Baked Zucchini Fritters [oil-free, gluten-free, vegan]

NOTE: It is best to make the quinoa in advance. You will need a total of 3 cooked and chilled cups for this recipe. One cup of quinoa plus 2 cups of water will yield 3 cups of cooked quinoa. Simply place quinoa and water into a saucepan, bring to a bowl, cover, turn heat down to low, and set a timer for 15 minutes. DO NOT open the top until the 15 minutes is up. Use a fork to fluff the quinoa. Chill before making this recipe.

4 large zucchini
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 cups (previously) cooked and cooled quinoa
1/3 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour + 1/4 cup water
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1/2 t dried dill
1/2-3/4 t salt
A few shakes of black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (375 convection or airfryer setting).
Shred zucchini in a food processor or on a box grater.
Place shredded zucchini and crushed garlic in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Cook about 10-12 minutes (uncovered) until the zucchini reduces and moisture is released and
evaporated.
Mix the chickpea flour with the water and set aside.
In the meantime, combine the 3 cups of cooked and cooled quinoa, the brown rice
flour, spices, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Add the cooked zucchini/garlic and the chickpea flour mixture into the bowl and
combine well.
On parchment-lined trays, scoop about 2-3 T of the mixture on the tray and spread
into 1/4" high circles with a small silicone spatula.
Place in the oven to bake. The baking time may vary depending on the moisture content of the batter. Try flipping after about 20 minutes. Then bake another 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned and mostly dry throughout.
Serve with vegan Buffalo ranch dressing or other favorite dipping sauce.

Potato and Onion Casserole [oil-free, gluten-free, vegan]

8-10 medium-sized yellow (Yukon Gold) potatoes, sliced into 1/8-inch slices (do not peel!)
1/2 yellow onion, sliced thinly
1/4 t each of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt
1/8 t black pepper to taste
1/4 cup vegetable broth
ketchup (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix spices together in a small bowl.
Layer 1/3 of the onions on the bottom of an 8x8 casserole dish
Layer 1/3 of the sliced potatoes on top of the onions.
Sprinkle with 1/3 of the spice mixture.
Make two more layers following the steps above.
Pour the vegetable broth over the top of the potatoes gently, so as not to wash off the seasoning.
Bake (uncovered) for about 40-55 minutes until the potatoes are tender (test with a fork) and the top is lightly browned. Serve warm with ketchup, if desired.

Mandarin Peanut Slaw [ gluten-free, dairy-free, oil-free, vegan]

Dressing:
2 T natural peanut butter
2 T rice vinegar
1 1/2 t chili-garlic sauce
2 T coconut sugar
juice from 2 snack packs of mandarin oranges (in fruit juice not syrup), reserve the mandarins for the salad

Slaw:
1 bag of slaw mix (shredded green and red cabbage and shredded carrots)
chopped green onions - white and green parts (optional)
Chopped cilantro (optional)
reserved mandarin oranges from 2 snack packs
1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Blend dressing ingredients until smooth and creamy. Chill before serving.

Right before serving, mix the slaw mix with the green onions, mandarin oranges, and cilantro in a bowl. Toss in the dressing a little at a time until you have the amount you want. Garnish with chopped peanuts and more chopped green onions.

Mushroom Farro and Brown Rice

If you don't have farro, just double the brown rice. It's better with the mixed grains, but still delicious with only rice.

1 cup brown rice, rinsed well
1 cup farro (this is a delightful whole grain!)
3 cups vegetable broth
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 t salt
2 shallots, chopped finely
18-24 oz Cremini mushrooms
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
green onions, chopped (optional)

Add brown rice, farro, vegetable broth, garlic, and salt to pressure cooker. Cook for 22 minutes on high pressure with natural release.
While grains are cooking, place shallots in a large skillet or wok and steamfry with a little water until translucent. Add chopped mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until the moisture is release and mostly evaporated. Add in the baby spinach, cover, and cook about 4-5 more minutes, stirring every minute or so. Turn heat off. Open pressure cooker, fluff the grains, and add them to the skillet/wok. Stir to combine well. Serve warm with green onions for garnish.

Oven-Baked Oil-Free Onion Rings

I hadn't made oven-baked onion rings in ages. Recently, I saw some that Shane and Simple had on his website, and it reminded me that I needed to make them again. His version is somewhat different, but it looks amazing, too! Check out his website. He has AWESOME whole foods plant-based oil-free recipes, too!

Chef's Note: Always use a different utensil to dip the onions into the batter than the one you use to dredge into the crumbs. Otherwise, you will get batter in the crumbs and those clumpy crumbs will not be usable.

1 large Vidalia (or other variety onion), sliced into 1/4-1/2" rings (depending on how thick you like them), air dry for 10 minutes

Batter: 
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or any kind of flour works)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t garlic powder

Crumbs:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 t salt
A few dashes of cayenne pepper if you want them spicy

Add the flour into a bowl plus enough water to make a batter that drips but will still stick to the onion slices (about the consistency of pancake batter). Add the salt, paprika, and garlic powder to it. Stir to combine.

In a shallow bowl, combine whole wheat bread crumbs with salt (and cayenne, if you want them spicy).

Dip individual sliced onion pieces into batter using a mini-sized pair of tongs, then drop the battered onion slice into bread crumbs. Using a fork and a gentle shaking motion of the bowl, coat the battered onion with the crumbs. Place battered and crumbed onion slices (one-by-one) on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Make sure none of the onions touch each other. Bake at 450 degrees F until crispy. This will take 20-ish minutes, depending on the size of your onion slices. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce!

Oil-Free Roasted Cashew Cauliflower

1 large head of Cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 cup natural (or homemade!) cashew butter (no salt, oil, or sugar added)
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp salt
½ t. ginger powder
1 t. curry powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix cashew butter, water, salt and ginger (or curry powder) in a small bowl until well combined.
Place cauliflower in a large bowl and coat every piece with the cashew butter mixture well.
Place coated cauliflower directly on large, metal cookie sheet (17x12) with sides (or on non-stick foil or parchment paper)
Bake for about 30-35 minutes until cauliflower is just fork tender.

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Healthy Vegan Instant Pot Smoky Baked Beans [no sugar added]

1 lb. dry navy beans, soaked in water for 30 minutes
1 cup of pitted dates soaked in 1 1/2 cups water for about an hour, do NOT drain off liquid
1 cup water
1 small can of salt-free tomato paste
2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/8 t black pepper
1 t mustard powder
1/2 t smoked paprika
1 T liquid smoke
1/2 t salt or to taste
1 T molasses (optional)

Drain off soaking water from beans and add to the Instant Pot. Fill the pot with water 2 inches above the beans. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. When the Instant Pot beeps, click the cancel button and release the steam. Then, open the top, drain the beans (reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid), rinse the beans, and return them to the Instant Pot.

While the beans are cooking, blend the dates with their soaking water,  along with1 additional cup of water, tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, mustard powder, smoked paprika, liquid smoke, molasses (if using), and salt in the blender until very smooth. Add the mixture to the cooked and drained beans along with 1/4 cup of the bean cooking liquid into the Instant Pot. Click the WARM button and warm through for about 5-10 minutes, making sure you stir gently often. Serve!

Oil-Free Cheezy Broccoli Tots

NOTE: You have to cook and cool the potatoes and broccoli a day ahead for this recipe!

5 medium-sized yellow potatoes

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 1/2 t garlic powder
1 1/2 t paprika
2 T nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
salt and pepper (black or cayenne) to taste

At least a day before you plan to make the tots, cook the potatoes (whole with skin left on) in the Instant Pot until just tender (about 15 minutes), then cool in the refrigerator at least 24 hours. Steam the broccoli until soft enough to fall apart easily. This can be done in the Instant Pot in a steamer basket with 3/4 cup water in the bottom and cooked for 1 minute with QUICK release. Chill the broccoli until you're ready to make the tots.

Shred the potatoes with a grater into a large bowl. You can save the butt ends of the potatoes to bake into potato skins. Don't include them in with the shredded potatoes. Chop the cooked broccoli with a fork and gently fold it into the shredded potatoes along with the seasonings.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, then line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Take 2 T of the mixture and roll it into a log shape, flattening the ends. Place on tray. Do this until the mixture is used up. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, flipping them at the halfway mark.
Serve with ketchup, Sriracha, or any other sauce that sounds yummy.

Instant Pot Rosemary-Garlic Sweet Potato Parsnip Carrot Mash

2 large white Hannah sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
2 lbs of organic baby carrots (left whole) or organic peeled carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 t rosemary
1/2 t garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

In the Instant Pot, with a steamer basket set into the bottom of the bowl, add 1 cup of water. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, parsnips, and carrots in the steamer basket. Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes with QUICK RELEASE.
Let everything cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the rosemary, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and use a potato masher to mash the mix. Serve warm!

Mrs. Plant's Kimchi Recipe

1 large head of Napa cabbage
kosher salt
1 Fuji apple (with skin left on)
2-4 cloves of garlic (depending on how garlicky you like it)
2 t of crushed ginger
1 bunch of green onions,  white separated from the green
Gochugaru (Korean Chili Flakes) of choice
Kimchi Box  OR sanitized Mason jars
Disposable plastic gloves

Wash and dry Napa cabbage leaves, then cut into 1 1/2-2 inch pieces (rectangular or diamond-shaped). Place in a large container and layer with kosher salt. Let sit for approximately 2-6 hours.

In the meantime, blend the apple, garlic, ginger, and white part of the onions in a cup blender with a very small amount of water. You want to create a thick sauce. Refrigerate the sauce until the cabbage leaves are wilted, rinsed, and drained well. Cut the remaining green onions (the green ends) into 1 1/2 inch-long pieces and refrigerate as well.

After the cabbage is wilted, do a quick cold water rinse on the leaves and drain well. You want some of the salt to remain for the fermenting process.

Progress Photo - Adding the "sauce" and chili flakes

Pour the sauce over the wilted cabbage and the green ends of the green onions. Add as much gochugaru as you like. I like my kimchi mild, so I don't use a ton of it.

Put disposable plastic gloves on and gently mix the sauce and chili flakes into the cabbage and green onion pieces, moving them around until all pieces have been coated.

Place seasoned cabbage in kimchi box or in a sanitized Mason jar (leave about 1/2 inch empty at the top), pressing down with kimchi box seal or fist (if using a Mason jar) to remove all air. Cover with top and leave in a dark place (like a pantry) for at least 2-3 days. Then, refrigerate.

Refrigerator Garlicky Dills

2 quart-sized Mason jars, washed and dried in the dishwasher

2 cups white vinegar

2 cups filter water

2 1/2 T. pickling/canning salt (this prevents the water from becoming cloudy)

1/2 t. sugar (any kind)

8-10 Kirby or Persian cucumbers, washed, dried, and cut into chunks
4 cloves of garlic, sliced in half lengthwise

4 sprigs of fresh dill

red pepper flakes (optional, if you like your pickles spicy)

Begin by placing the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. When salt and sugar are dissolved, turn off the heat and let the mixture cool.

Place 1/2 of the garlic, dill, and pepper flakes (if using) in the bottom of each your Mason jars. Pack in the cucumber pieces into each jar, almost to the top. Fill the jars with the cooled vinegar mixture, covering all of the cukes and over them by 1/4 inch. Cover the jars and put a date on the top. Store in the refrigerator. Lightly swirl the jars once daily. The pickles should be ready to start eating in 3 or more days.

Crispy Cheezy Roasted Cauliflower

I can't stand the texture of roasted cauliflower and broccoli. It's not tender. And, it's hard to get seasonings to stick! I thought of this idea to cook the cauliflower some first before applying the seasoning, then roast it. It came out DIVINE!

1 head of cauliflower, remove leaves ONLY and rinse the whole head
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast flakes
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1/2 t. paprika
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. (425 degrees if your oven gets really hot!)
Place entire head of cauliflower, florets down, into your Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of water to the pot. Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes with quick release.
While cauliflower is cooking, put the nutritional yeast and spices into a large bowl.
When the cauliflower is done, simply cut off the florets easily (because they are softer now) and drop them into the seasonings. Stir the cauliflower around with a silicone spatula to coat all of the pieces with the seasoning.
Place the coated cauliflower on a baking sheet on parchment paper or a silpat mat.
Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Keep your eye on them so they don't burn.

NOTE: If you do not have an electric pressure cooker, you can steam the cauliflower (cutting it into florets first) for just a few minutes.

Soy Yogurt -- Made in the Instant Pot!

If you have the Instant Pot IP-DUO 7-in-1 with the yogurt feature, you can make your own soy yogurt with VERY little effort!
PLEASE read everything below BEFORE you start--INCLUDING the notes!

METHOD #1:
NOTE: You can make up to 4 pints in the Instant Pot at once! These instructions are showing you how to make one pint jar. Just follow the same instructions for EACH one you are making.

Step 1. Take 2 cups of Trader Joe's UNSWEETENED Soy Milk* in the aseptic (shelf-stable) container (containing only organic soy beans and filtered water!!!) and pour it into a pint-sized glass jar.
* You can use other brands of soy milk as long as they contained ONLY organic soy beans and filtered water.

Step 2. Stir in 2 T. of UNSWEETENED, PLAIN soy or coconut yogurt (or previously made soy yogurt) or 2 vegan probiotic capsules (emptied into the milk).

Step 3. Place the UNCOVERED jar in the Instant Pot inner bowl.

Step 4. Cover the pressure cooker top, set to SEALING, and click the YOGURT button.

Step 5. After 8 hours, cover the jar and chill it.


Method #2:

Step 1. Take 1 whole container (4 cups) of Trader Joe's UNSWEETENED Soy Milk* in the aseptic container (containing only organic soy beans and filtered water!!!) and pour it directly into the Instant Pot pot.
* You can use other brands of soy milk as long as they contained ONLY organic soy beans and filtered water.

Step 2. Stir in 5 vegan probiotic capsules (empty the capsules into the milk) or 1/2 cup of previously made unsweetened, plain yogurt into the soy milk. Stir WELL!

Step 3. Cover the pressure cooker top, set to SEALING, and click the YOGURT button.

Step 4. After 8 hours, cover the jar and chill it.

Straining the yogurt

NOTE: If you like your yogurt less sour, only cook for 7.5 hours. You can test the flavor any time after 7 hours by just inserting a clean spoon into the jar of yogurt and tasting it.

NOTE: If you want THICK yogurt, buy a jelly strainer bag or a nut milk bag and place it over a Mason jar. Tighten the string. Then, pour the yogurt in the bag over the jar and close the cap over it. Make sure the bag is high enough in the jar that it is not touching the bottom and there is room for the liquid to be released without touching the bag. Place jar in the refrigerator. Your yogurt (in the bag) will be thick in about 2-3 hours. Dispense of liquid in the bottom of the jar.

7. Add fruit and sweetener to your yogurt, if desired. We also use this yogurt as sour cream and for other condiments.

NOTE: This yogurt lasts about 4 days in the fridge. Make sure to SAVE at least 2 T of this plain yogurt to use for your next batch!

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

VegWorld Magazine Contributing Chef: Creamy Potato Casserole

Check out my holiday recipe in the latest issue of www.vegworldmag.com !

Remember the potato casserole your co-worker or friend made and brought to the holiday potluck every year? It certainly was luscious, but loaded with fat from cheese and sour cream. This Creamy Potato Casserole won’t have you leaving the party feeling guilty. It’s made from all plant-based ingredients and is the perfect swap-out for any potluck or holiday gathering.

Creamy Potato Casserole:
Two 16 oz. bags of frozen oil-free shredded potatoes
1 onion, diced finely (optional)
1/2 cup slivered, blanched almonds (soaked in water for at least 30 minutes beforehand, then drained)
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup unsweetened, non-dairy milk (soy or almond work best)
1 T white or yellow miso paste (found at Sprouts, Whole Foods, or an Asian store in the refrigerated section)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 t. salt
1- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat panko (or other) breadcrumbs
Additional salt to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

(optional step) In a small nonstick skillet, steamfry the diced onion until tender. Add water if the onions begin to stick to the pan.

Place frozen shredded potatoes in a large colander. Run cold (do not use warm!) water over them and gently jiggle the colander to ensure even coverage. After about 30 seconds, check to see if all of the potato shreds are thawed. If not, continue running water for a few more seconds until the shreds are completely thawed. Gently squeeze out excess water well from the potatoes in handfuls, transferring to a large bowl.

Transfer cooked onions to the bowl with the potatoes (if using).

In a blender, combined the soaked, drained almonds, vegetable broth, non-dairy milk, miso paste, and seasonings. Blend into a smooth mixture. Add the sauce to the bowl of potatoes and onions, and stir well to coat.

Transfer the potato mixture to a 13x9 glass baking pan. Spread evenly. Evenly sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the entire top of the casserole. If desired, as a small sprinkling of salt over the breadcrumbs. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil covering and bake for 10 more minutes to allow breadcrumbs to lightly brown.

Cheezy Cauliflower Bites

Got a little crafty tonight and decided to marry my "oat" cheese with cauliflower florets for a crispy, cheezy, cauli treat!

First, preheated my oven to 375 degrees.

Then, I made a batch of my "oat" cheese.  I warmed it in a saucepan until it was just thick enough to stick to the cauliflower florets (so not as thick as I would normally).

Next, I dipped the cauliflower florets in the warm  "oat" cheese (a few pieces at a time), tapped each off on the side of the saucepan to remove any excess sauce, placed them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then sprinkled them with whole wheat panko bread crumbs.

I baked these at 375 degrees for 30 minutes and about 10 more minutes on 400 degrees to make sure the outsides were crispy and the insides were tender.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I made a modified version of the Baked Macaroni and Cheese from Dr. McDougall's book The Healthiest Diet on the Planet. It is DELISH! I changed a couple of things out of convenience and because of our personal tastes. I used half the onion powder and I left out the pimientos because I didn't have them. It would have been orangy color if I had used them. It didn't matter! It's still WONDERFUL!

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Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce (made in the pressure cooker!)

3 lbs of Fuji apples, cored (but not peeled) and chopped into 1" chunks
1/2 cup unsweetened natural apple juice
1/4 cup date sugar
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. pumpkin pie spice

Add all ingredients into pressure cooker inner pot. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes with QUICK RELEASE. Blend with immersion blender (right in the pot!).

All Thanksgiving 2016 recipes have been added to my NOTES section for future reference.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/mrs-plant/holiday-recipes-2016/701479776672276

Simple Asian Slaw

1/2 purple cabbage, shredded
1/2 green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 t. dark sesame oil (optional)
toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Place shredded cabbages and carrots in a medium-sized bowl.
In a small bowl or jar, combine soy sauce, lemon juice, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and dark sesame oil (if using). Mix dressing into shredded veggies. Chill before serving. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash in Garlic Cream Sauce

1 large or 2 smaller spaghetti squash (4 cups)
5 cloves of garlic (do not remove peel)
1 onion, chopped finely
1 cup cooked fresh or frozen corn
1 can salt-free diced tomatoes, drained
1 bunch chard, chopped into ribbons
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup water
1/4 t. salt
Additional salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Prick spaghetti squash with a sharp knife or fork. Place directly on baking pan (with sides) or on a silpat mat on baking pan.
Place garlic cloves in a piece of foil. Drizzle a small amount of water on them. Then, close the foil loosely and place on pan with squash. Roast the garlic for 45 minutes, then remove from baking tray to cool. Let the squash roast another 30 minutes.
Cut the squash open and remove seeds with a spoon. Use a fork to scrape the squash strands out, setting them aside in a bowl.
Remove peel on roasted garlic and place in the blender with water, 1/4 t. salt, and cashews. Blend until very smooth. Set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, steamfry onions until very tender. Add water if they begin to stick to the pan.
Add the corn and tomatoes to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes.
Add 4 cups of the squash and the chopped chard to the skillet. Cook for another 5 minutes or so, stirring to combine.
Add the Garlic Cream Sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine well.
Serve warm!

Serves 4 for a main dish or more if serving as a side dish.

Quick and Easy Garlic Mashed Cauliflower in the Pressure Cooker

1 head of cauliflower, florets cut off (leave in large pieces!)
3 cloves of garlic, whole
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cashew milk
2 T. nutritional yeast flakes
salt/pepper to taste

Place cauliflower florets, garlic cloves, and water into electric pressure cooker. Set for 8 minutes with QUICK release.
Drain off water, add nutritional yeast flakes, cashew milk, salt/pepper, and mash with a potato masher or fork. Stir to combine.