Easy Greek (vegan) Salad Dressing Recipe

It is simple and it tastes good (not bland).  The large amount of spices stands up well to the strong flavor of extra virgin olive oil - so you can use this omega-3 rich healthy oil instead of a milder (omega-6 laden) alternative oil.

Easy Greek (vegan) Salad Dressing

blend together:

3/4 cup + 2 T extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup + 2T red wine vinegar (or other)
2 t. dijon mustard
2 t. garlic powder
2 t. dry oregano
2 t. dry basil
1.5 t. salt
1.5 t. onion powder
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. black pepper

Refrigerator for 1 hour before using to let flavor develop.  Keeps in refrigerator for a long time

Vegan 'Ground Beef' Recipe (Gluten Free)

When my wife developed a sensitivity to gluten we could no longer use Boca brand crumbles so I developed this recipe.  I started out trying recipes I found on the web but most of them were VERY BLAND.  Sometimes it is easy to mimic texture and look but flavor is compromised.  It took some trial and error but we have been very happy with the results and now use this for tacos, chili, etc.

Vegan 'Ground Beef'

makes about 2 cups

1 cup dry TVP (textured vegetable protein)

2 T. nutritional yeast
1/4 t. ground black pepper

1 t. smoked paprika

1 t. garlic powder

2 T. Bragg's liquid aminos (or gluten free tamari)

2/3 cup water

1/4 cup peanut oil (or other oil for frying)

1.  In a microwave safe bowl mix spices, water, and Bragg's.  Microwave on high for 2 minutes.

2.    Stir in TVP.  Let sit for a minute or so until TVP has soaked up all of the liquid.

3.  Heat oil in a large skillet (large enough so the TVP can be spread into a thin layer) and fry TVP on medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until TVP has browned to your liking (about 4-7 minutes).

Note about using TVP:  I have found that TVP tastes best when it is rehydrated with flavored liquid such as vegetable stock or the spice mixture above.  If you rehydrate with plain water it will never absorb flavor the same way an always taste a little bland.

Cilantro and Lime Bean Salsa

A salsa that you can make a meal out of - serve with any kind of corn tortilla chips.

Ingredients

1 28 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn, frozen

1 14 oz. can tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 small onion, minced

3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped

juice of 1 lime

2 Tbsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cinamon

salt, pepper, cayenne pepper to taste

1 Tbsp extgra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp white or cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill thoroughly before serving.

Vegan Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium bell peppers (any color), chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces seasoned tempeh, cut into 1-inch pieces, recipe follows
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce (Tabasco or other)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 quarts water
1 pound red kidney beans, rinsed and picked of debris

Directions:
Place the vegetable oil in a 7-quart dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, celery, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and celery are semi-translucent and the bell peppers are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the seasoned tempeh, bay leaves, thyme, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, water and beans to the pot and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring frequently until the mixture comes to a boil, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 1-1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer and continue to cook for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the beans are tender and the sauce is thickened. Use a potatoe masher to increase the creamie texture to your liking.


Serve the beans over rice (short grain brown rice works well.)

Seasoned Tempeh

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup white or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 oz. tempeh

Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients except the tempeh and vegetable oil. Pour the mixture into an 8x8 baking dish. Cut the tempeh into enough strips to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Marinate for at least 1 hour, turning the tempeh strips several times. Remove tempeh strips from marinade (reserve for later) and fry in vegetable oil, turning frequently, until tempeh becomes firm and browned. Pour remaining marinade over tempeh then remove from heat, allowing the tempeh to absorb the marinade. Once tempeh has cooled chop into 1-inch or smaller pieces (the spatula works well for this, you may want to cut it as you are cooking it.)