Baked Potato with Vegan Cheese Sauce

Simple, yummy, filling, nutritious, high-fiber, guilt-free meal. Baked potato with chili beans, blanched broccoli, vegan bacon, and plant-based cheese sauce (link HERE).

-Wash potatoes. Place in 350 F oven. Cook for about 75 min. (There's probably a quicker way that I haven't learned, yet).

-Open can of chili beans, pour into small sauce pan, and heat over medium heat

-Cut rinsed broccoli into bite-size pieces and blanch (click HERE) in boiling water for 2 min. Drain.

-If using vegan bacon, follow directions. (Mine needed to be thawed, then cooked for 2 min each side on pan

-Slice skin off from top of potato. Mash the inside. Pour on hot beans with its own sauce, then top with cheese sauce, broccoli, and vegan bacon...or whatever toppings you are craving :)

Bacon tastes good because of the salt and fat (and sugar) combination

our tastebuds crave (pig meat doesn't taste good without those things).

As I was cooking this plant-based version, my husband and son

came in a said it smelled like bacon. They liked the vegan bacon.

It's good in a sandwich. It doesn't have the same texture

as pig bacon. When I knew how much the young pigs suffer,

it was easy to give up pig bacon. Additionally, pig bacon is a

Class-1 carcinogen...bad news for our body, the pig's body,

as well as the environmental damage from animal agriculture.

Creamy Potato Soup

This is a winner in our home. I don't remember if my oldest who is in the army now liked it or not. I think so. Hm. This is from The Clear Skin Diet book by Nina and Randa Nelson. It is influenced by John McDougall, MD. Page 205. Low sodium (or no sodium if using water instead of broth).

-Tool used: immersion blender...could be very good not blended, too

Topped with marinated and cooked bunapi
mushrooms and baked tofu slices.

Ingredients: (conversions not verified by my kitchen scale, yet)
6 gold potatoes, cubed
4 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3/4 C (170 g) chopped onions (can use 1/2 c dried minced onions)
2 tsp (9.5 g) garlic powder (I use 1-2 cloves)
4 C (500 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth
1 C (125 mL) non-dairy milk (I use almond milk or soy milk)
2 tsp (9.5 g) poultry seasoning*
2 C (227 g) fresh or frozen corn (I leave out bcz youngest doesn't like it)
1 T (14 g) nutritional yeast

*poultry seasoning: 1 tsp sage, 1/2 tsp marjoram, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp celery seed  (approx)

Directions:
-Begin heating liquids in pot while washing and chopping veggies
-Add all ingredients except for the corn to the pot; bring to boil on high
-Reduce heat to medium, simmer covered for about 1 hour until potatoes are softened
-Remove soup from stove
-Use immersion blender to cream the soup
-Add the corn and return the lid to the pot. Let is sit for a couple of minutes without adding additional heat. The corn will be warmed by the hot soup

Mashed Potatoes

I don't have a measured amount of anything. It's all by sight and taste-preferences. Once, I didn't have regular soy or almond milk and only had vanilla soy. "What the heck, let's try that!" The vanilla soy milk was a wonderful surprise! It's so good. I don't even need gravy, personally. Now, this is not a health-food because of the processed oil from the vegan butter, the sodium, and sugar in the sweetened milk if you are watching for those things. But this is a family fave. {I am looking for WFPB mashed potato recipes, though :)}

Gravy link here

Ingredients: (conversions not verified by my kitchen scale, yet)

5-8 yellow potatoes, cooked

vegan butter
vanilla soy milk
garlic powder
onion powder
pepper
salt (I like kosher)

Directions:
-Mash the potatoes and gradually add milk about 2 Tablespoons at a time until you get the consistency desired
-Mash in the other stuff

Tip about salt: leave it out and only add it after it's been served. Having the salt on top rather than incorporated into the food can reduce the amount needed to satisfy the taste

Moroccan Stew of Potatoes, Peas, and Artichoke Hearts

This is sooo goood! My daughter requests that I double the artichokes. They really do add wonderful flavor. Credit goes to my friend Neca 💚 Note: Sometimes I add lentils to Neca's recipe. I increase the water and keep a watch to see if more is needed while cooking.

Ingredients: (conversions not verified by my kitchen scale, yet)
1/5 - 2 lbs red or gold potatoes, cut into 1" chunks
2 tsp lemon juice
12 sprigs parsley, chopped
10 sprigs cilantro, chopped
6 threads saffron, crushed (I actually use more-12? idk, they just look small to me, and I like the flavor)
1 tsp turmeric
----
1 onion, finely diced
1 c lentils and another 1/2-3/4 cups of water
----
1.5 c vegetable broth (can use no-salt or use a bouillon paste to control salt amount)
1...er 2 cans of artichoke hearts, drained, quartered and chopped (rinse if canned in salted water)
1-2 c frozen baby-peas

Directions:
In large bowl, mix lemon juice, parsley, cilantro, saffron, and turmeric.
Add potatoes, stir-to-coat potatoes in mixture. Set aside.
----
In medium pot with lid, add onion and cook for about 5 min. (No oil needed. Can use water as-needed to prevent sticking).
Add lentils and water if including.
Reduce heat to medium. Add potatoes and broth.
Cook covered until potatoes are almost tender (maybe 15-20 min)
----
Add artichokes, peas, and pepper. Cook until hot