Dinner ~ Vegan Chicken & Leeks

There are some prepackaged frozen vegan/vegetarian options out there that I use in pinch when preparing a meal. Non-vegetarian guests in my house, as well as my family, absolutely love Gardein's Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n. It takes only minutes to heat in the wok. While it would be very easy to only eat this for dinner, because it is so delicious, taking the time to add fresh vegetables, a grain/noodles and fruit makes it a meal.

Dinner: Vegan orange chicken with leeks and kale micrograms, parsley risotto, sliced carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, yellow beans, oranges and strawberries. 

Lunch ~ Red Lentil & Parsnip Soup

Red lentils may be small but are packed with nutrients. When cooked with parsnip to make a soup, the combination provides a fiber-filled meal that is said to reduce cholesterol.

Lunch: Red lentil soup with parsnip, carrots, and scallions.

Red Lentil & Parsnip Soup
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
 3 c water
1 c red lentils, washed
2 c parsnip, chopped
2 c carrots, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp sea salt
pinch black pepper
2 tbsp scallion, chopped

Add oil to warm pot. Add onion and garlic and cook over light low flame until lightly browned. Add water, lentils, 1 1/2 c parsnip and 1 1/2 c carrots, thyme, turmeric, sea salt and pepper . Cover and cook medium heat for 20 minutes. Put into blender and blend until smooth. Return to pot. Add remaining parsnip and carrots. Cook for additional 10 minutes. Serve with fresh chopped scallions.

Red lentils

Breakfast ~ Banana Lavender Topped Muffins & Barbecued Tempeh

Sometimes you crave something sweet. When that desire calls upon you, a good way to not over-indulge is to make mini-muffins topped with fruit. For this breakfast, I made banana mini-muffins. While they were in the oven cooking, I placed sliced bananas in a skillet with a little maple syrup and cooked until syrup thickened. The green beans were placed in the steamer for several minutes. Barbecued tempeh was heated in the wok. For plating the mini-muffins, I topped them with the maple syrup cooked bananas and then sprinkled with fragrant lavender petals. Filling the plate with steamed greens and barbecued tempeh makes it less likely that you will go back looking for more sweet muffins!

Basic Muffin Recipe

2 ripe bananas (or substitute other fruit)

1/8 c safflower oil

1/2 c sugar

1 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Mix all ingredients. Place in greased mini-muffin pan. Cook 350 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Breakfast: Mini-muffins with cooked bananas, maple syrup and lavender, steamed green beans, and barbecued tempeh slices. 

Lunch ~ St. Patrick's Day Vegan Boiled Dinner with Cashew Cream

St. Patrick's Day is almost upon us and boiled dinner is on the menu. Single-pot cooking allows the vegetables to blend into a wonderful symphony of flavor. Beans and seitan are nice vegan alternatives for the standard corned beef in this recipe. 

St. Patrick's Day Vegan Boiled Dinner

4 carrots, halved

3 parsnips, halved

1 turnip, quartered

4 potatoes, halved

2 c butternut squash, cubed

2 c pearled onions

2 c yellow beans

15 oz red beans or 2 c cubed seitan

1 head green cabbage, quartered

1 bay leaf

1 tsp peppercorns

1 tbsp horseradish

1/2 tsp sea salt

Fill large pot with vegetables and seasoning. Cover with water. Bring to boil, lower to medium heat, and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. Serve with cashew cream. Garnish with spicy radish micro-greens.

Cashew Cream

1 c raw cashew, soaked for 2 hours then strained

1/2 c water

1 clove garlic

1/4 tsp white vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

Place cashews and water in blender and blend until smooth mixture. Add remaining ingredients and blend until creamy. 

Lunch: St. Patrick's Day meal of carrots, parsnip, turnip, potatoes, butternut squash, pearl onions, yellow beans, red beans, and cabbage with cashew cream topped with spicy radish micro greens. Side salad of spinach leaves, red peppers, and olives. Dessert of steamed red bartlett pears, seedless grapes, and cinnamon.

Dinner ~ Vegan Meatloaf & Garlic Mashed Potatoes

My son was coming home from college with a few friends, so I decided to make a little comfort food ~ vegan meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans. It only takes a few minutes to prepare the meatloaf when you use canned beans and a food processor. Cooking time extends the overall prep to meal time to 1 hour. I made meatloaf 2 different ways and both were good. However, the meatloaf was a little moist when eaten warm, straight out of the oven. Infant, it was more like eating Sloppy Joes. They firmed up overnight and sliced like a loaf when cold. 

So, this is what I have learned: What is better than vegan meatloaf? Next day cold,vegan meatloaf. 

Dinner: Vegan red bean and rice meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, greens beans with almonds, salad, and purple seedless grapes. 

Vegan Beans & Rice Meatloaf

1 14 oz can red kidney beans

2 c cooked brown rice

1large red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp garlic

1/2 tsp salt

ketchup for topping

Mix all ingredients, except ketchup, in food processor. Put into greased 9 inch loaf pan. Top with ketchup. Bake for 45 minutes. 

Vegan chickpea meatloaf

Vegan Chickpea Meatloaf

1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained

1 14 oz can butterbeans, drained

1 red onion, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, diced

2 cup breadcrumbs

2 tbsp tamari

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Topping

3/4 c tomato paste

2 tbsp agave

Please all ingredients in food processor and pulse until blended. Put into greased 9 inch loaf pan.  Mix tomato paste and agave in bowl.  Spoon on top of chickpea meatloaf mixture. Bake for 45 minutes. 

Dinner ~ Tapas-Style: Vegan Grilled Cheese, Tomato Bulgur Salad, & Spaghetti Squash with Pesto

Tapas-style or "light snack" dinners are a nice way of plating leftovers in a eye-pleasing arrangement. Grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato and basil can be made fresh. For the bulgur wheat salad, it can be made up to a week in advance using fresh tomatoes and parsley.  Spaghetti squash only takes minutes to boil on the stove top and is easily reheated. The squash is topped with pesto. Add cucumber, pickle, olives, or fruit to complete the plate. Buen apetito!

Vegan Basil Pesto
1/3 c pine nuts or other nut
3 c basil leaves (can substitute kale, parsley, or other leafy green)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c olive oil
1/3 c brewers yeast (optional)
1 tsp sea salt

Place pine nuts in food processor and blend until fully crushed. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until fully blended.

Grilled cheese, tomato bulgur wheat salad, spaghetti squash with pesto, umeboshi plum marinated cucumbers, and blueberries. 

Dinner ~ Avocado Corn Fritters with Butternut Squash Sauce & Corn Sprouts Garnish

Avocado & Corn Fritters
1 c fresh kernel corn
1 avocado, diced
1/4 c flour
2 tbsp rice milk
pinch of sea salt
safflower oil

Mix ingredients in bowl then drop heaping tbsp of mixture into heated safflower oil. Cook for 1 minute.

Sliced marinated heirloom carrots and celery, pomegranate seeds, corn and avocado fritters with corn sprouts garnish, kale with butternut squash sauce, and wild rice.

I love the senses that are stimulated when preparing and cooking food. The color, aroma, flavor, texture, and nutrition add to my appreciation of the meals. For that reason, I seek out special touches and combinations of vegetables. The sweet corn sprouts added whimsy to the plate. The crispy vinegar marinated carrots add brightness.

Each day I incorporate leafy greens and grains onto my plate. Pomegranate seeds are proposed as having many health benefits; I purely enjoy their taste.

Dinner ~ Seitan with Rosemary Sage Wheat & Julienne Root Vegetables

Seitan is an easy to make wheat gluten which is high in protein. It can be flavored in many way, from salty to savory. I boil the wheat gluten for 1 hour in a shoyu, kombu (a seaweed which adds minerals) and ginger broth.  It will double in size as it absorbs the seasoned broth. After boiling is complete, I remove the seitan and set it aside. It can be stored for a week or even frozen for future meals. I then thicken the broth with kudzu root (alkaline) to make a gravy.

There has been much written about the health effects of acidic versus alkaline foods.  The general thought is that we may want to consider adding more alkaline foods into our diets. 

When meal planning, I look to add multiple vegetable combinations. On this particular day, I lightly steamed julienned heirloom rainbow carrots and zucchini. Completing the plate is wheat grain with rosemary and sage on a bed of lettuce. I love adding fruit for flavor and color. The more satisfying the meal, the less likely you're going to reach for a baked good after your meal. 

Dinner: Seitan, rosemary and sage wheat on bed of lettuce, steamed zucchini, julienne turnip, orange and purple carrots, and pomegranate seeds.