CARMELIZED ONION BRUSCHETTA

(veganized)

Serves 15

Ingredients

1 tsp Earth Balance

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp brown sugar
2 onilns (medium, sliced thin)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 baguette
1 tbsp olive oil
2 roma tomatoes (diced)
fresh basil

1. Heat Earth Balance butter and oil in saucepan. Add onions and saute several minutes until onions begin to wilt.
2. Reduce heat to medium low, add salt, sugar, and garlic and sate for 30 minutes.
3. Increase heat to medium high and stir in broth. Saute until almost completely reduced.
4. Slice bread into 1/2" slices, brush with oil, and place on rack on broiler. Broil each side until golden.
5. Remove and top with onions, tomatoes, basil, and fresh pepper.

I got this recipe from my mother's drawer in her dining room. It must have been there for over ten years. It was mailed to her by the realtor that sold them their home over 15 years ago. It was perfect timing since my mind was trying to decide what to bring to trivia night. It was fantastic! Friends loved it.

To make it a lot easier and to my liking, I brought already broiled baguette pieces from the local grocery store. Also, I prefer my bruschetta cold. It was chilled in the refrigerator before taking it to trivia night. Another alteration is that I chopped the onions instead of cutting i with long strands. Not a fan of stringy slimy onions. It turned out great and has such a good flavor.

Stuffed Mushrooms With Sautéed Green Beans

Stuffed Mushrooms With Sautéed Green Beans

Original Recipe by Eleanor Arkhipova
(Serves 4)

Ingredients Stuffed Mushrooms

• 2 packages whole mushrooms
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 1 stalk celery chopped
• 3 slices of vegan whole wheat bread pulled apart
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients Green Beans

• 2 12 oz packages of green beans
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Method Stuffed Mushrooms

1. Preheat over 30 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Wash mushrooms and remove the stem from the caps. Set caps aside and chop the stems. Set aside.
3. In a medium sized pot or wok, saute the onions in medium heat until translucent. Add the red pepper and celery. Mix until cooked.
4. Add the pieces of whole wheat bread and mix well.
5. Add oregano, garlic powder, onion powder. Mix.
6. Add the unsweetened almond milk and mix. 
7. Salt and pepper to taste.
8. Grease a baking sheet with oil spray.
9. Place mushroom caps on the baking sheet to be filled.
10. Stuff the mushrooms with the bread stuffing.
11. Bake for 15-20 minutes until mushrooms are cooked and the stuffing looks crunchy.

Method Green Beans

1. Cut the ends of the green beans.
2. In a large pan, add olive oil and then saute the green beans in medium heat.
3. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. Mix.
4. Cook until desired crispiness.
5. Serve as a side dish with the stuffed mushrooms.
6. Enjoy!

Talk about the ultimate side dish dinner. The mushrooms went on sale at the local Aldi's so we took advantage. This went fast because it was so delicious and oh so simple. Once again, add more spices as needed.

Sushi & Spring Rolls

Izzy (brother) and I made some healthy dishes today. He made the sushi and I made the fresh spring rolls. The sushi is filled with different combinations of cucumbers, carrots, avocado, eggs, cream cheese, and sesame seeds. The spring rolls are all fresh wrapped in spring roll rice wrappers containing green onions, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, avocado, alfalfa, and bean sprouts. These are fairly easy to make and I had fun bonding with my brother while creating these. He's a great cook and an even more awesome brother.

Mariquitas-Plantain Chips

My brother, Izzy, came over yesterday and showed me how to cook an excellent appetizer, Mariquitas-Plantain Chips. This recipe is his own version of the Mariquitas-Plantain Chips we ordered from the Little Havana Restaurant during our trip to Miami last year. It's extremely delicious but must be served within 15 minutes of cooking. Very easy to make. See the recipe below.

Mariquitas-Plantain Chips

By Izzy

INGREDIENTS
2 unripe plantain bananas
1 cup vegetable oil
3 tbs olive oil or butter
1 minced garlic clove
1 tsp lime juice
salt to taste

PREPARATION

Peel the plantain bananas. The easiest way to peel is to cut both ends off
and then make a vertical incision from the top of the banana to the bottom. Peel.

Using a peeler, peel the banana from top to bottom.

The peeled plantains should look like this.

In a deep medium pot, deep fry the bananas until golden. The consistency should be crispy but not burned.
Do not  put too many in so that they won't stick together.

Here is a crumpled one just out of the fryer. Still very good.

Sauce Mix:
You can either use an olive oil base or a butter base. We used olive oil.
In a small container combine the olive oil, garlic, and lime juice. Mix.
Drizzle  sauce over the plantain chips. Mix the plantain chips and drizzle more sauce to it.
Salt as desired.

Serve and ENJOY!