Vegan Holiday Feast

This is our usual holiday feast without the cranberry sauce. This year we celebrated Christmas on the 28th because my son who is stationed at Fort Carson couldn't get leave until then. This was our dinner; Tofurky roast, wild rice walnut stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy and broiled brussel sprouts. I made this three times this past holiday season, Thanksgiving, Christmas and a few days before my son left back to base. For some reason I kept forgetting the cranberry so we used Beavers Cranberry Mustard instead. The sauteed garlic green beans aren't pictured either but I'll post the recipe anyway ;)

Recipes:
Wild Rice Walnut Stuffing & Tofurky Mushroom Gravy
Broiled Spicy Brussels Sprouts
Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Broiled Spicy Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
1 stem or 2 bags Brussels Sprouts
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Mongolian hot oil
Red crushed pepper
salt & pepper

Cut ends off then cut in half. Place brussel sprouts with cut half up on a baking sheet or pan. Drizzle with oils, crush pepper, and salt and pepper. Broil at 450 for 10-15 mins. Stir brussels sprouts and broil for another 10-15 mins. Keep an eye on them because they will burn quickly.

Wild Rice Walnut Stuffing - Holiday Feast

My husband Daniel doesn't like bread stuffing so I had to figure out a work around. Tofurky Roast comes stuffed with some sort of rice stuffing so I thought about adding a similar mixture around the roast when I bake it.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 uncooked wild rice

2 sm celery stalks

1 sm onion diced

2 sm red potatoes diced

1 carrot diced

2 lrg garlic cloves minced

1 handful of walnuts halved

1 TBSP Coconut oil

2-3 TBSP Coconut amino acids or Tamari

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

 2 TBSP Apple Cider or Orange juice

Cook Wild Rice as instructed on package. Once cooked place in dutch oven or casserole dish.  Cut up all other ingredients and add to dish. Stir all ingredients and add liquids and oils.  Cover and bake at 375 for 40 mins.

I usually cook this with the Tofurky roast placed right in the middle of the dish. When I cook them together I cook it for 1 1/2 hour. Checking it and drizzling it with tamary and olive oil every half hour.

Tofurky is sold as a full feast which includes the roast, gravy and a small Amy's chocolate cake. Each item can also be purchased separately.   We usually purchase the full feast and an additional single roast for left overs. I mean if I'm going to take 3+ hours to make this there should be plenty of left overs right?!

The grave that comes with the fest is ok...I like to add more flavor to it.

Fixing the Gravy
Ingredients:
1/2 onion
handful of sliced mushrooms
1  cube of "NO Beef" Ed & Sons Bouillons
1 tsp coconut oil or butter (earth balance)
2 TBSP tamari
red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 tofurky gravy
Black pepper

Heat coconut oil in sauce pan. Add onions and mushrooms and brown. Add tamari and a splash of wine or balsamic and reduce a bit. Add gravy and bouillon then bring to boil. Pepper to taste and set aside.

If you don't get the Tofurky gravy the above ingredients will make an great gravy by itself if you add 3/4 water and 2 tsp of arrowroot or cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 c of water to thicken.

My favorite breakfast! Sweet Potato w/ Pralines and Maple Syrup

Ingredients:
1 sm sweet potato
1 sm handful pralines
ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg
1-2 tsp maple syrup

Cut sweet potato in 1/2 or 3/4 slices. Place in corning ware with a little bit of coconut oil.
Place in toaster oven on bake for 10 mins flip slices and toast for another 10-15 mins until it starts to sizzle. Take out and add pralines,  sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg and maple syrup. Enjoy! :)

Great Interview on how GMO's work and how they affect plants, living creatures and us!

Polenta with Kale and Marinara

I've always tried it in restaurants and loved it but hadn't tried it at home.  Just recently I started buying Trader Joe's Organic Polenta. I've been using it with a kale, marinara and Italian Tofurky sausage and it comes out so good!

Here's my version:

Dice and saute onions then add Tofurky Italian sausage with coconut oil.

While that is browning cut and wash kale.

Set onions and sausage aside. Cut polenta and place in skillet. Add more coconut oil if needed.

Flip polenta to heat the second side. Then add onions and sausage back to the pan. Add pepper.

Add Kale and cover. Lower heat to low. in about 5 - 10 mins. Add Marinara sauce and cover again for another 5-10 mins.

Once the Kale turns bright green serve.

Then it got me thinking I can make it from scratch. So I started checking recipes online.

Here's a simple from Food Network

Basic Polenta Recipe

Ingredients

6 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, and stir until melted.


here's another video of another basic version

Vegan Danskos!

Got my new Vegan Danskos today! I'm so excited... I love them. These are the vinyl covered canvas so they are waterproof. I'm waiting for two other pair to come. I usually order 2-3 pairs and keep the ones I like best :) Thanks Zappos for your VIP service.

Black Vinyl covered canvas Dansko

I decided this week after eating vegan for almost two years to give up my leather ware. I haven't bought any for at least two years. Money has been tight so I have not made buying new shoes and belts a top priority. We do what we can when we can.

I know there are some vegans that would not accept this but for me this is the way it's gotta be. I have a hard time finding shoes that I like let alone that fit. So it takes me time and of course money to switch over.