Granola Bars

We were wanting some healthy and vegan snack to grab in a hurry. I've tried several granola bar recipes but they never "stick" together. This recipe is based on one by Alton Brown from the FoodNetwork Channel. I had to make a few substitutions to make it vegan and I didn't have wheat germ so I used chia and hemp seeds instead. These turned out really well, held together better than others, but are still a little crumbly. But they were declared "make agains".

• 8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, about 2 cups
• 1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, about 1/2 cup
• 3 ounces sliced almonds, about 1 cup
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• about 1/2 cup honey and/or agave 
• 1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, about 1/4 cup packed
• 1 -ounce vegan margarine, plus extra for pan
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, about 2 cups (I used craisins, cherries and blueberries)

 

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the agave, brown sugar, margarine, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. 

 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Enjoy!!!

Spicy Vegetable Chorizo Soup

My inspiration behind this recipe was a few I saw on the internet, Babble, a few blogs, etc. I added lots of extra garlic, didn't add any extra oil (just enough to saute the onions) and added fresh parsley. This is a really hearty and filling dish.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 8 cloves of garlic, dice
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup diced white potato
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 1 cup spiral pasta
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 Field Roast vegan Chipotle Sausages, sliced
• 2 tablespoons cumin 
• 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• salt/pepper to taste

Saute the onions in about the olive oil in a large soup pan until they are translucent.

Add all the remaining ingredients except for the chopped greens.

Bring soup to a boil, cover and simmer on low for as about 1 hour.

Add the spinach and cook until it's wilted.

Ladle up, look out for the bay leaves. The spinach and the bay leaves look similar and you don't want to eat a bay leaf.

This soup is even better the next day after the flavors have a chance to marry.

Enjoy! Visit Gloria's profile on Pinterest.

Potato Hash with Mayo Mustard Dressing

We have a Potato Hash most every Saturday morning. It's a great way to get rid of some leftover veggies that are hanging around the frig. Do you have half a bell pepper, a small zucchini, part of an onion, part of a package of spinach??? Then toss it all in a skillet and you have hash, or roll it up in a tortilla and bam - breakfast burrito!

This recipe is based on the one I saw at Vegan Richa -- I wish I had some onion to add to it, but I hadn't been to the grocery yet. This is a delicious dish and I made burritos with the leftovers on Sunday morning.
My version:

Hash:

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 3 large potatoes, cubed
• 1 green bell pepper, cubed
• 1 package Field Roast brand Italian Sausage, cut into coins
• 1/3 teaspoon sea salt with chili (I received this for a Christmas present - you can substitute salt and add some some cayenne pepper)
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons veganaise
• 1-1/2  tablespoons yellow mustard
• 3 tablespoons almond milk or water
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• a pinch of salt and pepper

 

Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.

Toss cubed potatoes in a microwave safe container with oil. Microwave on hight for 5 minutes. Heat a large non-sticket skillet on medium heat. While the potatoes are cooking add the sausage coins to the skillet and brown on both sides, remove from skillet and set aside. (I forgot to take a pic of this process) Add potatoes to the skillet you used for the sausage, cover and cook for about 10 until potatoes start to brown. Stir occasionally.

Once the potatoes are brown add the bell pepper and sausage to the potatoes. 

Add salt and spices and mix well. Cook without cover for another 5 minutes. Stir 2-3 times in between. Serve hot with a spoonful  of the dressing  and a garnish of pickled jalapeno slices.

Enjoy!