Vegan Banana Bread

Try it as written, if you can, it is so tasty.   Brewer's Yeast can be found in the health food section of the supermarket.  It adds an indescribable nutty flavor, as well as some B vitamins.

Pre-heat oven to 350.


Cream together

1/2 cup Earth Balance or non-hydrogenated margarine
1 cup sugar

Then, whip with a fork until combined:

2 TBS flaxmeal
6 TBS water

Add the flaxmeal mixture to the creamed sugar mixture until well beaten, then add

2 tsp vanilla

In a separate bowl, mash 3 over-ripe bananas

and combine with 1/2 cup of Almond or Soy milk.

In a 3rd bowl, combine:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 TBS Brewer's Yeast

Using a spoon, combine the banana mixture with the sugar mixture.  Then slowly, gently, mix the flour mixture with the banana mixture until just combined.  Please don't over-mix, or mix too quickly!

Pour into 4 mini-loaf pans and bake for 25 minutes, or one loaf pan for 50 minutes, or until toothpick comes clean.

Vegan Black Bean Burgers

2 red peppers
1 green pepper
1 jalapeno (or not, depending upon your taste)
2 tbs flaxmeal
1/3 cup water

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

3 cups cooked black beans

Puree the above in a blender or food processor using pulses, reserving 1 cup of beans.

Pour the mixture into a bowl, and add the whole beans and:

2 cups fresh bread crumbs, or 1 cup dried (Panko is a good choice)

Form into patties, and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Cook at 350 for 15 minutes, then flip burgers over and cook another 10 minutes.

Asian Yum-Butternut Squash Soup

A creamy vegan butternut squash soup, with Thai-inspired flavors.  Thanks to Madison's Yum-Butter company for their Asian Jazz Yum Butter.


1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, chopped
3 pears, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 tbs earth balance or olive oil
2 tablespoons Yum-Butter Asian Jazz peanut butter 
4 cups vegetable stock and 4 cups water
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp Sweet curry powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbs agave syrup
1 can coconut milk


In a large pot, sautee onion and carrots with earth balance until softened.  Add butternut squash and sautee for 5 minutes.  Then add remaining ingredients except coconut milk and cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until butternut squash is soft.

Puree with immersion blender and add coconut milk.  Serves 12.

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

Mix-ins can be chocolate chips, raisins, walnuts, pecans, dried cranberries, or a combination.

In a bowl, whisk:

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup mix-in (see above)


In another bowl, whisk

2 tablespoons flaxmeal + 6 tablespoons water
3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup
1/2 cup canola oil

Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry, using a rubber spatula and a very slow, folding motion.   Do this until the dry ingredients are just moistened.  If you mix too much or too fast, the muffins will not be as moist and tender.

Spoon into 12 paper-lined muffin cups, and bake at 400 for 18-22 minutes, or until toothpick comes dry.

Napa Cabbage and Kale Slaw

Fresh, bright and healthy.  A cleansing appetizer or side dish!

1 head of Napa Cabbage, sliced thinly into shreds
1 bunch of dark green kale, sliced thinly into shreds
1 carrot, grated
1 apple, grated
1/2 cup raisins

Combine the above into a bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine

1/2 tsp of sea salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or cane vinegar
1 tablespoon of good quality red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Pour dressing over greens, mix well, and let stand in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Whole Wheat Fettuccini with Broccoli, Carmelized Onions and Zucchini

2 large zucchini, sliced into 1 inch half moons
1 head of broccoli, into bite sized pieces
1 sweet onion, sliced
2 tbs olive oil

Sautee the onion in olive oil until carmelized and browned, about 15 minutes.  Then add the zucchini and broccoli and sautee until bright green and tender.

Meanwhile, cook the whole wheat pasta, and reserve one cup of the pasta water  before draining, adding it to the vegetables.  Put it all together and top with grated cheese, if desired.

Kohlrabi Apple Slaw

1 head Kohlrabi, grated
4 small carrots, grated
2 medium apples, grated
 Leaves of Kohlrabi, shredded (roll up all leaves into a cigar shape, and then slice very thinly)

Combine the above in a bowl.  Then add:

1 tbs olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Stir, and eat!!

Yumbutter Stir Fry

1 Head of broccoli, broken into small pieces
1 sweet potato, diced and cooked
1/2 lb tofu, browned
1 garlic scape, chopped
1 tbs olive oil

Stir fry the above in a skillet until broccoli turns bright green.  Remove from heat.
Then, in a small bowl, combine:

1 heaping TBS of Asian Jazz Yumbutter (found at the Westside Community Market, Madison, WI or at www.yumbutter.com)
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs honey
1 tbs Sriracha Sauce
1/4 cup hot water

Whisk ingredients, then add to stir fry and cook until heated through.  Serve over rice, enjoy!

Cream of Celeriac Soup

Celeriac (I thought of using Instagram to jazz the photo up, but decided its ugliness is the point)

1 head of Celeriac, or celery root, peeled, chopped into one inch pieces
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
5 garlic scapes, diced  
1 onion, chopped
1 tbs olive oil

Heat the above in a pot until softened, about 15 minutes.  Then add:

"Funky Carrots" from JenEhr Family Farms (www.wisconsingrown.com)

Garlic Scapes from JenEhr Family Farm

2 peeled, chopped (1" dice) potatoes
enough water or vegetable broth to cover
salt and pepper to taste
2 pinches of herbes de provence

1 pinch of rosemary
2 tbs maple syrup

Cook for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.

Puree with an immersion blender.  Enjoy, makes 6-8 generous servings.

Mary-Glory Muffins

For Mary, my sister-in-law, a Bran Buds advocate.

A satisfying Banana Bran Muffin.

In a bowl, combine

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, all purpose flour, or whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In another bowl, combine

1 cup Bran Buds
1 cup Soy, Almond, Rice or regular Milk

Let the bran buds soften for about 10 minutes.

Then add to the bran buds

3 over ripe, mashed bananas
1 cup of brown sugar, not packed
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup chocolate chips, (optional)

Combine the two bowls, and mix gently, until dry ingredients are JUST moistened.

Fill twelve, paper-lined muffin cups.

Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes clean.

Vegetarian Chili with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This is a wonderful sweet and spicy chili that is easy to make.  I hope you will give it a try, you won't be disappointed.  The addition of kale adds fiber, vitamin C and folic acid, as well as a new depth of flavor.  It also adds texture to the chili that makes it more interesting than your run-of-the-mill chili.

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 tsp olive oil, or cooking oil spray

Place diced sweet potatoes on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle olive oil on top, and stir around with a spatula.  Then roast in an oven at 385 degrees, for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through, stirring every 5 minutes to avoid burning.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Then:

1 red pepper, chopped
1 jalepeno, chopped (more or less to your liking)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs olive oil

In a pot, heat the olive oil and cook the above ingredients until soft and fragrant over medium high heat, about 10-15 minutes.  Then add:

1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (I love Muir Glen brand)
1/2 cup water
1 can drained, rinsed black beans
1 can drained, rinsed garbanzo beans
2 tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt (or regular if that's all you have)
1/2 tsp corriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tbs oregano

Cook on medium low heat until thickened, adding more water if too thick, about 20 minutes, allowing spices to meld.  Then add the roasted sweet potatoes, as well as

2 cups chopped baby or regular kale

Cook for another 5 - 10 minutes, or until kale is completely wilted and softened.

Enjoy over rice, quinoa, bulgar, or alone.  Top with favorite toppings, such as shredded vegan or regular cheddar cheese, vegan or regular sour cream, chopped cilantro, and diced avocado.

Chocolate Popeye Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
1/2 cups cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Combine the above into a bowl.

In another bowl, whisk:

1/2 cup pureed steamed spinach  (steam a large, Costco-sized container of fresh baby spinach until wilted; process in a food processor for one minute or until finely pureed)
1 mashed very ripe banana
1 1/2 cups black bean puree (puree 1 1/2 cups black beans in processor with 1/3 cup of water until smooth)
1/3 cup oil
1 tbs vanilla extract
1 cup sugar

Combine the two bowls, mix slowly until just incorporated.  Then add 1/2 cup chocolate chips.  Divide batter into paper-lined muffin tins.  Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick comes clean.

Makes 12, moist, chocolatey, (iron-, folic acid- and protein-rich) muffins.

Veggie-balls

1 package of Gimme Lean, veggie ground "beef" (textured veggie protein (TVP))
1 onion
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
1 clove garlic
1 cup of italian bread crumbs
equivalent of 1 egg using Ener-g egg replacer
1-2 tbs olive oil

In a food processor, process onion, parsley and garlic.  Add to a bowl with veggie 'beef', bread crumbs, and egg-replacer.  Form into balls and brown in heated olive oil.  Then cook in your favorite tomato sauce until heated through, about 15 minutes over med-low heat.

Lentil-Quinoa Soup

Double the protein by adding cooked quinoa, and up your feeling of fullness with this hearty lentil soup.

5 carrots, sliced
1 onion, diced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 tbs olive oil

Combine the above in a pot, cook until softened, about 20 minutes.  Then add:

2 cups dried lentils
4 cups of water
4 cups of vegetable broth or stock
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp of thyme
pinch of herbs de provence

Bring to a rolling boil, then cover and simmer on low for 25 minutes, or until lentils are very soft.  With an immersion blender, puree about 1/3 of the soup (I did this just in a corner of the pot of soup) to thicken, but be sure to leave chunks of vegetables and lentils.  Add 1 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa and stir.  Serve and enjoy.

Fast-and-Easy-Almost-Naked-Stir-Fry

So normally I would add honey, sesame oil, maybe plum sauce or hoisin sauce to a stir-fry such as this.  But I wanted it to be almost naked:  that is, sugar-free and nearly oil-free as well, but still tasty.  I think this recipe achieves that.  So if you are in need of a cleansing and/or light meal, give this a try.  It can be prepared in under 25 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 tbs chopped ginger
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 red or green bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 stalk of broccoli, separated into florets
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1.5 inch pieces
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks or sliced thinly with a peeler
teriyaki sauce
shriracha sauce
rice wine vinegar
1 tsp oil  (in this case, I used high-quality, expeller-pressed coconut oil, which is supposed to be healthful, as opposed to the kind reported about in movie-theater popcorn exposes)
2-3 tbs chopped cilantro or basil

1 lb tofu, cut into cubes

In 1/2 tsp oil, cook the ginger and garlic til fragrant, about one minute.  Then add the rest of the vegetables, and cook until broccoli and asparagus are bright green and to your liking.  Remove from pan and place into a bowl.  In the same pan, heat 1/2 tsp oil and brown the tofu.  It may stick to the pan...can't say much else about that, except either use more oil, a nonstick pan (I don't encourage this option for health reasons), or a metal spatula. 

Add the vegetables back in, and douse with teriyaki sauce and shriracha, to taste,  and 2 tsp rice wine vinegar.  (If you are concerned about sodium, then a low-sodium soy sauce will work).  The rice wine vinegar seems to balance out the teriyaki, so I think it's essential.  Add the fresh herb, and then serve.

Vegetable Tacos

1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 carrot, sliced into thin strips, using a vegetable peeler
1 clove of garlic, pressed
1/2 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 can or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
 salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
olive oil
fresh cilantro, 2 tbs chopped
1 avocado
juice of one lime
1/2 cup salsa

6 whole wheat flour tortillas
whatever garnishes you like:  cheddar cheese (or vegan cheese), regular or vegan sour cream, hot sauce, additional salsa, additional chopped cilantro

Method:

Heat one tbs of olive oil over medium high heat in cast iron skillet until shimmering.  Add the pressed garlic and stir quickly for 10 seconds, then immediately add the red pepper and carrot.   Cook, stirring frequently until peppers are soft, about 10 minutes.   Add salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, broccoli, beans, corn and 1/2 cup of salsa.  Cook until broccoli is bright green, or cooked to your liking.

Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil and heat in 350 degree oven, about 10 minutes.

Remove the avocado flesh and mash with a fork, then add juice of the lime, 1 tbs cilantro, and 1/2 garlic clove pressed.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble tortillas:  spread 1 tbs avocado mixture on tortilla, then add vegetable bean mixture, and whatever toppings you like.

Total time to prepare:  About 30 minutes.

Banana Pumpkin Muffins

A great way to use up over-ripe bananas, as well as leftover cans of pumpkin from Thanksgiving!  Fiber, Vitamin A, and Potassium-Rich.

3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, or whole-grain white flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup wheat germ

Combine all of the above in a large bowl.

In another bowl, combine:

3 very over-ripe bananas (skin can be black)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup water

Mix the two together and place in lined muffin cups.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes clean and firm to the touch.

Makes 24 mini-muffins or 12 large muffins.

 

Vegetable Enchiladas

For the sauce:

• 1/2 cup safflower or other vegetable oil
•  medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces canned organic tomato sauce
• sea salt

For the filling and assembly:

• 1/2 cup safflower or other vegetable oil
• 1 pound firm tofu, drained and loosely crumbled
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 bunch kale or swiss chard, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 bunch asparagus, chopped
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 12 7-inch corn tortillas
• Medium onion, finely diced
• Red bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin, or more to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• sea salt

Method

• 1. For the sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat oil until shimmering. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder, and flour, whisking until browned and thickened. Slowly stir in 3/4 cup of water and tomato sauce, mixing well. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Remove from heat and keep warm.
• 2. For the filling and assembly: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat 2tbs oil until shimmering. Add tofu and cook until brown and somewhat crispy, and its liquid has evaporated, stirring from underneath to prevent sticking, 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove tofu, set aside.
• 3. In 2 more tbs oil, cook all remaining vegetables (onions through jalapeno pepper).  Cook until onion is translucent and softened, about 10 minutes.  Add tofu back to the pan, and then add soy sauce, and mix well. Season with salt to taste. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if mixture seems parched, but it should be dry, and the tofu should resemble crisped, browned bits of meat.
• 4. While the tofu mixture is cooking, wrap the tortillas tightly in aluminum foil, and place them in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove, keeping them wrapped, and set aside.
• 5. In a shallow 9-by-7-inch casserole (or large enough to hold the enchiladas snugly in one layer), add 1/3 of the sauce to coat the bottom of the casserole. Unwrap the hot tortillas, and place one in the sauce to coat it, then turn it over so that it is coated on both sides. Add one-sixth of the filling, and roll the tortilla tightly. Place it seam side down on the sauce. Repeat to make six filled tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce on top of the tortillas, and sprinkle with cilantro. Bake until sauce is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Serve, if desired, with a green salad.

Source: Adapted from Ayinde Howell, Caterer, former Executive Chef , Jivamuktea Cafe

Spaghetti With Grilled Tofu, Chard and Mushrooms

1 bunch of swiss chard, chopped
8 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
8 oz super firm tofu, squeezed dry
olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
2 cups broccoli florets
3/4 lb spaghetti

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in pan.  Sautee mushrooms until liquid is evaporated.  Add garlic and sautee for 10 seconds, then add swiss chard, cook until wilted down completely, about 5 minutes.  Add broccoli and sautee for about 1-2 minutes, until broccoli is light green.  Remove vegetables from pan and put in a bowl.

In the same pan, heat 1 1/2 tbs olive oil again.  Brown the tofu.  Add the vegetables back to the pan, set aside. 

Cook the pasta.  Just before draining, remove 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water and add to the vegetable mixture.  Drain the pasta, and then combine all together.  Drizzle with more olive oil, if desired, and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh pepper.  Serve with crusty bread.

Serves 4-6.

Spaghetti Florentine

1/2 pound spaghetti
1 large container fresh baby spinach
1-2 cloves of garlic
olive oil, or flavored oil (such as basil, rosemary, hot pepper)
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound of extra firm tofu, drained and squeezed dry

Cook spaghetti according to directions.  Meanwhile, in another skillet, in 1 tbs olive oil, brown the tofu.  Remove to a plate.  In another tbs olive oil, sautee the garlic for 30 seconds to one minute, being careful not to brown.  Remove from heat and add the spinach, stir in the hot pan.

Before draining the pasta, remove 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water into a glass measuring cup.  Drain the pasta, put back into pot, and add the spinach mixture and the tofu.  Add the pasta water and stir and cook over medium heat until the spinach is wilted.  Top with 1-2 tbs olive or flavored oil, salt and pepper, and soy cheese if desired.

Banana Flax muffins

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix all of the above into bowl number 1.

2 tbs flax meal
6 tbs water
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 small extra ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup sugar

Mix the above into bowl number 2.

Mix the two bowls together until just barely combined.  Put into greased muffin tins, bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.


Yield:  12 lightly sweetened muffins. 

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking, by Colleen Patrick Goudreau

4 1/2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer
6 tbs water
1 Cup of non-hydrogenated margarine
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tbs vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1.5 cups of Ghiardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips (they are naturally vegan!)

Preheat the oven to 375.  Ungreased cookie sheet is fine.

In a food processor, blender, or mixer with the whip attachment, whip egg replacer and water together until thick and creamy (about 5 minutes).

In a large bowl, cream the butter substitute, sugars and vanilla, and then add the egg replacer to combine.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually mix (on lowest setting) the flour mixture into the butter mixture.  When almost combined, add the chocolate chips.

Bake on the cookie sheet for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let stand 2 minutes, and then remove to wire racks to cool.

yield:  3 dozen smaller sized, very chewy and soft cookies.

Butternut Squash and Apple soup

6 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
3 large stalks of celery, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
pinch of dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Heat the olive oil, and cook all of the above in a large stock pot over medium high heat until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

Then, add 1 pound of cubed, butternut squash and 2 sliced apples,  and sautee for 6 minutes.  Add 4 cups of vegetable broth, and cook for 15 minutes, or until squash and carrots are very tender.  Puree with an immersion blender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Celery Cucumber Tabbouleh

Ingredients:

1 cup bulgar, soaked in 1 cup hot water for at least 15 minutes
1 entire "head" of celery, chopped
2 cucumbers, seeded and chopped
2 bunches of parsley, either Italian or Curly, minced
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbs olive oil
5 scallions, white and green parts, chopped


Mix all of the above.  Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  Enjoy this crisp, refreshing snack either alone, or in a whole wheat pita with hummus.

Vegan Thai Pizza

Finally, a vegan dinner that is not a curry, or a salad, or a stew.  It is a decadent, spicy pizza, inspired by several sources, including a pizza we ordered from Glass Nickel Pizza.  Yum!

Vegan Thai Pizza, or "NotAStew Pizza"


Pizza Dough (I use this pizza dough recipe from Bon Appetit, on Epicurious.com.

For the sauce:

2/3 c chunky peanut butter
1/3 c soy sauce
1/4 c hot water
1 Tb sriracha hot sauce (or to taste)
1/3 c honey
1 Tb fresh minced ginger
1 large clove garlic, minced

Mix the above together until everything is thoroughly combined.

For the toppings:

1 lb of tofu, cut into 1/2 inch sized chunks
1 cup of broccoli
2 carrots, cut into matchstick sized pieces
5 chopped scallions, white and light green parts
2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

In 1/3 cup of prepared sauce, marinate tofu for at least 15 minutes.

In 1 TB of canola oil, brown the tofu in a skillet, then add cup of broccoli, 5 chopped scallions, 2 carrots cut into matchstick size pieces.   Stir fry for 2 minutes.

For the assembly:

Then top the pizza dough with the rest of the sauce, the tofu mixture, 1/2 c soy cheese shredded, fresh cilantro.  Drizzle sriracha sauce on top in a decorative pattern.

Bake at 500 for 8-10 minutes.

Muffins

Here's the first muffin recipe:

Vegan Banana Oat Bran Muffins:

Mix in Bowl #1:

1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup oat bran
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix in Bowl # 2:

4 over-ripe bananas
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract

Pour bowl #1 into bowl #2, and gently, slowly fold ingredients together.  The moment the flour starts to disappear, stop mixing!  Pour into 12 greased muffin pans, and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Yield:  12 amazingly-textured and gorgeously browned muffins.