Corn Casserole with Jalapenos and Cheese

We decided to try the Daiya cream cheeses. Hubby likes to buy bagel chips and dip it in cream cheese, and I like to dip pecan halves in. We had some left over and I didn't want it to go to waste, so I used it in this recipe. It turned out quite yummy!

Corn Casserole with Jalapenos and Cheese

2 cans corn, drained
One container of Daiya Chive and Onion Cream Cheese Style Spread
1-3 fresh jalapenos, seeded and chopped

Combine all of the ingredients in a covered casserole dish, and mix well. Bake, covered, at 350 for about 30 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.

Thanksgiving, Part Two

As a vegan, our meals don't revolve around a meat dish as a centerpiece. For us, there is no such things as too many side dishes! This year could be considered an exception in that we did make our first Tofurky roast, which could easily be viewed as a *main dish*. However, it was just one of many dishes we made that day.

Orange Fennel Salad

One bunch fresh, organic spinach, washed and leaves separated from stems
One fennel bulb, cored and sliced thin
3 Clementine oranges, peeled and sliced
Citrus Dressing

We bought already packaged baby spinach and baby kale. Place this in a bowl with the sliced fennel and oranges. Pour the dressing on top and mix it well.

Citrus Dressing

1/3 c. vegan mayonnaise
One container vegan plain yogurt (I used one made from almond milk)
2 T. frozen orange juice concentrate

Mix well.

Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips

1-1/2 lbs. potatoes (I used a mixture of red and gold potatoes)
1/2 lbs. parsnips
Vegan butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegan milk
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

Cut the potatoes into chunks. I never peel mine, but do so if that is your preference. Peel the parsnips and cut into chunks. Add both potatoes and parsnips to a large pot of water, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Let simmer for about 30 minutes, until potatoes and parsnips are soft. Remove from heat and drain. Add back to the pot, along with the butter, salt, pepper, milk and parsley. Mix well until nicely mashed.

Baked Cheezy Cauliflower

One head of cauliflower
1/2 c. vegan mayonnaise
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. vegan milk
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
Daiya cheddar shreds

Remove leaves from the cauliflower and trim away the core so that the head of cauliflower can sit flat. Place in a glass pie plate with 1/2 c. water. Cover with wax paper shaped to form a tent. Microwave for 10 minutes.
When cooled enough to handle, slice the cauliflower. Arrange the slices in a baking dish.
In a pot, melt the butter. Add the mayonnaise, mustard and Daiya cheddar shreds until the shreds have melted into a sauce consistency. Pour this sauce over the cauliflower. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

I'll add more recipes from our day tomorrow!

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.

Inside Out Burgers and Guacamole Potato Salad

A few years ago my father-in-law gave us one of the George Foreman grills for Christmas. I like it because it is easy to use, and doesn't require fire or my being outdoors in the heat and humidity. Granted, my hubby is the family grillmaster, but this is something I can do myself. Makes it convenient when I want a burger. Like today.

Inside Out Burgers

One package Lightlife Gimme Lean Beef (don't panic! It's vegan!)
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 T. parsley
Sliced onion
Sliced tomato
Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds
Dijon mustard
Pickle relish
Vegan mayonnaise
Lettuce
Whole wheat burger buns

In a bowl, mix together well the beef, salt, pepper and parsley. Divide to make six patties. On top of the first three patties place a slice of onion, a slice of tomato and a sprinkle of the Daiya. On the next three patties add a teaspoon each of the mustard, pickle relish and mayonnaise and spread it on to cover most of the patty. Place one patty with the condiments on top of one patty with the vegetables and cheese and press together lightly.
Grill the patties. On the George Foreman grill I did this for about five minutes, but if you are using a regular grill or frying in a frying pan, I would do about 4-5 minutes per side.
On a hamburger bun, lay on some lettuce and top with the grilled burger. Nothing more need be added.
Warning! These are delicious but MESSY! Keep plenty of  napkins handy and enjoy!

I like using the Gimme Lean beef and sausage. I find them more versatile than what I've used in the past. The Gimme Lean Beef makes enough for six regular sized patties. For these burgers, since two patties were used on each burger, it made three. Adjust accordingly.

Guacamole Potato Salad

Five pound bag of potatoes, washed and cut into bite sized pieces (I rarely to never peel them)
Salt
One avocado, peeled and pit removed
Lime zest
2 limes
3 cloves garlic
Handful of cilantro
Vegan mayonnaise
2 celery stalks, sliced

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to cool
In a food processor, add the avocado, lime zest, juice from the two limes, garlic and cilantro. Pulse until everything is well blended and creamy.
In a large bowl, add the cooled potatoes, avocado sauce, celery and enough mayonnaise to coat. Stir gently until all the potatoes are well coated. Taste and add salt if necessary.
It will be a light, beautiful shade of green!
Chill.

My hubby, besides being our resident grillmaster, also fancies himself our resident potato salad maker. He does make some awesome potato salad, I'll give him that! But I like to try different versions. He gave this one a thumbs up. Success!

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!

National Macaroni Day

National Macaroni Day was July 7, but a series of distractions prevented me from taking advantage of the day. Not to be denied, I made my mac and cheese, finally, last night. I had to rescue some of it from my son for my lunch today. Otherwise, he couldn't stop eating it. He plans to go buy all the ingredients just so I'll make it again this weekend. Probably all for him! LOL!

In addition, to round out the meal, I made a couple of different mixed vegetable dishes.

Macaroni and Cheese

One package elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions
1/4 c. vegan butter
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
2-1/4 c. rice milk
1/2 t. salt
Dash of black pepper
One package of Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds

Melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Gradually add the milk and some of the Daiya until creamy. In a lightly greased casserole dish, layer the macaroni, then Daiya, the macaroni, then the sauce and top with more Daiya. Bake at 400 for 35 minutes.

Summer Garden Vegetables

1/4 c. chopped onion
2 T. butter
2 c. fresh or frozen corn
3 tomatoes, cut into chunks
4 small yellow squash, sliced
1 t. salt
3/4 t. dried oregano leaves
1/4 t. pepper

Saute the onion in the butter until softened. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, covered, over medium heat until vegetables are tender.

King of the Jungle Vegetables

Handful of carrots, sliced
Olive oil
One package of frozen green beans
One package of frozen cauliflower florets
One bunch of green onions, sliced
2 c. water or vegetable broth
Dash of garlic powder

Saute the carrots in the olive oil until beginning to soften. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and cook 20-30 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Enjoy!

National Fried Chicken Day

I love these foodie themes for days, weeks or months. They make it kind of fun to plan my meals. Today is National Fried Chicken Day. I'm not sure how the day originated, but since it is also National Picnic Month, maybe it started there. Seems like a perfect opportunity to fry up a cruelty-free version, don't you think? I served mine up with some mashed potatoes and green beans.

Fried Chick'n

1 t. salt
1/2 t. onion powder
1 t. pepper
1 t. garlic powder
2 c. flour (I used whole wheat)
2 T. nutritional yeast
Rice milk
One package of extra firm tofu, frozen in package, boiled, sliced into wedges

Mix everything but the milk and tofu in a shallow bowl. Pour the milk into a separate shallow bowl. Dip the tofu wedges in the milk, then coat well in the flour mixture. Fry over medium high heat in olive oil until nicely browned.

Tex Mex Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs. potatoes, cut into chunks
Vegan butter
Rice milk
One package Daiya Pepperjack Cheese
1/4 c. green onions

Boil the potatoes until soft (about 20-30 minutes), drain. Mash them together with some salt and pepper, vegan butter, rice milk and the pepperjack cheese. Mix in the green onions and some vegan sour cream, if you like.

Country Green Beans

Vegan bacon (I used three slices), cooked
Half an onion, cut into chunks
3 cans of whole green beans, undrained
1/2 t. pepper

Mix everything in one medium to large sized pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

National Cheese Day

June 4 is National Cheese Day. As a vegan, I don't eat anything made with or from animals, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy cheesy goodness! There are so many varieties and brands on the market now for vegans, it's hard not to want to try them all!

Cheeseburger Rice

One package vegan grounds
One onion, chopped
2/3 c. catsup
2 T. mustard
1/2 t. salt
Daiya shredded cheddar
Cooked rice

Saute the grounds and onion until onion is softened. Stir in the rice, catsup, mustard and salt and mix well. Sprinkle the cheese on top and let start to melt, then stir and mix it well. Serve. Enjoy!

This was such a simple dish and really quite yummy. Reminded me of a dish I made as a young Girl Scout when we were working on our cooking badge. I remember coming home and cooking it for my parents and siblings with success. I wonder if I can find that recipe somewhere and compare?

Bean and Potato Bake

My youngest likes beans of any kind. Everyone in my family loves their potatoes. So, this seemed like a logical pairing.

Bean and Potato Bake

2 cans of beans, your choice - I used pinto beans and black eyed peas
Potatoes, sliced thin - I think I used 5-6
Daiya Cheddar shreds

Layer the ingredients in this order - potatoes, beans, cheese, repeat. I did not drain the beans so that the liquid would help in cooking the potatoes. If you cook the potatoes first, you can drain the beans. Bake 350 for about 45 minutes, covered with foil.

I'll be honest. I thought this was ordinary. Boring. My youngest, however, devoured it. I had no leftovers because he had 3 or more servings. A serving size to him means a heaping plate. So I present it here in case you have a kid like mine who will totally love this dish.

The Easiest Spanish Rice Ever!

I love Tex Mex food. I think it is one cuisine I never get tired of eating. It helps that I am surrounded by numerous restaurants that cater to my craving. Fortunately, I also like to cook it in never ending variations on a theme.

The Easiest Spanish Rice Ever!

One can of diced tomatoes
1-1/2 c. vegetable broth
1-1/4 c. rice
1 T. olive oil
2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. garlic powder

Combine all of the ingredients into one pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

That's it! Super easy!

Top with some sliced green onions, serve, enjoy! We had ours with some black beans. You could also substitute a can of tomatoes with chilies if you'd like more spice to it. You could also top with some Daiya, if you'd like, or really whatever suits your fancy. I know this recipe will remain in my repertoire for its taste and convenience.

Veggie Fajitas

I think if I had to pick, Mexican food would top the list of favorites. My favorite, of course, is Tex Mex, but I'll try almost any Mexican food restaurant. My favorite is my neighborhood restaurant, Los Caporales. The owner knows us, is always friendly and they have the BEST salsa EVER.

The biggest problem with any Mexican restaurant, though, is finding something vegan. Oh, vegetarian is easy, but vegan? Not so much? Just about everything has cheese on it or in it. And some serve cheese enchiladas with a meat gravy! Yuck and double yuck!

We like to cook Mexican often at home. There is always something different - tacos, burritos, enchiladas, nachos, fajitas. I swear, I never get tired of it.

Veggie Fajitas

Olive oil
One onion, sliced
1 T. chili powder
1 T. paprika
1/4 t. salt
Black pepper to taste
2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise and into half moons
1 green pepper, sliced
4 Portobello mushroom caps, sliced
1 t. tamari
1 can black beans, drained
Whole wheat flour tortillas
Daiya mozzarella style shreds

Saute onions, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper in olive oil, until onions are soft. Add zucchini, green pepper, mushrooms and tamari, cook until veggies are heated but not soft. Stir in the beans and heat through. Spoon some in a line down a flour tortilla, sprinkle on some Daiya, roll up and enjoy!

Feel free to add sliced avocados or salsa or anything to your liking!

A Veritable Fruit of Paradise

Many years ago I worked in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Several small, but nice, restaurants were within walking distance, so my co-workers and I patronized them often. One place served an open faced sandwich I just loved. Thinking about it for some odd reason today, I decided to duplicate it, but veganize it.

I toasted two slices of whole wheat bread and spread mayonnaise on it. We like Vegenaise. Next I put on sliced avocado, topped it with sprouts (the original recipe had alfalfa sprouts, but my husband came home with bean sprouts, so I used them) and top with cheese. You can use whatever cheese you want, sliced or shredded. I don't care for most commerical soy cheeses, but we love Daiya, so that's what I used. Pop in the oven on broil until the cheese melts and serve! Quick, tasty and good for you!

Avocados have both monosaturated and polyunsaturated fat and contain potassium. Mono and polyunsaturated fats, when consumed in moderation and eaten in place of saturated or trans fats, can help reduce blood cholesterol levels and decrease risk for heart disease. Avocados are one of the few fruits that provide "good" fats. Avocados contribute good fats to one's diet, providing 3g of mono and 0.5g polyunsaturated fat per 1 oz. serving. Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit. So, not only are they good for you, but they taste good, too! I'll slice them up and eat them as is, or mash them to make guacamole. I love them cut up and dumped into my salads, too. The Mexican restaurants here will stuff them and fry them. I haven't tried this yet, but might give it a go sometime.

The word 'avocado' comes from the Nahuatl word ahuacatl ('testicle', a reference to the shape of the fruit). Avocados were known by the Aztecs as 'the fertility fruit'. I guess calling it a veritable fruit of paradise isn't too far off the mark! LOL!

If you've never used avocados before, and are unsure how to handle them, it's pretty simple. Buy those that are soft but not mushy to the touch. They need to give a little. If they are hard, just bring them home and let them ripen on the counter until you get the desired squishy state. I use an orange peeler I probably got from Tupperware to get inside. I peel around from the top all the way around, then take the other end of the peeler, insert until I feel the seed and work my way around again. Just twist and it opens right up. Use a spoon or your fingers to pop out the seed, then take a serving spoon to scoop out the flesh whole. You'll have two nice halves to do with what you want. Compost the skins and seed.

You can find all kinds of sites telling you how you can grow an avocado plant from the seed. None of them ever worked for me. What did work was tossing the seed in my compost pile. I got several little trees! If you decide you want an avocado tree, know that they are VERY slow growers, but can get very tall, so plant accordingly.

I hope you enjoy the sandwich and find other yummy ways to use your avocados!