Category Archives: Vegan

Slow Cooked Cannolini Beans

 
I love slow cooked beans! I am obsessed! Veggie Protein Power!  Another bonus, I bought all these ingredients for less than 3 dollars. Not to mention I used our own homegrown spicy garlic to flavor the dish.

Ingredients:

2 lbs dried Cannolini Beans aka white kidney beans (rinsed)

1/4 of a very large onion

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp Rosemary 

1 tsp  Mural of flavor 

6 garlic cloves

1 tsp penzeys vegetable base

10 cups of water plus One more cup at the end

Fresh Pepper to taste

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker. Place crockpot on warm for 16 hours then place on low for 8 hours. You might need to add one additional cup at the end. 

  

Slow Cooked Black Beans Venezuelan Style

black bean

 

I love beans and legumes, they are superfoods, these powerful vegetables contain natural sources of antioxidants and photochemicals. The American Dietary Guidelines recommend Americans consume at least 3 1/2 cups weekly of beans, which equals out to 1/2 cup daily. This is so easy to do. I add them to my salads, quesadillas, enchiladas, tacos, pastas, puree them to make dips for my carrots and snap peas. I also puree them to add to baked goods to add creaminess and moisture. I place the hummus on the top of pizza instead of tradition tomato sauce on pizza.

Beans contain more protein per serving than any other vegetable.  They are a cheaper source of protein compared to animal products.  I love that beans are naturally sodium free and fat free.  Plus these powerful beans are high in fiber to keep us regular.

I personally am not a huge fan of canned beans unless they are a high quality bean brand like Bushes Beans.  That said canned beans contain a high amount of sodium. I specifically made these low in sodium for my grandpa, so they are heart healthy for all. If you wish and you do not follow a low sodium diet you can add more salt to these beans. If you cannot make a fresh batch, I honestly would rather have frozen.This black bean recipe is so easy and inexpensive, you will question your next canned bean purchase.

The following recipe was generously provided to me by our dear friend from Venezuela, she makes the best black beans ever. We used to live next door; however, we moved and I have been craving them! We would always trade my sweet baked goods for her Venezuelan dishes. Luckily she provided me with her recipe to have whenever I want.

This recipe yields 2 qts of beans

Ingredients:

2 Bags of dried Black Beans, rinsed and strained (only about $0.80 to $1.00 a bag)

1/2 Yellow onion

6 cloves of garlic

Water

16 ounces Very Low Sodium Vegetable Stock or homemade, or more water

Additional (part two of the recipe)

1 yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, optional

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 Tsp cumin

Salt to taste

Pepper, freshly cracked

4 qt slow cooker

Directions:

  1. Place  1/2 of onion, whole garlic cloves, & beans in a 4 qt slow cooker. Cover with enough water to reach above the beans about an inch. Place the slow cooker on warm for 12 hours. We did this overnight.
  2. After 12 hours has elapsed turn the cooker to low. You may need to add more water and this where you need to add the vegetable stock. Allow the beans to cook for 6 to 8 more hours.
  3. After the beans are tender and to your liking, I like mine slightly firm (not mushy), remove the 1/2 piece of onion and the garlic cloves.
  4. Spray a 10 inch saute pan with cooking spray and saute up the red pepper, garlic, cumin, pepper, and onion. Cook vegetables until translucent. Add the sautéed vegetables to the beans,  stir, cover ,and allow to cook for 10 more minutes on low.
  5. Enjoy!
  6. Serve with quinoa or rice. Place beans in a salad or in enchiladas or quesadillas or my most recent post Tex Mex Lasagna. Also you could puree these beans in a high power blender to make black bean hummus dip to spread on pizza or dip your veggies into it for a snack.

IMG_5891

 

 

Chili Spice Fries in the actifry 

Today we had a healthy cooking food demo at work for the wellness program. Our dietetic intern presented on slow cooker meals and quick easy healthy dinners. This was her second presentation on this topic. Last week I made partytime beans in the crock pot for her presentation and today we decided to share the love of the actifry. The actifry is one of my favorite healthy kitchen tools, I love the fact it eliminates all the fat except for 1-2 TB or even sometimes, I just use cooking spray. I think by the end of the session we had everyone participating wanting an actifry. For the demo, I made my chili spicy fries, which were and always are a big hit.

 

Ingredients:

4 large baking potatoes (scrubbed well and washed with water)

1 1/2 c tsp chili powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tb olive oil

Directions:

  1. Cut fries about 1/2 inch thick and 3 inches long. Do not peel the skin (all the nutrition and fiber is in the skin). Place the fries, seasonings, and oil in actifry. Set timer for 40 minutes or until browning effect takes place and fries are cooked to your standard.
  2. Enjoy!

 

Pizza Flavored Oyster Crackers in the Actifry

 
Pizza is a favorite in our household. These tasty crackers are a satisfying alternative when you are craving a bite. They are also perfect for a football party. This recipe was inspired by the TOH magazine Feb/March 2016 issue. However I cut the fat down significantly with the power of the actifry by only using a quarter of the fat. 

Ingredients:

1 (10 oz) bag of oyster crackers

3 TB pizza seasoning 

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tb hot pepper flavored olive oil

1 tb of olive oil 

1/3 cup freshly grated peccorino romano cheese

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in the actifry and set the timer for 15 minutes! Let the crackers cool slightly before snacking!

 

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

  

My husband loves pumpkin spice coffee creamer! Now we can have it all year round! This is a very simple recipe and way more delicious than store bought. 

Ingredients:

2 cups of soy creamer or soy milk

3 Tbsp puréed pumpkin 

3 three inch cinnamon sticks

1 tsp ground pumpkin spice 

1 tsp pure vanilla

3 tbsp of pure maple syrup 

Directions:

1. Place the soy creamer, puréed pumpkin, maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, and ground pumpkin spice in a 2 qt sauce pan. Place on medium high heat and bring to a boil. 

2. Once boiling remove from heat and cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Add vanilla and stir.

3. Pour into a heat safe container and store in refrigerator. Shake well before using.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Oat Cranberry Bars

Pumpkin! Fall! Need I say more with dried cranberries ?! Bonus these bars are vegan too! 


Yields: 16 bars

Ingredients:  
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup puréed pumpkin (roasted)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup raw sugar

1 tb pumpkin pie spice

2 cups 100% old fashioned oats

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 by 9 baking dish with foil. Set aside.

2. Mix together in a large bowl first 6 ingredients and then fold in the cranberries. 

3. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Spread batter evenly into the baking dish. 

4. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

5. Allow to cool, cut into 16 bars, and enjoy!

Dutch Oven Homemade Bread

This time of year is my favorite time to bake in the kitchen. The air is crisp and I often spend most my weekend mornings trying new recipes and baking. As the weather starts to get cooler outside that means I can bake more to heat up the house. I love the smell of fresh homemade bread permeating throughout the house. I do believe Yankee Candle even makes a candle with this fragrance but nothing compares to the actual process of baking.

Fresh homemade bread seems to complete a Sunday dinner at our house. I always remember my mom having an Italian loaf with every Sunday family dinner.  My husband’s mom also always had Italian bread from a local bread bakery with all her supper meals she prepared which makes it all more nostalgic for my husband and I.

I made this Dutch-oven bread the other day with pork tenderloin in the slow cooker. It paired really well with parsley potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water (bath water temp; 80° F–90° F)

1 teaspoon honey

1 1/2 Tablespoons active dry yeast

3 ½-4 cups bread flour

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon olive oil for coating

Prework: Preheat oven to 500 degrees with large Dutch-oven in the oven.

Directions:

  1. Place warm water, honey, salt, & yeast in a glass measuring vessel. Let the yeast proof (becomes foamy) for 5 minutes (if the yeast does not grow, throw it out).
  2. In the meantime portion out the flour in a large electric mixer mixing bowl.  Start with the 3.5 cups and add more (1/4 cup at time), continue to add if dough is too sticky. Once the yeast has proofed add the yeast water mixture to the flour and on low speed with dough hook attachment knead the dough until the dough forms a ball. This should only take a few minutes.
  3. Remove dough from hook and knead with hands on a lightly floured surface to form into ball.
  4. Place evenly one tablespoon of olive oil on the outside of the dough. Place dough ball back in the mixing bowl and cover with a clean cloth towel on top of the preheating oven. You may be tempted to use plastic wrap however trust me use a cloth towel this will allow the dough to breath.
  5. Allow to dough to double in size this should take 45 to 60 minutes. Which works out perfectly because you want your Dutch-oven hot. The Dutch oven should be in the oven at 500 degrees for at least an hour. Don’t skip this step. 
  6. Once the dough is ready place on parchment paper and cut a few slits on the top surface of the loaf with sharp knife. This method will allow the steam to escape.
  7. With oven mitts remove the lid from Dutch oven and place bread in center of the baking vessel. Using oven mitts cover with the lid. Decrease the oven temperature 400 degrees and bake the bread for 45 minutes. Do not peek, trust the Dutch oven.
  8. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack before slicing into.

 

Oatmeal Raisin bars


  

We had our monthly NST meeting today. I decided to make some whole grain oatmeal bars for the meeting since these are super quick and easy. They are also perfect for an after lunch snack! They remind me of an oatmeal raisin cookie but without the butter !

Yields 20 bars

Ingredients

2 TB Ground flaxseed 

2/3 cup raw sugar 

1 TB pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup 100% quick oats

1 cup 100% old fashioned oats

1/4 c canola oil

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

1 c  whole wheat pastry flour

1/2  cup of raisins

9 by 13 baking dish 

Parchment paper

Cooking spray
Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees and parchment line a 9 x 13″ baking pan. Spray with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl mix together with whisk both oats, flour, flaxseed, sugar, allspice, baking soda, & salt . Add applesauce, maple syrup, canola oil, and mix to incorporate. 

3. Lastly fold in raisins. Pour batter into 9 x 13 pan and press the batter into the pan evenly. It helps to spray a spatula with cooking spray to prevent sticking and smooth the bars prior to placing in the oven.

4. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

   
   

Enjoy! I know my husband and the team did!

Grammy Ulam’s Spaghetti Sauce


My husband’s grandma aka Grammy Ulam makes one of the best spaghetti sauce recipes ever. It is suppose to be a local restaurant back homes authentic sauce. Let me just say it is not a Ulam Family gathering without her sensational sauce. The sauce pairs best with Warren Bakery Bread and some brummle and brown butter spread slathered on the top. The sauce also goes well with homemade pizza or chicken parm…just about anything really.

Please note we have made this recipe several times and may have altered her original recipe slightly to accommodate our kitchen pantry.

Recipe yields 6-7 Quarts

Ingredients:

3 Cans of Tomato Puree (Quart Size)

3 (28 ounce) Cans of San Marzano Tomatoes in Sauce (DOP)

2 TB Italian Seasoning or Penzey’s Pasta Sprinkle

3 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 TB Hot Pepper oil (From home canning)

6 Fresh Garlic Cloves

1 TB garlic powder

1 Tsp Kosher Salt

1 Tsp Fresh Ground Pepper

2-3 TB of granulated sugar

12 QT Stock Pot

Directions:

1. On medium low heat, saute fresh garlic in olive oil and hot pepper oil until effervescent in stock pot. Add remaining ingredients into stock pot keep heat on medium low until it simmers for at least an hour and then decrease the temperature to low  and cook for at least one more hour but maximum of 4 hours. If you feel the sauce is becoming too thick add some water to the mix.

2. Can the sauce according or freeze in quart size freezer safe bags (grammy freezers hers).

3. Enjoy!

 

Garlic Turnip Fries in the Actifry



garlic turnip. fries



Generally I eat turnips raw but recently tried them in the oven. Now I am hooked, so if I like them baked in the oven, I know I will love them in my actifry.

Ingredients;

  • 2 medium turnips cut into strips like fries (no need to peal)
  • 1/4 tsp sandwich sprinkle (a mixture of salt, garlic,tell lichen pepper, basil,oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram)
  • 1/2 tsp pasta sprinkle (a blend of oregano, basil,thyme and garlic
  • 1/4 to 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • 4 whole garlic cloves 

Directions

  1. Cut turnips into even strips.
  2. Place in cooking sprayed actifry vessel and lightly spray strips with cooking spray and sprinkle with seasonings.
  3. Set timer for 30 minutes.