vegan thanksgiving

adopt turkeys, don't eat them! i did just that from farm sanctuary this year. there are plenty of other ways to celebrate the holiday meat-free. here are a few recipe ideas.

entrées

holiday faust:
this is my go-to thanksgiving recipe. after a few adjustments, i would suggest that you definitely use low-sodium soy and cut it with a little water to reduce the saltiness (unless you are using a really weak broth).


vegan pot pie:
i made this for easter last year, but it would be equally yummy as a t-day meal. like any good pot pie, the best part is cracking the shell.


mock meatloaf:
maybe it doesn't scream 'thanksgiving meal', but it's still hearty enough to stand up to a turkey platter. plus you get awesome meatloaf sandwiches the next day.

side dishes

roasted garlic mashed potatoes:
isn't t-day all about the sides? and what feast would be complete without potatoes of some sort? here is a little garlic twist on an old favourite.


creamy kamut salad:
if you haven't tried kamut, it's a nice little grain similar to orzo or buckwheat. this is a slightly more modern dish, loaded with tons of fresh asparagus.

poor girl's green bean casserole:
i made this during one of my pantry clean-out modes. saltines and canned green beans - super cheap and pretty delish.

dessert

blog mom's zucchini custard pie:
my 'blog mom' sent me this recipe last year. i made it for thanksgiving last year and it was a hit. definitely don't let the 'zucchini' part scare you off of this recipe.


simply cinnamon apples:
very easy and healthy - a perfect ending to heavy day of eating. be sure to use organic apples though... apples can carry some of the highest pesticide counts.


chocolate almond biscotti:
there is nothing like an italian cookie dipped in a warm cup of coffee. comforting, and not too filling... a perfect way to end a long day with those you love.


happy thanksgiving!

vegan pot pie

i wish i could say that this was made with all fresh veggies, but alas, it was not. i worked with what i had, which was a mix of fresh and canned vegetables. of course, if you have enough fresh produce around, you can just approximate the measurements (1/2 can = 1 cup). this recipe makes 2 ginormous pot pies.


for the crust:

• 1 ½ cups all purpose unbleached flour
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons softened vegan butter
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/8 vegetable oil

for the filling:

• 1 can vegetable mix
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1/2 can canned potatoes diced
• 1/2 can green beans
• 1/2 can corn
• 3/4 cup button mushrooms, diced
• 3/4 cup soy milk, unsweetened
• 1 tbsp veggie broth base(better than bouillon)
*could sub approx 1/2 bouillon cube
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
  
• 3 tablespoons herbs de provence
• 2 tablespoons bragg liquid aminos
• 1/2 cup water
  
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

to make the crust, mix flour, salt and butter in mixing bowl. add in water and vegetable oil and continue mixing until everything is well incorporated. i just use my hands for this. form into a ball and let rest while starting the veggie filling.

you can use any veggies you like, but be sure to make about 4-5 cups of mixture if you are using 2 4 cup pyrex containers for cooking. heat veggies in a large sauce pan on medium heat. after about 5 minutes, add in the rest of the filling ingredients except for the cornstarch. simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes with veggies. if the sauce thickens to quickly, add another 1/4 -1/2 cup water. after simmering, add in the cornstarch and mix well for about a minute and then remove from heat. the sauce should be thickening up quite nicely at this point - the end result should be the consistency of a thick gravy sauce.

while the veggies are cooking, divide the dough in half. from each these two sections, you will use about 3/4 of the dough for the lining and the remaining for the top crust. flatten out both the lining and top layer dough with a rolling pin. spray the inside of a 4-cup round pyrex dish and lay the lining dough inside of the dish (all the way up to the top edge). you'll probably have to shift and spread the dough around inside of the dish to make sure it fits nicely. spoon half of your veggie mixture in, and lay the top layer across. with the remaining overage of dough, roll down to create a crust edge (you can press with a fork for decoration). cut slits in the the top for baking and repeat with second dish.

bake at 400°f for 40 minutes, or until dough is browned and veggie sauce is simmering over. let cool for a couple minutes, and then pop pie out of pyrex. :)

linguine con broccoli (in creamy white wine sauce)

my absolute favourite italian restaurant in kansas city is garozzos. unfortunately, it's not so vegan friendly (it became my favourite when i was just ovo-lacto veg). anyways, they have some amazing pasta dishes there, including a linguine pasta in a creamy white wine sauce. every once in a while i have a 'try-to-replicate-it' night, and this was my best attempt. it was really good, although not exact (how do you veganize provel cheese?!).

• 1 pkg. linguine (approx 12 oz.)
• 2-3 cups broccoli florets, steamed
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter *like smart balance
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

sauce ingredients:

• 2 cups soymilk (unsweetened)
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons bragg's aminos
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 ½ tablespoons onion powder
• 1 tablespoons black pepper
• 2/3 cup white cooking wine

first combine the soymilk and ACV in a jar or something shakeable and let sit - this will cause the soymilk to thicken. start cooking the linguine (according to package), and steam the broccoli.

in a medium sauce pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil on medium heat. once the garlic starts to roast, add the butter. combine the rest of the sauce ingredients - except for the wine - in the same jar as the soymilk. cap the jar, and shake vigorously until everything has been mixed well. pour the mixture in the saucepan, turning heat down to low-medium. let simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce is fairly thick and creamy. add the broccoli florets and cooking wine, simmering for 3-5 minutes more. remove from heat.

personally, i prefer to let the sauce rest for several minutes before serving with the linguine. as the sauce begins to cool off, it will thicken up even more.

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.

kickin' cornbread casserole

the first time i made cornbread was last year, to go with my smokey white bean chili recipe. since then, i've found myself craving different variations of standard cornbread and decided i wanted to make a cornbread casserole of some sort. below is the results.

• 3/4 cups cornmeal
• 3/4 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter (i use smart balance)
• 1 can corn
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can rotel
• 1 tablespoon onion
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ener-g egg replacer (w/ 3 tbsp water)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons tabasco or other hot sauce
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• vegan mozzarella (optional)

mix dry ingredients (except breadcrumbs) in a large mixing bowl. in a separate bowl, mix up the wet ingredients (butter, milk, tomatoes, rotel, egg replacer and hot sauce), and fold them into the dry.


spread into a lightly greased 8x13 glass casserole dish - top with a thin layer of vegan breadcrumbs. i prefer panko. if you prefer, spread mozzarella tofutti slices or other vegan mozzarella on top.

bake for 40-45 mins @ 350°f.

jumbo stuffed shells

i crafted this recipe after my lasagna ricotta creation, baking jumbo pasta shells stuffed with the mixture. this makes quite a few shells - enough to feed at least 4 or 5, or makes lots of yummy leftovers for those of us not cooking for as many. :)

• 1 box jumbo pasta shells (12oz.)
• 3 small can tomato sauce (8oz. ea)
  
• 1 small can tomato paste (6oz.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• several shredded fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• heavy dash of black ground pepper
• 1/2 head of steamed broccoli (approx. 7 oz.)
• 1 batch vegan ricotta recipe: here
• vegan mozzarella to your heart's content

start boiling the pasta shells according to the instructions. in a medium saucepan on medium heat, sauté the garlic in the olive oil for a little over a minute. if you are using fresh onion (instead of onion powder), add them into this step. after sautéing, mix in the tomato sauce and paste, along with all spices listed. let simmer on medium-low heat.

chop the steamed broccoli. in blender or food processor, make one batch of the vegan ricotta, adding in the broccoli. in an 8x11 casserole dish, spread 1 or 2 tablespoons of the red sauce to prevent the noodles from sticking. open each shell, and stuff with vegan ricotta allowing enough room to close the shell again. the ricotta measurement is sort of a personal judgment, but i use about one large spoonful.

place shells in dish, facing upwards. pour sauce over all shells, and top with shredded mozzarella if you like. i used tofutti mozzarella slices, torn up and placed on each shell.

bake at 375°f for approximately 35-40 minutes. let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

vegan barbecue pork chops

it's funny, i never liked pork chops even when i did eat meat. lately, however, i've been really interested to see how close i can get to 'replicating' certain tastes. after i made the miso mustard slaw last week, i thought it would pair nicely with a barbecue flavour of some sort.


for the chop:

• 1 1/2 cups wheat gluten
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons veggie broth
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/8 cup low sodium soy
• 1/8 cup cold water
• 1 teaspoon cajun/creole seasoning
• 1 tablespoon lipton savory herb garlic soup powder
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

for the marinade:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup bbq sauce
• 3/4 tablespoon stoneground mustard
• 1 teaspoon all spice

• 1 cup breadcrumbs (optional)
  

combine wet chop ingredients into the dry, and knead for approximately two minutes. add additional water if it is too dry. at this point, you will have 1 large ball - you can either cut or pull apart the individual chops and then flatten each one. i made about 4 pork chop-sized cutlets from the amount listed.

mix up marinade and coat each chop well. put the rest of the marinade in an 8x11 glass baking dish and let the cutlets marinade for several hours (or overnight).

after marinating, pour off and reserve the liquid. bake chops at 375°f for 40 minutes, flipping half way through. to encrust, pull chops out of oven for several minutes. using tongs, dip each into the reserved marinade, and then into breadcrumbs. put back into dish, and continue cooking at 375°f for about 10 minutes. serve on a bed of miso mustard cabbage slaw.

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.

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.

mediterranean pasta

i love this pasta dish because it changes up the standard noodle and sauce combo. it wants to be a pasta salad, but has enough weight to make it a full meal. plus, i'm sucker for anything with artichoke hearts.

• 8 oz. ziti or rigatoni
• 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
• 1 small can tomato sauce (8 oz)
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 can black olives
• 1 can artichoke hearts, quartered

as an italian, i must encourage you to use fresh tomatoes if you have them. alas, it is winter here in the midwest, and we don't have fresh tomatoes around too often. so heat your tomatoes (canned or fresh) with tomato sauce for about 10 minutes on medium-high. start boiling the ziti according to directions on package. after sauce has just started to simmer, add black olives, garlic and artichoke hearts. simmer on low for about 5-10 minutes more, until the ziti is done. mix the sauce, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and rigatoni together.

makes about 3 dinner servings.

black-eyed pea and soyrizo stew

it wasn't until a couple years ago that i heard about eating black-eyed peas on new year's day for good luck. until this recipe, i hadn't had them except all mushed up like a bean dip. i actually made my own soyrizo for this recipe, but i'm still tweaking the recipe. it didn't hold together as well as i had hoped, so i rolled with it and ended up with yummy soyrizo crumbles. once i get the recipe down pat, i'll post it, but in the meantime you can find soyrizo at most health/nature food stores. happy new year!

• 2½ cups cooked black-eyed peas, cooked
• 1½ cups white northern beans, cooked
• 2 cups soyrizo (mine was crumbly)
• 2 cans stewed tomatoes
• 2 cups chopped potatoes
• 2 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 3 cups water
• 1 veggie bouillon cube

dissolve a bouillon cube in hot water, and then combine all ingredients in a crock pot. my soyrizo was already pretty spicy, but if yours isn't, you may want to add some red pepper flakes to kick it up.

stew in the crock pot for 6+ hours. be sure an add additional water if too much cooks off.

vegan lasagna

our traditional christmas dinner is lasagna, and for years my mother and i have stood side-by-side in the kitchen on christmas morning assembling our italian dishes. this was the first time i attempted a vegan one, which brought on quite a few changes - from the mozzarella to the ricotta to the parmesan. below is my recipe. also, i tend to like my lasagna really saucy, so just make modifications to the amounts as you prefer.

• 12 lasagna noodles, cooked
• 6 cups mom's mushroom pasta sauce**
• 3 cups spinach
• 1 large head of broccoli florets, steamed
• 16 oz. vegan mozzarella, shredded
• 6-8 tablespoons vegan parmesan
• 1 batch vegan ricotta (see recipe below)

**if you don't have a favourite sauce, add mushrooms to this recipe

for the ricotta:

• 12 oz. silken tofu
• 6 oz. tofutti sour cream
• 2 teaspoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 5 fresh basil leaves, minced
• 5-8 baby spinach leaves, minced
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• salt & pepper to taste

to make the ricotta, blend tofu, sour cream, tahini, lemon juice and olive oil in a food processor. after mixture is creamy (add more oil or lemon juice if necessary), mix the rest of ingredients in by hand. chill until ready to use.

to assemble lasagna:
in a 8x11 glass or ceramic casserole dish, spread about 2 tablespoons of the sauce in the bottom of the dish to prevent noodles from sticking. place 3 noodles across the bottom, then use a spoon to spread about 1/3 of the ricotta evenly. now layer about 1/4 of the sauce in the dish, followed by 1/3 of the spinach and the broccoli. sprinkle a mozzarella layer and a parmesan layer, and then place another set of noodles in the dish. repeat the process, building up the lasagna until you have used up all ingredients. make sure to save enough sauce and mozzarella for the final top of the dish.


a few notes: make sure you buy vegan lasagna noodles (no egg). also, for the mozzarella, i used veganrella this time as i often have a hard time getting fyh vegan gourmet cheeses to melt. veganrella's cheddar cheese is really good, but the mozzarella was just average. i think next time i will try using tofutti mozzarella slices... just a thought.

bake lasagna at 375°f for about 45 minutes. the top cheese layer should be browning and the sauce should be bubbly. makes 6 large pieces of lasagna.

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!

seitan holiday roast

when i was vegetarian, we would buy the quorn turk'y roast for thanksgiving meals. since that isn't a vegan option, i opted to get my hands wet and create a homemade 'faust' this year. not to mention, it was the first time i ever worked with seitan. i used the very basic ingredients from vegan with a vengeance, but apart from that, it was a miss v creation. not too shabby, i must say.


for the roast:

• 2 cups vital wheat gluten flour
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons unbleached flour
• 2 tablespoons thyme, sage & rosemary mix
• 1½ cups veggie broth
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 celery stalk, minced
• 1/8 small onion, minced

for the broth:

• 2 cups veggie broth
  
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
• 2 tablespoons thyme, sage & rosemary mix
• 1/2 celery stalk, minced
• 1/8 small onion

optional: 4 baby red potatoes

for the roast, mix up the the first four dry ingredients. for the spice mix, just throw in whatever tastes good - i used thyme and sage as they remind me of thanksgiving flavours. mix the rest of the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. for the onion and celery, i used a magic bullet to mince them up as i didn't want large chunks in my roast. slowly combine the wet into the dry ingredients, kneading as you go. knead for at least 2 minutes, and then divide into two small roasts.

put the roasts into a 1.5 quart baking dish. if you want, cut up the baby potatoes to bake with the roasts. mix up the broth ingredients, and pour half into the baking dish with the roasts. bake at 395°f for about 25 minutes. at this point, most of the broth will have evaporated. pour in the second half of the broth and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 340°f. serve warm.

as a side note, i cut my roasts into slices before i baked the second time. this allowed the juices to really get in and marinade the roast. but that's completely optional.

potato enchiladas

a few years ago, i bought a can of potatoes, and it changed my potato life. they are in the canned vegetable section, and just look like baby peeled potatoes. they are super quick to heat up and throw in anything (like my previous kraut & potato recipe). i used them here to make potato enchiladas.

• 1 can whole potatoes
• 1/2 can re-fried beans
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons burrito or taco seasoning
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/2 block (5 oz.) vegan gourmet pepper jack cheese
• 14 oz. enchilada sauce
• 4 or 5 8" whole wheat tortillas
• vegan sour cream & black olives (optional)

in bowl, mash up potatoes, beans, onion powder, garlic, burrito seasoning, nutritional yeast, and salsa. heat up each tortilla in the microwave for about 10 seconds right before you fold them up - it makes them more flexible for rolling. put two scoops of the potato mixture into the middle of the tortilla and fold one side over the mixture. then fold in the sides, and finish rolling up the enchilada. continue with the rest of the tortillas.


place the enchiladas in a glass baking dish, and pour enchilada sauce over the top. spread the shredded pepper jack cheese over the top, and add the black olives if you want. bake in the oven at about 360f° for about 15-20 minutes... pull out when the cheese starts to melt and the enchilada sauce is bubbly. use a spatula to serve, and top with sour cream if you please!

creamy baked pasta

in my last post, i mentioned that i don't buy a lot of faux cheese products, but i do sometimes splurge. i say if you are gonna do it, do it up big! so here is a triple threat - complete with vegan sour cream, cream cheese, and mozzarella. i don't make these types of recipes too often - a girl has to watch her waistline - but i certainly enjoy treating myself with warm comforting dishes every once in a while.

• 16 oz. whole wheat mostaccioli
• 3/4-1 whole green bell pepper
• 3 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
• 1 6 oz. can tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons water
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 tablespoons onion powder
• 2 tablespoons italian seasoning
• dash of salt and pepper
  
• 6 oz. tofutti 'sour cream'
• 4 oz. tofutti 'cream cheese'
• 5 oz. vegan gourmet mozzarella (shredded)
  

cook and drain pasta according to instructions on box. make pasta sauce by combining tomato sauce, paste, water, garlic, onion, italian seasoning (i use penzey's spices) and salt/pepper in a medium sauce pan. heat on medium-high until sauce starts to simmer aggressively, then lower heat to medium-low, cover, and let it simmer lightly for about 15 minutes, stirring often. this will be a thicker sauce since it is going into a casserole type dish. add in the softened cream cheese and sour cream, and heat on low for about 5-10 minutes until you have a nice creamy red sauce.

now the fun begins.

in a 9x11 glass casserole dish, use about three tablespoons of the sauce to coat the bottom (prevents sticking). layer 1/2 of the mostaccioli in the dish, then layer 1/2 sauce, 1/2 green pepper and 1/2 of the mozzarella. then repeat with the other half of the ingredients.

pop in the oven at 350 f° for about 25 minutes, until the sauce starts to bubble and the cheese begins to melt. pull out and cool around 10-12 minutes before trying to serve, although in my house we only make it about 5 minutes.

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. :)

flowering zucchini with raw pesto

i haven't made a lot of raw dishes lately as i have been working with limited ingredients. however, my garden provided me with a fresh zucchini and tomato, so i decided to whip up something. the pesto doesn't taste exactly like regular pesto, but it's definitely similar in taste. the ingredient list below serve about one as a main dish - i made it for lunch.

• ½ medium size zucchini
• 1 medium size tomato, chopped

for the pesto:

• 1 tablespoon pine nuts, soaked 15 minutes
• 2 tablespoons cold press olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ teaspoon fresh garlic, minced

i used the flat blade on my spiral slicer to make the zucchini into flowering strips. i chopped up the tomatoes and placed on top. for the pesto sauce – i put the rest of the ingredients in my magic bullet and whipped up. i don’t like a lot of olive oil, so i added some water. as you can see, my pesto is a bit thick, so you could add more olive oil if you like. if you aren't worried about eating 'raw', you could just use a store-bought pesto... but i recommend trying your hand at making it fresh. there are any number of recipes on the internet.

enjoy!