italianandvegan: These look a lot more complicated to prepare than they actually are, so don’t be discouraged. They’re an extremely tasty antipasto, but if you just double the quantities it can easily make an excellent meal. They also look nice and professional, so if you’re planning on impressing someone with your cooking skills, this might be a good option. Ingredients (serves 4) 375g flour 218ml warm water 19g fresh yeast 1 tbsp olive oil 1 pinch sugar 1 tsp salt 1 portion tomatoes prepared for bruschetta 130g vegan meltable cheese, chopped Preparation (50 minutes)Preheat oven as hot as you can. Mix together the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the water, olive oil, and yeast. Mix everything well using your hands until a nice dough is formed, and knead well until it’s soft but not sticky. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to sit for 35 minutes. Prepare the tomatoes like you would for bruschetta in this recipe, then add the vegan cheese and mix together. When the dough is ready, take a little piece of the dough and roll out into a circle shape, with a diameter of about 15cm. Add a spoonful of the mix into the middle of the circle, and then fold over the dough. Pinch it closed and then seal using the teeth of a fork. Place on a baking tray drizzled with olive oil. When all of the calzoni are on the baking tray, drizzle them all with olive oil and stick them in the oven. After about 10-15 minutes, look in the oven and take them out when they are cooked as crunchy as you like them.
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italianandvegan:

These look a lot more complicated to prepare than they actually are, so don’t be discouraged. They’re an extremely tasty antipasto, but if you just double the quantities it can easily make an excellent meal. They also look nice and professional, so if you’re planning on impressing someone with your cooking skills, this might be a good option.

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 375g flour
  • 218ml warm water
  • 19g fresh yeast
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pinch sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 portion tomatoes prepared for bruschetta
  • 130g vegan meltable cheese, chopped

Preparation (50 minutes)

Preheat oven as hot as you can. Mix together the flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the water, olive oil, and yeast. Mix everything well using your hands until a nice dough is formed, and knead well until it’s soft but not sticky. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to sit for 35 minutes. Prepare the tomatoes like you would for bruschetta in this recipe, then add the vegan cheese and mix together. When the dough is ready, take a little piece of the dough and roll out into a circle shape, with a diameter of about 15cm. Add a spoonful of the mix into the middle of the circle, and then fold over the dough. Pinch it closed and then seal using the teeth of a fork. Place on a baking tray drizzled with olive oil. When all of the calzoni are on the baking tray, drizzle them all with olive oil and stick them in the oven. After about 10-15 minutes, look in the oven and take them out when they are cooked as crunchy as you like them.

(via italianandvegan)

Baked Oatmeal to Go
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Baked Oatmeal to Go

Source: healthfulpursuit.com

veganilla:

Vegan Cherry Berry Breakfast Bars: click here for the recipe.

(via veganilla-deactivated20120406)

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(via butterflygrace)

Budget Bytes: hearty black bean quesadillas $6.61 recipe / $0.66 each
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Budget Bytes: hearty black bean quesadillas $6.61 recipe / $0.66 each

Source: budgetbytes.blogspot.com

What are you favorite freezable meals?

Since I’ll be back to school this week with a heavier case-load than usual, I’ve been working on stocking up the freezer with prepared meals so we can still eat healthy, home-cooked meals without having to do all the prep work. So far I’ve got about 10 or 15 meals (soups, curries, and burrito filling) frozen. 

What are you favorite freezable meals? 

Vegetarian Monthly Freezer Meal Plan
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Vegetarian Monthly Freezer Meal Plan

Source: afrugalsimplelife.wordpress.com

Sweet potato, carrot, apple, and red lentil soup Serves 6 1/4 cup earth balance or other vegan margarine 2 large sweet potatoes, chopped 3 large carrots, chopped 2 apples, cored and chopped 1 onion, chopped 1/2 cup red lentils 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 4 cups vegetable broth 2 cups fresh kale, torn into pieces Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and vegetable broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes. 5 minutes before serving, mix kale into pot. Remove from heat. Serve with a crusty or rustic bread. Sourdough is great with this.
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Sweet potato, carrot, apple, and red lentil soup

Serves 6

  • 1/4 cup earth balance or other vegan margarine
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, chopped
  • 3 large carrots, chopped
  • 2 apples, cored and chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup red lentils
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups fresh kale, torn into pieces
  1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
  2. Stir the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and vegetable broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
  3. 5 minutes before serving, mix kale into pot. Remove from heat.
  4. Serve with a crusty or rustic bread. Sourdough is great with this.

Source: allrecipes.com

Tofu Veggie Hash Brown Breakfast Pockets!
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Tofu Veggie Hash Brown Breakfast Pockets!

Source: kblog.lunchboxbunch.com

How good of an idea is this?! honestaesthetics: Make big pots of soups and freeze in silicone muffin pan. Pop them out and store in freezer… reheat in a mug for a quick delicious meal :)
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How good of an idea is this?!

honestaesthetics:

Make big pots of soups and freeze in silicone muffin pan. Pop them out and store in freezer… reheat in a mug for a quick delicious meal :)

When Life Gives You Lemons | Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins 
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When Life Gives You Lemons | Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins 

Source: thesweettomato.com

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit
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Baked Oatmeal with Fruit

Source: annies-eats.net

Hummus

Hummus

A couple of the ingredients below you may have a hard time finding. One is tahini (sesame seed paste)- most grocery stores carry it: you can find it either by the peanut butter, or in the ethnic food aisle. If you can’t find it there, most health foods stores carry it (and may even make it fresh! This is how I prefer to buy mine). The other is sumac, a berry that is sold dried and ground. You can find this in health food stores and middle eastern grocery stores. It’s not mandatory for this recipe, but it’s a tasty addition if you can find it.

  • 1 can (16oz) reduced sodium garbanzo beans/chickpeas, drained and liquid set aside
  • 1/3c tahini
  • 1/4c lemon juice
  • 1tsp salt
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1tsp sumac (optional)
  1. In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients except for the liquid from the chickpeas.
  2. Process/blend, adding a small amount of the liquid at a time (you won’t need all of the liquid, but people’s preference for the amount of firmness for hummus varies) until the texture is to your liking.
  3. Serve with fresh raw veggies, pita, crackers, bagels…whatever you prefer.

And remember - you can freeze hummus!

Minestrone Soup (based on Uncle Bill’s Vegetarian Minestrone) Makes 8-12 servings 6c water 1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes (low sodium) 1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes (low sodium) 1 can (16oz) great northern beans 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped 1c onion, chopped 1 zucchini, chopped 1 yellow (summer) squash, chopped 4 large cloves of garlic, diced finely or pressed 1 handful of baby spinach, chopped 2tbsp olive oil 1tsp oregano 1/2 tsp salt 1/4tsp black pepper 1c small shells pasta, cooked Possible garnishes: Upton’s Italian Sausage seitan, warm crusty bread, shredded parmesan cheese In a large stock pot, saute carrots, onion, zucchini, squash, and garlic with 1/2 of the olive oil for about 2 mins. Add beans, both cans of tomatoes, water, spices, the remaining oil, and spinach cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook until the vegetables are tender, approximately 15-25mins. Serve over pasta. Freezing instructions: If freezing, do not add the pasta to the soup.
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Minestrone Soup (based on Uncle Bill’s Vegetarian Minestrone)

Makes 8-12 servings

  • 6c water
  • 1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes (low sodium)
  • 1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes (low sodium)
  • 1 can (16oz) great northern beans
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1c onion, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 1 yellow (summer) squash, chopped
  • 4 large cloves of garlic, diced finely or pressed
  • 1 handful of baby spinach, chopped
  • 2tbsp olive oil
  • 1tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4tsp black pepper
  • 1c small shells pasta, cooked
  • Possible garnishes: Upton’s Italian Sausage seitan, warm crusty bread, shredded parmesan cheese
  1. In a large stock pot, saute carrots, onion, zucchini, squash, and garlic with 1/2 of the olive oil for about 2 mins.
  2. Add beans, both cans of tomatoes, water, spices, the remaining oil, and spinach cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook until the vegetables are tender, approximately 15-25mins.
  4. Serve over pasta.

Freezing instructions:

If freezing, do not add the pasta to the soup.

I tripled this recipe and made a huge stock pot full of it. My freezer is now happily full of single-serving sized containers of hearty chili.  We ate this with vegan cornbread. Vegan Bulgur Chili (based on the recipe from Naturally Ella, changed to make it lazier) 1tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 green pepper, diced 1 red pepper, diced 1 1/2c chopped baby bella mushrooms 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1tbsp diced jalapeno (or more, if you like your chili spicy) 1tbsp cocoa powder 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes 1 can kidney beans, drained 1 can great northern beans, drained 1/2c bulgur 1/2tsp cumin 1/2tsp cayenne pepper 1/2tsp chili powder paprika (to taste) 4c vegetable stock (I used Rapunzel’s sea salt & herb boullion instead) In a large stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, peppers, and jalapeno and saute until they soften. Stir in spices and tomatoes. Continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients (and only 3c of broth to begin with) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and stir occasionally. If the chili begins to thicken too much, continue to add stock until it reaches a chili-like consistency (the bulgur will soak up a good majority of the liquid.). Let simmer for 45mins until the bulgur has softened. 
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I tripled this recipe and made a huge stock pot full of it. My freezer is now happily full of single-serving sized containers of hearty chili. 

We ate this with vegan cornbread.

Vegan Bulgur Chili (based on the recipe from Naturally Ella, changed to make it lazier)

  • 1tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 1/2c chopped baby bella mushrooms
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1tbsp diced jalapeno (or more, if you like your chili spicy)
  • 1tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can kidney beans, drained
  • 1 can great northern beans, drained
  • 1/2c bulgur
  • 1/2tsp cumin
  • 1/2tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2tsp chili powder
  • paprika (to taste)
  • 4c vegetable stock (I used Rapunzel’s sea salt & herb boullion instead)
  1. In a large stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, peppers, and jalapeno and saute until they soften.
  2. Stir in spices and tomatoes. Continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes.
  3. Stir in remaining ingredients (and only 3c of broth to begin with) and bring to a boil.
  4. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and stir occasionally.
  5. If the chili begins to thicken too much, continue to add stock until it reaches a chili-like consistency (the bulgur will soak up a good majority of the liquid.).
  6. Let simmer for 45mins until the bulgur has softened. 

    Source: naturallyella.com