BBQ Tofu with Scallions and Red Bells

This is a fun way to change up a tofu dinner.  With barbecue sauce and a couple of vegetables, your family can have a complete meal served over brown rice.  I usually call scallions green onions, but I wanted to fancy them up, since they're in the title.  As far as the barbecue sauce, I just recommend a natural one, free of yucky ingredients.  I bought mine at the 99 cent store!  Enjoy this simple meal!

BBQ Tofu with Scallions and Red Bells

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
3 - 14 oz. pkgs. water-packed, extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 red bell pepper, julienned into 1 and 1/2 inch to 2 inch strips
3 scallions, ends trimmed, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 and 1/2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce

Brown rice made according to package directions

Directions:

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium high heat.  When hot, add the tofu.  Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until somewhat browned.  Turn heat down to medium, if tofu is cooking too quickly.  When tofu is browned, make sure heat is at medium, and add the scallions, red bell pepper, and sauce.  Cook for another five minutes, stirring frequently.  Serve over brown rice.  Simple and yummy.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Peppery-Garlicky Gravy

G was hankering for some gravy the other morning, so I looked around in the pantry and fridge for some ingredients to rustle something together.  Since the Blessings had spent the night with Gramma and Poppy, I knew I could make it as spicy and un-kid-friendly as I wanted.  I really liked what turned out.  Even though I normally serve a white gravy over biscuits, the end dish tasted very good.  But, this won't be my "official" biscuits and gravy recipe; you can serve this gravy over biscuits, mashed potatoes, seitan cutlets, and more.  G would have preferred I left the shitakes out of the pot, so consider those optional. Also, the garlic I used in this recipe I had just purchased from the Farmer's Market, so they're not you're regular supermarket version.  They were more like one large clove each, very much arranged like small onions, and they were delicious.  But, I love garlic enough, that I would still use the same amount from the store.  Enjoy!

Peppery-Garlicky Gravy.

Peppery-Garlicky Gravy over biscuits.

Peppery-Garlicky Gravy

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. canola oil

1 red bell pepper, diced small

5 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 - 6oz. can of sliced shitake mushrooms, drained (optional ingredient)

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4 Tbs. vegan margarine

6 Tbs. flour

3 and 1/2 cups vegetable broth

Directions:

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  When oil is hot, add the red bell pepper, garlic, and shitakes.  Saute for five minutes.  Add the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and continue cooking for another minute or so, stirring frequently.  With a spatula, move all the ingredients to one side of the pot.  Add the margarine to the cleared sign of pot, and melt it.  Add the flour to the margarine, and whisk together.  Slowly pour the broth into the roux (flour mixture) while whisking.  Try to whisk any clumped up flour bits, so you have a smooth gravy.  Eventually the other ingredients will get mixed in, and that's okay.  Continue whisking until everything has been mixed together well.  Whisk continually at this point until gravy boils and thickens, anywhere from three to ten minutes.  Serve over biscuits, mashed potatoes, seitan cutlets and more.  Nice kick to the flavor.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Potato Tacos

I first had potato tacos about seven years ago at a Mexican restaurant in town.  They had traditional toppings on them, so I had them without the cheese.  But, what stood out to me most were the potatoes in them, so small and crispy.  I had never heard nor thought of putting potatoes in tacos, but I was inspired!  I may have eaten there one more time that than - I can't really remember - but the tacos have never left my memory.  So, I decided to redo them here at home, and everyone loved them.  I like to switch my taco toppings up and try some unorthodox things, and I really like the result here.

Potato Tacos

Ingredients:

20 or so corn tortillas
Canola oil, divided
5 Russet potatoes
1 - 29oz. can vegetarian refried beans
1 container vegan sour cream
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 cup or so mint leaves, small (cut them in half in they are large)
Favorite salsa

Directions:

In a large pan, heat about two tablespoons of oil on medium heat.  Peel the potatoes and dice them very small.  Add them to the oil, and cook for about thirty minutes.  Turn occasionally, letting the sides get brown and crispy.  In the last five minutes of cooking potatoes, heat the beans in a medium pot over medium heat.  When the potatoes and beans are ready, heat a few drops of oil in a small pan over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add a tortilla.  Cook for a few seconds on one side and then flip over.  Add a spoonful of the beans and a spoonful of the potatoes to one side of the shell.  Carefully fold the other half of the shell over and put on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.  Repeat the process with the rest of the shells, potatoes and beans.  Each few drops of oil should last for a couple of tortillas.  When all the tacos are ready, garnish with your toppings.  Delicious!  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Tofu Stir-fry with a Light Asian Sauce

Here is a simple stir-fry with a twist for fun.  I usually make my stir-fries no hassle: quickly sauteed tofu and veggies, sprinkled with a bit of soy sauce.  But, when I have time (an extra five minutes) or the gumption, I will make this slightly thickened sauce.  It adds a bit more flavor, but it is also nice to have a sauce that coats the veggies and sticks to them as you eat your dish.  It makes for a nice, light meal.  Hope you enjoy it!

Tofu Stir-fry with a Light Asian Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. canola oil
2 pkgs. water-packed, extra-firm tofu
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 stalks of celery, sliced diagonally
1 Tbs. fresh ginger, peeled and chopped small
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 cups broth
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. corn starch

Jasmine rice

Directions:

Heat canola oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Drain and slice the tofu into small rectangles.  When oil is hot, add the tofu to the pan.  Cook for about ten or fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tofu starts to brown. Add the peas, bell pepper celery and ginger.  Turn the heat down to medium and cook for another five minutes.  Sprinkle the sesame oil over the ingredients and stir.  In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, soy sauce and corn starch.  Pour in the pan, and stir well.  Cook for another five minutes or so, until the sauce thickens.  Stir frequently.   When bubbling and thickened, turn off heat.  Can add more soy sauce to taste, if desired.  Serve over jasmine rice.  Feeds five hungry vegans several times a year.

Splatter Chili

Hello, everyone!  Sorry about the extended absence.  I've been caught up in a lot of personal stuff, and I've been hit really hard with a startling lack of energy.  I haven't done anything for about a month, which has led to the destruction of my garden, the shambles of my home, the boredom of my Blessings, the backlog on my computer, and all the guilt that goes along with that.  I've since bought some vitamins that G and I think I may be lacking in, and I've forced myself to start exercising again after taking the month off.  So, hopefully, this will pass.  I apologize for not being here and for not commenting on your amazing blogs.  But, I am coming near my 200th post, which means another giveaway, so I'm going to try very hard to keep up on posting.  I hope all has been going well with all of you.  Now, on with the food!

I first made this dish when G and I were first married eons ago.  His workplace had a chili cook-off, and he wanted to show off his young wife's chili culinary skills...to a bunch of carnivores...that worked at a sewage treatment plant...yes.  Oh, don't worry, this gets better - I have yet to post my spaghetti recipe that G had me make for a fundraiser at said place of employment - mine was the only dish, by the way: the sole source of fundraising.  Oh, the faith he had in me as a newlywed.  So, anyway, he named my home-famous chili Splatter, called me the Veggie Vixen, stuck an apron on me, and said, "Make!"  Sadly Splatter did not win there that day but has since won the hearts of many people at church and in my homeschool group that have had various meal needs over time.  As a matter of fact, every single time I've made this chili for someone, all of whom have been decidedly non-vegan, they've wanted the recipe.  It is thinner that most chilis; that's because I added the liquid from the cans directly in the pot - you can always drain them for a thicker meal.  I've also slightly updated my original recipe for you.  Instead of writing "half a bag of frozen corn," leaving us to wonder what size bag I was using, I changed it to "one cup."  I also just apparently eyeballed my spices because they are listed by name with no amounts.  That has been modified as well.  I've thawed frozen tofu for the recipe: if you don't know it, doing that creates a crumbly texture, which I like here.  I mentioned some time ago that years before I started the blog, I created a cookbook for my loved ones in Word, so that is where this recipe has been culled and updated for the blog.  Sniff, Splatter's growing up.  Hope you enjoy it!

Splatter Chili

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 - 1.25 or 1.5 oz. packet of vegan chili seasoning mix, such as by Lawry's or McCormick in the spice section of the grocery store
1 pkg. extra-firm tofu, water-packed, frozen and thawed
2 - 15 oz. cans tomatoes with green chilies
2 - 15 oz. cans pinto beans with liquid
2 - 15 oz. cans black beans with liquid
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
6 - 10 large mushrooms, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1 cup frozen corn
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 Tbs. dried basil
1 and 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin seed
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Squeeze water from the tofu, put in pot and mash.  Cook for ten or so minutes, stirring occasionally, until tofu just starts to brown or all the liquid has evaporated.  Add the chili packet and stir.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Continue to cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil.  Turn down to medium low and cook for one hour.  Can top with vegan cheese, vegan sour cream and chopped red onions, if desired.  Serve alongside some crackers for a comforting meal.  Splatter on!  Serves five hungry vegans.

Winter Veggie Stir-Fry

Here's a simple but delicious stir-fry using the bounty from Winter.  Feel free to sub any of your favorites in that you find in the farmer's market.  This combination was just perfect.

Winter Veggie Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, halved and sliced (both halves)
3 carrots, sliced in diagonal
3 celery sticks, sliced
1 green bell pepper, quartered and sliced
2 small turnips or 1 large, thinly sliced
2 King oyster mushrooms, halved width wise and thinly sliced into long strips
2 cups of baby dino kale, chopped
Soy sauce to taste
Cooked brown rice

Directions:

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium high heat.  When hot add the onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper and turnips.  Stir frequently for five to seven minutes, until they just become fork-tender.  Add the mushrooms and cook for an additional two minutes.  Add the kale and soy sauce and cook until the kale just starts to wilt and turns a bright green, about two or three minutes.  Serve over brown rice.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Salad Bar Night!

As most of you probably do, we eat plenty of salads with and for dinner.  With children, I like to keep it as fun as possible, for even though they're vegan, they're still kids and don't always want to eat a salad every day.  So, Ill make a variety of salads from different regions, or have big individual salads loaded with their favorite toppings, or like this version: I'll have a salad bar with familiar and unfamiliar things to top whatever greens are the base that night.

My dear mother, bless her heart, gave me three heads of iceberg lettuce.  Just like home, ah, the memories.  The only time we usually eat iceberg now is when we're over at my parents or when she drives over to bring me three heads of it.  So, there it is, the star of our show, and it's thumbing its nose at Romaine, red leaf, butter, endive, and radicchio.  Let it have its crunchy glory, I say, surrounded by all sorts of goodness!  Below, I'll list the toppings left to right, just to give you an idea of what you can have.  Add or take away at your taste bud's pleasure. 

The Salad Bar

What my plate looked like loaded up.

Salad Bar Night

Ingredients:

Nice big bowl of lettuce, chopped
A variety of ingredients with proper handling tools provided.  We had:
  Pear tomatoes
  Finely grated Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet cheese, Monterey Jack style
  Green onions, sliced
  Carrots, grated
  Celery, chopped
  Raw turnip, grated
  Radish, grated
  Green bell pepper, diced
  Parsley greens, chopped small
  Sliced almonds
  Marinated artichoke hearts

A variety of dressings, olive and sesame oils, red wine and balsamic vinegars and lemon juice

Directions:

Top lettuce to your heart's content with the goodies.  Add the dressings to season lightly.  Eat!  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Savory Stuffed Peppers and Christmas, 2011

We had another great Christmas this year.  I have some pretty hysterical pictures of five-year-old JK completely ecstatic over the celebration.

As usual, I made a big breakfast buffet for my family and parents and then made some dishes to bring to the family potluck for dinner.  I decided to bring stuffed peppers for dinner, and they were super tasty.  I've got the recipe below, but first we have to cover some highlights.

You'll see in one of the pics below what my buffet looked like.  I made:
Scrambled Tofu with broccoli, mushrooms and spinach
Sausage and Cheese muffins (recipe on a future post)
My mom's fruit plate
Chocolate chip cookies
Oatmeal cookies
Brownies
Lemon Sugar Loaf (recipe on a future post)
Coconut Caramel Happy Birthday, Jesus, Cake

For dinner:
Savory Stuffed Peppers
Tofurky
Dessert:
Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Glaze (recipe on a future post)

Just a note on the peppers:
I made enough for 22 people, so you can definitely halve the recipe or more for your needs.  Or, you can make the whole batch, and freeze what  you won't eat in the next few days.  I also cut my peppers in half, but you can use fewer peppers and keep them whole.  With all the food at the potluck, I thought having a whole pepper would be too much for some people.  I also used white rice to appeal to more people, but brown could be used, of course.

Savory Stuffed Peppers

Stockings hung with care, even for the dogs and cats

Breakfast Buffet (fruit plate hadn't yet arrived)

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Glaze (for potluck dessert)

R.I.P. - Here lies the blank spot where there was a great photo of the kids, but GR was embarrassed and pleaded with me to remove it.  The caption is below.

All the kids enjoying JK's new superhero masks.  They seem to have suddenly taken on the powers themselves!

GR and JK delivering our annual Christmas cookies to the firefighters.

Now, on to more of the recipe photos:

Here are the peppers, washed and waiting for the water to boil.

The stuffing being sauteed.

Blanching the peppers.

Completed peppers, ready to go!

Savory Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

11 green bell peppers, tops trimmed, seeds and heavy pith removed, and halved lengthwise
1 cup white rice, uncooked, prepared according to package directions
2 Tbs. canola oil
1/3 cup chopped shallots
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 - 12oz. pkgs. Lightlife Smart Ground, original style
1 - 15oz. can of black beans, drained
1 Tbs. dried oregano
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 - 15oz. cans tomato sauce, divided
Non-stick spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Fill a very large pot about two-thirds full with water, and bring to a boil.  This will take some time, so you can prepare the rest of your dish while waiting.  Cook the rice and set aside.  In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook for two minutes.  Add the Smart Ground and mash with a fork or potato masher, so there are no big lumps.  Cook for two or three more minutes, stirring often, so it doesn't burn.  Add the beans and spices and cook until heated through, about three or more minutes.  Add the rice and stir well, so it's thoroughly mixed.  Add two cans of the tomato sauce and mix well.  Spray two baking dishes with the non-stick spray.  If the water is boiling now, carefully dump the peppers in it and boil for five minutes.  Drain in a colander in the sink.  Using tongs, place the pepper halves cut side up on the baking dishes.  Spoon the filling into the well of each pepper - use every last drop of it.  Spoon the last can of tomato sauce over each pepper.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.  So good.  Feeds five hungry vegans and seventeen close friends and family.

Vegetable Salad

When I was a kid, my mom often put me in charge of making the family salad for the dinner table.  Everyone seemed to appreciate how many goodies I added to the iceberg lettuce that was always the base for our salads.  As I grew older, my penchant for goodie-filled salads sustained itself, and I found myself always digging around for the extra yummies I put in.  One day it dawned on me what I was doing, and I thought: why don't I just make a salad from the goodies themselves?  It was so obvious!  So, the Vegetable Salad was born, and it has enjoyed a showing quite often.  Of course you can use any combo of goodies you like; these are just the ones I used for this particular salad.  Free your inner goodie-lover!

Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:

1 can of green beans, drained
6 mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 tomatoes, wedged
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup sliced roasted red bell peppers (jarred)
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
Your favorite dressing or lemon juice

Directions:

Dump all ingredients, except the dressing, in a large serving bowl and toss well.  Serve with your dressing.  Enjoy the goodies.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Confetti Tofu with Red Pepper Hummus on Rye

Here is my second entry into the sandwich contest, which also didn't land the grand prize.  But, I was happy with how this turned out.  I really like how the crunch of the vegetables worked with the softness of the tofu.  And, the hummus was a great complement as a spread.  This is definitely going to go on my recurring menu board.  Hope you like it, too.  Again, I've had to adjust my measurements from two sandwiches to five, but I'm pretty sure these are close to accurate.

Confetti Tofu with Red Pepper Hummus on Rye

Ingredients:

Tofu:
1 pkg. extra-firm tofu, drained and mashed
2/3 cup of vegenaise
1 Tbs. of yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 and 1/2 cup Italian Mix Giardiniera, chopped, excluding the onions

Hummus:
1 - 15oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained
1 Tbs. sesame tahini
1 and 1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 and 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers (jarred)
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt

10 slices of Rye bread

Directions:

For the Tofu: In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients together.  Set aside.

For the Hummus:  In a food processor, process all the ingredients, until smooth, at least one minute.  Taste, and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

For the Sandwich:  Spread at least a tablespoon of hummus on one side of each slice of rye bread.  Add two to three tablespoons of the tofu mixture on half of the bread slices.  Top with remaining rye bread.  Messy, so have a napkin or two nearby.  Very unusual and good.  You will have leftovers for more sandwiches the next day for lunch.  Enjoy!  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Teriyaki Tofu Tango Sandwich

Here is the first of two sandwich recipes that I submitted to a contest, that didn't win.  So, even if they're losers to them, our family still thinks they're winners!  I'll post the other one a little later, so as not to deluge you with sandwiches, but here's my first entry.  This was actually quite tasty and very easy to make.  Hopefully, you'll love the tango, too.  I'm adjusting the recipe to feed five - the original recipe was meant to feed two.

Teriyaki Tofu Tango Sandwich

Ingredients:

5 six inch long sandwich rolls
1 pkg. extra-firm tofu, drained, and sliced in ten rectangles, width wise
Your favorite teriyaki sauce, divided
Non-stick spray
5 baby bok choys or 1 regular bok choy, greens only, thinly sliced
1 cup of cilantro, green tops and with just the beginnings of stems
1/4 red onion, sliced thinly
2/3 cup roasted red bell pepper slices (jarred)

Directions:

Marinate the tofu slices in a cup of the teriyaki sauce for at least a half an hour.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a cookie sheet with the non-stick spray and place the tofu slices on it.  Drizzle any extra marinade over the slices.  Bake for fifteen minutes, flip over the tofu, and continue baking for another fifteen minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the rest of the sandwich.  Baste about a teaspoon or so of teriyaki sauce on each of the inside slices of the rolls.  On the bottom half, divide the bok choy greens between the rolls.  Divide the cilantro sprigs on top of the bok choy, and the red onion on top of that.  Nestle two slices of tofu on top of the onion slices.  Top with the red bell peppers.  Fold the top of the roll over on everything.  Fresh and tasty.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Hint of India Garbanzos

This was one of those dishes where I was really craving curried garbanzos but didn't have any curry on hand. So, I kind of pushed that aside and decided to get more creative with the spices I already had in my cupboard, especially my poor neglected, underused garam masala. What turned out was a dish a bit on the spicy side but very tasty, definitely deserving of a reappearance.

Hint of India Garbanzos in serving dish

Now nestled on a plate surrounded by goodness

Hint of India Garbanzos

Ingredients:

2 - 15oz. cans of garbanzo beans, undrained
1 yellow bell pepper, diced small
5 garlic cloves, chopped small
1/2 red onion, diced small
2 tsp. garam masala
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Put all of the ingredients in a medium pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and let boil for five minutes. Lower heat to medium low and continue cooking for 20 more minutes. Complete your meal by serving it over brown rice with steamed veggies on the side. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Wok Tofu Stir-Fry with Sesame Oil

Hi, Everyone! I'm following a couple of tips I found on the forum, and I'll know when I view my post, if they helped me with my blogger problem. Update: Okay, I've just previewed my post, not published, and it looks okay. I've done everything in html. Apparently, viewing it in Compose loses all my coding. The problem is, and I'll deal with it, that now I have to enter in coding in html. I can't find an html code for underlining, so my recipe titles will be bolded until further notice. Next, I'll see how it publishes - I guess we all will. :-)

So, I don't normally go into a lot of detail about what's going on with me personally - I usually just stick with the food. But, I've got a running theme here at home that I thought might be of interest to you. We've set up a small infirmary in the living room for all the human patients. Hmm, where to start? Well, let's start with the four-legged creatures. Now, the pups aren't sick, but they are currently getting all their vaccines and preventative shots. No big deal. Then, you add in Sparkly, the cranky kitty, who is currently wearing a cone almost full-time due to a chronic ear infection and needs meds throughout the day to knock it out. In January, SR was pushed into a door by a bully that's been harassing her for over a year and a half. She's had two casts and is now wearing a brace indefinitely on her arm until her problem is resolved. We don't know what exactly is going on with her: she could have a torn cartilage, a wrist fracture, nerve damage, or just a "general pain experience" as her physical therapist suggested (until we know more, that is). On Thursday, G tried to mow the lawn, but mowed his big toe instead. We were in the ER on Thursday and two hospitals on Friday. He's lost some of the top of his toe, the front of his toe, his toe is broken, and the bone is exposed. He likes to say he's not going to be a foot model anymore, and he also likes to say that he got a pedicure from his lawnmower. But, seriously, the guy's in major pain. He's on pain meds and antibiotics, and I've got him on an antibiotic-resistant probiotic, an herb for crushed toes, and an herb for nerve damage. And, finally, yesterday JK got the flu. My little guy has been expunging out of both ends, and can't even keep water down. That leaves GR and me and our kitty, Charlene, left. Help?

So, can you believe I still find time to cook? Well, this was actually made before the toe incident; I've been taking it easy on the meals the last few days. I'm sure everyone has done stir-frys (is that the plural?), so I'm probably not offering a bunch of new ideas. I just have a tip for doing it in the wok. Woks are not meant to contain bunches of food at one time. So, if you have a large family, or if you're making a particularly large stir-fry, do it in batches. In my directions below, I outline how I did mine, and I hope this helps you. I actually took pictures of my method for making tofu triangles, due to many requests, but they didn't turn out, so I will try again in a later post.





Wok Tofu Stir-Fry with Sesame Oil

Ingredients:

Sesame Oil
2 pkgs. extra-firm tofu, drained and cut in triangles
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced in half width-wise and cut into strips
1/4 head cauliflower, chopped
2 stalks of broccoli with florets - stalks sliced thinly, and florets chopped
1/4 head of Napa cabbage, sliced width-wise and sliced thinly
6 asparagus spears, sliced on the diagonal
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1 cup of water
2 Tbs. corn starch
1 Tbs. fresh ginger, minced

Directions:

Have all your tofu and veggies chopped and sliced before you begin. Heat about a tablespoon in the wok over medium-high heat. After about a minute, test the heat with a piece of tofu. When oil is ready and simmers the tofu, add a quarter of the tofu (or 1/2 a block) to the wok. Cook for about three minutes, stirring fairly frequently, until tofu has browned. Remove to a large bowl. Add a little bit more oil to the wok and another quarter of the tofu and do the same thing as with the first batch of tofu. Cook the rest of the tofu in this manner. *[Next, you are going to cook the veggies in order from firmest to softest, or longest-cooking to quickest-cooking. You will add a bit of oil to each addition, as there won't be any oil left in the wok. The exception will be if you have a non-stick wok. I do not, so my food will burn. I have tried cooking with water in a wok, but that definitely did not turn out well. If you find that there is oil left on your food, drain on paper towels.]* Add the cauliflower and cook for about three minutes, stirring frequently. Add the bell pepper and broccoli to the cauliflower and cook for another three minutes, again stirring frequently. Remove to bowl with the tofu. Add a bit of oil to the wok and add the cabbage and asparagus. Cook for three minutes and stir. Add all the tofu and veggies back into the wok. Whisk together the soy sauce, water, corn starch and ginger. Pour over the wok goodies and stir constantly for about one minute, until it's slightly thickened. Serve over brown rice. Mm-mmm. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Breakfast Potato Skillet

Years ago, there was a Sacramento restaurant that G and I went to for breakfast. SR was just a baby and toddler at the time, so she just nibbled off our plates. But, I loved to order their potato skillet. It was a big plate of home fries covered with veggies, ham, cheese and a fried egg on top. By the time I had them leave off the ham, cheese and fried egg, I was left with home fries and veggies. I still loved it, though, because we could actually go out to breakfast on a Saturday morning, a rare treat for a vegan! But, then my frugal mind started adding up the money that I was still paying for the invisible ham, cheese and fried egg, and I began to wonder if I could duplicate this at home, but even more awesome than theirs. And what do you think I did next? You got it - experiment in the kitchen! Yay for my guinea pig family! So, the trick was to get that secret, elusive home fry flavor down: you know what I'm talking about - crispy potato square on the outside with a fluffy center. Just frying potatoes wasn't cutting it. I had to haul out my Big Daddy deep fryer. I deep fry about once or twice a year, so I'm not ashamed, I tell ya! Anyways, the potatoes were perfect, and by adding veggie hot dogs, vegan cheese and just the right veggies, it did the trick. I now have my scrumptious version of the Breakfast Potato Skillet! (Imagine that name echoing a few times.) Mine ends up being baked, and I don't think the restaurant did that; hence their "skillet" name, but I've kept that moniker for some good memories. That restaurant is now out of business, but we're still in the business of chowing down in the Blessed Vegan Life home. Come share in our food!

Breakfast Potato Skillet out of the oven

A steaming serving of this delight

The serving bowl after being attacked by hungry vegans!

Breakfast Potato Skillet

Ingredients:

9 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
Enough canola oil for deep frying
Salt to taste
1 and 1/2 cups of broccoli florets, coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 - 6 mushrooms, sliced
1 pkg. of your favorite vegan hot dogs (use eight of them)
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 pkg. of Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet cheese, cheddar style, finely shredded, divided
Salt and Pepper to taste
Hot sauce or ketchup, optional

Directions:

Prepare the deep fryer. Gently put in three of the potatoes, diced, in the deep fryer. Cook for 12 to 14 minutes, until golden. Drain on paper towels and salt according to your taste. Repeat two more times with the remaining potatoes. I will do this step often the night before so as to save time in the morning. Put potatoes in a large baking dish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, put the broccoli, bell pepper and mushrooms in a medium pot with about an inch of water and a steamer basket. Steam for about ten minutes, just until the broccoli is fork-tender. You do not want to overcook them. When ready, put them in a medium bowl, along with the tomatoes. While the veggies are steaming, prepare the hot dogs according to package directions - I bring water to a boil, turn the heat off, add the hot dogs and let sit for two minutes. Slice the hot dogs into 1/2" rounds. Add the hot dogs and half of the cheese to the bowl with the veggies. Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir the whole thing very well. Pour on top of the potatoes in the baking dish, and sprinkle the rest of the cheese all over the top. Cover with a lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and turn on the top broiler, and broil for 3 to five minutes to melt the cheese. Serve with hot sauce and/or ketchup. Mm-mm goo-ood! Feeds five hungry vegans with leftovers for lunch...maybe.

Warm Lentils with Carmelized Onions and Red Bell Peppers over Greens with a Tangy Mustard Dressing

This was another one of those meals that came together because of a lack of groceries in the house. I had lentils, an onion, and some lettuce and tomato, and began to figure out a way to make a potentially blah meal great instead! The more I started to put things together, the more ingredients I thought to add, until I came up with this relatively simple dish with a super fancy title. Enjoy!

Warm Lentils with Caramelized Onions and Red Bell Peppers over Greens with a Tangy Mustard Dressing

Ingredients:

Lentil Dish:

1 lb. lentils, picked free of grit
Water to cover
1 Tbs. garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, halved and halved again lengthwise, then sliced into strips
1/2 cup marinated red bell peppers (I used Mezzetta Deli-Sliced Roasted Sweet Bell Pepper Strips)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 head of Romaine lettuce, chopped
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges

Dressing:

4 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup of white vinegar
1 Tbs. of yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried oregano

Directions: In a large pot of water, bring lentils to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium and cook for 40 minutes, or until tender. Keep water level no more than a half inch above the lentils, adding water as needed. Add the garlic powder, salt and pepper, and cook another five minutes. While the lentils are cooking, heat the olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for at least twenty minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown or caramelize. Add the pepper slices and garlic powder, oregano and salt and pepper and cook for another three to five minutes, until flavors are blended. Create a bed of lettuce with the tomato wedges on plates. Spoon a serving of lentils over each bed of greens and top with some of the onions and peppers. Combine all the salad dressing ingredients into a jar with a lid, and shake thoroughly. Drizzle the desired amount of dressing over the top of each serving. So good. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Seitan Pasta Sauce Over Angel Hair

Here is a very hearty pasta sauce that goes a long way. I used homemade seitan, but feel free to use your favorite store bought brand. If you've never added fennel seed to one of your pasta sauces, I highly recommend it. The heavy sauce is balanced out by the light angel hair pasta. I served it alongside my Summertime Corn Salad for another light addition.




Seitan Pasta Sauce Over Angel Hair
Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
3 and 1/2 cups of seitan, chopped small
1 green bell pepper, chopped small
4 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 - 29 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 - 28 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 - 4.25 oz. can chopped olives
1 - 7 oz can diced mild green chiles
1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 lb. pound angel hair pasta

Directions:

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the seitan, green bell pepper and mushrooms. Saute for several minutes until the bell pepper softens and the mushrooms release their liquid. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the noodles, and turn the heat down to medium low. Cook for at least another two hours, stirring occasionally. A few minutes before the sauce is ready, prepare the pasta according to package directions. Serve the sauce over the pasta. I recommend a light pasta and a light side dish to offset the heartiness of the sauce. Makes a big pot of sauce, definitely enough to feed five hungry vegans!

Summertime Corn Salad

I made a meal for a friend's family recently and wanted a nice, light dish to go along with the heavier pasta entree I was making. I had these ingredients on hand, and when put together, the flavors blended nicely, with the lime juice adding just the right amount of punch. My friend, the mother of the family, said she practically ate this salad up all on her own. I made enough for my family to have for our dinner, too, and it hit the spot. I hope you like it, too.

Summertime Corn Salad
Ingredients:

4 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 - 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, diced small
1/4 lime juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 of a medium red onion, chopped small
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Toss all ingredients together in a medium-sized serving bowl. Keep chilled until ready to serve. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Broken-Lasagna Casserole

About a year ago, I was at a discount store when I saw something unique, something I've never seen before in the way of pasta: a bag of purposely broken lasagna noodle pieces! I stared at that, amazed that the simple act of breaking those long noodles into chunks could inspire a new dish spinning through my head. Being strictly a budget-minded girl, though, I couldn't buy them that day - they didn't fit in that day's wad of cash. And then I never bought them, I don't know why. But, oh broken noodles, I've never forgotten you! So, I recently went out and bought a box of lasagna noodles and broke them up all by myself. It was fun being destructive like that. Thus, the Broken-Lasagna Casserole was born. He may not be the most handsome boy in the room, but he is sure is nice and smooth talkin'! See if you don't like him too.

Broken-Lasagna Casserole right out of the oven.

A chunk of him on my plate next to some steamed asparagus.

Broken-Lasagna Casserole

Ingredients:

1 pkg. lasagna noodles, broken in chunks
1 Tbs. canola oil
1 pkg. Smart Ground, original
1 pkg. extra-firm tofu, drained and diced small
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 green bell pepper, diced small
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 - 28oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 - 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 - 4.25 oz. can chopped olives
1 cup of frozen corn
1 - 6oz. can tomato paste
15-20 fresh basil leaves cut into thirds or halves, depending on their size (if extra small, leave whole)
1 - 10oz. pkg. Vegan Gourmet Monterey Jack cheese, finely grated, divided

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the broken noodles according to package directions. In a large pot, heat the oil on medium heat. Saute the Smart Ground and tofu until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the seasonings, bell pepper and garlic and continue cooking for another five minutes, being careful not to burn. You can add a touch more oil or a little water, if the food starts to stick. Add the canned tomato products, olives and corn. Turn heat down to medium low and let simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the fresh basil. Add the noodles to the pot and stir. Set aside one cup of the cheese and thoroughly mix the rest in the pot. Pour the ingredients into a large casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining one cup of cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn broiler on high, and broil for about five minutes to finish melting the cheese. Check to make sure the casserole doesn't burn. This was a fun variation to lasagna or an ordinary pasta dish. Everyone liked it - hope you do too. Feeds five hungry vegans for a couple of days.

Garlicky Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I've been fiddling with this recipe for years to keep trying to make what I think is a really good hummus. This is probably going to be my final product for quite a while. Hummus is so versatile: you can use it as a dip or as a sandwich spread. And, it's healthy and tasty to boot! Hope you like this version as much as I do.

Garlicky Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

As a dip with fresh garden picked radishes, whole wheat pita chips, baby carrots, zucchini and celery. Yummy!

As a sandwich spread for a nice lunch or an easy dinner with chips and one of my mom's homemade pickles, of course!

Garlicky Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

1 - 15oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained
1 Tbs. tahini
1 and 1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 and 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers - I usually buy jarred peppers, unless I'm taking the time to roast them myself. A little liquid that clings to the peppers is all right.
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. of salt

Directions:

Simply pour all the ingredients into a food processor (I hope you have one) and blend until it is a nice, smooth consistency. I like my hummus pretty smooth, so it may take a minute or more to achieve that. (If you don't have a food processor, soften the garbanzo beans and garlic by cooking them in water for a few minutes, then drain. Try mashing with a potato masher.) Makes a fantastic dip or sandwich spread. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Big Salads with Soy Strips

I want to start off by saying "Thank You" to everyone who commented and wished us the best on my last post about our sweet dog, Earl. Tomorrow it will be one week, and our home and backyard just hasn't been the same. I was really moved by how many people took the time to send their thoughts our way - the online world can be very wonderful.

Well, it's time, I think, to post a new dish. Every now and then we love to have big individual salads for dinner. It's our only course, and so the salads are meals in themselves. They are chock full of wonderful, crisp, crunchy veggies. I have themes, of course, for them, and this one is with soy strips. I found a brand I really like, and in fact, I use them in several recipes. So, you can obviously change up the veggies any way you like. Below, is just our latest version, and it was delicious!



Big Salads with Soy Strips
Ingredients:

2 tsp. canola oil
2 pkgs. of Morning Star Farms Meal Starters Chik'n Strips
Your favorite veggies on hand. We had:
1 big head of Green Leaf lettuce, chopped
Red cabbage, chopped
Mushrooms, halved and sliced
Marinated red bell peppers, halved and sliced
Carrots, grated
Vegan cheese, finely grated (we used Vegan Gourmet, cheddar style)
Celery, chopped
Green onions, sliced
Your favorite salad dressing (one of mine is Annie's Naturals Shitake & Sesame Vinaigrette)

Directions:

Heat oil over medium heat in skillet. Add the strips and cook until browned, about five minutes or so. Once the strips have browned, let them cool a few minutes. Prepare the veggies while waiting and while the strips cool down. Chop the strips into small, bite-sized chunks. On individual plates, serve up the lettuce and the veggies and strips into whatever quantities everyone wants. Add a couple of tablespoons of salad dressing, and dig in! Very easy. Feeds five hungry vegans.