Veggie Grill

I was back in LA last week and had the opportunity to eat at Veggie Grill once again.  And once again it did not disappoint!  My absolute favorite dish is the Santa Fe Crispy Chickin'.  It is a fried veggie chicken, lettuce, tomato, red onion, avocado, and spicy vegan mayo on a whole wheat bun!  We also got to sample the Buffalo Wings, which are a crispy veggie chicken in a spicy buffalo sauce, with celery and ranch dressing.  It was marvelous!  Here is a link to their menu page.  

I have never had anything from Veggie Grill that I have not liked.  And with eight locations in California and Oregon they everywhere!  I really wish they would go national through!  Although it is a good excuse to go west!

Banana Nut Muffin

This recipe is my basic sweet bread, the recipe originally came from my Mother, I have modified it to be vegan and has a bit less fat in it than my Mothers recipe. Although the base recipe is the same I modify the fruit or vegetable content added. This time I wanted to make a very banana muffin, the nuts were an added bonus!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 3/4 tsp baking soda

• 1 tbsp cinnamon

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• the equivalent of 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup raisins

• 1 cup walnuts

• 4 very ripe bananas

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix together the dry ingredients well. Add the oil and the egg replacer mix lightly, add the banana and the vanilla mix well, at this point the mixture should have no lumps. Add the nuts lightly mix. If you are baking muffins it should be about 22 to 25 minutes If you are baking bread it will be about 45 minutes.

Yum and done!

Not My Mother’s Easter Pie

I found this recipe on a great vegan chefs blog her blog is Vegan Planet and her name is Robin Robertson. This particular recipe is from her book Vegan Fire and Spice. I contacted Robin and she was nice enough to let me republish this delicious recipe, thanks again Robin.

I had never heard of Easter Pie before so I wasn't sure what the results would be but they were delicious! The recipe all in all was easy to follow and there were absolutely no surprises. It was a great success and we plan to put it into good use next time we have guests over. As a lot of the prep comes before hand and the stove does the rest, I feel it would be a great recipe for entertaining.

Ingredients:

1 cup wheat gluten flour (vital wheat gluten)
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 to 12 ounces firm tofu, crumbled
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheet, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a shallow baking pan and set aside.
2. In a food processor, combine the wheat gluten flour, tapioca flour, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, whole and ground fennel seeds, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Pulse to mix.

Dry ingredients pulsed.

3. Add the tofu, water, soy sauce, olive oil, and ketchup and process until well mixed.
4. Shape the mixture into a 7-inch log, wrap it in foil and place it in a baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes, turning once about halfway through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
5. Roll out the pastry sheet on a floured surface. Place the cooled sausage log on the lower third of the pastry and fold in the sides. Roll up the pastry to enclose the sausage and use your fingers to seal the ends. Place the roll on a baking sheet, seam-side down, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
6. Bake until the pastry is nicely browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife.

Right out of the oven!

Our delicious salad

Served with strawberry salad and brussel sprouts!

Yum and done!

Walnut spread

We have been wanting to expand the amount of raw foods we eat. This spread is a pretty simple raw recipe. It is delicious and protein packed, so it is very filling. This spread can be put on crackers or even in a sandwich. I was thinking about even spreading it on celery!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups walnuts, soaked for 1 to 2 hours
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, or to taste
• 4 to 7 fresh basil leaves, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
• 4 tablespoons water

Directions:

After soaking the walnuts for one to two hours, place all of the ingredients together in a food processor. Process on high speed until a smooth. Let set for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to mingle!

Yum and Done!