Main Dishes

 

 

 

 

 

Bean and Orange Salad

Sprouts and microgreens are not always available due to salmonella concerns, so cabbage or lettuce can be substituted.  Make this your own- once you have marinated the beans in the dressing mix it up.  Vary the fruit, the greens and herbs to your liking.  You could also use lemon, grapefruit or orange juice for the lime.

·         ¼ cup olive oil 

·         ¼ cup tablespoons fresh lime juice 

·         1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 

·         salt, ground black pepper, to taste 

·         3 cups cooked cannellini beans (or two 15.5 ounce cans, drained)

Mix and set aside for at least 10 minutes.  An hour or so works best.

·         4 large or 6 small blood, caracara or navel oranges, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

·         3 small celery stalks, very thinly sliced on a diagonal 

·         ¼ cup diced sweet onion

·         1 ½ cups sprouts (such as alfalfa, radish, or broccoli) or microgreens or thinly shredded cabbage, Napa cabbage or romane lettuce

·         1/4 cup cilantro or parley leaves, chopped

Add to beans and serve.  Can be refrigerated for an hour or so before serving.

  

Vegan Butternut Squash Ravioli

1 recipe fresh pasta (below)

3 1/2 cups cubed (1 inch chunks) butternut squash

1 cup SoySation Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Black pepper to taste

Place the squash in a microwave safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Cook on high in the microwave oven for 10-15 minutes or until the squash is soft.  Cool and drain off any accumulated liquid.

Place the cooled squash and remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Using a floured hand crank pasta roller, roll 1/4 of the dough first on #7, then on #5 and finally on #3.

Form with a ravioli maker, using one teaspoon of the filling for each 2 inch ravioli.  Alternatively, the pasta may be cut into 2 inch squares.  Place a teaspoon of the filling on the center of the square, fold over the filling and press the edges together.

Bring a large 6-8 quart pot of water to boil.  Add a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the ravioli and stir gently to prevent them from sticking together.

Continue to boil for about 5 minutes, or until the pasta is a la dente.

Remove with a slotted spoon and add olive oil or your favorite sauce.

My 'sauce' was olive oil, toasted walnuts and fresh sage.

Makes 48 ravioli at 37 calories per ravioli.  A serving size is about six 2 inch ravioli (222 calories)

Filled ravioli can be placed in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and frozen.  Once frozen, place in a plastic container or plastic bag.

Frozen ravioli don't need to be thawed prior to cooking.  They will require a few extra minutes of cooking time.

Fresh Pasta

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup semolina flour (we used Bob’s Red Mill)

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup of water

Mix the flours and salt together in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and with your hands mix in the water. Add a tablespoon of water at a time until the mixture comes together into a stiff dough.

Move the dough to a lightly floured board or counter. Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until elastic and slightly sticky.

Place a kitchen towel over the dough and let rest for at least 20 minutes. Or wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest up to two hours.  I find that longer is better.

Roll the dough out (I use a hand crank pasta roller.) Cut into the desired shape. Place in a large pot of gently boiling water to cook. Thin pasta will take 1-3 minutes. Thicker or filled pasta can take 5-15 minutes.

This makes one pound of pasta. The total calorie count is 1282. If you make spaghetti or fettuccine with all of it, it should serve 6 at 213 calories per serving.

Any unrolled dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 3 days. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before you want to roll it. The shaped pasta can be frozen for later use.

 

Vegan Portobello Mushroom Stroganoff

Serve this vegan stroganoff over your favorite noodles or pasta, potatoes, rice or other grain.

1 cup sweet onion diced

5 cups portobello mushrooms cut into bite sized pieces

2 cups ground beef substitute (like Yves)

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup non-dairy milk 

5 tablespoons cornstarch (or thickening agent of your choice)

1/2 cup non-dairy sour cream

Coat a 12 inch skillet with spray oil. 

Sauté the onion and mushrooms over med-high heat until they begin to brown.

Add the broth and ground 'beef' and bring to a boil, then turn down to low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Combine the milk and cornstarch until there are no lumps.  

Whisk into the broth/veggie mixture.  Bring to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the cornstarch.

We had this with non-egg noodles and roasted vegetables.

enjoy!

Makes 8 cups.  123.87 calories per cup.

Vegan BBQ Seitan"Pork"

We made our faux meat from Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten.  Vital wheat gluten is about 75% protein and is a nice alternative to soy products.

Wheat gluten, is also referred to as seitan, wheat meat, gluten meat, or simply gluten.  It has a firm texture and takes on the flavor of the spices and other ingredients.   Of course, this is not a viable product for those who are gluten intolerant.

 It is surprisingly simple to make, but takes a little time.  I made the seitan on the weekend.  Tonight it came together as a very quick and simple meal with the addition of BBQ sauce.

Many thanks to my son, Thomas, for photographing tonight's dinner.

Now for the recipe:

6 cups water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons dark molasses

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

Bring to a boil in an 8 quart pot while you prepare the seitan.  The seitan will expand when it cooks, so be sure to use a large pot.

2 cups vital wheat gluten flour

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 cups water

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.

Add the liquid smoke to the water.  Add the water mixture to the dry mixture.  Stir quickly.  It comes together in a gelatinous, wet glob very quickly.

Sprinkle about a tablespoon of vital wheat flour on a clean dry surface.  Dump the mixture on to the surface and knead for 1-2 minutes.

Cut into 8 pieces and flatten as much as you can.  It is very elastic so don't worry about the shape very much.

Place the pieces into the boiling pot.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for one hour.

Remove from the pot, drain and refrigerate over night.    A plastic zipper bag work great for this.

The flavors will develop while refrigerated.  At this point it is great cut up on a salad, in a sandwich or stir fry.

This makes 8 generous servings.  Each serving has 120 calories, 23 grams of protein and 3 net carbs.

For our BBQ 'pork' version, cut into narrow (1/4-1/2 inch strips) and heat in your favorite BBQ sauce.

We had this with coleslaw on a piece of Dave's Killer Bread.  Yum!

 

Vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Quesadilla

 

Sweet potatoes have been in the spotlight as a 'super food'.  The contain antioxidants, they are low glycemic, high in beta carotene and have anti-inflammatory properties.

Once only found under marshmallows at the holidays, sweet potatoes now take center stage in every day cooking.

This recipe for quesadillas is loaded with nutrients from the sweet potatoes and black beans.  I used a low carb tortilla to keep the glycemic index low.

1 1/2 cups diced onions

2 cups diced mushrooms

1/2 cup diced red sweet pepper

2 cups diced sweet potato

1 1/2 cups rinsed black beans

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cup Daiya Cheddar (or other non-dairy cheese)

12 La Victoria 6 inch low carb tortillas

Optional condiments (non-dairy sour cream, salsa, avocado, etc)

Coat a skillet with spray oil.  Over medium high heat, saute the onions, mushrooms and peppers.  When the onions begin to brown add the sweet potatoes, water, and seasonings.  Cover the skillet and turn down to medium.  Stir occasionally.  Cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft.

For each quesadilla, lay a tortilla on a griddle or skillet over medium heat.  Add 1/4 cup cheese and 3/4 cup of the sweet potato mixture.  Add a second tortilla.  When the bottom begins to brown, turn over and brown on the other side and until cheese melts.

Cut into 2-4 wedges and serve.

Makes six quesadillas at 331 calories each.

Alternatively, use a larger tortilla and make into a burrito

 

Old Fashioned Tofu Burgers

Remember the days when there were no garden burgers, black bean burgers or any other kind of meatless burger?  We made our own from the vegan's staple protein- tofu.  These aren't filled with brown rice, eggplant, carrots, beans or any of those other things found in packaged veggie burgers.  Just a few basics for flavor, binders to hold it together and tofu.

I first made these burgers in 1983- 30 years ago.  So for me, these are old fashioned back to basics vegan burger.

1 1/2 cups diced onion, sauteed until soft

2 pounds extra firm tofu, drained, patted dry and chopped

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons egg replacer (ENER-G)

8 tablespoons water

1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

2 teaspoons minced garlic

dash of black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat two baking sheets with spray oil.

Place the onions, tofu, soy sauce, egg replacer and water on a food processor and pulse until the consistency of ground beef.  You will need to do this in two batches.

Place the tofu mixture in a large bowl.  Add the bread crumbs, garlic and pepper.  Mix well (use clean hands).

Measure 1/2 cupful of the mixture and form into a 1/2 inch patty and place on the baking sheet.  I use a crumpet ring for this.  I place the ring on the baking sheet and pat the mixture into the ring.  It results in a round patty with an even thickness.

Coat the tops of the burgers with spray oil.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Flip over and bake another 20 minutes.

This are always better the day after they are made.  The flavors meld together and the texture becomes more firm.  But they are good right out the oven as well.

You can serve these on a bun like a burger, or with a mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes.  they are great cut up on a green salad as well.

This recipe makes 11 large burgers.  They freeze well, or cut the recipe in half if you wish.

Some may prefer a smaller burger.  The total calorie count for the recipe is 1934.  Just divide that by the number of burgers you make to get you calorie count.

Made per the recipe each burger has 175 calories.

enjoy!

 

Vegan Spatzle With Spinach Cashew Cream Sauce
 and Winter Squash

 

Spatzle is a German dish that is somewhere between a noodle and dumpling.  Spatzle is quick and easy to make.  It is a soft dough that is forced through holes in a Spatzle board or spoon.  It can also be scraped off a cutting with a knife, scarping small bits of the dough into the boiling water.

Spatzle is great in soups.  It is also very good sauteed in olive oil or vegetable margarine with green onions or chives.  Top it off with some vegan sour cream or cheese.

Spinach is packed with nutrients such as vitamins K, A, C, B-2, manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, calcium and many more.

The spinach in the sauce is first cooked.   I used a vegetable steaming bag and cooked in the microwave.  Steaming the spinach without water helps it to retain it nutrients.

1 medium sweet dumpling squash or other winter squash

6 ounces fresh spinach that has been steamed until soft

1/2 cup cashew cream

1 cup non-dairy milk

1 teaspoon salt

dash pepper

dash or two of fresh grated nutmeg

1 cup unbleached white wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon EnerG Egg Replacer

4 tablespoons warm water

1/3 cup non-dairy milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with spray oil.

Cut the squash in half and scoop out seeds and discard.  Place the squash cut side down on the baking sheet and bake 45-60 minutes or until done.  Remove from oven and set aside

For the sauce, combine cooked spinach, cashew cream, cup of milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a blender.  Process until smooth.  Pour into a large skillet.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Cook until it begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

For the spatzle- combine dry ingredients in a bowl.  Combine the egg replacer and warm water in another bowl and stir until smooth.  Add milk.  Make a well in the dry ingredients.  Combine to make a soft dough.  If too stiff add a little more milk or water, a tablespoon at a time.  Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.

Bring to boil a 4-5 quart pot of water with a dash of salt and olive oil.  Force the spatzle dough through the board and directly into the boiling water.  Boil until they all float, 2-3 minutes.

Drain the spatzle and stir into the spinach sauce.

To assemble- place a 1/4 of the squash on a plate, spoon 1/4 of the spatzle-spinach mixture over top.

Enjoy!

Makes 4 servings at 206 calories each.

 

 

Vegan Cheeseburger Baked Potato

 

It doesn't get much better- cooking therapy that produces comfort food!

The last few recipes were labor intensive, so the next few will be quick and easy like this one.

1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (I used the SoDelicious Coconut milk- the 45 calorie per cup variety)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

dash salt and pepper

1/2 cup Daiya cheddar cheese (good with the Daiya pepper jack also)

2/3 cup Yves Meatless Ground

2 medium baked potatoes- I used Yukon Gold and baked in the microwave (I was hungry!)

Mix the milk, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a small saucepan over medium high heat.  Stir constantly.  When it comes to a boil turn down to low and simmer for another minute.

Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Add the meatless ground and simmer until heated through.

Pour half of the sauce over each baked potato and enjoy!

Makes 2 servings, 360 calories each.

Vegan Potato Gnocchi

I must be very special!  I made a big batch of potato gnocchi just for me.  I added some garden fresh veggies, opened a bottle Locatelli's Luna Piena (full moon) red wine and retired to the deck to catch the last sun of the day.

Locatelli Winery is located in San Miguel, California.  They are a family owned and operated winery.  The Luna Piena is 77% Merlot and 23% Petit Verdot.  If you are in the Paso Robles area just travel north a couple a miles and visit the Locatelli tasting room.  You won't be disappointed.

When visiting Italy in 2009, I learned to make Potato Gnocchi at In Tavola cooking school in Florence.  The recipe calls for "1-2 egg yolks (depending on moisture)".  I simply left out the egg yolks and these were just as good as when I made them prior to following a vegan diet.

I had my gnocchi with sautéed garden fresh zucchini (thanks, Glenn!) and fresh tomatoes and basil from my own garden.  I added some mushrooms and onion and it was perfection.

A word about gnocchi- they are little potato dumplings.  The gnocchi I had in Italy were doughy little bits of deliciousness.   American gnocchi are often fluffy and light.  If you are looking for American gnocchi don't make this recipe.  The perfect texture of gnocchi is  not too soft, not too chewy, almost creamy in texture. Gnocchi are labor intensive, so make these when you have some time.  I roll my on a fork (the traditional way) but I am considering one of those little wooden gnocchi boards to speed up the process.  Rolling the gnocchi on a fork or a gnocchi board adds small indentations to help hold the sauce.  If you are not having a sauce, you can skip this step if you wish.

If you make them for soup, make them half the size.  Gnocchi freeze well.  Just place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze.  Once frozen, place in a plastic bag or other freezer container.  To cook, take out the number you want and place directly into boiling water.  No need to thaw.

The Tools

You will need a potato ricer and nutmeg grater for this recipe.

A potato ricer is loaded with cooked potatoes, squeezed and lump free potatoes emerge.

A nutmeg grater is an essential tool for all home cooks.    Why buy the ground stuff in the jar when you can grate your own from a whole nutmeg in a matter of seconds?

My grater has a little nutmeg house at the top to store my nutmeg until I need it again.

Ingredients:

2.2 pounds russet potatoes, baked and cooled enough to handle (this is about 3 medium potatoes)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup semolina (durum wheat) flour

fresh ground nutmeg  (about 1/8 teaspoon)

pinch of salt and pepper

Peel and cut the potatoes into small pieces.  Place in the ricer and rice into a large mixing bowl.  Continue until all of the potatoes have been riced.

Add the remaining ingredients.  Mix with your hands.  If needed add a little water a teaspoon at a time.  This will vary depending upon the moisture in  your potatoes.  You may not need any water.  When it comes together in a ball, move the dough to a floured surface and knead for about 3-5 minutes or until no longer sticky and all of the flour is incorporated.  Don't over knead or the gnocchi witll be tough.

Cut the dough into 8 pieces.  Roll each piece into a long rope about the width of your thumb.  Cut into 1" to 1 1/4" pieces.  Roll each piece across the tines of a fork or on a gnocchi board.

Place on a parchment covered baking sheet that has been floured lightly.  You will need two baking sheets.  Continue rolling until all of the dough is used.   

At this point you can choose to cook them all or freeze some.

These cook very quickly so have your sauce or veggies and everything else for your meal prepared prior to dropping these in the water.

Bring about 8 quarts of salted water to boil  (less if you are not cooking them all).  Drop in the gnocchi.  When they rise to the top, remove with a slotted spoon.  They are now ready for your sauce or veggies. 

The other thing you can do at this point is saute them them in some olive oil in until they develop a crunchy brown crust.  Very yummy!

Making 8 servings, 11-12 gnocchi per serving or about 1 cup.  Each serving has 182 calories (this is the gnocchi alone- add your calories for whatever else you add to them)

 September 20, 2012- the gnocchi rolling board

 

Vegan Pepperoni Pizza

For those of us with a dairy allergy or who follow a vegan diet pizza is a rare treat.   Homemade pizza is a bit of work but well worth it.  This is also a little higher on the calorie count.

This makes 6 individual pizzas at 455 calories.  It is roughly equivalent to two pieces of a 16 inch pie.  I make them individual because I really need portion control.  If you like, you could make this into one 16 inch pie.

Dough:

1 cup warm water (100-115 degrees)

1 package dry yeast (5/16 ounce)

1 3/4 to 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

Place the water in a mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the water.  Allow to sit for about 5 minutes or until bubbly. 

It is important to measure the temperature of the water.  If it is too cool the yeast won't become active.  If it is too warm, the yeast will be killed.  In either case, your dough won't rise.

Add the flours and salt to the water and yeast and mix well until it forms a ball.  Start with 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and add more if your dough is sticky.

You can this by hand but I use my Kitchen Aide mixer.  I mix with the paddle and the switch to the dough hook.  I need for about 5 minutes with the dough hook and then knead by hand for about 3 minutes.  Kneading is about 8 minutes total or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Spray a bowl with spray olive oil.  Place the dough in the bowl and cover loosely with a clean towel.

Allow to rise in a warm place until double in size- 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

While the dough is rising make the sauce.

Sauce:

1 cup of tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

To assemble the pizza you will need:

1 recipe of dough

1 recipe of sauce

1 1/2 cups non-dairy mozzarella, such as Daiya

1 1/2 cups non-dairy Parmesan, such as SoySation

1 1/2 packages meatless pepperoni, such as Yves

Preheat oven to 500 degrees

When the dough has doubled in size, turn out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Divide into 6 equal pieces.  Roll each into a ball.  Cover with a clean towel and let rest for 20 minutes.

Then roll each ball into a flat disk with a rolling pin.  Then gently stretch until it is 7-8 inches across and roughly round.

Place on pizza stones or baking sheets. 

Top each with 4 tablespoons of sauce and spread evenly over the dough. 

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup each mozzarella and Parmesan.

Top with 10 slices of pepperoni.

Bake for 12 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and starts to brown.

Remove from oven and cut into 4 pieces and enjoy!

Options:

1/6 of the dough alone is 233 calories.  Use your own sauce and toppings.

If you leave off the pepperoni the calorie count is 405.

I actually did not bake all of these tonight.  I put two unbaked pizzas in the freezer.  I think that I can place a frozen pizza in a cold oven, turn it on and by the time the oven is heated the pizza will be thawed and ready to be baked.  I will let you know how this works out.

August 22nd update:  It worked out well.  I placed the frozen pizza on a baking sheet, put it in the cold oven and cranked it up to 500 degrees.  About 20 minutes later I had a perfect vegan pizza (Could have been 25 minutes.  I lost track of time)

Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms

Mushrooms are non-fat, contain potassium, antioxidants, B vitamins and many other good nutrients.  They are almost void of calories- just 15 calories per cups of raw mushrooms.

We use mushrooms in many of our meals as an extender- adds volume without adding a significant number of calories.

The recipe I offer below is one that we have enjoyed for many years, but we have lightened it up and veganized it.  I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do.

12 mushrooms that measure 1.5-2 inches across

1 cup of diced onion (we like Vidalias)

1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup non-dairy cheese (we used Daiya cheddar)

1/3 cup vegetable stock (low or no sodium if you purchase it)

1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs- I used sage, thyme and parsley

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Coat a non-stick skillet and a glass baking dish with spray olive oil

Wipe the mushrooms with a towel to remove an debris

Remove the stems from the mushrooms

Place 11 mushroom caps in the baking dish with the hole side up

Dice the stems and the one remaining mushroom

Sauté the onions and mushrooms over medium heat until they begin to caramelize

Add the bread crumbs to the mushrooms and onions and stir and then add the herbs and broth.  Stir until it begins to hold together

Add the cheese and mix in well

With a teaspoon top the mushroom caps with the mixture

Spray the filled mushrooms with olive oil spray

Bake 20-30 minutes or until the filling browns and the mushrooms are cooked.

The entire recipe has just 384 calories.  Each stuffed mushroom has 34 calories.

The original recipe was for an appetizer.  I can't eat just one or two, so we always make these a meal.

The mushrooms are on the left side of the plate and the yummy looking stuff on the right side is a watermelon salad.  Very easy, colorful and tasty!  I cut some seedless watermelon into small cubes and mixed that together with some mini heirloom tomatoes we had cut in half.  We spooned that onto a bed of lettuce fresh from the greenhouse.  Then we drizzled over a little bit of balsamic reduction.

Balsamic reduction is sugar and balsamic vinegar that are boiled together and then cooled.    You can buy this in many markets, but why spend $7-$8 on something you can put together for fraction of that and in just a few minutes.

So here is the recipe...

Balsamic Reduction

Place into a small sauce pan one cup of balsamic vinegar and two tablespoons of sugar (we used evaporated cane juice).  Bring to boil, reduce to a simmer, set the timer for 15 minutes and then you are done.  Cool before using.  It takes just a small drizzle because the flavor has been concentrated.  I use less than a teaspoon.

The entire batch has just 330 calories.  This one is a little on the sweet side because I like it on fruit.  You can use less sugar. 



Black Beans

Black beans, also known as turtle beans, are small, shiny and dark.  They pack a nutritional punch- they have protein, fiber, folate, B vitamins and numerous other vitamins and minerals.  Studies show they are good for digestive health and may help to prevent colon cancer.  Black beans have been around for about 7,000 years and originated in Central American and southern Mexico.  They are widely used in Caribbean and Latin dishes.

And if all that isn’t enough- they are really cheap and easy to prepare.  Today I bought my one pound bag of black beans for 86 cents.  I cooked them up and served them alongside our Portabella Fajitas for dinner.  And I put about 6 cups of beans in the fridge for about another 3-4 meals for the two of us.  Not bad for a mere 86 cents. 

Another note on money- there is a perception that it is expensive to eat a vegan diet.  At the rate we are spending on food, we stand to save over $6,000 this year with our vegan diet.  Hmmm….now what could we do with all that extra cash. 

One cup of cooked black beans has 227 calories, no fat and no sodium.  A Big Mac has 576 calories, 292 from fat, and 742mg sodium.  Give my body black beans!

To prepare black beans:

Rinse one pound of beans and pick out any bad beans, dirt or pebbles.

Place in 5 quart pan and soak for 3-4 hours.

Then bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, cover and cook until done (40-60 minutes)

I like to add an onion.  You can also use vegetable stock in place of the water.  Add any seasonings you wish.  I left my

plain so I can adapt them to different recipes this week.

Fresh Pasta

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup semolina flour (we used Bob’s Red Mill)

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup of water

So the recipe I used says to mix the flours and salt together on a counter or board, make a well in the middle, pour in ½ cup water and mix together with your hands.  I poured in the water and as soon as I touched the flour I had water running off the counter on and to floor.   So I am going to change it up here.

Mix the flours and salt together in a mixing bowl.  Make a well in the middle and with your hands mix in the water.  Add a tablespoon of water at a time until the mixture comes together into a stiff dough.

 Move the dough to a lightly floured board or counter.  Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until elastic and slightly sticky.

 Place a kitchen towel over the dough and let rest for 20 minutes or up to 2 hours- longer is better.

Roll the dough out (I use a hand crank pasta roller.)  Cut into the desired shape.  Place in a large pot of gently boiling water to cook.  Thin pasta will take 1-3 minutes.  Thicker or filled pasta can take 5-15 minutes.

This makes one pound of pasta.  The total calorie count is 1282.  If you make spaghetti or fettuccini with all of it, it should serve 6 at 213 calories per serving.

The unrolled dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for 3 days.  Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before you want to roll it.  The shaped pasta can be frozen for later use.

 

Vegan Mushroom Walnut Ravioli

½ recipe pasta dough

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped walnuts

1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh basil

1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

For the filling:

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped mushrooms

2 tablespoons Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

¼ cup non-dairy parmesan cheese (I used SoySations)

¼ cup non-dairy mozzarella (I used Daiya)

Fill a large pot with water and a dash of olive oil and bring to a boil while filling the ravioli.

Coat a skillet with olive oil spray.

Sauté the onions and mushrooms over med-high heat until caramelized.

Remove from heat and cool for about 10 minutes.

Place the onions, mushrooms, breadcrumbs and cheeses in a food processor and pulse until it all ingredients are finely ground and hold together.

Roll the dough in a pasta roller.  It works best if your roll it first on a wide setting and then on a thinner setting.  For my hand crank pasta roller, we rolled first on setting 7 and then again on setting 3.  At this point you can hand cut your ravioli with a round 2 inch biscuit cutter or you can use a ravioli maker.

Place 1 teaspoon on the bottom piece of pasta.  Cover with a second piece of pasta and crimp the edges.

I made 18 two inch ravioli.  I don’t re-roll the scraps as they can be tough.  So we used about 1/3 of the recipe of pasta dough to make 18 ravioli.

Reduce the heat on the pot of water to a gentle boil and carefully drop in the ravioli.  These should take 5-6 minutes to cook.  When done, drain quickly and place in a serving bowl.

Add the fresh herbs, I tablespoon olive oil and the walnuts.  Toss gently and enjoy.

This makes two servings at 382 calories each.  This was great with fresh asparagus.

If you want to try a different sauce option, the ravioli without the olive oil and walnuts is 298 calories.

 

 South of the Border Black Bean Burgers

2 cups prepared fresh Pico de Gallo

2 cups onions, chopped

2 cups mushrooms, chopped

1 ½ cups carrot, shredded

2 cups rolled oats

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 cups cooked black beans (if you used canned beans check the sodium content) 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place the Pico de Gallo in a strainer to drain

Sauté the onions, mushrooms and carrots in a non-stick pan that has been coated with spray olive oil.  Cook and stir until soft.

Place the sautéed vegetables into a food processor.  Add the Pico de Gallo oats, garlic and cumin.  Whirl around until the vegetables are small.

Empty into a mixing bowl.

Place the beans in the food processor and pulse a few times just to break up a bit.

Place in the mixing bowl with the vegetable oat mixture and stir until well blended.

Coat two baking sheets with olive oil spray.

Measure ½ cup of the mixture for each burger.  Drop on the baking sheet and flatten with the back of a spoon to form a 3 ½-4 inch circle.

Bake for 20 minutes, the carefully turn over each burger.  Bake for another 20 minutes and remove from oven.

Makes 12 burgers, 145.5 calories each.  These freeze very well.

I take these for my lunch frequently.  I spread my bread with Tofutti cream cheese, add the frozen burger and pack in my lunch bag.  The burger thaws by noon and I have a delicious, homemade lunch.

 Vegan Enchiladas

1 onion, diced
1 sweet red pepper, diced
6 medium mushrooms, diced
1 package Yves Meatless Taco Stuffers (or other vegan taco product)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon caraway seed
2 cups vegan cheese, shredded  (I used Daiya cheddar)
18 ounces of your favorite enchilada sauce (I  used 1 ½ bottles of Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce)
12 thin corn tortillas (6 inch)

Heat oven to 425 degrees

Spray a 13” x 9” baking pan with spray oil Set aside ½ cup of cheese           

Sauté the vegetables in a nonstick pan that has been coated with spray oil.

When the vegetables are soft, crumble the meat into the pan.            

Add the thyme and caraway.Mix well and heat through        

Divide the ‘meat’ mixture and the cheese evenly among the 12 tortillas.

Add a spoonful of sauce over the filling.           

Roll the tortilla around the filling and place seam side down in the baking pan

Spoon the sauce in between the enchiladas, making sure that each is well covered in sauce.

Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas

Sprinkle the reserved cheese over top.

Bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly

Makes 12 servings.  208 calories per enchilada.

Vegan Chicken-less Salad

Gardein makes several different non-meat products.  These are made primarily from soy and vital wheat gluten.  The vital wheat gives it the texture and chewiness.  Gardein products are found in most supermarkets.

Vital wheat gluten is the natural protein found in wheat. It contains 75% protein. Vital wheat gluten can also be used to make a meat substitute known as seitan. 

Place in a small bowl:

2 Gardein chick'n filets, sauteed, cooled and diced

1 cup diced celery

2 tablespoons sliced green onion

1 tablespoon chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons dried cranberries

1/4 cup seedless grapes, quartered

Dressing:

2 tablespoons Tofutti cream cheese

2 tablespoons Nayonaise vegan mayo

2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I used Trader Joe's Coconut Milk Beverage)

Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.  Pour over the chicken, veggies and fruit and mix well.

Makes 2 cups.  Each 1 cup serving has 225 calories.