vegan mofo: ambercup mash

i was given an ambercup squash and had no idea what to do with it.

status: epic fail!


why i'm including it: it seems every vegan and their mother loves some sort of squash mash or hash. i guess it's just not for me. it was too sweet.


would i make it again: nope, i'm sticking with the spicy chili squash soup (which i've now also made with butternut and love)!

vegan mofo: purple cabbage & jicama slaw

a mix up on cabbage slaw that didn't light my fire.

status: epic fail!

why i'm including it: although it wasn't quite an epic fail, this particular recipe definitely need some improvement.  the cabbage, jicama and pistachios definitely rocked.  the dressing, however, is a bit tricky with those ingredients.

would i make it again:  parts - yes.  look for an improved recipe in 2011.

vegan mofo: brussels sprouts, two ways

i love roasted brussels sprouts and make them a variety of ways.  

status: good eating!

why i'm including it: i have pics of both roasted bbq brussles and spicy cheesy ones, but this is only a couple of ways i dress them.  however, the pictures are less than glamorous.  

would i make it again:  definitely and with different sauces every time.

vegan mofo: spicy green beans

spicy green beans are one my faves!  

status: good eating!

why i'm including it: i decided not to make this a normal post since it's really just french style green beans with hot sauce.  sometimes i use a mexian (like tapatio) or sometimes i used frank's.  in the background, you can see the chickpea cutlets from veganomicon with jessy and dan's white bean gravy and then a some roasted garlic mashed potatoes

would i make it again:  i do. all the time!

balsamic green bean salad

i made this a couple months ago almost exclusively using produce from greeley gardens.  i've blogged on a couple other csa-inspired dishes, but i really made a lot more than made it to this blog.  i was able to can a lot of the veggies so i can continue to enjoy them all winter long. what i love most about my weekly bag of produce is that i'm almost immediately inspired to create a new recipe.  you can check out the weekly pics of all my csa goodies here.

• 1 cup mixed yellow and green beans
• 5-6 baby potatoes, diced
• 5-6 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 8 button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons veggie broth
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter

for the miso balsamic dressing:

• 1¼ yellow miso
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic
• 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoons rosemary
• pinch of black pepper

chop beans into 1-inch bite sized pieces. steam the diced potatoes and green beans for approximately 10-12 minutes. meanwhile, lightly sauté the mushroom slices in the butter and veggie broth for about 5 minutes and then set all the veggies aside to cool

mix the dressing ingredients in a magic bullet or blender.  put the cooked veggies in a dish and pour the dressing over top.  add in the cherry tomatoes and toss gently.

this can be served cool or warm.

purple potato & brussels sprout salad

the best thing about having a csa this year is that i have found so much new produce to cook with (hello, kohlrabi rocks!).  i only blog about one tenth of the things i make.  seriously, if you are in kansas city and are looking for a quality produce csa, i urge you to check out greeley gardens.  every saturday i jaunt down to the city market for pick up and rush home to start plotting and scheming what to make with all the goodies in my bag.  purple potatoes have been in my crop a few times, and i whipped up this tasty little salad a couple weeks ago.

• 6-8 small purple potatoes
• 1 cup brussels sprouts
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

caper dressing:

• 1½ tablespoons earth balance, softened
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1½ tablespoons jarred capers
• 1½ tablespoons vegan mayo
• 1¾ tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon caper brine
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 small clove garlic, minced

cut up the potatoes and steam for approximately 15-20 minutes.  while they are steaming, slice brussels sprouts into halves and toss with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. arrange them on a foil-lined cookie sheet and broil on low for 5-7 minutes on each side.

while potatoes and brussels are cooling, mix caper dressing ingredients into a food processor and blend well.  toss brussels sprouts and potatoes with caper dressing until well coated and sprinkle with vegan parmesan.  serve slightly warm.

purple potatoes!

french lentil potato salad

although the food network show 'diners, drive-ins dives' isn't exactly vegan-friendly, it was the inspiration behind this recipe.  i saw an episode where guy visited a french bistro and the chef made this lentil dressing from dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and soybean oil.  as soon as i saw that dressing, my heart felt all aflutter - i think that flavor combo was put on this earth just for me.  :)  i've made tangy lentil salads before, so i wanted to try something completely new.  it's a perfect early spring recipe - not too heavy, but still warming and savory.  i think it would make a great holiday side dish.

• 4 small yukon gold potatoes
• 10 stalks of asparagus
• 3/4 cup french green lentils
• 2 tablespoons olive olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon rosemary
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soybean oil

the first step it to start cooking the lentils - 1/3 cup dry will make about 3/4 cup cooked.  bring them to a boil and then let simmer.  as they are cooking, dice up the potatoes into cubes and lay on a cookie sheet covered in foil.  drizzle them with one tablespoon of olive oil and and sprinkle on the rosemary.   toss the potatoes around, making sure they are covered with the oil and rosemary mix.  place in the oven at 375°f for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for another 15 minutes.

cut about 2 inches off the tops of the asparagus stalks, and then halve those again. pull the cookie sheet out and scoot the potatoes to one side.  toss the asparagus cuts in the other tablespoon of olive oil and place on the other end of the cookie sheet.  pop back in the oven for another 15 minutes.  the potatoes will likely still need some browning up, so put them back in the oven as well.  if they are are too crispy or in danger of burning, remove them when you cook the asparagus. 

the lentils should finish up cooking after the asparagus has been in for a bit.  drain them and set aside.  in a jar, or dressing shaker, mix up the soybean oil, red wine vinegar and dijon mustard.  when the asparagus is done, combine them with the potatoes and lentils and gently toss in the dijon dressing. 

makes about 3 side dish servings.

vegan thanksgiving

adopt turkeys, don't eat them! i did just that from farm sanctuary this year. there are plenty of other ways to celebrate the holiday meat-free. here are a few recipe ideas.

entrées

holiday faust:
this is my go-to thanksgiving recipe. after a few adjustments, i would suggest that you definitely use low-sodium soy and cut it with a little water to reduce the saltiness (unless you are using a really weak broth).


vegan pot pie:
i made this for easter last year, but it would be equally yummy as a t-day meal. like any good pot pie, the best part is cracking the shell.


mock meatloaf:
maybe it doesn't scream 'thanksgiving meal', but it's still hearty enough to stand up to a turkey platter. plus you get awesome meatloaf sandwiches the next day.

side dishes

roasted garlic mashed potatoes:
isn't t-day all about the sides? and what feast would be complete without potatoes of some sort? here is a little garlic twist on an old favourite.


creamy kamut salad:
if you haven't tried kamut, it's a nice little grain similar to orzo or buckwheat. this is a slightly more modern dish, loaded with tons of fresh asparagus.

poor girl's green bean casserole:
i made this during one of my pantry clean-out modes. saltines and canned green beans - super cheap and pretty delish.

dessert

blog mom's zucchini custard pie:
my 'blog mom' sent me this recipe last year. i made it for thanksgiving last year and it was a hit. definitely don't let the 'zucchini' part scare you off of this recipe.


simply cinnamon apples:
very easy and healthy - a perfect ending to heavy day of eating. be sure to use organic apples though... apples can carry some of the highest pesticide counts.


chocolate almond biscotti:
there is nothing like an italian cookie dipped in a warm cup of coffee. comforting, and not too filling... a perfect way to end a long day with those you love.


happy thanksgiving!

roasted garlic mashed potatoes

recently i was making the delicious chickpea cutlets from veganomicon for a little down home dinner. i was trying to come up with good comfy side, and i thought mashed potatoes sounded super comforting. to make them a little more sexy, i decided to add in some roasted garlic. if you have never had the pleasure of roasting your own garlic (and then eating it), you are missing out on something dreamy.

• 8 baby red potatoes
• 1 bulb roasted garlic (see below)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (for garlic roasting)
  
• 1/3 cup unsweetened soymilk
• 3 tablespoons vegan margarine
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• gravy (optional)

first you will need to roast the garlic. peel off the outer layer of papery skin and then cut approximately 1/4 inch off the top. you should be able to see the exposed cloves all packed neatly in the bulb. place on a 6'x6' piece of foil, and pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the exposed cloves. using your fingers, massage the oil into the crevices and on the outside. wrap the foil up around the garlic into a closed pouch and put on a baking sheet. bake at 400°f for approximately 35 minutes. once cooked, the individual cloves will slide out of the remaining skin. wait for it to cool a bit before you remove the cloves. :)

while the garlic is baking, chop and boil the potatoes for 20 minutes. drain, and combine all ingredients including the garlic cloves (skins removed). using a potato masher, mash them until they are chunky and no whole cloves of garlic remain. if you don't like your mashed pots chunky, you could add in a little more soy milk and margarine and whip them until they are creamy.

if you want to top with gravy, try jessy and dan's white bean gravy. i kid you not, this is my go-to gravy going forward. it is so tasty and has a nice little bite from the miso. the only thing i did different was to mash the white beans up a little before adding them. this would also rock with some vegan mock meatloaf.

creamy dill pasta salad

i have never found a store-bought vegan ranch that i like, so i have taken to the habit of making my own. there are plenty of recipes you can google - i just use a pretty typical combo of mayonnaise, red wine vinegar and spices. one day i was mixing up a batch and was feeling a little dilly, and it put me in mind of a creamy dill pasta dish. this is super easy to make, and perfect for potlucks and parties. and because it's so creamy, it doesn't make a big production of being vegan.

• 12 oz. uncooked macaroni noodles
• 10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 medium cucumber, diced
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 oz. of vegan mayonnaise
• 1 ¼ tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon soy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 ¼ tablespoons pickle juice

boil the macaroni noodles according to package directions. while noodles are cooking, halve your cherry tomatoes and dice your cucumber. once the noodles are done cooking, drain and rinse with cold water. pour into a large bowl, and add the olive oil. this will help keep the noodles from sticking together and prevent them from sucking up all the dressing. toss in the tomatoes and cucumber with the noodles.

to mix the dressing, you can use a magic bullet or blender, or you can whisk by hand in a jar. combine the dressing ingredients (mayonnaise through pickle juice) and blend/whisk together. i prefer to use nasoysa nayonaise, but feel free to substitute you favourite vegan mayo. after it's mixed, test the dill flavour. sometimes i add more pickle juice - remember that the flavour will mellow a bit once combined with the noodles. if the dressing is too thick, add a little more soymilk or lemon juice, but be sure and rest test for the dill quality.

add half of the dressing with the noodles, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. also chill the remaining dressing. during this time, the noodles will suck up a lot of the dressing so only adding half the dressing at first will yield a creamier result. before serving, add in the rest of the dressing and toss.

hot mustard asparagus

my mom is a pretty cool chick. she is super supportive of my vegan lifestyle, and that's saying a lot considering we live in the heart of meat and potatoes land. she's always willing to go out for a vegetarian or vegan meal, and even requested veggie sushi for mother's day. this year she went to ireland and managed to bring back some vegan hot irish mustard from avoca pantry - which rocks because i love mustard and i love spicy foods. so hats off to my mom and all her rockin'ness.

• 1 pound asparagus
• 2 tablespoons hot irish mustard*
• 2 tablespoons hot scottish mustard*
  

i saved a few pounds of the asparagus that my brother gave me, so i this made from thawed asparagus (notice they are less stiff). however, i can say that i'm mighty impressed with how well they taste after a month or two of being frozen. cut the woody ends off your asparagus and coat with at least three tablespoons of hot mustard (*work with what you have, but make it spicy)! i also had some hot scottish mustard from arran, and the two worked very well together. if you are using fresh asparagus, you may need to add a little olive oil if necessary or reduce baking time.

if using frozen (and thawed) asparagus, bake for 25 minutes on 375°f, flipping once. kick the broiler on high for about 5 minutes and spread a little additional mustard on top before serving.

garlic roasted asparagus

i love my cast iron grill pan. it puts those fun grill marks on sandwiches, roasted vegetables, and anything in between. i've had it for a little over a year, and it has become one of my favourite cookware pieces. the recipe here is one of the multitude of ways i cooked my 28 pounds of asparagus.

• 1 pound asparagus
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

cut the woody ends off asparagus, and marinate the edible ends in olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. if you are sensitive to heat, you might choose to use less pepper flakes. on the other hand, if you are a heat fiend, sub chili oil for the olive oil. place a cast iron grill pan in the oven, and preheat to 425°f. preheating the cast iron not only provides a lovely satisfying sizzle, but helps keep things from sticking (and cleanup much easier!). once heated, pull the skillet out and place your asparagus lengthwise in the pan. bake the asparagus at 425°f for at least 25 minutes, flipping once or twice to get nice grill marks on all sides of the stalks.

when the asparagus starts to develop brown roasting spots, it is done. i've roasted anywhere between 25-40 minutes before, depending on desired tenderness.

broccoli and white beans

this was a side dish i whipped up when we needed something to go with our main course and the pantry was pretty bare. originally, i wasn't sure about the crunchiness of the broccoli with the texture of the creamy white beans. however, by the end of the bowl, i was looking forward to each green floret as it really created a nice contrast.

• 1/2 head of fresh broccoli, chopped
• 2 cups cooked white beans
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

whisk the apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger and pour over the chopped raw broccoli florets. allow broccoli to marinate for at least 4 hours, tossing occasionally.

in a large saucepan, add the two cups of cooked white beans and nutritional yeast and bring burner to medium heat. add the broccoli and marinade and cook entire mixture for about 10 minutes. the dish will be slightly creamy, but the broccoli should still have a bit of crunchy texture. add a dash or two of hot sauce if you like heat. serve as a side dish - about 4 servings.

kickin' cornbread casserole

the first time i made cornbread was last year, to go with my smokey white bean chili recipe. since then, i've found myself craving different variations of standard cornbread and decided i wanted to make a cornbread casserole of some sort. below is the results.

• 3/4 cups cornmeal
• 3/4 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter (i use smart balance)
• 1 can corn
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can rotel
• 1 tablespoon onion
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ener-g egg replacer (w/ 3 tbsp water)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons tabasco or other hot sauce
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• vegan mozzarella (optional)

mix dry ingredients (except breadcrumbs) in a large mixing bowl. in a separate bowl, mix up the wet ingredients (butter, milk, tomatoes, rotel, egg replacer and hot sauce), and fold them into the dry.


spread into a lightly greased 8x13 glass casserole dish - top with a thin layer of vegan breadcrumbs. i prefer panko. if you prefer, spread mozzarella tofutti slices or other vegan mozzarella on top.

bake for 40-45 mins @ 350°f.

miso mustard cabbage slaw

i recently came across some shiro (white) miso on sale, and have been lovin' the new recipe options. you can find miso at most health food stores, or for a cheaper option, the oriental or asian markets carry it too. i made this slaw for lunch one day and fell in love...

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon water
• 2 cups cabbage/carrot mix

for the dressing:

• 1 tablespoon water
• 3/4 tablespoon mild miso (yellow or white)
• 3/4 tablespoon mustard (whole seed preferred)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1+ teaspoon bragg's aminos

in a medium skillet, heat sesame oil on medium. add the cabbage or slaw mix, and saute for about 3-5 minutes. turn heat to high and add a teaspoon of water. cook the cabbage for about 1-2 minutes more until it starts to turn translucent, but not wilted.

in a separate bowl, mix up the dressing ingredients. start with the miso and water, and whip with a fork until the miso is emulsified. the combine the rest of ingredients, adding as much bragg's as you see fit. i used arran original mustard, with whole brown and yellow mustard seeds. pour cabbage out of skillet, and coat with dressing. serve warm.

fresh cider cucumbers

so i'm still full from thanksgiving feast-week. and the jeans are starting to reach that all too critical tightness - when you know it's time to lay off the heavy meals for a while. here is a cider vinegar cucumber "salad" that i've been eating for light lunches. i had something similar to this at my aunt's house over the summer, but there were onions in it (which if you read my blog, you know i don't like). but i've never had better cucumbers!

• cucumbers, washed and sliced
• raw apple cider vinegar (bragg's)

my aunt mixes one part vinegar to one part water, but i prefer a stronger vinegar taste. cover the cucumbers and let chill for several hours.

drain the vinegar before serving and enjoy the guilt free eats!

zucchini & white bean bird's nest

my garden is on it's last legs as the summer comes to an end. i got to experiment with lots of zucchini recipes this year as they were one of the more plentiful crops in my back yard. while making this recipe, i noticed that when i mixed up the zucchini strips they tended to bind up in a nest-like pattern, hence the name.

• 1 half zucchini
  
• 2 cups cooked northern white beans
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/8 cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/8 cup nama shoyu (or soy sauce)
  
• 1/8 cup asian sesame dressing

use the julienne blade on a mandolin to cut 1/2 zucchini into strips. mix up the rest of the ingredients and marinate the zucchini and white beans for at least 30 minutes in the mixture.
i made this once with newman's own low fat sesame ginger dressing, and once with kraft light asian toasted sesame. both were equally as good, so just just pick (or make) your own favourite asian dressing.

(un) cheesy julienned zucchini

i made up this yummy and simple little side dish, and i swear that it tastes like cheesy zucchini! you may notice that i almost never use real onions in my recipes... i always use onion powder. my reasoning is that i don't like the texture of onions, and i really don't like a strong onion-y taste. for me, a little dash of onion powder is enough to set off the taste, but i imagine most people would want to use real onions.

• 1 medium zucchini
• 3 -4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

put the zucchini through the julienne blade on a mandolin slicer. in a skillet pan, heat up the sesame oil on medium, then add the zucchini slices. after a few minutes, add the nutritional yeast and onion powder and turn up to high. saute the zucchini for a bout 10 minutes until tender.
enjoy.

tangy lentil salad

still working on the pantry clean-out and more determined than ever to eat all these ingredients that seem to carry over months after months. these lentils were leftover from the sloppy lentil burrito recipe and made a nice, tangy salad.

• 1.5 cups cooked lentils (about 3/4 cups dry lentils)
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced

just mix everything together. allow the mixture to marinate for at least 30 minutes or so. then serve on a bed of lettuce (2 cups romaine lettuce pictured above). it has a zip and is very tasty.