Corn cakes

I based this off a combination of a recipe for arepas and a recipe from Recipezaar for corn cakes. I used grits because it was what I had in the house, though a corn meal might be even better and then you could remove the corn starch as an ingredient. I'm still looking for Goya masarepa to make real arepas though! Another option might be to leave out both the oil and the corn starch for a lower fat option.

1 - 1.5 c grits (I started with 1 cup and then added some more when I saw it was too watery)
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 c boiling water
1.5 Tbsp olive oil
1.5 Tbsp corn starch

1. Mix the grits and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Add the boiling water and stir very well.
3. Add the olive oil and corn starch and stir again.
4. Let it sit, mixing occasionally, until a thick batter is formed.
5. Heat some more olive oil in a skillet and scoop about 1/4 c batter into the pan.
6. Flatten a little with a spatula if you want thin patties, add more batter if you want larger and thicker patties.
7. Fry both sides until crispy and browned. Blot oil so they don't get soggy.
8. Slice open and make your favorite sandwich!

Easy Rosmary Herb Bread (vegan, gluten free, citrus free, easy)

Im sorry I have been MIA, I have been cooking, but I started a new job, so things have been hectic. One of my new favorite recipes is this rosmary herb bread. It is strongly flavored, and stands well on its own or with a dip or with a veggie burger or veggie sandwich.

1 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 1/2 cups gluten free flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tbsp baking powder

DIRECTIONS
mix sugar and yeast and water together
Let yeast proof for 10 minutes.
Mix flour., salt, rosmary, italian seasoning, and pepper and baking powder in the mixer.
Add yeast mixture and oil, and let kneadfor 10 minutes.
Set aside in a warm place and let rise until doubledin size, about an hour.
Punch dough down, shape and let rise. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes

Gluten Free Seitan- yes its possible!

The picture for the seitan is next to the vegan tzaziki in the picture below- I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do- it is adjusted from seitan o' greatness from the ppk

Ingredients:
3/4 cups Orgran gfg
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp gyro spice
1/2 cups water- add and extra tbsp or two if it needs it to stick together
3 tbsp braggs liquid amos or gf soy sauce
1/2 tbsp acv
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 325°.
In a large mixing bowl mix dry ingredients.
Mix the rest of theingredients (liquid ingredients) in a smaller mixing bowl.
Whisk welluntil mixed.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients.
Mix well, then knead for a minute or two...
it doesn't need long. I just left it going around in my mixure for a few minutes, and kneaded it into a roll.
Form into a log , wrap tightly in foil, twisting ends.Bake for 90 minutes, turning it ocassionally so it doesnt form a hardcrust. When done baking, unwrap and leave out to cool all the way. Then wrap it foil or plastic and refrigerate.Slice to use as desired.

Vegan Tzaziki- with a teaser

This plate was one of the most satisfying meals I have had in a long time. The teaser is I have made possibly the most simple and wonderful gluten free seitan ever! Stay tuned for the recipe. The tzaziki was the perfect compliment for my gryo flavored sietan, and is as simple as can be.

Vegan Tzaziki

1/2 container of Toffuti Sour Cream
2 Persian Cucumbers or 1 regular Cucumber
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt

Chop and mince the cucumbers finely and mix all ingredients together. Let sit in the fridge for an hour or two to let the flavors meld.

Thats it! This makes an amazing dip for cucumbers or chips, as well as a good filling for lettuce wraps. You can also make it non vegan by using regular sour cream or greek yogurt.

Fat Free Italian Dressing ( Citrus free, gluten free, fat free, vegetarian, can be made vegan)

1 cup chick'n consume
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch desolved in 1/8 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (optional)

Heat the consume until boiling, add in the cornstarch with water, and boil until sligtly thickened, to normal salad dressing consistancy. Add the other ingrediant, stir to mix, and place in the refridgerator to allow the flavors to meld for an hour or so.

Vegan and Soy Free "Cream of Broccoli Soup"

This recipe is super simple, and you can feel free to substitute another vegetable for the broccoli in this recipe.

4 Cups of water, with some spices such as onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, to taste, or you can just use "chicken" consume
2 medium sizes potatos
1 bag of frozen broccoli (about 16 oz)

Combine all ingrediants, and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Puree with an emersion blender or food processer, and place back on the stove until the soup thickens to your prefered consistance.

Easy, simple, fat free, quick, and of course tasty! what more could you possibly ask for?

Dry Ranch Seasoning Mix (vegetarian recipe/ vegan mix, gluten free, citrus free, nightshade free)

1 teaspoon dried parsley
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 tsp dill


DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, stir together the parsley, pepper, seasoned salt,
garlic powder, onion powder and thyme. Use as a substitute for Ranch
Dressing Mix.


To make dressing, mix this recipe with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup buttermilk.
For dip, mix this recipe with 1 3/4 cups sour cream and 1/4 cup of buttermilk.
Use in place of one packet of Ranch dressing mix in recipes.

I double this recipe up, and use 1 tsp per 1/4 cup mayo and buttermilk ( wether vegan mayo, and soymilk buttermilk or regular), let it sit for an hour or so in the fridge and serve!

Yet Another Tomato Free Ketchup ( Gluten free, Tomato free, Nightshade free,Vegan)

Talia’s tomato free Ketchup


This one is closest to regular ketchup, although it is not as sweet, so it is more like organic lower sugar ketchup. Feel free to add more sugar if you like a sweeter ketchup.

6 oz Nomato sauce
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
pinch of garlic and onion powder

Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, and cover until cooled

Talia's light and crispy baked french fries (Vegan. Low Fat, Simple)

Slice as many potatos as you want into a fry shape. I kept the peel on for extra vitamin C and Fiber.

I then soaked them for a few minutes in ice cold water anddried them.

I then sprayed with pam and sprinkled them in whatever spices I wanted to use.

I baked the fries for 15 minutes at 350, then at 400 for about 15 -20 more minutes and broiled them for 6 minutes to crisp them right.

Serve with your favorite condiment and enjoy!

Super Simple Black Bean Soup ( Gluten free, vegan, citrus free, nightshade free)

Ingredients
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery ribs, finely chopped ( I was out of this, so I used 1 tsp celery salt)
2 small chicken bouillon cubes or consume
1-1 1/2 cup boiling water
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, undrained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tbsp Vinegar

Directions

1. In a pot, combine the first five ingredients; simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add half a can of beans, salt and cumin; cook for 5 minutes.
3 Puree soup (I use an immersion blender which makes it easy to do it right in the pot).
4 Add the rest of the beans and vinegar to the soup and simmer until thickened.

Ginger Salad Dressing( Gluten free, vegan, citrus free)

This is my favorite salad dressing. I also use it as a vinegrette over pasta, vegetables, and beans. This recipe is fat free, easy to make, and definatly cheaper then buying a bottle of chemically laden salad dressing at the store. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

1/4 cup onion
1/4 cup vinegar ( it says rice wine, I just usewhite)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/8 tsp ground ginger

puree in a food processor until emulsified

Ginger Salad Dressing

Pesach Matzah Rolls! (gluten free when made with oat matza,vegetarian, dairy free, kosher for passove)

So now that passover is over, and you are stuck with all this matzo meal, try this recipe! My husband says it tastes like matza balls- but 3 batches went this week!

1 cup boiling water
1.4 cup oil
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups of Matza Meal
4 eggs

Mix the oil, water and salt together, add matza meal until it forms a ball, then add eggs one at a time, until fully encorportated.
Shape into rolls, place in a pan, and bake at 425 for 30 minutes. These rolls are airy and light.

Tehina aka techina ( Vegan, gluten free, nut free)

I do this proportion wise, so I am sorry it is not exact, but I do love making tehini- awsome over salad, drizzled in a wrap, over chickpea patties......

I use:
1/2 water
1/2 tehini (pure sesame paste)
1-2 cloves garlic
1-2 tsp vinegar
1/4-1/2 tsp salt

I simply mix this together- I find it mixes more easily if you use hot water, and enjoy it- if you want a stronger taste, feel free to add garlic powder, maybe a little onion powder and some parsley!

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce (Vegan, Gluten Free, Easy, Frugal)

Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

Ingredients
1 cup unbleached cane sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

Directions
1)In a saucepan, comine the sugar, water, vinegar, garlic and salt.
2)Bring to a boil over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
3)Turn to medium-low and add the red pepper flakes.
4)keep cooking until the sauce is a little syrupy (18-25 min).
5)Let cool to room temperature, then keep refrigerate in an airtight jar for up to three weeks.
6)When using, heat a little bit until it thins to a slightly syrupy consistency.

I tend to freeze this in ice cube trays and microwave for 15 seconds.

This is amazing over rice and veggies, on a burger instead of ketchup, and to dip fries in!

Tomato Free Mole Sauce ( Vegan, Gluten Free, Citrus Free)

4 1/2 cups vegan chicken consume or veggie broth
3 tablespoons water
1 chopped onion
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons potato starch
3 tbsp cocoa powder

Heat water in a large saucepan over med. low heat.
Add onion, garlic, oregano, cumin and cinnamon.
Cover and cook until onion is almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Mix in chili powder and flour, stir for 3 minutes.
Gradually whisk in chicken broth.
Increase heat to med. high.
Boil until reduced, about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat.
Whisk in chocolate; season with salt and pepper to taste.

GF Bread mix pretzel rolls (easy, vegan, gf)

I am so sorry about not posting for so long. I lost my camera cord, but have decided to post the recipes sans pictures!

My latest recipe is pretzel rolls, which can also be technically made into soft pretzels. I find them a nice treat- definatly good on the snow day we had yesterday!

1 1/4 cup soymilk(105°F to 115°F)
1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 package bobs red mill gluten free bread mix
1 tablespoon maple sugar ( You can use table sugar or honey, but I was all out of both)
1 teaspoon salt plus more for sprinkling
1 tsp vinegar

To Boil In:
6 cups water
1/4 cup baking soda
INSTRUCTIONS
Place all ingrediants in a bread machine on dough cycle.Once dough has risen, punch it down and knead it on a floured, dry surface just until it becomes smooth and springs back when poked, about 1 minute.
Divide dough into 8 pieces and form into oblong rolls.
Place rolls on the baking sheet and cut 4 (2-inch) diagonal slashes across the top of each.
Cover with a damp towel and let dough rise in a warm place until almost doubled in volume, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425°F and bring water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Once rolls have risen, stir baking soda into boiling water (water will foam up slightly). Boil two or three rolls for 2 minutes per side. Using a slotted spoon, remove rolls, drain, and place on the baking sheet, cut side up.
Sprinkle well with salt, and repeat with remaining rolls.
Once all rolls are ready, place in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.

My husbands comment : Tastes like soft pretzels, and my daughter and I both ate one. Leftovers for tonight :-D

Sweet Potato, Lentil and Spinach Curry

I just made this dish this afternoon and it came out great! I would recommend using a far bigger pan than you see in the photo but it's all I have right now. Every single ingredient in this curry is good for you, which makes it an awesome vegetarian addition to any meal.


Ingredients:

2 small potatoes, diced
1 medium sweet potato, diced
5-8 cloves garlic, minced
about 1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup or more frozen spinach
Curry
Salt and Pepper
Chili powder
Schawarma mix (can easily substitute some cumin and ginger, or other spice mix as desired)
Dried or fresh rosemary

1. Soak and drain lentils.
2. Saute garlic in some vegetable oil.
3. Add potatoes and sweet potatoes.
4. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, cury and chili powder.
5. Add lentils and cover with water. Add some more curry powder and the schawarma seasoning.
6. Boil. Add the frozen spinach on top and mix in as it boils. Keep cooking until all ingredients are softened but still firm enough not to fall apart.
7. Serve with rice and enjoy!

Gluten Free, Tomato Free, Vegan Lasagna

This recipe uses tofu to make a ricotta cheese substitute. This went over really well. The baby ate it for 3 days straight, and the picky husband even ate it and said he would definitely eat it again. Next time, I plan on making it with regular gluten free noodles, and making it more like baked ziti, since gluten free lasagna noodles are expensive. Anyhow, with no further waiting- here is the recipe!

1 package lasagna noodles
3 packages firm tofu
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 recipe my nomato sauce ( 1 can beets, 1 can carrots, 1 can water, vinegar to taste- I normally use 1-2 tbsp)

1)Open the packages of tofu and drain out the water. cube the tofu and then blend it. . once tofu is well blended (no chunks left!), add the salt, vinegar, garlic and onion powders. mix well with spoon.
2)Pour about 1/3 of the nomato sauce onto the bottom of the 9x13 pan.
3)Then add 1 layer of UNCOOKED lasagna noodles (3 noodles), then smooth 1/3 of the blended tofu on top of the noodles. Try and cover the noodles evenly and well with the tofu. place another 3 noodles on top, and smooth another 1/3 of the tofu. add another 3 noodles, and then the last 1/3 of the tofu. pour the rest of the sauce on top of the last noodle layer, making sure it is distributed evenly. I give the pan a little shake to distribute the sauce well throughout the pan. cover pan with foil and bake for 2 hours at 350.

Just a warning- the nomato sauce turns everything kind of purple.... so if your kids wont eat it because of that, and no one is allergic to tomatoes, feel free to substitute a 29 oz can of tomato sauce.

Gluten Free, Vegan, Fluffy Rolls

These rolls are doughy and yeasty and just wonderful. I made 6 small rolls out of this recipe, but you can definitely make a larger batch. I made the dough in the bread machine, shaped it- it was sticky, so I sprayed my hands with pam, and let them rise again before baking them.

1 tbsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
2 cups bread flour ( You can use a gluten free flour blend with 2 extra teaspoons xanthan gum)
1 tsp vinegar (as a dough enhancer)
1 cup plus 1 tbsp warm water

I proofed the yeast with the sugar and warm water, then placed the remaining ingredients in my bread machine on the dough cycle.
Once the cycle was completed, I separated the dough into 6 balls, sprayed with pam so I could shape them, and let them rise again in a warm but turned off oven for an hour.
I then baked them at 350 for 25 minutes.

They were doughy, and gooey, and perfect. I cant wait to use them as sandwiches!

Teriyaki Chickpeas and Rice (Vegan, Gluten free, Nut and Peanut Free, Quick and Simple and Cheap)

I got my inperation for this recipe from The Happy Herbivore . She has some awsome recipes and I strongly suggest that you check her out.

I started this recipe by making one cup of rice with 2 1/4 cups of water, and letting simmer for about 20 minutes until all the water was absorbed and the rice was tender and ready.

While that was happening I mixed up a marinade of

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup water

I then soaked a can of drained chickpeas in this marinade while the rice cooked, and then while the rice cooled a little, I simmered these chickpeas in thier marinade over a low flame, and then combined the rice and the chickpeas and thier marinade for a delish dinner!

Broccoli soup

This soup is really healthy and cozy on a cold day. I recommend adding white beans to it for protein, I plan on trying that the next time I make it. Broccoli is really good for you, high in fiber and part of the Brassicae family of plants (like cabbage, cauliflower, etc). It has selenium, Vitamin C and Vitamin K. It's really a wonder food so get some more broccoli!

Broccoli soup

1 bag frozen chopped broccoli (I used a large bag)
1/2 large red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 can corn niblets
1 packet soup mix + ~8 cups water or 8 cups broth (I used mushroom soup, but any type of broth would be delicious)
salt and pepper
chili powder

1. Cook the broccoli, onion and garlic in some vegetable oil until the broccoli softens. It should start to pull apart as you mix it.
2. Season heavily with salt and pepper. Add about 1/2 teaspoon on chili powder.
3. Add the soup mix and water or both. Bring to a boil.
4. Lower to a low boil and cook for 30+ minutes.

Delicious with some toasted bread or crackers.

Wild mushroom rice

This went over so well, there was none left after Shabbat to take a picture of for the blog! It smelled fantastic as it was cooking, it reheated very well and it's so tasty, you'll never want boxed rice pilaf mixes again!

1 cup wild mushrooms, chopped ( I used oyster mushrooms, but any mushroom with an interesting flavor would work)
1 medium red onion, chopped (shallots would be amazing in this too!)
5 large cloves garlic, diced
2 cups brown rice (I used brown basmati rice, this would be really good with some wild rice mixed in too)
salt and pepper
fresh rosemary
5 cups water

1. Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large saucepan.
2. Saute the mushrooms, onions, garlic and rice together until all the vegetables are soft.
3. Season with salt, pepper and chopped fresh rosemary.
4. Add the water and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer until most of the water boils away.
6. Mix rice before eating and enjoy!

Tehini Sesame Noodles (gluten free, nut free, vegan)

I got my inspiration from this recipe, and modified it to suit my own tastes. I like my food flavorful and spicy. I found that the soy sauce was extremely dominating, lending it an Asian taste. I feel that next time I make it, I will either leave out the soy sauce or cut it down. I suggest you make it without the soy sauce, and then decide if you would like to add it.

3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame paste*
1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tsp garlic
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp dried red pepper flakes
Smoked paprika and sesame seeds to sprinkle on top of each serving

Mix the first 7 ingredients together and pour over warm pasta, then sprinkle each serving with sesame seeds and smoked paprika for added flavor and color

Vegan South Carolina BBQ Sauce Sloppy Joe (Gluten free, Vegan, Citrus Free)

This meal was super simple, although had a few steps, and suprised me with how tangy and wonderful it was! I will definatly be using this sauce in many many ways, such as a glaze for potatoes baked in the oven, or over grilled tofu....

The sauce was taken from The Happy Herbivore - who has excellent recipes and you should definatly check out.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup yellow mustard( for a kick, I used jalapeno mustard)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp molasses( I didnt have molasses so I used maple syrup)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
cayenne powder as desired (start with 1/8 tsp)

Directions:
1. whisk all ingredients together in a sauce pan
2. bring to a boil
3. once boiling, reduce to low
4. cook uncovered 5-10 minutes (until thickness to your liking- this took me closed to 15 minutes because I like my sauce thick)
6. store in an air-tight container in the fridge


Quick Tvp Barbeque Sandwiches Ingredients
1 c TVP
1/2 c Water
1 md Onion, chopped fine
Your favorite barbeque sauce
1 Or 2 cloves garlic, minced

1)Mix the TVP with the 1/2 cup water and set aside for 5 minutes.
2)Saute onion in about 1 Tbs. water until almost clear.
3) Add garlic and cook for another minute.
4)Add the reconstituted TVP.
5)The add the barbeque sauce until the mixture is the right consistency for sandwiches. Heat thoroughly and serve.

Mushroom white bean stew/soup

I made this soup on Friday and it was a huge hit! In the picture, it has some cooked rice I added to it later, a mix of brown Basmati and wild rice. This was savory and delicious, great on a cold winter day or if (like me) you have a horrible cold. I only have a stove-top here in Israel so I'm finding creative ways to make different types of meals on it (other than stir fry, which we tend to eat a lot these days). I made note of substitutions I made or I think might come in handy for other cooks!

Mushroom white bean soup (adopted from http://www.recipezaar.com/Quick-Provencal-Mushroom-and-White-Bean-Stew-135136)


1 Tbs or more vegetable or olive oil
1 package white or baby bella mushrooms, sliced (I debated adding more, I think this would be really good with a blend of different kinds of mushrooms)
1 chopped onion (I used a red onion, it gave it some really good flavor)
3-6 cloves of garlic, diced
4+ cups of vegetable broth (I didn't measure exactly, I just poured in some soup mix and filled the pot with water until I was satisfied)
1 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes (I used half a 500g can of crushed tomatoes, which worked just as well)
1/4 cup lemon juice (the original recipe called for dry white wine, which I didn't have...I think a flavored vinegar would work just as well also)
2 15-ounce cans of white beans (recipe called for cannelloni, but I used butter beans b/c it's what I found in the store)

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot and throw in the onions, mushrooms and garlic. Saute until onion and garlic are softened and mushrooms get some golden color.
2. Add the broth (or soup mix and water), tomatoes with liquid, and lemon juice/wine/vinegar.
3. Bring to boil, them lower to a simmer for 15+ minutes until flavors meld.
4. Mash about half a can of beans, then ad the mash and the remaining beans to the soup. Stir in and simmer for another 10 or so minutes until the beans soften and mix into the soup.

Adding the cooked rice after gives it a little something extra without the rice getting mushy from being cooked in the soup, soaking up the broth.

This would probably be really good with some meat or chicken added in as well.