Southwestern Quinoa

This recipe is slightly modified from a side dish from the Food Network.  Serve this version as an entrée.

Ingredients:
1 bunch scallions, sliced, OR 1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded, deveined, and minced
2 t. canola oil
4 t. tomato paste
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. chipotle chili powder
1 t. salt
2 3/4 c. water
1 1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed
2 bell peppers, chopped (any color will do, but 1 green and 1 orange make the dish colorific)
1 15-oz can corn, drained
2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Method:
In a large skillet, sauté the scallions or onion and jalapeno in the canola oil over medium heat until the vegetables have softened.
Stir in the tomato paste, ground cumin, chipotle chile powder, and salt. Add the water and quinoa, stir, and bring to a simmer.
Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is soft but not mushy, 15 - 20 minutes.  Add the bell pepper, cover, and steam 3 minutes until the bell pepper is tender-crisp.
Stir in the corn and pinto beans, and warm through.
Stir in the tomatoes, and serve immediately.
Serves 4.

Barley and Arugula Salad

This is based on a recipe originally published in the now defunct magazine Vegetarian Times...just a few tweaks.  It's SUPER EASY and perfect for a summer weeknight.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil, divided

1/2 t. salt, divided

1 c. pearled barley

2 cups shredded or finely diced carrots (I use the bagged, pre-shredded carrots to save time.)

1 t. ground cumin

1/4 c. raw pepitas or pistachios

2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4 scallions, chopped (green and white parts - optional)

6 c. baby arugula

Your favorite vinaigrette salad dressing

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Bring 2 1/4 c. water, 1/4 t. salt, and 1 t. olive oil to a boil.  Stir in barley, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the barley is chewy but not mushy (between 20 and 30 minutes...check for desired consistency).

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 t. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add carrots and cumin and stir to coat.  Sauté, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender-crisp.  Add pepitas or pistachios, and cook 2 minutes more.  Stir in a scant 1/4 t. salt.  Remove from heat.  Stir in chickpeas and cooked barley, then allow to come to nearly room temperature.  Stir in the scallions.

Divide the arugula between 4 plates, and dress each plate's serving with a teaspoon or so of your favorite vinaigrette salad dressing.  Add the barley mixture (either mixed with the arugula or served on the side) and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serves 4.

Golden Avocado Dressing Bulgur Bowl

Here's my version of a delicious and healthy grain bowl recipe from Cooking Light magazine.  Cooking Light gave credit to Adam Hickman for the original, and I left his sauce as originally published except...I doubled it!  It's the crowning glory of this bowl recipe.

Ingredients:

2 c. boiling water

1 c. uncooked bulgur

1 t. salt, divided

2 15-oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1.5 T. canola oil

2 cups finely chopped carrots (I use the bagged, pre-shredded carrots.)

½ c. sliced shallots or white parts of scallions

2 bunches lacinato kale, de-stemmed and chopped (I am sure other kale varieties would work fine, too.)

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 avocado, peeled and pitted

3 T. extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 T. tahini

2 cloves garlic, peeled

½ t. ground turmeric

½ c. flat leaf parsley, chopped (or more, to taste)

Method:

Mix the boiling water, bulgur, and ¼ t. salt in a medium bowl, and allow to stand until the bulgur is chewy, about 15-20 minutes.  When chewy consistency is reached, drain off any excess water.

In a large, deep-sided skillet with a lid, add the chickpeas and lightly dry them over medium-high heat, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the canola oil, carrots, and shallots (or scallions), and sauté about 5 minutes.  Add the kale, cover, and cook until the kale is slightly wilted and carrots are tender, about 3 minutes.  Uncover and remove from heat.  Stir in ½ t. salt and the black pepper.

Process the avocado, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, turmeric, 2 T. water, and remaining ¼ t. salt in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Additional water can be added 1 T. at a time if needed to bring the avocado sauce to the desired consistency.

Stir the parsley into the kale mixture.  Divide the bulgur between 4 wide, shallow bowls.  Top with the veggie mixture and drizzle with the avocado dressing.  Serves 4.

Red Beans and Rice

This refreshingly interesting but still vegetarian version of red beans and rice came from none other than Southern Living magazine, so you know it's tasty!  Serve the dish with a pot of greens, and you're good to go.

Ingredients:
1 lb. dried red kidney beans
1 T. Creole seasoning
1 t. smoked paprika
1 vegetable boullion cube
salt, to taste
3 c. uncooked long-grain rice
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. olive oil
garnish:  sliced green onions

Place the beans in a Dutch oven, add water to cover 2 inches above the beans.  Bring to a boil.  Boil 1 minute, cover, remove from heat, and soak 1 hour.  Drain.

Stir the Creole seasoning, smoked paprika, boullion cube, and beans into 7 c. water in a Dutch oven.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 - 1.5 hours or until the beans are tender.  Season with salt to taste.  (I usually use a scant tablespoon for a pound of beans.)

While the beans are cooking:
1.  Cook the rice according to package directions.
2. Saute the celery, bell peppers, onion, and garlic in the olive oil 6 - 8 minutes or until tender.

Stir the sauteed vegetables into the beans, and serve over the cooked rice.  Garnish with sliced green onions.

Lemony Orzo with Vegetables

Here's yet another Food Network magazine recipe for a quick, light weeknight dinner.  As you can tell, I've found lots of vegetarian inspiration from that magazine lately!

This recipe originally called for the addition of a can of tuna at the end, which Scott added to his portions only (and enjoyed), but it is perfectly tasty without it.

Ingredients:

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 14-oz. can petite-diced tomatoes

1/4 t. dried oregano (or 1 t. fresh)

1.5 c. orzo (This is a rice-shaped pasta.)

salt and freshly-ground pepper

1 14-oz. can cannellini beans (or other white beans...I used Great Northern.)

1 small bell pepper, chopped (The recipe calls for sliced, which you'll see in the photo, but you end up cutting these to eat them anyway.)

juice of 1 lemon

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

Method: 

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the garlic and half of the scallions.  Cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes and oregano.  Cook, stirring, 3 minutes.  Stir in 2.5 c. water, the orzo, 1/2 t. salt, and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the beans.  Cover and simmer until  most of the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the bell pepper and continue cooking, covered, until tender, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the lemon juice and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.  Top with the remaining scallions.

Serves 4.

Smoky Potatoes

I don't remember what magazine I found this recipe in.  I was sitting in the doctor's office with Scott when I saw this in a magazine and literally just photographed the recipe for later.  It's good!  Scott's not even a potato fan but still enjoyed this smoky vegan side dish.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1 lb. potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 bell pepper, any color, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 T. olive oil

1 T. smoked paprika (This recipe is not the same with regular paprika.  Be sure to get the smoked paprika.  You won't be sorry!)

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. freshly-ground pepper

4 scallions, chopped

 

Method:

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

 

On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes and bell pepper with the olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.  Arrange in an even layer, and roast, turning once or twice, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender (20 - 25 minutes).

 

Toss with the chopped scallions, and serve warm.  Serves 3 - 4 as a side dish.

 



Hearts of Palm Carnival

I'd never had hearts of palm, but my friend Natasha had been particularly exuberant about her love for them just before I saw this vegan recipe featuring them in the paper years ago.  The Commercial Appeal credited the The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook by Jinx and Jefferson Morgan, but when Scott and I finally got around to trying this recipe last night it tasted more Mediterranean than Caribbean.  Either way it was guh-ood.  I think this would be a popular appetizer.  We literally ate it standing at the counter, leaning over the cutting board, glasses of chilled white wine on hand.  Hope you love it as much as we did!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. coarsley chopped Kalamata olives

3 coarsely chopped tomatoes

3 chopped green onions, white and green parts

1 - 2 jalapeno peppers, minced

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

18 canned hearts of palm, cut in half vertically

loose-leaf lettuce

Method:

In a bowl, mix all ingredients except the hearts of plam and lettuce.   Arrange the lettuce on 6 salad plates, place hearts of palm in a fan shape in the center of the lettuce.  Mound the vegetables at the base of each fan and serve.  Serves 6.

NOTE:  We did not do this fancy presentation.  We just broke off pieces of warm pita bread, topped with a leaf of lettuce, then mounded on the vegetables.  This would work on toasted bread or crackers or whatever you like.  It was really delicious!

Potato Salad With Green Beans

I don't really like "creamy" or mayonaise-y potato salads.  But I love potatoes in pretty much any form, so I jumped at the chance to try this non-creamy potato salad published in a recent Food Network Magazine.  I changed it just a little, but not enough to make a wave.  AND I got to use lots of stuff from my own garden:  potatoes, garlic, oregano, and dried red pepper.  Woot!

 

 

Ingredients:

2 lbs. new potatoes, scrubbed clean

2 cloves garlic, peeled

salt

1/4 to 1/3 c. sherry vinegar

1/4 to 1/3 c. plus 1 T. extra-virgin olive oil, separated

1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

1/2 lb. green beans, washed, trimmed, and cut into 1.5-inch pieces

1/2 c. pitted and slivered kalamata olives

4 large stems fresh oregano, leaves washed, dried with a paper towel, and chopped

3 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias

red pepper flakes, to taste

 

Method:

 

Put the potatoes and garlic in a pot and cover with well-salted water.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain.  When the potatoes are cool enough to handle but still hot, carefully cut the potatoes into large bite-sized chunks (try not to pull off the skins) and transfer to a large bowl.  Finely chop the garlic and add it to the potatoes along with 2 T. each vinegar and olive oil.  Season generously with salt.  (NOTE:  It is important to do this while the potatoes are still warm so they absorb the vinegar and oil and are seasoned all the way through.)

 

Meanwhile, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet large enough to hold the green beans.  Add the onion, green beans, and salt, to taste.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the green beans are wilted and browning and the onions are transluscent.  Remove from heat.

 

Add the green beans, olives, oregano, scallions, and red pepper flakes to the bowl with the potatoes.  Stir to combine.  Taste and adjust the salt.  Add the remaining oil and vinegar, to taste.  Allow the salad to sit one hour at room temperature for the flavors to marry.  Serves 6 - 8.

Lemony Cauliflower Sauté

This is a good side dish for Middle Eastern food OR for Italian food.  It's one I made up, so it's nice and simple.  The photo shows it with green bell pepper, because that's what I had tonight, but I think red looks prettier.

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil

1 bell pepper, any color, deseeded and thinly sliced lengthwise

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

salt and pepper, to taste

12-oz. bag frozen cauliflower

2 scallions, chopped

juice of one lemon

 

 

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sliced bell pepper, onion, and celery with salt and pepper, to taste.  Sauté 5 minutes, then add the frozen cauliflower and additional salt, to taste.  Sauté until the onions are translucent and the cauliflower is soft to bite and lightly browned.  Add the chopped scallions and sauté 1 - 2 minutes more, then add the lemon juice and toss to coat.  Serve warm.  Serves 2 -4 as a side dish.

Creole Black-Eyed Peas

 Remember when Scott and I went to NOLA for his birthday (see post here)?  I was so impressed by the food at The Gumbo Shop that I bought their cookbook at a lovely little cookbook shop (called Kitchen Witch) in the French Quarter.

The Gumbo Shop is one of the few places in NOLA I've found where I can get local flavor that's vegetarian.  The food there is good.  I finally got around to making one of their recipes from the cookbook last week, so I'm sharing it with you here.  I've adjusted the seasoning only slightly.  The dish is served over steamed rice, so prepare that when the time is right.

Ingredients:

1 lb. dried black-eyed peas

2 qts. water

1 bay leaf

1/4 c. olive oil

1 3/4 c. finely chopped onion

1 1/4 c. finely chopped yellow bell pepper

3/4 c. finely chopped shallot

1 T. minced garlic

1/2 t. freshly-ground black pepper (or more, to taste)

1/4 t. cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)

1/2 t. sage

1/2 t. thyme

1 1/2 c. celery, sliced into 1/2-inch slices

1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds

2 t. salt (or more or less, to taste)

1 1/2 t. Balsalmic vinegar

1 1/2 t. Tabasco sauce (or more or less, to taste)

1/3 c. sliced green onions (green and white parts)

Method:

Sort through the dried peas, removing any small rocks or other foreign objects, then rinse the peas well.  Place them in a large pot, cover with the water, and soak in the fridge for at least 8 hrs.

Set the pot over medium heat, add the bay leaf, and slowly bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet, add the chopped onions, peppers, garlic, and shallots, and sauté until lightly brown.  (Use the stick and scrape method:  let the vegetables brown and somewhat stick to the bottom of the pan, then scrape them off and incorporate the brown scrapings into the dish.)  Add the black pepper, cayenne pepper, sage, thyme, celery, and carrots, and sauté for 5 minutes.  Stir the entire contents of the skillet into the pot of simmering peas and continue cooking until the peas, celery, and carrots are tender.

Add the salt, vinegar, Tabasco, and green onions and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.  Adjust the seasoning and serve over white rice.  Greens or spinach make a nice side dish.

Serves 6 - 8.



Warm Kale Salad

This recipe is courtesy of Food Network Magazine, and it is quite rich and tasty.  It serves about 4.

Ingredients:

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

5 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 t. Cajun seasoning

2 15-oz. cans kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes

3 c. frozen or fresh kale (or other greens as you choose), chopped

Louisiana-style hot sauce

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the celery and scallion whites and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (4 - 5 minutes).  Add the garlic and Cajun seasoning and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.  Add the beans, tomatoes, and 3/4 c. water.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid is slightly reduced, 10 - 12 minutes.  Stir in the kale and cook until tender.  Add the scallion greens and a hot sauce, to taste.  Serve warm.

Cornmeal-Carrot Skillet Cakes

MMmmmmm!  We had Cornmeal-Carrot Skillet Cakes (recipe here) this week with mixed greens and chili sauced beans.  SO YUM!!!

Happy Groundhog Day!  We welcome Phil's prediction of an early spring!!!

Spring Rolls!

Ever since Scott made a layer cake at Christmas, he's been on a cooking kick. The sweet joy of success is eating your own creation! I have to give him credit for taking on the task of finding ingredients for and making such a foreign food, which we fell in love with at a local Vietnamese restaurant. With the aid of the classic cookbook Joy of Cooking, he recreated our beloved dish perfectly at home!

First make the peanut dipping sauce, which we mixed with store-bought chili garlic sauce. I could eat this with a spoon!

Ingredients:
2 t. canola oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 t. peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 c. water
2 T. soy sauce (or tamari or shoyu)
2 T. fresh lime juice
2/3 c. chunky peanut butter
1 T. brown sugar, or to taste

Method:
Heat the canola oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until golden brown (about 1 minute). Add the water, soy sauce, lime juice, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Cook, stirring, until thickened (about 4 minutes).
Serve warm or at room temperature. This sauce will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

Now make the rolls:

Ingredients:
4 large red-leaf lettuce leaves, washed, large stems removed, leaves torn into large pieces
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
1 c. bean sprouts, rinsed
1/2 c. cilantro leaves, minced
8 scallions, washed and chopped, white and green parts
2.5 oz. vermicelli noodles, broken in half (or use cellophane noodles or rice stick noodles)
3 T. canola oil
1 lb. firm Chinese-style tofu, water squeezed out, cut into 1/2-inch chunks  (I like to freeze my tofu for 24 hours, then thaw it.  It improves the texture.)
8 12-inch round sheets of rice paper (This stuff is edible, even though it does not appear to be when first taken from the package.)

Method:
First make sure all your vegetables are prepared and ready to go.  Put a large saucepan over high heat and bring 4 c. water to boil.  Cook the noodles until just firm to the bite.  Drain and rinse under cold water.

In the meantime, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet.  Add the tofu to the hot oil and brown on 2 sides of each chunk.  Remove from heat.

Lay a damp kitchen towel on the counter.  Have a large bowl of hot water (115 - 120 degrees F).  Dip 1 sheet of rice paper into the water, completely submerging it, and quickly remove it to lay flat on the damp towel.  Slightly lower then center and leaving about 1 inch on the right and left, put a horizontal line of lettuce, then noodles, then bean sprouts, then tofu, then cilantro, then scallions, then carrots (about 1/8 of each ingredient).  Fold the right and left sides in and overlapping the filling by about an inch so that the paper sticks to itself above and below the filling.  Bring up the bottom edge of the paper to cover the filling and stick to the rice paper at the top of the filling.  Now roll tightly into a neat cylinder.

If the rice paper starts to tear, overlap it with another sheet of paper (prepped in the hot water, as usual), using 2 sheets for one roll.

Cut each roll on the diagonal with a sharp knife and serve immediately as the rice paper will toughen with time.  Serve with peanut dipping sauce and, if you want, some chili garlic sauce.  Makes 8 delicious servings.

Cajun Rice Pilaf

Here's another dish I got from The Food Network magazine.  There recipe called for pork and sausage, but it was fine without the meat. As you can see, I served it with crowder peas, collard greens, and cornbread for an excellent meal.

 

 

 

Ingredients:
1 c. wild rice blend
2 T. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 T. fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 t. tried thyme)
1 t. Cajun seasoning
1 large paste tomato, chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
salt, to taste

Method:
Cook the wild rice according to pkg directions.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the bell pepper, celery, and thyme and cook until the vegetables are tender, approximately 7 minutes.  Add Cajun seasoning, the cooked rice, the chopped tomato, and the chopped scallions and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes or until heated through.  Season with salt, to taste.

Serves 2 - 4 as a side dish.

Savory Vegan Breakfast - Spicy Black Bean Potatoes

Memphis has a famously great breakfast restaurant called Brother Junipers, and you should visit it if you haven't already.  I love their potato dishes.  The "P1" is my favorite, and I usually order it without the cheese.  This weekend, I didn't have the time to wait for a table at the popular restaurant, so I took a stab at the "P1" at home.  I think it turned out pretty well!

Ingredients:

1 T. canola oil

2 large potatoes, peeled and diced into 3/4-inch chunks

1.5 c. salsa (I used 1 can of Kroger's diced salsa-style fire-roasted tomatoes.  They have some kick!)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Method:

In a large nonstick skillet, preferably with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat.  Toss the potatoes in the oil, and cover the skillet with either the lid or aluminum foil.  Allow the potatoes to cook in the oil until they're softening, about 8 minutes.

Remove the cover and pour the salsa over the potatoes.  Try to have the salsa spread out enough to touch all the potato pieces without disturbing the potatoes.  Pour the black beans on top and recover.  Cook until the potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork.  Remove from heat before the potatoes are too mushy to hold together.  Stir in scallions.

Serve the potato dish with a piece of whole-grain toast and green tea for a healthy, savory vegan breakfast.