Buffalo "Chicken" Wraps with Lime Cilantro Basmati Rice

This is a very easy and tasty meal. For the wraps you will need:

tortillas
soy chicken patties or nuggets, cut into pieces
bag of lettuce
roma tomatoes, dices
button mushrooms, diced
onion, diced
fresh cilantro

Buffalo Sauce:
red hot sauce
melted earth balance margarine

Ranch:
1/2 cup mayo substitute
1/2 cup milk substitute (I use almond)
rosemary salt grinder
celery salt
dried parsley
garlic salt
dried parsley

1) Cut up "chicken" and heat in skillet until warm
2) Prepare "ranch" by putting mayo and milk along with spices to taste in food processor. Sit aside
3) Prepare buffalo sauce by mixing hot sauce with melted Earth Balance to taste. Take warm "chicken" out of pan, put it in a plastic bag and pour in the buffalo sauce. Shake and sit aside.
4) In a bowl combine tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, cilantro, and salad mix. Pour "ranch" over veggies.
5) Lay out your tortillas and prepare your wrap: tortilla, "buffalo chicken", veggie/salad ranch mix, and wrap up.


Lime Cilantro Basmati Rice (Similar to Chipotle restaurant rice)

You will need:

2 t Earth Balance Butter
4 t fresh cilantro, chopped (or more if you like)
1 1/2 C basmati rice
1 cup water
1 t salt
juice of 2 limes

In 2 qt saucepan, melt butter. Add rice and lime juice and stir well. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Once it has reached a boil, cover, turn down to low and let simmer for 15-25 minutes until rice is soft. Remove from heat, add cilantro and fluff with a fork.

Super Easy Vegan Cheesecake

You will need:

2 tubs (16 oz) of Tofutti Vegan Cream Cheese (room temperature)
1/3 c sugar
Egg substitute equivalent to 4 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
juice of 1 lemon

can of cherry pie filling
ready made pie crust

Preheat over to 375 degrees

I use flax seeds for egg replacer, but you can see them in the final cake, so if that bothers you, use an egg replacer mix instead. To use flax seeds combine 1 T ground flaxseeds with 3 T hot water for EACH egg and let sit for about 20 minutes.

After you have let your flax seeds soak or made up your egg replacer according to directions, combine first list of ingredients together. Hand stirring should be fine, no need to blend.

Pour mixture into crust and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Let cool to room temperature, then put in the fridge overnight.

The next day, remove from the fridge and cover with cherry pie filling.

Keep this in the fridge between servings so it will keep its shape.

VARIATIONS: You could do different kinds of toppings or maybe a chocolate crust

Mango Crisp

I absolutely love mangos. They're so juicy and sweet! This cobbler is sure to please.

You will need:

For Topping:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/3 cup sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t salt
1/4 cup canola oil
2 T water
1/3 cup almonds or other nuts (optional, I did not use)

For Fruit Filling:
6-8 ripe mangos
1 T lemon juice
2 T all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar

Other:
Earth Balance margarine (vegan margarine)
Vanilla Soy Ice Cream (I used So Delicious brand)


1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2) In a large bowl mix together all topping ingredients, first the dry, then the wet. It will look dry.

3) To make filling, peel and cut up mangos into chunks. Mix them in a bowl with lemon juice, flour (from filling list), and sugar (from filling list)

4) Place filling in 8 by 8 baking dish and cover with topping. Cut up Earth Balance margarine into small chunks and lay pieces all over the topping. This will help get it golden brown.

5) Bake about 30 minutes or until topping turns golden brown

6) Serve warm with ice cream

Pesto Pea Salad

We whipped this up last week inspired by something at our local Kroger deli.
Here's what you need:

Box of Bowtie pasta
Mayo Substitute
Bunch of Green Onions
Package Frozen Peas
Small bag of Pinenuts
2 packages of Pesto Mix

Cook bowtie pasta according to package directions and rinse with cold water. Also, cook pesto mixes according to package directions. In the meantime, cut up your green onions and slightly cook your peas to thaw them (or you can thaw them out ahead of time). Once pasta and pesto mixes are done, add the pesto to that pasta and mix well.
Toss in your green onions and peas. Now, slowly mix in some mayo substitute. This will vary depending on how creamy you like it. Next, mix in some pine nuts. You can add some garlic salt, salt and pepper if you want. Let sit overnight for best flavor.

This makes a great potluck or picnic recipe. It's pretty likely you'll be the only one who shows up with it.

Vegan Cheeseball/Spread

I make this every year around the holidays and every time I make it I wonder why I don't make it year-round. You will need:

2 tubs Tofutti Cream Cheese

Green Onions

Vegan Worcestershire Sauce

Nutritional Yeast Powder

Bac'Uns Baconless Bits

Garlic Salt

Onion Powder

Chop your green onions up really fine. I use almost all of one bunch. Put your cream cheese out into a large bowl and let it get a little soft, then stir in at least a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and mix. I basically just do all these ingredients to taste so there are no definate amounts. Add more nutritional yeast if if needs to be cheesier. Add garlic salt and onion powder to taste. Then, add worcestershire, you want it to flavor the cream cheese but NOT be runny, so add it slowly. Stir really well, then add fake bacon bits.

Depending on whether you want a spread or a cheeseball:

For a spread just put into a bowl and let sit overnight.

For a cheeseball, put in the fridge for about an hour, then take out and form a ball. You can roll it in nuts if you want, but I prefer it without. Then put cheeseball in fridge overnight so the flavor will set up.

Serve the next day with crackers. Delicious!

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Chocolate Banana Smoothie

If you haven't tried the Sweetened Mimic Cream in a smoothie yet, you need to try it! This product makes smoothies so creamy they taste like thick milkshakes.

I made this one by dropping a cut up banana in my smoothie maker (blender will work just fine). Then, I added a little Organic Oat or Almond Milk and blended for a minute or so. Next, I added a scoop of Chocolate Peaceful Planet Energy Shake Mix and 2 T Ahlaska Hot Cocoa Mix and blended. Okay, now you just add Sweetened Mimic Cream and more Organic Oat Milk to your liking, blend and enjoy!

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Spinach Lentil Soup

When you have extra spinach laying around or a bag of spring mix that's about to go bad, use it for this recipe.

You will need:

A can of lentil soup and some spinach

Open a can of lentil soup, you can make it yourself if you feel like working. Put it on the stove, add your spinach and let simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes.

This is really a great soup. Wuick and easy too!

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Tender Bits and Salad

One of my favorite salads is made using Loma Linda Canned Tender Bits

You just cut up the tender bits, which come in a can, fry them for a few minutes with vegetable oil and some garlic salt. Then while hot, toss them into a bagged salad of your choice. I like a spring mix or veggie mix and top with italian dressing. So delicious, the blend of hot and cold!

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Raised Vegetable Garden Ready

The raised veggie garden is finally ready and we've planted a few things: tomatoes, yellow bell pepper and a jalapeno. The official last day of frost here in Ohio is May 10th, so I'm gonna hold off on planting the delicate sprouts until then. I've been sunning the sprouts for a few hours a day to get them used to the sun. They all did pretty well but I lost a few.

This sunflower sprout is so big. ! can't wait to see the beautiful flower it produces and eat those seeds!

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Mexican Dip

This mexican dip is so easy to make and great for parties.

You will need:

Taco seasoning packet

Tofutti Cream Cheese

Tofutti Sour Cream

A Can of Veggie Refried Beans

Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers or a package of Pico De Gallo (has fresh peppers, tomatoes and onions)

Vegan Cheese (optional)

1) In a resealable container, put down a layer of refried beans

2) In a bowl, mix sour cream and cream cheese with taco seasoning mix

3) Put cream mixture on top of the refried beans

4) Now add tomatoes, peppers and onions

5) Top with vegan cheese if desired

6) Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and serve with tortilla chips!

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Juicing and Wheatgress

I hadn't used my juicer in awhile so I pulled it out the other day and went to the store to get some carrots, celery and apples. I like blending these three together with a little agave nectar. My boyfriend was watching with a horrified look on his face as I started running the carrots and celery through. He said "I don't think I'll be drinking any of that!" I said "Why not, it's so good for you?" He shrugged and walked away. I'm not sure if the sight of the juicing bothered him or the thought of drinking carrots and celery did it.

After I finished, I handed him a little glass and he took the smallest sip possible. He said it wasn't that bad and finished the teaspoon worth of juice left. But, he didn't ask for seconds. I don't think I will convert him into a juicing fan anytime soon.

For now, I'm inspired to juice more which will probaby be temporarily. It always is. As much as I would love to juice daily, I just lose my motivation somehow and the juicer ends up back in the cabinet collecting dust. My mission for next week is to look for some creative juice recipes that will inspire me.

I'll share what I find....

The one thing that I don't like about juicing is how many vegetables and pieces of fruit it takes to make a small glass of juice. I'm all for getting my veggies but can't really afford to spend $10 on a 16 oz glass of juice. So, to get my daily veggie intake I resort to green supplements and powders. One of my favorites is Green Magma, barley grass juice. This juice contains a very balanced blend of nutrients: vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, active enzymes, proteins an chlorophyll. It is individually packaged so you can add it to smoothies or juice. You can even drink it in water if you don't mind the taste.

Another great green powder is wheatgrass. Wheatgrass contains antioxidants, vitamins including B12, many minerals and trace elements like selenium, and all 20 amino acids. Plus it contains other nutrients and beneficial enzymes. Some people choose to grow their own wheatgrass. You can buy a kit which seems fairly easy but you will also have to invest in a wheatgrass juicer. Apparently, you can't juice wheatgrass in a regular juicer. I've always wanted to grow wheatgrass myself so I would love to hear from others who grow/juice wheatgrass. Drop me an email.

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Vegan Buckeyes

Vegan Buckeyes

Real buckeyes are nuts and are also associated with the state of Ohio. These candy buckeyes taste great and should be a big hit with guests.Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cups peanut butter

* 4-6 cups vegan powdered sugar (mix unbleached cane sugar and cornstarch.

* 1 cup vegan margarine (Earth Balance recommended)

* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips (available from vegangoods.com)

* toothpicks

* light corn syrup (optional)Mix peanut butter, sugar, butter and vanilla until you get a dry dough. You may need to use your hands. If the dough is too hard to work with, add a little corn syrup. Form into balls about 1 inch in diameter and place on a non-stick cookie sheet. Stick a toothpick in the top of each ball and put in the freezer for 1/2 hour or more. Prior to taking them out of the freezer, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler (if you don't have a double boiler, put water in a large saucepan and put a smaller saucepan in it with the chocolate chips. Do not let the water get in with the chocolate). Stir constantly so the chocolate doesn't burn or get grainy. Do not let the chocolate get too hot or it will become grainy! Once the chocolate is melted dip the balls into them leaving the top uncoated. Don't worry if they don't look perfect, they will still taste good. Place buckeyes in the refrigerater for at least 2 hours.

Feel free to copy and distribute as long as the following credit is given:

Information brought to you by A Different Daisy / VeganGoods

http://www.vegangoods.com

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Easy Vegan Lasagna

Here's a very easy vegan lasagana recipe

You will need:

Vegan Cheese (Toffuti, Shreese, etc)

Tofu Ricotta- made using 1 package extra firm tofu blended with olive oil and garlic salt

1 box lasagna noodles

2 big cans pasta sauce of your choice

Veggies and stuff- mushrooms, red pepper, onion

fresh herbs if you have them

Frozen spinach

1 package Gimme Lean Meat Free Beef

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.

First, be sure to let the spinach thaw out and drain it well, squeezing out any liquid. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. I only needed about half a box of noodles this time. While these are cooking, brown the Gimme Lean Beef in a skillet.

You will need a nice size casserole pan (12 by 9 would be good). Start with a layer of pasta sauce, then add noodles, then start layering your other ingredients with sauce and noodles. Do it however you want and be sure to top it off with a layer of sauce and dairy free cheese (I used a mixture of mozzarella and American). Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

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