Vegan Creamy Cole Slaw

Coleslaw doesn't exactly come to mind for a December side dish, but I had a couple heads of organic cabbage I needed to use up today so here's my twist on  Bobby Flay's Creamy Cole Slaw. 

• 1 small head organic green cabbage, finely shredded
• 1/2 head organic purple cabbage, finely shredded 
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced vertically
• 2 large organic carrots, shredded
• 3/4 cup Vegenaise mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 packet Stevia or other sweetner
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 2 teaspoons celery salt
• freshly ground pepper (I like to use grill seasoning in place of black pepper such as McCormick Montreal Seasoning)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

Combine the shredded cabbage, carrots, and green onions in a large bowl. Whisk together the Vegenaise, sour cream, Stevia, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more spice if desired. Between the salt in the Vegenaise and the celery salt, I didn't need to add any more salt for our taste.

I served this with braised tempeh for lunch today.  My husband isn't a big cole slaw fan, but he ended up eating two servings. I imagine it will taste even better tomorrow after it's had time to marinate.

Wild Rice and Mushrooms

I love the earthiness of mushrooms. Add them to wild rice, and you have the perfect side dish for fall. We're a family of five, so I prepare large portions. If you're cooking for 2-3, I'd cut this recipe in half.

Ingredients
2 cups organic wild rice (It's less expensive to buy rice in the bulk bins at Basic Foods or Whole Foods.)
4 cups organic vegetable broth
1/2 cup dry red wine such as Merlot
2 cups or more sliced assorted mushrooms (I used Shiitake tonight.)
1 cup shallots or onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
olive oil
pinch of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes

Directions:
1) Cook 2 c rice in 4 c vegetable broth (plus a splash of red wine if you like) in a rice cooker or pot for 40 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
2) Thinly slice mushrooms and shallots.
3) About 15 minutes before your rice is done, drizzle a little olive oil in a skillet and cook scallions and sliced mushrooms over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, and red pepper. Saute 8-10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add 1/2 cup red wine and saute until liquid is absorbed, about 2-3 minutes.

4) Stir the mushroom mixture into rice and add parsley.

I served this with veggie kabobs that I cooked on our indoor grill.

 

<sup>As I count my many blessings this year, I'm grateful for my loving husband, our terrific kids, the love and support of our mothers and siblings, our extended families, the unconditional love of our Corgi puppies (Reveille and Bevo), our decision and the opportunity to live a healthier lifestyle, and the right to worship God in a free country. May God grant you and yours health and prosperity! 

Psalm 100 (NIV)</sup>

 ¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

 ² Worship the LORD with gladness;

   come before him with joyful songs.

³ Know that the LORD is God.

   It is he who made us, and we are his;

   we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

 ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
   and his courts with praise;
   give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
   his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Decadent Stuffed Mushrooms

I love this time of year! Cooler weather always gets me in the mood for the holidays. Tonight, I made my mom's decadent stuffed mushrooms, except I replaced the shrimp, crab, and butter with olive oil and spinach.



Ingredients:
15 large whole white mushrooms, brush dirt off and remove stems
olive oil
1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped
mushroom stems, chopped fine
2 cloves minced garlic
3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
salt and black pepper to taste
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese (or vegan cheese)
1/3 c. Panko bread crumbs (Look at the ingredients and choose one without hydrogenated oils or make your own bread crumbs)
a dash of Tony Chachere's creole seasoning or red pepper
dry white wine (I use Chardonnay) & more olive oil

Directions:
Drizzle olive oil in skillet on low heat, add mushroom stems and saute for 5 min. Add onions and garlic and saute a couple more minutes. Add spinach, salt, and peppers. Cook until spinach is wilted. Remove skillet from heat and stir in bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Overstuff mushrooms with the mixture. Mix equal parts of white wine and olive oil (about a half cup of each). Drizzle on top of stuffed mushrooms and bake in oven 20 min. at 350º.

Veganized Mimi's Cafe Corn Chowder

We love soup! Now that the weather has finally cooled down in Texas from one of our hottest and driest summers on record, I'm ready to whip up some chowders and soups for my family. I've mentioned before that two of my teens are picky eaters; one chowder we all like is the corn chowder at Mimi's Cafe. I hate that it's made with butter, white flour, and half-and-half though, so I used this recipe at food.com for Corn Chowder and veganized it. Topped with Shiitake Faux Bacon and chopped green onions, this chowder is sure to be a hit at your house this fall.

Ingredients: We always use organic vegetables when available.

• drizzle of olive oil  
• 1/2 yellow or white onion (chopped fine)
• 1 cup diced celery
• 5  cups hot water
• 8 cups cubed potatoes (about 3 large baking potatoes) chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 16 oz. bag frozen corn 
• 1 14 oz. can cream corn
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar or sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
• 2-3 dashes cayenne pepper (You could use white or black pepper if you don't like the spice of cayenne.)
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder (or flour)
• 3 cups non dairy milk such as soy or almond (If you eat dairy, then you could use half-and-half or evaporated milk instead of non-dairy milk.)

Directions:
1) Melt oil in large saucepan. Once melted add celery and onion and saute for 5 minutes (just until soft).
2) Add water, potatoes, corn, syrup, salt and pepper, making sure water covers everything, adding more if not covered completely. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, usually about 30 minutes.
3) Whisk arrowroot powder (or flour) into 1 cup of the non-dairy milk and then stir into soup.
4) Add remaining non-dairy milk and simmer until soup is thickened to a creamy consistency (usually about 15 minutes).
5) Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if wanted. If the chowder is too thick, add some milk, if it is too thin, simmer for 5-10 minutes more.
Note: Chowder will thicken upon standing

Kimchee (Kimchi) and Quinoa

 Craving something easy, salty and spicy for lunch this afternoon, I reheated some leftover quinoa (from yesterday's stuffed eggplants) and topped it with a little Korean super food, Kimchee. It was little party in my mouth! Kimchee is another first food for me this year. Beware, if you don't like cabbage or spicy flavors, you probably won't like this pickled condiment (No one in my family likes this dish except me.) I've only tasted one brand, Banyan Foods Kim Chee, which is the one sold at our local grocery store, HEB. I'll definitely be whipping this one up for myself again soon.

Quinoa & Sundried Tomato Stuffed Eggplant

My husband's Japanese eggplants have been very productive this summer, so this is the second stuffed eggplant recipe I've prepared this year. It was so good! I really like using quinoa in this recipe since it's a complete protein. The recipe I got my inspiration from calls for goat cheese....even when I was a meat eater, I hated goat cheese. I prepared these without the cheese, but you could add a little Parmesan if you're not vegan.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 small eggplants
• 2 cups cooked quinoa (I cook it in boxed organic vegetable broth for flavor.)
• 2 green onions, chopped thin
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c chopped sundried (in oil) tomatoes
• small bunch of flat leaf parsley and basil, chopped
• olive oil
• salt to taste
• a pinch of red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) Slice eggplant in half vertically. Place eggplant in colander and sprinkle with salt. Allow eggplant to sit in salt for about 20 minutes for a firmer texture. 

3) Meanwhile, chop the sundried tomatoes, onion, garlic, and herbs.

4) Rinse and dry eggplant.
5) Score eggplant 1/4" from the edge.
6) Scoop out eggplant with a teaspoon.
7) Chop eggplant into small cubes. Place in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
8) Add cook quinoa, tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs to eggplant. Salt to taste and add a pinch of red pepper.
9) If you eat cheese, you may want to add about 1/4 c Parmesan to this mixture.
10) Lightly coat the back of each eggplant (skin) with olive oil and place on baking sheet.
11) Generously stuff each eggplant and drizzle with a little more olive oil if you want.
12) Bake for 30-35 minutes. 

Gluten Free Stovetop Mac and "Cheese"

My husband and I have been big meat eaters for 40+ years, but stopped eating meat back in February 2011. Since that time, hubby has lost 45 lbs. Weird, but I haven't lost a pound and remain between 128-130 lbs. which I guess isn't too bad for my height. I admit that there are certain dishes we really do miss....homemade mac n' cheese is one of those dishes. In previous years, I made decadent mac n' cheese with butter, white flour, breadcrumbs, milk, and cheese. I've seen quite a few vegan mac n' cheese recipes in vegan cookbooks that I've ordered and on food blogs, but haven't been brave enough to try one until tonight. Oh my gosh...I had no idea what I was missing. I combined some of the ingredients from Vegan on the Cheap and The Happy Herbivore cookbooks (Both of which I highly recommend.) I made my mac n' cheese gluten free since I'm experimenting with cutting out gluten for two weeks to see how it makes me feel.

1) Boil salted water, and cook 12 oz. brown rice spiral or elbow pasta according to directions. Be careful not to over cook. Drain and rinse with cold water. Return to the pot.
2) In the meantime, whisk together the following ingredients:

• 2 c non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk.)
• 1/2 c nutritional yeast
• 2 T yellow or white miso paste (I bought ours in the refrigerated section of Basic Foods.)
• 2 T arrowroot powder (You can use gluten free corn starch instead.)
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric 
• 1 tsp. mustard powder
• dash of red pepper and black (or white) pepper

3)  Heat sauce over medium. Stir frequently to avoid scorching on the bottom of your saucepan.
4) Pour sauce over drained pasta and toss.

I served this to my family with pan fried cabbage and tempeh "bacon" (recipe coming later), and there weren't any leftovers tonight.

Southwestern Soup

I adapted this recipe from a wonderful new cookbook I just purchased through Amazon by Robin Robertson, Vegan on the Cheap.
 
Organic Ingredients:
4 large or 5 medium homegrown tomatoes (or 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes if you don't have fresh)
1 small can Rotel tomatoes
1 1/5 cups frozen corn
1 medium chopped white, yellow, or purple onion
1 small chopped green bell pepper
2 15 oz. cans (rinsed and drained) blackeye peas, pinto beans, black beans, or a combination of these
3 cups vegetable broth

Seasonings to taste (If you want more than this, knock yourself out!)
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and fresh ground black pepper 

DIRECTIONS:
1) Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of a soup pot and saute onion and bell pepper a few minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute.
2) Add fresh, chopped tomatoes and 1 can Rotel tomatoes to the soup pot.  Cook on med. about 15 minutes. If you're not using fresh tomatoes, just add a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes instead and the Rotel tomatoes at the same time as the following ingredients:
3) Add frozen corn, beans or peas, seasonings, and vegetable broth.
4) Simmer 20-30 minutes until flavors have married. Salt and pepper to taste.

I served this soup over Fritos and sprinkled nutritional yeast on top. A healthier choice would be to serve it over millet, quinoa, brown rice, or organic blue corn tortilla chips. I'm embarrassed to admit that my husband and I ate the entire pot by ourselves in less than 24 hours.

Fried Green Tomato BLT with Remoulade Sauce

I feel like the vegetarian version of Bubba from Forest Gump with all the tomato recipes I'm trying out this summer. This recipe may not exactly be healthy, but it's decadent and delicious!!

 Today for lunch, I veganized Bobby Flay's recipe for Fried Green Tomato BLT's and made my own version of a Remoulade sauce.

Fried Green Tomato Ingredients:
4 green tomatoes (Pick tomatoes when they are as large as a ripened tomato but haven't started turning pink yet. Core and slice about a 1/2 inch thick.)
2 T flax meal (optional)
1 1/2 cup corn meal (Measurement doesn't have to be exact)
1 cup brown rice (We try to avoid white flour, but you could use all purpose flour instead of rice flour.)
1 cup filtered water
safflower oil for frying (Don't use olive oil to fry your tomatoes.)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Slice tomatoes. Dry on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2) Mix rice flour and water together in a bowl.
3) Mix flax and corn meals in a separate bowl or plate.

4) Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet (preferably cast iron)
5) Dredge tomato slices in rice/water mixture.
6) Dip both sides of tomato in corn/flax meal mixture and press to make sure the breading sticks.

7) Fry in batches of 4-5 slices about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

8) Assemble tomatoes, vegan bacon (I make my own from Shiitake mushrooms), dark leaf lettuce, and remoulade sauce on sprouted whole grain bread such as Genesis bread.

I'm not a big sandwich eater like my husband, so I eat my BLT (with extra sauce of course) on a bed of lettuce instead.

Vegan Remoulade Ingredients
Whisk the following ingredients together:
1 cup Veganaise
1 T Dijon mustard
1/4 cup or small handful of fresh chopped parsley
1 T horseradish
juice of half a lemon
1 chopped green onion (white and green parts)
1 clove garlic, minced (or powdered garlic)
couple dashes of Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp. cajun seasoning such as Tony's or Slap Ya Mama
1 T chopped dill pickle
1 tsp ketchup
salt and black pepper (fresh ground is always best) to taste
**Most remoulade recipes also include capers, but we don't care for them so I leave them out.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

My husband got a little carried away planting four different varieties of tomatoes this year, and now we have an abundance of tomatoes in our organic garden!! We've given a lot of them away to neighbors and friends, but they're still coming "out of our ears!" We don't have a stand up freezer, and I don't know how to can yet, so I'm trying to come up with recipes to use up this bumper crop before they ruin. Yesterday, I made a platter of yummy vegan fried green tomatoes and a large batch of fresh salsa. Today, I made marinara sauce that I adapted from several different recipes I found on the Internet. I served this sauce over pumpkin raviolis.

Ingredients - organic of course
olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
5-6 chopped fresh tomatoes, with the juices
1/4-1/2 cup dry red wine (I used Natura Organic Carmenere that I found at our local HEB grocery store)
pinch of dried red pepper flakes
1/8 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
1/8 cup or small handful fresh chopped basil
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 envelope Tree of Life stevia (optional)

Directions:
Drizzle about 2 T olive oil in a large pot and heat over medium. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minute. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and their juices and bring to a boil. Add all seasonings except basil and parsley (if you're using dried, you can go ahead and add them now) and lower heat. Simmer for at least an hour mashing the tomatoes with a potato masher so the sauce will be less chunky.

Stir in the chopped parsley and basil. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Sauce will keep up to a week in the refrigerator. Garnish with Parmesan if you eat cheese or nutritional yeast.

Southern Style Crowder Peas and Cornbread

It's that time of the year in the south where we love eating our peas, okra, and tomatoes out of the garden! In the past, I always added lots of bacon and sometimes ham hock to peas just like my grandmother taught me. No more bacon or ham for our family! Today, I cooked up a pot of animal free peas, vegan cornbread, and vegan fried green tomatoes. Yummy!

Ingredients (organic if possible)
32 oz. fresh crowder or purple hull peas (frozen work fine if you don't grow them and can't find them at a farmer's market)
2 med. tomatoes - chopped (preferably home grown)
1 small green bell pepper - chopped
1/3 of a white, yellow, or purple onion - chopped
5 okra pods, sliced thin (or about a half cup of frozen sliced okra)
salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and a few red pepper flakes to taste
32 fl. oz. organic vegetable broth
seasoning mixture such as Mrs. Dash

Directions:
In a large pot, add vegetable broth, peas, and enough water to cover peas about an inch above them. I add the vegetables directly to the pot instead of sauteing them first, but you can saute the okra, tomatoes, and onions first in a little olive oil if you prefer. (I think most people like to eat their okra, onions, and tomatoes separate from their peas, but I just throw a little directly into our peas.) Season with salt, garlic powder, black and red pepper, and seasoning blend. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med/low, and simmer 40-45 minutes or until peas are tender. This is excellent served over vegan cornbread with vegan fried green tomatoes (recipe coming soon.)

I tweaked this cornbread recipe found on the Post Punk Kitchen Blog. I used rice flour instead of white flour, almond milk instead of soy, safflower oil instead of canola, and added an extra tablespoon of maple syrup. It's certainly not my grandma's cornbread, but it was still good.

Cornbread Ingredients:
2 cups organic cornmeal
1 cup organic brown rice flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup safflower oil
3 T maple syrup
2 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Coat a large iron skillet with an oil that safe in high temperatures such as safflower oil. Preheat your skillet in a 350 degree F. oven while your mixing the cornbread. In a medium bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together: almond milk,vinegar, syrup, oil and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients: cornmeal, rice flour, baking powder and salt. Pour the wet ingredient into the dry and mix. Carefully, take preheated skillet out of the oven, and pour batter into it. Bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Slice and serve with peas spooned on top.

Stuffed Eggplant

We planted eggplant for the first time this year in our organic garden, so I've been trying out new recipes this summer. I found this recipe for grilled stuffed eggplant at Rodale.com and "veganized" it for lunch today.

INGREDIENTS:
4 small eggplants
1/8 c. nutritional yeast
1/4 c. Daiya mozzarella vegan cheese
1/4 c chopped white or yellow onion
1/4 c Panko bread crumbs (check the label and make sure there are no hydrogenated oils in it)
4 cloves minced garlic
1 T chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
a few red pepper flakes
1 chopped organic tomato - Or, three Roma tomatoes (I removed most of the seeds and juice before chopping)
Shiitake "bacon" (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1) Slice eggplant in half.
2) Salt eggplant and allow to drain in a colander for about 10-15 minutes.
3) In the meantime, place the other ingredients in a mixing bowl.
4) Wash and dry eggplant.
5) Cut a grid of 1/2" squares in each of the eggplant halves and use a spoon to remove the flesh. Be careful not to cut through the skin.
6) Add all of the eggplant flesh (except one eggplant half that you can save for something else) to the cheese/breadcrumb mixture.
7) Place eggplant in a baking dish and stuff with the mixture.
8) Drizzle with olive oil.
9) The Rodale version of the recipe calls for you to cook the stuffed eggplant in a foil baking pan outside on the grill, but I baked ours at 400 for 20 minutes in the oven.

Pineapple Salsa

Tomato salsa on organic tortilla chips is still my favorite snack, but this pineapple salsa (adapted from Cooking Light magazine) is a refreshing change.

Combine the following ingredients:

1 fresh pineapple chopped (I sliced and grilled the pineapple first, but you don't have to grill it for this salsa)
about 1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 handful chopped fresh cilantro
1 T fresh lime juice
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1/4 tsp. cumin

Serve on organic chips.

Homemade Deodorant

My husband and I are trying to turn our clocks "back" to a simpler more natural way of living without chemicals on or in our bodies. Last fall, I began experimenting with making homemade toothpaste, lotion, lip balm, shampoo, and deodorant. I tried using store bought natural deodorants such as Toms and Arm and Hammer, but they broke me out. I've also tried several different recipes I found online, but they broke us out in rashes after a few days. Obviously all bodies all react differently, but these are two recipes that I finally came up with that my husband and I are able to use daily. These deodorants don't stop our bodies completely from sweating like potentially harmful antiperspirants do, but they keep us fairly dry and do a  great job in naturally preventing body odor. I alternate these two deodorants every other day, while my husband uses the cream version (deodorant #2 daily). Our teenagers still use antiperspirants that are full of chemicals and perfumes - We haven't been successful in getting them to try out our all natural deodorants yet.

DEODORANT #1
Ingredients:

• raw apple cider organic vinegar (such as Bragg's)
• arrowroot powder
• non-aluminum baking soda (I use Bob's Red Mill) 
• Optional: a few drops of essential oil such as orange or lavender

Directions:
Mix 3 parts arrowroot powder with 1 part baking soda. You can add a few drops of essential oil to the powder mixture, but I don't.  Store in a sealed container/jar. Swab clean underarms with raw apple cider vinegar with a cloth or cotton ball (the vinegar smell dissipates). Then pat on the powder mixture.

DEODORANT#2 

This deodorant makes a cream that should be stored in a sealed container or jar.
Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons shea butter
• 1 Tablespoon Bob's Red Mill aluminum free baking soda (I've read that Arm and Hammer is processed with aluminum - not sure if that's accurate, but I don't want to take the chance.)
• 4 Tablespoons organic arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
• 1 Tablespoon unrefined organic cocoa butter (I buy the 4 oz. containers  online at Mountain Rose Herbs)
• 1 teaspoon organic extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 capsule vitamin E
• Optional: a couple drops of essential oil such as orange

Directions:

Melt the butters and oil in a Pyrex measuring cup or glass set inside of a pot of water until the oils are  clear (or a double boiler).

Take off of the heat. Snip the end off of a vitamin E capsule, and squeeze the liquid into the melted oils. Stir in the baking soda and arrowroot powder.  If you add a few drops of essential oil such as lavender, orange, etc. then stir it in last, and pour into a jar. My husband is 6" 2" - 230 lbs. and loves this recipe (he always smells great to me.)

***Please note that diets high in plants and low in processed foods, meats, caffeine, and alcohol have also been shown to reduce body odor.

Blackeye Pea 'n' Wild Rice Burritos

As Texans, we eat a lot of Mexican food at our house. Transitioning to a plant based diet has been a challenge for my husband (who's already lost 30 lbs. by the way) since he's highly allergic to beans. I substitute blackeye, field, and purple hull peas for recipes that call for beans for him. You could use prepared fat-free refried black or pinto beans in this recipes instead of using peas. These burritos passed the teenager test....quotes from 13 year old: "I love that stuff! It's my new favorite. That was awesome."

Blackeye Pea Mock Refried Beans 
Pulse the following in a blender or food processor:

• 1 can organic blackeye peas (such as Eden brand) with most of the liquid drained off
• 1 T or more white onion
• 1 garlic clove
• dash of black (or red pepper) and salt
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp chili powder

Burrito Ingredients (organic)

• fat-free refried "beans" or blackeye pea recipe above. You could also use whole black beans seasoned with cumin, garlic, onion, and chili powder.
• left over cooked wild rice (I add a little tumeric to my wild rice while cooking)
• small handful fresh cilantro
• whole wheat tortillas
• homemade salsa
• avacado
• chopped romaine lettuce 
• Daiya vegan cheddar cheese

Directions
1. Slice an avocado and sprinkle with lemon or lime juice.
2. Chop a small handful (about 1/4 c) cilantro.
3. Chop enough lettuce for burritos.
4. Heat tortillas on both sides in a skillet sprayed with oil. Wrap in foil to keep warm.

5.  Heat beans in pan (I try to avoid nuking veges in the microwave.)
6. Reheat rice (microwave may work better for this) Optional: Add a little cilantro to the rice after it's been heated. 
7. Place a layer of beans in the middle of a heated tortilla.
8. Sprinkle beans with a little Daiya cheese
9. Spoon wild rice on top of cheese.
10. Sprinkle with  lettuce.
11. Add a couple thin slices of avocado and top with homemade salsa. 
12. Roll up and enjoy!

 

Organic High-Fiber Blueberry Pancakes

Instead of making these pancakes according to the package directions, I adapted them to be vegan for my family this morning.

2 cups Bob's Red Mill organic high fiber pancake mix
1 1/2 cups almond milk
egg replacement (I used 2 T flaxseed meal mixed with 6 T water that I let sit for a minute)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large handful of fresh organic blueberries
2 T oil (I used grapeseed)

Combine ingredients. Add blueberries last. Cook on a griddle that's been preheated to med/high. Serve with pure maple syrup.

Homemade Organic Dog Biscuits

We're in the process of training our two 3 month old Corgi puppies (Bevo and Miss Rev)and have been spending a fortune on puppy treats. Not only are the store purchased treats expensive, but they're full of unhealthy ingredients. So, I decided to make my own today. There are lots of recipes on the Internet, but the one I tweaked today came from Martha Stewart.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup organic whole wheat or brown rice flour
1/4 cup wheat germ or flax seed meal
1/4 cup debittered brewer's yeast (not the same as active yeast used to make bread)
1/2 tsp. salt (I usually leave this out since there's salt in the stock.)
1/2 cup free range chicken, beef,  or organic vegetable stock (plus more for basting if you want)
1 1/2 T. safflower oil
Optional: 1 T organic non-hydrogenated peanut butter

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add oil and half of the stock. Mix with a fork. Add the rest of the stock. Use your hands to mix ingredients. Form into a ball. Roll out about 1/2 inch thickness (or a little thinner). I don't have a dog bone cookie cutter yet, so I just cut the biscuits into small squares. Transfer to parchment paper. Bake 10 minutes. Baste with stock. Bake 8-10 minutes longer. The original recipe says to turn oven off and leave biscuits in the oven for an hour. I don't do this since the biscuits are completely dry and crisp after cooking them 18 minutes in our oven. Our pups have gone "nuts" over these treats and keep begging for more! I've been making a batch a week for them.

Zucchini and Beet Salad for One

Use a spiralizer on angel hair setting to slice 1 zucchini and 1 beet. Stack beets on top of zucchini "noodles." Top with other veges that you like. I only added grape tomatoes (halved) and sliced purple onion to my salad today. Drizzle with homemade or prepared salad dressing and sprinkle with nutritional yeast.

Dressing for one large salad:
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove (minced)
2 T chopped fresh parsley
salt and red pepper flakes to taste

Whisk lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil together. Add parsley and spices.

Directions on how to use a spiralizer:

Tempeh Kabobs

 INGREDIENTS (organic):

• 1 package tempeh
• zucchini
• white or purple onion
• fresh mushroom such as baby bellas (I didn't use mushrooms this time because we had kale stuffed mushrooms on the side with our kabobs.)
• grape or cherry tomatoes
• yellow or orange bell pepper would also be good
• tamari
• extra virgin olive oil
• garlic powder
• black pepper
• Mrs. Dash (or other salt free seasoning blend)

DIRECTIONS:
1) Steam tempeh for about 10 minutes in a pan of water or steamer.
2) While tempeh is steaming, slice zuchinni, clean mushrooms and remove stems, and cut onion.
3) Remove tempeh from pan, dry, and cut into cubes.
4) Alternate veges and tempeh on skewers.
5) Drizzle kabobs with tamari (or soy sauce) and olive oil.
6) Season with garlic powder, black pepper and Mrs. Dash (or whatever seasonings you like) and let skewers marinate about 15 minutes or so.
7) Drizzle an indoor grill with olive oil or use an oil spray and heat grill on med/high (An outdoor grill would also work great....I'm just not sure how healthy outdoor grilling is.)
8) Cook kabobs on grill until they're done.

I served these tonight with kale stuffed mushrooms (still working on a recipe).

Shiitake Faux Bacon

One of the foods my family has missed the most since cutting animal products out of our diet is bacon. I read about making vegan bacon from Shiitake mushrooms on a blog the other day and decided to test it out tonight as a topping for our baked potato skins. I was skeptical at first, but was amazed how closely the flavor actually does resemble bacon. I followed the recipe on this video and adjusted the cooking time to 45 minutes for my oven. It's crazy how yummy these are.... it would be so easy for me to eat the entire batch by myself!



INGREDIENTS:
Fresh Shiitake mushrooms (I buy them in bulk at our local HEB grocery store)
Organic extra virgin olive oil
sea salt - (You could substitute tamari or soy sauce instead for the salt.)

DIRECTIONS:
1) Cut the stems off mushrooms (save stems for mushroom broth).
2) Slice mushrooms.
3) Drizzle olive or safflower oil over mushrooms.
4) Sprinkle with a little sea salt or soy sauce and dash of black pepper.
5) Bake on baking sheet in a 300 degree oven. (Make sure baking sheet has olive oil on it or your mushrooms will stick.)
6) Stir every 10 minutes.
7) Cook until dark and crisp. Be careful not to burn them. It took 45 minutes in my oven, but it could take up to an hour according to recipes I've read.

Vegan Beanballs

INGREDIENTS (organic if possible)

2 cans drained black beans (I used purple hull peas - You could also use blackeye peas or kidney beans.)
2-3 cloves minced fresh garlic
1/4 c. brown rice flour or Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 c. vital wheat gluten
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T tamari or soy sauce
1 T tomato paste or ketchup
1/4 white, yellow, or purple onion finely chopped (could use onion powder instead)
a pinch of dried oregano, dried basil, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375. Mash beans/peas with a potato masher. Add other ingredients and mix well with a fork or your hands. Form into meatballs (we like ours on the small size). Spray a baking sheet with olive oil. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Flip with a spatula and bake another 10 min.  (Meatballs will be crisp on the outside.)

Serve on top of your favorite pasta with a sauce. I served these meatballs tonight on whole wheat spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce and topped it off with nutritional yeast in lieu of Parmesan. I didn't add our beanballs directly to the sauce because I was afraid they'd become soggy. These were great, but next time, I think I'll add some chopped fresh flat leaf parsley to the beanball mixture.

Vegan Taco Salad Wraps

These vegan soft tacos are a great week night meal at our house that can easily be individualized for even the most picky eater.

TACO INGREDIENTS:
Whole wheat torillas
Daiya vegan cheddar cheese (or shredded cheddar cheese if you're not vegan)
Boca meatless crumbles
Baby spinach or shredded cabbage
1/2 c. frozen corn kernels (optional)
2 green onions (chopped)
chopped tomatoes (I slice organic grape tomatoes in half)
sliced black olives
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. (or more) garlic powder
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
1/2 c. Veganaise
1/4 c. Taco Bell mild sauce
a small handful of chopped fresh cilatro

DIRECTIONS:
1) Heat Boca crumbles in skillet with olive oil.
2) Add corn and spices to crumbles and cook until heated (sliced mushrooms and/or drained black beans would also be good).
3) Chop onions, tomatoes, and cabbage.
4) Mix sauce ingredients in a separate bowl.
3) Because my three teens are "picky" eaters, I set up our taco wraps as a bar.

4) Layer any, or all,  of the following in the middle of an organic wheat wrap: meatless crumbles, spinach or cabbage, tomatoes, Daiya vegan cheese, green onion, and sliced olives
5) Spoon a dab of the sauce on top of other ingredients (or you could top it with homemade guacamole)

6) Roll up and enjoy

Polenta with Vegetables

Another first since recently cutting animal products out of our diet is polenta. I didn't find a recipe that particularly appealed to me tonight, so I came up with my own.

INGREDIENTS:
1 roll Food Merchants sun-dried tomato and garlic organic polenta (You could also make your own from scratch.)
Daiya Vegan mozzarella cheese
organic extra virgin olive oil

Vegetables:
1 bunch organic kale
rice vinegar
5-6 sliced fresh baby bella mushrooms
1/4 sliced organic yellow or white onion
1 large clove minced garlic
organic dry white wine such as Bonttera Chardonnay
1/4 bag frozen, organic shelled edamame
1/4 organic yellow or red bell pepper (chopped)

Sauce:
1 28 oz. can Muir Glen organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1/2 T. dried basil
1/2 T. dried oregano
a few flakes of red pepper
1/2 pkg. stevia

DIRECTIONS:
1) Wash kale and removed stems. (Don't dry) Cut into 2 inch pieces.
2) Chop onion, pepper, mushrooms, garlic.
3) Place kale in pan with a drizzle of olive oil, cover and cook until tender.
4) In another pot, add dry basil, oregano, and stevia to tomatoes and simmer.
5) Slice polenta into 1/2 inch thick circles.
6) Brush polenta with olive oil.
7) Broil on a cookie sheet 10 min. on each side
8) While polenta is broiling, saute vegetables in olive oil, garlic, a splash of white wine (I like our vegetables crisp and not overcooked), a dash of salt and pepper
9) Sprinkle Daiya cheese on top of polenta the last 3 minutes of cooking.

Stack in this order:
polenta, kale, tomato sauce, vegetables, nutritional yeast

I served this as a main dish with steamed artichoke on the side.

Vegan Gluten Free Spaghetti with "Meat" Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
1 package organic brown rice dry spaghetti noodles (I use 1 1/2 packages since we have a family of 5.)
1 28 oz. can crushed Muir Glen Fire Roasted Organic tomatoes
1/2 bag Boca meatless crumbles
1-2 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 T. dry oregano
1/2 T. dry basil
Optional: 4-5 sliced fresh mushrooms (I like baby bellas)
Optional: 1/2 bell pepper (chopped)
Optional: 1/2 white or yellow onion (chopped)salt and black pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
1 envelope Stevia
organic extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
1)Heat Boca crumbles in skillet with chopped onion, minced garlic, and chopped bell pepper. Add canned tomatoes, Stevia, and seasonings.
2) Cook pasta in a large pot according to directions while sauce is simmering
3) Drain pasta and toss with olive oil.
4) Top pasta with "meat" sauce.
5) Instead of Parmesan, sprinkle nutritional yeast on your pasta.
6) Serve with a nice green salad and gluten free bread.

Kale Chips

I definitely gravitate towards salty/crispy snacks when I get home for work. Instead of heading towards the chips and salsa today, I decided to tinker with making kale chips after seeing several recipes on the Internet. (Kale is a new vege for us, and until today, we had only eaten it braised or in soup.) My kale chips turned out to be delicious, super crispy, and sooooo addictive. I ended up making 4 batches today, and my husband said they were better than potato chips. They taste a lot better than they look, and because of the health benefits, we'll be eating this cruciferous vegetable on a regular basis!

INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch organic kale (makes two batches)
organic extra virgin olive oil
rice vinegar
salt to taste
organic garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 300.
2) Thoroughly wash and dry the kale.
3) Cut off the stems and center rib.
4) Tear or cut into potato chip size pieces.
5) Drizzle about half a tablespoon of olive oil onto a cookie sheet
6) Place half of the torn kale pieces on the cookie sheet.
7) Sprinkle kale with salt, garlic, and a a few drops of vinegar.
8) Toss the kale in the oil, salt, garlic powder (or whatever seasoning you like) and vinegar until lightly covered and place in a single layer on sheet. 
9) Bake at 300 degrees (12 minutes in my oven) until crisp.
10) Repeat above steps with your second batch. 

Remove onto paper towels and enjoy!!

Asparagus Quesadillas

I saw this Asparagus Quesadillas recipe today in Organic Gardening Magazine and decided to put my "spin" on it.

Ingredients
(organic if possible):
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch asparagus spears cut into 2" pieces and lightly steamed
8 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
sliced fresh mushroom (I used 6 baby portobello mushrooms)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
splash of dry white wine
salt and black pepper to taste
Vegan cheddar cheese (such as Daiya)
Whole wheat tortillas

Directions:

1. To make the vege filling, drizzle olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a couple minutes, or until softened. Add a splash of white wine, chili powder, cumin, salt, and peppers. Stir for a couple minutes.
2. Add the asparagus and tomatoes.Cook for a couple minutes. Remove from heat and add cilantro.

3. Place one tortilla in a non-stick pan (I don't use any oil.) Spoon a portion of the filling over half of the tortilla. Sprinkle with vegan cheese (or shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack if you're not Vegan). Fold the tortillas in half.
4. Cook for 2 minutes per side or until cheese is melted.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas until you run out of filling.

5. To serve, cut each quesadilla in thirds and serve with homemade salsa and soy sour cream (or dairy sour cream if you're not vegan).

Texas Caviar (Black Eye Pea and Tomato Dip)

Ingredients:

1 can organic black eye peas (rinsed and drained)

1 can mild Rotel tomatoes

1/4 chopped organic red onion

1 small handful of chopped, organic cilantro

2 cloves minced, organic garlic

bell peppers would also be good in this dip

1/8 tsp. organic cumin

salt and pepper to taste
drizzle of organic extra virgin olive oil and red wine (or raw apple cider) vinegar - You could also use fresh lime juice instead of vinegar if you prefer.

Combine all ingredients and enjoy on chips. I cut up organic, wheat tortillas (we use a brand that's free of hydrogenated oils and animal products) and bake for a few minutes in a  400 degree oven.

Quinoa Salad

I first tried the ancient gluten-free grain, quinoa, a couple months ago when considering going vegetarian. Because quinoa (keen-wah) is so high in protein and fiber, I try to prepare it as a rice substitution for my family at least a couple times a week. I buy red, organic quinoa that's pre-rinsed from our local health food store. One of the dishes we really like is quinoa salad. I adapted this recipe from Cooking Quinoa.  

Salad Ingredients:
4 cups of vegetable broth
2 cups quinoa (You could use wild rice instead of quinoa.)
An assortment of chopped vegetables (I don't measure them...just throw in whatever fresh organic vegetables you have on hand:

• purple cabbage
• fresh mushrooms
• zucchini
• carrots
• halved grape or cherry tomatoes
• green onion
• cauliflower
• parsley
• celery
• frozen green peas
• red bell peppers
• sliced black olives
• canned artichokes

Dressing Ingredients: 
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup red wine (or raw apple cider) vinegar
4-5 cloves minced fresh garlic
3 T. olive oil
Salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:
1. Cook quinoa in vegetable broth (instead of water) according to package directions.
2. While quinoa is cooking, prepare the dressing. Add dressing ingredients to a food processor or blender and pulse.
3. Combine chopped vegetables and cooled quinoa in a large bowl.
4. Drizzle in dressing and toss.
5. Serve chilled.

Black Bean Quesadillas

Topped with homemade guacamole and salsa, these vege quesadillas are a hit at our house, and since they're so easy to make, I've been whipping these up weekly since becoming a vegetarian. 

Ingredients:
whole wheat organic tortillas (we buy ours at Basic Foods)
Daiya vegan shredded cheddar cheese 
canned organic black beans or black eyed peas (rinsed and drained)
chopped green organic onion
chopped cherry or grape organic tomatoes (I remove the seeds)

Directions:
On medium heat, place one tortilla in a non-stick skillet. Sprinkle vegan cheese, peas or beans, onion and tomatoes on the tortilla, and then place another tortilla on top (or you can use one tortilla and fold it over like an omelet). Allow the cheese to begin melting before you flip the quesadilla over....otherwise all of the ingredients will fall out everywhere when you flip it over.  Better yet, bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes; I'm usually in a hurry when I make these though, so I quickly cook them in a non-stick skillet without oil. When the tortillas are lightly browned on both sides and the cheese is melted, remove from pan. Slice into triangles, and serve warm with salsa and guacamole. Sour cream would also be good, but we're trying to avoid dairy products.

Homemade Salsa Recipe:

1 can Rotel tomatoes (I use mild and don't drain them.)
1 28 oz. can diced organic tomatoes (drained)
2 (or more) cloves fresh organic garlic (You could also use garlic powder.)
Optional: 1 small handful of organic cilantro (stems removed)
1/2  purple or white organic onion
dash of cumin
juice of half a lime
salt and black pepper to taste

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor or hand blender for a few seconds.

Asian Tempeh Sandwiches

The sauce from  Kung Pao Sliders in the Vegetarian Times inspired me to create these sandwiches.

RECIPE:
Meat Substitute
1 pkg. 3 grain tempeh (sliced both horizontally and vertically into 4 thin pieces)
2 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 packet stevia (or other natural sweetener)
2 tsp. refined almond oil

Slaw
3 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce or organic tamari
2 Tbs. Vegenaise
2 Tbs. organic tahini (we buy ours at Basic Foods)
1 packet Stevia or other natural sweetener
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
4 medium carrots, julienned (8 oz.)
1/4 of a head of thinly shredded green and/or purple cabbage (I roughed chopped ours in the above photo since I was in a hurry to feed the family after work)
2 green onions, julienned

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Cut tempeh horizontally and vertically into thin square pieces. Transfer to a shallow dish. Whisk together soy sauce, sweetener, oil in bowl. Pour over tempeh, cover, and chill while making slaw.

2. To make Slaw: Whisk together soy sauce, Vegenaise, Tahini, sweetner, vinegar, garlic, pepper, and cayenne in bowl. Stir in carrots, cabbage, and onions.

3. Drizzle a small amount of refined almond or grapeseed oil to non-stick pan. Fry tempeh in oil about 4 minutes on each side (we like ours fairly crispy).
4. While the tempeh is frying, toast 8 pieces of sprouted grain bread , whole grain bread, or slider buns.
5.  Fill bread with 1 tempeh slice and 1/4 of the slaw mixture....drizzle the extra sauce from the slaw over the bread.

This recipe turned out great....at least with the 3 of 5 of us at our house that actually tried it. I still haven't convinced my two high school kids to taste tempeh quite yet.

UPDATE: It works better to steam tempeh about 10 minutes before pan frying. 

Organic Cancer-Fighting Vegetable Soup

Now that my husband and I have approached our mid/late 40's, we've become more health conscious (especially when it comes to cancer prevention.) In addition to cutting out meat (hubby hasn't gone 100% vegetarian quite yet), we've started eating only fruits and vegetables in Sundays.  For lunch  today, I made my version of a Cancer-Fighting Vege Soup. All of the ingredients in this recipe are organic.

 RECIPE:

1 can Muir fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 box organic vegetable broth
1 bunch torn kale (stems removed)
1/2 head cabbage (chopped)
4 baby portobello mushrooms (sliced)
1/2 bag frozen Shiitake mushrooms
1/2 bag frozen, shelled edamame
1 sliced red pepper
3-4 ribs sliced celery
2 leeks (Sliced thin- below the dark green part)
Enough water to barely cover the vegetables

Season to taste
4-5 minced fresh garlic
turmeric
red pepper flakes
black pepper
Pink Himalayan salt
dried basil (could also use fresh)
dried oregano

I don't like to overcook our vegetables, so I bring all of the ingredients to a boil and then take the pot off of the heat for about 15 minutes to allow the vegetables to soften before serving. I add chopped fresh parsley and sprinkle with nutritional yeast just before serving.  Bon Appetit!

Homemade Lavender & Peppermint Shampoo and No Poo

 I love our chemical free homemade shampoo! In just five months, our hair feels thicker and softer than ever.

Lavender & Peppermint Shampoo
1 part Dr. Bronner's Hemp Peppermint Castile Soap
1 part filtered water
a couple drops grapeseed, almond, olive, or jojoba oil (optional depending on your hair type)
1 vitamin E capsule 
a few drops of lavender essential oil

Use a funnel to slowly pour castile soap and filtered water into a rinsed out shampoo bottle (We use one with a pump.) Snip off the end of a vitamin E capsule and add to the shampoo. Add a couple drops of your choice of oils (if desired) and a few drops of lavender essential oil.  Shake gently before each use. Please note: this shampoo will be watery compared to store bought shampoo, but lathers and works great on our hair.

5/21/11 UPDATE: Since I originally posted this, I've made two other shampoos with castile soap that I like equally well:

Almond Shampoo
Mix the following in a reused shampoo bottle: equal parts almond castile oil and water, a couple drops of almond oil, and 1 vitamin E capsule.

Eucalyptus Shampoo
Eucalyptus has a medicinal odor, but is supposed to be beneficial in helping prevent hair loss and dandruff.
Mix the following: equal parts Dr. Bronner's eucalyptus castile soap and water with 1 vitamin E capsule.

Check out "Sorta Poo" (from the Crunchy Betty Blog)

No Poo
My husband uses the "no poo" method of washing his hair. (I haven't been brave enough to try this method yet!)

In a squirt bottle, add
1 part aluminum free baking soda (Red Mill)
3 parts filtered water
optional: several drops essential oil (such as lavender, orange, etc.)

 *You can also just mix the baking soda and water up as you use it in a jar or  glass. Some people simply wet their hair first and then make a paste of baking soda in the palm of their hand that they rub into their scalps.

A couple times a week, we also rinse our hair in raw apple cider vinegar diluted with water. The vinegar makes our shiny and is supposed to condition it.

We found the video below helpful in using the no shampoo method.

Vegetable Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce

While on Spring Break this week, I was excited to see a segment on The Early Show on meat substitutions. Because my husband is highly allergic to beans, I tweaked their black bean enchiladas with pumpkin sauce for our family. And since everything is bigger in Texas, of course I had to "super size" them.

For the sauce: (use organic ingredients if possible)
* 1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
* 2 cups filtered water
* 4 cloves garlic
* 1 jalapeno (I didn't have any jalapenos, so I used 1 tsp. red pepper flakes instead)
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1 teaspoon sea salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the enchiladas (Use organic):
* 1 (15 ounce) can black beans (I used black eye peas instead) - drained and rinsed
* 1 (10 ounce) bag frozen corn, thawed
* 1 (10 ounce) box frozen spinach, cooked and squeezed of excess water (I used fresh spinach)
* 2 cups shredded Daiya cheddar cheese (plus extra to sprinkle on top of enchiladas)
* 6 scallions, chopped, white parts only (or chopped white onion)
* 1 minced jalapeno (I used a couple shakes of red pepper flakes)
* 2 teaspoons chili powder
* 1 teaspoon garlic salt (if you use garlic powder, add a little salt)
* 1 teaspoon cumin
* 16 corn (I used whole wheat) tortillas. Use less tortillas if you "super size" them like I did.
* fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a blender, combine pumpkin, water, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, salt and pepper, and puree until smooth.

Pour about 3/4 cup of pumpkin sauce in a 9 x 13 baking dish. In a large bowl, mix beans or peas, corn, spinach, 2 cups cheese, scallions, jalapenos, chili powder, cumin, and garlic salt. Place tortillas between two damp paper towels and microwave for 45 seconds (I rarely use my microwave, so I heated the tortillas in a nonstick pan on the stove.) Put a mound of bean mixture on each tortilla, roll up like a burrito, and place seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with additional Daiya cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and melted, about 20 - 25 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

This was my first time to try this recipe. I didn't end up using all of the pumpkin sauce because I was a little leery of what it would taste like. The sauce ended up being delicious (I wouldn't have known there was pumpkin in it if I hadn't of made it myself.) Next time, I'll include all of the sauce on the enchiladas. I also didn't sprinkle the enchiladas with an entire cup of Daiya cheese since there was already 2 cups in the filling. The next time I make these enchiladas, I'll probably sprinkle some sliced black olives on top with the vegan cheese. I can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch today!