Almond Bulgur w/Black Beans, Tomatoes, & Kale

Hmm ~ I've had this cookbook for quite awhile now and this is the first recipe I have made out of it. Could I possibly have too many cookbooks?! Never! I have a list of recipes to try now out of this one. Have I mentioned I love one dish meals?!  The only ingredient I needed to buy was some almond butter. I try to keep peanut butter out of my pantry; too tempting with some jam and bread. 

The sauteing onion and spices smell heavenly ~ smoked paprika, black pepper, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I love all those "c" spices! 

Black beans, kale, green onions, tomatoes, and bulgur soaked in vegetable broth. 

A mixture of almond butter and lemon juice is stirred in after cooking. 

Don't forget the toasted almonds on top. The dish needs their crunchiness. Yum!

Lentil and Black Bean Soup

My fridge stocked with lots of veggies, fruit and grains! It was looking pretty bad for a few months there. Oh, how easy it is to slip back into the old ways and bad habits of eating. I'm back on track now! I wish I could eat all the yummy veg foods out there but I'm allergic to quite a few things; sesame seeds (tahini), brown rice, barley, tempeh, miso (any fermented foods), bananas, melons, yeast-ugh! it just goes on and on! At least soy (unfermented) doesn't bother me. Still lots to choose from though. 

I found this delicious soup recipe here at avegangoddess.com . Lots of veggies, lentils, black beans and greens. I also added some optional corn to the soup and instead of kale I used spinach. This makes a huge pot; I should have used my largest stockpot! It made enough for three freezer containers of leftovers. 

~ Lentil and Black Bean Soup ~

Mexican Quinoa and Collard Greens

I'm all about quick and easy meals lately. I've had this One Pan Mexican Quinoa recipe printed out since October and am now finally making it. I paired it with Easy Vegetarian Collared Greens. I forgot how good this collard greens recipe is! I linked both to the recipes. 

I buy pre-washed quinoa so I don't have to mess with rinsing it. Lots of spicy flavors-jalapeno, fire-roasted tomatoes, chili powder, cumin. It also has corn and black beans in the mix. After it's done cooking you stir in some chopped avocado, cilantro, and lime juice. 

The collard greens are cooked in some vegetable broth with onions, garlic, smoked paprika, and apple cider vinegar. I also added a dash of liquid smoke and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. 

These two recipes go really well together. I'll be ready to make this again soon. 

Black Beans

I never cook beans from dried; I just always use canned. I had exactly enough dried black beans to make this recipe. I wanted to cook them up and cool them down so I could stock my freezer. 

Cute little black beans.

I used the Quick Soak method.You put the beans in a large pot, add water to cover beans and bring to a boil. Let the water boil about 2 minutes, then remove from heat, cover, and let soak for about an hour. Then proceed with cooking the beans. 

This recipe has onion, green bell pepper, chicken style seasoning, cumin, garlic, bay leaf, oregano, salt, canned diced tomatoes and lemon juice. I used fire roasted with green chilis canned tomatoes for a little extra heat. I love these freezer containers. Each one holds 4 cups which is just enough for a meal. I'll be serving these black beans with some cornbread. 

Three-Bean Chili

This is an easy, delicious chili to put together from The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

~ red, orange and yellow bell peppers ~

The chili was really thick so I added 2 cups of No Beef Broth and I also added  3/4 Cup of bulgur for some meaty texture. Lots of spices-garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, oregano and cayenne!

This recipe made alot so I put the leftovers in my freezer containers for future quick meals.

Out Of The Rabbit Hole

Whoo-eee! I feel like I'm starting to finally crawl out of the rabbit hole and see the light again. This last month has been something else. My anxiety, OCD, irritability and exhaustion were in overdrive. They actually still are; just trying to do a little posting therapy! The biggest event finally arrived on November 16th with the marriage of my baby boy to his beloved sweetheart. And of all days, I had the worst vertigo ever. For some reason I thought a salt bath would help and as soon as I laid my head back on my bath pillow I thought the world had exploded. I had to hang over the side of the tub to stop the world from spinning and stop the nausea. Just trying to get this post typed is making me dizzy and nauseous. I see my doctor on Monday; hopefully she can give me some answers. I really wanted to cook out of Isa Does It for the Vegcookbookclub this month but my brain was so fried I didn't have the patience to try and make a decision on any new recipes to try; let alone read and comprehend a lengthy list of ingredients and instructions. When I'm in this mindset my body craves any and all food; especially carbs and sugar so my food choices have been atrocious! Food-my drug of choice. Dairy cheese which then makes me feel worse after I eat it. Donuts, tortilla chips, pizza, soda, even some meat slipped in there! Ugh! I was still trying to get to the gym and do my Pilates but this past week I haven't even been able to do that because of the vertigo. Whew! That was a load off my chest. So here are a few easy meals I have been making (in between the binges of pizza, cheese, ...)

 I made this soup at the beginning of October. The recipe was on the back of Bob's Red Mill Black Bean Soup Mix. 

Lots of butternut squash! It called for roasted corn; you just throw some frozen corn on a cookie sheet and bake it for a few minutes until browned. 

I served the Black Bean Soup with my favorite cornbread from La Dolce Vegan-Wolffie's "Buttermilk" Cornbread.

These 'lovely' looking things were supposed to be whoopie pies. It was my hubby's birthday the middle of October and he loves German Chocolate cake. I had great success with my last whoopie pies so I thought I would try another recipe from Betty Goes Vegan. I followed the recipe exactly and this is what I got! I kept trying to bake them a little longer and then they just turned out chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside and the whoopie just turned to whoops! I had already made the Coconut Pecan Frosting (which was excellent) so I just filled the 'Whoops' Pies with it. They ended up tasting really good but the longer they sat the more greasy and soggy they became. So obviously, the recipe has one or two typos in it! 

By this time my anxiety, OCD, bipolar rollercoaster is starting to rise so my cooking and eating goes downhill from there. I made easy meals with Gardein Chik'n Scallopini, baked potatoes and a veg; tostadas; spaghetti and veggie meatballs; supplemented by too many fast food pizzas, subway sandwiches, taco bell, and cheese quesadillas with a few meat tacos thrown in for good measure. Another comforting carb-satisfying meal I make alot is Spinach Artichoke Pasta. I never seem to take a picture after I make it. I'm too ready to dive in and eat it all up! You can find the recipe for it here.

My daughter found this recipe using spaghetti squash. It was so easy to make using roma tomatoes, basil, garlic, spinach olive oil, salt & pepper; I used Daiya mozzarella for the cheese. For so few ingredients it tasted delicious and satisfying (no heavy carbs!) You can find the recipe here. 

I served the Spaghetti Squash Caprese Bake with my favorite Dijon Mustard Brussels Sprouts from La Dolce Vegan.

Last but not least, this super simple "open a can and dump together" meal!

 Fireplace Chili Mac from Kathy Hester. What a perfectly yummy, carb craving no thinking required meal. I'm going to take this recipe with me to our cabin in Sedona. So easy! 

Now that I've had an extended posting therapy session I feel so much better. Still dizzy and nauseous but I feel like I got something accomplished! Hmmm, what to make for supper now?!

Bean & Corn Tortilla Lasagna with Avocado ~ pg. 120

VegCookbookClub July recipes from eat, drink & be vegan by Dreena Burton:

I really like how Dreena gives menu suggestions at the beginning of many of her recipes. It makes it easy to put a whole meal together without thinking too much.

Layering the lasagna. 

I usually don't use avocados in a hot dish so we'll see how this goes. It's easier to cut the corn tortillas into strips and place them in the dish. Here in Arizona we call these enchiladas not lasagna! 

Hot from the oven with melted Daiya cheddar on top.

Served the "lasagna" with chopped cilantro and lime and

 mixed greens salad topped with Cumin-Cinnamon Vinaigrette. I really enjoyed the spicy flavors in this dish. Still not too sure about hot, baked avocados though!

Black Bean Soup with Kale and Rice~pg. 200

VegCookbookClub May recipes from Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson:

Loading up the slow cooker with all the yummy ingredients.

I love using the slow cooker; the delicious aroma of everything cooking all day is wonderful. Great tasting soup that I served with my "Faux Parmesan" Garlic Bread. This recipe made quite alot so I froze the leftovers in portions for future quick meals.

Indian-Style Black Bean and Veggie Burritos~pg. 238

VegCookbookClub February recipes from Color Me Vegan by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

I have been trying to get a few recipes in before February ends. Where did the month go?! I guess 28 days goes by fast. My baby boy will be 24 on the 28th of this month. Wow! Where did the last 24 years go?! 

RAINBOW

 I use a homemade blended Garam Masala from La Dolce Vegan. Love it! ~cumin, coriander, black pepper, cardamom, ginger and allspice.  

Yum! I had to add some cilantro to mine and some Pace picante sauce. 

Black Bean & Roasted Sweet Potato Burger~pg 133; Green Chili Guacamole~pg 231

VegCookbookClub January 2013 recipes from Kris Carr-Crazy Sexy Kitchen:

Green Chili Guacamole

Love guacamole anytime! Two of my favorite ingredients are in this-cilantro and limes. I added a little salt to mine.

Toppings for the burgers~

romaine, red onion, tomatoes and yellow bell pepper

Browning the burgers.

I doubled the recipe because I wanted to freeze some for later. There must be a misprint because direction #4  said to form six 6-ounce patties so I thought since I doubled the recipe it would make 12 patties. Well, I used my scales to weigh the mixture and I still only got 6 patties plus one small one. Hmm, I still froze four patties so I guess we're good. Love the flavor of these; they are kind of messy though. I would like to know how to get the outside of the burgers really crispy.

Black Bean & Roasted Sweet Potato Burger with Green Chili Guacamole

Wow! My burger looks as good as the one in the cookbook. For lunch today I spread some of the leftover guacamole on a sprouted grain tortilla-Yum!

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Tortilla Casserole

VegCookbookClub December recipes from Nava Atlas-Vegan Holiday Kitchen:

I have a confession. I am a CHEESE addict. So when I find a vegan recipe that satisfies that craving, gives my brain chemicals the 'happy dance' and doesn't leave me with a hangover, headache and intestinal distress the next morning-WHOO HOO! Believe me, I have caved in  several times and ordered pizza and I am not a happy person to be around for a couple of days! I know there are some vegan purists who poo poo at "fake" cheese but not this CHEESE addicted girl. I cannot even keep CHEESE in the fridge for my hubby; it calls my name... He's better off without it anyway. So all of that to say-this is one heck of a delicious casserole that I will even serve to those who eat CHEESE!

Before the delicious cheesy sauce.

I always tear my corn tortillas into pieces; much easier than layering them.

 

Mmmm-after baking with the delicious cheesy sauce. Could not live without Daiya; I keep packages of it in my freezer. I never want to run out; never! For this recipe I used half cheddar and half mozzarella flavors. I have made many, many enchilada casseroles in my pre-vegan/vegetarian days and this beats them all. I know what we're having for leftovers tomorrow!

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Tortilla Casserole and Sauteed Asparagus & Broccolini

 

I ate two helpings of this but that is much better than stuffing myself with CHEESE pizza!! I have three more recipes I plan on making out of this awesome cookbook. I've never made black-eyed peas and collard greens on New Year's Day and I'm starting the tradition at our house this year-Hoppin' John, Garlicky Greens and Green Chili Cornbread. Thanks Nava, for putting out such excellent cookbooks. I still have her cookbook "Vegetariana" from many moons ago!

 

Green Chile Rice with Black Beans

VegCookbookClub November recipes from Forks Over Knives The Cookbook:

 

I made this quick and easy recipe the day before Thanksgiving. It has two of my favorite ingredients-cilantro and lime! I'm ashamed to admit that as a native Arizonan I have never used a fresh poblano pepper before. I was perusing all the peppers at the grocery store and found every conceivable pepper available except for a poblano. So I got on my droid and discovered that poblanos north of Mexico are usually called pasilla peppers. Wow! Learn something new every day. I should have taken a picture of it-hehe! The recipe called for a jalapeno pepper which I didn't add; I felt it was hot enough. As you can see I added Daiya cheddar shreds and then I garnished each serving with sliced green onions.  Love the fresh lime zest and the green onions added just that little extra to make this dish delicious. I've been eating the leftovers as a hearty, savory breakfast. This morning my husband even ate a big bowl of it for his breakfast!

 

 

I had to share a pic of my contribution to the family Thanksgiving dinner. Every year I'm responsible for cooking the tofurky for the herbivores and my mom cooks for the omnivores. I also made Florida Slaw from La Dolce Vegan and a gallon of Hibiscus High tea. Plenty of food for everyone!

Black Beans on Toast (Hash Browns)~pg. 42

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I needed a big, hearty breakfast this morning. The doctor cancelled on me yesterday so I still don't know what's going on with my back. Ooh, and then I found out that my wedding video which I was transferring to DVD had been recorded over (???) At least I still have my wedding pictures and most importantly my wonderful, loving Hubby! So, to keep my mind busy I'm cooking. I wanted some nice, crispy hash browns and they are great served with the Black Beans on Toast recipe; just skip the toast. I ate that on the side! I also had some mushrooms that needed to be used so I sauteed them in some Earth Balance margarine and added those on top of the black beans along with some Daiya shredded cheddar. I then topped all of that with some Tabasco sauce and ketchup. Can you tell I'm an emotional eater?! :)

Wolffie's Black Bean & Lentil Salad~pg. 72

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I think Wolffie should have made her own cookbook. It seems like most of these recipes are hers! I had made this salad another time following the directions and it was too oily. This time I only used 1/4 C. of oil. All of these recipes using beans call for 19 oz. cans; I can't find that size around my area so I just used 15 oz. cans. I get tired of opening another 15 oz. can and only using less than half to make up for the 19 oz. Ugh! My OCD gets the better of me sometimes. Anyway, the salad had plenty of beans and lentils using only 15 oz. cans.

I couldn't wait for this to chill so I had a bowlful topped with cubed avocado and freshly squeezed lime juice for lunch! It's also really tasty on top of a baked potato.

Black Bean Tortilla Chip Soup with Avocado Tomato Salsa~pg. 123,297

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Well, I tried to get all the recipes done before the end of March. But my annual bronchitis finally caught me! I thought I was going to get away without it this year-no such luck. I'm so glad I worked up the strength (ha) to make this soup; it was warming and delicious.

Avocado Tomato Salsa

I could eat a whole bowl of this myself!

I didn't have any vegetable stock for the soup so I used 2 Tbsp. Bragg's Liquid Aminos mixed in with the 2 Cups of water. It tasted really good. I'll have to remember that next time I run out. I topped mine with some Daiya shredded cheddar.

Quinoa Black Bean Salad~pg. 75

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Very easy and delicious! I reduced the amount of oil in the dressing and it turned out fine. The avocado gave it the extra oil it needed.

Adam's Black Bean & Corn Salad~pg. 74

La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

I've made variations of this salad over the years and this is a good one. I like the lime juice in it and I'm always a fan of cilantro ( I added an extra 1/8 C. cilantro to mine!) I did cut down on the oil as 1/3 C. seemed like a lot. A quick and easy dish to prepare.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos~pg 158

Vegan Culinary Institute La Dolce Vegan! Challenge:

Betty's Salsa~page 63

This is a very tasty salsa-anything with cilantro in it is tasty to me! Instead of 2 large tomatoes, I used a  

14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained.

Sweet Potato Mash

Black Bean Mixture

Toppings: Betty's Salsa, Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds, shredded cabbage, chopped tomatoes

Before folding!

After folding!

This is definitely a big burrito-might have to use a fork on this one! I have made this before and used the filling on corn tostada shells which was very good also.