Roasted Maple Curry Sweet Potato Soup

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Family Dinners and tagged with autumn, carrots, Coconut, coconut milk, coconut oil, cozy, creamy, curry, Easy, fall, holiday, Low Ingredient, low sodium, maple, meatless mondays, onion, onion soup, quick, recipe, rice, roasted vegetables, roasting, root vegetables, soup, sweet potato, thanksgiving, Vegan, vegetarian, vitamix, warm, what to eat, what vegans eat October 5, 2015

Happy Autumn!

This is the time of year for fuzzy warm socks and hoodies and boots. I love Fall more than any other time of year. I am lucky enough to have just celebrated my daughters first birthday and made her a wonderful Almond Cherry Cake that I will absolutely post soon. However, it was a soup I made last night that I just HAD to post.

I had 4 small sweet potatoes sitting on my counter begging me to cook them but nothing I thought they would pair with. I wanted to have soup for dinner but I was out of my signature squash cashew and I had no cashews to cream up any veggies I had. That’s when I thought that maybe I could make a roasted sweet potato soup with coconut milk and it would be so warm and delicious on this really cool fall day. It was about 54 degrees outside and I could feel the first chill seeping through the windows. I warmed up the oven to 400 degrees took out my baking stone and roasted the four sweet potatoes for an hour. No oil, no salt.

Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

4 small sweet potatoes/yams

1 cup Apple Cider

4 carrots

1 packet onion soup with 2 cups of water

2 tablespoons yellow curry spice

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Rice (optional)

RECIPE DIRECTIONS Continued:

When the sweet potatoes were roasted, I peeled them and tossed them in the Vitamix with 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 tablespoons curry spice (yellow), 1 tablespoon coconut oil, and 1 cup apple cider and pureed the mixture. It was very thick.

I then boiled a broth of onion soup mix and 4 carrots for about 20 minutes and then poured it into my vitamix. Blend until smooth and transfer back to the broth saucepan to warm through.

This was the most amazing soup. I poured it into a soup bowl that had a scoop of mixed steamed grains in the center. THe grains I made in my rice cooker. It was equal parts 1 cup of: Amaranth, Brown Basmati Rice, and Red Quinoa. I then added 1/4 cup of black chia seeds and 1/4 cup of split peas for extra protein.

The meal was hearty and warm and everything a fall or autumn meal should be. Everyone loved it. My stepkids loved the smell so much they ate a second dinner after having gone out to dinner with my parents already!

Food is Love.

Springtime Ingredients and Curried Chicken Salad Recipe

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Confessions and Rants of the Vegan Persuasion, Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Family Dinners, Menus, QUICKIES!, Shopping Vegan, Traveling Vegan and tagged with almonds, apricot, artichokes, asparagus, beans, beets, chicken salad, chocolate, curried vegan chicken salad, curry, curry salad, dried apricots, dried fruit, fava beans, fennel, garlic, gluten free, green garlic, green onions, greens, leeks, lemons, lettuce, mint, morels, new potatoes, onions, online cooking school, parsley, peas, Pie, Potatoes, radishes, ramps, recipes, rhubarb, roasted veggies, salad, scallions, seasonal produce, sliced almonds, soup, spinach, spring, spring fruits, spring recipes, spring vegetables, strawberry, sweet onions, turnipps, turnips, Vegan, vegetarian March 20, 2014

Today is the first day of spring and with so many new ingredients hitting the produce and farm stands, my mouth is already watering. I am thinking of warm pasta dishes with sprinkles of green veggies and herbs. It is almost too much for my little brain to handle!

The weather is warming up over here in the Northeast and with a gray, rainy day today with a mild 37 degree temperature this morning, one cannot help but dream of the plants pushing their stems through the ground and smell the steaming artichokes, peas, and asparagus that will be waiting on our Easter Tables. So lets talk about what is in season and drop some ideas on how to prepare it for a spring brunch or even Easter!

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What is Fresh?

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Apricots
Artichokes
Asparagus
Beets
Carrots
Cherries
Fava Beans
Fennel
Green Garlic
Green Onions
Leeks
Lemons
Lettuces and Greens
Mint
Morels
New Potatoes
Parsley
Peas
Radishes
Ramps
Rhubarb
Scallions
Spinach
Strawberries
Sweet Onions
Turnips

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What are some awesome vegan spring recipes in which to prepare these fresh spring ingredients?

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Apricots: Make a Curried Vegan Chicken Salad with sliced almonds and diced dried apricots (recipe below), or a Moroccan Grain Salad, or roast the apricot and serve it as a dessert just like I did with peaches here!

Artichokes: I am a HUGE fan of artichokes! I roast, steam, or just plain old toss them into so many dishes. Add them to a marinara or a cashew cream sauce with sum sundried tomatoes and they are amaxing. Or go all out for a party and make this awesome Spinach Artichoke Dip!

Asparagus: I rarely eat asparagus but when I do they have to be fresh and either steamed and then drizzled with oil, balsamic and salt (served cold) or roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Keep it simple!

Beets: Beets are an amazing food. Try golden beets steamed or roasted with a balsamic vinegar drizzle. Heaven on earth!

Carrots: Everyone loves carrots. They are in cans, fresh, and come in every color. Purple is the original color of a carrot though. Try something new with this spiced carrot spread recipe from Martha Stewart!

Cherries: Cherries are such a wonderful ingredient that can be made savory or sweet. Try making a traditional cherry pie or some cherry chocolate brownie cupcakes to indulge!

Fava Beans: Try a twist on the average soup or standard fava bean salad with this Sopa de Habas from Saveur!

Fennel: I love roasting fennel with other veggies and making it almost herbaceous to the dish. Check out my roasted veggies from the holidays here!

Green Garlic: Green Garlic is similar in use to Green onions. I support this unusually garlic by dicing it thin and tossing it in a salad with asian dressing, dried fruits, and sliced almonds. You can even rub the oils from it around the inside of the bowl to help bring out the taste.

Green Onions: I love green onions in two particular dishes (1) is the Dragon Potatoes at the Cantina in San Diego’s Pacific Beach (you can get the recipe and cookbook here), and (2) when sprinkled over a peanut satay noodle dish like this recipe which includes lots of the other items on here. Mix it up and enjoy!

Leeks: Leeks are similar to onions. I like them for soups. Try making a simple traditional potato leek soup at Easter.

Lemons: When I was a little girl we lived in the San Jose area of California. I would sit on the railing of the back deck overlooking our pool and eat lemons with my brother. When I met my husband one of the first things I found out is he still eats lemons and LOVES them. There are a million lemon recipes out there both savory and sweet. My favorites are Lemon Blueberry Breakfast Bundt Cake and Lemon Meringue Pie though.

Lettuces/Greens: We all know how to use lettuce to make a salad but what else can you do with it? Try seasoning it and grilling it. Not sure what kind of lettuce to use. Get a free trial to Cook’s Online Cooking School and learn with videos and recipe lessons how to make them perfectly! I just did the lettuces version this past week and learned quite a bit about what flavors are in each type and when to use them and how to use them! I pay $20/ a month but more serious folks can do the $40 a month program and get feedback from America’s Test Kitchen Chefs!

Mint: I like mint in dessert but I am not much of a fan in savory dishes although it is used heavily in the Mediterranean and middle eastern cooking recipes. So try something totally different and make a mint tea with mint, sugar, and water!

Morels: These mushrooms are so rich and can be made into almost anything! Check out this website and recipe guide that is dedicated to them and start experimenting! Also look at Martha Stewart’s Morels 101 !

New Potatoes: Roasted New Potatoes tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs are a staple. The only spring change I would make… add some edible flowers and Herbs de Provence!

Parsley: I re-blogged a great recipe that had a wonderful use of parsley the other day here with Roasted Potatoes and Avocado. Or try a Parsley Walnut Pesto for a hot or cold salad (swap the parm for Galaxy Foods Vegan Parmesan) or fun bruschetta!

Peas: My father hates peas but I grew up with them on my plate at least a few times a week. From the can with butter and salt. Yum. However with them so fresh try a variety of types and ways to make them! Steam some fresh snow peas or sugar snaps and toss in a stir fry with some tofu. Or perhaps make a minty pea dip or Pea Guacomole!

Radishes: Radishes are inherently a mexican topping. You add them raw and sliced to the top of any taco and it is instant heaven.

Ramps: ramps are a food that many are not familiar with but are part of that green onion/scallion style of food. But here on the east coast they are more common so we pickle them, put them in bread, and even toss them in the fryer! Check out some recipes here.

Rhubarb: My husband is a sucker for a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie from the baked section of our Grocery Store. My mom buys them for him all the time. But when i was little my grandfather used to recite a rhyme to me every so often asking me if the “rain would hurt the rhubarb” and I thought that rhubarb was the same as rebar that was on the cement pillars of the ski lift so I would be rolling my eyes like “No they are always covered in snow”. I laugh at my 4 year old logic. However does the rain hurt the rhubarb? The answer is apparently no, but it is obviously a common question! That being said eat some of its sweet and sour flesh in a pie (just sub the dairy for non-dairy items)!

Scallions: Scallions grew like weeds in the backyard of my childhood home. I hated the smell but now it is nostalgic. They are great on almost everything so I wanted to find an out of the box recipe for you guys. This is what I found: Avocado, Celery, and Scallion Bruscetta with Mache! Also take a look at Martha Stewart for more inspiration on Ramps, Scallions, and Green Onions!

Spinach: I use spinach mainly in salads or steamed with vinegar on them. How do you cook spinach? Also there is always the Spinach Artichoke Dip above!

Strawberries: I love strawberries. Doesn’t everyone? But its actually not a berry. Although, Pineapples and Bananas are. Make a strawberry chocolate pie for Easter by tossing strawberries with tapioca pearls and sugar and then putting them in a vegan pie crust and pouring chocolate chips in the crevices. It is really that easy. check out Magnolia Bakery’s recipe! Also I love my chocolate dipped strawberry cupcakes. They are fun and easy for kids to make too!

Sweet Onions: I could use sweet onions all day. Onion rings, purree, or in a bread. Yummy Yummy! Try my onion bread recipe!

Turnips: I have never cooked turnips. Ever. So I will rely on some experts on some interesting recipes. Here they are: RECIPES . I must say the Maple Carrot Turnip Mash and the Turnip Slaw look awesome! Some of that slaw over my BBQ Seitan Pretzel Sandwich Recipe sounds devine!

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Curried Vegan Chicken Salad with Apricots and Sliced Almonds (Made for 1 person)

Ingredients:

6 pieces of Beyond Meat Chicken Lightly Seasoned
(1-2) tbsp of Vegan Mayonnaise like Just Mayo by Hampton Foods
2 tbsp of Balti Curry Spice from Penzey’s
1 dried apricot
2 tbsp of sliced almonds
Pinch of salt
Optional: Sliced Bread, green salad

Dice chicken strips into tiny pieces. Toss with mayo, then season, and stir until combined. Dice the dried apricot and toss into mixture with almonds, toss lightly, and serve cold immediately. You can put it on a salad or in a sandwich as well! Enjoy!

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The great thing you may have noticed is that many of the recipes use multiples of these ingredients together. That is the beauty of cooking seasonly. The flavors always jive well together. Plus you are helping save the planet by not getting your produce shipped in from a million miles away. Try buying seasonally and locally. It is pretty delicious! Happy First Day of Spring everyone!

Food is Love.

The Hippie Gypsy

Veganized Hamburger Green Bean Casserole aka Hamburger Pie aka “Mush” over Mashed Potatoes

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Meatless Monday Family Dinners, QUICKIES! and tagged with beans, beyond meat, crumbles, earth balance, Easy, Fast, green beans, ground beef, hamburger green bean casserole, hamburger pie, Low Ingredient, mashed potatoes, meatless mondays, meaty crumbles, olive oil, potato, quick, recipe, salt, soup, soy, tomato, Vegan, veganized, vegetarian, what to eat, what vegans eat March 11, 2014

When I was a little kid my mom would always make a dish we endearingly called “Mush”. It was ground hamburger with green beans and milky tomato soup poured over mashed potatoes. It was one of my favorite meals. It doesn’t sound great but honestly it is borderline amazing. The soup gets thick and creamy and gives the mixture a gravy/meaty tomato sauce/chili like texture. But once it is poured over mashed potatoes… heaven. I can’t explain it but to say it is simple and wonderful and now that Beyond Meat makes meaty crumbles that actually taste like ground meat. I can make it again!

My Mom’s Recipe for Mush (Veganized)

1-2 bags of Beyond Meat Beefy Crumbles
2 tbsp olive oil
Seasoned salt
1 can of green beans (drained)
1 can Campbell’s Tomato Soup
1 canful of Soy Milk (poured into the soup can)
Mashed Potatoes ( I used the dehydrated kind for this recipe with earth balance and soy milk)

COOK!

In a large skillet heat oil and crumbles until warm and cooked through about 10 minutes (see bag label).
Once cooked add soup and then one soup can worth of soy milk.
Use a few sprinkles of seasoned salt to season to taste.
Add green beans last.
Cook until the soup has cooked down to a thicker consistency like chili.
Serve hot over mashed potatoes with a dab of earth balance butter.
Enjoy!

Tip(s): If you add too much soup or milk and don’t have enough meat to thicken the sauce, add bulger wheat to absorb some of the liquid. It adds a meaty chew and will not talk away from flavor. it only needs about 15 minutes to soften also!

Serves 4.

Food is Love.

The Hippie Gypsy.

Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup

Posted by LD in Holiday Recipes, Meatless Monday Appetizers, Meatless Monday Family Dinners and tagged with baby carrots, broccoli, broccoli cheddar, broccoli cheese, broccoli cheese soup, carrots, cheese, cheese soup, chowder, cream, cream cheese, cream of broccoli, creamer, creamy, daiya, flour, garlic, holiday, meatless mondays, mozzarella, olive oil, onion, Party, recipe, salt, silk, soup, sour cream, sour supreme, soy cream, soy milk, stew, tofutti, Vegan, vegan broccoli cheese soup, vegetable bouillion, vegetable broth, vegetarian, water, what to eat, what vegans eat September 17, 2013

When I wasn’t vegan and I was applying to law school I worked at a law firm in Quincy, MA near a Panera Bread. My favorite lunch was always a bowl of their signature Broccoli Cheese Soup and a toasted Asiago bagel and an apple. The soup was so decadent and the sharp Asiago smothering the bagel made me just fall into a million pieces. I would’ve eaten this over a filet mignon or fancy lobster dinner (mostly because I never liked either but also because it was that good in my mind). So when I was beginning my ideas for this next week of blogging on soups, stews, and chowders I thought that I really must start off with Broccoli Cheese Soup. I have eaten the broccoli cheese soup in Chef Chloe’s cookbook and it is very good and very healthy but I wanted to make a truly decadent creamy creation that reminded me of that soup near the law firm. So with that I present my version.

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Creamy Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

6 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

1 tbsp vegetable bouillon paste (I use Penzey’s)

1 1/3 cup Daiya Mozzarella Shreds

(1) White Onion

(2) Heads of Broccoli

(6) Small or Baby Carrots

1 qt of Soy Creamer

1/2 cup soy milk

1 cup of water

1/4 cup Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese

1/4 cup Tofutti Sour Supreme Sour Cream

Salt

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Prepare the Base:

Put (2) tablespoons of oil in a pan with salt and (1) onion chopped into rings.
Sweat the onion on medium heat until very soft and light golden brown. They will naturally start to separate as they heat up, so continue stirring.
Take 1/2 of the onions out and place in an extra large sauce pan. Add broccoli and 1 tbsp oil and place on medium heat,
Toss oil, onions, and broccoli and sprinkle with salt. Leave on medium heat.
Take remaining onions in the frying pan and add 3 tablespoons oil and flour. Stir until it forms a paste.

Cooking down the soup:

Pour creamer into large sauce pot with broccoli and onion mixture.
Bring to a simmer.
Add all remaining ingredients and oil/onion paste except for carrots.
Stir until broccoli is soft and well combined. The sauce should be thick now and form a film on top if not constantly stirred.
Take an immersion blender and place in pot allowing the blender to chop and puree the broccoli. You can reserve a few small pieces if you want it a little chunkier.
Then shred the carrots with a peeler or making matchsticks with a sharp knife and add a few minutes before serving. These should be cooked but slightly crisp.
Serve hot and Enjoy!

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Serves (7). 1 cup servings. WW Points 11.

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XOXOX,

The Hippie Gypsy

Thanksgiving Vegan Recipe Testing!

Posted by LD in Holiday Recipes, Menus, Traveling Vegan and tagged with biscuit, butternut squash, chocolate, chocolate chip, coconut milk, cream cheese, dessert, Easy, Fast, holiday, Low Ingredient, macaroni, Party, potluck, pumpkin, quick, recipe, soup, squash, thanksgiving, tofurky, Vegan, vegetarian, what to eat, what vegans eat October 22, 2012

So I spent the weekend doing two things:

1. Testing delcious recipes for Thanksgiving, and

2. Going to PumpkinFest in Keene, NH with my beautifully carved pumpkin that says “Vegan”. Because pumpkins are vegan and I am vegan and pumpkinfest should be too! (And yes I wore shorts in 40-50 degree weather, I am from New England)

So with that cool Autumn Air for inspiration and the smell of fried dough I can’t eat in the air (and a line a mile long that made me grateful I couldn’t) I will give you three of my recipe testing reviews. I made biscuits, butternut squash macaroni, and pumpkin chocolate chip bars. I would also like to note that I had to order some of the stuff online that I needed for these masterpieces (and more that I plan on making) from various sources which is partially why I have been offline. RESTOCKING! My favorite is always www.veganessentials.com because they have almost everything.

BISCUITS!

Let’s start with Mom’s Vegan Kitchen All Purpose Bisquits (http://store.veganessentials.com/vegan-all-purpose-biscuit-mix-by-moms-vegan-kitchen-p3330.aspx).

This is an investment of time. You will need to roll these out twice folding in between and cut that cold soy butter (earth balance) quickly and into small pieces keeping in mind the whole bag is not the serving size directed on the back of the bag for isntructions. They do it based on 2 cups and there are five in the bag.

Next issue, you need to make them as high as possible as they do not rise much. I would also advise adding extra plain soymilk. After they get cool they dry out a little.

Last issue, my husband said they were too salty once you add butter and applied marmalade instead to contract with sweetness. They were delcious but had to stay warm or they got dry and a little hard. I added homemade hash browns for him (diced russet potatoes, earth balance, bell peppers, onions, and salt/pepper) and he was happy.

What about you folks? Too salty? Better way to make them moist? How about a different brand? Should I try the Joy of Vegan Baking recipe next time?

NEXT….

Butternut Squash Macaroni

Recipe from Whole Foods: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2349?utm_source=email&utm_medium=Grocery&utm_term=Vegan&utm_content=Recipe&utm_campaign=2012_10_03_Recipes

I got this recipe in my inbox and the picture looked amazing so I was in! This makes your whole house smell like thanksgiving and is relatively simple to make. I call it a dump and go. You dump most of the ingredients into your cooking pots and pans and heat. There is chopping of the squash involved but I am sure there is a way to buy it pre-chopped. However, I happened to have a whole squash from a friend’s CSA that she got too many of. Score for me!

My suggestions: Use any nut you want. I used pecans because that is what I had in the house. Nest, don’t use panko breadcrumbs. Go for a hearty breadcrumb or even a stuffing on top. It needs the saltyness. Mine was way undersalted despite salting everything individually. I swear coconut milk eats up salt magically!

Overall: This came out delicious. If I weren’t vegan I would still eat it. You can make it into a casserole and add faux chicken and other veggies and top it with stuffing and make it the yummiest Thanksgiving side dish ever. I love this recipe with my whole heart!

TELL ME HOW YOU MAKE OUT WITH A DIFFERENT BREADCRUMB!

NEXT…..

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Recipe: www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com

First if you haven’t heard of Mavis and her goal to only spend $100 a month on groceries while growing the rest in her 1 acre yard in the great Northwest, well you need to! I look forward to her blog and its insights, hilarity, coupons, and guidance each night. She posts recipes for all types omnis to vegans. She has her own chickens, gardens, bartering neighbors, and nicknames for all. I love to read about how her life is and what it is like to be an urban farmer in essence while being green and thrifty. But I love it most when she shares her vegan recipes from her garden of goodies!

This week was pumpkin chocolate chip bars.

The good: They are sweet and yummy and you can portion them out in muffin tins.

The bad: My husband ate almost all the chocolate chips (365 vegan semi-sweet) so I had to sub 2/3 of them for pecans.

The ugly: I am on Weight Watchers and I can’t eat them all! However the hubby has eaten three (3) in less than 12 hours and we were sleeping for most of that.

Tricks? If you don’t ave pumpkin pie spice, use the canned pumpkin pie mix instead of pure pumpkin because it is literally the pure pumpkin with the spice. Time saver!

TOO SWEET? TOO PUMPKIN-Y? RECIPES CHANGES YOU SUGGEST?

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So… I will be back at the end of this week with some more recipes for your holiday needs. I keep promising to post my spinach artichoke recipe and I WILL! I finally found where I wrote it our for a friend so it will go up on here as well. I also made a fabulous everyday sundried tomato cream sauce last night and I may have to post that as well. It was super quick to make and I loved it. My husband however just broke the news to me last night that he prefers marinara so I won’t have an omnivore take on this one! He does love my apple caramel pies though so I will place that up with it.

Happy Herbivore Eating Everyone! Keep it hip and take it with you!

XOXOX, The Hippie Gypsy

Thanksgiving Vegan Recipe Testing!

So I spent the weekend doing two things:

1. Testing delcious recipes for Thanksgiving, and

BISCUITS!

Let’s start with Mom’s Vegan Kitchen All Purpose Bisquits (http://store.veganessentials.com/vegan-all-purpose-biscuit-mix-by-moms-vegan-kitchen-p3330.aspx).

Next issue, you need to make them as high as possible as they do not rise much. I would also advise adding extra plain soymilk. After they get cool they dry out a little.

What about you folks? Too salty? Better way to make them moist? How about a different brand? Should I try the Joy of Vegan Baking recipe next time?

NEXT….

Butternut Squash Macaroni

Recipe from Whole Foods: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2349?utm_source=email&utm_medium=Grocery&utm_term=Vegan&utm_content=Recipe&utm_campaign=2012_10_03_Recipes

TELL ME HOW YOU MAKE OUT WITH A DIFFERENT BREADCRUMB!

NEXT…..

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

Recipe: www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com

This week was pumpkin chocolate chip bars.

The good: They are sweet and yummy and you can portion them out in muffin tins.

The bad: My husband ate almost all the chocolate chips (365 vegan semi-sweet) so I had to sub 2/3 of them for pecans.

The ugly: I am on Weight Watchers and I can’t eat them all! However the hubby has eaten three (3) in less than 12 hours and we were sleeping for most of that.

Tricks? If you don’t ave pumpkin pie spice, use the canned pumpkin pie mix instead of pure pumpkin because it is literally the pure pumpkin with the spice. Time saver!

TOO SWEET? TOO PUMPKIN-Y? RECIPES CHANGES YOU SUGGEST?

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Happy Herbivore Eating Everyone! Keep it hip and take it with you!

XOXOX, The Hippie Gypsy

Buenos Dias, it’s Chili Time!

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Meatless Monday Family Dinners and tagged with black beans, chili, Easy, garlic, jalapenos, Party, potluck, recipe, slow cooker, soup, spicy, tofurky, tomato, Vegan, what to eat, what vegans eat June 26, 2012

When I was in college my mother joined Weight Watchers and as a result of her amazing “2 Point” chili recipe she procured from the group I lost 30lbs in my freshman year. It was THAT good and oddly THAT healthy and definitely THAT easy to make. I call it a “DUMP” recipe. Most stuff just gets dumped in a pot or pan and VOILA! However it has ground turkey and powdered milk in it so I had to remake that delicious recipe for myself this past year. Making it without the turkey was okay and the powder being omitted didn’t phase me but I needed more bulk. So I would like to thank Tofurky once again for their delicious ground bits that are supposed to be similar to ground hamburger meat. This bulked it up and made it a staple in my home again!

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Ingredients:

GROUND MEAT MIXTURE:

1 package Tofurky Ground Beef

1tsp kosher salt

2tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp lemon peel

2 tbsp dried crushed jalapenos

1 tbsp seasoned salt or Penzey’s Sandwich sprinkle

1/4 cup dried Red & Green Bell Pepper flakes

1/8 cup ground cumin

VEGGIE MIXTURE:

2 large cans of diced tomatoes

1 large can of black beans (1lb. 13 oz.)

1/2 tsp Ground Red Chipotle

1/2 tsp smoked spanish paprika

1/4 cup ground cumin

1/8 cup chili powder

2 tbsp dried basil

1/8 cup granulated garlic powder

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TIME TO COOK!

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Place Tofurky Meat, oil, and salt into the bottom of a large sauce pan (like one you would make a gallon of tomato sauce in!).

Cook on Medium High until oil has mostly cooked off and the meat has cooked down.

Add additional “meat” spices listed and toss until everything has combined and cooked down.

Next, begin adding Veggie mixture adding the tomatoes and beans first.

Then slowly begin mixing in spices.

Add more chili powder, garlic, salt ,or cumin to taste for a richer sauce or even a dash of hot sauce!

I find extra chili powder and cumin really rounds out the flavor. Use mild or plain chili powder if you are sensitive to spice for the flavor without the heat.

Cook down for about 30-45mins. Serve hot with rice, corn tortilla chips, and/or fresh corn tortillas!

Quick Lunch: Oriental Ramen with Veggies

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, QUICKIES!, Traveling Vegan and tagged with Easy, Fast, Low Ingredient, noodle, quick, ramen, soup, travel, Vegan, what to eat, what vegans eat June 22, 2012

When I go to work I always keep a few standby items in my drawer. One is everyone’s favorite college favorite: Ramen noodles. I get the “Oriental” flavor of Ramen and leave the dehydrated bricks in my drawer for a fast lunch. However, I am ever so aware of the sodium content and lack of veggies so I usually grab leftover veggies from my fridge and bring them into work so I can make myself a quick ramen lunch. My favorite veggies with the ramen are broccoli and edamame. I will be honest about the fact I do not LOVE edamame but when you can grab it from the freezer and toss it in a microwave so easily and it is filled with protein, I am in. So here is what I had for lunch yesterday. I encourage you to add any veggies you want and maybe even spice it up with some sesame seeds or peanuts or bean sprouts or shredded carrots and make a proper ramen soup (but on the go)!

Ingredients:

Ramen Noodle Soup (Oriental Flavor)
1-2cups leftover veggies or 1/2-1 cup of frozen veggies
water

Break up ramen noodles and place in bowl with water.
Place frozen veggies with some water or leftover veggies with no water into a bowl.
Place both bowls in microwave for 3-4 minutes.
Dump veggies into ramen noodle soup and enjoy!

Optional additionals: lemongrass, peanuts, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, cabbage, bokchoy, or whatever else you can find in the fridge!

Curried Pumpkin Kale Soup for Beginner Vegans

Posted by LD in Beginner Recipes, Meatless Monday Appetizers, Meatless Monday Family Dinners and tagged with Coconut, curry, Easy, Fast, kale, pumpkin, soup, Vegan June 5, 2012

So I was in Kauai on my honeymoon and stumbled upon Cafe Coco on the main highway just north of Lihue. It is set back a bit but after researching various vegetarian and vegan friendly establishments I was sure that I would be okay here. The Frommers guide had promised me and I took that promise as an oath, mostly because I was tired and hungry. So my reluctant carnivore husband gave up his dinner plans of Luau Style Pork Feasts and entertained my request and in we walked to a small mostly outdoor cafe set far from the road with a family like atmosphere. The owner was there and two staff a waitress and cook, but more importantly a third unofficial staff member was a medium sized, dark-colored cat. The cat had been there longer than the restaurant we were told by the owner and waitress. I thought this was wonderful that the cat was the keeper of this place and it seemed almost romantic to have a cat that was a caretaker of a cafe specializing in vegan and vegetarian options (although it does have limited fish and chicken dishes).

When it was time to order I was delighted to see that most of the meals were accompanied by a Pumpkin Soup and a salad. I ordered the samosas (the first night) and when they came they lost their thunder to my first spoonful of the pumpkin soup. I later told the waitress and owner that I would move here just for her soup and work in her kitchen for free. She laughed and stated she would put me to work if I kept coming. I did keep coming for those 2 weeks however, I never crossed paths with the owner after that. Only her cat and her cookies and the soup.

So it inspired me when I got home to find out how she made this recipe and I set to mimicking it the best I could. Turns out the recipe I created is not very complicated and is a “dump” and mix kind of deal. So please try this recipe even if you think it’s too warm out or you hate curry. It is worth every taste, every drop, it is an experience.

1 CAN Coconut Milk (don’t use the bottled kind its different in terms of fat content and texture)
2 cans Pumpkin (pureed not chunky)
1 tbsp curry powder (I use Balti by Penzey’s Spices)
4 cups vegetable broth (you can use 4 condensed liquid packets with 4 cups water)
1 pinch kosher salt
1 cup apple cider (I use Simply Apple Juice since it is available year round)
1 onion or equivalent dehydrated onion pieces
3 cloves garlic or equivalent granulated powder/pieces
1 bunch kale deveined and finely chopped (I use herb scissors)
1/8 cup olive oil

Place all items, except kale, over medium in large sauce pan.