Cauliflower Mac 'N' Cheese

This is a new family favorite. It gets regular requests.

1 med. Head cauliflower, core discarded, florets cut into 2-in. pieces

4 med. Carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 c. vegetable broth

¼ cup (4 oz) cream cheese

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Pinch cayenne

4 oz block Gruyere cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

½ tsp salt

16 oz gluten-free elbow macaroni

3 cups broccoli florets

2 med plum tomatoes

¾ cup Parmesan cheese

1)  Heat 8-quart sauce pot of salted water to boiling.

2)  Add cauliflower and carrots to boiling water. Cook 15 minutes or until very tender.

3)  Meanwhile, in food processor, combine broth, cream cheese, mustard, cayenne, 1 ½ cups Gruyere, and salt.

4)  Remove cauliflower and carrots from pot when done and place in food processor. Puree until very smooth.

5)  Add pasta to the same sauce pot of boiling water. Cook half the time the label directs. Add broccoli during the last minute of cooking.

6)  Drain. Return to pot. Stir in cauliflower sauce and half of the tomatoes. Spread in shallow baking dish (like a lasagna pan).

7)  Top with remaining cheeses and tomatoes. Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown on top and heated through.

 

from Good Housekeeping magazine, September 2012, p. 151

Mexi-cam

This is a recipe Cameron made up (hence the name) because of his love of Mexican food. It's a regular staple at our house. There's not too many leftovers when we make this and what leftovers there are don't stick around too long. Similar, yet not to be confused with our Mexi-Mom recipe.

1 can of fat-free refried beans
2 cups rice
1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground meat OR precooked meat such as chicken or steak, chopped into small bite-sized pieces
salsa
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
1 Tbsp taco seasoning
salt
Toppings of your choice


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
 
Lightly oil a lasagna-style pan. Spread refried beans in the pan.

 
Cook rice in 4 cups water and add 1 to 2 Tbsp taco seasoning and some salt.
 
Cook meat (if not using meat already cooked).
 
Spread the cooked rice into the pan in one layer.

Spread the cooked meat into a layer on top of that.

 
Spread a layer of salsa on top of the meat.

Top with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese.

 
 
Bake in oven 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Yummmyyyyy.....

 
You can prepare this dish ahead of time, cover and refrigerate. If you do it this way, you'll have to increase the baking time to about 40 minutes.

To serve:
Place corn or tortilla chips on each plate, top with a generous portion of the casserole. Then add Mexican-type toppings of your choice: shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, the rest of the shredded cheese, hot peppers, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or whatever you like. Eat like nachos.

Meatloaf

This is an old Betty Crocker recipe I've been making for years. It is a standard in our house.

1 1/2 pounds ground meat (beef or turkey)
3/4 cup oats
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 small onion chopped small
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp rubbed sage
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup ketchup or barbecue (BBQ) sauce

Mix all ingredients except ketchup or BBQ sauce.

Spread mixture in loaf pan

and top with ketchup or BBQ sauce.

Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for one hour and about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes. Slice and serve.

Makes about 6-8 servings.


Veggie meatloaf: Increase salt to 1 1/2 tsp. Mix in one small green bell pepper, chopped, 1 medium carrot, shredded, and about 4-6 medium mushrooms, chopped. Omit ketchup/BBQ sauce. During the last five minutes of baking time, take it out of the oven and put tomato slices on top, then put it back in the oven to finish cooking.

Old-Fashioned Baked Beans

from the cookbook Vegan Planet, p. 292

This is a quicker version of the traditional baked bean recipe, and every bit oh, so yummy.  Serve with cornbread and some slaw.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
one 14.5 ounce can tomato puree (or tomato sauce if you can't find puree in this size can)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp molasses
1 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp tamari or other soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)
salt and pepper
1 cup dried pinto beans, soaked overnight then cooked OR two cans of beans drained and rinsed

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Heat olive oil in medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in chili powder and cayenne.
• Add tomato puree, sugar, molasses, mustard, tamari and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.

• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix in beans.

• Place mixture into lightly oiled 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
• Cover and bake 20 minutes. Serve hot.

serves 4 or so

Tofu Burgers

1 package firm or medium tofu
1 onion
oil
1/2 cup wholewheat or buckwheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal or rice flour
1 Tbsp miso

• Drain and rinse tofu a few hours ahead. Squeeze as much water out of it as possible (for tofu tips, see 'A Word About Tofu' in my Dragon Bowl post).

• Chop onion and saute in a drizzle of either olive oil or veg oil in a large, flat, preferably non-stick pan.

• (Let the onion cool at least a little bit before going on to the next step.)
• Place onion in a food processor. Crumble in tofu and add remaining ingredients.

• Turn on food processor to blend. Stop when it becomes a ball of dough. This should take less than a minute.

• Take your large, flat, preferably non-stick pan and put about 1/8 to 1/4 inch of veg or canola oil in it. Turn on the heat and let it heat up for a few minutes. (You can do this step while blending the tofu mixture.)

• Scoop out the tofu mixture and form into patties, making sure they're around 1/2 inch thick. Fry in oil, about 10 minutes on each side. They will be golden brown. mmmm.....yummy.....

• Drain on a plate lined with several layers of paper towels.
• Serve with any toppings or condiments you like. We like ketchup, mayo, and sliced tomatos.

Makes about 6-8.

Mexi-Mom

1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (more is OK)
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
olive oil
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup black beans, soaked overnight then cooked
      (or 1 can of canned black beans, drained and rinsed)
1 cup rice
1 Tbsp taco seasoning

Cook rice according to package directions. If there are no directions, or in other words it's just plain old rice, remember the rice cooking rule: one part rice to two parts water. Bring to a boil then simmer until the water is absorbed.

While the rice is cooking, saute the onion, garlic and bell pepper in a drizzle of olive oil in a large saute pan. When they have cooked down, add the tomatoes and beans.

When the rice is done, add it to the saute pan and mix. Season with salt and taco seasoning.

To serve: place a layer of tortilla chips on each plate. Top with above concoction. Top that with a dollop or two of sour cream and the salsa of your choice. Eat like nachos.

Pig out.

The Best Broccoli

I love this broccoli recipe.

2 heads broccoli, washed and broken up into small pieces
a few cloves of garlic (the more the better in my opinion)
olive oil
salt

Place broccoli in a pot with no more than 1/2 inch of water. Mince garlic and add to pot. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle in salt. Mix.

Cook on medium heat. Once water boils, cook about five minutes. That's it.

Stir and serve. Serve with a slotted spoon to avoid excess water.

The broccoli will be a bit crunchy, and will have turned a bright green color. If you don't like crunchy, then cook it a bit longer, but don't overcook.

The taste of this reminds me of a chinese food type of dish - something that would be a side dish in a chinese food restaurant. It is absolutely yummy, quick and easy, easy, easy.

Dragon Bowl

 

This is a recipe I've been making for a long time now. It is kid-approved and delicious, nutritious, easy to make and not expensive either.

 

1 Large Bunch of Kale (or any cookable dark leafy green), washed & chopped
3-4 Carrots, shredded
4-5 Green Onions coarsely chopped
1 block extra-firm tofu, drained & rinsed, cut into cubes (please see note about tofu at the bottom of this post)
Salad Dressing

Place kale (or other green), carrots, green onions and tofu in a large pot with a steamer basket with water, cover and steam to cook.

Cook rice of your choice. I prefer whole-grain brown organic, but use whatever you like. You can use another cooked grain if you prefer. Make the amount you'd need for everyone to have it as a side dish.

Serve in bowls: place rice in bowl and then the cooked greens, veggies & tofu on top. Drizzle with your favorite salad dressing and serve. Yumorama!

Dressing suggestion:
I have a special dressing I make from scratch just for this dish. It's called "You-Must-Make-This Dressing". I am not kidding, that's really the name. I got it from the cookbook, The Garden of Vegan and it goes perfectly with this dish. I mean perfectly. I highly recommend it.

2 stalks Green Onion, roughly chopped (I buy one bunch, save two stalks for this dressing and use the rest in the Dragon Bowl recipe)
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
4 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp fresh Chives (from the garden, of course)
1 tsp fresh Dill (less if using dried)
1 tsp fresh Parsley (dried is OK)
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Salt

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.



A Word About Tofu:
Please don't let the tofu in this recipe scare you. It is really very good, filling and easy to use. I have used tofu a lot over the years and I have found that there are some things you can do to make it work better in a recipe.

What I suggest is that you get as much of the water out of it as possible before you use it. This way it will more readily absorb any flavor you may add, and the texture is better. To do this, simply drain and rinse the block of tofu, then place it in between two clean kitchen towels. Place a plate, upside down on top of it with a can of something (like a can of soup or veggies or sauce) on top of that. This will apply very gentle even pressure to the tofu, which will slowly squeeze the water out, without it loosing its shape. The towels absorb the moisture. This should be done a few hours before using the tofu. It can also be put in the fridge, or even done overnight.

Do this before making your Dragon Bowl and the results will be great!

Avalanche

We call this one Avalanche because when it's on your plate it looks like trees that were toppled by an avalanche.

1 lb. pasta, tube shape
2 ten-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups plain soy milk
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 container (3-4 cups) ricotta cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• prepare pasta according to package directions, but under cook by about a minute or two
• squeeze spinach between paper towels to remove excess moisture
• spread spinach in a large lasagna-style baking dish

• cover spinach with cooked pasta

• combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

• Mix thoroughly and pour over noodles.

• bake for about 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean

• let rest for about 5 minutes before serving

Try to stave off the natives. Good luck. Every time I make this it disappears FAST,

Gluten Free BBQ Sauce

Lip-smackin' good. (Originally from The Garden of Vegan, p. 141.)

Here's the ingredients:

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
small can tomato paste
3 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp molasses
1 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder (you can cheat and add more)
1/2 tsp gf Worchestershire sauce (Lea&Perrins is good or you can make your own)

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat to boil while whisking. Turn down heat and simmer until desired thickness. Makes about 1 cup.

all ingredients in a small saucepan

All done! Yum-o-ramma!

Chickpea Toss

Easy, peasy. This is a quick and easy one. Tasty, nutritious, high fiber, inexpensive, filling.
From the cookbook The Garden of Vegan, p. 147.

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, about 14 hours, in about 4 cups water

After soaking, drain and rinse chickpeas. Place in a pot and cover with about 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until beans are soft, but not too mushy. This will take at least an hour, probably more like 2, so do this way in advance. You can even do this a day or 2 ahead.

soft, not mushy

Drain and rinse again.

1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
cooked chickpeas
Sesame oil or olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 cup chopped olives of your choice (optional)

Get a large saute pan. Turn the heat to medium and add the oil. Let it heat up for a minute or so, then add the onion and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent.

hear the sizzle

Add chickpeas, salt, curry and olives (if using). Heat and stir.

In about 5 minutes, you're done!

Serve with rice of your choice and a vegetable. Makes enough for about 4-5 people.

Serving suggestions:
Note: you can use canned chickpeas instead of dried in this recipe. This will make it all that much quicker, BUT it will not taste as good. I find canned chickpeas to have an unfavorable taste, no matter what brand they are.

The book this recipe came from suggests serving with the following condiments. I find these work wonderfully well:

• flax oil
• Braggs Liquid Aminos
• Gomashio (see recipe below)

Also, if you have olive-lovers and olive-haters in the same household, you can leave out the olives and serve them on the side for each person to add to their own helping as they prefer.

Gomashio
1 cup raw sesame seeds
1-2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp kelp powder

In a small dry saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sesame seeds, salt and kelp, stirring continually for 3-5 minutes, until seeds start to pop and brown. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Place in food processor and grind for 3 seconds (you don't want the seeds to become powdery, just lightly ground). Store in an air-tight container. Makes 1 cup.

Mac & Cheese from a Box

Yes, this is a recipe for the macaroni and cheese that you make from a boxed mix. We add our own flair.

any variety

1 box mac & cheese, any variety
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup 2% milk
garlic powder
1 cup frozen peas or frozen corn or a combination of both OR 1 small bunch of fresh broccoli, cut up
4 hot dogs cut into chunks OR the equivalent amount of meat of your choice, such as cooked chicken or beef, or sliced and fried sausage

Boil water and cook pasta per package directions.

according to package directions

After pasta is cooked but BEFORE DRAINING, place veggies in pot for two minutes. Also place hot dogs in pot at the same time, also for two minutes. If using other meats, wait and put in for last minute only, just to heat up.



cheese, milk, butter, veg

Drain pasta, veggies and meat.

While they are still in the colander, put butter, milk, cheese and garlic powder in pot and stir to mix and melt butter. Add pasta, veggies and meat back into pot and stir to thoroughly mix.

Serve in bowls and enjoy.

last 2 minutes, veg in

Vegetarian Option: Instead of meat, if you want a vegetarian version, you can use TVP. Take about 1/4 cup of TVP and put in a mug and cover with about and inch or two of boiling water. You can use the water from the pot the pasta is boiling in. Just take some of the boiling water out of the pot before adding the pasta and put in a separate container with the TVP. It will hydrate in about the length of time it takes to cook the pasta. Drain it on top of the pasta in the colander. Mix in with all the other ingredients in the pot.



butter, milk, cheese in pot

Flavor Options: Try different flavors and spices to change it up. For example, try some chili powder or a mixed flavoring like an Italian herb mix. Also try other flavoring mixes like the variety of Mrs. Dash products. Just don't use anything that's salty because most mac & cheese mixes are already quite salty.


stir and enjoy!

Shake 'n' Fry Tofu

1/3 cup flour
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp all-purpose seasoning
1 block extra-firm tofu, drained, rinsed, water squeezed out, cut into cubes

In extra large frying pan, preheat about 1/4 inch oil.

Put first 3 ingredients in a zip-to-close baggie and close tightly. Shake to mix.

Add about 1/4 of the tofu to baggie, close tightly and shake to mix.

Add to pan. Repeat until all tofu is in pan.

Fry for about 20 minutes on medium heat, turning after about 15 minutes.

Drain on paper towels on a plate. Serve hot.

Serves about 4-5 people.