The Veggie Gal

A friend of mine sent me this recipe (not sure where she got it from) and as usual I adjusted a couple of things to my liking and got rid of the oil as well.  This is one even my little kids will eat which I really was surprised about.  I cook everything together keeping out the chilies until it is done, pull out the kids and then add the chilies for the grown ups.

Make sure to either cook the quinoa with salt or add some at the end or it will make this dish bland.  You could easily use salted rice or pasta for this as well but I just love quiona and add it when I can.

Italian-3 Bean Chili over Quinoa
Serves: 6

1 medium red onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 15 ounce can Italian flavored diced tomatoes
1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 ounce can great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup frozen soybeans (edamame)
1 4 ounce can diced green chilies (2 cans if you like a little more heat)
1/2 cup water
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup sliced pitted black olives
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large saucepan cook the onion and garlic in a small amount of water until softened.  Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans, northern beans,  soybeans, chili peppers, water and vinegar.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally so it does not stick to the bottom.  Add more water if needed for desired consistency.

Cook quinoa according to package directions making sure to add salt to the water or after to the quinoa so it does not steal flavor from the chili.

Stir in olives, cilantro and Italian seasoning and simmer another 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls over quinoa.

ENJOY!

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Tags: Dinner, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Italian-3 Bean Chili over Quinoa, Mexican Food, Quick and easy, Quick vegan, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

My 18 year old son sadly is not vegan and when we go to Taco Bell he always gets the Crunch Wrap.  Besides the meat, cheese and sour cream it always looks so good.  I decided that I would make a vegan version that he and the rest of us can eat and it is a whole lot more healthy than the original version.  I can say though that this is not very low fat so it is something to have occasionally.

Of course this recipe could be changed up even more by using vegan meat substitute with taco seasoning on it as well as olives, vegan cheese and vegan sour cream but I love this simple version and usually I have all of the ingredients in my house at all times (except the tostadas but 1 package will work 3 times) and this version is lower fat than if you added those ingredients.

Vegan Crunch Wrap
Makes: 4

1 can of refried beans
4 tostada shells (if you want to go lower fat just use a baked corn tortilla)
4 large flour tortillas
1 tomato, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
desired amount of chopped lettuce
desired amount of salsa

Spread a thin layer of beans on the inside of the flour tortilla in the size of the tostada then top with the tostada.  Spread another thin layer of beans on top of the tostada, a little bit of salsa and  then add the veggies you like.

Fold the sides down over the tostada and fillings tightly but not so tight as to rip the sides.  My tortillas were a little too small and it left a very small hole in the center so I used another tortilla that I ripped small pieces off of to fill that hole from the inside, wrapping the sides down on top of it.

Heat pan to medium heat and spray with cooking spray.  Lay the folded side down first and fry until golden brown.  Flip and serve.  ENJOY!

Vegan Crunch Wrap

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Tags: Beans, Dinner, Easy Vegan, Healthy Meal, Mexican Food, Vegan, vegan crunch wrap, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This is a very healthy, filling and flavorful chili dish that is kid and husband friendly if the spices are adjusted the right way (more for husband less for kids).  I just love this dish because it is so easy and satisfying.  Plus, this tastes even better the next day for lunch once the flavors mix so I always make extra for a quick lunch.  You could also substitute quinoa for the rice for a slightly different texture and nutrient makeup.

Black Bean Chili and Rice
Serves: 4-6 servings

1 cup cooked brown rice cooked according to package directions
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup broth or water to saute bell pepper and onion in
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup salsa (heat of your choice)
1 can diced tomatoes (fire roasted are really good but any kind work well)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup corn
1/2 teaspoon powdered cumin
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon oregano
a shake – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on heat desired and who your are serving)
salt to taste
Optional toppings:
chopped tomatoes
chopped green or red onion
chopped avocados

While rice is cooking saute/steam the onion and green pepper until most of the liquid is gone and the vegetables are soft in a pot.

Add the cooked rice and the rest of the ingredients except the optional toppings and cook on medium/low for about 20 minutes to blend the flavors.

Add optional toppings and ENJOY!

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Tags: Beans, Black Bean Chili and Rice, Dinner, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Lunch, Quick and easy, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

Here is yet another recipe from Dr. John McDougall’s many books.  His wife Mary is the one who he gives all the credit to doing the cooking and designing of all of the amazingly tasty and healthy recipes.  This recipe was a big hit in my house.  My little ones love bean burritos and it tastes like a bean burrito in a bowl.  We all had colds and sore throats and this soup is rich, creamy and very soothing to your throat and your tummy.  I decided to use half the rice and use half of the broken up (baked) tortilla chips since I love both.  It was a great combo, not too much of one or the other.  I do top it off with a very small handful of chopped avocado and tomatoes.   To my husbands I add some chili powder since he likes the spice.  This is another dish that you can have a second helping without a second thought. ENJOY!

Did You Know!?

• The natural oils in brown rice helps to lower cholesterol.
• Beans cause a slower release of glucose and they keep you full longer than some foods which can increase your effectiveness of controlling your weight.
• Click here to read more food facts

Mexican Bean and Rice Soup
Servings:  4

2  16 ounce cans non-fat refried beans
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup mild salsa

Place the beans and broth into a pot and stir well to mix.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, add remaining ingredients, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Hints:  Add more vegetable broth for a thinner soup, if desired.  Omit the rice and stir in some fat free tortilla chips, or just omit the rice for a delicious bean and corn soup.

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Tags: Dr. McDougall, Easy Vegan, Healthy Meal, mexican bean and rice soup, Mexican Food, Quick vegan, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This my Dr. McDougall, Dr. Furhman and Dr. Barnard inspired Tortilla Soup.  I try to keep the fat to a minimum by only including plant based fat (avocados) and the nutrients to a maximum by using black beans and lots of good veggies as they teach for great health.

As usual with my recipes you can switch it up by your own tastes.  I add or subtract by what I have on hand at the time or my mood.  You can easily add 1 chopped bell pepper, a 4 oz can of green chilies to spice it up, chipolte sauce or spice to spice it up even more.

Did You Know!?

• 1 cup of black beans has as much protein as 2 glasses of milk but there is no fiber in milk!
• Regular consumption of onions, as little as two or more times per week, is associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing colon cancer.
• Click here to read more food facts

Tortilla Soup
Serves: 6

1 medium onion, chopped
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 cup water to cook onions and garlic in
4 cups of vegetable broth or water
1 can black beans
2 15 oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup salsa (I use mild to keep it kid friendly but use your desired heat )
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
a couple of shakes of Cayenne pepper (mine is kid friendly, use 1-2 teaspoons depending on your taste for heat)
6 -8 soft corn tortillas, sliced into thin strips
1-2 avocados, chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste

Cook onions and garlic in the water until soft.  Add all ingredients except corn tortillas, avocados and salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes to combine flavor.

Cut the tortilla’s into thin strips approximately 1/2 inch thick and 3 inches long.  Spray a cooking sheet with non fat spray, place strips on the sheet and spray them with the non fat spray.  Broil, tossing every minute or two until nicely brown and remove from the oven.

Scoop the soup into 4-6 bowls, top with crispy tortillas and chopped avocados.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Dr. McDougall, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Neal Barnard, Quick vegan, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegan Tortilla Soup, Vegetarian

OH BOY these things are so surprisingly good!  A friend of mine brought this recipe over to me a few years ago after trying it herself.  Her family likes trying new dishes and they tested this out and everyone enjoyed it and since it could be vegetarian she thought I would enjoy it.  I adapted the recipe a bit to make it vegan and kid friendly and ta-da delicious lentil tacos.  I make it for my family often since most of us love Mexican food.

My teenage daughter and I especially love them because of the hard taco shell.  Of course you can make them low fat by using a corn tortilla instead but the crunch that goes along with the hard taco shell is just so good and comforting.  I say if you have been a good girl or boy for the day or week then enjoy a taco shell!

Did You Know!?

• Lentils are one of the best vegetable sources of iron.
• 1 medium Onion has 44 calories, 0 grams of fat, o grams of cholesterol, 10 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar and 1 gram of protein
• Click here to read more food facts

Lentil Tacos

serves 6-8

1 cup finely chopped onion
2-3 garlic coves, minced
1/4 cup water
Non fat cooking spray
1 cup dry lentils, rinsed and sorted
1/2 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon chili powder (less for kid friendly or more for the fire mouths)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 to 1 cup of salsa (depending on tastes)
6 taco shells
Optional topping:
Shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
olives
vegan cheese
vegan sour cream

In a large skillet, steam the onions and garlic in the 1/4 cup of water.  Once water is gone add a little non fat spray to saute to brown slightly.

Add the washed lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for about 1 minute.  Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 25-30 minutes or until most of the broth is gone and the lentils are tender.

You can mash the lentils slightly or keep them whole and stir in the salsa.  Spoon about desired amount into your taco shell and top with your favorite toppings.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Dinner, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Mexican Food, Quick and easy, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This is a great recipe that I got from Dr. McDougall’s website in the newsletter archive section.  I made it with corn tortillas which fell apart pretty easily when scooped out but were very good anyway.  I’m sure using wheat tortillas would have helped them hold up better but I enjoy that corn tortilla taste and if you are gluten free you need to stick with them.

I did change the enchilada sauce a little by blending the sauce up with my hand blender so the onions were not big.  I also did not need to put the cornstarch in because my sauce was just perfect so you may need to make your own little adjustments as well.  I used rice milk in the potatoes because that is what I had and it worked great.  Here is his exact recipe, ENJOY!

Potato Enchiladas
Servings:  6-8

12 medium potatoes, peeled and chunked
1 cup soy or almond milk
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped green chilies
12-14 whole wheat or corn tortillas(or more as needed)
6 cups Enchilada Sauce

Enchilada Sauce:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons water
1  28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1  4 ounce can chopped green chilies
2-3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon soy sauce (you can make it soy free by using tamari)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ cups water
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Put the potatoes in a large pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain, place in a bowl and mash with the soy or almond milk until creamy, adding a bit more milk if desired to reach the proper consistency.  Stir in the green onions, corn and green chilies.  Set aside.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the enchilada sauce.  Place the onion and garlic in a large saucepan with the water.  Cook, stirring frequently for about 3 minutes until onion softens.  Add the tomatoes, green chilies, chili powder, soy sauce, cumin, and one cup of the water.  Mix well, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.  Mix the cornstarch with the remaining ½ cup of water.  Stir into the sauce and continue to cook and stir until thickened.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread about 1 ½ cups of the sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.  Spread a line of potatoes down the center of each tortilla.  Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish.  Repeat until all potatoes are used. Pour the remaining sauce over the tortillas.  Cover with parchment paper and foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.

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Tags: Dinner, Dr. John McDougall, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Potato enchiladas, Potatoes, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This soup is so completely delicious that you will want more than one bowl!  It is hearty and filling and can be a meal all by its self or you can make some nice Corn Bread or Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins to go along with it.   My husband loved it and said I could make it everyday, he is one picky eater and normally does not even like soups.

I have put my own spin on my black bean soup and you can adjust what you like or don’t like from the ingredients.  I make mine kid friendly so feel free to use hotter hot sauce, more chili powder and add chipotle seasonings or Tabasco sauce if you like more heat and flavor.  The type of vegetarian broth you use can make a difference in how much flavor it has and you will have to adjust the spices according to its strength.  Taste test as you go along!

I don’t drain or rinse one of the three cans of beans to add that flavor to the soup but if you don’t want the added sodium you can drain and rinse all three and add your own amount of salt if you want it.  The picture of the ingredients shows salt which I actually don’t use when I don’t drain one can of beans and because of the type of broth I use.

Did You Know!?

• One green bell pepper contains twice as much vitamin C as an orange!
• Regular consumption of onions has been show to lower cholesterol and high blood pressure.
• 1 cup of black beans has as much protein as 2 glasses of milk but there is no fiber in milk!
• Click here to read more food facts

Black Bean Soup
Serves 6-8

3 15oz cans of black beans (drain and rinse 2 cans and use all of the juice and beans from the 3rd can)
1 1/2 – 2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup salsa (use desired heat strength-I used mild for the kids)
1/2 cup corn
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2-1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon chili powder (I used less for kids you can increase per your taste)
1 green pepper chopped
1 onion chopped
1/4 cup vegetable broth
Optional:
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (give it an amazing flavor if you like that spice)a
1 avocado chopped for topping
vegan sour cream (if desired-I like it without)

Chop onion and green pepper and then steam in 1/4 cup of broth until soft and the broth is completely cooked out.  You can add more broth if needed until they are cooked through.

Combine beans (remember 1 can is not drained or rinsed), 2 cups of vegetable broth, salsa, corn, and spices in a large pot and cook on medium until peppers and onions are ready to add.  Add cooked peppers and onions to the soup base and cook for another 5-10 minutes to combine flavors.

Blend the soup with a Hand Blender or transfer to a food processor and blend to your desired consistency.  I like mine slightly chunky and my family likes it completely blended so I take mine out half way through blending.  Top with avocados and vegan sour cream if desired.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Quick and easy, Vegan

OMG I LOVE Daiya vegan cheese.  I have been making nachos since going vegan without cheese and with using all the yummy toppings have not really missing the cheese.  I saw some nachos on TV one night and the cheese looked good that I decided I would give the Daiya cheese a try on the nachos.  It was exciting because the cheese melts pretty well and it even stretches like cheese does and has a great mouth feel.  With some vegan sour cream and salsa on top of it the taste is amazing!  Now remember this vegan cheese is NOT low fat so only use on the rare occasion!  Just knowing it is an option may help those who are veg curious and don’t dare make the plunge because they are addicted to cheese.  This is a nice transition food that will help those who can’t go “healthy” cold turkey!

Cheesy Nachos
Serves 4

1/2 bag of tortilla chips (baked can help reduce the fat and tastes great too)
1 can of refried beans
1 tomato chopped
1 avocado chopped
2 green onions sliced
Daiya vegan cheddar cheese
vegan sour cream
salsa
olives, jalapenos or vegan burger crumbles (optional)

Mix beans up in a bowl adding a little water to thin if needed.  Place beans onto chips, top with vegan cheese and either microwave for a minute or so or bake at 375 for 5 minutes.  The cheese can get over done or burn quickly so watch it.  Top with all the above goodies and ENJOY!

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Tags: Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Nachos, Quick and easy, Soy Free, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

These are baked with a lid on to make the corn tortillas extra soft and blend all the flavors.  As usual you can adjust things to your taste by adding more or less or even additional things like vegan sour cream and vegan cheese or jalapeno peppers and so on.  I make these with 2 young kids and 2 picky teens and 1 picky husband in mind and with all of those different tastes I have to compromise to please (hopefully) all of them .  My teenage daughter does not like cumin, my babies don’t like chili powder or anything too hot and my husband likes the hot stuff.  I make it mild minus the cumin and add hot on top for those who want it.  I use chopped spinach instead of the traditional Iceberg Lettuce for more nutrients and non one seems to mind.  I even put some inside (not too much though).

Did You Know!?

• A Tomato contain approximately 40% of your daily value of vitamin C.
• A one cup serving of Pinto beans provides 24.8% of the daily recommended intake for iron.
• Click here to read more food facts

Enchiladas
Serves 4

6 corn tortillas
1 can of fat free refried beans
1/4 cup of corn
1 4 oz can tomato sauce
1 tomato chopped
1 avocado chopped
3 green onions chopped
handful or two of spinach
1/4 -1/2 cup salsa
1 4 oz can of sliced olives

Mix the tomato sauce with salsa (you could add some chili powder, garlic or cumin to this mixture) and set aside.

Chop the handful or two of spinach into small pieces.

Spread 1/3 of the mixture on the bottom of a round baking dish top with one corn tortilla then tear another corn tortilla in half and fill the left over spots.

Spread 1/3 of the beans over the top of the corn tortillas, top with 1/2 the corn mixture, 1/2 of the spinach and another layer of corn tortillas.  Repeat the layering again ending with a corn tortilla topped with the tomato sauce mixture.  Sprinkle with half of the green onions and microwave for 5-7 minutes (covered).

Top the cooked enchiladas with chopped tomatoes, the other half of the chopped green onions and spinach, the chopped avocado, and more salsa if desired.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Dinner, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Mexican Food, Vegan Enchiladas