Italian Meatless Meatloaf Muffins

I was on a muffin kick and made these for dinner after I made the Banana Chocolate Chip Millet Muffins.  I can't remember if I saw these on Jen's blog or not.  I couldn't find them but I have had them bookmarked on Peas and Thank You for awhile now.  Finally made them and...WOW!  These will be made again and again...and again.  The flavor is awesome.  The texture is "meaty".  And they are even great warmed up for leftovers the next day.  In fact, my two school boys brought them for lunches and ate them cold and said they were great!  Yeah!  New lunch option!  I made a double batch and it made 28 or so.  These would be even more economical if you use your own cooked pinto beans from scratch.  Cheaper than using canned beans.  I had to use 4 cans of beans for my double recipe.  So good though!

Italian Meatless Meatloaf Muffins

Ingredients

1/2 cup marinara sauce, jarred or homemade, divided

1/4 c. flax seed, ground

Two 14 oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 of a large onion, chopped

3/4 c. oats

1 t. minced garlic

1T. Worcestershire sauce

2 t. olive oil

2 T. nutritional yeast

1/2 t. dried oregano

1 t. dried parsley

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. cracked black pepper

One 5 oz. can of sliced olives (optional)

Instructions

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

-In a small bowl, combine 1/4 c. of the marinara sauce and the ground flax. Stir to combine and set aside to thicken.

-In a large bowl, mash pinto beans with a fork or potato masher.  Do not over mash, we aren’t looking for refried beans, but a nice chunky texture.

-Add onion, oats, garlic, Worcestershire, olive oil, nutritional yeast, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.

-Add in marinara flax mixture and stir until fully incorporated.

-Scoop bean mixture into a muffin tin that has been lightly greased or sprayed with cooking spray.

-Bake for 15-17 minutes, until edges are starting to brown. Top each muffin with a spoonful of marinara and a few sliced olives.

-Return to oven for another 10-12 minutes, until muffins are firm and set.

-Allow muffins to cool for several minutes, as they will firm up even more, before serving.

12 Muffins - Serves 4

Banana Chocolate Chip Millet Muffins

These are reeeeeally good muffins.  I found them on Jen's blog, of course.  And she found them on Peas and Thank You which is one of my favorite food blogs.  So of course they had to be good!  And they were!  I loved the millet in them.  Slightly crunchy.  Yum!  I made a double batch and sent them with my 4th grader, Austin, for his school snack.  He had his state testing this week and all the kids were supposed to bring snacks to keep them "fueled".  So while all of his friends were munching on bags of chips, Twizzlers, and cookies, he brought these yummy muffins, carrot sticks, and air popped popcorn.  He was perfectly happy with his snacks and I'm pretty sure his "fuel" was the good stuff. ;)

*Do you like my Valentine liners?  I always buy them after the holidays when they are all on clearance.  You can get some great prices if you don't mind using holiday themes. :)

Banana Chocolate Chip Millet Muffins

2/3 cup millet

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 bananas, mashed

1/2 cup organic brown sugar (maple syrup or coconut sugar)

2 tablespoons canola oil (i use coconut oil)

1/2 cup non-dairy or organic milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup non-dairy or organic chocolate chips

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

-Measure your millet into a food processor, spice mill or high speed blender and pulse into a fine texture.

-Pour into a large bowl and add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

-Mash bananas, and add to oil, milk, brown sugar and vanilla.

-Fold the wet ingredients into the dry.

-Spoon the batter into the lined muffin cups and top with banana slices.

-Bake 17-19 minutes.

Peachy Banana Orange Topping

Here's another pancake/waffle topping I whipped up a few days ago.  It's similar to our favorite banana-orange topping that we love to make.  I was going to make that this time but discovered I was out of frozen orange juice concentrate.  So this recipe was born.  It was fantastic!

Peachy Banana Orange Topping

1 (13 oz.) can peaches in 100% juice, drained
2 oranges, peeled
1 banana
1 tsp. vanilla

Throw all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  Heat up on stove optionally.  Pour over warm waffles or pancakes and enjoy!

Southwestern Spaghetti Squash

My friend, Amy, posted this recipe on her blog and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to make it.  What a delicious and different way to eat spaghetti squash!  I happened to have one just waiting to be used and made this up that very day.  I highly recommend trying this recipe!  My whole family loved it!  I did do a few things differently.  I left out the cheese and I upped a few of the spices and garlic.  And of course I substituted chipotle peppers in adobe sauce for the jalapeno...because that's what I do, and that's what I like.  It seemed a little dry so I added a bit of vegetable broth I had open in my fridge.  You could add a little water or even salsa, I think, if yours seems a little dry.  Sooo good!  To serve, I just cut each half into thirds for our family and we had our own shell to scoop out of.

Southwestern Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash

2 TBSP olive oil

1/2 medium red or yellow onion, chopped

1 red or green bell pepper, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 small jalapeno, minced, remove seeds for less heat (or chipotle peppers in adobe sauce)

1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 Tbsp. cumin

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

1/2 tsp oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it)

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Juice from 1 lime

Preheat oven to 375°. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Lightly brush the inside with olive oil and sprinkle each half with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet and roast for 60-70 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Over medium high heat, heat oil in a medium pan. Sauté onion and bell pepper until soft. About two minutes. Add in garlic and jalapeno and stir so not to burn. Stir in beans, corn, tomatoes and spices. Remove from heat.  Add chopped cilantro, reserving a bit for garnish.  Squeeze in the lime juice and give one last stir.

Using a fork, scrap out most of "spaghetti" from squash. Don't remove too much because you want your shells to still be sturdy. Add to the pan and stir to combine. Scoop filling into each half of the scooped out shells.  Garnish with cilantro.

Soft Pretzels

My friend, Becca, posted this recipe on her blog and it looked delicious so I made them that day.  The lady who's recipe she linked to says she makes them for after school snacks.  They only have to rise for 30 min.  Whip up a batch, let is rise while you pick up the kids, and then when they get home they can roll them out.  Bake them up and they have fresh, warm, soft pretzels in minutes.  I tried it out that day and they were great!  I had less than a cup of white flour so I just made them with white wheat flour and they worked perfectly.  I'll definitely always make them like this.  The only thing we weren't prepared for was the salt level!  I didn't think I put that much salt on the outside but we all had to scrape it off.  If I know I'm going to put salt on the outside, I think I'll leave out the salt in the dough.  You can also top them with cinnamon sugar, garlic salt, etc.


*If anyone has used or saved this recipe, I just wanted to let you know that the recipe I copied it from listed baking powder instead of baking soda under the topping ingredients.  I have changed the recipe to the correct baking SODA!  Whew!  That could really make a big difference!  lol

Soft Pretzels

Dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
7/8 to 1 cup warm water
3 Tablespoons butter, melted

Topping:
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tablespoons baking soda
2 Tablespoons melted butter
coarse salt or cinnamon & sugar

Directions:

Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl and beat until well combined. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, until it is soft, smooth, and quite slack. Lightly flour the dough and place it in a plastic bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 450°F. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved; if it isn't, it will make your pretzels splotchy.

Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28 to 30 inches long), and twist each rope into a pretzel. Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they're golden brown (only took 7 minutes in my oven). I only bake one baking sheet at a time and let the other rest while the first is in the oven.

Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Then sprinkle on the kosher salt or cinnamon & sugar! And Enjoy!

Makes 6-8 pretzels

Herbed Edamame, Black Bean, and Quinoa Salad

My sister, Heather, posted this on our other food blog and as soon as I saw it I knew I had to try it.  I had everything in my fridge to make it that day.  I did have to substitute baby spinach for the spring greens, which would have added a lot more color.  It also calls for 2 oz. (about 1/2 cup) feta cheese but we left that out.  I definitely doubled this recipe for my family.  We had it as our main dish.  The flavors were so fresh and it was a hit!  Love that bright green edamame!  Talk about a high protein salad!  Quinoa, black beans, AND edamame!  Wow!  I just thought I'd post it over here for people looking for a good vegan salad.  Just leave out the feta and you're set!  Delicious!  Thanks, Heather!

Herbed Edamame, Black Bean, and Quinoa Salad

1 1/3 cup water

2/3 cup uncooked pre-rinsed quinoa

1/2 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed, drained

1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed

2 cups loosely packed spring greens coarsely chopped

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

2 Tbsp. lemon juice 

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3/4 tsp. dried, crumbled oregano

1/8 tsp. dried, crushed rosemary

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp. salt

2 oz. reduced fat crumbled feta cheese (about 1/2 cup)

In medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat.  Stir in the quinoa.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 8 minutes.

Stir in the beans and edamame.  Cook, covered, for 2 minutes, or until the water is evaporated.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients except the feta cheese.  Add the quinoa mixture and the feta, tossing until the spring greens are wilted.

Serves 4

Here's Heather's picture.  As you can see, much more colorful with Spring Greens!

Green Bean Casserole

For some reason green bean casserole sounded good to me a few weeks ago.  I think I've made it the "old" way (cream of mushroom soup and all) maybe a couple times...in my life!  It's not that I don't like it, I just never even think to make it.  It's probably because it is not one of my family's "traditional" side dishes.  But anyway, it sounded good and it turned out delicious!  Best green bean casserole I've ever had!  Of course you can leave off the French fried onions on top and it would be much healthier for you.  Sprinkle some slivered or sliced almonds or even bread crumbs on top and I think that would be delicious!

Green Bean Casserole

1 cup French fried onions
1 (16 oz.) package mushrooms, diced
1-2 tsp. garlic, minced
3 cans green beans, drained
2 Tbsp. non-dairy butter or oil
5 Tbsp. flour
2 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce, optional
salt & pepper to taste

Saute garlic in butter or oil.  Whisk in flour and stir for about a minute.  Add milk and stir with whisk.  Add garlic powder, salt & pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.  Continute stirring until mixture comes to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Stir in mushrooms, half of French fried onions, and green beans.  Pour into a casserole dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Sprinkle remaining French fried onions (or other topping) evenly over top and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until onions are golden brown.

Beanballs with Tomato-Balsamic Gravy & Mashed Potatoes

I have tons of pictures of food I've taken of different meals I've made all saved up on my computer.  Just trying to get my folder cleaned up and some recipes posted.  This one, for instance, is one of them.  These were so good!  I went to make them this morning (I'm making several freezer meals to have on hand when I need something quick and easy...and still healthy!) and found out I've never posted them.  This recipe is from Jen.  HERE is her recipe.  She makes them with THESE beanballs (also her recipe) but I always use my favorite bean burger recipe HERE.  I don't always have vital wheat gluten on hand and these just have the best flavor.  Mmmm...love them.  This is one "meat"ball that I even love to eat "raw".  I double the batch and it makes TONS.  Throw the extras in the freezer for another meal.  Use either recipe or your favorite beanball recipe. :)  The tomato-balsamic gravy is super yummy over the meatballs and mashed potatoes.  Mmmm....Thanks for the great recipe, Jen!

Beanballs with Tomato-Balsamic Gravy & Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes

1-2 red potatoes per person, cut in chunks
2 cloves of garlic
1-2 tablespoon vegan butter

Put potatoes into a pot and cover with water - and then some, add the garlic cloves and bring to boil. Once potatoes are tender, drain water, and mash potatoes - adding vegan butter. Add sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Beanballs

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 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.

*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.

Tomato-Balsamic Gravy

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pints grape tomatoes or 3-5 large ripe tomatoes, diced in large chunks
Extra-virgin olive oil spray
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
2 tablespoons vegan butter
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 to 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth


Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Toss the grape tomatoes and onion slices onto a baking sheet along with a spray of EVOO spray, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the tray of veggies in and roast until the onions are caramelized and the tomatoes have burst open, about 15 minutes.

While the tomatoes and onion are roasting away, get the roux started: Melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter, cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the balsamic and broth to the pan, whisking to incorporate. Cook until thickened, then remove it from the heat and reserve.

Add the roasted tomatoes and onion to the sauce and break up the veggies with a potato masher (I usually just pulse it in the blender, Shayne and the kids don't like chunks). Serve a  side of mashed potatoes and a handful of beanballs per person with a hearty ladle of the tomato balsamic gravy.

Enchilada Sauce

This is a really good enchilada sauce recipe.  I think it's very similar to store bought varieties and I'm pretty picky about my enchilada sauce.  It's quick and easy and you can adjust the "spice" level to your personal preference.  I usually use 2 Tbsp. of chili powder if I want all 5 of my kids to eat the dinner.  Otherwise I think 3 would be more what I would prefer.  I love that you don't have to worry about any preservatives, high sodium, or MSG.  It is slightly thicker than the canned variety but you can easily thin it out with a bit more water.  I kind of like it just like it is because it makes my recipes seem "creamier".  When I was looking at recipes online I combined a few but I was surprised at how many called for self-rising flour to be used.  You can also use whole wheat flour.  

Enchilada Sauce

2 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. flour (whole wheat flour works, too)
1 large garlic clove, minced
2-4 Tbsp. chili powder
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water (add more as it cooks if it seems too thick)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2-1 tsp. salt, to taste

Heat oil in sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Stir in minced garlic.  Add flour and chili powder.  Reduce heat to medium and cook until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent flour from burning.

Stir in tomato sauce, water, cumin, garlic powder and onion powder.  Continue cooking over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.  Season to taste with salt.

**Great with the Enchilada Skillet Bake or your favorite Enchilada recipe.

Check Your Nuts!

OK, so I'm going to post this on here just for "fun".  It's really not fun and quite gross...so gross that I couldn't even take a picture when it happened but kind of wish I would have now that a few weeks have passed.  

At the beginning of January my mom and both of my in-laws came for our son's baptism.  It was wonderful to have them and of course there was lots of food involved.  My mom came with instructions from my sister to "find out all my vegan cooking secrets".  So I decided to make some of my favorite recipes from different categories.  I made the Smoky Southwest Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie, the Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese, some Un-refried Beans, to name a few.  I also wanted to make the Raw Cashew Dreamcake for them.  

I got out my bag of cashews that I keep in the freezer.  I buy them in bulk and keep them in the freezer to make them last longer.  I scooped out one and a half cups to soak overnight.  As I was getting ready to pour them into my bowl I saw something on top that I thought was maybe a nut shell!  Yikes!  Didn't want anyone to break their tooth.  At the same time, I don't think I've ever seen a cashew shell still in the nuts like this.  I picked it out and investigated a little more closely.  And then I screamed...internally of course...but it was loud. I knew EXACTLY what it was...and it was not a shell.  It. Was. A. FINGERNAIL!  A very long fingernail.  Over a ¼ inch long.  My fingernails barely have white showing.  Not long at all.  It was NOT mine.  Okay, I feel like gagging all over again.  I thought I was over it but apparently not.

I looked around.  Nobody saw what I just saw and apparently I was able to keep my internal scream truly to myself.  I thought, “I guess I could still use them.  No, I can’t.  This is a “raw” recipe and I would never enjoy it.  Even if it was cooked I’d always know.  Maybe I’ll just scoop out a new cup.  No.  That fingernail could have rolled all over them all.”  I ran to the freezer hoping I had another sack.  I did!  Hallelujah!  And these were bought at a completely different time.  Safe.  I set the fingernail...and the "contaminated" bag of cashews…aside.  I couldn’t tell anyone yet.  I really wanted them to try and to like this wonderful recipe!  I mean, it's one of my recipes with the most hits on here!  I kept sneaking glances at it.  It was like a huge wild creature sitting in my window sill.

We ate the Raw Cashew Dreamcake.  It was dreamy and everyone liked it (although I have to admit, I didn’t enjoy it like I normally would have.)  And then I showed Tory and my mom what I found.  They were all very glad I used cashews out of a different batch.  My mom and I returned them on our way to the movie that night.  I brought the fingernail all bagged up in a plastic bag and showed them.  They said I could get a new fresh bag full.  I asked how much was in the sack I was returning so I could get the same amount…and not too much.  They said, “Take as much as you like.”  They said something about how it looked like it had been from the factory and not just an old lady grabbing handfuls out of the bulk bins.  It was very clean and shiny.  I didn’t really want to hear that.  It’s gross no matter whose finger it broke off of or how clean and shiny it was.   I took my bag of fresh cashews and left the fingernail with them.

So that’s my exciting and oh so gross story.  I am just soooo thankful the fingernail was sitting on TOP of my cup of cashews, that I NOTICED it, and that it didn’t just get all blended up with my cashew cream.  We could have eaten ground up fingernail!!  And I will never look at those bulk bins the same.  Check your nuts people…check your nuts! (And any other bulk bin products!)  But please, keep making the Raw Cashew Dreamcake!  Don't let this scare you!  Just be glad it was me and not you and that I just lowered the odds of you finding one...ever.

Fresh Ginger Pumpkin Bread

This is another recipe I got from the Blendtec email list.  I knew I had to try it as soon as I saw it.  So easy!  I love that it uses fresh ginger AND a big ol' apple!  It is all made right in your blender so if you don't have a high speed blender just blend your apple and ginger with the liquids in your blender and then make the bread in a mixer like you would any other bread.  The bread was really moist and has the best flavor!  I was pleasantly surprised!  I baked it in 3 small loaf pans instead of one large.  I'm just going to post the recipe as it came.  It's got specific directions for the Blendtec blender but you can adapt it to your own.

Fresh Ginger Pumpkin Bread

1/4 cup almond or soy milk
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
3/4 cup sucanat (or brown sugar, etc.)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 medium apple, cored and seeded
1 Tbsp. ginger root, peeled
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 2/3 whole wheat pastry flour (I just used my fresh ground hard white wheat flour)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Add first 8 ingredients to WildSide blender jar and secure lid.  Press "speed up" to speed 5 and allow full cycle to run.  Add the remaining ingredients and secure lid.  Press "pulse" 6-8 times to incorporate dry ingredients.  Using a spatula, scrape down sides of jar and add batter to a greased 8"x4" loaf pan (or three small loaf pans).  Bake for 40-45 minutes (less for smaller loaves) until done.

Curried Coconut Squash Soup

Surprise! Another soup recipe!  And it's a good one.  But then again, I love all the recipes on here.  This one is very different than my other Butternut Squash Soup.  I got this recipe from the Blendtec email list I joined.  They send some fabulous recipes each week.  You don't have to have a Blendtec to get the recipes.  But anyway, as usual, I changed it up to make it perfect for us.  Basically I just added 1/2 cup millet and 1/2 cup red lentils and onion.  That's it.  Makes it much more filling and stretches much further for our big family.  We never have leftovers with this.  Too bad.  I like to blend about 2/3 of it and leave the rest "chunky".  I made this last night and it was ready in just 25 minutes.  The last time I made this Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese I roasted 3 butternut squash at the same time.  I divided the leftover cooked squash into smaller portions and froze them in freezer bags.  It was sooo nice to have on hand!  I just plopped the big frozen block into my soup and let it simmer with the rest of it.  If I don't have time to roast my squash right before I make the recipe then I just peel and cube it and boil it with the soup until it's soft.  That works just as well and tastes just as good to me.  I hope you try this!

Curried Coconut Squash Soup

1 medium sized butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded, approximately 3 lbs.
1 Tbsp. peanut or grapeseed oil (I just used olive oil)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 chunk ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped, approximately 2 tsp. (or 1/4 tsp. ginger powder)
2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (I left this out so my little kids would eat it)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I used a 13.66 oz. can of Thai Kitchen Lite Coconut Milk)
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 cup dry millet
1/2 cup red lentils, sorted through and rinsed
2-4 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place halved butternut squash flesh side down in a 9x13 baking dish.  Roast for 50-60 minutes until squash is completely tender.  Let squash cool slightly.

In a large soup pot over medium-low heat, add oil, diced onion, garlic, ginger root, curry, cumin, and crushed red pepper. Simmer until fragrant, approximately 3-5 minutes.

Scoop flesh from squash.  Add to soup pot along with vegetable broth, millet, and lentils.  (Or add your frozen cooked squash or you can also add peeled, diced fresh squash if you didn't have time to pre-roast it.)  Cook for 20-25 minutes or until millet and lentils are soft (you might need a little more time if you're cooking the squash in the soup pot.)  Stir often so millet doesn't stick to bottom.  Add 2-4 cups of water as it is cooking if it gets too thick.  (I usually end up adding at least 3 cups but it all depends on how much squash you have, etc.  You don't want it too runny because it gets even thinner after you blend it.  You can always add more water after you blend if it's too thick.)

Transfer soup to blender in small batches.  Put back in soup pot and stir in coconut milk (I like to reserve a little bit for garnish) and lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, stirring occasionally.  Serve warm and garnish with fresh cilantro  and/or a drizzle of coconut milk.

Cranberry Apricot and Pecan Wild Rice Pilaf

Yet another delicious recipe from THIS great blog.  I LOVED this!  So delicious.  I was a little hesitant to add all of the cranberries that it called for.  I thought it would be too tart.  But I went for it and was so glad!  The sweetness from the other dried fruits totally balances it all out and you get the perfect blend of flavors.  Plus it's so pretty with all of the colors.  I was going to make this for our Thanksgiving feast but decided I had plenty of other grains and starches going on so I saved it.  This would make a great dish for any lunch or dinner.  It's easy to make and the leftovers are great!  If you want the pecans to stay crunchy then don't add them until you are ready to eat.

Cranberry Apricot and Pecan Wild Rice Pilaf

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1.5 cups chopped celery + 1/2 cup, divided

1 heaping cup chopped sweet onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 & 1/2 cups uncooked wild rice

2 cups vegetable broth

1 & 1/2 cup water

1 bay leaf

3/4-1 tsp kosher salt (or to taste) + black pepper as desired

3/4 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup fresh cranberries, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 325F and toast the pecans for about 7-8 minutes. Remove and set aside.

2. Sautee onion, oil, and garlic in a skillet over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add 1.5 cups chopped celery and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

3. Add wild rice, broth, bay leaf, and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low-medium and then cover with lid. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once half way through.

4. After 30 minutes, uncover, stir, and continue cooking for 20-30 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Note that wild rice cooking times can vary a lot so keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

5. Remove bay leaf and stir in the dried fruit. Season to taste and stir in the sliced fresh cranberries and 1/2 cup chopped raw celery. Stir in toasted pecans.

Yield:  4.5-5 cups

Note: Dish can be made 1 day in advance. Do not add pecans until just before serving. Allow to cool then place in an air tight container in the fridge. Reheat in a skillet just before serving and stir in pecans.

Breakfast in a Muffin

My friend Melanie passed this recipe on to me.  They are really good!  I did change them up a bit to meet the needs of our family but it's all basically the same.  I used "flax eggs" instead of eggs, halved the sugar amount (and will use even less next time because they were still very sweet--the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups), and used whole wheat flour.  A single recipe makes 24 muffins.  I doubled it and it made 48.  What is so nice about these is you can change them up and use any combination of fruits/veggies. Just make sure you have 2 cups worth.  You can use applesauce, bananas, zucchini, peaches, carrots, pineapple, or any combination.  In these pictures I used a large can of canned peaches, drained, and lightly pulsed in my blender.  Melanie used all applesauce in her batch I tried.  Another friend said she used strawberries and yellow squash the last time she made them.  Mmmm...I'm sure you could also add chopped nuts, raisins, or coconut, too.  Enjoy!

Update: I made these this morning and half way through the recipe I discovered I didn't have any oats!  I ALWAYS have oats!  So I decided to use ground millet like THIS recipe does.  It was sooo good!  Everything else was exactly the same as below.  I think I will always make them like this.  I just love the crunchiness that the millet gives the muffins plus they seemed to be more moist.

Breakfast in a Muffin

2 c. applesauce (or blended fruit, bananas, peaches, etc.)
2 eggs ( flax eggs=2 Tbsp. ground flax and 6 Tbsp. hot water )
1/3 c. oil 

1/3 c. apple sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar or sweetener of choice
Whisk flax and water first and set aside for 5-10 min. while mixing other ingredients so it can gel up.  Stir in flax eggs.  Mix well.

In a separate bowl mix the following:
2 c. flour
2 c. oats (Or use 2/3 c. millet whirled through blender until fine-you get 1 cup)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix well and then add to the wet ingredients. Stir just until moist (don't over-mix!) and spoon 2/3 full into 24 muffin cups. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

Simply Minestrone Soup

I threw this together tonight and it was so good and very simple.  All 5 of my kids gobbled it up and declared that "it is the best soup EVER!"  Maybe they were just really hungry? :)  But really, it was very delicious and satisfying.  It's made from ingredients I always have on hand.  I put some fun little alphabet pasta in and my kids loved that!  The pasta comes in little 7 oz. sacks that are perfect for one recipe of soup.  I threw in some yummy kale because I have so much and everything's better with kale, right?  Kroger has had huge bunches of kale on sale for 56 cents lately.  Heaven!

Simply Minestrone Soup

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 can green beans, drained
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes (I used Italian seasoned)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 (14 oz.) can white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 cup dry pasta
2 cups chopped kale, packed
salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in large soup pot.  Saute onion, garlic, carrots, and celery.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until golden.  Add zucchini, green beans, and diced tomatoes.  Stir in vegetable broth and water.  Add beans, oregano, and basil.  Simmer about 15 minutes.  Add pasta and kale and simmer for about 10 minutes more or until pasta is soft.  Season to taste with salt & pepper.  Enjoy!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Poor Brussels sprouts. They tend to have a bad rap. But who wants to eat a mushy, boiled sprout anyway? I have to admit, I've always liked Brussels sprouts, and not just because I served a mission for my church in the Belgium Brussels mission! I even liked them as a kid. They were just so cute and fun and unusual! But these roasted Brussels sprouts are my favorite way to have them. Slightly crunchy and caramelized...perfect! If you've been hesitant to try Brussels sprouts, try them again this way. So good! And they're so good for you. Like broccoli, and other members of the cruciferous family, Brussels sprouts contains sulforaphane, a chemical with potent anticancer properties. So eat up!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2 cups Fresh Brussels Sprouts
Salt & Pepper
2-3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and trim ends off Brussels sprouts. Cut into halves or quarters depending on size. (I like them cut into smaller pieces.). Place cut sprouts into a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread onto a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 15 min. Stir and continue to cook for 10-15 min. more or until they start to get some caramelization on them. Serve!

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