Vegan Meatless Meatballs

I will include the just vegetarian recipe as well, but these actually taste more like meat when I made them vegan. Who knew! They are undoubtedly the best meatballs I've ever had. Could be that the sauce is awesome or that they just have a perfect texture and make you want to eat the whole batch before they cool. Anyway, these are a must try. If they are not the Best Vegan Meatballs in the world, tell me and I will retract my statement.
Not only are these delicious straight out of the oven, they keep well in the fridge/freezer and are just as good cold (not frozen though).

To make the meatballs:

• 1 sleeve saltine crackers, crumbled (I assume any plain crackers would work as well)
• 4 vegan eggs (4tbs ground flax + 16tbs boiling water) (for just vegetarian use 4 eggs)
• 1 onion, finely chopped (literally food process them into as much of a liquid as possible) 
• 2 cups pecans, chopped
• 8 vegan grillers thawed and food processed. any plain burger will work (Or 1 bag vegetarian burger crumbles (thawed and chopped a bit finer)
• 6tsp Garlic Salt
• ½ cup grated vegan cheese. (I used Daiya shreds mozzerella style and it was good) (cheddar or mozzarella works best if going just vegetarian)
• 6-8 tsp. liquid smoke

1. Mix in a large bowl in any order you wish (I suggest starting with the dry stuff and working to the wet, since much of the ingredients are chopped in the food processor)
2. Form into balls; bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until brown.
3.  Let cool and pour the sauce over top!

Topping:

• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 stick margarine
• 1 onion, chopped and sautéed in the margarine
• 5-7 tsp. liquid smoke

Mix and pour over balls.

(TIP: I like it spicy, so I like to add lots of red pepper or cayenne)

A few tips: You can sub for healthier alternatives on the sauce. I will be trying honey, or dates instead of sugar, and probably olive oil would be ok to use instead of margarine. And i'm sure you could make your own Ketchup to use. This is just the original recipe with my vegan substitutions.

Fresh made Tortillas

YES Please! These are pretty yummy. I will include both recipes since I made them both, and they are really good either way you make them. Both are simple, and which recipe you choose probably depends on what you have on hand.

 You will need:

Either-

3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup warm water

Or-

2-3/4 cups all purpose flour, plus a little extra for rolling the tortillas

5 tablespoons vegetable shortening

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup very warm tap water

1. Combine all dry ingredients
2. Work in shotening or oil (tip: I cheated and used my mixer so that it would be even and my hands wouldn't be all gooey) the origional recipe says to use your hands.
3. Add water a little at a time, until the dough is able to form a ball. (Since I used unbleached flour for the second one, and a mixture of whole grain flours for the first recipe, I had to add a little more water because those flours are more absorbant. Just add as much as you need but not enough to make it stickey or soggy)
4. Form a large ball
5. Divide into smaller balls (the recipe calls for 2" balls, but that makes some tiny tortillas...)
6. Let the dough set for about 20 min if using the second recipe, but be sure to cover them with some plastic wrap. (I suggest covering either recipe so the dough stays moist)
7. Mush the dough and roll flat and thin. If you want pretty edges, trim off edges with a knife and they will look more appealing.
8. Cook over medium heat on a flat griddle or pan only until you see brown specks, about 20-30 seconds on each side. Do not overcook, or they will be dry.
9. Remove from pan and stack on a plate with a slightly damp rag over top to keep them moist.
10. Enjoy! These are great for Quesadillas

Delicious Vegan Burgers

I caught this recipe on a facebook post from the local healthfood store. I was hesitant to try it, since it takes so many ingredients. But thankfully I had all of them on hand, so I did it. I'm sooo glad I tried them, they are awesome! Plus they make 8 HUGE burgers. Trust me ONE is enough for each person, especially when paired with my home made wheat buns. It's worth the work, and they keep well in the fridge for a few days. Plus you get so many good things in the burgers... And they're VEGAN!  Yield: 8 burgers

 

You will need:

 

• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• Flax "eggs": 2.5 tbsp ground flax + 1/2 cup warm water, mixed in bowl
• 1 cup oats, processed into flour* (other flours might work)
• 1.5 cups bread crumbs (I processed 3 pieces of Alvarado bread until fine crumb)*
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and roughly pureed or mashed 
• Heaping 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (or fresh herb of choice) Cilantro is yummy too
• 1/3 cup almonds, chopped1/2 cup sunflower seeds, (toasted if preferred)
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Tamari (soy sauce)
• 1.5 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp kosher salt)

Directions:

 

1. Preheat oven to 350F (if baking). In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in 1/2 tbsp oil. Mix your flax egg together in a small bowl and set aside for at least 10 mins while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

 

2. Place all ingredients (except spices and salt) into a large mixing bowl and stir very well. Now, add seasonings and salt to taste.

 

3. With slightly wet hands, shape dough into patties. Pack dough tightly as this will help it stick together. I made 8 medium patties.

 

4. Cooking methods: You can fry the burgers in a bit of oil on a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. If baking in the oven, bake for 25-30 mins (15-17 minutes on each side) at 350F, until golden and crisp. For the BBQ, pre-bake the burgers for about 15 minutes in oven before placing on a pre-heated grill until golden and crisp on each side. Our preferred method of cooking was the George Foreman Grill.

 

GF Note: To make these burgers gluten-free, use certified GF oats, GF Tamari, and gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Raw Pumpkin seed "cheese"

This recipe is pretty rawesome! It is pretty hard to make without a good blender. I first made it with my cheap blender and had to add lots of extra liquid and it was more of a hummus texture. Still good, but not anything like the recipe should be. It is more like a cream cheese texture when made the right way, and is delicious on a whole wheat or seed bread, probably even a bagel or crackers.

You will need:

• 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 tbs garlic
• 1 tbs minced ginger root
• 1 tbs minced jalepeno
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

How to make it:

1. In a container filled with water, soak the pumpkin seeds for atleast 15 min. More if you have time to.
2. Drain the seeds and put them in a food processor or blender with all ingredients
3. Blend until creamy.

*in my Vitamix I had to use the tamper and had to let the machine rest for a few seconds here and there after the mixture got mostly blended. Be careful not to let it blend so long that the cheese starts to cook. Sometimes mixing it with a spatula helps to get all of the seeds mixed in quicker.

ENJOY!!!

Cinnamon Rolls

Super delicious Wheat Cinnamon Rolls!

You will need:

• Lots of sugar
• 3/4 cup shortening (I used extra virgin coconut oil)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 pkg dry yeast
• 1 egg slightly beaten (egg sub works fine)
• 5 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup earth balance "butter" softenend
• 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
• 2 cups powdered sugar ( I would double this if you love frosting, it doesn't make much)
• 3 tbs hot soymilk or water

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve 1/2 cup sugar, shortening and salt in 2 cups hot water. Cool to lukewarm.
2. Dissolve yeast and 1 tbs sugar in 1/2 cup lukewarm water.
3. Add liquid to ingredients with egg.
4. Stir in flour 2 cups at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Let rise loosely covered for 1 1/2 hours.
6. Roll 1/4" thick on a floured surface. Make a long rectangle shape
7. Spread butter over the dough, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, raisins, & nuts.
8. Roll as for a jelly roll
9. cut into 1" slices
10. Place 1" appart on greased baking pan and let rise for 20 min.
11. Bake 400 degrees for 20 mins.
12. Meanwhile mix powdered sugar and milk to make a frosting Then Drizzel over the hot rolls

Makes 21 servings.

Approximately 366 calories per serving