I've Moved...I Have A New Blog!

Since being diagnosed Celiac Disease I've decide to create a new blog which will still have easy and tasty vegan recipes but they will also be gluten free.

Check it out...

http://glutenfreevegan.blogspot.com/

I'll still be keeping this blog up for people to have access to my older recipes that I have posted on here but all new posts will be put on my gluten free vegan blog.

Pumpkin Spiced Oatmeal

With the arrival of fall what better way to heat things up than with a warm bowl of oatmeal. This recipe comes from Neil Barnard's newest book...The Get Healthy Go Vegan Cookbook. .

1/2 cup oatmeal (regular or *gluten free)
1 cup water
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup pure pumpkin (canned)
1 tsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix ingredients in a bowl and heat for 4 minutes on medium setting in microwave. Makes around 2 cups. I sometimes add chopped apple to this oatmeal hence the reason why my oatmeal picture has apple in it but the recipe does not.

*I get my gluten free oatmeal at the Bulk Barn but I just recently saw that Fontinos supermarket sells it as well.

My 2 Favorite Recipes For My Garden Fresh Tomatoes...

Hummus Quesadillas

Rachael Ray calls this recipe Cheeseless Quesadillas I like to call them Hummus Quesadillas. Regardless of what they should be called I've be addicted to them ever since I tried them. I used to have kidney beans mixed with Diana's Spicy Southwest Chipole Marinade and toast for breakfast but that's been moved to lunch time now and this dish is what I have every morning. It's so refreshing. The only thing I do different from her recipe is I don't add the roasted tomatoes. Oh and I don't use the wheat tortilla wraps because I have just been diagnosed with Celiac Disease...grrrr. The only wraps I can eat now have to be gluten free. Their expensive and they are tasteless they remind me of eating cardboard...grrr. So until I master making them myself Chipotle Corn Tostadas will do.(thats what was used in the picture)

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/cheeseless-quesadillas

Pico de Gallo

I hear you either love cilantro or you hate it and there is no in between but I'm not sure about that because the first time I had cilantro it was in a salsa I had in while on holidays in the Dominican Republic. I fell in love with it but I don't seem to like cilantro in anything else other than in salsa. My point is give it a try! Fresh cilantro is very cheap and it's available in the produce section in most supermarkets.

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_tomato_salsa

Spicy Penne with Broccoli Rabe, Veggie Sausage and Chick Peas

This is a Racheal Ray recipe that I veganized. It was my first time having broccoli rabe and I'm hooked on it now. I like using the leaves in salads. It also seem to stay fresher that regular broccoli. In this recipe don't be afraid to use lots of broccoli rabe because once you put it in the water it shrinks quite a bit.

1 large bundle of broccoli rabe, trimmed and cut
1 1/2 cups whole wheat penne
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Yves Veggie Spicy Italian sausage, grated or finely chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (15 ounces), divided in half
2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp thyme
salt and pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (19 ounce can) of diced tomatoes, drained (fire-roasted if you can find)
1 cup tomato sauce
2 Tbsp vegan margarine

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt then the rabe. Cook 2 minutes. Remove to an ice water bath with slotted spoon or spider and reserve. Bring water back to a boil. Cook pasta to al dente, reserving 1/4 cup of starchy cooking liquid just before draining. Add drained pasta back to the pot along with the vegan margarine. Toss to coat. Then put aside.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown, about 2 minutes.

Place half the chickpeas in a food processor with a splash of water and purée. Add garlic to sausage and cook 1 minute. Add purée and remaining whole chickpeas and reserved broccoli rabe. Season with salt, black pepper, thyme and red pepper flakes and heat thorough. Add tomatoes and stir, reduce heat to simmer. Then add the reserved 1/4 cup of starchy cooking liquid. Add the tomatoe sauce and pasta noodles stir to combine. Serve immediately. Serves 4

Black Bean Avocado Enchiladas

This is one of my favorite dishes not just because its delicious and healthy for you but its also very versatile. I make sure I have left overs so I can have them for breakfast the next day. They also taste great cold so you can enjoy them for lunch too. Great for serving at picnics too! Makes 6

2 (19 oz) cans of black beans, drained
1 medium red onion, chopped (1 1/4 cup)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
6 whole wheat tortillas
2 firm avocado, thinly sliced
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
5 Tbsp southwestern chipotle sauce

In a small skillet, sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic, cumin and salt. Stir spiced onions and lime into beans. Mash beans with a potato masher or blend in a food processor.

To assemble enchiladas, place tortillas on a flat surface. Spread 1/2 cup of black beans down the center and few strips of avocado on top. Roll tortillas around bean mixture.

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix the southwestern sauce in bowl with the crushed tomatoes. Spread 1 cup of it on the bottom of a well oiled 9 X 13 baking pan. Place enchiladas in pan, side by side and cover with a 1/2 cup of the southwestern sauce. Cover pain with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Cover with more sauce before serving.

Once out of the oven put more sauce on top and serve. What I like to do is pan fry it after I take it from the oven. Then cover it with sauce and serve. Makes 6

Laura's Veggie Burger and Pasta Salad

I created my own veggie burger! I served them at my World Vegan Day dinner party and the guests really enjoyed them. We thought they were good just pan fried but I have discovered their even better off the grill... but then again isen't everything! So I'll be serving them this month at my birthday/barbeque party. Everyone start your grills because even meat eaters are going to say these burgers taste great.

Laura’s Veggie Burger

3 Tbsp vegan Worchester sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup crushed whole wheat Ritz crackers
340 Yves veggie ground, regular
3 Tbsp Tahini (the binder)
1 1/2 tsp garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, chopped

red onions for topping (sliced then fried)
oil for frying
Hamburger buns


In a large bowl, put in the Worchester sauce, mustard, soy sauce, pepper flakes, black pepper, crushed crackers, and veggie ground together and Tahini.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with oil. Add onions, mushrooms and garlic to the pan and cook until veggies are cooked and dried out. Then add to large bowl with the other ingredients. Mix well with your hands.

Put patties in the fridge for at least a half hour before cooking, even better if you can wait till the next day to cook them. Keeping them in the fridge makes the burgers hold together much better. Brush patties with liquid smoke on one side and oil on both sides. Place on a preheated grill. On medium heat grill for 8-10 minutes on one side then the other side. Top burger with grilled onions then serve. Makes 6 patties.


Creamy Pasta Salad (recipe for the cookbook Comfort Foods)

4 cups rotini pasta, cooked
1/3 cup green peppers, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (store bought or recipe below)
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup relish
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Combine cooled pasta with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Refrigerate at least an hour or overnight and serve chilled. Serves 4

Vegan Mayo (Low Fat) Recipe from

http://www.myvegancookbook.com/blog/

1 block silken tofu (14 oz)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp lime juice + 1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp sugar

Place tofu, salt, onion powder, vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, corn starch and sugar in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into small sauce pan and cook until thickens for about 8 minutes. You want to get it almost to the thickness you want and then take it off the stove and continue stirring to cool it. It will continue to thicken up after you take it off the stove, so keep that in mind.

Sweet & Sour BBQ Tofu Wraps

The warmer weather is here and of course that means barbeque season will begin. Why not try something a little different than veggie hotdogs and burgers this year ....these tasty wraps are sure to please all your guests. I could not find daikon radish or picked ginger in my supermarket so I just left them out. NOTE: The tofu needs to be marinade for several hours so keep that in mind when you want to make this dish.

Tofu
1 14-ounce package firm tofu, drained/pressed*
1 3/4 cups sweet & sour BBQ Sauce
(recipe below)

Sweet & Sour BBQ Sauce

2 Tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, finely grated
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tsp chili-garlic sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp dark sesame oil

Slaw
1 medium carrot, peeled
1 3-inch piece daikon radish, peeled
3 cups napa or savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
1/8 cup picked ginger drained and roughly chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbsp peanut oil

4 large flour tortillas
1 Tbsp well toasted sesame seeds*

For BBQ sauce: Heat the oil in a small saucepan over high heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook over high, about 2 minutes. Whisk in sherry, hoisin sauce, ketchup, chili-garlic sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool. Makes 1 3/4 cups

For the tofu: Cut tofu into 1 inch by 1/2 pieces. Pour barbeque sauce of tofu making sure each piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate several hours.

Prepare an outdoor grill with medium heat.

To make the slaw: grate carrot and daikon. Toss cabbage, carrot, daikon, ginger, salt and black pepper to taste in a large bowl. Add vinegar and peanut oil and toss again to coat. Set aside.

Remove tofu from the sauce, allowing excess sauce to slip back into the bowl; reserve. Brush grill grate with oil and grill tofu, covered, until it is lightly charred with grill marks. About 3 minutes per side. Brush tofu with more sauce after turning.

Warm the tortillas on the grill. Remove tofu and brush on some more sauce. Lay some pieces of tofu onto the tortilla, mound some slaw on top and sprinkle a good amount of toasted sesame seeds over top. Fold the bottom up and wrap the tortilla into a snug package around the filling. Repeat the with remaining ingredients. Serves 4

*To toasted sesame seeds just put them in a frying pan and heat them on medium heat till they go brown. Stir the seeds occassionally and keep and eye on them because the can burn very easily.

*How to press/drain tofu:

http://veganlivingrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/06/how-to-drainpress-tofu-cut-tofu-in-7.html

I talked to a police officer today....