Pappa Al Pomodoro (Tuscan Bread Soup) April 21, 2010

I love this rustic, simple, hearty soup that’s bursting with flavor! It makes me just think of sitting on the terrace of a country house in Tuscany, looking at the flowers and cypress trees, with a glass of the freshest wine. Pair this with a salad of greens and beans, and it’s a light, but complete, meal.

photo-italy in sf, via flickr

Serves 4

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed (optional)
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (the kind that’s salted and seasoned with basil is ok to use)
1 cup water
1 small loaf day-old Italian bread
salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves

In a large pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil, crushed garlic and optional red pepper. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the whole can of tomatoes into the pot. Add the water and stir. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste. With your hands, break the bread into 1-2 inch chunks, then add them to the pot. Gently stir the bread chunks into the soup one time. Do not stir again. Add basil leaves. Serve immediately.

Love,

Sharon

www.sweetutopia.com

Quick Saffron Creme Sauce April 20, 2010

photo by ellesil, flickr

This is a versatile, mild cream sauce. You can customize it to your taste and use any kind of mushroom or vegetable with it, or use it plain.

Serves 4

1 cup boiling vegetable broth
10 strands saffron
1 cup silken tofu, drained
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2-1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Fresh finely ground black pepper and vegan Parmesan for garnish, optional

Stir the saffron strands into the boiling broth and let sit for 5 minutes to infuse. Combine the broth-saffron mixture with the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth. Heat as needed in a small saucepan over low heat or in the microwave. Serve over capellini or with seitan cutlets with black pepper and vegan Parmesan if desired.

You can also add chopped tomato, mushrooms or shredded vegetables and cook in the sauce for a few minutes for a twist.

Love,

Sharon

www.sweetutopia.com

Easy Vegan Matzoh Balls March 28, 2010

I’ve been eating matzoh balls my whole life, and I’m usually disappointed. I never liked the fluffy kind. I much prefer the smaller, harder ones. It’s so easy to make vegan versions of this recipe that usually uses eggs.

Make sure you cook these separately from the soup.

Here is my simple recipe for delicious matzoh balls:

Makes 2 dozen matzoh balls

One drained package of silken tofu (1 1/2 cups)

2 cups matzo meal

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
garlic powder, oregano to taste

1/4 cup water

Mixed all ingredients in a large bowl. You can use an electric mixer if it is available.

Form 1 inch balls

Boil the balls for 30-40 minutes in a medium pot of vegetable broth.

Keep balls refrigerated in a sealed container in the refrigerator overnight if they are not served immediately. Heat them in a pot of broth.

Love,

Sharon

www.sweetutopia.com

Vegan Corn Fritters March 16, 2010

I think I’m going to make these fritters–that I created a couple years ago–for dinner tonight, with a fruit and veggie smoothie on the side.

via flickr, photo by Helen K

Corn fritters

Yield: 8 fritters

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup plain soymilk (not unsweetened)

2 teaspoons vegan butter substitute, melted

2 tablespoons plain soy yogurt

1 1/4 cups whole kernel corn, drained (from 1 12 ounce can)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)

1/4 cup vegan butter for cooking

Sift together the dry ingredients. Stir in the wt ingredients and corn until combined.

Heat a large skillet to medium. Use 2 tablespoons of vegan butter for each batch you cook. Form 1/4 cup scoops of batter and cook each side until browned and cooked through, about 4-6 minutes on each side.

Serve with powdered sugar or agave or tofu sour cream.

Love,

Sharon

www.sweetutopia.com

Fun Kids’ Pizza March 8, 2010

I got tired of feeding my kids this weekend and we needed to find something fun to do, so I decided to let them make their own dinners. What a blast they had! Here’s what it takes to do this fun and healthy food “project” yourselves:

-Whole grain tortillas (without preservatives), whole wheat or corn, whole wheat pitas or flatbreads

-Tomato sauce or ketchup

-Nondairy cheese shreds

-Olive oil with a pouring spout on the bottle

Toppings:

-Shredded carrot

-Shredded fresh spinach

-Sliced mushrooms

-Sliced olives

-Thinly sliced or diced bell peppers

-Tiny broccoli florets

Let the kids make their own pizzas, to their specifications, and just bake and enjoy!

Next time we’ll do dessert pizzas.

Zucchi-Banzo-Tato Pancakes (Gluten Free, Vegan) February 28, 2010

These pancakes are quick to make, and much healthier than the greasy latkes most people are used to. Plus, you’re actually getting a good serving of vegetables and protein! It’s another one of those recipes that is so easy to make with simple vegan ingredients, but many people think you must use eggs to make.

image: ex.libris, via flickr

makes 12 pancakes

1 cup finely shredded zucchini

1 cup finely shredded potatoes

1 cup chick peas/garbanzos, mashed with fork

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

pinch or two freshly grated black pepper

Combine all the ingredients. Mix well until the batter becomes very well integrated.

Heat some olive oil in a large skillet or griddle. Form pancakes and cook each side until browned and cooked through. Make sure that you flatten each pancake while you cook. If they’re too thick they will not cook thoroughly.

Serve immediately with vegan sour cream if desired.

Pasta Alla Vodka February 23, 2010

Here’s one for the adults, though you could easily remove the vodka and just make a tomato cream sauce if you prefer. It’s one of my all-time favorite pasta dishes, all-vegan, easy, lowfat and with no cholesterol!

via flickr

Serves 4

3 cups (8 ounces) dry pasta (penne, spirals or other shaped plain, whole wheat or brown rice macaroni)

1 teaspoon sea salt

4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup crushed tomatoes (use canned crushed, pureed tomatoes that include salt and seasoning)

1 package (12 ounces) silken tofu, drained

1 teaspoon sea salt or Himalayan pink salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup vodka

1/3 cup chopped parsley and/or basil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Sea salt, black or cayenne pepper, and vegan Parmesan cheese for garnish

Boil the pasta in a large pot. Add one teaspoon of sea salt to the pot. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and set aside. In a large sauté pan, cook the chopped garlic in the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the garlic begins to brown lightly, add the tomato. Stir and cook for a minute. Puree the tofu in a food processor or blender. Add the tofu, 1 teaspoon sea salt and black pepper to the pan. Stir well. Add the vodka and stir the mixture. Turn the heat down to low-medium heat. Stir in the chopped herbs and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice. Add the pasta to the pan and toss to combine. (You can add extra water if you want to thin the sauce, preferably pasta cooking water.)

Garnish with extra salt, pepper and vegan Parmesan cheese.

The Healthiest Yummy French Toast Ever February 22, 2010

You (or your kids!) would not believe that this French toast will give you a full serving of vegetable, fruit and whole grains too with very little fat, no refined sugar, and of course, no cholesterol! And it is really thick like it’s supposed to be. If you are lucky, the banana and maple syrup will caramelize for you as you cook it and you’ll get an extra little treat. It is the quickest French toast you can make too! You can have breakfast for dinner and not feel guilty with this recipe.

1 small zucchini

1 banana

1 cup vanilla soy or almond milk

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup maple syrup

10 slices whole grain bread

Coconut, grapeseed or canola oil for frying

Combine all of the ingredients except the bread and oil in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth.

Heat a griddle and use 1-2 tablespoons oil for each batch you fry.

Soak each slice of bread in the mixture for one minute. Fry on each side until browned.

In the Cart (vegan foods of the month) January 28, 2010

I’m often asked how to feed a family on vegan food that won’t break the bank or take all day to prepare. Many of us are in this boat, so I’m sharing my list of groceries and meals for a family of four, including two wee ones who love to chow.

* Dairy replacements:

Soy and almond milk. (includes supplements of Calcium, B12, D2–vegan D, and more).

Daiya cheese. A new kind of vegan cheese, based on tapioca starch, with a great cheesy taste and easy to melt. I order this from veganstore.com in large refrigerator bags, then I pack the preshredded cheese into small zip packs and freeze them, keeping one at a time in the refrigerator.You can use this cheese for anything–grilled cheese, quesadillas, pizza, pasta. If you prefer to buy your cheese in the store, Vegan Gourmet is a great choice. You must broil the shredded cheese though to get it to melt.

Vegan cheese slices. Tasty and great for kids’ sandwiches.

Vegan yogurt–soy or coconut milk based, plain and fruit flavored. Make sure you are getting the probiotics in yogurt to keep your digestive tract healthy.

* Meat replacements:

This month I am all about GARDEIN. It’s a brand new kind of vegan meat, found both in the freezer section and refrigerator sections, near the produce. It’s made of soy, wheat gluten, and ancient grains, and tastes like the real thing. My kids would eat the chicken tenders every day if I let them. There are many varieties that can be used alone or prepared in other dishes.

Ground “meat” crumbles. (In the supermarket refrigerator section.) Smart Ground is what I’m using, ever since Morningstar decided to rudely un-veganify their crumbles. I make stroganoff and lasagna with the crumbles.

SmartBacon. (In the supermarket refrigerator section.) For an occasional BLT. You must spray it with oil before baking, grilling or broiling so it browns nicely. I don’t fry it.

* Produce: We eat lots of produce, either straight, in salads or prepared with other foods. I love the organic herb salads, red peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, carrots, kale, zucchini, broccoli, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, avocados, herbs if it’s off season for my garden, garlic and onions, all organic when possible. I always keep frozen spinach and berries available. I will throw it into any kind of recipe for extra nutrition. Plenty of fruit, like citrus, tropical fruits, and apples.

* Other: I always have whole grain flours on hand, many types of pasta, including whole grain, buckwheat soba noodles, brown rice, quinoa, silken and regular tofu, plenty of beans, nut and seed butters, tahini and fresh whole wheat Italian bread and whole multi-grain and seed sandwich bread. I also use dulse (seaweed) flakes, flax meal and nutritional yeast as food nutrition enhancers. And who can live without Olive Oil? I also keep vegan mac n cheese boxes around for the kids, and frozen vegan dumplings. They love these with sesame-based Goddess dressing. We also have bagels and vegan granola and oats for breakfasts. I use Vegenaise or other vegan mayonaise replacement, tofu cream cheese and Earth Balance vegan butter. Oh, and this is the most important ingredient: dark chocolate!

These groceries are enough to get us through weeks of last-minute food making and some special meals. It’s really nothing so exotic that anyone can’t get. The vegan meats and cheeses we could easily do without if necessary.

Sample Menus/Five Vegan Days of Plenty

Here are some examples of easy, recipe-free meals that we’ll eat on typical weekdays when we don’t have time for long preparations. Nothing too fancy, nothing too complex, and everything is kid approved.

DAY 1

Breakfast- Vegan granola cereal and soy or almond milk

Lunch- Salad, toast with hummus and olives and cayenne pepper

Dinner- Quesadillas made with whole wheat tortillas, natural refried beans, Daiya cheese, avocado, tomatoes, salsa, greens, lime juice, sea salt

DAY 2

Breakfast- Pancakes made with white whole wheat flour, aluminum-free baking powder, organic sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, soymilk and zucchini with real maple syrup and berries

Lunch- Grilled cheese made with whole grain sliced bread, Daiya cheese and tomatoes, salad and pickles

Dinner- Whole wheat pasta with garlic, mushroom, olive, tomato and spinach topping.

DAY 3

Breakfast- Bagels with peanut butter or vegan butter substitute (Earth Balance) and vegan cheese

Lunch- Vegan cheese slice sandwiches with nutritional yeast sprinkles and tomatoes

Dinner- Lentil vegetable alphabet soup with whole wheat Italian bread and olive oil

DAY 4

Breakfast- Power shake made with kale, banana, carrot, soy milk, flax oil, agave, probiotic green powder

Lunch- Vegan dumplings (from Trader Joe’s, frozen section) with Goddess dressing

Dinner- Buckwheat soba noodles with broccoli and sesame sauce

DAY 5

Breakfast- Oatmeal made with almond milk, agave nectar, and cinnamon

Lunch- BLT sandwiches made with Vegenaise and SmartBacon and organic baby romaine

Dinner- Gardein chicken tenders, roasted herbed potatoes and salad

And what about DESSERT (you must be wondering)?

Well, there was plenty of fruit, apples, mangoes, grapes, grapefruit, plus dark chocolate, soy ice cream, and any variety of Sweet Utopia desserts that I had on hand.

For snacks, whole grain crackers, Veggie Booty, Tings, nuts, seeds etc.