Friday, August 6, 2010

Cheesy Creamy Casserole

INGREDIENTS
- 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- large handful baby spinach

Sauce
- 1 pkg firm tofu
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup raw cashews
- 3/4 cup roasted red pepper (I used bottled peppers)
- 1-2 tsp salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
- 3 cups soy milk

Topping
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup ground almonds

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Steam broccoli and cauliflower for 5-6 mins, until softened but still firm.
2. While veggies are steaming, make the sauce. Place sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and bring to bubbling, whisking constantly.
3. Mix together steamed veggies, chickpeas, and spinach with sauce and pour into a large casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs and almonds. Bake for 40 mins, until bubbling and top is browned.

From VeganDad (http://vegandad.blogspot.com/)

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Orange Pan-glazed Tempeh Recipe

HS note: This recipe is equally good made with tofu. You can make a meal out of this by pairing it with some lightly sauteed seasonal vegetables, or in this case I simple served if over some left-over cooked wheat berries that I heated with a bit of chopped kale.

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (3-4 large juicy oranges)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons tamari (or soy sauce)
1 1/2 tablespoons mirin
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
roughly 10 ounces of tempeh (or extra-firm tofu)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lime
a handful of cilantro (coriander) leaves

Put the orange juice in a small bowl. Squeeze the grated ginger over the bowl to extract the juices, then discard the pulp. Add the tamari, mirin, and maple syrup, ground coriander, and garlic. Mix together and set aside.

Cut the tempeh (or tofu) into thin-ish, bite-sized pieces, and if working with tofu, pat dry with a paper towel.

Put the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the tempeh and fry for 5 minutes, or until golden underneath. Turn and cook the other side for another 5 minutes, or until golden. Pour the orange juice mixture into the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to a lovely thick glaze. Turn the tempeh once more during this time and spoon the sauce over the tofu from time to time.

Serve the tempeh drizzled with any remaining sauce and a squeeze of lime, with the coriander scattered on top. Heidi note: As I mention in the head notes, I served this over some leftover wheat berries heated with a few handfuls of chopped kale.

From 101 Cookbooks (http://www.101cookbooks.com/)

Green Soup with Ginger

Addition: a bit of miso or tamari at the very end to deepen the flavor, but you should add it sparingly, and taste as you go.

1 large yellow onion (250g)
2 tablespoons (30 ml.) olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
1 large sweet potato (12 ounces; 350 g)
1 large leek, white and light green parts (5 ounces; 140 g)
1 bunch spinach (8 ounces; 225 g)
1 large bunch green chard (12 ounces; 350 g)
3 tablespoons (30 g) chopped fresh ginger, plus more to taste
2 cups (500 ml) good-tasting vegetable broth
2-4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper

Chop the onion and cook it slowly in the olive oil with a sprinkle of salt, stirring now and then, over low heat until it is soft and golden, about half an hour.

Meanwhile, peel and dice the sweet potato and put it in a large soup pot with 4 cups (1 liter) water and a teaspoon of sea salt. Thoroughly wash the leek, spinach, and chard, chop them coarsely, and add them to the pot, along with the chopped ginger.

Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the soup, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are completely tender. Add the caramelized onions when they are ready. When the vegetables are soft, add the vegetable broth (you can add less if you like a thicker soup) and decide whether you want your soup chunky, like this, or smooth. If the latter, puree the soup in a blender, in batches, or with an immersion blender until it is smooth.

Stir in 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice and a few grinds of black pepper. Taste, and correct the seasoning with additional salt or lemon juice.

Serves 5-6.

This recipe was adapted from Love Soup by Anna Thomas.

From 101 Cookbooks (http://www.101cookbooks.com/)

Monday, August 2, 2010

Roasted Chickpeas Two Ways

You can use different spices in both of these recipes or leave out the seasoning altogether.

Chili Roasted Chickpeas from Dried Beans

1 cup dried chickpeas
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon lime juice

Pick over and rinse the chickpeas. Cover them with water 2 inches above the level of the beans and let soak overnight.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Put in a pot with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the chili powder and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain. Place in a bowl and toss with the lime juice..

Preheat the oven to 400F. Lift the chickpeas out of the bowl with a slotted spoon and place them in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet. Stir after 15 minutes, brushing them with the lime juice remaining in the bowl. Repeat three times, the last time sprinkling them with the remaining chili powder and salt. When they are golden brown and crispy (about 50-60 minutes in total) remove from the oven . Cool completely before serving.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 125 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (15% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 549mg Sodium; 7g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core / 2 Points.

Curry Roasted Chickpeas from Canned Beans

1 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Spray a baking sheet with canola oil and spread chickpeas out in a single layer. Bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until golden and crunchy, about 45-50 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

From FatFree Vegan (http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/)