Mushroom Miso Soup

This soup is full of flavor while being fairly quick and easy to make. With dried mushrooms, miso, and seaweed stocked in your pantry this can be on the table in 30 minutes. I have made this with buckwheat noodles, ramen noodles, and rice noodles - and like them all. You can use whatever noodles you like or that you have on hand.

To round this out into a more hearty meal, you can add some pan fried tofu to the soup as well. Totally optional, but nice if you want to make this more of a main dish.

Mushroom Miso Soup

Ingredients:

8 oz noodles

1 oz dried shitake mushrooms
5 cups water

1/2 small onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1/2 cup white cabbage, sliced thin
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried wakame

3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp miso (Lately I have been loving the Miso and Easy vegetarian broths)
1 tbsp bouillon (Better Than Bouillon is my go-to)
Dash of Sriracha (optional if you like a little spice)

Lime juice (optional - but really brightens the soup)
Scallions, diced

Directions:

Start a large pan of water boiling and cook your noodles according to the package directions. Be sure they are al dente, as they will be going back into a hot broth. Rinse the noodles in cool water to stop them from cooking, and set aside.

While your noodles are cooking, place the mushrooms and water in a medium sized stock pan and bring to a rolling boil. Add the veggies which are the onion, carrot, celery, cabbage, garlic and the wakame. Let the soup simmer until the vegetables are tender. This should only take around 10 minutes or so. Test the veggies so they are to your liking and not too soft.

When the veggies are done cooking lower the heat and add the soy sauce, miso, bouillon, and Sriracha. Taste the broth and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Remember the miso will keep it's health benefits if it is not boiled so you can add the miso last when you have taken the soup off of the heat. It will dissolve just fine.

Divide the noodles into large soup bowls and ladle the soup over the top of the noodles. Add a dash of lime juice and some diced scallions and enjoy.

Waldorf Kale Salad

I love kale salads in the winter because they are so hearty and because they hold up well to have as leftovers.  This year, I wanted a new and different kale salad in my rotation and this one has quickly become a favorite. This waldorf salad recipe is a loose interpretation of the traditional one with a few different veggies added. It still has the sweet fruit paired with a tangy dressing, and nuttiness from the sunflower seeds. It is a crunchy and tasty salad that has yet to disappoint.

Kale Waldorf Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale, washed and ripped into bite sized pieces
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup cabbage (green, white or purple work well)
1 carrot, shredded
2-3 stalks of celery, diced
1 apple, chopped
1/4 cup raisins

1 tbsp lime juice
1 rounded tbsp dijon mustard
3 tbsp Vegenaise
black pepper

Toasted sunflower seeds or walnuts (toasted walnuts are traditionally added to this salad, but we have a nut allergy in our house so I always sub in sunflower seeds).

Directions:

Wash and dry the kale before ripping the leaves into small bite sized pieces. Put the pieces of kale in a large bowl and sprinkle with the 1/2 tsp of salt. Then vigorously massage the salt into the kale for about 10 minutes. This will soften the kale and make it more tender. Once your kale is ready, add the cabbage, carrot, celery, apple and raisins. Toss to combine.

Mix up the dressing in a small bowl by combining the lime juice, dijon, vegan mayo and some black pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix to coat the salad in the dressing. Sprinkle the salad with the sunflower seeds or walnuts and enjoy.

Chile Caribe with Seitan

My husband's family is from New Mexico and they always serve this chili on holidays. It is a childhood favorite of his, and so I set out to veganize it for him. He has been missing it since he became vegan three years ago. Now, we both love this plant based version. The level of spice will vary based on the chilis. I like mine fairly mild and served over mashed potatoes like a gravy. Yum!

Looking at this beautiful red sauce has me wondering why chili peppers aren't more widely recognized as a superfood. Their deep red color is beautiful as well as indicative of the health benefits inherent in these bright red peppers.

Chili Caribe with Seitan

Ingredients:

1.5 oz New Mexico Chili Pods (6-7 chili pods)
2 1/2 cups of water

1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz seitan, diced into small cubes (1/2 inch)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp olive oil
1 rounded tbsp flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2  - 1 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Put the chili pods on a cookie sheet and heat in the oven for 1 minute.  This softens them a bit and blooms their flavor. Then take the chilis and remove the stems and the seeds. Put the water in a blender and start blending on medium. Drop the chilis in one at a time and then increase the speed to high and blend for 2 minutes more. You want it to be nice and smooth.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the seitan and saute until the seitan is heated through and starting to crisp up, then add the smoked paprika and stir to coat the seitan with it. Remove the seitan from the pan and set aside. Heat the second tbsp of olive oil in the same pan and add the flour. Stir to combine and brown the flour - this is an important step in adding flavor to the dish. Once the flour has started to brown, add the blended chili slowly while stirring to incorporate. You want to go slow here to avoid creating clumps of flour. When you add the chili sauce slowly and continue to stir /whisk it creates a paste that gets thinner as you add more. Once you have added all the chili stir in the garlic and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp of salt and taste before adding more. Then adjust the seasoning to you liking.

Serve with mashed potatoes or over baked potatoes and enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Drizzled Kettle Corn

A couple of weeks ago we picked up some chocolate drizzled kettle corn from Sprouts, and absolutely loved it! It was totally addictive, but also cost around $2.00 for a small bag. I figured I could recreate this sweet snack for a fraction of the cost. It takes a couple of steps, but makes a nice big bowl of salty sweet chocolatey goodness.

Dark Chocolate Drizzled Kettle Corn

Ingredients:

16 cups air popped popcorn

1/4 cup vegan margarine
1/2 cup natural brown sugar
1/8 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
1-2 tbsp non dairy milk (soy works well)

Directions:

Pop your popcorn. Pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees. Spray a large rectangle glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat the margarine over low heat in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar, syrup, and salt. Bring the mixture to a slow boil and let it simmer until the sugar dissolves. Be sure to keep stirring it so that it doesn't burn on the bottom. Once the sugar is incorporated, take the mixture off the heat and add the vanilla and baking soda. Mix these in. It will lighten in color and puff up a bit from the baking soda.

Put half of the air popped popcorn in the prepared baking dish and pour the sugar mixture on top. Stir gently to coat the popcorn evenly.

Bake the popcorn for 45 - 60 minutes, and stir it every 15-20 minutes. It will come out crisp and sweet when it is done.

While half of the popcorn is baking, spread the other half of the popcorn over a non-stick surface (wax paper or a silicone mat work well). Take the 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and add the 1-2 tbsp (just enough so it will melt, start with 1 and then add another if you find you need it after heating) of non-dairy milk in a glass measuring cup or small bowl. Microwave the chocolate chips for 30 seconds at a time and stir in between. Once they have melted and are smooth you pour the chocolate over the second half of popcorn. You can add a few sprinkles of salt at this point too. Let the chocolate drizzled popcorn cool while you are baking the kettle corn.

Once the kettle corn is done and cooled, combine the two types of popcorn and enjoy! It is an irresistible combination. 

Apple Cinnamon Buckwheat Pancakes

I like to make these on the weekend and make a few extra to have on hand during the week. I will eat these cold - just as is with no syrup. They make a great snack that way. But they are, of course, the best warm with some vegan margarine and maple syrup. I find they keep me very full through the morning.

Apple Cinnamon Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup soy milk
1 1/2 tsp vinegar

2 tbsp flax meal
1/3 cup water

3/4 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup oat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 cup diced apple (1 average sized apple - you can leave the peel on or off we like the apples peeled)

Directions:

Mix the soy milk and the vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside to curdle while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

Whisk the flax meal and the 1/3 cup of water in a small cup or bowl and set aside to let thicken. This mixture is your egg replacer.

Combine the buckwheat flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Then add the wet ingredients (the curdled soy milk, the flax mixture, and the melted coconut oil. Mix until you don't see any flour and the ingredients are incorporated. Then fold in the apples.

Finally, heat a non-stick pan on medium high heat and coat lightly with cooking spray. Pour the batter on the pan and heat until bubbles on the top start to pop and leave little circles. Flip and cook on the other side until the pancake is cooked through.

Makes 6 large (4 inch diameter) pancakes.

Whole Grain Sesame Crackers

These little crackers are fun to make and are a great snack to have on hand. The dough is easy to work and totally worth the effort of making your own crackers.

Whole Grain Sesame Crackers

Ingredients:

1 cup oat flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tbsp ground flax seeds
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp oregano
3 tbsp sesame seeds
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp vegan margarine (cut into small chunks)
1/2 cup cold water (add a little more a tablespoon at a time to make it pull together into a ball of dough)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Put the dry ingredients into a food processor and pulse to combine. This will be the oat flour, whole wheat flour, flax seeds, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, baking powder, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Next add the sesame seeds, the olive oil, the margarine, and the water then run the food processor on low to mix into a dough. Put the dough onto a floured surface and use your hands to work the dough into a disk. Take half of the dough and roll it out. Then use a small round object to cut out little circles about an inch wide. I used the lid from the olive oil to make the circles. Poke 3 holes in the middle of each of the crackers using a toothpick or chopstick and then put the circles on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 14 minutes, turning the pan halfway through for even baking. Let them cool and store in an airtight container.

Healthy Happy Banana Oatmeal Cookies

These are lightly sweetened gluten free cookies that come out soft and chewy. To make the oat flour, simply grind oats in a food processor or blender and use as you would any other flour. I do the same with flax seeds - grind them up in a spice grinder and then store in the freezer. I actually store my oat flour in the freezer as well and then you have what you need ready to go for baking.

Healthy Happy Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1/3 cup water

1 1/4 cup oat flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

2 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup natural sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

Optional: 1/3 cup chocolate chips (you could do walnuts as well if you like)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the ground flax seeds with the 1/3 cup of water. Whisk with a fork to combine and let thicken while you prepare the other ingredients.

Put the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl (oat flour, oats, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon). Stir to combine. Be sure you don't have any clumps of baking soda.

Combine the wet ingredients, which are the smashed banana, sugar, vanilla, coconut oil and the flax mixture. Stir to combine.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until just mixed (where you don't see any flour) add the optional chocolate chips and mix them in as well.

Let the dough sit for about 10 minutes so the oats can begin to soak up some of the liquid. Make 12 balls of dough and place them on two lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then let cool and enjoy!