Recipes posted by katherine

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3
3 Bean Bok Choy Salad

  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can of some sort of green bean that tasted like olive (Honey what was it called??)
  • 1/2 head of bok choy, chopped small
  • 1/2 onion, chopped small
  • apple cider vinegar to taste
  • soy sauce to taste (just a little bit to round out the flavor)
  • olive oil (sadly what we used was 85% soy, 15% olive oil)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • juice of 2 limes
  • chopped Granny Smith apple
Combine all ingredients. Add one of the limes directly to the apple slices so that they don't brown as quickly. Let marinate for at least 10 minutes before serving.


A
Agedofu
TOFU
  • 2 blocks tofu
  • a few T of corn starch
  • enough canola oil to fill a skillet to 1/2 inch
  • enough water to fill a bowl to 2-3 inches
  • 2 T toasted sesame seeds (preferably black)
Towel-dry and then press the tofu (wrap it in a towel, and put a skillet or a few books on top), for an hour if possible. While the tofu is being pressed, prepare the sauce (see sauce recipe a couple paragraphs down).

Start boiling the water in one pan (once it boils, lower heat but maintain a simmer) and heating the oil in a skillet (for a couple minutes until it is hot, but not burning/smoking).

Cut the pressed tofu into large cubes (about a cubic inch). Dip the tofu into a small bowl with the corn starch, turning the tofu to thoroughly cover all sides.



Place the starch-covered tofu in the hot oil and let fry for several minutes until the bottom starts to brown. Once it starts to brown, flip the tofu to cook the other side. While the second side cooks, pour the boiling water into a bowl. Once the tofu has browned on all sides, remove it from the oil and place in the hot water. Then remove it from the water and place one side in a bowl with the sesame seeds to coat. Serve sesame-seed-side-up in a bowl with the sauce.

SAUCE
  • 1/4 c shiitake mushroom broth (I buy dried shiitakes from H Mart, and simmering a handful of these in water makes mushroom broth
  • 3 T soy sauce
  • 3 T rice vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 scallion, chopped
  • 1 T grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Combine all ingredients.


Apple Sage Quinoa

  • 1 c dried quinoa
  • 1-2 potatoes, chopped into bite-sized chunks
  • 1-2 carrots, chopped into bite-sized chunks
  • 1-2 T olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • an inch of ginger, minced
  • 10+ leaves of fresh sage, minced
  • crushed red pepper
  • chili powder
  • oregano
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 apple, chopped into small cubes
  • 1 can diced or crushed tomatoes (optionally replace half with tomato-chili sauce)
  • 1/4 c macadamia nuts, chopped (optional)
  • 1/4 c cilantro (optional)
  • 1/4 c scallions, chopped (optional)
  • splash apple cider vinegar (to taste, maybe 2 tsp?)
Cook quinoa according to directions.

In a pot, add potatoes and carrots and enough water to just cover them. Bring to a boil, and cook for a few more minutes, until just starting to cook, but not until too soft (like you would do with home fries).

Saute onion, ginger, and garlic in the olive oil. After a few minutes, add the cooked potato and carrot, and cover. After a few more minutes, add the spices (sage, crushed red pepper, chili powder, salt, and pepper), and cover again.

Cook until the potato and carrots are soft. At this point, add the apple, and saute for another minute or two. Then, add the tomatoes and macadamia nuts. Once hot, add the cilantro, scallions, and apple cider vinegar, plus more salt if needed.

Asparagus Tapenade
  • asparagus, chopped (as much as you want... I used about 20 spears)
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic
  • handful (about eight) sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • raw apple cider vinegar to taste
  • olive oil
Blend all ingredients in a food processor.


Aunt Jeanie's Vegan Fondue
This isn't really a recipe, as my aunt prepared the sauces and I do not have the recipes, but hopefully it will be a source of ideas for preparing vegan fondues.

Boiling in the fondue pot: vegan vegetable broth

To cook in the broth: Tofurkey Italian sausage, smoked apple sage Field Roast sausage (This brand was excellent, and does not contain soy. Select "Field Roast Sausages" under the "Retail" section on the page to read about the different varieties; the "Product Sheet" pdf lists ingredients), baked tofu (I cannot remember the brand), broccoli, cauliflower, red bell pepper, carrot, mushroom, jicama, potato, sweet potato

Sauces: peanut, cashew, wasabi (with wasabi paste, sesame oil, soy sauce), avocado (pureed with Silk creamer, lime, salt, and pepper), chipotle, light sesame sauce, green mole (made with green chilis), mango (from frozen and pureed champagne mangos mixed with mango chutney), peach horseradish, cocktail sauce, ginger, mustard, Provençal (basically olive oil, vinegar, Italian herbs)


B
Baba Ghanoush
  • 1 large eggplant
  • 10 small/medium cloves garlic (I'm not that crazy; these are going to be roasted)
  • 1/2 c tahini (1/4 c would be fine if you want to make it less expensive)
  • juice of 1 juicy lemon
  • 2 T sesame seeds
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1.5-2 T olive oil
Insert the garlic cloves in the eggplant. Do this by cutting into the eggplant skin with a small knife, and then pushing the garlic cloves in. If using big garlic cloves, cutting them in half will make this easier.

Lightly coat the eggplant and a baking sheet with olive oil. Bake the eggplant with its garlic babies at 400F for about 30-35 minutes, until it is soft and the skin looks sort of gross and loose.

Let the eggplant cool, or stick it in cold water if you're in a hurry. Peel the skin off. In sections there may be a tough layer beneath the skin; you can try blending this into the baba ghanoush, and if it won't blend you can remove it later.

Food process the eggplant meat along with the roasted garlic cloves, tahini, lemon, sesame seeds, salt, pepper, and 1 T of olive oil.

Once food processed, transfer to whatever bowl you want to store/serve in, and loosely mix in another 1/2 T olive oil. It is best to refrigerate for a couple hours before serving. Optionally, add another 1/2 T olive oil to the top, along with parsley, paprika, etc.

Baked Tofu Spinach Parmesan
Marinade for tofu: Dijon mustard, vinegar (I used apricot and lavender balsamic), olive oil, a dash of soy sauce, water, rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper (all ingredients to taste).

Since I was in a hurry and did not want to take time to soak the tofu in the marinade, I diluted the marinade with extra water so that it fully covered the tofu in a baking pan, and then cooked it 440F for 45 minutes (longer than is needed to cook well-marinated tofu).

Add coarsely chopped red onion, shallot, and garlic 25 minutes before it is done baking. Add a layer of fresh spinach topped in vegan parmesan cheese (optional; available at Whole Foods) 10 minutes before it is done.


Basic Biscuits
Adapted from this recipe.
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 T baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 c vegetable shortening
  • 1 c soymilk
Combine dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Once the shortening is distributed (mixture should resemble crumbs), add the soymilk. Toss on floured surface, and roll to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut circles (a drinking glass works well) of dough, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 450F for 10-12 minutes.

Basic Hummus

  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1/4 c tahini
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4-1/3 c water
  • 1 can (15.5 oz) chick peas
  • salt to taste (about .5-1 tsp)
Food process all ingredients. It is simplest to blend the garlic cloves first (to eliminate the need to mince them), to then add the next four ingredients and let mix (these more watery ingredients froth up and this seems to improve the texture), and to add the chickpeas at the end.

Serve as is or with embellishments (paprika sprinkle, oil drizzle, adobo sauce, or fresh parsley are some of many nice additions)

Basic Wheat Bread

  • 1 packet yeast (I believe this is slightly over 2 tsp)
  • 1/4 c very warm water (just getting uncomfortable to touch)
  • 1/4 c plus a splash of maple syrup
  • 4 c whole white flour
  • 2 c all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 c sunflower seeds (or however much you want)
  • 1/4 c flax seeds (")
  • 1/4 c sesame seeds (")
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • water (about 2 cups)
Combine yeast with warm water and stir to dissolve. Let sit for a couple minutes, then add a splash of maple syrup. Let sit a few more minutes (you should see it start to froth up).

Mix flour, salt, and seeds in a bowl. Add the yeast mixture, the rest of the maple syrup, oil, and water, and knead. Add enough water so that you can knead all the flour into the dough without the dough sticking to your hands (a little bit of sticking is okay after this first mixing). If the mixed dough is sticky, add a bit more flour; if it seems dry or if you can't knead all the flour in, add more water. After the dough is well mixed, spread a thin layer of olive oil on the surface of the dough, cover with a damp towel, and let rise at room temperature or warmer (a sunny windowsill is nice).

After rising (as long as you want... about 45 minutes is good), punch the dough down and knead (about 10 minutes? Less if you knead like you need it). If it sticks to your hands, sprinkle whole wheat flour on the kneading surface and knead it in (repeat until it is no longer sticky). After kneading thoroughly, separate the dough into whatever loaves or rolls you are baking. Let rise like this for another 15 minutes or so (it will rise more in the oven).

Bake at 425 until the outside is brown and it makes a hollow sound when hit (30-35minutes).

Biscuits
adapted from this recipe
  • 0.75 c white flour
  • 1.25c whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 5 T Crisco (yum!)
  • 1 cup cold soymilk (stick in freezer for a couple minutes before using)
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Combine dry ingredients. Cut in Crisco. In a separate bowl, combine soymilk and cider vinegar to curdle; let this sit for 15 minutes. Then add the curdled soymilk to the rest of the ingredients, and stir. Roll to about 1/2 inch thick. Bake at 350F for 6-10 minutes (we took ours out too early, but it still tasted good) on a greased baking sheet.

Black Bean-Basil-Clove Rice Sticks

  • 3 lb rice stick noodles
  • 1/4 c dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 T lemongrass (dried is okay)
  • 1-2 bay leaves
  • about 10 dried cloves
  • black pepper
  • 1-2 cups boiling water
  • 1-3 T sesame oil (need to pin down the amount)
  • hot chili oil (to taste, depending on how much spicy you want it; I used about 1:2 hot chili:sesame)
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can of black beans, rinsed
  • 2-3 T vegetarian oyster sauce (tamari plus agave could work)
  • 1 cup of corn (I just used frozen corn)
  • 2 T black sesame seeds
  • big handful of basil, washed and chopped
  • 1 lime
Cook the rice sticks per directions (e.g., boil them in water with canola oil to prevent sticking, draining when done, about 10 minutes).

While waiting for the rice sticks, prepare a broth by combining the dried shiitakes, lemongrass, bay leaves, cloves, black pepper, and boiling water. Stir a bit to help release the shiitake flavors. Let this steep aside.

Also, while waiting for the rice sticks, saute the garlic and black beans in sesame+hot chili oil for a couple minutes on medium heat.

When the rice sticks are finished cooking, set aside the beans+garlic, and saute the rice sticks in the same oiled pan for a few minutes, raising heat to medium-high, stirring constantly. (Separately sauteing the rice sticks and the garlic help each brown nicely.) Once the rice sticks have browned a bit on all sides, add back the beans+garlic, adding more oil if necessary. Let cook a couple more minutes, then add the vegetarian oyster sauce, corn, and black sesame seeds. Cook for a few more minutes, until it all seems like it is getting rather dry.

Still on medium-high heat, add the broth, letting it sizzle and then stirring to incorporate. Turn the heat to low and let simmer in the broth. The beans should begin breaking down, a thicker sauce appearing. Continue simmering until the noodles have soaked up flavor, adding water to maintain a thick sauce.

Add basil several minutes from the end, and lime at the very end of cooking.

Black Beans And Rice
  • 1 onion (preferably red), chopped
  • about 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • olive oil
  • 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • about 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • about 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, chopped
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 4 dried red peppers
  • Old Bay seasoning to taste
  • 2 cups vegetable bouillon
  • 1-2 T tomato paste
  • 1-2 c rice
Saute the onion, garlic, carrot in olive oil with salt and pepper.

Optional (to avoid mushy onion/garlic in the final product): after the onion, garlic, and any other vegetables are cooked, remove them from the heat and set aside. Mix them back in once the beans are finished cooking. I forgot about this so I left them in.

Add the beans, along with the red pepper flakes, cumin, bay leaves, dried red peppers, and Old Bay. If you removed the sauteed onions and garlic to add at the end, you can add some quartered onion and large chunks of garlic to cook with the beans, which you can then remove before serving.

After sauteing the beans and spices for a few minutes, add the bouillon. Heat on high until simmering, then reduce heat to a temperature that maintains a simmer.

After at least half the water has evaporated (about 15-20 minutes?), add the tomato paste. Cook for another 10 minutes or so, until most of the water has evaporated and the tomato paste has spread throughout the beans.

If you removed the sauteed onion/garlic, remove any large onion/garlic that you boiled with the beans, and add the crunchier sauteed garlic and onion back. If you kept the garlic and onion in, embrace the mushiness.

Serve over rice.

Bread Stuffing With Wild Rice
Recipe for 12-15 people
  • 1 bulb fennel, chopped small
  • 7-8 stalks celery, chopped small
  • 1.5-2 yellow onions, chopped small
  • lots of fresh sage (about 20-25 leaves), minced
  • lots of fresh thyme (about 6-8 full/branched sprigs)
  • 1.5-2c fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tsp poultry seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2/3 to 3/4 c Earth Balance margarine
  • 2 loaves bread (I used Vermont bread company organic wheat), cut into cubes (not toasted!)
  • 1 cup wild rice, cooked
  • 3 c vegetable broth
Saute the onion, celery, fennel, sage, thyme, and seasoning in most of the Earth Balance (saving about 1/4 cup). Add a few big pinches salt and pepper. After the vegetables are well cooked (about 10 minutes), turn off the heat and stir in the remaining Earth Balance.

Toss the sauteed vegetables and the wild rice into the bread. Slowly add the broth to desired consistency, turning with a spoon to combine (a lifting/turning motion is better than vigorous stirring, which makes it too mushy). Don't add so much broth that there is unabsorbed broth at the bottom of the bowl, but don't be scared of it being pretty soft (I added the entire 3 cups for the type of bread I used).

In a coverable baking dish (I use a Dutch oven), bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes. Remove the lid and cook uncovered for another 10-20 minutes so the top gets crispy.


C
Cannellini Hummus

  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 T olive oil
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1/4 c tahini
  • 1 can drained and rinsed cannellini beans
  • 1/4 c water
  • salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp)
  • fresh black pepper
  • ground cumin to taste (about 1/2 - 1 tsp)
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • paprika
Mix all ingredients except paprika in food processor. Once dished, sprinkle paprika on top.

Cherry-Strawberry Pie

Prepare crust using Crisco's double-pie-crust recipe, available here.
Pie filling:
  • about 2-3 cups cherries, pitted
  • about 2 cups strawberries, quartered and stems removed
  • 1/4 c agave
  • 1/2 c granulated sugar
  • 2T cornstarch
  • 2T Earth Balance
  • juice of one whole lemon
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • dash of salt
  • nutmeg, ginger powder, and cinnamon to taste (a dash of each)
Prepare crust, separating into two balls, one slightly bigger than the other for the crust base. Refrigerate until cold (at least thirty minutes).

In a bowl, thoroughly stir all filling ingredients. Let sit for at least thirty minutes.

Roll the bottom crust and press into greased pie pan. Roll the top crust, optionally cutting into strips to weave.



Pour the filling into the bottom crust, then place the top crust on top of the filling. Pinch top to bottom of crust if you want (not necessary). Bake at 375F for about 60-70 minutes. Place a cooking tray or aluminum foil beneath the pie to catch dripping pie filling. Let cool before serving.


Chickpea Crepes
Inspired by this recipe
  • 1.25 c chickpea flour
  • 1.25 c water
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • half a red onion, minced
  • several green onions, chopped
Heat about 1 tsp canola oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add 1/4-1/3 c batter, and cook 2-3 minutes on each side, flipping once bubbles have formed in the middle of the pancake and are starting to pop.

I think next time I'm going to increase the water:flour ratio; they turned out too thick.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from a recipe on the back of a bag of Baker's semi-sweet chocolate chips that I saw in about 1990. Baker's semi-sweet chips are NOT vegan.

Combine 2.25c flour (measured when flour is somewhat sifted or fluffy; do not pack the flour into the measuring cup), 1tsp baking soda, and 1tsp salt in a bowl. Set aside.

Mix 1c softened Earth Balance, 0.75c granulated sugar, 0.75c packed brown sugar, and 2tsp vanilla in a bowl. Add replacement for 2 eggs.

For egg replacement, I usually use a splash of soymilk roughly the volume of the missing egg white. To replace the yolk, I add either a large spoonful of apple sauce, a quarter or half of a smashed brown banana, or a couple teaspoons of corn starch. The banana most affects the flavor, but this can be tasty, especially when combined with chocolate. With all three options, whisk the soymilk and the fake "yolk" with a fork before adding to the dough.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix thoroughly. Add 10-12oz vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips (Ghirardelli is one easy-to-find brand).

If you want to bake the cookies (not necessary), cook at 375ºF for about 10 minutes (until the edges just start to brown), turning the pan halfway through unless your oven has perfect heat distribution.

Chocolate Chips Cookies

  • 1c Earth Balance, softened
  • 3/4c packed brown sugar
  • 3/4c granulated sugar
  • 1.5-2 tsp vanilla
  • 1T corn starch
  • 1/4c soymilk or other non-dairy milk
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2.25c white flour (measure after fluffing up flour by tossing it a bit with the measuring cup)
  • 1 bag vegan chocolate chips
Mix the Earth Balance, sugars, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk the corn starch in the soymilk (this serves as replacement for the eggs), then mix into the mixing bowl. Once the wet ingredients are well mixed, mix in the dry ingredients (salt, baking soda, and flour). Then add chocolate chips. Bake at 350F for 12-14 minutes.

Cilantro Cole Slaw

  • small head purple cabbage, chopped thin
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/4-1/3 c vegan mayonnaise, depending on how much you like this stuff (I used Spectrum canola spread)
  • 1 T olive oil
  • cayenne pepper to taste (about 1/4 tsp)
  • black pepper and salt
Toss all ingredients together.

Cream 'Cheese' Frosting

  • 1 container Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
  • 1/2 c Earth Balance margarine
  • 2 c powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I used 1 tsp, and found it to be too much)
Mix all ingredients together. Food process to add fluffiness.

Creamy Lemon Pecan Spread
I intended on making parsley pesto, and then realized I didn't have enough parsley. I ended up liking it, particularly along with the hummus (very tart, which went well with the tahini-heavy hummus).
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 carrot, chopped into chunks
  • 1/2 c pecans (or whatever nut you want; pine nuts or walnuts work well)
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 T miso
  • 2 T nutritional yeast
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1-2 T water
  • bunch of parsley (I had about 1/4 - 1/2 c chopped parsley)
  • salt to taste
Food process all ingredients.Blend the garlic cloves, carrot chunks, and nuts first so they are finely chopped, then add the next 5 ingredients, and finally add the parsley.


D
Dan's 'I Bet Stacey Won't Remember Everything She's Eaten In The Past Three Weeks' Bbq Sau

  • rice vinegar (3T?)
  • small onion, minced
  • small can tomato paste
  • 1/2- 3/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 T chopped garlic
  • 1 T chopped ginger
  • 1 T chili paste (optional)
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper
  • ground pepper to taste (a lot)
  • 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce/ vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • sesame oil
  • 1 T toasted sesame seeds (optional)
directions:
fry onion in sesame oil. add garlic, ginger, tomato paste
add soy sauce, vinegar, chili paste, teriyaki bit-by-bit
add the rest, simmer
add more pepper than you think you should


E
Egg-Free Egg Salad

I didn't measure anything when I made it; these are estimates. I'll try to remember to measure next time and update it, because I like how it turned out.
  • about 1/4 c Vegenaise
  • about 2 tsp vegan Worcestershire
  • about 1/2 tsp Bragg's liquid aminos
  • about 2 tsp mustard
  • about 1 T nutritional yeast
  • about 1/8 tsp turmeric
  • about 1/2 tsp Spike seasoning
  • about 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • about 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 8oz tofu, broken up with hands
  • small handful fresh cilantro, chopped
Whisk together everything except the tofu and cilantro. Once thoroughly mixed, add the tofu and cilantro. Best served cold.


F
Fluffy Beer Pancakes
adapted from this recipe, which is seriously awesome.
  • 3 c flour
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 4 T baking powder
  • 1/4 c Earth Balance, plus more for frying
  • 2 T corn starch
  • 1.5 c (1 12oz bottle) beer
  • 1.5 c soymilk, plus a splash to mix with corn starch
  • fruit or chocolate chips (optional)
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder together in a large bowl. Cut in Earth Balance (either with a knife or fork, or just by kneading it in with your hands). Prepare replacement for egg by whisking the corn starch with a splash of soy milk. Add this corn starch/soy milk mixture, the beer, and about 1c soy milk to the dry ingredients. Mix, leaving some clumps. Add the rest of the soy milk if necessary (depending on the thickness of the batter. it should be quite thin.) Add optional fruit or chocolate chips to batter.

Heat a stick-free or well seasoned pan on medium-high heat. Once hot (dribbled water should sizzle), add 1/8-1/4 tsp Earth Balance. It should melt and sizzle quickly. Before it has spread out very far, scoop about 1/3c batter into the middle of the melting Earth Balance. Flip pancakes once most of the bubbles that form on top have popped. Serve with syrup, fresh sliced fruit, ice cream, or other toppings.


Ful Medames

This recipe is totally made up. It would be better starting with dried beans so that they remain intact after cooking/flavoring.
  • 1 can small fava beans, rinsed
  • 1 big can big fava beans, rinsed
  • 1/2 bouillon cube in 2 c water (2x diluted)
  • 1/2 onion, quartered
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, cut into large chunks (just 2-3 chunks per clove)
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • roasted red pepper flakes
  • sea salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • splash of olive oil, plus 1-2 T
  • cumin
  • chili powder
  • lemon, cut into wedges
  • parsley or cilantro, chopped
Combine the fava beans, bouillon, quartered onion, garlic, bay leaves, roasted red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, and splash of olive oil in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the bouillon reduces and you are left with a thick sauce. Some of the beans will disintegrate, but chunks of beans are okay. Once boiled down, remove onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Add cumin and chili powder to taste, and cook for a couple more minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste if necessary.

In a small bowl, combine the 1-2 T olive oil, about 1/2 tsp chili powder, about 1/2 tsp cumin, the minced garlic, and a dash of salt and pepper. Transfer ful to a serving dish, and create a little crater on the surface. Pour the olive oil/spice mixture into the crater. Serve with fresh lemon wedges and chopped cilantro or parsley.


G
Green Bean Pesto
Green Bean Pesto

Roast 1/2 coarsely chopped onion, 12 whole cloves garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and olive oil for about 30 minutes. 10 minutes before done, add about 1c frozen green beans.

Blend 1/4c toasted pine nuts, small handful of spinach, 1T lemon juice, 1T olive oil, dash of hot sauce (I used Sriracha), and contents of the roast. Add water to create desired texture (I added about 1/2c). Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over pasta, bread, etc.

Greinski

  • 1 or 2 shots whiskey (depending on how much you like whiskey)
  • juice of one entire juicy lime. Use more limes if the lime is not very juicy.
  • dollop of agave nectar (about 1 T?)
  • large pinch of chopped cilantro
  • ice
Stir.

Grilled TLT
Fry tempeh strips (Lightlife's Smoky Tempeh Strips are amazing) in a scary amount of canola oil (enough oil to just cover the tempeh) on medium high heat. Afterwards, you can save the oil to use next time. Try to flip the tempeh a few minutes into frying; takes about 5 minutes to cook, until they are just turning brown (they'll be a bit too crispy if you let them brown too much).



To two pieces of white or sourdough bread, add Earth Balance to the outsides (to be grilled) and vegan mayonnaise to the inside (I used Spectrum Canola Oil spread). To the mayonnaise side of each slice of bread, add lettuce. To one of the slices of bread, add a bunch of fried tempeh and a couple tomato slices. Grill the sandwich.


H
Home Fries
Adapted from "The New Best Recipe" from the editors of Cooks Illustrated.

Heat 1T oil (corn or peanut work best) over medium-high heat in a large pan that doesn't tend to stick. Add 1 chopped onion and roasted red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until browned (about 8 min). Remove from the heat and set aside.

Put roughly diced potatoes (about 1 pound) in a pot or saucepan, add 1tsp salt and enough water to cover potatoes, and place on high heat. As soon as the water starts boiling, drain. This method keeps the potatoes from getting mushy (something about starch).

Heat another 1T oil plus 1T Earth balance on medium-high heat in the pan in which the onions were cooked. When the Earth Balance starts to foam, add potatoes and shake to distribute the oil all over the potatoes. Cook (avoiding turning) until the bottom side of the potatoes is browned (about 5 min). Turn the potatoes and cook, followed by several more turns over 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are browned on at least several sides. When they are just about done, add the cooked onion, paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Cumin and cayenne pepper optional.


I
Israeli Cous Cous Pilaf With Asparagus And Chickpeas





Pilaf:

  • half an onion (preferably red onion, or shallots), chopped
  • about 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • tiny bit of olive oil (just enough to keep the onion/garlic from sticking)
  • dash (about 1/4 tsp) of roasted red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 cups Israeli cous cous
  • 1/4 c Earth Balance (less if you want to be LAME)
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • cinnamon
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (I used half the recommended Rapunzel bouillon plus dried shiitake mushrooms)
Saute the onion and garlic with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, until just starting to brown. Use a small amount of olive oil to keep them from sticking, but not very much since you want them to start browning without cooking for too long (they'll have plenty of time to cook with the cous cous).

Add the cous cous, bay leaves, cinnamon, and a couple T Earth Balance, and saute for a few minutes. After the cous cous has toasted for a bit, add the broth, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the broth has disappeared (about 15-20 minutes), turning a couple times to make sure that the cous cous on top gets cooked.

(I didn't have a cover for my pan, which made the 1c cous cous : 1.33c broth ratio work pretty well. If you have a cover, it probably takes less broth.)



Chickpeas and asparagus:

  • 3+ cloves garlic, chopped into big chunks
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • roasted red pepper flakes
  • cayenne pepper
  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed
  • about 10 spears asparagus
Saute the garlic in olive oil for a minute or two. Add the rest of the ingredients. Saute for longer than you think on medium-high heat, stirring only enough to keep everything from burning. Chickpeas taste awesome if you cook them long enough for the outside to brown.


Israeli Couscous With Marinated Tofu And Eggplant
  • 1 package tofu, cut into brick-shaped cubes
  • 1 eggplant, cut into brick-shaped cubes
  • 1 onion, chopped in large chunks
  • 5-6 cloves garlic, chopped into big chunks
  • fresh thyme (a lot.. maybe like 1/4 cup?)
  • a few chives, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp minced habañero pepper
  • fresh spinach (one bunch... about 2 cups)
  • 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  • 4-5 radishes
  • 1 lemon


Broth:
  • 6 cups water
  • several stalks celery, chopped
  • about 3/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 2 bay leaves
  • dried red peppers
  • black pepper
  • sea salt


Marinade:
  • 3 cups broth
  • 1/2 c soy sauce
  • 1/2 c sesame oil
  • 1 c rice vinegar
  • allspice (about 1 tsp)

Bake tofu and eggplant in the marinade at 400F for 80-90 minutes. Flip periodically. Drain (and save) most of the excess marinade. Add the tofu and eggplant to a Dutch oven, along with onion, garlic, thyme, chives + habañero pepper. Add about 1/2 cup of the excess marinade. Bake, covered, 10-20 minutes. Check periodically for dryness; if dry, baste with more marinade. When the onion and garlic are just about cooked, add the spinach to the top, cover, and let the spinach steam for a few minutes. Then stir in the spinach and cook a couple more minutes.

Separately, cook the Israeli couscous in 2:3 couscous:broth. If there is not enough broth, substitute water.

Toast almonds in a pan and slice the radishes into think sticks.

Serve the tofu/eggplant on top of the couscous, with the almonds, radishes, and freshly squeezed lemon on top.



J
Jalapeño Cornbread
  • 1.5 c all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 c yellow corn meal
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt, plus a dash
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 2 T canola oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 jalapeño peppers, minced
  • 1 cup corn (I used frozen; off the cob would be fine too)
  • 1/4 c Earth Balance
  • 1/4 c soy yogurt
  • 1.75 c soymilk
  • 1 T apple cider vinegar
Preheat oven to 350F. Mix the soymilk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl or measuring cup, and set aside, allowing to curdle. In a separate big bowl, mix the flour, corn meal, baking powder, 1 tsp salt, and sugar. Saute the onion and peppers on medium-high heat in 1 T oil with the dash of salt in a cast iron pan (any pan is fine if you don't have a cast iron) until slightly brown, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate to cool. Saute the corn in same pan to let it brown a little, also about 5 minutes. Remove to the same plate to cool. After several minutes of cooling, add the vegetables to the dry ingredients. Mix in the Earth Balance into the dry ingredients with your hands, letting it get sort of clumpy. Add the soy yogurt in a similar fashion. Then, pour the 1 T remaining oil and the soymilk/vinegar combo into the bowl. Mix with a fork until combined, not overmixing (leave some clumps). Pour into the cast iron pan and bake for about 40 minutes.


L
Lemon Corn Meal Pancakes
  • 1 c flour
  • 3/4 c corn meal
  • 3 T sugar
  • 2 T baking powder
  • 3 T Earth Balance, plus more for frying
  • 1 T corn starch
  • 1.5 c soymilk
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • zest of 2 lemons
Mix flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder together in a large bowl. Cut in Earth Balance (either with a knife or fork, or just by kneading it in with your hands). Prepare replacement for egg by whisking the corn starch with a splash of soy milk. Add this corn starch/soy milk mixture, the rest of the soy milk, and the lemon juice plus zest to the dry ingredients. Mix, leaving some clumps.

Heat a stick-free or well seasoned pan on medium-high heat. Once hot (dribbled water should sizzle), add 1/8-1/4 tsp Earth Balance. It should melt and sizzle quickly. Before it has spread out very far, scoop about 1/3c batter into the middle of the melting Earth Balance. Flip pancakes once most of the bubbles that form on top have popped.

Lemon Wild Rice With Romaine Salad
Cook about 1 c wild rice per instructions (typically 3:1 water: wild rice), with bay leaves, a dash olive oil, quartered onions, garlic chunks, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

While rice is cooking, chop about 2 c romaine lettuce. Dry roast 1 c pecans and 1/2 c sesame seeds with a bit of salt. Combine lettuce with pecans and seeds, and toss with the juice of 1 lemon.

When rice is finished cooking, lay out on a plate or other dish to cool. Once cool, add to the lettuce/nut/seed/lemon mixture. Add a dash of olive oil, plus salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste (I used white balsamic vinegar).


Lentils (For Pasta Or Rice)

  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
  • olive oil (about 1 T)
  • 1.5 c lentils, washed
  • 4 c hot water mixed with 1-2 bouillon cubes (or, substitute 4 c broth or water)
  • black pepper to taste (about 1/4 tsp)
  • red pepper flakes (about 1/2 tsp)
  • thyme (about 1/2 tsp)
  • 2-3 bay leaves
Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil in a pot. After a few minutes, add the lentils. Saute for another minute, then add the broth (or water + bouillon), black pepper, red pepper flakes, thyme, and bay leaves. Simmer until the lentils are cooked (about 40 minutes; could be much more or less depending on the lentils). Add more water if they start to stick to the bottom of the pan.


Lychee Coconut Sorbet

  • 1 can lychee (mine had a simple sugar syrup included in the can which made the sorbet sweet enough)
  • 1 can (13.5oz) coconut milk
  • about 1 T gin
  • dash of salt
Blend lychee (along with the syrup that comes with it) and coconut milk together in a food processor or blender. Add dash of salt and gin (to lower the freezing temperature, which helps it from being too icy according to Gershon). Insert into ice cream maker. Press "on." Takes at least 20 minutes since the mixture isn't pre-cooled.

The lychee and coconut go very well together. I couldn't taste the gin, but I think it would also taste okay with the other flavors.


M
Marinated Tempeh Sandwich
For marinade, mix:
  • 1/8 c tamari or soy sauce
  • 1/8 c olive oil
  • 1/8 c mustard (I used Jack Daniel's stone ground mustard)
  • 1/8 c vinegar (I used white balsamic)
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • red pepper flakes (about 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp)
  • black pepper to taste
  • large dash garlic powder
  • dry, crumbled sage (fresh, cut would be okay too!)
  • dry, crumbled rosemary (from Stacey and my garden; fresh, cut would be great)
  • dry, crumbled thyme (" ")
  • 1 c water
Cut tempeh into strips (I used a wild rice variety of tempeh from Lightlife), and spread in a single layer in a baking pan. Add quartered onions and large chunks of garlic. Choose a pan size that leaves little empty surface area once the tempeh is added. Pour the marinade over the tempeh (it should just submerge the tempeh). Bake at 425F until the marinade is soaked in and most of the water has evaporated (about 40 minutes).



Eat as is, or in a sandwich. I had it on sourdough bread with lettuce and lemon wild rice salad as other sandwich fillings.

Michael's No-Bake Baked Beans
Sautee two small chopped yellow onions in a medium sized pot, with oil, until clear. Keep the pot covered while you do this to keep them nice and moist.
Add 7 cloves of garlic cut into somewhat large chunks.

About 5 minutes after adding garlic, add 1 can of black beans and 1 case of red kidney beans. Don't drain 'em.

Keep that covered and cooking on medium heat.

Now we are going to caramelize some sugar. In a separate pan, add 1/3C white sugar, and stir in enough water to make the whole thing a little soupy. Turn it on medium heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until boiling. Make sure to scrape the sides if you get any buildup. Once it starts boiling, keep a close eye on it and wait for it to start to turn a brown color. When it does, stir it into the beans.

Add a dash of cinnamon, Old Bay, hot sauce (we used sauce from a chipotle with adobo can), some crushed red pepper, and salt/pepper to taste.

-Michael

Miso Soup

  • 4 c water
  • 1 bouillon cube (half the bouillon concentration according to the box; otherwise you taste broth and not miso. My favorite vegan bouillon is Rapunzel)
  • 3 slices dried shiitake
  • 6 T miso paste (super cheap at H Mart)
  • 1 block tofu, chopped into small cubes
  • 1/8 c dried wakame or other seaweed
  • 1 stalk green onions, chopped
Reconstitute the wakame by covering it in warm water for about 15 minutes. Drain.

Boil the water. Add bouillon and dried shiitake. After the bouillon is fully dissolved, add the tofu and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the miso paste, stirring to dissolve each tablespoon before adding the next tablespoon. Once all the miso is added, remove the shiitake (optional; I don't like the texture). Add the wakame. Simmer to keep warm until ready to eat. Just before serving, add green onions.

Multigrain Pecan Bread
  • 1 packet yeast (I believe this is slightly over 2 tsp)
  • 1/4 c very warm water (just getting uncomfortable to touch)
  • splash of maple syrup (any sweetener would do)
  • 4 c white flour
  • 2 c whole wheat flour
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 c sunflower seeds (or however much you want)
  • 1/8 c flax seeds (")
  • 1/8 c sesame seeds (")
  • 1 c crushed pecans (I just crushed them in my hands)
  • 1/4 c granulated sugar (any sweetener would do)
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • water (about 2 cups)
Combine yeast with warm water and stir to dissolve. Let sit for a couple minutes, and add the splash of sugar (to help the yeast grow... does this really work?). Let sit a few more minutes (you should see it start to froth up).

Mix flour, salt, seeds, nuts, and sugar in a bowl. Add the yeast mixture, oil, and water, and knead. Add enough water so that you can knead all the flour into the dough without the dough sticking to your hands (a little bit of sticking is okay after this first mixing). After it is fully mixed, if it is sticky, add a bit more flour; if it seems dry or if you can't knead all the flour in, add more water. Once mixed, spread a thin layer of olive oil on the surface of the dough, cover with a damp towel, and let rise (at room temperature or slightly warmer).

After rising (as long as you want... about 45 minutes is good), punch the dough down and knead (about 10 minutes? Less if you knead like you need it). If it sticks to your hands, sprinkle whole wheat flour on the kneading surface and knead it in (repeat until it is no longer sticky). After kneading thoroughly, separate the dough into whatever loaves or rolls you are baking. Let rise like this for another 15 minutes or so (it will rise more in the oven).

Bake at 425 until the outside is browning and the loaves make a hollow sound when you hit them. The rolls I made took about 25 minutes, the loaf 30 minutes.

Mushroom Gravy

  • 1 container (10oz?) of button mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced
  • 1 onion chopped tiny
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • olive oil
  • sage
  • black pepper
  • 3 cups vegetable broth (I used bouillon, and slightly more than the suggested bouillon:water ratio)
  • 3 T Earth Balance
  • 2.5 T flour
  • salt (if necessary, based on saltiness of broth)
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. After a couple minutes, add the mushrooms. Season with black pepper and sage. When the mushrooms have just started to cook through, add the broth and simmer.

In a separate pan, prepare a roux by heating and constantly stirring the Earth Balance and flour together over medium heat. After the two are mixed, they should start bubbling, and then start turning slightly brown.

After cooking the roux for a couple minutes, add it (a bit at a time) to the gravy until desired thickness. Add salt if necessary.


N
North-And-South-Of-The-Border Wild Rice Salad

  • 2 c uncooked wild rice
  • 5 c water (or however much you need to cook your wild rice)
  • 3 corn cobs
  • 3 shallots, minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-3 jalapeños, seeds discarded, minced (1 is very mild; 3 is spicy)
  • 1.5 T olive oil
  • 1 T white balsamic vinegar
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • handful of cilantro, coarsely chopped
  • salt and pepper
Cook the wild rice and let cool. Grill or roast the corn (to roast, this method works well, baking for 30 minutes at 350F in the husk or in aluminum foil), then cut off the kernels (it's fun to keep some of the kernels attached to each other). Saute the shallots, garlic, and jalapeño in 1/2 T olive oil on medium heat, adding salt and pepper to taste, until cooked (3-4 minutes). Toss together the rice, sauteed vegetables, remaining olive oil, and the rest of the ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add more olive oil, vinegar, and lime if desired.


O
Olive Oil Coconut Ice Cream
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 2 cans coconut milk, with 1/4 c set aside
  • 2T arrowroot powder
  • dash of salt
  • 3/4 c olive oil
Whisk 1/4 c coconut milk with the arrowroot powder. Heat the remaining coconut milk with sugar and salt on low heat until it boils. As soon as it boils, remove from heat and add the 1/4 c coconut milk + arrowroot. Stir; it should thicken. Let cool at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, then refrigerate until cool (at least a couple hours). Prepare according to ice cream maker's specifications, pouring in olive oil slowly and spaced throughout the churning.


P
Portobella Gravy
  • 1-2 T olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-2 sprigs (~1 T) fresh rosemary, chopped a bit and then soaked in olive oil to soften
  • 1-2 sprigs (~1 tsp) fresh thyme
  • 5 portobella mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 T Earth Balance margarine
  • 2 T white flour
  • 2-3c broth
  • salt and pepper to taste (if using a salted broth, probably not necessary)
Saute the onion in the olive oil. After a few minutes, add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme. After a few more minutes, add the mushrooms. Saute 5-10 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked down.

Separately, make a roux. Melt the Earth Balance, and then add the flour bit by bit over heat, stirring to keep from sticking. Once all the flour is added, cook/stir for about 5 minutes.

To the sauteed vegetables, add 1 c broth and cook until simmering. Stir in about a third of the roux to thicken. After a few minutes, add a second cup of broth and more roux. Simmer for about 15 minutes, adding the remaining broth and roux as desired to achieve desired thickness. (I used all the roux and probably about 2.5c broth). Keep in mind that the gravy will thicken somewhat upon cooling, so the consistency while simmering should seem a bit too watery.


Q
Quinoa Pilaf
  • about 1 T olive oil
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 potatoes, chopped
  • about 1/2 or 1 tsp Bragg's (optional)
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • red pepper flakes (about 1/4 tsp)
  • tarragon (about 1/2 tsp)
  • thyme (about 1/2 tsp)
  • rosemary (about 1/2 tsp)
  • cumin seeds (about 1 tsp)
  • black pepper to taste
  • salt
  • 1.5 c quinoa
  • 3.5 c vegetable broth or water (I use Rapunzel bouillon, and I use recommended amount for 2 cups broth and dilute to 3.5 c water)
  • several (about 4 oz) sliced button mushrooms
  • chopped fresh tomato (I used 1/2 a large tomato)
  • about 1 c chopped parsley
  • handful of walnuts or pecans, broken into chunks
Saute the onion, garlic, and potatoes in olive oil on medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add all the spices, the quinoa, and optional Bragg's, and saute for another minute or two so that the quinoa browns slightly. Then add the broth. Heat on high until boiling, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low (allowing a slight amount of vapor to escape, like with rice). Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all the water, adding more water if necessary (the amount of water varies based on how much vapor is escaping).

Separately (you can do this beforehand), saute the mushrooms in a tiny bit of olive oil.

Toss/fluff the cooked quinoa with the mushrooms, parsley, walnuts, and tomato. Serve warm.

Quinoa With Sausage And Roasted Vegetables
  • 2.25c quinoa, soaked for at least 15min., rinsed, and drained
  • 2c broth (I dissolve bouillon in hot water)
  • 1c water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1/4-1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
  • half a bulb of fennel, chopped
  • red pepper flakes (a tsp if you want it to be spicy)
  • several sprigs of thyme
  • 1 sprig of rosemary, chopped and then soaked in olive oil
  • 2 Field Roast Italian sausages, cut into discs
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • an equal amount of ginger as garlic (about an inch), minced
  • olive oil
  • 2-3 T Earth Balance (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste
Combine quinoa, broth, water, and bay leaves in a pot with a pinch of salt. Cook on med-high until simmering. Once simmering, reduce heat to low and cover until cooked, about 30 minutes. If water runs dry (steam stops escaping) and quinoa is not done, add more water.

In an oven-safe dish (like a Dutch oven), roast the carrots, cabbage, fennel, and red pepper flakes in olive oil with salt and pepper at 400F for about 20-30 minutes (until veggies are soft).

Saute the sausage in a bit of olive oil on med-low heat. After browned on both sides, add the garlic, ginger, thyme, and rosemary. After a few minutes (the garlic and ginger should be just starting to brown), add the roasted veggies and the quinoa. Saute together for a couple minutes, optionally adding Earth Balance.

Quinoa-Corn Salad
  • 1c quinoa (I used 50:50 red:white)
  • 1/4 onion or 1 shallot, minced small
  • 1/4 red bell pepper, minced small (optional)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced small
  • 1 chipotle pepper (from can with adobo sauce), minced small (use 2 if you want it to be spicy)
  • 1-2 c frozen corn (depending on how corny you want this)
  • handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • olive oil to taste (~1-2T)
  • apple cider vinegar to taste (~1T)
  • juice of 1 lime (or to taste)
  • 2 green onion stalks, chopped
  • big handful of cilantro, rinsed and chopped
Cook quinoa according to directions (I soak for 15min., then rinse several times, drain, and cook with 1:1.5 quinoa:water, adding more water if necessary. I usually cook it with a bay leaf, dash of sea salt, and a bit of olive oil.)

While quinoa is cooking, saute the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and chipotle pepper in olive oil. Add the corn, and saute until the corn is starting to brown and has absorbed a bunch of the flavors.

After quinoa is done cooking, let cool (transfer to shallow dish and refrigerate if you are in a hurry).

Toss the cooled quinoa and the sauteed vegetables in the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, cherry tomatoes, green onions, and most of the cilantro. If you want to taste more chipotle, add straight adobo sauce from the can. Serve with the remaining cilantro sprinkled on top.


R
Raw Kale Salad
Adapted from the recipe by Tracye McQuirter, byanygreensnecessary.com



  • 1 bunch kale, washed and chopped small. Spin to dry.
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 T Bragg's liquid aminos (use soy sauce if you do not have Bragg's)
  • half a red onion, chopped small
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 2 T nutritional yeast
  • 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
Toss kale in oil and Bragg's, and let marinate for at least ten minutes. Add onion, garlic, cherry tomatoes, and nutritional yeast, mixing thoroughly to incorporate the nutritional yeast. Add the avocado just before serving so that it doesn't brown.

Refried Chipotle Black Beans
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 canned chipotle pepper, minced
  • 1-3 tsp. adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers
  • about 1 T canola oil
  • 1 can black beans
  • about 2 T water
  • sea salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • cumin to taste (about 1 tsp)
  • dill to taste (about 1/2 tsp)
  • fresh cilantro for garnish
Saute the onion in canola oil on medium-high heat. After a couple minutes, add garlic, chipotle, and adobo sauce. After a couple more minutes, add the beans. Stir for a couple minutes, then mash the beans with a potato masher. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, and dill. Continue to fry, mixing in the water, for several minutes. Serve with fresh cilantro on top.


S
Seitan Tamales


Filling (this makes an excess of filling; halve to have the right amount for the amount of dough)
  • about 4oz chopped jerk-lime seitan (mine was made by The Standard)
  • corn cut off about one cob
  • 1/2 a red onion, minced
  • minced scotch bonnet pepper (1 pepper makes it pretty spicy)
  • big handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 T salsa
  • 2 T tomato paste
  • splash (about 2 tsp) of vegetable broth
  • juice of one lime
Mix all together.

Dough
  • 2 c white corn meal (supposed to use masa harina; I just used stone-ground "white corn meal" and it seemed to work fine)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp chopped cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • dash of ginger powder (unintentional! But maybe good?)
  • dash of garlic powder
  • dash of black pepper
  • dash of salt
  • 1/2 c canola oil
  • 1 + 1/4 c vegetable broth
Mix dry ingredients. Add oil. Then slowly add broth.
  • husks off three cobs of corn
(NOTE: You can buy dried husks, but I couldn't find any, so I just got corn on the cob. They were in those packages where half the husk is remove, making it especially tedious. Surprisingly, it worked, making mini tamales that fit into a medium saucepan. The fresh corn added flavor and didn't require time to reconstitute dried husks. But they were small and a bit of a pain to roll, sometimes requiring two or three thin husks for one tamale)

Remove husks from corn on the cob. Spread a big spoonful of filling over about half of the length of the husk (about 3-4 inches). The filling should take up about 3/4 of the width of the husk, leaving clean 1/4 of the width along one edge.

Roll that clean 1/4 edge under the filling, width-wise, creating the bottom of the tamale. Then roll the tamale lengthwise. This is backwards of what tamales are supposed to be, but if you have the constraints of husks off the cob or of a shallow saucepan, it works.

Prop tamales upright (rolled edge downward, exposed filling upwards) in a pan for steaming, not letting them unravel. This is a bit difficult; use drinking glasses or other objects to prop them up as you continue to prep. If you run out of husks or dough without filling the entire pan, insert an object that can withstand steaming. Corn on the cob chunks work well.

Sesame-Crusted Tofu
This recipe is a work in progress as I ended up with too much sauce and had to remove a lot of it in the middle of the process.
  • 3 small blocks tofu, cut into %C2%A1triangles!
  • 3 T soy sauce and 3 T water
  • 3 T peanut butter
  • 3 T sesame oil
  • 2 juiced limes
  • 1 T agave
  • 2 T minced fresh ginger
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 c black and white sesame seeds (any combination will do)
Mix the soy sauce and water in a shallow pan, and add the cut tofu (the tofu drained/pressed as much as you have time for), letting it marinate for a few minutes while the next steps are performed.

Mix the peanut butter, sesame oil, lime, agave, ginger, garlic, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Saute this mixture in a saucepan for a minute or two (to let the garlic and ginger start to cook). Then add the tofu with soy sauce, tossing so that the tofu is totally coated in the sauce. Fry for several minutes, letting the coat brown and even start to turn a little black. I ended up with too much sauce, and if this happens, you can transfer the tofu to a new pan and save the excess sauce.

Once the coated tofu is browning, add the sesame seeds, tossing again so that the tofu is coated. Fry for a few minutes after the sesame seeds have been added so that the sesame seeds cook and stick firmly to the tofu.

Spanish Wild Rice

  • 1/2 c wild rice
  • 1/2 c white rice
  • 1 ripe plantain, cut in half
  • 2 T canola oil
  • 2 T Earth Balance
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, slivered
  • 1/2 c sweet corn (I used frozen)
  • 1/2 c or more chili sauce (mine is made of dried chilis, tomato, veggie broth, cumin, oregano, onion, garlic, peanut oil)
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 T apple cider vinegar
  • juice of half a lime
  • 1/2 c cilantro, chopped
Cook rice.

Meanwhile, fry the halved plantain and red bell pepper strips in the canola oil and Earth Balance on medium heat. Cook the plantains for about 5 minutes, until almost cooked through (some blackening okay); place on towel to absorb oil, and then cut in chunks. Fry the red bell pepper strips until soft and starting to blacken, perhaps a couple minutes more than the plantains.

Separately, in olive oil, saute the onion and garlic. After a couple minutes, add the chili sauce and oregano, and saute a few more minutes. Next add the plantain chunks and corn, and saute again for a few minutes. Then add the cooked rice, and stir, adding more chili sauce if you like. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat and then stir in vinegar, lime, cilantro.

Serve rice topped with the blackened red bell pepper strips.

Spiced Garlic Wild Rice
Boil 3 cups water and add 1 cup wild rice, along with 2-3 bay leaves, 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1-2 tsp olive oil, and salt and pepper. Cover and cook. 15 minutes before the wild rice is done, add chunks of garlic to the pot.



I used "quick-cook" airboat-harvested wild rice, which takes only 20 minutes to cook and can be purchased for about $6/lb at the 2605 London Rd Holiday gas station in Duluth, MN. Cultivated wild rice is cheaper, and hand-picked is more expensive, but they all taste good.

Spicy Basil Rice Sticks
  • 1 pound frozen rice sticks
  • 1/4 red onion, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • chuck of ginger, minced (about the same amount as garlic)
  • 1 T sesame oil
  • 1/2 c shiitake mushroom broth (add hot water to dried shiitakes and soak for about 10 minutes)
  • hot chili oil to taste (about 2 tsp, depending on how spicy you want it)
  • corn chopped off one cob
  • vegan oyster sauce to taste (about 2 T)
  • 2 handfuls fresh basil (Thai basil if available; if not, regular basil is fine), chopped up a bit
  • fresh lime (optional)
Cook the rice sticks per the directions (mine were frozen, I cooked them in boiling water for about 5 minutes, then drained).

On medium heat, saute the onion, garlic, and ginger in sesame oil. Once the onions are about cooked (~3 minutes), add the rice sticks. After a minute, add the mushroom broth and hot chili oil. After another minute, after most of the water from the broth has evaporated, add the vegan oyster sauce. Stir and cook until a couple sides of the rice sticks are starting to brown. Then add the basil, stir, and cook for one or two more minutes. Sprinkle fresh lime on top.

Spicy Coleslaw
Mix:
  • 1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
  • several carrots, shredded
  • 1 apple, shredded or chunked
  • 1/2c almonds, toasted and slivered
  • 1T apple cider vinegar
  • juice of 1/2 lime
  • 2 tsp jalapeño hot sauce
  • 1-2 tsp ginger powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 3/4c vegan mayonnaise (I used Spectrum Light Canola Mayonnaise)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Stewed Plantains Over Rice
  • 2 c jasmine rice

  • 3 ripe yellow plantains
  • ~2 T Earth Balance
  • ~2 T canola oil

  • ~2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • ~5 cloves garlic, chopped (since they stew for a while, you don't have to mince them very small)
  • 15oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 28oz can diced tomatoes (I used Muir Glen Fire-Roasted)
  • oregano to taste (~1 tsp?)
  • cumin to taste (~1/2 tsp?)
  • coriander (~1 tsp?)
  • red pepper flakes (~1/2 tsp?)
  • chili powder (~1/2 tsp?)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 15oz can coconut milk
  • 1/2 c (or more) cilantro
  • juice of 1/2 lime (use the other half for wedges to serve)
Cook rice according to directions.

Peel and halve the plantains. Fry over medium-high heat in the Earth Balance and canola oil, flipping once, for about 3 minutes on each side (you should not cook the plantains all the way through, as they will cook more in the stew). Remove, dab off excess oil, and cut into ~1 inch chunks.

Saute the onion in the olive oil on medium heat. After a couple minutes, add the garlic. After a couple more minutes, add the plantains, chickpeas, and tomatoes (including the juice). Add the spices to taste. Once you think it tastes good, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The more you simmer, the tastier it gets (but don't simmer so long that the plantains totally disintegrate). Taste again, adding more spices if desired. Add the coconut milk, raise heat to bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low again and cover. Simmer for 10-20 more minutes. Then stir in the cilantro and lime, and turn off heat.

Serve over the rice with extra cilantro and lime wedges. Serves 4 good eaters, or 8 wimpy eaters.


Sundried Tomato Bread
  • 2 packets yeast
  • 1/2 c warm water
  • 1 T maple syrup
  • about 10 sundried tomatoes
  • 10 cloves garlic, sliced thin
  • 1.5c hot water
  • 3 T olive oil
  • 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
  • thyme
  • 1 T salt
  • 1/4 c sesame seeds
  • 3c whole wheat flour
  • 3.5c white flour
  • extra flour or water if necessary
  • extra olive oil and corn meal to line the baking pans
Soak rosemary and thyme in about 1 T of olive oil for at least 10 minutes, preferably more.

Combine sundried tomatoes and hot water. Let seep for at least 10 minutes. Remove tomatoes and mince, saving the tomato-water.

Stir yeast with warm water. After a minute, add the maple syrup. Stir and let sit for at least 10 minutes (should foam).

In a large bowl, combine the flours and seeds.

To the yeast-water-maple syrup mixture, add the sundried tomato water, the rosemary with olive oil, the remaining olive oil, and salt. Stir all these wet ingredients together, then stir into the flours. Stir with a fork until the standing liquid is gone, then mix with hands. Add more flour or water if it is too dry or sticky (should be just wet enough that it does not stick to your hands). Knead for about ten minutes. Then coat with a thin layer of olive oil, cover with a damp towel, and put in a bowl to rise (preferably in a warm place, such as on top of fridge) for about 1 hour.

After the first rise, knead again for ten minutes, folding in the sundried tomato and garlic, and splitting into two loaves. Shape and put dough in two bread pans coated with olive oil and corn meal. Let rise in the baking pan about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425F.

After the second rise, make a cut or poke holes in the top of the loaf, and bake for 10 minutes at 425. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 35-40 minutes.

Sweet Corn Bread

  • 1-1/4 c flour
  • 3/4 c corn meal
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 c Earth Balance, plus more for greasing pan
  • 1 cup soy milk
  • 4 tsp corn starch
  • 2 T maple syrup
  • 1 cat
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in Earth Balance (with knife or by mixing in with your hands). In a separate small bowl, whisk the corn starch, maple syrup, and 1/4 c soy milk with a fork. Add this along with the remaining soy milk to the dry ingredients and stir, leaving some lumps. Pour batter into muffin tins or cake pan. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes, until the top is just starting to turn brown.


Sweet Potato And Black Bean Enchiladas
  • two large sweet potatoes or similar kind of potato (mine had a darker skin than typical sweet potatoes and were yellow/white on the inside instead of orange/red.. I don't know what variety of potato they were), peeled and chopped into chunks
  • 1-2 T olive oil
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 chipotle pepper from canned chipotle in adobo, chopped small. Ingredients in case you want to try to make chipotle in adobo yourself: chipotle peppers, tomato puree, paprika, sugar, salt, onions, soybean oil, distilled vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, oregano.
  • 1+ T adobo sauce from the canned chipotles (more if you want it to be spicier)
  • 1 can (15.5oz) black beans
  • 2 15.5oz jars, or 4 cups salsa
  • handful of cherry tomatoes, halved if small and quartered if big. Any form of diced tomato would work.
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 onion chopped very small (preferably red)
  • flour tortillas (about 8 large)
  • chopped cilantro (1/4 c or so)
  • one lime
Roast the sweet potato chunks in a bit of the olive oil at 400F for about 25 minutes, until tender.

In a saucepan, briefly saute the garlic and chopped chipotle in about a T of oil. Once fragrant, add the adobo sauce, beans, 1/2 c salsa, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Saute for about 5 minutes, then add the roasted sweet potatos, stirring to combine.

Lay each tortilla on a flat surface and add a couple big spoonfuls of the filling (it's okay if it seems like less filling than you'd want in a wrap... you eat this more like a casserole and the extra tortilla is tasty). Roll into a narrow cylinder.

Add about 3/4 c salsa to the bottom of a lightly oiled 9 x 13" baking pan. Add the enchiladas side-by-side. Top with the remaining 3/4 c salsa along with the onion.

Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes, until it is browning and bubbling. Check halfway through to see if it looks dry, and if it does, add more salsa to the top. After removing from oven, sprinkle cilantro and squeeze the juice of the lime on top.



T
Tofu Scramble
Whenever I make tofu scramble, I am very hungry (it's usually like noon after sleeping in on a weekend and I'm starving), so I just sort of frantically throw stuff together. When it turns out well, I don't really know how to replicate it. This one turned out really good, and this is as much as I can remember; I'll try being more exact the next time I make it.


  • 1 pack tofu, towel-dried and cut into tiny tiny cubes
  • 1 onion (red is best), chopped however you like (I like them in thin crescents for scramble)
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped however you like (I like them in thin slices for scramble)
  • 1 carrot, chopped small
  • dash of olive oil
  • Earth Balance (maybe up to 1 T; using all olive oil would be okay)
  • crushed red pepper
  • thyme (I like using whole leaves, crumbled just before adding)
  • cumin (I like using cumin seeds, chopped)
  • sea salt
  • black pepper
  • turmeric to taste
  • ginger powder to taste
  • cayenne to taste
  • dill to taste
  • Bragg's liquid aminos (or soy sauce as substitute) to taste
  • apple cider vinegar to taste
Saute onion, garlic, and carrot with a bit of olive oil, crushed red pepper, a big pinch thyme, cumin, sea salt, and black pepper. Only use as much olive oil as you need to saute these, as we're going to add Earth Balance later.

Once the onion and garlic are cooked or just starting to brown, add the tofu with a bit of Earth Balance (use just enough Earth Balance to keep everything from sticking; just using olive oil would be okay too). If it gets dry later, add more Earth Balance.

After the tofu is added, add enough turmeric so that everything turns slightly yellow; don't add too much because it will taste weird (probably 1/4 tsp total). Add a dash of ginger; don't go crazy with this either. Add cayenne based on how spicy it has gotten from the red pepper flakes. Add dill; dill is really good in this, so don't be too scared of it. Add Bragg's... mine has a spray top, but I imagine I added about 2 tsp. If using soy sauce, don't add very much (you don't want to taste soy sauce.. you just want it to round out the flavor).

Once all these are added, let cook for a few minutes on high heat with minimal stirring so that the tofu really browns on a few sides. Add a splash of vinegar when it's close to being done, along with more salt, pepper, and/or Earth Balance if it needs it.


U
Udon With Light Sesame-Peanut-Ginger Sauce

  • 1 lb udon noodles
  • 2 T peanut butter
  • 2 T tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 T sesame oil
  • inch of ginger, grated
  • rice vinegar to taste (about 2 tsp)
  • 1-2 T toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 stalk green onion, chopped
Cook the udon (use oil in the water so it doesn't stick). After cooked and drained, run cold water through the noodles (also to prevent sticking).

Mix all the other ingredients. Toss the cold udon in the mixture.

Udon With Simple Peanut Sauce

  • 1 lb udon noodles
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 c sesame oil
  • 1/2 c peanut butter
  • 1/4-1/2 c Bragg's liquid aminos (I used 1/2 c and it seemed like too much. Start with 1/4 c and add to taste)
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2-4 T fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 T sesame seeds
Cook udon according to directions (mine cooks in boiling water, to which I add some sesame oil and ground pepper, for 10 minutes. After cooking I run cool water through to keep it from sticking and from continued cooking in the strainer).

Saute onion and garlic (add garlic a few minutes after onion) in a bit of sesame oil until slightly brown.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, stirring thoroughly. Add the sauteed onion and garlic to the sauce. Coat the noodles in the sauce.


W
Wild Rice Salad
Ingredients:
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 cups wild rice
  • olive oil (a couple T total)
  • red pepper flakes, salt, pepper
  • sage (1-2 T total if from dry or fresh leaves; if powder I bet you need less)
  • 6 cloves garlic cut into big chunks
  • 3-4 shallots, chopped fine
  • 1/2 c pine nuts
  • dash soy sauce
  • lemon juice (to taste; I used about 1-2T Goya and I bet with fresh lemon you need less)
  • vinegar (to taste; I used about 2-3T. preferably use a flavor lighter than regular balsamic; I used pear-infused balsamic)
  • dash of hot sauce/sriracha (optional)
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3-4 scallions, chopped

Boil water. Once boiling, add wild rice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, a dash of olive oil, and most of the sage (I had dry sage leaves that I crumbled; fresh would be best). Stir and then cover, reducing heat to medium-low. Ten minutes before the wild rice is finished cooking, add garlic.

Meanwhile, saute shallots in olive oil (also with sage, salt, and pepper) until clear. Also, dry roast (either in a stovetop pan or in the oven at ~350F, shaking frequently) pine nuts until they are just turning brown (DON'T BURN THEY ARE EXPENSIVE; with frequent turning they should take less than 10 minutes)

When the wild rice is done cooking, mix in the shallots and pine nuts, and let cool.

Once cool, add a dash of soy sauce (you don't want to actually taste soy sauce; it just helped round out the flavor), lemon juice until you can just taste it, vinegar to taste, sriracha or hot sauce to taste (optional), cherry tomatoes, and scallions.


Y
Yuelski

  • 1-2 shots whiskey
  • juice of one lemon
  • a dollop (maybe about 1 T) agave nectar
  • big pinch of chopped Italian parsley
  • ice
Stir.