Tacos

Tacos are one of the foods I missed when Rach and I became veggies. We found a way to duplicate the ground beef texture...well, actually it's more like Taco Bell meat texture.

You will need:

• Old El Paso taco meal kit (includes taco shells, spice mix and taco sauce)
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. chili flakes
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. cumin 
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup TVP
• vegetable oil
• shredded cheddar  
• 1 tin of black beans

Marinate the beans:
Rinse the black beans and put in a bowl.  Mash a few of the beans.  Add cumin, chili powder, garlic and olive oil.  Stir until all the beans are coated.  Let stand for at least half an hour.

Make the veggie/TVP mix:
In vegetable oil add onion, red pepper, jalapeno, and chili flakes.  When softened add the re-hydrated TVP.  Stir in bean mixture.  Add the spice seasoning mix from the taco kit.  Add some water (about 1/2 cup) and let it simmer down. Add the taco sauce from the taco kit. 

Assembly:
Heat the taco shells in the microwave for 30 seconds.  This makes them nice and crunchy.  Spoon in some veggie/TVP mixture and top with cheese.  You can add any other toppings you might like such as lettuce, chopped tomato and sour cream.  For a vegan version use soy cheese.

It was amazing to bite into a taco and have that meat-like consistency without the guilt.  You won't be disappointed with these!

A Word on Cheese

Rach and were going through our old "meat" recipes and have been brainstorming on ways to make them vegetarian.  Many of these include cheese.

Supermarket cheese isn't the best cheese you can buy.  I recommend you go to a market and get real thing.  My favourite place to go is Olympic Cheese at the St. Lawrence Market.   This family owned shop has everything you could ever want and it's all pure and full of flavour.

When I first went there a very charming older Portuguese man was trying to sell me 25-year old cheddar at $100 per pound.  He had me so smitten with his old-world accent and sweet smile, I almost did it - then common sense prevailed!  I was shopping for cheese for my dad for his birthday (yes, that's what he likes) - my dad ended up with a very nice cheddar, but not that nice. 

When I buy my Parmesan, I get them to cut it fresh from the wheel for me.  I put the whole wedge in the freezer and just cut a piece as I need.   Rach is the cheese grater in our house, and she finds it easier to grate it when it's still frozen.

Price wise it is only pennies more than the supermarkets and way, way more flavourful.  It's worth the trip to the St. Lawrence Market - trust me on this one.   

Lemon Garlic Pasta

This dish is made from rice pasta, but you can use any gluten-free pasta you like.  I buy mine at No Frills.  It's a cinch to make.  Serve it with a garden salad and you have a nice light dinner.

You will need:

• 1 package of gluten-free pasta
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup margarine or butter
• a few tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. chili flakes
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• salt & pepper

Cook the pasta and drain.  Melt the margarine or butter and add the olive oil.  You need the oil to prevent the margarine from burning.  Add the garlic and chili flakes.  Once the flavor is released, add the lemon juice and oregano.  Stir in the cooked pasta.  Add the Parmesan and heat through.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

Sweet Potato Rice

This is a recipe I tried from my friend Paola.  She has been teaching Rach and I how amazing walnuts can be in cooking.  Paola gave us a sample of this rice and we loved it.  Tonight Rach and I tweaked it and came up with a slightly different version. 

Paola and I met at work when she realized she had Celiac Disease and no idea on what she could eat and what she couldn't anymore.  She told me on top of that, she didn't eat meat.  I told her that was no problem!  I mentored her on gluten-free, vegetarian eating.  We have since become good friends and share meals back and forth.  This entry is dedicated to you, P!

Here we go.  You will need:

• 2 cups water
• 1 Knorr vegetable cube
• 1 cup rice
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 baking potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 3/4 cup old cheddar
• 1/2 cup of walnut halves or pieces
• 1/2 tsp. chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp. Pampered Chef Jamaican Jerk Rub (or equivalent)
• 1/2 tsp. Chipotle Rub (or equivalent)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper, divided
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. oregano
• olive oil
• vegetable oil

Season the baking potato:

Put the chopped baking potato in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil until all the pieces are coated.  Add Jamaican Jerk Rub, Chipotle Rub, salt, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, thyme, oregano and 1/2 tsp. of pepper.  Mix well and set aside.

The Pampered Chef seasonings used are gluten-free.  You can purchase them by clicking the link below the picture.  

Jamaican Jerk Rub 

Chipotle Rub

Make the rice:

I use a microwave rice cooker to make this rice.  It is so easy and turns out perfect every time.  Dissolve the Knorr vegetable cube in boiling water.  Add the rice and 1/2 tsp. of pepper.  I microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir, then microwave on power 5 for 10 minutes.  Set aside.

Make the potato mixture:

Heat a generous amount of vegetable oil in a large pan and add chili flakes.  Add chopped sweet potato and stir fry for about 5 minutes.  Add the seasoned white potato.  At this point you may need to add more oil.  Stir fry for another 5 minutes. Then add chopped onion and the crushed garlic.  If things get sticky (and they will), add some water.  Put the lid on and let things steam for a bit.  Keep at eye on things, as they will stick very easily - add more water if necessary.  When potatoes are tender stir in rice and mix.  Add the grated cheese on top, turn off the heat, and cover.

Toast the walnuts:

In a non-stick pan toast the walnuts on medium heat for about 3 minutes.  You must stir them constantly as once they burn, they are useless.  Toasting the nuts brings out the flavour in them.  Add to the rice/potato mixture and stir.

I served with the Garlic Green Beans.  This is incredible and worth all the steps to make it come together.

Spicy Green Bean Saute (vegan)

 

The was a new recipe Rach and I found on the Internet.  We tweaked and came up with our own version.  It needs salt to bring it all together at the end, so keep that in mind.

You will need:

• 1 to 2 tbsp. corn starch
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup teryaki sauce
• chili sauce to taste
• 1 lb. green beans, washed trimmed and snapped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• red pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp. fresh minced ginger root
• vegetable oil
• salt & pepper

Before we start, a note on trimming beans:  I keep a pair of scissors in the kitchen just for cooking.  I wash them in the dishwasher just like anything else.  I find these work great for trimming the beans.

Rach and I gave the beans a head start in the microwave steamer for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, combine cornstarch, broth, teryaki sauce, chili sauce together in a bowl.

Saute the onion, garlic and pepper and ginger in the oil until about half way to being softened. You can add some chili flakes for extra heat at this stage if you like. Add in the beans and continue cooking until tender crisp.  Stir in the cornstarch mixture.  Bring to a boil and stir until thickened.  This won't take long. Add salts (lots) and pepper to bring it all together.

Stir Fried Tofu in Teryaki Sauce (vegan)

This is a new recipe that Rach and I came up with.  We were actually trying to duplicate a black bean dish we tried from Lemon Grass Restaurant.  Lemon Grass is a Thai restaurant that offers gluten-free options.  I was unable to find a black bean sauce without wheat, so we tweaked this and came up with our own quasi version.  It wasn't what we started out to make, but was really good just the same.  So here we go:

You will need:

• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 package of firm tofu, cubed
• onion, chopped
• jalapeno, chopped
• 2 tbsp. teryaki sauce
• chili sauce to taste
• salt & pepper

A note on soy sauce before we begin.   Most soy sauce has wheat in it.  Although some sources say the fermentation process in manufacturing it gets rid of the gluten, I have never taken that chance.  VH and No Name both carry a gluten-free soy sauce.  Some would say then it's not soy sauce, but I find it just as good as any other.

Be careful when buying teryaki sauce. Again, many contain wheat.  I found the No Name brand is gluten-free.

Rach and I are just getting into using chili sauce.  This stuff is potent!  It could take tar off the driveway, so use with caution.  You can buy it in the Oriental section of the supermarket.  

Back to cooking...In a large skillet heat oil and garlic.  Add onion and jalapeno until starting to soften.  Add soy sauce, teryaki sauce, chili sauce and tofu.  Cook until incorporated and well heated.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve with rice or just on it's own. 

Garlic Peppercorn Baked Cauliflower (vegan)

 

This is one of Rach's favourites.  It's another really easy one to make.

You will need:

• A head of cauliflower
• Garlic peppercorn spice
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Cut up the cauliflower into smallish pieces and wash.  In a large bowl, drizzle oil oil over cauliflower and mix in until all pieces are coated. Season with salt, pepper and garlic peppercorn spice to taste.  Mix until all pieces of cauliflower are coated with the spices.

I buy my garlic pepper corn through Pampered Chef.

Arrange cauliflower pieces in a glass baking dish in a single layer and bake in a pre-heated oven at 450F for 20 to 30 minutes.

I wasn't a huge cauliflower fan before, but this recipe is amazing.  You have to try it.

Three Cheese Mac & Cheese with Balsamic Greens

This is a new recipe Rach and I made up tonight.  It turned out to be a real winner and we can't wait to share it with our taste testers tomorrow at work.

You will need:

• A package of gluten free pasta (any shape will do)
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 cup asiago cheese, shredded
• 1 cup old cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup extra old cheddar, shredded
• Cornstarch
• Chili flakes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Margarine
• 2 cloves of crushed garlic
• Gluten-free bread crumbs
• Non-stick cooking spray
• Zesty cheese Doritos
• Salad greens or romaine
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar

First, let's make the pasta.  Pre-heat the other to 350F.  Cook the gluten-free pasta as per normal.  You can buy gluten-free pasta in any health food store or at No Frills.  I use rice pasta, but you can use any gluten-free pasta you like. Once cooked, drain and mix in with the pasta sauce.

Sauce for the pasta:
Bring 1 3/4 cups of milk to a boil. In a separate bowl, mix 1/4 cup of cold milk, approx 3 tablespoons of corn starch, salt, pepper and chilli flakes to taste.  It is important you use cold milk here, otherwise the cornstarch will not thicken the mixture.  Mix into boiling milk mixture and stir until thickened - it shouldn't take long.  Turn down heat so milk mixture doesn't burn.  Add in cheese and stir until melted.  Mix into cooked pasta.

Put pasta and sauce mixture in a greased casserole dish.  Add topping.

Topping:
Melt about 3 tablespoons of margarine in a sauce pan.  Add garlic and salt, pepper and chilli flakes to taste.  Add in 1/2 cup of gluten-free bread crumbs.  I buy these at the health food sore or No Frills.  I use clean hands to spread evenly over pasta mixture.  Then I crush a cup to a cup and half of zesty cheese Doritos into crumbs and add them evenly on top.

Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on and about 15 to 20 minutes with the lid off.  When the crumbs turn golden brown and pasta is bubbling, it's done.

I serve with balsamic greens and garlic beans (Garlic Green Beans).

Balsamic greens:
Wash and cut up romaine or salad greens.  When greens are still slightly wet add salt and pepper to taste.  Because the greens are still damp, the salt and pepper will stick to the leaves.  Then drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste.  That's all there is to it.  Easy!

Garlic Green Beans

 

This is one of our favourite side dishes and it's so easy to make.

You will need:

• Green beans, washed and trimmed
• Garlic infused oil or garlic butter
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

Before we begin, a word on garlic infused oil.  I buy this from Pampered Chef and it is very strong so you only need a small amount.  If you would like to purchase some you can at Garlic Oil.

I put the beans in a micro steamer (also available from Pampered Chef) with about 3/4 cup of water.  Micro on high for 5 minutes.  Drain.  Drizzle garlic oil.  If you don't have any garlic oil, then a couple of tablespoons of garlic butter works very nicely as well.  Add 1/2 tsp of black pepper and 1/2 tsp. sea salt.  I know it doesn't sound like much salt, but I find sea salt "saltier" than normal table salt, so I always use less.

Micro for another 5 minutes.  Stir and let sit for 5 or 10 minutes before serving.

Pizza Dip

This dip is a hot dip and a real crowd pleaser. Every time I made it people just love it.  Serve it at your next dinner party as an appetizer or at a cocktail party and I guarantee people will be begging you for the recipe. 

You will need:

• 1 tub of low fat plain cream cheese
• Italian seasoning
• Paremesan cheese
• 2 tins of pizza sauce
• 1 package of pre-grated mozzerella cheese
• mushrooms
• red pepper
• Pam or some other non stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray a glass pie dish with non-stick cooking spray.  If you are doing a double recipe, you can use any glass baking dish.  When I do a double recipe I use a 9 x 13 glass dish.  Once you make this, you will be asked over and over to serve it to your guests, so a double recipe is often needed.

To assemble the layers:
Spread the cream cheese on the bottom of the dish.  Sprinkle 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of Italian seasoning over top.  Then sprinkle approximately 2 tbsp of Parmesan cheese.  Take half the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle on for the next layer.  Next spread the 2 tins of pizza sauce on top of that.  You can use one tin if you like, but Rach and I like it really goopy, so we use 2.  When I double the recipe I tend to only use 3 tins.

Then sprinkle on the remaining half of mozzarella cheese.  Then chop the mushrooms and red pepper and sprinkle on top.  You will notice in the picture that only half the dip has mushrooms on it.  Rach doesn't like mushrooms, so I only put them on my half.  I often put pickled jalapenos on my side and Rach often roasts cloves of garlic and puts them on her side. You can use whatever pizza toppings you like.  You can go crazy with your imagination. 

Finally, bake for about 20 in the pre-heated 350F oven.  You will know it's done with it's golden brown and bubbling.  Serve hot with Tostito rounds. 

You can refrigerate any leftovers - but there usually isn't any.  This dip goes very quickly at my parties. 

Baked Pepper Thyme Rice (vegan)

This rice is on the heavier side and has a little fire to it.  It is baked, which is really nice.  All the favouurs soak into every grain of rice.

You will need:

• 2 cups of uncooked rice
• 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth
• one onion
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. ground thyme
• vegetable oil
• non-stick cooking spray

Prepare the rice:

Chop the onion and cook in a little vegetable oil.  Once it starts to soften, add in the 2 cups of uncooked rice and 1 tsp. each of pepper and thyme.   Once incorporated, take pan off the heat.  You don't want to leave this too long on the heat as the rice and spices will start to stick very quickly.

Prepare the broth:

Spray a glass casserole dish with Pam or some other non-stick cooking spray.  This rice really bakes itself onto the dish, so you will need it.  Add the vegetable broth to the dish and 1 tsp. each of pepper and thyme.  Then add the rice onion mixture.

Cover and bake for 40 minutes in a preheated oven at 350F.  Once done, fluff with a fork to mix in the spices. 

Voila!

Some Thoughts on Salt and Pepper

Growing up my mother hated cooking and only did because she had a family to feed.  Everything was bland and boiled.  What I didn't realize until recently that a little salt and pepper could have improved these meals tremendously.

My friend, Gail, started a blog a little awhile ago.  If you haven't already checked it out, I highly recommend it.  http://gailshealthymenu.blogspot.com/  It is also a vegetarian blog and has some amazing recipes on it. 

Gail, through her blog, taught me the importance of using salt and pepper and how much it improves the taste of our food. I had to no idea these two simple spices could add so much flavour. 

We're in a society where salt is considered a bad thing due to the amount of tinned and processed foods we tend to consume.  I recommend you stay away from that amount of salt, but using it for flavour in cooking will enhance your dishes a great deal.  So, don't be shy...pass the salt!

Nachos Supreme

This is a recipe Rach and I used to make with ground beef.  We have converted it to a vegetarian meal.  The picture shown is half the recipe since it was just the two of us having it for dinner tonight.  The complete recipe feeds a group and is great at a party.

You will need:

• 1 can of black beans
• 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers
• 1 red pepper
• 1 white onion
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• 2 teaspoons of chili power
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• taco sauce
• salsa
• 1 cup of TVP (Textured Vegetable Protien)
• iceburg lettuce
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tubs of light cream cheese
• 1 package of taco seasoning
• vegetable oil
• nacho chips

Marinate the black beans:

Rinse the black beans and put into a bowl.  Use a fork to mash some of the beans so the marinade really soaks into them.  Mix together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of cumin and 2 teaspoons of chili power and one clove of garlic, chopped.  Stir into beans and let them sit for about half an hour. 

Prepare the TVP:

A word about TVP....this is dehydrated soy granules and has to be re-hydrated.  Once done, it has a similar consistency of ground beef. TVP is gluten-free.  I buy it at No Frills or any health food store would have it.

To cook TVP, I use my microwave rice cooker (a pan on the stove will work fine as well).  This smells really awful when cooking, but that is short-lived.  For 1 cup of TVP, add 1 cup of water. I microwave for 2 minutes, and fluff with a fork when done.

Prepare the spice mixture:

In vegetable oil, saute chopped onion, chopped red pepper and chopped jalapeno.  If you want more heat, leave the seeds and membrane in the the jalapeno, if you want less remove them.

Once vegetables are softened add the taco seasoning.  Old El Paso taco seasoning is gluten-free.  I usually add some water at this point, about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup, and let it reduce down.  With some liquid remaining, add the cooked TVP and black bean mixture.  I add about half a jar of taco sauce and bring this to a boil so it is nice and hot.

Assembly:

Spread light cream cheese on a large plate or platter.  Light cream cheese works best as it is softer and spreads easier (not to mention, less fat). You don't want a thick layer of cream cheese - generous, but not thick.

Spoon the hot TVP/veggie mixture over the cream cheese so it is totally covered.

The next layer is about 2 cups of chopped iceberg lettuce.  Then layer with about 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese.  You could also add chopped tomato or chopped green onion at this point as well if you like.  Then top it off with some salsa (not too much).  Serve immediately with nacho chips for dipping.  There you have it.  Enjoy!

Welcome

Hello!  I am Sandi and my daughter is Rach.  Rach is attending college in September to take a course on being a vet tech.  She's always had a true love for animals and has always believed in vegetarianism.  About 2 years ago Rach talked me into exploring a vegetarian lifestyle with her.  We read Jonathan Saffron's book Eating Animals, which confirmed we had made the right decision.  It is the worst horror story ever written, but will open your eyes to what we are doing our bodies, our planet and the animals themselves. 

It wasn't that long ago that I said to a vegan friend (love you Suz) that I would never become a vegetarian.  Here I am 2 years later and have never eaten better.  Once you remove the stereotype of working the meal around "the meat", it's amazing what you can come up with.

Rach and I have been experimenting and exploring our more adventurous side in the kitchen.  We've learned how to use the stronger spices such as curry and cumin.  We've learned how amazing the use of jalapenos can be.   Our recipes are on the spicier side, but all recipes can have the heat adjusted to whatever your tolerance is. This is a way of eating Rach never would have considered a few years ago.  Now she totally loves the favour of experimenting with spices that have some fire to them. 

I developed Celiac Disease when I was pregnant with Rach, so all recipes are gluten-free.  I will make notes on where I have bought certain things to make it easier to find them. If you have any questions on Celiac Disease or gluten-free eating, please feel free to post a comment. 

We hope you enjoy our recipes.  Stay tuned for our first post.  We're very excited to share our love of vegetarian gluten-free food with you.

Sandi and Rach