red mulberry green smoothie

i love where i live.  we moved from a really cool 1930s house to this one about four years ago, and i love that we live a little off the beaten path.  we have land - which means we see deer, turkey and beavers and lots of toads, snakes, and field mice all the time. in addition to our plentiful garden, we also have wild strawberries, morels and mulberries out the wazoo.  when the mulberries ripen, i take my colander outside and just fill it up, over and over again.  don't worry - there are plenty left for the birds, i only pick the ones that i can reach, and i still have to freeze them because there is no way i could eat them all before they'd go bad.

• 3/4 cup red mulberries
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup baby spinach
• 1/4 cup water
• ice (optional)

put everything in a regular blender and go for it.  green smoothie tip - don't put the spinach in first.  :)   also, my mulberries were frozen ones from the late spring harvest, but if you are using fresh ones, i'd throw in a couple ice cubes.

ps - if you know anything about glassware, i bought these glasses in an antique store about 5 years ago.  it's a set of 6 tumblers.  i don't know anything about them, if they are vintage or not, but whatever wisdom you might have, i'd love to know.

small bites: zesty olive tapenade

as i recently posted about, my friend kim and i had a delicious feast of italian tapenades and bruschetta for dinner one night.  kim used her new ninja to make this olive tapenade.  i love my magic bullet, but the ninja looked like it could hold a little bit more - i might have to consider getting one.  this tapenade was sooo good - it tasted a little zingy at first, but it was totally balanced out by the flat breads and crackers.

• 3/4 cup black olives
• 1/2 cup green olives (w/ pimentos)
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 fresh lemon, juiced
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 this is one of those simple throw together recipes - just toss everything in a ninja or food processor, and pulse several times.  you don't want a puree, but rather a finely minced tapenade.  it makes a good cup and  half - quite a bit of tapendade.  it's definitely an easy go to recipe, especially if you keep olives on hand.  thanks for the recipe, kim!

colourful crockpot chili

ah, chili. i only make chili a few times a year, but whenever i do, i kick myself for not making it more often. i loved this combination of black and white beans, sprinkled with some yummy yellow corn. while it was stewing, i was in awe with how awesomely colourful all the ingredients looked together. it was a bright culinary uplift in the drab and dreary winter.

• 3 cups cooked black beans
• 2 cups whole corn
• 1 cup navy beans
• 3 cups diced tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 4 oz. can green chilies
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

toss all ingredients into a crock pot and let stew for 4-6 hours on medium. stir occasionally. the heat level of this chili is a mild medium, so add jalapenos or crushed red pepper for more kick.

barbecue veggie kabobs

i live in the midwest, and have grown up eating grilled barbecue food for most of my life. i love portabello mushrooms, stuffed green peppers, homemade brats, and everything in between. i really love veggie kabobs because you can use a variety of veggies to mix it up each time. this isn't really a 'recipe', per se, but an idea of how us veggie folks grill non-meat style. trust me, it is so filling! pardon my non-plated picture, but i was just too hungry!


veggie varieties:

• mushrooms
• tomatoes
• potatoes
• bell peppers, any color
• zucchini
• yellow squash
• cactus
• corn cob sections

cut all your favourite produce so it is close to bite-sized. find some wooden or metal skewers, and mix and match all your veggies. i use a basting brush, and coat everything heavily in bbq sauce. if you have too many veggies, toss the remainders in a grill basket with seasoning salt. make sure to put things like corn and potato slices on their own skewer as they need longer amounts of time to grill. after starting those kabobs, add the skewers with more tender veggies - they finish up in about 7-10 minutes on grill-medium heat.

when everything is grilled, pull all veggies off and eat up. optionally, serve on a bed of rice.

on a side note, i kept wanting to spell 'kebab' - but i guess that is traditionally more meat oriented. if i would google just 'kabob', it would ask me if wanted to spell 'kebab' instead. but i would google 'veggie kebab', it would ask me to spell 'veggie kabob'. interesting....

sloppy joe lettuce wraps

march 20th is the great american meatout! if you aren't veg, today is the day to give it a shot! below is an easy sloppy joe recipe i created for an upcoming vegetarian cooking demo for kids. for them, i'll be serving the recipe on buns, but i loved the idea of making them into lettuce wraps for myself.

• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard
• 6 oz. tomato sauce
• 5 lettuce leaves
• condiments of your choice

rinse kidney beans in a colander, then transfer to a large bowl. lightly mash kidney beans with a potato masher (or strong fork) - you don't want to turn them into complete mush, but you'll want to mash so there is a binding consistency. stir in the rest of ingredients and either microwave or heat on stove.

spoon mixture onto a leaf of lettuce, and add your favourite toppings... here with kraut, pickles, mustard, and ketchup.. i went a little crazy, but the end result was so yummy. serve with a side of cider cucumbers or cheesy zucchini.

untraditional gazpacho

traditionally, gazpacho is served cold, but i like mine at room temperature. traditionally, it's a refreshing summer dish, but i like it in the winter too as a counter to all the heavy meals. traditionally, bread crumbs are almost always in the recipe, but i omitted them because really, they just seemed unnecessary. no offense to other gazpacho chefs - i'm sure there are plenty of great recipes with breadcrumbs, but this is untraditional gazpacho, after all.

• 2 14oz. cans fire roasted tomatoes (drained)
• 1 jar of roasted red peppers (drained)
• 1/2 can whole kernel corn
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons onion powder
• 1 ½ tablespoons ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• hot sauce to liking

just throw everything in a food processor and pulse until you have a well blended chunky gazpacho. you may need more vinegar or hot sauce to help liquefy everything.

makes several bowls.

beginner's green smothie

if you haven't tried a green smoothie, i suggest you give it a shot. they are uber-delicious and super nutritious. there are quite a few recipes online (just google 'green smoothie') - some are more complicated than others. this was the first one i ever made, and it remains one of my favourites. it tastes like yummy orange julius.

• 1 banana
• 1 orange
• 1½ cups fresh spinach
• 4 ice cubes
• 1/3 cup water

since there is no added sugar, use a ripe banana - with the little brown specks. if it is under-ripe, the smoothie will loose some of the natural sweetness.

put orange, banana, and water in a blender. blend fruit until creamy, then add the ice and spinach. blend until you have a nice thick smoothie (about 30 seconds). usually 1/3 cup water works for me, but add more water if your blender has trouble with the spinach and ice.

serve in a pink elvis glass, if possible. :)

creamy potato soup

as i mentioned in my last post, i'm a sucker for crock-pot cooking in the winter. i think it's because i'm home more, and have time for all-day-cooking recipes. this next recipe is the first time i have ever made homemade soup (besides cabbage). gasp, i know! i worked out quite nicely, though - creamy and flavourful.

• 8 cups water
• 2 veggie bouillon cubes
• 5 cups potatoes, cubed
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 tablespoons hickory bacon salt
• 2 tablespoons bragg's aminos
• 14 oz soy milk
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon corn starch

wash and cube potatoes into bite sized pieces. dissolve the bouillon cubes in 8 cups of boiling water. put all ingredients except milk/flour/corn starch into a crock pot. stew on high for 8 hours or more. about 45 minutes before serving, put milk, flour and corn starch in a contained and shake vigorously. add to the soup and cook for 45 mins-1 hour.

i served with imitation bacon bits on top.

smokey white bean chili

winter definitely gets me in the mood for crock pot cooking. this year i decided to switch up my typical chili recipe, and went for a smokey white bean flavour. it turned out rather good, i thought, for an ad-libbed recipe.

• 2 ½ cups cooked great northern beans
• 3 cans (14 oz/ea) stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup green bell peppers, chopped
• 1 cup yellow carrots, chopped
• 1/2 small yellow onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons hickory bacon salt
  
• 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon vegan worcestershire sauce
• salt & pepper to taste

cook white beans according to directions on bag. put everything in a large crock pot. turn temperature to high and let stew for 6-8 hours. be sure to stir every once in a while so nothing burns, especially when you are closer to the 6 hour mark.

serve with cornbread. yum!

black bean, rice & veggies bowl

a hearty dish made from random things in my pantry. it turned into a hodge-podge meal that's part mexican, part veggie medley. i used westpac asparagus stir fry veggies. fresh would be better, of course, but frozen is what i had.

• 1 cup brown rice, cooked
• 1/8 cup cilantro, finely minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 bag of frozen veggies (about 6oz)
• 1 cup black beans, cooked
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin powder
• 1/3-1/2 cup salsa

cook rice, beans and frozen veggies. then mix all ingredients except salsa in a large bowl. add salsa last, adding in enough to coat the ingredients like a dressing.

make about 3 or 4 medium-size bowls.

fresh cider cucumbers

so i'm still full from thanksgiving feast-week. and the jeans are starting to reach that all too critical tightness - when you know it's time to lay off the heavy meals for a while. here is a cider vinegar cucumber "salad" that i've been eating for light lunches. i had something similar to this at my aunt's house over the summer, but there were onions in it (which if you read my blog, you know i don't like). but i've never had better cucumbers!

• cucumbers, washed and sliced
• raw apple cider vinegar (bragg's)

my aunt mixes one part vinegar to one part water, but i prefer a stronger vinegar taste. cover the cucumbers and let chill for several hours.

drain the vinegar before serving and enjoy the guilt free eats!

blog mom's zucchini custard pie

don't let the zucchini part fool you - this pie is delicious. a faithful reader of mine, lynn, sent me this recipe to try. she has supported my blog since the very beginning, sending me emails of encouragement and comments on my recipes. i now affectionately call her 'blog mom,' and she convinced me that this zucchini pie recipe would knock my socks off. she was right - it was a perfect sweet treat for the holiday and got rave reviews from everyone!

the original recipe called for 1 cup of evaporated milk and 1¼ cups sugar... below is what i used as substitutes. thanks lynn!!

• 2 cups zucchini, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup soy milk, mixed with 4 tablespoons soy milk powder
• 2/3 cup vegan sugar
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 egg replacer (i use ener-g)
• 2 tablespoon softened vegan butter
• 3 tablespoons unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 nine-inch pie shell

boil the cubed zucchini until tender. drain and put in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to cool. drain again. in a food processor or blender, combine zucchini, soy milk mixture, sugar, agave nectar, butter, flour and vanilla. blend until creamy.

i did not make my own pie crust because of time restraints, but be sure and check that your store-bought ones are vegan. pour the mixture into a pie crust and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. bake at 325f° for 60-70 minutes or until a knife comes out clean (i ended up baking mine for about 80 minutes). the end result should still be creamy and custard-like.

blog mom noted that the 1/2 teaspoon measurements on the cinnamon and nutmeg weren't nearly enough, and that i should sprinkle the entire pie generously. moms know best, because this was what really set the pie off and gave it a gooey crème brûlée type taste.

raw carrot salad

i made this for a mid-day snack. i was feeling raw, and didn't want to spoil my dinner. perfect!

• 1 pkg. baby carrots (6oz.), hand chopped
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons raw mustard
  
• 3 tablespoons nama shoyu/braggs aminos
  

mix it all up and enjoy the healthy. i make raw mustard by grinding up a couple tablespoons of yellow mustard seeds with a dash of raw apple cider vinegar and water. of course, you can use regular mustard if you aren't worried about eating raw. it makes about two servings of a lite snack. i also think it would make a nice side dish for dinner.

tony soprano sandwich

i was craving an old-school italian meatball sandwich. but, i really didn't feel like making meatballs, so i made a sloppy 'meat' sandwich instead. it might look like a modified sloppy joe, but it tastes way more tony soprano-like to me.

• 1 hoagie bun
• 1 cup cooked tvp (about 1/2 cup dry tvp)
*or 1 cup boca crumbles
• 1 8oz can of tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
• 1 small green pepper, chopped

cook the textured vegetable protein with half the water according to package (about 1/4 cup). add the tomato sauce, water, spices, and peppers to the tvp. heat the mixture for about 2 minutes on med. temperature. toast hoagie if desired, and stuff with tvp mixture.

and if you are a kraut nut like me, i think it complements this dish nicely.

cabbage soup

i got sick this past week. i was hungry all the time, but i wanted something warm, comforting and easy to swallow. oh, and easy to make since i didn't have much energy. i made a cabbage soup that served all my needs.

• 1 pound cabbage, shredded (i use dole coleslaw mix)
• 1 6oz. can tomato paste
  
• 9 cups water
• 1 veggie bouillon cube (i use knorr)
• 1 can stewed tomatoes (14.5 oz)
  
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1/4 cup cajun seasoning
• 3 tablespoon garlic powder
• 3 tablespoon onion powder
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1½ cups textured vegetable protein
*(or boca ground crumbles)

in a large stock pot (approx. 8 qt), bring everything but the tvp to a boil. lower temperature to medium low, cover, and let simmer for about 40 minutes. add the textured veggie protein and cook for another 15 minutes. check the water level often and add more water or spices if necessary.
makes about 6 hearty bowls of soup (which equals a lot of leftovers if you are trying to kill a cold).

taco salad deluxe!

i don't buy a lot of the fake cheese/sour cream products because i usually try to make foods that taste just as good without the faux substitutes. however, every once in a while i'll splurge and if i buy the sour cream, you can bet i'm making a lot of mexican dishes. behold, the taco salad deluxe.

• handful of yellow corn tortilla chips
• 1/2 cup refried beans (make sure they are veggie - no lard)
  
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 2 big dollops of tofutti 'better than sour cream'
• 2 spoonfuls of chopped green pepper
• black olives, sliced
• jalapenos
  

so this is one of those recipes that doesn't really have measurements. i sort of gave approximations on how much i use, but really you just pile everything in a bowl in the amounts that you like.

i like to mix it all up and make a creamy salsa-y bowl of goodness, but eat how you see fit. :)

raw tomato and corn bisque

i'm not a huge fan of 'cold' soups, but i can do okay with room temperature. when i make raw soups, i usually eat it up right away, or if i have to chill it, i usually let it stand out of of the fridge for about 45 minutes to bring the temp up. of course, that's just personal taste. this recipe made about 2 decent-size bowls of soup and was really filling!

• 2 large fresh tomatoes
• 5-6 sun dried tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2-3 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
• 1 cup fresh corn
• sea salt and ground pepper to taste

throw everything but corn in a magic bullet or food processor and blend. add corn. eat.

easy turkey sammy

i have been craving sandwiches all summer... we finally went shopping this past weekend and snatched up some smart deli turkey slices (in most produce sections). the very next day we made up some great tasting faux turkey sandwiches that hit the spot.

• 1 hoagie, toasted
  
• nayonaise or vegenaise
  
• stoneground mustard
• 2 slices smart deli turkey
• 1/2 tomato
• 1/4 avocado
• 1 piece tofutti vegan american cheese slice

i prefer nasoya nayonaise and westbrae natural stoneground mustard. seriously, the mustard makes the sandwich. stack the rest of the ingredients and chow down. :)