Give Them Something Better

Author: Stephanie Howard

Vegan Breading Meal

A few weeks ago I shared with you about our taping a few hour long cooking shows for a large Christian Network called 3ABN and promised to let you know when the shows would air. Well, today is the day! You can watch the shows on www.3abn.org at 9 a.m., 4 p.m., 9 p.m. and 12 p.m. central time.

The show that is airing today is Almost Meat and Potatoes. We made…

Gluten steaks
Oatmeal Patties
American Salad with Ranch Dressing
Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Creamy Vegan Mushroom Gravy
Carob Chunk Cookies

We used our homemade breading mix to bread the gluten steaks and I forgot to share the recipe on the show so here it is for all of you 3ABN viewers who missed it on the show. This is a large recipe because I like to keep it on hand it is good on the gluten steaks and many other recipes that call for a breading.

Breading Mix

5 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups cornmeal
4 cups nutritional yeast flakes
3/4 cup non-dairy Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup parsley flakes
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup onion powder
2 ½ tablespoons paprika
2 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1 ½ tablespoons garlic powder

1. Mix all ingredients in an airtight container.

Makes 14 cups.

June 6, 2012
Why you Shouldn’t take the 30-day Vegan Challenge and a Recipe
You watched Forks Over Knives, read the China Study and determined to give this plant-based diet thing a try (after all if Oprah can do it for 30 days, surely you should be able to!)

Your husband and kids are reluctant but willing to try this new brilliant idea of yours.

So you start out strong with some great new recipes that you pulled off the internet….you are excited. Bu the excitement wears off as the family is just enduring some of these strange new foods with a few complaints.

But it all goes terribly wrong when your husband comes home with a pizza and declares, “I just can’t take it anymore! I need some “real” food!”. The kids hop on the bandwagon and there is a full revolt.

You feel like giving up…you failed!

The problem isn’t you, it is not even your pizza loving husband. The problem is that the plan was flawed from the beginning. If you pay close attention to those 30 day challenges most people fail. If they do make it through the 30 days few decide to stick to it.

Really the failure is in the all or nothing attitude of a 30 day challenge and not taking time to find good substitutes for some of the “real food” the family loves.

What you have to do is start slow…one recipe at a time. Start looking for something to replace the meat in some of your families’ favorite recipes. When you find one they like you are one meal closer to your goal. (HINT: If the family is not on board, You don’t have to tell them that it is not meat, try serving without saying a word and just see if they like it.) It may feel like a slow process but it is guaranteed to be way more successful in the long run than saying no to all the family’s favorite meals.

We made the switch to a vegan diet about 15 years ago and we are still going strong. I make this recipe for Walnut Gluten all the time and make it into all kinds of things that normally call for beef. I even serve it to my meat loving friends and extended family and they love it!

Test it out on the family and tell what they think.

Walnut Gluten Steaks

This recipe makes a bunch so freeze it in meal size portions so you always have it on hand for a quick dinner.
- ¼ cup walnuts
- ¼ cup quick oats
- ¼ cup yeast flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups water
- 2 ¼ cups vital wheat gluten flour
Broth
- 12 cups water
- ½ cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or low sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground celery seed
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil1 teaspoon basil
1. Blend the first 7 ingredients.
2. Place gluten flour into mixing bowl and pour in contents of blender.
3. Mix well knead for 1-2 minutes.
4. Shape into 2 logs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
5. Mix all both ingredients together and bring to a boil.
6. Slice logs into ¼ inch slices and drop into boiling broth.
7. Reduce heat and simmer for about one hour.
Makes 48 slices or 8 cups
May 11, 2012
3 Minutes From Boring Oatmeal to Super Mom!
“Oatmeal again!”… “I don’t like oatmeal” …“All we ever eat is oatmeal!”

Your heart sinks as you hoped to start the day on a positive note…and your husband begins to wander around the kitchen looking in the fridge and cupboards, hoping to find SOMETHING to eat.

You know you should have made something last night. But you were so tired after you got home last night that you just wanted to relax and check out some of your favorite blogs. Mornings are never good–you already have to get up early for devotions and surely you couldn’t miss the morning exercise. So here you are serving oatmeal…again.

The reality is oatmeal really is one of the easiest and healthiest breakfasts to prepare. So there really is nothing wrong with serving it fairly often. You just have to convince the rest of the family. So here is a list of 25 different ways to eat oatmeal. Bring out some new toppings, take a minute and chop a little fresh fruit and if all else fails…add carob chips or chocolate chips (just a few of course)! Carob is extra high in B vitamins and it makes breakfast an extra special treat!
1. Brown sugar and raisins
2. Honey and granola
3. Mashed banana and applesauce
4. Granola and nondairy milk
5. Raspberry soy yogurt and dried cranberries
6. Apricot fruit spread, dried apricots, and sliced almonds
7. Sliced strawberries and strawberry soy yogurt
8. Maple syrup and chopped toasted pecans
9. Canned crushed pineapple, sliced bananas, and chopped macadamia nuts
10. Sliced bananas, vanilla soy yogurt, and granola or nuts
11. Natural peanut butter and strawberry fruit spread
12. Chopped dates and walnuts
13. Coarsely chopped canned peaches and soy creamer
14. Diced dried apricots or diced dried mixed fruit and honey
15. Apple or pumpkin butter and walnuts
16. Blueberry fruit spread and vanilla soy yogurt
17. Orange marmalade and dried cranberries
18. Coarsely chopped apples, brown sugar, and dates
19. Orange marmalade and orange segments with nondairy milk
20. Cherry all-fruit jam, toasted sliced almonds, and wheat germ
21. Barley sweetened carob chips, chopped pecans, and coconut
22. Berries sprinkled with a little sugar and Cinnamon Substitute
23. Sliced bananas and carob chips
24. Leftover Fruit Sauce and nondairy milk
25. Natural peanut butter and maple syrup or honey
So now that breakfast is over for today, let’s make a plan. Choose 2 or 3 other breakfasts that are fast and easy, things that can be prepared the day before, while the kitchen is already messy from lunch or supper. If you have children over the age of 10 you can put each one in charge of a different day’s breakfast. No more complaining if they are doing the cooking!

My almost 9-year old daughter made scrambled tofu while I exercised this morning. I just had to get her started with a homemade scrambled tofu seasoning mix. How cool is that?! Toast and gravy is great– it takes just a couple minutes to warm the gravy and make some toast. You can serve it with fresh fruit and you will soon be hearing praises at the breakfast table instead of complaints. That’s a much better way to start the day.

What do you like to put on your oatmeal anyway?
April 25, 2012
Meatless Monday — Armenian Lentil Soup
Because this month’s supper club focused on weight loss, I decided to serve high fiber foods that are low in calories and fat. High fiber foods help you keep that full satisfied feeling longer so you are not tempted to eat between meals.

Soups are great because they are filling and taste great. They also make you feel warm and cozy, so we served two kinds of soup, a great salad, and some amazing batter bread. And yes, we even had Blackberry Cobbler for dessert!

We served:
- Armenian Lentil Soup, which contains brown rice, lentils, and spinach.
- Navy Bean Soup, which is full of navy beans, collard greens, and potatoes.
- Tabbouli Salad, which is made from high fiber bulgur wheat and yummy vegetables.
- Czech Batter Bread, which is a beautiful whole grain bread with lots of seeds. It s amazingly easy to make!
- Blackberry Cobbler. You know, even if you are trying to lose weight you deserve a treat every now and then. Berries are great because they are high in fiber!
I bet you are sorry you missed it :o) I don’t want you to feel too bad so here is the recipe for Lentil Soup.

ARMENIAN LENTIL SOUP
- 1 ½ cups brown lentils
- 10 cups water
- ½ cup brown rice
- 1 cup onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid amino or low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon chicken-style seasoning (Vegetarian Express La Chikky Seasoning or McKay’s “vegan special”)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dill weed
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 cup frozen spinach, chopped
- 1 can (15 ounce) petite diced tomatoes
1. Pour lentils into a colander and rinse under running water.
2. Add all ingredients except tomatoes into a large stock pot.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, until lentils are soft.
4. Add tomatoes and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
Try it because I know you’ll definitely like it!
February 20, 2012
My Blogaversary and Melty Muffin Recipe
I never would have guessed it! I started blogging exactly one year ago today because everyone told me I should. Now I have been blogging for a whole year and have made lots of new friends. To celebrate I am working on some exciting new updates for the blog that will be coming soon.

In the mean time lets cook something…How about a toasted cheese sandwich, or maybe a pizza. Oooo what if we make a cross between the two? We can use a whole grain English muffin for the crust and a healthy cashew cheese…. we will call it a Melty Muffin. I make these a lot for my kids and for the students at Emmanuel everyone loves them.

If you have left over Melty Cheese try it on vegetables, or you can add salsa for a nice dip. You can really use it for anything you might use a cheese sauce for…remember (cashew) cheese make everything better; )

Melty Muffins

2 cups Melty Cheeze (below)
1 cup onion, diced
¾ cup black or green olives, chopped
1 can (4 ounces) mild green chilies, chopped
¼ cup pimentos or fresh red pepper, chopped
12 whole grain English muffins, split
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Pour Melty Cheeze into a medium bowl. Add onions, olives, Chilies, and pimentos; stir well.
3. Place English muffins on a large baking sheet; spread about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture onto each muffin.
4. Bake 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and muffins are crispy around the edges.
Melty Cheeze

3 cups water, divided
1/2 cup roasted red pepper or pimento
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1. Place 2 cups water and remaining ingredients in a blender; blend until very smooth. Pour into a medium saucepan.
2. Add remaining 1 cup of water to blender; blend briefly to clean out. Add to saucepan.
3. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly.
Makes 4 cups.

TIP: Blend 4 or 5 minutes the cashews should be completely smooth and creamy.
Use the leftovers on broccoli, baked potatoes, nachos…you get the idea!

We posted a video of us making the cheese on 3ABN here.
February 2, 2012
The Single Most Important Thing You Can Do For Your Health Is…
If you could do just one simple thing that had been scientifically proven to:
- Reduce pain and injury in knee arthritis by 47%
- Reduce dementia and Alzheimer’s in older patients by 50%
- Reduce progression of diabetes by 58%
- Reduce the risk of hip fracture in post menopausal women by 41%
- Reduce anxiety by 48%
- Reduce depression in 47% of the patients
- #1 treatment for fatigue
- Improve overall quality of life
Would you do it?
In this short compelling video Dr. Mike Evans exposes the one single thing we can do that will most benefit our overall health. The surprising thing is it has nothing to do with what you eat.
January 29, 2012