Sexy Mexy Valentine's Dinner

MEXICAN VEGGIE-BEEF & SOY STUFFED PEPPERS

This recipe has been modified from it's non-vegan version that I found and could not resist messing with. Original recipe is courtesy of eatbetteramerica.com.

If you don't already have...

1 1/2 cups bran cereal

1 can tomato puree

4 medium bell peppers

1 package soy taco veggie-beef

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 can kidney beans, drained, rinsed

1 can chopped green chillies, undrained

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 cup shredded cheeze (Follow Your Heart), if desired

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Place cereal in food-storage bag; seal bag and crush with rolling pin or in food processor. In a medium bowl mix cereal and tomato puree; let stand 5 minutes.
2. Cut bell peppers lengthwise in half. Remove seeds and membranes. Place peppers, cut sides up, in ungreased 13x9-inch baking dish.
3. In 10-inch skillet, cook veggie-beef and onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until veggie-beef is thoroughly cooked;drain. Stir in cereal mixture and remaining ingredients except for cheeze. Divide veggie-beef mixture evenly among peppers.
4. Cover; bake 40 to 45 minutes or until peppers are tender. Spring each pepper half with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheeze; let stand 5 minutes.

The Only Real 'No Guilt' Cheezecake

DAIRY FREE CHERRY CHEEZECAKE

If you don't already have...

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup real maple syrup

1 (8 ounce) package silken or soft tofu

1 (8 ounce) container nondairy cream cheese

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 1/2 lemons, juiced

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp soy milk

1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees

2. In a medium bow, mix graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup maple syrup. Press mixture into pie tin and bake for 5 minutes.

3. In a blender, combine tofu, cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, and confectioners' sugar. Dissolve cornstarch in soy milk and add to the blender.

4. Blend until smooth and pour filling into crust. Mixture should fill the tin but not cover the outside crust.

5. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Reduce heat to 325 F and continue baking for 15 minutes or until fully set. Cool on a wire rack and then chill for several hours.

6. Invert onto a plate and then again onto a serving platter. Pour cherry pie filling over the top and serve.

The PBBH

A lunchtime classic! Who cares if you don't open that brown paper bag to find a Lunchables waiting inside...you have something better...you have the PBBH! The PBBH is the solution for lunchtime to keep Veggie-Moms and Veggie-Kids smiling.

OPEN-FACE PEANUT BUTTER, BANANA & HONEY SANDWICH

If you don't already have...



1/2 Banana
Chunky Peanut Butter
Texas Wheat Toast

Honey


Directions:



Slice, spread, drizzle and enjoy. :)

Getting Your Daily Dose

PROTEIN POPPERS

If you don't already have...

1 1/4 cups oats

1 1/4 cups toasted walnuts, chopped

1 1/2 cups unsweetened crisp rice cereal

1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

1 cup dried cranberries, chopped

3 tbsp crystalized ginger

1 cup brown rice syrup

1/4 cup natural cane sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

Directions:

Combine oats, walnuts, cereal, coconut, cranberries, and ginger in a large bowl and set aside. Combine brown rice syrup, cane sugar, vanilla, and sea salt in a saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly for 4 minutes. Pour over the dry ingredients, and stir until everything is evenly coated. Allow the mixture to cool for about 5 minutes, then roll into 1-inch balls with wet hands. Serve as is or use muffin liners to make these a to-go snack.

It Tastes Like Summertime

HOMEMADE FRUIT JUICE POPSICLES

Think back to those warm summer days and you can almost taste that popsicle dripping down onto your fingers. Here's a blast from the past that should have you playing in the street and getting back up on your bike in no time.

TOP 10 FRUIT POPSICLE FLAVORS

1. Berries and Soymilk
2. Strawberry
3. Orange and Soymilk
4. Lemon Lime
5. Pineapple Mango
6. Fruit Punch
7. Orange
8. Grape
9. Watermelon
10. Cran-Apple
    

I think these turned out so particularly well that I'm now determined to work my way into the pudding pop realm. Viva la popsicle!

Nothing Says Superbowl like Superfood

So when my Super Bowl Sunday Salsa was a flop, I decided to venture on to a project involving something that can't go wrong. Chocolate. My first attempt at dark chocolate peanut butter pretzels are enough to make me start considering chocoholic therapy in the near future. My favorite part are the recycled gift wrappers. Mostly because they give minor merit to my hoarding of plastic and paper bags, as I am always under the assumption that I will need them for some oncoming craft or another.


Warning: These are extremely vegan and delicious. Not for the faint of heart.

DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PRETZELS

You'll need about:

1 hour

25 servings, 50 pretzels

If you don't already have...

1 bag (15 ounce) pretzels

2 (12 ounce) bags dark chocolate chips

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Pour chocolate chips into a medium sized mixing bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir chocolate and repeat heating until fully smooth.

2. Dip pretzels into chocolate mixture and until covered. Remove from bowl by scooping out pretzels with a fork so excess chocolate can strain off pretzel and place onto wax paper.

3. Once all pretzels are covered, place sheet of wax paper into the freezer and chill until chocolate has set. This should only take a few minutes before you can remove them for the next coating.

4. Scoop peanut butter into small microwavable bowl and heat for 1 minute. Add vegetable oil to mixture and stir until creamy and thin. If mixture seems too thick, add small amounts of vegetable oil as needed.

5. With a fork sprinkle pretzels with melted peanut butter. By using a soft 'flinging' motion you can get an awesome drip effect on your pretzels.

6. Repeat with chocolate and refreeze until fully set.

Enjoy and eat peace.