This month we have a treat!! If you've participated in Change The World Wednesday, then you might recognize our "guest chef", Lois, owner and author of a Living Simply Free. What you might not know is that Lois has been enjoying meatless meals for a long time.
Lois not only eats vegetarian, she cooks without a stove or oven. She's even been doing without a refrigerator. If you're thinking that she eats a raw-food diet, think again ... she prepares lovely, mouth-watering, cooked, meals. She's graciously agreed to share a few of her creations with us. I hope you and your family will enjoy them!
Hello, My name is Lois, Small Footprints asked me to share a vegan meal with you. I warned her that I eat pretty simple meals, then thought maybe I could share a few recipes with you that would make transitioning to a vegan diet easier. Of course, my meals take minutes to make which make them easy to prepare on one of those days when you don't have a lot of time left to prepare a healthy dinner.
This past Saturday was my son's 26th birthday. We learned early on that he had an allergy to dairy products so birthdays were a struggle for him. After making a few changes to give him a cake and "ice cream" he could enjoy I would let him choose his favorite meal. His favorite meal was chili, something we had often during football season but not often once the weather warmed.
I'm sure if you like chili you have a favorite recipe, so today I want to share with you how I eat as locally as possible and as a bonus will provide you with my son's favorite cake and ice cream.
My dinners come mostly from the garden and farmer's market this time of year. I do like to add a grain to my meal. Here is what I had this week, an added bonus my meal was made using only countertop appliances, part of the Change the World Wednesday challenge:
Roasted Vegetables over Quinoa
1 red potato, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 ear of corn, cut from the cob
2 carrots, sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 leek thinly sliced
1/2 cup of peas (all we found ready in the garden)
1/2 zucchini, sliced thinly.
2 tomatoes chopped
2 bell peppers
Sprinkle with Mrs. Dash seasoning mix.
Using the rice cooker, I melted half a teaspoon of coconut oil to the pan, then tossed in the vegetables. Stir occasionally and cook until tender.
You could toss the vegetables in the melted oil and bake in oven or in a slow cooker.
Once tender spoon over quinoa and top with tamari sauce (wheat-free soy sauce).
A fruit dessert is a treat with fresh fruits available this time of year. I made this in the slow cooker, but you could use the rice cooker, toaster oven or regular oven. I used fresh fruit but you can use frozen if fresh isn't available.
Blueberry, Cherry Crisp
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup cherries, pits removed
Mix the berries together and pour into oven safe bowl or slow cooker.
Combine:
2 cups granola (I like Bare Naked with almonds)
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
Moisten with fresh squeezed orange juice, real maple syrup or if you like honey (which isn't vegan) and sprinkle over the fruits. Bake till fruits are tender and topping is crispy. If using fresh fruits baking time will be 10-15 minutes, in slow cooker you will need approximately 2 hours.
Optional: You can use any fruits you like, apples, peaches, pears, etc. Bake until fruits are tender and topping is crispy.
Vegan Birthday Cake
When I created this I was new to the vegan lifestyle and still used box packaged cake mixes. My son likes German Chocolate but you can use this with any cake mix.
How to make a box cake mix vegan:
Add a heaping tablespoon of flour (any type) to the cake mix. For each egg required add 1 teaspoon of water. For oil, I replace oil with an equal amount of water. Bake according to directions on the box.
When cool, top with a reduced sugar cherry pie filling.
Of course a birthday treat isn't the same without ice cream, something my son couldn't eat. He asked for a fruity ice cream, but like sherbert. Here's what I came up with.
Fruity Sherbert
Freeze any fruit of your choice. He likes peaches or pineapple. Once frozen toss a small amount at a time to your blender and add water as needed. When completely blended pour into individual bowls and freeze for half an hour or more. You now have homemade sherbert without the sugar.
I hope you enjoyed a peek at what I eat. A vegan meal doesn't have to be boring or bland.
Visit Lois at Living Simply Free for more information about her green lifestyle.
If you have a vegan recipe which you'd like to share, please contact me HERE. And for all the recipes we've shared so far, be sure to visit our recipe page using the tabs at the top of this blog ... or by clicking HERE.