Yellow Split Pea and Leek Soup

I really enjoy encouraging people to try plant based foods and recipes, and just recently bought the book Forks Over Knives, and am awaiting my DVD of the same name.  The American people are suffering from preventable diseases which can be not only prevented, but eliminated, if they would just change the foods they eat.  Hypertension, Type II diabetes, and heart disease are amongst a few such ailments that all respond beautifully to eliminating animal based foods from the diet, especially the casein that comes from milk.  A plant based diet isn't about what you can't eat anymore, it's about now going out and experiencing the vast array of foods that are available, that maybe you haven't tried!

This is a recipe that as a child and young adult, that I would have snubbed my nose at!  Who in the world eats split peas?  Aren't they green mush?  NOT AT ALL! Esp when you use yellow split peas!  The split peas do have to cook for about an hour first, then it all goes together very quickly!

Even though today is a warm August day, and a little humid, I'm looking forward to making this for the colder fall and winter days.

Yellow Split Pea and Leek Soup
adapted from FOK

1 cup dried yellow split peas
3 cups of water
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 long celery stalk or 2 small ones, diced finely
1 large leek, cut in half and washed, diced finely
1 large carrot, diced finely
1/2-1 of a half-hot pepper or pepper of choice, diced finely
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium pan, add split peas, and bring back to a boil, and move pan to a small burner and simmer gently on low for approximately one hour till the peas are soft. Watch your water level if you have a hot burner, as you don't want to scortch the peas on the bottom of the pan. 

When peas are cooked, add the vegetable broth, and remaining vegetables.  Simmer again for approx 20 minutes till vegetables are cooked through.  Add the thyme and salt, and stir well.

This will give you 3-4 servings.  Serve with whole grain crackers or bread and a salad!

I have to say that I love the recipe source's website name....it's the G spot Revolution....and before you get all excited, it's not just about that. It's about whatever makes you happy! find Caroline and her awesome food website at The G Spot Revolution.  This particular post caught my eye since it's a granola recipe, and my hubby LOVES granola.  It also happens to be a NO ADDED OIL recipe too, which totally fits into my collection!

Slow-Bake Blueberry Apricot Cashew Granola (gluten-free + vegan)


2 cups (gluten-free) oats - or not if you're not gluten free
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup blueberry puree


Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or baking mat (like this).
Mix ingredients (oats through salt) in a medium bowl.
Puree blueberries by placing 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup fresh blueberries in a blender or food processor and pulsing. Pour puree into a 1/2 cup measuring cup and then add to oat mixture. Stir to combine.
Spread mixture onto parchment paper and bake 40 – 45 minutes or until golden brown. (Stir/toss the granola with a spatula halfway through the bake time to ensure even baking.) Allow granola to cool completely on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container.

NOTE: One reader said this granola took her 65 minutes to bake — and that’s OK! While that is a particularly long bake time, keep in mind every oven is different and patience is a virtue with this particular batch. In addition, the type of oats you are using (e.g. thick rolled oats versus old fashioned rolled oats) will affect bake time. This granola should not be moist — make sure it is golden brown when you take it out. (Thanks to Jessica for reporting her results!)


^^^^^that was me! I had to bake this a longer time than she did, but it did come out golden brown.  Just be sure to watch it, and you don't want it to still me moist when you take it out.  Bake it a few more minutes at at time if needed.

Chana Palak Masala

1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 12 oz bag of baby spinach  ( I used swiss chard out of the garden!)
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
red pepper flakes as desired
1/2-1 tsp garam masala
 t tsp lemon juice


cover the bottom of a large pot with water, and add onion and garlic and cook until it's transparent.
Add the tomoateos, thier juice, chickpeas, spinach and broth, combining.
Cover and cook over medium heat until spinach cooks down, about 4 minutes
Add remaining ingredients except garam masala, cover, and cook for about 3 minutes more
Add garam masala, stirring to combine an dcook fo ranother 2 minutes
Turn off heat, and let sit for 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to merge

Vegan Creamsicle and Root Beer Float cupcakes! Oh MY!!!!!

This has been the best invention yet, I believe. Who doesn't like creamsicles or Root Beer floats? They are the epitome of summertime deliciousness! BUT....when you go vegan, you choose not to eat the standard brand ice creams or desserts that are on the market. Of course there are awesome vegan brand ice creams out there, but I just don't happen to buy them.....but I LOVE baking cupcakes, which lead to trying some new flavors.

The basic vanilla cake mix recipe is from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, again, by Isa and Terry. Love these recipes. They are excellent and bake up perfectly.

The only difference between the two, is the two flavorings used. Both have plain frosting filling in the cupcakes too. I think I do that on most of my cupcakes now....it just adds an additional surprise to the eater~

Vegan creamsicle cupcakes

vegan rootbeer float cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe:

1 cup of non dairy milk and I use soy milk
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups of flour
2 T of cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup of canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract *** (see options below)
1/4 tsp almond, caramel or more vanilla ***


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in pan. Measure soy milk in a liquid measuring cup, add cider vinegar and mix. Let sit for a few minutes to curdle, then add sugar and oil and extracts, and whisk together. In a large bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder soda, and salt together. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry, and mix till thoroughly combined and no large lumps remain. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full, and bake for 20-22 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and frost when completely cool.


***** Creamsicle cupcakes: Use 1 1/2 tsp of pure Orange extract (I used McCormicks)in the batter, and another 3/4 tsp to 1/3-1/2 of frosting recipe- kind of a taste as you go. I like tasting the orange personally (See below). I added orange Wilton food coloring to the batter with the orange extract, and the white frosting has no added flavoring in it.

In a pastry bag with it folded outward, place the colored frosting in half the bag, and the white in the other half, and using a 1M large decorating tip, start around the outer edge, and pipe around, and inward to make it twist-like.  See Wilton's page here to see how to hold the bag.

***For the rootbeer floats, I used 2 tsp of McCormick's Root Beer Concentrate in the batter, and then another 1+ tsp in half the frosting....Again, use your own judgement in how strong or weak you like the flavor. This amt worked for me. Be aware that the concentrate will make a brown frosting, and was piped with just the open end of a pastry decorating bag, then smoothed, before the small balls of white frosting were applied. For the small icing balls, I used the small end of a melon baller. Small scoops with a spoon could work too.  Then cut colored straws down, taking about 2 1/2- 3 inches off the bottom, and bend the straw, as if it were in a soda, and place strategically!


Standard buttercream frosting

1/2 cup Earth Balance non hydrogenated margarine (or reg marg)
1/2 cup non hydrogenated vegetable shortening
4 1/2-5 cups of confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup soy milk
1 tsp vanilla (or other extracts as desired)

This makes a moderately stiff frosting, thin or stiffen as you see fit.  Cream with margarine and shortening with an electric mixer, add powdered sugar, milk, and extract and continue to mix till nice, light and fluffy, for several minutes.

Quinoa Burgers made with chickpeas and served with a lemon dill sauce.

I am a self proclaimed (vegan) cookbook lover! I read them like others read novels. I get immersed in the pictures (no wonder!), and I love to see how others combine ingredients, spices, and herbs. I can follow directions to a "T", and according to a patient of mine, he says I'm a good German girl, because of it. I usually don't deviate from recipes too far, unless I actually don't have an ingredient, or I know I want to make some changes.

Which leads into my recommendation of a fairly new cookbook that is out now, by the name of Vegan Diner- classic comfort food for the soul, by Julie Hasson, who is well known on her Everyday Dish TV.
Can I tell you how much I L-O-V-E this cookbook??? Simple down home cooking that tastes great!

The quinoa burger recipe comes from that cookbook, and I only changed the spice blend I used, which she encourages the reader to do, to fit their taste.  Quinoa is naturally gluten free, which is a plus for so many too!

 

The adapted recipe for

Quinoa Burgers from Vegan Diner, by Julie Hasson

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

3 cloves garlic

12 oz chickpeas, (about 1 1/2 cups canned and drained, or homemade)

1/2 cup quick oats (not instant)

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa ***

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1 tsp of poultry seasoning or favorite spice blend (I used a local blend called Symeon's Seasoning from a local restaurant)

1 tsp of smoked paprika

2 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Amino or soy sauce

2 Tbsp of chickpea flour

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

freshly ground pepper, to taste

additional chickpea flour for dusting the burgers

olive oil for cooking

Burger buns

Lettuce or greens

sliced tomato and onion for serving

Makes 6 burgers. Add the onion and garlic to a food processor bowl, and pulse till finely chopped. Add the chickpeas and oats, and pulse until well mixed, but not pureed. Remove to a large bowl, and stir in the quinoa, parsley, poultry seasoning or spice mix, smoked paprika, Braggs, and chickpea flour. Stir in 1-2 Tbsp of water if necessary to help the burger mixture stick together, but you don't want it too moist. Add salt and pepper to taste. Thoroughly mix the ingredients well, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Form the burger mixture into 6 balls, and press into 3 1/2-4 inch patties.

Heat a large cast iron skillet or heavy duty fry pan over medium high heat. And lightly coat or spray with olive oil. Place the chickpea flour on a small plate and dust the burgers on all sides with the flour. Add the burgers to the hot skillet. Cook the patties for about 5 minutes, or until nicely browned and crispy. Reduce the heat to medium if necessary, to continue cooking without burning. Add more olive oil if needed, to keep the burgers from sticking. Flip the burgers over and cook on the other side. Repeat with the remaining burgers.

Remove from the skillet and let sit for minutes before serving. Letting the burgers rest will give them a better texture. Serve on a roll with all of the fixings you like, or serve or a salad as shown.

*** to cook quinoa, bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a pan on the stove, rinse 3/4 of a cup of quinoa in a mesh strainer under running water. Once water is boiling, add the quinoa, cover and cook for 12-15 minutes till the quinoa appears spiraled, and the water is absorbed. ( I like to add vegetable stock powder to the water for a little extra taste, and then reducing the amt of salt added to the recipe)

Lemon Dill sauce

1/4 cup Vegenaise (or mayo)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2-1 tsp dried dill

1/2-1 tsp of garlic powder

freshly ground pepper, to taste

Mix in a small bowl and add as a topping to your burger. If you like a lot of sauce, you may want to double the recipe. (I only used a small amt to keep the calories down)

How about some nice Chocolate-Raspberry Ice Cream? Dairy free of course!

This recipe is sooo good, and yes, especially during the hot summer months, but even though it is winter, it is still enjoyable. I went out and bought myself an ice cream maker, because I was missing eating ice cream, and I found some dairy free ice cream recipes that I thought I needed to try! Well, this soy creamer based dessert fit the bill nicely, and is a little chocolate raspberry indulgence, esp topped with the raspberries that were picked this summer.

The recipe can be found here: http://veganicecream.blogspot.com/2006/08/chocolate-raspberry-ice-cream.html

No added fat granola!

Just made this wonderful granola the other day, and it's almost gone. The hubbs doesn't follow the recommended 1/2 cup portion, so it's gone rather quickly!
This is a cinnamon almond flax raisin granola recipe, that has NO added fat, and in this recipe, I used the option of maple syrup, instead of the agave syrup, mainly because I didn't have any in the house. I also added chia seeds, and roasted pumpkin seeds. This, like most granolas, can be changed to suit your individual tastes.


The recipe is from VegWeb's site at Cinnamon Almond Raisin Flax Granola

Hope you enjoy this as much as we are!

Easy Low Fat Applesauce Bread

I'm always looking for low fat, healthier versions of foods I love, and this one fit the bill today, using homemade, fresh applesauce. There is no oil in the recipe at all, just one whole egg!

Low Fat Applesauce Bread

2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 cup applesauce
1 egg
1 cup skim milk


Heat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9x5 inch bread pan. Mix all the dry ingredients together, add the applesauce, egg, and milk, and mix till thoroughly combined. Pour into greased pan, and bake 50-60 minutes. Check doneness with a toothpick, which should come out cleanly.

12 slices. Cal-77, Fat- 1.1 gm, fiber 1 gm (Weight Watchers: 1 point)

Pumpkin Lasagna! Great fall flavor!

I haven't posted a recipe for awhile, and thought this was worthy, and it tasted great on a nice fall evening.


This recipe is from the current issue of Taste of Home Healthy Cooking magazine.

Pumpkin Lasagna

1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion chopped
1/2 tsp salt, divided
2 tsp olive oil
1 15 can solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup half and half cream
1 tsp dried sage leaves
dash pepper
9 no cook lasagna noodles
1 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1) In a small skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and 1/4 tsp salt in oil until tender; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin, cream, sage, pepper, and remaining salt.
2) Spread 1/2 cup pumpkin sauce in an 11x7 inch baking dish, coated with cooking spreay. Top with 3 noodles. Spread 1/2 cup pumpkin sauce to edges of noodles. Top with half of mushroom mixture, 1/2 cup ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers. top with remaining noodles and sauce.
3) Cover and bake at 375 degrees, for 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining Parm cheese. Bake at 10-15 minutes longer until cheese is melted.

(I think it needs another 1/4 cup skim milk added to the sauce, to add a little more moisture)

Nutrition facts: 6 servings. 310 calories, 12 gm fat,497mg of sodium, 32gms carbs, 5 gms fiber, 17 gms protein. Diabetic exchanges 2 starch, 2 fat, 1 lean meat.

chocolate zucchini cake

I love chocolate, and I love zucchini....match them together, and you have a scrumptious desert! Recipe comes from Allrecipes.com.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 cups grated zucchini
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or CHOCOLATE CHIPS!
Add to Recipe Box


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the eggs and oil, mix well. Fold in the nuts and zucchini until they are evenly distributed. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely before frosting with your favorite frosting.

I used 1/2 oil and applesauce, which decreases the amt of fat in the recipe, and I only used 3 eggs....tastes simply marvelous! Hope you enjoy.

Tortellini dinner

Thought I would share another dinner tonight, which was really easy to make.

The tortelli can be bought as a 16 oz pkg of frozen pasta, and for the sauce, start with a bunch of finely chopped veggies, like carrots, onions, garlic, celery, red and green peppers, and any other veggies you like. Cook them in a small amt of water,in a heavy pot till softened. Then add your favorite 26 oz jar or can of sauce and some cooked beans or 1 can of black beans. Heat till the beans are warm. Add the cooked tortellini, and add a mixed vegetable, and you have yourself a nice colorful dinner, full of Vit C, lycopene, and fiber!