Lentil & Chickpea Salad

Well, hello. Remember me? I'm the sassy little vegan that sometimes posts really, really delicious recipes here on this blog. Not ringing any bells? That's probably because I've been AWOL for the last three months. But I'm going to start making it up to you just as soon as the fall term ends in October...maybe I'll throw in a few in the meantime if you're extra nice.

To reward you for your patience, I'm going to post about one of my new little salad friends, but first a little background. So, I've been trying to get back into shape after letting my body go for, oh, let's say a decade. Now, I'm almost 40 so I'm not expecting any miracles here, but in my vain pursuit to look 28 again I started a rigorous workout program (Insanity and Asylum, anyone heard of these?). Since June, I've been able to build up quite a bit of muscle, I lost a couple inches here and there, and feel fit as fiddle. However...HOWEVER, I still have this nasty blob of Jello bolted to my stomach. I tried to sweat it out. I tried to starve it out. I stopped giving it booze (mostly). I begged it to leave. Even offered it some money and a plane ticket to the Bahamas. Nothing. It's sitting here right now looking up at me and giving me the finger.

So, I decided to try something new. A sort of "clean eating" type of diet, that involves focusing on the nutrient-density of foods, explained in a two-book set called Eat For Health . The basic gist of it is this: eat low-fat (no more than 1 tbs. of oil per day), eat primarily plant-based foods - especially vegetables - (don't worry, he helps you to wean off the animal products), eat a lot of raw, whole foods - nothing processed (no bread, pasta, etc.), stop using salt (worry not, there are lots of salt replacements out there), and stop eating sugar. WHAT?!?!?! The good news is that he encourages you to eat an ounce of nuts or seeds every day and the book is filled with some terrifically yummy recipes that are very simple to prepare, beautiful to look at and super, SUPER good for you. I know what some of you are thinking, "But I'm already a vegan, that's healthy enough." I'm inclined to agree with you, but if you're looking to push it a little farther and you're like me in that you don't have the cojones to go entirely raw, then maybe you'd like to take a little look-see into this style of eating. BTW, I'm not crazy enough to live like this every day, or anything. You'll still see me posting plenty of decadent vegan dishes in the coming weeks/months.

This recipe is not from the books, but I've figured out how to apply a lot of the principles to other dishes. Here's a yummy one that won't let you down, I promise!

Lentil & Chickpea Salad - Makes 4 servings

1/2 cup dry lentils
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
2 tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, chopped
2 minced hot green chile peppers, seeded unless you like it REALLY spicy
1 red bell pepper, seeded & diced
juice of 1 lime (give or take, I probably used only 2/3)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I always cheat and use carrot tops 'cause they're always around)
2 teaspoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or other salt replacer)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
lots and lots of fresh, ground pepper

1. Place lentils and broth in a pot. Bring water to boil, reduce to simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or until tender. Rinse with cold water to cool.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine cooked lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, green onions, peppers, lime juice, olive oil, parsley, and seasonings. Toss well. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve chilled.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato "Quesadillas" & Santa Fe Salad

We don't need no stinkin' quesa. Now, don't get me wrong, I love me some quesadillas with faux cheese. Especially a sauteed mushroom and onion one with Pepperjack Daiya. But I don't have any "cheese" right now and who needs it when you've got sweet potatoes holding the whole thing together?



Black Bean & Sweet Potato "Quesadilla"

1 cup mashed, cooked sweet potato (I peel, cube, and boil mine in veg broth for about 20 minutes)
1/2 cup of cooked black beans
1/2 teaspoon cumin
several dashes of salt
several dashes of garlic powder
tortillas

1. Mix up the first 5 ingredients.
2. Heat a little oil in a large skillet, over medium heat, and place a tortilla in the pan. Spread one half of the tortilla with the filling then fold the tortilla in half. Cook for a few minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side for a couple of minutes. Remove and cut into four wedges. Serve with a little salsa and vegan sour cream (Tofutti Sour Supreme is my fave).

And while you're at it, you might as well use up the rest of those black beans in a festive little companion salad...

Santa Fe Salad

2 cups fresh corn (2 ears)
1/2 bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 avocado, pitted, peeled & chopped
1 can (plus or minus) black beans, rinsed & drained
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
juice of one lime
1 1/2 tsp taco seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
2+ tbsp pumpkin seeds (optional)


1. Mix all ingredients, except the seeds, together and refrigerate for at least a half hour. Top with seeds and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Pine Nut & Basil Fried Chick'n and Beefless Tip Stir Fry

It's official; Gardein is taking over the world...or at least my kitchen. I have loved Gardein since the moment I sunk my teeth into my first Chick'n Scallopini. My love affair quickly extended to Beefless Tips and Chick'n Tenders. But, up until recently, I had to drive a considerable distance to procure any. As a result, I probably only had Gardein once every couple of months. Cut to last week, when my local grocery store FINALLY started carrying it. Now, I'm in the throes of a full-on addiction. In the last five days we've gone through two packages of the scallopini and one package of the faux beef. Gardein is such a great product, because it's an all-natural, reasonable facsimile of meat, making it a great product to serve to carnivores. It's also delicious for those of us who grew up eating meat, but who've chosen a more compassionate lifestyle. So, here's what I've been up to with Gardein's faux meats:

Pine Nut and Basil Fried Chick'n

1 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 cup wheat pastry flour

1 tsp dried basil

4 Gardein Chik'n Scallopini, thawed

4 tbs canola oil

1. Place the first three ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the pine nuts are chopped into small chunks.

2. Pour some of the pine nut mixture onto a plate and dredge the chik'n in it, pressing the pine nut mixture into both sides of the chik'n.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chik'n pieces in the oil about 2 minutes each side, or until both sides are golden brown.

4. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain a little, then serve.

If you're like me, you'll have a TON of breading left over so just pop it into a sealed container and keep it in the freezer. I served this chik'n over wilted bok choy leaves, which I cooked for a few minutes (until wilted) in a cup of vegetable broth and a little white wine with bacon salt. It went perfectly with this:

White Wine and Oregano Pasta

4 shallots, thinly sliced

8 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup vegan margarine

1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves

a pinch of crushed red pepper

1 cup dry white wine (I used a dry Riesling, but a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay would work, too)

6 ounces dry penne pasta

Vegan Topping (parmesan sprinkles)

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

2. Melt margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 5 minutes. Add the oregano and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes or until shallots are completely soft.

3. Add the wine and pepper to the skillet and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.

4. Drain the pasta and toss with the shallot mixture. Top with Vegan Topping and serve immediately.

And last night, I veganized the Ginger Beef Stir Fry recipe out of my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.

Ginger Beef Stir Fry

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tbs cornstarch

1/4 cup dry red wine

3 tbs soy sauce

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded & chopped

1 orange bell pepper, seeded & chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 package of Gardein Beefless Tips, thawed

4 tbs canola oil

1. In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients.

2. Heat canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add the Beefless tips and cook, stirring often, until browned. Remove the tips with a spatula and set aside.

3. Add the veggies to the skillet and cook on medium-high to high heat, stirring constantly, until veggies are crisp-tender.

4. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the sauce (stirring once again, to mix in the corn starch, before adding to the skillet). Cook for 3-5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add the tips in to the veggie mixture.

5. Serve immediately over steamed brown rice.

Jalepeno-roasted Cauliflower & Herb-roasted Potatoes, or Jalepeno-grilled Cauliflower & Herb-grilled Potatoes, depending on the weather

If there's one thing I love, it's veggies. If there's one thing I love even more, it's roasted veggies. I don't know how or why roasting (like grilling) brings out the flavor of vegetables so well. Not only is the taste mouth-watering, but the smell of roasting veggies cooking away in the oven makes me drool all over the floor; it's really quite messy. Tonight was originally supposed to be a grilling night, but since it's quasi rainy, I'm going with plan B -- roasting. In the oven now are Herb-roasted Potatoes and Jalepeno-roasted Cauliflower and my drooling-sequence has already commenced. Normally we would do these in foil on the grill, but Seattle's weather is providing me the opportunity to try them in the oven. Tonight I served these two side dishes with a little pan-fried Field Roast (Lentil Sage) and it was one of the best meals I've made in a long while. So, I'm posting both recipes here with the grilled and roasted versions so that you can eat them any time of year, regardless of the weather.

Jalepeno-grilled Cauliflower - Serves 4

1 head of cauliflower, cut into quarters keeping the main stem attached
1/3 cup olive oil
4+ slices of pickled jalepenos, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp savory (or other dried herb)

1. Mix all ingredients except cauliflower together and set aside for at least 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine.
2. Brush the cauliflower with the olive oil mixture and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes.
3. Place cauliflower sections on medium high heat on an outdoor grill. Cook until grill marks are present, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes.
4. Wrap each cauliflower section, tightly, in a piece of heavy foil, making sure to baste each piece again with the remaining oil mixture before you seal it closed. Seal tightly!
5. Cook over medium heat on the grill for about 20-30 minutes, turning regularly, until cauliflower is tender. When serving, make sure to drizzle any olive oil from inside the foil onto the plated cauliflower.

Jalepeno-baked Cauliflower - Serves 4

1 head of cauliflower, cut into quarters keeping the main stem attached
1/3 cup olive oil
4+ slices of pickled jalepenos, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp savory (or other dried herb)

1. Mix all ingredients except cauliflower together and set aside for at least 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine.

2. Place the cauliflower in a casserole dish and baste with olive oil mixture. Place a cover on the casserole dish.
3. Bake in a 450-degree oven for 25 minutes, basting at least once. Lower the oven temperature to 375 and bake for another 5-10 minutes until fork tender.

Herb-grilled Potatoes - Serves 4

1/8 cup olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 
  
• 1. Spray two large rectangles of foil with oil.
• 2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss until potatoes are coated in herbs. Place potatoes on the foil and form into sealed packets.
• 3. Place packets on a grill at medium heat for 30+ minutes, until fork tender.

Herb-roasted Potatoes - Serves 4

1/8 cup olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 
  
• 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• 2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss until potatoes are coated in herbs. Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet.
• 3. Roast for 25 minutes in the oven, turning occasionally. Turn the oven down to 375 and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides.

After a long hiatus

So sorry, all, for the long hiatus. The last few months of holidays, school, work, and all my non-profit activities have kept my Google calendar slammed beyond all recognition. Not that any of you care about this, you just want to read about awesome vegan food!! So, of late, I have been attempting to embrace a more raw and whole foods diet. That doesn't mean that you won't still see Gardein recipes on here --- you will!!! --- but it will be less frequent. What you will get to see are the new and exciting adventures in raw yummo-ness. Stay tuned for more posts on raw business. However, this here entry is going to be about my whirlwind vegan tour of Seattle this weekend. I took my darling younger (carnivorous) sister around Seattle and forced her to eat some of the best vegan food this city has to offer. She was a real trouper and was pleasantly surprised at how awesome vegan food tastes. So, on to the food!

Saturday Night - Sutra

For those of you who don't already know this, Sutra, in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, is truly the only gourmet vegan food in this city. You will not get a listing of a bunch of dishes to choose from, but you will get a four-course, well-planned, vegan, organic, seasonal, and gluten-free (upon request) menu that will blow your damn mind.

Colin is a classically-French-trained chef who incorporates complex flavors with flawless technique and beautiful plating. He and his wife, Amber, put their hearts and souls into this beautiful space (and the yoga center next door) and you can most certainly taste it in the food and feel it in the ambiance.

Sunday Morning - Plum Bistro

Easily the best vegan brunch in this city (and the next best vegan dinner to Sutra). Plum serves up delicious and hearty upscale food in an open and beautiful space on Capitol Hill. Everything we ate was delectable. I insist that you order the sweet potato fries, topped with aioli and diced chiles and that you devour the biscuits and gravy with chorizo "sausage" with fresh corn and cilantro. You won't want to skip this dish. The tacos were yummy, but nothing too special and the nachos were flat out the best nachos I've ever had and my sister agreed.

Sunday Night - Azuma Sushi (West Seattle)

Certainly not the best sushi you'll find in the city, but it is definitely passable. I usually get the Special Vegetarian Roll (with avocado and asparagus) and I can NEVER resist their veggie curry udon soup...make sure to ask for it with tofu and veggie broth.

Monday Morning - Blue Star Cafe (Wallingford)

If you are looking for the best tofu scramble in the city and maybe even the world, you will want to hit up Blue Star Cafe. This otherwise not-so-terribly-vegan-friendly restaurant serves up the best tofu scramble you'll probably ever have. They assure me that the veggie sausage is vegan and it comes with a heavenly side of fried potatoes and onions that I like to drown in ketchup and Tabasco sauce. This is great hangover food, people.

Monday Lunch - Thai Ginger (Downtown, Pacific Place Shopping Center)

Eh. This was the biggest disappointment of the weekend. I've eaten here before and had decent food, but I wanted a light lunch and opted for the veggie rice noodle soup. The tofu was way too large and soft, the broth was completely boring (needed lime, spice, and cilantro or lemongrass to kick it up a notch). The "rice" noodles turned out to be egg noodles so I had to eat around that. Be sure to specify that you want veggie broth. Do NOT eat the adorable little bowl of tofu and carrot soup that they bring you when you first sit down because it is made with **sigh** chicken broth (why, oh, why????). Just not a good dish at all and overpriced as well.

Monday Dinner - Saffron (Northgate)

Oh, Saffron how I love thee. Let me count the ways. Saffron has a fantastic happy hour that goes from 4pm - 7pm. So we mowed down some pakoras, samosas, and hummus plates. Saffron has lots of other delicious vegan options, you just need to ask the server to be sure. Please, though, for the love of all that is vegan, do not ever eat the tabouleh. Ever.

Pumpkin Fest 2010

Not sure if two recipes qualify for a proper pumpkin fest, but here goes. I've spent a year perfecting this muffin recipe and, because it's the holiday season and I'm feeling extra magnanimous, I'm giving it to you! Don't blame me though if you get called a liar when you serve these little beauties to carnivores and tell them they're vegan.


Pumpkin-Apple Muffins with Streusel Topping
Makes about 18+ muffins

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
egg replacer for two eggs (I use Ener-G)
1 cup canned, plain pumpkin
1/2 cup melted vegan margarine
1-1/2 cups of applesauce

TOPPING:
1/4 cup turbinado sugar (essential for the crunch factor!)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoon vegan margarine

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt and set aside.
2. Prepare the egg replacer in a separate, large bowl, following the package directions EXCEPT I HIGHLY recommend that you whip the egg replacer with an electric whisk or stand up mixer until really frothy. I have not had good success getting the frothy, eggy consistency when whipping by hand.
3. Add the pumpkin, applesauce, and melted margarine to the "egg" mixture and stir to combine; stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until moistened.
4. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full.
5. For topping, combine sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; sprinkle 1 teaspoon over each muffin. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until muffins are done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

This is one of the fastest soups I make and it is so delicious. I have veganized a version of this that I found in " The Food Processor Bible" cookbook. You might be thinking, "Pumpkin and dill? What the...", but trust me, it works.

Cream of Pumpkin Soup
Serves 2-4

1 medium onion, halved
2 tbs. vegan margarine
2-1/4 cups water
2 cups canned, plain pumpkin puree
2 tsp. "no chicken" bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1-1/4 cup non-dairy milk
salt & pepper to taste
vegan sour cream (optional)

1. Process onion in a food processor until chopped, then cook in margarine over medium heat for about 10 minutes until glossy and tender.
2. Add water, pumpkin, bouillon, and dill.
3. Cover partially and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Put soup in food processor and process until pureed, then return to the pot.
5. Add the milk and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Optionally, add a plop of sour cream to the top and a little sprinkling of dill. Serve with artisan bread.

Alert, Cabbage Lovers: Cabbage & Beer Soup and Asian Slaw

What to do with a head of cabbage. After almost every cabbage recipe you've got half of the damn thing left over. How about this plan: cabbage soup and a cabbage salad? What if I told you the cabbage soup has beer in it and the cabbage salad has wasabi powder? Now you're pretty excited, right? I have to say that this is one of my favorite soups and one of my favorite salads. Together, they make a great meal and a quick one at that!

Cabbage & Beer Soup - serves 8

1 half of a large head of cabbage, cored and shredded or thinly sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and shredded
6 cups vegetable broth
1 can (12 ounces) pilsner beer (I use Miller Lite, because I know it's vegan)
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
2 cups french fried onions, divided
1 pkg vegan kielbasa (optional)
vegetable spray

1. Coat stock pot with nonstick cooking spray and saute the kielbasa (if using) over medium high for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

2. Spray the stock pot again and saute cabbage/carrot until translucent and tender about 10 minutes.

2. Add broth, beer, seeds, and one cup of fried onions. Bring to a boil then reduce to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Spoon soup into bowls, add vegan kielbasa, and top with remaining onions.



Asian Slaw
I took my grandma MeMe's cole slaw dressing recipe and put an Asian spin on it.

INGREDIENTS

Dressing
1 cup Vegenaise (or other vegan mayo substitute)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbs rice whine vinegar (white vinegar is ok, too)
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs sesame oil
1-2 tbs wasabi paste or 1/2 -1 tsp. wasabi powder

Slaw
1 half of a large head of cabbage, cored and shredded or thinly sliced
1 cup shredded carrots

Topping
2 cups toasted slivered almonds, cashews or sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the first 6 dressing ingredients together in a large bowl and blend well. Add 1 tbs. of wasabi paste or 1/2 tsp. wasabi powder and blend well. Add more wasabi to taste, depending upon how spicy you want it.

2. Once the dressing is done, add the carrots and the shredded cabbage to the dressing. Add some and then stir to make sure you don't add too much cabbage (salad will be dry then). Keep adding cabbage until you like the consistency (I found that 16 ounces of shredded cabbage was just right for me).

3. Top with either slivered almonds, chopped cashews, or toasted sesame seeds.

NOTES

You can add marinated (in soy) firm tofu to this to make it a complete meal.

Make sure to add the nuts as a topping and not mixed into the salad. If you have to refrigerate leftovers and leave the nuts in there, they'll become soggy.