#305 Open faced Breakfast Sandwich

#304 Pistachio Arugula Pesto Pasta and Sauteed Broccolini

I have the VeganYumYum app on my phone. I love it because it has a shopping checklist! Check out the original blog entry for the recipe here.

#303 Meatball Sub

You've seen it before but it's a favorite! Trader Joe's Meatless Meatballs, cooked in their organic Spaghetti Sauce with Mushrooms. Served on a toasted French roll with shredded romaine and sliced pepperoncinis. Delicious!!!

#302 Soy Amigo

This recipe came from the Native Foods cookbook. It was really yummy and similar to other salads I love. I took a lot of shortcuts making this though... I hard to spot the shredded cabbage in the picture- but it's there. I bought a bag of pre-shredded cabbage, a container of salsa, canned corn, and a packet of seasoning mix instead of making my own. Be careful buying taco seasoning mix! A lot have dairy in it! I did make my own tortilla chips instead of buying them. I get points for that right?! While I'm not a fan of onions, I really enjoyed the green onions in this salad. Michelle, I even loved the cilantro! This was a great salad. I really liked the cabbage in it, I wouldn't have thought to mix in with romaine! Yummy yum yum! This salad was great - especially because of all that black creek dressing! Oh! And I didn't put any basalmic vinegarette like the recipe suggested. I just didn't think it needed any more flavors :) Mmmm! I'll definitely be making this again.

#301 Super Spinach Salad

This is my reduced calorie copycat version of Trader Joe's Super Spinach Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing (from appetite from reduction) it consists of: Spinach, Garbanzos, edamame, quinoa, grape tomatoes, pepitas, dried cranberries, and shredded beets instead of carrots (since I had them on hand). Yum! I saved myself 154 calories.

#300 Sean's Favorite Enchiladas

 

I know I've made these before. But they are so yummy and easy to make.  Plus...these pictures turned out way better!!! Click here to see how I assembled them.  

#299 Southern Plate

I'm trying to think of a better title for this. Please send suggestions! This meal was so delicious, cozy, and no faux meat in sight. All of the recipes came from my favorite, Appetite for Reduction. Grilled Portobellos (using the Tamarind BBQ Sauce and broiler variations), Cheesy Caulipots with Silky Chickpea Gravy, and steamed kale. It was only 446 calories for the entire plate! I guess because it was all veggies, I got more bang for my buck! That means I can have more wine! This was a huge hit and next time I'll make mac n cheese too...I'll just have less wine!

#298 Falafel Sliders

I got this recipe from Chloe's Kitchen. So far it's my favorite thing from her cookbook.

These were SOOOOO good!!! I made them for dinner and I'm so excited that there are leftovers! This recipe actually had 3 recipes. One for the falafel patty, one for the avocado hummus and one for the tahini dressing. All three were easy to make. You can even make some ahead of time.

The sliders are layered with tomato, avocado hummus (which really just seemed like a delicious variation of guacamole to me), falafel, red onion (on Sean's only) and drizzled with tahini. I LOVED it all! So yummy! Thanks, Chloe!!

#297 Mushroom & Cannellini Paprikas with Scarlet Barley

These are 2 new ones from Appetite for Reduction. It was really filling, wholesome, and earthy. Surprisingly the kids were alright with it. I'm trying to embrace the dill! So colorful!

#296 Chik'n Caesar Salad

I bought Follow Your Heart Vegan Caesar dressing the other day. I used Gardein scallopini for the chick'n. I browned it then chopped it into bite sized pieces. I tossed the salad with avocado, tomato and sour dough croutons.

#295 Seitan Porcini Beef Stew

This is another recipe from The PPK, I've posted the recipe below but check out the link for more info (and a link to the sausage recipe). We all enjoyed this with the exception of the mushrooms. They almost seemed too authentically meaty (the chewy, gristle, fatty part) next time I'll use fresh, sautéed creminis.

Seitan Porcini Beef Stew

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, quartered and thickly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium carrot, peeled, sliced on a bias, 1/2 inch thick
1 cup red wine
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel or crushed fennel seeds
Fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
3 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 pounds potatoes (any type), lazily peeled, cut in 1 1/2 inch chunks

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 vegan sausages, sliced into chunky half mooons

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Preheat a 4 quart pot over medium high heat.

Saute onions and a pinch of salt in oil until until translucent, 4 to 7 minutes. Add garlic, for about a minute, until fragrant.

Add carrots, wine, rosemary (crushed in your fingers), thyme (crushed in your fingers), paprika, fennel, fresh black pepper and salt and bring to a boil. The liquid should reduce in about 3 minutes.

Add porcinis and vegetable broth, cover and bring to a full boil for 5 minutes or so, to quickly cook the procinis. Now add the potatoes, lower heat and bring to a simmer (not a full boil). Let the potatoes cook just until fork tender, about 15 minutes.

In a measuring cup, mix the flour into the water with a fork until no lumps are left. Slowly add the broth/flour to the pot, mixing well. Mix in the tomato paste. Let thicken for 5 minutes or so. Add the sausages and continue to cook. In about 5 more minutes it should be perfectly thick but still smooth. Taste for salt and seasonings, and serve! Sprinkle individual servings with fresh parsley if you want to be 70s food chic.

#294 Soup and Sandwich

Today was the first day I've kept my sweater on past 10am! It's finally cool enough for soup!!! Sean made us grilled cheese with avocado and tempeh bacon for lunch. We also had a small bowl of Imagine Creamy Tomato Basil Soup.

#293 Roasty Soba Bowl with Miso Tahini

This recipe is from The PPK recipes page. It is soba (buckwheat) noodles, roasted cauliflower, lentils, and a miso tahini sauce. I had some shredded carrots on hand so I sprinkled those on too!

Roasty Soba Bowl

Isa provides a ton of info so go check it out. And make this! It was yummy!

#292 Avocado Quesadilla

I made this for lunch the other day. I used daiya cheddar for the inside. I cooked it on a cast iron skillet. When the tortilla was golden and the cheese was melted, I opened it up and added mashed avocado and sprinkled a teeny bit of salt on top. This was super easy and used up the last bit of cheese I had :) Mmmm!

#291 Japanese Soup & Salad

This dinner was so delicious! I felt so healthy eating it. The soup recipe is from The Real Food Daily cookbook (I forgot to tell Lynzie that I took it back when she was out of town and I was feeding her zany zoo of animals :) I guess I'll find out if she reads my posts....anyhow, the Country-style miso soup is a heartier version of the miso soup you're used to. Full of chunky vegetables (shiitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, daikon radish, celery, carrots, and onions) and wakame seaweed, no tofu. I finally made the Sushi Roll Edamame salad from Appetite for Reduction! I think Lynz has posted it before but I've been stupidly passing it by. I used to make sushi salad a lot a few years ago so I just wasn't excited by it. I was so wrong. Not only is the Green Onion-Miso Vinaigrette amazing (my mouth watered just thinking about it) but the seasoned edamame was a yummy addition that my salad never had. Seriously though, that dressing, SO good! I also unpacked my magic bullet and gave it a second chance. I only purchased it because Isa raved about it in Appetite for Reduction and she's a genius. I did not love it...until now! Yay for kitchen gadgets!

#290 Quinoa Puttanesca

This recipe came from Appetite for Reduction. I made the puttanesca with chopped tomatoes instead of crushed. I like having lots of tomato in every bite! I also added quartered artichoke hearts at the end. I poured the sauce over quinoa. I topped the quinoa with sauteed kale and baked portabella mushroom. I served a little asparagus on the side. Super yumm! 

#289 Donut Cupcakes

Make a wish!

Aren't they cool looking?

I have been busy baking lately...tis the season! This time it was for our friend Jim's birthday.  He is obsessed with donuts (he loves them so much he has a tattoo of one!) so I topped his cupcakes with a mini donut.  They turned out great and turned many a head :)  I made Cookies and Cream cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, and the Baked Sprinkle Doughnuts from Chloe's Kitchen.















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#288 Kale Bowl

I know this is a repeat...but it's just so good! It's probably one of the simplest things I make. . . arborio rice cooked on vegetable broth, sautéed shallots and kale with chopped tomato and avocado. I always drizzle a little ume vinegar on top. Delish!

#287 Raspberry Blackout Cake with Ganache-y Frosting

Cake for Cash

Mini cupcakes for us.

Tonight we celebrated our friend's son's 1st birthday.  He loves raspberries!  So I made him one of my favorites from Vegan with a Vengeance, Raspberry Blackout Cake with Ganache-y Frosting.

#286 Caramel Corn

Look what Sean made us! He used earth balance, brown sugar, a little vanilla extract and a teeny bit of salt. Yummm!

#285 Panini Cafe

Everything was so delicious but I especially loved the tofu and the grilled mushrooms!

This was my dinner last night from Panini Cafe.  I ordered the Charbroiled Tofu Kabob it is served with a Skewer of Grilled Vegetables (tomato, bell pepper, onion, zucchini, and mushroom), hummus, basmati rice or Organic Wheat Pilaf (I chose the pilaf) with choice of salad (I got the Romaine Avocado).  This meal was not only huge, but delicious!  I loved having the leftovers for lunch today.  There are a bunch of locations, you should go!

#284 Pasta, Eggplant and Salad

I bought these frozen eggplant cutlets from Ralph's last week. I figured since they were clearly labeled vegan I had to buy them. They were yummy! I ended up cooking them about 15 minutes longer than the box directed and then put the broiler on for a few minutes to get them to be golden brown. I spread a little marinara on each cutlet them sprinkled some daiya mozzarella and put it back in the oven to melt. Sean made croutons with sour dough and made us a salad. Mmmm!

#283 No Chicken Noodle Soup

ACHOO!

I wasn't feeling well last week and did not feel like cooking!  All I could manage was opening a can of Amy's No Chicken Noodle Soup.  I ate it with some Town House Crackers (not health food but they are vegan!).

#282 Citrus Cutlets

I bought this from the frozen food section at Whole Foods. The cutlets were really easy to cook. They had just the right amount of sweetness! I served it with garlic broccoli, short grain brown rice and spring rolls. I loved how quickyl this meal came together!

#281 Street Tacos

I recently attended a birthday party that was catered by a traditional taco vendor.  The host was super thoughtful and made sure that the rice was made with water instead of chicken broth and requested whole pinto beans in lieu of the usual refried (with lard) beans.  This is my plate of yumminess!  

Beans, rice, onion, cilantro, avocado, grilled onions...one with green salsa and one with red.

#280 Baked Potato 2 Ways

This is what we had for dinner last night. We were both starving and I didn't have the energy for serious cooking. We nuked these potatoes and topped them with out favorite toppings. We each had 1/2 with broccoli, cheese and ranch. The other 1/2 was chili, cheese and sour cream. I usually top these potatoes with daiya cheddar but we had an open bag mozzarella. After some detective work, Sean discovered that they both have the same ingredients!

This was a perfect lazy day dinner!

#279 Butternut Apple Soup & Warm mushroom salad with cranberries

You know I love Appetite for Reduction. Not every recipe can be a winner though. I don't think I'll ever bother to make either of these again but they weren't horrible. The soup was just too sweet for my taste. Sean's lovely butternut squash was lost, overpowered by the apples. Ryan said it tasted like thin, warm, applesauce. I totally agree. Again, not horrible, just not what I want in a soup. The salad might get a second chance if I ever come across chanterelle mushrooms. I used cremini instead. I did discover that we enjoy mache (aka lamb's lettuce). The creamy horseradish dressing didn't wow me as I'd hoped. Oh well, I have plenty of winners destined to be repeated from that book. It's still my favorite!

#278 A Big 'Ol Salad

Sometimes people think of salads as more of a side than a complete meal. I can assure you that isn't always the case! This was a dinner sized salad. I used: sliced avocado, tomato, carrot, cucumber, sprouts, baked tofu, cubed tofurky, bac'n bits and pickled radishes (not shown- I forgot to add them before I took the picture). I tossed it all with ranch dressing and done!! It was delicious and filling enough to be dinner!

#277 Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Cupcakes

With cinnamon cream cheese icing. Both recipes are from Vegan Cupcakes take over the World. These went to a bridal shower where I heard they were a huge hit! I'm so excited for Fall and all the yummy pumpkin treats it brings.

#275 Dinner Tacos

Once again, Lynz and I were on the same wavelength. Tacos!! I made the
Unfried Refried Beans from appetite for reduction, stuffed them in TJ's taco shells (you must heat them in the oven for 2-3 minutes!! Amazing), avocado, lettuce, tomato, and some verde salsa. It was perfect!

#276 Breakfast Tacos

This is trader joe's soyrizo with crumbled extra firm tofu. I sautéed the soyrizo first then added the tofu. I put the mixture in warm tortillas and added avocado, fresh tomato and jalapeño. I also put a little sour cream on the plate to cool it off a little!