the Sunday Special: Veggie Loaf

I created this meatless "meat loaf" from eggplant and other veggies. (As always, the measurements are estimates.) I was really pleased with the flavor and meat-like texture. It even sort of looks like meatloaf.



Veggie Loaf

Saute:
1 Tbsp (4-5 cloves)Garlic chopped
1 handful baby Mushrooms sliced
1 large leaf Red Cabbage shopped
1/2 Bok-choy
1/2 Eggplant



Sprinkle with:
Cinnamon
Chili Powder
Cumin
Fresh Dill
Sea Salt

Blend with:
1/4 cup water

Stir in:
4oz Oatmeal
2 Tbsp BBQ Sauce
3 Tbsp Squash Soup
+ 2-3 Tbsp Garbanzo Bean Flour





Coat the dish with olive oil. (I actually coated mine with coconut oil and it was fine.) Press down and smooth out the mixture into the pan, forming a loaf. (I was experimenting so I left a dividing line between the two different halves.)



Spread a thin layer of bbq sauce on the top.





Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.







Serve with garlic sweet potato mash and steamed veggies.

the Sunday Special: Purple Patties

Here are a couple of my latest experiments. I used purple sweet potatoes to make veggie patties and pancakes.


Purple Patties

2-3 Purple Sweet Potatoes (about 2 cups mashed)
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 cup Organic Rolled Oats
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 cup Hemp Milk
4-5 Tbsp Red Onion chopped
4-5 Tbsp Red Bell Pepper
4-5 cloves Garlic

Olive oil, spinach, sprouts, pickled okra, hemp seed, homemade bbq sauce...

Boil the potatoes until they were soft and mashable. Cook the oatmeal according to the package's instructions. Mix the dry ingredients. Add that to the mashed potato and oatmeal. Then stir in the milk. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Form the first patty (btw, they are sticky...wax paper would be handy) and press garlic, onions, and red peppers into one side.



When the oil is good and hot, place the first patty in the oil then press more goodies into the other side of the patty. Continue with the rest of the batter.





Serve warm over a bed of spinach or spring mix. Top with homemade bbq sauce, sprouts, hemp seed, maybe a little greek yogurt...and a homemade pickled okra.



The bbq sauce was actually suppose to be catchup but tastes more like bbq sauce. Which is good because I don't care too much for catchup. Kan-Grow Hydro Farm made the sauce and the amazing pickled okra.



If you'd rather have something a little sweeter, the same base recipe can be used to make pancakes. Just add a little extra liquid and sweetness.


Purple Pancakes

2-3 Purple Sweet Potatoes (about 2 cups mashed)
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 cup Organic Rolled Oats
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
2-3 tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2-2 cups Hemp Milk
2 Tbsp Honey
Coconut Oil

Boil the potatoes until they were soft and mashable. Cook the oatmeal according to the package's instructions. Mix the dry ingredients. Add that to the mashed potato, oatmeal, and honey. Then stir in the milk. Heat the coconut oil in a pan. the oil is good and hot, pore a thin layer in. You can make traditional rounded pancake shapes or drizzle it like a funnel cake. It seems to take quite awhile to set up to be flipped. Keep yourself busy with other tasks while it's cooking. Continue with the rest of the batter.


(Pretty yummy just like this, or...)

Serve hot topped with fresh Raspberries (or compote), toasted almonds, maybe a little greek yogurt and mint.

the Sunday Special: Oatmeal Bars

Oatmeal. I have quite a bit of it. My fave grocery store was giving out 2 lb bags with purchases over $30 and well, I rarely get out of there without spending 3 or 4 times that.

Since I don't normally eat oatmeal for breakfast, I've been experimenting with different recipes that can incorporate oatmeal. So far I have made pancakes.



A spiced pear cake.


Yeah, I know. No one saw this fun pattern I made with the pears, but it made me happy. And now you've seen it too!

(They were just covered up by this last layer of chocolaty spiced goodness before being baked to gooey perfection.)

I'm playing around with purple....pancakes? Veggie patties? We'll see.

And these guys.



Vegan Oatmeal Bars
2 cups Organic Rolled Oats
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnomon
2 pinches of Sea Salt
1 tsp Cacoa Nibs
1 row of 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate broken in pieces
1 heaping tsp or so Gogi Berries
1 ½ cups juice/pureed overly rip Organic Pears
Coconut Oil to grease pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.. If the coconut oil is solid, put a tsp or so in a dish and stick it in the oven to melt. (I melted it in a different dish and then poured it into the pan I wanted to use for baking. That way I was able to just use my finger to coat the pan and didn't have to worry about the pan being to hot to touch.)

Combine all ingredients except pears. Once that is thouroughly mixed, add the pear puree.


Pour into greased pan and bake for about 20-30 mins.

They can be cut into squares and be ready to grab on the go for breakfast or a quick snack. They have no added sugar so the sweetness is very light. (If you need extra sweetness, you could add a like brown sugar or honey.) For extra indulgence, they are amazing with vanilla ice cream and toasted almonds. But what isn't, right!