Spicy Cucumber Salad Recipe (Vegan)

Richard introduced me to making a simple chopped cucumber salad with seasoned rice vinegar many, many years ago. We love it as a side dish with pizza. A little while ago I decided to add more flavors and texture to it and spice it up a bit by adding carrots and cilantro to the salad and hoisin sauce and chili paste to the dressing. This is now our favorite cucumber salad. The dressing is amazing! It's tangy, slightly sweet, and spicy all in one. The cilantro adds great flavor and the carrots add a great crunch. This is a great party appetizer, and goes wonderfully with pizza.

Spicy Cucumber Salad Recipe

1 medium to large cucumber
1 medium to large carrot
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (about half a bunch)
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chili Paste
1 tsp Hoisin Sauce

Peel, de-seed, and chop the cucumber into bite-sized cubes. Peel and julienne the carrot into 1 inch matchstick-size pieces. Rough chop the chilantro leaves. Put the cucumber, carrot and cilantro into a mixing bowl. In a 1 cup measuring cup, add the seasoned rice vinegar, the Sambal Oelek and hoisin sauce. Use a small whisk to mix it all together. Pour it over the salad and mix gently with a spoon until all of the cucumbers and carrots have been mixed with the dressing. You can cover it with plastic wrap, refrigerate it and serve it later, or you can serve it right away. Serves 2 to 3 people as a side dish.

Shepherd's Pie Recipe

I love Shepherd's Pie. I had a sample of one at Costco the other day and it inspired me to make my own version. With my version, the ratio of potatoes to beef filling is spot-on, the potatoes are a perfect consistency, and the beef filling is rich and fantastic. This is a complete one-dish meal that we really enjoy, especially during winter time after playing in the snow!

Shepherd's Pie Recipe

3/4 to 1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 carrot
1/2 cup sugar peas cut into 1/4" pieces (a large handful of peas)
1 cup beef stock (I use Kitchen Basics brand)
2 heaping tbsp unbleached flour
Salt and pepper to taste

3-1/3 cups water
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2-2/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes
Shredded cheddar cheese for topping (as much as you like)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the carrot and slice it into thin rounds. Wash and dry the sugar peas and cut them into 1/4" segments. In a large measuring cup, mix the beef stock with the flour and use a small whisk to combine it thoroughly.

Heat a large skillet, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, to High heat. Add the ground beef and start browning it, breaking it apart into small pieces. When the beef is all broken up, add the carrots and peas. Brown the ground beef with the vegetables. When the ground beef is browned, pour the gravy in and mix it all together. The gravy will thicken up in a minute or so. Salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat off when the filling is a good consistency.

While the beef and vegetables are cooking, make the potatoes. In a medium pot, add the water, olive oil and salt and heat it to boiling. When boiling, add the potato flakes and turn the heat off. Mix the potato flakes with the water until well combined.

In an 8x8 square pan, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, pour in the ground beef mixture. Add the mashed potatoes to the top of that, and spread them out evenly across the top of the beef mixture. Sprinkle as much shredded cheddar cheese as you like, evenly over the top of the potatoes. Cover the pan with aluminum foil (try to make sure the foil doesn't touch the cheese) and put it in the oven and bake it for 30 minutes. Serves 4 people as a main course.

Super Simple Chili Hoisin Dipping Sauce Recipe

I make this sauce at pho (Vietamese noodle soup) restaurants to eat with my pho and Vietnamese sandwiches. Hoisin sauce and chili paste are usually always available at the table at these restaurants. It is the best dipping sauce! The perfect mixture of spicy and sweet. I bought hoisin sauce and chili paste in the Asian section of my grocery store so Richard and I could eat it at home with roasted chicken and panko-crusted fried cod when we're in the mood for an Asian flair to our meal.

Super Simple Chili Hoisin Dipping Sauce Recipe

Hoisin Sauce
Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chili Paste

In a small bowl, mix 1 part hoisin sauce with 1 part chili paste until thoroughly combined. Goes great with chicken, fish, Mu Shu chicken or pork, egg rolls, or anything you want to add a spicy/sweet Asian flavor to.

Crock-Pot Beef Roast/Individual Beef Pot Pies Recipe

I've been craving roast beef and gravy (and beef pot pies) lately and have been experimenting with different cuts of beef in my Crock-Pot. I am happy to say that I finally perfected this recipe. The Round Tip Roast is a wonderful cut of meat. The smell in my kitchen while it cooks is fantastic! The meat is tender, the carrots are perfectly cooked, and the gravy is very flavorful. Serve with roasted or mashed potatoes for a complete meal. As an added benefit, you can make Individual Beef Pot Pies with the leftovers. They are the best beef pot pies! My family loves these two recipes.

For the Crock-Pot Beef Roast:

3-1/2 lb Beef Round Tip Roast - Cap Off
1-1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
5 carrots
2 cups water

1/4 cup unbleached flour mixed with 1/4 cup water for slurry

Spray your Crock-Pot with non-stick cooking spray. Peel the carrots and cut them into 3 inch long pieces. Lay the carrots in a single layer in the bottom of the Crock-Pot.

Combine the salt, pepper, and brown sugar in a small bowl and mix throroughly. Using your hands, rub the spice mixture evenly all over the roast. Set the roast on top of the carrots. Pour the water in the Crock-Pot on the side of the roast, not over the top of the roast.

Put the lid on, turn it to Low and let it slow cook for 10 hours.

About 15 minutes before you serve it, remove the roast from the Crock-Pot onto a cutting board to let it rest, put the carrots in a covered bowl to keep them warm, and pour all of the beef broth into a large pot over High heat. When it starts to boil, lower the heat to Medium High. In a small bowl combine the flour and water to make a slurry, using a small whisk to get all of the lumps out. Mix the slurry in the pot with the beef broth, stirring constantly while the gravy thickens up. When it has thickened, turn the heat to Low until you're ready to serve the meat.

Cut the strings off the roast, slice the roast against the grain, and set the slices in a large baking pan. Set the carrots around the meat. Pour the gravy (I pour it through a fine-mesh strainer) over everything. Serve with roasted or mashed potatoes for a complete meal. Serves 4-6 people.

For Individual Beef Pot Pies:

You can make individual beef pot pies with any leftover beef and gravy.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the fat and chop the meat into small cubes. Add sliced carrots (uncooked are fine) and mix the beef and carrots with the leftover gravy.

Make a 1/2 recipe of this Flaky Pie Crust. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Lightly flour your workspace. Roll each piece into a ball and then use a rolling pin to roll the crust into a circle large enough to overlap the tops of custard cups (10 oz.) and cover the pies.

Spray the custard cups with non-stick cooking spray. Fill each with pot pie filling to within 1/2 inch from the top. Lay the pie crust round on top of the filling, flip over the edges, and press the dough to the sides of the custard cup to seal the crust. Cut a small slit in the top of each pie. Place the pies on a cookie sheet and bake them in the oven for 1 hour. Serve with a salad for a complete meal. Enjoy!

Roasted Turkey Recipe

This year we're staying home for Thanksgiving and I'm roasting a turkey for my family. To be honest, up until this year I've never roasted a turkey all by myself before. I'm very comfortable roasting a chicken, so I was determined that I could roast a turkey and have the skin crispy and brown and the meat juicy just like my roasted chicken. I did a lot of research on the best way to roast a turkey and with all I've learned, have come up with the right way to do it. This turkey is amazing! The skin *does* crisp and brown, and the turkey meat *is* super moist. The breast is so moist that it doesn't even need gravy - Richard and I were blown away. (If you click on the picture of the sliced turkey breast above, you can actually see how moist it is.) I am definitely comfortable now roasting a turkey and am looking forward to having my family over for Thanksgiving supper.

Roasted Turkey Recipe

For the Turkey:

1 whole fresh or frozen turkey
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Oven-proof meat thermometer

For every 2 cups of Gravy:

2 cups chicken broth
2 heaping tbsp flour
2 tbsp drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan
Salt and pepper to taste

If you buy a frozen turkey, buy it 5 to 7 days before you want to roast it, and thaw it out in your refrigerator. Plan on 1.5 to 2 lbs per person. Calculate roasting time at 15 minutes per pound at 325 degrees, or 335 degrees if you will be opening your oven a few times or more for side dishes. Also, plan on having 15 minutes before you plan to serve the turkey for the turkey to rest after being taken out of the oven, and another 10 minutes or so to carve it before bringing it to the table.

Example: A 12.59 lb turkey will feed 6 to 8 people, and you would roast it for 12.59 x 15 = 188.85 minutes or 3 hours 10 minutes (just round the 8.85 minutes up to 10). If you want to eat at 4:00 p.m., you would put it in the oven at 12:25 p.m., cover it loosly with foil at 2:35 p.m., take it out of the oven to rest at 3:35 p.m., and carve it at 3:50 p.m.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees or 335 degrees. Put the oven rack on the lowest part of the oven.

Spray the rack of a Rectangular Nonstick Roasting Pan with Rack with non-stick cooking spray. Rinse the turkey with water and remove the bag with the giblets and gizards, and the neck from the inside of the bird (the neck is really big), rinsing out the cavity with water, too. Drain the water from the turkey, pat it dry with paper towels, and place it on the roasting rack, breast side up. Fold the first joint of each wing down under the turkey like this:


Drizzle olive oil over the turkey. Remove your rings and use your hands and rub the olive oil all over the turkey breast, wings, and legs. Wash your hands, then salt and pepper the turkey all over. Insert a meat thermometer in the meatiest part of the thigh (don't touch a bone) like this:


For the best results, don't stuff the turkey (cook your stuffing in a pan on the side) and don't baste the turkey.

1 hour before the turkey is done (or 2/3 into the roasting time), lightly cover the breast with a large loose piece of foil to prevent the breast from overcooking. The turkey should be nice and brown by now.

When the time is up, check the meat thermometer. The turkey is done when the thermometer is 180 degrees in the meatiest part of the thigh, and when you make a slit in the skin with a knife in the crease where one of the legs attaches to the body the juices run clear. Remove the turkey from the oven and the rack onto a carving board or into a large pan and let it stand for 15 minutes before carving.

While the turkey is resting, add the flour to the chicken broth and use a small whisk to mix it thoroughly with no lumps. Take 2 tbsp of the drippings from the roasting pan and put them in a medium pot over High heat. Pour the chicken broth into the pot and use a spoon to mix it with the drippings. Stir constantly while the gravy comes to a boil. When it boils, continue to stir it and reduce the heat to Medium while the gravy thickens up. Salt and pepper to taste. When the gravy is done, turn the heat to Low until you're ready to serve it.

Egg-Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe (Vegan)

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I decided this year I would come up with a vegan pumpkin pie recipe (no dairy, no eggs) so Sam can enjoy it more than one time. I thought that adding flour to the pumpkin mixture in lieu of eggs would stick it together and give it the right texture. The hard part was figuring out exactly how much flour to use. I'm happy to say I have it just right in this recipe and the texture is spot-on. Also, the spice blend I came up with works perfectly with the pumpkin. This pie is super easy to make, and it smells heavenly while baking. I'm thrilled with how this pie turned out, and am looking foward to making it again for Thanksgiving.

Egg-Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe

1 small can of 100% pure pumpkin (15 oz.)
1 cup of Hemp milk or vegan milk
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup unbleached flour
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 recipe of Flaky Pie Crust (I use 1 cup of just unbleached flour for it, not both types of flour)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the sugar, flour, spices, and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the pumpkin and milk and stir it all together until well-combined.

Make the pie crust dough. Lay a large piece of wax paper on your work surface, put the ball of dough in the middle, and lay another large piece of wax paper over the top. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a thin circle larger than the pie pan. Spray the pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Peel the top piece of wax paper off, and invert the crust, centered, into the pie pan and remove the other piece of wax paper. Press the dough into place in the pie pan. Fold the edges of the dough that is hanging over back under itself along the edges of the pie pan and press the dough to the sides of the pie pan to make a nice crust.

Pour the pumpkin pie filling in the middle of the pie crust and use a spoon or spatula to move the filling to the sides of the crust.

Bake the pie for 1 hour. Let the pie cool for 2 hours before serving. Store the pie in the refrigerator.

Egg-Free Goat Cheese and Sausage Stuffed Shells Recipe

In preparation for an Italian-themed supper party at my home, I decided to come up with a goat cheese stuffed shells recipe. Stuffed shells traditionally have egg in them to bind the ricotta filling. Since I don't cook with eggs, I needed to come up with a different way to stuff the shells. To bind the filling and make it go further, I decided to add sausage, bread crumbs and Hemp milk to the filling. For the marinara, I doubled my Marinara Sauce Recipe and added some water to it since the stuffed shells will be baked uncovered in the oven. These stuffed shells are amazing. The goat ricotta is mild and rich, and the sausage and fresh herbs add fantastic Italian flavors to this hearty dish. Also, note that if you are unable to find the goat products in your grocery store, you can replace the goat ricotta and firm goat cheese with regular cow's milk ricotta and mozzerella cheese in this recipe; this recipe is versatile in that way.

Egg-Free Goat Cheese and Sausage Stuffed Shells Recipe

For the Marinara Sauce:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large 28 oz. can of tomato puree
1 cup water
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 bay leaves

For the Stuffed Shells:

18 Barilla Jumbo Shells (1/2 a box)
1/2 lb mild Italian sausage, casing(s) removed
1 container goat ricotta (8 oz.)
1/4 cup milk (I use Hemp milk)
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves (a .66 oz. package)
1/4 cup minced fresh Italian parsley leaves (about half a bunch)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded, mild, firm goat cheese like Cablanca Mild Goat Cheese

In a large sauce pan, add the olive oil and turn the heat to Medium High. Add the tomatoes, the water, and the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined. Let the sauce heat up to a boil, then cover the pot, turn the heat down to Low and let it simmer for 30 minutes or longer (1 hour is recommended). Remove the bay leaves.

While the sauce is simmering, add a dash of salt to a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. When boiling, add the shells. Boil for 7 minutes so they are halfway done and still firm. Drain the water and set the shells aside for the time being in a single layer on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to keep them from sticking.

Heat a medium skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to High heat and add the Italian sausage. Brown the sausage and break it into very small pieces. When done, drain off any fat.

In a medium size mixing bowl, mix together the sausage, ricotta, milk, bread crumbs, basil, parsley, salt and pepper.

If you are going to bake them now, heat oven to 350 degrees.

(You can make the stuffed shells ahead of time and store the pan in your refrigerator until you are ready to bake them. Just take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before you put them in the oven so they can come to room temperature.)

Pour 1-1/2 cups of the marinara sauce in a 9x12 baking pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Stuff the shells with a spoonful of the ricotta mixture and place them in a single layer in the pan, filling-side up. The ricotta mixture will fill 18 jumbo shells. The shells will look like this when they are all stuffed and layed out in the baking pan, prior to adding the rest of the sauce and the shredded cheese:


Pour the rest of the marinara sauce over the shells. Sprinkle the shredded goat cheese over the shells.

Place the pan in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 30 minutes. Serves 4 people as a main course.

Creamy Avocado Rice Recipe (Vegan)

Sam's favorite kind of rice right now is a short grain white rice. I've been thinking of ways to make it more healthy and substantial as a side dish, and was inspired by a rice dish I saw on a cooking show where they used a blender to blend up a dressing that they mixed with the cooked rice. I thought blending an avocado would be a good way to give a creamy texture to the rice, and it worked out great. This rice is delicious and easy to make. Sprinkle your favorite cajun hot sauce on top for a spicy kick.

Creamy Avocado Rice Recipe

1 cup white short grain rice
2 cups water

1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Put 1 cup of white rice and 2 cups of water in a medium pot over High heat. When it comes to a boil, give the rice a stir, cover the pot, lower the heat to Low and let the rice simmer for 15 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, prepare the avocado dressing. Cut the avocado in half along the pit, open, and remove the pit. Use a knife to make slices in the avocado half, first in one direction, then in the other direction to make the cubes. Use a spoon to scoop out the cubes. Put the avocado cubes in a blender. Add the water, olive oil, salt and pepper to the blender and "Liquify" it.

When the rice is done, pour the cooked rice into a large mixing bowl and pour the avocado dressing over the rice. Use a spoon to gently mix it all together. Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Lamb Burgers Recipe

We eat lamb every couple of weeks to mix up our proteins and have a special treat. We especially like these lamb burgers with the fresh mint from our deck. We eat our lamb burgers without a bun and with some dijon mustard on the side, although you can certainly eat them with your favorite toppings on a bun. Goat cheese, carmelized onions, and dijon mustard would be especially good on them. The lamb burger pictured is served with Cooked Lentils with Avocado Topping - a fantastic, protein-rich, gluten-free meal!

Lamb Burgers Recipe

1 lb fresh ground lamb
10 fresh mint leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Stack the mint leaves and mince them into very small pieces. Put the ground lamb in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the lamb. Add the minced mint to the bowl. Remove your rings and use your hands to mix everything together. Divide the ground lamb into 4 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and use the palms of your hands to flatten them into thin, round burgers.

Heat a grill pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to High heat. Add the lamb burgers. Salt and pepper to taste. Grill them for 5-6 minutes per side for a medium-well burger. Eat them by themselves with some dijon mustard, or put them on a bun with toppings like goat cheese, carmelized onions, and mustard. Makes 4, 1/4 lb lamb burgers.

Roasted Green Beans Recipe (Vegan)

Roasted green beans are a perfect side dish to any meal. They are super fast and easy to make, and don't require you to stand over the stove while they cook. These roasted green beans only take 20 minutes in the oven and they come out perfectly roasted, just right every time.

Roasted Green Beans Recipe

Fresh green beans, as many as you would like
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x12 or 8x8 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Rinse and dry the green beans and cut off the ends. Lay the green beans in a single layer in the pan. Drizzle a little olive oil over the green beans and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for 20 minutes.