MidWeek Munchies Vegan Garlic Galore Wildtree Recipe Dip (***CONTEST***)

Happy MidWeek Munchies to ya!

Be sure to link up below!  Anything Vegan is welcome!

For my quick post today...

Garlic Galore Vegan Dip

You may or may not know that I (along with my mom, dad, and sister) have been Wildtree Representatives for a while now.  It works well because I can speak on the vegetarian and vegan products, my mom and sister can talk about more Standard American Diet type things, and my dad can talk about his personal experiences about how some of the products has helped his overall health, too! 

As a vegan foodie - I can eat the majority of offerings in the catalog.  Heck!  I'm just stoked they have so many options!  And MOST of the products are not only organic but many of them gluten free, too!

Having said that...here is my take on the Garlic Galore Dip VEGANIZED!

1/2 C Just Mayo

1/2 C (many a little more) Tofutti Sour Cream

1 1/2 T Wildtree Garlic Galore Blend

That's all!  And it's WONDERFUL if you LOVE garlic like I do!  But that isn't all I do with this product...I basically use it almost everyday!  Every time you need garlic!  

Before we get to the LINK UP...I'm going to do a spur of the moment CONTEST!  If you LINK UP to this weeks MWM - as well as - LEAVE A COMMENT on this post with your email addy - I will choose a winner to receive one of these Garlic Galore's in the near future!  I will choose the winner Wednesday, May 28th!  WHO WANTS TO WIN?

An InLinkz Link-up

Random Vegan Creations & Pear Walnut Balsamic PIZZA

I had a message from a reader of the site that checks-in often but rarely-if-ever-comments asking if I could post more of my vegan food creations.  She mentioned that she enjoys the other daily living posts but missed the vegan foods I use to post.  No Problemo!  The reason I haven't been adding as many to the site is because I haven't been all that creative in the kitchen as of late.  I have been throwing together a bunch of things or referring back to old favorites.  BUT...here are some random foods I haven't posted about yet.  First up is this Vegan Cheese Sauce.  It turned out WONDERFULLY!  I can't wait to make more!  And YES...I poured it over top of Grits!  

Here's the Recipe:

2 C Raw Cashews

1/2 C Nutritional Yeast

1/2 tea Garlic Powder
1/2 C Almond Milk
1 T SeaClear (Fermented Kelp Chlorella Miso)*

To purchase SeaClear CLICK HERE.  The ingredients include: Organic non-GMO soy and barley miso, raw apple cider vinegar, fermented kelp (Kombu), Chlorella, Tumeric, Black pepper.  But you could also just use your favorite Miso, too!

Not too long ago I made some Chickpea Sandwich Spread...with a twist!  Here's that recipe:

2 C Chickpeas

1/2 C Dried Cranberries

1/4 C Chopped Walnuts

1/2 T Wildtree Garlic Garlore (or Minced Garlic)

This was tasty, too, and I have found myself craving more.  I wasn't sure if I would like the walnuts and cranberries in there but they were REALLY great!

And finally...we had to go to Erie for my husband to see a Crohn's Specialist...afterwards we went for lunch at a place called The Public House.  They had some veganizable foods on their menu which was very neat and I opted for this.  It's one of their pizzas that I had them 'hold' the cheese on.  The other ingredients I kept on were the baked pears, onions, walnuts, and balsamic and it was pretty darn awesome!  I've never had anything quite like it but I would LOVE to have it again!

Multi-Purpose Vegan Cheese Sauce, Raw Vegan Veggie Burgers, Trip to Labyrinth, and Gabby Update

Yes...I need to start doing a little catch up once again!  I was going to put this recipe on my blog last week but the week got away from me.  Sorry about that.  Last week I made this Vegan Mac & Cheese.  I used Orgran Vegetable Noodles but the real flavor was in the sauce.  Here's what I did for this sauce...

1 C Almond Milk
1 Yellow Onion
3/4 C Nutritional Yeast
1 Yellow (or Orange) Bell Pepper
3 T Cashews
1 T Tahini
1 tea Wildtree Garlic Galore
1/4 tea Turmeric

It was reminiscent of a "Sharper" type tasting cheese.

It made more than I was ready to use for the Mac & Cheese so I added about a teaspoon of Red Jalapeno Powder and used the rest as a Nacho Cheese Sauce for Tortillas.

I would make this again!  I think this is a good Multi-Purpose Vegan Cheese Base of sorts.

Last night I made Raw Vegan Burgers in my Excalibur.  For years I have had a hard time making veggie burgers at home because they have always fell apart.  These worked nicely in the Dehydrator!  I'm quite excited!  Here's what's in these...

1.5 C Almonds
1.5 C Pecans
3 Handfuls of Baby Carrots
1 Onion
1/4 C Parsley
1/4 C Lemon Juice
1 tea Curry Powder

I had a slew of Baby Carrots I NEEDED to use SOON and thought this might be a good way to try it.  Again...I think this is a neat base to play with and I would like to try them again with some spicy ingredients as well as maybe some corn and other veggies such as broccoli, peppers, maybe some beans or sprouts, even.

It was a weird weekend and I am sure I will share more of it as this week progresses.  One of the BAD things that happened is I whacked my 'pinky toe' on DH's Recliner and my foot is turning BLACK.  OMG...it hurts!  And with this ongoing COLD it sure isn't helping it!

On a GOOD side - I was able to visit The Labyrinth in Jamestown yesterday and ordered one of their Vin Diesel's for lunch/dinner.  It was great!  It's loaded with Grilled Chick Pea Salad, Avocado, Bell Peppers, Red Onions, Cranberries, Diced Tomatoes, Baby Spinach, Vinegar, Sunflower Seeds, Vegan Sour Cream, and Hot Sauce!  It was a 'Party In Your Mouth'. 

In addition to the wonderful wrap...I ordered one of their Soups of the Day which was their Vegan Lentil Chilli and I get for my lunch today!  While I was waiting I thought I would treat myself to one of their Espressos.  I don't do that often at all but I will tell you it would totally worth it!  They have their own Coconut Cream that they do as a milk alternative and the size of this Espresso was something I have never seen before!  It was AMAZING!  So yes...I am a happy camper after that visit.

An update on Gabby - she's been eating much better since we started giving her wet/canned food but now I think there is something else wrong with her.  Not sure if it's a blockage or worse so tomorrow she has an appointment.  She doesn't appear to be in any pain as she's the happiest cat I have ever seen!  She's constantly purring and the sweetest girl!

I just don't have a good feeling about this.  I've read up on Persian Cats often having problems with Poly-cystic Kidney Disease for which there is no cure.  I'm wondering about a blockage now that's she's gaining weight from the wet food but it's all collecting in her stomach.  She's NOT a young cat.  We've had her for about 10 years and when we adopted her they said she was around 2 or so and had been homeless for what they thought was most of her life.  I'm really worried about our little girl!

Swedish Green Beans w/ Garlic & Herbs AND Cauliflower Chickpea Casserole & Sandwich Filling

Last night I got a little creative in the kitchen again - based on what I had ON HAND.  I still didn't make it to the stores and produce stands in our area.  I know, I know...shame on me!  BUT...I did get a bunch of stuff done around the house which was nice!  Above you will see one of the side I made which is Swedish Inspired!  It's Green Beans with Garlic and Herbs!  Really quick and easy with a bit of a different flavor.

2 C Frozen Green Beans
3 to 4 Cloves Garlic

Splash of Grapeseed Oil (for Pan Frying) - I used Wildtree Garlic Dipping 

Salt & Pepper to taste - I used Wildtree California Garlic Pepper to taste

Handful of Vegan Bread Crumbs

1 T Parsley

1 tea Thyme

Juice from 1/2 Lemon

Next...I wanted to make a sandwich filling for my lunches this week but didn't have a lot on hand.  Based on what I DID have on hand I made this lil gem with my handy Ninja Blenders on the 'assist'!  It ended up working well as a casserole to eat as-is but it also was very tasty as a filling for sandwiches and/or wraps or pitas.  The recipe I drew inspiration from featured broccoli but I didn't have any so I used Cauliflower.  There were other ingredients I didn't have on-hand based on that original recipe so I strayed from it quite a bit.  I was very pleased with the outcome, tho!  Check it out!  Here is what's in it:

2 C Chickpeas

1 Pound Frozen Cauliflower

5 Carrots

2 Handfuls of Chives

1 C Vegan Bread Crumbs

1 C Water

2+ T Grapeseed Oil

1 T Wildtree Garlic Galore

To Taste Wildtree California Garlic Pepper

I 'cooked' the carrots and chickpeas prior and once combined and heated briefly I baked at 350 for about 45 minutes.  On a small portion of this I added a little Vegan Cheese just for kicks.  I sampled a bit of the plain one last night and loved it as a casserole.  I added it to flatbread/sandwich bread for lunch today and thought it was super tasty that way, too.  Tonight or tomorrow I might try a bit with the vegan cheese.  I am very excited about this one!  YUM!

Boston Black-Eyed Peas Variation

I believe I came across this recipe in one of my older Moosewood Cookbooks, and because I'm a rebel and don't follow directions, I decided to 'mess with' the recipe a bit.  First, I have to admit, I haven't used Black-Eyed Peas as much as I have other legumes but I am tried to rectify that.  I'm told this flavor combo is a New England Twist on a Southern Favorite.  I'm also told that Black-Eyed Peas are often served on New Years Day as a form of GOOD LUCK.  Well, I'm over a half of a year too late...or...perhaps...I'm a half year early!  Regardless - No one ever denies a GOOD LUCK WISH, do they!?  Regardless of the time of year!?  Well, here we go!  This is what I did for these Beans...

I did about a half pound of Frozen Black Beans, Black-Eyed Peas, Red Peppers, and Onions.
1 C Water
2 Cloves Garlic
1/4 C Coconut Aminos
1/3 C Agave
1 teas dried yellow mustard powder (Organic)
Pinch each of Wildtree's Garlic Galore AND California Garlic Pepper

Again, I think this turned out well, as-is for a side dish!  But I was looking for LUNCH Solutions for this week so I took that other bit of COOKED Rice from the other night and combined everything into this dish you see here! 

I have to say - this maybe my favorite Black-Eyed Pea attempt YET.  I LOVE the sweetness of this dish!  I could see this being paired with corn bread.

Herbed Hemp Dressing, Healthy Snacks, Power Salads, More Sprouts, & Chi-Wee's Slumber

Over the next few days my schedule will be jumbled up a bit.  I will tell you why afterwards!  How's that for suspense!? 

Before things get a little crazy I was able to do a few things - and I thought I would share them with you!  First...this Herbed Hemp Dressing I found on CarrieOnVegan.com and the VeganDelish App!  I didn't have any onion flakes on hand so I ended up using my Wildtree Garlic Galore which is made up of Garlic, Onion, and Herbs.  In addition I used a bunch of Italian Parsley , Hemp Hearts/Seeds, Almond Milk, and Coconut Vinegar.  The Coconut Vinegar is the real reason I wanted to do this dressing in the first place since I recently got some Coconut Vinegar from Coconut Secret.  I love it - by the way - and will be doing a full review on it soon!

Since I used the whole Italian Parsley leaves and stems in my version as well as blending everything in my Ninja my texture was a little bit different...it was still smooth but the 'greens' were a bit more defined that in the App's Photo of the outcome.

The flavor packed a VERY powerful punch!  And I LOVED every minute of it!

I couldn't resist cracking-open a new-to-me-product I recently bought on Vitacost.  The Orgran Corn Crispbread.  I topped it with this dressing and halved a Cherry/Grape Tomato!  It looks so cute and was FULL of flavor!  A fantastic quick and easy snack!  YUM!

Last night I didn't want to prepare anything for dinner...I didn't want to think about it...but I still wanted it to be healthy.  I remembered having that HUGE salad the other night but no longer had the Avocado Ranch Dressing I made and already ate.  I decided to do another LARGE Salad and this time topped it with Foods Alive Mike's Special Flax Super Dressing and Hemp Hearts/Seeds.  It hit the spot!  I'm so glad I decided to do this for dinner last night!  I'm definitely going to have to re-order some of their dressings and SOON!  I do have a little left but want to be ahead of the game!

Look at all of that color!  Isn't HEALTHY FOOD beautiful!?

WHY I didn't put these sprouts on top of my salad - I don't know - but my sprouting is complete from last week!  You may remember this little tidbit...

I used the Green Sprouting Kit from Sustainable Santa Cruz once again!  I do LOVE this kit!  As of last night I started soaking a little bit of their Spicy Blend.  The Sprouting seeds were among the smallest I have ever tried sprouting so I am very eager to see how they progress!

Well, here they are!   They turned out awesome and I will be starting more on Thursday night!

I caught the Chi-Wee in a rare moment last night!  He fell asleep on my lap under the blanket and decided to sprawl-out.  For a little dog he took up a lot of room but I am NOT complaining because he was so quiet and cute!

He did let me pet him gently while he was still half asleep.  Again, this is rare.  Paco is usually 'full speed ahead' 100% of the time!

Maybe he's finally shedding some of his puppy energy.  Maybe like 1% of it...he's still a little Crazy Man!

Look at that face!

He's an angel when he's sleeping! haha!

Seriously, tho, he's spoiled!  ALL of our kids are, tho!

I will have to take a pic of Gabby in her new sleeping spot - upstairs - in between her toy box and the wall!  I don't dare move it!  She has it 'just-so'.

Ethiopian Peppers & Portabella

 Good Morning Everyone!  I stuck with my Ethiopian Foods for the week and made this last night!  Ethiopian Peppers and Portabella.  This first picture is the beginning of the prep.  It's just the Red Peppers with the Baby 'Bellas in a glass pan.


Then I added the sauce/marinade.  I will list everything in the dish at the end of this post.  I ended up using one of my Ninja Blenders for the first time with this Marinade and it worked awesomely.




 I covered it with foil and baked it for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees!  The Marinade I used with the spices in addition to the natural juices of the mushrooms and peppers gave it a truly unique flavor.  It was quite Stew-Like and I was very happy with it.  It was aromatic and extremely flavorful.  The spices really were the key to this!  I ended up doing two dishes out of this, really.  I couldn't resist putting some of it over Cous Cous.

And that you can see here!  Of course by doing this the juices were absorbed by the Cous Cous but it does give you another option or an idea for leftovers or larger batches.

6 Red Bell Peppers

1 T Ginger

1 T Wildtree Garlic Galore

1/2 T Skordalia (or you could just use more Garlic)

1/4 t Turmeric

1/2 C Wildtree Balsamic Dipping Oil (I added a little water)

1/2 t Cinnamon

1 T (extra) Grapeseed Oil (I used Wildtree Garlic)

A Dozen or so Babby Portabella Mushrooms

(for the 2nd dish all I did was place it on top of cooked Cous Cous)

Cheesy Veggie Rice Casserole

 Above you will see this casserole being assembled - before baking - without the 'sauce'.

In the above you will see:
Broccoli
Yellow & Red Bell Peppers
Celery
Chickpeas
Basmati Rice
Slivered Almonds

(tossed in some Wildtree Onion & Chive and Garlic Galore)

Here you can see it after I combined everything and baked it.

What I did for the 'cheesy sauce' was the following...

1 1/4 C Soy Milk
1/2 C Nutritional Yeast
2-3 teas Cornstarch
Splash of Lemon Juice
1 teas Wildtree Onion & Chive Blend
Squirt of Mustard
Pinch Cayenne Pepper
1 T Tahini
Wildtree Lemon Pepper to Taste

I made this to lunches and will certainly try it this way - be itself - first - but might add some or all of the following for the left overs or future batches:

Tofu
Tempeh Bacon
Crumbles
Corn and/or Peas

I was also thinking about using as a filling for pitas and wraps, possibly.

Vegan Creamed Spinach

 I had a spurt of energy at the end of today and decided to try and make Vegan Creamed Spinach.  Above you can see I did end up adding vegan mozzarella - Teese Brand.

Here is what I put in this dish to make it my very own...

10-ounces frozen spinach
Splash of Grapeseed Oil (Wildtree Brand)
Splash of Green Tea (I used Organic Green Andean from Drink T)

2 T Vegan Margarine (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 T Wildtree Onion & Chive Blend
1/2 T Wildtree Garlic Galore
A bit less than a cup of Soy Milk
Pinch of Nutmeg
Sprinkle of Wildtree Lemon Pepper

5 thin slices of Teese Mozzarella - Vegan Cheese

I'm pleasantly surprised at how rich it is and creamy.  I'm happy with the outcome!

Merry Christmas Everyone!