Thursday, December 29, 2011

Delicious Vegan Bolognese Sauce and my In-Law Rant



Vegan Bolognese Sauce



If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

Rich and hearty bolognese sauce brimming with a colorful array of vegetables and gets its full, hearty texture from a lentil and walnut crumble deliciously flavored with italian spices and liquid smoke for that extra punch of flavor.    Bolognese is traditionally a meat-based sauce served over tagliatelle pasta, however, this meatless version is full of flavor and texture without the health damaging effects of its traditional counterpart.

I took sometime off of blogging to spend with my family over the Holidays and enjoyed the short time off.  I finally found my food creativity again and this delicious vegan bolognese sauce was created!!!  I have been so excited to share it with you, I just have not had the time to post until today.  

Warning, In-law rant coming on........

growing tired of their intense fear of all things plant-based or vegan  
It is interesting that I create delicious recipes for a living and have a wonderful following of fans and yet my in-laws are so afraid of eating something 'weird'  I have been relegated to bringing relish trays and green salads to EVERY family party all year long.  The  summer of 2010 I rebelled against this and I brought a delicious vegan burnt almond fudge pie smothered in homemade caramel sauce with a homemade graham cracker crust.

It was really enjoyable to sit by the dessert table and watch piece after piece be eaten and everyone raving over how rich, creamy, and delicious it was!  No one had any idea I had brought it or that it did not contain any dairy.  I was delighted to see everyone enjoying the food I had made......until.......
My nephew came to the dessert table and saw this delicious ice cream pie and started to serve himself a piece and then with the slice in hand he turns to me and says, "who made this pie?"  I quickly and proudly answered that I had made the pie.

This 11 year old boy got a disgusted look on his face and said, "Then I don't want any."  He proceeded to put his slice back into the pie plate, grabbed a chocolate chip cookie and ran off to play.
I sat there in shock for a minute and then realized.....He DID NOT get there by himself!!!!  I realized that his parents must have been gossiping enough about me to cause their 11 year old son to refuse to eat anything I might have made.

I noticed over the coming  year that this became a trend among my in-laws, NONE of them would touch anything I had brought to family parties.  I retreated from my rebellion and brought a green salad to the next party as asked and interestingly I brought home a HUGE bowl of leftover salad...untouched.  I overlooked it and figured, knowing them well, they don't really eat much salad so I didn't think much of that.  However......

The next time I rebelled again and instead of bringing a green salad no one would eat I brought a delicious pasta salad with red grapes, apples, celery, cashews smothered in a delicious veganaise coleslaw dressing.....and yet again I brought home a HUGE bowl of uneaten pasta salad that my family ate for the next week, I had to throw out the remaining salad at the end of the week.

At first I didn't think much of it, it was a waste but I figured I'd just make less next time. 

I was asked to bring dessert to a family Christmas party.....SHOCK and SURPRISE!!  I was thrilled with the challenge and so I made a delicious chocolate peanut butter mousse pie with a homemade brownie crust.  This time my brother in law, not the father of my nephew who refused the last pie, started to serve himself and with an eerie similarity asked who made the pie and when my husband told him it was me he put it back and got a few cookies and walked away.  I went home with half of a pie and asked my husband who ate the 5 pieces.  He had been lingering and talking around the dessert counter in the kitchen all night....surprise!  I realized it was me, my husband, my daughter, my son and my husbands twin brother.  My husband did tell me what happened with my brother in law and I told him I would not bring any more food to his family parties, it is a waste of money not to mention the fact that it hurt my feelings.


I tried one more time of rebellion and brought delicious OVERSIZED chocolate mint cookies to the Christmas day dinner.  This time the ONLY other desserts were a store bought box of hard butter cookies in assorted types in a tin and some brownies that my sister in law admitted to messing up terribly and my husbands twin said they were AWEFUL!!   She kept apologizing profusely for the mess up on dessert.

There were my oversized chocolate mint decadent cookies sitting there as the only dessert that wasn't store bought or a total flop on the dessert counter and yet......no one ate them.  They all sat there eating the brownies, pulling faces and then throwing half of it away and yet my cookies remain......untouched.

After three of my in-laws started to serve themselves something I had made and then put it back after finding out I had made it, I finally stopped bringing food of any kind to parties for quite awhile.  This Christmas I brought a delicious salad with a homemade strawberry vinaigrette dressing that was amazing!  Unfortunately, yet again, as each family member walked out of the kitchen, not a one of them had any on their plate.  My mother in law only 'tasted' it AFTER she had eaten her dinner.  

My husbands grandparents had planned to go out to dinner with us.  We had called them frequently when going to our favorite restaurant in the city and they said they wanted to try it out with us.  So we planned a day and time to go with them.  My husband called a few days before to confirm with them and they asked what type of restaurant it was....Italian, Mexican.....My husband said, vegetarian.
Here is his grandmothers exact response:

Oh, we don't eat that kind of food!

As you can probably guess, we never did go out to dinner with them.

I hear so many people claim that vegetarians are rude and make rude comments to them.  I have heard people say that vegetarians just try to 'convert' everyone at the dinner parties to be vegetarian.  In my over seven years of being a vegetarian I have NEVER, EVER seen this happen.  I have MANY vegetarian family members and friends and not one of them is in any way confrontational.  They all quietly serve themselves and then put up with the barrage of rude comments from others while trying to eat their dinner.  I have been to vegetarian potlucks and have listened to story after story of extremely rude dinner hosts, rude family members and people trying desperately to defend themselves and their eating habits despite the fact that the poor vegetarian has not uttered one word to them, just simply tried to blend in and eat and enjoy the dinner party.

I have suffered through so many dinner parties, as soon as someone notices my plate does not contain meat the barrage of rude remarks, jokes and defensiveness automatically begin.  An enjoyable dinner party can deteriorate into a fest of 'pick on the vegetarian' in a matter of seconds.  I have my own theories about why this happens but all I am going to say is.....it is sad.

Having lived through extremely difficult dinner parties time and again, and listening to other vegetarians talk about being attacked at dinner parties I have realized that people are extremely defensive of their eating habits and when someone threatens the status quo by simply not eating something that is considered controversial not to eat, it becomes threatening and the defenses go up.







Unfortunately due to my food choices and a few other misunderstood things I do, I have become the black sheep, the outcast, the leper of my husbands family.  I say this just as a wake up call to people, seriously???  You treat someone this way simply because of a food choice?  It is a sad reality but I have seen it time and time again......

Okay, off my soapbox and on to the delicious vegan bolognese sauce recipe!!!








Tuesday, December 20, 2011

A Quick Gluten Free Holiday Treat Recipe

Melt in Your Mouth Vegan and Gluten Free Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Tea Cake Recipe



If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

Delicious, melt in your mouth Mexican wedding cookie recipe to grace your Holiday dessert table!  These little round cookies are an absolutely delicious vegan and gluten free version of the ever popular Mexican wedding cookie also known as Russian tea cake.   My grandmother used to make the most delectable collection of Christmas candies, including these delicious little cookies.   I have been thinking a lot about her this Christmas season and all the wonderful traditions that she started in our family.  The delicious holiday desserts and candies are one thing I fondly remember about my grandmother and in her honor just before the holidays I wanted to post my delicious rendition of her amazing, melt in your mouth Mexican wedding cookie aka Russian tea cakes.

I know I have been MIA for a few days, it has been an extremely busy holiday season for me, and hardly any of my holiday shopping has been done, I have been enjoying family and enjoying many other aspects of the holidays and I have been avoiding the crazy shopping that seems to occur this time of year.  I have been reflecting on those who live in third world countries who have so much less than we do and how often we forget to serve the less fortunate, to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, comfort the widow, to serve others and give of what we have.  If more of us would step outside of our small little busy world we create for ourselves and do what is REALLY important this world would be a much better place for ALL!


I haven't been able to thrust myself into the shopping frenzy, the gift buying madness because it all seems so selfish and so trivial when you reflect on what really matters in life.  As long as there are people on this earth who are suffering, starving, cold, and in need the last thing on our mind should be  buying gifts for those who already have more than they need, we should be giving of our substance to those who are truly in need!  


It says a lot about a society that is richly blessed when they forget the hungry, the homeless, the naked, the widow, the suffering and then go and  spend  ridiculous amounts of money buying 'gifts' for those who have no need! 

So even though many would see my lack of shopping to be laziness or a lack of Christmas spirit, in reality it has been my hearts desire to spend this season with more in my heart than just thoughts of buying gifts for those who have no need for them.

Okay, so I guess it is time to jump off my soapbox and post my delicious recipe.  But maybe as you prepare this wonderful holiday recipe you will remember my words and hopefully you will feel inspired to do some service for someone in need.  Enjoy!


 

Monday, December 12, 2011

Latest Vegan Holiday Candy Recipe to Tempt you!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles



If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!
If you are a chocolate chip cookie fan this new vegan holiday candy recipe will have you doing cartwheels!  Delicious chocolate chip cookie dough is hand rolled and then dipped in delicious, rich dairy-free melted chocolate and then chilled to perfection!

These little truffles were a HUGE hit with my family!  My kids kept begging for more, however, I only made about 8 total because I did not want my kids gorging themselves into sugar induced mania!   They have had more than their share of sugar and junk food this holiday season and I did not want to contribute more to the problem.

My hubby has finally started to recognize the health damaging effects of sugar!  He is a sugaraholic of the worst kind.  He doesn't have one cookie, or two, he will eat 5 cookies and then complain about not feeling well.  He has begun struggling with headaches, joint problems, inflammation and host of health problems.  He finally came home yesterday and said, I need to get off of sugar!  He has said this many times before so I generally do not get overly excited when he says it but I hope this time he will actually do it.

He is on Day Two of not eating sugar!  Who knows if he will make it home from work without sugar, and I know it is tough over the holidays to avoid it and I am sure he will have dessert at the Christmas parties but starting January I think we will all be making quite a few changes.

So, what does this mean for the blog?  I will be focusing on healthy, whole foods in the coming year!  The recipes will still be as delicious and satisfying as ever but the desserts will probably begin to be roasted apples and cinnamon or lightly sweetened with much less sugar!  Hopefully my blog readers will also take the challenge to reduce refined sweeteners and embrace an even healthier lifestyle in the coming year!

Okay, enough rambling on about not eating sugar, LETS HAVE SOME TRUFFLES!!!









Saturday, December 10, 2011

Delicious Vegan Christmas Candy Recipes

Collection of Vegan Christmas Candy Recipes



If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

Enjoy this delicious collection of rich creamy caramel, chocolate peanut butter cups, english toffee and a whole collection of delicious vegan candy recipes you can take to holiday parties, deliver to your neighbors, or just keep them all to yourself and eat them while watching your favorite Christmas movie or while drinking hot chocolate in front of a fire!

I created these recipes back in 2008 but I have not published the recipes on the blog......until now!  I hope you enjoy making these vegan holiday candies, but I hope you enjoy eating them even more!

Interestingly this holiday season I have not been doing much recipe creating.  Usually I can't stop, I am just coming up with recipe after recipe idea but this year I have really been watching what I am eating and our dinners have been very simple so I haven't felt that they were worth sharing on the blog.  I hope you will enjoy these holiday candy recipes until I can get past this 'chef block' and  start creating again.


Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Soy Free, Egg Free Vegan Scramble

Soy Free, Egg Free Vegan Scramble


If you would like to continue following my work please visit my new site:  http://www.plantbasednutritionista.com

I hope to see you there!

This simple, hearty and fiber filled breakfast begins with mashed garbanzo beans, cashew milk and a few seasonings to create a delicious, soy free, vegan scramble for a hearty breakfast on a cold winter morning!  I decided to try a non-conventional approach to vegan scramble, most scrambles are based around tofu and while I enjoy tofu in a variety of recipes I thought a high fiber, high nutrient legume based scramble would be a nice change of pace. 

I certainly do not subscribe to the fear mongering of soy that the majority of people have fallen into and no I do not believe soy is going to change my gender or turn me into a zombie or anything like that, but I do believe it is important to enjoy a variety of foods to obtain the best nutritional benefit from your diet.  My kids LOVED this scramble!!  I wasn't sure if they would eat it as they are very partial to buckwheat waffles and cereal but they really enjoyed it.  I hope you enjoy it as well!

I am about to begin posting my holiday recipes, including my famous vegan chocolate candies, peanut butter cups, peppermint truffles and all kinds of yummy goodies but I thought before we get into all the sugary holiday fare I would post this delicious, hearty breakfast.

I have been busy lately doing some prenatals as a midwife apprentice again, it has been a long time since I have been able to do that and I am enjoying the opportunity to be able to do so again.   I am also working on many fun and exciting new things that I hope you all will enjoy and participate in.   I have been going through a bit of 'chef block'  if that is a word :-D   I have felt a little uninspired these past couple of weeks about creating recipes and I REALLY could use some help from my readers.  


I LOVE to  hear from you!  I love getting recipe suggestions from readers as it helps get my creative flow going.  I just received a request to create a vegan pad thai and that is certainly on my to do list this week!  Please keep the suggestions coming.


Successes and failures......I have created a lot of delicious versions of seitan but since my daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease seitan is unfortunately not something I make anymore.  My daughter LOVED seitan and I have been feverishly trying to come up with a gluten free version of seitan!  Unfortunately I have met with quite a challenge, they all have a great flavor but I have not been able to get the right texture, I am getting close, my last one was pretty good.  As soon as I am able to get the right recipe I will post it as I know many vegetarians and vegans are gluten free and looking for delicious substitutions for seitan......rest assured I am working on it.


If you have any recipe suggestions I'd love to know what you would like to see featured on the blog.

This scramble has a very distinct flavor, it is slightly cheesy, creamy and it has a lot more depth of flavor that a traditional egg based scramble.  This hearty breakfast provides better balanced nutrition than a traditional scramble:

Scrambled Eggs                                                 Egg free Vegan Scramble



Calories
268

Calories
270
Protein
18g

Protein
17.8g
Fat
20g

Fat
8.3g
Folate
16%

Folate
44%
B1
7%

B1
69%
B6
19%

B6
44%
Iron
13%

Iron
23%
Zinc
23%

Zinc
35%

 Scrambled eggs contain NO fiber and NO carbohydrate necessary to fuel the brain, kidneys, nerve cells and other processes in the body!  This delicious egg free scramble provides far superior nutrition!



Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Brownie Chocolate Mousse Dessert

Delicious Brownie Chocolate Mint Mousse Dessert




This decadent dessert begins with a rich, gooey chocolate brownie crust  filled with a light, yet rich chocolate mousse baked to perfection and then spread with a smooth chocolate mint ganache.    Yes, this is the perfect mix of decadent, rich chocolate with a hint of mint to give it that holiday twist.  You can certainly top this with crushed mint candies to really push it over the top for your holiday dinner party. 

When my husband first tasted this dessert he couldn't stop raving about it!  He is certainly a chocoholic and is the perfect judge of the quality of any chocolate dessert.  When I asked him what he would rate this delicious dessert his answer was 9.9!

I asked him what makes it a 9.9 instead of a perfect 10?

I always like to know what improvements I need to make so I can perfect future recipes.  After tasting the dessert myself I couldn't imagine what in the world he would say about it that would dock points, this dessert is absolute perfection in my mind.  Well, his answer was......

It is a 9.9 because I am going to eat to much of it and make myself sick!

Okay, so the point docking had nothing to do with taste or texture.....  I explained to him that he was supposed to rate it on taste, not whether or not he would eat too much of it and end up feeling sick afterward.  He said, 'Oh, then it is a perfect 10.'

This brownie chocolate mousse mint dessert can be made in so many ways so please try different variations and enjoy it!  I would highly recommend serving this at dinner parties, it will certainly be the highlight of the evening!

***This recipe is gluten free but it certainly does not have to be gluten free, you can use regular whole wheat pastry flour in place of the coconut and brown rice flours.


Monday, November 21, 2011

Thanksgiving Blog Fest Dessert Recipes

Thanksgiving Blog Fest Dessert Recipes






Thanksgiving dinner is not complete without dessert!  Enjoy a decadent, creamy, rich, perfectly spiced pumpkin pie or a warm cinnamon spiced apple pie this Thanksgiving with these two fabulous vegan pie recipes.    The vegan pumpkin pie gets is decadence from cashews and a little molasses for depth of flavor as well as the perfect combination of spices to create a pumpkin pie experience you will not soon forget!

The apple pie features a delicious, perfectly flaky crust filled with delicious gala apples, maple syrup and spices.  It is a delicious experience on its own or served with vegan vanilla ice cream.

I will be taking photos of my delicious Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday so you all can see how amazing a peaceful Thanksgiving feast can be!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe



Vegan Apple Pie Recipe





Friday, November 18, 2011

Thanksgiving Blog Fest Continues with a Vegan Gravy Recipe

Thanksgiving Blog Fest Continues Featuring.....
Vegan 'Turkey' style gravy Recipe
 photo by telephone melts

Delicious vegan 'turkey' style homemade gravy for your peaceful Thanksgiving feast!  This recipe uses the perfect blend of herbs to create a rich, delicious traditional gravy flavor.  One of my  biggest pet peeves about vegetarian gravy recipes is that they ALWAYS feature mushrooms.  I am sorry but mushroom gravy is disgusting!

Why don't we all just let go of the disaster mushroom gravy and settle on a more traditional flavor of gravy.  Mashed potatoes and gravy are a classic part of Thanksgiving fare and a peaceful vegetarian Thanksgiving should be no different.  You do not need to sacrifice on taste to have a peaceful Thanksgiving and this delicious gravy recipe will delight your guests for sure.


Friday, November 11, 2011

Delicious Vegan Crescent Roll Recipe for Thanksgiving Blog Fest

Thanksgiving Blog Fest 

Vegan Crescent Roll Recipe





Light buttery vegan crescent rolls for your Thanksgiving feast.  These crescent rolls are so light and taste like the rolls you buy from  your favorite bakery, yet they are simple to prepare.  Your Thanksgiving guests will think you spent a lot of time in the kitchen, or a lot of money for the best bakery crescents, it'll be our little secret!  
This is a family favorite recipe!  Whenever we have a large family gathering this is our go to dinner roll recipe!   I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

The Thanksgiving blog fest is well underway and I hope you have enjoyed collecting the amazing recipes for your Thanksgiving feast.  

Unfortunately this year my daughter and I will not be indulging in the delectable crescent rolls, we have both switched to a gluten free diet.  My daughter struggles on holidays, well, to be honest, I do too because I really miss having a light, fluffy, amazing dinner roll or piece of bread.  It can be very difficult, however, for those who can indulge these are everything you want out of a dinner roll.  I will just be drooling at the Thanksgiving table wishing I was indulging too.
**Please let me know if you have any family favorite recipes you want to see veganized for Thanksgiving and I will feature them during the Thanksgiving blog fest!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Thanksgiving Blog Fest Yam or Sweet Potato Casserole

Thanksgiving Blog Fest

Vegan Yam or Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

Delicious vegan yam or sweet potato casserole recipe features cashew cream and maple syrup to give the perfect rich, creamy flavor to this delectable Holiday dish.  The sweet potato casserole is topped with a combination of pecans, succant and cinnamon to give a delicious crumb topping.  This delicious mix of cashew cream, sweet and spices create absolute perfection!

The first Thanksgiving that I served this delicious sweet potato or yam casserole it was my absolute favorite dish!  I had the leftovers for lunch for several days, I couldn't get enough of this sweet potato casserole.   This is an absolute MUST for any Peaceful Thanksgiving or Holiday table!  If you dare to be non-traditional  you could even make this dish anytime as a delicious side dish for any cold fall or winter evening!


This post is a little later than I planned but I have been extremely busy this past week teaching nutrition classes, making delicious vegan feasts for family and a lot of running around but I promise that I will finish ALL the Thanksgiving recipes in time for you to create your own peaceful Thanksgiving feast!  Enjoy!


Friday, November 4, 2011

Thanksgiving Blogfest Tempeh Sausage Stuffing

Thanksgiving Blog Fest Day 2 
Vegan Tempeh Sausage Stuffing with Gluten free Options
Delicious tempeh sausage, whole grain dried bread and seasonings combine to make the perfect stuffing for your Peaceful Holiday table.   This delicious stuffing has received rave reviews at all holiday parties and I know you and your guests will love is traditional flavor and texture!


This weeks Thanksgiving blog fest post is featured in the Wellness Weekend event so please check out the other recipes featured in this weeks Wellness Weekend! 
 Click Here to See all the delicious recipes

You can use store bought dried bread for the stuffing if you would like, there are several varieties available at Whole Foods and other natural foods markets throughout the holidays.  I wanted to make sure I was using whole grain bread in my stuffing and so I made my own cubed dried bread, it is simple but it does require some forethought.



  

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Vegan Thanksgiving BlogFest Begins......

The Vegan Thanksgiving BlogFest Begins.....
Vegan Ranch Dressing


Rich and creamy Vegan Ranch Dressing for your Thanksgiving salad.  This delicious ranch dressing gets its rich and creamy texture from cashews and is flavored to perfection with parsley, chives and dill along with other spices to create the perfect dressing for your Thanksgiving salad.

I decided to start the Thanksgiving blog fest with a very simple, yet delicious recipe.  I will continue to post side dish recipes until we get to the main dish and then of course the desserts!  My husbands favorite salad dressing is Ranch, he doesn't eat a lot of salad but he really enjoys it when it is topped with this ranch dressing.  He is very picky about the flavor and texture of his ranch dressing and so I figured if my husband gave this vegan ranch dressing a thumbs up it is worth of a place on your peaceful vegan Thanksgiving table.  Enjoy!


Saturday, October 29, 2011

How Do You Cook Tofu?

How Do You Cook Tofu?

 So you bought a box of tofu and either tried to prepare it and it turned into a complete culinary disaster, or it has been sitting in your fridge just waiting to go bad because you don't dare pull it out and try to use it.  Well, have no fear, tofu is very easy to prepare IF you know how to do it.

If you do not know how to prepare tofu it can end up having a terrible taste and texture.  Many people who say they don't like tofu, don't like it because they have never had it prepared properly.  I decided to do a little tofu tutorial on how to cook tofu and use it in recipes so you can enjoy it rather than loathe it.

This simple tutorial will teach you how to cook tofu without any added oil, and yet you will achieve a beautiful browned tofu that will be a delicious addition to any recipe.
How To Cook Tofu Tutorial



  1. Purchase Firm or Extra Firm tofu in the water packed cartons.  *Do not get silken tofu!
  2. Cut the plastic and drain out the water
  3. Press the tofu in a large kitchen towel to remove most of the water, do not press too hard and damage the tofu.
  4. Slice the tofu in squares or triangles as you see above.
  5. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and place the tofu in the skillet as shown above.
  6. Use a spatula to press the water out of each slice of tofu as it cooks, it will sizzle as the water is released.  Continue to do this until the tofu slices no longer sizzle when pressed and they are browned on the bottom.
As you can see the tofu will brown very nicely and you do not have to use any oil to get this beautiful browning of the tofu.

8.  Flip the tofu and continue pressing the tofu with the spatula to remove water and brown the other side.

9. When the tofu is browned on both sides, remove from the skillet.

10.  Marinate the tofu in whatever marinate you will be using.


Examples of Marinades:

Barbeque sauce
Teriyaki sauce
Fajita sauce
Stir fry sauce

You can use any marinade that you want, make sure to marinate for about 15 to 30 minutes before cooking.  You can even marinate the tofu overnight for best results, but if you are just making a quick dinner 15 minutes is adequate.  Once the tofu is marinated you can either cook it in a skillet with the sauce and veggies or you can bake it.

Beautiful Asian Tofu Sweet and Sour Stir fry




As you can see, with this method of cooking tofu leaves a beautiful browned appearance and a very good texture.

Try out this method of cooking tofu and let me know how it works for you!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Vegan Tempeh Bacon Swiss Panini and Thanksgiving Recipe Blog Fest

Vegan Tempeh Bacon and Swiss-style Cheese Panini


This Recipe Features the FAMOUS Peaceful Kitchen Sunburger with a slice of homemade tempeh bacon, homemade rich and delicious swiss style cheese on whole grain bread and grilled to perfection.  This is my husbands #1 favorite sandwich of all time. 

You will absolutely LOVE the new white cheese recipe in this sandwich, it compliments the tempeh bacon and sunburgers beautifully.  I know many readers have been searching online for the Sunburger recipe and unfortunately I have not posted it on the blog.......until now!

The sunburger recipe is featured in MANY of my recipes and it is such a staple item that I decided I needed to post it on the blog so everyone can make a batch and use them in their cooking.  I will put it in another post so it can be listed on its own and easy to find but due to popular demand it is now available.

My kids also really enjoyed this sandwich and made them on their own for lunches until we ran out of tempeh and homemade white cheese.  This is a VERY quick and easy dinner when you are in a hurry or simply don't feel like cooking.





Thanksgiving Recipe Blog Fest






Starting Nov. 1st I will begin posting a new vegan Thanksgiving recipe several times a week.  If you follow the blog throughout the month of November you will have a complete collection of AMAZING Thanksgiving recipes to prepare your own Peaceful Thanksgiving Dinner!

Thanksgiving Recipes will include:

Yam Casserole with cinnamon streusel topping
Green Bean Casserole in a delicious cashew cream with homemade onion rings
Seitan tofurkey and gluten free tofurkey
Mashed potatoes with homemade vegan gravy
Cranberry Salad with delicious cashew whipped cream
Whole grain tempeh sausage stuffing
Gluten free quinoa stuffing
Whole grain Crescent Rolls
Ranch dressing
Pecan pie
Pumpkin pie
Chocolate silk pie
Old Fashioned Apple pie
and much more..........

The Peaceful Kitchen Vegan Sunburger Recipe

Veggie Sunburger Recipe



This is the sunburger recipe used in most of The Peaceful Kitchen recipes!  I have received many requests for this recipe and I know it is a central recipe for readers so I have made it available for you.  Simple, delicious light and very versatile veggie burger.  Delicious light veggie burger that can be used in any recipe calling for chicken.



Vegan Tempeh Bacon Recipe

Vegan Swiss or White Cheddar Cheese Sauce Recipe

Vegan Swiss & White Cheddar Cheese Sauce Recipe

Delicious, rich and creamy soy free, dairy free, vegan sharp white cheddar or swiss-style cheese sauce.  This can be used in casseroles, quesadillas, grilled cheese, in dips or any recipe that calls for a white cheese.  This can easily be used in any recipe calling for swiss or sharp cheddar.  If you want a more swiss flavor use less tahini, if you want a more sharp taste use more tahini.

This recipe has received RAVE reviews in everyone who has tested it.  Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Vegan Creamy Potato Corn Chowder Recipe

Creamy Potato Corn Chowder Recipe





This delicious creamy soup features a rich cashew cream base filled with fresh potatoes straight from the garden, homegrown organic corn, celery and the perfect blend of spices to create a delicious, hearty meal on a cold fall evening.  Your family will think you have slaved in the kitchen making a delectable rich soup, just don't tell them it only takes about 15 minutes to prepare.  Shhhh.....I won't tell.

I have to apologize, I am a little behind on my blogging....and well if you want to make fun of my organizational skills well.....then.....okay!  I admit my organizational skills are not so good.  I lost the charger to my camera battery and so I have not been able to take photos of all the yummy recipe creations I have been making.

I cannot post a recipe without a photo, it is the photos that display how yummy the food is.  Ask my husband about the panic I was in to find my camera battery charger.  Well, luckily my husband did find it and so I am back to blogging again.

My kids have been enduring my endless pumpkin recipes and interestingly my husband and kids have whined about every single one of them when they asked What's for dinner?

When I said, Pumpkin Alfredo, my family groaned.  Well, it was a HIT!  They loved it.  You'd think they would learn to just realize that even non-traditional combinations can be delicious, but it never fails.  If it isn't typical comfort food like veggie burgers and mashed potatoes I will inevitably hear whining.

Tonight was no exception, we had Pumpkin Sloppy Joes.  The kids thought I had lost my mind, when I told my husband he tried to be polite but didn't seem interested.  However, my son ate a full plate of the sloppy joe mix without any bread!  Yeah, it's THAT good!

Stay tuned for the pumpkin alfredo and pumpkin sloppy joe recipes!

Okay...on to the yummy potato corn chowder recipe...







Monday, October 10, 2011

Roasted Vegetables with vegan sharp cheddar over brown rice

Roasted Fall Vegetables with Homemade Vegan Sharp Cheddar Cheese 

 
Delicious fall vegetables marinated and roasted in the oven and topped with rich & creamy homemade sharp vegan white cheddar cheese served over brown rice.   Vegetables are marinated and roasted in an Italian seasoning and then topped with delicious vegan white cheddar cheese.

I have a delicious cheddar cheese sauce recipe but this new sharper cheese is absolutely delicious.  I have been using it in panini's, cheddar apple tarts and many other recipes and it has an amazing flavor.  The best part about this amazing cheese is that it is dairy free, soy free and made from whole foods only!

The roasted vegetables make a delicious meal, but you certainly could add your favorite veggie burger, tempeh or garbanzo beans and it would make a heartier meal in a snap!  My kids loved this meal and even ate their zucchini which they usually complain about.  Fall in our house is pretty much zucchini from the garden in every meal so they tire of it, but the addition of a delicious cheese changed their tune this time!  



Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Garbanzo Quinoa Cheese Cup Recipe

Garbanzo Quinoa Cheese Cup Recipe





Healthy Garbanzo beans, quinoa and cashews are processed and then mixed with an array of fresh vegetables, nutritional yeast, and spices....then topped with delicious, creamy, rich cheese sauce and baked to perfection. 
Okay, so I admit, this recipe isn't your typical comfort food or familiar recipe.  However, it is fast, easy, simple and even the kiddos will enjoy it. 


I have wanted to create a recipe with quinoa for quite awhile, but I haven't been able to come up with something that I thought would appeal to the whole family.  The night I created this recipe I was looking for something quick and easy to make and the idea for this recipe came up.  You don't have to bother making patties out of them, you just throw everything in a muffin tin and bake!  It is so simple!  If you let them cool a little bit they will hold together, we just scraped them out of the muffin tin while they were hot so they didnt' have the cute little muffin shape for the photo shoot.

My 12 year old daughter helped me make this, she had a lot of fun processing the ingredients in the food processor and mixing them together by hand in a bowl.  Kids LOVE anything they can spoon into a muffin pan and 'decorate', in this case we 'decorated' with cheese sauce instead of icing.  Bring the kids into the kitchen to help prepare the meal and they will be more likely to enjoy it.

I saved a couple for the next day and just left them in the muffin tin and they retained the cute muffin shape and they were almost better the next day after the flavors really had time to mix together.  Either way it is a delicious and really easy dinner recipe.  Enjoy!


Friday, September 30, 2011

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Recipe

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Enjoy this delicious heart breakfast recipe that enhances your breakfast oatmeal with delicious pumpkin and spices.  My daughter usually turns up her nose at oatmeal for breakfast, however add some pumpkin and cinnamon and low and behold she licks the bowl clean.

If you are looking for an amazing hearty breakfast on a cold fall morning this is definitely one that will keep you warm and satisfied all morning long.

Fall is one of my favorite times of year, I love the cooler weather after the hot summer, I love the beautiful fall leaves the decorate the mountains and of course I LOVE traditional fall flavors.    Pumpkin pie, fresh apple pie, carmel apples, warm hearty breakfasts and soup and breadsticks.

My kids generally enjoy basic foods like veggie burgers and fries, chocolate chip cookies and pasta but I am hoping I will be able to branch out a bit and create some fall desserts that they will enjoy without chocolate chips.  Last night I improvised and added chopped pear to their usual chocolate chip cookies and they turned out delicious!  Hopefully the successes will keep on coming.

My dad has commissioned me, or rather asked me, to create a dessert for him tommorrow.  I will be making a cheesecake with fresh peach and blueberries baked in with a traditional pie crust.  Stay tuned, I think this recipe will blow you away!

Well, enough rambling and on to the delicious pumpkin pie spiced oatmeal.......Enjoy!

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Monday, September 26, 2011

Gluten Free Tempeh Sausage Vegetable Lasagna Recipe

Tempeh Sausage Vegetable Lasagna Recipe


Delicious, gluten free vegetable lasagna with a rich cheesy topping.  This recipe features the seasons most abundant vegetable....zucchini.    The zucchini is thinly sliced into delicious noodles in this simple, yet tasty dish.  I was a little hesitant when serving this to my kids because they are die hard pasta fans. 

My husbands favorite meal is lasagna so this was definitely a brave feat to serve my family a lasagna, sans pasta.  I was pleasantly surprised that they all really enjoyed the lasagna without the noodles.  You can certainly use whole wheat or gluten free lasagna noodles in this recipe if you are less adventurous :-D

This is an easy way to get rid of the HUGE bounty of zucchini that most gardners have in the fall.  Enjoy!








Layer the lasagna in an 8X8 baking dish. Start with a small amount of marinara on the bottom, then 1/2 the zucchini noodles, top with 1/2 ricotta, tempeh and spinach. Then pour on more marinara and layer again, top with cheese sauce. Bake 375 for 30-40 minutes. It is done when the cheese on top is hardened and lightly brown around the edges.

**The cream sauce will thicken up during cooking.