Vegemommy

Intolerances....outgrown

2010-03-29T00:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been a very long time since I have posted. I admit to being un-inspired with the diet I have had to be on since Samuel was born 5-4-09. I had cut milk and soy out prior to his birth and by the time he was six weeks old was also off eggs, nuts, peanuts, wheat and corn. Thankfully, I added wheat and corn back in after only a couple weeks. But, the other items I stayed off of until just the last few weeks. I am now happy to report that I am only off milk! In truth, I haven't trialed that but am in no rush to do so. I'm just glad that my protein sources are now more than seeds, nutritional yeast, grains, and beans. You can imagine that got a little old. My plan is to start posting again now that I am actually able to cook from a more varied palate of foods. See you soon!

I've been gone a long time...

2009-04-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know. I have been a super-slacker in the blog department. Let me just say that has been a bit crazy! I am nine months pregnant with our third child AND we just moved after six years at our prior address. What a bunch of madness. And, of course, my back has begun to act up in late pregnancy due to my pre-existing problems and the baby. My first two children had milk-soy protein intolerance, so I have just today begun cutting these things out of my diet in preparation for breastfeeding this third little one. Today, I took a couple hours in the kitchen to prep some frozen meals for after the baby comes. I made: lentil soup, lentil/pecan meatballs, lentil loaf, oven baked sweet potatoes. I also froze some chickpea stew that was made Friday. Hopefully having these easy frozen things to pull out of the freezer while dealing with breastfeeding an infant and caring for two other little ones will make life easier. I also purchased some milk and soy free staples, many of which were not around when I breastfed my last child: coconut milk ice cream and yogurt, Quorn naked chicken cutlets, Hemp milk, vegan soy free chicken broth powder, vegan chocolate chips, tons of nuts, beans, safe bread, eggs, Smart Balance light margarine (vegan, soy protein free), Sunflower seed burgers. And, of course, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and pasta. When life is less crazy, I will post some of my MSPI creations. In the meantime, check out my sister's blog for a delicious vegan, soy-free mushroom stroganoff at www.TEDmamas.blogspot.com. She is also on the MSPI diet for breastfeeding her seven month-old infant. Her kiddo is intolerant of far more than milk and soy, so it's been tough but she's sticking with it! Go sis!

Cornish Pasties

2009-01-14T11:04:00.000-08:00

This is my rendition of the Cornish Pasties recipe from Vegan Lunchbox. Essentially, pie crust stuffed with cooked potato, turnip, fried cabbage, and Morningstar Farms chick'n strips. It's seasoned with onion powder, marmite, and vegetarian chicken broth powder. I made the crust with half whole wheat and half unbleached white flour. The girls liked them very much, and we'll see what my husband thinks of them as I am sending a couple in his lunch tomorrow. We had our Cornish pasties with fresh fruit today.

Veggie Burgers

2009-01-14T10:59:00.000-08:00

I posted this recipe before in one of my first posts. It's a gluten and TVP-based veggie burger from Bunnyfoot's blog. When I went shopping last week, I bought everything based on a two-week menu. I then placed the menu on the refrigerator and have been marking off each thing as we have them. My grocery list contained a very minimum of pre-made veggie foods as these are very expsensive and not the healthiest. I've been working on making my own "veggie meats" instead. I have experimented with this recipe and had fair success making it soy-free by replacing the TVP with mashed lentils and/or ground nuts. We served these burgers with oven fries and vegetables.

Pecan Veggie Meatballs

2009-01-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

We were having spaghetti (again) a couple nights ago and I decided to throw together some veggie meatballs to accompany our pasta. There are a million recipes out there for these, but I didn't use one. I just mixed a little bit of that, little bit of this...and they turned out well. This time, I fried them. However, they work very well baked, too. I was just short on time. We enjoyed ours with spaghetti and marinara, but they are great with a sweet-and-sour sauce as well.

1 cup pecan meal
1/2 cup bread crumbs, fine
1/4 onion chopped and sauteed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp vegetarian chicken broth powder
salt to taste
3 tbsp instant potato flakes
3 tbsp flax seed meal
enough water to allow them to be rolled into balls

Vegetarian Wellington

2008-12-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

Today I made my first foray into the world of puff pastry. I used the recipe from Vegan Lunchbox for mini wellingtons and made a few adaptations because I have a very difficult time leaving a recipe alone. (I made the change of using navy beans rather than chickpeas, and I added cream cheese, a tablespoon of marmite, 1/4 cup cracker crumbs, and 1/4 cup dry vegetarian chicken broth powder. ) This Vegetarian Wellington is a savory blend of navy beans, oats, brown rice, walnut meal, spices, caramelized onion, mixed sauteed mushrooms, and cream cheese along with everything else I listed above. Yes, I used real cream cheese but vegan would work beautifully here as well. I also doubled the recipe. So, though it's hard to see, the Wellington I made is a little larger than a football. I've never used puff pastry, and you can see there are a couple cracks in it. I rolled it out but didn't realize I should have lightly wet the seams to keep them from separating. I thought that since I had rolled it well the seams would be pressed close enough to each other to stay together-clearly wrong. I have to tell you. It smells delicious! This is one of the main dishes for our family Christmas dinner. My mom is making vegetarian sweet and sour meat balls. We will also be having: green salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and corn, my mom's famous dill rolls (with cottage cheese, onion, and dill-YUM!), pumpkin pie, and a plate of mixed Christmas goodies.

Split Pea Soup and Cornbread

2008-12-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

Nothing fancy about our dinner last night. We had split pea soup, cornbread, and sauteed summer squash that had been frozen from our garden this summer. I wasn't sure how the girls would react to the soup. And, to be honest, their first reaction was "yuck," this doesn't look good. But, they tasted it and liked it very much. The cornbread and squash were also a hit.

Split pea soup:

Rinse and sort peas according to package directions

Boil in vegetable broth until soft, along with 1/2 a diced onion

season with garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt

Stir in condensed milk or soy milk (I used soy milk prepared from powder and made it "stronger" than the directions called for)

Blend in blender, reserving 2 cups of soup unblended to mix back in

Mix a tablespoon of vegan or regular sour cream into each bowl just before serving

Banana Bread

2008-12-17T16:37:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegan margarine or canola oil

2 flax eggs (1 tbsp flax, 1 tbsp water, mix well for each egg)

5 large very ripe bananas

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp vanilla

Mix wet ingredients well. Gradually add in dry ingredients. Bake at 350 for one hour in two medium loaf pans.

This recipe gets the kid seal of approval. My girls each ate two pieces and wanted more, so then had another two pieces for their snack. My husband also highly approved of it when he had a piece after coming home from work.

It is SO cold here right now! At one point mid-morning, it was 7 degrees. However, we finally do have some snow. I've been trying to get the girls outside to play for a few minutes each day, but 10-15 minutes is about all the longer they can be outside. It's simply too cold.

Christmas goodies for the neighbors

2008-12-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

I have been working for the last couple weeks on treats to give to three of our neighbors for Christmas. First, I made and froze sugar cookies. Then, my husband and I worked on chocolate-dipped toffee sprinkled pretzels. Next came the chocolate peanut butter cookies. Last were the coconut snowball cookies I made last night. I froze each thing as I went and then pulled them out today to assemble on each neighbor's plate. We will go as a family tonight to give them out. That is, if I'm brave enough to venture out. The high today is supposed to be nine. That's NINE degrees! Yikes, it's cold, and not even any snow to show for it!

Veggie chicken tiki masala, couscous and bahba gahnoush

2008-12-14T15:53:00.000-08:00

No recipes tonight because, to be quite honest, I just whipped these up without recipes. So, just some pictures and descriptors of our dinner tonight. And, yes, I realize that I am mixing foods from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds for this meal. First: Tiki masala with veggie chicken, green beans, onion, tomato, and carrot. Second: whole grain couscous. Last: bhaba ghanoush. My two year-old liked the bhaba ghanoush and picked the veggie chicken out of the tiki masala. Otherwise, not a very kid-friendly meal. I gave them something else in substitution after they had tried this food and decided it was a bit too "spicy." Actually, my four year-old's word for spicy is sour. We adults really enjoyed this meal. My parents came over and were very complimentary. One last thing. I have no idea how to properly spell babha ghanoush. If you know how, feel free to share!

Homemade refried beans

2008-12-09T11:14:00.001-08:00

It all starts with the crock pot. I usually make a pot of some sort of beans each week, and also use the rice cooker to cook up a big pot of brown rice. This week, I chose red beans. My other favorites are black, pinto, and navy. We also eat a lot of lentils, but there's no need to use the crock pot for those. There's no science to cooking beans in the crock pot. I don't use a recipe when I made them. Here's how it's done.

1 16 ounce package of red beans, rinsed and sorted
Fill large crock pot 3/4 full of water
Add salt, cumin, garlic powder, and red pepper to taste
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 tbsp cilantro, minced
1 can of petite diced tomatoes-with or without green chiles, your choice
It takes my crock pot 4-5 hours to cook the beans to the right texture

Refried:
Saute the other half onion in olive oil until soft
Place 4 cups of beans in your frying pan (I use a cast iron skillet)
Mash with potato masher
Add enough water or bean juice to make creamy
Add more cumin, red pepper, onion powder, salt to taste
Meanwhile, saute two cloves of fresh garlic (peeled and crushed) in a different pan until you smell that delicious garlic smell. Then, mix in with the beans

Yes, it's easier to just buy refried vegetarian beans in a can. However, believe me when I tell you that these homemade refried beans are better. Quite a bit better, in fact! Great for huevos rancheros, tacos, burritos, or on their own. The picture of the refried beans, on the other hand, not so attractive. (Also, wanted to point out that what you see in the lower right corner of the picture is a wooden spoon protruding from the refried beans. )That's two posts in a row of things best left without being photographed. I'll have to chose a more attractive dish to blog about next time!

Biscuits and gravy

2008-12-07T08:28:00.000-08:00

This morning my husband and I collaborated to make one of our favorite breakfasts. Ever since I learned the trick of using cashews as the base for gravy and mock Alfredo sauce, it has been my favorite method. I was dubious at first. However, when seasoned, the gravy does not taste at all of cashews. In fact, I swore it was dairy-based the first time I tasted it. It's also a very flexible and forgiving recipe. It's hard to screw it up, in other words! Today, we used slices of vegetarian sausage links in it. You can also use sauteed mushrooms and onions, seitan, or anything else that you like in your gravy. Here's the recipe, adapt to your tastes:

1 part raw cashews to two parts liquid of your choice: options include vegetable broth, mock chicken broth, water, rice milk, soy milk

seasoning: onion powder, salt, savory, garlic powder, oregano

add-ins of your choice: vegetarian sausage, veggie bacon, onion, mushroom

Blend cashews with liquid for at least two minutes on high speed. This will guarantee it is smooth and free of cashew bits.

No thickeners required, the cashew thickens as it warms. Just saute your veggies or veggie meat in the pan and then pour the cashew sauce over it. If it's too thick, at more liquid.

The picture isn't beautiful, but there's nothing too elegant about biscuits and gravy. Tasty, though! We served the gravy over 100% whole wheat homemade biscuits

Whole wheat honey walnut bread

2008-12-04T16:14:00.000-08:00

I received my first issue of Vegetarian Times magazine today. One of our neighbor's children came to our door selling subscriptions and this is what I chose. There were some fabulous-looking bread recipes, and this is the one I chose to make. The girls enjoyed helping me to make it. They thought that kneading the dough was the greatest thing ever. It turned out well, and made two loaves. One has gone into the freezer to be given later for Christmas.

Baby bella, garlic,and cilantro enchiladas

2008-12-04T16:03:00.000-08:00

I had a large container of enchilada sauce sitting in the fridge from when I made huevos rancheros the other day. So, I decided to use it up and make enchiladas today. The baby bellas were on sale for a ridiculously low price ($1.49 a carton) so I decided they would make a wonderful filling. Also, I had some fresh cilantro in the fridge. As for the garlic, that's always at hand. Here's the quick and easy recipe:

12-14 soft corn tortilla shells, small
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed and minced
4 tbsp fresh cilantro
8 ounces Monterrey jack cheese: dairy or vegan variety
3-4 cups enchilada sauce: green or red
olive oil or pan spray

lightly fry each corn tortilla, set aside. Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms in a little olive oil or water. Add the garlic for the last few moments, just long enough to soften a little and become aromatic.

Pour half a cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish. Then, fill each enchilada shell with the mushroom and garlic mixture, cheese, and cilantro. Roll, and place in dish seam-side down. Push each enchilada tight against the others. How many you make depends on how full you fill each one. Then, pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top. Sprinkle a little cheese and cilantro atop the sauce. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until bubbling. May garnish with soy or dairy sour cream.

Some other great enchilada fillings: red or yellow onion, beans, rice, zucchini, spinach, dairy or vegan cream cheese

Ethiopian Stew with Injera bread

2008-12-01T18:00:00.000-08:00

Ahh, more from Vegan Lunchbox. I made the Mixed Vegetable Wat with Injera bread for dinner. I also baked some tofu-flavored with the same spices as the stew but also with a splash of soy sauce. I've made it several times but added a bit too much red pepper for the girls tonight so they only picked at their stew. It always takes me a few attempts to get the injera bread right. The one I took a picture of was not quite right. I tend to forget they need to be spread out thin in the frying pan. The next injera turned out much better. So yummy to dip the injera bread into the stew. If you've never tried these recipes from Vegan Lunchbox, I highly recommend them.

Sugar Cookie Party

2008-12-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

The last day of November, we had a sugar cookie party. Just us and the girls. They helped me make the sugar cookie dough, roll it out, and cut out the shapes. Well, they helped some. They more enjoyed rolling the bits of dough I gave them into balls to put onto the cookie sheet. They had read about Laura Ingalls doing this with her mom and thought it was very neat. To be honest, the whole process was kind of a headache. The recipe made six dozen cookies, so there are a lot frozen to give to the neighbors closer to Christmas. After the cookies were baked and cooled, the girls decorated them with five different colors of frosting and some sprinkles. Here they are "naked" prior to being decorated.

Stirfy noodles with shitake mushrooms and fried tofu

2008-11-21T18:35:00.000-08:00

My other potluck offering. I bought noodles from the Asian market and mixed them with a stirfry of eggplant, cabbage, onion, shitake mushrooms, and carrots. I flavored the veggies with sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and fresh ginger. Then, I used a package of fried tofu. I cut each piece into thin slices and then sauteed it with peanut sauce, chili sauce, and soy sauce. I garnished it with fresh cilantro. It turned out very tasty!

Spring Rolls

2008-11-21T18:20:00.000-08:00

It's potluck day tomorrow. I'll admit that usually I choose something that is rather simple and has a quick prep time, like a pasta dish and a salad or vegetable. This week, I felt inspired to take a couple Thai dishes. This first is fresh spring rolls. I bought all the ingredients at our local Asian market. I don't really have a recipe, but I'll share a rough idea of how they went together. It looks complicated, and it does take time. However, it's actually pretty simple. The end result is delicious and lovely to look at.

1 package of spring roll wrappers
2 cups canned mock abalone, or may use seitan or tofu. Cut into small pieces
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
soy sauce
sweet chili sauce
1/4 inch section of fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated (may use more to taste)
1/4 cup Thai peanut sauce from a jar. Or, use the recipe I posted in one of my first posts for the peanut butter tofu.
1/4 onion, very thinly sliced and then cut into 1/2 inch pieces
garlic powder to taste
1 small dried chili pepper
2 cups cooked rice vermicelli noodles
vegetable oil

Fry the onion in a little oil until soft, and then add the mock abalone (seitan or tofu)
Add the peanut sauce, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, fresh ginger. I used enough of the sauces that there was quite a bit of liquid on top of the mock abalone. Then, I let it cooked covered under medium heat until the liquid had caramelized.

Mix a little vegetable oil, the chili pepper (crushed) and 2-3 tbsp of soy sauce into the rice noodles and then set aside.

Have a large shallow pan with warm water nearby as you will dip each spring roll wrapper briefly in the warm water until it is all soft. Then, place it on a plate or cutting board. In the center, place 4-5 tbsp of rice noodles, about 2 tbsp of the mock abalone, and 1 tsp of chopped cilantro. Arrange it on the wrapper so it is right in the center and about three inches from one side to the other. Then, bring the wrapper up from the bottom to cover this mixture and tuck it in at the top. Bring each side in until they meet and then roll to the top. It sounds more complicated than it is! Place on a serving platter and garnish with more cilantro. Serve cold. Can be served with a dipping sauce such as more peanut sauce or soy sauce with finely minced garlic and ginger mixed in.

This dish can easily be adapted to be entirely gluten free if tofu is used rather than the mock abalone.

Hummus, falafel, and flat bread

2008-11-21T06:30:00.000-08:00

I whipped up some falafel from a mix (Fantastic Foods) I purchased. Then, I made some hummus from the same recipe you can find posted earlier in my blog. I didn't have any pita bread on hand, and didn't feel like taking the time to make any. So, I made simple flat bread with flour, water, salt, and oil. The girls then wrapped the falafel and hummus in the bread. I usually also add finely diced cucumber and tomato but was out. So, we had a cooked vegetable for dinner as well. As you can see, dinner was a hit.

Lemon cupcakes

2008-11-21T06:24:00.000-08:00

I used the fluffy white cupcakes recipe from vegan lunchbox and modified it. First, I grated lemon zest to add to the cupcake batter. Then, I also added a tsp of lemon extract and replaced some of the water with juice from the fresh lemon. For the frosting, I made a basic powdered sugar and margarine (vegan, trans fat free) frosting to which I again added lemon flavoring and juice. For a filling, I purchased a can of lemon pie filling. When the cupcakes were all in the pan ready to go in the oven, I dropped a heaping tablespoon of filling into the top center of each cupcake. It sunk down into the center while they baked and then I filled the slight indentation with the frosting. They were tasty, although less fluffy than non-vegan cupcakes I've made before. Also, I did take a picture of a cupcake cut open to show the filling. It wasn't very pretty, so I deleted it. The girls loved the surprise of finding the filling in the center of their cupcakes.

Pot roast from Vegan Lunchbox

2008-10-27T15:11:00.000-07:00

I've made the pot roast from Vegan Lunchbox many times. I like the flavor of it, but wanted to tweak the recipe a little bit. For one thing, I don't like how spongy it turns out. I prefer a firmer texture. Also, I wanted it to have a more savory flavor. So, here are the changes I made and a couple pictures of how it turned out:

-Only used three cups of broth rather than the four cups the recipe called for

-Increased the amount of walnuts to 3/4 cup rather than 1/4 cup. And, I ground them to a find meal, not a coarse meal.

-Increased the amount of marmite and tomato paste three fold.

-Used a LOT more mushrooms and skipped the celery.

-Added a couple tablespoons of soy sauce and 1/2 cup raw cashews when I blended the veggies into a gravy. This added more flavor and thickened it nicely.

Now, I realize that if you don't have Vegan Lunchbox, none of this will make much sense. My advice: buy it! There are so many terrific recipes, even for non-vegetarians. Your kids are guaranteed to eat vegetables the way they are prepared in this book. My husband even likes brussel sprouts prepared the Vegan Lunchbox way. (He used to call them soggy mini cabbages and say they were the one vegetable he just couldn't eat.)

Miso Noodle Soup

2008-10-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

My girls love noodles. The other day, I was at a loss for what to make for lunch. Saw that I had one package of noodles in the cupboard and decided to throw together a simple soup. I followed the package directions on the dark miso for the proportion of water with miso. I also added some soy sauce, garlic powder, sliced fresh carrot, onion, mushroom,cubed firm tofu, and two tablespoonds of dried wakame. (seaweed). The girls liked it, and it was nice for a cold rainy day.

Chik'n pot pie casserole

2008-10-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

YUM. I made this for lunch today and it was ridiculously good. Especially satisfying for a cold, grey day like today. In addition, the girls loved it, and both had two portions. It took me about half an hour to make and was very easy. Next time, I'll replace the store-bought crescent biscuits with homemade, and I'll make my own gravy.

4 medium red potatoes, washed and diced into small pieces
3 large carrots, washed and cut into thin coins
1 can vegetarian chicken in broth (or may use substitute), diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup mushrooms, washed and cut into thick slices
1/2 package store-bought vegan brown gravy
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
1/4 tsp savory seasoning
1 package refrigerated crescent roll dough, divided into eight pieces as per package directions. (the brand I found was vegan)

First, boil a pot of water. While it is heating, begin chopping up all the veggies. When the water is at a rolling boil, throw in the potatoes and carrots. Then, saute the mushrooms and onions until soft and onions clear. Prepare brown gravy per package directions and pour atop the mushrooms and onions. Also, add the vegetarian chicken and its broth. Mix well.

Mix all the ingredients in a large casserole dish, arrange the eight crescent rolls on top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown.

Super cheesy very un-vegan lasagna

2008-10-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

This was the omni option at my husband's birthday dinner. Lasagna is his absolute very favorite dish. Of course, his favorite is the one his mom makes. And, to be honest, it's really good! This version is a white lasagna with lots of veggies thrown in. However, I doubt the veggies redeem the overall cheesy cholesterol-laden nature of this dish! I assure you it as at most a once-per-year undertaking. I didn't use a recipe, so I'll just give you an idea of what it contained and post a picture as well.

Lasagna noodles, uncooked
2 jars (16 ounce) prepared Alfredo sauce
4 cups vegetarian vegetable broth
cremini mushrooms, washed and sliced
frozen spinach, thawed
onion, diced
artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
fresh garlic, peeled, crushed, and diced
fresh basil, washed and minced
olive oil to saute veggies in
small curd cottage cheese or low fat ricotta
Italian blend cheese, shredded

Mix the Alfredo with the vegetable broth. Then, layer sauce, cottage cheese/ricotta, veggies, noodles until you're at the top of your casserole dish. Then, top with sauce, cheese, and fresh basil

Pesto and pine nut linguini with cremini mushrooms

2008-10-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

This was the vegan option for my husband's birthday dinner. It was super-easy to make, and I didn't use a recipe. I'll give some approximate proportions and I feel confident you can figure it out! First, I purchased some imported pesto concentrate. It was in a tube, strangely enough. It's the only one I could find that was vegan. The other ingredients were simple, easy things to find at our local grocery store.

Linguine pasta, whole wheat blend
pesto concentrate
extra virgin olive oil
cremini mushrooms (baby portobella), cut into thick slices
white or yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled, crushed, and diced
2 leaves fresh basil, washed and minced
salt to taste
pine nuts, oven toasted

First, I sauteed the mushrooms and onion in a generous amount of olive oil. Then, I added the pesto sauce and more olive oil. The directions on this product suggested equal amounts of oil and the pesto concentrate. Last, I added the fresh garlic and basil for about the last minute of cooking time. Meanwhile, the pine nuts were toasting in the oven and the pasta was boiling atop the stove. Toss the pasta in the sauce and then garnish with the pine nuts. It turned out very well. And, to be honest, may have been tastier than the lasagna. That's just my opinion, though. I thought the lasagna was a little too rich. So much cheese, alfredo, etc.

Curried lentil soup

2008-09-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

I will be the first to admit that this soup doesn't look like much. In fact, looks really uninteresting. I stole this recipe from my sister, so technically it's hers. However, she doesn't have a blog and I do, so here it is! What I have to tell you about this soup is that it's really, really good. We had it tonight with cornbread and the "Best Brussel sprouts" from Vegan Lunchbox. Yeah, I know, kind of a weird combination. The girls both loved it. My two year-old really liked the brussel sprouts, my four year-old tolerated them. Otherwise, the soup and cornbread were a huge hit. Here's the recipe:

8 ounces dry lentils, rinsed and sorted
32 ounces vegetarian vegetable broth
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tsp turmeric
1.5 tsp yellow curry powder (I used hot madras)
1 tsp salt, more to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
5 TBSP lime juice
1 cup water

Cook the lentils in a large stock pan with the vegetable broth, water, and spices. When the lentils are almost done (soft), add the coconut milk. Then, remove from heat and add the 5 tbsp of lime juice. May garnish with fresh minced cilantro.

Vegan Stroganoff with seitan

2008-09-14T14:06:00.001-07:00

This is an old family recipe. My parents have been making it for years. And, it's one of my omni brother's favorite dishes. It's super-quick to make if you have the seitan (gluten/wheat-meat) already made and frozen as I did. Otherwise, you'd have to first add the step of making the seitan first.

Approximately 2 cups worth of seitan "steaks"
16 ounces prepared spaghetti sauce
1 cup white or baby bella mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 cup vegan sour cream (or make your own with tofu, lemon juice, cashews, salt)
1 package of rotini or wide egg noodles (vegan version), cooked
2 tbsp or more olive oil
1 cup flour, 1/4 cup corn meal, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp nutritional yeast-for breading

Cut the seitan into long, thin strips. Dredge into the breading flour mix and fry in a generous amount of olive oil until it is crispy.

Meanwhile, pasta can be boiling in a pot and mushrooms and onions can be frying in another pan.

When mushrooms and onions are cooked until soft and onions clear, add the sauce and vegan sour cream and blend gently over low heat until warmed through.

Serve the stroganoff over the cooked pasta. Also good over brown rice, quinoa, brown rice pasta, or even on its own.

Greek Salad

2008-09-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

Nothing vegan about this, but I had a serious craving for Greek salad, so here it is! I think you could probably develop a "feta" from tofu and lemon juice that might be acceptable and, thereby, veganize this salad.

2 romaine lettuce hearts, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces

2 medium tomatoes, washed and cut into wedges

1 cucumber, washed, peeled, and cut into large pieces

kalamata olives, (or regular if that's all you have) whole

green pepper, washed and cut into small pieces, opt.

red onion, cut into thin slices, opt.

1/2 cup feta cheese, sprinkled on top

Greek or Italian salad dressing

I did not put green pepper or onion in my salad as my girls don't like that.

Fresh peach crisp

2008-08-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

We bought a case of humongous, delicious peaches last week. They are so sweet and juicy. We have been enjoying them very much. When the girls eat one, I have them carry a towel around to hold under their chins or they end up spilling peach juice all over themselves and the house. Tonight, I made a peach crisp for dinner. My four year-old said, "Mommy, you're the best cook," and gave me a 'thumbs up.' Here's the recipe:

3 large peaches, sliced
3 cups quick oats
1 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup light trans-fat free margarine (like Smart Balance Light)
2 tbsp warm water
3 tbsp flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

Place the peaches in the bottom of a small baking dish. Sprinkle the spices on top of them. Mix the oats, salt, margarine, water, and flour together until well-mixed. Spread atop the peaches. Bake in 350 degree oven for half an hour.

Omega-3 Granola

2008-08-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

My sister loves granola. She's currently eight months pregnant and has cut milk and soy out of her diet in preparation to breastfeed her little boy. Her first daughter had pretty significant MSPI (milk-soy protein intolerance) and it's likely this baby will have it worse. In any case, what that has to do with anything is this: She can't buy commercial granola because many times it contains milk powder. I found a recipe that is milk-free, and I will post it here. The granola turned out wonderfully! After I snapped this photo, I added dried peaches and blueberries. (I dried them myself in our food dehydrator). So, it's chock full of goodness!

4 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup raisins

1 cup other mixed dried fruit (I used peaches and blueberries)

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Mix oats, sugar, salt, cinnamon together. Then,mix honey and oil in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat, stir in the vanilla. Heat until the honey is liquefied. Spread onto cookie sheets and bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. *important* stir it every ten minutes or more often or it will burn. After removing from oven and cooling, put into a large bowl. Add flax seed, walnuts, raisins, and mixed dried fruit. Optionally, you may add the ground flax seed and walnuts on top of the oats for the last ten minutes of baking.

Penne Primavera

2008-08-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

This is the dish I made for our church's vegetarian potluck yesterday. Here's the recipe:

4 cups cooked whole wheat penne pasta
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup sliced baby portabello mushrooms
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 medium cloves of fresh garlic, crushed and diced. Add just prior to adding cashew sauce.
Saute' all the veggies in olive oil and then add cashew sauce:

1 cup raw cashews
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp dry "chicken" broth powder
1/4 tsp savory seasoning
salt to taste
Blend all cashew sauce ingredients in a blender for two minutes until smooth, then:

Cook until thick, mix in 1/2 cup vegan sour cream.
Mix well, pour over pasta

Bake in 350 degree oven for half an hour

Every vegetable in this pasta dish came from my garden except for the mushrooms. Of course the freshness and extra flavor made the dish especially good.

Coconut toffee cake

2008-07-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

This is the cake that I made for my dad's birthday a couple weeks ago. No, it's not vegan. It has like six eggs in it and the frosting is whipped cream. I've not yet tried the vegan cake recipe in Vegan Lunchbox but it's 0n my list of things to do. Maybe next time when I bake a cake, it'll be vegan. On top of the cake I put coconut and toffee chips. Between the layers is toffee chips, coconut and more whipped cream. It was pretty good, but I admit to being a novice baker. It did not turn out light and fluffy and I found out why when discussing it with my sister and mom. The conversation went like this:

"Well, did you beat the egg whites?" -my sister

"No, I just mixed it all up together."-me

"Oh, you have to beat the egg whites and then fold them into the mixture."-my mom

"Oh, ok I'll do that next time." -me

So...maybe it looked prettier than it tasted. It's a work in progress!

Guacamole

2008-06-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

Tacos. Aren't they great? Well, I think so, at least. Every time I make them, my husband and I end up saying, "Why don't we make these more often?" Tonight we had tacos and fruit for dinner. Here's what we put in them tonight:

Morningstar Farms griller burger crumbles (we use refried beans instead sometimes)
halved grape tomatoes
diced cucumber
sweet corn
sliced black olives
enchilada sauce
diced onion
guacamole

Lightly fry a corn tortilla shell (pan spray works great for this) and fill with your favorite toppings. Here's the guacamole recipe:

4 ripe avocados, peeled and mashed
4 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup salsa
2 tsp finely minced fresh cilantro
pinch of cumin

The big plate was my husband's. The little plate and dish of rice is what my little girls ate. They don't do so well with tacos-it becomes a mess. It works well to give it all to them separately, though, which is what I did.

Lentil Nut Roast

2008-06-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

Lentil Nut Roast:

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 medium onion diced and sauteed in 2 tbsp olive oil until clear

1 clove garlic, crushed and sauteed the last minute with onion

2 cups crisp rice cereal

1/2 cup Grape Nuts cereal

1 tsp savory seasoning

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp dark miso paste, opt.

2 tbsp dry veg beef broth powder

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

4 tbsp ground flaxseeds

1/2 cup water

2 cups cooked lentils

1 1/2 cups cooked lentils

Put all ingredients in mixing bowl except for the 1/2 cup water, miso paste, and 1 1/2 cup lentils. Blend these in the blender until smooth. Mix with all other ingredients. Place into greased loaf pan and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. This yields a crunchy loaf that is excellent in sandwiches with catsup and vegenaise. I intentionally make it a bit dry because I like to mix the vegenaise and catsup with crumbled loaf and make a sandwich spread.

Cinnamon Raisin Cookies

2008-06-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon Raisin Cookies:

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup Florida crystals or other vegan sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar,lightly packed

1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour

0.5 cups white flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg OR 1 medium mashed banana to be vegan

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cream oil and sugar, add remaining ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake 10-12 minutes in 350 degree oven. Cool on cookie sheet for at least ten minutes before moving off pan as they are very soft.

Pan-barbecued tofu

2008-06-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

This was from last week when we had again bought some beautiful fresh organic local asparagus. Also, you can see homemade mashed potatoes made with red potatoes, skin on. The gravy on the potatoes is the vegetable gravy from Vegan Lunchbox's pot roast. I added a few raw cashews to thicken it a little more. And, there's the "barbecued" tofu. This recipe is a hit with my kids lately and it takes less than ten minutes start to finish. My two year old goes wild for tofu, absolutely loves it. I think she would eat tofu and pasta every day if given the choice.

One block extra-firm water packed tofu, drained

3 cloves medium fresh garlic, crushed and finely minced

1- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce of choice

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

Cut tofu into thin slices and lay in a shallow dish. Whisk all other ingredients together and then pour over tofu, rotating to cover all surfaces well. Place olive oil in a pan and then add tofu, pouring excess sauce over it. Cook on each side until it begins to carmelize in the pan.

The bread adventure continues

2008-06-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

I'm still experimenting with Vegan Lunch Box's "Blue Ribbon Bread" recipe. Her recipe is only half whole-wheat and I'm trying to vary the recipe so that it's closer to a completely whole grain bread. These loaves contain cooked quinoa, brown rice, and oats and I've replaced one cup of white flour with whole wheat. It turned out beautifully although I am still sadly lacking in the formation of an attractive loaf. This is only my third time making bread, so I imagine that will come with time. Next time, I am aiming for entirely whole wheat with the addition of a little wheat gluten. I hope that will yield a fairly light whole grain loaf.

Hummus!

2008-06-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

I went to make hummus today and found that all I had left in my jar of tahini was about 1 tbsp. Luckily, I had about 1/4 cup of sesame seeds in the freezer. My little girls absolutely loved this hummus. They had it for lunch today with toasted triangles of whole wheat bread, couscous, and a vegetable. My four year old said, "Mommy, this hummus is really good."

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium cloves raw garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup natural-strength lemon juice
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp olive oil

Process in blender until smooth.

I don't use any water and we love garlic. If you find that your blender has difficulty processing this, add a little more lemon juice and use the "pulse" button. This ends up being rather tart and heavy on the garlic. We like it that way!

Chunky monkey bars

2008-06-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

I made homemade "ice cream" bars today for the girls with my handy popsicle kit. I had run out of popsicle sticks, so just used some plastic utensils instead, which worked fine. The girls thought they were great. Anything called ice cream around here goes down pretty easy.

3 ripe bananas

2 cups soy or rice milk

2 tbsp of honey, or sweetener of choice

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

Blend in blender and then stir in chocolate sprinkles and/or chocolate chips. Pour into popsicle molds.

Homemade bread

2008-06-07T11:24:00.001-07:00

I purchased the book Vegan Lunchbox about a year ago and have made many, many recipes out of it. This bread is from the recipe for "Blue Ribbon Bread" in the book. It turned out a little dark this time as I accidentally set my oven a little too hot. However, still very good. The kids absolutely love this bread. I also made the vegan pot roast from the book this week and it turned out beautifully. I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of the pot roast simmering in the pan surrounded by carrots, mushrooms, celery, onion, and thyme. It was beautiful. My parents came over for dinner and my dad raved about it!

Super-simple pasta salad

2008-06-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

Four cups pasta, cooked

1/2 cup vegenaise

1 tsp original Mrs. Dash seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/2 cup black olives, sliced

2 tbsp finely minced onion

We enjoyed this pasta salad for lunch today along with veg chicken patties and a fresh green salad with beautiful organic lettuce from our garden. Soon, we will also have carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers and all the other makings for the salad.

Back problems and baking

2008-05-30T19:24:00.000-07:00

I had back surgery just over a week ago after a lifting injury at work in the ICU. After a few painful days of recuperation, I was mostly back to normal and BORED! So, I've been doing more baking than usual: chocolate chip cookies, sourdough bread, Blue Ribbon bread with recipe from Vegan Lunchbox. I was disappointed in my sourdough. For one thing, it turned out sweet, not sour! Also, it was very heavy. I will search for another recipe. I liked the Blue Ribbon bread very much. Next time I make it, however, I will not divide the dough into three loaf pans like it says, but will just use two. It made three rather small loaves. Not sure what my next project will be but I'll bake or cook something new soon and post about it with photo here! The kids are doing great. We spend alot of time outside, which they love. One problem: I can't lift them into the swing and etc because of my back. They like it much better when daddy is here and they can do so much more. Happy Summer!

Bruschetta

2008-05-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

We went to the local Farmer's market today. It's hard to find one on Sunday, they're usually on Saturdays. This one was lovely. So many wonderful products. Most fresh produce isn't in season, so some was hothouse. But, some nice baked goods: breads, kolaches, brownies, salsa, pumpkin butter. So many things. I look forward to going there when all the beautiful local vegetables and fruit are in season. Tonight our dinner was mostly made up of items from the Farmer's market. We had fresh local organic asparagus, bruschetta made mostly from items I bought there today, and then lentil soup. Here's the bruschetta recipe

one small loaf sourdough bread (I used bleu cheese sourdough)

2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt to taste

1/4 cup fresh sweet basil, finely minced

2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and cut on one end

approximately 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Slice the bread to your desired thickness. We like ours fairly thick, but it's great thin and crispy as well. Lightly drizzle olive oil on top of each slice. Place into a oven that has been pre-heated at 400 degrees. Bake 15 minutes or until turning golden. Remove from oven and rub each slice with the fresh garlic. Top with the tomato, basil, salt, and balsamic vinegar mixture. Our tomatoes and basil were actually roughly chopped, but if I do it again I will make everything smaller. It was very good! The girl's favorite part of the meal was the asparagus.

Cherry berry pie

2008-05-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

I used a pie crust recipe from my mom: half white and half wheat flour. It turned out well enough that I tried my hand at making a lattice topping for the first time. It was ok, needs more practice to really turn out well. The filling was a mixture of bing cherries, raspberries, and blueberries-all from frozen.

1.5 cups bing cherries

1.5 cups raspberries

1 cup blueberries

1 tsp apple pie spice

Cook atop the stove at low heat until bubbling. Mix 3 tbsp of cold water with 1/4 cup cornstarch. Mix well and then stir into the berry mix. I sweetened it with a couple tablespoons of succanat. It turned out really well. I have made a similar pie in the past just sweetened with some apple juice concentrate, which is also good.

Indian-spiced veggie chicken curry

2008-04-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

4 cups cooked brown rice
8 ounces vegetarian "chicken" or extra-firm tofu, cubed
8 ounces fresh or canned tomatoes, diced
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cauliflower, diced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1 tsp garam masala spice mix
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander, ground
2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed and finely diced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
1 cup lite coconut milk

Saute the onion in oil, add spices and tomatoes when onion is soft. Cook a couple addition minutes. Then, add all other ingredients. Serve over brown rice. We had this tonight along with steamed artichokes. We dipped the leaves in garlic "butter." (Smart balance light). To my surprise, the girls loved the artichokes. They ate the curry well, also, but the artichokes definitely stole the show.

Split Pea Soup

2008-04-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

I created split pea soup for lunch. The girls and I had it along with cornbread and cauliflower. The first thing out of my two year-old's mouth when she took a bite of the soup was, "Mmmm." They both ate everything well. I didn't take a picture because it just looked like, well, green goop! Also, I made it up as I went along, so the recipe is not exact science, but here it is:

1 small package dry split peas, prepared according to package directions
dry vegan beef or chicken broth
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp thyme
3/4 cup vegan sour cream
salt to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 clove garlic, crushed and diced
1 tbsp olive oil

After the split peas are cooked, drain all the liquid off except for enough to just cover the split peas. Then, mix in enough dry broth mix to flavor the liquid. Add the spices, sour cream, and garlic powder. Lightly fry the fresh garlic in the oil just long enough to release its aroma but not browning it. Then, add it to the rest of the ingredients. Blend all in a blender until smooth. May serve garnished with more vegan sour cream.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

2008-03-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

I made a variation of the lasagna I posted a few weeks ago. I used the same recipe with the addition of roasted thinly sliced eggplant and zucchini between the layers of noodles. It was a hit!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2008-03-30T08:05:00.000-07:00

For Sabbath lunch today, we had garlic and dill mashed potatoes, sweet and sour meatballs, and broccoli. The girls loved the potatoes and broccoli but each only ate half their portion of the meatballs. I think the flavors were too strong for them. My husband and I really liked the meatballs, however. Here's the meatball recipe:
Meatballs:
1 1/4 cup vegetarian burger crumbles
1 cup cracker crumbs
1/2 cup flaxseed meal mixed with 1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp savory seasoning
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tbsp vegetarian chicken or beef broth powder
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp thyme

Sweet and sour sauce:
1 cup commercially prepared barbecue sauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp natural apricot or cherry jam
1 clove fresh garlic, crushed and diced
1/4 cup catsup
1/4 tsp liquid smoke flavoring

Mix all meatball ingredients well, form into golf-ball sized balls. Mix all sauce ingredients and then pour over meatballs. Bake in a greased casserole dish in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until bubbling.

Variation: I actually prefer these meatballs made with pecan meal, but I'm currently out! If you use pecan meal, you may need to add a little more water to get them to the consistency were you can form them into balls.

Cinnamon Raisin Cookies

2008-03-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

Today, my four year-old wanted to make cookies. I found a recipe in an old book I've had since college and veganized it with great success. This are really some of the best cookies I've ever had. I used banana in place of egg and it worked well. The girls (and my husband and I) enjoyed these cookies with a glass of hemp milk. I'd never tried it before-it's good! I know the cookie isn't beautiful, but remember it was made with little four year-old and two year-old hands.

Recipe for cookies:

1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar (I used Florida Crystals)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 ripe banana, mashed well
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts, opt.

Mix sugar, oil, vanilla and banana well. Add dry ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 miutes or until golden in 350 degree oven.

Baked Sesame/cilantro glazed tofu

2008-03-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

1 block extra-firm tofu
2 tbsp finely minced fresh cilantro
4 tbsp sesame seeds
1/8 cup vegan Italian dressing
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup sweet chili sauce
pinch of salt
olive oil or pan spray
one large or two small cloves garlic, crushed and minced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Cut the block of tofu into thin slices, place into a shallow pan.
Mix the liquid ingredients, garlic, salt, cilantro, and sesame seeds together. Pour over tofu and marinate for 30 minutes, occasionally rotating the tofu around in the marinade to cover all surfaces well.

Use pan spray or olive oil to grease a baking sheet. After it has marinated, place tofu on the sheet and then pour remaining marinade over the tofu. Bake for 15 minutes, flip, bake another 15 minutes.

This was for lunch today. We also had fried potatoes and onions, green beans, and avocado. The girls polished it all off and both asked for more tofu. In fact, four year-old said, "More of everything, momma."

Toddler breakfast of champions

2008-03-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

My girls love hot cereal. When they were infants, I would make it myself from fresh-ground whole grains. This morning, we all had the following for breakfast:

Steel cut oats with vegan margarine, sugar and rice milk
Blueberries
A piece of whole wheat toast with sunflower seed butter and no-sugar apricot jam

I also give my girls two vegan gummy bear calcium with vitamin D supplements and a probiotic wafer every day.

Angel hair pasta with mediterranean sauce and vegeburger

2008-03-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

Dinner tonight was simple but healthy and tasty. We had angel hair pasta with a chunky vegetable and vegeburger sauce. Also, thinly sliced and fried zucchini seasoned with garlic. Later, the girls had a pina colada popsicle for their evening snack and my husband and I ate a delicious grapefruit.

1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped

1 cup white mushrooms, sliced

1/2 can black olives, halved

1/4 cup green olives, halved

1/4 eggplant, peeled and diced

4 tbsp capers

1 can petite diced tomatoes

2 cups tomato sauce or commercially prepared pasta sauce

1 can Worthington vegetarian burger (vegan)

pan spray or 2 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and then crushed and minced

2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp oregano

Sautee onion until soft and then add other vegetables and vegetarian burger and sautee another couple minutes. Then, add the tomato sauce, spices and diced tomatoes. Cook until bubbling. Serve over angel hair pasta, prepared according to package directions.

Chocolate peanut butter rice crispy treats

2008-03-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight, we are having a party at my sisters' house. It's a potluck, actually. Last month, our theme was Japanese food. This week it is American. American vegetarian, that is. My sister is making veggie burgers and oven fries. I am making coleslaw, the rice crispy treats, and a green salad. Not sure what everyone else is making, but I think there will be some potato salad and a relish tray. It should be fun.

6 cups rice crispies cereal
1 8-ounce container of marshmallow fluff
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/8 cup canola oil
1/4 cup margarine
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and canola in one pot and marshmallow fluff, margarine, and vanilla in another. Stir both the entire time they are melting over medium-heat burner. Then, mix the marshmallow fluff mixture with the rice crispies and spread into the bottom of a casserole dish. Then, top with the chocolate peanut butter mixture. Cool in the refrigerator until they have set, cut into squares and serve. The marshmallow fluff I bought did not contain gelatin but it did contain egg whites. I think there is a vegan version out there, I'll have to keep looking around.

That picture did not turn out very well! Trust me, though, they tasted great!

Pina Colada Popsicles

2008-03-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

1/2 can lite coconut milk
1 cup soy milk
1 cup frozen or fresh pineapple pieces
2 ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp honey
4 tbsp apple juice concentrate

Blend in a blender on high until smooth, pour into popsicles molds. My kids love popsicles! I've even been very sneaky and added blended carrots or other vegetables. They don't notice or care...so long as it's a popsicle, a smoothie, or "ice cream" they eat it and enjoy it.

Enchiladas, carrots, ice cream (vegan)

2008-03-13T18:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I created an excellent vegan ice cream. Once again, using our easy-as-pie ice cream maker. For dinner, we had enchiladas, carrots, and the ice cream. See recipes below.

Enchiladas:

10 corn tortillas, microwaved to soften

one can mild enchilada sauce

refried beans

sliced black olives

vegan sour cream

vegan or regular cheese

fill each enchilada with about 2 tbsp of refried beans, some olives, and some cheese. Top with the enchilada sauce and bake at 350 until warm, bubbling. Top with the vegan sour cream.

Maple glazed carrots

One bag frozen sliced carrots

2 tbsp vegan non-hydrogenated margarine

salt to taste

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 cup water

Steam the carrots in the water until softening. Add the other ingredients and cook until the carrots are soft. I use a cast iron-skillet and the kids like the way the crinkle-cut carrots develop a grilled appearance with this method. Always a hit in our house!

Banana cherry ice cream

2 ripe bananas

1 cup frozen bing cherries

2 tbsp apple juice concentrate

1/2 can lite coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla

Blend in blender two minutes, pour into ice cream maker

A simple Wednesday meal

2008-03-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

Most nights, we just eat very simply. The kids prefer it, and it saves me time in the kitchen. Tonight, I prepared a package of frozen stirfry veggies (snap pea blend) with some non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, garlic powder and soy sauce. We also ate some brown rice and tender bits. These are a Loma Linda canned veggie food product. I coated them in flour and nutritional yeast and lightly fried them. We also had coleslaw. I will post that recipe below. I need a food processor to make it better. It turned out a bit too large with just being chopped. My two year-old still has almost no appetite, but my four year-old ate well. Here's a picture of my 4 year-olds' plate and my husbands' plate. Just a no frills meal tonight.

Coleslaw

1/4 head of cabbage, chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup vegenaise

2 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt to taste

Maple fruit salad

2008-03-08T17:11:00.000-08:00

The kids are hardly eating anything today because they are so exhausted and just not feeling well enough to do much but drink. So, I've been giving them fruit juices and water today. I made this fruit salad in hopes that it would be tempting enough for them to eat. My four year-old ate most of hers, but my two year-old didn't want anything for dinner. Later, she ate 3/4 of a veggie hotdog, and that was all she had to eat all evening. So, here's the fruit salad recipe. Of course, I forgot to take a picture but will post that the next time I make it.

1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
1 banana, diced
1 large apple, peeled and diced
1 fresh pear, washed and diced
2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup grapes, washed and cut into halves

4 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice or lime juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Walnut halves, optional

Mix the liquid ingredients together and then pour over the fruit and gently mix to cover. May top with the walnut halves.

Homemade cough syrup

2008-03-07T17:58:00.000-08:00

We're all sick! I read somewhere that honey is a great cough syrup, and perhaps more effective than over the counter stuff. So, I manufactured this cough syrup:

1/4 cup lemon juice
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp water
a dash of cayenne pepper

Cook over low heat in a sauce pan until it carmelizes. Let it sit until cool, use. My husband felt that it helped his cough last night, so I'm about to brew some more again.

Brown rice pudding

2008-03-06T16:59:00.000-08:00

3 cups pre-cooked brown rice
1/2 can lite coconut milk
1/2 cup water
4 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup raisins
a pinch of nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a pan on top of the stove, cook at low heat for 20 minutes. Place in individual serving bowls and refrigerate until cool. May serve with a sprinkling of cinnamon on top.

Stirfry with mock duck

2008-03-06T16:50:00.000-08:00

My good friend Allan is Filipino and the most wonderful creator of stir-fry ever! I have learned a few tips from him along the way and this dish used some of the techniques he's shown me. My husband loved it! I didn't serve it to the kids as it was pretty spicy. They did, however, enjoy the noodles and other veggies I prepared for them. The mock duck was also a hit.

Stirfry with mock duck

One small onion, halved and sliced
1 cup cleaned and washed white mushrooms, cut into thick slices
1 small yellow squash, halved and sliced
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

1 cup cabbage, washed and thinly sliced

one can mock duck, cut or torn into small pieces

sauce:

combine 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger, 3 tbsp catsup, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 cloves peeled and minced garlic, and 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce for chicken, set aside.

Stifry veggies with mock duck: Start with onions, carrots, squash, then add cabbage and mock dock. When onions are softening, add the sauce and stifry an additional two minutes. Serve over rice or wheat noodles.

*I bought the mock duck, noodles, and chili sauce at the oriental market.

Oriental tofu casserole

2008-02-27T16:03:00.001-08:00

This is a recipe that has been in our family since I was 10 years old. The original version was not vegan, but I veganized it tonight with success. It was good, but not as tangy as the original version was with miracle whip rather than vegenaise. The good news is that the family liked it, even my two year-old.

1 medium onion, diced
1 8-ounced pkg of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 can of bamboo shoots
1 can of water chestnuts, chopped
1/2 block of extra firm tofu, crumbled
1 cup vegan mushroom soup (I used Imagine foods)
3 cups cooked brown rice
1.5 cups crunchy wheat chinese noodles (I used La Choy), divided
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup vegan sour cream
1/2 cup vegenaise
1/4 cup soy sauce

Sautee vegetables in pan spray and water
Mix with all other ingredients except half cup of the chinese noodles. Sprinkle this half cup on top.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. We also had stirfried veggies with this meal.

Minestrone soup

2008-02-27T15:55:00.000-08:00

One medium onion, diced
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
1/2 stalk broccoli, chopped (or from frozen)
1 cup frozen green beans
3 large carrots, washed and peeled
1/2 a zucchini, washed and diced
1 can of kidney beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes

5 medium red potatoes, peeled and diced
4 onces dry whole wheat pasta
4 tbsp dry beef-like vegan broth seasoning
8 cups of water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
salt to taste
2 cups tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce
2 tbsp olive oil

Place onion in olive oil over low heat in a large stock pan. Cook until 0nions are soft and clear and then add other ingredients except pasta. Cook for half an hour and then add pasta. Cook an additional ten minutes.

Vegan soy-free lasagna

2008-02-27T09:11:00.000-08:00

My husband's favorite food is lasagna. His mom makes an awesome lasagna filled with cheddar cheese, vegeburger, onions, mushrooms, green pepper. Mmm, it is very good. However, also very high in cholesterol and saturated fat. So, I wondered if I could come up with a lasagna that would make my husband happy. I doubted it could surpass his mom's delicious dish, but I hoped to come close! I also wanted to make it soy-free because I like to try and avoid putting soy in every single vegan thing I cook. The result was really good! My husband's comment, "I can't stop eating this stuff." And, the kids ate their portion and asked for seconds. I didn't follow a recipe, just made it up as I went, so here it is:

1 medium box lasagna noodles
1 large jar of vegan pasta sauce
1 small onion, finely diced
1 cup cleaned and sliced white mushrooms
1/2 a zucchini, washed and diced
2 large carrots, peeled, washed, and diced
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp olive oil
"cheese" *see recipe below

Sautee vegetables in the oil, pour about 1/2 cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of a large casserole dish. Place a layer of dry lasagna noodles down. Pour more sauce and then add several spoonfuls of the vegetable mixture and cheese. Follow this pattern to the top of the casserole dish. Top with a generous amount of the pasta sauce and the oregano. Bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes.

*cheese recipe

1/4 cup drained canned pimentos
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp vegan chicken style seasoning
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup roasted cashews
1/4 cup flaxseeds
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high, adding just enough water to blend. It should be a thick paste when it is done.

Super Easy One dish Mexican Meal

2008-02-23T16:07:00.000-08:00

We were feeding three toddlers tonight as our little three year-old niece is here for her (and our) first ever sleep over. The kids have been having a blast! In any case, we are planning homemade popcorn and soy hot chocolate for later while we watch Mary Poppins, so I made a simple, not-too-heavy dinner.

For each Bowl:

3/4 cup brown rice
1/2 cup black beans
1/4 of an avocado, diced
1/4 cup sweet corn, from frozen
4 grape tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp mild salsa
1 tbsp vegan margarine (I use smart balance light)
1 tbsp diced cilantro
a pinch of salt

I already had the beans and rice on hand, so I just microwaved the beans, rice, and corn and then added the fresh ingredients. It got the toddler two thumbs up. My two year-old polished hers off and asked for more, the other girls ate almost all of it.

Vegan Fruited Gel

2008-02-21T17:11:00.000-08:00

The local Oriental Market is a handy place to have around, as I recently resolved to remove gelatin from my diet. Yes, some of you will think this is strange as I am a lifetime vegetarian. I have no excuse for myself except to say that growing up we ate this in our vegetarian home and I never questioned it. Now I know that gelatin is made from animal bones and parts and it grosses me out! No more yogurt for me as even yogurts that have kosher gelatin often contain fish gelatin. So, another good step in the dairy-free direction. In any case, back to why the Oriental Market is handy to have around. Besides a wide variety of tofu, canned vegan "meats," and oriental veggies, they also have agar. I discovered there a packet of agar for making a gelatin dessert. Double-checking the ingredients, I found that it did not actually contain any gelatin, only agar and sugar. My kids have never had gelatin, but became entranced with it recently as we were reading a book where a group of toddlers shares this "jiggly-goggly" treat. So, I made it today, with pieces of cut-up canned pears inside. I then cut it into toddler-sized pieces and the kids were able to pick it up and eat it. They were very excited to tell daddy all about it when he came home. So, recipe-wise:

Buy a package of agar "gelatin" dessert at the oriental market, follow directions, but:

Replace half of the water with fruit juice, I used pear

One can of pears, diced

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 pkg black cherry drink mix, no sugar added

(this picture is from my daughters' 4th "Hello Kitty" birthday party)

Mix all ingredients in a pan on the stovetop, stirring constantly until it boils. Remove from heat and pour into a shallow dish. It will be completely set within 2 hours and it actually turns out firmer than gelatin. Then, you can cut it into cubes or other shapes.

Grandmas' fried potatoes

2008-02-20T06:49:00.001-08:00

My mom makes the best fried potatoes in the world, and I have adopted her recipe. We made this for dinner last night, along with a veggie chicken patty and green beans. Plus, some more homemade "ice cream" for dessert. Here's the fried potato recipe:

5 medium red potaotes, washed and then baked or microwaved with peels on, sliced thin
1/2 medium sweet onion, sliced thin
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
4 tbsp olive oil

Place the olive oil in the pan and begin to fry the sliced onions. After a couple minutes, add the potatoes as well. When they appear done on one side, flip to the other side, then add all the seasonings. Serve with ketchup, of course.

Two Toddler-friendly recipes

2008-02-18T08:06:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of each week, I cook a big pot of brown rice and also a crockpot of beans. Then, we can use these througout the week as they are or as part of recipes. The kids love rice and are often very happy with a bowl of beans right along with it. My husband made the rice already yesterday, so it was on hand for breakfast this morning: brown rice, scrambled tofu and fruit. Here's the scrambled tofu recipe:

1 block extra-firm tofu, pressed to remove excess water and then fork mashed
1/2 small onion, diced
1 small jar pimentos or 1/4 of a red pepper, diced
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
pan spray or olive oil
vegenaise

Cook the onion, peppers and mushrooms in the panspray or oil until soft and onions are clear. Add tofu and spices, soy sauce. Serve atop brown rice with tomatoes and a spoon of vegenaise. My husband also likes a little hot sauce and/or salsa on his.

Vegan chocolate chip cookies

1 cup vegan sugar
1/2 cup canola oil or vegan margarine
1 medium banana, mashed well
1 tbsp flaxseed, freshly ground and mixed with 2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla
1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup quick oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 ounces vegan chocolate chips

Mix wet ingredients well, add dry ingredients. Mixture will be crumbly. Press into a golf-ball sized ball and then gently flatten the top of each ball. Bake on greased cookie sheet in 350 degree oven for 12 minutes. Leave on hot cookie sheet for five minutes before removing. Makes 18 small cookies, perfect for little toddler hands.

Lentil Soup by Vegedaddy

2008-02-17T17:59:00.000-08:00

I had to work today. What an INSANE day in the trauma ICU. My husband was home with the girls today and I came home to a clean house and a meal of lentil soup, whole wheat bread, and veggies. Often, I'll give my hubby some food ideas, but he does a great job all on his own too. I was surprised at how quickly the girls polished off their lentil soup and asked for more. Here's the recipe, but I'll warn you that it's all approximate as we don't do much measuring around here when it comes to creating soup.

Lentil Soup

1 small package dry lentils, sorted and rinsed
8 cups water
2 large carrots, cleaned and diced
1/2 a small onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 medium potatoes, diced
4 tbsp dry vegan chicken broth powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion salt
1 can petite diced tomatoes

Place the cleaned lentils and water in a large pot at medium heat

Add all veggies, spices, and veg. chicken broth powder

Cook until veggies and lentils are tender

I thought my husband did a great job: good soup! I'll post my recipe for Indian lentil soup sometime.

The Vegefamily eats out

2008-02-16T14:48:00.000-08:00

We're off to Imperial Palace tonight with my sister and her husband daughter, all our family, and my parents. Good Chinese food. My favorite dish there is spicy eggplant with tofu.

A day in the life of my vegetarian toddlers

2008-02-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

Breakfast:

Steel cut oats or millet with vegan margarine and maple syrup
blueberries (usually from frozen)
soy yogurt

Lunch:

brown rice
veggie chicken patty
broccoli
a whole fruit popsicle for dessert

Dinner:

whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce
lentil patties
salad or mixed vegetables
homemade fruit "ice cream"

The kids also get snacks twice a day:

Usually rice milk and then fruit or sunflower seed butter on bread or crackers

I still give the kids eggs on occasion and my older daughter will occasionally eat some dairy. (Trying to get away from it completely.) My younger daughter is highly intolerant to dairy. Now, I just have to convince my husband to be vegan. As he was a meat-eater when we first got married, vegetarianism in itself has been a big change.

Feeding Toddlers

2008-02-14T17:04:00.000-08:00

I live in Nebraska. That's beef country, for those of you that don't know. People at work are astonished to learn that I am a vegetarian, and the question of "what do you eat?" is often raised. The other day while at work, I was on the phone with my husband discussing a few things I wanted him to pick up at the grocery store. A co-worker overheard me asking him to pick up "Rice mik, soy milk, tofu, soy yogurt, dry lentils, dry red beans, etc." When I got off the phone, she remarked, "My grocery list is so different from yours. My kids would never eat that kind of stuff, do yours?" I assured her that my kids eat pretty much anything I feed them, and that hers would likely do the same if those options were offered. She then related to me that her 5 year-old was a very picky eater and wouldn't even eat her chicken nuggets and fries from McDonalds the other day. She herself is currently trying to undergo a lifestyle change and eat healthier: more salads, fruits, etc. I encouraged her to feed the kids what she eats. My two year-old will eat salad off my plate. She loves lentils and rice pasta. My four year-old's favorite food is brown rice! This is the way I have fed my girls since they first started eating. They like healthy food because it's what they are given and are used to. Now, don't get me wrong. They have had junk food, too, and they love french fries. I do allow them these things in moderation. However, they are every bit as happy with the ice cream I create at home from fresh fruit and coconut or rice/soy milk. And, they love eating oven fries. I try to give them these healthier options the majority of the time. I hope my girls will take these healthy habits and keep them for a lifetime.

Easy Hummus

2008-02-14T16:54:00.000-08:00

I love hummus. I'd never tried it until moving away from home to go to college. There, I discovered a restaurant called Jerusalem Cuisine. They made absolutely the best hummus around! Unfortunately, they have gone out of business. So, I have been forced to create my own hummus at home. Here's the recipe I used when I made it the other day. My family loves garlic. Even my two year-old loved this. Just wanted to let you know that it is truly very galicky! We ate our hummus with toasted whole wheat bread, slices of avocado, grape tomatoes, a bowl of brown rice, and some cauliflower. A simple meal, but the kiddos polished it off.

Easy Hummus

1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans)
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 small cloves fresh garlic, crushed and roughly chopped
1/4 cup natural-strength lemon juice
3 tbsp tahini OR 3 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
A little water, as much as it takes for your blender to blend the chick peas and garlic

Blend all ingredinets in a blender until smooth, may add cumin or fresh chopped parsley if desired.

This is also great on a sandwich with your favorite fresh veggies: lettuce, tomato, cucumber, black olives, avocado.

A few of my favorite vegan recipes

2008-02-13T09:03:00.002-08:00

Chick pea ala king

This is my adaptation of a recipe from Vibrant Life magazine. It's very good!

1 cup raw cashews
1.5 tbsp onion powder
1.5 tsp salt
1 tbsp vegan chicken style seasoning powder
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp basil
3 cups of water
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup diced sweet red pepper or small jar diced pimentos
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1.5 cups cooked or canned garbanzo beans (chick peas)
1 cup frozen peas
2 tbsp olive oil or may use pan spray

Rinse cashews will. Place cashews in blender with the water and seasonings. Blend for at least two minutes. Sautee the onion, mushroom, and red pepper in a large pan. Cook until soft, then add the cashew mixture. Simmer until bubbling and then mix in the frozen peas and chick peas. May add a little additional water if it's too thick. Serve over brown rice, quinoa, or pasta.

Soy-free Veggie Burgers

Another recipe adaptation, originally Bryanna Clark Grogans' with my modifications. The original recipe used TVP and soy sauce. I changed the recipe to make it soy-free. However, I must tell you that this recipe is much better *with* soy sauce rather than the soy-free chicken broth. So, if you can do soy, replace the vegan chicken broth with 2 tbsp of soy sauce for the wet mix and 4 tbsp of soy sauce for the broth. Another option is to use TVP or vegeburger crumbles rather than the flaxseed and ground walnuts, although I have had great success with those. I've even used lentils. This recipe is a great starting point for many variations.

Dry Mix:
2/3 cup pure gluten flour
1/3 cup chick pea flour
4 tbsp oatmeal
1 tsp dry marjoram
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup walnuts, ground to a meal
1/4 cup flaxseed, ground to a meal
2 tbsp dry vegan chicken broth mix
1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Wet Mix:
1 tsp marmite
3 tbsp catsup
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp smoke flavoring (opt)
plus enough water mixed with the above to equal a cup.

Cooking broth:
1 cup hot water
2 tbsp dry vegan chicken broth
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 gloves crushed and finely minced garlic

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients and set aside. Combine the wet mix ingredients and then gradually mix into dry ingredients. Be sure to mix the marmite thoroughly until it is all dissolved before adding to the dry ingredients. Form in to 6 medium harmburger-shaped patties and place in a lightly oiled 9x13 baking dish. Pour cooking broth over the patties, cover with aluminum foil. Bake x 15 minutes on one side, then flip to the other side for 15 additional minutes.

May freeze for later use, or fry to use now. I like them best prepared in a pan with a little pan spray and barbecue sauce, then served on a bun with veganaise, fresh sliced onion and tomato, and catsup. Enjoy!

Peanut butter tofu

1 block extra-firm tofu 1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1 tbsp hot chili sauce, or more to taste (I use "sweet chili sauce for chicken" from the oriental market)
1 clove garlic, crushed and diced
1/4 inch section of fresh ginger, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 cups water

1 tbsp honey or honey substitute
1 small onion, sliced thin
2 tbsp olive oil

Cut the tofu into 1/4 inch slices, place in a shallow dish with the soy sauce,honey, sweet chili sauce, garlic, and ginger. Tilt dish to cover tofu well. Marinate 1/2 hour or longer.
Meanwhile, sautee onion in the olive oil in a frying pan until soft and clear. Also, mix the creamy peanut butter with the water until it is a smooth sauce.
After the tofu has marinated, mix the peanut sauce mixture with the marinade and add it all the frying pan with the onions. Let it cook at low heat for about half an hour until the sauce is very thick, stirring gently if needed. Top with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve over rice noodles or brown rice. This recipe is milder as I serve it to my four year-old. You may want to add more chili sauce and ginger for adult tastes. *thanks to 'Llan and Wendy for being the creators of the original recipe I modeled this after!

2008-02-13T07:44:00.000-08:00

I've just recently discovered Vegan Gourmet "cheese" by Follow Your Heart. It's the most palatable soy cheese I've found. Good enough that my cheese-loving 4 year-old likes it! The other day, I made pizza and topped it with the cheddar version of Vegan Gourmet and then a little olive oil and some garlic powder. She gobbled it down and wanted more. Two days ago, I made vegan burritos with the monterrey jack variety. I find that my little ones (age 2 and 4) will eat burritos much more readily if they are smothered in enchilada sauce. Here's the recipe:

6 whole wheat tortilla shells
1 medium avocado, diced
1 cup shredded vegan gourmet monterrey jack cheese
1/2 cup sweet corn (from fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup diced fresh tomato
1/4 cup sliced black olives
2 cups Morningstar Farms vegeburger crumbles (or you could use TVP, reconstituted), warmed
1.5 cups vegan enchilada sauce
6 tbsp vegan sour cream or vegenaise

Warm the whole wheat tortilla shells in the microwave for 20 seconds, equally divide the vegetables and vegeburger crumbles, cheese, and sour cream/vegenaise. Roll outer edges of tortilla in and then over. Place in a casserole dish. Warm the enchilada sauce atop the stove or in the microwave and then pour over the burritos.

Tropical ice cream (vegan)

2008-02-11T17:56:00.000-08:00

For a couple years, I have been reading and enjoying the blogs of Vegan Lunch box, Vegan Lunchast, and more recently the blog of Megan the Vegan. Ahhh, such good food. It has inspired me! I have been a vegetarian my whole life but lately am finally beginning to seriously contemplate becoming vegan. I do believe it's the healthiest way to be. I've never been a big fan of eggs and feel pretty confident I could do without them quite easily. I have a bag of flaxseed in my freezer that I pull out whenever I want to grind a tablespoon of flaxseed to replace an egg, and that works well. The challenges are ice cream and cheese. Tonight, I made an *awesome* vegan ice cream, recipe follows. I wish I would have taken a picture!

Tropical ice cream

1 can lite coconut milk
1.5 bananas
1/2 cup white grape peach juice, frozen concentrate
1 cup frozen mango chunks
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp maple syrup or brown rice syrup
1 cup sweet tart frozen cherries

Blend in all the ingredients except half a banana and the cherries in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into ice cream maker and process until the consistency of soft-serve. We use the type of ice cream maker (see above) where you put the metal bowl in the freezer and then pull it out when ready to use.

When almost done, toss in half a banana, cut into chunks, and 1/2 cup tart sweet frozen cherries. This was SO good that the kids were going after the ice cream bowl with their spoons when their portions were finished.