The Veggie Gal

Trying to embrace the vegan food lifestyle my husband finds the most amazing recipes.  He found this wonderfully scrumptious recipe from the Herbivoracious blog.  He calls them “Vegetarian Frijoles Charros – Mexican Cowboy Beans with Smoked Onion” but since they are so freakin tasty in our house we call them AMAZING~Smoked Vegan Beans.

Call them what you want but make them and enjoy an amazing, savory and creamy dish that you can serve with just about a ton of things.  We have put them in fajitas, served on the side of veggie dogs, or simply with a salad and corn bread but the possibilities are vast.  We are going camping this weekend so we will precook our beans in the pressure cooker to bring along and the rest throws together really quickly.

These can be made low fat by replacing the oil with a quick spray of cooking oil.  We have made them without the chilies and with and both ways are amazing but we did not use the type of chilies he used so I can’t say how his are exactly. Obviously without the chilies this recipe is a little more kid friendly if your kids are sensitive to heat.  We also did not use the type of onion he suggests and I add a little more garlic because I love it.  Another change we made is how we smoked our onions so make sure to look at his recipe to choose which way you would prefer to smoke your onions.

Here is how we put his recipe together but the credit is ALL his, just marvelous!

AMAZING~Smoked Vegan Beans
Serves: 4+

1 handful smoking wood chips
1 large onion, chopped (depending on how you grill them you may need larger pieces then cut them down after you cook-ours fell through the grill plate we had)
2 whole dried chilies of your choice
Cooking spray (he used 3 T oil-your choice)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt to taste (the tomato paste and crushed tomato have a lot of salt in them so start with less and adjust up it can be too salty-our first batch was)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup canned crushed tomato
4 cups unsalted home-cooked pinto beans, and 1-2 cups of their cooking liquid

Prepare your home-cooked pinto beans the way you prefer.  We cook our in a pressure cooker for 26 minutes and they turn out perfect.  Make sure to keep all the cooking liquid.

Bring your grill to approximately 600° then put a handful smoking wood chips inside of some tinfoil, fold it securely, poke some holes into it and place onto your hot coals.

Slice up your garlic and set it aside until you need it. Chop your onions and place onto a grill plate with holes for the smoke to get through and place onto your hot, smoking grill and grill with the lid closed for 7-10 minutes.  Check at 7 minutes to be sure they do not burn, the end ones might burn a little but that is ok.

Cook your peppers for a minute or two on each side in a hot pan to soften them up a bit.  Pull them out of the pan and chop into small bite size pieces then put them back into the pan with a little cooking spray (or oil) and add the smoked onions, garlic and a teaspoon of salt and cook until it all softens up, maybe 2-3 minutes.

Add the beans, one cup of the bean liquid and the crushed tomatoes, bring it up to a simmer then reduce the heat and cook them for another 15 minutes.  Taste to see if you need to add more salt or more bean liquid to your desired consistency then serve and ENJOY!

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Tags: Beans, Cowboy Beans, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Quick vegan, Smoked Vegan Beans, vegan camping, vegan recipe, Vegetarian, vegetarian beans

This is a soup that I HAD to add to my blog because it is so unique and beautiful.  My pictures did not turn out very good for it but you can at least see how tasty it looks.  This recipe comes from the February 2011 VegNews magazine and I will write it out as it is in the magazine. I did however not use the oil as indicated but instead steamed in a little water.

This is a warming soup that is very filling and satisfying because of the smooth beans.  The cocoa really gives it a unique flavor, one I have not had before and one worth trying at least once.  I can say my husband and 2 year old son were not fans of it but my 6 year old and I enjoyed it so 50-50!  Try it and decide for yourself.

Cocoa-infused Black Bean Soup
Serves: 6

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
3 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 stalks celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cup no-salt added tomato puree
2 low-sodium vegetable bullion cubes
4 cups water
1 (25-ounce) can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (or hot paprika)
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large pot over heat and add onion, bay leaves, and salt.  Stir until onions soften, 4-5 minutes.

Add celery, carrots, and bell pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all vegetables soften, 7-8 minutes.

Add tomato puree, bouillon cubes, and water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until vegetables are very tender.

Stir in beans, cocoa, pepper, and paprika; simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in cilantro and serve.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Beans, Dinner, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Lunch, Quick vegan, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian, VegNews

I found this wonderful recipe in The Get Healthy, Go Vegan cookbook written by Neal Barnard, MD.

It really has a ton of flavor and is very fresh tasting.  It works great as a side salad to a main Mexican dish but for me I made it along side of my Black Bean Guacamole and used the baked tortilla chips to scoop them both up`heavenly!!  We actually ate the three together as a lunch and got completely full and satisfied.

I had left overs and it was even more flavorful and amazing the next day after it marinated so consider making it ahead of time. I will put the recipe here exactly as it appears in the book but have to say I added a couple of dashes of cayenne pepper to give it a bit of zip.

Black Bean & Corn Salad with Lime

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of 1/2 lime
Kosher or sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

ENJOY!

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Tags: Beans, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Lunch, Neal Barnard, Quick and easy, Quick vegan, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This dip can really be 5, 6, 7 or 8 layers depending on what you want to throw into it.  I added several layers of fiber filled beans and veggies to help even out the very fattening yet scrumptious oooey gooey layers.

Most vegan 7 layer dips are almost as fattening and bad for you (minus the cholesterol from dead animals) that you still can have a mini heart attack from them or at least gain 5 lbs in a sitting.  I decided to find a way to cut that fat down enough that I would eat some of it while still keeping enough in it that my meat eating guests would eat it too and not notice it was too “healthy” or at least healthier than the traditional one.

You can fatten it up even more by adding some olives to it or you can lower the fat more by reducing the sour cream and cheese layers to the bare minimum.

I add a layer of corn tortillas in the bottom to give it a more hearty, meal feel while keeping it all from sticking to the bottom.  It somehow gives it a base to hold on to almost like pizza crust does.  When you scoop it from the bottom it all seems to stay in one nice even layer instead of falling all over the place.

7 layer Mexican dip
Serves: 6-10

2-Corn tortillas
1 can refried beans
2-3 avocados
1 teaspoons lime juice
1/2 container vegan sour cream
1/2 packet or more taco seasoning
1/2 can black beans
1/2 cup corn
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup or more vegan cheese (I use Daiya)
Low fat tortilla chips

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Lay 2 corn tortillas in the bottom of a medium sized glass bowl or pan.  Tear them to fit if needed. Perfection is not important.

Spread 1 can of refried beans over the tortillas and smooth out.

Mash 2-3 avocados up with lime juice  in a small bowl until well mixed.  Spread the mixture on top of the refried beans.

Mix together the vegan sour cream and taco seasoning in a small bowl .  Spread the mixture on top of the avocados.

Top with black beans, corn and tomatoes.

Spread the vegan cheese evenly on top and cover with a lid or foil and bake for 25-35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve warm with tortilla chips.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Beans, Dinner, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Mexican Food, Vegan, vegan 7 layer Mexican dip, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

Sorry for the long delay in posting, life got a bit hectic but has finally settled down again. Thanks for the patience!

So now to the newest recipe. I have found many versions of this online and in cookbooks and most are pretty much the same with maybe a slight change in an addition of a spice such as something to add some heat. With kids I like to keep things simple and as usual I like to lower the fat where I can to keep it as healthy as possible.

I love sugar snap peas and I eat sesame seeds plain all the time (weird I know but yum) so the mixture is wonderful with a little sea salt to keep the sodium out but the flavor in.  Honestly I could just eat this whole thing as a meal, I like it that much.

I buy the steam in a bag sugar snap peas to save on time but make sure it is only sugar snap peas and not added preservatives or flavors such as butter. The best place to get them is in the produce section and not the frozen section so they are fresh and you know there is nothing else but peas in the bag. The bag sizes vary from store to store so I really just throw together how ever many bags I need and adjust the rest accordingly by taste preference.

Sugar Snap Peas with Toasted Sesame Seeds
Serves:2-4

2 bags of fresh sugar snap peas
2 teaspoons of sesame seeds (or more)
1/4 teaspoon of sesame seed oil (or put your oil in a clean spray bottle and mist the pan for even less oil-that is what I do)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

Heat a medium sized frying pan (the same one you will use for the rest of the cooking) to a medium heat.  Toss the sesame seeds in the pan, stirring very often or they will burn until they start to turn golden brown and pop.  Remove them from the heat and place in a dish to stop the cooking process and set aside.

Follow the direction on the bags of sugar snap peas and microwave for the 2 minutes or so that it requires.

While the peas are cooking heat the same pan to medium heat and mist with sesame seed oil or use the 1/4 teaspoon amount and spread evenly around the pan with a spatula.

Being careful not to burn your self open the bags of peas and pour into the heated pan.  The excess steam will create a small amount of water in the pan that mixes with the oil to help spread it around more evenly to coat the peas well.  Toss often until they start to brown slightly.

Add the sesame seeds and sea salt then toss well.  Place on a serving plate and eat while still warm.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Beans, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Lunch, Quick and easy, Quick vegan, sugar snap peas with sesame seeds, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

Mexican food is the best right?  Who does not love guacamole and chips?  Well I love all Mexican food, especially guacamole and chips but I like to keep the fat to a minimum and even with baked tortilla chips you can still consume tons of fat and calories when digging in to a bowl of guacamole.  For me adding more onions, tomatoes and black beans makes this dish much less sinful and much healthier so its a no-brainer.

Black beans are the perfect legume to choose to add to this dish because they are so creamy and complimentary to Mexican flavors but feel free to add another type if you prefer.  This dish is a wonderful dip for my Vegan Crunch Wraps, slop it onto each bite and your in heaven.

Pita bread is also a really good choice to use with this dip instead of higher fat tortilla chips.  I add salsa to my dip instead of worrying about chopping up a hot pepper and the pain that can come with that if you don’t wash your hands well after and you touch your eye.  Lazy, I know but it works really well and you can adjust the heat by your choice of salsa.

Black Bean Guacamole
Serves approx; 6

4 large ripe avocado
Juice of 1 lime or approx 2 Tablespoons
1 tomato, deseeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2-1/2 cup of your favorite salsa (chose your heat) or use cayenne pepper to your taste
2+ Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste

Cut the avocados in half and remove the seed.  Scoop out the inside and place into a medium sized bowl.  Smash the avocados to the side of the bowl with a fork until well mashed.  Add your lime juice and stir.  Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, taste and add more garlic powder, cilantro,  salt and pepper as needed.  You can eat this right away or store covered in the fridge for 1-2 days.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Avocado, Beans, black bean guacamole, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Quick and easy, Quick vegan, Vegan, 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.

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 last for a while).  Get creative and create your own crunch wrap.

Vegan Crunch Wrap
Makes: 4

1 can of refried beans
4 tostada shells (if you want to go lower fat just use a soft 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, Vegan taco bell, 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

Quinoa (pronouced KEEN-wah) is a wonderful grain (although not really a grain but a seed).  It is high in protein, iron, is an alkaline food and only has a glycemic index of 35 so it won’t spike your blood sugar and will keep you going for hours.  It has a light tasty texture that is sure to be enjoyed by all.

A lot of people have not even heard of this amazing food and they should not let that discourage them from trying it because not only does it have the above benefits it is quick and easy to make.  It only takes 15 minutes!  Some say you should rinse it off in a small holed strainer before you cook it to take away any possible bitterness.  I have tried it both ways and I don’t notice a difference but some swear by it so you decide for yourself.

This meal is really quick and will keep you full for a long time.  There is a small amount of oil in it but you can try it without.  I have a super picky family and I am weaning mine down.  Mine is kid friendly but you can add jalapeno’s, chili peppers or any other hot pepper or spice you want to heat it up if you like that.

Mexican Quinoa Salad

1 1/2 cups Quinoa
3 cups water
1 onion chopped
1 bell pepper (your color choice) chopped
3/4 cup corn
2 tomatoes chopped

Sauce:

4 Tablespoons lime
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon basil
1 Tablespoon water
3 cloves of garlic minced

Mix the water and quinoa together and bring to a boil in a medium sized sauce pan.  Once it is boiling cover and turn to the lowest temp and put the timer on for 15 minutes.  Cook until all the liquid is absorbed.

While quinoa is cooking chop your onion, bell pepper and tomatoes.  Cook the bell pepper and onion until they are softened and then add 1 tomato and the corn and mix.

Mix together all the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Once quinoa is finished and all the water is absorbed take it from the heat and pour into a large bowl.  Let it cool for about 5 minutes so it does not all stick together. Pour the pepper onion mixture into the same bowl with the quinoa.  Toss with the sauce mix and top with the rest of the tomatoes and a little sea salt.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Beans, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Mexican Salad, Quick and easy, Salad, Vegan