Thursday, February 26, 2015

Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup baby spinach, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, grated
non-stick spray or olive oil, for pan
hamburger buns

Directions
Mash the beans with a fork in a mixing bowl. You don't want to puree them; just get them mashed so that no whole beans are left, but you should leave some half beans. Add the chili powder, cumin, water, tomato paste, cilantro, garlic and onion and mix together with a fork. Mix in the wheat gluten and bread crumbs and then proceed to knead with your hands, until the mixture is firm and uniformly mixed.

Preheat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Divide the burger mixture into 6 equal pieces and roll each piece into a firm ball. Use your palm to flatten the balls into a patty about 1/2 inch thick. Grease pan with non-stick spray or a thin layer of olive oil. Cook patties three at a time for 5 minutes on each side, gently pressing down on them with a spatula. May need to re-spray pan with non-stick between flipping.

Adapted From
http://marisaoconnor.hubpages.com/hub/Best-Ever-Black-Bean-Burgers

Nutrition
makes 6 burger patties
160 calories  |  3g fat  |  20g carbs  |  13g protein

Monday, February 23, 2015

Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients
Eggplant
1 medium sized eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices
Sea salt

Sauce
6 oz cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
8 oz baby spinach
1 cup of marinara sauce
1 onion, diced
Fresh parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

Tofu Ricotta
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
6 oz extra-firm tofu, drained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon white miso paste
1 tablespoon dry basil

Directions
Can be assembled 2-3 days in advance.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sweat the eggplant by placing the eggplant on a baking sheet and salt one side liberally. This will allow the eggplant to release its bitter juices. After 20 minutes wipe the salt and moisture with a towel.

Make the filling: heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with canola oil. Add the onions and mushrooms and sauté until soft. Add 1 tablespoon water or vegetable stock if the veggies stick to pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the spinach and let it wilt. Stir in the tomato sauce and parsley. Remove from heat and set aside.

Line a baking sheet with silicone pad and bake eggplant for 20 - 25 minutes (flipped part way though) until softened and roasted.

To make ricotta: first heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions until soft. Remove from heat. In a food processor, combine garlic, tofu, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and miso paste. Pulse until the mixture is smooth but still has that ricotta-like texture. Add the basil and pulse a few more times to incorporate the basil.

Assemble lasagna: layer in this order Sauce, Eggplant, Ricotta, Sauce, Eggplant, Ricotta. Pour 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Layer the eggplant noodles across the pan. Spread half of the ricotta over the eggplant. Then spoon 1/2 the sauce on top. Lay a second layer of eggplant slices then the rest of the veggie sauce. Top with remaining ricotta in huge dollops.

Cover the baking pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes until the sauce is hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Adapted from
http://www.truefoodcooking.com/savory/eggplant-lasagna-vegan-gluten-free

Nutrition
makes 3 servings
229 calories  |  7g fat  |  33g carbs  |  15g protein

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Breakfast Burritos

Ingredients
Tortillas
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons water

Filling
1 tofurky beer brat
6 oz extra firm tofu
1 cloves garlic
1/4 cup minced onion
1 can of black beans
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen spinach
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
canola oil spray

Directions
First prepare the dough for the tortillas. Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Cut in the vegetable oil until a course meal forms. Cut in water, one tablespoon at a time, until dough sticks together in a ball. You may need an additional tablespoon or two to get the flour to stick. Knead dough for a minute or two until no dry flour flakes off. Divide into 6 balls and wrap each in plastic wrap and put into refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Filling can be made ahead of time, as dough is in refrigerator, or just before you're ready to wrap your burritos. Begin by browning beer brat in the bottom of a large saucepan. Heat a second pan. Cube tofu into tiny dice sized cubes. Grease pan, and fry tofu cubes until they are browned and hardened, this will take about 10 minutes.

When beer brat is browned, remove from saucepan. Grease pan and stir in minced garlic and onion. Allow these to cook until onion becomes translucent. In the mean time, chop beer brat into small chunks.

When onions are ready, add beer brat back into saucepan. Stir in black beans, corn, spinach, and spices. Once the tofu is hardened enough to keep from falling apart, add that into the saucepan as well. Stir everything together and cook over low heat for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Store filling in the fridge, or keep warm while you cook the tortillas.

To cook tortillas, first remove dough from fridge. Give it a few minutes to warm up before working. Dust work surface with flour. Use rolling pin to work each ball into a flat circle. You will need to switch between each tortilla, letting the dough relax while working another one. When you have each ball rolled out, heat a pan to medium-high heat. Wait for pan to become hot. You want to fry the outside of the dough, not slowly heat it. Putting a tortilla onto the pan as it heats will only dry it out and make it too brittle to wrap. Once the pan is hot enough each tortilla should only need 30 seconds to a minute on each side to brown the outside.

Wrap fresh tortillas around filling and serve hot, or wrap in plastic wrap and store in fridge/freezer. If you're storing them in the freezer, remember to transfer to fridge the night before you want to re-heat. To heat, microwave for 20 seconds, then flip and microwave for another 20 seconds.

Nutrition
makes 6 burritos
298 calories  |  6.2g fat  |  43g carbs  |  16.6g protein

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Chocolate Cupcake for One

Ingredients
1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cane sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon coconut
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup water

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease one small ramekin or line with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar and water. Mix together until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Adapted From
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/vegan-chocolate-cake/

Nutrition
makes 1 cupcake
272 calories  | 11.2 g fat  | 41.8g carbs  |  5.6g protein

Monday, February 16, 2015

Cabbage Soup

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, cut into coins
2 leeks, sliced thinly
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small red potato, diced
6 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water
1/2 head cabbage
2 tofurky beer brats
bay leaf
fresh parsley
fresh rosemary
pepper

Directions
Heat olive oil in large pot. Add onions and garlic to oil. Cook until onions begin to turn transparent.

Stir in carrots, leeks, celery, and potato. Allow to cook down on medium heat for about 5 minutes. In the mean time, cook beer brats in separate pan until they are toasted on the outside. Chop cooked brats and add to vegetables in pot.

Add the bay leaf, vegetable broth, and water to pot. Bring to a boil. Stir in roughly chopped cabbage and parsley. Turn to low heat for at least 30 minutes.
Stir in fresh ground pepper and chopped rosemary.

Nutrition
makes 9 servings
126 calories  |  3.1g fat  |  16.9g carbs  |  7.9g protein

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Sunday Morning Biscuits and Gravy

Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cold soy or almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vinegar

Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Mix milk and vinegar. Set aside to curdle. (This mixture will give the biscuits their buttermilk taste)

Put dry ingredients into a bowl and mix. Using a fork, gently mix the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a course mixture. Add the milk/vinegar mixture and quickly stir until dough begins to form. Form dough into a ball and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. (This step is okay to skip if you are short on time).

Put dough onto a floured countertop and knead for 1 to 2 minutes or until the dough is smooth. Add more flour as needed if the dough is sticky. Using a rolling-pin, roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into rounds (a drinking glass works well if you don’t have a biscuit cutter), place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Optional: Brush the tops of the biscuits with a mixture of 1 tbsp soy milk and 1 tbsp oil for a golden-brown glaze. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot.

Adapted From
https://thesouthernvegan.wordpress.com/recipes/buttermilk-biscuits/

Nutrition
makes 4 biscuits
160 calories  |  6.1g fat  |  22.9g carbs  |  3.8g protein

Sausage Gravy
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup diced onion
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons tahini
1+ cup vegetable broth
2-3 tablespoons brown rice flour
Black pepper, to taste

Directions
In a small saucepan, warm a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Then, add in 1/2 cup of loosely-chopped mushrooms and 1 diced onion. Throw in a splash of water and a grind or two of black pepper. Let this sauté for about 5 minutes.

Add in a drizzle of soy sauce and a few tablespoons of tahini along with 1 cup of vegetable broth (to start) and a another grind of black pepper. Let this simmer for another 5 minutes.

The gravy will be very runny at this point, so whisking in 2+ tablespoons of flour (brown rice or whole wheat) will thicken the mixture nicely as it simmers. If it thickens too much, simply add a little more vegetable broth until you reach the desired consistency. Ready to serve.

Adapted From

http://www.oneingredientchef.com/rosemary-drop-biscuits/

Nutrition
makes 2 servings
289 calories  |  20.6g fat  |  18.2g carbs  |  6.6g protein

Pizza Crust

Ingredients
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon cane sugar
1 cup water (105 - 115 degrees F)*
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for kneading/rolling)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
additional spices: oregano, garlic powder, crushed red pepper

*may need +/- a few tablespoons of water, depending on humidity

Directions
Heat water. Dissolve the sugar in the water, then add your yeast. Let sit for a few minutes, until bubbles start to form.

Combine the dissolved yeast with the remainder of the ingredients. If you'd like, add in extra spices to flavor your crust. Mix and knead everything together. It should take 5 - 10 minutes of hand kneading to make your dough consistant and pliable.

To make pizza now: Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow it to rise till it's very puffy. This will take about 90 minutes. If it takes longer, that's okay; just give it some extra time. After 90 minutes, roll out dough into desired shape. Allow to rise for another 15 minutes to an hour, depeding on how fluffy you like your crust. Add toppings and place in oven.

To make pizza later: Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 45 minutes at room temperature. Refrigerate the dough for 4 hours (or for up to 24 hours); it will rise slowly as it chills. This step allows you more schedule flexibility; it also develops the crust's flavor. About 2 to 3 hours before you want to serve pizza, remove the dough from the refrigerator. After 2 to 3 hours, it will be ready to roll out and go in the oven with toppings.

When you're ready to bake: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place crust directly onto parchment paper. Arrange toppings on crust. Use pizza peel or large cutting board to transfer the pizza on parchment paper directly onto your oven rack. Bake for 10 - 18 minutes, until crust and toppings are toasted.

Topping Ideas
roasted garlic cloves (roast in 425F oven for 45 minutes)
broccoli
red onions
baby spinach
cubed tofu
Daiya vegan shredded cheese
nutritional yeast

Adapted From
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/pizza-crust-recipe

Nutrition
makes 4 thin crusts (personal sized pizzas)
calories  |  g fat  |  g carbs  |  g protein

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Perfect Vegan Pancakes

Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
sweetener or 1 teaspoon cane sugar
1/2 tablespoon ground flax (+1 tablespoon water)
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon vinegar (white or apple cider)
salt
vegan butter or non-stick spray for pan

Directions
Prepare your flax egg by mixing ground flax with water. Set aside for a few minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix together flour,  baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and sugar. Add about 1/8 teaspoon salt, if you'd like. Start pre-heating a pan to a medium-low temperature. A higher temperature will produce pancakes that are more toasted on the outside and more gooey on the inside. A lower temperature will produce more evenly cooked pancakes.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour in milk, flax egg, and vinegar. Stir until combined. Be careful not to over stir-- the reaction between the baking soda and vinegar is what makes air bubbles that will make your pancakes fluffy.

Grease your pan and pour pancake batter on to hot pan. Wait until the edges appear dry and bubbles begin to float to the top before flipping. Serve with your choice of syrup, agave nectar, molasses, preserves, or peanut butter.

Note: you can make these gluten-free by replacing the flour with 1/4 cup brown rice flour and 1/4 cup oat flour. Add an extra tablespoon of ground flax after mixing in all the other ingredients to help the pancakes stick together.

Adapted From
http://www.oneingredientchef.com/vegan-pancakes/

Nutrition
makes 3 pancakes
265 calories  |  3.1g fat  |  51.8g carbs  |  7.5g protein

Monday, February 2, 2015

Hummus (Three Ways) with Homemade Crackers

Buffalo Hummus
Ingredients
1 15 oz. can (1 3/4 cup) cooked chickpeas, mostly drained
1/2 cup jarred roasted red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons tahini
4 tablespoons Frank's hot sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
crushed red pepper flakes, for serving

Directions
Smash chickpeas before adding to blender to ensure that none are missed. Pulse smashed chickpeas in blender until mostly smooth. Blend roasted red peppers with chickpeas. Continue to add cumin, paprika, garlic cloves, tahini, hot sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.

Continue to run the motor until you reach the desired consistency; maybe as long as 5 minutes to get it really smooth. Stir in salt and olive oil. You can also add more salt, lemon juice, or hot sauce, to taste.

Top with extra hot sauce and crushed red pepper flakes.

Adapted From
http://ohsheglows.com/2013/10/04/no-meat-athlete-buffalo-hummus-recipe/

Nutrition
makes _ servings
_cal  |  _g fat  |  _g carbs  |  _g protien

Edamame Hummus
Ingredients
1 (500g) bag frozen organic shelled edamame (equal to 3 cups thawed/drained)
2 cloves garlic
3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup water, to thin as needed
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
freshly ground black pepper and extra sesame seeds, for serving

Directions
Thaw and drain edamame.

Add edamame to food blender and process until somewhat smooth, stopping to scrape down the side of the bowl as necessary. Next add minced garlic cloves. Process until no large chunks remain.

Add in the lemon juice, tahini, and water and process again until smooth. Don’t be afraid to let the processor run for a few minutes and get it really smooth. Mix in salt, coriander, paprika, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and olive oil. Stir until combined.

Top with ground black pepper, paprika, and sesame seeds.

Adapted From
http://ohsheglows.com/2012/12/12/edamame-hummus/

Nutrition
makes _ servings
_cal  |  _g fat  |  _g carbs  |  _g protien

Beet Hummus
Ingredients
1 small roasted beet
1 15 oz. can (1 3/4 cup) cooked chickpeas, mostly drained
zest of one large lemon
juice of half a large lemon
healthy pinch salt and black pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
extra lemon zest, for serving

Directions
Take cooled, roasted beet and quarter it and place it in food blender. Blend until only small bits remain. Smash chickpeas before adding to blender to ensure that none are missed. Add smashed chickpeas to blender. Continue to add lemon zest, juice, salt and pepper, garlic cloves, and tahini. Blend until smooth.

Drizzle in olive oil and mix to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt, lemon juice or olive oil if needed. If it’s too thick, add a bit of water. Top with a extra bit of lemon zest.

Adapted From
http://minimalistbaker.com/roasted-beet-hummus/

Nutrition
makes _ servings
_cal  |  _g fat  |  _g carbs  |  _g protien

Poppyseed Crackers
Ingredients
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast Flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup

Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 390°F. In a bowl add in the dry ingredients, mix, and then add in the wet ingredients. Mix and knead with your hand until it’s a smooth dough.

On a sheet of parchment paper, roll out the dough until it's thin and even. This may take a few cycles of rolling and letting the dough relax for a minute or two.

Cut it with a pizza cutter (or score it with a sharp knife) length- and widthwise. Transfer onto baking sheet, and bake them in the oven for about 14 minutes or until they start to get a light brown color. They are much better a little over-toasted than left soft.

Adapted From
http://www.elephantasticvegan.com/cheesy-poppyseed-crackers-homemade-hummus/

Nutrition
makes _ servings
_cal  |  _g fat  |  _g carbs  |  _g protien