Tortellini and Tofurkey in a Homemade Pasta Sauce!

9/30/2012 0 Comments

I love making a delicious Sunday dinner that fills the house with wonderful scents. Tonight we feasted on tortellini, tofurkey in a homemade pasta sauce, served with fresh garlic bread. It was fantastic!

Tofurkey

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small white onion - chopped
4 garlic cloves - chopped
4 Tofurkey links - sliced
1/4 red bell pepper - diced

Pesto Tortellini

1 package fresh pesto tortellini (Trader Joes)
Salt
Olive Oil
Water

Garlic and Onion Tomato Sauce

Olive Oil
Garlic Salt / Black Pepper
5 garlic cloves
1 small white onion
2 cups of roma tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh herbs (Basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary mix)

Garlic Toast

French Loaf
Earth Balance Spread
Garlic salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Preheat water in a pot, add salt and oil. Bring to boil.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in skillet. Add onions, garlic, tofurkey and bell pepper. Heat until cook throughout and a little crisp.
Put Sauce ingredients into blender, put on sauce setting and set aside.
Put toast in oven and heat until warm/crisp.
Drain Tortellini, put back in pot. Add tofurkey/onion mix and sauce. Serve hot with bread. Enjoy!

0 Comments

Instant Homemade Pasta Sauce

9/30/2012 0 Comments

Instant Homemade Pasta Sauce

1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Garlic Salt / Black Pepper to taste
5 garlic cloves
1 small white onion
2 cups of roma tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh herbs (Basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary mix)

Directions:

Put Sauce ingredients into blender, put on sauce setting and set aside.
Pour on top of favorite pasta. You may also heat it up for 10-20 minutes to increase flavor.

Featured on Tortellini and Tofurkey in a Homemade Pasta Sauce

0 Comments

"Cheese" Quesadilla

9/29/2012 0 Comments

We wanted a simple yet tasty afternoon treat so we made "cheese" quesadilla with corn tortillas. They turned out fabulous! Feel free to double the recipe and mix it up. Simple and satisfying!

Ingredients:

Sunflower Oil
2 corn tortillas
2 slices of soy cheese
1/4 small white onion - chopped
1 jalapeno - sliced in half and chopped
1 tomato - sliced
1 tbsp - Sriracha hot sauce
Vegan Sour Cream

Directions:

Heat sunflower oil in pan over med-high heat.
Place corn tortillas in pan and heat both sides.
Add the soy cheese, and heat.
Add onion, jalapeno and fold it in half.
Once the cheese is melted, remove from pan.
Add "sour cream", hot sauce and tomatoes. Enjoy!

0 Comments

Dining Out

9/28/2012 0 Comments

Dining out doesn't always have to be about what you can't eat, but about what you can eat! Especially when trying a vegan or vegetarian cafe. One of our favorites is Sipz. I can pick up a menu and order vegan sushi, "chicken", "beef", etc. I love cooking but every once in a while it's fun to go out.

Pot Stickers

Salt and Pepper with "Beef" dish

Check it out and/or check out a local vegan/vegetarian cafe in your area.
http://www.sipz.com/

0 Comments

Fried Okra with Cajun Black Beans

9/27/2012 0 Comments

Fried okra, Cajun black beans and a garden fresh salad is enough to make anyone smile. I fell in love with okra when I first tried it. My first thought was, where have you been all my life? I love it so much, I have some growing on our front porch.

This recipe can easily be substituted with a different vegetable. I know it's not as healthy as it could be but man oh man is it good! Enjoy!

Cajun Black Beans

1 can black beans
1 tsp cumin
Red pepper flakes - to taste
Sriracha hot sauce - to taste
2 tbsp vegetable broth
1/4 white onion or bulb of green onion - chopped
Sliced avocado

Directions:

Heat over low heat until warm. 5-10 minutes. Serve with avocado on top.

Fried Okra

aprox. 1 lb of okra sliced or substitute your favorite vegetable
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes or to taste (we like it spicy - feel free to use less)
Sriracha hot sauce (1/2 - 1 tbsp)
Garlic salt - 1 tsp
1/2 cup corn meal
2 tbsp flax meal with warm water (set aside to make "egg")

Directions:

Heat sunflower oil over med-high heat until hot
Place okra in pan and heat for 25-30 minutes, until very crispy.

Garden Fresh Salad

1/2 cup pre-cooked quinoa mixed with soy sauce
Handful of spinach
1 piece of cabbage - chopped
green onions - chopped
1 tomato - sliced
1 avocado - sliced
1/2 cup sliced cucumber
2 garlic cloves - sliced

Directions:

Place quinoa on the bottom of the bowl.
Add ingredients and serve with your favorite dressing

0 Comments

BBQ - Vegan Style

9/25/2012 0 Comments

BBQ is always finger licking delicious and this recipe does not fall short. The scent has filled our house, we couldn't help but devour the entire meal. Brussels sprouts, tofu and potatoes smothered in BBQ sauce.

Ingredients:

1 - 2 lbs brussels sprouts - cut off the end and remove loose leaves.
1 block firm tofu - drained and diced
2 russet potatoes - sliced into french fries
BBQ Sauce (I used Kansas style)
Garlic Salt
Black Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
Soy Cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Toss russet potatoes with ingredients 4-7, place on greased pan. Place in preheated oven.
Toss Brussels sprouts with ingredients 4-7. Place on greased pan.
Toss tofu with ingredients 4-7. Place on same pan as Brussels spouts and place in oven.
Cook for 20-25 minutes, cooking potatoes a little longer - until desired crispness. Enjoy!

0 Comments

Quick 'n Easy Tofu Stir-Fry

9/24/2012 0 Comments

I've been kind of lame about posting so I've decided to do a blog-a-thon this week! One post a day until October is here. I sincerely thank any and all viewers!

Enough of that....lets get down to the stuff we really love. QUICK EASY DELICIOUS MEALS! That's what I'm talking about! Tofu, vegetables, a few garden delights tossed with soy sauce and seasoning and bam! Dinner is served.

Ingredients:

2/3 Block of Tofu - Sliced
Bulb of green onion or small white onion - chopped
5 Star of David of Okra - sliced (about 1/4 cup)
2 carrots - sliced and diced
Handful of broccoli - sliced in half
1 mini Bell Pepper - sliced
3 cloves of garlic - diced
Green onion - diced
Spinach - 1 cup
2 squash blossoms (opt)
Sunflower Oil
Soy Sauce (or Tamari for gluten-free)
Garlic Salt
Black pepper, red pepper flakes, dash of cumin

Directions:

Heat sunflower oil in a wok over med-high heat
Add tofu and let it sizzle for a few minutes
Lower heat to med-low, add a few dashes of soy sauce, add onions and stir.
Add okra, carrots, broccoli, bell pepper and garlic.
Add green onion and squash blossoms, stir and add spinach last.
Season with soy sauce, cumin, garlic salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste.

Feel free to substitute the okra and squash blossoms or whatever else you'd like for that matter. When I cook I typically am pulling from what is going bad first. If the bell pepper is feeling a little soft I figure I better cut that bad boy up! Always feel free to substitute and have fun!

0 Comments

Urban Garden

9/15/2012 5 Comments

Having the chance to grow your own food is priceless. Even a small garden on the porch is enough to bring a smile to your face and a sense of organic health right to your door. For me, being able to cook organic okra fresh from the garden, eat homemade pickles, a fresh tomato off the vine and add fresh herbs to a meal makes it all worthwhile.

Jerry and Christa's Urban Garden - San Diego, CA Summer 2012

The harvest is so sweet!

Fresh Cucumbers grown on our porch!

Even if you can get a kitchen herb, it's a great place to start. I find it helps you get in touch with Mother Nature and yourself. Plus, the flavor from fresh herbs is priceless!

Grow, grow, grow!
Christa

5 Comments

BBQ Tempeh "Cheese" Burgers

9/12/2012 0 Comments

Last night we feasted on BBQ Tempeh "Cheese" burgers with all the fixin's. Served on top of a bed of lettuce with raw onion, jalapenos, pickles and fresh tomatoes from the garden. We enjoy these so much that I typically double the recipe

Ingredients:

1 8 oz package tempeh - shredded
2-3 tsp fresh herbs (Oregano, Sage, Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme) - chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/3 cup oats
3 garlic cloves - chopped
1/2 onion - finely chopped
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp kansas style BBQ sauce
dash of hot sauce / siracha sauce
3-4 tbsp water
oil for frying (I used sunflower)

I used the following toppings but always love to mix it up!

Pickled Jalapeno Slices
Red onion - sliced
Dill Pickle - sliced
Tomato - sliced
Handful of Veggie cheese - shredded
Handful of lettuce

Instructions:

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl and knead for a few minutes to mix everything well.
Shape patties by pressing into a metal ring.
Preheat oil over med-high heat, cook for 5 min or so each side. Add bbq sauce and veggie cheese to patty, cover with a lid to melt.

0 Comments

Savory Vegan Cheesecake Bites

9/3/2012 0 Comments

Growing up cheesecake was always my favorite dessert. I've been yearning to make vegan cheesecake but have always been a little intimidated. Cooking teaches me to just dive in and give it a try. What better day than to share this recipe than on Julia Child's Birthday! Happy 100th Birthday Julia, thank you for sharing and inspiring others and me. :)

Bon Appetit!

Crust:

1 1/4 Cup Almonds
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
1 tbsp Sunflower Oil
2 tbsp Agave
2 tsbp coconut nectar (low glycemic index) or maple syrup
dash of salt

Cheesecake:

1 8 oz. tub of vegan cream cheese.
2 tbsp coconut nectar
1/8 cup agave
2-3 tbsp organic powdered sugar
1 lemon - squeezed
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp coconut shreds - ground

Topping:

2 tbsp coconut nectar
4-5 strawberries
1/4 cup mixed berries
1/2 tsp lemon juice
pinch of alt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil mini cupcake pan.
Pulse until joined and forms a dough like substance using a food processor or blender.
Press into pan and bake for 7 minutes. Allow to cool.
Mix together cheesecake ingredients in a blender until creamy.
Pour 1 tbsp cheesecake mixture onto cooled crusts and bake 20-25 minutes until lightly browned on top.
Blend together topping ingredients, strain and set in fridge.
Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes, 2 hours if possible.
Use a small knife or toothpick to get out. Drizzle topping over bites. Dig in!

Note: They rise in the oven but will settle as they cool.

Adapted from The Skinny Bitch: Everyday Cookbook

0 Comments

OLDER

Tortellini and Tofurkey in a Homemade Pasta Sauce!

Instant Homemade Pasta Sauce

"Cheese" Quesadilla

Dining Out

Fried Okra with Cajun Black Beans

BBQ - Vegan Style

Quick 'n Easy Tofu Stir-Fry

Urban Garden

BBQ Tempeh "Cheese" Burgers

Savory Vegan Cheesecake Bites

Meet Christa

Best Food Blogs

Top 15 Blog 2022

The Artistic Vegan Cookbook - eBook

Categories

Archives

Search hundreds of recipes:

Join thousands of followers!