Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

Vegan Month of Food 2017

"Lines and Light"

(a line of original poetry or a photo of beautiful light every day for the month of October)

'Deep Beauty'

bug upon a leaf
frog under a bush
snake in the grass
sun through a petal
~ look closely ~

dog on the driveway
bird near her nest
spider with her eggs
rain for a tree

Day 13: Sell Yourself- If you were going to market a food you make, what would it be?

This is my famous creamy red pepper sauce. I've been making it for years. It's kinda spicy and very creamy. It freezes like a dream. It's great to make when the red peppers go on drastic clearance. I use it in all kinds of ways: pasta, of course. It's amazing on a pizza or as a dipping sauce. Pour it over burritos for a new flavor profile for your standard Mexican fare.

Take it out of the freezer before you leave for work.

Here's what you need:

6 red peppers, seeded and deveined, chopped in 1 inch pieces

1 large vidalia onion, chopped in 1 inch pieced

2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped like the rest

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 C veg broth

1 C raw cashews

Here's what you do:

Place everything in a large pot. Cook for a long time, until everything is nice and soft and ready for the  blender. Allow to cool for a bit. Place in a high speed blender. 

Sweet Red Pepper Candy

A few years ago, when red peppers were on sale at my local grocery, I purchased 20 or so and I'll never forget the reaction of the cashier and the bag guy. "What are you going to do with all those peppers?" they asked, incredulous.

I think my answer was a teeny, tiny bit snarky, and feel free to agree with me.  "Eat them," I replied.

Here's a delicious and quite gourmet way to use 7 peppers. Sweet, crunchy, chewy, and beautiful to boot. I gave all mine away as gifts, (Boo Hoo, Sob, Sob) so I'm just going to wait for the peppers to go on sale and make more.

Here's what you do:
Clean and slice 7 red peppers in about 1/2 inch lengthwise strips
Drizzle 1/2 C real maple syrup over the peppers and massage it in
Arrange on trays of dehydrator (My dehydrator has 4 trays - adjust quantities if needed)
Dehydrate for 24 hours (check them and maybe turn some over if needed as the hours tick away)

I started dehydrating mine at bedtime, so in the morning I could begin watching them more closely. I always dehydrate in the garage so I don't have to listen to all the noise and deal with all the extra heat that my dehydrator produces.

Try this! It's amazingly easy and so gourmet!

Roasted Red Pepper, Chickpea, and Spinach Curry (from One Green Planet)

I found this recipe floating around the internet a few weeks ago. I always love the recipes from One Green Planet, plus they post the absolute best animal photos. We all really liked this meal, but I jazzed it up a tiny bit by adding some heat in the form of 1 T red curry paste. Of course, you can add heat or leave it out - I always forget how spicy we like our food and how 'non-spicy' other people like their food. Just yesterday, a co-worker dipped her spoon into my vegan cheezy sauce and couldn't believe how spicy it was. To me, it was perfect!

Below is the original recipe and my variations.

Roasted Red Pepper, Chickpea, and Spinach Curry

3 large red bell peppers
3 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 onion, diced
salt and pepper
1 1/3 C coconut milk ( I used a can of full fat coconut milk)
4 T nutritional yeast
2 1/2 T cornstarch (next time I'll leave this out so the liquid is thinner)
1 pinch smoked paprika
1 1/4 C chickpeas
1 C spinach (needs lots more - add it at the end to keep it nice and green)
3/4 C cherry tomatoes (I used a can of diced tomatoes, drained. Next time, I'll keep all the liquid)
(I also added 1 heaping T of red curry paste. Sriracha would be good too)
1. Bake the red peppers at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes until charred. Place peppers under some plastic wrap and allow them to cool. Remove the skin, seeds, and stems and set aside.
2. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
3. In a blender, mix the peppers, onion and garlic mixture, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, cornstarch and smoked paprika.
4. Transfer the sauce to a skillet, add chickpeas, spinach and tomatoes. Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve over rice. 

Pasta Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Dressing

Have you ever heard those radio shows where people call in asking for certain recipes? Maybe it's for a particular cake they had at their book club. Or perhaps they're looking for a crock pot recipe using onion soup mix. Scalloped potatoes is always a favorite recipe that is shared on this type of radio show. Cheese, cheese and more cheese! (oh, and canned soup!) 

Another variation of this radio show is a 'copy cat' recipe - you know, Kentucky Fried Chicken, the famous biscuits from Red Lobster, the blooming onions. (OMG-- have you eaten those? DELICIOUS) 

Well, I totally nailed this copy cat recipe and I share it here on my little blog. I'm embarrassed to show you how much I paid for 2 pounds of this salad, but it is so, so good! My version has been veganized and is not quite as salty as the store bought. I also cut back on the mayonnaise. The most recent time I made this salad, I added some cashew Parmesan (recipe HERE) for a little bump in the cheesy flavor and a hit of salt. 

16 ounces penne rigate pasta - cooked more than al dente

1/3 C minced onion

1 C corn

1 C grated cheddar

1 t dried basil

1 T red wine vinegar

1 roasted red pepper

1/2 C mayo or more to taste

1/4 t cayenne pepper or more to taste

1/4 t garlic powder

Cook the pasta till soft, drain, rinse and set aside. Add in the onion, corn, cheese and basil. Whirl the dressing ingredients in a high speed blender, using a spatula to move it all down. Pour over pasta and mix well. Add Parmesan cheese if desired. 

Tracy’s Thai Inspired Stuffed Peppers

Creamy and Spicy

1 can coconut milk

1 heaping tablespoon red curry paste

2 t sugar

1 t soy sauce or other salty Asian condiment

½ head cauliflower chopped in very small pieces

1 shredded carrot

½ C frozen peas

1 can chick peas

Cooked rice – about 3 C

Red peppers, halved and cleaned

Bake at 350 until the pepper is very soft and starting to wither. 

Mix the milk, curry paste, sugar and salty seasoning. When simmering, add the cauliflower pieces and continue to cook on low until the cauliflower is very tender. Add the frozen peas, shredded carrots, chick peas and rice. Mix well. Stuff each pepper half very full, making sure to get the mixture into every crease of the pepper. There will be plenty to stuff 4 peppers (8 halves), or just plan to use the left-over rice for another meal. 

Lemony Roasted Red Pepper Dressing

I have made this dressing twice this week, and it’s only Tuesday! It’s got all my favorite flavors; lemon, Dijon, roasted red peppers. Plop it all in a blender and whirl to perfection. It’s based on a Food Network Magazine recipe, but I made some tracy changes.

 The first attempt was a bit grainy / streaky because my red peppers were still frozen.

Today – total creaminess…. I was actually thinking about dropping in a tablespoon of sour cream. That would be heavenly. 

Black beans and avocados – now that’s not bad for a Monday evening salad! What would be really super is crispy Romaine, green peppers, tomatoes, corn, black beans, cheddar, grilled chicken and avocados. This one is a total keeper!

Here’s what you need:

2 T lemon juice

1 T Dijon mustard

½ t sugar

Salt, pepper to taste

1 C roasted red peppers

¼ C olive oil

1/8 C water

Here’s what you do:

Put it all in a high powered blender and have at it.

(printable recipe)

Here’s one last look at the stuff on my son’s tostadas…..grilled chicken, white rice, cheddar, salsa, Lemony Red Pepper Dressing, habanero salsa. …. All served on a grilled tortilla. Lemon

Vegetable Lasagna with Basil Cashew Cheese

I give this recipe all the best superlatives. It originally comes from  Oh She Glows blog , which is loaded with excellent food and photos. I tweaked it a bit by adding hot pepper flakes. Killer. !! I am going to put this outstanding Basil Cheese on a pizza soon….. dreaming and drooling. Double Killer!! 

Here’s what you need:

Olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1 onion, diced

2 zucchini, cubed

8 oz. baby bella mushrooms

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 large handful spinach

Salt and pepper

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

1 ½ jars marinara sauce

1 box oven ready lasagna noodles (no boil type of noodle…. I love Barilla brand)

1 recipe Basil Cashew Cheese (see below)

1 ½ C non-dairy cheese (Daiya Shreds or Go Veggie Cheese)

Here’s what you need for the Basil Cashew Cheese:

1 c raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes

¼ C vegetable broth or water (or more as needed)

¼ C lemon juice

½ C nutritional yeast

Salt and pepper

1 T Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves

1 ½ C fresh basil, loosely packed

Here’s what you do:

Soak the cashews in water for at least 30 minutes. Drain them. Place all the ingredients for the Lemon Basil Cheese in a high powered blender (like a Vitamix) and watch what happens! Amazing! I had to add a bit of water to help it along. Set aside.

Saute the onions in a bit of oil until soft but not brown. Add the garlic, zucchini, mushrooms, red pepper and red pepper flakes. Saute the huge amount of veggies till nice and tender. Be sure to season them liberally with salt and pepper. When they are ready, add a big handful of fresh spinach and cook for about 5 more minutes.

I split my lasagna into two pans: one for dinner and one for the freezer. 

To assemble the lasagna: Pour about ½ C sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Layer uncooked noodles over sauce. Spread basil cashew cheese over the noodles. Spoon ½ of veggie mixture over noodles. Pour more sauce over veggies. Repeat, being sure to end with sauce. Make sure the sauce is tucked down in and around the noodles.  End with a layer of non-dairy cheese. I used Go Veggie brand and it was super.

Cover with foil, make a few vents in the foil with a sharp knife, bake for 40-45 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  Remove foil and broil for a few minutes, watching carefully. Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before slicing.

(printable recipe) 

Meatless Monday Link-Up - Spicy Black Beans with Peppers and Rice

 My first Link- Up! Please participate and be sure to tell your other food blog friends!

Anyone out there want to commit to Meatless Mondays with me? For those of you who don’t know, the Meatless Monday campaign was launched in 2003 in association with the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and now there are 23 countries participating! Wow!

Paul McCartney introduced ‘Meat-Free Mondays’ to the United Kingdom and there are tons of other famous people on board…. you know, Oprah and so on. But we don’t have to worry about all the celebrities, let’s just commit to getting at least a tiny bit of meat out of our diets. The health benefits are indisputable and surprisingly, the effect on the environment is pretty profound also. (For example, it takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce a single pound of meat…. That’s CRAZY WASTEFUL!!!!)

Never eaten vegetarian meals before? Not sure where to begin? Well, look through the vegetarian and vegan recipes right here on my blog to start and then surf over to the Meatless Monday website which is loaded with irresistible recipes.

The best way to start a meatless meal is by embracing – and I mean EMBRACING -- the humble bean. :) 

Here’s what you need:

1 T vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced

1 C chopped green pepper

1 C chopped red pepper

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 T ground cumin

1 jalapeno pepper, seed and veins removed, diced

1 t dried oregano

2 x 15 ounce cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

2 C cans crushed tomatoes with added puree

¼ C orange juice

1 ½ t hot sauce (Tabasco)

1 1/3 C raw rice, cooked

(My beans were frozen and it looks like one of my peppers was orange)

Here’s what you do:

Heat the oil in a heavy bottom skillet. Add onion, green pepper, red pepper, garlic, cumin, jalapeno and oregano. Sauté veggies  until soft but not too brown. Mash about ½ cup of the beans and add them to the veggies. Also add the remaining beans, tomatoes, orange juice and hot sauce. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the consistency is to your liking. Serve over white rice with lime, cilantro, sour cream, avocado, shredded cheddar, etc….. 

(printable recipe)

Cheezy Beany Bean Dip

We ate this last week and are still talking about it. Do you ever have meals like that? Where you just can’t stop talking about it? Simple ingredients with a little bump in flavor. A little extra love. A tiny teaspoon of extra flavor..... or a whole can. 

These quantities made a lot, which worked great for us, because we live on bean burritos for lunches throughout the week. In fact, Tim came home from work the following day and exclaimed, “I had the best lunch today!” Yes, he said that about a humble bean burrito. Little did he know that I actually had the best lunch. It’s because of the extra attention we gave the beans. Made all the difference.

Here’s what you need:

A large can of refried beans (30 oz, I think ) 

A can of chipotle salsa 

A few words about this little can of magic. It’s hot! This stuff packs a mighty punch, so start slowly. We can take an entire can, but you might like to start with half a can. (you can always freeze the leftovers in little ice cube trays and then pop the frozen salsa into chili or other tomato based sauces. )

Another word about chipotle: be sure to purchase the salsa for this recipe and not the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. See the difference in the photo? 

Leftover juice from roasting red peppers (super secret ingredient! Remember when I roasted all those red peppers?)


I used the other half in some bean soup last week. Such flavor!



For the Cheezy Sauce:
½ C raw cashews, soaked in hot water for at least 30 minutes, drained, rinsed

1 T tahini

1 red bell pepper, roasted, with the skin and seeds removed (mine came from my freezer. You can also buy them in big jars in the grocery.)

¼ C nutritional yeast

1 T soy sauce

2-3 T lemon juice

¼ t cayenne pepper

Here’s what you do:

Whirl the beans, chipotle salsa and pepper juice in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings.

To make the cheese: put all the ingredients in a high powered blender and see what happens! This stuff is awesome! (The cheeze recipe comes directly from "Forks Over Knives" by Del Sroufe.)

Put it all together in a pretty pattern with your favorite Mexican toppings: cilantro, tomato, avocado, lettuce, green pepper – whatever sounds good to you! Serve with tortillas and chips.

Sour cream anyone? 

Three Short Vegetable Stories

(Drizzle a bit of olive oil, bake in 400 degree oven, turn once in a while.) 

Story #1 : Red Peppers (on drastic sale at the grocery store)

Cashier, “What in the world are you going to do with all those peppers?”

Bag Boy (he was actually a retired gentleman), “Yes, what do you do with those?”

Tracy, “I roast them and freeze them and put them in my food.”

Cashier, “Like what?”

Tracy, “Burritos, pizza, sauces, salsas, salads. I might come back and get more!”

(Remove skin and seeds, capture all the lovely juices for later, freeze on baking sheet. Place frozen baking sheet on a warm , wet dish cloth to melt the bottom. Use a metal spatula to chunk the peppers off. Freeze in bags. )

(Wrap them in foil and place in 400 degree oven till knife tender. Remove skins, slice, sprinkle with vinegar. Free advice: wear rubber gloves)

Story #2 : Beets from the farmers market

Farmer, “Want a bag of homegrown beets?”

Tracy, “Yes! We love them! I’ll roast them, sprinkle them with cider vinegar and serve them to my family.”

Story #3 : Weird Squash (which makes a great centerpiece)

Same farmer as in the beet story, “Would you like this squash for free?”

Tracy, “Absolutely! It’s Mother Nature’s Art!” 

Burritos: Refries, Red Peppers, Tomatoes, Green Onions, Chipotle Cream: VeganMoFo #5

I'm a Veganwannabe: Post #5

A few days ago, I bragged that I am the refried beans QUEEN...My exact words, I believe, were, "I have refried beans down to a science." Once, my hubby ordered a bean burrito with a side of beans at a local Mexican restaurant. We eat beans probably twice a week....it's a running joke, but we never tire of them..... I think that may be why this whole 'vegan' thing seems in my reach.... I LOVE BEANS!!  May I provide some evidence here, today? 

Here’s what you need:

Refried beans – if you choose canned beans, choose fat-free type.... Please start making your own.... I plan to blog about that this month, so stay tuned! 

One sweet red pepper

A few green onions, sliced length-wise (my newest craze)

A handful of cherry tomatoes

Flour tortillas

Red salsa

Dairy-free sour cream

Dried chipotle flakes

Hot sauce

Here’s what you do:

Slice the pepper in long strips and sauté them in a tiny bit of oil. After they are soft and somewhat browned, add the green onions and tomatoes. Continue to cook – pierce the tomatoes so they don’t explode.

Spread some refried beans on the tortillas and split the lovely sautéed veggies over the beans. Roll up and place in a greased baking dish. Smother with salsa and stick in the oven.

In the meantime make the chipotle cream. Add the dried chipotle flakes to taste and shake in some of your favorite hot sauce. We LOVE Tapatio!! Search for it!! It’s pretty authentic and not too hot. 

I cleaned my plate and went back for another half.....so good! 

I am feeling great about VeganMoFo!!! Can I keep it up??? Lots of posts...pshew.... I think I will make it!!! Plus, the added benefit??? I feel GREAT about my health/diet!

Next Post: Lemony Wild Rice with Pine Nuts, Currants and Spinach

Swiss Green Beans

The last weekend of summer is upon us. This calls for family get-togethers, back yard BBQS, farewell trips to the beach, and back to school! I have always loved the beginning of September because it means I go back to the classroom and dig in for another year of teaching. I love to cook and I love to play my instruments, but teaching is my life’s calling – it’s where I feel most at home.

If you are planning a weekend picnic, this is the perfect salad. Straight from one of the Moosewood Cookbooks (The Enchanted Broccoli Forest). It’s perfect in every way and always gets RAVE reviews. I know at first glance the ingredients don’t seem to ‘match,’ but trust me, they’re excellent!

Here’s what you need:

1 ½ lbs fresh green beans, cleaned and trimmed

2 large cloves garlic, minced

¼ C extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp dried tarragon

1 tsp dried dill

Black pepper to taste

2 tsp Dijon mustard

3-4 T fresh lemon juice

1 T red wine vinegar

½ C fresh parsley, minced

1/3 lb swiss cheese, cut in thin strips

½ C chopped ripe olives – use a great quality olive; avoid using the canned stuff

1 small green pepper cut in thin strips

1 small red pepper cut in thin strips

½ C chopped or slivered, toasted almonds

Here’s what you do:

Blanch the green beans until tender-crisp. Cool them under cold water. Slice the cheese and veggies. Prepare the dressing by whisking everything together…. The original recipe calls for adding the vinegar and lemon juice at the last minute to keep the beans nice and green and crisp. I know that’s probably the best way to prepare this salad, but I just mix it all together and it turns out great every time.

Happy Labor Day to my American friends, and happy back to school to all those teachers, parents and students out there! 

Red Pepper Hummus

Here's another of the recipes I promised you. Are you a hummus lover? 

(You know, one of these days, I am going to learn how to take a better photo.  This photo does NO justice to my beautiful red pepper hummus - trust me! I even served it in one of my cute fish bowls!)

I love dips. I love dunking. I love snacking. I love appetizers. I love to eat snacks between meals. I also love hummus. Here is a red pepper version. If you have never made hummus at home, I totally encourage you to give it a try! Easy and better than store bought. Cheaper, too!

I am from the metro Detroit area, so I have eaten lots of excellent Middle Eastern food in my life. I just love it. If you happen to be in Detroit, you MUST eat at Steve’s Back Room on the east side - world’s best hummus. I don’t know how they do it. Olive oil, I’m guessing. There’s also a great place in Old Town in Chicago called Old Jerusalem.  I once (or twice) ate the BEST Chicken Shawarma of my life there. The pastries are excellent too! Off the top of my head I can recall great Middle Eastern meals in Washington DC and Ypsilanti also….. I choose it whenever I can. Unfortunately for me, no Middle Eastern restaurants close to where I currently live, so I gotta make my hummus at home. Gladly!

Here’s what you need:

2 large cloves garlic

15 ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

1/3 C tahini

1/3 C lemon juice

½ C roasted red peppers from jar, drained and chopped

Here’s what you do:

Using a food processor, set it on high and drop the garlic cloves in while the blade is going. This is a perfect way to mince garlic. Add the remaining ingredients and blend well, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Thin with water if you want it a little thinner. Serve with veggies, chips or these excellent spicy pita triangles. 

Thai Curry Chicken - a photo recipe

Black Bean Burgers : What to do with that lonely red pepper in the veggie drawer

Got one of these peppers in the bottom of your vegetable drawer? Here’s what to do – grind it up with some onions, garlic and black beans, add spices and an egg…. Voila! AWESOME black bean burgers.

This recipe comes from my lovely sister, who made these for us a few weeks ago. She served them with sweet potato fries and broccoli salad. Yum.  I put roasted tomatoes and avocados on mine and served them in a toasted flour tortilla. No time for sides in my house.

I think the best thing about this recipe is that you must freeze the burgers before baking them and you bake them from the frozen state, which makes them perfect for a weeknight meal.

Here’s what you need:

A red or green pepper

½ onion

3 cloves garlic

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 egg (or vegan egg substitute) 

1 T chili powder

½ T cumin

1 t hot sauce

¾ C oatmeal

Here’s what you do:

Process the oatmeal until fine. Set aside. Process the pepper, onion and garlic until very smooth. Strain out the liquid and return the veggie pulp to the processor. Add the beans and process until very smooth.

Remove the mash to a bowl. Add the oatmeal, egg and the spices. Form into 4 patties, wrap, and freeze.

Bake at 375 degrees on an oiled baking sheet for about 20 minutes. Flip them after about 10 minutes. No need to thaw them!

Excellent! My new favorite vegetarian meal! 

(printable recipe)

One Year Ago: Easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole - you should have this in your recipe box!
                        Creamy Southwest Chicken Soup - a family favorite
                        Hungarian Mushroom Soup - Moosewood Cookbook 

Bonus: have you toasted flour tortillas like this yet? Very fun! Put them in the oven until crispy. 

Tracy’s Red Pepper Sauce

Take some red peppers, sweet onions, tomatoes, garlic - mostly peppers.

Chop them up. Cook them in a big pot for a while. Add some salt, pepper, sugar. Keep cooking.

Add some tomato sauce and some tomato paste. Keep cooking and stirring.

Cool. Process in a machine until pretty smooth.

Press through sieve (optional step. Sometimes I leave the sauce chunky)

Serve on pasta, pizza, enchiladas, etc.

Be very proud of your efforts. 

One Year Ago:  Jamaican Kebabs (I made this again a few weeks ago - took them on a picnic)
                         Linguine with Chicken, Asparagus and Raspberry Vinaigrette (a family favorite)