Stuffed Potatoes

My Mom made stuffed potatoes often when I was a kid. They were kind of a production back then, since she had to mince the onion by hand. With my food processor I can do that really quick! Mom didn't use basil in hers, but we love it. The recipe looks intimidating because I tried to give very detailed instructions. Once you cook it, you'll see how really easy it is.

Stuffed Potatoes

2 large Russet potatoes
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste

Rinse and peel the potatoes. Set the potatoes in cold water so they don't discolor while you're preparing the other ingredients.

Peel the onion and garlic. Quarter the onion and place onion and garlic in a
food processor fitted with the "S" blade. Pulse to mince to the point that you can still see individual pieces of onion (you don't want mush).

On the narrowest end of the potato, poke with the tip of a short, serrated knife (a narrow steak knife works well) then rotate knife to scrape out the inside of the potato. Keep going until you have almost reached the other end of the potato. Be sure to leave enough potato to prevent it from falling apart while cooking. Widen the cavity, leaving enough potato so it doesn't fall apart.

Combine the potato scrapings with the onion and garlic. Add the seasonings, including a small amount of salt. Mix well.

Stuff the potatoes with the potato/onion mixture. There will be some left over that you will use so just leave the extra in the bowl.

 

Line a deep skillet with vegetable broth. Place the potatoes with the stuffed side facing inside the pot. Spoon the extra stuffing mixture over the potatoes and into the veggie broth. Cook, covered, on medium-high until the broth has cooked down. Turn potatoes over. Add more broth and lower fire to medium-low. Add more broth until potatoes are done (a fork will go through unstuffed end) and broth is gone.

Waldorf Salad With a Twist

Before I was plant based, I loved Waldorf Salad at Ruby Tuesdays. But I don't get that anymore of course. I've never made a Waldorf Salad, so I looked on the Betty Crocker website. I mean, really, you know Betty Crocker knows how to make it! I had to change it...you already knew that! LOL!







Waldorf Salad With a Twist

1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain soy yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Almond Breeze almond milk
1 Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped
1 Gala apple, coarsely chopped
2 medium celery stalks, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1 small box Sun-Maid dried cranberries

 

Mix mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice and milk in a medium bowl. Stir in the apples, celery, nuts and cranberries. Serve over salad greens if you like. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

 

Note: This recipe does not make a lot of sauce. If you like more sauce than "barely covered" just double the mayo, yogurt, milk and lemon juice.



Pinto Beans

Bob and I love beans...any kind of beans! We usually have at least one bean night per week. Sometimes it's canned black beans or chili beans but most of the time it's dried pinto or great northern beans. Bob was raised eating pinto beans only so I cook those most of the time. They are so easy to cook in the pressure cooker I only measure out 1 cup of dried beans and make a small amount.

 

Pinto Beans

1 cup pinto beans, rinsed and soaked for at least 4 hours (or use the quick method of boiling for 2 minutes and let sit, uncovered for 1 hour)

5 cups water

1 medium onion, chopped

mixed frozen sweet peppers

black pepper

garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons marjoram

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

Add all ingredients to pressure cooker and stir. Turn to high, cover and bring to pressure. Turn heat to just under medium and cook at pressure for 25 minutes. Take off heat and let cooker de-pressurize naturally. When lid will unlock, open and salt the beans before serving, if needed.

Veggie Stock Tip

I hate to waste food. I like to save bits and pieces of vegetables to make stock. You know the pieces I'm talking about...the stem end part of the tomato that you cut off and throw into the garbage disposal, the top leafy part and the bottom of the stalk of celery, the first layer of onion that you peel off because it cooks leathery, the top and bottom of the carrot and the peels too, whatever. I use every edible part of the vegetable! Don't throw them in the garbage or garbage disposal, or even the compost pile...put them in a gallon freezer ziplock bag and throw them in the freezer. When the bag is full or even half full (if you can't wait!), toss the veggies in a Dutch oven, or even better, a pressure cooker. Throw some bay leaves, a little seasoning, bring to a boil then simmer. When the stock is done, strain. Toss the veggies. You can now use the stock right away or let it cool, then save in the freezer until you need it for soup. If you're making it in a Dutch oven it will take you 2-3 hours. A pressure cooker will give you wonderful veggie stock in less than half an hour. Experiment with your seasonings...have fun!

Smothered Cabbage

This is my Mom's recipe. It's funny how my tastes have changed over the years. I remember walking into my house after school and smelling this cooking and dreading dinner. I took as tiny a serving as allowed and did my best to choke it down. Now I love it...it's one of my comfort foods! I hope my Mom is smiling when she looks down from Heaven and she sees me eating her smothered cabbage.

Smothered Cabbage

1/2 green cabbage, cut into wedges
1/4 cup onion, diced
salt and pepper, to taste

water or vegetable broth

Rinse cabbage and place in Dutch oven. Add onions and sprinkle with pepper. Pour about 1/2 inch of water into the bottom of the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to high simmer/low boil. Cook until cabbage is soft. Add water during cooking, if needed. Taste and salt if needed.

IP Directions:

Rinse cabbage and place in the IP liner. Add onions and sprinkle with pepper. Pour 1 cup hot water into pot with cabbage. Cover and seal. Cook on Manual for 3-6 minutes, depending on how soft you like the cabbage. Quick Release. Season to taste. 

Great Northern Beans

Bob and I love beans. And being able to cook them quickly in the pressure cooker just adds to the appeal. Bob was raised eating pinto beans only, so that's what I cook most of the time. But every once in a while I throw in a ringer like great northerns, red beans, or black beans.

Great Northern Beans

1 cup great northern beans
5 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup frozen mixed peppers
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram leaves

Rinse and pick through beans. Soak in water for at least 4 hours. Drain and rinse. Add to pressure cooker. Add the 5 cups of water and the rest of the ingredients. Cover and lock lid in place. Heat on high until cooker is pressurized. Turn heat down to maintain pressure and cook for 30 minutes. When beans are cooked, take cooker off of heat and let de-pressurize naturally (about 15 minutes). Open cooker and salt the beans to taste.

Note: If you want to cook these beans in a Dutch Oven, follow my directions through putting all the ingredients in the pot. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil for about a minute then lower heat to simmer. You may cover if you wish, but leave partially uncovered or the beans may boil over. Simmer until beans are soft. Salt the beans to taste.

Hummus

I really like hummus, but I don't like buying it at the store. One reason is that it is so expensive. Another reason is that it's got so many unnecessary ingredients. It's a lot better fresh. You can dip anything into hummus.  Sometimes I dip sliced cucumbers, sometimes carrot sticks. Radishes would be good too.

Hummus

2 - 16 ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 - 4.5 ounce can green chilies
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 - 4 ounce jar sliced pimientos, drained
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, optional (or parsley)

Add chickpeas, water, chilies, garlic, and cumin to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add pimientos and pulse until they are coarsely chopped. Transfer hummus to a bowl and stir in the cilantro (or parsley). Season hummus with salt and pepper if desired. Cover and chill for a couple of hours for flavors to blend.

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

So you just got invited to a barbeque and you've been asked to bring a pasta side dish. Hmmm...you're supposed to cook something you don't get to eat? Ha! I don't think so!!! This salad is good when you first make it, but if you can, make it the day before or even that morning for dinner. The flavors blend so deliciously if it's allowed to sit in the fridge for a while!

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wa) is actually a seed, but a lot of people think it's a grain, so who am I to tell them different? You can find it in just about any grocery store now. One brand is Red Mill, another is Ancient Harvest. It seems that every store puts quinoa in a different place, so if you don't find it in the health food sections with the grains, try the "gourmet" area. Or pretend you're me and have a clerk find it for you. That'll teach 'em for not putting a product where I think it should go! LOL!

FYI - This is another recipe that lets you decide how much of certain ingredients you want to use. For instance, if you don't care for corn, don't put much, or any. Substitute...play with your food!

Black Bean Quinoa Salad

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa (red quinoa is great in this salad, but more difficult to find)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
vegan cheddar cheese, shredded or cubed (can use nutritional yeast)
frozen corn (you can defrost if you want to, but not necessary)
frozen sliced sweet peppers (can use fresh)
oil-free Italian dressing

 Follow the package directions for cooking the quinoa. The ratio is 2:1 water to quinoa, so you can make as much or as little as you like. When it's all cooked, the package usually says to fluff and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. I don't want any of my cheese to melt, so my quinoa sits in the freezer to get nice and chilled. When the quinoa is chilled, add the rest of the ingredients except the dressing, and stir. At this point the quinoa is still able to absorb a little liquid and you don't want dry quinoa salad, so pour in a little more dressing than you think you really need. By the time you're ready to serve, it will be all absorbed and just right. Stir, fluff, and serve!

Collards

I'm as Southern as Southern can be. But I never cared for collards. Shhh...don't tell anybody! They might take my Southern membership card away! But changing your entire way of eating can be a funny thing; you don't like what you liked before and you like what you didn't like before. Sometimes I feel like John Travolta on Welcome Back Kotter..."I'm so confused!" LOL!!! One day I wanted some collards. I decided to fix them like German Red Cabbage. Oh my goodness...they were so good! I cook them all the time now. So here's the recipe. Try them out even if you like Southern collards. You might like these too!

Collards

1-16 ounce bag frozen, cut collards
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 apple, cored, diced large
1 cup vegetable broth
2-3 dashes liquid smoke
2 tablespoons red cooking wine
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a Dutch oven, saute the onion, collards, and apple in broth, uncovered, until the collards start to defrost a bit. Add the remaining ingredients and cover. Cook, over medium to medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until all is tender, about 1/2 an hour or so.

Note: If you use fresh collards, you'll need to cook for about an hour.

IP DIRECTIONS:

Saute the onions in a little broth. Add the collards, apple and the rest of the ingredients and stir. Set on Manual for 5 minutes. Quick Release

Cuban Black Beans

I have been wanting some Cuban black beans. Love them! So I decided that I will make some for lunch one day this week. I make this as regular beans, but when the cold weather starts I add extra broth so it's a little soupy! This makes a great lunch with a small salad.

Cuban Black Beans

15 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
Dash garlic powder
1 slice green bell pepper, cored, seeded, chopped (or a little frozen mixed peppers)
1/8 cup yellow onion, peeled and chopped
 A couple of dashes of liquid smoke
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 bay leaf
1/3 cup vegetable broth (when I want soup I put 1 cup broth)
1 pinch chili powder
1 splash red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Place the beans in a saucepan with the broth. Add the remaining ingredients except for the red wine vinegar and salt. Cover and simmer until beans are soft. Add the red wine vinegar and salt, simmer for a couple more minutes.

Charlie's Corn Salad

Need a side dish for a dinner of steamed fish or a grilled hamburger steak? I present to you...corn salad! It's also great as a salad topper! Yum!!! Charlie is a former co-worker of Bob's. He brought this dish to a Christmas dinner and Bob liked it so much he got the recipe.

Charlie's Corn Salad

1 can corn, drained
1/3 medium green pepper, diced
1/2 small onion, diced (or 2-3 green onions, chopped thin)
1 medium tomato, diced
1/3 cup Italian salad dressing (either a no-oil or a homemade dressing)

Mix all ingredients, cover, and refrigerate for several hours so flavors can blend.

Salad Tip

Ever want a salad and are too busy or tired to make one so you end up not having one? Yeah, me too. I just recently learned of this tip and thought I'd pass it on. Why didn't I think of this before? Duh!

Rinse and spin (or dry) your lettuce or spinach. Put whatever amount you want in a ziplock bag. Cut up some tomatoes and add to bags. Peel and cut some cucumbers and add to bags. Add whatever else you always have in your salad (except the dressing or anything that will get soggy, like croutons). Roll up the baggie and squeeze all the air out then zip closed. Refrigerate, and when you want a salad, voila, it's all ready for you to add dressing and eat!

Salad Vinaigrette

When I was a kid, we never bought salad dressing. My Mom always made the same vinaigrette and we all loved it. I've tweaked it just a little to suit my tastes, but it's still my favorite and what I use most of the time on my salads.

Salad Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon Gourmet Salad Vinegar
2 tablespoons water
salt and pepper to taste
2 dashes Salad Supreme

You can whisk all the ingredients together if you want to, or just do like me and add them one at a time and toss your salad. There's no oil in this vinaigrette, so there's really no need to whisk if you don't want to. Note: The picture makes it look like the vinegar is clear. It's actually amber; the bottle's just mostly empty! :)

Healthy Super Bowl Party Chili

I found a delicious vegan chili recipe and had to share! I made it tonight and Bob and I love it! It doesn't take very long to prepare and is so delicious that even if you're not vegan or vegetarian, you're gonna love it!

Healthy Super Bowl Party Chili

I made a couple of changes to the recipe when I made this the second time: (You know I had to tweak!)

1. I sauteed my vegetables in water instead of oil. Heat your pot a bit then add the onions and the same amount of water as the recipe calls for oil. Keep a little water handy and add more as needed. You won't need much; the onions will release their own moisture as they soften.
2. I doubled the chili powder. The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon and I put 2. We like a little more chili flavor.
3. I didn't use salt at the end. I added the black pepper and the chili tasted great as it was so I left out the salt.
4. Adding a few drops of tabasco vinegar in my bowl really livened up this chili.

Fran's Eggplant Casserole

Before I retired I worked in an all female accounting office. We all loved to cook and some loved to bake so we had potluck office meals fairly often. This dish started out as a simple casserole of my boss, Fran. As the recipe got passed around, almost everyone added something to it or made a variation of it. So it ended up being a true potluck dish! I love it and every time if cook it, the house smells wonderful!

Fran's Eggplant Casserole

1 whole eggplant, peeled and sliced thin
3 zucchini, scrubbed and sliced
3 yellow squash, scrubbed and sliced
6-8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1 bell pepper, chopped (use any color you want)
15 ounce can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
 nutritional yeast, optional

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray cookie sheet with Pam or use a Silpat, spread eggplant slices, and spray slices lightly with Pam. Bake for 15 minutes to help tenderize the eggplant.

Prepare the other vegetables and place in oven-proof casserole dish. When the eggplant is ready, place in casserole dish and mix with the other vegetables. Season with pepper, garlic powder, and a dash of red pepper. Sprinkle top with nutritional yeast, if using. Cover and bake at 350F for 1 hour, until vegetables are tender. Taste, and sprinkle with salt if needed.

Notes:
1. You can use flavored diced tomatoes and any other seasonings you wish to vary the dish. For example, use basil, oregano tomatoes and Italian seasoning (my favorite), or chili powder and Rotele tomatoes for Mexican, etc. Greek would be good too!
2. This is easy to make in the crockpot. Place all ingredients in the crockpot, stir, cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Spinach Stir Fry

Spinach Stir Fry

Since I started eating a starch based diet, I've been looking for different ways to incorporate leafy greens into our meals other than as a dinner salad. We love salad, but everyone needs variety! I decided to make a stir fry the other night and just started throwing in different things that I thought would taste good. And it did!

Spinach Stir Fry

1 bag baby spinach, rinsed and dried
1/3 cup shredded carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can water chestnuts, drained
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 medium bell pepper, whatever color you want, sliced (I used frozen sliced mixed peppers)
2 tablespoons raw cashews (or almonds, peanuts, etc.)
Low Sodium Soy Sauce
4 ounces whole grain spaghetti noodles (or rice noodles) (I use Hodgson Mills)
salt, pepper, and ground ginger, to taste

Water saute the carrots, garlic, water chestnuts, onion, and bell pepper until veggies are tender-crisp and water is almost gone. Add seasonings and soy sauce and continue to saute veggies. When veggies are cooked, add spinach and nuts. You may add more soy sauce, to taste. Let spinach wilt slightly and serve up!

Note: Add other vegetables you like, these are just what I wanted in mine. Also, try adding a teaspoon or so of peanut butter before you add the spinach. Let it melt, then add the spinach and nuts. If you don't want to use pasta, this would be great with barley, rice, or even quinoa!

Loretta's Beets

I grew up eating this dish. I think she invented it because everyone just called them Mom's beets. Of course, as a good southern cook, my Mom used "good and plenty" oil for sauteing! I'm also a good southern cook, but I saute in water or veggie broth. It's still tastes just as good! I was getting the beets prepped this morning to get them boiling and I realized that Mom never used the beet greens; she just threw them out. Since I became vegan I have been trying to incorporate greens into our meals as much as possible (I have started actually craving greens! Who'da thunk it!) So I added them and they were great! They will still not be a permanent addition to this dish because when I crave Mom's beets, I don't think of the greens. IP directions are included at the bottom.

Loretta's Beets

3 medium beets
3-4 small to medium russet or red potatoes
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup water or vegetable broth
salt and pepper, to taste

Beets: Cut the stems off of the beets, leaving about an inch of the stem attached to the beets. Put in boiling water and boil on medium-high until a fork can be easily inserted. Rinse in cool water until cool enough to peel; the skin will just slide right off. Cut off the stem end and root end. Dice into large diced pieces and place in bowl.

Potatoes: Scrub well and poke holes with a fork. Place in microwave and bake until fork tender. Cut into large diced cubes and place in bowl. (You can boil the potatoes, but then you lose some of the nutrients from the skin into the water)

Beet Greens: Remove greens from skin and tear into smaller pieces. Rinse and dry.

Onions: Put the water and the onions in a skillet on medium-high heat. Add pepper to taste. Saute until onions are tender and starting to turn golden. Add beet greens and cover. Cook a few more minutes to let the greens wilt. Stir. Add to bowl of beets and potatoes. Stir and check seasoning. Add salt if needed. Serve warm.

IP DIRECTIONS:
Wash, peel and slice the potatoes and beets thin. Place the chopped onions in the IP and sauté with a small amount of vegetable broth. When the onions are soft and golden, turn off the sauté function. Add the beets and potatoes and stir to mix. Add 1 cup broth, cover and seal and set to high pressure for 10-12 minutes. NPR for 10 minutes then release remIning pressure and enjoy.

Black Bean Dip

Bob likes chips and dip or salsa during football on the weekends. So I use Chef AJ's tip for making my own tortilla chips. After I cut the corn tortillas into 8ths and put them on the cookie sheet, I spritz them with water and barely sprinkle a little sea salt. What we've bought in a bag in the supermarket can't even come close to the taste of these babies! We love the fresh salsa from Publix (in the produce section) and we have some, but I wanted some hummus. When I looked in the pantry I saw the black beans and just "knew" what I was going to do. Oh my goodness...so much deliciousness and so little pouch room! LOL!

Black Bean Dip

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
vegetable broth
bell pepper (any color or mix of colors - I used frozen mixed slices)
sea salt
black pepper
cumin
garlic powder *
onion powder *
1-2 tablespoons oil-free BBQ sauce

Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Add just enough vegetable broth (any broth if you're not vegan) to help the beans get creamy. Put in fridge to chill. Top with a pinch of cilantro or parsley to serve.

* I used powders because I wanted to get back to the living room to watch the game. Use fresh for even better dip! ;)

Note: This dip does not taste like barbecue. The BBQ sauce just gives the dip a little zip!

Spicy Southern Grits

I love these spicy grits. I hardly ever eat them for breakfast though. They're great under pinto beans, black beans, or in a wrap. This recipe comes from Rip Esselstyn's "My Beef With Meat".

Spicy Southern Grits

Southern Green Beans

Once I gave up oil, I thought I wouldn't be able to cook my lovely green beans anymore. One night Bob cooked and just left out the oil and they turned out great! Who knew you don't need olive oil to cook green beans!

Green Beans

2 cans green beans

3-4 small red potatoes, scrubbed (peel if they're not organic)
black pepper

Empty cans into saucepan. Slice potatoes in food processor or by hand. Add potatoes to green beans and sprinkle with black pepper. Bring to a boil on high heat. Lower heat to low and cover. Cook until green beans are soft and potatoes fall apart easily. When the green beans are done, add salt to taste if desired.

Tomatoes and Pasta

I like pasta with different sauces. This is one I made up as I went one night when Bob and I were hungry and I didn't feel like slicing and chopping to have something good to eat. This is a quick meal as is, but if you want to slice and chop a little, grab something from the fridge and go for it!

Tomatoes and Pasta

1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn (or 1 can drained and rinse
Pasta (elbows, penne, spiral, etc.)

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, combine other ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat. When the tomatoes are cooked, add to cooked and drained pasta and mix. Now all you have to do is eat!

Cheesy Sauce

All of the cheese sauce recipes I've seen so far are made with cauliflower or soaked cashews. I love cauliflower but sometimes I just don't want to deal with the gas later. And I really don't want to make a habit of eating nuts since I need to lose some weight. So I've been wondering how can I make a cheesy sauce without either of those ingredients. I went to the kitchen tonight to steam some potatoes (I like steamed better than baked in the microwave and it's just too darned hot to cook them in the oven!) I realized that, like cauliflower and cashews, the potato is a neutral taste. So I steamed an extra potato and made this sauce and I love it! Since I started eating a starch based diet, I've been very happy with simple tasting things. Please feel free to tweak according to your own tastes.

Cheesy Sauce

1 medium baked or steamed russet or gold potato
1 cup plant milk (less if you want thicker sauce)
1 cup nutritional yeast
Salt, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Onion powder, to taste

Peel the potato, cut it into chunks and place in a blender. Pour some plant milk just until about 1/2 to 3/4 of the potato is covered. Add the nutritional yeast and blend on high. Add more milk until the sauce is the consistency you want. When I want it kind of thick like a real cheese sauce I add a little less milk. Taste and add a little salt if needed.

Note that this sauce thickens up in the fridge.