The Veggie Gal

Potato pancakes are soooo good!  Of course you can find tons of different ways to make the on the Internet but this is my families favorite way and of course egg free and that means cholesterol and fat free too!  I have tried them with fresh chopped onions but for some reason those little freeze dried onions give it such a good flavor.  I have also found that celery salt brings out an amazing flavor in just about all potato dishes so I use it them often.

Potato Pancakes
Makes; 6-8

1 cup shredded potatoes (can use frozen just let them defrost)
4 Tablespoons of oat flour (whole oats ground into flour in your Magic Bullet) can use gluten free oats if desired
4 Tablespoons dried chopped onions (can do 1/4 cup freshly chopped)
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the oat flour with enough water to make it like you would pancake batter.  Mix in the rest of the ingredients and toss well to blend flavors.

Grab a nice handful and smash it together in your hands to make a pancake.  Don’t worry if it does not stick together perfect once it cooks on one side it will stick together.  Place into a  good nonstick skillet (sprayed with a small amount of cooking spray if needed) and smash down.  Cook over medium heat until golden brown, flip, press down and cook again until golden brown.  That’s it!  ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Potato pancakes, Potatoes, Quick and easy, Quick dinner, Quick vegan, Side dish, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This soup’s flavor is absolutely wonderful!  There is  some added fat in the form of cashew nut butter and almond milk but wow they really give an amazing flavor and make it rich and creamy.  As you may have noticed I have a lot of soup recipes on my blog and that is because I love soup and could eat it every day.  The problem is my family does not love soup as much as I do and they never feel like making it a meal but rather a starter for a meal.  Not with this soup, everyone felt full, satisfied and no one even needed dessert.  I think the almond milk and nut butter are the reason behind that; not forgetting, everyone loves potatoes!

As usual with my recipes you can change the ingredients to suit your likes but this one does not need any adjustment, I promise.  If you don’t have cashew butter on hand almond butter would work well and soy milk will work instead of almond milk but stick with the original if you can.  The great thing is no one noticed the healthy kale in the soup because it is chopped down small enough and the soup has such wonderful flavor it is hidden in the mix so you get your greens without realizing it!

Mixed Potato Chowder
Serves: 6+

1/2 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 small sweet potato or yam
6-8 medium white potato of your choice (red or Yukon are the best)
3 stalks of kale, de-steamed and chopped into small pieces
2 cups Vegetable broth
1-2 cups Almond milk (adjust milk to control thickness of soup-remember blending after cooking will thicken the soup)
1 Tablespoon Cashew butter
1 teaspoon ground thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Chop onion, celery and carrot and cook in the broth for about 15 minutes on medium heat at a slow boil to soften.  Add the remaining ingredients (add one cup of milk and add more as needed to keep a thick soup but covered enough to cook everything).

If you want a richer and thicker soup you can use all milk as the liquid but remember almond milk has fat in it.  When the potatoes are done use a hand mixer, blender or a fork to blend 1/4 or half of the soup up creamy then remix and ENJOY!

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Tags: Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Lunch, potato chowder, Potatoes, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This potato salad can be low fat or even fat free depending on the vegan mayo you chose.  I have not gotten my family all the way over to fat free yet but they can handle low fat so I mix half nayonaise (fat free version) with half low fat vegenaise .  The low fat vegenaise gives it just enough fat to give it that creamy mouth feel without going over the top.  Plus, vegenaise is just a bit zesty while nayonaise does not really have much of a flavor at all.  Then of course you can get the great flavor by using good spices as well as fresh, crisp vegetables.  This potato salad is also cholesterol FREE, all vegan food is!!

Did You Know!?

• The fiber in Potatoes are half soluble and half insoluble which helps to keep you regular and lower your cholesterol.
• Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable source of the pro-vitamin A carotenes.
• Click here to read more food facts

Low Fat Potato Salad

Serves: 4-6

2 lbs Yukon Gold or Red potatoes, peeled (or not) and chopped

2-3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

1/2 carrots, shredded

1/2 cup vegenaise or nayonaise

1 Tablespoon mustard of your choice

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1-2 Tablespoons dill relish (or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed)

salt and pepper

Optional:

1 teaspoon horseradish

1-2 Tablespoons sesame seeds (added calcium!)

Clean, peel if desired, and chop your potatoes into bite size pieces, approximately 1 inch squared.  Boil until cooked through but don’t over cook, approximately 15 minutes in boiling water.

While the potatoes are cooking chop and shred all your vegetable and place into a large bowl.  Add the vegan mayo of your choice and all the spices (lowest amounts first then add more once mixed if desired).

Once potatoes are done drain in a strainer and run under cool water to stop them from cooking.  Cool well with the water or by letting them sit a bit so they don’t break apart as you mix.  Pour cooled potatoes into the large bowl with the rest of your ingredients and mix well.  Enjoy slightly warm or cool in the refrigerator to blend flavors.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Dinner, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Lunch, Potatoes, Quick and easy, Quick vegan, Side dish, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

Who doesn’t love pizza?  I know I do and even without cheese it can be pretty high in calories and super addicting so you end up eating way more than you should.  Also, if you have a sensitivity to gluten then pizza is a no no.   You can get really creative with these and put just about anything that you like on your pizza on them (except meat or cheese of course).  If you have a great marinara sauce you can cover them with it and it is amazing!  Imitation pepperoni and the white Daiya cheese is great on them too but not as low fat as just the sauce with veggies but one won’t hurt, right!  The kids and husbands love this recipe so it is pretty fool proof and quick and easy to boot!

You can get creative with these and do pretty much what ever you like on them but this is what I did for 4 different ones.  You could use baby potatoes and make great little appetizers with these as well.

Potato Pizza Boats

4 large Yukon Gold or Red potato

Marinara sauce or pizza sauce

1/2 onion, sliced

1/2 zucchini, sliced

1 cup of broccoli, chopped small

1 handful of baby spinach chopped

6 pieces of vegan pepperoni

a sprinkle of vegan cheese

1/2 tomato, chopped

oregano to taste

basil to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Bake your baked potatoes in the microwave until cooked through.

While the potatoes are cooking chop your veggies and steam the onions, broccoli, and zucchini with the spices to your taste.

Slice the potato in half and smash with a fork. Spread some marinara on and then top with the veggies of your choice or the pepperoni and cheese then add even more sauce and fresh tomato.  Ground cashews or nutritional yeast would be a good cheesy tasting top too! ENJOY!

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Tags: Dinner, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Lunch, Potato Pizza Boats, Quick and easy, Quick vegan, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This is a recipe that I got out of the book The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen.  Since this book was recently #3 on the New York Times best selling list and he was the chef who helped Oprah with her 21 day vegan cleanse I figured this book was worth taking a look at.  The photographs in  the book are stunning and every recipe has a picture with it which I think is a big plus for every person looking for recipes.

Everything in the book looks amazing and is worth trying.  He does use a lot more oils and fat filled foods than I prefer but I will just alter the recipes to use less or no fats where I can while keeping as much of the recipe in tact as possible.  That is what I did with this corn chowder.  I did not use any oil what so ever and I think it turned out wonderfully.

I would however suggest organic frozen (already off the cob) corn be used.  Fresh corn can be not so fresh and if that is the case it can ruin the entire soup and I don’t think it is worth the risk.  One other tip I would give is cooking one potato in the microwave and mashing it and add it half way through instead of mashing some on the side of the pan since that gets very hot.

I am typing the recipe exactly as it is in the book and will make side comments where I changed something.

Corn Chowder from The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen
serves:6

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I steamed in water-no oil)
2 cups diced Vidalia onions
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 red bell pepper, de-ribbed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 dried chipotle pepper
5 cups faux chicken stock (try Better Than Bouillon brand)
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 fresh thyme sprig
Kernels from 6 ears of corn, plus 2 ears roasted or grilled corn (as I stated above I used frozen corn at eyeballed amount that looked good-roasted 1 cup in the oven)
1 1/2 cups thick Cashew Cream (see below for recipe)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced chives
1/2 cup diced tomato

1. Place a large stockpot over medium heat.  Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute.  Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke.  This will create a nonstick effect. (As I said above I just steamed my veggies in the water using no oil)
2. Add the onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and chipotle pepper.  Saute for 10 minutes, stirring often.  Add the stock, potatoes, and thyme, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. With the back of a spoon, smash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot and stir to thicken the soup.  Add the raw corn and Cashew Cream, season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove the chipotle pepper and thyme sprigs.  Garnish with the chives, tomato, and roasted corn kernels.

Cashew Cream

2 cups whole raw cashews (not pieces, which are often dry), rinsed very well under cold water.

1. Put the cashews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
2. Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water.  Place in a blend with enough fresh cold water to just cover them.  Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth.

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Tags: Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Tal Ronnen, The Conscious Cook, vegan corn chowder

This is a great recipe from Dr. McDougall’s book, The McDougall Program-12 days to dynamic health.    I throw these together for a super quick lunch or dinner when I am just too tired to think or cook.  The bonus, no guilt meal, I can have 2 if I really want to!

I will post the recipe exactly as it is in his book but I usually just use what ever salad stuff I have in the house to throw these together.  I also like to top them with either a sprinkle of sesame seeds  or thinly sliced almonds for added calcium and protein.  I always try and have some sort of sprout on my salad since they are such nutritional powerhouses especially broccoli sprouts.

Also I usually use Yukon Gold and Red potatoes for mine since they are better for you and are so creamy.  Sometimes I event throw on some chickpeas or other bean if I am super hungry.  For the little kids I have to reduce the vegetables considerably and then chop them super small and mix it in with the potato so they will eat it but as long as I put the fat free Italian dressing over the top they usually eat it.

Did You Know!?

• A medium Potato has 45% of your daily requirements for Vitamin C.
• Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable source of the pro-vitamin A carotenes.
• Almonds are higher in calcium than any other nut containing 66 mg in 1 ounce.
• Click here to read more food facts

Baked Potato Salad

serves: 2

2white baking potatoes, scrubbed
2 cups coarsely shredded lettuce
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4-1/3 cup low-sodium, oi-free Italian, French or Russian salad dressing

Scrub the potatoes, prick with a fork, and microwave on high for about 10 minutes, until tender.  (If you don’t have a microwave, bake at 400° for 50 to 60 minutes.)

Combine the lettuce, tomato, celery, radishes and scallions.  To serve, slice the baked potatoes in half lengthwise, then cover each half with some salad mixture.  Top all of this with your choice of dressing.  ENJOY!

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Tags: anti-cancer food, Dinner, Dr. McDougall, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Lunch, Potatoes, Quick vegan, Vegan, 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

I remember as a kid my mom would make shepherds pie for us.  It had full fat hamburger, a couple of green beans, a can of tomato soup (with high fructose corn syrup in it), some mashed potatoes (made with butter and milk) on top of that mixture and melted cheese on top of those.  I was never a fan of meat even as a kid so I would eat the beans and liked the taste of the soup on them.  I loved the mashed potatoes and was always a fan of cheese so I would always leave a plate of greasy meat after I was finished eating all the rest and always thought it looked so nasty.  Little did I know how horrible all of that with the exception on the beans were for my body.  My mom did not know any better she cooked what her mom cooked and we were eating from all the food groups so we thought it was healthy.

When I turned vegetarian (lacto-ovo) I would use Boca burger or other imitation meat crumbles instead of the hamburger and then do the rest the same as she did except I doubled the yummy green beans and I loved it.  Then I switched to vegan and thought I would never enjoy it again if I could not eat it with the butter in my potatoes and the cheese on the top.  I was wrong.

I started to search the Internet for vegan versions and experimented with different ones and then put my own version together.  Sometimes I still use Boca or other crumbles in it but I really like the vegetables in the nice gravy and there is not need for cheese if you make the potatoes right.  I use garlic powder, soy milk and a little bit of vegan butter and they are rich and creamy.  You can use what ever type of beans you want and of course you can add your imitation burger crumbles if you want to as well.  I am not a fan of mushrooms but for most they would make a nice “meaty” addition.

Did You Know!?

• The fiber in Potatoes are half soluble and half insoluble which helps to keep you regular and lower your cholesterol.
• A one cup serving of pinto beans provides 24.8% of the daily recommended intake for iron.
• Regular consumption of onions has been show to lower cholesterol and high blood pressure.
• Click here to read more food fact

Produce Potato Pie
Serves approx 6
Mashed Potatoes:
10 potatoes (Yukon gold or red are the creamiest)
1 1/2 cups of soy milk
1-2 Tablespoons of vegan butter (optional)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Pie Filling:
1 onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, mince
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 cups of vegetable broth
1 can of pinto or other beans of your choice
2 cups of green beans cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups of spinach leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons of water

Cut the potatoes into cubes and put into a large pot of water.  Cover with a lid and bring to a boil.  Turn to simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender.  Drain, place in a large bowl or a Stand Mixer and add spices then mix until smooth adding the milk as you go to your desired constancy. Cover the bowl with a towel to keep the heat in.

While Potatoes are cooking cut all your vegetables and then add them all to a large pan along with all the spices  and vegetable broth (keeping the corn starch and water out).  Bring to a boil, reduce to a good simmer and cover to cook thoroughly.  When the vegetable are softened mix together the corn starch and the water and pour into the pan to thicken.  Stir constantly until it is thick and remove from the heat.

Place a heaping pile of the vegetable mix on a plate and top with mashed potatoes.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This is a basic, hearty and warm soup that is easy and cheap!  You can adjust the spices to your liking and if you want some protein you could add some beans or rice to it.  Half of my family likes creamed soups and the other half likes chunky soup.  After it is done cooking I throw half of it in a blend to make it a cream of potato soup.  You can use rice, oat or any other milk if you have soy issues.

Did You Know!?

• The fiber in Potatoes are half soluble and half insoluble which helps to keep you regular and lower your cholesterol.
• One cup of raw Onions contain over 20% of the trace mineral Chromium which helps to regular your your blood sugars.

• Click here to read more food facts

Potato Soup

serves 6

8 potatoes
4 cups of milk of your choice
4 cups of veggie 1broth
1 onion chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon dijon mustard (or you could use spicy mustard)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
pepper to taste
You could use a little vegan butter at the end to give it a creamier mouth feed but it is not needed.

Peel and chop the onion and chop the celery.  Cook in 1 cup of veggie broth about 10 minutes while you peel the potatoes and chop into bite size pieces.

Add the potatoes, milk, the rest of the veggie broth and all the spices.  Cook on medium covered for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are done.

Cream with a hand blender or in a blend for cream of potato soup.  You could top it with nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor and added B-12 or top with sesame seeds for a crunch and some calcium.  ENJOY!

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

This are a simple side dish that can accompany so many dishes or just be a great snack too.  I enjoy them very crispy but you can cook them to your taste.  You also can adjust the spices to your taste, it is pretty much up to you.  I do add a little bit of oil on these to get them crispy but have had good success just using the cooking spray that puts a trace amount of oil on the pan and over the potatoes or you could use parchment paper too.

Did You Know!?

• Perforated plastic bags and paper bags offer the best environment for extending the Potatoes shelf-life.
• Studies have suggested that one clove of Garlic a day will improve your health and 2-3 cloves will help prevent a cold.
• Click here to read more food facts

Roasted Potatoes
Serves 4

4-6 potatoes of your choice
1 teaspoons of olive oil (or omit and use cooking spray or parchment paper)
1 teaspoons of garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground thyme
sea salt to taste if needed after cooking

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel and chop the potatoes into bite size pieces.  Place oil and spices into a bowl and mix.  Pour potatoes over the mixture and shake with a lid over the bowl to mix and spread completely.

Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and bake for 30-45 minutes until golden brown and slightly crispy.  Toss the potatoes half way through the cooking time.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Easy Vegan, Potatoes, Side dish, Vegan