EASY CHEEZY INSTANT POWDER

great for macncheez, popcorn, instant queso, fries, broccoli sauce, cheezy rice, etc

EQUIPMENT:

Sauce or saute pan 

wooden spoon

storage container with lid

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of chic pea flour

1/2 cup of nutritional yeast

1 tsp. of paprika

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp of vegan lactic acid (or more to taste)

(if you do not have lactic acid (sold on Amazon), add a little vinegar to a queso or macncheez sauce while rehydrating)

METHOD:

*  on high heat, salute chic pea flour, while constantly turning over for around 5-7 minutes, watch that you do not burn the flour.  Take the flour off of the stove and, after cooling, taste to make sure the "RAW, BITTER" taste is cooked out.

*  in storage container combine all ingredients and place in frig until use

Tips....

Place on popcorn or fries while they are still hot, after oil or vegan butter for the popcorn.

To rehydrate you should use fat (cheez is fatty).   I like to use vegan mayo or melted vegan butter and a tiny bit of water to make an instant cheez sauce, queso or to pour over vegan burgers or veggies.

buffalo plantains

Frying plantains that are not overly ripe makes a crispy and sensational vehicle for buffalo sauce!

Equipment:
oven
cutting board
french knife
saute pan
heavy duty spatula
tongs for lifting, tossing
stainless steel bowl for tossing sauce
whisk

Ingredients:

*   plantains that are not fully ripe or black (1 plantain will make around 11-12 pieces
*   oil of choice for frying

*   for medium hot Sauce

3/4 cup water

1 TBL potato starch (or corn starch or tapioca starch)

1/4 cup plus 2 TBL vegan hot sauce (such as tabasco or red hot)

1 tsp vegan margarine or vegan butter
(whisk together in saucepan and heat until thick with coating ability)

*   for ranch dressing

1 cup vegan mayonnaise

to taste...garlic powder

to taste...onion powder

to taste...black pepper

1 TBL minced parsley or dry parsley

to taste...dill

to taste... a little extra lemon juice or cider vinegar

1-2 TBL vegan milk to thin out
(whisk together in bowl and refrigerate)

Method:

Carve and peel the plantains with the french knife and compost or disgard the peels.  Cut into sizable strips that you are comfortable with.  Fry in hot oil of your choice until hard, brown and crispy.  

Hold...wrapped in frig until ready to toss with sauce and eat.

Bake in hot oven when heating up and toss with hot buffalo sauce.  Serve with celery, carrot sticks and ranch dressing.

ENJOY

fast..healthy..easy..cheap..best all time vegan cheez

If you are looking for a DELICIOUS vegan cheez that costs pennies to replace melted mozzarella and melted cheddar you have found it.  Soy free, gluten free, nut free, grain free.. this recipe is the easiest vegan cheez to make; takes 10-15 minutes, requires only a blender, no hard to find ingredients, around .30 cents a big batch in 2014 u.s. dollars, holds up in frig and drizzles easily with a spoon compared to other vegan homemade cheez sauces with no gummy or stringy mess and no walking on glass, multiple equipment cooking methods with agar or powdered starches.   Also does well baked or microwaved, or as a dip.  

potato mozzarella on a slice of homemade vegan pizza, amazing! (I used homemade sunflower seed cream instead of water to make a richer tasting mozzarella)

Equipment:
Bottom blade Blender
spatula to get out of the blender
covered bowl for storage

Ingredients…
*  1 cup of packed down russet potato baked or microwaved  (the inside of the potato, not the skin)
*  1/3 cup oil (I use canola oil or olive oil for mozzarella)
* 2-3 TBL of melted refined coconut oil for a more saturated fat mouthfeel
*  3 TBL fresh lemon juice
*  1/2 tsp salt, or more if you like
*  water (or white veggie, seed, nut, bean milk) as needed to reach melted cheese consistency, usually up to 3/4 to 1 cup of liquid

Method…
Combine in blender the 1 cup of potato, oil, lemon juice, salt and water / vegan milk (a 1/4 cup at a time), until the consistency reaches melted cheese.  Taste to see if you need additional salt, tang.   Use right away or store, covered in frig a day or 2 until ready to use.

Mexican queso with green onions and cilantro

Ideas for additions to mozzarella or white cheez sauce..
a little miso, a tsp. of nooch nutritional yeast, cider vinegar, white wine.  For richer, heavier cheez use a soy milk, cashew milk, rice milk, sunflower milk and yes, I have used cauliflower milk or white asparagus milk successfully--all turns out delicious….although this turns out delicious if you use only the ingredients I have listed.

nachos with potato cheddar and "almond tangy sour cream"

Ideas for additions to make cheddar or orange cheez sauce..
a little tomato paste or a tsp. of sweet paprika then add some steamed carrots or squash for color, a couple TBLs of nutritional yeast.  Add jalapeño pickle juice or pimento pickle juice instead of water, hot peppers, lime juice, salsa and cilantro if making nachos or mexican queso. 

cheezy potato blintze cake

Equipment:

big stainless steel bowl

big sauté pan

cutting board

knife

Ingredients...
•   1 large russet potato, baked
•   4 oz. of washed, sliced mushrooms
•   2 TBL olive oil
•   2 TBL of diced pimentos
•   8oz. of  daiya cheese
•   1/2 tsp garlic powder
•   salt to taste  (the cheese has sodium so watch out)
•   black pepper to taste

bendable, delicious...flatten with spatula

Method:
*  sauté the washed mushrooms in a little olive oil until the moisture is released, set aside
*  mix the inside of the baked potato, mushrooms, pimentos and spices (not cheese) in big bowl
*  heat your sauté pan up and add a big circle of daiya cheese until bubbling
place a little of the potato mixture on top of the cheese and in the middle and flip until brown on top
*  use the spatula to flatten

vegan confetti bake

A great Thanksgiving side dish.  Easy, nutritious and delicious this casserole forms a crispy top and melded interior and takes on all the veggie flavors.

Equipment:
casserole dish
oven
big mixing bowl
big spoon
tongs
mandoline or french knife and cutting board

Ingredients...
•    1 medium sweet potato, medium size julienne slice
•    1 large russet potato, medium size julienne slice
•    1/2 medium onion, small julienne slice
•    2 large carrots, small julienne slice
•    1 medium yellow squash, large julienne slice
•    1 medium zucchini, large julienne slice
•    10 oz. daiya cheese shreds (any type)
•    2 TBL olive oil
•    2 TBL nutritional yeast
•    1 tsp rubbed sage
•    2 tsp thyme
•    salt, to taste
•    pepper, to taste

Method...
preheat oven to 375 degrees, wash hands

( I have tried to push this low-cost mandoline to vegans for a couple months now, and yes, its still worth it.  Its the oxo v-blade mandoline, around $40 (as of this post 2012), and a wonderful tool for the price and for all the great bakes.)
1.  Combine all sliced veggies in big bowl, add daiya, spices and nutritional yeast and mix thoroughly with hands (the daiya will hold this together and the moisture from the squash and onion will add a sauce-like texture in the middle) taste for salt and pepper before placing in baking dish
2.  Press down into casserole dish firm
3.  Place dish in oven and bake at 375 until you hear the casserole start to bubble (approx 1/2 hour, 45 minutes)
4.  Turn broiler on and broil to a nice crisp brown top

vegan margarine spread

I'm tagging this recipe "lowfat" because it is low (trace amount) in saturated fat.  The recipe is basically my vegan mayonnaise recipe without lemon and with polenta and sweetener added for taste. I would not bake with it, but it is very good for toast, mashers, french toast, pancakes.  Tastes very good with a low, low price tag and no palm oil, expensive speciality items or saturated fat (trace amount from oil). 

costs pennies to make compared to store bought spreads

Equipment...
food processor
storage bowl with cover
spatula to remove spread from sides of processor

Ingredients:
•   1/4 cup to 1/2 cup inside of baked potato, placed in measuring cup, not packed down thoroughly
•   1/2 cup soy milk
•   1 oz (or more). cooked polenta
•   1 cup light oil
•   2 tsp salt ..taste
•   2 tsp liquid sweetener...taste

Method...

1. Cut out your potato and place the fluffy cooked hot or warm middle in the measuring cup and do not pack down tight, but do pack slightly, anywhere between 1/4cup and 1/2 cup is fine
2. Add the soy milk and blend on high speed until mixed thoroughly. Looks like watery mashers.  (if it does not look like very watery mashers, add potato, a little at a time, until it does, pulse until very well combined)
3. Add the oil 1/4 cup at a time, in slow, slow steady streams and blend on high each 1/4 cup around 1 minute.  When all oil is incorporated, blend for a long, long, time until you really see the spread set up.
4. Add the polenta and continue blending until polenta is very smoothed out.
5. Add salt and sweetener and taste.

This will completely stay set up in the fridge and not become watery.  You might not like the very slight “grit” of the potato and polenta, but try it on toast and pancakes and you won't mind!

tofu ricotta cheez

Use for lasagna, dips, roll-ups, wraps, etc

Equipment:

Big bowl

Big spoon

Ingredients...

2 packages of 16oz. extra firm tofu

3 TBL olive oil

2 tsps nutritional yeast

2 TBL lemon juice or cider vinegar

1/4 cup fresh, washed, minced italian flat leaf parsley

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Method:

Wash hands and dry

drain tofu out of package and try to get most water out

combine all ingredients in big bowl and mix with hands, taste for salt and pepper

fast rice meal

When you do not have one item left in the frig and don't feel like running out to get fresh ingredients, this dish will work (especially now that winter is coming).

Equipment:
big saucepan
wooden spoon to stir
can opener for soup

Ingredients:
1 cup of rice of choice (I used a brown, wild rice mix)
water as needed on rice directions
1 TBL light oil
1 can of Amy's low sodium no chicken noodle soup  (you can use any vegan canned soup you have on hand to make a different flavored rice)
seasonings of choice...I used some freeze dried chives and a little thyme

Method:
•   Prepare rice according to directions until cooked and firm
•   Add can of soup after rice is completely cooked and bring to boil, then to simmer.  Simmer all of the liquid out of the mixture.  Meal is complete when the mixture has thoroughly soaked in the soup

hibiscus rooibos lemon on ice

I finally posted this because a friend had never had this combo.  I drink it almost daily in autumn and take it for granted that everyone does.  The combo of the "flower" taste and the "earthy" taste of the rooibos makes it a great autumn iced drink, plus, the color is beautiful.  It is soooo yummy, easy and cheap, kids will love it.

Equipment:
tea pot
large 10 oz. tea mug
tea steeping ball or cheese cloth
spoon
2, 10 oz. or larger glasses

Ingredients...
•   1 1/2 Tablespoons of dry hibiscus flowers (most health food stores carry this in bulk, some brand name tea companies, but if you do not want caffeine, you should purchase the dry, cut flowers straight)
•   1 Tablespoon of rooibos (most health food stores carry this in bulk or purchase in bulk on internet)
•   2, 10oz. glasses full of ice
•   a couple slices of fresh lemon or orange or berries of choice
•   as needed...sweetener, maple syrup, agave nectar, beet sugar, evaporated cane or coconut sugar

Method:
*fill your 10oz. mug up with water, place water in tea pot and let sound off
*place the hibiscus and rooibos into tea ball and place in empty cup
*when tea kettle sounds off, pour hot water into mug and let that mixture steep around 10-20 minutes (you are making a concentrate because you will be pouring over ice)
*after the mixture is cool and you have removed the tea ball add sweetener of choice and stir and taste for sweetness (you may want a tad bit more due to the diluting of the ice)
*pour concentrate into ice glasses and garnish and mix with fresh lemon or orange or berries

flat bread

flat bread takes around an hour and a half off of making loaf bread or pizza bread.  this is the same recipe, but with one rising, then quickly fried.

Equipment:

big bowl for dough rising

small bowl for yeast rising

plastic bag for covering rising bowl

some clean towels

bench scraper

big spoon

rolling pin (french rolling pins are nice, no squeaky handles)

tongs for flipping flatbread

non-stick griddle or sauté pan for frying flatbread

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tsps or 1 package of active dry yeast (not the self rising type or the pizza dough, or the bread machine type)

3 - 4 cups of all purpose flour, or, bread flour

2 tsps salt

1/4 tsp sugar

as needed, warm water

as needed, olive oil or oil of choice for the bowl

Method...

Workspace and prepping:  Have a very clean, dry, somewhat open, large workspace (like a kitchen island, or a large counter).  Have a clean towel on hand, your bench scraper by your side and around 2 1/2 cups flour mixed with the gluten and salt in a big mixing bowl, set aside and ready to go.  Have around 1/2 cup flour at the edge of your workspace, on the table top, ready to be dusted and used.

Step 1:  Place the yeast into a small bowl, add the sugar, add a very small amount of warm water (not hot, warm to touch), mix with a small spoon and cover with towel for around 1/2 hour.  This doubles the yeast in volume and lets it rise, different from just proofing the yeast.  

Step 2:  Once the yeast has doubled, pour on top of the flour mixture and add more “warm” water with a spoon until the dough is coming together, if the water is not soaking into the flour, add more until it does

Step 3:  Dust your hands and work area with the flour you have setting aside, and remove the formed mixture from the bowl, fold it over a couple times, while dusting with flour until you feel you can knead it a little without it sticking to everything.  Start kneading the dough, flipping over and pressing your palm into it, while constantly incorporating more dustings of flour until it is not sticky.  Should take around a minute or two.  I learned from the youtube video on my pizza dough recipe that kneading does not matter, its the form of rising (in the plastic bag, moisture i’m assuming, that forms the gluten and the dough) This will form a soft ball of dough.

Step 4:  Let the dough ball sit uncovered,  then wash your big mixing bowl with hot, warm water.  Dry the bowl and place a little olive oil in the bottom of the bowl.  Transfer the dough and roll it around to cover with the oil, then cover with the plastic bag and set in a somewhat dark place for around 1 1/2 hours. Clean up the workspace with the bench scraper and leave the flour pile to use for the rolling.

Step 5:  Rolling out flat bread:  dust your hands and workspace with four, transfer the risen dough to the work surface and take 1/4 of the dough and roll out to the size that fits onto your sauté pan.

Step 6: Heat a little oil on your sauté griddle until griddle is hot (there are many non-teflon available nowadays).  Place flatbread down until it starts bubbling and flip with tongs until it puffs a little and looks similar to a tortilla

Let cool to room temperature before storing.  Store in plastic bags until use.  Makes great mini pizzas, toasted bread bits for dipping and delicious wraps.

best oven fries ever

Equipment:

French knife and cutting board (or mandoline)

oven for baking

big mixing bowl
heavy duty spatula

baking sheet

tongs for tossing

Ingredients...
1 large,washed russet potato
2 TBL good olive oil, or oil of choice
1 TBL nutritional yeast, or spices and herbs of choice
1 tsp. garlic powder
dash of tabasco or hot sauce
1/2 tsp. black pepper
salt or herbamare to taste


Method:  preheat oven to 450 degrees
*   place oil, herbs, spices (except salt) in mixing bowl
*   work fast...either slice potato into the thinnest lengthy slices you can make 1/8", or, use your mandoline to perform the task for you.  (the potato can sometimes start turning pink/brown if you take too long).  Also, don't slice too thin or the starch will gum together
*   add potato to bowl with oil and spices and mix with tongs to cover
*   spread out evenly on baking sheet and place in hot, preheated oven
*   let cook in hot oven until brown tips are showing, then use your tongs to move around a little bit
*   when you start to see burn marks (approx 30 minutes or so) turn oven down to 350 and continue baking another 15-20 minutes.
turn oven off after tasting a thick fry to see if it is well done and let sit and continue to heat in oven until you have your plates ready
*   move to serving plate and salt

Finally found a very good quality mandoline that the 99% of us can afford.  Here is the link to the V-blade mandoline that costs around $40 u.s. dollars as of this post in 2012.  A vegan must have (someday must have or gift request) tool for thin oven fries, vietnamese hand rolls, vegan sushi, slaw, etc.  I disagree with all of the bad reviews and think this tool is great and easy to use.  I sliced these fries in under 10 seconds.

o'brien potato pancakes

crispy and brown on the outside, fluffy white and spicy on the inside.  Prepare these cakes a day before serving to let flavors develop overnight in frig.

Equipment:  Big bowl for mixing, well seasoned or non-stick sauté pan, big fork for mashing, cutting board, french knife, airtight plate for storage

rice flour and some spatula work keep patties from falling apart.  Rice flour also makes them extra crispy

Ingredients:

5-6 small to medium red skin potatoes, washed and cooked (skin on)

as needed, vegan milk

2-3 TBL olive oil

1/2 cup brown or white rice flour

1/4 cup washed, minced italian parsley

1/2 cup washed, minced green bell pepper

1/2 cup minced onion

1/4 cup onion powder

1 TBL crushed thyme

1 TBL garlic powder

as needed, salt

as needed, black pepper
small amount of light oil for sauté

Can be prepared very low-fat if you have a non-stick fry pan (many non-teflon available nowadays)

Method...

•  combine all dry ingredients (except salt and pepper) in big bowl and mash with fork, add vegan milk until like dry mashed potatoes, add olive oil and taste for salt and pepper, add S&P to your liking.

•   heat up small amount of oil for frying

•   form each patty with your hands, make as flat as possible and fry on medium to high heat until brown and crispy on both sides, use spatula to flatten cakes and keep cakes together
•   let cooked patties sit to room temperature (lets moisture out), then wrap airtight

•   refrigerate overnight, these cakes will stay together very well and develop great flavor after spending the night in frig.  

•   re-heat in toaster oven or microwave.

green garden smoothie

"I posted this recipe because the combo of lime and banana is delicious.  This combo can trick kids into thinking the "green" is lime color, without mentioning the kale or spinach"

Equipment:

blender

cutting board

french knife

Ingredients:
•  1 banana
•  1/2 small lime, peeled, seeded
•  1 cup ice
•  3/4 cup vegan milk of choice
•  a couple big leaves of washed collard greens, kale or spinach
•  a tad bit of sweetener, if you wish

Method:
Place all ingredients in blender and blend away until smooth and creamy

tofu lettuce wraps

Equipment:
french knife
cutting board
wok or heavy duty sauté pan
tongs for lifting
wooden spoons for tossing

Prepare tofu, veggies and sauce ingredients a day in advance, then just toss together and serve

Ingredients:

1 , 16oz. container of extra firm tofu, dehydrated without marinade and cut into small 1/2" x 1/2" pieces
1 oz. light oil with minced garlic and ginger added
4 oz of small cubed water chestnuts
4 oz of small cubed celery
4 oz of small cubed white onion
4 oz of sliced green onion
4 oz of washed, cubed (broccoli or asparagus or green, red pepper)
8 oz. of washed, cubed mushrooms
1 recipe of chinese brown sauce with extra cornstarch slurry until the sauce is pudding like thick, add hot sauce to your liking
1 head of large lettuce of your choice, washed and pulled apart to wrap

Method...
*  heat up wok with oil until very, very hot, add tofu and vegetables (without mushrooms), toss together in hot wok until very hot, add mushrooms and toss another minute or so
*  add very thick chinese sauce to the wok mixture until it looks like it is ready to serve  (the reason we want the sauce extremely thick is because the mushrooms will add moisture to the mixture and we normally do not have the heat levels professional restaurants have in home kitchens to burn off the moisture) 
*  plate and serve with the lettuce leaves