Barley & Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 8 cups broth (I use vegetable)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves, crushed
• 4 large carrots, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup uncooked dried lentils (brown or green)
• 1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley

Place all ingredients into a 3 1/2 - 6 quart slow cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW for 8-9 hours until lentils and barley are tender or HIGH for 4-5 hours.

We like it served with crusty italian bread with olive oil and a fresh fruit salad.

This is a great Sunday dinner. Easy to fix before you leave for church!

Gluten - Mock Chicken

Everyone in our family loves this "chicken"! Great for sandwiches, salads, "chicken" fingers-dipped in BBQ sauce, breaded, soups, casseroles --you get the picture and SO EASY!

• 1 1/4 cups gluten flour
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/2 tsp. thyme leaves
• 1 tsp. onion granules or powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 Tbs. light oil (olive, grape seed)
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbs. Chicken Flavored Broth powder (optional - but really makes a difference in taste)

1. Whisk together dry ingredients.
2. Stir together broth, oil & soy sauce
3. Stir together just until combined
4. Pat into 8 X 8 lightly oil pan
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes until completely set
6. Cut into cubes, cutlets or chop in processor to use as chicken salad etc.
   
   Stores 2 weeks in refrigerator
   
   
   

Black Bean Burgers

• 2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tsp. miso, any kind
• 1 small thumb size piece of ginger finely chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
• handful walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup flour (rice, semolina, whole wheat)
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2 Tbs olive oil
  

1. Chop ginger, green onions and mushrooms and saute in olive oil until mushrooms are soft. Add chopped nuts and continue sauteing for another minute to toast.
2. Please beans in food processor, reserving a few to add later with miso and process until smooth.
3. Add to vegetables. Add cumin, flour and remaining beans and mix.
4. Form into patties (4 or 5)
5. Lightly oil or spray non-stick pan and fry for 10 minutes, turn and continue to cook for addition 5 minutes.

Note: If you prefer, you can bake them in the oven at 400 degrees on oiled baking sheet.

Quinoa Vegetable Paella

Quinoa - pronounced "keen-wah" Cultivated by the Inca for hundreds of years. The individual grain when cooked forms a pretty translucent ring. Quinoa is a complete protein and a great addition to food storage for a heath-conscience diet with a low glycemic index.

• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 tsp. saffron, crushed
• 2 tsp. Spanish smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumim
• dash cayenne
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 14-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 3/4 to 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1 can artichoke hearts, rised and quartered
• 2 Tbl. olive oil or broth for sauteing
  

1. Place quinoa into fine mesh stainer and rinse thouroghly.
2. Saute onion and garlic in deep skillet with olive oil or broth until soft.
3. Add the quinoa and saffron and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Add paprika, cumin, cayenne, tomatoes, pepper, beans, and 2 3/4 cup of broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
5. After 15 minutes check to see if more broth in needed. If it looks dry, add the remaining broth.
6. Place the zucchini on top of the quinoa and revoce. Cook for 5 minutes more until quinoa is done.
7. Remove cover and stir in peas and cook uncovered until peas are warm and all liquid is absorbed. Arrange artichoke hearts on top and serve. Add salt at the table, if necessary

You will notice that not everyone like artichokes, so on our picture, only half of the paella have the artichokes.

original recipe from http://blog.fatfreevegan.com