Kung Pao Cauliflower

Cauliflower is often substituted in vegan cooking for meat. This is one delicious example.

Kung Pao Cauliflower

One head of cauliflower, broken into florets
5 garlic cloves, mined
1-2 red chilis, finely chopped
One inch of fresh ginger, minced
5 green onions, sliced
1/2 c. dry roasted peanuts (make sure they are vegan)
Peanut oil (can substitute another oil if necessary)
1/2 t. ground star anise
1 t. red pepper flakes
1 T. sesame oil
1 t. peppercorns
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. sake
1 T. maple syrup

Saute the star anise, peppercorns, and red pepper flakes in oil for 30 seconds. Add the sesame oil. Remove from heat, and strain. Set aside
Mix the soy sauce, sake, and maple syrup in a large bowl, and add the cauliflower. Stir to coat well and let marinate for 30 minutes.
Stir fry the cauliflower in the seasoned oil. Remove cauliflower, add more of the seasoned oil, and stirfry the chilis, garlic, ginger, and peanuts. Return the cauliflower to the wok or large skillet until everything is well combined. Serve with cooked rice. Enjoy!

Cauliflower Salad with Yogurt and Mint

Cauliflower sometimes gets a bad wrap as being bland, and I won't lie, it does not pass muster as a mashed potato substitute. Not in this house! But I do enjoy it, generally, especially in salads.

Cauliflower Salad with Yogurt and Mint

One head of cauliflower
3 or more garlic cloves, minced
1/2" piece of ginger, minced
2 T. oil
One container plain vegan yogurt
Several mint leaves

Chop the cauliflower into small pieces. Saute the garlic, ginger, and cauliflower in oil, but don't brown. You want to keep the cauliflower crunchy. Add to a bowl with the yogurt and the mint, and mix well. Chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Zoodles with Basil Tomato Sauce

I'm trying to incorporate more raw food into my diet. I have a dehydrator, but haven't braved it yet. But I did get a spiralizer last year and boy, do I love it! So much fun!

Zoodles with Basil Tomato Sauce

Zucchini, probably two per person (I used five; it's what I had at the time)
4 tomatoes
2 T. olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1/4 c. fresh basil
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper

Spiralize your zucchini into noodles. I peeled mine first, but you can do it with peel or no peel. Add the remaining ingredients to a food processor and whirl until chunky. Pour the sauce over the zucchini noodles and mix well. Serve. Enjoy!

Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon

I love broccoli. I eat it cooked or raw. It's delicious in just about every way.

Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon

One pound fresh broccoli florets, or one bag frozen broccoli florets
Olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t. oregano
Salt and pepper
2 T. lemon juice

Place everything in a large bowl and stir to coat well. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes. Stir at least once in the middle of the cooking time. Serve. Enjoy!

Garlicky Kale and Mushrooms

Kale gets a lot of hate, I've noticed, but my family loves the stuff. I like it cooked, or raw in salads.

Garlicky Kale and Mushrooms

Olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t. salt
One small package of sliced mushrooms
One pound of kale, coarse stems removed
Coarsely ground black pepper

Saute the garlic in oil until softened. Add the mushrooms and salt and saute until lightly browned. Add the kale and black pepper, stirring often to make sure the kale cooks and doesn't burn. When it is cooked down, it's ready. Serve. Enjoy!

Stir-Fried Broccoli with Ginger and Garlic

We all know broccoli is good for us. It's an excellent source of fiber, and 1 c. of cooked broccoli provides 245% of Vitamin K, 135% Vitamin C, not to mention several vitamins and minerals. It even has Omega 3. It's a powerhouse in a cute little tree shape. And yet, there are some people who hate it! Fortunately, I'm not one of them. I love the stuff.

Stir Fried Broccoli with Ginger and Garlic

One head of broccoli, chopped (or buy frozen, if you're pressed for time)
Canola oil
Thinly sliced fresh, peeled ginger
1 t. salt
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 T. vegetable broth
1 t. sesame oil

Heat the canola over high heat in a wok or frying pan. Stir in the ginger. Add the broccoli, garlic, and salt and stir vigorously. You don't want anything to burn. When the broccoli turns a bright green, and the vegetable broth, cover, and let cook over the high heat for about a minute. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil. Mix well. Serve. Enjoy!

Grilled Cauliflower with Garlic

Omg, this was so delicious! Next time I need to do two or more heads of cauliflower.

Grilled Cauliflower with Garlic

One head of cauliflower, cut in half
Garlic
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Insert cloves of garlic into as many spaces in the cauliflower as you can. The more the better. Brush on olive oil over the entire head, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap each half in foil. Grill over medium high heat for about 20 minutes, then flip over and grill another 20 minutes. It should be fork tender. Serve. Enjoy!

National Potato Day

Today is National Potato Day. We eat a lot of potatoes in my house, just because they are so versatile and pretty darned delicious. People are surprised I will eat a baked potato all by itself with only a little salt and pepper, as if that is sacrilegious! LOL! But sometimes I eat them with butter, too, so, it's cool. My youngest son is truly the potato aficionado, though. He is always trying new ways with potatoes, with often amazing results.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

One 5 lbs. bag of potatoes of your choice
5 T. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 c. non dairy milk
10 peeled garlic cloves

In a Dutch oven, cover the potatoes and garlic with water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until soft. Drain. In a large bowl, add the cooked potatoes and garlic, and add the olive oil, salt and pepper. With a hand mixer or potato masher, start mashing the potatoes while slowly adding the milk. Serve. Enjoy!

For fun, I will often add a single sweet potato to the mix. Feel free to try that!

National Olive Day

Today is National Olive Day. I just love olives, especially the black ones! If I open a can of them in my house, they disappear quickly, because everyone in my family loves them, too! My oldest will occasionally buy stuffed green olives, and those can be almost as addictive. If you want to try something a little different, but omg-can't-stop-eating, try these:

Baked Olives

6 cloves garlic, chopped
1-1/2 t. dried thyme
1 t. crushed red pepper
1 c. olive oil
2 cans large black olives, drained

Mix everything in a bowl until well coated. Pour into a baking dish and bake at 300 for about 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, use a slotted spoon to lift them from the oil and into a serving dish and serve. Trust me, you will enjoy!

Garlicky Garbanzos and Friends, Redeux

I made this again recently and made a couple of slight changes. Seriously, this dish is so quick and easy and yummy. Definitely a good one when you have little time.

The original recipe is posted here.

This time I added about a teaspoon of savory with the other herbs, and a sprinkling of black pepper to the finished dish. I think I liked it even better.

You can also dice up potatoes, rather than using the canned variety, if you have some potatoes hanging around, begging to be used. Just cut them in a small dice and cook as the recipe suggests, and they should come out soft.

You can also cut the ingredients in half quite easily.

Caribbean Dressing

My husband and daughter-in-law love coconut. I'm not a huge fan of it, but I try to find dishes for them that I think I will like, too. This is one of those dishes.

Caribbean Dressing

One loaf of bread, cut in cubes
1/4 c. olive oil
2 T. chopped garlic
2 T. tarragon
2 onions, chopped
1/2 c. celery, diced
2 c. mango, cubed
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
One package vegan Italian sausage
1/2 c. vegetable stock
1/4 c. shredded coconut

Mix the bread cubes with the olive oil, garlic, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Bake it for 10 minutes at 350. In a skillet, sauté the onions, celery, mango, and cilantro. Add the baked bread cubes to the skillet briefly, then place everything in a bowl. In the same skillet, sauté the sausage with the vegetable stock. When sausage is browned, add this mixture and the coconut to what is already in the bowl. Stir to mix everything well. Place this new mixture in a casserole dish and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve. Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Vegetables with Garlic

A friend of mine from Germany came to visit recently. We spent a lot of time discussing all things vegan. She shared with me two of her own recipes for vegan cheese. I can't wait to try them out myself! She stayed with another friend of ours while here, and the three of us together was so much fun! On one of our outings, I was introduced to colored carrots. Of course, I had to buy some! They worked beautifully in this oven roasted vegetable dish.

Oven Roasted Vegetables with Garlic

Parsnips (as many as you want), chopped
Carrots (as many as you want), sliced
Shallots, chopped
One red onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, halved
2 T. olive oil
2 T. vegan butter
2 T. fresh rosemary

In a baking dish, combine the vegetables. Combine the oil, the butter (melted), and the rosemary. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle this all over the vegetables and toss gently to coat. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for an hour. You want to see the vegetables just to begin to brown, and be fork tender. Stir it occasionally to even cooking. Serve. Enjoy!

Cauliflower Rice

One of my friends on Facebook had a recent status about cauliflower rice. I'd never heard of it before, and then something popped up a day later on Pinterest. Intrigued, I bought a head of cauliflower and decided to give it a go. The result? My son deemed it delicious and ate all of it. At least I got to try it before it was all gone!

Cauliflower Rice

One head of cauliflower, minced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 t. onion powder
Olive oil

Saute the cauliflower, garlic and onion powder in the olive oil until everything is nicely coated and slightly softened. Dig in!

It is really that simple. No muss, no fuss. And so much room to play around with seasonings. I think next time I will use a chopped onion instead of the onion powder.

Garlic Potato Soup

Years ago I worked in a very small office. Every time I would pass by a certain individual, I was curious as to why I always smelled pickles. I never saw him eat pickles, so I was quite baffled by it. It was later I learned he regularly ate raw garlic at lunch. Since I favored garlic pickles, it seemed to make sense that I associated the smell with pickles.

Years later I find myself a huge fan of garlic. I put it in as many dishes as possible, and yes, I even eat it raw now. I love, love, love the flavor!

Garlic Potato Soup

Olive oil
One onion, chopped
One carrot, chopped
One stalk of celery, choppped
Potatoes, washed and cubed (I use between 5 and 9)
One entire head of garlic, peeled
4 c. vegetable broth
2 c. water
1/2 t. thyme
One bay leaf

Saute the onion, carrot and celery in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cover. Cook about 20 minutes until potatoes are soft. Mash the potatoes and garlic just a little, season with salt and pepper and 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.

Pasta with Garlic and Walnuts

We went out of town last weekend and returned to a series of crises. The most pressing was my daughter's brand new car being broken into and everything of value inside stolen, including her purse. I have spent the past couple of days helping her get everything squared away, so consequently, we've been eating out or convenience foods

That ended last night. I did want something quick and simple, though, and pasta is always my fallback plan.

Pasta with Garlic and Walnuts

1/2 c. olive oil
8 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 c. walnut pieces
One package pasta of choice (I used corkscrew)

Boil the noodles according to package directions. Drain. Place pasta in a large bowl.
Saute the garlic and walnuts in the olive oil. When garlic is softened, use a slotted spoon to scoop garlic and walnuts onto the pasta. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Serve. Enjoy!

Make sure you don't overcook the garlic, like I did. It gives it a bite like nobody's business! I thought this was a little bland and could use something else, but my son devoured it. Play with it and make it your own.

Herbed Lemon Chick'n

Finally I have been able to get back to cooking! I wear the wrist/hand brace only at night now, and my injured foot allows me to move about more. Ugh, how I hate injuries! My husband is threatening to buy me steel toed tennis shoes. He's joking, of course, but I am seriously considering making that purchase.

Herbed Lemon Chick'n

2 packages Gardein Chick'n Scallopini (yes, I'm addicted - I love this stuff!)
Olive oil
One onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 c. broth (I used one Edward and Sons Not-Chick'n bouillon cube in one cup of water)
1 T. dried parsley
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. dried basil
2 T. flour
2 T. water
One can sliced black olives

In a pressure cooker, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the scallopini and brown slightly. Add broth, parsley, lemon juice, oregano and basil. Cover and cook at pressure for 8 minutes. Allow pressure to drop on its own. Once pressure has dropped, remove scallopini and put pressure cooker back on a burner on high. Add flour, water and olives, stirring and boiling until sauce is thickened. Serve the sauce over the scallopini. It also is good over rice.

I also made a couple of sides to go along with it.

Wine Sauteed Mushrooms

One package sliced mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Vegan butter
1/4 c. dry red wine

Saute the mushrooms and garlic in the butter. Add the wine and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Lime Cucumbers

1/2 t. grated lime rind
1 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 T. olive oil
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
One large cucumber, peeled and sliced

Whisk together everything except the cucumbers. Pour this dressing over the sliced cucumbers and stir gently to coat well.

It was some darned good eating!

Walnut Basil Pesto and Pasta

I injured my hand recently and haven't been able to cook, so the other day my son treated me to lunch. I ordered what the menu described as fettuccine with basil pesto and walnuts. Yummy! However, while eating, I discovered underneath the beautiful green pesto was a sauciness I hadn't expected. Within an hour, I started feeling icky. Yep, it was dairy.

Boo!

Undaunted and determined, I decided to make my own version of what I should have been getting at the restaurant. Voila!

Walnut Basil Pesto and Pasta

1/2 c. walnuts
2 handfuls of fresh basil
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
2 t. lemon juice

In a food processor, whir together the walnuts, basil, garlic and salt. To this add the olive oil, nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Whir again until well mixed, but not quite smooth. Serve over your pasta of choice.

My son devoured three platefuls. Yeah, it is that good!

National Junk Food Day

July 21 is National Junk Food Day. Because the next day was my son's birthday, and he loves the occasional night of snack food dining, I decided to wait. Okay, so we didn't celebrate Junk Food Day on Junk Food Day, but doesn't every day hold the honor of being a junk food day? Well, at least in some form? ;)

The good news is my birthday boy loved the snacks, and that's the most important thing!

I can't count how many potlucks or get togethers I've gone to where someone brought tortilla rollups. Such a simple and pretty thing, but I've never made them before. This offered me the perfect opportunity to correct that.

Tortilla Rollups

One container vegan cream cheese
5 green onions, chopped
2 small cans of chopped black olives
1/4 fake bacon bits
2 T. black bean salsa (see below)
1 t. cumin
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Hot pepper sauce, to taste
Flour tortillas

Soften the cream cheese in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the flour tortillas, and blend well. Spoon some of the mixture on a flour tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down on a plate, and stack them on top of each other. Cover and chill. Before serving, slice into rounds.

Black Bean Salsa

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c. red onion, diced
One green pepper, chopped
1/2 a jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Handful of cilantro, chopped
3 T. lime juice
2 T. vegetable oil
1-1/2 t. hot pepper sauce
1/2 t. salt

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl, stirring to mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips.

Don't buy the canned stuff. This bean dip rocks!

Tex Mex Dip

3 green onions, chopped
One can vegetarian refried beans
One can corn, drained
One package Daiya Pepperjack
1/2 c. beer
One package taco seasoning mix

Mix all the ingredients in a medium sized pot on medium heat. Stir occasionally until everything is mixed well and heated through. Serve with tortilla chips.

Spicy Cheese Crisps

1/2 c. vegan butter, softened
One package Daiya Pepperjack
2 c. whole wheat flour
Pecan halves

Beat butter, cheese and flour together until well mixed. Cover and chill overnight. Shape into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Use a glass to smash the balls into flat rounds. Top with a pecan half. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until browned slightly. Let cool. Enjoy!

Tuscan Panzanella

Panzanella is a Italian type of salad based on bread and tomatoes, often with onions and basil, and dressed with oil and vinegar. It is very simple to put together and gave me an opportunity to make croutons for the first time.

Tuscan Panzanella

4 slices of bread, crusts removed
Olive oil
Basil leaves, chopped
1/2 c. sliced red onion (I chopped mine)
One can small black olives, drained
One pint of grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 cans white beans, drained
1 T. water
1 T. olive oil
3 T. red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. black pepper

Cut the crustless bread into one inch cubes and arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Spray or brush lightly with olive oil. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Combine the basil, onion, olives, tomatoes, and beans in a bowl and mix gently. Mix the water, olive oil, vinegar, garlic and black pepper together and whisk until well blended. Pour over the vegetables and mix gently, but well.

Dish the salad into a bowl and top with some of the croutons.

Enjoy!

I loved this salad, but might play around with the croutons. They were on the plain side. I think adding some herbs to the olive oil before brushing it on will liven things up a bit.