Vegan Tuna Salad or Chicken Salad

Around my house we just call this Chickpea salad, but who in the world would search for those keywords?  This is a nice little replacement for tuna or chicken salad, and to be honest it's just way better for you (it lacks mercury, antibiotics, hormones, etc.), and it's pretty spot-on when it comes to the flavor.  It doesn't have the signature fishy smell, but I don't know anyone that loves to rock cat food breath.  One of my best friends, Mrs. Margie, passed this on to me.  I add some things to pump up the nutritional value and make it more robust, but it's perfectly good without the additional options.

(GF) Naturally Gluten Free

Served over salad

Ingredients:
1 can of Garbanzo beans/Chickpeas (or about a cup and a half of soaked and cooked)
1/4 cup vegan mayo (I use "Just Mayo", found at Dollar Tree!)
1 stalk celery finely diced
1/8 Cup onion diced fine
2 tsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbs Dill Relish (add or subtract to liking)(Carrot relish also works)
1/2 Tbs Mustard (add or subtract to liking)

**if you crave the fishy taste, feel free to add 1 tsp. of kelp powder

Optional additions that I love:
1 Tbs pumpkin seeds
1 tsp chicken-style seasoning
1/2 tsp dill weed
5 green grapes quartered

In the middle of mixing

Directions:
-Mash chickpeas with a fork manually OR put in vitamix and press down continuously with the tamper stick OR put in a food processor and process just until chickpeas have lost their shape (you don't want chickpea soup, so only process for a few seconds!)
-Mix in the rest of your ingredients, until everything is covered in chickpea

Paleo boats with red cabbage

**Eat alone, put on top of a salad as pictured, put on bread for a sandwich, or wrap in a cabbage leaf for a paleo boat!

Paleo (kinda) Vegan Pizza

So, I feel a bit ridiculous admitting that I'm not exactly sure what all the Paleo diet allows for.  I'm pretty sure that no processed foods is part of it, but I lost interest in what Paleo had to offer when I saw the first asparagus bundle wrapped in slimy (totally unhealthy) bacon (photo) on my Facebook feed.  So anyway, I still think it's a pretty cool notion to limit the amount of Gluten in your meals, and definitely a plus to lay off of processed foods.  Daiya (vegan Cheese) and marinara aside, this is pretty much straight from the garden!  It's versatile too, if you want to change the toppings.

(GF) Naturally Gluten Free

My pizzas before they were baked

Ingredients:

2 Large Eggplants

1 Jar of marinara (I like Barilla, it's vegan and kosher)

Bag of Daiya Shredded Chedder or Mozzarella (purchase at publix or other)

Salt or Garlic Salt to sprinkle

Suggested Toppings:

Chopped Mushrooms

Baby Spinach

Diced Onion

Sun dried Tomatoes

Diced Zucchini 

Artificial Bacon Bits (can be purchased from any grocery store)

Ignore the fact that this eggplant has not been peeled

Instructions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- oil two cookie sheets

- Peel eggplants with a potato peeler or the like

- Lay eggplant on its side and cut in about inch thick slices 

- Place each piece on the cookie sheet

- Sprinkle each "pizza" with salt or Garlic salt (not too much, it's just to add a little flavor)

- First spread about a Tablespoon of Marinara on each "pizza"

- Then top with Spinach

- Then your daiya cheese

- Then all of the other topping you choose

-Bake on 350 for 25 minutes, on top rack

Feeds 4 Adults +
**Served with Crisp salad and roasted asparagus
ENJOY!

Photo Credit to my baby sister!

Easy Vegan "Beef Stew" recipe

It makes me feel good to make food with nothing but items from the local farmer's market or the produce section of my grocery store.  This, aside from the seasonings and cornstarch, can be made with all "living" foods. That makes me very happy. ----> :D <------- See?  This is the easier version of my other recipe that has a few more steps in it, but a tad less fat (because it's missing the cashews).  This can be made in one pot.  You just need a blender!  Easy = Good.  If you want to make this even easier, you can pick up a bag of pre-cut veggies (for stew) in the freezer section of your grocery store.

(GF) Naturally Gluten Free 

(make sure your seasonings do not contain gluten/wheat)

Recipe:

4 Large Portobello Mushrooms (cut into bite sized cubes)(This protein replaces the meat)

6 Large Red potatoes (cut into bite sized cubes)

6 Carrots (cut into bite sized cubes)

1 Large Red/Purple onion (quartered)

1 Tbs. ( or 1 bullion cube) Vegan Beef-style seasoning (I use Mckay's)

1/4 Cup Vegan Beef-style seasoning

1 Cup cashews (raw or roasted, salted or not)

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 Tbs. Corn starch

Water

Serves 4 Adults

Directions:

Put all vegetables and the 1 Tbs. (or bullion) of beef-style seasoning in a large pot

Cover with water (completely) and boil until all vegetables are soft (about 40 minutes)

After boiling, drain off 2 cups of the vegetable broth and put into the blender with cashews, corn starch, salt, and 1/4 Cup beef-style seasoning

Drain and discard any remaining liquid/broth (or save for something else)

Blend your vegetable broth, beef-style seasoning, cashews, corn starch, and salt on high until smooth (may take a few minutes (no grittiness should be felt)

Pour your blended mixture over vegetables in pot and warm on low, constantly stirring until desired thickness is reached (about 4 minutes)

Pour in a bowl alone, or over rice, broken pieces of bread, torn up biscuits, or your choice of grain (like quinoa or amaranth).

Enjoy with a nice warm fire in the fireplace... trust me, it adds something irresistible to the meal.

Vegan Beef Stew Recipe

I actually named this "Bella Stew" a long time ago, but lest it be lost in all of the random vegan "weird" recipes that don't ring a bell on the internet, I properly gave it the "Beef Stew" moniker for find-ability.  It's just another vegan spin on one of my childhood favorites.  You know, one of those disgusting school lunchroom meals that you pretended to hate but secretly loved.  Don't worry, it's much better than any lunch-room entree, but it certainly will take you back to those days of comfort.  This recipe is pretty simple and straight forward.  It's easy and it's naturally gluten free without any processed faux meats or junk. The mushrooms are hearty and filling, and easily take the place of that ole' meat. Look for short cuts at the bottom!

(GF)  Naturally gluten free (just make sure your beef-style seasoning is)

Organic or pesticide free produce is always best!

Recipe:

4 Large Portobello Mushrooms (cut into bite sized cubes)

6 Large Red potatoes (cut into bite sized cubes)

6 Carrots (cut into bite sized cubes)

1 Large Red/Purple onion (quartered)

1 Tbs. Beef-style seasoning (I use Mckay's)

1/4 Cup Beef-style seasoning

1 Tbs. oil (I used coconut)

2 Cups (dry) white rice or grain of your choice (other options are quinoa, amaranth, millet, barley, etc., just make sure your portion yields 6 to 8 servings)

Water

Directions:

-Sautee your mushrooms in 1 Tbs. of coconut oil and 1 Tbs. of Beef-style seasonings in a Large pot (on medium/hot)

-After about 10 minutes (or when the mushrooms are soft and juicy), scoop mushrooms out of pot and set aside in a bowl (leave juice in the pot)

-Now add your potatoes, carrots, and onions to your pot with the mushroom juice, add water (just enough to cover contents), and simmer on medium high for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until all vegetables are soft (stir every so often to ensure that vegetables aren't sticking to the bottom of pan, you should never run out of water; if you do, add some to continue cooking until soft)

-While your vegetables are cooking, you'll want to start your rice or grains in another pot.  Cook them according to the package directions, but without salt.  Make sure to cook enough to serve 6 to 8 people.  

-Once veggies are soft, scoop out 2 cups and put in a blender

-Drain off 1.5 Cups of liquid from your veggies and add to blender (Drain off the rest of the liquid and discard or save for something later)

-Add 1/4 Cup of Beef-style seasoning to blender and then blend until smooth

-Now add your sauteed mushrooms back to your pot with the vegetables and mix in

Place a serving of rice on each place, top with vegetables, and then pour blended mix over the top of it.

You could also just add the blended mix back to the vegetable pot and mix, it's up to you how you want to present it.

Enjoy!

**Shortcuts:
-If you're crunched for time, forget about sautéing the mushrooms first, and just throw it all in the pot together.  Your mushrooms won't have as robust of a flavor, but there's not THAT much difference when you don't saute first.
-If you just don't feel like cooking all that rice (or whatever grain you chose), you can always just tear up a good piece of bread, throw it in the bowl and top that instead.  I used sour dough bread today and it was AH-mazing!
OR you can just see my other recipe here.

Cauliflower Steaks with Mushroom Gravy

Yeah, so I just watched my five year old massacre a giant cut of cauliflower.  That pretty much says it all.  I'm positive that this is the first time in my life that I've thought, "I think I'll have more of that cruciferous vegetable".  Sounds strange, I know.  It's all in the gravy, I'm sure; but any way you spin it, this is a great vegan entree that is filling, super healthy, and not some "wanna be meat" cop out.  I'm trying to stop using processed foods all-together, which means casting aside the famous "veggie meats".  I've opted for some of the more interesting vegan trends lately, and I actually like this one!

(GF)  This recipe is naturally gluten free

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower (the more round the better)

1 Cup cashews (I used roasted and salted)

1 Cup of sliced baby portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1 small red onion, diced

1/4 tsp. of white pepper (could use black pepper, but may want to reduce amount)

1/4 tsp. of carob or cacao powder (optional, but brings in a base, sultry note)

1/4 Cup (or 4 Tbs.) of Beef-like seasoning

water

I borrowed this picture from ehow, because I forgot to take one of how to cut it! 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare a non-stick cookie sheet (or oil one if you don't have a non-stick)

Wash cauliflower, and remove leaves and stems from around the base

Cut the stem off even with the bottom of the cauliflower, so that it sits evenly on a cutting board (as seen above)

Starting in the middle, slice cauliflower in 3/4 inch slices (that's almost a full inch)

(You will only get 2 to 3 even and solid "steaks" out of one head, but you can cook the loose florets that fall in the same way, they just won't be as pretty;  or you can save them for later use.)

Once you have your "steaks" cut, gently transfer them to a non-stick or oiled frying pan

(you may only be able to fit a few at a time)(be careful so that they don't fall apart)

On medium high, sear the "steaks"just so that they are a little browned around the edges, carefully turning once to sear both sides

That only takes a minute or two, so then gently transfer each steak to a non-stick or oiled cookie sheet and place in the oven

Bake for 20 minutes (or until cauliflower is soft but still firm)

After they've been pan seared and transfered to cookie sheet

I use the loose pieces for the kids... they don't mind

While that's baking:

Add onion and mushroom to that frying pan you used and sauté until soft (about 5 to 8 minutes)

When finished, take half of the sauteed onion and mushroom mixture and put in the blender with all of the other ingredients (EXCEPT your cauliflower that's baking in the oven).  Set remaining mushrooms and onion aside for later.

So now you have your cauliflower in the oven, half of your mushrooms and onions in the fryer (set aside), the other half of your mushrooms and onions in the blender with all of your other ingredients.

Add just enough water to your blender to cover the ingredients, and blend until smooth.  In a vitamix this takes about a minute, in a standard blender it may take about 3 minutes to get the cashews smooth.

If you need to add a little water to keep the mixture moving, add very little at a time (you want it thick).

Once the gravy is smooth, you can heat it in a small pot, or you can use it at room temperature.  I don't heat mine, because I pour it directly on the cauliflower out of the oven, and it heats it up (it's your choice). 

When Cauliflower is finished baking, transfer to plates, top with the mushroom and onion mixture that was set aside, and then pour gravy over the top of each Cauliflower "Steak".  Magnifico!  

THE best homemade Granola, period

Cereal has been my best friend for the past 6 months or so.  My two year old insists on having breakfast at 5a.m. every SINgle MORNING!!!!  Well, that's particularly hard on a mama with a newborn who hasn't slept all night!  I'm sad to admit that breakfast has sort of gone from a meal for Princes to a meal for paupers as of late.  Cascadian farms organic granola cereal was the healthiest (fairly priced) cereal on the shelf at the grocery store, so needless to say I've paid the CEO's salary with how much I've purchased in recent months.  It's quite a shameful thing when looking at the nutritional facts on the back of the package.  My husband and pickiest nutritional critic, brought it to my attention that there's not much value in a bowl of that cereal :(.  Well, I couldn't let that rest on my conscience, so I went into the laboratory again to create something that I could make in bulk and keep in the freezer.  I'm pretty excited about the results, because it didn't take but twice for me to get it to AWESOME!  The only problem with this granola is that even though I make it in bulk, I cannot keep up with the demand.  The lil' fam fam loves it!

Perfect every time!

Now first, you should know that as long as you have the same amount of dry ingredients and wet ingredients that the recipe calls for, you can exchange almost all of the ingredients for something that you might prefer better.  You may prefer pecans and walnuts instead of seeds, or you may hate coconut shreds, and want to up your portion of quick oats a little.  This recipe is pretty flexible.  I'm posting the recipe as I like best, but you'll see how you can change it up for what you like or what you have on hand.

My dry ingredients

One recipe makes about 28 oz ( the size of a regular box of cereal), but I make 4 at a time.

RECIPE

Dry Ingredients:

4 Cups Quick Oats

1/2 Cup Brown sugar

1/4 Cup ground Chia seeds (or seeds of your choice)

1/4 Cup ground Flaxseed (or seeds of your choice)

1/4 Cup coconut shreds (I used unsweet)

1/4 Cup pumpkin seeds (or seeds or nuts of your choice)

1/4 Cup almond mill (left over pulp from making my almond milk)
1 Tbs. shelled hempseed

1 tsp. sea salt

**1/2  Cup dried fruit to be added AFTER BAKING (optional)

If you don't have any nuts or seeds on hand, feel free to just substitute them with additional quick oats!

Wet Ingredients:

1/3 Cup coconut oil

1/2 Cup warm water

1 tsp. vanilla extract (or your favorite extract flavor)

4 Tbs. (or 1/4 Cup) Raw honey or Agave

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Mix wet ingredients in a pyrex oven safe measure cup and sit in oven while preheating to melt your oil (if you don't have one, just use hot water in your mix or heat on stove til melted

Mix all of your dry ingredients well

When oil is melted in wet mix, give it a stir and pour over dry ingredients
mix with a spoon

After thoroughly mixed (nothing is left dry in the bottom of the bowl), continue to mix your ingredients with clean hands, using a squeezing motion to sort of bunch up your ingredients

You don't have to make perfect little balls, I usually just squeeze it into a few hand sized blobs and then sprinkle in little clumps on two non stick cookie sheets (make sure your clumps aren't huge, because you want the granola to cook thoroughly throughout.  Just sprinkle them evenly on your pans, making sure that the bigger clumps are broken up before you bake)

If you don't have non-stick cookie sheets, use parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  Oiled tin foil would probably work too, but the extra oil increases the fat and some may end up sticking

- Bake on 300 for 50 minutes.  Take out half way through and flip with a spatula, so that both sides brown (it won't flip all in one piece, so you just have to shovel it around some)

Cool on stove top for 15 minutes, add optional dried fruit at this time, put in ziplock bag and store in pantry (or refrigerator if you rarely eat cereal).  If you make it in bulk, store the bags you aren't currently using in the freezer.

**This granola cereal is incredible with almond milk.  I used unsweetened that I make myself, but it's also great with Silk almond milk.

Great as a snack, or a yogurt topper

Hidden veggies Healthy Popsicles

If you want to get some raw, green goodness into your kids (or yourself), because they refuse to eat salad, turnips, or spinach, then you NEED to start making these popsicles!  My kids literally beg for them.  Raw Superfood Powder is fast and easy access to a powerful punch of green nutrients.
I don't know a kid alive that will turn down a popsicle.  So the solution is simple; order a few special ingredients and start making these super easy Green popsicles.  FYI, they're not green at all, they are sweet chocolaty Heaven (with vegetables hidden inside)!  Below I've listed the items that I personally use.  I'm not endorsing these brands, I'm just trying to make it easier for you.  Feel free to buy whichever products you prefer, as long as they are the equivalent.  The Green Superfood is a little pricey, but it lasts a long time and is definitely worth it.

You'll need:

• A blender
• Popsicle molds :  see link below 
• http://www.amazon.com/Groovy-Freezer-Popsicle-Approved-Built-/dp/B00DLNLSXG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1406137653&sr=8-5&keywords=popsicle+molds)
• Green Superfood Powder : see link below
• http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Grass-Green-SuperFood-17-Ounce/dp/B0038B3AAK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406137715&sr=8-1&keywords=green+superfood
• Stevia (get it in the grocery store)
• Raw Cacao powder ( not the same as unhealthy, caffeine laden, and processed cocoa powder see information link below and link to product purchase)
• http://iquitsugar.com/raw-cacao-vs-cocoa-whats-the-difference/
• http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Powder-America-Non-GMO-Gluten-Free/dp/B00EUEYM4C/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1406137918&sr=8-9&keywords=organic+raw+cacao+powder
• Unsweetened Almond Milk (grocery store item)

This is the green powder that I use.

Additional options that will knock your socks off:

• Banana
• Shelled Raw Organic Hemp seeds (super high in protein)
• http://www.amazon.com/Nutiva-Organic-Hempseed-Stand-up-packaging/dp/B00B42KQ8O/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1406138169&sr=8-5&keywords=raw+organic+hemp+seeds
• Natural Peanut butter Or a half cup of shelled peanuts
• Raw, unheated honey

The amounts of ingredients really depend on how big your popsicle molds are and how many molds you're filling.  You'll have to tweak the recipe to match your needed amount and your likes.  This recipe is specifically for  one batch of the popsicle molds that I have linked.  I've also included the ingredients that I personally like.  Most of them are optional, but you definitely want to include Cacao powder to mask the green powder taste, and you'll also need the almond milk and stevia (or honey) as well.  Everything else is optional.

RECIPE:

• 1.5 Cups unsweetened Almond Milk
• 15 drops of liquid stevia (or 1-2 packets of powdered stevia)(it depends on how sweet you want them)OR a heaping Tbs. of Raw unheated honey (for honey-vegans)(adds calories)
• 1/2 Tbs. Raw Organic Cacao Powder
• 1 scoop of Green Superfood (scoop comes with the powder)
• 1 Banana (optional)
• 1 Tbs. Raw Shelled Organic Hemp seeds (optional)

Blend well, fill your molds and freeze for at least 2 hours OR
blend with 1 cup of ice and have as smoothies!