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.

Southern Collard Greens

I hope each of you enjoyed a happy, relaxing Thanksgiving with some great vegetarian food!

 

I'm so excited that I finally have a good vegetarian recipe for Southern collard greens, and would you believe it came from Food Network Magazine and not from family or friends?  See, the deal is that most people in the South make their greens with ham or other meat seasonings.  In fact, the magazine's recipe called for bacon (What recipe does not call for bacon these days?) and chicken broth, but I just decided I'd go for it without any meat seasonings and see if it turned out.  There were plenty of other seasonings in the recipe, so I felt it would probably be ok.  And it is!  Here's how I did it, adapted from their recipe:

 

 

Ingredients:
2 bunches collard greens, washed
2 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 t. Cajun seasoning
4 c. vegetable broth
4 c. water (and more, if needed or desired)
apple cider vinegar, to taste
hot sauce, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

First, tear out the large stems from the greens and discard.  (My dogs like to eat them.)  Chop the greens into, oh, about 1 - 1 1/2-inch pieces. It doesn't have to be perfect.

In a large pot, heat 2 T. olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and Cajun seasoning and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the chopped collard greens in batches, allowing each batch to get coated in oil and wilt down enough to accommodate the next batch.  Add vegetable broth and water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the greens are tender, about 1 - 1.5 hours.

Add vinegar (I only used a couple of splashes.), hot sauce, salt, and pepper to taste.  Serves 4 - 6 as a side dish.

Greens are delicious and outrageously healthy.  I served them with crowder peas, cornbread, and a Cajun rice pilaf (which I'll give the recipe for soon).  Hope you enjoy the greens!

Black Forest Cookies

Here's a good recipe from waaaaayyyyyy back at the beginning of the blog:  Black Forest Cookies (recipe here).  You can consider them sort of "seasonal", because they have cranberries and nuts in them.  Hey, that makes them kind of healthy, too!

 

I'm taking these to take to my mom's house for Thanksgiving tomorrow.  Happy Thanksgiving from all the Today Tomorrows!

 

 

Cranberry-Cherry Sauce for Holidays

Does your family serve that congealed, gelatinous cranberry sauce from a can at the holidays?  It may even have gelatin in it, rendering it non-vegetarian.  If so, here's a fix from Country Living magazine!  It's got fresh cranberries, it's completely vegan, and it's simple to make.  Happy holidays!

Ingredients:

1 (12-oz) package fresh cranberries

2/3 c. sugar

1/2 navel orange (with skin), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 c. dried cherries

1/4 t. salt

Method:

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients over medium-low heat.  Stir frequently until sauce is thick, about 20 minutes.  Let cool to room temperature and remove remainder of orange slices before serving.  This can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks, then brought to room temperature before serving.

Curry Roasted Cabbage

Here's another bit of inspiration, thanks to The Food Network magazine.  I've labeled it an autumn dish, but it's really got to be early autumn when cherry tomatoes are reaching the end of their season and autumn cabbage is beginning its season if you use the tomatoes.  Hope you like it!

Ingredients:

1 T. olive oil

1 t. curry powder

1/4 t. salt

2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1/2 head green cabbage, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

On a rimmed baking sheet, pour in the olive oil, curry powder, and salt.  Add the garlic, cabbage, and cherry tomatoes (if using), and toss so that everything is coated with the oil and seasonings.  Spread to a single layer, and roast until the cabbage is tender, about 25 - 30 minutes.

This serves 2 - 3 as a side dish and doubles easily.  I served it with a spicy red bean dish and broiled cheddar toasts:



Sparkling Spider Cocktail

Here's a lovely autumn drink to serve at your Halloween party tonight, courtesy of The Food Network magazine.  The recipe is theirs, but the name came from us!

 

 

Ingredients:
sparkling apple cider
cinnamon schnapps
sparkling white wine

Method:
In flutes or coupes, fill your glass 1/3 - 1/2 full of sparkling apple cider.  The balance will be alcohol, so determine your amount of cider with that in mind.  Next, add 2 splashes of cinnamon schnapps, and top it off with sparkling white wine.  Beautiful and seasonal!

 

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Waffles

Feeling autumny yet?  Here's a great weekend breakfast to get you in the mood:  pumpkin waffles!  It's a recipe I adapted from a very inspiring book called The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash.  She makes this with mashed sweet potatoes, but canned pumpkin makes it super convenient.  Let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
1/4 c. vegan butter
1.5 c. all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 T. baking powder (try to find aluminum-free baking powder)
1 t. salt
cinnamon, to taste (optional)
3 eggs (or vegan egg replacer, like that by Ener-G)
1 c. plant-based milk
1 c. canned pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie mix...puréed sweet potatoes will also work)

Method:
Melt the butter, then set it aside to cool slightly.

Using a fork, blend the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.  Make a well in the center, and add the eggs, plant-based milk, and pumpkin.  Using a hand mixer, start mixing the ingredients on low, and pour in the melted butter while the mixer is going.  Mix on high until the batter is light and fluffy.

Cook on a preheated waffle iron as instructed by the manufacturer.  Serves about 4.

Note that these waffles are moist and may require additional cooking time if you prefer a crisp exterior.  Served with breakfast potatoes and hot cranberry tea, this is the perfect autumn breakfast!