Baby gai lan Tofu Rice by Cary & Akeiko

"Rice with tofu and old bitter baby gai lan, and tons of hoisin to mask the taste"

African Peanut Soup

Saute:
1 ounce of ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion
cayene pepper(whatever you can handle)
Then add:
3 cups of crushed tomatoes
1 3/4 cup peanutbutter
3 cups water/veg stock
Blend ingredients.
Then add 3 cups of crushed tomatoes and voila!

Vegan mac cheese by Judy

This is so creamy and "cheesy" it should not be allowed in Lent.

1 can coconut milk (O organics is the creamiest)
250 g of macaroni (whole wheat)
3 cloves garlic - chopped
1/2 an onion
dash garlic salt
1 cup lentils
1 tsp of tomato paste or better yet, tandoori curry paste
1 tsp miso paste

Cook macaroni and lentils and onions together with a bit less water than macaroni requires. Cook until macaroni is soft and lentils are thick and water is greatly reduced.
Add coconut milk, garlic, garlic salt, miso paste and tomato paste/tandoori paste and cook for about 3 min more -- stirring often so it doesn't burn

My kids love this and look, I've sneaked in lentils and whole wheat.

Marinated Soba Noodles by Judy

My kids love this recipe and it takes less than 10 minutes to put together... plus, it's high in protien, fibre and even calcium.

1 pack zarusoba noodles -- these are soft buckwheat noodles available at T&Ts or any Japanese store
2 tblspoons toasted sesame seeds (japanese store -- black ones available!)
2 slivered green onions
Soy sauce to taste
Flax oil to taste

Place slivered green onions in large serving dish
Boil Soba noodles according to package instructions -- do not over cook probably about 5 min
Drain noodles and put hot noodles right on top of slivered green onions thereby cooking them
Add about 2 tblspoons flax oil and 1 tblspoon of Soysauce
Mix everything
Sprinkle sesame seeds over everything

Optional extras: julienned bok choy, julienned cabbage -- even fish cake if it's not lent

Vegan Pot Pie by Judy

4 sheets of defrosted filo pastry
1 can coconut milk
about 4 cups of instant mashed potatoes
4 cups water
half an onion - diced
about 10 or 12 mushrooms - sliced
1 clove garlic - chopped
2 tblspoons of miso paste
optional veg bullion cube
1 tblspoon of olive oil

Instructions:
Boil 4 cups of water in a pot and dissolve miso paste and bullion cube
Place raw mushrooms, onions and garlic in a glass baking dish
Pour miso/bullion soup in baking dish
Pour instant mashed potatoes in baking dish on top of it all
Pour can of coconut milk on top of mashed potatoes
Mix gently -- if necessary, add more mashed potato flakes until consistency like thick yogurt
Cover baking dish with filo pastry sheets
Brush pastry sheets with olive oil
Bake dish 400 F for 30 minutes

Vegan Burritos by Rowena

Beans (black or Kidney)
Pasta sauce or salsa
Veggies (steamed or sauteed)
Cooked rice
Whole whgeat tortillas

* Cook lots of beans. They're time consuming and extras can always be made into patties, soups etc.

Preparing the beans:
Pour desired amount of beans into a ceramic or glass bowl. Do NOT use stainless steel. Cover with water, pous 2 to 3 extra inches. Add 2-3 tsp whey, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice. Stir and place in a warm place (i.e. the oven with the light on) vor 5 to 7 hours. Do not leave for more than 3. Rinse well. Place a pot with the same volume of water and bring to a boil with the lid off. When it boils, skim off any foam that forms. Cover and let simmer until cooked. The time will vary depending on how long the beans were soaked, but should be 1.5 to 3 hours. When the beans give easily when squished between your fingers, they're done. Rinse again.

Assembling burritos:
Depending on taste and strictness, there are many ways to do this. The beans may be used as is, with a liuttle extra salt and spice (cumin, chili powder, garlic, etc) added, or they could be fried in butter or oil.
*Warning: if you decide to fry the beans, be aware that this method requires a lot of oil. If you try to skimp, they'll just get dry.* Warm tortillas in a pan with a little oil, or in the oven without oil. Heating them makes them more pliable, and therefor easier to rolle. Add toppings of choice. Be creative! Fold in one edge to cover toppings, turn in sides, then finish rolling.

Veggie Ideas:
Zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, bean sprouts, eggplant or....

For kids/those not fasting:
Add some grated cheese to burrito and/or sour cream for dipping.

Note: These freeze well for lunches. To freeze, place one burrito on tin foil, and roll as if you are rolling a burrito. Place all burritos in a plastic bag to prevent freezer burn.

Mixed Dry Herbs Seasoning by Dennis

1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp marjoram
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp tarragon

Mix all the herbs together and store in a glass jar in a cool dry place

Tahini Sauce by Dennis

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped parsley
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
2/3 cup filtered water
1/2 cup sesame butter (tahini)

Sesame butter is also called raw tahini and is the base for this dressing. This is the sauce you traditionally would find in Lebanese food like falafel.

Method
Whiz garlic, parsley, salt and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Add water and sesame butter. Run until smooth, scraping the sides down once or twice

"Jerusalem" by Dennis

Serves 4
Ingredients
6 cups basmati rice
1 batch Tahini sauce (see below)
1 batch Hummus (I add a couple of scoops per dish)
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp Mixed dry herbs (see below)
1 bunch parsley, chopped

Method
1. Put 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice in a large bowl, drizzle 2 tablespoons of Tahini sausce over the rice, put 2 tablespoons of hummus in the middle
2. Toss the diced tomato, onion and cucumber together and place on top of hummus
3. Sprinkle the chili powder and mixed dry herbs over top
4. Garnish with chopped parsley. Repeat for each serving

Easy Seafood Linguine by Jean-Claude

1 lb (454 g) linguine pasta
1/4 cup (50 mL) olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup (50 mL) bread crumbs
1/2 tsp (2 mL) chili flakes
1 can (142 g) BABY YELLOW CLAMS, undrained ( I usually get Clover Leaf Products)
1 can (106 g) MEDIUM SHRIMP, drained
1 can (133 g) PACIFIC OYSTERS, drained
1/4 cup (50 mL) finely chopped sage
1/2 cup (125 mL) white wine (or pasta water during lent)
coarsely chopped parsley
cracked black pepper
additional bread crumbs

Instructions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain and keep warm.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the garlic for 3-4 minutes. Add bread crumbs and chili flakes; cook for 1 minute. Add Baby Yellow Clams with liquid, Medium Shrimp, Pacific Oysters and white wine; cook for another 2-3 minutes. Toss the seafood mixture with the pasta; add the parsley and season with pepper to taste. Garnish with bread crumbs. Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings.

Clam & Anchovies Pasta Sauce by Jean-Claude

-110 ml Oil (Olive oil outside Lent)
- 2 or 3 cloves garlic
- 1 onion (during lent)
- 4 fillets anchovies (outside Lent)
- 2 cans clam (10 oz or 142g)
- 500 g Linguini
- 1 cup fresh parsley

Outside lent

• Put in a large sauce pan the anchovies & 2/3 of oil. Cook at medium heat until anchovies are totally melted. Add clams and juice. Cook at medium head, stirring occasionnaly for 30 to 45 mns. Add garlic which has been thoroughly crushed and kept in the rest of the olive oil and cook 5 more mins. Add parsley finely cut at the end.

During lent

• Put in a large sauce pan 2 garlic cloves and an onion & 2/3 of oil till the onions are yellow. Add clams and juice. Cook at medium head, stirring occasionnaly for 30 to 45 mns. Add the remaining garlic clove which has been thoroughly crushed and kept in the rest of the olive oil and cook 5 more mins. Add parsley finely cut at the end.

Ketchup Casserole by Diana

Ingredients:
1 can red kidney beans
1(large) can of tomatoes
some rice (put in however much you want)
green olives
salt
chile powder
worchestershire sauce
various vegetables such as onions, peppers, other kinds of beans and peas
(note: there is no ketchup in this recipe. also, when lent is over, this recipe is really good with grated cheese on top.)

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cook rice in boiling water.
While rice is cooking, combine legumes and onion (chopped, of course), in a frying pan to lightly brown.
Once rice is puffy, add beans and tomatoes.
Combine browned legumes, spices, and let steep for a few minutes on medium heat.
Once you are satisfied with the amount of steeping, stick it in a casserole dish and pop it in the oven for about ten minutes. (This is usually where you'd add the cheese and olives on top, but considering the season, that will have to wait.)

Take out, and enjoy!

This is also a really good one for those of us who are busy and like quick meals. Make enough for a week, and put it in the fridge. Good for lunches and take away meals.

Cassarole by David Kozinsky

Casserole that's fantastic and easy --- who needs meat when there are dishes like this.

2 cups Cooked Garbanzos (549 ml can if you like)

4 c water (I use the juice from the beans and tomatoes)

1 t. basil

3 onions sliced or chopped

2 c. canned tomatoes

2 t. salt

2 c. brown rice, raw

Mix all ingredients in 3 quart casserole. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2-3 hours.

Sweet Potato Truffles or Truffle Cups by Chrystalene

Filling:

1 cup (240 ml) packed sweet potato purée, from one very large sweet potato (see instructions)

3 Tbsp (45 ml) cornstarch

1/3 cup (80 g) refined coconut oil (or use unrefined if you don’t mind a coconut flavor)

finely grated zest of one large orange (I used a microplane grater)

1/4 cup (35 g) light spelt flour

1/8 tsp (.5 ml) fine sea salt

1/3 cup (80 ml) light agave nectar (or alternate sweetener)

1/2 cup (120 ml) plain or vanilla rice or soy milk

2 Tbsp (30 ml) orange juice

1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Coating or Cups:

1 cup (200 g) dairy free chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate

1 tsp (5 ml) refined coconut oil (or use unrefined if you don’t mind a coconut flavor)

Make the sweet potato purée in advance: Preheat oven to 400F (200 C). Place unskinned sweet potato on a baking sheet and bake until very tender, about an hour. Allow to cool, then peel and purée the flesh in a food processor until very smooth.

Measure out 1 cup (240 ml) of the purée and reserve the rest for another use. Return the one cup purée to the processor along with the cornstarch and coconut oil, and blend until very smooth.

In a small, heavy-bottomed pot, whisk together the flour, salt and agave nectar until smooth. Add the rice milk slowly and whisk until incorporated; sttir in the orange zest. (Combining the flour and agave first before the milk helps to prevent lumps from forming).

Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble and thicken; lower heat to simmer and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 more seconds. The mixture will thicken very suddenly; it will end up like a very thick paste or glue. Remove from heat and stir in the juice and vanilla until combined.

Turn the hot mixture directly into the processor bowl with the sweet potato and whir until the mixture is perfectly smooth and creamy.

For truffles: Pour the filling into a deep bowl and refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 3 hours. Then, using a melon baller, mini ice cream scoop or teaspoon, scoop balls of filling onto a cookie sheet that’s been lined with plastic wrap; place in the freezer until firm.

Once the truffle filling is frozen, proceed to dip the truffles: In a bowl set over a pot of simmering water (the bowl should be large enough that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water), melt the chocolate and coconut oil together until smooth. Using two forks held facing each other, dip the truffles one at a time, tapping the forks on the edge of the bowl to release excess chocolate, and place them on the plastic. Allow to firm up in the refrigerator (they will actually begin to firm up fairly quickly because of the frozen filling) Using more melted chocolate, decorate tops with swirls or heart shapes if desired. Store in the refrigerator, but serve at room temperature. Makes 12-15 truffles.

For chocolate truffle cups: Set the filling aside while you prepare the chocolate cups. In a bowl set over a pot of simmering water (the bowl should be large enough that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water), melt the chocolate and coconut oil together until smooth. Use about 3/4 tsp (3.5 ml) to coat the bottom and up the sides of 12-15 mini foil cups. Place the cups in the freezer for a couple of minutes to firm up.

Using 1-2 tsp (5-10 ml) of filling for each cup, fill the chocolate cups with the sweet potato mixture and smooth the top. Return to the freezer for another 5 minutes or so until the tops of the filling are firm.

Cover each cup with another 1 tsp (5 ml) chocolate, and spread it gently to cover, ensuring that the chocolate is sealed at the edges and no bits of sweet pototo show through. Keep refrigerated until firm, then remove from fridge , immediately peel off the paper cups, and allow to come to room temperature before serving (these are much better served at room temperature, but the cups will stick to them if you try to unwrap them once they’re no longer cold). Makes 12-15 truffle cups.

(modified from http://dietdessertndogs.wordpress.com/)

Rasberry-Almond "Torte" Cookies by Rowena

Servings: 16-18 cookies
Time: 30 min

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup almonds, ground (this is NOT the same as 1 cup ground almonds)
1 cup rolled oats, ground (ditto above)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon or other spice
pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Filling:
4 oz. rasberry jam or puree

Procedure:
Grind almonds to a coarse nut flour using ablender, food processor, or coffee grinder.
Buzz the oats into coarse flour. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix until well coated. Form walnut sized balls and place on an oiled cookie sheet. Press thumb gently in center, creating space for filling. Fill each cookie with 1/2 tsp jam. Bake at 350 F for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.