Beef Chili with Bob's Red Mill TVP

I don’t know about you, but I usually try to avoid eating things that sound like chemical compounds or plastic materials. Seems like a good rule to live by, right? I’m sure it is about 99% of the time, but this weekend I made an exception for TVP.

Even when you use it’s real name, Textured Vegetable Protein, is still doesn’t sound like something you’d want to cook with. But in fact, you do. At least I do. I’ve had recipes that use TVP over the years and experienced varying degrees of enjoyment (tamales were a winner!), but this was actually my first time preparing it and here’s why I think you’d like to cook with it too:

A) It’s inexpensive – I’m sure this would depend on where you got it and who made it, but my name brand Bob’s Red Mill TVP set me back two dollars and change at the local grocer, and it was a pretty good sized package. A can of the same amount of veggie ground beef would cost, oh I don’t know, five times as much?

B) It’s versatile: While Bob’s only makes one sort of TVP (ground beef-like in appearance), my local health food store sells several different versions, colored and shaped to look like various meat products. I’m guessing you can buy it pre-flavored as well, but Bob’s brand was ready to be whatever I wanted it to be, which was nice.

C) It’s healthy: This stuff is legit. Low in calories. Fat free. Only TWO mg of sodium (yeah, you read that right), while still packing in 4 grams of fiber, 12 grams of protein and 15% of your daily iron in just one serving.

I rest my case.

Now I know it’s not really chili season, but I had some tomatoes and beans to use up, and I figured it would be a foolproof way to test out the TVP for the first time. Luckily I was right. The textured vegetable protein made the chili hearty, but not heavy and the summer squash freshened it up while adding some nice color as well. It was a winning batch. Since I’d never used the TVP before, I started by preparing it according to the package, just to see what it was like. But for this recipe, just throw it into the water unless you’re curious like me.

Beef Chili with Bob’s Red Mill TVP

Serves 4-6

4 c water

1 c TVP dry

1 can black beans

1 small or medium onion, chopped

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

3 Tbls vegetarian beef seasoning (I used McKays)

1 Tbls taco seasoning

1 large tomato, chopped

1 summer squash, chopped

1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

salt

In a large pot over medium heat, add water, TVP, beans, onion, garlic and beef and taco seasonings. Cook until onions are beginning to soften, stirring frequently.

Add tomatoes and squash and continue cooking for another five minutes or so.

Add cilantro, then taste and add salt to your liking.

Tips: Since the beef seasoning and taco seasoning are pretty salty, you may not need to add any

additional salt. My taco seasoning was hot, so I didn’t need to add any extra spice, but you can always throw in some minced jalapeno (or other hot pepper), red pepper flakes, or cayenne. If you don’t have taco seasoning (or don’t like using prepackaged goods), just use a combo of cayenne, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. It’ll get the job done. You can also add whatever other vegetables you need to use up. The more the merrier with chili (and most soups). Just be

sure to think about how fast they’ll cook and when you’ll need to add them.

Scrambled Tofu with Nosoya Organic Tofu Plus

Tofu is so controversial! Maybe not on par with Lady Gaga, abortion or the O.J. Simpson trial, but people either seem to love it or hate it. I’m not obsessed with it or anything, but I have a theory that people who hate it have never eaten a batch from a cook who knows what they’re doing.

Tofu is extremely easy to prepare. Scrambled tofu, for example, is much more forgiving than scrambled eggs (it takes way longer to burn). Plus, it’s a total blank canvas. You can literally do WHATEVER you want with it. It works as a stand in for meat and dairy and it’s so satisfying when done properly. “Properly” can mean different things to different people, but if you’re not used to eating it, it means flavored adequately, and possibly substantially (unless you’re using a silken version in a dessert, which is also a great idea).

The other great thing about tofu is, unlike the myriad of semi-healthy meat stand-ins, it’s actually good

for you! No saturated fat. No sodium. No sugar (this is obviously subject to change when prepared). And it is great source of protein! In fact, the brand I bought this time around (Nosoya Organic Tofu Plus) is actually fortified with calcium, riboflavin, various B vitamins, etc, for people who don’t consume animal products on a regular basis. Pretty neat, huh?

There’s so much to love about tofu. But I can admit it; in the wrong hands, it can be down right gross. Slimy and bland are two words that can unfortunately be attributed at times. To avoid this, stick to my simple tofu tips:

1. Avoid big chunks: Unless they’ve been marinated, they’re still going to taste like tofu. Blah.

2. Err on the side of over seasoning: Unless you’re a health nut, you will not appreciate the “natural” goodness of this soybean product.

3. Choose the right firmness: If it’s filling in for dairy, you’ll probably want silken tofu. If it’s subbing for meat, you’ll want firm or extra firm.

4. Give this scrambled tofu recipe a try. I swear you’ll like it, regardless of your history with bean byproduct.

Scrambled Tofu with Nosoya Organic Tofu Plus

Serves 2-4

2 Tbls Extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbls onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

14 oz Nosoya Oragnic Tofu Plus or other tofu variety (one package)

1 Tbls vegetarian chicken seasoning

2 tsp salt

2 tsp chives (more if fresh)

1/8 tsp tumeric

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

In large fry pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes.

After removing tofu from package, lightly squeeze out some of the excess liquid. Place in a bowl and mash with a potato masher or crumble with hands.

Add tofu to pan and turn up heat to medium high. Stir in seasonings and fry for several minutes, stirring frequently, until some pieces of tofu begin to brown and most of the moisture is cooked out.

Tips: Try experimenting with different seasonings. If you don’t have turmeric on hand, don’t worry. The main reason I use it is for color. If you want to use the tofu in breakfast burritos, do a Mexican blend of cumin, oregano, cayenne and maybe even a pinch of cinnamon. You could also use this recipe as a stand in for beef crumbles. Just use a vegetarian beef seasoning instead of chicken seasoning and cook until the tofu starts to get a bit rubbery. You definitely don’t have too cook all the moisture out (some people seem to prefer it sort of wet), but it seems a lot meatier to me when it’s dry, and it’s much more palatable for people who aren’t used to eating it.

South of the Border Spaghetti with Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burgers

It’s been a good food week. Donnie’s parents and grandma are here so we’ve been finding excuses to live it up. I had a killer vegetarian BBQ “chicken” sandwich at a really good restaurant in Fresno (New Star Vegetarian, check it if you’re ever here!), an almost perfect pesto and sundried tomato pizza at Pizza Factory, a delicious white hot chocolate at a really cute coffee shop, fresh and from scratch strawberry shortcake a lá Paulette, a trip to the farmer’s market which resulted in fresh croissants, organic honey, obsidian black berries (and every other sort of berry you can think of), along with some fresh, organic basil and garlic that resulted in a really good batch of pesto tonight. I even found some morel mushrooms growing next to our house today! They were as good as I remembered them after I sautéed them in butter with some of that fresh garlic I mentioned. How lucky have I been? This series of delectable meals started about a week ago with a really great batch of pasta.

Several of us found ourselves very hungry at the same time last week. I took matters into my own hands and reverted to my college pasta formula which I perfected during my very hectic last year of college: pasta + veggies + cheese (optional) + veggie meat + seasoning = perfection. Since we happened to have some jalapenos in the fridge, I decided to go south of the border with some left over spaghetti. Some Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Veggie Burgers I found in the freezer affirmed this decision.

Morningstar sells several burger variations including the Tomato and Basil Pizza burger, the Chipotle Black Bean burger and even the Asian Veggie Pattie. These are obviously great for sandwiches, but are really good in other dishes as well. Chopped up, they’re delish in a fajita, with rice, on nachos or with pasta, of course.

However, these should be used sparingly. Although they’re low in fat and calories and are a pretty good source of protein, they have lots of sodium (350 mg in the spicy black bean burgers) and more carbohydrates than other veggie burgers since they have some special ingredients like rice, beans, etc. However, they’re really flavorful, so a patty or two will go a long way in a dish. This spaghetti is proof of that.

South of the Border Spaghetti with Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burgers

Serves 8

13 oz package of dried spaghetti

2 Tbls olive oil

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 red pepper, chopped

2 Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burger, chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, diced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

Half a package of Sazon Goya

salt

Fresh Cilantro, chopped

Cook spaghetti according to package instructions until almost done.

In frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes.

Add red pepper, jalapeno, burger pieces, seasonings and salt to taste. Mix together and cook until peppers are soft. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over top and serve.

Tips: This recipe is so easy, but you can make it even easier if you have some leftover spaghetti in your fridge. Also, the jalapeño gives this dish serious kick. If you can’t handle spicy food, don’t use the whole thing. If you’re in the mood for queso, this dish would be great sprinkled with some sharp cheddar, monteray jack, or even some goat cheese. If you don’t have any Sazon Goya, don’t sweat it, but it gives some extra Latin flavor and color.

Ragù con Sausage with Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Sausage Style Recipe Crumbles

I have not been cooking enough lately. This is dangerous because when I do get a chance to cook, I go nuts. This became clear a couple of weeks ago when Donnie and I had the weekend off. We decided to spend it at home, which meant we could do a nice, quiet Sabbath dinner alone. Since Donnie and I have been doing a low-carb diet for the last couple of months (13 lbs and counting!), we hadn’t eaten pasta for weeks. We LOVE pasta. Being that it was our weekend off, we decided to break the rules and fudge on our diet for one meal. But if we were going to do this, we were going to do it right. I was not opening up a jar of tomato sauce. No, this meal would be in house, start to finish. Caprice salad, garlic bread, stuffed zucchini, pesto, whole wheat pasta and home made meat sauce. It ended up sounding as good as the grocery bill was expensive.

I’ve only made pasta sauce one other time and that was years ago so I had to start with a source I know and trust. Foodnetwork.com is a great place to get ideas for recipes. I’m a particular fan of Alton Brown. His recipes are usually fresh and different while still being simple to execute. I already knew I wanted to use Morningstar Farms version of sausage in the sauce, but the meat sauces I found called for at least 3 different types of meat and a lot of unnecessary steps so I decided to adapt a tomato sauce recipe instead.

Donnie isn’t a huge fan of Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Sausage Style Recipe Crumbles (could they possibly come up with a longer name?). My theory is that it’s because they actually sort of taste like meat, which Donnie did not grow up eating. They have a pretty bold flavor and they’re spicy as well. The soft but chewy texture along with the peppery bite make them a great substitute for sausage in both Italian and breakfast dishes. Donnie loved the sauce and used the crumbles the other day in an egg and hash brown scramble (I’ll have to blog that later on), so I think he’s been converted.

The nutritional info is similar to most other veggie meats. Let’s just start with the fact that each 2/3 cups serving has 420 mg of sodium. That’s a lot of sodium. On the other hand, since the sausage crumbles have such a strong flavor, you can get away with using less. You definitely won’t get a whole serving of crumbles in each serving of sauce. Now that we have the sodium out of the way, we can breath a sigh of relief since these contain no saturated or trans fats, are low in carbohydrates and have 11 grams of protein per serving. Not only that, but they even threw in some healthy portions of Thiamin, Niacin and Vitamin B12. Thanks guys. Don’t feel bad about throwing these crumbles into a recipe; just don’t use the whole bag (which replaces 1 lb of real uncooked sausage, by the way).

But back to the sauce, it’s easy as can be and will make your house smell like Heaven, if there’s Italian food in Heaven, that is.

Ragù Grosso con Morningstar Farms® Meal Starters™ Sausage Style Recipe Crumbles

Serves 3-4

12 roma tomates, halved

8 baby portabella mushrooms, halved

¼ c extra virgin olive oil

2 scallions, finely diced

2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1 Tbls fresh oregano, finely chopped

1 Tbls fresh thyme, finely chopped

salt and pepper

¾ c white wine

1 c Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Sausage Style Recipe Crumbles

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a baking dish, place tomato and mushroom halves cut side up. Sprinkle with oil, scallions, garlic, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Bake for 2 hours. Check the tomatoes after 1 hour and turn down the heat if they seem to be cooking too quickly. Then turn the oven to 400 degrees and bake another 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a saucepan. Mash ingredients together with a potato masher. Add white wine and sausage crumbles, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.

Tips: This sauce is really think and chunky. If you prefer something more… saucy, I guess, try adding some vegetable broth or a bit of tomato juice. You can also whiz the ingredients up in a blender after they come out of the oven (before you add the wine and sausage). If you don’t have fresh herbs and you don’t want to buy them, you can substitute a tsp of the dried versions. If the tomato skins bother you, just pull them off with your fingers after they come out of the oven before mashing. Although I paired this with linguini, a chunky sauce really goes best with a short, stout pasta like penne, ziti or radiatore. That said, it will taste good with anything. Especially a caprese salad.

Vegetable Chicken Bake with Morningstar Farms Grillers Chik'n Veggie Patties

It’s been too long. And I’ve been too busy! Tonight was the first night in a while that I’ve had time to cook. One would think I had several ideas stored up in my head. But I didn’t… All I had was a package of Morningstar Farms Grillers Chik’n Veggie Patties. Long name, simple concept.

I’m a huge fan of the original Grillers. They’re a great replacement for hamburgers, but they’re also really good in more than just a bun. I’ve fried and sliced them for salads, quesadillas and pasta. I’ve even ground them up and made a meatloaf (this was before the Grillers Crumbles came out). They’re just downright tasty. Which is why I was intrigued by the new chicken version. Could they possibly be as good?

Well, not quite. Obviously, they taste nothing like the originals, which are based on beef. On the other hand, they don’t taste anything like the Morningstar Farms Chik Patties either and by don’t taste anything like, I mean they aren’t as good. However the Chik Patties have a shameful amount of sodium and twice as many grams of carbs, so the new Chik’n Veggie Patties are at the very least a healthier offering. They’re meaty texture as well as their neutral (dare I say bland?) flavor, would work well as a replacement in a lot of chicken dishes.

As far as nutrition goes, these patties are ok. They sport only 3 grams of fat, none of which are saturated, 80 calories, no cholesterol, are fairly low in carbs and actually have 5 grams of fiber. Not bad. But it’s the same old tune with sodium (350 mg) and like most Morningstar Farms products, have a really long list of ingredients.

I bought the package at the ABC about two months ago and have been pondering over how to use them. I’d been thinking I’d turn them into a vegan chicken Caesar salad, but I had a huge salad for supper LAST night, so I just wasn’t feeling it. Since Donnie and I are doing the whole low carb thing right now, turning them into a pasta dish was not really an option (although it sounded so good!), so I decided to keep it simple.

Vegetables + Chik’n Veggie Patties + my oven = supper. To be totally honest though, I think it could have been a lot better. I would have tried again if I had more patties. I’ll give you the recipe I should have made the first time.

Chicken Vegetable Bake with Morningstar Farms Grillers Chik’n Veggie Patties
Serves 4

4 cups vegetables of your choice*
½ chopped red onion
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbls balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 package Chik’n Veggie Patties
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine vegetables, onion, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in large bowl and mix until all vegetables are evenly coated.


Place half of the vegetables in a round casserole dish. Layer all four chik’n patties on top and cover with the rest of the vegetables.

Cover with lid or foil and bake for 45 minutes.

*Feel free to use whatever vegetables you love or have on hand, but keep in mind that if they take longer to cook, they’ll need to be in smaller pieces. I used a combo of red potatoes, green beans, zucchini, broccoli and celery. The potatoes and green beans definitely were still a bit firm while the other veggies were very soft.

Tips: Although my oregano and basil balsamic vinegar was very delish, it isn’t a must. You could use a marinade or just a combo of your favorite herbs with some olive oil. You could even experiment with some fruit juices or infused oils. I wouldn’t say the options are ENDLESS, but there’s definitely room for experimentation.

BBQ Chicken with Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik'n Strips

I love getting meat eaters to try veggie meat for the first time. It’s always funny to see their reactions, but truth be told, I’d rather a veggie meat virgin try their first meat substitute in my home since I know how to cook it and I can mentally prepare them for what’s coming. Often, a big issue people have with veggie meat is the texture. It’s squishy or mushy, not at all what real chicken, beef, pork, etc tastes like. This was especially true in the early years of vegetarian meat products, but more recently many replacements have come a lot closer texturally to the real thing.

One of the best, in my opinion, is the Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik’n Strips. They’re quite a bit firmer than other chicken imitations, and they actually have that sinewy consistency. Although I think they’re a bit bland to serve plain, they’re great fried and thrown into a salad or smothered in a tasty sauce, like BBQ sauce for example.

If you’ve never tried Chik’n Strips, it won’t take long to figure out why I love them. Morningstar Farms introduced this chicken analog at the 2006 Natural Foods Expo Anaheim, California (thank you Frozen Food Age). It was chosen as the Best New Veggie Food. Now you’ll just have to try them, won’t you?

Nutritionally, I give Chik’n Strips a B. The serving size of “12 Average Strips” is pretty generous, plenty to top a salad or balance out a baked potato. They’re low in fat (3.5 grams, zero trans) and have only 130 calories and 6 grams of carbohydrates. They’re also packed with protein (23 grams) and have almost a third of your daily value of Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B12, Iron and Zinc. The one and only problem I have with them is the sodium. 510 milligrams! It’s enough to keep me from eating an entire serving. It would help if the strips didn’t come pre-seasoned, which they do, especially since I usually like to add some additional seasoning.

Chik’n Strips also work great with a marinade or sauce. I used them with my favorite BBQ sauce recipe last week. The strips soaked up a lot of flavor and really hit the spot paired with some boiled red potatoes and a fresh salad. If you try this and happen to have some left over (I sure didn’t, but you never know), they’d be great in a sandwich the next day. If you’re feeling lazy, you could always just slather the strips in your favorite store bought BBQ sauce and throw it all in the oven, but I promise, this recipe is worth the extra work. I adapted it from a Bobby Flay grill recipe in Sunset Magazine.


BBQ Chicken
Serves 6

Brine
2 tbsp kosher salt
¼ c firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp granulated garlic
2 tsp thyme
24 oz Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik’n Strips (3 bags)

Barbecue Sauce
1 imitation bacon strip, finely chopped
1Tbls thyme
2 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
½ onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 c ketchup
¼ c light brown sugar
¼ c molasses
2 Tbls red or white wine vinegar
1 Tbls dry mustard
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix brine ingredients with 2 quarts of hot water in a 2-gal. resealable plastic bag. Add Chik’n Strips, seal and chill for 15 minutes to 2 hours.

To make sauce, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add imitation bacon, thyme, onion and garlic and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook over low heat, covered for 20 minutes.

Remove Chik’n Strips from brine and combine with sauce in large bowl and until all strips are evenly coated. Place in a large casserole dish, cover with foil and cook for 25-30 minutes.

Tips: Brining is really more effective with real meat, but it does a fair job of adding some extra flavor to certain veggie meats as well. I’d say it’s worth the extra three minutes it will take. This sauce is actually designed for grilling, so definitely try it this summer with some veggie burgers on the grill.

Perfect Pasta Bowl

This week we finally experienced Wawona’s first snow of the season! It happened on Monday. Well, I suppose it started Sunday night, but at that point, it was an uncertain snow, just a dusting. But when we woke up, a blanket! It kept snowing too, until we had almost a foot. This is the most snow I’ve had since I left Michigan after my freshman year of college. We all reveled in it. As soon as we finished our necessary tasks for the day, we went sledding… obviously. A day of hiking through the snow along with the general excitement left all of us feeling pretty tired and hungry. Pasta sounded perfect and some recent dieting intentions ensured that the fridge was packed full of vegetables. My plan? To fit as much of this as I could into a giant bowl.

If you plan on mixing your vegetables with something other than just sauce, pasta strands (spaghetti, fettuccini, etc.) don’t always work the best. When I add veggies or meats, I usually go for Penne, but all we had was some huge bags of macaroni. Macaroni is often overlooked when not being used with its classic sidekick cheese. However, macaroni is great if you’re feeding a crowd. You’ll get more bang for your buck with macaroni than with most larger pasta noodles (rigatoni, ziti, penne, etc.), since these just have bigger empty spaces.

This pasta hit the spot for sure. It was really filling, but also easy and fast. If you don’t have all the ingredients I used, don’t sweat it; just use whatever you have in the fridge. This is definitely a good dish to improvise with.

Perfect Pasta Bowl
Serves 8

2 lbs macaroni noodles
3 Tbs olive oil
3 large garlic cloves finely chopped or pressed
½ red onion finely chopped
1 large red bell pepper chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
1 zucchini quartered and sliced
1 bunch green onions finely chopped
1 large tomato chopped
4-6 c baby spinach leaves
4 Morningstar Farms Chik Patties, thawed in microwave
1 c feta cheese crumbled
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper

In large pot, boil macaroni according to instructions on package.

Heat oil in large pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté until they just start to become soft. Add jalapeno and red pepper and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add zucchini, green onions and tomato.

In separate pan, fry Chik Patties in a little olive oil until crispy. Cut into small pieces and add to vegetables along with the spinach. Cook until spinach begins to wilt, then remove from heat.

Stir vegetable mixture, feta cheese and dried herbs together with pasta in large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Tips: If you’re not into spicy food, you can skip the jalapeno pepper. This dish is also good with cheeses other than feta. Parmesan, asiago, romano or goat cheese would be really good. You could skip the cheese altogether for a tasty vegan option as well. I actually served it with some medium cheddar on the side for the cheese lovers to add at will.

Vegetarian Meatlaof

My mom grew up on a meat and potatoes diet. Her dad had some very specific ideas about what a man should eat, none of which included a salad. Although I wasn’t raised as a strict vegetarian, Mom rarely cooked meat at home, so it’s hard for me to imagine a meat entrée three times a day with nary a fruit or vegetable to keep it company. That said Mom’s upbringing ensured that every meal we ate included a healthy portion of protein and often a starchy potato as well.

This probably explains my love affair with veggie meat. Although I’ve been a solid vegetarian for the last eight years or so, I haven’t really bothered to confine myself to vegetarian recipes. There are SO many different kinds of vegetarian meat products out there. Countless brands are making every sort of meat substitute in every size, shape, color, texture and flavor profile. Some of them even taste similar to the real thing. For these reasons, you can replace the meat in most recipes with the substitute of your choice.

I put this idea to practice last night when I made a good old-fashioned meatloaf, minus the actual meat. While perusing Foodnetwork.com for some new recipes, I came across a pretty easy meatloaf by Alton Brown, host of Good Eats with Alton Brown. Although the recipe called for ground chuck and ground sirloin, I knew I could make some adjustments and end up with something just as tasty.

Vegetarian Meatloaf
Serves 6-8

6 ounces garlic-flavored croutons
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and broken
3 whole cloves garlic
1/2 green bell pepper
36 oz of Worthington Vegetarian Burger
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 egg
½ cup mayo

For the glaze:
1/2-cup catsup
1 tsp ground cumin
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot pepper sauce
1 Tbls honey

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a food processor* bowl, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, red pepper flakes and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture. Place this mixture into a large bowl. Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and green pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed. Combine the vegetable mixture and vegetarian burger with the breadcrumb mixture. Add the salt, egg and mayo and combine thoroughly.

Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Onto a greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray.

Combine the ingredients for the glaze. Brush half of the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.


Place back in oven and cook for an additional 35 minutes. Serve Heat up the rest of the glaze in the microwave or on the stove just until hot and serve alongside the meatloaf.

Tips: If you don’t have a food processor, you can combine the breadcrumb ingredients in a plastic baggie and crush together with a cup. You can also just finely chop the vegetable ingredients, although this will definitely take longer. Another option is processing small portions at a time in a blender. Also, the original recipe calls for a red pepper, but I rarely have these on hand and they’re a bit pricier. You can even omit the pepper altogether, but I definitely think they enhance the flavor and color of the loaf. It's also worth noting that since this dish is already dairy-free, an egg replacement could easily make this recipe entirely vegan.

Roasted Vegetables

The recent arrival of cold weather to Yosemite has put me in the mood for warm food night after night. Eating a bowl of soup by the wood-burning stove does make for a ridiculously cozy (and excessively warm) evening. However, I was starting to feel like I was stuck in a soup rut, so I looked up a roasted vegetable recipe I tried once before. The original recipe, which I found on Eatingwell.com, actually calls for a winter vegetable mix of butternut squash, cauliflower and onions, but I decided to use several different veggies instead.

There are a few things I love about roasting vegetables. First of all, you can use them as a side dish or pair them with a grain and serve them as the main course. Secondly, you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand as long as you remember to keep the vegetable pieces close to the same size so they cook more evenly and are easier to eat. In addition, it’s easy-peasy, healthy, beautiful (the colors can look amazing depending on your selection), and chances are good, it’s different from what you’ve been eating lately. Here's what I did last night, but you should feel free to vary the ingredients to your liking.


Roasted Vegetables

2 medium red potatoes, cubed
2 cups carrots, chopped
1 cup summer squash, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bunch of asparagus, chopped
2 cups of baby portabellas (halved or left whole depending on size)
olive oil
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. basil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Toss vegetables in a large bowl with enough olive oil to coat everything. Add salt, pepper, garlic and basil and toss again.

Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring once.


The roasted veggies are great on rice, couscous, polenta, etc.

Tip: With some add-ins like corn or peas (peas are yuck in my opinion), you may want to use a frozen version or wait 10-15 minutes before adding them to the rest of the mix so they don’t burn. Also, I used basil to season the blend, but rosemary, oregano, thyme (etc.), would also be delicious and smell super good.