Zucchini White Bean Pesto Strata

This is adapted from Robin Robertson's Quick Fix Vegetarian, which is overdue at the library, but I just can't bear to part with it.

2 medium-sized zucchini, sliced very thin

1 can whole tomatoes, drained, juice reserved

1 can white beans, drained

1/2 cup pesto

1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

3 slices bread, toasted and cubed

a little olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Oil a cast iron pot or baking dish.  Mix the beans with the pesto and 1/4 cup juice from the tomatoes.

Layer one-half of the zucchini slices in the dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Top with half of the pine nuts, followed by half of the bean mixture.  Smoosh half of the tomatoes and lay them on top of the beans.  Repeat.  Spread the bread cubes on top and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the zucchini are totally cooked through.  Alternatively, you can put the lid on your cast-iron pot and simmer on the stove until done.  Just depends on how much you want to heat up the kitchen.

Zucchini Chai Bread

A moist, spicy, decadent way to use up zucchini.  I think this recipe works best with smaller loaves or muffins.  

2 cups grated zucchini, packed

3/4 small container vanilla soy yogurt

2/3 cup soy chai

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 to 1-1/3 cup sugar

3 cups flour (unbleached white, spelt or whole wheat pastry)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup walnuts, crushed (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Oil two loaf pans or several smaller pans.  Combine the zucchini, soy yogurt, chai, oil, vanilla extract and sugar in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.  Add the dry to the wet gradually, stirring just until combined.  Fold in the nuts, if using.

Pour the batter into prepared pans and put in the oven.  If making larger loaves, bake 40-60 minutes.  For smaller loaves or muffins, 15-20 minutes should be sufficient.

Pan-Fried Eggplant Medallions with Capers

2 Japanese eggplants

2 Tbsp tahini

1/4 cup water

1-2 cups panko

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp capers

Slice the eggplants into very thin rounds.  Salt them generously and let sit for a few minutes.  Mix the tahini and water together to form a thick sludge.  Heat the oil over medium in a skillet.  Dredge the eggplant slices in the tahini, then in panko.  Fry for a few minutes on each side, until the eggplant is cooked through and the breadcrumbs are golden.  Just before serving, toss with the capers.

Barbecue Tempeh Sammiches

1 block tempeh, cut into small cubes

1/4 cup water

1 cup barbecue sauce

1 Tbsp hot sauce of choice

pickles, sliced

whole wheat bread, toasted

Heat the water in a skillet over medium.  Add the tempeh and cook until all water has been absorbed.  Add the barbecue sauce and hot sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.  Toast the bread, slice the pickles.  Ladle the tempeh onto the bread, top with pickles and consume!

Mexican Zucchini Patties

2-3 small zucchini, grated

1/4 cup hummus

1/2-1 cup masa harina (depending on the moisture of your zucchini)

1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chile powder

1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)

2 tsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

salsa

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for 15 minutes or so.  Using your hands, form patties.  Heat the oil over medium heat and fry the patties for a few minutes on each side, or until golden-brown.  Serve with salsa!

Homemade "Garlic Parmesan" Crescent Rolls

I had a yen for asparagus in a blanket tonight, but I didn't have the prerequisite crescent-rolls-in-a-tube on hand (plus, the store-bought ones are hydrogenated and icky). So I modified this cinnamon roll recipe from Meg's Vegan Recipes. They're baking right now, and I have to say that they smell wonderful. We'll see if they taste as delicious as they smell.

3/4 cup plain soy milk
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
1 cup stone-ground whole wheat flour
2-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 (1/4 oz) package rapid-rise yeast
1 Tbsp turbinado sugar
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp cornstarch

Heat the soy milk in the microwave until hot. Add the margarine and stir until melted. Let cool to lukewarm.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup whole wheat flour + 1-1/4 cup unbleached flour. Add the yeast, sugar, nutritional yeast, salt and garlic powder. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Add the cornstarch mixture and the soy milk mixture to the flour and mix well. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, adding more flour as needed. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll out the dough until it's 1/4 inch thick. Cut long rectangles out of the dough, then slice each rectangle diagonally to form two triangles. (If you're adding filling, like asparagus, place the spears at the long end before you roll the dough up). Roll up from the long end to the small end, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Spray with oil and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees, or until browned.

Ingredient Notes: I suppose you could omit the nutritional yeast, but I think it adds a nice 'cheesy' flavor. Before I rolled mine up, I also placed a thin strip of Smart Bacon on top of the dough. I tossed my asparagus with olive oil and balsamic vinegar before rolling them up.

The Ultimate Homemade Soy Milk Recipe

I've made 5 or 6 batches now, and this is definitely the approach I like best. I don't bother rubbing the hulls off the soy beans. The barley and cashews add creaminess and thickness. I'm not sure how much difference the maltose makes, but it was cheap at our local Asian market. It tastes amazing.... just like store-bought, according to my boy.

1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp soy beans
2 Tbsp brown rice
1 Tbsp pearled barley
1 Tbsp raw cashews
1 cap vanilla extract
1 glop maltose
2 hefty glugs brown rice syrup
a sprinkling of salt

Fill the machine to the minimum water level. Strain finished product through a cotton bag (like the produce bags I got at reusablebags.com), using kitchen gloves. Add the vanilla, sweetener to taste and salt. Whisk and taste, then pour into a glass jar and let cool.

Overnight Cinnamon Sticky Buns

These are awesomely decadent. They elicited moans of joy from our local veggie group at a potluck this weekend. This is an unholy admixture of Meg's Vegan Recipes: "Oooey-Gooey Cinnamon Rolls" + Savoring Savannah: "Savannah Pecan Rolls with Sticky Topping"

Rolls:
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3/4 cup soy milk
1/4 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, softened
3-1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package instant (rapid-rise) yeast
1/4 cup light sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 Cup plus 2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp cornstarch

Heat the soy milk on the stove or in the microwave until bubbling. Remove from heat and mix in 1/4 cup margarine until melted. Let cool to lukewarm.

In a large bowl, combine 2-1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Add the water mixture and the soy milk mixture to the flour mixture. Stir well. Add the remaining cup of flour a little at a time until dough pulls together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, or until no longer sticky. Cover the dough with a moist napkin and let rest for 5 minutes.


Filling:
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1 cup dark sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, softened

Mix the sugar, cinnamon and margarine together. Roll out the roll dough on a floured surface until it forms a 12x9 rectangle. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a half-inch clearance on all sides. Roll up the dough and pinch the seam to seal.


Topping:
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2 Tbsp non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
1/2 cup dark sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup / brown rice syrup / maple syrup
1/2 cup smashed/chopped pecans

Make sure all your topping ingredients are at room temperature. Heat the margarine in a large baking dish (or two smaller ones) in the microwave or oven until melted. Add the sugar and syrup and heat for another 30 seconds or so. Stir in the pecans and remove from heat.

Slice the dough log into 12 equal pieces. Place each piece, cut side up, on top of the topping. Cover with plastic wrap. Let stand on the counter for half an hour (if possible) and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, let the rolls come to room temperature (in my case, this meant setting them out for 5 minutes while I hit the snooze button). Bake the rolls for 20 minutes at 375 degrees, or until browned. Cool for 5 minutes, then cover the pan with a serving plate and invert. Be patient... eventually they'll fall out onto the plate.


Ingredient Notes: I used vanilla soy milk, Earth Balance brand margarine, turbinado sugar (for light sugar), Sucanat (for dark sugar), and some cheap butter pecan-flavored brown rice syrup I got in bulk at Costco for the topping. I also try not to think too hard about the amount of margarine that goes into these. Out of sight, out of mind. :)

Two Quickie Asparagus Meals

I've been so obsessed with making stuff from scratch this week that I've been spending a LOT of time in the kitchen. Making soy milk and tofu is a little time-consuming, not to mention the homemade corn tortillas, bread and a super-time-consuming asparagus soup that was more than a little disappointing.

We also spent tons of time in the garden tonight, mowing and raking our out-of-control grass and laying down lasagna gardens for some native plants we purchased at the farmers market. By the time I finally got inside, I was sweaty, gross and desperately needed a shower and dinner.

Thank God for asparagus. It's the perfect fast food.

Roasted Asparagus (w/ Herb-Roasted Potatoes & Oven-Grilled 'Sausage')

1 pound fresh asparagus
one hefty drizzle olive oil
a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar
one large pinch sea salt
several shakes fresh ground pepper

leftover Herb-Roasted Potatoes (from Vegan w/ a Vengeance)
2 Tofurkey Italian sausages, halved lengthwise

Preheat the oven to 425. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus. Drizzle/sprinkle the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper over the asparagus and spread over two cookie sheets. Spread the potatoes on the lower half of one of the cookie sheets. Spray the sausages with oil and put cut side down on a cast iron grill pan.

Put everything in the oven. Set your timer for 10-15 minutes. Go shower and come back to delicious steaming hot food.

Asparagus in a Blanket
Shamelessly borrowed from Megan the Vegan.

16 spears asparagus
a little olive oil
1 package reduced fat Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Preheat the oven to 425. Snap the ends off the asparagus and toss with the oil. Place two spears on the long end of a crescent roll triangle and roll them up so they form a ring around the spears. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Eat with grainy mustard!

Adventures in homemade soy milk

So because my parents are extraordinarily understanding (and well trained), I got a soy milk maker for my birthday this year. I just took it for its first spin, and I have to say I'm very impressed! It's not exactly the same as store bought, but it's really very tasty. To me, it tastes a little more like rice milk than traditional soy milk, but it's very good indeed. Hooray! I think next time I'll try brown rice and barley, which I've heard thickens it up a bit.

I have to give props to Bryanna's homemade soy milk FAQ, which I religiously studied before attempting anything.

Ingredients
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp dry soybeans
3 Tbsp rice
2-3 Tbsp brown rice syrup
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
water

Equipment
SoyQuick soy milk maker
colander
cheesecloth or muslin (I used the tofu cloth that came with the soy milk maker)
whisk
kitchen gloves
large glass jar w/ lid (I used a former home for artichoke hearts from Costco)

Follow Bryanna's instructions to the letter. Let the soy milk cool completely in the refrigerator before greedily sucking it down.

Ingredient Notes: I used red cargo rice, which turned the milk slightly pink. The last time I was at Costco, I picked up a huge bottle of organic pancake syrup for $3, which turned out to be brown rice syrup plus butter pecan flavoring. That's what I used in this recipe, and it's delicious. I've been using RealSalt lately, which is a mineral salt from Utah. And I used the Laura soybeans that came with the soy milk maker, although tomorrow I'm going to pick up regular dried soybeans from the health food store. Next time, I think I'll experiment with a little less water... this batch turned out just a little watery for my taste.

Aspiring but not perfect

These days, I eat a primarily vegan diet... probably somewhere in the vicinity of 90-95%. But I'm not perfect on that score, and there have always been exceptions to my rules.

I've never worried much about beeswax or honey, for instance (although I might start, considering the plight of the American honeybee these days). I don't freak out if I think there might be fish sauce in my Thai food. If a friend cooks a meal for me that she thinks is meat and dairy free, I'll eat it without reading her labels (even if I find out later that there's some animal-derived ingredient lurking in the recesses).

And about once a year, the boy and I make a trip up to some farms north of Des Moines, where we sample goat cheese and ice cream made from happy cows and goats we've personally petted in their barns. This year, I brought home some chevre. I think we'll indulge tonight while we watch Masterpiece Theatre on PBS.

While I would understand if anyone disagreed with my exceptions, I don't feel bad about them. I'm not on a crusade to be sinless. I'm just doing my best to reduce the amount of harm I inflict on the planet and its inhabitants. Having a little goat cheese once a year doesn't nullify the choices I've made the other 364 days.

Gingery Golden Beet Detox Soup & Homemade Veggie Broth

Gingery Golden Beet Detox Soup
===================================

Tonight after yoga, we stopped by the brand-new Gateway Market at MLK, just south of 235 (is that Woodland Ave?). It's already a marvelous bright spot in the center of Des Moines, and once there's more fresh local produce, it'll be truly phenomenal. They had some lovely golden beets for $2/pound, so I was inspired to make this version of my Autumn EquiDetox Soup when I got home with my booty. I used homemade veggie broth and was surprised to discover that the finished version needed no salt. If you don't like beets, give golden beets a try. They're surprisingly mild and sweet.

1 tsp olive oil
1 golden beet, sliced thinly
1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 apple, diced
2 cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1/2 cup uncooked pearled barley or 1 cup cooked kamut
2 cups veggie broth
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 knuckle-sized piece fresh ginger, grated
fresh pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium-large soup pot. Add the beet slices and saute for 5-10 minutes, or until the beets are starting to yield to a fork. Add the quinoa and stir for another 2 minutes, or until the quinoa is popping in earnest. Add the garam masala, garlic and apple and stir for another minute or so. Add the tomatoes, barley or kamut, and veggie broth. Grate the ginger into the soup. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes, covered, or until the quinoa is translucent and the beets and barley are tender. Season with pepper to taste.

Homemade Veggie Broth
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2 carrots, diced
1/2 an onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped or smashed
2-3 sundried tomatoes
1 apple, chopped
2 bay leaves
10-15 peppercorns
1/4 tsp sea salt
8-10 cups water

Put in a covered crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Gluten-travaganza!

I made the No-Knead Bread again tonight, with a few changes: I used 1 cup stoneground whole wheat, 2 cups unbleached all purpose and only added 1 tsp salt. I did the first rise from 11pm to 5:30pm, then skipped the second rise. I just set the folded dough out on the floured cutting board covered with an upside down bowl while I preheated the oven + crock pot. It still turned out perfect! Tender and fluffy on the inside, crisp and crackly on the outside.

The other sensational recipe around these parts is the famous Veggeroni/Seitan O' Greatness. I used Susan's version of the recipe from Fat Free Vegan, who got it from Lachesis on the PPK boards, who might have gotten it from a cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak. It's been around the block a few times, to be sure. And it's absolutely every bit as tasty as everyone says. Almost as good as the Tofurkey sausages, but way cheaper. This is probably the only seitan that I've snacked on plain. I like it sliced, cold, with barbecue sauce. Yum!

Spicy BBQ Veggeroni/Seitan O' Greatness

The Dry:
1-1/4 cups vital wheat gluten flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3/4 tsp salt (I usually skimp on salt, but this one really needs the full amount)
2 tsp paprika
1/4 dried chipotle pepper, ground to a powder
a few pinches of cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

The Wet:
2 Tbsp peanut butter
2/3 cup water
4 Tbsp barbecue sauce
3/4 tsp liquid smoke

Preheat the oven to 325. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the wet ingredients, stirring until smooth. Dump the wet into the dry, combine with a spoon (or your hands). Knead for a few minutes, or until the gluten starts to stiffen up a little. Roll into a log 7-8 inches long. Place the log on a sheet of aluminum foil, roll up tightly and twist the ends shut. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn the log over. Bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from the foil to cool. Slice and consume!

No-Knead Bread

Adapted from the now-famous Sullivan Street Bakery recipe.

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
1-1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp water
1 medium-large clove garlic, minced (optional)
1/4 tsp each cornmeal and sesame seeds (optional)

STEP 1: MIX & RISE
Whisk the flours, salt and yeast in a bowl until blended. Add the water and stir until a shaggy dough is formed. Put the bowl of dough in a plastic bag, twist-tie it, and set it in the oven with the oven light on to rise for 18-20 hours.

STEP 2 (12-18 HOURS LATER): FLOOP AND RISE
Spray a medium sized glass bowl with oil. Liberally smear a surface and your hands with flour, dump out the dough and fold it in on itself twice. Put the dough lump in the oiled bowl and cover it with a very well floured cotton towel. Let rise for another 2-3 hours.

STEP 3 (2 HOURS LATER): PREHEAT AND BAKE
30 minutes before the dough is ready, preheat the oven and a covered ceramic pot at 475 degrees. Peel the towel carefully off the dough. Take the heated pan out, sprinkle sesame seeds and cornmeal on the bottom (optional) and dump in the dough. Cover the pan and bake for 30 minutes. Take the cover off and bake for another 15-30 minutes, or until the loaf is browned and gorgeous.

STEP 4: WAIT! THEN EAT!
Cool on a rack or cutting board for at least 45 minutes until you cut into it. (It's still cooking!)

Notes: You may need more or less water depending on the consistency of your whole wheat flour. You want it to be shaggy and sticky. Next time I'm going to try for 1 cup stoneground whole wheat flour and 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour. Num num num. I use my ceramic crock pot insert for baking the bread. (I took off the plastic knob.) The past few times, I've just wrapped the lid in foil so as not to let the steam escape. Today, I replaced the original knob with a ceramic drawer pull from the hardware store. I had to buy a pack of 8-32" thick shorter screws and some washers to complete the installation.

Variation: Add 1/4 cup raw sugar, 1/4 cup sucanat, 2 Tbsp cinnamon and 3 handfuls raisins to the first mix. Cinnamon raisin bread!

Butternut Squash Soup w/ Crispy Eggplant Strips

Paula's Butternut Squash Soup

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 apple, diced
1 tsp curry powder
1/3 chipotle pepper, pounded to powder
1 veg bouillon cube
1-1/2 cups water
1 butternut squash, cooked, peeled and cubed (or 4 cups puree or 2 packages frozen squash)
orange juice to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and apple and saute for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the curry powder and chipotle dust and cook for 1 more minute, stirring. Add the bouillon cube, water and squash and let simmer for 20 minutes, or until everything is soft. Puree about half the soup with a stick blender. Taste and add orange juice until all the flavors wake up.

Crispy Eggplant Strips

1 eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup bread or cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
a few shakes black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
all-purpose flour
plain soy milk or water
canola oil
1/3 cup marinara sauce for dipping

Sprinkle the eggplant strips with salt and let sit for a few minutes. Mix the bread/cracker crumbs, yeast, pepper and garlic powder together in a bowl. Set up your assembly line: eggplant strips, bowl of flour, bowl of soy milk, bowl of breadcrumb mixture, frying pan. Heat a thin layer of canola oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Take each eggplant strip, dip it in flour, then in soy milk, then coat it in breadcrumbs. Fry on each side for 3-4 minutes. Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce.

Cajun Beans-n-Greens w/ Sausage & Polenta

I came up with this after a vigorous late afternoon of pulling ivy out of our neglected flower bed. We were both hungry, so I needed something quick and hearty. This was one of those peruse the pantry, peruse the refigerator, pull stuff randomly out of both, throw in pot and cook until tasty recipes. It cooked in just under ten minutes, and we gobbled up every last scrap.

1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
10 or so 'tamed' jalepeno slices, chopped (or canned diced green chiles)
1 Tofurky sausage, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
2 Tbsp tomato paste and/or salsa
1/3 cup water
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 shakes liquid smoke
3 big handfuls baby spinach or 1/2 pkg frozen greens
More salsa or pickle relish for garnish

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, jalepeno slices and diced Tofurkey and cook for 5 minutes, or until things are starting to brown and stick to the pan a little. Add the garlic and Cajun seasoning and stir for another minute. Add the tomato paste, water, beans and liquid smoke and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the spinach or frozen greens and cook until wilted/thawed. Serve over grilled polenta and topped with more salsa or sweet pickle relish (Yes, I like sweet pickle relish on beans... it's a weird childhood thing).

Microwave Polenta
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I took this from Fat Free Vegan's blog. What a miracle! So easy, and so convenient to use once it's cooked up. I've been throwing slices of polenta in everything this week.

2 cups water
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. yellow cornmeal or boxed dry polenta
1 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil (optional)
black pepper to taste

Combine cornmeal, salt and water in a microwaveable bowl. Cook for 6 minutes. Stir. Cook for another 4 minutes. Stir again, adding the olive oil (I forgot to add the oil, and it came out just fine). Spray a smallish dish with olive oil and pour/ladle the cornmeal goop into it. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, you will have delicious, homemade polenta!

You can then slice it about 1/4 inch thick, spray the slices with olive oil, and grill it, brown it in a pan, bake it on a cookie sheet, or microwave it topped with something tasty (like pesto! or tomato-olive sauce! or leftover soup!).

Chickpea-Spinach-Tomato Pasta/Soup

The leftovers of this pasta topping makes for a tasty, hearty soup the next day.

For the pasta:
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cans tomatoes, drained
1 tsp dried dill
pepper to taste
a few shakes Tobasco
6-8 oz. baby spinach, rinsed
4 oz (half a box) of linguine
splash lemon juice

Put on water to boil. When boiling, add the linguine and cook until no longer crunchy. Drain, then toss with a little olive oil and lemon juice and cover until ready to eat.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the garlic and dill and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Serve over pasta.

Makes two servings of pasta, plus a lot of topping leftovers.

For the soup:
1 can kidney beans, drained and rised
1/3 cup dry quinoa
2 cups veggie broth (or 2 cups water + one bouillon cube)

Add beans, quinoa and veggie broth to the pasta topping leftovers. Turn the heat up and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the quinoa has become translucent.

Swiss Chard & Chickpeas Over Polenta

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 smallish onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 dried chipotle pepper
2 tsp tomato paste
1 bunch swiss chard or spinach leaves, torn into bite-size pieces
1 can chickpeas, undrained
1/3 cup water
1 splash coconut milk (optional)
1 tube polenta

Rinse the swiss chard leaves by swishing them around in a large bowl of water. Slice the polenta into 1/4 inch slices, spray with olive oil, and grill or bake until golden. Smash the garlic with the coriander, salt and chipotle in a mortar and pestle until a paste is formed (or use a food processor, or just mince everything up really finely). Mince the onion.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onion, sauteing until golden. Add the garlic & tomato paste and cook for another minute or so. Add the swiss chard, chickpeas + liquid and water and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the liquid has mostly evaporated. Add the coconut milk and heat through.

Spoon the chickpea mixture over the polenta slices and consume!

Barbecue Chick'n Pizza

This is truly phenomenal. My boy, who loves barbecue chicken pizza, absolutely loved this. The trick is to turn the heat up at the end so that the cheese melts.

1 pizza crust
BBQ sauce of choice
1/2 pkg LightLife Smart Chick'n Strips
1/2 red onion, sliced into thin strips
1 tsp olive oil
5-10 jalapeno slices
1/2 pkg Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella cheeze, shredded

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the chik'n strips with enough barbecue sauce to coat. Slice the onion into thin strips. Heat the olive oil and saute the onion strips over medium heat until juicy and just slightly browned. Spread a layer of bbq sauce on the pizza crust, followed by the chik'n strips, cooked onions and jalapeno slices. Top with shredded cheeze. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn the heat up to 425 and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the cheeze is melted.

Ingredient Notes: We use frozen pizza crusts that we get from our health food store. The chik'n strips were remarkably tasty, especially when tossed in the barbecue sauce. We got the jarred 'tamed' jalapeno slices available at our grocery store, but you could, of course, use full strength jalapenos if you like it spicy. The Vegan Gourmet cheese is the only vegan cheese I've found that melts well. You just have to be patient and turn up the heat to over 400 degrees.

Updated: For you DSM-ites, I figured I should let you know where to get all of the above ingredients. I got the Chik'n strips and the jalapenos at the IngerDahl's. The pizza crusts came from Campbell's on University, and the 'cheese' is available at New City Market. We used Cookie's BBQ sauce, which is available just about anywhere.

BBQ Beans & Sausage (Beanie Weenies)

1 TB olive oil
1/2 red or yellow onion, diced
2 Tofurky Italian sausages, sliced
2 tsp mustard powder (optional)
2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup tangy barbecue sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tsp rice vinegar
2 TB sorghum molasses

Dice the onions and slice the sausage. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot and add the onions and sausage. Saute for 5-10 minutes, or until the onions are juicy and translucent and the sausages have started to brown. Add the garlic and mustard powder and stir for another 2-3 minutes. Add the pinto beans, bbq sauce, water, vinegar and molasses. Partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve w/ a green vegetable.

Beanie Weenies on Parade

We made beanie weenies again tonight, only with the Boca meatless Italian sausages (the health food stores were closed, and HyVee had no Tofurky). It was still good, although the Italian seasoning conflicted a little with the barbecue sauce. Next time I might go for the Bratwurst flavor.

We were out of broccoli, so I steamed some cubed sweet potato in hard cider. Mixed it with a little Cajun seasoning and Earth Balance. Yum.

Tomorrow for lunch... avocado and pesto sandwich! I shall now commence drooling.

Hurricanes

Real Hurricanes aren't quite this orangey. Still, these fulfilled the mandate of pleasantly fruity + deceptively strong.

4 fl. oz. dark rum
6 fl. oz. orange juice
4 fl. oz. passion fruit nectar
1 fl. oz. grenadine
2 fl. oz. sparkling lemon water

Combine, chill and serve. You can leave out the rum and up the lemon water for a non-alcoholic version.

Creamy Artichoke Dip

This went like crazy at the Mardi Gras party. Which is fabulous, because it must have taken all of 5 minutes to whip up. The boy and I ate the leftovers with a spoon after work today. I based this on a recipe from the marvelous Eat Air.

1/2 cup eggless mayo (I used Vegenaise)
2 tsp country-style dill mustard
1/2 tsp dried dill
pepper to taste
1/3 cup vegan mozzarella (optional)
2 garlic cloves, smooshed
10-15 marinated artichoke hearts
breadcrumbs or crushed pita chips

Combine the mayo, mustard, dill, mozzarella, pepper, garlic cloves and half the artichoke hearts. Puree with a stick blender until creamy. Stir in the remaining artichoke hearts and mash with a fork until there are no chunks left. Top with breadcrumbs or pita chips and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until bubbly.

Serve with pita chips!

Ingredient Notes: I use a dill-flavored grainy mustard we get at our local farmer's market. I'm sure you could use any mustard, but a grainy one would be best. Your typical yellow sandwich mustard might be a tad weird. Dijon would probably work well.

I've heard that Vegenaise is the best of the faux mayos, so that's all I've ever used.

Cinnamon King Cake

Yeasty things don't do so well in my cold kitchen, so I adapted this from a VegWeb.com cinnamon roll recipe. I think I'm going to go pour a little amaretto in the bottom of the cake pan to make the leftovers all sweet and almondy.

2 cups flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
6 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine
2/3 cup vanilla soy milk

2 Tbsp melted Earth Balance
1/4 cup Sucanat
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 dried bean or nut

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp softened Earth Balance
vanilla soy milk

White sugar + food coloring (and/or colored decorating crystals)
green, gold, and purple gel icing

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the flour, powdered sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Cut in the margarine (or smoosh it in with your hands). Add the soy milk a little at a time, mixing gently until a soft dough is formed.

Flour a countertop and rolling pin generously. Roll out the dough until it's roughly 8 by 16 inches. Brush the margarine over the dough, then sprinkle with Sucanat and cinnamon. Place the bean somewhere on the dough sheet. Roll up the dough to form a long tube. Form the dough into a ring, place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, mix the margarine and powdered sugar together. Add vanilla soy milk until it's the desired consistency. Combine the sugar and food coloring to make yellow, green and purple sugar.

Let the cake cool, then use a teaspoon to drizzle frosting all over the cake. Sprinkle the colored sugar on top of the frosting, then top with more frosting drizzles.

Whoever gets the piece with the bean gets to bring the king cake next year!

Variations: You can also spread the dough rectangle with sweetened cream cheese or cherry or apple pie filling before rolling it up.

Red Beans & Rice

I know, I know. Another red beans and rice recipe. Apparently, I can't be stopped. Or make it the same. Ever.

2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
water
1 slice tempeh bacon, thawed and crumbled (optional)
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 smooshed chipotle pepper (optional)

1 cup red rice
2 cups water
1/8 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp olive oil

Puree the tomatoes with their juice. Combine the tomato puree, beans, tempeh bason, liquid smoke, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves and chipotle pepper in a crockpot or large soup pot. Add water until the liquid is just below the level of the beans. Cook, covered, for as long as you can stand it to let the flavors meld. (I regularly let it cook in the crock pot for 3-4 hours.) When ready to serve, puree part of the mixture with a stick blender and return it to the pot.

Combine the rice, water, Cajun seasoning and olive oil in a saucepan and simmer until the water is mostly absorbed. Add the cooked rice to the bean mixture and stir well. Serve hot!

Ingredient Notes: I usually use LightLife's Fakin' Bacon, which is in the frozen case at New City Market. If you can't find it, you could use Baco's or just add a little more liquid smoke. The chipotle pepper adds a little more smoky heat. I buy cans of chipotle peppers in adobo at Target, then use them just a little at a time (I keep the remainder in a jar in the fridge, and it lasts forever). You could use any kind of rice here. I just happen to have 5 pounds of red rice. (Plus, I like the idea of red beans w/ red rice. But that's just me.)

This is really good on tortilla chips, topped with just a little chipotle Tobasco. Num!

Pesto Swirl Crisps

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2 handfuls pine nuts
1 packet Simply Organic pesto mix
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Set out the puff pastry to thaw.

In a dry saucepan, stir the pine nuts over high heat until they start to turn golden. Pour in the water, olive oil and pesto mix and stir until thickened. Remove from the heat and puree with a stick blender.

Roll out the pastry dough on a floured surface until it forms a 16-inch by 8-inch rectangle. Spread the pesto over the dough, leaving an inch of clearance on one of the long sides. Carefully roll the dough up, starting from the other long end. You should have a log of dough. (You can set it in the fridge to make it easier to handle, or wrap in plastic wrap and let sit overnight.)

Using a serrated knife, cut the log into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place each slice on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, or until golden and crispy.

Ingredient Notes: The recipe I saw also called for spinach and cheese, in addition to the pesto. I bet it'd be good with sundried tomato pesto, too.

Vegan Mardi Gras

Against our better judgement, we decided to throw an impromptu Mardi Gras party immediately after returning from a weekend trip to Los Angeles. But hey, the day only comes once a year, and partyin' is damn serious business. Needless to say, this necessitated a little frantic cooking, cleaning and decorating at the last minute. But the resulting spread was delicious... and all vegan! (As the only vegetarian in our group, I have to give props to my madly cool friends for cooking delicious food that I can eat! I'm so lucky.)

I tried a new king cake recipe this year, and while I thought it was better than last year's, it was still far too salty for my taste. The sweetness of the icing helped to balance it out, but still. Bleck. Next year I have my eye on yet another cinnamon roll recipe... maybe one of these years we'll strike gold! I thought about ordering one from NOLA, but those puppies are expensive. $40+ plus expedited shipping. Although I was pleased to see that our local Dahl's had king cakes in the bakery. So maybe I'll go that route next year.

Our table was heaped high with the following (recipes forthcoming):

- red beans & rice
- black bean soyrizo soup
- creamy artichoke dip w/ pita chips
- pesto swirl crisps
- king cake
- salsa
- pineapple rings
- baby carrots
- Hurricanes

The thing I really used to love about Mardi Gras in New Orleans was the concentrated devotion to eating, drinking, relaxing and just a general sense of play. We were fortunate enough to have that here in the snowdrifts of Iowa this year. I'll toast to that any day.

Chickpea-Spinach Curry & Whole Wheat Chapatis

I've been craving Indian food all week, but the buffets around town never seem to be open when I want to go. So tonight we made the Chickpea-Spinach Curry from 'Vegan with a Vengeance' with some whole wheat chapatis from 'The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen.' Now, I've never had much success with either curries or bread products at home. They always come out mediocre, and I never repeat them. This combo, however, was an unqualified success. Tastes just like the buffet, and it's damn good for you to boot!

I pretty much followed the curry recipe to a tee, so I won't repeat it here. I did stir in 3 tablespoons of plain soy yogurt at the end for extra tangy creaminess (I used Wildwood brand, which is made a few hours away from here in Grinnell, Iowa). I topped my curry with Pickapeppa sauce, which reminds me of the luscious tamarind sauce at Tandoor, and scooped it up with these fabulous flatbreads.

Chapatis
===============

Adapted from Peter Berley's 'The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen'.

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 fl. oz. water
1 Tbsp olive oil

Combine flours and salt. Add the olive oil and water and mix well. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough is no longer sticky. Form a dough ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for an hour.

Unwrap the dough, divide it into four pieces and roll each piece into a ball. One at a time, put the ball on a floured surface, then roll it out with a floured rolling pin until it's very, very thin.

Spray a skillet with olive oil, then heat over medium heat. Add the dough circles and cook for a few minutes on each side, or until they are browned with darker spots. Put on a plate and cover with a towel until ready to eat.

Homemade Hummus

It seems like every vegetarian cook has their own favorite hummus recipe. This is mine, and while it varies greatly in proportion (depending on what I have in the cupboard), the basic ingredients stay the same. It's got a lovely sesame flavor, a nice tang from the lemon, and a depth of flavor provided by the salsa. I plan on having this on a sandwich with tempeh bacon and sliced avocado. Num!

1 cup canned garbanzo beans
2 Tbsp salsa
1 Tbsp tahini
1 clove garlic, minced
1 healthy splash lemon juice
1 drizzle sesame oil
1 pinch cumin
chipotle hot sauce to taste

Mash everything well with a potato masher. Then whip out your stick blender and have at it until it forms a lovely thick paste.

Stout Chocolate Cupcakes

So I was making the Seitan Portabello Stroganoff from Vegan with a Vengeance tonight, except I only had 1/2 cup red wine, and I wasn't about to open another bottle of wine just for the sake of the stroganoff (sorry, Isa), so I opened a bottle of oatmeal stout. Which worked marvelously in the stroganoff, but then I had half a bottle of stout left, and I'm really not drinking so much these days. So I did what any half-sane cook would do, and I made chocolate stout cupcakes. Except I don't have Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, so I went to search through my saved bookmarks, and I found this Chocolate Beer Cake recipe. So I adapted it, and while my boy and I were scarfing down stroganoff, these little beauties puffed up in the oven and made everything smell like heaven.

They turned out marvelous... rich, chocolatey and oh so tender. And I was happy. The End.

1/2 cup spelt flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Sucanat
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tbsp Ghiradelli hot cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup Samuel Smith oatmeal stout
1/4 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flours, Sucanat, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a largish bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the stout, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined, then pour into greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely, then release from the muffin pan.

Ingredient Notes: You can use any combination of flours here. I just have this massive 5-lb. bag of spelt flour that I'm trying to use up. I'm sure you could use normal sugar, too. I ran out of unsweetened cocoa, so that's why I added the Ghiradelli. You could use white or cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar (it's what I had on hand). Samuel Smith's stout is vegan, unlike Guinness or Murphy's.