Carrot Dogs (no really)

Before I was a whole food, plant based eater, I remember my daughter stating that they were having company over and that they would be serving carrot hot dogs.  I could not help but think that I hoped the guests were going to have a bite to eat before they come to their house to eat the carrot dogs.   That just sounded terrible to me.

Well, I am still hesitant to recommend this recipe to anyone who is new to the plant based world.  It wasn't that we didn't like them.  We actually liked them a lot.  I just think they might have blown my mind a bit when we first started this journey.  

I knew hot dogs were terrible, but for my husband and I, a special meal once every three to four months was to have a couple of Nathan's hot dogs.  Man, we loved those things.  If someone would have offered me that or a steak, I would have picked the Nathan's hot dogs.  Now I have no desire to eat a real hot dog.  That sounds terrible to me.  However, we kind of missed having a hot dog type food every now and then.  I have not tried the packaged, "faux" hot dogs.  I just don't generally love the "faux" meats and don't believe they are healthy either.

We tried these hot dogs out on Super Bowl Sunday.  Maybe it was just the festivities that made them taste so good, but I am ready to cook them again. 

 
CARROT HOT DOGS

4 large carrots, peeled, with ends cut off to make them the size of the bun

¼ cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
¼ cup water
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp. dried ginger
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. granulated onion powder
4 whole wheat hot dog buns
Hot dog toppings- relish, sauerkraut, chopped onions, ketchup, mustard, etc.

Boil carrots for approximately 6-8 minutes, or until fork tender but not mushy.  After boiling, plunge them into cold water to stop the cooking process.

Mix the liquid aminos or soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, garlic, ginger, pepper, and onion powder. 

Combine the cooked carrots and the marinade in a ziplock type bag.  Shake until carrots are coated with the marinade.   Place in fridge for about 24 hours, turning several times to move the carrots around in the marinade.

Heat a skillet, (I like to use a cast iron skillet) until quite hot.    Place the carrots, along with about ½ cup of the marinade, into the skillet.  Cook the carrots for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until warmed through, turning them around in the marinade several times. 

Before anyone says, "Hey, what's with the devilled eggs on the plate?", they were plant based deviled "eggs".  I wasn't crazy about them, but I am going to work on the recipe and see if I can make them tastier.  I will report back on them another time.

Once again, our daughter was right.  The carrot dogs were well received.
(Husband's note: In fact, I received about 3 of them!)

 

 

Butternut Squash Mac and "Cheese"

It took me a long time to get up the nerve to try some of the recipes for plant based "cheese type" sauces.  It just didn't seem right.  I used to make a baked macaroni and cheese casserole that was incredibly delicious.  It was also incredibly unhealthy.  That is not what I was going for here.  I felt that if I had a recipe that just had some of the qualities of a great mac and cheese, that I would be very happy.  Well, I think this one fit the bill.   The
                                                                        recipe is based on one from a blog                                                                           named Oh She Glows.

It has a hint of cheese taste from the nutritional yeast, and it is very creamy.  I was worried about the amount of Dijon mustard and the amount of lemon.  I love both of those ingredients, but I was afraid they would take over the flavor of
the dish.  They did not, and the dish has a very balanced flavor. 

I only made the old style of mac and cheese once or twice a year because of how unhealthy it was.  I feel like I can make this recipe often and not feel guilty. 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH MAC N “CHEESE”

2 Tbsp. vegan Earth Balance or other non-dairy butter replacement

1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups unsweetened & unflavored almond milk, (hold ¼ cup to see if needed)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
¾ cup nutritional yeast, or more to taste
3 tsp. Dijon mustard, to taste
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. kosher salt
pepper to taste
2 cups roasted butternut squash
12 ounces small shell or elbow macaroni
frozen green peas, thawed

Prepare the cheese sauce in a pot on the stove.   Add the butter replacement and melt over low heat.  In a bowl, whisk together milk and cornstarch until clumps are gone.  Add into pot and whisk.  Stir in the nutritional yeast, Dijon, garlic, onion powder, lemon, salt and pepper. 

Whisk over low heat until thickened,
                                            (about 5 minutes or so).

Cook pasta according to package directions, leaving it
al dente.

Add the butternut squash to a blender, along with the sauce.  Blend until very smooth.  Return the sauce to the saucepan.  Add the additional almond milk to get to the desired thickness of sauce.  Add the cooked pasta and the thawed peas. 

NOTE:  For best results, use a high speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec.

Husband's thoughts:  Don't expect this to taste like the traditional Mac-N-Cheese, but it is very good. I would recommend it to anyone. 

 

It's time for Pumpkin Bread!

I took an old recipe that I have used for years and converted it to a plant based recipe.  I could not discern much of a difference in texture, and there seemed to be no difference in taste.   I was so glad it worked out so well, since pumpkin bread just seems to scream "Fall". 

PUMPKIN BREAD

2 Tbsp. ground flax seeds
6 Tbsp. warm water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup water
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup raisins, optional

In a small bowl, combine the ground flax seeds with the warm water.  Let sit for 10 minutes.

Combine sugar and flax seed mixture in a large bowl; beat at medium speed until well blended.  Add pumpkin, oil, applesauce, and water; mix well.

In another bowl, combine flour and next five ingredients; stir well.  Add to pumpkin mixture, mixing well.  Add chopped nuts and raisins, stirring well. 

Pour batter into a greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. 

Yield:  One loaf

Cue the Cookie Monster!

I have confessed before, that although I have tried many new recipes since becoming plant based eaters, I haven't really tried that many dessert type dishes. 

I need to have a few in my files, for when we have company and also for when we think we might die if we

won't get something sweet to
eat.  We try to keep those treats few and far between, but every now and then a girl needs a cookie.  This recipe was super easy to put together and quite yummy.  I have to admit, I have a killer chocolate chip cookie recipe that I have used for years, and this recipe is not as good as that one, but I would rather use this one. I can feed my belly and my soul at the same time with this one.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

½ cup coconut oil

1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup almond milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup vegan chocolate chips
½ cup toasted, chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together the coconut oil and brown sugar.  Add the almond milk and vanilla and cream. 

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then stir in chocolate chips and nuts. 

Place by tablespoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet or parchment paper. 

Bake for 7-10 minutes.  Place on a rack to cool.

Husband's thoughts: These are great!  She made some with dark chocolate and others with the white chocolate and dried cranberries.  Those are show on the picture to the right. Both kinds were tasty.  I refuse to admit how many of these I ate.   

Sort of Ranch Salad Dressing

I am trying to get as much processed fat out of our diet as possible.  I really bought into the thought that olive oil and coconut oil are good choices for a healthy diet.  I knew they still had a lot of calories, but I did not realize just how harmful they are for our health.  If anyone has an interest in researching this, there are many videos on You Tube from people such as Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, and many more.


When we have a salad, we almost always use a homemade vinaigrette.  I keep it in the fridge most of the time.  But the truth is, there is a lot of olive oil in that vinaigrette.  I decided that I would start trying some healthier dressings.  My daughter sent me this recipe.  I did a little tweaking, but it is really quite good.  It is a "creamy" dressing, and that was nice.  Please note that this is not a fat free dressing, because there are cashews in the dressing.  I was not too worried since the amount of cashews was quite small.                                                        
                                                                                                           
PLANT BASED RANCH DRESSING

¼ cup raw cashews

¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ medium garlic clove or ¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. granulated onion
½ tsp. dill weed
½ to 1 tsp. celery seed
1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper
¼ tsp salt or to taste
1 t sp. minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. chives, snipped

Soak the cashews in water for 4 hours or overnight.  Drain water off and proceed with recipe.

Place all ingredients except parsley and chives into a blender and process on high until smooth.  Add parsley and chives and blend on low briefly to incorporate them.  Check seasonings and add more as needed.   Let sit in refrigerator for at least one hour.

In the interest of complete disclosure, my husband did not love this dressing.  He didn't hate it, just didn't love it.  I will keep searching for a dressing that he likes, but I plan to keep making this for myself.

Healthier falafels

I have changed my falafel recipe up a bit.  In the past, I was sautéing them in a pan.  Since they are dipped in panko crumbs, the olive oil was soaked up somewhat when they were sautéed, and that made me hesitant to make them very often at all.  They were good, but it took more olive oil than I was comfortable with ingesting.  I decided to try baking them instead.

I also made some other changes to my recipe, including increasing the spices.  I had some at a Middle Eastern restaurant a week earlier, and theirs were much spicier than mine, so I knew I needed to step it up in the spice area. 
The last time I made them at home, I had wished that they were just a little less dry.  I simply added a couple tablespoons of vegetable broth, and that problem was resolved. 


I wanted to check out how much difference it would make between sautéing them and baking them, so before I cooked them, I just sautéed one patty in olive oil and baked one patty.  The sautéed patty took half as long to cook and looked better, but once they are put in the oven, it doesn't really matter if they take 20 minutes

instead of 10 minutes.  That time can be used putting together the rest of the meal, or having a glass of kombucha. 

FALAFEL

 2 ¼ cups cooked chickpeas

3 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp ground coriander
¾ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Bangkok seasoning, optional
¼ cup packed coarsely chopped parsley
¼ cup packed coarsely chopped cilantro
1 egg or egg substitute
1 lemon, juiced
kosher salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1/3 cup flour
2-3 Tbsp. vegetable broth
½ cup panko crumbs
cooking spray, olive oil preferred, (such as Pam)

In a large bowl, mash the chickpeas with a potato masher, leaving some texture, (bits of chickpeas).  Stir in the  scallions, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, Bangkok seasoning, parsley, cilantro, egg or egg substitute, lemon juice, and salt to taste. 

Add in the baking powder and flour and stir to combine.  Add the vegetable broth, a little at a time, until there is a bit of moisture to the ingredients.  Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.    

Remove the chickpea mixture from the refrigerator.  Drop spoonfuls of the chickpea mixture onto a plate with the panko crumbs and press gently into patties.  I like the patties to be about 1 ½ inches in diameter.   Place the

patties onto a sheet pan which has been sprayed with the cooking spray.  Then spray the top of the patties also with the cooking spray.

Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes, flipping them over once.  If more browning is desired, turn the broiler on to brown the tops a bit more.

NOTE:  Can be served on top of a salad.  Our favorite way to serve them is in a pita.  Half the pita bread and stuff with your choice of:

Falafel patties

Tomatoes, chopped
Green onions, chopped
Beets, diced
Dill pickles, diced
Lettuce, shredded
Honey mustard dressing or tzatziki sauce

I was really expecting the sautéed falafel to be far better than the baked one.  However, my husband and I both felt that there was very little difference in the taste of the two.  I will definitely choose baking them from now on.  When I use the cooking spray, I realize that I am still adding oil to the dish, but it is far less oil than the other methods. 

We are going to kick this olive oil/coconut oil habit if it kills us.  (Actually, hopefully it will extend/enhance our health. 

Kombucha Tea- It's a good thing.

I have given up coffee and only rarely drink ice tea.  I gave up sodas years ago.  I really enjoy drinking water, but it can get tiresome sometimes.

There is a new, (to me) drink in town.  My daughter introduced me to it.  It is called kombucha tea. 
Yes, my daughter should have been a hippie in the 60's.  When she was a teenager she listened to 60's music almost exclusively.  Maybe that is what caused her to be such a present day hippie.  Anyway, I love her personality and interests in life.

Kombucha tea has been around for decades, but has recently become very popular in the U.S.  There are quite a few manufacturers of this drink.  I have seen it in Costco, Whole Foods, a local regional grocery store in my town.  I even heard they carry it in Walmart, although I cannot confirm that.  It seems to run from around $2.50 to $4.00 for about 12-16 ounces. 

That is more than I want to pay for a drink that I try to have every day.  That is where my daughter comes in.  She set me up with a SCOBY, (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast), and gave me specific instructions on how to make my own kombucha tea.

I am not going to go through the steps of how to make kombucha tea.  There is loads of information on the internet.  There are kombucha tea groups which are quite interesting.  Some of the people have actually named their SCOBY's and some even pray for them.  I am not going to judge, though, because I do refer to mine as a "she". 

If you decide to take up this endeavor, please be aware that if improperly handled, it can become
contaminated with mold.  Also, if the tea is fermented for too long, it can become an alcoholic beverage.  I guess that might be a plus for some people, but I really don't want to drink beer in the morning or at any time as far as that goes. 

There are tons of health benefits purported for drinking this tea.  Supposedly there are a lot of probiotics in this.  I feel like it has helped me tremendously with digestive problems.  Honestly, if there were no health benefits, I would drink it anyway, because I really enjoy it. 

Husband's note: This stuff looks like a science project gone wrong. Please do your research as you are dealing with bacteria here.  My wife loves this stuff and it helps her stomach too.  It's much cheaper than store bought stuff and while I do not care for it, anything that makes her happy and healthier I am for.

For more on making your own kombucha tea check out: the Facebook group called, "Kombucha Nation."  Some interesting information and even more interesting folks on there.