Whole Wheat Pancakes

These are the perfect breakfast, or Mardi Gras snack!  

Sift together:
1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
3 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 t coarse salt

Add:
1 1/2 C soy milk
1/2 t cider vinegar
1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
1 t vanilla
3 T veggie oil

Cook in a hot frying pan coated in oil.  Top with fresh berries, sliced bannanas, vegan margarine, and / or maple syrup.

Crock Pot Bow Ties and 'Cheese'

I was craving my Mom's mac and cheese today.  I put this together, and it turn out to be this rich, creamy dream of a dinner... with lots of leftovers.

In your crock pot, add and stir together:
250 g whole wheat bow ties (about 8 oz)
2 cups shredded vegan cheddar
4 cups soy milk
1 cup shredded vegan mozzarella
2 cubes of veggie bouillon, crumbled with your fingers
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika

Let cook for 1 hour.  Stir, and check to see if the pasta is tender.  If not, stir and check every half hour.  Mine took 1 1/2 hours to cook.

Next time, I'm adding chopped broccoli. 

Grilled 'Cheese'

Joy and trumpets!  Vegan cheddar cheese that melted!

I ordered mild cheddar style Sheese from Le Monde Vegan and tried it for the first time.  It tasted great.  I will never go back!

This afternoon, I used it to make a grilled 'cheese' sandwich, using vegan margarine and whole grain vegan bread.  Awesome.  Topped it off with a cup of homemade vegan veggie-lentil soup, and felt like I'd hit the jackpot.

Shepherd's Pie

This is now my very favorite vegan meal.  No joke.  I could live on this.

Lentils take the place of the meat in this dish, making it rich and filling, perfect for a cold night's dinner.

Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F).

Make vegan mashed potatoes, using vegan milk and butter.  I had leftovers.

Also, if you are not able to find canned cooked lentils in your grocery, you will need to precook a cup of dry lentils following package instructions.

Saute until tender:
1 diced onion
2 carrots, peeled and chopped 
1 stalk celery, chopped

Add the lentils, a small can of corn (if desired), 2 tbsp tomato paste, and a tbsp of soy sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until a thick gravy forms.  Spoon this into a medium sized baking dish.  Top with mashed potatoes.  Sprinkle with nutritional yeast (if desired) and parsley.  

Placed dish on a baking sheet.  Bake for about 20 minutes until the top is golden and the filling is bubbly.

Make Your Own Frozen Bean Burgers

Such a healthy and yummy food to keep in your freezer.  Great for busy days.

I made a large batch of my 'cheesy' bean burgers, then separated them on a baking sheet.  I placed them in the freezer for an hour, then dropped them into a freezer bag.  Now, I have healthy bean burgers whenever I want.


I reheat mine in the microwave for about a minute.

"Ham, Egg, and Cheese" Breakfast Sandwich

I toasted 2 slices of my beer bread from yesterday, added some vegan margarine, then scrambled up some cheesy eggs (see previous post) and sauteed vegan ham.  Put it all together for a hearty and messy breakfast.

Baked Sweet Potatoes

So easy, good and good for you!  Just bake sweet potatoes in oven until tender.  Slice open and top with vegan margarine, salt and pepper.

Cheddar "Cheese"

Don't tell anyone.  I'm pretty sure I can be arrested for this here in France.  ;)    It tastes good, looks right, it shreds, but only softens when heated.  I have yet to solve the melty puzzle.

Here is what you will need...


1  1/2 cups water
Agar-agar - 5 packages of 4 g each (or 3 tbsp)
A small saucepan
A whisk
350 g (12 oz) jar of cashew nut puree ("butter", or make your own by blending raw nuts)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp tomato paste
A mixing bowl and spoon
A plastic container and lid to act as a mold
Pam

In the saucepan, bring the water and agar-agar to a boil, whisking mixture to blend.  Lower heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until the agar-agar is melted and the mixture is thickened.


Mix this and all the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl.  Pour into the plastic container sprayed with Pam.  Cover and chill until firm.  


Turn out onto a serving plate.  Keep covered with plastic wrap when storing.  Will keep about 5 days in fridge.

Grilled Steak Sandwich with Tomatoes and Arugula

Very hearty and satisfying.  Love the peppery crunch of the arugula on top!  

Bean "Cheese" Burger

This was my best burger yet!  Sooooo good!

Open a can of red kidney beans and drain off most, not all of the liquid.  Spoon out 1/2 cup into a bowl.  Mix in 1/8 cup nutritional yeast, 1 small minced shallot, s & p.  Smash until well incorporated.  (For this, I used my grandma's old pastry cutter.  I bet 60 years ago, while making biscuits in her kitchen in backwoods Virginia, she would not have imagined her cutter would end up in France making vegan burgers!)  Add bread crumbs until it starts to come together to hold it's shape, then form into burger.


Saute in some veggie oil until brown on both sides.

Mini Corn Muffin Popovers

These are sweet and light with centers full of air like a standard popover.  My 2-year old daughter loved them so much that she closed her eyes while she ate them so she could taste them better.  (I think she ate 3!)

Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F).  Brush a 12 count muffin tin with veggie oil.  Place in oven to preheat while you prepare the batter.


In a large bowl with a pour spout, sift together...
1 cup corn meal
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt


In a separate bowl, mix...
1 1/2 cups soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup melted margarine, cooled
Pour this mixture into dry ingredients and whisk to combine just until there are no lumps.  Do not over mix.  


Pour evenly into hot muffin cups.  Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

Broccoli "Cheese" Soup

I made my cream of broccoli soup, then thought to myself, why not try for cheese soup.  It was a gamble that paid off big time!

Make cream of broccoli soup from last post.  Whisk in 1/2 cup nutritional yeast and a dash of turmeric (not absolutely necessary, but it makes it the right color, plus it's a superfood that protects against infections...bonus!)  Simmer for 1 minute until bubbly and cheesy.  Somebody give me a spoon!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

This is amazing.  I couldn't tell the difference.

In a medium pot, saute:

2 cups chopped broccoli

1 small chopped onion

in 2 tbsp olive oil, until the onions are translucent and the broccoli is deep green.

Add 2 cups veggie stock (or 2 cups water and 1 large veggie bouillon cube).  Bring to a boil.  Drop heat to simmer.  Add 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (or 1 tbsp dried, rubbed between your hands to wake up the flavor), 1/2 tsp coarse salt, and 1/4 tsp ground pepper.   Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are soft.  Add 20 cl (a large 3/4 cup) of soy cream.  Cook for a minute more until heated through and bubbly.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

My whole family inhaled these.  I maybe got 3, and they were my lunch!  :)

Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F).  Peel sweet potatoes and chop into fries.  Place in a large bowl.  Toss with a generous amount of olive oil and coarse salt until well coated.  Spread out on a baking sheet, or two.  Bake until golden brown on the outside, and soft on the inside, about 20 minutes for medium cut fries.

Steamed Sweet Potato with Broccoli

Mixing two super foods made for a nice lunch today.

I scrubbed a medium sweet potato, pierced it with a fork, and popped it into the microwave for about 8 minutes until a fork easily passed to the center.  Then I chopped broccoli, placed it in a microwave steamer with a little water, and nuked it for 4 minutes.  Drained it, and added it to the sweet potato.  Topped with a little vegan margarine and coarse salt, it was very good.

Melty "Cheese" Sauce

As a new vegan, I really miss cheese.  And, in France, vegan cheese is nearly impossible to get.  (We're talking mail order!  Can you imagine!?!)  I came up with the quick melty "cheese" paste to use on steamed veggies and potatoes.  Not bad at all!

Mix 1 tbsp vegan margarine with 1 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast and a dash of turmeric (for color, and it's a superfood!)  Work into a paste.  Place on warm food and let it melt.  Yum.

Caramelized Potatoes and Onions

My Danish friend, Anne, says that the way to make a house smell like home is to throw some onions in a frying pan.  She may just have something there!

Peel and dice potatoes and onions.  Saute them in a frying pan with some olive oil, fresh flat-leaf parsley, salt and pepper until caramelized.  If the centers of the potatoes are still firm, add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and cook until evaporated.  Repeat this step until the potatoes are tender.

PB&J

Enjoy a lunch straight from your childhood.  Just use whole grain bread to boost the nutrition and fiber.

Instant Mashed Potatoes

Let's face it.  Who has time to always cook a meal from scratch?  I don't.  Tonight, I needed something fast and easy.  These were yummy.

Mix 1/4 cup soy milk, 1/2 cup water, and 1/3 cup instant potato flakes (check the package to be sure they are vegan) in a microwave safe bowl.  Nuke on high for about 1 minute.  Stir, top with salt, pepper and margarine to taste.


Note to self:  Mix rest of package with 1 cup milk and 1 1/4 cup water for the family.

One Pot Lemon Broccoli and Rice

So easy!  Pour 1 cup of basmati rice into a medium sauce pot.  Add 2 cups water, a handful of broccoli florets, half of a lemon (squeezing juice into pot first), some parsley, and s&p.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, drop heat to low, and time for 20 minutes without touching it.  When the timer dings, remove lemon half and fluff with fork.  So good, and high in vitamin C!