Thai Basil Chic'n Stir-Fry

I found this recipe in a Cooking Light magazine and made it vegan, and subbed out a couple of ingredients for what I had in the frig. It was amazing!!! I served it over whole wheat coucsous with roasted garlic and olive oil. Definitely a make-again. I hope you enjoy it!

• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon Bragg's
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large jalapeno chile, thinly sliced
• 1 package Gardein meatless chick'n strips, slightly thawed
• 1 1/2 cups sliced red bell pepper (I used 6 baby sweet red peppers)
• 1 sweet onion, thinly vertically sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 

Combine hoisin, sugar, 1 tablespoon water, and Bragg's in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves.

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add garlic and jalapeno chile; stir-fry 30 seconds or until fragrant. Remove and set aside.

Add chick'n strips; stir-fry 4-6 minutes, until browned.

Add bell pepper and sliced onion; stir-fry 2 minutes.

Add the jalapeno/garlic mixture and the hoisin mixture; bring to a boil. Cook 30 seconds or until slightly thickened.

Stir in basil and juice.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

Vegetable Coconut Curry

I love curries; Jack, not so much. I had all the ingredients to make this curry I found on the internet with a few omits and subs. It was very flavorful and I like the idea that you can use the veggies you have on hand and/or the ones you like. I served this over brown rice for a complete meal.

• 2 small sweet potatoes, (adjust for the size you have)
• 2 small russet potatoes, (adjust for the size you have)
• 1 large stem broccoli, (stems sliced and cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch slices
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 can diced tomatoes, un-drained
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup green (English) peas
• *** I added about 8 ounces of thawed Tempeh Chunks during the last 15 minutes of cooking time!

Peel and chop the all of the potatoes. Fill a large pan with water, bring it to a boil and cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes.

While they cook finely slice the onion, garlic and zucchini. De-seed the jalapeno and slice. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno to a large skillet/pan with the coconut oil. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring to avoid browning.

Add the zucchini and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add the cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, chili powder and vegetable stock to the onion mixture. Stir well. Add the chopped tomatoes and coconut milk.

Add the broccoli to the boiling potatoes and cook few a few minutes.

Drain the potatoes/broccoli mixture and add to the vegetables in the skillet/pan.

Reduce the curry to a low-medium heat and cook about 15 minutes until it's thick and the flavors marry. During the last 5 minutes of this cooking time add the peas.

Stir well, give one final taste to see if it needs any salt or extra seasoning.

Serve over rice.
Enjoy!

Zucchini, Squash and Corn Casserole

This is one of those amazing, comfort food dishes. While squash and corn are so plentiful you really need to make this. I didn't have fresh corn or I would have used that, but frozen works great. This makes a large casserole that would be great for a potluck or dinner with guests. Leftovers reheat well.

• 3 yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 3 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance margarine, divided
• 2 cups diced sweet onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels (or frozen)
• 1 package Daiya cheddar shreds
• 1/2 cup Toffuti (vegan) sour cream
• 1/2 cup Just Mayo
• 2 large flax eggs, (1 T flaxseed meal + 3 T warm water = 1 egg, mix these together and stir well, let sit about 5 minutes)
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1 1/2 cups soft, fresh breadcrumbs, divided (I make my own and keep it in the freezer)
• 2/3 cup nutritional yeast , divided

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt 2 tablespoons Earth Balance in a skillet over medium-high heat; add onion, and sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 2 minutes.

In a large bowl stir together squashes, onion mixture, corn, next 6 ingredients, and 1/3 cup each breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast just until blended.

Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Melt remaining 2 Earth Balance. Stir in remaining 1 cup breadcrumbs and 1/3 cup nutritioanl yeast. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and set. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

I served this with Gardein Chipotle Lime Crispy Finger - drenched in Frank's hot sauce.

Enjoy!!!