pursuit of a clean life

Recipe of the Month - Guac Burger

I’m not sure about you, but ever since I became a vegan, some 3ish years ago, I’ve been trying every veggie burger I can get my grubby little hands on. I want to try them all to see which flavors I like or see which have a nice firm texture or generally, which I think is the best. Every time it’s on the menu, even if I’m not in the mood for veggie burger, I get it so I can taste it.

There’s a vegan chef in New York City name Chloe Coscarelli who opened a restaurants (now plural) called by Chloe. She offers a great array of options at her fast-food-like restaurants from salads to cocktails. Their most popular item? The Guac Burger. 

Yes, guacamole is delicious and almost everyone can agree on this. If you don’t, let’s not be friends. Anyway, this guac burger is made from sweet potatoes, quinoa, black beans and corn (though not in the recipe, I definitely saw a few in the burger I had in the restaurant). My favorite part of the burger is the chipotle aioli. It adds a nice, creamy texture and adds a load of flavor from the chipotle and paprika powders. Adding some tortilla chips on top adds amazing crunch. 

Veggie Burgers, makes 6:

1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed (about 1 pound)

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 cup chopped white onion (from ½ large white onion)

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

1 garlic clove, minced

¾ cup cooked quinoa

One 19-ounce can cooked black beans, drained and rinsed (2¼ cups canned beans)

½ cup panko bread crumbs

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Chipotle Aioli:

½ cup vegan mayonnaise 

Pinch ground chipotle powder

Pinch sweet paprika

Guacamole:

2 avocados—halved, pitted and peeled

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus more to taste (2 limes)

Pinch kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 small tomato, cored and diced

2 tablespoons chopped white onion

2 tablespoons cilantro

To Serve:

6 soft burger buns (such as Martin's potato rolls), split in half and lightly toasted

6 slices torn green lettuce

6 slices beefsteak tomato

6 slices red onion

1 cup tortilla chips or strips, broken apart

Preheat the oven to 375°. Poke the sweet potato all over with a fork and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 1 hour. Let cool 10 minutes and roughly chop. Makes 1 cup of cooked sweet potato.

While the sweet potato is cooking, make the chipotle aioli: In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, chipotle and paprika, and set aside.

Make the veggie burger: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, season with a pinch of salt and sauté until soft and golden, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onions and garlic are golden brown, 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat and transfer to a food processor. Wipe the skillet clean and reserve for later use.

To the food processor, add the chopped sweet potato, quinoa, black beans, panko bread crumbs, ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper, paprika and cumin, and pulse until the mixture is slightly chunky. Use your hands to form the mixture into 6 patties and transfer to a large plate. Chill in the fridge to firm up, uncovered, for 30 minutes or up to 1 day.

While the burgers are chilling, make the guacamole: In a large bowl, mash the avocados with the lime juice and season with a pinch of salt. Fold in the tomatoes, onion and cilantro, and adjust the seasoning to taste with lime juice and salt. Makes 2 cups of guacamole and can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 day.

In a large skillet, heat 1½ teaspoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, add the patties and cook until both sides are golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Remove the patties and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Spread the chipotle mayo on each bottom bun half. Divide the patties among the buns and top each with the lettuce, tomato, onion, a generous spoonful of the guacamole and a few tortilla chips. Top with the other bun halves and serve.

Recipe of 2016: Vegan Chocolate Cake

Well, following my only other post of 2016, this delicious, moist and decadent vegan chocolate cake is the only recipe of 2016 worth mentioning (apparently haha)

The cake is so good and so moist and so incredibly easy. I served it at Thanksgiving and at a holiday party I threw, where I was the only vegan at both, and everyone loved it. At Thanksgiving, my aunt even said I should sell these. Thanks Auntie but it’s not my recipe and that seems unethical. She’s so precious! 

CAKE

1 1/2 cups nondairy milk, I used macadamia nut

2 tsp white or apple cider vinegar

1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (or sub more non-dairy milk)

2/3 cup melted coconut oil or sub grapeseed

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups + 2 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

FROSTING

1 cup (16 Tbsp or 224 g) vegan butter, softened

2 1/2 - 3 cups (280-336 g) powdered sugar

2/3 cup (63 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup (30 g) dairy-free semisweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

~1/4 cup non-dairy milk, again I used macadamia nut

Preheat oven to 350°F (176 C) and lightly spray 2 8-inch round cake pans or one large rectangular pan with nonstick spray (see notes for cooking times for different size pans). Dust with cocoa powder, shake out the excess and set aside.

Mix the almond milk and vinegar in a large mixing bowl, and let set for a few minutes to activate. Add the oil, coffee, vanilla extract, and applesauce and beat until foamy.

Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a sifter and slowly sift over the wet ingredients while mixing with a hand-held or standing mixer. If you don’t have a sifter, simply mix dry ingredients in another bowl and add to the wet mixture while beating. Beat until no large lumps remain. It should be creamy and pourable. Taste and adjust sweetness as needed, adding more sugar if desired (I found it plenty sweet).

Divide batter evenly between your 2 cake pans or rectangular pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

While cooling, prepare frosting by beating together all ingredients until light and fluffy, adding the powdered sugar in small amounts until you reach your desired consistency and sweetness. If it becomes too thick, add more almond milk. If it's too thin, add more cocoa powder or powdered sugar.

Once the cake is cooled, frost generously with buttercream frosting, adding a thick layer between the top and bottom layers (if doing a 2-layer cake). 

You could omit telling your family and friends it’s vegan and see if anyone notices a difference, I doubt they will.

(this recipe is vegan and can be nut or soy free, depending on the type of oil and non-dairy milk you use)

Hello, it’s me...

I’m sorry for being lackadaisical with updating. I got sick after Thanksgiving and am swamped with studying, finals, holiday shopping, parties and just life in general. 

But I did want to update and say this will be my final post of 2015. I can’t believe another year has passed!! It’s been a little over 2 years since I started this Tumblr because I wanted to share a few insights and recipes I’ve concocted and it’s become something more than I ever imagined. 

My time off from Tumblr will also allow me the chance to try out some new recipes and finally write the 5-6 product reviews I’ve been sitting on. There’s lots to look forward to in 2016!

I’m so thankful for you all who follow, like, reblog my posts and message me. So I will leave you with something to ponder these last few days of 2015:

A new study suggests that cancer is heavily influenced by “external factors” (aka our lifestyle)

Gratitude may reduce your chance of heart disease

Tal Ronnen released a gorgeous new Vegan cookbook

The best and worst nutritional guides from around the world

Recipe of the Week: Roasted Thanksgiving Leftover Vegetables

I’m not sure about you but I had a lot of raw ingredients left after Thanksgiving. So many potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, onions, and mushrooms that I didn’t use that I had to do something with them. 

So I chopped them all up, poured a healthy amount of extra virgin olive oil, and seasoned it with leftover fresh rosemary, salt and pepper. The result was pretty fantastic. So much so I may end up making this more often and not just because I have extra potatoes, tofu, and mushrooms!

4-5 Brussels sprouts, quartered

12 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 medium sized red-skin potatoes, cubed

8oz tofu, cubed

3-4 sprigs of rosemary, chopped

Half a red onion, sliced

1-2 cloves of garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt/pepper

Preheat the oven to 450F. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.

Chop/slice all your vegetables and combine in a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. Adjust the seasoning according to your tastes.

Spread the vegetables out onto the pan so it’s equally distributed. Roasted for 30 minutes, turning it halfway through. Let cool 5-10 minutes and enjoy!

It’s so easy and healthy. What more could you ask for? 

Recipes of the Week: Thanksgiving Edition

Happy Thanksgiving Week! Vegetarians and Vegans ‘round the world usually have a hard time with Thanksgiving because the entire meal is centered around a bird. But it’s 2015, there are so many Vegan-friend recipes out there that we no longer need to go hungry when we visit family and friends for the holiday.

Below are the dishes I’m cooking for Thanksgiving, everything from stuffing (or dressing) to homemade gravy to sweet potatoes to Brussels sprouts! You should see my shopping list, it’s a bit overwhelming, I’ll be using about 30 tablespoons of Vegan butter. Just because it’s Vegan, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy haha!

Vegan Stuffing/Dressing

1 large loaf of challah

2 cups celery, diced

2 cups onion, diced

2 cups cremini mushroom, diced

8-10 sprigs thyme, chopped

3 sprigs rosemary, chopped

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

3 cups vegetable stock

6 tbsps Vegan butter

8 tbsps melted Vegan butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground 

Cut the challah into 1" cubes. Leave the cubes out on a parchment lined sheet pan on the counter to get stale, at least overnight, and preferably 2 days. 

Melt 3 oz. of butter in a large heavy saute pan. Saute the onions until wilted, add the herbs, celery and mushrooms and cook until just slightly cooked through. 

In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, vegetables, melted butter and vegetable stock, and salt and pepper. Test for seasoning and adjust. 

Press stuffing into a large buttered baking dish. Cover with buttered parchment, and then foil. At this point, the stuffing can be held for several hours, but should be at room temperature before baking. 

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes, the last 10-15 minutes without the foil and parchment, to crisp the surface.

Mushroom Gravy

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ small onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

4 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, finely chopped (1 cup)

½ cup all-purpose flour

4 to 5 cups vegetable stock, preferably homemade, as needed

1 teaspoon soy sauce, more to taste

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms; cook, stirring, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in vegetable stock, a little at a time, until a smooth sauce forms. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until thickened. Season with soy sauce, salt and pepper. Serve as is, or pass it through a fine mesh strainer.

Vegan Mashed Potatoes (see recipe from last year)

Maple Glazed Brussels Sprouts

3 cups of Brussel sprouts

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

1 tablespoon of sesame seed oil

1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, finely chopped

In a small pot, cook ginger in oil for 2-3 minutes under medium flame. Add maple syrup, mix in with ginger, and then add the Brussel sprouts. Cook for 5-7 minutes on medium-high flame with the cover on, until the sprouts are a deep golden brown.

Maple Sweet Potatoes

3 large sweet potatoes

3 tbsps Vegan butter

1 onion, chopped

9 tbsp finely chopped pecans

9 tbsp maple syrup

3/4 tsp cinnamon

Bake sweet potatoes for 40-45 minutes at 400F. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let it cool. Remove the skin once cooled and slice into 1 inch cubes

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion and pecans and saute for a few minutes until onion begins to brown.

Add cubed sweet potatoes, maple syrup and cinnamon and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, or until sweet potatoes are hot and tender.

Chocolate Pudding Pie

CRUST:

1 ¾ cups finely ground graham crackers (made from 10 ounces of whole graham crackers)

3 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons melted Vegan butter, melted coconut oil or canola oil

1 tablespoon plain soy milk or almond milk

FILLING:

3 cups almond milk

¼ cup cornstarch

⅓ cup sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Big pinch of salt

¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine the graham crumbs and sugar. Drizzle in the oil or melted margarine. Use a spoon to blend the mixture thoroughly to moisten the crumbs, then drizzle in the soy milk and stir again to form a crumbly dough. Pour the crumbs into the pie plate. Press crumbs into the sides of the plate first, then work your way down to the bottom. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until firm. Let the crust cool before filling. Pie: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, remove it from the oven and let cool. In a small (2-quart) saucepan off the heat, combine 1 cup of the almond milk and the cornstarch. Use a fork to whisk until the cornstarch is good and dissolved. Whisk in the remaining almond milk, the sugar, cocoa powder and salt. It’s O.K. if the cocoa is a bit clumpy at first; it will dissolve eventually. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking occasionally. Keep a close eye because once boiling, you want to lower the heat and bring it to a slow rolling boil. Whisk consistently until the mixture is thickened, which should be about 7 minutes. Add the chocolate chips and mix to melt. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the pudding into the prepared pie shell and let cool for about 15 minutes on the counter, just until it stops steaming like mad. To keep a skin from forming, place a circle of parchment paper over the filling. Refrigerate and let set for at least 3 hours.

I’m exhausted just compiling this post. But, the thing is, I didn’t even include everything I will be cooking like butter-garlic corn and new potatoes with carmelized onions tossed with truffle oil. Why? Because I make those off the cuff, with no measuring. 

In case you’re interested, to make butter-garlic corn, you mince a ton of garlic, like 8-10 gloves, melt some Vegan butter and toss it with frozen sweet corn then season with salt and pepper until it tastes amazing. I’d start with 4-6 tbsps of butter and add more as needed.

For the new potatoes, cube red skinned potatoes, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried Italian seasoning and roast in the oven at 350 for about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, carmelize onions in a skillet over low heat. Then combine the roasted potatoes with the onions in truffle oil. 

I hope you and your family and friends have a marvelous, festive and safe holiday weekend! See you on the other side, slightly plumper and with less money (hellllllllo Black Friday sales!)

Recipe of the Week: Pumpkin Bread Pudding

I seriously cannot believe Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away! If you’ve been following my Tumblr for awhile you know Thanksgiving is the biggest meal I prepare all year. I cook for about 10-12 people every year! My mom cooks for Christmas and I cook for Thanksgiving. It’s been a tradition we’ve had in my family for about 5 years, long before I became a Vegan.

Last year was my first year as a Vegan during Thanksgiving. I decided to give myself a “cheat meal” and eat turkey on Thanksgiving (but no leftovers!) However, I abstained from any other meat or dairy side dishes. This year, will be similar. I’ve told my family I will continue to prepare the turkey (recipe here) but will only make Vegan-friendly sides, including mashed potatoes with Vegan butter and this stunning and delicious bread pudding, full of Autumnal flavors!

1 cup coconut milk

1 can organic pumpkin

½ cup brown sugar or maple syrup

½ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

1½ teaspoons nutmeg

½ teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon cloves

10 cups cubed day-old bread of your choice (about 10 to 12 slices of sandwich bread, depending on the thickness of slices)

¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips (Trader Joe’s chocolate chips are accidentally Vegan)

2 tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 14 4-ounce ramekins (single-serving ceramic dishes) or a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish.

In a blender, process coconut milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt and spices until smooth. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the pumpkin mixture and chocolate chips until each bread cube is coated.

If using ramekins: Evenly sprinkle about 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar into the bottom of each greased ramekin. Fill each ramekin to the top with the mixture and lightly press it down with the back of a spoon. If using a 9-by-13 baking dish: Fill the baking dish with the mixture and lightly press it down with the back of a spoon. Evenly sprinkle about 2 tablespoons brown sugar over the top of the bread pudding. The brown sugar will help the pudding to caramelize on the edges. (Steps 1 through 3 can be done up to three days in advance; store covered in the refrigerator.)

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until top is lightly browned. If using ramekins: Let the pudding cool a few minutes, then carve around the edges with a knife to loosen and unmold. Garnish with powdered sugar if desired and serve warm. If using a 9-by-13 baking dish: Let the pudding cool a few minutes before serving. Cut into portions, then garnish with powdered sugar if desired and serve warm. The pudding can be baked right before serving or earlier that day and then reheated for 8 to 10 more minutes right before serving.

I try to challenge myself when I cook and Vegan desserts are not my specialty so I’ve been trying to get out of my comfort zone of bombastic entrees and side dishes and cooking/baking desserts.

This recipe is Vegan, dairy-, soy- and oil-free.

Recipe of the Week: Vegan Brownies

I’d like to preface and say I know it’s no longer October but screw it. Slow cooker recipes are the best! This brownie recipe is pretty fantastic, it has a nice balance between being cake-y and fudge-y. 

It’s also pretty easy to make, you can add nuts (or not) or even more chocolate than the 3 different types in the recipe (or not). It’s a super versatile brownie based recipe that’s totally Vegan and sinfully delicious.

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ tsp baking powder

½ tsp kosher salt

½ cup vegan butter, cut into squares

8oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Valhrona dark chocolate)

1 cup sugar

3 flax eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

3 tbsp of ground flaxseeds or flaxmeal

7.5 tbsp of warm water 

To make the flax egg, combine the flaxmeal and warm water in a glass or ceramic container (don’t use plastic). Mix and let it sit for at least 5 minutes.

Place a piece of parchment paper, that is large enough to extend halfway up the sides in the bottom of the crock pot.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

Place butter and chopped chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave another 30 seconds. Repeat until melted and combined.

Add sugar to chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Whisk in flax eggs and vanilla.

Stir in flour mixture just until flour is moistened. Fold in pecans and chocolate chips, if using.

Pour batter into the slow cooker, smoothing out the top with a spatula.

Cover and cook on low 3½ hours. Uncover and continue to cook on LOW for 30 minutes.

Remove insert from crockpot and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Flax eggs are a good substitute for eggs in a lot of recipes. Applesauce apparently works well too. Or if you just don’t trust yourself to create your own flax egg, you can buy something like Ener G Egg Replacer at your local health food store.

Allow the brownies to cool completely before serving or cutting. It will be very gooey (but still edible) if you cut into it too soon. The best thing about vegan brownies? You can eat the batter and not be scared of salmonella poisoning from raw eggs! 

This recipe is Vegan. It can also be nut-free if you don’t use pecans.

Recipe of the Week: Three Bean Slow Cooker Chili

The final recipe of my slow cooker feature ends with a monster of a chili recipe, with 3 kinds of beans (black, kidney and garbanzo, along with baked beans) this recipe is a top notch meal recipe that’s full of protein, fiber and home-cooked goodness.

Also, if you’re looking for Halloween-themed recipes, I did that last year. Check it out here.

1 can black beans, in water

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (sometimes I use lentils)

1 can vegetarian baked beans

1 29oz can crushed tomatoes

1 15oz can whole kernel corn, drained

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 zucchini, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

4oz diced chilies

1 -2 jalapeno, chopped

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tbsp cilantro (optional)

In a saucepan, saute the onion, bell pepper, zucchini, and celery in oil for about 5 minutes.

In a slow cooker, combine black bean soup, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, baked beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, bell pepper, zucchini, jalapeno, chilies, and celery. 

Season with garlic, chili powder, cumin, parsley, oregano, basil (and cilantro if using). Cook for about 6 hours on low.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can play around with the recipe and add a little water to make it a little soup and add in some crumbled tofu for added protein and meaty-ness

This recipe is Vegan, nut- and gluten-free.

Recipe of the Week: Bourbon Maple Slow Cooked Beans

The third installment of my slow cooker series (hah!) is a bean recipe that takes a hell of a long time to prep and cook but is totally worth it. I think this recipe would be great as a side dish at Thanksgiving.

1 pound dry navy beans

1 cup bourbon

1 cup maple syrup

1 cup barbeque sauce 

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup water

Heaping 1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup mustard 

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos/soy sauce/Tamari

Rinse and sort dry beans in a colander over the sink. Add beans to a large pot and cover with 8 cups water and let soak overnight (about 8 hours). 

Drain soaking water and rinse beans well under running water in a colander over the sink.

Return beans to pot, cover with 6 cups water, and allow to simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes, or until quite tender; cooked about 80% of the way. 

They'll be transferred to a slow cooker where they'll cook for 12+ hours so you don't want them or need them to be totally done, but they shouldn't be overly hard either.

While beans are simmering, combine all remaining ingredients in the slow cooker, and whisk to combine until smooth.

Drain the beans add them to the slow cooker and stir.

Cover and cook on low heat for about 12 hours (start checking at about 8 hours), or until beans are tender, the sauce has thickened and reduced dramatically, the flavor is concentrated and robust, and the smell in your house is intoxicating. If after 12 hours your sauce is still liquidy or on the soupy side, remove the lid, increase the heat to the highest setting, and cook uncovered until thickened to desired level (this took 4 hours for me; 12 hours covered on low and 4 hours uncovered on high, for 16 hours total). 

There’s just a lot of waiting around but not a lot of chopping or dicing or mincing like other recipes so even though it may take about 2 days to really cook, there’s minimal effort involved. 

This is definitely a recipe you need to plan ahead for. But like I said, it’ll be good for Thanksgiving, you can start your prep work/bean soak on Monday, cook on Tuesday and after a day or two in the fridge, this’ll taste fantastic. 

This recipe is Vegan, soy-, nut- and, possibly, gluten-free, if using Liquid Aminos or Tamari.

Recipe of the Week: Tempeh Noodle Stew

Another week, another slow cooker recipe, amiright? I’m thinking that every week in October I’m going to post a new slow cooker recipe because it’s so perfect: so easy, so inexpensive and so tasty. This recipe is one I played around with, it’s a play on minestrone and chicken noodle soup.

I added Tempeh for protein and for a meaty consistency while noodles and potatoes add plenty of carbs. Why the double carb? It’s almost winter, time to pack on a bit of weight for warmth. Also, I realize many people have already started to bulk up a bit so why not indulge a bit in complex carbs from brown rice pasta and potatoes?

1 8-oz package of Tempeh, cubed

5-6 mini potatoes (I used Trader Joe’s potato medley), cubed, skin on

6 cups of vegetable stock

3 cups of water

4 carrots, diced

2 onions, sliced

3 gloves of garlic, minced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1/2 pound green lentils

1 tbsp oregano

Salt/Pepper

8 oz cooker pasta, preferably brown rice, quinoa or whole wheat

2 tbsp lemon juice

Put everything except the pasta and lemon juice in a slow cooker and cook on low for 9-10 hours. Stir in pasta and lemon juice once the timer goes off and serve.

In the potato medley I bought at Trader Joe’s, there were purple potatoes and I think they’re partly why the tempeh turned into a very dark, almost beef-like color. What a great (and sneaky) way to get your carnivore significant other or kids to eat a meat-free meal!