vegan spanish rice

Tangy, delicious and the perfect one pan meal. Spanish Rice is a favorite around my house. Recently I have perfected the Vegan version of it, as for many years it was made with cheese. Now cubes of sautéed tofu add proper nutrition and just the right texture. Best of all, it can be made in 3 easy steps. Enjoy!

You will need:

• 4 Cups Basmati or Jasmine Rice (Cooked. Instant is okay, though, I
  wouldn’t advise brown.)
• 2 Cups of your favorite marinara sauce (Or home made!)
• 1/2 an Onion (Diced.)
• 3 Stalks Celery (Sliced thin.)
• 1 Cup Frozen Peas (Thawed.)
• 1 Block Tofu (Cubed.)
• 1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/8 Cup of your favorite spices mixed (I suggest oregano, tyme and marjoram.)
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. Cook your rice. Seems obvious, but you would be surprised… anyway, place all of the vegetables (onion, celery and peas) in a large frying pan and sauté in olive oil until the onion is translucent. Add the tofu and the spices and continue to cook about 5 minutes.
2. Add the rice to the mix and fold in very carefully. You don’t want mashed tofu or rice. After it cooks for a few more minutes, it’s time to add the sauce.
3. You might add more or less, depending on how saucy you like it. I, personally, love mine with a lot of tomato sauce- but you might be different. When you get it to the right consistency, cook only long enough for the sauce to heat up. You don’t want your rice to over cook. When it’s hot, serve it just on a plate, or if your into that kind of thing, wrap it up in a tortilla and enjoy!

Vegan Pomodora Premo with Tofu and "Chicken"

At last! A new brand kitchen concoction! Born from an end-of-the-month pantry raid and some left over linguine, this bursting-with-flavor pasta dish is a delight to the taste buds and to the body. Great in protein and good fats, your family, both vegan and not, will love it as a whole meal.

You will need:

• 1 Lb. Cooked Whole Wheat Linguine (Or a pasta of your liking)

For the sauce:

• 4 Large Roma Tomatoes (Cut into medium chunks)
• 1 Bunch Green Onions (A.K.A Scallions, sliced thin)
• 1 Jar Kalamata Olives (Pitted and cut in half. DON’T DRAIN THE BRINE!)
• 1 Can Quartered Artichoke Hearts (Non-Marinated!)
• 1 Block Extra Firm Tofu (Cut into small cubes)
• 1 Package of Faux Chicken* (Optional)
• 4 Cloves Garlic (Minced)
• 5 Leaves of Fresh Basil (Please don’t do this recipe an injustice and use dried)
• 1/4 Olive Oil (The best you can afford)
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

* The “chicken” is optional. You can use chicken style seitan, Morning Star Farms chicken strips, a Boca chick paddy sliced, etc… but I digress. There are a lot of vegans who choose not to use meat substitutes. For example, when I make this for my family, my mother loves the “Chicken” strips, but my father won’t touch them.
So it’s entirety up to you. The Tofu works just fine on it’s own.

Directions:

1. Put the olive oil in a deep pan and turn on to a low heat. When it warms up, add the garlic and scallions. Lightly salt and pepper. Sauté until the garlic becomes soft and the white parts of the onion become
   translucent.
2. Add the tofu and continue to sauté on a low heat until it is cooked through. Now add the tomatoes and olives. Continue to cook until the tomatoes start to break down into a sauce. Pour a little of the olive juice in the mix, it makes it a little more flavorful.
3. When you, more or less, have a sauce (you don’t want the tomatoes to be fully pasted) add the artichokes, fresh basil and “chicken.” Continue to cook for a few more minutes and you now have a sauce. All
   that’s left for you to do is put it over the pasta.. you did cook the pasta right?

Serves 4.

Happy National Soy Foods Month everyone!! Have you begun celebrating yet? Okay, yeah, I’m not surprised. Few people even know that April is soy foods month, much less “celebrate” it, but since soy is such a big part of many vegans’ diets, I think it’s worth a shout out. Soy is cholesterol-free and low in saturated fat. Studies show that women who eat soy have a lower risk of breast cancer, and that soy may also help prevent prostate and colon cancers. Research also suggests that soy can help your heart, protect against osteoporosis, and even benefit asthma sufferers.

There are lots of other healthy reasons to eat soy, too. But I enjoy soy simply because it’s animal-friendly, super-delicious, and ultra-versatile. It can be used in everything from veggie burgers to soy milks to cheesecakes. A block of tofu may not be too appetizing on its own, but since it acts as a sponge and absorbs the flavors of anything it’s prepared with, you can use it to make Kung Pau tofu, chocolate pudding pie, eggless egg salad, and much more.

My Top Ten Fave Soy-Based Foods

While a healthy vegan diet should include a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, it’s good to squeeze in some soy products too—and there are plenty of products to choose from. Whole soy foods like tofu, edamame (soybeans), and tempeh are generally the healthiest, but other soy foods are good options too. Here are ten of my (current) favorite soy foods:

1. Tofurky Sweet Italian Sausages: With baseball season approaching, I’m eager to eat these spicy vegan sausages while watching the Orioles play. They’re the perfect warm-weather food. They’re great grilled or fried and tucked in a bun with ketchup. The manufacturer, Turtle Island Foods, also makes tasty vegan beer brats and kielbasa, but the sweet Italian sausages are the best if you ask me.
2. Sheese Soy Cheese: I like other soy cheeses okay enough (Tofutti makes a decent vegan cream cheese and passable American soy cheese singles) but this Swedish brand is my favorite, hands down. I especially recommend the smoked cheddar style. Sheesh is a little pricey though, and not too many stores carry it yet. But thanks to Pangea, the vegan superstore, everyone can enjoy it.
3. Westsoy Chocolate Soy Shake: Mmmm. Thick and creamy. It’s like melted chocolate ice cream in a glass.
4. Morningstar Farms Grillers Recipe Crumbles: A great alternative to ground beef, with only 80 calories and 2.5 grams of fat per serving. It can be used in everything from tacos to chili to spaghetti sauce to shepherd’s pie. Carnivores can’t even tell the difference!
5. Silk Vanilla Soy Yogurt: It may not sound all that exciting, but if you throw in some defrosted frozen berries or other fruit, it makes a nutritious and delicious breakfast. The family-size container is more economical than single-serving soy yogurts too (less packaging too).
6. White Wave Sesame Peanut Thai-Style Baked Tofu: Toss it with some linguini, peanut butter satay, broccoli, carrots, onions, and you’ve got a simple Thai-style meal without going to a Thai restaurant.
7. Purely Decadent Turtle Trails Ice Cream: Just about every flavor of Purely Decadent or So Delicious dairy-free ice cream is, well, delicious, but I’m partial to anything with chocolate, pralines, and caramel!
8. Boca Burgers: Need I say more? Just about everybody loves these vegan veggie burgers—even meat-eaters. The chik’n patties are tasty too.
9. Gardenburger Meatless Breakfast Sausage: Another food for both vegans and meat-eaters to enjoy together. These savory soy-based sausages have only 60 calories per patty too.
10. Worthington Chic-ketts: Tastes just like chicken! You can pull apart the “log” of mock chicken and eat it straight, or use it in chicken-free salads, sandwiches, soups, and casseroles.

Hmmm, I guess I should have made it a top 100 list since I can still think of many more great soy-based foods.

Which ones are your favorites?