Vegan Cranberry Upside Down Cake

This is a family recipe, and it never fails to make a good impression. It's all kinds of gooey and tart and sweet. Mm.

1 pound cranberries
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup melted Earth Balance margarine (or canola oil + 1/4 tsp salt)
1 6-oz. container vanilla soy yogurt
1 cup flour

Spread the cranberries in the bottom of a well-oiled pie dish. Top with 1/2 cup sugar and chopped nuts.

Mix the remaining 1 cup of sugar with the margarine and the soy yogurt. Add the flour, mixing just until incorporated. Pour the batter over the cranberries and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

A Mostly Vegan Christmas (or Fun With Puff Pastry)

We hosted a holiday party last night, and so I did what came naturally... smeared stuff on store-bought puff pastry and baked it. Nom nom nom.

Asparagus Tart

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2 Tbsp stone-ground mustard
1/2 pkg powdered pesto mix (or 1/4 c pesto)
1/4 cup hummus
1/2 bunch asparagus spears
olive oil, salt and pepper

Spread the mustard over the puff pastry, leaving about a half inch on all sides. Top that with pesto, followed by hummus. Trim the asparagus spears and lay them on top of the hummus. Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper. Fold in the edges of the tart, and bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

***

Death by Raspberry Chocolate Roll

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1/4 cup dark chocolate peanut butter spread (or nutella, optional)
1/4 cup raspberry jam
2 handfuls mini chocolate chips
raw sugar for sprinkling

Oil a baking pan well. Sprinkle your working surface with raw sugar. Place the puff pastry on top. Spread the dark chocolate spread on top, followed by the raspberry jam. Sprinkle generously with chocolate chips. Roll up lengthwise, then place in baking dish. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

***

Easy Spanakopita

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2 pounds baby spinach
1/2 bunch asparagus, diced
1/2 cup kalamata olives, minced
1/2 pkg powdered pesto mix (or 1/4 cup pesto)
1 cup cheese curds OR 1/4 cup hummus
1/4 cup diced artichoke hearts (optional)

Steam/microwave the spinach until dark green and wilted. Mix with the diced asparagus, olives, pesto and cheese curds (or hummus and artichoke hearts). Top with puff pastry and bake for 40 minutes at 350.

Cheezy Vegan Hash Brown Casserole

1 batch Hurry Up Vegan Alfredo Sauce
1 tsp curry powder
1/3 cup hummus
12 oz. frozen hash browns
1 cup frozen peas (or shelled edamame)
1 cup french fried onions

Blend up the ingredients for the alfredo sauce for 1-2 minutes, or until very smooth, adding the curry powder and hummus at the end. Mix the sauce with the hash browns and peas in a well-oiled casserole dish. Top with french fried onions and bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Hurry-Up Vegan Alfredo Broccoli Pasta

I needed something that was quick and easy, and this fit the bill. Damn simple. Adapted from VeganYumYum.

1 cup plain soy milk
1/3 cup raw, unsalted cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp white miso + 1 Tbsp caper brine + 1 tsp salt (the original called for 3 Tbsp soy sauce, but I didn't have any)
2 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine
1 Tbsp tahini
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp stone-ground mustard
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 pinch nutmeg
4 cloves roasted garlic (optional)
a handful of basil leaves (optional)

1 head broccoli, chopped

Cook whatever pasta you desire (I used a mixture of small shells and fettucine) in salted water. Steam or microwave the broccoli until tender, and then chop into small bits. Blend all the sauce ingredients in a blender for 2-3 minutes, or until very smooth. Return the drained pasta to the pot with the broccoli and sauce and stir until heated through. Top with black pepper and serve immediately.

Vegan BBQ Ribs

A quick and easy protein fix. Adapted from the original recipe at Fat Free Vegan.

1 cup + 2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon paprika (smoked or otherwise)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or 1/4 tsp chipotle pepper powder)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup water
4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (or peanut sauce, or tahini)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
a whole lot of barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the wheat gluten, paprika, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder and salt in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, add the water to the peanut butter bit by bit until it's smoothly incorporated (or use a stick blender to do it fast). Add the liquid smoke and the soy sauce (if using) and mix well.

Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix well. Knead for a few minutes, then press into a lightly oiled baking dish until it's 1/2 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut into strips roughly 3/4-inch wide.

Bake for 20 minutes. Paint the top side generously with BBQ sauce. Bake for 5 minutes. Flip, paint with BBQ and bake for 5 more minutes.

Serve slathered with extra BBQ.

Roasted Potatoes & Sausage

Couldn't be easier. Just chop, toss, bake and eat.

4-6 cups various potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch chunks or smaller
2 Tofurkey Italian Sausages, chopped (or homemade pinto bean sausages)
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/4 tsp dried sage
hefty sprinkle of salt & pepper
3 Tbsp margarine
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp stone-ground mustard

Combine everything in a covered oven-safe dish (I used my cast-iron Dutch oven) or a foil packet. Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and serve.

Curry Pumpkin Soup

This is a thick, spicy, creamy soup. Perfect for fall evenings.

1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp each chili powder & garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Thai red curry paste
2/3 c apple cider
4 cups cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup chickpeas (optional)
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp peanut butter (optional)
1 cup plain soy milk

Saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add the spices and salt and cook for another minute. Add the cider and pumpkin, lime juice and chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes or so. Lower heat to low. Stir in the peanut butter and soy milk and stir just until heated through. Taste and adjust seasonings as you like. I sometimes add applesauce, agave nectar, orange juice, etc. to balance out the sweet and tart tastes.

Sweet Chili Tofu & Roasted Broccoli

1 block super-firm tofu (I use Wildwood's High-Protein), cut into 1/4-inch-thick triangles
1 cup sweet chili sauce
a drizzle of roasted sesame oil
a hefty sprinkle of salt
1 handful sesame seeds (optional)

Lay the tofu triangles in a baking dish and put everything else on top. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. Put the whole shebang in the oven at 400 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

1 head broccoli
hefty drizzle of olive oil
hefty sprinkle of salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a covered oven-safe dish (or a foil packet) and put in the oven with the tofu. Cook for 15 minutes, or until tender.

Vegan MoFo Survey

1. Favorite non-dairy milk?
I'm a big fan of hemp milk, but it's so expensive that I usually end up with vanilla Silk soy. If I weren't so lazy, I'd make my own more often.

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?
Pumpkin curry soup, sweet chili tofu w/ roasted broccoli and the Veganomicon chickpea patties.

3. Topping of choice for popcorn?
Chipotle Tobasco and sugar.

4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?
There have only been a few things that were so awful we literally could not eat them. I've blackened the bottoms of things a few times.

5. Favorite pickled item?
I heart pickles so much. Picking a favorite is really difficult. I like spicy garlic dills, and chow chow, and those little tiny bumpy pickles.... mmm.

6. How do you organize your recipes?
It's a hodge-podge of e-mails, text files, Google Reader favorites, our own custom database, and cookbooks.

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?
All three, but the garbage disposal much less than the other two.

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods… what would they be (don’t worry about how you’ll cook them)?
Avocado, peanut sauce and tamarind.

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?
My mom would make angel food cake and order in pizza on my birthday. I loved both of those things, and we never had them any other time.

10. Favorite vegan ice cream?
Purely Decadent’s Cookie Dough, bar none.

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?
My stick blender is the most amazing accessory ever.

12. Spice/herb you would die without?
Fresh basil.

13. cookbook you have owned for the longest time?
The Better Homes and Gardens plaid book. It was always in our house growing up.

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?
Strawberry-rhubarb, though I'm enjoying the chipotle and basil flavored jellies we got this year. Ooh, and garlic jelly is divine.

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?
My vegan sticky buns are legendary. The boy loves to serve tofu & gluten w/ tomatoes on soba. It's totally out there for omnis but oh so delicious.

16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?
Seitan. Love it love it.

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?
Like most everything else, I prefer to cook in the afternoon, when I have the most energy.

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?
Cabinets!

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.
Pumpkin, sweet corn and bananas.

20. What’s on your grocery list?
I very rarely make lists unless I have specific recipes in mind. That said, we are dangerously low on salsa and canned beans.

21. Favorite grocery store?
Gateway Market in Sherman Hill.

22. Name a recipe you’d love to veganize, but haven’t yet.
Popeye's chicken strips. Fried spicy crunchy deliciousness.

23. Food blog you read the most. Or maybe the top 3?
Slashfood, Yeah, That Vegan Shit, Post Punk Kitchen

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?
I'm totally addicted to vegetarian gummi bears.

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?
Hmm... I buy my food pretty cheap, but I splurge on wine and fancy jellies.

26. Ingredients you are scared to work with?
Corn smut.

This photo inspires me. I’ve been doing a lot of cooking once a week lately… it saves my sanity and makes sure my ravenous boy has things to snack on. I’ve been seriously thinking about a batch of Veganomicon chickpea patties lately. I could freeze them and have them for quick dinners throughout the week.

I also have to confess that lately, I’ve been really craving the PPK’s pinto bean sausages. I sense a day of cooking in my future….

via Cookin’ For The Weekend at Don’t Eat Off The Sidewalk!

Pumpkin-Chevre Empanadas & Spiked Honey Cider

1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, diced
1/4 tsp each cumin & chili powder
1 can black eyed peas OR black beans
1/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup frozen corn
1-1/2 cups pureed pumpkin
1 can diced green chiles, drained (optional)
2 oz. Northern Prairie Chevre (Summertime Salsa flavor preferred)
1 batch Gateway Market pizza dough or 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
cornmeal for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 425. Sprinkle a pizza stone with cornmeal and roll/stretch out the dough into 1 large or 2 medium-sized discs (you can make as many as you want, but I'm lazy and only do two at most).

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the garlic for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the cumin & chili powder, beans, salsa, corn, chiles and pumpkin and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until heated through.

Place dollops of the goat cheese down the center of the pastry. Top with the bean/pumpkin mixture, and fold the dough over to seal into half-moons. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

***

Spiked Honey Cider

Mix equal parts:
Sutliff apple cider
Summerset mead

Add a tablespoon of grenadine, if desired. Serve hot or cold.

Chicken-Fried Seitan Cutlets

It's best to make the seitan ahead of time. It keeps in the fridge for at least a week, or you can freeze the cutlets.

dry:
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup chickpea flour or all purpose flour
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp salt

wet:
3/4 cup cold water or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil

Combine the dry with the wet and knead for a few minutes, or until springy. Take golf-ball-sized pieces of dough, flatten out as thin as possible, and place in 6 cups cold veggie broth. Simmer on low for 1 hour; don't allow it to boil. (I do this bit in a slow cooker for 6 hours on low.) Store in cooking broth in the fridge until ready to use.

breading:
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2/3 cup white flour

Remove the seitan from the broth and press to remove as much liquid as possible. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a skillet on medium. Dredge the cutlets in the breading mixture and slide into the oil. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. Serve with whatever sauce you prefer (I like BBQ).

Vegan Chicken-y Type Dish

This was the result of randomly pulling things out of my pantry. The result was eerily like chicken soup and/or chicken pot pie filling. The boy loved it.

4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
8 oz. oyster mushrooms
1/4 tsp salt
a couple of handfuls of dried bean curd stick (yuba), broken into bits + hot water to rehydrate
2 tablespoons capers
3 hearts of palm, diced
4-5 fresh basil and oregano leaves, torn into bits

Boil water and pour over dried bean curd until it rehydrates.

Saute the garlic and mushrooms in the olive oil. Add salt and let mushrooms cook down. Add capers, hearts of palm, bean curd and basil & oregano. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes or so.

Chocolate-covered cookie dough bites & Peanut Butter Chex Cookies

Chocolate-covered cookie dough bites

1 batch VWAV cookie dough, minus the chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/4 cup soy milk

In a double boiler (or in my case, a metal bowl set on top of a pot of boiling water)


Chocolate-Peanut Butter Chex Cookies

1-1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/4 cup soy milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ricemellow creme
2-3 cups Corn Chex

Warning: I have no idea if these proportions are correct, since I totally eyeballed this one.

Open-Faced BLTs w/ Chipotle Remoulade + Zucchini Patties with Corn Relish

The chipotle remoulade in this was divine. It also made a good dipping sauce for sweet potato fries, which we had alongside this dish.



several slices sourdough bread, toasted
leftover zucchini patties (optional, recipe below)
several slices tempeh bacon, cooked to a crisp
1 heirloom tomato, thickly sliced
chipotle remoulade (recipe below)

Assemble in listed order and serve while the bacon is still hot.

Chipotle Remoulade
2/3 cup vegan mayo
2 tablespoons capers, with brine
1/2 chipotle chili in adobo
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 tsp sweet chili sauce

Blend with a stick blender until smooth.

Zucchini Patties
1 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup refried beans (or hummus)
1/4 tsp cumin & chili powder
1/2 cup corn kernels
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup masa harina (corn flour), as needed
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil for frying

Mix the grated zucchini, beans, spices, corn & garlic together. Add the masa harina until the mixture can be formed into patties. Fry in the olive oil over medium heat, 3-4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Top with corn relish:

Corn Relish
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 Tbsp lime juice
4 Tbsp chipotle salsa
1 Tbsp garlic jelly (optional, but very tasty)

Heat all ingredients until hot and steamy.

Tamarind Tofu-Potato-Onion Roast

This is one of those perfect make-ahead meals... assemble the night before, let marinate in the fridge, and bake the next day.

1/2 block extra-firm tofu or tempeh, cubed
3-4 potatoes, diced
1/2 largish onion, cut into crescents
1/2 tsp each salt and fresh ground pepper
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp each paprika & garam masala (or curry powder)
1 tsp saffron (optional)
1/4 cup Pickapeppa sauce (or other tamarind-based sauce)

Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish. Let marinate for 30 minutes or up to overnight (in the fridge). Bake, covered, at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Note: You could easily change up the sauce/spices here for a different effect. I've used barbecue sauce to good effect.

Mexican Zucchini Soup

1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, diced
1 potato, diced
1 ear of corn, kernels cut off
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 bottle of beer
1 veg bouillon cube
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder

Saute the garlic in the olive oil for 2 minutes, then add everything else and simmer for 20 minutes.

Biscuits and Gravy

Adapted from the Vegan Brunch Navy Bean Gravy recipe.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 package Morningstar Farms sausage patties, thawed & diced*
3 cloves garlic, minced
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped off the stems
1 tsp dried sage
several dashes black pepper
1 veg bouillon cube
a few shakes liquid smoke
1-1/2 cups water
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup plain or unsweetened soy milk

1 package biscuits**

Bake the biscuits according to package directions. Dissolve the bouillon cube in the water.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and diced sausage and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the thyme, sage, pepper and liquid smoke. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well for a minute or so, then add the water+bouillon mixture. Stir to incorporate. When the gravy thickens, turn the heat off and stir in the soy milk.

Split the baked biscuits and spoon the gravy on top.

* Morningstar's sausage patties are not vegan, so you can substitute their sausage crumbles if you want it to be totally vegan.
** Hy-Vee's Texas-Style biscuits (in the red tube) are surprisingly vegan.

Zucchini Enchiladas

1 small zucchini, grated
1-2 cups frozen hash browns (or grated potato)
1/2 small onion, diced
diced bell or hot pepper to taste
salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup Northern Prairie Chevre Summertime Salsa goat cheese (OR hummus)
1 hefty glug olive oil

flour tortillas
1 cup enchilada sauce

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Combine the grated zucchini, potatoes, cheese/hummus and onion in a bowl. Season to taste with salt, pepper and olive oil.

Dip the flour tortillas in enchilada sauce to coat. Put a little filling in each tortilla and roll it up. Place the rolled tortillas in an oiled glass baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, covered. (If desired, you could also top these with grated cheese.) Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes.

These can be frozen for quite a while, too.

Probiotic Mango-Hemp Drink (a.k.a. I Am Such a Goddamn Hippie Smoothie)

So I buy up all these weird these at local natural foods stores and whatnot, and sometimes I mix them together. Because I can. This turned out kind of like a dreamsicle. Delicious.

1 shot Peach Mango GoodBelly Probiotic Fruit Drink
1 cup Naked Mighty Mango juice
1/2 cup vanilla hemp milk

Mix together and drink!

Ingredient Notes: I got the GoodBelly at Gateway Market, the Mighty Mango at Costco, and the hemp milk at New City Market.

Stewed Seitan, Carrots & Tomatoes

This is a pantry/freezer cleaner outer recipe. I have no idea how it's going to turn out. Film at 11.

1 can vegetarian mock duck, drained and rinsed
1 can vegetarian mock pork, drained and rinsed
1 largish tub frozen whole tomatoes (canned would also work, of course)
2 handfuls baby carrots
1 veg bouillon cube
1 tsp Better Than Beef bouillon
a hefty glug of soy sauce
a few glugs of steak sauce
a few sprigs fresh thyme
1/3 bottle of white wine
1 packet vegan golden gravy mix

Throw all ingredients into your slow cooker/crock pot and cook for 8 hours, stirring occasionally.

Asparagus-Dill Tofu Scramble

This recipe is based off one from Peter Berley's The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen. It's still my favorite tofu scramble recipe. This week we added fresh asparagus and dill from the farmers' market.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 bunch asparagus, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1 block firm tofu, drained
1 Tbsp pine nuts
2-3 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 Tbsp lime juice
black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 more minutes, until the asparagus is bright green and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, spices and salt and stir for a moment, until fragrant. Using clean hands, crumble the tofu into the pan. Add pine nuts, dill and lime juice and stir until heated through. Serve with toast and veggie bacon of choice.

Texas Caviar

I forget if I've ever posted this. A coworker brought it in last year, and we've been addicted ever since. I'm not particularly fond of any of these things on their own, but together they are magical.

2 cans black eyed peas, drained
2 cups corn, canned or frozen (I vastly prefer frozen)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green/yellow/orange/purple bell pepper, diced
1 bunch parsley or cilantro, chopped
1 smallish onion, diced
1 bottle Italian dressing (Kraft Seven Seas works best)
2 bags Fritos Scoops (normal chips will work, but these are really the best)

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Consume in vasty quantities. Lasts pretty much forever.

Super-Easy Tostadas/Tacos/Whatever Delicious Things

Sure, I can cook up beans from dried and make rice and all that, but sometimes, you just need a relatively healthy, cheap 10-minute meal. I always end up with leftover avocado, which I like to mash up with a little Tobasco and smear on chips. NOM.

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 hefty glug olive oil
1/4 tsp bacon salt (or normal salt)
a few shakes of cumin
1/4 cup chipotle salsa

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and puree with a stick blender. Heat in the microwave (5 minutes) or the oven (15 minutes). Smear on tostada/taco shells* and top with any combination of the following:

1 tomato, diced
1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 avocado, diced
chipotle Tobasco sauce
Texas caviar

* If you don't have tostada shells, you can bake corn tortillas in the oven for 10 minutes or so at 400 degrees. Watch them carefully... you want them golden and crispy but not burnt.

Tamarind Lentils & Sweet Potatoes with Quinoa

Inspired by the Tamarind Lentils recipe in Veganomicon, but altered to what I had on hand.

1 large sweet potato, diced
1 cup French green lentils
2 cups water
1/2 cup tamarind sauce
1 tsp curry powder
1 veg bouillon cube

Place all ingredients in a pressure cooker. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt

Combine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes

Tofu Puttanesca

This took no time at all to throw together, and it was delicious. Inspired by the Puttanesca Scramble in the excellent Vegan Brunch cookbook (which is almost convincing me to buy a waffle iron).



2 Tbsp olive oil
1 block extra firm tofu
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fire roasted salsa, or a few dashes of hot sauce
a small handful each fresh oregano, thyme and basil, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can black olives, drained
1 tablespoon capers, drained

Drain and press the tofu by dumping it into a colander and pressing down on it with a can repeatedly. Cut the pressed tofu into half-inch cubes. Heat the olive oil in a pan and dump the tofu in. Let it sit for 4-5 minutes, then turn. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until golden.

Add the following ingredients in stages, stirring after each one: garlic (1 min), salsa, herbs, tomatoes, olives, capers. Stir until heated through, then eat!

Tasty Smoothie that I made tonight

1 frozen banana, in chunks
two handfuls frozen berries
3 handfuls blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2-3 scoops vanilla coconut ice cream (optional)
4-5 leaves swiss chard, washed & chopped
2 handfuls raw cashews
vanilla soy milk
orange juice

Combine and blend on high for 2-3 minutes, or until creamy.

Ingredient Notes: When my bananas start to get spotty, I chuck them in the freezer. When I'm ready to make a smoothie, I chop them up and peel the chunks. I get my raw cashews at the health food store in bulk and store them in the freezer. The ice cream is totally optional, but I like it. I add enough soy milk and orange juice to cover the frozen stuff, then add more as needed. You could also use kale or spinach in place of the swiss chard. When blended up, you can't taste the greens. They add vitamins.

Jamaican Red Bean Stew

This morning before rushing off to work, I threw all this stuff into the crock pot. We'll see how it turns out. Adapted from Robin Robertson's 'Quick Fix Vegetarian'.

1 sweet potato, diced
2 cups sliced carrots (I chopped up a bunch of old baby carrots I had on hand)
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can light coconut milk
1 can water
1/2 veg bouillon cube
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Combine in a crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours.

Enchilada Pie

Adapted from 'Quick Fix Vegetarian', by Robin Robertson. This took maybe 10 minutes to throw together, and we had plenty of leftovers.

1 package polenta
1 can pinto beans, drained
16 oz salsa (I used half salsa, half homemade enchilada sauce from Kelli's Amazing Enchilada Adventure)
1 veggie sausage, diced (optional)
1 can diced green chilies, drained (optional)
1 cup frozen corn (optional)
a few dashes cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup soy or regular cheddar cheese (optional)
3 or 4 handfuls crushed tortilla chips

Slice the polenta 1/2 inch thick and lay the slices in the bottom of a baking dish. Top with frozen corn. Mix the beans, salsa, sausage, chilies, cumin and chili powder together and spread that on top of the corn. Top with cheese, if using, and top that with tortilla chips. Bake for 30 minutes and 350 degrees.

Note: I buy polenta pre-packaged at New City Market, where it's relatively cheap. To make this recipe even cheaper, you could microwave your own polenta and/or sub more crushed tortilla chips or corn tortillas for that bottom layer. The sausages can also get expensive, but you could always roll your own.

Spinach-Mushroom-Artichoke Turnovers

2 tsp olive oil
1/4 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced
10 marinated artichoke hearts, diced
1 handful pine nuts
10 oz fresh baby spinach
salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg (2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Saute the onion until translucent, then add the garlic and mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are soft, add the pine nuts, artichoke hearts and spinach. Stir until spinach is wilted.

Slice each puff pastry sheet into four pieces. Roll each piece out until it's roughly 6-7 inches on each side.

Put two-three tablespoons of filling on one half of the pastry. Wet the edges and fold the pastry over to form a triangle. Crimp the edges to seal.

Bake the pies for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.