OMV!

My brother and I have this dream to one day open a vegan restaurant.  We both love to cook, and one thing we learned from our mamma is how to cook to make people happy.  I think if you're from the south it's just bred in you.  Currently our working title for our place is: OMV! (Oh My Vegan)  Wess says when I'm done with the Lord's work, we'll make it happen.  In the meantime, we'll just share our recipes, and if you're ever in the area, we'll make ya a good meal.  

For breakfast it may be something like this Pumpkin Bread:

Ingredients:

2 cups sucanat

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup soft tofu

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

3 cups spelt flour

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup walnuts

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  In a food processor blend tofu until creamy.  Then add tofu, sucanat, coconut oil, applesauce, and pumpkin to a mixing bowl and stir together.  In a separate mixing bowl sift together flour, and all of the spices, along with the baking soda, and baking powder.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add all of the wet ingredients.  Once everything is mixed together fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.  

Grease two bread loaves and divide the batter between the two evenly.  Bake for 55-60 minutes.  Pull out of the oven and let cool for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.  

And for lunch maybe this colossal manwich; The Tempeh Sloppy Joe with Twice Oven Baked Fries:

Ingredients:

1 package Tempeh

1 TBS. olive oil

1 purple onion, finely chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

1 TBS. minced garlic

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 TBS. chili powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 ground pepper

2 TBS. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. hot sauce

1 tsp. liquid smoke

1 15 oz. can Great White Northern Beans

4 buns, toasted

Directions:

Steam tempeh for 10 minutes in a steamer pot or basket, placed in a pot filled with 2 to 3 inches of water. When done, set aside.  In a large saucepan, heat oil on medium heat and saute onion, bell pepper, and garlic.  About 5 minutes.  Then add tomato sauce, chili powder, salt and pepper, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and liquid smoke.  Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Then add beans, and crumble tempeh and add it.  Heat through just for a few minutes.  Toast buns, and you're ready to serve!

For the French Fries:

Preheat oven to 400.  Cut up potatoes into wedges about a 1/4 inch thick.  Toss in olive oil and season with desired spices (I used italian seasonings).  Place a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet.  Lay the potatoes out on top of the cooling sheet without crowding them too much.  Bake the potatoes for 30 minutes.  Then take them out of the oven, coat them again in olive oil and seasoning and put them back in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 425.  This will yield fries that are crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle!  

And there's always room for dessert, like these Carrot Ginger Oatmeal Cookies, and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies with Pecans:

Carrot Ginger Oatmeal Cookies: (adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

Ingredients:

1 cup spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup chopped pecans

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup real maple syrup, room temperature

1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed until just melted

2 inch knob grated fresh ginger

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and oats.  Then add the nuts and carrots.  In a separate mixing bowl, combine the maple syrup, coconut oil, and ginger.  Make a small well in the flour mixture and pour in liquid mixture and stir until well mixed.  Drop about 1 TBS. of dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes.  

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies with Pecans:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pumpkin

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 TBS. molasses

2 TBS. maple syrup

2 cups rolled oats

2/3 cup almond meal

2 TBS. spelt flour

1/3 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. fine grain sea salt

6-7 oz. dark chocolate chips

3/4 chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, vanilla, coconut oil, molasses, and maple syrup.  In another mixing bowl, whisk together oats, almond meal, spelt flour, shredded coconut, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and baking powder.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet stirring until well combined.  Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips.  Drop 1 TBS. of dough onto prepared cookie sheet about an inch apart.  Bake for about 14 minutes.