Creamy Tomato Soup

Again, this is a favorite of my children. Cooking for them is a joy-- but especially so when they attack healthy food with gusto. Here is a "Campbells " taste in a healthier format. This recipe was "borrowed & tweaked" from the Guilt-free Gourmet by Vicki & Gina Griffin

Tomato Soup

In a blender, place:

1 c. raw cashews
1 1/2 T. onion powder
2 T. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried basil
a pinch of oregano
1 cup water
3 T. honey

Blend well. Add 1/2 cup potato flakes or buds. Blend briefly again.

In a kettle, heat 1 large can of tomato juice. Add the cashew mixture & whisk together. Heat until hot on low heat.

This works well warmed in a crock pot.

Breakfast Casserole

When this is on the breakfast menu, one of my girls is ecstatic. She absolutely loves it!





In a medium size bowl, place:
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 T. nutritional yeast
2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 T. tahini

Mix together until smooth. Add 1 cup of soymilk, a little at a time. Then stir in 1/2 cup dry potato flakes. Set aside to let it thicken.


In the bottom of a prepared 9 X 13 pan place frozen hashbrowns & soft bread cubes, at least an inch thick. Sprinkle with a vegetarian sausage or bacon of your choice.


Into the first mixture, crumble 16 oz. of firm tofu. Stir to mix. Spread over hashbrowns and bread.

Add more sausage or bacon if you like.
Cover with foil and refrigerate over night. Bake for at 350 degress for 1 hour -- 30" with foil on; 30" with foil off.

Drizzle with Cheezie sauce before serving.

Another option is to use a cheese substitute like Daiyo. I have done it that way & it works just fine. But, I think I prefer the Cheezie Sauce. My girls gobble it up either way!

Cheezie Sauce

4 oz. jar of pimento
1 cup raw cashew pieces
1 T. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 T. nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 T. lemon juice
1/3 cup quick oats
1 1/2 cups hot water

Blend all together in blender until smooth & thick. We like to add about a tsp. of liquid smoke to this sauce, as well. Gives it a great smoked taste & goes nice with the casserole. I often divide the sauce into 2 containers and put smoke seasoning in some of it and taco seasoning in the remainder.

Creamy Pumpkin Flan Cake

To make this dessert, you really need a flan pan such as this one from Pampered Chef

Cake layer:

1 c. canned or cooked pumpkin
1/3 c. oil
3/4 c. Succanat
1/4 c. soy milk
1/4 c. ground flax
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
a sprinkle of cloves, nutmeg & ginger
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix the pumpkin, oil, succanat, milk, flax and vanilla together in a bowl. In a sieve or sifter, place the flours, baking powder, soda, spices & salt. Sift dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture.
Preheat oven to 350 and prepare pan -- spray with cooking spray & cover the center section of the pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the pan. Smooth. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the cake. Tip cake out of the pan onto a wire rack to cool.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling

1 T. vegan gelatin
1 c. hot water
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup dates
1/4 c. coconut oil
1 T vanilla
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup pumpkin

Blend the first 4 ingredients. Add remaining ingredients. Blend all together until very smooth. If it's too thick to blend gradually add a little more water. Place in a container, cover & chill.

Caramel Topping:

Cook one 12 oz can of coconut milk with 1 cup of unrefined sweetener (sucanat, etc) for about 30 minutes over medium heat. Add 2 T. of flour & 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir until smooth. Cool.

After the cake is cool, spread the Pumkin filling into the depression in cake. Drizzle with Caramel Topping (you won't need the whole recipe, so you can use the rest for another purpose -- like dipping your finger into it & licking!) Garnish cake with chopped, roasted pecans.