Pesto Pizza

Yummy!!! Hubby made this for lunch on a day that I worked from home. He sat up the meal outside for my 4 year old and I to enjoy lunch. It was fantastic food, company and surroundings! He made the pizza dough from scratch, and then made a pesto out of spinach, pine nuts, olive oil and nutritional yeast. Delicious!

I don't have an actual recipe, so this is a guess. Or follow another pesto recipe.

2 cups fresh spinach
1 garlic clove
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 cup pine nuts
salt to taste

Combine all in a food processor, adjusting seasonings as needed. Spread on the pizza dough, add toppings and bake until dough is puffed and done.

My hubby topped our pizza with sauteed mushrooms and onions. Delicious!

Strawberry Lemon Kick Cake

Wow! I can't find where my husband stuck this recipe, but I wanted to upload the picture while I was updating my blog. So good! I LOVE strong, tangy lemon flavors. This one was amazing. The lemon bit me back which is just how I love it! A mild lemon flavored cake smothered with tangy lemon curd and topped with fresh strawberries. I'll admit, a dollop of whipped cream would have really hit the spot! Maybe I'll work on a vegan/soy free coconut whipped cream. Surely it's possible! Enjoy the picture until I can find the recipe. Sooooooo yummy.

Vegetarian Fajitas

Hmmmm, this was yummy until the third time I had them and then I was ready for a break! But that first meal of fajitas...WOW! I don't eat meat, and had no soy meat to use as a protein in these. I figured I could slice up some sunshine burgers and fry them in plenty of oil so they wouldn't fall apart. It worked! Plus they got crispy on the outside which was quite yummy.

I fried up some onion slices, zucchini, yellow squash and mushrooms for my fajitas. We found a MSPI/TED safe fajitas mix at Hyvee that worked great. In addition to the fajita mix I also used some maggi's, which is like a wheat based "soy" sauce at the Asian market. My family would have also enjoyed red or green bell peppers but we didn't have any. Then I also had the fried sunshine burger slices, avocado and salsa. Delicious!

Creamy Mushroom Zucchini Manicotti

I so crave lasagna and manicotti on this diet, probably because I have NEVER figured out a way to make it work without dairy and soy! I got a little creative and the results were good, not fantastic, but good. I figured a vegetable stuffed manicotti shell should be quite tasty smothered in a creamy sauce. I made this over a month ago and just haven't gotten around to blogging it yet. So I don't remember my exact measurements! I'll do my best, but If nothing else, hopefully it can give you an idea to try something different.

Filling:
2 lbs of mushrooms, half button and half crimini (baby bella) roughly chopped
1 large zucchini, grated
1 onion, finely chopped or whizzed in the food processor
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Saute onion in olive oil, then add mushrooms and salt to release their water. Add in the zucchini when the mushrooms are cooked about halfway through.

White Sauce:
2 1/4 cups rice milk
2 heaping Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. olive oil
seasonings (garlic and onion powder, salt)

Add the liquid to the blender and turn on low, add the flour and blend until smooth. Add seasonings then transfer to a pot and wisk over medium heat until thickened.

Stuff the uncooked manicotti shells with the cooled filling and place in an oiled casserole dish with several Tbsp. of sauce on the bottom. Pour remaining sauce over the top and bake covered with foil for 30 minutes, then uncover and cook until the manicotti can be pierced with a knife. You can sprinkle nutritional yeast on the top towards the end of cooking to serve as the "cheese."

Mushroom Stroganoff

I have never in my life opened a bottle of wine, and I honestly I've only tasted a sip once or twice in the past. I'm not a drinker of alcohol, although I did have my experimentation years and tried plenty then! My husband had purchased a cheap corkscrew, so it was quite the adventure getting that bottle opened!

Anyways, I kept running across recipes calling for white wine in the sauce, and figured I would give it a try. I was a bit put off at first as the alcohol smell was just so intense, but it really cooked down to a fantastic sauce with a hint of sweetness and depth. I'll definitely use again!

1 lb pasta of your choice
1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms, I used half button, half baby bella (crimini)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp Maggis sauce (similar to soy sauce, but uses wheat instead, at Asian market)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy-free worshteshire sauce (I found a Caribbean-ish one with no anchovies or soy sauce at HyVee)
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. savory (I would have used thyme but had none...)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup dry white wine
4 Tbsp flour
4 cups rice milk
salt and pepper to taste

Chop the onion and garlic and add to a large sauce pan along with the white wine. Cook on low to medium heat for 5 minutes or so, until the liquid is almost gone and the onions and garlic are softened. Meanwhile, clean and chop the mushrooms into large pieces. Add to the softened onions along with 3/4 cup of water. In the blender, combine all the liquid ingredients and start on low. Add the dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Once the mushrooms have begun to soften and release their liquid, add the sauce to the pan. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Adjust the seasonings as desired. Have pasta cooking in salted water during the above process and add to the sauce pan after being drained.

For those in your home that can eat sour cream, add a dollop onto their serving. It was delicious!

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Primavera

I am always on the search for different pasta sauces. Pasta is probably one of my favorite meals, but I get tired of marinara. This creation was soooooooooo good and my daughter and hubby loved it as well. I made a huge batch which has actually been great as we've eaten it three times now!

I box of farfalle (bowtie) pasta, such as Barilla
1 large red pepper
1/2 package frozen peas
3 large carrots, peeled
2 large cloves of garlic, unpeeled
2 1/2 cups rice milk
4 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. horseradish (optional)
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Core the red pepper and cut into chunks. Lightly grease a baking sheet and add red pepper and garlic cloves. Toss to coat in the olive oil and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, start pasta boiling in well salted water. Julienne the carrots into large sticks, and cook in a microwave safe bowl for 1 1/2 minutes, or steam on the stove. Reserve the peas for the final 3 minutes of the pasta being done, then add in to the boiling water and pasta to cook.

In a blender combine the remaining ingredients. Remove the red peppers and add to the blender, then peel the garlic and add as well. Blend on high until smooth. Transfer to a large pot and whisk over medium heat until smooth and thickened. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Drain pasta and peas when done, then combine with the sauce.

Note: You can also buy a frozen pea and carrot mix that would work great here. Consider adding in additional vegetables; mushrooms, corn, snow peas, you name it!

I was taking a picture of the food when my daughter wanted me to take one of her as well. She loved this dish!

Lentil Sunflower Seed Burgers

I'm always interested in a new burger recipe. I love a good vegetarian burger! I haven't tried this, but it looks pretty tasty. This is from the Moosewood Cookbook. I borrowed this book from a friend and wanted to post the recipes I was interested in before returning it... It was a good enough book that I should try to find one online for myself!

¾ cup dry lentils
1 ½ cups water
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup finely minced onion
4 –5 large cloves of garlic, minced
10 large mushrooms, minced
½ cup very finely ground raw sunflower seeds
1 ½ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Dry mustard
½ cup roughly ground crisp rice cereal or breadcrumbs

Place lentils and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft and the liquid is gone. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl, add vinegar and mash well.

Heat oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add onions and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients exempt crisp rice or breadcrumbs, and sauté 5-10 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the sauté and crumb mixture to the lentils and mix well. Chill for 1 hour before forming into patties.

Form 4-inch diameter burgers. Fry in a small amount of oil over medium high heat on both sides until heated through and crispy on the outside. Place in oven heated to 350 degrees for 8 minutes to help set the middle.

Stellar Mushroom Sauce

From the Moosewood Cookbook. I love mushrooms and anything, so this sounds awesome!

2 oz. Dried Chinese black mushrooms
OR
¾ lb. Fresh shiitake, oyster and/or chanterelle mushrooms, chopped
2 Tbsp. margarine
1 lb. Domestic white mushrooms, chopped
1 cup minced onion
1 tsp. Salt
6 Tbsp. dry sherry or 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. flour
1 large clove garlic, minced
¼ cup rice milk
2 Tbsp. rice milk powder or Dari-Free powder
1 lb. Fettucini or other noodles

If using dried mushrooms: Place the mushrooms in a small bowl. Add 3 cups boiling water, cover with a plate and let stand 30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, squeezing out and saving all the liquid. Beware of sand and sediment on the bottom of the bowl when using liquid later. Remove and discard the stems, coarsely chop the mushrooms. Measure out 2/3 cup of the liquid for the sauce.

Put pasta water on to boil.

Melt the margarine in a deep skillet. Add all mushrooms, onion and salt. Cook uncovered over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Stir in sherry (or vinegar). Turn heat to low and have a whisk ready. Slowly sprinkle in the flour, whisking steadily. Keep whisking for a minute or two after all the flour is in.
Add garlic and continue to cook and stir over low heat another 5-10 minutes. Dissolve powdered milk into liquid rice milk and add to sauce, mixing well until it is completely incorporated. Add to cooked pasta and serve.

No-Bake Pumpkin Pie

Broad TED

Thanks for this recipe Kim!

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup dairy-free milk substitute
2 cups (1 can) pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
9-inch pre-baked or graham cracker pie crust

Put gelatin and water in a sauce pan over low heat to dissolve. Add remaining ingredients, mix well, and pour into a 9-inch pre-baked or graham cracker pie crust. Refrigerate for a few hours before slicing and serving.

Gluten Free Peach Cake

Broad TED

2 cups quinoa flour or rice flour
1 cup gluten free flour mix (nature's all purpose blend)
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup raw sugar
1 large box jello mix (orange, peach or strawberry)
6 egg replacer equivalent
1 lb ripe peaches, pealed, chopped & pureed (or use canned, and drain well)
3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup pear juice (water or milk may be used).
1 tbs vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
dash ginger

Mix together all ingredients.
Beat on high speed for at least 3 minutes
Pour into pan (filling half way)
Cake is done when toothpick comes out clean

Vanilla Icing
1 cup confecitoner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla
mix until everything is blended, may add a drop or two of water if needed.
Smear all over - cool and refrigerate cake