Amy's Happy Tummy

These are a favorite for everyone in our family!  They are so delicious and a bit more healthy than regular pancakes because of the added sweet potato.  That adds fiber, Vitamin A, and lots of antioxidants that help to protect your body from free radicals. (F ree radicals are unstable molecules that can damage DNA and trigger inflammation, which can lead to chronic illness). So enjoy!  Eat up!  And if your kids don't like sweet potatoes.  Don't worry.  They'll never know that it's in there.  I even substituted butternut squash one time and no one could tell the difference.  :) Ingredients: 1 C whole wheat flour 1 C unbleached flour 2 Tbsp cane sugar 4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 2 C soymilk (or other plant-based milk...more or less to your liking.  It just affects the thickness of these pancakes) 1 C cooked, pureed sweet potato 1/4 C canola oil 1/2 C applesauce Instructions: Mix dry ingredients together in a mixi

This is not your traditional Spanish rice recipe.  This makes into more of a casserole than loose rice.  It's wonderful served with peas or beans and a side of chips.  It's warm and filling with a wonderful taste! Ingredients: 4 Tbsp earth balance margarine 1 medium onion, chopped  4-5 C cooked rice (I've used brown, white, and a mix of both) 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes 2 C vegan cheese sauce (see below) 2 tsp o nion powder 1 tsp cumin Vegan cheese sauce Instructions: Melt margarine in a pan and sauté onion.  When the onion is sauteed, add rice, tomatoes, cheese sauce, and seasonings (maybe 3/4 tsp onion and 1/2 of cumin??…I don’t measure).  Bake in 8x8 baking dish covered for 30 minutes at 350. Put all ingredients in the blender and blend thoroughly until smooth.  Makes about 2 cups.    Fantastic served with black beans or peas along with tortilla chips!

Everyone needs to try this recipe.  I could sit and dip chips in this cheese at every meal, I think.  I like that it has lots of fiber and nutrients.  It's a little cheaper than some recipes because the base is made from potatoes and carrots.  It is bursting with flavor! Ingredients: 2 C cooked potatoes 1 C cooked carrots 1/2 C nutritional yeast, scant 1/2 C water (use from cooked potatoes and carrots) 1/3 C light olive oil 1 Tbsp lemon juice 2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp chicken-style seasoning 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp onion powder 2 oz pimientos Instructions: Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.   Serve with chips, on broccoli, as macaroni and cheese, on lasagna.  This is so very yummy!

I use to sparingly use a store bought vegan parmesan because some in my family didn't think spaghetti should go with out it, but I sure hated spending the money.  Since that time I have come up with a recipe and it does the trick!  It's very simple.  It's healthy.  And it tastes great! It's good on spaghetti.  It's great used in recipes. Ingredients: 1 C almond meal 6 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp salt Instructions: Put all ingredients in a container with a sealed lid.  Shake to mix thoroughly.  Store in the refrigerator for up to six months.

I love pesto, but during the winter when I'm not growing fresh basil, I don't like the price of it.  That's why I love this pesto recipe.  This is budget pesto, but since I add a couple hand fulls of fresh spinach, it doesn't look like the basil came from the cupboard. Ingredients: 2 T dried basil 1 T dried parsley 1 clove garlic 1/2 tsp salt, scant 1/4 C vegan Parmesan or nutritional yeast flakes 1/4 C walnuts (can substitute cashews or almonds) 1/2 C extra virgin olive oil hand full of fresh spinach (or two!) Instructions: Using a food processor, combine the all ingredients and process until well mixed.  Use this on pasta or pizza and enjoy every bite!  

This is our favorite tomato soup recipe and many who have tried it in our home agree!  It is so easy, so delicious, and so fast!  You'll never go back to canned tomato soup again! Ingredients: 1 T olive or coconut oil 4 Cups tomatoes, diced (I use a quart of my home-canned tomatoes...any 28 - 32oz can will work) 1 onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 C water 1 tsp McKay's Chicken seasoning 1/2 - 1 tsp salt 1 T dried basil 2-3 tsp cane sugar Instructions: Saute the garlic and onions in a little oil until tender or translucent.  Add tomatoes, water, and chicken seasoning.  and cook over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes.  Remove from heat  and add salt and cane sugar.  Pour mixture into a blender.  Stir in dried basil.  If you doubled or tripled this recipe, then blend in portions. 

Do you love cookies? Well, you'll definitely love these. Also called Mexican wedding cookies, these will rule the party. I don't think that there is one person who as tried these that has not liked them. So what are you waiting for? Dig in! (the cookies around the edge) Ingredients: 1 C earth balance margarine, extremely soft, but not totally melted 3/4 tsp powder sugar 1 tsp vanilla 2 1/4 C unbleached flour 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 C chopped pecans Bowl of powdered sugar, set aside Instructions: Combine all the dry ingredients, except the extra bowl of powdered sugar.  Mix and add the earth balance.  Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Roll the dough into inch size balls or so.  Bake for 12 minutes.  They will be golden on the bottom when they are baked through.  Remove from oven and roll in an extra bowl of powdered sugar.  Wait 30 minutes and roll each cookie again.

These cookies are some of the best I've ever had!! Not only are they amazingly delicious, but they also have some very healthy components! :) Ingredients: 2 1/4 C quick oats 2 T cornstarch 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 3/4 C earth balance margarine, very softened 1/2 C cane juice crystals (sugar) 1 C unbleached flour (can use some wheat flour) 1 T flaxmeal 1/4 C maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 C chopped nuts, pecans or walnuts 1 C apricots, finely diced Instructions: Heat the oven to 350. And line your cookies sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened margarine with the sugar and then add the wet ingredients. Lastly, add the dry ingredients, then nuts and apricots. Drop in rounded tablespoons onto a cookie sheet.  Bake for about 10-11 minutes, depending on the size you prefer, or until slightly golden brown around the edges.  Let cool and then remove from the cookie sheet.  Enjoy!

This recipe is so versatile and so easy to whip up on the spur of the moment.  This is a favorite on pasta and as the sauce on pizza! Ingredients: 1 (16oz ) package of water-packed firm tofu 1 1/2 C plain or unsweetened soymilk 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 1/2 tsp salt 3 Tbsp vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast flakes 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/3 C vegan cream cheese or sour cream 1 tsp basil Instructions: Blend all ingredients, except basil in a blender until smooth and creamy.  Add the basil and turn on blender slowly just to mix through.  You can heat it up on the stove or just let it blend long enough to warm up.  Serve over pasta with your favorite roasted vegetables.

I made french bread yesterday so what better thing to make (besides garlic bread!) than french toast!  This recipe is easy, healthy, and yummy! Ingredients: Blend together: 1 C soymilk (or other nondairy milk) 1/2 banana (riper is sweeter) 2 T flaxmeal 1/2 tsp vanilla slices of bread (any kind you like, but we really like french bread) Instructions: Dip each piece of bread into the batter, flipping to coat each side.  Put into hot frying pan and brown on both sides. Top with your favorite toppings!

It's easy.  It's cheap.  And we think it tastes good!   Good enough to use on cereal with nothing else added. Ingredients: 1/2 C dry soybeans Water Optional: Sweetener such as dates, cane sugar, honey, etc. Salt Vanilla Instructions: Rinse 1/2 cup soybeans until there is no foam.  Boil them in water for about 18 minutes.  Rinse them again briefly.  Put into a high powered blender and add 2 cups of water.  Blend for 5 minutes.  I find that blending at such a high speed for 5 minutes mixes things so well that I don't even need to filter it through a nutmilk bag.  Add more water to reach desired consistency (3-4 cups for our family.  If you want to use dates for sweetener, this is where you would add them.  Blend again.  Pour into a pitcher and add other add-ins such as liquid or dry sweetener, salt, or vanilla.

There is no guilt at all in these little balls.  They are super easy, super delicious, and super healthy.  Ingredients: Combine in food processor: 1/2 Cup dates 1/2 Cup raisins 1/2 cup walnuts 1/2 cup pecans 1 Tbsp water, if needed Instructions: Pulse until they combine and are the consistency that you like. I like a chunky texture so these are coarsely chopped. They should easily squeeze together to form balls. Here's where you can add the tablespoon of water if you need a little more moisture in order for them to stick together well. We like them best plain but you can roll them in country coconut or almond meal for a fancier look.  *You can also use a combination of other nuts and dried fruit. 

This Fruit'cream' is so good you'd think that is was real ice cream. Of course it is, just minus the dairy! That's even better! Now you can have your favorite food guilt-free! This is all fruit.  All you need is any type of frozen fruit and a champion juicer (pictured below).  You push the frozen fruit through the juicer and it comes out creamy and good! For those of you who don't have a champion juicer, this type of fruit "ice cream" is great too!! Ingredients: 2 bananas, frozen and cut in 1" pieces 1/2 C strawberries, frozen 2 T soymilk 1/2 tsp vanilla Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a food processor and whiz until thick and creamy.  So yummy right after blended up.  It also freezes well.  Just let it set out for 10 minutes before you're ready to eat it.  :)  This was a hit as a Vacation Bible School snack!

We LOVE this stuffed shells recipe!  And I must give tribute and thanks to Camp Au Sable for sharing the recipe with me.  I can't even remember who the Chef was when I acquired this recipe, but I still have it handwritten on a worker's meeting bulletin.  That is what sits in my recipe binder. Sauce - It's important that the sauce you use does NOT have citric acid in it.  I tested it once and the taste is odd.  I'm not sure why, but it's true.  For so long I have been buying Meijer brand tomato and basil flavored spaghetti sauce to use with this recipe because it did not have citric acid.  They have redone their sauce and it has citric acid now.  And one day I looked through our small-town grocery store and only found one sauce that didn't have citric acid.  So here is what camp did for their sauce. Ingredients: 2 lg cans Hunts Tomato Sauce (they didn't say how large!) 3 tsp Italian seasoning and some garlic powder OR Allegra Tomato Sauce (ba

Here's your chance for a little kitchen creativity. Cook according to your taste buds! This is the basic recipe.  You can add and subtract what you want, and you might need a little more seasoning.   Ingredients: 1 ½ C long-grain brown/white rice or jasmine rice, rinsed 1 ½ T olive oil 1 med onion, quartered and sliced 2 C small broccoli florets 2 medium carrots, sliced 1 medium red pepper, diced 1 can chunk pineapple, drained 1 C coconut milk 2 T soy sauce 1 tsp curry powder 2 tsp minced ginger Chopped cashews, optional (I added a small amount of cubed fried tofu)   Instructions: Combine the rice with 3 C water in a saucepan.  Bring to a rapid simmer, then cover and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, 30-35 minutes. Shortly before the rice is done, heat the oil in a stir-fry pan.  Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden.  Add the broccoli, carrots, and bell pepper.  Turn the heat to medium-high and stir-fry for 3 minu

These were yummy and crispy!  And everyone got to dress theirs with the seasonings they like.  Everyone wins! Ingredients: Potatoes Vegan butter Seasonings Instructions: Preheat the oven to 425. We washed the potatoes and then put them between pencils on a cutting board.  I read on the internet that you can use chopsticks.  Those would probably be better since they are not round.  But we used what we had and it worked like a charm.  Thinly slice the potatoes, accordion-style, cutting down until you reach the pencils.  You should not have cut all the way through the potato.  It will be intact when you bake it.   In a small bowl, combine melted butter or oil and any seasonings you like. Drizzle this over the potatoes and then use a pastry brush to spread the butter and oil mixture evenly and in between the slices of each potato. Sprinkle with salt.   Give them an extra-long roast in the oven so that the insides have time to become creamy and the outsides