Not Tuna Salad made with Hearts of Palm and Garbanzo Beans

This is another re-post to keep some of the best recipes up on top where they belong.

If you are like me you have probably been hearing a lot lately about the benefits of eating seaweed.  Doesn't sound too appetizing, right?  As it just so happens that is a nice ingredient to turn chickpeas into a mock tuna salad.  Tuna was one of my favorite lunches before I read, "The China Study" and "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" and gave up meat within a couple of days.
Let me reiterate:  I ate meat for 47 years and then quit because the research impressed me so much regarding how much healthier I could be by not eating animal protein or added oils and fats.  There are going to be foods I miss and tuna has been high on the list of foods difficult to mimic.

Here is a way to get yourself back into the zen of a tuna lunch.

1 can hearts of palm, drained, cut into 1/2" slices, then shred with a fork
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced dill pickle
2 tablespoons Dried Seaweed, such as dulce flakes or minced nori sheet
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
4 tablespoons vegan Mayo
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons mustard
1 teaspoon vinegar or pickle juice
1/2 teaspoon Bragg Sea Kelp Delight Seasoning (optional)
1/4 teaspoon dill
pinch black pepper
dash of dried or fresh chives

1. Crush garbanzo beans with a potato masher, set aside with shredded hearts of palm.
2. Chop celery and dill pickle, add to beans.
3. Crush seaweed together with sunflower seeds in a mortar and pestle, add to beans.
4. Add remaining ingredients to bean mixture and stir.  
5. Serve rolled inside Nori Sheets, in a traditional sandwich or with crackers.

Dried Seaweed and sunflower seeds after grinding

Not Tuna Salad 

Not Tuna Salad Sushi Rolls

Whole Grain Chia Bread for the bread machine, plant based no added fat

Whole grain bread made with oatmeal, chia seed and flaxseed meal.  

No dairy or added fat!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 to 2 cups warm water
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chia seed
2 tablespoon flaxseed meal
1 cup rolled oats
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Hot whole grain cereal (dry mix)
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (for bread machines)

Combine all ingredients into bread machine pan and turn it on white bread setting.  Add enough additional water as machine kneads the dough to ensure that all flour is incorporated, start with 1 3/4 cups that is warm to the touch but not hot.

To make this without a machine, put everything into a large bowl and using a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir until all ingredients are combined and then knead until dough is smooth and elastic.  Let rise in warm place until double in size, about two hours.  Shape into loaf, let rise again for one hour and then bake in oven at 375 degrees fahrenheit for about 40 minutes or until edge of loaf pulls away from side of pan and it sounds hollow when you thump on it.

Soy Curl BBQ Wrap Recipe

BBQ Soy Curl and Coleslaw Wrap (or Vegan BBQ)

There are four components to this recipe, the outer covering, or "wrap", the BBQ portion, the coleslaw portion and your favorite beans.

We have been enjoying NY style pre-made wraps that have less than 2 grams of fat per wrapper.  You could also use a 

• 98% fat free whole wheat tortilla, 

or your favorite type.  Be sure to look at the fat content and keep it as low as possible.

For the BBQ portion:

1. Rehydrate 1 cup of dry soy curls with a mixture of 1/4 cup BBQ sauce and enough boiling water to cover all the soy.  
2. Let that sit for 20 minutes or longer.  
3. Pour off any excess water and use an additional 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce to coat the hot soy curls.  
4. Set aside.

For the Coleslaw portion:

• 1 package shredded cabbage and carrot mix or about 4 cups

Coleslaw dressing:

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lime zest, fresh
• 1 teaspoon Agave Nectar or your favorite sweetener
• 2 tablespoons almond milk, or any non-dairy milk
• 2 tablespoons vegan, fat-free mayonaisse
• Salt and Pepper, just a dash each

Pour dressing over the cabbage and toss to coat.  

Now you have a healthy version of coleslaw.  Nice and limey.

• Garbanzo beans, 1 can drained and rinsed

Instructions:

• Once all your components are gathered and ready, place a tortilla in a panina press to warm it and put those nice golden lines of color all over each side.  (Or warm it in a microwave for 20 seconds, or in a hot skillet.)  Remove while it is still pliable.
• Place warmed tortilla on a plate and spoon the BBQ Soy curls down the middle, about 1/3 of a cup should do.  Next to that spoon a line of Coleslaw.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup of beans over the top and then roll it up and place seam side down.  Slice across the middle with a diagonal cut.
• Try not to eat too many of these or you won't be able to get up from the table.  It really is one of the most fun ways to eat your cabbage.

:)

BBQ Soy Curls with Lime Coleslaw, PBNAF

Plant-based recipe for Sloppy Joes

One of my daughter's all time favorite meals is sloppy joes.  Until now we always bought the McCormick Sloppy Joes Seasoning Mix and screened out the onions, followed the directions substituting soy or lentils for the hamburger.  I always wanted to have my own recipe of how to make it from scratch (okay, nearly from scratch) and finally, Ta-Da! Here it is!
We should change the name to Sloppy Becky-Joes (this is how I know if she has read my blog or not).

Sloppy Joe filling, without meat

Recipe:

2 cups water or vegetable or mushroom broth
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1/2 cup TVP, beef flavored (optional)
1 can small beans such as Aduki or lentils, drained and rinsed
1 14 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Annie's Vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon molasses
1 teaspoon date sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Simmer in large pot with lid on low for 20 minutes to two hours, depending on your schedule and your patience, or how hungry you get as the aroma wafts under your nose.
Serve on toasted whole grain buns.
Listen to "The Last Time" performed by Wynton Marsalis with Eric Clapton to set the mood.

Grilled Asparagus Sandwich

Whole wheat bagel (made without eggs or dairy) with portobello mushroom, kale and grilled asparagus

Looking for something a little different for your football sandwich on a Sunday afternoon?  This flavor combination works really well.

Ingredients:

Thomas Hearty Grains 100% Whole Wheat Bagels
Fresh kale
Fresh asparagus
Portobello mushrooms (1/2 per sandwich)
Tofutti non-dairy cream cheese spread
Bragg Liquid Aminos spray
Garlic powder

Asparagus on the panini grill

Cut asparagus into lengths about the same as the bagel diameter and grill without oil, spray with Bragg liquid aminos and dust with garlic powder.  (I like to use our panini press for this.)
Slice mushroom into thick slices and brown in skillet, without oil.  Dust with garlic powder or diced fresh garlic.
Rinse and break kale into small pieces, removing tough center rib.  Place in skillet with mushrooms and cover to steam until soft.

Football Sandwich ready to close

Toast a bagel and spread with thin layer of non-dairy cream cheese and pile on the mushrooms, asparagus and kale.
Root for your favorite team!

Eggplant on the Panini

The last time we visited our daughter who is away at college, we had lunch with her at a little italian restaurant and ordered pizza without cheese or meat.  They said it was their first time making a pizza like that but I was impressed with how good and different it was.  They put thin slices of eggplant on it which added a nice creamy texture to the crispy crust.  Delicious!
It inspired me to make panini sandwiches last weekend using eggplant, mushrooms and non-dairy cheese made from rice milk.  This sandwich is not fat free mostly because of the cheese, but sometimes a grilled cheese sandwich with a healthier twist than the typical western style diet version is comforting.  We had steamed kale with walnut dressing on the side topped it with the remaining eggplant slices.  The photos didn't turn out great but I will share some of them anyway.

Eggplant grilled without oil

Mushrooms browned in skillet without oil

Kale, lightly steamed in non-stick skillet with lid and 1/4 cup water

Grilled cheese sandwich with mushrooms and eggplant 

Eggplant Appetizer

Recipe for eggplant panini sandwich:

1 small eggplant, rinsed and thinly sliced, a little over 1/8" worked well
2 cups sliced button mushrooms
4 cups kale, rinsed with midrib removed and torn into bite sized pieces
Whole grain sandwich bread, two slices per sandwich
Toffuti non-dairy creamed cheese spread
Non-dairy rice-cheese slices
Bragg 24 herb seasoning mix
Garlic powder

Grill or saute the slices of eggplant with a dash of garlic powder and Bragg seasoning until tender and golden brown.  Set aside.
Grill or saute the sliced mushrooms with a dash of garlic powder and Bragg seasoning until tender and golden brown.  Set aside.
Steam the kale for just a minute or two--it should be soft but a nice bright green color.

Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on one side of each slice of bread, place cooked mushrooms and eggplant, kale and a slice of rice-cheese on one side and put the other slice of bread over all to make a sandwich.  Grill on a panini press or in a medium hot skillet with a weight.

For each eggplant appetizer you will need:

1 slice of eggplant spread with non-dairy cream cheese
1 piece of steamed kale

Roll up and serve (you might need toothpicks to keep them rolled if you are preparing a lot of them).

Egg Salad, only NOT--it's plant based with no added fat!!!

Guess what arrived in the mail today? India Kala Namak, or Black Salt. It is the secret ingredient to making tofu taste like eggs (gives it a sulfur flavor).
We had a nice "vegan egg salad" sandwich last week at a little cafe in Walla Walla, Washington where we learned about this. Being kind of new to the veganeske food options it was a fun new trick to experiment with. After I came home and looked it up on the internet, turns out it has been known for quite some time in the vegan recipe circles. Who knew?
"Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley makes this experience complete.

Vegan Egg Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
1 block West Soy extra firm tofu, or equivalent (drained and pressed)
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
1/4 cup pickles, finely diced (my favorite are the "Bread and Butter" kind)
1/4 cup nonfat vegan mayonnaisse
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon black salt (important--it has to be "black" salt to get the sulfur taste)
1/2 teaspoon dill
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
dash each onion powder and turmeric
Grate tofu with cheese grater. Stir together in bowl. This makes enough for four good sized sandwiches.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Spinach Artichoke Dip, Mushrooms and Sun Dried Tomatoes

This combination of flavors is really good on a panini sandwich or just by itself as pictured.
I have been using garlic mashed potatoes on our hot sandwiches a lot lately with different combinations of other ingredients like spinach, wasabi mustard, and hummus.  Very satisfying.