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.

Wild Rice, Apple & Sweet Potato Stuffing

OK so this is a little late but it would be just as delicious for a Chirstmas meal. I used a box of pre-seasoned stuffing from Whole Foods: rosemary & sage (in a orange striped box). Apples & cranberries give it a slight sweetness while crunchy almonds, tender wild rice and savory seasonings make this not your average stuffing. Topped with maple citrus whipped sweet potatoes. Truly delicious!


1 box Rosemary Sage Stuffing
1 carton mushroom stock
1 box wild rice (seasoning packet not used)
1 medium leek, sliced and cleaned on debris
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 medium Granny Smith or other tart apple chopped
1 tbsp poultry seasoning or other savory spice blend (make sure it has rosemary & sage at least)
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 orange- juiced
4 tbsp earth balance margarine
2 large sweet potatoes- pealed, cubed and boiled until fork tender
S&P

Par-boil rice for 10 minutes without seasoning packet (drain excess water). After boiling sweet potatoes whip together with 2 tbsp earth balance, juice from orange and 2 tbsp maple syrup (season with S&P). Set aside. In very large bowl toss together rice, stuffing box, cranberries, leeks, almonds, apples, poultry seasoning and a generous amount of fresh cracked pepper and kosher sea salt. Pour into lightly oiled large baking dish.





















Then pour most of a carton of mushroom stock over the whole mixture. Top with dollups of earth balance, then finally spread sweet potato mixture over the top. (You can use a piping bag and large tip to create a pretty presentation) Place in 375 degree oven for 45 to 60 minutes until bubbly and slightly browned. Yum!

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

So we ate all of this dish before I had a chance to photograph it but believe me it was tasty looking. This even satisfied the craving for the classic holiday dish by my carnivorous sister! :) Tofu and a bit of corn starch help to achieve a creamy, rich texture. Whole Foods carries a natural brand of crispy fried onions that taste even better than the old canned stuff.


1 bag pre-trimmed, pre-washed green beans (makes for easy prep)
1/4 chunk firm tofu (not drained)
1 container of natural crispy fried onions
1/2 onion chopped
1 cup of vegan mushroom gravy
1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp corn starch
1/2 tbsp poultry seasoning or other savory herb blend
Salt & Pepper

Blend together all ingredients except beans, chopped onions and fried onions with hand mixer until frothy. Steam beans until tender and spread in greased 9x9" pan. Mix half of crispy onions and chopped onions in with liquid mixture and pour evenly over beans. Cover with foil and place in 425 degree oven for 10 minutes, remove foil and sprinkle remaining fried onions over top and cook for another 6-10 minutes or until beans are bubbly and onions are browned.

Coconut Thyme Seitan with Braised Kale

So I've been experimenting a lot with coconut milk, it has proven to be versatile and delicious and can add that creamy texture without dairy. Marinating the seitan in the coconut milk adds depth of flavor and pan frying makes it delectably crispy.

6-8 strips seitan
1 can coconut milk
2 tsp. dried or 1 tbsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp safflower oil
1/2 cup plain panko bread crumbs (you can season the bread crumbs with the same spices to add more flavor)
3-5 stalks kale, ribs removed and torn in pieces
1 cup brown rice-cooked

Marinate seitan strips in a bowl with can coconut milk, garlic powder, thyme, red pepper flakes, bay leaf and salt and pepper for 1-5 hours. While rice is cooking, take setian out of marinade and pour remaining liquid into a pot. Reduce on medium-low for 15-20 minutes. The sauce will begin to thicken and turn a toasty cream color. When rice is almost done, roll seitan in bread crumbs and pan fry in oil until brown and crispy (approx. 2 minutes on each side). Remove from pan and set aside. With remaining yummy crumbles and oil, toss in about a tsp of chopped garlic and kale. Cover until wilted (1-2 minutes). Plate all together on top of rice and drizzle with sauce. Mmmmm...

Welcome!

So this is a place for me to share my adventures as a vegan that loves to cook. I'm going to share recipes, thoughts and links that interest me and hopefully others. This really just started with a desire to document and share all the yummy meals and treats I cook up. Cooking is a hobby and the best part is sharing what I cook with others. I know there's a million food blogs out there so if anything I'm doing this for myself and so I stop bugging my friends with texts and pics of my latest recipe! I would love to hear from those of you that try my recipes with suggestions, thoughts or just that you liked it (or hated it!) Happy eating!!

Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Popcorn

Oh man this is some dangerously yummy stuff! If you're anything like me you won't be able to stop until it's all gone. I adopted this recipe from one I found in VegNews Magazine. I love the combination of caramel and salt so I added Himalayan Pink Sea Salt to the vegan caramel, it adds a whole other level of irresistibility! Perfect for a cold and cloudy day at the movies!

4 cups popcorn (popped fresh is best)
1/4 cup earth balance margarine
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup brown sugar (vegan versions available at Whole Foods)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp quality sea salt, medium to fine ground
1/3 cup melted vegan chocolate chips

Lay a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet and heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread popped popcorn evenly on sheet.

Melt together earth balance and olive oil, add brown sugar, maple syrup and sea salt and bring to a low boil. Let boil without stirring for 3-5 minutes until caramel color appears. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. It's OK that the mixture reacts to the baking soda, it helps it to mix evenly over popcorn. Pour carefully over popcorn and mix with plastic spatula. Be very careful not to get your fingers in there! The caramel is very hot and will stick to your skin. No fun!

Stick it in the oven for 45 minutes, mixing every 15 minutes to even out the caramel and dry out the popcorn. Then drizzle with melted chocolate. Let cool and devour!