Crock-Pot Sesame Tofu

As a child I was not really fond of tofu, or any form of Chinese food. Now as an adult, I have come to realize that some of it is quite tasty and if made right is quite enjoyable. This recipe I found off of Pinterest, but I have changed it so much that it has become my own recipe. It originally was for Sesame Chicken. I hope you enjoy it. By the way, my girls approve of this one. Probably because it is so sweet.

Crock-Pot Sesame Tofu

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

3 Package of firm or Super firm tofu (chopped in bite size pieces)

1/2 cup honey

2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1/2 onion, diced

2/3 cup ketchup

2/3 cup water

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp sesame seed oil or extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced, pressed or grated

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

2 cups dry brown rice

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb broccoli florets

Method:

Put tofu into crock pot.

In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, water, ketchup, brown sugar, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over tofu.

Cook on low for 2-3 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until tofu is cooked through and marinates.

Cook rice according to package directions.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet until hot. Add broccoli and saute 5-6 minutes or until cooked but tender. Add to tofu mix in crock-pot.

Serve tofu over rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Fruit and Walnut Granola Bars

There are so many ways to enjoy food and I find with all of our dietary issues within our home we do the best on a simple plan. A best friend of mine was away for work and happened to come across a cookbook that the hospital was selling. Looking at it she knew right away that this was my type of cooking. I am so glad she did. The cookbook is called Wholesome Temptation which are recipes and Nutrition tips from the dietitians and chefs of Cancer Treatment Centers of America. I never thought I would say this, but I think this is one of my favorite cookbooks. The recipes are simple and easy to digest. I am so thrilled and I hope to share many more recipes from this book with you.

The recipe I will share tonight is Fruit and Walnut Granola Bars. AMAZING! Sorry, I do not have pictures as I did this at the last minute and felt the need to share. These are super easy to make and will become a regular snack for me when I need a pick me up. I hope you enjoy!

Fruit and Walnut Granola Bars

-Chef Judith Hallisey

Ingredients:

1 Large Egg
2 Large Egg White
1/2 c. Truvia ( I used organic sugar)
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 c. uncooked old fashioned oats
1 Tbs. unbleached flour
1/2 c. golden raisins
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. toasted and chopped walnuts

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Whisk together eggs in large bowl.

3) Add Truvia, cinnamon, vanilla.

4) Stir in oats, flour, fruit, and walnuts

5) Spread in a greased baking pan ( I used parchment paper)

6)  Bake until golden brown. ( I baked mine for 12-14 mins)

7) Cool and cut into bars. (I made 15 bars)

Note: These can be made gluten free by using GF Oats and rice flour.

Vegan Corn Chowder

I know that two favorite things my girls love to eat is potatoes and corn. I wanted to make something that our whole family would enjoy. I am sorry, but I can not recall where I found the recipe. It is not my own. I tried looking back on Pinterest and could not find it, so if anyone knows the source, please let me know. The soup turned out beautifully and creamy. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs Olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup vegetable broth (I used Chicken McKays since I did not have vegetable broth)
6 medium sized potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup diced carrots
1 pkg of fresh corn or 2 cans of corn, no salt added
4 cups unsweetened soy milk (I used rice milk)
1 tsp salt

Method:

1) Place olive oil, salt, garlic in pan and cook until onions are translucent.

2) Add the vegetable broth and stir quickly to pick up the caramelized onions and flavors from pan.

3) Add soy milk, carrots, corn, and potatoes and bring to a hard boil then reduce to a slight boil (low-med heat). Let cook for 30-45 minutes on stove.

Hope you enjoy.

Vegan Hotdogs

I have been experimenting with all forms of vegan food and cooking with them. I came across this recipe on Pinterest from a website: http://www.baked-in.com. I looked at the recipe and have been putting it off for awhile. I have tried to make vegan hot dogs before and they were nothing like a hot dog. So, as the girls slept this afternoon I decided to try the dreaded recipe. It initially took me 20-30 minutes to prepare and about another 45 minutes to steam. Some form of steamer is needed. After making these, I couldn't resist trying them. WOW! They taste awesome and better than the Worthington vegan hot dogs. They were full of flavor and kid approved. I plan on making a huge batch of these and storing them in the freezer. Enjoy as I did.

Vegan Hot Dogs

Ingredients

• 5 Tbsp (30g) almond meal
• 9 oz (250g) firm tofu
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika OR several generous dashes liquid smoke (I did not have any so I use 1/2 tsp  of reg. paprika- I don't like smoked stuff anyway)
• 1½ tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cardamom (I did not have this item and left it out.)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1⅛ cup vital wheat gluten
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Method

1. Crumble tofu into the bowl of a food processor.

1. In a liquid measuring cup, measure the 2 Tbsp soy sauce and add enough water to get to the 100mL line. Add to food processor.
2. Add almond meal, oil, onion, garlic, paprika/liquid smoke, sugar, salt, pepper, coriander, mustard, nutmeg, cardamom, and cumin to the processor and pulse until smooth, about two minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add vital wheat gluten and cornstarch to the mixture and stir to combine. Knead gently – the mixture will be soft but you’ll see strands of gluten forming.
4. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces. Roll each into a rough hot dog shape (doesn’t have to be perfect). Wrap each dog in parchment paper and then aluminum foil. Twist ends of the foil shut.
5. In a large pot with a steamer insert or basket, bring enough water to just under the steamer to a boil. Arrange your hot dogs in the steamer – close together is fine, and it’s okay if they’re touching.
6. Cover and steam for 45 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool in the pot, uncovered.

7. To cook, unwrap hot dogs and simmer in water for five minutes, or fry in a frying pan, or throw ‘em on the grill until hot and pretty with grill marks!

8. Serve on buns with ketchup, mustard, relish, diced onions, or your favorite hot dog topping.

  

Black Bean and Rice Soup

Since it has been nasty and cold weather lately, I wanted to make something that was warm and tasty. As I sat on the stool in my kitchen, I spotted my crock pot. Oh, I got it, bean soup! I jumped online to see if I could find a recipe for a crock pot soup and wouldn't ya know, there are thousands. One in particular jumped out at me. It was black bean and rice soup. I found the recipe from southernfood.about.com. They actually have a lot of tasty recipes, but not many for vegetarians and vegans nonetheless. The best part of making the soup was sharing the time with my girls. They had a blast making it and eating it too. Enjoy and have a warm and tasty evening.

Black Bean and Rice Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon chili powder ( I used 1/2 tsp)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 2 cans (16 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed (I only had one can, so I added a can of navy beans).
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 2 cans chicken broth, or about 3 to 3 1/2 cups (I used McKays Chicken Seasoning)
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups hot cooked rice ( I added 2 cups of rice).

Method:

Combine all ingredients except rice in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours. Add cooked rice before serving. Serves 6.

Potato/Carrot Mac and Cheese

I was rocking the girls this afternoon and thinking what should I make for supper. I was thinking about making some pumpkin pancakes, but then thought that I really didn't want to serve breakfast. After putting the girls down for a nap I had a Facebook status of my friend Oana Jones come through on my phone. I saw that she had made a vegan Mac and Cheese that her daughter really loved, as well as her husband. Now, I had to try this! I am always looking for vegan recipes that taste really good. So, I immediately grabbed my ingredients and started cooking in the kitchen. It smelled so good I wanted to eat it all! I did resist. I served it to my girls and it was a hit! Juliana had two platefuls and Olivia one. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Potato/Carrot Mac and Cheese

• Ingredients:
• 3 -4 large potatoes, peeled, diced large
• 2 carrots, peeled, chopped in chunky pieces
• 1 1/2 cups water (or more if needed)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more)
• 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 5 cups cooked ziti  (I used penne as this is my girls favorite noodle)

Method:

1. 1
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. 2
   Place potatoes, carrots, water (should be enough to come about 1/2 inch from the top of the potatoes and carrots), salt, chicken seasoning, onion powder and garlic salt together in a pot, mix together, and cook on medium heat till potatoes and carrots are soft.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. 3
   While veggies are cooking, heat water for ziti noodles; when boiling add ziti noodles.
4. 4
   Cook till al dente.
5. 5
   When veggies are done, cool or add a couple ice cubes to cool it down.
6. 6
   Blend together with nutritional yeast flakes and oil until smooth.
   
   
   
   
   
7. 7
   Add more water if it's too thick, add more salt if needed, should be a little on the salty side as the pasta will absorb some of the salt.
8. 8
   Drain the ziti noodles.
9. 9
   Pour"cheese" sauce over ziti noodles in a casserole dish and mix inches.
   
   
10. 10
    
    
    
    Place dish in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Juliana
    
    Olivia
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Famous Pumpkin Doughnuts!

I saw these pumpkin doughnuts on Pinterest on the website http://www.kingarthurflour.com/. I thought these would be excellent for the girls to be involved in making. We made them and I gave my girls one to try. They were a hit. I took them to an event this weekend and the container was brought home empty, if that says anything. I would definitely give these a try. Super simple and very "Fallish." Have a tasty week.

Pumpkin Doughnuts

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée (canned pumpkin)

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, or 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus a heaping 1/4 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Method:

1) Place ingredients in a mixing bowl.

2) Beat everything together until smooth.

Add 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons of  All-Purpose Flour, stirring just until smooth.

3) Lightly grease two standard doughnut pans. If you don’t have doughnut pans, you can bake these in a couple of standard muffin tins; they just won’t be doughnuts.

4) Fill the wells of the doughnut pans about 3/4 full, using a scant 1/4 cup of batter in each well; a tablespoon cookie scoop helps with this task. If you’re making muffins, fill each well about 3/4 full; the recipe makes about 15, so you’ll need to bake in two batches (unless you have two muffin pans).

5) Bake the doughnuts for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean. If you’re using self-rising flour, bake for the longer amount of time. If you’re making muffins, they’ll need to bake for 23 to 25 minutes.

6) Remove the doughnuts from the oven, and after about 5 minutes, loosen their edges, and transfer them to a rack to cool.

7) While the doughnuts are still warm (but no longer fragile), gently shake them in a bag with cinnamon-sugar. Or better yet, pumpkin-spice sugar, made by combining the aforementioned pumpkin pie spice (or substitute) with granulated or extra-fine sugar. If you’ve made muffins, sprinkle their tops heavily with the spiced sugar of your choice.