Non-Meat Loaf - Belly Bomber Style

Growing up, my mom made a wonderfully delicious meat loaf that tasted like White Castle hamburgers. That was one of the meals I missed when I became vegetarian, so I came up with a non-meat loaf that's just as good without all the unhealthy red meat.

Non-Meat Loaf - Belly Bomber Style

1 pkg. Quorn Crumbles, slightly thawed
1 can of cream of onion soup - low sodium
1 Tbs. organic soy sauce
1/4 white onion, finely chopped or 1/4 Cup frozen, chopped onions
Dash of Pepper to taste
Fresh bread, broken into pieces (I remove the crusts), about 6 slices

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix all ingredients, except bread, together in bowl - using your hands may be the best method. Fold bread pieces in last, just enough to be well mixed.

Shape into a loaf and put into a lightly greased (I use non-stick cooking spray) glass pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 40 minutes, give or take a few.

I like this served with mashed potatoes and a green veggie.


Laura Knight copyright 2006

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

My grandmother made the best pineapple upside down cake. This is my version of her recipe.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1/2 Cup Smart Balance (or other margarine)
1 Cup light brown sugar
1 small can of sliced pineapples
3 eggs’ worth of Ener-G Egg Replacer prepared per box directions - divided in half
1 Cup granulated sugar
1 Cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla
5 Tbs. pineapple juice from the above pineapple can

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In medium/large size iron skillet melt 1/2 Cup Smart Balance. When melted, add light brown sugar and mix. Lay pineapple slices around the skillet in a single layer. You can add maraschino cherries to the center of each pineapple ring, if you like.

Using half of the prepared Egg Replacer, combine with granulated sugar, flour, salt, baking powder and pineapple juice.

Beat the second half of the prepared Egg Replacer until foamy. Pour into the batter and fold in.

Bake in oven for 35 - 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.


Laura Knight copyright 2006

Vegetarian Stuffing

I love, love, love stuffing! Before we were vegetarians we would buy Stove Top all the time. But, after our transformation, I looked at the ingredients on even the non-chicken flavored stuffing mixes, and they all had chicken broth in them - Ugh! So, I came up with my own, scrumptious recipe.

Vegetarian Stuffing

3 stalks celery
1 Tbs. Smart Balance spread
1/4 tsp. sage
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. parsley
sprinkle of sea salt
1 tsp. pepper
4 cups dried, cubed bread (Country Hearth Unseasoned Crouton Style Stuffing)
14 oz. can of vegetable broth
4 oz. water

Sauté celery in Smart Balance.

Mix herbs and water with broth.

In a casserole dish, sprayed with cooking spray, add stuffing and mix in the broth mixture until well coated.

Bake in a 400 degree F oven for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. (May place pats of margarine on top of stuffing before baking.)

Once finished, take out and cover until time to eat.


Laura Knight copyright 2007

Flaky Cinnamon Pie Crust

My husband's all-time favorite dessert is cherry pie. I'm not big on pies because I always thought the pie crust was too plain to be a dessert. So, I came up with a pie crust with flavor.

Flaky Cinnamon Pie Crust

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/8 Cup powdered sugar
1/8 Cup cinnamon
1/2 Cup plus 2 Tbs. Smart Balance (or other margarine)
4 Tbs. cold water
2 Tbs. vegetable oil

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, brown sugar, powdered sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in Smart Balance, mixing until crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and water then add to the flour mixture, blending just until a soft dough forms.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

If dough is sticky and hard to handle, cover and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4 inch thickness and transfer to a pie plate. Prick bottom and sides of crust with fork.

Bake at 450 F for 9 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned (hard to tell with the cinnamon). Use with any pie recipe where you like the extra sweetness and cinnamon flavor.

*When making a cherry pie with canned pie filling, I add 1 tsp. almond extract and 1 tsp. vanilla extract to the filling to take away some of the tartness.


Laura Knight copyright 2008

Oatmeal Cinnamon Cookies

These cookies taste just as scrumptious without the overly sweet butterscotch chips.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Cookies

1 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Cup Smart Balance - softened (or other margarine)
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
2 Eggs’ worth of Ener-G Egg Replacer (prepared per box directions)
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
3 Cups quick or old-fashioned oats
11-oz. package of butterscotch chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl.
With mixer, beat Smart Balance, sugars, and vanilla or almond extract in a medium bowl. Stir in Egg Replacer. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Fold in oats and optional chips.
Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 9 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.


Laura Knight copyright 2008

Vegan Potato Salad

I loved my mom's potato salad as a kid. Of course back then, I ate eggs. But now that I don't, I came up with a new version of my mom's recipe.

Vegan Potato Salad

8 Medium Red Potatoes
Extra Firm Tofu, drained and chopped, to take the place of eggs. Use half or less of a 14 oz. container. (You can use the remaining tofu to make tofu scramble for lunch.)
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
3/4 cup (2 stalks) of celery, chopped
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
2 Tbs. pickle juice
1 1/2 cup Vegennaise (may need more to get the right consistency)
Salt and Pepper (1 tsp each, or to taste)
Paprika, sprinkled on top for decor

Potatoes - unpeeled.
Scrub gently.
Place in cold water with 2 or 3 tsp of salt per quart and bring to a boil.
Cook for 25 to 40 minutes uncovered until tender.
Drain water, cover with a clean, folded cloth, and shake pan over low heat to allow potatoes to dry.

Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add all of the above ingredients and mix well - you may have to use your hands to combine everything well. Be careful not to crumble the tofu too much. Sprinkle paprika on top for a decorative finish.


Laura Knight copyright 2006

Recipe Copyright

Over on the Vegetarian Parents Yahoo Group, there are a few published cookbook authors who gave us some insight on recipe copyright infringement. The posting of recipes from cookbooks and other websites happens frequently in that group. Most people think nothing of it, especially since most of the posters state the origin of the recipe. However, one author decided to enlighten us. She even polled four other cookbook authors for their opinions.

3 of the 4 authors would like anyone posting their recipes to first get their permission and then put a link to either their website or their book on  Amazon.com. This is how they make their livings, creating and publishing recipes. Posting their recipes without their permission is the same as posting a chapter of a published book without the author's permission - very few people would think it acceptable to post a chapter of a published book.

One author said she didn't mind if people posted her recipes, as long as they give her the credit - she likes the free marketing.

The other important factor in recipe copyright is that the ingredients themselves are not copyrightable - only the way in which the author words the combing of the ingredients is copyrightable. Her or his flair for easy or even funny directions are all that are technically copyrightable.

So, I had to go back through the recipes I have posted here and tried to figure out if I changed the recipe directions enough that I was safe to post them. I think I have. There are only two that might be questionable and I took those off of my sidebar list, but left them on the blog in their original places.

From now on, I will only post recipes that I consider truly my own. I've been going through my binder of recipes and have pulled out a few that I will post in the next few days. And of course if I come across a published recipe that I really like, I will just post a link to the website or book instead of posting the recipe.

Non-chicken and Farfalle Pasta Dish

This is one of my husband's favorite meals. I usually bake some bread to go with it.

Non-chicken and Farfalle Pasta Dish

1/2 pkg. Quorn Chk'n Tenders or 2 Quorn Naked Chk'n Cutlets, chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 or 3 Tbs. Canola Oil (may need more as it cooks)
1/2 of a 1 pound pkg. of Farfalle Noodles
Sea Salt and pepper to taste (I add lots of pepper)

Boil noodles according to pkg. directions.

Dice green bell pepper as big or as small as you like - I like tiny bits. You may also like to add other chopped veggies such as onions or red bell peppers.

In a large skillet, add the 2 or 3 Tbs. Canola Oil and Quorn Chk’n. Cook according to pkg. Add green bell pepper (can be added at the same time as the Grillin Chk’n).

When Quorn’ Chk’n and noodles are finished cooking, add noodles (drained) to the skillet with the Chk’n and green pepper. Simmer for a few minutes, mixing well. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

(You may need to add more oil as Chk’n cooks - don’t let it cook dry.)


Laura Knight copyright 2007

Better Banana Bread

I have another version of banana bread earlier in my blog that uses Bisquick and Splenda, but this recipe is much better.

Better Banana Bread

3/4 Cup sugar
1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup wheat flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbs. Smart Balance - melted (or other margarine)
1/4 Cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Cup mashed bananas (2 large or 3 small)
1/3 Cup vanilla soymilk plus 1 tsp. lemon juice (to make soy buttermilk)
Ener-G Egg Replacer for 2 1/2 eggs (3 1/2 tsp. powder and 5 Tbs. water)

Spray an 8x4 or 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick spray.
Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix all the wet ingredients, except the Egg Replacer, in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, stir. Add the prepared Egg Replacer and stir just until combined.
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake at 325 F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.


Laura Knight copyright 2008

Chocolate Swirl Non-Cheesecake

This is my version of a one-bowl swirl cheesecake recipe I found in a magazine - I believe it was a Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipe.

Chocolate Swirl Non-Cheesecake

4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate (I used Baker’s.)
2 cartons (8 oz. each) Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese, divided
1/2 cup organic sugar, divided
2 eggs’ worth of Egg Replacer (prepare per directions on box), divided
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 ready-to-use chocolate crumb crust

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Microwave chocolate in a large microwavable bowl on High 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring halfway through. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Mix 1 carton of Tofutti, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and 1 egg’s worth of Egg Replacer into the melted chocolate with wire whisk or electric mixer until well blended. Pour into crust.

Mix remaining Tofutti, sugar, vanilla, and Egg Replacer in the same bowl until well blended. (If you want the nice yellow color of eggy cheesecake, add a couple of drops of yellow food coloring. Or for Valentine’s Day you could add a few drops of red food coloring.)

Spoon plain batter over chocolate batter; use a butter knife to swirl batters together, taking care not to cut the crust.

Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool before refrigerating. Chill in fridge 3 hours or overnight. Makes 8 servings.

My New Favorite Sandwich - VBAT (Vegetarian Bacon, Avocado, Tomato)

Lately I’ve been having a craving for my grandmother’s egg sandwich. But seeing as we don’t buy eggs anymore, I came up with something that still reminds me of her sandwich.

Bakery bread of your choice
half of a medium avocado, sliced into thin strips
Morningstar Farms Vegetarian Bacon, about 4 slices
2 slices of organic tomato
Smart Balance spread, about 1 Tbs.
Vegennaise, about 2 Tbs.

Here’s how I do it. Microwave the package of veg. bacon on a bacon cooking rack (I love this contraption; it’s easy to use and easy to clean). For 9 slices on high temp cook for 3 minutes, 40 seconds. (I always just cook up the whole package cuz I like to snack on it right out of the fridge.) I use about a third of a loaf of my grocery store’s bakery bread. Slice it in half and trim off some of the crust so it will fit in the toaster (my toaster has wide slots). When golden brown, spread 1/2 Tbs of Smart Balance, or your margarine of choice, on each slice. (My grandmother always spread butter on the toast before adding mayonnaise and I really like the flavor the buttery spread adds.) Then spread 1 Tbs. of Vegennaise on each slice of toasted bread. I put the avocados on first, then the tomato slices, then the bacon as it seems to stay stacked better that way. Place your top piece of bread on then slice the sandwich in half and enjoy!

Laura Knight copyright 2008

Sesame Twist Bread Recipe

This recipe is my version of Pillsbury’s Onion Lover’s Twist from The Complete Book of Baking, 1993. I changed a few things around to satisfy my taste buds. One of the things I love about this bread is that you don't have to knead it!!! I love this bread with the onions, but my husband doesn't. This recipe makes two loaves, so I put onions in the filling for one and not the other.

Sesame Twist Bread

BREAD
4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp active yeast
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup plain Silk
1/4 cup Smart Balance Buttery Spread
1 Egg’s worth of Egg Replacer, prepared per directions on box

FILLING
1/4 to 1/2 cup Smart Balance Buttery Spread, depending on how buttery you want it
1/2 to 1 cup chopped onions (may be omitted if you don’t like onions)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/8 to 1/4 cup Sesame Seeds
1/2 tsp garlic salt

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and yeast; blend well. In a microwavable bowl heat water, Silk, and 1/4 cup margarine until very warm (120 to 130 degrees F) about 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately add warm liquid and prepared Egg Replacer to flour mixture. With electric mixer blend at low speed just until moistened; then beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, stir in remaining 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour to form a soft dough - may need slightly more to have a non-sticky dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place (80 to 85 degrees) until light and doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes. (You can preheat oven to 250 degrees F while preparing dough then turn off the oven and leave a bowl of warm water on the lower rack of the oven and place bowl of dough on upper rack.)

Grease large cookie sheet. Melt 1/4 to 1/2 cup margarine in microwavable bowl. Stir in remaining filling ingredients. Set aside. Stir down dough to remove all air bubbles. On floured surface, toss dough until no longer sticky. Roll dough into 18x12-inch rectangle. Cut rectangle in half crosswise to make two 12x9-inch rectangles; spread each half with filling. Cut each rectangle into three 9x4-inch strips. Starting with 9-inch side, roll up each strip; attempt to pinch edges and ends to seal (I’ve never been able to get mine to seal.) On a greased cookie sheet, braid 3 rolls together; pinch ends to seal. Repeat with remaining 3 rolled strips for second loaf. Cover; let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, approx. 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover dough. Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown and loaves sound hollow when thumped. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.

Enchilada Casserole Recipe

This was delicious! We would definitely have this again. I found this recipe in my Vegan Family Favorites cookbook by Erin Pavlina, but changed around some things to please our taste buds - my version is not vegan.

Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole

Serves 4 or more

Box of Zataran’s Spanish rice, cooked per directions on box. (need a can of diced tomatoes)
-Or you could just use 2 cups of cooked rice - I like the Spanish rice for the extra spices.
One package of Quorn Chik’n Tenders, cooked per directions
16 oz can of Old El Paso Vegetarian or Fat Free Refried Beans
2 cups of your choice of any Kraft Mexican blend shredded cheese
10 oz can of Old El Paso Mild Enchilada sauce
3 Buena Vida Organic Flour Tortillas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large skillet, cook the Chik’n Tenders as directed. Add refried beans and half of the enchilada sauce until beans are heated through, about 3 minutes on med/low. Add rice and half of the shredded cheese. Mix. Remove half of the mixture to a bowl to cool for dinner another night.*

In a round casserole dish the size of your tortillas, spray on some non-stick cooking spray, then spread 1 to 2 Tbs. of enchilada sauce around the bottom to coat. Place a tortilla in the dish. Spread half of remaining bean mixture on top. Layer with another tortilla. Spread the rest of the bean mixture on top, and then add the final tortilla on top. Spread some sauce on the top tortilla, then sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. You may need to take the lid off the last few minutes to thoroughly melt the cheese. Let stand 5 minutes, then serve in wedges. Serve with sour cream if desired.


*There is enough of the Chik’n and rice mixture to actually make two dinners of this. Use half one night and the other half in a few days - just layer it again with 3 additional tortillas and bake as before. You’ll need more cheese for the second day dinner to layer in the tortillas.

Avocado Fudge Recipe

I found a version of this recipe on-line and revamped it. For those who want to sneak in some veggies - you cannot taste the avocado in this!

Avocado Fudge

Serves many

1 avocado, ripened (the avocado will have a dark skin and will feel slightly mushy to the touch when ripe)
1/2 cup Smart Balance Buttery Spread
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
3 cups Florida Crystals Organic Powdered Sugar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Peel avocado by cutting it in half, spooning out the seed, and pulling the peel away from the fruit. You may want to cut in into quarters before placing in the food processor or blender to puree.

In a medium pot liquify the Smart Balance over scant heat.

Once the Smart Balance is liquified, add to food processor and puree with avocado. Verify that all chunks of avocado are obliterated. This may take a couple attempts of scraping the sides and mixing again.

Return mixture to pot over miniscule heat and blend in the remaining ingredients, except the walnuts, adding the powdered sugar a little at a time.

The mixture should be thick after all sugar has been added.* Add walnuts if desired, and transfer to a loaf pan. Refrigerate until firm. It may take several hours before it is firm enough to cut into squares.


*The first time I made this, it turned out perfectly. The second time I made it, I doubled the portions and I guess the consistency was a little off because it didn’t firm up like it did before. So be careful - you may need to add a bit more powdered sugar if it doesn’t seem thick enough.

Chocolate Irish Creme Tea Recipe

I created a drink!!! I've never come up with a drink recipe all on my own before - I'm pretty impressed with myself. My husband was trying to figure out how to finish off the Bailey's Irish Creme that he bought to go with some ice cream. So, I came up with this:

Chocolate Irish Creme Tea

Serves one

8 oz of Bigelow French Vanilla Tea - sweetened to your liking*
2 Tbs of Bailey’s With a Hint of Mint Chocolate Irish Creme
2 Tbs of Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup

Stir and enjoy ice cold!


*I brew up a whole pot at a time. I use 3 tea bags for 2 quarts of tea and I add 1/2 cup of sugar to sweeten.

Laura Knight copyright 2008