Black bean soup - vegan - vegetarian - GF - Soy free

Tis the time of the year when the south gets cold. Being a west coast one, it is always fun, but abrupt, that first time the temperature plummets. And no matter if it makes you happy to grab your scarf and uggs, or it makes you want to hibernate until warmer days arrive, there is one thing for certain...

It's time for soups! 

You will catch me posting more than a few of my favorites here. So break out the bowls and spoons and get to warming your bones.

Here is the first one:

Black Bean soup

What you will need 

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 sweet onion chopped up all fine

1 jalapeno chile seeded and chopped fine

6 garlic cloves minced

2 tsp chili poweder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

4-15.5 oz cans of black beans (no salt added)

4 cups veggie broth

2 cups of water

How to do it

Get yourself a big ole pot!

Heat the veggie oil in said pot. 

Then add the onion, the jalapeno and the garlic and simmer for 5 mins.

Now add the chili powder and cayenne and cook for one min.

Next add the beans, broth and water. Cook for 20 more mins.

It will look much a stew rather than a soup. If you would like the soup to be more creamy then you can blend it a few cups at a time until it is to your liking. 

Garnish with some cilantro, lime, and maybe some vegan sour cream if you are feeling it.

Yummy! I  know you will enjoy!  

Vegan cinnamon rolls - Vegan - Vegetarian

Beka’s vegan cinnamon rolls

This sweet southern staple will make you stand up and cuss in church, slap yo momma, and hoot and holler all the way home. And don’t let the vegan scare you, you can’t even tell! They are downhome tested and southern approved.

Ingredients

Dough

¾ cup almond milk (unsweetened)

6 tablespoon smart balance (or any dairy free butter) melted and cooled

9 tablespoon applesauce

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1 envelope of instant rise yeast (Fleishchmann’s is my favorite)

1 ¼ teaspoon of sea salt

Cinnamon filling

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

¼ teaspoon of ground cloves

Sweet glaze topping

½ cup light corn syrup

1 cup powdered sugar

3 tablespoons almond milk (plus extra if needed)

You will also need a stand alone mixer fitted with a dough hook.

*this recipe needs several hours to prepare and to let the dough rise,  so clear your day and get ready to make some ooey gooey treats that will make you want to, yes, slap yo momma.

Here’s what you do:

Whisk the almond milk, smart balance and applesauce together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Mix 4 cups of the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt together in the standing mixer bowl. Then add the almond milk mixture with the mixer on low for one minute or until the dough comes together.

Increase the speed to medium-low and mix until the dough is elastic. If more flour is needed add  1 tablespoon at a time until the dough does not stick to the sides of the bowl, but still sticks to the bottom.

Turn the dough onto your clean counter and knead by hand to make a ball of dough. Place into a lightly oiled bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise for 2 or 2 ½ hours.

Meanwhile, make your cinnamon filling!

 Mix your brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a small bowl.

Once the dough has doubled in size, put it on a lightly floured surface to knead. Press it into a 12x16 inch (or roughly that size) rectangle. Spoon your cinnamon filling on the dough, leaving a ¼ inch edge of the dough filling free. Use your hands to press the filling into the dough.

Then carefully roll the dough into a 16 inch tight cylinder and pinch the seam closed at the end.

 Carefully slice your cylinder into 12 even rolls using a large serrated or bread knife and place the rolls in a 9 x 13 inch glass casserole dish that is lightly greased.  Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let rise for another 1 to 1 ½ hours. I KNOW! It’s a long time, but trust me, it’s worth it!

After they have doubled in size, remove plastic wrap and bake at 350 for 30 mins.

While they are baking make that sticky sweet topping.

Mix all the glaze ingredients together until you cannot see any dry powdered sugar. If you want it thinner, add a tablespoon of almond milk at a time. If you want it thicker, add ¼ cup of powered sugar at a time.

Once the buns are done let cool for 10 mins. Cut the cinnamon rolls so they are all individual, but still in the casserole dish, and drown them in the glaze. Serve, and enjoy the toils of your sweet labor!

Green Goddess Salad - Vegan, Vegetarian, and GF

It was some good food! Here is what you need:

For the dressing:

1/2c almond milk
1/2 mayo
1/2c fresh parsley
6 tbsp tofutti (or any vegan sour cream)
1/4c green onion
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

For the salad:

1 heart romaine
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
3 carrots
2 ears corn
1 cucumber
1/2 pack cherry tomatoes
something crunchy for the top

Here is what to do:

Blend all of the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

Shred the lettuces and wash thoroughly. After it is washed and dried, shred the carrots, cut of the corn of the ears (I microwaved them in water and salt for 5 mins), peel and slice up that cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes, and toss with your crunches (I used dried asian noodles, but also thought that slivered almonds, crushed ramen, or sunflower seeds would have been great), and toss all that goodness together. Top it with the dressing, and enjoy!

We enjoyed it! The dressing had a kick, so my hubsters put some blue cheese on it (we thought feta would be great too) and it totally made the flavor more mild, so that was good to know.

This is not vegan, and I was having  hard time finding some vegan substitutes for sour cream. Does anyone know of any?

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy! Please comment with any tips/hints/feedback.

Happy heating,

Beka

Succotash and baked potatoes. Vegan, vegetarian, and GF

mmmm. this was very good!

Here is what you will need:

russet or baking potatoes (one for each person you are cooking for)
Olive oil
3 sweet onions
4 tbsp butter (I used earth balance to keep it vegan)
1 red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves
2 cups frozen lima beans
2 cups frozen corn

For the potatoes:

Put your oven on 400.
Wash the potatoes and slice horizontally across them (not going all the way through) so that they can flower open (you can see my photo if you need a visual).
Cut two of your onions into rings, then halve them.
Place some onion between each of the potato slices to keep them open.
Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes, making sure the oil gets into the slices.
Place extra onion on top and bake for 30 mins or until the potato is tender.

For the Succotash

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.
Chop the last onion and the bell pepper and place in skillet. Cook until the onion is tender and just starting to brown.
Chop up the garlic and throw that in the skillet.
Next toss in the frozen veggies (keep them frozen until you put them in, no thawing needed) and cook for 10 mins.

I served the potato over the succotash. It was so good! The succotash needed some spice, so I let the eaters salt/pepper/season as they wished.

I hope you enjoy!

Please comment with feedback and/or tips and hints.

Happy eating,

Beka

Stuffed Bell Peppers - GF - Vegan - Vegetarian - Soy free

Vegan, GF, and delish!

Here is what you need:

4 bell peppers (red, yellow, or green)
1 tbsp sea salt
1/2 long grain white rice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (save 1/4c of the juice)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c ketchup

Boil water in a pot.
Once boiling toss in about 1 tbsp of sea salt.
Cut the tops off of the bell peppers and de-seed them.
Place them into the water upside down.
Let them boil for 13 mins.
After they are boiled place them upside down on a plate to steam themselves.

Toss the rice in the water and cook until tender.

In a skillet heat the olive oil and cook the onion until tender.
Then toss in the garlic and tomatoes.
Once the rice is cooked add the onion mixture and parsley.

Spoon the rice mixture into the bell peppers.

Whisk the tomato juice and ketchup and pour over the tops on the bell peppers. Bake at 350 for 15 mins.

So easy and so so good!

Enjoy! the peppers in the photo are topped with blue cheese. That was good too, but did make it non-vegan.

Please comment on your ideas and feedback.

Thanks, and happy eating!

Fruit salad (vegan, Vegetarian, GF, Soy free), Garden Salad (vegetarian), Sautéed Squash (vegan, Vegetarian, GF, Soy free), and Pesto Penne (vegetarian)

Yummy! We had a GREAT dinner in the Oakley house! 

I had some fruit from our Easter basket from the in laws, and so I prepared a fruit salad.

It had Kiwi 

Mango, and I later added pineapple. 

I sprinkled the fruit with lime, then tossed it with poppy seed, and some OJ. I later realized that a drizzle of honey would have been good. 

Then I stared on our sautéed Squash. MMMM. I love squash, and it is so good for you! 

I tossed the yellow squash and zucchini in a pan with some olive oil.

Then I sprinkled some pizza seasoning on it. My go to is italian seasoning, but I am out. Sad face. 

I cooked the goods until they were slightly brown. 

Then I cut some greens for a salad. My go to is mixed leafy greens, tomato, mushroom, cucumber, and shaved carrots. 

Tonight, the dressing is Briannas' poppy seed. SO GOOD! 

For the main dish I made some Penne and tossed it with some already made pesto from the store. 

I failed here. I am lactose intolerant, and thought this pesto did not have cheese, but when I got home I actually READ the ingredients. Oh well, Looks like there will be tummy aches in store for me tonight. I LOVE cheese, but even a little will be bad news.

 It was very good though. You could taste the pine nuts and basil...mmmm...so good. I was only able to eat a little of it, but it was yummy. 

While I cooked, Emery made a ruckus with his play mat. This is my life :)

DINNER TIME! Michael, Emery, and I all gathered around our tiny table to enjoy. 

For drinks it was peach iced tea for me, and OJ for Mike. 

And Emery ate some homemade pureed carrots. We all ate good! 

Though it was not Vegan (and I was expecting it to be), this VEGETARIAN meal was very good. 

Happy Eating!

Love,

Beka

Cooking like Grandma Hamlet

If you follow my blogs, you probably know that this is not the first cooking one that I have created. I had another one, but recently ran into some issues with the title and some other brands/blogs out there with the same title. So away with the old, and in with the new and fresh. In fact, FRESH, it what this blog is all about!

My Grandma Hamlet (my maternal Grandmother) was an amazing woman. She loved Jesus, followed his teaching, was kind, sweet, and the most special person. She LOVED me and my siblings. We lived feet from her when I was growing up, and she never stopped teaching, loving, praying, and watching out for us every day of her life.   

She was a farmer, a cowgirl, a teacher, a mother, and a Grandmother. 

Her name was Patricia. She is my Hero. 

She taught me how to sew, and how to be a strong, stubborn, self driven lady.

She also taught me how to cook. She ate very well, was extremely healthy, and loved eating raw, natural foods, and at the same time made the most BOMB mac and cheese I have ever had. 

Now that I have had to change my diet due to complications of endometriosis (www.endometriosis.org), I have found how important it is to eat well, and feed your body well. But I still LOVE food, and try everyday to meld these two facets. 

This blog is for sharing recopies, hints, and articles that help me eat well, and will hopefully help you to eat well, as well!

So here is to Grandma Hamlet, and Eating well.

Enjoy!