No recipe today, but I do have pictures! My Mom taught me how to make pickles today with some cucumbers from her garden. You’re supposed to wait 4-6 weeks before eating them, but I couldn’t wait so I opened one  jar tonight and sampled them. They are already very yummy… I don’t know if they will last that long!

When I was growing up, fish cakes were one of the most popular meals at our house. (made from a wide variety of canned fish.) I have many fond childhood memories of helping make and eat fish cakes, so I thought that I would create a vegan version.

Ingredients

• 2 TBSP flax meal + 3 TBSP water (set aside to thicken)
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (rinsed, drained, and mashed)
• 1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes
• 2 TBSP vegenaise
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 TBSP dulse flakes (optional)
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 cup bread OR cracker crumbs
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions

• Mix everything together until well combined and shape into patties.
• Fry in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat until browned on both sides and heated through. (Add a dash of hot sauce or vegan worchestershire sauce to each chickpea cake right before serving for a little extra flavor if you want!)
• Serve immediately! (preferably with sides of mashed potatoes, peas, and carrots)

I was feeling really lazy and hungry… so I raided my pantry and just threw some stuff together in the hope of making a quick easy dinner for my family without much effort. It turned out surprisingly really yummy! So, the next time you’re feeling lazy and hungry try this recipe out! (Sorry… no photo for this one, I was feeling way too lazy for that.)

Ingredients

• 1 (13 oz) package whole wheat rotini pasta (cooked and drained)
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (11 oz) can mexicorn (rinsed and drained)
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 (15 oz) can vegetarian chili
• 1 (12 oz) can salsa

Directions

• Combine all ingredients in a large skillet and cool until heated through.
• Serve immediately!
• *optional* top with vegan sour cream and/or shredded vegan cheese

I was really in the mood for a salad tonight, so I made Tempeh Salad! I often make the curry version, but I just made the plain version tonight. Here is the recipe for the plain salad with suggested substitutions for the curry version.

Ingredients

• 1 package tempeh, diced into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup grapes OR raisins
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (substitute coconut flakes for curry version)
• 1 small apple, diced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 TBSP agave nectar (substitute lime juice for curry version)
• 2 tsp rosemary, finely chopped (substitute curry powder for curry version)
• 1/2 cup vegenaise OR plain soy yogurt
• 1/8 cup plain soy milk (an optional substitution for curry version is coconut milk )
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

• Steam tempeh for 15 minutes and LET COOL.
• Mix all ingredients together until well combined.
• Chill and serve. (I like to serve it on a bed of lettuce, but it’s also great in a sandwich or wrap!)

I love omelets! I think that they might be my favorite breakfast food. Unfortunately everyone else in my house prefers cereal for breakfast. I really wanted an omelet for breakfast today though, so I did! This omelet is filled with vegan rarebit sauce (I had some left over from earlier in the week), tomatoes, and green onions, but feel free to use whatever fillings you want.

Here is my omelet base recipe (makes 3 omelets!):

Ingredients

• 1 tub of extra firm tofu, drained and divided in half
• 1/3 cup plain soy milk OR vegetable broth
• 2 TBSP corn starch
• 2 TBSP nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 TBSP egg replacer powder
• 1 TBSP curry powder
• 1 TBSP bragg’s liquid aminos
• 1 tsp dijon mustard

Directions

• Mash up half of the tofu really well with a fork.
• Place the other half of the tofu and all other ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth (will be thick).
• Mix the blended tofu with the mashed tofu.
• Spoon 1/3 or the tofu mixture onto a hot well oiled skillet and spread out evenly. Cover with a lid and cook over medium high heat until the tofu starts to look dry.
• Add favorite filling over one half of the tofu mixture and fold the other half over. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until filling is heated through.
• Carefully transfer to a plate and enjoy!