Recipes

One of my favorite foods is TOFU!!! This is my simple version of a tofu scramble.  What is great about this recipe is that you can add any veggies you want and it makes a fantastic filling (protein filled) breakfast!!

To start I add a little bit of Earth Balance butter to a pan then some chopped yellow onions.  When the onions become translucent and fragrant I add the mushrooms (button or baby portabella work fine) and cook until just about golden.  I then add pre-crumbled tofu where you can add as much as you want depending on how hungry you are!  Next to the scramble is a toasted everything bagel with some Earth Balance butter.

When I eat the scramble I will use a fork to put the scramble on the bagel and eat them together. YUM!
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This was one of my most epic delicious sandwich's I have ever made!!!  Starting from the top I have toasted whole grain bread, a layer of tempeh that I steamed (steaming helps with the bitterness), caramelized onions, lettuce, and vegenaise

This sandwich is satisfying and filling! The veganaise and onions give the sandwich incredible flavor while the lettuce and tempeh provide veggie nutrition and protein!
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GARBAGE!
So what happens at the end of the week when you need to go food shopping but you have a quarter of an onion, half a pepper, some florets of broccoli, and half of a tomato left in the fridge??

I call it my garbage meal where I take all my leftover veggies and saute them with some salt and pepper and add a whole grain such as barley or brown rice to bring it all together.  I hate wasting food so this is a great way to avoid pushing all the old food to the back of the fridge or in the garbage and combining it in a great tasting meal.  Unless the vegetable in question has gone bad it will all taste fabulous when all together.
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Fall is quickly approaching which means the weather is changing from warm to cool.  It is sometimes hard for people to adjust to the weather change - even vegans!!  Therefore there are many non-medicine ways to deal with colds and the sniffles.  One of my favorite things is miso soup!
When making miso soup for a cold it is best to make it very simple.  Adding too many ingredients can complicate the dish.  Also if you are having miso soup for a stomach ache (it works wonders!) too many ingredients make it hard on your stomach.  Start by boiling some water on the stove and add some clean veggies.  In the picture I have added kale and scallions.  Sometimes I'll also add cubed tofu.

When the soup has reached a boil and you have added the veggies turn the stove to low so that it can simmer.  It is very important not to boil the miso (I use red) because the boiling water destroys the enzymes that are present in the soup.  Once the water is just about simmering you can add the miso directly and stir until it is all dissolved or dissolve the miso in a small amount of water previously and add it in.  Keep simmering just so all the flavors have been blended together and then serve hot!!
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I love cooking, it calms me down and relaxes me as the great aromas float around the kitchen.  I love experimenting with spices and herbs and different vegetables I find in the super market.  But like everyone else there are times where I just don't want to cook!!  Instead of going to the freezer for a microwavable meal I try to make leftovers whenever I can.  This is one of my favorite dishes that has lots of leftovers.

I chopped up 2/3 of an eggplant, 2 small zucchinis, 1/2 of a leek and half a container of tofu.  I mixed all of them in a bowl with sesame oil and shoyu sauce (or soy sauce) and topped it off with about 1-2 tablespoons of sesame seeds.  I then baked all the veggies in the oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.  Everyone's oven is different so make sure to keep an eye on it so nothing burns.  I then mixed all the veggies with some short-grain brown rice.  I put the remainder in a container in my fridge for tomorrows lunch! Delicious and satisfying
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Now this was a quirky meal and I didn't think I would like it when I found a the recipe for this - but it ended up being so fabulous!! The ingredients that were chosen sorta through me off but it was totally worth the risk!

I first baked a whole wheat wrap in the oven just enough so it was crispy.  When I took it out I spread some tofutti cream cheese on it.  I then cooked some portabella mushrooms on the stove with some shoyu sauce and then topped it off with fresh cut basil!!

The shoyu sauce gives the dish a nice kick with the subtle flavor of the cream cheese and the hit of freshness with the basil! Plus the textures were fabulous - crunch from the wrap, smooth and silky from the cream cheese and meatiness from the mushroom!

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Everyone loves snack foods and everyone needs snack foods.  Instead of starving yourself between meals you should always have a snack on hand.  On the one hand most snacks (chips...) happen to be vegan - but that doesn't mean they are good for you!  Therefore I tend to make my own snacks all the time.  This is my absolute favorite!

In a small pot or pan I put a variety of nuts and seeds - almonds, cashews, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts... and start to roast them on the stove and then add some shoyu sauce (for flavor and salt).  It is important to get non-salted nuts so that the snack is not too salty.  The amount of shoyu sauce varies depending on how much you are making but start with a splash to get all the nuts covered and add more if necessary.

If you make a lot of this it stores well in a container and then you can pack a handful at a time in a small baggie and bring it to work/school/road trip or anywhere else.

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Now at first look this looks like a tub of yuck but in fact it is my first attempt at making almond milk!!! And it was actually really good!  Before I gave up dairy, cereal and milk was a pretty regular breakfast for me and I really missed it when I went vegan.  Instead of buying almond milk (which a friend told me is very diluted and practically water) I made my own!

I did the simplest recipe in the world.  All I did was soak almonds over night (for about 8 hours) - 1/2 cup of almonds to 3 cups of water.  I then dumped the almonds and water into a blender and blended till it was a liquid.  I then added a little cinnamon for flavor.

I have seen recipes where the water needs to be purified, and the almonds get soaked then washed then soaked again, then after blending the whole thing is poured through a cheesecloth....

I recommend doing whatever method is easiest (although my almond milk was a bit gritty).  The grittiness was only apparent if drinking from a cup but when I put it with granola I didn't notice it.

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One of the most frustrating things I find about sandwiches, wraps and flatbreads that are made for me is that all of the veggies on the inside are piled up on top of each other and there is so much extra bread wrapped around it.  So what I decided to do was remove all the excess flatbread that I had and saved it!! I poured some olive oil on it, garlic and onion powder and baked it in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes!!! It turned out to be a delicious snack

I hate wasting food so any way I can make excess food or leftovers into another meal I do - and they usually always become a successful delicious snack!