Sour Cream replacement

This recipe is from Simple Veganista

BASIC CASHEW SOUR CREAM

This vegan cashew ‘sour cream’ can be used anywhere traditional sour cream is used. Place a dollop on chili, baked potatoes, ect. You can use it in baking when called for.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked 2 – 3 hours
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or water
• juice of one small lemon or about 1 tablespoon
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• pinch of mineral salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak and drain your cashews. In food processor/high-speed blender, add all ingredients and blend until nice and creamy, stopping to scrap down the sides every now and then. Add a tad more water/milk as needed to create desired consistency. If using fresh herbs, add once the cashew blend is creamy pulsing until just incorporated, or blend in by hand. Best refrigerated for at least an hour before serving but will do fine if served right away. Sour cream will thicken upon being chilled.

Quality of Life

My husband has been trying to gain weight for the last year by eating as many calories as he can through the highest caloric dense foods (refined processed foods) which are not the most nutrient dense foods. As I tell people about my husband's choices, knowing I am a nutritarian, people are telling me, "well he wants quality of life".

Now my husband's cancer has metastasized to his liver, and I am questioning "what is quality of life?"

To me it means
being pain-free,
having many more great days than bad, both physically and mentality,
being able to take care of myself,
not having doctor appointments, surgeries, treatments, taking medicine...
not spending the day in bed or on the couch but being able to do the things I love with the people I love.

My questions are
- when did what one eats define "quality of life"?
- has the food industry "hijacked" our minds and taste-buds through processed high-fat, high-salt, and high-sugar to the point that donuts or eggs and sausage define "quality of life" instead of "living life"?
- what does quality of life mean to others?

I would love feedback...

Apple Cider Vinegar Slaw

We had BBQ pulled Jackfruit, baked beans and slaw for dinner. We looked through several recipes, combining and altering to fit our needs and pantry.

Ingredients:
1 small red cabbage head, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded carrots

dressing:
1 TBS Dijon mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions: toss everything together and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes prior to serving.

Lasagna Rolls

We saw this post for vegetarian lasagna rolls from Vegetarian Times.com. We altered it to fit our needs.

Ingredients:
1 package Green Lentil Lasagna noodles cooked and cooled.
2 cups herb ricotta
aquafaba mozzarella
3 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 15 oz can, water drained artichokes
mushrooms, sliced

Directions:
Slice artichoke and mushrooms
in a large bowl combine ricotta, artichoke and musrooms

Layering:
Line the muffin cups with the lasagna noodle. Add a TBS of the ricotta mixture. sauce and then a broken noodle. Repeat until the muffin cups are full. Top with sauce and mozzarella. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.
This recipe made 3 onion soup bowls and 6 jumbo muffins

Mediterranean Wrap with an Orange Tahini Sauce

While we were in PA we went to Lake Wallenpauk for a boat ride. We stopped at the Boathouse Restaurant for lunch. We ordered the Mediterranean Wrap.
We have made it at home with our twist.

Ingredients:
Gluten Free wraps
artichokes in water
cucumbers
red peppers
sprouts
chickpeas
kalamata olives
lettuce

orange tahini sauce
1/2 cup tahini
1/3 cup orange juice
3 TBS orange balsamic
salt
pepper
1/3 cup water

July 2018 Potluck

This month's theme is living lasagna. As a group we make the lasagna. Each participant brings one of the "layers".
We also had Kim from Roanoke, VA as our guest speaker, "How a Whole Food Plant Based Diet Changed My Health". Kim and Mike thank you so much for joining us today and talking with our group!!!
Next month we will be going to Juice Vibes in Cary for lunch and listening to Liz discuss the importance of a whole food plant based diet and incorporating juicing into your life.

Appetizers:
Sundried Tomato Basil Pin Wheels

Stuffed Potatoes with Chili and "Cheeze" 

Loaded Vegan Potato Skins

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bake whole small potatoes until tender, approximately 30 minutes, depending on size of little potatoes.
2. Remove potatoes from oven and allow to cool. Slice potatoes in half, scoop out pulp leaving ¼-inch in shell. Place pulp in a medium bowl.
3. Add dairy-free milk, low-fat mayo, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika to potato in bowl and mash together using a potato masher or fork.
4. Fill potato skins with mashed potato mixture.
5. Drizzle with Creamy Vegan Cheese sauce, then top with more smoked paprika, chives, and cilantro.

1. Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce

• 1 cup potatoes, peeled & diced
• ¼ cup carrots, diced
• ¼ cup onions, diced
• ¾ cup broth from veggies
• ¼ cup almond milk
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 tsp Bragg liquid amino
• ½ cup raw cashews (raw), or ½ cup white beans
• 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ squeezed lemon
• 1 tsp onion salt
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 pinch paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cumin

2. Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce

1. In medium pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Place potatoes, carrots, and onion in pot and allow to cook until veggies are tender, approximately 15 minutes. Cooking time will vary based on how small the veggies are diced.
2. When veggies are tender, drain and place them in blender. NOTE: reserve 1 cup of the broth, and add to blender. Add all the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
3. Now, it’s ready to use as a Loaded Potato Skins topping, nacho cheese dip, mac-n-cheese, topping for steamed broccoli, or anything else you need a creamy, cheesy sauce in. It makes approximately 1 quart and can be stored in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Best Damn Instant Pot Vegan Chili

Ingredients

• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• small seeded banana peppers diced     (to taste)
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tbsp Braggs liquid aminos
• 8 oz Mushrooms
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp chipotle chili powder optional
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 cup chili powder + extra to taste
• 1 15oz can pinto beans low sodium
• 2 15oz can kidney beans low sodium
• 1 15oz can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce low sodium
• 1 15oz can diced tomatoes (fire roasted)
• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 2 Tbs Masa Tamale Flour (GF)
• Onion salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Chop all vegetables and add to IP
2. Lightly saute vegetables in a small amount of water, veg broth, or bean juice (aquafaba) until softened
3. If using - add seitan, cauliflower crumbles, or mushrooms for a meat substitute.  Note:  All of these are optional and you could just add another can of beans.  
4. Add water and all spices except Masa and stir well

5. Mix in beans and stir well
6. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes to TOP of stew and DO NOT STIR
7. Add lid to IP and set to MANUAL mode for 10 minutes.  Allow to naturally vent when completed for 10 minutes before CAREFULLY releasing any additional pressure
8. Stir in tomato paste, any last minute garnishes, and Masa flour. 
9. Let rest for 10 minutes to thicken, stirring occasionally.

Lasagna:

Mushrooms

3-4 cups mushrooms (sliced)
3 tbs. or more of raw soy sauce or 1 tbs. miso and 2 tbs. water
2 tbs. olive oil or water
marinade for 2 hours, then  drain

Onions and peppers
1/2 small onion sliced really thin
1 red bell pepper sliced really thin
1 yellow bell pepper sliced really thin
2 tbs. olive oil or water
2 tbs. lemon juice
marinade at least 16 hours

Zucchini noodles

Greens
food process
0.5 cup parsley
1-2 cups spinach
0.5 cup of basil

Sauce
2 cups sun dried tomatoes soaked for 6 hrs. 
7 roma tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbs. red or yellow onion
3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil or water
2 tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. dried basil
1-2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tbs. agave nectar or 3 pitted dates
add all ingredients to a high speed blender

Ricotta cheese
3 cups of almond pulp
1 cup soaked cashews 
1 peeled large zucchini 
2.5 tbs nutritional yeast
3 cloves garlic
3 tbs pine nuts 
Himalayan salt 
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbs fresh basil
 water as needed

Blended in Vitamix

The order of layering is

zucchini

cheeze

mushrooms

zucchini

tomato sauce

onions and peppers

zucchini

cheeze

green (spinach/pesto/basil...)

mushrooms

onions and peppers

zucchini

tomato sauce

Salads:
Quinoa and Black Bean ( from Dr Barnard's Reversing Diabetes Cookbook, rainbow quinoa salad)

Green Salad with a cashew based dressing 
substituted aged balsamic instead of cider vinegar
substituted stone ground mustard instead of Dijon.

Didn't add the agave.

Used half the amount of salt.

Onion Bread
used 1/3 cup of water instead of oil

Desserts:
Fruit Salad

Strawberries and Chocolate Dipping sauce (recipe to come)

Beverage:
Lemon Balm Ice Tea Recipe

Watch a video of how to make the recipe on the blog.

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh lemon balm, tightly packed
1/2 gallon hot water
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup raw honey
4 lemon slices
1 cup raspberries (substituted blackberries and blueberries from our garden)
1 cup ice

Directions:
Place the lemon balm in a tea pot or small pot and top with hot water. Let steep for at least 1 hour. Remove the lemon balm leaves and stir in lemon juice and raw honey. Place a couple lemon slices, raspberries and ice in tea.


Serves 8