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

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

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

Breakfast:

1 cup of Coffee with soy creamer, Green Pepper Hash browns and Almond Maple Bananas

Lunch:

Ramen Noodles and a PB&J bagel

Snack: mid-day

Orange

Dinner:

Chinese Cabbage Salad, Tofu Lettuce Wraps and Blueberry Muffins (I know weird mix)

Daily Reflections:

I caved to the ramen noodles again because of convenience (laziness) and yumminess (is that a word !).  That may have affected my craving for a weird dessert with my Chinese food.  I ended up eating like 4 muffins instead of saving them for part of breakfast or snack the next day.  I did get 2 servings of fruit in and all my servings of veggies for the day so not too horrible.

The almond and bananas with maple syrup is a great treat that I sometimes eat after dinners but had forgotten about it for a while.  I am having to rack my brain to get out of my comfortable 7-10 meals that we all seem to rotate in and out each week or so.  Really it is best to rotate our foods as much as we can so we don’t become sensitive or even allergic to them because of over-usage.  It can be difficult to do this when certain foods are easy to make or you have a super picky family like I do.  My 19 month old son and I are the only ones who really like almost all the foods we eat.  The rest are so sensitive to bitter or bland foods and have a very distinct set of tastes they like and they don’t divert from those much.

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Tags: Chinese food, Daily Food Diary, Potatoes, Quick and easy, vegan chinese cabbage salad

These are so rich and creamy that you won’t be able to eat just one and that is ok because there is no butter or cheese in them. They are made with soy milk and vegan sour cream and although they have some fat they do not have even half the fat of the traditional ones.

You can make them even creamier by using red or golden potatoes that won’t spike your blood sugar as high as the traditional potato will.

Twice Baked Potatoes

10 potatoes
1/2 tub of vegan sour cream
1/2 cup (or more) soy milk
1/2 – 1 teaspoon vegan bacon bits
3  green onions sliced (2 mixed in 1 for topping)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Paprika

Bake the potatoes in the microwave or the in the oven at 350 F for 1 hour.  Allow them to cool to the touch.  Cut in half length wise and scoop out most of the insides and put that into a bowl.  Place the hollowed potato halves onto a cooking sheet.

Mix all the remaining ingredients except the one sliced green onion and paprika until smooth and creamy.  Fill the hollowed out potatoes with the mixture.  Bake at 350 F for an additional 15 minutes.  You can broil them for 3 minutes to brown the top if desired.  Remove from the oven and top with the remaining onions and sprinkle with desired amount of paprika for color.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Dinner, Gluten Free, Potatoes, Vegan

These natural, fat free fries are so good!  I used yams and purple potatoes to make them with.YUM!  The purple potatoes are slightly sweeter and creamier than traditional white potatoes and more nutritious and they don’t spike your sugar as quickly .  I dip them in a natural, agave sweetened ketchup that has no added colors or preservatives to keep it really healthy.  The kids (that includes my teens) LOVE them and eat them up.  Both the yams and purple potatoes are super good for you and have a large amount of beta carotene in them which helps aid in the reduction of night blindness and other eye problems as well as an aid in cancer preventions among other things.  They contain high amounts of vitamin C, Potassium, magnesium, protein, vitamin B-6, calcium and is high in fiber .  As an added bonus for women of a certain age it helps reduce menopause symptoms!

For these fries you can use any kind of potato you want.  You can chose from standard Russet potatoes, the smooth and creamy Yukon Gold, Red, or Purple potatoes.  You can even do Yams, Sweet Potatoes or fingerling too.

Fat Free and Fabulous French Fries

Purple potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400°.  Peel the skin from the potato after you have thoroughly washed them. If you like the skin leave it on, it is good for you! For ease of cutting and not hurting yourself it is best to cut the potato in half and then in half again so it can lay on a flat surface.  Then slice them into about 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices.  Take about 4-6 of those slices and lay them on top of each other and slice down making 1/4 inch size fries.

Spray a nice size baking sheet with fat free cooking spray.  Spread the potatoes out evenly on the sheet.  Cover the sheet with tin foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Remove the tin foil (be careful there will be steam) and spray with the fat free cooking spray and broil then for 5-10 minutes stirring until the desired crispness.  FYI: sweet potatoes and yams do not crisp up like other fries and are a little soft but are still super good. If you have some left over potatoes that would not fit on the pan put them in a bowl with water until you are ready to use them or they will get brown. Sprinkle with a little sea salt or spice of your liking and ENJOY!

These are tasty!

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Tags: Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Nutrition, Potatoes, Quick dinner, Quick meal, step by step