Homemade DIY Vegan Southwest Dressing

Here we go again, making dinner and sitting in our kitchen going "Man, I wish we had some southwest dressing to go with this..."

And then I do a little research, tweak a few recipes, read some ingredients aloud and like magic, BAM. Cor makes southwest dressing.

Here's what you need:

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (or more if you want a thicker dressing)
1 tablespoon water
1/2 tablespoon of maple syrup or agave nectar (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
the juice of half a lemon (or 1ish teaspoons of lemon juice)
1 small pinch of cayenne pepper (or more to taste)

Here's what you do:

Try not to spill cayenne pepper all over your kitchen and your pants (*cough cough CORY cough cough*)
Mix it all together with a spoon, fork, whisk, the tablespoon you just used... Whatever ya' got. (You could throw it in a blender if you wanted... But who wants more dishes, am I right?)
Eat it.
Say "Yuuummmm!"


Hey! You just made salad dressing! Look at you being all thrifty and stuff! Horray!

Vegan Tofu Stuffed Shells

Tofu Stuffed Shells - For the win

I'm not gonna lie - with 4 kids we eat pasta often. At least once a week. It's an easy meal to throw together on days when... well, days when we don't have anything together. A friend brought over tofu stuffed shells after we had Baby Ay two years ago, and ever since then, it's been a repeat contender on our meal plans.

Here's our favorite recipe.

Totally Vegan Tofu Stuffed Shells
What you need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
16oz extra firm tofu
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (for reals, we put this stuff on everything).
10oz frozen spinach, defrosted
1 box jumbo shells
1 jar of marinara sauce.

What you do:

1. Drain the tofu and pat it dry. Crumble it into a bowl. Add olive oil, salt, oregano, garlic, and nutritional yeast and mash that good stuff all together with your hands.
Note: You can also use a food processor and blend it on high if you want to do extra dishes tonight... (Uh... No Thanks)

2. Add the defrosted spinach into the mixture.

3. Cook the shells in boiling water until al dente (or soft... because you forgot to pull them off early. It doesn't really matter.)

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour 1/2 a cup of pasta sauce into the bottom the a 9x13 inch pan. Stuff each shell with 2T of filling (or more. or less. Who measures this stuff??). Place the shells in the pan, seam side down. Find out you have a few extra unstuffed shells. Throw them in the pan anyway. Some kid is going to not want the "white stuffs" anyway. Winning.

5. Pour the rest of the sauce over the shells, cover with foil, bake for 30 minutes.

6. Eat. Get seconds. Be sad there's no leftovers.
(makes 6-8 servings)

Weekly Meal Plan

I've been trying to theme plan recently by including a soup, salad, and pasta dish in the meal plan. It's helping me focus my searches more and pulling out a new plan seems quicker. Our garden is blooming and we have an abundance of cucumbers, so I made sure to include a salad that would help use some up. They also make great snacks for the kids and we've been cutting them up to take to the beach. The Philly Sub recipe is one we've made before and thought it would be better as just a pepper/onion sub situation so we will probably not include the seitan this time around. 

Day	Dinner
M	Black Bean Soup
T	Cucumber Avocado Salad
W	Lemon Asparagus Pasta
R	Vegan Philly Subs
F	Chickpea Salad
S	Pizza (Whole Foods)
S	New Night

Produce Dairy Packaged Goods Spices/Sauces Bread

M

1 pound dried black beans (about 2 1/2 cups), rinsed

2 medium onions, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 ripe avocado, chopped

T
1½ cups of chopped tomatoes - I used cherry tomatoes

1 cucumber - peeled and seeded then diced

1 avocado - diced

4 oz feta cheese - cubed (or not)

2 tbs minced red onion

1 handful parsley - minced - about 2 tbs

2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs red wine vinegar

8 twists of black pepper from a pepper mill

W
1 bunch asparagus (12 ounces), trimmed and washed

Sea salt and black pepper

2 lemons

Olive oil

3-4 large cloves garlic, minced (~2 Tbsp)

10 ounces (~5 cups) bow tie pasta (see notes if GF*)

2.5 cups unsweetened plain almond milk

3-4 Tbsp all purpose flour (sub another thickener if GF*)

1-2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (for a subtle cheesy flavor | optional)

R

2 vegan hoagie rolls

spicy saute:

1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips (use red an/or green peppers)

1 medium sweet onion, sliced

1/4 tsp black pepper

a few dashes chipotle or cayenne powder for heat

salt to taste (I used Penzey's seasoned chili salt 4/s)

1-2 tsp oil (EVOO, safflower or other to saute)

optional: 1 small Anaheim chili, sliced (or any spicy chili - jalapeno works too)

2 Tbsp hatch chilies, diced (canned)

cheese: 2-5 Tbsp Teese vegan cheddar cheese

seitan: 3/4-1 cup seitan strips (WestSoy brand was used) (or not)

garnish: fresh cilantro, chopped, fresh tomato, sliced fresh chilies or jalapeno

F

2 Cans of Chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 Red Bell Pepper, diced

1 Tomato, diced

2 Celery Stalks, diced

1 Dill Pickle, diced

1/2 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Onion Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

1 Teaspoon of Paprika

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

1 Tablespoon of Mustard

Pitas

Weekly Meal Plan

We have a couple new recipes on the meal plan this week - Mr. M has been talking about leeks a lot lately so I pulled out our new The China Study Cookbook and found a leek pie recipe that we'll try out this week. The Baked Stuffed Tomatoes with CousCous is also new from The China Study Cookbook. 

I liked the Spaghetti Squash so much, I needed to add it again and then a few old stand-bys to round out the week. With Easter on Sunday, we're already behind and have to get our shopping done on a Monday night - wish us luck. Thankfully we'll be nice and organized because we'll be so rushed (but will probably add a frozen pizza to the cart to feed our little people tonight.)

Day	Dinner
M	Spaghetti Squash Caprese
T	Leek Pie (The China Study CB p187)
W	Pasta & Sauce with Salad
R	Sesame Peanut Noodles
F	Baked stuffed tomatoes w Couscous (TCS p167)
S	Broccoli Mac and Cheese
S	New Night!

Produce Dairy Packaged Goods Spices/Sauces Bread

M

1 large spaghetti squash

2 cloves garlic

4 roma tomatoes

1 small handful fresh basil

1 overflowing handful fresh baby spinach

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup + 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

salt & pepper to taste

T

crust

2 medium potatoes

6oz silken tofu

¼ c soy milk

1T nutritional yeast

2T almond meal

1/4t nutmeg

1/4t seas salt

1/4t black pepper

filling

2t vegetable broth

3 medium leeks

3 cloves garlic

2T white wine

6oz silken tofu

1T lemon juice

1t sea salt

1 c whole wheat bread crumbs

1t tarragon, dried

1T thyme, dried

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2c chopped sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)

1/2c soy milk

1 can chopped black olives

W

Bag of Salad
Cucumber
Tomato
Croutons
Dressing
Bag of Pasta
Sauce

Bread

R

1 (8-ounce) 100% whole grain so ba noodles
2 cups snow peas, strings removed
2 tablespoons roasted, unsalted, unsweetened smooth peanut butter or almond butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon reduced sodium tamari
1 tablespoon sesame tahini
1/8 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
1 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced green onions
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Rice

F
8 large steak tomatoes, firm
3 c whole wheat cous cous
4T vegetable broth
1 med onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2c fresh basil
1/2c pine nuts
2T nutritional yeast
1t paprika
1 1/2c frozen spinach leaves
sea salt / black pepper to taste
1T balsamic vinegar

S
12 oz high fiber elbows like Ronzoni Smart Taste
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup flour
2 cups skim milk
1 cup fat free chicken broth (vegetarians use vegetable broth)
8 oz (2 cups) reduced-fat sharp cheddar (Cabot 50%)
salt and fresh pepper to taste
12 oz fresh broccoli florets (I used pre-cut bag)
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
cooking spray

Recipe Review: Spaghetti Squash

We are bad, bad vegetarians. We have never tried Spaghetti Squash although we've heard so much about it. It seemed slightly intimidating and difficult, so we just never even had it on our radar, until last week. 

I told Mr. that we were going to do it -- and by we, I meant I was going to put it on the meal plan and HE was actually going to do it. He had no qualms and so it was decided. It was actually quite simple! We followed the Spaghetti Squash Caprese recipe found here at The Pink Troll Kitchen blog. 

What ya need:

1 large spaghetti squash

2 cloves garlic

4 roma tomatoes

1 small handful of fresh basil

1 overflowing handful of fresh baby spinach  (we used a whole bag)

2 tbsp EVOO

3/4 cup = 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Salt and Pepper

What ya do:

Cook the spaghetti squash by baking it in the oven at 375F for 1 hour and 20mins. Be sure to stab the squash a few times with a knife so it doesn't explode and flip the squash about halfway through. Apparently you can also microwave a stabbed squash for 10-12mins, but we used the oven. 

After it's cooked, cut the stem off the squash and slice it lengthwise. Scoop out all the seeds and use a fork to scrape out the 'noodles' This is where we were all, "Oh my gosh!!! This vegetable is magic!"

Scoop out the junk and watch the magic happen.

Put your noodles in a bowl and add minced garlic, chopped tomatoes, and torn spinach and basil along with the olive oil. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 3/4 cups of mozzarella and spread the mixture into a pie dish or a 1 quart baking dish. Use the additional cheese to sprinkle on top. Bake at 375F for 30-40mins or until the cheese on top is lightly brown. Add fresh basil on top and serve.

 

We also had corn... Because Big really wanted it.

This stuff was GOOOOOOD. The kids devoured it, we devoured it. We even fought over who got seconds. It was super filling and relatively simple. The hardest part was planning ahead and having time to bake the squash, but microwaving it seems to be a game changer. We'll try that next time and hopefully it comes out just as nicely. YUM! 

Weeekly Meal Plan

Hello Hello!

We've been busy having a baby GIRL and all so we've been blessed to receive some awesome meals from friends and have been recycling some meal plans. Little Miss just turned a month old, so we're slowly falling back in to our old routine and that means back to some new plans! Here's our plan for this week. Wish us luck as we attempt Trader Joe's with our gaggle of kids today.

Day	Dinner
M	Spinach Mushroom Lasagna
T	Eggplant Gratin
W	Pasta & Sauce with Salad
R	White Bean Salad
F	Portobello tacos (F/K P. 137) w/ salsa verde
S	Black Bean Soup
S	New Night!

Produce Dairy Packaged Goods Spices/Sauces Bread

M

• For the Bechamel (White) Sauce
  2 tbsp Butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Onion
• 1/2 tbsp Garlic paste (minced garlic)
• 2 tbsp All Purpose Flour, see Tips to make this Gluten free
• 1-3/4 cup 2% Milk
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 Bay leaf
• Ground Pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese (see Tips)

• For the Pasta and Layering
  7 Brown Rice Lasagna Sheets, see Tips
• 5 oz Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese, or store bought
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, see Tips
• 4 oz fresh Mozzarella Cheese, crumbled
• Pinch of Salt

• For the Spinach and Mushroom Stuffing
  10 oz (abt 300 grms) fresh Spinach, with trimmed ends
• 1/2 tbsp Salt
• 4 oz Button Mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thick

T

2 medium to large eggplant, sliced 1/2″ thick

salt & pepper

olive oil

1 quart simple tomato sauce

3 Tbs. minced chives

3 Tbs. minced parsley

1 Tbs. thyme leaves

12 oz. creme fraiche or heavy cream

4 oz parmesan cheese, grated

W

Bag of Salad
Cucumber
Tomato
Croutons
Dressing
Bag of Pasta
Sauce

R

• 3 cups cooked no-salt-added cannellini beans, from 2 (15-ounce cans) beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 4 cups tightly packed fresh spinach leaves, tough stems removed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Crunchy Bread

F

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons brown rice syrup

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon grated ginger

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 large portobello mushrooms, stemmed

Tortillas

Salsa Verde:

S

1 pound dried black beans (about 2 1/2 cups), rinsed

2 medium onions, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 ripe avocado, chopped