The Veggie Gal

This is a super easy and pretty quick soup to throw together when you don’t have a ton of time.  The flavor is very mild and simple but you can spice it up with some creativity if you want to.  I enjoy the simplicity of it and the kids will eat it so that is awesome for me.

Don’t you love all the tv shows that claim a 5 or 10 minute meal but they have all the ingredients right in front of them all cut up and ready.  Sure many things would take 5 or 10 minutes if all the ingredients were ready for me to put together.  Well this soup only takes about 10 minutes once you have everything cut up and ready but really it takes about 30 minutes including prep but that is pretty quick for real food.

Veggie Miso Soup
Makes: about 8 servings (easy to half)

1 onion chopped (a whole rubber banded amount of green onions is great too)
4-6 shredded carrots
1/2 head shredded cabbage (kind and color of your choice)
1 1/2-2 cups frozen soy beans (edamame)
1 16 oz bag rice noodles (Chinese style) cooked in approximately 8+ cups of water
3/4 cup Miso Paste (flavor of your choice-adjust to taste)
1-2 teaspoons sesame oil
Powdered ginger to taste
2 Tablespoons soy sauce (adjust to taste-can use gluten free to keep it gluten free)
Sesame seeds
Salt to taste if needed

Chop veggies and steam in a little water to cook all the way through and not liquid is left in the pan.

While veggies are cooking cook rice noodles according to package which should only take 5 minutes once water is boiling (DO NOT DRAIN!)

Once the noodles are cooked through add the miso paste to the starchy water with the noodles and stir until blended.

Add the cooked veggies and other spices then adjust to your taste.  Garnish with sesame seeds and ENJOY!

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Tags: Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Quick vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian, Veggie Miso Soup

If you use brown rice regularly this could be a quick dish by using left over rice from the fridge otherwise it will take a little over an hour but not a ton of work. While you wait for the brown rice to cook you could make up some Black Bean Guacamole to go along with this.

I really enjoy this recipe when I cook the veggies in a little coconut oil but feel free to steam them in water to lesson the fat which is still wonderful.  I also use less spicy things in mine because I am pleasing children but experiment with this by adding as much or as little of the spicy stuff that you want to suite your taste buds.  I would probably even add a small 4 oz can of chilies to this but the kids would not like that.

Mexican Rice
makes 2 1/2 cups

2 cups cooked brown rice
1-2 Tablespoons organic coconut oil (or water to steam)
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic minced
1/4-1/2 cup corn (frozen)
1-2 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2-1 teaspoon cumin
1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro
Pepper to taste

Prepare rice according to the package directions.  While the rice cooks chop your veggies and cook in the oil or some water until tender.

Add the spices to the veggies and stir well, then cook for and additional 3 minutes.  Add the rice and stir fry for a few minutes until heated through.  Taste and adjust the spices to your liking and ENJOY!

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Tags: Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Mexican Food, Mexican Rice, Vegan Mexican Rice, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

I have been on a caramel kick lately and as usual try and find ways to make it less bad for me.  Well I have not made it healthy by any means but using vegan butter and brown rice syrup instead of corn syrup is an improvement I can live with.  This caramel is as good as the regular kind and with Easter just around the corner one you can use it to  make your own little individually wrapped candies to add to the Easter basket.

This recipe is also wonderful to make your own awesome chewy caramel popcorn.  If you like hard carmael popcorn then you can add a pinch or two of baking soda but I like mine chewy and gooey.

Soft & Chewy Vegan Caramels

1/3 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium sized sauce pan on medium-high heat bring the Earth Balance, brown rice syrup and brown sugar to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low continuing to boil at a low level.  Stirring often cook for a 5 full minutes then turn the heat off.  Pour in the vanilla and stir well.  Pour into a pan to cool and put in the fridge once it is room temp.  Once fully set up pull out of the fridge and cut into bite size pieces.  If you prefer it on your popcorn pour onto the popcorn right after you stir in the vanilla and toss well.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Dessert, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Soft & Chewy Vegan Caramels, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

Spring is in the air and I’m getting excited for the weather to warm up and to be able to wear lighter clothes soon.  I actually have a few flowers that just popped up in my front yard so I’m buzzing with excitement.  We all need to get ready for those summer clothes right now and salads are a great way to drop a couple of pounds.

This salad is very hearty that you can just have it alone as a meal.  The quinoa is super high in protein and satisfies a big appetite.  Add what ever other Mexican flavors you enjoy like jalapenos or red onions to make it just the way you like it.

The Ranch recipe is similar to my Cucumber Cashew Ranch just minus the cucumbers and add chipotle seasoning.  It all comes together in less than 30 minutes!

Mexican Quinoa Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Greens of your choice
1/4 cup cooked quiona-per plate (cook according to package directions-chill if desired while making the Ranch)
Handful black beans
Toppings of your choice; olives, onions, tomatoes, avocado
Top with Chipotle Ranch Dressing (recipe below)

 Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Makes approx 2 cups dressing

1 cup soaked raw cashews (NOT roasted or salted!)
Enough clean water to just barely cover the cashews once placed in the blender or food processor
1 teaspoon (or more to taste) garlic powder
1 teaspoon (or more to taste) onion powder
1 teaspoon (or more to taste) dried parsley
1 teaspoon (or more to taste) chives
1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) dill weed
1/2 teaspoon(or more to taste) lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) sea salt
1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) chipotle seasoning (Mrs. Dash works great since no salt is added)
pepper to taste

Make sure you soak your nuts, rinse completely and pour into your high powered blender or food processor.

Add all the rest of the ingredients in the order listed and blend until creamy.  If you are doing this in a food processor stop periodically and scrape the sides down.

Taste and adjust the spices to your liking.  If you need it to be thinner adjust the moisture with more water.

Pour into a container with a lid and refrigerate until well chilled, although it can be eaten right away if you do not mind it slightly warm.

Pour onto your salad and ENJOY!

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Tags: Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Mexican Food, Mexican Quinoa Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing, Quick vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

There are a ton and a half vegan cheese sauces out there and this is my version.  Not much different than most but the twist I like is the roasted bell peppers instead of pimentos that most call for.  The roasting of the bell peppers gives it a little of that smoked flavor which I think is a more cheesy flavor.  I have tried it with smoked paprika as well and that gives it a bit more smokey flavor so experiment with your flavors and see what you like best.

I have tried it without the salt and oh boy it is just NOT the same so if you are low sodium I suggest trying miso or low sodium soy sauce instead so you can keep that salty flavor.  Another fun way to play with this is by adding chipotle spices or chili powder to make it nacho flavored.  I also sometimes grind up a little bit of raw cashews along with some nutritional yeast to a nice slightly chunky powder and mix that in by hand for little tiny chunks but if you want it silky smooth just stick with the recipe below.

I use this to make a mean mac and cheese, nacho sauce for well… nachos and I make a YUMMY nacho baked potato salad that I will post next week.  I am also thinking of adding some to my already good lasagna and I love it on steamed cauliflower and broccoli but I’m sure the possibilities are as endless as regular cheese sauce!

By now from all my previous posts you can see how much I LOVE cashews as my dairy sub and this is yet another showing of how versatile these wonderful nuts are.

Vegan Cheese Sauce
Makes approximately 3+ cups

1 cup raw cashews
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 heaping teaspoon paprika
1 heaping teaspoon onion powder
1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup roasted bell peppers including the juice if using jarred (chop them up small enough to fit in the cup if needed)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1-1 1/2 cups of water (depending on how thick you want the sauce-start with 1 cup and work up)

If you do not have a vita-mix like blender soak the nuts for a couple of hours to soften and rinse well.

Pour all the ingredients into the blender (starting with only 1 cup of water) and blend until perfectly smooth.  Add more water if a thinner consistency is desired).  If you are using a high powered blender you can blend until warm otherwise transfer to a pan and heat until warm and pour over whatever you desire and ENJOY!

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Tags: Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Quick vegan, Vegan, Vegan Cheese Sauce, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

My oldest daughter found these beauties and what a score!  They are healthy, extremely filling, and help you poop.  What could be better!

You can make some amazing treats in a dehydrator and it usually only take a few mins of prep and then you just leave them to “cook” for hours like a crock pot but without killing the enzymes in them because of the low heat.  My only grip about these is you can’t cook them the night before and have them ready in the morning.  But you can have them cooking while you take a shower or something in the morning or do what we do and have them for dinner with some yummy Cheezy Tofu Scramble.

I try and avoid oil where I can so I did not use the oil that is normally called for in these and they were great.  I’m sure they are also awesome with the oil and if you want her recipe check it out at Rawmazing’s website.  Otherwise this is what I did with mine.  I actually might try and blend in a little buckwheat groats to cut down on the fat content of the flax seeds and make them a little lighter next time and I will keep you posted if they turn out well.  If you do not have a dehydrator you can cook them in your oven at the very lowest temp checking them periodically so they do not dry out.

Raw Blueberry Flax Pancakes
Makes 5, 5 inch pancakes.  

1/2 cup flax seeds (ground)
1 cup flax seeds (not ground)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 cup blueberries (I used organic frozen and gently folded them in at the very end so they would not bleed)
1/4 cup coconut (dried, unsweetened and unsulfered)

Mix all ingredients except blueberries together well.  Fold in blueberries and spread 5 pancakes worth of batter onto your dehydrator sheets and spread out evenly.  Dehydrate at 145 for one hour, flip after the hour and dehydrate for 30 more minutes at 114.  Serve with pure, organic maple syrup.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dehydrated, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, pancakes, raw blueberry flax pancakes, vegan pancakes, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

To eat like my doctor hero’s (McDougall, Furhman and Barnard) recommend you need to think simple, whole and clean while staying away from added oils.  Well this Mexican Black Bean Quinoa over a Sweet Potato with Cashew Sour Cream fits that bill perfectly.

I am buying bulk food to use for long term food storage and want to be sure I can actually make something with it when the time comes, plus we need to rotate the food so it stays good.  We bought 50 lbs of quinoa and sealed it in air proof bags at increments of 2 cups a piece.  I also bought 25 lbs of beans, brown rice, oats, and raw cashews so I will need to come up with other recipes to rotate that through.  As you all may have noticed I am having no problems coming up with recipes to use cashews but will be getting creative with the rest while continuing to add to the stockpile.

This recipe works great for using the stored food but better than that it actually tastes amazing if I do say so myself.  My husband actually said if he had to he could eat this every day.  PLUS it is SUPER DE DUPER good for you and won’t make you fat!

I usually make 1 cup of quinoa while I am making it and put the rest in the fridge so I can make my Quinoa Mandarin Salad with the cold Quinoa for my next meal, makes it quick and easy and we all need to consolidate time where we can.

Black Bean Quinoa over a Sweet Potato with Cashew Sour Cream

Makes enough for 6+ (think leftovers for lunch!)

6 small sweet potatoes/yams
1/2 cup prepared quinoa (prepare according to package directions)
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup cauliflower, chopped (or other veggie or your choice)
1 can black beans, rinsed (or cook your own whole beans)
1/4 cup corn (organic is best with the lowest possibility of being non GMO)
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 4 oz can mild green chilies
1/2 teaspoon Oregano (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (or to taste)
Chili powder to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cashew Sour Cream recipe

Wash the sweet potatoes and bake at 400° in the oven for 1 hour or bake in the microwave until done, make sure to poke a few holes in them before cooking.

While the sweet potatoes cook, prepare the quinoa according to package directions.  Quiona should only take 15 minutes to cook.

Chop up the onion and cauliflower and steam with a little water until cooked through, add the spices and cook for a minute until most of the liquid is gone.  Add the rinsed black beans, Italian tomatoes, green chilies, corn, and cooked quinoa and stir well.  Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 15 minutes until it is very warm and flavors have had a chance to blend.  Taste and adjust the spices your your liking.

Cut the sweet potato in half and mash well, no need to add oils or butter here.  Pour desired amount of black bean quiona mixture on top of the mashed potato.  Sprinkle with a small amount of salt and pour desired amount of Cashew Sour Cream on and ENJOY!

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Tags: Dr. McDougall, Dr. Neal Barnard, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Mexican Food, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

WHAT!?  Kale in ice cream?  YES, you read right!  Two of my 4 kids are still very young and kale is not quite a favorite food yet so I try and sneak it in where I can.  No one would think of putting it ice cream normally I know.  Normal ice cream add-ins are things like candy, marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate chips and so on but I promise you won’t notice it at all and you will get one serving of greens into your diet for the day.

Now don’t get me wrong here, I still LOVE the vegan decadent ice creams on the market and do eat those on occasion but I serve this much more often to maximize our nutrient intake.  If you want to make it a little more decedent stir in some chocolate chips at the end or top it with your favorite vegan chocolate syrup but you will still be ahead.  The great thing is you could eat this every single night and not harm your health but actually improve it and it won’t add to your waist line either!  Who can say that about regular ice cream!!

Kale is best to buy organic but if can’t find it or afford it then buy the bagged kind at the regular grocery store and throw the whole bag the freezer.  You can then never worry about it going bad if you don’t use it and you can just pull handfuls from it for your smoothies.

*Make SURE you freeze your bananas 24 hours before making this or it won’t work.  *Also, make sure to plan way ahead for this, your bananas must be getting the brown spots on the outside before you freeze them or it won’t be sweet!!  Once your bananas are really ripe and browning, peel them and cut them into 4-5 pieces and put in a freezer zip lock and push out as much air as you can and freeze overnight.

This recipe is easy to half or even quarter if you want to make smaller amounts for less people or double for larger groups too.  It is really an adjust to your taste kind of thing, like most of my recipes are so experiment with different types of berries and you can even swap out the kale for spinach (other greens are stronger tasting so be warned!)

Blueberry Kale Ice “Cream”

1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 handful kale (can add spinach or additional kale to taste as you build up your taste for it)
5-10 pieces frozen pineapple
Additional berries of your liking (keeping the blueberries the majority)
1/4 cup almond milk (add more to thin if needed)
Optional: 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
1 Tablespoon Ggound flax seeds

Blend all the ingredients together in a high speed blender (Vita-Mix is optimal) or a good food processor  making sure to push the sides down as you go.  Blend until thoroughly blended and smooth.  Serve and ENJOY!

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Tags: Breakfast, Dessert, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, kale, kale ice cream, Vegan ice cream, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

I know I know, I use the hell out of cashews but they are fabulous!  They make so many different kinds of dairy substitutes that are actually delicious and when you buy the cashews in bulk it is not any more pricer than buying the highly processed stuff at the store.

When they go on sale in the bulk department buy a ton and freeze them, then you will always have some on hand to make this wonderful sour cream or any of my other cashew based dishes like Cucumber Cashew Ranch,  Chick’n & Cashew Chow Mein, Twice Baked Potatoes Mushroom Stroganoff (to be posted soon), Sour Cream Enchilada (to be posted soon), and the many dishes I make out of Sweet Cashew Cream mmm mmm mmm .

It is always BEST to soak your nuts to not only soften them but to get the most nutrients from them and to remove natures protective toxic layer.  Even if you only have 30 minutes to soak the nuts it will make a huge difference.  If I forget to soak overnight then I usually start soaking them right away when I am preparing my meal and by the end of making the food (30 mins to 1 hour) I can quickly blend the cashews into whatever I am making, in this case sour cream.  Rinse the nuts well with nice clean water and use filtered water to blend them with.

I LOVE Mexican food just like everyone else and you don’t notice it does not have cheese on it if you use this wonderful sour cream.  This sour cream can be frozen if you make too much.  A great way to freeze it is in an ice tray, pop out the frozen cubes of sour cream and put into a freezer safe container.  Then you can pull one or two out of the freezer the night before you are making something you want sour cream for.

Cashew Sour Cream 

1 cup of Soaked Cashews
Filtered Water to just cover the cashews
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice (adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) (adjust to taste)
Pinch of Salt (optional)

Rinse your soaked nuts well and pour into a Vita-Mix, good blender, Magic Bullet or good food processor.  Add enough water to just barely cover the nuts, add the lemon juice,  ACV and the pinch of salt.  Blend until very creamy adding in more liquid of your choice as you go by tasting and getting to desired creaminess.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Cashews, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Vegan Cashew Sour Cream, vegan recipe, Vegan sour cream, Vegetarian

In preparation for my post of sweet oatmeal crepes I am posting this Berry Sauce.  I use this sauce all the time in many things and since it is not exclusive to the crepes I thought it should have its own posting.

I have had many people ask how I make this wonderful sauce and once they hear how super simple it is they are excited to go home and make it for themselves.  All you need is berries of your choosing (fresh or frozen work equally), sweetener of your choice and a splash or two of water.  Then you can pour this scrumptious liquid over anything you can think of.  I have used it for my raw cheesecake, rice pudding, oatmeal waffles or pancakes, cakes, muffins, on sweet socca and mixed with frozen bananas for a yummy vegan ice cream that is actually healthy.

If you want to make it thick use less liquid or add in some chia seeds as you blend and it will thicken right up, plus you get the added benefits of more fiber and healthy omega’s.

Berry Sauce

Fresh or frozen berries of your choice
Sweetener of your choice (I like stevia or agave nectar the best-or a combo of both) date paste works well too but does give it a date taste
water
chia seeds (optional if you want to thicken it)

Put desired amount of berries and sweetener into a blender and mix, adding water slowly to desired consistency.  Pour over something delicious and ENJOY!

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