Chickpea Salad Sandwich

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas

1/4 of red onion chopped

1 stalk of celery chopped

1 teaspoon of honey

1 teaspoon of honey dijon mustard

2 tablespoons of sweet pickle relish

1/4 of a red pimiento (roasted red pepper) chopped

1 tablespoon vegan mayonaise

1 teaspoon lemon juice

salt & pepper

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and mash with a fork, leaving a few beans whole.

Add the remaining ingredients and spread on your favorite bread and garnish with lettuce, tomato or onion.  Mixture will keep covered in refrigerator for 4-5 days.  Makes a quick and nutritious lunch.

Tofu Cashew Mayonnaise

1/4 cup raw cashews, soak in water for 2-3 hours and then drain

7 ounces extra-firm tofu

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon tahini

4 teaspoons lemon juice

1-1/2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2-1/2 teaspoons agave nectar

2 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon xantham gum (Bob's Red Mill)

Place all ingredients in a Vitamix or other blender.  Blend until smooth and shiny.

Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.  Keeps well for a couple weeks.  Use this mayonnaise for sandwiches, dressings and sauces.

Tonite's Dinner was a Hit!!!

Black Beans, Brown Rice and Polenta Circles with Gravy

Cuban Black Beans

2 cans of Black Beans (do not drain)

1/2 of an onion

1 teaspoon of minced garlic (or 3 roasted garlic cloves masked with fork)

1/2 of a red pepper

1 large bay leave broken in two (take out before eating)

1/4 teaspoon of sugar

1 tablespoon of white wine

1 tablespoon of red vinegar

small pinch of cumin

small pinch of oregano

salt & pepper to taste

Saute vegetables with a little water and 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil for about 5 minutes.

Add rest of ingredients and simmer with lid slightly tipped for about 20 minutes, until the liquid has thickened a little.  Serve over brown rice.

Sliced Polenta

1 roll of Polenta sliced into 3/8" slices.  Cook on a slightly oiled frying pan.  Season with garlic powder, onion powder and seasoned salt.  Flip a few times until they are a little crispy and serve plain or with gravy below.

Scallion and Mushroom Gravy

I really do not have exact measurements for this gravy but it is very easy to make.  

3-4 scallions sliced thin

2 baby bella mushrooms and stems chopped

1/4 of a roasted pimiento chopped

1 tablespoon bourbon

3-4 sprays of liquid aminos (or about 1 teaspoon)

3 roasted garlic cloves mashed with a fork

1 teaspoon of capers (optional)

1 cup of water

1 teaspoon of arrowroot (replaces corn starch as a thickener)

black pepper or red pepper to bring it up a notch

Saute vegetables with spices and a little water.  Make sure to cook down the bourbon.  Mix the arrowroot in the water and add to pan.  Stir everything together until bubbly and thickened.

This is a tasty gravy that may be used for a variety of dishes, including mashed potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes

Boil quartered potatoes in salted water until done.  Drain most of the water, but leave about a half an inch in the pan.  Add some unsweetened coconut milk to pan and warm over flame, add a couple tablespoons of plain almond milk yogurt (or if making 3 lbs or more the whole container works well).  Remove from flame and bring to the sink.  Use a hand mixer to blend the potatoes right in the pan, add more milk if needed.  Season with salt and pepper.  No butter needed!

Millet Patties  (no pictures since we ate them so fast!)

1 cup Whole Grain Millet Grits (Bob's Red Mill)

1/2 of a red onion, minced

1 medium carrot, finely shredded

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 of a jalapeno pepper finely chopped (optional)

1 teaspoon dry parsley

1 tablespoon flax seed meal

salt & pepper to taste

Add 2 cups of water to a covered pot and add all ingredients.  Cook covered on low flame for 15 minutes (or in a rice cooker) remove from heat and stir in flax meal.  Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes.  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper sprayed with a little oil.  Use an ice cream scoop to measure  large-sized balls (it will be sticky).  Leave room to press them flat.  This should make about 8 patties.  When you have all the balls on the baking sheet, take a wet spatula and flatten to make a patty.  Spray some oil and bake for 20-30 minutes.  Flip half-way through, very carefully as they will be soft still.  Patties will harden as they cook.  Last few minutes of cooking, turn broiler on and brown a little more.  Enjoy plain or with your favorite sauce.  

Black Bean Vegan Patties

(a favorite of hubby and son--very strong critics!!!)

1-1/2 cups cooked brown rice (approx. 1/2 cup of raw rice)

2 cups cooked black beans, drained*

1/2  of a large onion, chopped

1/2 of a small zucchini, chopped

3 cloves mashed roasted garlic (see next recipe)

1/2 of a roasted pimento, minced

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (healthier alternate to corn starch)

3 tablespoons oat bran cereal (Bob's Red Mill)

1 tablespoon flax seed meal

1 tablespoon brown rice flour (you can substitute other flours)

Seasonings to taste of the following:  garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, black pepper and

if you like spicy, you may add a little red pepper as well.

Mash beans with a fork so there are small pieces here and there.  In a small bowl mix arrowroot, oat bran, flax seed meal and rice flour and add to beans.  Set mixture aside.  In a small skillet sautee onion and zucchini until soft then add the pimento and roasted garlic.  Add your seasonings to the onion/zucchini mixture--seasonings of your choice or my suggestion above.  Add the onion/zuchini mixture to bean mixture and mix well--taste to see if you need any more salt or seasonings at this time.  Set aside for about 15 minutes.  When you are ready to cook, heat a non-stick skillet lightly rubbed with oil.  Form meatball-sized balls and place ball in skillet, leaving space around each one (do not flatten yet!)  When they have browned on bottom squish down with a firm spatula to form thin patties.  Continue cooking on medium/heat turning so each side gets browned and crispy.  You may bake them if preferred on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and flip half way through.

*You can use canned beans or dry beans.  If using dry beans you will need to soak overnight in a bowl filled with water covering beans plus 2 more inches.  When ready to cook rinse beans and pick through them to make sure there are no foreign objects or beans that don't like normal.  Place in a pot add water to cover beans and boil on low with a little salt for about 40 minutes.  Taste several beans to see if they are done.  If you are not using all the beans, save some of the water you cooked them in and store in refrigerator until you are ready to use them.

Roasted Garlic

Set oven to 400 degrees.  Remove as much of the paper-thin skin from several garlic bulbs so you can see the separated cloves.  Leaving the bulb intact, cut the tips off the tops, exposing the flesh of each garlic clove.  Drizzle a little olive oil on tops, wrap in foil and bake on a tray for 40 minutes.  I just love the way this smells!!!  Store in an airtight container in refrigerator and use for cooking anything where you want garlic flavor.  To remove the flesh from skins just push up and it will just slip right out of skins.

Tofu Panko Breaded Cutlets

with

Lemon Caper Sauce

Last night I made mashed potatoes for dinner--my husband's favorite side dish.  I was wondering what to make to go with it and decided to try tofu cutlets.  They are very easy to make and delicious.  They were a hit with my whole family.

Unfortunately, they were all gone before I could get a picture of them.

Here's the recipe--a little bit of this and that--I have no exact amounts.

1 container of Extra Firm Tofu

Italian Salad Dressing (Annie's Tuscany Italian)

Garlic Powder

Seasoned Salt

Black Pepper

Whole Wheat Panko Bread Crumbs

Early in the day remove tofu from package and drain most of the water out of it.  I use a strainer and fill a small storage container with water and place on top of the tofu block to heavy it down so water comes out of the tofu.  Rest strainer in bowl so water drips down and stays away from tofu.  

When tofu has drained, slice in 3/8" - 1/2" thickness (try not to make too thin) and lay on a platter.  Pour a little dressing on platter and spread and lay tofu slices on top.  Flip over a few times to cover slices completely on all sides.  Add a little more dressing if necessary.  Sprinkle some garlic powder, seasoned salt and black pepper on the cutlets.  Get a baking sheet ready with some parchment paper and lightly spray or rub with olive oil.  Pour Panko bread crumbs on plate and tap the tofu cutlets with bread crumbs so all sides are covered--don't be afraid to press down a little--careful not to break them.  Lay cutlets on baking tray and spray with olive oil.  Sprinkle more garlic powder and a little seasoned salt on top.

Bake for 40 minutes on 400 degrees.  No need to flip them.  

While cutlets are cooking make your lemon sauce.  

- Juice of one large lemon or two smaller ones

- Grate some of the skin from the lemon to add zest to sauce (about two teaspoons)--

  add more later if you want it extra lemony

- Pour in a small bowl and add about 3/4 cup of water 

- 1/4 teaspoon of vegetable broth (I like to use the powdered one with dried parsley in it)--

  but any broth is fine.  You can also use liquid broth in place of the water.

- 1 rounded teaspoon of arrowroot powder or corn starch

- Some chopped fresh parsley or dried is fine too

- 2 teaspoons of capers if you have ( have made it without them and it's still good)

- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic

- 1 tablespoon of white wine

Cook in small saucepan and stir with a whisk until it boils and thickens a bit.

This lemon sauce is also good on the mashed potatoes!

Let me know how you like it in the comments section.

Thank you!

Couscous & White Bean Soup

1/2 chopped onion

3 cloves roasted garlic*

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 large carrot cut in small pieces

1/2 cup whole pearl couscous (Bob's Red Mill)

1 small can tomato sauce or marinara sauce

3 plum tomatoes, finely chopped

1 teaspoon of vegetable broth paste

1-2 cups cabbage cut into small chunks

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed

pinch of dried Italian Seasoning

seasoned salt & black pepper to taste

sprinkle of red pepper (optional)

6 cups of water

Add all ingredients to a 4-quart pot, add water so it is filled up to 2 inches from the top.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  In a separate pot boil water and cook the couscous for 10 minutes and add to the soup at the end of the cooking time and cook an additional 5 minutes to heat through.  Taste and add more seasonings if necessary.

*To roast garlic, remove as much of the thin papery skin from outside of garlic bulb.  Cut the top tips, sprinkle a little olive oil on top and wrap well.  Cook for 40 minutes at 400 degrees.  I like to make several at one time and keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container to use instead of raw garlic in all my recipes.

Everyone in our family enjoyed this easy-to-make vegan soup.

Pumpkin & Cranberry Breakfast Muffins

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (Bob's Red Mill)

1 cup barley flour (Bob's Red Mill) or use whole wheat pastry flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cardamon (optional)

1/4 cup almond butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened almond vanilla milk or unsweetened almond milk
1 15 oz canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon each of flax meal, bran and wheat germ
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries preferably unsweetened

In a big bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.  In a smaller bowl mix together the almond butter and brown sugar until creamy.  Stir in milk, pumpkin, vanilla, flax meal, bran and wheat germ until the ingredients are mixed well--let mixture sit for 5 minutes.  Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.  Add the chopped walnuts and cranberries and blend just until it is evenly mixed.  The mixture will be thick.

Slightly oil a muffin tin and turn oven to 375 degrees.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes and remove from tin onto a cooling rack.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator and warm in microwave or toaster.

Acorn Squash Soup

1 acorn squash

1/4 red bell pepper diced

1/4 of a jalapeno pepper chopped (optional)

1//2 sweet onion diced

1 large carrot diced

2 celery stalks diced

1 medium potato

1 tablespoon soft paste vegetable broth concentrate

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

1/4 cup of coconut milk

Seasoned Salt & Pepper to taste

A tiny sprinkle of cinnamon (sprinkle on palm first and carefully add very little to soup)

Cut acorn squash in half and place flesh down in baking dish with 1/2 inch of water and microwave for 10 minutes or until soft enough to spoon out of its skin.  Place squash in a 4-quart pot and add all the rest of the ingredients.  Add water to about 2 inches from the top of pot.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Cool slightly and place in Vitamix Blender and puree.  Mix the arrowroot powder with the coconut milk and add to soup.  Bring to boil and serve.  Enjoy!