Portobello Mushroom Burger

Portobello Mushroom Burgers make a great summer dish. They're great for a BBQ, but they can also be done in a cast iron frying pan (that way you get the tasty looking grill lines).  My grandmother was a very old-school, European lady who grew up on meat and potatoes. After a lengthy stay in the hospital, my mom asked her what she'd like for her first dinner home, to our great surprise she replied "Portobello Mushroom Burgers". Not only are they tasty, but they're super easy to make.

Portobello Mushroom Burger with homemade coleslaw & asparagus

Portobello Mushroom Burgers:
4 portobello mushrooms (use the whole top as a 'pattie')
1 red/yellow/orange pepper & onion (optional)
1 clove of garlic
pinch of salt and pepper
olive oil
balsamic vinegar (to your taste)

Wash the mushrooms and cut off the stems. Place them in a large dish. Cut pepper & onion in large chunks, add them to the dish. Mince garlic, mix with balsamic vinegar and olive oil, pour marinade over veggies. Let stand for 10-15 minutes (or cover and put in the fridge till you're ready to start grilling). Grill for 5 minutes each side, mixing up the peppers & onions when needed. Place them on a bun (or on their own if you prefer no bread), with Veganaise & mustard, sprinkled with grilled veggies and slices of fresh tomato. Serve them with a side salad and/or greens.

Note: if you like to use a BBQ, you'll need a grill tray for the veggies

Vegenaise from Viva Vegan Store

Cowgrrrl Cookies

Awesome vegan cookies... People ask me for this recipe often. You can make them with chocolate chips or raisins, or both. If I don't have applesauce on hand (or if the dough turns out a bit dry) I'll use soy or almond milk.

One of the best parts of this recipe is that it makes a lot of cookies, so you can freeze half of them and then when you want them you just put them on a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven (great for when you have lots of hungry musicians coming through your home).

vegan chocolate chips from Viva Vegan Store

second batch for the freezer

from Jae Steele's Get it Ripe cookbook

Miso Glazed Eggplant

This is a really nice marinade and glaze, salty and sweet, plus it's super quick to make. We've made it before with eggplant and it's really good, but you can put it over anything. I rarely have sherry in the house, so I just omit it.

served with couscous, brussel sprouts and a spring roll

miso glaze over carrots, zuccini, broccoli, red pepper, onion,  and whole cloves of garlic

there's lots of different miso flavors, this is a good one

miso-glazed eggplant from Moosewoods Simple Suppers for the Weeknight Table

miso-glazed eggplant from Moosewoods Simple Suppers for the Weeknight Table

Breakfast Smoothie & Cereal

Smoothies are great, especially in the summer when you can get local fresh fruit. Frozen fruit works well too, but fruit starts to release vitamins as soon as it's cut, so the fresher the better. If you like it cold, just add some ice.

Jason's been making smoothies in the morning for the whole family and baby Levi loves them! He throws a bunch of fruit in the baby bullet and blends it with mint and orange juice (most people use a blender, but a baby bullet works too). If you prefer something creamier you can add a non-dairy milk or yogurt (soy milk, almond milk, coconut yogurt, etc).

choose your favorite mix of fruits... blend... and voila!

banana, mango, blueberries, fresh mint from the garden and orange juice

Nature's Path cereal with banana & flax seeds (a good source of fiber & omega-3's)

Nature's Path makes lots of different kinds of cereal, it's organic and the packaging is Eco-friendly too!

Barbecued Tempeh or Tofu

I love this recipe. I throw whatever veggies I have into a baking dish and put them right into the oven (skipping the pre-sauté) for 20 or 30 minutes covered, while I make the sauce, then I uncover it, mix it, and add the sauce and bake it for another 20 or 30 minutes. During the second half of the baking I make the rice/quinoa/couscous and salad or throw some spring rolls in the oven while the veggies are cooking. I usually make it with tofu, but this time I didn't have any in the fridge, so I just made it with fennel, zucchini, yellow pepper and tomato.

Served with couscous and a spinach salad with avocado & flax seeds

Super colorful and saucy

Barbecued Tempeh or Tofu from New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant Cookbook