Enchiladas with Black Beans and Rice

These are SO GOOD.
adapted from: http://www.motherthyme.com/2012/10/black-bean-and-rice-enchiladas-with.html

shown here served with avocado and salsa

Ingredients:

For Enchilada Sauce:
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup water
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
dash of red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For Enchiladas:
2 cups cooked brown rice (save yourself time and buy one of those microwave pouches of already cooked rice. I bought seeds of change brown rice and quinoa with garlic).
15.5 oz. can black beans - drained and rinsed!
1 cup corn (I used some thawed frozed corn)
1/2 cup chunky salsa
2 cups Mexican cheese
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce (recipe above)
10 6" flour tortillas (I found slightly larger tortillas - maybe 10 inch? package of 8, and the filling fit perfectly in 8 of them)


Instructions

For Enchilada Sauce:
In a small bowl wisk together tomato sauce, water, chili powder, cayenne, pepper flakes, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt and cumin until blended and set aside.
Heat vegetable oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Stir in flour until flour dissolved. Gradually whisk in tomato mixture. Reduce heat to low and stir until sauce thickens, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.Makes 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce.

For Enchiladas:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray non stick cooking spray on a 9"x13" casserole dish and set aside. (I ended up using 1 9x13 pyrex dish plus another 8x8...probably because I had larger tortillas)
In a large bowl combine rice, black beans, corn, salsa, 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Stir until combined.
Divide mixture between each tortilla. Wrap each tortilla and place seam side down in casserole dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top.
Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

NOTES:
To reduce the fat/calories, next time I may half the canola oil and flour (just because the sauce was VERY thick, and I think it would have been fine a little bit thinner). Also might be worth trying low fat or fat free or whole wheat tortillas, low fat cheese, or no-sodium products to make it a little healthier. I'm also wondering if reducing the salt in the sauce will make any difference.

Fettuccine Pesto Alfredo

from: http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/175049/creamy-pesto-fettucine-alfredo

Shown here served with vegetarian chicken (Quorn gruyere cutlet)

Ingredients:
1 package (1 lb) fettuccine (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup pesto (store bought, or home made recipe here)
2 cups heavy cream
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 small heads broccoli (optional - or any type of vegetable you want to add)
salt and pepper to taste
italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, minced garlic to taste (optional)

Directions:
Bring water to a boil and begin cooking pasta according to package directions. Cook until just UNDER al dente.
Cut broccoli into bit-sized florets. Steam for 8 minutes and set aside.
While pasta and broccoli are cooking, make the sauce. Pour the heavy cream and veggie broth into a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Stir in pesto and parmesan and simmer until combined and cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste, plus any other spices you wish (I added some italian seasoning and some garlic and onion powder, and a little bit of minced garlic).
Once sauce is to your liking, put drained pasta and sauce in the same pan. Cook pasta in the sauce for about 10 minutes or until sauce thickens - the starch in the pasta will thicken the sauce. Then, add the broccoli (or any other steamed veggies you are using) and stir well until combined. Serve with some parmesan cheese on top if you wish. We ate it with some vegetarian Quorn gruyere cutlets with some pesto on top.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

from: http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/09/pumpkin-snickerdoodles/

I made these cookies for Thanksgiving and they were AMAZING...even though I burnt the bottoms of half of them! I made the dough the night before I baked them - the dough was actually not a good consistency for rolling. But, after refrigeration, it was much better. I added slightly more pumpkin pie spice to the batter and some to the topping while cutting down on the amount of cinnamon.

Ingredients:
for cookies:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 1.5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
3/4 cup pumpkin puree

for topping:
1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions:
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
With a hand beater/mixer, cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin puree and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour if the consistency is too runny. You could also try adding more flour but I haven't tried this personally!
Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice for rolling in a shallow bowl. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1½-inch ball, roll the ball in the sugar mixture, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart
Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and just beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. (NOTE: I wouldn't recommend leaving them in for more than 10 minutes. Mine somehow burnt.) Cool the cookies on the baking sheets about 5 minutes; using a wide metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Recipe Notes:
The dough can be made through step 3 and either covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen.
To freeze the cookie dough, portion into individual balls, roll in the cinnamon and sugar, and freeze on a parchment- or wax-paper-lined plate (don't let them touch or they will fuse together) until completely firm, 2 to 3 hours. When ready to bake, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and increase the baking time to 17 to 22 minutes.

Vegan Sausage Stuffing

from: http://www.noveleats.com/holidays/vegan-stuffing/

I've made this recipe for Thanksgiving two years in a row now. I usually omit the cranberries at my sister's request and it still turns out great. As someone who hates celery I omitted that the first time, but added it in this time and it was still fine (I just chopped it into small enough pieces). I've found that I usually use more bread than called for in the recipe. I use half white bread and half wheat bread, and just keep adding it until the baking dish is full. If you want to only use one type of bread, one whole loaf should be enough.

Ingredients:

1 loaf whole wheat bread (cut into cubes - you will NOT need the whole loaf)
1 loaf white bread, (cut into cubes - you will NOT need the whole loaf)
1 pound vegetarian/vegan sausage, cut into pieces (frozen is fine) (I used one package of Tofurky Kielbasa)
1 cup onion, chopped
2 tablespoons vegan butter ( I used Earth Balance)
3/4 cup celery, chopped
2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1 1/4 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
6 tablespoons melted vegan butter (Earth Balance)
1 apple, peeled and chopped into small pieces
3/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)
1/3 cup minced parsley
1.5-2 cups vegetable stock

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut your bread into cubes, and put them on baking sheets on a single layer. Bake in the oven for about five to seven minutes. (Note- this time I skipped this step due to lack of time. It turned out okay, but I would recommend not skipping this for risk of too-soggy stuffing).


Gather the ingredients which you will be frying: the vegetarian or vegan sausage, onions, celery, sage, rosemary and thyme.
I chose to cut the Tofurky Kielbasa in half lengthwise, then the two pieces into half lengthwise again, then I chopped them into small pieces.
Chop onions and celery into small pieces.

Fry the vegetarian or vegan sausage and onions in two tablespoons of butter over medium heat till evenly browned, occasionally stirring. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme, and cook for about two minutes, stirring to blend. Remove from heat.
Chop your apples (small pieces) and parsley, and measure out your cranberries. Make sure the cranberries are not clumped together. You want them to mix evenly throughout the stuffing.

Place the toasted bread cubes in a large mixing bowl, then pour the vegetarian or vegan sausage mixture on top of the bread. Pour six tablespoons of melted vegan butter over the mixture, then add the apples, cranberries and parsley. Mix well.


Drizzle with about one cup of the broth until thoroughly moist but not soggy. Mix again. Transfer to a baking dish and allow to bake for about 20 minutes.

If you have added more bread cubes than the recipe calls for you may need to add a little more broth to the baking stuffing.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Stuffed Shells

from http://www.prouditaliancook.com/2009/10/butternut-squash-stuffed-shells-with.html

This recipe has been ALL over pinterest. It looked awesome and I had some squash I needed to use, so I figured I would try it. First, I multiplied the the filling ingredients by about 1.5 (because I had a REALLY big squash, and 2 cups is an awkward amount of ricotta. either you get a small container which isn't enough, or a large container which is too much. Plus, a standard package of jumbo shells will give you far more than you need for the amount of filling in the recipe.). I cooked what I could fit in my 9x13 baking dish, then used the rest of the filling and froze the rest of the uncooked ones. The recipe here has the filling ingredients modified to 1.5 (or more) times the original recipe. Also, I found the lemon to be overpowering. I also cut back on the amount of zest and lemon juice. I would maybe recommend not adding lemon juice to the sauce at all, but that's just personal opinion. However, I wouldn't suggest completely omitting the lemon - I would still add a bit of zest to the filling mixture.


Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
olive oil
1 package jumbo stuffed shells
3 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves (I used the equivalent amount of jarred minced garlic)
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach
1 egg
salt
pepper
1 stick of butter
10 or more sage leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut the butternut squash into cubes. cook until soft but not too mushy (20-30 minutes?). (This step can be done the night before and then refrigerated or frozen if you wish to store it longer. Makes the recipe much easier!)

Cook jumbo shells according to package directions.


In a bowl add ricotta, parmesan cheese, garlic, spinach (squeezed and drained), egg, salt, pepper, your cooled down roasted squash (around 3 cups), and grated lemon peel (from 1/4 to 1/2 of the lemon).

Stuff the shells with the mixture and place in a buttered/greased baking dish.

Make a sage brown butter sauce by melting 1 stick of butter in a saute pan until golden brown and bubbly.

Add at least 10 sage leaves until slightly crisp. Turn off heat and squeeze in fresh lemon juice (use only a SMALL amount and taste it as you add it).

Place your shells in a 400F oven until heated through around 20-25 minutes. When finished spoon your warm sage sauce all over and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Sesame Seitan with Broccolini and Quinoa

adapted from http://veganyumyum.com/2008/05/sesame-soy-curls-with-asparagus-and-quinoa/



1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water (or veggie broth/stock)

2 small bunches broccolini
1 package chicken-style seitan (west soy tub)
1 tsp ener-g egg replacer
few Tbsp cornstarch
1-2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbs Sugar
3 Tbs Soy Sauce/Tamari (reduced sodium)
1 Tbs Rice Vinegar
1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
Sesame Seeds for garnish.
peanut oil

Cut and prepare the broccolini.
Drain seitan. In a bowl, coat evenly with the egg replacer. then add cornstarch and mix until seitan is coated. in a small pan, heat a layer of peanut oil. Fry seitan until golden brown and crispy.
While seitan is frying, cook broccolini in a pan with some oil and garlic. Also, cook the quinoa according to package directions.

Once seitan is fried and broccolini is cooked, add seitan to the pan with the broccolini. Add the sugar, tamari and rice vinegar and cook for a few minutes. When fully heated, add toasted sesame oil and seeds for garnish. Serve with quinoa.

Chocolate Cake with Kahlua Whipped Cream Frosting and Strawberries

from : http://chewoutloud.com/2012/08/07/double-chocolate-cake-with-kahlua-whipped-cream-and-strawberries/

For the Cake:
3 oz good quality semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh, hot coffee (OR 1 cup coffee plus 1/2 cup dark rum)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 cups white sugar
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs, room temp
3/4 cups vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Sliced strawberries for garnish (optional)

chocolate curls for garnish (optional)

For Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting:
16 tsp water
4 tsp agar agar powder (not flakes)
4 cups very cold heavy whipping cream
4 tsp vanilla extract
8 Tbsp powder sugar
2 T Kahlua


DIRECTIONS:

For the cake (can be made 1 day ahead):
Preheat oven to 300F.  Grease two 9×2 round cake pans.  Line bottoms of pans with rounds of wax paper, and grease the paper.

Combine finely chopped chocolate with hot coffee, and stir occasionally until chocolate is completely melted.  Set aside at room temp. Stir in rum, if using.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a second large bowl, beat eggs until thickened and lemony yellow – about 3 min with standing mixer or 5 min with hand-held mixer.  Gradually add in oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture.  Continue beating until well combined.  Add flour mixture and beat on medium until just combined well.  Divide batter evenly between the cake pans (fill about 2/3 of the way. you may have a small amount of batter left. I used it to make 12 mini cupcakes which baked for 15 min).  Bake in middle rack until toothpick comes out clean or almost-clean.  About 50 minutes.

Cool cake completely in pans on racks.  Can cool overnight at room temp, wrapped well.  When cool, slowly run a thin knife around edges and invert layers.  Carefully remove wax paper.

For the frosting:
In large mixing bowl, stir in heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, powder sugar, and Kahlua.  Put this bowl, along with  beaters, in fridge to keep cold.

Take out the bowl with whipped cream ingredients.  Beat on medium until ribbons form (not to soft peaks yet.)  Add the agar agar powder.  Beat to stiff peaks.  Keep in fridge until ready to use.

Spread 1 1/2 cups whipped cream between the layers then frost the rest. Garnish with strawberry slices and shaved chocolate, if desired.  Cake keeps very well in fridge as long as it is covered.

Chickpea and Tofu Vindaloo

2 small/medium onions
olive oil

4-5 Tbsp vindaloo paste (I used tiger tiger)
1 ~30 oz can chickpeas
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp minced garlic
salt & pepper
1 package extra firm tofu

press tofu and cut into small pieces. mix 1 Tbsp vindaloo paste with 1 Tbsp water and marinate the tofu in it.
cook onions in olive oil with garlic, 2 Tbsp. vindaloo paste, and spices for a few minutes. Add tofu and cook til the onions are soft. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, coconut milk, and more vindaloo paste (to taste) and simmer for 20 minutes.

Mustard Vinaigrette Green Beans

from: https://www.drgourmet.com/recipes/extras/mustardgreenbeans.shtml

(shown served with gardein stuffed turk'y and mashed potatoes)

Ingredients:
whole green beans + water

for sauce:
2 tsp dijon mustard (I used spicy brown)
2 tsp water
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

steam green beans for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, mix all sauce ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss green beans to coat.

Chili Seasoning

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp dried minced onion
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp white sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp paprika (normal or smoked)
1 tsp onion powder


instructions:
mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add to your favorite chili recipe.


My Chili recipe:

1 batch chili seasoning
1 can red kidney beans
1 can black beans
2 (or 3) 8-oz cans tomato sauce
1 package vegetarian "beef" crumbles (like boca or morningstar)

brown "beef" in a large saucepan. Add sauce and both cans of beans (I usually drain and rinse the black beans but keep the liquid from the kidney beans.). Add seasoning and simmer for 10-15 minutes. If you need more liquid, add water or more tomato sauce. Server with your choice of toppings (frito's scoops, shredded cheese, avocado, etc.)

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce and Candied Walnuts

These take quite some time to make but are so worth it. Have to make at least once every fall!

INGREDIENTS:

RAVIOLI
1 butternut squash
few pinches salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg
1 package wonton wrappers (I used the nasoya ones which can be found in the produce section of the grocery store near the tofu)
splash of almond milk (or any kind of milk)

BUTTER SAUCE
unsalted butter (amount depends on how much ravioli you are serving - ravioli can be frozen, sauce should be made fresh)
few pinches sage
pinch of brown sugar (optional)
pinch of black pepper
pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter - optional)

CANDIED WALNUTS
walnuts
white granulated sugar (use 1 part sugar for 2 parts of walnuts)
parchment paper

DIRECTIONS
STEP 1 - Preparing the squash
Cutting and roasting the squash can be time consuming and I recommend doing this ahead of time (you can do it the night before and store in the fridge, or even freeze). Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. To prepare the squash, cut off the top stem. Slice the squash where the skinny part meets the bulbous part. cut the now cylindrical shaped piece lengthwise. cut the bulbous part in half as well and scoop out all the seeds. You should now have 4 pieces of squash - leave the skin on for now. line a sided pan with foil and coat with olive oil. Place squash in pan, flesh-side down and place pan in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes then turn squash over so that it is now skin down. Bake for another 20 minutes or so or until the squash is mushy and easily pierced with a fork. Let cool fully. Once cooled, peel skin off of squash using hands and/or a knife. Put squash pieces in a bowl and use a vegetable masher to mash it (alternatively, use a food processor if you want a finer puree). Add small amount of salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix. Add a few splashes of almond milk until desired consistency is reached - the mixture should be thick but smooth.

STEP 2 - Making the candied walnuts
I chose this as step 2 because you can do it ahead of time, while your squash is roasting. Chop walnuts into small pieces and add to a pan. Add sugar. I used a 2 cup bag of walnuts and 1 cup of sugar, but it can be scaled as you wish. Turn heat to medium and stir constantly. The sugar will melt (all on it's own, no water required!). Keep stirring until all sugar is melted and walnuts are coated, being careful not to burn. when done, spread walnuts on a piece of parchment paper to cool. once cool, store in a tupperware container.

STEP 3 - Making the raviolis
Spread a large piece of wax paper on the (clean) counter. put a bowl of water next to it as well as your bowl of squash mixture and package of wontons. wash hands! Take out 9 wonton wrappers at a time and arrange them on the wax paper. place a small amount (about a tsp) in the middle of each wrapper. dip finger in the water and trace around the edge of the wrapper. Fold into a triangle, pressing to seal the sides. Then, using more water, fold in the sides and top. Make sure they are well sealed and that no squash is coming out. Repeat for each and continue until wonton wrappers are gone (mine made just enough to fill them). As you work and finish a batch of 9, place raviolis in the freezer.

STEP 4 - Making the sauce and plating
To make the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan. (for 2 people eating, I used a 1/2 stick butter). Using medium heat, wait for butter to bubble. After a few minutes, add a few pinches of sage. Keep allowing butter to bubble until it turns golden brown, stirring frequently. Be careful not to burn it. In the end, optionally add a pinch of brown sugar and a pinch of salt.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of water with a splash of olive oil to a boil. Add ravioli and boil for a few minutes. (If frozen, boil for a few more). Place on plate, and top with browned butter and a handful of candied walnuts.

Classic Apple Pie

taken from: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pies/old-fashioned-apple-pie/
This is the classic applie pie recipe we would use when making pies for thanksgiving.

CRUST
ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
6 - 8 tablespoons cold water

directions
1. Stir together all-purpose flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon cold water at a time, until all the dough is moistened.


PIE
ingredients
6 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
dash ground cloves
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Milk (optional)


directions
1. In a large mixing bowl toss apples with lemon juice. Combine granulated sugar, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add to apples and toss until apples are coated. Set apple mixture aside.
2. Prepare Pastry for Double-Crust Pie. Divide dough in half. Form each half into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 ball of dough into a 12-inch circle. Ease pastry into a 9-inch pie plate.
3. Transfer apple mixture to pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter or margarine. Trim pastry even with pie plate. For top crust, roll out remaining dough. Cut slits in top crust. Place top crust on the filling. Seal and flute the edge. Brush with milk, if desired.
4. To prevent overbrowning, cover the edge of the pie with foil. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil; bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until the top is golden brown and apples are tender. Serve warm with cheddar cheese, if desired. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

from the test kitchen
Make Ahead Tip : Up to seven days ahead, prepare pastry; roll into rounds. Stack between waxed paper on a baking sheet. Wrap, seal, label, and freeze. Thaw at room temperature before using. Pastry also may be refrigerated for up to three days.

Italian-Style Stuffed Peppers with Spaghetti

Ingredients (Peppers)
4-5 medium sized green bell peppers
1 package of vegetarian ground beef (I used boca crumbles)
1-2 small onions
1 large jar of tomato sauce (I used the shaw's organic brand roasted garlic)
~1/2 cup water
minced garlic (jarred)
spices: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, italian seasoning, red pepper flakes
shredded mozzarella cheese
parmesan and romano cheese (optional)

Ingredients (Spaghetti)
1 package spaghetti (I used the Barilla? Plus)
olive oil
parmesan/romano cheese
minced garlic (jarred)
spices: garlic powder, red pepper flakes, italian seasoning

Directions:
preheat over to 400 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan heat olive oil and some minced garlic. Chop onions and cook for a few minutes. Add veg meat and desired spices and cook until meat is slightly browned. Add about half the jar of tomato sauce to the mixture plus about 1/4 cup water (eyeball it - don't make it too soupy). Simmer for a few minutes.

While simmering, prepare peppers. For larger peppers, cut out the stem and cut lengthwise. Remove seeds.
For smaller peppers, remove seeds and fill from the top. Add parm/rem cheese to meat mixture and mix (if using). Fill peppers with filling and place in an oiled pan. Bake for about 20 minutes.

While peppers are baking, boil water for the spaghetti. Cook according to package directions. When finished, coat with olive oil. Add minced garlic, spices, and parmesan cheese to taste.

Remove peppers from oven and use remaining sauce to cover the peppers. (sauce can be watered down beforehand with ~1/4 cup or less of water, if necessary). Bake for another 5-10 minutes. Remove and cover peppers with mozzarella. Bake for another 5 minutes then serve with spaghetti.

Ryan's Ghost Pepper and Jalapeno Salsa

adapted from: http://www.insanechicken.com/blog/ghost-pepper-salsa-recipe/

Ingredients:

6 large tomatoes * , peeled and chopped
1 can plain diced tomatoes (optional - see below)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small/medium yellow onion, chopped
jalapenos, chopped (Ryan used 4)
ghost peppers, chopped (fresh - Ryan used 3)
1 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
small amount of water (optional)

*We only had 3 small/medium tomatoes from the garden plus some cherry tomatoes. we used these plus a can of plain diced tomatoes. If you have enough fresh tomato you can omit the canned. The canned added a significant amount of liquid so adding water was not necessary. I would wait til all ingredients are added before you decide whether more moisture is needed.

Instructions:
First, peel the tomatoes. To do this, bring a pot of water to boil. cut a shallow "X" pattern on the bottom of each tomato. Drop into boiling water for about 30 seconds until skin starts to wrinkle. Take out and place in a bath of ice water. Then peel the skin off and chop into chunks. (Very small tomatoes will only take a few seconds in the boiling water).

Add chopped tomatoes to a pan with all other ingredients. Turn up heat until bubbling then turn to low and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Let sit for 1-2 minutes. Add salsa to food processor or blender and pulse until desired consistency is reached. Refrigerate.

Black Bean Chili Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa

adapted from http://www.snixykitchen.com/2012/06/19/black-bean-chili-stuffed-peppers/

for stuffed peppers:
4 medium sized green (or red) bell peppers
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, minced (seeds in or out depending on preference - I left in about half the seeds)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn (I used frozen)
1 15-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes (I used fire-roasted garlic diced tomatoes)
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1 Tbsp chili powder + 1/4 tsp cayenne)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano (or italian seasoning)
1 tsp salt
shredded cheese for topping ( I used mozzarella but cheddar or pepper jack would be good also)

for quinoa on the side:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 Tbsp margarine
salt, pepper, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne, and oregano to taste

directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat some olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for a minute or so. Then add jalapeno and minced garlic and cook for a couple more minutes. Add black beans, corn (frozen), tomatoes and all spices. Bring to a simmer.
While simmering, prepare peppers to be stuffed. For smaller peppers, cut out the top and remove seeds. For larger peppers, cut out the top, slice lengthwise and remove seeds. Line a rectangular baking pan with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. Arrange peppers in pan. When some of the liquid has cooked off of the bean mixture, scoop it into the peppers, filling them as much as possible.
Cook peppers for about 30 minutes, or until tender.
While peppers are cooking, bring quinoa and water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 10-15 minutes (until liquid is gone). Add margarine and spices to taste.
Once peppers have cooked for 30 minutes, add cheese on top and cook for 5 more minutes. Serve with quinoa. (Could also be served with rice)

Falafel Pie

adapted from : http://theveganstoner.blogspot.com/2012/03/falafel-pie.html

Ingredients:

1 cup falafel mix
1/2 cup water
hummus
1 or 2 tomatoes, sliced
1/2 or 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
tahini

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the falafel mix with water and press into the bottom of a pie pan or a square baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.
While falafel is baking, slice tomatoes and cucumber.
When falafel is done remove from over and let cool for 10 minutes. Spread a layer of hummus over the falafel. Then add tomatoes and cucumber. Drizzle tahini over the top. Slice and serve.

Black Bean "Hummus"

from http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/03/12/black-bean-hummus/

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
2 tablespoons tahini, stirred well
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 small jalapeño pepper, seeded

Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor, process cilantro, tahini, water, lime juice, olive oil, cumin, salt, black beans, garlic and jalapeño until combined. Scrape down the bowl and continue to process until the hummus is smooth and creamy.
Transfer hummus to a serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

adapted from:  http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/01/06/roasted-red-pepper-hummus/

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons tahini, stirred well
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 (14 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon) (or add roasted garlic)
½ teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons juice from 1 to 2 lemons

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini and 2 tablespoons olive oil. In the bowl of a food processor, process chickpeas, roasted red peppers, garlic, salt, cumin and cayenne until the mixture is almost fully ground, about 15 seconds. Scrape down bowl. With the food processor running, add the lemon juice through the feed tube in a steady stream. Scrape down the bowl and process for 1 minute. With the machine running, add the oil-tahini mixture through the feed tube in a steady stream. Scrape down the bowl and continue to process until the hummus is smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds.
Transfer hummus to a serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand until flavors meld, at least 30 minutes. Top with olive oil and some diced roasted red pepper for garnish.

Yields: 2 cups

Roasted Garlic Hummus

adapted from http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2010/07/31/roasted-garlic-hummus/

Ingredients:
2 (or more) heads roasted garlic
2 tsp minced garlic (from a jar - not fresh)*
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons juice from 1 to 2 lemons
6 tablespoons tahini, stirred well
1 (14 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced (optional)
water (optional  - only if needed!)

Directions:
For instructions on roasting the garlic go here.

In the bowl of a food processor, process chickpeas, roasted garlic, garlic, salt, cumin and cayenne until the mixture is almost fully ground. Scrape down bowl. Add the lemon juice, oil, and tahini and process until the hummus is smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as you go if needed. If necessary, add up to a 1/4 cup water (1 Tbsp at a time) if the hummus is too thick.
Transfer hummus to a serving bowl, top with parsley, olive oil and a dash of paprika. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at least 30 minutes (preferably longer). Refrigerate.

Vegetarian Chicken Broccoli Tortellini with Pesto Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

1 12oz bag of tortellini (or a box/bag of any other kind of pasta)
2 small heads of broccoli (plus any other veggies you want)
2 Quorn Naked Chik'n cutlets
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup basil pesto
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
(optional) spices - such as salt, pepper, garlic powder, italian seasonings... (you definitely want to add these if you aren't using tortellini because the sauce can be bland)

Directions:

Cut up veggies and place in a frying pan with some olive oil. Add some salt, pepper, garlic powder and italian seasoning and  cook until desired doneness is reached. While veggies are cooking, bring water to a boil for the tortellini. Cook according to package directions (10-11 minutes) then drain. While tortellini is boiling, combine pesto and heavy cream in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer for about 5-10 minutes then add parmesan cheese and spices to taste. Stir to combine and turn off heat. Microwave 2 Quorn cutlets for 3-4 minutes and cut into small cubes.
Put pasta back in its pan and add Chik'n and veggies. Pour sauce over the mixture and then mix until it's coated. Serve with garlic bread.

Serves 4.

Nutella Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

from http://teenagetaste.com/2011/08/28/nutella-cheesecake-brownies/

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup + 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons water
¼ cup applesauce
½ cup canola oil
1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 tablespoons Nutella


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Pour in water, applesauce, and oil; mix until well blended. Spread evenly in a greased 9×13 inch baking pan.
In a small bowl, stir together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Microwave on high for 10-15 seconds or until soft and easy to pour. Pour evenly over the brownie batter, drop Nutella by the spoonfuls on top, and make swirls in the batter with a knife.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Basil Pesto

from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/

INGREDIENTS
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts (or walnuts - I haven't tried this)
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced (I use jarred garlic, as I find the raw garlic to be too harsh)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Note : for the cheese I used an Italian blend of Parmesan, Romano and Asiago, along with pine nuts.

METHOD

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

Yield: Makes 1 cup.

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:
Full heads of garlic
Olive oil
salt + pepper (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice off the top of the head of garlic, just enough to expose the cloves. Place garlic on a square of tin foil and drizzle olive oil over the top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap with foil, making sure garlic stays upright. Place on a cookie sheet or in a muffin pan and roast for 35-40 minutes.

Chocolate Stout Cake with Vanilla Porter Frosting and Chocolate Icing

cake and chocolate icing recipes from :  http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/chocolate-stout-cake/

vanilla porter frosting recipe from: http://ducksoven.blogspot.com/2012/02/chocolate-oatmeal-stout-cupcakes-with.html

Cake Ingredients:

1 ½ cups Chocolate Stout (I used Young's Double Chocolate Stout)

½ cup strong black coffee

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably *Dutch-process - I used Hershey's Special Dark)

4 cups all purpose flour

4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups sour cream

Chocolate Icing Ingredients:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)

1/2 cup powdered sugar (optional)

Vanilla Porter Frosting Ingredients:

1 cup vanilla porter (I used Breckenridge)

1 cup (4 sticks) room temperature butter

4 cups powdered sugar

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch round (recipe suggests 8 inch...they definitely would have overflowed) cake pans with 2-inch-high sides and line with parchment paper. Butter paper.

(tip - people have said you can half the cake recipe and use 2 8-inch rounds)

2. In heavy large saucepan over medium heat, bring stout, coffee and butter to a simmer. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly (I ended up putting it in the fridge while doing the next steps).

3. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. In another large bowl (use a VERY large bowl...there is a lot of batter), use an electric mixer to beat eggs, vanilla and sour cream til blended.

4. Add stout-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat until just combined, taking care the stout mixture is cool enough that it will not cook the eggs. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

For the Chocolate Icing:

1. Bring cream to simmer (NOT a boil!) in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours. (I was impatient and after about an hour put it in the freezer - it worked well just keep an eye on it. When it gets thick, put it back in the fridge until you are ready to use it.)

2. Before frosting, I beat in a 1/2 cup of powdered sugar because I was worried about the frosting being too thin at room temperature. This step is optional.

For the Vanilla Porter Frosting:

(I doubled the recipe from the link above)
1) bring 1 cup vanilla porter to a low boil over medium heat. Let boil for about twenty minutes, or until it has been reduced to about a quarter cup (maybe slightly more). Let cool.

2) Beat four tablespoons of the porter with the room temp. butter until the butter is light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and beat with a mixer until it has reached desired consistency. (you may need less powdered sugar than the recipe calls for).

Frosting and Putting the Cake Together:

Place bottom layer of cake on the serving plate and spread a layer of the vanilla porter frosting over it. Add the next cake layer and try to center it as much as possible. Again frost with the vanilla porter frosting and add the top layer of cake. It may be a good idea to cut the cakes so that the layers don't have rounded tops. however I did not do this, and filled in the gaps on the side with more vanilla porter frosting. Next, frost the top layer with more vanilla porter frosting. This layer can be slightly thicker than the others. Finally, use the chocolate icing to frost the outside wall of the cake, being careful not to mix the frostings. There will be left overs of both frostings. Use them to decorate. I piped the chocolate icing around the top and bottom. I took a little but of chocolate icing and microwaved for about 10 seconds til soupy and drizzled over the top of the cake.

Mug Brownies

4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) sugar
4 Tbsp (1/4 cup) flour
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp water



splash of vanilla flavor (optional)
dash of salt (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in a mug. Microwave for 1 minute. Eat!

Peanut Sauce

adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-thai-peanut-sauce/

1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
2 tsp crushed garlic

note that I reduced the amount of peanut butter to 1 cup from 1.5 cups. I also added 1/4 cup of coconut milk because it was very thick. More probably could have been added. If using as a dipping sauce, maybe stick to 1/2 cup but could probably use up to 1 cup if using as a sauce for a stir fry.

Cadbury Mini Egg Butterscotch Blondies

from blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/04/12/cadbury-mini-egg-butterscotch-blondies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed (This is approximately 1 whole 1-lb box)
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 8 ounce bag Cadbury mini-eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Butter or spray a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.

2. In a double boiler, or glass bowl placed over simmering water, and add the butter and sugar. Allow to melt slowly and whisk until completely blended. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. While butter mixture is cooling, whisk together flour and baking soda in a small bowl or measuring cup.

4. When the butter mixture has cooled whisk in the eggs, vanilla, corn syrup and salt. Fold in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until completely combined.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Pour the mini eggs over the top and distribute them evenly over the surface. Bake for 40-42 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean and edges of the blondies are slightly pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely, then cut into bars and serve.

before baking

Homemade Tend Skin

If you don't know what Tend Skin is, it's an after-shave product for men and women that treats and prevents razor bumps, ingrown hairs, and razor burn. Tend skin works so well, but it is SO expensive! And, if you look at the ingredients, you'll discover that it is mostly just 2 things - aspirin and alcohol. It is actually super easy and CHEAP to make with ingredients found at your local drug store. An 8 ounce bottle of tend skin retails for about $34.00 at drugstore.com. This homemade version costs just $1.59 for an 8 ounce bottle. The cost analysis is as follows:


Cost Analysis:
These prices are all found from the CVS pharmacy website, and can vary.
Uncoated Aspirin - 99 cents for 120 tablets - ~21 cents per 8 ounce bottle of homemade tend skin
Witch Hazel - $4.69 for 16oz - ~59 cents per bottle
Isopropyl Alcohol (70%) - $2.79 for 32oz - ~52 cents per bottle
Glycerin - $5.49 for 6oz - ~27 cents per bottle (based on using 0.3 ounces per bottle. you may use less)

GRAND TOTAL: $1.59 per 8 ounce bottle - A 95% discount!


Things you will need:
1 empty 8 ounce bottle (I used an empty bottle of tend skin)
25  (325 mg) tablets of uncoated aspirin
~6 ounces Isopropyl alcohol (70%)
~2 ouncesWitch Hazel
few squirts of Glycerin

Instructions:

Crush aspirin tablets to a powder. To do this, I put aspirin tablets in a snack sized ziploc bag and crushed them to a powder with the butt of a screwdriver (be careful not to puncture the bag). Pour aspirin powder into an empty 8 oz bottle (I used my empty tend skin bottle - just carefully use a knife to pry off the top and pop it back on later).

Next add the isopropyl alcohol to the bottle, filling it a little less than 3/4 of the way. Then fill the rest with witch hazel. If using glycerin, leave a little room at the top and add a few squirts. Put cover on the bottle and shake to mix. Let the aspirin dissolve for a few minutes before using (although some will never dissolve as there are fillers in the aspirin-there will always be some powder left at the bottom). Always shake before using.

TIPS:
- Apply to affected areas (prone to razor bumps) twice a day by squirting on to a cotton ball (especially after shaving). Or put in a roll on bottle, and roll on directly.

- If you are allergic to aspirin, do NOT use this product (obviously). if you are unsure if you are allergic or sensitive to aspirin, test a very small area of skin before applying it to a large area.

- Because of the aspirin, this mixture can get a vinegary smell after sitting for too long. It will still be effective, but the smell might be unpleasant. If you find that you cannot use the 8ounce bottle fast enough before this happens, then make smaller batches at a time and scale down the recipe.

- If you wish to buy the ingredients such as aspirin in bulk, make sure you check expiration dates first so that you don't end up wasting the ingredients. Expired aspirin will probably not be as effective.

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

adapted from : http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/826008-Butternut-Squash-Mac-Cheese

INGREDIENTS
1 butternut squash (I bought the already peeled and seeded halves at the store)
1 pound elbow macaroni (I used cavatappi)
5 tablespoons butter ( I uses Earth Balance margarine)
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk (I used almond milk)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used ground nutmeg from a spice jar)
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 pound shredded sharp cheddar (about 4 cups)
1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup panko bread crumbs (I used Trader Joe's bread crumbs)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice squash in half and discard seeds. Place, cut side down, on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour until very tender. ( I recommend cutting the squash in smaller pieces so it cooks faster. And coat with olive oil and stir occasionally).

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt generously. Boil pasta to al dente - about 6 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside.

When squash has cooled, peel skin off and discard. Puree squash in food processor until it has a smooth consistency. Set aside. (OR instead, see not below).

Melt 4 Tablespoons butter (set aside 1 Tablespoon) and slowly stir in 1/2 c flour to form a paste.

Off heat, slowly whisk in 2 cups of milk. Return to medium low heat until sauce fully blends and thickens.

Add pureed squash to the thickened sauce.

Add mustard, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Stir in 3 cups of cheese (set aside 1 cup for the topping) and 1 3/4 cups of stock, alternating cheese and stock by cupfuls. Taste sauce, adjust seasonings if needed.

Combine pasta, squash and cheese sauce in a large bowl, toss to coat evenly. Transfer mixture to an oven-safe dish (LARGE rectangular dish).

Melt the remaining Tablespoon of butter and blend with remaining cup of cheese and the breadcrumbs to form topping. Sprinkle mixture over the macaroni.

Place macaroni under the broiler until topping is nicely browned - about 2-4 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

*NOTE: Instead of using a food processor, proceed with melting butter and adding flour. After adding milk and it thickens, add the squash (cut in somewhat small pieces), vegetable broth, mustard, salt and cayenne. The use a HAND BLENDER to fully blend the mixture. After it is fully blended, stir in the cheese until it melts.

verdict : AWESOME.

Peanut Stew

adapted from : http://theveganstoner.blogspot.com/2011/07/peanut-stew.html#comment-form

1 small onion or 1/2 large onion
1 can crushed or stewed tomatoes
1/2 can garbanzo beans
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 potato
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp minced/crushed garlic

Peel and chop the potato and microwave for at least 3 minutes (4-5 probably better). Chop onion and cook in a medium sauce pan for a few minutes. Add crushed garlic and sautee for a minute or two longer. Add the tomatoes, peanut butter, and half can of garbanzo beans. Add potato and thyme. Bring to a boil then turn heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

verdict: pretty good. I only microwaved the potato for 3 minutes and ended up having to simmer for at least 25 minutes because it wasn't cooked. So I would microwave the potato longer next time.

note: I ended up buying stewed tomatoes, and had to add it after the onion but before everything else and mashed it since it had whole tomatoes. I would recommend getting crushed tomatoes.

Tofu ("Egg") Salad

adapted from http://theveganstoner.blogspot.com/2011/04/corn-salad-sandwich.html#comment-form
and from recipe in "You Won't Believe it's Vegan"

1 package firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 can corn (drained)
1/2 cup vegenaise
1/2 tsp dried parsley
2 Tbsp stone ground mustard (I used dijon mustard)
1 tsp onion powder (I left this out because I didn't have it)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp tamari

In a small bowl, add the parsley, onion powder, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, turmeric and nutritional yeast. Set aside.

Drain and press excess water out of tofu ( I used my tofu express). Add to a large bowl and mash until crumbled. Add the drained corn, vegenaise and mustard and mix. Add tamari and mix. Now, add the dry spices and mix until well combined.

verdict: WAY more delicious than I thought it would be! I don't think this would fool anyone as far as being an egg salad substitute, but for someone who does eat eggs, I still love this version.

serving suggestion: I ate it for lunch on a wheat bun with some baby spinach. Also good by the spoonful straight out of the bowl...

Soy Chorizo Tacos

1 package trader joes soy chorizo
1/2 bag trader joes frozen fire roasted bell peppers and onions
shredded mexican cheese
salsa
guacamole
tortillas

cook frozen peppers and onions in pan until thawed completely. Crumble in soy chorizo and cook until hot. Serve on tortillas with cheese, salsa, and guac and some hot sauce.

verdict = awesome. Ate this for dinner 3 days straight on some whole grain tortillas from trader joes (maybe 10 inch tortillas?). So totally it made 6 (large) tacos.

follow up:
I made this again but with soyrizo from shaw's. The Trader Joe's soy chorizo was way better - more flavor, better texture (soyrizo was very mushy) and spicier too.

Chana Masala

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/chana-masala/

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh, hot green chili pepper, minced (I used a jalapeno)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (I used a quarter of this because my cayenne is extremely hot)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground (I left them whole)
1 tablespoon amchoor powder (see note)
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 cups tomatoes, chopped small or 1 15-ounce can of whole tomatoes with their juices, chopped small
2/3 cup water
4 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon (juiced) (see note; I used a whole lemon to swap for the amchoor powder)


Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, amchoor (if using it), paprika and garam masala. Cook onion mixture with spiced for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.


Eat up or put a lid on it and reheat it when needed. Curries such as this reheat very well, later or or in the days that follow, should it last that long.


verdict:
Came out very well. Can't really complain about anything. Could probably have added a little more cayenne as it had only a tiny kick to it.

Baked Cauliflower Curry

http://en.christinesrecipes.com/2010/06/baked-cauliflower-curry.html

Ingredients:
420 gm cauliflower (half of a very large head of cauliflower)
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp curry powder
250 ml (about 1 cup) vegetable stock
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
120 ml (about 1/2 cup) coconut milk
2 Tbsp thickened cream (I used silk soy creamer)

Thickening:
2 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water

Method:
Rinse cauliflower and cut into pieces. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain well.
Preheat oven to 395 F.
Heat butter in a wok or sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add turmeric powder and curry powder until fragrant. Pour in vegetable stock (or chicken stock) and bring it to boil. Cook until reduced to 2/3, about 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and thickened cream. Season with salt and sugar. Toss back cauliflower and coat with sauce well. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add thickening and cook to the preferred consistency.
Transfer cauliflower together with sauce into an oven-proof baking dish into the preheated oven. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes and let the cauliflower well absorb the sauce and softened. Serve hot.


verdict:
I thought it came out pretty well, however my sauce was nowhere near as thick because I was impatient when thickening it. In the future, I would keep the sauce separate until it is thickened, add the cauliflower to the baking dish and pour the sauce over it before putting it in the oven.


serving:
I ate it with some chana masala and basmati rice.

Sweet and Sour Crispy Seitan

http://veganyumyum.com/2007/03/crispy-sweet-and-sour-seitan/

INGREDIENTS
8 oz Seitan, chopped into strips (I used one package westsoy)
1 tsp Ener-g Egg Replacer
1/4 Cup Cornstarch
Peanut Oil
Sesame Seeds for garnish

Sauce:
3 1/2 Tbs Seasoned Rice Vinegar (you can eyeball the 1/2 Tbs)
1/4 Cup Water
2 Tbs + 2 tsp Sugar
1 Tbs Tamari
1 Tbs Ketchup
1 tsp Molasses
1/4 tsp Ginger Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 Tbs Cornstarch + 2 Tbs water


Add all the sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch and water into a small saucepan and heat on low until sugar dissolves. Mix cornstarch with 2 Tbs water and add to sauce. Turn up heat to medium-high and whisk until sauce thickens. Sauce should be moderately thick, but not so thick it’s gel like. If you scrape a spoon down the middle of the pan, it should take a second for it to fill in the groove you made, but it should fill back in. Does that makes sense? Add more cornstarch to make it thicker if needed, or add water (or seitan juice) to thin it out if it gets too thick. Take off heat and set aside.

Heat 1/4 cup of peanut oil on HIGH in a large skillet, non-stick if you have it. Place chopped seitan in a large bowl. Sprinkle with egg replacer powder and mix well. It should dissolve from the moisture of the seitan. Add cornstartch and toss seitan until it’s completely coated.

Test oil with a piece of seitan. If the oil bubbles up immediately when you drop a piece in, you’re good to go. Add seitan to oil in one layer – you might need to do batches depening on how big your pan is. Fry on high for 5-7 minutes, stirring and turning the pieces often, until crispy and golden. Drain oil out of pan (it’s safer to remove the seitan with a slotted spoon and pour the oil out of the pan, but I take the whole thing over to the sink and use the pan lid as a barrier. This way the seitan stays in while I pour the oil out. If you get severe burns doing this, don’t blame me. I shouldn’t do it, but I do.)

Put the pan back on the stove with the seitan in it, but NOT over heat. Wait a sec for the pan to cool down, then add sauce. Use a rubber spatual to get out every last bit, as the recipe makes just enough to coat. Toss to coat seitan and serve immediately.

If your pan is too hot when you do this, your sauce might get CRAZY thick CRAZY fast, as cornstarch is wont to do around heat. It’s not a big deal, but you’ll be happier waiting for the pan to cool a bit.

verdict:

Awesome! The only thing I would change is possibly adding *slightly* less vinegar. Also, coat all the seitan before starting to fry to save time.

note: not as good left over, as the seitan gets soggy.


serving suggestion:

I ate with some brown rice and some broccolini.

UPDATE:
I made this recipe again but instead of seitan used a package of teryaki baked tofu from trader joe's. verdict: not as good, but still pretty good.

Sweet Potato Curry

http://www.includingcake.com/2012/01/sweet-potato-curry.html

Ingredients
3 tablespoons madras curry paste ( I used Laxmi Tandoori Paste)
1 medium onion- diced
2 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and chopped into chunks)
1 red pepper- sliced
1 15 oz can of chickpeas (or other white beans)
200g (6-7 ounce) bag of spinach
1 15 oz can of coconut milk ( I used lite)

Method

In a large sauce pan, fry the onion for few minutes in olive oil till soft. Add curry paste and fry for 1 min. Add the coconut milk, sweet potato, pepper and chickpeas and simmer for approx. 15 minutes until potato is cooked. Add spinach (fold spinach through the mixture in handfuls) simmer for a couple more minutes until spinach is wilted. If not liquidy enough add a little water. Serve immediately with rice or naan bread as desired .

Freeze left over portions in individual bags.

verdict:
very tasty. however, the recipe called for 4 sweet potatoes and I only used 2 which was plenty! After adding all the ingredients the liquid only about half covered all the veggies - which worried me - so I added (I think) a half cup of water. Mistake! It made it wayy too watery. Next time I would add 1/4 cup or less, although I would still have worries about the veggies simmering properly.

Once again another recipe that claims 4 servings....I would say this is maybe 5 or 6.

Also, I couldn't find the proper curry paste so I bought something else. I used 3 tablespoons and it had a pleasant (spicy) kick to it.

serving suggestion:
I ate it with some jasmine rice. It worked well to soak up the excess sauce i made when I added too much water.

Mini Fruit Tarts with Mascarpone Cheese Filling

http://inncuisine.com/scrumptious-sides/behold-the-blueberry/

I made these over the summer for my graduation party and they were a pretty big hit, and really simple to make. I bought both blueberry and strawberry preserves and fresh strawberries and blueberries...to make half and half blueberry and strawberry. The strawberry ones seemed to be a little more popular.

If I recall correctly, my mom picked up 3 dozen phyllo shells for me to use in case some of them were broken. But, none of them were and I'm pretty sure I filled the whole 3 dozen.

Recipe:
1 cup mascarpone cheese (about 8 ounces)
1/3 cup well-chilled heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup blueberry (or strawberry) preserves
fresh blueberries or strawberries
3 boxes frozen mini phyllo (fillo) shells

To Make the Filling

In a medium-size bowl, simply add the mascarpone cheese, well-chilled heavy whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar, and whip using an electric mixer until firm peaks form and the mixture holds its shape. Take care not to overwhip.

Preparing the Shells

Using thawed, mini phyllo (fillo) shells, spoon just enough blueberry or strawberry preserves (about 1/2 teaspoon) into each shell to cover the bottom. Next, spoon (or pipe in) mascarpone cheese filling (about 2 teaspoons) over the preserves until each shell is filled.

Top with a fresh blueberry or strawberry and serve immediately. This recipe produces approximately 3 dozen filled, mini phyllo shells.

Thai Green Curry Lentils

source: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=29449.0

ingredients:
1 cup red lentils
2 cups vegetable broth
olive oil, as needed
salt and pepper, to taste
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 large zucchini, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
1 tablespoon green curry paste
1 small (thumbnail sized) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
(I used a small spoon full of ginger from a jar)
1 bunch kale, de-veined and cut


1. In a stock pot, combine vegetable broth and lentils with a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Check the lentils frequently so they don't burn.

2. While the lentils cook, add olive oil to a large skillet and saute onions, garlic, and red bell pepper until onions are just translucent and pepper is soft. Add zucchini and saute for a few minutes.

3. At this point, the lentils should be finished cooking. Add coconut milk, green curry paste, grated ginger and sauteed vegetables to the lentils, stirring gently to incorporate vegetables and liquid. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 minutes.

4. Add kale to liquid and simmer for a few minutes until kale is cooked to your liking. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

The finished product should be a thick stew-like consistency; you can eat it with a spoon by itself or serve it over rice!

serving suggestions:

serve over some brown or jasmine rice. However it is thick enough from the lentils that it can be eaten on its own.

verdict:
The taste was very nice but it could definitely use some more curry flavor. Next time I would add more curry paste and perhaps more of the ginger and garlic and maybe more salt and pepper. The lentils turn pretty mushy which may be normal, but I wasn't quite expecting since I have no prior experience with red lentils.

This recipe makes A LOT - it suggests 4 servings but after I had some (served over a small amount of brown rice) I still had a very large tupperware full of it.


Nutrition Information:

For 1 out of 6 servings

(this is just an estimation - assuming 2 tablespoons of olive oil used)
calories 232
fat 10g
saturated fat 4g
polyunsaturated fat 1g
monounsaturated fat 3g
trans fat 0g
cholesterol 0
sodium 309mg
carbohydrates 28 g
sugar 6g
protein 11g
potassium 191
fiber 7
vitamin A 54%
vitamin C 104%
calcium 7%
iron 19%

Dal Nirvana

Adapted from: http://pesto-chango.blogspot.com/2012/01/dal-nirvana.html

Ingredients:
1 cup dry green lentils
1 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
3 tsp. minced garlic (or 2 cloves)
1/2 tsp. ginger spice
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more depending on how spicy you want it)
4 tbsp. earth balance (or butter)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup silk creamer

Add lentils to large pot and cover with a few inches of water. Bring to a boil and let cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the lentils.

Return the drained lentils to the pot (medium heat), and mash some of them against the side of the pot so they open. Add the butter, ginger, garlic, cayenne, and a healthy dose of salt and pepper.

Add the can of tomatoes and one cup of water. Stir it all together, bring it to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Put a lid on the pot and let it simmer for about 40 minutes. When it's finished, the mixture will be soft and thick. If it's not, continue to simmer (I took the lid off), and add more water if the mixture dries out. The end product should be thick, not watery.

Stir in the cream, check for seasoning, and if desired, garnish with fresh, chopped cilantro. Serve over rice or with naan bread for dipping.

verdict: Pretty good. On first taste it tastes a little bit too much like canned tomatoes, but the spices give it a nice aftertaste.

serving suggestion:

served over rice. possibly with some roasted cauliflower.

nutrition info:

makes 4 servings

for 1 serving:
calories 276
fat 12g
saturated fat 3g
polyunsaturated fat 3g
monounsaturated fat 5g
trans fat 0g
cholesterol 0
sodium 270mg
carbohydrates 29g
sugar 7g
protein 11g
fiber 6
calcium 3%
iron 32%
potassium 0
vitamin A 11%
vitamin C 5%