Taco Spaghetti

I love this dish, it's a mish-mash of Italian and Mexican. It cooks pretty quickly and leftovers reheat well. I did cave and used Beyond Meat Crumbles, so it's vegan but not considered whole food. You could use some soy curls, tempeh or even tofu to make it WFPB. I have not tried it, but hear that you can freeze tofu and then thaw it and it totally changes the texture. Of course you would have to prepare in advance to use this method. This is a yummy dish. Let me know if you try it.

• 1 pound brown rice spaghetti
• 1 package Beyond Meat Crumbles
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1-1/2 cups salsa, we love Herdez brands
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles
• 1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning
• 1 2.25-ounce can  sliced black olives
• 1/2 cup green/pimento stuffed olives, halved
• 3/4 cup vegan cheddar shreds (or use Brand New Vegan's cheese sauce)
• Garnish: sliced scallions, sour cream, vegan parm, avocado, jalapenos, (I only used scallions)

Cook pasta according to package directions. While it cooks add the crumbles, tomato paste, salsa, green chilies and the taco seasoning to a large skillet. Stir well.

Once the sauce is good and hot add your choice of cheese. Mix well (if you you shreds be sure they melt before you move forward).  Drain pasta and rinse with cold tap water. Add the pasta to the skillet and mix well. My skillet was very full so be careful.

Top with black and green olives and garnish with the toppings of your choice. 

Enjoy. This made about 6 servings. Serve with a side salad and you have a full meal.

Ramen (WFPBNO)

I made this soup yesterday. I didn't think too much about it and only took the one picture before we dove in. Man, what a mistake, this is delicious and I will make it again so I can get the step by step pictures. But it was so good I didn't want to make ya'll wait on the recipe. So here it is with only the one picture. When I make it again (soon) I'll add the other pics. Stay well and warm! Makes 3 large servings.

• 1 tub extra firm tofu, pressed
• salt
• black pepper
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups vegetable broth, low or no sodium
• 1 brick Lotus Foods Millet and Rice ramen
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon Gochujang, if  you don't like heat leave it out
• 1 dried Arbol chili, cut in half and shake out seeds, if  you don't like heat leave it out
• 2 baby bok choy, sliced
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
• scallions, sliced for garnish

Preheat oven to 400F. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut tofu into bite sized pieces. Sprinkle tofu with salt and pepper. Bake fir 10 minutes, turn and bake another 10.

While the tofu is baking, heat the broth in a soup pot and add the rest of the ingredients, except scallions. Simmer, covered while tofu cooks.

Once tofu is done add to soup pot. Stir and serve, garnished with scallions.

I had the leftovers today for lunch and the noodles were pretty soft from sitting in the broth, but it was still delicious!

Oven Roasted Tofu & Veggies

 I love oven roasted veggies. I took what we had in the frig that needed to be consumed and chopped it all in uniform sizes. Made a sauce with Dijon mustard, agave, chopped onion (next time I would dice it smaller) and tossed everything in it before baking. I think I ended up putting a little more Dijon on my serving. This was good but I would amp up the spices next time.

• 1 sweet onion, diced (use about 1/4 cup and mince for the sauce)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 small sprig rosemeary
• 1 head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 cup mushrooms, quartered (small ones halved)
• 5 baby red potatoes, scrubbed
• 1/3 cup Agave
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 block extra-firm tofu, pressed, cut into bite sized cubes

Preheat oven to 375F. In a small bowl mix minced garlic, chopped rosemary, Dijon and agave. Add some black pepper. Set aside.

In a container mix the tofu with a fourth of the sauce. Mix well then add to baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Do the same with each individual vegetable. They are easier to turn if you keep them separate. But you could just dump it all in a large bowl, toss the sauce over it and be done.

Cook for 10-15 minutes. Flip everything and cook another 10-15 minutes. Until veggies and tofu are done but not over-cooked.

Add some of each item to your dish and enjoy!!

Cheesy Taco Pasta (WFPBNO)

This is a quick, filling and delicious pasta dish. The leftovers reheated well and I would say this is 6 servings. I'm sure you have all of these ingredients in your kitchen. This would go well with a side salad or some chips and guac. You decide.

• 8 ounces shell pasta, I had chickpea pasta and added a few rotini to it 
• 8 ounces vegan burger meat, I had leftover homemade meatballs, quartered
• 2 cups salsa (I had Roasted Chipotle)
• 1 + cups vegan cheese (I used Brand New Vegan's Cheese Sauce)
• 1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
• 1 cup water (reserved from cooking pasta)
• sea salt and pepper to serve

Get your water going first, cook pasta according to package directions. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

I quartered homemade vegan meatballs into a non-stick skillet and added the taco seasoning with a splash of water. Cook until the meatballs are heated all the way through. You may need to add another tablespoon or so of water. 

Lower heat and add the pasta water, pasta, salsa and cheese. Stir to combine and cook until everything is hot. 

I don't cook with salt, but I do taste my food and if needed add a tiny amount. You can really taste it if it's not cooked into the dish. Garnish with chopped cilantro and enjoy!

Burrito (WFPBNO)

First off let me say that this tasted amazing. However, my tortillas should have been bigger so I could but MORE filling in them. So the finished product pics look terrible. Next time I make these I will update the photos. We made burrito bowls for lunch the next day and I should have taken a pic of that because it was beautiful. I'll grab a bowl picture when I make these again!

• 1 box Zatarain's Spanish Rice, cooked according to package directions
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 15-ounce can's black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 avocado, sliced
• shredded lettuce
• 4 whole wheat tortillas (get the biggest you can find, mine were too small and I couldn't get a good pic)

Start the Spanish rice. Then, in a large skillet saute vegetables for 6-7 minutes in a little water, until tender.

Add the black beans, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, paprika, lime juice and 2 tablespoons water. 

When rice is ready give it a fluff with a fork and set aside.

Stir well and cook about 2-3 minutes until liquid evaporates.

Place tortilla on cutting board. Spread 1/2 cup or so of rice.Top with veggie mixture, avocado, lettuce, and any sauce you would like (i.e. salsa, sriracha, etc.) 

Pardon these terrible pics of the finished product. I will  update pics the next time I make these with a big tortilla!! 

Enjoy!

Sticky Cauliflower (WFPBNO)

This may be one of the best dishes I've made in some time. The cauliflower reminds me Sweet and Sour Chicken from our favorite Asian restaurant. Folk this is a make again dish! Also, the leftovers reheated well. The sauce is nice and sticky-sweet with a touch of heat. 

Cauliflower:

• 1 large  head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, unsweetened (I used Almond)

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 6 tablespoons rice vinegar (I used garlic flavored)
• 2 tablespoons sriracha (if you aren't a fan of the heat start with less)
• 2 tablespoons, fresh ginger, grated
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup salt free, vegetable broth
• 4 tablespoons corn starch
  
  Garnishes: sliced scallions, cooked jasmine rice, sesame seeds

Preheat to 425 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the flour and cornstarch. Pour the milk and water in and whisk to combine. The batter should be kind of thick, but still pour-able. If it's too thick add more water.

Drop a handful of cauliflower into the batter and coat well. Shake off excess and put on baking sheet. Be sure the pieces don't touch. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip the pieces and cook for 10 more minutes.

I turned the oven off but left the pieces in the oven (just keep an eye on them) while I prepared the sauce.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, add soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, sriracha, ginger and garlic. Whisk to combine and bring to a simmer.

In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and broth and add to the skillet. 

Let it simmer until it becomes sticky and thickens up. This may take up to 5 minutes. Stir often so it doesn't stick to the skillet.

Add the cauliflower and toss to coat each piece well. Remove from heat and serve.

I served this over rice and garnished with sliced scallions and white sesame seeds. I also cooked a vegetable roll as a side.

Black Bean Soup

Nothing like a little nip in the air to have you craving a bowl of warm, comforting soup. I used canned beans and made this over the weekend. All of the flavors are spot on, delicious. This  made 4 servings and could easily be doubled for a crowd.

• 1 cup diced sweet yellow onion
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, slightly drained
• 2 cups water mixed with 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon no-chicken base
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (these are hot)
• 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
• Garnish: lime, avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, diced onion, whatever you like

Saute onion in large pot with 1-2 tablespoons water until translucent. Add more water if needed.

Add black beans, broth, cumin, chili powder, coriander, chipotle peppers, cocoa and black pepper.

Simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low. Add lid, slightly ajar and cook 20-30 minutes. The longer it simmers the tastier the soup. Taste and adjust any spices that you wish. 

I cooked white rice while the soup was cooking and served the soup with the rice. I garnished with lime juice, avocado and a shot of Frank's hot sauce.

Enjoy!!!

Broccoli & Cauliflower Casserole

This is so good. I didn't have any homemade compliant cheese and I caved and used Daiya. I only used 1/2 cup so I'm not beating myself up over it. But I know the compliant cheese sauce mixed in with the "sauce" and then some on top would have been amazing. Next time!

• 2 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cups cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cups un-sweet almond milk
• 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup panko
• 1/2 cup vegan cheese, shredded
• 3/4 tablespoon paprika
• 3/4 tablespoon dried parsley

Preheat oven to 400F. Cook broccoli and cauliflower in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Blend together milk, flour, nutritional yeast and nutmeg until smooth. Cook stirring well, over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat.

Add broccoli and cauliflower to a bowl.

Add the sauce and mix well.

Pour into sprayed casserole dish.

Sprinkle with panko, cheese, paprika and parsley.

Cook 15 minutes until nice and bubbly.

We had this with mashed potatoes and gravy and a thick sliced tomato.

Enjoy!!!