Twice Baked Butternut Squash

Twice Baked Butternut Squash
Vegan; Omit the breadcrumbs to make Gluten Free

During the feast over Christmas I made these.... Since I was sick and couldn't taste anything, I wasn't sure how these came out. However, now that I have my taste buds back-I LOVE these!!!! I top mine with a little Chipotle Cayenne Vegan Parmesan Cheese for the extra kick that we love in the house!

2-3 small or 1-2 large butternut squash
1/4 small onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup plain soy yogurt
2 teaspoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon thyme


1. Cut squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and membranes
place face down on a cookie sheet, add about 1/4 inch water and bake at 350 for 40-75 minutes (depending on the size of the squash), then remove from oven and allow to cool until they are comfortable to hold in your hand.

2. Scoop out the cooked squash into a mixing bowl and return the hollowed out skins to the baking sheet, hollow side up.

3. In a saute pan, cook the onions, garlic and pepper in the olive oil until softened (about 7-10 minutes) then add to the mixing bowl add cumin, mustard, and soy yogurt.

4. Fill the skins with the mixture, top with breadcrumbs and sprinkle with thyme
bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through and breadcrumbs are toasted.

Mini No-Meat Loaves

Mini No~Meat Loaves
Vegan; 1 hour total

I made these to be part of the Christmas Day feast. They came out great, but only last for a few days as left overs. They get to be really dense, so at a certain point you feel like you're eating a hockey puck.... Honestly, these were great the first two days... (I doubled the recipe, so there would be enough for everyone!)
Inspired by a meatball recipe in The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions

1 cup tomato sauce
4 Tablespoon almond butter
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 very finely diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 Tablespoon vegan Worcestershire

Glaze: combine the following in a small container:
1/2 cup organic ketchup
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Vegetable broth saute the onion and garlic until the onion is nearly translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

2. Whisk tomato sauce, almond butter and Worcestershire together. In a separate bowl Mix dry ingredients together including spices. Combine the dry and wet ingredients with a wooden spoon, then add the sauteed onions and garlic.

3. Lightly spray half or place a parchment cupcake liner of a 12 cup muffin tin, this will make 6-8 mini “meat” loaves. Press the mixture into the tins, then top each mini “meat” loaf with some of the glaze. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from muffin tins and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

3 Bean Chili

3 Bean Chili
Vegan

Needing to cook some butternut squash and sweet potato, and looking for something that the boys would eat I made this. They liked since I heard no complaints, and ate some as left overs. I served this with some pearl barley and blue corn tortilla chips....

2 red bell peppers
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can ranchero beans
1 sweet potato, cubed
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup of vegetable broth, plus 2 Tablespoons (divided)
1 cup of no-chicken broth (I ran out of veggie broth)
1/2 Tablespoon thyme
1/2 Tablespoon sage
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove and discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place pepper halves in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and chop peppers.

3. In a large pan or dutch oven, over medium-high heat, combine the 2 Tablespoons of vegetable broth, garlic and onion. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in cumin and next 4 ingredients (through garlic); cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bell peppers, broth, squash, sweet potato and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beans; simmer 25 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Chili will be ready when the squash and sweet potato are tender when pierced with a fork.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacony Bits

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacony Bits
Vegan; Serves 4; 30 minutes

2 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed
1 tablespoon Sesame oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 clove of garlic
1 Tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons Bacony Bits
2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. If sprouts are very small, cut in half; otherwise cut into quarters. Cook the sprouts until barely tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain.

2. Add oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, stirring often, until soft but not browned, reducing the heat if necessary, about 4 minutes. Stir in thyme (or savory) sprigs, salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high, add the Brussels sprouts, and cook, tossing or stirring occasionally, until tender and warmed through, about 3 minutes. Remove the herb sprigs. Add the bacony bits, thyme (or savory) leaves and lemon juice, if using, and toss.

White Pizza

White Pizza
Vegan; 1 hour 10 minutes

I made this last night for more me then Bruce, but he LOVED this! He may not even have to fight with me to make it again! The longest part is the oven roasting the garlic, and trust me, it's worth it! Humor me on the coconut cream, you cannot taste coconut. I cheated with the pizza dough. I did post a recipe, but I found fresh vegan pizza dough at Whole Foods and all you have to do is roll it out! Saved me some time, since Bruce and I have only had yesterday to ourselves....


Roasted Garlic Coconut Cream
1/2 head garlic
1/2 cup coconut milk, unsweetened

Toppings
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (I used the packed in oil, so I didn't have to re-hydrate)
1/2 cup artichoke hearts
a few sprigs fresh thyme
a few sprigs fresh rosemary

1. Chop the top (of garlic) off to make them easier to extract later. Place them in aluminum foil and cover with a little olive oil. Roast at 375F for about an hour until light golden brown.

2. When they are cool enough to handle you can pop the cloves out with your fingers. Mince them and blend them with the coconut milk and set aside. (I plan on using the other cloves in a different dish.)

3. Turn the oven up to 475F. Lightly flour a large baking pan, then sprinkle the top of the dough and your hands. Lightly flour the dough again if needed and press out to a large oval, slightly thicker around the edges. (I used my rolling pin to get the right size.)

4. Lightly pour the cream across the crust, then dress with the sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, rosemary and bits of fresh thyme. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges and the cream is starting to bubble.

Cut up and enjoy immediately!

Green Chile Stew

Green Chile Stew
Vegan; 45 minutes or longer

Bruce and I served this over baked butternut squash. We had gone out shopping earlier in the day and bought some fresh fire roasted green chilies. Since most of my ingredients were already sliced, this is a super great recipe for left overs.

5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1/4 diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 diced potato (I used half a sweet potato and 1/2 a blue potato-left overs from a prior dish)
1 can no-salt diced tomatoes (I used a can that had green chilies)
1 can no-salt pinto beans, rinsed
8-10 fresh chilies or 2 cans green chile
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 Tablespoon thyme (I added a little of rubbed sage to the thyme)
2 cups cooked quinoa (I spiced mine with cumin and curry-left over from a prior dish)
1/2 zucchini, sliced (also left over from a prior dish)

1. Sauté 1 cup of veggie broth, onion and garlic for about 10 minutes.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on how big/thick you cut your potatoes) until potatoes are tender.

Cajun Chickpea Patties

Cajun Chickpea Patties
Serves 4

I made these for Bruce and the boys when they got back from Florida. Bruce missing my cooking, loved these and what was even better-the boys liked them too! In this household, we tend to like things spicy so you may have to adjust the heat. I served these on toasted buns with the chipotle mayo and for a side made a cucumber and tomato salad. (That was not a big hit with the boys.)

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp oil
1/4 cup diced onion
3/4 poblano pepper, diced and seeded
2 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp adobo sauce
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying


1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute onion, and poblano pepper for 5-7 mins, until softened. Remove from heat.

2. Place chickpeas in a food processor along with the onion mixture. Pulse until chickpeas are no longer whole, but dont process them too much. Place chickpeas in a bowl and add spices, hot sauce, and parsley. Mix well. Add flour and cornstarch and mix well.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan over med/med-hi heat (around 350 degrees). Shape chickpea mixture into 4 patties and fry in batches, about 2-3 mins per side, or until crispy and browned. Flip a few times if they are browning too quickly. If you have trouble forming the patties, add some more cornstarch to hold it all together.

Adapted from Vegan Dad Blog

Tomato Basil Bisque

Tomato Basil Bisque
Vegan; 2 hrs.

1 small beet, trimmed and peeled
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped celery
6 cups vegetable broth
12 small tomatoes, coarsely chopped, or 1 15-oz. can whole tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 cup cubed tofu
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Basil leaves, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Put the beet on a baking sheet and bake until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When cool enough to handle, chop and set aside.

3. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and add the onion, garlic, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 10 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the broth, tomatoes, basil, thyme, and oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.

5. Transfer the soup, the cooked beet, and the tofu to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. This may have to be done in batches. Return the soup to the pot, gently reheat, and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each serving with a whole basil leaf and serve at once.

From The Candle Café Cookbook
by Joy Pierson and Bart Potenza with Barbara Scott-Goodman

Spring Rooted Vegetable Bake

Spring Rooted Vegetable Bake
Vegan; 15-20 min prep. time; 1 hour bake time
Serves 6-8

In my quest to invoke the flavors of spring, I found the perfect recipe the other day. I used small, farmers market fresh veggies, so please modify and enjoy to suite your taste! Serve with some crusty bread and on a bead of arugula. P. S.-This is perfect for Easter! Happy Easter and Earth Day Everyone.....

4 beets, diced (tear the beet tops to add-about 4)
2 turnips, diced
5-6 carrots, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, diced
6-8 red potatoes, diced
1 15-oz. can black beans (rinsed or you can make your own)
1/3 cup white wine (I used Bonterra-Chardonnay)
1 Tbs. thyme
1 Tbs. fresh mint leaves torn
2 pinches of rosemary (I did large pinches since I like rosemary)
vegetable broth drizzled over the vegetables (I think 1/3 cup)
extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the dish)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9x13-3quart casserole dish with olive oil.

2. Place all of the diced/chopped vegetables in the dish and pour in the wine, mint, rosemary, thyme and beet tops and stir together until coated with the olive oil. (Add more if needed.) Drizzle with the vegetable broth and stir again.

3. Bake for 45 minutes to and hour; the veggies should be tender to a fork pierce. (The time will vary depending on how large or small you dice the veggies.) Allow to cool, but serve warm.

Maple-Glazed Tofu on Pumpkin Seed Couscous

Maple-Glazed Tofu on Pumpkin Seed Couscous
Serves 6; Vegan

Sorry to be SO late on this, but we're just beginning to get settled from the drive. I'm not sure how this is going to taste, since I don't have anything in the kitchen yet. So, hopefully, this comes out yummy.... If not, one out of the many is not bad! ~_^

Maple-Glazed Tofu
2 10-oz. pkgs. extra-firm tofu
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup maple syrup

Pumpkin Seed Couscous
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat couscous
1/2 cup toasted unsalted pumpkin seeds


To make Maple-Glazed Tofu:

1. Place tofu between two plates and set heavy pot on top. Drain 10 minutes, and pat dry. Cut tofu into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Combine pepper, thyme, and salt in small bowl. Coat tofu slices with pepper mixture, and set aside.

To make Pumpkin Seed Couscous:

2. Bring broth, carrots, edamame, olive oil, and salt to a boil in covered saucepan. Remove from heat, stir in couscous and cover. Let steam 5 minutes, then fluff with fork.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil and maple syrup in large skillet over medium-high heat until bubbling. Place tofu in pan, and cook 3 minutes. Turn, and cook 3 minutes more, spooning thickening sauce over tofu.

4. To serve: Stir pumpkin seeds into couscous. Spoon onto plates, and top with Maple-Glazed Tofu.

Per SERVING: Calories: 577, Protein: 26g, Total fat: 26g, Saturated fat: 3g, Carbs: 71g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 444mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugars: 27g

Found: Adapted from Vegetarian Times

Home-Style Squash and Pinto Beans

Home-Style Squash and Pinto Beans
Makes 4 servings; Vegan

1/4 cup vegetable broth (or more, as needed, for sautéing)
1/2 cup diced onion
2 teaspoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup sliced yellow squash (1/2-inch thick)
1 cup sliced zucchini (1/2-inch thick)
**1 cup sliced patty pan squash (1/2 inch thick-I added this to the origianl recipe)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (I omitted)
1 16-ounce can pinto beans, drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained, or 1 1/2 cups freshly chopped tomatoes plus 1/2 cup tomato juice, water, or vegetable broth
3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 cups cooked brown rice, couscous, or pasta

1. Heat broth in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, jalapeño, and garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in squash and zucchini and sauté 2 minutes. Add corn, beans, tomatoes and their liquid, and thyme. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

2. Discard thyme. Serve over rice.

NOTE: Spoon leftovers into a dish and let them cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for up to two to three days.

Veggies, rice, and beans make this all-American dish a welcome guest after a hard day. This recipe contains 12 grams of fiber and less than two grams of fat. Serve with a salad and fruit wedges.

Per serving (1/4 of recipe): 268 Calories; 1.9 g Fat; 0.3 g Saturated fat; 6.4% Calories from Fat; 0 mg Cholesterol; 11.6 g Protein; 53.6 g Carbohydrates; 5.6 g Sugar; 11.9 g Fiber; 323 mg Sodium; 91 mg Calcium; 3.4 mg Iron; 14.9 mg Vitamin C; 270 mcg Beta-Carotene; 1.6 mg Vitamin E

This recipe is from the NEW BOOK

Found: The Cancer Project

Stuffed Shells with Lentil Ragout and Spinach

Stuffed Shells with Lentil Ragout and Spinach
Vegan

When my sister tried this recipe she really liked it. She omitted the lentils (which takes the place of ground beef), since she couldn't talk her mom (my step-mom) into trying the recipe with them. Just like my mom, sometimes you pick you battles. When you have a picky eater (myself included) you modify recipes to fit your tastes.... Happy eating everyone!

1 small cinnamon stick
1/4 medium-size onion, peeled but left intact, plus 1/2 onion minced
1/2 cup dried brown or green lentils
3 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 package jumbo pasta shells (about 20 pieces)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium-size carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine
1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
2 1/2 cups tomato puree
1/4 tsp cayenne
Ground black pepper
4 cups spinach, washed thoroughly, stems removed and finely chopped
Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

1. Bring 1 cup water to a boil with cinnamon stick and the intact 1/4 onion in a small saucepan. Add the lentils, cover and lower the heat to low. Cook for 25 minutes. Discard the cinnamon and onion. Add 1/2 tsp of the salt and stir.

2. In a large saucepan, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add the shells and 2 teaspoons of the salt and cook for 12 minutes; the shells will still be a little tacky. Drain and transfer to a baking sheet to cool. Untangle the shells to prevent sticking.

3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the carrot, celery, the minced 1/2 onion, and garlic. Stir and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and thyme, allowing the wine to reduce for about 2 minutes. Add the tomato puree and cayenne, stir to combine, and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the lentils and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Add the reamining 1 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper, and taste, adding more as you see fit. Discard the thyme sprig, if using fresh. Stir in the spinach, turn off the heat, and cover.

4. Heat the oven to 350F. Ladle a small amount of ragout into a square or rectangular baking dish. Line up the shells in dish, then with a small spoon, fill each shell with the ragout. Top off the shells with a ladleful of ragout, followed by cheese, if using. Bake for 30 minutes.

Found: Treehugger.com

Cashew Nut Roast With Herb Stuffing

Cashew Nut Roast With Herb Stuffing
Vegan; Serves 8

Serve with a colorful salad!

For the Roast:
1 cup margarine
2 large onions, finely chopped
3 cups unroasted cashews
1 1/2 cups white bread, crusts removed (I used oat bread)
3 large cloves of garlic
1 cup water or vegetable stock
salt and pepper
nutmeg
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

For the Stuffing:
3 cups bread crumbs
1 cup margarine
2 small onions, grated
1/2 Tsp. each thyme and majoram
3 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a greased 1-lb. loaf pan with a long strip of greased nonstick paper.

2. Melt margarine in a medium-sized saucepan, add the onion and sauté until tender. Remove from heat.

3. Grind the cashews in a food processor with the bread and garlic and add to the onion, together with the water or stock, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and lemon juice, to taste.
Mix all stuffing ingredients together.

4. Put half the cashew mixture into the prepared pan, top with the stuffing, then spoon the rest of the nut mixture on top. Dot with margarine.

5. Stand the pan in another pan to catch drippings and bake for about 30 minutes or until firm and lightly browned (cover the roast with foil if it gets too brown before then).

6. Cool for a minute or two, then slip a knife around the sides, turn roast out, and strip off the paper.

Found: PETA VegCooking.com

Veggie Burgers-Cajun Style

Veggie Burgers-Cajun Style
Vegan

Inspired by The Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook, by Robin Robertson (Harvard Common Press, 2002).

Serve up some sizzle–simply and inexpensively–with these luscious good-for-you burgers. Good-quality protein without saturated fat, plus lots of fiber and great Cajun taste, add up to a winning summer meal.

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed
1/2 cup minced onions
1/4 cup minced celery
1 large garlic clove, minced finely
1 1/2 cups cooked or canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup pecans, chopped coarsely
1 teaspoon tomato paste
Tabasco sauce to taste (a dash is usually enough)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
Salt to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (more, if you like it really hot)
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
Your favorite burger rolls and condiments

1. In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then add the onions and celery. Cover pan and cook, stirring once in awhile, about 5 minutes until the veggies are softened. Add garlic and cook around 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.

2. Place veggies in a food processor along with kidney beans, pecans, tomato paste, Tabasco, thyme, paprika, salt, cayenne, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs. Process until well combined, but with some texture still remaining.

3. Place mixture in a bowl and shape into 6 burger patties. Coat patties lightly with remaining 1/4 cup bread crumbs, then cover and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes (this will help the burgers to retain their shape).

4. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy-bottomed skillet. Add burgers in batches and brown, turning once, about 5 minutes on each side. You may need to add a little more oil.

5. Serve on your favorite toasted burger buns, with condiments if desired.
Serves 6.

I'm thinking I found this on: Care2.com