Tofu Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 (14-ounce) package firm tofu, drained
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp italian seasoning
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 jar vegan marinara sauce
• 2 bell peppers, cored, seeded and chopped (red and green)
• 1 onion diced
• 5 mushrooms chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups baby spinach chopped
• 9 rice lasagna noodles
• 1 tsp coconut oil

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Wrap tofu in 3 or 4 layers of paper towels and gently press out as much water as possible, changing the paper towels once or twice as needed
3. Transfer tofu to a large bowl and add garlic powder, italian seasoning, sea salt and pepper and mash with a fork. Set tofu mixture aside.
4. Heat coconut oil into a medium pot on low-medium heat until translucent.  Add peppers and mushrooms and simmer until tender
5. Add marinara sauce into pot and bring to boil and then simmer for 10 min
6. Spoon enough marinara sauce into baking dish to cover the bottom and then arrange 3 noodles on top
7. Spread one-third of the tofu mixture over the noodles and then sprinkle spinach over the tofu mixture.
8. Spoon more sauce over the spinach. Repeat the process 2 more times, ending with sauce and tofu.
9. Bake for 40 min and then set aside for 10 min before serving

Serves 8

Cook Time and Prep Time: 60 min

Shitake Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 whole dried medium shiitake mushrooms
• 6 cups warm water
• 4 medium-sized pieces wakame seaweed
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp minced scallion greens for garnish
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse mushrooms and wakame and soak in 2 cups of warm water for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Save water.
2. Heat 1 tbsp mushroom-seaweed water in medium-sized soup pot
3. Add onion and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes stirring frequently
4. Add garlic and ginger and continue to sauté for another minute.
5. When mushrooms and wakame are soft, slice the mushrooms thin and chop the seaweed. Cut out stems when slicing mushrooms and discard.
6. Add to soup pot along with soaking water, and 4 more cups of water.  Bring to a boil on high heat
7. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.
8. Season with soy sauce, rice vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add minced scallion and serve

Cook time and prep time: 30 min

Serves: 4

Recipe courtesy of whfoods.org with adjustments made by me

Kale and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 6 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
• 4 cups chopped kale

Directions

• In large saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat
• Add onion, garlic, celery and carrot, salt and pepper
• Cook until tender, about 5 minutes
• Pour in broth and bring to boil
• Add sweet potato and reduce heat to maintain a simmer
• Cover and cook until sweet potatoes are tender and crisp, about 10 minutes
• Stir in kale and cook 10 minutes more
• Use a hand blender to blend the soup until smooth
• Serve warm

Serves: 4-6

Cook Time and Prep Time: 50 min

Eggplant Curry – Baingan Bharta

Ingredients

• 2 medium eggplants cut in half lengthwise (you can also use baby eggplants)
• 1 onion diced
• 1 large tomato diced
• 2 cloves garlic pressed
• 1/2 small green chili minced
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp tumeric
• 1 inch of ginger minced
• 2 tsp grape seed oil
• 5 sprigs cilantro chopped
• sea salt to taste

Directions

• Grease baking sheet and place eggplants face up.  Bake in preheated oven at 375 F for 20-25 min until skin is slightly charred and inside is soft
• In an skillet, heat grape seed oil on low-medium heat and add onion. Cover and cook until onion is translucent
• Add garlic, saute another minute
• Add green chili, ginger, cumin, red chili powder, cumin and ground coriander, saute for 1 min
• Add diced tomato and saute covered until it is well cooked
• Add sea salt
• With a potato masher, mash this mixture well
• Once eggplant is finished roasting, allow it to cool.  Scoop out inside into a bowl and remove skins.  Mash the eggplant with the potato masher
• Add eggplant to the onion and tomato mixture in skillet
• Mix well and cook for another 2 min
• Garnish with cilantro

Dr Patel’s Homemade Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 medium onion diced
• 7-8 cloves garlic minced
• 8-10 fresh roma tomatoes
• 6 mushrooms chopped
• 1 green pepper diced
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 stalk celery diced
• 1 zucchini diced
• 2 tsp fresh basil chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme or fresh
• 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp grape seed oil
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

• Puree tomatoes in a food processor
• In a medium sauce pan, saute onion on medium-low heat until translucent
• Add garlic and saute for 1 min
• Add carrot, green pepper, celery and zucchini saute for another 3 min, then add mushrooms and saute for another 2 min
• Add pureed tomatoes and bring to boil
• Add balsamic vinegar, red chili powder, garlic powder, thyme, sea salt and black pepper
• Boil for another 2 minutes, bring to simmer covered for 15 min
• Add basil and then simmer for another 5 minutes
• Serve with your favorite brown rice pasta!

Thanks to Linda for the farm fresh roma tomatoes!!!!

Lentil Chili

Ingredients

• 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 large carrots finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 (16-ounce) package brown lentils (about 2 1/4 cups lentils)
• 2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

• Bring 3/4 cup broth to a simmer in a large pot over medium-high heat
• Add onion, carrots, and garlic and cook about 8 minutes or until onion is translucent
• Then add bell pepper until it is slightly tender
• Stir in chili powder, cumin, and tumeric and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly
• Add lentils, tomatoes and remaining 7 1/4 cups broth
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, 30 minutes or until lentils are almost tender
• Add sea salt and black pepper to taste
• Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer
• Stir in cilantro and serve

Serves 8

Cook Time and Prep Time: 60 min

recipe courtesy of wholefoods.com with adjustments made by me!

Mexican Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup diced tomato
• 1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning (we use blenditup brand)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• juice of fresh lemon or lime

Directions

• Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat
• Add the onions and saute until tender and translucent
• Add the garlic, cumin and chili powder and saute for one minute
• Add the quinoa, broth, tomato, taco seasoning, salt and pepper and bring to a boil
• Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the the quinoa is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes
• Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes
• Serve and garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lemon or lime to taste

Prep Time and Cook Time: 35 min

Serves: 4 as a side dish

recipe courtesy of: www.closetcooking.com with adjustments made by me!

Mushroom and Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 onion diced
• 15 mushrooms chopped
• 1 large potato diced
• 3 cloves garlic pressed
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp truffle oil (if you have it)
• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• sea salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
• 2 tsp coconut oil

Directions

• In a stock pot heat coconut oil
• Add onion and saute until translucent
• Add mushrooms and cook for another 5 min
• Add potato and garlic and saute for another minute
• Add truffle oil, sea salt, fresh thyme leaves, black pepper, italian seasoning
• Add vegetable stock and bring to boil, then reduce to simmer

Chickpea-herb Burgers

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup grated onion
• 2 cloves garlic pressed
• 3 cups shredded carrots
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup unblanched almonds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 tbsp flax seeds
• 2 tbsp chopped parsely
• 2 tbsp basil leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 egg
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• fresh lemon juice to taste
• red chili powder to taste

Directions

• In a food processor, puree, oil, chickpeas, onions, garlic, and carrots
• Add rolled oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, parsley, basil, thyme and egg
• Process until finely chopped and mixture holds together
• Season to taste with sea salt, black pepper, lemon juice and red chili powder
• Form mixture into approx 8-10 patties
• Arrange patties on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven at 370 F for 5-10 min on each side
• Alternatively you can shallow fry these in coconut oil in a skillet until slightly brown on each side

Veggie Chili

Ingredients

• 2 large onions chopped
• 1 green bell pepper diced
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 jalapeno chili minced
• 2 carrots diced
• 1 celery stalk diced
• 2 cans diced tomatoes with juice
• 2 zucchini diced
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
• 3 tbsp cilantro chopped
• 3 scallions finely chopped
• 1/2 red chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• sea salt to taste
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Directions

• Heat coconut oil in a stock pot over medium heat
• Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno for about 5 min
• Add chili powder, cumin, sea salt
• Add tomatoes with juice, carrots, celery, and zucchini
• Simmer partially covered for 15 minutes until vegetables are tender. stir occasionally
• Add beans and simmer
• Top with colantro and scallions