cabbage and peas in nooch sauce

education time for non-vegans: 'nooch' is a reference to nutritional yeast - known for helping us create imitation cheeze sauces, or i've even heard it used to refer to the sauce itself. i buy it in the bulk bins at whole foods, and find that a good $5 worth will last me at least a month or more, and i cook a lot. some people don't like the taste, but i do, and like to add it to my veggies for a little amped up flavour.

• 10 oz cabblage/carrot mix
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter (earth balance)
  
• 1 cup cooked peas (~1/2 can)
• tabasco or other hot sauce (optional)

for the nooch sauce:

• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• 1 tablespoon white miso
• 1 cup soy milk (unsweetened)
  
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• heavy dash of black pepper

mix all nooch sauce ingredients in a jar and shake to mix. i save pickle or salsa jars just for this purpose. small mason jars would work just as well.

saute cabbage in large non-stick skillet with 2 tablespoons water on high. in 3-5 minutes, the cabbage should start to show some translucency, but still have a crunchy texture. add in the butter, and peas. about 30 seconds later, pour in nooch sauce. continue cooking on medium-high for about 4-5 minutes and remove from heat. it shouldn't be too liquidy - if it is, keep cooking. the cabbage and peas should be nicely coated, but not swimming. top with hot sauce if so desired.

this makes a nice side dish for about 3 people.

cheesy stacked enchiladas

in restaurants, enchiladas are usually wrapped up as individual tortillas stuff with yuminess. but i was taught this stacked version, that you cut more like a pie, and is actually how i prefer my enchiladas. this is just a bean and cheese recipe, but you could layer different veggies, like avocados or mushrooms, to put it over the top.

• 4 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 can vegetarian/vegan refried beans
• 3 cans tomato sauce (8 oz. each)
• 1 block vegan cheddar (like vegan gourmet)
• most of a fajita/burrito seasoning packet**
• handful of black olives, sliced (optional)

for the cheese sauce:

• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt/pepper mix
• 2 teaspoons vegan butter ( i use smart balance)
• 1 tablespoon fajita/burrito seasoning mix**

start by mixing up your cheese sauce ingredients in a bowl. the butter should be at room temperature or slightly heated ensure through mixing. **use one tablespoon of a fajita or burrito seasoning packet. in a separate bowl, mix 3 8oz. cans of tomato sauce with the rest of the seasoning packet.

in a 1½ quart round baking dish, lay down one tortilla and spread 2 spoonfuls of refried beans on top. then layer about 1/4 of the tomato sauce and 1/4 of the cheese sauce. lay down another tortilla and keep layering in this manner until you reach the top. finish with a layer of tomato sauce, and sprinkle shredded vegan cheddar on top. i like mine topped with sliced black olives.

bake at 350°f for about 20 minutes, or until cheese and sauce is bubbly. allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

cheesy quiona and bbq veggies

currently, the hippest grain on the block is quinoa. i've made some successful and some not-so-successful dishes in my attempts to master it. below is my latest recipe that i'm chalking up in the successful category.

• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 cup mixed bell pepper strips
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup of your favourite barbecue sauce

for the cheese sauce:

• 3/4 cup soy milk
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon white miso
• 1 tablespoon stoneground mustard
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons fat free nayonaise

i wanted to grill my veggies, but it's about 10 degrees here so i went about it another way. spread the bell peppers and broccoli florets in a glass baking dish and coat with barbecue sauce. bake for about 20 minutes at 400°f, until they start to roast. flip halfway through.

right after you pop the veggies in the oven, start cooking quinoa. to cook: soak quinoa in hot water for about 5 minutes, then drain and rinse. add 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes or so.

while everything is cooking, get out the magic bullet or blender and whip up the cheese sauce by blending all the listed ingredients. after the veggies have finished roasting, flip the oven to the broiler setting, and broil the veggies for about 5-10 minutes until the edges start to brown.

finally, combine quinoa and cheese sauce, and fold in the barbecued veggies.

(un) cheesy julienned zucchini

i made up this yummy and simple little side dish, and i swear that it tastes like cheesy zucchini! you may notice that i almost never use real onions in my recipes... i always use onion powder. my reasoning is that i don't like the texture of onions, and i really don't like a strong onion-y taste. for me, a little dash of onion powder is enough to set off the taste, but i imagine most people would want to use real onions.

• 1 medium zucchini
• 3 -4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

put the zucchini through the julienne blade on a mandolin slicer. in a skillet pan, heat up the sesame oil on medium, then add the zucchini slices. after a few minutes, add the nutritional yeast and onion powder and turn up to high. saute the zucchini for a bout 10 minutes until tender.
enjoy.