This photo includes baked french fries, pickle, ketchup and a lettuce-tomato-cucumber-radish salad.

BBQ Tempeh Burgers

Seeds or nuts can be dry toasted on a stovetop to give a nuttier flavor to a dish.  Place the seeds in a sauté pan over low heat, wait a few minutes and stir constantly.  When the seeds or nuts begin to brown and give off a toasty aroma they are done. Be careful because nuts and seeds can go from perfect to burned in seconds.  Take them off of the heat just a little before you think they are done.

Ingredients:
1 Quinoa recipe
2 packages (12 ounces) ‘smokey Tempeh strips’ crumbled  (Lightlife brand product)
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 cups onion, (2 medium) diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Nama Shoyu soy sauce
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, dry toasted
2 teaspoons mesquite seasoning blend
2/3 cup barbeque sauce
olive oil spray

Directions:
1. Toast seeds in medium pan on top of stove and place them in a large bowl.
2. Prepare Quinoa recipe and put it in the  mixing bowl with the seeds.
3. In a food processor add the Tempeh and pulse until a crumbled paste.  Then add Tempeh to the mixing bowl of Quinoa and sunflower seeds.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
5. In a saute pan place the onions and garlic in olive oil, cook, mixing and stirring until a transparent golden color.
6. Add the onion mixture to the bowl and mix in soy sauce, barbeque sauce and  spices, mixing until fully incorporated.
7. Spray a 10’ x 14’ pan or cookie sheet with olive oil.
8. Divide the mixture into 6 equal sized balls and then shape each ball into a tight patty. Place the patties on the cookie sheet or pan and then bake them for about 45 minutes on one side, gently turning them, and then 30 minutes on the other side, until browned.

Note:  
Allow the Quinoa to cool before working it into patties or it will burn your hands.  These burgers are easy to freeze and have on hand when short on time. This is where the expression “hand to mouth” comes from (just kidding).
   
Yield: 6 patties

It is my preference to eat a high percentage of raw foods, especially in the warmer weather with the abundance of summer seasonal fruits.  Summer is a great time for cleansing the body by eating lots of organic, raw fruits and vegetables.

For lunch and dinner I will always serve a salad with whatever else I am making.  I enjoy fixing different types of salads besides the variety of lettuces, such as watercress, endive, escarole, cabbages, and dandelion greens.

Here's what I made for dinner for myself and my husband the other day: Purple Slaw with Asian Dressing, Chard, Polenta and Butternut Squash. One word: YUM.

I don't have a recipe written down for the chard or the Polenta-Butternut Squash portions. In a nutshell for the latter, I've plated cooked polenta under a mixture of tender butternut squash chunks, red pepper and onions in a coconut sauce. Season to taste.

Here is the recipe for the Coleslaw (it can be found in my book):



Coleslaw & Dressing

I like making up this salad and putting it in a Ziploc bag and storing it in the refrigerator. Hold off on dressing the coleslaw until serving. This dressing also compliments green steamed vegetables.

Ingredients:
3 cups cabbage, green (1 small head) shredded
1/2 cup green pepper, diced small
3/4 cup green scallions (2-3) sliced thin
1-1/2 cups carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup curly parsley, minced

Directions:
Place the four ingredients into a bowl and toss together.
Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.
If serving 4 toss the cabbage with all of the dressing or save the rest.

Yield: serves 4


Coleslaw Dressing

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Vegenaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Yield: about 3/4 cup

Note: 
Add lemon juice according to your taste, lemon tartness varies.

“Cabbage, both red and green, is one of the least expensive of the vitamin protective foods, and is one of the most healthful vegetables.  It is an excellent source of vitamin C.  Cabbage contains many minerals: it is rich in calcium and potassium, and contains chlorine, iodine, phosphorous, sodium and sulfur.  Red cabbage has more calcium, but less of the other minerals than white or green cabbage.” (Foods That Heal by dr. Bernard Jensen)

For lunch: Mixed Greens Salad with Pimento Dressing, Black Bean Soup and Avocado-Tofu Sandwich.

The Avocado-Tofu Sandwich and the Pimento Dressing recipes are in my book, Vegan Bite By Bite, but I created this Black Bean soup recipe on the fly so I didn't have time to document the amounts of each ingredient. Basically, it's:

1. Soak the black beans overnight, then rinse and drain the beans. 
2. Cook them in enough water or vegetable stock until they are tender (add enough water to leave room for added vegetables).
3. After the beans are tender, add minced garlic, chopped onions, sliced carrots, celery chunks, bite-sized red potatoes, ground cumin and coriander with a couple of bay leaves. Cook until the vegetables are tender.
4. Remove the bay leaves. Blend the soup mixture adding white Miso and raw cashew nuts. *NOTE: Miso contains friendly bacteria for the intestinal tract and it is a very delicate property. It's best to heat Miso at low temperatures, but never boil as it will destroy the friendly bacteria value. Cashew nuts, when heated, will thicken.

Here are two lunch recipes excerpted from my book, Vegan Bite By Bite, for Pimento Dressing and Avocado-Tofu Cream Cheese filling for the sandwich:

Pimento Dressing                                                                                  

This colorful dressing is a hit whenever it is served.  This recipe contains no added oils, other than the natural oils in the cashew nuts.  The best presentation for this dressing is to serve it on top of the salad rather than mixed throughout.

Ingredients:
2 cups red pepper (1 large red pepper) rough chop
1 tablespoon garlic
1 cup cashews
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1-3/4 teaspoons sea salt

Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth and creamy.     
2. Drizzle 2 tablespoons on top of the salad or refrigerate in a glass container.

Yield: 2 cups

Note:
The deep colorful red pepper will make the dressing a more brilliant color.  This dressing has a good refrigerated shelf life.

Once in a while, I prepare this for breakfast: Scrambled Tofu, Tempeh Bacon, Country Potatoes with Ketchup, and Whole Wheat Toast.


These meals were made up from ingredients I had in my pantry or refrigerator. Often for breakfast we will have a fruit smoothie or steel-cut oatmeal with raisins, dates and almond milk.
 
Here's the recipe for Scrambled Tofu from my book, Vegan Bite By Bite:

Photograph taken by my husband, Wendel, for this week's breakfast.

Scrambled Tofu                                                                     

Crumbling the tofu makes this scrambled tofu easy to prepare.  But, if you want a lighter and fluffier texture, you can blend the tofu instead. This recipe is also great in a large tortilla wrap with the Salsa recipe and Cashew Sour Cream recipe as a topping. Curry powder strengths vary, so you may want to adjust the amount to your taste.

Ingredients:
1 pound medium/firm tofu (Silken) Press water out.
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, small, minced
1 cup red onion, small dice
2 cups (small box) mushrooms, button, sliced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, stemmed, de-seeded, medium dice
1/2 cup green bell pepper, stemmed, de-seeded, medium dice
3 tablespoons liquid aminos
2 small roma tomatoes (1 cup) medium dice
tiny pinch black pepper
optional: tortilla wrap

Directions:
1. In a bowl, crumble the tofu to get large size crumbles.
2. Add in the curry powder, turmeric and liquid amino’s and mix gently to coat the tofu crumbles.
3. In a hot sauté pan, heat olive oil and sweat red onions and garlic until translucent.
4. Add the mushrooms into the sauté, cook for about 5 minutes.
5. Add in bell peppers first, then tomatoes, black pepper, and the tofu mixture, and stir gently until all flavors are fully blended and the tofu has a nice even yellow color.
6. Serve immediately, while still hot with Crispy Potatoes recipe.

Yield: Serves 2 - 4

Note: 
Press water out of the tofu by placing a heavy plate on the bottom and top with weight.

Cranberry Banana-Blueberry Cheesecake

It's nearing the Christmas holidays and I am starting my celebrations early this year.  Today I'm in the kitchen preparing for guests.  Here's the menu:


Salad with sesame ginger mustard dressing
Whipped Mashed Potatoes
String Beans
Neat Loaf
Cranberry Banana-Blueberry Cheesecake
Hot chocolate (non-dairy)


For those of you who have my book - Vegan Bite By Bite -  The Neat Loaf recipe is on page 141.
I just documented the dessert recipe and here it is below:


CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE
Crust
Coconut flour to dust 7" spring form pan (bottom and sides)
15 dates
2 cups shredded coconut
5 tablespoons water
Filling
3 cups raw cashew nuts
2 cups pure water
1 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1- 7.5 oz. pkg. fresh cranberries
1 large banana
1 - 6 oz, pkg. blueberries


Directions:
1.  In a food processor puree dates and water and place in a medium bowl.  Add shredded coconut and mix together by hand.  Dust a 7" spring form pan with coconut flour.  Press the crust mixture tightly on bottom and high sides of the pie pan.
2.  Blend filling ingredients EXCEPT blueberries and banana and leave in blender until step 3.
3.  Add sliced banana and add blueberries to pie pan and pour filling in blender into the pie pan, stir lightly.
4.  Refrigerate at least 24 -48 hours for the pie to set up properly.  The longer it is refrigerated, the firmer it will slice.
5.  Use a serrated knife along the edges of the pie crust before releasing the pie from the spring form pan - for easy release.

Serves 12 - 16


My husband Wendel makes up a delicious hot chocolate out of cacao powder, almond milk, dates, pinch of cumin and cinnamon and a teeny, teeny, teeny pinch of cayenne pepper.  Lately we have been having this treat since it seems rare to be able to order this when we are out and about.

Portabello Mushrooms

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The Portobello mushroom has a hearty and meat-like texture. Mushrooms are fragile and break easily. Handle them gently at every step

4 large Portobello mushrooms,

Directions

1. Wash mushrooms by rinsing them gently.  Pat both sides dry.
2. Cut off stem and scoop out the black spokes of the Portobello mushrooms, leaving the shell intact.  See note below.  
3. In a food processor add the remaining ingredients, except basil and blend.
4. Pre-heat the oven at 400° F.
5. Place mixture in a medium size bowl and fold in the basil.
6. Spray a large Pyrex baking dish. Bake mushrooms 15 minutes before stuffing.
7. Portion the mixture into 4, and stuff the mushroom shells with the filling.
8. Bake mushrooms about 30 minutes.
9. Optional: To further crisp the tops of the mushrooms, put them under the broiler

    4-5 minutes. Watch them carefully so they don’t burn.

Yield serves 4

Note:
Step 2 mushroom trimmings can be sautéed another time, served with vegetables.


  
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Excerpted from the book VEGAN BITE BY BITE by Marilyn Peterson
www.veganbitebybite.com

Tempeh Tuna Wraps

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1-8 ounce package tempeh, cut into 4 pieces
1-1/2 cups celery, diced fine
1/2 cup green scallions, sliced fine
1/2 cup Vegenaise
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons liquid aminos
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 package whole wheat tortillas
Garnish: olives

Directions

1. Pulse tempeh in food processor until fine.  Put tempeh in a medium size bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients, except tortillas and olives and mix together well.
2. Spread 1 teaspoon Vegenaise on each tortilla and layer 1 lettuce leaf with several sunflower sprouts. Spoon out less than 1/2 cup mixture evenly and spread it over the lettuce and roll the tortilla into a wrap. Garnish with an olive and serve.

Yield 2-1/2 cups or 6 wraps

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Excerpted from the book VEGAN BITE BY BITE by Marilyn Peterson
www.veganbitebybite.com

Seitan Stew

 
Pimento Cream Cheese

This cream cheese recipe holds great stuffed in a cucumber shell and wrapped in both saran wrap and tin foil overnight. With a serrated knife cut thin slices and garnish for serving on an appetizer platter. Or you can spoon it in a tomato shell on lettuce leaves.

1 cup red pepper (1/2 large) rough chop

1 teaspoon garlic, rough chop

1 cup cashew nuts

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1. Blend all of the ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth and

creamy.

2. Allow for set up in the refrigerator to resemble the texture of cream cheese.

Yield 1 cup

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Excerpted from the book VEGAN BITE BY BITE by Marilyn Peterson
www.veganbitebybite.com

Parfait desserts makes a great presentation. For any leftovers, the chef eats the bonus snack. Fruits prepared this way are also excellent for smoothies. Below, I am giving ingredients according to layers. *The blueberry mixture goes in the 1st and 3rd layer.

1st layer
2 cups blueberries, fresh
1/2 cup cashews
6 tablespoons agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

Directions correspond with each bold numbered layer

1. Blend the above in a blender and divide half the mixture between 4 parfait glasses. (Spoon 1/4 cup in each glass)


2nd layer
1 cup strawberries, fresh
1/2 cup cashews
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon coconut oil

2. Blend, layer 2nd layer, dividing the mixture between 4 parfait glasses. (Spoon 1/4 cup in each glass)


3rd layer

3. Add the remaining blueberry mixture to the 4 parfait glasses. (Spoon 1/4 cup in each glass)


4th layer

4. Blend 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks. Make sure there is enough space left for the 5th layer (*or blend 2 cups pineapple for the 4-5th layer). Divide mixture in 4 glasses.


5th layer

5. If you are blending pineapple for both the 4th and 5th layers, either increase the amount of pineapple (*step 4) or blend a pitted soft persimmon and finish off the layering process for the 4 glasses.
6. Allow dessert to set up overnight in the refrigerator. Garnish with strawberry fans and mint leaf sprigs.



Yield serves 4

Any colorful combination of fruits can be used. If persimmons are not in season, use another colorful, custard-like fruit, such as mango, or *increase the amount of pineapple. Sapote and cherimoya are also delicious custard-like fruits, however, they lack the color intensity, yet their tastes make it up in flavor!