Sauteed Zucchini

I wanted to cook up some zucchini in a different way than just steaming it.  I found this recipe online and loved it!!



SAUTEED ZUCCHINI

1 clove garlic
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
2 t. olive oil
1 pound zucchini (4 med), trimmed and cut into 2 x 1/4 inch matchsticks
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Smash garlic clove.  Remove and discard the peel and set aside.

Heat oil in frying pan over med-high heat until shimmering.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant but not browned.  Remove garlic and discard.

Add zucchini to the pan and toss until coasted with oil.  Let cook undisturbed until the bottoms of the matchsticks are golden brown.  Toss again and cook until crisp-tender.  Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Almond "Chicken" Salad

Gave this one a try and really liked it!  (no pictures taken of it, though...)


ALMOND "CHICKEN" SALAD

1 c. raw almonds, soaked
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 T. vegan mayo
1 t. dijon mustard
1/2-1 T. fresh lemon juice (to taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Soak almonds 3-6 hours, until plump.  Then drain and rinse well.

Place almonds in food processor and process till finely chopped.  Place in mixing bowl.  Add all other ingredients and mix well.

Chik'n Broccoli Casserole

CHIK'N BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

1 package Gardein Meatless Chik'n Strips
2 bags frozen broccoli florets
double recipe of "Cheese" Sauce
Bread crumbs
Cooked rice

Preheat oven to 350.

Steam broccoli half-way (should still be very crisp and bright green).  In pan, sautee chik'n strips in a couple tablespoons of olive oil.  Season chik'n with salt and pepper.  Sautee until cooked through and browned slightly.

Cut chik'n into bite-sized pieces.  Add broccoli and chicken together and pour into 8x8 baking dish.  Add "cheese" sauce and mix throughout.  Spinkle bread crumbs over top.  Bake for 15 minutes - until bubbly and hot.

Enjoy over rice!

Eggplant Non-Parmesan

We got some eggplants last week from a lady at church.  I've never cooked with eggplant before and was kind of scared to try.  But, I found this recipe and decided to give it a try.  And guess what?  It turned out really good!!  Will definitely be making it again!   (Recipe courtesy of: Oh She Glows.)

EGGPLANT NON-PARMESAN

1 large, or 2 medium, eggplant(s), peeled and sliced vertically - keep slices same thickness
1 c. almond milk
3/4 c. flour
1 t. apple cider viengar
1/2 t. salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 t. dried oregan
1/4 t. dried parsley
1/4 t. dried basil
2 c. Panko bread crumbs
Oil for frying
Pasta sauce of your choice
Cooked pasta of your choice


Peel and slice eggplant.  Spinkle each slice liberally with salt and spread it around with fingers.  Let it stand for 30 minutes allowing salt to draw out the water.

Make batter by whisking milk, flour, vinegar, salt, pepper, a seasonings together in a medium sized bowl.

After 30 minutes are up, rinse eggplant with water and pat dry with a towel.  Heat a couple inches of oil in frying pan on the stove top over medium heat.  Dip each piece of eggplant into the batter and then into the bread crumbs on each side.  Place in oil and fry on each side for a couple minutes until nice and golden brown.

Place eggplant slices on top of cooked pasta, and top with heated pasta sauce and optional "cheese" sauce.

***Does not reheat well in microwave.  You will need to bake for 5 minutes on each side at 450 to keep them nice and crispy.


"CHEESE" SAUCE

3/4 c. almond milk
6 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. vegan "butter"
1 T. flour
2 t. Dijon mustard
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
1/2 t. salt
black pepper to taste

In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour and milk until all clumps are gone.  Add milk and flour mixture, and nutritional yeast to pot and whisk well.  Reduce heat to low-medium.   Add Dijon, and seasonings and whisk frequently until the sauce thickens up.  If it's still too think you can add more flour to achieve the thickness you desire.

Peanut Butter Cookies

I was craving peanut butter cookies this week, so I veganized my Mom's recipe.  They turned out great!!

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

3/4 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. shortening
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
3 T. almond milk
1 T. vanilla
1 flax "egg" (1 T. flax meal + 3 T. water)
1 3/4 c. flour
3/4 t. salt
3/4 t. baking soda

Wisk up flax "egg" in a small bowl, then place in fridge to set up for a few minutes.

Combine first 5 ingredients.  Add flax "egg".  Combine dry ingredients and add to wet.  Bake at 375, on ungreased cookie sheets, after making a criss-cross pattern with a flour dipped fork, for 8-10 minutes (until bottom is barely golden brown).

Chewy Sugar Cookies

I tweaked this recipe today.  They turned out pretty good!

CHEWY SUGAR COOKIES

2 3/4 c.  flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 c. softened vegan "butter"
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1 flax egg
1 t. vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 375.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Gradually blend in dry ingredients.  (If needed add additional flour until batter is to correct consistency).

Roll out dough on floured surface and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-12 minutes or until slightly golden.  Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to cool on a rack.

Tex-Mex Spaghetti Squash with Black Bean Guacamole

Sounds weird, I know.  But I gave it a try.  And you should too :)

TEX-MEX SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH BLACK BEAN GUACAMOLE

1 med. spaghetti squash
olive oil
ground cumin
ground chili powder
dried oregano
salt
pepper

Guacamole:

2 med avacado
1 med roma tomato, seeded and diced
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
lemon juice
seasoned salt
dried minced onions


Preheat oven to 375.  Slice spaghetti squash in half.  Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place cut side down into baking dish and roast 30-50 minutes - until flesh is soft and easily able to be scraped out.

Prepare quacamole - peel and dice avacados then smash with a fork.  Add tomato and black beans.  Season with lemon juice, seasoned salt and minced onions to taste.

Remove squash from oven.  Scrape flesh out.  Sprinkle with cumin, chili powder, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.  Top with guacamole and serve warm.