Kung Pao "Mock" Chicken

Kung Pao "Mock" Chicken (from an old Cooking Light Recipe)

Spicy and delicious. I think it's even better the next day.

1 T. canola oil, divided

4 cups broccoli florets

1 T. ground fresh ginger, divided

2 T. water

1/2 t. crushed red pepper

1 pkg. "mock" chicken strips (whole foods)

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 T. hoisin sauce

2 T. rice wine vinegar

2 T. soy sauce

1 t. cornstarch

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 T. coarsely chopped salted peanuts (or cashews)

NOTE: I usually saute' the "mock" chicken strips in a little soy butter to brown up a bit then set aside.

1) Heat 1 teas. oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and 2 teas. ginger to pan, saute' 1 min.

Add water. Cover, cook 2 min. or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Remove broccoli from pan, keep warm.

2) Heat remaining 2 teas. oil in pan, add remaining 1 teas. ginger, crushed red pepper, and "mock" chicken. Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring frequently.

3) Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan, cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Return broccoli mixture to pan, toss to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts or salted cashews.

Mushroom Burgers with Almonds and Spinach

These delicious vegetarian patties have a great texture because of the almonds and bulgur. Like other vegetarian patties, they can be a little tricky to turn when you brown them. If they break apart, just patch them together.

¼ cup fine bulgur

½ cup roasted almonds

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound fresh mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

2 large garlic cloves, green shoots removed, minced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons dry white wine (optional)

1 6-ounce bag baby spinach, rinsed, or a 12-ounce bunch of spinach, stemmed and washed

1. Place the bulgur in a bowl with a little salt if desired. Cover with ½ cup hot water and leave for 20 to 25 minutes, until most of the water has been absorbed and the bulgur is soft. Drain through a strainer and squeeze out the water.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, grind the almonds coarsely.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. When they begin to soften and sweat, turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, until the mushrooms have softened. Add the garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and white wine, and continue to cook, stirring, until there is no more liquid in the pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, transfer to the food processor and process until very finely chopped.

4. Return the pan to the heat and add the spinach, a handful at a time. Cook just until it wilts and remove from the heat. Transfer to a strainer and, with the back of a spoon, press out excess water. Add spinach to the food processor and process with the mushrooms and almonds until the ingredients are well blended. Scrape the mixture into a bowl, stir in the bulgur and egg (if using), and season to taste with salt and pepper. Form into patties. If there is time, cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.

5. Heat the remaining oil in a large, heavy skillet or on a griddle over medium heat, and brown the patties for 3 minutes on each side, being very careful when you turn them over. Don’t worry if they fall apart; just patch them together. An offset spatula works well for turning them, and when you remove the patties from the pan, it helps if you place the bottom bun over the patty, slide the spatula underneath the patty and, with your hand on the bun, flip it over. Serve with the condiments of your choice.

Yield: 4 to 6 patties, depending on the size.

Advance preparation: The mixture will keep for up to a day in the refrigerator.

Wild Rice & Lentil Dumplings in Tomato Sauce

Wild Rice & Lentil Dumplings in Tomato Sauce: Vegan cookbook ( Tony Weston & Yvonne Bishop)

I still haven't perfected the dumplings in this dish but the mix of flavors in the dumplings and sauce are fantastic. The tomato sauce consists of red pepper, red onion, balsamic vinegar & a touch of Molasses. The dumplings are a mix of wild rice, lentils, coconut flakes and a bunch of seasonings.

Dumplings

1/2 cup brown basmati rice

1/4 cup wild rice

1/4 cup lentils

2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup self-rising wholegrain flour

1 T. dried coconut

2 1/2 t. dried seaweed flakes

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 t. cumin

1 t. chopped mint

1/4 cup coconut oil

Tomato Sauce

1 T. olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

4 tomatoes, chopped

1 red pepper, seeded and chopped

1 small red chile, finely chopped (optional)

1 T. arrowroot

juice of 1/2 lime

1 T. blackstrap molasses

1 T. balsamic vinegar

1 t. salt

black pepper to taste

Place the rice and lentils in a large saucepan, add 2 cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 min. Drain, rinse well, then return them to the pan.

Add the vegetable stock, bring to boil and simmer for 15-20 min, until the rice is cooked (not all of the stock may be absorbed).

Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan and gently fry the onion until soft. Add the tomatoes, red pepper and chile to the pan and simmer for about 10 min.

Grease a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drain the rice and lentils, place in a mixing bowl and add the flour, coconut seaweed, garlic, cumin, mint and salt and pepper.

Using 2 spoons dipped in warm water to prevent sticking shape the lentil mixture into ovals the size of an egg and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Top each dumpling with a knob of coconut oil and bake for about 20 min., turning and basting occasionally, until golden and crispy all over.

Place the tomato mixture in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Mix together the arrowroot and lime juice and add to the sauce. With the machine still running, add the molasses, vinegar and salt and pepper, then return the sauce to the pan and simmer until the mixture thickens.

To serve, put the crispy dumplings into warmed bowls and pour over the tomato sauce.

Patrick's Mango,Pineapple,Banana Smoothie

Patrick treated us to fresh smoothies today at Section8! We think he burned out the blender's motor.

Stuffed Peppers

I took my mom's recipe and replaced the meat with ground "fake" meat, mixed it with wild rice vs. white rice and added a can of diced tomatoes to the mix. The sauce is thick and sweet

Girls Night

Some strawberries dressed with balsamic vinegar and sugar along with mini corn and cheddar muffins

Curry Tempeh & Scalloped Potatoes

Sunday night dinner. Mom's scalloped potatoes "veganized" to go along with baked Tempeh that was marinated in curry/ginger sauce.

Cannellini Bean and Soy Sausage Gratin

We eat this as a one dish meal but I've also taken it as a side dish to my parents. My dad and uncle gobble it up!

I use Tofurky Italian Sausage and cut it up into small pieces.

Cannellini Bean and Soy Sausage Gratin

3 T. olive oil

4 Italian Soy - Tofurkey sausages cut into small pieces

1 small bulb fennel, chopped

1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. chopped sage

1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, chopped

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, drained

1/2 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. ground black pepper

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/3 soy parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 8x10 baking dish with oil.

In large skillet, over medium heat, cook the sausage slices until brown. Remove and set aside.

Add the fennel and onion to skillet and cook approximately 5 min. Stir in the garlic and sage, cook 1 min. longer. Add the Swiss chard, a handful at a time, stirring until slightly wilted. Stir in the broth, beans, sausage, salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs and Soy Parm. with the remaining olive oil.

Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve warm.