This isn't really a recipe, just an idea I had for making a bagel a little more interesting. I used to really enjoy lox on a bagel, and the capers to boot were just to die for. I still eat fish on occasion(I could never give up sushi completely), but if red peppers do the trick, why use salmon? You're welcome, little fishy.
1 bagel (vegan, of course - check the ingredients)
2 to 4 T. vegan cream cheese (you can make your own from the UnCheese Cookbook or use store-bought)
1 T. capers
6 thin strips roasted red pepper - make your own from the instructions on this blog! :o)
1/2 small avocado, sliced
Toast bagel. Smear with cream cheese. Top with capers, peppers and avocado. Serve open faced or sandwich-style. Yum!
Variations: Add thinly sliced onion. Add spinach if going sandwich style (I didn't have any, sad).
Tip: Have trouble with avocados and getting them out of that annoying little peel? Here's what you do: Slice in half, then whack the pit with a large butcher knife. Twist gently to remove the pit. Keep the pit if you're not using the whole avocado - if you stick it in the container with the leftover avocado it helps keep the avocado from turning brown. While the avocado is still in the peel, cut gently with a knife, either in strips or cubes, all the way down to the peel - but don't go all the way through! Use a small spoon (like what you would use for cereal) to gently scoop the fruit away from the peel. Easy!
Thursday, November 4
Wednesday, November 3
Asparagus and Delicata Squash
The barley makes this so chewey, nutty and delicious. I topped it with homemade alfredo sauce (from this blog) and it was absolutely delish. The delicata squash is probably my favorite, and who doesn't love asparagus? This was a win-win-win. :o)
1 large delicata squash
Drizzle olive oil
Real Salt
1 c. dry barley
1/2 lb. asparagus spears
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice delicata squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in shallow baking dish and add enough water to make about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until very tender. Remove from oven, let cool, and remove flesh from skin. Cut into small cubes.
Once squash is in the oven, bring 3 cups of hot water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add barley, return to boil, and simmer for about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain when cooked. Note: if you use pearled barley (which is the equivalent of white rice) it will take much less time to cook. For nutrition and taste, opt for hulled barley whenever possible.
Pour about 2 inches of water in a large skillet and bring to a boil. To prep asparagus, trim the rough, woody ends from the bottom. Cut remainder of stalks into 2 inch segments. Boil in skillet for about 5 minutes or just until tender when pierced with a fork. Do not overcook! Well, if you like mush then overcook, but if you don't, stop at 5 minutes. Drain hot water immediately. (This is a good chance to reserve the "broth" for other recipes.)
Measure out 1/2 cup barley each on four serving plates. Top with 1/4 of the squash and 1/4 of the asparagus. Top with homemade alfredo sauce. If desired, sprinkle hemp or sunflower seeds.
1 large delicata squash
Drizzle olive oil
Real Salt
1 c. dry barley
1/2 lb. asparagus spears
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice delicata squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in shallow baking dish and add enough water to make about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until very tender. Remove from oven, let cool, and remove flesh from skin. Cut into small cubes.
Once squash is in the oven, bring 3 cups of hot water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add barley, return to boil, and simmer for about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain when cooked. Note: if you use pearled barley (which is the equivalent of white rice) it will take much less time to cook. For nutrition and taste, opt for hulled barley whenever possible.
Pour about 2 inches of water in a large skillet and bring to a boil. To prep asparagus, trim the rough, woody ends from the bottom. Cut remainder of stalks into 2 inch segments. Boil in skillet for about 5 minutes or just until tender when pierced with a fork. Do not overcook! Well, if you like mush then overcook, but if you don't, stop at 5 minutes. Drain hot water immediately. (This is a good chance to reserve the "broth" for other recipes.)
Measure out 1/2 cup barley each on four serving plates. Top with 1/4 of the squash and 1/4 of the asparagus. Top with homemade alfredo sauce. If desired, sprinkle hemp or sunflower seeds.
Wednesday, October 27
Veggie Pizza
We're still LOVING the garden veggies. The fresh zucchini, peppers and tomatoes are real winners. The boys really dislike vegan cheeses, so I must confess I use dairy cheese for things like pizza where it's going to make a big difference. We've been really busy so I have also been using commercially prepared pizza crust mix which is NOT vegan (sadness), but it does get the kids to eat their veggies. In a perfect world I would make the pizza crust from scratch and omit the cheese entirely. :o)
1 c. homemade pizza sauce (recipe will follow)
1 pizza crust, homemade or commercially prepared
1/2 small zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced
1/4 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small tomato, cored with seeds removed and diced
1 c. cheese (if using - can substitute vegan cheese if preferred)
Homemade Pizza Sauce
12 small tomatoes
4 cloves garlic*
1 T. basil
1 T. oregano
1 to 2 t. Real Salt
1/8 c. Nutritional Yeast
Halve tomatoes and put in blender with garlic cloves*. If you have a BlendTec, process on the Whole Juice cycle. If you don't have a BlendTec, process on medium-high speed until completely smooth. This takes about a minute.
Pour tomato mixture into a medium saucepan. Add basil, oregano and salt, adjusting for desired taste if necessary. Keep in mind that flavors will intensify as they cook. Simmer over medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes or until sauce is a deep red and has reduced in volume. Add nutritional yeast, stir to combine, and cook another minute or two. Let cool slightly while preparing the rest of the pizza. Makes more than you will need for one pizza - store the rest in the refrigerator for a few days. :o)
Meanwhile, continue with your pizza....
Prepare pizza crust if making. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake crust for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven and top with sauce, vegetables and cheese, if using. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust edges are golden brown.
One pizza does NOT satiate my two teenage boys. I either have to offer a substantial side dish (large salad, steamed broccoli, etc) or I have to make two pizzas.
*Note: If you are using a BlendTec or other high powered blender, it is not necessary to remove the little papers from the garlic cloves - they will blend right up and you won't even know they're there! That's enough incentive for me to get the blender. :o) If you're using a regular blender, remove the ends and papers.
1 c. homemade pizza sauce (recipe will follow)
1 pizza crust, homemade or commercially prepared
1/2 small zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced
1/4 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small tomato, cored with seeds removed and diced
1 c. cheese (if using - can substitute vegan cheese if preferred)
Homemade Pizza Sauce
12 small tomatoes
4 cloves garlic*
1 T. basil
1 T. oregano
1 to 2 t. Real Salt
1/8 c. Nutritional Yeast
Halve tomatoes and put in blender with garlic cloves*. If you have a BlendTec, process on the Whole Juice cycle. If you don't have a BlendTec, process on medium-high speed until completely smooth. This takes about a minute.
Pour tomato mixture into a medium saucepan. Add basil, oregano and salt, adjusting for desired taste if necessary. Keep in mind that flavors will intensify as they cook. Simmer over medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes or until sauce is a deep red and has reduced in volume. Add nutritional yeast, stir to combine, and cook another minute or two. Let cool slightly while preparing the rest of the pizza. Makes more than you will need for one pizza - store the rest in the refrigerator for a few days. :o)
Meanwhile, continue with your pizza....
Prepare pizza crust if making. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake crust for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven and top with sauce, vegetables and cheese, if using. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust edges are golden brown.
One pizza does NOT satiate my two teenage boys. I either have to offer a substantial side dish (large salad, steamed broccoli, etc) or I have to make two pizzas.
*Note: If you are using a BlendTec or other high powered blender, it is not necessary to remove the little papers from the garlic cloves - they will blend right up and you won't even know they're there! That's enough incentive for me to get the blender. :o) If you're using a regular blender, remove the ends and papers.
Cashew Sour "Cream"
I totally have to give props to Vegan Coach and Sassy Knutson for this, although I did tweak her version a little to suit my own personal taste. It's absolutely unbeatable when it comes to something creamy for spreading in a burrito or dalloping on a potato. The cashews are a "healthy fat" so it's super creamy. You really do need a high power blender for this, because it will stay a little too chunky in a regular blender or food processor.
1 1/2 c. raw cashews
1 t. raw apple cider vinegar
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. Real Salt
1 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. white or yellow miso
1 t. olive oil
Soak cashews in very hot water for at least 30 minutes. Use enough hot water to completely cover the nuts, keeping in mind they will expand slightly as they soak. Drain, but reserve water and set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients in a blender. Add a small amount of the reserved soaking water (a tablespoon or so) and process, on very high speed (I used speed 9 in my BlendTec), for about 15 seconds. Stop and scrape sides. If mixture is too thick while processing, add a little more water at a time until it will process easily. Taste mixture, adding additional salt, vinegar or lemon juice if needed. Continue processing, 15 seconds at a time and scraping sides of blender in between, until all nuts are blended and mixture is creamy. Keep in mind you want the final consistency to be like sour cream. It takes some work, so be patient!
Makes about 1 cup of sour cream. If you're not using it all right away, it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week.
1 1/2 c. raw cashews
1 t. raw apple cider vinegar
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. Real Salt
1 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. white or yellow miso
1 t. olive oil
Soak cashews in very hot water for at least 30 minutes. Use enough hot water to completely cover the nuts, keeping in mind they will expand slightly as they soak. Drain, but reserve water and set aside.
Combine remaining ingredients in a blender. Add a small amount of the reserved soaking water (a tablespoon or so) and process, on very high speed (I used speed 9 in my BlendTec), for about 15 seconds. Stop and scrape sides. If mixture is too thick while processing, add a little more water at a time until it will process easily. Taste mixture, adding additional salt, vinegar or lemon juice if needed. Continue processing, 15 seconds at a time and scraping sides of blender in between, until all nuts are blended and mixture is creamy. Keep in mind you want the final consistency to be like sour cream. It takes some work, so be patient!
Makes about 1 cup of sour cream. If you're not using it all right away, it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week.
Thursday, October 21
Garden-Fresh Breakfast Burrito
We helped my mom "put the garden to sleep" last weekend, which means we came home with bags and bags of veggies from her garden. I get tired of eating oatmeal every morning (which is usually breakfast because I'm in a rush) and I needed to use up the veggies before they went bad. The bell pepper and zucchini I used in this reciep were VERY tiny, so it worked well for a single burrito. If you have bigger veggies simply use half and save the other half for later.
Olive oil
1 very small green bell pepper (or other pepper), thinly sliced
1/4 yellow onion, thinly sliced into half-moon pieces
1 very tiny zucchini (or half a regular small zucchini), thinly sliced
1/2 t. Southwestern seasoning
2 small roma tomatoes
1 burrito-sized tortilla
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add pepper and onions, sauteeing until almost soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add zucchini and southwestern seasoning. Stir to evenly distribute seasoning and cook another 2 minutes.
Cut tomatoes lengthwise into quarters. Remove seeds and liquid-y centers, if desired*. (I did this because I was going to be eating it in my new car on the way to work and I didn't want burrito juice going everywhere.) Slice thinly.
Heat tortilla in a dry skillet, over a gas flame or in microwave for 10 seconds, just long enough to soften. Spread tomatoes evenly across center of tortilla. Top with cooked veggies. Add vegan sour cream, if desired. Fold bottom up, then fold sides over to form a burrito.
Makes 1 serving. If you want more than one burrito, just cook and slice more veggies.
*Note: The easiest way I have found to do this is to quarter the tomato and then slide your thumb under the seeds under cold running water.
Tip: Most veggies can be frozen for later use with very little impact on quality. For example, if I dice or slice a whole onion and only use half, I toss it in an airtight container or baggie and save it for next time. My mom likes to carmelize large batches of garlic and freeze it. You can do the same thing with peppers and other veggies. Some veggies require blanching before freezing, like spinach and broccoli. Having veggies ready to go ahead of time really cuts down on porep time, making it easier to create a vegan masterpiece.
Variations: Use any veggies you have on hand. Consider mushrooms, potatoes, avocado, spinach, broccoli, etc. I can't think of a veggie that would NOT go well sauteed up and put in a tortilla. Also consider adding grains like Quinoa or brown rice.
Olive oil
1 very small green bell pepper (or other pepper), thinly sliced
1/4 yellow onion, thinly sliced into half-moon pieces
1 very tiny zucchini (or half a regular small zucchini), thinly sliced
1/2 t. Southwestern seasoning
2 small roma tomatoes
1 burrito-sized tortilla
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add pepper and onions, sauteeing until almost soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add zucchini and southwestern seasoning. Stir to evenly distribute seasoning and cook another 2 minutes.
Cut tomatoes lengthwise into quarters. Remove seeds and liquid-y centers, if desired*. (I did this because I was going to be eating it in my new car on the way to work and I didn't want burrito juice going everywhere.) Slice thinly.
Heat tortilla in a dry skillet, over a gas flame or in microwave for 10 seconds, just long enough to soften. Spread tomatoes evenly across center of tortilla. Top with cooked veggies. Add vegan sour cream, if desired. Fold bottom up, then fold sides over to form a burrito.
Makes 1 serving. If you want more than one burrito, just cook and slice more veggies.
*Note: The easiest way I have found to do this is to quarter the tomato and then slide your thumb under the seeds under cold running water.
Tip: Most veggies can be frozen for later use with very little impact on quality. For example, if I dice or slice a whole onion and only use half, I toss it in an airtight container or baggie and save it for next time. My mom likes to carmelize large batches of garlic and freeze it. You can do the same thing with peppers and other veggies. Some veggies require blanching before freezing, like spinach and broccoli. Having veggies ready to go ahead of time really cuts down on porep time, making it easier to create a vegan masterpiece.
Variations: Use any veggies you have on hand. Consider mushrooms, potatoes, avocado, spinach, broccoli, etc. I can't think of a veggie that would NOT go well sauteed up and put in a tortilla. Also consider adding grains like Quinoa or brown rice.
Wednesday, October 20
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
It's Utah, it's autumn, and everyone has an abundance of tomatoes. It's nearly impossible to give tomatoes away, so when Mom sent me home with five grocery sacks full of these little babies, it was time to get cooking. This recipe is super easy, but allow some time to simmer - the longer it simmers the yummier it will be. My oldest raved about it being the best spaghetti sauce he's ever tasted. I suspect it would work marvelously in a slow cooker, but I haven't tested that yet. :o)
Olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
18 small roma tomatoes*
1 T. basil (more or less to taste)
1 T. oregano (more or less to taste)
1 t. Real Salt (more or less to taste)
1/2 t. cumin (more or less to taste)
2 bay leaves
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a very large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until starting to brown. Meanwhile, prepare tomatoes.
Cut each tomato in half or quarters, depending on the size. Place tomatoes, all at once, in blender (I hope you have a Blend Tec or similar high powered blender, but if you don't, any blender will work). Use "Whole Juice" cycle if using a Blend Tec, or high speed in a regular blender. Tomatoes should be completely pureed. Once pureed, add all at once to hot pan with onions and garlic.
Add basil, oregano, salt and cumin, stirring to combine. Add bay leaves. It will not be very tasty at this point, and it has kind of a pink hue, but be patient. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat. Sauce will darken and thicken as it cooks. Cook at least 30 minutes, but longer if you have time, stirring and adding more seasonings as necessary.
Serve over cooked whole wheat pasta or thinly sliced vegetables - I like zucchini from the Spiralizer. Sauce can be made ahead in larger quantities, if desired. I don't usually have fresh herbs on hand (I tend to kill stuff like that), but fresh herbs would be exponentially delicious.
*Note: Feel free to substitute any kind of tomato. My romas were quite small so I had to use more than would be used for supermarket-sized tomatoes. The tomatoes filled a 1 quart blender almost to the top.
Variations: Spaghetti sauce is a great opportunity to sneak in extra veggies that picky eaters don't seem to mind. Thinly dice or slice carrots, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, bell pepper, spinach or pretty much anything else and cook in the sauce until tender. Yum! :o)
Olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
18 small roma tomatoes*
1 T. basil (more or less to taste)
1 T. oregano (more or less to taste)
1 t. Real Salt (more or less to taste)
1/2 t. cumin (more or less to taste)
2 bay leaves
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a very large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until starting to brown. Meanwhile, prepare tomatoes.
Cut each tomato in half or quarters, depending on the size. Place tomatoes, all at once, in blender (I hope you have a Blend Tec or similar high powered blender, but if you don't, any blender will work). Use "Whole Juice" cycle if using a Blend Tec, or high speed in a regular blender. Tomatoes should be completely pureed. Once pureed, add all at once to hot pan with onions and garlic.
Add basil, oregano, salt and cumin, stirring to combine. Add bay leaves. It will not be very tasty at this point, and it has kind of a pink hue, but be patient. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat. Sauce will darken and thicken as it cooks. Cook at least 30 minutes, but longer if you have time, stirring and adding more seasonings as necessary.
Serve over cooked whole wheat pasta or thinly sliced vegetables - I like zucchini from the Spiralizer. Sauce can be made ahead in larger quantities, if desired. I don't usually have fresh herbs on hand (I tend to kill stuff like that), but fresh herbs would be exponentially delicious.
*Note: Feel free to substitute any kind of tomato. My romas were quite small so I had to use more than would be used for supermarket-sized tomatoes. The tomatoes filled a 1 quart blender almost to the top.
Variations: Spaghetti sauce is a great opportunity to sneak in extra veggies that picky eaters don't seem to mind. Thinly dice or slice carrots, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, bell pepper, spinach or pretty much anything else and cook in the sauce until tender. Yum! :o)
Friday, October 15
Roasted Eggplant with Cream Sauce
I had to make a deal with the boys that they would get ice cream if they ate it, but they ended up liking it anyway! There's something about the word "eggplant" that makes them balk, but they usually end up enjoying the recipes. I would definitely make this again, but I think I overdid it on the nutritional yeast in the sauce. The recipe for the sauce is with the scaled down amount, but feel free to adjust it if necessary.
2 small eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
2 egg replacers (like EnerG)
1 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs
1 12 oz. package firm silken tofu
2 T. dried onion flakes
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. Real Salt
2 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. white or yellow miso paste
Non-dairy milk as needed
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or lightly coat with olive oil. Put breadcrumbs in a 1 gallon plastic bag or pour onto a large dinner plate or similar dish (the bag is much easier). Dip 1/2 eggplant slices in egg mixture, then toss in breadcrumbs. Spread out evenly in baking dish. Repeat with the second half of the eggplant slices. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until eggplant is cooked through, turning eggplant over halfway through baking.
While eggplant is baking, prepare sauce. Put remaining ingredients except non-dairy milk into a blender. Begin processing on slow, adding non-dairy milk a little at a time as needed until a pourable consistency forms. Because we are using dried onion flakes, I recommend blending for at least a minute to incorporate the onion flakes. If you prefer, you can substitute onion powder for the onion flakes (onion flakes are just what I had on hand).
When eggplant is roasted, pour sauce evenly over eggplant slices and place back in oven. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until sauce is heated through. Watch closely to prevent burning. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving, as sauce will be very hot.
Variation: If you prefer, substitute 1 1/2 cups white beans for the tofu. It will be necessary to add additional liquid this way, which can either be additional non-dairy milk, vegetable broth, or water. This will increase the protein and fiber content. Yum! :o)
2 small eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
2 egg replacers (like EnerG)
1 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs
1 12 oz. package firm silken tofu
2 T. dried onion flakes
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. Real Salt
2 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. white or yellow miso paste
Non-dairy milk as needed
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or lightly coat with olive oil. Put breadcrumbs in a 1 gallon plastic bag or pour onto a large dinner plate or similar dish (the bag is much easier). Dip 1/2 eggplant slices in egg mixture, then toss in breadcrumbs. Spread out evenly in baking dish. Repeat with the second half of the eggplant slices. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until eggplant is cooked through, turning eggplant over halfway through baking.
While eggplant is baking, prepare sauce. Put remaining ingredients except non-dairy milk into a blender. Begin processing on slow, adding non-dairy milk a little at a time as needed until a pourable consistency forms. Because we are using dried onion flakes, I recommend blending for at least a minute to incorporate the onion flakes. If you prefer, you can substitute onion powder for the onion flakes (onion flakes are just what I had on hand).
When eggplant is roasted, pour sauce evenly over eggplant slices and place back in oven. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until sauce is heated through. Watch closely to prevent burning. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving, as sauce will be very hot.
Variation: If you prefer, substitute 1 1/2 cups white beans for the tofu. It will be necessary to add additional liquid this way, which can either be additional non-dairy milk, vegetable broth, or water. This will increase the protein and fiber content. Yum! :o)
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