Green Beans
Serves: 8
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

This recipe cooks itself! It’s a great side dish and is superb for entertaining and potlucks.

2 pounds fresh or frozen green beans, trimmed
6 tablespoons lemon juice
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf

Place the green beans in a pot, and mix in the lemon juice, onion, olive oil, tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley, water, salt and pepper, and bay leaf. Cook 45 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Notes
If you like garlic, add a few cloves.
You can try adding another spice that you like (I added some dried dill).
Adjust the amount of olive oil to your tastes. More or less works for this recipe.
Substitute two fresh tomatoes for the canned if you have them on hand.
Reduce the cook time if you like crunchier veggies.

Corn Muffins
Serves: ~12
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

These sweet corn muffins can be spruced up in almost any fashion. They’re addictively good!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
the equivalent of 2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil or melted vegan margarine
1 cup non-dairy milk
1/4 to 1/2 cup dried, fresh or frozen blueberries

Combine the first five ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the next three ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin tin (greased or with paper cups) 3/4 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Notes
I’ve been using a lot of dried blueberries in my baked goods. They’re super sweet and won’t turn the batter purple.
Use another type of berry as a substitute.
Egg substitutions (per egg):

• Commercial Egg Replacer (see package for measurements)
• 1 tbs Flaxseed and 3 tbs water blended for one minute
• 1/4 cup whipped silken tofu

Add some whole corn kernels for texture.
Make this spicy by replacing the blueberries with diced fresh jalapeño pepper.

Cole Slaw
Serves: ~14
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes

This is a great recipe that can be served warm or cold!

1 medium head cabbage, finely shredded
3 green onions, sliced
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil (or less, to taste)

In a large bowl, combine cabbage and onions. In a saucepan, mix sugar, vinegar, celery seed and salt; bring to a boil. Add oil; return to boiling and cook until sugar dissolves. Pour over cabbage; toss gently. Chill.

Notes
Buy your cabbage pre-shredded to save time!
Substitute the celery seed and salt for celery salt or omit the celery seed if you don’t have any on hand.
You can reduce the oil down to 1-2 tablespoons if you want less fat.
Try different types of vinegar for a subtle change.

Asian-inspired Zucchini and Onions
Serves: 3-4
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: ~5 minutes
Cook Time: ~10 minutes

Extremely quick and full of flavor, this never makes it to “leftovers!”

1-2 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
2 tbs teriyaki sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sesame seeds (optional) OR 1-2 tsp sesame oil
black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini, cook for about one minute. Stir in teriyaki and say sauces, and sesame seeds/oil. Cook until the zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Add black pepper and serve!

Notes
Great with rice of any kind!
Substitute low sodium teriyaki and soy sauces if necessary.

Carrot Cake
Serves: 8-10
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: ~10 minutes
Cook Time: ~1 hour

Yummy carrot cake is only an hour away!

3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/4 cups milk alternative
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons orange zest
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter an 8 inch springform pan or other deep pan. In a small bowl, add lemon juice to non-dairy milk. Stir together and let stand for a few minutes. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt together and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream oil, orange zest and brown sugar. Add sour milk and vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in the grated carrots and chopped nuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Notes
Icing Recipe – Buttercream Frosting:
1/2 cup vegan margarine, room temp
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs non-dairy milk (plus more if needed)
Using an electric mixer, cream the margarine until smooth. On low speed, add the remaining ingredients. Once combined, mix on high speed until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes).  If the icing is too dry, add a few more tablespoons of non-dairy milk.  Store in a tightly lidded container. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.