Cream of Celery Soup

Cream of Celery Soup

Review:
WOW, this soup is packed with flavor! I had some extra celery and veggies in the fridge, which are always good candidates for soups :) This recipe doesn't require a lot of ingredients and extra seasoning isn't even necessary. Oh, this soup is so yummy!  You've got to try it NOW!

Source:
My creative mind :)

2 tbs Earth Balance margarine
1/2 white onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, sliced
2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 small white potato
1/2 -1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 tsp white pepper (optional)

1. In a large sauce pan, saute margarine with onion and garlic over medium heat until slightly softened. Add celery and carrot with a small amount of water to prevent sticking, if needed, and saute another 5 minutes.

2. Add vegetable broth to vegetables, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are softened.

3. Transfer the vegetables with broth in two separate batches to food processor and puree. Transfer back to sauce pan or another pot over low-medium heat.  Pour in soy milk and stir.  Add white pepper for additional seasoning if desired.

**This recipe makes about 2 servings.  Double for more.**

Blondies with Chocolate Chips

Blondies

Review:
First, let me say that it's hard to go wrong with sugar and chocolate. I can eat the two alone and be happy. Luckily, this recipe had these ingredients! The brownies turned out  quite tasty but they were a mess coming out of the oven.  They looked okay after cooking, and my fork was dry after testing, but it was messy cutting into them.  I let them cool for a bit, and then I couldn't help myself so I tried one. The directions said to let it cool completely before serving and this probably could have been emphasized a little more. They were very thin and gooey and didn't look anything like the original picture.  I wondered if maybe I needed to leave them in the oven longer so I popped them back in for another 5-6 minutes. Once I let them cool for an hour or two, the were more congealed and easier to cut into. And of course I ate 2 huge pieces!  They were super yummy and full of flavor. They were still a little more gooey than I like, but as I said, the flavor is amazing!  The molasses gives a nice flavor.  They're worth a shot and they're vegan too, so no worries about being a little under cooked :) You just have to be patient and wait for them to cool.

Source:
I found these at Vegan Piggy.

Arizona Red Lentil Soup

Red Lentil Soup

Review:
If you didn't know already, lentils are a must have for vegans.  They're loaded with protein, iron, fiber and anti-oxidants. Oh, and they're cheap and easy to make. This was my first time cooking with red lentils.  They are much smaller than the green, which makes their texture a little smoother. I added some cheese on top of the soup to cut through some of the spices, so I recommend this or vegan sour cream to cool it down.

Source:
I adapted this from another recipe and I honestly didn't think I would save it.  It was very bland to begin with so I quickly added vegetable broth and various spices. Voila, I had a new soup! 

2 tbs olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red lentils
2 tbs ground cumin
1 tbs dried oregano
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 tbs agave nectar (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable broth

1. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add cumin, oregano, white pepper and red lentils and stir until coated. Add tomatoes and their juices, salt and agave nectar (if using). Add enough water to cover the lentils (2-3 cups). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes.

2. In the meantime, mix up 1 cup of vegetable bouillon.  This was my first time using it and it will now be a staple in my kitchen!  It's cheap, easy to make and doesn't go bad after opening it like liquid broth.  I used the Organic Gourmet brand.

3. Add 1 cup vegetable broth to the lentils and serve topped with vegan cheese or sour cream.

Veggie Udon Noodles

Review:
This is a quick and fulfilling meal!  I typically use cabbage for the greens but instead used few Brussels sprouts this time because that's what I had left in the fridge. I actually prefer the taste of cabbage better but the sprouts were a decent substitute. The paprika gives a nice flavor and adds a color to the dish that I really like!

Source:
I adapted this from several other udon dishes - enjoy!

Veggie Udon Noodles

1 (8 oz) package udon noodles
2 tbs olive oil
3-4 large Brussels sprouts, shredded (or 2 cups sliced green cabbage)
1 medium carrot, sliced
1/2 cup onion, sliced
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black peper
1 1/4 paprika
2 tbs roasted sesame seeds
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the udon noodles and cook according to directions on the package.  Drain and keep warm.

2. Heat 1 tbs oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the Brussels sprouts (or cabbage) and carrots to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add several tablespoons of water to the pan if needed so it doesn't stick.

3. In a separate pan, heat 1 tbs oil over medium heat and add onions, salt, garlic, pepper and paprika to cook until the onions are translucent.  Add water if needed to prevent sticking. Add the onions to the pan with the carrots and sprouts (cabbage) and stir to combine.  Add the drained noodles and toss together. Sprinkle in the roasted sesame seeds and add parsley for garnish!

Bay Biscuits

Bay Biscuits

Review:
I'm so glad I tried these! They will pair nicely with soups.  I made these for a potluck and they are good on their own.  I followed the instructions by using a 1/4 cup measurement for size, which was too big for serving more than 10. I cut the size in half so the recipe could yield more biscuits and cooked them for only 8-10 minutes.  I poured the butter mixture over the biscuits because I didn't have a brush and it worked just as well.  This butter sauce really brings out the flavor!

Source:
I found this recipe on another vegan blog peasandthankyou.com.

Barley Casserole

Review:
This was my first dish with barley.  I had to make it a couple of times before I could appreciate the texture and flavors in this dish, but now I love it.  I like to use only 1 cup of barley in this recipe without adjusting the other ingredients.  This still makes quite a bit, make the dish more colorful and adds more vegetables to every bite. The tahini sauce is creamy and really adds flavor. I use soy sauce rather than shoyu. You might reduce the amount of salt if you use soy sauce. I serviced this dish with Swiss chard.

Source:
From Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet.

Barley Casserole with green chard

Barley Casserole

White Bean Cauliflower Soup & Chard

Review:
I'm so glad I found a recipe for cauliflower that I enjoy!  This is a simple soup that has potential for as much flavor as you want.  I added quite a bit of cayenne pepper so mine was a little spicy.  I also added some fresh parsley for color and flavor. The Swiss chard was AMAZING! (There are several kinds of chard, make sure you get the green kind.) I've never eaten chard and I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I accidentally left it in the pan longer than planned so it started to dry out and brown.  In the bustle of removing it from the heat, I forgot to add the lemon juice. I didn't even notice because it was very tasty without it.  I was worried the chard would taste burnt, but it was nicely tender and surprisingly a little crispy.  I loved the light crunch and it reminded me of kale chips but even better.  The garlic was also a little crunchy and added more texture. This recipe is rich in flavor and of course full of nutrients.

Source:
I found both of these recipes on The Vegan(ish) Experiment.

White Bean Cauliflower Soup

Swiss Chard

Chickpea Divan

Review:
I came across this casserole(ish) dish while perusing online blogs for new recipes.  The appetizing picture caught my eye and it reminded me of the creamy chicken dishes I ate growing up, so of course I had to try it! This was my first time cooking with sage and I really enjoyed the flavor it added to this dish. The sauce almost had a cream of mushroom flavor to it, which I LOVE, so it was easy for me to devour the entire plate. You could probably replace the broccoli with asparagus if you're looking for a substitute.  I served it with millet because I had some extra in the pantry, but you can use quinoa or rice.

Source:
This is from Vegan Spoonful.

Fresh Lettuce Wraps

Review:
This is fresh, light, tasty, fulfilling, nutritious AND low calorie!  It's quick to make and trust me, you'll gobble it up right away!  I ate mine with some original pop chips (popped, not baked or fried).  I cut the recipe in half thinking I would have enough for dinner and lunch tomorrow, but I ended up eating all of what I fixed!  I recommend making the whole recipe if you want leftovers :)

Source:
This is my inspiration from other vegan "tuna sandwich" recipes.  Blah, a fake tuna sandwich sounds worse than the real deal!  Trust me, this has no resemblance to a tuna sandwich.

1 8oz package tempeh
2 tbs safflower oil
1 red onion, minced
1/2 umbeloshi vinegar
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 small cucumber, chopped
1/4 cup chopped kosher dill pickles
1 tbs Vegenaise
1/2 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs fresh lemon jiuce
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
3 or 4 butter lettuce leaves

1. Cut tempeh into 1/4 inch thick pieces and cook in a small saucepan until lightly browned on both sides. Set aside to cool.

2. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the onion and boil for 10 to 15 seconds. Use a strainer or slotted spoon to transfer the onion to a mixing bowl.  Keep the water boiling in the pot on the stove.

3. Add the vinegar to the onions, stir well, and set aside to marinate about 10 minutes.

4. While the onion marinates, blanch the celery and carrots for 10 seconds and scoop into a mixing bowl.

5. Drain the marinated onions through a sieve and rinse under running water. Add the onions to the bowl with the vegetables. Cut the cooled tempeh into small pieces and add to the bowl along with the cucumber, pickles, Vegenaise, mustard, lemon juice and parsley. Stir well to combine.

6. Prepare lettuce leaves and scoop 2-3 tablespoons of mixture onto each.  Enjoy!

Miso-Ginger Wild Rice

Review:
This is a quick and tasty recipe!  I decided to make it a little more hearty with pieces of fried extra-firm tofu.  I also added the veggies to the pan once the tofu was golden so they could soften before adding it to the sauce.

Source:
I found this recipe at WholeFoodsMarket.com.

Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup

Review:
I was pleasantly surprised by this soup.  I was trying to find a way to include more kale into my diet and this is it! The Italian style tomatoes give it a wonderful flavor and it's super fast to make!  As a side note, I substituted white beans for cannellini beans.

Source:
WholeFoodsMarket.com

Quinoa Couscous

Review:
I absolutely LOVE this recipe!  It's great as a side to any dish, colorful and easy to make. It reheats great for the next day too! My friend's 10 month old son even liked it (of course she took out some of the thicker solids) and he had been a picky eater all day!

Source:
I found this recipe on Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Life website.

Kung Pao Sliders

Review:
This recipe takes over an hour to prepare, but most of that is chilling time. The sliders and slaw are easy to make and super tasty. I sliced the tofu a little thinner than what the recipe called and would slice it about an inch next time. I tried my slider on a Kaiser roll, which is one of my favorite rolls, but actually preferred the slider and slaw without the bun more. I also adjusted the recipe to make 2 sliders and did not include the cayenne pepper. I would make this again because I loved all the flavors.

Source:
Vegetarian Times; Jan-Feb 2011

Black Bean Burgers

Review:
I made these burgers in less than 25 minutes. They've got a good consistency and great taste.  They stay together pretty well and the recipe doesn't include any kind of wheat gluten or vegetable protein. I like them best with avocado and salsa.  I haven't tried the spice mango sauce yet. If you do, let me know how it turns out.  I like these burgers on a toasted Kaiser roll or even on an English muffin.  They're great without the bun too!

Source:
This is a creation of Chef Chloe, an up and coming vegan chef who posts her original recipes on her blog.