Ginger Cranberry Orange Muffins

These are hearty and not too sweet. The orange zest really adds a bright dimension and the brown sugar makes the tops nice and crispy. You could add some chopped nuts if you like.

1 & 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp cornstarch

zest from one medium orange

1/2 cup dried cranberries (plump in hot water)

1 cup vanilla soy milk

Juice from zested orange

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp powdered ginger

1/3 cup safflower oil

Line muffin tin with paper cups, heat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl mix dry ingredients including brown sugar and orange zest. Mix with large whisk or flour sifter to blend evenly and get some lightness in the flour. This will make tender muffins. Make sure all the clumps of brown sugar are incorporated. In smaller bowl mix remaining wet ingredients and whisk until slightly frothy and the oil has emulsified. Pour wet into dry and mix until just combined. The batter will be lumpy, fold in cranberries. Fill muffin liners just about to the top. Use all your batter to get them nice and full. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and tops are nice and brown. Cool five minutes then transfer muffins (they should just pop out) onto cooling rack. Delicious with a little Earth Balance.

Sweet Potato & Cilantro Pesto Tostadas

The cilantro pesto really adds a brightness to this yummy combination of textures and flavors. Serve with rice and beans for a complete fiesta!

Pesto

1 bunch parsley (flat or curly)

1/2 bunch cilantro

Juice from 2 limes

1/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup almonds (sliced is easiest)

1//2 tbsp chopped garlic (more if you like it spicy)

1tbsp olive oil

S & P to taste

Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth, drizzling in olive oil during blending. You can also drizzle a little water if the blender is having trouble with the nuts. 

Tostadas

6 corn tortillas

1/4 sweet potato- very thinly sliced

4 button mushrooms- thinly sliced

1/2 onion- thinly sliced

1 large roasted red pepper (the jarred kind packed in water)- patted dry and chopped

1 cup spinach leaves- big stems removed

1/2 cup vegan cheese of your choice (this time I used Vegan Rice cheddar style)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray bottom of large glass baking dish. Place two tortillas side by side and spray a little cooking oil on them. (this keeps them from curling when your assembling, plus adds crispiness when cooking) Spread a little bit of cilantro pesto on each tortilla, then a sprinkle of vegan cheese, and a layer of veggies- topping with spinach. Add another tortilla to each tostada- spray and repeat layer. Top with one last tortilla and spray. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until tortillas are brown and crispy and cheese and veggies are cooked. The thinner you slice the veggies, the more tender they come out in the end since the cooking time is pretty fast. Top with a dollop of tofutti and green onions.

Pasta Veggie Yumminess

This is why I love cooking. I literally giggled when took my first bite of this. So I have been trying a bunch of recipes out of some new vegan cook books lately, they've been good but not giggle-worthy. So when I threw together the veggies that were in my fridge with some pasta and got this dish, it renewed my excitement with cooking. I have found that just using inspiration and fresh, seasonal ingredients is the best way to a giggle-worthy dinner.

 1 cup orecchiette or other small pasta

1/4 sweet potato- cubed small & parboiled

1/2 red pepper- diced small

1/2 yellow onion- diced small

1/2 cup brocoli florets- cut into small bites

2-3 canned artichoke hearts-chopped

1/2 cup white beans

2-3 cloves garlic-chopped

1 can diced tomatoes- italian seasoned preferably

A splash or two of lemon juice
1 tsp italian herb mix

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp dried parsley ( or 1 tbsp fresh)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Olive oil for sauteing

Boil pasta to al dente- if using orecchiette, I find  it always takes a little longer than expected. Return to pot. While pasta is cooking sauté all veggies and beans (except tomatoes) together in large skillet with just enough olive oil to prevent sticking. Add all spices and s&p and any other fresh herbs you might have on hand that would compliment Italian flavors (basil, oregano, parsley, even thyme or sage would be good. Stay away from cilantro or fennel probably). Once cooked through and nice browning on veggies and beans is achieved, add to pot with pasta and a little more oil (a little earth balance if your feeling indulgent would be good instead). Add tomatoes and lemon juicie and cook until everything is hot and the juices have thickened. I served this with some steamed greens, always a nice compliment. I eat greens everyday so in an attempt to get out of my kale rut, I bought some collards, sautéed/steamed with some garlic and a dash of tamari... delicious.

Lentil Veggie Burgers

I've always wanted to try making my own veggie burger and since I am about to embark on the Engine 2 28-Day Challenge, (check it out at Whole Foods if you're curious what this is, starting in January) I decided to make it oil free, a requirement of E2. So I wanted to make sure this burger had lots of flavor as well as packs a punch with veggies and other nutritional goodies, so I used a ton of spices and other ways to add dimension such as a splash of tamari and a good sprinkle of nutritional yeast. I know this looks like a lot of ingredients but a lot of this stuff is pantry staples and veggies I usually have on hand. Plus I wrapped up the extra patties and froze them individually. They actually stay together when cooking a little better from frozen.

2 medium carrots chopped fine

1 small portabella or 3-4 crimini mushrooms chopped

1/4 cup roughly chopped pepita seeds (preferably toasted)

1 small broccoli head finely chopped, minus stems

2 cloves garlic (roasted would be great)

1 tsp tamari or shoyu

1 tbsp ground flax meal mixed with 1/4 cup warm water, whisked until foamy (this acts as a binder)

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 tbsp dried parsley
1/8 tsp cumin (be careful, not too much! It can overpower the flavors)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp grainy mustard

1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

1-2 tbsp veggie stock or water

Roughly smash lentils and mix everything together. (You could also do this in a food processor if you want a smoother texture and denser patty. Personally I like the rustic texture and appearance of chopped veggies) Squish together patties ( about 1/2 cup mixture) and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. You should get 5-6 patties out of this. Place the wrapped patties on a plate and top with a heavy pan, place in fridge for 20-30 minutes to set. Heat oven to 375 degrees and lightly spay a cookie sheet with spray oil. Cook patties for 10 minutes on each side. If you want extra crispy burgers, hit them with the broiler for the last few minutes of cooking. Serve with sliced avocado on a whole wheat bun. Yum!

Spinach Pasta With Veggies and White Beans

I came up with this simple veggie pasta that is different from the typical spaghetti and tomato sauce. The white beans make it nice and creamy and fresh lemon adds a bright flavor.

1/3 package spinach spaghetti
1 can cannelloni beans, drained & rinsed
1 can water packed artichoke hearts, drained & rinsed
1/4 cup strips red pepper
1/4 cup broccoli florets
1 half red onion sliced in thin half moons
1-2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 small zucchini sliced in half moons
1 small tomato chopped
Juice of one lemon
1/2 tbsp good olive oil
1/2 tbsp earth balance
Big pinch of each of dried: Italian herb mix, sage, red pepper flakes, thyme
Lots of fresh ground black pepper
Good dash of salt
(I like to eyeball my seasonings, and I usually go for more instead of less!)

In large pot boil lots of water for spaghetti, salt liberally and add pasta. Cook until al dente, drain & set aside. Warm oil and margarine in the same pot you used to boil pasta over med-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until slightly softened and fragrant. Add all the seasonings, beans and all the veggies. Cook on med-high for 6-9 minutes until veggies are cooked and slightly browned in places. Add lemon juice and pasta and stir together until beans start to make it all creamy and everything is nice and hot.

Sunday Biscuits

This recipe was adapted from a basic one in the book The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone. This book played a big role in my transition to veganism. I highly recommend it. Over several attempts, I perfected this biscuit to be light, fluffy and delicious. It's my favorite thing to make for a lazy Sunday breakfast but then you have leftovers for a quick weekday breakfast as well. Serve warmed with a bit of earth balance butter and a drizzle of agave.

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (pastry flour is key in making it light and delicate)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup earth balance margarine, softened
1/4 cup safflower or sunflower oil
1/2 cup soy or rice milk

Mix oil and butter in small bowl, set aside. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl with whisk to get it nice and airy. Add oil mixture and combine with fork and then gently with fingers until a crumbly consistency is achieved. Then little by little add the soy/rice milk until dough comes together. Kneed in bowl to create a ball (15-20 times max, you don't want to make it too stiff) Cover in bowl with clean towel and set in warm place for 5 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax before you roll and cut out your biscuits. One reason these are so light. Turn out onto clean, floured surface and pat down until 1/2 thick or so. Use the rim of a glass or cookie cutter that is about 1 1/2" across to cut out your biscuits, gathering up the dough and repeating until you've used almost all the dough. You should get about 12 biscuits. Place on a cookie sheet about 1/2 to 1" apart and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack and store in a Tupperware or plastic bag.

Variation: "Cream Cheese" Biscuits
This version is just as easy but has a slightly sweeter and more decedent flavor. Substitute oil for 1/4 cup Tofutti 'cream cheese' and cream together with earth balance with a fork before adding it to dry ingredients. Proceed as directed above.

Vegan Enchiladas

So I don't eat this decadent all the time but sometimes it's fun to 'veganize' an especially meat & dairy heavy dish. This one is equally filling and rich, although I try not to eat vegan 'junk food' like fake cheeses and sour cream very often but hey... it's the holidays right?



6-8 corn tortillas
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can pinto or black beans, drained
1 can roasted chopped tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup Daiya 'cheddar style cheese' (you can use another brand but I highly recommend this one)
1/3 cup Tofutti or Follow Your Heart 'sour cream'
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 tbsp taco or fajita seasoning
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper



Toss peppers, onions and corn with a drizzle of sunflower oil and half of seasoning mix. Spread on cookie sheet and roast in 425 degree oven until browning. Mix beans, tomatoes and veggie mix in bowl with reamining seasonings. Spray small baking dish lightly with cooking spray and pour around half of the can of sauce (enough to cover the bottom). Warm tortillas in the microwave (30-45 seconds), then fill each with small spoonful of bean veggie mixture (about 1/4 cup), dollop of 'sour cream' and a sprinkle of 'cheese'. Roll up and place in dish seam side down. Repeat placing snugly next to each other until pan is full. Pour remaining sauce over the top and thoroughly sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving with fresh green onions and shredded romaine.