Phebe's Keep-You-Full-Till Lunch Slow Cooker Granola

 This granola recipe is adapted from Fresh From the Vegetarian Slowcooker by Robin Robertson. If you don't have a slow cooker, you can do this in an oven, too. If you're a fan of raw food, this tastes good even before it's toasted, so I think it'd be fine to have a raw version. This granola is protein packed and very filling. We usually eat it with soy yogurt and fresh or (defrosted) frozen fruit.

This makes two batches worth. I generally put half in the slow cooker right away and half in the freezer to be cooked later.

Mix in a gigantic bowl in the following order:

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
2 cups kamut flakes
1 cup whole raw almonds with skins
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup hemp hearts (hulled hemp seeds)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup canola or coconut oil (or a mix)

1/3 cup honey, brown rice syrup or agave
1/3 cup maple syrup

Grease your slow cooker with margarine or oil. Put about half of the granola in the slow cooker. Cook on low (do not put it on high, as Robin Robertson suggests. It will burn) for about 4 hours, stirring about every 1/2 hour to hour. It will need to be stirred more frequently as it gets drier. You will know when it is done because it will be dry and slightly golden brown. If you don't stir it, it will burn, but usually only in localized spots, so it can be saved.

When the granola is done, spread it out on a baking sheet placed on top of a cooling rack to dry. Once it is dry, put into an air tight jar. I use my blender jug, with the blade removed from the bottom, as a "funnel" to get the granola from the sheet into the jar. Eat within 2 weeks, or, to prolong shelf life, refrigerate granola.

You can also put dried fruit in this (the picture here has dried blueberries, cause it was a gift for my dad) but I found that if you put the fruit in the slowcooker it gets too dry and hard. I almost broke my teeth on a piece of date in one early batch. I'd recommend adding dried fruit at the end after everything is cooked, or putting it in individual servings to taste (especially since I find many people don't like certain dried fruits). You can also add in or take out various nuts, seeds or grains, and play with the proportions to your tastes and nutritional needs.

Pasta with Parsley Walnut Pesto

I made this up the other day when I wanted a quick lunch and it was so good. The walnuts make it so creamy that it almost reminds me of an alfredo or something like that. I had previously tried the walnut pasta sauce recipe in Nonna's Italian Kitchen but was disappointed (especially since I like the other recipes I've tried from the book). This pesto is what I expected or dreamed that that walnut pasta would taste like. I am probably overly impressed with myself for thinking this up and for it being so easy (I keep gloating to my partner about it). We had this pasta again a few days later, as a side to store-bought "chick'n" fingers. We probably should have also had another veggie with this meal. But we didn't.

All of these measurements are approximate, since I just throw it together and taste as I go!

• 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley (whichever kind you have on hand)

• 1/4 cup raw walnuts, ground finely - until they are almost nut butter - in a clean coffee grinder (not one used for coffee)

• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 Tbsp dried basil

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 2 tsp garlic powder

You could use fresh garlic and basil in this as well if you have it on hand. I was too lazy to chop the garlic and don’t generally have any fresh basil.

Mix all ingredients together. Toss with freshly cooked pasta. It is a thick pesto, and will sort of melt as it mixes with warm pasta, coating it with rich goodness.

It's also yummy when topped with home made vegan "parmesan".

Best Yet Baked Vegan Mac n' "Cheeze"

I've been experimenting for some time with different vegan mac n' "cheeze" recipes. Mac n' cheese is one of my favourite comfort foods, and lots of the recipes I've tried have been close to the kind of thing I was looking for but were not quite up to satisfying my cheese cravings. What I was looking for was a mac n' cheeze that was gooey, but not making the pasta mushy. Also one that was not thickened with flour or cornstarch, resulting in glue for leftovers. And of course, it needed to taste as close to cheese as possible without being cheese. This version is pretty darn good, and very satisfying. No mac n' "cheeze" is quite mac n' cheese, but I think I like this just as well (and I don't have a stomach ache after). With broccoli and tomatoes, it's a complete meal. My partner also likes to add veg sausage to his.

• 1 cup brocoli pieces (small florets and pieces of stem)

• 1 tomato, skinned and chopped into small pieces (place whole tomato in boiling hot water for a minute or two and skin will come off easily)

Recipe:

• About 3 cups large macaroni

• About 1/2 cup Daiya vegan cheese (this is optional, but it makes it cheesier tasting, and more cheesy textured, too).

• 1 Tbsp vegan margarine (I use Becel vegan)

Sauce ingredients:

• 1 C raw cashews

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• 1 Tbsp tahini

• 2 Tbsp mild yellow miso

• 3 Tbsp pimentos (from jar), roasted red pepper or salsa

• 1/4 tsp mustard powder

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• Few dashes of Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning

• 3/4 cup water or soy milk (can add more if the sauce is too thick)

Topping:

• 2 Tbsp home-made vegan “parmesan”

• 3 Tbsp panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 375 F. Put on a pot of water to boil. Cut up broccoli and skin and chop tomato. Put on macaroni to boil. For the last three or so minutes of the pasta’s cooking time, you’ll want to add in the broccoli to cook too. You want the broccoli barely cooked - still firm. So make sure your pot is big enough for mac & broccoli!

While the macaroni is boiling, make the “cheese” sauce by putting all of the sauce ingredients in a blender. Start blending on low, and move to high setting, until all ingredients are completely blended into a smooth, orange sauce. It should be thick, but not too thick. It should be a little thinner than you’d want cheese sauce to be if you were pouring it directly onto pasta for eating. It will thicken a little when the casserole is baking. If the sauce is too thick (ie. if you have to use a spatula to get it out of the blender) add a little more water or soy milk and blend. If it is really runny (seems more like a beverage than a sauce) add some more cashews and blend again until smooth. I like to do this sauce by taste, adding things as I go. If it tastes good raw, it'll taste better cooked.

Drain the macaroni and broccoli. Put macaroni and broccoli into a large bowl and coat it in margarine to stop sticking. Grease a large casserole dish. Mix sauce, tomatoes and Daiya into macaroni bowl. Pour the macaroni mix into the casserole dish. Top with panko and parmesan. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the top of the casserole is slightly golden and firm. Let cool at least 5 minutes before serving and eating. I love putting freshly ground black pepper on mine!