Calories Aren’t the ONLY Thing That Can be DENSE!

Posted by: jility | January 11, 2011

Calories Aren’t the ONLY Thing That Can be DENSE!

It is not enough to know the information taught here. You actually have to put it into practice. Sometimes, we think that, because we have read the book or listened to the tapes or attended the lectures and seminars, WE GOT IT DOWN!!! Sadly, that is most often not the case with me. Sometimes I am VERY DENSE! I can be told the same thing by my agility instructor fifty times, then, somebody else mentions it in passing and BINGO, I GET IT!!! The poor instructor is left shaking her head and telling me she has been trying to get me to listen to the same exact thing for a billion years.

This also holds true for my diet. I have heard the same lectures and read the same books and watched the same videos over and over and over, YET, I am still fat and not getting it. How could that be? Am I dense? Perhaps I AM the moron I keep saying I am. It is a good thing I know what my IQ is or I would begin to wonder. Maybe the IQ falls with age or, the fatter I get, the lower my IQ goes. The fat is clogging up my brain cells so they don’t work right anymore. YEAH! THAT’S MY STORY AND I’M STICKING TO IT!

This program is built around a starch based diet with NO added oils, meat, fish, dairy or eggs. Dr. McDougall has been telling me to EAT MORE and MORE OFTEN for nearly 20 years but I never listened. I was convinced if I ate more, I would gain weight. Of course I would the way I eat! I cheat! I don’t cheat with animal protein (although there was that lobster in Maine last fall :)), I cheat with things like fake meats and fake cheese and oily restaurant food. The lecture we had yesterday about the “Pleasure Trap” was very powerful. As a former addict of other things, I recognized what Dr. Doug Lisle http://www.healthpromoting.com/doctors/dr-doug-lisle was saying. I have given up drinking (1981), smoking (1984), pot (1975!) coffee (1988), animal protein (1990) and know what it is like to quit an addiction. If you have not read the Pleasure Trap I recommend you do so or watch the video, that might be even better! Dr. Lisle shows what happens when we eat the wrong things and why it is hard to come back to what humans were meant to eat, at starch based diet. I am not trying to get preachy. everyone needs to make the choice for themselves about what they want to put into their bodies but for me, it is a plant based diet.

My current addiction is with fake meats. I guess that needs to be broken down even more by saying it is really with added fat, salt and sugar. Yesterday I learned why. Now that I recognize my addiction to these things, I can deal with it. Just like all the other things I have quit in my life, these cravings too shall pass. It may take a while but, eventually, I will get over jonesin for Tofurkey with gravy.

So, every morning I get up at FIVE A-FREAKING-M!!! ME!!! I like to stay in bed until 7:30 or 8 every morning! They get you up here at the butt crack of dawn! The reason is that the less time you sleep, the better your mood and health. Sleeping more than 6 or 7 hours can cause depression and other things. I still love to stay in bed and cuddle with the dogs in the morning. I sure get more done though, getting my lazy ass out of bed earlier!

I get up at 5, shower, dress and then off to have my blood pressure taken. It is the same every day. Blood pressure is done from 6 AM until 7:30 AM, then you have breakfast. Today we also got weighed. With all the food I have been stuffing down my gullet since Friday night, I expected to have gained weight. Normally, I eat fruit for breakfast, soup for lunch and then a big dinner. We are old so we eat dinner around 4 in the afternoon.

So I get to the blood pressure room about 5:45 and wait for fifteen minutes so I can be first and not have to wait for two minutes. Somehow that logic is flawed. My blood pressure has been high while here. It is normally about 96/65 but here it floats from 114/81 – 131/85! The first day it was 129/95!!! It doesn’t take much for it to rise. I guess I am still within safe limits.

Today was also the first weigh in day since Friday. I was sure that eating three HUGE meals a day (and I mean HUGE!) that I would have gained weight. NOT SO! I was shocked when I stepped onto the scale and I have lost 1/2 pound!!! That might not seem like much but if you saw the amount of food I have been eating, you would be shocked. So maybe, this Dr. Mcdougall guy might know what he is talking about after all? When I told Uncle Jef I lost half a pound he said, “AWESOME! Now you can go get a thong bikini!”

In my last blog I said that all the information he is giving us here is available on his website for free. Here is a link. http://www.drmcdougall.com/free.html

Today we have an assignment. We have to walk over to the Safeway across the street and down a block and find healthy foods. The way he taught us to read labels is awesome. I know I want vegan, organic, LOW or no fat but he said NEVER EVER trust what we see on the front of the package (and not always what is on the BACK or SIDE either)! The salt content per serving should be same or less than the calories per serving and the calories FROM fat should be NO MORE than 20% of the total calories per serving. So the easiest way is to move the decimal on the calorie number to the left one place and double that number to the left of the decimal to find out what the calories FROM fat should be and there should be NO sugar OF ANY KIND in the first three ingredients. Pretty simple!

We are supposed to stick with LOW calorie dense foods like FRESH vegetables, fruits, starches (potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes, etc.) and legumes (but no more than a cup of legumes a day for good health). Here is an explanation of the caloric density in foods.http://www.vegan-weight-loss.com/low-calorie-foods.html

Every day I learn something new or FINALLY hear what I have been told by Dr. McDougall for YEARS! I am so excited to get home and eat the way I know I should. Sir Cussalot will just have to hide all his high fat CRAP out in the trailer! He could stand to lose that paunch he carries around under his shirt too!

Dr. McDougall is coming out with a new book called “The Starch Solution.” I can’t wait to read it!

We just finished up a fantastic morning of lectures by Dr. and Mrs. McDougall and cooking demos by Miyoko Schinner. http://theveganmanifesto.com/Home_Page.html She said next week there will be cooking demo videos on this site.http://www.miyokoskitchen.com/ If you are interested, search her name on YouTube. She has a ton of demos on there. I just have to remove the fat from her cooking. She cooked oil free here. It was AMAZING!!!!

This is the lecture we had on dairy today. It was very powerful! To me dairy is more destructive than tobacco. If you want to know why I feel that way (and have for years) here is a link to some information. If you think you will get righteously indignant and pissed, DON’T READ IT!

http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/030500pudairyanddisease.htm

Here is another:

http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/030400pudairyproductsfalsepromises.htm

OK, enough of the preaching crap. Time to go EAT AGAIN!!!! AMAZING how much food I am scarfing down here!

Posted in Travel Supremes

Responses

Thanks so much for sharing this info Helen. Good timing for me 🙂
By: Charlotte Rundgren on January 11, 2011
at 10:59 AM

Reply

AWESOME no oil poppyseed dressing

This recipe is amazing. I played around with amounts. I use 1 slice of sweet onion and it was great.

1 package or box silken tofu
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
¼ to 1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 TBL poppy seeds
2 TBL Dijon mustard
2 TBL onion (I used a whole slice and prefer sweet but any will do)
Salt to taste
White pepper to taste

Put everything but the poppy seeds in a blender and run until smooth. Add poppy seeds and blend briefly to mix.

Mel’s Magnificent Vegan Potato Salad

I told Mel I wanted to make potato salad. Then I was just too sick from chemo so he took it upon himself to make some. He did a great job! Mel is an excellent cook but hasn't cooked much in years (since all the kids grew up). This is the recipe he came up with. It is phenomenal and well worth making!

Vegetables:

7 – 8 cups red or Yukon gold potatoes (chopped into large bite-sized pieces – leave on the skin, it is the best part)
4 stalks celery (cut in half lengthwise first, then sliced across)
½ large onion (red or yellow diced)
1 red pepper (diced)
½ - 1 cup dill pickles (diced and optional)
½ cup parsley (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:

1 box silken tofu
¼ cup cashews (raw)
2 lemons (juiced)
1 tsp onion powder
1 TBL smoked paprika
2 TBL Dijon mustard
2 tsp dry (or ½ cup fresh) dill
Salt to taste

Directions:

Steam or boil potatoes until cooked, then drain and cool under cold running water.
While potatoes are cooking place all the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down often.
Place cooked, cooled potatoes in a large nonreactive bowl and mix with the rest of the vegetables.
Add the dressing, mix well and chill. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
We ate it all in one day! We are pigs.

Helen’s Cilantro Lime Sauce

This is great over potatoes, brown rice or on potato tacos or burritos. Also makes a nice salad dressing.
1 bunch of cilantro (wash and remove only lower stems).
1 package silken tofu ( I prefer Nasoya but the boxed kind works fine)
1 lime juiced
¼ cup Tamari (a rich soy sauce)
¼ cup water
2 large cloves garlic
1 inch piece of fresh ginger (no need to peel)
1 TBL nutritional yeast (NOT BREWER’S YEAST!) (OPTIONAL)
Sometimes I add a peeled mango.
Place all the ingredients into a blender or food processor (I like it in a blender) and blend until smooth.
Substitute basil for cilantro and lemon for lime and omit the ginger for a great pasta sauce (you can also increase the garlic for pasta).

AWESOME White sauce Sorta PASTA

Blended Sauce
4 Roma tomatoes
2 tub Nasoya silken tofu
1 bunch fresh basil
4 shallots
4 – 6 cloves of garlic
2 lemons – juiced
1/4 cup Vegetarian Express Parma Zaan (plus more to sprinkle on top of the plated dish)
1 packet Good Seasons dry Italian dressing

The rest of it
A bunch of white mushrooms (use as many as you like) sliced
1 cup dry white wine
A mess of fresh Roma tomatoes (maybe 2 or 3 pounds) chopped
1 small jar calamata olives pitted and sliced.
1 pound Rustichella Trenne (my favorite!) or use your own fave.
Vegetarian Express Golden Broth powder
Salt & pepper to taste (I prefer white pepper sprinkled on the top of my plated meal).

Place all the blended sauce ingredients in the VitaMix and blend well.
Put a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil
Heat a LARGE electric skillet (I use the electric Cuisinart ceramic skillet) and it works perfectly. If you don’t have one, use a large skillet and we will improvise.
Place the mushroom and wine in the skillet (on high). Sauté until the mushroom are soft (I never time things but maybe 5 or 10 minutes).
Add the chopped 2 or 3 pounds of Romas and bring to a boil. Simmer until the tomatoes begin to mush.
Add the blended sauce and olives, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, while the pasta is boiling.
When the past is almost done, add a few serving spoons of the pasta water to the sauce. When the past still has a bit of a bite, drain and add to the sauce. If you don’t have a large enough skillet, put it all back in the large pot you used to boil the pasta. Simmer on low,. Covered for a few minutes to finish cooking the pasta. When it is done, sprinkle 2 TBLs of the Golden Broth powder on top.
Serve with Parma Zaan on top and I like white pepper on top too.

Helen’s Tomato Soup

Get a HUGE batch of very red ripe Roma tomatoes chopped (I just guess maybe 4 or 5 pounds)Make sure they are ripe!
1 large sweet onion chopped
5 or 6 large cloves garlic chopped
Handful of fresh basil
1 TBL poultry seasoning
2 Not chicken bouillon cubes
½ - 1 cup DRY white wine
A couple of thick pieces of olive bread cubed (stale is fine) cubed
1 TBL dark brown sugar
1 TBL Balsamic vinegar
Salt (I used a great lemon salt & pepper to taste)
Large seasoned croutons

Place the wine and bouillon cubes in a large heavy saucepan. Add onions and sauté five or so minutes on medium high. Add Garlic and sauté a few more minutes.
Add tomatoes, Balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.
Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour or so on a medium simmer.
Stir often!
Add the bread and simmer 30 more minutes.
Place soup in batches in the Vitamix with the basil. Blend to a smooth consistency. Return to the pot and turn heat on low.
Serve with large seasoned croutons on top and add more salt if needed!
AWESOME!!!!!

Tofu Basil Alfredo Sauce

1 box silken tofu
1 bunch of basil
2 lemons juiced
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/3 cup chickpea miso paste
1/3 cup water
4 cloves garlic
½ tsp rosemary
White pepper to taste

Place ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and set aside.

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.

Pasta
1 pound pasta of choice (works well with fettuccini and I prefer the real stuff made in Italy).
Two boxes white mushrooms sliced
1 onion diced (or equivalent volume shallots)
1 cup white wine

Sauté mushrooms and onions or shallots in a large nonstick skillet (I use my huge nonstick ceramic Cuisinart electric pan). Sauté on medium heat COVERED until the onions and mushroom are soft. I never time things. When they begin to stick on the bottom, add the cup of wine to deglaze.

The water should be boiling by then so put the pasta into the pot of boiling water.
Add the Alfredo sauce to the onion mushroom mixture and reduce heat. Add a ladle or two of pasta cooking water to the sauce and stir well.

When the pasta is about to al dente, drain and add to the pan of sauce and mix well and serve.

Corn and Bean Salad for a Crowd

This is a dish I came up with for Ernie’s Celebration of Life. You can cut down on the amount but the leftovers are very good. There were close to two hundred people there for the pot luck and this went fast. I was competing with a roasted pig and lots of other great but not vegan pot luck dishes too .

6 cups frozen or fresh corn
2 - 15 oz cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
4 large or 6 smaller tomatoes or more if you prefer (chopped- I used the hand cranked salsa maker to prepare all the veggies )
1 red bell pepper (diced)
1 green pepper (diced)
1 bunch green onions or 1 red or white onion (diced)
3 or 4 cloves garlic (minced)
4 stalks celery (sliced)
1 jalapeno pepper (minced)
1 bunch cilantro (finely chopped _ I did it in the salsa maker too)
3 or 4 limes depending on size (juiced)
1 - 15 oz can black olives (pitted and chopped)
1 - 4 oz can diced green chilies
1 TBL chili powder
1 TBL cumin
Salt & pepper to taste

First chop the garlic in the salsa maker, then add the jalapeno pepper to the garlic and continue grinding then add the green onion (cut up into smaller piece first) and grind. Empty into a large bowl.
Then chop all the veggies in the salsa maker or hand cut into small pieces.
Add all the ingredients to the large bowl and stir well. Make sure the spices are evenly distributed. Chill until ready to serve.
Here is what my salsa maker looks like. Amazon has it cheap.
http://www.simplygoodstuff.com/salsa_chopper.html

Vegan Frittata

Makes two pie pans or 1 rectangular 13 x 9 pan

1 package super firm tofu crumbled (I prefer Wildwood sprouted)
2 packages silken tofu (I prefer Nasoya over the box tofu)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 TBL soy sauce
½ cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
1 green pepper diced
4 large shallots diced
4 cloves garlic pressed
1 lemon juiced
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes not in oil (soaked and minced)
2 tsp dry oregano (or 2 TBL fresh)
1/2 cup raw cashews
¼ tsp turmeric
2 TBL cornstarch
1 TBL Dijon mustard
1 heaping tsp smoked paprika
Black pepper to taste
1 bunch asparagus coarse end snapped off and cut into bite-sized pieces reserve the tips

1. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the pie pans or the 9 x 13 rectangular pan. Spray pan with non-stick spray and place parchment in bottom.
2. Preheat oven to 400.
3. Heat a non-stick pan to medium high. Add the shallots, garlic, bell pepper and crumbled tofu and freshly ground pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tofu begins to brown in places. Add oregano and asparagus (DO NOT ADD THE ASPARAGUS TIPS!) and continue to cook until the asparagus softens, about 5 - 10 minutes.
4. While that is cooking, blend all remaining ingredients EXCEPT the sun dried tomatoes and asparagus tips in a food processor.
5. Mix the sautéed ingredients with the blended ingredients and stir in the sundried tomatoes and asparagus tips. Quickly stir well and pour into the prepared pie pan. Be sure to scrape out any tofu that becomes stuck to the pan. Smooth the top and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes (20 if using pie plates instead of the rectangular pan) and add the cheese ( I like Teese mozzarella) on top if using. Bake an additional 30 minutes (20 if in a pie pan) or until the cheese begins to brown.
Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature.

***You can use any vegetable you like instead of asparagus; just chop, slice, or shred it small and cook it along with the regular tofu. Some longer-cooking veggies, like broccoli, can be steamed separately and then folded into the tofu. Just make sure that the vegetables are fairly dry because any extra moisture may prevent the frittata from setting properly.
**** You can also top the frittata with grated vegan cheese and bake as above

Vegan Ceviche

SERVES 6
1 carton of cherry tomatoes quartered (I used the *salsa maker)
1 green or red bell pepper (diced or in the *salsa maker)
4 green onions sliced
1 small celeriac diced (*salsa maker)
2 cloves garlic pressed
3 stalks celery sliced
4 carrots diced (*salsa maker)
3 avocados diced
1 cup snap peas cut in thirds
1 cucumber diced
2 cups frozen or fresh corn
1 jalapeno pepper minced
1 small bunch cilantro chopped
1 can palm hearts drained and diced
1 cup cumquats seeded and chopped in the *salsa maker
1 preserved lemon skin well rinsed and minced **
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
2 TBL toasted sesame oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and white pepper to taste
Lettuce leaves

Place all the chopped vegetables in a large nonreactive bowl.
Mix the lime juice and sesame oil together and pour over the veggies.
Add the salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for an hour or so to marinate.
Scoop a serving of the marinated vegetables on a lettuce leaf.

*I use a salsa maker I bought at a fair. It is a hand crank and cuts the vegetables just right. Here is a link to it. http://www.simplygoodstuff.com/chef_express.html

**I preserve Meyer lemons using only salt and lemon juice. Here is a recipe (they are salty but delicious) http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/preserved_lemons

Soy Bleu Cheese Dressing

1 6 oz package of Soy Beu cheese (divided)
½ cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
1 lemon juiced
1 TBL garlic gomasio (health food stores carry it)
1 TBL apple cider vinegar
½ tsp onion powder
A few of TBL of minced garlic chives (use regular if you don’t have garlic chives)
A few grinds of white pepper
4 TBL Vegan Mayonnaise )optional)

You can use a hand immersion blender or a regular blender for this.

Place the soy or almond milk, lemon juice and vinegar in a regular blender or a tall container if using an immersion blender. Let it be for a few minutes before proceeding. This gives the milk time to turn to “buttermilk.”
Add HALF of the Soy Bleu cheese to the milk as well as the garlic gomasio and pepper.
Blend to a smooth consistency.
Place in a storage container and crumble in the remaining Soy Bleu cheese and chives. Stir well and refrigerate for at least an hour.

The Soy Bleu is very low in fat and is quite delicious!

Vegan Clam Dip

OK you vegans and vegan wannabes! Here is a little recipe I made up. I think this dip turned out AMAZINGLY WELL! BUT, I have been a vegan for a LONG LONG time :). I may be biased.

1 8 oz package vegan cream cheese (I prefer Tofutti brand)
2 tubs vegan sour cream (I prefer Tofutti brand)
1 cup chicken style TVP chunks or Soy Curls
2 heaping TBL Horseradish Veganaise
1 TBL vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 lemons juiced
1 package vegan onion soup/dip mix
1 tsp dill
1 clove garlic
1 snack pack wasabi seaweed (I like the .17 oz by Sea’s Gift)
White pepper to taste

*(optional)
1 package frozen spinach thawed
1 can chestnuts chopped

Mix all but the onion soup mix, dill. optional ingredients and TVP in the food processor or in a mixer. Add the spinach if using and pulse to mix slightly. Stir in the TVP, dill, chestnuts, if using, and soup mix. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

*I made this and added the optional ingredients. It was really quite an amazing vegan dip!

AWESOME Vegan French Toast

Feeds 4 normal people or 2 pigs

12 pieces thick sliced bread (we like whole wheat sourdough from Great Harvest Bread Company and we slice it thickly ourselves)
2 cups vegan milk
4 TBL WW flour
2 TBL nutritional yeast
2 TBL brown sugar
1 TBL maple syrup
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp pure vanilla

Wisk everything except the bread in a bowl large enough to fit the bread.
I cut each bread slice in half so it would fit in the toaster.
Toast the bread to a golden brown.
Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium/high and spray with Pam or something like that.
Dip each toasted piece of bread into the wisked liquid. Coat well on each side and place it into the heated skillet.
Place as many as will fit into the skillet and cook until brown and flip to the other side and brown that side.
Serve with pure maple syrup!
As an alternative cooking method, try baking on parchment paper on a cookie sheet at 375 or 400 until brown.

Thai Taco spread

Makes 12 corn tacos (serves 4 or 2 pigs)

I made this up tonight and it was YUMMY!!!!! Mel & I ate the whole thing!

2 15 oz. cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup sesame tahini
2 limes juiced
2 lemons juiced (Meyer lemons are best)
3 stalks celery sliced
1 yellow or orange bell pepper diced
½ bunch cilantro chopped
1 small bunch garlic chives or green onions sliced
1 ripe mango, skinned, seeded and diced
2 TBL soy sauce
12 corn tortillas
Fat free Nayonaise
2 roma tomatoes diced
1 large avocado diced
White pepper to taste
Salt if needed
Hot sauce to taste for people to sprinkle on their tacos

Mash garbanzo beans in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl mix the tahini with the lemon and lime juice and soy sauce. Stir the tahini mixture into the mashed beans.
Add the chives or green onions, celery, bell pepper, cilantro, mango white pepper and mix well. Add salt if needed.
I like to salt the tortilla shells and nuke them in the microwave for about 1:30 minute, turning half way through. You want them cooked but fairly pliable.
Spread about a TBL of fat free Nayonaise on each tortilla, spoon a generous amount of spread on each and top with a sprinkling of tomato and avocado.
Let each person put on their own hot sauce.

Vegan Spinach Dip

Ingredients
2 lb Organic Tofu, Extra firm or firm regular not silken
1 cup fat free Nayonaise
1 Lemon, juiced
10 oz Spinach, frozen, thawed and drained
3-6 cloves Garlic, to taste
1 packet Lipton's Onion Soup Mix, dry
1 can Water chestnuts, drained and chopped
4 Green onions, sliced
2 tbsp Miso, Mello White Chick Pea
2 tsp Parsley, dry
1 tsp Basil
1 tbsp Dill Weed dry
1/2 tsp Thyme, dry
Ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
Blend all ingredients EXCEPT thawed, drained spinach, chopped water chestnuts and sliced green onions in food processor until smooth. Scrape down occasionally. Add spinach to processor after other ingredients are smooth and pulse until spinach is chopped and well blended. Put into bowl and stir in water chestnuts and green onions. Chill overnight or for several hours. Serve with veggies or hollow out a whole sourdough or olive bread and fill center with mix. Use torn bread you took out to dip into it!

Black Bean Soup with Whole Cumin and Lime

INGREDIENTS

2 heaping cups dried black beans
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon whole cumin
1 large chopped onion
6 cups water
4 - 6 cloves garlic minced
2 cups frozen or fresh corn
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (that is one chili, not 1 can unless you like your mouth on fire)
¼ tsp white pepper
1/3 cup lime juice
2 Not-chicken broth cubes
1 whole bunch of fresh cilantro (remove very bottom of stems & chop the rest, reserves some chopped leaves for garnish
Lime slices, garnish
1 avocado diced
1 tub vegan sour cream
6 – 8 Fresh corn tortillas cut into narrow strips

DIRECTIONS

Rinse beans and place them in a large, heavy soup pot. Cover with water and set aside (no need to soak overnight).
Heat the oil in a nonstick, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium/high heat. When hot, add the cumin and brown it, stir often and DO NOT to burn it.
Add the onions and cook slowly until browned, stirring often. This will take some time but it is worth the effort and the smell is amazing. When the onions are just starting to turn golden, add the garlic and continue cooking. You don’t want to brown the garlic so that is why it goes in at the end.
When the onion mixture is done, drain the soaking beans, rinse and return to the pot.
Add the onion/garlic/cumin mixture, 6 cups of water, chopped cilantro (except for the reserved leaves for garnish), Not-chicken broth cubes, white pepper and the chili pepper with some of the adobo sauce to the beans in the large soup pot.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the beans are cooked (about 1 ½ - 2 hours). Be sure to check the water often and stir. Keep the beans just covered in water.
When the beans are done, puree the soup in a blender or use an immersible hand blender right in the pot and blend until smooth and creamy. Return to the pot if using a blender.
Add the corn and lime juice to the pureed soup and stir well. Turn the heat to low while you prepare the garnishes. The corn just needs to get hot.
Cut the corn tortilla strips in half so you have short strips, place them in a bowl and salt them well. Place them on a paper plate and cook in the microwave on high for about two minutes. Stir then after a minute. They will be slightly soft but will firm up.
Divide the tortilla strips into six equal portions and place a portion in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with the avocado pieces, add a dollop of the vegan sour cream in the middle of the bowl, top the sour cream with a slice of lime and sprinkle some chopped cilantro leaves over the top of the soup.
This soup is extraordinary!

Chicken-less and Rice Soup

2 boxes Trader Joes Chicken-less strips (cut strips in half) or half a bag of Soy Curls.
2 cubes Not-chick'n bullion
1 cup dry white wine
1 large Onion (diced)
4 cloves Garlic (minced or pressed)
4 stalks Celery (sliced)
4 medium Carrots (sliced)
8 cups Water
1 tsp Celery seeds
1 tsp Poultry seasoning (if it doesn't contain rosemary, add a pinch of rosemary too)
1/3 - 1/2 cup Chickpea miso (or use mellow white miso if you can't find chickpea)disolved in a cup of water
2 cups Cooked long grain brown rice or 1 cup uncooked long gran brown rice

1. Place Not Chick'n Cubes and white wine in a heavy soup pot on medium/high heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Sauté for a few minutes on med/high. Add garlic and chicken-less strips, poultry seasoning (rosemary if adding) and celery seed and sauté a few more minutes. Add uncooked rice if using, 8 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is cooked (about 30 or so minutes but taste often after that time to make sure it gets cooked).

2. If using cooked rice add it to the pot to the pot after 30 minutes and stir.

3. Dissolve the miso in 2 cups of cold water.

4. Turn off the burner and add the miso mixture, stirring well.

5. Serve :) YUM YUM!

Servings: 6 normal people or two pigs (oink oink)

Garbanzo Gravy

8 Cups Vegetable broth (or use water with 2 Not-Chicken broth cubes)
2 Cans Garbanzo beans with liquid
1/4 Cup Soy sauce (optional. Omit if you want to cut down on salt)
1 tsp Basil (dry)
1 tsp Poultry seasoning
2 Onion (chopped)
1 Package Knor dry Onion Soup mix (Optional)
1/2 Cup Whole wheat flower (use rice flour if you are avoiding gluten)
1 Cup Water
4 Cups Mushrooms (sliced)
1 Tbl Toasted sesame oil (Optional)
1 pound Died chestnuts (Optional)

Place veggie broth, garbanzo beans and their liquid, onions, garlic cloves, spices and soy sauce (if using) in in a strong blender (Vitamix works awesome) and blend until smooth. Then add mixture to a large heavy pot and add now the dried chestnuts if using them. Bring to boil on the stove and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, sauté mushroom in toasted sesame oil (or in a dry non-stick pan if you don't want to use oil). Cook over medium heat until well browned. Stir often.
Add mushrooms and remaining ingredients to the simmering broth mixture. Mix about a cup of water with flour and add to the gravy pot to thicken it. Stir well and often so the flour doesn't drift to the bottom of the pan and get clumpy. Simmer for about 30 more minutes. It will thicken as it cools. If you like a thicker gravy, add a little more flour but make sure you cook it or it will taste pasty.

Pretty Dang Good Stew!

Pretty Dang Good Stew

1 cup Dry garbanzo beans (soaked overnight)
1 cup Dry kidney beans (soaked overnight)
4 stalks Celery (minced)
1 large Onion (minced)
1 bunch Cilantro (minced)
1 large Green pepper (minced)
1 Jalapeno chili pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
2 medium Potatoes (diced)
1 large Yam (diced)
1 28 oz Can diced tomatoes
1 cup Wild rice
4 cloves Garlic minced)
2 cubes Not Chicken broth cubes
6 - 8 cups Water (you want enough water to cover beans and veggies by about two inches)
white pepper to taste
Vegetarian Express Golden Broth mix to taste

1. Soak both kinds of beans overnight in plenty of water so they will still be covered when they expand.

2. Drain and rinse beans and place back in a LARGE pot with minced vegetables and enough water to cover by a couple of inches. I used a hand salsa maker to mince the garlic, cilantro, celery, onion & green and jalapeno peppers.

3. Add the Not Chicken cubes (available in most health food stores) and about 12 grinds of white pepper (or to taste) to the beans and veggies.

4. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until beans are almost cooked(I never time, I just taste but it takes about an hour or so). Then add the diced potatoes and wild rice. cook until the rice is dine (an hour maybe?).

5. When the rice is done, add the diced tomatoes and yam. Cook until the yam is tender (about thirty minutes, maybe a little longer).

6. Add enough of the Golden Broth powder to bring up the salt if needed. This will also thicken the broth slightly. You can buy Golden Broth powder online from Vegetarian Express.

Servings: 6

Teese Au Gratin Potatoes

Ingredients
•8 - 10 medium Yukon gold potatoes, sliced about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick (I used the food processor slicer and it worked great)
•1 large yellow onion, sliced (same blade I used on the potatoes)
•1 tube Teese Cheddar Sauce
•2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
*1 meyer lemon juiced
*2 tsp smoked paprika
•3 or 4 cloves garlic - pressed
•1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
•1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
•2 cubes not-chicken broth cubes
•1 tsp ground pepper (I used white pepper)
•1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 375 (if your oven runs hot, set it to 350)
2.Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Line bottom of dish with slices of potatoes, layer on onions, then another layer of potatoes.
3.In a small sauce pan, combine Teese, non-dairy milk, garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika, mustard seed, Dijon, broth cubes, and pepper. Whisk to combine and heat to a gentle boil.
4.Pour hot cheese sauce over potatoes, and, with a wooden spoon, gently lift layers of potatoes to allow cheese sauce to seep through all veggies. Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly on top.
5.Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes (Check after 1 hour 15 minute to see if the potatoes are done. If they are tender all the way through, remove foil at 1 hour 15 minutes). Remove foil and continue to bake for another 30 minutes, until top is browned lightly and cheese sauce is bubbly.
Yum!

Artichoke Spinach Dip

Artichoke spinach Dip

2 - 14 oz cans Artichokes drained and rinsed & chopped (divided in half)
1 Box Mori-nu lite extra firm tofu
1 Cup Fat free Nayonaise
1 Tbs Dry Basil (or 3 sprigs fresh)
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Marjoram
2 Tbs Vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 Med Onion minced
3 cloves Garlic pressed
2 Packages Daiya Mozzarella style cheese (vegan of course)
1 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs (depends on how much crust you like)
1/2 Cups Vegan Parmesan
3 Tbs Capers
3 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
1 Lemon juiced
1 Tbs Prepared yellow mustard
1 tsp Horseradish
1 tub Tofutti Cream Cheese
1 tub Tofutti Sour Cream
1 box Frozen spinach (thawed and pressed)
1 can Whole Water chestnuts (diced)

1. Blend all but bread crumbs, capers, water chestnuts, 1 package of Daiya "cheese", 1 can of artichokes and 1/2 onion. After blending in food processor, transfer to bowl and stir in remaining artichokes, capers and 1/2 onion.
Place in non-stick casserole dish. Mix bread crumbs and remaining package of Daiya cheese together and spread over the top. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 35 more minutes or until golden.
Serve on tasted olive bread or as a dip with veggies or pita wedges.

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 serving.
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. 3 of the recipe's ingredients were not linked. These ingredients are not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 319.62
Calories From Fat (42%) 135.1
% Daily Value
Total Fat 15.17g 23%
Saturated Fat 7.25g 36%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 850.61mg 35%
Potassium 337.66mg 10%
Total Carbohydrates 27.01g 9%
Fiber 3.69g 15%
Sugar 6.63g
Protein 13.87g 28%

Spinach Tart

Ingredients
Filling
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced celery
5 medium to large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or drained and rinsed chickpeas from 2 14-ounce cans), divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons tamari
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
2/3 cup rolled oats
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, water squeezed out
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Assembly
1 prepared pastry pie shell (bottom crust only), thawed*
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon tamari
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Cranberry sauce or an oil and balsamic vinegar slurry or vegetarian gravy (for serving)
Directions
Filling preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F (205 C).

2. Combine the oil, onion, celery, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and pepper in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 9 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened and turning golden.

3. In a food processor, combine 1-2/3 cups of the chickpeas (reserve the rest), lemon juice, tamari, sage, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the sauteed mixture, and partially puree (leaving some chunkier consistency). Add the toasted walnuts and oats and pulse briefly to lightly break up the nuts. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in the spinach, cranberries, parsley, thyme, and reserved chickpeas.

Assembly

4. Transfer the filling mixture to the pie shell (or a lightly oiled pie plate), smoothing to distribute evenly. Combine the oil and tamari, and brush over the top. Sprinkle the tart with the walnuts. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tart is golden on the edges and top.

5. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve with your sauce of choice.

*This tart can be gluten-free if made with a wheat- or gluten-free pastry crust, or without any pastry crust, if preferred. Do not over bake the tart without a crust, as the tart can become dry.

Cranberry Banana Muffins

The perfect thing to make for fall!
These muffins are delightful! You will not believe there is no oil in this recipe. They keep well for several days in a Ziploc bag. They can also be frozen so you can eat one at a time if you like. I make mine in large Texas muffin tins from Ecco. This recipe will make three Texas muffin tins (18 muffins).

4 Cups Whole Wheat Flour (you may also use half WW and half WW pastry flour)
2 Cups Oat Bran
1 Cup Quick Oats
5 Ripe Bananas (mashed into the liquid mixture)
4 Cups Whole Fresh Cranberries (or use any other fresh fruit of your choice)
3 Cups Oat milk or unsweetened Soy Milk
1 Cup Raisins
1 Cup Chopped nuts or pumpkin seeds (optional)
4 Tbs Seasoned Brown Rice Vinegar (or use regular brown rice vinegar or cider vinegar)
1/3 Cup Sweet Molasses
1/3 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
1/3 Cup Brown Rice Syrup
1 Tbs Braggs Liquid Aminos (available in health food stores) If you don’t have this, you can use soy sauce or a pinch of salt.
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat over n to 375°
2. Place the unsweetened soy milk in the medium bowl and stir in the vinegar. Set aside and let the vinegar do its thing while you mix the dry ingredients together.
3. Mix all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, including the raisins, nuts and cranberries.
4. Then add the remaining wet ingredients to the soy milk/vinegar mixture in the medium mixing bowl.
5. Using a potato masher, mash bananas in the bowl of liquid ingredients.
6. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients into the well and mix. Do NOT over mix or it may make them tough.
Fill sprayed or non-stick muffin tins to the top. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes if using the large size tins or 30 minutes for the smaller size.
Allow muffins to cool, then place in Ziploc bags. They will keep for several days or freeze to keep longer.

Servings: 18
Yield: 18 Large Muffins (not sure how many small ones)

Vegan Swiss Fondue

Sometimes I really miss my old favorite comfort foods. One such food is fondue. I LOVED IT! I loved all kinds of fondue! One of my favorites was made with Velveeta cheese, Campbell's tomato soup, wine and garlic. My second favorite was the original Swiss fondue.
Here is a recipe I concocted to scratch my itch for Swiss fondue. I think it is nothing short of BRILLIANT (if I do say so myself ;). The secret is to make sure the wine is dry. I used Badger Mountain Chardonnay.

¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
½ cup quick oats
½ cup nutritional yeast
1 cup dry white wine
3 or 4 cloves garlic
2 cups water
1 TBL onion granules (powder)
½ tsp mustard powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup tahini (sesame paste)
1/8 tsp white pepper

Blend all in vitamix until creamy
Place in nonstick pot. Bring to boil over medium/high heat (stir often!). Reduce heat and simmer until thickened.
Serve with cubes of stale bread or bake fresh bread that you cut into cubes until crusty on a low heat heat.

AMAZING Vegan Clam Chowder in Bread Bowls

Makes six servings but Sir Cussalot and I ate the WHOLE FREAKING THING IN ONE SITTING!

Stir fry ingredients:

A boatload of oyster mushrooms chunked (maybe 6 – 8 cups)
4 stalks celery sliced
3/4 large sweet onion (or regular if no sweet) diced small (you will use the other quarter in the broth)
4 large garlic cloves pressed
1 TBL toasted sesame oil
2 Not-Chicken broth cubes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 large Yukon Gold potato diced
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp liquid smoke

Simmered Broth:

4+ cups water (enough to generously cover the ingredients)
1 large Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
2 large strips kombu (large seaweed strips available in health food stores)
2 cup cashews (I use organic raw)
1/4 onion quartered

Blender ingredients:

1 package silken tofu (I prefer Naysoya brand)
2 cups Unsweetened almond milk or soymilk
1 cup dry white wine
1 lemon juiced
2 TBL Apple cider vinegar
½ cup nutritional yeast (no not use brewer’s yeast!)
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/8 tsp chipotle pepper flakes

Salt to taste
2 sourdough or other crusty type round breads for the bowls (slice off the very top of the bread and remove the insides but be sure to leave enough of the bread crust to hold the soup).

In a medium saucepan place the kombu, the 1/4 part of the onion, the quartered potatoes and cashews. Add 4 - 6 cups of salted water or enough to cover everything generously. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a HUGE frying pan (I use my ceramic, nonstick electric Cuisinart AND LOVE IT!), add onions, celery, sage, thyme, crumbled Not-chicken cubes, lemon juice, black pepper, smoked paprika and oil. Saute for five minutes and add the mushrooms. Sauté until celery is almost tender (about 5 or so more minutes. I never time it).

While mushroom mixture is simmering, place tofu, soy or almond milk, vinegar (this gives almost a buttermilk flavor), nutritional yeast, white pepper, liquid smoke & chipotle pepper flakes in a large blender (Vitamix works great for this). Let sit for a few minutes to give the vinegar time to work on the milk. Do not blend yet.
When the potatoes are tender, turn off heat and discard the kombu strips. Scoop out the simmered cashews and potatoes to the blender. Then add as much of the simmer water that will fit in the blender with the other stuff. Blend well and place in a large soup pot.
Add the remaining simmer broth that didn't fit in the bender to the large soup pot(discard the kombu strips) and the sauteed mushroom stuff. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir often or it will stick to the bottom.
Adjust the salt and pepper. I use the Vegetarian Express Golden Broth Powder to bring up the salt.

Hollow out bread bowls and placed vegan bacon bits on the bottom of the bread bowls. Then scooped the soup into the bowls and topped with a little more vegan bacon bits.

IT WAS YUMMY!!!!

Pesto Spinach Dip Pasta

This is an incredible recipe! It is hard to believe there is no oil in it.
1 pound of Italian penne pasta (I use Rustichella brand and prefer the heirloom wheat pasta. It is worth every penny! I love the real stuff from Italy)
1 box small cherry tomatoes (halved)
2 bags of baby spinach
1 15 1/2 oz can navy or cannellini beans (drained)
1 bunch of fresh basil (leaves and stems)
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup Kalamata olives (pitted and coarsely chopped)
1 can of water chestnuts (drained, rinsed and coarsely chopped)
1 lemon juiced
2 TBLs of Nutritional yeast (NOT BREWER'S YEAST!)
1 packet Good Seasons dry Dressing mix.
Freshly ground salt & pepper to taste
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
While water is coming to a boil, place basil and garlic in a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add drained beans, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, Italian Good Seasons packet to processor with garlic and basil. Run until it becomes a smooth, creamy blend. Scrape down the sides a few times and pulse some more.
When the pasta is about 2 minutes from being done, add the chopped water chestnuts. With one minute to go, add spinach (you can also wait to add the spinach until after you drain the pasta if you want crunchier spinach).
Drain pasta (DO NOT OVERCOOK IT!) and return it to the pot along with the remaining ingredients (sauce, spinach if putting in later, tomatoes and olives).
Stir well until heated through (just a minute or two).
Serve with olive bread!

Sushi Rice

This is the best brown rice sushi! I made this with my granddollars and they loved it too.
2 cups uncooked short grain brown rice cooked according to directions.

1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 cup brown rice vinegar
1 TBL soy sauce

Nori sheets

Cook brown rice according to directions (I use a rice cooker).
When rice is done, transfer to a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon and let cool so it is not hot to the touch.

Heat the brown rice syrup, vinegar and soy sauce to warm enough so the syrup dissolves(stir well).
Pour liquid into cooled rice, stirring constantly.

Thinly slice the following
2 avocados
2 celery stalks
1/2 zucchini
1/2 cucumber

Have on hand:
soy sauce
wasabi mustard
pickled ginger

Use a bamboo sushi roller and place a nori sheet on the bamboo on a flat surface.

Spread a generous amount of sushi rice mixture on the close end of the nori (about 1/2cup).

Place a mixture of the sliced veggies and avocado along the top of the rice.

Roll the nori up over the stuff and continue rolling. Wet the last 1/2" of the nori slightly so it will stick and finish rolling.

We the knife (make sure it is sharp!) and slice the roll into 1" pieces.

Serve with picked ginger, soy sauce and wasabi mustard.
YUM YUM!!

Mushroom Marsala

Mushroom Marsala
We serve this over brown rice but would be good on pasta.
2 pounds mushrooms sliced (I like the white button mushrooms but use any kind you like)
2 large leeks (white and light green parts) sliced lengthwise and then lengthwise again. Then cut across into small narrow slices
1 yellow onion diced (I prefer the sweet kind)
1 head of garlic minced
2 bunched of asparagus (snap off tough lower ends) cut into large bite-sized pieces
1 lemon juiced
3 cups of water
2 cups low fat UNSWEETENED almond milk
1 cup marsala wine
1/2 cup brown rice flower dissolved in 1 cup of cold water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (NOT brewers yeast)
1 TBL Italian seasoning
1 TBL basil (or use 1 bunch fresh basil leaves only)
1 TBL Vegetarian Express Golden Broth powder (or salt to taste)
2 cubes NOT Chicken- broth
White pepper to taste
I love my large "Green" Cuisinart electric frying pan and that is what I use to make this.
Place all the NOT Chicken broth cubes (crumbled) mushrooms, leaks and onion in a large skillet with a cover. Cook on medium heat stirring often until the mushroom release their liquid and things begin cooking down. Remove the cover and, stirring often, cook until the liquid is gone. Continue cooking until the mushroom brown. Add the Italian seasonings and basil. Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Raise the heat slightly on the pan and bring to a boil. Now add the 3 cups of water, almond milk and white pepper.
Bring to a boil again. Add the nutritional yeast and stir well. Stir in the brown rice flower dissolved in the cup of water along with all the asparagus except the tips. Cover, lower the heat and simmer about 5 minutes. Add the Golden broth lemon juice and stir well.

Panade ~ Italian Bread Soup for Two Pigs or an Army

This "soup" is amazing. I never make it the same way twice.
1 loaf rustic crusty whole grain bread (I like a rye mix) torn into large bite sized pieces (it should be stale or bake the pieces in a low oven until crunchy)
8 cups vegetable broth (I use 4 cups of Pacific broth and 4 cups water with 2 - 4 cubes of No-chicken cubes)
2 large onions cut in half lengthwise twice, then across into medium width strips (like for onion soup)
1 head of garlic peeled and pressed (use less if you don't want a lot of garlic)
4 carrots diced (I use my little hand crank salsa maker and that makes perfectly sized pieces)
4 celery stalks chopped
1 bunch fresh basil minced (I use the stems as well as the leaves. I put the stems into cook from the beginning, but add the leaves only at the end after I remove the cover to crust on top)
1 cup white wine (I use organic Chardonnay but any dry wine will do)
I packet Good Seasons dry Italian dressing mix (I love the flavor this adds)
2 cups cooked cannellini beans (home cooked or about 1 can drained - you can also use navy beans)
1 TBL Italian seasonings (make sure the blend has some rosemary in it)
2 pounds Roma tomatoes chopped (that amount is just a guess - use more or less if you like)
1/4 tsp ground white pepper (or to taste)
Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom with foil to catch drips (trust me on that!).
Use a large, deep nonstick pan and caramelize the onion strips. You can use a little olive oil if you prefer. I also like to dry roast them in a nonstick pan or you can use a little veggie broth as well instead of oil.
Once the onions are a nice rich color, add the carrots and cook for a few more minutes. Next add the celery and cook an addition couple of minutes. Finally, add the garlic and stir for about a minute. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let bubble for a minute or so. Add the dressing mix, seasonings, and basil stems and stir well.
Place the bread in a LARGE DEEP casserole dish (I usually rub olive oil inside the pan to prevent sticking). Pour in the onion/seasonings mixture. Add the ground pepper.
Most recipes call for you to layer the stuff but I mix it all together because I want the bread to absorb everything and crust on the top.
Add the chopped tomatoes to the casserole dish and stir well.
Cover and bake at 350 for an hour. Remove the cover. Add the beans and minced basil leaves and stir well.
Place the uncovered dish back in the oven and cook another 30 - 45 minutes or until the top looks yummy and crusty.
We eat it hot out of the oven. I serve it in a bowl or a lipped plate. You can eat it with a fork.
It is delicious the next day too (cold or hot).
YUM!

Vegan Pasta Alfredo

1/2 batch of the vegan sour cream (see recipe below)
1 1/2 cup UNSWEETENED soy or almond milk
1 TBL cornstarch
1 - 2 pounds (depending on how much you like mushrooms) white button mushrooms thickly sliced
4 or 5 shallots minced
6 - 8 cloves garlic pressed (the pressing is important)
1 cup dry white wine
1 dry packet Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
1 bunch of fresh basil thinly sliced
lemon pepper to taste
4 TBL Olive oil (optional)
1 pound good pasta made in Italy (the other stuff is crap. I get mine from Zingerman's but Cost Plus carries some too)
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta
You will need a very large skillet to make this. I use my wonderful huge Cuisinart electric skillet.
Turn the skillet to medium and add olive oil if using. You can use some water if you don't want to use the oil.
Add the minced shallots to the heated oil or water and simmer on a medium/low heat until translucent (about 5 minutes).
Add the mushrooms and pressed garlic to the shallots and simmer a few minutes. Add the cup of wine and stir well. Simmer a few minutes and cover. Simmer until the mushroom looked cooked (about 10 minutes or so). Stir often.
Remove the cover and let the liquid reduce about half. Add some lemon pepper to the mixture.
Mix the sour cream with the Good Seasons dry Italian dressing mix, the nondairy milk and the cornstarch. Mix well.
Put the pasta into the boiling water.
Once the pasta is in the water, stir the basil and sour cream mixture into the mushrooms. Stir well! Cover and reduce heat and let simmer on a low heat while the pasta cooks. It should be slowly bubbling. Stir often.
When the pasta is ALMOST done cooking, drain and add to the sauce. Stir well and cover. Let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce. DO NOT OVERCOOK! The pasta should have a little bite to it and not be mushy. The pasta made in Italy is thicker so the best to use. It hold up better. I love the rustica pasta. http://www.zingermans.com/Product.aspx? ProductID=P-SAG
Serve with olive bread.
YUM!

Tofu Sour Cream

2 10.5-ounce package of lite silken tofu (firm), crumbled
1 lemon juiced
1 TBL apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sweetener (any you want)
1 packet Good Seasons Italian dry dressing
4 TBL dehydrated onion flakes
Pinch of white pepper
1 tsp Golden Broth Seasoning from Vegetarian Express (find them online)
OR
Salt to taste
Place all ingredients EXCEPT the onion flakes in a food processor( with metal blade) or blender. Process several minutes, until very creamy and smooth. Make sure you process it for a few minutes to ensure the creamy texture. Transfer to a bowl and stir in onion flakes. Chill before serving. Great over baked potatoes, on Mexican food and also makes a fabulous dip.

Vegan Nacho Cheeze!

This is from Miyoko's Kitchen http://miyoko.com
Smokey Chipotle No-Queso (Nacho Cheese)

1 cup butternut squash, cooked and mashed
3/4 cup soy yogurt
3/4 cup water
4 – 5 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup raw cashews
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped

Place the butternut squash, yogurt, water nutritional yeast flakes, cashews, tapioca flour, half of the chipotle and salt in a blender and process until absolutely smooth and creamy. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thick and gooey. Stir in the remaining chipotle in adobo sauce to taste, according to how hot you like it. Serve over tortilla chips - baked ones, if you're keeping your fat intake low.

Incredible Fat Free Banana Bread!

2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup torbinado sugar
2 egg substitutes (I used egg replacer)
1/4 cup soy milk
1 TBL apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1 2/3 cups flour (I use whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
7
Put the soy milk and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and spray a 9" square pan with non-stick cooking spray. If using a standard loaf pan, increase heat to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together first 5 ingredients (through soy milk) until well incorporated.

In a medium bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Pour flour mixture into the wet and stir just until uniformly moist. Do not overmix! Depending on the type of flour you use, you may need to add a little extra milk to reach the right consistency. It should be a thick consistency.

Spread into prepared pan and smooth. Place on the middle oven rack and bake uncovered for 30 - 40 minutes. (If using a standard loaf pan, increase baking time.)

4. Check the bread at around 30 minutes. It is done when just starting to brown around the edges and still a little moist looking in the middle. Allow to cool 10 minutes before cutting into squares or slices.

I doubled the recipe and it baked for 45 minutes on 350 (my oven runs a little cool).
It was amazing!

Boeufless Bourguignon

1 bottle red wine (Burgundy)
4 cups vegetable broth
4 – 8 oz. boxes prepared White Wave seitan (or equivalent)
2 cups sliced carrots
2 onions sliced
4 stalks celery sliced
6 cloves garlic chopped
2 pounds sliced mushrooms (combination white and crimini) sliced
1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes (quartered – leave skin on)
2 no-chicken vegetable bouillon cubes
8 oz. dried chestnuts (optional)
1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
4 bay leaves
1 tsp parsley
Place seitan, dried chestnuts garlic, spices, bouillon cubes and wine in a non-reactive large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
I use a large nonstick electric skillet for cooking (Cuisinart Green ceramic coated skillet):
Brown onions in a large nonstick pan. Remove and brown mushrooms. Remove mushrooms and brown carrots, potatoes and celery. Remove and set aside. Remove seitan from the marinade and brown in skillet. Add back ALL of the ingredients except the tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 ½ hours. Add tomato paste and continue simmering until it is very thick (30 – 45 minutes).
Serve over eggLESS noodles.

Yam and Mango Stew

4 - 6 Servings
Ingredients:
1 large sliced yellow onion
4 - 6 cloves garlic minced or pressed
2 teaspoon curry powder, to taste
1 tsp cumin
1 tablespoon (or more if you like!) freshly grated ginger (I mince it)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper flakes (depends on how hot you want the soup) or 1 small jalapeno, finely minced (depends on how hot you want the soup)
4 cups stock
4 cups water (add 2 "Not-chicken" bouillon cubes to it or try using a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes with the juice to make the stew)
2 yams, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 or 3 diced mangoes (I use 3)
1 lime
2 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
Salt & white pepper
chopped cilantro leaf (to garnish)
Directions:
1. In a large stock pot, add ½ cup of vegetable broth medium/high heat and sauté the onion slices, garlic and ginger until onion is softened.
2. Stir in the curry powder, coriander, and hot pepper just until absorbed.
3. Add the stock and water, bring to a boil. Next add the yams and mango, bouillon cubes, reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 30 minutes or until yams are fork tender. Add the salt & pepper and taste to adjust seasoning if necessary.
4. Add the juice of the lime and stir.
5. With immersion blender puree half of the soup. (You could also transfer the soup and puree the soup in batches using a blender.). I have made it without blending it and it is still awesome.
6. Garnish generously with chopped cilantro leaves.
Serve as stew or over brown basmati rice

Mock Corned “Beef” and Cabbage

Just in time for Saint Patrick's Day
(or any time)

Vegan Corned "Beef" and Cabbage

4 servings
2 pounds Seitan strips
8 white onions (quartered)
8 carrots (cut into chunks)
3 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes (leave whole with skin)
1 head cabbage (cut into chunks)
2 TBL pickling spice
2 TBl red wine vinegar
2 TBL brown sugar
2 TBL horseradish mustard (or 2 tsp horseradish and 2 TBL Dijon mustard)
1 tsp sage
1 tsp thyme
2 cups vegetable broth
Enough water to cover
¼ cup brown rice flour
Preheat oven to 400.
In a large heavy pot, stir together the pickling spice, brown sugar, and 2 cups water. Add the seitan and bring to a boil on high heat, cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer on medium for about 30 minutes.
Add all BUT the flour and the cabbage. Add enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are almost done. Add cabbage, cover and simmer until cabbage is cooked.
Remove everything from the broth with a slotted spoon, place in a roasting pan and place in the oven while you finish the gravy. Strain broth to remove the pickling spice. Return the broth to the pot and sprinkle the flour on top and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened.
Place all the veggies and seitan back in the gravy, stir well and serve.
Salt and pepper on the table to taste.

Vegan Pea Soup

PEA SOUP by Mary McDougall
We had this soup the first night and it is the best I have ever had!
More of Mary's recipes can be found in the newsletters. Here is the link:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/newsletter/archive.html

This is my family’s favorite pea soup. I have been making this version for over 25 years. This tastes even better the next day and it is great over baked potatoes, too!

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Servings: 8-10

1 cup green split peas
½ cup dried baby lima beans
¼ cup barley
8 cups water
1 onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 cups vegetable broth
2 carrots, chopped
2 potatoes, chunked
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place split peas, lima beans, barley and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and add bay leaves and celery seed. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add remaining ingredients and cook for an additional 1 hour.
You can blend about 1/4 of the soup for a creamy texture. A hand blender works great!

Hints: If you want to make this without the lima beans, increase the split peas to 2 cups and reduce the initial cooking time to ½ hour. This freezes well and reheats well. For a delicious smoky flavor, try adding a couple drops of liquid smoke to the soup about 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

The BEST Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing!

Recipe by Miyoko Schinner but I tweaked it.
(author of awesome vegan cookbooks)
Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
2 TBL almond meal
3 cloves garlic (pressed)
3 TBL Dijon mustard
3 TBL nutritional yeast flakes (NOT BREWERS YEAST!)
1 TBL soy sauce
1 TBL Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
3 TBL lemon juice
¼ cup water
Place almond meal, garlic, mustard and nutritional yeast in a bowl and whisk to make a paste. Whisk in remaining combined ingredients.
I just put it all in the blender.

Apricot Red Lentil Stew chopped

By Coleen Patrick-Goudreau
2 TBL water for sautéing
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
½ cup halved pitted dried apricots
1 ½ cups red lentils picked through and rinsed
5 cups vegetable broth
3 Roma (plum) tomatoes
1 lemon (I prefer Meyer lemons)
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp salt or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat water in a large soup pot. Add onion, garlic and apricots and cook for about 7 minutes over medium heat (add apricots later if you want more body to your soup) until onions begin to turn translucent. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Add lentils and stock. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Puree 1/3 – ½ of the stew in a blender or food processor or immersion blender, then return to pot. Heat for 5 minutes. Squeeze a lemon into the soup and stir right before serving.

Multigrain Hot Cereal a la Mary McDougall

MULTIGRAIN HOT CEREAL by Mary McDougall

This is another hearty breakfast that we enjoy. It does take a bit longer to cook but it is very filling and delicious. The mixture can be made up ahead of time and stored in an airtight container. If you soak the mixture overnight, it cuts down on the cooking time in the morning.

4 cups oat groats (whole oats)
½ cup short grain brown rice
½ cup quinoa
½ cup hulled barley (not pearl)
½ cup millet
½ cup rye berries
½ cup spelt berries

Combine all the ingredients (or as many as you choose to use) in a large container and mix well. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

To Cook:
1) Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Rinse 1 cup of the mixture under cold water, then add to the pan and cook over medium-low heat for about 1 hour. Let rest, covered, about 10 minutes before serving.

2) THE NIGHT BEFORE: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Rinse 1 cup of the mixture under cold water, then add to the pan. Turn off heat, cover and let rest until morning. Reheat in the morning and serve.

3) Place 3 cups of water and 1 cup of rinsed mixture in a slow cooker (crockpot). Cook on low heat setting for 8-10 hours.

4) or you can place it in a rice cooker on the brown rice setting)

Hint: Add a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg or mace to the cooking water for extra flavor. Or try a tablespoon or two of currents or raisins.

***You can put this in the slow cooker before you go to bed and it will be ready when you wake!

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