Match Meat Heaven

As stated in a prior post I am a new fan of the brand Match Meat. Tonight we tried their crab cakes and they did not disappoint. Really simple and easy to make and they tasted great. Really good if you want to serve your meat loving friends something that they would not guess is vegan!! Another plus is they only take about 10 mins to cook, perfect if you are short on time to make something.

Superb Sammies (Sandwiches)

Wanted to make a quick, light dinner tonight. Decided to make a Avocado, Lettuce, Tomato Sandwich served up with some fresh Corn on the Cob. Hope it sounds yummy to you too!

Lovin' the Quinoa

After deciding to add some more protein into my diet I thought we should give Quinoa another try. It is considered a perfect protein but I had yet to find a recipe where I love it. Found a recipe to try, Black-Eyed Pea and Quinoa Croquettes with Mushroom Sauce. While the Croquettes were not the best the Mushroom Sauce over a bed of Quinoa was AWSOME!!!

Mushroom Sauce

3 Cups vegetable broth
2 TBSP arrowroot powder
1 TBSP olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
fresh black pepper
1/2 c white cooking wine
3 TBSP soy sauce
1/4 c nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 c plain soy milk

In a small bowl whisk the arrowroot into vegetable broth until dissolved. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pan saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil for 3 mins. Add the mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the white wine and turn the heat up high to bring to a boil for 3 mins. Add the soy sauce and the broth/arrowroot mixture. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the nutritional yeast and whisk until dissolved. Add the soy milk and whisk for another minute or so. Let cool for a few mins before serving.

Serve over a bed of warm, cooked Quinoa.
Or you could add 1/4 cup flour to the broth and arrowroot mixture making it more gravy like and serve it over pasta.

Lasagna Spirals

Tonight for dinner I made a version of Lasagna, it was individual spirals. It turned out fantastic, while the prep took a bit of time it was easy and worth it!!

1 TBSP Olive Oil
2 Shallots, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
16 oz package firm tofu, drained and crumbled
3 oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c vegan pesto
1/3 c fresh bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, cover, cook until softened, about 5 mins. Transfer to food processor and add the tofu, sun dried tomatoes, pesto, bread crumbs, salt, and cayenne. Process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 30 mins.

1 TBSP Olive Oil
2 Shallots, minced
2 TBSP Tomato Paste
1/4 c dry red wine
One 14.5 oz can plum tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
Salt and Pepper
1/4 c minced fresh basil leaves
12 lasagna noodles

Heat Olive oil in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook for 5 mins, stirring frequently. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the wine, tomatoes, and sat and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 mins, then stir in the basil. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.

Cook the lasagna noodles. Drain and spread out on a work surface to prevent them from sticking together.

Preheat oven to 350. Divide the chilled filling among the noodles, spreading it evenly over the surface of each noodle. Roll each up tightly into a spiral shaped roll. Place seam side down in a lightly oiled baking dish. Lightly cover the rolls with sauce, saving a little for later. Cover with foil and bake until hot, about 20 mins.

To serve, spread a small amount of warm sauce on plate and place rolls in sauce.

Dinner Party with DESSERT!!

We had some friends over for dinner and it turned out amazing!! Looks a bit like my Thanksgiving meal, but it was soooo good it needed to be repeated. This time I made homemade bread with dinner and for dessert we had Apple Walnut Crisp with Ice Cream!!! The Apple Crisp taste like an Apple Pie and easy to make. Served up with Soy Ice Cream it's a great Vegan Dessert!

Apple Walnut Crisp

Oat-Nut Topping-you might want to make a bit extra to put on top
1 c walnut halves-chopped into small pieces
3/4 c rolled oats
2/3 c unbleached white flour
1/2 c maple sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
6 TBSP Canola oil
2 TBSP water
1 tsp cinnamon-for dusting the top
1 tsp maple sugar-for dusting the top

Apple Filling
3 pounds apples, Honey Crisp are nice and sweet, peeled, cored, sliced, and chopped into chunks
1/2 c dried cherries or cranberries (optional)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 TBSP maple syrup
2 TBSP maple sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
Pinch of sea salt
1/4 c apple juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss together oats, flour, sugar, walnuts and salt. Drizzle in the oil and water, stirring lightly. Topping should be crumbly, like wet sand. Set aside.

Toss together all the filling ingredients and pour into 9x13 pyrex baking dish.

Sprinkle the Oat-Nut Topping over the apples evenly, completely covering the apples; sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the top.

Bake 15 minutes at 400, then reduce to 350 degrees and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until the topping is cooked and the apples are tender.

Remove and let it cool. Serve with Soy Vanilla Ice Cream.

Pancake Nirvana

I love pancakes but have never been able to make that perfectly round, fluffy & light, golden, delicious pancake. But I have recently found the light.....if this is something you suffer with as well, join me and I will tell you how to reach pancake nirvana.

Step One: Have the right tools for the job! I recently aquired an electric pancake griddle and it makes the job so much easier!! 6 pancakes at a time and you can control the degrees temperature, which is vital for a golden pancake. I have found 325-350 degrees is just about perfect, but you might need to play with it a bit.

Step Two: When mixing your batter be careful not to over mix, this will make your pancakes tough and chewy (a few lumps are okay). And more importantly, after mixing the batter let it sit for about 10 mins before starting to make the pancakes. This allows the gluten in the flour to relax and makes for lighter, fluffier pancakes.

Step Three: To get round and similar sized pancakes, use a 1/3 measuring cup to pour the batter. Works great every time!

Step Four: Wait for the pancake top to start bubbling before flipping. If it is getting too brown turn down the temperature.

Step Five: Enjoy the best pancakes ever!!

Perfect Pancake Recipe-has a great sweet taste

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 TBSP canola oil
1/3 cup water
1 to 1 1/4 cups plain rice or soy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBSP pure maple syrup

Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, combine all the other ingredients. Add wet to dry, mix until just combined. Let sit 10 mins.

Meanwhile preheat griddle for about 2-3 mins. You will know the griddle is ready by flicking a few water drops onto it, if they sizzle, it's ready.

Make your super yummy pancakes and remember to invite me over for some!!

I love Match Meat

If you are looking for a great meal without much effort you should look to your frozen section of Whole Foods. There you will find a product called Match Meat, they make meat substitutes. They have many options, but one that we love is their Stuffed Chicken Breast. I served it with home made bread and steamed veggies.