Favorite Tortilla Soup

Do you need a one-dish meal that's quick and easy? Something you can put together in a few minutes and it tastes like it's simmered on the stove for hours? This is it! It's so easy and simply delicious! If you are really in a time crunch, this is a great crock pot recipe.

Favorite Tortilla Soup

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. olive oil

Saute' onion and garlic in oil until soft.

Add:

1 can tomatoes, diced
1 can olives, sliced
1 can green chilies, chopped
1 can pinto beans
1 can corn
1 cup salsa
4 cups chicken-style broth
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
3 Tbsp. taco seasoning
salt to taste
fresh cilantro and grape tomatoes to garnish
vegan sour cream to garnish
corn tortillas, slice thinly and saute'ed

Blend all ingredients in kettle except those used for garnish. Adjust seasonings as desired. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish as desired. Serve with crunched up tortilla chips (can be stirred into the soup). Delish!

Naturally Sweet Apple Pie

Naturally Sweet Apple Pie

6 cups peeled apples (tart apples may need more sweetening)
1 6-oz. can frozen unsweetened apple juice, undiluted
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. margarine
Pinch salt and apple pie spice to taste, if desired (or cinnamon)

2 pie crusts (top and bottom)

Simmer together until thickened and cooked. Pour into unbaked pie shell, dot with vegan margarine and cover with top crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.

Rice & Almond Flour Pie Crust

Rice and Almond Flour Pie Crust

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grind 1/3 cup whole almonds to a fine powder in a blender.

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons honey (or alternative such as maple syrup or brown rice syrup)

In a 9-inch pie plate, combine the ground almond flour, brown rice flour, cinnamon or nutmeg and cloves. Mix well with a fork. In a microwave dish, combine the water, oil and honey and heat on low setting until honey liquefies. Drizzle the honey liquid over the flour mixture in the pie plate, and stir with a fork until well blended. Let stand until the dry ingredients absorb the liquid. Shape the crust by pressing mixture firmly into place with your fingers, covering bottom and sides of plate evenly. Pat top edge of crust into straight edge. Bake before or after adding filling. Bake empty crust for 5 minutes at 350 degrees F. Makes one crust.

Pecan Pie

This is an amazing recipe for a custard pie --- without the eggs. Creamy, smooth, and delicious, no one will know the difference. This is one of my favorite holiday pies to make for a crowd. Try it, I think you'll like it.

Pecan Pie

2 1/2 cups pecans, toasted, chopped
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup brown rice syrup or agave syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla, pure extract
1 tablespoon ginger, fresh minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons flax seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup soy milk
prebaked pie crust

Place the pecans in a bowl. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown rice syrup, vanilla, ginger, and salt. Simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool.

In a spice grinder, grind the flaxseeds. Combine the cornstarch, soymilk, and flaxseed meal. Add to the maple syrup mixture. Pour into a blender and whiz until smooth. Then pour this mixture over the pecans. Stir until coated and pour into a prebaked pie shell. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and serve with your favorite topping and garnish.

Tofu-Rice Salad

Tofu-Rice Salad

1 cup diced tofu
4 cups cooked brown and wild rice combination
1/2 cup pine nuts or chopped pecans
3/4 cup golden raisins, plumped in hot water and then drained
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce, Tamari sauce, or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
lettuce leaves
paprika
parsley or cilantro

Toss the ingredients together except last three on list and chill to marinate flavors. When ready to serve, arrange on a bed of lettuce leaves and sprinkle with paprika. Garnish with parsley or cilantro.

For variation: add a small amount of ginger powder. You may also use 2 - 3 tsp. sesame oil and then add olive oil to equal 1/3 cup. If you prefer, you may omit the lemon juice and olive oil and add Veganaise instead.

Serves: 4 (generous servings)

Enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Fudgy Carob Balls

Fudgy Carob Balls

1/8 cup carob powder (or cocoa)
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup agave syrup
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/8 cup rice bran

Mix all ingredients together. Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper. Spray hands with vegetable cooking spray. Roll into bit-size balls. If desired roll into chopped cuts or coconut.

*Pictured are Clarice's yummy chocolate truffles.

Coconut Cream Pie

This recipe is a favorite! Easy to make, it has a rich flavor and appeals to anyone who loves coconut or custard!  It's dairy free and eggless and can be poured into a regular pie crust or into a nut or graham cracker crust as well.

Coconut Cream Pie

3 1/2 cups vanilla flavored rice milk
1/2 cup agave syrup or honey
6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups unsweetened coconut, fine
2 tablespoons coconut extract

Save out 1/2 cup rice milk to blend with cornstarch for thickening. Bring the remaining ingredients to a slow boil, then add the 1/2 cup rice milk with cornstarch. Cook until thick. Cool completely. Pour into baked pie crust. Chill and serve.

Family Pie Recipe

Family Pie Recipe

4 cups of love
3 cups of forgiveness
5 spoonfuls of hope
4 quarts of faith
2 dashes of loyalty
1 cup of friendship
2 teaspoons of tenderness
1 barrel of laughter

Take love and loyalty and mix it thoroughly with complete faith in God. Blend it with tenderness, kindness and understanding. Sprinkle abundantly with laughter. Bake it with sunshine and serve daily with generous helpings.

A Chocolate Day!

Who doesn't like chocolate? I don't think there are many, although I have met a few who didn't like this yummy, dark treat. It's always nice to have a handy, quick chocolate treat available for those times when a chocolate craving strikes. Easy to make and delicious to eat, there are only two ingredients in this chocolate 'recipe'. And better yet, it's something that anyone in the family can make, not just the usual cook. Together, one box of Mori-Nu extra-firm tofu and one package of Mori-Nu Mates chocolate pudding mix work together with a splash of water and a food processor. If you store the Mori-Nu tofu in the fridge, you won't even have to wait for it to chill. The ingredients in Mori-Nu mates are: dehydrated raw cane juice, Dutch cocoa powder, potato starch, guar gum, non-hydrogenated coconut oil, soy lecithin, and vanilla. Natural and healthy, easy and quick, vegan and gluten-free, and delicious too! Garnish with berries and a cashew cream topping --- or place in a chopped nut crust for a delicious pie. Also, very good as a filling for tiny tarts for teatime! You can never go wrong with chocolate!