Super Soup (Indonesian Noodle)

One of our favorite ways to cook is in the crock-pot. It doesn't get much easier than throwing your ingredients in before you go to work and enjoying a delicious meal when you get home! One of our favorite Christmas gifts was Robin Robertson's cookbook, Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker! This soup is better than any soup we've ever had at an Asian restaurant.

 

 

 

 

"The Carnivore Licked His Bowl Clean"

 

 

Vianne: This soup is...absolutely amazing!I like to add cool bean sprouts and cucumbers to balance with the spiciness of the broth. A

 

Mariah: This soup is PACKED with flavor! It's literally a flavor explosion. I am crazy for coconut and curry, and this soup features both along with a spicy punch! I can't give it a high enough score so I'll give it an A++++. 

 

The Carnivore: This is my favorite dish that my mom makes. I love the texture of the noodles and the spicy flavor. I don't like tofu, so I leave that part out. A++++

 

Ingredients:

 

2 teaspoons of vegetable oil

 

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

 

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

 

2-3 teaspoons curry powder (we use 3!)

 

2 teaspoons ground coriander

 

1/2 teaspoon paprika

 

1 teaspoon sugar

 

1 teaspoon salt

 

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

 

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

1 teaspoon Asian chili paste

 

4 cups vegetable broth

 

6 ounces dried rice noodles

 

8 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch diced cubes

 

3 scallions chopped

 

1 14 oz unsweetened coconut milk

 

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

 

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

 

1/2 English cucumber peeled and chopped for garnish

 

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered for garnish

 

1 bunch fresh cilantro for garnish (we leave this out, not everyone in our family likes cilantro)

 

Handful of beansprouts for garnish

 

Lime wedges for serving

 

 

Directions:

 

1. For the best flavor, heat the oil in medium sized skillet and over medium to high heat add the onion, ginger, curry powder, coriander, paprika, and sugar, and saute for about 4 minutes to soften the onion and bloom the flavor of the spices. Sprinkle on a few drops of water so the mixture doesn't burn.

 

2. Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker. Add the salt, turmeric, cayenne, black pepper, and chili paste. Stir in the broth, cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

 

3. Stir in the noodles, tofu, scallions, and coconut milk. Cover and continue to cook until the noodles are tender about 30 minutes.

 

4. Just before serving, stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding the sriracha if desired for more heat. ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro, and bean sprouts. Serve with the lime wedges.

 



Pumpkin Palooza Bread

We love baked goods for breakfast, but oily muffins are like fat bombs! This moist pumpkin bread is oil and sugar free, but you'd never know it from the taste! We found this recipe in the Forks Over Knives Cookbook.

 

 

 

Vianne: I am usually a fan of anything pumpkin. My favorite thing about this recipe though was its spicy flavor and it's texture! B+

 

Mariah: I had 2 pieces for breakfast! The bread is moist and the texture is perfect. Great for dessert too, but who doesn't love dessert for breakfast? B+

 

Ingredients:

 

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

 

2 teaspoons baking powder

 

1 teaspoon baking soda

 

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

 

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

 

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

 

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

 

1 15oz can pumpkin puree

 

1/2 cup 100% pure maple syrup

 

1/3 cup apple butter

 

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

 

1/2 cup golden raisin (optional)

 

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

 

1/2 cup craisins (optional, our own addition to the recipe)

 

 

Directions:

 

1. Pre heat the oven to 350. Lightly spray a 4x8 baking pan with cooking spray.

 

2. In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves.

 

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin, maple syrup, apple butter, and vanilla.

 

4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and combine until everything is evenly moistened (the batter will be stiff). Fold in the raisins and walnuts, if using.

 

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted through the center comes out clean.

 

6. Remove the pan from the oven and let the bread cool completely, about 20 minutes.  Carefully remove the loaf from the pan. Cool completely before slicing.

 

Blizzard Brownies

In anticipation of the big storm of 2013, "Nemo" we got the essentials ready. First on our list of provisions? Brownies! We got the recipe for these brownies from the Forks Over Knives Cookbook (but tweaked it a little ourselves). We had never made these before, so we had high hopes for some chocolaty, comforting morsels of deliciousness...

 

  

 

Vianne: These brownies are amazing! They really do taste like they are the real deal! A

 

Mariah: I am crazy for brownies, so I definitely approached this recipe with skepticism. I was also sure that the kids would not like them. What a pleasant surprise I was in for. The brownies have the right texture and a really pleasant cocoa-ness! Chopped walnuts drive it home. This totally satisfies my chocolate cravings. A

 

Ingredients:

 

3 Ounces Extra Firm Silken Tofu - drained (we couldn't find extra firm so just used silken)

 

1/3 cup pitted prunes

 

1/2 cup almond milk heated until very hot but not boiling

 

3/4 cup 100 percent pure maple syrup

 

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ( we did heaping, not level!)

 

3/4 cup water heated very hot but not boiling

 

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

 

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (we added an extra 1/4 cup because batter seemed to runny)

 

1/2 tsp baking soda

 

1/2 tsp salt

 

1/2 cup walnuts roughly chopped

 

Directions:

 

1. Pre heat the oven to 325, Spray and 8x8 pan with cooking spray.

 

2. Crumble the tofu into a blender and add the prunes. Pour in the hot milk and puree for about 30 seconds. Add the maple syrup and puree until relatively smooth. Some flecks of prune are okay but there should be no chunks of tofu. Scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.

 

3. Sift the cocoa powder into a mixing bowl. Add the hot water and mix with a fork until well combined. It should look like a thick chocolate sauce.

 

4. Add the tofu prune mixture to the chocolate in the mixing bowl and stir to combine, mix in the vanilla.

 

5. Sift in half of the flour, and add the baking soda and salt. Mix well. Then mix in the remaining flour and fold in the walnuts.

 

6. Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan, it will be rather thick, but you don't need to push it into the corners as it will spread when it bakes. (mine wasn't thick like they described)

 

7. Bake for 17-20 minutes. The top should be set and firm to the touch. (I baked mine for 30 minutes. The middle was still a bit gooey, but I like it that way)

 

8. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes. Slice the brownies into 12 squares and enjoy!

 

 

 

 



The Best Ever Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

These cookies are totally addictive! You can not eat just one or even 3...more like 5 at a time! Even the carnivore can't get enough!

 

 

Vianne: These are absolutely the best cookies I've ever had! They are toasty/crunchy and salty/sweet. A+

Mariah: A cinch to make, and a real comfort food. I try to make them only "once in a while" because if they are in the house I can't control myself! A+

Ingredients:

3/4 cup earth balance "butter"

1/2 cup sugar  

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup almond milk 

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon  

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 cup pecans and walnuts

1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup craisins

3 cups old fashioned oats

Directions:

1.  In bowl combine first 5 ingredients and mix until smooth

2.  In separate bowl combine next 6 ingredients

3.  Combine the two bowls together

4.  Add nuts, raisins, craisins, and oats

5.  Drop rounded cookie balls onto ungreased cookie sheet

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minute

Corn Chowder

Our friend Liz gave us a terrific new cookbook called  The Complete Vegan Kitchen by Janneguin Bennett. One of the first recipes we decided to try was corn chowder. We are crazy for soup and this one did not disappoint us. The contrast of the slightly spicy broth with the sweet corn was fantastic. A

 

 

Ingredients: 

 

8 small red skin potatoes peeled and cut into half inch cubes

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegan margarine or oil

2 medium onions diced

2 medium carrots diced

1tsp minced garlic

4 stalks celery diced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp cayenne

1/8 tsp dark chili powder

3 tbsp flour

8 cups warm veggie stock

1 tbsp oil

1 large red pepper cut into 1/2 inch squares

2 medium green bell peppers cut into 1/2 inch squares

4 cups corn kernels

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

diced tomatoes for garnish

 

Directions:

 

Cook the potatoes separately by boiling and add the salt to the water. Reserve potatoes.

 

In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook the onions, celery, garlic, carrots, celery and spices in the margarine until they are soft.

 

Add flour, stirring and cooking for about 2 minutes so that no lumps develop.

Remove pot from heat.

 

Add stock one cup at a time, stirring so that it mixes evenly each time before adding the next cup.When the mixture is smooth, return the pot to medium heat and stir occasionally until it reaches a boil and thickens.

 

In a saute pan, saute the peppers in the oil until they are tender. Add to the soup.

 

Add the potatoes, corn, and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Garnish with fresh tomatoes.

 

 



Neat Loaf

Think you have to give up meatloaf if you become a vegan? Nope! This recipe is an amazing substitute for that classic comfort food. Guaranteed to please even the biggest meatloaf lover! A

We got this recipe from the book: Main Street Vegan by Victoria Moran

Neat Loaf:

2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 medium bell pepper finely chopped
2 medium carrots shredded or finely chopped
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp dried sage
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp stone ground or Dijon style mustard
barbecue sauce or ketchup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine all the ingredients except the barbecue sauce or ketchup {we use ketchup}
Mix for two minutes with a large spoon, this will help bind it together
Pat into an oil sprayed 5 x 9 inch loaf pan and top with barbecue sauce or ketchup
Bake for 60 minutes {we baked it more like 90 minutes}
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving

Makes great sandwiches too the next day!

Shopping with Mariah and Vianne 101

It's easy to get overwhelmed when you are at the grocery store. Here are some of our favorite go to items. You'll pretty much find these in our cart every time we shop.


Amy's soup...any flavor! These soups are vegetarian, flavorful, and good for you! Vianne packs them for lunch or eats them for an afterschool snack (first dinner). Her favorites are Vegetable Barley, Alphabet, and Minestrone. A+

Mariah loves Coconut Almond Milk by Blue Diamond. It's amazing over cereal. Not a big fan of rice milk or soy milk, but this almond milk is D-lish! A+

The Carnivore (who prefers his true identity to be protected) is crazy for frozen Mango Pops. He loves to eat them after school for a cool refreshing (not too bad for you) treat. They are the Wholefoods 365 brand. A

Vianne and her fake chicken tenders... they are truly a love affair. Better than the real thing! And that's the truth! They are made by Gardein. A

We make Pizza a lot in our house. It's easy and quick, we love that! These crusts make dinner prep literally about 15 minutes. They are thin and chewy and crispy all at the same time! By Top This. A

Nothing beats homemade pasta sauce. Except this sauce by Poblano Farms. It's pricey, but worth every penny. It's made locally and is jam packed with flavor! Simple, and amazing! A+

Pasta is so good... but all the white flour is so bad (for your hips). We DESPISE whole wheat pasta. YUCK! Carboard! We recenltly discovered this brown rice pasta. The taste is great and the texture is spot on. A terrific substitute for regular pasta and gluten free! A

Last but not least, Mariah's favorite cereal. Top it with that coconut almond milk, a chopped banana and some golden raisins. A beautiful breakfast! By Ezekiel 4:9. A

Good luck on your next trip to the market. Let us know know if you try out any of our favorites!