Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 1/2 cup dry shiitake mushrooms
• 2 large yellow onions
• 6 stalks celery
• 6 carrots
• 1 pkg Quaker Quick Barley
• 8 cup water
• 2 tablespoon vegetarian chicken style seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Directions:

Shiitake mushrooms have the perfect chewy texture to go with the barley. Even
die-hard beef stock folks won’t miss the meat.

Rinse the shiitake mushrooms and set them aside to soak in plenty of water.
They will need about an hour to soak. Chop the onions, celery, and carrots.
Put the vegetables and the seasoning in a large stock pot with the
water. When the mushrooms are soft, snip them into smaller pieces (approx. a
square inch each) and drop them in the pot. Bring the pot to a boil, turn
down to simmer. Cook until the carrots just start to soften. Add barley and
simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Taste the broth occasionally while cooking,
add salt to taste and more of the seasoning if needed.

Note on Shiitake mushrooms for those of you new to dried Shiitake mushrooms:
These guys are sandy, so rinse them WELL in a colander to start. More sand
will fall out of them as they expand. I like to soak them in a mixing bowl
with lots of water to keep them floating well above the bottom. I even turn
the gill sides down. Always remove them from the soak with a slotted spoon
without sloshing the bowl around, don’t dump them through a colander.

You can then ladle some of the soaking water into the soup, if you do it
carefully and don’t disturb the bottom. I’m sorry to state the obvious to
people who already know, but I learned this a little at a time, and would have
been nice to know the first time!

Serves:

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1/4 lb broccoli
• 1 large portabella mushroom
• 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 1/2 container tofu (cubed) (optional)
• hand full of sliverd almonds
• olive oil
• “Bragg’s Liquid Aminos”
• “thia kitchen-green curry paste” (to taste)
• salt
• your choice of noodles

Directions:

Wash and cut broccoli and portabella into 1″ cube size pieces. In a large frying pan add
about 2 tbsp olive oil. When the pan gets hot, add the garlic. When the garlic starts to
brown, add in the broccoli and a couple dashes of braggs. The broccoli will cook faster
in the oil than by steaming, so keep an eye on it. When it becomes soft, add the
portabella, and a bit more braggs and the almonds. At this point, start preparing your
noodles the usual way. Keep stirring the broccoli, and add in the tofu as well as the
green curry. Let this cook on low for a couple minutes. Do not keep it on too long, or
the tofu will crumble. When the noodles are finished, put them onto the dinner plates,
and then add the broccoli mixture on top. Fast, easy, and delicious!

Serves: 2 to 3

Preparation time: 20 min

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 2 cups water
• 3 small tomatoes (or 2 large), chopped
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1/2 of an onion, or 2 scallions, chopped
• Dash of red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons bazil
• Several mushrooms, sliced (optional)

Directions:

Bring the water to a boil and add chopped tomatoes and
onion. Bring to a boil and cook until tomatoes are soft.
Remove from heat and cool until lukewarm. Puree in a
blender (if you have a small blender, puree in two batches)
until smooth. Return to pan and bring to a boil. Add the
grated carrots and the spices and basil. Add the sliced
mushrooms 5 minutes before serving, or use as a garnish on
top with a sprig of parsley.
Per serving (2 per batch):
Calories: 79.8 Protein: 3.185 Fiber: 7.72 Carbohydrates:
18.345 Fat: .53

Serves: 2 large, 3 small

Preparation time: 1/2 hour, tops

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 small bell pepper finely chopped
• 1/4 soymilk
• 1/2 jar artichoke hearts drained (approximately 3 oz)
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms (canned or fresh)
• 1/4 cup vegan grated parmesan cheese or substitute
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 oz. fettucini pasta

Directions:

Cook pasta
until al dente, drain.

While pasta is cooking, place canned mushrooms (see *note below) and olive
oil in sauce pan. Heat on medium heat
for approximately 3 minutes.

Add peppers and cook
for 2 more minutes.

Add artichokes,
soy milk and vegan cheese or substitute.
Simmer together 3 minutes or until hot.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss pasta with
sauce. Serve with additional “vegan cheese” if
desired. Enjoy.

*Note: if you use fresh mushrooms you
will need to saute them in olive oil
until tender first.

Serves: 2-4

Preparation time: 17 min

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• vegan cheese
• vegan bread
• non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
• mushrooms
• garlic
• salt
• oregano

Directions:

Saute 1 cup of mushrooms in margerine,garlic, salt, and
oregano for 8-10 min.
Remove mushrooms and put them in a bowl and cover(to keep
warm).

On same pan, fry 2 pieces of vegan bread.
When one side is done flip and place 4 slices of vegan
cheese and mushrooms on the toasted side.

Put the toasted side of the other piece of vegan bread down on
top of the mushrooms and cheese.
When bottom side of sandwich is toasted flip and toast
other side.
When toasted it’s ready

Serves: 1

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes