Simple Soup

My hubby has been feeling under the weather today and requested I make soup.  I didn't have much, but figured I could make something work with what I had lying around.

Ingredients
4c Vegetable Broth
1-14.5oz can diced tomatoes
1-15.5oz can Chick Peas (drained and rinsed)
2c frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, and green beans were in my mix)
3oz Rice Sticks

Directions
1) Add all ingredients except noodles into pot and cook covered on medium-high heat, stirring often.
2) After 25 minutes (or when chickpeas are tender), reduce heat to medium-low, add the rice sticks to the soup and cook for another 5 minutes.

Total prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 25 minutes

The noodles sucked up a lot of the broth.Might add more broth, more cooking time for the chickpeas and less noodles.

Christmas breakfast, the "Vegal", and the best gifts ever!

Hubby eating his first Vegal

A happy Hubby is one of my favorite things to see!  For this Christmas, among the new tripod and camera bag, my wonderful husband told me he is going vegan in 2012!

To celebrate, I made an attempt to veganize one of his favorite meals - a Sheetz Schmagel.  For those of you who have never been to a Sheetz, a "Schmagel" is basically a bagel and egg sandwich with toppings of your choice.  I dubbed this new creation, "The Vegal".

For the "egg"  modified my favorite Tofu Scramble recipe.





Ingredients
1 vegan bagel of choice (hubby loves the "everything" bagel)
1 block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
2 Tbsp Earth Balance (although this may have been a little much.  Would like to try it with 1 Tbsp next time.)
1-2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Tumeric
2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

Directions (Makes 4)
1. Drain and press the tofu (I usually squeeze out what I can in the container, rinse, squeeze again, then wrap in a paper towel and squeeze a few more times.  Be careful not to squeeze too hard or you'll crumble the tofu.)
2. Heat up a large frying pan on medium heat with the Earth Balance.
3. Cut tofu into 4 even slices across the length of the tofu.
4. In a small bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
5. Place the tofu slices onto a plate and cover the tofu lightly with the half the soy sauce then sprinkle on the spices, saving half for the other side.  Flip the slices over and repeat on the other side.
6. Place the slices in the pan, flipping often.  Cook until desired consistency (about 15-20 minutes). 
7. Toast your bagel in a toaster, add the tofu patty and desired toppings and your Vegal is complete! 
Toppings I recommend: lettuce, spinach, tomato, avocado, green peppers. 


I will be experimenting with this recipe more in the future until I feel it is "just right", but for now Hubby is satisfied and approves.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
Love,
Brit at VeganAmore

 

Dining Out: Bob Marley's

Bob Marley's with some friends from out of town. The "Natty Dread" pictured below with Yucca fries wasn't a bad vegan meal for only $9. Extra good with the Island Groove West Indies Peppa Sauce!

4 of 5 stars.

Super Green Smoothie

If I haven't mentioned it, I got a Magic Bullet for my birthday and it was one of the greatest gifts!  Smoothies galore!

I have made multiple fruit smoothies with a frozen fruit mix and fruit juice or some form of mate tea or green tea and all turned out delish!  This time I decided to try something "green".

Super Green Smoothie
¼ Florida Avocado
1 ripe kiwi
¼ c spinach (approx)
1 banana
1 c Acai Matetini Tea from Teavanna
1 Tbsp chia seeds

Quick Tofurkey Lunch

Looking for something quick and easy so I could get started on my Christmas baking; so I grabbed some Tofurkey I bought the other day (two for $5 on sale) and whipped something up. 

Ingredients used:
Two slices home made bread
Tofurkey Hickory deli slices
Slice of Tomato
Slice of Avocado

Side:
Sliced cantaloupe

Great quick lunch when you're in a hurry and quite filling.  Now - time for Christmas movies and baking.

Gluten Free Vegan Sugar Cookies

Hello, World! 

It has been a while since I have posted to my blog.  Things have been a little hectic with my last job, but I quit there and will get back to cooking once again!  I am working with a knife-sharpener now (Cory - Master of Knives) at different Farmer's Markets in the area and have access to fresh fruits and veggies daily! 

With the Christmas season already here, it's time for Christmas cookies!  A friend and I have been talking about gluten-free baking lately, so I thought I'd have a go at it!  I combined several recipes and tried a few different things, but I think I finally have it!  I am going to attempt to replicate it on my Sunday bake-a-thon to confirm.

Gluten-Free Vegan Sugar Cookies
1 ¾ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
¾ tapioca flour
¼ cup cornstarch
1 tsp. baking powder
1 stick or ½ cup vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance)
¾ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup vanilla almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1) Preheat the oven to 350º F.

2) Stir together flours, cornstarch, and baking powder in a bowl.

3) In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the margarine to soften it. Add the sugar to the margarine and beat to combine well. Add the almond milk and vanilla to the margarine-sugar mixture and beat until combined and smooth.

4) Add the flour mixture to the margarine mixture and kneed until it turns into dough.

5) Place a little flour on wax or parchment paper and a rolling pin and roll out the dough until a quarter-inch thick and cut into shapes.  Place the shapes on the prepared baking sheet covered in parchment paper and bake for 10-13 minutes. Cool cookies on cookie sheets for a minute or two and then transfer them to wire racks. Once completely cooled, decorate as you please!

Icing
3 cups gluten-free powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla or lemon extract
3-4 Tbsp almond milk (use plain if using the lemon, but vanilla works great with the vanilla extract for an extra kick!)
Divide it into several bowls and add some vegan food coloring so you can decorate!  

Gluten Free Vegan Sugar Cookies

Vegan Banana Waffles

Hello out there!  Yes, I am still alive.   My life has gotten so hectic, I have neglected this blog yet again.  I've mostly been strictly cooking out of the McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook, so I have been unable to post actual recipes here for a while, but I will try to post sporadically whenever I make something off the web or one of my own concoctions. 

Vegan Banana Waffles
(Don't mind the crappy cell phone pic)

I started with this recipe: Vegan Banana Waffles, but modified it slightly.  I used:

    1 3/4 cups nondairy milk
    1/2 cup coconut oil
    2 cups whole wheat flour   
    1 tablespoon brown sugar
    4 teaspoons baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 banana


Directions:

1. Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.

2. Mix dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Add nondairy milk and coconut oil and mix. 

3. Mush ripe banana and add to mixture.  Beat on med-high with hand mixer until banana thoroughly blended.

4. Scoop batter into 2/3-1 measuring cup and pour into Belgium sized waffle iron (use less for regular waffle iron). Let cook for about 6-8 minutes, or according to directions (usually when the steam stops coming out from the edges). 

5. Remove waffles with a fork and let cool on wire rack. Serve with jam, maple syrup, or flavored agave nectar.

Makes 4 Belgium sized waffles
Preparation time: 10 min.
Cooking time: 6-8 min. per waffle