plant-based

Creamy Mushroom Soup

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups and Stews , , ,

As a kid, my favorite soup, because of the mushroom bits. This version has lots more!

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Print Recipe

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Course: Soup
Cuisine: Vegan
Servings: 0 people

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

  • 1 pound mushrooms cremini or button or other
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • ¼ cup white wine or sherry optional
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup cashews soaked about an hour
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • In a soup pot, sauté the onion for 3 minutes until soft.
  • Add the garlic and cook another minute.
  • Chop the mushrooms, add to the pot and cook about 3 more minutes.
  • Add the white wine, vegetable broth, and herbs, cover and bring to a simmer.
  • Drain the cashews and add to a blender with 1/2 cup water. Blend until creamy.
  • Whisk the cashew cream into the pot. Simmer another 20 minutes to develop flavors.
  • Add salt to taste.

Four No-Oil Salad Dressings

karenwpullen Recipes, Sauces and dressings , , ,

It’s nearly impossible to find a no-oil salad dressing for sale. Many say they are fat-free, but contain ingredients like this Ranch: Water, Corn Syrup, Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Whey (from Milk*), Salt, Modified Food Starch, contains less than 2% of Garlic Juice, Onion Juice, Soybean Oil*, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate and Calcium Disodium EDTA as Preservatives, Artificial Color, Phosphoric Acid, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Natural Flavor, Dried Parsley, Dried Green Onions, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Spice, Caramel Color, Yellow 5.*Trivial Source of Fat and Cholesterol.

No thank you!

Here are ingredients for four different salad dressings that are absolutely delicious. They would also make a nice dip or sauce. The strawberry vinaigrette is non-fat, but the others are not since they contain avocado, tofu, or walnuts, which all have healthy fats.

For each recipe, the instructions are the same: blend. Use a food processor, an immersion blender, or a regular blender. You could probably even use a fork.

Prep Time10 minutes
Print Recipe

Four No-Oil Salad Dressings

Course: Salad, Sauces and dressings
Servings: 0

Equipment

  • blender or food processor

Ingredients

Avocado Herb Dressing – makes about 1 cup

  • 1 avocado peeled and pitted
  • 5 large basil leaves chopped
  • 1/4 cup chives loosely packed
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 1/4 red onion chopped
  • 2 green onions chopped
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • salt & pepper to taste

Agave Mustard – makes 1 cup

  • 1/3 cup silken tofu
  • 1/3 cup stone ground mustard
  • 1/4 cup agave syrup
  • 1 pinch salt or to taste
  • 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper or to taste

Strawberry Vinaigrette – makes about ½ cup

  • 8 large strawberries
  • 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup agave syrup
  • 1 pinch black pepper freshly ground

Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Walnut Vinaigrette – makes about 1 cup

  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup cup water
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/4 cup walnuts chopped

Instructions

  • To make one of these dressings, add the ingredients to a blender or food processor and puree.

Notes

These are all quick and easy twists on dressings, and much less expensive than buying them bottled.
 

Not-Chik’n Seitan with Orange Sauce

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Recipes , , , , ,

Seitan (pronounced “say-tan”) is a vegan meat substitute made entirely out of hydrated gluten, the main protein found in wheat. It’s very nutritious, high in protein and minerals, low in fat.

It’s prepared by combining wheat gluten with water and kneading into a stiff dough. It can then be boiled or steamed, then baked or fried. It’s often marinated or cooked with a sauce to give it additional flavor.

This version has flavor from the garlic and onion powders, the no-chicken seasoning, and smoked paprika. I like to steam it, then combine with a sauce.

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Print Recipe

Not-Chik’n Seitan & Orange Sauce

Course: Main Course, Sauces and dressings
Cuisine: Vegan
Servings: 0

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

Seitan

  • 1 ½ cup wheat gluten
  • 1 15-oz package silken tofu
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon no-chik'n seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Orange Sauce

  • ½-¾ cup orange juice about 3 oranges
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ¼ cup water

Instructions

Seitan

  • Start a pot of boiling water and insert a slightly oiled steamer.
  • Put all ingredients in food processor and process until well mixed and doughy.
  • Cut dough into pieces, 6 to 8, or 16 to 20 nuggets.
  • Steam 30 minutes, flipping half-way.
  • Another way to cook them is to drop into boiling seasoned water for 20 minutes, then bake at 425° for 20 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I cook the nuggets this way.

Orange Sauce

  • Mix together all the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch and water.
  • Then whisk together the cornstarch and water in a separate bowl before adding to the other ingredients. Whisk to combine.
  • Add the seitan to the sauce. Let simmer 1 to 2 minutes as the sauce thickens and coats the seitan.

Notes

Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds if desired. Serve with rice and a green vegetable like broccoli or green beans or assorted stir-fry vegetables.