EXTRA GOOD Crispy-Rice-Cereal-Bars

The lovely people at Chicago Soy Dairy recently sent me TWO packages of their lovely Dandies vegan Marshmallows to experiment with. My kids were overjoyed, as they LOVE all things "marshmallow-y" and probably feel more deprived over the lack of marshmallow-y goodness in their diet than most kids would over a cheeseburger.

I have to admit (sorry Dandies) that I was never a fan of any type of marshmallows, so the only thing I had ever done with them was make Rice Krispies Treats^tm or S'mores for my kids. And a lack of good vegan marshmallows never seemed to be a problem for me. (Apparently I was very, VERY wrong!!)
Nevertheless, I was more than willing to make use of these babies to give all the marshmallow-lovers out there yet one more wonderful way to enjoy vegan marshmallow-y-ness - including my kids and their slightly warped palates.

Let me say, these little gems delivered in both taste AND texture. My kids were perfectly happy and insisted the Dandies were JUST as good (obviously better, since they're animal free, right?) as the gelatin-filled, jet-puffed counterparts. And cooking with them seemed just the same, no weird vegan-only directions needed to conjure up a quick gooey, sticky marshmallow-based snackky things!

The first bag was immediately made into the standard Rice Krispies Treats^tm that we all know and love. And devoured just as quickly. No pictures taken, I suppose I could show you the empty pan, virtually licked clean by several teenagers and their friends...

The second bag, I determined to make something a little more "original' than your standard back-of-the-box Rice Cereal Treat. I have to admit, my treats still have similarities to the original, because just as I pulled out the whole grains, nuts and dried fruits, my kids squawked that they wanted MORE marshmallow-y Rice Krispie Treats^tm treats, so we compromised. Just a bit. I am pretty sure health-conscious parents AND marshmallow-cereal-bar fans alike will be happy with the end result!!

EXTRA GOOD "Marshmallow" Rice Cereal Treats

* 1/3 cup REAL maple syrup
* 1 1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil
* 4 cups Chicago Soy Dairy's DANDIES Vegan Marshmallows
* 1/2 cup peanut or almond butter
* 1/2 teaspoon maple-flavored extract
* 5 cups Crispy Rice Cereal of your choice
* 1 cup granola
* 1 cup dried cranberries or cherries
* 1/2 cup chopped dried apricot
* 1 cup chopped or sliced almonds

Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or oil, and set aside.
In a large saucepan set over low heat cook the maple syrup and coconut oil until melted and bubbly.
Add the marshmallows, extract and nut butter and cook, stirring often, until melted.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Mix in the remaining ingredients, stirring until combined and well coated.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press into place with a large square of wax paper or a buttered spatula.
Cool completely. Cut into desired size bars.
Store in covered containers between layers of wax paper in the fridge or a very cool room (like the garage).

Simple Autumn Cabbage Soup

I was visiting my parents this weekend and they have the most lovely garden.
Sadly, most vegetables are 'over' for the season, but I still came home happily loaded down with cabbage, onions, potatoes and carrots.

Probably due to my German Grandma's cooking influence, I tend to LOVE cabbage in soup especially, and this invention of mine is VERY simple, fast, easy and perfect for fall.

Add some seitan/gluten "beef" chunks if you want it a bit more hearty, but it's good either way.

Simple Autumn Cabbage Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped coarse
2 cups sliced sliced carrots
3 - 4 cubed white potatoes, I like the "waxy' white potatoes but any kind works, even half sweet potato and half white
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 cups liquid, I use mostly vegetable broth with about a cup of wine added
1 medium head cabbage, chopped coarsely
OPTIONAL: 2 cups seitan/gluten "beef chunks (like gardein or Morning Star Farms) browned in oil in a skillet
1/2 tsp. dill
few shakes Tabasco or other hot sauce
salt & pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a large stock pot, add carrots, onions and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes.
Add liquid, bring to a boil, add potatoes and cook till almost tender.
Add cabbage, dill and Tabasco. (add "beef" chunks here too, if using).
Bring the soup back to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley and serve.

Also good garnished with (vegan) sour cream!

Cheap, Fast , Easy TVP Vegan Tacos

This taco filling is made with TVP, also known as Textured Vegetable Protein. We buy the stuff dry in 25# bags for only pennies a pound - one bag easily lasts over a year (I keep it in the freezer).

Reconstituted, it has a texture sort-of like ground beef and you can flavor it however you'd like. If you've never tried it, it's easy and pretty much fool-proof. You can purchase TVP in plain, tannish, unflavored crumbles, or in dark brown "beef" or "sausage" flavors. I always use the plain, unflavored, so vary the seasonings here according to what you have.

These tacos are one of our weeknight staples; fast, easy, cheap and my kids love them! For even more of a short-cut, leave the onions and peppers out, dump in a cup of salsa instead and serve over chips as a "Mexican Sloppy Joe" sort of thing.

Fast, Easy, TVP Taco Filling

• 2 cups plain, unflavored TVP (textured vegetable protein)
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup tomato juice, V8 juice or watered down tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp olive oil or margarine (for some reason, I prefer margarine here)
• 1 package or 3 Tbsp. your favorite taco seasoning/spice blend (I buy mine bulk and it's spicy but not overly salty, you may need to adjust to your preferences)
• 1 green, red or yellow bell pepper, chopped (optional)
• 1 jalapeno, finely minced (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (optional)
• 1/2 can corn, drained (optional)
  
• 1/2 can black beans, rinsed (optional)
  
• flour tortillas or taco shells

Preparation:
In a large skillet, heat the water, juice, soy sauce, ketchup over medium heat to almost boiling.
Add the dry TVP granules, stirring well. Turn off heat and cover. Allow the TVP to reconstitute for 5 - 7 minutes. If any liquid is left, you can drain it off.

Turn heat back to medium, add oil, then peppers, onions and taco seasoning, stirring well. Allow to cook for another 5 - 7 minutes, stirring frequently until vegetables soften and cook, and taco "meat" begins to dry out and clump and even stick to the pan a bit. Add optional corn and beans if you want them in the taco meat mixture (or just add to the taco later). Stir around to warm slightly.

Serve wrapped in a flour tortilla or hard taco shells with all the trimmings. We like our tacos piled high with "extras", it varies depending on what time, budget and the garden allow; favorites include avocados, onions, romaine, black beans, corn, sliced olives, shredded cabbage, cucumbers, vegan cheese and especially the heirloom tomatoes and cilantro that our garden is full of right now!

Vegan Scalloped Potatoes with LOTS of Garlic!!

This is one of my family's most requested dishes. Not just my kids, but the extended, non-vegan part of the family as well. And no, you wouldn't guess they're vegan. VERY rich, creamy and garlicky. Don't worry, the long baking time mellows the garlic considerably.

Garlic Scalloped Potatoes

10 or more medium Yukon Gold potatoes (the only kind to use here!)

2 cups non-dairy milk. I like the UNSWEETENED soy or oat milk
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup hot water
3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 box Mori-Nu silken tofu
1 tbsp paprika

2 tsp black pepper

6 or more cloves garlic, smashed and peeled (I seriously use about 12)
2 tsp salt or Lawry's seasoning salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)

seasoned bread crumbs for the topping, if desired

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Soak the cashews in hot water 15 min or so while you wash, scrub and if you need, peel the potatoes. (I never peel them but if using Russets you might want to).

In a food processor, blend cashews and hot water (adding more as needed to make the consistency of pancake batter). Blend until VERY smooth and creamy, 5 - 7 minutes.
Add cornstarch, tofu, garlic, nutritional yeast (if using), paprika, pepper and salt. Blend again until garlic is finely blended. (You may have to do in two batches if you have a small food processor).

Personally I usually don't add the nutritional yeast, it mainly just adds a yellow cheesy color, not a lot of flavor, but it's up to you and your preferences.

Slice potatoes in potato-chip-thin slices (I use a mandolin slicer here).

Place a layer of sliced potatoes in a large (9 X 14 or "lasagna-size") greased baking dish. Pour a cup or two of liquid over potatoes and continue to layer potatoes and liquid until pan is almost full. Push potatoes down with back of spoon as you go, so they are all covered. If more liquid is needed, just pour more soymilk in on top, you want the potatoes covered, barely, but not swimming.

Cover pan tightly with foil and bake 45 - 60 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when you poke them with a knife. Top with seasoned bread crumbs and another sprinkle of paprika and place under the broiler for 2 - 3 minutes or until it's browned. Or skip the breadcrumbs and just broil till browned and bubbly. Good either way.

Remove from oven, let sit 5 - 10 minutes before serving.
Makes enough for 6 people. (Well, that's the theory!)