Spanish Style Vegetable Casserole

One can never get enough vegetables. Rather than go with the standard fare, try different ways of serving them. Here's one example!

Spanish Style Vegetable Casserole

One onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
One tomato, chopped
One green bell pepper, chopped
One large potato, diced
1/2 t. paprika
1/4 t. cayenne
1 c. brown rice
2 c. vegetable broth
2 carrots, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
2 c. frozen green peas

Saute the onion and garlic in water until beginning to soften. Add the tomato and bell pepper and saute until the onion is softened. Add potato, paprika, and cayenne and saute briefly to get everything mixed well. Add the rice, broth, carrot, zucchini, and peas. Bring to a boil, reduce, cover and simmer for about 30 - 45 minutes, or until the vegetables and rice are done. Serve. Enjoy!

West Indian Potato Bean Stew for the Instant Pot

I've discovered how much I really love using an Instant Pot. My gosh, so simple! So far I've still only used the pressure cooking function, but I will eventually brave the other options.

West Indian Potato Bean Stew

One onion, diced
One red onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, sliced
4 c. vegetable broth
2 cans white beans, drained
3 red potatoes, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
One sweet potato, cubed
1 t. turmeric
1/4 t. black pepper
1 t. cinnamon
One package frozen corn, thawed
One package frozen green peas, thawed

Once again, I didn't use the saute function, but feel free to saute the onions and garlic in oil until soft. Otherwise, all the ingredients to the pot, cook for 8 minutes. Let pressure release for 5 minutes, then do quick release. Serve over rice if you like. Enjoy!

Pisto with Potatoes

Spanish pisto is somewhat like ratatouille, but this one is made using potatoes and isn't nearly as much work!

Pisto with Potatoes

One onion, chopped into chunks
1/4 c. vegetable broth
Two large potatoes, cut into cubes
One green bell pepper, cut into pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 t. oregano
One eggplant, peeled and cubed
One yellow squash, cut into cubes
4 tomatoes, diced
1 T. paprika
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper

Saute the onion in oil or water until softened. Add the broth, potatoes, bell pepper, garlic, and oregano and saute until the bell pepper is softened. Stir in the eggplant, squash, tomatoes, paprika, and about 1/2 c. water and cook until the potatoes are tender. Season with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve. Enjoy!

Chickpea and Potato Curry

My husband doesn't care for Indian food. Too spicy for him. Admittedly, some of it is too spicy for me, too. This dish, however, is very mildly spiced and simply delicious!

Chickpea and Potato Curry

One onion, diced
3 potatoes, diced
2 sweet potatoes, diced
One can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. curry powder
1/4 t. cayenne
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
One can coconut milk
1/4 c. vegetable broth
1/2 c. frozen green peas

Saute the onion in some oil until softened. Add the potatoes, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, spices, coconut milk, and broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are softened. Add the peas and cover, simmer about 5 minutes. Serve. Enjoy!

Spicy Chickpeas and Potatoes

I haven't been a big fan of Indian food, but over the past few years have been slowly acquiring a taste for it. I don't like spicy food as a general rule, preferring the spice toned down a bit. I am always amazed when dining at our local Thai restaurant and two of my kids order their dishes highly spiced, when I go for the level just above no spice. So Indian food is another new adventure for me.

Spicy Chickpeas and Potatoes

2 c. water
1 bay leaf
1 can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained
Olive oil
1 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. cumin
1 t. ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. turmeric
Half an onion, chopped
3-5 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 c. chopped tomatoes
Cilantro

Bring the water and bay leaf to a boil, and add the garbanzo beans. Boil for about 5 minutes, then drain, but retain, the water. Saute the spices and onion until the onion is tender. Add the potatoes and the tomatoes, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer. After about 20 minutes (or until potatoes are soft), add a couple of tablespoons of the reserved garbanzo water and a handful of chopped, fresh cilantro. Cook until the the liquid becomes gravy like. Salt to taste. Serve. Enjoy!

Personally, I found this just a tad too spicy for me, but my kids liked it. Next time I will tone down the spices a bit.

German Sauerkraut Soup

Growing up, I didn't like sauerkraut. Then one day I sauteed some sausage and threw in some onions and green peppers. On a whim, I added a can of sauerkraut. I've kind of liked it ever since. Now my youngest has become quite fond of the stuff, so when I told him I was going to make a soup with it, he got pretty excited.

German Sauerkraut Soup

2 onions, diced
3 carrots, sliced
3 celery ribs, sliced
4 c. vegetable broth
2 c. sliced mushrooms
About 5 potatoes, cubed (I don't peel, but feel free to if you prefer)
One can of vegan cream of mushroom soup (or homemade, if you have a favorite recipe)
One can sauerkraut
2 t. dill
Salt and pepper to taste

Add everything to a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer and cook until potatoes are soft. Serve. Enjoy!

Grilled Potatoes

It's easy to talk my family into grilling something. Most of them love to grill and need only a suggestion, and they are happy to comply!

Grilled Potatoes

5 large potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
1/4 c. chopped green onions
2 t. parsley
2 t. chives
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. paprika
14 t. black pepper
Vegan bacon

Make several squares of heavy duty foil. Grease each sheet with vegan butter. Layer the potatoes, and sprinkle with remaining ingredients. Dot with additional butter. Fold the foil, sealing well, but leave enough room for steam. Grill over medium heat for about 30 minutes, turning packets over about every 10 minutes. Check for doneness. 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!

Baked Sweet and Savory Mashed Potatoes

My family is not crazy about sweet potatoes. While I can't say they are my favorite food, I do like them. Somewhat. This is one of those ways I like them, and in this case, my family really did, too.

Baked Sweet and Savory Mashed Potatoes

3 lbs. potatoes, cut into chunks
One 29 oz. can sweet potatoes in syrup, drained and mashed
One container vegan cream cheese
One container vegan sour cream
2/3 c. vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegan bacon bits

Boil the potatoes in water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Return the potatoes to the pot, and add the sweet potatoes and cream cheese. Mash until smooth. Stir in the sour cream, broth, salt and pepper and bacon bits. Place this in a casserole dish and bake, uncovered, at 350 for 20 minutes. Serve. Enjoy!

Beer and Cheese Potato Chowder

It has been one rollercoaster of a year so far. Health issues, the death of my beloved Siamese, Fergus, and just general mayhem. I am determined that this second half will be better. My daughter is getting married, so it most definitely will be grand!

With all that has been happening, I have sorely neglected my blogs. That ends today. I have had several friends asking for this recipe, so here it is!

Beer and Cheese Potato Chowder

2-3 lbs. potatoes, diced
One onion, diced
One stalk of celery, diced
One clove garlic, minced
1/4 t. pepper
16 oz. vegetable broth
One can of beer
2 c. shredded vegan cheddar cheese
1/2 c. vegan sour cream

Add all ingredients except for cheese and sour cream to a crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Stir in the cheese and sour cream and cover until it melts. Serve. Enjoy!

I added garlic and onion croutons, but it didn't really need it.

Taco Fries

On my bookshelf, I have a cookbook titled Half a Can of Tomato Paste and Other Culinary Dilemmas. Every time I come across a partial package of anything in my kitchen, I am reminded of this book. As it happens, I did find myself with half a package of taco seasoning. I can't remember how that happened, and very likely was the result of my youngest's own culinary adventures. However, I was confronted with a dilemma. Toss it or use it? I found a use for it.

Taco Fries

Slice up into chunky fry size a handful of potatoes. I think I used five. Toss them in a gallon sized Ziploc baggie and pour into about a 1/4 c. olive oil. Dump in the half bag of taco seasoning, close the baggie and start smooshing to get the potatoes well coated with both the oil and the seasoning.

Lay the potatoes without overlapping on a cookie sheet, and bake at 400 for about 20-30 minutes, keeping an eye on them so they don't burn.

Serve. Enjoy!

Samosa Pie

We've bought samosas from the frozen food section a couple of times and found them to be mediocre. My daughter actually got sick after eating some and now refuses to eat them. I wanted to try to make my own at home, but decided to compromise a bit and make it simpler. I also used a lot less curry than conventional recipes call for. To me, a little curry goes a long way.

Samosa Pie

3 large potatoes, baked, cooled and peeled
One can cut green beans, drained
One frozen pie crust
One onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 t. fresh ginger, minced
1 t. curry powder
1/2 t. cilantro (or coriander - they are the same thing)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cumin
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
One can chickpeas (or garbanzos - they are the same thing), drained
One can tiny green peas, drained

Saute the onion, carrots and ginger in olive oil until softened. Stir in the herbs and spices until mixed well. In a large bowl add the potatoes and chickpeas and mash slightly. To this add the sautéed vegetables, green beans and green peas. Mix well. Spoon this mixture into the pie crust. Bake at 400 for about 45 minutes. Serve. Enjoy!

It made enough for two pies, but I chose instead to bake the rest without a crust in a casserole dish. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and thought the curry was just right. If you are a curry fan, you can probably add up to 1 tablespoon of curry, or more if you are so inclined.

Easy Corn Chowder

One thing about living in a hurricane prone area: canned foods are your friend. A lot of people criticize or even refuse to eat canned foods, but let me tell you, when you lose power for days or can't get out of the house because of flooding, those canned goods come in vveerryy handy.  They are also a fairly cheap staple for families with limited finances.

Canned goods aren't without risk, of course. I never, ever buy a can with a dent, for instance. There are other things to watch for when buying canned goods. Here is a list of things to watch for when using canned goods:

Leaking
Bulging
Denting
Cracking
Discoloration
Foul odors

If you see any of these signs, toss. Don't use it. Food poisoning still happens.

Another concern, and the biggest one really I think, is canned foods may contain trace amounts of BPA. Unless you have been living under a rock or a long time media blackout, you will have heard about the dangers of BPA. The trace amounts in canned foods come from internal coating of cans to prevent canned foods from coming in direct contact with the metal of the can. While the potential is, again, trace amounts, I recommend rinsing the contents of the can before cooking, and, let's be honest, limiting the use of canned goods, especially in immune compromised individuals.

Now that you are completely freaking out and wondering why, why, WHY would I use a recipe that uses food coming out of can, well, like I said, there is that convenient factor. Also, research shows that the commercial canning process not only destroys bacteria that can cause food spoilage, but also can eliminate as much as 99% of the pesticide residues occasionally found in fresh produce. So, pretty much unless you are growing your own food, there is always a risk, whether it be canned, frozen, or bought fresh from the grocery store. I'm not being flip, but I'm not going to flip out, either.

Now, on with the recipe.

Easy Corn Chowder

One can of corn, drained
One can of creamed corn, undrained
One can of diced potatoes, drained
One onion, chopped
1/4 t. celery salt
2 c. vegetable broth
1 c. non-dairy milk
1 T. cornstarch mixed with 2 T. water

Add everything but the cornstarch mixture to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 5-10 minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir to mix well and let thicken slightly. When serving, sprinkle on some freshly ground black pepper.

You can see the black pepper flecks and the corn kernels peeking. We had no leftovers.

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!

Mexican Lime Soup

Despite the fact that we've had to turn on the ac recently, we had a day of rain. And nothing is nicer than a day of rain (and thunder and lightning!) than coming home to a hot soup. We've been on a mushroom and corn kick lately, so this fit right in.

Mexican Lime Soup

One onion, chopped
One package sliced mushrooms
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 containers vegetable stock (about 8 cups, total)
One can diced tomatoes and chiles
2 ears of corn, husks and silk removed, sliced into rounds
5 potatoes, quartered
Cilantro
3 limes
Avocados, sliced

Saute the onion and mushrooms until softened. Add the vegetable stock, bay leaves, corn, potatoes and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until potatoes are softened. Stir in chopped cilantro and squeeze the juice from the three limes into the soup. Serve over a bowl of corn chips and topped with avocados. Enjoy!

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!

Vegan Corned Beef and Cabbage

On March 17, according to the  History Channel, everyone wants to be Irish. For those of us with Irish ancestry, it's an everyday thing!

I know corned beef isn't an Irish thing, it's really an American thing, but it is something we look forward to every year. When you are vegan, and Irish!, you look for ways to indulge cruelty-free, and it can be a challenge. I try out a different recipe every year to find one that everyone says, "This. This is it!" I came pretty close this year.

My daughter is a huge fan of the Meet the Shannons website. So when I found their recipe for Corned Beef-less Tips and Cabbage, I knew I had to try it. And it was delicious! It is made with Gardein Beefless Tips. The only complaint I have, and I'm not entirely sure how to fix that, is the pickling spices. They are an absolute must in duplicating the corned beef flavor, but they aren't fun to eat. Too often I found myself stopping chewing to pull out a little hard spice bit. I'm wondering if I could grind them up first, if that would work as well? It is definitely worth trying.

At any rate, this has been the best thus far and definitely a keeper.

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!

Potato and Kale Soup

La Fheile Bride sona daoibh! Happy St. Brigid's Day!

Part of my ancestry is Irish. Probably explains why I like potatoes so much. Growing up, my mom tells me that they referred to white potatoes as Irish potatoes, to differentiate them from sweet potatoes. Her ancestors did not emigrate during the potato famine, but came to a new country prior, so we never had that association of potatoes and starving.

So it seems fitting that on this day of celebrating Brigid, I should serve something with potatoes.

Potato and Kale Soup

One onion, chopped
Olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
Potatoes (I tend to use about nine of them, washed but unpeeled), cut into chunks
One sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
6 c. water
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
One bunch of kale, washed, stems removed, and leaves chopped

Saute onions in the olive oil until softened. Add garlic and potatoes and stir to coat with the oil. Add water and bring to a boil. Let simmer about 20 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Add seasonings, and the kale and heat through. Soup will thicken as it cools.

I have seen so many varieties of this soup, and given different names like Tuscan or Persian, depending on what is added or subtracted. I added Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage to mine, cut up into bite sized pieces. In the past I've added diced tomatoes. You could also try the Field Roast Mexican Chipotle for a spicier soup.

No matter what, this soup is yummy! Enjoy!

Need some ideas on how to celebrate Imbolc? Check this out!

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!