Jul 23 2012

Beefless Stew

by Angela

Summary: A delicious warm and hearty stew that is incredibly satisfying!

Ingredients

  • 8 small red potatoes (cut into 1″ cubes)
  • 1 Large Onion (chopped)
  • 8 Ounces Mushrooms (quartered)
  • 5 Medium Carrots (peeled & sliced thick)
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1/2 tsp. Thyme
  • 1 tsp. Rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
  • 2 tsp. Poultry Seasoning
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 2 Tbl. Tamari (soy sauce)
  • 1/2 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Red Wine
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups Gardein Beefless Tips or TVP Chunks (beef colored/flavored)
  • 1 cup Frozen Peas
  • 4 Tbl. Cornstarch

Instructions

  1. Fill a large pot with 10 cups of water.
  2. Add the first 13 ingredients, potatoes through pepper, and bring to a boil.
  3. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, until onions are cooked and the potatoes and carrots start to soften.
  4. Add 1/4 cup of red wine (if desired).
  5. If using Gardein Beefless Tips, brown them in a pan in oil and set aside.  Or if using TVP chunks add them in now.
  6. Add the peas.
  7. Mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup red wine (or water).
  8. Stir the mixture into the stew and cook until the stew thickens slightly.
  9. If using the Gardein Beefless Tips add them in now.
  10. Serve in bowls with plenty of fresh bread!

Preparation time: About 15 to 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 to 30 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 8 to 10

no comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Recipes

Jun 25 2012

Creamy Carrot Soup

by Angela

 


Summary: This is a incredibly flavorful, really easy to make, delicious creamy soup!!

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 T Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1 lb. Carrots (peeled & chopped)
  • 1/2 Medium White Onion (chopped)
  • 1 Veg. Bouillon Cube (dissolved in 2 cups of water)
  • 1/4 tsp. Cumin
  • 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
  • Dash of Cayenne Powder

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a 2qt saucepan.
  2. Cook onions in the oil until soft.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until carrots are soft.
  4. Take half of the soup and put in the blender until smooth and creamy.
  5. Then take the other half of the soup and blend until it is almost creamy but has some texture left.
  6. Then add back together and stir until well mixed. (*If you prefer a completely smooth and creamy soup you can blend all of it together until smooth.)

Variations

To add a little crunch and texture to the soup you can add some drained canned corn into the soup once it’s blended.

Preparation time: About 15 to 20 minutes.

Cooking time: About 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Number of servings (yield): 4

no comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Recipes

Aug 25 2009

The Best Vegan Carrot Cake

by Angela

Vegan Carrot Cake SliceCarrot Cake Slice w/fork

One of mine and Daniel’s favorite desserts is carrot cake.  But we wanted to figure out how to make one of our favorite sweet things vegan.  Here is the best version we came up with, and I am positive you could fool anyone!  It tastes just like a regular carrot cake and is delicious!!

Recipe: Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. allspice
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 cup light brown cane sugar
  • 3/4 cup cane sugar
  • 3 egg equivalent in Ener-G egg substitute
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups finely grated carrots
  • 3/4 cup applesauce
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup raisins

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, spice, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, mix sugar and prepared egg replacer until creamy (it works best with an electric mixer)-add vanilla, then add vegetable oil.
  4. Mix wet and dry ingredients together, then add the applesauce.
  5. Add carrots, coconut, walnuts, and raisins.
  6. Grease two 9 inche round cake pans and smooth batter out equally between the two pans.
  7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (be sure to let the cake adequately cool before frosting).

Next is the recipe for the faux cream cheese frosting.  Once the cakes are cooled you can put a layer of frosting between the cakes, and then use the rest of the frosting to frost the top and the sides of the cake.

Recipe: Faux Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

  • 1 8oz. package of vegan cream cheese (I prefer Toffuti better than cream cheese)
  • 1/3 cup vegan soy margarine softened (I prefer Earth Balance)
  • 2 cups vegan confectioners sugar

Instructions

  1. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and margarine.
  2. Add vanilla, then add sugar.
  3. Beat until smooth.

3 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Recipes