Fun Food Friday - Pizza Rolls

As you've seen in previous posts, Big Sprout is getting quite handy in the kitchen. Little Sprout, on the other hand, always asks to "help" - but every time she eventually reveals that she's only there for the tasting. While it can be frustrating to have her trying to stick her fingers in everything while I'm cooking, she's just so adorable that it's hard to say "no". And that's how we ended up making bread together this week.

She actually came in the tail end of the process while everything was in the final mixing stage. I managed to whip out four quick loaves while she "snuck" bits of dough off the cover of the mixer before finally asking to help. So I put her in charge of cutting the veggie burger buns; I rolled out the dough and showed her how to cut out circles using the top of a glass.

When there was only a little dough left, I let her have it to make whatever she wanted, thinking she'd just play with it and pinch off a few bites when I wasn't looking. That's exactly what she did for a while, but eventually she rolled it out into an oblong shape, asked if she could use the leftover Daiya cheese and announced to Big Sprout that she was making pizza rolls.  

Pizza rolls? Why didn't I think of that???

She spread pizza sauce over the dough and sprinkled the cheese on top.

I showed her how to roll it up and slice it into rolls. And yes, I really did let her use the big knife (under close supervision, of course!)

We baked them for 20 minutes, tossed them on a plate with some raw veggies and had a perfect lunch-to-go to eat in the car en route to meet friends at Teavana.

The pizza rolls were super easy (you read the part where my four-year-old made them, right???) and amazingly delicious - way better than regular pizza somehow. Not only did they get a unanimous five sprout rating, but we're all really anxious to have them again soon (like tomorrow!)

I'm so glad I let my Little Sprout get creative in the kitchen - it was wonderful to see her so proud of what she's created!

Sprout Ratings:
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 5 sprouts

Salad Dressing Recipe: Oil-Free Agave Mustard

I've been on quite a roll with salad dressings lately, which is a huge thing for me since historically, I've had more kitchen disasters with homemade dressings than any other type of food. I've tried a few agave mustard recipes in the past few months that have turned out to be delicious, but I just can't get over the quantity of oil required (1 cup for most recipes!) Since I've learned a few tricks about oil-free dressings lately, I decided to try own, and I'm happy with how it came out.


Oil-Free Agave Mustard Dressing

Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup cashews
1/4 dijon mustard
1/4 agave
3 tablespoons vinegar

Preparation:
Soak cashews in water for a few hours (or soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes), then drain. Combine all ingredients in blender, and process until smooth. This definitely thickens as it sits, so if it's a little runny when you make it, it will be perfect after sitting in the fridge overnight!

Sprout Ratings:
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 4.5 sprouts

Cheesy Chickpea Salad

Yes, this is the chickpea salad creation that's been on my meal plan for the last three weeks . . . and today, I finally got around to making it. It was super-easy, and most of us loved it (Little Sprout said it was just okay). For me, the dressing is not quite perfect, so I'll probably mess around with it a little more next time I make it. But if it's any indication of the result, Big Sprout has had five servings of it throughout the day - and fortunately, there's even some left over for lunch tomorrow.

The idea for this dish started a few weeks ago, when I discovered a small health food store in town. In filling my bags, I picked up a container of non-dairy feta, which we'd never tried before (the nice folks at Whole Foods acted like I was crazy when I asked for it there). Both of my Sprouts are big cheese lovers, so I thought it would be a nice treat since they don't eat dairy cheese anymore. Plus, I'd just seen a recipe that looked really good except for the fact that it called for feta.

Of course, I never found that recipe, so I had to dream up something new for it. Here's how it turned out . . .

Cheesy Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

For the dressing:

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons raw cashews (soaked, if possible)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the salad:

4 cups broccoli florets (lightly steamed and finely chopped)

4 cups cooked chickpeas

1 container vegan feta

1 recipe of basic balsamic dressing

Preparation:

Combine all dressing ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth. Toss with remaining ingredients, and chill before serving.

Sprout Ratings
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 3 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 4 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 3.5 sprouts

Maple Pecan Butter

Oh my goodness . . . there is no way I could take a picture that would in any way convey how amazing this Maple Pecan Butter tastes. You'll just have to try it and taste for yourself.

The recipe comes from Celeste at Growing Up Veg, and the Sprouts and I are thrilled to have found it. Even though I am without a food processor at the moment (I keep breaking them), this actually worked really well in the Vitamix and was so easy to make.

I'm not sure why I've never made nut butter before, but I can certainly see myself making many more in the future!

Vegan Caesar Dressing

I'm on a huge homemade salad dressing kick lately - probably because I haven't found any store-bought ones I like that aren't loaded with oil. To be completely honest, I haven't had a lot of luck making my own dressings in the past, but thanks to some great recipes in Appetite for Reduction and Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, I seem to be on a roll.

Today though, I'm sharing an old favorite. I wish I could remember where I found this Vegan Caesar Dressing recipe so I could give the credit, but it's been a staple at our dinner table for so long that I've lost the source.

Keep in mind that like most veganized recipes, it's not going to taste exactly like what you're used to as a Caesar dressing. But, I think it's a good, tasty dressing in its own right - and certainly much healthier!

Vegan Caesar Dressing 

Ingredients
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons lemon juice3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons raw nuts (I use cashews or almonds)
2 tablespoons Bragg's, soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoon olive oil (optional - I usually leave it out)

Preparation
Combine in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Sprout Ratings
Big Sprout - 4.5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 4 sprouts

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Today's lunch was the Quinoa and Black Bean Salad with Toasted Cumin Seeds from Appetite for Reduction. As I was making it, I realized that neither of the Sprouts like tomatoes and I'm the only cumin fan in the house. Oh well.

As expected, I was the only one who really liked it. I'll definitely be enjoying the leftovers this week and will make it again for myself in the future. It did inspire Little Sprout to coin a new family motto . . . "I don't really like it, but I'm going to eat it anyway." I just love her! Our rule is that they must eat what I serve (or, as an alternative, not eat), but if they really don't like it, they don't have to eat the leftovers all week long. That's okay . . . more for me!

Sprout Ratings
Big Sprout - 2 sprouts
Little Sprout - 2 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 4 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 3 sprouts

Easy Tortilla Pizzas

This is one of Jim's creations, perfect for our busy Sundays (the one day a week I refuse to cook). He put them together last night after I came home for the grocery store. The kids were thrilled to have pizza, and I was thrilled to have dinner served to me for a change!

These are made the simple, man-friendly way - toss everything atop the tortilla and bake. No pre-cooking or seasoning required, and they're good with whatever veggies we have on hand. Last night was spinach, broccoli, tomato and roasted red peppers. Yum!

Extraordinary Tofu Salad

I've been calling this Tofu Salad for a while now, and I know that name doesn't sound appealing at all. Today at lunch, I asked the Sprouts to help me rename it, and Extraordinary Tofu Salad was the best they could do . . . so that's what it's called for now.

This yummy salad originated from me trying to copy a Coconut Curry Wrap recipe from our favorite restaurant, Ethos Vegan Kitchen in Orlando. We don't eat a lot of tofu, and I would never have tried the wrap had one of the employees not recommended it. But she did, and it became my new favorite.

And because - as much as we'd love to - we don't eat lunch out every day, I decided to recreate it in my kitchen. It came out great, but sometimes I make it without the curry and coconut for variation. The Sprouts prefer the plain recipe, but I like it equally well both ways.

It's nice as a lunch salad on a bed of greens, but today I stuffed it into wraps. In my mind, I knew that the rye wraps weren't going to be the best choice, but I was trying to use up what was already open before opening a new package. It was fine, but next time I'll definitely put it in whole wheat wraps instead.

Extraordinary Tofu Salad

Ingredients
1 14-oz. package firm tofu, cubed (Nasoya makes a pre-cubed variety)
Bragg's Liquid Aminos (tamari or soy sauce will work too)
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup Veganaise (or other vegan mayo)

Preparation
Drain the tofu and place in a small sauce pan. Sprinkle with the Bragg's until well coated. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Combine the seasoned tofu and all other ingredients in a bowl, and mix until well combined.

Note: You can season the tofu in advance then refrigerate until ready to use or you can assemble the salad with the warm tofu and chill before serving.

To make the Coconut Curry Salad option, just add in 1 cup of shredded coconut (unsweetened), 1 teaspoon of curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Our Hummus Recipe

I'm not sure how I ended up with a child who doesn't like hummus, but Big Sprout isn't a fan . . . yet. Our rule is that he has to try it every time I serve it, and if he still doesn't like it, he doesn't have to have any more.

As much as I'd like them to eat everything, I try to respect the fact that there are bound to be a few things they really just don't like - kind of like how I feel about mushrooms and olives. Big Sprout gets a pass on hummus, olives and tomatoes, and Little Sprout can decline mushrooms and tomatoes.

Little Sprout, fortunately, is a huge hummus eater just like her mama. Today, I had mine on a veggie pita, while she wanted hers with raw veggies (for dipping), olives, fruit and nuts.

This hummus recipe originated on a day that I was out of tahini and gradually evolved from there. As we began limiting oils in our diet, I reduced the amount of oil and replaced some of it with water. I think the result is a great basic hummus that three of the four of us enjoy!

Our Hummus Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 cans, rinsed and drained)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cumin

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in food processor or high-speed blender, and process until creamy.

Note: When I make this in the Vitamix, I really have to push the ingredients into the blades with the tamper.

This is one of those recipes that seems to taste even better once it's had a chance to sit for a while, but we almost always enjoy a bit right away.

Sprout Rating
Big Sprout - n/a
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts

Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad

Well, it may not be the prettiest salad, but it sure was good! Today for lunch, I made the Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad from Appetite for Reduction.

Normally, I don't make anything for lunch that requires a recipe, but with the advance prep work I did last night, it took no longer to assemble than the boring, old standby salad I usually make. I simply washed the lettuce, tossed in the chickpeas and quinoa and cut up some veggies from the veggie tray.

After tossing it all together, I topped each serving with the Balsamic Vinaigrette from the same cookbook. I love that this dressing is flavorful and creamy without any added oil (the creaminess comes from raw cashews, which have much more nutritional value than oil). Making the dressing did take a few minutes, but I have leftovers to use on other salads all week (homemade dressings are my new obsession, and I'll be blogging more about them soon!)

I toasted a slice of pumpernickel bread to add to each plate, and Ava also had a side of olives (I had a clementine instead). We all enjoyed the heartiness that the quinoa and chickpeas added to the lightness of the veggies and the dressing - plus, they add even more protein and fiber. This is definitely one that I'll keep ingredients prepped for so I can make it on a regular basis!

Sprout Ratings
Big Sprout - n/a (he's on a lunch date with Grandma)
Little Sprout - 3.5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 4 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 4 sprouts

Creamy Chickpea Salad

This wonderful chickpea salad from the Fat Free Vegan blog is a hit with the whole family, and the kids were excited to hear I was making it for lunch today. Aside from other staples like veggie pitas and PB&J, this is the dish most likely to show up in our lunch box.

The recipe is very forgiving and turns out well even when I mix it up a bit. I've actually never made it with the tofu, and I usually substitute dried herbs for fresh. One batch makes enough for the Sprouts and I for lunch, so if Jim is home (or if I want leftovers), I usually double it. Today's lunch was served on a bed of greens, but we also like it stuffed into pitas, rolled in a wrap or as "dip" with raw veggies and crackers. The Sprouts had also gone through 2-3 clementines each this morning, so I scrapped the tangerine and let them have some Veggie Booty instead.

Sprout Ratings
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts (he actually said "5 trillion, zillion, million, infinity")
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts

While you're over at the Fat Free Vegan for this recipe, definitely stay and browse a while. Many of our favorites come from this wonderful site!