Tempeh Tacos

This is the second time I've made these, which means they passed the taste test!  Another winner from Betty Goes Vegan.

And topped with quickie guacamole (avocado, a pinch each of onion powder, garlic powder and salt, plus a squeeze of lime) and black olives.

Muy bien!  Recipe here.  And, if you happen to have any leftovers, it makes a great filling for burritos.

Note: I always boil tempeh for 10 mins. or so before using in any recipe.  It softens it, makes it less bitter and seems to help with absorbing sauces and marinades.

Pizza Burgers

Another new recipe, amazingly not Mexican food!

From Betty Goes Vegan.

I probably don't need to tell you that these are not easy to eat.  But they are delicious!  The only modification I made to these was to use orange bell pepper instead of green because that's what I had on hand.  I also made my own pepperoni via the recipe from Vegan on the Cheap.

Pizza Burgers

4 Vegan Veggie Burgers (we went with Boca Vegans, but there are a lot of different types to choose from)

1/2 Red Onion (sliced)

1/2 Small Green Pepper (chopped)

2 Tablespoons of Pizza Sauce per Burger

2 Teaspoons Black Olives per Burger (sliced)

4-5 slices of Vegan Pepperoni per Burger

4 Whole Wheat Sandwich Buns

2-3 Tablespoons of Daiya Mozzarella Cheese per Burger (shredded)

Oregano and Red Pepper Flakes to sprinkle over the top

Serve with some Pepperoncinis for a little something extra

Olive Oil and a Dash of Liquid Smoke for cooking

Preheat oven to 400.

In your cherished little cast iron skillet, heat Olive Oil and a dash of Liquid Smoke at a medium heat. Add the Veggie Burgers. Once they start to brown, add Red Onions. Flip the Burgers a few times until they're brown on both sides. If the Onions are done cooking before the Burgers are done, you can always pile them on top of the Burgers to flavor the Burgers a bit.

While the Burgers and Onions are cooking, put your Sandwich Buns on your trusted pizza stone, open and face-down and in the oven. Remove when they're slightly toasted.

Take the top half of the Buns off the pizza stone and set aside. Flip the bottom half of the Bun over and put the Burger on there. Now, stack the Pizza Toppings on the Burger in this order: Pizza Sauce, Fake Pepperoni, little bit of Daiya Cheese, cooked Red Onion, Green Peppers, Some Daiya Cheese, Black Olives, and some more Daiya Cheese. Put the Pizza Burgers back in the oven to bake.

It should take around 10-20 minutes for the Daiya Cheese to melt. It depends how much you put on. Keep an eye on it, and remove from the oven once the Daiya Cheese is melted.

Sprinkle some Oregano and Red Pepper Flake over the Daiya Cheese and put the top half of the bun on.

Linky to the original.

Chicken and wild rice soup

It will take weeks for me to adjust to the time change.  Hate it.  And just when I was enjoying the early morning light, it's gone again for the next month or two.  And more evening light gives me less of an excuse to toil away in the kitchen.  But, the weather still doesn't allow for too many outdoor adventures, so in the meantime I will content myself with my NEW cookbooks.

I made Chicken and Wild Rice Soup tonight from Betty Goes Vegan.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

• 2 Cups Vegan Chicken (I used Gardein.)
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Cup Wild Rice (cooked )
• 5 Cups Better Than Bouillon - Vegetable (made per instructions on the package)
• 1 Cup Carrots (sliced into coins)
• 1 Cup Celery (sliced)
• 1 Small Red Onion (chopped)
• 1 Cup Frozen Peas
• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Oregano (dried)
• 1 Teaspoon Thyme (dried)
• 2 Bay Leaves (dried)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Celery Seed (dried)
• Dash of Black Pepper

Heat oven to 350. In a glass baking dish, toss the defrosted Vegan Chicken and Olive Oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, flipping once to make sure they cook evenly. Once they are brown and a little crispy, remove from the oven. Then let them cool.

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the remaining ingredients on a medium heat until they boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer.

To serve, slice or chop your Vegan Chicken and then divide into 4-6 servings. It depends how much Vegan Chicken you want in each bowl. Fill your soup bowl 3/4 of the way with Soup and then toss on serving of Vegan Chicken in. Stir.

Delicious and comforting!  The only modification I made was leaving out the peas--because I didn't have any on hand and do not love peas in the first place.

We are getting snow this evening, which was not in the forecast.  But, not a surprise, given that the catastrophic snow event that was forecasted for last weekend did not come to pass, so this must be payback.  It was mere coincidence that I made this soup tonight, but I'm really glad I did.

Texas Tater Tot Casserole

So I've been perusing "Betty Goes Vegan" the last couple of weeks.  I'm still wavering on whether I want to permanently add it to my stash.  Anyway, the companion blog from the authors has been a favorite of mine for awhile.

I was craving comfort food and what says comfort better than tater tots?  This tater tot casserole isn't that of the ground beef/cream of mushroom soup/tater tot casserole (or hot dish, as they'd say in Minnesota), but it sure is comforting.

A better, more appetizing pic can be found here, along with the recipe.  But since I aim to be a one-stop shop, I'll post the recipe here as well.  Make it, eat it, love it.

Texas Tater Tot Casserole

• 1 Can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 Can Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed)
• 2 14oz Cans Diced Tomatoes (Mexican Style, drained)
• 3/4 Cup Frozen Corn
• 1-2 Fresh Jalapenos (sliced - how much you add depends on how hot you want it to be)
• 1/2 Yellow Bell Pepper (diced)
• 1/2 Orange Bell Pepper (diced)
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro (diced)
• 1/2 Red Onion (diced)
• 2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Braggs
• 2 teaspoons Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Hot Sauce (you can add more if you want more heat)
• 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
• 2 Pinches of Paprika
• 1 1/2 Cups Daiya Vegan Pepperjack Cheese (shredded)
• 2 Cups Frozen Tater Tots

Heat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except Daiya and Tater Tots. Put the Chili mix into a casserole dish. Then sprinkle an even layer of Daiya over that and then an even layer of Tater Tots over that.

Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until your Tater Tots are a sweet golden brown.