Category Archives: Cooking & Recipes

Quinoa and Edamame Salad

Notes: We both thought this was just ok. Don’t know that well make it again. I added the veggies into the pot once the quinoa was done to heat up the veggies.

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups fat-free, low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup drained roasted red peppers, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
Zest of 1 large lemon
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:
Toast uncooked quinoa in a medium skillet for 5 minutes. Transfer quinoa to a large pot, add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat, and cook for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat and empty into a serving bowl.

Add chopped peppers, tomato, sliced zucchini and thawed edamame. Stir well.

Whisk lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil together and pour over quinoa mixture. Toss well. Sprinkle with parsley.

Pumpkin Beer Bread

A kind friend put together and gave us this kit for making a loaf of Pumpkin Beer Bread.

I was a little apprehensive about pouring out what appeared to be a perfectly good beer just to make bread.

The end result was worth it. I really never bake and don’t know what is considered a large bread pan. All we had is what I assume is a little bread pan so I split the batter and made two loaves. I maybe could have gotten by with most or all of the batter in the one pan. So I don’t know if this is how it should look or not but I don’t really care because it sure tastes good. Thanks Stephanie.

Notes: I substituted Earth Balance for the butter. I used an electric hand mixer to mix the batter. Possibly my first time using one I can’t recall. Continue reading “Pumpkin Beer Bread”

Mandoline Slicer

I received a mandoline slicer for Christmas. Tonight I tried to make crinkle cut sweet potato chips. Probably not the best choice for the first time using the slicer. I cut them to thick so they were a little too meaty after baking to be chips.

Pictured above, crinkle cut sweet potato chips, carrots cooked with maple syrup and spaghetti squash. Not really what I would choose to make but I haven’t been grocery shopping in a while and that’s about all we had.

Buttered Popcorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

We had these at Christmas and noe one was too excited about them.
Pictured above, ours don’t look nearly as nice as those in the recipe.
The recipe is not vegan but can be substituting the butter with a vegetable based spread, the egg with a flax seed egg and non buttered natural microwave popcorn.
Recipe here.

Vegan Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
Cookies
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup vegan margarine, softened
1/4 cup vanilla milk substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Icing
4 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons vanilla milk substitute
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, the margarine, 1/4 cup soymilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and almond extract with electric mixer on medium speed to combine. Stir in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and cream of tartar until blended. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
2 Heat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray. Divide dough in half. Roll each dough half to1/4 inch thickness on generously floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with 2- to 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters. On cookie sheet, place cutouts about 2 inches apart.
3 Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
4 In large mixing bowl, beat icing ingredients with fork or whisk until smooth. If icing is too thick, beat in 1 additional teaspoon soymilk. Frost cookies. Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired.

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans
1 (12 ounce) frozen package Green Giant corn steamers
1/2 cup cooked quinoa or rice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 red bell peppers, sliced lengthwise and seeds removed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Arrange the diced potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with cumin, chili powder and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Toss and roast for 20 minutes. Once roasted, lower the heat to 375.
Cook the quinoa in boiling water until they pop into little spirals, about 15 minutes. Drain.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the onions and sauté until they start to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the jalapeno and garlic; sauté another minute, until fragrant.
Add the black beans and frozen corn; cook for 5 minutes, until warmed. Add the roasted sweet potatoes, cooked quinoa, lime juice, cilantro leaves, and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Stuff the mixture into each pepper half, and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the peppers have softened.

Before going in the oven.

Pasta And Vegetables With White Sauce

Notes: We both thought this was good. Pictured above with diced red bell pepper.

Ingredients:

1 pound whole wheat rotini pasta (or gluten-free pasta)
1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, rinsed and drained)
1 head broccoli (about 1 pound), cut into small florets and stems reserved for another use
1 head cauliflower (about 1 pound), cut into florets
2 cups plain unsweetened soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
6 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
generous grating of black pepper
5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons cornstarch or potato starch
1 1/2 teaspoons salt or salt-free seasoning (or to taste)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to instructions on package. About a minute before it’s done, add the chickpeas and cook briefly to heat them through. When the pasta is al dente, scoop out and set aside a cup of the cooking water. Then drain the pasta well and return to the pot or a large serving bowl.
While the pasta is cooking, steam the vegetables until just tender. Add them to the pasta.
While the pasta and the vegetables are cooking, make the sauce: combine in a medium saucepan the soy milk. garlic, herbs, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until pasta is done. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and the nutritional yeast. Stir the starch into 1/4 cup of cool water and add it to the sauce, stirring well. Increase heat and cook until the sauce boils and thickens slightly. Check seasonings and add salt to taste.
Pour the sauce over the pasta and vegetables and stir gently to coat. If the pasta needs more moisture, add a little of the reserved pasta water. Sprinkle with extra red pepper flakes if desired and serve immediately.

Notes
The pasta absorbs the sauce as it sits, so keep the reserved pasta water to add moisture when reheating leftovers.

Source: Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Chocolate Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1 cup whole oats
2 tbsp cocoa powder
vanilla extract
1 banana
vegan chocolate chips

Directions:
Cook oatmeal per directions. When just shy of being done, stir in cocoa powder and a splash of vanilla extract. Finish cooking. Add sliced banana and chocolate chips.