Heat oven to 375. Mix everything together in a bowl, then put into a small ramakin.
Bake for 35 minutes. Its really hot, so wait until it cools down.

Preheat oven to 380. Mix dry ingredients, add wet and mix well. Thats it. 15 to 20 minutes until risen and firm.

I found some vegan sausage and the light bulb turned on!

What else would compliment vegan sausage, but sauerkraut!
I grabbed a yellow onion, red bell pepper, yam and an avocado .

I sauteed the diced onions for about 5 minutes, then threw in the diced red pepper, yam and avocado for the last 5 minutes.
Around that time I also warmed up the sausage and the sauerkraut in a skillet.

I wanted some veggies, so I grabbed about 1 cup of frozen mixed veggies and an apple.

Perfect, perfect perfect!

I had a vision of spaghetti, but was not able to make it fresh as I am doing now.
I decided on a spaghetti squash, and then I let my imagination run amok.

I wanted some additional flavors so I steamed some broccoli and asparagus for about 7 to 10 minutes

I wanted some home made sauce and here is recipe.
1 can 15oz petite diced tomatoes
1/2 medium yellow onion diced
3 green onions diced
1/2 small red pepper diced
1 – 6 inch vegan sausage diced
4 to 6 oz of firm tofu diced into 1/4 inch squares
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper

Warm that up on the stove on medium low heat for 15 minutes before serving.

1 medium spaghetti squash
Cut in half, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 350.
Once it is done, let it cool down for about 15 minutes (while the sauce is cooking).

Take a fork and remove all the squash and place it on your plate as you would spaghetti and cover with your sauce.
I then added the steamed fresh broccoli and asparagus.

What a delicious meal. Total cost under 13 dollars and enough food for 2 to 4 servings.

I found a sweet potato, 1/2 an onion, some fresh broccoli, some vegan sausage, and boca crumbles.

After a few minutes of pondering, and hearing my stomach growl, I decided on a skillet-type of dinner.

First of all, I had to use my fancy new skillet I got for my 16th wedding anniversary, from my beautiful wife, Cheri.
I am so lucky to have her as my wife.

Anyway, back to my dinner, I used about 1/3 cup Olive Oil, and sauteed the onions and sweet potato for 5 minutes, then added all the other ingredients and topped it with some non-dairy soy mozzarella cheese.

After about 10 minutes, of prep work and 10 minutes of cooking, my stomach was no longer growling!
The picture is not awesome, but I was hungry and did not want to wait too long to eat!!!!

This veggie burger is very simple and yet has a great taste

1 can black beans drained as thoroughly as possible
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and as dry as possible
1/2 cup oats

Blend the beans in a food processor until smooth yet with some chunks…makes it look real good and gives it some texture.

Add the oats and hand mix together until mixed well.

That’s it for now.

Take enough of the mixture to make one patty and put it into a bowl.
Get your self some egg re-placer and make the equivalent of 1 egg and once it is ready, add it to the patty by hand mixing.

After a few minutes to let it setup, or set in the refrigerator for an hour or whatever, spoon it into a hot skillet, and fry for about 1 minute on each side.
After you flip it, you can add some cheese to help it melt. I like to use shredded cheese, that I have left over and cover the patty for the last minute with a lid to help with the melting of the cheese. You can leave it covered for as long as it takes to melt the cheese, so 90 seconds is not too long, but you need to be careful to watch it carefully.

Once your done, get your bun ready with whatever you please, I love lettuce, tomato, avocado, and sauteed onions.
Feel free to experiment. Its one heck of a nice burger.

Little did I know this was her idea for an anniversary present, so I ruined it, and she had to resort to plan B…..and well, there really was not plan B. So she had to just come out and ask me what I wanted…sigh….. I guess next time I wont make a purchase so close to my anniversary…sorry Peanut!

Anyway, this was a combined effort, I did all the prep work and my wife took care of building it and placing it in the oven to cook.

It turned out pretty darn good, however I chose the smaller casserole dish, and I should of used my wife’s choice the 13X9 (I hate it when she is right about cooking, that’s my world!)

I made the lasagna by using a traditional pasta recipe that I have blogged about before: No Egg Semolina Pasta.
Once that was done, I started to prep the mix.

I hope I remember all the ingredients:
1 pkg firm tofu
3 cups defrosted frozen chopped spinach
3 tbsp Fresh parsley
6 cloves garlic diced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
28 oz tomato sauce
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp oregano

Mix them all together thoroughly.

Put some tomato sauce on the bottom, and then put a layer of noodles.
Put a layer of the mix, then another layer of noodles and repeat until your pan is full.

The top layer you put the optional soy/rice mozzarella cheese and some more tomato sauce.

Bake for 40 minutes at 350.

Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

What a wonderful side dish. Perfect compliment to soup, sandwiches and is somewhat sweet, and oh, rather delicious.

Couscous Salad – Sweet & Fruity!

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 1/2 cups uncooked couscous
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 cups boiling water
2 cups chickpeas
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil (i use a bit less)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 grated orange rind
2 teaspoons basil
1/ 2 teaspoon salt
pepper

Directions:

1) Mix couscous, raisins, turmeric, and boiling water. Cover, set aside for 10 minutes or so, then fluff with a fork.

2) In a separate bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients. Pour over couscous. Chill.

This couscous salad tastes completely different from all the other ones I’ve tried. The raisins and orange rind really set it apart. Its a family tradition for potlucks, company, and Christmas dinner.

Makes: 8 servings, Preparation time: 10 minutes, Cooking time: 10 minutes

I used a Bosc pear, cut the skin off…and ate it while cooking.

Using some guides from the internet and basic ideas from several websites, I came up with this recipe.

1 pear
1/4 cup rasins
1/4 cup Craisins
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup Pomegranate and Blueberry juice (Orange juice should work too)
1 cup water – Next time I will use 1/2 cup
1/4 cup Splenda – Next time I will NOT use any splenda
1 pinch Nutmeg
1 pinch Allspice
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
4 Tbsp Triple Sec – Not really needed but it did help bring in some orange flavor

Cook the pear that has been chopped up into large chunks in the water, applesauce and juice for about 10 to 15 minutes in a very light boil. Stir occasionally to avoid any burning/sticking of fruit to the bottom.

Add the Splenda, nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon as well as the triple sec(if you want).
Keep at a light boil for another 15 minutes.
When the pear is starting to soften up, add the raisins and Craisins for the last 5 to 6 minutes.

Remove the fruit from the liquid and continue to boil down the liquid until all the water is gone.
You will need to watch this part or it will burn. Stir often at this phase.
You should be left with a thick syrup that you will pour over the fruit, or mix it in with the fruit.

Takes about 5 to 10 minutes to prepare and start the cooking.
About 30 to 40 minutes to cook the fruit and reduce the liquid to a syrup.

This will produce about 2 cups worth of dessert, so you can divide it up among 1 to 3 people pretty easily.

So, I took the basic Semolina Egg Pasta recipe in the KitchenAid owners manual with my new pasta roller/attachment kit. I changed out the real egg with my egg replacer! It worked perfectly.

4 egg replacer – in place of 4 real eggs (add the water and make it as directed)
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp oil
3 1/2 cups semolina flour
1/2 tsp salt

Place eggs/pre-mixed egg substitute, water, oil, flour and salt into the mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater. Turn to speed 2 and mix for 30 seconds.

Exchange flat beater for dough hook. Turn to speed 2 and knead 2 minutes. Remove dough from bowl and hand knead for 1 to 2 minutes. Divide dough into eight pieces before processing with pasta sheet roller attachment.

Your done in less than 10 minutes. Cook your awesome pasta and enjoy!

Here is the original link: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=14069.0

Of course, I tried to make spaghetti a few months ago, and my arms are still sore.
So, this time, I talked my wife into getting the fancy attachment for our Kitchenaid Stand mixer.

Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking trying to do this without a spaghetti roller.

Tofu Ravioli with Red Sauce

3 cups flour
egg substitute equal to 4 eggs
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup or more water
12 oz. package firm tofu
1/4 cup vegan Parmesan
2-3 handfuls vegan mozzarella
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 each 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes and can tomato sauce
oregano, basil, marjoram, salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Make red sauce:
Saute onion, bell pepper and mushrooms in olive oil. Add in garlic and saute a little longer. Add tomato sauce. Drain diced tomatoes into empty sauce can and add tomatoes to vegetables. Add seasonings, use leftover juice to thin sauce as needed. Add some red wine if desired.

Make ravioli dough:
Combine flour and salt in bowl, add egg replacer and mix in. Add water to make a thick dough. Knead and let rest 15 minutes to develop. Meanwhile, mix together tofu, “cheeses” and parsley for filling. Put a large pot of water on to boil.

Roll out dough thinly and cut into squares or circles. Put a dollop of filling on each, wet edges and seal tightly. Place on cookie sheet until you have about one dozen. Boil this batch, takes about 5 minutes, they’re done when they float to the top. Remove with slotted spoon to serving bowl. Repeat.

Place five or six ravioli on plates and cover with sauce, sprinkle with additional parmesan if desired.

Serves: 6-8

Preparation time: 2 hours

Being a vegan has its GREAT moments, and this was one of them!

Special note, next time I will make the pasta a bit thinner!

Here is the original link: http://www.boutell.com/vegetarian/sauce.html

The Center for Science in the Public Interest calls home-made spaghetti sauce “better than bottled.” I call it “easier than you think.” Contrary to what I’ve found in a lot of overpriced cookbooks, pasta sauce works just fine if you let it cook for just as long as it takes your pasta to boil.

Ingredients:

* 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
* half a small yellow onion, diced
* 2 cloves of garlic, minced
* 6-8 small roma tomatoes or 4-6 large red tomatoes
* 1 small green bell pepper (optional)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Method:

Sauté the onion and garlic in a saucepan. (Place the onions in the pan first, and add the garlic on top of the onion. This procedure will keep the garlic from burning.) Turn the heat to low or medium-low.

While the onion and garlic are cooking, chop the tomatoes into cubes. An easy way to chop them is to slice them in half, then julienne the halves, and then chop the julienne slices into small cubes. Some people prefer large chunks while others prefer a very smooth texture close to purée. Either size works fine for this recipe and the cooking time does not need altering for large or small cubes.

Place the tomatoes into the onion and garlic sauté and stir. Add the diced bell pepper (optional) and stir. Add the spices and stir again. Let simmer whilst preparing pasta. Stir occasionally, turning down the flame if it sticks.

When the pasta is done, spoon the sauce onto the individual servings of pasta or mix with the entire batch, following your own custom.
Notes:

Tomatoes have a high acid content, so experts advise that tomato dishes be cooked in pans that do not have a non-stick coating.

Serves three to four. A rule of thumb is to use two or three roma tomatoes per serving. Added bell pepper will increase the yield, of course.

The sauce should be used within three or four days of preparing. It freezes OK but is much better fresh.

When preparing this recipe and any other food you enjoy, please use organically-grown vegetables, fruits, grains, and flavorings. The Earth you save may be your own.

I found this from: http://www.vegansoapbox.com/vegan-pot-pie-recipe/
She has some wonderful ideas and I have tried a few of them.

This tasty pot pie is an easy introduction to hearty vegan food perfectly suited for an Autumn holiday or family dinner.

Ingredients

* Package of two pre-made, vegan pie crusts
* 1/4 cup all purpose flour
* 2 tablespooons nutritional yeast
* 1 cup soy milk
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 8-12 ounce package of extra firm tofu, cut into 1 inch squares
* 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
* 1/2 cup frozen peas
* 1/2 bunch fresh spinach chopped or 1 small package frozen spinach
* 1 carrot, chopped
* 1 stalk of celery, chopped
* 4 red potatoes, boiled and cut into 1/2 inch squares

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Whisk the flour, nutritional yeast, 2 tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper, and soy milk together and set aside.
3. Saute the onion in 2 tablespoons of oil on medium-high until clear (or about 5 minutes).
4. Turn the heat down to medium and add the corn, peas, carrot, and celery. Saute another 5 minutes.
5. Add the tofu and potatoes and stir. Then add the spinach and stir. Saute for another 5 minutes.
6. Scoop the tofu and veggie mix into one pie crust.
7. Pour the soymilk mixture over the veggies into the pie crust.
8. Carefully lay the 2nd pie crust over the top and press the edges together with a fork to seal.
9. Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve with a green salad or steamed greens.

I needed to dry the tofu and press it more than I did. Also, I needed to keep the chunks of tofu a bit larger than I did.

General Tao’s Tofu

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 box of firm tofu
egg substitute for 1 egg
3/4 cup cornstarch
vegetable oil for frying
3 chopped green onions
1 Tablespoon minced ginger
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2/3 cup vegetable stock
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
4 Tablespoons sugar
red pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon sherry (optional)
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
steamed broccoli

Directions:

Drain, dry and cut tofu into 1 inch chunks. You can freeze tofu the night before to get a more chicken-like consistency, but it isn’t necessary. Mix the egg replacer as specified on the box and add an additional 3 tablespoons water. Dip tofu in egg replacer/water mixture and coat completely. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cornstarch over tofu and coat completely. Watch out that the cornstarch doesn’t clump up at the bottom of the bowl.

Heat oil in pan and fry tofu pieces until golden. Drain oil.

Heat 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil in pan on medium heat. Add green onions, ginger and garlic, cook for about 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic. Add vegetable stock, soy sauce, sugar, red pepper and vinegar. Mix 2 Tablespoons water with 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and pour into mixture stirring well. Add fried tofu and coat evenly.

Serve immediately with steamed broccoli over your choice of rice.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 30 Minutes

I was stuck with 3 cups of brown sugar, 3 bananas, and 1 1/2 cups of chopped dates.
After some searching, I came across my favorite website for vegan recipes….www.vegweb.com

Here is the original link: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=24600.0
I took their ideas, and made it fit my needs. It turned out to be more like banana date brownies, so be warned if you try this!!!!

36 dates
1 1/2 cups water or soymilk
1/4 – 1/2 sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 cup oil
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 bananas

Directions:

This is a remake of a vegan date cake recipe I like.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and oil an 8×8 inch metal baking tin. (I use a deep cake tin with the oven on 150 – we have a very hot oven)

2. Put dates, soymilk/water, sugar and bananas in a blender or food processor and blend/process until dates are pureed (you can soak the dates in boiling water if they are hard) and ingredients are well combined.

3. Pour date mixture in a large bowl and add the oil. Stir well to incorporate. Add flour slowly. Then baking soda.

4. When you have incorporated all of the flour into the batter, pour into the baking pan and bake for 40-60 minutes (depends on your oven and tin, mine took an hour)until toothpick test comes out clean. (Cake will be very dense)

Serves: 12

Ok, If I get another recipe from www.vegweb.com, I think I will scream. This is a trifecta for today, and I am not disappointed.

This great dessert finished our meal of Tortilla Soup and Tostadas.

I am on a Mexican kick this week, so I imagine most of my meals will follow this concept.

Vegan Soyless Tostadas

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 cup refried beans
3 tablespoons red enchilada sauce
2 avocados
1 roma, finely diced
ground cumin, lime juice, salt, pico de gallo seasoning (or cayenne if you can’t find it) to taste
4 tostada shells
shredded romaine or cabbage
finely diced red or green onions
cilantro (optional)
diced romas
jarred jalapeno slices
if necessary, whatever else floats your boat

Directions:

1) Make guacamole: Mash your 2 avocados in a bowl, add finely diced romas, a dash of lime juice (be careful not to add too much!), salt, cumin, and pico de gallo (to taste). Set aside.

2) Mix refried beans with enchilada sauce in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes.

3) While beans are in the microwave prepare the rest of your veggies/ toppings.

4) Once beans are ready mix them around again. Spread beans over your tostadas first, then onions, cilantro, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, and jalapenos. Enjoy!

Source of recipe: I wrote this recipe.

Makes: 4 tostadas with some leftover guacamole, Preparation time: 5 minutes, Cooking time: 2 minutes

Tonight, my Tortilla Soup was not going to be enough, so I added some basic tostadas to finish this dinner.

This very simple item has lots of flavor and can be made in just a few minutes.

Vegan Soyless Tostadas

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 cup refried beans
3 tablespoons red enchilada sauce
2 avocados
1 roma, finely diced
ground cumin, lime juice, salt, pico de gallo seasoning (or cayenne if you can’t find it) to taste
4 tostada shells
shredded romaine or cabbage
finely diced red or green onions
cilantro (optional)
diced romas
jarred jalapeno slices
if necessary, whatever else floats your boat

Directions:

1) Make guacamole: Mash your 2 avocados in a bowl, add finely diced romas, a dash of lime juice (be careful not to add too much!), salt, cumin, and pico de gallo (to taste). Set aside.

2) Mix refried beans with enchilada sauce in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes.

3) While beans are in the microwave prepare the rest of your veggies/ toppings.

4) Once beans are ready mix them around again. Spread beans over your tostadas first, then onions, cilantro, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, and jalapenos. Enjoy!

Source of recipe: I wrote this recipe.

Makes: 4 tostadas with some leftover guacamole, Preparation time: 5 minutes, Cooking time: 2 minutes

Anyway, please try this if you get a chance.

Special thanks AGAIN to www.vegweb.com for this recipe.

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 large or 2 medium zucchini
1 medium white onion
2 stalks celery
5 garlic cloves
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can red enchilada sauce
2 -3 serrano chilies or habanero sauce
1 bag frozen sweet corn
1 package of extra-firm silken tofu
avocado and cilantro and corn chips and 3 limes
3 cups Mexican style rice or brown rice
vegan soy cheese, preferably white
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

Chop zucchini, onion, garlic and celery in medium sized chunks. Saute in the bottom of a large pot in veggie oil until soft. Add can of diced tomatoes with juice and either diced serrano peppers or a few dashes of habanero pepper sauce (adjust to your taste). Add 3 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 tablespoon oregano. Stir and let simmer 2-3 minutes until well heated. Add veggie broth (this soup should be brothy otherwise when you add in the garnish it will be a stew. If it gets too thick, add more broth or hot water) and half of the can of enchilada sauce (again, to taste). Add in frozen corn and half package of silken tofu, cut into small cubes. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.

Serve with a scoop of rice in the bottom of bowl, add in soup and garnish with cilantro leaves, soy cheese, crumbled corn chips, avocado and a squeeze of lime. The garnish is very important to the flavor of the soup.

It is a long list of ingredients, but assembles quickly and tastes great. I am from San Antonio, Texas and there is just no other way to make good Tortilla soup than with a bunch of stuff.

Makes: 4 servings, Preparation time: 15 minutes, Cooking time: 30 minutes

We were very happy with the final product. It makes amazingly full enchiladas that fill you up!

To plate this dish, I chose a red pear and some edamame.

Quinoa Veggie Bean Burritos Enchilada Style

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green or red bell pepper, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon taco seasoning or chili powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1- 14oz. can diced tomatoes, drained and juice reserved
1- 14oz. can black, kidney, or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups water
3/4 cup quinoa
1 cup frozen corn (optional), thawed
1- 8oz. can tomato sauce seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon each cumin and chipotle chili powder
1/4 cup vegan mayo
squirt of ketchup
squirt of lime juice
6 soft taco size flour tortillas

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2) Heat olive oil in a medium sized pot and saute onion, bell pepper, zucchini and garlic until they are soft. Stir in the cumin, taco seasoning, and oregano and then add the drained tomatoes and spinach. Add the black beans, water and quinoa. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender. Stir in thawed corn (if using). Season with salt and pepper.

3) To make the sauce, mix the tomato sauce and the reserved tomato juice in a bowl. Season with cumin and chipotle chili powder. Stir until combined.

4) Prepare drizzle by combining vegan mayo, ketchup and lime juice in another small bowl.

5) To prepare burritos, spread a little bit of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Fill a tortilla generously with the quinoa mixture. There will be a lot of filling so don’t be afraid to fill them to bursting. Roll the tortilla closed and place seam side down in the baking dish. Proceed with the rest of the tortillas. Pour remaining sauce on top of all the burritos. Drizzle with vegan mayo/lime juice mixture. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Source of recipe: Adapted from a recipe I found in Vegetarian Times.

Makes: 6 burritos, Preparation time: 20 minutes, Cooking time: 20 minutes

I had some green pepper, carrots, quinoa, rice avocado, mushrooms, onions and sweet potato. None of which amounted to much all by themselves, but together, they made a great meal.

First I julleine cut the sweet potato, and the carrot and green pepper and started to cook the rice and quinoa.

I stir fried the onion in some olive oil and for 3 minutes or so. I added the sweet potato, and green pepper and some stir fry sauce, about 1 tbsp.

As it cooked, I added the mushrooms and carrots, and right at the last 3 minutes I added the avocado in small dollops.

I plated the rice and quinoa and just put the stir fry right on the plate, I was pretty hungry so I am happy that I at least got a few pictures of this one.

I stumbled across a Cheesecake recipe on Vegweb.com:
Crust:
1 1/4c graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoon vegan sugar or other sweetener
1/4c margarine or oil
Filling:
2 lbs. soft silken tofu (well drained but not pressed)
8 oz. vegan cream cheese
1/4c pineapple juice frozen concentrate thawed
1/2c oil
1Tbs. lemon juice
1Tbs. vanilla extract
1/2c pure maple syurp
1Tbs. coriander
1Tbs. corn starch disolved in 2Tbs. water

Directions:

For crust: Melt margarine and blend well with graham cracker cumbs and sweetener. Press well into bottom of spring-form pan or round cake pan. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Filling: Mash tofu with vegan cream cheese. Add all other ingredients to tofu mixture and whip with hand mixer until well blended and very creamy. Try to get all tofu lumps out. Pour into crust and bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes. Turn OFF oven and leave in for 15 minutes more to help set center. When done edges should be golden and starting to pull away from sides of pan, center should be soft set (it will wiggle if you shake pan lightly). Cool about an hour then refigerate another 3 hours to set center. Keep refrigerated.

Helpfull hints: Be sure to check cake during baking I live in the mountains (at about 5800 ft.)so you may need to adjust the baking time down if you live at a lower altitude. Draining the tofu well is important. Too much liquid and the center won’t set well. After slicing the cake place a paper towel in the cut out section before returning it to the frige. This will absorb any fluid that will condense on the plate or in the pan and keep the bottom of the cake from getting too soggy.

After being dairy free for over a year my cheesecake craving returned. I tried some of the other Tofu Cheesecake recipies out there but found they tasted more like baked custard than cheesecake. After some experimentation I came up with this recipie which my family thinks tastes much like the real thing. My husbands comment after trying this Well you finally got me to eat tofu (he loved it and I think at least half of the one I made this weekend ended up in his stomach!)

Serves: approx 12

Preparation time: 1 1/2 hours

I added some mashed up strawberries that I warmed up in the microwave, and placed the rest as a garnish on top. It was pretty darn good. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a great dessert, that is not too sweet, and has plenty of flavor.

My sushi from the yesterday, made a great lunch. It was so full of flavor and fresh. We bought a huge bag of carrots, so I am feeling like I need to eat them all the time.
For dinner, I had my dad and step-mother over for a bit. We were going to watch the Super Bowl. I wanted to make a soup, and this is what I came up with.

I had a hug container of vegetable juice. I also wanted some potato so I came up with this recipe:
3 Potato, and tomato soup

1 green pepper cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 yellow pepper cut into 1/4 inch cubes
3/4 cup olive oil
About 6 cups of vegetable juice
2 Sweet Potato into 1 inch cubes
2 Idaho Potato into 1 inch cubes
2 Yellow Potato into 1 inch cubes
3 carrots julienne cut into 1/4 inch slices

Get the peppers and olive oil going at medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Add the juice, and all the potato that have been cut into 1 inch cubes.

Add some Onion Powder, garlic salt and pepper
Simmer for as long as you want, I did mine for 3 hours.

For an added effect, I made some carrot flowers that tried to float on top!

Dessert was a vegan pineapple upside down cake.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

* 1/3 cup margarine, melted
* 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
* 1 20-oz. can sliced pineapple, drained, reserving juice
* 8 maraschino cherries, stems removed
* Reserved pineapple juice mixed with enough soy milk to equal 1 3/4 cups
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2/3 cup soy potein isolate/shake drink mix (available at health food stores)
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 2 tsp. baking powder
* 1 tsp. baking soda

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pour the margarine on the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch glass dish, sprinkling brown sugar evenly over top. Arrange pineapple slices side by side on top of brown sugar, putting a cherry in the hole of each slice. Combine the juice-and-soy-milk mixture, vanilla, oil, and sugar in a large bowl. Into this mixture, sift the flour, soy protein isolate, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour this batter over the pineapples in the glass dish, spreading evenly. Bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before flipping onto a serving platter.

How to make a carrot flower

This version has carrots, mushrooms, green pepper and yellow pepper.

First I make the sushi rice, and lately I have been making the rice vinegar, sugar and salt, instead of the dry powder instant mix.

After I was done, this not only looked great but tasted great. Oh, in case you were wondering, I ate all of these in 3 meals….I should of made more!

After frying up the sweet potato, and onions, I layered everything on a sandwich. I found I had way too much accessories, so I added another layer to my sandwich, and BOOM….dinner! I had a few slices of orange and whatever sauteed onions would not fit on the sandwich. I also wanted some rice, so i added about a cup.

Very filling and very good.

I used some frozen broccoli, and some cabbage, with about 2 cups of rice.

Basically, I did a stir fry using some salt, pepper, and some soy sauce.

I added some of the fruit salad I made a few days ago, and wa-la dinner is served.

Lunch was a great fresh sandwich. I found some vegan cheese at a local store. I used my whole wheat bread, some fresh lettuce, avacado, and mustard. I had a pickle, and apple and some dried fruits and nuts.

Dinner was a bit more traditional. Some pasta with crushed tomato, with onion powder and garlic salt for a sauce.
We also had a fruit salad, with some melons, grapes and oranges

Well, being on a roll, I stumbled across a vegan cookie recipe and found it to AWESOME.

When preparing this recipe and any other food you enjoy, please use organically-grown vegetables, fruits, grains, and flavorings. The Earth you save may be your own.
Ingredients

* 1 cup margarine, cold
* 1 1/2 cups tightly packed brown sugar (read this first)
* 1 cup table sugar (read this first)
* 1 ripe, mashed banana (if the banana peel isn’t spotted black, cover the mashed banana with the juice of half a lemon for about 15 minutes before incorporating it into the mix)
* 3, 4, or 5 teaspoons vanilla (be generous)
* 2 tablespoons water or soy/almond/rice drink
* 2 cups all-purpose or whole-wheat flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder stirred into the flour for guaranteed dispersion
* 2 1/2 cups rolled oats (quick oats work well)
* 2 1/2 cups vegan chocolate chips (check the bag for milkfat!)

Method

Beat together the margarine and sugars. Electric mixers are unnecessary. Add the well-mashed banana and mix well, then add the vanilla, then the water. The water will try to separate; keep mixing with a figure-eight motion and add the dry ingredients, in the order above, bit by bit (say, by half-cup increments).

The final batter should be almost too dry to hold the chocolate chips; if it isn’t, I’ve misrepresented the amount of flour or oats you need and you should add more or less, according to the problem. Dry batter is good, since any chips that fall off the batter can go directly into your mouth, and no one will miss them. If the batter is too wet, the cookies will flatten while baking and turn out hard and flat.

Bake them for 10 or 12 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cook them longer if you prefer a hard cookie, but be aware that bananas only approximate the action of an egg in the mix, and you can get cookies as hard as the cookie sheet if you aren’t careful.

Let them congeal on the sheet for a moment after removing them from the oven, then cool on a plate or a wire rack. Store in an air-tight container. They taste even better after they sit overnight or in the fridge.

The rice in the chili is a technique I got while living in Hawaii. In Hawaii, back in the late 1970’s and 1980’s I attended several high school and college football games. One way they served their chili was over a bed of rice. I loved it then, and still love it that way today.

So, lunch time rolls around and I am stuck wondering, what am I going to do.

Here are the ingredients:
1/2 red onion
1/2 sweet potato
2 leaves of cabbage
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Garlic Salt
1 tsp Onion powder

I decided to cut up the sweet potato, and onion into large bite sized pieces. I was originally going to fry up everything but I was afraid it was not going to soften things up before they started to burn.

After some deliberation, I opted for 3/4 cup water and steam/boil the mix for about 7 minutes, until the water evaporated. After the water was running out, I added 6 tbsp of olive oil to finish cooking and the spices. Stir occasional to coat everything.

1 pear was quartered and plated aesthetically for my photo, but you dont have to that! They taste just fine whole!

I was totally surprised when I ate this lunch. I only wish I had some taco seasoning, but for what I had this was excellent.

salt and pepper
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp turmeric
1/2 sweet potato
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 can black beans
1/4 cup Quinoa
1/4 cup rice
3 leaves of cabbage
salt and pepper
4 to 6 tortillas
1/2 can of black beans
3 to 4 slices of vegan cheese, or 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

Prepare the rice and Quinoa as directed. Set aside.
Cut the sweet potato, green pepper and red pepper into 3 inch long shoe strings about 1/4 inch wide.
Cut the cabbage into thin strips about 1/4 inch wide.
In a pan, put about 1/2 cup of water cover and simmer the cabbage and sweet potato and peppers. Once the water is gone and everything is getting soft, add about 6 tbsp of olive oil and finish cooking the veggies. Add the tomato paste, salt and pepper, turmeric, and paprika. Stir often.

Warm up some black beans in a pan, and if possible, mash it into a paste.

Once everything is cooked get ready to make the soft shell tacos.
Start with a tortilla, add some black bean paste, rice, quinoa, cabbage/sweet potato/pepper mix, and finally vegan cheese.

I added a pear to go with my meal. It turned out fantastic, but if I had the opportunity I would of used some different spices as I said before.

Salad:
1 cup Quinoa
2 cups cold water
1/4 tsp salt
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup blanched slivered or sliced almonds
3 tbsp pine nuts
1 medium cucumber , peeled and diced

Dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp turmeric
juice from 1 lime
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and Pepper

Wash the quinoa and boil in water for 10 minutes
Cover and let the quinoa sit until it absorbs all the water.
Fluff the quinoa with a fork and let it cool down to room temperature.
Peel the mango and cut into cubes.
Peel and slice the cucumber thinly and dice the cucumber.
Add cucumber to mango in a large bowl. Add the almonds and pine nuts.
Heat 1 tsp oil in a small pan and fry with turmeric for 30 seconds, then let it cool.
Add the juice of the lime into the bowl with the cucumbers and mango.
Mix in the oil, cilantro, salt and pepper together with a whisk or fork in a separate bowl.
Add the cooled quinoa to the mango and cucumbers then pour the dressing over the cucumbers and mangos.
Toss and serve. You can also chill this for a while if you prefer.

2 pears – cut the bottom off to make a nice flat surface
1 cup of juice – Orange, Apple, Pear
6 to 8 whole cloves (I did not use them)
6 Whole allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp pumpkin spice

Put the pears, with the flat bottoms, in a baking dish. Pour in the juice, and add the cloves/all spice, and nutmeg and pumpkin spice.

Insert into the oven at 400F. Every 15 minutes baste them for 1 hour.

When you take them out, make sure you put some of the leftover juice on the plate. It tastes wonderful when you cut off a bite sized piece of pear, and dip it in the juice!

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Enough said…