Snobby Joes (from Veganomicon)

After many food discussions with my good friend Hollee, she introduced me to this recipe.  Her husband and my husband are both meat free for health reasons.  This was one recipe she promised would go over well :)  And she was right!  I have always said "ew" to Sloppy Joe recipes...you know, the normal kind with a pound of fat laden ground beef and a can of "seasoned sauce".  Yeah-ew!

This recipe, in my opinion, was not even comparable!!  It was a great, homemade low-fat vegan dish that now has a place in my recipe card recipebook! :)  It was super easy, and took about 30 minutes to prep/cook.  Served with typical bbq type sides, and you have an easy summer meal.  We had corn, pickle spears, cherry tomatoes, and (organic, baked) tater tots!




Snobby Joes Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked green lentils
4 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 green pepper, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard


4-6 whole wheat buns for serving
Condiments for topping (mustard, relish, KETCHUP!, etc)


Directions:

Put the lentils in a small sauce pot and pour in 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

About 10 minutes before the lentils are done boiling, preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute a minute more.  Add the cooked lentils, the chili powder, oregano and salt and mix. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes.

Add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through.Turn the heat off and let sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld. 

This recipe can also be frozen/microwaved, and from what I have heard, gets better each day!  Like I said, definitely a keeper!  I spooned the snobby joe mix on my bun, then topped with a thick layer of organic ketchup.  This gave it a tad more sweetness, and a lot of extra flavor!  

Black Bean Extravaganza

Ingredients

2 cans no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained 
1 to 1 1/2 cups water or reduced-sodium vegetable broth 
1 tablespoon liquid aminos 
1 teaspoon salt-free chili powder 
2 to 3 tomatoes, chopped 
1 bunch green onions, chopped 
1 can water chestnuts, drained (We didn't use water chesnuts...not a fan!)
1 cup corn, fresh, frozen, or canned 
2 bell peppers, any color, seeded and chopped (We used red...)
1 bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped 
1 avocado, peeled and sliced 
3 cups cooked brown rice 
Salsa or tamari to taste 

Instructions:

Heat the beans with water or broth, liquid aminos and chili powder. Place the chopped vegetables and cilantro in individual bowls. To serve, place several big spoonfuls of brown rice onto large plates and ladle beans on top. Add generous handfuls of chopped vegetables, cilantro, and avocado on top of the beans. Add salsa or tamari to taste.

Meal Plan: May 13-May 20

SUNDAY
-Lunch:  mini English Muffin Pizzas; kale salad; berries
-Dinner:  Miso Soup, roasted veggies, sliced apples/pears, WF bread

MONDAY
-Lunch:  Buffalo Mock Chicken; WW crackers, berries
-Dinner:  crock pot Pinto beans, Mexican rice, Guacamole Salad

TUESDAY
-Lunch:  Plant Strong Veggie Wrap, California quinoa salad, banana
-Dinner:  Mandarin Chicken and brown rice(Gardein), steamed broccoli, edamame

WEDNESDAY
-Lunch:  LO Mandarin Chicken, Brown Rice, Broccoli, Edamame
-Dinner:  Veggie Burger on WW bun, roasted potato wedges

THURSDAY
-Lunch:  Riblet, Sweet Potato, Carrot/Apple Salad
-Dinner:  Red Beans and Rice, Veggies and Fruit

FRIDAY
-Lunch:  LO Red Beans and Rice
-Dinner:  Garden Veggie Lasagna, salad

SATURDAY
-Lunch:  Gardein Chicken Strips, Nutritional Yeast Mac N Cheese, Sweet Potato
-Dinner:  LO Lasagna and Salad

SUNDAY
-Lunch:  Veggie Minestrone Soup, bakery bread
-Dinner:  Veggie Pizza, Salad

Meal Plan: April 16-22

Monday:
Lunch:  Mock Chikn Salad (Whole Foods deli) with crackers and romaine, fruit salad
Dinner:  Whole Wheat Alphabet Veggie Soup, Side Salad, Roasted Asparagus
Tuesday:

Lunch:  LO Alphabet Soup, crackers, berries

Dinner: Herbed White Beans over Rice, Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Veggies
Wednesday:

Lunch:  LO White Beans and Rice

Dinner:  Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles, Salad with Ginger Dressing
Thursday:

Lunch:  Veggie Fajitas with WW Tortilla, Guacamole, Mexican Rice

Dinner: Chicken Parmesan, salad, corn
Friday:

Lunch:  Pasta Salad with veggies and seeds, organic fruit strip

Dinner: Boca Burgers with Potato Salad and Baked Beans
Saturday:

Lunch:  ???

Dinner:  ???

Sunday:

Lunch: Veggie Lasagna, Salad

Dinner: PB/J or Cereal :)

Veggie Burgers?

I have always loooooved a good hamburger.  Like-really loved them.  I never ate a whole lot of other red meat, but I do love burgers.  I decided to try the Boca Vegan burger the other day, and was really surprised at how good it was.  It has a different texture, but the flavor itself is really good!  I paired it with Alexa onion rings, EEK! non-Vegan Annie's bunny macaroni, and Tofutti sour cream topped red potatoes.  It was a filling, easy meal that let me use up some of our "old diet" foods that were still in the pantry :)

So-if you are hesitant to try the Boca burgers, don't worry!  They are really good :)  Just make sure to check that they are "Vegan" on the box.  Some often use eggs to bind the ingredients, and can also include meat.

I topped mine with Veganaise, romaine lettuce, and about a tablespoon of Daiya cheddar cheese shreds (soy).  Very tasty!

Recipe: Spinach Stuffed Shells

This was really easy, really yummy, and a different way to get in a pasta dish.  It reminded me a little bit of lasagna...

Ingredients:

1 box of large pasta shells

1 large jar organic pasta sauce

1 cup of frozen spinach, lightly steamed

"ricotta" cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350*

Bring 20 pasta shells to a boil in lightly salted water.

In a food processor, add 8 oz firm tofu, 1 tsp agave nectar, 1 tsp cider vinegar, and 3-4T nutritional yeast.  Blend until smooth.  Add steamed spinach and blend until creamy.

When pasta is al dente, pour into strainer, and rinse with cool water.  Pour 1/2 c pasta sauce into a glass casserole dish and cover the bottom.  Stuff spinach mixture into the shells.  I scooped my ricotta/spinach blend into a gallon Ziploc with the corner snipped to help fill the shells easily.

Layer the shells side-by-side.  Cover with the remaining pasta sauce (not pictured)  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, covered.

Quick Fix Dinner Idea!

Dirty Rice, BBQ Beans, Potato Salad! 

This meal was good, easy, and 99.9% vegan.  We still eat honey, and I used it to help "doctor" up canned vegetarian beans.  Also-my beloved Worcestershire sauce is technically not vegan.  It contains a tiny amount of anchovy in it!  I had a full bottle in the pantry, and rarely use it...We will finish this bottle and then try to find a vegan version to use.

Dirty Rice 

2 c cooked white rice (cooked and cooled)

1/2 package Boca crumbles

1/2 green bellpepper, 1/2 white onion, 1 large celery stalk, 1 garlic clove-all chopped and    sauteed

1 tsp Tony's seasoning

Worcestershire sauce-to taste (Gonna see if I can find a vegan version at Whole Foods)

Saute veggies/garlic, add Boca "meat" crumbles and heat.  Add Tony's and Wor. sauce.  Stir meat and rice together.  I let mine sit in the fridge, and reheated several hours later so the flavors could blend.  Is GREAT for leftovers!

BBQ Beans

1 large can vegetarian baked beans (Bush's are great!)

several drops of liquid smoke 

2T honey (*technically not vegan, but not an animal product.  I love honey!)

Potato Salad

3 organic Russet Potatoes-I peeled 2, and didn't peel the last to keep some of the nutrients

1/4 cup Veganaise

2T yellow mustard

S&P to taste

4 baby kosher dills pickles, chopped

Chop potatoes, boil, and drain.  Mix ingredients and chill :)  Easy peasy!

Recipe: Veggie Lasagna

Ingredients:

9 whole wheat pasta noodles, boiled and cooled
Large jar of organic pasta sauce (I used Prego Mushroom)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced yellow squash
1 cup sliced zucchini
1-2 cups of baby spinach leaves.

1 cup raw cashews

1/2 block of extra firm tofu (8 oz or so)
1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp agave nectar or honey
4T nutritional yeast

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*.
In food processor, pulse 1 cup of raw cashews until fine (about the consistency of bread crumbs)  Pour into a bowl, and set aside.
Add tofu, vinegar, agave nectar, and nutritional yeast to the food processor and pulse until it is creamy and blended well.  This will serve a a faux ricotta cheese.

In a glass casserole dish, pour 1/2 cup of sauce into bottom and spread thin.  Lay 3 lasagna noodles across.  Pour another 3/4 cup of sauce and spread over noodles.  Arrange baby spinach layer across.  Layer 3 more noodles across.  Spread ricotta mixture across and spread another 1/2 cup of sauce across it.  Top ricotta with sliced veggies (mushroom, squash, zucchini).  Pour one cup of sauce across veggies.  Top with last 3 lasagna noodles.  Pour remaining sauce over the noodles, and sprinkle raw cashew crumbs.

Bake at 350* for 30-45 minutes (until sauce is bubbly)  This was very easy and yummy!  It could also be assembled and frozen for freezer cooking!

PICS!!!

Raw Cashews:  Before

 Raw Cashews:  After

Ricotta Cheese 

Ricotta and sauce blend over noodles

Veggies used:

Veggies Assembled

Top with last 3 noodles, sauce, and cashew crumbs

Quick Fix: "Fast Food"

This was my answer to my Chick-fil-A craving :)

Whole Wheat hamburger bun
Spicy Boca Chikn Patty (these are my favorite....they are now vegan and non-GMO) with Vegenaise and romaine
Grape tomatos
Roasted potatoes with Tony's
Onion Rings with organic ketchup

Yes-sandwich is "processed", but it is STILL better than going through the drive through on my way home!

Quick Fix: Mexican

There are just those days when you need dinner is less than 15 minutes!  This is one of those LOL  It was REALLY good!  Used a Spanish rice mix, and lettuce is chopped romaine.  Also threw together some pico de gallo for the tacos to give it a little extra flavor.  I'm still adjusting to no cheese :)