A Salad of Sorts...

Alrighy, then.  Let's see, you'll need a base of chopped iceburg/lettuce.
Toppings are warmed:
Rice
Sun dried tomatoes
Cooked onion, carrot, broccoli
Raisins
Shredded low-fat coconut
Avocado

Drizzle with sugar free maple syrup, and sprinkle with nooch.

Adapted from The Tolerant Vegan

Corn Chiliiiiii!

Dude.  I am so exhausted, but also couldn't be more content with my life.  (Ok, so I got some bad grades today, but that was not unexpected...)  I won't disclose why I'm feeling like this, but life has just gotten better.  Let's just go with... I have some EXCELLENT friends :)

Alright, and now the food!

Adapted from 86 Lemons

Veggies

• Onion
• Carrot
• Sweet potato
• Frozen corn
• Canned diced tomatoes (no salt)
• Celery
• Red bell pepper
• Garlic

Seasonings:

• Cumin
• Chili powder
• Home made veggie broth powder

Beans - any kind will do.
Corn starch slurry
Seitan, of course.

Carrot & Sesame Burgers

Adapted from Maple Spice

Saute up 1/2 chopped onion and 1 cup grated carrots.  Put half of this mixture aside, and the rest in a blender with:
1 tbsp flax meal soaked with 1 tbsp water for 5 min
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp cumin
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup water

blend until pretty much uniform, and then add water/bread crumbs as needed.
Stir in remaining chopped veggies, and form into patties.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until cooked through.
Serve on hamburger buns, with avocado, arugula, and red onion slices.

B'nut Squash and Black Eyed Pea Soup

Yaaayyy!  It's almost Thanksgiving break - one more day, one more test, and one more quiz to go!

 

In the meantime, here's the soup I've been happily indulging in for the past few days.  It's lovely - I'm loving this butternut squash stuff...

 

Adapted from Manifest Vegan

 

Veggies:

• Leek
• Onion
• Carrot
• Garlic

 

Etc:

• Black eyed peas
• Unsweetened, plain almond milk
• Cumin
• Butter extract
• Home made veggie broth powder
• Seitan

 

Puree 1 roasted butternut squash with 1/2 cup-ish sundried tomatoes and enough water to make it blend.  Add to the soup and heat through.

Creamy White Bean Soup

Today was a big day for me.  I WORE A DRESS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 12 YEARS.  ?! Seriously?  Yes.  Seriously.  I can't believe myself...

But, yes.  Here's some buttery, creamy, heart-warming soup for you!

Adapted from HHL

Veggies:

• Onion
• Carrot
• Celery
• Garlic
• Potato

Seasonings:

• home made veggie broth powder
• butter extract
• celery seed
• liquid smoke
• bay leaf
• nooch

Other:

• Great northern beans
• Seitan
• Plain, unsweetened almond milk

Once things are fully cooked, blend a bit of the soup for creaminess (just not the seitan...)

Paella (Thingy) with Chorizo-Seitan

You know what?  I'm tired, I wanna go to bead, and this stupid internet isn't uploading the other two pictures that I got.. so.. yeah.  I just won't fight a battle not worth fighting...
Ok, really, I'm not in that bad of a mood... life is good.  (Aside from physics, but that is a whole different topic that I don't care to breach at the moment).  Can you believe it's almost Thanksgiving?  Wow!  Time flies!

Adapted from Vegan Fur Ninja

For the seitan, mix:
1 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
nutmeg
stevia + molasses (as brown sugar replacement)
paprika
fennel seeds
3/4 cup water + vegetable broth powder
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 cloves finely chopped garlic.

Mix, adding water as needed.  Plop onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, until it becomes scarily poofy.

for the Paella:
Saute chopped onion, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic.  Add in enough rice to make the amount of food you want, and 1.5 times water as rice.  Seasonings are smoked paprika, bay leaf.  Other stuffs included fire roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, white beans, frozen pean, roasted red bell peppers, cloves, liquid smoke, butter extract, chili powder, and olives (all stirred in after the rice finished cooking. 

Macaroni and Butternut Squash Soup

Oh my freaking bananas.  I am exhausted.

 

Physics test.  Number spewing out my head from calculus.  Memorizing greek terms for english.  Doesn't that last one seem a bit ironic, now that I think about it?..

 

Good thing I can talk about something easy, nice, and pleasant now- soooooooup!

 

 

Adapted from Love You Madly

 

saute

• 1 onion
• carrots
• celery

 

Add

• water
• soaked white grean northern beans
• home made veggie broth powder
• butter extract
• vegan worchestire sauce
• liquid smoke

 

Ladel out some broth and blend with a roasted butternut squash reeeeeally well.  Return to the soup, add a corn starch slurry if desired, and some whole wheat macaroni pasta.  Heat through and serve with seitan.

 

Roasting butternuts:  Lop off the top and bottom, and then just hack away at the skin until it's all off.  Cube the flesh, and bake at 350 for 45 minutes until tender.

Potato Soup

 

Potato soup = time for winter.  I was so excited - today it was dark out when I left school.  Cooooolest thing evah!  Seriously.

 

Ahaha, look at me, I'm yawning as I type... good thing I don't have any homework tonight.  :)  My school is having a pep rally tomorrow, and it seems like we never get homework.  Even in AP classes.  Go figure... whatever.  I ain't complaining!

 

Adapted from 86 Lemons

Veggies: carrot, onion, celery
Seasonings: home made veggie broth powder, liquid smoke, paprika, nooch
Other: broth was 1/2 soy milk and 1/2 water, thickened with corn starch slurry.  Added seitan...
And blended 1/3 of the soup just a bit to make it creamier.  Yuuummmmy!

Chilli with Sour Cream

 

More soup, catching up still...

 

As far as I remember, this was pretty tasty!

 

 

Side note on my life:  Homecoming is tomorrow.  I, obviously, don't have a date, and am not going (will probably be fast asleep when the dance starts at 9).  Is it weird that I'm proud to scoff at people who waste time/money on that stuff?  ;)  I literaly told someone "Why would you spend $100 on homecoming?  Do you know how much tofu that would buy?"  That totally got so many laughs from my friends... :D

 

Anyhoo...

 

Chili, adapted from Vouge Vegetarian

 

Veggies:

• Onion
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Canned, diced tomatoes

 

Seasonings:

• Vegan worchestire sauce (annie's is vegan)
• Cilantro
• No chicken broth powder
• Chili powder
• Cumin

 

Other:

• Setian of choice
• sour cream, to serve (use stevia, add the nooch - deeeelish!)
• Pinto beans
• Corn starch slurry

'Sausage' and Mushroom Cream Sauce over Rice

Well, as I should be studying for physics and french, I'll try to keep this short.

 

 

Heck, who am I kidding?  Studying is the LAST thing I want to do right now.

... well.  Yes.  This dish.  M reeeeeeeeeeally liked it!  Nice and wintery.  The sad thing is, it's been in my line-up for AGES, and I just now got around to making it.  But it's made now, and I have had the delightful experience of eating it.  My life just got that much better.

 

Adapted from Fat Free Vegan

 

Saute until tender:

• 1 small chopped onion
• 1 coined carrot
• 1/2 chopped bell pepper
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 4 cloves chopped garlic . 

 

 Add in:

• 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
• splash of soy sauce
• 1 tbsp thyme
• lots of chopped fresh basil
• 1 1/2 cups water + vegetable broth powder
• 3 tbsp whole wheat flour (whisk this in slowly)
• A good amount of chopped 'sausage' - I omitted the oil, and baked this at 350 for 30 minutes, until poofy and firm

 

Cook until thickened, and serve over brown rice.

Shepherd's Pie

Perfect pile of root veggies, ready for winter.  I eat as I have a fan blowing on me because it's 80 degrees out.  Oh well...

 

 

One can hope, right?.. right... ?

Maybe?

 

 

Adapted from Oh She Glows

 

Mash 1 1/2 lbs yukon gold potatoes (washed, cubed, boiled) with 1/3 cup soy milk, pepper, nooch, and garlic powder.

Saute:

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, coined
• 2 large parsnips, chopped
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 cup-ish frozen peas

Add in and simmer for a few minutes:

• 1 tbsp home made vegetable broth powder
• 1 tsp vegan worchestire sauce (Annie's is vegan)
• 2 tbsp thyme
• 1 tsp Spike seasoning mix
• 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

 

Pour the veg mixture into a casserole dish, and spread the potatoes on top.  Bake at 425 for half an hour.

Welcome Fall! Split Pea Soup

Ok, so I'm not so big on pureed soups - you can probably tell.  They are just too... well... uniform.  No chunks, no excitement.  Boo hoo.  So that kind of ruled out split pea soup for me - and then I tried this recipe.  Nom nom nom!  Good stuff, this soup.  And quite simple to make, too.

Adapte from WTHDAVEA

Drizzle with sugar free maple syrup and roast at 425 for 20 minutes:

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 3/4 lb parsnips, peeled and coined
• Quite a few carrots, coined
• A few russet potatoes, diced

Soak 2 cups green split peas overnight.  Drain, and cook until soft with ~ 4 cups water.  Add:

• 2 tbsp homemade vegetable broth powder (GOOD STUFF, just use about 1/2 of the salt called for, and I left out the tumeric because I hate it)
• A dash of cloves
• Liquid smoke (hickory flavoured, if possible)
• Dried rosemary

Puree the soup base, and let it thicken by cooking with the lid off if needed.  This will thicken up a lot over night.
Serve: veggies, broth, seitan of choice, and sugar free apricot jam

Black Bean and Nut Burgers

Hey, guys.  I'm back from the dead.  (All that SCHOOL WORK.  I literally have died 3 times since I last blogged)

 

 

With a really, really good burger.

 

And a single serving hamburger bun!  It's perfected!

 

Single serving bun, adapted from CCK:

 

Mix together:

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 tbsp non-dairy milk
• 1 tbsp applesauce
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• a teensy bit of salt

Plop all of this on a baking sheet coated with nonstick spray, and sprinkle with sesame seeds if you want.  Stick into an unpreheated oven, and turn the oven to 420.  Bake for about 11-13 minutes, until it feels hamburger bun-like.  Done!  That was easy!

For the burgers (adapted from Oh She Glows):

Mix together, form into patties, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes:

• 1/2 cup onion, chopped, sauteed
• 1 clove garlic, minced, sauteed
• 2 1/2 tbsp flax seed + 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs (make sure they are vegan - some brands aren't)
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds, toasted
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
• Soy sauce, cumin, oregano to season

Serve on buns with avocado and pickles

Beany Salad

Adapted from Vegan Belle

• Lettuce (arugula + iceburg)
• Black beans
• Chickpeas
• Avocado
• Croutons (dice bread and stick it in the oven until dry and crisp.  Yup, it's that easy!)
• Carrot sticks

Veg-ful Soup

Do you have an abundance of fresh herbs & veggies?

 

If yes, this soup is for you!  If no... this soup is for you!  Yay!..

Adapted from EarthBalance

Veggies:
Onions
Corn (fresh)
Carrots
Green beans
Frozen peas

Seasonings:
Vegetable/veg chicken bouillon
Fresh basil, parsley, and oregano

Other:
Great northern beans
Yukon potatoes or pasta (I attempted the dumplings... didn't work too well...)
Corn starch slurry
Seitan chicken (minus the oil, baked at 350 until poofy)

Rice, Chickpea, Lettuce Salad

You want dinner.  And you want it NOW!

 

 

I'm sure we've all been there.

 

Salad to the rescue!

Adapted from Cookie and Kate

Alright..

• Lettuce (iceburg + arugula)
• chickpeas
• carrot curls (made with a vegetable peeler)
• cooked brown rice
• feta (LINKY HERE)

Dressing here - minus the oil, and use tofu in place of yogurt.

Herby Soup

 

Okwowthisblewmymindaway.

Somanyfreshherbs.  Yay!

 

 

Adapted from Taste of Home

Veggies:

• Celery (I'm trying to make myself like celery... here goes!)
• Onion
• Carrots
• Garlic
• Crushed tomatoes

Seasonings:

• LOTS of fresh oregano and basil
• dried thyme
• veggie chicken bouillon
• A few drops butter extract

Other:

• Brown rice
• White beans
• Seitan
• Corn starch slurry

Simple Soba Salad

You really can't get much more clean-out-the-fridge-before-vacation than this dish.

 

 

Man, you should have seen the inside of the fridge after this.  It was 99% empty!  Almost scary...

 

Adapted from Maple Spice

 

Sauce: blend

•  1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• a pinch of dried ginger
• stevia extract to taste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
 

Grill tofu slabs drizzled with sauce, broccoli, red onions, red bell peppers, and carrots.  Serve over soba noodles, topped with avocado and leftover sauce.

Quinoa Salad

Ok, guys... I have exciting news!

No, I'm not pregnent... or moving... although it seems like every other blogger is one or the other, which is kind of odd.  Anyhoo...

I'm going to the Big Apple tomorrow!  Yup, that's right!  For college visits/vacation, so I won't be here for the next few days... be back next Wednesday, though, with loooots of pictures of good vegan restaurant food.  You know, I haven't been on a vacation in... what, 2 years or so?  That's a long time!  Well, I'll leave you with a faboo salad to look at..

And if you want more food, check out my tumblr page!

Adapted from Cook Easy Vegan

Grill up some chopped onions, carrots, and mushrooms on a panini press.
Mix cooked quinoa with nooch, southwestern seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, and  sumac.
Top with black olives, pistachios, and drizzle with sugar free maple syrup.

Rice Burgers with Fancy-Pants Cole Slaw

... I think that this was an excellent way to use up some old pineapple...

Yummm...

And, hah, nothing but teensy buns left in my freezer, so I elected to do an open face so I could have a decent amount of burger.

Adapted from HHL

For the cole slaw, mix together:

• finely diced pineapple
• shredded cabbage
• finely diced carrots
• pisachios
• sugar free maple syrup

For the burgers, blend until mostly smooth:

• ~1 1/4 cups chickpeas
• small handful sesame seeds
• ~2 tbsp nooch
• ~3 tbsp sugar free maple syrup

Stir with 1/4 cup dry brown rice cooked, ~3 tbsp chopped onion cooked, 1 scant tbsp flax meal mixed with 2 tbsp water, and enough maple syrup to make things stick together.
Shape into somewhat patties, and bake for 25 minutes at 350.
Stick 'em on buns, and top with cole slaw... I chose to do an open face, since my bun was sooo teensy!