Cinnamon Tea

Cinnamon Tea

This  tea is rich and soothing. It does take a while to make, so plan ahead and have a pitcher in the fridge ready when you need to sit back and relax. I experimented a lot with this recipe. The problem is that not all cinnamon sticks are the same size. So I recommend you chose about the same number of skinny sticks as the bigger ones when brewing the tea.

Ingredients

7 1/2 cups water
10 Ceylon cinnamon sticks, 3 inches long, try to use an equal mix of thin and bigger sticks,


Directions

Place cinnamon sticks and water into a pot and bring to a boil

Reduce heat , cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

Allow to cool.

Transfer liquid and cinnamon sticks to a pitcher and store in the fridge.

Reheat in the microwave to desired temperature. 

Often times I make this tea in the morning and we drink it after supper or it sits in the fridge overnight. The flavour is particular nice when it has had the chance to steep overnight.

Enjoy!

Tip

Try and use Ceylon Cinnamon whenever possible.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

This is a easy soup to make. It tastes quite rich with the addition of non dairy milk and nutritional yeast.

Ingredients

1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup carrot, diced

2 tsp vegetable stock powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
dash black pepper
1/2 tsp ground coriander

4 cups water
1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin ( not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup non dairy milk, unsweetened

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

Directions

Saute onion, carrots and celery until soft adding in a few tablespoons of water at a time to prevent sticking.

Once the vegetables are cooked add in the stock powder, turmeric, black pepper and ground coriander.

Add in the water, pumpkin, and non dairy milk. Cook for about 10 minutes and remove from the heat.

Once the soup has cooled, purree and return soup to the pot.

Add in nutritional yeast and reheat the soup.

Enjoy!

Red Lentil Soup

Red Lentil Soup

This is another easy soup to prepare. My son really likes this one. I soaked the lentils for a few hours in water and baking soda to help reduce the gas they sometimes produce. This step is purely optional, but a thicker soup will be produced if you do not.

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils (soaked in water and a tablespoon of baking soda for a few hours and rinsed well)

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
3 oz tomato paste ( about a half of a small can)

1/2 Tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

6-8 cups potatoes, cubed
4 cups chopped fresh spinach, optional

6 cups vegetable broth or water and vegetable stock powder to taste

Directions

Saute onion using as little water as possible to prevent sticking. Cook until soft.

Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add tomato paste and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add in broth, lentils, potatoes, and spices.

Cook for about 40 minutes until lentils are dissolved.

Add in chopped spinach and cook for about 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

 

Mushroom Soup

Mushroom Soup

I am posting this recipe for my husband and son. They love this soup. I find it too rich as it is made with soy milk, but they love the creaminess the soy milk gives this soup. Because the mushrooms cook down, this soup only makes a small pot.

Ingredients

1/2 cup onions, diced
16 cups mushrooms, sliced thinly ( I use a food processor with a slicing blade)

2 cups water
1/2 cup cooked brown rice

2 cups unsweetened soy milk, or other non dairy milk of choice

2 Tblsp cornstarch mixed with a a little cold water

4 tsp vegetable stock powder, or to taste

Directions

Saute onion in as little water as possible until soft.

Add mushroom and saute until cooked and the liquid has evaporated.

Meanwhile add water and brown rice to a high speed blender and mix until smooth.

Once mushrooms are cooked, add brown rice mixture, soy milk and vegetable stock powder to the mushrooms. Bring to a boil.

Add in cornstarch mixture and gently simmer for about a minute stirring constantly.

Adjust seasonings to taste.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Stuffing

Mushroom Stuffing

I love stuffing and this recipe can be made with either fresh or dried mushrooms. The recipe in the picture was made with dried mushrooms. When made with fresh mushrooms, the stuffing takes on a wonderfully rich and dark colour. I served the stuffing in the picture with homemade black bean balls topped with my Korean BBQ sauce. The recipe for Korean BBQ sauce can be found here: http://barbsplantbasedkitchen.blogspot.ca/2016/09/korean-bbq-sauce.htmlThis makes enough for a small 2 quart casserole.

 

Ingredients

3/4 oz dried mushroom, about 9 medium mushrooms

boiling water for soaking mushrooms

1 cup onions, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped fine

2 Tblsp flax mixed with 6 Tblsp mushroom soaking liquid

1 tsp garlic, minced

8 cups stale bread, cubed

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 tsp mushroom seasoning, or to taste This is the brand I use:http://www.vegetalk.com.sg/index.php?ws=showproducts&products_id=5190&lang&cat&subcat

1/3 - 2/3 cup water, approximately for mixing

 

Directions

Soak mushrooms in enough boiling water to cover. Let sit for about 30 minutes or until soft. Reserve liquid to mix with flax and to use when onions are cooking if liquid is required. Water can also be used in place of the soaking liquid.

Dice mushrooms into small pieces or quickly pulse in a food processor, discarding the tough stem.

Saute onion, celery and garlic until soft.

Add mushrooms to onions and continue cooking. If the mixture starts to stick add a little of the soaking liquid. Cook until mushrooms are cooked through. Let mixture cool.

Add mushroom mixture to the bread, along with the black pepper, mushroom seasoning and flax. Thoroughly combine this mixture. 

Add in enough water so that the mixture does not dry out while cooking. 

Place into a casserole large enough to hold the mixture. Cover and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for about an hour or until hot in the center.

Enjoy!

Tip

Fresh mushrooms can be substituted for the dried mushrooms. I generally do not measure, but would add in about 2 cups of sliced fresh mushrooms.

The recipe for the Korean BBQ sauce can be found here: http://barbsplantbasedkitchen.blogspot.ca/2016/09/korean-bbq-sauce.html

 

 

Korean BBQ Sauce

Korean BBQ Sauce

I have used this sauce as a dipping sauce for Asian dumplings, roasted potatoes with it,  and served it on top of tacos. It is wonderfully versatile. It is hot as it is made from Korean red curry paste which I find  at my local Asian Market. I do add a very tiny bit of stevia as I find it smooths out the flavour, but it is purely optional. It doesn't make a lot so you may want to consider doubling or even tripling the recipe.

Ingredients

1 Tblsp Korean red curry paste
1 tsp soy sauce
2 Tblsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp rice vinegar
tiny dash stevia, optional ( this is less than what what you would grab between your thumb and finger)

Directions

Place all ingredients in a small jar and shake well.

Store in fridge.

Enjoy!

Enchiladas

Enchiladas 

These enchiladas were a real hit with my family.  They requested that I make them about once a week they enjoyed them so much. I put them in a single layer between two 9x13 inch pans.

Ingredients

1 3/4 bulgur
2 cups boiling water
1 tsp soy sauce, optional
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 cup heaping onion, sliced
1/3 cup jalapeno, diced fine
1/2 cup green pepper, diced fine
1/2 cup red pepper, diced fine
1 tsp garlic, minced

4 Tblsp flour, whole wheat
3 cups water

1 Tblsp soy sauce
2 tsp vegetable stock powder
1 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
dash black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric

14- 16 corn tortillas

Vegan cheese sauce, double batch,  recipe found here:  http://barbsplantbasedkitchen.blogspot.ca/2016/04/vegan-oat-cheese-in-grilled-cheese.html

lettuce for garnish, optional
salsa for garnish, optional
vegan sour cream for garnish, optional

Directions

Place bulgur, boiling water, and first amounts of soy sauce,  onion and garlic powders in a bowl. Stir and let sit for about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute the onion until about half cooked, adding as little water as possible.

Add in all the peppers and garlic, continuing to add as little water as possible so the vegetables do not burn. Cook until tender.

Whisk together the flour and water. Make sure the mixture is smooth. If not smooth, use an emersion blender to blend.

Once the vegetables are cooked, Add in the flour and water mixture, along with the  nutritional yeast, pepper, turmeric, and  the second amounts of soy sauce, onion and garlic powders.  Cook until thickened and bubbly.

Add in the bulgur. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Heat about half of the corn tortillas on a plate in the microwave until soft and pliable.

Using about 1/2 cup of the bulgur mixture, spread it along the bottom of each 9x13 inch pan.

Take about a serving spoon amount of the bulgur mixture and place down the center of the tortilla. Top with the vegan cheese sauce.

Carefully close the tortillas and lay it facedown in the pan. Repeat until all the bulgur mixture is used, and heating the second half of tortillas as required. You will need a second pan. I only had single layers of enchiladas in each pan.

Cover the tortillas with the remaining cheese sauce.

Cover with aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350 oven for about 20-30 minutes until hot.

Serve topped with lettuce, salsa and tofu sour cream if desired.

Enjoy!