Vegan Sausage Dogs

Yesterday I made Vegan Dad's Sausages. My son renamed them Sausage Dogs LOL. Now I changed the recipe to fit what I had on hand. I used black beans and I didn't add fennel seeds because I didn't have any. I made the sausages while I was making breakfast. Once they were done I stuck them in the fridge for dinner. Dh cooked them in a pan with some onions. YUMMY!!! We served them on hot dog buns. My boys gobbled them up. My dd wasn't too sure of them, but I think that it might of been the heat. They had a little kick to them. The only complaint that I heard was that there wasn't enough for all of them to have seconds. This is because we put some up for dh's lunch. The other one we froze, because I wanted to see how they would do.

The Ultimate Comfort Food

It has been raining all day. I really wanted some comfort food. Dh made me Chickpea cutlets and lemony roasted potatoes from Veganomicon. He made his own gravy and it was awesome. Let me tell you, it was beyond amazing. I can't use enough adjectives to describe dinner.

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

It has been raining all day so I thought that chili would be in order. I made Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili from Vegan Planet. Dh made a cheeze sauce from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook and a tofu sour cream from Vegan Express. It was delicious.

Tempeh Two Ways

I made 2 different versions of tempeh for lunch yesterday. Dh was at the station and I wanted to surprise him with something new. I made him Tempeh simmered with Tomatoes and Sauerkraut from Vegan Planet. He loved it. He said that he added just a little bit of sour cream and it was even better. I reduced the recipe since it was only going to feed him. It was a very quick recipe to make. I will be making it again for him.

I made another tempeh recipe from Vegan Planet for the kids and myself. I made Teriyaki-Glazed Tempeh. My kids loved the sauce, but the tempeh was a little to soft. I think that I cooked the tempeh to long. I served it over brown rice, broccoli and onions.

Meat*loaf

I made the most amazing meal tonight. I made *meat*loaf, roasted veggies and biscuits for dinner. It was beyond amazing. I got the recipe from a vegetarian yahoo group that I belong to. The vegetables that I roasted were purple sweet potato, red potatoes, baby carrots and onions. The purple potato was my favorite. It was the first time that I ever cooked with them. I was disappointed that they weren't purple on the inside. The biscuit recipe came from The Joy of Vegan Baking cookbook.

*Meat* Loaf

1.5 cups dried lentils, rinsed
2 yellow onions
1/4 cup olive or canola oil
3 cups brown rice (cooked)
1 (6-ounce) can of tomato paste
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp sage
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
3/4 cup tomato sauce (or pasta sauce)
Additional ketchup or salt to taste



Rinse the lentil and cook them in 3-4 cups water until soft (about 30 minutes). Drain excess liquid. Mash lentils slightly.

Meanwhile, peel and chop both onions, cooking them on a skillet with the oil until translucent or golden.

In a large pot or bowl, combine mashed lentils with onions, rice, tomato paste, spices, quartered tomatoes, and pasta sauce until mixed well.

Press mixture into a well-oiled loaf or baking dish. Spread 1/2 cup ketchup across the top. Bake at 350-degrees for 1 hour.

Add additional ketchup to taste. Will keep (covered) in the refrigerator for 7-10 days.

Number of Servings: 10

***SF Notes*** Of course I didn't have all the spices. I just used a generic seasoning blend. I also didn't have the cherry tomatoes so I used a couple of spoonfuls of canned diced tomatoes. The only complaint that I heard was that it was not firm enough.

Veggie Sandwich

I was craving some fresh veggies for lunch. I made myself a veggie sandwich. It has tomatoes, roasted red pepper, cucumbers(from this morning), lettuce, avocado and onions. It was ooh so good.

Coffee Cake & Peaches

Hubby had to work overtime today, so I made a very simple breakfast. I got the Cinnamon Coffee Cake recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Vegan Baking. The peaches were just canned peaches that I have had for a while.

Smmothies

I made smoothies for my kids the other day. They were very good. I used half a box of firm tofu, a bag of frozen strawberries, half of a bag of frozen blueberries, apple juice & orange juice. I normally don't like smoothies and these were delicious!

Messy Lasagna

My kids named this dish Messy lasagna. It was a result of finding a great eggplant & spinach lasagna recipe and not having all the ingredients. I also made a bread stick recipe that was just ok. If anyone has a tried & true bread stick recipe, I would love to try it.

Bagels-for-Breakfast Spread(Savory)

This is another recipe from my favorite cookbook Vegan Planet.

Ingredients:
4 ounces soft silken tofu, drained
1/3 cup tahini(sesame paste)
1/4 cup miso paste
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients until well blended. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3-5 days.

Makes about 1-1/4 cups

Three-Way Sesame Tofu with Spicy Broccoli

I got this from Vegan Planet. This is my FAVORITE cookbook ever! I have yet to try a recipe from this book that wasn't a huge hit in my family.


Three-Way Sesame Tofu with Spicy Broccoli (I will add pictures once I make it)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1/4 cup tahini
2 Tbs tamari or other soy sauce
1/3 cup water, or as needed
1 cup sesame seeds
One 16-oz package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch-wide by 1/2-inch-thick strips
2 Tbs peanut oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Directions:
1. Steam broccoli until crisp-tender. 2 to 3 minutes, then plunge into a bowl of ice water. Drain and set aside.
2. In a small, shallow bowl, combine tahini, 1 tablespoon tamari, and enough water to make a smooth paste. Place sesame seeds on a plate. Dredge tofu strips in the tahini mixture, then coat with the sesame seeds.
3. heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add the tofu strips and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.
4.Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes and broccoli and stir-fry until hot, about 2 minutes. Splash with the remaining 1 tablespoon tamari and spoon the broccoli over the tofu. Drizzle the sesame oil over all and serve hot.