Seitan with Peanut Sauce over Rice

Source: Vegetarian Times (modified by Aimee)
Makes 4-6 servings

2 cups uncooked brown rice
3 TB plus 2 TB tamari
4 TB sesame oil, divided (plus extra for frying)
2 tsp ground ginger, divided
16 oz. seitan, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 green onions, white & green parts diced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup creamy peanut butter
2 TB tahini
1/2 cup water
1 TB sesame seeds
optional: crushed red pepper to top

1. Cook rice in 4 cups water; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, combine 3 TB tamari, 2 TB sesame oil, & 1 tsp ginger in resealable plastic bag. Add seitan; seal, & shake to coat. Refrigerate1 hour, or overnight.
3. Make peanut sauce: place peanut butter, tahini, water, 1 tsp ginger, 2 TB tamari, and 2 TB sesame oil in blender; process until smooth.
4. Heat large frying pan over medium heat; add marinated seitan, green onion, & garlic; fry until browned. Add peanut sauce & sesame seeds; stir until heated through. Serve over brown rice and top with optional crushed red pepper.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A lot of people wonder what vegetarians eat in place of turkey on Thanksgiving. Tofurkey really is sold in select stores-- we've tried that in the past. But we prefer homemade alternatives, like "Meat"Loaf, Lentil Loaf, or Garbanzo-Cheese Loaf. All of these recipes can be found under the category Meat Alternatives. Today we are having "Meat"Loaf, slow cooker wild rice stuffing, sweet potato balls, mashed potatoes, salad, rolls, and pumpkin pie. Below are links to a few of those recipes. Yum!
http://veggieaimee.blogspot.com/2008/03/meat-loaf.html
http://veggieaimee.blogspot.com/2008/04/sweet-potato-balls.html
http://veggieaimee.blogspot.com/2008/03/slow-cooker-sourdough-and-wild-rice.html

New Labels

I added some new categories for recipe browsing, according to cuisine: Italian, Asian, Mexican, & Middle Eastern. Enjoy!

Spinach & Gnocchi Bake

Source: Vegetarian Times
Makes 6-8 servings

32 oz. gnocchi (2 packages)
15 oz. ricotta
2 cups shredded Italian cheese
½ tsp basil
½ tsp oregano plus extra to top
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
5 oz. baby spinach
2 ½ cups pasta sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400. Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, combine ricotta, ½ cup cheese, basil, oregano, & red pepper flakes in large bowl. Sprinkle spinach on top. Spoon cooked gnocchi over spinach; cover & let stand 5 minutes or until spinach has wilted. Stir to combine spinach, gnocchi, & ricotta mixture.
3. Spread ½ cup sauce on bottom of 13 x 9 baking dish. Spoon half of gnocchi mixture in dish; top with 1 cup sauce and ¾ cup shredded cheese. Layer remaining gnocchi, 1 cup sauce, and ¾ cup cheese. Sprinkle with oregano and bake 20 minutes.

Qunioa: a complete protein!

The grain Quinoa is a complete protein all by itself since it contains all 8 essential amino acids.

Quinoa-Zucchini Tabbouleh with Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing

Source: Cooking Light Low Fat Low Calorie (slightly modified) AND Wild Fermentation

Tabbouleh:
3 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
1 zucchini, finely chopped
½ red pepper, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
1 TB lemon juice
2 TB olive oil
¼ tsp salt

Dressing:
½ large cucumber, peeled
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic
2 TB fresh cilantro
2 TB fresh parsley
1 cup plain yogurt
¼ tsp cumin
1 TB olive oil
½ TB lemon juice

1. Grate cucumber into colander and sprinkle with salt; let stand 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, make tabbouleh: Mix together quinoa, zucchini, red pepper, parsley, cilantro, & salt. Wisk together lemon juice & olive oil; stir into quinoa mixture.
3. Make dressing: Mince garlic, cilantro, & parsley in food processor. Add grated cucumber, yogurt, cumin, olive oil, & lemon juice; puree until smooth. Serve drizzled over tabbouleh.

Falafel

Source: Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook
Makes 36 small patties

2/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
3 cloves garlic
½ cup onion
¼ cup fresh parsley
1 TB lemon juice
4 TB olive oil
1/2 cup water
2 cans (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed

1. In large bowl, combine flour, salt, cumin, & turmeric; set aside.
2. In food processor, mince garlic, onion, & parsley; add lemon juice, 1 TB olive oil, 1/2 cup water & beans and puree until smooth. Add bean mixture to flour mixture and mix well until a dough forms. Refrigerate 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 425. Line baking sheet with foil & grease with 3 TB olive oil. Roll falafel dough into 1-inch balls. Press down onto foil; bake 10-15 minutes per side. Serve with cucumber-yogurt dip or lemon-tahini dip.

Buying Organic

It's sometimes hard (and expensive) to buy everything organic. I usually try to buy organic food & drink for my kids since their little bodies are more affected by what goes into them. I recently came across an article in Vegetarian Times on organic produce. Basically, if you eat the skin or leaves, it's best to buy organic. Here's a suggested list of produce that is worth buying organic: bell peppers, carrots, celery, leafy greens, cucumbers, green beans, potatoes, peaches, apples, nectarines, strawberries, pears, imported grapes. The produce on this list generally have the most residual pesticides. I actually bring this list with me every time I go to the grocery store for easy reference.

Make your own Bread Crumbs

I used to buy breadcrumbs, but one day I looked at the ingredients and was appalled by all the artificial junk added. Then I realized how easy (and how much cheaper) it is to make your own-- just put bread slices in the blender, finely chop, and presto! I usually add some garlic salt, oregano, and basil to give them more flavor. Just keep them in the freezer (I use a ziplock freezer bag) and they're ready to go when you need them-- no unthawing necessary! If you'd like, you could toast them in the oven for a crisper texture. Using bread from a breadmaker is best since there are no added preservatives.

Whole Wheat Cranberry-Walnut Bread

From Evie!  Makes 1 large loaf or 3 mini loaves

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup hot water
2 TB oil
¾ cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1 ½ cups whole cranberries
½ cup walnuts
cream cheese (optional) to spread on top

1. Preheat oven to 325. Mix together flour, baking powder, & salt in bowl.
2. In separate bowl, stir together juice, water, oil, honey, & egg. Add flour mixture & stir until well-combined. Fold in cranberries & walnuts.
2. Spread into oiled loaf pan. Large loaf: Bake 55 minutes or until browned on top. Mini loaves: bake 45 minutes. Slice & serve with cream cheese.

3 Bean Slow Cooker Minestrone

Source: Bush’s Beans (modified by Aimee)

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 TB minced garlic
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cups chopped zucchini
1 tsp dried oregano
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
32 oz. vegetable stock
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, undrained
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained & rinsed
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup cooked macaroni
shredded Parmesan cheese to top, optional

1. In large slow cooker, stir together onion, celery, garlic, carrots, zucchini, oregano, tomatoes, tomato sauce, & vegetable stock. Cover & cook on low 6 hours.
2. Stir in beans, spinach, & macaroni. Cook on high for 10 minutes or until heated through. Ladle into bowls & top with Parmesan cheese.