Green Salad with Beyond Meat Strips and Easter, 2015

Easter this year was, as usual, a wonderful holiday to celebrate with family and delicious food.  Our gathering was smaller than usual; for dinner I brought a large green salad topped with chopped Beyond Meat chicken-style strips.  It went over really well, and one of the reasons was that I put a lot of goodies in the salad.  See below for our cuisine of the night.  I hope everyone else had a good holiday, too.

Green Salad with Beyond Meat Strips

My dinner plate: We had vegan stuffed shells, broccoli, garlic bread, olives, and homemade pickles with garlic, and my salad.

For dessert, everyone brought vegan desserts!  Is that awesome or what?  From the left we have: Cranberry Almond bars, Almond Cookies, Gingerbread, and my Chocolate Chip Pecan Bars .

Green Salad with Beyond Meat Strips

Ingredients:

2 heads of hearts of Romaine or one large Romaine head
6 large button mushrooms, halved and sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
2 stalks of celery, sliced thinly
1 cup of parsley, chopped small
1 - 15oz. can garbanzos, drained
2 cups of broccoli florets, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 pkg. Beyond Meat chicken-style strips
1 Tbs. olive oil

Favorite vegan salad dressing

Directions:

In a large bowl, put all of the ingredients from Romaine through tomatoes.  In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Chop the strips into thirds.  When the oil is hot, add the strips, and cook until browned, about five minutes or so.  Drain from the pan, and pat dry, if necessary.  Add to the salad.  Serve and top with your favorite dressing.  Very good and filling.  Feeds five hungry vegans and several of their relatives.

Green Salad with Golden Beets and Raw Pumpkin Seeds

This salad is perfect for a hot summer day.  I got the beets at the Farmer's Market, and they were deeeelicoius!

Green Salad with Golden Beets and Raw Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
8 small or 4 medium to large golden beets
1 - 15oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

Directions:

Peel and quarter the beets, and boil for ten minutes.  Rinse under cold water, and slice into bite-sized pieces.  Add the lettuce, beets and rest of the ingredients into a large serving bowl.  Add your favorite vegan salad dressing.  Feeds five hungry vegans.  Simple and scrumptious!

Mini Tostadas

A great alternative to the big tostada salads - like my Big Soy Tostadas or my Big Bean Tostadas - are mini tostadas.  I like to buy several kinds of toppings, and we all just build our own.  At this point, I offer classic Mexican toppings, but I may branch out into adventurous kinds.  When I do, I'll let you know.  You can buy these flat, small shells near the traditional tortillas in most stores or in Mexican markets. This makes an easy and fun lunch or dinner for adults and kids alike.

Mini Tostadas

Ingredients:

Small, flat, crunchy tostada shells
Vegetarian refried beans
Chopped Romaine lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Sliced black olives
Hot sauce

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place several tostada shells on a baking sheet and warm them up in the oven for ten minutes.  Meanwhile, heat the beans in a pot over medium heat until warm.  Remove shells from oven, and top them with the beans and the other toppings.  Measurements are to your personal liking.  Just pick up and crunch away!  Feeds five hungry vegans in our home.

Three Bean Salad with Mint

Here is a wonderfully fresh and light salad to serve on a hot day.  My mom made a kind of sweet three bean salad when I was growing up, and I liked it, but now I like a tangy version.  I added a few other ingredients to snazz this up, and it's definitely a favorite of mine.

Three Bean Salad with Mint

Ingredients:

1 - 15oz. can of green beans
1 - 15oz. can of garbanzo beans
1 - 15 oz. can of kidney beans
2 sprigs' worth of mint leaves (about 8 to 12 leaves), chopped small
1 stalk celery, chopped small
1 green onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup of your favorite tangy dressing - can adjust to taste (We used LaMartinique True French Vinaigrette)

Directions:

In a large colander, pour all your canned beans and rinse under cold water.  Drain completely, and put in a large bowl.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients, and chill for at least two hours before serving.  Toss, taste, adjust dressing if necessary, and serve.  Yummy.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Desperation Garbanzos

It was a Saturday afternoon, and I was on the hunt for something to feed the fam for lunch.  Things were low in the pantry, but I didn't want to make a run to the store.  I was feeling desperate.  What to do, what to make?  Eight eyes were expectantly staring at me, almost audibly demanding, "Food!  We want food!  And not toast and cereal either!  Make something, Woman of the House, and make it good."  Gulp, oh, yes, the desperation was increasing.  Let's see, I had cans of garbanzos but no tahini - not gonna have hummus.  I had a strange bunch of just celery leaves I picked up at the Farmer's Market.  How to combine...  No potatoes, but rice is located, yes!  It's coming together...  I began sauteing, chopping, stirring, seasoning, and before I knew it, I had a dish, and not just any dish, but a dish that those demanding eyes would approve of.  I had...Desperation Garbanzos!  Read below to see how you too can make this awesomely satisfying dish that I will definitely be making again.

Desperation Garbanzos

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. canola oil
1/2 red onion, diced
2 - 15oz. cans garbanzo beans, drained
1 and 1/2 cup celery greens, chopped (or celery if you don't have enough greens)
10 mint leaves, chopped
1 - 11 oz. of your favorite peanut sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Jasmine rice

Directions:

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute for five minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for another five minute over medium heat.  Lower heat to medium low and simmer for another fifteen minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Serve over rice.  Very flavorful!  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Potato Tacos

I first had potato tacos about seven years ago at a Mexican restaurant in town.  They had traditional toppings on them, so I had them without the cheese.  But, what stood out to me most were the potatoes in them, so small and crispy.  I had never heard nor thought of putting potatoes in tacos, but I was inspired!  I may have eaten there one more time that than - I can't really remember - but the tacos have never left my memory.  So, I decided to redo them here at home, and everyone loved them.  I like to switch my taco toppings up and try some unorthodox things, and I really like the result here.

Potato Tacos

Ingredients:

20 or so corn tortillas
Canola oil, divided
5 Russet potatoes
1 - 29oz. can vegetarian refried beans
1 container vegan sour cream
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1/2 cup or so mint leaves, small (cut them in half in they are large)
Favorite salsa

Directions:

In a large pan, heat about two tablespoons of oil on medium heat.  Peel the potatoes and dice them very small.  Add them to the oil, and cook for about thirty minutes.  Turn occasionally, letting the sides get brown and crispy.  In the last five minutes of cooking potatoes, heat the beans in a medium pot over medium heat.  When the potatoes and beans are ready, heat a few drops of oil in a small pan over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add a tortilla.  Cook for a few seconds on one side and then flip over.  Add a spoonful of the beans and a spoonful of the potatoes to one side of the shell.  Carefully fold the other half of the shell over and put on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.  Repeat the process with the rest of the shells, potatoes and beans.  Each few drops of oil should last for a couple of tortillas.  When all the tacos are ready, garnish with your toppings.  Delicious!  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Curried-Tomatoey Cauliflower and Garbanzos

First let me apologize for the truly crummy photo of this wonderful dish.  This is so good and is definitely one of my favorites, so I'm bummed that I couldn't take a decent photo of it.  Some shots, like this one, were too red, others were bland-white and others unappetizing brown.  Ah, so be it.  It's a tasty dish, just trust me.  I mentioned a couple of posts ago for my Savory Yellow Split Pea and Cauliflower Soup how I really like mixing tomato flavors and cauliflower, and this is definitely a dish that showcases that partnership well.  I first found the inspiration for this dish in one of those little booklets that come with an exercise DVD set purchased off an infomercial.  The ingredients are basically the same, I think - it's been so long - but, the quantities of each have changed over the years into what pleases me best.  Oh, yeah!  I guess you can serve this over rice or cous cous, but I love it just by itself.  And, it's so healthy, I completely pig out on it.  I mean, of course, I watch my portion control, so my family can have their share, ahem.  Give this a try, and see if you don't shovel spoonful after spoonful in.

Curried-Tomatoey Cauliflower and Garbanzos

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 white onion, halved and sliced
1 - 6oz. can of tomato paste
2 cups water
1 - 15oz. can garbanzo beans, drained
1 Tbs. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

In a large pan, heat the oil over medium high heat.  When hot, add the cauliflower and onion and cook for ten minutes, stirring frequently.  Turn the heat down to medium.  Add the tomato paste and water directly into the pan.  Stir gently to blend.  Cook for another two or three minutes.  Turn the heat down to medium low and add the rest of the ingredients.  Cook for another five minutes, or until the cauliflower is fork tender.  It should be a bit brothy, but not soupy or dry -- just right!  Can eat like this or serve over your favorite grain.  Mm-mm-mmm!  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Green Salad with Tofu Squares

I love green salads, and I also love to find new ways to use tofu, so it was natural for me to marry the two ideas.  I've been putting cubed tofu in salads for years; it tastes great, the tofu soaks up the flavors of the dressing, it offers a nice change of texture, and it is a great source of the almighty protein.  You can "say" this is a sub for feta cheese, but I'd rather not.  I just like to see tofu stand on its own, in its own wonderful glory.

Looking at this picture, the tofu looks huge and appears to be half the entire salad.  Rest assured, I've diced them fairly small, and I'm using a family-size salad bowl.  The tofu is merely the topmost layer.  I've got bunches of other goodies underneath.  When all mixed together, this makes a complete meal for my family.  I love salad night where salad is the main entree.  We have it several times a year; sometimes I serve it with toast or crackers, sometimes not. Eh, whatever my mood is that night.  Bon appetit!

Green Salad with Tofu Squares

Ingredients:  

Large heart or two smallish hearts of Romaine, chopped
1 - 15oz. can of hearts of palm, drained and sliced thickly
2 avocados, quartered lengthwise and sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 - 15 oz. can of garbanzos, drained
1 - 14 to 16oz. pkg. of water-packed extra-firm tofu, drained and chopped small
 Favorite salad dressings

Directions:

You know the deal.  Put all the ingredients into a large bowl, except the dressing, and serve.  I love to layer my salads instead of tossing.  I find that tossing pushes all the little goodies to the bottom of the bowl.  Use some large servers and scoop straight down to get a sampling of all the layers.  Top with your favorite dressing.  Yums.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Warming White Bean and Kale Soup

Here is a classic soup with my own twist on it.  For the kale, I used kale that was left over from the previous night's dinner, but you can certainly use fresh kale.  Also, I normally use fresh mushrooms, but I bought several cans worth at a discount store, so I put a can in; again, you can use fresh if you have them.  This hit the spot for me, and I hope it does for you too.

Warming White Bean and Kale Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound white beans
Water to cover
2 russet potatoes, chopped
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained, maybe six ounces?
1 pkg. SmartBacon, chopped
2 cups cooked kale, or 4 cups fresh, chopped
1 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Sort the beans for grit and place in a large pot with water about three inches above the beans.  Cook on medium heat for two hours, adding water as needed, to keep the level at least two inches above the beans.  Stir occasionally.  Add the potatoes and cook for another fifteen minutes over medium heat.  Add the rest of the ingredients, and turn down the heat to medium low.  Cook for another fifteen minutes.  Hits the spot on a cold day. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Chili Cheese Burgers

This meal follows shortly after my Chili Cheese Dogs and is even easier to make than the dogs were!  I'm not going to apologize for using shortcuts.  Feeding a family on a regular basis, homeschooling my children, and keeping busy in so many other countless ways justifies me in taking a break every now and then in food preparation.  This is a kid-friendly meal, and we all gobbled them up.  Treat yourself to a break too, and make these soon.  :-)

Chili Cheese Burgers

Ingredients:

Vegan Boca burgers - enough to feed your family.  I use three boxes: enough for seconds for some and leftovers.
Canola oil for frying
1- 29 oz. can vegan chili beans or 2 - 15 oz. cans
Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet cheese, cheddar style, sliced somewhat thinly
Your favorite burger buns

Directions:

Heat a couple of tablespoons of the oil in large pan that has a lid over medium heat.  (Don't put the lid on, yet.)  When hot, add four to six burgers, however much your pan can hold in single layer.  Brown on one side, three to five minutes.  Flip burgers over and add the slices of cheese to the top of each burger.  Add the lid to the pan and cook until the cheese melts, another couple of minutes.  In the meantime, heat the can of beans in a medium pot over medium heat.  When the burgers are done, place them on the bottom half of a burger bun, scoop a spoonful of chili beans over the top, and add the top of the bun.  Finish with the rest of the burgers.  Serve with a side of veggies for a complete meal.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Chili Cheese Dogs

This is strictly an old-fashioned, stick-to-your-ribs comfort meal.  I'm not promoting health benefits with this one, just guiltily happy taste buds.  Besides making a very simple chili, there is just a matter of opening up packages and doing minimal prep work to achieve this fun dinner.  Enjoy!

Chili Cheese Dogs

Ingredients:

For the chili:
1 Tbs. canola oil
1 pkg. SmartGround
1 29oz. can pinto beans, drained
1 29oz. can diced tomatoes
1 packet of chili seasoning mix (found in the spice section)

2 pkgs. SmartDogs
2 pkgs. favorite hot dogs buns
1 pkg. Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet cheese, cheddar style, finely grated

Directions:

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the soy ground and cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the remaining chili ingredients, and cook over medium low heat for another twenty minutes, until all the flavors are blended.  Meanwhile while the chili is cooking, fill another medium pot two-thirds full with water.  Bring to a boil.  Remove the hot dogs from their packaging and place in the boiling water.  Remove the pot from the heat, and let the hot dogs sit in the water for two minutes.  When chili is ready, gather your hot dog buns.  Slide a dog in the bun, top with spoonfuls of chili and sprinkle liberally with cheese.  (You can omit the cheese for simple chili dogs, if you wish.)  A hit with the whole family!  Feeds five hungry vegans.  Slurp.

Splatter Chili

Hello, everyone!  Sorry about the extended absence.  I've been caught up in a lot of personal stuff, and I've been hit really hard with a startling lack of energy.  I haven't done anything for about a month, which has led to the destruction of my garden, the shambles of my home, the boredom of my Blessings, the backlog on my computer, and all the guilt that goes along with that.  I've since bought some vitamins that G and I think I may be lacking in, and I've forced myself to start exercising again after taking the month off.  So, hopefully, this will pass.  I apologize for not being here and for not commenting on your amazing blogs.  But, I am coming near my 200th post, which means another giveaway, so I'm going to try very hard to keep up on posting.  I hope all has been going well with all of you.  Now, on with the food!

I first made this dish when G and I were first married eons ago.  His workplace had a chili cook-off, and he wanted to show off his young wife's chili culinary skills...to a bunch of carnivores...that worked at a sewage treatment plant...yes.  Oh, don't worry, this gets better - I have yet to post my spaghetti recipe that G had me make for a fundraiser at said place of employment - mine was the only dish, by the way: the sole source of fundraising.  Oh, the faith he had in me as a newlywed.  So, anyway, he named my home-famous chili Splatter, called me the Veggie Vixen, stuck an apron on me, and said, "Make!"  Sadly Splatter did not win there that day but has since won the hearts of many people at church and in my homeschool group that have had various meal needs over time.  As a matter of fact, every single time I've made this chili for someone, all of whom have been decidedly non-vegan, they've wanted the recipe.  It is thinner that most chilis; that's because I added the liquid from the cans directly in the pot - you can always drain them for a thicker meal.  I've also slightly updated my original recipe for you.  Instead of writing "half a bag of frozen corn," leaving us to wonder what size bag I was using, I changed it to "one cup."  I also just apparently eyeballed my spices because they are listed by name with no amounts.  That has been modified as well.  I've thawed frozen tofu for the recipe: if you don't know it, doing that creates a crumbly texture, which I like here.  I mentioned some time ago that years before I started the blog, I created a cookbook for my loved ones in Word, so that is where this recipe has been culled and updated for the blog.  Sniff, Splatter's growing up.  Hope you enjoy it!

Splatter Chili

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 - 1.25 or 1.5 oz. packet of vegan chili seasoning mix, such as by Lawry's or McCormick in the spice section of the grocery store
1 pkg. extra-firm tofu, water-packed, frozen and thawed
2 - 15 oz. cans tomatoes with green chilies
2 - 15 oz. cans pinto beans with liquid
2 - 15 oz. cans black beans with liquid
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
6 - 10 large mushrooms, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1 cup frozen corn
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 Tbs. dried basil
1 and 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin seed
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Squeeze water from the tofu, put in pot and mash.  Cook for ten or so minutes, stirring occasionally, until tofu just starts to brown or all the liquid has evaporated.  Add the chili packet and stir.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Continue to cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil.  Turn down to medium low and cook for one hour.  Can top with vegan cheese, vegan sour cream and chopped red onions, if desired.  Serve alongside some crackers for a comforting meal.  Splatter on!  Serves five hungry vegans.

Tofu Ranchero

I love spicy food, so I decided to try my take on a classic dish and veganize it.  We loved how this turned out, and I will definitely add this to my breakfast rotation.

Tofu Ranchero

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 pkgs. extra-firm tofu, packed in water, drained
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 packed cup chopped cilantro
1 - 29oz. can vegetarian refried beans
3 jalapenos, either fresh or pickled Mexican-style, sliced in rings
Your favorite salsa

Directions:

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for ten minutes, until they soften.  Add the tofu and mash directly in the pan.  Cook for twenty minutes or until tofu begins to brown.  Add the spices and cilantro and cook for another five minutes.  Meanwhile, heat the beans up in a separate small pot.  Serve tofu mixture over the refried beans and top with jalapeno slices and salsa.  This is great with English muffins on the side.  Enjoy!  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Fava Bean and Green Chile Succotash

Fava beans are in season now, and I've been playing around with different recipes featuring them to see if I could really present them in a way that I like.  They are big and meaty, and that tends to turn me off when it comes to beans.  But, I wasn't giving up, and I came up with something that I really like, and I hope you will too.  It's my version of succotash, and even though I wanted to dump a can of tomatoes in the dish - because tomatoes makes everything taste better - G had been eating tomatoes for days and wanted a break.  Can you believe him?  Anyhow, I was skeptical that I would like fava beans without tomatoes around, but this is a very flavorful dish, and the green chiles add just the slightest punch.  Served over quinoa, it makes for a complete meal.

Fava Bean and Green Chile Succotash

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 head garlic, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 - 12 to 15oz. can of corn, drained
1 - 4.5 oz. can chopped green chiles
1 cup shelled fava beans
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup quinoa, prepare according to package directions

Directions:  

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery, and cook for about ten minutes, until they are fork tender, stirring occasionally.  Add the corn, green chiles, fava beans and seasonings, and cook for another ten minutes, until beans are softened, and everything is cooked through, stirring occasionally.  Serve over quinoa.  Surprisingly tasty!  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Red Beans over Barley

I made a slight variation on the classic dish of red beans over rice.  I've discovered that barley is not just for soups.  It can also work very well on its own.  It's chewy, tasty and filling - a nice alternative to rice.  Anyhow, we eat a lot of beans in my home...a lot, and I've been making simple red beans over rice for a very long time.  It's an easy recipe that is nutritious, as well.  Served over barley with a nice veggie on the side, it makes a complete meal.  This time we had jumbo artichokes from the farmer's market with which to pair it.  Yum!

Red Beans over Barley

Ingredients:

1 pound dried red beans
Water to cover
1 - 32 oz. box of vegetable broth
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

2 cups barley
4 cups water 

 Directions:

 Sort beans for grit.  You can either soak them the night before, or if your digestion is used to beans, just make them the same day without soaking.  If you soak, be sure to rinse the water out and put fresh water in the pot in the morning.  Put beans in a pot with enough water to cover them about two inches over the top of them.  Bring to a boil, and boil for five minutes.  Turn heat down to medium, and cook for two hours.  While cooking, when water is below the top of the beans, add the broth, and stir.  As the broth cooks down, add just enough water to cover just the top of the beans by a half an inch or so.  You are not making a soup.  Test the beans after two hours; if they are almost tender, add the spices.  In a separate pot, combine the barley and water, and bring to a boil.  Cover with a lid, and reduce heat to low.  Cook for twenty minutes.  Beans should be done by the time the barley is.  Serve beans over the barley, spooning any of the bean gravy over the top.  Serve with a nice vegetable to round out the meal.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Maple-Glazed Seitan Roast

Here is a twist on the savory seitan recipes that I have put out so far.  This one is sweetened with allspice and has a nice maple syrup glaze to finish it off.  It can be sliced thin or a little thicker, depending on your tastes.  I drizzled mine with mustard when I was ready to eat, and the leftovers would be great cold in sandwiches.  The texture is tender and firm but not rubbery, and the taste got a thumbs up from the family.  I tried Vegan Dad's method of adding a bit of oil and baking in foil.  This roast recipe has taken several tries and tweaks before I was comfortable posting it, so I hope you like it too.

Maple-Glazed Seitan Roast sliced, on serving platter

Right before being wrapped in foil for steaming

Resting before slicing, after being baked

Close-up of those slices

Partnered with sauteed veggies, the roast makes a complete meal

Maple-Glazed Seitan Roast

Ingredients:

1 cup slow-cooked red beans
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup maple syrup  (I had on hand maple agave syrup)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbs. allspice
1 Tbs. onion powder
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cups gluten flour
2-3 Tbs. maple syrup for glaze
Non-stick spray 

Directions:

Blend all the ingredients from the beans through the pepper in a blender.  Pour into a large bowl.  Stir in the gluten flour and mix until combined well.  Knead for a couple of minutes to ensure there are no dry or wet spots.  It should have the same general feel all throughout.  Shape into a large ball and wrap completely in aluminum foil.  Steam for one hour.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  When roast is done steaming, transfer to baking pan; keep it in foil for now.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Take roast out and unwrap from foil.  Spray baking pan with non-stick spray.  Place roast back on pan.  Glaze roast with maple syrup with a basting brush.  Bake for another fifteen minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest for five minutes before slicing.  Place roast on cutting board and with a large serrated knife, slice thinly or thickly, depending on your tastes. Letting it rest a few more minutes will make it even easier to achieve super thin slices.  Nice taste and texture.  Drizzle with mustard and serve with veggies. Feeds five hungry vegans.

Glorious Green Salad

I like to have a lot of fun with salads for my clan.  Sometimes, we'll have big salads on individual plates, and I'll holler from the kitchen, "Who wants carrots?  Who wants garbanzos?," and so on.  I pretty much know by now who likes what and not, but sometimes my  Blessings have changing tastes, so it's good to be reminded.  Sometimes, I'll make one huge salad that's the meal itself, with maybe crackers or something to go with it.  That's when I really load up the toppings to make the salad as varied and crunchy as possible with a symphony of flavors to tease and please younger palates.  The one I made on this night was served alongside of homemade bread sticks and dipping sauces, and everyone was well pleased and full. Below, I've listed the toppings I heaped on, just to give you a new idea or two.  Having fun with your salads is the takeaway moral of the story.

Glorious Green Salad

Ingredients:

Romaine, chopped
Canned quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained
Red onion, slice thin
Canned garbanzos, drained
Tomatoes, cut in small wedges
Fresh spinach leaves, torn if large
Jarred julienned pickled beets
Carrots, shredded
Celery, chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped
Purple cabbage, chopped small
Raw sunflower seeds
Favorite dressings and oils and vinegars on the side

Directions:

In a big bowl, layer the ingredients, except for the dressings.  I do not like to toss my salads before serving because all the goodies get hidden under the lettuce.  Instead we scoop straight down in order to get equal amounts of everything.  Drizzle your favorite dressing on top - sometimes we sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top of that - and dig in.  Served with bread sticks or crackers or toast makes for a filling meal.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Zesty Black Beans with Cooling Tomato and Avocado - and a contest reminder

This is a great dish to warm you up on a cold day.  The farmer's market already has the first avocados in, and I was lucky to find a good tomato in the store.  The spice in the beans is tempered by and paired perfectly with the tomato and avocado.  Served with roasted potatoes, it makes for a tasty, complete meal.

Zesty Black Beans with Cooling Tomato and Avocado

Dinner is served!

Just to remind you that you can still vote in the Circle of Moms contest for the top 25 veggie moms.  I was fortunate enough to be nominated, and I have several bloggie friends in the competition with me.  The nice thing is there's plenty of room for a bunch of us.  So, if you would like to vote (for me?), you can just click on the pink badge in my top left corner, and it will take you to the site.  Just scroll down to find me; I appreciate your vote!  You can vote once every 24 hours.

Zesty  Black Beans with Cooling Tomato and Avocado

Ingredients:

1 lb. dried black beans, sorted for grit
Water to cover
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1 tsp. cayenne
4 Serrano peppers, seeded and chopped (wash your hands after handling)
6 - 8 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 tomato, cut in quarters and sliced thin
1 avocado, chopped small

Directions:

Place beans in a large pot and cover with enough water so that water level is about two inches above beans.  Cook on medium heat for two hours.  (If you want to soak the beans overnight to remove potential gas "issues" from them, you can do that as well.)  Keep water level about one inch above beans during cooking process.  Once they've cooked for two hours, add the salt through the garlic.  Cook another 45 minutes on medium heat. Turn heat to low until beans are completely tender.  At this point, you don't want as much water, just enough to keep them moving around but not soupy, but you don't want them super thick either.  Once beans are completely cooked, turn the heat off and add the tomato and avocado.  Serve with roasted potatoes for a complete meal.  Feeds five hungry vegans.

Savory Stuffed Peppers and Christmas, 2011

We had another great Christmas this year.  I have some pretty hysterical pictures of five-year-old JK completely ecstatic over the celebration.

As usual, I made a big breakfast buffet for my family and parents and then made some dishes to bring to the family potluck for dinner.  I decided to bring stuffed peppers for dinner, and they were super tasty.  I've got the recipe below, but first we have to cover some highlights.

You'll see in one of the pics below what my buffet looked like.  I made:
Scrambled Tofu with broccoli, mushrooms and spinach
Sausage and Cheese muffins (recipe on a future post)
My mom's fruit plate
Chocolate chip cookies
Oatmeal cookies
Brownies
Lemon Sugar Loaf (recipe on a future post)
Coconut Caramel Happy Birthday, Jesus, Cake

For dinner:
Savory Stuffed Peppers
Tofurky
Dessert:
Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Glaze (recipe on a future post)

Just a note on the peppers:
I made enough for 22 people, so you can definitely halve the recipe or more for your needs.  Or, you can make the whole batch, and freeze what  you won't eat in the next few days.  I also cut my peppers in half, but you can use fewer peppers and keep them whole.  With all the food at the potluck, I thought having a whole pepper would be too much for some people.  I also used white rice to appeal to more people, but brown could be used, of course.

Savory Stuffed Peppers

Stockings hung with care, even for the dogs and cats

Breakfast Buffet (fruit plate hadn't yet arrived)

Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Glaze (for potluck dessert)

R.I.P. - Here lies the blank spot where there was a great photo of the kids, but GR was embarrassed and pleaded with me to remove it.  The caption is below.

All the kids enjoying JK's new superhero masks.  They seem to have suddenly taken on the powers themselves!

GR and JK delivering our annual Christmas cookies to the firefighters.

Now, on to more of the recipe photos:

Here are the peppers, washed and waiting for the water to boil.

The stuffing being sauteed.

Blanching the peppers.

Completed peppers, ready to go!

Savory Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

11 green bell peppers, tops trimmed, seeds and heavy pith removed, and halved lengthwise
1 cup white rice, uncooked, prepared according to package directions
2 Tbs. canola oil
1/3 cup chopped shallots
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 - 12oz. pkgs. Lightlife Smart Ground, original style
1 - 15oz. can of black beans, drained
1 Tbs. dried oregano
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 - 15oz. cans tomato sauce, divided
Non-stick spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Fill a very large pot about two-thirds full with water, and bring to a boil.  This will take some time, so you can prepare the rest of your dish while waiting.  Cook the rice and set aside.  In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook for two minutes.  Add the Smart Ground and mash with a fork or potato masher, so there are no big lumps.  Cook for two or three more minutes, stirring often, so it doesn't burn.  Add the beans and spices and cook until heated through, about three or more minutes.  Add the rice and stir well, so it's thoroughly mixed.  Add two cans of the tomato sauce and mix well.  Spray two baking dishes with the non-stick spray.  If the water is boiling now, carefully dump the peppers in it and boil for five minutes.  Drain in a colander in the sink.  Using tongs, place the pepper halves cut side up on the baking dishes.  Spoon the filling into the well of each pepper - use every last drop of it.  Spoon the last can of tomato sauce over each pepper.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.  So good.  Feeds five hungry vegans and seventeen close friends and family.

Classic Bean Tacos

One of my dad's signature dishes was tacos.  We had taco night about once a month or so, and he was always in charge of it.  This version of the taco was the first one I made when I stopped eating meat, and I use all the traditional toppings that we used at home.  It hits the spot and the heart.

Classic Bean Tacos

Ingredients:

At least one 29oz. can vegetarian refried beans
Canola oil
20 or more corn tortillas
Hot sauce
Ketchup
3 green onions, sliced
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Tomatoes, diced
At least one medium can of sliced black olives
1 pkg. Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet cheese, cheddar style, finely shredded

Directions:

Heat the refried beans in a medium pot until warmed through.  Heat one teaspoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add one tortilla.  When it starts to change shape or bubble (just in ten seconds or so), flip over.  Add a large spoonful of beans down one side of the tortilla.  Fold the other side over the beans.  Place on a paper towel lined cookie sheet.  Follow suit with at least one more tortilla before adding a bit more oil to the pan.  Finish with the remaining tortillas and beans.  Have the toppings ready at the table.  I like to add the hot sauce and ketchup on the beans, so they stay put, instead of falling to the plate.  Have fun, enjoy the food, eat to your heart's content.  Feeds five hungry vegans.