Vegan Breakfast Sausages

This recipe is originally from Hell Yeah It's Vegan, but the site went down and now, each time I make this, I scramble to find copies of the recipe that have been saved elsewhere. Occasionally I've found what I thought was the right recipe but it had the wrong ratios and didn't taste right. Here it is for my future reference. The directions are to the best of my memory.

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup tvp

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup oat bran

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp ground flaxseed

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp crushed sage leaves

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp maple syrup

1/4 tsp blackstrap molasses

oil for frying

 

 

Directions

 

1) Combine the tvp and 1/2 cup boiling water. Let it sit for 10 minutes.

 

2) Combine the dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a separate bowl.

3) Add liquid smoke, soy sauce, maple syrup, and molasses to the tvp and combine.

4) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together. Add up to 1/4 cup water as necessary to get the dough to stick together in patty form.

5) Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a skillet and cook sausage patties on both sides until evenly brown. Serve hot.

6) Reheat leftovers in toaster oven for 5 minutes at 425 degrees.

Nut-Crusted Tofu

This recipe comes from The No Meat Athlete Cookbook.  The ingredients are the same, but I've simplified the directions to make it less messy.  This is one of my favorite protein-rich dishes.  It's so good.

Ingredients
1/2 cup roasted, shelled pistachios (if salted, don't add salt to the bread crumb mixture)
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (I like Panko)
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
Salt and black pepper
One 16-oz package extra-firm tofu, drained and sliced lengthwise into 8 pieces
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Chop pistachios in food processor until they are roughly the size of bread crumbs. On a plate, combine them with bread crumbs, tarragon, lemon zest, salt and fresh ground pepper.

3. In a tall glass or measuring cup, combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, and garlic.

4. Use a pastry brush to coat the tofu all over with the wet mixture.  Then press each side into the breadcrumb mixture.

5. Place the tofu slices on the baking sheet.  Bake for about 20 minutes, gently flipping the tofu slices over once at the halfway point.  They are done when slightly browned. 

Vegetarian Italian Sausage

I made this vegetarian Italian sausage yesterday because I had some free time and the grocery store I went to didn't have any ready made ones in stock (Tofurky makes good ones).  I used this recipe from everydaydish.tv.
   I was surprised when I tried them today in advance of using them in penne alla vodka and discovered they are the best fake meat I've ever had.  Not only is the flavor great (and not very spicy at all the way I made it), but even the texture is good.  I don't normally like to eat seitan plain, but I kept eating this stuff plain and cold.  I want to try it in a crusty hot dog bun with mustard and sauerkraut.  My recipe below will look slightly different from the original in the link because I used what I had.

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups vital wheat gluten
• ½ cup nutritional yeast flakes
• ¼ cup chickpea flour (I apparently used up the gram flour -- Indian split chickpea flour -- in my pantry, so I ended up grinding some dried chickpeas into flour in my Vitamix dry container)
• 2 tbsp vegan Chik'n flavoring
• 2 tbs onion powder
• 1 tbs fennel seed (I have whole fennel seed, so I crushed it roughly with a mortar & pestle first)
• 2 tsp coarsely ground pepper, preferably freshly ground
• 2 tsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp ground smoked paprika
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp ground allspice
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2¼ cups cool water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (full sodium)

 Directions

1.  Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Whisk wet ingredients (water, oil, soy sauce) and add to dry ingredient mixture.  Incorporate everything with your hands -- I broke a rubber spatula trying to stir this stuff.  If your dough is too dry, add water in small amounts.

2.  Scoop about 1/2 cup of dough into a square of aluminum foil, roll it into a log shape, and twist it up tight like a Tootsie Roll.  Do the same with the rest of the dough (makes about 8 sausages). 

3.  If you have a steamer, bring water to a boil and put the foiled sausages in the food portion of the steamer and cook for 30 minutes.  If you are like me and don't have a steamer and your vegetable steaming basket is garbage and collapses under the weight of any food, you can do what I did.  I have a wire strainer that looks like it's made of window screen.  I put half the sausages into the strainer over a pot of boiling water and covered the pot with its own lid.  The sausages had to curve a bit, but it was fine.  Cook for 30 minutes, then do the same with the other half of the sausages (because that's how much fits in my strainer at one time).  I kept the sausages wrapped in foil and just put them in a ziploc bag in the fridge until I planned to use them.  (The strainer method is also how I steam vegetables.  I should really just throw away my vegetable steaming basket, but I keep thinking maybe I'm just somehow using it wrong because it had such good reviews on Amazon.)

Best Seitan

I have been making my own homemade seitan for years, but I found a significantly better recipe than the one I posted previously.  It's the base for HellYeahItsVegan's fried chicken, which is how I first encountered it, but I also use it sliced up in stir-fry, ground up and stirred into marinara for spaghetti or lasagna, and pretty much any time I would use seitan.  The spicing is amazing.

Ingredients

• 1½ c vital wheat gluten
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp chili powder
• 1 c cold water
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce (Annie's brand makes a good one, and Whole Foods tends to carry at least a couple brands)

Broth:

• 5 c water
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1.  Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2.  Mix together wet ingredients in a measuring cup and add to dry ingredients.

3. Knead and mold dough into a ball.

4.  Divide dough into at least 6 pieces, pull and shape them into thin patties (as thin as you can -- they thicken substantially during cooking).  The more you knead the dough, the better the texture since this is gluten.  Don't be too gentle.

5.   Mix together broth ingredients.  Add patties to the broth, bring to a boil, boil for ten minutes, then cover and simmer for one hour, flipping them halfway through.

Drain the finished product.  You can dredge them in flour and fry them, bake them, slice and stir-fry them, or grind them up and use like you would ground beef.  They also freeze well.

Best Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips

I think I've perfected the crispy breaded tofu strip recipe.  Simran likes this one best anyway.  This one is 100% whole grain breading and contains no oil.  You can even make it no salt by not salting the breading (there is also salt in the creole seasoning, but you can control that too since you have to make it from scratch).

Ingredients

1 package firm or extra firm tofu

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other unflavored non-dairy milk)

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/3 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 tbs Kid-Friendly Creole Seasoning

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Directions

1. Drain the tofu, wrap with a couple clean kitchen towels, and top with a shatter-resistant plate and some canned goods.  Let it sit for 20 minutes or so to squeeze out the water.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and cornstarch in a shallow dish. In a food processor, pulse the rolled oats a few times until they're about halfway between being oats and flour.  Add the corn meal, salt, and seasoning. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400F and prepare a baking sheet with non-stick parchment paper (this is how you can avoid needing oil).

3. Slice tofu into 8-9 strips, lengthwise, depending on how thick you want them. With one hand dip the tofu strip into the milk mixture and then into the cornmeal/breadcrumb mixture. Use other hand to sprinkle dry mixture all over the tofu. Coat both sides entirely and then place on baking sheet. Repeat with the rest.

4. Bake tofu on middle rack at 400F. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the tofu, and then bake for another 15-20 minutes until crispy. Remove and serve with ketchup or dip of your choice.

Vegan Meatballs

I like having something in my spaghetti sauce, like ground seitan or vegan meatballs.  I've already tried one vegan meatball recipe from myvegancookbook.com, but despite how impressed I was, Simran didn't care for it, so now I'm trying the other.  I like to make such things in advance and throw them in a ziploc bag in the freezer for later.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Cooked Lentils
• 1 Cup Cooked Brown Rice
• 1/4 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
• 1/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Wheat Germ
• 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
• 1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Chipotle Chili Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 2 Teaspoons Molasses
• 2 Teaspoons Dry Mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Measure out 2 tablespoons of mixture for each meatball and roll into a ball with your hands. Spray cooking sheet and place meatballs on it.

3. Place into oven and cook 15 minutes on one side and roll over and cook 15 minutes on the other side. After they are out of the oven, let stand for about 10 minutes to allow them to firm up.

[Edited 3/12/2014:  These had far too mustardy a taste.  The ones in the link above are much better.]

Tofu Pot Pie

I've been making and loving this recipe for years, so I was shocked to see I hadn't actually posted it here yet.  It's based on Alton Brown's Curry Chicken Pot Pie.

Ingredients
2 batches pie crust (one for bottom and one for top)

8 oz (about half a package) firm or extra-firm tofu, cubed

2 cups chopped vegetable mix (peas, carrots, green beans, corn -- can be fresh or frozen, just use whatever you've got)

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup milk (I often use soy or almond milk, which work fine.)
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon curry powder (I use Badia brand -- the yellow Jamaican-style kind -- even when it means buying it in bulk on Amazon.)

1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Pre-cook one pie crust and set aside to cool -- can be several hours in advance or just before making filling.  Put remaining pie dough in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

3. In a saute pan, lightly brown the tofu (butter/oil optional).  Set aside tofu, add a tablespoon of butter to pan and sweat the onion and celery. In a second small saucepan, start to heat the broth and milk. Add another tablespoon of butter and all the remaining vegetables to the celery mix, and heat through, cooking out as much water as possible. Whisk the flour and curry into the milk and cook until thickened. Season with parsley, salt and pepper. Add the tofu back in to the saute pan with the vegetables. Fill cooled pie crust with as much vegetable/tofu mixture as it can comfortably hold, then pour in milk mixture to fill in and top off (do not overfill or it can bubble over through the crust). Roll out remaining pie dough into a sheet and lay it across pot pie.  Pinch edges shut, trim off excess, and cut four 1-2 inch slits in the center of the crust to let out steam.  Place into the oven and cook until top of pie has browned lightly and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.  (You can use extra vegetable mixture, milk gravy, and dough to make tiny pot pies and freeze them for later.  Alternately, you can cook excess pie dough in ramekins and make them into little tarts for dessert.)

[ETA 2/22/20: I've changed how I make the gravy and wanted to make note.  I make a cup of broth with vegetable Better Than Bouillon then add corn starch instead of flour.  No milk.  Resulting concoction is very salty but more flavorful than most broths, so I compensate by under-salting the tofu/veg mixture and the finished product evens out.  Don't use all the gravy.  Put tofu/veg mixture in the pie crust first, then add gravy so that it fills in around it.  It shouldn't cover the veg entirely.]

Stuffed Tofurky

This recipe is based very loosely on Tofu Turkey from AllRecipes and some reviewer comments and also other recipes for tofurky across the internet, as well as the ingredient lists on some frozen fake meat products.  Freezing makes for a meatier texture (sort of -- it's flaky like fish instead of crumbly like tofu), so make at least 24 hours in advance.  Makes three personal-sized tofurkys.

Ingredients
1 (16 oz.) package extra-firm tofu
1 tbs vegan chik'n soup seasoning 
1 cup prepared Stuffing, or stuffing of your choice
Baste:
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup apple butter
2 tbs Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Bragg liquid aminos

Directions

1. Break up tofu into a container with vegan chik'n soup seasoning and enough water to cover.  Seal and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight.

2. Drain tofu and puree smooth in a food processor.  Line a sieve with a cheese cloth or clean tea towel and add tofu to drain.  Let drain for about half an hour.

3. Prepare stuffing (I prepare the dry ingredients for my entire batch of stuffing, then just add wet ingredients to the one cup intended for the tofurky and put the rest in the fridge for later).

4. Line molds with tofu.  Fill center of each with a spoonful of stuffing.  Top off with more tofu and smooth until stuffing is completely enclosed.  Cover with a sheet of wax paper and freeze entire mold.  (If you do not have individual-sized silicone molds -- which I highly recommend getting -- you can make a larger tofurky by lining your sieve with wax paper and using it as a mold.  Or a small loaf pan.)

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Whisk together sesame oil, cider, mustard, and Bragg liquid aminos.  Remove tofurkys from mold, place in a metal baking pan, and baste (I like a silicone brush for this).  Bake for 20 minutes.

6. Baste again and cook for an additional 20 minutes. 

Vegan Po'Boy Sandwich

The recipe below is based on looking at lots of po'boy sandwich recipes on the internet, as well as the way the crispy breaded tofu strips are cooked.

Ingredients

1 package firm or extra firm tofu

1/2 cup almond milk (or other milk)

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/3 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

2 tbs Kid-Friendly Creole Seasoning

1 tbs grated lime zest

lettuce

tomato

pickles

Remoulade sauce

French bread

Directions

1. Drain tofu, wrap with a clean tea towel or a couple of paper towels, and place a plate with weights such as canned goods on top.  Let sit for at least 20 minutes to soak out the water.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and cornstarch in a shallow dish. In another bowl, mix together the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, spices, and lime zest. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400F and grease a baking sheet with oil or nonstick spray.

3. Slice tofu into 8-9 strips, lengthwise, depending on how thick you want them. With one hand dip the tofu strip into the milk mixture and then into the cornmeal/breadcrumb mixture. Use other hand to sprinkle dry mixture all over the tofu. Coat both sides entirely and then place on baking sheet. Repeat with the rest.

4. Bake tofu on middle rack at 400F. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the tofu, and then bake for another 15-20 minutes until crispy.

5. Cut French bread into 6-inch sections and cut open.  Fill with the cooked tofu, Remoulade sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles.  Serve immediately.

The Best Black Bean Burgers

This is my third or fourth stab at a black bean burger recipe.  I've made so many changes since the last one that I thought I'd start over with a new post instead of amending the recipe again.  I'm still making adjustments on this until I master the spices and grains necessary to make it the right taste and consistency.  It always tastes good on a pretzel roll with chipotle mayo and avocado though.  And red onion and lettuce and tomato.  And provolone. 

Ingredients
2 (16 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 cup dried black beans, cooked in a slow cooker)
1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup Old-Fashioned rolled oats
2 tbs flaxseed meal
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 tsp hot sauce

Directions

1. [The first 5 steps can be done in advance.]  Run old-fashioned rolled oats through a food processor until at least half of it resembles flour.  Add chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt.  Pulse a few more times to combine, and set the mixture aside.

2. Run onion, green bell pepper, and garlic through food processor.  Set aside and stir in hot sauce and flaxseed meal.  Let sit for 10 minutes while the flaxseed meal gets a little gooey so it can bind everything together.

3. Put (well drained) black beans in food processor and pulse a few times until most of the beans have been broken down, but not completely smooth. 

4. Move beans to a large bowl, add vegetable mixture, and incorporate.  Then add spiced oat mixture and stir until everything is incorporated.  Then add cooked brown rice, small amounts at a time, until mixture is the right consistency to mold into burgers.

5. Mold into 8-10 small patties.  If freezing for later, place patties between sheets of wax paper, stack, and seal in a plastic container or ziploc bag.

6. When ready to cook the burgers, preheat oven to 375 degrees, place patties on a baking sheet (a few sprays of Pam first help to make them flippable), and bake about 15 minutes.  Turn burgers over and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.

Vegetarian Turkey Club

This is a surprisingly low-calorie sandwich for how filling it is.  It's one of the first things I made to replace a beloved meat dish when I went vegetarian many years ago.  You can make the entire thing vegan by using vegan mayonnaise.

Ingredients
2 slices bread (I like 100% whole wheat)
1 serving (usually 4 slices) vegetarian turkey slices (I like Tofurky and Smart Deli brands best)
2-3 slices vegetarian bacon (Morningstar brand, from the freezer section)
2 leaves romaine lettuce
3-4 small slices of tomato
1 tbs mayonnaise

Directions

1. Toast the bread.  Microwave the bacon according to package directions.

2. Apply mayonnaise to one slice of toasted bread.  Pile on remaining ingredients, top with remaining slice of toast, and serve warm.

Crispy Breaded Tofu Strips

I found this recipe on OhSheGlows.com while looking for a breaded fake-meat dish that doesn't call for oil (though this one does call for greasing the baking sheet).  I'm guessing if this works out, I can use the same breading mixture on seitan, or even just cook my tasty breaded seitans in the oven without frying them first in the skillet.  This recipe is meant to resemble chicken fingers and closely resembles the tofu strips I made for po'boy sandwiches a few weeks ago.  

Ingredients

1 package firm or extra firm tofu

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other milk)

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/3 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Press tofu: Rinse the tofu with water and place a couple kitchen towels on the counter. Wrap the tofu with another towel, place another towel on top, and finally several heavy cookbooks on top. Let sit for at least 20 minutes to soak out the water.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and cornstarch in a shallow dish. In another bowl, mix together the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, salt, and spices. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400F and grease a baking sheet with oil or nonstick spray.

3. Slice tofu into 8-9 strips, lengthwise, depending on how thick you want them. With one hand dip the tofu strip into the milk mixture and then into the cornmeal/breadcrumb mixture. Use other hand to sprinkle dry mixture all over the tofu. Coat both sides entirely and then place on baking sheet. Repeat with the rest.

4. Bake tofu on middle rack at 400F. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the tofu, and then bake for another 15-20 minutes until crispy. Remove and serve with ketchup or dip of your choice.

[Edited 10/11/2013:  I used Panko for the breadcrumbs, and these were really good and crispy.  They also retained their crust better than any of the pan-fried breaded seitan or tofu I've ever made.  I reduced the cayenne to just a dash since it's hard to say how a toddler will take "a kick of heat," and they turned out surprisingly bland, based on how many other spices were in there.  I tried them with spicy mustard and ketchup and got the impression they would probably be at their best (at least the way I seasoned them, with very little cayenne) with either honey mustard dipping sauce or some sort of chipotle aioli.]
[Edited 11/10/2013: I alter the spices every time I make this dish in an attempt to perfect it.  It's still not there yet, but I changed the recipe above to reflect the best version I've had so far.]

Mushroom Stroganoff over Fettuccine

I found this recipe in Neal Barnard's The Cancer Survivor's Guide.  Dr. Barnard's standards for diet are very similar to those of Drs. Caldwell Esselstyn, John McDougall, and Joel Fuhrman.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbs water
1 small onion, diced
1 pound cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz seitan, cut into strips
1 cup roasted red bell peppers, chopped
3 tbs unsalted tomato paste
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup raw cashews
1 1/2 cups cooked or canned white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup bean cooking liquid, water, or vegetable broth
2 tbs red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce (or Bragg Liquid Aminos)
12 oz fettuccine noodles (preferably whole grain)

Directions

1. Heat 1/2 cup of the water in a large nonstick skillet. Add the onion and cook and stir over high heat for about 5 minutes, until translucent.

2. Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the mushrooms, garlic, and 2 more tablespoons of the water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the seitan, bell peppers, tomato paste, paprika, and pepper.  Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

4. Combine the cashews and the remaining cup of water in a blender. Process on high speed until completely smooth, about 2 minutes.  Add the beans and the bean cooking liquid and process on high for about 1 minute, until completely smooth. Pour into the skillet with the mushrooms.  Add the vinegar and soy sauce and stir until evenly mixed. Heat gently, adding additional water as needed, 1 tbs at a time, to achieve the desired consistency.

5. Cook the fettuccine in boiling water until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Top with the mushroom mixture and serve immediately.

6. Stored in a covered container in a refrigerator, leftover Mushroom Stroganoff over Fettuccine will keep for up to 2 days.

Baked Tofu

I found this recipe for baked tofu in Neal Barnard's The Cancer Survivor's Guide. 

Ingredients
1 pound firm or extra-firm reduced-fat tofu
2 tbs soy sauce (or Bragg Liquid Aminos)
2 tbs water or low sodium vegetable broth
2 tsp brown rice syrup or other liquid sweetener
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Cut the tofu into 4 equal slices and arrange them in a single, tightly packed layer in a 9-inch square or similar baking dish.

2. Combine the soy sauce, water, syrup, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and pepper in a small bowl.  Pour evenly over the tofu and bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

3.  Stored in a covered container in the refrigerator, leftover Baked Tofu will keep for up to 3 days.

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

I think the only time I've ever had shepherd's pie was the lentil casserole-based version served at Tea & Sympathy in NYC, but it was delicious.  This recipe comes from Rip Esselstyn's The Engine 2 Diet and is extra healthy.  I've made some changes to my version below to make it more closely resemble a vegan, oil-free version of Alton Brown's recipe, which has a better variety of vegetables and seasonings.  I removed the mushrooms, which I think would taste very good but which I also think would prompt Simran not to eat it.  I also changed some of the preparations, such as not steaming multiple things separately because I find the added work stupid and annoying.

Ingredients
4 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
½ cup unsweetened soymilk
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green beans
1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 carrots, diced small
2 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 cup cooked lentils (1 cup dry, before cooking)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tbs Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. [This step can be done in advance.]  Rinse and pick through 1 cup dry lentils (any color -- I plan to use brown or green since they hold up better than the other colors) to get rid of any stones.  Add 2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until lentils are tender.  Add more broth or water as necessary to keep the lentils just barely covered.  When lentils are tender, remove from heat and set aside.  If you aren't making the shepherd's pie immediately, refrigerate cooked lentils in a sealed container.

2. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the soy milk, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth.  (I am terrible at mashing potatoes and tend to make them gluey and overworked, so I will probably run mine through my ricer and just stir in the soy milk after that.  It takes longer, but the potatoes are so much fluffier this way.)

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

3. Sauté onions and carrots on medium heat in a large skillet for 5 minutes, until onions start to turn translucent.

4. Add garlic and green beans and stir to combine.

5. Add lentils, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, and Bragg’s.

6. Stir in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce, adding a small amount of broth as necessary to combine ingredients.

7. Stir in peas and corn and remove from heat.

8. Place the vegetable mixture in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or casserole dish.  (I plan to use the small, deep ramekins designed for souffles, giving us each our own small pie.  Just place them on a parchment lined baking sheet before putting them in the oven.)

 9. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top.  (If you want to be fancy -- or have a picky aesthete of a toddler to impress -- you can put the mashed potatoes in a pastry bag with a star tip and pipe them to cover everything.)

10. Bake for 25 minutes or just until potatoes begin to brown.  Remove to a cooling rack for 15 minutes before serving.  (I've never successfully gotten my potatoes to brown before.  If it doesn't happen this time, I'm using the kitchen torch.)

[Edited 9/22/2013:  This was really good.  I made some adjustments to the ingredient quantities above based on taste.  I used a pastry bag with a star tip to pipe mashed potatoes onto the tops of the pies.  Everyone in the house liked it.]

Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf

Another recipe from OhSheGlows.com.  I'm still looking to add a bit more saucy tang to this (lentils are very bland, and their blandness can be overpowering), but the consistency and look is by far the best I've ever seen in a veggie meatloaf.  It actually holds together in a loaf and in slices!  Next time I plan to add more dried herbs and spices and maybe more sauce.  And maybe vegan Worchestershire sauce.  I'm not really sure what I'm doing here, but I know Worchestershire is good for saucy tang.  My own changes and notes are included below.  For the original recipe and useful photos, see OhSheGlows.com. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry lentils (green or brown, since they hold their shape better than red)
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 3 TBS ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup sweet onion, diced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped finely
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1/3 of an apple, peeled, grated (makes 1/3 cup grated apple)
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 cup regular oats, ground into a flour
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs (I just used more ground oats)

Sweet Glaze

• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp apple butter

Directions

1. Cook green lentils:  In a medium sized pot, add 3 cups of water and a vegetable bouillon cube and boil water until cube is dissolved. Alternatively, you can also use already prepared veggie stock. Rinse lentils and pick over being sure to remove any small pebbles that may be in the mix. Add lentils, bring to boil, and reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender (about 40 minutes). Be sure to stir the lentils frequently so they do not stick to the bottom of the pot. Once the lentils are cooked, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 F and line a loaf pan with parchment so that parchment paper hangs over the edges by 2 inches.

2. Walnuts: Toast 3/4 cup of walnuts at 350F for about 6 minutes and then set aside to cool.

3. Flax egg: Mix 3 tbsp of ground flax with 1/2 cup warm water and stir well. Set aside for at least 5-10 minutes so it can gel up.

4. Prepare vegetable mixture: In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and minced garlic for about 5 minutes on low-medium heat, being careful not to burn. After the onions are tender, add carrot and sauté for 2-3 minutes over low heat. Add grated apple, raisins, and chopped walnuts and sauté another minute or two.  Add thyme, salt, and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

5. Breadcrumbs: Put old fashioned rolled oats in a food processor and blend until flour-like in consistency.

6. Process 75% of lentils and Mix everything together: Once the lentils are cooled, take 75% of the lentils and place into food processor. Process until mostly smooth (some small lentils will remain!). Now take the processed lentils and scoop into a large bowl. Add in the remaining 25% of non-processed lentils and place into bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, flax egg, veggie mixture, oat flour, and ground flax seed. Stir well with a spoon and then remove the spoon and mix well with your hands, pressing it through your fingers. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Dump the mixture into your loaf pan and spread out with a spoon. Now take your hands and press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan.

7. Preparing Glaze:  In small bowl combine all glaze ingredients.  Spread evenly over loaf and bake, uncovered 45 minutes at 350F.

8. Cool for about 10-15 minutes and serve. Serves about 8 thick slices.

Zucchini 'Crab' Cakes

I love these zucchini 'crab' cakes from AllRecipes.com and make them almost any time we have Junk Food Dinner.  They're fairly quick and easy to make and very cheap, especially in summer when zucchini abounds.  You could probably eat them with tartar sauce or make them into sandwiches, but I always just eat them plain.  My recipe below has a couple changes from the original in the link.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1/4 cup fresh grated onion
1 egg, beaten (I've been replacing the egg with a tablespoon of ground flax seed for a couple years now.  Just mix it into the grated veggies and let it sit a few minutes while you put the dry ingredients together.)
2 tbs butter, melted
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tbs Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 cup All-Purpose flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, onion, egg, and butter. Combine the bread crumbs and Old Bay Seasoning in a small bowl and then add them to the zucchini mixture.  Mix well. 
2. Shape mixture into patties, adding small amounts of bread crumbs if necessary. Dredge in flour.
3. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Fry patties in oil until golden brown on both sides.

Curried Tofu Salad

This recipe is meant to be a vegetarian version of curried chicken salad.  I found it on EatingWell.com, and I'm not sure how true I'll stay to the original recipe since I'm hoping to make it resemble the flavor of the curried tofu in my pot pie recipe, which I love.  I also have to take into account what Simran can chew, so walnuts and grapes and celery might have to be left out of her portion.  I plan to serve it with leftover salad greens and pita pockets.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons prepared mango chutney
• 2 teaspoons hot curry powder, preferably Madras
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, drained, rinsed and finely crumbled (see Ingredient note)
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 cup red grapes, sliced in half
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, chutney, curry powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in tofu, celery, grapes, scallions and walnuts.  Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Barbecued Portobello Mushrooms

I found this recipe in Caldwell Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.  I love mushrooms and haven't had any in months, but Sameer hates them and insists they smell like fish, so I'm only making this a small portion of our meal when I make it.  It will probably be one of those special dinners that involves several dishes and takes several hours to make and isn't very good at all.  But at least we will have tried some new things, and I do miss mushrooms.

Ingredients
3-5 portobello mushrooms
barbecue sauce without oil or high-fructose corn syrup (or mix balsamic vinegar and no-oil tomato sauce instead)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cover mushrooms with barbecue sauce and place flat or slightly overlapping in a casserole dish. Add a small amount of water to pan.

3. Bake for at least 30 minutes -- longer, if mushrooms are large.  They must be soft.

4. Before serving, cover each mushroom with pan juices.

Note from original recipe:  These mushrooms are amazingly like meat. Serve with a grain, steamed vegetable, and a salad or put mushrooms on top of rice in a bowl, drizzle pan juices over rice, and surround with steamed or uncooked spinach.  You may also put a barbecued portobello in a whole grain bun, or just use whole-grain bread. Add sliced tomato and lettuce and no-tahini hummus -- or roasted red peppers, cilantro, and spinach. 

[Edited 5/16/13:  These were inedible, primarily because I used a barbecue sauce that ended up being so obscenely spicy I only ate half of a mushroom and then threw the other three away.  It claimed to be the "smoky" variety of a gourmet sauce that came in smoky, mild, and spicy -- I think it was called Two Fat Guys.  I chose it because it was produced locally.  Just awful.  Anyway, I've made really good portobello mushrooms before with olive oil and garlic and balsamic vinegar and a few other things, and I think they were broiled, or at least cooked well over 350 degrees (which turned out chewy, undercooked mushrooms after 40 minutes), so I'll just find that recipe and never bother with this one again.  "Put barbecue sauce on mushrooms and cook them at a low temperature forever" is just a stupid excuse for a recipe anyway.]

Black Bean Oatmeal Burgers

Yet another recipe from Caldwell Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.  I'm making it because it is mostly made up of ingredients I keep on hand at home.  I'll be serving these burgers on homemade 100% whole wheat buns, which are doing their second rise right now.

Ingredients
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5-ounce can tomatoes with zesty mild chilies
1 garlic clove, minced, or 1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup cilantro or parsley (I omitted this.  I don't like how fresh herbs tend to stick out and mess up the texture of this sort of dish.)
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Process first seven ingredients in a food processor until blended.

3. Add to oats and stir.

4. Form into patties, put on a baking sheet, and bake for 8 minutes.

5. Turn oven up and broil about 2 more minutes, until tops are nicely browned. (You can also "fry" the burgers in a nonstick pan until both sides are browned -- or grill on the barbecue.)

6. Serve on whole-grain burger buns (recipe recommends Ezekiel 4:9 brand) with lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard, ketchup, or no-tahini hummus.

[Edited 2/27/13: These are quite good, with a sort of Mexican flavor.  The one thing I would change is how I served them.  They're a little mushy and fell apart when I ate one on a bun.  I'd like to try making them as croquettes and serve them over a sort of taco salad.  Simran ate almost half an entire patty.  It took some chewing and she has no teeth, but it didn't prove a problem for her.]