Mexican Zucchini Soup

Unbelievably simple and tasty.

1 zucchini, sliced
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes with chilies, with juice
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 package soyrizo
1-1/2 cups frozen or fresh corn
1/2 tsp salt

Combine in a soup pot. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender. Serve with crushed corn chips mixed in, if desired.

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.

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.

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.)

Pumpkin-Chevre Empanadas & Spiked Honey Cider

1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, diced
1/4 tsp each cumin & chili powder
1 can black eyed peas OR black beans
1/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup frozen corn
1-1/2 cups pureed pumpkin
1 can diced green chiles, drained (optional)
2 oz. Northern Prairie Chevre (Summertime Salsa flavor preferred)
1 batch Gateway Market pizza dough or 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
cornmeal for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 425. Sprinkle a pizza stone with cornmeal and roll/stretch out the dough into 1 large or 2 medium-sized discs (you can make as many as you want, but I'm lazy and only do two at most).

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the garlic for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the cumin & chili powder, beans, salsa, corn, chiles and pumpkin and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until heated through.

Place dollops of the goat cheese down the center of the pastry. Top with the bean/pumpkin mixture, and fold the dough over to seal into half-moons. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.

***

Spiked Honey Cider

Mix equal parts:
Sutliff apple cider
Summerset mead

Add a tablespoon of grenadine, if desired. Serve hot or cold.

Open-Faced BLTs w/ Chipotle Remoulade + Zucchini Patties with Corn Relish

The chipotle remoulade in this was divine. It also made a good dipping sauce for sweet potato fries, which we had alongside this dish.



several slices sourdough bread, toasted
leftover zucchini patties (optional, recipe below)
several slices tempeh bacon, cooked to a crisp
1 heirloom tomato, thickly sliced
chipotle remoulade (recipe below)

Assemble in listed order and serve while the bacon is still hot.

Chipotle Remoulade
2/3 cup vegan mayo
2 tablespoons capers, with brine
1/2 chipotle chili in adobo
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 tsp sweet chili sauce

Blend with a stick blender until smooth.

Zucchini Patties
1 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup refried beans (or hummus)
1/4 tsp cumin & chili powder
1/2 cup corn kernels
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup masa harina (corn flour), as needed
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil for frying

Mix the grated zucchini, beans, spices, corn & garlic together. Add the masa harina until the mixture can be formed into patties. Fry in the olive oil over medium heat, 3-4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Top with corn relish:

Corn Relish
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 Tbsp lime juice
4 Tbsp chipotle salsa
1 Tbsp garlic jelly (optional, but very tasty)

Heat all ingredients until hot and steamy.

Mexican Zucchini Soup

1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, diced
1 potato, diced
1 ear of corn, kernels cut off
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 bottle of beer
1 veg bouillon cube
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder

Saute the garlic in the olive oil for 2 minutes, then add everything else and simmer for 20 minutes.

Texas Caviar

I forget if I've ever posted this. A coworker brought it in last year, and we've been addicted ever since. I'm not particularly fond of any of these things on their own, but together they are magical.

2 cans black eyed peas, drained
2 cups corn, canned or frozen (I vastly prefer frozen)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green/yellow/orange/purple bell pepper, diced
1 bunch parsley or cilantro, chopped
1 smallish onion, diced
1 bottle Italian dressing (Kraft Seven Seas works best)
2 bags Fritos Scoops (normal chips will work, but these are really the best)

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Consume in vasty quantities. Lasts pretty much forever.

Tortilla Beer Soup

1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp chipotle powder
1 large dash cumin
2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 cans dark red kidney beans, drained
1 bottle lager
1 cup water
1-1/2 cup frozen corn
1 flour tortilla, cut into long strips

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic, chipotle and cumin and saute for a minute or two more. Add all the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

Recent studies have shown that the same cancer-causing stuff that's in Teflon is also in microwave popcorn bags. Far better to make your own (the easy way). I used Alton Brown's recipe for general ingredient ratios.

1/3 cup organic popcorn kernels
2 tsp olive oil
1 brown paper lunchbag
1 staple

To taste:
salt
sugar (optional)
Tobasco sauce (optional)
nutritional yeast (optional)

Pour the corn kernels into the paper bag. Mix the oil, salt, sugar, Tobasco and nutritional yeast in a measuring cup, then pour the mixture over the corn and shake to mix. Fold the bag over, and close with a staple (no more, or it will spark in the microwave). Place in the microwave, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the pops are more than a few seconds apart.

Ingredient Notes: I got my popcorn kernels at New City Market, where you can even buy them in a paper bag. They also carry nutritional yeast powder, which provides a 'cheesy' taste and loads of vitamin B12.

Cornbread

This is my favorite cornbread recipe. It always gets rave reviews from people who have no idea there's tofu in it. The original came from VegWeb.

1 cup corn meal
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup sucanat, or to taste (I like it sweet)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons non-hydrogenated margarine or canola oil
1 12 oz. pkg silken tofu
1/3 cup plain or vanilla soymilk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the corn meal, flour, sucanat, baking powder and salt together. Add the margarine. Using your hands, squish the margarine into the dry ingredients until it's all evenly incorporated.

Combine the tofu and soy milk in a smaller bowl. Using a stick blender, blend until very smooth. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until moistened. Pour the whole lot into a greased glass pan and bake for 20-30 minutes.

Ingredient Notes: Sucanat is a natural sugar derivative. I use Earth Balance or Smart Balance brand margarine, which doesn't have trans fats. You can find both at most health food stores. This tofu is the vacuum-packed kind that comes in cardboard boxes.