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.

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.

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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.

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.

Cheezy Broccoli Tempeh Divan

1 batch Vegan Alfredo (recipe follows)
1 tsp curry powder
8 oz. frozen broccoli, thawed
2 cups baked winter squash cubes (optional)
1 block (8 oz.) tempeh, steamed and mashed
1/2 cup french fried onions OR slivered almonds

Combine broccoli, tempeh, vegan alfredo and curry powder in a casserole dish. Top with onions and/or almonds. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Vegan Alfredo
1/3 cup raw cashews, preferably soaked for an hour or so (if not, just blend longer)
2/3 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp white miso
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp stone ground mustard
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp hummus

Combine in a blender and blend for 3 minutes, or until completely smooth.

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.

Hurry-Up Vegan Alfredo Broccoli Pasta

I needed something that was quick and easy, and this fit the bill. Damn simple. Adapted from VeganYumYum.

1 cup plain soy milk
1/3 cup raw, unsalted cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp white miso + 1 Tbsp caper brine + 1 tsp salt (the original called for 3 Tbsp soy sauce, but I didn't have any)
2 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine
1 Tbsp tahini
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp stone-ground mustard
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 pinch nutmeg
4 cloves roasted garlic (optional)
a handful of basil leaves (optional)

1 head broccoli, chopped

Cook whatever pasta you desire (I used a mixture of small shells and fettucine) in salted water. Steam or microwave the broccoli until tender, and then chop into small bits. Blend all the sauce ingredients in a blender for 2-3 minutes, or until very smooth. Return the drained pasta to the pot with the broccoli and sauce and stir until heated through. Top with black pepper and serve immediately.

Sweet Chili Tofu & Roasted Broccoli

1 block super-firm tofu (I use Wildwood's High-Protein), cut into 1/4-inch-thick triangles
1 cup sweet chili sauce
a drizzle of roasted sesame oil
a hefty sprinkle of salt
1 handful sesame seeds (optional)

Lay the tofu triangles in a baking dish and put everything else on top. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. Put the whole shebang in the oven at 400 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

1 head broccoli
hefty drizzle of olive oil
hefty sprinkle of salt
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a covered oven-safe dish (or a foil packet) and put in the oven with the tofu. Cook for 15 minutes, or until tender.

Pesto Orecchiette w/ Green Beans & Broccoli

1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 head broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces

2 cups orecchiette pasta (or other small pasta)
6 cups water

1/3 cup pesto
2 Tbsp whole-grain mustard
salt to taste

Put the water on to boil. Once it's boiling, add a little salt and the pasta. Cook for 10+ minutes, or until the pasta is no longer crunchy but still has a 'bite'.

If using the pine nuts, heat a dry pot over medium heat. Add the pine nuts, stirring constantly, until they start to brown. Remove them immediately to a small bowl. Rinse out the pot and return it to heat. Once it's dry, add the olive oil and garlic. Stir until golden, about 1-2 minutes. Add the green beans, broccoli and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until the veggies are dark green. Add 1 Tbsp pesto, 1/4 cup water and cover. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. Cover until pasta is done.

Once the pasta's ready, drain it in a colander. Immediately add it to the broccoli-green bean mixture, along with the pine nuts, pesto and mustard. Stir until well coated. Taste, and adjust salt to your liking. Serve at once!

Ingredient Notes: We got our orecchiette at the IngerDahl's. The mustard we use is the Iowa Country Dill Mustard from the downtown farmer's market. Pine nuts are fairly cheap at CostCo.

Grilled Plantains w/ Black Bean-Corn Relish & Gingered Mangoes & Strawberries

Grilled Plantains
1 semi-ripe plantain, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 tsp sucanat or sugar or maple syrup
1/4 tsp lime juice
dash salt

Rub the slices with lime juice and sprinkle with sucanat and salt. Generously oil the grill pan and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Black Bean-Corn Relish
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
kernels from 2 ears of corn
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
a few shakes chipotle hot sauce

Combine the corn kernels and a little water in a small saucepan. Cook the corn for 3 minutes, or until no longer raw. Drain the corn and add to the black beans. Add lime juice, cumin, garlic powder and hot sauce and mix well.

Gingered Mangoes & Strawberries
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
5-6 strawberries, quartered
2 pieces crystallized ginger, chopped or 1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger

Combine the mangoes, strawberries and ginger in a bowl and mix well. Let set for a few minutes, then serve!

Sundried Tomato Pesto

1/2 cup dry sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)
1 cup water
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 tbsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper (to taste)
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil

Put the sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl. Boil the water in a kettle and pour it over the tomatoes, then cover and let sit for 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft. Drain and set aside. Put the pine nuts in a dry saucepan and heat over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring, or until just golden.

Crush the basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt & pepper in a mortar and pestle until they form a thick paste. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, add the olive oil and tomatoes, and pulverize with the pestle. Finish the mixture off with a hand blender until smooth.

Toss with pasta or gnocchi and consume!

Broccoli-Chickpea Bow Ties

3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 squirt Tobasco
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus additional olive oil, for drizzling
1 head broccoli, chopped into bite-size bits
1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper to taste
1 (15 ounces) can or 2 cups chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 cups penne pasta
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp dried dill weed
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Put on water to boil. When boiling, drop in pasta and cook until al dente. Steam broccoli bits for 5 minutes, or until no longer crunchy.

Cook garlic, dill, salt and pepper in olive oil in a heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 2 minutes.

Add broccoli, chickpeas, nutritional yeast and lemon juice and cook until heated through. Mix pasta and a few more drizzles of olive oil in with broccoli mixture.

Broccoli & Gluten w/ Peanut Sauce & Quinoa

I've had this recipe idea in the back of my head for ages, and tonight I finally made it (we needed something fast, and we happened to have leftover broccoli in the fridge). It was gobbled up almost instantly... very filling, tasty and packed chock full of protein! I didn't have enough broccoli, so I threw in mushrooms and frozen peas, as well.

1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 can braised wheat gluten bits, drained and rinsed
4-5 mushrooms, sliced thinly (optional)
2 Tbsp veggie broth
2/3 cup quinoa
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup veggie broth
Peanut Sauce

Combine the 2/3 cups water and broth and bring to a boil. Drop the quinoa in and let cook over medium-high heat until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Meanwhile, steam the broccoli and mushrooms in 2 Tbsp veggie broth. Make the peanut sauce. Add the wheat gluten and 1 Tbsp peanut sauce to the broccoli/mushroom mixture, and cook until heated through.

Serve the broccoli/gluten mixture over the quinoa, and top each serving generously with more peanut sauce.

Creole Okra, Tomatoes & Corn

A co-worker of mine brought this to our Mardi Gras potluck, and it was surprisingly delicious. Okra is a vegetable I've always been skeptical of (something about the combination of hairy and slimy that turns me off), but this is genuinely delicious. We served this with Red Beans and Rice Deluxe for a killer combination.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp onion powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced mild green chiles, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, juice reserved
1-1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 dash each salt and pepper
1 16-oz. package frozen okra pieces
1 cup frozen corn

Drain the tomatoes and the chiles over a large bowl to catch the juices. Saute the onion powder and garlic in the olive oil until they start to brown, then add the chiles, tomatoes and Cajun seasoning. Cook for 3-5 minutes, then add okra, corn and reserved tomato juice. Cover and cook until heated through and the okra is no longer crunchy.

Salmon w/ Salsa & Steamed Sesame Broccoli

Another super simple salmon preparation.

2-3 salmon fillets
1 cup chipotle-flavored salsa

Slather the salmon with the salsa and cook for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with steamed sesame broccoli.

Baked Salmon Patties w/ Steamed Broccoli

I don't really remember where I came up with this recipe. My mother used to make fried salmon patties when I was young, and this is definitely inspired by that childhood taste memory. All I know is that it's 1) my favorite way to eat salmon, 2) the only way I can bear to eat sardines (both salmon and sardines are good sources of essential fatty acids, which help lower cholesterol), and 3) an incredibly adaptable pantry recipe that I can whip up just about any time with things I have on hand. I've made endless variations on this, and it always turns out fabulous.

2 6 oz. cans salmon, drained and flaked
1 can sardines in mustard sauce, drained and flaked
1 egg white
1/4 cup hummus
1 tsp dill mustard
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 cup cornmeal
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
salsa

Mix the fish, egg white/tofu, hummus, mustard, bread crumbs and dill together into a bowl. Grease a baking pan with olive oil. Using clean hands, roll the salmon mixture into balls and flatten into patties. Dredge in cornmeal and place in baking pan. Drizzle the tops with more olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve with your favorite organic salsa (we like the chipotle flavored kind).

Ingredient Notes: If you don't have eggs on hand, you can substitute 1/4 cup plain yogurt (soy or otherwise) or tofu cream cheese for the egg white. The hummus is also optional, but I think it lends a nice flavor... if you leave it out, double the amount of egg whites or equivalent substitute. If you don't have or don't want to use sardines, you can substitute another 6 oz. can of salmon or albacore tuna. I've added more bread crumbs and nutritional yeast to the cornmeal crust for a slightly different texture. If you don't have bread crumbs, cracker crumbs or even tortillas run through a food processor work equally well.

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Steamed Broccoli

1 head broccoli
water to cover
1 healthy sprinkling lime juice
1/4 tsp toasted dark sesame oil
1 large pinch nutritional yeast (optional)

Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces and cook in the water until still bright green but pierceable with a fork. Drain. Toss with lime juice, sesame oil, and nutritional yeast and serve.