Vegetable Stew and Crispy Tofu

I'm still on a roll with Oh She Glows and made two more of her recipes this weekend.  For the Crispy Tofu I really didn't change it up at all and it was very good, but I may add more spices or something next time to give it some added flavor without having to use catsup.  Her 'Husband's Healing Stew' I did make a few adjustment so see my creation below.

Also note, I found out that cayenne pepper can be very good for circulation.  Bad circulation may account for me being so cold all the time and may also account for knee pain that I usually experience in cold weather.  Because of this I've added a few different things to my diet to try to help, including cayenne... which I've pretty much started adding to everything.  I'll try to remember to let you know if it works :)


Vegetable Stew

1 tbsp canola oil
1 sweet onion, chopped

1 red onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground corriander
2 bay leaves (optional)
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped 

2 red peppers, chopped
1/2 bag mini-carrots, chopped
2 cups organic chicken broth (low sodium)

2 cups water
1, 14-oz can diced organic tomatoes
1/2 cup uncooked raw buckwheat groats, rinsed (or grain of choice)
1/2 cup uncooked pearled barley, rinsed (or grain of choice)
4-5 handfuls of baby kale, chopped
1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp minced parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder 

1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
5-10 shakes red pepper flakes, to taste
1/2 tsp kosher salt + Black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot over low heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and the chopped sweet onion, red onion, green onion, and minced garlic. Heat over low until translucent, about 5-8 minutes.

2. Stir in coriander, cinnamon, and two bay leaves and heat an additional minute or two. Now, add in the chopped vegetables (zucchini, peppers, carrots) and cook for about 5 more minutes.

3. Stir in the diced tomatoes, broth, water rinsed buckwheat and pearled barley (or grains of choice). Simmer on low-medium heat (dial 3-4) for 20 minutes, checking often to make sure it doesn’t burn or thin out too much. Add a bit more broth or water if necessary and reduce heat when needed.

4. After 20 minutes, add in the lemon juice, kale and additional seasonings- all to taste (parsley, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, cayenne and salt & pepper). Cook for another 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves. 

Enjoy!!

Mushroom Soup... Yum!!!

So, I made another Oh She Glows soup and it was delicious!! Of course I changed it up to what I had on hand so here is what I ended up with:

Mushroom Onion Soup

1 cup short grain brown rice 

2 pounds fresh mushrooms (I had 1 lb button and 1 lb baby bella -- but use whatever you would like), sliced
4 chopped sweet onion
6 garlic cloves, minced

1 bag frozen spinach
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 

3 1/2 cups water

1 tsp herbs de provence

1 tsp fresh rosemary
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 tbsp Worchester sauce 

Instructions
1.  Cook brown rice according to the directions.
2. In a large pot over medium-low heat, add a bit of oil (~1 tsp) along with the chopped onion, saute 4 minutes.  Add minced garlic and saute another 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and herbs de provence.  Saute another 4 minutes or until onions are transparent and mushrooms are starting to cook.
3. Stir in broth, spinach, water, salt, pepper, Worchester sauce. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
4. Scoop half of the mixture into a blender and blend until almost smooth (but still a bit chunky). Add back into the pot.
5. Stir in cooked rice. 

Enjoy!!

Tortilla-less Enchiladas and Corn Bread

I haven't been blogging much because, well, I haven't been cooking much!  But, I have found my new favorite cooking website and made a slight spinoff of a few of her recipes so I have to tell you what I did.

If you want to follow an amazing blog with the best vegan recipes check out Oh She Glows.  For each recipe I'll link to the original so you can see her's too.  The originals are pretty amazing, you will love them.

First up, I made her Flat and Crisp Corn Bread.   I didn't really mix this up at all so check out the recipe and make it up.

Next is Oh She Glows Vegan Enchiladas.  Here is my version:

Sweet Potato Enchiladas

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil2 sweet onion, chopped (~2 cups)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large sweet potato, chopped

2 bell pepper, chopped
2 handfuls spinach, chopped
~ 2 cups black beans (I had dried that I reconstituted and then froze but you can use canned as well)
Enchilada sauce (see recipe below)
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp fresh lime juice, to taste
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder, or to taste
guacamole

1. Pre-cook the chopped sweet potato, I steamed them in my rice cooker but you can do it over the stove too. Do not overcook. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large skillet or pot, add oil and bring to medium to low heat. Add in the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until translucent. Add in garlic and peppers and reduce heat to low and cook for a couple more minutes. Now add the chopped pepper, pre-cooked sweet potato, drained black beans, and chopped spinach. Cook for about 5-7 more minutes on medium-low heat.

3. Now add in your enchilada or pasta sauce. Stir well, and add in your seasonings: nutritional yeast (optional), cumin, fresh lime juice, salt, garlic powder, chili powder- all to taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir well.

4. Spoon into a bowl, top with guacamole, and dip in your corn bread (see recipe above) and enjoy!!  Delicious!!

The enchilada sauce from Clean Green Simple sounded amazing for this but I didn't have enough chili powder so I used what I had on hand.  It was quite spicy so if you don't like spice cut back a bit.

Enchilada Sauce

2 tbsp chili Powder

1 tbsp chili chipotle power

1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp flour
1 14oz can Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 cups water

Mix all dry ingredients together in a small bowl. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine tomato sauce, water, and spice mix and stir until well combined. Heat until the sauce is warmed through and as thick as you like (if it starts out thicker than you’d like just add more water). Use wherever you would use enchilada sauce.