"Meatball" Subs

 The other day it was a cold & rainy and something warm and comforting sounded good. So, we headed off to our local Trader Joe's to see what we could find. As soon as Izzy spotted the "meatless meatballs" in the freezer section, he was like, " I want a meatball sub" To be honest, I don't think I ever had a meatball sub, even before I turned vegan :-) So, it was a bit of a stretch, but Izzy gave it two thumbs up...so I'll call it a success.


 Ingredients used:
1/2 Bag Meatless Meatballs
1C sliced mushrooms
1/2 jar marinara sauce
1/2 Sourdough Baguette
Earth Balance Margarine
Garlic Salt
Daiya Cheese


*One thing I love about TJ's is that they mark most of they vegan products with a "V" for vegan. I LOVE it, it makes buying so much easier. If only all brands/stores did that!**

1) I started by preheating my oven to 400
2) I then started the sauce on the stovetop by sauteing the mushrooms in a dash of olive oil in a medium sauce pan until they cooked down.
2) Then I added in the meatballs and marinara sauce.
3) While this was going, I sliced my bread into two subs...then sliced them open.
4) I spread a little margarine in the bread and lightly sprinkled some garlic salt, to make a garlic toast.
5) Then I popped it in the oven to toast it a bit. **MAKE SURE you watch the bread so it doesn't burn** Toast until it's as brown as you like, about 5-10 mins.
6) Once the sauce is bubbling and your meatballs are warmed through, you are ready to make your subs. Spoon the meatballs and sauce into your subs. Top with Daiya cheese (optional)

The combination of the crunchy garlic bread and the meatballs and marinara totally hit the spot. And, Izzy said he would have never known it was vegan...my favorite compliment ;-)

Bean & Veggie Enchiladas

Tonight I decided to try and make my own vegan enchiladas. Pre-Veg I made chicken enchiladas...so I stuck with the same idea, but used veggies instead. 
To make the filler I used:
1/2 C Mushrooms
1/4 C Diced Squash
1/4 C Diced Red Onion
1 T Lemon Juice
2 t cilantro (I am in LOVE with the kind I can keep in my freezer. Dorot brand)
1/2 C frozen rosted corn

*I sauteed this all together. While doing this I warmed up some corn tortillas in the microwave.

*Once your veggies are sauteed together, open up a can of vegan refried beans (I used the fat free kind from TJs). 

*Then, pour 1 jar of salsa into a separate bowl. (I used TJ's Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa) 

 

 For a little added flavor, I added some chopped chipotles into the veggie mix. (Optional)

To assemble your enchilada, take a warm tortilla, dip it in the bowl of salsa to coat it (your hands will get messy), then put a line of beans down the middle, then add a line of veggies, then roll and place in the pan. Repeat until your pan is full. 

My 9x9 pan held 8 enchiladas. 

 

Once assembled,  pour the remaining salsa from your bowl over the enchiladas and top with vegan cheese ( I used Daiya...it melts the best) 

Bake uncovered at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until the enchiladas get a little brown and the cheese melts. 

     ENJOY!

Vegan Pizza

I think the defining moment when I realized maybe being vegan is do-able, is when I discovered I could still have pizza. Obviously, I still have it in moderation, but for that every now-and-then treat, it can be just as amazing as the real deal.

For this little beauty I used a dough recipe from food.com. I decided to use whole wheat flour to make it even more tasty and healthy. (Also, as a side note: I have learned that keeping yeast on hand is a staple)

I used Trader Joe's pizza sauce and soy cheese. I topped it off with tons of mushrooms and some soy pepperoni I found at Whole Foods.(obviously, these are up for modification to people's taste)

Baked for 15 minutes and done. Quick, easy, affordable, and totally makes you forget it's not a pizza from you pre-veg past :-)

Lunch 10/21/11

Another TJ lunch! I found a bistro salad at Trader Joe's. It has Kale (which I love because it's high in calcium) and edamame, tomatoes, and dried cranberries. It was muy delicioso!

I found these soups at WF...they have an entire vegan line. This one gets a so-so rating from me. I have a few more in my pantry. I'll keep you posted ;-) Not everything can be fabulous, I guess :-)

Lunch 10/8/11

I <3 Trader Joe's!! I needed a lunch on-the-go since I was at a job site today....and I found this SUPER yummy Super Spinach Salad!
Paired it with an in-season Honeycrisp apple...deelish!