Chickenless Noodle Soup

My husband is a huge fan of chicken noodle soup, especially when he isn't feeling well. He generally resorts to the canned stuff, but I took pity on him the last time he felt under the weather, and made him soup. The fact that mine is cruelty-free AND delicious made the caretaker part of me smile. And the non-vegan husband's gobbling it down didn't hurt, either!

Chickenless Noodle Soup

4 c. vegetable broth
4 c. water
One package pasta, cooked according to package directions
2 cans chickpeas, drained
3 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 potatoes, diced
One onion, chopped
1/2 c.up fresh parsley, chopped
2 T. olive oil
2 t. salt
1 t. thyme
1 t. rosemary
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. black pepper

In a Dutch oven, saute onions, carrots and potatoes in the olive oil. Add celery, and cook for a few more minutes. Add chickpeas, broth, water, salt, thyme, rosemary, paprika and black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the parsley and pasta and let simmer an additional 15 minutes. Serve. Enjoy!

Virtual Vegan Potluck - Black Pepper Tofu

Today I am participating in a very exciting project - The Virtual Vegan Potluck! This is my first time and I am so thrilled to be a part of it.

Thank you, Annie, at An Unrefined Vegan, for holding my hand as I prepared for the big event! There will be everything from appetizers to desserts. I'm bringing a main dish to this shindig. So bring your plate and help yourself!

Black Pepper Tofu

 

One package extra firm tofu, frozen in package, boiled, pressed and sliced into thin squares 

Olive oil

Cornstarch

Vegan butter

One shallot, diced

3 cloves garlic, diced

1 T. fresh ginger, diced

Crushed red pepper flakes

2 T. kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)

2 T. soy sauce

2 T. dark soy sauce (recipe follows)

Crushed black peppercorns

Green onions, chopped

 

Place the tofu squares in a ziploc baggie and sprinkle in some cornstarch. Zip the baggie closed and shake it to coat the tofu in the cornstarch. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the tofu. Cook the tofu until it is crispy and golden, and put on paper towels to drain. Set aside.

Drain any leftover oil and put the skillet back on the burner. Add some vegan butter and let it melt. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger and a few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes and saute until softened. Add the tofu back to the skillet with the three different soy sauces and a few twists of the peppercorns. Stir to evenly coat the tofu.

Serve the tofu on top of steamed white rice and sprinkle on some of the green onions. Enjoy!

Dark Soy Sauce

1/4 c. water
1 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. soy sauce

Mix the water and brown sugar together in a pot over high heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low. When the brown sugar has all dissolved, pour in the soy sauce, stirring again to mix well. When heated through, remove from heat and let cool. Store in the refrigerator.

I cannot say how delicious this was! Even my non-vegan non-tofu loving husband had two servings and told me this was a keeper! High praise from him for tofu, I have to say!

Make sure you sample the other offerings on the potluck!

You can travel backward and forward through the blogs to see what everyone is bringing!

Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

While rice and beans are pretty much a staple in my house, very much a comfort food, I haven't had spicy red beans and rice in a very long time. I thought I needed to remedy that situation.

Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

1 c. water
One onion, chopped
One green bell pepper, chopped
One bunch of green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
One small can of tomato sauce
1 t. mustard
One bay leaf
1/2 t. oregano
1 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 t. thyme
1 t. black pepper
1 t. basil
3 cans red beans, drained and rinsed
One package vegan sausage
Olive oil
Cooked rice

Add the water, onion, bell pepper, green onions and garlic to a Dutch oven, and cook over low heat, until vegetables are softened. Add tomato sauce and seasonings, cover, and continue cooking over low heat for about 20-30 minutes. Slice the sausage into coins and fry in the olive oil. Add the sausage to the vegetables and seasonings and heat through. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Warning: this stuff is HOT! You wouldn't think so, looking at the ingredients, but trust me. I found it a little too spicy hot for my tastes, but my kids loved it and devoured it. If you don't like that much heat, try halving the cayenne and black peppers.

Black Bean and Potato Hash

Skillet meals make life convenient. Like one pot meals, everything goes into one pot or pan and done. I like crockpots for the same reason. Plus, with the way my dishwasher sounds when it runs right now, the fewer dishes I use I figure the better.

Black Bean and Potato Hash

Potatoes - however many you want, probably about 2 per person, diced
One onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. oregano
One can black beans, drained

Add the potatoes, onion, garlic and bell peppers in a frying pan with a small amount of water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, around 30 minutes. Add the spices and black beans, stir well and cook until beans are heated through. Salt and pepper to taste. You can add some chopped cilantro, if you want. Serve. Enjoy!

As it cools, the sauce created darkens. Don't be put off by it. Once reheated, it remains tasty!

Hamburger Helper, Vegan Style

When I told my daughter I was making a vegan style of Hamburger Helper for supper, she informed me that at least some of the Hamburger Helper mixes were already vegan. Even though I haven't verified this myself, I know mine will still be better - no weird stuff!

Okay, okay, some vegan stuff is considered weird by non-vegans, but we know better!

Hamburger Helper, Vegan Style

One package of vegan ground beef
One onion, chopped
One clove garlic, chopped
4 c. vegetable broth
One package penne pasta
One can diced tomatoes
2 cans green beans, drained
One small can tomato paste
2 t. oregano
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. ground cinnamon

In a skillet, saute the vegan ground beef, onion and garlic until just softened. Add the vegetable broth and penne pasta and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring back to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve. Enjoy!

Fun with Food

We visit my parents every Sunday. Usually my mom serves up something to eat, anything from a full meal to banana bread. Since Easter fell on a Sunday recently, she asked if we wanted to do anything different or special. I knew she was going to cook up a spread, so I decided to bring my own version of a spread. A cheese spread!

Because it was Easter and springtime, I wanted to indulge myself by making something themed. So I did.

It's not a carrot, it's a cheese spread!

2 containers vegan cream cheese
1 c. Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds
1 can sliced black olives, drained
3 green onions, chopped
5 t. taco seasoning
Crushed nacho tortilla chips (see note)
Celery leaves
Crackers

Beat the cream cheese and Daiya until smooth. Gently fold in the olives, onions, and taco seasoning. Chill until somewhat firm. I wrapped mine in wax paper so I could easily mold it into a carrot shape. Before serving, unroll it from the wax paper and roll it in crushed nacho chips, covering the entire surface. Stick the celery leaves in the top. Place on a serving tray and surround it with crackers. Wait for the oohs and aahs.

Note: If you can't find any vegan nacho tortilla chips, I recommend you make your own. You can find an awesome recipe here.

Chick'n Salad with Mango Salsa

The weather is starting to warm up here, after a few fits and starts. Of course, I am totally okay with the weather staying cool as long as possible, what with our ridiculous heat in the summer. But right now, I can open up the windows and sleep comfortably without either the heater or the ac running, so this is my favorite time of year. If only it could stay this beautiful year round!

Chick'n Salad with Mango Salsa

1/4 c. soy sauce
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. grated ginger
One package Gardein Chick'n Scallopini
2 mangoes, cut into small chunks
2 green onions, diced
One serrano pepper, seeded and diced
1 c. cilantro, chopped
3 T. lime juice
1/4 t. salt
5 t. olive oil
1 T. lemon juice
Lettuce

Mix the soy sauce and cornstarch together and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the sesame oil, lemon juice and ginger. Slice the chick'n into strips and add to the soy sauce mixture, stirring to coat well. Set aside and let marinate for about 30 minutes.

Mix the mangoes, green onions, serrano pepper, cilantro, lime juice and salt in a separate container. Set aside and let marinate for about 30 minutes.

Shred the lettuce into a large bowl. Add the olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Stir well to coat.

After the chick'n has marinated, dump it and the marinade contents into a frying pan and heat over medium until heated through.

To serve: Place some of the lettuce on individual serving plates. Top with some of the chick'n, then some of the mango salsa. Enjoy!