Sean's Annual Enchiladas

February 24, 2016

Portland, OR

I could live on these and these alone... forever and ever.  But I can only convince Sean to make them once a year.  OK i force him to make them!  As a birthday gift to me hehe.  But seriously they are incredible and I think about them 365!  They've changed over the years little by little but what remains the same is the homemade enchilada sauce.  It is perfect and needs no changing.  It truly makes the meal! 

 

Sean's Annual Enchiladas

makes 12 enchiladas

12 corn tortillas

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup Enchilada sauce (recipe below)

½ cup veg cheese

3 cups filling (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 375º.  In a casserole dish, spoon a thin layer of enchilada sauce.  In a pan, heat the tortillas in the olive oil until soft.  Spoon ¼ cup of filling into each tortilla.  Roll up tortilla and place int the casserole dish.  When all are full and rolled, sprinkle with veg cheese and spoon on the enchilada sauce.  Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes.  Serve hot!

For the enchilada sauce:

3 Tbsp chili powder

3 Tbsp flour

1 tsp cocoa powder

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

2 cups water

4 roma tomatoes diced small (or blended)

Combine all dry ingredients.  Slowly add water to make a thin paste.  Pour in a pot, add rest of water. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently about 10 minutes, until sauce thickens slightly.  Stir in tomatoes.  Simmer about 20 minutes.

For the filling:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup chopped walnuts

1 chile pepper, diced

1 can pinto beans (or black)

1 cup veg cheese (optional)

¾ cup of the enchilada sauce

In a pan over medium heat, sauté olive oil, onion, and garlic about 5 minutes.  Add peppers walnuts, and beans.  Cook another 5 minutes.  Add half of the cheese and spoon in the sauce.  Combine well and set aside.  

Baked Ziti & Eggplant Baked Ziti

Tucson, AZ

Baked ziti is a traditional Italian-American family dish.  Basically it is a casserole of pasta, sauce, and cheese.  Most often it is served on special occasions, probably because it requires some time and some love. It is one of my first food memories,  and it reminds me of family gatherings, my mother, my grandparents,  and the comforts of home.  It was very important to me to recreate this dish keeping those nostalgic flavors intact.  Taking years to perfect, I believe this recipe can fool anyone,  (including your Italian grandmother!) into thinking they are eating the traditional dish.

Baked Ziti
Kid Friendly, Vegan
serves 4-6

1 lb Ziti Pasta (Penne or Rigatoni would make good substitutes)
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups Homemade Tomato Sauce (recipe below)
1 cup firm tofu, pressed of most liquid and crumbled by hand or with a fork
1 ½ cups Homemade "Moxarella" (recipe below)
½ Tbsp fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375º.
Cook pasta until just before al dente.  Drain and stir in olive oil immediately to keep pasta from sticking.  Add 2 ½ cups of sauce and the crumbled tofu.  Stir well to combine.
In a glass 9x13"casserole dish, ladle ½ cup of the sauce on the bottom.  Spread to coat the bottom of the dish with sauce.  Add half of the pasta/tofu/sauce mixture and spread out evenly in the casserole dish.  Spread of half of the "Moxarella" evenly across the top of the pasta.  Add the rest of the pasta mixture.  Spread the rest of the "Moxarella" across the top.  Cover the casserole dish with foil.  Bake 35-45 minutes.  Sprinkle parsley on top.  Serve hot.

You can make the cheese and sauce a day or two in advance to save time.

For the Sauce:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup fennel, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
⅓ cup red wine
½ cup water
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp fennel seed
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp garlic powder

In a pot, over med/high heat, heat oil.  Ad onion and fennel.  Sauté for 5 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté another 3 minutes.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally.

For the "Moxarella"
This recipe is not mine, but i've made it multiple times and it is great!  

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¼ cup raw cashews (soaked in water for several hours and then drained IF you don’t have a high powered blender)
1 cup hot water
2  tablespoons + 1 teaspoon tapioca starch
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
1 small garlic clove, minced
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Blend all ingredients together in a high speed blender or food processor until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into a small saucepan and cook, stirring constantly over medium high heat. After a couple of minutes the mixture will start to look like it’s curdling or separating. This is totally normal, reduce heat to medium and KEEP stirring so you don’t burn the cheese to the bottom of the pot. Keep cooking and stirring til really thick (about 2–3 more minutes) and the mixture becomes like a cohesive mass of melted dairy cheese that stretches. Remove from heat and let cool a bit.

Click the link below for the
Original "Moxarella" Recipe

If you just cannot decide whether you want Baked Ziti or Eggplant Parm:

Eggplant Baked Ziti

Eggplant Baked Ziti

I'm not gonna lie, this will take all day to make!  But of course it is so worth it.  Use recipe above, but add 2 layers of breaded eggplant before baking!

For the eggplant:

1 eggplant (w/dark purple skin and as few bruises as possible)

sea salt

½ cup vegan breadcrumbs

½ cup corn starch

½ cup egg replacer ( i use ground flax seed and water)

olive oil

Peel eggplant and cut into thin slices.  Layer slices in a large bowl.  After every couple layers, sprinkle with salt.  When you have it all layered, cover it with a dish or saucer that fits inside the top of the bowl.  Every half hour or so, drain any liquid from the eggplant by pushing down on the saucer &inverting the bowl.  This really makes the eggplant less bitter.  I let it sit and drain it for at least 2 hours.  

While in the draining process, chill the egg replacer in the refrigerator.  In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and cornstarch.  If the breadcrumbs are plain, I add some salt, oregano, and dried parsley to the mix.  

Heat some olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  Dip each slice in the egg replacer, and then into the breading mix.  

Fry the breaded eggplant until golden brown on each side.  You may have to do this in a few batches, so that they fit in a single layer in the pan.  

Add the fried eggplant in layers to your ziti.  Bake according to the ziti recipe.

Chili Dog Cheese Fries

Tucson, AZ

Aside from all things pumpkin and pie related (I seriously have a problem with all the pumpkin pie I've been eating!) , October is a very inspiring month for cooking.  I joke that it feels like fall here in Tucson, but after the hottest summer I've ever experienced, like over 100º every day since friggin' May! The upper 80ºs are truly refreshing.  Like a crisp autumn day, haha.

One of the first things I start to think about in the fall is a big pot of  chili.  My chili recipe has changed many many times in the past few years.  This one is my newest recipe.  It is kind of a comfort food extravaganza, and is straying a little from my usual food rules, as it is not completely from scratch.  BUT what if I used (veg) hotdogs as the "meat" in my chili?  Answer: Chili dog chili.  So now, what if I want to take it a couple of gluttonous steps further, and put it on fries?  With cheese?  Boom.  Chili Dog Cheese Fries.

Chili Dog Cheese Fries

These homemade, oven-roasted, fries are delicious on their own, so be sure to give them a try!

For the Fries:
Kid Friendly, Vegan, Gluten free (the fries only, not the chili)
serves 4

6 yukon gold potatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ -1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425º.  Peel and cut potatoes into shoestring fry shape. In a bowl or plastic bag, coat fries with oil and all seasonings.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  ( For an RV oven, half the recipe, or bake each sheet separately.)  Spread fries in a single layer on the parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake 30 minutes, turning fries every 10 minutes.

For the Chili Dog Chili:
Kid Friendly, Vegan
serves 4

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped (optional)
4 vegan hotdogs*, chopped small
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp liquid smoke
1 can kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed
2 plum tomatoes, diced
½ tsp sea salt (or to taste)
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
1 cup Daiya** cheddar

*Vegan hotdogs can be easily found in most grocery stores, usually in the refrigerated part of the produce section.

**Daiya is a brand of vegan cheese.  You can sub with any vegan cheese of choice.  I like Daiya because it is non GMO, it melts, and tastes better than most store bought vegan cheeses.

In a large nonstick pan, heat oil over med high heat.  Sauté onion for 5 minutes.  Add peppers, hotdogs, chili powder, and liquid smoke.  Sauté another 5 minutes.  Add beans, tomatoes, salt, paprika, and garlic powder.  Sauté another 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the cheese until it melts.

Spoon chili over fries, and garnish with cilantro and more cheese if you like.

Lentil Arugula Panzanella Salad

Tucson, Arizona

Lentil Arugula Panzanella Salad

Spring is in the air!  The desert is in bloom.  It's a beautiful day in Tucson.  Weather like this makes me crave panzanella.  An Italian-style bread salad with peppery arugula and hearty lentils, combined with a lemony, feta-like tofu cheese.

Lentil Arugula Panzanella Salad
vegan, nut-free
serves 2

4 cups arugula
wedge of lemon
Lentils (recipe below)
Bread (recipe below)
tofu feta (recipe below)

Split arugula onto 2 plates.  Drizzle with lemon.  Add lentils, bread, and tofu feta.


Tofu feta:
½ cup firm tofu, drained and pressed, crumbled
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp sea salt
dash dill
dash oregano

Add all in a small bowl, stir to combine.  Set aside in the refrigerator to chill and marinate.

For the Bread:
2 slices of thick cut bread
1-2 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper

Let slices of bread dry out on a paper towel for about a ½ hour (or use day old bread, bread going stale).  Cut bread into 1inch squares.
Drizzle each square with olive oil, and sprinkle garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Toast in oven or toaster oven, turning once until crispy and golden brown.  You can also opt to pan fry them over med-high heat until crispy and golden brown.

For the lentils:
1 cup green lentils, rinsed
4 cups water
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil

In a pot, boil water.  Ad lentils and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain well.  Transfer to a small bowl.  Stir in garlic powder, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Stuffed Peppers with Pepperoni Rice

Sedona, AZ

Ok so, pepperoni rice?  How does that work in the vegan world?  Basically we are talking about all the seasoning and flavor found in pepperoni, cooked and absorbed by rice instead of meat.  The rice is spicy, rich, smokey, and perfectly balanced, stuffed and baked inside a bell pepper.  Are you with me?  The rice is awesome on it's own, by the way.   I make it all the time, and it has been a hit with omnivorous pepperoni lovers, as well as vegetarians.  Not to mention it is much healthier than actual pepperoni without all those nitrates and cholesterol.

Stuffed Peppers with Pepperoni Rice

Stuffed Peppers with Pepperoni Rice
serves 4
gluten free, vegan

4 bell peppers- tops cut and seeds removed
¼ cup vegan mozzarella (optional)
1 cup basmati rice
1 small tomato, diced
1 ¾ cup water
½ tsp fennel seed
½ tsp garlic powder, or 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
½ tsp onion powder, or about ½ a yellow onion, diced
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ Tbsp soy sauce, tamari, or liquid aminos
½ tsp liquid smoke

For the rice:
In a small bowl add tomato, water, fennel, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, cayenne, salt & pepper, ketchup, olive oil, soy sauce, and liquid smoke.  stir to combine.  Pour mixture into a pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and stir in rice.  Cover and let simmer on low 25 minutes.  Remove from heat.

For the Peppers:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Wrap peppers in foil and bake 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and spoon in pepperoni rice into each pepper until full.  Bake another 20-25 minutes until heated through and pepper is tender.  Top with vegan cheese (optional) and bake a few more minutes until cheese is hot and bubbly.

To make my own veg mozzarella, I use the cheese from this Somer McCowan recipe (below).  It is very easy, very cheesy, very melty, and very delicious!  I like it much better than store bought veg cheese.

Moxarella Cheese Recipe

Eggplant Parm Risotto- Easy Slow Cooker Recipe

Sedona, AZ

Oh sweet sweet comfort food.

Eggplant Parm Risotto - Easy Slow Cooker Recipe
for a 4 qt slow cooker, 4-6 servings
Easy, Gluten free, Kid Friendly, Oil free variation, Vegan

2 medium sized eggplants, peeled & cut to ¼" cubes
4 cups marinara sauce (RVegan Marinara recipe below)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup arborio rice (risotto rice)
1 cup your favorite veg cheese (my simple cashew ricotta recipe below)
2 Tbsp olive oil  (optional)

Drizzle olive oil in the slow cooker.  Add eggplant, marinara, broth, arborio rice, and veg cheese.  Stir well to combine.  Cook in the slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours.  Scoop into serving bowls.  Top with cashew parmesan (recipe below)

Eggplant Parm Risotto

RVegan Marinara
makes 4 cups
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh basil
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp fennel seed (optional)
½ cup dry red wine
sea salt to taste

Combine in a pot and cook on low for 30-40 min. (No need to pre-cook if it's going in the slow cooker)




Personally, I'm not a huge advocate for store bought vegan cheese.  It is highly processed and most don't pass my strict,  label reading scrutiny.  I do, however, make my own cheese from scratch and love it!  The ricotta is rich and creamy.  The cashew parmesan topping is perfect for salads, vegetables dishes, pastas, and pizza.  If nothing else, you must try this!

RVegan Cashew Ricotta (and Parmesan topping)
makes 1 cup ricotta, 2 Tbsp parmesan
1 cup raw cashews
¼ cup firm tofu
¼ tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp olive oil (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice

For the ricotta:
In a processor, process the cashews into a crumble.  Scoop out 2 Tbsp and set aside.  Process remaining cashews into a fine powder.  Add tofu, sea salt,  olive oil, & lemon juice to the processor with the remaining cashew powder.  Pulse to combine.

For the parmesan:
In a med-high heated pan, add the 2 Tbsp cashew crumble with a dash of  sea salt and a dash of garlic powder.  Heat only until fragrant.  Let cool.  Set aside to sprinkle on top of your risotto.


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White Bean Cheddar Burger

Sedona, AZ

  I know I always talk/rant (haha) about healthy eating.  But  I just want to be clear, my diet is in no way about deprivation!  I enjoy food more than anyone I know.  The combination of tasting delicious, with feeling great from all the health benefits of the diet is part of what makes it so enjoyable!   The key to delicious, healthy, plant-based food is this:  Fresh produce, creative substitutions, and a killer spice rack.  My recipe ingredients may sometimes be a little unusual,  but their flavor profiles often recreate classic flavors and dishes into healthy, natural, veganized ones.   My White Bean Cheddar Burger, for example, contains all whole food natural ingredients.  No dairy or processed imitation cheese involved, but it sure is cheddary!  

  As an added bonus, these burgers contain turmeric which is an excellent superfood!  Turmeric is a root in the ginger family.  It is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial food.  It naturally treats joint pain, sores, digestion issues, and skin conditions such as eczema and chicken pox!  It also helps the body recover rapidly from bruising and sprains.  Really quite incredible.  So it's time to add turmeric to your grocery list.  You can sometimes find it in the produce section near the ginger.  If you can't find it fresh, you can find it dried and ground, in the spice section of the grocery store.  

White Bean Cheddar Burger

White Bean Cheddar Burger
Dinners, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Oil free, Quick Meals, Sandwiches, Vegan, Vegan Cheeses
makes 2 burgers

1 cup cooked navy beans
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (much different flavor from regular paprika, in spice section)
2 Tbsp chopped onion
1 clove garlic, pressed or grated
1/8 tsp fresh turmeric, grated or 1/8 tsp dried ground turmeric
1 tsp lemon juice & zest
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp fresh parsley
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

In a bowl, mash beans with a fork while slowly adding all other ingredients.  Stir and mash to combine.   Form into 2 patties.

On a very lightly sprayed or oiled pan, over medium heat, sauté for approximately 6-7 minutes on each side.  Until golden brown.  Serve hot.  Excellent topped with Tahini Thousand Island Dressing (recipe here)!


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Pepperoni Pizza Crust with Almond Cheese

Boulder, CO

   I had a conversation with a co-worker yesterday.  She said,  "My science teacher in high school once told me my nails would be healthier and stronger if I eat Jello."  I told her that I thought there was no way Jello could be beneficial to your health, it's not even real food.   We went back and forth like this.  But it got me thinking, where do people come up with this stuff?  Someone reads a study, that study was funded by Jello (for example), and the people who read it are like "Nice! I will eat lots of Jello and I will have great nails!"
  Examples of these misleading studies are everywhere.  Even in produce.  Did you know that a serving of broccoli has more vitamin C than an orange?  The orange industry just picked a positive vitamin, and  used it in their advertising and all of a sudden, an orange is the image America pictures when they hear vitamin C.
  Milk gives you strong bones and a healthy body, right?  Milk drinking countries such as the US,  have more cases of osteoporosis and bone issues than any countries that consume very little or no dairy.  No animals drink the milk of a different animal, except humans.  Maybe we don't need it!
   I've been looking at basic nutrition with a different eye lately.  Fad diets and American's idea of what is healthy for them, often comes from multimillion dollar industries that are spending top dollar to make you think that.  You surely can't believe everything you hear about nutrition.  Common sense is a good start.  Vegetables are good!  All of them.

  Ok so maybe you don't care about all that.  Maybe you just don't want to give up things that you like.  I get that.  Try this!  Pepperoni crust tastes just like pepperoni. Soft, decadent almond cheese will leave your cheese cravings 100% satisfied.  Load that pizza with toppings of choice such as I did with fresh baby spinach & mushrooms, and you will be one happy camper!

Vegan Pepperoni Pizza Crust with Almond Cheese

Pepperoni Crust with Almond Cheese and Mushroom Spinach toppings

For the Almond Cheese:

1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight or 8 hrs in water, then drained
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp fresh basil
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil

-process ingredients until smooth

For the Pepperoni Crust:
makes 2 12"pizzas

1 1/3 cup warm water 115º F (temp is very important to activate the yeast)
1tbsp active baking yeast
2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp of the following: red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp liquid aminos
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp cornmeal (for bottom of the pan, don't mix with flour)

In a small bowl, mix ketchup, liquid aminos, and liquid smoke.  Add the warm water and stir.  Stir in yeast and let sit about 5 minutes until yeast gets all foamy.

Meanwhile, in a Lg bowl, mix flours and all spices together.  Once wet mixture is foamy, add wet into dry mix and stir.  Knead dough for 3- 5 min to combine.  Let sit in the bowl, covered by a towel for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500º.  On a small greased (I use olive oil) baking sheet or 12" pizza pan, sprinkle cornmeal over pan.  Divide dough mixture in half and slowly stretch dough with your hands.  Pretend it's a steering wheel and make a looong left turn.   Place stretched dough on the pan, and gently push the edges outward until the dough fits the pan.
Top with almond cheese, and any other toppings you choose.
Bake on top rack 5 minutes, than move to the bottom rack and bake another 5 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve hot.

* Use other half for 2nd pizza, or roll into little balls coated with garlic and fry in a pan for pepperoni garlic balls.  Yum!  Leftover dough can be stored in a plastic bag in fridge for up to 4 days.

If you try this recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

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Baked Ziti Pizza and The Best Pancakes Ever.

9/20/12  Back in Boulder, CO

  So I've been a vegetarian for 20 years.  I always loved animals and decided to stop eating them at a young age.  I grew up in New Jersey, and ate an abundance of pasta and pizza.  It was great!  It was an easy transition for me.  I've always loved cooking for my family and getting creative in the kitchen.  I am 3/4 Italian, 1/4 Southern farm girl, which basically means I have no choice.  I want to feed you.  My absolute favorite pastime is cooking someone a meal.   

  

   I tried to go vegan as a teen, back in '96, but it only lasted a few days until I had an uncontrollable craving for pancakes and butter.  During those few days of being teen vegan Karen, I also worried about pizza.  How would I get my all consuming pizza fix?  Anyone that knows me will tell you that I NEED pizza.  I'm obsessive about it.  My soul depends on it. You just can't taste NJ shore pizza and then... just do without it for the rest of your life!  It can't be done.  This pizza obsession carried through my teens, twenties, and until recently, I had not even considered going vegan again because of it.       

  The more I got into creative cooking,  the better I got at it.  I learned about all kinds of new ingredients.  I cut out almost all foods that were processed, or had preservatives in them.  I started making everything from scratch.  I like knowing what is in my food.  If I read a packaging label and have no clue what the ingredient is, then I don't eat it.  Now I was never a big girl or anything, but the minute I started doing this, I lost 30 lbs.  I have maintained that weight for about 4 years now.   My eating habits have never really been about weight loss,  but it sure was a nice perk!

  The more natural, real foods I consume, the better I feel.  More energy, happier, feeling better.  I did eventually cut out almost all dairy except for mozzarella for my homemade pizzas and butter for my pancakes.  The more plant based my diet became, the less dairy I craved.  Then I started reading about how plant based diets can actually heal people's ailments.  A plant based diet can actually cure heart disease, reverse diabetes, and obesity.   One day it just clicked.  It makes sense that what you eat affects how you feel.  Food can heal you.  If you eat crap, you feel like crap.  I thought about veganism again.  100% plant based diet.  I experimented on making dairy free cheeses using different people's recipes and adding my own touch to some.  It took awhile but I got there....and here I am.  

Baked Ziti Pizza.  Why? Just trust me.

Vegan Baked Ziti Pizza

for the crust:

2/3 c. luke warm/hot water

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tbsp active yeast

1 c. all purpose flour

3/4 c whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

-In a small bowl add sugar and pour water in.  Mix until sugar dissolves.  Sprinkle yeast over water and stir.  Let sit 5 min until yeast looks foamy.  Meanwhile in a separate large bowl, mix flours and salt.  When water mixture is foamy, slowly pour into flour mixture mix together, then knead for about 3 minutes.  Let rest in bowl, covered with a towel for at least 30 minutes. 

for the cheese:

1 c. firm tofu, crumbled  (Wait, don't go! I said trust me!)

2 tbsp Nutritional yeast

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1tbsp olive oil

-smash and mix all cheese ingredients with a fork

for the sauce:

14 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp paprika

2 tbsp red wine

1/2 a jalepeno chopped (optional)

-in a small pot, saute garlic and olive oil over med heat until golden brown.  turn temp to low, add crushed tomato, oregano, parsley, salt, fennel, paprika, jalepeno, and wine.  Cook 20 min or so, until the dough is done

1/2 lb ziti or penne, cooked

- Preheat oven to 425.  Rub some olive oil over a 9x13" casserole dish...or the biggest that will fit in your teeny tiny RV oven.  When dough is ready it should have just about doubled in size.  Pick it up and stretch it a bit.  Pretend it's a steering wheel, and make a long left turn.  Lay it in the casserole dish and push it around, stretching it more and more, make it fit that casserole dish!  It will resist but eventually give in and fit that thing.

-Mix the cooked pasta and the sauce together.  Pour it on top of the dough.  Layer the top with the cheese mixture.

Bake at 425 for about 15 min or until crust looks golden brown.

The Best Pancakes Ever

makes 4-6 pancakes

1/2 c. All purpose flour

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

2 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 c. water 

1/4 tsp cinnamon

handful chopped walnuts or pecans

2 dates, chopped

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp rosemary 

3 dried figs, chopped

1 tsp coconut oil

in a large bowl, mix everything except the water, vanilla, and coconut oil.  Slowly add water and vanilla to mixture and stir to combine.

-Heat frying pan med/high.  Add coconut oil.  When pan is good and hot, pour pancake batter about the size...of a pancake! onto the pan.  let it brown for 3-5 minutes before flipping to the other side.  3 min on the other side.  

I use Earth Balance organic buttery spread.  It tastes as close to butter as I've ever tasted, and it is totally vegan.  Serve hot!

If you happen to try any of my recipes, please post a comment and let me know what you think!

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Heirloom Zucchini over Polenta and a Homemade Plum Tomato Sauce

9/05/12  Boulder Canyon- Boulder, CO

                         
  We go grocery shopping often.  2-3 times per week.  We eat so much fresh produce everyday, but have this little RV fridge which is approx ⅓ the space of a standard household fridge.   Some of it doesn’t need refrigeration but most does.  So today was a grocery shopping day.  I found some delicious looking heirloom zucchinis, which are now the inspiration for my dinner tonight. Heirloom Zucchini over polenta and a homemade fresh plum tomato sauce!
   If you've never had polenta with fresh tomato sauce you are missing out on something so glorious you will want it everyday.  Especially if you are a gluten free vegan who misses Italian food, oh my god, this is your new favorite thing ever.  I don’t have any problem with gluten, but I try to eat a variety of different grains and starches.  Polenta is cornmeal cooked into a thick paste which may not sound appetizing, but oh it is.  I buy organic polenta from the bulk bin at my local natural grocer.  Corn and soy beans are the most common crops that are genetically modified, so I always make sure any corn or soy product I buy is organic, to assure me it is non GMO.  Organic foods cannot be genetically modified.

Heirloom Zucchini
over Polenta and a Homemade Plum Tomato Sauce
(serves 2) Vegan, Gluten Free

2 heirloom zucchini, sliced lengthwise about 1/4" thick
1/4 c onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cayenne pepper, sliced thin
salt & pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1tsp dried parsley
1 tsp fresh parsley
3 tsp olive oil, separated 1 tsp & 2 tsp
1 tbsp red wine
1 c grits or polenta
2 c water
pinch of fresh rosemary
1/4 c vegan cream cheese*

For the sauce:
med/high heat on the stove, heat a pan and add onion, garlic, tomatoes, cayenne, oregano, fennel, parsley, 1 tbsp olive oil, red wine, and salt & pepper to taste. Layer sliced zucchini right on top of the sauce and cover pan.  Cook until zucchini is tender.

For Polenta:
While sauce is cooking, in a separate pot, boil water, add grits, 2 tbsp olive oil, and salt & pepper, cook 20 min stirring often until polenta thickens.

Take tender strips of zucchini, spoon on a thin layer of cream cheese, and a layer of the sauce.

Spread polenta on a plate, add some of the sauce over the polenta, layer zucchini over the bed of polenta & sauce.  Sprinkle with fresh rosemary.  Serve hot.

* I made my own cream cheese using the recipe from VegNews Magazine's Sept/Oct 2012 issue.  It came out absolutely amazing.  You can also find vegan cream cheese in a natural grocer or health food store.

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