Spicy Shirataki Noodles

So my husband loves noodles and I'm always trying to find a way to make it new and interesting.  I think he would only eat noodles if he had the choice and I would blow my head off with boredom if I didn't change it up once in a while. 

For those of you that aren't familiar with them (which I'm pretty sure many are not because I wasn't) Shirataki Noodles have some evidence that glucomannan, when tested as a powdered supplement, can play a role in blood sugar control, as well as improve cholesterol control and weight loss. It also contributes to fiber intake and can be a substitute for starchy noodles.  The most common found in the USA are Tofu Shirataki Noodles which are great because they answer that pesky irritating question asked to vegans about your protein intake. 

There are a million different ways that these noodles can be served and here is one of the ways that I tried and really enjoyed.

 

 

Ingredients: 



• 5 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of lime juice
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 red pepper
• 1 8oz pack of Shirataki Noodles cooked as directed one package
• 1/2 basil leaves torn

Whisk together soy sauce, lime, brown sugar and rice vinegar.  Set aside. 

Heat oil in pan or wok over medium to high heat.  Add in garlic and jalapeno. Cook for 1 minute.  Add in onion and pepper; stir fry for five minutes or until onion is almost clear. 

Add in noodles and soy sauce mixture.  Simmer for five minutes.

remove from heat and toss with basil before serving. 

Streusel Cup cakes:

Streusel Cup cakes:  

This is something that I am trying and I love it because it has the texture and layers of a coffee cake.  

Cupcake ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup  vegan butter substitute, softened
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup vanilla milk sub (SIlk, soy, almond milk...ect)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Streusel ingredients:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tablespoon melted Earth Balance or vegan butter substitute

Glaze (Optional):

• 1 1/2 cups vegan confectioners’ sugar (Powdered sugar)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vanilla milk sub
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon melted vegan butter substitute

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven at 325 degrees F.  

  

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in one bowl while using a hand mixer to combine the wet ingredients   

Once you go to combine dry and wet ingredients make sure that your streusel is made and ready to go.  You want to get the cup cakes into the oven as fast as you can once they are combine and creamy.  

Streusel:  

In small bowl combine and mix all of the ingredients together making sure that there are no clumps of butter.  

Fill cup cake liners in pan halfway with cupcake mix.  Add in the stresuel making sure it is a light layer and not too high before filling the cupcake liners up the rest of the way with the remaining cupcake batter.  

Use remaining streusel to sprinkle over the top if desired. Place in the heated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and than pulled out relatively clean.   

While cup cakes are cooking whisk together the ingredients for your glaze and drizzle on top of cakes with a spoon.  If you want to make a more intricate design on top (Checkers ect) put into a baggie and cut off small corner to drizzle into a pattern.  

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mashed sweet potato
• 1/2 cup veggie broth
• 1/2 cup non dairy milk
• 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest

To Garnish:

• Diced Avocado 
• Chips
• dash of chili powder

Preheat oven at 400 degrees and cook sweet potato until soft.

Add sweet potato, veggie broth and non dairy milk into blender and blend until smooth.  Add spice and salt and blend in.  Fold in Lemon zest as added into serving bowls.  Garnish with fresh cubed avocado and chips and enjoy!

Easy Vegan Migus

Mingus is a great Tex-Mex breakfast food traditionally made with eggs but this easy recipe uses tofu instead creating a hearty meal for a great start to a morning!

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic (Minced) 
• 2 table spoons Mexican Seasoning
• 2oz Nutritional Yeast 
• half yellow onion (diced) 
• 1 Poblano pepper (Sliced) 
• 1 package firm tofu (Drained)  
• Corn Tortillas
• Salsa to taste
• Salt and Pepper to taste 

Heat small amount of oil into a pan over medium to high heat.  Add garlic, onion, pepper and tomato to pan and saute until they at soft and slightly golden brown.

After tofu is drained crumble into pan.  Add nutritional yeast and mexican seasoning.  Cook through (About 8 minutes)

In second pan heat tortilla's for about 1 minute on eat side.  Plate and serve with salsa, tortillas and Migus.  Add salt and pepper as desired.  

Vegan Lettuce Wraps

This is always such a good summer food and being in the hot Texas weather only makes me want to eat lighter.  Lettuce wraps are light, easy to eat and delicious. They make a great snack, meal or party munch.

Ingredients:

•  Cashews

•  Tempeh

•  Stir-Fry Sauce

•  Ice berg Lettuce

•  Shredded Carrot (Shredded)

•  Green Onions
 (Diced)

 Heat skillet over medium high heat. Add cashews. Toast cashews until lightly brown, stirring several times. Remove cashews from pan.

Add small amount of vegetable oil of your choice. Remove tempeh from package and dice into manageable bites. Add tempeh to pan.  If you want extra sauce for dipping or drizzling, add to the skillet while marinating.

Add stir-fry sauce and cashews and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed

Remove leaves from the head of bibb lettuce, rinse and pat dry if necessary. Stack smaller leaves inside larger leaves for added wrap strength, if desired

Spoon tempeh mixture onto each lettuce stack and top with shredded carrot and green onions.  

Cleansing Cocktail

Well all, I come before you now, for the first time as a married women!  We are so excited and so happy to start this new chapter of our lives together.

After a week of eating out with family and drinking cocktails and beers I really need a break!  Sure it was all vegan but that doesn't mean it was good for me.  So its time for my favorite thing:  Juice cleanse!  So here I am pumping myself up with the movie Fat Sick and Nearly Dead and drinking a new kind of cocktail.

The Cleansing Cocktail:
Apple
Beet
Small piece of Ginger
1 Juicing carrot or 2 regular

Add all of these into juicer one at a time in the order listed above.  Enjoy!

Quick Thai Slaw

Ready for those nice cool summer salads?  Me too!  Here is a new favorite of mine.

Ingredients:
1/2 head of red cabbage
1/2 head of white cabbage
2 carrots grated
4 tbsp veggie broth
4 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp Peanut butter

Lime wedges and crushed peanuts as garnish

Whisk together broth, vinegar and peanut butter until smooth and creamy.

Toss with cabbage and carrots until coated.  Add additional garnishes before serving cold.