portobellas with grains and greens

this is going to be a meal suggestion with lots of options. in an earlier post, i referred to myself as the vegetarian version of sandra lee, of semi-homemade fame.  sometimes i like to take short cuts...tonight's recipe made use of this wonderful wheat pilaf from a box and i'm not too proud to admit it. 

ingredients:

large portobella mushrooms (as many as you need to feed your peeps)

balsamic dressing or marinade of choice (or any marinade that suits your fancy for that matter)

any grain pilaf of choice....rice, bulgar, quinoa. homemade or boxed.  (read your labels)

1 can drained chickpeas

greens of choice sauteed in vegetable broth or use frozen

1 red onion sliced

a little more veggie broth

bragg's liquid aminos

a little goat or feta cheese if you're not a strict vegan

how to:

marinate mushrooms in dressing for a couple of hours.  boil greens in vegetable broth until nice and tender.  cook your grains according to package directions or your own recipe. add chickpeas to boiling water, along with your grain. saute onions in vegetable broth and bragg's to taste, until caramelized. bake mushrooms in 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes, flipping them about halfway through....or better yet, grill them.  it's still too cold for grilling in my neck of the woods.

top your mushroom with cheese (if using), grain pilaf, greens and caramelized onions.  return to oven for a few minutes.

enjoy....i served mine with citrus caramelized butternut squash...

citrus caramelized butternut squash

ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 cups of orange juice

2 cups of water

1/2-3/4 cup brown sugar

cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

how to:

put all ingredients in a deep skillet. simmer until squash is tender and caramelized and most of the liquid has cooked off. 

my notes:

so, spleen (my husband) liked this, but thought it was too citrusy. so, if you're not a big fan of the citrus, cut back or eliminate the orange juice and use all water. 

carrot ginger juice

this one is so refreshing and nutrient rich....no picture of this one though, because...well...it looks like sewer water. but, if you're a regular juicer, then you don't care about such nonsense.  

press all ingredients through a juicer:

6 carrots

1 head of romaine

1 english cucumber

5 stalks of celery

a handful of parsley

a hefty, 1-1 1/2" of ginger

2 red grapefruit, peeled

8 small apples

strain and serve over ice

this made about 2 quarts

seitan/veggie pot pie

my first attempt at cooking with seitan

ingredients:

1 package cubed seitan, chopped into smaller pieces

1 shallot, chopped

8 cups of water

4 "not chick'n" natural bullion cubes

4 carrots, sliced 

2 stalks celery, sliced

5 small potatoes (i used a combination of white, red and purple), diced (peel if you like)

8 oz. frozen peas

8 oz. frozen corn

small handful of fresh, chopped parsley

1-2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot for thickening

1 cup cold water

salt and black pepper to taste

4 pie crusts of choice...if using pre-made crust, read ingredients closely to make sure there are only a few ingredients and not a lot of added junk. THIS looks like a nice one, if you're inclined to make your own.

how to:

in a stock pot, saute seitan and shallot for a few minutes.  add ingredients through parsley and cook until vegetables begin to get tender.  mix starch and cold water and add to pot, stirring and continuing to simmer until thickened.  season with salt and pepper to taste.  press crusts into two pie plates. i used one deep dish and one regular.  fill each crust with vegetable mixture and top with a second crust.  pinch and flute edges.  bake at 350 until crust is golden brown...approximately 45 minutes.  begin checking at about 30 minutes to see if edges of crust are browning too quickly.  cover with foil if necessary. 

my notes:

if you're running short on time and don't have a pre-made pie crust, just pour the veggie mixture into a casserole dish and top with drop biscuits made from your favorite baking mix.  THIS is mine. 

kale slaw with peanut dressing

kale isn't just for smoothies or sauteing. this salad is raw, vegan, beautiful and divine.

ingredients:

4 cups chopped kale (i used a combination of green and purple)

1 cup cabbage (any variety will do)

4 green onions, whites and greens, chopped

1 carrot, shredded (or a handful of julienne carrots)

lots of fresh chopped cilantro

1 navel orange, peeled, sectioned and chopped into bite sized pieces

a handful of dried cranberries 

a hearty handful of sesame seed and slivered almonds

peanut dressing, store bought or homemade. (as always, read your ingredients if you choose store bought).

how to:

a couple of hours before serving, mix all ingredients except almonds and sesame seeds, including dressing.  immediately before serving add nuts and seed and toss well.

leftover breakfast scramble

there's not much more satisfying to me in the kitchen than whipping up something delicious and healthy with leftovers. 

my leftovers:

caramelized onions

sauteed red and yellow bell peppers

sauteed kale

sauteed mushrooms

black beans

additional ingredients:

crumbled tofu

frozen shredded potatoes

sliced olives

salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste

how to:

saute potatoes and tofu in water (you can use oil if you like) until potatoes are tender

add everything else and saute until heated through and season to taste

this literally took all of 5 minutes...

vegan planet's tofu vindaloo

this is a spicy little number i got from Vegan Planet, my new favorite recipe book.

ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

3 tablespoons olive oil

16 oz extra firm tofu, drained and diced

salt and pepper

1 large onion, chopped

1 carrot chopped

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cup or more of water

how to:

in a blender or processor, combine first 9 ingredients and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. process until smooth and set aside.

heat 1 tablespoon  of olive oil in large skillet over med-high heat.  add tofu and cook until golden brown on all sides. season with salt and pepper.  transfer to a bowl and set aside.

heat remaining tablespoon  of olive oil in skillet, add onion and carrot and saute for about 5 minutes.  add bell pepper and cook additional 5 minutes. add the spice paste, cook and stir for 1 minute. stir in tomatoes, peas and water, bring to a boil.  reduce heat to low and season with salt and pepper to taste. cover and simmer until vegetables are tender.  add tofu and cook for about 10 more minutes.

my recipe notes:

you can substitute chickpeas for the tofu, just omit the second step and add them at the end.   i doubled the recipe and used both.

serve over rice of choice with flat bread....i LOVE jasmine rice.

with so many recipe books out there to choose from, it can be a bit daunting knowing which ones are worth the investment.  i whole heartedly recommend  Vegan Planet as well as Robin Robertson's website.