Blueberry Muffins - can be made Vegan!

Blueberries are in season.  They are beautiful, fat and delicious.   I make my with a cinnamon streusel on top.  It's such a nice compliment to the muffin itself.   Blueberries are quite good for your health, so grab some and let's bake.  For the muffins you will need:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup of sugar

1/2 teaspoon  salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg slightly beaten (Vegan use egg replacer)

1/3 cup milk (vegan use almond milk)

1 teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract

1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter (Vegan use earth balance)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Either spray muffin cups with Pam or lines with cupcake liners.
2.) Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix together the wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Do not over mix, you do not want a tough muffin. Gently fold in the blueberries.

3.) Make the streusel topping by mixing together with a fork the 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, the 2 tablespoons butter (I softened the butter for 10 seconds) and the 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Sprinkle over the muffins before baking.
4.) Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until tested with a toothpick for doneness.



Warm Blueberry muffins make every morning better!

Balsamic Stuffed Tomatoes - Great Garnish and Vegan too!!!

I have this one tomato plant that keeps giving me smaller tomatoes.  They are larger than a cherry or grape tomato, but not quite a big tomato.  I thought, okay what do we do with these.  Then I realized that they would make a great garnish.  And wait, let's stuff them!  Let's make the stuffing a little less traditional and make a balsamic stuffing.  To make these tasty treats you will need:
Smaller sized tomatoes (this recipe is based on 4 servings or 2 tomatoes
2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
shake of salt and pepper
healthy shake of garlic powder
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (vegans leave this out)
1 1/2 tablespoons of dried chives
Hot water
1.)  Take a teaspoon and carve the filling out of the tomatoes.  Chop this up and place it in a bowl.  To to bowl add the balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder.   Put in the microwave and cook for 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes.  You want the mixture to thicken up.
2.)  Add the Panko, Parmesan cheese and the dried chives.  Add small amounts of water at a time to make a stuffing like consistency.  Stuff the tomatoes.
3.)  As it is the summer, I put these right on the top rack of the grill for about 20 minutes.  If you do not have a top rack for your grill, put them on the warm (not hot side of the grill).  Or if using your oven, 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Every time I make these my husband (who isn't a tomato lover) gobbles them up!  And for him I also don't put in the cheese.

French Dip Sandwiches - Easy Crock pot recipe

Who wants to be stuck inside on a lovely day in the summer?  This is an easy dinner that you can throw all the ingredients in the crock pot in the morning and come home (or inside from playing all day) to a delicious dinner.  This is one of my son-in-law Jon's favorite all time recipes! To make this recipe you will need:
4 pounds rump roast (I have used whatever is on sale!)
Garlic Powder
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
6 French rolls
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
12 slices Pepper Jack cheese (optional)

1.)  Place the roast in the crock pot.  Sprinkle with garlic powder.  Add in the beef broth, the onion soup, and the bottle of beer.  Set the crock pot to low and cook for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
2.)  Take the meat out of the crock pot and shred the meat.  If your roast has fat, remove the fat and discard it.  Return the meat to the crock pot and cook for an additional half hour, while you prepare the rolls.
3.)  Preheat the oven to 350.  Combine the butter with the garlic.  Spread on the bread and broil for one minute.  Top the rolls with the cheese and return to the oven for the cheese to melt.  I cheated on this time and had purchased prepared garlic bread on sale, so I used that instead.
4.)  Pile the meat on the prepared rolls.  Place the au jus in bowls for dipping the sandwiches in.  Simply scrumptious!

Cashew Butter and it's Vegan!! (Delicious too!)

My husband is a big fan of Cashew and Almond butters.  The price of these items in your local market is ridiculous!  Make it yourself.  Go to either a restaurant supply store, a bulk item store or aisle or someplace that you can buy cashew or almonds inexpensively.  I also recommend making the butters in smaller batches.  Fresh taste goes a long way to happiness!  This is super easy, here we go:
You will need:
1/2 pound of either roasted cashews or almonds (blanched without skin)
small amount of vegetable oil
small amount of Agave or honey (Optional)

1.)  In the bowl of your mini food processor, place the cashews or the almonds.  Pulse continually until the nuts are quite ground.  Add the vegetable oil in very small amounts and pulse after each addition until you get the correct consistency.
2.)  If desired add a small amount of Agave or honey to taste.
3.)  Put this in a container and refrigerate.  The butter will last about 10 days, hence the reason I said to make it in small batches and truthfully, the fresher the better the taste!

Garden Fresh Green Bean Salad, and yes it's Vegan!

Growing up every summer, my Dad would plant a vegetable garden.  A big staple in that garden would be green beans.  We ate lots and lots of green beans!  My Mom found lots of different way to prepare green beans.  This recipe truly is a blast from my past and one of my all time favorites!  Thanks to my Mom and my Dad for the memory of this dish.
Since I now have my own garden, the green beans and the tomato came from my garden!  I went to my local farmer's market and bought the best spring onions. 
Enough talk, here is the very simple recipe:
4 ounces green bean, cut in 1" pieces (or make more if you like)
1/2 large garden tomato, chopped (or go to the local market)
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
Vinegarette dressing (recipe follows)

1.)  Put the green beans in a microwave safe dish.  Cover with a wet paper towel and microwave until tender (my microwave is powerful so it only took 3 minutes).  Remove paper towel and put in the freezer for about 10 minutes to allow the beans to cool.
2.)  In the meantime cut up the tomato and the onion.
3.)  Prepare the vinegarette.  In a small bowl mix together:
1 teaspoon Agave Nectar (or honey)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vinegar (preferably white wine)
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4.)  Once the green beans have cooled off, mix in the tomato, the onion and the vinegarette.  Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to marry!  Enjoy!

Berry/Lemon/Basil Vodka - Summer Refreshment!

This is so awesome, it's almost addicting. Cool, light, refreshing .....I want one right now! After all, it is 5 o'clock in the world someplace right?
Simple easy, what you will need:

A 750 ml bottle of vodka
10 strawberries
1 lemon
20 basil leaves
A container to infuse the vodka
A decorative bottle to store the vodka

Ready, how easy is this
1.) Slice the lemons into half moons. Put an X on the end of each strawberry. Bruise the basil a little. Put all this into a mason type jar. Pour the vodka on top of this. Seal the jar. Put it in the corner of your container.
2.) Let it sit for a few days to a week. Shaking the bottle a few times a day. The vodka will change to a peach color.
3.) With a strainer, strain the vodka into a big measuring cup. Using a funnel, pour it into a decorative bottle.

To make it into a refreshing cocktail, put some crushed ice in a glass. Add an ounce (or 2)of the infusion, top with some lemon lime soda. Top with a basil sprig (unless you want to keep everyone guessing on how you made this delicious vodka!).

Baked "Fried" Tomatoes with Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing

Hi All!  Sorry I haven't posted in a while.  I have been quite busy.  First I was doing research for a vegan catering project.  Then I was working on the cookbook and I have been trying to get a business up and running (vegan treats).
It's that time of the year when the tomatoes are garden fresh!  And it's also time to make a family favorite.  Years ago I took a recipe for fried green tomatoes and remixed it to make it healthier.  It always on request during "tomato season".  Let's get cooking, you will need:
2 red tomatoes (yes red)
Pam
1/2 cup flour, seasoned with salt & pepper
1 egg replacer (or use the vegan egg replacer)
Dash of hot sauce
1 cup Panko
1/2 cup Corn Meal
1.)  Slice tomatoes into 1/4" rounds.  Set up your breading station.  On a plate, place the flour (seasoning it with salt & pepper).  In a bowl place the egg replacer and sprinkle in a dash of the hot sauce.  On another plate, mix the panko and the corn meal.
2.)  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray it with Pam.
3.)  Dip the slices first in the flour, then in the egg (holding up over the bowl after dipping to let extra drip off), then in the Panko/cornmeal.  Try to pack the Panko/cornmeal into the tomato.  Put on the prepared cookie sheet.
4.)  Once you have all the tomato slices breaded, put the tray in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
5.)  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Cook the tomatoes for about 20 minutes.  Turn the oven on broil and let the tomatoes get crispy, flip and repeat.   Sprinkle with a little salt, or enjoy them with:

Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing

1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon low fat milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1.)  In your mini chopper, or a small bowl combine all ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate.  Will last for two weeks (not!)  I like mine with 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.  If it is too thick, add a little extra milk.

Can be made vegan by switching to vegannaise, tofutti sour cream, & soy milk.  Skip the parmesan.