TVP

Last week I was in beautiful sunny Marco Island, Florida, the weather was in the mid 80's, sunny, just lovely...back to Ohio where its cold and gloomy...(actually today was pretty nice...sunny and almost 60!)..
What brings to my mind on those cold days is chili. I use to love my meat laden chili, but those days are gone, but I do miss chili like my mom use to make. So, I decided using TVP, Textured Vegetable Protein. What, you may ask, exactly is TVP? Textured Vegetable Protein is a made from defatted soy flour that has been cooked under pressure then dried. It is very high in protein and contains NO FAT!  What's great about TVP is it takes on whatever flavors you put with it. So why not replace my ex-love, ground beef with TVP? I did and now I have a new love with the initials...TVP! Give it a try...
TVP CHILI
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped 
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 - 4 oz cans tomato paste
1 - 35 oz can tomato (do not drain!)
2 - 16oz cans kidney beans, drained (or make your own using dried kidney beans)
2 cups TVP
4 cups water
In a large pot, saute onion, green pepper, and garlic until soft, add in chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.  Add in 1 can tomato paste with 2 cans of water. (this is a very important step!) Simmer uncovered until tomato paste has thickened about 15 minutes.
After the 15 minutes, add the tomatoes and kind of "chop" up with your spoon, the other can of tomato paste,  kidney beans, TVP and the rest of the water.Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on low 45 minutes.
ENJOY! 
Kidney Beans made in a pressure cooker are real easy.
Just rinse 1 Cup dried kidney beans, add to pressure cooker with 2 cups water. Let soak about 15 minutes or longer...(not necessary but I think worth it). Cover and bring to pressure, lower heat to low and let cook 45 minutes, slowly let pressure out and take off lid, add 1/4 teaspoon salt and let simmer uncovered until all the liquid is absorbed about 15 minutes. 

Quinoa Carrot-Apple Salad

Over the weekend I participated in a heart talk called "Tools for a Healthier Lifestyle" with my friends Adene and Laura from Aultman Heart Center at Aultman Hospital. I did a cooking demonstration using heart friendly vegan foods.  I made rice pilaf, chocolate rice cereal treats, tofu banana bread, pumpkin cup cakes and quinoa carrot-apple salad. 
I enjoyed sharing my vegan knowledge to a crowd of non-vegans! I hope they try at least one of my recipes!
Here's the quinoa carrot-apple salad...a crowd favorite. I hope it will be yours too!
Quinoa Carrot-Apple Salad
Serves 4
1 cup WASHED quinoa (make sure you thoroughly rinse the quinoa before you cook it!)
1 1/2 cups water
pinch salt1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 red apple, diced
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Bring water, quiona and salt to boil. Simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.
Meanwhile, combine cider vinegar and garlic in small bowl. Let stand 15 minutes.
Stir together carrots, apple, green onions, cranberries and quinoa in a large bowl.
Whisk agave nectar and oil into cider vinegar mixture. Add to carrot mixture, toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
ENJOY!

Wondrous Spaghetti Squash

I'm freezing today! (Its really only 60 but it seems so cold...gray and rainy....)Kind of hard to believe only 3 days ago it was 90 degrees! I'm afraid summer is over and all those glorious vegetables will soon be gone.....now its time for wonderful squash ...butternut, acorn, pumpkin and one of my all time favorites..spaghetti squash. Have you ever tried spaghetti squash? Its amazing....its great for all you non-carb believers out there....Spaghetti squash is so easy to prepare...you can top it with marinara sauce, pesto, mix it with greens....the possibilities are endless! 
Its really easy to prepare.....

1. cut open and discard the seeds the best you can
2. place in a baking dish, flesh side down
3. add about 1/4 inch of water
4. bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 50-60 minutes until soft

5. carefully turn over and start "shredding" with a fork....its amazing...it looks just like angel hair pasta!
6. place in bowl, toss with whatever strikes your fancy!

spaghetti squash with vegan meatballs and sauce....can you say....yummy!

7. ENJOY!    

Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil

Beautiful sunset on Lake Erie, Erie, Pennsylvania

Labor Day....the end of summer. I know, we still could have some lovely warm days ahead, but let's face it....summer is over :(......I spent a lovely couple of days with my cousins from Erie, Pennsylvania. My cousin Tony had a fish fry...(okay, don't go ballistic on me) in what use to be my Aunt and Uncles cottage in Ripley, New York...lots of great memories there! I brought fresh homemade salsa and fresh guacamole...there where also lots of fresh lovely salads...so plenty for a vegan to eat.

Fresh Garden Tomatoes

I met a lot of wonderful people there...(welcome to my blog for all you first timers!) and it was great catching up with my cousins, second cousins...and my lovely Aunt Jane......91 years old!
After having a lovely breakfast overlooking Lake Erie with my cousin Patty and her boyfriend Gary this morning (they actually made me vegan pancakes....THANK YOU!) we made our way
 back to Ohio....on the drive home I thought about the lovely tomatoes a friend of ours gave us before we left....(my garden was not good this year sadly...better luck next year!) What to make...for some reason I had a real taste for tomato soup and a open faced grilled "cheeze" sandwich....Not exactly picnic Labor day fixins! So if you where lucky enough to have a great garden and have lots of tomatoes...Make this soup! Freeze some so in the middle of winter you can savour those lovely days of summer!

Basil

ROASTED TOMATO SOUP WITH BASIL
2 1/2 pounds of fresh tomatoes
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 large onion, sliced

1-2 tablespoons safflower oil (or canola oil)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 quart vegetable stock (its easy to make your own, just put a bunch of veges in a pot add water to cover, bring to boil, simmer for about an hour) 
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Wash, core and cut tomatoes in half. Spread tomatoes, garlic and onions onto a baking sheet. 

Roasted tomatoes, onions and garlic

Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes.
Remove roasted from oven and transfer to a large soup pot. Add 3/4 of the vegetable stock, bay leaves and vegan butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add chopped bay leaves. Carefully place in blender place top on (take out the center part of your top cover off) cover with a towel and blend until smooth or however you like it! Season with salt and pepper......

ENJOY!  

Creamy Amazing Cole Slaw

Just in time for the end of the summer ....what better dinner than a vege burger, fresh corn on the cob, grilled, and cole slaw. I use to love to order cole slaw instead of a salad at restaurants, but unfortunately no more...(no vegan mayo of course!). I made this yesterday and even my non- vegan husband loved it! Give it a try!
Creamy Amazing Cole Slaw
Serves 4 to 6
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon agave nectar
pinch sea salt
1 small head green cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 sweet onion sliced thin
1 small green pepper finely chopped
In a bowl whisk the mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, agave nectar, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrot, onion, and green pepper. Mix together. Add the mayonnaise mixture and toss until well combined.  
ENJOY!

Peaches ........YUM!

One of my very favorite fruits are peaches. In the summer I just can't eat enough of them. I decided to try a peach cobbler. I found several recipes and came up with my own vegan version....give it a try.....its easy and oh my, so good!
You may have noticed in my recipe I use turbinado sugar, why? Turbinado sugar is raw sugar that has been steam-cleaned.  Turbinado sugar is vegan unlike refined white sugar which is usually treated with bone char, an animal product.
VERY EASY PEACH COBBLER
Yield: 5 servings
1/4 cup vegan "butter" (I use Earth Balance)
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
pinch salt
1 cup turbinado sugar, divided
1/2 cup soy, coconut or rice milk
2 cups fresh peaches sliced
2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
ground cinnamon and nutmeg

Melt "butter" in a small baking dish.
Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt, add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter over butter (DO NO STIR).
Bring remaining 1/2 cup sugar, peach slices and lemon or lime juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly; pour over batter (DO NOT STIR). Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Bake at 375 degree for 40 minutes or until golden brown. 
Serve warm with non-dairy ice cream (I happen to love Tofutti vanilla almond) if you want.....

ENJOY!
 

Happy Birthday!

I can't believe it! Its been one year since I started my blog, my new way of eating.....my new beginnings.
It really hasn't been hard being a vegan, its a shame more restaurants just don't get it. All of us would be so much more healthier if we had fresh choices. I was once there...cheeseburgers, fries, steak....and just maybe a hot fudge Sunday to top it all off.....no more.....I feel so much better now, I sleep well at night, I have tons more energy and I'm fit! I use to think eating this way was a sacrifice....what? Now I realize I can actually taste food, real food, not food that's been processed, laden with salt and who knows what else.People are still amazed when I tell them I've had cancer and open heart surgery.. I urge you....just try one of my recipes that I've posted over the year, you might be surprised....your taste buds will thank you! AND REMEMBER......ENJOY! (and yes....that is a vegan cupcake!)