Carol Salad (Carol as in Aunt)

Aunt Carol found this recipe and got Heffrey and I HOOKED. Apparently Paul and Brunon can down an entire batch in one go. As can we--it is indescribably yummy and filling. It is usually made with farro, but quinoa works great, brown rice is fine in a pinch. And as always, the parmesan can be swapped for vegan cheese, preferably Violife Parmesan, which comes in a wedge. Enjoy your newest salad addiction.

INGREDIENTS:

1c farro

2c veggie broth

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 bay leaf

1 large shallot, very thinly sliced

1/3 c olive oil

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp honey *obvi leave out if vegan, it will be fine

black pepper

2c arugula

1 green apple, chopped

1/2 c shaved parm

1/4c freshly chopped basil

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1/4c toasted pecans. roughly chopped

DIRECTIONS:

For the farro

Medium saucepan, combine farro, veggie broth, salt, bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook, stirring occasionally, until farro is tender and no broth remains, about 30 minutes. When farro is cooked, transfer to a large bowl to cool.

For the shallots

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine oil and shallots. When the shallot begin to bubble, reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove shallots from oil with slotted spoon and place on paper towel lined plate and season with salt. Let oil cool.

For the dressing

Make dressing/combine cooled olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey and season with salt and pepper.

For the salad

Combine all the yummy stuff!

Shaved Brussel Sprout Salas with Lemon-Caper-Parmesan Dressing

In my quest to eat more/mostly veg, having a big batch of salad in the fridge all week for lunches and random moments of snackiness is key. This recipe, which is zesty and tangy and crunchy and savory, comes from "starinfinitefood" on Insta.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Dressing

4 tbsp olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp capers, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced *I used garlic powder

1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp Dijon mustard

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 cup parmesan, finely shredded *I used Pecorino Romano but Violife vegan parm would work as well

1 tbsp water

For the Walnuts

3/4 c walnuts *I used pecans. Much tastier

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp chopped rosemary

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp paprika

For the Salad

1 lb brussel sprouts, finely shredded

3/4 cups red grapes, halved

1/2 c chopped dates *who has the time or the money. I left these out!

1/2 c shaved Parm *or Romano or vegan cheese

1/2 c red onion, finely chopped

Salt/Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the dressing.

2. Mix up ingredients for walnuts and place on a baking sheet, bake at 400 for 7 minutes.

3. Assemble salad.

4. Mix it all together!

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Irish Soda Bread

 

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups gluten-free flour

1 tsp xantham gum (if not in gluten-free flour)

1/4 cup sugar 

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup coconut oil, chilled and solid

1 1/2 cups almond milk

2 tbsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and arrange oven rack to middle position. Line a cast iron skillet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients; flour, xantham gum, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Whisk well.

3. Add the solid coconut oil to the flour mixture and press it into the flour with the back of a fork until all the oil is incorporated (it will look like the texture of sand).

4. Add the almond milk and lemon juice, mixing until you get a shaggy dough. Shape into a ball.

5. Place the ball of dough on skillet and cut a cross on the top of the bed.

6. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour until golden brown and crusty on top and the loaf sounds hollow when you knock on it. 

7. Cool completely before slicing.

Vegan/Allergy-Friendly Banana Bread!

 (from ambitiouskitchen.com)

INGREDIENTS:

Wet

3 big bananas mashed, 4 or 5 if you have shrimpy ones (1 1/3 cup mashed)

1/3c melted and cooled oil (called for coconut but canola was fine)

1/2c packed brown sugar

1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

2tbsp dairy-free milk of choice

Dry

1 3/4c flour of choice (Bob's 1-1 is a great gf option)

1tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2tsp salt

1/2 cup dairy/soy-free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is the best brand!)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Line a tin (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 is recommended) with parchment paper and grease inside of pan. *Wasn't sure if they meant grease the pan under the liner or the liner...so I did both!

Mix WET ingredients together in a big bowl.

Mix DRY ingredients together and whisk. 

Add DRY ingredients to WET ingredients and mix together until just combined. Lumps are ok!

Add in chocolate chips and mix.

Put batter into pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Allow bread to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes then remove from pan and place on a wire rack to finish cooling. Slice and eat when cool!

Miso Mushroom Pasta

 Bit of an Asian fusion recipe from here:

Recipe

• 8 oz spaghetti
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 lb (!) mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp flour
• 2 c soy milk*
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 3 tbsp miso paste
• 1 c warm water*
• 1 c green onion, sliced

Heat a bit of olive oil in a big pan, and saute the onion and garlic a couple minutes. Then add your mushrooms (and a little salt & pepper) and cook about 10 minutes to get most of the liquid out.

Probaby put your pasta in while that cooks. Also mix the miso into the water.

Next add the flour to the mushroom pan, and stir up to coat. Then mix in the soy milk, nutritional yeast, and a bit more salt & pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and fold in the pasta and get it all coated. Turn off heat and add the miso water and green onions. Serve!

Notes

This one has a really interesting flavor, and process! It would be a shame to ruin anything with that many mushrooms in it... I was worried the soy milk would be sweet - it's hard to picture in pasta! And it's so much liquid between that and the water, with limited time to cook out. 

But it all comes together! We've played with reducing the liquid (thus the *s above) so there's less broth at the bottom of the pot - although it's tasty broth ;)

Chickpea Salad Sandwiches

There are some good vegan cold cuts out there, but I suppose some of the same questions with standard cold cuts apply - what actually goes in them? The answer is probably better on the vegan side, but isn't it nice to make things from scratch? So here's a lunch favorite:

Recipe

• Mash up a can of chickpeas with 2 tbsp veganaise & 1 tbsp hot sauce
• Mix in grated carrot, finely chopped red onion or celery, or any other veggies you have on hand
• Put it on a sandwich with more hot sauce, cheese, extra greens, avocado, sundried tomatoes, or anything else!

Notes

I like to do 2 cans of chickpeas to feel set for sandwiches for a week or two! There aren't a lot of specifics on how much veggie to add in, so use your judgment, but just don't overdo red onion...

Moroccan Freekeh Skillet

 What is freekeh? Why did we have half a pack to use up? I don't have the answers for you. But found this recipe and here we go:

Recipe

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 small eggplant, diced
• 1 squash, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 dates, chopped
• 1 can chickpeas, with liquid
• 1/4 c olives
• 2 tsp ras el hanout (substituting a mix of spices we had on hand seemed to work out)
• 1 1/2 c freekeh
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 c veggie broth
• 3 tbsp tomato paste

Saute your veggies & garlic in some oil, then add dates, chickpeas, olives, spices & freekeh and keep going a couple more minutes. Then add the lemon juice, broth & paste and simmer about 15-20 minutes, until teh grains are tender and liquid absorbed (can add more water if needed).

Notes

Turns out, freekeh is pretty good! It has a nice smoky flavor that went well in this eclectic dish. Successfully used it up and had a delicious dinner and good leftovers... Is more freekeh in the future?

Mushroom "Clam" Chowder

 OK so Anne & I eat a lot of southwestern food. And who can complain? Burritos are delicious, and we're in the right region for it to feel authentic (even the vegan version). But when I saw this recipe, I thought it was worth trying for something New England-y...

Recipe

• 12 oz mushrooms, rough chopped
• 4 potatoes, cubed
• 1 sheet sushi nori (we just used seaweed snacks...)
• 4 tbsp flour
• 4 c non-dairy milk (forget what we used - soy, almond, or oat...)
• optional: green onion tops, old bay seasoning

Boil the potatoes 5-10 minutes to give them a head start. Meanwhile, saute mushrooms and green onion, and add the potatoes when they're done. Shred the nori and in it goes, then the flour - stir it all up so everything's coated in flour. Add the milk & old bay and boil for 5 minutes, then simmer 5-10 until it's at the right consistency.

Notes

While I wasn't convinced I was eating authentic New England clam chowder, I was pretty happy with how this came out. It was a bit on the thick side, so might try less flour or cook time.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Not always a soup fan, but had this recipe saved for a bit and took advantage of the recent cold spell to give it a shot!

Recipe

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained & rinsed
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 c veggie broth
• 1 tsp sherry vinegar or lime juice
• salt & pepper, cilantro, avocado, hot sauce, etc.

Heat some oil in a big pot / dutch oven, and cook up the onion, celery & carrot with a little salt & pepper. Next stir int he garlic & seasonings briefly, then add the beans and broth and simmer 30 mins or so.

Next, blend it up a bit. I used my immersion blender - you're not going for a puree, leaving plenty of ingredients in chunks. You can also pour a few cups of soup into a blender and add it back to the pot.

Finish with vinegar, cilantro, hot sauce, etc.

Notes

This was another one that exceeded expectations! The partial blending really helps make it thick and delicious. We kept going back for more:

Crockpot Quinoa Chili

We've been on a bit of a crockpot kick recently with some favorites like Beyond Meat Chili or Kung Pao Chickpeas in the regular meal planning rotation. That said, don't want to overdo them and have them get old, so always on the lookout for new options. This one looked worth a try:

Recipe

• 2 1/2 c vegetable broth
• 1/2 c quinoa
• 1 can (15 oz) beans - black, pinto, your call - drained & rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes - NOT drained
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/2 c corn kernels
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 small chili pepper, minced
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

I want to say, just add it all to your crockpot - but the original recipe is a bit more strict on the order. So, if you want to follow that: 

• broth, quinoa, beans & tomatoes
• peppers, carrot, corn, onion, garlic
• seasonings

OK after stirring all those in (in order or not), cook 2.5-3 hours high or 5-6 low - longer makes it less soupy.

Notes

This one came out unexpectedly kick-ass. Was very glad I doubled it up and will be eating scoops of this for a little while... Seriously, it smells so good (with the taste to back it up) that I haven't paused long enough to take a picture the first time or even with a couple rounds of leftovers.

Miso Eggplant

One of my observations about vegan eating is, in a lot of cases recipes can just get complicated. Whatever else you think about it, there's a simplicity to meat + starch + veggies. So I've kept an eye out for good ways of getting a simple protein on the plate, and letting us be flexible or creative with sides. So with that in mind, I thought this eggplant recipe was worth a shot:

Recipe

• 1 eggplant
• 1 tbsp miso paste
• 1/2 tbsp minced ginger (or whatever amount makes sense)
• 2 cloves garlic (ditto)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 c bread crumbs

Slice the eggplant into ~1" planks (or steaks, if you prefer). Sprinkle with salt, rub it in, and let sit for 30 mins or so.

In the meantime, mix everything else (except bread crumbs). Once the eggplant's ready, coat the top with the sauce and roast 30 mins or so.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Coat the eggplant with the bread crumbs (you don't need a lot, it's not fully breaded) and fry for a couple minutes per side.

Notes

Woop this one was really good! We've done it a couple times with coconut rice (basically sub coconut milk for half the water you'd use) and sauteed veggies. It takes a little time, but not all busy. Craveable and filling!

Double Chocolate Tofu Donuts

 Kicked off the Thanksveganing day of cooking and eating with a bit of a dabble into baking - this recipe seemed worth a shot!

Recipe

• 1 pack silken tofu, drained
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1/4 c sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 c cocoa powder
• (dark) chocolate bar for topping

Mash up the tofu. Mix up the dry ingredients (flour, sugar & powders), then add in the tofu. Keep working it until it comes together and stops being crumbly (a couple minutes). Roll the dough into a long snake and cut into 8 pieces, and curl them into rings.

From here, you can fry or bake (375 degrees, ~15 mins). Meanwhile, melt your chocolate topping and dip the finished donuts.

Notes

1. The above doubles the original recipe. I got halfway into this before thinking, what else am I going to do with half a pack of silken tofu (especially with T-giving leftovers incoming...).
2. The dough took a little time and effort to come together, so be patient! Just when you think you messed up, it comes together.
3. I am not a baker and actually did mess up though. I forgot the baking powder, and made melting the chocolate topping kind of gross. Which left me with a dense and less-appealing final product.
4. All that said, I still liked them! Worth trying again soon :)

T-giving bfast for the coffee drinker in the house...

 

Vegan Biscuit Sausage Stuffing

Well this one has been on the backlog since Thanksveganing...

Recipe

Start the day before by making a batch of vegan biscuits - Pillsbury Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits are highly recommended (and vegan, despite the name). Leave them out overnight to get crusty.

• 10 oz vegan sausage - chorizo also highly recommended
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp each of fresh thyme, sage & rosemary, minced
• 2 c veggie broth
• butter, salt & pepper

Cut the biscuits into 1" cubes. Melt butter in an oven-safe skillet, and cook up the sausage and veggies. Season with the herbs, salt & pepper until the sausage and onions are looking (and smelling) good. Pour in the biscuits and broth, toss, and bake at 400 for 20-35 minutes.

Notes

This dish really stole the T-giving show. And I feel a little sheepish about it, since the biscuits and chorizo came out of a pack... but totally worth it :)

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-friendly! Also DELICIOUS.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups pureed pumpkin (1 15 oz. can is fine)

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c molasses

2 c rolled oats

1 c flour *substitute gf flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

***for the spices, a pumpkin spice mix would be amazing

1/2 c raisins *OPTIONAL--I say GROSS.

1 c chocolate chips/chunks of your choice

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix pumpkin, sugar, and molasses together.

In small bowl, combine oats, flour, spices, and baking soda.

Mix together with pumpkin and sugar. Mix in chocolate and/or raisins.

Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet. (I sprinkled a little kosher salt on top–highly recommend) 

Bake 11/13 minutes.

NOTES:

I was really impressed with these as they stuck together super well despite the lack of egg and they came out nice and chewy. 

I think the bake time was a little longer than written? Just watch for your desired level of chewy. 

And the batter was so good we ended up cooking a tray-full of the batter then eating the rest straight out of the mixing bowl over the course of a couple days.

Tofu Katsu Curry

Ah the vegan life of always trying to find new, interesting ways to prepare tofu ;) This one seemed worth a try!

Recipe

Tofu

1 block extra-frim tofu

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 c panko bread crumbs

1 tsp curry powder

Curry

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 inch ginger, grated

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 tbsp curry powder

1 can (400g) coconut milk

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp maple syrup

2 tsp soy sauce

Rice, green onion, lime wedges, other veggies

• Press the tofu - like an hour, really get at it! Then slice into thin squares.
• Heat some oil in a skillet, and stir fry the onion, carrot & ginger until softening. Then add the garlic and curry powder.
• Then add the coconut milk and cornstarch, and stew for 10 minutes or so. Then add the syrup and soy sauce, and remove from heat.
• Blend the curry sauce until smooth.
• For the katsu, whisk the cornstarch into 4 tbsp hot water. Mix the panko & curry powder on a plate. 
• Heat oil in a skillet. Dip the tofu in the cornstarch, then coat with bread crumbs. Shallow fry a few minutes per side, until golden.
• Serve some rice *and veggies) in bowls with the curry powder over and tofu on top!

Notes

A bit fancier, but worth it! Main note is, you may need more panko depending on how you slice the tofu and the total surface area you have. I'd recommend not holding back ;)

Need to add a picture when we have the crispy tofu on top and not buried under the curry sauce - was still good but got to preserve that crispiness!

Vegan Creamy Sausage Pasta

Credit to Anne for finding this one!

Recipe
8 oz pasta

6 oz spinach

14 oz vegan sausage - sliced or crumbled

2 garlic cloves

1/2 vegan cream cheese

1/4 c pesto (see below)

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/4 c veggie broth

1/4 vegan parmesan cheese

• Start cooking the pasta. 
• In the meantime, start cooking the sausage in a little oil over medium high. When it's close to done, add the sausage and wilt. Set aside.
• Add a little more oil to the pan and sizzle the garlic. Add the cream cheese and veggie broth, and stir until melted. Then add the pesto and nutritional yeast.
• Combine everything and serve!

Pesto

2 c basil leaves

3 tbsp pine nuts (or walnuts)

3 cloves garlic

2 tbsp lemon juice

3-4 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp salt

2-3 tbsp olive oil

3-6+ tbsp water

Blend the dry ingredients into a paste, then add the olive oil a little at a time, then the water to get to the right consistency.

Notes

I was a little skeptical, since this favorite recipe of mine is pretty simple, good, and easy to veganize, while this takes extra steps for pesto and stuff. But I was happy to be proved wrong! The extra effort is well worth it whether for a casual night in or serious carb loading before a 25 (or 50) K...

Kung Pao Chickpeas

Always good to add to the collection of crockpot meals! This sounded like a good one, despite the questionable "detox" claims...

Recipe

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 red bell peppers, chopped

2 cans of chickpeas, drained & rinsed

1/4 c soy sauce

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp sesame oil

green onions, sesame seeds, rice

Whisk together the sauce ingredients, and pour over the onion, pepper & chickpeas in the crockpot. Cook 3 hours on high or 6 on low. Keep an eye on it, and add a couple tbsps of water if it looks like it's drying out. Easy enough!

Notes

Standard crockpot stuff - pretty easy, and really good! I'd recommend scaling this up - even with rice and maybe other veggies, one person could easily scarf down a can of these chickpeas ;)

Cauliflower Walnut Bolognese

As if this Cannibal Stew classic wasn't proof enough you can do an awesomely hearty vegan pasta sauce, here's another one, swapping in cauliflower & walnuts for chickpeas.

Recipe

• ~1 lb cauliflower (most of a head?) chopped into florets
• ~1/2 c walnuts (was doing some metric conversions here...)
• 1/4 c nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• salt & pepper
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 c water
• 1 tsp sugar

Get your food processor out, and chop up your cauliflower, then add walnuts, then seasoning (nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper). Lay out on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and roast at 400 for at least 20 minutes, mixing up partway through.

Heat some oil in a big saucepan and add onions. Once they're looking good, add the other veggies, and cook 10 minutes or more.

Prob start your pasta in here.

Add the other seasonings to the saucepan along with the cauliflower mixture, and stir up. Mash in the tomatoes, along with the water and sugar. Simmer ~20 minutes.

OK maybe start the pasta now instead. Combine and serve!

Notes

This one came out really well! Despite a healthy appetizer of whiskey that may have resulted in some struggles with said metric conversions, and forgotten ingredients like water and sugar... Main note is, it seemed way less tomato-ey than expected, so we added an extra can of diced tomatoes and prob could have done more. Worth playing around with!

Vegan Swedish Meatballs

What caught my attention about this recipe - aside from vegan Swedish meatballs - was the "One Pot" promise. More on that below...

Recipe

Meatballs

• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/4 c panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 c parsley, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp vegan worcestershire
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
• salt & pepper

Gravy

• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 3 c vegetable broth
• 1 14 oz can coconut milk
• 1 tbsp vegan worcestershire
• 1/4 c flour
• salt & pepper

Pasta

• Recommended 4 c bowties

Combine the "meat" ingredients together, mashing the beans up. Heat up the oil in a large pot over medium-high. Roll the meatballs - they recommend about golf ball size. Cook in the pot a minute or so per side to brown. Add the gravy ingredients, stir together, and bring to a boil.

Here, they recommend adding the pasta and letting it cook in the gravy. Our experience, backed up by internet stranger comments, was that doesn't work great. The pasta took forever to get to an edible level, and in the meantime the rest of the recipe becomes a bit of a goop with no clear dividing lines between meat and gravy. The flavors killed! But I'd likely start the pasta separately, and just finish it in the pot. Will test that out soon, hopefully resulting in a more photogenic end product!

Pancakes VII: Banana Pancakes

This breakfast recipe comes with a soundtrack!

And after some research this seemed like the best recipe option...

Recipe

• 1 1/4 c flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 large ripe banana, mashed (~1/2 c)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 3/4 c non-dairy milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Sift the flour and add the other dry ingredients. Mash together the banana and oil separately, and mix into the batter with the milk and vanilla. Cook up the pancakes as usual!