Baked Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Forgive the shoddy photo, I was too hungry to spend time caring.

I had a busy day today doing errands and generally just being awesome and completely forgot about dinner until late. I am low on groceries due to complete and utter laziness. Well, not really laziness. I worked the last 7 days in a row, and have been too tired and busy to get more food. What it all boiled down to is that I had broccoli in the fridge that was quickly approaching the end of its life and needed to use it up. As much as I love steamed broccoli on its own, I wanted something a little more hearty and comfy. What's more hearty and comfy than mac and cheese? Nothing, dammit. So, there you have it. Make this shit. You won't regret it.

Makes 4 servings as a side or 2-3 as a main dish.

What I used:

• 1/2 pound small-medium shell pasta
• 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets and steamed to your liking
• 1 cup almond milk
• 2 TB vegan butter
• 1 more TB vegan butter 
• 1 1/4 TB flour
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 1 tsp ground mustard seed/powder
•  1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Daiya mozza
• 1 1/3 cup Daiya cheddar

What I did:

1.  Preheat your oven to 430 degrees F. Then, put a pot of salted water on to boil. Add the pasta and stir. While it is cooking, start the next step.
2. In a large-ish pot (over medium heat) melt the 2 TB butter and add the milk. Then, whisk in the flour, red onion, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. When it starts to thicken and boil gently, add in the Daiya and whisk until nice and smooth. 
3. Drain your pasta and add it to the cheese sauce. Fold in the broccoli. taste for seasonings.
4. In a small bowl, melt the other 1 TB of butter and mix in the breadcrumbs with a little salt or garlic salt. 
5. Scoop your mac and cheese into an oven-safe dish (I used 2 smaller rectangle Le Creuset stoneware baking dishes). Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the tops. 

6. Bake for 12 minutes on the top rack, then turn on the broiler for a minute or two to brown up the breadcrumbs.

Spicy Cheesy Tots

When I got home from work today, I decided that I needed to make my crazy tasty chili cheese tots (recipe HERE). I baked up the tots, and got ready to mix up the chili with some onions and spices when to my surprise, I found that I had no chili. I swear there is a chili thief in my pantry, because every time I open the pantry door, I cannot find the chili. It disappears into an alternate universe or something. What's a chickpea to do? I had to improvise with a quickness.

I decided to whip up a cheese sauce using an altered version of my mega-spectacular-kickass Queso sauce recipe. I added some beans it was seriously a mega-hit at my place. This is what we had for dinner. Probably not the healthiest, but it was SOOOO good, especially as it cooled off a bit. The fella dipped his in a little ketchup, but I loved them as-is. I used Daiya pepperjack, but you can skip that all together or sub in some Daiya cheddar and add more spices. Hey, whatever floats your balloon. Enough talk, time for the recipe.

Makes enough for 2 very large dinner portions or 4-5 as a side.

What I used:

• 1/2 bag tots, cooked according to package directions. I bake mine at 450 for about 20 minutes. 
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 can light red kidney beans, drained (I was in a rush and didn't rinse them and that was just fine)
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 plus 1 TB nooch
• 1/2 cup Daiya pepperjack
• 2 TB flour (I used unbleached all-purpose)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2/3 tsp chili powder
• salt

What I did:

1. Baked my tots. Then turned the oven off and left them inside while I whipped up the sauce. The sauce takes about 5 minutes total.
2. In a sauce pan, add everything except the tots. Put pot over medium heat and whisk everything together. You don't really have to mix much the first two minutes, but after that, whisk almost nonstop so the milk and Daiya don't burn to the bottom of the pot. Keep on whisking until it reaches the thick consistency you want. Think melted velveeta, thick. Then remove from the heat and pour over your cooked tots.

Easy or what?

Baked Daiya Mac and Cheese

Pardon the crap photo. I was too hungry to try for a better shot.

Mac and Cheese! Who doesn't love it? Clearly, you have no soul if you're in Mac and Cheese haters club. Well, anyway, I needed (yes, I NEEDED) some mac and cheese today. I always loved macaroni and cheese, especially when it's baked. So, I had a go at making a vegan version and it was a mega hit. We absolutely LOVED it! It made enough for 3-4 people, but two of us ate it all. Oink oink!!

I based this version on my previous stovetop version of my Daiya Mac and Cheese with a few little changes. I baked this up in an 8x8 inch baking dish, and it fit perfectly. I might add some sauteed onions into the cheesy goodness next time I make it. I think it'd be pretty rad.

What I used:

• 1/2 pound medium shell pasta
• 1 1/3 cups Daiya cheddar plus a little more to sprinkle on the top before baking
• 1/3 cup Daiya mozzarella
• 3/4 cup plus 2 TB almond milk
• 3 1/2 TB  Earth Balance 
• 1 tsp flour
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1/2 -2/3 tsp garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp onion powder
• 2 TB nooch (nutritional yeast)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• salt to your liking
• about 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

What I did:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray your baking dish with a light spritz of cooking spray. Set aside. 
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the box. While the pasta is cooking, get another pot and start on the next step.
3. Heat the empty pot over medium heat. Add the milk and Earth Balance. Whisk in the spices and flour. Bring to a light boil, then add the cheese. Turn the heat to medium-low and keep whisking until the cheese is nice and melted and creamy as all hell. 
4. By now, your pasta should be done. So, go ahead and gently mix the drained pasta into the cheese sauce. Remove from the heat. If it's too thick, mix in a little more milk to loosen the sauce up a smidge. 
5. Pour the mac and cheese into the baking dish. Sprinkle a little Daiya cheddar over the top of the mac and cheese. Then sprinkle the bread crumbs on the top.
6. Leave uncovered and bake for 15 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned.

Crackadillas - Vegan MOFO #1

Hola mamacitas and papacitas!  I have been away from food blogging for a couple of weeks, but I'm telling you now that I am back with a vengeance. I plan to post every single day of October to celebrate the awesomeness that is The Vegan Month of Food - aka Vegan MOFO.

I only had a few minutes to cook today as I'm about to run out the door to go to retail hell, when I remembered seeing a recipe in Peas and Thank You by Sarah Matheny, that I just had to try. The recipe is on page 53 of Peas and Thank You and is called the Crack Wrap. Oh my god, dudes. Whoa. I thought to myself, "I've never thought of hummus and cheese together before. Sounds weird, yet awesome. I love Daiya cheddar and I love garlic hummus. What could possibly go wrong?" The answer: Nothing. I changed the original recipe somewhat.

• I made mine into a crackadilla instead of a wrap.
• I added onions and green pepper.
• I just happened to have some white flour tortillas, so I used them.
• I used garlic lovers hummus. I'm obsessed.

Well, I must say, make the crackadilla. You melt some butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Smother one tortilla with hummus. Top with onion, green pepper, cheese and another tortilla. Carefully put the crackadilla in the skillet and cook about 3 minutes on each side, or until the tortillas are lightly browned and crispy. Chow down. Repeat.

I ate 2. They're that good.

Taco Quesadilla, or, Sometimes You Surprise Yourself

I've always loved quesadillas, and was really craving one for lunch today. As I was digging around for some onion to put in my quesadilla, I found the bowl that held some amazing tempeh taco leftovers from two days ago. The lightbulb came on! I had to combine two of my favorite foods into one. And, OMG, it was fucking rad! I was starving otherwise I would have grabbed the real camera and did a photoshoot, but you'll just have to live with the iphone photo for now. I seriously can't believe how wonderful these are. I used Daiya pepperjack and cheddar for my filling, along with some fresh onion and the tempeh taco filling. On top of being insanely yummy, it took all of about 6 minutes to make. So easy and delicious. It's not really a recipe, but whatever. I just wanted to make you jealous with my rad lunch.

For 1 quesadilla, you need:

• 2 small (taco-size) tortillas
• 1/4 cup Daiya pepperjack
• 2 TB Daiya cheddar
• 1 heaping TB diced red onion
• 1/2 cup tempeh taco filling (or taco filling of your choice)
• cooking spray

What you do:

1. Heat a nonstick skillet or nonstick grill pan over medium heat. Spritz the bottom with the cooking spray then add 1 of the tortillas. 
2. Top tortilla with half the cheese, all the onion, and the taco filling. Then top with the rest of the cheese, careful to keep it from the edges so it doesn't melt out and burn in the pan. Put the other tortilla on top of the cheese and press down with your hands. 
3. Cook about 3 minutes. Then, lightly spray the top with cooking spray and, using a spatula, gently flip the quesadilla over. Cook another 3 minutes, or until the tortillas are lightly golden and the cheese is melted. See?! So easy. SOOOOO delicious. Dig it, dudes.

Chili Cheese Tots - OMFG

Chili, cheese, tots. What the hell else could all go better together? Nothing, that's what.

I don't know about you all, but in my pre-veg days, I used to love going to Sonic to get their chili cheese tots. For weeks now, I've been craving those little morsels of heaven. But, they have meat and dairy in them. Icky poo, dudes. So, I decided to take matters into my own little hands and create a simple masterpiece. Fine, it's not like I even made the chili myself, but I do take pride in making it better. I bought a can of Hormel Vegetarian Chili with Beans (it has tvp in it!), and went to town with all 3 Daiya cheeses. And I can't imagine it tasting any better because it was mind-blowing. Seriously. Fucking amazing. And easy. And vegan. Dig it.

Makes 3 big servings.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bag frozen tater tots
• 1 can vegan/vegetarian chili
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 heaping tsp onion powder
• salt and pepper to your tastes
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup vegan cheese (I used all 3 flavors of Daiya, but mostly the cheddar and pepperjack)
• cooking spray

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 450, or whatever temp your tots say. Mine was 450. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spritz the foil with cooking spray. This keeps the tots from sticking to the foil. Arrange tots in a single layer, not touching, if possible. Spritz the tops lightly and sprinkle with some salt.
2. Cook about 18-20 minutes, turning them halfway so they cook evenly. 
3. In the last 2 minutes of baking the tots, pour the can of chili into a microwave-safe bowl. Mix in the onions and spices. Heat (covered) until very hot, about 2:30. By now, your tots are ready.
4. Carefully place the tots in a baking dish in a single layer if you can. Pour the chili on the tots and spread until it covers all the tots. Now, sprinkle your cheese on the top.

5. Turn on your broiler and put the baking dish on the top shelf of the oven. I cooked mine about 3 minutes, until the cheese melted and started bubbling. Then, carefully remove the dish and serve. 

See, it's insanely easy, but incredibly delicious. You need to make these...NOW. Get moving!

Vegan Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits made VEGAN? Hell yes. I may have mentioned this already, but I ordered the giant 5lb bag of Daiya cheddar from Vegan Essentials recently because I loathe driving 80 miles roundtrip to WholeFoods just to buy it. So, as I was digging through my fridge this morning trying to decide what to make for breakfast, I saw a baggie of cheddar calling my name (lightbub over my head). I had been really wanting to try to make a vegan cheddar garlic biscuit, so I did. And I can say this with absolute confidence: I rocked this recipe. The only way you won't like it is if you're a complete hater of Daiya. In which case, we can no longer be friends. Sorry. End of the road.

When it comes to cooking pet peeves, I hate rolling out doughs of any kind, so I made these biscuits "drop biscuits." Sort of amoeba-like, they're free-form, kick-ass yumminess. I suppose you could use some fresh garlic, though I don't really know how that would turn out. Don't blame me if it's shitty...I tried to warn you. Though I highly recommend melting the butter and some garlic salt (not powder) and brushing it over the cooked biscuits. So good. And kind of like the old-school cheddar bay biscuits from Red Lobster, which was the only thing I ever ate there when I was younger. Now you know the story, get to work. Make these biscuits.

Makes 4 large biscuits....and I'm not ashamed to admit that I ate 2.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup plus 1 TB all-purpose flour (unbleached, of course)
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 TB butter flavored shortening
• scant 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup Daiya cheddar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Optional ingredients for glazing the tops:
• 1 TB vegan butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic SALT

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 430 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper
2. Pour the milk and vinegar into a measuring cup and let sit about 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, start step 3.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder and shortening. Use a fork or pastry cutter to mix until the shortening pieces are no larger than pea-size.
4. Pour the milk into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined and no dry spots remain. Then, gently fold the cheese into the dough. The dough should be kind of sticky, yet firm. It will want to stay in one big piece.
5. Use a fork and scoop out the batter into 4 equal-sized chunks on the baking sheet. 

6. Bake on middle rack for 14-18 minutes. The biscuits will be lightly browned around the edges and bottom. 
7. Then, melt the butter and garlic salt in a tiny bowl in your microwave. Mix well and brush it on the tops of the biscuits, if you feel like it. I highly recommend it.

Well, what are you waiting for? Make them already! Don't make me tell you again *fist shake*

Vegan Queso Dip & Your Footprint

Alright, not the best photo ever. You try photographing queso dip. It just isn't pretty. Anyway, I had an even harder time because I desperately wanted to devour the whole bowl immediately. But, I held my gluttony at bay for your blog-reading pleasure.

All day I had been craving nachos, but it's been ages (read years) since I made queso dip. I used to mix Velveeta and salsa in the olden days, so I basically tried to re-create that here. Sadly, I had no Daiya, otherwise I would've used that to make this dip. But, I did have a stash of nooch in my cupboard, so I took that route. And, to my great surprise, it worked incredibly well. I made a lunch out of this queso with some baked tortilla chips. Okay, so I probably ate a bit more than I needed, but I was hungry and craving nachos something fierce. You can't fault me for having a craving, can you? You can!? Well, forget you. My feelings are so hurt right now that I may never recover. Not really. So, here's the recipe.

Makes about 2 cups, or enough for 2 adults to chow down.
Ingredients:

• 1 cup medium or hot chunky salsa
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/3 cup plus 1-2 TB nooch (nutritional yeast)
• 3/4 tsp cumin
• 2 1/2 TB flour
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder/granulated onion
• 2/3 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt

 Method:

1. Whisk together all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat sauce over medium burner. 
2. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring very frequently. Make sure that you scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir so nothing burns to the bottom. Remove from heat when thickened to your preference. I think mine took about 8 minutes or so. It should not be runny at all. I like it thick enough that if I dip a chip, the chip can stand up in the cheese without me touching it.

Earth-Friendly Footprint:
I was wondering today how large or small my ecological footprint is, so I took the interactive quiz on the following link: Footprint Calculator. After you get your result, go to the FAQ's to read more about what the results mean and how to work on changing them.

My result was somewhat surprising to me. I thought I was doing much better than I actually am. Granted, the calculator isn't perfect, but it does highlight ways in which I could try harder, such as in transportation and purchasing locally. Well, in the summer months, nearly every bit of fruit and veg I buy is grown locally, but being in Michigan makes it nearly impossible to have local produce in the winter months. And, this summer, I plan to start biking much more often, but I don't really live in an area that makes it easy to. Nor is there public transport near me. But, there are some other things I will be working harder on, like further reducing the items I purchase that require packaging and making more effort to reuse and upcycle before throwing things in the recycle bin.

If you're unfamiliar with the concept of upcycling, it's bascially taking something old and making it into some new, functional item. For example, you can make some really awesome pillows out of your old concert tees that you haven't worn in ages. Or take your wine corks and hot glue them together into a unique corkboard. I'm going to try making some upcyclables this month, so check back and see what I'm up to.

Have a lovely day. Or not. Whatever.

Potato-y Soup for One

My pal, Meagan of Experiments in the Kitchen, posted a potato soup for one recipe on her blog a few days ago, and it sounded really good, so I had to try it...but altered. I can't help it! I can never follow a recipe exactly. It's my own brand of OCD, I suppose. Anyway, I needed some warm, comforting soup and this absolutely fit the bill. It's thick and creamy and downright tasty. Not to mention the fact that it takes only about 15 minutes start to finish.

Ingredients:

• 1 large red-skin potato, peeled and diced 
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 cup cooked navy beans
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2/3 cup soy or almond milk
• 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne
• dash sage
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• dash oregano & thyme
• 1 tsp flour
• 1/4 cup Daiya mozzarella (I would've used the cheddar if I had any)
• salt and pepper

Method:

1. In a small pot, boil the potato and carrot in some salted water. 
2. While the potato and carrot are boiling, heat the oil in a small skillet (medium heat) and saute the onion and garlic until the onion is softened and transparent. I added the spices to the cooking onion. Then set aside. 
3. Drain the potato and carrot, and mash with a potato masher or a fork in the pan you cooked it in. Add half of the beans, and mash a bit more. Then add the onion/garlic to the mashed mix. Add the milk, cheese and flour and mix well. Return the pot to the heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, until the soup is thickened and the cheese melted. Adjust your seasonings and pig out.

Taquitos (That Will Blow Your Mind to Bits)

Back in ye olden days, I used to make a stellar taquito. Yeah, it's probably not "traditional" or anything, but it is absolutely fucking delicious. I didn't know if I could veganize it to my satisfaction, being the picky chickpea that I am. So, as I lay in bed falling asleep last night, I vowed to give it my best shot. Lucky for me, and you, I got it right on the first try. I rock at veganizing my old recipes!

There's this silly notion out there that vegan food is always healthy. I promise you that this is NOT the case. Case in point: these taquitos. They can't possibly be healthy with all that cheese! But, they are so yummy that you will surely thank me. And if you don't, well, forget you. You should be thankful when people offer you such wonderful recipes for free!

 

This recipe easily makes 12-15 taquitos depending on how full you fill the tortillas. I find that I am quite full if I eat 4. So, either have friends or save your leftovers. They are excellent re-heated in your oven the next day for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. I haven't frozen them, but I imagine they would hold up and need to be cooked for about 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven (but don't quote me since I've never had to freeze them before). Anyway, I'm not feeling chatty. On to the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 15 flour tortillas (buy the 6-inch size tortillas)
• 6 oz Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, which is a 3/4 the 8oz package
• 1/2 bag Daiya cheddar
• 1/2 bag Daiya mozzarella
• 2 Gardein scallopinis
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 3/4 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 TB garlic, minced
• 1 TB olive oil, along with a little olive oil cooking spray
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup salsa verde
• 1 TB Braggs
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and bell pepper. Saute for about 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and scoot the mix to one side of the pan.
3. Spray a bit of cooking oil on the empty side of the pan and put the 2 Gardein scallopinis on to cook for about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the onion, pepper, garlic around.
4. In a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, cheese, salsa verde, spices. Set aside.
5. Spray the tops of the Gardein scallopinis. Flip and cook another 2 minutes. Scoop the onion mixture out into the mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
6. Remove the Gardein and dice into tiny bits. Then add to the bowl. Use a potato masher to really combine all of the ingredients until it looks something like this:

7. Heat your tortillas on a plate and cover with paper towel. Use the microwave for about 20 seconds. This will keep your tortillas from breaking when you roll them. One by one, you need to scoop some filling onto the tortilla (probably a bit less than 1/4 cup on each one) near one end. 

8. Start rolling the taquito from the filled end. The empty side of the tortilla will need to end up rolled up underneath the filled taquito, if that makes sense. This will hold the taquito shut while cooking. 

9. Lightly spray the tops of the rolled taquitos with the olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with a large grain salt. I use kosher salt. 
10. Bake for 14-18 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and the filling is probably coming out the ends :)

They're perfect served alone or with salsa or vegan sour cream. Maybe even guacamole. How should I know what you like?

Pizza: It's not just takeout anymore

Pizza!!! Who doesn't love it? If you don't, then I can't be your friend. Easy as that. A person who dislikes pizza is probably a terrible human being with no sense of taste. That being said, you should know that I am a pizza junky. I could probably eat it every day and never tire of it. Really. Especially since I have come to love Daiya so much. I've tried different brands of vegan cheese and none can compare, at least in my humble (or not so humble) opinion. The trick, for me, is to combine both of the Daiya flavors: cheddar and mozzarella. Together, they make an unbeatable combo. And if you don't think so, then you can suck an egg. This is my blog, so I can say whatever I want. 

I cooked pizza on a piece of parchment on a rectangular baking stone, so my crust was perfectly crispy and chewy, which is how I like it. If you use a baking stone, heat it in the oven for at least 30 minutes prior to putting your pizza on it. That ensures it is heated through and super hot.

Here's the evolution of my dinner in the making:

Homemade sauce and some fresh basil:

Black olives and some onions:

Added the cheeses:

 

Melted cheese -- YUM:

 Perfectly crispy crust:

Cooked and ready to eeeaaatttttt:

Mac & Cheese with Daiya - WOW

Today was one "one of those days." You know the type. The kind of day where you just want to stay in your jammies and watch mindless teevee all day long because it's too damn cold to do anything else? This day was the impetus for making this mac and cheese. I had some Daiya calling my name from the fridge and I couldn't resist; I had to make mac and cheese.

I didn't even bother attempting to find any recipes online. I had a pretty good idea of how I would make it based on my previous experiences as a vegetarian,who happened to have about 20 different mac and cheese recipes. This is why I was a pudge in my previous life.

So, without further ado, here is my spectacular vegan Daiya Mac and Cheese recipe!
Makes 2-3 large bowls of mac, at least if you use fusili, like I did. The best part of all, though, is that it takes only about 10-15 minutes from when you start boiling the pasta to when you're pigging out.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound of fusili (or your preferred pasta)
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tsp almond milk
• 2-3 TB Earth Balance
• 1/2 tsp flour
• 2/3 cup Daiya cheddar
• 1/2 cup Daiya mozzarella
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1/2 to 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 TB nutritional yeast (nooch)
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper (I like a lot of pepper, so you may want to taste as you go)
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Method:

1. Boil salted water in a medium size pot. Add your pasta and cook according to package directions. Then drain and set aside. 
2. While the pasta is cooking, get another pot. Heat over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup milk and Earth Balance. Whisk in the flour and spices. Bring to a gentle boil, until the sauce starts to thicken. Be sure to stir often, scraping the bottom or else it will burn to your pan.
3. Turn heat to med-low and use a whisk to mix in the cheese. Keep whisking until cheese is almost entirely melted. I had to add that last TB of milk and whisk more to really make the cheese practically velvety smooth. It will get smoother when you add the pasta.
4. Fold in your pasta. I let mine cook on low for another minute, just for good measure. 
5. Adjust any seasonings and serve it up!

Your tastebuds will thank you. Or not. Whatever.

Spicy Chickpea Tacos

Sorry for my absence, but I have been on vacation for the last week and I had a wonderful time!  So, I hope I am forgiven...but in the meantime, I will share a very, very tasty recipe for chickpea tacos. These are wonderful tacos and I recommend them highly!  If you're a bit of a spice-o-phobe, just reduce the amount of red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper.  As for the photo, I apologize, but I was very hungry so I just snapped a photo with my iphone instead of the real camera.  Oh well, such is life.  You will survive, I'm sure!

I used dried chickpeas, which I soaked overnight last night and then cooked on the stovetop for about 90 minutes over med-low heat in a saucepan with a lid.  Be sure you have enough water in the pot that it covers the chickpeas by about an inch or more.  It seems to get pretty steamy, so I left the lid slightly off-kilter so the steam could escape more easily.  I suppose you could also cook them more quickly by boiling them, but lower temp/longer time was the direction I was given.  It's up to you what you decide on.  I think that if you were really pressed for time, you could use canned chickpeas, though I make no promises about that one.

Anywhoooo....tacos. OMG. So delicious.  You will crave these goodies all the time.  I just ate them and already I'm thinking about the next time I can make them.  I like mine with some vegan cheese, romaine letuce, raw onion, and a medium-spicy taco sauce, but fill them up with whatever sounds good to you!

Possible changes I'm considering for next time:

• saute some diced onion and bell pepper and add into the chickpeas before adding them to the oven. 
• try making with some mashed black beans in addition to chickpeas
• add taco sauce to the chickpeas before baking

Well, on the the recipe! My batch made enough for 6 average-sized tacos.

Ingredients:

• 6 taco shells or tortillas
• 1/3 lb dried chickpeas (I think it made about 1.5 cups after cooking)
• 2 TB Braggs Liquid Aminos or soy sauce/tamari
• 1 1/2 TB lemon juice
• 1 TB chili powder
• 1 TB garlic powder
• 1 TB onion powder
• 1 TB red pepper flakes
• 1 TB cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning (optional, but it was tasty)
• 1 tsp fresh black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• taco toppings: lettuce, onion, tomatoes, taco sauce, etc.

Method:

1. Cook your chickpeas for about 90 minutes over a medium or medium-low heat. Once done, drain and mash with a potato masher or a fork. You don't HAVE to mash, but they will roll out of the taco shells if you don't.  I just drained the chickpeas and mashed in their pan.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Prepare a baking sheet with either some spray oil, a silicone mat or some parchment paper and then set aside.
3. In bowl, combine Braggs, lemon juice, and all spices. I used a whisk to really get it mixed well.
4. Pour the liquid mix over the chickpeas in the pan and mix well.  You don't have to use it all, because it may be too spicy for you, so add about half to start then add in more to your tastes.
5. Plop the chickpea and spice mix out onto a baking sheet and spread somewhat.
6. Cook for about 15 minutes on the middle rack. 
7. Serve up on your tortillas with all the fixin's and devour.  Or whatever.  

Also, I just learned that when you buy corn (crunchy) shells from the grocery store, you should heat them in the oven to make them crispy. How did I never know this before???  It really makes them soooo much tastier.

Quesadillas & Guacamole -- VeganMOFO #12

I made a pot of delicious soup yesterday and, yes, I do have leftovers to eat.  But, I got an idea in my head that I just couldn't get out.  I needed to make a quesadilla...yes NEEDED.  I already had all the supplies here: Daiya, tortillas, vegetarian refried beans, and an avocado that was quickly becoming too ripe.  Avocados are around $2.00 each here, and I just can't let them go to waste.

Actually, I hate letting any food go to waste, especially after reading about the huge amount of food wasted in the US - food that could go toward feeding the hungry.  And, truthfully, I worked hard for my grocery money and I don't want to throw it in the trash.  Avoiding food waste also makes me get creative with my meals because I start putting stuff together that I may not have thought of before.  I put a bit of lettuce on my quesadilla tonight and I wouldn't have thought of it if I hadn't been trying to use up some leftover iceberg.

This recipe makes 2 six-inch quesadillas.

Ingredients:

• 4 six-inch flour quesadillas
• 1/2 of a can of vegetarian refried beans (the "traditional" beans have lard in them...ick)
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and mashed in a bowl
• 4 green onions, sliced into rounds (I used the white and light green parts only)
• 2-3 white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup of Daiya shreds, but you can use any brand and amount that makes your happy (I used the cheddar and mozzarella combined)
• 1/4 cup salsa of your choice
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Method:

1. Mash your avocado in a bowl with a fork.  Add about half of the green onions and the salsa.  It's my guacamole cheat for when I don't plan it out better.  Add the lemon juice and mix well.  Set aside.
2. Lightly spray a nonstick frying pan.  
3. Spread half of the beans on one tortilla and half on another.  Put one of them in the frying pan, bean side up, obviously.  Sprinkle some mushrooms and green onion on the beans, and gently press them down.  Then add half of the Daiya and top with a tortilla.  
4. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, then carefully flip the quesadilla over and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until your tortilla is golden and a bit crispy on each side.  Here's where I added the lettuce.  I very gently peeled the tortillas apart and slipped some lettuce inside and put it back together again.  It gives the quesadilla a nice bit of crunch.
5. Repeat the process with the other tortillas.  I've found that the easiest way to cut quesadillas is with a pizza cutter.  Serve with the cheater's guacamole. 

Sassy Stuffed Zucchini

 

These zucchini are so absolutely wonderful that I insist that you make them.  Now.  I had some zucchini in my fridge that needed to get used up, along with a roma tomato and a half of a purple onion.  After searching for a recipe for a while, I stumbled across a recipe on CooksIllustrated.com that sounded pretty darn tasty.  I altered it a little to fit our tastes and what we had on-hand.  I wasn't sure at first how the red potato would work on the zucchini, but it turned out to be super tasty. 

Everything tastes so fresh and light, but is still very filling.  We ended up eating the zucchini as the main dish, with sides of garlic smashed potatoes, sauteed summer squash, and steamed carrot and cauliflower.  So, without further ado,...

Here's My Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 4 small to medium sized zucchini
• 1 large red potato (or 2 small), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3-4 TB olive oil
• 1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion (depending on your tastes)
• 1-2 ripe roma tomato(es), seeded and diced (we just used 1, but it almost wasn't enough)
• about 4 fresh basil leaves chopped small
• 4 ounces shredded vegan cheese of your choosing
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced

Method: (I know it seems like a lot of steps, but I broke it down to be extra simple and easy to follow)

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Place one rack on very bottom, place second rack on the second-highest rack. Place rimmed cookie sheets (I placed foil on cookie sheets) on each rack so they are nice and hot before you add the food to them.
2. Trim ends of zucchini and halve lengthwise.  Use a small spoon to dig out the seeds and some flesh so the shells are about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Use about 1 TB oil and brush each each side of the zucchini, then add sea salt and cracked pepper to each side.  (I started with cut sides up, brushed on the oil, topped with s&p then flipped them cut side down and did the same).
4. Once you've chopped the potatoes, add them to a small bowl and lightly coat with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Toss well to coat.
5. Once the cookie sheets have heated to 400 degrees, carefully place the bottom one on a counter or the stovetop.  Place the zucchini on sheet cut side down.  Place sheet back in the oven.
6. Remove the top cookie sheet and place potatoes on it in a single layer.  Place back in the oven.
7. These will cook about 10-13 minutes.  Watch the zucchini and when the skin begins to wrinkle, pull them out.  If you poke with a fork, they will still be sturdy, but soft enough to pierce.
8. Use tongs to flip zucchini over and set the cookie sheet aside while you work on the next part.  Here I also pulled the potatoes out and stirred them around to unstick them from the foil.  I turned the oven down to 350 and put the potatoes back in to stay warm while I worked on the fillings.
9. In a 10-inch small skillet, add about 1 TB olive oil and heat pan on medium heat about 2-3 minutes.  Then add onion, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes.
10. While onions are cooking, remove potatoes from oven and scrape to clear from the foil.  I left them on the foil so I could just scoop into the skillet in a few moments.
11. After the onions turn slightly translucent and brown on the edges, stir in garlic.  Cook 30 seconds.
12. Add potatoes and tomatoes, stirring occasionally.  Cook about 3 minutes.
13. Remove from heat and stir in basil, 2/3 of the cheese and any salt or pepper you may want.
14. Once cheese is melted, scoop filling into the zucchini shells, pressing down to pack the hollows to heaping full.
15. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top of the zucchini and return to oven for about 5-7 minutes, or until cheese melts.  
16. Serve immediately to a very thankful world!!

Let me know how you like them.  Also, any suggestions you might have for alternate toppings for the zucchini.  I can't wait to hear how other people like these!

Uncle Richard's Fettuccini Alfredo

 

This delicious recipe comes direct from my Uncle Richard, who makes this dish pretty much any time my family gets together for any reason.  It is a staple in our clan.  This was the first time I've ever attempted to make it and it turned out surprisingly well.  I have to keep reminding myself not to get bummed that mine doesn't taste exactly like Richard's.  Well, really, he's been making fettuccini for over two decades, so his is definitely going to be tastier than mine.  I paired the fettuccini with some fresh lemon slices that, when squeezed over the fettuccini, taste great.  Also steamed some carrot, broccoli and cauliflower.  I wanted to make some fresh garlic bread, but I forgot to buy some at the market today.  Regardless, we loved it.  The recipe below is cut in half from his original as there are only 2 of us.  We both ate plenty and have a bowl with leftovers, which is big enough to be a meal for one of us tomorrow.

Before you start cooking:

• Set stick of butter on counter to soften before cooking.
• Finely grate fresh parmesan because you won't have time to do it after you start cooking.
• Peel and mince your garlic and set aside.
• Slice your lemon (optional) - we like to squeeze a little bit onto the fettuccini once on our plates. Also looks nice in the larger serving dish.

Here's the Recipe:

Click Here to Print This Recipe
Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. fettuccini noodles
• 1/2 TB olive oil
• 1 stick butter
• 2 cups of Half and Half (found near the milk at the grocery store)
• 1/3-1/2 lb. finely grated fresh parmesan
• 1/2 head of garlic, minced (at least about 7 medium or large cloves)
• Grated pepper and salt to taste
• 1/2 TB salt to be used during the noodle cooking

Method:

1. Bring water to boil in large pot.
2. Add 1/2 TB salt and 1/2 TB olive oil to water.
3. Once boiling, add fettuccini noodles (follow directions on pasta package as different brands cook at different speeds).
4. Place a strainer in the sink and drain noodles.  DO NOT RINSE NOODLES.
5. Return empty pot to stove and turn to med-low heat.
6. Add the stick of butter to the pan and melt.  Be careful not to burn butter.
7. Add minced garlic to pot and cook until the garlic turns blond in color, 2-3 minutes.  Again, careful not to let it burn, as it can happen rather quickly.
8. Add the half and half to the pot.
9. Add the cheese to the pot, stirring often with wooden spoon to keep cheese from sticking to bottom.
10. Once the sauce starts to bubble, the cheese melts and the sauce will thicken (about 3 minutes).
11. Turn off heat.
12. Stir noodles into the sauce until well combined.  Should be quite thick and sticking to the noodles.  Here I added more cheese, fresh cracked pepper and crushed sea salt and mixed well.  
13. We put the whole mixture into a serving bowl and garnished with lemon slices.  Richard notes that you can also add some chopped parsley for garnish. 
14. Once on our plates, we squeezed a bit of lemon, added some more pepper and salt and more parmesan to taste.  Enjoy!!!

 

Quite easy and takes very little time at all!  Big thanks to my uncle Richard for sharing his awesome recipe with me!

Rigatoni with Squash and Zucchini

I have had several friends asking for this recipe lately, so I thought I'd post it here for everyone.  I made it last week and it was melt-in-your-mouth goodness.  I got the original recipe from Gordon Ramsay's cookbook called Healthy Appetite, and adapted it to my tastes, as I love garlic and onion in pretty much any dish I make.  It is an extremely easy and fast recipe to make.  I thought for sure that my husband wouldn't really like it, but here it is over a week later and he still mentions it and asks when I'm going to make it again.  To make it a more filling meal, I steamed some veg (carrot, peapods, broccoli) and made some fresh garlic toast with some bakery-made Italian bread.  I hope you like it as much as we do.

Here's My Recipe:
Click Here to Print This Recipe
Ingredients:

• 8 oz. Rigatoni
• 2-3 Small zucchini
• 2-3 Small summer squash
• 3 medium cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 TB olive oil 
• Small handful of basil leaves, chopped or torn
• 1/4-1/2 cup onion sliced or diced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: Freshly grated parmesan to taste (close to a 1/2 cup)

 Method:

1. Halve the zucchini and squash lengthwise, then cut into half-moon slices
   
2. Boil rigatoni in salted water to al dente, or your preferred softness.
3. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet on med-high and add the oil. 
4. Add the garlic and cook less than 1 minute.
5. Add the onion, zucchini and squash to the oil. Stir to occasionally to keep them cooking evenly, about 4-5 minutes, or until the zucchini and squash are tender.
6. Toss the veg, drained pasta, and basil leaves together in the skillet.
   
7. Add the salt, pepper, and parmesan until it tastes good to you.  

It's a simple dish that fills you up very inexpensively.  And, it truly isn't bad for you.  I'm thinking that next time I make it, I'm going to add in some fresh peas and broccoli for added nutrients.  If you like pine nuts, you may want to toast them in a dry pan and add them in at the end.  The possibilities with this dish are virtually endless.

Try it out and let me know it it turns out!