Kimberly Steele's Blog, page 4

Daily Vegan Lunch for 15 December, 2013: Spinach Falafel

Shown with roasted fingerling potatoes that look like sausages and taste like what you’d expect: mini baked potatoes.

FALAFEL INGREDIENTS:

1 fifteen ounce can chickpeas (about 1.5 cups) rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons tahini

4 tablespoons plus one tablespoon any type of flour, I used chickpea flour

1 teaspoon cumin

Oil for frying

CREAMY TAHINI SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon vegan cream cheese (I used homemade cashew cream cheese recipe from 5 September)

1 tablespoon tahini

1/3 cup water

Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Make the falafel.  In a blender or food processor, combine chickpeas, spinach, garlic, 2 tablespoons tahini, cumin, lemon juice, and salt.  Process until it is almost but not quite a paste.

Transfer chickpea mixture into a bowl and add 4 tablespoons of flour, stirring in completely.  Put remaining tablespoon of flour in the middle of a plate or small cutting board.

Heat about 1 inch of oil in a pan that IS NOT NON-STICK to the smoking point.  I prefer to use a small cast iron pan for this.

Put flour on your hands from the plate and use your flowered hands to roll several meatball sized blobs of chickpea-spinach mixture.  The mixture will be a bit sticky.  Flatten each ball a little to make a flatter shape.  Drop them (carefully) into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes each side or until browned.  Turn them over in the oil once.  Makes about a dozen falafels depending on ball size.

To make the sauce, combine veggie cream cheese, garlic, and tahini in a small bowl, mash together.  Add water a little at a time, stirring in as you go until it is the right thickness for you.  Add salt to taste.

Serve the falafels in oven-warmed pita bread with some shredded or chopped cucumber and tahini sauce.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 14 December, 2013: Vegan Dutch Baby Pancake with Apple Compote

Admittedly, this pancake didn’t look like the egg version you find in family restaurants and pancake joints in the US, however, the taste and fluffy texture was very, very similar.  My husband liked them a great deal.  He’s vegan too and he hasn’t had a Dutch Baby pancake for several years because they are made with eggs.  I’m looking forward to trying a Dutch Baby pancake using Hampton Creek’s Beyond Eggs next.

 Shown with Lightlife vegan breakfast sausage.

INGREDIENTS:

3 apples, peeled and chopped, I used granny smith

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon molasses

1 pat vegan butter or 1 teaspoon oil

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the pancake:

1 cast iron pan, pie plate, or small casserole dish

oil for greasing pan

3 tablespoons Ener-G Egg replacer and 1/2 cup water

1 cup flour

1 cup almond milk (or other plant milk)

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons oil

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease the pancake-cooking pan.

Mix the egg replacer and the 1/2 cup water with a beater until frothy.  Add flour, almond milk salt, oil, baking soda, and baking powder.  Stir until all the flour lumps are gone.  Pour the batter into the pan and cook the pancake for 20 minutes.  Check for doneness at 17 minutes with a fork — If the fork comes out clean, it is done.  The edges being brown will tell you if it is done.

Make apple compote.  Melt the pat of butter in a pan on medium heat and add apple chunks, sugar, and molasses.  Mix briefly and cover.  Let cook about five minutes.  Add cinnamon, take off heat.

Serve pancake with apples and additional maple syrup.  I forgot I had confectioner’s sugar or I would have sifted some on there.  These are very decadent.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 13 December, 2013: Potato Leek Curry

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon oil
1.5 cups onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped (I used red bell pepper from a jar)
1.5 cups green part of leeks, chopped finely
4 cups potatoes, skinned and cubed
Water for boiling potatoes
4 cups water or vegetable broth, I used water
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon lemon juice OR 2 teaspoons mango powder (amchoor powder)
1 tablespoon chili sauce or 2 teaspoons tabasco or Sriacha or to taste for heat
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Peel potatoes and chop them into cubes.  Put them in a pot and cover them with water.  Bring the pot to a boil (high heat) and then immediately turn down the heat and cook for about 20 minutes.  If you cut the potatoes to the small size you see in the photo above, you won’t have to cook them the whole 20 minutes.  Potatoes are done when they are fork tender but not mushy.  Drain the potatoes, set them aside.

In a large pan, cook the onion in oil on medium-high heat until translucent.  Add the garlic and all spices except mango powder/lemon juice.  Allow the spices and garlic to cook for about 30 seconds, douse with water.  Add the cooked potatoes, leeks, and red pepper to the pan.  Cook about five minutes or until the potatoes thicken the broth and add salt to taste.   Add hot sauce to taste.  Add the lemon juice or mango powder last, right before serving.    

Daily Vegan Lunch for 12 December, 2013: Three Bean Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 cup cooked kidney beans

1.5 cups cooked garbanzo beans

1.5 cups cooked cannellini or navy beans (any white bean will do)

1 cup chopped green onion

2 cups chopped celery

1.5 cups chopped red radishes

1/3 cup any kind of vinegar except balsamic

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Rinse and drain beans and place them in a bowl with celery, green onion, and chopped radishes.  In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, vinegar, salt, and oil, whisk with a fork.

Pour the vinegar mixture over the bean mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.  Allow it to chill in the refrigerator for about 3 hours for best taste.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 11 December, 2013: Fast Teriyaki Udon Stir-Fry

INGREDIENTS:

2 packages udon noodles (about 3 cups)

1 teaspoon oil

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon black bean garlic sauce, hoisin sauce, or vegan Worchestershire sauce (each will yield a slightly different flavor)

1.5 cups broccoli florets

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper (I used some from a jar)

DIRECTIONS:

If you’re using dry udon noodles, cook them according to package directions and drain. If you’re using frozen ones, take them out of the plastic packaging and thaw them until just defrosted. I used refrigerated udon noodles which need no cooking. Set the prepared noodles aside.

Bring a frying pan to medium heat. Lay the broccoli and chopped red pepper evenly in the pan and add 1 tablespoon of water. Cover and allow to steam 3 minutes. Add the noodles, adding an additional tablespoon of water if you are using refrigerated ones to help them break apart. To the same pan, add oil, soy sauce, sugar, and black bean garlic or other sauce. Stir until everything is incorporated and heated through, about 3 more minutes.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 10 December, 2013: Fast Kidney Bean Chili

You might be able to tell I’m pressed for time on the food front lately. This chili is the fastest I’ve ever made. Still yummy though.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon oil

1.5 cups onion, chopped

about 2 cups cooked kidney beans, drained (or one 15 ounce can)

1 cup walnuts, cut into bits

1 cup red bell pepper, chopped (I used red peppers from a jar)

1.5 cups marinara sauce

2 teaspoons taco seasoning OR 1 teaspoon cumin plus 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Cooked macaroni, to serve

DIRECTIONS:

Sauté onion in oil a pan on medium-high heat until translucent. Add walnuts, let it fry for about 3 minutes. Add beans, red bell pepper, marinara sauce, and taco seasoning. Cook about 5 more minutes or until sauce thickens.

Serve over macaroni.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 9 December, 2013: Quick Rice Soup with Broccoli and Chickpeas

INGREDIENTS FOR ONE BOWL:

2 cups vegetable broth (I used Better Than Bouillon mixed with water)

1.5 cups cooked white rice — this is a great recipe to use if you accidentally overcook rice and it’s too mushy to use for anything else

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 tablespoon chopped pickled plums

1 cup broccoli florets

3/4 cup chickpeas

1 tablespoon roasted pine nuts

Nori seaweed, cut into strips, to sprinkle

DIRECTIONS:

Combine rice, broth, onion, chickpeas, pickled plums, and broccoli in a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes on high. Alternately, combine the same ingredients in a small pot on the stovetop and bring to a boil, turning heat down to medium as soon as it boils and simmering five minutes.

Roast pine nuts by placing them in a pan without oil on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Be careful to watch them so they don’t burn.

Top the soup with shredded nori and roasted pine nuts.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 8 December, 2013: Chef’s Salad

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

4 cups green salad mix (I used an organic one by Earthbound Farms)

2 cups shredded red or other color cabbage

1.5 cups chickpeas

1 cup roasted red pepper, chopped (I used some from a jar)

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 cup sliced radishes

1 cup green onions, chopped

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise

1/4 cup vegan cream cheese or sour cream

2 teaspoons vinegar (any kind will work except balsamic)

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

1/4 cup plant milk (I used almond milk)

1.5 teaspoons salt or to taste

Mix the salad ingredients — green mix, cabbage, rinsed and drained chickpeas, radishes, tomato, red pepper, and green onions — in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, combine vegan mayo, cream cheese, vinegar, mustard, garlic, plant milk, and salt and fork whip until smooth.  Pour the dressing over the salad right before you plan on eating it.  This would have been good with black or green olives but I forgot I had some in the cupboard.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 7 December, 2013: Spicy Carrot Potato Curry Soup with Rotini Noodles

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups chopped onion

1 tablespoon oil

3 cups vegetable broth

2 cups carrots, sliced

1.5 cups potatoes, cubed

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon super-hot salsa, Sriacha, or tabasco (or to taste)

2 cups plant milk (I used almond)

1.5 cups uncooked rotini pasta

DIRECTIONS:

Peel potatoes. Chop potatoes and carrots and put them in a large pot and cover with water. Bring them to a boil on the stovetop and then turn down the heat to medium-high and simmer at a low boil for about 20 minutes. Keep in mind the smaller you cut the potatoes and carrots, the faster they will cook.

In another large pot, bring oil to medium-high heat. Sauté onions in oil for about 3 minutes or until they are translucent. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala and cook for about 30 seconds until spices become fragrant. Add 3 cups broth. Drain potatoes and carrots and add them. Add the plant milk. At this point, you can either transfer the soup to a blender and puree it in batches or do what I did. I used my stick blender and just kept it going down in the soup until everything was smooth.

Add the pasta and cook for 20 minutes until pasta reaches the al dente phase.

Daily Vegan Lunch for 6 December, 2013: Polenta with Broccoli and Spinach Mix

BROCCOLI SPINACH MIX INGREDIENTS:

1.5 cups broccoli florets

1 cup frozen spinach

1.5 cups onions

2 teaspoons oil

1.5 cups vegetable boullion

1/2 cup roasted red pepper (I used some from a jar) chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder

3 cloves garlic, minced or about one tablespoon

POLENTA INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cornmeal or polenta

About 3 cups vegetable broth

1 cup plant milk, I used almond OR one additional cup of broth or water

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

2 tablespoons oil

Salt to taste

Mix cornmeal, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder in a bowl. Bring the 3 cups of vegetable broth to a boil and immediately turn heat to low-medium. Add the cornmeal mixture and the oil to the pot and stir. Add almond milk until the texture resembles thick porridge. Add salt to taste. Cover and take polenta off heat.

In a large frying pan, cook onion in oil on medium-high heat until it is translucent. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds more. Add broccoli florets and spinach plus 2 tablespoons of broth or water. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Allow to steam about a minute and a half. Stir in roasted pepper. Mix the cornstarch or arrowroot with the remaining broth. Pour the broth into the pan and stir until thickened.

Serve the broccoli-spinach mix over the polenta.