All posts in family

Red Beans and Rice

by mightyvegan on February 13, 2012 in dinner, family, mardi gras 2012 with No comments

After a long, very sad week I am back home from my mother-in-law’s funeral and back in the kitchen. Cooking can be so therapeutic. My mother-in-law was an avid gift giver and I am continually coming across items in my kitchen that she bought me. Right now it’s hard to look at them but in months to come I’m sure they will make me smile. She was so good at noticing little things I didn’t have and giving them as gifts for whatever event came next. One such item was a really large soup pot. This item got put to good use today in the making of my red beans and rice. Continue reading →

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Portobello Mushroom Stroganoff

by mightyvegan on October 20, 2011 in dinner, family with 2 Comments

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Remember that big batch of seitan from my last post? Well, I put it to good use and made up a very large portion of portobello mushroom stroganoff. I used a recipe from the ppk site and didn’t alter it at all. This dish is serious comfort food; it’s hearty and delicious, and the sauce is excellent. It reminds Continue reading →

My Traditional Meals—Vegan Style

by mightyvegan on March 16, 2011 in family, good for kids, side dishes, tofu with No comments

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I talk to my mom nearly every day, and even though our food preferences differ (or, perhaps, because of it), we often find ourselves discussing meals. Recently I asked her what I should have for dinner. She said, “Well, I don’t know … I always plan my meal around the meat”. Her response reminded me that most people I know plan their meals this way. In fact, my sister-in-law, who is making the migration from omnivore to vegan, finds this one of her biggest challenges. At first glance, the vegan diet can seem like merely a collection of side dishes. But seasoned vegans and vegetarians know it is so much more!

When, after talking to my mom, I’m longing for something like the traditional home-cooked meals I grew up with, I have several favorites that are easy to make and offer a hearty entree with a traditional side:

1. Coconut tempeh (from reFresh), sweet potato fries and pan fried asparagus.

2. Grilled blackened tofu with onions, broccoli and red peppers. (Recipe to come this spring!)

3. Chickpea patties (from Veganomicon), mashed cauliflower (healthier than mashed potatoes, see below for recipe) and a green salad with a vegan ranch dressing.

Mashed Cauliflower
Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, boiled until soft
1/4 to 1/3 cup of veggie broth, depending on how thick you want them
2 or 3 Tbsp of Earth Balance
1 Tbsp of Nutritional Yeast
2 cloves of garlic, minced
optional: fresh chives for garnish

Directions:
Put all ingredients into your food processor and blend until completely smooth. Garnish with chives and serve.

What are your favorite traditional or comfort vegan meals?

Peanut Butter Cups

by mightyvegan on March 14, 2011 in desserts, family, good for kids with 3 Comments

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A few years ago we were at a restaurant with my sister’s family on Cape Cod. As vegetarians, my husband and I were struggling with the all fish menu. My 7-year-old nephew, who has always been a compassionate animal lover, was full of questions about what my husband and I could and couldn’t eat, and why. The next morning he proudly announced to everyone that he, too, was now a vegetarian! (My sister, an omnivore who cooks for their family, just glared at me!)

That was almost 4 years ago. Even though he lives in a house where he is the only vegetarian and has no other vegetarian friends he has not eaten meat since. This is a kid with real determination and I admire him every day for sticking with it! He recently celebrated his eleventh birthday and for that special occasion I made him these awesome peanut butter cups.

Adapted from the kind life.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of coconut oil
3/4 cup of all natural peanut butter
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of hemp seeds, divided
1/4 cup of palm sugar
1/2 cup of plain almond milk
1 cup of carob chips*
optional: chopped peanuts for topping

Directions:

Line a muffin pan with muffin tins.

In a small saucepan melt the coconut oil. Once it’s melted, add the peanut butter, vanilla, 1/2 cup hemp seeds and palm sugar. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour the mixture into the muffin tins, filling each tin about a quarter of the way full. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes or until firm.

Mix together the almond milk, carob chips and remaining 1/4 cup of hemp seeds. Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of this mixture over each peanut butter cup. Put them back in the refrigerator and let set for at least an hour. Once they are firm they are ready to eat!

*Note: I don’t like super sweet desserts but if you do, substitute vegan chocolate chips for the carob chips and cut the almond milk down a bit. In the photos above the top picture was made with vegan chips and the lower picture was made with carob chips.

Did you know that carob is a good source of calcium and protein and has about a third of the calories of chocolate and no caffeine. It is also naturally sweeter than chocolate so it needs less sugar to make it sweet. Carob is a legume and grows in pods on the carob tree.