Green Diva Dip

There are a lot of recipes floating around right now for sweet pea guacamole or green pea hummus - both featuring a mush-prone vegetable to put some spring into a dish. Though I don't typically like following blog trends, I do like coming up with quick snacks when I'm low on exciting groceries. In this instance, we were heading poolside and feeling munchy, but I didn't have legumes for hummus or chips for dipping. What I had were crisp vegetables, leafy greens, and frozen peas.

Another fantastic result of a clean-out-the-fridge hodgepodge. With frozen peas and edamame always on hand, I had a good base. I'm also going through a juicing phase and have a lot of greens (chard, beet greens, kale and spinach). While we typically juice greens or use them in salads, why not puree them raw? They are tender and breakdown easily, and it's such an easy way to sneak in an extra nutrient punch. Then I started looking for anything green and delicious in the fridge. Thus arose a beautiful and bright concoction.

We agreed as taste testers that something is only considered a "concoction" until it has a name. "Green Goddess" is an overused title for a green dressing, green smoothies, or green liquid anything. Yet with my token male out of town this weekend, the last 3 days have been jam packed with lady fun. So we came upon this title to embody our energizing female connections over the past few risings and settings of the moon - 2 of which featured this dip.

Cooking note: if you don't have white miso or reduced fat Veganaise (or any kind of Veganaise), this dip will still be delicious. Just add a little more avocado and salt.

Green Diva Dip
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Prep time: 5-10 minutes

Ingredients

1 c. frozen peas, thawed
1/2 c. edamame
1/4 avocado
1/4 small lemon, peeled (flesh and all, but no rind)
2 large scallions, white and green parts chopped
1/4 c. parsley
1-2 small garlic cloves, sliced
2 tsp. white miso paste (optional)
1 tsp. dried basil or 1 T. fresh basil
1/4 - 1/3 c. veggie broth
2 c. spinach
1/2 T. Reduced Fat Veganaise (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Sliced vegetables for dipping

Directions

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a food processor and puree. Slowly pour in broth through the chute until the mixture processes smoothly, without chunking up. Once the mixture is well pureed, add spinach and Veganaise (if using). Process for another 3-4 minutes or until smooth.

Serve with slice zucchini, jicama, carrots, radishes, cucumber, or celery.

Fake Out Tuna Salad Sammie

Mock tuna salad? Yeah right, you can't mock tuna.

Having been immersed in the vegan cooking world for over 3 years, I've come across a recipe or two for vegan "tuna" salad. I had my doubts. The texture, the fishy taste, and the deli feel were not promising qualities from substitutes like chickpeas. A whole lotta love do I have for my gusty garbanzo friend, but I just wasn't enticed enough to try my own version.

Never underestimate these beans. I totally fell for it when I mashed this concoction up, thought it was tuna. Ok not really, but it was damn good. What inspired me to finally try this? My obsession with Veganaise. And Dijon. These two staples have been increasingly more prevalent in my everyday dishes and the thought of whipping in a dollop of Veganaise  into mashed anything makes me salivate. That thought would be SO gross if I were talking about real mayo, right? I do use the reduced fat version to cute extra calories and make myself feel better about smothering everything in fake mayo. It tastes just as good.

Pretty sure omnivores and veg heads alike will adore this recipe. I even think I can pass this off at the next company potluck without anyone branding it as a "vegan" dish. If you don't have seaweed flakes, no biggie. You could always crumble sheets of nori if you have it. The only reason I have them is because I fell for a sale at Whole Foods (it was a two-fer). Use quality Dijon though such as Maille and actual Veganaise rather than imposter soy mayo substitute (Noya - gag). You could also try yogurt for a low fat mayo replacement as well. Between some pita and greens, you're gonna wish they sold this at your deli.

Fake Out Tuna Salad Sammie
Makes 2 servings
Prep time: 5 ish minutes

Ingredients

1 c. cooked chickpeas or canned (drained and rinsed)
1 large celery stalk, diced
1 stalk green onions, white parts included, diced
1 heaping T. reduced fat Veganaise
1/2 T. quality Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. dried kelp
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper

1-2 pita rounds
1 c. mixed greens

Directions

In a medium bowl, mash peas with a potato masher or pulse in food processor a few times until broken up but still chunky. Be sure to leave some hunks. Mix in remaining ingredients, adding more seasonings or condiments to your liking.

Slice pitas in half and stuff each half with greens and a generous scoop chuna salad.

French Lentils with Apple Braised Brussel Sprouts

Red, yellow, green, brown: a rainbow of lentils. What's the difference? Without going into the delicate nuances of each legume, let's take a look at one that isn't in this color scheme. French lentils. Sometimes French lentils and brown or green lentils are synonymous names for the same bean, but the kind I'm talking about are the Lentilles du Puy. That's right, the fancy kind. And if you ask David Lebovitz, a reliable source of French cooking expertise, these puppies are the "caviar" of lentils.

Their flavor is more robust than other lentils, a trait Monsieur Lebovitz contributes to their volcanic environment (um sure ok, I'll take his word for it). Whatever the source of deliciousness, I am now including these as a pantry staple. Other lentils get mushy very easily, but these hold up well in texture and taste. Rarely can I eat lentils alone unless I'm in the mood for a nice cup of dahl, yet I scarfed down a whole bucket of these in this recipe. Maybe scarf isn't the appropriate verb, because it felt as though eating such a delicate pulse called for delicate means. So with a dainty fork in hand and pinky raised, I savored each bite.

Though I already talked about my current apple juice phase, here is another recipe using the same technique with the same fabulous results. Very simply braised brussel sprouts finished with a touch of jus de pomme and a petite smudge of moutarde. So light, so lovely. Serve under the lentils with a side of roasted fingerlings...Tres tres bon.

French Lentils with Apple Braised Brussel Sprouts
Makes: 2 servings
Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the Lentils
1/2 c. French lentils
1/3 c. yellow onion, diced
1/2 medium carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 c. veggie stock or broth
1/4 c. red wine

For the Brussel Sprouts
3/4 c. veggie stock or broth, divided
2 c. brussel sprouts, stems removed and thinly sliced
1/4 c. apple juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Directions

In a medium sauce pan, combine all of the ingredient for the lentils except for the wine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium or medium low (depending on the stove). Simmer lentils at a slow boil until most of the liquid has evaoprated, about 25-30 minutes, covering the pot for about 5 minutes toward the end. When there is just a bit of broth left, add the wine and cook an additional 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When the lentils are nearly done, heat a large skillet over medium high heat and bring about half of the broth to a boil. Add brussel sprouts and lower heat to medium. Braise about 5 minutes or until liquid has almost evaporated. Add another 1/4 cup of broth, apple juice and mustard. Cook until sprouts are tender and liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Warm and Creamy Sweet Potato Salad

Day 10 of Vegan Mofo. I guess I owe a bit of a eulogy to days 3 through 9. This thing called life got in the way, but those days did not pass in vain. In fact, the whirling of time right now is what generates the most inspiration. Which is what I absolutely love about this recipe. Even though senor time is totally trying to road block me from taking the time to cook and write most of my recipes down, this particular recipe was too resilient, too easy to make and too flavorful to let chaos keep me from giving it to you. If you're finding yourself rushed through this fall as well, just know that there is always time for a sweet potato.

There are about a million more things I love about this recipe other that it being busy-life proof. 1) I'm a sucker for sweet potato in any way shape or form. 2) Avocado for me is the equivalent of most people's butter, in fact I even spread it on toast I love it so much. Plus chunks of avocado taste even better than chunks of butter (cue in gag reflex). 3) Tahini dressing...enough said. 4) I hope I don't have to keep persuading you to make this. It's easy and lovely and tasty and you shouldn't have to think twice about a sweet potato.

Summer picnic potato salads are cold and generally appeal to everyone. But who can resist a warm autumnal  potato salad? Not me and not you. To make this super quick on the fly, feel free to microwave (gasp!) the sweet potato to cut down on cooking time. For serving at a dinner party, I'd probably go a little classier and boil the sweet potato. Everything else just falls into place.

Warm & Creamy Sweet Potato Salad
Makes: 3-4 servings
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes, washed and cubed*
1 medium avocado, cubed
2-3 green onion stalks, green and white parts sliced
1/3 c. parsley, chopped

1 1/2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. stone ground or dijon mustard
1 T. tahini
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
Black pepper to taste

Directions

Prepare the potatoes by covering with water in a saucepan by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. When done, set aside in a medium mixing bowl and mix in avocado and green onion.

While the potatoes are boiling, make the dressing. Whisk all ingredients together and adjust seasoning to taste. If the dressing is too thick, add a little more cider vinegar. If too tart, add a touch more tahini or maple syrup.

Coat the potato/avocado mixture with dressing and top with fresh parsley. Serve warm.

*If you are opting for the microwave, poke each potato a bunch of times and microwave whole for 5-7 minutes or until tender.

Funkalicious Fat Free Fried Rice

When I went through my little “raw” experimental phase a while back, I came out with some good lessons.

Some of these include:

1. I have a lot to learn about effective sprouting.
2. I should have spent the money on a square food dehydrator. Now I have to cut holes in wax paper around the center tube. I would make kale chips everyday if I didn’t have to do this stupid step.
3. Cauliflower is a beautiful stand in for rice.

So without going too much into the first two lessons, we’ll skip right to the rice. One of my absolute favorite types of recipe in the uncooked world is cauliflower “rice.” When pulsed in a food processor, cauliflower beads up and actually looks like rice. The texture is somewhat similar, but it takes to flavor extremely well. And when it’s all ground up, you don’t feel like you’re eating straight up fiber. You don’t get the side effects of eating straight up fiber either, which is nice for you and your loved ones.

 

Deviating from the raw theme, I cooked the pulsed cauliflower in this recipe. It beats waiting the 20 minutes it takes to cook rice and the hours it takes to cool it before reheating again in a frying pan. This is quicker, healthier and easier. And truth be told, I’m all about volume. I have a weakness for incredibly tasty food and therefore like to eat LARGE amounts of it, like any other person lacking self control. But think of 2 whole cups of cauliflower compared to 2 cups of fried rice. Such an easy way to trick your brain! Not to mention you’ve got boat loads more nutrients in the cruciferous cruncher than in the bland, bleached rice.

 

* Tofu Tip: A super convenient way to add tofu that actually has flavor is to buy pre-baked and seasoned tofu. My favorite kind is from Trader Joe’s and costs a whole 3 bucks. You don’t have to cook it, press it or season it. Just add it on top!

 

Funkalicious Fat Free Fried Rice

Makes: 1 huge serving

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

 

Ingredients

 

2 c. cauliflower flowerets

1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp ginger root, minced
1 tsp. jalapeno or Serrano pepper, minced
½ c. mushrooms, sliced
¼ - ½ c. veggie broth (homemade or bouillon)
¼ c. shredded carrots
¼ c. green peas, from fresh or frozen (thawed)
¼ c. yellow corn, from fresh or frozen (thawed)
1 stalk green onions, chopped
1-2 tsp soy sauce
Baked & seasoned tofu such as Wildwood or Trader Joe’s, cubed

 

Directions

In a food processor, pulse the cauliflower until completely crumbled and no large chunks remain, about 20-25 pulses. Be sure to NOT process into a puree. When you pulse the processor in short bursts, you’ll get lovely little rice looking beads. Remove and set aside.

 

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add garlic, ginger and jalapeno and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and ¼ cup of veggie broth to deglaze the pan (you don’t want burnt garlic!). Lower the heat slightly and cook until most of the liquid is gone, about 1 minute. Add cauliflower, remaining veggies and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. If pan is too dry or anything starts sticking to the bottom, deglaze the pan with another ¼ cup of broth. Add baked tofu at the end an any additional soy sauce to taste.

Pasta with Creamy Truffle Sauce

I got a little ambitious last weekend with dried beans. My dear red headed curly-Q and I headed to Flagstaff for some escape from the blazing Phoenix sun and wanted to make the weekend cheap. We did a pretty good job considering we made one trip to the grocery story and ate out once for breakfast. To keep the food cost down I grabbed a jar of beans and a jar of rice (that is how I store my bulk foods - in old applesauce jars) and a can of those spicy fire roasted tomatoes I've been so keen on for the past few weeks.

At first I thought that making a big batch of beans would be a good way to save some prep time throughout the next week. So I cooked up a bunch of anasazi beans, made our lovely dish in Flagstaff using half the amount and headed back to the heat with the leftovers. Each night throughout the next week I looked at those beans and thought "uhhhh so what do I do with these now?"

We tried a couple of things at home - beans and potatoes, roasted eggplant "hummus" but by the time I came up on the very last scoop, I just had to get rid of these suckers. I'm a three bean salad kind of girl, I don't like to stick to one variety for too long. So one additional idea came to mind. While many vegan sauce recipes out there feature pureed beans, I had never really tried it myself. It seemed like the sauce would be too lumpy. Sure I'll use a good pinch of garbanzo flour once in a while, but as a base? I wasn't convinced it would actually be creamy.

That's because I didn't my food processor enough credit or enough time to do it's thang. Patience. When you let it go for more than a minute, it really gets its groove. It tore through those beans after adding enough broth and gave me a straight up sauce in about 4 minutes. With a couple of flavor punches like truffle spread and a garlic, this dinner was no effort. Don't have a jar of truffle spread floating around? Go to an Italian grocer or substitute with olive tapenade, mashed roasted garlic cloves, or another paste-type item with a strong flavor. I'm convinced this could even be served in a diner and pulled off as gravy. Mmmm comfort food.

So wait, I said anasazi beans above and it says cannellini beans below. So which is it? I figure if red beans were delicious, cannellini would be down right spectacular. You make the call.

Pasta with Creamy Truffle Sauce and Oyster Shrooms

Makes: 3-4 servings

Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

1 c. cooked cannellini beans

1 clove garlic

2 T. nutritional yeast

1 heaping T. truffle-mushroom pâté or spread

1 tsp lemon juice

½ tsp sea salt*

1 ½ - 2 c. broth (homemade or from bouillon)

1 T. olive oil

3 c. oyster mushrooms

Pinch of salt

Any kind of pasta cooked according to package directions

Freshly ground black pepper

*Note: reduce the salt if using broth made from bouillon.

Directions

In a food processor, combine beans, garlic, nutritional yeast, truffle pâté, lemon juice and sea salt. Process on high and slowly add broth through the chute, half a cup at a time until desired thickness is reached. Process until sauce is completely smooth, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer sauce to a saucepan and heat over medium low until bubbling.  Turn heat all the way to low. If mixture is too thin, let the sauce bubble until it thickens, whisking constantly to avoid clumps.

While the sauce is heating, prepare the mushrooms. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms without crowding too much. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Season with a pinch of salt.

To assemble, top prepared pasta with a generous helping of mushrooms. Top with ¾ cup of sauce and a good grind of black pepper.

MexiTempeh with Cheesy Polenta

Leafy greens. Not featured in the title of this recipe, because this recipe is for those that don’t like leafy greens. For the vegetarians that hate vegetables. For the children that grew up on hot dish. This dish is every bit as comforting as the mysterious casserole and every bit as convenient as the sensational Hamburger Helper. Ok, maybe not every bit as convenient, but this is super easy. You have no excuses.

Back to the leafy greens. Hopefully everyone knows by now that these sturdy green leaves pack a lot of nutrition. Kale is now commonly referred to as a super food, and it is. Other types have just as much bang for their buck. Chard, beet greens, mustard greens – these are all not only healthy but they each have unique flavors and complexities. The trick is in preparing them with enough complimentary flavor to counter some of the minor challenges they have. One being bitterness and the other being texture. Cooked too short, they will be bitter and chewy. Cooked too long and they will be flavorless mush.

In the case of veg haters, the nutritional components and soft flavors of greens matter not. It is those that cook for veg haters that must meet the challenge. I am one of those cooks. Do I criticize my fellow herbivores or loving omnivores for hating on greens? I could never be so harsh. But I will sneak them into my meals. All of them.

One of my new favorite go-to greens is the Trader Joe’s bag of braising greens – conveniently washed and chopped for your green-sneaking pleasure. Whole Foods has also starting offering braising green in bulk next to the salad greens. So now you really have no excuses! For this particular recipe, the spicy pizazz of cumin and chili powder will help to mask your good intentions as well. The only thing I haven’t figured out yet is how to make the greens invisible.

MexiTempeh over Cheesy Polenta

Serves: 2

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

2 tsp. canola oil
½ medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced or minced
½ pkg tempeh, crumbled/broken into large chunks

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. salt
(If you don’t have all those, use 1-2 T. taco seasoning)
¾ c. canned fire roasted tomatoes with chilis such as Rotel
3 c. leafy greens (collards, kale, mustard, chard etc.)
2 tsp. flour (garbanzo, potato or all purpose)
Dash of cinnamon
¼ c. cilantro, chopped

Directions

In a deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and add onion. Cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in crumbled tempeh and spices. Cook until tempeh starts to brown, about 8-10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.

When pan starts to become dry, add in tomatoes and leafy greens. Add ¼ cup of water if mixture is too thick to make a light sauce. Sprinkle flour over stew and stir to thicken. Cook another 5-7 minutes, or until greens are wilted and tender. Turn the heat off. Sprinkle a faint dash of cinnamon over the top and stir in cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Cheesy Polenta

Ingredients

2 c. Water
½ c. Polenta

½ tsp Salt

1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp miso paste
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp salt
2 T. Nutritional Yeast

Directions

In a large sauce pan, bring water to a boil. Slowly add polenta in an even stream, whisking vigorously to avoid clumps. When polenta comes to a boil, lower heat to low and add in remaining ingredients. Let polenta simmer another 15 minutes or so until tender.

Mustard Coriander Roasted Cauliflower

I have probably professed my love for roasted cauliflower before - I don’t know how I could have not mentioned it somewhere in the past couple of years writing here. There is something about how the edges of those little florets get so crunchy that makes this a very addictive snack, side dish, or salad topper. It hardly even needs to be dressed up to taste incredible, but sometimes a fancy twist is in order just to make things exciting. We all need to shake it up from the routine every now and then, and in this case, an aromatic-earthy combination livened up this Plain Jane veggie just right.

Mustard and coriander is not an uncommon combination, but they do make a very good flavor team. Mustard has that tangy edge and coriander has a bright, vibrant quality that pairs really well with simple foods. However, though not necessarily title worthy, I actually think the tahini is what makes this dish seriously slammin. After some discussion with my sister, my kitchen confidant and bearer of many tricks of the trade, we decided that tahini just has a “je ne sais quoi” that makes it irresistible. How does it turn chickpeas into “hummus” [said with a middle eastern throaty grimace], how does it transform raw garlic into an incredible dipping sauce for french fries? Magic. Je ne sais quoi. It’s a must have on your shelf, right next to the peanut butter, in between the nutritional yeast and pomegranate molasses (ok it’s not that obscure).

So while this recipe is title “cauliflower” - I actually used summer squash as well, as you probably deduced from the photo, you Sherlock you. I think many simple roasting veggies would be terrific in this dressing - broccoli, carrots, turnips, artichokes. Play around with whats in the fridge and if you don’t have tahini, get your booty to the nearest middle eastern market and buy a jar. It deserves staple status in any pantry.

Mustard Coriander Roasted Cauliflower

Makes 4-6 servings

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

4 cups cauliflower florets
(or 2 c. cauliflower + 2 c. summer squash)
1 ½ T. olive oil
1 ½ T. stone ground mustard
½ T. ground coriander
2 tsp. tahini
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp. black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 450F.

Place cauliflower in a medium mixing bowl and spray evenly with cooking spray (this will help the dressing coat evenly). In a smaller bowl, combine remaining ingredients and whisk until well blended. Pour dressing over cauliflower and toss. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until cauliflower is tender and golden brown around the edges.

Curried Plantains with Ginger Chard & Mango Relish

Plantains. A love affair.

Plantains are the kind of vegetable I daydream about cooking but always neglect at the market unless sold as a bag of chips. All at once they resonate ocean waves of the Caribbean (where I've never actually been), ice clinking in a nice cold mojito, and shoulder-shimmy cha cha drum beats at the local Salsa club. They are exotic and comforting, sweet and tangy, soft and delicious. So many lovely things wrapped up in one peel! 

Finally, the humble plantain caught my eye this weekend at the grocery store in it's perfectly ripe state. As I prepared for a week of veggie delights, I had no plans or recipes for the impromptu purchase but instead waitied for the inspiration. And it came with no work at all. I have a weakness for the aforementioned plantain chips, which are delicious but terribly addicting and therefore not so waist-friendly. Plantains are typically fried and served plain, but I had better intentions. Lower fat and more flavor.

This sweet, succulent and spicy dish came from blending Caribbean and Indian flavors, two different cuisines that are closer in flavor than they appear. Mango is common in both which made me think of a very underused jar in the back of my fridge...pickled mango was an impulse buy from a local Indian grocer. I had no idea how spicy it was at the time (runny nose spicy), but it was perfect in the relish and complimented the sweet flavors of the dish. The crunchy relish went perfectly with the soft texture and the garlicky ginger greens served as a scrumptious undertone to the symphony in my mouth. Well maybe less like a symphony and more like the Mamba. Cue in that cha cha drum beat.

Curried Plantains with Ginger Chard
Makes 2 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Plantains
2 ripe plantains, peeled and diagonally sliced
2 tsp curry powder
Cooking spray
Black pepper

For the Ginger Chard
1/2 T. fresh ginger root, minced
1/2 tsp. jalapeno, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 cups Swiss chard, chopped
Salt to taste

For the Relish
1/4 c. red bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 c. grape tomatoes, quartered
2 medium radishes, finely diced
1 green onion, finely sliced
1 tsp. pickled mango or mango chutney
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. agave nectar
Cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

For the plantains: Preheat oven to 450F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the plantain sliced in a medium bowl and also coat with cooking spray. Toss plantains with curry powder and another quick spritz of cooking spray (alternatively you could use a half tablespoon of canola oil, but I like the spray's coverage better). Sprinkle plantain slices with black pepper. Transfer slices to baking sheet, making sure the slices are evenly spaced and laying flat without overlapping. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until slices become dark golden brown and crispy around the edges.

While the plantains are roasting...make the chard!

For the chard: Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and generously coat with cooking spray. When pan is hot, add ginger, jalapeno and garlic. Lower heat to medium and cook until ginger becomes fragrant, 30-40 seconds. Add chard and a splash of water (2 tablespoons), stir to coat in ginger mix. Add a pinch of salt and stir frequently until chard is wilted and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

When the chard and plantains are done...whip together the relish!

For the relish: Mix all relish ingredients together. If you do not have pickled mango, use mango chutney plus 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or super spicy hot sauce. If using mango chutney, be careful with the agave, as you may not need it. If using pickled mango, beware! Taste before adding more.

To assemble: Divide the chard between two plates and top with plantains. Scoop a few tablespoons of relish or more over the plantains and serve with a side of Caribbean Cauliflower rice (below).

Caribbean Cauliflower Rice
Makes 2 servings
Prep time: 5-7 minutes

Ingredients


2 cups cauliflower flowerets
1 T. coconut, dried and unsweetened
1 T. dried currants
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions


In a food processor fitted with an "S" blade, pulse the raw cauliflower until crumbled. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and mix with currants and spices.


Heat a medium skillet (preferably the one you cooked the chard in and didn't clean yet) over medium high heat and toast the coconut until fragrant, about 30-45 seconds. Add cauliflower mixture and 1-2 tablespoons of water. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir well to heat through and remove from heat. Serve alongside plantains and chard.

KB's Bangin’ Veggie Burgers

I have a confession. *Deep breath*

In the 3 years of being vegan, I have never made a homemade veggie burger. *Gasp*

It feels so good to get that off my chest. *Sigh*

There are so many veggie burger recipes out there, I’ve been indecisive and lacked motivation to sift through which ones sound spectacular and which ones appear average. Most of them looked plain and average to me. If I’m going to try to replicate the meat dish of all meat dishes, I don’t want it to be so-so. Avoiding the challenge was a way to avoid the risk of failure. Of ruining the notion of “burger” all together.

Well I finally risked it. And man, these were not so-so. These were BANGIN! I went through a few recipes and liked the technique of chilling the patties before cooking them. When it comes down to the ingredients, this was another fridge cleaning masterpiece. The last few sundried tomatoes, only 5 mushrooms in the drawer, some limp celery, and spare artichokes in the freezer to add to the filling. Not even an onion to my name. These were spectacular! The texture was perfect. Literally – the oats and flax give these bad boys a stick-to-your-ribs feel without feeling grainy. And they were sturdy enough not to bread apart in the pan.

I highly recommend serving these on English muffins. We happen to be lucky enough to live across the street from the best homemade English muffins in the Southwest that are so large, one side suffices per burger. As for the toppings, be creative. I loved the sprinkle of dill over a thin spread of Veganaise. My token omnivore put a little mozz and catsup on top. After one bite came the reassuring “mmmmmm.” After finishing the second burger, this was declared to be one of the very best meals to come out of my kitchen. This burger is here to stay.

KB's Bangin’ Veggie Burgers
Makes: 4 patties
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total Prep Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

½ c. dry red lentils, rinsed
½ T. canola oil
½ c. celery, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ c. mushrooms, diced
4-6 sundried tomatoes, minced
½ c. artichoke hearts, chopped (thawed from frozen or canned)
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
½ c. rolled oats
2 T. ground flax seed

4 English muffins
Arugula or spinach
Sliced tomatoes
Chopped kalamata olives
Fresh dill
Veganaise



Directions

Bring the lentils and 4 cups of water to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer until lentils are tender and falling apart, 15-20 minutes. Drain lentils and set aside. If you are using sundried tomatoes that were not packed in oil, rehydrate them by throwing them in the pot with lentils for 5-10 minutes. Pick them out with tongs when soft.

While lentils are cooking, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add celery and cook until it starts to become translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and stir until it becomes fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients and additional broth or water if pan becomes too dry. Cook until all veggies are tender, 6-8 minutes. Remove and transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl.

In the large mixing bowl, add 1 cup of lentils (you may end up with extra). Smoosh everything with a potato ricer at first to break lentils apart, then use your hands to knead everything together. The mixture will be really moist as you mush the lentils, and you can stir in additional lentils if you’d like. Add oats and flax and continue to mix until everything start to stick together. If the mixture is still too wet, add more flax and oats by the tablespoon. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Form the mixture into 4 medium patties (or meatless balls, or quarter pounders, whatever you feel) and refrigerate for 30 minutes. When the patties are nice and stiff they are ready to cook.

Preheat (toaster) oven to 450°F. While the oven is warming up, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over high heat. Lower heat slightly when oil is hot and add patties. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer patties to oven to continue cooking until the middles are hot, about 5 minutes. You can also add the English muffins in the oven to toast along with the burger, or throw them in the toaster at this point.

To assemble: Spread some Veganaise over one side of the English muffin and sprinkle with dill. Follow with a layer of spinach or arugula. Place burger on top and follow with sliced tomatoes and olives. If you are using giant English muffins, feel free to use one side per burger. If you are using smaller ones, put the Veganaise on one side and the burger/toppings on the others.

Sweet n’ Sassy Salad with Pickled Ginger and Pepitas

Every time I see a salad recipe, I think - really? Directions to make a salad? How hard can it be to throw ingredients in a bowl and top with a basic oil/vinegar dressing? Then I remember how salads have slowly become so second nature to me ever since I started this vegan venture. Not just lettuce or green salads, but bean and grain combos, shredded veggie slaws and the like. I never think to write up a recipe for them because they are truly a no brainer. Perusing through recipes on my own, I never stop to read the salad recipes. It isn’t until I make a crazy awesome, crunchy, yummy salad that I am possessed to make it possible for others to replicate the deliciousness.

This turned out to be one of those brilliant yet simple salads. Looking for a post-work snack yesterday, I was trying to avoid resigning myself bread, crackers or chips. But I didn’t want to work too hard for my snack. This came together so easily! Grape tomatoes are veggie manifestations of convenience, and sugar snap peas are effortlessly flavorful. Seeing as though I cannot make salads with fewer that 5 ingredients, something else had to be added.

Pickled ginger is typically used for one thing and one thing only: sushi. But it’s too delicious to be confined to this limitation. I tossed some in hoping it would mesh well with an Asian dressing and it worked! The pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds) gave it a rounded crunch in contrast to the severe crunch of the snap peas. So where do dulse flakes come in? Well Whole Foods had this sale once where you can buy one get one…yeah a lot of products in my kitchen start that way. Anyway, if you have some other kind of dried seaweed, the mild sea flavor gives the salad a lovely finish.

Just a note: I didn't actually make a dressing for this. I simply drizzled a little bit of rice vinegar on top, but if you are a fan of dressing, the one below should work nicely.

Sweet n’ Sassy Salad with Pickled Ginger and Pepitas
Makes: 3-4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

Salad
4 c. romaine lettuce, rinsed and chopped
1 c. grape tomatoes, whole or halved
1 c. sugar snap peas, chopped
¼ c. green onions, chopped
¼ c. pickled ginger, chopped
¼ c. pepitas (preferably unsalted)
2-3 T. dulse flakes

Dressing
3 T. rice vinegar
½ T. soy sauce, low sodium or regular
½ T. agave nectar or maple syrup
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1/8 tsp. sesame or canola oil (optional)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients and toss well. Top the salad off with pickled ginger and pepitas. Reserve dulse flakes for noe.

Prepare dressing by combining all ingredients in a small bowl and stirring to blend well. Adjust flavors to taste - if you like a milder dressing, add more canola oil and skip the sesame oil. If you like tart dressing, skip the agave and lower the soy sauce. Drizzle your preferred dressing over salad and top with dulse flakes.

Optional: You can pump this up by making a faux sea creature salad by mashing up some chickpeas, mixing with veganaise, green onions, pimentos and seaweed flakes (dulse or kelp). If you’re an omnivore, feel free to top with some kind of sustainably captured sashimi. Not advocating…just sayin.

Butternut Squash & Beet Greens Socca with Creamy Sage Sauce

 

Socca 101. Also referred to as farinata, socca is a chickpea flour crepe traditionally baked in an open oven on a copper pan originating from Genoa, perfected in Nice, prepared all over Tuscany, enjoyed in many other parts of the world like Algeria and Argentina. In short, a delicious, fast and incredibly easy finger food that can make the most timid chef feel like a James Beard Award winner. Not only is the basic recipe more basic than any other pancake, but the taste and texture are deceivingly delectable and highly addictive.

Chickpea flour, also known as gram flour or besan, is a terrific gluten-free ingredient that every adventurous cook should have in their tool kit. It can be used as a substitute in many recipes needing a thickener and can stand in for eggs in a pinch. Heck, I’ve even used it to whip up a good ole batch of hummus on the fly and no one was the wiser. It’s commonly used in India and Pakistan to make flatbreads or as a binder for fried finger food. This was my first “fun” flour outside of the standard wheat and corn flour and I’m still getting to know it’s potential. If you want added fiber AND protein, besan’s your bean.

So I made the Mediterranean Socca with the South Asian chickpea flour and turned it into a Sicilian style pizza using local Arizonan produce – how’s that for fusion? Use whats you gots.

Butternut Squash & Beet Greens Socca
Makes: 2-3 servings
Prep time: 2 hours
Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

For the Socca
1 c. chickpea flour
1 c. + 2 T. water
3/4 tsp. salt
2 T. olive oil
Dash of white pepper and nutmeg

For the toppings
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
3-4 c. beet greens
Creamy Sage Sauce (recipe below)

Directions


For the Socca
In a medium bowl, gently whisk water and salt into chickpea flour. Drizzle batter with olive oil and stir to blend. Set batter aside or in refrigerator for 2 hours (up to 12) before preparing.

To make the socca, preheat the oven to broil on high. Thinly coat the bottom of a cast iron skillet with just over a half cup of batter. Swirl to cover bottom completely. Place in oven and cook until edges start the brown and the top become golden (time will vary per oven but it should take 7-10 minutes for the first and 6-7 minutes for the next ones as the pan gets hotter in the oven). It should be firm but not crispy or soggy soft. Remove and place on serving plate. Repeat process with remaining batter.

For the toppings
Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat squash with cooking spray and spread on a baking sheet. Roast 30-40 minutes or until tender and browned on edges. Alternatively you could microwave or steam the squash. Mash the cooked cubes slightly and set aside.

Steam the beet greens or braise in vegetable broth. To braise them, place about ¾ cup of vegetable broth in a skillet and bring to a boil. Add green and cover. Cook 2-3 minutes or until leaves are wilted. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

To Assemble
Assemble each plate individually by placing one socca as the base on a plate, spreading a layer of greens follow by a layer or scoop of mashed squash. Finish with a generous drizzle of Creamy Sage Sauce (recipe below).


Creamy Sage Sauce
Makes: 2 cups
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 T. Earth Balance
2 T. potato flour or all-purpose flour
1 c. almond milk or other type of non-dairy milk
1 c. vegetable broth or water
3-4 T. fresh sage, minced
1 sprig fresh thyme (optional)
¼ tsp. salt
Dash of nutmeg and white pepper

Directions

In a small sauce pan, melt Earth Balance over medium heat and add flour of choice. Stir until blended completely and cook 30 seconds. Whisk in almond milk, stirring vigorously until all clumps are gone. Whisk in vegetable broth and bring sauce to a low boil. When bubbling, reduce heat to low and cook until sauce is thickened to desired consistency. Add sage, thyme and remaining spices. Taste and adjust according to spice preference.

Springtime Udon Bowl

Springtime in Arizona feels a little different than the rest of the country because the temperature change involves the 70s, 80s, and 90s which are not typically numbers associated with this particular equinox. However, the blossoms, smells and flavors help remind us of the lovely transformation going on everywhere else. On my morning runs, I’ve been almost overwhelmed by the smell of citrus blossoms and almost injured by the rogue oranges covering the sidewalk. Spring is light, lovely, and inspirational. Most importantly it’s a sign of abundant produce starting to clutter tables at farmers markets. Time to grease up those elbows and fight your fellow hippies for that last bunch of pea tendrils!

Stir fry is a terrific way to catch seasonal flavors. It’s versatile, delicious, fast and easy to prepare. Having been out of town all weekend and unable to cook, I was itching for a stove session. I hadn’t even looked inside my produce drawer in 4 days so I had no idea what was in stock. This of course made the plane ride that much longer, because I couldn’t distract myself with dinner details… what to prepare first, how long it might take, spices I haven’t used in a while, etc. I seldom travel without concocting a recipe at some point out of boredom.

I did know one thing though: despite my eagerness to cook, my arrival time plus the transit home put me in my kitchen at about 8:45 pm and I did not want an elaborate or difficult dish. The source of this recipe was one from which most of my best meals originate and one regular readers will be familiar with – kitchen cleansing. Getting rid of the last cup of beans, the last leaves of spinach or that last handful of pasta. Taking an oddball combination and slapping a good dose of garlic on it.

Most people feel lucky to find a $5 bill in their jeans pocket, but I was pleasantly surprised to find a bunch of local chard in my refrigerator that I had totally forgotten was purchased on impulse last week. Not a typical ingredient in Asian cuisine, I thought chard would stand in nicely for bok choy. The other ingredients here could be replaced with any number of veggies typically found in stir fry: snow peas, red pepper, mushrooms, etc. But the combination I used produced such a fresh, springtime taste that I highly recommend taking some seasonal picks that wouldn’t normally end up in a stir fry and seeing how they mesh with standard stir fry flavors: garlic, ginger, soy sauce with a little sweet ‘n spicy touch. You could use rice here as well, but udon noodles are more fun to eat.

Springtime Udon Bowl
Makes: 1 serving
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredient

1-2 tsp. Sriracha
½ tsp. cornstarch
½ T. brown sugar, agave, or raw sugar
½ - ¾ T. soy sauce or tamari
¼ c. water

1 tsp. coconut oil
2 T. shallots, sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. fresh ginger, minced
1 medium celery stalk, chopped
½ c. green beans, chopped
4-5 swiss chard leaves, chopped, stems and leaves & divided
½ c. purple cabbage, chopped
Fresh cilantro

2 oz. udon noodles (about ½ ” thick stack of dry noodles)

Directions

To make the sauce, whisk first 5 ingredients together in a small bowl and make sure cornstarch is well dissolved. Set aside.

Heat a wok or skillet over medium high heat and melt coconut oil when pan is hot. Reduce heat to medium and add shallots, garlic, and ginger. Stir fry for about 30 seconds or until fragrant and add celery, green beans and chard stems. Cook for 3-4 minutes until vegetables become translucent, adding 2 tablespoons of water (or sake or mirin if you have it) at a time if pan becomes too dry. Increase heat back to medium high and add chard leaves and cabbage and cook until chard begins to wilt, 2-3 minutes. Finally add stir fry sauce and cook until thickened, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.

While the stir fry is cooking, bring water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Cook noodles 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and mix in with vegetables when done. Top with fresh cilantro.

Aromatic Mashed Celery Root with Kale

As I was checking out the aesthetics of my blog, which I sometimes do to make sure it looks semi-legible but still maintain the rudimentary "I don't really know what I'm doing" feel, I noticed some of the labels popping out far more assertively than others. ENTREES! HEALTHY! QUICK AND EASY! Maybe I need to come up with more sophisticated labels, because most of what I make falls into these categories and if you click on one, it's not really going to help you find a particular recipe. But I'm lazy so they'll stick for now.

In an attempt to not have to revamp my labels, I'll just make more recipes that fall into some of the others. How about a recipe that's not an entree? Lovely! I make a lot of simple sides that don't appear on the blog because they are just that - so easy they don't really warrant a scribe. But perhaps they are just simple enough for a follower to actually make. And perhaps that are just delicious enough to make in large batches that stand in for dinner when you're too lazy to make a real one (not that I feel like that every Wednesday or so).

"Celeriac" or celery root - ah hem - cough, cough - excuse me, what? The knobby, endearingly ugly root of our "favorite" health food is so much more delicious than it's flossy stalks, I'm not entirely sure why it's not more main stream.  It is admittedly strange to look at, sort of like a balding pineapple that never perked up and developed a minor frown. "No body picks me." It's hairy, bumpy, and beige - not something that would stop many of us in our tracks.

Underneath that thick skin however is a flavor mild like celery with a rich potato-like texture which makes it ideal for mashing. With a high water content, it doesn't need any milk, cream or butter to make the mash smooth. In this recipe, I simmered the celery root as you might do with potatoes before mashing but with some whole spices in the cooking water to give it an aromatic flare. Then I topped it off with some "cheesy" components and a little special kick of white pepper. As stated earlier, I made a double batch and ate it for dinner. When I finished and wanted to make another batch, I knew it was time to write this one down.

Aromatic Mashed Celeriac with Kale 

Makes 2 servings

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooke time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb Celeriac, peeled and cubed
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cardamom pods
2 c. kale, chopped with ribs removed
1 T. nutritional yeast
1/4 scant tsp garlic powder
1/4 scant tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp white pepper
Salt to taste

Directions

Place celeriac, fennel and cardamom in a medium sauce pan and fill with water under celeriac is just covered. Bring pot to a boil and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer about 5-7 minutes, or until celeriac starts to become tender (insert a piece with a fork - if it goes through somewhat easily but the veg doesn't fall apart, you're good). Add kale and simmer another 4-5 minutes, or until kale is bright green and celeriac is completely tender. Drain and set aside in a medium bowl. Discard the cardamom pods.

Mix in remaining ingredients and mash mixture with a potato masher or fork. Mash until chunky but not completely smooth (kale will not break apart - that's a good thing). Season with salt to taste.

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Squash, squash, squash. I love squash. All kinds, all colors, all textures. But I must admit I’ve always wondered what is so special about spaghetti squash that makes people love it so much. The stringy flesh is fun – I get that. But the texture never fully softens like some of the more tender squashes, and the taste isn’t sweet or light like other types. It’s almost bitter with a borderline tasteless flavor. Perhaps I am just not skilled at selecting spaghetti squash. I’ve just never fallen for it as a varietal.

Nevertheless, I purchased one as part of a detox plan and was entirely committed to eating it. I mustered and searched for some crazy, fun idea for how to prepare the stringy structure, but my contemplative quest was fruitless. I stumbled across a vast array of side dish recipes that mainly mix spaghetti squash with herbs or garlic. Nothing stood out as a potential show stopper. It wasn’t until I started delving into pasta ideas that I saw the word “primavera.” Eureka!

Primavera is so easy that it feels weird to even write down a recipe for it. For anyone that has had any exposure to cooking, pasta primavera is about as basic as it gets. It certainly doesn’t seem like it should get special props, but I was amazed by the satisfaction from these simple, fresh flavors and so very please with how they took to spaghetti squash. First you take fresh veggies and garlic, then you splash 'em with a little white wine, and top it off with fresh herbs. You can mix up the veggies and the herbs to your liking - this is a highly customizable dish. Just don't cook the veggies too long, al dente is best here. And always throw the herbs in at the end when you've taken the dish off heat, it keeps their flavors bright and vibrant.

This recipe mad a heaping portion for 2 and as I licked the bottom of my plate, I felt more than satisfied. I felt accomplished! That’s the wonderful thing about primavera. It’s so little work with such fabulous results. You can certainly substitute the squash here for actual pasta, but I would highly recommend going for the squashventure.

Spaghetti Squash Primavera
Makes: 2 servings

Prep time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

1 small spaghetti squash (about 4x7 inches)
1 tsp coconut oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
¼ tsp. salt
½ medium red bell pepper, sliced
12-16 asparagus spears, chopped (tips reserved)
1 ½ c. broccoli, chopped
¼ c. dry white wine
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 T. nutritional yeast
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

Fill a medium baking dish with 2 inches of water. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place both halves in baking dish skin side up, flesh side down. Microwave on high 5-6 minutes or until squash is tender. Let sit until cool enough to handle and scoop out flesh. Set aside.

Heat coconut oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook slowly until it starts to brown, stirring constantly to coat in oil for about 1 minute. Add crush red pepper and salt, stirring to blend evenly. Increase heat to medium high and add vegetables. Stir to coat with spices before adding wine. When pan is very hot, pour wine over vegetables and continue to toss in pan. Let cook/steam about 5 minutes or until vegetable become al dente. Add squash, parsley, cilantro and nutritional yeast. Stir to incorporate all ingredients and remove from heat. Season with salt and lots of pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh tomatoes if desired.

Blueberry Fennel Salad with Ginger Lime Dressing

We all know a little bit about my dabbling into the realm of cleanses. I have never gone to extremes, eating nothing but psyllium husk or scoops of fiber in a morning shake, nor have I followed one particular cleanse so closely that I reached that point of "clarity" after that "lightheaded" uncomfortable feeling that arises out of starving. I have tried to incorporate herbal tea and lemon water into my morning routine, alternated between hot and cold bursts in the shower, and taken on the habit of regular brief massages to get my blood moving (still can't get on board with the body brushing though - I have a hard time brushing my hair much less the bottom of my feet). In the end, I have never ended a cleanse feeling completely remade. Except for the stomach bug I got a few weeks ago - THAT was a cleanse.

While the thought of so many "failed" cleanses seems disappointing at first, I think it's mostly because I don't eat a ton of crap as part of my normal diet. Yes even vegan diets can be full of crap. Still, the cleanse for me has always been more about the idea than the execution. When I've been eating too many processed foods, overeating because of stress/boredom, or eating out too much, I start to feel the idea coming on. So no surprise around the holidays, this crazy friend of mine sent me a link to Reboot, a website aimed at getting people to eat more fruits and veggies. Ok it does have a plan that is kind of like a cleanse, but reading through the 15 day plan was actually encouraging. You eat food. Not too much and mostly plants (to quasi-quote Michael Pollen in In Defense of Food). The only issue I have is the protocol for Day 6 through 10. Only juice. No food. No way.

I'm an athlete, I need energy, I've got the need to move. I can't do a 4-day juice stretch even it's supposed to shock my liver into supercharge mode and make my next night out at the pub that much less damaging. I at least need enough to get me through an intense yoga class. So me and this red head friend sat down to try and tweak the reboot to be more sustainable - not surprising coming from the queen of reading recipes and not following them. Same thing here. Reboot offers several recipes for each day. The first salad of Day 1 is an Arugula, Fennel, Avocado Salad, but I came up with this one here. It's more fun, and has an incredible, fresh taste that doesn't leave you feeling like you "only ate a stupid salad".

What I love about this salad is that it's something you would eat as part of a "diet" but it's also something classy and crisp that I'd serve at a dinner party. The smooth avocado and tart dressing are a perfect accompaniment to the crisp and crunchy fennel and radishes. I highly recommend checking out the website, and even if you don't choose to do the whole shabang, it's a good snapshot of what you might need to do if you really want to take a break from the good ole American eating frenzy. Ready, set, reboot!


Blueberry Fennel Salad with Ginger Lime Dressing
Makes: 3-4 servings
Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

For the salad
4 cups mixed baby greens (spinach, arugula, watercress, frisee)
1 c. fennel, thinly sliced
3/4 c. blueberries
3/4 c. red cabbage, thinly sliced
4 medium easter radishes (or any other type), thinly sliced
1 small avocado, thinly sliced
2-4 T. fresh dill, chopped
2-4 T. fresh fennel fronds, chopped (optional)

For the dressing
2-3 T. freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/2 T. rice vinegar
1/2 T. mild tasting oil, such as canola or sunflower (optional)
1/2 T. fresh ginger, minced or grated
1/2 T. agave nectar
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

To prepare the salad: place greens in a large serving bowl. Layer the remaining fruit and vegetables on top and sprinkle with fresh herbs.

To prepare the dressing: mix all ingredients in a small bowl. To make a low fat dressing, skip the oil and replace with a touch more agave if the dressing is to sour for your taste. Season with salt to taste (beware - too much salt will overpower the freshness of the salad).

To serve: lightly toss the salad with the dress and divide between 3 or 4 bowls.

Quinoa Gratin with Roasted Rutabaga and Spinach

Every time I gear up to write about why I made a particular recipe, my first thought is “I needed to get rid of…” and I’m now starting to think that this is my token kitchen strategy. I used to read through recipes and then buy ingredients for them. Now I buy vegetables because they are aesthetically pleasing and woo me at the market. Then I get home and have to find a way to use them which often translates as “getting rid” of them. (Perhaps I’m not doing them enough justice with my semantics). The other common scenario of “cooking to kitchen cleanse” is dealing with leftovers.

In this case I had overestimated a batch of quinoa, cooking up a whole cup of dried grain. I ended up with a lot of leftovers and though there is usually no problem using up cooked quinoa, I was on a green salad craze last week and didn’t notice the quinoa until it had almost reached expiration. For the first time in a long time, I looked up quinoa recipes.

Quinoa makes a great pilaf and a great filler ingredient in dishes such as fritters and veggie patties. But I didn’t feel like patting cakes and I didn’t feel like going through the fuss of marinating tofu or tempeh as a main dish to go alongside a quinoa pilaf. So I looked for less conventional recipes and found a slew of them for quinoa gratin. My only experience with gratin was in the context of potatoes. Know I understand gratin is more a technique that involves a browned crust, cheese, and eggs. Of course a dish that screams of all things non-vegan is one I must veganize.

Most of the recipes called for 3-5 eggs so clearly the common egg substitutes (applesauce, flax or a flour egg-replacer) were not going to cut it in this dish. It made me think of a quiche-gratin hybrid, though I placed the emphasis to be on the grain, not the “egg” which is of course the overwhelming texture in quiche. This then became more of an omelette project, kind of like Spanish tortilla (which I now think is possible after making this and will attempt soon). The first recipe to come up on my search for “vegan omelette” was of course from the Fat Free Vegan blog and I based my “egg” portion off of Susan’s Vegan Omelette for One. I added a little more moisture and used vegetable broth to make it more savory. This came together beautifully: perfectly golden crust, moist and flavorful filling, with tender bits of sweet rutabaga. The taste was very fancy for how easy it was to prepare.


Quinoa Gratin with Roasted Rutabaga and Spinach
Makes: 2-3 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 small rutabaga, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 tsp olive oil
Salt & pepper

6 oz. silken tofu (extra firm)
3 T. vegetable broth
3 T nutritional yeast
1 T cornstarch
1 tsp tahini
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp turmeric

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped
2 c. spinach
1/4 c. vegetable broth from bouillon
1 1/2 c. cooked quinoa
Salt & pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 450F.

Coat rutabaga in olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 30 minutes, turning vegetables half way through to ensure all sides are browned. Remove and set aside.

While rutabaga cooks, prepare the "egg" portion. Combine tofu with next 7 ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until completely smooth. Set aside.

Lower oven to 375F.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add onions and cook until they start to become translucent, 5-6 minutes, spraying onions with more cooking spray if pan becomes too dry. Add garlic, herbs and mushrooms, turning mixture to coat well in spices. Cook another minute until garlic is fragrant. Add spinach and broth and cook until spinach wilts, about 30 seconds. Stir in quinoa, roasted rutabaga, salt and pepper and remove from heat. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl.

Pour the "egg" mixture over quinoa and stir to mix well. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until gratin is set and the top starts to brown. Remove from oven and let sit 5-10 minutes before scarfing down!

Peanut Pumpkin Stew with Caramelized Seitan

Have you ever tried to cook a jack-o-lantern? Or have you ever bought a big ole pumpkin with the intention of carving it for Halloween and then dropped the ball only to be stuck with a 15 useless pounds of vegetable? Make no mistake, there is no turning Jack into pie. I learned that the hard way last year when I had 2 enormous orange faceless heads taking up space in my 1 bedroom apartment. I did get a good batch of seeds from them, and at least I gave their flesh due diligence on the stove (sorry if this sounds like a slasher blog talking about heads and flesh). However, carving pumpkins taste like...well they don't taste like anything. Something that large has a hard time hanging onto it's sugars. Most of us have the opposite problem - the sugars go right to the thighs and never leave. Oh well.

So this weekend I was meandering through the food store who was having a special on pie pumpkins! I was ecstatic about not having to buy canned pumpkin and getting about 2 cans worth for half the price. I got home with my precious pumpkin and stared at it thinking, "now what?" While I love a good pumpkin pie or cookie, those are pretty standard and too simple to do my pumpkin justice. Warm, savory, adventurous - that's what I wanted for my pumpkin's fate. The last savory dish I cooked didn't turn out so well because the recipe I actually followed called for pumpkin puree in a sauce with a bagillion breadcrumbs and something went very wrong, so following a recipe was out of the question. I peeked through a few and some ideas stuck - for some reason my brain was fusing African peanut and African pumpkin stew together so that's what this became. I have no idea if the spices pertain to the appropriate geography, but they worked.

Next time I will most likely serve the caramelized seitan on top of the stew and garnish with cilantro. I didn't have any cilantro on hand but it would have been nice for some color. I'm crazy and made my own seitan and Worcestershire (vegan of course) but store bought version would be fine, though I highly recommend making your own Worcestershire sauce with any recipes sans anchovies for the best results. I served this with a skillet cornbread that I have yet to perfect, but it was damn good.


Peanut Pumpkin Stew

Makes 3-4 servings
Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 jalapeno
1/2 T. canola oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 T. garlic, minced (4-5 cloves)
1 1/2 T. fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp. cumin, ground
1/4 tsp. garam masala
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/2 small pumpkin, peeled and cubed
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes
2 c. vegetable broth from bouillon
2 T. peanut butter
1 c. Caramelized Seitan (recipe below)
1/4 c. roasted peanuts
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Directions

Broil whole jalapeno on high and cook until skin is blackened and blistered, rotating periodically to make sure all sides are heated. Remove from heat and let cool. Split the pepper open, remove the seeds, and chop into small pieces (wear gloves or hold the jalapeno with a fork/tongs and spoon out the seeds without touching with your fingers). Set aside.

In a medium stock pot, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden brown stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and half of roasted jalapeno (reserve other half for another use or throw in and brace yourself). Stir until garlic and ginger become fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the rest of the spices plus a pinch of salt. Cook another minute until spices are aromatic and throw in the pumpkin and bell pepper. Stir to coat with spices and cook until pumpkin starts to become tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices and increase heat to high. When mixture starts to boil, add vegetable broth. Bring stew to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Let stew simmer at a low boil for 20-30 minutes.

When pumpkin is very tender and breaks apart easily, stir to mash some of the pumpkin and thicken the stew. Add the peanut butter and stir to blend completely. Add Caramelized Seitan and peanuts (you can either add this into the stew or place on top when service). Season with salt and a little pinch of cayenne pepper if there's not enough heat for you. You can also soften the spice and bring out the peanut flavor with a small pinch of sugar. Garnish with cilantro if desired.


Caramelized Seitan
Makes about 1 cup
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

2-3 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. water
1-2 T. sherry or other sweet wine
1 c. homemade or store bough seitan, cubed
Cooking spray

Directions

Whisk all marinade ingredients together and marinate seitan for at least 30 minutes (while you prep the stew or while it's cooking). Drain the seitan reserving the marinade.

Heat a skillet or stove top wok over high heat. When hot coat with cooking spray and throw in the seitan. Reduce the heat only slightly, when the pan starts to dry and seitan browns, pour in 1/4 cup of the marinade. Let reduce until thick and sticky. Scrape the skillet to rotate the seitan and pour in more marinade. When seitan is brown on all sides pour in any remaining marinade and turn off the heat. Remove from heat when there is still a small amount of thick marinade coating the seitan.

Raw Noodles with Misoshrooms, Rawcotta and Marinara

Detox 2: it’s time again for a hard reset. I dabbled with a detox last fall to try and cleanse my body and restart my energy. I followed the rules but ultimately felt like I was in a world of restriction. Don’t eat this, don’t eat that. This left me with very basic options. Of all people, I rave about the benefits of simple foods and think we unnecessarily try to mask the real flavor of food more often than not. However, my previous attempt at a detox felt too simple… um ok boring. Though I felt the need to reboot, I really didn’t want to be eating dreary dishes that only involve some chopping and a sprinkle of lemon juice. So I have turned to raw cuisine to rejuvenate my excitement around new foods and unfamiliar cooking techniques. A true venture.

Why detox? There are two very central elements to the person I have become: food and exercise. These are not the only components of my identity of course but they are huge and the core contributors to my health and when they fall off track, I’m in the shizzle. A combination of factors - starting a new job, traveling every weekend, living a busy life – impacted my sense of “comfort.” I turned to food to fulfill that sense of mental or spiritual satiety that was lost somewhere along the road. Not just any kind of food: snack food, candy, bread, wine, etc… (This is not an original story nor is this misdirected path uncommon.) My mind was telling my belly I had enough “room” to gorge on sweets, so my need for some sort of balance is what pulled my exercise out of whack. Exercise became a matter of offsetting indulgence rather than a boosting energy. I ran to run off the chocolate, I hiked to burn off a bread binge. Not a good cycle. So finally, after thinking about a detox, rather dreading it, it was time to reboot.

Rod Rotondi 's Raw Food for Real People is sort of an intro to raw cuisine. It gives the basics on sprouting, making raw cheeses and dehydrating. I’ll admit: this is a time consuming activity if you take soaking and dehydrating into consideration. But actual food prep is pretty quick. I have read a lot about raw foods, but this is the first that I have actually sucked it up, gone out and bought the basic necessities and plunged onward down the raw, raw road. No, I’m not “going raw” – but this is so much fun! I made almond cheese and stuffed cabbage leaves for lunch yesterday, yum! I’ve felt so energized after a few raw meals, now I don’t want to look at a piece of bread or peanut-butter filled pretzel (so I’m telling myself).

Here I combined and altered a few of Rod’s recipes – I couldn't strictly follow them of course. This is a very basic starter recipe that takes well to improvisation. Word of caution: if you don't plan ahead and soak the nuts, you're doomed! Just kidding, just boil some water and pour it over the nuts and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Of course the nuts will not be raw then because they are exposed to temperatures over 100 F, but the raw roodies don't know what happens in your kitchen. I have to admit though, once you start soaking nuts, there is no turning back. You’ll be wanting rawcotta for breakfast.

Raw Noodles with Misoshrooms, Rawcotta and Marinara
Makes: 2-3 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the noodles
2 medium summer squash, yellow and/or green
1 butternut squash (optional)
Salt
Lemon juice

For the Misoshrooms
1 ½ cup brown mushrooms, chopped
1 ½ T. red or dark miso
1 ½ T. lemon juice
1 garlic clove
¼ - ½ c. pine nuts (soaked 2 hours and drained)

For the Rawcotta
½ lemon, peeled and quartered
1-2 garlic cloves
1 T. chopped fresh basil (optional)
1 T. olive oil
¼ c. cashews (soaked 2 hours and drained)
¼ c. pine nuts (soaked 2 hours and drained)
¼ c. water, more or less
½ tsp salt

For the Marinara
¼ c. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp mixed dried herbs (thyme, basil, oregano)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
¼ c. water, more or less
½ c. sundried tomatoes (soaked for 1 hour if not soft)
½ tsp salt

Directions

For the noodles: Cut the ends off and peel summer squash with a potato peeler or vegetable slicer. Place in a strainer and set aside. Cut the top end off the butternut squash and cut the squash at the base of the neck so that the straight part is separate from the bottom. Reserve the bottom for another use. Peel the squash and slice the neck with potato peeler or vegetable slicer in to thin strips. Place in strainer with summer squash. Sprinkle squash with salt and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Let sit while you prepare the toppings.

For the misoshrooms: Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse until the mixture is very well chopped and in very small pieces. Transfer to small bowl and stir to make sure completely blended. Store the shrooms in refrigerator while you prepare the other goodies.

For the rawcotta: Combine the first 4 ingredients in food processor and process until well chopped into tiny pieces. Add cashews, pine nuts and 2 tablespoons of water. Process until mixture is almost creamy, adding water as necessary to reach a slightly chunky texture. Stir in salt and refrigerate while you prepare the sauce.

For the marinara: Combine first 4 ingredients in food processor and process until well chopped into tiny pieces. Add fresh tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of water and puree until mixture is smooth. Add sun dried tomatoes and pulse until desired chunkiness is reached or puree until smooth if that’s your thing. Add water as necessary and season with salt to taste.

To assemble: Squeeze moisture and juices out of noodles or pat them dry. Pile on 2 or 3 plates. Top noodles with a layer of shrooms, a scoop of sauce and a dollops of rawcotta. Garnish with fresh herbs for a real kick.