portobellas with grains and greens

this is going to be a meal suggestion with lots of options. in an earlier post, i referred to myself as the vegetarian version of sandra lee, of semi-homemade fame.  sometimes i like to take short cuts...tonight's recipe made use of this wonderful wheat pilaf from a box and i'm not too proud to admit it. 

ingredients:

large portobella mushrooms (as many as you need to feed your peeps)

balsamic dressing or marinade of choice (or any marinade that suits your fancy for that matter)

any grain pilaf of choice....rice, bulgar, quinoa. homemade or boxed.  (read your labels)

1 can drained chickpeas

greens of choice sauteed in vegetable broth or use frozen

1 red onion sliced

a little more veggie broth

bragg's liquid aminos

a little goat or feta cheese if you're not a strict vegan

how to:

marinate mushrooms in dressing for a couple of hours.  boil greens in vegetable broth until nice and tender.  cook your grains according to package directions or your own recipe. add chickpeas to boiling water, along with your grain. saute onions in vegetable broth and bragg's to taste, until caramelized. bake mushrooms in 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes, flipping them about halfway through....or better yet, grill them.  it's still too cold for grilling in my neck of the woods.

top your mushroom with cheese (if using), grain pilaf, greens and caramelized onions.  return to oven for a few minutes.

enjoy....i served mine with citrus caramelized butternut squash...

citrus caramelized butternut squash

ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 cups of orange juice

2 cups of water

1/2-3/4 cup brown sugar

cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

how to:

put all ingredients in a deep skillet. simmer until squash is tender and caramelized and most of the liquid has cooked off. 

my notes:

so, spleen (my husband) liked this, but thought it was too citrusy. so, if you're not a big fan of the citrus, cut back or eliminate the orange juice and use all water. 

carrot ginger juice

this one is so refreshing and nutrient rich....no picture of this one though, because...well...it looks like sewer water. but, if you're a regular juicer, then you don't care about such nonsense.  

press all ingredients through a juicer:

6 carrots

1 head of romaine

1 english cucumber

5 stalks of celery

a handful of parsley

a hefty, 1-1 1/2" of ginger

2 red grapefruit, peeled

8 small apples

strain and serve over ice

this made about 2 quarts

seitan/veggie pot pie

my first attempt at cooking with seitan

ingredients:

1 package cubed seitan, chopped into smaller pieces

1 shallot, chopped

8 cups of water

4 "not chick'n" natural bullion cubes

4 carrots, sliced 

2 stalks celery, sliced

5 small potatoes (i used a combination of white, red and purple), diced (peel if you like)

8 oz. frozen peas

8 oz. frozen corn

small handful of fresh, chopped parsley

1-2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot for thickening

1 cup cold water

salt and black pepper to taste

4 pie crusts of choice...if using pre-made crust, read ingredients closely to make sure there are only a few ingredients and not a lot of added junk. THIS looks like a nice one, if you're inclined to make your own.

how to:

in a stock pot, saute seitan and shallot for a few minutes.  add ingredients through parsley and cook until vegetables begin to get tender.  mix starch and cold water and add to pot, stirring and continuing to simmer until thickened.  season with salt and pepper to taste.  press crusts into two pie plates. i used one deep dish and one regular.  fill each crust with vegetable mixture and top with a second crust.  pinch and flute edges.  bake at 350 until crust is golden brown...approximately 45 minutes.  begin checking at about 30 minutes to see if edges of crust are browning too quickly.  cover with foil if necessary. 

my notes:

if you're running short on time and don't have a pre-made pie crust, just pour the veggie mixture into a casserole dish and top with drop biscuits made from your favorite baking mix.  THIS is mine. 

kale slaw with peanut dressing

kale isn't just for smoothies or sauteing. this salad is raw, vegan, beautiful and divine.

ingredients:

4 cups chopped kale (i used a combination of green and purple)

1 cup cabbage (any variety will do)

4 green onions, whites and greens, chopped

1 carrot, shredded (or a handful of julienne carrots)

lots of fresh chopped cilantro

1 navel orange, peeled, sectioned and chopped into bite sized pieces

a handful of dried cranberries 

a hearty handful of sesame seed and slivered almonds

peanut dressing, store bought or homemade. (as always, read your ingredients if you choose store bought).

how to:

a couple of hours before serving, mix all ingredients except almonds and sesame seeds, including dressing.  immediately before serving add nuts and seed and toss well.

leftover breakfast scramble

there's not much more satisfying to me in the kitchen than whipping up something delicious and healthy with leftovers. 

my leftovers:

caramelized onions

sauteed red and yellow bell peppers

sauteed kale

sauteed mushrooms

black beans

additional ingredients:

crumbled tofu

frozen shredded potatoes

sliced olives

salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste

how to:

saute potatoes and tofu in water (you can use oil if you like) until potatoes are tender

add everything else and saute until heated through and season to taste

this literally took all of 5 minutes...

vegan planet's tofu vindaloo

this is a spicy little number i got from Vegan Planet, my new favorite recipe book.

ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

3 tablespoons olive oil

16 oz extra firm tofu, drained and diced

salt and pepper

1 large onion, chopped

1 carrot chopped

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cup or more of water

how to:

in a blender or processor, combine first 9 ingredients and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. process until smooth and set aside.

heat 1 tablespoon  of olive oil in large skillet over med-high heat.  add tofu and cook until golden brown on all sides. season with salt and pepper.  transfer to a bowl and set aside.

heat remaining tablespoon  of olive oil in skillet, add onion and carrot and saute for about 5 minutes.  add bell pepper and cook additional 5 minutes. add the spice paste, cook and stir for 1 minute. stir in tomatoes, peas and water, bring to a boil.  reduce heat to low and season with salt and pepper to taste. cover and simmer until vegetables are tender.  add tofu and cook for about 10 more minutes.

my recipe notes:

you can substitute chickpeas for the tofu, just omit the second step and add them at the end.   i doubled the recipe and used both.

serve over rice of choice with flat bread....i LOVE jasmine rice.

with so many recipe books out there to choose from, it can be a bit daunting knowing which ones are worth the investment.  i whole heartedly recommend  Vegan Planet as well as Robin Robertson's website.

simple green anytime smoothie

green smoothies are so versatile...they may all look the same, but there's a world of variety as far as flavor is concerned. this is a simple one, with lots of light flavors and chocked full of nutrition....another good one for the kids or skeptics. 

blend all ingredients:

2 frozen bananas

a handful of frozen pineapple

2 peeled oranges

a tsp of vanilla

a handful of raw pumpkin seeds

large handful of spinach leaves

1 cup or more of unsweetened almond milk.

veggies and dumplings over garlic potato/cauliflower mash

total comfort food.....

garlic potato cauliflower mash ingredients:

a head of cauliflower 

any combination of potatoes (roughly equal to the amount of cauliflower)

(you can see in the photo below that i used a handful of white potatoes and i got a little bag of tiny multi colored potatoes that i just threw in whole)  i left the skin on all of them. 

2-4 cloves of garlic

vegetable broth

how to:

boil vegetables in broth until tender.  drain off most of the liquid, reserving some for mashing.  mash by hand or briefly with an electric  hand mixer. add salt and pepper to taste.  add more of the reserved liquid or a little unsweetened almond milk if you need more liquid during mashing. 

dumpling ingredients:

1/4 cup oil (i used olive and grapeseed)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

how to:

combine all to form a dough. set aside for use in vegetables below.  

vegetables in savory broth ingredients:

 12-16 cups of vegetable broth 

(i used a combination of Better Than Bullion mushroom base and no chicken base....4-5 tablespoons to 12 cups of water)

vegetables of choice

carrots, celery, broccoli, peas, corn, green beans, lima beans, okra, squash, greens...frozen, canned, fresh.  as always, whatever appeals to you or what you have handy....as much as you like, just make sure you have enough broth to accommodate the dumplings)

a couple of dried bay leaves and black pepper to taste

how to:

bring broth to a boil in a large pot.  add vegetables, making sure to give the ones that require longer cooking time a head start. add bay leaves and pepper. once vegetables are nearly cooked and broth is rapidly boiling, begin dropping dumpling dough into pot by small spoonfuls.  place lid on and reduce heat slightly, maintaining a soft boil.  leave lid on and allow steam to do its magic on the dumpling for about 15-20 minute.  it's important to make sure you have plenty of liquid in your pot for this.  if you need to add more, do it before you start putting the dumplings in and make sure it is back up to a rolling boil.

ladle this yummy goodness over a bowl of the cauliflower mash . 

a couple of notes:

i doubled the dumpling recipe for my family of 6 and used most of the dough.  the amount of vegetable broth listed was enough to accomodate that amount of dumplings and still leave plenty of sauce.

rise and shine green juice

i tend to get in a juice rut and always start with carrots....today, i decided to go green.  what a nice refreshing change this was.  my daughter said she could actually smell the vegetables upstairs as i was juicing and came running.  she used to come running for bacon...now it's veggies....progress!

 

 

 

ingredients:

 

1/2 head of green cabbage

 

1 english cucumber

 

4 green pears

 

1 head of romaine

 

1 inch of fresh ginger

 

how to:

 

press all ingredients into your juicer, strain, serve on the rocks :)

 

CHEERS!

 



blueberry cabbage smoothie

another winner with the kids

 

 

blend the following until smooth and desired consistency:

 

2 frozen bananas

 

large handful of frozen blueberries

 

a chunk of green cabbage, coarsely chopped

 

1/3 of an english cucumber

 

2 pitted dates

 

1-2 cups unsweetened almond milk

 

splash of vanilla

meatless tacos/taco salad

YUM! another dinner idea with lots of flexibility to suit your taste.

ingredients:

taco shells, taco salad bowls or tortillas of choice

cooked beans of choice. lentils would work nicely.  i used my TruRoots Sprouted Bean Trio from Costco again. 

taco seasoning.  this can be homemade (such as this or this) or a healthy, low sodium packet.  i took the easy way out this time and used Nueva Cocina Taco Fresco Mix, found at Whole Foods Market.

tomato sauce

water

cooked brown rice

how to:

  cook your beans in water until they are soft.

drain well,  put in sauce pan with tomato sauce, water and taco seasoning.  heat till bubbly and most of the liquid has cooked off.

serve with rice in taco shells, taco salad bowls or tortillas with your favorite toppings.

topping suggestions:

lettuce, tomatoes, onions, corn, any variety of peppers, olives, avocado, guacamole, mango, salsa, cilantro, shredded cheese and sour cream (if you're not shooting for vegan)


these were totally sam and bethany  (my very picky 13 and 16 year old) approved tacos. sam actually thought there was meat in his taco.  SCORE!

kid approved green smoothie

help your kids start the day off right....

blend all ingredients in a blender:

1 -2 frozen bananas

large handful of frozen strawberries

large handful of frozen peaches

2 large handfuls of spinach

a splash of vanilla

a couple tablespoons of flax meal

1 can lite coconut milk

a splash of orange juice

veggie stir fry with brown sauce

this is going to be one of THOSE recipes...you know the ones.  no real measurements and lots of options. it's stir fry....no need to be precise.  the vegetables listed are what we used this time and just a guide.  use what you have on hand.  the key is the sauce.  

Forks Over Knives chinese brown sauce ingredients:

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup vegetable stock

1/4 cup brown rice syrup

2 tsp grated ginger

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 tsp arrowroot powder (you could probably use cornstarch)

combine all in a med. saucepan over med. heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. 

set aside....

stir fry ingredients:

(remember, these are merely suggestions)

tofu, cubed

citrus ginger spice rub (found this in the seafood dept. at Whole Foods Market)

coconut oil

sesame oil

shredded napa cabbage

shredded red cabbage

shredded carrots

snow peas

sliced mushrooms

sliced water chestnuts

bean sprouts

yellow pepper

onion

how to:

dredge tofu cubes in spice rub.  melt coconut oil in skillet and brown tofu.  set aside. (you could also marinate the tofu for a few minutes in a a little soy sauce or forgo it altogether)

add sesame oil to large skillet or wok.  add vegetables and stir fry on med-high until they are just beginning to soften, but are still bright and a little crisp.  add tofu and combine with vegetables.  add sauce a little at a time and combine with vegetables.  the sauce should enhance the taste of the vegetables, not overwhelm them.

serve over rice or noodles of choice.

the sky's the limit veggie burger

what i'm about to share with you is one of the greatest things i've stumbled across in my search for easy vegan recipes, which is not really a recipe at all, but more of a guide with endless possibilities. and you all know that's how i roll.

check it out for yourself....

The Simple Guide to Plant Strong Burgers 
by the Engine 2 Team

 in a nutshell, you pick your bean, pick your starch, pick your vegetable(s),  pick your spices, pick your liquid, add a flax meal and water mixture as a binder and you're ready to make patties.

for our first attempt, we chose:

 TruRoots Sprouted Bean Trio as our bean (cooked with a bayleaf and mushroom base)

brown rice (since i had some leftover) as our starch

a combination of onion, celery, garlic and carrots as our vegetables

crushed red pepper,  braggs liquid aminos, nutritional yeast, black pepper and a little basil as our seasoning

liquid from cooking the beans

topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, sprouts and sprinkle of feta cheese

the recommended cooking method is baking.  i was tempted to put them in a skillet with some coconut oil to get a nice crispy outside, but since i'm trying to cut back on oil, i tried it their way. they turned out great, but one of these days, i think i'll try it my way.

let me know what combinations you try.

slow cooker african vegetable stew

i was overjoyed at the success of this recipe.  you see, african chicken has long been one of my family's favorite meals.  i realized that the key to this recipe isn't really the chicken at all....it's the sauce and the red palm oil, which is what makes it uniquely african.  so, my daughter and i pow-wowed about what vegetables would work best in this sauce and this is what we came up with. 

ingredients:

12 cups of water

4 tablespoons "no chicken" base or comparable amount of "not chick'n cubes"  

1 cup of natural peanut butter

1 can of tomato paste

1 medium onion

3 tablespoons of red palm oil

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced

1/2 or more of a family sized bag of frozen baby carrots

1/2 or more of a family sized bag of frozen broccoli

1 can of chickpeas, drained

8 oz. extra firm tofu, diced

1 tablespoon coconut oil

cayenne pepper to taste

how to:

in slow cooker, on high:  add water, "no chicken" base, peanut butter and tomato paste.  heat until all ingredients are blended, whisking occasionally. 

in a small skillet:  saute onion in red palm oil until translucent.  add onions and oil to slow cooker.  

add diced sweet potato, baby carrots and chickpeas to the slow cooker.

in a small skillet:  brown cubed tofu in coconut oil, add to slow cooker.

reduce slow cooker to low

no more than an hour before serving, add broccoli.  

season with cayenne.  a little goes a long way, so just put a little in the pot and allow others to add more to their liking. 

  

serve over brown rice with whole grain pita bread and hummus.  

a couple of notes:

if you can't find the substitute chicken bases and do not care if this is a strictly vegetarian/vegan meal, then use chicken broth.  i don't recommend vegetable broth in this. 

i have made this without the red palm oil before and it's fine, but this is truly the most important ingredient that gives it that unique african flavor.  hunt this down or order some if you can. 

this has the potential to be very versatile depending on your vegetable choices.  get creative and let me know if you come up with a good combination.  cauliflower and squash would also be good in this and i was thinking that black beans and sweet potatoes would be a nice combination.  just pay attention to the cooking times of your vegetables and add them to your pot accordingly.  

portabella mushrooms....three recipes in one

sauteed portabella mushrooms

ingredients:

4 large portabella mushrooms

vegetable broth

Bragg's Liquid Aminos

how to:

my preferred method would be to marinate the mushrooms and then grill them, however, this florida girl is freezing her bootie off in utah right now and i'd rather be warm and cozy...inside.

slice mushrooms about 1/4" thick

pour broth into large skillet to cover bottom and add liquid aminos to taste.  

place sliced mushrooms in a single layer in skillet and sear on med-high heat until golden brown on both sides, adding more broth as it cooks off.   

now...what to do with these delicious morsels....

easy pasta sauce

ingredients:

vegetable broth for sauteeing

1/2 of a medium zucchini, diced

a handful of white or mini portabella mushrooms, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

lots of fresh basil

crushed red pepper to taste

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 jar of prepared pasta sauce (read ingredients closely, some have a ridiculous amount of added sugar and salt)  

4-6 slices of the portabella mushrooms 

how to:

saute zucchini, white mushrooms, garlic basil and red pepper in broth for a few minutes

add tomatoes and sauce, heat through

scoop out a cup or so of the sauce and put in blender with the portabellas.  blend away and add back to the sauce in the pan.  

combine, heat for a while on low to allow the flavors to blend.

serve over your favorite pasta

the blended portabellas really make this sauce happy.

portabella salad

ingredients:

greens of choice

sliced red onion

chickpeas

sauteed portabellas

feta or goat cheese

balsamic dressing of choice

how to:

you know what to do. :)

i have to confess that i didn't have a red onion....which i really wanted on this salad, so i threw on a handful of dried onions.  not my first choice, but it worked.  go with the red if you have one.

blueberry blast

this is one that even the most resistant green smoothie drinkers will enjoy....it's sweet and delicious, and the best part is that it's not green.

ingredients:

1 cup or more of unsweetened almond milk or non dairy milk substitute of choice

1 banana

a large handful of frozen blueberries

1 large handful of frozen peaches

2 pitted medjool dates

a large handful of kale

small handful of wheat grass (most health food stores with a produce department sell it in bags or flats...if you can't find it, skip it or throw in a handful of spinach. no biggie)

how to:

place all in blender and blend til smooth and creamy, adding milk for desired thickness.

spiced red lentil, tomato and kale soup

it's no wonder that spiced red lentil, tomato and kale soup was one of the most popular recipes of 2012 on Oh She Glows.  it's simple, loaded with flavor, and packed with nutrition.  

the only minor change i made from the original recipe was that i sauteed my vegetables in broth instead of coconut oil.  you all know i love my coconut oil, but i am trying to cut back on all oil when i can.  i served the soup over brown rice, with a side spinach salad and multi grain crusty bread. 

potato bar

this is more of an idea, with endless possibilities, than a recipe.

last night's dinner was a potato bar...regular old idaho white and sweet potatoes with a variety of toppings to satisfy my pickiest to my most adventurous eaters. 

my plate looked like this.....

1/2 of a white potato topped with sauteed vegetables (mushrooms, onions, orange bell pepper, sauteed in vegetable broth and Bragg's Liquid Aminos)

1/2 of a sweet potato topped with chili (one can of black beans, one can of Trader Joe's Vegetarian Chili, which appears to actually be vegan and one can of diced tomatoes, seasoned with a little cumin and a little coriander.....i threw all of this in the tiny crock pot, late afternoon).  the combination of the sweet potato and the savory kick in the chili was incredible.  can't believe i never tried that before. 

simple spinach salad with dried cranberries, slivered almonds and a little feta. 

this dinner suggestion can be vegetarian or vegan depending on the toppings you use.

easy peasy, right?

susan's creamy (unless you make my mistake) kale smoothie

i've been drinking green smoothies for a long time now.  my palate has changed so much, that i can tolerate just about anything as long as i know it's good for me.  so, i've quit using recipes and usually just throw things in the blender.  the results can be iffy sometimes and i'd like to start actually enjoying the flavor of my smoothies, so i was glad when my friend, susan, posted this little dandy on facebook this morning.

yep...it's green.  

ingredients:

1 frozen banana

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (more if needed)

4 pitted medjool dates

2 cups raw kale, ribs removed

how to:

put all ingredients into blender and blend away until nice and creamy.  

a couple of notes:

make sure your dates are pitted.....oops, my bad!

in most grocery stores, you can buy kale that has already been chopped and the bitter ribs removed.  i take shortcuts wherever i can...i'm kinda like the sandra lee of vegetables.

*update*

susan informed me that this recipe came from the Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook.   gotta give credit where it's due, but i still credit susan with bringing it to my attention this morning.  

skillet penne

gotta love a hearty, quick, simple, one-dish meal

ingredients:

olive oil

mushrooms

garlic

1 or 2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can drained chickpeas

small bag of fresh spinach

lots of fresh basil  

salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste

whole grain penne or pasta of choice

how to:

saute mushrooms and garlic in a touch of olive oil

add tomatoes and chickpeas, heat through

stir in spinach and basil until wilted

add seasonings to taste

stir in cooked pasta

veggie pesto stromboli

my spin on mama's stromboli, an old family favorite.

ingredients:

prepared whole wheat pizza dough of choice or homemade.  i use Whole Foods Market or Trader Joe's, made fresh daily, inexpensive and available in the refrigerated section.

prepared pesto or homemade

fresh, raw veggies of choice. this time around i chose spinach, mushrooms, red bell peppers and red onions.

italian style cheese of choice

how to:

roll out pizza dough into a rectangle, roughly 5" by 13"

spread pesto onto dough, edge to edge

top with vegetables and cheese

fold sides and ends in and pinch dough to seal (kinda like a giant hot pocket)

flip it over onto a baking sheet, seam side down

bake at about 350 until dough is baked and golden brown....roughly 20 mins.  

chilaquiles casserole

this is a definite keeper that i got from Eating Well and made a few minor changes to suit our personal preferences.  

here is the link to the original recipe...

chilaquiles casserole 

the changes i made were simple and certainly not necessary:

used coconut oil instead of canola

diced the zucchini instead of grating it

  added a couple of cloves of garlic to saute with the onion and zucchini

added a little cilantro to the vegetable mixture

we served ours with a little fresh, diced avocado and Trader Joe's Quinoa and Black Bean Tortilla Chips.

breakfast sandwich...fork required

compliments of my husband, chief weekend breakfast cooker in our family

so, here is your first taste of how i will be sharing recipes.  it may frustrate many of you, but hopefully, it will give you creative license in the kitchen.  i will rarely use specific proportions or cooking times...so just go with what feels right, looks right and smells right to you.

ingredients: 

2 slices of toasted bread of choice. we use a locally baked and distributed bread that is sold in our grocery stores, Jack Spratt Sprouted Wheat Bread.

diced potatoes

diced, firm tofu

diced tomato

diced red bell pepper

diced onion

slice mushrooms

canned black beans 

chopped Morning Star Breakfast Sausage

salt, pepper and cayenne pepper

how to:

saute veggies and tofu in oil of choice.  kevin used a combination of olive and coconut oils, but coconut is my preference.  to reduce fat, use as little as necessary.  the potatoes will take the longest, next the tofu,  followed by peppers and onions, mushrooms, then tomatoes.

season to preference

stir in the beans till heated through

heat the sausage product thoroughly in skillet and cut into chunks

combine all,  pile onto a slice of toast, top with another slice of toast and serve with a fork. 

enjoy!  i did!  thanks, honey.

give peas a chance

actually, i don't eat a lot of peas, but it works, right?  

i'm super excited to be starting this blog at the beginning of this new journey.  to give you a little background, i've been on a health food quest for about 12 years now.  i've dabbled in and embraced just about every healthy food philosophy out there, searching for THE right one.  i've got all the equipment to prove it...dehydrator, juicer, vita-mix, grain grinder, kitchen aid, weird little gadget that turns zucchini into spaghetti like stuff...you get the picture.  health (mental, emotional and physical) has always been my primary motivation.  i just want to feel good.  i want to have energy.  i don't want to be on medication or put my kids on medication if i have any power at all to control things nutritionally...and, i believe i do.  i've seen time and again how nutrition affects our overall well-being, from mood, to brain function and clarity, to energy level and physical appearance.  as i said on facebook recently, i believe that healthcare reform begins at home, in our kitchens.  i may die tomorrow, but if i should be blessed with a long life, i want to do everything i can to ensure it is quality living. 

after recently watching the documentaries, Forks over Knives and Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, (both available for instant download on netflix), i am completely convinced that a whole foods, plant-based diet is the way to go to reduce or completely eliminate the risk for many debilitating, chronic, life threatening diseases.  i encourage...no BEG...you all to watch these documentaries. maybe the findings won't nudge you in the same direction that they did me, and that's ok, but as my husband says, at least your future decisions will be informed. 

the purpose of this blog is to simply share the recipes that my family creates and enjoys as we move in this direction.  it's going to be a learning process with some major failures, i'm sure, but hopefully more successes. in my ignorance, i will undoubtedly use ingredients that many purists would scoff at, such as Morning Star Sausage Patties, Lightlife products or a couple of other similar ingredients.  but, what can i say?  they're helping us over the hump and we loved our breakfast meat. one of my long term goals is to greatly reduce or eliminate the use of these products, as well as cheese, but for now, you will see them from time to time. in general, you will see all natural, whole foods with no preservatives or artificial ingredients. i hope to go back in a few months and see some progress in my ingredient choices.

i would like this to become a community of average joes and janes who desire to eat a more whole foods, plant based diet, but who aren't quite ready to assume the label of vegetarian or vegan. if you try a recipe, whether you found it off of a website, in a book or created it yourself, and you think it's a keeper, please share it with us in the comments section or send me a message and i'll put it on the site...after i try it out, of course.

one last thing. i will apologize in advance for the way that i follow (or don't follow) recipes and the fact that i don't always give exact proportions, cooking temperatures or times.  jump out of the box with me and get creative.  ignore what your mama always told you...go ahead and play with your food. 

so let the fun begin....