Sweet Wheat Lemon Blueberry Crepes {Veganomicon}

1 1/2 cups almond, soy or rice milk
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1 tablespoon arrowroot flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
2 drops lemon essential oil or 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend for a few seconds... scraping the sides of the blender until everything is smooth. The batter will be very thin. Pour the batter into an airtight container, cover, and chill in the fridge for at least an hour - or as lo g as overnight. When ready yo cook, briefly stir the batter if the ingredients have separated.

Over medium-high heat, heat a crepe pan or heavy skillet (I just use my big griddle). The pan is ready when a few drops of water flicked into it sizzle. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Ladle 1/3 to 1/2 into the center of the pan. The battery should sizzle when it hits the pan. Holding the pan firmly by the ladle, use your wrist to tilt the pan in a circular motion so that the batter spreads in a thin layer across the bottom. Continue to tilt the pan until the battery is fully spread and then sets.

Cook until the top of the crepe is dry, the center is bubbling, and the edges appear firm and lightly browned when gently lifted with the spatula... usually 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Gently run the spatula under the crepe to loosen it, then carefully flip and cook on the other side for 30 seconds. Slide the crepe onto a regular-sized dinner plate. Finish cooking the rest of the batter.

If not serving immediately,  cover the entire batch with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

MEANWHILE, warm some fresh or frozen blueberries in a pan on low heat.

TO SERVE, lay out crepe and put warmed blueberries down the middle and fold up the sides. Powder with powdered sugar and top with a dollop of coconut whipping cream. YUM.

{Veganomicon,  page 77-78}

Vanilla-Yogurt Poundcake.

I was in my dessert nesting phase, got all the ingredients to make this... and ran out of time to make it before I had Quinnlet. I totally made this the Sunday after she was born (yes, I cooked because I'm that inlove with good food!) when my family and in-laws were off at church. They came home to a heavenly smell.... and had to wait to finish their dinner before they had some. This stuff is scrumptious! And who'd a thought there was tofu in it!

The second time I made it was when my side of the family was over for dinner 2 weeks after Quinnlet was born. Made syruped berries* and drizzled it with whipped cashew cream. Holy Heavenly! We were all licking our plates. And that's allowed with the Vests.

1/2 cup vanilla soy yogurt

1/2 cup blended silken tofu (blend the tofu first, then measure it out)

3/4 cup vanilla or plain soy milk

1 1/4 cups sugar (i used 3/4 cup maple syrup or 1 cup coconut sugar)

1/2 cup canola oil (i've use coconut oil)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest, or 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest, or 1/2 teaspoon orange extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

PREHEAT the oven to 325*F. Lightly grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. A metal pan with a dark finish is the best choice for this cake.

In a large bowl, combine the soy yogurt, blended silken tofu, soy milk, sugar, oil, and extracts. Use and electric mixer to beat until everything is smooth, about 2 minutes.

Sift in the flour, arrowroot powder/cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a rubber spatula to combine, then beat with electric beaters for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until a very thick batter forms. Don't overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Use the rubber spatula to scrape all of the batter out of the bowl and smooth the top of the loaf. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick or thing sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean (a little moisture is okay). Don't open the oven to peek for at least the first 45 minutes!

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Store the cake in an airtight container.

*Syruped Berries: are my technical term for berries cooked on the stove with a little bit of maple syrup until they've thickened and look like syrup. :)

VARIATIONS I have yet to try...

Stir in 1/2 cup to 1 cup of any of the following.... toasted chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, raisins, dried sweetened cranberries, dried chopped cherries (omit the citrus and use 1 teaspoon of almond extract instead).

Tamarind Lentils with Poppy Seed-Cornmeal Roti.

We're big fans of lentils around here... and these were a hit. The roti were really good too... a lot of work... and I'm still debating if they were worth all the work. I've realized that sometimes it's just fun to learn a new technique in cooking... doesn't mean I've got to make it again. Sometimes once is enough. The jury's still out.

Veganomicon

pg 123

pg 221

Black Beans in Chipotle Adobo Sauce Burritos.

These black beans were scrumpy with the chipotle adobo sauce. Total win, and totally easy. I served them in a tortilla with mexican millet and guacamole on top. I just mixed the beans and sauce all together... but the next time I'll do the drizzle thing so the kids won't get as much heat.

Beans:

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (3 cups)

1 bay leaf

3 cups cold water

1 large onion, peeled and halved

salt and freshly ground pepper

Chipotle adobo sauce:

1 large onion, cut into small dice

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil (i used like 1)

2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced

2 tablespoons adobo sauce from the chipotles

Combine the beans, onion, bay leaf, and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then let boil for 1 minute. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes, until the beans are very tender and about half of the water has evaporated. Remove the bay leaf and onion before serving.

While the beans are cooking, prepare the chipotle adobo sauce: In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion is soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, cook for 30 seconds, and remove from the heat.

Allow to cool a few minutes, empty the sauce into food processor bowl, and briefly pulse until a chunky sauce forms. You may also use an immersion blender to do this. Serve the sauce drizzled over the individual serving of beans.

{I used 2 tablespoons of my chipotle adobo puree from the freezer. A great tip from Rachael Ray... When you buy one of those 6 oz. cans (you're never going to use all of it in one meal... unless you've got taste buds of steal) take all of the ribs and seeds out of the peppers and then puree the peppers along with the remaining sauce. Scoop it into a zip lock, label it, and stick it in the freezer. It keeps for forever, is a great way to use all the can and when you need some just take a knife and cut off the amount you need. So sweet! I love the tip and have been doing it for years.}

Veganomicon, page 122

Serves 4

Time: about 50 minutes

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

Banana-Date Scones.

These were a perfect way to use some really ripe bananas. Really moist and cake-like. Yum.

8 ounces dates

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup mashed, very ripe bananas (about 3-4 bananas; their skin should be almost black)

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

1/3 cup rice milk

1/3 cup canola oil/coconut oil

1/4 cup brown rice syrup

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350*F and lightly grease two medium-size baking sheets.

Finely chop the dates, place in a small bowl, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of flour. Toss the dates to thoroughly coat with the flour, breaking apart any clumps. Set aside

In a large bowl, whisk together the flaxseeds and rice milk. Wish in the mashed banana, canola oil, and brown rice syrup. In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, while what pastry flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir into the banana mixture until the ingredients are just moistened; the dough will be thick yet sticky. Fold  in the chopped dates and walnuts.

Lightly oil a 1/2-cup measuring cup and scoop generous half-cupfuls of dough onto a baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches of space between the scones.Gently pat down the tops of the scones and dab with a little rice milk if desired.

Bake for 32 to 34 minutes, until browned and firm. Transfer from the baking sheets to a cooling rack to complete cooling.

belly biters: shayne, jen & coco - yum!... ava - boo ... nolan never tried 'em

page 224-225

Mexican Millet.

We love this, Shayne loves this, and use as a side for fajitas, sweet potato black bean burritos or any other latin flared dish. Easy and I love using different grains.

1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup millet
1 small yellow onion, diced finely
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 cups vegetable broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup finely diced tomatoes, plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
freshly squeezed lime juice, for garnish

Heat the a medium-size, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and steam-fry the garlic - about 1 minute. Add the onion and jalapeno, and fry, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and slightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes. dd the millet, stir to coat, and saute for 4 to 6 minutes, until the millet is lightly golden. Pour in the vegetable broth and add the tomato paste, salt, cumin, and diced fresh tomato.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stir once, and cover. Lower the heat to low and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed.

Remove from the heat and allow to sit, covered, for 0 minutes, then sprinkle with copped cilantro and fluff the millet with fork. Garnish each serving with a little fresh lime juice and diced tomato, if desired.

{{The original recipe calls for using 2 tablespoons of peanut or vegetable oil to fry the garlic, onion and jalapeno in.}}

Veganomicon
page 118
serves 4
time: 45 minutes

Broccoli-Potato Soup with Fresh Herbs.

We call this Shrek Soup... what else would something green be called in this house?! When I first read the recipe I thought simple enough, should be good. But as I was making it, I was worried it wouldn't have enough flavor. Especially since I knew I'd be omitting the mint. I don't eat toothpaste in my soup. But it surprised me, the tarragon and dill really pulled through and everyone liked it. Success!

1 medium-size onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups vegetable stock
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
4 cups broccoli (including the stalks: chop them into thin slices, and the tops into small florets)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Steam-fry the onion in water for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, tarragon, black pepper, and salt, and cook for 1 more minute. Pour in the vegetable stock and add the potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for 15 more minutes.

Use and immersion blender to blend about one-third of the soup; we like to keep it chunky with lots of whole potato chunks. Puree and then add it back to the rest of the soup.

Add the fresh dill and mint, then let the soup sit for about 10 minutes to let the flavors melt and to cool down. Serve!



page 138-9



 

Almond-Quinoa Muffins

I originally wasn't going to post them because they were the biggest bomb when I followed the original recipe. I have never used the spice, cardamom, and should have known to omit it when I smelled it for the first time. To me, it smells like road trips as a family growing up because my Dad was always eating black licorice. And while I love black licorice... I do not like it in my muffins! I made them at night so Ava could put them in her lunch the next day. After I made them... I was repulsed...and I gave it to Shayne - my other taste tester. While he was not grossed out, he didn't think they should be a repeat offender. So, maybe Ava would like them. Not so. When I asked her if she liked her muffins, she gave me the same face I had when I first ate them.

Not wanting to give up on them all together, because they had great and healthy bones - I omitted the cardamom and doubled the cinnamon... pure yumminess!

1 cup almond milk, unsweetened

1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds

1/4 cup applesauce {or oil}

1/4 cup agave nectar or pure maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour {or all-purpose flour}

1/4 cup almond meal or almond flour {i ground the almonds in my blender}

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

{1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom - or if you like licorice muffins, be my guest}1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa

1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots or currants {I haven't tried it with these yet}

Preheat the oven to 350*F and lightly grease a non-stick 12-cup muffin tin. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the soy milk and ground flaxseed. Allow to sit for 1 minute, then whisk in oil, agave nectar and vanilla.

In a separate large bowl, sift together flour, almond meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until just incorporated. Gently fold in the cooked quinoa and the apricots and mix until only the large lumps are gone.

Pour into the prepared muffin tin and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin tin comes out clean.



Veganomicon
by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
& Terry Hope Romero
page 227-8

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

Pasta Della California.

The kids loved this... they love broccoli. Too bad for Shayne who just thought it was just "eh." Because if the kids like it, like devour it like it... it's gonna be made again!

1/2 pound thin spaghetti
3 cups sliced broccoli (tops cup into small florets, stalks sliced thinly)
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white grape juice
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1 cup loosely packed arugula leaves
2 avocados; peeled, pitted, and sliced into 1-inch chunks

Bring a large pot of water to boil and prep all your ingredients while the water boils, because this dish comes together in no time. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, usually about 10 minutes. In the last minute of cooking you will be adding the broccoli, so keep that in mind.

Meanwhile, preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of of water, garlic, lime zest, and red pepper flakes, and gently heat, stirring often, for about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Pour in the white grape juice and raise the heat to bring to a boil, to reduce the white grape juice, about 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, lime juice, salt, and pepper, and bring again to a boil. Once the sauce is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer. Add the arugula.

By this point the pasta should be almost done, so add the broccoli to the boiling pasta and cook for 1 more minute. Drain all into a colander.

When the arugula is wilted, add the broccoli and pasta to the pan and use a pasta spoon to toss it around, making sure to get everything coated in garlic. Cook for about 3 more minutes. Add the avocado and turn off the heat. Gently toss the pasta for another minute to incorporate the avocado without smushing it, just until it is warmed through.

Serve with generous grinds of black pepper. There is usually a lot of garlic left in the pan, so be sure to spoon that over your bowls of pasta.

adapted from Veganomicon

by: Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero

page 192-193

My changes: omited 2 tablespoons olive oil, subbed grape juice for white wine, and I only used a cup of spicy arugula instead of the 4 cups they had (way too spicy for us)

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

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

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

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