Cooking the Candle 79 Cookbook

Sauteed Swiss Chard
page 113

Sadly, there is no picture for this dish either. I must have hit the "delete all" button on my camera before downloading. Sorry folks. You all know what sauteed greens look like, I imagine. These looked better! Ha!
I previously used to steam my greens before sauteeing. Turns out that's entirely unnecessary! Don't I feel dumb. I've wasted good time on this extra step over the years, but I swear that's what they taught us to do in the one cooking class I took at "Natural Gourmet Institute." But that was ages ago. Who knows what really happened?!
Just wash and chop your greens. Sautee some garlic and shallots in olive oil. Add greens and toss till they wilt. Voila! Your delicious and healthful side dish is served!!

Speaking of healthful, but on a totally different note: Is there anything more disgusting than garlic juice? Don't answer that, because I already know! I'm feeling under the weather again and my friend and co-worker Thad made me the following juice:
Beet, pear, kale, ginger, garlic.
I got through the day feeling pretty good, so I'm willing to concede that maybe this was a good idea. At least my tastebuds are compromised from my cold! It's worse than swallowing salt water while swimming in the ocean and only slightly better than being sick all week! Yuk!!

Cooking the Candle 79 Cookbook

Seitan Piccata and Braised Green Beans

Seitan Piccata is V's favorite dish at Candle 79. He never gets anything else. So when we had my parents and some friends over for dinner the other night he requested that it be the next thing I cook from the cookbook. I would have waited a few more months to make it, because frying things sort of scares me. And frying things in small batches and keeping them warm for 7 people, and then plating them before they get cold, scares me even more. It helped that my mother offered to help (while being so amazed by the seitan, which she had never seen before).

We did not make the seitan... I love Ray's Wheat Meat, which seems to be available at several health food stores around New York City, so it never seems worth the effort of starting from scratch. Someday though! Before this project is done!

I started by making the green beens - almonds add some texture and just a hint of flavor. Then I put them on a sheet pan in the oven, covered with foil, at 170 degrees (as low as my oven will go) to keep them warm, while we cooked the rest.

We made garlic mashed potatoes (boiled, then pureed in the food processor with soy milk, a little olive oil, salt and pepper).

My mom made the sauce. I breaded and fried the seitan. V. took pictures after we plated. Hooray for team work in the kitchen!  

I was the only vegetarian at the table and everyone completely cleaned their plates. It's a filling and fulfilling dish. Perfect for a cold winter evening with friends, family, and lots of red wine!

Recipes are on pages 89 and 111. 

I know. This not actually sharing the recipes is a little frustrating. But I can't copy the entire book for you. And so far 8 out of 8 recipes have been winners. That's a pretty great record if you're still looking for a good Christmas present! 

Oh, and in case you're wondering, this recipe is completely different from the piccata in the Candle Cafe Cookbook. I like this one a lot better.

Quinoa Chili

It was pure luck that I came across the cookbook called Feeding the Whole Family when my first child was born over a decade ago. It was the first time I'd come across such exotic grains as millet, quinoa and amaranth, and included step by step directions on how to cook them. I may have called it 'keen-wa' for the first few years, but I definitely developed a love affair with this grain from the moment I tried it! And this chili is a family favourite - all of the kids will devour it, it's easy to spice up with hot sauce after the fact, and such a nourishing meal to bring to new moms or sick families:-) And now that the cold weather has arrived, I find we're enjoying it about once a week - with garlic bread, tea biscuits, tortilla chips or on a bed of steamed kale, we love our chili!

Page 145.






Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

No, I won't torture you by not giving you the actual recipe - that would just be CRUEL!!!!

Red Bean and Quinoa Chili

1 cup dried kidney beans, soaked
1 tsp cumin
3 cups water

Drain soaking water off beans. Place beans in a large pot with cumin and water; bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, covered, until tender (50-60 minutes) or pressure-cook using 2 cups of water (45 minutes) OR.....for those who don't have a lot of time (me me me), buy one can of organic kidney beans.

2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp sea salt
1 large green pepper, chopped (I often use red or orange, and add carrots or cauliflower here)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed in warm water and drained
1 cup fresh or frozen corn (Ry is allergic, so I use peas instead)
1-2 cups organic tomato sauce
1 cup water

Heat oil in skillet on medium heat. Add onion, salt, garlic, pepper, and spices; saute for 5-10 minutes. Add rinsed quinoa and stir in. Add corn, tomato sauce, and water to onion/quinoa mixture. Simmer together 20 minutes. Add cooked beans to other ingredients; simmer another 10 minutes.

ENJOY!

Cooking the Candle 79 Cookbook

Sofrito-Seared Seitan

Oh. Wow!! I really can't believe that this dish came out of my kitchen. It was so unbelievably good! And not too labor intensive for a weeknight! While the rice was cooking, I got everything else done. What a light and flavorful sofrito!!
I have to be honest, I deviated a little from the recipe. I didn't marinate the seitan (got home too late). Instead I seared it in olive oil for a few minutes to brown the outsides. Then I poured the sauce over it and simmered for 15-20 minutes. Totally delicious.
Also, I got the book out and realized I forgot to buy cilantro, and the recipe calls for 3 (!) tablespoons. So I added a teaspoon of ground cumin and chopped up about a tablespoon of fresh chives, just because I had them sitting around. Perhaps not totally authentic (at all!?!), but I don't think it suffered.
And maybe you could make this version for that person in your life who hates cilantro (doesn't everybody know at least one?).
We ate it with brown basmati rice and avocado as suggested, and I made a green side salad, just to get a few more veggies in there.
The recipe is on page 87.

Vegan Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Remember the dinner party for the friend who can't eat fat right now? This was the entree I made. Gnocchi are incredibly simple to prepare, but they do require that you pay attention to what you're doing. If you overwork them, they will get tough and chewy. 

I made these in the morning and then let them sit in the fridge (on a cutting board with parchment, not touching) for a few hours before cooking.

We served them with tomato sauce (because of the whole no-fat thing), but I think they would have been even better with some crispy sage, olive oil, garlic and salt.

Vegan Butternut Squash Ravioli

1 large butternut squash, seeded, peeled and cut into even-sized pieces

salt

fresh black pepper

about 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

about 1/3 cup cake flour

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the squash out on a sheet pan and bake until soft (25-45 minutes, depending on the size of your pieces).

Mix the two flours.

Puree the squash in the food processor (you might have to do it in 2 batches). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Flour your work surface and place the squash on it. Using a bench scraper, start to work the flour into the squash (this ensures that you don't over-mix). You might not need all of the flour. Your dough should be sticky, but workable.

Divide the dough into 6 portions. Roll each one into a rope, about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Using your thumb, roll each piece against the tines of a fork, to score it and sort of curl it. Lay out on parchment paper.

When ready to cook, boil some water with salt. Cook the gnocchi in batches. They will rise to the surface when they're done (2-3 minutes). Remove from the water with a slotted spoon. Plate and top with your favorite sauce.

Chickpea Masala

I had one of those days where I just couldn't figure out what I wanted for dinner. Not in the mood for more soy products or seitan. Had pasta the night before. Didn't want to spend hours in the kitchen. So I clicked my way over to the Post Punk Kitchen to browse, and there was the solution to my conundrum: chickpeas! And I had every single ingredient for chickpea masala in the house, which is unheard of!
V. was at his sword fighting class building up an appetite, and a friend said she might stop by, so a big pot of stew seemed like the thing, with a generous side of basmati rice with toasted pistachios and raisins.
Well, V. got home and said he had a huge craving for soy chicken nuggets from the place down the block, so he ordered those, and my friend never showed up. Had I known, I probably never would have cooked, but I'm so very glad that I did, because I had a healthy dinner, and now I have a hearty breakfast for the rest of the week. Today I steamed some kale on the side. Tomorrow I'm planning to put a farm-fresh poached egg on top!



Chickpea Masala

Spice mix: 
1 tblsp. ground cumin
1 tblsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground tumeric
1/4 tsp ground fennel
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. cayenne


3 tblsp. coconut oil or vegetable oil
1 large, chopped onion
1-2 jalapenos, seeds removed and finely chopped (i used 2 and it was super spicy)
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tblsp. grated fresh ginger*
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 lbs tomatoes, diced
salt
pepper
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or if soaking your own, start with 2 cups)
1 tsp agave
1 tsp. tamarind paste


In a small bowl, mix all the spices.
In a large, deep skillet, heat the coconut oil with the onions. Cook until they start to brown. 
Add jalapenos, garlic and ginger. Mix in the cilantro and wait for it to wilt. Fold in the spice blend.
Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and agave, as well as salt and pepper. Cook on low heat for at 20-30 minutes, or until the whole thing thickens a bit.
Stir in the tamarind paste.


* I discovered that if with my grater I don't have to even peel the ginger...the peel stays on top and the grated ginger on the bottom. I tried this with my mother's grater when I was at home and it didn't work at all. Evidently not all graters are created equal, but it's worth trying yours if you want to save a step!

Oven-roasted Broccoli

S'nice cafe in Park Slope had the most beautiful looking roasted broccoli the other day. I was inspired to make some. So easy. And infinitely better than plain old simple steamed broccoli (though I admit I like that too)!
The ultimate test will be when my parents visit and I try to feed this to my dad. Until then, it's unclear whether I'm just a vegetarian nut or whether broccoli can in fact be for everyone. I'll keep you posted....


Oven Roasted Broccoli


1 head of broccoli
4-5 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced


Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the broccoli into relatively large pieces. In a bowl, use your hands to toss with the olive oil. Spread out on a sheet pan.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and with the sliced garlic.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Optional: Grate some fresh parmesan on top or sprinkle with nutritional yeast.


P.S. : If you have a super-thoughtful friend who brought you Himalayan rock salt with its own grater as a house-warming gift, then your broccoli will taste extra good and full of love!!

Late summer bright veggie pasta

Ok so I'm still on the asparagus kick. It's really a spring veggie, so I have no idea what it's doing looking so good in the local produce section in September, but I won't ask too many questions!
This is my favorite kind of pasta to make, because it's so easy and so flavorful!
Cook the pasta of your choice. Clean 2 ears of corn and cook in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove, let cool and then cut off the corn. chope, then steam some asparagus, so it turns bright green but retains its crunch. Chop 2-3 heirloom tomatoes.
In a large skillet, heat some olive oil with chopped garlic. When garlic becomes fragrant, throw in the veggies and the pasta. Toss. Done!

Vegetable Coconut Curry Take 2

We eat a lot of curry. It's such a flavorful dish and it comes in so many delicious varieties that we never seem to get tired of it.
This one comes from Myra Kornfeld's book "The Healthy Hedonist." The only things I changed were that I cubed my tempeh, instead of cutting it onto larger triangles. And I added asparagus, because it always calls to me at the market:

See? How could you walk by something so beautiful?

Tempeh Marinade

2 8 oz. packages of tempeh, cut into the kind of shape and size you like

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup apple juice or mirin

1/4 cup shoyu (or tamari)

One 2" piece of ginger, not peeled, sliced

2 tsp. curry powder

1 tsp. paprika

Place the tempeh in a large skillet and add all the other ingredients. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the hat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove tempeh from skillet and set aside. Discard marinade.

Curried Coconut Sauce

1 tblsp. coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 14oz. can light, unsweetened coconut milk

1 tbslp. maple sugar or succanat (I used maple syrup...also worked)

2 tsp. curry powder, preferably a spicy blend

1/4 tsp. garam masala

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Warm the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic and sautee until golden. Add coconut milk, sugar, curry powder, garam masala, and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce starts to thicken. Stir in the lemon juice.

At this point, if you want to add any vegetables, you might want to lightly steam them.

In your tempeh skillet, heat some coconut or olive oil. Lightly sautee the tempeh until golden-brown. Add tempeh and any veggies to the coconut sauce. 

Serve with rice. I folded some toasted coconut into my rice for extra coconutty-ness!  

Hurricane Irene Moussaka

Hurricane Irene blew through New York over the weekend.

We had a leak in our ceiling and some leaves came down, but otherwise it was pretty uneventful for us. The subways were shut down, so it gave us an excuse to cuddle up at home and and do homely things. Like cook. And read George R.R. Martin. And watch TV.
Well, on Saturday night we got lazy and cooked a frozen pizza, sat on the couch and watched movies. On Sunday my three shiny, purple eggplants were looking at me reproachfully, so I made vegetarian moussaka.

It was more time consuming than I thought, but the outcome was deee-lish and we have several portions left to freeze or eat throughout the week. And now that we have a dishwasher, the mess wasn't so overwhelming either! :)

Moussaka

4-5 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4' slices

3 eggplants, cut into 1/3" slices

2 medium sized zucchini, cut into 1/3" slices

3 red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into bite sized pieces

2 tblsp. olive oil

1 medium sized yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tblsp. fresh thyme

1 oz. dried mushrooms of your choice, soaked in red wine

1/4 cup raisins

1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 tblsp. tomato paste

salt and fresh pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly oil 2 half sheet pans or one large sheet pan and arrange the potatoes, eggplants, zucchini and peppers in a single layer. Lightly drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 30 mins. or until tender (the potatoes might take longer than the rest of the veggies). Remove from oven and set aside.

Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Drain the mushrooms and chop into bite sized pieces, if necessary.

Heat 1 tblsp. of olive oil in a pot and add onion, garlic, thyme, mushrooms and raisins. When onions become translucent, add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for at least 15 minutes to thicken the sauce.

Lightly grease a casserole dish. Pour the mushroom sauce into the base of the dish. Arrange the vegetable in overlapping layers.

Glaze

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 1/2 cups tomato sauce from a jar

1 1/2 cups silken tofu

1/2 cup soy milk

salt and pepper 

1 egg (optional)

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor and pour evenly over the vegetables. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top starts to brown slightly. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

Penne with Vegetable Arrabiata Dressing and Spinach Gnudi

It was an all-out Paul Gayler inspired dinner the other night, sticking with the Mediterranean theme, with penne, heirloom tomatoes, olives and spinach. I made two versions of the gnudi (basically ravioli filling, without the pasta around it), one with parmesan, and one with tofu for the vegans and the lactose intolerant.  The tofu ones actually turned out to be more popular!

Vegan Spinach Gnudi


10 oz. frozen. chopped spinach
1 package extra-firm tofu, drained
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
4 tblsp. chickpea flour
4 tblsp. chickpea flour, mixed with 4 tblsp. water
salt and pepper to tast
1 clove fresh garlic, chopped
nutmeg
1 tblsp. chopped parsley


Put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until just combined. With more chickpea flour on your hands, roll the mixture into small-ish balls. At this point they can be refrigerated if you don't want to use them till later.
Bring a pot of salt water to boil. Cook the gnudi for 5 minutes. Do not cook too many at a time or they will fall apart or stick to each other. Use a slotted spoon to remove from water. Serve on top of the penne below.


Alternative Non-Vegan Spinach Gnudi


1/2 lb fresh spinach
3/4 cup ricotta, drained
1 egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tblsp. parmesan, grated
salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste


In a pan, wilt the spinach with a little water. Transfer to a colander and drain out excess water. In a food processor, blend to a puree. Transfer to a bowl.
Add ricotta, egg, flour, parmesan and seasoning and stir. If it seems too dry, add a little cold water.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 
Form small balls. Bring a pot of salt water to a boil. Cook gnudi until they rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon.


Vegetable Arrabiata Dressing for Pasta


1/2 cup olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 small dried red chilies, finely chopped
1 large zucchini, finely diced
6 tomatoes, blanched, peeled, deseeded and chopped
2 tblsp. pitted chopped black olives
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tblsp. chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste


Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add shallots, chilies and garlic and cook for a minute or so. Add the zucchini and cook another 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and olives and cook another 3-4 minutes. Add lemon juice, cilantro and salt and pepper. Add to cooked pasta. 

Summer Vegetables with Avocado Cheese

This recipe comes from Paul Gayler's book "Pure Vegetarian,"with minor alterations. My mother gave me the book a couple of years ago but in my old kitchen these recipes always seemed too daunting because I had no prep space. Now that we have a little more room, they're suddenly completely feasible as dinner options.
That is, when people actually show up to eat. We invited 3 people to dinner. One person came on time, one came 1 1/2 late and the third never showed up at all. What is it about New Yorkers, I ask you?
I do love my friends though, and we did have a good time anyway!
I served this appetizer at room temperature. It's a little tart, with a hint of sweetness from the basil, balanced by the creaminess of the avocado cheese. Gayler calls it "vegetables a la greque", and it definitely has a mediterranean flavor that goes really well with a crisp glass of white wine.

Avocado Cheese


1/2 avocado
1/4 lb feta cheese
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and fresh black pepper


Blend the avocado and feta in the food processor. Add the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.




Herb Scented Vegetables


4 tblsp. white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. coriander seeds, crushed
sprig of fresh thyme
8 tblsp. olive oil
8 or so baby zucchini, halved lengthwise
one bunch green asparagus, trimmed and cut into pieces
4 tsp. fresh, flat-leaf parsley
2 tblsp. fresh basil leaves
3 tblsp. fresh celery leaves (I left these out and it was still delicious)
salt and fresh black pepper


In a pan, heat 3/4 cup water with the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, coriander and thyme. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Add half the oil. Add asparagus and zucchini. Cook until just tender, but retaining some crunch. Remove veggies from cooking liquid and set aside.
In a food processor, blend the celery, basil and parsley with enough cooking liquid to form a light puree. Add the remaining olive oil, blend again and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange the veggies on plates. Pour over a little of the sauce. Top with avocado cheese and garnish with thyme leaves from the cooking liquid.

Sweet and Sour Tempeh

It's been a long time! But we have now moved and as a result I have a normal size, adult kitchen to work in! I feel like a new person!
For our first home-cooked meal I made sweet and sour tempeh, adapted from the totally amazing Blossoming Lotus cookbook, called "Vegan World Fusion Cuisine." Great recipes from an inspiring restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

Sweeet and Sour Tempeh


1lb tempeh, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tblsp, sesame oil
1 small yellow onion
2 tblsp. ginger, peeled and chopped finely (I used a little extra and it was delicious)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup water
10 oz unsweetened apricot preserves (use less, if sweetened, or it will be cloying)
2 tblsp. arrowroot powder, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
5 tblsp. soy sauce
1 tblsp. mellow miso
1 tblsp. mirin
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp. cilantro, finely chopped


In a large sautee pan, heat the oil on medium heat, with the onions, ginger an bell pepper. Stir until onions start to be translucent. Add water and apricot preserves. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the arrowroot  mixture and stir to blend. 
Add tempeh and simmer till hot.


I served with brown rice, steamed corn on the cob and garlic green beans. Would have been excellent with a big green side salad as well.

Vegan Mexican Feast

It was 95 degrees in New York yesterday. We chilled a bottle of rose and I made a little Mexican feast (I know. There should have been beer. We used what was in the house because nobody wanted to make another trip to the store in the heat). Then we settled in for a 3 episode marathon of "Game of Thrones."It was a good night! And decadent!

There was bbq seitan. Wild rice. Sauteed kale. Tomato-watermelon pico de gallo (I owe the inspiration for that one to chef Angel Ramos at Candle 79 restaurant. He made something similar the other day and it was incredible, like everything that he does)!  Chopped pineapple. Daiya cheese and plain soy yogurt. And it all sat on a flour tortilla. It wasn't quite a burrito, or an enchilada, or a taco...which is why I'm choosing to just call it a Mexican feast! I highly recommend you relplicate it! It will make you happy!

BBQ Seitan
1 lb seitan 
1 bottle bbq sauce (most are incredibly sweet so look around for one that has the least sugar)


Shred the seitan and place in tupperware. Mix it with the bbq sauce and marinate for a few hours. Cook on low heat for 5-8 minutes when ready to eat. 




Tomato-Watermelon Pico de Gallo
3 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup yellow grape tomatoes, cut in half (or just more plum tomatoes)
1 cup watermelon, cut into small cubes
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
2 jalapenos, seeded and very finely chopped
1 tablsp. lime juice
salt to taste


Combine everything. Have a few spoonfuls, while you're preparing the rest of your feast!




Sauteed Lacinato Kale
2 heads of lacinato kale 
3-4 big cloves of garlic
3 tblsp. olive oil


Wash, stem and chop the kale. Place in a large sautee pan with a little water and steam until tender. Remove from heat and drain. In the same pan, heat the olive oil and finely chopped garlic. Add the kale and toss well.




Guacamole
I admit, I used store-bought (and it was deeelicious, and nobody complained). But if you're feeling ambitious, this is a good recipe:


3 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and mashed (if you can't find ripe ones you can blend the slightly unripe ones with a little olive oil in a food processor...this is what professional chefs do...I've seen it)!
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 red onion, minced
2 small tomatoes, diced
2 tblsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced


Mix everything well and cover until ready to serve, to prevent browning.




Chopped pineapple
Plain Soy Yogurt
Daiya Cheese
Flour Tortillas, gently heated in a skillet before serving.
These all make great condiments. But the options are essentially limitless. Combine everything the way you like it and ENJOY!!

Vegetable Coconut Curry

The local organic market had little bags of fresh curry leaves. I only used a small handful, so I can make curry for at least another 50 people with the leaves I have left! Apparently they don't keep for very long when fresh, so maybe I will make an attempt to dry them.

This would have been good with any combination of vegetables and greens! I used seitan, because I had some left over, but you could add tempeh, tofu, or no protein at all.

Serve with wild rice, noodles or potatoes! And it's a one pot meal, perfect for a week night when you don't want to do many dishes.

Vegetable Coconut Curry

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tblsp. fresh grated ginger

2 tblsp. ghee

1 tblsp. olive oil

a small handful of fresh curry leaves

1 tsp. turmeric

cayenne and/or hot sauce to taste

1 can coconut milk

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 tsp fennel

1/2 tsp cumin

salt

black pepper

4-5 cups chopped mixed veggies (I used asparagus, a red bell pepper, carrots and dandelion greens)

1-2 cups seitan (or tofu or tempeh)

Heat the ghee and olive oil in a pan. When hot, add the curry leaves and fry for a few seconds. Add onions, garlic and ginger and stir over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add coconut milk and vegetable broth. Add spices, salt and pepper to taste.

When the sauce is hot, add the veggies that will take the longest to cook (carrots and peppers in my case). Stir occasionally and add other veggies and protein. Mix in the greens at the end, so that they just wilt, without overcooking.

Vegan Stuffed Cabbage

Winter is seemingly never-ending, so we're still digging out hearty recipes to try, that will make us feel cozy (even though a beach and a fresh tropical fruit salad would really be most welcome right now)!

Last night it was vegan stuffed cabbage. A friend had said she loved the "meatloaf" from the Field Roast brand, so we thought we'd try it. V. is a much bigger fan of fake meat than I am, but it was flavorful and had good texture, and as far as processed vegetarian food goes, this seems fairly harmless (no weird ingredients, short shelf life, organic). Here it is:

Crumbled tempeh or even just rice and mushrooms would have made a perfect filling as well!!

I served the rice on the side, as well as some sauteed kale, so that we would get our greens!

All the recipes I read said to hold the cabbage rolls together with string or toothpicks, but I found that laying them close to each other in the pan made them hold together fine. They do look like something from an alien science lab at that point (but they'll get covered with sauce):

Stuffed Cabbage

1 head of green gabbage

4 cups of cremini mushrooms

2 small yellow onions

2 leeks

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup white wine or vegetable broth

1 Field Roast Classic Meatloaf (or 1-2 packages crumbled tempeh)

2 32oz jars of your favorite tomato sauce (or home-made)

olive oil

Bring water to boil in a pot that is big enough to hold the entire head of cabbage. Place the cabbage in the water and cook for approx. 4 minutes. Remove from heat and take cabbage out of the water. Let it cool a little. This will make it easier to peel off individual leaves, without tearing them.

Cover the bottom of large, deep saute pan with a thin layer of olive oil. Saute the chopped onions, garlic and leeks until they start to turn golden. Add the mushrooms and wine or broth. Cook on medium heat until the liquid has reduced. In the meantime, cut the meatloaf into small cubes and add to the mushrooms. Add about half a jar of tomato sauce. Transfer everything to a bowl and set aside.

With the heat off, put a layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of the same sautee pan. Stuff individual cabbage leaves with as much filling as they will hold. Place in the pan, seam side down. Squeeze in as many cabbage rolls as will fir. Completely cover with tomato sauce. Cover pan and simmer for about 45 minutes, until the cabbage is tender.

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Vegan Arugula Walnut Pesto

Since V can't have dairy, we almost never have pasta with pesto sauce together (I usually buy some and eat it on nights when he's not home). But the organic baby arugula at Trader Joe's looked really good this week, so I decided to make arugula pesto myself...cheese free! It's really the easiest thing in the world! And I froze a whole bunch for later use (in sandwiches, on grilled tofu or grilled vegetables etc...)!

We chopped some fresh baby heirloom tomatoes to go on top, along with some pine nuts for crunch!

Arugula Walnut Pesto

4 cups arugula (I used baby, but it's not necessary)

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup walnut pieces, toasted until fragrant

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

salt and fresh black pepper

Place the arugula, the garlic, walnuts and nutritional yeast in the food processor and blend until it forms a rough paste. While the machine is running, add the olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook and drain pasta of your choice. Mix in as much pesto as you like. Your easy mid-week dinner is done!

Vegetable Phyllo Roll

This recipe is really just a variation of the vegetable pie from January 24th, but a little lighter and quicker! In this case, I not only roasted squash and brussels sprouts and sauteed mushrooms, but also included some cooked wild rice.

On the first night we ate the rolls with miso-mushroom gravy. After that Vernon took them to work and had them without sauce, which was still tasty!

Erica made a variation of these when I was in Ottawa, so she turned me onto the phyllo, and I love it! It makes it easy to portion out the meal, it adds a tasty crunch, and it looks fancy. Next time I might leave out the rice and add tofu, and maybe some spinach!

Phyllo Rolls

1 package frozen phyllo pastry, thawed overnight in the fridge

1 cup wild rice, cooked in vegetable broth

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes

2 handfulls of brussels sprouts, cleaned and quartered

garlic

olive oil

3 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 large shallot, finely chopped

white wine

fresh thyme

Toss the squash and brussels sprouts with olive oil and spread on a sheet pan. Slice a few cloves of garlic thinly and spread over the squash. Sprinkle with salt. Bake at 400F for about 40 minutes.

Heat some olive oil in a pan, with the chopped shallot and some minced garlic. When they become fragrant, add the mushrooms. Add a dash of white wine and some salt. Keep cooking until the mushrooms are soft. Add thyme and cook a couple of minutes longer.

If there is any liquid left in the pan, save it and use a slotted spoon to take out the mushrooms. Set aside.

Lay the phyllo out flat and cover it with wax paper and a damp dish towel. It dries out quickly and this will keep it moist. On a flat surface, spread out a sheet of phyllo, making sure the rest gets re-covered. Brush with a thin layer of olive oil. Add another layer of phyllo. Continue like this, layering oil and pastry, stacking 4-5 sheets of phyllo. Proceed carefully, but don't worry too much if the sheets tear a little.

Spoon a strip of all the fillings along the center of the phyllo. Roll everything up and transfer to a baking sheet. Brush the roll with more olive oil and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until it starts to look golden.

Cut into pieces and maybe top with gravy!

Miso Mushroom Gravy

1/2 cup miso paste

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tblsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. garlic

2 cups of water

leftover cooking liquid from sauteed mushrooms

Place all ingredients, except for the water, in a food processor and mix well. Add the water and mix again. Transfer everything into the pan you cooked the mushrooms in. Heat, always gently whisking, until the gravy starts to thicken. Done!

Vegetable Pie!

When we went to Oxford before Christmas, we had the most delicious savory pies in the covered market. I have been promising V. that I would make him one ever since, and yesterday I finally got around to it. It's definitely time consuming, and therefore more of a Sunday dinner, but it was well worth it in the end, and we have enough leftovers for at least another 2 meals during the week!

The crust is quite crumbly and not quite like what we had in England, but it's buttery and delicious and therefore, who cares?!

Whole Wheat Pie Crust

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) butter or vegan margarine, or a combination of both

salt

cold water

Pulse the 2 flours with the salt in the food processor.

Cut the butter into slices and pulse with the flour until combined (10-15 seconds, no longer)

Transfer to a bowl and knead with your hands, adding a little bit of water at a time, until the dough holds together.

Wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Pie Filling

1/2 butternut squash

2 red potatoes

2 cups trimmed and chopped string beans

3 medium sized carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

About 2-3 cups cremini mushrooms

1 small yellow onion

3 cloves garlic

olive oil

1-2 cups white wine

3 cups vegetable broth

all purpose flour

salt

pepper

oregano

paprika

Pre-heat oven to 400F.

Cut the butternut squash and potatoes into small cubes. Toss in a bowl with olive oil and thinly sliced garlic. Spread out on a sheet pan, sprinkle with salt and bake until the squash starts to caramelize (about 30-40 minutes), then remove from oven and set aside.

In a skillet, sautee the mushrooms in olive oil, with the garlic and onions. As they cook, add a dash of white wine and some salt, pepper, oregano and paprika. When most of the liquid has cooked down, move to a bowl and set aside

In the same skillet, heat some water and cook the sliced carrots and celery until soft. Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat 2-3 cups of vegetable broth, with 1/2 - 1 cup of white wine. Let it simmer and add all-purpose flour a tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly until a thick gravy forms. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Add all the vegetables, including the uncooked string beans, to the gravy.

Pre-heat oven to 375F.

Roll out the crust on a floured surface and line a 9 inch springform pan with the dough. If it breaks, patch up the cracks by pressing in excess pieces of dough. You want the crust to be well sealed.

Using a ladle, spoon the vegetable-gravy mixture into the crust. Roll out another piece of dough and cut out a 9 inch circle, using your pan. Lay it on top of the veggies and roll the sides down, pressing gently, to seal everything in.

Place the springform pan on a sheetpan, to catch any leaks.

Bake until crust starts to brown (about 45 minutes).

Do not remove the sides of the pan after baking. Cut slices and serve. It will be runny and messy and delicious!

Favorite vegan lasagna!!

This lasagna has evolved over the years from an initial experiment when I was new to vegan cooking. It's so good that even when there is half a dish left after dinner, there still somehow aren't any leftovers by the next morning! Without vegetable layers it's very quick (except for the 40 mins or so in the oven). If you want to add cooked mushrooms, greens, zucchini, or anything else, it pays to pre-cook them, and it will take a little longer. (Although it's also a great vehicle for leftover veggies from another meal)!

Vegan Lasagna

1 box lasagna noodles

2 1/2 jars organic tomato sauce (I use Muir Glen Roasted Garlic)

2 8 oz. packages tempeh, crumbled

Olive oil

1 package Follow Your Heart vegan mozzarella

1/2 bag shredded Daiya cheese

1 cup raw cashews

salt

pepper

Optional: Sauteed mushrooms, greens, zucchini, or any other veggies you might love.

In a bowl, combine all the tomato sauce and crumbled tempeh. Set aside.

In a food processor, mix the cashews with 1-2 cups of water, salt and pepper, to make a creamy sauce (not too runny).

Cook the lasagna noodles in saltwater according to instructions on the box (7-10 mins). When drained and rinsed with cold water, rub lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking while you work.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Slice the Follow Your Heart cheese very thinly.

In a lasagna or casserole dish, start with a layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of pasta. Spread another layer of sauce, then Follow Your Heart mozzarella, then a thin layer of cashew cream sauce. Continue to layer noodles, sauce, veg cheese and cashew cream. (If adding veggies, include layers of these). End with a layer of tomato sauce.

Sprinkle a generous amount of Daiya cheese on top. Bake, uncovered for about 40 minutes.