BBQ Sloppy Joes

BBQ Sloppy Joe on Easy Vegan Bread

Chef Assistant Paul and I found this amazing BBQ sauce and I decided to try BBQ Sloppy Joes.

15oz can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
¼c Quick Oats
¼c BBQ Sauce of choice

1 Green Pepper, chopped

½ Onion, chopped

Chop up the onion and pepper and saute on medium in a small amount of water until softened.  While those are cooking, put the black beans in a bowl and mash them.  Add the black beans, oats, and bbq sauce to the pepper and onion mixture and heat until warm.  Serve on bun or bread of choice.  

P&B's Vegan Lasagna

Howdy readers, this is Paul; Brit's assistance for her vegan meals. I'm not vegan myself, but I do enjoy some vegan meals. This recipe was made by my mother, altered by me, then adapted for Brit's tastes and vegan lifestyle. Here's how ours went:

Ingredients

2 blocks of vegan mozzarella cheese

1 box of lasagna noodles (we used rice this time, my first attempt with rice noodles)

2 cups tofu "ricotta" (We used the recipe from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch)
2 big cans of pasta sauce of your choice. (I make my own, which might be in a future post here, so check back for it folks. Most people who try it say it's their favorite. [/pimping])

Process:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Take your pan (we used a rectangular glass pan) and coat the bottom with sauce. Then put a layer of noodles down, cover that in more sauce, then add a layer of mozzarella cheese. Repeat this process (while mixing in 2 layers of the ricotta in place of the mozzarella) till you reach your desired height. (I like mine deep dish.) The top layer should be mozzarella, enough to cover the top fully. Now cover in foil, and cook for 1 hour. At the 45 minute mark I like to uncover the foil on the dish to let the cheese brown. If it needs more melting and browning just kick it up to broil for 5-10 minutes and that'll get the job done. And that should be all folks. Now go enjoy some tasty lasagna, vegan style!

Banana French Toast

Banana French Toast with Maple Syrup

Actually being home for breakfast for once (well, technically lunch time by the time I woke up), I decided to try another french toast recipe from the The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook.

As with the first I tried, these did not cook well.  I used rice milk in place of soymilk, and I used a defrosted banana I froze instead of fresh, so I am not sure if that had anything to do with it or not.  Might suggest toasting the bread beforehand to see if that gives it  makes it any less soggy.

Verdict: As is, not a fan.  Would be willing to try again with some changes to the recipe.

Bourbon Baked Beans

I must admit, I was a little hesitant to make this recipe at first.  I am not a drinker, and having never cooked with alcohol before, I was unsure of the taste.

I found the cheapest and smallest bottle of bourbon I could find ($1.49 at a local wine & liquor store) and decided to give it a shot.

I used the recipe from the Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker book.

Verdict: Not too bad.  Would make a good side for a vegan cookout!

Black and Yellow Couscous

Today my husband, Eric, decided to take a turn at cooking and made this dish from the McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook all by himself!

He skipped the tobasco sauce and green onions; and opted for the fresh cilantro instead of parsley, but otherwise followed the recipe. 

Verdict:  Delicious!  I definitely want to add more whole grains to my diet, and couscous is delicious. Good job, hubby!

Quesadillas

I have a thing for Mexican food, so naturally when I saw the Skinny Bitch in the Kitch Quesadilla recipe, I had to try it.

The recipe said to cook covered on medium for about 4 minutes, however that completely charred my tortilla.  I switched the next one to medium-low for about 4 minutes, flipped and left it on for another 3-4 minutes until both sides were slightly browned and the cheese was melted.

Verdict: The finished product (the non-charred version) was yummy!  Quick and super easy.  The hardest part was making the guacamole (but not really), also from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, but it was the best guacamole recipe I have ever made.  I even doubled it for chip dip for my guests I was having over later that night and the guests and I both approved, but next time I think I'll spice up the guacamole a little bit with some onion and garlic powder.

Fettuccini Alfredo

I used the recipe from Skinny Bitch In The Kitch's Fettuccini Alfredo.  We did everything to the recipe, but it didn't really taste like a good alfredo.  The recipe called for a tablespoon and a half of salt in with the pasta which made for some REALLY salty pasta.  And the alfredo sauce could have cooked a little longer to melt the grated Parmesan better and added more cream.  Overall, not bad, but could have been better with a few tweaks. 

Cilantro Pesto Pasta

I adapted a Cilantro Pesto recipe from the McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook and added a few things to make a pretty decent pasta dish.

Ingredients:

4 cups Cilantro Leaves

¼c Cashews

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Soy Sauce

1½ Tbsp Water

The recipe said to use a food processor, but I don't have one so I used a blender.  I am not sure what the difference between a food processor and a blender is, but it seemed to make a difference because the recipe did not blend too well.  I ended up adding more water than they called for and had to stop and mash down the ingredients a few times.  After a few minutes, I gave up.  

The pesto was very thick and I was not sure what to do with it in it's current state, so I warmed up ¼ cup olive oil in the microwave and mixed in a a bit of the pesto until it was a little more liquidy.  You can add as much olive oil as you like until you reach a good consistency.  The pesto is VERY strong, so a little bit goes a long way.  We added some to plain elbow macaroni and voila!

Slow Spanish Beans and Rice

Today was the first time I have used my Crock Pot since I got it when I got married 2½ years ago.  People tell me how wonderful crock pots are, and it was not until today I understood why!

Slow Spanish Beans & Rice
1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Green Pepper, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
¼ Tomato Paste
2 tsp Chilli Powder
2 15.5oz cans Kidney Beans, drained & rinsed (I used 1 light red & 1 dark red)
1 14.5oz can Diced Tomatoes, with juices
1½ c water
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
2c Cooked Brown Rice

Cook up onion, green pepper, and garlic in olive oil until soft (about 5 min)
Add cooked onions, peppers, & garlic to crock pot with all other ingredients minus the rice.  Cook on low for 6-8 hrs[we cooked it for about 6½ and it came out great].  Add the rice to the crock pot about 10 minutes before you are ready to eat.

To cook the rice we used a rice steamer.  I got this steamer from my mom to sell at a garage sale and decided to keep it for myself.  Used it a few times for veggies recently then read on a vegan blog about a rice steamer, and decided to give it a shot.  A rice steamer is a god send!  We could never get the rice to cook just the way we wanted it using the stove, but it always comes out great.  Invest in one, you wil not regret it!

Verdict: Loving it!  Tasted great on it's own, or with some tortilla chips.

I will be trying to use the slow cooker more often, especially since going back to work.  Not sure how I feel about leaving a crock pot on all day when no one is home, any thoughts on this reader?

Cream of Celery Soup

This wasn't the prettiest of dishes, so I didn't get around to taking a pic this time.

I made my own variation of the Cream of Celery Soup from the McDougall cookbook.

Ingredients:
5 Stalks Celery
1/2 Onion
2 Carrots
2 Potatoes
9c Water
2/3c Raw Unsalted Cashews
1/3c Whole Wheat Pasty Flour
1/3c Soy Sauce
Dash of Dill Weed
1tsp Basil
Ground Pepper to taste

Cook the celery, onion, carrots, potatoes & 8c water in a pot for about 30 minutes (or until vegetables or tender). Once cooked, take 4 cups of vegetable mixture and put in a blender with cashews, pastry flour, and remaining 1c of water and puree. Add mixture to the remaining vegetables in the pot, bring to a boil, and stir until it thickens. Add soy sauce dill, basil, and pepper. Cook 5 more minutes and serve.

Verdict: Definitely not a pretty looking dish, and taste was just ok. I subbed out fresh parsley for basil, and left our cayenne they suggested due to not having them in my house, but other than that didn't change much. Not sure if I'd make this one again.

Black Bean Sloppy Joes

Can I say again that I love The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook? Go pick up a copy and try some recipes for yourself! Super fast, tasty, and healthy meals!

I subbed the honey for Madhava Light Agave Nectar and I served on Arnold Select whole wheat bunes, which appear to be vegan (tell me if you know otherwise).

Another new recipe to add to my "love" list. Hubby loved it too!

Day 10: Confetti Beans & Good News

Good News: Our oven is FINALLY fixed! Our awesome neighbor gave us a part and fixed it. What an awesome guy! He's definitely getting a gift card or an awesome home cooked vegan meal very soon!

Tonight was Confetti Beans again from the McDougall Cookbook (p228). I love this guys book for the simple fact that it's vegan (minus the occasional honey he ads, but I sub it for Agave Nectar) and the ingredients are cheap and easy to find.

We put the beans over pasta and it worked rather well. I did a slight variation.

Ingredients I used:
1 can Black Beans, drained & rinsed
1 can Kidney Beans, drained & rinsed
1 can Garbanzo Beans, drained & rinsed

1/2 Onion
1 Green Pepper
1 Red Pepper
3 Cloves Garlic

1 15oz can Italian Stewed Tomatoes
2 Tablespoons Chilli Powder

Cook the beans in a pan until soft. While beans are cooking sautee onion, peppers, and garlic until soft.

Combine beans & sautee mixture with tomatoes & chilli powder. Cook for another 10 minutes covered on low.

Makes quite a bit! Recipe only called for 3 cups of beans, but I wanted a variety and since the cans were already opened, I used them. Just more leftovers and less I have to cook.

With so many leftovers, I may have to hold off on cooking tomorrow, but I have a guest coming Wednesday through next Tuesday and I plan on cooking her wonderful vegan meals every night we are home (I even snuck in a recipe for dessert!).

Day 9: Potato Curry

After multiple trips to the store for forgotten items, I made Potato Curry from the McDougall Cookbook (page 220).

So far everything I have made from his cookbooks is pretty good, but kind of bland. I like a little kick to my foods, so I usually add some pepper or more spices.

The recipe today had potatoes, frozen peas, onions, garlic, ginger root & a ton of different spices (surprisingly curry wasn't one of them!), but all put together you didn't taste much but the potatoes. Not sure I'll make this one again anytime soon, but a nice add in to break up the usual menus.

Day 1 - pt 3: Dinner - Mac & Cheez, Shopping

Finally got the house cleaned and got to go shopping. For a weeks worth of meals and a few extras, we only spent $23 at Save-A-Lot (mostly on Produce) and $68 at Walmart, with a few needed and unnecessary things added in there. I'd say for the weekly meals we probably only spent $50? Not sure if that is good or not, but we'll find out as time goes on.

We already had some elbow macaroni made and we were sick of the usual pasta sauce or garlic and olive oil we had been using, so we decided to find something new. Thanks for my cheese loving friend Ally, I looked to the "The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook" and decided to make a 'cheez' sauce for some mac & cheez. Due to copyright laws I am not sure if I can post the entire recipe here, but if you own the book I used the "Amazing Mac 'N Cheez Sauce" on page 64. It used flour, nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, garlic, paprika, mustard, olive oil, and rice milk. I'm not sure how that combination of things give you the slighly cheezy taste it does, but it works and was quite tasty! If you are looking for it to taste like cheese, I don't think it really does, but it is definitely worth a try!

Day 1 of Veganism complete. Wonder what I'll make tomorrow!