recipes – Page 12 – Vegan Babymama

Thanksgiving 2011: Green Beans with Caramelized Onions

Green bean casserole was one of my favorite Thanksgiving sidedishes before I went vegan. But do you have any idea how many calories, sodium, and preservatives a traditional recipe can have? Even if you make it with all vegan ingredients like vegan sour cream and soup mixes, it still a lot of proceeded foods. I still wanted the taste of green beans and onions, but not all the junk. So I decided to keep it simple, caramelized onions and pan roasted green beans, cooked in just a little bit of vegan butter. This makes two servings.

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions
1 tbs vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 medium onion, sliced into half rings
1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
2 clove of garlic, minced
1 cup green beans, washed and the ends cut off
Red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the vegan butter.

Add the onions and cook until the they are golden and caramelized. Turn the heat down as needed and be careful not to burn them. Be patient and don’t crank the heat in frustration if it takes awhile.

When the onions are just about done, add the ginger and garlic. Cook until the garlic is slightly golden and the ginger softens. Again be careful not to burn anything.

Add the green beans, and seasoning to taste. Cook until the green beans soften and start to brown.

It may take some time, but this recipe is simple and healthy. I loved the pop of green on my Thanksgiving plate. The ginger is what totally makes this dish.

Thanksgiving 2011: Seitan Roast

I saw the recipe on VegWeb for a Holiday Seitan Roast awhile ago and thought it sounded interesting. I love seitan, as evident in my two other posts about it, so I decided this year I would give the roast a try. But I deviated a from the recipe quite a bit. I boiled the roasts (the recipes makes two small loaves) first because I like the texture of boiled then baked seitan. Overall, I REALLY loved this dish. It was easy to make, flavorful and juicy. It even sops up gravy well. I am definitely be making this again sometime.

Seitan Roast

Broth:

5 cups vegetable stock

1 tbs soy sauce

1/4 an onion, cut into chunks

1 carrot, cut into chunks

A small pinch of salt and pepper

Dough:

2 cups vital wheat gluten

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 cup vegetable broth

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp house seasoning

A small pinch of salt and pepper

Baste:

2 carrots, quartered

1 small onion, quartered and sliced divided

2 cups vegetable broth (you can use the broth you boiled the seitan in)

2 tbs low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp cumin

1 tbs Italian seasoning

In a large pot, add all the ingredients for the broth together and set aside. Do not turn the burner on yet.

In a large bowl, add the vital wheat gluten and nutritional yeast and mix together lightly.

Add the remanning ingredients and stir until it is too thick for a spoon.

Knead the dough the rest of the way until it comes together and is smooth. This should only take a minute or two so don’t over knead.

Divided in half and form into small loaves.

Put the loaves into the broth, turn on the heat, and bring to a boil. Make sure to cover with a lid.

Once it starts to boil, reduce to a simmer and keep the lid on. Boil for about 30 minutes total.

While that boils, pre heat the oven to 350 and spray a baking pan with cooking spray.

Combine the all baste ingredients except the carrots and onion.

Remove the loaves from the broth and place them in the baking pan. Spread the quartered carrots and onions around the loaves and cover with half the baste.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the broth is absorbed. Cover with the remaining baste and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Plate, slice, and serve. I topped mine with some mushroom gravy. I think I will make this again for Christmas.

Holiday Cream of Wheat

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday filled with joy and are surrounded by those you love. I would like to take a moment to share what I am thankful for:

My amazing family who always supports and loves me.
My sorority sisters who still are my rock 2 years after graduation.
The privilege of higher education.
The aloha spirit of Hawaii.
All my readers and subscribers.
My darling litte kitty Penny who makes me smile everyday with her love and antics.

Took forever to get her to sit still and face the camera!

I will be posting the recipes for my dinner tomorrow, but I thought I would share a lovely idea for a holiday breakfast.

Like most babies, my mom fed me farina, more commonly known as Cream of Wheat. She says I loved it so much that I would practically fall out of my highchair in excitement the minute I saw the box. And to this day, it makes me so happy when I eat it. I have no idea why, guess it just brings back childhood memories. I saw a box of Cream of Wheat on sale at the grocery store and couldn’t resist. I normally eat oatmeal for breakfast because of all its health benefits, but I figured if I can’t have my family for the holidays, I can something that conjures up happy memories.

While I was heading to the registers, something else caught my eye: Rice Nog. It’s pretty much a spiced up version of Rice Dream’s Vanilla Rice Milk. I’ve only had egg nog once before I went vegan, and to be honest, I liked the flavor but it was too rich for me. I was curious if a non-dairy version with way less fat would be better, so I bought a carton. I poured a small glass of it the next morning and was pleased. The flavor is perfect, and creamy without being overly rich. My only complaint is that it isn’t thick like egg nog, but that probably because of the lower fat content.

Then I realized it would be perfect in farina because it is already spiced and sweetened. I added some raisins for added fiber and I made myself a lovely little holiday treat. This makes one serving, but can easily be multiplied.

Holiday Cream of Wheat
1 and 1/4 cup Rice Nog
3 tbs quick cook Cream of Wheat
Pinch of salt (optional)
1/8 cup raisins (1/4 is a serving, but I find that is too many raisins)
Nutmeg, to garnish

In small pan, bring the Rice Nog to a boil.

Add the Cream of Wheat, whisking continuously for a minute to prevent lumps.

Let it cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often to prevent lumps.

Once the farina is cooked and it has thicken to desired consistency, remove from heat and add the raisins.

Serve in a bowl and garnish with a touch of nutmeg.

A big bowl of holiday happiness!

Lentil Burgers and Homemade French Fries

As awesome and convenient as frozen, pre-made veggie burgers are, they are still a processed food. Just because something is meat and dairy free, doesn’t mean it still doesn’t have preservatives and fillers. On occasion when you are working late or in a hurry, they can make a fine dinner. But, the best way to get a good meat-free burger is to make it yourself. My favorite alternative burger is lentil. I first had one in this little restaurant by the Opera House in Sydney, Australia. It had great flavor and a meat-like texture. Like beef, it will take on the flavor of whatever you season it with, so you can make Southwest burgers with chili and cilantro, Indian with cumin and curry—or any other flavors you like. These are just basic burgers, so feel free to experiments with the spices. This recipe makes about 2 burgers and can be easily multiplied.

And what would a good burger be without fries. Making your own fries is just as easy as opening up a bag of processed frozen ones. Just cut, soak, season, and bake. And yes bake, not fry. Baking is so much healthier, no one needs to be eating deep fried foods. This recipe makes one serving and be easily multiplied as well.

Lentil Burgers

1 cup dried lentils
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (I used Italians ones, but it plain is fine)

1/4 cup onion, pealed

2 cloves garlic, pealed

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp house seasoning

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Rinse and pick through the lentils.

Cooking the lentils according to the directions on the package.

Drain the lentils and let them cool for a bit.

In a food processor or blender, at the lentils and remaining ingredients. Process until blender and fairly smooth. It’s okay if there are some big chunks.

Form into patties and let them chill in the fridge for a few hours. This allows them to firm up and hold up better while cooking.

Now, you can fry them in a pan but I get better results baking in the oven. Lightly spray a baking sheet and place the patties on. Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping half way through.

Since you have the oven all hot, might as well be efficient and throw some fries on the pan too.

Homemade French Fries
1 small russet potatoes
Water
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp house seasoning, depending on taste

Wash the potato very well.

Cut the potato in 1/4 inch strips.

In the small bowl, add enough water to submerge the potatoes and then stir in the salt. Add the potatoes and soak for 15 minutes. This will add some flavor and remove some of the starch.

Drain the potatoes well and lightly dry.

In small bowl, add the potato sticks and house seasoning. Coat the sticks well.

You can cook them at the same time as the burgers on the same baking sheet. Spread the sticks in an even layer on part of the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, same as the burgers, until golden.

I didn’t have any buns, so I just ate mine plain. But I suggest a nice whole wheat bun, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and a good pickle on the side. I dipped my fries in some mustard and sweet chili sauce mix. If you go for ketchup, get the unsweetened all natural stuff. A lot of the big commercial brands are loaded with sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

A classic American meal with a fantastic healthy twist. Loves it!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Foodbuzz selected me for another free coupon giveaway! This time I got two coupons from Duncan Hines and one from Comstock-Wilderness. I have been wanting to make a pumpkin spice cake for awhile so I was very happy to get the coupons. I used the coupons to get a box of Duncan Hines Spice Cake, a can of Buttercream Frosting, and a can of Comstock Apple Pie Filling. Surprisingly, they are all vegan! But, they are processed food, which should always be eaten in moderation. Like Cookie Monster says, sweets should be a sometimes food. Processed foods should never be the main staple of your diet. That being said, there are things you can do to box mixes to make them healthier. Just preparing them vegan alone cuts out all the cholesterol. Rather than oil, I used apple sauce. And for more nutrition, I added pumpkin puree. For the frosting, I blended the Apple Pie Filling so it was a bit smoother, then added it to the frosting.

These cupcakes combine classic holiday flavors into a small little treat. Could even make a wonderful Thanksgiving dessert.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes
1 box of Duncan Hines Spice Cake
1 cup apple sauce
3/4 cup rice milk (soy is fine too)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 can of Duncan Hines Buttercream Frosting
1 can of Comstock Apple Pie Filling

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a cupcake tin with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, add the cake mix, apple sauce, and rice milk. Mix together well.

Add the pumpkin puree and baking soda, then beat together for 2 minutes.

Fill the cupcake tin 3/4 of the way full and bake for for 18-21 minutes.

The cupcakes are ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Once ready, let them cool in the tin for a bit, then remove and let them cool completely before frosting.

While those cool, puree the apple pie filling until smooth.

In a small bowl, mix together the puree and the butter cream frosting. If it’s too runny, add some powdered sugar to tighten it up. Refrigerate until the cupcakes are ready to be frost.

Finally, frost the cupcakes anyway you like. I really suck at decorating. If I was in Oregon, I would have begged my mom to decorate them for me. But, I did garnish with a little nutmeg and raw sugar for fun.

The applesauce and pumpkin puree make the cupcakes so moist, definitely what I have been craving. Thank you Foodbuzz, Duncan Hines and Comstock-Wilderness! I am bringing this cupcakes to a friend’s house, I hope she and her roommates like them.

Udon Noodle Attempt

Awhile ago a posted a blog for sushi with a video link to a YouTube channel called Cooking With Dog. It’s weird that she cooks with a cute little dog, but she makes some interesting Japanese dishes. Most aren’t vegan and some are kinda complicated. But I was surprised to see that udon noodles were vegan and fairly simple.

I didn’t use the special kind of flour the video calls for and I only had a tiny big of starch so my noodles were not as soft as they should have been. Plus, I am not familiar with Japanese cooking techniques so they are no where near as pretty the dog lady’s noodles. That being said, they did taste like udon noodles and had the right outer texture. I was very happy with my first attempt.

Since I followed the video pretty closely, it would be silly re-type everything. So watch the video and look at the lovely photo sequence of my attempt.

As a good food blogger, I will actually post an original recipe too. This is a simple stir-fry I make often, just made it up one day with the random things I had in the fridge. It was a lovely accompaniment for the udon noodles.

Spinach and Tofu Stir-Fry
1/4 cup frozen or 1 cup fresh spinach
1/4 onion, diced
1 clove of garlic
1/4 of a block of firm tofu
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tps sesame seeds
1 tps red chili sauce

Heat some water or veggie broth in a skillet over medium heat.

Add spinach, onions, garlic, and tofu. Cook until the spinach is done (defrosted for frozen or wilted for fresh), and the tofu is heated through and lost most of its moisture.

Add the soy sauce and sesame seeds, cook for a minute or two more.

Remove from the heat and garnish with the chili sauce. Serve it over the udon noodles or whatever else you like.

Peas and Carrots Gravy, Brought to you by Foodbuzz and Green Giant

You know what is even better than delicious vegetables? Free delicious vegetables! Foodbuzz Tastemaker program selected me for a free product coupon from Green Giant. I’ve preached the benefits of fresh produce on my blog several times before, but I sadly know that fresh produce is impractical for some people. Sometimes life gets in the way of using that lovely fresh spinach or broccoli that you bought with the best intentions. You might be too busy, too broke, or have picky kids. This is not an excuse to cut vegetables out of diet all together. It means frozen produce is your best bet. And, as if always ripe veggies all year round wasn’t cool enough, Green Giant has steamer bags. You don’t have to dirty another dish.

I was very excited when my coupon came in the mail, mainly because I hardly ever win things. But sadly, when I got to the store, I got a little discouraged. I had a hard time finding a steamer bag product that was vegan. In order to make their products as convenient as possible, some of the steamer bags come in their own sauce, usually a butter or cheese sauce. Now, I want to stress that my discouragement is not Green Giant’s fault. They have several products in their line that are sauce-free and vegan. The lack of options was because I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific. I went to another larger grocery store, I found a bag of delicious Green Giant sweet peas.

The minute I saw the bag, for some reason I thought of white gravy with peas and carrots. I imagined it over some breaded and baked tofu with a roll on the side. A very tasty Sunday night dinner.

Peas and Carrots Gravy

1/2 of an onion, minced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 large carrots, diced into pea-sized pieces

1/2 bag Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers Sweet Peas
1/2 cup to 1 cup of water or vegetable broth, for cooking the vegetables

1 cup vegetable broth

1 tbs soy sauce

1/2 cup flour

2 cups water

1 tsp ground sage

1 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Chop the onions, garlic, and carrots.

So, realized I didn’t have any oil or butter after I had chopped everything. I didn’t have enough money to run out and buy some, so I thought I would have to postpone this to Friday when I get paid again. Then I remembered a trick I saw on VegWeb TV’s Youtube Channel. Sauté your veggies in a bit of water or vegetable broth! This won’t work if you want to caramelize, but just cooking through and softening is fine. This also cuts down on the fat too.

In a large skillet, heat about 1/4 cup of water or broth over medium heat. Once the water is heated, add the onions. Cook until the onions are translucent and the water is mostly gone.

Add some more water or broth, and then add the garlic and carrots. Cook until the carrots are soft and the water is mostly gone.

While the carrots cook, microwave the bag of sweet peas according to the instructions.

Add half the bag to the skillet, and save the rest for either a side dish or for something else.

In a small bowl, mix together the 1 cup vegetable broth, soy sauce and flour into a slurry. Mix well to get the lumps out.

Turn the heat down to low, and add the slurry to the skillet. The flour will start to cook and it will thicken up quickly. Just keep mixing so it doesn’t get lumpy.

Add the final 2 cups of water and continue to mix until smooth.

Add the sage, oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Let it cook a few more minutes on low to thicken up.

I served the gravy generously over some breaded tofu from my South Dinner post, except I baked it instead of frying it, and a homemade roll. I even had some peas on the side for some extra green.

The gravy is creamy, rich, and just a hint of sweetness from the peas. I will happily be eating the leftover gravy for the next few days. Thank you Foodbuzz and Green Giant!

Indian Inspired Pizza

I have toyed with the idea of making an Indian style pizza for awhile. Should it be on naan bread? Should I try to make my own naan bread? Cheese or no cheese? Curry sauce? Tomato sauce? I could never make-up my mind so I never made it. This Friday, I really wanted some curry spice for dinner so decided to just give it a try and tweak is next time I make it. I decided to make it on normal pizza dough for now, no cheese, and both curry and tomato sauce. It came out pretty good but I think naan bread would be better for next time.

Indian Inspired Pizza
1 ball of pizza dough (try mine)
1/2 cup hummus (try mine)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup curry sauce (try mine)
1/4 cup frozen spinach
1/4 cup frozen corn

Pre-heat the oven to as high as it will go .

Microwave the frozen veggies and then stir in the curry sauce. Set aside.

Roll the dough out into desire shape and thickness.

Spread on the hummus.

Pour on the diced tomatoes.

Lastly top with the veggies.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the toppings are hot.

I love the contrast between the spicy veggies and the creamy hummus. Went lovely with a glass of rosé. Next time I will attempt to make my own naan.

Bloody Sangria

My friend had a Halloween party last night and I wanted something fun to drink. I was searching for Halloween cocktails while watching Semi-Homeade Cooking with Sandra Lee. She made Sassy Sangria and decided to make a blood-red sangria. I didn’t originally plan posting this, but it was so delicious I felt the need to share.

Sangria is a wine-based punch that originated in Spain and Portugal. It consists of mixture of wine, brandy, seltzer/ginger ale, and fruit pieces. Brandy is not something I normally drink so I added a bit of tequila instead. Also, Walmart did not have ginger ale for some reason, so I used Sprite instead. I normally don’t drink soda at all, but once in a while it’s okay to have a bit extra sugar.

Bloody Sangria
1 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon
4 oz tequila
1 orange, sliced
2 limes, sliced
1/2 liter of Sprite

Pour the wine into a large pitcher.

Add the tequila.

Drop in to the orange and lime slices.

Chill in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight if you have the time.

Before serving, add the Spite.

If you want it “bloodier,” you can add some grenadine and some fake spider.

I hope you all have a happy and safe Halloween! Keep an eye on your keiki (Hawaiian for kid) and please don’t drink and drive. Also, please keep your pets indoors if possible. There are sick people who torment cats for fun or witchcraft.

I was one happy bunny.

Kabocha Squash Soup

I love when good things are cheap. My local health food store had variety of locally grown squash on sale. The minute I saw them, I thought of hot bowl of creamy soup. I first picked-up a butternut squash but then a lovely little green one caught my eye. I didn’t know what kind it was but it wad lighter (hence cheaper) so I bought it. After a bit of Google and asking my mom, I learned it was a kabocha.

Kabocha is a Japanese winter squash. It looks like a squat green pumpkin. It has the texture of pumpkin but tastes more like a sweeter butternut squash. It is high in iron, vitamin C, and potassium. It’s meat is bright orange and it’s packed full of seeds too (I roasted them, a bit chewier than pumpkin seeds but still good).

I came up with this recipe on my own, but it’s pretty much like any basic squash soup. This would also be wonderful with most other squash varieties as well.

Kabocha Squash Soup

1 kabocha squash

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 cup vegetable broth

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, diced

2 cups of kale, chopped
3 cups water

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.

Spray a baking sheet or pan with cooking spray and lay the squash cut side down.

Bake for about an hour, until totally soft.

While that roasts, chop up the veggies.

In a large pot, heat a some oil and sauté the onions until translucent.

Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes.

Add the kale and cook until tender. Add the 3 cups water. Remove from heat and set aside.

Once the squash is done and cooled, scoop out the meat into a blender.

Add the coconut milk and vegetable broth. Blend until smooth. You may need to add a bit of water if it’s too thick. ( I don’t know what happened to the picture of this step, sorry!)

Add the squash puree to the pot and turn the burner on to medium-low heat.

Add the spices and salt and pepper to taste. Bring up to desired temperature and serve hot.

I have a bit of a cold again so I had my with a lovely glass of Theraflu. Hopefully the vitamin C in the squash will do me some good.