Slow-Carbed Vegan Hot Wing/Mac and Beans Casserole

This is a twist on an old favorite.  The substitution of white beans for pasta not only lowers the carb content, it also makes it absurdly easy.  I used a fire-roasted ketchup sweetened with stevia in this recipe, but you could easily sub tomato paste instead.  This is all kinds of decadent.  Creamy vegan comfort food with no sacrifices.

Hot Wings
1 package Trader Joe's chicken-less strips
3 Tbsp melted Earth Balance margarine OR olive oil (I bet AllSpice's butter-flavored olive oil would be awesome here)
4 Tbsp stevia-sweetened ketchup OR tomato paste
2-1/2 Tbsp Siracha

Whisk the melted margarine, ketchup and Siracha together.  Put the "chicken" strips in the bottom of a casserole dish and pour the sauce over them.

Mac and Beans
2 cans white beans (cannelini or butter beans), drained and rinsed

1/3 cup raw cashews
2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
2 Tbsp white miso
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp tahini
1/2 Tbsp roasted garlic powder
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Layer the beans on top of the hot wings.

Blend everything else in a blender for 3-5 minutes, or until completely smooth.  Pour the cheese sauce over the beans.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Pesto Broccoli and Chickpeas

1 bag frozen broccoli florets
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup pesto
1 head garlic, chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp slivered almonds, optional

Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes.

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.

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

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.

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.

Vegan Tempeh Bacon Stuffed Mushrooms

1 package baby bella mushrooms, cleaned
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 smallish shallots
3 slices tempeh bacon
1/2 cup cooked pinto beans
1 head roasted garlic (optional)
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/4 tsp Better than Bouillon vegetable base or miso
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Twist the stems gently out of the mushrooms. Mince them along with the shallots and tempeh bacon. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushroom stems, shallots and tempeh and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar and brush the mushroom caps with the mixture.

Mash the pinto beans and roasted garlic. Add the sage, bouillon/miso and nutritional yeast and mix well. Add the shallot/tempeh mixture to the beans and stir to combine.

Spoon a heaping spoonful into each mushroom cap. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Vegan Mexican "Eggs"

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 black bean burger, minced*
1/3 cup salsa
1 cup corn

1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
A pinch cumin
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp black salt
1/2 tsp smoked salt

1 pound firm tofu, drained
1 cup pepper jack Daiya shreds
tortilla chips

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes. Add the burger crumbles and cook for 3 minutes. Add the corn, salsa, spices and salt. Cook until no longer soupy. Crumble the tofu in and stir for another 3 minutes or so. Add the Daiya and cook until melty.

Serve by spooning onto tortilla chips.

* I really like the MorningStar Farms black bean chipotle burgers, but they're not strictly vegan.

Vegan Stuffed Peppers

3 yellow bell peppers, seeded and halved
Daiya pepper jack shreds
1 can pinto beans, drained
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp lime juice

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1/2 veg bouillon cube
1/4 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, chipotle powder and cumin

Combine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cook, covered, for 20 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid.

1/2 package veggie chorizo (I used Upton Naturals)
1 small onion, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil

Heat the olive in a skillet. Pan-fry the chorizo and onions for 5-7 minutes, or until slightly crispy and charred on the bottom.

Mix the cooked chorizo and quinoa with the beans. Mash the beans lightly. Add the nutritional yeast and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stuff the pepper halves with the quinoa mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Turn the heat up to 450. Sprinkle the Daiya shreds on top and cook for another 5 minutes, or until they're all melty.

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.

Farmer's Market Quinoa Pilaf

2/3 cup dry quinoa
1-1/3 cup vegetable broth

Combine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy.

1 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 green onion, diced
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into bite-sized pieces
salt and lime/lemon juice to taste
1 handful chopped fresh herbs (I used basil and tarragon)
1 can white kidney beans, drained
2 Tbsp red pepper-eggplant spread (optional)

Heat the olive oil on medium. Add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and let cook for 5 minutes, or until darkened and juicy. Add the onion and asparagus, sprinkle with more salt and lime juice and cook until the asparagus is fork-tender. Add the herbs, red pepper spread and cooked quinoa and heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Kale Artichoke White Bean Strata

It's hard to say exactly how I came up with this dish. I was thinking spanakopita, but vegan. And then my pantry conspired to create this casticasserole.

Skillet Wine-Braised Chard, Beans and Sausage with Polenta

Inspired by this recipe and the fact that I got a tub of organic rainbow chard at Hy-Vee for 99 cents last week.

1 Tbsp oil
1/2 tube polenta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

In a non-stick skillet, pan-fry the polenta cubes until crispy on several sides (you can also spray them with oil and stick them in the oven for this).

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tofurkey Italian sausages, sliced into coins
2 cloves garlic, chopped
a whole mess of rainbow chard, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup red wine (any red wine will do; I used a TJ's Cabernet)
1 can white beans (I used cannellini, but any will do), rinsed & drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 Tbsp capers, drained (optional)
1 handful fresh basil, chopped

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and saute for a few minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute or so. Add the chard and wine, stir, and cook, covered, for 5 minutes, or until the chard has wilted. Add the beans, tomatoes, capers and herbs. Heat through. Stir in the crispy polenta cubes and serve hot.

Quick Seitan Tacos

We threw together tacos last night in about 10 minutes flat.

corn tortillas, warmed on a hot skillet*

pan-fried seitan** of choice

a schmear of chipotle remoulade or hummus

salsa verde***

chopped avocado

a handful of arugula (or other salad green of choice)

* You do need to warm the tortillas, or they won't be flexible enough. If you over-skillet them, though, they'll get tough. 15 seconds on each side should do it.

** The seitan I used was a pre-made batch of Veganomicon chickpea cutlets, only with pinto beans instead of chickpeas (and steamed, not fried). I just chopped them into strips and pan-fried them with a little olive oil until they were crispy on two or three sides.

***You could use regular salsa, but salsa verde is amazingly awesome; I get mine fresh from Gateway Market.

Vegan Taco Pizza

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted (or crescent roll dough, or pizza dough)

1/2 can vegetarian refried beans

1/4 cup salsa

2-3 Tbsp vegan cream cheese (optional)

1 handful kalamata olives, diced

1 vegan chorizo sausage, crumbled (I used the recipe from Vegan Brunch)

1-2 handfuls Daiya cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If using puff pastry, bake it on a pizza stone for 10 minutes before adding toppings.

Mix the refried beans with the salsa and cream cheese. Spread a generous slathering on the crust. Top with olives and sausage, then with Daiya. Press everything down flat. Bake for 20 minutes.

Mediterranean Artichoke Casserole

This casserole was borne out of pantry desperation, but it turned out lovely. I might ditch the fake chicken next time, though... it just didn't impress me.

2 cans white beans, drained (I used white kidney and butter beans)

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1-1/2 cups artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 package Trader Joes chicken-less strips, diced (or other equivalent, optional)

1 tsp dried sage

3-4 Tbsp vegan cream cheese

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted

Mix the beans, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, 'chicken' bits and sage together in a casserole dish. Distribute little bits of the vegan cream cheese across the whole thing and stir. Top with puff pastry and bake at 400 for 45 minutes, or until the puff pastry is all puffed up and golden.

***

If you have a little strip of puff pastry left over, I like to slather it with raspberry jam, sprinkle on some chocolate chips, roll it up and dust it with hot cocoa mix, then bake for 20-30 minutes. It tastes amazingly decadent, and it's so damn easy.

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.