Sausage and Cheese Muffins

I developed this recipe a few weeks before Christmas to see if they would turn out, and they did.  So, I presented them on Christmas morning for my family, including my parents, to enjoy.  They are hearty and a tasty way to start the day.

Just a note: You'll see that I'll be using flax seed thickener, instead of EggReplacer, in my savory dishes.  Just trying to incorporate more flax in our diet.

Sausage and Cheese Muffins
Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped small
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 pkg. Gimme Lean sausage style, diced small
1 pkg. Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet cheese, cheddar style, shredded finely and divided
2 cups of flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. flax seed meal
3 Tbs. water
1 and 1/2 cups plain rice milk
Non-stick spray
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and green onion, and saute for one minute.  Add the diced sausage to the pan, and cook for five minutes, until it has browned.  Stir occasionally.  Add half of the cheese to the sausage mixture and stir until it has softened and blended in, about one minute.  Set aside to cool while you work with the rest of the ingredients.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  In a small pot, mix together the flax seed meal with the water.  Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it is thickened, about a minute or two.  Add this, along with the rice milk, to the flour mixture.  Using a hand mixer, blend on medium low speed until incorporated.  Add the sausage mixture, and stir well with a spoon.  Spray a cupcake pan's wells with the non-stick spray.  Fill wells to the top with batter.  Top with the remaining cheese.  Bake for 40 minutes.  An inserted toothpick will not come out clean because of the cheese and sausage inside the muffin, but after 40 minutes, they will be done.  Makes one dozen muffins.  These freeze great, as well, if you want to double the recipe.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Garbage Tofu

Ah, yes, Garbage Tofu, a very common dish in our home. For a while, a brief while, I had the name changed to Variety Tofu to give it more dignity, but my children resoundly outvoted me, and so the moniker Garbage Tofu lives on. This meal is different every single time I make it because it is comprised of anything and everything that I happen to have on hand, including leftovers of any kind, small portions of casseroles, nuts and seeds, strange sauces, beans, veggies, small bags, jars or boxes of stuff that need to be used up, you just never know. Now, I do try to make it tasty. I won't add blackberry jam with leftover green curry sauce...or will I? Usually, I add one to two cups of various ingredients with the tofu, stir it with a sauce or a smattering of seasonings, and put it on the table. Those are the times it's really fun being a mom and wife, watching your family eat what you place in front of them. But, let's not be cruel, let's try to make it taste good, people! Below, you will see my latest version, which actually went over so well, that my oldest blessing forgot it was the garbage dish and asked for it again! So, this one might be a keeper.

Garbage Tofu

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. of olive oil
2 pkgs. of extra-firm, tofu, water-packed, either diced or smashed - this time I diced my tofu
Any one to two cups of oddball ingredients that you are brave enough to throw in the pan. For this dish I used about 1/2 cup leftover cauliflower, 1/2 cup leftover fried potatoes, about 1 Tbs. of capers, 1 4oz. can of sliced mushrooms, 1 Tbs. ground flax seed, and 2 Tbs. soy sauce.

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the tofu, being careful not to get hit with splattering water/oil. Turn up the heat to medium-high and stir occasionally, until tofu begins to brown, about ten minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, lowering heat to medium. Cook for about five or so minutes, until everything is heated through. Depending on what you throw in, it can be served alone or over rice. I served this one with a fresh fruit salad made with apples, mandarin oranges, bananas and strawberries. It can be very tasty, if you've begun to master what flavors blend well. Feeds five hungry vegans.

G's Nutty Oatmeal

Okay, I've had a love/hate relationship with oatmeal my whole life. When I was a child, I viewed it as horrible dry mush that made me wonder why anyone would voluntarily eat it. I topped it with brown sugar and milk to cool it off, and I was made to eat it about once a month or so. As an adult I never voluntarily ate the stuff. Until I met my husband, G. We were both vegetarians when we met, and he had been subsisting on peanut butter sandwiches and oatmeal up until that time. Slowly, I started seeing more and more oatmeal showing up on my stove-top, much to my bewilderment. I begrudgingly went back to my monthly intake of it, knowing it was doing something good to my body. Along came the brown sugar and cold milk. A few years ago, G introduced peanut butter into the mix. I stirred it in, and with my brown sugar and milk, I convinced myself I was eating a peanut butter oatmeal cookie for breakfast! Now, I began to eat oatmeal about three times a week. Who wouldn't want a cookie for breakfast, right? So, then we both got the bright idea to actually start eating healthier a while back - longevity, kids, you know all the justifications, and then he began to make, gasp, oatmeal a little healthier! At first it began with a few sprinkles of flax seeds, then about two months ago, he actually created a healthy mix! And he keeps it in a huge container in the freezer! Aaahhh! Now, oatmeal's gotten even healthier! He'll tell you that all the seeds and nuts add tryptophan, Omega 3, protein, monounsaturated fat, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, iron, vitamin K, phytosterols, and zinc. He actually made this list for me! Okay, so I tried it, tentatively, and you know what? It's pretty darn good. The kids don't like it; they still eat theirs without all the goodies, but that will come in time. I have to confess, I'm pretty much a convert now, and I voluntarily eat oatmeal several times a week. Okay, I have to confess some more, I still add the brown sugar, cold milk and peanut butter, but don't you think my cookie's gotten healthier and much better for me over the years? But, now, eep, he's recently come home with a new mix of grains that he wants me to try next. Gulp.

G's Nutty Oatmeal, unadulterated by all my "cookie" toppings.

G's Nutty Oatmeal

Ingredients:

3 cups of water
1/2 cup of mix: equal parts of whole flax seeds, shelled raw pumpkin seeds, raw cashew pieces, raw walnut pieces
2 cups of original oatmeal (not quick cooking)

Directions:

Bring water to a full boil in a medium pot. Remove from heat and add the oatmeal and the mixture. Let steep for five minutes. Stir and finish preparing any way you like. Feeds five hungry vegans, if they would all eat it!

Soyrizo over Tofu

This is a fun, tasty meal that's pretty easy to make. I love spicy food, so there's always something on my weekly menu that has some kick to it. Soyrizo (vegan chorizo) is mildly spicy for me, makes my husband hiccup, and my children won't touch it. I've also made this meal a bit healthier by adding flax to it; we are trying to incorporate more of flax into our diets for good mental health. I should note that it changes the flavor slightly of food, as well. Hope you enjoy this dish!

Soyrizo over Tofu

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 packages, extra-firm tofu, water packed
2 Tbs. whole ground flaxseed meal
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 package soyrizo

Directions:

In a medium skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Saute the bell pepper and onion until soft. Drain the tofu and add to the skillet. Mash with a potato masher or fork. Turn heat up to medium high and cook for 10 - 15 minutes, until tofu begins to brown. Stir frequently, so it doesn't burn. When the tofu has begun to brown, add the flax seed and other seasonings to it. Mix well. Meanwhile in another smaller skillet, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil. Remove the soyrizo from its casing and squeeze out onto the skillet. It may start off looking tube-shaped, but will mash up as you cook it. Cook over medium heat, until it browns, only about five minutes. Be careful not to burn. Remove both pans from the heat. Serve with the soyrizo on top of the tofu. Strong tasting but good, and healthy. Feeds five hungry vegans.