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This dish is so delicious ~ and very easy and quick to prepare. If you like pasta, if you like savory sausage, if you like greens, if you like parmesan cheese – you will not be disappointed!
- 1 four-link package of Field Roast brand Smoked Apple Sage Sausage, crumbled and sautéed in a cast iron skillet until browned with crunchy bits – set aside
- 1 box of Farfalle (bow-tie) pasta, cooked, drained, rinsed and placed into large glass or stainless steel bowl
- 2 large bunches of fresh spinach, rinsed and drained well and sliced into thin strips
- 2 teaspoons dried powdered mustard (to taste)
- 1 tbsp Garlic Gold bits
- ¼ cup vegan grated style parmesean cheese
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes, aka “nooch”
- Celtic sea salt
- Olive oil
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- Saute the sausage while the pasta is boiling.
- Gently mix the olive oil, mustard, and nooch into the cooked warm pasta.
- Add the spinach and gently mix it in.
- Add the crumbled sausage, mixing it in gently.
- Sprinkle and mix in the parmasean style grated cheese.
- Salt, taste and adjust seasonings to your taste.
This super tasty dish is very easy and quick to prepare. You will not be disappointed!
1 four-link package of Field Roast brand Smoked Apple Sage Sausage, crumbled and sautéed in a cast iron skillet until browned – set aside
1 box of Farfalle (bow-tie) pasta, cooked, drained, rinsed and placed into large glass or stainless steel bowl
2 large bunches of fresh spinach, sliced into thin strips
2-3 teaspoons dried mustard (to taste)
1 tbsp Garlic Gold bits
¼ cup vegan grated style parmesean cheese, like
¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes, aka “nooch”
Celtic sea salt
Olive oil
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1. Sautee the sausage while the pasta is boiling.
2. Gently mix the olive oil, mustard, and nooch into the cooked warm pasta
3. Add the spinach and gently mix it in
4. Add the crumbled sausage, mixing it in gently
5. Sprinkle and mix in the parmasean style grated cheese
6. Salt, taste and adjust seasonings to your taste.
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking ~ Colleen Patrick Goudreau
These are my favorite chocolate chip cookies. They have all the characteristics that many chocolate chip cookie connoisseurs think that a good chocolate chip cookie should have – crispy buttery outside, very slightly chewy inside, a not too molasses-sweet, yet very faintly salty background flavor … and, oh yes!, lots and lots of chocolate chips!!
makes 3-4 dozen cookies
| 4½ | tsp | egg replacer (Ener G brand, available in powder form from Whole Foods) |
| 6 | tbsp | filtered water |
| 1 | cup | nondairy butter, softened a bit (½ tub, or two half-sticks) (Earth Balance brand from Whole Foods) |
| ½ | cup | granulated *vegan sugar |
| ¾ | cup | organic **dark brown sugar, firmly packed |
| 3 | tsp | organic vanilla extract |
| 2¼ | cups | unbleached all-purpose flour |
| 1 | tsp | baking soda |
| 1 | tsp | Celtic fine grain salt |
| 1½ | 12 oz bags | nondairy chocolate chips, ***(Sunspire semi-sweet, or Whole Foods 365 vegan) |
… line cookie sheet or half-sheet baker’s pan with parchment paper or Silpat silicone liner
1. In medium size bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt
2. In food processor or blender (whichever is easiest for you, just put the water in first, then the egg replacer) whip the water and egg replacer together until thick and creamy.
3. In a large mixing bowl, using a hand or stand mixer (whichever is easiest for you), cream the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla.
4. Bump the egg replacer mixture in the blender to remix it a bit, then blend it into the creamed mixture.
5. Gradually add in the flour mixture by large spoonfuls to the creamed mixture until it begins to form a dough. Don’t over mix. When almost completely combined, blend in the chips.
6. It’s time to form the cookies and arrange them on the baking sheets. The easiest way to do this is to grab a cookie-sized hunk with the tips of your fingers (I wear surgical gloves), and with your finger tips loosely form a semi-flattened cookie shape. Place a dozen cookies per sheet, evenly spaced.
7. Depending on your oven’s ‘true temperature’, bake for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown, a minute or so longer if a crispier texture is desired. If you are baking two sheets at a time bake only one sheet for you initial bake, since like making pancakes or waffles, the first batch is always the least ‘perfect’
*sugar that is not filtered through bone char, as most white table sugar is
**dark brown sugar is made with molasses which deepens the sweetness
***don’t use grain-sweetened vegan chips unless you want chocolate chip cookies with “burnt melted raisins” (as described by dd) in place of what started out as chocolate chips in the dough
Your trusty blender makes this rich, savory gravy easy, fast and foolproof!
Besides their deliciously warm and slightly spicy flavor that make this a standout gravy recipe, Shiitake mushrooms are a healthful source for protein and fiber!
1 oz. (approx. weight) package of dried Shiitake mushrooms
2 cups of the broth from the reconstituted Shiitake mushrooms (see directions)
2 cups of vegetable broth (made with one whole Rapunzel Sea Salt and Herbs bouillon cube mixed into 2 cups of boiling water)
1 cup dry white wine like Pinot Grigio
1 large Vidalia or sweet onion, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced (or 1 tbsp of Garlic Gold Nuggets)
1 tsp powdered dried sage and 1 tsp dried thyme leaves (or 2 tsp dried Herbes de Provence)
¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes, aka “nooch”
1 tbsp flour
4 tbsp Earth Balance butter
Celtic sea salt and pepper to taste
(Add an optional 1 tbsp poultry seasoning when serving with vegan chix cutlets, vegan turkey or stuffing)
- Pour 2 cups of boiling water over dried mushrooms in a medium size bowl and set aside
- In a large, (approx. 4 qt size) heavy bottom sauté pan (or high-sided skillet) sauté the onion in the butter; when the onion has softened add the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute or until the onion begins to caramelize
- Add the mushrooms in their broth, the vegetable broth, the wine and the seasonings and bring to a simmer
- Turn the heat off and, in two batches, blenderize the mixture in a blender, returning each blenderized batch of gravy to the sauté pan
- Continue to cook the gravy on a low simmer for 8-10 minutes or until thickened to desired consistency
- Stir in the ‘nutch” and adjust seasonings to taste
Makes approximately 5 cups of gravy
If you’ve checked my other recipes I guess you’ll notice that I love recipes that are super simple, super fast to prepare and super yummy! Oh, and did I mention healthy?! Couscous could not be easier to prepare, and if you love pasta you will love couscous ~ because that is what it is 😀 ~ and it’s actually even easier to prepare than boxed pasta! If you can boil water (I use an electic kettle) you can make couscous. A make-ahead-of-time dish. Serves 4
1 block of More Than Tofu Spinach Jalapeno seasoned tofu, removed from package and patted dry
½ box of Delallo brand Certified Organic 100% Durum hard wheat couscous
3 large Portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and cut into small pieces
2 15oz cans of Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, drained
1 large Vidalia onion, peeled and diced
½ bunch of spring onions, cut into ½ inch lengths
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced, or 2 tbsp of Rinaldo’s Organic Garlic Gold Nuggets
½ cup of sliced pitted assorted Mediterranean style olives or whole capers
olive oil
Celtic Sea Salt
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1: Place the couscous in a large glass, ceramic or stainless steel bowl.
2: Boil 1½ cups of water, pour over the couscous, gently stir to evenly distribute the water, cover and set aside
3: In a large heavy bottom skillet saute the onion until caramelized.
4: Gently fluff up the couscous.
5: Scoop the cooked onions on top of the couscous and gently mix in.
6: In the same skillet, add some more oil and gently saute the mushrooms, adding the garlic when almost done.
7: Scoop the cooked mushrooms into the couscous and gently mix.
8: In the same skillet, add some more oil, crumble in the tofu and, using a steel spatula, saute the tofu for about five minutes, adding the spring onion after about 2 minutes, being careful to continuously scrape the bottom in order to get all the precious crunchy bits.
9: Scrape the tofu from the skillet into the couscous and gently mix.
10:Add the drained tomato bits and the olives or capers.
11:Salt to taste.
This is one of those really great tasting staple vegan recipes that for some might seem a bit time-consuming and not-so-easy the first time you make it. Well, hang in there, because as any seasoned ‘tofu-scrambler’ will tell you, once you start making this dish you cannot stop. It is so munchy-delicious and, yes, super-fast and easy to prepare. Except for the tofu all the ingredients are larder items, including the Garlic Gold Nuggets which I keep on hand all the time (in the refrigerator to extend their freshness), especially since I use them for other dishes. I make scrambles a couple of times a week, never have to refer to a recipe card anymore, and I change up the basic recipe with seasonings / ingredients as I feel like it … and not to mention this dish is a very good source for protein, calcium, potassium, zinc, iron, and is very high in the complex B vitamins.
This is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed simply by glopping some ketchup (or your favorite condiment, sauce, chutney or salsa) onto the basic scramble for a quick snack in front of the TV or PC – or proudly serving a deliciously savory and eye-pleasing breakfast or brunch to guests by alternating layers of tofu scramble, veggies and sausage in a company-worthy casserole dish, and topping it with Herbs-de-Provence seasoned toasted bread crumbs.
4 servings (or 2 Hungry Man servings)
Prep to Table Time: 10 minutes (not including time to press tofu)
1 block of certified organic Wildwood brand SprouTofu firm style non-GMO tofu, water pressed out super-fast with TofuXpress, or your preferred method
1 tsp powdered smoked Spanish paprika
1 tsp organic curry powder
1 tsp powdered garlic
1 tsp fresh dried organic thyme, crumbled finely with your fingers (optional)
3 tbsp filtered water in a small ceramic, glass or stainless steel bowl
1 tbsp Garlic Gold Nuggets (or 5-6 minced fresh garlic cloves)
2 tbsp cup nutritional yeast (‘nooch’)
2 tbsp organic olive oil
Celtic salt to taste, small size crystals
1. With a fork or small whisk, mix together the spice blend (optional thyme, curry, paprika, powdered garlic) into the water, then set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil to medium heat in a large size stainless steel heavy bottom skillet, or cast iron skillet. A well seasoned cast iron skillet will give you the fastest-cooking, non-sticking, even-browning results for tofu. I find the cast iron skillet to be an indispensable, must-have item for the vegan cook.
3. With your fingers, crumble the tofu into smallish random size pieces into the skillet, evenly covering the bottom. If using fresh garlic instead of the Garlic Gold Nuggets add them to the pan, evenly sprinkling the garlic over the top of the tofu. When it appears that the tofu is light golden brown when you lift and peek at the underside of one of the pieces, using your steel spatula (or hard plastic spatula for your cast iron skillet so as not to scratch all the hard work you’ve done seasoning your pan), begin to continuously turn the tofu mixture by pushing and scraping against the bottom of the pan, keeping the mixture evenly spread out, and making sure to scrape every bit of cooked tofu/garlic bits off the bottom of the pan as it continues to gently brown.
4. Continue to cook on medium heat, scraping the bottom to get all the bits, and turning the mixture every 30 seconds or so for about 5 minutes.
5. After most of the areas of the pieces are light golden brown (not every bit of each piece needs to be browned), mix in the Garlic Gold Nuggets and then turn the heat off and keep the pan on the burner.
6. Distribute the tofu evenly across the bottom of the skillet. Using a small spoon, stir the spice blend with a small spoon, and without getting too anal about it, proceed to drizzle it over as many of the tofu pieces as possible so that it soaks into the top layer (so that if you cut into a piece of tofu you would see a white interior surrounded by a seasoned top layer). You don’t have to use all of the seasoning or evenly cover each piece. Once most of the pieces have been dribbled on a bit, stirring the mixture gently will incorporate it more evenly throughout the tofu pieces. Go ahead and dribble a bit of seasoning on any obviously missed pieces. Remember, you don’t have to heavily soak them, just the dribbling on some of the outside of the pieces will suffice for flavor.
7. Sprinkle the scramble with salt and ‘nooch’ and mix gently.
8. Adjust salt to taste and add a grind or two of your fresh pepper blend
Optional » Gently fold in pre-prepared and cooked veggie and/or sausage.
My favorite Tofu Scramble, with Portobello mushrooms and spring onions sauteed in garlic and olive oil, and sliced Mediterranean green and Kalamata pitted olives
About adding optional veggies and/or sausage to your tofu scramble ...
• If you would like to add veggies to your scramble, do this by preparing and sauteing your optional additions ahead of time in a separate pan. Some great chopped/minced and sauteed veggie additions that are great with scrambles, alone or in combination, are Vidalia onions, sweet peppers, and light heat peppers like jalapenos (saute any of these options until they are caramelized); spring onions, mushrooms, squash, tomatoes and broccoli. Capers or sliced olives.
• If you want a scramble that has chunks and bits of savory sausage it in, crumble a couple of links of Field Roast’s Smoked Apple Sage sausage or Twin Oaks Community Foods Breakfast Sausage into a cast iron skillet (or fry pan) and fry them up until browned with lots of crunchy bits.
UPDATES …
12/6/09 All the way home from church this morning I was thinking about the leftover scramble waiting for me in the fridge that I had made yesterday morning with bits of breakfast sausage. As I removed it from the fridge shelf I spied the box of Daiya cheddar style cheese that happened to be sitting next to it. I sprinkled some of that amazing cheese over the top of the scramble, popped it in the microwave for a minute on three quarter power and …. oh, my, was that ever the yummiest breakfast eh-ver!
Like many cauliflower lovers I absolutely love cooked cauliflower with its gently yielding texture and subltey sweet, milky flavor. Entering its peak season of freshness from December-March, now is the perfect time for cauliflower lovers to consider adding the taste and health benefits of this lovely veg to their list of Holiday side dish options.
This baked cauliflower dish is so simple, easy and fast and I promise it will be a company favorite! I mean, who doesn’t like buttery/cheesy/toasted-topped side dishes that are actually low in salt and fat, and healthy?!
Studies have indicated how cauliflower contains compounds that “stop enzymes from activating cancer-causing agents in the body, and they increase the activity of enzymes that disable and eliminate carcinogens…New research has greatly advanced scientists’ understanding of just how cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts help prevent cancer. When these vegetables are cut, chewed or digested, a sulfur-containing compound called sinigrin is brought into contact with the enzyme myrosinase, resulting in the release of glucose and breakdown products….We now know that cruciferous vegetables contain both glucosinolates and thiocyanates (including sulforaphane and isothiocyanate). These compounds increase the liver’s ability to neutralize potentially toxic substances….Recent studies show that those eating the most cruciferous vegetables have a much lower risk of prostate, colorectal and lung cancer-even when compared to those who regularly eat other vegetables.”
How many weekly servings of cruciferous vegetables do you need to lower your risk of cancer? Just 3 to 5 servings – less than one serving a day! (1 serving = 1 cup).
1 head of cauliflower, de-leaved, florets broken apart into even-sized pieces, stems trimmed, rinsed in colander, set aside
1 cup of Daiya cheddar ‘cheese’
½ cup of whole grain panko-style (or you favorite) flavorful breadcrumbs
Spray olive oil
Smoked Paprika optional
Preheat oven to 375°
- Steam-cook the cauliflower until al dente
- Spray the bottom of a medium size baking dish
- Arrange a layer of cauliflower florets snugly
- Spray tops of florets lightly with oil
- Sprinkle the layer of florets with cheese
- Repeat steps 3,4 and 5, layering until you run out of florets
- Sprinkle the top layer of cheese with bread crumbs
- Sprinkle with optional Smoked Paprika
- Spray lightly with oil
Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and bread crumbs are toasted
Judging by its abundant offering and prominent position in the produce section of most grocery stores the Portobello mushroom is enjoying great popularity. And it’s no wonder. It is a food that wears many hats, or dare I say, caps. Its culinary use varies from main dish centerpiece to minced side dish additive. It is celebrated by cooks of many cultures, gracing dishes from Italian lasagna to the great American burger. It is a treasured favorite of vegetarians and vegans as a meat substitute.
The dependable Portobello, with its musky, earthy flavor and firm, silky texture marinates quickly and cooks even faster, with equal and foolproof success in the pan, on the grill or in the oven.
It’s just so darn fun and easy to cook with and so predictably delicious.
To prepare your Portobello for your recipe du jour you’ll need a small knife, a dry mushroom brush (or any small brush with longish, soft bristles) and a tea spoon (or any small spoon with a tapered edge to facilitate scraping into and scooping out small spaces) to remove the gills from the underside of the cap. You don’t have to remove the gills, some cooks leave them – it’s just an aesthetic thing.
Lightly brush away any loose dirt with the dry brush.
Cut the stem off where it joins the underside of the cap.
Hold your hand in front of you, palm facing up. Cradle the top of the cap in the palm of your hand over your sink to catch the debris. With the spoon held in your other hand, remove the gills from the underside of the cap by gently scooping and scraping so as not to break or gouge the cap.
Gently brush away any loose scrapings that remain on the underside of the cap. Don’t worry about the ones that are difficult to remove.
Rinse the brush in water. Holding the mushroom over the sink to catch the debris, gently brush the mushroom all over with the wet brush, re-wetting the brush as necessary, until the mushroom is clean. Again, don’t worry about getting every little piece of “dirt” off.
Now you ready to start cooking with your prepped Portobello!
conserVegan 