Bear in mind I'm a vegan so I really consider this girl food myself these are some of my Favorites
Smoothies:
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen bananas
1/2 to 1 cup unsweetened apple juice
Snack:
Tasty Blueberry Muffins
2 cups wheat flour
1/2 cup packed brown vegan sugar, minus about 2 tbsp
2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
egg replacer equivelant to 2 eggs
1 cup apple sauce
2 tablespoon lowfat soymilk
1 1/4 cup blueberries
Combine the dry ingredients and make a well in the middle. Whisk the egg substitute, apple sauce and soymilk in a separate bowl, then pour into dry ingredients. Carefully fold in berries (make sure to pop a couple while folding for a little more wetness).
Cook in pre-heated oven 375' for 25 minutes.
These are a little chewy at first and the texture improves as they cool but they are DELICIOUS when they come out of the oven, and I doubt they'll last. They also rise really well.
Servings: 8 muffins
Dinner:
serves 6-8
Pilaf is a Middle Eastern term for a flavored rice mixture. If you prefer, you can use all bulgur wheat (and use 4 c. broth), or all rice (and use 3 c. broth), instead of a mixture.
1 large onion, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. bulgur wheat
1 c. converted or basmati rice, or quick-cooking brown rice
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed, or dried thyme or oregano
OPTIONAL:
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley
3 and 1/2 c. vegetarian broth
salt to taste
In a large saucepan with a tight lid (nonstick or lightly oiled), steam-fry the onion and celery until the onion starts to soften. Add the bulgur, rice, rosemary, and curry powder, and stir-fry for a minute. Add the broth (and a bit of salt, if it's needed), bring to a boil, then turn down and cook on low, covered, for 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
VARIATIONS: Add a chopped or shredded carrot or 1/4 lb. chopped mushrooms to the
vegetables when you steam-fry them. Add a couple of tablespoons of roasted sesame seeds, if you like.
You can add bits of chopped seitan, vegetarian "sausage", or other meat replacement for a more substantial dish. Other additions might be: minced garlic; a cup of frozen whole small green beans, broken and thawed; a cup of cubed or grated summer squash; a cup of corn kernels; some chopped red or green bell pepper; a cup of chopped broccoli or other vegetables; or a mixture of vegetables; a chopped apple, with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.
For Greek-style pilaf, add 4 whole cloves to the rice, and you can use some white wine as part of the liquid.
Spinach Lasagna
Free of saturated and trans Fats and high in calcium
I also like to make this with fresh spinach instead of frozen.
Makes about 8-15 servings depending on how you cut it
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Prepare the ricotta before assembling the lasagna.
Tofu Ricotta:
1 12.3 ounce package silken tofu
1 pound fresh water-packed firm tofu
2 teaspoons minced garlic
¼ cup nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup soy milk
Combine all of the above ingredients in a food processor and process until fairly smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Lasagna:
1 recipe Tofu Ricotta
1-2 bags fresh, washed spinach
8 ounces lasagna noodles
7 cups fat-free pasta sauce
12 ounces Soy mozzarella cheese, grated
¼ cup soy parmesan cheese
Place the tofu ricotta into a large bowl. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in the lasagna noodles, stir, cook uncovered until just softened. Do not overcook. Remove from water and drain, hanging them up to dry slightly. OR use the no-boil lasagna noodles and eliminate this step entirely.
Prepare the spinach next. Use at least 1 bag, 2 if you really like spinach. Steam the fresh spinach just until slightly wilted (about a minute or two), drain well, then either mix the spinach into the tofu ricotta or layer the spinach over the tofu ricotta in 2 batches before sprinkling with the grated soy cheese. (See assembly directions below.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly oil the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. (Remove any excess oil with a paper towel.) Place 1 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and smooth over the bottom. Place 1 layer of the noodles over the sauce. Then add half of the tofu mixture and smooth out. Sprinkle half of the soy cheese over that, then spread 2 cups more of the sauce over the cheese. Add another layer of noodles, the rest of the tofu mixture, the remaining cheese, 2 cups more of the sauce, and the rest of the noodles. Spoon the remaining 2 cups of sauce over the noodles (make sure you cover all the edges), sprinkle some soy parmesan over the top. Cover with parchment paper and then cover with foil. Bake for 60 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
Variation: This may be made with frozen spinach. Use a 10 ounce box (or more) and thaw in a colander. Drain well and press out any excess water with your hands. Mix into the tofu ricotta before assembling lasagna.
Hints: This may be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated before baking. Add about 15 minutes to the baking time.
