MAKING VEGETARIAN SOUP STOCK

when I'm cleaning vegetables, I wash, trim and ALWAYS save the trimmings for soup stock

place these in a freezer baggie and you have the "makings" for a great soup stock

every stock mixture will be different but equally delicious...

this one contained red onion, leeks, mushrooms, celery, green peppers, butternut squash, green onion and asparagus stalks

Never throw away the trimmings from vegetables.  I have designated bags used to accumulate these trimmings.  I keep these bags in the freezer.  When you're ready to make veggie soup stock, take out a variety of the veggies and throw in a pot of water.  Simmer for at least 1 hour.  Strain and discard the cooked veggies.

To make a great soup, saute some onion, celery, carrots and sweet pepper in a small amount of olive oil.  Add these to the stock along with 1 can of diced tomatoes, any other vegetable you wish, some lentils, a mixture of beans, and seasonings  ( a must is thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper).  When finished, add a splash of tamari.

MORE LEFTOVER GREENS / SAUCE

sauce with greens

I served my Sauce With Greens with whole wheat spaghetti.

When I cook way too many greens, I will often make my Sauce With Greens.  It's just another way of reinventing the greens.  I mix together 1 jar of marinara sauce, approximately 1 pint of previously cooked greens (I often have these frozen when I've harvested and prepared way too much).  Add all or several of the following ingredients and simmer till flavors marry.

red wine

sauteed onions

red pepper flakes

garlic, minced

basil

oregano

fresh ground pepper

CHICKPEA AND DATE TAGINE

North African tagines often combine sweet and savory foods to play off the spices used to season them.  This dish conveys a lovely combination of flavors.

simmering tagine

Using what I had, I served my tagine alone side pastina.

a very unique and delicious flavor

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, diced ( 2 cups)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

3 cups cooked chickpeas OR 2 (15oz.) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup whole-wheat couscous

1 cup diced dried dates, reconstitute in very hot water (just enough to cover)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook 10 minutes, or until starting to brown, stirring often.

Stir in garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger and cinnamon and saute 30 seconds.  Add tomatoes, chickpeas, and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. 

Meanwhile, toast couscous in small saucepan over medium heat 5 minutes, or until fragrant.  Add 1 3/4 cups water, and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 5 minutes.

Stir dates, lemon juice, and cilantro into tagine, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.  Cover and cook on low for about 25 minutes.  Serve over the couscous.

SAVORY CREAM PUFFS

this savory cream puff makes a great appetizer OR treat it as a bread course

years ago, I used to push a small piece of olive into the dough before cooking so that each puff held a surprise

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup water

1/3 cup oleo

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

4 eggs

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 small Bermuda onion

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat water and oleo to rolling boil.

Stir in flour, salt and garlic powder.

Stir vigorously, until mix forms a ball.

Beat in eggs until smooth (whisk).

Stir in cheese and onion.

Drop 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake until puffed and golden 20 to 25 minutes.

CHRISTMAS BEACH PICNIC

self-portrait

is it lunch time yet?

appetizers for lunch:

steamed shrimp with horseradish cocktail sauce, savory cream puffs, spinach bites,

Swiss cheese cubes with yellow mustard

cheese, this time the REAL thing!  what a treat

the BEST part of lunch / Graham Beck sparkling white wine

even a Santa sighting

ARUGULA PESTO with GNOCCHI

growing arugula

quick simple arugula pesto

I LOVED this pesto with whole wheat gnocci!!!

INGREDIENTS:

cups packed fresh arugula leaves

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts

2/3 cup pine nuts

salt and black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup VEGAN Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.  Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.

If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth.  Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.

If freezing, transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  Thaw and stir in the cheese.

VEGAN CATALAN-STYLE RADICCHIO AND WHITE BEANS

radicchio from my garden

double soaked and spun dry

FRESH FROM MY GARDEN / greens n' beans

cooked radicchio and white beans

serve over brown rice / finish dish with lemon zest



INGREDIENTS:

for the beans:

6 oz. (about 1 cup) dried cannellini beans

3 clove garlic

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 to 2 vegetable bouillon cubes

for the radicchio:

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 head radicchio, stem and core removed, leaves cut or turn into 1 1/2 inch squares

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

cracked black pepper, for garnish

fresh lemon zest

DIRECTIONS:

Place the beans in a bowl and add cold water to cover by two inches.  Allow to soak overnight.  The next day, drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.

In a medium pot, combine the beans, garlic, thyme, and cold water to cover by 2 inches.  Place over high heat to bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until tender, 25 to 45 minutes; do not salt the water.  When the beans are tender, add 1 to 2 bouillon cubes, to taste, and cook 5 minutes more;  the liquid should be slightly salted.  Drain the beans, reserving the liquid; discard the thyme.  Set beans and reserved liquid aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil.  Add radicchio, turning to coat with oil.  Add pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 7 to 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate skillet over medium heat, add remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil.  Add garlic, and saute until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.  Add beans and 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid.  Simmer until the liquid becomes somewhat creamy, 5 to 10 minutes.  Add radicchio and parsley, and simmer 10 minutes more, adding more of reserved cooking liquid if the mixture seems too thick.  Serve in bowls, garnished with a sprinkling of cracked black pepper and lemon zest.

Yield:  5 servings



A BLACK BEAN HUMMUS

a combo of two different beans with fresh lime juice

INGREDIENTS:

1 can chick peas, rinse and drain

1 can black beans, rinse and drain

1/4 cup water

2 whole limes, juiced

1/4 cup tahini

3 cloves garlic

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

2 Tbsp. cilantro (or to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

In a powerful blender OR food processor, add chick peas, black beans, lime juice, tahini, garlic, cumin, and cilantro.

Refrigerate overnight for optimum flavor melding.

Serve with veggies, crackers, or pitas OR use as a sandwich spread.

SOUTHERN SQUASH CASSEROLE

This one dates back to my days living in Jacksonville.  Thank you Helen.  Do your own thing and make it healthier.  I use NON-fat sour cream and NO butter at all but do use some olive oil.

baked to perfection, what a great way to devour yellow squash

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb. fresh yellow squash, cooked and well drained

1 carrot grated

1 onion, chopped

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 pt. sour cream

1 pkg. Herb stuffing mix

1/3 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Cook squash, season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add the carrot, onion, soup and sour cream.

Pour the olive oil over the stuffing mix and mix well. 

Add stuffing mixture to the veggie mixture and put this into a buttered casserole dish. (I spray with olive oil Pam)

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

BUFFALO WING HUMMUS

takes minutes to combine ingredients in the food processor

buffalo wing hummus

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, 1/2 cup liquid reserved

2 to 3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. smoky paprika

2 Tbsp. barbecue sauce

cayenne hot sauce, to taste

1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar

kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

Put the chickpeas, chick pea liquid, garlic tahini, lemon juice, paprika, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, vinegar and 1 1/2 tsp. salt in a food processor.

Puree until smooth and creamy.

Serving = 2 Tbsp.

calories =     39

fat =               1g

saturated=     0

cholesterol=     0

sodium=      138 mg

carbs=             5g

fiber=               1g

protein=            2g

my holiday - CASHEW NUT ROAST WITH HERB STUFFING

For years I served this "ROAST" as my main dish in lieu of a turkey.   I found the original recipe in a British cookbook.  On a typical holiday, I served this with candied sweet potatoes, cranberry, hazelnut green beans and vegetarian gravy.  Imagine my mom's surprise when she spent Thanksgiving with me and wasn't served turkey BUT cashew loaf.  We laughed about this for years.

This year I'll be nibbling on pieces of this cashew loaf at a picnic on the beach.

pulverizing the cashew layer of the nut roast

the typical stuffing for the middle layer, lots of celery and onions

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp. butter (Earth Balance)
1 large onion, cut in half and slice thin
8 oz. raw cashews
6-8 oz. whole wheat bread, I use the lite rolls about 4-5 (tops and bottoms)
2 large garlic cloves
7-8 oz. vegetable stock
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

for the stuffing:

4 - 5 whole wheat rolls, tear into little pieces
2 Tbsp. Earth Balance
1 small onion, grated
1 stalk celery, grated
1/2 tsp. each thyme and marjoram
1 Tbsp. parsley


DIRECTIONS:

cashew layer

I use either a spring form pan OR tube cake pan, with removable bottom.  Which ever you choose to use, spray with Pam.  Set aside.

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a medium-size saucepan, add the onion, and saute for about 10 minutes until tender but not browned.  Remove from heat.

Grind the cashew nuts in a food processor with the bread and garlic, add to the onion, together with the stock, salt, pepper, nutmeg and lemon juice.  Mix all together.

stuffing

Place the celery and onion in the food processor and grind.  Saute these in the skillet with the 2 Tbsp. butter.
Saute till softened.  Add the stuffing ingredients.

assemble:

Put half the cashew nut mixture into the prepared tin, top with the stuffing, then spoon the rest of the nut mixture on top.  Dot with a little butter.

At this point I always cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days (for the holidays).  OR you can bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until firm and lightly browned.  Cool for a minute or two in the tin, then remove the sides of the pan.

Great served with vegetarian gravy.  I often freeze the leftovers, yields many meals.

For company, garnish with sprigs of parsley and small slices of lemon.

the roast baked in a spring form pan / normally I use a tube cake pan

This is delicious leftover, served cold OR warmed with gravy.

VEGAN PAELLA

I let it sit about 10 minutes after the cooking process.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
4 Tbsp. organic olive oil
12 oz. organic brown rice
1 large carton organic vegetable stock
6 oz. dry white wine
1 (16ox.) can organic chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
1 tsp. dried basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. oregano
1 red pepper, chopped
3 sticks celery, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup broken raw cashew nuts
sea salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large, heavy saucepan fry the onion in 4 Tbsp. olive oil.

Add rice to the pot.

Add vegetable stock, wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, tarragon, basil, garlic, and oregano to the pot.

Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.  Add peppers, celery, and mushrooms and cook for another 30 minutes until the rice is cooked.

Add peas, cashew nuts, salt and pepper.

Heat through until peas are ready and serve.

makes a lot / after dinner I froze a dish for future use

SEITAN SMART WINGS

found these at Publix

 

takes 4 to 5 minutes to prepare

really very very good

I like to dip these in a (low fat) yogurt blue cheese dressing

I eat these as a main dish but they would be great served as an appetizer or sandwich ingredient.

about seitan and recipes:  http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjseitan.htm

FAST FOOD ALL-IN ONE DINNER

These quick Trader Joes products have become a staple of fast food for me.  When all else fails, busy day, few ingredients, lack of time, this is a good quick dinner bite.

start with whole raw cashews and olive oil

saute till lightly browned

Trader Joe's Biryani / fabulous

For a very quick dinner or sidedish, I heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium size pan.  Add the cashews  and about 1/2 tsp. garlic powder and stirfry till cashews lightly brown.

Next add the bag of Biryani mix and cook according to directions, approximately 8 minutes.

Play with this one, lots and lots of veggie could be added.  Use whatever you have.  Great with celery!

SERVE

 

VIDALIA ONION CORNBREAD

Asiago cheese is the secret

making a white sauce, next add the cheese

a large Vidalia onion

the finished product

yum

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)  (make appropriate healthy substitutions)

1 large Georgia Vidalia Onion

1 (8 oz) package of cornbread/muffin mix

1 beaten egg

1/3 cup whole milk (I use almond or soy)

1 cup sour cream

1 cup grated Asiago cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried dill weed

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray an 8 inch square baking pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and saute the onion until tender but not browned, for about 3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the muffin mix, egg, milk, sour cream, the cheese, the salt and dill weed.  Stir to combine.

Pour into the prepared pan.  Bake for 30 minutes, until set and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean. 

Allow to cool slightly before cutting into squares.

Serve this as a side bread OR cut into one inch pieces and us as an appetizer.

ROMANESCO CAULIFLOWER / FRACTALS!

as seen on line


read more about:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesco_broccoli

the typical cauliflower growing in my earth box

the growing Romasesco cauliflower

cut and now what???

INGREDIENTS:

1 head romanesco cauliflower, cut into small flowerettes
olive oil
5 cloves garlic, sliced
Italian seasoning
basil
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 to 1/2 box pasta, I like the shells because they hold the garlic and cheese
Parmesan cheese, vegan style

DIRECTIONS:

Bring a pot of water to boil.  Boil the cauliflower for 5 minutes.  Remove the flowerettes from the water.  Retain 1 cup of water for later use.  Use the pot of water to cook the pasta according to the pkg directions.

In a saucepan, heat and cook the parboiled broccoli, garlic, oil and some of the retained pasta water.  Cook over medium heat until the vegetable is nice and tender.  Add more of the cooking water if necessary.

When the garlic and cauliflower are tender, add the pasta, seasonings and salt and pepper.  Stir in about 1/2 cup vegan Parmesan cheese.  Serve with extra cheese.

pasta inspired by Internet articles on this unusual vegetable



BREAKFAST / WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER GREENS?

baked eggs on a bed of leftover cooked greens

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Layer the leftover greens mixture (without a lot of the liquids) in an appropriate sized baking dish so that the greens are 1 to 2 inches thick.

Over the top of the greens, break 2 to 6 eggs.  Season with salt, pepper and vegan Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until are set.

Serve with extra vegan Parmesan cheese.

GARDEN GREENS N' GARLIC

collards in my earth boxes

loving the greens with marinated baked tofu sticks

tofu, brown rice, mixed greens n' garlic

INGREDIENTS:

mixture of greens: I used kale, collards , cut small

2 green peppers, chopped fine

1 cup, broccoli, chopped

1 large white onion

6 cloves garlic

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp agave nectar

smokey paprika / dash

1 tsp tamari

1/2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

3 Tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Use lots of greens, they cook down to almost nothing so start with a big hearty bowl full. 

Saute all ingredients tog. except the collards and kale.  Slowly start mixing in the greens and continue till they are all added and start to wilt.  Mix all together.

Cover and cook long and slow, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. on low.