04 May 2012
by Krista Lawhon
in Meat Alternatives, Vegan Baking, Vegan Main Meals, Vegan Pestos and Sauces
Tags: alphebet pasta, blog, broccoli, brocoli, Casserole, cheese, cheeze, Chicken, cooking, Dinner, excellent, feel good, fresh herbs, garlic, home cooked, home-made, homemade, kid, kids friendsly, meals, meat alternative, Nutritional Yeast, Pasta, Quick, Recipe, seasons, Vegan, Vegetarian, warm, wife

VEGAN “Chicken” & Broccoli CASSEROLE
Serves 4
2 lbs. fresh broccoli crowns, cut into spears 
2 cups of “cheeze” melted and mixed with veggie broth – please ask me if you have questions.. (or if not vegan, any cheese sauce)

3-4 cups strips of any vegan “chicken” or “turkey” substitute, soaked in a HOT “chickeny” broth
6 cloves garlic, chopped
fresh cut herbs
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups or so of cooked alphabet pasta – FUN for the KIDS!
1 T. lemon juice- add to the cheese mix
2 cups bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Spread the chopped broccoli in the bottom of 1/9 x 13″ baking pan. Cover that with the “chicken” sub and pasta.
Sprinkle with salt and grind pepper, garlic, onion salt.. any other spices that you like over that to taste add fresh cut herbs to the mix. 
Spread the vegan “cheese” over the top
Sprinkle evenly with the breadcrumbs and then spread and push down so some of the breadcrumbs are in the “cheese”.

Bake for 20 minutes and serve hot.

Like this:
Like Loading...
12 Apr 2012
by Krista Lawhon
in Meat Alternatives, Soy Beans & Tofu, Vegan Baking, Vegan Main Meals, Vegan Marinades, Vegan Side Dishes, Vegan Soups
Tags: alternative, ASian cooking, Best, blog, broth, Brussels Sprouts, carrots, celery, cooking, Easy, excellent, garlic, ginger, healthy, hoisen, homemade, kitchen, KristaLawhon, marianated, noodles, Recipe, somen, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Somen Noodle Soup with Marinated baked tofu and veggies and homemade broth
For the broth
Zest of 1 lime
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2-inch piece ginger, cut into coins
½ of a large red onion, sliced
sprigs of fresh herbs
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and sliced (i left this out)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. Bragg’s or soy sauce
1 tbsp. light brown sugar
For the tofu
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. hoisin sauce
2½ tsp. light brown sugar (if it’s dark, use less)
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated or finely minced
1 pound extra firm tofu, blotted dry – drain as much water out with breaking the loaf… (I can teach you how.. just reply) and cut into small cubes
For the soup
6 ounces somen noodles
Vegetable oil
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced (again, I didn’t use this)
1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or finely minced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 celery stick
5 – 10 Brussels sprouts, cut into four
Make the broth
Put all ingredients except for the soy sauce and brown sugar in a large saucepan. Pour in 8 cups of water and add a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Cool slightly, then strain out and discard the solids. Stir in the Bragg’s or soy sauce and brown sugar. Adjust seasoning as necessary. Keep warm over low heat.
Make the tofu
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Mix together the marinade in a medium baking dish. Stir in the tofu, coating well with the marinade. Allow to sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally to make sure the tofu is coated with the marinade. Place in the oven, uncovered, and allow to bake until all the marinade is absorbed and the tofu is getting a slight crisp to it, about 35 minutes. Toss the tofu once or twice in the baking process so that all the pieces come into contact with the pan. Remove tofu from the oven and allow to cool.
Make the soup
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the somen noodles and give a good stir. Cook the noodles until they are almost done, with just a slight bite, and drain. Rinse well with cold water, drain, and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add just enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the red onion and sauté until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño pepper, and ginger and cook for another two minutes, stirring constantly. Add the veggies and continue to cook, stirring often, until the green vegetables are crisp tender, about 5 minutes.
Place some noodles in the bottom of a deep soup bowl. Ladle on the broth. Add tofu and vegetables.
Enjoy… you may garnish with herbs, scallions and slice of jalapeño pepper.
Inspired by another recipe post.
Like this:
Like Loading...
11 Mar 2012
by Krista Lawhon
in Uncategorized
Tags: blog, Bragg;s, garlic, hand made, healthy, home-made, KristaLawhon, meat alternative, mushrooms, Nutritional Yeast, Recipe, soups, TVP, Vegan, wontons

Ingredients:
- wonton wrappers
- TVP (soaked and marinated) crumble, sprinkled with Nutritional yeast – I added a bit of garlic salt and pepper 
- sauteed mushrooms, chopped
- fresh cut herds, chopped
(mixed these three together: TVP, mushrooms, herbs)
- carrots, pealed ribbons
- mushrooms sliced thinly
- green onion, sliced
- garlic, sliced
- vegetable brother (I made my mine with clippings of other veggies and lighting heating in water – and then draining to veggies (compost) – use broth)
- bragg’s amino acids (add to broth)
- olive oil
- a bit of water – (sealing wonton wraps together)
Directions:





I use a wok, but a soup pot will do fine. I first add the veggie broth and some water.. then bragg’s…. once it’s hot.. get’n to a boil.. I add veggies.. (all.. onion, mushrooms, carrots… so on).. but not the wontons,

then add the wontons, when boil begins.. once added, lower heat to low… cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. DO NOT OVER HEAT! (the wontons will break)

Enjoy!
Like this:
Like Loading...
22 Oct 2011
by Krista Lawhon
in Soy Beans & Tofu, Vegan Baking, Vegan Main Meals
Tags: awesome, bake, Baking, Best, comfort food, dairy-free, Dinner, excellent, garlic, healthy, kreations, Krista Lawhon, no dairy, Pasta, Recipe, recipes, tofu, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Oh my goodness… I was not at all in the mood to cook tonight, but I found myself motivated by the idea of a baked pasta… I looked into my fridge to see what we had in the veggie bin… and the idea hit me… this is what I did…

Ingrediants:
- pasta
- olive oil
- chopped tomatoes with juice.. 2-3 tomatoes
- 1 pepper if you like – I don’t because my kids eat it..
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- a bit of cauliflower
- one stick of celery
- a bit of broccoli
- a zucchini / squash
- garlic – I use 5 cloves.. but that’s a lot
- herbs: fresh thyme, oregano, sage, parsley, basil, garlic chives (whatever you have)

- tofu – one block – FIRM or Extra FIRM
- red wine vinegar
- pinch of sugar
I cook my pasta with boiling water salt and a bit of oil.. drain pasta when ready and wash with cold water.. set aside
wash your veggies and cut them into bite sized pieces..

Heat the oven to 425
on the stove: Add oil to pan and saute onion and garlic for 2 minutes then add all other veggies…
cook for 5 minutes.. about maybe 8-10
add tomatoes with juice, sugar and vinegar.. saute for another 15 minutes. Then, add tofu cubes. Mix.
add veggie stock or water if it gets dry
Add pasta to the veggies… mix.. cook for 2-3 minutes..then add herbs
transfer to a baking dish.
bake at 425 for 10 minutes and lower heat to 320 and cook for 25 more minutes…..don’t let it burn!
add fresh parsley on top.. and serve..

Like this:
Like Loading...
18 Apr 2011
by Krista Lawhon
in Meat Alternatives, Soy Beans & Tofu, Vegan Main Meals
Tags: 5 stars, around the world, Cabbage Rolls, carrots, excellent, garlic, healthy, Krista Lawhon, lifestyle, lupus, mushrooms, Recipe, Rice, tofu, tomato dill sauce, Vegan, Zucchini

Veggie, Tofu & Rice Cabbage Rolls with Tomato Dill Sauce
Ingredients:
Cabbage Rolls:
- one head of cabbage
- 1 cup of cooked rice
-1 cup (package) of cooked (fried) tofu – spiced up with favorite spices (garlic, salt, pepper)
- A few carrots chopped to bite size
- 1 zucchini chopped to bit size
- one mushroom, chopped
- 1/4 cup of red onion, chopped
- garlic cloves, chopped (or minced)
Sauce:
- 2 tins of low sodium tomato sauce (the kind with just tomatoes…nothing fancy)
- 1 the juice of one large lemon
- 1 tsp of fresh dill
- 2 tbsp of maple syrup
- pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp of garlic powder
First boil the head of cabbage until layers come off easily, then soak layers in cold water until ready to use.
Take your veggies, onions and spices and fry in an oiled skillet just brown on both sides
combine cooked veggies with cooked rice and cooked tofu.
Spoon desired amount for each cabbage up and tuck and roll until finished.
Place the cabbage rolls in an oven sake container and cook in a preheated oven: 350 degrees for 40 minutes
for sauce:
Combine all ingredients and heat on low heat until ready – poor on top
-
Like this:
Like Loading...
24 Mar 2011
by Krista Lawhon
in Vegan Pestos and Sauces, Vegan Soups
Tags: Easy, excellent, garlic, healthy, heirloom tomatoes, Krista Lawhon, Onion, Organic, Recipe, soup, Sweet Potato, Vegan, Vegetarian

Sweet Potato/Heirloom Tomato Soup
ingredients:
- 3-4 sweet potatoes – pealed and roughly cut
- 2 heirloom tomatoes – chopped (saved the juice)
- 5 – 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 yellow onion – chopped
- sunflower oil (olive oil is fine)
- veggie broth (made my own) – about two cups
- coconut milk
- salt and pepper
- favorite seasonings

directions:
heat oil in pot and add onions and garlic. let cook while you stir for about 5 minutes.

add the sweet potato and tomatoes…
plus seasonings …cook for awhile.. until all tender.. add veggie water (broth) as needed… at least two cups… throughout cooking time.

blend with a mixer…
and add coconut mile in the end..

enjoy!
Like this:
Like Loading...
18 Jul 2010
by Krista Lawhon
in CSA - Community Supported Agriculture, Meat Alternatives, Soy Beans & Tofu, Vegan Breakfast
Tags: alternative, bread, Breakfast, broccoili, CA, carrots, Farmers Market, garlic, healthy, mushrooms, old town baking co.m Riverside, Organic, Recipe, scramble, Tamarack, tofu, Vegan, Zucchini

Vegetable and Tofu Breakfast Scramble
Vegan, Organic and Local

Ingredients:
- Tofu, crumbled
- Zucchini – bite sized
- Carrots – bite sized
- Baby Portabello mushrooms – Bite sized
- Broccoli – bite sized
- 3 cloves of garlic – roughly chopped
- cooking oil – olive oil
- tamarack seasoning (for yellow ‘egg’ color)
- salt and pepper to taste
- Vegetable Sourdough bread – Old Town Baking Co. www.oldtownbakingco.com

Directions:
Crumble tofu in a bowl and add tamarack, salt & pepper. Heat oil on medium heat in a pan that can be covered. Once oil is hot flatted tofu lightly on the bottom of skillet.

Add mixed vegetables and garlic. just on top and cover. Cook like that for 15 minutes, then uncover mixed well and cover again until veggies are just right. Just a bit crispy.

Enjoy!
get all of our organic fruits, vegetables and bread from our local Farmers Market – Downtown Riverside on Saturdays 9-1 by the Mission Inn….
I recommend all organic eating and local buying and as less corporate buying as possible.
Thank you,
Krista
Like this:
Like Loading...
19 Jun 2010
by Krista Lawhon
in Meat Alternatives, Vegan Main Meals, Vegan Soups
Tags: Dinner, Easy, fast, garlic, heathy, home-made, Main Meal, olive oil, Quick, quinoa, Recipe, Seitan, simple, soup, stew, vega, vegetable broth, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Quinoa Seitan Vegetable Stew
This recipe is simple and quick to make…. a sure win! Warm, filling and so so so good for you.
Things you’ll need:
Quinoa, Veggies, Seitan, garlic, olive oil, salt pepper, veggie broth, seasonings of your choice.

First things first: Rinse the Quinoa well and soak for 10 minutes and drain. To cook the Quinoa, take 1 cup quinoa and 1 1/2 cups cold water. Then,
- Drain quinoa well in the strainer, transfer to the cooking pot, add 1 1/2 cups water & 1/2 tsp salt if desired
- Bring to a boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and turn the heat down to simmer
- Cook for 15 minutes
- Remove quinoa from heat and allow to sit five minutes with the lid on
- Fluff quinoa gently with a fork
Take your Seitan, cut into bit sized pieces and sear both sides in a pan with olive oil. You may add Braggs (soy sauce, Worcestershire) if you want. This will take about 5 minutes.
Then, cut up what ever veggies you have into bit sized pieces. Heat olive oil in a pan and add veggies and garlic.
In a few minutes, add some water or veggie stock. Just a bit and cover with a lid. Cook for about 3 minutes and turn off heat.
Prepare veggie broth on your stove. Add quinoa, seitan and veggie mixture to the soup… you may add any seasons you like.. salt and pepper, for me, is a must.

Hearty, yummy and warm!
Please enjoy.. I added saltines cracks with ours. please be as creative as you can when making this. Add whatever seasonings you want to the quinoa and the soup. You can add green onions on top for a nice spicy touch!
Like this:
Like Loading...
16 Jun 2010
by Krista Lawhon
in Meat Alternatives, Vegan Main Meals
Tags: cooking, garlic, glaze, Health, home-made, meat alternative, Quick, Recipe, Seitan, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Picnic Style….

Our nights are becoming just perfect for our outside dinners. Quite casual and laid back.
Yesterday, I made some home made Seitan and today I cooked up a few pieces of it and glazed it with some ingredients I had laying around the kitchen.

ingredients:
- seitan cutlets cut into little bite-sizes pieces
- olive oil
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce – vegan
- 1/4 cup Braggs or a soy sauce of some sort
- 1/2 brown sugar
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup garlic seasoned rice vinegar or regular
Veggies:
- garlic – pressed or minced
- vegan butter
- broccoli – all veggie bite-sized
- green beans
- mushrooms
- zucchini
- salt and pepper
- Then, a salad of whatever you want
Directions:
Sauce: Mix all the sauce ingredients together over the stove and simmer for 20 minutes… do not burn… as the liquid cools, it’ll thicken (glaze)

Seitan: Heat oil in pan, and sear both sides until browned. Once sauce is ready, add the seitan…only cover slightly…glaze.
Rice: directions on package or quick search on the internet
Veggies: heat butter and garlic in pan for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add Veggies, mix. Add a bit of water (veggie broth..liquid) and cover. This takes about 5 minutes.
Put it all together how you want and enjoy!!!

Like this:
Like Loading...
06 Mar 2009
by Krista Lawhon
in Vegan Appetizers, Vegan Baking, Vegan Side Dishes
Tags: appitizer, artichoke, baked, basil, excellent, garlic, Hardcore Herbivore, lemon, Recipe, side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, yummy


Ingredients:
- 1 large artichokes
- 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 5-7 basil leaves, chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup, veggie stock
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With kitchen scissors, trim all the sharp ends off of each leaf. Wash the artichoke well in cool water. Slice down the center to form two halves. Clean out all the fuzzy hairs and smaller leaves with a spoon then immediately rub all the cut areas with a lemon.Next combine the olive oil, basil, minced garlic, lemon juice, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper in a bowl. Mix until it becomes a paste. I rubbed it all over the artichoke halves and inside the leaves.
- Coat the baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
- Place each artichoke half top side down in a baking dish. Pour the veggie stock in the dish and cover with a lid or tin foil.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until soft and tender.
- Enjoy!
Like this:
Like Loading...
Previous Older Entries