A one bowl wonder that is just what the doctor ordered…

I am home sick from school today with a cold but, by noon, I was just a tiny bit hungry and wanted something nutritious, light, and satisfying made from ingredients in my pantry.

I wasn’t too hopeful, but I found about a half cup of red lentils in a bag–which, as you probably know, cook up to a beautiful golden color and creamy texture–and a can of coconut milk. Hot soup sounded perfect and like it might ease my sinus congestion (which it did!).

Once I had cooked the lentils, they were just beautiful as they were and I was happy to forgo all of those calories from the coconut milk. I cooked the lentils in the microwave and even went back to bed while they cooked, stirring into the bowl in which I cooked them a very few ingredients. And just like that, my soup was finished and so delicious.

Here’s my simple recipe and method:

Simplest Red Lentil Dal – Spinach Soup

Yield: 1 serving

1/2 cup dry red lentils, rinsed and sorted

1 and 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 small handfuls fresh baby spinach or other tender greens

1 teaspoon garlic puree

1 teaspoon ginger puree

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

In a medium to large bowl–because the water will bubble up–cover lentils with water and add salt. Cook on maximum power for about 15 minutes or until very tender with plenty of broth. Remove from heat being careful not to burn yourself and stir in remaining ingredients. Enjoy immediately.

Note: if you are serving for company or even your family, you might want to garnish with cilantro sprigs, roasted and lightly salted chilies, and even seated and very thinly sliced chili peppers.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #soup #indiandal #lentilsoup #quickandeasysoup #lowcaloriesoup

A simple chimichurri, but I went off script a bit…

I wanted to use juice from fresh limes instead of red wine vinegar, which is traditional. I did, but the flavor needed more depth, so I added just one tablespoon red wine and a tiny bit of natural sugar because it was quite tart,

Oregano is also traditional, but I had none. So I added two rounded tablespoons of Greek seasoning that contains spearmint, oregano, and dehydrated onion. I thought that would be nice, as my friend makes hers with mint. It was perfection!

1 large bunch flat leaf parsley, rinsed, patted dry, stems removed,
1 large bunch cilantro, rinsed, patted dry, stems removed, and leafy stalks torn in half
Juice of 1 to 2 fresh limes (start with 1 and taste)
1 tablespoon red wine
1 shallot, cut into small chunks
3 to 4 large cloves garlic, quartered
2 rounded tablespoons Greek seasoning (with spearmint, oregano, dehydrated garlic) or 2 level tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon natural sugar (or 1 1/2 teaspoons if only using 1 lime)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 to 1 cup olive oil

Process all ingredients except olive oil until minced. Scraow down sides of bowl. With motor running, drizzle in olive oil until desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust seasoning. Store covered in refrigerator.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #chimichurri

This entire delicious, nutritious, and beautiful recipe is only 1,000 calories. It is irresistible served with raw vegetables or chips as a dip, served over Fritos like a Frito Pie, or used as a filling for quesadillas (as photographed) or enchiladas.

I typically make my queso with cauliflower only, but I happened to have a bag of both cauliflower and broccoli. Since I was going to be stirring in spinach and other goodies, I figured the green flecks would not be a distraction.

I was right!

12 ounces cauliflower and broccoli florets, steamed or microwaved covered with water until tender; reserve at least one cup cooking water
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons light miso
1 teaspoon stone ground mustard
1/2-1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/2-1 teaspoonChipotle chili powder
1/2-1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 can diced tomatoes with cilantro and lime
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped steamed spinach
1 can hominy or fire roasted corn, rinsed and drained

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process steamed cauliflower and broccoli, nutritional yeast, miso, mustard, both chili powders, smoked paprika, and garlic and onion powder until smooth, adding about 1 cup cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time, to achieve a thick sauce like consistency.

Transfer to a large saucepan, bring to a simmer, adding more water if necessary, and stir in all remaining ingredients.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #queso #lowcalorie #quesadillafilling #enchiladafilling

Who knew that tofu was going to end up being the protein of choice for my ultra easy, ridiculously tasty, nutritious, and beautiful vegan chicken salad?

I teach high school art and art history and school lunches are always tricky. I never have an opportunity to leave my classroom, so it needs to be something that can be eaten room temperature or cold out of my lunch bag. And it needs to be filling, but not make me sleepy, and it’s best if I can nibble on it for a while. I keep a bottle of mouthwash in my cabinet so that I can eat spicier food, but it’s best not to permeate the room or myself with strong and potentially offensive aromas.

This chicken salad is delicious at school, at home, or even for company. You can add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning if you like, but I feel the flavor is a little overpowering. So I keep it really simple. I have spiced it up a touch with some ancho chili powder or smoked paprika, but I think plain is my favorite. My partner, Bob, loves Chicken sandwiches with mayonnaise and capers. I thought about adding some, but after I sniffed the capers, which I actually like, it just wasn’t the flavor profile I was going for. As for texture, definitely mash the tofu rather than dicing it.

I would recommend trying it as published and then playing with it to your heart’s content.

Best-Ever Vegan Chicken Salad

7 ounces baked tofu (I use Nasoya brand)

2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use no calorie mayonnaise from Harris Teeter unless I have made some of my 8 to 10-calorie Blooming Platter Mayonnaise which is only 10 calories per tablespoon, but use Vegenaise or whatever you prefer)

2 tablespoons vegan sour cream

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

10 to 12 firm green grapes, quartered

1 celery heart sliced lengthwise into quarters and then finally diced

4 to 5 very thin green onions very finely sliced (used two to three if thick)

2 tablespoons roasted and lightly salted sunflower seeds

8 to 10 plump pecan halves, roasted or not, broken into pieces

Using your fingers, crumble tofu into a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Fold in remaining ingredients, taste, and serve immediately or refrigerate. This salad is delicious served with fresh vegetables as scoops, on a toasted whole wheat sandwich with curly lettuce, stuffed in a tomato for a truly vintage presentation, perched stop crackers, etc.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #veganchickensalad #plantbasedchickensalad

Yield: 1/2 dozen donuts (easily doubles)

Holidays are meant for baking! Today is President’s Day and I am home from school, so…

I had a new baked donut 10 burning a hole in my cabinet, so I broke it out and made my first foray into the vegan baked donut world. Dangerous territory!

Stay tuned for many more iterations, but for now this hopefully will satisfy you!

Note: even if your pumpkin pie spice contains nutmeg, I would add the recommended amount because donuts just need to have that hint of subtly pronounced (what an oxymoron) nutmeg…flavor in my opinion.

Donut Batter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup non-dairy milk, sweetened or unsweetened
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg, fresh or ground
1/4 tsp sea salt
Glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 6- cavity donut pan. In a medium-large bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Divide evenly among cavities in donut pan. Baked for 11 to 12 minutes. Note: you can either spoon in batter and smooth, or place batter in a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped or a piping bag and pipe batter into the pan. While donuts cool, make glaze, turn donuts out of pan onto wire rack, and dip donuts individually into glaze, setting on rack glaze-side up.

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
11/2 teaspoons non-dairy milk as necessary to achieve desired glaze consistency
1 teaspoons canned pureed pumpkin
1 teaspoons apple brandy
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

In a medium bowl, whisk altogether until smooth.

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#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #vegandonuts #plantbaseddonuts #veganpumpkindonuts #plantbasedpumpkindonuts #veganapplebrandydonuts #plantbasedapplebrandydonuts

2-8 or 9″ quiche

Bob is famous for his dairy quiche, but at a recent family brunch, 6 slices of his were eaten and 14 of mine! Plates scraped clean. Vegan quiche for the win!

This is a great recipe for when you have leftover white rice, say from Chinese takeout as we frequently do. But feel free to try it with wild rice, black rice, or whatever type you prefer.

When sautéing the vegetables, I sauté them all together, using a little water or stock.

This recipe is made for tailoring to make it your own by substituting a variety of seasonal vegetables.

Quiche Base
1 pound firm or extra firm tofu, drained
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 to 4 tablespoons unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy) or enough to achieve a consistency slightly thinner than brownie batter
2 tablespoons light miso
2 tablespoons favorite vegan salad dressing, pesto, or sauce–something with some oomph, even stone ground mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon liquid aminos
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Add-Ins
1 small to medium yellow onion, diced and sauteed
One red bell pepper, diced and sauteed
6 to 8 oz sliced mushrooms, sauteed
12 ounces broccoli florets, steamed or sauteed
4 cups rice
1 cup shredded vegan mozzarella cheese

Garnishes
Halvef grape tomatoes
Four tablespoons vegan parmesan

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease two 8 or 9-inch pie pans. Process all quiche base ingredients in large food processor until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Divide between two large mixing bowls and place half of the add-ins in each bowl. Fold to mix thoroughly. Divide between prepared pie pans and gently smooth to edges. Garnish each with halved grape tomatoes and two tablespoons each vegan parmesan. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Avoid drying out. Enjoy hot, warm, or room temperature.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #veganquiche #plantbasedquiche

A certain friend, whose name begins with Tammy Wells and sister whose name begins with Ginny Gough, left a bottle of Crown Royal Vanilla here at Christmas.

What’s a girl to do besides soak some dried figs in it, drizzle over a little chimichurri, add a dab of vegan Chipotle cream, garnish with a couple of smoked almonds, and call it dinner.

This is the food of the gods!

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #figs #chimichurri #veganappetizers #plantbasedappetizets

We always have lots of leftover rice after ordering Chinese takeout. I love rice cakes and I shared a recipe a few posts back that requires very little corn starch binder, but I wondered if I could make more of a patty it burger and use no binder by making a paste out of the cooked rice. The answer is a resounding yes! The rice never became quite a paste, ending up more like quinoa, but it held together so beautifully and allowed itself to be shaped into thicker burger type patties. Enjoy seasoning and garnishing these however you choose.

Yield: 2 patties

1 cup cooked rice,

2 cups baby kale

2 tablespoons drinkable unsweetened coconut milk from a carton (not high day can)

Sea salt to taste

App. 3/4 teaspoon spices to taste (I used Indian spices, namely ground cardamom, coriander, and cumin)

1 tablespoon vegan butter

Garnishes: 2 teeny dabs each vegan sour cream and chutney (I used spicy plum) plus 2 peanuts

Process together in food processor until a slightly sticky consistency he’s achieved with little pearls similar to quinoa. It should hold together when pressed between your fingers. Shape into two patties about 3/4 inch thick. Melt about 1 tbsp vegan butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. I use an accidentally vegan low calorie variety. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and just slightly crusty.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #kale #ricecakes #ricepatties #Indian

Super Bowl noshing with all the flavor and none of the guilt!

Starving in the late afternoon last Sunday, but going out for Chinese that night, I needed something low-calorie but filling to tide me over.

A fridge and pantry scan resulted in this creamy, delicious, and colorful spread on a rice cake.

Confetti Dip or Spread

Yield: 2.5 cups

1/4 cup vegan sour cream

1/4 cup no-calorie mayo (I purchase at Harris Teeter) or 8-calorie/tablespoon Blooming Platter Mayo

1/4 cup vegan parmesan

1/4 cup vegan mozzarella

1/4 cup diced bell pepper (I use red)

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon or so Liquid Aminos

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon spice of choice (I use Japanese Seven Spice)

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix all together in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes if possible to allow flavors to meld. Serve on rice cakes or stuffed in celery sticks.

vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #lowcaloriedip #lowcaloriespread