Sun-dried Tomato Basil Dip.

This dip is pretty much awesome... and with the smoked tomatoes, it reminds me of eating smoked mozzarella cheese. And that just makes me happy. We ate it with flat crackers {Sprouts brand}, Crispbread and in wainbow wraps, and just in lettuce as wraps. Yum.

2 cups sun-dried tomatoes {dry ones, not the kind packed in oil... I bought smoked ones - yum!}
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds
1/2 cup cooked white beans, drained
2 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup olive oil {i omit and just add more tomato water}
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Place the tomatoes in a bowl and pour 2 cups of boiling water over them. Cover with a plate and let soak for about 15 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, grind the almonds to a powder. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the tomatoes from the water... don't discard the water... and add them to the almonds. Add the remaining ingredients and puree, adding up to 1/4 cup of the tomato water and scraping down the sides often until smooth. Add basil leaves and pulse a few times so that the leaves are chopped and dispersed but not pureed.

Cover and chill for at least and hour.

Belly Bites:

Jen {yum!!} - Shayne {yum!} - Ava {yum.} - Nolan {too spicy!} - Coco {yum!}

Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook

Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

page 64

Mexican Bowtie Pasta.

Here's another I got from LittleBirdieSecrets that's yummy... I loved it because I could get it ready earlier in the day, and not have to fuss with anything now that we're in the after school rush.

The original recipe called for mayo, and I subbed nayonaise for it {since they didn't have vegenaise at Sprouts}. Nayonaise has more soy in it then I'd prefer... so, I'll work on that or try it with vegenaise sometime. But it's so yummy and for sure going in the rotation!! The original has chicken and cheese added to it, if that's your flavor check out the link above.

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn, run under cold water for a minute
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup diced tomato
Juice from 1 lime
1/2 cup vegenaise {or mayonaise}
1 cup salsa of your choice
2-3 cups bowtie pasta (cook 2 min. less that directed)
1/2 c. chopped cilantro

Combine first six ingredients in a bowl. Chill. Mix mayo and salsa together and pour over cooked pasta. Chill. Before serving, add veggies to pasta. Toss with cilantro. Serve cold.

*You can also omit the pasta and serve as a yummy dip with tortilla chips!

belly biters: all {yum!!}

Cheezy Sauce.

Love this for nachos, pastas, to dip broccoli or steak fries in. Yum.

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

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. Serve warm.

Veganomicon, page 214-215

Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

Italian Vegetable Hoagies.

I found this recipe on LittleBirdieSecrets and it was just calling to me. Especially with the pepperoncini... I forgot how much I love those. The original calls for provolone cheese, which I ditched. Athough, I'm not gonna lie... a slice of provolone would have made it even yummier... but I didn't give in and I'm not gonna dwell... my nonbloated belly thanks me. It's super simple and stuff I usually have on hand. I used hoagie buns and toasted them with a little bit of earth balance then rubbed a garlic clove on it. Yum....

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, separated into rings
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar {i used half for fear it'd be overbearing, it was perfect for us}
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 16- to 20-inch-long baguette, preferably whole-grain {hoagies}
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini {I added a little more to ours and didn't put any on the kids}

1. Place onion rings in a small bowl and add cold water to cover. Set aside.

2. Combine artichoke hearts, tomato, vinegar, and oregano in a medium bowl. Cut baguette into 4 equal lengths. Split each piece horizontally and pull out about half of the soft bread from each side. Drain the onions and pat dry.

3. To assemble sandwiches, spread on the artichoke mixture and top with the onion, lettuce and pepperoncini. Cover with the baguette tops. Serve immediately.

shayne {yum} - ava {ew.} - nolan {yum} - coco {yum}

belly bites by week: 1st addition

I figured I may start posting my weekly meals again... especially since everything has changed since What's Cookin Good Lookin?

Hopefully I'll be able to keep it up... especially for those of you who don't see how we could possibly eat day-in and day-out animal-freely... these are for ya'll...

sun: fish tacos (had some fish in the freezer we needed to use)
mon: vegan pasta taco toss (omited the beef & cheese, used more black beans)
tues: black bean soup
wed: beanball subs
thurs: wheatberry pancakes & shrek shakes
fri: fajitas
sat: out

Peanut Butter Quick Bread.

I have no idea why she calls this "quick" when you make your own yogurt... but it sure is good. I never, ever thought about making my own mayo - til I saw this recipe and thought - why not? It'd be cool to add one more thing I can do from scratch. 

It's a yummy, yummy bread. I double this bad boy and freeze the other loaf for when I want the yumminess but don't want to work for it. Plus, the sweet mayo makes double what you need for one loaf - so why wouldn't you double? I omit the candied ginger. It was good, but not worth going out and buying just for this. And I have yet to find another recipe to use it for... though I haven't really looked. Stick with the chocolate chips or go without. Still yum.

Non-stick cooking spray
1/2 cup Soymilk Sweet Mayo (recipe below or use soy yogurt) 1/2 cup creamy or crunchy natural peanut butter
1 cup plain soy or other nondairy milk
2/3 cup raw sugar {or 1/2 cup agave nectar}
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup candied ginger, finely chopped or 1/2 cup raisins or 1/2 cup nondairy semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with spray.

In a medium bowl, combine mayo, peanut butter, milk, sugar/agave, and extract until emulsified.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Fold wet ingredients into dry, being careful not to over mix. Fold in chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Loosely cover with foil if it browns up too quickly while baking.

Place on a wire rack, still in the pan, for about 15 minutes before transferring directly to the rack, and letting cool completely before slicing or storing.

Sweet Soy Mayo

1 cup unsweetened soymilk
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (replace with some/all fresh lemon juice if you fear the acidity)
1/4 cup canola or other mild-flavored oil
3/4 teaspoon packed lemon zest, optional
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch (I weigh this, and find that you need to not pack the starch if measuring it)

Combine soymilk and vinegar in a medium bowl, let curdle for a few seconds.

Add the rest of the ingredients and with an immersion blender, combine and blend for one minute.

Heat in microwave for one minute: keep a close eye on it to make sure the mixture doesn’t bubble up to make a mess in your microwave. Blend again.

Heat in microwave for one minute again, blend again.

Heat one last minute, let stand to cool.

Once cooled, stir with a fork as a skin will form.

Transfer into an airtight container.

Store in fridge. Stir again before using. Enjoy chilled.

Yield: 1 generous cup

found on have cake, will travel blog

her real soy mayo and aioli, yum!

Chocolate {Chip} Brownie Waffles.

Yum! These were a beast to get off of the iron. It's probably a combination of a few things; I didn't use oil, maybe because I used wheat flour, maybe because I didn't cook long enough... or maybe because my waffle maker is a piece. But, they still tasted yummy! And that's all that really matters! They ended up working better for me as pancakes. We ate with sliced strawberries and whipped cashew cream. Totally more of a dessert but I balanced out the meal with Shrek Shakes.

2 cups whole wheat flour {calls for: all-purpose flour}

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups almond milk {calls for: soy milk}

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup vanilla or plain soy yogurt

1/3 cup applesauce {calls for: canola oil}

2/3 cup shy of agave nectar {calls for: sugar}

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips, chopped coarsely {i omitted}

2/3 cup pecans, chopped coarsely

nonstick cooking spray

Preheat your waffle iron. Have a heat-proof silicone spatula on hand to help remove the hot waffles when ready.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl. Form a well in the center of the sifted ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the soy milk, water, soy yogurt, canola oil, sugar and vanilla.

Pour the wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients. Use a wire whisk to combine all the ingredients. Just before everything is fully blended, fold in the chopped chocolate chips and pecans. Combine until the ingredients are just moistened; do not overmix.

When the waffle maker is heated and ready to go, spray with cooking spray. Pour batter in and bake according to waffle iron directions. The waffles should be lightly browned. Use a spatula to carefully lift the waffles onto a cutting board. Separate with knife and serve immediately.

Veganomicon
by: Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
page 74-75
makes: 14 to 16 waffles
time: 30 minutes

Belly Biters:

the kids & i: YUM!

Beanball Subs.

Yum, yum... eat'em up, I think I'm in love. This stuff makes you not miss the meat or cheese one bit! After typing it all up - it looks like it takes forever to cook... but it doesn't! The hardest part is just making sure you have all of the ingredients. Time savers: make the pine nut cream earlier in the day. Use a jar of marinara. Make, bake and freeze a double batch of beanballs for later.

1 recipe Beanballs {below}
1 recipe (4 cups) Marinara Sauce {below}
1 recipe Pine Nut Cream {below}
4 hoagie rolls, split open
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, well washed

Prepare the recipes of the first three components. Preheat oven to 350*F. Place Beanballs in a casserole dish and top with about 1 cup of marinara and all of the pine nut cream. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until pine nut cream is lightly browned.

Spread more marinara sauce on one side of each roll and distribute the Beanballs evenly among the sammiches, layering the spinach leaves over them - it'll wilt some. Top liberally with more marinara sauce. Close your sammiches, slice in half on the diagonal, and serve.

YUM! And they're almost even better the next day.

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.

Time Saver: Double this up, freeze what you don't use. And have them quick and ready for another time.

Marinara Sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
a whole bulb of peeled roasted garlic, smooshed
roasted red pepper, chopped

Preheat saucepan over medium-low heat. Add water and garlic to steam-fry for about a minute until fragrant, being careful not to let it burn. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and raise the heat a bit to bring to a simmer. Add the roasted garlic. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the roasted red pepper and warm through.

Pine Nut Cream
1 pound soft silken tofu
1/2 cup pine nuts
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
1 garlic clove
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
white pepper

In a food processor, blend the pine nuts and lemon juice, scraping the sides with a rubber spatula, until a cream paste forms. Add the tofu, garlic, arrowroot, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Blend until creamy and smooth.

Veganomicon

Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

page 99

Snobby Joes.

I loved these. The kids not so much. Which I totally don't understand what-so-ever because it's full of stuff that they love. I'm not going to just not make them again - they were that good. I haven't had RR's Sloppy Veg-Head Joes in a long time... so I'll have to decide between the 2 which I like best. Both yummy and healthy. I had the leftovers for lunch in my wraps with peppers, sprouts, tomatoes and avocado. Yum.

1 cup uncooked lentils
4 cups water
1 medium-size yellow onion, cut into small dice
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chile powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
4-6 kaiser rolls or sesame buns, sliced in half horizontally

Pour the lentils and water into a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

About 10 minutes before the lentils are done, pre-heat a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Steam-fry the onion and pepper in water for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute for a minute more.

Stir in the cooked lentils, chile podwer, oregano, and salt. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup to taste and the mustard, and heat through.

Turn off the heat and let the pot sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld, or go ahead and eat immediately if you can't wait. We like to serve these open faced, a scoop of Snobby Joe on each slice of bun.

Veganomicon
Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
page 98-99

Carrot Cream Soup.

I have mixed feelings about this soup, and almost didn't post it because I'm not sure if and when I'll make it again. The kids weren't fans... I thought it was pretty good considering it's so healthy. It's just in serious need of some spices and herbs. So, froze half of it and am gonna post it so it will remind me to work on it later.

20 carrots, washed, peeled, and cut into large chunks

{I used 10 because I get those big fatty ones from Costco}

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

3 onions, peeled and chopped

2 cups soy milk

2 cups water

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root {optional}

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon dehydrated vegetable instant soup mix or VegeBase

1/4 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup raw almonds

Add all the ingredients except the nuts to a pot and summer on low heat for 20 minutes. Then puree the cooked soup with the nuts in food processor or blender until smooth.

Disease-Proof Your Child
Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD
page 181

Whipped Banana Freeze.

These are yummy, and a nice change from our normal shrek shakes. A great way for my kids to get their good fat and calcuim.

bananas, peeled & frozen (one per person - mine weren't frozen)
frozen strawberries or blueberries (optional)
1/4 cup unsweetened soy/almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon of ground flax seed per person
1 tablespoon of crushed walnuts per person

Cut up frozen fruit into small peices. Put the soy milk, bananas, and vanilla into a blender and blend until smooth. Sprinkle ground flax or crushed walnuts on top. {I just pulsed them in after everything was already smooth}

Disease-Proof Your Child
Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD
page 211

Fuhrman Fudgecream.

With this whole new lifestyle change - I've always wondered how we'll get around the icecream thing. I just figured that'd be one of my 10% things... and I'd have to just deal with the belly ache. 

Not so Joe. Enter this awesome stuff. All healthy ingredients and it's awesome. The cashews are one of the tricks that vegans get their creamy into something. And it totally works in this. 

I put them in old baby food containers and have little individual portions for my kids... and me.

Oh, and if anyone knows me - knows how much I love me some banana icecream with brownies from Coldstone... this just so happens to be the greatest compromise ever for me! ;)

I'm not saying it's going to totally trump regular icecream or frozen yogurt... I'm not crazy (least I don't think so!). But I am saying this is a guilt-free way to do it! Trust me, Coldstone will still always have a special place in my heart and my belly!

2 ripe bananas
1 cup cashew nuts
2 tablespoons carob powder (or cocoa powder)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 - 1/2 cup almond milk (i love the unsweetened vanilla flavor)

Blend ingredients together in blender or food processor. Pour into containers to freeze. Yum!

{This recipe was originally made for fudgsicles, but those are far too messy for me. To make the messy pops you follow the above, minus the milk and spoon into ice pop trays to freeze.}

Disease-Proof Your Child
Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD
page 208

Pesto Sandwich.

When I made this pasta, I knew I had to try the pesto in a sandwich. I knew it'd be yummy. And it was!! We ate them for lunch with leftover black bean soup. I froze half of it to use for the pasta or more sandwiches. Probably more sandwiches...yum...

basil-cilantro pesto {below}
2 slices of bread, toasted
sprouts
tomatoes, sliced
avocado, smashed

Spread some pesto on one side of the bread, smashed avocado on the other. These are used as glue to hold everything else in. Then put sliced tomatoes and sprouts on one side... and close er up. Yum!

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1/3 cup slivered or sliced almonds
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fat-free oil substitute

Place the basil, cilantro, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor and blend until pasty, scraping down the sides occasionally. With the food processor on, slowly drizzle in the oil substitute. Blend until relatively smooth and no large chunks of almonds are left. If you don't have a food processor and are using a blender (i did this so i didn't have to get out the big food processor), then just add the olive oil at the end, since many blenders aren't equipped with and opening to drizzle into.

Veganomicon, pg 214

makes about 1 cup

time: 10 minutes

Cilantro-Corn Chips

I tried these from GreenSmoothieGirl to find a healthy alternative for Shayne's chips and salsa. I love them, but Shayne wasn't convinced they were "chip-like" for salsa. They're for sure crunchy, but a little delicate and don't give that crunchy/crisp like biting into a chip. But they're still yummy to snack on.

4 cups corn (fresh or frozen)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup ground flax seed

1 large anaheim pepper

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1 bunch cilantro {i use half, Shayne's not a huge cilantro fan}

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Mix all except the flax in a blender until smooth, then add flax slowly. Spread in thin layers on teflex sheets in the dehydrator. After several hours, turn and score into large triangles. {I've skipped this step and just break them up when they're done} Finish drying until chips are crispy - usually 24 hours. {Fills 3 trays in my dehydrator} 

Lentil Stew. {The Kind Diet}

This stuff is really, really good. So simple and so filling. From the ingredients you wouldn't think it was anything spectacular... but it's scrumpy. First time I made it I pureed it... because my kids always eat better when they don't know everything they're eating. Next time I didn't, they ate, and I liked the way it tasted better. It's from The Kind Diet. It works awesome in the crockpot too! I usually amp up the spices and veggies... and love using sweet potato instead of regular.... and added kale.

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoons olive oil {i omit and steam-fry}

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large onions, cut into chunks

2 celery stalks, diced

1 carrot, sliced

1 potato or sweet potato*, cut into chunks

1/4 cup shoyu

5 cups vegetable broth

3 tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks

1 1/2 cups brown lentils

5 big leaves of kale*, chopped

2 slices of your favorite bread, cubed

extra-virgin olive oil {i omit}

Combine the garlic powder, paprika, salt, cumin, oregano, and basil in a small bowl. Heat the oil {i omit the oil and just add a little water on the bottom of the pan to steam-fry} in a large soup pot (you'll be adding a lot of liquid later, so make sure it's big enough) over medium-high heat, and add the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and potato. Stir in half the seasoning mixture and the shoyu. Cook, stirring frequently, for 7 minutes or until the onions are tender.

Add 5 cups of water, the broth, tomatoes, and lentils. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid askew for 30 minutes. Add the remaining seasoning mixture, and cook for 20 minutes longer or until the lentils are soft. Meanwhile, pan-roast the cubed bread in a dry skillet until nice and toasted. Ladle stew into the bowls, and garnish with croutons and a drizzle of olive oil {i omit the drizzle... and usually don't cook the croutons}.

*my additions

The Kind Diet - Alicia Silverstone

High -Protein Oat Waffles.

This is another favorite from Reversing Diabetes... I love how crispy they are. If a waffle ain't crispy, it should just be a pancake... as far as I'm concerned. Best thing is that it's all in a blender and a waffle iron.

I always double and freeze leftovers. Here's the doubling for what I do, the single recipe is below.

1 cup dried white beans (cannellini, white kidney or great Northern beans)
4 1/2 cups water
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons whole flaxseed
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
2 teaspoons salt

The night before: Place the beans in a large bowl and cover generously with water. Refrigerate overnight or for up to a week.

In the morning: Drain the beans, discarding the soaking water. Place in a blender with fresh water and the oats, nectar, flaxseed, baking powder, extracts, and salt. Blend until smooth, light, and foamy. Set aside and preheat a nonstick waffle iron. {Setting asides allows for the flaxseed to do its thickening thang}

Pour a generous 1/3 cup of batter onto the hot waffle iron, close the iron, and cook for 4-5 minutes. If the iron is hard to open, let the waffle cook for another minute or two.

Repeat with the remaining batter. If the batter thickens while standing, blend or add enough water to return it to its original consistency.

The waffle should be golden brown and crisp (my favorite part). Serve immediately or cool completely on a rack and freeze. Serve with your favorite toppings.

our favorites...
maple syrup & nut dust
peanut butter and sliced bananas
banana frosting and fruit syrup

10 - 4" Waffles
1/2 cup dried white beans (cannellini, white kidney or great Northern beans)
2 1/4 cups water
1 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons sugar or 1 tablespoon agave nectar
3/4 tablespoon whole flaxseed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, OR 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and 3/4 teaspoon orange, almond, or coconut extract
1 teaspoon salt

Calzones.

My Mom and I have been meaning to test out a vegan "cheese" sauce. We even bought a case of the nutritional yeast and were ready to go. We just had to find the right one. 

Enter a conversation with Mandy telling me about this recipe on our friends blog that had a vegan cheese sauce. I was super excited to check it out and give it a try. It did not disappoint! I hijacked her recipe and made a few of my adjustments below. Thank you Brooke!! What's awesome about it is it's endless possibilities!!

Calzones

pizza dough recipe (below)

tomato sauce
basil
mozzarella "cheese" sauce (below)
toppings: chopped onions, diced cremini mushrooms, chopped baby spinach, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, etc.

Make pizza dough. While it is rising prepare the filling. For the filling saute the veggies for a couple minutes. Make sure they're still tender-crisp. You definitely don't want soggy veggies! After the dough has risen, roll it out onto an oiled jelly roll pan. Spread your sauce lengthwise on half of the dough, sprinkle with basil. Layer with veggies. Top with mozzarella "cheese" sauce. Flip over the empty half of the crust and press down around the edges to seal in filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and serve!

Whole Wheat Breadstick Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
2 tablespoons shy agave nectar
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups whole wheat flour

Mix water, yeast and agave. Let sit for about 3-4 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and salt to mixture. Mix until smooth and elastic. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups flour. Knead for 3-5 minutes. Place on lightly oiled jelly roll pan to rise for 10 minutes (can skip this step if in a hurry).

Mozzarella Cheese Sauce-Vegan

I cannot wait to use this for other things. Brooke says to make it smoky add 1/8 teaspoon of liquid hickory smoke. Yum!!

1 cup water
2 small cloves of roasted garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons tahini (the larger amount makes it "cheesier")
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons rolled oats
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick.

Belly Biters: TOTAL hit!! And better yet, it didn't have that I want to be like cheese, but I'm not, taste. Yum!

Wheatberry Pancakes

These are a new favorite, fast pancake. Hearty, fluffy, kinda cakey and all you need is a blender. I heated up some far-too-liquid-to-use-for-jam homemade jam on them. Or heat up some berries add a little agave or maple syrup, smash them up and use that for jam. I rounded out the meal with Shrek Shakes. A total blender meal. I double this for my family.

1 cup wheat berries (whole wheat kernels)

1 tablespoon whole flaxseed

2 cups water

1/3 cup chickpea flour (besan) or low-fat soy flour {i used rye}

1 tablespoon sugar/agave nectar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Place the wheat berries, flaxseed, and water in a blender and process at high speed for about 2 minutes. Add the flour and process for 2 to 3 minutes or until very smooth. Add the sugar, lemon juice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and process until well mixed.

Heat a heavy nonstick griddle or skillet over high heat until drops of water dance on the surface and then quickly disappear. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Working in batches if necessary, pour dollops of batter quickly onto the griddle, leaving space to expand. When bubbles appear on the surface, gently flip the pancakes. Don't overcook; they should be a bit fluffy when you take them off the griddle, so they are light and cakey. Yum!

Makes 12 - 4" pancakes (3 servings). Per serving: 261 calories, 11 g protein, 53 g carbohydrates, 6 g sugar, 3g total fat, 9% calories from fat, 0mg cholesterol, 9g fiber, 534 mg sodium.

Belly Biters: all loved!

Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes, pg197

Lentil Fajita Soup.

Pretty much this, just with lentils instead of the chicken and minus the cheese and chicken stock. Yum!

On the Light Side.

Pasadena Salad

Banana Wheat Germ Muffins

Corn on the Cobb

What's funny about this meal is that 3 months ago Shayne would have been totally turned off by this meal. This salad is awesome and these muffins are killer! And there's nothing like seeing your 17 month old daughter eat her first ever corn on the cobb!