Tuna- Free Open-Faced Sandwich

I found THIS recipe online yesterday afternoon.  It was easy to prepare and tasted great.

Ingredients:
1 can organic garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 TBSP tahini
1 cup of organic celery, chopped into small squares
1/2 TBSP nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
* 1/4 sheet of Kombu, about 1 X 2 inches (rinsed and cut into very small pieces) - optional

Smash the garbanzo beans with a fork or potato masher. Mix in all other ingredients.

Put a few heaping spoonfuls on a lightly toasted piece of bread. Top with a few slices of Daiya Cheddar Cheese on top. Broil for about 3 minutes (or until cheese melts).

 Add a few organic cherry tomatoes sliced in half and lettuce on top.

I also slathered on some artichoke dipping sauce. I posted the recipe a few months back - http://seaglassstash.blogspot.com/2012/10/stuffed-artichokes-are-bomb.html 
Scroll down until you see "Jarod's Dipping Sauce".

I didn't want to take the picture with the lettuce on top because it would hide all of the ingredients!

I've read that adding some crushed up nori sheets or kelp sprinkle can add a "fishy" flavor to the Tuna-Free recipe.  I have yet to try this.

Easy Strawberry Balsamic Salad Dressing

I'm sure I could use this as a sweet marinade as well. It is a great switch up from the Woodstock dressing that I posted a few months back.

I found This recipe on Allrecipes.com.  I was looking up a sweet dressing after having a salad in FL that had a raspberry flare.  I changed up the recipe in the link above and made it my own.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup organic olive oil
2 TBSP organic flaxseed oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1.5 TBSP strawberry preserves (I made sure mine did not have HFCS)
1/4 teaspoon Penzeys Fine Ground Black Pepper (I used between 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (the jar says minced garlic, but it's not, I reused the jar by putting garlic powder in there)

Whisk ingredients in a bowl or large measuring cup (it makes it easier to pour out).  Pour into a recycled salad dressing jar (I use an old Annie's Salad Dressing jar & kept the cap- washed out very well and air dried).  Place cap on and shake well.  Use on salads or as a marinade.

I forgot to take a picture of the salad dressing in the jar when I made it up. We have used a little more than half of the dressing but I figured I would provide a picture anyway.  Also note- the olive oil becomes solid at cold temperatures so I like to leave out my dressing at the very beginning of supper prep, that way by the time I'm done making the meal, the oil is liquid.  Then I can shake the bottle and the oil will meld with the other ingredients. 

Pumpkin Parsnip Lasagna

Here is another recipe from the Nov/Dec 2012 issue of VegNews.  When I read this recipe I was excited to try it.  I like pumpkin, but how would it taste in a lasagna?  It turned out to be really delicious. The cashew/cheese flavor overrides the pumpkin so it tastes cheesy but you get the health benefits of pumpkin! yay! I made a few minor changes to the recipe to suite my taste, for the original recipe check out VegNews magazine.

Ingredients:
10 oz of organic lasagna noodles (or make this dish gluten free and use brown-rice lasagna noodles!)
2 1/2 TBSP organic olive oil, divided
1 bunch of organic kale, de-stemmed and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small organic onion, diced
1 TBSP minced fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Penzey finely ground black pepper
2 large parsnips, peeled and shredded
1 1/2 cups vegan mozzarella cheese (I use Daiya mozzarella)

For the Sauce:
one 15 oz can pumpkin puree
2  cups raw cashews, soaked for 3 hours and then drained
1 cup plain, unsweetened Rice Milk (I used Rice Dream original)
2 TBSP nutritional yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice

Cook and drain lasagna noodles according to the directions on the box. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, lay out the noodles and brush with olive oil so they don't stick together.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a 9 X 5 baking dish with 1/2 TBSP oil (use more if needed, I skimped on the oil and some of my lasagna noodles stuck to the bottom).

In a pan over medium heat, heat up 1 TBSP olive oil. Add kale, garlic, onion, shredded parsnips, sage and salt. Saute for about 10 - 12 minutes, or until the kale is bright green. Sprinkle with pepper.

For the sauce, put sauce ingredients in a food processor and spin until smooth (about 5 minutes). Scrape down the sides about 2 minutes in to make sure everything is mixed up.

To assemble, line the bottom of the baking dish with three lasagna noodles. Top with about 1 cup sauce and then sprinkle with the shredded parsnips and kale mixture and vegan mozzarella, cover with 3 more noodles. Repeat until all ingredients have been layered. Top with 1/4 cup mozzarella. Cover lasagna with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and broil for another 5 minutes. Let cool about 15 minutes before serving.

Spicy Indo-Chinese Noodles

Robin Robertson, how I love thee. She has done it again! Created a plant-based masterpiece. I saw this recipe in the Nov/Dec issue of VegNews and just had to try it. I made a few modifications (reduced sodium and added different veggies).

Ingredients:
1 package of 10 oz Asian Rice Noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed with cold water. (or you can substitute angel hair pasta)
2 TBSP of sesame oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced and then halved
4 cups organic cabbage, shredded
1 large organic carrot, shredded
2 cups organic broccoli florets, chopped small
1 large, organic portobello mushroom, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
4 scallions, minced
1 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon Penzeys ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 TBSP organic soy sauce
2 TBSP organic ketchup
1 teaspoon Frank's Red Hot (or Sriracha)
2 TBSP rice vinegar
1/4 cup water

I like to take care of all of the veggies that need shredding in a food processor with a blade attachment that shreds.

In a large bowl, toss noodles and 1 TBSP of sesame oil and set aside.

In a wok, heat 1 TBSP of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, cabbage, carrot, mushroom, broccoli, garlic, scallions, and ginger. Sauté for 3 - 4 minutes.

Add sugar, pepper and red pepper flakes- sauté 3 more minutes.

Add the cooked rice noodles, soy sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, vinegar and water. I mixed this up separately in a bowl but it's not necessary. Sauté for 3 - 5 more minutes. Toss while cooking and make sure all veggies and noodles are heated. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot.

 

Southwestern Breakfast Hash

I have changed several aspects of the recipe but the foundation is from a dish I came across in Whole Living Magazine (April 2011) issue. This breakfast is so filling, delicious, and healthy. I enjoy mine  drizzled with organic ketchup on top.

Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 TBSP organic olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried jalapeños
3 green onions, cut into 1/4 inch slices
8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
1 can of white cannellini beans
2 TBSP nutritional yeast
An 8 oz package of plain, organic tempeh, crumbled
1 medium avocado, cut in cubes
sea salt
Penzeys Black Pepper

Bring potatoes to a boil in a pot of water. Cook until knife-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat 1 TBSP of oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add cumin and cook 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add potatoes, and cook, stirring every so often until golden (about 5 - 7 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 TBSP of oil over medium heat and brown the tempeh. Use a spatula to flip often so the tempeh doesn't burn.  Add jalapeño, green onions, tomatoes, beans, nutritional yeast, and cook until tomatoes start to break down (about 5 minutes). Stir frequently. Add potatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove pan from stove and gently stir in avocado. Enjoy!

Winter Squash and Apple Soup

I really loved this soup recipe! Spicy and hints of sweetness.  John isn't a fan of squash but he had seconds! It is so yummy.

My sister passed this recipe to me after a co-worker brought some to work. Caitlin, my sister, told me everyone loved it, so she gave me the recipe. I'm not sure where this came from but it isn't my own creation.

Ingredients:
1 TBSP Earth Balance or olive oil
1 medium onion, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 organic butternut squash (1 - 1 1/2 lbs) peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup organic apple cider
1/2 cup water
2 TBSP chives (optional)
Vegan sour cream (optional)

Directions- In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, melt EarthBalance (or heat up oil) and add the chopped onion. Stir until onions are soft (about 4 min). Add the squash and stir about 10 minutes.

Add apples, salt, cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne, veggie stock, cider, and water.  Bring to a boil, then cover and let it simmer for about 25-30 minutes.

Put soup into a food processor and blend until creamy (or if you have an immersion blender, blend the soup right in the pot).  Serve hot with a dollop of vegan sour cream and a sprinkle of chives.

I didn't have any sour cream or chives. Instead I placed 3 small drops of coconut milk and some cut up scallions to decorate the top.

Stuffed Baby Portobello Mushrooms

I snagged two packages of organic baby portobello mushrooms at Kroger for $1.99 each.  I decided it would be fun to meld a few ideas and a few recipes together to create my own.  Here is what I ended up with.  John and I loved the results!

Ingredients:
12 baby portobello mushrooms, washed and air dried
1 and 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
10 organic corn chips
1 TBSP organic olive oil
1 medium sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup Daiya Havarti Style Wedge shredded
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 TBSP fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon Penzeys black pepper
* Penzeys ground chipotle (optional)


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Lightly oil a 9 X 5 baking pan.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and set aside in a food processor (they will get chopped up with the stuffing ingredients in a minute).

Heat 1 TBSP olive oil over medium heat. Cover and cook onions for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Stir frequently. Add cooked onions and garlic, panko bread crumbs, corn chips, salt, parsley, and black pepper to the mushroom stems in the food processor. Process until chopped up well (see picture). Transfer to a bowl and stir in the Daiya cheese. Mix until evenly distributed.

Stuff mushroom caps with breaded mixture. I used my fork and pressed the mixture down to allow for more stuffing. Don't press too hard or the mushroom cap may split. Arrange in 9 X 5 pan. Sprinkle chipotle on top of the caps. I put the ground chipotle on about half of the mushroom caps.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. Check mushroom at 30 minutes and just make sure the tops aren't browning too quickly.

I ate the mushroom to the right (middle area) before taking the picture. It was sooo good looking; I could not resist!

Spaghetti Squash and Roasted Squash Seeds

A few years ago I was introduced to spaghetti squash.  It is such a unique type of squash, has about 1/4 the carbs of regular pasta, and vitamin B-6. Once cooked and scraped it comes out in long strings and looks like spaghetti.  

Ingredients:

1 medium spaghetti squash

4 cloves garlic, minced 

2 TBSP EarthBalance

2 TBSP nutritional yeast

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 can (or 14 oz) of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed well

1/3 cup finely chopped parsley

Cook minced garlic over stove top medium low for 2 minutes. Make sure not to burn. Remove from pan and store in a bowl off to the side.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out seeds & guts and save seeds in a bowl. Place squash face down on baking sheet.  I like to pour 1/2 cup of water on the baking sheet so that it helps steam the squash and keep it moist.  Cook for about 50 minutes (check at 40 minutes).  Set aside to cool. When it has cooled down enough to hold but still warm, scrape out the squash flesh with a fork. In a bowl add squash, 2 TBSP of earth balance, cooked garlic, nutritional yeast, salt & black pepper, red kidney beans & parsley.

Roasted Squash Seeds:

These are so tasty! Athan loves to snack on these. He is a picky eater but will finish off a complete bowl of these if I give him the chance.

Ingredients:

squash seeds from one medium or large squash

pinch of salt

pinch of Penzey's black pepper

organic olive oil

Rinse gunk off seeds and allow to air dry overnight in a bowl or on a plate. (or if you don't want to wait all night, towel dry off the seeds)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, drizzle enough olive oil to coat the squash seeds. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top and stir.

Place seeds on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10-14 minutes total.  After 6 minutes of baking, stir seeds around.  Bake for 4-8 more minutes. Check the seeds at 10 minutes to make sure they are not over cooked. Take seeds out when golden brown. Allow to cool and enjoy!