Pan Seared Tempeh with Lime, Coconut Milk and Avocado Dressing

I am becoming a Tempeh Aficionado. A few weeks ago I barely knew what it was and now it is one of my favorite things to cook with. Not only is the taste and texture great, I also love how easy it is to whip up a quick meal. I had some leftover Soy Tempeh in the fridge from the Tempeh Bacon I made last week. I sliced it into filets, marinated it with a little lime and soy sauce, pan seared it with some coconut milk and then served it over black beans with an avocado dressing. Delicious and ready in no time at all. I had (or at least I thought I had) a can of black beans in the pantry and I also had two ripe avocados. It turned out, I had some Amy's Organic Black Bean Vegetable Soup not black beans, but it worked out just the same!

 

 

 

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 15 Min

 

Ingredients

 

- 1 package of Organic Tempeh (be sure to buy organic because soy is one of the top GMO foods!)

- Lime Juice

- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce

- 1 cup of water

- 2 avocados

- 1/4 cup cider vinegar

- 1 can of coconut milk

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 1/4 cup of onions, chopped

- 1 can of black beans

- salt/pepper to taste

 

Directions

 

- Slice your Tempeh in half, then slice in half again, cutting lengthwise from the side, so that you have 4 filets about 1/2 inch thick.

- In a bowl or pan, marinate the tempeh with a squeeze of lime juice, soy sauce and water. For about 5 minutes.

- Scoop out the flesh of one avocado into a bowl. Slice the other and set aside for topping.

- In the bowl with avocado, add cider vinegar, a squeeze of lime juice, salt/pepper and 1/4 cup of coconut milk. Mash and then whisk together until you reach a slightly thick dressing consistency. You can also put all ingredients in a blender and puree if you prefer. If the avocado mixture is too thick you can add more coconut milk. Set aside.

- In a small pan, heat up black beans, let simmer on low.

- Meanwhile, in a saute pan, saute garlic and onions with a little olive oil until tender. Add half of the coconut milk and bring to a low boil then reduce.

- Add the tempeh to the pan with the coconut milk. Saute for about ten minutes on medium heat, turning at least once, until slightly golden and coconut milk is reduced.

 

 

- Once tempeh is seared, plate it over black beans and top with the onions, sliced avocado and drizzle with avocado dressing. Enjoy!



 

Chicken and Brie Frittata with Honey Walnuts and Spinach

Tonight I strayed a little from my aspiring vegetarian/vegan diet because I had some leftover hormone-free chicken and brie cheese in the fridge. I made a Grilled Chicken Marsala Pasta the other night and went ahead and grilled the extra chicken for a future use. I didn't want to be wasteful with the half slice of brie cheese I had leftover in my fridge either. More often than not by the time I make use of the cheese I have again, it is already starting to mold. I hate throwing away cheese because it is so pricey to begin with!

I googled "chicken and brie recipes" to see what ideas I could stir up and the first one on the list was from Williams-Sonoma, so you know it's good! I changed several things based on what I had on hand and the end result was a savory and sweet frittata. Yum!

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 20 Min

Ingredients

- Olive Oil

- 1/4 onion, chopped

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 7 eggs, lightly beaten

- 1 cup of cooked chicken (I used grilled but roasted would be good too) optional*

- 1/2 slice of Brie Cheese, cut into pieces

- 1/4 cup almond coconut milk (you could easily substitute any milk here)

- Salt/Pepper to taste

- 1 1/2 cups spinach

- 1/4 cup walnuts

- 2 tbs honey

- Strawberry garnish, optional

- Parmesan, optional topping

*NOTE* The chicken is optional, I actually prefer the frittata without meat because the brie, honey and walnuts are SO good on their own. I did half with chicken and half without for variety.

Directions

- In a deep saute pan, saute garlic and onion on medium heat with a little olive oil until tender about 6 minutes

- Once sauteed, add the spinach to the pan and stir for about 2 minutes until slightly wilted

- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the brie cheese, milk and salt/pepper. Add the spinach and onion mixture.

- In the same saute pan, pour the egg mixture and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Using a rubber spatula to lift the cooked edges and allow the uncooked eggs to flow underneath.

- Meanwhile, in a larger or of same size pan, saute the walnuts with some olive oil and honey on medium heat until toasted. Stir occasionally to toss. Remove and set aside.

- When the eggs are almost set, loosen the edges and underneath a little with a thin spatula. Place the other pan, upside down, over top of it and flip the frittata into it. Continue to cook on the other side on medium heat for about 6 minutes.

- Slice the frittata and serve. Top with walnuts, parmesan, strawberry and drizzle with a little honey. Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I am one of the many that was in love with Panera's Broccoli Cheddar soup until it turned out that yummy, creamy, salty soup they were marketing as Vegetarian wasn't really Vegetarian at all. The day I walked into Panera and looked up at the list of soups and saw that the small "V" was no longer next to my favorite soup, was a sad day. After having lunch at Panera the other day and settling with the good-but-not-as-good Black Bean soup, I decided there must be a way to recreate that yummy, creamy, salty soup without the chicken stock. This is my take on Panera's signature soup and my dinner guests thought it was pretty darn good too!

 

 

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 30 Min

 

Ingredients

 

- 1 cup of broccoli soup (I used Imagine Soups)

- 3 cups of vegetable broth

- 1 1/2 cups almond milk (you can substitute cream if you like)

- 1/4 cup flour

- 1 block of raw sharp cheddar cheese

- 2 cups chopped broccoli

- 1/2 cup shredded carrots

- 1/2 cup chopped onion

- 2 tsp nutmeg

- salt/pepper to taste

- 2 tbs butter

- Parmesan (optional topping)

 

Directions

 

- In a sauce pan, saute onions and butter on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes

- In a large pot, on medium heat, whisk together the flour and almond milk. Continue to whisk until smooth about 5 minutes

- Add the vegetable broth and continue to whisk

- Add the broccoli, carrots, sauteed onions, nutmeg, salt and pepper

- Bring to a boil and then reduce and allow to simmer for 20 minutes

- Add the sharp cheddar cheese and simmer for another 10 minutes

- If soup needs additional salt, add some parmesan cheese instead of adding more salt

- Serve and enjoy!

 



Homemade Chocolate Raviolis

Pasta and Chocolate?! End of story!

 

When I found out how easy it would be to take the pasta I have been making, add some cocoa powder and voila! Chocolate pasta! I knew I had to make some. I highly recommend using a pasta attachment on your KitchenAid in order to make this because the dough needs to be very thin.

 

 

 

Prep Time: 45 Min

Cook Time: 10-15 Min

 

Ingredients

 

- 1 1/2 cup flour

- 1/4 cup cocoa powder

- 3 tbs sugar (I used evaporated cane juice)

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 3 eggs

- additional flour for rolling/shaping

- Filling: I used bananas with brown sugar and cinnamon. I also filled some with peanut butter.

- Chocolate sauce: You could just melt chocolate and drizzle. I mixed chocolate with a little coconut milk and shredded coconut and then whisked over low heat on the stove top.

- Powdered sugar

 

Directions

 

- Combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Knead and then allow to rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes

- Using your pasta attachment, run the dough through multiple times to get very thin. You can break the dough into 4 small balls to make it easier to run through the machine.

 

 

- Lay the dough on a floured surface and cut out circles or squares to shape raviolis

- Place the filling inside the shapes and top with another

 

 

- Press the edges together with a fork to seal

- When ready, boil in some water with sugar for about 10 minutes until tender

- Top with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar

- If you are saving the ravioli for another day and plan on freezing it, be sure to freeze the pieces individually on a baking sheet before combining them or they will be become mush. I know from experience!

 

 

*NOTE* To make the banana filling, in a small pan, saute 2 bananas sliced with some brown sugar and cinnamon for about 5 minutes until tender. Place in a bowl in the fridge until ready to use.

 

With my leftover dough, I put it through the fettuccine attachment and made some chocolate fettuccine for future use!

 

 

 



Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers with Tempeh Bacon

I stumbled upon this amazing recipe on Pinterest, Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers. These burgers are full of nutritious veggies and fiber and were SO filling! I loved the crispy outside from the panko and the creamy-fall-apart inside from the sweet potatoes. I made a couple changes to the original recipe. I used 2 medium sweet potatoes instead of one large, organic black beans instead of white and I skipped the tahini because I didn't have any on hand. I also decided to skip the buns (and the carbs!) and turned them more into a pattie or crab cake and served them over some homemade broccoli cheddar rice. Yum!

 

I have been experimenting with tempeh lately and saw that Publix sold some Tempeh Bacon. I ALMOST bought some...then I looked at the ingredients on the back and saw apple cider vinegar and maple syrup and decided I would attempt to make it myself. The bacon was crispy and sweet and super easy to make. Save your self (and the poor animals!) some fat and sodium and try tempeh bacon over the traditional.

 

Top the patties with avocado, tempeh bacon and a drizzle of dijon and honey! Delicious!

 

 

 

Prep Time: 60 Min (includes 50 Min baking the sweet potatoes)

Cook Time: 10 Min

 

Ingredients

 

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers

- 2 medium/large sweet potatoes

- 2 cans of organic black beans, drained

- 2 tsp maple syrup

- 1 tsp cajun seasoning

- 1/4 cup wheat flour

- 1 egg ( recipe did not include because it is vegan, however it does help hold the patties together)

- panko breadcrumbs

- 1 large avocado, sliced

- dijon mustard

- honey

- buns, lettuce, onion (optional if you are making into actual burgers)

 

Tempeh Bacon

- 1 package of Tempeh (I only used half of the cake,) sliced thin

- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

- 3 tbs maple syrup

- 1 tbs hot sauce

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/4 cup water

- additional maple syrup for flavor

 

*NOTE* If you want to make the Broccoli Cheddar Rice, cook rice according to directions. Substitute 1 cup of water for 1 cup of creamy broccoli soup and add some chopped broccoli. When rice is cooked add 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese.

 

Directions

 

- Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 F

- Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake them for about 50 minutes until tender

- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the vinegar, syrup, hot sauce, salt and water. Add the tempeh and allow to marinate in the fridge.

 

Tempeh, sliced thin

 

- Scoop the insides of the sweet potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Add the beans, maple syrup, cajun seasoning, flour and egg. Mash together to combine. Batter will be very wet and sticky.

- Shape into patties and coat with panko breadcrumbs

 

 

- Pan fry patties in a small amount of olive or safflower oil. Allow to drain on a paper towel

 

 

- Remove tempeh from marinade and drain on paper towels

- Pan fry tempeh in a small amount of oil and 2 tbs of maple syrup, turning once or twice until browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels

 

 

- Top patties with avocado, dijon mustard, honey and tempeh bacon. Enjoy!



 

 

 This was Nick's contribution :) I think it is a tribute to our dog Remi.

 

 

Pumpkin Pecan Cookies

I stumbled upon this cookie recipe while in the bulk food aisle of Whole Foods; I knew I could use up the leftover pumpkin puree I had in the fridge. The cookies turned out to be yummy and nutritious. I added a chocolate drizzle because there is no sugar added to the cookies and I like mine to have a little sweetness. The recipe calls for orange juice which has a lot of sugar naturally; I ended up using an orange carrot juice blend instead with a little less sugar. I would suggest adding a tablespoon or two of maple syrup to the cookies for additional flavor depth. The original recipe also called for one cup of chopped pitted dates which I did not utilize and added some dried cranberries instead.

Pumpkin Pecan Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

 

 

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 20 Min

 

Ingredients

 

- 2 cups pecans

- 1/2 cup oats

- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 2 tsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp cloves

 - 3/4 cup pureed pumpkin

- 3/4 cup of orange juice (I used an orange carrot juice blend with less sugar)

- 2 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/4 cup dried cranberries

- chocolate drizzle (optional)

 

Directions

 

- Preheat oven to 375 F

- In a food processor or blender, pulse pecans and oats about 20 times until a coarse meal forms

- Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves and pulse another 20 times to mix well

- Transfer to a large mixing bowl

- Add pumpkin, orange juice, vanilla and cranberries

 

 

 

- Stir to mix well. Mixture will be kind of thick like a frosting

- Drop on a lightly greased baking sheet in about 2 tbs size drops. Flatten the batter slightly to shape.

- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.

- Makes about 8 cookies.

- Drizzle with melted chocolate and refrigerate, if desired





 

 

Pecan-crusted Tempeh

Before I decided to change my diet and eat less meat and dairy, I cooked pork tenderloin about once a week. I love pork tenderloin! Not only is it tasty and lean, it is also pretty cheap for the amount of meat you get. One of my absolute favorite recipes was from a Southern Living magazine about a year ago, a Pecan-crusted Pork Tenderloin with a Blackberry Reduction. If you love pork tenderloin, I highly recommend you make this. I served it with a truffle mac n' cheese and some broccoli on the side. Now that I have been reducing my meat intake, I have been really missing my pork tenderloin lately :'( I wasn't sure if I would ever find a "faux" meat that was firm enough to recreate this recipe, until I bought tempeh.

 I have been cooking a lot with tofu but the texture was never quite firm enough to my liking...then I discovered tempeh. Tempeh is awesome! I have seen it on menus as a vegetarian meal option at restaurants but wasn't quite sure what it was or what to do with it. Tempeh is basically a soybean cake, similar ingredients to Tofu but in a different form. It has about 44 grams of protein in one package and it is low on sodium. I decided to buy some at Whole Foods the other day, a Flax Seed variety, because it was less than $3. So cheap! When I had some guests over the other night I decided to make them my tempeh guinea pigs and I did not disappoint. I did a little research online on the proper ways to cook tempeh and what flavor profiles go best with it. When I saw maple syrup was on the list, I knew my pecan crust would go perfectly! I served it with salad and a homemade broccoli cheddar soup (look for that recipe soon.)

Pecan-crusted Tempeh with Maple Strawberry Reduction

Prep Time: 25 Min
Cook Time: 10 Min

Ingredients

- 1 package of Tempeh (I bought the flax seed variety), sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
- Salt for water
- Maple Syrup
- 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Strawberries, sliced
- 1 tbs Brown Sugar
- 1 tbs Honey
- Olive Oil
- 1 cup of pecans, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg and flour for coating

*NOTE* I attempted to use just almond milk for coating instead of an egg but the pecans wouldn't stick well, so the recipe became vegetarian instead of vegan. You could potentially just use flax seed and water to make your own "egg substitute."

Tempeh straight out of the package and sliced.

Directions

- In a large saucepan, cover tempeh with just enough water to coat. Add salt and 2 tbs of maple syrup. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil to steam the tempeh for 10 minutes (turning once)
- Remove the tempeh and place on a plate in the fridge to cool, for about 10 minutes
- Meanwhile, setup your breading station with a bowl of flour, egg and panko/pecans.
- Dip the tempeh slices in the flour, then egg, then pecan mixture.
- In a large frying pan with olive oil, fry the tempeh for about 3-4 minutes on each side until golden
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the cider vinegar, honey, brown sugar, strawberries and 2 tbs of maple syrup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and allow to simmer. Be sure to whisk or stir frequently as the sauce will thicken and stick as it cools.
- Place tempeh on a plate with a napkin to drain some of the oil.
- Serve tempeh and drizzle with Maple Strawberry reduction.

*NOTE* If sauce thickens to much while you are cooking, you can just add more liquid (such as water, vinegar or almond milk - a couple tbs) and then turn up the heat a little. Stir frequently and before you know it the "jam" will have a saucy consistency again.

You could also easily make a sauce with fruit preserves/jam and a vinegar. For example, blackberry preserves and red wine vinegar. Just put in a saucepan, bring to a boil to reduce the vinegar then lower the heat. I love the sweetness of the maple syrup with this dish, so whatever you do, be sure to drizzle a little syrup on top :) Enjoy!



Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Truffle Mac n' Cheese

 I made a special dinner for my father this week for his birthday. He is not a herbivore by any means, in fact, he is the exact opposite...more like a meat and fast food extremist. When I asked him what he wanted me to cook him for dinner, he said "burgers and hot dogs." Really?! Of all the yummy creations I can make, you want a burger and a hot dog. OK, I will give you a burger and a hot dog...just not the kind loaded with red meat and sodium :) I decided I might be able to trick him into eating healthier by using ground turkey and adding veggies like zucchini and carrots. The zucchini and carrots added a lot of flavor to the burgers and also kept them moist inside. My parents called this meal "Augi food" which basically means "fancy food." They used to know a man by the name of Augi that cooked gourmet meals.

I absolutely loved this dish, it is not the healthiest by any means when you add in the truffle mac n' cheese but you could always substitute another side if you prefer. That was my way of giving him something more familiar...buttery and cheesy! Yum! I also made a quick Apple Slaw as another side dish and I would highly recommend you making it as well. It ended up being a great topping for the burgers too, added the sweet to the savory.

To finish it off I made some delicious homemade Chocolate Raviolis with different fillings like sauteed bananas and peanut butter for dessert. Be on the lookout for that recipe in my next post.

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Truffle Mac n' Cheese and Apple Slaw

Prep Time: 20 Min

Cook Time: 35 Min

Ingredients

Turkey Burgers

- 1 3/4 lb ground turkey

- 1/2 package of medium soft tofu (you can make without if you prefer)

- 2 zucchini, grated or shredded

- 2 carrots, grated or shredded (I bought store bought shredded to save some time)

- 1/4 onion, diced

- 3 garlic cloves, minced

- 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce

- salt/pepper to taste

- 1 egg or egg substitute

- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

- hamburger buns (I used whole wheat and english muffins, toasted)

- Pesto

- Brie Cheese

- Spinach or lettuce leaves

- Dijon mustard

Apple Slaw

- 2 apples, peeled and julienned

- 1/2 cup grated carrots (I used some that I had leftover from the store bought bag)

- 1/4 cup cider vinegar

- 3 tbs maple syrup

- 2 tbs dijon mustard

- 1/3 cup honey

- 2 tbs mayo

- salt/pepper to taste

Truffle Mac n' Cheese

- 3/4 box of elbow pasta

- 2 cups of hazelnut milk (1 cup of milk and 1 cup of cream will also substitute)

- 3 tbs of truffle butter (you can find at local market like Fresh Market or Whole Foods)

- 2 tbs of flour

- 2 chopped portobello mushrooms

- 1 package of fontina cheese (you could also substitute another creamy cheese like a havarti)

- parmesan

- panko breadcrumbs

- truffle oil

Directions

Turkey Burgers

- In a mixing bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients. Mix well. Shape into patties.

- I shaped my patties the night before and put them in the fridge in between layers of wax paper. That way all I had to do was throw them on the grill right before our guests came over.

- Grill for about 4 minutes on each side until blackened and not pink on the inside

- Top burgers with some brie cheese right before they are done

- Spread some pesto and dijon mustard on the toasted buns

- Put the burgers on the buns, top with spinach and apple slaw if you prefer.

Apple Slaw

- Combine all of the ingredients in a small mixing bowl. You can add more honey, maple or dijon to your liking if the cider vinegar is too tart. Place in the fridge until ready to use. 

Truffle Mac n' Cheese
- I recommend preparing this first, then you can put in the oven about 30 minutes prior to dinner time.
- Bring a medium saucepan with salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- In a large saute pan, saute flour and truffle butter on medium heat with a whisk to form a roux
- Add the hazelnut milk and bring to a boil for a couple of minutes
- Reduce to low and add mushrooms and fontina cheese
- Let simmer to thicken for about 5 minutes
- Drain pasta and mix with sauce
- Pour in a lightly greased casserole dish
- Top with parmesan and breadcrumbs. Drizzle with truffle oil.
- Bake for 25 minutes, covered with foil
- Broil on low for 2 minutes uncovered to brown the topping
- Serve with turkey burgers and apple slaw. Enjoy!

Barbecue Tofu and Pumpkin Mac n' Cheese

I should have titled this blog, How Not To Make Your Own Shell Pasta. When I decided I wanted to make Pumpkin Mac n' Cheese this week, I also decided I would try to make my own shell pasta. If you are going to make your own pasta for the first time 1) follow a recipe and 2) always have some backup store bought pasta. I had a lot of fun making the shell pasta but unfortunately, I did not follow a recipe, I made it the same way I make ravioli dough. First mistake. Ravioli dough ends up getting run through a pasta maker which thins it out really well. If you decide to shape it into little shells, the dough ends up being really thick. Most shell/orecchiette pasta recipes require no egg. Second mistake. I also used a combination of wheat and semolina flour, third mistake, regular unbleached white would have worked best. Although my shell pasta looked really nice, it was just a little too thick to enjoy or use. Lucky for me I did buy some gluten free elbows just in case :)

Making my own Shell Pasta

I have made Pumpkin Mac n' Cheese in the past with your basic cream and milk and some Fontina cheese (which is delicious by the way!) This time I used some alternative milks and a Havarti with Peppadew Peppers from Whole Foods. The peppers give the sauce a nice spice and the Havarti makes it gooey and creamy, yum! The Barbecue Tofu was easy and very tasty. I sauteed it in the pan with the veggies but you could also just put it right on the grill and baste it with barbecue sauce which would be equally as tasty. Make sure you buy the firm/extra firm tofu so it stays intact. I served it all with some grilled corn on the cob which I topped with some homemade Jalapeno Lime Butter. Just mix some butter, chopped jalapenos, garlic and lime. Put in the freezer on wax paper until ready to serve. Slice and spread on the hot grilled corn, so good!



Barbecue Tofu, Pumpkin Mac n' Cheese and Grilled Corn with Jalapeno Lime Butter

Barbecue Tofu, Pumpkin Mac N' Cheese and Grilled Corn with Jalapeno Lime Butter



Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 40 Min

Ingredients

Pumpkin Mac n Cheese

- 10 to 12 ounces of pasta (elbows or shells) about 3/4 a box

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 2 tbs butter

- 2 tbs flour

- 2 cups of hazelnut milk (any milk would do, you could also do 1 cup of cream and 1 cup of milk)

- 1 cup of cheese (I used Havarti with Peppadew Peppers, Fontina is also a good choice)

- 1 can of organic pumpkin

- 2 tsp of cinnamon (optional)

- salt/pepper to taste

- Panko breadcrumbs

- Parmesan/Pecorino grated cheese (optional topping)

- 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

Barbecue Tofu

- 2 garlic cloves, minced

- 1/4 onion, chopped

- 2 celery stalks, chopped

- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

- 2 tsp curry powder

- 1 package of organic tofu, sliced

- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I used Annie's Naturals, Chipotle Hot Sauce)

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350 F

- Bring a pot of salted water to boil, cook pasta according to directions

- In a large saucepan, saute the garlic clove with 2 tbs of butter and flour. Whisk to form a roux

- Add the salt/pepper, cinnamon and milk, bring to a small boil.

- Reduce to low and continue to whisk occasionally until thickened

- Add the cheese and pumpkin, stir to combine

- Once pasta is cooked, drain and add to sauce mixture

- Pour macaroni in a lightly greased casserole dish

- Top with breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and walnuts

- Bake covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes

- While macaroni is baking, in a large saute pan, sautee garlic, onion, bell pepper, celery and curry with a little olive oil. About 5 minutes.

- Add in chopped tofu and continue sauteing for about 10-12 minutes on medium heat

- Add barbecue sauce, stir to coat and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes

- Serve tofu with mac n' cheese and grilled corn if desired. Enjoy!



Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Sunflower Seeds

I made some more of my favorite cookies yesterday evening. I made a few tweaks to the recipe: I used whole wheat pastry flour instead of unbleached white, I also used dried unsweetened coconut and added chocolate covered sunflower seeds from Whole Foods. Those seeds are addicting! You can check out the original recipe below. These almond butter cookies are my favorite and you would never know that they were Vegan. 

http://theoccasionalgourmet.blogspot.com/2012/08/almond-butter-oatmeal-cookies-vegan.html

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Ratatouille Soup

These vegetarian stuffed portobello mushrooms are filling and delicious. I have eaten stuffed mushrooms a number of time as hors d'oeuvres but never as the main course. I roasted some vegetables and made a ratatouille soup to serve alongside. There are so many possibilities for stuffing these mushrooms...a sweet potato and pumpkin stuffing or even a baked marsala mac n' cheese and for the carnivores, sausage and peppers. Yum!

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 45-50 Min

Ingredients

Mushrooms

- 4 large portobello mushrooms, gills removed

- balsamic vinegar

- olive oil

- 5 red potatoes, peeled and cubed

- 1/4 cup of organic ricotta cheese

- 2 tbs mascarpone cheese

- 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and additional for topping

- garlic salt

- pepper

- 4 tbs of hazelnut milk (any milk or cream could substitute)

- panko breadcrumbs

- handful of feta cheese (optional)

Soup

- 1 small eggplant

- 3 tomatoes

- 1/2 cup of red onion

- 1/4 cup of white onion

- 1/2 cup of red pepper

- 2 zucchini

- 3 garlic cloves, minced

- olive oil

- 3 tbs of red wine vinegar

- salt/pepper to taste

- fresh basil

Directions

- Preheat oven to 400 F

- Bring a pot of salted water to boil, add the cubed potatoes, cook for about 15 minutes until tender

- Peel and slice the eggplant, place in a bowl of salted water and let soak for 10 minutes

- Meanwhile, chop the remaining vegetables (tomatoes, onions, red pepper, zucchini and garlic)

- Remove the eggplant from the water and drain on a paper towel

- Toss all of the vegetables in a little olive oil and spread out on a lightly greased baking sheet

- Sprinkle with salt/pepper and roast in the oven for about 25 minutes. Toss the vegetables around with a spoon once or twice to ensure even roasting

- Then add the portobellos to a large bowl with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and balsamic, set aside to let marinate

- Drain the potatoes, in a large bowl mash with cheeses and milk, add desired seasoning

- Lay portobellos in a lightly greased casserole dish. Fill with potato stuffing.

- Top potato stuffing with some breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.

                                    

- When vegetables are roasted, remove from oven and reduce temperature to 375 F

- Bake mushrooms for 15 minutes

- Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the roasted vegetables with red wine vinegar and a pinch of fresh basil. Keep adding more vegetables as your puree making more room in the blender. If you need some liquid to help with consistency, you can add a little hazelnut milk or cream. Soup will be slightly chunky.

                                  

- When mushrooms are done, turn broiler on in oven and let broil for 1-2 minutes until breadcrumbs are golden.

- Serve mushrooms alongside the soup. Enjoy!





Chocolate Bourbon Balls

For those of you that were at my Kentucky Derby Party this year, you will definitely remember the Chocolate Bourbon Balls...for those of you that were late, you didn't stand a chance :) These things were flying off the table and they were addicting, you couldn't have just one. Bourbon balls are a Derby Day staple. Never having previously made them, I got my recipe from browneyedbaker. 



You can see the bourbon balls in the center of the table, behind my roasted goat cheese summer salad.

Prep Time: 25 Min

Cook Time: 30 Min (to let sit, before forming into balls)

Ingredients

- 2 1/2 cups vanilla wafers, crushed into crumb size pieces

- 1/2 cup powdered sugar

- 1 cup of pecans, finely chopped

- 3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

- 1/2 cup bourbon

- 3 tbs light corn syrup

- granulated sugar, for rolling

Directions

- Combine wafers, powdered sugar and pecans into a large bowl. Stir to combine.

- Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, 30 second increments, stirring between each until melted

- Stir the bourbon and corn syrup into the chocolate

- Combine the chocolate mixture to the wafer mixture. Stir well to combine

- Let mixture sit for 30 minutes

- Spread granulated sugar on a plate or in a small bowl

- Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls, then roll in the granulated sugar to coat.

- Place balls in an airtight container and let sit overnight to allow flavors to develop. If the chocolate appears melty, place container in fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!
- Makes about 25-30 servings



Spaghetti with Pesto, Turkey Tofu Meatballs, Cranberries and Toasted Walnuts

These meatballs were savory and sweet with the touch of cranberry. I added tofu to the traditional turkey meatball to cut back on the amount of meat. The toasted walnuts added a nice texture to the dish and gave it a seasonal taste. Yummy!

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 15 Min

Ingredients

- 1 box of Spaghetti (I used half a box of Corn Spaghetti and half a box of Spinach Spaghetti)
- 1 1b Ground Turkey
- 1/2 package of medium firm tofu
- 1/4 cup of panko breadcrumbs or oats
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup Feta cheese
- Salt/Pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup Marsala Wine
- 2 tbs dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
- 3 tbs of Basil or Spinach Pesto
- Pecorino/Parmesan Cheese (optional, topping)

Directions

- In a small bowl pour the marsala wine over the cranberries, let soak for 5 minutes
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
- In a large bowl, combine the turkey and next 7 ingredients. Add the cranberries with marsala wine.
- Form mixture into meatballs
- In a large saute pan, saute the meatballs with a little olive oil, turning frequently to brown on all sides. Approx 8-10 minutes total. (You can add some marsala wine to the pan for additional flavor if you like)
- While meatballs are cooking, toast the walnuts in toaster oven until browned
- Toss spaghetti with pesto, top with meatballs and sprinkle with walnuts and pecorino cheese. Enjoy!

Buffalo Stuffed Shells

I got the inspiration for this dish from one of my favorite blogs Inspired Taste. I made some modifications and also made it vegetarian. I am sure it would be delicious with chicken too. It was cheesy gooey and with a bit of heat, yum!

Prep Time: 5 Min

Cook Time: 35 Min



Ingredients

- 16 large pasta shells

- 1 package of medium tofu

- 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 1/2 cup onion, diced

- 3/4 cup celery, diced

- 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

- 1/4 cup chopped parsley

- Frank's Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce

- Annie's Organic Parmesan Artichoke Dressing (you could also substitute Ranch)

- salt/pepper to taste

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350 F

- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook shells according to directions

- Drain cooked pasta and keep in a bowl of ice water until ready to use

- Meanwhile in a medium saute pan, saute the garlic, onion, tofu and celery 5-8 minutes

- Turn off the heat and add the ricotta cheese, parsley and blue cheese.

- Carefully add about 3-4 tbs of the hot sauce. Taste to measure heat and add more if desired.

- Lightly grease a casserole dish

- Stuff the shells with the filling and place upside down (seams up) in the dish

- Sprinkle tops with more blue cheese and hot sauce if desired.

- Bake for 25 minutes and drizzle with Parmesan dressing before serving.

Baked Oatmeal Muffins

I love making Baked Oatmeal and today I saw a post on Pinterest for Oatmeal Muffins. I didn't use the recipe however I did steal the idea for baking the oatmeal in muffin cups. Nick is always in need of a grab-n-go breakfast and these are the perfect idea. I decided to make the Baked Oatmeal but with a few modifications this time based on what I had available. I added some pumpkin because I had about 1/4 a cup left in the fridge and then instead of strawberries and bananas, I used pears and apples. You could easily omit the pumpkin and add any fruit you like. They turned out great and they don't have all of the carbs of a regular muffin because they don't have flour :)

Yummy Pear and Apple Oatmeal Muffins

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 25 Min

Ingredients

- 2 cups rolled oats

- 1/4 cup brown sugar and additional for topping

- 2 tbs cinnamon

- 1 tbs nutmeg

- 1 tsp baking powder

- Dash of salt

- Handful of dried fruit (I used apples and cranberries)

- 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

- 2 cups of milk (I used 1 1/2 cups of hazelnut milk and 1/2 cup of almond coconut milk)

- 1 egg, lightly beaten

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 chopped apple

- 1 chopped pear

- 1/4 cup pumpkin

- 2 tbs maple syrup

- 1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

- Granola (optional, I used pumpkin pie spice granola from Whole Foods)

Directions

- Preheat oven to 375 F

- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients. I mixed the dry ingredients first and then added the wet ingredients and combined.

- Sprinkle some brown sugar and cinnamon on top if desired

Oatmeal going into the oven

                                                      

- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden

- Let sit for 10 minutes to cool. Store in fridge.