Category: Recipes

Vegan Recipes

Honey Mustard Tempeh

Honey Mustard Tempeh

It has been a while  since I have posted, but it has been a little crazy the last few months.  I have been trying to adjust to working and having the kids in school.  How I miss the homeschooling days!  An upcoming post will be on packing school lunches, which has turned out to be a challenge.

I have also been trying to work with an even tighter grocery budget.  The job that my husband was offered fell through, so now we have more bills and less money.  I have faith that it will all work out, but the waiting is hard.  I know that God will provide and that a better opportunity will come about.

Honey Mustard tempeh is a quick and cheap dinner that turned out to be delicious.  Tempeh is a great source of protein and it is so yummy.  The key is to boil the tempeh before cooking with it.  I boil mine in a marinade instead of just plain water (recipe follows).  It gives the tempeh a great flavor and then you can use it for anything, even just for sandwiches.

Honey Mustard Tempeh

 

1 package of tempeh

Tempeh Marinade (recipe follows)

2 TBSP dijon mustard

1 TBSP Honey or agave

 

Cut the block of tempeh into 4 slices then cut the slices in half to make 8 thin slices.  Boil the tempeh in the marinade for at least 10 minutes.  Combine the mustard and honey, set aside.  Preheat the broiler.  Remove the tempeh from the marinade and place on a lightly greased sheet pan.  Broil the tempeh on high about 8 minutes on the first side until it is browned (keep an eye on it).  Fill it over and broil about 5 more minutes.  Take the tempeh out of the oven, spoon a little of the honey mustard on each slice and spread it into an even layer.  Return to pan to the oven and broil the tempeh for a few more minutes.  You  just want to topping to brown a little, but it can burn quickly so watch it.   Remove from the oven.  You can serve it hot or cold, it is delicious either way.

 

Tempeh Marinade

 

2 cups water or vegetable broth

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp dijion mustard

2 tbsp honey or agave

 

Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Add in tempeh and simmer for a least 10 minutes.  You can always let it go longer for more flavor.  This marinade can be strained and then frozen after one use to use one more time.  Just make sure to bring it back up to a boil again.

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

fhandvLeave a comment

Vegan Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Vegan Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Vegan Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

The last few weeks have been so crazy for my family.  After looking for full time work for over a year, my husband was finally blessed with a great job in Asheville (where I have really wanted to live).  The same week I found a part time job and we moved.  It has all happened so fast that it hard to believe.  We are so blessed and grateful!  I haven’t really had much time for cooking lately and unfortunately we have had to eat out a lot, but now I am getting back in the kitchen.

Continue reading “Vegan Creamy Tomato Basil Soup” →

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

fhandvLeave a comment

Vegan Macaroni and Cheese (with Cauliflower, but don’t tell)

vegan macaroni and cheese

Who doesn’t love mac and cheese?  My kids are always asking for it and it is one of those things that I don’t like to give them on a regular basis just because it is not very nutritious.  I have found a way to make all of us happy.  The base of this cheese sauce is cauliflower.  It comes out super creamy and cheesy tasting.  I feel a lot better about the kids eating this version of mac and cheese and the kids are happy because I let me have it a lot more.

 

Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

 

1 small head of cauliflower cut into florets

2 TBSP Earth Balance Butter

1 Cup Nutritional Yeast

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp tumeric (optional of color)

juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 tsp salt

2 TBSP tomato paste (ketchup will work too)

1 1/2 cup of non dairy milk

1 lb whole wheat pasta (any small shape)

1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

 

Preheat the oven to 375.  Steam the cauliflower until it is very soft.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions, make sure not to let it go too long or it will be mushy after it is baked.  When the cauliflower is soft add it to a blender with all the remaining ingredients (except breadcrumbs) and blend until it is smooth.  You will probably have to do this in batches.  Lightly butter a large baking dish.  Put in the pasta and then pour the cheese sauce over the top and mix it with the pasta.  Top with the bread crumbs and then bake the mac and cheese for 20-25 minutes, until it is bubbly and the top is lightly browned.  Remove form the oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

fhandvLeave a comment

Black Bean and Corn Salad with Chili Lime Dressing

Vegan black bean and corn salad

This past week has been so hot that I haven’t wanted to cook, which is very unusual for me.  A few night ago I was planning to make black beans and rice, but it was over 100 degrees outside and we had spent a full day kayaking on the lake.  So, all the ingredients I was planning on using went into a salad instead.  It was so light and fresh tasting, just perfect for summer.  The best part was that I didn’t have to turn on the stove.

 

Black Bean and Corn Salad

 

Salad:

1 head of Romaine washed and chopped

1 can of black beans drained and rinsed

1 cup of corn (I just thawed frozen)

1 large tomato diced

1 bell pepper diced (any color will work)

1 avocado sliced

 

Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.  You may want to leave out the avocado if you think there will be leftover salad because it will turn brown fairly quickly.  I just put some on top of each serving of salad.

 

Chili lime salad dressing:

Juice of 2-3 limes

3 TBSP Olive or Canola oil

1 tsp chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

 

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

fhandvLeave a comment

Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

vegan tomato basil pasta sauce

This is my favorite recipe for pasta sauce.  I am trying to avoid the store bought kind because there is so much sugar in it, but it is so convenient.  This sauce is really quick to make because I used canned tomatoes (try to find an organic brand).  Right now I have tons of basil in my little garden, so I think I will be making this a lot.  This makes a big batch of sauce, but you can always freeze the leftovers or cut the recipe in half.

 

Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

 

2 TBSP olive oil

1 onion finely diced

2 cloves of garlic minced

2  28oz cans of crushed tomatoes

2 TBSP tomato paste

2 cups of water

1/2 cup of fresh chopped basil

2 tsp Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add in the onion and cook about 5 minutes until it is translucent.  Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.  Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and water.  Stir it well to mix in the paste.  Bring the sauce up to a simmer and add in the basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Simmer it for 20-30 minutes then remove from the heat.  Serve the sauce over your favorite pasta.

 

 

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

fhandvLeave a comment

Blackberry Jam

vegan blackberry jam

 

Another berry recipe!  We have so many berries it is unbelievable, so I have been trying to use them in everything.  Saturday morning we even had blackberry pancakes.  Today I decided to make some jam with some of the blackberries.  The kids were really excited for it.  We usually don’t use jam or jelly just because it has so much sugar in it, but I couldn’t resist since we have such sweet fresh berries.   I don’t have a canner, so I only made enough for one jar.  You can use this same method to make jam with any berries that you like.  It will last in the fridge for about a week, but I don’t think our jam will make it that long.  I can’t wait for toast in the morning!

 

Blackberry Jam

 

about 2 cups of fresh berries mashed

1 cup of sugar

 

Combine the berries and the sugar in a medium saucepan.  Cook them on high heat for about 5 minutes and then turn down the heat to medium.  Cook the jam for another 15 minutes stirring frequently.  Remove it from the heat and let it cool a little.  Carefully spoon it into a jar or heat proof container and let cool completely.  Refrigerate or freeze.

 

Please let me know what some of you favorite berry recipes are!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

fhandv2 Comments

Berry Cobbler

vegan berry cobbler

The wild blackberries are all ripe where we live.  This was just one of the three baskets that we picked.  Needless to say we have a ton of berries already and there are a lot more to pick in the next few weeks.  After a few hours of picking, we decided to make cobbler.  Blackberry cobbler is on of my Dad’s favorite desserts, so he was super happy.  The cobbler is great as is or with vegan vanilla ice cream.

vegan berry cobbler

 

Berry Cobbler

 

6-8 cups of fresh or frozen berries (just use your favorite ones)

1/4 c sugar (use a little more or less depending on how sweet you like your berries)

3 TBSP flour

 

Cobbler Topping:

2 cups of unbleached flour

1/2 C sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

8 TBSP non hydrogenated vegetable shortening or Earth Balance

3/4 cup of soy or almond milk

 

Preheat the oven to 375.  Lightly grease a large baking dish.  In the dish combine the berries, sugar and flour.

For the topping:  In a large mixing bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add in the shortening and mix it in with your fingers until it feels course.  Add in the milk and mix it in with a fork just until it is combined.  It should be a wet dough.  Spoon the dough on top of the berries.  Bake the cobbler about 25 minutes until the top is lightly browned.  Remove it from the oven and let it cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

fhandvLeave a comment

Strawberry Pie

vegan strawberry pie

We have a strawberry farm close to us, so for a few weeks we had tons of strawberries.  We actually bought so many that I had to freeze some because we could’t eat them all.  I made this pie to help use some of the berries and it was a delicious way to use them.  The crust was nice and flaky and was filled with fresh sweet strawberries.  I topped the pie with a little granola just to give it a little crunch.  The basic recipe for this pie actually came off the bottom of an old pie dish that my mom had.

 

Strawberry Pie

 

1 9 or 10 inch pie shell (here is my recipe for vegan pastry dough from a previous post or you can use store-bought)

About 2 quarts of fresh strawberries, washed and sliced in quarters

1 1/3 cups of water divided

3 TBSP of cornstarch or arrowroot powder

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of granola (optional for topping)

vegan whipped cream (optional for topping)

To blind bake the pie crust:

Preheat the oven to 375.  Place prepared dough in the pie pan and trim it to fit.  Cover the bottom with parchment and then cover it with pie weights or some dried beans to keep it form puffing up while it is baking.  Bake the pie crust about 15-20 minutes until it is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.

 

For the filling:

Dissolve the cornstarch or arrowroot in 1/3 cup of water.  Mash about 1 cup of the berries in a small bowl.  Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add in the mashed berries.  Let boil of a few minutes and then add in the sugar.  Stir until all the of the sugar has dissolved.  Add in the cornstarch mixture and stir until it becomes clear.  Remove from the heat, strain out the pieces of strawberry and let cool completely.

Once the glaze is cool mix it with the rest of the strawberries.  Pour it into the crust and then refrigerate the pie for at least 30 minutes.  Top with granola just before serving.

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

fhandvLeave a comment