Fat Free, Dairy Free Vegan Pumpkin Bread

Do you tinker with recipes as much as I do?  There's always something that needs adjusting, no?
This very moist, cake-y pumpkin bread recipe was no different.  The original had buckets of sugar and not enough spices, so I fixed it and here you go:-)

FAT FREE DAIRY FREE VEGAN PUMPKIN BREAD

350* Oven   -     60-75minutes    -    Makes 2 loaves

Lightly oil your bread pans and set aside.

Mix together:

2 C. canned pumpkin (from 15 oz can)

1 C. unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana 

2 C. brown or cane sugar (you can use less if you wish to cut down further)

1 C. Water

Ener-G Egg Replacer for 4 eggs (or 4 flax seed meal 'eggs', i.e. 1/3C flax meal w/ 1/2C water)

Mix together:

3 1/3 C. flour

1 t baking powder

2 t baking soda

1 t nutmeg 

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t ginger

1/2 t cloves

1 t salt

Blend wet and dry well with a spatula and divide into the two oiled pans.   Sprinkle sugar or cinnamon/sugar mix on top. Bake in center of oven for about 75 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.  Let cool.  The taste is much better the second day.

Fat free means no nasty oil all over your hands and coating your precious blood vessels!  Next time I make this I think I will reduce the sugar by a full 1/2 C. and I'm sure no one will even notice.  Enjoy!

Red, White & Blue FAT FREE Vegan Muffins You Must Try!

It's time for a recipe post, no?  For at least 12 years, every Tuesday, Great Harvest Bakery in Boulder, Colorado bakes the most insane bread you've ever indulged in.  I'm not saying it's healthy, but damn! is it worth the splurge.  When we were DIRT poor (grad school anyone?) and living in Boulder I would make sure I set aside $8 (gasp*#!@) every couple weeks just so I could walk over and grab a loaf.  Yes, it was worth the penny jar.  

R,W & B Bread is the perfect white bread with cherries and blueberries.  That's it.  

Total perfection.  Complete bliss in every starchy, carby bite.  

Heaven. 

I've known visitors to pack a loaf or three in their suitcase to take home.  

The jones was so bad this morning that I decided it was worth an attempt at vegan, no oil, customizing a favorite non-vegan blueberry muffin recipe.  Eureka!  It worked and the kids nearly finished off the batch straight out of the oven.

You're welcome.

Red, White and Blue Fat Free Vegan Muffins 

(fresh blueberries, dried sweetened tart cherries* or currants)

18 muffins - grease muffin tin first.  350* 20-25 min.

Prep:

Soak 1/3c. dried Sweetened Tart Cherries, chopped roughly, in 1/2C. of warm water (save the water!!) while you measure & mix the following:

Dry:  Mix well 

• 2 1/2C White Flour OR 1 1/2C White + 1/2C Millet & 1/2C Tapioca Flours (OR try another GF blend?)
• 3/4 C Cane Sugar (less if you wish, but try the recipe first and adjust on your second batch:-)
• 4t Baking Powder (1T + 1t.)
• 1/2t Salt
• zest of one Orange or Lemon (optional)

Wet: Mix well

• 1/3C mashed Banana with a splash of water added - fork mash it until very smooth {oil substitute}
• Vegan Buttermilk - that is, 3/4C sweetened Non-dairy Milk w/ 1t. of Lemon Juice or Vinegar blended in
• 1/4C blended Chia Seeds (blend in coffee grinder 20 seconds until powdered) whisked into your reserved Cherry water (set aside cherries)  {This is your extra nutritious egg substitute}
• 1C fresh, rinsed Blueberries

Mix the dry and wet ingredients except for the berries/cherries. If the dough is really dry** add splashes of water until it’s gooey & shiny, but sticks well to a spoon.  It should not be runny,  nor too dry. Gently fold in blueberries and chopped cherries.  Drop by spoonful into greased tin filling each cup about 2/3s full.  You should easily get 18 muffins.  Bake and stick knife in center to test for doneness.

CHOW!  

Caveat - these are definitely better the second day when the flavors have blended.  I dare you to find a hiding spot where the fam won't find them.  They freeze very well.  Great in sack lunches when packed in a container to avoid the smoosh.

* I find dried, sweetened tart cherries at my natural grocery store in the bulk section (Natural Grocers Vitamin Cottage)

**(millet/tapioca flours and chia seeds will do this as they really soak up liquid)

Now, get on with your happy self.  EAT MORE PLANTS, PEEPS!

Be Green, Eat Green, Wear Green.  

Best Bean Soup Ever

So, I have this crazy 2nd cousin named Zeke whom is famous in the family for many things among them that he's raced the legendary Gumball 3000 road rally through Europe and crewed a boat in The America's Cup during the early '80s.  Zeke's a character, you might say and beloved by all.  

He also happens to have created the world's best black bean soup recipe, at least in my book.
Have at it!  Warning - it makes a huge pot, so if you don't plan to eat if for a week or feed a crowd, cut in half:-)  It takes less than 1/2 hour to make - bonus!

Zeke's 20 Minute Black Bean Soup

5 - 15 oz cans Black Beans, drained (can substitute red or kidney beans for some)

5 C. Chicken or Veg. broth

2T. Olive Oil

2 Onions, minced

3-5 cloves Garlic, minced

1T. Cumin

3-5 - 16oz cans Hominy (white or yellow)

1/4 C. Worcestershire

1 1/2 t. Tabasco

1 1/2 t. Salt

OPTIONAL toppings/sides:

Cilantro and or/ Avocado, Sour Cream 

Tortillas, Tortilla Chips or Cornbread

• Puree 1/2 of your beans and 1 can of Hominy in a blender.  
• Sauté onion and garlic in the oil until clear.  Add everything but the serving items.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer a minimum of 10 minutes but no more than 30.  Quicky soup!
• Serve with toppings of choice

Delicious Fat Free (Vegan) Greek Chickpea & Olive Soup

I haven't made this in years but boy was it worth the wait!  In fact, so worthwhile I had to share.  The flavors are complex and tangy and besides, when do you ever have olives... in a soup?  Try it!  
It's so easy to make and with minimal ingredients which is necessary for our busy lives, no?   

The original, non-vegan, recipe was from April 2004 Food & Wine magazine which I used to LOVE, but since it is nothing close to vegetarian (organ meats anyone? No THANKS.)  I have let the subscription lapse:-(  

TANGY GREEK CHICKPEA & OLIVE SOUP
1 Chopped large Onion
Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper
4C. Vegan Chicken Stock or Bouillon
2 - 15oz cans of Chickpeas or 1 can Chickpea and 1 can Large Butterbeans (as shown here)
4T. Lemon Juice
2t. Dijon Mustard
3/4C. Chopped Parsley

Serve with Green & Kalamata (or whichever you prefer) Olives on top!

Directions:  Saute the onion in the juice of one of the cans of beans - {ha! a fat-free sautéing trick I bet you didn't know?} for about 7 minutes until soft.    Stir in the Red Pepper, stock and canned beans  (drain the second can first).  Simmer for 20 minutes and then add the last three ingredients and serve with the olives.  Fantastic!  

(NOTES:  I like the can of butterbeans because they are sweeter and very starchy - good comfort food.  I have used both the mix of green & black olives, and just kalamata olives as shown here and it's spectacular both ways.  This is a great summer soup too because it's good even when just barely warm)

Food! Fat Free Salad Dressing - I found a Goodie!

Another food post!  What's going on here?  I guess it's that the more I read and listen to podcasts (favorite right now: http://www.richroll.com/podcast ) the more I can't separate what I'm eating* from what I believe in from an environmental impact + fashion perspective.  And, I've learned I need to cut out fat due to cardiac concerns that run in my family (thank you, Dr. Esselstyn!).  

So - what can I use as salad dressing?   I don't like sweet ones and the only two I ever loved are Blue Cheese and Ranch (which, after living in Texas where pizza is dipped in it!!!!!!  I was so grossed out I couldn't eat that anymore.  It doesn't wash off plates very easily either - can you imagine what it's doing in your body? ugh.ack.yuck.).   

Fat Free Dressing?  Does it exist?  How can one live without olive oil???  Here's what I just invented, and it's pretty tasty on top of being nutritionally dense!

"Salty" Lemon Dressing

2T. Lemon Juice

1-2T. Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Shake or 3 of Maine Coast Sea Seasonings Dulse Flakes (yummy seaweed)

Shake or 3 of Toasted Black Sesame 

    Whip it together w/ a fork and pour over your salad.  Done. 

Here's why I like it - lemon juice aids in the absorption of iron and calcium from greens; Bragg's and Dulse add a sea salty taste without being refined salt; Bragg's is of course an amazing source of Amino Acids (meat, schmeat!);  sesame seeds (the wonder food!) add beauty, crunch, a gazillion minerals, fiber and an earthy sort of meaty flavor; Dulse Flakes are also mineral dense.   

There you have it!  Enjoy:-)

*BACK STORY:  I was raised vegetarian but went meaty in my teens believing the hocus pocus about "needing animal protein" but then, after reading Skinny Bitch 6 years ago I switched to a 95% vegan diet because I didn't have any legitimate excuses for eating animals anymore.  I struggle to this day completely avoiding cheese and ice cream, but I get better every month:-)  And better, the less dairy eat the better my skin and overall health/well-being.  

Brie, oh how I love thee, but thee lovest not me:-(

Food! Homemade Organic Sneaky Strawberry Applesauce

I just can't bear to buy those evil little PLASTIC containers of pre-made applesauce for my kids' lunches anymore.  The guilt was overwhelming once and for all:-(  Just buying a 6-pack every two weeks ads up to soooooo many little plastic bits that will never bio degrade, and recycling them just seems lazy when I can make my own 'sauce.  My family loves it with some sort of berries mixed in.

You will need a large sauce pan and blender.  I love my Vitamix because it completely purees out any chunkiness which my texture-sensitive children absolutely can't tolerate.

Sneaky STRAWBERRY APPLESAUCE:

• Clean and cut into 2" chunks an entire bag of Organic Apples - variety of your choice.  I used Granny Smith this time (which require more sugar as these are tart) but any variety works.  One bag will yield 6-10 servings depending on how big the serving size; approximately one serving/apple.
• Clean and remove tops of 6-8 strawberries or a handful of other mixed berries.
• Place everything into a big sauce pan.
• Simmer about 10 minutes with 1Cup of water.  If you prefer to eat raw, you can skip this step or shorten the time.  I prefer the carmelized flavor that comes about as a result of cooking with a bit of sugar.  
• Let cool as long as you have the patience to wait. 
• Scrape into your blender.  If it doesn't hold the whole batch, make sure you reserve some of the liquid for the second blending.  
• Blend until as smooth as you prefer.
• Sweeteners - here's where you can be as creative as you wish!  A bit of sugar is important as it acts as a preservative giving you a good 7-10 days in the 'fridge to finish off your batch - if it lasts that long;-)  I recommend sweetening to taste AFTER you blend the sauce, as you may not need any added sugar.  If your apples are tart you will need about 1/4c. of organic sugar or an equivalent liquid measure of agave, rice syrup, maple syrup, etc.  Here's the SNEAKY part - try some dates for extra nutrition (fiber, magnesium, B6) but blend them well so the brown bits disappear!  So - start by adding a couple tablespoons of your sweetener, blend and taste.  Repeat until it has the flavor you desire!

Pour into reusable containers* and dole out for lunches as needed.  If your sauce is not cool before you put the lids on - let them sit out for a bit otherwise the cooling lids contract so much in the fridge they may be too difficult for small hands to open.  

Cooling:

Kids Konserve containers from Reusit.com

*I happen to LOVE the stainless reusables from Kids Konserve which we ordered from a fantastic website called Reusit.com.  Unfortunately the lids are still plastic, but at least they are very hearty and you will get many, many years out of them before recycling.  They do leak a bit with some things so I bag them in baggies for extra protection (yes, plastic again:-( )  Reusit has a huge selection of every container you could ever need, including water bottles and bags.  

If anyone knows of a truly leak-proof container, please, please let me know!! Thanks. 

Cooked and cooling.  I feel like they are done with the skins start to fall off and the berries are fading, as shown, about 10 min. on low heat.

If you use red apples and/or more berries you will get a much prettier pink color than this.

Stay Healthy - Immunity Boosting Soup - RePost

Sniffles got you down? I'm fighting the good fight against the evil cooties brought home by the kids so I thought I'd share this again:-)

This soup is like a savory smoothie. It's fast, vegan and mostly raw. If you cook cruciferous veggies (like kale) and allium veggies (like onions), the nutrients are destroyed. But if you puree them together first, they chemically bind together making a superfood, as well as keeping all nutrients in tact even when heat is applied. It's delicious and cures a cold in no time!

What You Need

2 cups kale
1 cup vegetable stock (homemade is best)
1/8 of a cup of any variety of onion (I like green onions)
1 clove of garlic
1/2 of an avocado
1 tablespoon of white miso paste
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It

Blend all ingredients except the avocado and miso together in a food processor or blender for about five minutes until smooth and bright green. Add miso and avocado and heat through on the stove top. Or you can allow your Vitamix to heat the soup as it blends to retain live cultures in miso. Serve immediately. Variation: Add dandelion greens instead of kale when cleansing in the spring. Add half of a small cucumber and serve cold as a gazpacho in the summer.

*Recipe courtesy of Jessica at Glow Nutrition

I swiped this from my favorite naughty girls at Healthy Bitch Daily.   Now if I can get my sick-all-winter 10yr-old son to consume this.....

Cultured... Vegetables?

It's true.  Vegetables can achieve a sophisticated level of cultural savvy too; who knew?  And it just so happens they are very good for une bonne digestion, no?  Read on...

As the dog days progress every summer I get pangs of 'Grandma's ranch in Napa Vally nostalgia' and pine for her pantry busting out in home-canned peaches, cherries, home made grape juice and strawberry jam.  I romantically dabble with the idea of canning and freezing like a good little housewife of old.  

And then reality hits.

But pine no more!  I found a quick and dirty substitute - ferment (or culture, or pickle if you prefer the term) your own vegetables.  In keeping with the probiotics rage among us you've probably heard fermented foods like sauerkraut and kim chi are a good way to boost your intake of the cute little cooties that keep your belly happy, happy, happy.

 

Click here for the easy peasy directions you need to ferment away in your own kitchen.

 

I

Mine came out DELICIOUS, albeit a wee bit too salty.  I chose the vegan version without whey, just salt, and here's what I fermented -

2 garlic cloves
20 peppercorns
Chunks of:  Red Peppers, Celery and Carrots
Covered the top with leaves of Purple Cabbage
1 1/2T of sea salt - which I will reduce to 1 T in the future (too salty)

Verdict - the peppers, cabbage and celery were amazing but I found the sweet/salty combo of the carrots off putting.  Next time I will increase the fermentation time to 7 days ( I only did 5 because its very warm in our house - Houston, you know) and still try a few carrots.

Cheers to a happy digestion!

Green Goddess-y Zucchini Hummus

Most novice gardeners make the mistake of planting too much zucchini and are so SICK of zucchini everything by August they never want to plant the stuff again.  Has this ever happened to you?  Guilty!  If you need to use up some zucchini, or even not - here's a fabulous recipe I swiped from the only truly evolved, health-aware grocer here in southern Houston - Erma's - whom placed it out for sampling one day a while back.  Even my 10-yr-old son, whom won't touch hummus with a 10 foot pole, declared it delicious!  Go figure. 

 One note - in my trademark haste I neglected to "drain excess water" and ended up with a "dressing", or cold soup.  I poured some over salad the 2nd time I ate it and decided it's my new staple dressing:-)  Who needs bottled stuff w/ MSG and god-knows what other additives?  The addition of 1/2 an avocado would transform it into a spectacular raw Green Goddess-y concoction, don't you think?  Gonna try it....

Zucchini Hummus

2 chopped zucchinis
1/3 c. tahini
4Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 minced clove garlic (I used 2 - yum!)
Handful fresh parsley
1 tsp. sea salt
(optional as mentioned above - 1/2 peeled avocado)

Blend only zucchini in a high speed blender.  For hummus - drain off excess water before adding the remaining ingredients and blending again.  For dressing - omit the draining phase and blend everything at once.

Nutrition Info:  2TBS. = 1 serving
calories - 44.1
fat - 3.8gr
carbs - 1.9g
protein - 1.3g
(recipe courtesy of Carolward99 - a SparkPeople user)

Enjoy in health!

The Best of Show and Tell - Vintage Chocolat - AGAIN:-}

Guess what lovely little surprise burst from my mailbox yesterday?

Yep!  Thank you, Eric from Vintage Chocolat, for the absolutely delicious vegan truffles! 

They're gone.  Already.  

My 10-yr-old dark chocolate lover voted 2-thumbs-up for the coconut because they have a wee bit of crunch.  I prefer the Vegan Bailey's (coconut milk-based fabulousness - who knew?) variety because, well, they're liquor laden and who doesn't love that, I challenge? We both loved that they aren't sickeningly sweet and we didn't feel a huge post-desert crash - big bonus.

Try some, you'll thank me later.

VEGAN Native American Foods Recipes!

(I'm re-posting this from an EtsyVeg post I did a few days ago...)
Do you love green chilis?  Do you know the Three Sisters of American Indian traditional foods?  If not... watch below, cook and EAT!

Corn, Squash & Beans - the 3 Sisters

The marvelous medical pioneers of health, The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, has a section devoted to encouraging Indians to adopt a plant-based diet to combat their formidable diabetes numbers.  Using PCRM's Power Plate principles Chef Lois Ellen Frank, of Kiowa descent, does a marvelous demonstration on how to make No Fry bread with Three Sisters Saute and Green Chili Sauce to die for.   It's so quick and easy you can even make it on a "school night".  My kids LOVE this stuff.  Try it!

The recipes are at the bottom of the accompanying article.

Spread the love and re-blog, FB and Tweet this fabulous good stuff:-)

For all y'all gardeners - here's how you grow it from  the Sustainable North Florida website:

Chocoholic. Yep.

My 2pm dark chocolate craving really is a matter of National Security; if I don't get my little bite of the good stuff I'll bite off someone's head instead.  "Well Your Honor... I missed my chocolate dose and..."

 If you dare - search "vegan chocolate truffles" on Etsy....

Darkies with KAHLUA! Heaven on earth.

PB, Coconut, BAILEYS!  Choc+liquor oh my!

Dark Cocoa Hot Cocoa

Have you made yourself a cup of DARK hot cocoa yet?  If not, you simply MUST!  Remember the magical powers of Vianne's spicy hot cocoa in Chocolat?  Well... here's a delicious vegan version I made up:

RECIPE

2T. Dark Cocoa Powder*
Sprinkle Cayenne Pepper
Sprinkle Cinnamon
1T. Agave Nectar
1/2t. Stevia (optional - only if you wish it to be sweeter)
 8oz. Almond milk

Pour powder and spices in a small pan and wisk to break up the chunks.  Pour in milk and sweeteners and wisk on Med-High heat until ready to drink!
*If you're a devout chocoholic try 3T or more:-)

Enjoy.  Maybe even with a dollop of whipped coconut cream? 

Holiday Fray - "Holi-Fray"

Take a deep breath.  Or three.  Think pretty thoughts.

from Healthy Bitch - Vegan Icing

GivingThanks Day Recipes - Take 1

We don't have an entirely vegetarian Thanksgiving at our house, but we do come close. The carnivores revolt and we have ham or roast beef typically since Turkey isn't popular.  Not exactly traditional, but really it's about GivingTHANKS more than food, so who cares?!

I'll be making this!  Winter vegetables are the best.  I never met a squash I didn't like.  VegNews Publisher Joseph Connelly provides this one on their website:

Joe’s Roasted Winter Vegetables

Serves 6

What You Need:

2 large carrots
2 sweet potatoes
2 yams
2 parsnips
1 medium red onion, quartered
1 acorn squash
1/2 large butternut squash
12 Brussels sprouts
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh rosemary, to taste
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse all vegetables and cut into 1/3-inch pieces** (the Brussels sprouts can be left whole). In large mixing bowl, add vegetables, garlic, oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
2. Place vegetables in large, flat roasting pan and bake 45 to 60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes, until tender. Serve immediately.    

** I think I'm going to leave my veggies whole like the Shutterstock photo above - beautiful!

1. 
   

No Trickery - It's a TREAT! Punkin' Pie Smoothie

Every fall I get all excited about Pumpkin Pie.  Next to cheesecake, it's my all-time favorite dessert, which I justify consuming by the boatload because it's so chock full of vitamin A which isn't all that easy to get:-}   Not unlike how wine is really just liquid antioxidants and resveratrol, no?

While I can't remember where I got the original recipe (probably Kris Carr ?!), and I can't even remember (thx for nothin', Moms'heimerz) the exact ingredients, here's how I made it and - - - LOOK! - the most delicious punkin' idea in ages - a smoothie.  I'm in HEAVEN.

So here's what you need to whip up this amazing, vitamin rich, Omegas loaded, vegan slurpee:

Punkin' Smoothie

• 1c. pureed pumpkin
• 1c. almond, coconut or soy milk
• 2 T. raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 T. chia seeds
• squirt of agave nectar or dash stevia
•  pumpkin pie spices to taste
• extra dash of ground cloves 
• nob of fresh, peeled ginger (as much as you can stand)

Blend until smooth in a Vitamix or blender.  Add ice cubes if you want it frosty.  The seeds thicken it up, so you may want to add more milk or water to thin it down - or use a spoon:-)

à votre santé!

 footnote - this is how much I love my old 50s linens.  I use them until the holes are too many and the colors so faded you can't even see the designs anymore.  Also shown is an art deco Candlewick water glass I inherited from my  great grandmother, Ruthie.  I am the luckiest girl in the world because she had a generous collection that I've been able to expand over the years.  It's such simple, elegant depression glass from the Imperial Glass Company made during the mid-'30s through the '50s.

Stoke, Stroke, Stroke Me - NOT!

 Silly reference to Billy Squier's song aside, here is a sobering bit of news:

Red and Processed Meats Increase the Risk of Stroke

"Red and processed meats increase the risk of stroke, according to a new meta-analysis published by the American Heart Association. Stroke risk increased 11 percent for each serving of red meat consumed as part of a person's daily diet, and 13 percent for each daily serving of processed meat. The study population included 329,495 people in Europe, Japan, and the United States. The likely explanations include meat's saturated fat, cholesterol, and heme iron, and the sodium and nitrites used to preserve and flavor processed meats."

Kaluza J, Wolk A, Larsson SC. Red meat consumption and risk of stroke: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Stroke. Published online July 31, 2012.  From PCRM.org.

 So... anyone for Meatless Mondays?  And Tuesday, Wednesday.....

yummy rainbow of colors

DeTox - everyone's doing it

Everywhere you look there's a DeTox going on.  You're not off the hook yet; here's another:-)

Two fantastic recipes to rejuvenate your body and soul:

First, a perfect, icy cold drink to refresh your everything.  From The Karl Lagerfeld Diet book, which I adore.

Karl Lagerfeld’s Ginger Drink

1C. crushed fresh ginger

4 quartered Limes or 2 quartered Lemons*

12 Mint leaves

Sweetener (Agave or Stevia - PLEASE tell me you don't use Splenda or the other chemical  poisons!!)

Crush ginger with some water.  Steep with the limes and mint in 12 Cups of Water for 3 hours.  Strain through a sieve into a pitcher.   * Note: either fruit is delicious - try both!  But if it seems too bitter for you, just squeeze the juice into the steep instead of leaving the rinds also.  Lime gets more bitter for some reason.   Karl uses limes; I prefer the lemon version

Serve by pouring a glass ¾ full, add sweetener, taste and dilute as necessary.   Keep in ‘fridge with a few mint leaves floating on top.

Steeping in an antique Ball jar with original zinc lid

I perfume the kitchen with the squeezed-out lemons for a day

 For a cold weather version, do what the marvelous Diane von Furstenberg does and make a tea with ginger and lemon - deeeeelish.  Good for a sore throat also.

Second, a super simple Gazpacho (cold tomato soup).  It's raw, scrumptious and even good for breakfast - really!  Serve with cilantro, tortilla chips and vegan sour cream if you like.

GAZPACHO

3 lg. Tomatoes

1 Cucumber

1 Green Pepper

1 clove Garlic, chopped

12 C. Tomato Juice

½ C. White Wine Vinegar

¼ C. Lemon Juice

1 T. Mustard

Tabasco

Garnish: Cilantro, Vegan Sour Cream and/or tortilla chips

Wash, peel and chop tomatoes & cucumber.  Wash, seed and chop the pepper and place

all in a salad bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well and serve cold w/ the chopped

cilantro on top.

Houston HAS a VEG FEST?! And so does Mad Men... well, almost

I am so excited to see that Houston actually, as of last year (never to late!), has a VEG FEST!!!! This is amazing.  Down here in the southern part of the city I always feel like a lone wolf in my vegetarian ways:-/   But, NO!  It's there, and I'm going to take the kids and go check it out.  IF they still have openings we'll do a Jag & Nevie booth too - YAY!

Houston VEG FEST link:     http://www.vegansocietyofpeace.org/vegfesthouston

gratuitous MM pic

Thank you, VEGNews, my almost-favorite-magazine (next to the huge stack of fashion mags that burden my mailbox) for spreadin' the love and news....    Oh, and for posting MadMen Recipes - VEGANIZED:-)      Meatless Salisbury Steak, Shepherd's Pie anyone?  DEEEElish, sez me.

Green Chili Enchila'zagna (Enchilada & Lasangna casserole)!

Rowwrrrgurgggg.  Was that your stomach?  Hungry for some Green Chili Enchila'zagna*?
Good, because here comes my recipe.  It's tested and perfected so I think you'll enjoy it.  Just so happens it's VEGAN too:-)  Non-vegetarians can make it and won't notice the absence of cheese or meat, promise!
I'm a use-whatcha-got cook, so you'll notice the vegetable selection is open to whatever you have in the fridge...  Go for it, kids!

* "Enchila'zagna" because it is made from enchilada ingredients and layered like a lasagna.



VEGAN GREEN CHILI ENCHILA'ZAGNA

Ingred:

2 - 12 oz. cans Green Enchilada Sauce (you may not use all of 2^nd can – save it to pour on refried beans!)

1 sm. Can (6 oz) Green Chilies diced*

1 Block Firm Tofu

1-2 Onions, chopped

3-5 Cloves Garlic, minced

1t. Cumin, ground

1t.  Oregano, dried

I c. White Cabbage, Bok Choy (incl. leaves), or Yellow Squash, chopped fine

Nutritional Yeast

(optional) Vegan cheese – any flavor you like

10-12 Yellow Corn Tortillas

Saute pan:

Heat 1T. coconut or canola oil and sauté the onions, garlic and chopped vegetable(s) until soft.  Crumble in the tofu; add green chilies and seasonings and heat through.

In a 8x10” or 9x13” pan:

Spread thin layer of Enchilada sauce.  Place a layer of tortillas, tearing some roughly in half to fill most of the gaps (don’t worry about spaces too much). 

Lightly cover with layer of tofu/veg mix.  Sprinkle with Nutritional yeast and vegan cheese if using (you can even use slices).  Cover with tortillas again. Add a thin layer of enchilada sauce and repeat layers until all of your filling is used up.  This is usually 2-3 layers. 

The top layer should be tortillas with plenty of Enchilada sauce to cover them; spread it around w/ a spatula so they have plenty to absorb otherwise they will be too crunchy or crispy.  Sprinkle Nutritional yeast lightly on top and BAKE.

Bake: approximately 34-45 min. on 350*.  Check at 35 min. and see if the tortillas look saturated and the top is starting to dry out a bit and turn golden.

If it looks a little bit soupy, leave it 5 min. longer.  It does “thicken up” after it sits a few minutes.  Try the recipe before you serve to guests and get your liquid/tortilla ratio perfected;-)  Even better made the day before you serve it.

*Depending on how generous your Hispanic foods section is – you may find a tomato/green chili canned combo and that is delicious too.  You may want to double this quantity if you really like the chilies!