available on the webiste, cruncha ma-me, but if you use the promo code: GETEDAMAME  you will get discounts.  i really hope to see these in stores soon!!!  i will be telling all my friends about this!!

Kicking the dairy, for good!

This morning has been fun and busy.  breakfast was a bowl of grits with sriracha. pretty normal for me, except this time, i left out the cheese.  i noticed the cheese substitute i bought still had casein in it...depressing that a soy cheese has a milk protein in it.  (note to self: make sure the label says vegan next time).

In doing a little research and checking my friends blogs, i came across a great post from Jenn Blumberg, on her site, Hello Veggie (click it, read it, you will be happy you did).  Anyway, the post that caught my attention was 5 Tips for Going Dairy Free. and after reading through her post and the links it includes, I am doing it, no more dairy.  I am already a huge fan of soy, almond and coconut milk, and am willing to give the soy yogurts a try.  No more telling myself its a process, just do the damn thing and be done.

Thank you Jenn for the kick in the butt I needed!!!!

Mission: Veganize It!

Over the next few, I will be testing vegan versions of this recipe; i am really excited about this one!  If you have any ideas, tips, tricks, etc please share them in the comments!!!!!!

caramel macchiato cheesecake shots

1 ½ packages low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 can condensed milk
1 T butter
3 T nonfat milk
1/3 c instant coffee granules
2 t very hot water
2 T granulated sugar
20 vanilla wafers, crushed (optional)
2 T butter (optional)

Prepare the caramel:
In a small saucepan, combine the condensed milk and 1 tablespoon of butter. Bring to a low boil over medium low heat, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Reduce to low heat (as low as possible) and continue to cook until the mixture turns a medium to deep golden brown, making sure to continue stirring throughout the heating process. If the boil becomes too rapid, remove from heat to continue stirring, then return to heat. The whole process should take about 20 minutes. If caramel becomes too thick, whisk in the milk one tablespoon at a time until all milk is used. (NOTE: If you do not have enough time to make your own caramel and you have a premade caramel sauce at home, you can use that instead. However, this is MUCH better with the homemade stuff.)

Prepare the coffee cheesecake:
Combine the instant coffee granules and the hot water in a small bowl until the granules completely dissolve. The coffee should have a thick, syrupy consistency. Using an electric mixer, whip one package of softened cream cheese until it is light & fluffy. Add the remaining half of the condensed milk and the coffee syrup and mix together on medium speed until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Prepare the "steamed milk" cheesecake:
In a medium bowl add 2 tablespoons of sugar to the remaining 1/2 package of softened cream cheese. Mix together on medium high speed until light & fluffy.

Prepare the crust (optional):
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add to the crushed wafers and mix together until the wafers are moistened.

Assemble your shots by adding about a teaspoon of caramel (or cookie crust) to the bottom of each shot. Next, add about 2 tablespoons of the coffee cheesecake filling (or enough to fill your shot glass), followed by a small dollop of the “steamed milk” cheesecake. Top with a small amount of caramel, refrigerate for about an hour or so, and enjoy!
(taken from Poor Girl Eats Well)

Veg Boot Camp

Vegetarian Times magazine is hosting a 28 day veg boot camp on their site.  They send you daily emails with veg myths and recipes and such. If you are interested in signing up, go here, to the VT website!  Here is todays myth, and it really makes sense.

VEG DIET MYTH OF THE DAY:I don't have the willpower to be a vegetarian.

BUSTED: That lack of willpower might actually be rooted in something biochemical, but there's still hope for us all. "Studies suggest that cheese, chocolate, sugar, and meat all spark the release of opiate-like substances that trigger the brain's pleasure center and seduce us into eating them again and again," says Neal Barnard, MD, VT's Ask the Doc columnist and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. "These foods stimulate the same opiate receptors in your brain as heroin or morphine, albeit to a lesser degree. Luckily, there are many healthy dietary and lifestyle changes you can make to break food addictions." To break from these addictive foods, the doctor suggests focusing on what you're eating today instead of thinking of your diet change as a "forever" decision. "Focus on the short term. A three-week break will be enough to get you started."
What are your thoughts about this myth?  What do you do when you are craving "forbidden" foods? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think!



Must Try Dinner: Brussel Sprout Pasta

Brussel Sprout Pasta:

1 bag frozen brussel sprouts

1 box pasta of choice

1 stick (vegan) butter

1/2 jar alfredo sauce (optional)
1 pkg gardein chik'n cutlets (optional)

Start a pot of water for pasta.  When you drop the pasta, start the brussel sprouts to boil.  When the pasta is done, drain and return to pot, remove from heat.  Drain brussel sprouts and add butter to pot.  Pour sprouts over butter & mash with potato masher. 
 Add alfredo sauce if using, mix well and serve over pasta. 
Serve with cutlets or chop cutlets up and add to sauce.  Super simple, super delicious!!

Going Dairy Free...attempt 1

Let's see how long this lasts...now, just to be clear, I am cuttin out dairy piece by piece for health reasons first then because I love cows.

So, as of today, I have been 4 days without cheese, I have been using Galaxy Veggie Shreds and have found that it melts beautifully and I can even eat it straight out of the bag.  I think I actually prefer this to Daiya brand.

I have never been a huge milk  drinker anyway, so nixxing that was no problem at all.  I have found a new milk that I love though, coconut milk!!  I always thought I hated coconut until I had fresh in a cookie and some sweetened coconut milk.  OMG yum!!

The hard part for me will be ice cream and yogurt.  I haven't tried alot of non-dairy ice creams as they are really expensive, but I haven't found  a yogurt sub that I like the flavor of.  Cutting cottage cheese came when I realized everytime I ate my I got terrible stomach cramps.  My body is telling me i am not meant to consume animal products. LOL


So, have any of you cut dairy from your diet?  Have you noticed a difference in how you feel?  What dairy subs are your  favorite??

Vegan Fast Food??

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/05/05/jvm.lyfe.kitchen.hln?hpt=Mid

Oh the possibilities!!!!  Please watch and share this video and tell me what you think in the comments!!!

Corn 2 Ways

I absolutely love fresh corn, and buy ome every time I go to the Farmers Market, but I really get sick of corn on the cob, even grilled.  Well, here are 2 easy recipes I use to get my corn fix without all the leftovers in my teeth!

Fried Corn:

Take  your fresh ears of corn, shuck and clean them, then stand them up in a large bowl with another bowl upside down to prop the corn on.  using a knife, scrape the kernels off of the cob then go back over cob again to get all the juices out.  Place corn in a cast iron skillet with butter or vegan butter such as Earth Balance.  Add salt and pepper and fry till heated.  For a creamier version add a bit of soymilk thickened with cornstarch.

Spicy Corn Salad:

3 cups fresh corn kernels (can use defrosted)

1/2 green & red bell pepper seeded and julienned

1 jalapeno seeded and minced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

2T vegetable oil

1/4 cup wine vinegar

1t brown sugar

1/3t fresh oregano or 1/4t dried

1/4t dried thyme

Steam the corn for 2-3 minutes, until just tender.  Combine the veggies and mix well.  Whisk together the dressing ingredients (oil, vinegar, spices), then toss with the veggies.  Chill at least one hour, then serve.  Also makes a great topping for tacos.

So, these are my favorite ways to use up fresh corn, whats yours???  Please fee free to share your recipes in the comments!

My Mothers Day Present!!

Yesterday was the start of the weekend, so I started celebrateing early.  Our local vegetarian society, Food Awareness was having their monthly meeting at a restaurant I have always wanted to try, Escape Alley Sundry and as an added bonus, they had a guest speaker, Dr. William Tuttle. author of the bestselling book, The World Peace Diet.  Check it out!!

(pic by Bianca Phillips)

Anyway, his lecture was amazing and the food was equally great!  They had a whole vegan menu set up for the occasion with BBQ tofu sandwich with vegan coleslaw, vegan red beans and rice with Tofurky kielbasa, mushroom and garlic pasta, and a few more choices AND even had vegan cupcakes for dessert.  I had  the red beans and rice and unfortunately ate too fast to remember to take a pic.  I need to start carrying my camera with me.

I had a great time meeting new people and getting to hang out with Bianca from Vegan Crunk and the Food Awareness crew. I am really looking forward to next month's meeting!


So, if you only  want the main points of this post, here they are:
1.  check out The World Peace Diet by Dr. William Tuttle
2. If you live in Memphis or are visiting, check out Escape Alley Sundry.



The rest of my present came this morning, I got to sleep in till about 9:30am, had my coffee and even got some beautiful pink roses from Mance!!  My kids are driving us nuts, but overall, it's been a great day!!  Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there, regardless of whether your kids have 2 or 4 legs!!!

Soup's up!

Vegan spicy black bean soup

So everytime I make a pot of beans - any beans - I turn at least 2 bowls worth into soup.  Here's today's lunch fare:

1 can or 2 cups cooked black beans
1/2 onion, sauteed
jalapeno, diced to taste
1/2 avocado cut into chunks


In a food processor, combine 1/2 of beans, and all of onion, jalapeno and avocado. Pulse till smooth.  Combine in a pot with remaining beans, stir to incorporate and heat till piping hot.  Serve topped with whatever youlike, my personal favs are avocado, salsa and tofutti sour cream and some shredded daiya goodness!

 

 

Avocado Soup

2 ripe avocados

1 cup vegetable broth

1/2cup vegan sour cream

1/2 cup half and half (or vegan equivalent)

fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

 

Combine all ingredients in a blender/food processor and blend well.  Chill at least 30 minutes. Then top with paprika and serve!

 

For the love of alfredo!!!!!

In my quest to eat more vegan meals, I knew I had to find an alfredo sauce recipe that tasted at least close to alfredo.  And I think I found it...

1 cup raw unsalted cashews
1 cup water
nutritional yeast to thicken (i dont measure but i think about 1/2 a cup)
garlic, pepper and salt to taste

Place cashews and water in the food processor and pulse till smooth and creamy.  Pour into a small saucepan, heat over medium heat adding yeast till desired thickness is reached.  Add spices and simmer till heated thoroughly.  Serve over your favorite pasta.

Sweet and Spicy Slaw

With summer here in the South rearing its scorching head, it brings with it bbq season.  And what better for a bbq than coleslaw?!  Now, traditional coleslaw comes in a creamy mess of a sauce and isn't very hot weather friendly; so to make it more suitable for the picnic table, this version is made with vinegar and doesn't disappoint!

Sweet and Spicy Slaw
prep time: 15 min
I absolutely love cole slaw, but its creamy goodnees isn't always practical, especially on a summer potluck table.  That's why I love this version, made with vinegar instead.

1 small head of cabbage, shredded
1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and julienned
1 tsp serrano, seeded and finely minced
2 tbsp each vegetable oil & rice vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated (do NOT use powdered)

toss the cabbage and peppers in a bowl.  combine oil, vinegar, sugar and ginger in a separate bowl.  Mix well then toss with cabbage and pepper mixture.  Chill.