Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients.
1/2 c frozen mixed vegetables
1 serving Gardein Beefless Tips (quartered)
1/4 c chopped celery
1/4 c chopped onion
1/2 small diced tomato
1 small baker potato
1 T minced garlic
1 pk Hunt's tomato paste
water
canola oil
margarine
milk powder
2 T shredded Colby Jack Cheese
salt, pepper, onion powder, chives, ranch flavor (potato), Italian Season, garlic powder, sugar or sweetener

Directions.  Wash and Boil your potato for 10-15 minutes.  Meanwhile, saute onion and celery in a small skillet, then toss in your tips.  Add your spices and tomato paste.  Squeeze in the tomato paste and water, 1/4 cup at a time.  Stir.  Fold in your mixed vegetables.  Sweeten to enhance the flavor of the tomato paste.  Reduce heat to low simmer.  Sauce should be thick but not stiff, forming the consistency of stew.

Remove potato from heat, rest in a ice water bath for 5-10 minutes until cool to touch.  Remove the skin.  Mash with a fork.  Season with onion powder, ranch flavor, garlic powder, and salt to your taste.  Add 1 T of margarine and 1 T of milk powder.  Stir with fork.  Add a little water, 1 T at a time, whipping potatoes into stiff peaks.  Sprinkle in chives.

Pour the stew into a large ramekin.  Do not over fill.  Leave room for the potatoes.  Add potatoes.  Sprinkle with oil, chives, and cheese.  Bake until bubbly, cheese melts, or to your desired result, starting at 350 degrees F, but only increasing heat to brown if you desire.

🍃Vegan Variant.  Omit or substitute dairy for non-dairy.  Substitute dairy for non-dairy.  

White Bean Soup

Ingredients.
3/4 c dry Great Northern Beans
medium sauce pot, skillet for saute
cold water
2 T of sugar
Italian season, salt, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and ground cumin
2 T of canola oil, additional oil for saute
1 slice Morningstar Farms Bacon🙝, diced
1 c baby spinach
3 T minced carrot
1/4 c diced onion
1 celery rib diced


Directions. You want to either slow cook the beans or pressure cook them.  However this recipe was prepared using the pre-soak bean method.  Soak the beans for 6-8 hours in cold water.  Rinse and discard deformed beans.  Place beans in a medium pot filled with cold water, about two inches above the resting line of your beans.  Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to low, cover. Add your seasons at the mid way point after about 2-3 hours of cooking.  Season gradually, which is the hallmark of scratch cooking.  You will season to your taste.  Near the end, you want to bring up the heat again (after another 2 hours) add your oil, boil high for about two minutes...this will create your gravy.  Reduce to low and leave uncovered.

Meanwhile, saute bacon, onion, and celery.  Add this along with your minced carrots to your beans.  Finally, stir in the spinach.  Serve it hot!  It is yummy.  Post your reflections in the comment section. 

🙝Morningstar Farms Bacon contains soy and milk.

Zucchini Flatbread Pizza (low carb)

Ingredients
1 large zucchini
3/4 c. mozzarella or Italian Cheese Blend (divided 1/2 c., 1/4 c.)
1 egg
2 T corn starch
red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, ranch seasoning, Italian Seasoning


Directions.  Preheat convection oven to 375 degrees.  Shred zucchini.  Add seasonings, egg, corn starch, and 1/2 c cheese.  Mix well.  Spread on parchment lined or non-stick baking mat.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Flip if you like and bake an additional 10 minutes to insure it is dried.  Sprinkle 1/4 c. cheese, bake for an additional 3-10 minutes or until melted.  Serve with Marinara or your favorite dipping sauces.

🍃Vegan Variant.  Substitute the egg for flax egg and add baking powder.  Substitute dairy for non-dairy.  

Vegetable Pot Pie (Vegan)

Ingredients
1-2 16 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables
1 pkg Beyond Meat (beyond chicken) cubed
1/8 c diced celery
1/8 c diced onion
1/4 c diced mushroom
diced garlic cloves (1-2)
flour for roux, hot water
Oil for saute (safflower, sunflower, or canola)
Pie shells (1-2) 9 inch

Preparation:
Heat a large skillet, add oil, season, then lightly saute celery, onion, mushroom, and garlic cloves.  Remove to an adjacent plate or dish. Mix 2-4 teaspoons of flour with equal parts hot water to make a slurry.  Add more oil, saute beyond chicken cubes until brown bringing up heat to create a slight tacky sear.  Add a little more oil, pour in slurry, stir, and more water 1/2 cup at a time, creating a roux around your beyond chicken pieces.

Your roux should be thick and creamy.  Add in your mixed vegetables and your saute vegetables.  Take your skillet off of the heat to bring down temperature.

Cover your crust edges.  Pre-bake your crust for 10-15 minutes on 300-350 but watch it so that is not over browned.  Let it stand for 5-10 minutes.  Fill your pre-baked shell to your desired height, taking into consideration the size of your second shell for the cover/seal. Close your pie with the second crust. Recover the outer edge, bake at 350-400 (350 if convection).

Slice or prick the center to allow steam to escape. Place pie on a baking sheet. Bake 30-45 minutes until golden brown/crust is flaky. 

Chickpea Croquettes, Green Beans, and Potato Hash

Ingredients
1 – 15 oz can organic chickpeas, drained, mashed

¼ c diced red pepper

¼ c diced celery

¼ c diced onion

1 T minced garlic

2 T minced carrot

½ c organic whole grain bread crumbs

3 T corn starch

1 jumbo egg or two large

Seasoning: old bay, salt, coarse black pepper, onion powder, Italian seasoning, fennel, cumin, ranch season, and dill

Preparation:

Sauté vegetables in oil. Mash chickpeas. It is okay to leave a few whole. Add vegetables, spices, breadcrumbs, cornstarch, and eggs.

Fry in medium hot oil on each side.  Remove and blot with paper towel. Serve with greens, potato hash, or whatever you like!