MUSHROOMS AND ASPARAGUS WITH SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

Two of our favorite vegetables and a great sauce.  Enough said.

3 TB EV olive oil

1-1/2 lbs. mixed mushrooms, such as shitake, cremini, & button, trimmed and halved
Coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 lb. bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed, and cut into 1-1/2” pieces
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 TB sherry vinegar
1 TB Dijon mustard
½ c. vegetable broth, low sodium preferred
1 TB honey

In a large skillet, heat 2 t. oil over medium-high and cook one-third of the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a large bowl.  Repeat with more oil and remaining mushrooms.  Add 2 t. oil to the skillet and cook asparagus, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and add to mushrooms.  Add 1 t. oil to the skillet and cook shallot until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add vinegar and mustard and stir to combine.  Add broth and cook, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.  Stir in honey and then pour over vegetables.  Toss to combine and serve.

 

POTATO AND KALE ENCHILADAS

I made this when I was on my vegan experiment, and even though it was a lot of work it was very tasty.  I will definitely use the enchilada chile sauce recipe again because Justin and I thought it was great.  Of course the recipe is very healthy with kale being the darling of the veggie world now, and this recipe is a good way to incorporate it into your diet.  If you're not willing to try it, definitely make the enchilada sauce and experiment with it as a topping on a variety of dishes -- it's just that good. 

ENCHILADA CHILE SAUCE:

2 TB grapeseed or olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
3 large green chiles (such as Anaheim or Hatch if in season), roasted, seeded, peeled and coarsely chopped
2-3 t. ancho chile powder
1-1/2 t. cumin
1 t. Mexican oregano (epazote)
1 – 28 oz. can roasted diced tomatoes
1 t. sugar
1-1/2 to 2 t. salt

POTATO AND KALE FILLING:

1 lb. waxy potatoes (such as Yukon gold or red), peeled and diced
½ lb. kale, washed, trimmed and finely chopped
3 TB grapeseed or olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c. vegetable broth
3 TB lime juice
¼ c. toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), coarsely chopped
1-1/2 t. salt or to taste
12 to 14 corn tortillas

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and have ready a shallow casserole dish, at least 11X7.

Prepare the enchilada sauce first – In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onions in oil for 4-7 minutes, until softened.  Add the remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a simmer, and remove from the heat.  When the mixture has cooled enough, taste and adjust the salt if necessary.  Puree in a blender until the mixture is smooth and even.

Prepare the filling – Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  Cook the grapeseed oil and minced garlic in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is sizzling and slightly browned, being careful not to let it burn.  Add the kale, sprinkle with a little salt, and raise the heat to medium, stirring constantly to cover the kale with the oil and garlic.  Partially cover the pot to steam the kale until it has wilted, 4-6 minutes.  Remove the lid and mix in the potatoes, vegetable broth, lime juice, pepitas, and salt.  Use the back of a wooden sppon to mash some of the potatoes.  Cook another 3-4 minutes, until the stock is absorbed.  Add more salt or lime juice to taste.

To assemble – Have ready a pie plate filled with about ¾ c. of enchilada sauce, a casserole dish, a stack of corn tortillas, a comal (cast iron griddle to used to soften tortillas), and the filling.  Ladle a little bit of the enchilada sauce onto the bottom of the casserole dish and spread it around.  Take a corn tortilla, place it on the heated comal for 30 seconds, then flip it over and heat until the tortillas has become soft and pliable.  Drop the softened tortilla into the pie plate filled with sauce; allow it to get completely covered in sauce, flip it over and coat the other side.

Place the tortilla in the casserole dish and run potato/kale filling down the middle and roll it up.  Continue with the rest of the tortillas, tightly packing the enchiladas next to each other.  Pour about a cup or more of the sauce, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the edges of the tortillas poking out of the sauce look just a little browned.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.  Top individual servings with any remaining enchilada sauce, warmed slightly.  Serve with Cilantro Sour Cream to dollop on top.

CILANTRO SOUR CREAM:

1 container Tofutti sour cream
Juice of one lime (about 2 TB)
1 TB agave syrup
¾ t salt
3 cloves, garlic, crushed
2 c. loosely packed fresh cilantro, diced

 Heat the oil and garlic in a skillet until lightly browned but don’t let it scorch or burn or it will taste terrible!  Add it with the rest of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Refrigerate until time to serve.

 

SPICY VEGGIE CHILI

Okay, I must admit this was very good.  I liked the spices so well that I will try and make meaty chili using them.  When I get it figured out (once I am totally void of veganism in my life) I will definitely blog it.  Again, my boys really enjoyed this dish as well and didn’t really miss the meat.  However, they wouldn’t allow themselves to call it chili.  It even had the texture of chili, which I’m thinking came from the grated cauliflower, even though you don’t really get the taste of cauliflower at all.   So if you want a healthier version of chili flavors, definitely give this a try.

 2 TB olive oil

1 large onion, chopped
2 large bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow) chopped
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
Kosher salt
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 TB chili powder (I use Gebhardt)
1 TB ground cumin
2 t. ground coriander
2 t. dried oregano
1 chipotle chile pepper, seeded and chopped and about ½ t. of the adobo sauce*
1 TB tomato paste
2 corn tortillas, torn into small pieces
½ c. brewed coffee
1 – 28 oz can crushed whole plum tomatoes
2 TB unsweetened cocoa powder
2 – 15 oz. cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
½ head cauliflower
½ c. fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Optional Toppings:

Extra cilantro leaves
Shredded pepper jack or cheddar cheese (vegan varieties are available)
Light sour cream (vegan sour cream is also available)
Diced green onions
Fritoes (We like ours on the bottom – ok, I know, not so healthy, but oh so yummy. FYI -- they are naturally vegan!)

Have everything diced, all cans open, and spices all on the counter before you begin.  Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, bell peppers, carrots and ½ t. salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots begin to soften, about 8 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes.  Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, chipotle with adobo sauce, tomato paste, and tortillas and cook, stirring until the tomato paste is brick red, about 4 minutes.  If the mixture begins to stick add a splash of water.  Add the coffee and simmer until almost completely reduced, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomatoes, cocoa powder, beans and 2-1/2 c. water and bring to a simmer over low heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens, about 1 hour, 20 minutes.

 Meanwhile, trim the large stems off the cauliflower and coarsely grate the florets on a box grater.  Stir it into the chili and cook 10 more minutes and remove from the heat.  Stir in the chopped cilantro and taste to see if it needs more salt.  Add some water if the chili is too thick – I probably only added about ½ c.  If you have to add more then next time add it in with the other water so it won’t water down the seasonings at the end.

 Ladle it into bowls and serve with the toppings.

 *This gave it just a bit of a kick.  If you like your chili really hot add more of the chipotle or the adobo sauce.   If you don’t usually cook with chipotle then be careful, because a little bit goes a long way.

 

 

 

GNOCCHI WITH MUSHROOM AND SAGE SAUCE

Justin sent me the link to keyingredient.com where I found this recipe.  As usual I tweaked it a bit and then made it last night.  We all thought it was really good.  If you omit the Parmesan cheese as a topping it can be considered a vegan dish.  I did sprinkle about a TB on mine (sorry Lauren, I’m softening a bit on the strict vegan diet) and it did add a nice zing.  I will say though that the sauce is good enough that you would enjoy it without the cheese.   If you have never tried gnocchi, you definitely should.  Not only is the potato flavor great but it is really hearty and filling.  With it and the mushrooms my carnivore men said they didn’t even miss meat.   I used store-bought gnocchi which made it a quick meal, but it tastes yummy enough that no one has to know!

1 lb. box potato gnocchi (sold in pasta section of your grocery store)

1 TB olive oil
½ medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
8-10 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 c. vegetable broth (chicken broth for non-vegan)
2 t. arrowroot powder
2 TB fresh sage, minced
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 TB shaved Parmesan cheese (eliminate if strictly vegan)
2 TB pecans, toasted and finely chopped

Get your vegetables diced and ready to go.    Get a large pot of salted water boiling for the gnocchi, but don’t put it in yet. 

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high.  Add onion, celery and garlic and sauté, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.  Add mushrooms to the skillet.  Lightly salt them and sauté until tender and beginning to release juices, about 5 minutes. 

Now is a good time to drop your gnocchi into the boiling water.  Give it a good stir.  It should be done in about 4 minutes, or when it floats to the top.  Once it is done, drain off the liquid.

Back to the skillet with the mushrooms in it – Add ¼ c. broth and deglaze the pan by stirring up browned bits from the bottom.   Return the onion mixture to the pan and stir in the remaining ¾ c. broth.  Bring to a simmer.   Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the arrowroot and 2 TB cold water into a smooth paste.  Slowly whisk the paste into the broth mixture.  Return to a simmer, whisking until thickened.  Add the gnocchi, stirring to coat.  Season with sage and pepper; taste it and add salt if desired, but depending on your sodium level of broth you may not need any salt.

To serve, top with cheese and pecans.

 

 

 

 

“CHICKEN” SCALOPPINI WITH SHIITAKE SAUCE SAUCE

This is a vegan dish that I will make long after I give up this experiment of veganism.  My boys and I all agree that we prefer the Gardein “chicken” in this recipe to real chicken breasts, which can often be dry and even tough.  Honestly, it tasted exactly like chicken only better – I know, I find it hard to believe too!  If you are too "chicken" to try the Gardein, you can use real chicken breasts because the dish is still really tasty.   The blending of the shiitakes (how can you go wrong with them in the recipe!) with the sake sauce was mild but yummy and the dense udon noodles made the dish very filling and satisfying.  Try it – you just might like it – I dare you!

4 (7 oz. single serving) packs precooked udon noodles, still in their pkg. *

Sea salt
6 TB extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1 TB sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 c. vegetable broth, divided (or chicken broth for non-vegan)
2 c. packed pea shoots **
4 Gardein chicken scaloppini breasts (or real chicken breasts for non-vegan)
½ c. flour
1 lb. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut inot ¼” slices
1 c. dry sake
½ c. Earth Balance “margarine” (or real margarine or butter for non-vegan)
1 TB minced fresh chives
Microgreens to garnish, optional ***

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.  Remove the plastic from the noodles, keeping the noodles tightly packed.  If you want to be fancy use a 3” round cutter or ring mold and cut one round of noodles from each pack – if not, leave it in the square shape.  Place a large sauté pan over high heat.  Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for one minute.  Add 2 TB olive oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke.  This will create a nonstick effect.  Add the noodle cakes and fry until lightly browned on both sides, seasoning with salt and pepper as they book, about 3 minutes per side.  Remove to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and put in the oven to keep warm.

Cut each Gardein breast into 3 pieces.  Season with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour.  Wipe out the pan you used for the noodle cakes and add 2 TB of olive oil.  Heat over medium heat, then add the Gardein pieces and cook until browned, about 3 minutes on each side.  Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 TB olive oil over medium heat, then add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until softened.  Deglaze the pan with the sake and cook until reduced by half, 2-3 minutes.  Add ½ c. of the broth and cook for 2 more minutes.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the Earth Balance 1 TB at a time, whisking constantly so that the sauce doesn’t separate.  Stir in the chives.  Return the Gardein to the pan and toss to coat it with the sauce.  Cover to keep warm while you make the pea shoots.

Place a medium sauté pan over medium heat.  Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute.  Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke.  Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.  Add the remaining ¼ c. of broth and pea shoots and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until wilted.  Drain the excess liquid if there is any left.

To assemble the dish place a noodle cake in the center of each plate.  Top each cake with a spoonful of pea shoots, then top the pea shoots with 3 pieces of the Gardein.  Spoon the mushroom and sake sauce over the Gardein and drizzle it around the plate.  If desired garnish with microgreens.  Serve immediately.

*Cooked (not dried) udon noodles are available in plastic packages in the refrigerated section of Asian grocery stores.  I found mine at Costco.  If there is an envelope of seasonings in the package, don’t use it for this recipe.

**I could only find snow pea shoots at Whole Foods.  They are milder and more delicate than most sprouts.  I have yet to decide what to use in their place if I can’t find them at some point.  I had decided I would just put more microgreens on top and then I made the trek to the big Whole Foods and found the pea shoots.

**Microgreens are wonderful if you haven’t eaten them before.  We like to add them to sandwiches or salads.  The only places I have found them are at Central Market or Whole Foods.  They are in plastic containers in the refrigerated vegetable section and come in a variety of choices – arugula, broccoli, blends of leafy greens.

 

 

 

MANGO-CUCUMBER RICE SALAD

This is another recipe I found while I was looking for something interesting to eat that would fit the vegan requirements.  That of course doesn’t mean it’s not tasty whether you are a vegan or not, so don’t let that scare you off.  The quinoa adds a nice zing to the rice and the lime and cilantro flavors blend well with the mango and cucumber.  It made a large serving, so the first night we enjoyed it like the recipe was written, and the second night I added avocado into the leftovers and it was even better! 

Kosher salt

1-1/2 c. rice (your favorite kind)
1/4 c. quinoa, rinsed
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
2 TB peanut or Canola oil
1 t. sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
1 c. chopped mango
1 hothouse cucumber, peeled and diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
½ c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 c. salted roasted peanuts, chopped
Avocado, diced*

Cook your favorite rice in salted water until tender.  Meanwhile, bring a separate saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add the quinoa and cook until tender, about 12 minutes (or follow the directions the quinoa you buy recommends).  Drain the grains and rinse under cold water until cool; shake off the excess water.

Whisk the lime juice and zest, peanut oil, sugar, 1 t. salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl.  Add the rice mixture, mango, cucumber, jalapeno, scallions, cilantro and peanuts and stir to combine.  Season with salt.

*If you choose to add avocado take out the amount of the salad you wish to serve that meal and lightly salt the avocado and stir it into that portion.  The remainder will store well in the refrigerator and you can add avocado when you eat it again.  If you are serving it for guests and aren’t sure how much will be eaten you might just have a separate bowl of diced avocado with a little lime juice squeezed over it that they can add it to their own serving.

HOT DOGS WITH ASIAN KALE SLAW, CHILI-LIME MAYO, CILANTRO AND CASHEWS

I got this recipe on-line and used vegan hot dogs for myself but bought regular beef ones for the boys.  It is a nice variation to a chili dog and the boys really liked it too. Kale is the favorite new healthy vegetable these days and adds a nice flavor to the slaw.  I will say that the vegan hot dogs have the same flavor as a regular weiner does, but the consistency is a little softer and therefore not as enjoyable.  However, if you enjoy a good hot dog and are willing to go without the chili and cheese, this is really a good one – just use your favorite weiner or sausage.

4 hot dog buns (whole wheat if want to be healthy)

4 hot dogs (or “not” dogs if you want to go the vegan route)
Asian Kale Slaw (recipe below)
Chili-Lime Mayo (recipe follows)
4 or more TB cilantro leaves, diced
4 or more TB chopped roasted & salted cashews or peanuts

ASIAN SLAW:

2 c. coarsely torn and lightly packed fresh kale

6 leaves cabbage (either green or purple)
½ c. of ½” carrot pieces
½ of a yellow, orange or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
¼ c. fish sauce (supposedly there is a vegetarian one sold in Asian markets but I haven’t found it yet)
2 TB sugar
1 TB rice wine vinegar
Pinch sea salt

You may shred the veggies by hand, but if you have a food processor with a grater attachment, it is much faster.  If there is significant moisture, drain it before putting the vegetables into a bowl.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and toss the mixture with a fork to combine.  Cover and refrigerate until serving time.  Fluff with a fork before serving.

CHILI-LIME MAYO:

¼ - 1/3 c. Mayo (I used part vegan mayo and part vegan sour cream to cut the tang.)

Zest and juice of ½ large lime
1 t. Sirachi chili sauce
1 TB creamy peanut butter (softened by heating it a few seconds in the microwave)
1 TB coconut cream (not coconut milk)
Pinch of sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth in a small bowl.  Spoon into a squirt bottle if desired to allow you to add it to your dogs in a pretty squiggle or just drizzle it with a spoon.  Refrigerate until serving time.  You of course must refrigerate any leftover mayo to use at a later date.

 TO ASSEMBLE HOT DOGS:

Drizzle the buns with olive oil and toast them about 7-8 min on a baking sheet at 400 degrees.  Wrap in foil and keep warm, if desired.  I have also opened my buns and put them in the toaster and then brushed them with oil.

Grill your hot dogs on the grill outside.

Put a generous portion of the slaw on each bun.  Top with a grilled weiner.  Add a generous squiggle of the mayo and top with ¼ of the cilantro leaves and ¼ of the chopped nuts.  Serve immediately.

 

OKRA, CORN, TOMATO, SQUASH SAUTE

This is a vegetable dish that can be considered vegan since it has no dairy or meat products.  I ate a healthy portion as my main dish, and my carnivores in the house threw a piece of meat on the grill and ate this as their side dish.  The pan-fried okra really adds a nice texture and flavor to this one.  We all loved it. Anything with fresh corn added to other fresh vegetables is going to be a winner in my book!  Update:  Since my vegan days are long gone I make this in the summer as a side dish when everything is fresh.   

½ c. yellow cornmeal

¼ t. or more cayenne pepper
24 okra pods, cut crosswise into ½” pieces
6 TB olive oil, divided
2 c. fresh corn kernels (cut from about 3 ears of corn)
6 baby green pattypan squash, each cut into 6 pieces (My grocery didn’t have them so I used one zucchini, one yellow squash and one that looked like a variegated zucchini, all cut in ½” pieces.)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 – 12 oz. container of cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 c.)
2 TB fresh cilantro, chopped
2 green onions, chopped

Mix cornmeal and cayenne in small bowl.  Add okra and toss lightly to coat.  Pour okra into a sieve and shake off excess cornmeal.  Heat 4 TB oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add okra and sauté until coating is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.  Using slotted spoon, transfer okra to paper towels to drain; sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Wipe out skillet.

Heat remaining 2 TB oil in same skillet over medium heat.  Add corn, squash and garlic and sauté 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes; cover and cook until squash is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.  Mix in okra, cilantro, and green onions and remove from heat.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more cayenne, if desired.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

My daughter Lauren has been encouraging me to embrace a vegan diet for quite some time.  I finally gave in and promised her I would try it for a month.  I researched and bought what I believed was one of the best vegan cookbooks out there.  So far I have only made one dish that was good, and for all the trouble, it was not great.  Instead I began looking for recipes I could adapt to vegan.  My son Logan loves butternut squash so when I saw this recipe I thought it was promising.  It is so good that I made it one week and Logan requested it to be part of his birthday dinner the next week – and believe me my boy does not embrace a vegan lifestyle.  I have put the non-vegan version in italics, but honestly you should try it the vegan way first.  Leaving out the pancetta and parmesan cheese will greatly decrease the calories, and if you’ve never had it with them you won’t miss those flavors – we sure didn’t.  Of course 4 weeks into this diet I’m thinking the pancetta and cheese would probably be pretty darn tasty.  So as a vegan dish a larger portion can be the main course, or it can be a side dish for carnivores.  Either way it is fantastic.  BTW if you have never had butternut squash it tastes more like a sweet potato or pumpkin than squash.

½ c. coarsely chopped walnuts

1 TB Canola oil (or melted butter for non-vegan)
1 t. brown sugar
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 of butternut squash (about 3 c.), peeled and cubed in ½” pieces
1 TB olive oil
2 t. minced fresh garlic
4 c., vegetable broth (or chicken broth for non-vegan)
½ c. water
2 TB lemon olive oil (or 2 TB olive oil and juice of half a lemon) (or ¼ c. pancetta, finely chopped and juice of half a lemon for non-vegan)
1 c. onion, finely chopped
1-1/4 c. uncooked Arborio rice
½ c. chardonnay
Pinch dried thyme leaves
¼ t. salt
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper
¼ c. shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for non-vegan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange nuts in a single layer on a baking pan.  Bake for 5 minutes or until toasted, stirring twice.  Place nuts in a bowl and drizzle Canola oil (or butter) over warm nuts; sprinkle with sugar and 1/8 t. pepper.  Toss well to coat and set aside.

Combine squash and 1 TB olive oil, tossing to coat.  Arrange squash in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan.  Bake for 15 minutes or until squash is just tender.  Remove from pan and stir in garlic.  Set aside.

Bring broth and ½ c. water to a simmer a saucepan (do not boil).  Keep warm over low heat.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add lemon oil until it is hot but not smoking (or pancetta and cook about 5 minutes until browned, stirring frequently).  Add onion and cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Add rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add wine and cook 1 minute or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.  Add broth mixture, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total).  Stir in squash, thyme, ¼ t. each of salt and pepper.  Stir in nuts (and cheese).