Tingly Szechuan Pepper (Beef) Noodles. {RR}

I knew I had to make this when I caught it on Rachael Ray's show. I had some ground beef in the freezer, so I made the recipe as is. Meat and all. It was so, SO good! And next time I will leave the meat out because the meat wasn't where this dish was getting it's flavors. The spices are amazing!! I cut down on the szechuan because of my 14 months - 8 year old kids. 

While I was cooking, my 4 year old informed us that she would not be eating dinner because "it stinks and I not like it". We negotiated with her and told her she needed to take her bites or she wouldn't have any of the super bowl snacks. She just had finished her first bite when minutes later we turned and looked at her and she was done and was pretty much licking the bowl. Yeah... now that's a good recipe! I took a picture of her holding her empty bowl for future reference to show her when she gives me that stink face and defiant attitude again. Mommies always right. ;)

1 pound dried Chinese noodles or thin spaghetti
{1 pound ground beef (used 1/4 pound)}
1 onion, minced
1 small red chile pepper, such as fresno, minced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 piece (1 inch) ginger, minced
2 teaspoons Szechuan pepper (went with 1 teaspoon so the littles could handle it)
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 to 1/3 cup tamari (dark soy sauce) or Bragg's liquid amino
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
Chili oil or sriracha, for serving

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the noodles and cook until al dente. Drain.

{{OMIT if doing vegan. While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat the oil, 3 turns of the pan, over high heat until smoking. Pat the ground beef dry with a paper towel, then crumble it into the hot oil.}}

Heat pan and water to steam-fry the onion, chile, garlic, ginger, Szechuan pepper and five-spice powder to the beef. Stir-fry until the onion is slightly softened, 2 minutes.

Add the drained noodles to the {beef} mixture. Stir in the tamari (or liquid amino). Remove from the heat and toss with the cabbage and scallions. {Serve with the chili oil (or sriracha)... spicy enough, didn't need.}

Wild Mushroom-Barley Soup.

 Another Rachael Ray....

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms or mixed wild mushrooms

1 quart vegetable stock

3 cups water

3/4 pound cremini mushroom caps, wiped clean and quartered or sliced
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
2 leeks, trimmed, sliced, washed and dried or 2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons fresh sage, very thinly sliced
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
1 15-ounce can diced, fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup pearl barley
1 bunch kale or dinosaur kale, leaves stripped from stems
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

3 tablespoons fresh sage, very thinly sliced

splash of liquid smoke (optional)

Place dried mushrooms in a medium pot with stock and 3 cups of water. Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer.

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat add mushrooms and bay leaf. Cook 10-12 minutes to soften and darken the mushrooms. Add leeks or onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook 5 minutes more. There should be enough water from the mushrooms for it to not stick, if not, add some water. Add sage, rosemary and tomatoes.

Remove softened dried mushrooms from the stock and chop. Add them along with their cooking liquids to the soup pot, taking care to leave behind any grit from the mushrooms. Stir in barley and kale, add a little freshly grated nutmeg. Bring soup to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Add splash of liquid smoke. Cook 20 minutes.

Taste to adjust seasonings and serve in shallow bowls.

Belly Biters

Ava - not.a.chance, Nolan & Coco - tore.it.up, Shayne & I - liked it

8-Vegetable Soup with Mixed Herb Pesto.

I just had to try this soup because it was originally vegan by Rachael Ray. I was worried about the flavor, and hoping it'd have some. And wow, it sure did. LOTS of flavor and so healthy. A hit.

1 small butternut squash
EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling, plus 3 tablespoons
Salt and pepper
2 red bell peppers
1 small bulb fennel, chopped, reserve a handful of fronds
2 carrots, chopped
2 to 3 celery stalks from the heart, chopped, reserve the leafy tops
2 medium red onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Fresno chili pepper, thinly sliced or chopped
2 sprigs rosemary
A small handful of thyme
2 large bay leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine (i use white grape juice)
1 28- to 32-ounce can plum tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar (agave nectar)
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

A small handful of flat-leaf parsley
A handful of basil or tarragon
3 tablespoons pistachios or pine nuts

Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel and chop squash, and dress pieces with a little EVOO, salt and pepper. Roast until just-tender, do not brown cubes, 25-30 minutes.

Char peppers over open flame on stovetop or under hot broiler after roasting squash. Place in dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let cool, peel, seed and chop.

In a large Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons EVOO over medium-high heat. Add fennel, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, chili, salt and pepper. Bundle the rosemary and thyme and tie together with kitchen twine. Add the herbs and bay leaves to the pot, cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Deglaze pan with wine, add in roasted red peppers, tomatoes and sugar. Break up tomatoes with a spoon, stir in stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer at low rolling boil for 30 minutes.

Remove herb bundle and bay, puree soup along with squash in a food processor or industrial blender. Pass through coarse sieve for a smooth soup.

Wipe out processor and return to base. Add celery tops, fennel fronds, parsley, basil or tarragon, nuts, salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in enough EVOO to form a thick pesto. (Add a handful of Parmigiano-Reggiano if ya like.)

Top shallow bowls of soup with a swirl of pesto. Serve with crusty bread, gougeres or grilled cheese sammies.

Chipotle in Adobo Trick.

A great tip from Rachael Ray... When you buy one of those 6 or 12 oz. cans you're never going to use all of it in one meal... unless you've got taste buds of steal.

So, here's the trick - take all of the ribs and seeds out of the peppers and then puree the peppers along with the remaining sauce. Scoop it into saran wrap and form a log. Then put the "log" in a zip lock, label it, and stick it in the freezer. It keeps for forever and is a great way to use all the can. I tossed a many of leftovers... or used all my chipotle recipes in one week to use it up. Which got real old. 

When you have a recipe that calls for Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce all you do is just take a knife and cut off the amount you need. Which is why you do a log so it's easier to cut and measure out then a big ball of it. So sweet! I love the tip and have been doing it for years.

Monkey Buns.

This was a recipe I merged into making it vegan from a recipe from Rachael Ray and Reversing Diabetes. I loved these little buns prevegan days and remembered the yummy Oatmeal Drop Scones, and figured I could merge them. And I did. And they were yummy! Here goes...

1 large banana, thinly sliced
1 cup honey
2 to 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon sugar/agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups nondairy milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Spray 10 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In each cup of the tin, lay down a few slices of banana and cover with about 1 tablespoon honey and a pinch of cinnamon.

Grind the oats to a fin meal in a dry blender. Pour into a medium bowl and add the flour, sugar/agave, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.

Mix the nondairy milk and lemon juice or vinegar in a small bowl. Pour into the dry mixture and stir briefly with a fork. Drop spoonfuls into muffin tins. Smooth the tops a bit with a wet fingertips. Bake for about 15 minutes.

When the scones come out of the oven, let them cool for a couple of minutes then place a large platter or baking sheet on top of the muffin pan. Carefully, but quickly, invert the biscuits. Remove the muffin tin and serve warm. Yum.

Rainbow Tomatoes and White Beans.

I drooled over this one in Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine... I love tomatoes, white beans, capers and pine nuts - so this was a shoo-in for me. But I knew I'd be the only one eating it (sadly, no one likes tomatoes in my family except for Nolan-and I don't think he was there yet when I first made this) and so I halved it. BIG mistake. I could have eaten it all in 2 lunches. The picture had me hooked again. I swear, good food photography will get me every time. 

from the magazine... so enticing, huh!?!?

2/3 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb. multicolored tomatoes (orange, yellow, green, red), cut into thin wedges
1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed
1/4 cup pine nuts

In a large bowl, combine the parsley, capers, vinegar, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; whisk in the olive oil.

Add the tomatoes, cannellini beans and pine nuts and toss to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Ultimate BBQ Burger with Chipotle-Ranch Sauce.

After Shayne ate these burgers, he said, "This is probably the best burger I have ever had. Ever." Not bad coming from a chick who's only cooked meat a handful of times in the last year and a half. On the other hand - you may say that Shayne's opinion is scewed because he's a plant-based man now... but I've got family and friends that will back these babies up too!

It's a Rachael Ray... I saw it on a rerun from her show... have made and tasted them in my mouth many, many times. And just waited for the perfect time to try them. Enter Memorial Day, 4th of July and for the first dinner guests in our new house (I'm typing this up in mid-September).

They get better and better each time... I've made them 6 times now. And each time I can't believe that I made something so good.

I get more convinced, each time, that I'm going to turn them into a bean burger the next time I try them - I've already veganized the sauce.... so stay tuned.

I've always entertained with them, so I always forget to get a picture. The picture above is when we had them a couple days later as leftovers. I cute them in half, side-to-side, and broiled them to warm them up and they were just as good. Yum.

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon steak seasoning

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 pounds lean ground sirloin
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 slices cheddar cheese
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 chipotle in adobo, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (eyeball it)

2 tablespoons chopped dill

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lettuce
Tomato, sliced
Red onion, sliced into rings
Deli-size pickles, sliced lengthwise

In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, steak seasoning, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin and allspice. Add the ground meat to the bowl and give everything a good mix with your hands. Press the meat down in the bowl and score it into four portions using the side of your hand. Scoop out one of the portions and shape it into a burger that's about an inch thick. Press down into the center of it with your thumb while you're shaping it to keep the burger from expanding during cooking. Shape the remaining portions to give you a total of four burgers.

Grill them or place a large skillet over medium high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Cook the burgers in the pan for 3-4 minutes on one side. When you flip them over, lay 2 slices of cheese on each burger and let it melt while the other side cooks for another 3-4 minutes (if you want to cook these guys on a grill, go right ahead! Just preheat your grill on medium-high heat, cook the burgers for 3-4 minutes on one side, then flip them and cook them 3-4 minutes on the other side with 2 slices of cheese laid down over each burger).

While the burgers are cooking, combine the buttermilk, sour cream, chipotle, adobo sauce, dill, parsley and chives in a small mixing bowl. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and reserve.

When the burgers are ready, load them up onto the toasted Kaiser buns with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and a big dollop of the chipotle-ranch sauce.

Penne with Grilled Summer Squash and Sweet Corn.

I saw this beaut in my Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine... and the picture sold me. I seriously laid it on my nightstand and would just look at it before I went to bed. Did I really just disclose that!? Anyhow... then when I remembered the cashew ricotta recipe I saw on Crysta's blog - I had to make it. 

SO good!! The flavors worked so good together... and with the creaminess of the ricotta - I just felt naughty.

1 lb. penne pasta
4 yellow summer squash (about 1 1/2 lbs.) halved crosswise and each half cut lengthwise into 2 thick slabs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 1/4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears of corn) or frozen
15 oz. cashew ricotta (almost 2 cups)
1 clove garlic, grated
2 teaspoons thyme

Preheat a grill to medium-high.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot.

Meanwhile, brush the squash pieces with olive oil and season with salt. Grill, turning once, until nicely charred, about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop. 

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, corn and olive oil. Add the squash, ricotta, garlic and thyme' toss well. 

Add the pasta and stir in about 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water. Season to taste with salt and pepper; add more cooking water as desired.

***I roasted my squash and corn because I didn't want to go out in the 100*+ weather. I lightly sprayed  them with olive oil and sprinkled the thyme on them and roasted at 450* for about 15 minutes.

Sidenote: Just now finding the link on the magazine's website to give credit where credit is due, I read the comments. Most were not in favor of this recipe... but I think with the cashew ricotta it adds SO much more flavor then just regular.

Chili Cheese Fries.

I had a craving for chili cheese fries... you'd think I'm pregnant - but I'm not. Who has those sort of cravings?! I worked up this little combo and loved it. We had a huge garden salad to make the not-even-naughty meal seem a little less not-even-naughty. It just felt like the right thing to do.

Fries
4 large Idaho potatoes, cut lengthwise into 6 wedges
grill seasoning

Chili
1-2 cups cooked lentils
1 large onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Hot sauce, to taste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
(adapted from Rachael Ray)

Cheezy Sauce
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
pinch of dried thyme (crumbled in your fingers)
1/4 teaspoon salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
(from Veganomicon)


Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Place the potatoes into a large bowl. Spray them with EVOO spray and sprinkle with the grill seasoning and combine. Using a cookie cooling rack on top a baking sheet, pour the fries on top. With the cooling rack it'll allow the air to circulate all around the fries so they'll crisp everywhere. Plus it won't be necessary to flip them. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

While the potatoes are roasting, place a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat... add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, chili powder and cumin to the pot. Cook until the veggies soften, 5-6 minutes, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the tomato paste to the pot and cook for about 1 minute, until it smells sweet and has caramelized slightly. Add the hot sauce, Worcestershire and broth to the pot. Bring everything up to a bubble, then reduce the heat and simmer the chili until thickened, about 10 minutes. Add in cooked lentils to warm.

Cook the cheese sauce... Combine the broth and flour in a measuring cup and whisk with a fork until dissolved.

Preheat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Place the oil and garlic in the pan and gently cook for about 2 minutes (or just steam-fry), stirring often and being careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the broth, turmeric, and nutritional yeast, and raise the heat to medium. Use a whisk to stir constantly. The mixture should start bubbling and thickening in about 3 minutes; if it doesn't, turn the heat a bit higher.

Once the mixture is bubbling and thickening, stir and cook for about 2 more minutes. Add the lemon juice and mustard. The mixture should resemble a thick, melty cheese. Taste for salt (you may need more depending on how salty your vegetable broth is), turn off the heat, and cover the pan to keep it warm until ready to use. The top might thicken a bit while it sits, but you can just stir it and it will be fine.

Lay the fries out on a plate, pour over the chili and then add the cheese sauce. Yum. 

A perfect combo of Rachael Ray & Veganomicon

Sage Beanballs with Tomato-Balsamic Gravy.

I first morphed this meat lovers fave just using the regular beanball recipe. But this time I converted all of the mini meatloaves spices into the beanballs. I'm not sure which ones I like better... probably the sage ones. Both delish. But I do know that I love, love, love this gravy. So yum. 


Make sure when you make the beanballs to double or even triple the batch. Bake and throw what you don't use in the freezer and pull them out to make this again, or for spaghetti & beanballs or beanball subs.

 

Mashed Potatoes
1-2 red potatoes per person, cut in chunks
2-4 cloves of garlic
1-2 tablespoon vegan butter

Put potatoes into a pot and cover with water, and then some. Add the garlic cloves and bring to boil. Once potatoes are tender, drain water, and mash potatoes (I like to whip them in the kitchen-aid mixer) - adding vegan butter. Add sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Sage Beanballs
1 (20-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons steak sauce or tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for frying or baking
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced finely
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
3 sprigs sage, leaves removed from stems and chopped
1 cup (about 1 large handful) parsley, chopped
1/2 bunch scallions, finely chopped on an angle {green onions}
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

 Preheat oven to 375*F.

Pulse in a food processor (or mash with a fork) the kidney beans. [The original recipe from veganomicon says make sure you can still tell they were beans... I disagree. When cooked, I don't want to bite into a piece of bean! If that even makes sense.] Add the rest and use a fork to mix everything together. Use your hands to mix, until everything is really well combined and firm.

Roll the bean mixture into walnut-size balls (I use a cookie scoop so they're all uniform). But don't make them too big; smaller cook better.

Grease a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil {i spray}. Place the balls on the sheet and then drizzle them with a little more oil, to coat {i spray a liberal coat}. Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom, then flip them and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven.

Tomato-Balsamic Gravy
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pints grape tomatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil spray 
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
2 tablespoons vegan butter (earth balance)
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup vegetable broth


Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Toss the grape tomatoes and onion slices onto a baking sheet along with a spray of EVOO spray, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the tray of veggies in and roast until the onions are caramelized and the tomatoes have burst open, about 15 minutes.

While the tomatoes and onion are roasting away, get the roux started: Melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter, cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the balsamic and broth to the pan, whisking to incorporate. Cook until thickened, then remove it from the heat and reserve.

Add the roasted tomatoes and onion to the sauce and break up the veggies with a potato masher (I usually just pulse it in the blender, Shayne and the kids don't like chunks). Serve a  side of mashed potatoes and a handful of beanballs per person with a hearty ladle of the tomato balsamic gravy.

A merge of Rachael Ray & Veganomicon

Tex-Mex BBQ Tamale Pie.

Saw this on Rachael Ray... it looked gooood... made it vegan... with almond pepper jack cheese at that. It was good, just not goooood. I'm still deciding if it's worth an insert in the rotation - so, it's for sure not worth my cut and paste time right now.

If you do make it, cut the ground turkey - add black beans, cut the beer, change to veggie stock and almond/soy milk.

Italian Chili.

This is one of my most favoritest soups... ever. The Rachael Ray original is made with turkey - but here is my vegan version. I loved it... so did the kids... but Shayne swore it was too sweet. Huh. Don't know where that came from.

3-4 cups great northern beans (2 cans)
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
6 large cloves garlic, 3 grated & 3 smashed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 bay leaf
4 jarred roasted red peppers, drained
1 quart (4 cups) vegetable broth
4 to 5 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons (a couple palmfuls) chili powder
2 teaspoons (2/3 palmful) sweet, smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (eyeball it)

croutons
3 tablespoons earth balance butter
1 loaf crusty bread (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch squares
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped


Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a big pot over medium-high heat, steam fry onions, carrots, grated garlic and bay leaf until browned, about 8 minutes more. Add beans. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, then stir in the balsamic vinegar, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.

While the veggies are browning, puree the roasted peppers in a food processor. Stir the puree into the pot then add the vegetable broth, thyme sprigs, chili powder, paprika and allspice, and season with salt and pepper. Bring up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. 

croutons: While the chili is simmering, place a small skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter and crushed garlic cloves, and cook 2-3 minutes. Place bread in a large bowl. Pour the garlic butter evenly over the bread. Sprinkle with rosemary and lots of pepper over the bread and toss to coat. Place the cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until golden and crunchy, tossing occasionally. Remove from oven and let cool.

To serve, remove bay leaf and thyme springs from the pot. Ladle chili bowls and top with a handful of the croutons.

Yields: 6 servings {I needed to serve more, so I added 4 more cups of vegetable broth to the above ingredients and it still came out perfect! seasonings and all...}

Tip: To make life easier but get the same yummy rosemary taste with the soup,  I buy the rosemary crusty bread at central market, slice it, toast it, rub with a clove of garlic while hot and use it as a dipper instead of croutons.

Spanish Frittata.

I loved this as a regular meat-eater... so after I had to buy some eggs for a craft I was doing for Nolan's preschool - I decided to use up the eggs and halfway fit this recipe back into our food lifestyle. The real deal Rachael Ray recipe is here. It was soooo good. And all was well until I was reminded just why I don't eat eggs. Eggzeronious!

1/2 pound soyrizo {sprouts}
1 jar whole roasted red peppers, drained
1 medium to large onion, chopped
2 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes, defrosted
4 eggs
1/2 cup almond milk
A few dashes hot sauce (add more if you like it spicy!)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (about a small handful) parsley, chopped
1 cup Manchego cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Place a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the soyrizo in the hot pan until cooked, 5-6 minutes.

While the soyrizo is cooking, prepare a pie plate by lining it with the roasted peppers -- if they're not already broken open, run a knife down the side of them to open up the pocket, just like you're butterflying a chicken breast. Slightly overlap the edges of the peppers so you don't see the bottom or sides of the pan. Put your pie plate onto a baking sheet so it's easier to move later on.

When the soyrizo is cooked, transfer it to the pepper-lined pie plate, spreading it out to evenly cover the bottom. Sprinkle the chopped onion and potatoes over the soyrizo spreading everything out evenly.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, some salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the parsley into the egg mixture at the last minute, give it a quick stir, then pour the mixture slowly into the pie plate (it may take a second for the liquid to settle into all the nooks and crannies of everything already in the pie plate, so wait for it to settle before adding the rest of your egg mixture). Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top.

Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the frittata until the eggs are slightly wobbly in the middle and the cheese is golden brown, 30-35 minutes.

Cut the finished frittata into 8 wedges and serve.

Beanballs with Tomato-Balsamic Gravy & Mashed Potatoes.

I've morphed another one of our meat loving recipes into one we can now eat. And lemme tell ya, yum. I think I say yum for every recipe on here, I guess that's the point though. I need to pull out the thesaurus, change it up a little. Anyhow... try these... and if you want the meat try these... Mini Meatloaves with Tomato-Balsamic Gravy. It looks lengthy and forever long to make, but it's well worth it. And it comes together fast. When I make the beanballs, I usually double or triple the recipe, bake and freeze them. They're great to have on hand for spaghetti and subs.

Mashed Potatoes
1-2 red potatoes per person, cut in chunks
2 cloves of garlic
1-2 tablespoon vegan butter

Put potatoes into a pot and cover with water - and then some, add the garlic cloves and bring to boil. Once potatoes are tender, drain water, and mash potatoes - adding vegan butter. Add sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Beanballs

1 (20-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (about 3 cups)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons steak sauce or tomato paste
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for frying or baking
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced finely
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat oven to 375*F.

Mash the kidney beans in a mixing bowl until no whole beans are left. You don't want them to be completely smooth, you should still be able to recognize that they are kidney beans. Add the soy sauce, steak sauce/tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the garlic, lemon zest, bread crumbs, wheat gluten, and herbs, and use a fork to mix everything together. Use your hands to kneed the mixture for about a minute, until everything is really well combined and firm.

Roll the bean mixture into walnut-size balls (I use a cookie scoop so they're all uniform). But don't make them too big; smaller makes for the best texture.

Grease a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil {i spray}. Place the balls on the sheet and then drizzle them with a little more oil, to coat {i spray a liberal coat}. Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom, then flip them and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven.

Tomato-Balsamic Gravy
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pints grape tomatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil spray 
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
2 tablespoons vegan butter
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 to 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Toss the grape tomatoes and onion slices onto a baking sheet along with a spray of EVOO spray, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the tray of veggies in and roast until the onions are caramelized and the tomatoes have burst open, about 15 minutes.

While the tomatoes and onion are roasting away, get the roux started: Melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter, cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the balsamic and broth to the pan, whisking to incorporate. Cook until thickened, then remove it from the heat and reserve.

Add the roasted tomatoes and onion to the sauce and break up the veggies with a potato masher (I usually just pulse it in the blender, Shayne and the kids don't like chunks). Serve a  side of mashed potatoes and a handful of beanballs per person with a hearty ladle of the tomato balsamic gravy.

A merge of Rachael Ray, Veganomicon; Tal Ronnen's The Conscious Cook

Sloppy Veg-Head Joes.

This is from Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book that I got for Mother's Day... this is the first recipe I've tried and it's yummy! I made whole wheat hamburger buns with it {good buns, but use half the salt - they were way too salty for us}. Made it nice and cheap being meatless and with homemade buns and all... and when you borrow the yeast from your neighbor, it makes 'em even cheaper! ;) thanks Dude

1 T. canola or vegetable oil
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 red, green, or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 (21-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground coriander
salt and pepper
1 (15-ounce) can diced fire-roasted or chunky-style crushed tomatoes
1 rounded T. brown sugar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce (see Note below) or vinegar of any kind
1 lime
4 crusty rolls, split and lightly toasted
A handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. To the hot oil, add the jalapenos, bell peppers, onions, and garlic and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes.

Fold in the black beans, cumin, and coriander and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stir in the tomatoes, brown sugar, and Worcestershire or vinegar and simmer the mixture for a few minutes to combine the flavors.

Squeeze the lime juice into the pan and stir. Serve the joe mixture on buns with cilantro to top.

SERVES 4

NOTE Worcestershire sauce contains everything but the kitchen sink, including anchovies. I love it, but if you follow a strict vegetarian diet you might prefer to substitute vinegar.

Tex-Mex Fried Rice.

I love this rachael ray side! It's so good with anything mexican food related. To use as a side or to put in burritos. Love the hominy! When I make it I usually cook the rice sometime during the day or use any leftovers.

extra virgin olive oil

1 14-ounce can hominy or 2 ears of corn, kernels removed

1 small red onion, chopped

1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated

2 cups cooked short grain brown rice

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 to 3 small tomatoes, seeded and diced

A few dashes hot sauce (more if you like it spicy!)

Salt and ground black pepper

Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of oil, about a tablespoon. Add the hominy, onion, jalapeño and garlic to the pan, and cook until the veggies are golden brown, 5-6 minutes.

Add the rice to the pan and continue cooking until the rice is light golden and crispy, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro, tomatoes and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper.