Summer Recipe Week! Veggie Burger Recipe Updated

Since today is the "Official" First day of Summer I thought I would kick off this week with some new, easy, healthy recipes for a your summer BBQ's and picnics!

Monday: Better Veggie Burger

Tuesday: Lettuce Wraps and sauces

Wednesday: Potato Salad

Thursday: Pasta Salad/Baked Beans-I have not decided which one

Friday: Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake 

*Change in schedule, my recipe needs tweeking* 6/24

Today we will revisit the veggie burger for a new and improved recipe 

New and Improved Veggie Burger

Ingredients
1 package of extra firm/firm tofu
1 medium onion sliced
1 basket of mushrooms sliced
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup rice flour
1 Tb yeast
1 Tb Braggs Amino Acid
1 Tb Mary-Ann's Herb Salt
dash of Mary-Ann's Seasoning Salt- if you don't have this use salt and pepper with dash of nutmeg
Directions:
Preheat oven 450-500 degrees.
In a grill pan or saute pan cook onions and mushrooms with dash of Seasoning Salt. Cook until soft and browned. In the blender add tofu, onions and mushrooms. Blend but do not puree. You do not want big chunks. In a medium mixing bowl add tofu/mushroom/onion mixture with quinoa, Braggs, yeast, Herb Salt. Mix well. Then add rice flour until mixture is holding together well, about 1 cup. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out patties with 1/3 measuring cup and flatten into a patty. Bake for about 15 minutes on each side. We personally like them a little more done, a nice golden brown color on both sides.
Makes about 10-15 patties depending on how big you make them. My kids will easily eat three to four each.
So if you have any left over they will keep good in the fridge and are perfect for lunch the next day.

I usually serve them with grilled onions, fresh arugula, ketchup and if I have it Veganaise. We love Veganaise and often dip our fries in it too.....so yummy. It is a little on the expensive side so I do not buy it often.
Enjoy!

Stick around for all of the great new recipes!

Broiled Polenta and Mushroom Ragout

 I am always searching google for frugal vegatarian meals and this one popped up the other day. I love polenta and I love mushrooms, so I had to try it and I am so glad I did. I am adding this to my menu plan queue. Enzo ate three helpings and about five polenta sticks. Kira actually ate all of her mushrooms and tred the polenta. Still not crazy about polenta but ate three bites of it.

Broiled Polenta
Ingredients
6 1/2 cups cold water

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups yellow cornmeal (not stone-ground)
I sprayed the baking sheet with olive oil so it would not stick
parchment paper

Directions:
Bring 6 1/2 cups cold water with salt to boil and slowly add cornmeal in a stream in a large pot. Whisking quickly the whole time. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 20-25 minutes. Keep stirring constantly with a long-handled wooden spoon because it will bubble and can splatter causing burns. Continue until polenta begins to pull away from side of pot.

Pour polenta into baking pan covered with parchment paper, using a warm cup of water dip your wooden spoon and then spread evenly.

 Let pan cool on a rack until polenta is lukewarm about 20 minutes.

Spray olive oil on a different baking sheet and invert first baking pan onto sheet to unmold.

Preheat broiler 

Broil about 4 inches from heat until pale golden, 10-20 minutes. Check every five minutes to ensure you do not burn.  Cool 5 minutes, then cut into 3- by 1 1/2-inch sticks.

Mushroom Ragout

1 Tbs olive oil

1/2 large onion, finely chopped

3-4 packages (24-32 oz) white or cremini mushrooms, quartered

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tsp crushed dried rosemary

Mary-Ann's Seasoning salt

4 Tbs tomato paste

2 tsp balsamic vinegar
4 cups water

Directions

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and salt and pepper cooking until soft, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and add seasoning salt. Cover and cook until mushrooms release their juices, about 10 minutes.

Uncover pan and cook on high, stirring often, until liquid has evaporated about 5-10 minutes. Then cook mushrooms until brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add rosemary, tomato paste and water. Simmer until sauce has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in vinegar.

Serve over polenta. Enjoy.

 

Stuffed Bell Pepers and Avocado Salad

I made these a while back and forgot to post the recipe. I have since stopped buying regular red bell peppers because they are # 7 on the dirty dozen and organic bell peppers are so very expensive. I love bell peppers and would usually put them in five out of our seven dinners a week. This has been a sacrifice but I know it is good. I might try these with tomatoes instead. 

Fun Fact: Did you know that green bell peppers are unripe red peppers?

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

2 red or green bell peppers seeded and halved

2 celery stalks chopped

1 small squash chopped

1 medium onion chopped

1 basket of mushrooms quartered

1 cup cooked brown rice

Braggs

salt and pepper

Herb Salt

Directions:

In a large skillet or grill pan over medium heat saute onions with salt and pepper until almost brown. Add mushrooms, squash and celery. Cook over medium heat until tender but still firm. Add rice and drizzle Braggs until slightly moist. Sprinkle Herb salt about 2 tsp and remove from heat. Spoon rice mixture into halved bell peppers.

Place stuffed peppers in a large skillet over medium heat. Add about a 1/4-1/2 cup of water and cover skillet. There are two ways to finish these. Keep them in the skillet until the peppers are tender. Second way is to cook for about ten minutes in the skillet and then place on a foil covered sheet pan Set the oven on Broil place in oven until rice browns and starts to crisp up a little. 

Eric and I like the rice a little crusty on top but you may like a more moist rice. Try it and find out which you like and let me know. Enjoy!

Avocado Salad

Ingredients

1 ripe avocado chopped

handful grape tomatoes halved

1 medium cucumber peeled, seeded, and thick quarter sliced

1/4 red onion sliced

1/2 lemon juiced

Garlic Salt

Directions:

Cut up all veggies and toss in a medium bowl with lemon juice and garlic salt to taste. The avocadoes are so creamy that when tossed together they create a great oil substitute in salads.

  

Serve in chilled glass dishes for guests or for fun! Enjoy

Mango Salsa and Cilantro-Lime Rice

We have been eating a lot of rice and beans and beans and rice around here. I am trying to make it different and change it up a little. I know they are not the best but we have been eating tostadas with them and it is a fun change. It is definitely a treat and the kids love it! They are journeying out of the normal just beans and are trying new toppings! Kira had lettuce on hers and Enzo had sliced tomatoes on his. Both of them dip them in guacamole.

We went to Chipotle on Friday night with Eric's parents. I had never been there, so it was fun to try something new. I had a bare burrito with vegatarian black beans, cilantro-lime rice, roasted chili-corn salsa, lettuce, and fresh tomato salsa. It was yummy and fairly inexpensive, nothing was over $6. I love new ideas.

Food 4 Less had mangos on sale for $.78 each. I got three and decided it was time for some mango salsa! A true sign summer is coming!

Mango Salsa

2 mangos, peeled and chopped
1 medium jalapeno diced with seeds
2 green onions chopped
juice of one lime
salt to taste
handful of cilantro chopped

Mix all ingredients and chill for about an hour for more flavor. You can make it the day before and it will be spicier. *Blend a little if you want it less chunky.

Cilantro-Lime Rice

2-3 cups of cooked rice
juice of one lime
handful of cilantro finely chopped
salt to taste
1 lime sliced
Mix all ingredients together in a dish and serve with one lime slice on the side.

Clockwise: Refried beans, guacamole, tostadas, limes, mango salsa, cilantro, cilantro-lime rice, and non-jalapeno mango salsa. Those are napkins I made from $2.50 a yard fabric, red and white gingham and orange and white gingham. So fun and easy, I ran them through the serger and made ten of them in less than an hour.

So for dinner I decided to put everything on the table, instead of on the stovetop. I find I am constantly getting up and fixing more food for the kids and I do not get to sit. It was only a few extra dishes but TOTALLY worth it! I was able to sit the entire time for dinner. I am doing this every night if I can.

Craving Chocolate Pancakes?

I was craving chocolate or something sweet to eat for dinner, yes I said dinner. So why not chocolate pancakes? Well, at least my version of chocolate pancakes. I was googling vegan recipes and stumbled upon this Carob and Date Pancake recipe from Diet, Dessert and Dogs. I was a little leary of the chopped dates, would the kids take a bite and discover it and wonder what it was. Oh well, momma had a craving and she is going with it. I obviously had to tweak the recipe to be gluten free and a few tweaks later, ta dah I have my version.

"Chocolate" Pancakes

2 c soymilk/rice milk

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 eggs substitute Ener-g brand or 2 Tb Potato Starch and 1 Tb warm water mixture

1/4 c oil

2 Tb Agave syrup

2/3 c finely chopped dates

2 c Rice flour or GF Flour Mix- I use just rice flour a lot if I can't get to the store

3 Tb Sifted carob powder

1 Tb baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp Guar gum

Directions:

Mix milk, apple cider vinegar, eggs, oil , agave syruo and dates together and let sit for about two minutes. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix date and milk mixture into the large bowl with dry mixture. Mix well. I use a 1/4 measuring cup and pour out batter onto a skillet heated over medium heat. Cooking for about 1-2 minutes on each side.

I served with a little coconut oil and a drizzle of agave syrup. Oh yes! I found the perfect chocolate craving food. The kids loved them and said they liked them better than the "yellow" pancakes (regular pancakes). They were not too sweet and I did not even notice the dates. I will definitely make these again.

Enjoy.

Chinese No Chicken Salad

I was at a potluck and there was a chinese chicken salad with the ramen noodles. Oh, how I love me a good chinese salad. I do not know if it was the three years of working at Stix Restaurant right out of high school, they started Pick Up Stix or what but I am a sucker for sesame seeds, manadrin oranges and cabbage. It can't be that hard because it is only a few ingredients right? Right! There are a plethora of ways to make this salad but this is what I did.

Chinese No Chicken Salad

Recipe
1/2 head of cabbage chopped -I like it pretty chopped
1 green onion chopped
1/4 c almonds slivered or chopped
1/2 can of mandarin oranges

Dressing
3 Tb rice vinegar
2 Tb oil
1-2 Tb toasted sesame seeds
1 Tb sugar
pinch of brown sugar

Mix everything together but mandarin oranges in a big bowl and toss with dressing. Sprinkle oranges on top and serve
Serves 4
I have been looking for a raw starter for the nights I cook stir fry. I do not know why I did not think of this before. Cabbage is so cheap and so good for you. Eric and I ate it on Monday night and I ate the rest for lunch on Tuesday. I think I could eat this everyday for lunch. I am going to try it with agave syrup next time instead of sugar and I am going to make some rice noodles to add on top. Although it did not really need it because of the crunchy almonds.
Enjoy.
I am a leftover queen for lunch and I am thankful that my family loves them too.
What is your favorite quick easy lunch to make?

Polenta with Veggies

I was trying to think of new starches that I could incorporate in our diet. I had totally forgot about polenta. It is so easy to make a big batch and it keeps well for about a week. It is easy to reheat in the pan and you can add really any sauce to it and change it up.

I made polenta and served it with a mushroom, grape tomato, onion and eggplant sauce. I used my grill pan, did I mention that I love my grill pan? I do.

Polenta with Veggies

Polenta
2 C corn meal-I used stone ground
8 C boiling water and have a little extra just in case
salt

Bring water to a boil and slowly add the polenta, it should still be boiling. Stir continuously in the same direction for about 30 minutes on a lower heat. The more you stir the creamier the result. Be careful it will bubble and it will burn you if not in a deep pot. When the sides start to peel away from the pan it is almost ready. Salt to taste.

Veggies
1 medium onion chopped
1 basket of mushrooms
half of an eggplant
1 handful of grape tomatoes-whole
1 handful of grape tomatoes quartered
Bragg's
Mary-Ann Herb salt
Mary-Ann Seasoning salt- if you do not have this use a small pinch of nutmegwith salt and pepper.

Dry saute onions over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, try not to crowd mushrooms they brown better not crowded (Julia taught me that). Sprinkle a little seasoning salt on mushrooms. Add eggplant and saute until soft and skin it tender. Add tomatoes and braggs with two dashes of herb salt. If needed add a 1/4 of water at the end to get all of the cooked veggies off the bottom of the pan and it makes a richer sauce.

Trick-start veggies about fifteen minutes into the polenta and they should be done at the same time

Serve over polenta and enjoy

Going Out on a Limb

Okay after the last few days racking my brain of how I could make it easier for people to eat this way, I have come to a conclusion. I going to write an ebook cookbook. Quite a few people have told me I should and after talking to Eric he agreed with me and told me to do it. So here we go on our next adventure. I have already about 50 recipes and I am going to work on about 20 to 30 more.
I bought GF flours yesterday and I plan to try out some new GF recipes I am coming up with. The cookbook with be GF of course and plant-based too.

My biggest goal is to make easy, cheap, healthy and tasty recipes that do not take more than 45 minutes to an hour to prepare. Most will be less than that but some will be a little more in depth. Basically, I wanted to do a cooking class but I have no real way of doing it. So instead I thought I could write it all down. I am excited and a little nervous and who knows maybe someone will buy it and maybe no one besides my mom will buy it but that is okay. It will be something I can say I have done. If I can sew a invisible zipper, I can do this. I want a due date so that I have a little pressure. I am going to say that for my rough draft needs to be done in one month from today, April 6th. Then from there I will give a due date for final draft. I would love to have pictures too. Well I am eager to see how things will fall into place.