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!