Vegan Mozzarella and Sun-Dried Tomato Hors d'ouevres

INGREDIENTS:

-Soya Kaas mozzarella flavor soy cheese

-1 bag of Cristopher Ranch Sun-Dried Tomatoes (halves)

-6 Large fresh basil leaves, shredded into quarter-sized pieces

-Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-Sea Salt or Fleur de Sel

Ratatouille Quinoa Pasta with Seitan

No Carb Tofu Vegetable Stir Fry with Tofu Noodles, Sweet Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:
-1 pack extra firm tofu
-1 head of broccoli
-2-3 bags of tofu shirataki (Spaghetti)
-1/2 eggplant
-2 cups snow peas
-1 bulb garlic
-1 tsp. butter
-4 Tbsp. olive oil
-Garlic powder or garlic salt
-Low sodium soy sauce
-1/2 lemon
-1/3 lime
-1 tsp. honey

Make sure to soak all produce for 5 min. in white vinegar and water solution and rinse off before using.

INSTRUCTIONS:

-Cut tofu into 1cmx1cm cubes and steam for 10 minutes in microwave
-Cut broccoli into florets and steam 4.5 minutes in microwave
-Cut eggplant into 1'' chunks and steam 5.5 minutes in microwave
-Cut tips off of snow pea ends and steam 2.5 minutes in microwave
-Rinse tofu noodles thoroughly.  Drain in a colander.  Then cook them in the microwave for 6 minutes uncovered.  Then drain again in colander.  Then chop them into smaller noodles.  Then sautee them in a pan on medium-high heat with olive oil, a drizzle of soy sauce, a sliver of butter, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and garlic salt.  Stir them in the pan as they sizzle, until they look fully cooked.
-Chop 6 cloves of garlic.

-Take out a large wok.  Drizzle about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom, plus a teaspoon of butter.  Keep on medium heat until the butter melts and blends with the oil.  Then drop in the six cloves of chopped garlic, drizzle 1Tbsp. soy sauce and juice 1/2 a lemon.  Stir in 1 tsp. honey.  Stir all together until it becomes a sauce (about a minute or two).
-Stir the tofu cubes into the sauce
-Then stir in the eggplant
-Then stir in the broccoli and snowpeas
-Thoroughly mix everything, keep turning it with a big spoon all on medium heat
-finally stir in the noodles
-Add more garlic powder, soy sauce, olive oil etc. if you want
-Squeeze the lime
-Stir

Voila!

Then peel 2 sweet potatoes and cut into 1-2'' cubes.  Steam in microwave for 8 minutes.  Leave them plane or add a little butter.

Serve warm, side by side. 

Mediterranean bistro poached egg salad

Pan-seared salmon with garlic asparagus and steamed kabocha squash

Whole wheat strawberry-banana pancakes with strawberry sauce

Merluza with tomato, zucchini, onion, lemon and oregano

Zucchini, eggplant tomato bisque with light cheese

Quinoa with Tofu, Zucchini, Eggplant and Onions

INGREDIENTS:
-1/2 eggplant
-2 zucchini
-1 large white onion
-7 cloves of garlic
-2 roma tomatoes (optional)
-EVOO
-Salt
-1 cup of quinoa
-1 pack of extra firm tofu
-1/3 lemon (optional)


INSTRUCTIONS:

-Take one cup of quinoa and 2.5 cups of water, put them in a medium pot and cook on high until it comes to a boil then on medium with the cover on until the quinoa absorbs the water and reaches a desired texture.  This shouldn't take more than about 12 minutes.  If the water is running out and the quinoa isn't ready yet, add about a half'cup more and then check it.

-Rinse block of extra firm tofu under cold water for a few seconds.  Then chop it into cubes, about 1cmx1cm.

-Steam tofu cubes in a steamer (15 minutes) or covered in the microwave if you only have one steamer (10 minutes).  Everyone raves about the well-done texture achieved by cooking it this long.

-While the quinoa is cooking and the tofu steaming,  chop the eggplant and zucchini into cubes about the size of a quarter. In another steamer, steam all veggie cubes for about 6-8 minutes, turning off the heat and uncovering them when they are 85% cooked.

-Then slice the onions into 1''x.5'' slices and sautée them in a large pan in EVOO on medium heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until they turn clear.

-While the onions are sautéeing, mince 7 cloves of garlic and if you want dice 2-3 roma tomatoes (optional).  Once onions are clear, toss the minced garlic and tomato into the pan with a little more olive oil and stir it all around for about two more minutes, until the tomatoes have softened and/or the garlic has cooked a little (be careful not to let the garlic burn!  a tip for this is don't mince it too too small and keep the heat on medium-low.  Patience is key.)  Add 1/2 tsp of salt and stir.

-Now add the tofu and vegetables to the sauce and stir it all together with the wooden spoon for a couple of minutes.  Add a little more olive oil and/or salt if you want, you don't have to.

-Finally, add the cooked quinoa and thoroughly mix everything in the pan, at this point on low heat.

-Squeeze 1/4-1/2 of a fresh lemon into the dish and mix it in (optional).

-Serve with a full-bodied, buttery Chardonnay.