Vegetable Soup

Watch out now!  Another soup recipe.  I'm not kidding when I say we love soup around here.  They're easy and tasty and can be filled with all kinds of good stuff.  If you ask Tory what his favorite food is he will actually say "Soup".  So we try to see how many variations on the theme we can get.  I know a lot of my soup recipes could be called "vegetable" soup but this one is just so full of veggies that it got the title.  Just so you know this one smells very tasty cooking up!

Vegetable Soup

2 cups chopped carrots
2 potatoes, cut into cubes
1 small onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 (14-oz.) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 small head cabbage, chopped
1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 can cut green beans (or 2 cups fresh green beans cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
1 cup dry pasta
1 (32-oz.) box Vegetable Stock
5 1/2 cups water (or you could do 2 boxes of vegetable stock and reduce water to 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 pinch rubbed sage
1 pinch dried thyme leaves
salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except salt & pepper in a large pot; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low; cover.  Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 90 minutes.  Salt & pepper to taste.

Butternut Squash Soup With Thai Gremolata

Here's another soup I found in my November 2010 Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  It is the $200 prize winner for Slow Cooker Soups (the Tomatillo Chicken Soup was the $400 prize winner).  Although it may look similar to my Sweet Potato Peanut Soup the tastes are very different.  I used light coconut milk and vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.  One thing I did find was that it was a little too spicy for the majority of our family.  I used the crushed red pepper.  Might tone that down a bit next time.  Other than that it was pretty tasty and very easy since it was made in the ol' crock pot.  Smelled great all day!  The gremolata adds extra crunch and texture.  I loved it!

Butternut Squash Soup
2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups chicken (vegetable) broth
1 14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. fish sauce or soy sauce (I used Tamari sauce)
1/2 to 1 tsp. Asian chili sauce (Sriracha sauce) or crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 recipe Thai Gremolata, below

In a 3 1/2 or 4-quart slow cooker stir together squash, broth, coconut milk, onion, brown sugar, soy sauce, and Asian chili sauce.  Cover; cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or high for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  Use an immersion blender to carefully blend soup until completely smooth.  (Or transfer mixture in batches to a food processor or blender; or use a potato masher to mash mixture nearly smooth.)  Stir in lime juice.  Ladle into bowls and top with Thai Gremolata.  If desired, serve with lime wedges.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Thai Gremolata
In a bowl stir together:
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or cilantro
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1 Tbsp. finely shredded lime peel

Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup

I created this soup last month and have made it 3 times since.  It's so fast and easy.  It is also a great way to use up instant potato pearls that you might have in your food storage.  If you don't have potato pearls (or would rather not use them since they may contain small amounts of milk products) then you can use leftover mashed potatoes or any other instant potatoes that you like.  The potato pearls are what make this soup "creamy".  They also seem to add a lot of flavor and I find that I hardly have to add any additional salt.  The nutritional yeast adds a bit of a "cheesy" flavor but is completely optional.  I've added a cup of frozen corn a couple times and that's pretty tasty, too.  Just add them in with the cauliflower.

Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup

2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 cup diced onion
4 mushrooms, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 head of cauliflower, chopped
1 cup instant potato pearls
7 cups water
1 tsp. basil
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes, optional
salt & pepper to taste

Saute carrots, celery, onion, garlic and mushrooms in a little olive oil.  Add 5 cups of water.  Add chopped cauliflower.  Boil until cauliflower is tender.  Stir in potato pearls and basil.  Add up to 2 cups of water.  Stir until thickened.  If too thick, add more water.  If too thin, add more potato pearls.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Cabbage-Tomato Pasta

This is an unusual combination of ingredients that blend very well together.  I clipped this recipe out of a Taste of Home magazine a few years ago and finally got around to making it this week.  It was really tasty!  Great with a big scoop of mashed butternut squash right next to it.  I used the little miniature bow tie pasta.  So fun!  The only change I made was in the oil.  I only used 1/4 cup olive oil and no butter or margarine.  It seemed fine to me.  If you're worried it might be too dry you might cut the bread crumbs down to 1 cup.  Just a suggestion.

Cabbage-Tomato Pasta

2 medium tomatoes, peeled and diced (I didn't peel mine)
2 Tbsp. cider or red wine vinegar
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley (I didn't have fresh so I used dried...about 2 tsp. probably)
8 oz. uncooked bow tie pasta (half a package)
2 cups shredded cabbage
1-1/2 cups bread crumbs
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter or margarine

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, vinegar, basil and parsley; set aside.  Cook pasta according to package directions, adding the cabbage during the last 2 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute bread crumbs, almonds and garlic in oil and butter for 6 minutes or until golden brown.  Drain pasta and cabbage; place in a large bowl.  Add tomato and crumb mixtures; toss and serve immediately.  Yield:  6 servings

Pumpkin Lentil Soup

Yet another spin-off of my favorite pumpkin soup.  But I pretty much think that anything with pumpkin in it is the best!  I used orange lentils and they just disappeared in this soup!  Perfect match!  This soup is packed with veggies, protein, and...fiber!  You could make this in a Crockpot and enjoy the smells all day.

Pumpkin Lentil Soup

2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
4-6 mushrooms, diced
1 head of broccoli, chopped (or you can use frozen)
1/2 cup lentils, sorted and rinsed
8 oz. whole wheat noodles (uncooked)
1 can pumpkin
32 oz. vegetable stock
4 cups water
1/4-1/2 tsp. allspice (start out with the smaller amount and see how "spicy" you like it.  I like it "spicy"!)
salt & pepper to taste

Saute carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms for about 5 minutes in a large soup pot.  Add lentils, vegetable stock and water and bring to a boil.  Turn down to med-lo and simmer for 25 minutes.  Turn burner up to about med-hi.  Add noodles and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Add broccoli during last 5 minutes or so.  You don't want to cook the broccoli too long or it will lose its pretty green color (but if you do it will still taste good.) Stir in one can of pumpkin.  Add allspice, salt, and pepper.  Enjoy!

Tomatillo Soup

I just got my new Better Homes and Gardens Magazine (November 2010) in the mail yesterday.  Flipping through it, I found this $400 prize-winning recipe.  (Click HERE for the $200 prize-winning soup.)  It's actually called Tomatillo Chicken Soup but since I didn't add the chicken I thought that word had to go.  I substituted two cans of Great Northern Beans for the 1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken breast halves.  This is made in the crock pot and my goodness, does it ever smell delicious!  So easy and such good flavor!  I also substituted vegetable broth for chicken broth.  (Great prices on boxes of vegetable broth at Aldi right now!  I also got a bag of red, yellow, and orange peppers for under $2.  If you haven't been to Aldi yet, people...GO!)  The original recipe called for 1 tsp. each of salt and pepper but I thought that seemed like too much.  Sooo glad I halved the amounts.  It still seemed a tad salty to me.  I also thought it seemed too "broth-y" at the end.  I like a little thickness to my soup so I scooped out half of the beans (and of course some of the chopped veggies came, too.) and a little of the broth and blended it in my blender.  Next time I'll probably just blend one of the cans of beans with some broth at the beginning.  I served my soup with these yummy tortillas that were half flour and half corn.  So good!  The taste of corn with the softness of a flour tortilla.  OK, here is the recipe:

Tomatillo Soup

6 medium tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
2 cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 32-oz. box vegetable broth
1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 4-oz. can diced green chiles
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper

Chop three tomatillos.  Place remaining tomatillos in blender.  (And I would add one of the cans of beans here, too.)  Cover; blend until smooth.  In a 3 1/2- or 4-quart crock pot combine pureed and chopped tomatillos, beans, broth, sweet pepper, onion, celery, chiles, cilantro, jalapeño, cumin, lime juice, chili powder, garlic, and salt and pepper.

Cover; cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.  (Can be cooked less since we're not cooking chicken here.)  Top with chopped red sweet pepper, jalapeño peppers, snipped cilantro, warm tortillas and/or tortilla chips.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Zucchini "Crab" Cakes

With the use of Old Bay Seasoning, a classic herb mixture most often used for crab cakes, these little patties can justifiably be called Vegan Crab Cakes.  From the book The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.  Love that book!

Zucchini Cakes

2 ½ cups peeled and grated zucchini (about 5 small)

2 Tbsp. nondairy, nonhydrogenated butter (such as Earth Balance), melted

1 cup bread or cracker crumbs, seasoned or plain (crushed Saltines work great)

¼ cup minced yellow or red onion

1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

 ¼ tsp. salt (or to taste)

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Canola oil, for frying

Spread grated zucchini on a kitchen towel, and roll up jelly-roll style.  Twist towel tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible.  (You may even need to do this twice with two different towels.)  If you fail to do this, your zucchini cakes will be too wet.

In a large bowl, combine zucchini and nondairy butter.  Stir in bread crumbs, minced onion, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Mix thoroughly to combine.

Coat your hands in oil, and shape mixture into patties.  Coat each patty in flour.  In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot.  Fry patties until golden brown on both sides.  (Reheat in toaster oven or skillet.)

Yield:  8 servings

Lentil Lasagna

Don't let the name scare you off.  This is one delicious lasagna.  That being said, don't go into this recipe thinking it will be exactly like your traditional lasagna.  You have to think of it as its own thing.  And it's a good thing.  I was feeling like lasagna but didn't want all of the cheese and dairy that go with it.  I've had some great vegetarian lasagnas that use tofu in the cheese sauce or TVP as the meat but I didn't want to use any soy this time either.  I have substituted lentils for "meat" so many times and in so many other recipes.  I can't believe this is the first time I thought to use it in lasagna.  It was great!  I made THIS cheese sauce to layer with the sauce mixture.  I think next time I will one-and-a-half the recipe or double it.  Just needed a bit more.  It was stretched pretty thin.  For the zucchini layer I used a vegetable peeler to get the slices very thin and long.  I just peeled the zucchini and then used the peeler to slice all around until I got to the inside seed part.  I put a generous layer of zucchini over the first two noodle layers and they blended right in to the noodle layer.  Great way to get more veggies in.  This recipe does take a few pots and pans to make but if you know you're going to make it you can cook the lentils and the cheese sauce in advance and cut down on the time.

*This can also be made in a crock pot.  Layer as directed in recipe.  Do not cook noodles ahead of time.  Layer dry noodles.  You will have to break them up to cover your crock pot-especially if it's round like mine! Add 1 Tbsp. of water to each corner after assembling the lasagna to help the noodles cook.  Cook in crock pot on High for 3 hours.  Note that not all crock pots are the same-adjust time and temperature according to your crock pot.

Lentil Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles, cook as directed

1/2 cup dry lentils

2 cups water

1-2 bottles of your favorite pasta sauce, reserve 1 cup for top

1/2 bag spinach, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 c. chopped mushrooms

2 zucchini-thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler

chopped olives, if desired

Mozzarella "cheese" sauce

Boil noodles in a large pot and cook as directed.

Sort and rinse lentils, being sure to remove any stones.  In a separate pot, bring lentils and 2 cups of water to boil.  Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer for 20 min. or until tender.  Drain off any remaining liquid.  Set aside.

While noodles and lentils are cooking make cheese sauce. (See recipe below.)  When finished, set aside.

In a large skillet heat about a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté garlic and onion.  Add mushrooms.  Add chopped spinach until wilted.  Stir in sauce and cooked lentils.

To assemble lasagna:  Cover bottom of 9x13 baking dish with about 1 cup lentil/sauce mixture.  Top with 3 cooked lasagna noodles.  Layer with half of zucchini slices.  Place zucchini in the same direction as noodles.  Top the zucchini with half of remaining lentil/sauce mixture.  Next, spread half of the cheese sauce over the lentil/sauce layer.  Sprinkle with sliced olives if desired.  Repeat with layer of noodles, remaining zucchini, remaining lentil/sauce mixture, cheese sauce, and olives.  Place last 3 noodles and cover with reserved 1 cup of plain sauce.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Mozzarella "Cheese" Sauce

1 cup water
2 small cloves of roasted garlic
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp. tahini (the larger amount makes it "cheesier")
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp. rolled oats
1 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.  Pour into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick.

Sloppy Josés

These sandwiches are a twist off the traditional Sloppy Joe.  The addition of chile peppers, salsa, and beans gives them a kick and I "twisted" them even further and made them with lentils instead of beef.  (If you want to use beef instead of lentils just use 12 oz. lean ground beef.)  Super!  Austin originally found the recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book we checked out from the library.  I loved the way they turned out after the changes we made.  Definitely a keeper!

Sloppy Josés

1 cup dry lentils, rinsed and sorted

4 cups water

1/2-1 can refried beans, fat free (use more or less depending on how thick you want your filling)

1 (4 1/2 oz.) can diced green chile peppers

1/2 cup salsa

1 small onion, diced

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

6 hamburger buns

Toppings:  lettuce, sliced olives, pickles, guacamole, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, and/or sour cream if desired

Rinse and sort dry lentils, removing any stones.  Place in a saucepan with 4 cups water.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat to med-low and place lid slightly ajar over pan.  Simmer for 20 min. or until soft.  Drain off any remaining liquid when done.  Set aside (or go on to the next step while the lentils are cooking.)

In a large skillet, saute diced onion.  Add 1/2 can (about 3/4 cup) refried beans, green chilies, salsa, water, and minced garlic to the skillet.  Stir in cooked lentils.  Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil.  Add more refried beans if desired.  Turn burner to low heat.  Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until mixture is thick and most of the liquid is gone.

Spoon mixture onto buns.  Top with desired toppings.  Serve.

Banana Ice Cream

You can eat as much as you want of this ice cream!  It's creamy, smooth, cold, and only uses one ingredient...bananas!  Of course you can add in your favorite toppings, too.  I like cinnamon and walnuts.  Tastes like banana bread.  Mmmm...Freeze your bananas at least 6 hours in advance and make sure you use bananas that are ripe.  I like them when they're getting a good amount of brown spots on the outside.  Nice and sweet but not mushy or brown on the inside!

Banana Ice Cream

Remove banana peels and slice bananas into 1/4-1/2 inch slices.  Place slices on cookie sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper.  Place in freezer until frozen or at least 6 hours.  (I like to make a big bunch and after they are frozen I transfer them to a big freezer bag and then I have them on hand to use for shakes or banana ice cream or just plain as a frozen treat that just hits the spot for me.)

Place frozen banana chunks into a food processor.  I don't think this recipe would work in a blender unless you have one of those really nice high speed ones that I REALLY want but don't have...like a Vitamix.  Turn on the food processor and blend the bananas up.  Stop it a couple times to scrape down the sides and stir the mixture around.  It will look like little crumbs but as soon as you start to stir it will turn smooth and creamy and look just like ice cream.  Add any add-ins that you would like:  cinnamon, walnuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter, etc.  Dish it out with an ice cream scoop and enjoy!

Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

This recipe uses a different variation of "cheese" made from cashews.  It is so delicious and really fills you up!  Once again my kids were loving the "cheese" and eating it by the spoonfuls.  The only thing I did differently was that I left out the miso paste because I didn't have any.  I baked mine in the oven with bread crumbs on top (see note at bottom of recipe) which was delicious.  I found this recipe in The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.  Great cookbook and absolutely delicious recipe.

Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

1 ¼ cups raw cashews

½ cup nutritional yeast

2 tsp. onion powder

1-2 tsp. salt, to taste

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. ground white pepper

3 ½ cups nondairy milk (soy, rice, almond, hazelnut, hemp, or oat)

3 Tbsp. thickener such as cornstarch or kudzu root

½ cup canola oil

¼ cup light (yellow or white) miso paste

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

12-16 oz. elbow macaroni noodles, cooked

Place cashews in large bowl of the food processor and finely grind. Don’t, however, allow cashews to turn to paste. Add nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Pulse three more times to blend in spices.

In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, thickener, and oil. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease heat to low-medium, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1- minutes, or until thickener dissolves.

With food processor running, gradually add milk/oil mixture to cashew/nutritional yeast mixture. Blend for 2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Next, blend in miso and lemon juice.

Combine cashew cheese with macaroni noodles and serve. You also may bake it (see below). If you have extra cheese, make more noodles, pour over broccoli, or serve as fondue dip. Cashew cheese will keep for 4 days, covered and refrigerated.

Yield: 8 servings

*The cashew cheese for this recipe will be creamy, perfect for macaroni and cheese or as a sauce for vegetables. To make a hard block of cheese, substitute thickener for 1 cup (about 2 oz) afar flakes. Transfer creamy mixture to container you want to use for a mold (rectangular, square, round). Once it sets (after a few hours in the refrigerator), unmold, and slice or grate. Serve on crackers.

*To make the baked version: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Transfer macaroni mixture to an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through. Uncover dish, and sprinkle ½ cup herbed bread crumbs on top. Continue baking, uncovered, for 15-25 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and crisp. Serve hot.

Black Bean Avocado Salad

You could make a meal out of this salad.  I love how fresh and light it is.  No heavy oils.  Make it at least an hour in advance so that the flavors can blend.

Black Bean Avocado Salad

2 cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed

2 tomatoes, diced (I like vine ripened or Roma)

1 avocado, diced

chopped cilantro to taste (1/2-1 cup)

2 green onions, diced

garlic salt, to taste (or you can just use salt)

juice from one lime

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Watermelon Lime Popsicles

These are so fresh and yummy on a hot summer day.  And with no added sugar you can let the kids eat all they want!  This could be a great way to use up a "less-than-perfect" watermelon.  You know...the ones that end up a little mushy inside.  Make sure you put the mint leaves in because...wow...they just make these!  I just discovered a mint plant growing in my backyard.  What a pleasant surprise!  I'm not sure where it came from but I'm happy to have it.  My kids couldn't believe their crazy mother was just eating the leaves off of some random plant but I assured them I knew what it was.  As soon as I sniffed those leaves it brought me back to my own childhood.  We had a couple great big peppermint patches growing by our water faucet and I would always grab a few leaves and chew on them while I was watering the garden or trees in our yard.  Good stuff!

Watermelon Lime Popsicles

Half of a watermelon, cubed

Juice from 2-3 limes

2-3 mint leaves

Fill your blender pitcher about half full with watermelon cubes, lime juice, and mint leaves.  Blend.  Add as much more watermelon as you can fit.  Pour into plastic Popsicle molds and freeze.  When you're ready to eat them, run a little cold water over the outside of the molds to help loosen them.  Enjoy!

Mozzarella Cheese Sauce-Vegan

This is super delicious cheese alternative that doesn't have any dairy or soy in it.  You cook it to the consistency you want.  It will thicken up to the consistency of a spread if you let it.  If it's going to sit while you assemble the rest of your dinner then make sure you stop cooking it when it's a little on the "thin" side and cover the pot.  It thickens as it cools.  I don't always roast the garlic for this.  Just use a little less because roasted garlic is more mild.  If you are going to be making many vegan sauces or "cheese" you should go ahead an get a supply of tahini (sesame seed paste) and nutritional yeast (NOT brewer's yeast).  These two items are used a lot.  This cheese sauce is great on pizza, calzones, tacos, or anything else you would enjoy melted cheese.  Great as a dip for veggies or on pitas as well.  To make smoked mozzarella just add 1/8 tsp. liquid hickory smoke.

*Sorry about the picture quality.  I took it as a last minute thought after I made calzones.  The lighting was bad so it looks yellow but it's really white.  You can check out the calzones picture to see it a little better.  I'll try to get a better picture in the future.

Mozzarella Cheese Sauce-Vegan

1 cup water

2 small cloves of roasted garlic

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1-2 Tbsp. tahini (the larger amount makes it "cheesier")

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

3 Tbsp. rolled oats

1 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder

1/8 tsp. dry mustard

1 1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.  Pour into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick.

Calzones

These are super filling and vegetarian.  Of course you could always add regular cheese and any of your favorite meat toppings as well but we like to keep them vegetarian.  I like to lightly saute my veggies before adding them.  You can use your favorite pizza crust recipe for the dough.  I usually just use a quick whole wheat breadstick recipe (see below).  Don't skimp on the sauce and the cheese sauce or the calzone could end up a little dry.  The Mozzerella "Cheese" Sauce just makes them!  This is a favorite dinner for our family and one I feel good serving.  Load up the veggies and you have a great healthy and homemade dinner!  I usually serve this with a salad.

Calzones

Pizza dough recipe (see below)

Pizza sauce, your favorite homemade or jarred sauce

Mozzarella "Cheese" Sauce recipe

Toppings:  onions, mushrooms, peppers, olives, zucchini, spinach, tomatoes, etc.

Make pizza dough.  While it is rising prepare the filling.  For the filling saute the veggies for a couple minutes.  Make sure they're still tender-crisp.  You definitely don't want soggy veggies!  After the dough has risen, roll it out onto an oiled cookie sheet.  Spread your sauce legthwise on half of the dough.  Layer with veggies.  Top with Mozzarella "Cheese" Sauce.  Flip over the empty half of the crust and press down around the edges to seal in filling.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Slice and serve!

Whole Wheat Breadstick Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 Tbsp. yeast

2 Tbsp. honey

2 tsp. salt

3 cups whole wheat flour

Mix water, yeast and honey.  Let sit for about 3-4 minutes.  Add 1 1/2 cups flour and salt to mixture.  Mix until smooth and elastic.  Add remaining 1 1/2 cups flour.  Knead for 3-5 minutes.  Place in oiled bowl and let is rise for 10 minutes (can skip this step if in a hurry). 

Garden Muffins

These muffins are lightly sweetened and packed with "good" stuff like whole grains, vegetables, and walnuts.  Great for breakfasts or snacks.  Eat these slightly warm with a pat of butter or your favorite spread and you are set!  There are no eggs or dairy and you'd never even know!  You can make them mini-sized, regular, or jumbo!  I have rectangle muffin tins so that's why mine look like mini-loaves.

Garden Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (white wheat is the best)

1/2 cup oats, slightly ground (I just whirl them through my blender for a few seconds)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup maple syrup or agave nectar (or 1/4 cup sugar if you don't have maple syrup or agave)

1/4 cup oil

1 cup grated zucchini

1/2 cup grated carrots

3/4 cup non-dairy milk (almond, rice, soy, etc.) or regular milk if you want

1/2 cup raisins, optional

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, optional

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  In another large bowl, combine applesauce, maple syrup/agave and oil.  Add zucchini and carrots and then stir in milk.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, then stir in raisins and walnuts and mix until well-combined.

Spoon batter into lightly greased muffin cups, filling each cup until almost full.  Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes for regular size muffins or 25-30 minutes for jumbo, until muffins are lightly golden and toothpick comes out clean.  Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on a cooling rack.  Store leftover muffins covered at room temperature.  Makes about 12 regular-sized muffins.

Sunflower Seed Sour Cream

This is a great non-dairy/non-soy version of sour cream.  It tastes delicious and is less expensive to make than the cashew version.  It is great served on taco salad, black bean fajitas, or anything else you would put sour cream on. You can also mix it in with the Vegan Ranch Dressing & Dip to make it rich, thick, and creamy.  (Or you can eat it by the spoonful, which is how my kids like to eat it!)  This is one time when you can let the kids eat as much sour cream as they want!  It actually makes the meals even more filling I've found.  The leftovers are also great served as a dip for veggies.  Make sure you use raw, unsalted sunflower seeds-not roasted.  I buy mine in the bulk bins at my local health food store.  Keeps for about 2 days in the fridge.

Sunflower Seed Sour Cream

1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 cup water

4 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 garlic clove pressed (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)

1/2-3/4 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Easy Breezy Breadsticks

This is a recipe I got from my friend Becca.  I have made them so many times when I'm short on time and want breadsticks with dinner.  They are so quick and easy and best of all...no rising time!  I have recently started making them with whole wheat flour and substituting honey for sugar and they are so good!  I would recommend using white wheat and if you can grind your own, I always use the finest setting.  Great for breads!  One thing Becca suggested was to put the rolled out dough into a jelly roll pan and then cut them in there.  I just use a pizza cutter to cut them.  That helped a lot because this is a very soft and sticky dough!  Sprinkle with garlic salt, parsley, or any other spices you'd like.

Easy Breezy Breadsticks

1 Tbsp. yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. salt

3 cups flour (white, wheat, or mixture of both)

Dissolve the yeast and honey in warm water. Mix the rest of the ingredients. Roll the dough out into rectangle and cut 1 in. wide and however long you want your breadsticks to be. (I just put my rolled out dough into a jelly roll pan and cut them in there.) Add garlic salt, parsley, etc. if desired.   Bake at 375* for 20 min. (they rise quite a bit in the oven).

Grain Cooking Chart

I am always having to look up cooking times for grains I buy in bulk.  I figured I would just post it here as an easy reference (and maybe print one out, too!)  The measurements are for liquids.  So for every ONE cup of each grain you add the corresponding amount of liquid.  Example:  1 cup of amaranth added to 2 1/2 cups water or 1 cup steel cut oats added to 3 cups water.

Grain Cooking Chart

Grain                               Liquid/Cup of Grain         Cooking Time

Amaranth                                    2 1/2                            25

Barley, pearled                              3                                45

Buckwheat                                    2                                15

Couscous                                    1 1/2                            15

Millet                                          2 1/2                             20

Oats, Steel cut                               3                             30-40

Polenta                                          3                                10

Quinoa                                          2                                20

Rice, Brown Basmati                     2                             35-40

Rice, White Basmati                    1 1/2                            20

Rice, Brown long-grain                  2                                45

Rice, Brown short-grain                 2                                45

Rice, Wild                                     3                                60

Spelt Berries                               3 1/2                            90

Wheat, Bulgur                               2                                15

Wheat, Cracked                           2                                 25

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I'll give a brief detail of some of these grains in case there are any of you who aren't quite familiar with what each grain can be used for.

Amaranth:  I always keep this in my pantry.  It cooks quickly and can be used as a base wherever you might use rice or quinoa.  It does have a very sticky consistency...reminds me of thick cream of wheat...so be aware of that.  It is higher in protein and nutrients than most grains.  Gluten-free!

Barley:  Great in soups and stews.  I also like to grind it in my wheat grinder to make flour.  Great to add in pancakes, etc.

Buckwheat:  Very hearty with a nutty flavor.  Can be used as a breakfast cereal.  You can buy it in several grinds, from fine to coarse.

Couscous:  Made from ground semolina.  Great under veggie dishes such as ratatouille or any place that you would use rice.

Millet:  Very nutritious, gluten-free.  Used in casseroles, stews, and cereals, or on its own as a side dish.  Can be added to any "bean" meal to help cut down on "gas" if you have a problem with that.

Steel Cut Oats:  Oat groats that have been cut into smaller pieces.  Makes the most delicious cereal if you have the patience!  Can be soaked overnight to reduce the cooking time in the morning if you can plan ahead.

Polenta:  A type of cornmeal often used in Italian cooking.  Can also cook it as a hot cereal and eat with brown sugar, etc. like you would eat cream-of-wheat.  (We grew up on cornmeal mush rotated into our breakfasts every single week.)  Just use regular cornmeal or grind your own cornmeal in your wheat grinder using regular popcorn kernels!

Quinoa:  One of my favorites that I always have on hand.  I use this in place of rice, added to soups, or as a filler in anything from pot pies to enchiladas!  High in protein and many nutrients; has a nutty flavor.  Always make sure you rinse before cooking.  It has a bitter coating on the outside.

Rice:  We all know what rice is and what we use it for.  One major difference in the brown rice varieties, however, is that the brown long-grain stays fluffy and separated after cooking.  Good for pilafs and stir-fries.  The brown, short-grain rice stays soft and the grains stick together after cooking.  Good for side dishes.

Spelt Berries:  An ancient form of wheat.  The boiled berries are great for use in salads.

Bulgur Wheat:  Wheat that has been steamed and then toasted and then cracked into smaller pieces.  Good in pilafs, soups, and Middle Eastern dishes.

Cracked Wheat:  Wheat that is cracked into smaller pieces but not steamed and toasted like Bulgur.  Often used as a cereal but can also be used as a side dish or in pilafs.

Homemade Salsa

This is the salsa recipe we make at our house.  It originally came from Tory's Aunt Teresa but my sister-in-law, Wendy, has definitely mastered it.  (If you have anything to add Wendy...feel free!)  It's super easy and super fresh and it gets better with time (if you can leave it alone!)  I use the term "recipe" loosely because it really all depends on the size of tomatoes, onion, and your own personal taste but this is the basic recipe.  I love this salsa because it is so fresh!

Homemade Salsa

For each batch you need:

-About 3-4 medium size tomatoes (Roma or vine ripened tomatoes are the best.  The darker and riper the better!)

-1/3 of a medium purple onion (MUST be purple onion...not yellow or white)

-1-2 jalapeños depending on your taste.  (Again, the darker the better.  The darker ones tend to be hotter, if you can find a dark one that's on the small side that should be pretty hot, sometimes you can smell the heat, too.  If the jalapeños smell really hot then I usually only use half of 1 for a batch.  Leave out seeds for less heat as well.)

-Cilantro, pretty much according to your taste, but don't leave out!  I like to grab about a handful of leaves for mine.  Probably around 1/2 cup.

-Garlic Salt-this pretty much makes all the difference in the recipe!  If at the end it seems like it's missing something...it probably needs more garlic salt.

Cut the tomatoes and onion into small pieces.  Put in food processor bowl.  Add jalapeño.  (I cut the jalapeño separately to make sure it gets diced very fine before I add it to the food processor.)  Place cilantro over the top.  Sprinkle garlic salt over everything.  Pulse until small pieces but do not puree.  Taste.  If you need more garlic salt then stir it in.  If it's too salty do another batch with less and mix them together.  If I'm making a lot I like to do 2-3 batches each separately and then mix them together in a bowl.  I think it turns out better than doing one big giant batch.  If you want it thicker, add a can of tomato sauce at the end.  Adjust seasonings.

Red Bean Veggie Burgers

These veggie burgers are soooo delicious!  They have the best flavor.  Leave nothing out!  You won't be disappointed.  I have substituted a green bell pepper for the red but that's it.  The kidney beans give them a nice red color and the vegetables are simply delicious together.  I usually double the recipe so I can have leftovers.  Leftovers are great reheated.  I love to crumble them over a salad for another meal option.  A single recipe makes about 4 burgers.

Red Bean Veggie Burgers

1 (15oz) can kidney beans, drained, rinsed

1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 small carrot, shredded

1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

3 Tbsp. ketchup

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup cooked brown rice

In a food processor* bowl with metal blade, combine oats, mushrooms, onions, carrots, peppers, garlic, ketchup, and salt; process with on/off pulses until coarsly chopped. Add beans.  Do NOT puree or they won't hold their buger shape.  Stir in brown rice by hand.  Shape mixture** into 4 patties, 1/2 inch thick.  Cook in a skillet lightly greased with olive oil on medium high for about 5-6 minutes on each side or until nicely browned and warmed through.  Do not flip burgers more than once or they could lose their shape.  If they do, just pat them back together.  Place burgers on whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, onion or any other hamburger fixin's you like.

*This can also be done by blending kidney beans in blender on low then putting mashed beans into bowl and adding finely chopped veggies, ketchup and salt. Stir in cooked brown rice.

**You can also shape these into balls to make "meat"balls.  Roll into about 1"-1.5" balls.  Smaller is better.  Brown in lightly greased skillet being sure to cook on all sides OR bake on a greased baking sheet at 375 for 25-30 minutes until firm.