BOUNTIFUL HARVEST

“BEEF” STEW

1 MEDIUM ONION PEELED AND DICED

1 12 OUNCE BAG BABY CARROTS

1 CAN 15 OZ DICED TOMATOES (OR 6 WHOLE TOMATOES PEELED AND DICED)

1 CAN 8 OUNCE TOMATO SAUCE

1 VEGGIE BOULLION CUBES SUCH AS CELIFIBR

1-1/2 POUNDS SMALL RED POTATOES CUT INTO QUARTERS

1/3 CUP FLOUR OR CORNSTARCH

1 TABLESPOON ANNIE’S® ORGANIC WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

1 TSP SALT

1 TSP FLORIDA CRYSTALS® OR AN ORGANIC SUGAR

¼ TPS PEPPER

1 TSP DRIED BASIL

1 TSP DRIED ORGANO

2 CUPS MUSHROOMS

2 PACKAGES GARDEIN® BEEFLESS TIPS

HEAT OVEN TO 350°.   Mix cornstarch with tomato sauce until well blended. In a 4 quart oven safe Dutch oven, mix all ingredients except beefless tips. Add the cornstarch tomato sauce mixture and blend well.  Bake in oven for 45 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender.  Add beefless tips and return to oven.  Bake for another 15-20 minutes until beefless tips are heated through.

TOMATO BASIL SOUP

A delicious fresh soup.

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

1 medium carrot finely chopped

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 large green pepper diced

6 large tomatoes diced

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

2 teaspoons dried basil

½ teaspoon Florida Crystals® or organic sugar

In a 4 quart sauce pan, heat oil.  Sauté carrot, onion and green pepper until tender.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cook over medium heat about 15 minutes until heated through.

I like to add a cup of precooked pasta to this soup.  Be sure to cook the pasta to the point just before al dente as it will continue to cook and expand in the soup. Top with Go Veggie!® Vegan Parmesan if desired. (Shown in picture).

PIZZA PARTY

THREE CHEESE PIZZA

1 pizza crust

I like to use the Rustic® organic pizza crust for ease and quickness.  I do have a pizza dough recipe at the end if you prefer to make your own.

1 can 15 oz. Muir Glen® pizza sauce

Ricotta cheese (recipe is on an earlier blog)

1 bag 8 oz. Go-Veggie® mozzarella cheese (purple packaging)

Go-Veggie® parmesan cheese (purple container)

1 green pepper chopped

1 container grape tomatoes sliced in half

Preheat oven to 350°.  Spray a pizza pan with Pam° spray.  Lay pizza crust on pan.  Spread ricotta over the crust until covered. Spread pizza sauce over the ricotta.  Top with pepper, tomatoes, and cheese.  Bake in oven for 20 minutes until bubbly hot.  Let stand a few minutes before slicing.

The great thing about pizzas is you can top them with almost anything.  If you want to add pepperoni, Light Life® makes a nice vegan style.  Onions or mushrooms are also nice to add.

Vegetable Pizza

1 Pizza crust---again you can make your own or Rustic® organic is vegan.

2 sweet potatoes—thinly sliced

Olive oil

Ground oregano

Parsley flakes

Basil

1 cup cauliflower florets blanched until slightly tender

1 cup green pepper chopped

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 zucchini diced

½ 15 oz. can Muir Glen® pizza sauce

1 15 oz. package Go Veggie® Mozzarella cheese (purple package) optional

Preheat oven to 350®.  Spray a cookie sheet with Pam® cooking spray.  Lay sweet potato slices on cookie sheet.  Brush with olive oil, sprinkle with basil, parsley, and oregano.  Bake in oven for 20 minutes until tender.  Spread pizza sauce over crust.  Top with all the vegetables including sweet potato slices.  If desired top with veggie cheese.  Bake for about 30 minutes until hot. 

I find it’s quicker and easier to use the Rustic® crust, but every now and then I like to make my own:

Pizza Crust

2-/2 to 3 cups flour (your choice)

1 tablespoon organic or Florida Crystals® sugar (most other sugars are not vegan)

1 teaspoon salt

1 package dry yeast

3 tablespoons oil

1 cup very warm water

Mix 1 cup of the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a large bowl.  Add oil and water and beat at medium speed for about 3 minutes, scraping bowl frequently.  Stir in additional flour as need until dough is soft and leaves the side of the bowl.  Place dough on lightly floured surface.  Knead 5 to 8 minutes.  Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.  Roll out to fit a pizza pan. Partially bake at 350® before adding toppings.   

Waffles

WAFFLES or PANCAKES

1/2 cup blended silken tofu (I blend it in a food processor)

2 cups flour (your choice)

1 tablespoon Florida Crystals® or organic sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ¾ cup soy milk

½ cup vegetable oil or Earth Balance® buttery spread melted.

Mix all ingredients until well blended.  Add more soymilk if too thick or stiff.  Heat waffle iron or pancake griddle.  Spray with coating such as Pam®.  Use about ¼ cup batter for each pancake or waffle. If making pancakes, flip when pancake is bubbly in center or dry around edges.  Top with Earth Balance® and pure maple syrup.

You can also top with fruit.

For a different dinner meal—top with “chicken” piccata for a “chicken and waffle” recipe.

Creamy Chicken Piccata

CREAMY CHICKEN PICCATA

2 packages Gardein®  Chick’n Teriyaki strips

½ cup Earth Balance® buttery spread

8 ounce package vegan cream cheese-  Daiya®, Follow Your Heart®, or GoVeggie®

¼ cup lemon juice

¾ cup Vegan parmesan Cheese---GoVeggie®  purple package

½ tsp salt

Pinch of pepper

1 cup of peas—frozen or cooked fresh

2- 12 ounce boxes penne pasta

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Add 2 tablespoons of EarthBalance® and mix well.  Keep warm until ready to serve.  The EarthBalance® will keep the pasta from sticking together.

Place Gardein® strips on a microwave safe plate.  Defrost for about a minute.  Cut into chunks.  You can save the Teriyaki sauce for another recipe.  Heat butter, lemon juice and cream cheese in a skillet over medium heat, stirring well to blend smooth.  When mixture starts to bubble, reduce heat and add chicken and peas.  Heat about 6 minutes, until cooked through.  Remove from heat.  Stir in salt, pepper, and vegan Parmesan cheese.  Serve over penne pasta.

Variations—add one bunch of cooked, chopped asparagus in place of the peas.

This recipe is lower in cholesterol than traditional Alfredo sauce.

Healthier and better.

Variations:

Serve over waffles instead of penne pasta, for a “chicken” and waffles dish.
Serve over spaghetti instead penne pasta (as in the picture above).