Smoky Southwest Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Oh, my goodness!  This was to die for!  This one will be made again and again.  It was inhaled by everyone in our family.  There was not a bean left in the entire 9x13 dish.  If you want leftovers, I would suggest serving with a salad.  :)  This recipe also came from Vegan on the Cheap.  I just opened up the book and had all of the ingredients on hand for this and made it!  I did make a couple changes but nothing drastic.  I added a huge, heaping pile of chopped kale which I can't imagine not including.  I used probably 4 packed cups full.  Maybe even more.  Be generous!  I also used a can of corn instead of frozen corn and only put the chipotle chile in adobo sauce in the filling...not in the mashed potatoes as well.  That's about it!  Very easy and too delicious to miss.  I hope you make this.  We thought it would be good stuffed in whole wheat tortillas as a burrito filling, too. 

Smoky Southwest Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 chipotle chiles in adobo (I used 1)
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. vegan margarine
salt and black pepper
(I also added a bit of unsweetened almond milk to thin it out)

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
4 cups kale, finely chopped
3 cups cooked or 2 (15.5 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups thawed frozen corn kernels (or 1 can, drained)
1 1/2 cups tomato salsa
1 tsp. ground cumin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Steam the sweet potatoes until just tender, about 12 minutes.  While the potatoes are steaming, in a blender or food processor, puree the chile(s) with the water and set aside.  (I skipped this step and just chopped mine really fine.  It was frozen so it was very easy to chop.)

Mash the steamed potatoes with the margarine, and salt and pepper to taste.  (And milk if needed.)  Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a separate large skillet, heat olive oil (or same amount of water) over medium heat.  Add the onion and carrots, cover, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add finely diced chipotle chile.  Stir in chopped kale and corn and cook a couple minutes until kale is wilted.  Stir in beans, salsa, and cumin and heat through.  I thought it needed just a little more liquid and added about 1/2 cup water.  You could also add tomato sauce, more salsa, vegetable broth, milk, etc.

Transfer mixture to a 9x13 baking dish.  Spread the mashed sweet potatoes evenly on top of the bean mixture.  Bake until the filling is hot, about 15-20 minutes.  Serve hot.

Cheezee Sauce

Yes, another "cheese" sauce recipe.  But it's different than my other ones.  Some use cashews, some use white beans, and then there's this one which is really more like a cheese flavored "white sauce" with very basic ingredients.  I like that it's not too heavy and easy to whip up.  Use it in casseroles, nachos, drizzled over your favorite pizza, or anytime a cheesy flavor is needed.  I used it on baked potatoes with broccoli.  The whole family gobbled it up.  The only thing I changed was to leave out the tablespoon of olive oil.  You're supposed to add it at the end and I really didn't see the point.  It was the perfect consistency and who needs more fat, right?


I got it from a cookbook I checked out from the the library that I really like!  It's called Vegan on the Cheap by Robin Robertson.  Nice and simple recipes that are very basic but easy to "splurge a little" as she calls it and add a little more to them.  Most of the recipes are around $1.00 per serving but no more than $2.00 per serving.  Great book to get if you are just starting out and want some basic vegan recipes that aren't too intimidating.  She also gives you some menu ideas and a grocery shopping list.  Don't be surprised if you see other recipes from her book on here.  I've got quite a few pages bookmarked.  

Cheezee Sauce

2/3 cup nutritional yeast
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk (or any other non-dairy milk...you can even use water)
1 Tbsp. olive oil (I left out)
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. yellow mustard

In a medium saucepan, combine the yeast, cornstarch, salt, and garlic powder.  Turn the heat on medium and whisk in the milk (water).  Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and stir in the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and mustard.  The sauce is now ready to use.  If not using right away, refrigerate the sauce in a container with a tight-fitting lid, where it will keep for several days.

Mushroom Millet Soup

This is such a yummy soup and so easy to put together.  It is from Oh She Glows but I changed it up a bit.  I added two cans of Great Northern beans and some chopped kale and used a bottle of Shiitake Soy Ginger sauce instead of Worchestershire sauce.  I just happened to have it on hand and it sounded really good.  It's an all natural sauce with no added fat and it is tasty!  But if you don't have it, I'm sure this soup would be good anyway.  I'm sure we'll find out because I'll definitely be making this one again!  Sorry about the terrible picture.  It was an afterthought.  We were hungry and I had to steal this mug from one of the kids.  (They like eating their soup in a mug lately.)  I also blended mine too much.  If you want to see really appetizing pictures of this amazing soup then go on over to the Oh She Glows link above!  I'll try to remember to take another picture next time I make it. :)

Mushroom Millet Soup

1 cup uncooked millet (or Quinoa)
2 pounds fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced (I just used regular white mushrooms this time)
4 cups chopped sweet onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
7.5 cups vegetable broth
salt & pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 cups finely chopped kale
Garnish:  toasted walnuts, fresh herbs, etc.

In a pot or skillet, "toast" the dry millet over medium heat for 4 minutes or so until it has a nutty aroma.  This adds more flavor.  (If using quinoa, make sure you rinse first.)  Add 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes.  Fluff with fork.

While millet is cooking, in a large pot over medium-low heat, add a bit of oil (about 1 tsp.) along with the chopped onion and minced garlic.  Sautee for about 5 minutes until transparent, stirring frequently.  Add sliced mushrooms and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes until most of the water cooks off.

Stir in broth, along with seasonings (salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce).  Add only about half of the salt to begin, adding the rest to taste right before serving.  Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Scoop half of the mixture and beans into a blender and blend until almost smooth but still a bit chunky.  Add back into the pot.  Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender, but be sure to leave it nice and chunky.

Stir in cooked millet and chopped kale.  Season to taste and serve with a garnish of toasted walnuts, garlic bread, fresh parsley, or anything that you like!

Our Vegan Thanksgiving

So my husband, Tory, and I (and our kids because we feed them) have been really focusing on eating right.  We always have eaten a plant-based diet but have mixed it up with other animal-based foods especially during the holidays.  Well, we haven't had any meat or animal products whatsoever for over a month and we didn't want to ruin our good streak with our Thanksgiving feast.  So we adapted it to our newer, healthier way of eating.  It was really a lot easier than I thought it would be.  I wanted to have all of the traditional and special dishes...just "healthified".  The boys were a little concerned about not having turkey...but mostly because they wanted to break the wishbone.  And I just wanted to make sure I'd be able to make pumpkin and apple pie!

Do you know the line from Disney's Tangled movie where Flynn Rider is using a frying-pan to sword fight Maximus the horse?  It's one of my favorite lines of the movie.  He says, "You should know that this is the strangest thing I've ever done!"  LOVE that part!  Anyway, that line kept popping in my head (ok...and I said it out loud probably way too many times...it's just so fun to say!) as I was making my vegan Thanksgiving dinner.  Although, nothing was weird or unusual (no tofu turkey here!) it just seemed so strange to me.  No turkey!  But sooo easy!  We waited to start cooking so we could eat at noon.

It was the most delicious dinner.  All seven of us ate to our heart's content with plenty of leftovers.  I've never seen my kids clean their Thanksgiving plates like they did this year.  And the best part?  About half-way through the dinner my second son, Dallin, said to our oldest, Austin, "Hey, remember the turkey?"  And Austin looks at him confused and said, "What turkey...?  Oh, yeah!"  They didn't even miss it!

A few of my recipes came from one of my favorite food blogs, Oh She Glows (OSG).  I knew I couldn't go wrong with her recipes.  And I also adapted a few of our old favorites.  I'm going to post a list of what I made here linked to the individual recipes because this dinner I will for SURE be making again!  We're already counting down the days to our Christmas feast!

Sourdough Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy (OSG)
Sweet Potato Casserole (OSG)
Steamed Asparagus
Corn with Red Peppers and Green Onions
Relish Dish with Vegan Ranch Dressing
Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Crust (OSG)
Brown Bag Apple Pie
Sparkling Apple Cider

Brown Bag Apple Pie

I decided to make this version of our apple pie because I didn't want to have to buy a vegan shortening that I most likely wouldn't use much of when I was finished.  This recipe is super easy because you don't have to roll out the crust.  It still has a lot of oil and sugar in it so I wouldn't call it "healthy" but it sure was good!  The original recipe calls for sliced apples but our traditional "McFarlane Apple Pie" uses shredded apples so that's what I do.  This recipe also calls for nutmeg but I leave that out.  It's good...but it's too different from my favorite.  I used whole wheat flour ground from white wheat in this recipe and it was fantastic!  You could use spelt flour or unbleached white flour as well.  

Brown Bag Apple Pie

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup canola oil
2 T. cold milk (I used almond)

-Combine.  Pat evenly in 9 inch glass pie plate.

Filling:
4 cups peeled, shredded Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

-Mix.  Layer evenly in crust.

Topping:
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 square Earth Balance butter

-Drop evenly and crumble all over pie.  Bake in large brown paper grocery bag.  Loosely staple top and roll down once.  Lay flat in oven.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Crust

I didn't think it would be possible to make a smooth, creamy, vegan pumpkin pie that didn't have tofu it it and that still tasted like "real" pumpkin pie but this is it!  We loved this pie!  It was smooth and creamy and the crust was amazing!  You could make it gluten-free if you use GF rolled oats.  I just used regular.  The only change I would make would be to substitute a Tbsp. of molasses for one of the Tbsp. of maple syrup just to make it taste a bit more like our traditional homemade pumpkin pie recipe.  I also used just pumpkin pie spice instead of the individual spices since that's what we do in our traditional recipe.  Put this one on your list of great vegan desserts!  It's a keeper!  Oh...and of course it is yet another recipe from Oh She Glows.  What can I say...she's got good stuff!

Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Crust

Crust:
1 cup rolled oats, processed into a fine flour (blender) OR 1 cup GF oat flour
2 cups raw pecans
2 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. ground flax
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup brown rice syrup (honey may work if you prefer)
1 Tbsp. Earth Balance, melted

Filling:
2 1/4 cups canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup natural cane sugar or brown sugar
1/4 cup full-fat coconut cream (or almond milk), softened
1 Tbsp. Earth Balance, softened
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
OR
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves

For Crust:
Grease a 9-inch pie dish very well.  In a blender, process your oats into a very fine flour.  If you don't think your machine can get the oats fine enough, then I suggest buying oat flour.  The oat flour needs to be very fine in this crust, not flaky or chunky.

In a food processor, add 2 cups pecans and process until it starts to clump and oils start to release (about 35 secs), but don't make pecan butter either!  You should be able to make a ball with the pecan dough.

Melt Earth Balance with brown rice syrup for about 30 secs in microwave.  Stir.  Transfer clumpy pecan mixture into a large bowl and mix with the rest of the ingredients.  Using your hands, squeeze the dough over and over to combine very well.  You should be able to form a ball with it.  If it's too dry add a bit more oil.

Spoon on the pecan dough and smooth out evenly.  Press down firmly with fingers to form a crust, bringing it up along the sides.  Press as firmly as you can.  Prick base with fork 12-13 times.  Prebake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes.  Remove and cool for 10 minutes.

For Filling:
In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and arrowroot powder (or cornstarch).  Now add all ingredients and whisk together, adjusting spices to taste.  add more sweetener if desired.

Scoop the filling into crust and smooth.  Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove and cover crust edges with tinfoil or crust shield (this is necessary or it burns).  Bake for another 20 minutes, checking crust after 10 minutes or so.  Place on cooling rack for 1 hour.  Transfer to fridge to set for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.  (This step is very important!)  Do not slice pie until it has set in the fridge for 3 hours minimum.

Slice with a very sharp knife, very slowly and carefully for best results.  a bit of crumbling may occur, but that's ok because it's rustic and made from scratch!  The main part is it tastes incredible.  Yum!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Another delicious recipe from Oh She Glows.  Everyone loved this!  It's almost more like a dessert.  This is much different than the traditional sweet potatoes my family makes which uses about 6 sweet potatoes cut into about 8 wedges each, cooked slowly for several hours on the stove in 1 package of brown sugar and a stick of butter.  Sooo sweet and caramely!  But these were an extra treat as well.

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cooked
2 Tbsp. vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 tsp. cinnamon

Topping:
1/4 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup sucanat (or brown sugar)
1/3 cup white or spelt flour
3/4 cups chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish with conola oil.  Peel and then boil sweet potatoes until tender.  Mash the sweet potatoes with the margarine until smooth.  Add the vanilla, maple syrup, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Pour into casserole dish.  Next, mix the topping ingredients together until well-combined.  Sprinkle topping mixture over the casserole and bake for approximately 50 minutes, checking it every so often.

*Makes 10 servings at approximately 215 calories per serving (without pecans).

Vegan Gravy

This recipe is from Oh She Glows.  It's a really good gravy...but very unusual.  You just can't compare it to "traditional" gravy.  It's got a flavor all it's own.  Check out the ingredients!  A little bit of everything.  We all really loved it...except it just seemed to have a little too much "sweet" to it.  We'll definitely make it again but I think I'll leave out the blackstrap molasses and agave.  But that's just our personal preference.  Very good gravy though!

Vegan Gravy

1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1 Tbsp. tamari
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder
2 Tbsp. tahini
1.5 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1.5 Tbsp. blackstrap molasses
1/2 tsp. agave nectar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste if desired

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

Pour mixture into a pot on medium to high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce to low and stir frequently to thicken.

Remove from heat and serve.  Add additional agave, water, or vinegar if needed to adjust taste.

Sourdough Stuffing

I've been seeing a lot of stuffing recipes using sourdough bread.  When I found a whole wheat sourdough loaf at Sprouts I knew I had to try it.  I love our traditional stuffing recipe.  It's my favorite thing about Thanksgiving dinner.  But it has a stick of butter, two eggs, and plenty of turkey drippings in it.  So I had to change it up a bit.  I used vegetable broth and also added mushrooms, which our traditional recipe doesn't normally have.  Loved those!  I was worried it wouldn't stick together but it was perfect.  I chopped my veggies and apples pretty small but I think next time I'll leave them a big chunkier.  Especially the mushrooms.   Of course I used our traditional "Bell's Poultry Seasoning" which is what MAKES this recipe!  It's found in a little yellow box.  I know Central Market has it if you live around here.

Sourdough Stuffing

1 loaf crusty sourdough bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 11 cups)
1-2 tsp. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 ribs celery, diced
3 cups fresh mushrooms (baby bella, cremini, or white), sliced
2-4 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped (I used one Gala and one Granny Smith)
1 1/2-3 cups vegetable broth (I ended up using 1 1/2 cups but I don't like my stuffing soggy)
2 Tbsp. Bell's Poultry Seasoning
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Spread bread cubes evenly on baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes, or until bread is dried but not browned.  Transfer cooked bread cubes to a large bowl.  Sprinkle poultry seasoning over bread cubes and stir to coat.  Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil.  Add onion, celery, mushrooms, and apples.  Cook until vegetables and apples are soft, about 10 minutes.  Add to bread cubes and stir to combine.

Pour broth over the bread and stir to combine.  Make sure all of the bread is well coated with vegetable broth.  Season with salt, pepper, and more poultry seasoning if desired.  Stir well.

Pour stuffing into a greased baking dish with sides (I used a glass dish one size bigger than a 9x13).  Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.  Stir a couple times during baking.  Stuffing should be lightly browned and crisp on top.  Remove from oven and serve warm.

Buffalo Chili

This chili is soooo good!  I found this on Betty Crocker.  Of course I changed it up a bit.  It's supposed to have chicken in it but I omitted that.  And it's supposed to be served with blue cheese on top but I can't think of a good vegan substitute for that one.  Any suggestions?  I guess you could drizzle some of that yummy Ranch Dressing over the top if you wanted to.  I also added 1/2 cup total of barley and millet.  You could add one or the other or leave out completely.  I just wanted mine thicker and not so "soupy".  I also did different tomatoes and added white beans after reading some reviews.  I really liked the flavor though.  It's definitely got some "spice" to it.  Different than the normal chili flavors.  I am not a fan of chicken wings...ever.  I worked in a deli in between college semesters and saw way too many chicken feathers still attached to those suckers.  Never could eat them again.  But I do enjoy the flavors of the sauce.  We had some freshly baked whole wheat bread to go with it.  Very tasty.

Buffalo Chili

1 large onion chopped (about 1 cup)
2 celery sticks, diced (about 1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chilis, undrained
1 (14.5 oz.) can chili ready tomatoes, undrained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups vegetable broth (might need to add up to 2 more cups of broth if you add barley/millet)
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt (I will leave out next time.  Plenty salty for us.)
1/2 cup (total) barley and/or millet, optional
1/4-1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce ( I used Frank's Red Hot sauce)
Garnishes: guacamole, ranch, chips, celery sticks, etc.

Put all ingredients in crock pot except hot sauce and garnishes.  (I read the recipe wrong and put the hot sauce in, too.  Worked fine.  I'll probably do this every time.)  Mix.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  If it seems to be getting too thick add more vegetable broth.  Stir in hot sauce (if you didn't before) and serve.

Bean & Veggie Quesadillas

I'm not sure what to call these.  I cook them like a quesadilla but there isn't any cheese.  Of course you could add some vegan cheese sauce to it and that is delicious, too.  I normally make these as a "quick" or "spur-of-the-moment" meal so I normally don't have the cheese sauce handy.  But occasionally I'm lucky and have leftovers to use.  These are quick and simple and a great meal to make in a hurry.  One of our favorites.  The ones in the picture look a little non colorful.  I thought I had tomatoes but all I found was an empty container.  My kids eat grape tomatoes like they're...well...grapes!  Hard to keep them around!  But you get the idea.  Any of your favorite veggies work.  I usually serve these with salad.

Bean & Veggie Quesadillas

Whole grain tortillas
Refried beans (or leftover Un-Refried Beans which is the BEST)
Chopped veggies:  cucumber, tomato, olives, avocado, corn, onions, peppers, spinach, etc.
"Cheese" sauce
Vegan Ranch Dressing
Salsa
Guacamole

Heat large skillet or griddle.  You can oil or spray the tortillas if desired but I usually skip it.  They still get nice and crispy.  Spread beans over bottom tortilla.  Sprinkle chopped veggies over beans (or optionally, save chopped veggies to sprinkle over top of cooked quesadilla.  I have a few who prefer it one way or the other  in my family.)  Drizzle with ranch dressing and/or salsa (or "cheese" sauce if using) if desired.  Place another tortilla on top.  When bottom is golden brown, flip over and heat other side.  Remove from heat and let sit for just a few minutes.  Cut into sixths (or eighths if using really big tortillas.)  Serve with more ranch/salsa/guacamole for dipping if desired.

Vegan Ranch Dressing & Dip

This is yet another recipe from my friend, Jen, over at Belly Bites.  She's got some good stuff so don't be surprised if I post more. :)  This is such a yummy vegan ranch dressing substitute.  I am a ranch fan all the way.  It is my most favorite dressing ever.  I like it on everything and it makes everything better.  My kids love this, too.  They come running with spoons when I make it.  Yes, it's that good.  One thing I have done to thicken it up without adding more Vegenaise is to add a cup of Sunflower Seed Sour Cream to this recipe (posted below this recipe as well.)  This turns it into a great dip for veggies or if you just want a rich, thick, and creamy dressing.  Either way is good though.  Without the Sunflower Seed Sour Cream is quicker to whip up but if you have some leftover SSSC then this would be a great way to use it up.

Vegan Ranch Dressing & Dip

1 cup Vegenaise (like Mayo)
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1-2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, dill, and chives-chopped (or 1-2 tsp. dried)
1 cup Sunflower Seed Sour Cream, optional

Whisk all ingredients together, except milk, until well combined.  Then slowly add the milk until you get the consistency of dip or dressing you like.  It will thicken some after it's chilled.  Chill and let flavors combine.  Mmmm...

-------------------------------------
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.

Un-Refried Beans

This recipe is from my friend, Mandy.  I've made it so many times now and decided it was time to put it on here to make hunting down the recipe a little easier.  I love these beans!  I could eat them every day.  And I confess, I've never actually mashed them.  We usually just have a cup of them or put them in tortillas for burritos or tacos.  (That's why I'm putting them in the "soup" category as well.)  The flavor is so good and I love the juices.  I haven't ever made them with the jalapeño.  The first time I made them I had everything but the jalapeño but I did have chipotle peppers in adobe sauce (they come in a can) so I substituted with those.  They add a really good smokey flavor.  I always seem to have the chipotle peppers because I only use a small portion out of the can and then freeze the rest.  When I make these beans I just cut off what I need from the frozen leftovers and then finely dice.  And since I was using chipotle peppers I decided to  switch the chili powder with chipotle chili powder.  One of these days I need to make them with the jalapeño!  Sooo good!  And they smell so good cooking all day.  Super simple and super cheap.  The only bad part is we sure don't have many leftovers.  I guess I need a bigger crock pot so we can double the batch!  The last time I made them I used Cranberry Beans!  I'd never seen them before.  They look a lot like pinto beans but with red stripes and some are completely red.  They turned out great and were big and plump.  Thanks for the great recipe, Mandy!

Un-Refried Beans

1 lb. dry pinto beans, picked through and rinsed

1 medium onion, diced

1 jalapeño, diced (or chipotle peppers in adobe sauce)

1 Tbsp. garlic, minced

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder (or chipotle chili powder)

10-15 cranks cracked black pepper (I've never put the black pepper in since the peppers spice it up a lot)

1 tsp. salt 

6 cups water

Place onion, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder and pepper into crockpot.  Add the sorted and rinsed beans and the water.  Stir everything well to distribute seasoning.  Cook on high for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.  After cooking, remove as much water as possible, saving it in a bowl.  Mash the beans {I used my potato masher}, adding in just enough reserved water to get the consistency you want.  Season the mashed beans with salt.  I would start with 1 tsp, taste, and add more if needed.

This recipe ends up making about six cups of refried beans, so I took the leftovers and divided them into two-cup batches in Ziploc freezer bags. Cool completely in refrigerator, then transfer to freezer.  To use the frozen beans, you can just put them in the fridge in the morning and they'll be thawed by dinner.  Or, if you're like me and can't seem to plan that far in advance, you can always put the whole ziploc bag into a bowl of warm water and they thaw in no time.

Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

Another recipe from Oh She Glows.  I love that site.  I almost get overwhelmed whenever I visit it though.  I want to make everything.  I want to print her entire blog.  Too much good stuff over there.  This is one that I saw and had to make.  And I'm not a big tomato soup fan.  Well...not a Campbell's tomato soup fan that is.  But I know everyone else in my family is and I do love roasted tomatoes.  This one just called my name.  I used 3 lbs. of Roma tomatoes.  It was just right.  One thing that wasn't right was her baking times.  Holy smokes!  You should have seen my onions!  Nothing but black rings.  Very sad.  I had to start completely over with the onions.  Good thing they are the fastest!  I'll post the times I used.  I find that with a lot of her recipes.  The oven temp is too hot and/or it's cooked too long.  Maybe it's because she's from Canada? :)  But anyway, this soup was awesome and everyone in my family loved it.  I added croutons on top and it was surprisingly filling.  We had it with salad.  So good!  The baby had a big piece of whole grain bread torn up in his to soak up the juices so he could eat it by himself better but other than that, no additions were made.  Don't leave out the garam masala!  I forgot to reserve my coconut milk for garnish.  But check out her pictures.  Very "pretty" soup.  Mine looks NOTHING like hers.  Guess I blended mine too much.  I'm hoping it tasted the same though!  But regardless...it was delicious!

Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasting vegetables:

3-5 pounds of Roma tomatoes, washed & sliced in half

1 large sweet onion, peeled & sliced

1 large garlic bulb, prepared for roasting

extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, & pepper, for vegetables

Soup:

3 cups roasted tomatoes

2 tbsp roasted garlic flesh (I just used the whole thing)

All of the roasted sweet onion

1 can light coconut milk (reserve 2-3 tbsp for garnish)

3 cups vegetable broth (I used low-sodium)

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp salt or to taste (you may have to reduce amt. if you used full-sodium broth)

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For garnish: garlic croutons, coconut milk, pesto, herbs, garam masala, pepper, etc.

1. Preheat oven to 400F and line 2 baking sheets with tin foil (note that parchment paper will burn). Grab a small casserole dish to place the garlic in. For how to prepare the garlic, see this tutorial. Lightly drizzle on EVOO onto onions and season onions and tomatoes with S & P. Place onions on one baking sheet and the tomatoes on the other.  Roast for about 10-15 minutes and then check on the vegetables. The onions will most likely be done as they cook the quickest. When the onions are golden and lightly blackened on the edge, you can remove them. Continue roasting the tomatoes and the garlic for about 30-45 minutes or so. The tomatoes might take just a little longer than the garlic.  Your oven times will vary though, so keep an eye on them.

2. Add 3 cups roasted tomatoes, 2 tbsp roasted garlic flesh, and all the onion into a large pot. Add coconut milk, tomato paste, and broth and stir well.

3. Stir in the seasonings and spices to taste. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

4. Carefully transfer into a blender, processor, or use an immersion blender. Pulse for just a few seconds until chunky. You can also make it smooth, but I liked the texture. Serve immediately and garnish with reserved coconut milk, a sprinkle of garam masala, croutons/bread, and fresh black pepper.

Yield:  6 cups

Carrot Cake Oats

I tried a new variation with our oats today.  I cooked the oats as usual (just regular old fashioned oats today) with raisins (I like to cook my raisins so they're nice and soft and plump) then dished it out into individual bowls.  I added 1/2 of a very finely shredded carrot to each bowl, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, and plenty of cinnamon.  Top it off with some almond milk and that's it!  It was really tasty!  All five kids inhaled it.  What a great start to their day!  You can sweeten it with your choice of sweetener if desired.  We don't put anything on ours.  Those carrots really sweeten it up!  In the recipe I put amounts for one individual serving.  Feel free to add more or less of anything.  These are just estimates.

Carrot Cake Oats

1/2 cup dry, old-fashioned oats (or 1 serving steel cut oats, etc.)
2 Tbsp. raisins
1/2 carrot, finely shredded
2 Tbsp. shredded coconut
1 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
cinnamon
almond milk

Cook oats with raisins as directed on package.  When done, stir in shredded carrots, coconut, walnuts and cinnamon.  Top with almond milk.

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheeze

Wow...wow...WOW!  This one you've got to try!  Please!  So creamy and cheesy!  And it's gluten and nut free (depending on the pasta you use.)  I saw this on one of my most favorite food blogs ever and knew I had to make it.  I zipped over to Sprouts as soon as I could to get a few ingredients I was missing and boy was it worth it.  I like this even better than my other favorite Mac & Cheese recipe.  Plus this one is virtually fat free!  I roasted my squash without any oil and the recipe does call for 1 Tbsp. non-dairy butter replacer but really I don't think you need it at all due to the way you make the sauce.  If you just whisk the flour into the milk while it's cold and then pour it into the saucepan then you don't need any extra added fats at all!  Cool!  


She also peels and cubes her squash before she bakes it but I find it's quicker and easier to just cut in half, scoop out the seeds, place cut side down in a baking dish with a little water and bake at 350 degrees for 45 min to an hour.  It practically falls out of the skin when it's done.  Much easier than peeling.  Another thing I always do when I'm roasting a butternut squash is to double it up and roast TWO at the same time.  If I have the oven on that long I might as well make good use of it!  I puree up the extras and freeze it in ice cube trays (like baby food) and then keep them in the freezer to throw in smoothies, soups, and now...to have on hand for even QUICKER Butternut Squash Mac & Cheeze!  Throw a cup of those into the cooking sauce and you're set!  My cheese sauce was very saucy but I added more squash than called for.  Probably an extra 1/2-1 cup.  So if you want it saucier add more squash.  It thickens as it sets.


I used the most beautiful green mustard greens instead of kale this time.  Any greens will do.  Spinach, collards, you name it.  I just halved the big leaves, stacked them all up, rolled them and then thinly sliced the roll (cinnamon roll style).  No need to cook or saute just throw them into the warm mac & cheese and they soften right up.  I doubled this recipe for my family of seven and we burned through it.  I'm posting the recipe with my changes.  If you want to see how the Glow Girl bakes her squash and makes hers go here.

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

1 fresh butternut squash (you will only use 1 cup cooked squash for this recipe-can also use frozen cubes or canned squash)

1 tbsp Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter replacer), optional

1 cup unsweetened & unflavoured almond milk (or use rice or hemp milk if nut-free)

1 tbsp flour (or arrowroot powder or cornstarch)

5 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp kosher salt (or to taste) & ground black pepper, to taste

4 servings brown rice macaroni (8oz or half a 16oz package) makes 3 1/4 cup cooked

Mix-ins of choice (e.g., kale, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, broccoli, peas, pumpkin seeds, etc)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Cut butternut squash in half.  Scoop out seeds with spoon.  Place cut side down in a casserole dish (or 9x13 pan.)  Add about 1/4-1/2 inch of water.  No need to cover with foil.  Bake for 45-60 min.  Test thick part for doneness.  If fork goes through easily then it's done.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the cheeze sauce in a pot on the stove top. Add Earth balance over low-medium heat.  (Or omit this step altogether.)   In a bowl, whisk together milk and flour (or arrowroot powder or flour) until clumps are gone. Add into pot and whisk. Stir in remaining ingredients (nutritional yeast, Dijon, garlic, S & P) and whisk over low heat until thickened (about 5-7 minutes or so).

3. Cook your pasta according to package directions. The sauce makes enough to cover 4 servings of pasta.

4. In a blender, blend the sauce with 1 cup of roasted squash (or if using canned or frozen cubes, simply stir 1 cup into the pot).

5. Add cooked, drained, and rinsed macaroni into pot, along with cheeze sauce & mix-ins. Heat and serve.

Yield:  4 servings or 1.5 cups of cheeze sauce

Note:  A 3.5 pound squash makes about 5 cups cooked squash.  So you should have about 4 cups leftover.

Peaches-N-Cream Oatmeal

Lately we've been having our oatmeal like this a lot.  It's so yummy!  I especially love it with steel cut oats but regular oats are good, too.  In fact we've tried the peaches with cold oats as well and they taste yummy, too.  We use one of the large cans of peaches for our family.  Plenty of peach bites for everyone.  Make sure you get the peaches canned in juice, not syrup.

Peaches-N-Cream Oatmeal
steel cut oats
canned peaches, diced
shredded coconut
chia seeds (I use a little over a teaspoon per person.)
cinnamon
almond milk (or your favorite milk)

Cook oats as directed.  Stir in diced peaches, coconut, chia seeds, and cinnamon.  Dish into individual bowls and pour milk over top.  Can sweeten if desired but we rarely sweeten our oats.  The fruit does the job nicely!

Broccoli "Cheese" Soup

I've just updated this recipe with a "cheesy" version!  More like Broccoli Cheese Soup...only it's non-dairy!  It's super delicious and very creamy.  Give it a try!  I forgot how delicious this soup is.  Mmmm...

Click on the picture below to take you to the recipe:

Tropical Muffins

We had these for breakfast this morning and they were so good!  Very moist and delicious.  I adapted the recipe from this "regular" recipe which called for a lot more bananas.  I only had one and it worked great and I could really taste it.  I did add the entire can of pineapple so I'm sure that helped make up for the moisture.  It also called for 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of oil!  Yikes!  I reduced the sugar to 1/2 c. brown sugar and they were still very sweet for us.  With all of that pineapple and banana in there, they are naturally sweet.  I reduced the oil to 1/4 cup but I think it could definitely be omitted entirely next time.  And I used 3 flax "eggs" instead of the 3 regular eggs the recipe called for.  I also used 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups of spelt flour instead of the all-purpose flour called for in the original recipe.  Oh...and I added coconut.  So if you want to follow the original recipe then click on the link above.  I'm going to post the recipe with the changes I made.

Tropical Muffins

3 Tbsp. ground flax
9 Tbsp. hot water
1-2 bananas, mashed
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1/4 cup oil (optional)
3 cups flour (I used 1/2 spelt and 1/2 white wheat.  You could also use all wheat.)
1/2 cup brown sugar (or less depending on how sweet you want them)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Whisk ground flax with hot water and set aside.  In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, nuts, coconut, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  In separate bowl stir flax "egg" mixture, banana(s), pineapple + juices, and oil until blended.  Add all at once to dry ingredients; stir just until moistened.  Make sure you don't mix the wet and dry together too much.  That's the key to a good muffin!  Spoon into greased muffin cups filling two-thirds full.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until tops are firm to the touch.

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

Texas Coleslaw

Here's another great salad we had tonight.  This recipe came from the Betty Crocker website.  It was really good!  And there's no mayo in it.  It still is creamy and saucy and has a nice twist with the cumin and lime.  The only changes I made were to use one red pepper diced and 2 cups frozen corn, cooked and then cooled with cold water, instead of the two cans of Green Giant Mexicorn.  Lots of color and flavor!  We had this with open-faced Black Bean Burgers and it was perfect!

Texas Coleslaw

1 bag (16 ounces) coleslaw mix
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cans (11 ounces each) Green Giant® Mexicorn® whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
(or 2 cups frozen corn, cooked and then cooled in cold water and 1 red pepper, diced)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or olive oil)
3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Toss coleslaw mix, cilantro and corn in very large (4-quart) bowl. Place oil, lime juice, cumin and salt in tightly covered container; shake well. Pour over coleslaw mixture; toss.

Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to blend flavors.

Makes 16 servings (1/2 cup each)

Variation

If your family likes foods hot and spicy, add 1 jalapeño chili, seeded and finely chopped, to the coleslaw mixture.

Did You Know...

Mysteriously, coleslaw always seems to shrink in the refrigerator! This version also shrinks a bit in the fridge, and as is typical with vinaigrette-based slaws, some of the cabbage pieces become translucent during storage.

Italian Pasta Salad with Tomato Basil Artichoke Dressing

Last night I had a jar of marinated artichoke hearts that were needing to be used so I invented this little keeper.  I normally don't buy the marinated artichokes but somehow I guess I grabbed the wrong thing during one of my shopping trips.  It turned out so yummy and creamy and full of flavor.  I added lots of fresh basil from my garden.  Sooo delicious!  The fresh garlic does add a bit of "spice" to this so if you want a little less kick you might want to use the minced garlic you can buy in jars.  I'm sure this would be just as good with regular artichoke hearts instead of the marinated ones as well.  They get all blended up anyway.  I served this over a pile of spinach leaves.  Great summer salad!

Italian Pasta Salad with Tomato Basil Artichoke Dressing

1 (16 oz.) package Penne Rigate pasta
1 (12 oz.) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained
Fresh basil-about 8-10 leaves for sauce and 8-10 for salad, chopped
1 large clove of garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 large vine ripened tomatoes, dice one and set the other aside
1 large cucumber, diced
1 can olived, sliced
Pepper to taste (and salt if you want.  I didn't add any.)

Cook pasta according to directions on package.  Cool.  (I soak mine in the pot with lots of ice and cold water if I'm in a hurry.  Just drain off when ice cold.) 

In a food processor, combine artichoke hearts, garlic, about 10 basil leaves, and a large tomato (not the diced one.  That goes in the salad.)  Blend until smooth and creamy.  While machine is running drizzle in olive oil.

In a large bowl combine pasta, olives, cucumber, diced tomatoes, and chopped basil.  Pour artichoke sauce over top and mix well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve cold.

Black Bean Taco Salad With Lime Vinaigrette

This is really good.  I love the vinaigrette with it.  I was all ready to make this and went to get my green pepper and it had gone bad.  Bummer.  So I substituted a large zucchini and it was great!  I'm sure a green pepper in there would be great, too, but now that I've had it with zucchini I think it will always have to be in there.  I also added a small avocado to the vinaigrette which made it very creamy.  You could omit this or chop it up and mix it with the salad instead or leave it out entirely.  I served this salad over greens in my baked taco salad bowls and dinner was a big hit!  You could also serve it in soft tortillas, as a filling for pita bread, or as a salad with crushed tortilla chips on top.

Black Bean Taco Salad With Lime Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup chopped tomato

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon grated lime peel

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 small avocado, optional

Salad

1 cup chopped tomato

1 large zucchini, chopped (and/or 1 cup chopped green pepper)

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1 cup frozen corn, partially cooked, rinsed with cold water and drained

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

lettuce greens, torn into bite-sized pieces or shredded

crushed tortilla chips, optional

-To prepare vinaigrette: combine first 11 ingredients in a blender or food processor, process until smooth.  Add avocado if desired.

-To prepare salad: combine all chopped veggies except lettuce.  Pour vinaigrette over top and toss well to coat.  

-Serve on a bed of lettuce greens.  Top with crushed tortilla chips if desired.  Also great in soft tortillas, taco salad bowls, or as a filling for pita bread.

Baked Taco Salad Bowls

These couldn't be easier and they are very crunchy and much healthier than the fried variety.  I use smaller tortillas, probably around 8", because they are more kid sized but you can use 10" or bigger as well.  Six 8" tortillas fit just right on my big sheet cake pan.  You might have to cook fewer at a time depending on how big your tortillas are and how big your molds are.  I use little ceramic ramekins turned upside down for my molds.  You can also use empty metal cans or oven safe glass bowls.  These can be cooked in advance and stored in an airtight container after they have cooled completely.

Baked Taco Salad Bowls

Whole wheat flour tortillas
cooking spray
salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place up to 6 tortillas between damp paper towels on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 30-45 seconds, until steamed.  Arrange 6 empty metal cans or mold of your choice on a large sheet cake pan.  Drape steamed tortillas over molds and press sides down to form folds.  Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt if desired.

Bake taco salad bowls in 425 degree oven for 7 minutes.  Remove taco bowls from forms and turn right side up on baking sheet.  Place back in oven for about 3 minutes.  Let cool on rack.  Repeat until desired amount of bowls have been baked.

Cauliflower and Zucchini Hash over Israeli Couscous

This is a variation of a recipe I found in my June 2011 Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  I don't know if you could really even call it a variation because it was quite the variation.  If you have the magazine you might recognize it by the fact that it has Israeli Couscous and zucchini in it and that's about it.  It was more of an "inspiration" I guess.  Their recipe had zucchini and mangoes and was totally different.  Ha.  But this "variation" was soooo good!  (How many times can I say variation in one post?  That is the question!)  I love the big Israeli Couscous.  It has the best chewiness and texture.  Very fun.  Did you know couscous is actually a pasta?  I found mine in the bulk bins at our new Super Kroger.  I had actually already bought some before I even found this recipe because it looked so good.  I just had to try it.  I used my food processor to chop up my veggies and that saved a lot of time.  The pink things in the picture are grapefruit slices.  We all looove grapefruit and I have to say it was super yummy with this dinner.

Cauliflower and Zucchini Hash over Israeli Couscous

1 head cauliflower, finely chopped
2-3 zucchinis, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili pepper seasoning (this does add a lot of heat so you might want to start with less)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
juice of 1 lime
salt & pepper to taste
sliced avocado
2 cups large Israeli Couscous
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 1/2 cups water or broth (I used vegetable broth.  Gives it a really good flavor.)

In large saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil.  Add the couscous to the pan and sauté for about three minutes or until lightly toasted. Stir in water or vegetable broth.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for eight to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile,  sauté chopped zucchini, cauliflower, onion and garlic until tender crisp.  Add broth or water as needed.  Squeeze juice of 1 lime over top.  Add chipotle seasoning, salt & pepper to taste.  Serve warm over warm Israeli Couscous with sliced avocado on top.

Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

I love Spring Rolls.  So fresh and great for summer since you don't need to heat anything up!  And since we've been in the upper 90s all week that is a very good thing!  Plus they are so versatile.  You can load them up with whatever you like.  Make sure you get the rice papers and not the egg roll wrappers.  Egg roll wrappers are usually fried or baked after rolling while the rice paper for spring rolls is just soaked for a few seconds in hot water to get it soft and pliable.  No need to bake or fry.  Make as many or as few as you'd like.  Just prepare enough veggies accordingly.  Spring Roll Wrappers last indefinitely in their dry state so you can use what you need and save the rest for later.  I got the peanut sauce recipe from my sister, Kirsten.  Enjoy!

Spring Rolls

Spring Roll Wrappers (Rice Paper)
1 block firm or extra-firm Tofu, pressed and then cut into thin strips
1-2 Tbsp. soy sauce
Greens:  spinach, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, Napa cabbage, etc. -washed, dried, and torn into strips
Herbs:  fresh cilantro leaves, fresh basil leaves, fresh mint leaves-washed, dried and coarsely chopped
Veggies:  Carrots, cucumber, snow peas, mushrooms, bean sprouts, broccoli slaw, red onion, green onions, etc. -cut in very this strips (except snow peas which I just leave whole.)


-Press tofu to remove moisture.  Cut into thin strips.  You can optionally pan fry the tofu (and then sprinkle with soy sauce) to get a crispy outside but I usually skip this.  Sprinkle with soy sauce and set aside.  


-Fill a pie plate or wide bowl with hot water. Immerse rice paper in warm water for a few seconds to soften them up just until soft but still flexible (work with one rice paper at a time, being gentle as they break easily when brittle). Remove from water and place rice paper on a kitchen towel and let rest approximately 30 seconds until it's more pliable.  


-Arrange greens, herbs, veggies and tofu on bottom 1/3 of rice paper.  Make sure the ingredients are evenly spread out from one end to the other.   


-Pressing down on the filling with your fingers (pressing down on the ingredients is particularly important because it tightens the roll), fold the bottom end of the sheet (side nearest you) over the top of the fillings and roll into a cylindrical shape halfway.


-Fold the left and right sides inward and complete rolling the remaining half (If rice paper is too dry to seal, moisten unsealed edges with a little more hot water). Transfer summer roll to a plate, seam-side down, and cover with dampened paper towels. Make additional roll in the same manner.

-To serve, halve rolls on the diagonal and place the rolls upright on your serving platter. Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.  For an appetizer, serve one or two halves per person. As a main course, serve at least six halves per person.  

Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup sweetener (whatever you like to use-sugar, honey, agave, etc.)  You might not need all the sweetener so start with half the amount and then add as desired.
1/4 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy work, I kind of like crunchy for the added crunch)
3 tbs soy sauce
5 tbs water
3 tbs cooking oil
1 or 2 cloves freshly pressed garlic cloves


In a small saucepan combine sauce ingredients, heat and stir until dissolved.

Zucchini Crumb Muffins

My kids were asking for doughnuts one Saturday morning.  I made these instead and you know what?  They were just as happy!  Seriously!  Even though they had zucchini in them and the only sugar in them is in the crumb topping.  They loved them.  The muffins themselves are only sweetened with the one mashed banana so if you think you'd like something a little sweeter you could always add 1/4 cup of your favorite sweetener: brown sugar, agave, honey, sugar, maple syrup, etc.  You could also add 1/2 tsp. salt if that's what you like.  For the crumb topping I didn't really use a recipe.  I just mixed until it was nice and crumbly.  I think this is pretty close to the proportions I used.  You just want it to be crumbly.  This recipe made 24 muffins.

Zucchini Crumb Muffins

3 Tbsp. ground flax
9 Tbsp. HOT water
2 cups shredded zucchini, packed
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
3 cups whole wheat flour

Crumb Topping:
4 Tbsp. Earth Balance, softened
3-4 Tbsp. flour
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. wheat germ
1 tsp. cinnamon

Whisk ground flax with HOT water and set aside.  Mix applesauce, banana, and zucchini.  Add flax mixture.  Mix well.  Add vanilla.  Combine flour, soda, baking powder and spices in separate bowl.  Stir into zucchini mixture.  Spoon batter into muffin cups.  Sprinkle a spoonful of crumb topping onto each muffin and very lightly press into muffin.  Bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes.  Muffins will be very moist but a toothpick inserted in middle should be clean when they are done.