Cabbage Stew

Not everyone likes cabbage, and the smell it makes while cooking isn't particularly appealing. However, mixed in with other things while it cooks, and you won't even notice.

Cabbage Stew

One package sliced mushrooms
4 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
One onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. basil
1 t. oregano
1 t. paprika
1 t. salt
1 t. thyme
4 c. vegetable broth
One large can diced tomatoes
One small can tomato paste
Half a head of cabbage, chopped
2 T. apple cider vinegar

Saute in oil or water the mushrooms, celery, carrots, and onion until the onions are softened. Add the garlic, seasonings, vegetable broth, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer about 10 minutes. Add the cabbage and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the all the vegetables are tender. Add the vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and serve. Enjoy!

French Style Green Beans

I've been reading several books lately about the way the French eat. It's been pretty enlightening, really. Their super power lies in portion control. That way they still get to drink wine with meals. ;)

Provençal refers to anything related to Provence. It is the birthplace of salade Nicoise, a salad that contains as one of its ingredients something called haricots verts. That translates to green beans, but they are skinnier, and more expensive than what most of think of as green beans. So this recipe uses regular green beans. If you wanted to make it more "French", you could hunt down some haricots verts.

French Style Green Beans

One pound green beans, ends snipped and then cut into 1 inch pieces
One can of diced tomatoes
One onion, chopped fine
Two cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Saute the onion and garlic in oil until softened. Add them, plus the oil, to a crock pot. Add the green beans and tomatoes to the crock pot, and season with salt and pepper. Stir well, cover, and cook on low for about six hours. Serve. Enjoy!

Cabbage and Tomato Soup with Sausage

My husband's father used to make a cabbage soup that my son always loved. I think he likes my cruelty-free version much better!

Cabbage and Tomato Soup with Sausage

One onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
One head of cabbage, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
1/2 T. paprika
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
4 c. vegetable broth
1 c. water
Two links of sausage (I used Tofurky Kielbasa), sliced

In a large Dutch oven, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until softened. Mix in the paprika and stir to coat well. Add the cabbage, tomatoes, salt, pepper, broth and water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in the sausage and cover. Simmer until sausage is heated. Serve. Enjoy!

But Where's the Rum Chili

It has been a hot summer. Well, every summer here is hot, that's a fact. Some years have been worse than others and I am VERY THANKFUL to have an air conditioner that works. One year our ac went out at least five times. Five times! When I hear about my friends having ac issues, I can sympathize, truly.

So why would I make chili in the summer? True, I generally think of chili on cool autumn or cooler winter evenings as a real comfort kind of food. But I was looking in my pantry when I came across some rum I had bought earlier in the year for a rum cake. I told my family I was making chili for supper and they all gaped at me. When I oh so casually mentioned it was made with rum, I definitely got their attention. And interest. And "is the chili ready yet?" questions.

But Where's the Rum Chili

Olive oil
2 T. chili powder
One can diced tomatoes
One can diced tomatoes with chiles
One onion, chopped
2 T. rum
2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Saute the onion in olive oil until softened. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

I'm sure I don't need to mention there were no leftovers.

Spaghetti Salad

For the second year in a row, we've attended the lovely holiday get together at the home of our friend, Kristin. Everyone brings a dish to share and Kristin grills up a feast. It is a relaxed event and the company is always fascinating.

My offering this year was a pasta salad. I'm partial to them for summer get togethers because they are not only easy, but tasty, and most importantly, cool. When the temps hit three digits like they do here, cool is what you want.

Spaghetti Salad

One package spaghetti, broken in half
One bunch of broccoli florets (or one package frozen)
3 T. olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
2 cans diced tomatoes
1/4 of a red onion, chopped

Cook the spaghetti and broccoli together, according to pasta package instructions, drain. Drain the tomatoes on top of the spaghetti and broccoli. In a large bowl, add the drained pasta and veggie and the chopped red onion. Mix together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper and poor over the pasta and vegetables. Mix well and chill. Serve. Enjoy!

Southern Chili

In Texas, chili is beef, beef, oh, and, beef. They are very specific here and chili cook-offs are common. I grew up with a different version that my dad makes. Okay, yeah, it has beef in it, too, but it most definitely is not the Texas norm. I have, of course, veganized his version and eat it once or twice during the year. It is a comfort food for me.

One of the biggest benefits of being vegan, that I have found at least, is the huge variety of food my family now eats. I never realized how limited our diet really was when we ate meat. We tended to fall back on the usual fare regularly, mostly out of convenience but always because it was tried and true. Despite my penchant for loving to try new recipes, I still tended to rely on the known, versus the unknown. And this with kids who have never been picky eaters! Sigh.

It pleases me enormously now to cook, and try new foods, or different combinations. It's fun. And it makes cooking such a pleasure! It also helps - a lot! - that I have such enthusiastic and willing to try new things eaters.

This recipe is one of those that takes foods we love and combines them in a different and delicious way.

Southern Chili

Olive oil
One onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
One bag frozen collard greens (or fresh, if available)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 T. chili powder
1 t. hot sauce
1-1/2 c. water
2 cans black eyed peas, drained

In a Dutch oven, saute the onion, carrots and garlic in the olive oil until softened. Add the collards, tomatoes, chili powder, hot sauce and water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the black eyed peas and heat through. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Sausage and Peppers

The first time I ever had store bought vegan sausage, I was underwhelmed. Not that I was ever a fan of sausage in the first place, but occasionally I would cook some up. You know how when you start to feel bad the thing that won't get out of your brain is the last food you ate? For me, that was always sausage. Which begs the question: why did I keep eating the stuff and what possessed me to want to try the vegan variety?

Good question. I still don't have an answer.

That being said, I am still drawn to the rare sausage dish. And this one? This one is awesome!

Sausage and  Peppers

Olive oil
One package favorite vegan sausage (I prefer Tofurky or Field Roast), sliced into coins
One onion, chopped
One green bell pepper, chopped
3-5 potatoes, chunked
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 t. marjoram
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
One can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. vegetable stock

Saute the sausage in the olive oil until slightly browned, and set aside. In the same pan, sauté the onion and bell pepper in the olive oil until softened. Add the potatoes, herbs and spices, tomatoes and stock; bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 20-30 minutes. Add the cooked sausage and heat through. Serve. Enjoy!

Black Beans and Rice

You can never go wrong with beans and rice. They are such a staple at my house. I can always fall back on beans and rice and no one complains, they love it that much. I guess it is like a comfort food. Normally I do something simple like black eyed peas and yellow rice. But every now and then I like to change things up a bit. Since my son absolutely loves black beans, I know I can make them any time.

Black Beans and Rice

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed well
1-1/2 c. vegetable broth
1 T. Braggs aminos
1 t. chili powder
One can diced tomatoes
Green onions, chopped
One can corn, drained and rinsed
One green bell pepper, chopped
Cilantro, chopped
One avocado, diced
Cooked rice

Cook the beans with the broth, Braggs and chili powder. Add the diced tomatoes and heat through. Serve the beans over the rice with the green onions, corn, bell pepper, cilantro and avocado spooned on top. Enjoy!

This was simple and delicious, and the leftovers made it into wraps the next day.

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!

World Pasta Day

Today is World Pasta Day. It began with the World Pasta Congress held in Rome on October 25, 1995. That day, delegations from various countries discussed together the theme of the collective promotion in favor of pasta consumption, exchanging their ideas and experiences. Many things were decided, but the main objective of World Pasta Day is to draw the attention of the media and consumers to pasta, stressing the fact that pasta is *a global food, consumed in all five continents, has unquestionable merits, is appropriate for a dynamic and healthy life style capable of meeting both primary food requirements and those of high-level gastronomy*.

The World Pasta Congress is part of the International Pasta Organization. You should check out their website; they have plenty of recipes to back up their points!

Needless to say, this makes today a good day to try a different pasta dish. If pasta to you means spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna, or you grew up eating ravioli out of a can, here is your chance to expand your pasta repertoire. And I have just the recipe for you to try!

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Black Olives and Garlic

One package thin spaghetti
Two cans diced tomatoes, drained
4 cloves garlic, chopped
One can small pitted black olives, chopped
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 T. olive oil
One lime
1 T. chopped cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. In the meantime, mix the drained tomatoes with the garlic and olives. Sprinkle some red pepper flakes over the mixture, determined by the level of heat you enjoy. Mix in the olive oil and squeeze the juice from the lime. Add the cilantro and give a few twists of the pepper.

When spaghetti is done and drained, add to a large bowl and pour the tomato mixture on top. Mix well and enjoy!

This one was a big hit with my family. The uncooked tomato mixture heats up just slightly in the cooked pasta, making the flavors really wonderful.

Black Beans and Soyrizo

When my family took off for a day long outing, I prepared breakfast burritos the night before. Cooked up some potatoes and bell peppers and sauteed it with some soyrizo. I'd never had soyrizo before. I'd originally bought it with the idea to slice it and grill it, only to discover that just wasn't going to be possible. Soyrizo is already ground up and you squeeze it out of the casing to cook it. So, the idea of breakfast burritos came to mind. It was good!

So when I came across a recipe in an old magazine calling for soyrizo, I thought, cool! I can try it again in a different way!

Black Beans and Soyrizo

Olive oil
One green bell pepper, diced
One onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. salt
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1-1/2 c. vegetable stock
One can diced tomatoes
One package soyrizo
Limes, cut into wedges

Saute the bell pepper, onion, garlic, cumin and salt in the olive oil until softened. Add the beans, stock, tomatoes and soyrizo and simmer about 10 minutes over medium heat. Serve over rice and squeeze a lime wedge over it. Enjoy!

My family is a fan of beans and rice, but this was a new twist on it for us. We particularly like yellow rice, so it is the variety I most often make when serving up beans.

Spinach Stew

Today is the International Day of Non-Violence, so it seems appropriate that I should adapt a recipe from The Peaceful Cook. It was one of the first cookbooks I ever bought when I became vegan (even though the book is lacto-vegetarian and not vegan) and the first time I ever heard of Braggs Aminos.

Spinach Stew

One bunch of organic spinach
Olive oil
1/2 t. dry mustard
2 t. Dijon mustard
One can diced tomatoes
2 T. dill seeds
1 T. Braggs Aminos
2 c. pasta
Water

Dice the spinach and saute in olive oil until wilted. Add remaining ingredients and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour. Check periodically to see if you need to add more water to make it soupy. Enjoy!

Cajun Fried Tofu, Horseradish Mashed Potatoes and Creole Green Beans

In my pre-vegan days, it was not unusual for my husband to stop off at a local chicken place and bring home dinner. I was actually often grossed out by it, and tended to consume more of the rice and beans and biscuits than anything else. The spicy flavors, however, I did like.

I decided the other day I wanted some crispy fried tofu. Remembering those days of spicy goodness, I decided to try out something new.

Cajun Fried Tofu

One package extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed, pressed, sliced
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 c. hot sauce
1/4 c. water
1 c. flour
1 t. salt
Oil for frying

Combine mustard, hot sauce and water in a large ziploc baggie. Add the tofu pieces and let marinate overnight.
Combine flour and salt in another ziploc baggie. Add the marinated tofu pieces and shake until the tofu is well covered.
Fry in the hot oil until nicely browned on both sides.

My kids loved this, but I'll admit to it being much spicier than I like.

Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

9 potatoes, baked
1/4 c. vegan butter
3 T. horseradish
2 T. vegan sour cream
2 T. non-dairy milk
1/2 c. Daiya cheddar shreds
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

When potatoes have cooled, cut in half and remove the pulp. In a large bowl, mix the potato pulp with the remaining ingredients and mix well until it resembles mashed potatoes. Serve with a sprinkle of fake bacon bits.

Don't worry about the horseradish - it is very mild in this and you might not even really notice it.

Creole Green Beans

1/2 of an onion, chopped
1/2 of a green bell pepper, chopped
2 T. flour
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/8 t. dry mustard
One can diced tomatoes
One can cut green beans, drained

Saute onion and green pepper in olive oil until soft. Add remaining ingredients and stir until dry ingredients are dissolved and everything is well mixed. Cook until sauce is thickened.

Loaded Chili

If you live in Texas, you know there seems to be a great deal of debate as to whether or not chili should contain beans. If you are vegan, this is a no brainer. OF COURSE it contains beans! LOL!

Loaded Chili

Olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
One onion, chopped
One jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized cubes
2 c. broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces
3 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
1 T. oregano
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. each salt and pepper
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 c. frozen corn
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, saute garlic, onion and jalapeno in the olive oil, until softened. Add the sweet potato, broccoli and spices and stir until everything is well coated with the spices. Add remaining ingredients, stir well, and let simmer about 30 minutes. When the sweet potatoes are fork soft it is ready to eat.

Good and spicy and delicious! While you might wonder at the addition of things like sweet potatoes and broccoli to chili, trust me, you'll like it.

Garlicky Garbanzos and Friends

When life gets full around my house, we have a tendency to fall back on family favorites like rice and beans, spaghetti, salads, quick and easy foods because we are hungry and have limited time for food preparation. It's why I always love slower days, when I can feel like I am actually cooking! Even if it does turn out to be relatively simple to prepare and involves canned goods, it is time I spend in front of the stove, in the kitchen, doing more than throwing something together.

Garlicky Garbanzos and Friends

Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t. dried basil
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
2 cans diced potatoes, drained
2 cans garbanzos (chickpeas), drained
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans spinach, drained

Saute the garlic, basil and red pepper flakes in the olive oil until they become fragrant (which is pretty quick). Stir in the canned veggies, bring to a boil, cover, then simmer about 10-15 minutes.

This was really delicious and required no added seasonings. What leftovers I had were still just as tasty reheated.

Peanutty Pasta

I love nuts, especially in pasta. My recipe files are full of recipes that include nuts of all kinds; almonds, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pretty much any and every nut I like and will find a way to incorporate it into a recipe.

My husband isn't big on nuts in recipes, but he does like peanuts. Voila!

Peanutty Pasta

Cooked pasta, shape and type your choice

1/4 c. peanuts

Parsley, fresh or dried

2 cloves garlic

1 c. vegetable stock

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

1 T. lemon juice

One zucchini

One can diced tomatoes

In a food processor, whir together the peanuts, parsley and garlic until nicely minced. Cut up the zucchini (I quartered mine) and add to a pot with the diced tomatoes. Heat to boil, then reduce to simmer. In a separate container, mix the stock with the salt and pepper and lemon juice. Whisk until blended.

Place the hot cooked pasta in a bowl. When the zucchini is cooked and soft, add the zucchini-tomato mixture to the pasta. Add the minced peanut mixture to the vegetable stock mixture, whisk well and add to the pasta. Mix everything up gently, serve, enjoy!

You can really play around with this dish. You can use different nuts, you can slice the zucchini instead of quartering it, you can use cherry tomatoes halved or cut up a whole tomato.

Oh, and you can try out different types of pasta or shapes, too. It's a really easy, simple dish.