Silence of the Lamb on the Lam

It's funny, but, though I never ate much of it before going veg, one of the meats I miss most is lamb. What I miss most about it are the sauces, the presentation, the herbs; the whole experience of eating lamb. Here's my recipe for vegan Lam. Measurements are estimates and can be adjusted to suit your taste. When I am creating, I don't have time to stop and measure:

The Lam:
2 portobello mushroom caps

The marinade:
3/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup olive oil
2 - 3 Tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1 Tablespoon rosemary
1 teaspoon brown mustard
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
Salt

Blend ingredients for marinade. Marinade mushrooms overnight. Bake in a pan with marinade at 400ᵒ for 20 minutes. Finally, spoon some of the marinade on top and broil so that the tops of the mushrooms get somewhat of a dry crust. Slice and serve with minted mashed potatoes and fresh rosemary spears.

Here's the recipe for an easy reduction sauce. Any chef would turn up his nose at such nonsense, but I'm no chef. Here it is:

1/2 cup wine
1/2 cup tomato juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
a pinch of ground oregano

Whisk all together, simmer for several hours to reduce, and serve. Your guests will think you spent hours in the kitchen!

The King of Comfort Foods

This recipe comes from this month's issue of Vegetarian Times, and so I won't go into detail about what's in it, but it is vegan, it is easy to make, and it is creamy and good. A non-vegetarian tried some and really liked it. Most vegans miss cheese most of all. You won't miss it here.

Almost everything is vegan!

How simple is this?

1. Boil pasta

2. Heat up a good bottled marinara. (I like Newman's Own Cabernet Marinara with olive oil and lots of extra garlic.)

3. Eat sauce over pasta.

4. No more excuses for not eating well.



You can have this for the time it would take to go through McDonald's "drive-thru" (sic), and it is much, much healthier.

Oh, yeah, and all those things you have heard about carbs being bad? It's not true. Here's the real secret to achieving a healthy weight: eat vegetarian foods and work out.

Summer Nachos

What do you get when you melt some Tofutti cheese with jalapeño sauce, put it over Sweet and Spicy Chili Doritos, and top with chopped green onion, shredded lettuce, cilantro, lime, and chunky salsa?

The first day of summer. It's the perfect time for something simple and delicious.

Tofu Tacos

Sauté some extra firm tofu, chopped portabella mushrooms, onion, tomato, and cumin.  Using an avocado, some salsa, onion, cilantro, and lime juice, make guacamole.  Eat with tortillas and hot sauce.  If the tofu is hot and the guacamole is chunky, who could possibly complain?

Beans and Rice

It's not the most exciting meal, but it fills you up fast when you're hungry, and it doesn't take long to make on a weeknight when you can't afford to dedicate the time to something like, say, vegan Filet Charlemagne.  This can be quickly heated in the microwave and dressed up with a little avocado, lime, cilantro, and hot sauce.

Even single people can make this without feeling like they're going all out for just themselves.  As for me, I cook what I want when I have the time.

Breakfast: Where's the Cereal?

Any questions?

Veghetti

Vegetable primavera meets marinara!  Take some broccoli and cauliflower, a medium onion, a little cubed tofu, lots of olive oil, and half a head of garlic.  Add a jar of Newman's Cabernet Marinara.  A little seasoning, put it on top of spaghetti, and it's done!  It would be even better with black olives, but it's rich, filling, and flavorful as is, and much healthier than simple marinara over pasta.  Totally worth the stain on my baby-blue polo!

Buckwheat Pancakes

Mmmmm!!  These are not just for breakfast.  Using the Hodgson Mill Buckwheat Pancake Mix, it's fast and easy to make healthy vegan pancakes.  The directions on the box do call for eggs, but these are easily replaced by beating two tablespoons of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water for each egg called for.  They are thick and hearty, but still fluffy.

Variations:  I have had good results adding raisins, cinnamon, and ground-up flax seeds to the mix.  They're delicious every way, but always drowned in something sweet like maple syrup or molasses.

Verdict:  Better than Lucky Charms, which contain gelatin, a non-vegetarian ingredient.

Sunday Evening: Stir-fried Tofu and Vegetables

I know.  Yawn.  A stir-fry.  Still, it's easy to make, and it tastes pretty good.  It's one of my favorite default meals.  I have a special affinity for tofu and vegetables since it's what I ate after attempting a raw diet for over a month. A little soy sauce, some ginger, lots of garlic, and a little turbinado make a good sauce in a pinch.

Sunday Noon: Gardenburger Riblet

The Gardenburger Riblets have to be one of my favorite comfort foods, and they take less than three minutes to heat in the microwave.  Some people might think the sauce could use just a little more zip, but I think it's delicious just the way it is.  The hard part is eating just one riblet, and not finishing off the box of two in one sitting.

Besides the riblet, I had brussels sprouts, a baked potato, dark orange squash from last year's garden, and beet pickles, again from last year's garden.  I'm so full and comfortable, I don't know if I want to lie down and take a nap, sit and read a book, or take a walk outside.  It's definitely Sunday.

Maybe a cup of yerba mate will liven things up...

Spicy Sweet Taco Salad

It's amazing what a romaine heart, a handful of crumbled Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos (yes, they're vegan!), a tomato, an avocado, and half a can of Hormel vegetarian chili can taste like.  This took all of three minutes to make.  (I heated the chili in the microwave while I chopped the vegetables.)  It tastes as good as it looks.  It would have been even better with cilantro.

What did you have for dinner?  A Big Mac?  Oh, I'm sorry...