Plant-based Eggplant Marsala, low fat

While visiting relatives in Las Vegas during the thanksgiving holiday we had the good fortune to dine at one of the great Italian restaurants there. We ordered eggplant Marsala and enjoyed it very much.  It is eggplant "steaks" in a mushroom sauce which has a complex, tangy taste due to the lemon juice and wine.  Now that we are back home, we couldn't wait to try making it without fat. It turned out fabulous. I borrowed from two recipes posted at SparkRecipes, one by Frenchifal and the other by Ffrench15 and I also mimicked the version we enjoyed on thanksgiving.

Since I didn't have any Marsala wine, I actually used Chianti in this and it turned out well.

Eggplant Marsala

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 eggplant
1 cup Chianti
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups sliced brown button mushrooms
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, whole
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon Bragg 24 herb seasoning
Sea salt for dredging, 1/4 cup or so
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup breadcrumbs, whole grain low fat
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
1/2 lb pasta (alternate: serve over brown rice)
6 paper towels

Step 1: Peel eggplant, cut off ends and slice into 4 thick slices the long way (or more depending on size of eggplant). Dredge in salt and press between thick layer of paper towels for 20 to 45 minutes.

Eggplant, peeled and sliced into thick steaks

Eggplant ready for breading in flax seed meal mixture

 Step 2: Rinse slices and pat dry. Coat with mixture made of bread crumbs, flax seed meal and 1/2 teaspoon Bragg 24 herb seasoning. Brown in nonstick skillet without oil, 5 minutes per side or until golden brown and tender.  Alternate method, place under broiler for 4-5 minutes per side.

Breaded eggplant

Eggplant breaded and ready to broil

Broiled eggplant in Marsala mushroom sauce

Step 3: Slice mushrooms and arrange in nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until golden. Add broth, wine, lemon juice, minced garlic, rosemary and Bragg seasoning. Simmer while eggplant and pasta cook, or about 10 minutes.
Step 4: Prepare pasta according to package directions. Do not rinse. Set aside.
Step 5: Combine flour and milk, stir with small wire whip to remove all lumps. Add mixture to wine sauce and simmer for two more minutes until thickened.  Add eggplant steaks to sauce and if necessary simmer until fork slides easily into the eggplant.  Sometimes broiling, although providing a nice brown finish will leave the insides not completely cooked.

Add fresh parsley last

Step 6: To serve, place 1/2 cup or so of pasta on each plate. Spoon 1/4 cup of sauce over it and then lay an eggplant slice over. Spoon enough additional mushroom sauce over the eggplant to cover. Garnish with parsley.

Serve eggplant Marsala with a dark green vegetable like broccoli

Spinach Loaf for the plant based diet

Adapted from "Low Fat Meat-less Meatloaf" this version has quinoa, lentils and lots of spinach!

Vegan Spinach, Quinoa and lentil loaf (don't tell the meat-eaters, they will think it is meatloaf)

Ingredients to be placed into large bowl and set aside:

1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1 cup vegan meat substitute such as ground seitan
1/2 cup wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon chia seed
1/3 cup rinsed quinoa

Ingredients to be placed in food processor:

3 cups fresh spinach or 3 large handfuls (or equal amount fresh kale leaves)
1 box silken tofu, firm organic
1 can lentils, drained and rinsed or pre-cooked equivalent
1/4 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 teaspoons garlic powder or 1 tablespoon fresh minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Not-Beef vegetarian Bouillon

Combine processed ingredients with the items in your large bowl until well incorporated, then place in loaf pan.  Cover with balsamic vinegar sauce and bake for one hour at 350 degrees fahrenheit.  Serve with additional sauce.
Leftovers work well in sandwiches!



Balsamic Vinegar Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1/4 cup ketchup

Chickpea Cutlets for the plant based diet

Chickpea Cutlets served on a bed of fresh spinach ribbons with oven roasted baby new potatoes and a lima bean, carrot and mushroom gravy.  Who thought plant-based could be so good?

There is a recipe for chickpea cutlets posted at food.com by Emily Souliere that came from "Veganomicon" By Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.  The original recipe had olive oil as one of the ingredients and then fried.
This is a version of that recipe, but without the oil or frying in my attempt to follow the advice of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn in his book, "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease".

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup plain nonfat whole grain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup non-fat vegetable broth
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves diced fine
1/2 teaspoon vegetarian "Not-Chicken" bouillon
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon hungarian paprika
1/4 teaspoon dry sage

Mash the chickpeas until no whole ones are visible, I use a potato masher. (If you use a food processor, be sure to just pulse and not over mix or you will end up with a texture which is completely wrong.)
Add remaining ingredients and knead for three minutes.

Divide dough into four equal pieces and flatten into a
shape resembling a flattened piece of chicken breast, about 4"x6".

Heat nonstick skillet to medium hot and arrange cutlets to cover
the bottom of the skillet. Flip after they have browned (about
4 minutes).  Set cutlets aside and brown two cups of sliced mushrooms in the same skillet.
Add two cups of mushroom broth. Simmer until thickened and place cutlets back into pan. Heat through.
Note that if you let these sit too long in the mushroom broth while you are waiting for that certain someone to finally get home from work, there won't be any broth left.  The patties will have soaked it all up.  Just saying.

Plant based (and vegan) Chili, Non-fat, No Onions!

Vegan chili over pasta with nutritional yeast and flaxseed meal sprinkled over the top 

This is a repost with slight recipe adjustments/simplifications.

I have a hard time with onions and a slight allergy to bell peppers so here is my chili recipe which I can't seem to get enough of.....

Vegan Chili, No added fat, No Onions!

1 cup mushroom broth
1 1/2 cup diced celery
1 large can tomato puree
2 cans (13 oz typical) diced tomatoes
1 can white kidney beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. pepper flakes
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 bag frozen sweet corn
1/2 cup dry textured vegetable protein beef flavor (TVP)  or other vegan meat substitute (optional)

Simmer for 30 minutes or at least until hot and bubbly.

Makes enough for several people or several days.
Serve 1 cup over 1/2 cup prepared couscous, quinoa or whole grain pasta.
We also like to make our own tortilla chips by buying the most whole grain and least fat type available at our local market, cutting into triangles and baking in the oven (about 15 minutes at 375 on parchment) with a little taco seasoning or cumin sprinkled on top.  Whole wheat tortillas work well and don't get as tough as corn tortillas.

Note:  Use beans that you like, don't limit yourself to what I have listed or traditional pinto type chili beans if that isn't what you enjoy eating.

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass makes good cooking music for this.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, only not. Plant based no added fat, vegan

Today I made them with lots of celery, shredded cabbage, navy beans and baby spinach leaves and chia seeds.

I love sour cream enchiladas and so I set out to make a recipe that is very low fat and vegan for heart-health.  This is my favorite enchilada recipe and the one most closely resembling sour cream chicken enchiladas.

Stir together and set aside (this represents what would have been the "meat":
1 cup soy curls (break into small pieces) soaked in 1 tsp. "not-chicken" bouillon and 1 cup hot water

Combine white layer and set aside:
2 cups chopped celery
(Note:  this is an easy recipe to sneak extra veggies into such as broccoli or spinach so add some to the white layer or between layers if your kids won't eat them otherwise)
2 teaspoons cumin
dash pepper flakes
1 package soft silken tofu
1 can (4 oz) mild green chilies (double this if you really like green chilies)
1/2 cup Tofutti Non-Dairy Sour Cream
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Combine red layer and set aside:
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (15 oz)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (15 oz)
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
The textured vegetable protein, now softened.

2 large cans enchilada sauce or make your own from scratch
Corn tortillas (or fat free whole wheat if you prefer)
1/4 cup soy or rice cheddar cheese shreds (optional)

Pour 1/4" layer of enchilada sauce in bottom of a deep 9x13"pan.
Layer tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan.
Spread 1/2 red mixture
Another layer of tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce
Spread all the white mixture.
Another layer of tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce
Spread remaining ted mixture.
Pour any leftover enchilada sauce over the top (You probably won't have any left.  No worries)
Spread soy cheese shreds over top.
Bake 350 f. for about 45 minutes or until bubbly hot.

Sour Cream Enchiladas made without dairy, meat or oil.

If you aren't allergic to onions, feel free to add them in with the celery.

Almond Chicken for the plant based diet

Soy curls made to taste like Almond Chicken on a bed of steamed kale

No chickens died in the making of this meal.

A plant based version of the standard American Chinese Restaurant "Almond Chicken"
Ingredients:
1 cup              soy curls 1 cup              boiling water 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, No Chicken Base 2 tablespoons Sliced almonds 1/4 cup almond flour (or grind up your whole almonds with a food processor) 1/4 cup flaxseed meal 1/4 cup bread crumbs (whole grain, dry) 1 cup water 1/2 cup almond flour 1/2 cup almond milk, lowfat 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons garbanzo bean flour 1/2 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, No Chicken Base 1/8 teaspoon almond extract (optional) 1 tablespoon Miso paste 1 bunch steamed kale  1.  Dissolve 1 teaspoon of bouillon in 1 cup of boiling water and pour over soy curls to dehydrate.  Let sit for 15 min. or longer while you prepare the other ingredients. 2.  Toast sliced almonds in small skillet until golden brown, set aside to use as topping. 3.  Toast 1/4 cup almond flour (ground almonds), then combine with flaxseed meal and bread crumbs. 4.  Drain broth from soy curls and reserve.  Dredge soy curls in almond flour mixture. 5.  Toast coated soy curls in medium-hot skillet until browned on all sides.  Set aside in warm oven. 6.  Combine sauce ingredients (1 cup water, 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, garbanzo bean flour and 1/2 teaspoon bouillon) in blender or Magic Bullet. 7.  Pour sauce ingredients into skillet and bring to simmer, cook until thickened.  Remove from heat and add almond extract and miso paste, stir to combine. 8.  Place 1 cup of steamed kale or brown rice and 1/4 of the soy curls on each plate, cover with the almond sauce and sprinkle toasted sliced almonds over the top.
8.  Remember to close your eyes with each bite, sigh and be happy and grateful to be alive.  Bless the cook.  Don't bother wiping the grin off your face.

x

Pot Pie Filling over Baked Potatoes

The other day while walking through the freezer section of Yokes, our local market, my daughter mentioned that one of the foods she misses (now that we don't eat meat) is Chicken Pot Pie.  I agreed and mentally filed it away as a recipe to someday turn into a vegan dish.

Nearly Chicken Pot Pie Filling over a baked potato

Pot Pie Filling Recipe, plant-based with no added fat

(First bake 2 or more large potatoes for an hour at 375, or until fork tender.  Let rest for a few minutes wrapped in foil)

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced mushrooms

2 teaspoons fresh minced garlic 

1 cup vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup frozen peas

2 fresh carrots, sliced thin

2 stalks celery, diced

1/2 teaspoon Not Chicken Bouillon 

pinch each of sage, Bragg 24 herb seasoning, dried parsley 

dash black pepper

Brown mushrooms in large skillet, then add the carrots and cook for a couple of minutes.  Combine water with cornstarch and bouillon in a small measuring cup, whip to remove lumps.  Place all remaining ingredients including cornstarch and water mixture into skillet and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes or until thick and bubbly.  (In my opinion frozen veggies don't need to be "cooked" for long, just "heated" so they keep their nice color and texture, so please don't overcook).

Spoon filling mixture over the prepared baked potatoes. Take a picture.

Optional:  If you really want something in this to taste like "chicken meat", I recommend using soy curls chopped into bite size nuggets.  Just add 1 cup soy curls and 3/4 cup more liquid, broth or water.

Optional toppings:  nutritional yeast flakes and flaxseed meal

Scallops recipe for plant based people

My first attempt at Pan Seared Vegan Scallops

I tried out a scallop recipe from "Vegan Homemade" last night that was just fantastic:

http://www.veganhomemade.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/vegan-scallops/

Her photo is what grabbed me.  Believe me, the results of my first attempt tasted wonderful and lived up to her photo.  Thanks Erin!

I wanted to try to create a meal that was the essence of Coquilles St. Jacques, which was a popular entry at a restaurant I worked at years ago.  In between attending Olympic College and WSU I worked for a year in a restaurant at a Navy base as a hostess in the Officer's Club.  I learned how to fold napkins fancy, properly serve coffee and water and occasionally chatted up the chef.  (He told me what I was doing wrong with my weepy meringue.)  I have to admit, I was kind of in awe of the chef's knowledge and now that my daughter is about to graduate from PICA in Vancouver, I couldn't be prouder!

The most memorable dish from that restaurant was how they served scallops—in a tangy wine sauce with mushrooms served in a ramekin that was topped with piped mashed potatoes and then lightly broiled.  On the rare occasion that my husband and I ate at the Enlisted Club (same restaurant kitchen) Coquilles St. Jacques is what I always ordered.

Now that we don't eat fish or any other critters I was hoping to find a way to mimic scallops and Erin's solution to use mushrooms was genius.  I couldn't find the exact type of mushroom in my local market which was too bad since it would have made things a lot easier.

I found a recipe for Coquilles St. Jacques on Food Network that was written by Emeril Lagasse and sounded similar to what I had tasted at the Navy Restaurant. See http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/coquilles-st-jacques-recipe.html

I exchanged some items in Emeril's recipe for vegan versions and lowered the fat, otherwise I pretty much followed both their recipes so no need to risk plagerizing.

But I can't help showing off some photos!

Marinate overnight or all day.

If you can't find King Trumpet Mushrooms, use the most pristine white button mushrooms you can find.

I cut off the stems and the rounded tops, then trimmed all around to create that cylinder look that scallops have. (Bonus, I saved all the trimmings and sautéd them at lunch—piled them on a tortilla spread with hummus—wow and yum.)

Seared over high heat in non-stick skillet after marinating 8 hours.

White wine sauce with celery instead of onions, no butter or cream.

Vegan scallops placed back into the sauce before serving.

Button Mushroom Scallop

We enjoyed these over boiled blue potatoes with side dishes of salad and pan roasted beets.  Nice combo if I do say so myself.  Blueberries simmered in a little white wine and agave nectar for dessert. 

Plant based Cilantro Lime Tacos

Almost Fat Free Cilantro Lime Tacos Serves 6 +/- 

1/4 cup lime juice or juice from one lime, with zest if you really like lime 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1/2 Teaspoon Agave Nectar
dash cayenne pepper 
1 can black beans, heated in small skillet 
Non-dairy Cheddar cheese shreds (optional or use sparingly)
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro 
1 package shredded cabbage/carrots mix 
(about 4 cups) 
1 tomato, halved and finely sliced 
1 cup beef flavored TVP or two cups soy curls rehydrated in Not-Chicken Bouillon
1 tsp Cumin for seasoning TVP (textured vegetable protein, soaked in water as listed on package) 
1 small cucumber sliced thin 
6 radishes sliced thin or diced small 
Small Corn Tortillas (the lowest fat version you can find)

Combine first six ingredients and whisk to make dressing. Set aside. Toss protein in large bowl with cabbage and cilantro and dressing. Add cucumber, radishes, and tomato last and turn in gently. 
Heat about 4 tortillas per person in very warm skillet with no oil, keep warm until serving. 
Serve with beans, cheese shreds, and hot sauce as desired. 
This is a very light and satisfying meal. Omit cheese and use masa harana tortillas to make it even closer to fat free.

Thai Peanut Noodle Recipe, low fat, vegan style with PB2 powder

Plant-based Pad Thai

Noodles!

A lot of the recipes I use are based on a tomato type of sauce and sometimes I want a little something different.  This recipe is a version I derived from "Julie's Peanut Sesame Noodles" at www.everydaydish.tv/index.php?page=recipe&recipe=119.   I am sure her version tastes wonderful but since I don't want so much fat and must avoid onions I made a few little changes…..:)

This recipe is one of the most popular that I have blogged. I hope you just love it!  It's one of our favorites.

Thai Peanut Noodles or "Vegan Pad Thai"


1 pound whole grain linguine such as brown rice type

Sauce:
1 cup dry peanut butter powder (PB2)
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
3/4 cup warm water
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or diced fine
4 cloves garlic, diced fine
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (omit to decrease fat)
2 teaspoons sweetener such as agave nectar
1 1/2 teaspoons siracha sauce  (bump this up if you like food really spicy)
3 tablespoons flaxseed meal

Other ingredients to add at the end:
1 pre-packaged coleslaw mix, (without the dressing) or 4 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups fresh spinach, baby leaves or regular leaves cut into bite size pieces
1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts or 1 cup steamed asparagus, or broccoli, etc.
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup diced grilled tofu, optional
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (toast them in a medium hot non-stick skillet until golden)
   
Steps:
1.  In a large pot, boil the noodles until al dente. Drain but don't rinse.  Place in large bowl.
2.  While the noodles are boiling, put all the sauce ingredients into blender and blend away for a minute.  Let this sit for a few minutes while the flaxseed helps it to thicken up.
3.  Pour peanut sauce over noodles and other ingredients, toss well to coat.
4.  This works as a hot dish or later as a cold noodle salad.

Serves-8

Note:  The longer we are on a plant based diet, the less sweet and salty I seem to like in my recipes.  I have gone back twice now and decreased the amount of soy sauce and sweetener in this recipe to adjust it to my ever-changing tastes.

Sweet Potato Dumplings, Plant-based

Re-post:  Leather Dumpling Recipe

My grandma made wonderful leather dumplings that she didn't write down the recipe for. I spent a few years since she passed away trying to recreate her magic but I have never quite been able to achieve it. Now that we are following a plant based diet, nearly fat free, I have decided to create an extremely low fat vegan version and here it is!  Listen to anything by the Soggy Bottom Boys while you prepare this.

Plant based leather dumplings

Vegan leather dumplings with seitan

Dumpling dough:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups oat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup pureed sweet potato
1/2 cup tofutti soy cream cheese
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1 cup iced water

Stir together dry ingredients in large bowl, set aside. Combine wet ingredients in blender to combine, and then add mixture to dry ingredients all at once. Fold together until just combined, over mixing will make the dumplings tough.
Roll dough out to a thin sheet between 1/8" and 1/4" thickness. Cut into rectangles about 1" x 2" and drop into boiling broth.

Broth:

12 cups water
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons vegetarian bullion that is chicken flavored
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup dried mushrooms
1/2 cup diced carrots

Bring to a rolling boil for 5 minutes to cook the carrots before adding dumplings, one at a time.  Then add in the final ingredients:

2 cups chicken flavored seitan in bite sized pieces
15 oz can lentils, drained and rinsed
1 cup diced broccoli (add last with 2 tbsp thickener after dumplings are all cooked and floating)
or bok choy, sliced thin

Thickener: equal parts water and cornstarch mixed to a paste

Continue simmering for just a minute and then turn off the heat.  Serve with green salad on the side.

Seitan is a meat substitute made from wheat gluten and other ingredients.  

Cabbage Rolls, Plant-based

Stuffed Cabbage Leaves, PBNAF

Cabbage Rolls, a heart healthy version without meat or oil.

When I was much younger and my daughter was two or three years old, I joined a garden club in Spokane to meet other people who liked to garden and meet prospective landscape clients.  As it turned out, I was too young for the group and they really didn’t want me bringing a little child around disrupting their meetings. But the last meeting I went to was a Christmas party where everyone brought a dish. I don’t even remember what I took but what I do remember is that it was the first time I ever tasted stuffed cabbage leaves, or "cabbage rolls".  I was hooked.  I thought they were so delicious that I asked for the recipe. The lady who brought them sat down and wrote it out for me.  I have kept it all these years and I have never made them once.  Don’t ask me why, it was just one of those things to get around to "someday".  Well, today is someday.

So without further delay, here is a great and meat-free stuffed cabbage recipe!  No onions, no added fat.  The original recipe called for meat and onions and oil.

Stuffed Cabbage Leaves, or Cabbage Rolls

Serves 4-6
Time:  1 hour prep, 1 hour simmer

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage with core carefully removed
1 cup cooked brown rice

1 cup garbanzo beans, mashed

1 teaspoon vegetarian bouillon, not-beef flavored

½ teaspoon liquid smoke

1 teaspoon Bragg essential amino acids
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup mushrooms, minced

1 cup celery, minced
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 teaspoon Bragg 24 herb seasoning
1 teaspoon Maggie seasoning sauce or tamari
extra broth for drizzling

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Sauce:

1 large jar tomato sauce (I like Muir Glen Garlic Roasted Garlic)*
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
Vegan parmesan for topping, optional

 *Or use your favorite recipe for marinara sauce

Filling for cabbage rolls

Cabbage Rolls just starting to simmer in the sauce.

• Begin by cooking the brown rice if it isn't already. I like to make it by putting in one part rice to two 1/2 parts water with a little bouillon for flavor.  
• Put a large pot of water on the stove to simmer. This is what you will use to soften the cabbage leaves.
• Next, mash the garbanzo beans and add the vegetarian bouillon, not-beef flavored, Bragg essential amino acids and the liquid smoke to it. Set aside while you prepare the vegetables.
• Prepare the celery, mushrooms, and garlic. Place in large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add the seasoning and mushroom broth.
• Place the cabbage in the simmering pot of water. Try not to tear or cut any of the leaves. Let them soften for 3 to 5 minutes.
• After the celery is tender, add one cup of cooked brown rice, the TVP, flaxseed meal, chia seeds and the black beans. If mixture appears really dry, drizzle some broth over to help it stick together. This is the filling for the cabbage rolls. Remove filling from skillet and place into a large bowl.
• Use the same large skillet to warm the tomato sauce, sugar and vinegar over low heat.   
• Remove a few leaves of cabbage--they should be pliable but not too soft. Go ahead and turn off the simmering water--remove all the leaves if they look like they are cooking to fast. I scooped them into a colander set over another large pot next to the stove and that worked well.
• Take a large cabbage leaf and remove the thickest part of the center rib. You may just have to cut the leaf in half, but try to only remove about half of the center rib. The part closest to the stem is the toughest--get rid of that.
• Spoon about 2 or 3 tablespoons of filling on one side and roll the leaf around it to contain it completely.
• Place each cabbage roll into the skillet with the tomato sauce mixture. Continue until skillet is full Spoon hot tomato sauce over the top to cover instead of rolling them. These need to simmer on low for 40 to 60 minutes. (We ate them after 30 minutes and they probably should have cooked a little longer.)
• Alternate serving idea: When there was filling and leaves left over after the sauce skillet was packed full, we used a softened leaf as a sort of taco shell by putting some filling inside and wrapping the leaf around it. We consumed these without tomato sauce at all and they were delicious, (in fact I think I prefer them without the sauce).  Reminiscent of the lettuce wraps appetizer at PF Chang's Restaurant.

Pasta with Steamed Kale and Soy Curls

Vegetable Rotini Pasta with Steamed Kale, Soy Curls, Mushrooms and Asparagus

For lunch the other day we had a mix of vegetables and pasta with Tofu Garlic Sauce over the top (after I took the photo to show off what was going on with this dish).
Use the fresh vegetable you like, here is what we had on hand that day:


1 entire bunch of fresh asparagus, rinsed and cut into 1" pieces
1 entire bunch of kale, rinsed and center vein discarded, tear into pieces
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon herb seasoning such as Bragg's
1/2 cup mushroom or vegetable broth 
3 cups prepared pasta, drained but not rinsed
2 cups prepared soy curls (get these from Butler Foods if not available locally)
1/4 cup sliced olives, optional due to fat content


Place mushrooms in hot skillet and saute until golden brown on both sides.  Add garlic, asparagus pieces and broth, cook for one minute with lid to hold steam.  Add kale and steam for additional minute.  Remove from heat and add other ingredients, toss and serve with Tofu Garlic Sauce (recipe below).


Serves 6.


Additional ideas for add-ins:
black beans or garbanzo beans
frozen or fresh corn 
frozen or fresh spinach
broccoli
carrots
peas,
fresh tomato pieces
etc.












Tofu Garlic Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients to be placed in blender:

1 package soft silken tofu
1/2 cup low-fat almond milk or non-fat soy milk
1/4 cup Tofutti Sour Supreme, vegan sour cream
2 Tbsp Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, vegan cream cheese
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tsp non-dairy parmesan cheese, such as Galaxy Nutritional Foods Soy Grated Topping Parmesan Flavor
1 tsp miso paste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp hot sauce, or to taste
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste


This sauce will keep in your refrigerator for about 3 days, then it turns funny (but it will probably be all gone before you have to toss it out unless you lose it in there....)

Meatballs, plant-based no added fat vegan

Vegan Meatballs
Appetizer or to serve with spaghetti,  maybe these should be called "vegiballs" since they don't actually contain any animal products.

Ingredients:
2 cups TVP granules (Textured vegetable protein. Bob's Red Mill brand is what I use and is easily available at my local grocer in the baking isle.)
1 3/4 cups hot vegetable or mushroom broth
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp. Italian seasoning mix
1 tsp. Bragg herb blend
1 package Firm silken tofu (Mori-Nu Brand or your favorite)
1/4 cup finely shredded carrot
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten (skip if you are a gluten-free person)
1 tbsp egg replacer powder
1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon bouillon paste, vegetarian beef flavor
1 tablespoon fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon Bragg All natural liquid aminos
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup of dry breadcrumbs (in a pinch toast two slices of whole grain, nonfat bread and process with a food processor
Step 1: Brown mushrooms and celery in a nonstick skillet over medium heat without any added fat.
Step 2: Soak TVP granules in broth for 5 minutes while you gather other ingredients.
Step 3: Place all other ingredients except celery, mushrooms, TVP and bread crumbs into food processor and pulse until combined.
Step 4: Stir together bread crumbs, TVP mixture, mushrooms, celery and ingredients from food processor until just combined.
Step 5: Roll into 1" balls or use small cookie dough scooper to form about 50 meatballs and roll in mixture of one part flaxseed meal/one part nutritional yeast flakes.
Place on nonstick cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees f for 35 minutes and then turn down oven to 225 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Serve with whole grain spaghetti and tomato sauce.  Or as an appetizer at your holiday party.
I dare you to try eating one of these rolly guys without rolling your eyes....yum.

Spelt Noodles with Mushrooms and Broccoli

Noodles for lunch!

Spelt noodles with mushroom sauce

Ingredients:
2 cups prepared spelt pasta
Sauce:
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 cups mushroom broth
1  1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon Bragg 24 Herb Blend Seasoning
1 teaspoon miso paste
1 cup chopped broccoli

Saute mushrooms, seasoning and garlic until tender in the broth.  Add broccoli and cook just until bright green, about a minute or two.  Remove from heat and add miso paste.  Pour over cooked pasta.  Sit back and relax for a few with a nice bowl of lunch.

Serves 3.

Tonight I am making lasagna

Tonight I am preparing a recipe from the book, "Forks over Knives".  The recipe is called "Raise-The-Roof Sweet Potato-Vegetable Lasagna, by Rip Esselstyn.  After work I went to the grocery store and bought the ingredients because I really wanted to see how it tastes.  This is really an interesting combination of items--but he should have named it rainbow lasagna because of all the pretty colors.  In fact, the vegetables looks so pretty coming out of the wok I took a picture!
I am not going to plagiarize his work, so buy the book.  And while you are at it, buy yourself a copy of the Engine 2 diet if you haven't already.

Finished lasagna, the next day at lunch--wow, delicious!

Jim's Fantastic Vegan Pizza Recipe, PBNAF

Happiness is arriving home from a business day trip to find a fresh homemade pizza waiting to be devoured!
Jim's Fantastic Vegan Pizza Recipe

To your favorite low-fat or nonfat pizza crust, pre-made or from-scratch, add the following:

1 small can Organic tomato sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon dried oregon and 1 teaspoon each powdered garlic, dried basil, thyme and rosemary.  Spread on pizza dough.

Toppings:

Kale

Spinach

Roasted tomatoes

Roasted garlic

Artichoke hearts (which were packed in water, not oil!)

Black beans

4 deli olives, sliced thin

Fresh basil leaves

Low-fat non-dairy cheese shreds, just a few....

Bake at 400 degrees for about 18 minutes.

Share with your best friend.

Vegan Pizza, PBNAF

The music from the movie, "Under the Tuscan Sun" by Christopher Beck is cheerful and perfect for this occasion.  Don't you just love cooking to great music?

If you don't already have a pizza stone, get one! Another option is clay tile from your nearest home improvement store. I was able to get a pizza stone from our local kitchen shop, Ariel's for under $20.00.

For the crust:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees with the baking stone on the bottom rack.  Someday I will build a pizza oven off the patio in the backyard, but until then, this works.  I just thought you would want to know about my future plans.   Another blog, another time.

Ingredients:
5/8 cup warm water, not over 110 degrees F, it should feel like really warm bath water. If it is too hot to stick your finger in, then it will kill the yeast.
1 tsp. Yeast
1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup better for bread flour, OR another 7/8 cup of whole wheat flour with the addition of 1/8 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 tsp salt
Optional herbs:
1/2 tsp. Each Rosemary, thyme, oregano and garlic powder

Combine ingredients in medium sized bowl in order, stir until it forms a mass and knead 10 turns in the same bowl, and set aside for 20 minutes while covered with a warm, damp clean towel.
While that is resting on your nice warm stove top, make a tofu garlic sauce for the pizza.

Ingredients for tofu garlic sauce to be placed in blender:

1 package soft silken tofu
1/2 cup low-fat almond milk or non-fat soy milk
1/4 cup Tofutti Sour Supreme, vegan sour cream
2 Tbsp Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, vegan cream cheese
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tsp non-dairy parmesan cheese, such as Galaxy Nutritional Foods Soy Grated Topping Parmesan Flavor
1 tsp miso paste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp hot sauce, or to taste
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper, or to taste


After the dough has rested, place it on a floured work surface.  I am old-school and prefer to work on a pastry cloth but a cutting board or even waxed paper will work.  Roll out to match the size of your pizza stone or about 14" round.  Poke all over with a fork and say what my niece Jenny used to say when she was about 4 years old while pointing a fork at me and giving me the evil eye to her mom's embarrassment, "FORK YOU!"
Slide your pizza crust onto a paddle or cookie sheet.  If you toss a layer of cornmeal onto the surface first it will make it easier to slide it onto the pizza stone in the hot oven while your face is getting blasted with hot air.  Really, you don't want to be standing there trying to get this to slide off gracefully while the cameras are rolling.  Your foundation will melt.
So now the dough is rolled, forked and put onto a portable sliding surface.  Be sure to not forget the toppings.  I start with a nice thick puddle of Tofu Sauce (about 1/3 cup), then add vegetables.


For the pizza toppings, I use handfuls of spinach, sliced mushrooms, sliced zucchini, fresh chopped herbs like basil and oregano and fresh thinly sliced tomatoes.  You should use your favorites.
You could of course use marinara sauce instead of tofu garlic sauce.
But it won't be as good.
If you are a really strict PBNAF person, don't put non-dairy cheese over the top.  For the rest of us, I like to use just enough to look at, not enough to smother.  About 1/4 cup or so.  Also, a sprinkle of Soy Grated Parmesan is a nice finish.
Slide this beautiful creation into the oven and onto your now-hot pizza stone.  It will cook amazingly fast, in about 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven when it smells heavenly and looks golden brown but before it turns black.  Black is beautiful but you know, not for the bottom of my pizza.


Eat away, guilt free!

Eggplant Lasagna

Eggplant Lasagna This is so good we served it at our Christmas party! Serves 12-15 Time: 1 hour preparation, 45 minutes baking time, 15-30 minutes rest after removing from oven Ingredients:

2 eggplants

1 dry package sun dried tomatoes

48 ounces pureed tomatoes

2 teaspoons oregano flakes

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 package organic, whole grain lasagna noodles, cooked according to package. drained but not rinsed

1/2 to 1 cup non-dairy shredded mozzarella cheese such as Daiya

1 recipe pesto/white sauce

3 cups fresh spinach, washed, stems removed

3 cups fresh sliced mushrooms 1/2 cup mushroom broth

Directions:

Slice eggplant in 1/4" slices, dredge in salt, lay in single layer on cookie sheet covered in two layers of paper towels, cover with two more layers of paper towels. Stack cookie sheets on top of each other (it will take two or three). Move bottom cookie sheet to top after 15 minutes, repeat until all sheets have been pressed for 30 minutes.

Rince salt off slices and pat dry. Place on broiler pan in batches and brown both sides.

Remove from broiler and set aside.

Set oven temperature to 350 degrees. Prepare pesto/white sauce:

Combine and set aside:

1 cup fresh basil leaves, minced

1 cup fresh parsley, minced

2 boxes extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and crumbled 1/2 cup nutritional yeast 2 tablespoons italian seasoning mix (oregano, basil, thyme, etc.) 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 fresh cloves minced

Place mushrooms in nonstick skillet over medium heat, add 1/2 cup mushroom broth.

Let it simmer until broth is nearly gone, add tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.

Into a 9"x13" deep baking pan begin layering tomato sauce, pasta, pesto/white sauce,

spinach, eggplant, tomato sauce, pasta, tomato sauce,

eggplant, etc. Ending with the cheese shreds. Do not cover with foil (all the cheese shreds will stick to it--ask me how I know.....)

Bake 45 minutes or until bubbly.

This tastes even better on days two and three.  Really!  Omit all cheese shreds for reduced fat.