Month: December 2017

Mushroom Bourguignon SOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!

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I hope you all had an amazing Christmas. We had 1 out of 5 kids home this year and it was a quiet, but a very nice holiday! We made this amazing recipe for Christmas Eve and it was so incredible. My sister-in-law, Tami, said this recipe was amazing and so I decided to give it a try for a nice holiday dinner. This recipe is a must! Seriously! If you have not made a vegan recipe yet, please try this one. It is a top notch comfort food that will leave you so satisfied that you won’t even miss the meat!

MUSHROOMBOURGUIGNON

Taken from veganosity.com

• VEGAN MUSHROOM BOURGUIGNON

• Remember Julia Child’s famous Beouf Bourguignon? Well, we’ve taken that cozy winter dish and made it vegan, and it’s fabulous, if we do say so ourselves. Portobello mushrooms take the place of the beef, because they’re thick and chewy with just the right umami flavor.

• It takes a bit of time to simmer the vegetables and sauce, but it’s not difficult.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, divided (I omitted the olive oil and used a bit of vegetable broth)

• 2 lb (907 g) mushroom caps (we prefer baby Portobellos), stems off and sliced thick

• 6 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1 inch(2.5 cm) circles

• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced

• 1 large shallot, peeled and sliced thin

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

• 2 cups (480 ml) vegetable broth

• 1 ½ cups (360 ml) red wine

• 1 tbsp (15 g) tomato paste

• 2 tsp (5 g) ground sea salt, or to taste

• 2 tbsp (5 g) fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for garnishing

• 2 tsp (1 g) dried Italian seasoning

• Black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1 Fill a pasta pot with water and heat on medium to warm the water.

2 Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add 1 tbsp (15 ml) of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt, sauté for approximately ten minutes or until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3 Add the remaining olive oil and the carrots. Sauté until they begin to brown then add the onions. Cook the onions until they become translucent then add the shallots. Cook until they are browned and caramelized, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.

4 Add the vegetable broth and wine to deglaze the pan. Stir and loosen the pieces of onion and shallot that may have stuck to the pan. Add the tomato paste and stir until it liquefies. Add the salt, thyme, Italian seasoning, and pepper, stir to combine and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for twenty minutes. Add more seasoning if you prefer a stronger flavor.

5 In a small bowl, mix the flour (or corn starch if you want to make it gluten free) and water together until the flour breaks down and the mixture resembles a thick milky substance. There shouldn’t be any dry flour or lumps in the mixture. Add it to the wine sauce and stir well to combine. Add the mushrooms and stir to incorporate within the sauce. Cover and simmer on the lowest temperature for twenty minutes. The sauce will thicken into a stew. Be sure to lift the lid and check to make sure it’s not sticking to the pan or evaporating. That shouldn’t happen if the temperature is low enough, but if it does add a small amount of broth or water and stir.

6 Turn the heat for the pasta water to high and bring to a boil.

7 Twelve minutes before the sauce is done, salt the pasta water (approximately 1 tbsp (15 g)) and add the fettucine to the water. Cook according to the directions on the package.

8 Divide the fettucine by four and make a nest in the center of each plate. Spoon the mushroom Bourguignon on top of the fettucine. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves.

Enjoy!! Also, I want to thank all of you for visiting my blog and referring your friends. I’ve been receiving some very sweet, encouraging notes and I’m so grateful. This Christmas my sweet neighbor wrote me a card thanking me for my blog and gave me this amazing vegan cookbook that I can hardly wait to try.

Look at that carrot cake!! I am thrilled and can’t wait to make and share some recipes! Again, thanks so much for visiting!

Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Banana Bread!

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I have to say a word or two about this recipe.

1st–You’re going to be sooooo tempted to eat this straight out of the oven while its hot, BUT RESIST!!  Don’t do it!! Unlike the usual pumpkin bread recipes, where you love a nice hot slice freshly baked, this recipe needs to sit in the refrigerator over night and even the following day, it is so moist and so good.

2nd–Just because it has pumpkin and banana in, don’t use that as an excuse to eat the whole loaf LOL.

I love Chocolate Covered Katie’s recipes.  You may want to check out her site as well.  She has some awesome desserts for the holidays.  Also, for an oil free option, I left out the oil and used almond milk and it was delicious!  Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Banana Bread

Source: chocolatecoveredkatie.com

Course: Breads

Yield: Yield: 12-16 slices

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour – I like oat flour (240g)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3⁄4 tsp baking powder
  • 3⁄4 tsp salt
  • 1⁄2 tsp each: cinnamon ginger, pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1⁄2 cup mashed, overripe banana (360g)
  • 1⁄2 cup pumpkin puree (120g)
  • 1⁄2 cup pure maple syrup honey, or agave
  • 1⁄16 tsp uncut stevia or 2 tbsp sweetener of choice
  • 1⁄3 cup oil or milk of choice
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1⁄2 cup chocolate chips optional

Directions

  1. *I’ve tried the recipe successfully with spelt, white, and oat flour. Although I can’t vouch for a flour I haven’t tried, please feel free to experiment.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Whisk all liquid ingredients in a separate bowl, then pour wet into dry and stir to form a batter. Smooth into the prepared pan. If desired, press some extra chocolate chips into the top. Bake on the center rack 30 minutes, then do not open the oven door but turn off the heat and leave in the closed oven for 10 additional minutes. Let cool completely, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Taste and texture will be much better the second day (and even better the third day as it will get sweeter). Leftovers can be sliced and frozen if desired.

Amount Per Serving (1)

  • Calories: 92

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Sweet Potato and Beet Green Soup with Farro

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So first off in this post, I have to give a shout out to my girl, Natalie’s, study group friends at Utah Valley University :).  I have a new group of fans :).  Love it!  Anyway, they made my day.  I always love it when I get feedback from you about trying my recipes and your success or failure when trying recipes I post (hopefully not so much failure as success LOL).  If you ever have any questions about recipes that are on the blog, please ask away!!  I love helping friends discover their some times hidden talent of cooking. :).

Whenever I ask anyone if they have tried farro, which is my new fav, by the way, friends always say, “What is farro?”.  Farro is a grain, similar to wheat, but it is not gluten free, so I’m sorry about that for all of you celiacs friends.  It is perfect in this soup recipe. My hubs and I think it is so hardy and oh, so so good!  You’ve got to try it.  It’s also a great source of iron and extremely high in fiber. I’m going to be posting more recipes with farro just because I LOVE IT!!

One thing I would do different next time in this recipe is add a can or two of white beans.  I added this ingredient to recipe as an option.  I think it would be the icing on the cake haha.  I loved this recipe and will definitely be making it again!

Also, I decided to use my Instant Pot to speed things up a bit, but I cooked mine a tad bit too long.  I used the “soup” setting and I set it for 15 min.  I think 10 min would be perfect.  I’m still trying to perfect my cooking technique with the Instant Pot.  We are very slowly becoming friends hehe.

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Sweet Potato And Beet Green Soup with Farro

img_9873

Adapted from a willcookforfriends.com recipe

Course: Soup

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 45 min Stovetop or 15 min total Instant Pot

Total Time: 1 hr Stovetop or 45 min Instant Pot

Yield: 8 servings

Serves: 8 Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 1 bunch beet greens (from about 4-6 beets) washed, stems removed and diced, leaves roughly chopped (steamed for approximately 4 min and submerged in a cold bath to shock it) I did not cook my stems but saved them to saute with the onion and garlic.
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
  • 1⁄2 tsp. each ground cumin, sweet paprika, and tumeric powder
  • 1 cup farro
  • 6 cups low sodium vegetable stock
  • 2 cans white beans (optional)
  • 1⁄4 cup fresh parsley chopped (2T. dried parsley)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • green onions for garnish

Directions for stovetop:

  1. In a large pot, add a little of the broth, onion, beet stems, garlic, and a big pinch of salt. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until the onions have begun to turn translucent. Add the cumin, paprika, and turmeric, and cook for another 1-2 minutes to toast the spices.
  2. Add the sweet potato and farro, followed by 5 cups of stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 45 minutes, or until the farro is tender.
  3. Add in the cooked beet greens, and cook until the greens are nice and warm.  It won’t take long, just 1-2 min. Add salt and pepper to taste, and if the soup is too thick, a bit more water or stock. Stir in parsley at the very end.
  4. Soup can be served immediately, or cooled down and stored in the fridge for up to five days, or the freezer indefinitely. The farro will continue to absorb some more liquid as the soup cools, so if you reheat it and it seems too thick, add a bit more water or stock, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Directions for Instant Pot (IP):

  1.  In the Instant Pot add a little of the broth, push the saute button and wait until the IP heats up and add onion, beet stems, garlic, and a bit pinch of salt. img_9868
  2. Saute for about 5 min, or until the onions have begun to turn translucent.  Add cumin, paprika and turmeric, and cook for another 1-2 min to toast the spices (this is what we call blooming the spices and you can smell how fragrant they are and it’s delightful :).
  3. Add the sweet potato and farro, followed by 6 cups of stock.  img_9870
  4. Cover with the lid and lock it (on mine, you hear a chime sound when it locks) and push the cancel button, and now push the soup button and adjust the time to 10 min. Now you just have to wait…………..BUT while I waited I couldn’t help but treat myself to a slice of this delicious banana pumpkin bread haha.  I was starving after work.  I’ll share the recipe very soon :).  It’s delish!  Anyway, I digress haha.img_9872
  5. After the IP beeps, release the pressure and wait for it to all release and then remove the lid.  Add the canned beans (optional) and cooked beet greens, stir and taste, but be careful not to burn your mouth.  It’s crazy hot!  We topped ours with a few green onions and it was so good!  Enjoy!

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Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

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Last week I made a recipe that my sister-in-law, Tami, referred to me and it was delicious and quick.  Love those kind of recipes after a busy day at work :). This is a recipe to keep in mind when you’re carb loading before your next big endurance run/ride :).  Enjoy!

Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta (optional GF)

img_9818

10-ingredient roasted red pepper pasta with a creamy, savory-sweet red pepper sauce and fresh parsley. Light, healthy, and simple, yet incredibly satisfying.

Source: minimalistbaker.com

Course: Main Course

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Total Time: 1 hr

Yield: 4

Serves: 4

img_1262

  • 2 red bell peppers (~119 g each)
  • 2-3 Tbsp (30-45 ml) olive oil (I did not use oil — optional)
  • 2 shallots finely chopped (~1/4 cup or 40 g)
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped (2 Tbsp or 12 g)
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 1⁄2 cups (360 ml) Unsweetened Original Almond Breeze Almond Milk
  • 2 Tbsp (6 g) nutritional yeast
  • 1 1⁄2 Tbsp (10 g) cornstarch or arrowroot powder, (or other thickener of choice)
  • optional: Pinch red pepper flake (for heat)
  • 12 ounces (340 g) gluten-free or non gluten free 🙂 linguini or spaghetti noodles, (or other noodle of choice)
  • Vegan Parmesan (easy to make; google it 🙂
  • Finely chopped fresh parsley or basil (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 500 degrees F (260 C) and roast red peppers on a baking sheet until charred – about 25-30 minutes. Cover in foil for 10 minutes to steam, then remove (peel away) charred skin, seeds and stems. Set aside.
  2. Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain, toss in a touch of olive oil, cover with a towel and set aside.
  3. While the red peppers are roasting, bring a large skillet over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic in 2-3 Tbsp olive oil until golden brown and soft – about 4-5 minutes. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and stir. Remove from heat and set aside.
  4. Transfer sautéed shallot and garlic to blender with roasted peppers, almond milk, red pepper flake, nutritional yeast and cornstarch. Season with desired amount of salt, pepper, and red pepper flake.img_9813
  5. Blend until creamy and smooth, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt and pepper or nutritional yeast for flavor. You want the flavor to be pretty robust and strong since the noodles don’t have much flavor – so be generous with your seasonings.img_9814
  6. Once blended, place sauce back in the skillet over medium heat to thicken. Once it reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and continue simmering.
  7. Once sauce is thickened to desired consistency (see photo), add noodles. However, before tossing add a touch more olive oil (optional), salt and pepper to the un-tossed noodles for added flavor. Then, toss to coat.img_9815
  8. Serve with (generous amounts of) vegan parmesan, red pepper flake, and fresh chopped parsley or basil.

Amount Per Serving (4)

  • Calories: 487
  • Protein: 14g
  • Sugar: 4g
  • Carbohydrate: 75g
  • Fat: 14g
  • Sodium: 365mg
  • Fiber: 10g

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Peg’s Three Bean Soup

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This time of year makes me crave some good soup! The other night I came home from work and started throwing some deliciousness in a pot thinking that it wouldn’t be all that great, BUT it was so so good! Enjoy!


Sauté together:

1 yellow onion

1/2 jalapeño

3 garlic cloves

1 teas. cumin

1/2 teas. chili powder

Salt and pepper

A little vegetable broth for sautéing.

After the onion is translucent, add the following:

1 large 25 oz can pinto beans

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans

1 15 oz can black beans

4 c vegetable broth

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

1 15 oz can of sweet corn or you can use frozen corn as well

Simmer for approxima 30 -40 min and serve with Costco uncooked Tortillas, cooked of course :), avocado, vegan sour cream, and fresh green onion on top.  You may want to add more cumin and salt and pepper as well to taste.

Enjoy!!