Vegetarian Gumbo

Its time for the vegetarian version!

This is a hearty, filling meal for you to add in those fresh fall vegetables. Enjoy with corn bread or top the gumbo on whole grain couscous or whole grain rice. This is a satisfying choice for a dinner that will keep you happy and full.

Use any vegetables you may have on hand. Additional vegetables may include parsnip, okra, and winter squash. Have fun with the creativity of adding your favorite vegetables.

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup unbleached whole wheat flour
• 1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)
• 3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
• 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh or frozen green beans
• 3 carrots, sliced (2 cups)
• 1 zucchini, diced (1 cup)
• 1 Tbs. ground cumin
• 1 Tbs. paprika
• 1 Tbs. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Stir together oil and flour in Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot until smooth. Cook over high heat 10 minutes, or until roux turns a dark caramel color, stirring constantly.
2. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until vegetables are softened.
   
3. Stir in all remaining ingredients and 4 cups water. Season with salt and pepper.
   
4. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 40 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
   

Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

This is a great morning breakfast or snack packed with healthy elements. This recipe will surely add more energy to your day with the sweetness of the raisins and the whole grain, natural flavors.

To add healthy elements I chose some substitutions for the traditional baking of muffins. These changes included: Eliminating oil and using organic unsweetened apple sauce and instead of milk, I used light vanilla soy milk.

Vegan Alternative: The entire recipe is vegan with the exception of the eggs. Please try an egg substitute for the vegan version. The egg substitute is a great alternative and the taste is not compromised.

Serving Size: Yields 12 Muffins

Ingredients:

- 1 1/4 cups unbleached whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
- 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup vanilla soy milk
- 1-1/4 cup organic applesauce

- 1 egg (or substitute)
- 1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Pre-Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups

2. In mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients; mix well.

3. In large bowl or stand mixer, combine all wet ingredients; blend well

4. Stir in dry ingredients to the stand mixer, just until moistened. Stir in raisins

5. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes

Asian Tofu Salad

This is not only a healthy salad packed with protein and vitamins, but an easy lunch or dinner choice. The dressing prepared is homemade, easy to make, and packed with natural ingredients. Enjoy the flavor and benefit of fresh ginger. It helps with any stomach aches and promotes overall well being.

I chose to toss in a handful of slivered almonds, mandaran oranges, and red peppers for an additional boost. This recipe was originally found on LifeScript, a web based site for healthy living.

Serves 4

Ingredients
· 2 tablespoons canola oil or olive oil
· 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
· 1 tablespoon honey
· 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
· 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
· 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 14-ounce package extra-firm, water-packed tofu, rinsed, patted dry and cut into 1-inch cubes
· 8 cups mixed salad greens
· 2 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced
· 1 large cucumber, chopped
· 1 red pepper, chopped
· 1/2 cup slivered almonds, optional
· 1/2 cup canned mandarin oranges, optional

Directions
1. Whisk canola or olive oil, vinegar, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and salt in a bowl.
2. Place tofu and 2 tablespoons of the dressing in a large nonstick skillet.
3. Cook over medium-high heat, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes total.
4. Remove from the heat, add 1 tablespoon of the dressing to the pan and stir to coat.
5. Toss greens, carrots and cucumber with the remaining dressing. Serve immediately, topped with the warm tofu.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

In celebration of the Jewish holiday this last weekend, I made these delicious homemade Red Velvet cupcakes. I used my brand new stand mixer which my wonderful husband bought me. Thanks Gary (lol).

Our Red Velvet cupcakes are topped with semi-sweet chocolate frosting that was cooked to produce a silky texture. This brightly hued confection gains some of its red tint through a natural reaction between cocoa and the acids in vinegar and buttermilk. I bought all natural food coloring at Whole Foods market and used all organic and natural ingredients for this delicious and fine desert.

Vegan Alternatives: soy based butter or alternative, soy/rice/almond milk instead of milk & buttermilk, carob chips instead of semi-sweet chips, egg substitute

As you can see in the picture, I chose to do most of the batch with the frosting below, and a few with cream cheese frosting. I used the natural pre-made cream cheese frosting since I only needed a small batch. The amount of frosting produced was more than expected so I put the extra in an air tight plastic container and refrigerated. I frosted the cupcakes about 2 hours after the cupcakes cooled.

Serving Size: Yields 2 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients for the Cake
- 1/3 cup(s) organic cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoon(s) all natural red food coloring
- 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup(s) unsalted organic butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cup(s) sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup(s) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon(s) sea salt
- 2 1/4 cup(s) sifted unbleached cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar

Ingredients for the Frosting (Chocolate)

- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoon(s) flour
- 1/8 teaspoon(s) salt
- 8 ounce(s) of either dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 cup(s) butter
- 1 1/2 cup(s) confectioners' sugar (I used powdered sugar)
- 2 tablespoon(s) cocoa
- 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CAKE

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Line 2 standard 12-cup cupcake tins with baking papers and set aside.

3. Mix the cocoa, food coloring, and vanilla together in a small bowl and set aside.

4. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, using a mixer set on medium-high speed. Add the yolks and beat for 1 more minute.

5. Add the cocoa mixture and beat to combine. Stir the buttermilk and salt together and add it in thirds, alternating with the flour.

6. Mix the baking soda with the vinegar and blend into the batter.

7. Fill each cupcake tin with 3 tablespoons batter,

8. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cupcake center tests clean.

9. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Release cakes and cool completely before frosting with Cooked Chocolate Frosting.

DIRECTIONS FOR THE FROSTING

1. Whisk milk, flour, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble — 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.

2. Melt chocolate and set aside to cool.

3. Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and cocoa together until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in the cooled chocolate and add milk mixture and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy.

Vanilla Cherry Chocolate Cookies

This is the new spin for chocolate chip cookies. I love cherries and the essence of pure vanilla extract, so let's add it all together!

This recipe was inspired from a Food Network program I was watching a few weekends ago! The program was called Ask Aida which I highly suggest watching. Not only is the show fun to watch, but she explains cooking/baking tips. Enjoy this delicious, sweet desert!

Serving Size: Yields 4 dozen cookies (48 cookies)

Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup coarsely chopped dried sweet cherries

Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined; set aside.

3. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat together the butter and sugars over medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate and cherries until they are uniformly distributed.

6. Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto a baking sheet. Bake until the cookie edges are golden brown, about 14 minutes. Leave the cookies on the baking sheets on racks for 3 minutes.

Homemade Vegan Vegetarian Burgers II

This is the second recipe for homemade veggie burgers. What makes this different than the last recipe posted? Gary and I did a lot of testing with flavors to develop this new and improved vegan version. Yes, I said it! This is our homemade vegan vegetarian burgers.

We made the patties by utilizing our food processor to mix and combine all of our ingredients. After forming the patties (and described below in instructions), we froze the patties as we cooked them the very next night. This was so good! I cannot wait to cook up the other patties for dinner.

I am very eager to see your comments and see how you enjoy these delicious vegetarian burgers. Instead of buying the processed or frozen versions, or spending money at restaurants, you can easily make this healthy, protein and vitamin packed homemade patty. All it takes is some fresh vegetables and the excitement of cooking a delicious meal. My favorite toppings for this veggie burger includes: fresh Roma tomato, avocado, lettuce and pickles.

Experiment with additional vegetables you may enjoy in the patty, including soy beans, corn or black beans. We opted to try barley instead of oats which is traditionally used in vegetarian burger recipes.

Serving Size: 4 large patties

Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked, organic pearled barley
- ½ organic red onion, chopped finely
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1 15oz can organic garbanzo beans
- 1 large organic zucchini (or 1.5 cups grated)
- 1 medium organic red pepper
- 3 tablespoons of sun-dried tomato, or a large spoonful from jar
- 1.5 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of parsley
- Unbleached Flour to coat patties

Instructions
1. Cook Barley: bring ½ cup of barley and 1 1/3 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Reduce heat and cook thoroughly. Set aside.

2. Chop all the vegetables and begin to gradually add to your food processor. Our order was chopping the onions and adding to the food processor. Than went the carrots, garbanzo beans, zucchini, pepper, sun-dried tomato, salt.

3. Pulse and blend well.

4. Pour mixture into a large bowl and combine the barley. Mix well. Best mixing is done with nice, cleaned hands.

5. Refrigerate mixture for one hour.

6. Remove bowl from the refrigerator and line a baking sheet with foil. Spray foil lightly with an olive oil or non-stick spray

7. Begin making patties with the mixture and place aside. Put unbleached flour on each side of patty and place onto baking sheet.

8. Freeze overnight and grill the next night or grill on a pan or on your BBQ.

9. Serve on a whole what bun with all the fixings and enjoy!

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

This is a wonderful side item to your dinner or a great snack. This is a quick, easy, healthy and refreshing salad to add as a side item to your main entrée or enjoy as a mid afternoon snack. The ingredients are also likely to be in your pantry and/or refrigerator already!

All of the ingredients were organic and I picked up the fresh vegetables out of our home garden or the local farmer's market.

Tips: Add additional vegetables such as shredded carrots or cucumbers for an additional crisp and cool variety. I also suggest utilizing red onions instead of white or yellow as it adds a sweeter flavor. For additional protein, feel free to add grilled chicken, tofu or cheese such as feta. Let me know what you think about this recipe!

INGREDIENTS
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 1 Roma (plum) tomato, seeded and diced
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced

DIRECTIONS
1. In a bowl, toss together the garbanzo beans, roma tomato, green bell pepper, onion, garlic, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice. Cover, and chill until serving

Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's desert time! These are the best homemade chocolate chip cookies using milk chocolate chips rather than the semi-sweet chips. 

Most of the ingredients I used were organic and found at Traders Joe-when you can always use the most organic and/or natural ingredients! 

This recipe yields a serving size of 4 dozen cookies with 3 inch cookies. You can make the dough and freeze what you do not make! Form the dough into balls and place onto parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze than place the balls of the dough in a plastic bag, seal, and freeze. To bake after frozen follow directions below. You may need to add a few additional minutes if the cookies are not browned to satisfaction. Enjoy!

Ingredients

- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar

- 3/4 cup finely packed brown sugar

- 2 large eggs

- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

- Optional: 1 cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped nuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. In one bowl mix together the butter, the white and brown sugars and beat until fluffy. 

3. Beat in the eggs one egg at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition. Add in the vanilla extract and mix well until incorporated.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. 

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat until incorporated. 

6. Add the chocolate chips (and nuts-optional) half way through mixing. 

Tip: If you find the dough very soft, cover and refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes)

7. For large cookies, use about a 2 tablespoon ice cream scoop or with two spoons drop about 2 tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool on wire rack. 

Vegan Pigs in a Blanket!

I remember as a young child the treat of pigs in a blanket for a dinner. This is an easy and quick recipe for the vegan version. By omitting pork, turkey, chicken or beef hot dogs you are not consuming the fat, calories, and nitrites in the traditional hot dog.

I chose to use SmartDogs vegan hot dog brand which is found at Trader Joe’s and most markets. Smartdogs is fat free and less than 100 calories per hot dog!

I am serving this at this weekend’s pot luck style dinner with friends.

Serve the vegan pigs in a blanket with a dipping platter including relish, mustard and ketchup.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
- 8 veggie hot dogs (SmartDogs brand)
- 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 F
2. Separate dough into triangles. Wrap dough triangle around each hot dog. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake at 375 F. for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Veggie Sausage English Muffin Sandwich

This is my healthier and vegetarian version of the sausage McMuffin. By using this Morningstar product you are eliminating saturated fat and regulating your calorie intake. I topped my English muffin with a slice of soy cheddar flavored cheese. You can also use regular cheddar cheese or rice cheese.

Serves 1

Ingredient List

- 2 Morningstar veggie sausage patties
- 2 slices of Roma Tomato
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 whole wheat English muffin
- 1 slice soy cheddar cheese

Directions
1. In a medium skillet drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil onto the pan on medium heat

2. Add both Morningstar veggie sausage patties and grill on each side for 2-3 minutes.

3. Slice the English muffin and place one slice of soy cheddar cheese on one half

4. Put the English muffin into the toaster oven and toast to your satisfaction. Remove and place on a plate.

5. Remove veggie sausage patties from the skillet, place on English muffin and top with sliced Roma tomato.

Serve and enjoy!

Honey-Glazed Tofu on Pumpkin Seed Couscous

This was so good! I really enjoyed the sweetness of the grilled and crispy tofu topped onto the vegetable packed couscous. This was a healthy meal with high protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates-a perfect choice for our post workout at the gym. Gary and I cooked this dish in less than 20 minutes from start to finish!

Cracked black pepper—a coarser grind of the kitchen staple—lends a lightly spicy flavor without the bite of fresh chiles or hot sauce. If you can’t find shelled pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas), substitute your favorite chopped nuts. I chose slivered almonds which added a great crunch to the dish! I also substituted olive oil for vegetable oil as that was the only oil I had in the kitchen.

Serves 6

Ingredient List-Honey Glazed Tofu
- 2 10-oz. pkgs. Organic extra-firm tofu
- 2 tsp. cracked black pepper
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup honey

Ingredient List: Pumpkin Seed Couscous
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
- 1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat couscous
- 1/2 cup toasted unsalted pumpkin seeds or the nut of your choice

Directions
1. To make Honey-Glazed Tofu: Place tofu between two plates and set heavy pot on top. Drain 10 minutes, and pat dry. Cut tofu into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Combine pepper, thyme, and salt in small bowl. Coat tofu slices with pepper mixture, and set aside.

2. To make Pumpkin Seed Couscous: Bring broth, carrots, edamame, olive oil, and salt to a boil in covered saucepan. Remove from heat, stir in couscous and cover. Let steam 5 minutes, then fluff with fork.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil and honey in large skillet over medium-high heat until bubbling. Place tofu in pan, and cook 3 minutes. Turn, and cook 3 minutes more, spooning thickening sauce over tofu.
4. To serve: Stir pumpkin seeds or the nuts chosen into couscous. Spoon onto plates, and top with Honey-Glazed Tofu.