Chickpea Patties

In case you haven't noticed, I'm not one for fake meat. I'm actually not even sure I understand why other vegetarians/vegans go for processed meat substitutes. We gave up meat.. why on earth would we want to eat that?
Besides, have you ever read the ingredient list on one of those packages? They read like the contents of a cupboard in a science lab. I'm all for science and progress, just not in my food!
Not wanting to eat hydrolyzed whatever, I prefer to make stuff from ingredients with names I can pronounce. I think this may just be a new favourite in the realm of meat substitutes.

I actually had this while DH was having oven-fried chicken. We had the same sides (potatoes mashed with goat cheese and some lovely carrots - entry coming soon). Our plates looked very similar :) Unfortunately, I was starving by the time I was done cooking and completely forgot to take a photo... I was also going to make a mustard sauce to go with these. Can we say brain fart?
(I own 3 cameras... you'd think I'd be better at taking blog photos...)

Serves 4 (1 cutlet each)

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked chickpeas
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup panko
1/4 cup vegetable broth (or water)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dried sage
Extra oil for frying

Method:
1. Give the chickpeas a spin in the blender or food processor until they are mashed and no whole chickpeas remain. Transfer the smushed beans to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Knead with your hands for 3-4 minutes until strings of gluten have formed (i.e.: it all starts to stick together and it becomes "elastic" when pulled apart).

2. Heat the frying oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. While the oil heats up, form the chickpea mixture into 4 cutlets by flattening and stretching them. Place the cutlets into the skillet and cook 6-7 minutes on each side until lightly browned (turn once).

Reference:
Chickpea Cutlets from Veganomicon.

Mexican Rice Soup

This is a lovely light soup. Perfect for a summer evening.
It goes together very quickly once the broth has been prepared (and even that doesn't take long).

The shorter-grained rice and avocado give this soup a nice creaminess without making it heavy.

I actually made this a while ago and paired it with avocado bruschetta. Tonight, I had it with zucchini-tomato gratin. Both meal combinations worked really well together.


Serves 6

Ingredients: Broth
1 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 cloves, garlic, crushed
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tbsp. grated lime zest
Juice of 2 limes, squeezed
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 cups water

Soup
1/4 cup short- or medium-grain rice
1 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
1 avocado, diced (approx. 1 cup)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Method:
1. Make the broth first. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5-7 minutes. Add in the garlic and continue to saute for another minute. Add the veggie broth, zest, lime juice, oregano, and water. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the broth to simmer for 10 minutes then strain it, discarding the solids and returning the liquid to the pan.

2. Add the rice to the broth and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cover the pan and allow the rice to simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and corn and add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer an additional 10 minutes.

3. Pour the soup into serving bowls and garnish with the avocado, green onions, and cilantro.

Reference:
Based on Mexican Rice Soup from the September 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times.

My Changes:
*I actually used 1/2 avocado for 1 serving. :) What can I say? I love the stuff. I placed part of it on the bottom of the bowl before pouring the soup in and then added the rest on the top.
*Added the lime juice.
*Skipped the tortilla strips. I thought about breaking up tortilla chips but couldn't get the effect I wanted. (The original recipe called for 1 tortilla to be cut into thin strips, baked, and then used to garnish the soup).

'Shroom Fra Diavolo

A vegetarian version of Shrimp Fra Diavolo.

This was yummy, it just didn't look very appetizing so I skipped the photo!

It needs a bit more "heat" so I'll experiment with adding more crushed red pepper next time.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 portobello caps, cleaned and stems removed
1/2 tbsp. olive or canola oil
4-5 button or cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1-1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 tsp. (or more) crushed red pepper
1 tsp. capers, drained
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 servings uncooked pasta

Method:
1. Brush grill grates with oil and preheat grill to medium heat. Grill the portobello until slightly darkened and softened (I didn't time it... 5-6 minutes). Once grilled, slice the mushrooms and then cut each slice in half.
Cook the pasta according to package directions.

2. While the portobello grills, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped cremini or button mushrooms and the garlic. Saute for 5-6 minutes until softened.

3. Add the marinara sauce, capers, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and salt to the sauteeing mushrooms. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the portobello slices and cook 7-8 minutes until everything is cooked through.
Serve over the cooked pasta.

Reference:
Based on Shrimp Fra Diavolo from the October 2007 issue of Cooking Light.

Changes:
*Used portobello mushroom in place of shrimp.
*Sauteed button mushrooms with a little garlic.
*Added capers.
*Will add sliced kalamata or black olives next time.

Summer Evening Pasta

Recipes like this make me wish I had a green thumb (apparently, that trait is not genetic). As great as this was with store-bought stuff, I bet it would be three times as nice made with seriously fresh, straight-from-the-garden tomatoes and basil.

The no-cook sauce and quick prep time make this an especially wonderful dinner for a summer evening. Lovely with a salad and a glass of white wine.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 ripe, really fresh tomatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp. fresh basil, minced
1/8 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp. black or kalamata olives, chopped
1-2 tsp. capers, drained
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Freshly-ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 pound short pasta (wagon wheels, butterflies, penne...)
1/2 cup cooked white/navy beans

Method:
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the pre-cooked beans during the last few minutes of cooking time just to warm them through.

2. While the pasta cooks, place half of the tomatoes in a large bowl along with the onion, olives, capers, and basil.

3. Place the remaining tomato chunks into a blender or food processor bowl. Add the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic. Puree until smooth. Transfer this mixture to the bowl with the tomato-caper-basil mixture.

4. Once the pasta and beans are ready, drain and add them to the bowl with the tomato mixture. Toss well and serve immediately.

Reference:
Pasta with Salsa Cruda from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favourites.

My Changes:
*Added capers and olives.
*Added the beans for extra protein.

Baked Bananas (with Rum!)

The only thing better than cooked fruit: fruit cooked with booze. ;)

Makes a fantastic quick dessert. Great served with ice cream (or you could be good and serve it with fresh berries).

I'm 99% sure this is vegan if you make it with the non-dairy spread.

The photo does not even begin to do this justice...


Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp. butter or non-hydrogenated non-dairy spread
1/2 tsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 tbsp. rum
Pinch of ground cinnamon
2 ripe (but firm) bananas, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Melt the butter and then mix it in with the lemon juice, maple syrup, rum, and cinnamon.

3. Put the bananas in a shallow dish then spoon the buttered rum mixture over them. Bake about 8 minutes or until soft.

4. Remove the bananas from the oven and then preheat the broiler. Broil a couple minutes until the sauce turns into a glaze. Garnish with fresh berries if desired. Serve with ice cream, frozen yoghurt, or non-dairy ice cream.

Reference:
Bananas Baked with Buttered Rum from The Occasional Vegetarian.

The only change I made was to use mango rum in place of the dark rum called for in the recipe. (I was home alone and couldn't reach the good stuff in the back of the liquor cabinet so I grabbed what was available).
The mango rum worked out great but I'll have to try this with some of the yummy Appleton run we brought back from Jamaica...

Pasta Shells with Spicy Tomato Sauce

This is a fast and easy, slightly spicy pasta dish.


Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2-3 tomatoes, cut into small chunks (keep the seeds)
1-2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/3 pound small pasta shells
1 cup cooked black beans
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Method:
1. Heat the olive oil over low heat in a medium skillet. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the garlic begins to turn golden, 2-3 minutes. Add the jalapeno and saute an additional 1-2 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, 1/2-1 tsp. salt, and pepper. Cover partially and cook until the tomatoes begin to fall apart (10-12 minutes). Stir every few minutes. Add the beans to the sauce during the last 2-3 minutes of the sauce cooking time.
While the sauce cooks, cook the pasta according to package directions. Add the corn to the pasta during the last few minutes of pasta cooking time.

3. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss to combine. Garnish with cilantro and season with additional salt if desired.

Reference:
Pasta Shells with Spicy Tomato Sauce from The Occasional Vegetarian.

My changes:
*Added onion.
*Added corn and black beans.
*Used regular vine-ripened tomatoes in place of plum tomatoes.

Minty Chickpea Salad

I had this with the veggie skewers. It made a really refreshing summer salad.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (1/2 cup dried)
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/8 cup mint, chopped

Method:
1. Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, and salt. Add the chickpeas, vegetables, and herbs and stir well to combine.

Reference:
Minty Chickpea-Vegetable Salad from the July/August 2009 issue of VegNews.

My changes:
*Green onions in place of scallions.
*Cilantro in place of flat-leaf parsley.

Banana and Black Bean Empanadas

Bored with banana bread? Want a new way to use up those ripe bananas? Then you have to try these!

I actually made these a while ago and never got around to blogging them. They were just so fantastic, I can't leave them out! :)
I had this version of the Argentinean pastry as a meal with rice and a big salad but they would make great appetizers.

Note: The crust needs to be refrigerated for at least one hour (up to overnight) so plan ahead for that.

Makes 12 empanadas (6 servings)

Ingredients:
Crust
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
4 tbsp. non-dairy, non-hydrogenated margarine cut into small cubes (Earth Balance)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (Make your own if you have time!)
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

Filling
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup cooked black beans
1 clove garlic, smushed or finely diced
1 cup peeled, diced bananas (the riper, the better!)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. hot sauce

Method:
1. As mentioned above, you'll need to make the crust in advance. Here's how:
*Sift flowers, salt, and chili powder together in a bowl. Use your fingers to mix in the margarine like you would if you were making a pie crust.
*Whisk the applesauce, vinegar, and 1/3 cup cold water in a separate bowl.
*Add the applesauce mixture to the flour until a dough forms. You can add up to 1/4 cup more cold water if needed.
*Knead the dough on a floured surface. Form a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, chill.

2. While the dough chills, work on the filling. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onion in the oil for 4-5 minutes (until soft). Add the black beans and garlic and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the bean mixture for 3 minutes.

3. Add the bananas, cumin, cayenne, and coriander to the bean mixture and cook for 2 minutes or until the bananas just begin to break down (this smells amazing!) Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and hot sauce.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, prepare a cookie sheet by spraying it with cooking spray, and lightly flour your work surface. Divide the dough into 12 balls and roll out each ball into a 6-inch round (about 1/4-inch thick).

5. Fill each dough round with a couple tablespoons of the filling and brush the edges with water. Fold the dough in half to make a semi-circle and press to close the edges. Use a fork to crimp the edges/seal the empanadas.

6. Place the assembled pastries on the cookie sheet and chill for 10 minutes. Once chilled, bake them for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.

Reference:
From the March 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times magazine.
I honestly didn't change anything from the original recipe... (except the cooking temp. - original called for 400).
I may try adding some chopped avocado next time or maybe even adding a little cocoa powder to do some sort of mole-esque thing. Watch this space! I love to experiment! ;)

Ancient Grains with Veggies Pilaf

This was really tasty but a bit of a pain to make... probably due to the fact that you have to cook each grain separately and I only own two saucepans. LOL.. I used to have a bunch but purged all the old crappy Teflon ones so now I'm down to two non-huge stainless steel ones. Plus, I needed one for DH's dinner.. The time it takes is worth it just for the amazing amount of protein in this dish!
At least I know for next time to make them all in advance!

You could really use any combination of grains and veggies that you have on hand. Rice would also work. In fact, the original version of this recipe called for brown rice; I chose to use quinoa instead in an attempt to cut back on cooking time.

The pilaf is really filling so I'd say this amount would feed 2; 4 as a side-dish.

**Note: Soak the spelt for at least 6 hours prior to cooking.**

Ingredients:
1/8 cup whole spelt grain
1/2 cup water

1/8 cup bulgur
3/4 cup water

1/8 cup quinoa
1/4 cup water

1/6 cup couscous
1/4 cup water

1-2 tbsp. olive oil
1/8 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 stalk celery, diced
1/8 cup carrots, finely diced
1/8 cup sweet potato, finely diced
1/8 cup parsnip, finely diced
1/8 cup mushroom, diced (I used portobello; any mushroom would work)
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/8 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh ginger (as much as you like; I think I used 1/2 tbsp.)

Method:
1. Start with the spelt. Drain the soaked spelt then add it to 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until it is cooked through. Spelt will not get too soft/it remains quite firm.

2. Cook the bulgur by bringing 3/4 cup of water to a boil. Add the bulgur grains and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until cooked through.

3. Cook the quinoa by boiling 1/4 cup water. Add the quinoa grains and then lower the heat and cover. Simmer 10-15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the white "germ" is visible.

4. Cook the couscous. Bring 1/4 cup water to a boil. Add in the couscous, cover, and remove from the heat. Let the pan sit for 5 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.

After each grain is cooked, set it aside while the other grains and the veggies cook (you can combine them in one bowl).

5. Heat 1-2 tbsp. olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, carrot, parsnip, mushroom, celery, and sweet potato until tender. Add the grains then add the soy sauce, green onion, ginger, and parsley. Cook and stir until everything is warmed through.

Reference:
This is based on the recipe "Ancient Grain Pilaf" from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.
My Changes:
I added the parsnip, sweet potato, ginger, and mushroom. I used green onions in place of scallions and used quinoa in place of brown rice.

Iron, Lion, Zion

This is an amazing source of iron (hence the Bob Marley rip-off post title!)
It was Marley's birthday on February 6th so we can think of this as a belated memorial meal or something. lol

The iron sources in this meal include the spinach, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the walnuts. OK, so the walnuts aren't a great source but they do have some! Besides, they have many other benefits ;) Plus, the vitamin C in the spinach, tomatoes, and lime juice helps with the absorption of the iron.

The cookbook I got this from said something along the lines of "Kids love this dish!" Um, yeah, maybe little hippy kids who actually eat spinach... how many of those do you know? Well, if you read my blog, you may know more than I am giving you credit for. ;)
If you can't convince your kids that spinach really is tasty, you can substitute in broccoli. That is, if you can convince your kids that broccoli is tasty! :)
I'm sure they were talking about the cute little pasta stars... I'm sure ALL kids love those! Heck, I'm 31 and I love cute little pasta shapes!
Oh! While I'm on shaped pasta... I saw this boxed mac and cheese (Annie's) the other day and the pasta was in the shape of peace signs. Had me written all over it! :)
See, I even took a photo of the dry pasta stars... 31 going on 5...


Serves 2 (could serve 4 as a side dish)

Ingredients:
2/3 cup dry stellini pasta (that's the tiny stars; you can sub in the alphabet letters if you can't find stars)
1-2 tbsp. of olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
1-2 large cloves of garlic (I used one huge one but I love garlic more than is considered normal so I'll add two next time)
1 portobello mushroom cap, sliced
2 cups spinach, washed, dried, and chopped up
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped up
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp. lime juice (or lemon juice)
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning (salt-free if you can find it)

Method:
1. Grill or broil the mushroom slices until tender. While the mushrooms are grilling, cook the pasta according to the package directions (about 8 minutes). Drain, toss with the lime juice and set aside. Let the mushrooms cool slightly and then dice them up.

2. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over low heat. Add the onion and then the garlic and let it cook very slowly so the garlic doesn't burn. Stir often! Once the garlic and onion are golden-brown, add the spinach and raise the heat to medium.

2. Cook until the spinach is wilted (1 minute or so). Stir in the pasta and mushroom pieces and cook until the mixture is warmed through. Toss in the lemon pepper seasoning, walnuts, and sun-dried tomatoes. Add additional lime juice as desired.

Serve immediately.

Reference:
This is based on the recipe Garlic Spinach Stellini Pasta from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.
My changes:
I added in onion, the portobello mushroom, the walnuts, and the sun-dried tomatoes.

Thanks to the British Vegetarian Society for the information on iron.
Information Sheet - Iron
Information Sheet - Nuts and Seeds

Root Vegetable Enchiladas (with Mole!)

I really need to learn how to make the “e” at the end of mole have an accent mark over the top of it because every time I type mole without it, it looks like I'm talking about eating sauce made of small animals who don't see very well! Um, no... DH loves enchiladas so I’m always looking for new and exciting vegetarian versions of this yummy treat. I really enjoyed these ones with roasted vegetables. The combination of the sweet veggies and the chocolate in the mole sauce along with the peppers was amazing! I know not everyone goes for that sweet-spicy combination but if you’re like me, you have to give these a try!

I do have to work on the cashew cream, though.. I think it needed more water! In my defense, it was my first time using nutritional yeast so maybe that’s the part that needs work! I would have tried a second batch since I really wanted to drizzle some over the top of the mole sauce but I just ran out of time… it’s hard when I’m trying to focus on a brand-new recipe while making chicken enchiladas for DH (just leave a comment if you ever want the chicken enchilada recipe – I have it saved and would be happy to share it. M always raves about it!) Next time, I’ll make the cashew cream first and just store it in the fridge. That should give me extra time to make more if needed.

On to the recipe! : )

Makes 2 very generous servings (4 enchiladas/2 each) You could almost get away with doing 1 enchilada per person and serving it with some seasoned rice, black beans, and/or salad (or some combination of those three sides). When I do enchiladas we have enchiladas and that’s it! They are just so filling!

Oh, before I go on… enchiladas freeze really well! Make a bunch; they are great to have on-hand and just pull out and re-heat when you need a quickie dinner.

Ingredients:
Jalapeno-Cashew Cream
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup water
1/2 jalapeno pepper
1-1/2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (see if you can find it in the bulk aisle - tubs of it are a bit spendy!)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Method: 1. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse on the "puree" setting until smooth.

Mole Sauce
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. garlic, minced (I actually think I just used 5 cloves)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

Method:
Heat 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.

2. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon to the hot oil. Cover and cook until onion is almost tender (about 10 minutes). Stir occasionally during the cooking process.

3. Mix in the chili powder and flour. Stir three minutes.

4. Gradually mix in the broth and increase the heat to medium-high. Boil until reduced (it took mine about 15 or 16 minutes). Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate.

Enchilada Filling
Ingredients:
1/3 to 1/2 cup each sweet potato, red potatoes, and parsnip (peel the parsnip and sweet potato), diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe jalapeno cashew cream (above)
Flour tortillas
1 recipe mole sauce (above)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

1. Toss the vegetables, cumin, onion, olive oil, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Spread the veggie mixture onto the cookie sheet and roast 45-50 minutes or until they are soft and lightly browned, stirring once or twice during the roasting time. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees.


**Make the mole sauce while the vegetables roast.**

2. Remove the vegetables from the oven and let them cool a little. Once cooled, toss them in a large bowl with 1/2 cup of the jalapeno cashew cream. Scoop the vegetable filling into the tortillas and roll each one into an enchilada.

3. Pour a little mole sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Place each enchilada on top of the mole. Cover the enchiladas with additional mole sauce. If desired, use the remaining cashew cream to drizzle over the mole-covered enchiladas.

4. Bake the enchiladas, uncovered, for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Reference: The jalapeno cashew cream and the enchilada filling recipes are based on "Roasted Root Vegetable Enchiladas" and "Chipotle Cashew Cream" from the Nov/Dec 2008 issue of VegNews magazine.
Changes for the enchilada filling included adding in the red potatoes and using the mole sauce in place of red or green enchilada sauce. I was going to add some corn, too, but completely forgot! Oh well... next time :)
The only change I made to the cashew cream was to use a regular un-roasted jalapeno in place of the chipotle pepper.
The mole sauce recipe is from Recipezaar. I just change it by adding a little extra chocolate and using veggie broth in place of chicken broth.

Hot and Sweet Ginger-Orange Tofu

I'm not a big tofu eater (it's just so processed which is always a turn-off) but this will be a recipe to remember when I have some to use up! While I was enjoying eating this, DH said "that smells flavourful." It really was! Plenty of sweet from the maple-orange-ginger glaze with a great spiciness from the red pepper. Yum!

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 block of extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into two halves (apparently firm tofu works, too, if that's what you've got!)
1/6 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
1/6 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
1/6 cup pure maple syrup
Pinch crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tbsp. orange zest
1-1/2 - 2 tsp. canola oil, divided
3/4 cup onion, sliced
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce

Method:
1. Prepare the tofu by letting it drain, covered in paper towels, for 10-15 minutes. Once drained, cut it up into small cubes (about 3/4-inch in size).

2. Mix together the orange juice, lime juice, maple syrup, red pepper, garlic, ginger, and orange zest.

3. Heat 1 tsp. of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the tofu cubes and stir-fry them until golden. They should look like this:


4. Remove the tofu cubes from the pan and set them aside. Add the onions and the remaining oil to the skillet. Saute about 5 minutes or until the onion is slightly golden and softened. Return the tofu to the pan along with the orange-ginger sauce, cilantro, and soy sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce reduces and thickens.

This is delicious served over rice. You can also sprinkle some additional fresh cilantro over the finished product, if desired.

Reference:
This is based on the recipe "Fiery Tofu with Red Chiles, Orange, and Ginger" from the February 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times.

I didn't change much... I used firm tofu instead of the extra-firm that was called for. I was worried it would fall apart but it really held its shape.
I also subbed in crush red pepper for the 2 or 3 dried red chiles that were called for. I couldn't find those other than in big bags and I'd probably never use them all! It added just the right amount of heat for me and it's easy enough to add as much or as little as you'd like.

Moroccan Lentil Soup

I got an immersion blender for Christmas so I'm always excited when recipes like this come my way and I find a new excuse to use it! It's quickly becoming one of my favourite kitchen gadgets!

I loved all the flavours in this soup - it was almost a little smoky. It's full of great low-fat protein from all the beans and lentils and the veggies and spices add all their own health benefits.

This is a really easy, low-maintenance dinner. Other than all the chopping and the occasional stir, this stuff cooks itself! Great for rainy weekends (because we have so many of those in San Diego!)
I wouldn't really suggest this for a weeknight dinner because it has to simmer for so long. You could make it one night and let it simmer while you cook/eat something else. Store it in the fridge and then re-heat it the next day. That would make it suitable for a busy weeknight since all the work is done! Just pair it with a crisp green salad and some crusty bread (or toast if you always seem to forget to pick up crusty bread for soup nights!)

This will make a lot - I'd say 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup dried lentils
2/3 cup dried chickpeas (aka: garbanzo beans) or 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup dried navy beans (or other white beans) or 1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
4 medium-sized fresh tomatoes, chopped (include the seeds) or 1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes (include the juice)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups white wine
1 1/2 tsp. garam masala (I make my own - see the note below)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2-1 cup button mushrooms, sliced (however many you like)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (couple tablespoons)

Method:
1. First things first, you'll need to soak the beans if you're using dried ones. There is a quick-soak method that I got from the Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites Cookbook down below in the "My Changes" section. Otherwise, soak the beans overnight. Once soaked, just drain them and give them a quick rinse before adding them to the rest of the ingredients.

2a. If you have a crockpot, you can dump everything except the lemon juice in and set it on low to cook for 8-10 hours. Something about leaving something with heat on all day while I'm at work scares me so I refuse to buy a crock pot! Besides, I think of them as tools for roasting chickens and it's not like I'll be doing that anytime soon. ;) Hmmm... I will admit, I miss a good roasted chicken... not enough to go back to eating meat, though.

2b. If you don't have a crockpot, dump everything except the lemon juice in a Dutch oven and cook it on the stove-top. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn down to very low heat and let it all simmer for 3-4 hours. Stir occasionally.

3. Once it's done simmering, stir in the lemon juice. I let mine sit on the hot burner (turned off) for a couple minutes after adding the juice.

4. Just before you serve the soup, use an immersion blender to blend it all up. If you prefer, you can pour the soup in a regular blender or food processor and pulse. Probably best to do it a little at a time if you go that route. Oh, and be sure to put a towel over the top so you don't scald yourself with hot soup steam. Ouch!

Reference:
This was posted a while back by one of the ladies on the Nest cooking board (thank you!) There are a couple other sources for it, though. This one from the blog A Year of CrockPotting and this version from AllRecipes (cited on the Year of CrockPotting blog).

My Changes:
I made a few!
First, I'm not the proud owner of a crock pot so I just made this on the stove in my Le Creuset.
Ingredient changes:
*I used dried beans instead of canned. I just quick-soaked them by bringing the dried beans to a boil and then letting them sit in the hot water (off the heat) for one hour. They'll cook the rest of the way while the soup simmers.
*I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned.
*Rather than using all veggie broth, I halved the amount and then used white wine to make up the total amount.
*I added some mushrooms and lemon juice, just because. :)
*I'd really like to try this with a dollop of Greek yogurt next time. Of course, that will make it non-vegan...
*I make my own form of garam masala by mixing the following together:
4 tbsp. cumin (or coriander seeds if you happen to have those)
1 tbsp. curry powder (or cumin seeds)
1 tbsp. freshly-ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. dried ginger
3/4 tsp. cloves or allspice
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. crushed bay leaves
3/4 tsp. cardamom
I modified this recipe to get the garam masala version that I use. It makes a ton but you can store it in an air-tight container.

Pasta e Fagioli (e tons of other stuff..!)

This started out as a recipe that sounded like it was lacking a few things so I threw in a bunch of other things I found in the fridge/pantry and made it my own :) I think I remembered to write down everything I added!

I cheated and added some freshly-grated Parmesan to the end product making mine non-vegan. If you are actually serving vegan friends or just want to be adventurous (you only live once, right?) you can add some finely ground almonds to this dish. Sounds a bit odd but the almonds actually add a nice creaminess and work as a natural cheese substitute for vegan meals. A coffee grinder makes easy work of grinding up the nuts.

2-3 servings

Ingredients:
1/4 cup navy beans (I used dried beans that had been soaked/cooked. That measurement is after soaking/cooking the beans)
1/4 cup kidney beans (also dried. Use canned if you like).
1/2-3/4 cup (dry) small pasta shells
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 can tomatoes, drained and diced
1/4 cup mushrooms (any kind you like - button, cremini, or baby bellas work well), chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion (red or white)
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/8 cup white wine (if you don't use alcohol, you can sub veggie broth for the wine)
1/2 tbsp. fresh thyme (remove the leaves from the stem)
1/2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, stems removed and needles/leaves chopped up a bit
1/4 tsp. dried oregano (or ~1/4 tbsp. fresh, leaves removed from stems)
1/4 tsp. dried basil (or ~1/4 tbsp. fresh, chopped)
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt
Additional fresh parsley to garnish

Method:
1. If you are using dried beans, remember you'll need to start hours in advance so they have time to soak. You can also quick-soak them by bringing them to a boil in enough water to cover them by 3-4 inches. Once they are boiling, immediately remove them from the heat and let them sit, covered, for 1 hour. Drain, rinse, and cook as usual.

2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and keep warm once it is done. While the pasta is cooking, saute the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in the olive oil until lightly browned.

3. Pour the tomatoes, spinach, wine or broth, black pepper, sea salt, and herbs into a medium-sized pot. Add in the mushroom and onion mixture. Bring this to a boil and then let it simmer until the sauce is thickened.

4. When the sauce is reduced, add the beans and pasta and carefully mix it all together. Let the beans and pasta get heated through then serve immediately. Sprinkle a little fresh parsley over the top as a garnish if desired.

Reference:
Based on the Pasta e Fagioli recipe from Veganomicon.
I added the mushrooms, onion, spinach, basil, parsley, and rosemary. I also used dried beans instead of canned (and used two kinds instead of just one as suggested in the original recipe). Additionally, I subbed in canned tomatoes for fresh and used fresh thyme in place of the dry.

Black Bean Chili

My new favourite chili recipe! This is very similar to black bean soup, just a little chunkier.
It's pretty quick to put together so it makes a good option for a weeknight meal. Great with some cornbread.
The Moosewood book I got this from recommends using leftover chili to make chilaquiles (one of my favourite breakfast items!) so I will definitely have to try that soon :)

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup water
1/2 tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tbsp. ground coriander
1/2 cup prepared fresh salsa
1 red or green bell pepper (or 1/2 of each pepper), chopped
1 (15-ounce) can of black beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (if using dried)
1 (14.5 ounce) can tomatoes, diced with juice
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
Salt to taste
Hot pepper sauce
1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Grated cheese, chopped raw onion, sour cream to garnish (of course, dairy cheese and sour cream would de-veganize this recipe but you can get nondairy versions of both if required)

Method:
1. Place the water, onions, and garlic in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and stir on medium-high for another minute. Stir in the salsa and bell peppers, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the black beans and tomatoes, simmer for 10 minutes. Add the corn and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until everything is heated through. Add salt and hot sauce to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Garnish as desired.

Reference:
Festive Black Bean Chili from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites.
It really is very festive-looking! I'll have to get a photo next time.

Tomato Couscous

A yummy (and quite pretty) side dish that goes together in a flash!

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 (14.5 oz) can of tomatoes, diced (you will need the juice)
3/4 cup uncooked couscous (plain)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
Good pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. small capers, drained
Vegetable broth or water

Method:
1. Strain the juice from the diced tomatoes until you have about 1 cup of juice. You can squeeze the juice from the tomato pieces if needed. If you don't have enough juice, you can add water or vegetable broth to make it up to 1 cup. Set the tomatoes aside.

2. Combine the juice, olive oil, and oregano in a medium saucepan. Cover and heat to medium high to bring the mixture to a boil. Stir continuously as you add the couscous. Quickly stir in the salt, cayenne, and cloves. Stir to combine and then remove from the heat and cover. Allow the pan to sit for 5 minutes. Fold in the reserved tomatoes and capers. Allow the dish to sit for 2-3 minutes or until the tomatoes are warmed.

Reference:
Tomato Couscous with Capers from Veganomicon.

Chickpea Tagine

I love Moroccan food. I actually had a good friend in high school who was from North Africa - she used to make the most fantastic food! :)
Last night, I made a chickpea tagine that I found in the October issue of Vegetarian Times (they have a whole feature on Moroccan goodies!) - yum! Really tasty.. and I'm pleased to announce that I am no longer a Greek yogurt virgin! ;) Oh, Fage, why have I been holding out so long?! Great stuff - I highly recommend it if you've never tried it!

The actual tagine is gluten-free. I served mine with couscous which is a wheat product/not GF. You could use a gluten-free accompaniment like lentils, quinoa, or rice if needed.
You can also make this meal vegan by using agave nectar in place of the honey and skipping the Greek yogurt (you're missing out on that Greek yogurt, though!)

Great things about this meal:
*It goes together in no time! Unlike traditional tagines that include chicken or lamb that has to simmer for a long time, this one is ready in about 45 minutes (including chopping time!)
*It's also a great source of vegetarian protein and iron!
*It's very super-market/pantry friendly - a great ethnic dish with no strange exotic items that you have to hunt high and low for! :)

Serves 2 (mmm... guess what I get to enjoy for lunch today?!)


Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
1/8 cup raisins
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. honey or agave nectar
1 cup water
1/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley (optional)

Method:
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes until the onion is soft. Stir in the chickpeas, carrots, raisins, spices, honey, and 1 cup water. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add a scoop of yogurt to each serving. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

Reference:
Chickpea Tagine with Cinnamon, Cumin, and Carrots from the October 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times.

What a Snob..!

I've never had a sloppy Joe... my husband would tell me that makes me un-American (which is OK since I'm English.. heh)
Anyway, he requested sloppy Joes for dinner this week so I decided to try these "Snobby Joes" that I found in that tome of yumminess - Veganomicon. Oh my! They are fantastic! Really easy to make and fast, well once you have the lentils cooked they are fast. I think these will be a fairly regular weeknight meal.

*I labeled these gluten-free since the actual filling is GF. You'd just have to find some sort of GF roll to eat them on (good luck - I've heard GF bread leaves a lot to be desired...) or just eat them sans roll! The filling was tasty just by itself :) Maybe with some GF pasta or rice...

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
1/2 cup uncooked lentils
2 cups water
1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small onion, cut into small dice
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into small dice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. chili powder (no, that's not a typo!)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced (no salt added) tomatoes
1-2 tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 tbsp. prepared mustard (I made mine extra snobby by using Dijon instead of the regular yellow mustard.. heh)
2-3 rolls, sliced in half

Method:
1. Pour the lentils and water into a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

2. When the lentils have about 10 minutes left, pre-heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for 7 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and saute another minute.

3. Stir in the cooked lentils, chili powder, oregano, and salt. Add the tomatoes (I diced mine up a little more prior to adding them). Cook 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mustard; heat through.

4. Turn off the heat and let the pot sit for about 10 minutes. Serve open-faced with a scoop of the lentil mixture on each slice of a roll.

Reference:
This is based on the Snobby Joes recipe from Veganomicon.
The only change I made was to use canned tomatoes in place of 1/2 of an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce and 1/8 cup of tomato paste. I needed some tomatoes for DH's sloppy Joes so I figured I'd just use the rest in these. Worked well. Oh yes, I had no yellow mustard so I subbed Dijon.

Amazing Lentil Curry

Yeay for curry!
I used to make these really brilliant chicken and fruit curries - so tasty, you have no idea - and I have to admit, I miss them. This, though, has changed my mind! The lentils really make up for the lack of chicken and they do a wonderful job of absorbing all the great flavours. The only thing I'd add next time is some apple (and maybe some coconut...)
This does have a nice kick to it, even with mild curry powder, so if you're not a fan of spicy foods you may want to leave out the jalapeno.
I should also warn you that it takes a small lifetime for this to cook! It is so worth it, though. :)
Almost forgot, this is a good source of vegetarian protein and iron. Not much to look at but it tasted wonderful!



Enough for 2 large servings (or 2 dinners and 2 lunches the next day - hurray!)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 of a red onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper
1/4-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 large parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. curry powder (any *strength* you like)
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
3/4 cup lentils, sorted and rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
3/4-1 lb. cauliflower, chopped into small florets
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
3/4 tsp. sea salt

Method:
1. Make sure you have all the stuff chopped and ready to go (well, not the lime or cilantro - that's not added until the last minute) - it goes pretty quickly, like a stir-fry.

2. Heat the oil in a stock-pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and saute for 5-7 minutes until translucent. Add the ginger and jalapeno and saute another minute. Add the spices and then give them a good stir for 30 seconds.

3. Slowly pour in the vegetable broth, then stir in the lentils. Cover the pot and raise the heat to high. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute, stir, and then reduce the heat back to medium-low. Simmer for 12 minutes.

4. Add the cauliflower, stirring so they are coated with lentils. Partially cover and let it simmer away for 25 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender and the broth has all been soaked up. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro, lime juice, and salt.

5. Allow the curry to sit (covered) for 15 minutes or so. This is a good time to make some rice to go with it. ;)

Reference:
Based on the Red Lentil-Cauliflower Curry recipe from Veganomicon.
My changes - used regular old lentils in place of red lentils; used red onion in place of regular old onion; skipped the shallots; used olive oil in place of peanut or grapeseed oil.

Raspberry Smoothie

I wish I'd realised I had this smoothie book while I was on antibiotics a couple weeks ago! I was really hoping for some more adventurous ways to eat yogurt... these would have been great! Oh well... :)

I had to have some dental work done today (just a bit of a follow-up to a root canal I had last week - hence the antibiotics) so I figured that was as good an excuse as any to reward myself with a smoothie! Well, I got home around 11 and was starving but still numb. This was a nice way to tide me over until I could eat something a bit more substantial.

Makes 2 small smoothies

Ingredients:
1 cup low-fat or fat-free vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 cup frozen raspberries
3/4 cup frozen strawberries

Method:
Place all the ingredients in the blender and pulse until smooth/most of the chunks have been broken up. Serve immediately.

Reference:
Based on the Raspberry Cream recipe from the book Smoothies and Ice Treats by Lindsay Barnes and Any Shawgo.