To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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Click the image above to watch the video.
Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with Mashed Cauliflower
Feeds 6
INGREDIENTS
12 ounces soyrizo (or other faux meat)
14 ounces Beyond Sausage (or other faux meat)
4 cups mixed veggies (I used a combination of frozen corn, peas, lima beans)
1 med-large head cauliflower – cut into florets
2 medium red potatoes (optional)
8 oz mushrooms – sliced
1 leek – white part sliced
1/4 onion – diced
vegan butter (2-4 TBS)
vegan milk (1/4 cup or more)
S&P
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Boil the cauliflower & potatoes (if using) until soft. Drain & set aside.
Heat a TBS or so of vegan butter (or other oil) and saute mushrooms & onion until both are browned & soft. Set aside.
Melt a TBS or so of vegan butter (or other oil) and saute the leek until soft. Set aside.
Saute the faux meats together until heated all the way through (primarily to cook the Beyond Sausage & drain some grease). If you are using other meats than Beyond sausage – there is no reason to precook them.
Mix the faux meat with the mushrooms & onion.
Mash the cauliflower & potato mix with the leeks & about 1/4 cup of vegan milk & 2 TBS or more of vegan butter. Season with S&P.
Assemble the shepherd’s pie by putting the faux meat mix on the bottom of a casserole pan (I divided mine between two smaller pans (see above). Top with whatever veggies you are using & then top with the mashed cauliflower.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve! I plated mine as double-decker stacks so it looked prettier & more substantial.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or just print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
To watch the video – click the image above.
There are about an infinity of ingredients in this stew – most of which can be eliminated without a negative impact on this dish. I happened to have all but mushrooms, an onion & carrots on hand. If you are missing an ingredient or two (or three) – I think you will still like the results.
I used those vegetarian bouillon cubes above but I am going to stop buying them. They contain palm oil & an obscene sodium content so – I will be moving on to Better Than Bouillon, when my supply of these runs out.
I served my stew over mashed cauliflower. When I was done eating – I mixed the leftover mashed cauliflower directly into the stew. This had the effect of making it seem thicker & denser – but it is just cauliflower – so it actually lightens the dish up.
**NOTE – I made this in a slow cooker (on high) while I hiked. It was pretty much done when I returned 2 1/2 hours later. You could make this just as easily stove top – maybe in less time. Just bring to a boil & simmer until the veggies are cooked. To thicken it – return it to a boil. Whisk 1/4 cup cornstarch into some hot water & add to the boiling stew. It should thicken nicely. If not – do it again. Add water if it gets too thick.
Hearty Vegan Beef & Vegetable Stew for the Slow Cooker
Serves 6 or more
INGREDIENTS (VERY flexible – both in what you use & quantity)
1 TBS Kitchen Bouquet (seasoning available in the spice aisle or near gravy ingredients)
Few squirts Maggi (seasoning available in the spice aisle or near gravy ingredients)
1 tsp smoked (or regular) paprika
2 bay leaves
6 whole coves
1 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
1/4 cup corn starch (or more)
S&P
DIRECTIONS
I really prefer slow cooker recipes that require ZERO prep. Recipes where you just dump the shit into the cooker & go away. But – I really wanted a stew-like flavor here so – I thought cooking the onions & bringing their flavor – & the flavor of the sauteed mushrooms were important. Also – browning the steak cubes assists in the visual presentation. You could certainly just dump it all in & would probably be just as happy with the result. Your call.
So – heat 2 TBS or so of oil & saute the onions & the beef cubes. When the onions start to brown. Add the garlic & saute one minute. Add the wine (or stock) and quickly deglaze the pan. Put this into the slow cooker.
In the same pan, add another TBS or so of oil & saute the mushrooms until they begin to sear. Deglaze the pan with a tiny bit of water & add the mushrooms to the slow cooker.
If you are going stove top – do the steps above & then put those things & the rest of the ingredients (EXCEPT THE CORNSTARCH) into a huge stock pot, bring to a boil & simmer until the vegetables are tender – not more than 1/2 hour. To thicken it – return it to a boil. Whisk 1/4 cup cornstarch into some hot water & add to the boiling stew. It should thicken nicely. If not – do it again. Add water if it gets too thick. Season with S&P.
If you are slow cooking it – dump the rest of the ingredients (EXCEPT THE CORNSTARCH) into the slow cooker & leave it covered & on high for 3 hours or so. To thicken it – remove the lid. Whisk 1/4 cup cornstarch into some hot water & add to the boiling stew. It should thicken nicely. If not – do it again. Leave the top off until it thickens. Add water if it gets too thick. Season with S&P.
If you have am Instant Pot or pressure cooker – Cook for 15 minutes.
Serve over rice or mashed potatoes or – as I did – over mashed cauliflower. When I was done eating – I mixed the leftover mashed cauliflower directly into the stew. This had the effect of making it seem thicker & denser – but it is just cauliflower – so it actually lightens the dish up.
Hoppin’ John is a traditional southern dish, typically served on New Years Day to bring a prosperous new year. Here is WIKIPEDIA’S explanation. I didn’t add peas to mine but you certainly can & I love the idea of serving each bowl with a coin beneath it to ramp up the good fortune.
This is CRAZY easy to make & tastier than you might guess. I made these in my Instant Pot with dried beans but these can be done very quickly on your stove top with canned beans or with dry beans in a slow cooker.
Click the image above to watch the video.
Vegan New Years Day Spicy Hoppin’ John
Serves 4 very well
INGREDIENTS
1 lb dried black eyed peas (or 2 lbs canned – drained & rinsed – if you are going stove top)
1 medium onion – diced
3-6 garlic cloves – diced
4 celery stalks – diced
1 red bell pepper – diced
1 4oz can diced green chilies or jalapenos (optional)
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo – diced (more or less – to your taste)
1 TBS ground cumin
1 TBS olive oil
4 cups vegetable stock
S&P to taste
GARNISH OPTIONS:
Diced tomatoes
Scallions – sliced
Fresh Italian parsley – chopped
Fresh cilantro – chopped
Red onion – diced
Avocado – sliced
Tabasco, Crystal (or other hot sauce)
COINS (Pennies – silver dollars? Your call) – for placement under each serving dish
Cooked rice
DIRECTIONS
Cook your rice according to the package instructions.
INSTANT POT: Using the saute setting, heat 1 TBS olive oil & saute the onion, celery & bell pepper until soft. Add the garlic & saute one minute. Add the rest of the ingredients & cook, sealed, on the manual setting for 45 minutes.
SLOW COOKER: If you are using dried black eyed peas – bring a pot of water to a rapid boil. Add the black eyed peas & boil for ten minutes. Turn off heat, cover & let stand for an hour. Drain & RINSE WELL.
In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil & saute the garlic, onion, red pepper and celery until the vegetable are soft.
Once your vegetables are sauteed, you simply combine the already partly cooked beans with the vegetables, chipotle, green chilies, cumin, and S&P with 4 cups of veggie stock to your slow cooker. Heat on high for 5 hours.
STOVE TOP:
Use canned beans. Heat 1 TBS olive oil & saute the onion, celery & bell pepper until soft. Add the garlic & saute one minute. Add a cup of vegetable stock and the rest of the ingredients & simmer until heated through & al the flavors meld. Add more stock if the get too dry. Cook on high if they are too watery.
Folded Money Collard Greens
INGREDIENTS
24 oz collard greens – trimmed, chopped & washed
1-2 TBS olive oil
1 large onion – diced
6 (or more) celery stalks – diced
6 garlic cloves – diced
1 TBS crushed red pepper
3 cups veggie stock
1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
1/4 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
2 tomatoes – diced
Hot sauce as garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in a pan. Saute the onions & celery until they soften. Add the chopped garlic & crushed red pepper. Saute another 1-2 minutes.
Add the stock and collard greens & smoked paprika, stock. Bring to a boil & then reduce heat to low, cover & simmer – covered – for about 20- 30 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes & liquid smoke. Stir in & let sit on low heat – or removed from heat – for about 30 minutes. Don’t add salt…unless you really like being dehydrated & being unable to remove your rings. Somehow – this is QUITE salty just from the stock.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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Ok – so I posted my Vegan Whole Turkey (seen above) – and the vegans on Facebook lost their collective shit. Despite knowing it was a vegan item – I got blocked & banned & verbally assaulted SAVAGELY. This video below is my response to the “You are not the right kind of vegan” attacks I got from the most self-righteous douchebags ever. I also show you how I reinvented a bunch of random leftovers into and epic Shepherd’s Pie.
Below the video here are the 14 recipes I suggest as potential uses for your holiday leftovers.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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This blog is 5 years old today! And my Youtube channel just hit 1000 subscribers! I am very happy about both milestones.
I have really become obsessed with my slow cooker. Slow cookers – as I have many. The one that I can set to cook for 5 hours & then just keep the food warm is the best because I can set it & go to work & come back 10 hours later to a house that smells delicious & a warm meal waiting for me. If you don’t have a low cooker – I really encourage you to get one. Easy doesn’t get easier than a recipe like this one. Just throw everything in & set the timer for 5 hours & that is it.
I used Beyond Meat vegan chicken because it is, hands down, the best fake chicken on the market. But you could use real chicken or just use chickpeas. Your call.
I used two kinds of saffron:
That Golchin liquid stuff is affordable (under $10) and is GENIUS. If your store doesn’t carry it – buy it on Amazon or something.
The saffron threads are delicate & lovely but very costly. They were part of a gourmet gift box I was given for my birthday – and not usually on my shopping list. Either or both of these work – but I suggest trying to use one – because saffron is such a specific & lovely flavor & adds gorgeous color – but it isn’t really critical for this dish to be a success. So – if you don’t have it, don’t like it, can’t find it – blow it off.
I used dry chickpeas because I am delighted by how cheap they are & I like that they have been processed less & have no added sodium. But – if you want to use canned ones – go ahead! This could be made stove-top easily with canned beans – just don’t add the 4 cups of water.
Vegan Butter Chicken and Chickpeas for the Slow Cooker
Feeds a LOTTA folks – maybe 8-10 with rice
INGREDIENTS
1 lb dry chickpeas (or 4 cans – but if you use canned chickpeas – eliminate the water here)
3 cups water (4 cups if you are gonna leave it for 10 hours – like I did)
9 ox vegan chicken
2 jalapenos (red or green) – seeded & diced
1 onion – diced
4 garlic cloves – chopped
2 TBS ginger – minced
8 oz tomato sauce (I used a homemade arrabbiata)
6 oz tomato paste
14 oz can lite coconut milk
1/2 tsp crushed saffron threads (optional)
3 TBS saffron liquid (optional)
1 TBS garam masala
1 TBS curry powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 TBS turmeric
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
garnish – cilantro, scallions, yogurt (vegan or otherwise), cooked rice
DIRECTIONS
Put everything into a slow cooker & set on high for 5 hours.
If you are using canned chickpeas – do not add water. As you see above – this recipe has lots of gravy (the upper picture is before it cooked & the other is how it looked 10 hours later). If you want it thicker – whisk some cornstarch (2-3 TBS) into a little water & stir it in. It should thicken up. If it is too thick – add water.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
Wheat berries – crunchy & healthy & tasty! If you don’t like or cannot find wheat berries – use any other grain like couscous, quinoa, rice – whatever. It is all about the peas & mint. I used real feta here but I also made a version with this vegan cheese below & it was just as delicious.
6-Ingredient Wheat Berry Salad with Peas, Mint & Feta (Vegetarian or Vegan)
Serves 4 as a side dish
INGREDIENTS
1 cup uncooked wheat berries (or other grain)
2 cups fresh peas (or frozen)
1/4 lb feta (or vegan cheese) – crumbled
1/4 cup fresh mint – chopped
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
S&P
DIRECTIONS
Cook the wheat berries or other grain. Add the FRESH peas about 4-5 minutes before the grains are done to soften the peas. If using frozen – add them in the last minute or 2.
Run the wheat berries & peas under cool water to stop their cooking then toss with the other ingredients. Season with S&P.
This one has quite a few ingredients only two of which might be hard to find – the fenugreek seeds & the curry leaves. Honestly – I think there is so much flavor in this dish that you can omit those if you cannot find them. This dish used unsweetened grated coconut blended with cashews & I did not blend my coconut fine enough & it added a bit of texture to the dish that was not unpleasant – but I will definitely pulse it more finely next time.
Indian foods are often served with one of my favorite condiments in the world – Spicy Cilantro and Mint Chutney (seen below) and I recommend making some because it really adds something special – though it is definitely not necessary.
Vegan South Indian Coconut Curry with Mushrooms & Peas
Serves 4 with rice
INGREDIENTS
1 lb mixed mushrooms – sliced
2 cups peas
2 tomatoes – diced
1 onion – diced
4 garlic cloves – chopped
4 TBS fresh ginger or ginger paste
1 cup unsweetened grated coconut
20 cashews
15 curry leaves (optional)
2 tsp black mustard seeds (mustard powder – if you do not have seeds)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
2 TBS coconut or olive oil
5 cups vegetable stock
Garnish – cilantro
Cooked rice
DIRECTIONS
Pulse the cashews & coconut in a food processor or spice mill until the coconut is very fine – more fine than in my photo below. Set aside
Heat 2 TBS oil & saute the mushrooms over high heat until they are soft & beginning to brown. Put in a bowl & set aside.
In the same pan – add another TBS oil & add the mustard seeds heat until they begin to pop then add the fennel seeds & fenugreek seeds.
Stir & add the onion & tomato & saute until the onions are soft. Add the garlic & the ginger & the chili powder, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, and cumin & stir to incorporate.
Add the coconut/cashew blend & the curry leaves. Blend & then add the stock & bring to a boil.
Boil it down until it thickens a bit & then add the mushrooms & peas. You might want to reserve a few mushroom slices & peas to garnish the servings but this is not necessary.
If the texture is to your liking – serve it on top of rice. I chose to puree about half of it with an immersion blender. You can do this – or use a regular blender to puree some of it – or not. Your call.
Serve over rice & garnish with reserved veggies or cilantro.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
To be honest – I prepped this thing a few months ago & it has been sitting in the freezer – uncooked – ever since. I did this because this recipe makes enough for TWO full-sized pot pies. So – cut everything in half – if you only want to make one. Or – do what I did. Make two pies & freeze one for later.
Vegan Chicken & Mixed Vegetable Pot Pie
Makes TWO pot pies
INGREDIENTS
4 pre-made vegan pie crusts – for the top & bottom of two pies
9 oz vegan chicken – cubed (I always use Beyond Meat)
Heat 1 TBS butter & saute the onion, mushrooms, carrots, celery & potatoes over medium heat – stirring often. After about 5 minutes – add the thyme, oregano & rosemary, bay leaves & the stock. Bring to a boil & reduce to a simmer & cook it down util the vegetables are soft & most of the stock boils away.
Meanwhile – melt the remaining 5 TBS butter over medium heat in a stock pot & whisk in the flour. Once that is combined & thick – SLOWLY add the milk – in small increments – stirring the entire time. Whisk continuously – until the roux is thick.
Stir the roux into the vegetables & add the peas & cubed chicken. Simmer until it is thickened & then remove the bay leaves. Season with S&P.
Press the crusts into two pie pans & divide the filling between them. Top the pies with remaining crusts & pinch the edges closed. Perforate the top with a knife of fork so steam can vent.
Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the crust is the color you desire. Mine wasn’t browning so I rubbed vegan butter on top & it helped a bit.
If you are freezing one (or both) of the pies – try to prep the edges tucked into the pan – like mine above. That way there is no fragile rim to get crushed in the freezer. Wrap tightly in foil & freeze. You might want to write the date on the foil – so you can keep track of when you froze it. To cook it – let it thaw & then just bake at 400 for about 30 minutes. If you do not have time to thaw it – heat oven to 425 degrees, place the pie on a baking sheet, cover edges loosely with foil and bake 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake 70-80 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown
When your pie is cooked – let it rest at least ten minutes before cutting into it.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
This is easy & really garlicky & delicious. It can be served warm or room temperature and has no mayonnaise or other ingredients that are quick to spoil so it is great for picnics, barbecues or pot lock buffet kinda things. As always – I used Beyond Meat chicken because it is the best stuff on the market – and in a clean dish like this – the quality of the chicken is critical because its flavor stands out. Try it on your friends without mentioning that it is fake chicken. I bet they won’t notice. I fed two meat-eating boys veggie dogs yesterday & they never suspected a thing! People don’t question it if you don’t point it out. I used to have a boyfriend that claimed to hate low fat mayo. Unbeknownst to him, I had filled an empty jar of regular mayo with my low fat stuff & he frequently pointed out to me how much it bet his full fat mayo tasted – while unknowingly eating the low fat version. Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids. 🙂
Vegan Pasta Salad with Lemon, Garlic, Chicken & English Peas
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
OK – so – I saw that vegan cheese above & decided to give it a shot. I have yet to find a vegan cheese that tastes remotely like cheese and, I must confess, these individual slices do taste like a creamy cheese. Best I have found – so far. But – like every other vegan cheese I have experimented with – this shit DOES NOT melt. I cooked four peppers – two with this cheese & two with real mozzarella. I left them in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes. I burned the mozzarella black but the fake cheese did not melt. At all.
See? It is even burned at the edges but zero melting factor. Tastes good but useless of you need a melted cheese.
Most stuffed peppers I have had are filled with some sort of meat & rice & they are often drowned in a red sauce. I wanted these to be lighter so there is no carbohydrate in them & I served them clean – without a sauce – and they were very tasty. I apologize – again – for less than stunning photos but the overcooking that resulted from my efforts to melt the unmeltable – but do not be thrown. These are easy & yummy.
Oh – and there is a little bell pepper tip for you! And – I recommend Beyond Meat vegan products. Best on the market! Go to their site to find out where you can find it near you.
Vegan Beef & Broccoli Stuffed Peppers
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
4 bell peppers (male – if you can get them) – tops cut off & de-seeded
9 oz vegan beef crumbles
2 TBS olive oil
1/2 onion – diced
1 head broccoli – chopped fine
1 cup peas
1 cup corn
2 jalapenos – seeded & diced ( I left the seeds in for extra heat)
1/4 cup parsley – chopped
Cheese of your choice – vegan or otherwise (I use 1/2 vegan & half real mozzarella)
Garnish options – parsley, basil or micro arugula (I opted for micro arugula) or a warmed red sauce
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a saute pan & saute the onion, broccoli, corn, peas, beef, jalapenos & parsley until the veggies are tender.
Put your peppers in a casserole or pie pan & stuff them with the mixture.
If you are using vegan cheese – you can top them with it before they go in the oven. If using read cheese – put that on in the last 15 minutes of cooking – lest it burn.
Cook for 30-45 minutes – or until the peppers are cooked to your taste.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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The name of this recipe says it all. Fast, easy & yummy!
5-Minute Garlic, Salt & Pepper Sugar Snap Peas
Serves 2 as a side
INGREDIENTS
10 oz fresh sugar snap peas (the ones in the bag in the produce section already have the string removed. If you can find these – learn how to remove the string HERE)
Olive oil – 1or 2 TBS
Salt – to taste – I used maybe a scant teaspoon
Pepper – to taste – I used a heaping tablespoon but I am a NUT for pepper
Garlic to taste – I used about 6 cloves & chopped them sorta chunky
DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a pan over med-high heat. Add the sugar snap peas. Stir & heat for 2-4 minutes – or until they are nearly done to your liking. Add the S&P & the garlic & saute another minute or so – just until the garlic browns a bit. Be careful not to burn the garlic because it will taste bitter.
Season with more S&P – if you think it needs it & serve!
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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Just another entry in the “easy & awesome” category. I made this in a slow cooker (on low), left unattended from 10-7. You could likely get this done in 4 hours on high – less if you used canned beans. Stove top – with canned beans – under an hour & only that long to let the flavors meld. There is no oil or fat of any kind added here
Vegan Spicy Creole Black-Eyed Peas (Slow Cooker or Stove Top)
Feeds 6 or more with rice
INGREDIENTS
1 lb dry black-eyed peas
1 onion – diced
6 celery stalks – chopped
2 tomatoes – diced
1 (4 oz) can diced jalapenos
4 garlic cloves – minced
6 cups vegetable stock (one cup if you are using canned beans on the stove top)
1-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (canned) – chopped
1 TBS lemon juice (fresh!)
2 TBS Creole seasoning
Garnish – COOKED RICE, cilantro, chopped jalapenos (I used red ones), avocado, diced tomato, hot sauces, diced onion – kinda anything you might put on chili.
DIRECTIONS
Put it all into a slow cooker on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. These numbers are not exact because slow cookers vary in efficiency & temperature etc. Mine sat for 9 hours & the beans were a bit overcooked but it left them soft & creamy & they held their shape.
Stove top with canned beans – use about a cup of stock & bring it all to a boil & then lower heat & let simmer for about an hour so the flavors can come together. If you are doing stove top with dry beans – be sure to soak them overnight first or to quick soak them and be prepared to let them simmer for two hours or more – or until the beans are tender to your taste.
Serve with rice & the garnish of your choice! EASY!
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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These are extremely easy & quick to make. The hardest part is cutting each of the sugar snap peas in half. Apparently, you can break the stem end of them & pull down on the string, like a zipper, and string these guys but that didn’t work on mine. Maybe they were not fresh enough. I don’t know. But – if you want to string your beans – knock yourself out. Mine were great without that step.
I used vegetarian hoisin sauce in these but if you cannot find that (or regular hoisin) – do not be discouraged. These are awesome without that one ingredient, too.
This really makes just one serving so increase as needed to suit your head count.
Sriracha Ginger Soy Sugar Snap Peas
Serves ONE as a side dish
INGREDIENTS
8 oz fresh sugar snap peas – strung (see note above) and cut almost in half along the seam (split them but not totally in half)
2 TBS soy sauce or tamari (I always use low sodium)
1 TBS sriracha
1 tsp sesame oil
1 TBS hoisin sauce (optional)
4 garlic cloves – cut in half or in thirds (you want big chunks so it doesn’t burn)
1 TBS minced fresh ginger (or 3-4 slices about the size of a quarter)
2 tsp olive oil
Sesame seeds – black and/or white as garnish
DIRECTIONS
Whisk together the soy sauce, sriracha, sesame oil & hoisin sauce. Set aside.
Prepare your sugar snap peas.
Have everything ready to go because these cook fast.
Heat a pan on HIGH HEAT for a minute & then add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic & ginger (beware splatter). Cook one minute & then add the sugar snap peas. After about 2 minutes, add the sriracha mixture. Cook on high – stirring continually so the garlic doesn’t burn – until most of the dressing cooks off – maybe another minute.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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OK – let’s talk about these beans. They can be made with black-eyed peas, as I show here, or with white beans or really any kind of beans you prefer. There are lots of ingredients & none of them are critical – so – if you want to skip one or two go ahead. Or if you do not feel like wasting beer & whiskey in a pot of beans – don’t. There is plenty of flavor in these guys so I feel confident you will like them even if you tweak the recipe a bit.
I quick-soaked these which is to say – I covered them with several inches of water and brought it to a boil & left them to soak (off the heat) for about an hour. Or – you can just soak them overnight. This makes them cook faster & breaks down the stuff in them that inspired that “beans, beans – good for you heart” gem we all remember.
I cooked these for about 3 hours. If that sounds interminable – use canned beans and these could be done in an hour but the full two hours will blend the flavors better.
Boozy & Spicy Baked BBQ Black-Eyed Peas (Beans)
INGREDIENTS
1 lb dry black-eyed peas (of which I used about 4 of the resulting 5 cups of beans post-soak) or 5 cans beans
1/2 green bell pepper – chopped
10 sweet mini peppers (or the other 1/2 of the green bell) – chopped
1 jalapeno – seeded and chopped (optional)
4 garlic cloves – chopped
1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 TBS red wine vinegar
2 TBS lime juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – minced (use as much as your heat tolerance allows)
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 agave nectar (or honey – if you are not vegan)
1 TBS ground cumin
1 teaspoon dry thyme
3 TBS Dijon or other spicy mustard
1 bottle dark beer (I Used Guinness but Guinness is not vegan – so if you are vegan – use a vegan dark beer) – optional
1/4 cup Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey (or regular whiskey – if the honey whiskey isn’t vegan) – optional
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
If using dry beans – quick soak them & then bring them back to a boil & allow to simmer for an hour – while you get the other ingredients prepped. Before draining the beans – reserve a cup of the bean water. Measure out 4 cups of beans. Save the rest for a recipe I will post soon!
Or just open & drain the cans of beans.
I pulsed the mini peppers, garlic & jalapeno in my food processor to mince them but a more coarse chopping is fine. In a large bowl – combine all the remaining ingredients – except the beans & reserved bean water.
I sprayed a large (9×12?) ceramic baking dish with cooking spray & put the black-eyed peas in there and poured the liquid on top. I baked it for two hours, stirring occasionally & added some of the reserved bean water to thin it a few times. You may or may not choose to do this – depending on how much liquid you like in your beans. I hadn’t boiled my beans for the hour after quick-soaking so they were still a tad more al dente than I like so I baked them another hour. You may or may not choose to do this.
If using canned beans – all the steps above apply but they will probably be done in one hour – DEFINITELY in two.
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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OK – before I get into this awesome & easy recipe – I want to humbly & graciously thank everyone who read my outpouring recently in Up & Down & Life in The Vagina Monologues. Even though I could not will myself NOT to write it, writing it was very painful (but very cathartic) & I am very grateful for all the support that resulted from folks reading it. I was especially impressed by how many MEN read it – all the way through – and wrote me privately to thank me for publishing it. Women thanked me, too. And I am moved by all your kind words – all of you.
THANK YOU! And if you liked that blog post – have you heard? I wrote a novel – in much the same voice but, I hope, far funnier! 🙂
I used my favorite brand of vegan chicken – Beyond Meat – seen above along with a coupon to get some FREE! Look HERE to find out who carries it near you.
This is very easy & very healthy & you can whip it up in the time it takes to make the rice.
As to peeling mangos – check out a video or tutorial HERE or you might just end up with mango mush & juice.
Vegan Orange Mango Chili Chicken with Broccoli & Snow Peas
Feeds 2 VERY well
INGREDIENTS
Rice
9 oz vegan chicken
1 TBS low sodium soy sauce
1 TBS sesame oil
1 mango – cubed
1 orange – juice & zest
1-2 TBS low sodium soy sauce (additional)
1-2 TBS sesame oil – (additional)
1-2 TBS olive oil
1 shallot or 1/2 red (or other) onion – diced
20 snow peas – but into strips (or not – if you prefer them whole)
2 cups broccoli – cut into tiny florets
2 TBS chili sauce (sambal oelek or sriracha)
DIRECTIONS
Get your rice cooking as per directions
Thaw (1 minute in the microwave or 30 minutes on the counter) the faux chicken. Cube it up & then toss it in its bag with 1 TBS each or soy sauce & sesame oil. Set aside.
Zest the orange. Set zest aside & cut the orange in half. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a wok or other large saute pan over med-high heat. Add the shallot (or onion), orange zest, snow peas & broccoli. Saute for 3-5 minutes or so or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the chicken, additional soy sauce & sesame oil & the chili sauce & the juice from the orange. Stir & heat through.
Once the sauce thickens – in just a few minutes – stir in the mango. Once it is all warm – serve that shit up over some rice.
Then – go to AMAZON & read the reviews & maybe buy my book!
To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.
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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option. Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out. It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing. The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.
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Hey! Guess what! I wrote a novel! Maybe enter a drawing to win one of five copies?? Hmmmmm?
Or – you can listen to me on LA Talk Radio last night on the Sheena Metal Show – HERE. We talk about 50 Shades of Grey, Girls, my book & things like chocolate & the liability of possessing a vagina!
And – just because they are SO CUTE – I share the faces of my three dogs.
OK – who doesn’t love Shepherd’s pie? Vegetarians – you might say. But with all the vegetarian & vegan meat choices out there these days, there is no reason we all cannot still enjoy traditional comfort foods like Shepherd’s pie!
I made a more typical version for the blog & that can be found HERE.
But, if you follow this blog, you know that there are two things I never tire of: cauliflower & pizza. This pizza is just the natural extension of my pizza obsession. I know that Shepherd’s pie is made with mashed potatoes but mashed potatoes just seemed far too dense to put atop pizza, so I used potatoes sliced very thin on a mandolin. I used this vegan ground beef:
You can use soyrizo or even real ground beef if you prefer. I used real cheeses but you can sub them out with a vegan variety, if you choose. I used peas & carrots but you could use corn or shredded Brussels sprouts or whateverthefuck you might use in your traditional Shepherd’s pie.
OH! And I used my HOMEGROWN scallions!!!
Check THAT out! That is about one week’s worth of growth regrown from the ends I typically threw away. See the romaine in the foreground? Regrowing – just in WATER. Learn how (and learn what other grocery items you can regrow) HERE.
With that – let me present:
Shepherd’s Pie Pizza (Vegetarian – Vegan – or Not)
4 ounces mushrooms – sliced (maybe reserve a few slices to top the pizza as garnish)
1/2 onion – chopped
2 carrots – chopped
1/2 cup peas
Potato – sliced very thin (enough to cover your pizza in a single layer)
Cherry tomatoes – halved (optional)
Fresh Thyme – stems removed
Olive oil
Garlic – to taste (I used 4 cloves on one pizza) – sliced very thin
Scallions – chopped
Parsley – chopped
Cheese (or vegan alternative) – I used both sliced fresh mozzarella & some bullshit bagged grated cheese blend
S&P
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to a very completely reached 450.
Heat a glug or two of olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the mushrooms & onion & carrots & saute until soft. Add the ground beef (faux or real) & cook til heated through & then add the peas.
Roll the dough out & place it on a greased cooking sheet.
Layer with sliced potato, sliced garlic & thyme. Drizzle with olive oil.
Top with your meat blend. See my Memphis praying for me to drop something??
Top with your cheese selection & maybe place a few slices of mushrooms on top.
Last minute, I decided to add the tomatoes – primarily for color. Then just bake your pizza until the cheese is melted & the crust is as you like it – probable 10-15 minutes depending on a few variable factors like oven temp & pizza density.
Top with parsley & scallions & maybe another drizzle of olive oil.
Delightful-Delicious-Delovely 