MEXICAN RICE

This rice makes a great meal on it's own but also makes a great side dish for a Mexican food night. You'll get your proteins from the beans and pine nuts and as a bonus the black beans will provide iron, which are both important nutrients to get as a vegan.
So make yourself a margarita, cook up some tacos and serve with this rice!
Ayaya delicioso!!


MEXICAN RICE

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
1/2 onion, diced small
1 garlic, minced
2 celery sticks, diced small
1 red pepper, diced small
3/4 cup long grain brown rice
1/4 cup mixed wild rice
2 cup veggie broth
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon fire roasted green chilies (from a 4oz can)
1/4 cup cooked organic black beans
1/4 cup organic frozen corn, thawed
1/3 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced small
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
pepper to taste

Preparation

In a small casserole, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook 3-4 minutes until translucent.
Add garlic, celery and pepper and cook 3 more minutes.
Stir in the rice, add the bouillon, the chili powder, thyme, cayenne and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover to cook. Follow the package instructions for the required cooking time. It should be around 45-50 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
When the liquid has evaporated, add the black beans, fire roasted green chilies, corn, tomatoes, pine nuts, cilantro and pepper to taste.

Bon appetit! (or should I say: Buen provecho)

ARTICHOKE AND SPINACH DIP

I used to order artichoke and spinach dips in restaurants all the time. It is such a great appetizer and crowd pleaser for parties and potlucks!

I went to the Wynn hotel the other day with a few of my girlfriends. We were eating at Terrace Cafe and when I saw that they had an artichoke and spinach dip that was vegan I HAD to order it! For those who do not know this, the Wynn hotel now offers vegan fare in each of it's restaurants. The dip was so good that I decided to figure out a way to make it at home. :)

I think I figured it out pretty good. My boyfriend loved the recipe I came up with so much, he almost ate it all in one meal! This recipe will definitively become a household favorite.


ARTICHOKE AND SPINACH DIP

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped small
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped small
1 (8 ounce) package *vegan cream cheese
1/4 cup **vegan Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup ***vegan mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup ****vegan mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/3 cup frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped

topping

1/4 cup shredded vegan mozzarella cheese
1tablespoon vegan parmesan
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Pita bread, toasted, or
10 to 15 small corn tortillas, cut into fourths fried in vegetable oil,
or store bought pita or tortilla chips


Directions

Preheat oven to 360 F (180 C).
In a pan, cook the onion for 3-4 minutes at medium heat until translucent, add the garlic, cook 1 more minute.
Add the vegan cream cheese, the vegan mozzarella, and the vegan parmesan. Reduce the heat and cook until the cheese mixture is soft and mostly melted.
Remove from the heat and add to the mixture: vegan mayonnaise, basil, parsley, celery seed, salt, pepper and cayenne.
Stir in the artichoke hearts and spinach.
Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
Sprinkle with the vegan mozzarella cheese, vegan parmesan and breadcrumbs topping.
Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.
Serve with toasted Pita bread cut into triangles, small corn tortillas, cut into sixths fried in vegetable oil or store bought pita or tortilla chips

Bon appetit!

* I used Tofutti better than cream cheese It can be found in most grocery store, natural store such as wholefood or http://www.tofutti.com


** I used Galaxy vegan parmesan, galaxy products can also be found at Whole Foods, most natural stores and at http://www.galaxyfoods.com.

***I used daiya vegan mozzarella cheese. Daiya products can also be found at Whole Foods, most natural stores and at http://www.daiyafoods.com.

**** I used Vegenaise from Follow your Heart for vegan mayonaise. It can be found at Whole Foods, most organic section of super markets, most natural stores or at http://www.followyourheart.com.

VEGGIE SOUP

VEGGIE SOUP

I love soups. I could eat soups on a daily basis and never get tired of it! In fact, I did when I was growing up... my grandmother used to make me a soup everyday for lunch along with something else. That's probably why I have a soft spot for them. I miss my grandma! She was the best. :)
In this filling soup I used Chickpeas for proteins (there are 14.5g of proteins per cup) and broccoli rabe which is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Most dark greens have excellent nutritive values and this one brings a really nice flavor to the soup.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
I small onion, diced small
1 leek cut in half and cut small, white part only
3 celery stalks, diced small
4 medium carrots, diced small
1 zucchini, diced small
6 button mushrooms cleaned and diced small
1 cup broccoli rabe, chopped small, stem removed (kale or spinach would also work)
1 1/2 cup cooked chickpea
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (14.5oz)
8 cups veggie broth
3 oz. brown rice vermicelli
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon parsley
1 bay leaf
pinch of cayenne
pepper to taste

Preparation

In a large soup pot, heat the oil and cook the onions and leeks 3-4 minutes under medium heat.
Add the celery and carrots and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Add the zucchini, mushrooms and broccoli rabe, stir fry another 3-5 minutes until the mushrooms soften.
Add all the other ingredients, bring to boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer at medium-low for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Makes 8 servings

Bon appetit!

CREAMY RIESLING AND WILD MUSHROOM PENNE

This Penne pasta is so creamy you could almost swear it's got real fattening cream and cheese in it. It is quite lower fat than a non vegan version. I like using Riesling wine in this recipe, as much as it is not my favorite wine to drink, it's sweeter taste makes it stand out a little better. This recipe can definitely impress and trick your non vegan friends who argues that vegan food cannot be as good.

CREAMY RIESLING AND WILD MUSHROOM PENNE

Ingredients

300g Brown rice penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup Shallots diced small
2 leeks quartered, minced (white part only)
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups mixed wild mushrooms chopped medium size
1 tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
pepper to taste
1/2 cup Riesling white wine
1/2 cup pine nuts + 1/2 cup water blended togther in a blender until very smooth (pine nut cream)
1 227g/8oz container *vegan cream cheese
3 teaspoon potato starch (will need to mix well with 3 teaspoon water just before using)

Preparation:

Cook the pasta in boiling water following the instructions on the bag. When al-dente, drain well and rinse under cold water. Reserve.

In a wok or very large pan, heat up the olive oil under medium heat, add the shallots, leeks and garlic. Cook 3-4 min until translucent.

Add wild mushrooms, the thyme, basil and pepper and increase the temperature to med-high heat. Cook for 5-6 minutes until they are done and there are no more moisture.

Add the wine and cook a few minutes until 1/2 of it is evaporated. Add the pine nut cream, the cream cheese and the cornstarch. With a whisk, mix well, lower the heat to med and cook 5-7 minutes, mixing constantly, until the sauce has a thick consistency.

Add the penne to the sauce, mix well and cook another 3 minutes to warm up the pasta and coat with the sauce well.

Add more pepper if needed. Serve.

This will make 4 servings

Bon appetit!



* I used Tofutti better than cream cheese It can be found in most grocery store, natural store such as wholefood or http://www.tofutti.com

PARISIAN BEEF RAGOUT IN BORDEAUX SAUCE

First word that comes to my mind when I think of French ragout is Yummy!!
There are so many different recipes for them and I grew up eating lots of it. Especially in winter time when it is cold outside there is nothing better and most comforting than a warm Ragout. Oh the memories...

The nice thing about cooking vegan is that it saves a good hour to hour and a half to the cooking time! Veggies and Muck meats are way faster to cook! When veganizing a recipe, it is something to consider. Grab a good bottle of bordeaux, give yourself a glass and enjoy making this easy meal!

PARISIAN BEEF RAGOUT IN BORDEAUX SAUCE

Ingredients

2 packages *beef-less tips from Gardein, defrosted
1/4 cup flour
1+1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups Bordeaux red wine
1 cup **vegan beef stock
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon thyme
4 carrots, chopped roughly
10 baby potatoes cut in halves
227g mushrooms cut in halves

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375F/190C

Toss the beef-less tips in flour, shake off excess. In a large ovenproof casserole heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil under medium heat. Cook the beef-less tips in batches until browned all over. remove the beef-less tips fron the casserole and reserve.

In the same casserole heat up another tablespoon of olive oil and saute the onions and garlic until slightly translucent about 3-4 minutes.

Return the beff-less tips to the dish with wine, stock, tomatoe paste, mustard, thyme, carrots and potatoes; bring to boil.

Bake, covered for about 30 minutes add mushrooms and cook another 10minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

This will make 4 servings


*For the beef chunks I like to use "Gardein beef-less tips" (my favorite)www.gardein.com

**For the vegan beef stock, I like "Better than bouillon" by superior touch www.superiortouch.com or "Not beef bouillon" by Edward and son www.edwardandsons.com

HOMEMADE HAMBURGER HELPERS

My mum used to make this to us when I grew up, we didn't really have a name for it other than cheesy pasta. I then made it for my daughter who one day started calling them hamburger helpers because the recipe reminded her of the store bought version but tastier and better. The name remained since. It is very easy to make and is definitely a winner amongst kids.

HOMEMADE HAMBURGER HELPERS

Ingredients:

300g/ 10.5 oz Brown rice Fusilli pasta (regular works the same, just less healthy).
1+1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Small onion, or 1/2 a medium one, diced
2 Celery Stalk, diced
1 Package (340g/ 12oz) *veggie ground soy meat
2 Cans Campbell's tomato soup (284ml/ 10oz)
1 Cup **shredded cheddar style vegan cheese
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (spicy-optional)
Pepper to taste


Preparation:

In large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions, about 8 to 10 minutes with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Drain and rinse under cold running water until no longer starchy. Drain well; shake. Set aside to air-dry.

In a large wok, over medium heat, heat up the other tablespoon of oil and stir fry the onions for about 3 minutes.

Add the celery and stir fry another 2 min.

Add the veggie ground, stir fry for 3-4 min, then add all the other ingredients. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cheese is melted.

Pour the pasta into the sauce, mix well. Pepper to taste and serve.

This will make 4 servings

Bon appetit!


* For veggie ground meat I like Yves products. Other brands are also good. http://www.yvesveggie.com

**For Cheddar style cheese I use Daiya www.daiyafoods.com


Both products above can also be found in most health sections of grocery, Whole Foods and most natural stores.

FRENCH TOAST

French toast have always been a favorite for breakfast. It's savory, sweet and so easy to make... I cannot think of a better way to start the day during weekends.

I used almond milk in my recipe, of all the milk alternatives, almond milk contains the most nutrients, it also has no cholesterol, only 60 calories and 5 mg of sodium per 8 oz serving size. It also has 30% of our recommended daily value of calcium, 25% of Vitamin D, 50% of our recommended daily value of Vitamin E and is full of antioxidant. Though in minimal quantity, it also contains protein and iron. It is my personal favorite dairy alternative. I sometimes make homemade almond milk which tastes so good! I will be sharing that recipe shortly... Don't worry! :)

I also have replaced eggs by ENER-G egg replacer. It comes in the form of powder which is usually mixed with water to replace eggs in recipes. In this recipe, I mix it up with the almond milk and skip the water. I find that ENER-G egg replacer works very well in most baking recipes as long as it doesn't call for too many eggs. Give it a try, it is low calorie-wise, without fat and works wonders!

FRENCH TOAST

Ingredients

1 cup vanilla almond milk
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon *ENER-G egg replacer powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 sourdough baguette bread sliced diagonally about 3/4 inches thick (slicing diagonally will make longer slices)
1 tablespoon olive oil
few pinches of powder sugar for decoration
Maple syrup

Preparation

Beat the almond milk, flour, brown sugar, egg substitute, vanilla and cinnamon in a bowl.

Melt the olive oil in a pan under medium-high temperature. When it starts bubbling, quickly dip a piece of bread into the milk mixture on both sides and let the excess run off, place the dipped bread in the pan, quickly do the same with a few more pieces, cook 2 minutes or until golden. Turn and cook the other side. You may need to do this in a few batches.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and pour maple syrup according to taste.

This will make 4 servings

Bon appetit!







*You can find ENER-G egg replacer in most regular supermarket and in natural stores.

ENER-G: http://www.ener-g.com/