Vegan Italian Meatballs

Italian Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 c. vegetable broth
1/2 c. pinto beans
1/4 c. rolled oatmeal
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
1 c. vital wheat gluten
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. fennel
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. vegan Worchesterchire sauce
2 Tbsp. olive oil
tin foil
30 twisty-ties (optional)
Directions:
Fill steamer with water and get it boiling.
Cut tin foil into about thirty 3"x3" pieces.
Mash pinto beans until no beans are left intact. Add vegetable broth, soy sauce, Worchesterchire sauce, olive oil, and wisk to combine.
Add spices, and stir to combine. Add nutritional yeast and oats, and once it's all combined, add the wheat gluten. The gluten will instantly bind everything together, so make sure it's all combined before putting the gluten in. Stir to combine.
Make about 30 balls from the mixture, and put each in the center of a piece of tin foil.
Fold the corners up and twist them together, so that none of the mixture can escape out of the side. If you are using twisty-ties, tie them around the top. Otherwise, twist to seal.
Steam for 40 minutes. Let the meatballs rest for about 10 minutes before taking them out of the tin foil. They can be served immediately, frozen, or stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for about a week.
Makes 30 "meat"balls.

Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Manicotti

Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Manicotti

Ingredients

    1 pound firm tofu
    1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained somewhat
    1 tablespoon garlic powder or 1-2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
    1/4 cup nurtritional yeast flakes
    1 teaspoon sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
    1 teaspoon oregano
    3 or 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    1 (8 ounce) package manicotti noodles
    1 (24 ounce) tomato sauce (I like Barilla Lasagna and Casserole Sauce)
    vegan mozzarella, shredded (I use Soymage), optional

Directions:

Note:  A little trick I learned working in a good Italian restaurant in New Jersey.  You do not need to precook the manicotti noodles, just leave the filling a bit wetter than you normally would.  The same goes for lasagna noodles.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove tofu from water and put into food processor or bowl.  Add spinach, garlic, salt, pepper,
oregano, yeast flakes, and about 2 tablespoons olive oil. 

2. Pulse or mix by hand in bowl until well mixed and smooth, scraping sides of bowl. Taste.  Adjust seasoning.  Fill large zip lock or regular plastic bag with mixture.  Snip about a dime sized hole in bottom corner.  Pipe mixture into manicotti shells, filling compactly. 

3. Pour tomato sauce into a large bowl.  Fill jar with about 1/2-3/4 cup water.  Put top back on jar and shake well to further remove any remaining sauce.  Add to sauce in bowl, mix well adding some olive oil.

4. Ladle 1/2 sauce into a large retangular pan.  Put stuffed manicoti into sauce.  Top with remaining sauce. Bake, covered 20-25 minutes. Remove cover and top with vegan mozzarella, if using. Bake another 10-15 minutes, until nice and bubbly and a little crunchy. Let cool a bit and enjoy!!

Broccoli and Mushroom Alfredo

Broccoli & Mushroom Alfredo

Ingredients

    spaghetti for 1
    2/3 cup broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
    1 cup nondairy milk
    2 tablespoons white flour
    1/2 teaspoon garlic puree or 3 crushed garlic cloves, to taste
    salt and pepper, to taste
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    2/3 cup mushrooms, sliced   
    1 tablespoon margarine, optional
    1 tablespoon vegan parmesan, optional

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to directions on the packet.  In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli, then drain.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, flour, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Stir slowly until bubbly, then reduce heat to low.

3. Add mushrooms and vegan margarine. Allow to cook for 5 to 10 minutes on low heat. Stir almost constantly. Taste and add more salt/pepper/garlic, if needed.

4. Serve over the pasta and broccoli and top with the parmesan for a quick, rich-tasting meal.

Serves: 1-2, Preparation time: 20 minutes

Mushroom Stroganoff

Mushroom Stroganoff

Ingredients

    1 pound mushrooms, sliced
    1 pound green beans, trimmed and sliced to 1" pieces
    1 or 2 onions, sliced
    1 teaspoon dried sage
    1 teaspoon thyme
    1/2 teaspoon white pepper
    salt or veggie broth mix, to taste
    1/2 cup dry white wine or broth (vermouth, sherry)
    1/3 cup whole wheat flour
    2 or 3 cups nondairy milk, divided

Directions:

1. Put veggies and herbs with vegan wine in large dutch oven, cover and steam until tender.

2. Put flour with 1 cup milk in a jar or plastic container with a lid, shake well.

3. Add 2 cups milk to veggies, bring to a simmer, and add flour and milk mixture to pot, a little at a time. Keep shaking it up, stir and simmer until desired thickness is acheived. Heat, do not boil.

4. Serve over eggless noodles, rice, baked or mashed potatoes.