Gluten-Free Hot Fudge Brownies

Okay, I know this picture looks like a plate full of steamy hot you-know-what, but trust me, it's really a plate of gooey awesomeness. Hear me out...
I have yet to bake a single recipe in the New Dawn Kitchencookbook that I haven't gone ga-ga over, and this one is no exception. As usual, I craved a sweet treat. And my daughter was begging me to make a bowl of buttercream frosting for her to eat. Ummmm... I don't think so! My pantry is seriously looking deserted right now, so I wasn't sure what - if anything - could really be concocted from the confines of it's barren recesses. So, I started digging through my cookbooks to see if I had any remotely viable options, and after a few minutes of leafing through cookbook pages, I stumbled across the 'Hot Fudge Brownies' recipe in Dawn Grey, PhD's fantastic (but self-published and therefore not widely known) cookbook New Dawn Kitchen: Gluten-Free, Vegan, and (easily) Sugar-Free Desserts. It was the strangest recipe for brownies I've ever made. And I will admit that I was very skeptical when I was pouring boiling water over raw sugar and cocoa. I even exclaimed once, "What the hell am I making?!" But it turned out oh-so-scrumptious. When I took it out of the oven, the crusty top was pulsing with the hot fudge underneath, and little bubbles of fudge were popping in the cracks. It looked like a dream. I could only wait about five minutes before I had to dig in and taste it. Yes, I burned my tongue. Please try to exhibit more self-control than I did. The cookbook recommends that this be served warm, so I was just following instructions. Yes?

"2 cups All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
1/2 cup granulated sweetener (I used organic white sugar)
3/4 cup powdered cocoa
4 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt product (I used fine sea salt)
1 cup chocolate milk product (I used Silk chocolate soy milk)
1/4 cup oil (I used canola)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups boiling hot water, divided
2 cups packed brown granulated sweetener (I used brown sugar)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, white sugar, 4 teaspoons cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
• Spread into two 9x9" square baking pans (I used one 9x13" pan, lightly coated with baking spray). Combine brown sweetener and remaining cocoa into a separate bowl until blended, then sprinkle over the two pans equally.
• Pour 1 3/4 cups hot water over each pan. For hot fudge effect, do not stir.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes, until toothpicks come out clean. Rotate pans after 20 minutes. (I forgot to rotate - didn't seem to hurt.)
• Best served warm with mock whipped cream or non-dairy ice cream."
• Makes about 15 brownies.

NUTRITION INFO (per brownie):

Calories: 244 / Total Fat: 5.1g (Saturated Fat: 0.6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2.4g) / Cholesterol: 0mg / Sodium: 559.8mg / Potassium: 192.4mg / Total Carbohydrates: 61.9g (Dietary Fiber: 3.2g, Sugar: 47.2g) / Protein: 2.9g

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A Big Fat Bowl of Comfort

Today has just been one of those crappy, ho-hum days where my sick, grumpy daughter is puking on everything in sight and the best thing on TV is Satan's School for Girls, starring Shannon Doherty (which, I'll admit, I am watching with perverse fascination). My cat's are whining. My kid is whining. Now I'm whining... I finally decided "enough is enough!" So, I set out to make some good old-fashioned comfort food. Sadly, my larder is pretty bare, but after a little digging I managed to piece together a delicious, and very nutritious, chili. And I'm happy to say that it turned out great! I'm working on my second helping as I type. Try it out - it's seriously good for what ails ya. Now it's time to go make some cupcakes and take a nap...

1 14-ounce package Ground Beef-style Gimme Lean, cubed
2 tablespoons oil
1 25-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 kidney bean cans of water
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 vegetable bullion cube (no MSG)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper

• In a cast-iron or non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium, then gently brown the Gimme Lean on all sides. No need to be methodical with this, just keep tossing it all around with a spatula until all pieces are nice and brown and slightly crispy on the outside.
• In a large pot, place all remaining ingredients. Stir well and heat to boiling. 
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add Gimme Lean, stir well, then cover. 
• Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Makes 8 servings.

NUTRITION INFO (per serving):

Calories: 244.9 / Total Fat: 5.2g (Saturated Fat: 0.8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2.3g) / Cholesterol: 0mg / Sodium: 855.3 / Potassium: 250.8mg / Total Carbohydrates: 35.8g (Dietary Fiber: 10.4g, Sugar: 3.9g) / Protein: 14.4g

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Banana Bread Bundt Cake

If you need a quick and easy cake for a holiday party, this is the one to make! I've slightly "healthified" this version by replacing the butter with applesauce and lowering the amount of sugar, but you can substitute vegan butter for the applesauce and add an extra half a cup of sugar to the recipe to make it more decadent. You can also top it with lemon zest, sugared walnuts, or grated cinnamon for some extra zing.
Oh, and if you don't have a bundt cake pan, don't worry - you can just use two standard loaf pans.

CAKE
1 1/2 cups organic white sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 tablespoons flaxmeal
1/4 cup water
6 overripe bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking soda
3 cups organic all-purpose flour (you can sub whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil or spray a standard bundt cake pan, or two loaf pans, with baking spray.
• Mix the flaxmeal and water together in a small bowl. Stir with a fork or small whisk until well mixed. Set aside.
• Beat bananas, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla together in a large bowl until very well mixed. Add the flaxmeal mixture (this is your egg replacer) and mix until incorporated.
• Sift the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger together directly into your batter bowl. Just let it sit on top of the wet mixture until you're ready to mix.
• Gently stir or beat all ingredients until just-mixed. Do not overmix. 
• Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake for about an hour. Test with a toothpick at 50 minutes and watch closely from there. 
• Allow the cake to cool for a half hour before turning out onto a plate. Then allow it to cool completely before applying the glaze.

GLAZE
1 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted and lightly cooled
2 tablespoons soy creamer

• Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until a smooth glaze is formed. For thinner glaze, use more milk (added one teaspoon at a time). For thicker glaze, use less.
• Pour slowly around the top of cooled cake, or drizzle onto cake using a wooden spoon.
• Makes 16 servings.
• Enjoy!

NUTRITION INFO (per serving):

Calories: 252.1 / Total Fat: 1g (Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g) / Cholesterol: 0mg / Sodium: 238.5mg / Potassium: 220.3mg / Total Carbohydrates: 59.2g (Dietary Fiber: 2.1g, Sugar: 37.2g) / Protein: 2.7g

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Wacky Chocolate Cake

 

You guys know I struggle with weight issues. In fact, I almost named this blog, "The Chunky Vegan," but then I chose not to because I thought I might someday not be chunky anymore. *fingers crossed* Hopefully someday the "bankrupt" moniker will also not apply. *fingers double crossed*
Anyway, I recently snagged a copy of Neal Barnard's new book 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart. It's chock full of great information for losing weight, and all of the recipes are 100% vegan! Since I am forever craving chocolate and sugar, the first recipe I turned to was this easy chocolate cake. It's honestly not the greatest cake I have ever baked, but the advantage was that it was really easy to throw together, it's low in fat and calories, and it tastes great with fresh coffee or a tall, cold glass of vanilla soymilk.
The recipe is specifically just for the cake. The topping is all mine. I threw together a simple glaze with about a cup of sifted powdered sugar, a couple of tablespoons of sifted powdered cocoa, and enough soymilk to make it juicy (just a few teaspoons will do - add the milk one teaspoon at a time until you get the consistency you want) and topped that with some slivered almonds, which I had to painstakingly pick off one by one because my three-year-old daughter did NOT want them on the cake.

WACKY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Recipe from Alka Chandna

Makes 9 3x3" pieces.

"Here is a delightful version of legendary Wacky Cake, which is said to have its origins in World War II rationing, when milk and eggs were hard to come by. At the time, the cake was lower in fat and cholesterol, not by choice but by necessity. Today, those characteristics are virtues.

1 1/2 cups unbleached pastry flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 teaspoons unsweetened applesauce

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 cup cold water

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder in a bowl; stir with a fork until mixed. In a separate bowl, whisk the vanilla, applesauce, vinegar, and water. Pour the mixed wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until well mixed. Pour into a 9x9" baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean."

NUTRITION INFO (per serving):

Calories: 171 / Total Fat: 2g / Total Carbohydrates: 36g (Dietary Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g) / Sodium: 343mg / Protein: 2g

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Gluten-Free Sugar-Free Coconut Macaroons

Yeah, baby! These macaroons are vegan, gluten-free, and free of refined sugars. And they are fantastic with hot tea. I feel very British while eating these and sipping my organic black tea. It makes me want invite Rupert Giles over for a chat about the current state of the Hellmouth.
I come from a long line of deeply Southern women, who were descended from a long line of deeply Irish women. British I am not. But, delicious these macaroons are! Hey, that sounded more Yoda than British, didn't it?

Anyway, here's how to make 'em...

3 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
4 tablespoons water
1/4 cup coconut milk (the canned stuff)
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Lightly oil a medium baking sheet, or spray with baking spray. Set aside.
• Mix egg replacer and water in a large bowl and whisk together until all lumps are gone.
• Add coconut milk, agave nectar, salt, flour and baking powder. Mix well.
• Fold in coconut until well distributed throughout.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonful (or use a small cookie scoop) onto prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Keep an eye on your cookies for the last few minutes, and pull them out if they're getting too dark around the edges.
• Transfer gently to a wire rack for cooling.
• Makes 24 cookies.
• Enjoy!

The next time I make these, I might try drizzling a little melted chocolate over the tops. I think that would taste sublime!

NUTRITION INFO (per cookie):

Calories: 88.2 / Total Fat: 3.9g (Saturated Fat: 0.4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0g) / Cholesterol: 0mg / Sodium: 20.6mg / Potassium: 5.5mg / Total Carbohydrates: 13g (Dietary Fiber: 0.9g, Sugar: 4.1g) / Protein: 1g

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Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

It's cold and crappy outside. What else is there to do but bake, drink coffee, and watch old episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and That 70's Show? Seriously, what else???


COOKIES
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (the natural kind, not the hydrogenated crud)
1/2 cup vegan shortening, softened (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 white sugar (organic preferred)
1/2 cup brown sugar (organic preferred)
1/4 cup soy or nut milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

• Cream together peanut butter, shortening, and both sugars until fluffy and pale. It will take several minutes to reach the right consistency.
• Add vanilla and milk. Mix until well-blended.
• Add baking soda and salt. Continue to mix.
• Gently add flour, a half cup at a time, until mixed in well (be careful not to over-mix). Scrape the sides of the bowl regularly with a rubber spatula.
• Chill the dough in the refrigerator while you prepare your filling... (see filling recipe below)
• After you have prepared the filling, and your dough is nicely chilled, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
• You'll need a big, flat area to roll out your dough. I used my kitchen table. Sprinkle your table with flour (use more as needed) and rub your rolling pin with flour too. Roll out the dough in batches (I did a third of the dough at a time). Make each batch about a quarter of an inch thick and use a circular cookie cutter or a glass (which is what I used) to cut nice, uniform circles into your dough. Gently place each piece of dough, two inches apart, onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, using a thin spatula.
• Bake for 10 minutes. 
• When you take the cookies out of the oven, leave them to sit on the cookie sheet until they are cool. They will break very easily if you don't. But, once they have cooled, they will be very sturdy.
• Once they have cooled, stack them and set them at the work station where you intend to cram them with filling.

FILLING
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (ditto what I said above about the natural stuff)
1/4 cup Earth Balance buttery spread, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar (organic preferred)
2 tablespoons soy creamer

• Cream together the peanut butter and Earth Balance until fluffy.
• Add the vanilla and continue mixing. 
• Add the sugar and continue mixing. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
• Add the soy creamer a tablespoon at a time, mixing well each time. 
• Place about a tablespoon of filling in between two cookies and gently squeeze until it reaches the outside edges. 
• Give one to your kid and another to your husband to shut them up so you can finish the rest!
• Repeat. Eat!
• Makes between 12 and 16 cookie sandwiches, depending on how big you cut your cookies.
• Enjoy! 

Just for funsies, I used the new Star Wars pancake molds I got for my birthday on some of the cookie dough. They turned out great! It inspired talk with my husband about a Star Wars-themed Christmas party...
 

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Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

We all have vicious colds at my house right now. It seems to hit us around this time every year. And, if you were reading my blog last year, you might remember that I developed pneumonia and was sick for two months straight. It was a nightmare! So, this year, despite the fact that my daughter and I have both been hacking for nearly a month, and my husband (who never gets sick) caught it last week, I'm trying to stay busy, productive, and positive. I don't have a lot of energy. My house is mess. But I am trying with all my might to keep the Manriquez family happy and comfortable, making sure we keep our spirits up. We're renting funny movies and TV shows (recommendations are always welcome, by the way), and we're eating really healthy, nutritious - heavy on the leafy greenery - meals. Lots of green smoothies. Lots of jokes and laughing. I'm also taking tons of vitamins, including garlic pills, with the addition of as much fresh garlic as I can cram down my gullet. And I think it's working! The progress is very slow, but we do seem to be getting better, little by little, each day. Oh, and did I mention comfort food? Yeah, comfort food. When I am sick I am not on a diet. I do try to keep it healthy, but I like a little sweet snack in the evening when I'm convalescing. It helps with my congestion, y'see.

And that's where these cookies come in! What's so great about these is that they are crazy simple to make. Throw everything in a bucket, stir it all around, and stick 'em in the oven. Oh, and the raw dough is fantastic! About a quarter of the dough went right into my mouth uncooked, while I watched that episode of South Park where the giant guinea pigs take over the town. When I saw the guinea pig dressed as a bee, I shot a little dough out my nose. More good medicine. Because, honestly, the best medicine is laughter. I truly believe that.

1/3 cup soy or nut milk

2 tablespoons flax meal

2/3 cup brown sugar (organic preferred)

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup raisins

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, mix milk and flax seed together. 
• Add sugar, oil, and vanilla. Mix well.
• Add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Mix well, but do not over-mix.
• Fold in oats and raisins. 
• Place by rounded teaspoonful, two inches apart, on a lightly greased (or sprayed) cookie sheet.
• Bake 10 minutes.
• Let cool on the pan for a few minutes before handling.
• Makes about 20-ish cookies.
• Enjoy!

I handed my daughter two cookies and said, "Give one to Daddy." But she kept them both and bit into them like they were one big cookie. And she's kind of a picky eater, so this is a definite testament to their yumminess!

I have to throw this second picture in too, because I think it's hilarious. When I look at it, I can just hear her speaking in a perfect British accent, saying something like, "The vintage of this nutmeg is just... uh, f'aw, f'aw,  f'aw... divine."

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Cream Cheese Cashew Brownie Pie

Yeah, yeah, I know - it ain't exactly on my diet. But sometimes you just neeeeeed chocolate. You know what I mean? And, since I was lucky enough to find Vegan Gourmet Cream Cheese on sale at two for a dollar recently, I stocked up. Thus, cream cheese cashew brownie pie was born.
I adapted this recipe from the 'Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Brownies' recipe in Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, a must-have cookbook for vegans of every culinary ilk! Grab the cupcake cookbook too - it never fails.

If you can't afford the cashews, leave them out, or feel free to use whatever nuts you have on hand.
And, if you can't afford the cream cheese, just make plain ol' brownies!
Top with blueberries, chocolate chips, powdered sugar, chocolate sauce, sifted cocoa, or nothing at all. They will taste fantastic!
Here's how to make 'em...

BROWNIES
3 ounces firm silken tofu
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2/3 cup agave nectar (or 1 cup of sugar)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted cashews, chopped

CREAM CHEESE TOPPING
8 ounces vegan cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup agave (or 1/2 cup sugar)
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate.
• Make the brownie mix first. Puree tofu, milk, and oil in a blender until smooth and fluffy. Transfer tofu mixture to a mixing bowl, and add the vanilla and agave nectar. Beat or stir until smooth.  Sift in dry ingredients, then mix until smooth. Pour into pie plate and set aside.
• If you're adding the cashews (or any nut of your choice), spread them gently on top of your brownie batter.
• Now make the cream cheese topping. Cream together the cream cheese and agave until smooth. Add the arrowroot powder, flour, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Gently spread over the brownie batter with a rubber spatula until brownies are covered.
• If you are planning to sprinkle the top with chocolate chips, or more nuts, go ahead and do that now.
• Place in the oven for 35 minutes. 
• Allow brownies to sit on the counter until cool enough to touch. Then cover and place in refrigerator overnight. Yep, you're going to have to wait for it. I probably should have warned you about that earlier on, but it will be worth it. I promise!
• Once cream cheese topping has set, feel free to add a light sifting of cocoa powder, fruit, powdered sugar, or anything else that suits your fancy.
• Slice just like you would a pie.
• Makes 8 servings.
• Enjoy!

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Guilt-Free Hot Cocoa

It's not unusual, at this time of year, to find me on my predictable "new year's resolution diet." Let's just hope I manage to make it stick this time! In an effort to quell my chocolate cravings without breaking the calorie bank, I started fiddling around in my kitchen to create a diet version of my favorite hot cocoa recipe, and I think I've done it! It's not as creamy or as rich as your standard hot cocoa, but the chocolate hits that part of my brain that cries out for it, and I feel satisfied without chomping into a bar of candy.
I also got lucky and found a grocery store that allows you to stack coupons from different manufacturers. I had four $1.00 off coupons for Truvia, all from different vendors, so I was able to get one of those big jugs of the loose stuff for only a couple of bucks. Whoopee!
Try this out if you're on a diet. I think you'll like it! Here's how to make it...

1/8 cup (3 tablespoons) water
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (Fair Trade preferred)
1 tablespoons non-caloric sweetener (I used Truvia)
1 cup light soy or nut milk (I used plain Silk Light)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• In a small sauce pan, whisk together the water, cocoa and sweetener until no lumps remain.
• Add soy milk and vanilla, and whisk again until well-blended.
• Heat on medium-high until just about to boil.
• Pour into your favorite mug and settle in for a guiltless chocolate treat.
• Makes one serving.
• Enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS:
Calories: 106.8 / Total Fat: 3.5g (Saturated Fat: 0.9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.0g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1.0g) / Cholesterol: 0.0mg / Sodium: 122.6mg / Potassium: 470.8mg / Total Carbohydrate: 17.4g (Dietary Fiber: 4.6g, Sugar: 6.7g) / Protein: 8.1g

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Twice-Baked Sweet 'Taters

I am experimenting with some new recipes for Thanksgiving dinner since the majority of the preparation will fall to me this year. And I want it to be fabulous! Try this twice-baked sweet potato and see what you think. This recipe is for a single potato, so if you want more, just ramp up the ingredients to match the number of potatoes you're using. Here's how to do it...

1 large sweet potato
1 tablespoon vegan butter (I recommend Earth Balance)
1 tablespoon non-hydrogenated vegan cream cheese
1 tablespoon vegan sour cream
2 tablespoons brown sugar (organic preferred), divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash of cinnamon

• First you need to bake that 'tater. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and gently scrub the 'tater down to remove any dirt or funk. Poke it a few times with a fork to allow steam to escape, then place it on a baking sheet and into the oven. Cook it for about 45 minutes until its innards are soft. You can gently squeeze it while wearing an oven mitt to test.
• I like to set my 'taters in an open windowsill to cool off for about 15 or 20 minutes. Once the 'tater is cool enough to handle, slice off a bit of skin from the top and set aside. 
• Scoop out the innards into a large bowl and mash them until nice and creamy. Then add all ingredients, except 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and cinnamon.
• Once it's all mixed together, gently spoon the mixture back into your 'tater. Top with 1 tablespoon brown sugar and cinnamon. 
• Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.
• Enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS
Calories: 381.3 / Total Fat: 15.8g (Saturated Fat: 4.8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2.5g) / Cholesterol: 0.0mg / Sodium: 831.0mg / Potassium: 920.4mg / Total Carbohydrates: 64.7g (Dietary Fiber: 8.3g, Sugar: 39.2g) / Protein: 4.6g
 

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Chunky Chickenless Noodle Soup

Well, guess what. We're all sick again. My daughter manages to bring home more germs from preschool than I ever thought existed in nature. It's just head colds all around, but it still stinks for us.
My absolute favorite thing to eat when I'm sick is Amy's Low Fat No-Chicken Noodle Soup, but at almost four bucks a can, I don't get to eat it unless I find it at the salvage store. And that happens very rarely. So, today, I thought I'd try out my own soup recipe. I just used what I had on hand, threw in a little knowledge about healing foods, and this is what I came up with - a warming, comfy bowl of soup, perfect for fighting off a head cold and curing the achies. Here's the recipe...

12 ounce package of your favorite noodles (I used rotini)
1 medium yellow onion, diced (onions have antiviral properties)
4 cloves of garlic, minced (antibiotic and antiviral properties)
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups vegetable stock or No-Chicken Broth
1 package of chicken-flavored seitan, cubed
1/8 cup (or more, to taste) nutritional yeast (adds all-important B12 vitamin)
1 tablespoon All-Purpose Seasoning (or any combo of your favorite seasonings)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch of paprika
Dash cayenne (opens up those sinuses)
3 green onions, chopped (more antibacterial support)

• Cook the noodles as instructed on packaging.
• While noodles are cooking, saute all veggies (except green onions) with olive oil in a large pot until tender.
• Add broth to veggies and bring to a low simmer.
• Add spices, to taste. Feel free to add any additional savory spices you like.
• Add seitan and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. 
• Add noodles and stir.
• Add green onions and stir.
• Makes about 8 servings.
• Enjoy with crackers and hot tea!

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving):
Calories: 284.7 / Total Fat: 5.1g (Saturated Fat: 0.5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2.7g) / Cholesterol: 0.0mg / Sodium: 779.2mg / Potassium: 143.6mg / Total Carbohydrates: 43.3g (Dietary Fiber: 4.1g, Sugars: 3.8g) / Protein: 16.8g

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Classic Creamy Potato Salad

Thanks to a major sale at the grocery store, I have an abundance of potatoes right now. So, it's starch, starch, starch as far as the belly can stretch. Woo hoo! Here's a simple potato salad I threw together last night - nice and creamy, but not too heavy in your tummy.

8 small to medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise, or more to taste

3 stalks celery, diced

5 green onions, sliced

1/4 cup dill relish

3 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 teaspoon paprika, plus more for garnish

2 teaspoons all-purpose seasoning, or any combo of your favorites

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• Boil potatoes in a large pot, with enough water to cover them by about two inches over.
• Once potatoes are fork-tender, drain and rinse with cold water.
• Place potatoes either back into the pot, or into a large bowl and add remaining ingredients. Stir gently until potatoes are coated with the good stuff.
• Sprinkle with a little extra paprika on top when you serve.
• Makes about 8 servings.
• Enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving):

Calories: 314.8 / Total Fat: 13.9g (Saturated Fat: 0.8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g) / Cholesterol: 0g / Sodium: 633mg / Potassium: 980.9mg / Total Carbohydrates: 40.2g (Dietary Fiber: 5.5g, Sugar: 3.0g) / Protein: 4.9g

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