Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

A Thanksgiving miracle…two blog posts in one week.  I dare you not to put this on everything at your Thanksgiving meal.

Pretty great dressing or dip.  Pretty good FOR you too.

Enjoy.

In a food processor or blender, blend the following until pureed:

• 2/3 C. maple syrup
• 1/3 C. apple cider vinegar
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp. coarse mustard
• 1/2 Tsp. salt
• 1 Tsp pepper
• Slowly add 1 C. extra virgin olive oil.

I served mine over just about everything from quinoa and chickpea bowls, to brussels sprouts to a salad of roasted squash, onions, apples and pears (shown).  Try it out at Thanksgiving dinner.

Courtesy of Jen & Company, a food and fitness blog.

Barley Burgers

Tree Huggers is one of those happy places.  So.  Much.  Happy.  I basically stalked the owner and demanded that she be my friend.  Hey, whatever works. Angela Topp is a lover of vegan eats, IPA and dogs, she’s lovely and skilled at creating partnerships in the Earth-friendly community.   This recipe share is the result of Tree Huggers partnership with Bartertown Diner.  Once a week (in the evening) a chef from Bartertown works at Tree Huggers prepping recipes straight from ingredients available from the cooler (yes, RIGHT IN THE STORE) and then shares a tasty animal-free dish with you.  You can walk out with everything you need to make it from the help of the Bartertown chef as your personal shopper.  How cool is that?!

Enjoy a burger on the grill that didn’t come from a the screaming death of a helpless animal.  Yeah, I just said that.

Black Bean Barley Burger

• 2 C cooked black beans
• 2 C cooked barley
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, diced
• 2 T nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 T Braggs liquid aminos
• 1 T oil
• 1 tsp of salt
• Little rooster vegan buns
• Ham Family Farm Tomato

1. Cook barley, set aside and allow to cool to a handleable temperature.
2. Cook black beans until soft, mash using a fork or food processor, set aside.
3. Finely chop onions and garlic, Sautée until translucent.
4. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, mix well.
5. Preheat your oven to 350
6. Form mixture into sizable patties on a greased baking pan.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
8. Allow patties to cool, this helps with binding.
9. Now you have patties for dinner and leftovers for the week!

Feel free to experiment with your own blend on spices.

Seasonal Pesto Pasta

Last week’s vegan (cheeseless) pesto recipe gets a workout here on a hodge-podge salad from seasonal veggies.  A “clean out the fridge” recipe that turned out pretty delish.  This could easily be made vegan or gluten free with the appropriate pasta.

• 1 pint mixed cherry tomatoes
• 1 large heirloom tomato
• 3-4 cubes pesto
• 2-3 lemons, zested and juiced
• 4 small zucchini
• 1 C toasted walnuts
• 2 C white beans
• 2 C arugula or other seasonal greens, hand torn
• 1/2 C packed fresh basil, hand torn
• 1 pound rotini pasta, cooked al dente

1. Select a large bowl or rectangle pan for the elements to be assembled.  As the ingredients are finished with their first phase you can just toss them together as you go to avoid destroying the integrity of the veggies by trying to stir or toss together at the end.  The pesto will incorporate easily this way as well.  You do not want a huge bowl of mush at the end.
2. Tear arugula and basil into pieces and put in the bottom of this large bowl or pan.  The warm ingredients added will wilt this for you saving you a cooking step.
3. Boil water and cook your choice of pasta noodle, al dente, drain water and toss back into warm pan with pesto cubes, juice and zest of two lemons.  Turn noodles to coat.  Toss into big bowl-this will wilt your greens easily.
4. Warm a little olive oil (1 tsp or so) in a wok or fry pan, toss in walnuts and toast until slightly browned and super crisp.  Toss into big bowl.
5. Cut zucchini into little wheels of uniform size.  In the same pan without adding more oil, saute the bite-sized squash pieces for a few minutes, then add the juice and zest of one lemon, salt and pepper to taste.  Do this over high heat and don’t let your zucchini get soggy.  Remove when it still has a bite to it and toss into the large pan with the other ingredients.
6. Cut tomatoes into bite-sized pieces.  Toss into big bowl.
7. Finally add your two cups of white beans.  Mine usually come from the freezer as I bulk make beans every few weeks, but using canned is cool with me.  If you do so, be sure to rinse them well, to get all the unnecessary ick off them.
8. Toss all ingredients together and serve.  This makes a TON of salad.  It keeps well in your fridge for up to a week if you don’t let it dry out.  I make sure plastic wrap is touching the leftovers and that seems to keep it fresh, not dry.  If yours becomes dry, refresh with a little bit of olive oil, water or lemon juice before serving.

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Vegan Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Bread

I’m a Pinner.  I love Pinterest for recipes among many other random things.

Not only do veg/vegan recipe creators have a wicked presence on Pinterest, all of the nonveg/nonvegan recipes just beg to be converted, so I take that as a personal challenge.  This recipe for example was vegetarian, contained hen’s eggs and moo-cow whole milk yogurt.  I just subbed the regular vegan swaps and it came out delish.  So much so I took it to my family reunion where every one thinks I sustain life being vegan-ish on grass and dirt.  Not so family, not so.  Show everyone how normal we are by serving this at your next gathering.

For the Loaf:

• 1 1/2 C + 1 T all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 C soy yogurt (I used passionfruit flavor)
• 1/2 C sugar (increase to 1 C if you are using nonflavored yogurt)
• 3 flax eggs (1 T ground flax seed, 3 T water)
• 3 tsp grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 C vegetable oil
• 1 1/2-2 C fresh blueberries, picked through for stems

 

For the Lemon Syrup:

• 1/3 C freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 C sugar

For the Lemon Glaze:

• 1 C confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 to 3 T fresh lemon juice

 

Directions:

1.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.

2.      In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3.      In a large bowl, whisk together the soy yogurt, sugar, flax eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.

4.      Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.

5.      While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.

6.      Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.

7.      To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

8.      This made quite a bit of batter.  You might consider dividing it into 2 smaller loafs depending on the size of the blueberries you mixed into your batter to avoid spillover in the oven, which is precisely what happened to my first loaf.

Yields: 1-9×5 loaf; or 2 smaller loaves

Adapted from:  Riches to Rags

Raw Tomato Sauce

What to do with a bazillion tomatoes, some fresh basil and a hungry husband? Make dinner.  My first thought was bruschetta!  Then I thought about the naked pasta in the fridge so I warmed up the noodles in some hot water, you know the way Olive Garden does it (start rant-no, they don’t make their own food in the restaurant.  I know I just broke your heart.  It comes to them from some industrial kitchen, off a truck, in large Ziplocks they toss in hot water, warm up then put on a nice plate.  You are so distracted by “neverending salad and sticks” that you don’t notice the food is gross and reheated-end rant).  I served this sauce over top, not to make a statement, but mostly because I was too lazy to put this sauce on simmer at like noon, so what’s the point to heat it up at 7pm?   No point.  I give you raw tomato sauce.

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, about 3 large tomatoes
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• a pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 pound spaghetti (grab vegan version if you like)
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving (omit if vegan)

Preparation:

Option 1-as shown in pictures:

Combine diced tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, red peppers in a bowl, toss to form the sauce.  Serve cold sauce over hot pasta.  Add grated cheese if interested.  Adjust seasonings to your preference.

Option 2:

If desired, peel tomatoes; remove seeds, straining juice into a bowl. Save the juice and discard seeds. In a food processor, combine garlic, tomatoes with juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and basil. Pulse quickly to chop roughly. Pulse more for a smoother sauce, if desired. Transfer to a bowl, add salt and pepper and let stand to marinate for about 20 minutes.  Serve over pasta.

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Pepper Jelly

I’ve been asked for this recipe at least a dozen times in the last few days.  Here is a re-post of Pepper Jelly.

Turns out, I can grow jalapenos.  Lots of them in fact.  I picked most of them today, grabbed a few red bell peppers from the Fulton Street Farmer’s Market, gloved up, and started chopping.  I make a few batches of this so that I can gorge myself in the summer, and then later I get serious about storing 6-8 jars for holiday gift giving, and/or unexpected guests fa-la-la-la-la-ling up at my house and me with nothing to serve.  This makes a great show off appetizer in the dead of winter with a cream cheese base, served over a cracker.  Summer on a wheat thin.  Plus, you look all Betty Crocker-like for having something preserved (ohhhhh, ahhhhh) on hand.  It’s a win-win.  I modified this recipe from my friend Lins Ray’s recipe.

Pepper Jelly

• 3 large red bell peppers (you can use green, yellow, whatever you want here-I prefer red)
• 14-18 medium jalapenos
• 1 SMALL thai chili pepper (only if you like it HOT)
• 1/2 c fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 c cider vinegar (could also use white in a pinch)
• 6 c sugar (no substitutes)
• 6 oz liquid fruit pectin (do not use powdered)

Chop all peppers into a really, really small dice removing seeds and most of the white vein inside the peppers.  Wear two sets of latex gloves for this task, you will thank me later.  Combine the lemon juice, peppers, vinegar and sugar in a large pot and boil for 15 minutes stirring occasionally, keep an eye on this as it will start to boil, then boil over like spaghetti does without any warning, then you are dunzo.  Add liquid pectin, boil 3-5 minutes more.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.  Spoon into jars or plastic containers, do not fill to top.  When this freezes like all other liquids it expands.  Full to the brim means a crack and loss of your precious jelly.  Store in freezer for up to 6 months, if it lasts that long.   DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MULTIPLY OR DIVIDE THE RECIPE.  For whatever reason, when you make jam, doubling or dividing the recipe results in utter failure.  Period.

To serve, pour thawed jelly over a log of cream cheese for a treat on crackers.  I have also, in a bind poured this over tofu “meatballs” in a crockpot and served as an appetizer.  The possibilities are endless.  Taste it and you will come up with some of your own.  Then come back here and post them for the rest of the Interwebs.

Pesto, hold the Parm…

Pesto.  No cheese.  Just make it.  So good and simple, saying anymore would spoil the beauty.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 C washed, loosely packed stemmed fresh herbs- basil, cilantro, parsley, mint
• 1 C shelled, roasted walnuts or pine nuts
• 6-7 cloves fresh garlic
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup good tasting extra virgin olive oil, as needed
• Sea salt, to taste
• Big pinch of red pepper flakes

Instructions:Combine the fresh herbs, nuts, red pepper flakes and garlic in a food processor and process the mixture until it turns into a coarse meal.Slowly add extra virgin olive oil in a steady drizzle as you pulse the processor on and off. Process until it becomes a smooth, light paste. Add enough olive oil to keep it moist and spreadable.

Season with sea salt, to taste.

Immediately use over fresh pasta or on toast.  I put the leftovers in ice cube trays top with a drizzle of olive oil and cover with plastic wrap.  When they are frozen, pop them out and wrap them securely with plastic wrap by the one cube and then toss all the cubes into a plastic freezer bag and you have summer pesto in the winter months.

Inspired by : glutenfreegoddess.com

Peach Pie

Fruit this summer was super duper expensive in Michigan due to premature 90-degree days in April followed by a super freeze that was experienced which sadly killed most of the premature fruit buds.  Michigan produces 70-75% of US cherries and this year, crop was at a loss of more than 90%.  This of course put a premium on fruit including blueberries, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, apples, well you get the idea, Michigan produces a ton of fruit.

While in Hart for a Girls Get-a-Way, I was lucky enough to grab a bag of Starfire peaches and nectarines which cost me a pretty penny, but the sweet treat was WELL worth the premium.  I crammed most of them in my face over the first two days, then let the last of the fruit ripen over the course of the week.  Today, I made a simple peach pie so no peach was left behind.

• One nine inch pie crust, Pillsbury (accidentally vegan)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 7 cups fresh sliced peaches, 7 or 8 medium peaches
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Put pie crust in nine ince pie plate. Prick crust with a fork to prevent bulles during baking and flute edges.
3. Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon in large bowl.
4. Stir in peeled and sliced peaches and lemon juice.
5. Pour into pie plate. Put foil around edges of pie to prevent burning. Remove the foil during the last 8 minutes of baking.
6. Bake about 45 minutes or until the filling is bubble and the crust in golden brown.
7. Let set for 30 minutes before serving.

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Vegan Zucchini Corn Pancakes

Last year at about this time I concocted a vegetarian version of zucchini fritters and zucchini pancakes that were pretty darn good.  This year, I tried for a little less batter, a little more vegetable and no animal products.  Adapted from Simply Recipes (zucchini fritters) and Smitten Kitchen (zucchini fritters) I give you, Vegan Zucchini Corn Pancakes.

• 1 pound (about 2 medium or approx 4 C) zucchini, shredded
• 1 flax egg
• 1 C corn kernels cut fresh from the cob
• 2 tsp water
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Olive or another oil of your choice, for frying

To serve (optional)

• 1 cup non-dairy sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 to 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
• Pinch of salt
• 1 small minced or crushed clove of garlic

OR

• 1/4 C Vegenaise
• 1/4 C salsa of your choice
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• Kosher salt to taste
• Non-dairy milk to thin this concoction to your desired consistency (I used soy milk)

Trim ends off zucchini and grate them either on the large holes of a box grater or, if you have one, using the shredding blade of a food processor.  Either way, be sure to squeeze out the excess moisture in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels until practically dry.

Add zucchini shreds to a large mixing bowl. Taste and if you think it could benefit from salt, then add a little, you should season as you go here. Stir in corn, flax egg and some freshly ground black pepper. In a tiny dish, stir together flour and baking powder, then stir the mixture into the zucchini batter.

In a large heavy skillet — cast iron would be great, but I settled for an electric griddle — heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Drop small bunches of the zucchini mixture onto the skillet only a few at a time so they don’t become crowded and lightly nudge them flatter with the back of your spatula.

Cook the fritters over moderately high heat until the edges underneath are golden, about 3 to 4 minutes-this could take up to 6 minutes this first side, don’t let burn, but let it cook and rise completely. If you find this happening too quickly, reduce the heat to medium. Flip the fritters and fry them on the other side until browned underneath again, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Drain briefly on paper towels then transfer to baking sheet in a 200 degree oven if you prefer them warm.  Leave them on a cooling rack if you don’t mind them at room temp-they dry out well if left out and keep their crunch.  Repeat process, keeping the pan well-oiled, with remaining batter.

For the topping, if using, stir together ingredients for whichever topping you prefer.  Dollop on each fritter before serving.   To assemble as shown in the picture.  I took a sandwich thin, halved it and then placed on each half 1 piece of lettuce, a slice of tomato, some leftover grilled onions, the fritters, a little of the salsa dressing (above) and a few pickled jalapenos.

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Do ahead: These fritters keep well, either chilled in the fridge for the better part of a week and or frozen in a well-sealed package for months. When you’re ready to use them, simply spread them out on a tray in a 325 degree oven until they’re hot and crisp again.

Quick Pickled Peppers

Even Peter Piper couldn’t pickle a pepper faster than these babies turn out.  I had a few jalapenos leftover from making jalapeno jelly, so I put them to work in a bath of pickling spices.  I can’t wait to try these on a BBQ pizza, nachos or in chili.

• 1 + 1/4 C water
• 1 + 1/4 C distilled white vinegar
• 3 T white sugar
• 3 T kosher salt, this is NOT the same as iodized or table salt
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3 tsp dried epazote
• 3 tsp dried cumin seeds, crushed a little
• 10 large jalapeno peppers, sliced into rings
• 2 large red bell peppers, sliced into strips

Directions

1. Combine water, vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, garlic, epazote, cumin seeds, and oregano in a saucepan over high heat. Bring mixture to a boil, stir in jalapeno and red peppers then remove from heat. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
2. Pack peppers into jars using tongs, cover with vinegar mixture, cover, and refrigerate until needed – should keep for up to 6 months.

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This recipe for me yielded 5 (12-oz) jelly jars full of peppers and pickling juice and 2 (12-oz) jars of extra juice that I dropped some baby carrots into for an experiment.

Adapted from Chef John

Winning the Zucchini War

The zucchini from two CSA’s and and Doorganics has nearly won.  I struck back today making a double batch of vegan zucchini bread.  Nice try zucchini.

• 3 Tbs ground flax seed
• 1/2 C water
• 1/2 C canola oil
• 1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
• 1 Tbs white distilled vinegar
• 1 1/2 C granulated sugar
• 2 C grated zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 C flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 C chocolate chips (Ghirardelli’s semi-sweet chips are accidentally vegan)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease two 8x4x2″ loaf man, 4 mini loaf pans or 2 muffin tins. In a mixer, combine the flax meal and water and blend until thickened.  This is your “egg” portion of most recipes.  Add the oil, vinegar, and sugar, and combine. Stir in the zucchini and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add chocolate chips. Stir the entire bowl to make sure no dry areas are left.  This is quite a bit of batter.  Divide the batter evenly into the two loaf pans (or pans of choice) and bake for 60-70 minutes. (40-45 mins for mini loaves; 30-35 for muffins).

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I snuck in a picture of the cutest Bagel in the world, Walter too.  He was sleepy after a vegan treat.

Recipe adapted from Epicurean Vegan

Roasted Beet Sandwich on Naan

I love naan.  I love it a little less now that I’ve investigated what it is that I am actually eating.  It’s not exactly health food.  I have been buying these delicious commercial naan bread that I typically see at my deli counter and now they are available at Costco, double whammy.  After I made this sandwich, I started researching recipes online for a healthier, more importantly vegan naan and I came up with a few that I will be trying for my next foray into sandwich-making.

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Sometimes not eating meat poses problems in the sandwich area-going to a deli can be less than successful most times.  Instead, you have to make up for it in your own kitchen.  Pictured is a toss together sandwich made from Tin Foil Beets and various other items found in the fridge.  These items would also make a great salad with a squeeze of lemon or orange juice for the dressing.  Contents of the sandwich on naan bread are:  smear of hummus, fresh baby spinach, avocado with lemon juice and roasted beets.  I serve this in a pocket sometimes with sprouts, arugula and carrots.  A Mr. Wonderful fave and perfect beach food as they travel well.

Fried Rice

I typically make grains on the weekend to avoid the time it takes to prep them during the week.  There is nothing worse than a 30 minute meal, that takes an hour and a half because you need to account for the brown rice to cook.  I have gotten in the habit of planning out a week of meals at a time because as you have probably noticed about me by now, I hate the friggin’ grocery store.  So I shop once a week, get my CSA’s two times a week and that generally allows me to be pretty prepared for all lunches and dinners for the week.

Now sometimes, those made-ahead grains get lost in the back of the fridge.  When that happens there is no better time to use up the rest of your CSA, freezer stuff, and pre-made brown rice, than in fried rice.

Ingredients

• 3 C cooked brown rice (day old or leftover rice works best!)
• 3 T sesame oil
• 1/2 C shelled fresh or frozen peas
• 1/3 C frozen shelled edemame
• 1 C shredded carrot
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten (omit if vegan)
• 1/4 C Tamari (to keep it gluten free; okay to use soy or Bragg’s Aminos if you are not concerned about gluten)
• 1 bag Quorn strips (if vegan omit)
• 1 handful roasted, salted peanuts

On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok.  Add the peas, carrots, edemame, onion, Quorn*, and garlic. Stir fry until tender. Lower the heat to medium low and push the mixture off to one side, then pour your eggs on the other side of skillet and stir fry until scrambled*. Add the rice and soy sauce and blend all together well. Stir fry until thoroughly heated.

*To keep this recipe vegan, omit the egg and the Quorn of course.

Recipe adapted from Life as a Lofthouse

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Kohlrabi Tofu Scramble

This is a twist on a previous post:  Curried Tofu & Wilted Arugula Scramble .  I won’t bore you with the details, but this update is awesome when you add the garlic scapes and kohlrabi it turns slightly more sweet than the original.  Proof that really you can toss anything into a tofu scramble and it will taste good.  Flex your imagination, or simply look into your CSA bag for inspiration.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp canola or olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, diced finely
•  2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 garlic scapes, minced
• 1 medium sized kohlrabi, peeled and diced into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 large handful, pea pods
• 1 1/2 T fresh ginger, peeled and diced
• 1 block extra-firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1/4-1/2 inch dice
• 2 tsp regular (sweet) curry powder
• 1 tsp hot curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• a few pinches of freshly ground black pepper
• 2-3 C baby arugula or spinach
• 2 T crushed roasted peanuts

1. Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and kohlrabi in oil for about 4-6 minutes covered, until translucent and tender. Add the garlic, scapes, and ginger, saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add tofu and pea pods to the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the tofu has browned on some of the sides.
2. Add the curry powder, cumin, salt, pepper, lemon juice & a few splashed of water if it’s too dry. Mix in the arugula. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the arugula is wilted (cover if you want this to go faster).
3. Taste for spices and add another teaspoon of curry powder if needed. Plate, add crushed peanuts on top and serve!

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Quinoa Black Bean Salad

I’m already thinking of dishes to take to 4th of July festivities.  So many salads have mayo (gag) in them and have a short potluck shelf life.  This one can stay at room temp indefinitely.

I could eat this every single day of the summer, mixing and matching veggie add-ins.  It’s really THAT good.

Adapted from the NY Times.

Try it for yourself.

For the salad:

• 1 cup uncooked red quinoa
• 1 (14oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup fresh corn (optional) *see note
• 1 small avocado, chopped into 1 inch pieces

For the dressing:

• 4-5 tbsp of fresh lime juice (juice from 2 small limes)
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin, or more to taste (I used 1 tsp, I love cumin)

Directions:

1. Cook 1 cup Red Quinoa according to package directions.

2. While quinoa is cooking, prepare the chopped vegetables and whisk together the dressing.

3. Allow quinoa to cool after cooking for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add the beans and vegetables and toss well.

4. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste. Bring salad to room temperature before serving. Keep fresh in a sealed container for 1-2 days. Makes about 5 cups.

Note: I defrosted and drained frozen corn before adding it to the salad, but the result was rubbery corn. I painstakingly picked out every, single, kernel after that eff up.  I would suggest using fresh corn only, if the season applies, otherwise I wouldn’t bother with the frozen stuff.

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Roasted Turnip and Sweet Potato Pizza

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Most of the recipes I come up with that are truly “my own” are straight out of my lack of want to go grocery shopping.  I hate, no loathe, the grocery store.  As a result of this…Roasted Turnip and Sweet Potato Pizza was born right from the contents of my pantry, fridge and deep freeze.

Ingredients:

• store prepared or homemade hummus (I used Sabra, garlic flavor)
• store prepared or homemade pizza dough (I used a ball of Trader Joe’s Whole Wheat dough from the freezer)
• 1 large sweet potato, cut into thin discs (skin on or off, your choice)
• 1 small red onion, sliced into rings
• a handful of turnips, cut into thin discs (skin on or off, your choice)
• goat cheese (unless you are vegan, then sub your fave non-diary cheese or go without)
• extra virgin olive oil (about a glug’s worth from the bottle-we are very scientific here)
• salt and pepper
• flour for counter top to roll out your raw dough

Wash, cut up and roast veggies tossed with olive oil, either in a foil packet on the grill or in a 400 degree oven until they are tender.  In the photos, I took them out of their foil packet and put them right on the heat for the last minute or so to get a char.  They are high sugar content veggies, so do not leave them unattended [if you were to by chance do this...you just end up with potato chips, so win-win at least].  You could roast your veggies up to 3 days in advance and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to use.  I would do this if I were more organized…alas, I am not…so keep reading.

While your veggies roast away, roll out your dough blob to desired crust thickness and let rest until your veggies are off (I have a VERY small grill-large grill owners you can do both at the same time is space allows).  Brush crust on one side with some olive oil and put directly onto grill grate.  DO NOT MOVE the dough until you can see the grill lines developing on the underside, or you will tear your perfect crust-give it a peek after a minute or so to see where you are at.  This grated side is going to be your topping side.

Flip dough after it is firm yet not burned.  At this point you can apply your hummus to the first cooked side, scatter around your potatoes and onion then drop your goat cheese or cheese substitute on top, cover and allow for the cheese to melt.  When your cheese hits the melty stage, remove entire pizza.  Let cool a few minutes then slice it up.

I find hummus is an awesome base for pizza-I use it more than the traditional tomato-based sauces.  You can put just about any combination of toppings on this, sub what you like or what you have on hand, add fresh herbs to increase the wow value…if it were up to Mr. Wonderful we would make grilled pizzas every day.

Quick Grilled Bok Choy

I haven’t posted in two weeks!!!!!  Eek!  I have so many backlogged I must remedy this situation immediately.  I’ll start with one of my fave items from our first CSA jackpot from Blandford Nature Center.  Bok choy.

There are about a thousand ways to spell this little veggie wonder.  I’m going with ‘bok choy’ for purposes of this post.  High in vitamin C, antioxidants, folic acid, and potassium yet low in cals and carbs makes bok choy an eat-until-you-are-stuffed candidate for low guilt and high yum.

Ingredients:

• 3 baby bok choy, cut in half length wise
• 1 T roasted sesame oil (garlic oil, chili oil, walnut oil, anything would be great here)
• 1 tsp hot pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

This is a no-brainer.  Heat grill to let’s say, hot…I just turned it all the way to high and waited like 5 minutes.  I know, scientific eh?

Drizzle bok choy halves with oil, sprinkle hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper on top.  Toss on HOT grill until charred.  Mr. Wonderful said, “if more people could experience charred greens, they would LOVE them.”  I would have to agree.

I served this next to brown rice, mandarin orange chick’n and a few crushed up cashew bits I had lying around.  Quick meal, as the rice was in the freezer just waiting for a chance to shine.

Recipe adapted from: Simply Recipes.

Here is another recipe that I’ve wanted to try for a while now too:  Sesame Coconut Bok Choy.  If you make it let me know how it turns out.

THANK YOU!

Thanks to all who took the time to brave the captcha nightmare and voted for me to be on the cover of West Michigan Woman Magazine’s debut issue (August).  I’ll let you know the results as soon as I am able.

What is on your Meatless Monday menu this week?  We’re gonna try a roasted sweet potato pizza.

So…are you going to do it?

Butternut Squash Surplus

Last week I was up to my ears in butternut squash.  A few from my CSA, and a few from one of my work friends (these alone were over 9 pounds each and more than 2 feet long).  I have a tendency to put these items out in the garage, and then forget about them until I can actually smell them…not good.  So this time I got a leg up on the surplus.  I roasted three baking pans of squash last night and then today made a few cups of it into butternut squash ravioli with brown butter and sage sauce, then froze the rest for soups and such.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Inspired by this recipe from Epicurious

• 3 cups mashed butternut squash (from roasted)
• 1-4 oz log creamy goat cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 package won ton wrappers (40-60 count)
• 1/2 cup shallots, chopped
• 1 stick, butter
• 1 handful fresh sage leaves, whole
• 1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
• pepper, salt to taste
• handful of fresh parsley
• parm cheese

Filling:  Saute’ garlic over medium until lightly browned, add goat cheese, squash, nutmeg and combine until creamy.  Remove from heat, let cool.  When filling is cool, drop 1 1/2 tsp in the middle of a won ton wrapper, lightly brush edges with water.  Seal by touching opposite sides together in whatever shape you like.  I touched opposite corners together to form a triangle, then flipped it like a dumpling.  Be sure to squeeze the air out of the ravioli before sealing and DO NOT overfill.

Sauce:  Combine in a frying pan over medium high heat butter, shallots, fresh sage and nutmeg.  Let this combo simmers until butter turns a nutty brown, shallots and sage crisp.  Turn off the heat.  Let hang out until your ravioli are ready to dress.

Ravioli:  Bring a dutch oven 3/4 full of salted water to a boil.  When it hits boiling, turn it down to medium heat, this is a little more gentle on your fragile raviolis.  Immerse 6-8 ravioli in the hot water so the water temp doesn’t drop but also so they do not touch the bottom, sides or each other…this would be bad. Allow the ravioli to hang out in the hot water bath for 2-4 minutes until they float or become opaque in color, remove with a slotted spoon directly into a serving dish, top with brown butter sauce, fresh parsley, a bit of parm cheese and serve.

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Since it’s just the two of us to cook for, but this recipe makes around 45 raviolis, I made the remaining raviolis, put them on a cookie sheet and froze them for an hour.  Then I tossed them into a freezer bag and tossed into the deep freeze.  The Interwebs say that they should keep for 3 months and to make them straight from the freezer next time.  I’ll let you know how that works out later.

A win for used cookbooks and TVP

I’ve had this bag of Bob’s Red Mill TVP (textured veg protein) in my freezer for about 4 months.  Sometimes things seem like a good idea when you purchase them only to get a product home and be at a total loss for usage.  I had this relationship with TVP until I stumbled upon a used cookbook that sparked my interest at Schuler’s Books:  Vegetarian Sandwiches from Chronical Books.  In it a recipe for Vegetarian Sloppy Joes.  I basically bought the book because 1) it has really great pictures in it and 2) it has 3 recipes for TVP inside, also with pictures.  Turns out, I had all of the other necessary ingredients at home in my pantry and from my most recent Doorganics delivery to make this magic happen.  I was both shocked and delighted by the authenticity of the texture that this recipe recreated.  It tastes very, very similar to sloppy joes with ground beef, but doesn’t have that super dense and filling aftermarket feeling.  The recipe as it was written was a little too sweet for my sloppy joe needs so I spiced it up a little, the adjustments are worked into the recipe below.  I’m so glad I made a double batch with the intent of taking some along to the next GVSU tailgate to share.  I’m anxious to see meat-eaters try ‘em.

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Vegan Sloppy Joes

Filling:

• 1 C Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP)
• 3/4 C boiling water
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 C coarsely chopped onion
• 1/2 C coarsely chopped bell pepper (your choice of color)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 4-oz can tomato sauce
• 1/4 C water
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 T packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Sriracha
• 2 whole chipotle en adobo, chopped finely
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4-6 large hamburger buns or rolls or 10-12 slider buns

Directions:  To make the filling, stir the TVP and boiling water together in a medium bowl, let this stand for 5 or more minutes until the water is absorbed and the TVP is softened.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet (I used a wok) over medium-high heat.  Cook the onion, bell pepper and garlic through until the bell pepper is tender (8-10 minutes).

Stir the remaining sandwich filling ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Add this mix and the soft TVP to the skillet; stir until the mixture is bubbly.  Reduce the heat and cook, stirring for about 5 additional minutes.

To serve, spread filling onto a bun and enjoy.

Soggy Baby Cukes Remade Into Crisp Quick Pickles

I’m a pickled veggie snob.  I will spend $12.00 on a jar of pickles.  I will eat one a week so as not to get rid of them too soon, savoring every bite, then I will keep the jar of juice and dump baby carrots into the remaining sea of spices until I drain the jar dry.

Today I noticed some very much neglected pickling cukes in the back of my crisper, not looking so much crisp as sad.  Here is my science experiment and foray into quick pickles.  I hope you like it spicy.

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Pickles:

• 6 baby cucumbers washed and cut into rings
• 1 habanero pepper cut into 4ths
• 2 jalapeno peppers cut in half
• 2 whole cloves garlic smashed
• Handful kosher salt

Brine:

• 1 1/2 C white vinegar, cause I’m old school
• 1 C water
• 1 1/2 T garlic chopped
• 5 bay leaves, whole
• 2 T dried dill, or 4 T fresh dill
• 1 T black peppercorns
• 1 T agave nectar
• 1 T cumin seeds, whole

First, prep the cukes.  Cut into rounds, place in colander, salt generously, let sit for 15-30 minutes.  This should perk up your cukes if they were a little sad like mine.  Place cukes, peppers, and garlic cloves in a couple of jars you have lids for, it could be a jam jar for all I care, just make sure it’s clean.  Since we are not “canning” here, it doesn’t make a difference.

To make the brine, boil for 15 minutes the ingredients listed in brine list.  Remove from heat, pour over veggies in the jars.  Let cool on counter, then pop in the fridge. 

Eat these little guys within the week.

Vegan Zucchini Pancakes

Sometimes inspiration comes in the form of ‘payday isn’t for 2 more days, so use what you have in the fridge’.  This recipe comes from precisely that situation. Thank goodness Trillium Haven Farm CSA and Doorganics day was yesterday, so at least there were fresh veggies from which to create goodness.  The result is Vegan Zucchini Pancakes not to be confused with a prior post, Zucchini Fritters which are definitely NOT vegan (goat cheese).

Vegan Zucchini Pancakes

Cucumber Salad (topping)

• 1 lb tomatoes
• 2 small cucumbers
• 1T balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp EVOO

Pancakes

• 1 1/2 zucchini or summer squash, shredded
• 1 medium, sweet yellow onion
• 1/4-1/2 tsp salt (to taste…err on the side of less)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 C egg substitute
• 1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
• 3 T flour
• 2 T fresh basil, chiffonade
• 2 T Parmesan cheese (if Vegetarian, do not include for Vegan)

Directions:

1.  To create the cucumber salad chop the tomatoes and cucumbers coarsely and top with EVOO and balsamic vinegar.  Set aside.

2.  Grate the zucchini and onion, roll up in paper towel or cheesecloth and squeeze until it is fairly dry.

3.  Combine the pressed zucchini and ionion with garlic, salt, basil, nutmeg, fake eggs, flour, salt and pepper.

4.  Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet.  Pour 1/4 C of the batter into the oiled pan.  The batter will be lumpy.  Let the pancake completely brown on one side then flip to brown the other side.  Remove from the pan and place on paper towels.

5.  When you are ready to serve, top the pancakes with the cucumber salad and enjoy.

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Thanks to a reader for writing in that the original recipe for these pancakes were too salty!  I’ve changed the recipe to account for her feedback.  If you are putting these on a bun or in a flatbread, you will need additional salt, but if just eating as a pancake, please follow the change in added salt.  Thanks!

Pectin Free Blueberry Jam

Short and sweet.  This was a small batch I used to experiment with the ratio of sugar to Berries.  I think I can still make it with less sugar.  I’ll let you know what happens with a less sugary recipe later in the month.

If you have excess blueberries, save summer by making Blueberry Jam.

• 4 C Blueberries, mashed
• 2 C sugar, white
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

In a dutch oven over medium heat, cook mashed berries until they boil add sugar, boil while stirring until sugar dissolves, then turn heat down to low and simmer mixture for up to 60 minutes, stirring every few minutes until it reaches your desired jam thickness.  Once you hit the thickness you desire, for me this was 40 minutes, add the juice of 1 lemon and its zest, turn up to medium, bring back to a boil and then shut off heat.

Remove from heat, pour into canning jars and either freeze or if you have done the boiling canning method, seal and keep at room temp.

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Veganized BerryCakes

I just finished watching the most disgusting video (I didn’t embed it it’s so violent) regarding the treatment of pigs and piglets on a large factory farm in Pennsylvania, seriously don’t watch it if you aren’t ready to make a lifestyle change.  Suddenly I don’t miss bacon anymore.  Which then made me again question why it is I’m NOT vegan.  All I can come back to is cheese, which is lame because I can find a sub for that.

Today I decided it’s time to embrace faux cheese and gradually veganize my kitchen, and make a bigger attempt at exempting animal products one at a time.  Recently I stopped in at Saffrons-A Gluten Free Marketplace which is a local (to West Michigan) place and to my surprise ended up speaking with the owner for a while.  In addition to the ENTIRE store being Gluten Free, he has a delightful array of vegan food products.  I bought some Daiya which I’ve had before and liked as far as faux cheese goes; I also got some coconut milk, coconut milk ice cream (which frankly tastes better than regular ice cream to me), quinoa pasta, “chicken less” vegan cubes of lower sodium bouillon for soups (it’s not soup season but it’s hard to find this stuff in the winter), an egg replacement (to see how it tastes) and Vegenaise.  The owner and I had a conversation about the varying Vegenaise types (he carries the hard-to-find Soy Free variety ), I settled on the reduced fat variety.  He mentioned how excited he was to attend a food show recently, and had the opportunity to sample a new Follow Your Heart product:  block cheese.  We talked fake cheese for a while and I mentioned he should carry Teese, from Chicago Soy Dairy our neighbors to the West, it’s amazing and used widely in even the most traditional deep dish pizza joints to help their vegan customers stay loyal.  He noted the name brand and said he’d try to get some in soon.  Talk about a delightful shopping experience.  Not only did I get to meet the OWNER, but he is going to look into one of my suggestions for a product to carry in his store?  Nice.

So what’s the point Adrienne?  Oh, yes…the point is today, I veganized my pancake recipe using coconut milk, earth balance, and ground flax seeds in place of cow milk, butter and eggs, and here it is for your animal-cruelty free enjoyment.

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Vegan Pancake Batter

• 1 1/2 C all-purpose whole grain flour
• 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 T sugar (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla (optional)
• 1 1/4 C reduced calorie coconut milk
• 1T ground flax seed and 2T hot water, mixed together and let set for about a minute or longer
• 3 T melted Earth Balance spread

Whisk together the dry ingredients, make a well for the wet ones, and then incorporate them all to make a batter.  Pour by 1/4 C onto a griddle you have preheated to 350-365 degrees.  Flip when the pancakes rise and bubble let cook for about a minute more and then serve.

If you want to add fruit to your pancakes like I have done in the photo.  After you pour the batter onto the hot pan, wait until it rises slightly to put a handful of fresh but dry (not DRIED, just not wet) fruit onto the cake.  I have found this helps them cook through better than adding right after you drop the batter.  Keeps them looking like pancakes and less like sloppy pancakes.