Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta

Ingredients:

2 Large, ripe tomato (4 cups roughly chopped)
1 Cup Raw Cashews
2 Tbs Tomato Paste
1/2 Cup Water
3 Tbs Olive Oil
2 to 4 Cloves Garlic, minced, optional
12 oz Spaghetti
1 tsp Salt (or to taste)
3 to 4 Tbs Wine or Water
1 tsp Freshly Cracked, Coarse Black Pepper
1 to 2 Large Handful Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil, and cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Core the tomato, then roughly chop it. Add it to your blender, seeds, skin and all. Add cashews, tomato paste, and water. Blend until very smooth.
3. Add olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn.  Pour sauce from the blender into the saute pan and bring to a simmer. Add salt and let cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. If desired add wine/water or pasta cooking water to thin out the sauce. Taste and season more if necessary. Let simmer until pasta is finished cooking. Once pasta is cooked, drain. Add pasta to the saute pan with black pepper and freshly chopped basil leaves. Toss to coat. Serve immediately, garnishing with more pepper and basil

3 Bean marinated salad

Ingredients

• 2 cups chickpeas
• 2 cups kidney beans
• 2 cups pinto beans
• 2 cups corn (I used frozen)
• 3 -4 T red wine vinegar
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 oregano
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 3 green onions chopped
• 3 stalks celery
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley chopped

Instructions

• Whisk together the vinegar, oil, garlic, oregano, cumin and salt in a bowl.
• Add the beans and corn.
• Then, add the onions,celery and parsley and toss to coat.

You can eat this right away, but for the best flavor, please let sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours. That’s it. Easy! This makes about 6 good size servings servings. It should keep for at least a week in the fridge

Broccoli and Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

• 6-8 cups broccoli florets
• 15-oz can drained and rinsed chickpeas
• 5 sliced scallions
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1 minced clove garlic
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Steam broccoli florets until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Once cool, chop and combine with chickpeas, scallions, parsley, and pine nuts.
2. In a bowl, combine garlic, mustard, honey, lemon zest and juice. Slowly add oil, whisking to emulsify, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Drizzle broccoli mixture with dressing and adjust seasoning

My Favorite Vegan Cookies (chocolate chip)

this makes one pan of cookies..... usually always double the recipe.

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cu sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup non-dairy chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• In a bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the sugar and salt, and stir until well combined. 
• In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup with the molasses and vanilla, then stir in the oil until well combined. 
• Add the wet mixture to the dry, along with the chocolate chips, and stir through until just well combined (do not overmix).
• Place large spoonfuls of the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten a little.
• Bake for 11 minutes, until just golden (if you bake for much longer, they will dry out). 
• Let cool on the sheet for no more than 1 minute (again, to prevent drying), then transfer to a cooling rack

Cripy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw

This easy taco we all loved.  I found the recipe on epicurious , and changed it just a little for my own personal taste.

Ingredients:

3-4 cups black beans drained
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

4 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 cups coleslaw mix
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
tortillas (corn or wheat)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

hot sauce

Directions:

1. Place beans and cumin (and any other seasonings depending on if you use canned beans or made your own) in a small bowl, and partially mash.

2.  Mix olive oil, lime juice, coleslaw, green onions, cilantro and feta and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper.

3.  Heat a few teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium - high heat.  Add tortillas in a single layer and spoon some of the bean mixture onto half of each tortilla.  Cook for about 1 minute, fold the taco in half and continue to cook 1 or 2 more minutes per side until golden. 

4. Fill tacos with the slaw mixture.

Potato Quesadillas

I got this recipe from http://vegandad.blogspot.com/2012/01/potato-quesadillas-with-homemade-wheat.html . The Vegan Dad has a lot of great recipes.  I changed the recipe a little bit, mostly just so it would be easier.  I used store bought tortillas instead of making homemade ones.  And I used shredded frozen hash browns instead of making my own.

Ingredients:

about 1/2 pounds of shredded frozen hash browns (thawed)
1 8 oz bag shredded Daiya (pepper Jack style), or regular shredded cheese
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
tortillas


Directions:

1. Combine ingredients (except tortillas) in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
2. Lightly brush tortilla with oil and cook the quesadillas in a skillet or grill over med to med-high heat until both sides are browned and cheese has melted.


*I love this recipe, it's the type of thing I could eat everyday.  And I am not a fan of fake cheeses, but the Daiya is really great.  I have also found that after I combine all the ingredients, they store great in a Tupperware in the fridge for a few days... that way I can cook myself a fresh quesadilla for lunch.  Yum!

Green Rice

This is a recipe I have used regularly over the past few years.  It is an easy and healthy rice dish with Mexican flavors. It is full of spinach, but you can't taste it.  The kids eat this one up. The recipe is from Rachel Ray.  The only change I usually make, is to use brown rice instead of  white (and increase the cooking time for that).

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed and finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided
• 3/4 pound baby spinach
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. Place a medium pot over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon.
 2. Toss the jalapeños into the pan and cook until tender, 3-4 minutes.
3. Add in the rice and cook about a minute (you're toasting it, so it's ready when it starts to smell nutty). 4.Add in 2 1/2 cups stock and bring up to a bubble. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the rice until tender, about 20 minutes.

5.Make the "green" part of the rice by pureeing together the baby spinach, cilantro and remaining stock (about 1/2 cup) in a food processor. Dump the mixture into a dish and reserve it until the rice is finished cooking. When the rice has finished cooking, stir in the green sauce and transfer the rice to a serving bowl or platter

Raw Cauliflower Salad

I was hesitant to make this salad, because I didn't think the kids would like it.  Boy was I wrong!  They either loved it, or were just starving to death.  The ate home made pitas stuffed full of this salad.  Tyson and I loved it as well, and it keeps good in the fridge for a few days.

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, chopped
2 handfuls of parsley, coarsely chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, diced
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cups olive oil
the juice of 2 lemons
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. Place the cauliflower, parsley, onion and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the cauliflower are the size of a small grain.  You will probably have to do this in batches.  Ada was my button pusher, so one batch was over processed and the other one was still pretty chunky...
2. Put the cauliflower mixture into a big bowl, and toss in the tomatoes and olives.
3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, turmeric, salt and pepper.
4. Toss the dressing into the salad.  Store covered in the fridges for up to one weeks.  This can be eaten cold or at room temperature.

*if the cauliflower is huge, add more ingredients to your own liking.

Salt Potatoes

I have never heard of Salt Potatoes.  At least not until recently when we moved to NY.  Apparently Salt Potatoes are the regional dish of Syracuse, NY.  And are very popular in all of the central NY region.   They actually sell bags of salt potatoes at the store, the bags include potatoes and 12 oz of salt. The recipe seemed odd, and I was sceptical.  But these are really so good.  I'm going to be making these often.  The potatoes end up with a different extra creamy texture inside and the salt forms a crust on the skin that is so good!

Ingredients: 

4 1/4 pounds small potatoes, scrubbed.  (small, bites sized young white potatoes.  the "proper" size are Size B, US Grade No. 2.......  really any small one or 2 bite potatoes will be good.  Do not cut the potatoes, leave them whole)
12 oz or 1 1/2 cups salt
3 quarts water

butter and herbs (parsley, chives, rosemary) optional.

Directions

Bring the water to a boil.
Stir in the salt and dissolve.
Add the potatoes to the boiling water and boil until tender, 15-30 minutes, depending on the size.
Drain the potatoes to a colander and let them sit for 5-10 minutes.

Serve warm with a little butter.

Cauliflower and Potato Burritos

Another delicious burrito combination.  Make it as spicy as you like.

Ingredients:

1 15 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes
1/2  to 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Adobo seasoning
2 medium potatoes, diced
3 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup black beans
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

cooked brown rice
flour tortillas
cheese (optional)

Directions:

1.Pulse the tomatoes, chipotle chiles and garlic in a food processor until a coarse puree forms.

2.Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute about 5 minutes.

3. Add the cauliflower, potato, tomato mixture, oregano, adobo seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. 

4.Cover, simmer about 15 minutes until tender. 

5.Uncover, add beans and simmer 5 more minutes.  Stir in cilantro.

6.Heat tortillas and top with rice and cauliflower mixture, and cheese if desired.

Blackened Tomato Salsa

My sister in law asked if I knew of any good salsa recipes. Well this is it. I could not just give her the recipe, it was too hard to just think about it, so I had to make some too. It is a recipe my dad makes every time I see them, and I love it so much, I could eat it with a spoon.

Ingredients:

8 roma tomatoes, cut in half
1 jalapeno, seeded and cut in half. (leave seeds in if you want more heat)
1 clove of garlic
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
A few squirts of lime juice
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cumin
a pinch of mexican oregano
1/4 cup white onion, finely diced
1 roma tomato diced small
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Place 8 tomatoes and jalapeno on a rimmed baking sheet, cut side down. Cook under a broiler until skins are blackened. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Put blackened tomatoes and jalapeno (black skins and all) into a blender, poor any juices that are on the pan too. Add salt, cumin, mexican oregano, garlic and and lime juice and blend until mostly smooth. Add a little water if needed.

Poor pureed mixture into a large bowl and combine with the diced tomato, onion and cilantro. Add water needed. Taste test with a chip to make sure you have enough salt, add if needed.

This salsa is awesome fresh but gets even better as it sits for a few hours and is amazing the next day.

Vegetarian Meatloaf

Ok, let me just say... I have been eating so healthy lately you would all be jealous if you really knew. This recipe is not only a healthy version of real meatloaf, it is really really good. Or at least me and my family think so. We scarf it down for dinner with a yummy potato side, then we have it for leftovers the next day on some homemade rolls. Meatloaf sandwich? Yum!

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup lentils
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery, chopped
1 cup mushrooms (optional)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
3/4 cups grated cheese (any flavor, vege cheese is good too)
1 egg, beaten (or vegan egg substitute)
6 tablespoons BBQ sauce (or tomato sauce or ketchup or any combination)
1 tablespoon grill seasoning (grill seasoning has salt, pepper, garlic and other yummy stuff)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Glaze:
2 tablespoons each of BBQ sauce and ketchup.

Directions:

Bring 2 cups of water to boil, add salt and lentils and simmer covered until lentils are soft, 25-30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

While lentils are cooking, food process the onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms until finally diced. Heat olive oil over medium heat and cook vegetables until soft about 10 minutes. season with salt and pepper.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. (at this point add more sauce, ketchup is fine or seasoning if you think it needs it.)

Dump mixture into a greased loaf pan and smooth top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

mix glaze together, spread over cooked loaf and bake for another 10 minutes.

cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.


* This should not be mushy or too dry when it is done cooking. If it is too dry, then oops, it needed more sauce before you baked it. It it is too mushy, try cooking it longer to dry it out.


*This recipe really is pretty versatile. For example if you want an Italian flavor, instead of the BBQ sauce and grill seasoning, use marinara sauce and Italian seasoning. Or you could do Mexican with salsa or tomato sauce and Mexican seasonings and pepper jack cheese. yum!

*For leftover sandwiches, I love to take the slices of meatloaf and fry them up in a hot lightly oiled pan.

Pizza Bianca

This is my favorite ever. This recipe comes from the cook book called my bread, by Jim Lahey. The book is full of delicious bread recipes using his no-knead method. Every bread recipe I have ever made using a no knead method has been perfect and delicious. I often make this particular recipe real quick (it takes a minute at most) at night, then bake the bread for my lunch. And I do eat it all, or at least I would eat it all if I did not have to share with the children.

Ingredients:
3 cups bread flour, plus additional for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant or other active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups cool water
1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for coating the bowl and brushing
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour , yeast, table salt, and sugar. Add the water, and using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Lightly coat a second medium bowl with olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature, until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, 9 to 12 hours.

2. When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface (a cutting board is useful here) with flour. Use a bowl scraper or runner spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece; as you begin to pull it away from the bowl, it will cling in long, thin stands and will be quite loose and sticky. Using lightly floured hands, fold the dough over itself two or three times and nudge it into a loose, rather flat ball. Brush the surface of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with the coarse salt (which will gradually dissolve on the surface). Put the dough in a warm draft-free spot and let rise until doubled, 1-2 hours.

3. Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F, with a rack in the center, and place a pizza stone, at least 14 inches in diameter, in the center of the rack.

4.Generously dust a pizza peel with flour and place the ball of dough in the middle. Spread out the fingers of one hand, like a claw, and drive your fingers into the dough, but do not puncture it. you want to simultaneously create dimples in the dough and spread it across the peel. Continue working your hands across the dough and dimpling it until you have a bumpy disk about 12 inches in diameter. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the rosemary leaves.

5. With the peel resting on the counter (this part gets easier with practice), grasp the handle and give it a quick little tug: you want the pizza to just barely move but stay on the peel. (Loosening it make it easier to slide it onto the baking stone.) If the dough sicks to the peel, gently lift it around the edges and add flour to the peel. Shake the pizza onto the baking stone. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown on the mounds but still pale in the dimples.

6. Slide the peel under the pizza and transfer it to a rack to cool for a least a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Black Bean and Brown Rice Cakes

These patties can be served alone or as a veggie burger. In the picture above I made burgers out of mini corn tortillas, tomato, lettuce, cilantro and veggie cheddar cheese with jalapeno. YUM!!
Ingredients:

2 can black beans (or about 3 cups) rinsed and drained.
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cups cooked brown rice
salt and pepper
olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a food processor, pulse half of the beans with the scallions, jalapeno, and cumin until a chunky paste forms.
In a large bowl, combine the bean puree with the rice and the remaining beans. Season with salt and pepper
Divide mixture into eight 3 inch wide patties. (to freeze, wrap patties in plastic)
Oil a baking sheet and place in oven for 5 minutes. Carefully place patties on hot baking sheet and bake 12 minutes. Let rest on sheet for 5 minutes before removing.

Pita Bread

I am so excited that I finally found a pita recipe that works! I have been trying recipes but have not really been happy with any of them. These pitas are delicious and I made them with a little whole wheat flour so they are a bit more healthy for you. Homemade Pitas with homemade hummus and fresh vegetables is one of the best things ever. And the second best thing ever is the next day when you take a left over pita and melt cheese on it. YUM!!

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups warm water
3 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting.
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Combine the water, sugar and yeast and let proof for ten minutes.
2. Stir in the flour, salt and olive oil and knead until dough is soft and barley sticky. Or make the dough in a mixer with a dough hook and knead the dough on low until the sides of the bowl are clean, but the dough is still sticking to the bottom of the bowl.
3.Place the dough in a oiled bowl and cover, let dough rise until doubled.
4.Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
5.Divide the dough into 16 equal portions.
6. Roll each piece of dough out on a floured surface into about a 6-7 inch circle.
7. Place 2-3 pitas directly on your oven rack and bake for 4-5 minutes or until puffed in the center and golden.  Or you can place the dough onto a metal cooling rack, then move the cooling rack into the oven.
8. Repeat with remaining pitas.
9.  Let the pitas cool slightly before eating (they are full of hot steam) Cut in half, fill and enjoy!

*For the first couple pitas you may have to experiment with the size. It takes me a few tries to get the pita dough rolled out to the right thickness. If they are too thin they will not puff up. When I roll mine out, they are about the size of my hand. Luckily, the ones that don't puff up are still good to eat!

Hummus

We love hummus. When we moved to Pennsylvania, Tyson bought me a food processor and some Tupperware. The food processor I have been wanting for a lot of years, and I had been telling him that I could make homemade hummus if I had one. The Tupperware we desperately needed. Now I make homemade hummus all the time and put it in the same Tupperware container every time..... I wonder who Tyson really bought those gifts for?


Ingredients:

3 cups cooked chickpeas, or 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained and warmed in the microwave
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup tahini

salt and pepper if desired

Directions:

Puree warm chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic and 2/3 cup water in food processor for 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl when necessary. Add tahini and puree 2 more minutes, or until the mixture has the consistency of soft cream cheese. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if needed.

Directions on how to cook dried chickpeas:

(hummus has the best flavor and texture if you use dried chickpeas. Any leftover chickpeas can be frozen)

Rinse and Drain 1 pound dried chickpeas. Place in a large bowl with 10 cups water and soak overnight.
Drain chickpeas and rinse and drain again. Bring chickpeas to boil with 10 cups of water in large pot. Reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 90 minutes. After the first hour stir in 1 teaspoon baking soda. Remove from heat, cover pot and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain well.

Veggie Enchiladas

Warm, healthy and delicious.


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
2 cups potatoes (cooked and diced) or country style hash browns
1-2 cups beans (any variety)
1 can diced green chiles
adobo seasoning, to taste
pepper, to taste
2 cans mild enchilada sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
12-15 whole wheat tortillas
grated cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Spray a 13x9 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
3. Saute onion in olive oil until soft.
4. Add bell pepper, garlic, zucchini and jalapeno and cook for a few minutes until vegetable become tender.
5. Stir in potatoes, beans, green chiles and seasonings and combine.
6. In shallow dish, combine enchilada sauce and tomato sauce.
7. To assemble, dip both sides of the tortilla in the sauce. Fill with cheese (optional) and the veggie mixture. Roll tightly and place in the 13x9 inch pan (there will be two layers of enchiladas, or you cold do two single layer pans). Pour remaining sauce over the top of enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese if desired. Cover with tinfoil and bake for about 40 minutes, then remove tinfoil and cook for another 10-15 minutes.

Apple Wrap

This one has made it into the boys lunch rotation. It is simple and healthy.


Ingredients:

Whole wheat tortilla
Apple, sliced or diced
Peanut butter
Cinnamon

Directions:

spread 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter onto tortilla, top with apple slices and a sprinkle of Cinnamon. Roll up the tortilla and serve, or wrap tightly in plastic wrap for later.

Cilantro Lime (brown or white) Rice

This rice is a great addition to burritos or use it as a side dish instead of Spanish rice. If you don't do brown rice, it will still be delicious and yummy!!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
1 cup brown rice
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
2 large handfuls of cilantro
1 lime, juiced
1/2 - 1 jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
1-2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Instructions:

1.Cook rice according to package instructions ( using the rice, water or vegetable stock and the butter ).
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, process the cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno and salt until finely minced.
3. Cool cooked rice to room temperature then add in the cilantro mixture and toss until rice is completely coated.


*You don't have to wait until the rice is cool to add the cilantro mixture, but it will taste better and look better. The hot rice tends to cook the cilantro and lime a bit. In my picture, we were hungry so I did not wait to cool the rice. It was still good, but not the best.!

Butter Bean Burgers

We eat a lot of veggie burgers, what can I say. This is an easy yummy one. I sometimes double this recipe so that I have leftovers to freeze. I also like to prepare these patties earlier in the day when the kids are napping or something and stick them in the fridge, then when it is time to eat, all I have to do is throw them in the frying pan.

Ingredients:

2 cans butter beans, rinsed and drained
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeno finely chopped
12 saltine crackers, crushed
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or veg cheese)
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic until soft.
In medium bowl mash butter beans and mix everything together. Divide into 6-8 equal parts and shape into patties. Refridgerate for at least one hour. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and cook patties until they are golden, about 5 minutes on each side.

Serve with your favorite hamburger bun and toppings.