Red Beans & Rice

I made this (along with the king cake) for our office Mardi Gras celebration. They were delicious and filling -- much more flavorful than the red beans I remember from our days living in New Orleans. :) I left this in the crock pot overnight, and the tops of the beans burned a little, but a good pureeing saved them. This recipe was inspired by one at Fat Free Vegan.

3 cans red beans, drained
veggie broth to cover
1 handful each:
* red lentils
* braised wheat protein medallions, rinsed (optional)
* texturized vegetable protein (optional)
1 tsp each:
* liquid smoke
* chipotle-flavored Tobasco
* garlic powder
* Cajun seasoning
2 bay leaves
cooked rice, white or brown

Combine all ingredients except for the rice in a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove the bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, puree half the batch to create a thick stew-like texture. Serve over rice.

Ingredient notes: Traditional red beans and rice is made with meat, so I added the wheat gluten and TVP for a 'meaty' flavor. Once pureed, they didn't significantly contribute to the texture. I think I also added a tablespoon or so of good garlicky salsa to the pot just before serving to kick the flavors up a notch. I forgot to make rice, so I coerced some co-workers into running to the local Chinese restaurant and picking up steamed white rice in takeout containers.

Barley-Lentil-Mushroom Num

I adapted this off the drweil.com forums. While it looked a little like gray mush, it turned out to be filling and tasty.

2 quarts veggie stock
2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used portobello)
2 handfuls dried shiitake mushrooms, crumbled
3/4 cup barley
3/4 cup dry lentils
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 bay leaves
1 large pinch each dried basil & sage
nutritional yeast, salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything in a crockpot, cover, and cook either 4-6 hours on high or 10-12 hours on low.  Remove bay leaves before serving.

Cheese-Free Stuffed Shells w/ Spinach and Portobello Mushroom

This recipe came from the January issue of Vegetarian Times. I modified it slightly, and it turned out marvelously. We happily ate leftovers for several days.

1 batch Tofu Ricotta
1/2 portobello mushroom cap, diced
2/3 jar marinara sauce
1/3 cup vegan mozzarrella cheese
16 jumbo pasta shells

Boil a large pot of salted water. Drop in the shells and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain well. Prepare the tofu ricotta. Saute the mushroom dice in a little water until cooked through. Stir the mushrooms into the tofu ricotta.

Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of a glass pan. Stuff the shells with the ricotta mixture and lay in the pan. Top with more marinara sauce and a sprinkling of cheese.

Cover the pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

King Cake

Mardi Gras is right around the corner, and I convinced the higher-ups at work that we needed a Fat Tuesday party. I volunteered to bring the king cake, which ended up being an all-afternoon venture. I followed this vegan recipe from PETA, with a few changes.

I bought a tub of soy yogurt to use as my egg replacer. When I opened it this afternoon, however, it looked pretty darn curdled.... so a few real eggs got thrown in instead. I also subbed Smart Balance margarine for the shortening, upped the lemon juice in the frosting, and topped the whole shebang with colored sugar in stripes of green, purple and gold.

My dough didn't rise very much -- I'm thinking the kitchen might have been too cold for the yeast to work its magic -- so the finished result is a little dense. But it's very tasty, and it's unmistakably king cake. (I hid a nut in the finished product rather than a plastic baby. A bean would have been more traditional, but I worried that my unsuspecting co-workers might swallow it.)

Soba with Gluten, Tomatoes, Tofu & Basil

Last night we had the soba with tomatoes, tofu & basil again. This time we doubled the recipe (for many tasty leftovers) and added a can of braised wheat gluten (also called seitan), which we picked up at the Asian market yesterday. The wheat gluten is actually the reason we sought out the market, because the wheat protein medallions are so tasty, so meltingly tender, and so interesting on the tongue.

I had never even tasted wheat gluten before I ordered it at Taste of Thailand a few months ago. It's got completely different taste and texture than tofu, and it's a nutritional powerhouse. I was so impressed that I ordered it at Saigon Cafe a few weeks ago, and now I get cravings for it. I saw a jar of it at Campbell's for $7, and I'm glad I waited to get it at Double Dragon, where each can runs $1.50.

All in all, it's a worthy addition to any veg*n diet.

Asian fruit salad

This afternoon, we discovered the joy that is the Double Dragon Market here in Des Moines. I've had mixed experiences with Asian markets... many of them seem to be tiny, dirty and under-staffed. This was an absolute delight. I came in search of braised wheat gluten (a truly delicious meat subtitute that I occasionally get cravings for) and left with bags full of delicacies that I haven't seen outside of Thailand and/or Japan. In fact, I got so much tasty canned fruit that I decided to make an Asian fruit salad, w/ a little mandarin orange and kiwi thrown in for a tart counterbalance. Pure bliss!

1/3 cup rambutan, cut into chunks
1/3 cup longans, halved
1/3 cup coconut gel cubes
1/3 cup mandarin oranges
1 kiwi, cut into chunks
lime juice to taste
1 large sprinkling dried ginger
1 pinch nutmeg

Drain all fruit and combine in a bowl. Sprinkle with lime juice, ginger and nutmeg. Stir to coat.

Ingredient Notes: You can get all of the stranger-named fruits at the Double Dragon or any well-stocked Asian market. Don't worry... they're all clearly labeled in English.

Pancho Villa Tilapia

I believe this recipe was inspired by All Recipes. It's a super-simple preparation that's moist, tender and tastes very un-fishy.

3-4 tilapia fillets
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 tsp cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro, torn into tiny bits (optional)
Tobasco to taste

Lay the tilpia fillets in the bottom of a baking dish. Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl and ladle the mixture generously over the fillets. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Berry Smoothie

I don't normally go in for shakes as meal replacements. I think there's really something to be said for solid food. That said, some nights I am lazy, and some nights I am too caught up in the steamy works of Laurell K. Hamilton to be able to cook. On such nights, nothing works better to restore my flagging energy than a basic berry smoothie. It's speedy, delicious, and the one thing I truly *need* a blender for.

1 banana, torn into chunks
1 cup frozen berries
1/2 cup tart fruit juice (I usually use orange... last night I used pomegranate)
1 Tbsp ground flax seed (optional)
enough vanilla soy milk to cover the fruit

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth.

Butternut-Apple Soup w/ Spinach & Sage

Adapted from minutemeals vegetarian.

1/2 cup pine nuts
1 apple, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried sage
2 cups cooked butternut squash (frozen is okay)
most of a bag of fresh spinach leaves
1/3 cup hard apple cider
3 cups veggie broth
salt and pepper to taste
nutritional yeast to taste

Spread the pine nuts in a baking dish. Cook them at 350 degrees until toasted.

Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a soup pot. Add the garlic, sage and apple and cook over medium heat until the garlic is getting golden. Add the squash, broth, cider and seasoning and heat through. Add the spinach leaves and 1 handful pine nuts and stir until wilted but still vibrant green.

Serve soup topped with toasted pine nuts.

Herbed-Tofu Tortilla Wraps

Adapted from minutemeals vegetarian. I'm bringing these to work tomorrow for "treat day."

2 large tortillas
Herbed Tofu Spread
2 handfuls spinach leaves, blotted dry
1 tomato, very thinly sliced
grated carrot (optional)

Spread a largish gob of tofu spread on the tortillas, followed by spinach leaves, tomatoes and carrot. Roll up the tortillas, sealing the ends with tofu spread. Slice into bite-size chunks and serve cold.

Soba w/ Tofu & Tomatoes

This recipe was adapted from Nava Atlas' Vegetarian Family Cookbook. It's probably one of the best tofu recipes I've ever tried. It made equally delicious leftovers, even cold.

1 package (8 oz.) soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
1 16-oz package extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon sugar or sucanat
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
4-5 fresh basil leaves, torn into bits

If you have time, toss the tofu cubes with nutritional yeast and garlic powder and set in the fridge, covered, overnight. Otherwise, do this right before cooking.

Heat the olive oil in a pan. Fry the tofu cubes until golden on all sides. Add tomatoes, spices & soy sauce and simmer while the noodles are cooking.

Boil 6 cups salted water and add soba. Cook for 5 minutes and drain.

Toss soba with sesame oil, basil and a little of the tomato cooking liquid. Top with tofu-tomato mixture and serve hot.

Butternut-Black Bean Burritos

This recipe was liberally adapted from one printed in the San Fransisco Chronicle food section. We were pleasantly surprised to find this version -- which was borne out of bare-pantry desperation -- utterly irresistible. We love it with lots of real monterey jack cheese, but we've substituted a vegan equivalent here to make it less cholesterol-laden.

1-1/2 cups butternut squash, pumpkin or sweet potato puree
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small can diced green chiles
1/3 cup enchilada sauce, plus 1/2 cup for spreading on top
1/2 a block of vegan "monterey jack" or lowfat monterey jack cheese, grated
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
4 tortillas

Drain the black beans and chiles. Mix with the squash puree, 1/3 cup enchilada sauce, garlic powder and chili powder. Fill each tortilla with the bean-squash mixture and top with a handful of cheese. Roll up and place in a baking dish. Top the rolled burritos with the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover with foil (or an upside down cookie sheet) and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and burritos are heated through.

Salmon w/ Salsa & Steamed Sesame Broccoli

Another super simple salmon preparation.

2-3 salmon fillets
1 cup chipotle-flavored salsa

Slather the salmon with the salsa and cook for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with steamed sesame broccoli.

Black Bean Sweet Potato Hash

I adapted this from The Big Book of Vegetarian. The prep work can seem a little intimidating on a week night, but we came up with a brilliant plan. While I did yoga in the living room, I got my boy to do all the chopping. Thus, when I was ready to cook (and damn near starving), all I had to do was tip my bowls of pre-chopped ingredients into the pan like some kind of demented hippie Martha. This was surprisingly delicious... I think it's going to become a staple around these parts.

1 largish sweet potato, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
salt to taste
3/4 cup veggie broth
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped or torn into little bits

Heat the olive oil in a large pan (I used a soup pan). Add the sweet potato and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are beginning to brown. Add the spices and veggie broth - cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is no longer soupy. Add the corn and black beans and cook for a few more minutes, or until everything is piping hot. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

Garlic-Herb Tofu "Cream Cheese" Spread

One of the recipes we'll be trying later in the week calls for a garlic-herb-flavored cheese spread. Never having actually had the cheese spread in question, I set out to create a vegan version. The results were spectacular... my boy happily licked some off my fingers.

4 oz. tofu cream cheese
1-1/2 tsp tahini
2 healthy sprinkles garlic powder
2 healthy sprinkles nutritional yeast
1 tsp dill mustard
1/4-1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
1-2 fresh basil leaves or a tiny sprinkle of dried basil

Mix all the tofu spread ingredients until evenly mixed. The mixture will be stiff.

Savory White Bean-Pea Bake

This is adapted from the January issue of Vegetarian Times. It got even better after a night in the refrigerator.

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 egg white or 1/4 cup silken tofu/plain soy yogurt
1 cup frozen peas
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
a modest sprinkling of nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 pinch each dried basil, oregano and sage

1 handful each Kashi TLC crackers and Snapea Crisps, crushed
marinara sauce

Liberally grease a baking pan with olive oil. Mash the beans in a medium-sized bowl. Add all other ingredients except for cracker/Snapea Crisp crumbs and spaghetti sauce and mix until smoothly incorporated. Spread the mixture in the baking pan. Top with cracker/Snapea Crisp crumbs and bake at 375 for 40 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden.

Serve each piece topped with warm marinara sauce.

Overnight Oatmeal

We've been eating this for breakfast every morning this month. It's amazingly satisfying and comforting on cold winter mornings.

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
large dash cinnamon
pinch cloves
1 handful raisins
1 Tbsp date pieces (optional)
1 Tbsp ground flax seed (optional)
1 small handful walnuts (optional)
1 cup vanilla soy milk

Combine all ingredients in a bowl in the fridge overnight. In the morning, microwave for 3-5 minutes.

Baked Salmon Patties w/ Steamed Broccoli

I don't really remember where I came up with this recipe. My mother used to make fried salmon patties when I was young, and this is definitely inspired by that childhood taste memory. All I know is that it's 1) my favorite way to eat salmon, 2) the only way I can bear to eat sardines (both salmon and sardines are good sources of essential fatty acids, which help lower cholesterol), and 3) an incredibly adaptable pantry recipe that I can whip up just about any time with things I have on hand. I've made endless variations on this, and it always turns out fabulous.

2 6 oz. cans salmon, drained and flaked
1 can sardines in mustard sauce, drained and flaked
1 egg white
1/4 cup hummus
1 tsp dill mustard
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 cup cornmeal
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
salsa

Mix the fish, egg white/tofu, hummus, mustard, bread crumbs and dill together into a bowl. Grease a baking pan with olive oil. Using clean hands, roll the salmon mixture into balls and flatten into patties. Dredge in cornmeal and place in baking pan. Drizzle the tops with more olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve with your favorite organic salsa (we like the chipotle flavored kind).

Ingredient Notes: If you don't have eggs on hand, you can substitute 1/4 cup plain yogurt (soy or otherwise) or tofu cream cheese for the egg white. The hummus is also optional, but I think it lends a nice flavor... if you leave it out, double the amount of egg whites or equivalent substitute. If you don't have or don't want to use sardines, you can substitute another 6 oz. can of salmon or albacore tuna. I've added more bread crumbs and nutritional yeast to the cornmeal crust for a slightly different texture. If you don't have bread crumbs, cracker crumbs or even tortillas run through a food processor work equally well.

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Steamed Broccoli

1 head broccoli
water to cover
1 healthy sprinkling lime juice
1/4 tsp toasted dark sesame oil
1 large pinch nutritional yeast (optional)

Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces and cook in the water until still bright green but pierceable with a fork. Drain. Toss with lime juice, sesame oil, and nutritional yeast and serve.