Vegan

It's that time of the year again when we cook for what seems like armies of people. For those who are more familiar with the traditional turkey, stuffing, and sweet potato casserole it may be hard to know what to make for those friends who are more plant based in their diets. Here is what was cooked at my house for thanks giving.

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. of potatoes
• Daiya Cheddar style block
• Earth balance spread
• Sea Salt
• Pepper
• Unsweetened Almond Milk

Be sure to peel and cut up the potatoes into chunks and place into pot with hot water. Allow water to come to boil and reduce heat slightly. Cook potatoes until they are soft and you can easily pierce them with a knife. While the potatoes are cooking shredd half of the Daiya Cheddar style block and measure out 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk. When the potatoes are done drain them and begin to mash them. Add the 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk and add 2 table spoons of smart balance. Continue to mash and mix and then add the Daiya Cheddar style shredds. Sprinkle in a couple of pinches of sea salt and a couple of pinches of pepper. Continue to mix and mash until you have a smooth consistency.

The next recipe come from the Minimalist Baker website and the link to which is here:

• Minimalist Baker

Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans, rinsed, trimmed and cut in half
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 2 Tbsp vegan butter or olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms (button, baby bella, or cremini)
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
• 1 1/2 cups crispy fried onions (I love Trader’s Brand - check ingredients to ensure vegan friendly), divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C). Bbring a large pot of water to a boil and salt well - it will help season the green beans. Add green beans and cook for 5 minutes, then drain and place in an ice water bath to stop cooking. Drain and set aside.
2. In the meantime, start preparing sauce. In a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat, add vegan butter or olive oil and shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add mushrooms and season with a bit more salt and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes more or until lightly browned.
3. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to stir and coat the veggies. Cook for 1 minute, then slowly add in veggie stock, whisking to incorporate.
4. Add almond milk next and whisk to stir again. Season with a touch more salt and pepper bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low to thicken. Cook for 5-7 minutes more, or until thick and bubbly. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
5. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of the fried onions and all of the cooked green beans. Toss to coat well, and top with remaining fried onions.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until warmed through and bubbly and slightly browned on top. Serve immediately (handle pan carefully).
7. Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to a few days.

As a side note the first few steps of this make a wonderful vegan cream of mushroom soup that can be made for other days.

The following recipe is one I use myself as a regular meal however, the end result is ideal for adding to wraps or salads.

Complete Bowl (Vegan)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of broccoli
• 4 long carrots
• 4 - 6 celery sticks
• 1 onion
• 3 cups of raw spinach
• 2-3 table spoons seasoning of choice, I use chipotle, cayenne pepper, lemon pepper
• 1 lbs black beans
• 4 vegan bocca patties
• 1/2-1 cup vinegar

In a large mixing bowl finely chop the broccoli and add the seasoning mixing well. Then clean and shred the carrots adding them to the mix. Finely chop the celery, spinach, and onions and place them in the bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the black beans and mix thoroughly. Cook the vegan patties either on the stove in a pan or in your microwave and chop them up into small cubes. Place the cubes into the bowl and mix in the vinegar. If I am eating this by itself I will use 2 cups as a serving if placed in a salad or wrap I will use about 1/2 a cup. You can also top with 2 table spoons of chia seeds as I do when I am eating it by itself.

If your looking for a vegan burrito recipe then here is one I make.

Ingredients:

• 2 bags of morning star vegan chicken strips
• 2 green bell peppers
• 2 onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 16 oz. cans of vegetarian or fat free refried beans
• 1 24 oz. jar of Pace mild Picante
• 2 - 3 tablespoons of chipotle seasoning
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• Tortilla wraps of your choice

Take both your green peppers and onion and dice them up placing them in a bowl. Take a pan and add the oil after the oil has heated up place the onions and green peppers into the pan and cook on a medium heat, stir them occasionally as you do not want them to burn. After about 5 - 10 minutes mix in the chipotle seasoning and add the garlic, allow this to cook for 2 minutes. Next you will add in the jar of Pace and add the packages of Morning Star vegan chicken strips. Be sure to mix these well and allow it to cook for 8 minutes only stirring occasionally. Finally mix in the cans of bean stirring till there is a similar consistency throughout. Let this heat up for about 1 minute. After everything has heated up you are now ready to take about 1/4 - 1/2 a cup of the mixture and place it in a tortilla wrap, fold it up and viola you have a vegan burrito. Enjoy.