Sausage, Kale, and Cauliflower Pot Pie

Sausage, Kale, and Cauliflower Pot Pie

Olive oil

Beyond Meat sausage

One onion, chopped

1 T. fresh rosemary

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

1/3 c. all purpose flour

3 c. vegetable broth

10 c. kale, torn into pieces

2 T. white wine vinegar

One small or half large head of cauliflower, cut into florets

Pie shell

Bake the sausage at 425 for one hour, turning over about half way thru. When cool enough to handle, cut into small bite sized pieces.

Sauté onion, rosemary, salt, and pepper in olive oil until onion is softened. Add flour and broth and whisk. Cook until slightly thickened. Add kale and vinegar and cook until kale is wilted.

Stir in sausage and cauliflower until well mixed.

Pour into prepared pie crust. I used a mini pie maker to make pot pies, but this can just as easily be made into one savory larger pie. Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes, or until crust is golden.

Serve. Enjoy!

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!

Cauliflower and Pea Salad

Holidays are the perfect time for potlucks and picnics. And salad dishes are well suited to hot weather get togethers. This one was a big hit with my family recently.

Cauliflower and Pea Salad

One head of cauliflower
One package of frozen green peas
Onion, to taste (I took a red onion and chopped it up, then divided into thirds)
1 t. dill
1 c. vegan mayonnaise
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces. Cook the peas in boiling water, briefly (about one minute), drain, and rinse in cold water, drain again. Mix the cauliflower, onion, dill, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper. Gently stir in the peas until well coated. Chill several hours or overnight. 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 Broccoli Day

Today is National Broccoli Day! Sure, there are haters out there, but this stuff is delicious. I like it raw or cooked. Kids have fun with it because it looks like little trees. Since most people will only eat it slathered in cheese sauce, I am accommodating you here. In a good way.

Pan Scalloped Broccoli and Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower (cut in florets)
1 head of broccoli crowns (cut in florets)
2 T. vegan butter
2 T. flour
1 c. vegetable broth
1 c. non dairy milk
1 c. vegan shredded cheddar
1/8 t. white pepper

Cook the broccoli and cauliflower separately. Bring about 1/2" of water to boil for each, and cook the broccoli about 5 minutes and the cauliflower about 9 minutes. Drain.
Melt the butter in a separate pot. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Add the broth and milk. Simmer for about 1 minute. Add the cheese and pepper until cheese has melted.
Place the broccoli and cauliflower in a bowl together, and pour the cheese sauce over them. Serve. Enjoy!

You can boil the vegetables ahead of time and put in the refrigerator until ready to use, if you want or need to. Also, if you can find it, add a head of broccoflower cut in florets to the dish. You can cook the broccoflower with the cauliflower.

Oddly, I could not find anything on a National Cauliflower or National Broccoflower Day. If you find one, please let me know. And then celebrate those days, too, with this dish!

By the way, if you've never even heard of a broccoflower, they look like this:

Vegetable Garden Stew

When you grow your own vegetables, or are gifted with excess from a gardener friend, or you happen upon an excellent sale at the grocery store, a vegetable stew is always in order. It is so easy and so flexible.

Vegetable Garden Stew

One onion, chopped
One green bell pepper, chopped
One (or more!) clove garlic, chopped
One head of cauliflower, broken into smaller pieces
One can diced tomatoes
2 zucchini, peeled, sliced and quartered
Dash of salt, pepper, sage, thyme

In a Dutch oven, add all of the ingredients and enough water to not quite cover. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve. Enjoy!

Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad

My dad told me he doesn't like pasta salad. I told him he has never tried mine. I can make a convert of anyone!

Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad

One package vegetable spiral pasta
1 c. vegan mayonnaise
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. stevia
1 t. garlic powder
One bunch green onions, sliced
1/4 c. vegan bacon bits
One head of cauliflower, chopped
One bunch broccoli, chopped
One red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c. shredded vegan white cheese

Cook pasta per package instructions, drain and let cool. Mix all ingredients in one very large bowl and stir to mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for several hours. Stir again before serving. Serve. Enjoy!

Garlicky Chick'n Breasts and Cauliflower Salad

My daughter hit the quarter century mark this past weekend. How did this happen? Just yesterday she was dancing around this house in flouncy dresses and shoes that clicked when she walked on uncarpeted surfaces. Wasn't that yesterday? In my mommy memory it was.

Ever the adventurer, my once little ballerina all grown up likes to celebrate her birthday anywhere but the usual. This year it was at a park, where we could grill our mains and bring sides to share. It was a gorgeous day! Perfect for being outside. Her fiancé made a seitan brisket the night before that turned out beautifully. They even found a delicious vegan cake from a local baker. Hubby made his popular potato salad that our daughter requested. I made Garlicky Chick'n Breasts in foil with vegetables and Cauliflower Salad. We also had vegan grilled sausage.

Garlicky Chick'n Breasts

Heavy duty aluminum foil 
Carrots, sliced thin
One onion, sliced thin  
1 T. basil  
Vegan mayonnaise  
6   garlic cloves, minced  
1/8 teaspoon pepper  
Two packages Gardein Chick'n Scallopini  

Tear off 8 squares of heavy duty foil and lay one on top of the other. In the middle of each square add some of the carrots and onion. Top with a still frozen piece of the chick'n scallopini. Mix together the mayonnaise (about 2 T.) with the basil, garlic and pepper. Slather a spoonful on the scallopini and fold the foil over the vegetables and scallopini, sealed to prevent dripping but loose enough to allow steaming. Place the packets over hot coals, flipping once, until heated through. Check one to ascertain doneness. Serve. Enjoy!

Cauliflower Salad

One package chopped frozen cauliflower (you can use a fresh head, just steam first)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 of an onion, sliced
1/2 t. oregano
2 T. white wine vinegar (mine ran out, so I substituted balsamic vinegar)
One large avocado, cubed
One can small black olives
2 pepperoncini peppers, chopped

Cook cauliflower according to package directions, or steam if using fresh. Saute in olive oil the onion, garlic and oregano. Place the cooked cauliflower in a large bowl and pour the sautéed vegetables over it. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix well. Cover and chill. Serve. Enjoy!

I think it would have been prettier with just the white wine vinegar, but the taste was still delicious!

My son gifted my daughter with his cleverness. Money folded into shirts. I have to share!

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.

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!

Cauliflower Potato Soup

With fall days slowly moving in, the desire for soup increases. There is something that says *all is well* about a homemade soup.

Cauliflower Potato Soup

One onion, sliced
Five potatoes, cut into chunks
3 stalks of celery, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
One head of cauliflower, cut into florets
One bunch of collard greens, center rib removed and leaves chopped
4 c. vegetable broth

Add all of the ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer about 30 minutes. When potatoes and carrots and fork tender, it's done. Serve with a generous splash of Bragg's Aminos and buttered bread. 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!

Late Night Snacking

It never fails. I'm up late, as usual, and I get the munchies. Typically something salty rather than sweet. I came across this recipe and I think it is now my favorite.

Cauliflower Poppers

1 large head cauliflower
1 T. lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. Dijon mustard
1 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
1 t. dried dill
1/2 t. black pepper
2 T. nutritional yeast

Wash and separate the cauliflower into florets. Whisk together the remaining ingredients and toss with the cauliflower. Bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees, stirring once about halfway through the cooking time. When they are nicely browned, they are ready to eat.

They were immediately devoured by my family. Next time I think I will double the recipe!

It's Thanksgiving Every Day!

I think I may have mentioned I have been collecting recipes for over 30 years. I started as a teenager for my hope chest - one day I would be married and have to cook. Sounds a little sexist now, when I think about it, but such as it was. I would periodically shuffle through them, discarding those I knew I would never make or had an ingredient that made us shudder. Additionally, I have two bookcases stuffed with cookbooks. Yes, I'm a bit obsessive...

My kitchen had stacked in one corner several boxes of recipes that had not been filed or sorted through, and last year I decided come hell or high water I would plow through them. I did. It took me six months, but I did it. Okay, I didn't work on it every day, but most days I did!

At any rate, the sorting and organizing resulted in multiple bags for the recycle bin and several glorious labeled binders. One of the first I worked diligently on was the binder for Thanksgiving. Not only is it huge, but required at least two binders. Afterward, I mentioned it to a friend about what I'd done and how I was looking forward to Thanksgiving now. She remarked, "Why wait? Every day is Thanksgiving!"

I realized she was right, and while the recipes remain currently in that designated binder, I do now periodically go through it for ideas for my weekly meals. Kind of out of character for me, but hey, new year, new ways, right?

Cheezy Gratin of Cruciferous Vegetables (not a sexy title, but sums it up well enough!)

4 slices vegan bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 package frozen Brussels sprouts
1 package frozen broccoli/cauliflower mix
1-1/2 c. vegan milk (I used plain soy)
1 c. vegetable broth
4 T. vegan butter
5 T. flour
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. thyme
Pepper to taste
1 package Daiya cheddar cheese

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until softened, set aside. Boil Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower according to package directions. Drain. Cook bacon and set aside.
Combine milk and vegetable broth in a pot, bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
Melt butter in another pot, add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until flour is a light golden brown. Whisk in half the milk/broth mixture until thick, then add remaining milk/broth mixture. Cook about 5 minutes, whisking often. To this whisk in the mustard, salt, thyme and pepper.
Add vegetables to a casserole dish and pour the sauce over it. Sprinkle with the Daiya cheese and crumbled bacon.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Home Style Succotash

1 package of baby carrots
1/2 c. vegetable broth
1 package frozen lima beans, thawed
1 package frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 package sliced mushrooms
1/4 c. vegan milk
1/4 t. pepper

In a large pot, bring the broth and baby carrots to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes, until carrots are still a little crisp. Stir in lima beans, corn, mushrooms, milk and pepper. Simmer, covered until all vegetables are tender.

Delectable Ambrosia

2 grapefruit
3 oranges
2 tangerines
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. shredded coconut

Peel all the fruit and break into sections. Cut each section in half and remove any seeds. Mix fruit in a bowl with the sugar and coconut. Chill at least one hour.

And it just wouldn't be complete without the

Cumberland Cranberry Sauce

2 lbs. thick, whole-berry cranberry sauce (the directions are on the back of the cranberry bag)
1/2 T. dry mustard (more if desired)
Juice and grated rind of 1 or 2 oranges
1 to 2 T. cornstarch
1 t. lemon juice
2 to 3 T. sugar

Dissolve the mustard in the orange juice, together with about a teaspoon of cornstarch. Add to the cranberry sauce, along with the lemon juice, grated orange rind, and 2 Tablespoons of sugar. Heat the sauce, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes. Taste the sauce for seasoning, adding more sugar if needed. If the sauce is too thin dissolve another teaspoon of cornstarch in a little juice or water and stir it in. Chill well before serving.

Now feast!

Country Vegetables

It was hot today, and to top it all off, my air conditioner is on the fritz. Argh! I came upon this recipe in my files, and thought, what the heck. It looks easy and I won't have to spend too much time in the kitchen! The picture is from the recipe. I didn't get to snap a picture, it got gobbled up so quick!

Country Vegetables

Olive oil
One package of sliced mushrooms
2 stalks celery, sliced
One pint of cherry tomatoes
One package frozen broccoli and cauliflower
One onion, sliced
One c. water
2 T. Braggs Aminos

Saute the onion, celery and mushrooms in the olive oil until softened. Add broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, water and Braggs. Heat to boiling, cover, reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.

This was really nice, and like I said above, got gobbled up by my family. The original recipe listed carrots and snow pea pods, but since I had neither of those, I used celery instead. The vegetables came out tender with just a slight crunch, which I liked. I cooked up some mixed wild and regular rice just to go alongside it. Nothing left for leftovers for tomorrow's lunch!