Vegan Black Bean Burgers

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped peppers (any color)
1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms  (when I don't have mushrooms, sometimes I substitute corn here)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup black beans
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add your onions, carrots, and peppers. Saute for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the ketchup, mustard, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Stir to combine.

Remove vegetables from heat and set aside to cool. Once they’re cool enough to handle, place the vegetables into a food processor with the black beans and bread crumbs and pulse a few times to combine.

Form the mixture into patties, usually makes us about 4 small. Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 450°. The burgers will hold together, but they’ll always be slightly mushy and have a tendency to crumble if handled too much. Just place them on a bun using a spatula and garnish with your favorite burger toppings.

Recipe taken entirely from http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com. 

Parmesan Cheese

This is a perfect, healthy substitute for parmesan cheese. Obviously it doesn't melt like a cheese would, but it has great flavor!

8 oz sliced almonds
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup dried basil
2 Tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp lemon zest or dried lemon peel
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Place ingredients in a blender or food processor and blitz away. Store in refrigerator.

Recipe from The Vegan Family Cookbook. 

Stuffed Peppers

These were so good! Its actually one of the few meals I didn't get from closely following a recipe--I'm finally breaking out of my box.

1 cup brown rice
2.5 cups stock
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 bell peppers (I used green, but any color would work), with the tops cut off & seeded--if they don't stand upright cut a tiny bit off the bottom bulbs to keep them up
1 container of mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion diced
1/3 cup raw almonds, chopped (probably slivered would work best here, but I just used what I had)
3/4 cup parsley
1-2 tsp garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1.5 Tbsp tomato paste
2-3 Tbsp cooking Sherry
1 cup water
S & P to taste
vegan parmesan cheese

Cook brown rice in stock until liquid is absorbed or rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Its okay if there is some liquid remaining.

In the meantime cook cleaned peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Sauté onions and mushrooms in olive oil until soft. Add chopped almonds, sauté 2-3 minutes. Next add rice, garlic, chili powder, cooking sherry, and  S & P. Sauté 2 minutes. Add tomato paste to 1 cup water and mix well, add to vegetable mixture. Cook another 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add parsley, adjust seasonings if needed.

Fill peppers with rice mixture and stand them upright in a casserole dish. If there is any left over rice arrange it around the bottom of the peppers to help them stand up. Sprinkle a little of this vegan parmesan cheese over the top. Bake for 15 minutes, allow to cool for 10 minutes in pan & enjoy!

Serve with a nice green salad and these yummy green beans!

Glorious Morning Muffins

2 eggs or equivalent of egg replacement powder
3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
1/2-1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 cups shredded carrots
1 cup shredded peeled apple
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup sliced almonds

Heat oven to 350. Prepare muffin tins with liners or by greasing them. In a large bowl mix egg, apple sauce, milk & vanilla. Add flour brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in carrots, apple, coconut, raisins and 1/2 cup almonds.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup almonds over batter. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Gold Medal Flour. 

Date Squares

Filling: 
2 cups pitted dates, roughly chopped
1/2 cup (juice from 1 lemon + enough water to make 1/2 cup)
1/4 tsp salt
1-1.5 tsp lemon zest

Crust:
2 cups quick oats
1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup unrefined sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla

For Filling: Over medium heat combine dates, water, lemon juice w/ water, and salt. Cook 8-10 minutes until dates break down and smooth out. Remove from heat and add zest.

For Crust: Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. In small bowl combine maple syrup, canola oil and vanilla. Add wet to dry, until well combined. Put 2/3 of mixture in lightly oiled 8x8 pan & press in. Pour date mixture on top and sprinkle remaining crust mixture and press down gently.

Bake 28-32 minutes until golden brown.

Chocolate chip cookies

1 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup unrefined sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp molasses
1-1.5 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup canola oil (generous)
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix wet & dry ingredients separately, then combine. Add chocolate chips last, until use combined. Bake for 11 minutes, let cool on pan no more than 1 minute and transfer to cooking rack.

Caribean Rundown

1/2 cup water
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp oregano
1 cup carrot, diced
2 cups chopped asparagus
2 cups chopped chayote squash
1 Tbsp jerk seasonings
salt
1 cup chopped collards
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup vegetable broth
small can tomato sauce
soy sauce or tamari

Bring the water to a boil in a medium skillet. Stir in the thyme, oregano, carrot, asparagus, chayote, jerk seasonings, and a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the collards, peas, and vegetable broth and stir well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato sauce, cover, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add soy sauce or tamari to taste and simmer for another few minutes.

Recipe taken from Forks Over Knives, Christy Morgan. 

Bean and Barley Chowder

8 cups of vegetable stock
1 cup dry baby lima beans, soaked overnight and drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1/2 cup pearl barley
1 Tbsp crushed garlic
1 tsp thyme
S & P

Place water and beans in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Add remaining ingredients, except salt and pepper. Return to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until barley and beans are tender and broth is creamy, about 1.5-2 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe taken from Forks Over Knives, by Jo Stepaniak. 

Cream of Broccoli Deluxe

6 cups vegetable stock
1 cup rounded cashews
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium potatoes, cubed
1 large head of broccoli, including stem, chopped (about 4 cups)
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Puree 1 cup of the vegetable stock with the cashews, until smooth. Set aside. In a large pot, cook the onion, celery, and carrot over medium heat in 1 cup of the vegetable stock for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and potatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the remaining 4 cups of vegetable stock and the broccoli, thyme, salt and black pepper, bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer until the broccoli and potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the cashew mixture to the soup and stir until mixed. Remove the pot from the heat and puree about half the soup, in small batches, until smooth. Return pureed soup to the pot and reheat stirring well.

Recipe taken from Forks Over Knives, Anastasia St. John. 

Acorn Squash Soup

7 cups vegetable stock
3 acorn squash, peeled and chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large yam, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp sage
2 cups corn

Bring stock to boil and stir in all ingredients except corn. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes until squash is soft.

Blend the soup in batches until smooth. Return to pot, add corn and reheat on low for 10 minutes.

Pretty time consuming, but makes a lot and the taste is well worth it!

Recipe taken from Forks Over Knives, Alan Goldhamer and Doug Lisle.

Banana flax walnut muffins

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or 1/2 wheat, 1/2 white)

1/2 cup raw sugar

3 tablespoons flax meal

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 overripe bananas, mashed

1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat over to 350 degrees and grease muffin tins. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, flax meal, and salt until well combined. Add mashed bananas and continue to mix until mostly incorporated. 

Add maple syrup to water and stir until mostly dissolved.

Make two wells in the bowl (i used the back of a tablespoon) and pour vinegar in one and oil in the other. pour water mixture over everything and stir until just combined.

Fill muffin tins until 3/4 full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

yields 12 large muffins (can stretch it out and make 18 smaller muffins)

Recipe taken from Girl Who Bakes.

MexiCali Burritos

1-15 oz can oil-free refried beans
2 cups frozen corn
1 cup salsa
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp chili powder
1/3 tsp cumin
1/3 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/2-1 cup nutritional yeast
whole grain tortillas
shredded lettuce
guacamole (optional)

Saute onion in vegetable broth until translucent. Add chili powder, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne and sauté an additional minute. Add beans, corn and salsa, cook, stirring until heated and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nutritional yeast.

Heat tortillas. Spoon mixture into tortillas and top with lettuce and guacamole.

Recipe taken from Forks Over Knives, by Julieanna Hever. 

Noodles with Mushrooms

1 lb fresh mushrooms (not button), ringed and cut into slices
1/4 cup, plus 1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp minced shallot or 1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 lb whole wheat dried pasta
1/2 cup parsley

Cook noodles. Put 1/4 cup oil in large skillet over med heat. When oil is hot, add all the mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Raise heat and cook until mushrooms begin to brown, at least 10 minutes. Add shallot or garlic and stir until mushrooms are tender, about another minute or two. Turn off the heat. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water and add to mushrooms. Toss the pasta and mushrooms together with remaining Tbsp of oil. Add more pasta water if noodles seem dry. Stir in parsley.

Recipe taken from Food Matters, by Mark Bittman. 

Curried Lentil Soup with Potatoes

2 Tbsp peanut or other neutral oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
3 Tbsp curry powder
2 medium tomatoes or 4 canned tomatoes
1 cup dried lentils
1 quart vegetable stock
1 can coconut milk (or another 1.5 cups of stock)
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled & diced
1 small zucchini, roughly chopped
S & P

Cook onion in oil until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook another minute. Sprinkle with S & P and add curry powder, cook until fragrant.

Stir in the tomatoes and lentil, add stock and coconut milk. Bring to a boil; partially cover and turn heat down to medium-low so the soup bubbles gently.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are just tender, stir in the potatoes and more liquid if needed. Cover again and cook for about 10 minutes, then stir in remaining vegetables. Cover and cook until potatoes and vegetables are tender, another 5-10 minutes.

Recipe taken from Food Matters, by Mark Bittman. 

Creamy Carrot Soup

3 Tbsp olive oil
2-inch piece of ginger, minced
1 1/2 pounds carrots (about 9 large), diced
1 large potato, diced
6 cups of vegetable stock
S & P

1.  Heat oil in a dutch oven, when oil is hot add vegetables and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, until carrots begin to soften.

2. Add the stock and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Use an immersion blender if you have one or a regular blender if not and puree the soup. I put it in my blender in batches. Make sure to only fill up your blender 1/2 way and cover the top with a towel, since the soup will be hot!


Recipe taken from Food Matters, by Mark Bittman. 

Hummus

2 cups drained chickpeas
1/2 cup tahini
2 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbsp cumin or smoked paprika
S & P
Juice from 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor. Add more liquid if needed.

Recipe taken from Food Matters, by Mark Bittman. 

Granola

5 cups rolled oats
3 cups mixed nuts and seed (sunflower, chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews & sesame seeds)
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2-1 cup honey or maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
1-1 1/2 cups raisins to shopped dried fruit
salt

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, except raisins, and sprinkle with a little bit of salt. Toss well. Spread mixture on rimmed baking sheet and bake 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The granola should brown evenly: the darker it gets without burning, the crunchier it will be.

Remove pan from oven and add raisins. Cool on a rack, stirring now and then until the granola reaches room temperature. Put in sealed container and store in refrigerator; it will keep indefinitely.

Recipe taken from Food Matters, by Mark Bittman. 

Linguini with Roasted Tomatoes & Spinach

1 lb linguini noodles
1/2-1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 cup & 2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup broth
2-3 cups spinach

Preheat oven to 400. Toss together cherry tomatoes, 1 tsp chopped garlic, 1/4 cup olive oil & salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and roast for an additional 5 minutes. Set aside.

Cook noodles. In saute pan over medium heat add 2 Tbsp oil, 2 Tbsp butter, & 1 tsp garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup broth & let cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the drained pasta, roasted tomatoes and 2 cups spinach. Toss well, then serve.

Recipe taken from Buddy Valastro in October 2011, Parenting magazine. 

Vegetarian Chili

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1 cup red pepper, diced
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2-3 serrano peppers, minced
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cups corn
1 1/2 lbs portobello, cubed
1 can diced tomatoes
2-14 oz cans or 3 cups black beans
1-15 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/4 tsp salt

Heat oil in heavy pot, add onions, peppers & garlic--cook until soft. Add corn, zucchini & mushrooms--cook until soft and slightly brown, about 6 minutes. Add chili powder, cayenne, cumin and salt, stirring until fragrant. Add tomatoes, stir well. Add beans, stock & tomato sauce, stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes.

Serve over brown rice or quinoa. Top with green onions, diced avocado, & cilantro.

Recipe taken from Emeril Lagasse on the Food Network. 

Fried Smashed Potatoes with Lemons

Potatoes:
2 lbs baby or fingerling potatoes
1/4 c olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled & halved

Dressing:
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
2 lemons zested
S & P to taste

For potatoes: put the potatoes in a stockpot with enough cool water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20-25 minutes. Do not over cook. Drain potatoes and allow to dry for 5 minutes. Using the palm of your hand and a towel, gently press the potatoes until lightly smashed.

In large non-stick skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat. Add garlic & cook until fragrant and lightly browned, 1 minutes. Remove the garlic and discard. In batches, add the potatoes and cook without stirring, until the bottoms turn golden brown, about 5-8 minutes.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, parsley, thyme & lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spoon the dressing over the potatoes and toss gently until coated.

Recipe taken from Giada de Laurentiis, from the Food Network. 

Penne with Asparagus & Cherry Tomatoes

8 oz penne pasta
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds thin asparagus, trimmed & cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup broth
1 cup vegan parmesan cheese (optional)
2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves (1 tsp of dried basil)
S & P to taste

Cook noodles. In large sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic & cook unit fragrant. Add asparagus, season with S & P, cook for 3 minutes until slightly soft. Add the cherry tomatoes & peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour in broth and bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer until the tomatoes start to burst & broth is reduced. Add cooked noodles, basil, & parmesan if desired.

Recipe taken from Giada de Laurentiis, from the Food Network. 

Thai Peanut Noodles

1/2 c. broth
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
8 oz. Udon or linguine noodles
Chopped green onions
Chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into quarters
Chopped peanuts


Cook noodles. In the meantime, combine broth, peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat. Toss cooked noodles with sauce and divide among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, chopped peanuts, and garnish each serving with 2 lime quarters. Before eating, squeeze lime juice over noodles and stir to combine.


Recipe taken from Our Best Bites. 

Mango Quinoa Salad

2 cups cooked quinoa at room temperature, or chilled
1 14 oz can or 1.5 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium mango, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 handful chopped cilantro (about 1/2 cup)
4 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl.  Add mango, red pepper, green onion, black beans, and cilantro.  In a small bowl combine vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice.  Whisk until smooth and pour on top of salad.  Toss to combine and add salt and pepper to taste.  Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Recipe taken from Our Best Bites

Black Bean Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped

3/4 c diced carrots (about 2 med carrots)

3/4 c diced celery (about 2 ribs)

1 C diced onion (about 1 sm-med onion)

2 cans black beans or 3 cups, rinsed and drained

1 3.5oz can green chilies

3 c broth

1 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dry oregano leaves

1 bay leaf

2-3 limes

Optional Toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, chopped cilantro, lots of lime!

Place a large stock pot on the stove-top and set to medium-high heat.  When pan is warm, add olive oil.  Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes. Add in the black beans, chilies, and broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf. Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender. Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf from soup. 

Place soup in a blender. Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the lid to let heat escape. Place a towel over the hole to avoid splatters. Puree soup until smooth. Squeeze in the juice from one lime and pulse to combine.

Serve with extra lime wedges.  Makes about 8 C soup.

Recipe taken from Our Best Bites. 

Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Cauliflower

Ingredients
3-4 tbs olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 head cauliflower
kosher salt and pepper
2-3 tablespoons vegan Parmesan cheese 

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place olive oil and garlic in a small bowl.  Heat in microwave for about 20 seconds and set aside.

Remove stem and leaves from cauliflower head and trim into large florets.  Slice each floret into 1/4 inch slices and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with oil and garlic mixture and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper.  Use clean hands to toss to coat.  Add more olive oil if needed.  Bake for 15 minutes and then toss with spatula.  Bake 10 more and then toss with Parmesan cheese.  Continue baking for 5-10 minutes until slightly golden brown on edges.

Recipe by Our Best Bites. 

Sweet & Savory Coconut Rice

2 c. white or Jasmine rice
1 can coconut milk
2 c. water
1 tsp. Kosher salt
Splash of white vinegar (optional, but it helps with the texture)
2-3 tsp. white sugar
Handful of chopped green onions, plus chopped green onion tops for garnish
Black pepper to taste


Combine rice, coconut milk, water, salt, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil Turn heat to low and cover for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Allow to stand 5 minutes. Add green onions, black pepper (if desired), and additional salt if necessary.


Taken from Our Best Bites. 

Lentil Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups of dry lentils 
8 cups of broth (I use vegetable)

Sauté vegetables in oil until translucent. Add spices and cook for 2 more minutes. Add lentils, tomatoes and broth. Cook until lentils are tender- about 1 hour.

Roasted Green Beans

1 1/4 lb. green beans, trimmed (5 cups)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2-1 tsp or so of dried rosemary 

1 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.Toss all ingredients in bowl; season with salt and pepper. Spread on rimmed baking sheet. Roast 15-17 minutes, or until beans are tender and browned in spots, stirring occasionally. 

Source: Vegetarian Times

Spicy Roasted Potatoes

2 1/2 lbs red potatoes cut in half or quarters, depending on the size of the potatoe
A couple tablespoons canola oil
2 shallots finely chopped (I usually just use a couple tablespoons of onion)
1 clove of garlic, minced
3/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
S & P to taste

PB Tortilla Wraps

1 tortilla, preferably whole wheat

1 knife full of peanut butter

1/4-1/2 of an apple cut into thin strips or diced

Handful of grated carrot

1 tablespoon granola or grape nuts, just some crunchy, healthy grain

1 tablespoon wheat germ, flax meal works well too

These are a little more involved, but they are great for kids and adults. They can be a little messy with the granola, but Jackson loves them and its a great way for me to sneak in some more vegetables. Plus its a nice change up from our usual peanut butter and jelly.

Spread a tortilla with a thin layer of peanut butter. Layer on the carrots, apple strips (make sure these are small or it won't roll), granola and wheat germ. I never measure, just throw on what looks right. Roll up and cut in half. Yum!

ALT's

1/4 of a ripe avocado

a couple slices of tomato

a few lettuce leaves

mayo

These are seriously soo good! You won't even miss the bacon! I usually toast my bread and let it cool, then apply a thin layer of mayo to each piece of toast. Next cut your avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop out 1/2 of 1 side of the avocado and put it on one of the pieces of toast. I use my spoon to roughly chop the avocado and then smash/smear it around on the bread. Then I put some tomato slices on the other slice of bread, top those with lettuce and then top the lettuce with the avocado toast. Dig in. 

E2 Black Beans & Rice

2 cans of black beans (I used 3 cups of cooked dried beans)
1 cup of water/vegetable stock
1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten free if you so desire)
1 teaspoon chili powder (I usually add in a couple of dashes more)
1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped (I hate these and therefore don't use them =)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup of corn
2 red, yellow, or green bell peppers, chopped (I usually try to use two different colors)
1 bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped (I use about 1 cup or so)
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
3 cups cooked brown rice
corn tortillas (optional)
salsa (optional)

Heat the beans in the water or stock and add the soy sauce & chile powder. Chop up all the vegetables and cilantro and put them in a large bowl. To serve ladle the beans, with some of the liquid on top of big heaps of brown rice and top with generous amounts of the cilantro/veggie mix. We eat ours with heated up corn tortillas. Yum!

This makes enough for our family of 3, plus leftovers for lunch the next day. This is super good cold too.

Recipe courtesy of Rip Esselstyn, author of The Engine 2 Diet, as found in Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health

Biscuit Casserole Stew

2 potatoes dices
1 carrot diced
3 celery stalks diced
1 medium onion diced
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp thyme
4 c vegetable broth
1-12 oz can split pea soup

Preheat oven to 400. Boil potatoes 5 minutes then drain. Saute carrots, onion & celery in oil until tender. Turn heat down to low and add flour, garlic and thyme, sauté 2 minutes. Stir in split pea soup, broth & potatoes, simmer 10 minutes. Make 1/2 of this Drop Biscuit recipe while soup simmers. Place stew into large casserole dish, at least 2.5 quarts, preferably bigger & drop dough on top of stew. Bake 20 minutes until toothpick inserted in biscuit comes out clean. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Drop Biscuits

3 1/2 c unbleached flour (You can definitely use half wheat flour here, biscuits will be slightly denser, but healthier!)
5 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c milk
1/4-1/2 c olive oil (use your best judgement)

Mix dry & wet ingredients separately, then combine. Bake 400 for 15-20 minutes.

*Add italian seasonings (basil, oregano) or chives for herbed biscuits.  Just eye ball it.

3 Bean Salad

Super easy & delicious! The hardest part is having to wait 4 hours to eat it!

1 can green beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbonzo beans
1/2 sweet white onion, cut into moons
1/2 c Italian dressing (more if desired)

Open cans, drain & rinse. Combine with onions & dressing and let sit covered, in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Muffins

Carrot Cake Muffins
Slightly adapted from Fannetastic Food.
Makes 12 muffins

Dry:


1 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour (or 3/4 c wheat & 3/4 c all-purpose flour)
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c shopped walnuts
1/4 c raisins
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Wet: 


1 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1 c shredded carrots (generous)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix wet & dry ingredients separately, then combine. Stir until just mixed. Put into greased muffin tins and bake 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Whole Wheat Poppy Seed Muffins

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Slightly adapted from Not the Normal Teenage Fare
Makes 6

1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 c non-dairy milk
1 c whole wheat pastry flour (or 1/2 c wheat 1/2 c white flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 355degree. Mix wet ingredients & dry ingredients separately, then combine. Don't over mix.

Divide between 6 muffin cups or 12 mini muffin cups, that have been oiled or have paper liners.

Bake about 18 minutes (for normal minutes) or 10-12 minutes (for mini muffins), or until a toothpick comes out clean.