Raw Spaghetti with Seed and Nut Balls {Vegan, Gluten-Free}

A friend has been extolling the virtues of raw eating for quite some time. On an intellectual basis, I get it ... but my taste buds just couldn't seem to get on board. That is, until I found this book: Raw, Quick, Delicious by Douglas McNish. It's made a believer out of me, and my mouth is very, very happy!

I'm accustomed to spiralizing squash and other veggies for nutritious, non-pasta noodles, and making raw tomato sauces so this one was perfect for me. Hope you enjoy it as well!

RAW SPAGHETTI WITH SEED AND NUT BALLS

1 cup sunflower seeds, divided
1/4 cup nut butter
1/2 tsp ground Oregano
1/2 tsp ground Basil
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp ground Himalayan Salt Crystals
1/8-1/4 tsp crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Soak half the sunflower seeds until double in volume (2-4 hours). Drain. Process all ingredients until smooth and dough-like. Roll into bite-sized balls. Place on dehydrator tray and dry for 6-8 hours until outside is no longer shiny. Prepare sauce and noodles while balls are in the dehydrator if you'd like to serve warm.

2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
4 oz. Yellow or Grape Tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes, rehydrated
1 large stalk Celery, diced
1/2 Yellow Onion, diced
4 Green Onions, diced
1/2 small Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 large Carrot, diced
1/4 cup Green Olives
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pulse sauce ingredients until well-mixed but still chunky. Set aside or place in glass bowl over hot water to heat gently.

2 firm Zucchini or Delicata Squashes, spiralized and blotted.

Toss balls with sauce and serve over spiralized squash. Garnish with pine nuts.

Pulse

If you liked Smoked Gouda . . . {Vegan, Gluten-Free}

You're gonna LOVE this!

SMOKED VEGAN GOUDA

1/2 cup Cooked Garbanzos
4 oz Silken Extra Firm Tofu
1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp Stone Ground Mustard
1 tsp Prepared Horseradish
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/8 tsp White Pepper
4-5 drops Liquid Smoke
2 Tbsp Imitation Bacon Bits (vegan)
1/8-1/4 cup Parsley Flakes or Minced Parsley

Rinse and drain beans. Drain and pat tofu dry. Process all ingredients except parsley until smooth. Should make a firm paste. Line a 2 cup mold with plastic wrap, spray with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley to coat. Press cheese into mold and chill a few hours until firm, Invert over a plate to serve.

Eggplant Tofu in Garlic Black Bean Sauce [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

Another cooking marathon weekend filled with eggplant and squash. Skip the Sucanat if you'd prefer it a little on the tart side.

EGGPLANT TOFU IN GARLIC BLACK BEAN SAUCE

4 Tbsp Garlic Black Bean Sauce (Sun Luck is Gluten-Free)
4 Tbsp Seasoned Rice or Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Molasses
2 Tbsp Sucanat or Raw Brown Sugar
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Granulated Garlic
1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice
1/2 cup Water
1/2 Chopped Eggplant
1/2 pkg Cubed Tofu
1/2 bunch Chopped Green Onions
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds

Saute tofu and eggplant until tofu is lightly browned. Mix vinegar, molasses, sugar, ginger, garlic and five spice in water. and pour over tofu mixture. Simmer about 20 minutes until eggplant is tender. Add onions, sesame oil and seeds and combine well. Serve over rice.

Chorizo Chilaquiles [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

These is nothing better than a spicy plate of chilaquiles on the patio to kickstart a beautiful Sunday morning. Since I had a package of Soy Chorizo in the fridge, it seemed the perfect addition.

CHORIZO CHILAQUILES

12 Corn Tortillas, wedged and toasted
1 package Soy Chorizo, crumbled
1/2 package Extra Firm Tofu, crumbled
1 large Onion, diced
1 medium Red Bell Pepper, diced
1/4 cup Plant-Based Milk

Bake oiled, salted tortilla wedges until crisp or use packaged tortilla chips. Saute onion and peppers in small amount of oil. When translucent, add chorizo and tofu. Blend well and cook until heated through. Spray glass baking dish with vegetable oil. Reserve a handful of chips. Layer half the chips in the bottom of baking dish. Top with half the chorizo mixture. Repeat layers and top with crumbled tortilla chips. Drizzle evenly with milk and bake about 5 minutes in the microwave or 1/2 hour at 350 degrees in the oven, until casserole begins to bubble. Garnish as desired with soy sour cream, avocado, sliced green onions, cilantro and/or sliced black olives to serve.

DIY Vegetable Stock [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

I was shocked to see the price and sodium content of vegetable broth at my local grocers ... to say nothing of the preservatives and non-biodegradable packaging. It only strengthened my resolve to make my own.

VEGETABLE STOCK/BROTH

There is no real recipe for this one. And, yes, those are onion skins you see in my slow cooker ... along with the tough ends of broccoli, cauliflower, onions (green and yellow), red bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, squash and carrots, as well as spinach stems and celery leaves. Basically anything that would have gone in my compost bin after prepping for a meal goes into a bag in my freezer. It usually takes me about a week to collect enough to fill my crockpot. At that point I dump everything into the pot, fill it with water, and let it simmer on low for 8 hours. I strain it and let it cool, then ladle it into muffin cups and pop it into the freezer. Once frozen, I can transfer it into small bags or one large bag and keep it frozen until I need it.

I don't usually put zucchini, pepper seeds, or kale into the pot since they tend to give the broth a rather bitter flavor ... although that might work well for sweet sour soup  and some Asian or Indian dishes.

You can add salt and pepper to taste if you wish.

Cheesy Broccoli Sauce over Roasted Red Potatoes [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

This cheese sauce is still a work-in-process. Despite what everyone says, nutritional yeast does not taste "cheesy" to me ... it just tastes "yeasty." I started with a recipe from The Vegiterranean Diet by Hever, decreased some ingredients, added others, and this is what I ended up with. Not bad ... but not really "cheesy."

CHEESY BROCCOLI SAUCE OVER ROASTED RED POTATOES

1 cup butternut squash puree
1/2 cup plant-based milk
1/2 cup soaked cashews
1/2 cup cooked white beans
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp faux chicken bouillon powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt-free seasoning
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1-2 drops liquid smoke (optional)

Process all ingredients until smooth and creamy, adding more milk if needed. Adjust seasonings to taste. Toss with steamed broccoli florets and serve over roasted potatoes.

Zucchini Chickpea Fritters - Three Different Versions [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

This is such a versatile veggie patty - baked or fried, with Italian, Asian, or Old Bay seasonings. So make a double batch and try all three!

ITALIAN FRITTERS WITH PESTO and TOMATOES - Serves 6

2 cups cooked garbanzos
1 large zucchini, shredded
2 carrots, shredded
1 onion, grated
1/2 cup garbanzo flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 heaping Tbsp yellow miso
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp prepared vegan pesto
1 cup diced tomatoes with onions and garlic
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup pine nuts

Steam zucchini and carrots until tender crisp. Drain. Coarsely mash beans. Combine with vegetables, onion, flours, miso, seasonings and pesto. Mix well, adding small amount of water if needed.. Batter should be a bit thinner than cookie dough. Drop 1/4 cup portions onto oiled parchment. Flatten and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, flipping once, until both sides are golden.  Serve topped with tomatoes, olives and pine nuts.

ASIAN FRITTERS WITH HOISIN and SCALLIONS

Use recipe above, omitting the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, pesto, tomatoes, olives and pine nuts. Instead, add 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice and 2 Tbsp tamari. Drizzle patties with Sesame Oil before baking. To serve, top with Hoisin sauce and sliced green onions. I used this DIY Hoisin recipe with gluten-free tamari.

OLD BAY FRITTERS WITH REMOULADE and CAPERS

In the final version, omit the same ingredients as the Asian Fritters. Add 1-1/2 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning, 1 tsp sea salt, and 2 tsp kelp powder. Bake on parchment. To serve top with Remoulade Sauce and capers. I used this Remoulade Sauce Recipe with vegan garlic aioli instead of mayonnaise, amping up the dijon and horseradish.