Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

I made these bars three times this week. Yes, three times. One batch of these beauties lasts us about a day. The boys love having them in their lunch boxes. Even better, Evan came home asking for more. They take less than ten minutes to put together. Bake them and you're in for a treat. You know you've done something right when you feel the need to spoon the crumbs out of the pan.

I've experimented with various flours. Spelt and all purpose flour work equally well. Oat flour also works but they are more crumbly. You can use any jam you have on hand. We've used strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry.

This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Joy of Vegan Baking. I've modified the recipe by using canola oil rather than the margarine. I also use less jam than the recipe calls for. Jam can be pricey so I use 1/4 cup instead.

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars


1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 salt
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated margarine
(I've used 1/4 cup canola oil and it worked as well)
1/4 cup jam
(The recipe calls for  3/4 cups, but you can get away with 1/4 cup)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly oil an 8-9 inch square baking dish.
2. Combine the sugar, flour, soda, salt and oats.
3. Add the margarine (or canola oil) and combine until crumbly.
4. Press two thirds of the mix into the baking dish.
5. Spread the jam onto the mixture. If the oat mixture loosens and gets mixed in with the jam this is no biggie. It all turns out well in the end.
6. Add the rest of the oat mixture to the top and gently press into the jam.
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Cool before you cut. When it first comes out of the oven it will be soft. By the time it has cooled it will be nice and crunchy.

Red Lentil Crispy Tacos

Red lentils are my go to quick dinner ingredient. Having recently started subbing at our school part time, fast meals on these nights make my day end on a lighter note. Tacos are fast and it is one of those meals where I don't get complaints from anyone. I can usually get dinner on the table in about 40 minutes.

Even better, I can fill these tacos up with lots of vegetables that otherwise wouldn't get eaten. Tristan doesn't care for zucchini, carrots, and onion. He says he's happy to eat them when he can't see them. Go figure. They are great with either crispy taco shells or tortillas as soft tacos. The term kid friendly is kind of funny. What my kid may enjoy may not be what other kids like, but I'm always up for a good experiment.

Red Lentil Taco Filling

1/2 finely chopped medium onion
1 grated carrot
1/2 grated zucchini
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp cumin
1 cup red lentils
2 cups water
1/2 cup finely chopped spinach
      or favorite greens of choice

1. If you're using crispy taco shells start heating them in the oven according to package directions.
2. Finely chop the onion and add to a skillet. When the onions begin to start getting clear add the carrots and zucchini. Cook until they begin to get soft.
3. Add the spices and stir into the veggies.
4. Add the lentils and stir.
5. Add the water and bring to boil. Once boiling reduce heat to a simmer, add the spinach and cook the lentils until soft.
You may have to add water so check on them frequently.
6. I also chop up green onions, tomatoes and lettuce to use as toppings. Oddly enough, Tristan has started to enjoy green onions.
7. Cheese or non-dairy cheese is optional. I've added it directly to the taco mixture or as a topping.

Meatless Monday Tangy Brown Noodles

 

I just realized it is Meatless Monday. I made one of my favorite quick dishes tonight. I love it even more because everyone likes it. That means no complaints from the peanut gallery wishing they could eat something else. My kids just love balsamic vinegar which gives the sauce its tang.

In this picture the noodles aren't my usual soba noodles, but spaghetti. I like to cut up a bunch of extra raw veggies for everyone to at least try. Cliff and I usually end up with the most greens, big surprise. I often add my sauteéd tofu. Look for the tofu recipe later.


Tangy Brown Noodles

1/3 cup tamari/soy sauce
2 tbsp molasses
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup agave
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup water

1. Start cooking your choice of noodles. Any will work: rice noodles, udon, soba, wheat free, etc.
2. While the noodles are cooking heat the tamari in a small sauce pan on medium heat. This cooks down the tamari and reduces the amount for about 5 minutes. Add the molasses and stir to combine.
3. In a blender combine the heated tamari, and the rest of the ingredients and blend.
4. Cut up what ever extra veggies you wish to add: green onions, bell pepper, salad greens, etc.

I usually serve up the noodles and let everyone pour on as much sauce as they want. Then you can go crazy adding all of the extra goodies.

Enjoy.

My Veggie Burger

Grains and Beans Veggie Burger
and Home Fries
score: two thumbs up from big boy
yum from little boy

There is nothing like having a vegetarian kid who doesn't like vegetables. It makes you wonder why he wants to be vegetarian in the first place. He'll tell you he just doesn't want to eat animals. In the mean time, I'm left trying to sneak those darn veggies in. He loves veggie burgers, but buying them doesn't fit in the budget anymore.

Over the last months, I have been working on making the perfect burger for the family. A perfect veggie burger for this family means lots of hidden veggies, beans, and grains.

It seems like a lot of ingredients, I know. If you have a food processor the chopping of veggies takes no time at all. Plus, this makes a lot of burgers, over a dozen so you will be set for two weeks of burgers with the right planning.

Ingredients
4 cups cooked short grain brown rice
(2 cups raw cooked in 3 cups of water)
2 cups roughly mashed black beans (kidney, adzuki, or red will work too)

2 tsp canola oil
1 carrot finely chopped
1/2 medium onion finely chopped
3 broccoli florets finely chopped
1 small zucchini finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped

2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic granules
2 tsp onion granules

1/4 cup ground/finely chopped pecans (optional)
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup quick oats

1 tbsp ground flax
3 tbsp warm water
salt and pepper to taste
Makes 12-14 burgers.

Note: I separate half the mixture and store in the fridge for the following week. I simply heat the remaining burger mix up and add more flax (the amount mentioned above) before I shape the burgers into patties. I find they don't freeze well. So, if you are planning on making the whole batch you will need to double the amount of ground flax and water. You can always cut the above recipe in half if you prefer.

1. Cook the rice.
2. In a separate bowl mash the beans. You will want it to look like half the beans are mashed and the other is still whole.
3. While the rice is cooking start processing the veggies. Warm a large skillet and add the oil. Process the carrots and onions. Add to the skillet.
4. Process the zucchini , broccoli, and pepper and add to skillet.
5. Saute the veggies until they are soft and fragrant.
6. Add the spices and mix well.
7. Add all of the dry ingredients and mix well.
8. The flax seeds are what I use as an egg replacer to bind the burger.
9. When the rice is done preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the rice into the veggie mixture in a large mixing bowl. You may need to let it cool a bit. It mixes better with your hands.
9. Time to make the patties. Lightly oil a baking sheet. To get a perfect circle I use a large circular cookie cutter. Press a heaping 1/3 cup of the burger mixture into the cookie cutter. You can also use your hands to make patties if you don't have the cookie cutter. Press the burgers directly onto the baking sheet.
10. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes. Flip and bake another 12 minutes. Flip one last time and cook another 10 minutes.


Home Fries
score: sideways thumbs up from big boy
yum from little boy

If you don't happen to have fries in the freezer ready to make your life easy you can make these while all of the baking is going on.

3 large potatoes chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tbsp canola oil
sprinkle of smoked paprika
garlic granules
onion granules
salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop the potatoes.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet.
3. Cover and cook on medium heat until soft.
4. Once the potatoes have softened, uncover and add the spices. Saute the potatoes until they are crispy on the sides.

Total cooking time about 1 hour
vegan
The burger buns were made with a wonderful recipe from Vegan Dad
http://vegandad.blogspot.com/2008/06/hamburger-buns.htm