My Beloved Hummus Recipe

My mom introduced me to hummus years ago and I've been making her recipe ever since. We love it! I've only just discovered that most hummus recipes call for oil, but this one does not. Mine also has fresh parsley pureed into it. Want the recipe?

Hummus

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp tahini paste
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
4-5 oz. water
fresh parsley

Place chickpeas, tahini paste, lemon juice and garlic in a food processor and puree for a few seconds. Add about 4oz. of water and continue to puree until smooth. Add more water if necessary to get a nice consistency (not too thick, not too liquidy). Finally, add some fresh parsley, maybe about 3 sprigs worth. Pulse just until the parsley is chopped small and blended in.

Store in a glass jar (healthier and stays fresh!).

Pasta Primavera with Italian Seitan Sausage

This recipe was originally non-vegan/vegetarian, but I was keen on taking a recipe and converting it. It turned out to be delicious! Another one to keep in the roster. The seitan sausages I made were already quite spicy so I used a modest amount of spices in the rest of the recipe. You can adjust it to your preference.

You'll need to make your favourite seitan sausages, or try the Spicy Italian Vegetarian Sausages from Everydaydish.TV (video below). Make them a day in advance so they have a chance to get firm and have their flavours meld.


Pasta Primavera with Italian Seitan Sausage

8 oz. multigrain fusilli (or your favourite pasta)
4-5 Spicy Italian Vegetarian Sausages, cut into 1/2 inch
1 Tbsp organic canola oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 small zucchini, chopped
1 28oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 cube vegan bouillon cube (dissolved in a little bit of hot water)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
Faux Parm (recipe below)

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Place fusilli in the pot and cook about 6 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 Tbsp oil and saute onion and garlic until tender. Add zucchini, diced tomatoes, green pepper, basil and bouilion. Season with red pepper flakes. Cook for 5 minutes, then add cut up sausage. Cook 5 more minutes.

Combine pasta and veggie/sausage mixture and heat through.

Serve with vegan parmesan sprinkled on top!


I really like this recipe for "parmasan cheese". It really does the trick in both looks and flavour!

Faux Parm

from the book Vegan on the Cheap

Yield 3/4 cup

1/2 cup ground almonds
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all. Store in freezer.

Whole Wheat Hotdog or Hamburger Buns

Oh me oh my these things are good. If you like mooshy gooshy buns (of the food kind) like I do, you'll understand my enthusiasm over mastering making these squishy blobs of bready joy.

You can shape them into long buns for seitan sausages, or round ones for veggie burgers.

The original recipe is Vegan Dad's. That guy is a seriously talented chef! My adapted version has a much simpler method, and is a half batch. This will give you either 6 sausage or 6 hamburger buns.


Whole Wheat Buns

[Adapted version of Vegan Dad's Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns]

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp unbleached white flour
1 1/2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup almond, soy, rice, or hemp milk
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp oil

Combine non-dairy milk with hot water to produce a warm liquid. Add yeast, stir and let sit 10 minutes.

Combine flours, gluten, and salt.

Add oil to liquid and yeast.

Add wet to dry. Mix well with a wooden spoon, then turn onto floured surface and knead until soft.

Place in a well-oiled bowl, turning dough to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place for 1 hour, or until double in size.

I love it when it's risen!
Punch dough down, knead a few times. Form into your buns (sausage/sub size or hamburger buns). Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet(s). Cover with towel and let rise 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven 450.

Bake 10* minutes.

*Mine were done in 5 minutes! Tap the bottom of the buns to check for that "hollow" sound. That means they are done.

Lilibeth's Smoky Comfort-in-a-Bowl Chili

Becoming a nutritarian-vegan has vastly heightened my ability to enjoy preparing yummy food, whether raw or cooked. I've always admired people who love to cook. Maybe this new eating lifestyle was my personal catalyst since deep down inside there's always been a health nut screaming to come out and take over the reigns!

It's been fun collecting up ingredients that I had never tried let alone heard of before, like liquid smoke. I'm sure the rest of the world has a bottle of this stuff in their cupboard but somehow it's existence had slipped past me unnoticed. It's the perfect addition to chili, what with that gorgeous hickory smell!

This chili will not make your eyes water or set your tongue on fire, at least not from the get-go. Be assured, it does have a smoky kick to it that will build with every bite. You'll notice I used a wide array of spices and herbs, more than your average recipe. It smells and tastes wonderful!

Jon says its the best I've ever made, and I've made some pretty awesome chili in my time. Score! According to him he wouldn't want it any spicier. Double score! If I wasn't out of cornmeal I'd be making my favourite cornbread as a go-along.


Lilibeth's Smoky Comfort-in-a-Bowl Chili

2 28oz. cans no-added-salt diced tomatoes, drained
3 Tbsp no-salt tomato paste
3 Tbsp date paste* (or 1 Tbsp natural granulated sugar etc.)
2-3 portobella mushrooms, diced into 1/2" cubes
1 whole garlic bulb (about 10 cloves), crushed
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced (or 1 cup of frozen corn)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced (wear gloves!)
2 celery stalks (plus some leaves), finely diced
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp smoked paprika (not regular paprika)
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp herb de provence
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp allspice
1 tsp salt (or less if canned tomatoes have added salt - you be the judge)
1 19oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed well
1 19oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1 19oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed well

To avoid using processed sugar which lack nutrients, I encourage you to make some date paste. Dates are a source of fiber, vitamin A, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese...get the picture!

*Date Paste:

approx. 8 medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup water to start

Process in food processor. You may need more water depending on how dry the dates are. Add 1-2 Tbsp at a time. Store in glass jar in fridge. I confess it was really too small an amount of stuff to give my food processor to work with, but I persevered! The consistency I was going for was something that wasn't too runny. I wanted it concentrated.

Okay, now on with the chili!


Basically, throw it all into a good sized crock pot and mix well. I chose to saute the mushrooms before throwing them in, but it's really not necessary. I added the beans after mixing up everything else so they wouldn't become pulverized.

substitute corn for the yellow pepper if you prefer
Cook on low 8-10 hours, or high 5 hours or so. Actually I'm just guessing here. You'll know when it's done.

right before the lid goes on and the crock pot is turned on

Vegan on the Cheap - Lemony Garlic Chickpea Patties

Supper #2 out of Robin Robertson's Vegan on the Cheap is another smashing success! And here's a testament to this cookbook: I had spent most of the afternoon working on a vegan chili for the weekend (which I will be sharing) and next thing you know it's an hour or so before supper time and I have no plans of what we're going to eat. I leafed through the book and decided on Lemony Garlic Chickpea Patties because I had almost everything it called for, except for green onions which I replaced with diced up onion. Oh yes and I didn't have near enough bread crumbs but I replaced the shortage with oatmeal flour.

This cookbook is making switching my family to vegan meals a breeze!

These babies are fun to make and even more fun to eat. They'd be perfectly suited to a warm summer night's meal, but they're way too good to reserve for just one season!

It calls for hummus for dressing up the pita pocket and I made my old standby that I'll share some time. It's my mom's recipe and it's our family favourite. The best part is the recipe doesn't include any oil in addition to the tahini paste.

very easy to shape patties

I fried them in my iron skillet with some coconut oil. Yes this is a no-no for a nutritarian. Next time I'm going to do them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet in the oven. I try to avoid using processed oil altogether, yes even olive oil. For the rare time that I do need to use oil, I like this brand of coconut oil below because it's organic, cold-pressed, and unrefined. If I'm a good girl, this jar will last us for a year!



Now look at this scrumptious plate of goodness!! Talk about filling too! It would taste scary good with some Vegenaise added, but I really watch my fat intake now and I was a good girl and resisted.



Love you Lemony Garlic Chickpea Patties!! Welcome to the family!

Veggie Burgers, Caesar Salad Dressing, and Naturally Fat-Free Ice Cream!

Believe it or not, this meal absolutely had me stuffed! I could barely finish my cauliflower! I share the salad dressing recipe below.
The other evening I tried one of Dr. Fuhrman's recipes. I have his book, "Eat to Live". It put me on the track to becoming a vegan.

The recipe is for Walnut Lentil Veggie Burgers (recipe below). They were very yummy! I may add some more herbs and spices next time, maybe not. It has lots of potential for becoming outstanding!

Jon (hubby) really liked them, so much so that my hopes of having leftovers for another meal were dashed. They're pretty darn good. The kids ate theirs all up. They have definitely made it into our meal rotation.

They look a little overdone, but really they weren't.
Dr. Fuhrman's Walnut Lentil Veggie Burgers

Makes 8

2 cups onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced (I didn't have any)
5 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons VegiZest (I used 1 veggie bouillon cube in the water)
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
3 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1-1/4 cup water
4 tablespoons no-salt added tomato paste
2 cups cooked lentils, drained
1-1/2 tablespoon ground flax seed
1-1/2 tablespoon raw sesame tahini
1-1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon no-salt mustard
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped (I used pecans)
1/4 cup oatmeal, ground
2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons parsley, minced (I used 1 Tbsp dried parsley)

Directions

Sauté onion, carrots, bell pepper and garlic in a large pan until softened, adding water, if necessary, to prevent sticking, about 5-6 minutes.

I sliced the carrots in the food processor, and then put in my S-blade and pulsed them until they were finely chopped
I prepared all the wet ingredients in advance (not including the tahini and mustard)
Add VegiZest, Italian seasonings, balsamic vinegar, water, tomato paste, and stir well. Simmer, covered, for about 5-7 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 5 minutes until thick.

I mixed up all the dry ingredients up together. In hindsight, I should have processed the nuts a little finer
Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool a few minutes. Add lentils and remaining ingredients and mix well by hand. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or until ready to bake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a baking pan with oil. Take about a rounded 1/3 cup of the mixture, form into balls, and place on baking sheet. Using a moistened flat bottomed glass or jar, flatten balls into a burger shape. Bake for 12 minutes, turn over and bake an additional 12 minutes until lightly browned.

* Serves 8.

Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing

I have no idea where I got this recipe from! I have adapted it somewhat, that I do know. No matter, it's very yummy! As a nutritarian-vegan I have to limit my use of it due to the processed oil, but it's nice for an occassional fancy treat for the family (okay and me!).

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
2 Tbsp ground almonds
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp oil
1/8 tsp pepper
(I have yet to do this but you could add a pinch or two of salt)

With a hand mixer, combine the first 4 ingredients. It will form a paste. Beat in remaining ingredients--I usually combine them first and gradually pour it all in while beating.

Pour into small mason jar and refrigerate.

Moving onto ice-cream...

Who doesn't love ice cream?! Take a look at this dish of scrumptious non-dairy fat free ice cream down yonder. It's frosty and creamy, everything you'd expect from a really good soft ice cream. It's Dr. Fuhrman's Banana Fluff recipe with a little unsweetnened cocoa powder thrown in.

I don't have a VitaMix yet, but I did well using my food processor. I tried using my blender but it could not deal with the frozen banana even though I had broken in up into 1" pieces before freezing. You'll need 1 banana per serving.

I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for more non-dairy frozen dessert recipes!

I detest flash photography but
the urge to try this recipe
struck at night!
Chocolate Banana Fluff

1 serving

1 frozen chopped or broken up banana*
1/4 cup almond, rice, or other non-dairy milk
a splash of vanilla extract
2 tsp cocoa powder (next time we're upping it to 1 Tbsp)

Throw it all in your food processor or high-powered blender and process until smooth. Pulsing it seems to help. Dish out and enjoy!

My teens loved it even though they're not big fans of banana. What a great way to treat your little ones to a healthy frozen dessert!

*do this a day ahead, peel and chop up (if you just have a food processor like me) a ripe banana, throw into a ziploc baggie and toss in freezer.

Robin Robertson's "Comfort Loaf" = pure bliss

(take a peek inside here)
This arrived in the mail the other day. It's my very first vegan cookbook purchase, Robin Robertson's Vegan on the Cheap. I'm tickled to have it! Someone in one of my healthy eating email groups mentioned one of it's recipes with much fondness: Comfort Loaf. Curious, I did some googling and came to find out that it is one popular cookbook among the meat and dairy free! You can check out Robin's blog here.

Along with this one I also ordered Robin's Vegan Planet. I had to spend a little more to get free shipping after all!

Having the beloved Comfort Loaf recipe now at my disposal, I went right to work. I've only been a vegan for 2 weeks and yet I already had on hand everything the recipe called for, except for pinto beans. I subbed red kidney beans for those. Other than that I followed the recipe to a T.

My naturally non-stick skillet. Using it also includes an upper body workout what with the heaviness of it! Bonus!

Uncooked it looks like it couldn't end up being anything but very tasty!
How'd we like it?

It's amazing. I mean knock your socks off amazing. I want to eat slabs and slabs of it until I'm ill. Seriously, it makes me feel happy. Comfort loaf indeed. Jon wants me to make it EVERY week. He says its the best not-meatloaf he's ever had. Heck I never even had meatloaf this good! We didn't even put anything on it, no gravy, no ketchup, no nothin', it's that good. We can't stop talking about it.

Wanna see it?

Here it is below. It's not the loaf's fault, it was my stupid icky sticky loaf pan that I did grease. I turned the loaf pan upsidedown to gently let it slip out so it could cool. All of the edges stuck to the sticky layer of stuff on my non-stick loaf pan and the innards vacated onto the cooling rack. I don't blame the thing, I would have jumped out too. You see I used to use it to cook potatoes in oil in the oven (hello clogged arteries). The thing is going into the garbage. Shoulda used parchment paper. Jon said he's going to buy me a glass one. I've grown to love glass bakeware.

Totally my fault it looks like this. Old loaf pan is being replaced with a glass one a.s.a.p! No matter what it looks like, it was delicious!
Needless to say, I'm extremely happy to have this cookbook in my collection. Cheap and super tasty meals for the whole family? What more could I ask for!