Monthly Archives: February 2012

Curry with Cashews

Posted on February 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

Confession:  I love cooking, but I could LIVE on take out.  In particular thai take out.  My fave place in GR is Angels Thai on Monroe Center.  This is my “go-to” curry recipe adopted from Heidi Swanson’s 101cookbooks.com.  I add some more num num’s and make it for a crowd so that I have leftovers!  Curry lasts surprisingly well in the freezer and makes a great quick meal over rice or quinoa in a hurry.  I picked some hearty veggies and a sturdy bean so they stand up well later going from freezer to table later.  You can add just about anything you want into this dish.  Clean out the fridge if you like.  Just be sure to write it all down if it tastes awesome, or you won’t be able to recreate it later…this happens to me more times than I care to mention.

  • 2 cups lite coconut milk
  • 1 Tbs HOT curry powder (I use Penzeys)
  • 3 Tbs Mild or Sweet curry powder (Penzeys here too)
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp fine grain sea salt (to your taste)
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 3 medium garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 1 block firm tofu, pressed and cut into small cubes
  • 1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch segments
  • 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
  • 1 1/2 cups cauliflower, cut into tiny florets (one large head)
  • 1/3 cup cashews, toasted
  • a handful of cilantro, loosely chopped

Toast the cashews in a wok briefly, until just browned.  Remove the cashews and allow to cool.  Next, toast the curry over LOW.  Do not burn it or your pan will smell and taste like burned curry for all time.  For real.  Add to the toasted curry, half of the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.  Whisk in the rest of the curry powder and salt, working out any clumps. Now stir in the chopped red onion and garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the remaining coconut milk and the water, and then the tofu. Cook down the liquid for a couple minutes before adding the green beans, garbanzos, and cauliflower. Cover and simmer for just about one minute, maybe two – or just until the cauliflower and beans lose their raw edge and cook through a bit. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the cashews. Taste and adjust the seasoning (salt / curry powder) if needed. Serve with a bit of cilantro topping each bowl over rice or quinoa.

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Posted in Dinner, Fridge Finds, Leftovers, Make Ahead, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Gluten Free Vegan Banana Oat Cake

Posted on February 16, 2012 | 4 comments

I work in a diet-diverse office, mostly omnivores; however, I have one gluten free coworker, a dairy free coworker, a vegan coworker and me, a vegetarian dabbling in the world of veganism.  Every now and again, I find a recipe on  a blog or try to veganize something and can usually hit on most of the dietary restrictions, but this cake hits on ALL!  Even the lady that hates peanut butter, liked this cake, just omitted the “frosting”.  This recipe credit belongs to Oh, She Glows.  Visit her blog for a smattering of vegetarian and vegan deliciousness.

Cake:

  • 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free regular oats, processed into a flour (locally these are available at Harvest Health & Horrocks perhaps even Meijer)
  • 1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free regular oats (not processed)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed firmly
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8th tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/16th tsp ground cloves (optional)
  • 1/16th tsp ground ginger (optional)
  • 2 tbsp cane sugar (or regular white)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted (or other light tasting oil)
  • 2 medium very ripe bananas, peeled
  • 1/3 cup applesauce (I used sweetened and backed down the white sugar above)
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Fold in: 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips; 1/4 cup walnuts (optional), chopped; 1 ripe banana, cut into chunk

Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 8 inch (4 cup) casserole dish or 8” cake pan. Take 2 cups of regular oats and process them in a food processor until flour like in consistency.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (processed oats, regular oats, sugars, spices, baking powder, and salt).

In another bowl, mix together the oil, applesauce, almond milk, and vanilla. Add in the two peeled bananas and smash into the wet ingredients until smooth.

Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until just combined. Now fold in the chips, optional walnuts, and the chopped banana.

Spread into prepared pan and bake for 36 minutes at 350F or until a toothpick comes out clean. The cake must be cooled for at least 15-20 minutes before attempting to remove.

Once fully cooled, slice and top with PB Banana Glaze. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.  I found that this also freezes beautifully.

Frosting:

  • 1 ripe banana (but not too ripe, you still want it solid!)
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter (I used Koeze’s crunchy)
  • 1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
  • Pinch of kosher salt, to taste

Mash banana in a bowl until smooth. Add in peanut butter and mash until combined. Sift in the salt and icing sugar and stir until fully combined. Makes about 2/3 cup glaze. Store in fridge in a sealed contained for 1-2 days.

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Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Gluten Free, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Spicy Ginger Tempeh Bowl

Posted on February 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

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A few weeks ago I jilted  you by not including any pictures with the Spicy Ginger Sauce post.  This new post is my apology and a stir fry recipe featuring that yummy sauce. I think this sauce would even taste good on ice cream, seriously.

Spicy Ginger Bowl

  • 1 package mushrooms, any variety
  • 2 shallots, sliced fine
  • 2 tsp reduced sodium Tamari, or soy sauce
  • 1 carrot, peeled and diced
  • 1 package tempeh, steamed and cubed
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 1 C brown rice
  • 2 C water
  • 1 recipe spicy ginger stir fry sauce
  • roasted peanuts, for garnish

First prep the rice, that’s gonna take up the bulk of your time (around an hour) to cook.  Check out the package directions, but generally speaking, real brown rice of most kinds (Jasmine, Basmati) will take a 2:1 ratio, water to rice, and about 50-60 minutes to cook and set.  I walk in the door from work, keep my coat on, get the rice ready to go, put it on the stove, and then walk the dog.  When I come back, it feels like instant rice and I have checked something else off my list.

Steam the tempeh in a steaming device and let set.  It will need just about 10 minutes or so.  In a pinch I’ve steamed tempeh in my microwave in water, it didn’t seem to bother the outcome of the dish.   Steaming the tempeh before consuming is one of the best veg tips I ever received.  Number one, it takes out all the bitter and gives it a nice consistency and number two, some brands are not pre-cooked, and really need to be cooked prior to consumption.  My fave is the wild rice variety made by Lightlife it’s super nutty and delish.

Mushrooms are funny in stir fry, they have a TON of moisture and I don’t like ’em all gummy, spongy steamin’ up my stir fry.  I’d rather have them caramelized and yum, like candy.  For the results in the picture, I took a package of baby portobello mushrooms, dry ‘washed’ them, removed the stem, sliced them and dropped them into a hot wok with the shallots, after the water reduced and they began crusting up on the outside, I hit them with 2 tsp of reduced sodium tamari and let that reduce.  I removed them from heat, and set them aside, wiped out my wok, reheated it nice and hot again, then dropped in the diced pepper, cooked for 2-4 minutes then added the tempeh (which was already steamed, so it’s warm still and most importantly cooked).  Let all ingredients get up to the same temp and then hit the whole wok with the spicy ginger stir fry sauce, let it reduce, reintroduce your shallot mushroom mix to the saucey love and serve the whole racket over the rice that is now conveniently done because  you started it before you needed it.  Top with the roasted peanuts.

I love bowls and stir fries as they let me be a lazy meal planner, AND with just a sauce recipe, you can really add anything you want to the mix from the fridge and come out with a sound meal.  I own a nonstick wok from Pampered Chef, I’ve had it since, well, forever and it’s still nonstick.  It’s a nice size for more than just stir fry (sometimes I make soup in it if my Dutch oven is dirty-I told you I was lazy), this  brand is particularly solid, so the heat distributes well and I rarely need to use oil as long as I heat it up well before I add ingredients.   You could easily use a skillet in its place if you would like to cook in batches…too much in the skillet and your stir fry will become a stir steam.  Not good.

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Posted in Dinner, Stir Fry, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili with Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout

Posted on February 2, 2012 | 2 comments
This recipe evolved over time in the kitchen on a snowy Saturday.  It lacked body until I added the canned (boo) crushed tomatoes and the stout.  Then it became magic.  See for yourself.  As it is vegan, to get men to eat it just tell them there is beer in it.  
This is a perfect way to use up those tomatoes you froze this summer from your CSA when you couldn’t keep up with eating them.  If you run them under water for a few minutes straight from the freezer the skins will peel right off and you will have perfect “stewed” tomatoes for chili.

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Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili 
  • 2 large onions, diced
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 dark beer (I used Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout)
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, diced into small cubes
  • 6 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 C veggie broth
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 3-4 C whole tomatoes, smashed (I used the frozen here, but canned whole would work fine here too)
  • 3 chipotle en adobo, chopped
  • 5 C cooked black beans, or 2 cans drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 C frozen corn
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 1/2 T chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp black ground pepper
  • 2 tsp oregano

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, saute the onions, sweet potatoes, carrots, red bell pepper until tender.  Add garlic and saute another minute or so, then add the seasonings (chili powder, chipotle, oregano, salt, cumin, pepper), saute another minute or so, then add the liquids (broth, lime juice, crushed tomatoes, beer) and whole tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and add corn and beans.  Simmer as long as you wish, although you can chow down once the veggies are tender.

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Posted in Fall Food, Fridge Finds, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

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