Chickpeas Masala

Chickpeas Masala

2 cups chickpeas
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cups diced tomatoes
1 green chili, minced
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. garlic paste or 1 large clove of garlic minced
1 tsp. red chili powder
2 tsp. coriander powder
3 tsp. Chana masala powder, (optional)
1/4 tsp. Garam masala
garnish with fresh cilantro

1. Soak chickpeas overnight and pressure cook with salt in it. If using canned rinse them.

2. Heat a wide pan with a Tbsp of oil, add cumin seeds, green chili and ginger garlic paste. Add onions and cook till onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, red chili powder, coriander powder, chana masala (if using), salt and cook till tomatoes are mushy. Transfer the cooked chickpeas and let it boil.

3. Take 1/4 cup of tomato and allow it cool. Grind the rest of the tomato onion mixture to a smooth paste. Blend in the gravy and cook further till it thickens. Mix the chickpeas with tomato onion mixture.

4. Add cilantro or kasuri methi leaves.

Enjoy with warm naan

Adapted from Hot Pot Cooking

Brown Sugar Orange Tofu

Brown Sugar Orange Tofu
Vegan; 30 minutes

This happens to be one of the tofu recipes the boys like. They of course like the sweetness of it, and I had to add the chilies to balance that sweetness. Serve this over rice or some noodles with wilted spinach to have more of a meal.

16 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup unbleached-organic, all-purpose flour (use brown rice flour to make gluten free)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large orange or 1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp dried Thai chilies


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Toss tofu in a large bowl with flour and salt. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet. Shake off excess flour from tofu and place in a single layer in hot skillet. Saute until golden brown.

3. Spray a non-stick baking dish with cooking spray, then transfer tofu to baking dish. Squeeze the juice of an orange into the skillet with the leftover oil. Allow the oil, juice, Thai chilies and simmer until you have a slightly thick sauce.

4. Pour the sauce evenly over the tofu and top with brown sugar and ginger. Bake tofu in oven for 15 minutes until brown sugar-orange glaze starts to caramelize.

Serve warm with sauteed greens and rice, if desired.

Adapted from Tablespoon

Traditional Mexican Salsa

Traditional Mexican Salsa

The history of Salsa sauce originated with the Inca people. Salsa (combination of chilies, tomatoes and other spices) can be traced to the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas. The Spaniards first encountered tomatoes after their conquest of Mexico in 1519-1521, which marked the beginning of the history of Salsa sauce. Aztec lords combined tomatoes with chili peppers, ground squash seeds and consumed them mainly as a condiment served on turkey, venison, lobster, and fish. This combination was subsequently called salsa by Alonso de Molina in 1571.

This is the traditional Mexican Salsa from the Mid section "DR" Mexico City region:
Four plump Tomatoes or six Roma Tomatoes
1/4 cup on white onion (best onion for salsas is the vidalia)
One Jalepeno
One yellow or red pepper
One Tomatillo-used to cut down on heat and bitterness of Jalepeno
One cup of Fresh Cilantro
1 1/2 to 2 limes depending on how tangy you like it.

Instructions:
Cut or use a food processor to cut vegetables finely
Mix together in a bowl
Add salt to taste
Squeeze one 1/2 to 2 limes in bowl (to taste)

Let sit for 45 minutes

Add Mango or Pineapple to give a different dimension.

Pantry Staples

Pantry Staples

Beans/Lentils:
Chick Peas/Garbanzo Beans
Red Beans
Black Beans
Pinto Beans
Red Lentils/Split Peas (Yellow or Green)
Always rinse if you’re using the cans.
Are less expensive when you buy in bulk.
Shelf Life (Bulk) 24 months Storage Requirements Dry.

Grains:
Quinoa
Bulgur Wheat
Millet
Cornmeal {Always Buy Organic!!}
Amaranth
Couscous
Pearl Barley
Rice {Brown/Long Grain/etc.}
Any of these can be substituted for each other.
Are less expensive when you buy in bulk.
Can be made in a rice maker.
Shelf Life (Bulk) 12 months Storage Requirements Cold (50°- 60° F).

Seeds/Nuts/Dried Fruit:
Sun flower
Flax
Sesame
Flax is another great source of omega 6 {it’s better ground}
Walnuts
Cashews
Almonds
Peanuts
Great source of healthy fats.
Shelf Life 12 months & 6 months for Peanuts
Storage Requirements Cold (50°- 60° F)
Raisins
Cranberries
Dates
Mangos
Mix dried fruit and nuts to make your own trail mix.
Are less expensive when you buy in bulk.
Shelf Life (Bulk) 12 months Storage Requirements Cold (50°- 60° F)

Herbs/Seasonings:
Dried and Fresh can be interchanged in recipes.
Nutritional Yeast
Shelf Life (Bulk) 12 months Storage Requirements Dry & Cold (50°- 60° F)

Juice/Veggie Broth:
Carrot
Ginger
Vegetable Broth {Look for Low-Sodium}
All are great for cooking with when prepping Quinoa, Pearl Barley, and Rice.

Non-Dairy:
Soy {Organic}
Almond
Coconut
Oat
Rice
Hemp {Great source of omega 6, always THC Free}
Hazelnut
Flax

I store items in glass jars. When the container is clear you will eat what you see! This is part of the presentation from Plant Strong that I did.

A Vegan Birthday...

A Vegan Birthday...

Alright, I've been a little on the busy side and feel like the blog has been suffering. Yesterday was my birthday and the girls and I went to see Dream Girls and had dinner first. I was actually surprised that I liked the production as much as I did. Bruce will be throwing a party for me on Saturday, and I'm not sure what the whole plan is. He will be having it catered (vegan of coarse). He did get me the food processor I had my eye on.



I've used it every single day (with a handful of exceptions) creating some awesome meals. I promise I will type them up and share. I do have to admit, I did ruin the surprise. I had mentioned that I was going to buy it over the weekend, and he had to tell me "NO"... Well, he knew he was cutting it close. See there are SO few things that I want, and he wanted it to be a surprise....

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
Vegan; 1 hour total; Can be made Gluten Free; Serves 4

Alright, I made these for the boys and added the cashew cream wrapped in the enchilada. The boys ate the dish all up, with corn tortillas and daiya cheese, this is a SUPER kid friendly dish. To make this easier, you can use taco seasoning or (like me) use a variety of seasonings. This recipe does require an extra set of hands. So get a friend or loved one to help and make it an extra special meal....

1 large sweet potato, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (15 oz.) can of black beans
1 cup vegetable broth
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 sweet onion, minced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 package "chicken" seitan (omit if making gluten free)
1 cup cashew cream
1 cup daiya cheese shreds (I used pepper jack)
1 package corn tortillas (organic)
2 small cans tomato sauce
Chili Powder to taste
Cayenne Pepper to taste
1 cup fresh salsa (be creative here, my favorite is either the one Bruce makes or apple chipotle salsa)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small, wide bowl combine tomato sauce and seasoning. (You'll be dipping the tortillas in it.)

2. Over medium heat; in a medium pan combine the vegetable broth, seitan, onion, garlic, chipotle pepper and sweet potato. Cook sweet potatoes and black bean mixture until broth has evaporated.

3. Cover the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch pan with a thin layer of tomato sauce.

4. Heat corn tortillas (this will help them from breaking). Place tortilla in spice/sauce mixture and fill with sweet potato and black bean mixture. Add cashew cream, salsa and pepper jack cheese. Roll and repeat till tortillas are gone. Sprinkle the remaining fillings (salsa, cashew cream, black beans and pepper jack cheese) on top. Cover with foil and bake for minutes. Remove foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Simple Oven Roasted Peppers

Simple Oven Roasted Peppers

This is great if you have an abundance of peppers. Bruce and I had picked up SO many peppers from the farmers market, that I sliced them and stuck them in the freezer. As a reminder or to help the learning curve, frozen peppers that are thawed will become mushy. So use them in stir fries or roast them to toss into your hummus.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place sliced frozen peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness of the slices. Toss into your dish and enjoy!

P.S.~ This cuts down on your waste. You don't have to buy roasted peppers in a jar and this is SUPER easy!!!