Messy BBQ Sandwich with Tangy Sweet Mustard Red Potatoes

Ingredients:
-salt for boiling potatoes
-2 to 3 lbs. red potatoes (cut into bite sized pieces)
-3 cups sweet and tangy BBQ sauce (I bought Target's Market Pantry Sweet Original BBQ sauce)
-Two 8 oz. packages of tempeh, crumbled
-1 T. oil
-1 onion, diced
-1 t. salt
-1/2 cup vegan mayo
-1 T. Dijon mustard
-4 T. agave
-1 T. apple cider vinegar
-4 French bread sandwich rolls

Directions:
1) Boil potato pieces in salted water until tender.
2) In a medium saucepan, sauté onions in oil until golden. Add the crumbled tempeh and BBQ sauce. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes, covered.
3) In a medium bowl, combine the drained potatoes, mayo, agave, Dijon, vinegar, and salt. Toss with potatoes.
4) Spoon barbecued tempeh onto rolls. Serve with a side of potatoes.

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Vegan Buttercream Frosting

Cake Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp distilled white or apple cider vinegar


Cake Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, making sure it is well blended. Add the water, vanilla, oil, and vinegar, and again, mix together so there are no large clumps. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides if necessary.

Pour into a greased and floured 8x8 square pan (or similar sized round pan) and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.



Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

1/4 cup nonhydrogenated shortening
1/4 cup nonhydrogenated margarine
1-3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract


Frosting Directions

Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes. Add the vanilla and beat again. Frost cake once the cake has completely cooled.


Note: To make a layered cake, double the frosting recipe and make two of the above cakes.

Curried Lentil and Chickpea Stew

Ingredients:
-1 onion chopped or 4 T. dried diced onion
-2 t. curry powder
-1/2 c. white rice
-28 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid
-1.5 cups vegetable broth
-1 c. dried lentils (I used moong dal)
-15 oz. can of chickpeas or 1.5 cups home cooked chickpeas
-Salt to taste

Optional:
-diced or chopped celery, carrots, and/or potatoes

Directions:

Add all ingredients except for chickpeas to rice cooker. Cook on brown rice setting. After the cooking cycle has finished, add chickpeas and more broth if needed. Cook again on the brown rice setting. Eat!!!

Emmy's Yummy Vegan Chili

Ingredients:
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T. chili powder
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans
• 1 to 2 cups vegetable broth
• salt to taste
• 2 cans (15 oz.) black beans or 1 can black beans and one container of tofu (freeze then thaw one 14 oz. container of firm tofu, then take handfuls of the tofu, squeeze out the water, and crumble into the chili)

optional:
-Veggie purée (Steam 1 cup of cauliflower, 1/2 cup baby spinach, 1/2 cup broccoli, and 1/4 cup peas. Puree in a blender/food processor the steamed veggies and 1 small to medium raw zucchini)
-green onions, sour cream, and shredded cheese for garnish.


Directions: Heat the oil over medium heat in a chili or soup pot. Add the onion and cook until slightly translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and a few grinds of pepper, followed by the purees, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans (and tofu if using), and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, adding more vegetable broth as needed. Season with salt and more pepper and cayenne if needed.

NOTE: You cannot taste the pureed veggies, making this a great dish for picky eaters!

Mumbai Spiced Potato Cakes with Chickpeas

Mumbai Spiced Potato Cakes with Chickpeas:
C. = cup
T. = Tablespoon
t. = teaspoon

Ingredients for the Chickpeas:
30 ml / 2 T. vegetable oil
30 ml / 2 T. ground coriander
30 ml / 2 T. ground cumin
2.5 ml / 1/2 t. turmeric
2.5 ml / 1/2 t. salt
2.5 ml / 1/2 t. sugar
30 ml / 2 T. gram flour or any flour
450g / 1 lb. / 3 C. cooked chick peas, drained
5 cm / 2 inch piece of ginger, crushed/minced (about 2 T.)
2 firm tomatoes, chopped
optional:
2 fresh green chillies, chopped
75g / 3 oz. / 1 cup fresh corianer/cilantro, chopped


Ingredients for the Potato Cakes:
450g / 1 pound potatoes, boiled and mashed (note, I wish I had made more potatoes than just the 1 lb.)
7.5 ml / 1-1/2 (1.5) t. ground cumin
Vegetable oil for frying
optional:
salt
4 green chillies, chopped
50g / 2 oz. fresh coriander/cilantro, chopped
5 ml / 1 t. dry mango powder


1) To prepare the chickpeas, heat the oil in a karahi or large pan. Add coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt, sugar, and flour, along with a small amount of water, to makes a paste. Add the chickpeas and stir in the ginger, tomatoes, and the optional ingredients. Toss well and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.

2) To make the potato cakes, place the mashed potato in a large bowl and add the cumin and the optional ingredients. Mix together until well blended. Using your hands, shape the potato mixture into little patties. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the cakes on both sides until golden brown. Serve with the chickpeas.

Red Lentil Dal

This dish is something I have periodically made my nanny family. It is a big favorite with Simone, the four year old, believe it or not!



Ingredients for lentil dish:
1 cup onion, chopped (I use 4 T. of minced, dried garlic instead of fresh)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
4 cups water
1 medium russet potato, peeled and cubed
1-1/2 cups red lentils (Masoor Dal)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cardamon, ground
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste


Ingredients for rice dish:
1-1/2 cups white rice, uncooked
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and chopped (optional)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)


Add all the lentil dish ingredients to a rice cooker. Cook until cooker turns off. (You could also cook on a stovestop until the dal is soft.) Also cook the white rice. Top rice with dal and garnish with tomatoes, chili, and cilantro.

Another option is I will make parathas (Indian flat bread) versus the rice and the parathas can be dipped in the dal.