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.

Bronzed Tempeh with Broccoli and Spicy Peanut Sauce

Bronzed Tempeh With Broccoli and Spicy Peanut Sauce: The Vegetarian Meat & Potatoes cookbook: Robin Robertson

1 pound tempeh, cut into 4 pieces

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 scallions, chopped

1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons tamari or other soy sauce

1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon peanut oil

3 tablespoons creamy natural peanut butter

1 teaspoon Asian chile paste

1/4 cup water

2 cups broccoli florets, lightly steamed until crisp-tender

1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts

Hot cooked rice

1. Place the tempeh in a medium-size saucepan with water to cover, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 min. Drain the tempeh and place in a shallow bowl.

2. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, scallions, ginger, tamari, sherry, and sugar. Pour over the tempeh and marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Remove the tempeh from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Add the tempeh to the hot skillet and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 2 minutes total. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

4. Add the reserved marinade to the skillet and boil to reduce by one third. Stir int he peanut butter, chile paste, and water, blending well. Return the tempeh to the skillet, turning to coat it with the sauce. Stir in the broccoli and peanuts, tossing lightly to combine and heat through. Serve at once, over hot cooked rice.

Healthy Salad

Salad

The base of the salad is a mix of Arugula and Romaine greens. Then I added red pepper, zucchini, shallots, and chickpeas I topped it with avacado slices and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds. The dressing is mix of dijon mustard, agave, brown rice vinegar, olive oil and salt & pepper.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups - Alicia Silverstone

A taste of heaven in every bite!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups: The Kind Diet cookbook: Alicia Silverstone

1/2 cup Earth Balance butter

3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (preferably unsweetened and unsalted)

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs or 10 graham cracker squares

1/4 cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener

1 cup non dairy chocolate or carob chips

1/4 cup soy, rice, or nut milk

1/4 cup chopped pecans, almonds, or peanuts

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and maple sugar and mix well. Remove the mixture from the heat. Evenly divide the mixture, approximately 2 Tablespoons per cup, among the muffin cups.

Combine the chocolate and milk in another pan. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted. Spoon the chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture. Top with chopped nuts. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hour before serving. Store in refrigerator.

Vegetable Stir Fry

This stir fry was made from vegetables I had lounging around in the fridge.

I used leeks, red onions, broccoli, and carrots. The vegetables were cooked in coconut oil along with garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, freshly grated ginger and curry powder. I mixed a little water with corn starch to create a thick glaze that was added at the end of cooking. What a great way to use up all the orphan vegetables in your kitchen!

Vegetarian Pozole

Chef Patrick to the rescue!

I didn't have much time to cook and post recipes this week, so Patrick's Vegetarian Pozole recipe was sent to me just in time. Another great winter meal idea that is a great source of protein and fiber. Enjoy, I know Kevin and I will.

Vegetarian Pozole

The broth to this stew should relatively thin, so I use water/bay instead of veg stock and chop the vegetables the size of the beans and hominy.

• 2 tablespoons oil

• 1 small onion, diced

• 1 medium carrot chopped

• 2 stalks celery chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 6 cups water

• 2 15 oz. can diced tomatoes - "fire roasted" preferred

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder

• 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

• 2 bay leaves

• pinch of ground cloves

• 2 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 3 15 oz. cans hominy, drained and rinsed

• salt

• juice of 2 limes

• small bunch of cilantro washed, dried and roughly chopped

• optional garnishes: avocado, tortilla strips, soy sour cream

1. In a large soup pot, sauté the onion, carrots, celery and garlic in the oil over medium heat until just softened.

2. Add the tomatoes, salt, cumin, oregano, ancho chile, cloves, bay leaf and water and bring to a simmer.

3. Add the pinto beans and hominy and bring back to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Add the lime juice, and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Serve with a sprinkle of cilantro and a squeeze of lime (quarter). Leave optional garnishes on the side.

Mushroom Barley Soup

After a long day of Table Tennis, yes you heard me, I decided to make something warm and cozy and Mushroom Barley soup seemed perfect.

The original recipe is from Soup: A Way of Life cookbook (Barbara Kafka) but I made a few modifications because I didn't have dried porcini mushrooms. I added portabella mushrooms to the regular mushrooms for a bit of variety. I also added a bit of sherry to the mushroom mixture for depth of flavor. Because barley swells a lot as it sits, if not using the soup right away, use a third less barley. Mushrooms are a good source of vitamin B.

Mushroom Barley Soup

7 cups water or Mushroom Broth

a few dashes sherry

4 oz. can baby portabella mushrooms

1 cup pearl barley

1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4" dice

2 small ribs celery, peeled and cut into 1/4" dice

1 T. soy butter

1 small onion

1/4 pound white mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 T. coarsely chopped celery leaves

1/4 cup coarsely chopped dill

4 t. kosher salt

ground pepper

In large pot, add oil and add celery and carrot and barley. Dry cook for several minutes then add 7 cups stock, cook approximately 30 min.

In another pot, add butter and onion. Cook for 8 min. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook for another 5 min. Add a few dashes of sherry (optional).

Add mushroom to broth mixture. Add celery leaves, dill, kosher salt and pepper to taste.

Sushi- Happy New Year!

Have you ever shied away from cooking something just because it sounded intimating? Well, there are several dishes I plan to make this year that I've been nervous about trying and now I'm able to mark sushi off my list. I have to say, it was much easier than I anticipated and I’m looking forward to experimenting with different vegetables next go around.

Once I gathered all my ingredients and found a how-to video on Youtube, I was ready to roll!

Below is the official recipe from a restaurant we frequented in Florida. I dolloped two rolls with the special sauce and replaced the cream cheese with the sauce in the other two rolls.

Dynamite Roll: Sublime Cookbook: Nanci Alexander

4 Sheets nori

6 cups Sushi Rice (read package for instructions, will need sushi vinegar)

1/2 cup soy cream cheese

avocado strips

cucumber strips

carrot strips

Sauce for topping (optional):

1 cup vegan mayo

1/2 cup capers, drained

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

2 T. thinly sliced scallion

2 T. thinly sliced chives (we didn't use)

1 T. white sesame seeds

1 T. black sesame seeds (we didn't use)

Cook rice as instructed on package. Position nori sheets with the lines running vertically. spread a baseball-sized rice ball evenly across each sheet, leaving a 1/4" margin at the top. Place a line of soy cream cheese (If using) 2/3 up sheet, layer with avocado, cucumber and carrot. Place a bit of water on the top margin of nori to seal. Use a sushi mat to wrap the roll tightly. Cut role in half, then half the halves (8 pieces).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the mayo, capers, onion, scallion, chives, and sesame seeds in a bowl and mix well. Spread the mixture on double sheet of foil and bake for about 5 min., until it just begins to brown and is piping hot. Cover each piece with a dollop of the baked topping.