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

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

I thought vegan cheesecake might taste weird or gross without having regular cream cheese and sour cream, especially since I don’t love the vegan versions of those two things.  WOW I was wrong!  It is so creamy, rich and delicious!  Be careful though it is NOT low fat and something to have on the rare occasion.

Many of the recipes for vegan cheesecake call for you to buy the store bought graham cracker or Oreo crust.  The problem with most of the store bought ones is they have added oils and they are in the hydrogenated form.  Plus they all seem to have high fructose corn syrup which I really stay away from.  I’m sure you can find a natural one if you look but I am too lazy so I made my own.  In included the recipe but if you don’t care about the above things go right ahead and buy the store bought one.

Everyone likes their cheese cake topped with something different so adjust the berry recipe to your liking or eat the cheesecake plain.  I again don’t like to buy the store bought topping because it usually has high fructose corn syrup or heavy corn syrup which are just horrible for you.  I trim corners where I can so if I do cheat with something like this it is not a total guilt fest   For ideas on the substitutions/vegan versions check out my substitution page.

Berry Topped Cheezecake
Serves; 8-10 depending on the slice size

Homemade Crust;

2 cups of vegan cookies of your choice (I use Amy’s chocolate graham bunnies-no hydrogenated oils)
12-14 pitted dates- enough to make it stick together
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until completely broken down and it is starting to stick together.  Grab a handful and squeeze it together, if it stays stuck together well then you have enough dates if not then add 2 more and continue until it sticks together well.

Pour mixture into a round cake pan and press down and to the sides.  Pour the cheezecake mixture into it and follow baking instructions (see below).

Cheezecake Filling;
2 8 oz vegan cream cheese
2 cups vegan sour cream
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 egg re-placers (I use Ener G Replacer)

With a hand mixer blend together the cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until smooth and creamy.   Add the vanilla, flour and egg replacer and blend until completely mixed together.  Pour into your store bought or homemade pie crust (see above for recipe).

Bake 50-65 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.  The sides will start to pull away and crack slightly.  Pan size and thickness of the pan will adjust how long it has to cook so check after 45 minutes.

Cool completely and then put in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours to chill more.

Slice and serve with the Berry Topping (recipe below) ENJOY!

Berry Topping;

1 cup mixed berries or berries of your choice (fresh or frozen)
1 Tablespoon sweetener of your choice
2 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon arrowroot (or cornstarch mixed in a little water) to thicken slightly

Cook all ingredients on medium heat in a small pan for 5-10 minutes until cooked through, the berries are somewhat broken down and it starts to slightly thicken. Cool completely then chill in a covered container until ready to top the cheezecake. Enjoy!

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Tags: Easy Vegan, Vegan, vegan cheesecake, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

Some things just need a topping and I think spaghetti is one of them!  When I was a vegetarian I used to pack tons of cheese on top of my baked spaghetti and everyone loved it.  When I went vegan that same baked spaghetti was pretty dry and bland without the cheese.  Yes, I could pack on tons of Daiya vegan cheese and it would probably be very good and who knows one day I might give it a try but I like to eat low fat where I can so a bread crumb crust is where I landed.  It is a nice landing too because most people like some crusty bread with their spaghetti and this is the best of both worlds.

As many vegan’s know finding vegan bread crumbs at regular stores is almost impossible.  Plus, I don’t like all the stuff that is added and like to add my own spices to flavor it the way I want it so I make my own.  It is quick and easy, don’t worry.  If you have a gluten intolerance you can use rice or quinoa noodles then don’t put the bread crumbs on (unless you have found a great gluten free bread you like-I haven’t).

Baked Spaghetti w/Bread Crumb Crust
Serves 6-8

1/2 package of spaghetti noodles
1/2 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1  28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1 Tablespoon sugar
Breadcrumbs;
4-6 slices of whole wheat bread
1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Boil spaghetti in salted water until tender then drain.

Preheat your oven to 400° F.

While spaghetti is cooking steam the onion and bell pepper in a little bit of water until soft.  Add crushed and diced tomatoes, and spices then stir well.

Pour the spaghetti and tomato sauce into a 9 x 12 baking pan, mix well and cover with tin foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.

While spaghetti is baking put the bread slices and seasonings into your Magic Bullet or blender and process until you have nice bread crumbs.

Remove pan from oven, remove the foil and sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top.  Spray the top of them with a quick and even coat of cooking spray so they don’t burn and return to the oven.  Cook until the bread crumbs turn golden brown, 5-10 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes then ENJOY!

Lemon & Vanilla Pudding makes a great dessert after this dish!

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Tags: Baked Spaghetti w/Bread Crumb Crust, Dinner, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Pasta, Quick and easy, 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

The imitation chicken and cashews in this vegetable chow mein make it so delicious, filling  and satisfying that you won’t be hungry in 15 minutes like many Asian dishes tend to do.  I love Chinese food and could eat it several times a week but my family can only handle it once every couple of weeks so I always make extra  so I can have left overs.  YUM!

The brand of imitation chicken you chose can affect your fat intake so if you are trying to keep it lower fat you might want to go with Yves Meatless Chicken Strips.  For me buying that brand means a 30 minute drive to Whole Foods but I can buy the Morning Star Chicken Strips at my local Walmart which is 5 minutes away and they are much cheaper but do have a touch more fat too, you decide.

For those with gluten issues you can use wheat free soy sauce and omit the chow mein noodles and use fried tofu instead of the chicken for a gluten free meal.

Did You Know!?

• The natural oils in brown rice helps to lower cholesterol.
• If you or someone you love is a smoker, or if you are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, then making vitamin A-rich foods, such as carrots, part of your healthy way of eating may save your life, suggests research conducted at Kansas State University.
• Click here to read more food facts

Chick’n & Cashew Chow Mein
Serves: 6 large portions

1 package imitation chick’n (approx 8 oz)
1/2 cup vegetable broth
4 large carrots, sliced into coins
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 heads of broccoli, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, sliced (I only use 1/2 can but if you don’t want to waste use it all)
1 8 oz can bamboo shoots (I only use 1/2 can but if you don’t want to waste use it all)
1/2 cup cashew, chopped to break them up a bit and seem like there is more
1 cup sugar snap pea pods
1 cup of vegetable broth
2-3 Tablespoons Braggs liquid amino
2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon or more powdered ginger
2 Tablespoons corn starch
2 cups brown rice, cooked according to directions

Optional (due to additional fat content):
Chow Mein noodles
or
Toasted sliced almonds

Cook rice according to package directions which should take approximately 45 minutes.

While rice is cooking heat a wok or large frying pan to medium heat and add the 1/2 cup vegetable broth and all the chopped vegetables except the pea pods and the cashews and steam until cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Once vegetables and rice have about 10 minutes left cook the chick’n in a frying pan with a small amount of cooking spray or a dry in a really good non stick skillet until browned and cooked through.

In a mixing bowl mix together the vegetable broth, braggs, soy sauce, ginger and corn starch.  Whisk until it is smooth and add to the cooked vegetables and stir until it starts to thicken.  Remove from heat and add the chick’n and cashews to coat with the sauce and mix with the vegetables.  You can add more soy sauce or ginger by the taste.

Pour approximately 1/2 cup of rice onto a plate and top with vegetable mixture and then top that with chow mein noodles or almonds and ENJOY!

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Tags: Chicken Chow Mein, Chinese food, Dinner, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Step by step meal, 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 parfait is absolutely scrumptious!  I use my Lemon & Vanilla Pudding as the base because the lemon and strawberries taste so amazing together.  Of course you could use a vegan ice cream or yogurt as your base but this recipe just tastes so rich that you feel like you are eating a restaurant dessert.  The pudding cooks up in just 10 minutes and you then just have to chill it for a couple of hours.

Our family is addicted to sweets so I make only enough for us each to have one because if there was any left over there might be a battle to the death for the leftovers :j.  You can adjust the fat to your tolerance by using full fat, low fat or fat free soy milk but of course the lower fat is the less rich and creamy it is.

Strawberry Pudding Parfait
Serves: 6

2 cups soy Milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon (can omit if you don’t have a fresh lemon)
3 Tablespoons corn starch
pinch of salt
1 pint of Organic Strawberries, sliced

In a medium pan mix together the sugar, corn starch, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and 1 cup of soy milk.   Cook over a  medium heat  stirring constantly so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.  As it thickens slowly stir in the second cup of soy milk and add the vanilla.  Cook until it thickens and starts to bubble.  Remove from heat to let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Pour into a glass bowl and put into the refrigerator to cool for 2-3 hours.

Once the pudding is ready wash and slice the strawberries.  Put one layer of pudding in the bottom or your bowl or glass, top with desired amount of strawberries and repeat until full.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Quick and easy, strawberry parfait, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

With the 4th of July around the corner we tend to spend more time outside  eating cooling foods and enjoy the beautiful summer weather.   Fruit salads are a perfect side to any outdoor menu item you may have and since fruit is at is peak right now it will taste amazing and look impressive, even if you have no cooking skills at all!

I try and buy organic if I can like the strawberries and grapes and  then I use what ever other frozen fruit looks/tastes good along with some freshly cut bananas.  This can make for some slightly deflated blueberries but as the frozen fruit melts it helps to keep the whole salad cold and gives off some nice juices that mix well with the whole salad. Of course there are many different ways to make a fruit salad you could mix in some kiwi for beautiful color or add some cantaloupe and honeydew melons for a new look and flavor mixture.  You just need to mix together the fruits you love best.

This is a salad you can always be proud of because you know it is going to be healthy for your whole family.  This is a nice side to Black Bean Veggie Burgers because it is just sweet enough to satisfy the sweet tooth you get after dinner.

Fruit Salad

Makes: approx 5 cups

1 Banana

1 pint Strawberries

1 cup Grapes, sliced in half

1/2 cup Peaches, sliced

1/2 cup raspberries,

1/2 cup Blueberries

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon sweetener (if desired-takes away any tartness of fruit)

1 Tablespoon water

Wash and chop all the fruit and put into a bowl.

Mix together the lemon juice, sweetener, and water and pour over the fruit salad and toss.  Chill or serve right away and ENJOY!  EASY right!!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Easy Vegan, fruit salad, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Lunch, Quick and easy, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This pudding serves 6 – 1/2 cup servings which is perfect for my family of 6 but if they had their way I would triple the recipe so they could have a really big bowl.  I don’t blame them either because it is rich, creamy, sweet with just a hint of lemon to make it s very  very good!  But as the person looking out of everyone’s health and waistline I like to keep sugar at a minimum so we stick with one small bowl.

Using fresh lemon juice and lemon zest is best but bottled lemon juice will work in a pinch if you have to use it.  This pudding would be a great replacement for the yogurt in my the Granola Yogurt Parfait .

Lemon & Vanilla Pudding
Serves: 6- 1/2 cup servings

2 cups soy Milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon (can omit if you don’t have a fresh lemon)
3 Tablespoons corn starch
pinch of salt

In a medium pan mix together the sugar, corn starch, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and 1 cup of soy milk.   Cook over a  medium heat  stirring constantly so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.  As it thickens slowly stir in the second cup of soy milk and add the vanilla.  Cook until it thickens and starts to bubble.  Remove from heat to let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Pour into a glass bowl or individual bowls and put into the refrigerator to cool for 2-3 hours.  Top with berries if desired.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Dessert, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, pudding, Quick and easy, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian