Tempeh Reuben Sandwich

Seems like most vegetarian restaurants offer a Tempeh Rueben but sometimes the dressing isn't vegan or dairy cheese is used . Here's a vegan take on a Rueben. Unfortunately, the sandwich doesn't take a very pretty picture but it makes up for it in taste!

This recipe is for 8 sandwiches, we made the full amount of Tempeh and saved for leftovers.

Tempeh Reuben Sandwich

Seasoned Tempeh

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 small onion, quartered

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 bay leaf

1 8 0z. pkg. tempeh, sliced on a bias.

Thousand Island Dressing

1/4 cup vegan mayo.

3 T. relish

2 T. ketchup

Sandwiches

16 slices rye bread

5 oz. vegan Monterey Jack cheese, sliced (we used mozzarella that was crumbled)

2 cups sauerkraut

Tempeh: Combine soy sauce, onion, garlic, bay leaf and 2 cups water in saucepan over medium heat. Add tempeh slices and bring to a simmer. (cut tempeh into thin slices on a bias).

Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer 20 minutes. Cover, and let tempeh cool in broth.

Thousand Island Dressing: Mix together mayo, relish and ketchup in small bowl.

Sandwiches: Toast bread. Set aside. Drain tempeh, and discard liquid, onion, garlic and bay leaf.

Place 3 slices tempeh on one set of bread. Top with cheese slices or sprinkles. Broil 3-5 min, or until cheese has melted.

Top each sandwich with 1/4 cup sauerkraut. Spread other bread slices with Thousand Island Dressing. Place tops on sandwiches, and slice in half.

Quinoa Cherry Salad

Last time Kevin and I visited Greenfield Village we stopped by the cafeteria for lunch. We were pleasantly surprised by the salad station and liked the Quinoa salad so much we decided to remake it at home.

Nutrients in Quinoa

One cup (cooked) quinoa contains eight grams of protein, nearly twice the amount found in other grains. Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it provides the body all nine essential amino acids.

Quinoa and Dried Cherry Salad

1 cup cooked Quinoa

3 green onions, chopped

1/2-3/4 cup dried cherries (I used dried Bing cherries from Trader Joe's)

1/2-3/4 cup walnuts, chopped

3 cups baby spinach

bottled Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing (Trader Joe's)

Cook the Quinoa as directed on box.

Mix cooked Quinoa, chopped green onions, dried cranberries and walnuts with desired amount of bottled Raspberry dressing. Lay on bed of baby spinach or toss spinach in with Quinoa mixture.

Tempeh and Black Bean Burritos

This tastes like chili wrapped up in a tortilla. Actually, you can make these for a party by cutting them in half, serving on a platter and adding various toppings.

Cuban Black Beans from Trader Joe's are excellent in this dish, but you can certainly use black beans and add your own spices (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder).

Tempeh and Black Bean Burrito

1 pkg. Tempeh

2 Tbl. olive oil

1 shallot or small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped

1 15-oz. can Trader Joe's Cuban Black Beans or regular Black Beans

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes

2 tsp. lime juice

salt and pepper

whole-wheat tortillas

Note: To soften tempeh and help it absorb flavors, steam or simmer in a marinade broth or sauce at least 15 minutes.

Boil the Tempeh in plain water or vegetable broth for approximately 10-15 min. Once cooled, finely chop or use food processor.

Heat oil in saucepan. Add onions, and saute 10 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms and Tempeh and cook 5 minutes.

Add black beans, diced tomatoes, lime juice and salt/pepper. Reduce heat and let cook for approximately 20 minutes.

Fill your tortillas and top with fresh tomatoes, green peppers or store bought salsa.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Olives and Bread Crumbs

When I saw this recipe I just had to make it. Kevin loves olives and this spaghetti is loaded with green and black olives giving it both fruity and salty flavors. I only had plain bread crumbs on hand so I added dried basil, oregano and garlic salt to the crumbs.

Spaghetti with Olives and Bread Crumbs: Giada at Home Cookbook

1 pound spaghetti pasta

3/4 cup olive oil

2/3 cup Italian-style seasoned dried bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon black peppper

3/4 cup pitted and coarsely chopped black olives, such as kalamata

3/4 cup pitted and coarsely chopped large green olives, such as Cerignola

1/3 cup soy parmesan cheese

4 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Add the pasta to boiling water and cook according to pkg. directions.

Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Stirring constantly, cook the bread crumbs until golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Stir the pasta into the bread crumb mixture. Remove the pan from the heat and add the black and green olives. Add the soy Parm. cheese and 3 tablespoons of the parsley. Season the pasta with the salt and pepper, if needed. Gently toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.

Red Onion & Beet Soup

Beets don't have to be limited to Greek Salads, try out this meatless borscht.

The original recipe calls for canned beets but you can also used fresh roasted beets.

NOTE: Beets are highly nutritious and “cardiovascular health” friendly root vegetables. Certain unique pigment antioxidants present in this plant have found to offer protection against coronary artery disease and stroke, lower cholesterol levels in the body and have anti-aging effects.

Red Onion & Beet Soup: Table for Two Cookbook (Joanne Stepaniak)

Tofu Sour Cream

2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 15-oz can sliced beets, undrained

water or vegetable broth, as needed

1 Tablespoon apple juice concentrate

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Place the potatoes in a steamer basket or steamer insert in a large saucepan filled with an inch of water. Bring the water to a boil. Cover the saucepan with a lid, and reduce the heat to medium. Steam the potatoes until they are fork-tender, about 20-25 minutes. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, place the olive oil in a 4 1/2 quart saucepan or dutch oven over med. heat. When the oil is not, add the onion and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and saute them for about 20 minutes, or until the onion is very soft and tender.

3. While the onions are cooking, drain the beets but reserve the liquid. Add enough water or vegetable broth to the liquid to equal 4 cups. Set aside.

4. Slice the beets into thin strips. When the onions have finished cooking, stir the beets, reserved liquid (from step #3), apple juice concentrate, and lemon juice into the saucepan containing the onions.

5. Add the potatoes to the soup (or keep and add to individual bowls). Warm the soup and season with salt and pepper. Top each serving with soy sour cream.

Yield 5 cups

Doggie Pumpkin Pie Muffins

Since the pups liked the Hummus Muffins so much, I decided to try another dog treat recipe from "It's a Vegan Dog's Life" cookbook.  www.veganflower.com

Pumpkin Pie Muffins (dog treats)

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

1 Tbsp. ground flax

1 Tbsp. hulled hemp seeds (optional)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. dried ground ginger

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup pumpkin

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin pans with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine flour, nutritional yeast, cinnamon, ginger, flax, hemp seeds and baking soda. Add oil, pumpkin, molasses and water, mixing well. The batter will be thick. Scoop batter into the muffin pans and bake for 15-25 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before serving. Store in the fridge.

Makes approximately two dozen mini muffins.

Tempeh - what is it?

Tempeh(/ˈtɛm.peɪ/), or tempe (Indonesian), is a traditional soy product originally from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form.

Tempeh has been a favorite food and staple source of protein in Indonesia for several hundred years. Tempeh is a complete protein food that contains all the essential amino acids. The soy protein and isoflavones have many health benefits. Isoflavones strengthen bones, help to ease menopause symptoms, reduce risk of coronary hearth disease and some cancers. Tempeh maintains all the fiber of the beans and gains some digestive benefits from the enzymes created during the fermentation process.