Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Rice Pudding (Instant Pot)

Rice Pudding (Instant Pot)
Yields: 4 servings
dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, gluten-free, soy-free

Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 cups Water
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened Vanilla Plant Milk
  • 1 cup Arborio Rice
  • 1/4 cup Raisins
  • 1/4 cup Raw Sugar
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt


Directions:
  1. Add all ingredients to the IP and stir to combine
  2. Close & lock lid
  3. Set Pressure Valve to Sealing
  4. Select Rice setting
  5. Natural Release steam for 5 minutes, then Quick Release the rest
  6. Dig in!



Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Hoff's Pizza Potatoes (IP)

Hoff's Pizza Potatoes (IP)
Yields: 4-5 servings
meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, gluten-free, soy-free

Ingredients:
  • 1 bag Baby Potatoes (quartered)
  • 1 carton sliced Mushrooms
  • 1 Zucchini (shredded)
  • 1 Red Pepper (chopped)
  • 1 Sweet Onion (chopped)
  • 1 24 oz. jar Prego Light Smart Traditional Spaghetti Sauce
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 1 2.25 oz. can sliced Black Olives (rinsed & drained)
  • 1 tbsp. Italian Seasoning
  • 1 tsp. Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp. Garlic Powder

Directions:
  1. Hit Sautee button, with lid off
  2. Add chopped Onions to IP to sautee, while preparing the rest of the Veggies
  3. Add Veggies to sautee as you go, stirring occasionally
  4. Turn off the IP to shut off the Sautee feature
  5. Add Water
  6. Add remaining ingredients to IP & stir to combine
  7. Close & lock lid
  8. Set Pressure Valve to Sealing
  9. Select Steam setting on High Pressure & cook for 15 minutes
  10. Quick release pressure
  11. Stir & top with Nutritional Yeast

Hoff Thoughts: With the IP or pressure cooking in general, you always want a bit of Water on the bottom of the pot to get the steam to manifest.




Monday, October 19, 2015

Daiya Mac & Cheese Please

http://us.daiyafoods.com/products/cheezy-mac/deluxe-cheddar-style
I finally got my hands on the new Daiya Cheezy Mac boxed pasta & cheese mixes - so naturally I had to get them all!

Now, I am more apt to make Mac & Cheese or Alfredo from scratch, but there are days when you just don't feel like it, dammit. 

I'm always on the hunt for any vegan version of my pre-vegan/vegetarian life favorites.  Mac & Cheese has always been a staple in my house, so I was beyond excited to give these babies a try.

The verdict...

Very simple to make - boil some water, dump the pasta, drain & apply the generous helping of sauce provided.  Takes very little time and effort to get from the box to your mouth.


I have to say, that the serving size is a joke - 3 servings, seriously?   Needless to say I can polish off a box by myself and I sense sharing with another would only lead to passive aggressive misconduct.

I was iffy on the gluten-free past (brown rice). Having gone gluten-free before, I never got used to the texture of gluten-free pastas.  But, I'm pleased to say that the pasta didn't bother me, in fact I'm not sure I would have picked up on the difference had I not known.

The "liquid gold" cheese of the Deluxe Cheddar Style Mac is reminiscent of my beloved Velveeta in looks and feel, but not so much taste.  Yet, it was still tasty & I scarfed it down effortlessly.  I tried it once, but I'll pass on the freeze dried veggies in the Deluxe White version, while I'll happily give some shelf real estate to the Alfredo style.

Could these little gems ever pass for their evil dairy counterpart?  No, not likely and I haven't had real cheese in over 6 years.

Yet, it's one of the best vegan solutions around and I for one will be stocking up!

Check it out!





Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Hoff's Roasted BBQ Cauliflower

Hoff's Roasted BBQ Cauliflower
Servings: about 4
dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free, gluten-free

Ingredients:
  • 1 head Cauliflower (chopped)
  • 1/2 BBQ Sauce
  • 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp. Sea Salt

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 425
  2. Chop Cauliflower into bite size pieces
  3. Toss Cauliflower with BBQ Sauce, Garlic, Salt (adding more Sauce if necessary)
  4. Spread out on a piece of parchment paper lined baking sheet
  5. Bake for 20 minutes, toss after 10 minutes
  6. Cauliflower is done when it's fork tender


 

Friday, October 9, 2015

Hoff's Asian Green Beans (IP)

Hoff's Asian Green Beans (IP)
Servings: 4
meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, gluten-free

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb. fresh Green Beans (trimmed)
  • 1 frozen Ginger cube
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 1/4 cup Braggs
  • 1 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 tsp. Arrowroot
  • 1 tsp. Coconut Sugar
  • 1 tsp. Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp. Garlic Powder

Directions:
  1. Whisk together Water, Braggs, Vinegar, Arrowroot & Seasoning
  2. Toss sauce with Green Beans in the IP
  3. Close & lock lid
  4. Set Pressure Valve to Sealing
  5. Select Steam setting on High Pressure & cook for 3 minutes
  6. Natural release pressure


Monday, October 5, 2015

Hoff's "Lunch Dump Fried Rice" (Instant Pot)

Hoff's "Lunch Dump Fried Rice" (Instant Pot)
Yields: 5 Days Worth
meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, gluten-free

Ingredients:
  • 4 cups Veggie Broth
  • 1 cup Water
  • 4 cups Brown Rice
  • 2 cups frozen Peas
  • 2 cups frozen Organic Corn
  • 2 cups Sauerkraut
  • 2/3 cup Braggs
  • 3 tsp. frozen Garlic
  • 3 tsp. frozen Ginger

Directions (Instant Pot):
  1. Combine all ingredients in the IP
  2. Lock lid in place and make sure pressure release valve is closed
  3. Press "Manual" button & change time to 22 minutes
  4. When done, use quick release or natural release method (doesn't matter)

Hoff Thoughts: When I'm not planning any leftovers for the week, I make my work lunch in one large batch on Sunday.  Then I just divide it among five, 4-cup Pyrex dishes.  This frees up my weeknights and curbs the temptation to eat out when co-workers come calling.