Big McVeggieMac......

Hello my vegan friends....and anyone out there just a little curious!
I've been so busy these past months I have neglected my blog...sorry....I'm happy to say I'm busy in  a good way.
I now cook for several people, I've been doing some cooking classes, and I've been spreading the vegan word around.
I have to admit, I use to LOVE, dare I say it...Big Mac's....(probably why I had triple by-pass surgery!).
I keep trying different veggie burgers, but I have to admit, they really don't come close to the real thing.
I finally found one that's not too bad...Gardein has come out with a beefless burger, look for it in the frozen section of your local health food store...you can also check their website for a local store near you. Their website is www.gardein.com.
I keep seeing Big Mac ads on  tv, so I thought why not make a vegan "Big Mac"?
So here is what I came up with.....
You'll need:
Gardein Beefless Patties (or any vegan burger)
small onion, minced
finely chopped lettuce
couple of pickles
vegan cheeze
"special sauce" (recipe follows)
whole wheat hamburger bun
Place Gardein "patty" in a grill skillet, cook about 4-5 minutes each
side. (you don't have to thaw out)
After both sides are grilled, add slice of cheeze, cover until cheeze is melted.
Slather some of the "special sauce" on bottom of bun, place "burger" on top, then start layering, pickles, lettuce, onions, more sauce....cover and ENJOY!
Special Sauce
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chili sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon relish
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

               Mix together....ENJOY! (this makes a great salad dressing too!)

Chips and Dip.....

I should have posted this last week before the Academy Awards......
Every year my first husband and I had a tradition, we would watch the Academy Awards faithful while eating chips and dip...our own little party. Sadly Nick died almost 16 years ago of cancer, but I have continued this tradition to this day. So instead of the the dairy version of dips I used to make, I came up with this delicious non-dairy Artichoke Dip....Nick might have approved but I doubt seriously he would have bought into me being a vegan...(you had to know Nick to appreciate this comment!) Nick, where ever you may be, I hope your enjoying your own version of chips and dip!

Creamy Yummy Artichoke Dip
1 can artichokes (I think its the 15oz ish size)
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/2 cup vegan mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup white cooked beans
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Chop the artichokes, place in a bowl and mash everything together.
Place in a casserole, bake for about 30 minutes until nice and bubbly.
Serve with...tortilla chips....can you say yummy!
ENJOY!

Easy Left-Over Stir Fry

Wow! I can't believe the first week of 2011 is almost over! I have a feeling before you know it, 2011 will be a distant memory.....

Okay, so along with realizing the first week of January is almost up, I have yet to post anything....not so good on the New Year's Resolution is it? So not to disappoint you (or me), here's a little recipe I threw together the other night. I was in the mood for stir-fry, so I looked in my frig and this is what I came up with.

Left-Over Stir Fry
Serves 1
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 carrot sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1 cup broccoli florets
1 portabello mushroom (or whatever kind of mushrooms you may have) sliced
1 cup left-over cooked brown rice
tamari or soy sauce to taste
mirin (rice wine) to taste
In a wok or frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil, add all vegetables, stir-fry about 5-8 minutes until tender but still kind of "crunchy". Add rice, tamari and mirin. Stir fry couple minutes more until rice is heated.
Easy and oh so good!
ENJOY!