Cheezy Broccoli-Orzo Casserole

When the weather turns cold, I crave creamy, hot comfort food. This turned out just about perfect, and it's very easy to make.

1 batch Hurry Up Vegan Alfredo Sauce
1-1/2 cups orzo (I bet other kinds of small pasta would work, too, or even rice)
4 cups water
salt to taste
8 oz. frozen broccoli
1 can white beans, drained
1/4 cup Daiya cheddar cheese shreds
1/2 cup french fried onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring salted water to a boil and cook orzo for 5-7 minutes, or until tender. Make the alfredo sauce in the meantime. Drain the orzo. Mix orzo with broccoli, beans and alfredo sauce. Top with shredded Daiya and french fried onions. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve.

Appetite for Reduction: Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad

My Christmas present to myself was a copy of vegan chef extraordinaire Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite For Reduction. I trust Isa's recipes to be uniformly delicious, even when she's trying to be healthy.

The everyday chickpea/quinoa salad is pretty simple. Cooked quinoa, a can of chickpeas, basalmic vinaigrette (this is what really makes it, and I highly suggest you check out the book for the recipe). I added shredded carrots, black garlic, chopped leeks and fresh basil to mine.

It's a wonderful, protein-rich sandwich spread. And it's damn tasty.

Tempeh Hot Wing/Mac & Cheese Casserole

I've made this totally vegan, and I've cheated and used a box of Annie's Mac. Either way, it's delicious. Inspired by Vegan MoFo #16: Amy Supreme.

1. Make a batch of mac and cheese. (My favorite vegan recipe follows).

2. Cut a block of tempeh into chunks. Boil/steam the chunks with a little soy sauce and water for 10 minutes.

3. Mix 4 Tbsp melted margarine, 2-1/2 Tbsp hot sauce, 2 Tbsp agave nectar and 4 Tbsp ketchup. Stir until smooth. Toss with the cooked tempeh in the bottom of a casserole dish.

4. Spread the mac and cheese on top of the tempeh. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake at 425 for 10 minutes.

***



Vegan Creamy Shells

8 oz. small pasta shells, cooked in salted water until tender

1/4 cup flour
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup water
1/2 veg. bouillon cube
1/2 Tbsp. miso
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
salt to taste
1 Tbsp margarine
1/2 tsp mustard
2-3 dashes Tobasco

Mix the flour, yeast, water and bouillon in a small saucepan and heat over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until thickened. Mix in miso, garlic powder, paprika and salt. Cook for 5 minutes or so. Stir in the margarine and mustard and Tobasco. Remove from heat, add pasta and stir to coat.

Crockpot Seitan Roast w/ Carrots and Potatoes

This is loosely based off recipes from Robin Robertson and Ellen's Kitchen, though of course I can't do anything normal and have to screw around with it. I put this in my crock pot this morning, and I'm letting it cook for 6 hours on low. I'll report back with results.

UPDATE: The texture was a little soft for my liking, but the flavor was spot-on. I used about half a cup of black beans in this batch... I think I'll leave them out next time and perhaps replace them with chickpea flour. Also, I was in a hurry and probably didn't knead it long enough.

For the veggies:
1 pound baby carrots
1 onion, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 pound potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup vegetable stock (I used liquid left over from slow-cooking beans)

Oil the inside of a crock pot. Mix the carrots, potatoes, garlic and onions together with the thyme, salt and pepper in the bottom of the crock pot. Pour the stock over the vegetables.

Seitan dry mix:
2 cups vital wheat gluten
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp each cumin, smoked paprika, dried sage, chipotle powder, vegetable broth powder, sea salt and black pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme

Mix together in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

Seitan wet mix
1-1/2 cups water (I used bean cooking liquid)
3 Tbsp tahini
1 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp better than beef bouillon
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp olive oil

Blend until smooth. Add to the seitan dry mixture and knead for about 3-5 minutes, or until the dough springs back when you release it. You may need to add more wheat gluten, depending on various factors. Your final dough should be a little moist, but not sticky. (I always make sure to take the mixture into the other room while I'm kneading it and moan "BRAAAIIINS. BRAAAAIIIIINS!") Shape into a loaf, rub with a little extra olive oil and lay on top of the vegetables in the crock pot. If you like, you can pour another half cup of stock over the roast.

Put the lid on the crock pot and cook for 6 hours on low.

Tofurky Vegan Pizza

I found these at New City Market last night, and they are deliciously reminiscent of the Tombstone frozen pizzas I used to eat as a kid. Not health food by any stretch, but very tasty. I tried the Fire-Roasted Veggie and Sausage variety; your mileage may vary with the other flavors.

Pumpkin-Tahini Spice Dip

2 cups baked pumpkin or winter squash
2 Tbsp hummus
2 Tbsp tahini
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chipotle pepper powder
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp egg replacer (optional)

Puree all ingredients together. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then serve on fresh apple slices or crackers.

Butternut-Polenta Casserole with Salsa Verde

Yet another fly-by-night recipe composed largely of things I had lying around the house. Again, you could make it easier or harder depending on what degree you make things from scratch.

1 tube polenta - sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 cup enchilada sauce
4 cups roasted butternut squash - mashed roughly
1 can red kidney beans - drained & rinsed
1 tube veggie chorizo (optional)
1 cup salsa verde (recipe follows)
3 cups corn chips - crushed

Grease the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Lay the polenta slices down and top with enchilada sauce. Combine the squash, beans and chorizo and spread on top of the polenta. Top with salsa verde, followed by crushed chips. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

***

Salsa Verde

This recipe is from my lovely friend Kelli, who is my first resource when it comes to homemade Mexican food.

1/2 pound tomatillos, husked and cut into bite-sized chunks
1/4 cup onion - minced
1 small pepper - roasted
1/2 head roasted garlic
1 bunch cilantro
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend for a minute or so, or until no longer chunky.

Note: To roast the pepper, you can either rub it with olive oil and roast in the oven, hold it over the gas flame until it blackens, or put it on a grill pan. If you're using a hot pepper, add a little at a time, being careful of the seeds. To roast garlic, simply slice the top off the whole head and pop it in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the cloves are soft.

Arugula-Beet Salad w/ Figs

I ate far too much of this at lunch. Still, I suppose there are worse things to be obsessed over than beets, right?

3-4 medium-sized beets, roasted, peeled & sliced
2 figs, roasted and sliced
1 bunch arugula
2-3 Tbsp pomegranate molasses

For best flavor, combine the beets and the pomegranate molasses and let sit in the fridge overnight. Otherwise, just combine everything and eat!

Roasting Notes: To roast the beets, slice off the tops and tails and wrap them in foil. Pop them in the oven for 30 minutes, or until they're soft all the way through. Remove from foil, let cool, and rub the skins off. To roast the figs, slice them in half, lay them in a baking dish, and roast for 20 minutes.

Ingredient Notes: I got my pomegranate molasses at Gateway Market. It's more tart than sweet.

Butternut Squash Patties w/ Tomato Relish

I made my pumpkin patties again, only this time with butternut squash and a mild tomato relish (my mom was visiting, and she doesn't like spicy things). There were no leftovers.

Butternut Squash Patties

3-4 cups roasted butternut squash, roughly mashed
3-4 shallots, minced
1 handful basil, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1 Tbsp raw sugar (optional)
canola oil for frying

Combine all ingredients and stir until mixture forms patties. Heat the canola oil and fry on each side for 4-5 minutes. Drain on paper.

Tomato Relish

2 cups diced tomatoes (I used Green Zebras, my favorite)
1 handful basil, cut into thin strips
1 tsp garlic jelly (optional, but delicious)

Combine and let sit until the patties are done. Spoon on top of the patties and serve.

Flatbread w/ Roasted Squash, Arugula, Shallots & Figs

This was definitely different, but surprisingly delicious.

Based off a recipe from Chef Chloe. This is one of those recipes that can be more or less difficult depending on how many shortcuts you use. I used pre-made pizza dough from Gateway Market and hummus from Costco, as well as squash I'd roasted last week, and it came together in about 10 minutes.

1 batch pizza or flatbread dough
1/4 cup hummus
a handful of arugula
a small handful of basil leaves, cut into strips
3-4 shallots, sliced thinly
2 figs, sliced thinly
2/3 cup roasted winter squash (butternut, etc.)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Stretch the dough out on a cornmeal-covered pizza stone. Spread the hummus in a thin layer on top. Place the arugula and basil on top of the hummus; follow with shallots, roasted squash and figs. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Patties w/ Chipotle Sauce

I roasted a pumpkin earlier this week, and so I'm putting it into *everything*. Tonight I was making zucchini patties, and I remembered the squash patties my mom used to make. A little sweet, crispy on the outside and soft inside, redolent of spiciness and warmth.

1 cup cooked pumpkin/winter squash, roughly mashed or pureed
2 heaping Tbsp chickpea flour
2 heaping Tbsp vital wheat gluten
1 Tbsp hummus (optional)
1/2 tsp garam masala
a pinch of cloves
1/4 tsp chipotle pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar

Mix all ingredients together. You should have a stiff batter. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a skillet. Using a scant 1/4 cup of batter for each, flatten into patties and fry until browned and crispy on both sides.

Chipotle Sauce
1/4 cup vegan mayo
1/3 cup silken tofu
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
2 tsp capers
1 Tbsp smokey chipotle jam

Puree and serve.

Pumpkin Chili

2 cups chopped cooked pumpkin
2 cans red kidney beans - drained
1 head roasted garlic
1 16-oz jar enchilada sauce
2 Tbsp adobo sauce
2 cooked sweet potatoes - diced
1 small roasted beet - diced
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 vegan sausage - diced

Put all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 8 hours.

Baba Ghanoush

1 eggplant
olive oil
roasted garlic
lemon juice
chipotle powder
tahini (or hummus)

Stab your eggplant a couple of times and pop it in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the skin is blackened and collapsing. Let cool. Remove the skin and as many seeds as you can (you won't be able to get them all; don't stress about it).

Using a stick blender, puree the eggplant. Add other ingredients to taste and blend well.

Easy Roasted Vegetables

Any time my oven's on, I try to pop something extra in it. A head of garlic, some beets, a squash, an eggplant... not only does it help me not waste heat, it leaves me with easy-prep meal material later in the week. On Saturday night, I made a meal out of mostly pre-roasted veggies... good for you, and really easy.

Roasted Okra
Wash whole okra pods. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt, garlic powder and chipotle powder (optional). Roast at 425 for 20 minutes. Serve hot (don't eat the stems).

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Wash sweet potatoes and cut the ends off. Place in a baking dish and roast at 400 for 30 minutes, or until soft. When ready to eat, split it half and top with roasted garlic or baba ghanoush.

Roasted Beets
Wash beets and trim the ends off. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake until a knife goes easily through them (depends on the size of your beet, but start at 20 minutes and go from there. When cooled, rub the skins off. (My favorite easy way to serve beets is to drizzle them with pomegranate molasses and some raw minced garlic.)

Roasted Garlic
Get a whole head of garlic. Slice off the top, so the cloves are exposed. Rub the top with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and golden.

Roasted Squash
De-stem and slice your squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Place face-down in a dish with about 1/4 inches of water in the bottom. Bake until soft (start at 30 minutes and go from there).

Vegan Chocolate Stout Cheesecake

I winged this recipe when a quick Google didn't turn up anything, and yes. This wins.

2 8-oz tubs vegan cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 tsp powdered egg replacer (I used Ener-G egg replacer)
2 Tbsp molasses
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegan stout
1/3 cup mini vegan chocolate chips (optional)

1 pre-made Oreo or graham cracker crust

Blend all ingredients except chocolate chips with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the chocolate chips and pour into prepared crust. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees, then let cool before serving.

Ingredient Notes: I used Tofutti's Better Than Cream Cheese and Samuel Smith's oatmeal stout (check other stout brands here), which I picked up at the Hy-Vee Drugstore at 42nd & University. If you can't find vegan chocolate chips, you can always chop up a vegan chocolate bar and use that instead.

Curried Ginger Acorn Squash w/ Apple Stuffing

1 Tbsp olive oil
4 apples - chopped
2 onions - diced
3-4 garlic cloves - minced
1 handful dried apricots
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp each ground ginger, curry powder, turmeric and garam masala
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1 bottle real ginger ale
2 acorn squash - seeded and cut into rings

Saute the apples and onions until tender. Add garlic, apricots, salt, spices and nuts and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Place the squash rings in a baking dish. Spoon the filling into the center of the squash rings. Pour the ginger ale around the squash rings and bake for 20 minutes, or until tender.

Blueberry-Pear Ginger Cobbler

2 cups blueberries
1 ripe pear, diced
1 ripe nectarine, diced
3-4 Tbsp agave nectar (or honey or maple syrup)
1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/3 cup canola oil
1 8 oz container vanilla soy yogurt
1 cup flour
1 cup raw sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt
a few dashes ground ginger & cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix the fruit together and spread in the bottom of a pie dish. Top with the liquid sweetener and the ground ginger.

Whisk the soy yogurt and the oil together. Add the flour, sugar and salt and stir gently until a thick batter is formed. Drop the batter by spoonfuls over the fruit until the fruit is mostly covered. Sprinkle a little ginger and cinnamon on top.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Zucchini Patties w/ Tomato-Corn Relish (Redux)

Last night, I used up two zucchini, a handful of baby onions and a crapload of tomatoes with the Zucchini Patties w/ Tomato-Corn Relish. I ended up adding an egg white (from the lovely free-range chickens at Blue Gate Farm) to the patties to help them stay together. Delish.

Veganized Chocolate Eclair 'Cake'

This is a mostly veganized version of a recipe a friend made at a party this weekend. The only non-vegan elements remaining are honey in the graham crackers and milkfat in the standard chocolate chips I bought at Hy-Vee. If you hunted a little harder for vegan versions of these two ingredients (according to Accidentally Vegan, Nabisco original graham crackers are vegan, and you could chop up vegan dark chocolate bars to sub for the chocolate chips), it'd be totally sinless.

1 package graham crackers

2 packages vanilla Jell-O Instant Pudding Mix
2 cups cold vanilla soy/rice milk
1 tub ricemellow creme (or vegan whipped topping)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chopped sweetened dark chocolate)
2 Tbsp margarine
1/4 cup soy/rice milk

Place a layer of graham crackers in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Whisk the pudding mix and milk together and let sit for 5 minutes to set. Fold in the ricemellow creme.

Spread one half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Top with more graham crackers, followed by the rest of the pudding. Top this with graham crackers, too.

Meanwhile, melt your chocolate chips, either in the microwave (30-second bursts, stirring after each one) or in a double boiler (I use a stainless mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water). Add the margarine and soy milk and stir until very smooth. Pour the chocolatey goodness over the graham crackers and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Spicy Black Bean Chorizo Stew

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 Spicy Pinto Bean Sausages, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp each chili powder, cumin & unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 cans black beans, undrained
1 can diced tomatoes w/ chilis, undrained
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
1/2 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

Using clean hands, crumble the sausage with your hands until it resembles ground beef. Mix with the diced onion, spices and salt. Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot and add the onion-sausage mixture. Saute for 5-10 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.



Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add the liquid from the tomatoes and stir to scrape up any spices that have stuck to the bottom. Transfer the whole shebang into a crock pot. Add the black beans, tomatoes, chipotle pepper and liquid smoke. Cook on low for eight hours.

Farmer's Market Spanakopita

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 bunches swiss chard or kale: de-stemmed
1 medium leek: chopped finely
3 garlic cloves: minced
2 handfuls fresh herbs: chopped (dill, basil, oregano, tarragon, thyme)
1 container lemon basil Northern Prairie Chevre
2/3 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Saute the greens and leek for 5 minutes, until dark green and wilted. Chop the cooked greens finely. Spread in the bottom of a baking dish. Add garlic, herbs and chevre and mix well. Top with the puff pastry, smearing the top with olive oil. Bake for 40 minutes.

Note: You can use the rest of the puff pastry for a quick dessert. Simply smear the remaining third with jam and/or chocolate, roll it up and bake for 15 minutes or so. (I used dark chocolate spread and black raspberry jam.)

Mustardy Roasted Green Beans & Potatoes

Easy, tasty and made almost entirely from in-season veggies at the Des Moines farmer's market. Green beans and mushrooms are both sources of protein, so I've been eating this as a main dish for days now.

1 pound green beans, trimmed and halved
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into thin half-moons
4-5 baby onions, quartered
4 oz. oyster mushrooms, torn into bite-sized pieces
3 Tbsp whole grain or dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the green beans, potato slices, onions & mushrooms in a 9x13 baking dish. Whisk the mustard, olive oil and soy sauce together until smooth. Pour over the vegetables and toss to coat. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

A Solution for Subsidized Corn - Compostable Plastic Cups

photo by Majiscup

I stopped by the new location of The Village Bean in the East Village yesterday, and I was pleasantly surprised to see them using compostable plastic cups for their cold to-go beverages. Which made me think... we've got a huge surplus of corn, which is why there's so much high fructose corn syrup and corn-based ethanol. So why not divert it into corn-based plastic?

I'd be thrilled to be able to throw my chai cups into my compost heap.

Gingery Mint Iced Tea

I came up with this recipe when my boy started begging me to find a way to get rid of the mint that's taking over his office. I'm normally not a fan of mint in tea, but this is refreshing and a little sweet, with just a bit of bite from the ginger.

3 black or green tea bags
1.5 quarts boiling water
3-5 longish sprigs of fresh mint
1 ginger tea packet OR 2 Tbsp candied ginger

Put the tea bags, fresh mint (I think it's easier to leave the mint leaves on the stalk) and contents of ginger packet in the bottom of a pitcher or large jar. Pour the boiling water into the vessel and let cool. Serve iced or refrigerated.

Ingredient Notes: You can get instant sweet ginger tea packets at just about any Asian market. You could leave it out, but I really like the bite of the ginger combined with the mint.

Kale-Mushroom-Sundried Tomato-Sausage Quiche

1 can biscuit dough (Hy-Vee's Texas biscuits are vegan)
4 eggs (or 1 batch Vegan Brunch omelette mix)
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup kale, destemmed and chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. oyster mushrooms
2 handfuls sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
2 Morningstar Farms sausage patties, chopped
1 handful fresh basil & oregano (or other fresh herbs)
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a pie plate. Press the biscuit dough into the pie plate until the bottom and sides are covered in a thin layer of dough.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the garlic, kale and mushrooms for 5-10 minutes, or until the kale is dark green and tender. Mix in the tomatoes, fresh herbs and sausage chunks and spread evenly over the biscuit dough.

Whisk the eggs together until yolks and whites are incorporated. Season with a dash each of salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the egg mixture is set.

Artichoke-Kale-White Bean Dip With Roasted Garlic

Based on this recipe from Grow. Cook. Eat.

1 8-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
1/2 cup kale
1/2 cup fresh herbs (I used basil, oregano and tarragon)
1 cup navy beans, pureed
1 head roasted garlic, mashed
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
1 tsp white miso (optional)

Sautee the kale in a little olive oil until wilted (about 5 minutes). Chop the artichoke hearts, cooked kale and fresh herbs very finely and mix together. Mash/puree the beans and roasted garlic and add to the artichoke mixture along with the olive oil, lemon juice and miso. Use a stick blender to smooth the texture out, if desired. Adjust seasonings to taste. It's ready to eat now, but if you want, you can warm it in the oven or the microwave before serving.

Serve with chips, toasted bread or raw veggies for dipping.

Asparagus Dill Quiche

I'm not completely vegan. I eat mostly vegan, but I make exceptions, particularly for locally and sustainably raised animal products. If you want to make this vegan, just replace the eggs and cheese with the tofu omelet mixture from Vegan Brunch and Daiya cheese.



1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and diced
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, minced
4 eggs
3 Tbsp grated cheese (optional)
1 package crescent rolls
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs until yolks and whites are incorporated. Add cheese and salt and pepper. Unroll the crescent roll dough and press into the bottom of a greased pie plate. Spread the asparagus, dill, and onions in the pie plate. Pour the egg mixture over the asparagus. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Potato & Pinto Bean Tacos w/ Blueberry-Nectarine Salad

Thanks to my helpful neighbor Howard's tortilla press, I was able to make my own tortillas for this recipe. I'm not crazy about corn tortillas unless they're homemade or toasted. I made just about everything in this meal from scratch, but of course you could use canned beans, hash browns, jarred salsa and pre-made tortillas to save time.



Taco Filling:
2 tsp olive oil
3 green onions, minced
2 cups diced potatoes
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 can diced tomatoes with chilis
3 cups pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and onions and cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender. Add everything else, lower heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until the potatoes are practically falling apart.

Fresh Salsa:
2-3 cups diced tomatoes
a handful of cilantro
1 tsp lime juice
a generous sprinkling of sea salt

Combine. Let sit at room temperature while everything else cooks.

Homemade Tortillas:
2 cups masa harina
1-1/3 cups warm water (I used a little of the bean cooking liquid)

Mix the masa with the water to form dough. Divide into 12 equal parts and roll each part into a ball with wet hands. Preheat a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Line the tortilla press with a Ziploc bag with the sides cut out. Squish the dough ball into a disk and place between the Ziploc flaps, then press. Peel the pressed tortilla gently off the Ziploc. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute on each side. Cover the cooked tortillas until ready to eat. Repeat with all the remaining dough balls, dusting the Ziploc with masa in between pressings.

To assemble the tacos:
Tortilla + potato/bean mixture + salsa + diced avocado



Blueberry-Nectarine Salad
Chop up nectarines. Mix them with blueberries. Serve. :P

Ingredient Notes: I found my masa harina in the baking aisle at the Franklin Dahl's. Pressing the tortillas is a pretty tricky art. I find they're harder to get off the Ziploc if you press them too thinly. (I've also tried wax paper and plastic wrap, and nothing works quite as well as the Ziploc.) If you don't have a tortilla press, you can always put the dough in the Ziploc, put it on the floor, put a skillet (or book) on top of that, and stand on it.

Lower-Fat Banana Muffins

This is my adaptation of the recipe from Veganomicon, made solely because I had three overripe bananas attracting fruit flies. These are delicious, moist and rich. They don't taste healthy at all.

3 overripe bananas
1/2 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp molasses (I used sorghum)
2 cups flour (I used 1 cup pastry flour + 1 cup spelt flour)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Grease muffin cups and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mash the bananas really well. Add the sugar, oil and molasses and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the dry to the wet and stir very gently, just until combined. Spoon into muffin cups (mine were about 3/4 full) and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Spicy Chickpea Tomato Pasta

A quick and very tasty pasta dish.

1/2 box thin spaghetti
1 Tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1 can chickpeas
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 Tbsp sundried tomato pesto

Boil salted water for the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and toss with a little olive oil.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, chipotle and pesto and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until heated through. Toss with the pasta and serve.

Kale Chips

I made these last night, and they were AMAZING. Kind of like salt-n-vinegar chips. Crispy and salty and NOM.



1 bunch kale, leaves de-stemmed, washed and dried
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp lime juice (or lemon juice or balsamic vinegar)
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350. Whisk the oil, lime juice and salt together and coat the kale evenly. Spread the kale on baking sheets and bake for 7-15 minutes, or until the leaves are crispy and break easily. (Mine only took 7-8 minutes, but the original recipe called for 12-14, so who knows?)

Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

This is adapted from Vegan With a Vengeance and my previous recipe, but it's highly, highly adaptable. It's a good source of protein and iron, and it you whip up a batch at the beginning of the week, you'll have easy, cheap lunches.

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp mayo
1 tsp whole grain mustard
2-3 Tbsp pickle relish (to taste)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 green onion, minced
1 Tbsp shredded seaweed (nori, dulse or hijiki)
a pinch of black salt (optional, gives it an 'eggy' flavor)

Mash the chickpeas. Mix everything else in and adjust seasonings to taste. Spread on toasted whole wheat bread.

Ingredient notes: Seaweed can be super-expensive at health food stores, but it's cheap at Asian markets (like Double Dragon on 2nd Ave). You can used steamed tempeh or any other white beans in place of the chickpeas... the chickpeas are just a little firmer, so they hold up better in this salad. I found my black salt (which is actually pink) at Namaste Indian Grocery, at 77th and University.

On the whys and hows of vegetarianism in Des Moines

I've been enjoying the conversation over at Locally Grown about Des Moines' vegetarian options. In a recent comment thread, InthewaterDSM expressed dismay at encountering preachy vegans and asked why people become vegetarians.

This was my response:

I agree completely that preachy vegans can be just as annoying as any other sort of evangelist. I don’t believe in bashing other people for their lifestyle choices.

I originally went vegetarian just to see if I could. Giving up something deliberately in our culture of excess seemed like a worthy experiment.

As for why I stuck with it, I’ve got several reasons: my health (a plant-based diet allows me to forgo cholesterol medication), concerns about large-scale animal-based industry and environmental impact, and yes, even some ethical reasons. But primarily? I like the way it tastes. Vegetarian food at its finest is interesting, diverse and damn tasty.

I think there’s an absolutely valid case to be made for almost anyone to *reduce* their consumption of animal products. If someone asks me (as you’ve done), I’ll tell them why I do it. But I have no interest in making converts. I think people should be aware of where their food comes from, how it impacts the world around them, and then eat what sits best with their body, mouth and conscience.

I like eating plants, therefore I do. I don’t miss meat. I’m healthy and happy. Others may eat what they like; it doesn’t affect me and my choices.

Asparagus Pesto Pizza

This was delicious, and so easy. NOM.

1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into half-inch lengths
4 oz. oyster mushrooms, cut into smallish pieces
1 handful capers (optional)
1/4 cup pesto
1 batch pizza dough
cornmeal for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 450. Sprinkle cornmeal on your pizza stone. Stretch out the dough and lay it on the stone. Toss the asparagus and mushrooms with half the pesto. Spread the other half evenly over your dough, leaving about a half-inch border all the way around. Top with asparagus, mushrooms and capers.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Note: I got my pesto and my pizza dough at Gateway Market, because I am too lazy to make my own. (Hint: if you ask the guys behind the meat counter for pesto, they will go get it for you from the kitchen.)

Roasted Asparagus, Spring Garlic and Oyster Mushrooms

Simple and delicious. Made completely with local ingredients from the Des Moines farmer's market.

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed, chopped into 3-inch pieces
8 oz. oyster mushrooms, torn into chunks
1 bulb spring garlic, chopped
a drizzle each of olive oil & balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients and roast for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

OMG Gardein Seven Grain Cripsy Tenders

I'll confess... one of the things I've missed about occasional carnivorousness is chicken tenders. So I was curious when I saw the Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders in the frozen section at Campbell's.

I just baked some up (24 minutes at 430 degrees) and dipped them in spring roll sweet chili sauce, and wow. I'm a believer. It's almost creepy how good they are.

Butternut Squash, Chorizo and Polenta

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 package polenta, cubed
2 veggie chorizo sausages, diced
2 Tbsp fresh salsa
olive oil

Roast the butternut squash cubes for 25 minutes, or until tender. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a pan and pan-fry the polenta cubes over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until browned. Repeat the process in a different pan with the chorizo. Once everything is ready, add the chorizo and the squash to the polenta, add salsa and stir. Eat hot.

Notes: I used the chorizo recipe from Vegan Brunch, with dark kidney beans, a chipotle pepper in adobo and some fennel. The polenta was homemade, too, and it came out a little mushy, but the flavors in this more than make up for it.

Amazing Vegan Butternut-Polenta Lasagna

This is a remix of this recipe, made almost entirely with freezer staples and a few assists from the lovely folks at Gateway Market.



1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
8 oz. frozen chopped greens
8 oz. sliced mushrooms

Prep: heat the olive oil. Add the onion, mushrooms and greens and saute for 5-10 minutes, or until wilty and darkened.

2 cups pureed butternut squash
1-2 dashes nutmeg

Prep: mix squash puree with nutmeg and 2-3 Tbsp of the vegan white sauce (recipe follows).

1 block silken tofu
1 4-oz. container vegan pesto (or sachet of dry pesto mix)

Prep: Mash tofu. Add pesto. Stir.

1 block polenta
marinara sauce

Prep: Slice the polenta very thinly (these will be your 'noodles.' You can, of course, use no-boil lasagna noodles as well).

Vegan white sauce:
--------------------
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 tsp veggie bouillon powder
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper

Prep: Blend.

Assemble the lasagna. I generally like to keep the reddish-orange stuff together and the greenish stuff together, so you might do something like this:

polenta 'noodles'
marinara
squash puree
polenta 'noodles'
tofu-pesto mash
greens & mushrooms
white sauce

Repeat this pattern as often as necessary. Top with marinara and a drizzle of the white sauce. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Curried Tempeh-Seaweed Salad Sandwiches

The inspiration for this comes from the Chickpea-Hijiki Salad Sammiches from Vegan with a Vengeance, but tweaked to fit the ingredients I had on hand. Delish.

1 package tempeh, steamed
1/2 cup shredded carrot
2-3 Tbsp minced onion
1 Tbsp dried hijiki
1 Tbsp dulse flakes (optional)
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp wasabi paste (optional, but tasty!)
2-3 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
3 Tbsp vegan mayo (recipe below)

Cover the hijiki in boiling water for 10 minutes to rehydrate. Using your fingers, crumble the tempeh. Mix everything together. Refrigerate for a bit if desired. Otherwise, smear on bread and nom!

Note: I steam the tempeh right in its package. You could also microwave for a few minutes it to achieve the same effect.

***

Vegan Mayo
-------------

1 cup silken tofu
1 clove garlic, grated or very finely minced
1/4 tsp black salt
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tsp stone-ground mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp capers (optional, but tasty!)

Blend together until very smooth.

***

Ingredient notes: Dried hijiki is a black, slightly fishy-tasting seaweed. I forget where I got mine, but Campbell's and/or Double Dragon are pretty good bets. The dulse flakes also have a slight fishy flavor. I got mine in the bulk section at Campbell's. Black salt (which, confusingly, is pink) can be found at Namaste Indian grocery. It imparts an uncannilyre eggy taste to the mayo.

Peanut BBQ Tofu; Orangey Roasted Squash & Sweet Potatoes; Kale & Black-Eyed Peas

Peanut BBQ Tofu

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp curry powder
1-2 tsp hot sauce (optional)
1 lb. extra firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

Mix all the sauce ingredients together and whisk until incorporated. Smear the tofu slices on all sides and marinate for at least 20 minutes (overnight is best).

Lay the slices in a baking dish, smear with any extra sauce and bake, covered, at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

***

Orangey Roasted Squash & Sweet Potatoes

1 largish sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
salt & pepper to taste
a drizzle of olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp agave nectar

Combine all ingredients in a baking dish. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the squash chunks are fork-tender. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.

***

Kale & Black-Eyed Peas

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 tsp Cajun/Creole seasoning
a dash of liquid smoke (optional)
2-3 cups finely chopped frozen kale (or 1 bunch fresh)
1 can black-eyed peas, drained
2 Tbsp salsa
1/4 cup water

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the liquid smoke and Cajun seasoning, followed by the kale. Cook for 2 minutes or so, then add the black-eyed peas and salsa and stir well. Add the water, cover, and cook on medium-low for 10 minutes, or until the kale is tender.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crack Cookies

These are dead simple, completely addictive, and they satisfy my junk food cravings like nothing else. Sweet-tooth alert: these are super-sweet, so be warned. This is no namby-pamby dessert. It charges onto your tastebuds with sugar guns blazing.



1/2 cup liquid sweeter (agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, etc.)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup chocolate chips
4-5 cups cereal (I used Corn Chex, but Special K or Rice Krispies would work, too)

Combine the sugar and liquid sweetener in a stovetop pan and heat until it bubbles and froths. Remove from heat, mix in the peanut butter and chocolate and stir until incorporated. Add the cereal and stir to coat. Press into a greased pan and stick in the fridge until cooled. Nom with great abandon!

African Beans and Greens

This was my attempt at recreating a favorite dish from a African restaurant that closed around these parts a few years ago. I served these with the Cornmeal Biscuits from Vegan Brunch. Delish.

2 cans black eyed peas, drained
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, with juice
1 veg bouillon cube
1 tsp curry powder
1 cup frozen collard greens
a few shakes liquid smoke
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp each onion and garlic powder

Throw all ingredients into a crock pot or pressure cooker and cook until greens are very tender.

Falafel Loaf

So I had all these frozen falafel balls that I didn't really care for, but I felt awful about throwing them out. So I mashed them all up, threw in some onion & garlic powder, about half a cup of hummus, 1/4 cup wheat gluten and a few handfuls of chopped kalamata olives. Pressed it all tightly into an oiled loaf pan and baked it for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

I serve it topped with more hummus, and you know what? It's lots, lots better than the original ingredients ever were separately. I guess that's what you call cooking, huh?ve

Instant Vegan Chocolate Pudding

I am eating this right now. It is delicious.

1 package silken tofu
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup all-fruit jam (I like raspberry)
a splash or two of vanilla soy milk
agave nectar/sugar to taste

Combine all ingredients, blend (with a stick blender or in a normal blender), adjust sweetener to taste and enjoy.

Vegan Brownies

This recipe is adapted from Peter Berley's The Modern Vegetarian, and it works like a charm.

1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup (or agave nectar)
1/4 cup vanilla soy milk
1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sweetened hot cocoa mix (I use Ghiradelli)
1 cup unbleached or pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a medium baking dish (I find Earth Balance works well).

Combine the canola oil, maple syrup, soy milk and vanilla, mixing until creamy. In a different bowl, sift together the cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir very gently just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spread the batter in the greased dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Crock-Pot Tomato Bean Minestrone

1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 cans beans, drained (I used kidney and Great Northern)
2 cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup frozen corn (optional)
2 cups diced potatoes (I used leftover roasted potatoes and onions)
1 cup cooked pasta
2 cups water

Combine in a crockpot and cook on low for 4-8 hours. (You could also combine in a pot and cook on low until heated through.)

Butternut Squash, Kale & Mushroom Pasta Bake w/ Coconut Bechamel

This post by A Hungry Bear Won't Dance was the inspiration for the dish. It sounded delicious, and she even said you could veganize it by leaving out the bechamel and cheese, but I thought a coconut bechamel might be just as delicious and decadent. This recipe takes a little bit to put together, but it's so, so worth it.

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed

Arrange the cubes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the cubes can be easily pierced with a fork.

1 lb. medium shells
a lot of water
1/4 tsp salt

Bring the salted water to a boil. Add the shells and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the pasta.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 smallish yellow onion, diced
1 bunch kale, leaves de-stemmed and chopped
2-3 cups sliced crimini or shiitake mushrooms
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can cannellini or navy beans, drained
a splash of white wine (optional)
a dash of salt

Heat the olive oil. Add the onion, kale and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the kale is dark green and wilty. Add the tomatoes, beans, white wine and salt and cook on low until heated through.

1 can light coconut milk
1/2 cup raw cashews
3 Tbsp white miso
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Blend the coconut milk, cashews, miso, nutritional yeast and nutmeg for 3 minutes, or until completely smooth.

Combine the squash, sauteed vegetables and drained pasta in a 9x13 casserole dish. Pour the coconut bechamel over everything. Top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired (I used a little of Milton Creamery's amazing Prairie Breeze), then cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. (If not using the cheese, you can just combine everything in a large pot and heat through. Gets it on the table faster. :)