Vegan Breakfast Smoothie

Here's my new breakfast smoothie "formula", and it's perfect light fare for hot summer mornings:

1/3 can whole coconut milk (or use the plant-based milk of your choice)

1 piece of fresh fruit (usually either a banana or a mango, peeled and de-pitted of course!)

1 T. aloe vera juice (optional)

frozen fruit, to taste (usually for me this will be either some type of berries or peaches)

Put the coconut milk (or plant-based milk), fresh fruit, and aloe vera juice (if using) in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth. Add the frozen fruit, about 1/4 cup at a time, blending until smooth after each addition.

Pour the blended smoothie into a glass and drink up! (This also goes perfectly with a piece of toast if you want something solid with it.)

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.

Peach Pie

Aaaaahhhhh, summer.  It's the only time of year I don't flat-out require my desserts to be chocolate (although I certainly don't turn down a delicious vegan chocolate sorbet).  For Independence Day this year, I made a peach pie, and it was completely gone two days later.  The recipe is from the seminal cookbook Joy of Cooking.

For the crust, use the same crust recipe previously posed with the cherry pie recipe (here), right up to the point where you put the 2 discs of dough into the fridge to rest for 20 - 30 minutes.  For the peach pie:

Ingredients:

3 lbs. peaches, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1/2 - 3/4 c. sugar (depending on how sweet the peaches are)

3 T. cornstarch

3 T. fresh lemon juice

1/4 t. almond extract

1/8 t. salt

2 T. vegan margarine (I like Earth Balance brand.), cut into small pieces

2 T. sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Mix the peach slices, 1/2 - 3/4 c. sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, almond extract, and salt in a bowl.  Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, roll out one disc of pie dough to line a 9- or 10-inch pie plate.  Line the plate.  Pour the filling into the bottom crust, and dot the filling with the vegan margarine pieces.

Roll the other disc of pie dough into a circle large enough to cover the pie, and lay it over the filling.  Use your fingers to pinch the top and bottom crusts together.  Cut vents into the top crust, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 T. sugar.

Bake 55 - 65 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.  Cool completely on a rack.

Tomato-Ginger Couscous (or Quinoa) with Chickpeas

I was very happy to find this simple main dish, because I was in the mood for something new and different.  It easily pairs with the lemony cauliflower, previously posted.
The recipe is courtesy of Food Network Magazine, although I added the chickpeas and the gluten-free quinoa variation.  The chickpeas are optional and can be omitted for a side dish of "just" couscous or quinoa.



Ingredients:

2 tomatoes, cored

2 T. tomato paste

2 T. water

1 T. red wine vinegar

fresh ginger, 1-inch to 2-inch piece (I used a 1-inch piece, but the recipe called for a 2-inch piece.  That seemed kind of intense to me, but you can be the judge.), peeled

1 garlic clove, peeled

3/4 t. salt

1/4 t. ground turmeric

2 T. olive oil

1 c. water (or 2 c. water if using quinoa)

1 c. couscous or quinoa  (if using quinoa, first rinse it under cool water.)

1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (optional)

Method:

In a blender, purée the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 T. water, red wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, salt, and turmeric.

In a skillet with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the purée and cook, stirring, until thickened to a paste (about 12 minutes).

If making COUSCOUS:  Add 1 c. water, and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat, stir in couscous, cover, and let sit 10 minutes.

If making QUINOA:  Add 2 c. water, and bring to a simmer.  Add quinoa, and stir.  Cover and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.

Fluff with a fork and toss with chickpeas, if using.  Season with additional salt, if desired, and serve warm.

Serves 3 - 5 as a main dish.

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.

Spicy Green Tomato Salad

Looking for something to do with those green garden tomatoes until they turn red?  Me, too!  Enter Food Network Magazine with this fantastic recipe.  It allowed me to use some green tomatoes and a garden jalepeno.  Tell me what you think!

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. green (unripe - not the kind that are SUPPOSED to be green) tomatoes, cut into thin wedges

1.5 t. salt, separated

juice of 1 lime

1 t. dijon mustard

1 T. honey (local honey is best)

1 small jalepeno pepper, deseeded and minced

1 T. fresh thyme (or 1 t. dried thyme)

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

2 avocados

2 c. chopped lettuce leaves (or more, to taste)

Method:

Put the tomato wedges in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 t. salt.  Let set 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the lime juice, mustard, honey, jalepeno, thyme, 1/2 t. salt, and pepper, to taste, in a large bowl.  Gradually pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly until emulsified.

When ready to serve, half the avocados, remove the pits, peel, and thinly slice.  Add to the bowl with the dressing, then add the lettuce and tomatoes.  Gently toss to coat.  Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve immediately.

Serves 6 - 8.

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.