How It All Vegan!: Irresistible Recipes for an Animal-Free Diet (10 page)

“ANYTHING GOES” FRUIT-FILLED MUFFINS

Heaven knows . . . anything goes!

2 cups flour

½ tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder

½ cup sweetener

egg replacer (to equal 2 eggs)

¼ cup oil

¾ cup sour soy milk (add 1 tsp vinegar to soy milk)

1½ cups “Anything Goes” fresh
or
frozen fruit (your choice)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the sweetener, egg replacer, oil, sour milk, and fruit. Stir together until “just mixed.” Scoop into lightly oiled muffin tins and bake for 35-45 minutes (use a fork to see if done). Makes 6 muffins.

Here are some suggestions for fruit combinations for your muffins:

apple, raisin

banana, chocolate chip

raspberry, blackberry

strawberry, apricot

pear, apple

ginger, apple, apricot

SPICY SOUP MUFFINS
-
BLUE BANANA MUFFINS
for more muffin ideas.

LIGHT APPLE BRAN MUFFINS

A nutritious way to start your day.

1¼ cups flour

¾ cup bran

2 tsp baking powder

¼ cup sweetener

1 tbsp oil

cup soy milk

1½ cups apple sauce

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 banana

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, bran, and baking powder. In a blender or food processor, blend the sweetener, oil, milk, applesauce, vanilla, and banana. Add this to the flour mixture and stir together until “just mixed.” Scoop into lightly oiled muffin tins and bake for 20-30 minutes (use a fork to see if done). Makes 6 muffins.

MAKE YA GO BRAN MUFFINS

This is the perfect way to get the necessary fiber the body needs.

3 cups bran

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ cup sweetener

2 tbsp molasses

½ cup oil

1½-2 cups water

1 tsp vinegar

½ cup raisins
or
dates

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, stir together the bran, flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the sweetener, molasses, oil, water, vinegar, and raisins. Stir together until “just mixed.” Spoon into lightly oiled muffin tins and bake for 35-45 minutes (use a fork to see if done). Makes 6-8 muffins.

FAUX EGGS BENNY

A vegan take on an old favourite. This is sure to be a hit.

1 lb medium tofu

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

¼ tsp salt

4 English muffins
or
8 slices of bread

8 slices of veggie back bacon

8 slices of tomato

Sauce:

½ cup nutritional yeast

2 tbsp flour

½ tsp salt

1 cup water

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp Braggs
or
soy sauce

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drain tofu and cut into 8 slices. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, and salt. Arrange the tofu in a 6x9 baking dish and pour the oil and vinegar mixture over top. Marinate for 15-30 minutes. Make sure to turn the tofu over occasionally so each side gets marinated. Then bake for 20 minutes or until crispy brown.

While tofu is baking, prepare the sauce. In a small sauce pan, whisk the yeast, flour, and salt together. Add the water, oil, and Braggs and stir over medium heat until sauce starts to thicken. Stir in mustard and simmer on low heat until you are ready to serve. Toast the muffins or bread. On each slice of bread, place 1 piece of veggie bacon, 1 tofu piece, and 1 tomato slice, then cover with Benny sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Vegan Soups
& Stews

Soup is a universal meal, enhanced by regional and seasonal flavourings and diverse cooking methods. Here we offer some delicious soup variations. It is suggested that soups be made according to the season or the time of year; for example, hearty bean and grain soups and stews should be reserved for fall and winter, while lighter, vegetable broth-like soups are best made during spring and summer. Enjoy all of our scrumptious soups and feel nourished.

RUSTIC TOMATO LENTIL SOUP

This soup is quick and easy to prepare as lentils tend to cook more quickly than other beans. You can alter the look of this soup depending on your preference, since lentils come in a variety of colours – green, yellow, brown, or red. Cooked lentils are high in calcium, potassium, zinc, and iron.

as much garlic as you can stand, minced

1 medium onion, diced

3 medium carrots, diced

2 tbsp olive oil

2 stalks celery, chopped

6 cups
vegetable stock

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, including juice
or

5-8 diced fresh tomatoes + ¼ cup water

2 cups cooked
or
canned lentils

pepper (to taste)

cayenne pepper (to taste)

1 cup dry pasta (any short kind)

In a large soup pot, sauté garlic, onions, and carrots in oil on medium-high heat until the onions are translucent. Add the celery, stock, tomatoes, lentils, pepper, and cayenne and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. Add pasta and simmer for 10 more minutes before serving. Makes 4-6 servings.

MIGHTY MISO SOUP

Miso is a fermented bean/grain paste that originated in Asia. There are 3 varieties of miso: soybean, barley, and brown rice; I like to use brown rice miso in this recipe because I find it has the best taste. Combining miso with shiitake mushrooms creates a balanced protein, which of course is a major concern among vegetarians and vegans alike. Shiitakes not only enhance the soup’s flavor but also contain all 8 essential amino acids the body needs. A word of caution: NEVER boil or overcook your miso; this kills all of its nutrients. Always add your miso just before removing the soup from the heat.

3½ cups water

½ cup medium
or
firm tofu, cubed

2 large shiitake mushrooms, chopped (or other mushrooms if not available)

3 tbsp dried seaweed, chopped (hijiki is best)

2-3 heaping tbsp miso paste (more or less to taste)

3 stalks green onions, chopped

3 tbsp spinach, chopped (or kale, bok choy, or Swiss chard)

In a medium pot, add the water, tofu, mushrooms and dried seaweed and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-8 minutes, until mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat, stir in the miso, onions, and spinach and let sit for another 30 seconds. Makes 4 servings.

SWEET POTATO, SQUASH, & APPLE SOUP

This soup is perfect for those fall days when the sun sets a little earlier than the day before. The squash and apple complement one another quite nicely in this soup. Sweet potatoes and yams are loaded with Vitamins A and C and potassium.

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups
vegetable stock

2 cups butternut squash, peeled & diced

2 cups sweet potatoes
or
yams, peeled and diced

2-3 medium apples, cored and diced

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

In a large soup pot, sauté the onions in oil on medium-high heat until translucent. Add the stock, squash, potatoes, apples, and salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Take 2 ladles’ worth of vegetables and 1 ladle of stock and blend in blender or food processor until smooth. Return to soup pot and stir together before serving. Makes 4-6 servings.

GINGER PEANUT SOUP

Did you know that peanuts are not really nuts but are actually a type of bean? Peanuts are sprayed with an array of pesticides and herbicides, so try and use organic peanut butter in this recipe. It will taste better.

1½ cups broccoli, chopped

1½ cups cauliflower, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

3 cloves garlic, chopped

¼ tsp Cayenne

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cups vegetable stock
or
water

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes

5 tbsp of natural peanut butter (
or
nut butter)

In a large soup pot, sauté the broccoli, cauliflower, onions, ginger, garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper in oil on medium heat until vegetables are tender. Add the stock, tomatoes, and nut butter. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 4-6 servings.

MULLIGATAWNY SOUP

A creamy Indian soup flavored with just the right amount of spices.

1 large onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

½ tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp curry powder

2 tbsp Braggs
or
soy sauce

6 cups vegetable stock
or
water

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 large potatoes, cut in cubes

½ cup rice

1 small red pepper, diced

1 small green pepper, diced

1 small tomato, diced

1 cup cauliflower, sliced

¾ cup grated coconut

3 tsp lemon juice

3 tsp cilantro (optional)

In a large soup pot, sauté the onions and celery in oil on medium heat until onions are translucent. Add the cayenne, turmeric, coriander, curry, Braggs, stock, carrots, potatoes, and rice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add the peppers, tomato, cauliflower, coconut, lemon juice, and cilantro. Stir together and simmer 5-10 more minutes until vegetables are tender. Remove half of soup and blend in blender or food processor. Return to soup pot and mix together. Makes 4-6 servings.

SPICY CREAMY TOMATO SOUP

Is the tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Most people would say a vegetable, but it’s actually a fruit, given that it’s a flowering plant containing seeds. Tomatoes are an excellent source of Vitamin C and A. This soup is just like Grandma used to make.

1 medium onion, minced

6 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

½ tsp salt

1 tsp dried dill

1 tsp pepper
or
cayenne