wild rice kale wrap

i've been a terrible blogger lately - summer is just so crazy busy.  the good news is that i'm still cranking out lots of recipes, i'm just not getting them posted as quickly as i'd like.  like a lot of vegans, finding a wrap or tortilla that doesn't contain l-cysteine has presented its challenges to me.  luckily our local store started carrying joseph's flax, oat bran & whole wheat tortillas, and i snatched them up in a hurry.  they were pretty decent, although they did start to dry out a little after a few days. you can see a few tears in the wrap, but that could also be because i overstuffed them.  at any rate, i was just happy to have a wrap to stuff all these yummy ingredients in.

• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 6 oz of tofu (marinated)
• 1/3 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 carrot shredded
• 1 kale leaf, shredded
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 joseph's flax wrap

tofu marinade:

• 1/2 cup wheat free tamari
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon of pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

mix the tofu marinade ingredients in a bowl.  crumble the tofu and mix with marinade for a least 2 hours.

cook wild rice according to directions.  about 15 minutes before rice is done, heat a large non-stick skillet and pour both the tofu and the remaining marinade in and sauté on medium-high until liquid dissipates. turn the heat down to medium-low and continue to fry the tofu, using a spatula to flip over occasionally.  this creates a nice crispy outside on the tofu.  after it reaches your level of crispiness, turn off heat and let cool.  the rice should be done as well, and should cool for about 5 minutes before placing in the wrap.

you will want to use a small dash of olive oil to massage your kale - this will remove the cardboard stiffness that raw kale can have.   layer the rice, avocado, tofu, carrot, and kale.  add salsa to your liking and wrap like a burrito.

the delicious kale was part of week 3 csa bounty!

spicy adobo vegan burgers

i thought i made the ultimate spicy burgers back with these puppies.  but the second i was in the store and spotted the can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, i knew i had met my match.  we've only grilled them up a few times, but if you are looking for some serious heat, bookmark the recipe below. i found the can of peppers in the regular market, but i've also seen it in ethnic grocers as well.  these burgers are spicy - no lie - so be sure to use lots of condiments to help temper the heat.  and if you are heat lover like me, i promise you'll appreciate the extra kick (and yes, i did add extra jalapenos).  happy independence day!

• 1 cup cooked millet
• 1/3 cup cashews
• 1 can black beans (2 cups)
• 3/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 fresh jalapeno, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/3 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 can (3.5oz) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 2 tablespoons ground flax
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs

simmer 1/3 cup dry millet in about 1 cup of water for about 25 minutes (stirring occasionally and adding water as needed).  after the millet is done, put it in the fridge to let it cool for at least an hour. it really enhances the stickiness of the grain. if i plan ahead, i usually cook it the day before i make these burgers and just leave it in the fridge overnight.

once millet has cooled, combine all ingredients in the food processor.  check your peppers for stems first, and be sure to add about half of the adobo sauce as well.  if your millet is still slightly warm, you may have to add a little more flax or bread crumbs.  after pulsing for 10-15 second, use the mixture to make about 6 normal sized burger patties. then prepare your favourite way - i like grilling mine for about 15 minutes on low-medium heat so the outsides get all crispy. yum!  be sure and spay or rub a little oil on the grill first to prevent them from sticking.

cashew tamari dressing

 have long been a fan of homemade salad dressings, and rarely purchase the commercial variety.  however, there are a few bottled versions that i love, and i recently added another one to the list when i visited austin this past spring and my fabulous aunt took me to wheatsville co-op.  aside from the great selection of groceries and a myriad of vegan options at the deli, they also have a seriously awesome cashew tamari dressing. faced with the idea of funding a trip to austin every couple weeks to pick up a bottle, i hauled some back to kansas city and used it sparingly for several weeks as i tried to make a clone.  the result was... pretty darn close.  and cheaper than flying to austin once a month.

• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 2¾ tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1¾ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1¼ tablespoon tamari
• 1/4 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

combine all ingredients in a magic bullet or blender, and let soak for about an hour.  after soaking, puree the heck out of it until the cashews have been effectively pulverized. add a little water along the way if needed or if you like thinner dressings.  makes enough for 2 or 3 salads and will keep in the fridge (sealed) for a couple of days.

served here over a yummy kale salad, courtesy of my awesome csa, greeley gardens.

chard and turnip gratin

finally the stars aligned, and i found a kansas city csa that i could afford and had a nearby pickup area.   granted, i have my own organic garden every year, but i think a csa is perfect for supplementing my own veggies, and hey - it totally inspires my inner chef by providing me with ingredients i'm less familiar with.  this was our first week, and i received an awesome canvas bag with radishes, turnips, swiss chard, red & green lettuce and a kohlrabi.  the first thing i set out to tackle was the turnips...  and threw in some chard.  this gratin was the result, and it was super savory and totally veggie packed.  yum!  thanks greeley gardens!

• 1 package mori nu firm tofu
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons soy milk
• 1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup small turnips, sliced
• 4 swiss chard leaves, diced
• 1/3 cup uncooked wild rice
• 3/4 cup veggie broth
• 2 tablespoons earth balance
• 1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoons tamari
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (optional)

first bring veggie broth to a boil and add wild rice. bring it back to a boil, stir, cover, then simmer for 35 minutes or until veggie broth has evaporated.  in a separate container, pour apple cider vinegar into the soy milk and let sit to thicken.  in the meantime, slice turnips into thin medallions.  also slice mushrooms and chop your swiss chard.

set chopped veggies aside and preheat oven to 375°f.  in a blender, combine the tofu and rest of ingredients (except breadcrumbs) and puree into a thick gratin sauce.  add the earth balance to a large skillet on medium high, and add turnips.  sautée for about 4 minutes, then add mushrooms and sautée for another 2 minutes.  finally add the chard to the mix, cover, and steam/sautée for another 2 minutes.

combine wild rice, veggies and blended gratin sauce in a bowl and mix.  pour into a greased 1.5 quart round casserole dish.  sprinkle the top with bread crumbs if so desired, and bake for 40-45 minutes.  let cool for 5 minutes before serving.  then liberally douse with your favorite hot sauce.  :)

my awesome csa haul:

small bites: artichoke & sun dried tomato bruschetta

this is the last post of my small bites series, and probably the most simple of 'recipes'.  it's actually just two ingredients, but the end result is super yummy.  i love artichoke hearts on... everything.  i want to create twist on the standard tomato bruschetta, and thought artichoke hearts would make a great ingredient to swap in.  and to give it a just another little zing, i used sun dried tomatoes, although i'm sure regular ones would make a nice flavour combo as well. the picture here is half a bowl of simple tomato bruschetta (left) and the artichoke and sun dried tomato on the right.  i didn't want to dirty up all of kim's dishes just for a pic!

• 6 oz. small jar of marinate artichoke hears
• 7-8 sun dried tomatoes, not oil packed

i buy sun dried tomatoes in bulk and just rehydrate them when i need.  in this case, i soaked them in a warm bowl of water for about 25 minutes, and then sliced each one into matchstick size pieces. next, drain the artichoke hearts. if you aren't using the marinated ones in a jar, i would suggest making a marinade of olive oil and some spices and letting them sit for a while.  the pre-marinated ones make this so much easier, though.

and that's it.  combine and let sit for a few hours.  no need to add garlic or other spices, cause the artichoke hearts take care of it for you!   

small bites: zesty olive tapenade

as i recently posted about, my friend kim and i had a delicious feast of italian tapenades and bruschetta for dinner one night.  kim used her new ninja to make this olive tapenade.  i love my magic bullet, but the ninja looked like it could hold a little bit more - i might have to consider getting one.  this tapenade was sooo good - it tasted a little zingy at first, but it was totally balanced out by the flat breads and crackers.

• 3/4 cup black olives
• 1/2 cup green olives (w/ pimentos)
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 fresh lemon, juiced
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 this is one of those simple throw together recipes - just toss everything in a ninja or food processor, and pulse several times.  you don't want a puree, but rather a finely minced tapenade.  it makes a good cup and  half - quite a bit of tapendade.  it's definitely an easy go to recipe, especially if you keep olives on hand.  thanks for the recipe, kim!

small bites: simple tomato bruschetta

my friend kim and i met for dinner recently and decided to make a fun dinner of small bites - all italian themed.  i love having the variety of dinners like these - it's satisfies so many cravings at once.  this night i made a tomato bruschetta, and an artichoke bruschetta and kim made a super zesty olive tapenade.  we served them on flatbread crackers and wheat crisps, but they would be awesome on some crunchy french bread as well.  i'll post the recipes for each in my upcoming blogs starting with the simple tomato bruschetta. enjoy!

• 3 large tomatoes
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil

core and chop your tomatoes and place in a bowl.  add in the minced garlic and dried basil, and then drizzle the olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top.  gently toss and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.  some notes: i rarely eat onions, so i excluded and went for a straight forward tomato flavor.  also, you can sub in fresh basil, but i didn't have any on hand, so i just used dried.  letting it sit overnight really made the difference in flavor.