Golden Gravy

This recipe is an adaptation from Mary McDougall. 

Golden Gravy
Yield: 2 cups
meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free


Ingredients:

• 2 cups Veggie Broth
• 2 tbsp Braggs
• 2 tbsp Tahini
• 1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour
  

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, mix all ingredients well
2. Cook, stirring occasionally until smooth & thick
3. Serve at once or thicken in the fridge

Pumpkin Donuts

This recipe is an and adaptation of Easy Baked Doughnuts from One Green Planet.

Pumpkin Donuts
Yields: 6 large donuts, 12 mini donuts
dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free


Ingredients:

Dry

• 1 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 tbsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt

Wet

• 3/4 cup Vanilla Almond Milk
• 1/2 cup Maple Syrup
• 1/3 cup canned Pumpkin
• 1 tbsp. Vanilla
• 1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients
3. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together wet ingredients
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk together until just combined
5. Carefully spoon batter into a non-stick donut pan (oiling the pan is not necessary)
6. Bake for 12 minutes
7. Allow to cool completely for easy removal

Hoff's Grilled Tomato Sandwich

My boyfriend grew up on a grilled tomato and cheese concoction doused in mustard.  I grew up eating my grilled cheese straight up - no distractions please!

Fortunately, he got me to try one of these "sandwiches" during my Vegetarian days and I have to say, not too shabby.  So, when I decided to go Vegan, my first thought was, "What about my grilled cheese!"  One would naturally go to a Vegan cheese, but I have chosen to get off the processed food train.  So, I decided to give my boyfriend's childhood delight a try sans the cheese and I'm happy to report that I don't miss the cheese all that much.


Hoff's Grilled Tomato Sandwich
Serves: 1
meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free


Ingredients:

• 2 pieces Whole Wheat Bread or English Muffin
• 2-3 slices of tomato, whatever will cover the surface area of the bread
• Mustard

Directions:

1. Toast Bread
2. While bread is toasting, warm up tomato slices in either a frying pan or microwave (1 minute)
3. Assemble sandwich, apply ample amounts of Mustard
4. Imagine the cheese is there...

Hoff's Mushroom Quinoa

Hoff's Mushroom Quinoa
Serves: 2
meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free, gluten-free

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups Water
• 8 oz. Mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 cup Sweet Onion (sliced)
• 1/3 cup Pine Nuts

 Directions:

1. Using a fine wire mesh strainer, rinse Quinoa
2. Combine Quinoa & Water into a 2 quart pot, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, fluff with fork
3. Meanwhile in a medium, non-stick frying pan, brown Pine Nuts until you can start to smell their aroma, remove Pine Nuts from the pan
4. Using the same pan over medium-high heat caramelize the Onions & Mushrooms
5. Combine everything together and eat!

Hoff Thoughts: Rinsing the Quinoa removes the outer coating which can sometimes have a bitter taste.

Hoff's Savory Stuffed Squash

Hoff's Savory Stuffed Squash
Serves: 2
meat-free, dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free


Ingredients:

• 1 Acorn Squash
• 2 cups Whole Wheat Israeli Couscous
• 2 1/2 cups Veggie Broth
• 1 cartoon sliced Mushrooms
• 1 cup Shredded Carrots (rough chopped)
• 1 small-medium Sweet Onion (chopped)
• 2 Garlic cloves (minced)
• 1/3 cup Nutritional Yeast
• 2 tbsp. Almond Butter
• 2 tbsp. Braggs
• 1 tsp. Cumin
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Cut Squash in half and deseed
3. Place Squash face down in a baking dish with about an inch of water
4. Cook until soft for about 40 minutes
5. Season Squash with Sea Salt & set aside
6. Meanwhile, bring Broth (Nutritional Yeast added) to a boil, reduce to a simmer, stir in Couscous, cover & cook for 15 minutes (fluff with fork when done)
7. In a non-stick skillet, sauté Onions, Mushrooms & Carrots in Braggs, adding Garlic at last few seconds of cooking
8. Stir in Almond Butter until melted and well combined
9. Combine with Couscous, stir in Seasonings & fill each side of Squash

Hoff Thoughts: You will have leftover stuffing, that's a bonus in my book as it's delicious!  But, if you insist, cut back to 1 cup of Couscous and 1 cup of Broth.

Why Might Vegetarians Have Less HPV?

Video Snack Time!

What is Quinoa?

What is it?

Quinoa, pronounced as KEEN-WAH, is actually a seed, not a grain - a common misconception. However, it is prepared and used in the same manner as rice or couscous.  It is gluten-free for those of you with touchy inner workings, making it easy to digest.  It has the texture and look (size) of Couscous, but tends to be a little crunchier, brown in color and has a slight nutty flavor.

Quinoa has been around a little while - since 3,000 B.C.  The Incas once revered this sacred staple as the "mother grain." - as it was so substantial as to fuel its mighty armies.


Is it healthy?

Yes - it's very nutrient rich!  Quinoa is high in fiber, high in protein, a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, iron, vitamins, minerals, and is considered to be alkaline.  It's high in calcium and iron and a good source of E & B vitamins.  Since Quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, it is considered a complete protein source.


What to do with it:

Quinoa can be easily substituted in place of Rice, Couscous, Millet or Pasta in just about any meal.  Use it as a side dish, in casseroles, in cold salads, soups or stews.  Add nuts and fruits to cooked Quinoa and serve as breakfast porridge.

The Quinoa seeds can also be sprouted for a super raw nutritional snack!  Sprouted Quinoa can be used in salads and sandwiches just like alfalfa sprouts.


How to cook it:
 
Quinoa cooks up simply and fast.  For every 1 cup of Quinoa, use 1 1/2 cups of Water or Veggie Broth.  Bring Quinoa & liquid to a boil together, reduce to a simmer, cover & cook for 15 minutes.  Once cooked, remove from heat and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes, fluff with a fork and enjoy!

Adding Salt to the cooking water will increase the cooking time by 1 - 2 minutes and yield a firmer texture.  Leave it out and you get a fluffier end result.

Want a nuttier flavor?  Dry roast the Quinoa before cooking; to dry roast, place it in a skillet over medium-low heat and stir constantly for five minutes. 

It is important to rinse Quinoa using a fine wire mesh to remove the bitter outer layer (saponin), prior to cooking.  With this in mind, the Quinoa can be soaked up to 5 minutes to help with this process.


Storage:

Store quinoa in an airtight container. It will keep for a longer period of time, approximately three to six months, if stored in the refrigerator. 


Keep it Healthy!

Sources:
http://chetday.com/quinoa.html
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=142&tname=foodspice