Slow cooker spaghetti sauce.

I have been looking for some time for a good, basic tomato sauce I could use for spaghetti, lasagne, etc...  I tried this today and it was delicious!

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large yellow onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1- 28 ounce can tomato sauce 1- 6 ounce can tomato paste 2- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find them) 2 bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano Salt and pepper to taste

From: http://centercutcook.com/slow-cooker-spaghetti-sauce/

In a small saucepan saute:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
When the onions are transparent add to the slow cooker.

Add in:
1- 28 ounce can tomato sauce
28 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours.
Remove bay leaves and use with your favorite pasta or
put in containers for storage the fridge or freezer.

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large yellow onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1- 28 ounce can tomato sauce 1- 6 ounce can tomato paste 2- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find them) 2 bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano Salt and pepper to taste

From: http://centercutcook.com/slow-cooker-spaghetti-sauce/

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large yellow onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1- 28 ounce can tomato sauce 1- 6 ounce can tomato paste 2- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find them) 2 bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano Salt and pepper to taste

From: http://centercutcook.com/slow-cooker-spaghetti-sauce/

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies - II

Preheat oven to 350

Cream together:

½ c coconut oil, microwave until soft

1 c brown sugar

¼ c + 2 T almond or vanilla soy milk (even if you use vanilla soy milk still add the 1T vanilla below)

1 T vanilla

Add:

1-1.5 C flour (so it will stay together in a ball to bake cookies)

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

½ salt

Fold in:

1 C vegan choc chips

Roll tablespoon size balls on an ungreased cookie sheet flatten slightly with your hand.

Bake 7-10 minutes until slightly brown at edges.

No Bake Date Bars

We had these at a friend's house last night and they were very good.

No Bake Date bars

Crust
    1.5 cups whole raw almonds
    1.5 cups regular oats
    1/2 tsp kosher salt
    10 dates, pitted and roughly chopped
    1/4 cup coconut oil
Date filling
    25 dates, pitted and roughly chopped (approx 2.5 cups)
    1/2 cup water

Instructions
    1. Line a square pan (I used 8in x 8 in) with two pieces of parchment paper going opposite ways. In a food processor, process the almond, salt, and oats until a fine crumble forms. Now add in the dates and process until crumbly again. Melt the coconut oil and add to the mixture and process until sticky. You can add a tiny bit more oil if the dough is too dry. I didn’t need to.  Remove from processor and set aside 3/4 cup of the mixture for later, and press the rest of the mixture very firmly and evenly into the pan.
    2. Take the pitted/roughly chopped dates and water and process in the food processor until a paste forms. You will have to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl often.  Add add a bit more water if needed, but you want the paste quite thick. Scoop out the date mixture onto the crust and gently spread with the back of a wet spatula until even.
    3. Sprinkle the 3/4 cup of mixture you set aside and gently press down with fingers. Refrigerate  until firm, at least 1 hour, preferably overnight. Cut into squares and serve. Store in the fridge or freezer.
  

Another neighbor's vegan soup.

Here is my made-up Italian vegetable soup recipe

Veggies:

2 cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
1 large carrot, diced small
1 cup onion, diced small
1 package 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced thin
3-4 small-medium celery stalks, sliced thin
5-6 medium red potatoes, 1/4'd lengthwise, 1/2" sliced
1 15-16 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes (Muir Glen)
 2 small-medium zucchini, 1/4'r lengthwise, 1/2" slice
1 lb. chopped spinach, frozen
1 cup peas frozen
2 teaspoons diced or pressed garlic
1 28 oz. can Dei Fratelli Italian tomato sauce (Meijer)
12 oz. tomato juice, regular or low-sodium

Seasonings:

2-3 tsps. Penzey's (or other brand) pizza seasoning (Meijer)*
basil, 1 tbsp. dried, or 3 tbsps. fresh
1/2 - 1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsps. dried oregano

Liquid:

2 tbsps. olive oil
1-2 cups water, depending on how thick you want it. All of the above will cook down to a pretty thick product.

CAUTION: All of this makes 3-4 quarts. Cut everything in half for less.

Saute, on medium heat, mushrooms, onion, garlic in olive oil in larger (5-6 quart stock-pot), 5-7 minutes. Add seasonings, reduce heat to simmer, 1-2 mins. Add ALL other ingredients, EXCEPT water, heat back up to medium, and bring to bubbling, then reduce heat to simmer, cover, for 1 hour. Stir occasionally. Check consistency, add water as desired, heat up to simmer, then off heat and serve with GOOD homemade or bakery bread.

* homemade pizza seasonings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tbsp oregano
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 1/2 tbsp dried onion flakes
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Vegan Lo Mein

I did some tinkering with an old recipe and came up with this.
We liked it as is but you may wish to change it, less sweet, more spice, etc...

I used 16 oz of thin spaghetti and 

4 cups of veggies I had in the fridge.
This is a great fridge cleaner for using up veg.  I used a mix of broccoli,
red pepper, celery, green onions and carrots.  Also bags of mixed frozen vegetables
work well.

SAUCE:

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 c water

1/8 t garlic powder

1/2 c agave

1 1/4 t ginger

1 1/2 T brown sugar

Directions:

1 Mix all ingredients plus 2 T cornstarch in a sauce pan and begin heating.
2 Heat until sauce thickens to desired thickness.
4 Cook noodles and veggies and add sauce to noodles and veggies after they are cooked.

A delicious quick soup shared with me by a friend that is a good vegan cook!

2 cans Progresso brand Lentil soup

2 cans Black Beans

1 can butter beans

1 can red beans

1 can pinto beans

1/3 cup diced carrots

1/3 cup diced celery

1/3 cup diced onion

3 cloves of garlic minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp. olive oil

vegetable broth or stock... add to make soup desired consistency

 

In a large pot, saute the carrots, celery, onion and garlic in the oil.

Add in the Lentil soup and all the beans. Add the amount of vegetable broth or stock that you want to give it the desired consistency. Simmer for about 1/2 hour.  Salt and pepper to taste.  (May freeze any left overs)

Not too Spicy Chicken Chow Mein

Can be served over rice or chow mein noodles
Place all ingredients in a crockpot.

I use 1/2 package of Gardein chick'n scallopini cut into 1/2" pieces

All veggies are chopped or diced as you prefer: 

4 large carrots

4 green onions sliced or 1 med onion

1 can (8 oz) bean sprouts

1 can (8 oz) water chestnuts

broccoli or broccoli slaw

1 cup celery

1 cup veggie broth

1 T sugar, ¾ of T agave

1/2 cup organic soy sauce

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic

Cook on LOW for 8 hours.

Sauce can be thickened with water and cornstarch or arrowroot.