Spicy Cauliflower Rice (low fat, low carb, vegan)

*Recipe adapted from Michaela Hickman's recipe.

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower
1 tsp curry powder (I use medium hot Madras curry)
2 green onions
1 tsp red pepper flake

Directions:
1. Cut cauliflower florets into small 1-2 inch pieces. Steam cauliflower for about 6 minutes or until tender.
2. While cauliflower is steaming, slice all of the green onions into small pieces.
3. Pulse cauliflower in food processor a few times until it reaches a rice-like consistency. *You might have to do this in a few small batches at a time.
4. Pour cauliflower into a bowl and sprinkle with green onions, curry, and red pepper flake. Stir to combine.
5. Enjoy!

Not so healthy, but ... Easy Sweet and Sour Crockpot Seitan (vegan)

photo from here.
(I ate it up before I remembered to take a pic! It looked just like this though!)

Ingredients:
1 lb seitan, cut into chunks (I bought two 8oz packages)
6 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3-4 large garlic cloves, minced
1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (I like it spicy; decrease amount if you don't.)
1 (20oz) can pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

How to:
1. Place seitan, carrots, and onion in crockpot.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, red pepper flakes, and pineapple juice until sugar is dissolved. Pour into crockpot.
3. Cook on low 8 hours.
4. 30 minutes before serving, dissolve the cornstarch in the water and add the mixture to the crockpot along with the bell peppers and pineapple chunks.
5. Turn crockpot up to high and cook for 30 minutes, until peppers are crisp-tender.
6. Serve over rice or couscous. Enjoy!

recipe adapted from:
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Sweet-and-Sour-Crockpot-Seitan-350753

Manhattan Cocktail

Ingredients:
2 shots bourbon
1/2 shot sweet vermouth
2 splashes bitters
1 splash maraschino cherry juice (optional)
1 squeeze fresh lemon juice (optional)
1 maraschino cherry

How to:
Shake all above ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, strain into glass.
Garnish with 1 maraschino cherry.
Enjoy!

Polenta with Roasted Tomatoes (vegan)

To Roast Tomatoes:
Cut tomatoes of your choice in half, spray cookie sheet with cooking oil, put tomatoes cut side up on sheet, spray with cooking oil, sprinkle tomatoes with pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder ... put in a 425 degree fahrenheit oven for about 25-35 minutes.

To make Polenta:
I buy Bob's Red Mill brand "Organic Polenta Corn Grits" ... Boil 6 cups water with about 1 teaspoon salt. Gradually stir in 2 cups of the polenta ... Reduce the heat and simmer gently, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to get thick. I like to throw in some Italian spices ... red pepper flake, basil ... etc. Once mixture has thickened (about 15 minutes) shut off heat and pour into bowl to allow to cool.
(While the polenta is cooling, I like to carmelize some onions in a little olive oil and saute some black olives and garlic to mix into the polenta when serving it.)

Throw roasted tomatoes on top of polenta with some fresh chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley.
Enjoy!

Spicy Roasted Beet Salad (vegan)

Ingredients:
4 beets, roasted and diced
3 large carrots, sliced
1 large seedless cucumber, sliced
1 (15oz) can chickpeas
1 inch ginger, peeled and minced
1-2 anaheim chilis, minced
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons vegan granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:
1. Roast Beets (cut greens off beets, wrap each beet in tin foil individually, put on a cookie sheet in a 425 degree fahrenheit oven for about 45 mins or until a knife goes smoothly into the beet)
2. Once beets have cooled enough to handle, peel skin off by rubbing each beet with a paper towel (wear some disposable latex gloves or else you'll look like you murdered someone) :)
3. Dice beets
4. Throw all ingredients into a large bowl and toss. Voila!