Beanie Weanies (GF and V)

I have no idea how we got on the conversation of Beanie Weanies this morning.  I think it started with weanies and progressed from there to my son asking if we could have Beanie Weanies for lunch.  The other daycare boy at my house said he had no idea what that meant. What kind of kid has never had Beanie Weanies?  I'm going to have a good long talk with that boy's parents.

So it's a kid-friendly pot of Beanie Weanies and Mini Tator Tots for lunch today. My favorite way to eat them is over a hunk of corn bread, but I got out-voted today. I don't really follow a recipe so much as a list of ingredients, so these are approximate amounts.  Taste it and adjust it to your liking.  I would normally put everything in a casserole dish and then bake it slow (or crock pot it).  I mix and match the beans, but this is what I had in the house today.

I hope this takes you back to your childhood!

BEANIE WEANIES
1 large can vegetarian baked beans (I like Bush's)
1 can white beans (cannellinis, navy or butter beans)
1 can green beans and/or yellow wax beans
1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped
2 T. maple syrup
2 T. brown sugar
1-2 T. yellow mustard
(sometimes I add BBQ sauce, too, but my son doesn't like it so I left it out today)
Fresh ground black pepper

3-4 vegan hot dogs (I like Good Dogs, but Smart Dogs are good, too), chopped

Combine it all together in a large pan or soup pot.  Cook on low for about 45 minutes, stirring to make sure sugars don't burn/stick on the bottom.

Tuscan White Bean Soup (GF if using rice pasta)

I'm not sure where I got this recipe, but it is not mine.  I have it scratched on a piece of paper, so I'm sure I wrote it down off the internet somewhere. If it's YOUR recipe, let me know and I'll give proper credit where credit is due.  My kids and hubby really liked this one on a cold, rainy night yesterday.  I served it up with some fresh wheat bread and fresh fruit.  If you aren't a big fan of the rosemary, try Italian seasoning mix instead. If you like your soup less "soupy" and slightly thicker, try mashing a can of beans and adding that to the broth.

This soup is very simple and quick to make, so it worked great on a night when we had school conferences and swim practice.  And, as with all soup, it's better the next day.  I can't wait for lunch!

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN AND SPINACH SOUP

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

4 green onions or 1 small onion, finely diced

6-8 cups vegan no-chicken broth or 6-8 cups vegetable stock

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans white beans (cannellini or navy beans, drained)

1 1/2 -2 cups whole wheat pasta shells

2 teaspoon rosemary or Italian seasoning

5-6 cups baby spinach (approx. one bag), cleaned and trimmed and coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1-2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

In a large soup pot, saute the onions and garlic in 3 T. of the broth.  Add broth, tomatoes, beans and rosemary to pot, then season with black and red pepper. Bring to boil. Add pasta and cook 12 minutes. If the soup seems too thick for your liking add a bit more broth. Add spinach and cook until wilted.

Brown Rice with Veggies and Tahini Sauce, Eli's Miso Soup (both GF and Vegan)

I watched the movie "Forks Over Knives" (highly recommend you watch it, too!!) and immediately ordered the book to find some of the recipes from the show. I found one recipe for Steamed Veggies and Tofu with Brown Rice.  It looked really good, but I didn't have time or ingredients to make it just as listed.  So I "mommed" it a little bit, turning it into a fast and easy meal for a busy Monday night.

My son, Eli, loves miso soup from the sushi restaurants and decided to make his own version last night to go with our rice dish.  These two recipes are credited to others, but have our own personal touch to them. 

For those that are not familiar with Tahini, it is a sesame seed paste found with the health foods or sometimes with peanut and other nut butters.  It has a peanut butter-like flavor, and can be used as a peanut butter substitute for those with allergies. (A friend has used it to make puppy chow snack for kids with peanut allergies and said it was really good.) If you like peanut sauce at your local Asian restaurant, you will like this dish. 

BROWN RICE, VEGGIES AND TAHINI SAUCE
RICE
1 1/2 c. brown rice
3 1/2 c. water for steaming
1/4 t. fine sea salt

Combine all in sauce pan and bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low and let cook 45 minutes.  Turn off heat and let sit 10 minutes.

VEGGIES
1 large bag of frozen stir-fry vegetables
1 brick firm tofu, cut into chunks or triangles

Steam veggies and tofu in steamer for about 8 minutes or until hot.

SAUCE
1/2 c. tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/2 c. veggie broth or water (or more to make it "sauce" consistency)

Serve veggies on rice and drizzle with sauce.  Top with chopped green onion, pine nuts and/or sesame seeds.

ELI'S MISO SOUP
5 c. water
3 green onions, chopped small
1 1/2 T. miso paste dissolved in 1/4 c. warm water
1 T. soy sauce
1/3 brick tofu, cut into tiny cubes
1-2 handfuls of fresh spinach

Bring water and onions to a boil for about 5 minutes.  Turn down heat to a low simmer, add miso, soy sauce and tofu and cook until hot. Do not boil. Add spinach and cook just until wilted. Serve hot.