Pasta with a Kick

This is a simple recipe that I created from what was on hand once, and I've enjoyed making it since then because it's so tasty. You only need three ingredients, so that's even better!



Pasta with a Kick

Ingredients:

1 lb. of your favorite pasta (we used radiatori)
2 cups of fresh pico de gallo (we use the kind with no liquid)
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast flakes

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to package directions, and drain. Pour into a large serving bowl and stir in the pico de gallo and nutritional yeast flakes. Mix thoroughly to coat. This is surprisingly tasty, trust me. You can add more or less flakes to suit your taste. I have found adding that 1/2 cup, though, makes the dish sticky, so I wouldn't recommend going to that amount. Feeds five hungry vegans. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Tofu

This is an exceptionally easy recipe, but it tastes good, so when the family scarfs it down in five minutes, I don't feel badly that I spent hours over a hot stove - because I didn't! So, once again I've shamelessly used shortcuts. Pick your favorite teriyaki sauce; if it's store bought, try to find a brand without corn syrup or msg. The only other detailed directions would be how to press your tofu and to cut it in the triangles shown in the picture. Both of those will be explained below. Hope you find it tasty!

Teriyaki Tofu

Ingredients:

2 blocks of water packed tofu, extra-firm style
1 medium onion
1 Tbs. canola oil
1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce

Directions:

Press the tofu for at least hour before cooking. To do this, remove the tofu from their packages. Then, place several paper towels on a large cutting board with the blocks of tofu on top side by side. Place several more paper towels on top of the tofu with something heavy on top of them. I use three more cutting boards and a heavy appliance, usually my deep fryer or electric can opener. About every 20-30 minutes, swap the wet paper with new, dry ones. When ready to begin cooking, slice each tofu block into thirds horizontally, like a layered cake. Then, cut each stack of thirds into a plus sign, north/south and west/east. Keeping them in the same stack, cut it into a large "X," corner to corner. This should result in several small triangles. To prepare the onion, cut in half, then in half again lengthwise. Cut each of these sections into thin slices. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the tofu, and stir frequently for about five minutes. Add the onion, and lower the heat to medium. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When tofu has browned and onion looks translucent, add the teriyaki sauce. Stir to coat completely, and cook until heated through, about five minutes. If you wish, you can add more sauce to suit your tastes. We serve this with rice and steamed or sauteed veggies. Feeds five hungry vegans. Enjoy!

Shortcut Blueberry Pancakes

Hello, again - what a hectic week. My husband gutted our school room, so now we have loads of stuff all over the living room and dining room. I've got a preschool group coming over on Wednesday morning, so we're madly trying to get some order back in the main rooms of the house. But, the school room is beginning to look great! Both my son and mom had surgery Friday morning, and both are fine, praise God, but it was very stressful. So, starting today, I'm taking my three blessings over to my parents' (a 30 minute drive) and homeschooling there for two weeks, so I can care for her. But, I've neglected this spot, so I'm adding a very simple recipe tonight. I hope you enjoy it. I have learned to appreciate the speed that Bisquick offers, and I am not offended to use shortcuts occasionally. I love to make things from scratch, and usually do, but this recipe offers a speedy way to make a quick and nutritious meal. I've pretty much just veganized the recipe on the back of the box and added blueberries, but so as not to cheat, I'll list everything below. Also, I have noticed that if I make real-sized pancakes, my numbers turn out less than the box says, so I've doubled everything.

Shortcut Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients:

4 cups Original Bisquick mix
2 cups of soy milk
Ener-G Egg Replacer for four eggs: 2 Tbs. of the mix with 8 Tbs. of water
1 cup of frozen blueberries with extra for garnish
Your favorite syrup
Canola oil as needed

Directions:

Heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat on a pancake griddle. While oil is heating, mix the Bisquick, soy milk, Egg Replacer, and water in a medium bowl with a whisk or spoon. Add blueberries and gently stir. When oil is hot, take a large spoon and scoop out batter onto griddle. Mine hold four pancakes, and I'm guessing it's about a third of a cup per pancake - they end up about the size of my hand, or just a tad smaller. Cook until bottom is browned, about three to five minutes, and gently flip with a pancake spatula. Gently press down once flipped. The second side cooks faster than the first. When browned on the second side, check to see if there is any batter that has oozed but not cooked. If so, flip again and press those edges down to brown. Set on serving platter. Add the same amount of oil for each batch. I also check to see if I need to turn down my heat slightly, for often my griddle seems to get hotter over time. If they brown too fast, they may burn, or the middle may stay gooey. Top with more blueberries (which have thawed by now) and your favorite syrup. Feeds five hungry vegans with leftovers to freeze for quick morning breakfasts. Enjoy!

Ozark Cornbread

I've learned over the years, being married to a Southern-bred man, how cornbread differs regionally. Anything with sugar, my husband snootily dismisses as corn cake. So, his birthday was on Thursday, and like everyone in my family, he got to choose a homemade birthday dinner of any delights he wanted. One of his requests was cornbread, which I can now safely say meets his approval. And, for an added flourish, I baked it in my cute teddy bear tins - adorable, aren't they? By the way, he thought I should have named this post "REAL Cornbread," so that gives you an idea of his passion.

His complete menu was:

Boca burgers with bar-b-que sauce
Corn bread
Fried potatoes with onions and garlic
Slow cooked pinto beans
Steamed broccoli

Butterscotch and chocolate pudding pie (I made two to feed the guests)

So without further ado, here's the photo and recipe of the cornbread.

Ozark Cornbread

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. of canola oil if using cast-iron skillet, or Pam spray if using non-stick pan
2 cups yellow cornmeal (can use coarse ground, as well)
1 and 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Ener-G Egg Replacer for three eggs (1 and 1/2 Tbs. of Egg Replacer and 6 Tbs. water), mixed thoroughly
2 cups soy milk
1/4 cup vegan margarine, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If using a cast-iron skillet, swirl the oil around to coat the bottom and stick in oven to preheat while you prepare the ingredients. If using a non-stick pan, spray with Pam. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk the blended Egg Replacer, soy milk and vegan margarine. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix thoroughly. Pour ingredients into the preheated skillet or into the non-stick pan, and bake for 25 minutes, or when a toothpick is inserted comes out clean. (Note: after using a cast-iron skillet, wash, and to prevent rusting, do not air dry. Instead, heat a burner on medium heat, and keep on burner until water is evaporated.) Delicious! Serve with margarine and your favorite liquid sweetener, if desired. Feeds at least five hungry vegans.

Tofu Curry Salad Sandwich

This is a tasty little sandwich that we like to eat on occasion. It's inexpensive, quick and yummy, so what's not to like?

Tofu Curry Salad Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 pkg. extra-firm tofu, drained
3/4 cup Vegenaise
1 Tbs. curry powder
3 green onions, trimmed and sliced thinly
2 stalks celery, sliced lengthwise and then thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Red leaf lettuce, leaves separated and washed
Good multi grain, whole grain bread

Directions:

Mash the tofu with a fork in a medium mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, except the lettuce and bread, and mix thoroughly. Chill before serving, if you wish, or serve immediately. Spread a nice amount between two slices of bread, add some lettuce to it, and dig in! Nice, fast dinner for a busy night. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Big Bean Tostadas

Yum! I love Mexican food, so we have some form of it about once a week in our home. This is a really easy and tasty dish to make. I like to put the various toppings in a sectioned party tray, so people can tailor their tostadas to their tastes. The only things I put in the shells for everyone are the beans and lettuce. This is always a great success in our home.

Big Bean Tostadas

Ingredients:

5 big pre-made tostada shells - We use Del Oro Tostada Crowns (4 in a box, 2 boxes)
2 16oz. cans or 1 30oz. can vegetarian refried beans
5 packed cups red leaf lettuce, sliced thin
1 container of Tofutti Better than Sour Cream
1 jar of your favorite salsa - we use Herdez
Your favorite vegan cheese - we finely grate 1 cup of Vegan Gourmet, cheddar style
3 avocados, sliced
1 can of black olives, sliced in thirds
3 tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, sliced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Warm the tostada shells in the oven for three minutes. Heat the refried beans over medium heat until warmed through, about five minutes. Stir occasionally. Divide the beans between the shells by how much a person will eat. In our family, that may not be equal since we have very little people, medium people and big people. Divide the lettuce the same way. Separate the toppings into a divided party tray, and supply spoons and forks for getting the toppings out. Mound your shell until it looks good enough to eat. Then eat it! (You will have a few extra shells leftover for another meal.) Feeds five hungry vegans.

Baked Leeks with White Sauce

This is a delicate recipe that gently weaves its way into your heart, a comfort food that I make a couple of times a year. Leeks, with their mild onion flavor, work well with the other ingredients. Hope it warms your tummy.

Baked Leeks with White Sauce

Enjoy the leek!

This is what the Sacramento sky looked like last night. My oldest blessing was in the backyard and saw it and said I should take a picture. So, I did and am sharing it with you to show you how beautiful it was.

Baked Leeks with White Sauce

Ingredients:

Leeks:
8 leeks
Water
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

White Sauce:
2 cups of soy milk
2 Tbs. vegan margarine
2 and 1/2 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper

Topping:
1/3 cup vegan cheese, mozzarella style, grated finely
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour several cups of water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Trim the very bottom of the leeks off, keeping the ends intact. Cut most of the the greens off, so you are left with the firm white part. Cut each leek lengthwise, leaving an inch uncut at its base. Turn them 1/4 and make the cut again. Each leek should have four sections at this point, with the bottom keeping them together. Gently fan each section out and rinse off, making sure there is no grit left hiding. Place leeks in the boiling water with the lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 16 minutes. While the leeks are boiling, prepare the white sauce. Pour milk into a small pot and bring close to the boiling point. Remove from heat and set aside. In another small pot, melt the margarine over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk together. Cook two minutes over low heat, stirring frequently. Incorporate the milk into the flour mixture very slowly, stirring constantly. Season sauce with the salt and white pepper, and continue cooking over low heat for ten minutes, stirring frequently. Drain the leeks and lay side by side in a small casserole dish. Sprinkle them with the salt and pepper, and pour the white sauce over the top. Sprinkle the nutmeg over the sauce and the cheese over the nutmeg. Top with the paprika. Bake for 20 minutes. Very tasty. You can use this sauce recipe over other prepared vegetables and bake, as well. Serves at least five hungry vegans.