Corn Beef - NO COMMENTS :-)

Okay, I realize that corn beef, like liver, conjures up very mixed emotions in many people. If your mother forced you to eat this cow-ish looking stuff when you were a child, apologies from me in advance. Just remember that "it's good for you," and "Mommy knows best." Uh, never mind, I'm putting up this veggie version because: 1. It's fast and easy, 2. It brings back good childhood memories of learning to cook, and 3. My kids like it. So here it is!

Corn Beef

4 cups Sausage crumbles
1 cans corn
1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons oil

1. Fry onions in oil until soft.

2. Combine all and cook on medium heat until heated through and moisture is gone, about 10 minutes.

Serve over rice.


Here is a recipe for sausage crumbles that you can use and that I use now. We always used "Redi-Burger,"** a canned product from the health food store, growing up (one can). I have seen it made with other beef-like substitutes, so this is just a very versatile recipe.


Sausage Crumbles
12 ounces tofu
½ teaspoon garlic
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons beef style seasoning
½ cup yeast flakes
1 tablespoon sage
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup water
1 cup oats
1 ½ cup vital gluten flour
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

Servings/Yield: 24

1. Blend tofu, garlic, onion powder, beef seasoning, yeast flakes, sage, oil, soy sauce and water until smooth. Then blend oats in briefly.

2. Mix all together very quickly and roll into a large, greased sheet of industrial strength foil. Roll like a Tootsie Roll and use 2-3 layers of foil, because it will explode!

3. Bake at 300 for 100-110 minutes, turning roll every half hour or so.
4. Chill in refrigerator and store in ziploc bags for later use.

** http://stores.wholesome-essential.com/Detail.bok?no=120

Upside Down Coffee Cake

This makes a huge, delicious batch!!

Upside Down Coffee Cake
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup Smart Balance light
1 can pineapple , or a quarter of a fresh one, sliced
2 ½ cups almond milk
2 tablespoons chia seeds, or flax seed
¾ cup smart balance light
1 cup sugar
3 cups white whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup smart balance light
1 cup unbleached flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Sprinkle 3/4 cup brown sugar over the bottom of a 9 x 13" casserole dish, then melt 1/4 up Smart Balance Light and pour over this. Lay pineapple slices over the bottom of the pan in one layer.

3. Warm almond milk and blend with chia seeds in a blender for a few moments.

4. Mix white whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt and sugar well, then stir milk and chia seed mixture into this. Spoon into casserole dish over the pineapples and spread lightly.

5. Melt 3/4 cup Smart Balance Light and mix in with unbleached flour, brown sugar and almonds. This makes a sort of crust, or you can do this with cooler "butter" rather than melted and crumble over for a strudel look.

6. Bake until edges are golden brown, 40-45 minutes

Mike's New Favorite - Stuffed Shells

This dish takes a little more time than many of my dishes - it'll take a half hour or so to make, but it's worth the investment and great for company as it makes so much. This is a cater-worthy food - meant for a restaurant somewhere!

 Stuffed Shells

1 pound whole wheat shells, pasta
¾ cup TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)
2 tablespoons chicken-style seasoning
1 cup water
¾ cup cashews
½ cup oats
2 tablespoons onion powder
teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup nutrional yeast flakes
2 cups water
12 ounces silken, extra firm tofu, crumbled
3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 cup vegan cheese
64 ounces spaghetti sauce
2 cups water

Servings/Yield: 12 servings

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Boil noodles for 6 minutes, rinse with cold water, drain, and spread out on a flat surface.

3. Mix TVP and chicken-style seasoning with 1 cup of hot water and set aside.

4. In a blender, blend cashews, oat, onion powder and garlic powder, nutritional yeast flakes and salt with about a cup of the (2 cups) of water until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add remainder of 2 cups of water and blend again.

5. Crumble tofu mixture into this by hand, stir in. This will create a wet cottage-cheesy texture.

6. Pour a couple of cups of spaghetti sauce over the bottom of 2 - 9 x 13" pans, enough to cover.

7. Mix TVP and water mixture into the cashew cream and stir in Italian seasoning. Spoon this into the shells, not heaping and place each into the pans, in one layer.

8. Mix the remaining water with the remaining sauce and pour evenly over the shells.

9. Sprinkle the veggie cheese over the top and bake for 30-40 minutes.

You could replace TVP and the 1 cup water, chicken-style seasoning with 1 1/2 cups of ground veggie meat - maybe a chicken if you can't find the TVP, but TVP is SO much cheaper and easy, too!

Raspberry Pie and RNs

Done with all my tests! I have 148 clinical hours and a little easy test called "state boards" (:-) before I can sign my name, Melanie Troxell, RN!! And I'm home. The Lord worked it out so I can be with my men again, and I'm so very, very thankful to have spent my first weekend at home with my favorite people. Thanks for all your prayers!



Here is a delicious pie that I'm sure you'll enjoy! It has no added sugar, but it's a sweet rush, anyway, so diabetics beware - and everyone else, Don't eat it all yourself. ;-)


Raspberry Pie

1 recipe whole wheat pie crust
1 pound raspberries, frozen
6 ounces apple juice concentrate
⅓ cup cornstarch
 
1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Roll out pie dough into two circles and place one in an 8 or 9 inch pie crust.

3. Mix apple juice and cornstarch until smooth. Add berries and boil until the liquid begins to thicken and darken in color. Pour this into pie crust, cover with other crust and press edges together.

4. Trim off excess crust and bake for about 30 minutes or until crust edges turn a golden brown and top looks dry-ish.

Yummy Apple Muffins

These get an A+ from Erin, the daughter of the lady I've been staying with. They are full of sweet, gooey wonder! Please try. :-)

Apple Muffins



1 ⅓ cups white whole wheat flour
⅓ cup sucanot or brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flax seed
¼ cup pecans, chopped
⅓ cup raisins
1 small apple , shredded
1 ⅓ cups water


1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray well a medium sized 6 muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Make sure and spray the insides and tops of the pan.

2. Mix all but water and apples well.

3. Mix in apples and water and spoon mixture in equal amounts into muffin tins.


4. Bake for 30-35 minutes and then cool for 5 minutes before removing onto a surface to cool.

Two Minute Take Along Lunch

This is SO easy! This is a quick throw-it-together dish for work, picnics or life in a hurry!

Coconut Pigeon Peas

1 can pigeon peas (gondules)
1 cup brown rice, dry
½ cup coconut milk
1 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons chicken-style seasoning
1 onion, chopped

Mix all, cover, and bring to a boil. Turn down to medium-low heat and cook for 20-30 minutes.

OR

Place all in a covered casserole dish and cover. Put in oven and bring to 500 degrees. After twenty minutes, turn it off and DO NOT open the oven. In 3-4 hours it's hot, ready to eat and perfect!

Family Favorite Barbecued Tofu

I really don't know the original source for this amazing dish, but it is an extreme crowd pleaser, I can assure you! It's easy, filling and delicious, and has been a family favorite since I discovered it in college. AMAZING. Try it and let me know what you think!


Barbecued Tofu

1 pound extra firm tofu, frozen and thawed
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon garlic, minced
½ cup barbecue sauce, or to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Gently squeeze excess water out of tofu and cut into 1/2" strips. Lay these on an oiled cookie sheet in one layer.

3. Mix water, peanut butter, soy sauce and garlic and pour even over tofu strips, squishing in with your hand.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn and bake for another 10. Pour your favorite barbecue sauce over this and bake for another 10 minutes.

Jill's Favorite - Rice Stuffed Poblanos

Here is a very different spin on stuffed peppers, and it's the new favorite of the dear lady I've been staying with! So here they are (in her honor):

Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers

⅓ cup TVP
3 cups water, warm
1 cup rice, pre-cooked
½ onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chicken style seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup Mozarella Cheese
4 poblano peppers

1. Cut tops off of peppers and remove seeds and fibrous white inside. Steam in a steamer or double boiler for about 5 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 425.

3. Place TVP in 1 cup of the water to soak.

4. Saute onions with chicken seasoning in a bit of the water until they soften. Add in TVP and rice and heat through.

5. Mix the TVP, rice, and salt into the onion pot and cook on medium heat until the water is absorbed.

6. Stir in cheese and stuff this mixture into four peppers. Lightly press lid against the open end, set on greased cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes.