Black Bean Brownies

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 eggs
3 Tbsp coconut or canola oil
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp instant coffee
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup SweetLeaf sugar/stevia blend (or 3/4 cup sugar)
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a baking dish. Blend all ingredients and pour into dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Makes 15 brownies.

Seitan Roast Stuffed with Mushrooms and Leeks

This is basically this recipe from the PPK, but with a few substitutions/additions:

• I had cooked cannellini beans, so I used those instead of pinto beans
• I subbed mashed beans and almond meal for the breadcrumbs in the filling
• I used mushroom broth and mushroom-flavored olive oil to boost the mushroomy-ness
• I served it with this gravy

I got rave reviews from everyone who's tried it, and it's packed full of tasty protein.

Savory Vegan Gravy

This is based off a recipe my friend Kelli once served us on stuffed peppers.

1 cup veggie broth (I used mushroom broth)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika


1/3 cup white beans

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, blend with a stick blender and heat until bubbling.  Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until it thickens.

Roasted Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, broken up into florets
olive oil spray
smoked salt
chipotle powder

Preheat the oven to 375.  Scatter the cauliflower florets on a cookie sheet.  Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and chipotle powder.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Baba Ghanoush

1 medium-large eggplant
1 head garlic
olive oil
1/4 tsp smoked sea salt
1/3 cup Trader Joe's tahini sauce
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1 dash liquid smoke (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Poke the eggplant all over with a knife or fork, spray  or rub with olive oil, and bake for 1 hour, or until collapsing.

Meanwhile, rub the extra skin off a head of garlic, cut the top off and spray/rub with oil.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cloves are soft.

Let the eggplant cool for a bit, then peel off the skin.  Remove as many of the seeds as you can get (don't stress about it, though).  Peel the roasted garlic cloves.  Add the garlic, salt, tahini, chipotle and cumin to the eggplant flesh.  Mash thoroughly or blend with a stick blender.  Taste, and if you like it a bit smokier, add a dash of liquid smoke.

Chipotle Devilled Eggs

6 eggs
1/4 cup mayo (I used reduced fat mayo from Trader Joe's)
1 tsp stone-ground mustard
1 tsp vinegar (I used the dark chocolate balsamic vinegar from Allspice)
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
smoked paprika for dusting

Put the eggs in a pan with just enough water to cover them.  Bring to a roiling boil, then lower to a simmer and cover.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Immediately remove from the heat and pour in cold/ice water to cool them down.  Peel and halve the eggs, scooping the yolks out.

Mash the yolks with the mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt and chipotle powder.  Spoon the filling back into the egg whites and dust with paprika.  Serve chilled.

Roasted Broccoli, Balsamic Mushrooms & Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh

Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh (from Veganomicon)

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Roasted Broccoli

This couldn't be easier.

1 head broccoli, cut into florets
olive oil spray
sea salt (smoked or regular)

Preheat your oven to 400.  Scatter the broccoli florets on a cookie sheet.  Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Stick in the oven for 25 minutes.

***

Balsamic Mushrooms


1 Tbsp olive oil (I used the Wild Mushroom & Sage olive oil from AllSpice)
8 oz crimini mushrooms, halved
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and salt and stir until the mushrooms have darkened.  Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and cook for 1-2 more minutes.

Adventures in Slow-Carb Vegetarian Dining in Des Moines

I've been attempting a few-week trial of the Slow-Carb Diet outlined in Tim Ferris' The Four Hour Body lately.  I'm having absolutely no troubles cooking at home following his guidelines, but eating out can get tricky, particularly as a vegetarian.  I thought I'd start this post as a list of options I've found so far in Des Moines:

Mexican

• huevos rancheros (hold the rice)
• guacamole
• refried/black beans
• vegetable fajitas (minus the sour cream and tortillas, get guacamole and beans)
• Many of the build-your-own-burrito places have burrito bowls where you can get the goods minus the tortillas.  Load up on beans, vegetables, guacamole and salsa.  
• Places to try:
• Chipotle
• Pancheros
• Dos Rios: tableside guacamole and the vegetable molcajete
• Bandit Burrito (has vegan chorizo) 
• Fighting Burrito  (has vegan chorizo)  
• Cuatro Burrito Bar (has vegan chorizo)

Thai

• tofu/vegetable stir-frys and curries (hold the rice)
• papaya salad
• tom kha soup with tofu
• Places to try:
• Taste of Thai: offers gluten/wheat-meat as an alternative to tofu, which is higher in protein
• Lemon Grass
• Rolling Wok
• Cool Basil
• Thai Flavors

Japanese

• agedashi tofu
• edamame
• miso soup
• seaweed/avocado salad
• Places to try:
• Appare

Indian

• any of the dals or curries (without potatoes or paneer), hold the rice and naan
• baingan bartha (eggplant and peas)
• chana masala (chickpeas)
• mushroom mattar (mushrooms and peas)
• dal (lentils)
• bindhi masala (okra and onions)
• Places to try:
• India Star
• Namaste

Breakfast

• omelettes or scrambles with vegetables, hold the cheese
• Places to try:
• La Mie: tofu scramble or vegetable scramble
• Gateway Market: tofu scramble, huevos motelenos (hold the ham)

American

• veggie burgers without the bun
• vegetable sides 
• hummus with vegetables (carrots, celery) to dip
• salads
• soups 
• Places to try:
• Big City Burgers and Greens: try the Metro Veggie Burger with a lettuce wrap and edamame as your side
• Gateway Market 
• Django
• Drake Diner
• Centro
• Zombie Burger: try the burger that uses mushrooms as the bun with a veggie patty and fried brussel sprouts
• The Contintental: get the chickpea salad as a side and try the truffled mushrooms as a starter

Mediterranean

• baba ghanoush
• hummus
• falafel
• lentil soup
• Places to try:
• Open Sesame: try the falafel salad with a side of baba ghanoush and the lentil soup
• Proof: get the falafel (minus the flatbread) with a salad

Scrambled Eggs with Soyrizo and Salsa

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tube soyrizo, crumbled
4-5 eggs
1/4 cup cheddar or gouda, shredded

Heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and soyrizo and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.  Add the garlic, spices and salt and cook for 1 more minute.  Add the salsa and simmer for 2-3 more minutes.  Add the eggs and cook until no longer liquidy, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle on the cheese and serve immediately.

Pumpkin-Ricotta-Spinach Casserole

1 small pumpkin (or spaghetti squash), roasted
1 bag frozen spinach
1 container fat-free ricotta
1 egg
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp roasted garlic powder

1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp salt
nutritional yeast
pine nuts


Shred the squash/pumpkin flesh.  Mix with the frozen spinach, ricotta, beaten egg, nutmeg, salt, white pepper and roasted garlic powder.  Dust with nutritional yeast and sprinkle on some pine nuts.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Refried Beans (a la Kelli)

My friend Kelli taught me how to make beans this way, and I haven't looked back since.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chipotle powder (optional but awesome)
2 cloves garlic

3 cups cooked pinto beans, black beans or black-eyed peas
salt to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and spices and heat for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the beans and salt and mash the beans until creamy.  Cook until the desired consistency.

Mexican Tofu Scramble

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp salt (can use up to half black salt if an 'eggy' flavor is desired)
1/4 cup salsa
1 pound firm tofu, mashed
1/2 tube soyrizo
hot sauce to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until translucent.  Add the spices, salt and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the tofu, salsa and soyrizo and cook for 5 more minutes, or until heated through.

Mediterranean Casserole

This was thrown together from things in my pantry.  I actually have yet to sample the finished product.  It was pretty easy to make, though.

6 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 can white kidney beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can whole black olives, drained and smooshed
1/4 cup eggplant/garlic dip from Trader Joe's (I might leave this out next time)
1/3 cup hummus
3 Tbsp chopped basil
1/4 cup dry red wine

Mix together.  Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Broccoli Gardein Divan (Vegan Option)

Thaw by microwaving, steaming, or pouring boiling water briefly over them in a colander.

• 2 Gardein chick'n scallopini breasts
• 1 bag frozen broccoli florets

Chop the Gardein into bite-sized pieces. Blend up the sauce (you could also use Hurry-Up Vegan Alfredo):

• 1 cup nonfat Greek plain yogurt (or plain soy yogurt)
• 1/2 cup reduced fat mayo (Trader Joe's brand is accidentally vegan)
• 1/4 cup hummus

Mix into the sauce:

• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp celery flakes

Put a layer of Gardein bits in the bottom of a casserole dish.  Top with broccoli. Top with sauce.
Top that with:

• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/3 cup toasted almond slivers

Bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees.

Cauliflower Butternut Red Lentil Curry (Vegan)

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced
2/3 cup red lentils
1 jar Trader Joe's Masala curry simmer sauce
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 cups veggie broth

Put all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.