Vermicelli Pasta with Peanut Sauce (Thai)

This is one of our favorite Thai dishes! Simple to make and peanut butter is a great protein! Make it with or without "chick'in", it's great either way!

2 - 3 T canola oil

1 package "Gardein" meat free "chick'in" filets, sliced or "chick'in" strips (optional)

1 c vegetable broth

2 T agave nectar (honey if you are not Vegan)

2 T soy sauce (balsamic vinegar or liquid aminos for lower sodium)

1 T corn starch OR potato starch

1/4 c peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

1 t crushed red pepper flakes and a few good dashes of Tabasco sauce to make it spicy Thai!

2 - 3 green onions OR 1 small onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

6 - 8 oz bag of broccoli slaw (shredded broccoli stalks and carrots), optional

1 - 8 to 10 oz package vermicelli pasta OR your favorite rice noodles

Fresh chopped parsley

In a saucepan or wok, heat canola oil and brown "chick'in". Remove from pan and set aside.

In same saucepan or wok, add vegetable broth, agave nectar, soy sauce, corn starch and peanut butter, died chili peppers and Tabasco sauce, mix well. Cook and stir until thickened. Stir in green onions, red bell pepper and reserved "chick'in", heat through.

Boil vermicelli according to package directions (or until al dente). Drain pasta and divide evenly on 4 dinner plates. Spoon "chick'in" mixture over vermicelli, top with parsley and serve immediately.

*We like to toss it all together in a wok and then serve!

Makes 4 servings

Amy's Creamy Tomato Soup

One of Amy's favorites, serve Vegan grilled cheese sandwiches on the side!

Serves 4

2 - 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes

1/3 c onion, chopped

1 T Vegan cane sugar

4 fresh basil leaves, torn OR 1 t dried basil

2 T "Earth Balance" buttery spread or sticks

2 T flour OR potato starch

2 c soy, almond OR rice milk (warmed in microwave)

1 red bell pepper (roasted, *see below)

*In a 350 degree oven roast red bell pepper. Place red bell pepper in foil, drizzle with oil, wrap and bake for 1 hour OR on the burner of your stove top with a tongs turning slowly until charred on the outside (for either method, let cool, peel and seed)

White or fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Simmer tomatoes, onions, sugar, and basil in a small saucepan for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add peeled and seeded red bell pepper. Place tomato and red bell pepper mixture into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

Melt "Earth Balance" buttery spread or sticks in a large saucepan, whisk in flour OR potato starch until bubbling and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in tomato mixture. Continue to simmer. Slowly stir soy milk into tomato mixture until hot, but not boiling.

Suggestion:

Add 1/2 c cooked wild OR brown rice to each bowl before serving, makes a more hearty soup

Vegan grilled cheese OR (1 serving):

2 slices of bread, spread with "Earth Balance" buttery spread or sticks (grill sides). Spread 1 slice of bread with sweet potato puree, Vegan cheddar cheese and top with 2nd piece of bread. Grill both sides until brown and crisp and dip in hot Creamy Tomato Soup! *You can also make your grilled cheese open-faced. Slice buns or rolls, spread with sweet potato puree and Vegan cheddar cheese. Place under the broiler until browned and melted, yummy!

Vegan quesadilla:

Spread sweet potato puree on a Vegan tortilla (flour or corn), sprinkle with Vegan cheddar cheese, top with another tortilla and microwave, broil, grill or pan fry until cheese is melted. Cut hot quesadilla into pie shaped triangles and serve with your soup!

Double Chocolate Truffles

When I think of double chocolate truffles, I think of Christmas! Make a batch of double chocolate truffles and wrap them up as a gift for someone special!

- Vegan Mama Jodi

1/2 c chocolate soy milk

1 - 12 oz package Vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4-1/2 c ground nuts, optional (pecans, almonds, walnuts)

1/2 c cocoa powder

In a saucepan, warm soy milk until too warm to touch. Set aside.

Melt Vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips in a double boiler OR a large metal bowl set over a simmering saucepan of water. Stir in ground nuts (optional) until smooth. Add warm soy milk and stir until mixed well and smooth. Refrigerate in a covered container until well chilled 4 hours or overnight (or until easy to roll into 1 inch balls). Roll into balls and roll in cocoa powder. Makes 30-40 1 inch truffles.

Fabulous Fettuccine Alfredo

When we decided to go Vegan, we thought we would never have Fettuccine Alfredo again? Cream, butter and Parmesan cheese, gone forever! We were wrong, enjoy this recipe!

*Recommendations:

Add asparagus, mushrooms, broccoli, chopped chives, parsley and meat free "chick'n". You can also add shrimp or prawns if you are a pescevegetarian/piscetarian!

2 T "Earth balance" buttery spread or sticks

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 can regular or light coconut milk

3 T nutritional yeast (cheesy flavor)

Melt "Earth balance" buttery spread or sticks in a medium saucepan, add garlic and other *Recommendations until golden. Pour in coconut milk and nutritional yeast. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

1 T unbleached flour OR potato starch

1/3 c water

Mix water and flour thoroughly. Slowly pour into coconut milk sauce until desired thickness.

Add a dash of nutmeg and white or fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Boil Fettuccine noodles until al dente (we also like using spinach Fettuccine noodles or Thai flat rice noodles). Do this while your coconut milk sauce is simmering, so everything is hot and ready to toss at once!

Pour sauce over hot pasta, sprinkle generously with Vegan Parmesan cheese, toss lightly and serve immediately!

Potatoes and Spinach

We cannot stress enough the importance of eating greens and spinach is one of the best! Potatoes are also high in potassium and good for you! Eat your veggies!!! This makes a great side dish or a main course meal served over steamed brown rice. This recipe is also gluten free, so enjoy!

2 medium potatoes (approximately 3 c), cubed 1/4"-1/2"

2 - 10 oz packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained, reserve liquid

2 T garlic powder

2 T curry powder

1 t ground cumin

3/4 c regular or light coconut milk (warm in microwave)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a baking dish with a lid (we like Pyrex), stir together potatoes, spinach, 3/4 c spinach liquid, garlic powder, curry powder and ground cumin. If you don't have a lid, use foil. Bake 45 minutes or until bubbling and potatoes are fork tender. Remove from oven. Stir in warm coconut milk and serve.

6 servings

Sheila's Bulgogi

In 1988, Al, Sheila and Nic Tucker drove up to visit us in Medicine Hat, Alberta. While there, they prepared this wonderful meal for us! We didn't have a garlic press, so when they got home they sent us a red garlic press, we use the same garlic press today! This meal became a family favorite! We have Veganized it! We then all drove drove to Banff, Alberta and watched Nic, while Al and Sheila attended the Calgary Winter Olympics and skied. We had a great time, thank you Tucker family! We miss you Al!

Marinate:

Two packages "Gardein" meat free beef tips OR 2 - 8 oz packages tempeh, cubed or sliced

3 - 4 scallions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

6 T soy sauce (balsamic vinegar or liquid aminos for low sodium)

1/4 c Vegan cane sugar (scant)

2 T toasted sesame oil

2 T sherry or wine

1 T toasted sesame seeds

Dash of fresh cracked black pepper

Combine scallions and all other ingredients. Add "beef tips" OR tempeh to marinate. Stir well to coat, marinate for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Cook "beef tips" OR tempeh on a cookie sheet under the broiler or prepare the "beef tips" OR tempeh mixture in a wok) and keep warm.

1 head of Romaine lettuce

Make a batch of brown or white rice. Most recipes are a 1 c rice to 2 c water ratio and a little oil or "Earth Balance" (brown rice sometimes requires more water)

Kim Chee (spicy pickled cabbage)

Tear leaves off Romaine, wash, drain and leave them whole. These act as your little boats for all the fillings. Cook rice and keep warm.

*Prepare your little boats by adding cooked rice, "beef tips" OR tempeh mixture and top with Kim Chee. These have an amazing flavor, enjoy!

Louise's Apple Pie

Louise Perkin's ("Weezie") was a pie master! The secret to her apple pie was grated MacIntosh apples. We have Veganized her Flaky Crust, because it was originally made with lard. Make this pie and make some friends!

Flaky crust (makes two 9-10 inch crusts):

2 - 1/4 c unbleached flour

2 t baking powder (heaping)

3/4 c Vegan shortening

Approximately 6 - 8 T ice water

In a bowl, sift flour and baking powder. Cut in Vegan shortening using a pastry blender or 2 forks until it resembles small peas. Add water 1 T at a time until mixture comes away from the sides of the bowl and starts to form a ball, do not over mix. Divide the dough in half, roll into 2 pie crusts. Line pie plate with pastry.

Filling:

6 - 8 pared, cored and grated MacIntosh apples (or any other baking apples)

2/3 c Vegan cane sugar

1/4 t ground nutmeg

1/4 t ground cinnamon

1 t fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice

Mix apple filling in a bowl. Add apple filling to pie plate with pastry, add 1 T "Earth Balance" buttery sticks or spread before placing top crust. Carefully place top crust and seal edges/flute (make it pretty)! We save a little piece of dough for a cut-out decoration, like a Canadian Maple Leaf!

Bake in a hot oven 425 degrees for 40 minutes

Kayla's Basil Rotini Pasta

Amy and I used to drive to visit the Folkerts family at Easter time. Kayla would always make this delicious pasta dish, we have Veganized it! Serve with Vegan Caesar salad and Vegan Artisan bread. Slice the bread and top with garlic powder and Vegan shredded Parmesan cheese, place under the broiler until browned. We would dip the hot bread in an olive oil/balsamic vinegar emulsion. Serve this pasta with a nice Vegan white wine and laugh out loud, like we used to do for hours! Thank you Kayla!

Boil 12 oz box or bag of Rotini pasta until al dente, drain pasta and set aside in a large bowl, covered.

Chick'n mixture:

1 t canola oil

4 "Gardein" meat free "chick'n filets" (cut into bite size pieces) OR "Gardein" meat free "chick'n strips"

3 green onions, chopped

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 c broccoli florets

1/2 c carrots, julienned

In a large frying pan or wok saute the "chick'n", green onions, red bell pepper, broccoli florets and julienned carrots in 1 T canola oil until browned and tender, while browning make sauce:

1 c soy, almond OR rice milk

3/4 c Vegan mayonnaise

1 t dried basil

1 t crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Fresh cracked black pepper and a few drops of Tabasco sauce (optional) to taste

In a microwaveable liquid measuring cup or bowl, mix soy milk, mayonnaise, dried basil, red pepper flakes, black pepper and Tabasco sauce (if your pasta needs more sauce, just make more). Heat the sauce in the microwave until hot (but not boiling) pour sauce over cooked Rotini and toss lightly. Add Rotini and sauce mixture to the sauteed "chick'n" mixture. Gently mix all ingredients, top with Vegan shredded Parmesan cheese and serve immediately. Serves 4-6 (double the recipe if you have a large family like the Folkerts)! Makes great leftovers, if there are any!

Chili Cornbread

Whip up a batch of cornbread to go with Deb's "Chick'nless" Chili! Chili Cornbread is quick, easy and is best served warm.

1 c cornmeal

1 c unbleached white or whole wheat pastry flour

4 t baking powder

1 T Vegan cane sugar

1 egg replacer (like Ener-G egg replacer, 1 1/2 t Ener-G egg replacer and 2 T warm water)

1 c soy, almond milk OR rice milk

1/4 c "Earth Balance" buttery sticks or spread (softened)

1/2 c yellow corn, drained or frozen (optional)

In a bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add egg replacer, soy milk, "Earth Balance" buttery spread or sticks and corn. Beat for approximately 1 minute or until smooth. Spread in a greased 8" square pan or baking dish (we like to use a cast iron frying pan). Heat oven to 425 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes.