Pasta with Peanut Sauce...

This is yummy!

Pasta with Peanut Sauce

a recipe from Jennifer Raymond

12 ounces pasta (not 16)

2/3 cup peanut butter

1 cup water hot

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons vinegar

1 Tablespoon sugar or other sweetener

3 cloves garlic minced

3 green onions chopped (save some for garnish)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or pinch cayenne

While cooking pasta, whisk together remaining ingredients in a small saucepan.

Heat gently until smooth and slightly thickened. Add more water if sauce is too thick.

Toss cooked pasta with sauce.  Garnish with reserved green onion.

Note:  We used 16 ounces of pasta and it tasted great but was a bit dry.  Next time we're going to adjust the sauce for 16 ounces.

Soba and Seitan...

Soba noodles are made of buckwheat.  Seitan is a protein made from wheat.  We incorrectly say "see-tan" instead of "sey-tan"...otherwise one can sound like the church lady!

Soba and Seitan

a recipe from Jennifer Raymond

1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons oil
3 cups sliced mushrooms, 8 ounces = 2 cups
8 ounces seitan, sliced

2 Tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

12 ounces soba noodles
1 teaspoon salt, optional

Saute the onion in a large skillet with the oil until transparent, then add the mushrooms.  Cover and cook until mushrooms are brown.  Stir in the seitan.

Whisk flour and water together until smooth, then add to the skillet along with the soy sauce, garlic powder and pepper.  Cook uncovered, over medium-low heat until thickened.

Bring water to a boil in a large kettle.  Add the soba and salt, if using, and boil until al dente, about 8 minutes.

Top with seitan mixture and serve.

Notes:
Goes well with tossed salad!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies...

These are great cake-like cookies.   

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

a recipe from Jennifer Raymond

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups raw sugar or other sweetener

4 Tablespoons flaxseeds
1 1/2 cup water
1 3/4 cups solid-pack canned pumpkin
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the first 7 ingredients (not flaxseeds!) and set aside.

Blend the flaxseeds and 1 cup of the water in a blender for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture has the consistency of beaten egg white.

Add flax mix to the dry ingredients along with the pumpkin, water and raisins.

Mix until just combined.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a non-stick or lightly oil-sprayed baking sheet.

Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove with a spatula to a cooling rack.

Make 36

Notes:
When I made these I ended up with 60 cookies.
I used one can of pumpkin.

Chick Pea Salad...

This is another one of those recipes that must be renamed.  This is originally called Mock Tuna Salad.  I don't like saying something is 'mock' because it makes it seems 'less than' somehow.  Chick Pea Salad is great in its own right!

Chick Pea Salad

a recipe from Jennifer Raymond

1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 green onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons vegan mayonaise
1 Tablespoon sweet pickle relish

Mash the chickpeas with a fork or potato masher.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Serve on bread or with veggies and crackers.

Notes:
This can be tweaked the same way one would tweak tuna salad.
If vegan isn't an issue this works with Miracle Whip or mayo.

Lentil Barley Soup...

I always forget how good this soup tastes!

Lentil Barley Soup

a recipe from Jennifer Raymond

1 pound lentils
3/4 cup barley
8 cups water
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients, except for salt, into a large kettle and bring to a simmer.

Cover and cook for one hour, stirring occasionally, until lentils and barley are tender.

Add salt to taste.

Notes:
It can get pretty thick, just add water if you need to.
We add salt at the table.

Minestrone...

Minestrone?  Minestroneeeee?  Here's a recipe for soup!

Minestrone

a recipe from Jennifer Raymond

1 small onion chopped
3 1/2 cups water
3 cups tomato juice
1 clove garlic minced
2 medium carrots diced
1 stalk celery diced
2 medium red potatoes diced
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 medium zucchini diced
1/2 cup pasta shells
1 15-ounce can kidney beans drained
2 1/2 cups greens chopped
to taste salt


Heat 1/2 cup water in a large kettle. Add the onion and cook over med-high, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft.
Add water, tomato juice, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, parsley and basil.
Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients, except salt, then cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes.
Additional tomato juice can be added if it is too thick.
Add salt to taste.

Pasta with Broccoli and Pine Nuts...

This is another favorite Jennifer Raymond recipe.

Pasta with Broccoli and Pine Nuts

a recipe from Jennifer Raymond

12-16 ounces pasta
1 pound broccoli
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes or pinch of cayenne
2 Tablespoons pine nuts
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

Begin the water for cooking pasta and proceed with cooking the pasta while making the sauce.

Break or cut the broccoli into florets and slice the stems into rounds.  Steam over boiling water until just tender, 3-5 minutes.  Set aside.

Saute garlic, red pepper flakes and pine nuts in olive oil in a large skillet for 1 minute, then add tomatoes and cook over medium heat 5-10 minutes.

Stir in the cooked broccoli.

Serve over cooked pasta.

Notes:
I usually use red pepper flakes.
I like to use petite diced tomatoes.
I find it easier to serve the broccoli on the side.

Zesty Cranberry Sauce...

This is required for Thanksgiving to even happen. See: The dish that saved Thanksgiving...  It is delicious for other holidays as well!  Yum! 

Zesty Cranberry Sauce

a recipe from the Horjus Kitchen

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup undiluted orange juice concentrate

2 ripe pears, finely chopped

1 medium apple, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Put everything in a saucepan and simmer, uncovered until the cranberry skins pop and the mixture is slightly thickened.

Notes:
If you don't like it tart you can add sugar at the end (we like it without).  This is great hot, cold or room temp.  We would eat this in a box or with a fox.

Muesli...

I don't know why we don't make this more often!

Muesli

a recipe from Jennifer Raymond

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (apples, figs, apricots etc.)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped almonds

Combine all ingredients.  They may be left whole or ground in a food processor until fairly fine and of uniform texture.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes:
Muesli can be served with "milk", juice or applesauce.  The liquid can be added right before eating or even the night before.

Black Bean Salad...

This is the first of many recipes that will be from Jennifer Raymond (see below*).  Most of my favorite recipes seem to come from her.  This salad is named both Fiesta Salad and Aztec Salad but I would never remember what that means so we call it by the very original name of 'black bean salad'.

Black Bean Salad

a recipe from Jennifer Raymond

For the salad:
3 15-ounce cans of black beans, drained
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 large tomatoes, diced (or petit diced from a can)
1 green pepper, diced
1 red or yellow pepper, diced
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup chopped cilantro, optional

For the dressing:
2 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 lime or lemon, juiced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper or pinch of cayenne
1/2-1 teaspoon salt

Combine the salad ingredients.  Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad.  Toss gently to mix.  Can be made in advance.

Notes:  I like to use green, red, yellow and orange peppers if they look good.  I also prefer to use petit diced tomatoes from a can when produce tomatoes look tasteless.  I just substitute what looks like a good amount to me at the time.  I prefer lime and cayenne for the dressing.  If starting beans from scratch use 11/2 cups dry beans.




*We were introduced to Jennifer Raymond's recipes in the back of Food For Life by Neal Barnard.  Many of those same recipes are in The Peaceful Palate by Jennifer Raymond.  All the recipes are vegan, made with 'normal' ingredients and are 'keepers'!  The recipes in the two books are not absolutely identical and sometimes go by different names.  If a recipe I post comes from Jennifer Raymond it will be from one of these two books.