Cream of Broccoli Soup

Wasn't that great, lacked flavor.

Yield: 2 Servings

2 cups chopped broccoli , fresh or frozen
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon powdered sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoon quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup soy milk

Place all ingredients except soy milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 5-7 minutes. Puree in blender. Stir in soy milk and serve.



From VegWeb.com

Southwestern Couscous Salad

Used fresh tomatoes, bell pepper, and cilantro that were growing in my yard.

Yield: 6 servings

Cooking spray
1 (1-pound) chicken meal starter
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 1/2 cups uncooked couscous
1 cups plum tomato (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup prechopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to pan; saute 6 minutes. Place broth in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Add corn to pan; cook 3 minutes. Add couscous to pan. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, tomato, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken and couscous mixture to bowl, and toss well.


From Cooking Light January/February 2007

BLT

I actually wrote this one myself as well (though not very original, I might add). For bacon recipe see Tofu Bacon.

Yield: 2 sandwiches

8 slices imitation bacon
1 medium tomato thinly sliced
couple handfuls of shredded lettuce
imitation mayonnaise
4 slices bread

This is pretty much up to you and your personal preferences. I used Tofu Bacon, a Roma tomato, Iceberg Lettuce, Follow Your Heart mayo, and toasted sourdough bread. I layer lettuce, half of the tomato slices, about 4 strips of bacon, and then spread mayo on the top slice for each sandwich. Enjoy.

Tofu Bacon

As requested by H.V. DuVall IV. I actually wrote this recipe myself after finding some that were vaguely written (no ingredient amounts, etc.) and I made some changes, too. Very good, tasted more like beef jerky though.

Yield: 10 – 12 strips

1 block Firm Tofu
3 Tbs. Oil
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Liquid Smoke
Nutritional Yeast Flakes (optional)

Drain and wrap tofu in towel to absorb excess moisture. Cut the block lengthwise making 1/4 inch thick strips. Heat oil in a skillet and add tofu slices. Fry slowly until golden brown and crispy (this will take a while). Once tofu is done, place on a paper towel to soak up extra oil. Empty oil from pan and place tofu back into skillet. Add the soy sauce and liquid smoke and cook until liquids are absorbed. Afterward, you can sprinkle nutritional yeast on strips while still in pan. Great on sandwiches.

Adapted from VegWeb.com

Simple Summertime Strawberry Lemonade

Yield: 2 Quarts

1 pint strawberries, hulled
1 3/4 cups unbleached sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 1/2 cups lemon juice
ice

In a blender or food processor, place the strawberries, and puree until smooth. Pass the pureed strawberries through a sieve to remove the seeds and set aside. In a large pitcher, place the sugar and water, and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon juice and strawberry puree to the mixture and stir well to combine. Chill. Serve in ice-filled glasses.


From The Vegan Chef

Basil-Infused Watermelon Lemonade

Yield: 5 servings

1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
8 cups cubed seeded watermelon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Combine 1 cup water and sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Stir in basil; chill 1 hour. Strain sugar mixture through a sieve over a bowl; and discard basil. Place watermelon in a blender; process until smooth. Pour watermelon puree through a fine sieve into a large bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids. Combine watermelon liquid, sugar mixture, and juice in a pitcher; chill.



From Cooking Light August 2007

Easy Palak Alu

Yield: 6 Servings

2 10 oz. packages frozen chopped spinach
4-5 medium potatoes (peeled or unpeeled)
2 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
dash of cayenne
2 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 cup water

Cut potatoes into 1 to 2 inch cubes and place in 2 quart casserole dish. Add oil and spices and mix together. Thaw and drain spinach and add to potatoes. Mix. Add water, cover and bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour (until potatoes are tender). The amount of salt in this recipe may seem like alot, but don't cut back the amount as it is crucial to the flavor. You can use a reduced sodium substitute such a Salt Sense.

From VegWeb.com

Baked Tofu Fries

I recommend using pre-frozen tofu.

Yield: 2 servings

block of tofu (pre-frozen or not, as you like)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lime/lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
1 tablespoon agave syrup or similar sweetener

Baked marinated tofu in a fun fun shape. Press the tofu. Cut it into the shape of fries. Whisk together the other ingredients, and marinate the tofu for half an hour or so. Put the tofu and marinade into a baking dish and bake at 180° C (350° F) until the marinade is nicely reduced, and the tofu pleasantly chewy.

From VegWeb.com

Freakin' Easy Frosting

[For picture see Golden Vanilla Cupcakes]

This was one of the better frosting recipes I've come across. Definitely not healthy but that's probably not a concern if you're looking for frosting in the first place. I added some green food coloring and didn't need any soymilk.

2 tablespoons vegan shortening
2 tablespoons vegan butter
about 2-6 cups powdered sugar
splash vanilla
soymilk, as needed

Start by putting your shortening and butter spread in a large bowl. Let them sit for a bit to soften. Add a splash of vanilla (can use other flavors if you want) and about 2 cup of powdered sugar. Mix, using a hand mixer, until the mix is pretty crumbly and the fats aren’t big chunks anymore. At this point, you want to smooth the frosting out. Be careful – it doesn’t take a lot of liquid to do this! Soymilk is a good thing to use, but if you use liquid food colors or want to add more extract, you will want to start with these so that it doesn’t get too runny. Add more liquid, about 1 tablespoon or so (a generous splash) and continue mixing. Scrap the bowl down, if needed. At this point you should have a creamy frosting. If it is still too dry, add a touch more soymilk. If too wet, you added too much liquids, so just shake in some more powdered sugar. If you want more frosting that what this makes, continue to add liquid/powdered sugar, in alternating batches, until you get the amount of frosting you want. I like this because it is easy to make a little or a lot.

From VegWeb.com

Golden Vanilla Cupcakes

Some sort of frosting/topping is a must for these. They were a little dry, but were great after frosting. For frosting recipe see Freakin' Easy Frosting.

Yield: 12 servings

1 cup soy milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt (increase to 1/2 tsp. if you’re using oil instead of margarine)
1/2 cup nonhydrogenated margarine, softened, or 1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract, caramel extract, or additional vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Whisk the soy milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside. If using margarine: Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and mix. In a separate bowl, use a handheld mixer at medium speed to cream the margarine and the sugar for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy, but don’t beat more than two minutes. Beat in the vanilla and other extracts (if using), then alternate beating in the soy milk mixture and dry ingredients, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times. If using oil: Beat together the soy milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla, and other extracts (if using) in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until no large lumps remain. Fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until done. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

From VegCooking

Sesame Brown Rice with Shredded "Chicken" and Peanuts

Yield: 4 servings

1 cup long-grain brown rice
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Transfer rice to a large bowl; fluff with a fork. Cool. Add chicken, carrot, onions, 2 tablespoons peanuts, 2 teaspoons cilantro, and salt to rice; toss to combine. Combine juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle oil mixture over rice mixture; toss to combine. Place 1 1/2 cups salad on each of 4 plates. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons remaining cilantro.


From Cooking Light June 2007

"Chicken" Chickpea and Zucchini Stew

Yield: 10 servings

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopper onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chopped zucchini
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound fake chicken
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 (15 1/2 ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, rosemary, and garlic; saute 2 minutes. Add zucchini, black pepper, salt, and chicken; cook 5 minutes until chicken is browned, stirring to crumble. Add broth and next 6 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf.


From Cooking Light September 2006

Lazy College Kid's Easy Falafel

Yield: 2 servings

1 can garbanzo beans
1 small onion, finely minced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
dash of red pepper
salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoons flour

Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans and place in a medium bowl. Smush them up with a fork. I’ve used the bottom of a drinking glass to get things started and then mush them up some more with a regular fork. add the rest of the ingredients and stir well, until everything is evenly combined. Form into balls about the size of a ping pong ball and then flatten them a little bit. You can either fry them in a bit of canola/vegetable oil until they’re golden brown (they taste best this way!) or if you’re feeling lazy, like me, bake them in a preheated oven (i use my toaster oven) at 375 degrees until they’re golden brown, flipping them over about halfway. Serve on a pita with whatever falafel toppings you like.

From VegWeb.com

Blueberry Turnovers

Yield: 9 6-inch turnovers

1 2/3 cups blueberries
1/3 cup unbleached cane sugar
4 t. whole wheat flour
4 t. lemon juice
1/8 t. ground ginger
1/2 recipe of Whole Wheat Turnover Pastry Dough (enough for 9 turnovers)

In a small bowl, place the blueberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and ginger, and toss gently to combine. Prepare the dough for the turnovers. Then cut the 5-inch and 6-inch circles of dough as described in the turnover pastry dough recipe. On each of the prepared 6-inch circles of dough, place 3 T. of the blueberry filling. Wet the edges of the circles of dough with water, place the 5-inch circles of dough on top of the filling, press down around the edges of the dough to seal, and crimp the edges with a fork. Use a spatula to carefully transfer the turnovers to a non-stick cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve the turnovers hot or cold. Allow them to cool completely on a rack before wrapping them individually in aluminum foil to preserve freshness. They can also be frozen in an airtight container after baking for later use.

*Variation – other fruits and flavorings can be substituted for the blueberries such as, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, plums, apples, cherries, or vanilla, almond, maple, or mint as flavorings etc.

Whole Wheat Turnover Pastry Dough

Yield: Dough for 18 6-inch turnovers

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup safflower oil
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy milk
3 T. maple syrup
1 1/2 t. salt

In a large bowl, place the flour and drizzle in the oil. Using your fingers, work the two together until it forms a crumbly mixture. In a small bowl, place the remaining ingredients, and whisk well to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, mix well, and with your hands form it into a ball of dough. Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Divide the dough in half. Roll out one half of the dough thinly, cut eighteen 5-inch circles, and set them aside. Gather up the scraps, add the scraps to the remaining half of dough, roll out the dough thinly, and cut eighteen 6-inch circles. Fill the 6-inch circles of dough with up to 1/3 cups of desired filling. Wet the edges of the circles of dough with water, place the 5-inch circles of dough on top of the filling, press down around the edges of the dough to seal, and then crimp the edges with a fork. Use a spatula to carefully transfer the filled turnovers to 2 non-stick cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve the turnovers hot or cold. Allow them to cool completely on racks before wrapping them individually in aluminum foil to preserve freshness. They can also be frozen in airtight containers after baking for later use.


From The Vegan Chef

Asian Chicken Slaw

Yield: 6 servings

Slaw

2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chick’n strips
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped sugar snap peas
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 (10-ounce) package angel hair slaw
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained

Dressing

1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

To prepare slaw, combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. To prepare dressing, combine cider vinegar and next 6 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Pour dressing over the slaw; toss to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour. Sprinkle with almonds and sesame seeds before serving.



From Cooking Light August 2007

Tomato Soup

Yield: 6 servings

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped fennel bulb
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups organic vegetable broth
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 thyme spring
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; saute 3 minutes. Add fennel; saute 3 minutes. Add garlic; saute 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add broth, tomatoes, and thyme to pan; bring to boil. Partially cover. reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes. Remove pan from heat; cool 5 minutes. Discard thyme sprig. Place half of tomato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until almost smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining tomato mixture. Stir in salt and pepper.


From Cooking Light December 2007