Lentil Stew

I'll be honest, I wasn't so sure how this one would go. Especially with the kids. They ate it and I really liked it.

Making this with Tamari instead of Shoyu or Soya Sauce will make this gluten free as well.

YIELD: 6 servings


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Basil
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cloves Chopped Garlic
2 Large Chopped Onions
2 Diced Celery Stalks
1 Sliced Carrot
1 (Scrubbed, not peeled) Cubed Potato
1 Chopped Bell Pepper
1/4 cup Shoyu (or Soya Sauce / Tamari)
5 cups Vegetable Broth
3 Chopped Tomatoes
1 1/2 cups lentils (I used green, recipe called for brown, I say use what you've got. I also soaked them for the day - put them in water before I left for the day and then made the stew when I got home approximately 6 hours.)


DIRECTIONS:

Combine first 6 ingredients (Seasonings) in a small (tiny) bowl

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add garlic, Onion, celery, carrot, pepper, and potato. Stir in 1/2 the seasoning mixture and Shoyu. Cook, stirring frequently for 7 minutes or till onions are tender.

Add broth, tomatoes and lentils. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer with the lid askew for 30 minutes.

Add remaining seasoning and simmer for additional 20 minutes (lid askew or off depending on how think you'd like your stew.

So good. I suggest serving it with thickly sliced home made (read Bread Machine) bread.

Gingersnap Cookies

Again, I found these in the "Vegan Cookies - Invade Your Cookie Jar" recipe book. I have slightly altered them but they are basically the same.

Mira tells me they are too Gingery, but I'm guessing that Rob will like them (although I burnt this batch a tiney bit. I really just made these because I wanted to make the Peanut Butter Cups and didn't have any cookies. They worked very well.

YIELD: 20 cookies


INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/3 cup Molasses
1/3 cup Canola Oil
3 tbsp Rice Milk (or other non dairy 'milk')
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
3 tsp Ground Ginger (Rounded spoonfuls)
1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350˚.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or grease lightly.

In a large bowl beat together sugar, molasses, oil, 'milk' and vanilla.

In separate bowl sift (HMMM I didn't do this, and in fact with Mira's help the four was decidedly unsifted) flour, ginger, nutmeg, backing soda and salt.

Fold dry mix into wet till it forms a firm dough.

Scoop out walnut sized lumps and roll between palms and squash onto cookie sheet. (They don't spread much).

Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on tray before transferring to cooling rack.

Store in loose lidded container.

**Okay so I had some melted chocolate chips with rice milk and ground flax left over from the peanut butter cups so I smeared 1/2 of the top of each cookie with the chocolate. MMmmmm.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I adapted these from the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe in "Vegan Cookies - Invade Your Cookie Jar". If you would like the original recipe please check out the book. I have not made them as in the book yet. They are yummy, and kid approved.

I've also committed to paying my neighbour, for allowing me to park in one of her spaces, with cookies. She is now unknowingly a vegan cookie guinea pig, and I do hope to get honest answers from her.

YIELD: 2 dozen


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup White Sugar
2/3 cup Canola Oil
1/4 cup Rice Milk (Unsweetened)
1 tbsp Cornstarch
2 tsp Vanilla
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup One Minute Oatmeal
1/8 cup Ground Flax Seed
- Chocolate Chips (As few or as many as you'd like)


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 359˚.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, or lightly grease.

Combine sugars, oil, rice milk and cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Mix VERY well with a fork or whisk (about 2 minutes) until it looks like a smooth caramel. This is very important. (Though I'm not sure why)

Add vanilla.

Mix in flour, baking soda and salt. Blend well.

Add the oatmeal, and flax and mix again.

Lastly add in the chocolate chips.

Roll batter into balls and press with hand to flatten on tray or dollop with a tablespoon.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes depending on the size of your cookies.

Enjoy, or seal in a container - if you haven't eaten them all.

Peanut Butter Cups

This recipe is modified from Alicia Silverstone's book "The Kind Diet". It is worth picking up if you are thinking of incorporating more Veggie / Vegan food into your diet.
Remember: It's not an all or nothing thing. The more good choices you make the more you help the planet. You may not be ready for the whole hog but every Vegan / Vegetarian choice you make helps.

These are soooooooooo Yummy.
I make them with 1/2 this amount of sugar, slightly less addictive for me then.

YIELD: 9 to 12


INGREDIENTS: filling

1/4 cup vegan butter (Earth Balance / margarine)
3/4 cup crunchy (nuts only) Peanut Butter
3/4 cup of crushed Anna's ginger cookies (You find these at IKEA, not sure where else)*
1/4 cup maple sugar (or other dry sugar - remember refined sugars may not be veggie friendly)
3 tbsp ground flax seed (Optional)


DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter in saucepan. Put muffin liners into muffin tin. Add peanut butter, cookies crumbs, sugar and flax. Blend well. Scoop into liner filled muffin tins. Put into freezer to harden.



INGREDIENTS: topping

1 cup Dairy free chocolate chips (If you can find them sweetened with out cane sugar
all the better
1/4 cup "milk" (you know, soy, rice almond. Whatever you like)
1/4 chopped nuts
sesame seeds (Optional)


DIRECTIONS:

Remove filling from freezer. Melt chocolate chips in with milk till melty and smooth. Spoon over peanut butter filling. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and sesame seeds.

Put them back in the freezer till you are ready to eat them. YUMMY


* or make your own Gingersnap Cookies

Daddy's Oat Cakes

As in my Daddies.
As in Yummy

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups flour
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup agave nectar / brown rice syrup (Dad uses honey)
2 TSP salt(maybe too much)
1 TSP soda
8 oz Vegan Butter (*Earth Balance: Dad uses margerine)


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 300 (350 if your oven runs cool)

Mix dry ingredients by hand.

Add the rest of the ingredients to make dough.

If necessary add a tiny bit of water. (but I've never needed to)

Roll onto waxed paper (even between 2 piece of waxed paper)

Cut into squares, and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes.

Potato Leek Soup

This soup served 7 as an appetizer course.


INGREDIENTS:

3 TBSP Vegan butter (I like Earth Balance*)
or 3 TBSP Olive Oil
2 medium Onions chopped
(different kids if you have them)
4 cloves of Garlic minced
4 Leeks cleaned and chopped
6 fist sized potatoes washed and diced
(use more if smaller)
8 cups water
Salt and Pepper to taste



DIRECTIONS:

Saute onions and garlic till beginning to get tender (2 minutes).

Add leeks, stir and saute for 10 minutes till tender.

Add potatoes and stir in. allow to cook for 5 minutes stirring regularly.

Add water, stir, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer with lid on. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Puree (I use a blender wand so I don't have to remove the soup from the pot) Add salt and pepper to taste



KID APPROVED.



*You can find this at most grocery stores these days in their 'health food' section.