Monthly Archives: October 2011

Chickpeas, please.

Posted on October 27, 2011 | 3 comments

Ever since I began making chickpeas from a dried state, I have been obsessed with them.  I eat them by the handful like they are popcorn.  They’re delicious, nutty, versatile, freezable, and CHEAP (check them out at a Supermercado near you).

Here’s a super quick, frugal recipe to laugh Asian take-out prices right out the door.  It keeps well in the fridge for about a week and tastes AWESOME inside of a flour tortilla too.

Island Chickpeas

Adapted from Happy Herbivore

  • 4 C chickpeas
  • 1 1/2 C teriyaki sauce, use your fave from a bottle or better yet, make it
  • 2 T Szechuan sauce
  • 4 C cooked brown rice
  • 2 bunches Kale
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • lime wedges
  • canned mango salsa
Combine chickpeas, teriyaki sauce, Szechuan sauce in large frying pan or wok.  Allow to marinade for 5 minutes.  Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed.  Remove from heat.
In  a saute’ pan, heat oil and garlic until sizzling, add the kale.  Saute’ until bright green and just wilted.
To plate, take 1/2 cup of brown rice, top with some kale a scoop of chickpeas and a squeeze of lime.  I also put a dollop of leftover mango salsa on mine.  Delish.
Pictured under the chickpeas is a Boca chicken patty as well.

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Posted in Dinner, Fall Food, Fridge Finds, Leftovers, Less is more, Quick Cooking, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Butternut Squash Surplus

Posted on October 24, 2011 | 2 comments

Last week I was up to my ears in butternut squash.  A few from my CSA, and a few from one of my work friends (these alone were over 9 pounds each and more than 2 feet long).  I have a tendency to put these items out in the garage, and then forget about them until I can actually smell them…not good.  So this time I got a leg up on the surplus.  I roasted three baking pans of squash last night and then today made a few cups of it into butternut squash ravioli with brown butter and sage sauce, then froze the rest for soups and such.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Inspired by this recipe from Epicurious

  • 3 cups mashed butternut squash (from roasted)
  • 1-4 oz log creamy goat cheese
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
  • 1 package won ton wrappers (40-60 count)
  • 1/2 cup shallots, chopped
  • 1 stick, butter
  • 1 handful fresh sage leaves, whole
  • 1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
  • pepper, salt to taste
  • handful of fresh parsley
  • parm cheese

Filling:  Saute’ garlic over medium until lightly browned, add goat cheese, squash, nutmeg and combine until creamy.  Remove from heat, let cool.  When filling is cool, drop 1 1/2 tsp in the middle of a won ton wrapper, lightly brush edges with water.  Seal by touching opposite sides together in whatever shape you like.  I touched opposite corners together to form a triangle, then flipped it like a dumpling.  Be sure to squeeze the air out of the ravioli before sealing and DO NOT overfill.

Sauce:  Combine in a frying pan over medium high heat butter, shallots, fresh sage and nutmeg.  Let this combo simmers until butter turns a nutty brown, shallots and sage crisp.  Turn off the heat.  Let hang out until your ravioli are ready to dress.

Ravioli:  Bring a dutch oven 3/4 full of salted water to a boil.  When it hits boiling, turn it down to medium heat, this is a little more gentle on your fragile raviolis.  Immerse 6-8 ravioli in the hot water so the water temp doesn’t drop but also so they do not touch the bottom, sides or each other…this would be bad. Allow the ravioli to hang out in the hot water bath for 2-4 minutes until they float or become opaque in color, remove with a slotted spoon directly into a serving dish, top with brown butter sauce, fresh parsley, a bit of parm cheese and serve.

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Since it’s just the two of us to cook for, but this recipe makes around 45 raviolis, I made the remaining raviolis, put them on a cookie sheet and froze them for an hour.  Then I tossed them into a freezer bag and tossed into the deep freeze.  The Interwebs say that they should keep for 3 months and to make them straight from the freezer next time.  I’ll let you know how that works out later.

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Posted in Dinner, Fall Food, Noodles, Recipes, Seasonal Ingredients, Vegetarian

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TVP Chili – Say That Three Times Fast

Posted on October 17, 2011 | Leave a comment

This is the chili I take tailgating.  Carnivores have no idea this doesn’t have meat in it thanks to the chipotle which adds a smokey beefy taste to the dish.  Add a little liquid hickory or hot sauce to increase the meaty factor.  I love this over vegan dogs, it makes me feel just like everyone else, which if you are veg, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

TVP Chili for Meat-Eaters

  • 1/4 C cumin
  • 1/2 C chili powder
  • 2 C cooked chickpeas
  • 2 C cooked great northern beans
  • 2 C cooked cranberry beans
  • 1-46oz bottle V8 Hot & Spicy reduced sodium
  • 1/3 of the V8 bottle, water
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 4 T garlic, minced
  • 3 bell peppers (your choice of color), chopped
  • 1 C frozen or fresh corn off the cobb
  • 2 chipotle en adobo, chopped finely
  • 2 C whole crushed tomatoes, with juice
  • 3/4 C hot water
  • 1 C TVP
Rehydrate the TVP in a bowl with the 3/4 C hot water.  Set aside.
Saute onion, garlic, bell peppers, cumin and chili powder over medium heat until onion is soft.
Add V8, water, tomatoes, stir to loosen up the charred bits in the bottom.
Last, add the beans, corn, and TVP then stir to combine.
Let simmer for flavors to develop for 20 to 30 minutes.

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Posted in Dinner, Fall Food, Leftovers, Make Ahead, Meat Substitutes, Recipes, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Soup’s ON! Yellow Split Pea.

Posted on October 13, 2011 | Leave a comment

I’m wild about soup.  Instead of talking you to death, I’ll just hit you with the recipe pronto.  This is a good intro to Fall or kick in the ass to Winter to usher in spring.

Yellow Split Pea Soup

Adapted from Heidi Swanson’s 101cookbooks.com

  • 2 cups dried split yellow peas, picked over and rinsed
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large onions, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 7-ounce container of greek yogurt (omit if vegan)
  • 1/2 cup shredded unpeeled cucumber, (deseed before shredding)
  • 1 clove garlic, mashed and minced
  • scant 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
  • big pinch of salt
  • chopped olives
  • more olive oil to drizzle (I use Fustinis Meyer Lemon for topping)

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Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the yellow split peas, and cook for 20 -30 minutes, or until tender. Drain, salt to taste and set aside.

Add olive oil to a big pot over med-high heat. Stir in onions and salt and cook until the onions soften, just a minute or two. Add the cooked split peas and stock/water. Bring to a simmer and let cook for a few minutes. Now remove from the heat. Using a large cup or mug ladle half of the soup into a bowl and set aside. Using a hand blender (or regular blender) puree the soup that is still remaining in the pot. Stir the reserved (still chunky) soup back into the puree – you should have a soup that is nicely textured. If you need to thin the soup out with more water (or stock) do so a bit at a time. Give the soup a taste, if it needs more salt, add more a bit at a time until the flavor of the soup really pops.

In the meantime make the yogurt topping by mixing together the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, mint, and salt. Set aside.

Ladle soup into bowls or cups, and serve each with a generous dollop of the yogurt, a drizzle of olive oil, a touch of chopped mint (any that was left on the cutting board), and a sprinkling of black olives.

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Posted in Soup, Vegan

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Veg Tortilla Soup

Posted on October 10, 2011 | 4 comments

It hasn’t exactly been soup weather here in Michigan (thank goodness)!  Yesterday it was 82 degrees, I’m sure we will pay for that later.  I love soup so much, that I couldn’t wait until it was cold to make some tortilla soup.  Heidi Swanson from 101cookbooks.com has some of the most simple and delicious soup recipes one could ask for, however, when I have extra delicious ingredients on hand or in the freezer…I like to embellish on her deliciousness.  Here is my version of Veggie Tortilla Soup.

  • 6-8 corn tortillas, cut in half and then into matchstick-thin strips
  • a big splash of extra virgin olive oil
  • fine grain sea salt
  • 20 small yellow or red cherry tomatoes
  • another splash of extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 large white onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne or other spicy red chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon chipotle en adobo
  • 1 small can diced green chiles
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen corn
  • 2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 6 cups vegetable broth (or water)
  • a few sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4 cup of goat cheese, crumbled (omit if vegan)

Gently toss the tortilla strips with a glug of olive oil and salt. Turn them out onto a baking sheet, arrange them across the pan and bake in a 350F degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden and crispy. Set aside.

I usually do this whenever I have tomatoes that have to be used up in a hurry.  I call them “crack tomatoes”.  They have so many uses…limitless really as a fridge staple.  To make:  halve (or quarter) the tomatoes lengthwise and put them in a small roasting pan, oven proof dish, or rimmed baking sheet. Toss with a bit of olive oil and a pinch or two of salt. Bake in a 350F degree oven for 40-45 minutes (less time if you use smaller cherry tomatoes), or until the tomatoes are shrunken and golden around the edges. The tomatoes keep nicely in a jar for days (refrigerated).  If you are going to keep them for a little longer, douse them in olive oil and store them under the oil in an airtight container, I use a Ball glass canning jar.

For the soup itself – in a big pot over medium-high heat cook the garlic and onions in a splash of olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt for just a minute or so. Stir in the spices and then the tomatoes, chiles, chipotle en adobo. Cook down for about five minutes or so, it should thicken a bit. For a smooth soup don’t add corn or beans then remove from heat, add one cup of the broth and puree with a hand blender (or puree in a traditional blender). Add the remaining 5 cups of broth and puree until smooth. Bring the soup back up to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes.  If you like chunkier soups to mop up, don’t puree, and add the corn and black beans.  Serve as is.

Serve the individual bowls topped with plenty of tortilla strips, the roasted and sun-dried tomatoes, and some crumbled goat cheese. Alternately, as I mention up above, you can finish with sliced avocado, cilantro, white onions, and a squeeze of lime. If you like a creamier soup base add a splash of half and half, or stir in some extra goat cheese.

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Posted in Fall Food, Recipes, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Sausage Patties – Vegan Style

Posted on October 6, 2011 | 4 comments

I felt like experimenting a little today.  I grabbed up some Gimme Lean Sausage and combined it with some cooked quinoa I had sleeping in  my freezer after I forgot to pack it on a camping trip this summer.  Poof.  Breakfast Sausage Patties – Vegan Style.

Vegan Breakfast Sausage Patties

adapted from Happy Herbivore’s Breakfast Sausage Patties

Super simple prep.  Combine all ingredients into a bowl, smash around to combine.  Use rounded scoop to get similar sized (walnut size) balls, smash into small patties, fry up on a griddle. 
I’m storing mine on parchment paper, in layers with half in the freezer in a Ziplock container in layers pre-formed and the other half into the fridge for consumption during the busy weekday.
Mr. Wonderful says, “these taste like breakfast sausage.”  Yes, dear…they do.

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Posted in Breakfast, Meat Substitutes, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Simple Solution – Veg Broth

Posted on October 3, 2011 | 3 comments

It has been a busy few weeks at the nonprofit I work for, so mostly dinner has been take out or warming up stuff out of the freezer, and plenty of veggie burgers (on buns, on tortillas, on naan), not a ton of creativity going on in the kitchen.  With that in mind, my CSA share and Doorganics delivery look limp and sad, but not rotting in my fridge, I decided to get ahead of the game and make veg broth to store in my freezer for the upcoming soup season.  Making your own veg broth is cheap, and a good way to use up items that are unsavory for cooking at face value but are still wonderful for a broth base.  During the summer, I keep a freezer bag full of items that would make good broth like the stems of mushrooms, the tops of radishes, celery greens, washed carrot peels, the ends of onions, parsley and the like then when I get a few extra seconds, I dump it in a soup pot cover it with water, add whatever fresh herbs I have in the fridge if any, and let it boil away.  I store it in 2-cup measures in freezer bags marked with the date and freeze flat, that way whenever I need a quick base for soup, I have a lightly flavored, sodium free, cheap alternative to store-bought broth.   Since the consistency of the veggies doesn’t make a difference in the taste of the broth, the freezer step doesn’t hurt, I promise.

My current batch of broth has in it:

  • celery greens
  • celery
  • portobella mushroom stems (trimmed and washed)
  • red bell pepper (seeds and all)
  • carrot shavings (cleaned)
  • turnips, quartered
  • onion ends & parts
  • garlic cloves
  • peppercorns
  • rosemary
  • thyme

Put all the items into a soup pot, cover with water and let it simmer away for an hour or so.  Remove from heat, let cool for hours and hours, then pour into labeled freezer bags (label them before you pour into them) and freeze flat. Remember this will not have salt added as is, so when you add to soups be sure to season well.

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Posted in Fall Food, Fridge Finds, Gluten Free, Leftovers, Make Ahead, Soup, Vegan, Vegetarian

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VeganMoFo 2011

Posted on October 1, 2011 | 1 comment

October kicks off an annual tradition in the Vegan community:  Vegan Month of Food or VeganMoFo.  VeganMoFo is this rad movement to get people to think a little more about a vegan lifestyle.  It’s like Christmas for Veg Bloggers not to be confused with Veguary, which is well, in the Winter.

VeganMoFo was originally created on the Post Punk Kitchen, as an homage to NaNoWriMo. Because we do want to write novels, but sometimes cooking gets in the way. So why not combine them!?

The idea is for food bloggers, to write as much as you can all month, about vegan food. The blog entries can be about anything food related – your love of chopsticks, your top secret tofu pressing techniques, the first time you ate vegan nom noms, vegan options in or around your city, or lack thereof – you get the idea, right? If not, browse around on this nicely packaged RSS bundle of all things VeganMoFo for the month.  See, vegans are accommodating, even if you are a total lazy ass, you can still get good content; this year it is even sorted into various categories like Gluten Free and Sweets.

Speaking of lazy, or maybe uber busy, I don’t know you decide…I am not going to be able to blog every day, but I will try to share something up here 1-2 times a week this month for your viewing pleasure (yes, this counts as one even though you didn’t get a recipe).

Take a vegan challenge this month.  At least go vegan on Meatless Monday and abstain from eating things with faces for one day in the week, hell even Mario Batali does it on Mondays.

See ya around!

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Posted in Vegan

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