Garlicky Broth & Greens with Tofu

Garlicky Broth & Greens with Tofu

Makes three servings

• 1 serving (1/5 of a block) extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into small cubes
• 1/2 a large zucchini, chopped into long strips
• about 1 cup of broccoli, chopped
• 2 cups of fresh baby spinach
• 2 large cloves of garlic, pressed
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube + 4 cups of water, or 1 cup of broth + 3 cups of water
• 1 tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• cooking spray
• scallions and Sriracha, for garnish

Lightly grease a frying pan with cooking spray and sauté zucchini and tofu cubes with pressed garlic over medium heat until soft and fragrant. Set aside. Place the broccoli in the frying pan with a small amount of water and steam until crisp but not soft. Set aside. Heat broth over medium-high heat. Add tamari and ginger, then add the already cooked veggies. Add spinach, stirring as you go. Cook soup on high for a few minutes until nice and hot, then serve with scallions and Sriracha. 

General Tso's Seitan

General Tso's Seitan

Serves 1

• 1/2 cup seitan wheat meat strips, or about 130 grams
• 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 1 tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (I suppose white vinegar would also work)
• two packets of stevia sweetener, or about 1/2 tsp (can substitute sugar)
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 clove of garlic, pressed
• a dash of ground ginger, or 1/2 tsp of freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp-1 tsp Sriracha chili sauce (I used 1 tsp, but you could half that or even quarter it for a milder dish)
• olive oil cooking spray, for greasing

Combine all ingredients except seitan in a mixing bowl and whisk extremely well, making sure to scrape the bottom to incorporate all of the cornstarch. Taste test and add more chili sauce or stevia as desired. Grease a frying pan with olive oil cooking spray or a small amount of olive oil and set over medium heat. Allow the pan to get hot and then drop in seitan pieces. Stir-fry pieces until they are crispy, browned, and hot. Reduce heat to low. Add the sauce from the mixing bowl to the frying pan and toss extremely well, coating the seitan pieces with the sauce. The sauce will thicken very quickly here and it will start to get gloopy if you're not careful, so only let it sit on the heat for a few minutes max. Serve over steamed broccoli and/or brown rice if desired; garnish with green onion.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Makes about 3.5 cups

• 1/3 a head of fresh cauliflower (about 2.5 cups) chopped into medium sized florets
• 1/2 a medium sweet onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup vegetable broth or 1 cup of water + 1 vegetable bouillon cube 
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• a dash each of salt and pepper
• olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss cauliflower, onion, and garlic with olive oil cooking spray. Add curry powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and toss again. Spread the veggies out in a roasting pan or baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, taking the pan out every 10 minutes to re-mix the veggies (to ensure even cooking). After 30 minutes, allow the veggies to cool. Transfer veggies to a food processor and blend. Add vegetable broth slowly, blending in between pours. Make sure not to over blend, as you want the soup to end up a little bit chunky. Whisk cornstarch with two tbsp non-dairy milk until all lumps are gone. Pour into a medium size pot and set over medium heat. Add nutritional yeast and whisk briskly until you have a thick paste. Add the food processor contents and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to incorporate the nutritional yeast. Add another 1 cup of non-dairy milk and stir continually, allowing the soup to heat up to a desirable temperature. 

The AB & J Sandwich

The AB & J Sandwich

Makes one hell of a sandwich.

• 1 or 2 slices of your favorite bread. I used one slice of Ezekiel sesame bread. 
• 1/2 a ripe avocado, sliced
• 5 or more ripe banana slices
• however many jalapeño peppers you can handle
• 2 slices vegan ham or turkey-style protein (or seitan, or tofu), optional
• salt and pepper

Toast bread. Layer vegan protein, avocado, banana, and jalapeños. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Have your world rocked. 

Spinach & Quinoa Patties with Arugula & Pan-Fried Eggplant

Spinach & Quinoa Patties with Arugula and Pan-Fried Eggplant

Yields 3 servings

• 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach or 1 cup raw spinach, chopped
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
• a dash of sea salt
• olive oil cooking spray or olive oil, for greasing
• 1 tbsp Goddess Dressing per patty (Annie's and Trader Joe's are both good)
• 1 handful of fresh arugula per patty
• 6 large round slices of eggplant, chopped in half. 

Sweat the eggplant slices by sprinkling both sides with sea salt and allowing to sit for at least fifteen minutes. Once beads of moisture form on the outside, rinse the slices and dry them well. Set aside. Cook quinoa according to package until the germ separates from the seed. Once cooked, drain any extra water. Add spinach to the warm quinoa. If it is frozen, this will cause it to defrost quickly. If it is fresh, this will cause it to wilt (that's what you want). Add flour, non-dairy milk, and sea salt. Mix thoroughly. Grease a frying pan and set it over medium heat. Pour the quinoa and spinach mixture in three batches, cooking each patty by itself or doing two at a time, if your pan is large enough. Make sure the respray cooking oil in between each patty. Now, at first, the mixture will spread out on the pan like a pancake. Allow it to cook like this for a few minutes until it firms up a little. Then, scrape it together, form it into a patty, and allow it to fry for a few minutes. Don't worry so much about it burning, because it needs to be well-browned. Plus, the longer it cooks, the firmer it will be. Once it is firm enough, flip it over and brown on the other side. Be careful, these little buggers are a bit delicate. 

Remove each patty carefully from the pan and top with Goddess Dressing and arugula. Once the patties have been cooked, spray the pan again with cooking spray and throw in the eggplant slices. Sprinkle with garlic powder and Italian seasoning, frying quickly on each side. It shouldn't take long, only about 2 minutes per side. 

Thick Cut Oven Sweet Potato Fries

Thick-Cut Oven Sweet Potato Fries

Serves 1

• 1 small sweet potato, washed and cut into wide strips
• liberal amounts of garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and cinnamon
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• a small amount of olive oil or olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss sweet potato strips with spices, vinegar, and cooking spray or olive oil, making sure to coat well. Spread the fries out on a cookie sheet or baking pan in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and turn the fries over. Bake on the other side for five minutes, adding more spices in between cooking if desired. 

Chocolate Banana Bread

Chocolate Banana Bread

Yields one small loaf, or 8 1-inch slices

• 1/3 cup zucchini, peeled and then grated
• 2 very ripe medium bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
• 1 packet stevia sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• a dash of sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a small (about-9 inch long) loaf pan and set aside. Combine zucchine and banana in a mixing bowl. Mash extremely well, until there are no banana chunks present. Add cocoa powder, sugar, stevia, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir until completely combined. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk the mixture well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones in 3-4 batches, stirring well in between each addition. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan, making sure to distribute evenly throughout the pan and smooth over the top. Bake for about 35 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick; if it comes out clean, it's done. 

Taco Salad with Creamy Chili Lime Dressing

Taco Salad with Creamy Chili Lime Dressing

Serves 1 as a meal or 2 as an appetizer or side

• about 3/4 head of romaine lettuce
• 1/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup frozen corn
• 1/4 cup ground beef style soy or vegetable protein (Trader Joe's Beefless Ground Beef is my fave)
• 1/4 of a ripe avocado, sliced
• 2 tbsp of your favorite salsa
• 1/2 tbsp tahini + 1/2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp fresh or bottled lime juice
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• a dash of sea salt
• about 1/4 tsp stevia sweetener, or to taste

Chop rinsed romaine with a sharp knife and remove stems. Place leaves in a mixing bowl. Mix tahini, water, lime juice, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt together. At this point, taste the dressing and very carefully add stevia in 1/8 tsp increments. Too much sweetener could very easily ruin the dressing. It should only be sweet enough to mellow out the tartness of the lime juice. Once the dressing is very thoroughly mixed, pour it onto the salad and toss well with hands. Set aside and let the leaves sit for at least five minutes. In the meantime, lightly grease a frying pan with cooking spray and combine frozen corn, black beans, and ground beef substitute. Fry over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture is hot. Transfer romaine to a plate and top with the frying pan contents, salsa, and avocado. 

Multigrain Berry Crisp

Multigrain Berry Crisp

Adapted from Happy Herbivore's blueberry crisp recipe.

Serves 4 

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 4 packets stevia sweetener
• 1 cup dry multigrain oat cereal
• 2 tbsp creamy almond butter
• 2 tbsp agave nectar
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• a dash of fresh or bottled lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine berries in a 10-inch glass pie dish and sprinkle with 2 packets of stevia. In a mixing bowl, combine multigrain cereal, flour, almond butter, cinnamon, agave nectar, and the other two packets of stevia. Stir well until you have a crumbly mixture. Cover berries with the multigrain mixture. Sprinkle the top with lemon juice. Bake 10-15 minutes or until the top layer is crispy. Warm before serving and pair with your favorite brand of vegan ice cream!

Hot Hawaiian Pizza

Hot Hawaiian Pizza

Yields 8 servings

• 1 batch of whole wheat pizza dough, enough for a 12-inch pie. You can make your own, but I just used Trader Joe's pre-made whole wheat dough to save on time. It was good!
• 3/4 cup of your choice of marinara sauce
• 1 8 oz. bag of Daiya mozzarella style shreds
• 4 canned pineapple rings, drained and cut into eighths
• 3 slices of Lightlife brand ham style vegan deli slices, cut into pieces
• jalapeño slices to taste (I used ones from a jar, but you could use fresh)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pizza dough as instructed on packaging. Lightly oil a pizza pan or cookie sheet and roll out dough to form a 12-inch pie. I rolled mine out past the edges of the pizza pan and then folded over the excess to make a crust at the ends. Spread with marinara sauce, then sprinkle with Daiya shreds. Conserve a little Daiya to sprinkle over the toppings. Spread vegan ham, pineapple, and jalapeños as liberally as you would like. Sprinkle on extra Daiya shreds. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until crust is crispy and Daiya shreds are melted. 

Apple & Beet Salad with Sweet Corn & Quinoa

Apple & Beet Salad with Sweet Corn & Quinoa

Serves 4 as an appetizer

• 1/2 a head of romaine lettuce, chopped
• a large handful of fresh baby spinach
• a large handful of fresh kale leaves, separated from stems
• 1/4 of a red apple, sliced thinly
• 1 15 oz. can of beets, drained and sliced
• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 3-4 tbsp of your favorite balsamic dressing (I used Trader Joe's fat free balsamic)
• about 1 cup frozen or fresh sweet corn
• black pepper, to taste

Bring 1 cup of water with 1/2 cup of quinoa to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer about 10 minutes or until the water has evaporated and the quinoa germ (the little tail) has separated from the seed. Salt lightly during cooking. Once cooked, transfer to a bowl and let quinoa cool completely. If using frozen corn: microwave corn and a small amount of water for about 1.5 minutes. Drain any extra water and allow to cool. Once corn and quinoa are completely cooled, combine with all other ingredients. Add balsamic dressing and black pepper about 15 minutes prior to serving. Toss well and let the salad sit for a while to blend the flavors.

Mighty Muffins

Mighty Muffins

Makes 12 mini-muffins or 6 larger muffins

• 1.25 cups whole wheat flour
• 1.25 tsp baking powder
• 0.75 tsp baking soda
• a pinch of sea salt
• a large dash of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup shredded zucchini, with peel
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 medium, ripe banana, mashed
• 4 pitted prunes, chopped into small pieces
• 1 generous tbsp almond butter or other nut butter
• 0.25 cup unsweetened almond milk or other non-dairy milk
• cooking spray or Earth Balance, for greasing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan and set aside. Combine shredded zucchini, shredded carrot, mashed banana, prunes, almond butter, almond milk, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Stir until ingredients are well combined. In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three batches, stirring in between until completely combined. Spoon the batter into the muffin pan, filling the 12 wells hallways for mini muffins or filling 6 of the wells to the top for larger muffins. Bake 18-20 minutes for mini-muffins, or 20-22 minutes for larger muffins. Use the toothpick check to check if the muffins are done.