Did I Hear Someone Say Blueberry Waffles?

    Sorry y'all, I tried to get this up yesterday, but the cyberspace gremlins to my internet hostage. Gratefully, I see that they have gone this morning.
I have had my waffle iron sitting on top of my cabinet for so long it looks gray instead of silver. Can you believe it? Yes, I clean house, but I don't often clean on top of my cabinets. Maybe that is something to put on my to do list. Well, I got it down and washed it off to try my hand at waffles.
     I have to blame Susan. It is all her fault with her lovely picture of her blueberry waffles on facebook. All kidding aside Susan has great recipes. If you have not checked out her blog, head on over. All of her recipes are McDougall approved and very yummy.

     Here is Susan's recipe for Fat Free Blueberry or Vanilla Waffles.

I should have defrosted my blueberries. They pretty much stayed together. But still tasted good!

Fat-free Vanilla or Blueberry Waffles

Fat-free waffles are softer and less crispy than traditional waffles, but if you want them crispier, simply pop the cooked waffles into the toaster for a minute or two. This is also a great way to reheat leftovers.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups flour (I used white whole wheat)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon potato starch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• 3/4 cup blueberries (optional)
• canola oil spray

Instructions

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Combine the soy milk, cider vinegar, and agave in a smaller bowl. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the liquid ingredients (or add vanilla extract). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until all flour is moistened. If blueberry waffles, fold in blueberries. Set batter aside while you heat your waffle iron.
2. Spray your waffle iron with canola oil, if necessary, and follow your iron’s instructions for making the waffles, cooking until golden brown. Makes approximately 12 waffles.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s) | Cooking time: 20 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 6

Nutrition Facts

Per serving, without blueberries: 128 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (9% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 542mg Sodium; 4g Fiber.
With blueberries: 138 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (9% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 543mg Sodium; 4g Fiber.

Vegan Cooking for Two and Taco Tuesday!

Look what we are cooking with today? Yep, that is Kathy Hester's new book Vegan Slow Cooking for Two or Just for You. This book is awesome for those who live in a home where you are the only one following a plant based diet or if you are empty nesters and it is just the two of you. College students would love this. Put your simple ingredients in, turn it on, and off to class

 Tonight's meal was Kathy's recipe for Lentil Quinoa Tacos. You could smell the smokey goodness cooking all day in the house. This recipe uses very simple on hand ingredients. We all have lentils, quinoa and chili powder in our kitchen cupboards.

 Taco bar is ready! Grated carrots, chopped tomatoes, diced onions, and cut up lettuce. Oh and we can't forget Sriracha hot sauce and salsa!

Look at that goodness just waiting to be eaten! I know I had 3, but they are so good you can't just eat one. We usually always have corn tortillas, but the store was out. Can you believe it? I live in Texas, how can we be out of corn tortillas? Well, no fear, flour tortillas are here. hehehehe 

Good bye Georgette

     I am supposed to be posting something yummy and food related, but after today I just can't think of any thing to post unless it a picture of the corn on the cob I had for dinner. A very sad day. We lost Georgette. I know if may seem simple to most, but my animals are part of the family. She was a good girl and we will miss her. I am not sure how Roxy and Bawk Bawk will do. Tomorrow we dig yet another hole and say good bye.

Georgette on the left. Good by my sweet girl

Home made bouillion powders

Vegan MOFO Day 13

     Happy Friday the 13th everyone. No worries, no superstition,  no bad days here. My hubby was born on the 13th. He has had birthdays on Friday the 13, graduations on Friday the 13, which in our eyes makes today a good day for us. How about for y'all? 
     Back to the business of homemade vegan bouillon. I have been making "chicken" flavored for years thanks to Bryanna Clark Grogan's great recipe. I have also used Lindsay's "No chicken Broth Powder" from her first cookbook, Happy Herbivore. But have never found a "Beef" flavored bouillon powder until now, 
Hestia's Kitchen.  
     Here is the Vegan Beef Broth Powder recipe, but go here to check out the other vegan broth powders she makes. I have not tried them all nor anything else on her site, but they sure sound good.
 Vegan Beef Broth Powder
1 Tbsp each:  potato flour and molasses powder
1 tsp each: balsamic vinegar powder and onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp each: salt, celery powder, mustard seed powder, and white pepper
2 tsp mixed herbs. Use herbs associated with beef dishes like parsley, rosemary, thyme, etc.

     I know that there are a couple strange ingredients listed, but thanks to Amazon I was able to find them for under $15.00. You say that is a lot of money, but you get enough to make hundreds of batches. I have been using the vegan flavors of the  "Better than Bouillons", but with the added  hydrolyzed soy protein, corn syrup solids, autolyzed yeast extract, canola oil, and other natural flavors.I wanted to try something better for my family. Sorry no food pictures, but check out this cute fur buddy of ours. September 22 is the first day of fall, so I decided that it is ok to put this picture up now!

Seriously?

Vegan MOFO Day 11

     Sorry I was MIA yesterday. One thing after another happened this week. First we find out for sure that our dog's teeth were damaged by the vet. Which was confirmed by pictures of our little boy 4 months before the dental visit showing all his teeth in perfect order. Second my Google account gets hacked and there is no way to get back on my blog nor email. It even affected my tablet. Thirdly I am anxiously awaiting my package from Amazon only to receive it and find that it is destroyed.  My sweet husband sees all the tears I am shedding and takes me for a treat. Sadly, the treat turned into just one more let down. We get to the frozen yogurt place that has 8 machines, 16 flavors of delicious goodness for those who consume dairy and one for vegans. Sure enough, guess which one they are cleaning in the middle of the day? Yeah, the vegan flavor machine. Can you say disappointment any louder? I wanted to just look at the guy and start crying, Of course I didn't want to completely embarrass my sweetheart so I just sat calmly while he fixed his bowl of goodness. As soon as  we got to the truck the flood gates opened up. Yes, yes, I know and I will be the first to admit that I am very sensitive and have been known to cry over spilled soy milk. I had just had enough!! So as far as a food picture or wonderful recipe I give you a big thank you for hanging in with me this far!!!

My package from Amazon. That is sticky molasses powder that is all over, under, and in my new cookbooks!

Thank you Amazon for being such a great company to send me out new books in just 3 days!
And the speedy refund for the molasses powder.

 

 

 

Thank God for Leftovers

Vegan MOFO Day 9

     Many of my friends don't eat leftovers. They just don't like them the next day. Crazy I know! So many dishes taste better the next day when the flavors really meld. Oh, and lets not forget those days where nothing seems to go right and you end up in a rut at dinner time. Leftovers to the rescue!! Today was one of those days. 

     Our fur kid had his teeth cleaning done a while back and ever since then we have wondered about how his teeth are so flat, well his canines, all four of them. Today we took him to another dentist for a second opinion and our fears were substantiated. It appears as if the dentist took it upon herself to file down his canines. It was suggested that it was because he plays ball and their teeth can wear down so that is what we thought. This new vet said, no, these were filed down. They are perfectly flat. If is was caused by playing ball his front teeth would be worn down too, but it is just his 4 canines. Now this is even more disheartening because he is our guard dog and what is a guard dog without sharp teeth. I filed a complaint and we have to take our kid back to the old vet so they can see the issue. They swear that it is not their doing and there has to be another issue as to why they look like this.

     Perfectly flat canines. 

 

 

 

     Anyway who wants to cook or do anything after knowing that there child has been hurt. I am so mad right now. There is nothing that can be done, they don't grow back, so with that said I need to just do some deep breathing and be thankful we found a new vet that is awesome. With that long story out of the way dinner needs to be served and it was leftover tacos.

Last nights leftover Creamy Risotto Spanish Rice with black beans, corn, and fresh tomato on Corn tortillas. 

They were soooooooo good!!!

Instant Pot and Creamy Risotto Spanish Rice Success

Vegan Mofo Day 8

     Happy Sunday everyone! This is a perfect meal for Sundays.  I was blessed with an Instant Pot pressure cooker for my birthday. I wondered if I could throw together something fast and yummy. Hmm,  lets see if I can make quick Spanish rice. I love that it has a saute mode. Only one pot for everything. I am sure that this can be made in a rice cooker and you can probably cut this recipe in half. It makes a ton of rice. I just shared with my sister and her family. So so happy they like Spanish rice. My sweetheart does not like it and I have no clue why not.

Instant pot Creamy Risotto Spanish Rice

½ a medium onion, diced

½ cup green bell pepper, diced

2 small cloves of garlic, minced of finely chopped

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained juice reserved

½ cup of red salsa

1 ½ tsp of curry powder

1 tsp  of chili powder

1 “chicken” flavored bouillon cube

Broth or water your choice

2 cups long grain brown rice

Turn on instant pot to the sauté option. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper along with a bit of water or broth and sauté until the onion is translucent and bell pepper is tender. While this is sauteing drain your canned diced tomatoes reserving the juice.  Add the diced tomatoes, salsa, curry powder, chili powder and rice, sautéing another minute or so. Add your bouillon cube and rice. Stir well to blend everything together.  Combine your reserved tomato juice with broth or water to make 4 cups of liquid. Pour into your instant pot and stir. Put the top on your instant pot and switch to manual mode setting time for 15 minutes. Let the temperature cool down on its own. 

 Ready get set... GO for Vegan MOFO week 2