Spaghetti Bolognese

Spaghetti Bolognese is traditionally a very meat heavy meal. This one, however, uses veg-sausage and mushrooms. Topped with Follow Your Heart vegan mozzarella, it was a lot tastier than I expected. It was also very simple. Just chopping, sauteing and cooking noodles.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound spaghetti noodles
• 1 can diced tomatoes
  
• 2 TBS tomato paste
• 1/2 onion, diced
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 lb Light Life Gimme Lean Sausage (or your favorite)
• Olive Oil
• Your Favorite vegan cheese to top
  

Directions: Start cooking the noodles first. Then, in a large frying pan, coat with olive oil and saute the onions until clear, add the mushrooms, and saute, add garlic and soy-sausage. When everything is cooked through, add tomato paste and diced tomatoes, and let simmer until the noodles are done cooking and drained. Toss noodles and sauce well. Top with vegan cheese, and serve with garlic bread.

Red Beans 'n Rice

As a girl born in the south (and family still there) I sometimes must make a dish close to my roots. Tonight, I made red beans 'n rice for a few reasons, 1.) I needed to use up our veg sausage, 2.) My hubby put red beans on the pot and asked what we should make with them, and 3.) I love comfort food, especially trying to veganize them. This was really good, but it was missing something. If anyone is super familiar with Cajun food, please tell me what I was missing with this recipe. It *almost* was the red beans 'n rice I remember from my childhood, but not quite.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dry red beans, cooked
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4-5 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, diced
  
• 2 bay leaves
• dashes of Tabasco
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• Some salt and pepper
  
• 1/2 package Gimme Lean vegan sausage
• 2 cups white or brown rice, cooked

Directions: Cook beans as directed and simmer on low. Saute the onion and garlic, then bell pepper and celery, and add to beans. Add spices, simmer uncovered, adding water if needed to cover beans. Fry veg sausage in olive oil (fry in crumbles) and add to beans. Let everything simmer for a while (30 mins- 3 hours, the longer the better). Serve on top of white or brown rice.

Give it a try and tell me what I am missing. It really is good as is- not bad at all.. my hubby and his friend who was over for dinner really liked it. I'm the picky one when it comes to cajun food.

Biscuits & Rosemary Sausage Gravy

This tasted just like the real thing! WOW! Incredible! It was just a light dinner because I had a class tonight at college, and we had company over- my omni brother in law. He raved about them and that he doesn't even like biscuits and gravy, but it was so good he went back for seconds. I meant to cook up veggies on the side, but I didn't really have time, but we had more than enough for the 3 of us plus seconds. Next time I will make it with veggies on the side, and you better believe there will be a next time!

Biscuits Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 c. flour
• 3 tsp non-aluminum baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 c. non-hydrogenated margarine
  
• 1 cup sour soymilk (soymilk + 1 tsp. vinegar)

Directions: Preheat oven to 450 F. Combine dry ingredients with a whisk. Add sour soymilk and margarine and combine, but do not over mix. Lightly oil cookie sheet with olive oil or margarine and spoon biscuits dough onto pan. Bake for about 10-15 mins, or until tops have browned slightly.


Rosemary Sausage Gravy Recipe:

• 1 c. water
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
  
• 2 tsp vegetarian bullion (or 2 cubes)
• 1 c. plain soymilk
  
• 1/2 c. flour
• 2 tsp. pepper
• salt to taste
• 1 Tbs rosemary
• 1 tsp garlic powder
  
• 1/2 package vegan sausage (I like Light Life's Gimme Lean Brand)

Directions: In a med. saucepan combine water, olive oil and bullion until dissolved. Before turning on the heat, whisk in flour until well combined. Turn heat on to Med-High and add soymilk, salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic. Stir constantly until it starts to boil and thicken, turn heat to low. Meanwhile, cook the vegan sausage in an oiled pan, breaking up pieces into small grounds. Cook until browned and slightly crispy, then add into the gravy. Serve over biscuits.