Mayan Waffles (vegan)

I have always loved experimenting in the kitchen and I have been a dietetic (health reasons as opposed to moral/ethical) vegan for a little over a year now -- while my diet has expanded to encompass vegetarian choices at present because my budget is somewhat limited while on the job search (^-^) I do plan on following vegan guidelines again as soon as possible, but I figured I'd share the wisdom I've garnered over my year-long journey as the Big V. Today I've decided to share my own recipe for home-made, Mayan Waffles; chocolate with a little kick to get you going in the morning (but don't let me limit you -- some of my best dinners have circled around breakfast foods). The special equipment you'll need for this recipe is a handy waffle iron.

Spicy White Bean Chili

Original RecipeI wanted to make white chili and so I spent the other night when I could not sleep Googling recipes, and found several different ones. None of them were quite what I wanted, so I really just used them to get an idea of the proportions for the spices, but I definitely made it my own. None were vegan or made with tofu, and many served 10-15, so I changed that about it as well.

Quinoa and Sweet Potato Salad

Quinoa and Sweet Potato Salad - Serves 4 Original recipe from Veg Cooking. Ingredients: 1 cup dry quinoa 2 cups vegetable stock 1 large sweet potato, diced 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided Black pepper and sea salt, to taste Dash of cayenne pepper 2 tsp.

Awesome Vegetarian Cookbook

I have an awesome vegetarian cookbook! It's called Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison. It has 1400 recipes and it has won the Julia Child award.

Easy Ginger Tofu Bake

This is a quick recipe for a large quantity of tofu so that there are lots of leftovers. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C/175 degrees F Here's what you need: -large glass or similar baking dish (see picture) -Package of Tofu (I used 2 blocks so that I can have leftovers) -1/3 Medium onion or more -1 head of garlic -1 inch of ginger or more -1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari -splash of rice wine vinegar or ume plum vinegar -sesame oil to cover tofu -3 stems or so of cilantro/coriander Optional -10 cumin seeds -sprinkle of cumin powder -2 green (or red) chillies Chop all ingredients (chop tofu in cubes - see picture), add liquid ingredients and toss together. I usually just mix everything in the dish that I'm using to bake it all in.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Roasted Red Pepper Dip - Serves 8 as an appetizer Original recipe from Whole Foods. Try this alternative to the usual hummus. Muhammara is a delicious Syrian recipe for a spread of roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts and a touch of spice, offset by pomegranate molasses.

Peach Agua Fresca (Agua de Melocotón)

Peach Agua Fresca (Agua de Melocotón) - Serves 4 Original recipe from Wild Oats. Cool and refreshing, agua frescas are popular south of the border and offer delicious thirst-quenching fruity flavor. See below for more flavors to try.

Quick FYI

I know this is not necessarily vegetarian, but while I was browsing some health articles and recipes I came across this in my search. Usually I don't like to read articles like these because I usually become ever so bored, but this one I actually like. And it's all about TEA!

Vegemite UPDATE

Whew! I can't believe it's been over a month since my last "real" entry. I've been thoroughly enjoying my Vegtarian Times magazine.

Jamaican Jerk Tofu

Jamaican Jerk Tofu - Makes 6 servings Original recipe from Meatless Mondays. This is the kind of miracle dish that can convert anyone to tofu. The Jamaican "jerk" seasoning is sure-to-please.