Smoky White Bean Quesadillas (vegan)

1 cup white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
few drops liquid smoke
garlic powder, to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper or cayenne pepper, to taste
whole wheat tortillas
cilantro, to garnish
salsa, to garnish

Optional: also good with mexican seasoning added instead of liquid smoke. and you can't go wrong with a dap of vegan sour cream :) I also like to add spinach or lettuce under the salsa to dress it up a bit.

Directions:

1. Blend together the white beans and tomatoes until very smooth. Add nutritional yeast, liquid smoke, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Blend again until well combined and smooth.

2. Heat a dry nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spread bean mixture on the tortilla, top with another tortilla, put in skillet.

3. Cook over medium heat until crisp on one side, then flip and repeat on the other side.

4. Once it is cooked and the bean mixture is warm and gooey, remove from pan, slice into 6-8 wedges. Repeat with the other tortillas. Serve with cilantro and/or your favorite salsa.

Pretty Darn good Chili & rice (vegan)

Pam spray
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin

2 cans black beans
1 can whole corn
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup vegetable stock
15 sliced jalapenos, chopped (optional)

Cooked brown rice

Directions:

1. Prepare brown rice. I use a rice cooker & substitute veggie broth for water. I normally use a tad less liquid than called for.

2. Spray Pam in pan, saute onions, peppers & garlic. When tender, add chili powder & cumin, cooking for another minute.

3. Add tomatoes, vegetable stock, black beans, and corn, bring to a boil.

4. Turn heat down to medium or medium low and simmer for 15 minutes. Salt and pepper, to taste. Serve chili over the rice. Perfect with a dollop of vegan sour cream mixed in :)

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

5-6 potatoes, baked
nondairy milk, to taste
vegetable broth
salt & pepper, to taste
sprinkle garlic powder

Pam spray
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped
16 oz chopped veggies (frozen or fresh) i like to use a frozen stir fry mix but examples would be broccoli, carrots, celery
1 cup of vegetable broth
3/4 cup of nondairy milk (i use rice milk)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp flour
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
french fried onions

1. bake potatoes in oven or microwave. we have a rice steamer that cooks them perfect in 25 minutes. mash cooked potatoes with or w/out skins, add milk and vegetable broth, salt, pepper and garlic. you are looking for a somewhat thick, but spreadable consistency...not runny

2. While potatoes are cooking, spray skillet with pam & saute garlic, onion over medium high heat until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook about another 1-2 minutes, then add veggies, cooking until then are tender, not mushy. Preheat oven to 375

3. Mix broth, milk, cornstarch and flour together. Stir into skillet of veggies, letting come to a boil, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken a bit. Salt & pepper to taste. I also use a bit of tony chacherie's.

4. Remove from heat. Spray a baking dish with Pam and pour skillet into pan. Cover with the potatoes. Sprinkle the top with nutritional yeast and french fried onions. Cook in oven for 15 minutes. Remove, let stand 5 minutes, then serve.

Each time I make this i tweak it a bit. So experiment and enjoy!

Pasta Cacciatore

Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian. When cacciatore is used to describe food it means the food is prepared hunter-style with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, herbs and many times bell peppers and wine. I have always loved chicken cacciatore so since eating a vegan diet, I have made this recipe and really love it.

1 box of whole grain pasta
Pam spray
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 of a yellow, orange or red bell pepper
8 oz fresh baby bella mushrooms, chopped
1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes w/basil, oregano

1. start water boiling for pasta
2. spray skillet, heat over medium high, when warm saute onion,garlic, peppers for 2-3 minutes
3. add mushrooms, continue cooking for 1-2 minutes
4. add tomatoes, let mixture simmer until pasta is ready
5. drain pasta well, stir some of the pasta into mixture, adding pasta until you get the right mix for you

Serve with a salad, steamed veggies or toast points

Veggie Hash

Simply, quick and satisfying...this was the first dish Keith and I ate on our new lifestyle change.

Ingredients needed:

1 chopped onion
Pam spray (i use butter or olive oil flavor)
Bag of frozen diced potatoes-hashbrowns but ck label to be sure only ingredient is potato
bag of frozen veggie mix (your preference, we used snap pea stir fry)
tony chacherie's seasoning

1. spray skillet, turn to medium high
2. saute onion and hashbrowns, sprinkling with the tony's seasoning
3. when hashbrowns are almost done scoot them to one side of the skillet, and add veggies.
4. once veggies have cooked a few minutes go ahead and mix it all together and it's cook to your preference of doneness. i like the taters to be a bit browned, but the veggie to not be mushy.

there you have it! yumminess in a short time. serve with a salad or your fav fruit, like cantaloupe wedges

Vegan Burritos

1 chopped onion
2 garlic cloves
Pam spray (i like olive oil type)
10 oz frozen spinach
1/4 tsp cumin
1 can rotel tomatoes
1 can fat-free refried beans
2-3 cups of cooked rice
your favorite tortillas
your favorite salsa
(optional ingredients: 1/2 tablespoon of lime juice, cilantro to taste, extra veggies)

1. spray skillet with pam spray & saute garlic and onion until translucent
2. add spinach, cumin, and rotel cooking until spinach has thawed
3. stir in refried beans and cook until all is thoroughly heated
4. stir in the cooked rice
5. make up your burritos by placing some of filling in center. i topped with lettuce mix and corn & black bean salse.......YUM!!

Keith said they were better than restaurant burritos. And I loved how quickly I got dinner on the table :)