The Dynamic Duo

For the longest time we referred to our 3 middle boys, born consecutively, as the Three Musketeers. They punched, they fought, they argued, they laid on each other while sleeping. Now that we have our two youngest boys, born consecutively and 5 and 7 years younger than our other children, they are the Dynamic Duo...they punch, they fight, they argue and they lay on top of David and me while sleeping. Maybe one day I'll miss not getting to stretch out in my own bed or snuggle up next to my own husband because the Dynamic Duo will be old enough to finally sleep alone. Maybe.

This soup is fun and makes a great presentation with little effort. I used black bean soup and beer cheese soup, but the possibilities and combinations are as endless as your culinary imagination. I'm thinking veggie chili & corn chowder, cream of asparagus soup and butternut squash soup, tomato bisque and cream of broccoli, just to name a few. The two soups just need to be roughly the same viscosity and pretty much creamy...you wouldn't want to use, say, chicken noodle or vegetable because they are broth- based.

These two recipes are uber easy and pantry friendly.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

(3) 15 oz. cans black beans, drained

(1) 14.5 oz can Rotel brand Tomatoes and Green Chiles

1 c. veg or no chicken broth (I use Imagine brand No Chicken broth)

1 T. cumin

1T chili Powder

1 t. garlic powder

salt & pepper to taste.

Heat all ingredients except for 1 can of the black beans in a saucepan over med. heat until heated through. Puree the soup until fairly creamy using an immersion blender or by transferring in batches to a blender. Put back into pot and add the remaining beans and stir. Easy!

Beer Cheese Soup

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 T. Earth Balance or other vegan "butter"

1 clove garlic, minced

12 oz. beer (I used Michelob Ultra, but a stringer beer might give more flavor)

1 T. vegan Worchestershire sauce

2 c. unsweetened soy milk (I used Westsoy brand)

2 c. No Chicken broth ( I used Imagine brand)

1 T cornstarch + 1/4 c. cold water, mixed into a slurry

2 c. vegan cheese (I used Daiya cheddar flavor, but I bet Ste. Martaen brand Colby would be great, too)

Salt & pepper to taste

Saute onion and garlic in Earth Balance. Add in worchestershire and beer and stir well. Bring to a boil (to evaporate the alcohol) and cook for 3 minutes. Add broth, return to the boil then stir in the cornstarch/water mixture, whisking well. Turn heat down to medium, add the milk and cheese and whisk well to melt the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To make the duo soup:

Take a ladleful of each soup and at the same time, pour side by side into the soup bowl. I garnished these soups with a tablespoon of salsa and chopped scallion tops. Have fun with the possibilities!

Tarragon Talk

Tarragon is such a complex herb...licorice-y and earthy...I used to love it as the "secret" ingredient in my chicken cheese ball. Since I haven't been making chicken cheese balls much lately, I've sort of forgotten about tarragon. This past weekend, Oscar was invited to a birthday party at the park and as has been common for a good many parties for his friends, a set of twins whom he absolutely adores were among the guests. I think that birthday parties where these girls are invited must always fall on their dad's "weekend," as he often accompanies them. Their dad is very personable and easy to talk to and we often end up talking as, even though he is younger than me, we are still the only forty-ish parents there among the twenty somethings that make up all the other parents of preschooler party set. This past weekend, we talked of a restaurant here in our town that was always a special "date night" place to dine and consequently, he used to wait tables there. It was the only fine dining spot in our small town back then and one of the special places where my husband took me while we were dating. The Greenhouse, as it was named, had many specialites de maison, and one of those was the chef's delicious tarragon-based sauce that covered the escargot. Her house dressing also had tarragon as a key ingredient and all this "tarragon talk" had me wanting to experiment with a creamy tarragon salad dressing. I served it tonight to David atop baby Italian greens with dried cranberries, sliced baby portabellos and toasted pecans...I think it's a keeper. Here's to Ursula and Jerry for the inspiration...

Creamy Tarragon Dressing

2 T. mayo (I used Reduced fat Veganaise)

3 T. agave nectar

2 T. champagne vinegar

1/4 t. salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1 T. dried tarragon

1-2 T. water, to thin as needed

1 T. sweet white miso (I like MisoMaster)

Mix all ingredients except water well, whisking to emulsify. Add in water as needed to thin to desired consistency. Serve on dark leafy salad greens such as mesclun or baby Italian lettuces.

Sweet & Spicy Tofu Teriyaki

Sweet & Spicy Tofu Teriyaki

For the Tofu:

1 block of water packed extra firm tofu, drained & pressed

1/4 c. tamari

1/4 c. pineapple juice

2T agave nectar

2 T. seasoned rice vinegar

Slice tofu in half, then each half into fourths. Preheat a well-seasoned cast iron pan or non-stick pan (preferably hard anondized, not teflon-coated) to med-high (I used our cast iron griddle pan). Pan fry the tofu slices in the dry pan (do not add oil or even spray the pan with PAM spray...you want the process to drain all the moisture out of the tofu to later accept the marinade well). Mix the marinade ingredients and pour over pan fried tofu for at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hrs. When ready, broil the tofu slices until browned, flip over and do the same on the other side. When browned, turn off oven, brush glaze over tofu, flip and brush other side. Leave in the warm oven until ready to serve. Serve over brown rice with something green and good for you. I used rainbow chard sauteed in sesame oil and garlic (Thanks to my friend, Leslie, for the beautiful greens from her lush garden!)

For the Sweet & Spicy Teriyaki Glaze:

1/4 c. tamari

1 c. water

1 t. ginger

1 clove minced garlic

1 T. sweet chili sauce (found in Asian section of most grocery stores)

1/2 - 1 t. hot chili oil (depending on your liking)

1/4 c. brown sugar, packed

1 t. agave nectar

1 t. cornstarch mixed in approx. 1/8 c. cold water

toasted sesame seeds, black or tan or a mixture for topping

1 scallion, green parts sliced thinly on the diagonal, for topping

Mix all ingredients into a saucepan except the cornstarch + water mixture and toppings. Bring to a boil, add the cornstarch/water mixture and whisk until well blended. Turn heat down to low and simmer approx. 3 minutes until thickened and glossy. Drizzle over tofu and rice and top with sesame seeds and scallions. This sauce is also good over egg rolls or spring rolls.

Oscar wanted popcorn this morning for breakfast...popcorn and chocolate (coconut) milk. Why not? It's a lot more nutritious than a poptart. By the time the little boys are finished with a bowl of popcorn, at least half is on the floor waiting to be eaten by Pup... multitasking at its best. I like it.

I wanted to share a few of the ways that we like our popcorn...hot out of the popcorn popper, microwave or movie theater bin topped with peanut M & M's. Melts the chocolate inside the candy shell just a bit...yum! Back in my college days, we all ate popcorn sprinkled with McCormick Season-All and Parmesan cheese...gotta taste it to believe how delicious.

Here are a few that I concocted this morning:

Praline Popcorn

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/2 t. nutmeg

2T white sugar

2T. brown sugar

toasted pecans in the amount to your liking

melted Earth Balance or butter, optional, but delicious

*Mix together all ingredients except butter and pecans. Pour melted butter, if using, over popcorn in the amount that you would like (sensitive issue here for buttered popcorn lovers...I'm not one of them except that it IS delicious in this particular recipe) and then sprinkle spice mixture over and toss to coat. Thank me later.

Parmesan Ranch Popcorn

(My personal favorite)

1 t. dill weed

1 t. onion powder

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

3T. grated Parmesan cheese (the powdery kind)

Mix all together and sprinkle on hot popcorn, buttered or not. Toss to coat.

S'Mores Popcorn

2t. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 t. salt

2T. powdered sugar

2T. white sugar

2 t. graham cracker crumbs

Mix all ingredients together and sprinkle over butter (best here) or regular popcorn. Toss to coat and enjoy!

Asian Crunch Slaw

Most of our children don't really appreciate different cuisines other than pizza, quesadillas or lo mein if the vegetables are picked out. With our last two "late in life" blessings, Henry and Oscar, I decided to start them off right and teach them to love the tastes that the world has to offer. Boy, was that a mistake. Before I had no competition for ethnic food, but now I have to share my lo mein, wontons, ravioli and even my sacred guacamole! It is nice, though, to have them go with us to a Mexican restaurant and not order the token American meal of chicken and fries and it'll be nice one day for them to know how to order correctly when they sneak my Chinese take out into the old folks home.

This slaw is so good and lasts a day or so in the fridge. It's based on a recipe from a cookbook that David's dear grandmother, "Strickie," gave me one Christmas. Without the nuts, it's really good to wrap in de-stemmed collard leaves or as lettuce wraps. I like to eat it like a salad. It's cool, crunchy, spicy and healthy all in one dish. And really easy to throw together when you're hungry. Best of all, my "little blessings" don't like it (read: more for me).

Asian Crunch Slaw

1/2 head each of green and purple cabbage

3 large carrots, grated or julienne cut

or

2 bags of pre-made slaw from the produce section, if you're really in a rush

1/2 bunch (or to suit your taste) of fresh cilantro

4 green onions, green part only sliced thinly on the diagonal

1/2 c. (or to suit your taste) of roasted cashews or peanuts

Mix all together except nuts. Dress the slaw and add nuts before serving.

For the Dressing:

1/8 c. canola or peanut oil or oil substitute (recipe follows)

1/4 c. seasoned rice vinegar

1 t. freshly ground black pepper

pinch of salt

1/4 c. agave nectar

1 t celery seed

1-2 t. sesame chili oil (depending upon your taste for heat)

1/2 - 1 t. hot pepper flakes (again, depending on how hot you like it)

Mix all ingredients together except oil (if using fat substitute, mix everything in at once) in blender. Slowly pour in oil with blender running to immulsify. Pour half over slaw mix, mixing well and let sit for at least 15 minutes. Add more dressing, if needed.

Fat Substitute

This works well in most dressing with lots of acid

(vinegar, lemon juice, etc...)

1 c. veg broth or vegetarian "no chicken" broth

1 c. water

1 1/2 T. cornstarch

Mic cornstarch in 1/4 c. of the water (use cold water). Heat the remaining water and broth until boiling. Slowly add in cornstarch mixture, whisking well and then remove from heat. Allow to cool and use as oil in salad dressings.

Portabella & Porcini Pot Pie

I had a busy day out of town with Henry today visiting his pediatric opthamologist. On the 2 hour drive home, I'm wondering how I can talk myself out of yet another date with my secret boyfriend, Papa John. I remembered the baby carrots that I bought earlier in the week, thinking that they looked really cute and autumn-y, not knowing yet how I might prepare them. Oh, and then there's the puff pastry that I thawed days ago, but haven't had time to use. What to make? Feeling in a 'shroom mood, I decided upon a pot pie of sorts with a beefy gravy and sauteed mushrooms. Top it off with the baby carrots, roasted until caramelized and some steamed broccolini on the side...yum!

Portabella & Porcini Pot Pie

1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms

2 med-lg. portobella mushroom caps, roughly chopped

1 t. olive oil

1 t. + 1 T. Earth Balance (non-dairy butter sub that's the best!)

1T. all purpose flour

1 t. dried thyme

1 c. veg beef flavored broth made from concentrate (I like Better Than Bouillion "wet" brand or Frontier dried brand)

2t. Marsala or Sherry

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed (I use Pepperidge Farm)

Soak dried porcinis in hot water to cover well. Let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat saute pan with 1 t. olive oil and 1 t. Earth Balance. Cook portabellas until slightly browned, adding some of the soaking liquid from the porcinis, if needed to keep the pan from cooking dry. Add porcinis and their soaking liquid and cook a few minutes longer. Add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Set aside. Cut the thawed puff pastry sheet into halves or forths, depending on the size of your serving dish (s). Bake them at 400 until puffed and browned on top. Set aside. Heat remaining 1 T. of Earth Balance in a saucepan. Add flour and whisk constantly until smooth. Add "beef" broth and stir constantly until smooth. Allow to cook a few minutes more until thickened and bubbly. Stir in thyme. Add broth mixture to mushroom mixture and pour into serving dishes. Top with puff pastry and serve. Don't add salt until tasting first, as the broth is often plenty salty on its own. Serves 2.

For the baby carrots:

The ones that I bought were cleaned and microwave ready, so I just laid them, not overlapping, on a cookie sheet, drizzled with 1 t. olive oil and 1 t. herbes de provence and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Roast in a 425 oven for 10 minutes or until softened and starting to caramelize.

Render what is Caesar's and veganize his dressing while you're at it

My husband, David, loves Caesar salad. The crisp romaine lettuce leaves, the nuttiness of the parmesan shaved over the top, the crunchy, garlic -laced croutons and oh, that dressing. Romaine...already vegan. Croutons...not hard to make or buy. All that's left to veganize is the cheese and dressing. I think I hit the nail on the head for the dressing...I'll have to speak to the cow about the cheese. Maybe if she drank soy milk...

Hearts of Romaine Caesar Salad

1 head of organic romaine lettuce, washed well, but kept intact.

vegan croutons of your choice

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the dressing:

*This recipe will make much more than needed for the 2 salads...enjoy it tomorrow for lunch*

2 oz. of silken tofu

1/3 c. vegan mayo (I like reduced fat Veganaise brand, found in refrigerated section)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 t. nutritional yeast

juice of 1 large lemon (about 3T)

2 t. white miso

1/4 c. water

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

Blend all ingredients except oil in blender or food processor. With the blade running, slowly pour in oil to immulsify.

To assemble Salad:

Cut head of romaine in half lengthwise. Sprinkle on croutons and drizzle on dressing. Serves 2.

With it's lemony notes, I think this dressing would also be really good on steamed broccoli, asparagus or cauliflower.

Busy Day Soup

Wow...what a busy day... Just from 1 until 6 pm: Pick up Oscar from preschool, take Oscar home to empty nuclear waste that he's produced in his diaper (gotta find time to potty train). Pick up from school, take Henry to physical therapy, take Ceci to ceramics, pick up Johnny from school, take Johnny and Oscar back home. Pick up Henry from therapy, pick up Ceci from ceramics, take Ceci's BFF, Chloe, home from ceramics, take Ceci home to change clothes and be at her violin concert in 4.25 minutes. Curse that Oscar has pooped again and the potty fairies didn't get the memo to change him. Ooh and ahh at violin concert, take Ceci home to change clothes for baton lesson. Sing "Halleluja!" that David is home in time to take Ceci to baton and Ollie to soccer. Start dinner. Realize that I missed Peter's theater parents meeting. Pray for boredom.

This soup was super quick to make and really tasty and different...hope you like it!

White Bean Soup with Lemon and Pesto

3 (15oz) cans of cannellini beans, drained (white kidney beans)

32. oz. carton of veg "chicken" broth (I use Imagine No Chicken Broth and love it!)

1 t. extra virgin olive oil

1/4-1/2 c. veg broth (or more of the no chicken broth)

1/2 med. onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. dried oregano

juice of 1 lemon (approx. 2-3 T)

1/3 c. homemade or purchased traditional pesto, plus extra for garnish

Heat soup pot to med-high heat with olive oil and 1/4 c. veg broth. Add onions and cook until softened and slightly browned, adding more veg broth (a tablespoon at a time) if pan gets too dry. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Cook until broth has nearly evaporated. Add the no chicken broth and 1 can of the beans. Using an immersion blender, blend the broth mixture to a creamy consistency or transfer to regular blender and puree, carefully lifting lid so as not to get burned from the steam. Ok, just get an immersion blender...much easier. (I loved my Braun for years, but now I am IN LOVE with my Bamix brand professional immersion blender). Add remaining beans, oregano, salt and pepper to taste, lemon juice and 1/3 c. of the pesto. Simmer for 10-15 minutes and serve, spooning 1 t. of pesto on top for garnish. Serves 4 or 2 if Dad's had a bad day and mom ran all that carpooling listed above.

David's Lunch

We've been eating out and eating "junk" WAY too often lately and we're trying to get back on the healthy bandwagon. While my dear husband is off having a stress test at the cardiologist (just routine, not emergency) I thought it would be a good time to make him a healthy lunch to enjoy after his morning fasting. Or maybe just a good excuse to clean off the kitchen counter.

Kale is my new best friend. I love it sauteed, made into chips (recipe coming soon) and raw in a salad. This salad is so tasty and you'll feel good eating it...SO good for you! With the Raw Kale Salad's sesame undertones, it seems fitting to be accompanied with pita bread and hummus. Even though hummus is hip and cool these days at parties, it's pretty darn fatty. Authentic hummus has a layer of olive oil floating on top of it! Mind you, it is totally delicious to stir that oil in to the wonderful real hummus that my Jordanian friend makes, but I personally feel the need to cut back on the fat in order to hopefully cut back on MY fat. While my recipe is not floating in olive oil, it is really yummy and smooth and great with pita dippers!

Raw Kale Salad

1 bunch of curly leaf kale (don't use Tuscan here)

1 t. low sodium tamari

1/2 t. sesame chili oil

1/2 t. peanut or canola oil

2t. seasoned rice vinegar

toasted sesame seeds to taste

Wash kale well (a salad spinner works great here). Grasp the kale stems with one hand while pulling the leaves off with the other (so fast & easy!). Set the stems aside for adding to your green juice in the morning (the stem is where a lot of the juice is). Stack up the leaves and cut into bite sized pieces. Mix all the remaining ingredients and pour over kale pieces. Massage well ...yes, MASSAGE. This is what will help the leaves to soften and lighten a bit in taste and most of all, really soak up the dressing. Before serving, top with toasted sesame seeds. This also keeps well for leftovers the next day. Serves 1.

Healthy Hummus

1 (15 oz) can of garbanzo beans, preferably organic

the juice of 1 lemon (2-3 T)

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/8 c. sesame tahini

1/4c. water (or more, if needed)

1 t. dried parsley (optional)

Rinse the garbanzo beans well under running water into a colander. While the water is running, rub the beans pretty vigorously to loosen the skins. Pour into a bowl with water to cover the beans well. A lot of the skins should float to the top. Skim them and discard. Filter through the other beans, scooping up a handful, picking them apart from their skins and putting them into a food processor or blender container. If you don't want to go to the trouble of skinning the beans, the hummus will still be tasty, skinning them just makes them a bit easier to process and with a smoother end result. Process all the ingredients until well incorporated and very smooth, adding additional water, if needed. Serve with warmed pita bread or it's really delicious to dip veggies in (red pepper strips, carrots, etc...). Also great with toasted pita chips! Serves 2 for an appetizer or snack or 1 very hungry mom in the carpool line enjoying the peace of a sleeping, buckled in, normally chatty but now napping, 3 year old. I may or may not be speaking from experience. Cough, cough.

PooPoo cookies, Veganized

When I was growing up, my mother made the absolute best cookies. My very favorites were Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. Since they are a no-bake cookie and are cooked on the stovetop, humidity becomes a factor in how hard and crumbly (my favorite) or soft the end result. Living in the Deep South, the cookies seemed to be a rare treat, only made on those rare cool and dry days.

When I married and had children, I followed in my mom's culinary footsteps and made the cookies on special days for my kids. In my house now, they are affectionately referred to as, "PooPoo Cookies." See the photos and you'll see why. Brown, lumpy with oatmeal and each one oddly shaped, I guess they fit the bill. I'm not sure what poopoo actually tastes like, but I'll bet the farm that these are much tastier! I was a little skeptical if they would set up not being made with cow's milk (did you know that a box of jello pudding mix doesn't set up with non-dairy milk?), but they turned out fine on this crisp, cool non-humid autumn day.

Vegan PooPoo Cookies

1/2 c. non-dairy butter (Earth Balance)

1/2 c. non-dairy milk (I used Westsoy brand plain, unsweetened)

2 c. sugar

4T cocoa

2t. vanilla

1/2 c. smooth peanut butter

3 - 3 1/2 c. quick cooking oats

Melt first 4 ingredients in large saucepan over medium heat and whisk until smooth. Bring to the boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off heat and add vanilla and peanut butter, whisking until very smooth and peanut butter is melted. Stir in oats and drop by spoonfuls (or use small scoop) on waxed or parchment paper. Allow to set up and cool (approx 30 minutes). I don't really know how long they last, as they are gone in a few hours at our house.

Spice Up Your Breakfast

I really enjoy exploring other cultures through their food. There's a lot of history there. My children are usually skeptical of new cuisines, a fact prompting me to wonder why our 13 and 16 year old boys always badgered us to go to the local Chinese buffet after church. While I'm not a big fan of self-serve buffets (germs and gluttony...need I say more?), I did get excited that perhaps they were curious about Chinese food and perhaps that curiosity might lead to someone to share in my joy of mei fun and broccoli with garlic sauce. After being seated at our table, we were all given the go ahead to hit the buffet. The starter gun must've gone off without my hearing it because those two teenage boys were off like a bat out of you know where. After carefully choosing just the right mix of noodles, veggies and soup, I sat down to enjoy my Asian delights. It was then that I discovered why my boys wanted to go to the Chinese buffet...all you can eat french fries! Yes, our Chinese buffet has nestled amongst its delightful offerings a huge pile of crinkle-cut, frozen, then reheated, I might add, mediocre french fries. Oh well, they did eat the fortune cookie on the way home...does that count?

This dish was introduced to me by our dear friends from Jordan. We love to eat at their house because when you walk in, it feels as though you stepped into a Persian marketplace. Cardamom and cinnamon fill the air and the spread of food that we're always offered there is nothing short of amazing. This is my take on ozzi, my favorite dish that my friend makes. The original dish is a mixture of cooked rice and short pieces of angel hair pasta, laced with spices and topped with plain yogurt and almonds...sometimes green peas, too. Although I have only been served it as a dinner side dish, I love it as a Middle Eastern sort of breakfast porridge...so filling and deliciously exotic. The ingredients may sound strange to be put together, but it is SO delicious...I promise you'll love it! Thanks, Wafa!

Ozzi

Approx. 2 cups of steamed basmati or jasmine rice (brown or white)

1/2 c. of plain yogurt or if you're lucky enough to live near a source for Wildwood Soy yogurt, use that...it just needs to be plain and tart, not sweetened

1/2 t. each of nutmeg & cinnamon

1/4 (or more) c. of toasted slivered almonds

salt to taste

Layer all the ingredients in a bowl then enjoy the sultry goodness, adding more almonds and yogurt as needed...you can thank me later.

What's in YOUR pantry?

Fresh food purists look away...this is a straight from the pantry, "just be glad that I didn't revive my love affair with Papa John" type dish...quick to the table and really tasty. It's not going to win any beauty pageants, but beauty is in the eye (tummy) of the beholder, right? Make Double the Corn bread as its sidekick and you've got one yummy, filling dinner.

Veggie Stew with Double the Corn Bread

For the Stew:

1 T. jarred minced garlic

1. T. thyme

salt & pepper to taste

32 oz. Low-Sodium reg. flavor V-8

28 oz. can of chopped or crushed tomatoes

2 bags of frozen stew vegetables (whole new potatoes, carrots, onions, celery or something similar)

1 can of cut green beans (I like Allen's brand Italian green beans)

2 T. veg. "beef" broth (I like Better than Bouillion brand No Beef Broth concentrate)

Throw everything in a large stockpot over medium high for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 3o minutes or until all the potatoes are softened but still whole. Alternately you can cook this on low for 4 hours in the crock pot.

For the Double the Corn Bread:

1 box Jiffy brand cornbread mix

1 15 oz. can of creamed corn

EnerG brand egg replacer to equal 1 egg

Plain, unsweetened soy, rice or almond milk

1 T. canola oil

Put the oil into an 8 inch cast iron skillet and place in the oven, preheated to 425 for at least 10 minutes. Mix cornbread mix, corn and egg replacer in a medium bowl, adding "milk" until batter is smooth, but thick. Pour batter into the heated skillet and bake at 425 until browned on top and knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Invert on a plate immediately after taking from oven to serve. Serves 8.

Sandwich Night

Sometimes you just feel like a sandwich. It's hard to beat peanut butter slathered on a couple slices of whole wheat bread (preferably Pepperidge Farm....Sara Lee, in a pinch) with blackberry jam...seeded, sugared, yummy blackberry jam. This sort of sandwich feels like lunch to me, or even breakfast on the run, but not dinner. Dinner needs a substantial, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of sandwich. The kind of sandwich that fills you up and gives you that, "I'm ready to veg out and get ready for bed" feeling. Here's just that sandwich...rich, hearty, oozing with Italian flavors and soft, spicy vegetables and wrapped up in crusty, grilled ciabatta bread...enjoy!

Mediterranean Vegetable Panini with Basil Aioli

Serves 2.

For the sandwich filling:

1/2 med. onion sliced in half and then into thin slivers

1 c. sliced mushrooms, cremini or baby bellas

1 roasted red pepper or the jarred equivalent thereof

1 t. olive oil

1/2 c. veg. broth

1 t. each of: minced garlic, basil, oregano and thyme

salt & pepper to taste

1 t. balsamic vinegar

Heat a large skillet on med-high heat. Add olive oil and 1/4 c. of the broth. Add onions and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and peppers, the spices and the vinegar, sauteing until mushrooms are soft and slightly browned. Add the remainder of the veg broth, if needed, to keep pan from getting dry. Salt & pepper to taste and keep warm.

For the Basil Aioli

1/4 c. vegan mayo (I like Follow Your Heart's Reduced fat Veganaise - found in refrigerated section, usually near the tofu)

1T. basil pesto

1t. granulated garlic

Stir all ingredients well.

For the Panini:

2 ciabatta rolls

spinach or basil leaves

veggie filling (see above)

basil aioli (see above)

Heat a cast iron grill pan on med-high. Spray with olive oil and lay bottom portion of a sliced ciabatta roll on grill pan. Top with 1 T. of the aioli and then top with half of the veggies. Top veggies with spinach or basil leaves and finally, the top portion of the ciabatta. Grill sandwich with another heavy pan on top of the sandwich to weigh it down or alternately, with a panini press or George Foreman grill. If using the 2 pan method, flip sandwich over and weigh down again to brown other side. Repeat with remaining ciabatta roll for the second sandwich. Serve hot.

Smoky Black Bean Stew with Green Chile Cream

We love, love, love Mexican fare at Casa Strickland! Nearly every Sunday after church in nearly every city we've ever lived, we head, as my dear husband says, "South of the Border" for lunch. When we lived in Knoxville, TN, our Catholic church was nestled amongst several HUGE churches...Presbyterians to our left, Lutherans to our right and the biggest of all, the Baptist church down the street. Their church was so big that they had to have policemen directing the traffic when they all began to leave at one time. Our joke (meant in the best, most loving way) was that if we wanted to eat lunch out, we had to "beat the Baptists" to get there. Parents will do anything to get their kids away from visiting with their friends and FINALLY getting into the car, won't they? One of my fondest memories at that time was when we had dragged our feet getting into the car after church and the jury was still out as to who would make it to our favorite Mexican restaurant first ...the Catholics (us) or the Baptists. After we safely raced to the restaurant and into the building, we were left standing right inside the big glass front door, waiting for our table. Right at that time a huge swarm of cars packed to the gills with hungry looking people, pulled into the parking lot and headed for the building. Now I have no idea what church, if any, these folks had come from, but my dear son, Peter, yells out at the top of his lungs as only a 1st grader can get away with, "Mommy, the Baptists are coming, the Baptists are coming!" Thankfully, the beautiful Latina hostess (who was probably Catholic and felt my pain at that time) whisked us away and to our table. We got to eat in peace without anyone being offended enough to comment and after that, the kids that wanted to eat Mexican after church understood the importance of getting in the car.

My typical Mexican dine-in meals have evolved from tamales, beef fajitas and beef enchiladas to cheese dip, chiles rellenos, and cheese enchiladas (I really did think all that cheese was healthy!) to most recently, a few chips with salsa, guacamole salad, veggie fajitas (no cheese) with rice and beans...still delicious...still spicy...still satisfying, but no meat or dairy...ole'! My Smoky Black Bean Stew is for those nights that you don't feel like getting gussied up to go out or just need to make dinner right after lunch because of your insanely activity-packed evening schedule ahead. This stew is so easy and quick that you can have your dinner on the table in less than an hour...that's making good time at our house! It can also be thrown into a crock pot after browning the first ingredients and cooked on low for up to 4 hours...freezes well, too! (The stew, not the Green Chile Cream)

Smoky Black Bean Stew with Green Chile Cream

For the stew:

3 (15 oz.) cans of organic black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium onion, diced

1 t. dried oregano

1 T. cumin

1 t. chipotle chili powder + 2 t. reg. chili powder (1st choice, but SPICY)

or 2 t. each of smoked paprika and reg chili powder (2nd choice)

or 1 T. regular chili powder + 5 dashed of Liquid Smoke (last choice, but still good)

1 t. Adobo powder (found in Latin section of grocery store. Use Adobo with or without pepper or cumin)

1 (15 oz) can of organic tomato sauce

1 (15 oz.) can of organic crushed tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can of Rotel tomatoes & Green Chiles

1 c. vegetable broth

Saute onions in veg. broth over high heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Add spices and cook about 5 minutes more. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes and beans. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over rice or with tortilla chips. Drizzle approximately 1 T of Green Chile Cream over top of stew...enjoy!

Green Chile Cream:

This recipe may sound strange for those who have not replaced cream with cashew...please try it, though...it's delicious. Also great as a dip for tortilla chips!

1 (4 oz) can of diced green chiles

3/4 c. raw cashews

1/2 c. plain, unsweetened soy milk (I like Westsoy brand for this)

1 t. fresh lemon juice

1 T. oil

1 t. salt

1 t cumin

Mix all ingredients in (pref. a high speed, like a Vita-Mix) blender on high until really smooth and creamy.Will keep covered for 1-2 days refrigerated.

Faux Meats...a second look

I am usually not a fan of "faux" anything...especially meats. They typically impart a distinct taste that is truly offputting to me. Fake bacon is the worst! I would probably give a kidney (or at least offer it) to someone who could invent a true to taste bacon substitute. Tasty veg chicken nuggets are usually pretty easy to find. I figure by the time that chicken graduates to the nugget stage, there's not much real chicken left anyway so fake nuggets can't be too far off the real ones. My children love the chicken made by Gardein, Boca and Quorn...slathered in ketchup, of course. I was never a huge fan of real chicken, so finding a good nugget hasn't been top of my bucket list. But...I truly love chicken piccata. Golden, crispy and oh, so yummy with it's subtle hint of wine and lemon, it was nearly always my Italian restaurant entree of choice. Taking meat out of my diet has been an adventure in recreating my favorite dishes. I have finally found a chicken piccata recipe that I love. (smiles)

Gardein Chicken Piccata on Crispy Italian Noodle Cake

with Lemon-Garlic Tatsoi

For the Noodle Cakes:

Cook per package directions 8 oz. of angel hair pasta (regular white pasta is best here). When al dente, drain noodles and pack into 4 round-bottomed containers, approximately 1/2 inch thick (see photo above). Alternately, you could use a hamburger press, but you would need one for each noodle cake to be stored. Let cool in fridge 4-6 hours or better yet, over night and the noodles will form a compressed cake o' noodles.

Cook noodle cakes until brown and crispy in olive oil- sprayed skillet, topping each with salt and pepper while cooking.

For the Gardein Chicken Piccata:

(4) Gardein brand chicken scallopini, thawed

1/4 c. flour

2T. chicken seasoning (I used McCormick brand Montreal Chicken Seasoning)

2 T EnerG Egg Replacer (or if you MUST, use 2 egg whites)

1/4 c. water

3 T panko bread crumbs

3 T regular unseasoned bread crumbs

2 t. garlic powder

1 T. dried parsley

1 T. olive oil

1 T. vegan butter substitute (I ALWAYS use Earth Balance brand)

Mix together flour and chicken seasoning in a shallow plate. In another plate mix together egg replacer and water, stirring until dissolved. In yet another plate, mix panko, bread crumbs, garlic powder and parsley. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, then egg replacer mixture, then crumb mixture. Repeat for all chicken pieces. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet on med-high and lightly sprinkle salt on the pan while heating.When heated, add the Earth Balance and the olive oil, heating 1 minute more. Add the breaded Gardein chicken and brown on both sides. Set aside and keep warm until ready to use.

For the Mushrooms:

8-10 medium cremini or baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean and thickly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1. T Earth Balance

Lightly salt a skillet (again) while heating to med-high. Add the Earth Balance, heat 1 minute more, then add garlic and mushrooms, sauteing until slightly browned and soft. Again, set aside and keep warm.

For the Lemon Garlic greens:

4 Large handfuls raw tatsoi greens or spinach

1/4 c. vegetable broth

1 t. olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat veg broth and olive oil over med-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to let burn. Add greens, a handful at a time, turning until bright green and barely wilted. Remove from heat.

For the Piccata Sauce:

1/2 c. good quality white wine (one that you would drink)

2T Earth Balance

1/4 c vegetable broth

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1T. non-GMO cornstarch

3T. cold water

In the same pan where you cooked the chicken, deglaze the pan with the wine over med heat, allowing the wine to reduce by half, approximately 8 minutes. Add veg broth and reduce heat to low. Mix the corn starch and cold water in a cup until dissolved. Add to the reduced wine, stirring constantly until smooth and slightly shiny. Add lemon juice, 1 t. at a time until desired tartness is reached.

To plate:

Divide wilted greens into 4 equal portions and make a "bed" on each plate. Top with a noodle cake, then chicken, then mushrooms, then spoon sauce over. Enjoy!

Serves 4 generously.

Grilled Eggplant and Portobello Napoleon

I'm always trying to find an acceptable AND delicious way to substitute for the non-vegan ingredients that I love. I still have yet to find a Tofu Scramble recipe that didn't taste like mashed up tofu with tumeric and various spices (not sounding good to me even if you made it with scrambled eggs!) and, until now, a sub for ricotta cheese. I have finally found one that makes my tummy happy and my mouth smile. Hope that you like it! Don't let the long list of steps put you off...all the steps can be done a day in advance and they really are simple.

Grilled Eggplant & Portobello Napoleon with Fresh Tomato Sauce

and Tofu Ricotta

For the Tomato Sauce:

(2) 14.5 oz. cans of organic diced tomatoes (I like Muir Glen)

1 6 oz. can of organic tomato paste

1/2 of a medium onion, diced

2 t. each of oregano, basil and parsley

1/8c. olive oil

2-4 cloves of garlic, minced (depending on how much woman/man you are)

salt and pepper to taste

*Saute onion in olive oil until soft and slightly browned. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes longer. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. After simmering, use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until desired "chunkiness" or alternately, you could blend the sauce in a blender after simmering (be careful!). This recipe will yield more than you need but is delicious on pasta or as a pizza sauce. It also freezes well!

For the Tofu Ricotta:

1 16 oz. block of firm or extra firm water-packed tofu

3T. lemon juice

3 T . nutritional yeast

1 T. minced garlic

1. T parsley

2t. basil

1T. Sweet White Miso (I like Miso Master)

4 oz. vegan cream cheese ( my ALL time fave is Galaxy Brand Plain vegan cream cheese)

*Drain the tofu for at least 15-30 minutes to release excess water. If you use tofu on any sort of regular basis, I would certainly recommend a Tofu XPress...works wonders! If you don't have one, put the block of tofu in a small colander (set it in the sink!) and weigh it down with a small plate with something heavy on top, like a large can of tomatoes . Now kick yourself for not ordering that Tofu XPress. When the tofu is nice and drained, proceed with the ricotta. Mix the miso and cream cheese well in a bowl (these are the two toughest ingredients to get softened to mix, so it's easier to mix them first. Then add all other ingredients except tofu, incorporating well. Mash the tofu with a fork and the mix into the other ingredients until the texture is somewhat like dairy ricotta.

For the Napoleons:

1 medium eggplant, sliced about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick (8 slices total)

4 portobello caps, somewhat similar in size to the eggplant slices

1/8 c. olive oil + 1T. for brushing the eggplant

3 garlic cloves, minced

1t. each of basil, parsley and oregano or 1T. Italian seasoning blend

*Slice eggplant, peeling optional. I think that the finished dish looks prettier unpeeled, but I prefer the taste of it peeled...you decide. Sprinkle lightly with salt on both sides and place in a dish to "sweat" out the bitterness, about 10 minutes. While the eggplant is sweating, de-stem the mushroom caps and, with a spoon, scrape the dark brown gills from the underneath side. Mix together the 1/8 c. olive oil, garlic cloves and the Italian spices. Using an indoor grill pan or outdoor grill, grill the mushroom caps, brushing with the oil/spice mixture and the eggplant slices, brushed with the 1T. of olive oil and pepper. Turn veggie to create pretty grill marks. When veggies are nice and soft and slightly brown, take off grill and set aside.

To assemble:

In individual casserole dishes or in one large casserole, for each Napoleon, layer tomato sauce, one eggplant slice, (a smear of your favorite pesto can go well here, too), 2T of ricotta, a mushroom cap, another layer of ricotta (and pesto, if using), another eggplant slice then top off the Napoleon with a nice coating of tomato sauce. Bake in a 375 oven for about 20 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned on top. Enjoy!

The 95% Vegan

I always wanted to be vegetarian, but a juicy steak always seemed to put an end to that. I loved a medium rare ribeye, complete with baked potato oozing with real, full-fat sour cream and laden with real butter. Bacon was one of my great temptations, too...crispy, smoky and oh, so good on my breakfast plate. How could I leave these delicacies behind? After all, meat and potatoes are the American way!

After struggling with gestational diabetes with nearly each pregnancy and struggling afterward with lingering extra weight, I finally realized that my annual Christmas wish of, "World Peace and liposuction" was most likely lost amongst the undeliverable letters to Santa and I needed to take things into my own hands. Loving really delicious gourmet food didn't help matters, but I DO so love to cook and create in the kitchen.

The more that I researched optimal eating for health, especially in regard to diabetes, the more that I kept coming back to the idea of a plant-based diet. Well, I knew that in order for me to kick my beef habit, I had to be totally grossed out by the idea. I do love animals and, like most folks I know, would never eat my own dog, but I didn't have a great problem with beef, pork, chicken or seafood. Enter in Netflix and Amazon, watch a few important streamed movies ("Food, Inc.", "Forks Over Knives", "Fast Food Nation" to name just a few) read some books (The China Study, Mad Cowboy, Skinny Bitch and anything by John Robbins) and well, goal achieved!

Alright, you say...give up meat but don't take away dairy! After all, we need it to build strong bones and teeth, right? If we are one of the largest consuming countries of dairy, why is our rate of osteoporosis one of the highest in the world? Why do my children with asthma start wheezing and coughing after only a bowl of ice cream? I have come to believe that cow's milk is meant for baby cows. Makes sense. I didn't feed my breast milk to my pets (or to a calf, for that matter) because it was meant for MY baby. Why do I want to take a calf's milk away from him just for me to drink, when there are so many other (healthier) options out there? Something to think about.

So after this you ask, "why 95% vegan?" Because I still struggle. Giving up chicken? No problem. Giving up beef and pork and not contributing to the ills of factory farming? No problem. Giving up plain, tangy, tart, tasty plain Greek yogurt? MUCH harder. I struggle with obscure addictions like plain yogurt, freshly grated parmesan cheese and Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream. Hopefully I can find acceptable substitutes for these and close in that 5% gap. We can only hope.