Vegan Mesquite Sweet Potato Patties (GF)

One of my day care kids said, "These taste like sweet potato fries made into a burger!"

I made a batch of these the other day and froze the extras.  Today I put them on a baking sheet and cooked them from frozen for about 10 minutes in a 375 degree oven.  Really good texture this way.  I think I will make a large batch and keep them frozen for easy use.
MESQUITE SWEET POTATO PATTIES
1 c. brown rice, cooked and cooled
1 c. sweet potato (baked or steamed, peeled)
1/2 c. onion, diced
1/2 t. salt
2 t. paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. mesquite seasoning
1/2 t. fresh cracked black pepper
1/2-3/4 c. brown rice flour
oil for cooking

In a food processor, combine rice, sweet potato, onion and all seasonings.  Pulse until blended and no large chunks of potato or onion remain.  (Some rice may be intact.)  Carefully stir in brown rice flour slowly just until the mixture is firm enough to form patties.  The amount may differ depending on the water content in the potatoes. 

In a fry pan, fry potato patties in a small amount of oil over medium heat for about 4 minutes per side.  Do not flip them until they come off the pan easily.  They should be nicely browned.

NOTES: I found it easier to make thinner patties and then to add two to a sandwich.  Otherwise the flour doesn't cook all the way out and they taste flour-y. (Yes, that's a word. No, you don't need to look it up.  Just trust me.)  Be sure to let them cook all the way through, but know that the sugars in the potatoes burn quickly once they start to brown.

I liked these served with pickles and raw onion and BBQ sauce.  My family liked them like burgers.

Vegan Butternut Squash Pizza

Even my husband liked this pizza, and he's not really a squash fan.  I loved it.  I think it would be great as an appetizer for parties.  Just cut into small squares. Very yummy! And I'm not just saying that because I'm the cook.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH PIZZA
1 butternut squash, steamed until soft and sliced or diced
1 white or red onion, thinly sliced
4 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. fresh or 1 t. dried rosemary
2 T. fresh or 1 t. dried thyme
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Your favorite pizza crust
Vegan cheese, optional
Crushed red pepper, optional

Place thinly sliced onion in a fry pan with 2 T. olive oil.  Cook slowly over medium-low to low heat about 10-15 minutes until onions are caramelized and only slightly browned.

Placed rosemary, thyme and minced garlic in remaining 2 T. olive oil.  Brush about 1/2 mixture over pizza crust.  Top with squash and hot onions.  If adding vegan cheese and/or crushed red pepper, do that now.  Drizzle remaining olive oil on top and cook pizza according to crust directions.

(I used a pre-made, whole-wheat crust.  I also used a little Daiya vegan cheese.  I microwaved the squash early in the day so it was ready to use when needed.  Next time I will roast the squash for a little better flavor. Onions could be made ahead of time as well.)

Yogurt Parfait

My breakfast this morning was a yogurt parfait.  Fresh peach and blueberries layered with soy yogurt and my own homemade granola. It was a bowl of yummy goodness.  I love eating vegan!

Good Morning, Everyone!!

Summer (Cold) Oatmeal

Got this recipe from a friend and I was very hesitant to try cold oatmeal.  But I'm glad I did.  I've been veganizing and tweaking the recipe for a couple weeks to see what works best for our family.  I also looked on-line and there were many recipes for cold oatmeal, but none that really tripped my trigger. 

I know it sounds like a weird thing, but it really is a good breakfast.  It is also an easy take-along dish (in jars) for trips to visit non-vegan family or our hotel stays for swim meets.  The recipe that Kim sent to me had it made up in jars with lids.  I did that to travel, but I just make it in a tupperware for staying here at home. 

This is one of those recipes that is a make ahead and make it your own. It has a "base" recipe and then you can add your extras as you prefer.  My kids love cocoa and banana with peanut butter but I love the maple and pecan.  Apple and raisin with cinnamon was also popular.  (I used small chunks of apples, but you could use applesauce if you want.) Since it is cold, it works really well with fresh fruit.  If you try a good one, let me know!!

SUMMER (COLD) OATMEAL
Base ingredients to make 2 servings:
1/2 c. oats
3/4 c. soy milk (plain or vanilla) or coconut milk
1/2 c. soy yogurt (plain or vanilla)
2 t. flax seeds or chia seeds
2 t. or more sweetener (maple syrup, agave nectar, brown sugar, etc.)

Mix all the base ingredients together well and then stir in your extras.  Cover and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.  Lasts 3-4 days in the frig.

Extras:
2 T. baking cocoa and/or 2 T. peanut butter and/or 1 diced banana
OR
2 T. chopped pecans, use maple syrup as the sweetener
OR
1/2 apple, chopped small with 1/2 c. raisins, 1/2 t. cinnamon
OR
1/2 c. blueberries or other berries
OR
1/2 c. mango, diced small (good with coconut milk)
OR
1/2 c. peaches, diced small with cinnamon
OR
1/2 c. raspberries, add in 1/4 t. almond extract and/or 2 T. chopped almonds

VEGAN SLOPPY JOES

If you've never used TVP (textured vegetable protein) as a protein source/meat substitute, well, you should.  It is so cheap and easy and fast and it tastes like whatever you put it in.  It is completely versatile and a great way to get that "meat" feeling while still sticking to your vegan ways.

Today I bought about 10 cups of TVP at our local food co-op and it cost me $5.83.  I use 1 cup of dry TVP and mix it with 1 cup of boiling water or broth to equal about 1 pound of meat. So it's the same amount as 10 pounds of meat for $5.83.  That's pretty reasonable.

Use TVP the same way you would ground beef or ground turkey/chicken.  I use it to make sandwiches, casseroles and taco filler. 

To reconstitute the TVP, add 1 cup boiling liquid to 1 cup TVP.  Stir it up and let it sit about 5 minutes.  Then use the same as browned meat.

Today's lunch is Sloppy Joe Sandwiches with fresh fruit and corn on the cob.  I serve the sandwiches on mini-buns or cocktail rolls for the daycare kids so they aren't too big to handle.  My favorite way to eat them is with a lot of pickles on top! 

(If you want to CHEAT, just stir the reconstituted TVP together with a couple cans of your favorite Sloppy Joe or Manwich mix.  I do this in large batches in the crock pot for potluck dinners. Big hit.)

VEGAN SLOPPY JOE SANDWICHES
2 c. dry TVP
2 c. vegetable broth, boiling

1 c. finely diced onion
1 c. finely diced green pepper
1 t. garlic powder
2 t. yellow mustard (or 1 t. spicy brown mustard)
1 1/2 c. ketchup (or 1 c. ketchup plus 1/2 c. your favorite BBQ sauce)
2 T. brown sugar
1/4 c. water

In a bowl, stir together the TVP and broth and let sit about 5 minutes. In a fry pan, saute the rest of the ingredients.  Let simmer about 5 minutes, then stir TVP mixture into the sauce.  Season with salt and pepper to taste (season after adding TVP so it isn't too salty from the broth).  Cook just until warmed.  Do not let the TVP boil.  Serve on bread or buns.

VEGAN PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SANDWICH

My family LOVES sandwiches, but have struggled a little bit with vegan sandwich options.  When I was at the store last week I found these wedge style cheeses and thought I'd give them a try.  I was pleasantly surprised at how well the vegan cheese melted.  It tasted good and gave a good texture to the sandwiches.  Both my kids still eat dairy cheese occasionally, but I've been trying to find a way to cut back.  This is perfect!

So my sandwich recipe isn't so much a recipe as a step-by-step.  Top your sandwich with whatever sauteed or grilled veggies you like. We had some nice mushrooms in the house so we went with it.

PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SANDWICH

Started with hoagie buns, buttered with vegan butter and topped with a little garlic and parsley.  I put these under the broiler for a couple minutes to make them nice and crusty, then topped with peppers, onions and sliced portabello mushrooms (sauteed in olive oil, a little white wine, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic).

Topped off the veggies with Daiya Jack Style Wedge Cheese (you can buy these in Havarti and Mozzarella, too) and put under the broiler for a couple seconds to melt it.  These "wedge" cheeses actually melt very well.  It even was stringy like dairy cheese.

Then I just folded it over and cut them in half for some great sandwiches. 

My family ate these up like they were going out of style.  They were super yummy and fast.  We had ours with fresh fruit and used up some salads we had in the frig (brocolli salad and lettuce salad).  It was a great meal!  ENJOY!

Tofu "FRIED EGG" Sandwich

"Fried Egg" tofu served on Wasa bread, garnished with parsley.

Tofu FRIED EGG Sandwich

Extra firm tofu, drained and pressed.  Sliced into 1/2" pieces.  Use two per sandwich.
Sprinkle tofu with turmeric, paprika, salt and pepper (add onion powder, garlic, etc. as you like)
Fry in a small amount of olive oil or vegan butter until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Serve as you would a hard-fried egg.