East Meets West Veg

Easiest Weeknight Pasta Ever (this one is extra saucy because I felt like having a lot of sauce)

Florence, Italy

Florence, Italy

The food at this restaurant was simple and absolutely delicious! I still dream about that pasta. It's unlike any I've had in the US, even though you can find authentic Italian food in the US. Maybe it was just the whole experience that made it seem more magical to me. When we arrived, we actually talked to the owner and she knew what 'vegano' meant so we were in luck. We just trusted her to make us something delicious. Being a person obsessed with food, I think about this pasta often and I sometimes crave it but haven't been able to find an exact recipe for it. I kept asking my husband and mom if they remembered this pasta and I had to have a way of describing it. Since I don't remember the name of the restaurant where we had this, and, we had pasta at several restaurants in Florence (leaving out the name Florence Pasta), I sometimes refer to this as 'Locked in an Italian Bathroom Pasta." (Luckily, THAT only happened once)

Maybe my mom just needed a sign like this

Falling in Love with Italy

You could certainly eat this pasta alone for a quick, easy, tasty, lycopene-filled weeknight dinner, but if you have a couple more minutes you could pair it with a nice salad topped with cannelini beans, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil like we had throughout our trip to Italy. This could also be paired with an easy side dish like my Spicy Lemon Garlic Broccolette, my Super Easy Chickpea Salad, some vegan Italian sausage, or Chocolate Mousse Pie.

Ingredients:

Gardein Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n with Red Pepper and Broccoli over Brown Rice

If you miss ordering chicken dishes at Chinese restaurants, then Gardein Mandarin Orange Crispy Chik'n might be just the thing for you. It really resembles the meat you get in Chinese restaurants - you know the meat that people sometimes complain 'isn't real?' Actually the first time I had Gardein Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n, it kind of creeped me out because it reminded me of the chicken from Chinese restaurants. Not to worry though, this Vegan Chicken is certified vegan so you know that there aren't any pesky hidden non-vegan ingredients in there!

One serving (1/3 bag) of crispy chick'n & sauce has 17 g protein, 20 % RDA iron, 4 % calcium, 0 g saturated fat and 165 calories.

Look at that steam! Mmm mmm!

This really is easy to make. First you have to put the sauce packet in a small bowl or cup of warm water to let it thaw while you are cooking the chik'n and veggies. Then just saute the frozen chik'n for a few minutes until golden and crispy. Remove the chik'n from the pan and saute the veggies for a few minutes. Then add back in the chik'n and the sauce. Voila!

This would be a great quick weeknight dinner if you put rice in your rice cooker and set it ahead of time to be done when you get home from work. Of course, you could always pick up some rice from your local Chinese restaurant. It's usually pretty cheap to just buy rice.

Tasty, Fast & Easy Dinner, Much Healthier & Cheaper than Take-out

Holiday Breakfast Casserole (If you make this, I recommend using shredded Daiya Cheese, available at Kroger and health food stores like Whole Foods Market)

Potato Latkes


Pecan Crusted French Toast


Banana and Oatmeal Pancakes

Oatmeal with Nuts and Raisins

Dinner :

Celebration Roast


Vegan Pot Pie (sub extra vegetables for the Gardein 'chicken' to avoid anything that even pretends to be meat)


Posole


Garlic and Chive Mashed Potato


Vegan Creamed Spinach with Peas


Roasted Butternut Squash and Yams with Caramelized Leeks



Dessert:

Pecan Chocolate Chip Magic Bars


Holiday Spice Cupcakes


Peanut Butter Pie



Drinks:

Cranberry Elixir Tea


Virgin Pomegranate and Cranberry Belinis


Spiced Coffee with Cinnamon


For more Holiday Recipe Ideas and inspiration, please see my post Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes from Ellen's Chef Roberto Martin or Creating a Vegan Thanksgiving or Holiday Meal with the Compassionate Cook.

Chef Roberto Martin and Ellen DeGeneres

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I wanted to share another great video to help with your Thanksgiving meal planning. In this video from the Ellen Show, Ellen DeGeneres's Chef Roberto Martin shows how to create your own vegan turkey-less roast and some ideas for side dishes. I have put links to some Thanksgiving recipes from Ellen's website below the video. I found her website to be a little difficult to navigate if you are specifically trying to find Thanksgiving recipes so here you'll have them all in one place.



Salads:

Quinoa and Cranberry Salad (This is a great recipe to bring to Thanksgiving when you are the only vegetarian and you want a healthful, protein-rich food that you can eat and share with the omnivores at your gathering)

Grilled Apple and Pear Salad

Mixed Greens with Grilled Persimmons, Pomegranate Reduction and Toasted Hazelnuts

Main Dishes:

Turkey-less Roast

Quick Mushroom Gravy (not a main dish, but it goes with the roast)

Vegan Pot Pie (This recipe uses a vegan chicken substitute. If this bothers you, just replace the vegan chicken with extra vegetables and you have a main dish that doesn't try to mock a meat dish in any way)

Sides:

Stuffing

Vegan Mashed Potatoes

Garlic and Chive Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Yams

Roasted Carrots and Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Butternut Squash and Yams with Caramelized Leeks

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Sicilian Collard Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins

Desserts:

Pumpkin Pie

Pecan Pie

Mixed Berry Cheesecake

Oven Roasted Banana Rum Cheesecake with Spiced Pecan Crust and Maple Rum Sauce

Quinoa with Fresh Vegetables and Herbs

Tonight we had a very fast, simple and healthy dinner. It was one of those 'we need to clear out the fridge and we need to eat right away' type of dinners. Since quinoa cooks in only 15 minutes and goes well with all vegetables and herbs (what was filling my fridge), I knew this would be the perfect combination to meet our needs. If you are not familiar with this ancient superfood of the Incas, it is a versatile seed that is usually treated as a grain and can often replace rice or other more familiar grains in dishes. It's quick cooking time and excellent nutrition have made it very popular as of late.

A lot of vegetarians, especially new vegetarians, like quinoa because it is a complete protein and is packed with minerals and nutrients. It is a good source of protein, iron, fiber, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium. It's also a source of vitamin E and calcium. Quinoa has a low Glycemic Index (GI) ranking. Of course, it's also cholesterol free as all plant foods are, and is low in fat, with no saturated fat or trans fat. I found some of this information by looking at the Self Nutrition Data for Quinoa. You can see the amino acid profile and amounts of each nutrient there.

This is not really a recipe, but describing it in a paragraph didn't feel right so I wrote out the steps I followed to give you an idea of a starting place. Again, this was just a very simple meal so you could really get creative here. I also listed the ingredients I used for a reference point.

Ingredients:
Vegetable bouillon or other vegan bouillon
Chicken curry masala (it's vegan)
Turmeric (1/4 tsp)
Quinoa
Cashews
Assorted vegetables (we had green bell pepper, chilies, carrots, radish greens, lima beans, green peas, potatoes)
Assorted herbs (we had fresh basil, parsley, dill and cilantro)

Method:
1. Dissolve vegan bouillon and spices in hot water.
2. Add half as much quinoa as water, chopped vegetables and herbs (you can save the herbs until the end when it's all cooked if you're not feeling too lazy and hands-off).
3. Boil quinoa, then simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Toast cashews and garnish finished dish with them.

Vegan Campfire Dinner

This is one of my most favorite dinners ever! It's always a big hit. Campfire dinner is a combination of potatoes, veggies, and veggie sausage cooked in a foil packet. The name came from the old days when there was not yet a barbecue grill at our cabin and we cooked over an open fire in the fire pit. My grandpa started by cooking potatoes wrapped in foil, but then later it evolved into putting everything right in there together to make a whole meal. I think my mom is the one who came up with the idea of putting everything together in the packet, but I'm not sure. At any rate, my mom who gets credit for the version I am sharing here (except for my additions to make it more spicy, of course).

Campfire dinner is a great way to use up what you have left in the fridge, in your CSA (community supported agriculture) box or from a farmer's market haul. When we first got a CSA share from our local farmer and I didn't know what some of the vegetables were or what to do with them, I found this to be an excellent way of combining them all together.

One of the great things about this meal is that you can easily customize it for each person since each person gets their own individual packet. I like a lot of greens, so I usually put extra swiss chard, spinach, kale, or whatever greens I have available in my campfire dinner. In my husbands, I put chilies, jalapenos, poblanos, etc to make his more spicy. If we are totally out of peppers, I use ground cayenne or crushed red pepper on his. If you are really on a budget, this can be a great recipe because you can use whatever vegetables are on sale or cheap at the time.

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray (or oil)
Potatoes, sliced
Onions, sliced
Diced Vegetables of your choice (bell peppers, carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans, zucchini, root vegetables, greens, cabbage, herbs . . .)
hot peppers, optional
Vegetarian Sausages, Sliced or Chopped (my favorite for this are Field Roast or Tofurky Italian), optional but recommended
Earth Balance Buttery Spread (or oil or cooking spray)

Seasonings
Salt
Pepper
Curry Masala for chicken (it's vegetarian - available at an indian store) or garam masala, curry powder or your favorite seasoning, optional
Cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper, optional

Method:
1. Get two sheets of foil paper, about 2 feet long each and place one over the other in the shape of a plus (+) sign. (This is for each dinner so if you are making 4, you'll need 4 of these.)

Lay out your foil.

2. Spray the foil with cooking spray (or drizzle with a little oil) so that the food doesn't burn.

3. Put a layer of sliced potatoes and sliced onions. Season. Put a little cooking spray (if using).

4. Add on your veggies, a couple pieces of the sausage. Season. Spray with cooking spray.

Layer potatoes, onions, vegetables, and sausage slices

5. Add more potatoes and onions. Season. Spray. Repeat steps 4 and 5 as needed.

6. The top layer should be the veggie sausages, some of the hot peppers, more seasoning and some Earth Balance buttery spread or a drizzle of oil. The sausage infuses a lot of flavor into the dinner. If you decide to skip it, you might want to add more seasoning.

Add more seasoning, cooking spray, vegetables, and seasoning.

7. Seal up your foil packet. See pictures below.

Grab the long sides of the inner foil.

Pinch together.

Fold a small flap, then keep folding all the way down.

Now take the open sides and fold them up like you are wrapping a gift.

This is how it will look after you fold up both of the remaining sides.

Now repeat for the outer layer of foil.

Use a marker to label the finished packets if they are different.

8. Cook on the barbecue or on the embers or hot coals of a campfire for approximately 45 minutes. OR cook in a 400 F oven (205 C) for about 45 minutes - 1 hour. When you start to smell them, they are probably done. If the potatoes are tender, it's done. Be careful opening! Steam might burn your hands.

Tonight we enjoyed this Chili from Crazy Sexy Kitchen. In my many years of eating chili, I've never had chili with kale in it! Leave it to Kris Carr to incorporate this super green into chili! We enjoyed the addition of the kale. Not only was it tasty and satisfying, but it also made us feel really healthy! Beans, veggies, spices, greens . . . it's a bowl full of good health.

I'm giving away a copy of Crazy Sexy Kitchen here. Saturday, October 5. 2013 is the last day to enter so act fast!

Crazy Sexy Bean Chili

It's TV Tuesday and I have a recipe I discovered on the food network. This recipe is loaded with goodness. Chickpeas, tomatoes, spinach, garlic, onion, spices . . . It's a nutritional powerhouse. There's not much prep work and not much hands-on time. It's no wonder that it has a 5 star rating with over 150 reviews on the food network website. I knew the first time I made it that this recipe was a keeper. It bridges the divide between east and west because it has some of the spices of the east, but also familiar ingredients to westerners.

I might be partial to soups and stews, but I can't help it. I think it's in my DNA. When I was growing up, we ate a lot of soups and stews. I would say they were our favorite meals. My dad's brother and sister used to laugh about the fact that my dad loved eating soup for breakfast! I didn't realize that this was abnormal. I remember my dad's sister asking if my dad still ate soup for breakfast and laughing when the answer was yes. I made a mental note of that. Huh, this is somehow amusing. Maybe people don't normally have soup for breakfast?

My mom told me just recently that when she was younger, she also wanted to eat soup all the time and was sometimes teased for this. She said that when she met my dad, they knew that it was meant to be because the two ridiculed soup-lovers finally found someone share their passion for soup with. Okay, they weren't really ridiculed - more like lovingly teased from time to time.

I remember being home on weekends and smelling the savory aroma of a fresh, homemade soup or stew cooking on the stove. I can still smell the tomatoes, the vegetables, noodles, beans . . . Both of my parents were great cooks, but I looked forward to the weekends when my dad cooked. I don't know why but it seemed special to have something made by my dad.

I was honestly a little skeptical about the cinnamon in this stew, but I tried it without and it's just not the same. It's also not nearly as good without the spinach either. When I tasted this before and after the spinach, there was a huge difference.

This is a really great meal to warm you up on a chilly day, but I could enjoy it any time of the year.

Recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/moroccan-spiced-chickpea-soup-recipe/index.html

I just made this recipe for the first time, but it was an instant favorite! I couldn't help but share it, especially because I've been talking about it to everyone I've seen lately.

I slightly adapted this recipe from a fabulous blog that has really inspired me in so many ways. I substituted heirloom tomatoes, chili infused olive oil, and Ezekiel English Muffins for the tortillas. I think just about no matter what you do with this recipe, it will still be absolutely delicious! It seems simple, but it is so full of flavor and so healthy! You won't feel like anything is missing when you bite into these!



Easy Roasted Tomato Pizzas with Basil Cashew Cheeze:
http://ohsheglows.com/2012/08/21/easy-roasted-tomato-pizza-with-basil-cashew-cheeze-2012-vegnews-awards/

Where to Find: This recipe calls for Nutritional Yeast (NOT regular yeast!) which can be found at Health Food Stores, Whole Foods Market, and specialty stores. Whole Foods has it in the bulk spices section. Ezekiel English muffins can often be found in the freezer section, near the health foods or gluten free breads.

I was originally going to make a nice, hearty stew today because we've had some chilly nights (and days), but then I checked the weather and saw that it was going to be 97 degrees F (36 C)!! In three short days the high temperature will be 60 F (15.5C) with a low of 46F (8 C). This is Michigan for you, I guess. Anyway, it was WAY too hot for me to cook or eat hot food today so I had to find a no cook dinner.

I decided to make some super easy burritos with salsa verde. I've never made anything with tomatillos before so I didn't even know if I'd like it, but I thought it tasted fresh and delicious. Alone, I thought it could use some more salt, but it was perfect with the chips.


This Salsa Verde recipe is from Food Network. It is very easy and requires only a few ingredients. There were two versions on the show, but I made the raw version. I just put these items in the blender, then mixed it with chopped onion and salt. Click here for the recipe.


To make the meal complete (though I really could have eaten just the salsa verde and tortilla chips), I put together some simple burritos.

Based on the popularity of my first Grocery Shopping 101 post, I decided I need to post some 101 type meal ideas. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming transitioning to a more plant-based diet or it might seem like you need to make long, complicated recipes. The truth is that you can eat very simple, healthy foods that take little or no prep time.

Not too long ago, we had a get-together with a mixed group of meat-eaters and non meat-eaters. We made a do-it-yourself wrap bar and everyone loaded up on what they liked. Here's my wrap.

Friday night while I was taking care of Buddy, my mom was entertaining guests. She was the only vegetarian among a generally health-conscious and open-minded crowd so she decided to make Lentil Soup and Middle Eastern Salad. She was planning on bringing the leftovers back to my husband and me, but everyone loved it so much that there was nothing left to bring to us! For a few days she's been hearing how good her soup was so we decided to share it with you! Here in Detroit, it is the perfect day for a big pot of soup and I'm sure there will be more days like this coming soon as fall draws near.

Just like Mom's Simple Pea Soup, this soup tastes great the next day so I love to make it on the weekend and divide it up for lunches and dinners during the week. Also like the pea soup, this is great alone or served over a baked potato, rice, quinoa or with bread or crackers.

Ingredients:
1 lb green lentils
8 cups water
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp celery salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp garlic powder, or to taste
1/2 tsp onion powder, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
2 potatoes, diced

Method:
1. Rinse your lentils.
2. Bring lentils and water to a boil.
3. Skim off froth from the top. (This helps eliminate some possible gas)
4. Add everything else, except the potatoes.
5. Let it simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
6. Add potatoes and continue cooking for about 30 minutes.

I was in a local warehouse store and I happened to notice a giant bag of a new-to-me vegetable, Broccolette. It looked like broccoli, but I knew that it must be different somehow or else it would just be called broccoli. I took it home and decided to do a little research on this veggie so that maybe I could figure out what to do with it. I read that it has a slightly sweet, asparagus-like flavor, but I thought it couldn't be true. Nonetheless, I took my inspiration for making it from a favorite asparagus dish I used to get at a local grocery store deli. I have made this several times, but every time using a different amount of EVERYTHING based on how much we have left, the preferences of those eating it, etc. so I'm going to leave it to you to figure out your own measurements. You can't really go wrong here if you know what you like. (And by the way, it really does taste like asparagus!)


Ingredients:
Broccolette
Lemon Infused (or Flavored) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Crushed Red Pepper, to taste
Garlic, chopped (we use at least 4 large cloves, but we love garlic)
1 lemon
salt

Cooking Time:
Keep in mind that this whole process should take you maybe 10 minutes. Do not overcook.

Method:
1. Put a little bit of water at the bottom of a pot - maybe 1/2 inch, depending on how much you're cooking. (I use my stockpot because it's very tall, but not too wide at the bottom and you're essentially going to steam the brocolette, not boil it.) Put your washed brocolette into the pot, turn it on medium-high and put the lid on.
Note: Could you use a steamer? Absolutely, but that means more dishes and this is the quick and easy method so I don't.

2. Check the broccolette after a couple of minutes. You want it to be bright green and just tender crisp. Even if you're making a lot, it shouldn't take more than 5 minutes or so. Do not overcook.

3. Once it's bright green and tender crisp, drop it into an ice bath to stop the cooking process and keep it's beautiful color.

4. Rinse out your pot and return it back to the burner.

5. Turn the burner on medium heat and add enough olive oil to almost cover the bottom of the pot.

6. Add crushed red pepper flakes.

7. Add garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes.

8. Add broccolette and stir constantly for a couple of minutes. (You are just trying to infuse it with the flavors you have in the pot already and get the broccolette warm again. Do not overcook.)

9. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on, mix.

10. Add salt and serve.