September Craziness!

 ~ Happy Autumn Equinox! ~ 

We don't see too many leaves this color around here and the temps are still in the 100 degrees but things really get hopping this time of year. As you can see I didn't have too much success with Vegan MoFo! We spent a wonderful week in Iowa visiting my hubby's family; I have been busy making teas, incense and other goodies for a local craft show next month; babysitting grandkids and celebrating our oldest grandson's 4th birthday! The cooking I did do used a lot of convenience foods and whatever food I had left in the fridge and freezer after our Iowa trip. So, here's a rundown on the last two weeks! I did try four new recipes with mixed results.

 I found these StarLite cuisine frozen meals at Sprouts. They have a whole line of taquitos and enchiladas. I like to keep my freezer stocked when I don't have time to cook. Very tasty!

 ~ Sauteed Collards ~
I love collard greens! I'm always looking in my cookbooks for different ways to cook them. I found this recipe in Veganomican. Yum! I served the collards with some baked potatoes and Gardein Crispy Tenders.

~ Basic Guacamole ~
I had an avocado ready to expire! and this recipe is another one from Veganomican. Yes, it's really basic; lime (too much), onion, salt and pepper. But it was a quick, easy way to use up that overly ripe avocado. She does give optional ingredients to add like cilantro, jalapeno and garlic which I didn't have which would have spiced it up.

~ Spinach, Peppers and  Cherry Tomatoes with Penne Rigate ~
I was browsing recipes online and found this at vegetariantimes. I had some roasted red peppers I had frozen, so this was a quick meal to put together. Everything gets cooked in a skillet and then tossed with cooked pasta. I sprinkled some red pepper flakes on top for a little spice.

 ~ Hot Tamale Pie ~
I love a good tamale pie and sadly this one didn't turn out. The recipe is from Cookin' Crunk and sounded really good. I think I must have used cornmeal that was too fine because the cornmeal really never thickened up to the right consistency. The filling had pinto beans and lots of spice and was really delicious. I poured the cornmeal mixture over the bean mix and went ahead and cooked it. Not a success. It was like eating cornmeal mush mixed with chili. The flavors were good so that's the way I ate it. I would like to try this again with a different kind of cornmeal.

I was so excited to see these frozen tamales at Sprouts!

Easy to steam in the microwave.

 I served the tamales with some homemade Spanish rice and Smoky Collard Greens with Vegan Bacon from Betty Goes Vegan. Another convenience foods success!

I made some Chili Dogs one night using Yves vegan hot dogs and a can of Sprouts spicy vegan chili. I had some hot dog buns in the freezer! and used those. I topped the chili dogs with some chopped onion and Daiya cheddar shreds and served them with some sweet potato fries!

My new favorite frozen "chicken". I used the Southwest Style to make some Chicken-Free Fajitas.

I sauteed a little red and yellow bell pepper in some olive oil along with the chicken-free strips. I would have used more peppers but that was all I had.

~ Chicken-Free Fajitas ~
I layered the sauteed chicken-free strips and bell peppers in a warmed flour tortilla then topped them with Daiya cheddar shreds, cilantro, green onions, chopped tomatoes and romaine lettuce and a few dashes of Tabasco sauce for some hotness! YUM!!!

Here's to a new week (hopefully with more fresh ingredients incorporated-hehe). Well, I did do some green juicing so that counts!

Red Lentil Dal with Red Beans & Greens

Another "greens" recipe from Wild About Greens. This calls for some curry powder or garam masala. I was out of my homemade garam masala so I mixed up some more. It's an easy recipe out of  La Dolce Vegan. 

Six ingredients for the garam masala. 

~coriander, cumin, cardamom, ginger, allspice and pepper~

My favorite vegan naan bread from Sprouts. I like to keep a bag of this in my freezer. 

~ Red Lentil Dal with Red Beans & Greens ~

The red lentils and seasonings get cooked down to a mush for easy dipping. Then you add in some kidney beans and greens; I used spinach and arugula. The recipe calls for 8-10 oz. of greens but after adding about 4-6 oz. I couldn't imagine adding another 4 ounces into the dal. That was a lot of greens! Of course this wasn't spicy enough for me and it seemed kind of bland so I had to add some more salt, cilantro and sriracha sauce. 

Pasta with Asparagus, Arugula & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This pasta dish is from Wild About Greens.

The recipe calls for arugula but you can substitute spinach, which I had. I had a bunch of asparagus that needed using and this was perfect. So easy to make and so tasty. I thought it needed a little more seasoning and spice so I added some crushed red pepper flakes on top of mine. I served it with some mixed veggies for a quick meal. 

I had one Gardein Chik'n Scalloppini that I chopped up for the hubby to add to his to give it a little more "meat!"

Broccoli Pesto Pasta & Garlicky Spinach

Vegcookbookclub January 2014

~from Everyday Happy Herbivore: Garlicky Spinach

Lots of garlic in the Garlicky Spinach. I used a half and half mixture of spinach and lacinato kale. You saute' the garlic (6 cloves!) in a small amount of vegetable broth and then add Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and red pepper flakes for seasoning. Very tasty!  

 ~from The Happy Herbivore:  Broccoli Pesto Pasta

After steaming the broccoli it is blended with 3 garlic cloves, fresh basil, tofu and other seasonings. It is then tossed with cooked pasta. I added the optional kalamata olives, some capers and quartered cherry tomatoes for extra flavor. Basically, it is an uncooked pasta sauce so the raw garlic is quite potent. We had a "garlicky" dinner tonight. Along with the garlic in the spinach and pasta I also made garlic bread! Whew! Good thing we were both eating it!

Cruciferous Cravings

Vegcookbookclub January 2014

It seems lately all I have been cooking is kale, collard greens, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli. I just discovered they are all from the same group of plants! I must be craving some special vitamins and minerals they have. 

Both of these recipes are from Everyday Happy Herbivore.  It's been great this month digging into Lindsay Nixon's two cookbooks I have. I know most of the recipes are pretty simplistic but that makes it so much easier to get dinner on the table at night. And I usually have most of the ingredients already in my pantry and fridge. 

~ Broccoli & Red Pepper Stir-Fry ~

Sauteeing the broccoli and red pepper in savory sauce. 

I wanted to add some protein to make this a one-pot dish so I browned pressed diced firm tofu sprinkled with Butler's Chik-Style Seasoning. 

 I served the Broccoli & Red Pepper Stir-Fry on top of some brown rice. Yum!

~ Gobi Palak ~

This was soooo yummy! After cooking the yellow split peas for about 45 minutes you add lots of spices and cauliflower and let it cook down then toss in some baby spinach. I served it over brown and jasmine rice and garnished with some chopped cilantro and garlic-chili sauce. 

So easy!

Garlicky Greens and Gnocchi

Sprouts had a big buy one, get one free sale. I love these Rising Moon Organics Gnocchi. Another favorite is their Vegan Spinach Florentine Ravioli. This was an easy and quick meal to fix tonight.

I always keep Muir Glen pasta sauces on hand for quick meals.

I had to make a double recipe of the Citrus, Black Pepper and Cheese Cauliflower from Betty Goes Vegan. Yum!

I rounded out the meal with some Simple Garlicky Greens from Wild About Greens by Nava Atlas. An easy, flavorful way to eat your greens. I used spinach and arugula this time. Instead of the salt and black pepper I sprinkled Slavo Salt on top. And my ever-favorite Faux Parmesan Garlic Bread!

Sunday Supper Frittata

So I'm literally making this frittata for "Sunday supper."  I had some tofu that was getting ready to expire and I found this recipe in Vegan On the Cheap by Robin Robertson. 

I like this recipe because it's so versatile. You can add whatever veggies you have on hand. I used potatoes, mushrooms, spinach and broccoli. 

The frittata has a tofu, nutritional yeast, spice mixture combined in the blender and spread over the top of the veggies. It creates an eggy like texture over them. I have some Vegg powder which I should have added to the mixture to give it an eggy taste. I definitely will try that next time.

This is supposed to make 4 servings but my hubby and I ate the whole frittata ourselves; I would say this was a success!

The Incredible Green Monstah Casserole ~ pg. 166

VegCookbookClub August recipes from Betty Goes Vegan by Annie & Dan Shannon:

Yum! I could eat this with a little salad dressing just as it is. I think a better name for this dish is "Everything But the Kitchen Sink" casserole or "Clean Out the Fridge and Freezer" casserole! I know the recipe calls for whole wheat pasta shells; I've tried and tried to like them but I just can't do it. The same with gluten-free pasta - yuch! If I'm going to eat pasta it will be good old-fashioned 'white' macaroni.

I prefer to make my own seasonings and spice blends but she keeps referring to this particular blend. I always see it on the shelf at the grocery store so this time I finally bought it. It's got a nice spicy kick with the red and black pepper and chili powder in it.

I'm glad I followed the directions and used my big lasagna pan because this makes a Huge amount. We will be eating leftovers for a few days! I don't think this would freeze very well. I might have to try a little and see how it defrosts. I had to add just a little Daiya cheddar and mozzarella on top.

The sauce for this is quite tasty. The addition of the liquid smoke really brings out all the flavors. I garnished my pasta with some chopped green onions. 

Popeye Pasta ~ pg. 139

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

Mmmm! garlic, basil and spinach; what could be better? Another quick and delicious recipe from Dreena. I made sure to use plenty of garlic in this; you can even see bits of it in my pic! The recipe called for 1/3 C red or white wine and I didn't have any so I left it out. It didn't affect the flavor of this dish one bit. I also added chopped fresh basil to garnish. I want to try her Olive Oyl Pasta now!

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

My favorite spot in the world ~ Sedona! I was here instead of home cooking. I had plans to make a few recipes while we were there but we were too busy working on our cabin by Oak Creek. It needed alot of hard work and TLC! So last night I made one of my all-time favorite comfort pasta dishes. I found the recipe here: thatwasvegan.com. It's a combination of a white sauce made with spices and Daiya mozzarella tossed with sauteed spinach and artichoke hearts. 

It's so rich and creamy you almost feel guilty eating it! Her recipe calls for 1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes but I only use 1 tsp. and it's plenty spicy for us. I served the pasta with steamed organic zucchini and yellow squash seasoned with my Italian seasoning mix and some Faux Parmesan garlic bread. Yum! 

Palak Soyabina Panira ~ pg. 137

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

I had alot of spinach I needed to use up and this recipe called for a pound of spinach! Make sure you use a large pot to cook this in. 

I love the spicy-sweet flavors of Indian food and the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, allspice and cloves sauteing were mouth-watering. This is a delicious and easy way to enjoy those Indian flavors. I served  the tofu and spinach with Nava Atlas' Middle Eastern Chopped Salad, naan bread and mango chutney.

Tostadas with Chili-Spiced Greens & Potatoes

Wow~can't believe it's been so long since I've posted anything. Busy, busy month. I threw a big bash for my 50th birthday which was actually last month but we celebrated this month. I had everyone bring their favorite finger food to share. I made my favorite vegan ranch salad dressing with veggies and dried veggie chips and Cilantro Jalapeno Hummus with pita bread. I also served Grilled Tofu Veggie Kabobs. I marinated the tofu and my mom grilled them up for me on a grill pan. They were delicious! Now if only I had taken pictures of everything. :(  

I've had this cookbook for awhile now and decided to try a few recipes out of it. The first one I tried, "Quinoa with Chard & Chickpeas" wasn't a success so I'm not including it in my blog because I won't make it again. Tonight I tried the tostada recipe; the combination of ingredients sounded a little strange but it turned out great.

 

The potato and greens (I used baby spinach) mixture. The recipe called for a mashed avocado to be added into the mix but I didn't have one and I really didn't miss it.

Love the flavors of lime, cumin and cilantro! I topped my tostada with a little Daiya cheddar shreds.

 

Indian-Spiced Lentil Ragu~pg. 139

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

Finally can get back in my kitchen to cook after having new tile installed! Yay! Every square inch of my kitchen has been cleaned and dusted but it was worth it to have a floor. We've been walking on painted concrete for three years now. 

Any recipe that uses curry powder, coriander, cumin and fresh ginger is a hit with me! The aroma of this dish while simmering is mouthwatering. Even after washing up the pots and pans and putting away the leftovers the scent lingers. Hmmm, maybe someone needs to bottle that scent. I added chopped yellow and orange bell peppers along with the onion and used fresh spinach instead of frozen. I also had a can of roasted diced tomatoes that gave it an extra smoky flavor. I served my Lentil Ragu over some jasmine rice. 

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!