Oh - it's back... My happy low-fat vegan food thread!

[Firebird Rising]

For those of you who weren't around after my last baby, I was very inspired to start several LONG threads with recipes that I have fallen in love with. Most of them are adapted from cookbooks (I have quite a variety).

I'm dedicated to low-fat vegan food b/c of it's effects in my life. I owe my health and my babies to this way of eating. I weighed 243 lbs in January 2004. I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes/insulin resistance and on the way to a PCOS diagnosis. I had irregular periods and had not been TTA for three years but wasn't getting pregnant. I did some research and found the McDougall program which emphasizes a vegan diet with no added fats. All my fats come naturally from food.

I lost 40-50 lbs in several months (can't remember how many but want to say it was in the 4 mth range) and a year later, I found out I was pregnant. At that time, I was 203 lbs and I gained 29 lbs with that pregnancy. I have gone to within the same weight with EACH pregnancy and have been within 5 lbs of my pre-pregnancy weight a week after birth.

So, I'm a believer in this way of eating. I can share MUCH more if you're interested in learning more

I'm going to start sharing my recipes and pictures and give you an idea of what I eat and give you some ideas as well

Enjoy. Ask questions. Create.

Jen D

PS: I'm working on getting a good camera so I can take better pictures but for now you'll just have to deal with the crummy ones



---------- Post added at 10:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:35 PM ----------

French Toast



Um, this is YUM!
Just a fore-note. The bread I use is slices from a loaf of french bread from Safeway, nothing special. I buy quite a few loaves and cut them into slices, throw into a big bag and freeze it so I can pop some out whenever. I use the slices for soup, snacks and FRENCH TOAST.

2 cups soy/rice milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon maple syrup/agave nectar/honey
1 tsp vanilla and/or almond extract
1/4 tsp salt

as much bread as you need, preferably left out overnight to dry out a bit.

Whisk all the ingredients together except for bread. Pour onto a plate or cookie sheet with edges. Add the bread and let sit for 1 minute, turn over and let sit another minute. You want both flat surfaces covered in the liquid.

Preheat a nonstick skillet on medium-low heat. Add the bread and cook until it is golden brown, flip and cook the other side. You want to watch that they're not getting cooked and dark on the outside while being undercooked in the inside.

Enjoy with your favorite topping. Mine is unsweetened applesauce (lowfat and just slightly sweet). As shown in the picture, sometimes I put on a very thin layer of peanut butter as well.

---------- Post added at 10:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:41 PM ----------

Pueblo Pie



Adapted from The Peaceful Palate by Jennifer Raymond

First of all, I've received four new cookbooks since Christmas. I'm SOOO inspired

I tweak recipes pretty frequently so let me know if you alter it a different way and liked the results.

Pueblo Pie reminded me of a REALLY good unique enchilada.

1/2 c water
1 large onion chopped
1 TB crushed garlic
2 14 oz cans chopped tomatoes
2 tsp cumin
1 cup TVP

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained/rinsed
2 small cans pimientos or 2 roasted red peppers
3 TB tahini (I used natural peanut butter as my tahini had gone rancid)
3 TB lemon juice

a buncha corn tortillas, torn in half
2 15 oz cans chili beans (I used about 4 cups black beans cooked in a crockpot with chili powder, onion, garlic, salt and a bit of sugar)
1-2 cups corn, fresh or frozen

Put the water, onion and garlic in a skillet and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, cumin, TVP and then simmer another 5 minutes on medium heat.

Process the garbanzos, pimientos/peppers, tahini/peanut butter, and lemon juice in a food processor (can also use blender) until VERY smooth.

Spread a layer of the tomato mixture in the bottom of a sprayed 9X13 pan (I then used a potato masher to kind of squish the tomatoes a little smaller and more evenly). Cover with a layer of tortillas and then spread some garbanzo cheese. You may have to hold the tortillas with your hand to keep them from moving. Sprinkle with beans and corn. Spread another layer of tomatoes, repeat, repeat until you run out or have no room, end with the tomato sauce. Make sure all the tortillas are covered with some sort of liquid or substance. I ladled a few spoonfuls of bean juice (from the crockpot) over the whole thing).

Bake 20-40 minutes, depending on how well cooked you like stuff.

This tasted GREAT with salad ON it (not as shown with salad NEXT to)

Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Jen's beautiful food thread is back!

[DancingWithElves]

[April G]

I haven't been eating vegan the last couple weeks and I'm feeling Hopefully this will inspire me, cause to be perfectly honest I'm bored with my recipes.

[bananacake]

Lurking

Those recipes look good! Ill be watching for more and trying these out, thank you!

I loved your last thread...and can't wait to see what things you are cooking.

[momyshaver]

subbing for yummy ideas.

[KLin]

More ideas please

[Firebird Rising]

Vegan Low-Fat Crackers



We had these a couple days ago. Unfortunately, I have a sparse and not so exciting collection of cookie cutters, but regardless, these were yummy and made a LOT of crackers.

3 1/2 cup oats
1 cup almonds or pecans
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (I used w.w. pastry)
3/4 cup white flour (unbleached)
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup water
2 TB honey
2 TB peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

Process the oats, nuts and coconut in either a blender or processor, dry. Set aside. Process or blend the water, honey, peanut butter, vanilla and salt. Add wet ingredients to the processed ingredients and add all to the flours. Mix well and roll out onto floured board very thinly. Cut crackers with cookie cutters and put on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes.

If you have to re-roll the dough for any reason, add a few sprinkles of water to keep it from flaking while you roll it.

Inspired by The Country Kitchen by Phil and Eileen Brewer

[Firebird Rising]

Blueberry Bread Pudding



I've made this three times so far and loved it. The original version came from The Country Kitchen Collection by Phil and Eileen Brewer, owners of a little bed and breakfast in British Columbia. Their recipe calls for another banana and sliced apples.

15 slices whole wheat bread, cubed
3 c soy milk
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 TB Orange Rind
3 TB honey
1 banana
1-2 cups blueberries, frozen or fresh

Blend banana smooth in small amount of the milk. Add salt, vanilla and honey to blender. Pour into bowl, add the rest of the milk and the orange rind.

Fold in the bread cubes. Add blueberries. If using frozen, thaw blueberries in a sieve with warm water, drain as much as possible and place in a small dish with a bowl of flour to coat the blueberries so they don't leak all over the place.

Pour all into greased 8X8 pan or casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toasted on top.

*You can omit blueberries but would have to change the title to just "Bread Pudding" and that's not so exciting. Or you can use raisins for a traditional bread pudding.


---------- Post added at 11:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:43 PM ----------

Mushroom and Almond Spread

So, I didn't take a picture of this because pretty much, it's not very exciting, just brown mush looking stuff. But while it don't look like much, it's LOVELY on crackers, bread, or celery dipped in it.

1 cup almonds
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 1/2 c sliced mushrooms
3/4 tsp thyme leaves
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Toast the almonds in a 375 F oven until lightly browned, about 10 minutes, cool.

Saute the onion and garlic 3 minutes in a small amount of water. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt and black pepper. Cook until the mushrooms are browned and liquid evaporated.

Toss the almonds in the food processor and grind 'em up good. Then add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth. Chill before serving.


---------- Post added 03-15-2010 at 12:41 AM ---------- Previous post was 03-14-2010 at 11:06 PM ----------

Eggplant Potato Moussaka


Eating this tonight and can't seem to stop. Adapted from Veganomican, I've lowered the fat content drastically.

Vegetables
1 lb eggplant
1 lb zucchini
1 1/2 lb Russet or baking potatoes

Sauce
4 large shallots, sliced thinly
4 cloves of garlic, crushed/minced, whatever
1/3 veggie broth or red wine
2 (15 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
2 tsp dried oregano (I didn't have this today and it turned out okay anyway)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
salt

Cream
1 lb soft silken tofu
1/2 c pine nuts
3 TB lemon juice
1 tsp arrowroot powder, cornstarch, or tapioca flour
1 1/4 tsp salt or to taste

1 c bread crumbs (panko are yummiest)

Preheat the oven to 400. Oil/Spray with Pam three baking sheets, cake pans, or roasting pans.

First, the veggies... Wash eggplant, zucchini, and potatoes, trim off the parts that you probably don't want to eat, like the ends, bad spots on potatoes, etc. Slice all of them lengthwise about 1/4 inch thick slices. Sprinkle salt on the eggplant slices and rub it in gently. Set aside egplant in a colander for 15 minutes to drain. Then rinse in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.

Spread each vegetable type on a separate baking sheet/pan. It's okay if they slightly overlap. Sprinkle veggies with salt. Lightly spray the tops of the vegetables with Pam. The eggplant typically sticks to the pan the worst so be aware of that when prepping the veggies.

Roast eggplant and zucchini for 15 minutes. Roast potatoes for 20-25 minutes until slightly browned edges. Allow them to cool.

While veggies are cooling...in 1/4 c water in a large saucepan, saute the garlic and shallots until the water evaporates and they just barely start to stick. Add the wine and cook until the onions are translucent. Add in the tomatoes, oregano, cinnamon and bay leaf. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 12-14 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat, remove bay leaf and salt to taste.

Lastly, make the cream by blending the pine nuts and lemon juice. Add the tofu, garlic, arrowroot/tapioca flour/corn starch, salt and pepper. Keep scraping the sides with a spatula. Blend until smooth.

To build your casserole...Lightly oil a 9X13 in pan and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread 1/4 to 1/2 c tomato sauce, then add a layer of eggplant, of potato, more sauce and sprinkle with crumbs. Spread ALL the zucchini on top. Layer the eggplant, potatoes, sauce and more bread crumbs. Spread the cream with a spatula over the entire casserole. Scatter some pine nuts on top for garnish if you wish.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. The top will crack/split and lightly brown. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

[Singingmom]

Gorgeous food!

If you had to use rice milk in the bread pudding, would you thicken it somehow? Since rice milk is thinner than soy.

[Firebird Rising]

Originally Posted by Singingmom

Gorgeous food!

If you had to use rice milk in the bread pudding, would you thicken it somehow? Since rice milk is thinner than soy.

I wouldn't worry about it. I think rice would do just fine.

Jen D.

[joystrength]

Yea!


I'm trying to go vegan -- as much as I can. Vegan foods are what we "fall back" on due to my kids' allergies (nuts/eggs/dairy) often, so it's nice to find some new recipes. I'm going to try the bread pudding today, I think!!

I can't find arrowroot anywhere here in Italy....do you think the Moussaka would be ok without it? (can't use cornstarch, either)...will it be too runny?