Cauliflower Mushroom Marranca

Last night I adapted the Cauliflower Marranca recipe from Mollie Katzen's The New Moosewood Cookbook, and though it had some problems, I think it's a keeper. The problem was that the top dried out. I had foreseen that dryness might be a problem and tried to correct for it by adding a sauce and shortening the oven time, but the problem was I didn't add enough sauce. I went to my pantry to get out the nutritional yeast for the sauce and --SURPRISE--there was less than 1/4 cup there. So I had to cut down on the amount of sauce I made.


The recipe that follows is my corrected version; it's how I will make it next time. So, if you follow this, your Marranca should come out nice and moist. If during cooking it starts to look dried out, cover it to keep the moisture in.

Cauliflower and Mushroom Marranca

1 1/2 cups raw millet
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups chopped onions
1 pound sliced mushrooms
freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons basil
1 large cauliflower,cut into 1-inch flowerets
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
paprika, to taste
Sauce (blend all ingredients well):
1 cup water
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon light miso
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Place the millet and 2 1/2 cups water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

While the millet is cooking, heat 2 tbsp. water in a large, deep skillet. Add onions, mushrooms, pepper, and basil and sauté for about 3 minutes, until the onions soften. Add the cauliflower, salt, and garlic and cook, covered, stirring frequently for about 5 more minutes. The cauliflower should be approaching tenderness but not completely cooked. Add 1 tbsp. lemon juice.

Mix the millet into the cauliflower, along with the prepared sauce. Press the mixture into an oiled (or sprayed) 9 x 13-inch pan, sprinkle paprika on top, and bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes, until hot but not dry. Cut into rectangles and serve.

Even with the dryness, this recipe was a big hit with my husband and me. E. was a different story; I'm afraid it's been a long time since I've cooked millet, so it now falls into the category of "new foods" to her. If you've ever had to feed an almost 9-year-old, you probably know that new foods are like the Antichrist or something: they run screaming from them. I'm not going to give up on millet, though. Once she's seen it a few times, E. will come around.

I served this with our favorite kale recipe: Kale with Cashew Cream Sauce.


If you have kids who won't eat greens, try using some of this cashew sauce on them (the greens, not the kids!) E. always eats all of her kale and even goes back for more. In fact, when the marranca was too dry for her, I got her to eat most of it by putting cashew sauce on it. It's a wonder food!

All together, this meal is a nutritional bonanza--cruciferous veggie plus greens! That's why I'm sending it as my first contribution to Sweetnicks ARF/5-A-Day Tuesday.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Catch-up Time

I've just come off a very loooonng weekend, one of those when everything seems scheduled to happen at once. To top it off, my husband was out of town most of last week so everything fell to me to get done. Fortunately, he's back just in time to salvage what's left of my sanity. I'm just happy I managed to get through it without sending the puppy back to the shelter or the kid to boarding school! (I'm kidding!!! Please don't write telling me what a bad pet owner/mom I am!)

Being the good husband that he is, D. took us out for dinner as soon as he got off the plane last night. So, since I have cooked nothing new since Saturday, I thought I'd take today and do some badly needed updating of my Fatfree Vegan Recipes website. Lots of people have sent in new recipes, but I've been too busy to post them to the site. Today I plan to rectify that.

And, if I have time, I'll post a list of some of the good non-vegan-yet-useful blogs I've come across lately.

Stay tuned...

Date-Nut Slices

Here's the other dish that I made for last night's dinner. These were a big hit with the adults, but not so much with the kids. Well, my kid at least didn't like the cardamom in them, but that just left more for us adults! This recipe doesn't make a lot--probably about 12 slices.

(By the way, I stole this recipe from One Hot Stove--minus the cream and whole milk, that is! )

Date-Nut Slices

1 cup of pitted dates
1/2-3/4 cup soy milk
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup almonds
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
pinch of salt
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Chop the dates coarsely. (I used a food processor to do this.)

Chop the walnuts coarsely. (You may toast them if you wish, but I didn't.) Grind the almonds to a powder (again, use the food processor).

In a small saucepan, combine the dates and 1/2 cup soy milk. Bring to a boil and then simmer on medium-low heat, stirring often, till the dates break down and the mixture cooks into a thick consistency that leaves the sides of the saucepan. If it seems to be drying out before the dates break down, add some more soy milk, up to another 1/4 cup.

Turn off the heat. Stir in walnuts, cardamom and a pinch of salt and combine well. Let the mixture cool almost to room temperature.

Place the date mixture on a plastic sheet and form it into a long roll. Roll it in almond powder to get it coated.

Place the roll in the freezer for an hour or more, then cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the slices if desired. (Supposedly you can store these in the freezer for a quick treat, but I wouldn't know; they were all gone pretty fast when I served them.)

I will definitely make this again. E. will just have to get used to the taste of cardamom.

Thanks to Nupur at One Hot Stove for the great recipe!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food low-fat

Rigatoni with Zucchini and Eggplant

If you're a vegan and you're invited to a dinner, banquet, or other large party involving food, you usually have two choices: either eat before you go and find a lettuce leaf to nibble on or offer to bring some of the food. Last night I attended a dinner at our local Unitarian Universalist church, and one of the great things about this group of people is that there's almost always someone else bringing a vegan dish. Last night was no exception, but, since most of the food was provided by a local barbecue place, I offered to help out with a couple more vegan options.

For a main dish, I chose to update one of my old favorites, Rigatoni with Zucchini and Eggplant. (The photo above is not a good representation of the dish. Though there is a high proportion of vegetables to pasta, there really is more pasta than the photo shows!)

This is a layered pasta dish, similar to lasagna, that doesn't really stay layered when you dish it up. Tofu stands in for ricotta cheese, and the nutritional yeast (available in natural food stores) lends a great cheesy taste. The original recipe used jarred spaghetti sauce, but I wanted a fresher taste, so I used Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes. If you haven't tried these, you must! They have a lovely sweet, smoky taste. You can find them in natural food stores or in the organic/natural section of some supermarkets.

1 large zucchini -- sliced in 1/4" half moons
1/2 medium eggplant -- cubed
1 large onion -- chopped
1 bell pepper -- seeded & chopped
3 cloves garlic -- minced
3 tablespoons water -- (more as needed)
12-14 ounces tofu -- (lowfat) mashed
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried basil (divided)
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (divided)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes -- (optional)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons salt -- (divided)
8 ounces pasta -- rigatoni or other small tubular pasta
2 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes (fire roasted, if available)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
soy Parmesan (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Boil pasta according to package directions, cooking until just barely tender (a little undercooked is better than overcooked). When it's done, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water before draining the pasta.

While the pasta's cooking, sauté the eggplant, zucchini, onions, bell pepper and garlic in 2 tbsp. water in a nonstick pan over medium heat, adding more water if needed to prevent sticking. When the vegetables are tender, add the reserved pasta cooking water, 1 tsp. basil, 1 tsp. oregano, the rosemary, 1 tsp. salt, tomatoes, and tomato sauce; stir, and keep warm.

Combine the mashed tofu with the pine nuts, parsley, nutritional yeast, and remaining basil, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir the cooked rigatoni into the tofu.

Lightly coat a 4-quart casserole with vegetable oil spray. Spread a thin layer of the vegetable mixture over the bottom (you just want a little sauce there to keep the pasta from sticking). Place a layer of half the pasta mixture, then cover with half the sautéed vegetables; repeat layers.

Cover the casserole and bake it for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with soy Parmesan cheese, if you want.

This is a great dish to serve to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Unfortunately, if you bring it to the Unitarian church in my town, you won't have any leftovers to bring home!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Tropical Sweet Potato Delight

I was baking sweet potatoes last night, planning to serve them in all their natural glory (i.e. "plain") when suddenly the pineapple on the counter caught my eye, and this idea was born. I'd already been toying with the thought of putting lite coconut milk on sweet potatoes, and fresh pineapple just seemed like a natural companion.

Here's how I did it. (These instructions are for one large sweet potato.)

First I cooked the sweet potato in the microwave until done. For two really big potatoes in my microwave, that took about 12 minutes, turning once, but your microwave time may vary. Once the sweet potato was done, I put it into the toaster oven at about 375 F for 10 minutes or so to get crispy.

Once it was crispy, I took it out of the oven, put it on a plate, and cut a slit from one end to to the other. I opened it up, scooped out most of the flesh, put that into a bowl and mashed it.

To the mashed potato, I added about 3 tablespoons lite coconut milk, a squirt of agave nectar, a generous sprinkling of cinnamon, a dash of salt, and about 1/3 cup chopped fresh pineapple. I mixed it up well, and carefully stuffed it back into the potato shell. Then I arranged more chopped pineapple on top, drizzled it with another tsp. or so of coconut milk and another tsp. of agave nectar, and sprinkled on a little more cinnamon. (Walnuts would have been great too, but I didn't think of that until now.)

I put it under the broiler for a few minutes to lightly brown the pineapple, and then I ate. It was heavenly! (Unfortunately, I couldn't get E. to even try it. She enjoyed hers with Earth Balance vegan margarine.)

Note about the fat: The amount of lite coconut milk I used has about 3 grams of fat, which is not much, at least not to me. If you want to leave out the coconut milk entirely, go ahead. The pineapple is much more essential to the delicious taste.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food low-fat

A Really Good Cup of Tea

We interrupt this blog to bring you...



...a really good cup of tea.

Since last night's dinner was unexciting (potatoes, peas, broccoli, and pineapple, singly, not in combination) I thought you might enjoy this picture of a cup of tea. But wait! It's not just any tea, it's Yogi Green Chai, quite possibly my new favorite tea.

More gingery than your regular Chai and less "green" tasting than other green teas, this tea is perfect for sipping in front of the fire on a cold afternoon. Oh, who am I kidding? I live in Mississippi and it's been in the 60's. I just drink it because it's delicious!

(I am not affiliated or employed in any way by Yogi Tea. They'd have to ask nicely.)

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian tea

Mexican Sushi

Even kids aren't immune to the power of the internet. Ever since my daughter saw the Vegan Lunch Box blog, she's wanted me to post a photo of her lunch. Today she took this photo of her favorite lunch-box meal, which we call Mexican Sushi (because she wishes she had a mother who would get up at 5:30 and fix her sushi!)

We warm up some fat-free refried beans, heat a fat-free tortilla, and then spread the beans all over one side of the tortilla. Then we put a strip of black olives, grape tomato halves, and lettuce down the middle and roll it up, jelly roll style. I cut it into four pieces and pack them in a cheapy plastic container (see photo). E. says that these stay nice and soft and she doesn't need to heat them up (which she could do since she has access to a microwave).

Not shown: $4.00 butterfly lunch-box

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Cajun 15-Bean Soup

Last night, along with the collard greens, I served Cajun 15-Bean Soup. I made it a little differently than my usual recipe, so here's my updated version. (The old version used Gimme Lean sausage, so if you're into fake meats, you might want to check it out.)

Cajun 15-Bean Soup

20 ounces dried mixed beans (you can find these prepackaged in most grocery stores), rinsed
12 cups water
1 large onion -- chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic -- minced
juice of one lemon
15-ounce can stewed tomatoes
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 1/2 teaspoons salt -- or to taste

Last night I saved some time by putting the beans into the pressure cooker with 8 cups water, cooking at high pressure for 12 minutes, and then releasing the pressure and cooking until the beans were completely cooked. If you use a pressure cooker, I advise letting the pressure come down naturally rather than quick-releasing. And if you have a quick-release setting on your PC, do not use it! I had beans stuck in my valve when I tried that.

If you don't want to pressure cook them, then place the washed beans in a pot with 12 cups of water and boil covered 60-75 minutes until beans are tender.

While the beans are boiling, brown the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in a non-stick skillet.

Add onion mixture, stewed tomatoes, and lemon juice to beans along with the spices and simmer 30-45 minutes. (If you started the beans in the pressure cooker, add 2 cups water at this time too.) Add liquid smoke and salt at the end. Serve with bread or over rice, or just by itself, as I did.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

What I did with those collards....

Well, I have to admit that they looked prettier in the garden, but they were pretty tasty. Since these were such young, tender greens, I decided to cook them in a non-traditional way.

Not Your Mama's Collards
(or Collards and Peppers in White Wine Sauce)

1 medium onion, chopped
2+ tbsp. water
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/4 cup vegetable broth
8 oz.-1 lb. collard greens, center ribs removed if necessary, and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/8 cup white wine

Heat the water in a large, non-stick pot, and begin cooking the onion over medium-high heat. Cook and stir the onion, adding more water as necessary, until it begins to caramelize, about 6-8 minutes. It should turn light brown but not dry out or burn. Add garlic and stir for one more minute.

Add the vegetable broth, greens, and sliced pepper. Cover and cook for about 6 minutes, until greens are tender yet still bright green. If your greens are older, it may take longer.

Add the wine and stir and cook for about 2 more minutes. Season to taste with salt, if desired, and serve.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Smoky Chipotle Guacamole

Lunch for me is usually an enormous salad topped with some kind of beans, either in the form of hummus or, when I'm in the mood for a Taco Salad, refried or chili beans. Today was a taco salad day, and since I had two avocados that had reached their peak of ripeness, I decided to top that salad with some guacamole:

Smoky Chipotle Guacamole

1 med-large tomato, diced
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 avocados, diced
2-3 tbsp. diced red onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1-2 tsp. chipotle chilies in adobo, minced
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix the diced tomatoes with the lemon juice, and then dice and add the avocado and remaining ingredients. Stir well. You can allow the flavors to mingle for a while in the fridge, or if you're impatient like me, you can dig in right away.

I have no idea how many "normal" people this serves because it didn't last for 10 minutes after my other two family members discovered it. Since we didn't have any tortillas in the house, they ate it with reduced-fat crackers. I couldn't get them to eat it on salad.

About the chipotles: I used the chipotles that are canned in adobo sauce. They're found in the Mexican or "ethnic" sections of many grocery stores. If you can't find them, you can substitute chipotle chili powder or any other chili powder. Chipotles are smoked jalapeños, and they give a smoky spiciness to this dish. Be aware, though, that they are very spicy, so use the "add a little, taste, add more" method if you're sensitive to heat.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food

What's Cooking in...My Garden

Last night my daughter and I ate leftover Ethiopian food and Vegetable Couscous, so I have nothing exciting to report from the kitchen. I thought I'd use this space today to show you what tonight's supper looks like about 10 hours before it's cooked:

The great thing about living in the south is that you can grow something edible at any time of the year. I just stuck these collard greens and some broccoli plants in the ground a couple of months ago, tossed on some compost from our pile, and let nature take over. Later today I'm going to harvest about half of the collards and cook them tonight.

The broccoli need a little more time, but here's a photo of the biggest one:

Tags: vegan vegetarian cooking

Vegetable Couscous

Last night's dinner was a cooperative effort: D. chopped the veggies, E. opened cans and boxes, and I threw everything together on the stove. As a result, this old favorite of ours came together in record time, about 20 minutes from start to finish. While it was cooking, I threw together a salad to complete the meal.

The recipe for Vegetable Couscous is straight out of Quick Vegetarian Pleasures by Jeanne Lemlin, except that I've eliminated the oil and butter she uses to sauté the onion and to cook the couscous. You don't need either, in my opinion. In a good skillet, either non-stick coated or well-seasoned, you can cook the onions over medium-high heat with a tablespoon or two of water and achieve the same results without added fat. And there's absolutely no reason to add fat to couscous; this quick-cooking pasta will come out fluffy and moist if you use the correct amount of boiling water and just take it off the heat so that it doesn't dry out.

For those of you who, like me, are cutting refined foods out of your diet, please feel free to serve this over a whole grain such as millet, quinoa, or brown rice. I had some leftover rice in the fridge, so that's how I ate mine. My daughter, AKA the "Pastavore," devoured hers with the couscous. I don't mind her having a little refined food every now and then, as long as she's getting plenty of veggies along with it.

Besides being tasty and quick, this recipe is dear to me for sentimental reasons: it was one of the first dishes D. cooked for me when we were dating. I was so impressed with a guy who could cook vegan! Of course, that was before we moved in together and I chased him out of the kitchen. Well, most of the time. I still let him do the chopping and washing up.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Ethiopian Night

I've loved Ethiopian food since I first had it on a visit to Washington, DC, years ago. Ever since then, I've looked for Ethiopian restaurants every place I've traveled because I never seem to be fortunate enough to live in a place that has one. The closest one to me now is about 3 1/2 hours away in Memphis, Tennessee. When I found that little restaurant, Memphis's appeal went up considerably!

Since I can't travel just in order to eat (though I can hardly think of a better reason!), I've managed to learn to make some passable Ethiopian-style dishes. Normally, Ethiopian food is served on and with a flat-bread called injera that is unlike any other bread I know. It's flat, but it's soft and spongy, not dense like a chapati or a tortilla. The food is served on top of one large injera, while additional injera is eaten with the food. You tear off a piece of injera and use it to pick up and eat a bite of food. It's brilliant! No utensils to wash!

Making injera at home is time-consuming, but it can be done. On run-of-the-mill nights I almost never go to the trouble. I rarely eat bread and prefer to stick to whole grains, so I serve Berberé Stew, a spicy lentil stew, over brown rice. The seasoning is rich with cinnamon, cloves, and nine other spices. I make up a big batch of the spice mix and keep it on hand to make this quick-cooking dish. It's simple, but it's one of my favorite recipes.

Last night I made a new dish to go along with the Berberé Stew. I had fresh green beans, so I decided on Ethiopian Green Beans and Potatoes. I made the recipe mostly as written, but I used 12 ounces of green beans instead of 8 and increased the seasonings a little to compensate. This was a much less spicy dish than the lentils, but its mildness was a good complement. It wasn't an exciting dish, but I'd have it again.

Now to start planning my next trip . . . .

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free ethiopian

Monterey Frittata

Last night I decided to give myself time off for good behavior. After being on my feet all day, I did what people down through the centuries have done when they're too tired to cook: ordered Middle Eastern food. Or at least that's what our ancestors would have done if they'd known the joys of hummus, tabouli, baba ganoush, falafel, and lentil-rice dish thingy and had had the Mediterranean Grocery and Café right down the street. Alas, folks, it was not fat-free. Now you know: I'm human, too!

To make up for last night's laziness, bright and early this morning (around 9) I got up and decided to cook breakfast. I'm not normally a breakfast person; a couple of pieces of fruit suit me just fine. And truth be told, a Monterey Frittata is complicated enough that I usually serve it for dinner. So don't try this on a workday morning.

This recipe was inspired by one on the back of the box of Fantastic Foods Tofu Scrambler . I've never been to Monterey, so I don't know why this frittata is named after it, but I liked the sound and decided to keep the name. I used Tofu Scrambler for years before deciding to put together my own scrambler mix, so if you want to save time and use the bought version, you won't hurt my feelings.

Monterey Frittata (serves 4)

1 pound firm or extra-firm tofu, drained (NOT silken!)
2 green onions, minced
1 can sliced or quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
10 button mushrooms, sliced (or mushrooms of choice)
2 large roma tomatoes, sliced
vegan parmesan (optional)
black olives, sliced

Seasoning Mix (mix all together):

1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. red pepper
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp. corn starch OR 2 tbsp. instant mashed potato flakes

Cheeze Sauce (based on a recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan):

1 cup water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. powdered garlic
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1 tablespoon tahini

Mash the tofu and add the seasoning mix, green onions, and artichokes. Set aside.

Heat a tablespoon or so of water in a small non-stick saucepan; add the mushrooms, green peppers, and garlic and cook until the mushrooms exude their juices. Drain the liquid off, and add half the mushroom mixture to the tofu.

Brush or spray a large non-stick skillet (use one that has a lid) with oil and heat to medium-high. Add the tofu to the skillet, and stir and cook it for a couple of minutes. Then flatten it, pressing it evenly over the entire pan. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 10 minutes.

While it's cooking, make your Cheeze Sauce. Blend all ingredients together in a blender (I actually use a hand blender and do it right in the pan) and pour into a saucepan. Heat it at medium-high, stirring constantly, until it boils and thickens. Add enough water or plain soymilk (a couple of tablespoons) to make it just pour-able. Keep it warm until ready to use.

Once the tofu is heated through, place the sliced tomatoes on top, and sprinkle the remaining mushroom mixture over them. (If you'd like, you can add vegan parmesan at this point, too.) Drizzle cheeze sauce over the top, using as much or as little as you'd like. (I use about 2/3 of the recipe and reserve the rest for another use.) Sprinkle black olives over the cheeze, replace the cover, and cook until the tomatoes are done (about 5 minutes). Slice carefully, and serve. Or better yet, put your feet up and have someone serve you!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Yep, I'm famous!

Now that Isa Chandra Moskowitz, author of the hot cookbook Vegan with a Vengeance, has mentioned me both on her livejournal and on her forum, you might think that my head would be getting too big for my modest-sized kitchen. And you would be right. I met my husband at the door with a big, "You won't believe who complimented my blog!" He knows who ICM is because he bought me her cookbook for Giftmas, by my request. So he was suitably impressed. But he did stop me from changing the banner at the top to a new one shouting, "As featured in the PPK forum!"

All this is by way of saying Thanks, Isa. And I don't mind at all that you stole that photo of my pumpkin soup. Now, if you could just help me get a book deal....

Hash Browns and Black Bean Burgers

Our meal time keeps getting later and later. Last night it was closing in on 7:30, and I still didn't have a clue what I was going to fix. I just knew that it was Friday night, and I did not want to be in the kitchen all night. (My husband, who does the dishes, also asked that it be a one-pot meal, but I callously ignored that.)

I decided to fix oven-baked hash browns before I knew what would go with them. While I weighed the merits of scrambled tofu or barbecued beans, I got the hash browns started. Here's what you do:

Preheat your oven to 400F. Start a pot of water boiling. Cut some small potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. I used about 10 2-inch diameter organic red potatoes, but you can use yukon gold or whatever. Since I leave the skin on, I wash them extra-well beforehand. When the water's boiling, toss the potato cubes into it and boil for 5 minutes.

Drain the potatoes well, and lightly oil, spray, or otherwise lubricate a cookie sheet. Spread the potatoes out on the sheet and bake them for about 10 minutes. Then turn them with a spatula and bake for 10 more. Check them for brownness. When they look almost done, you can toss in a handful of chopped bell peppers and onions and cook for 5 more minutes. Or you can skip the peppers and onions altogether, but just take them out before they're burned.

While they're still hot, sprinkle them with the seasonings of your choice. I used some hot and spicy powdered seasoning called Pico de Gallo on ours, but my daughter E. doesn't like spicy, so she had celery salt on hers.

While the hash browns were baking, I finally decided what would go with them: Black Bean Burgers. There are "official" recipes for black bean burgers, but I didn't feel like looking them up, so I made this up on the spot.

(E. took the photo, by the way. In one shot. Now that it's published here, she will never understand why Mom takes 30 photos of each dish.)

This makes 6 medium-sized burgers:

1 can black beans (about 16 ounces), drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp chipotle chili pepper (or chili powder of choice)
2 tbsp ground flax seed
(1 tbsp. corn starch, optional)

Start by sautéing the pepper and onion in a tablespoon of water, just until they start to soften. Mash the black beans and add the peppers and onions and the other ingredients; mix well.

Spray or brush a non-stick skillet with oil, and heat. Spoon the bean mixture into the hot skillet, forming patties. It's best to do this by dropping spoonfuls into the skillet and using the back of the spoon to shape; they don't do well if you try to form them into patties beforehand. Cook until well-browned on each side, turning once.

A note about the cornstarch: I made the first 3 burgers without it, and they were hard to turn without them falling apart. So I added a tablespoon of cornstarch to the remaining mixture. Those cooked up much more firm, but I don't think I cooked them long enough because I could taste the starch. I've reduced the amount to 1 tablespoon for the entire batch in my instructions above, but if you use it, be sure you cook them thoroughly.

That's it! I got the meal to the table in about 30 minutes, minus the time I spent taking photos. We served these with salsa, onions, black olives, jalapeños, lettuce, and tomatoes, but you can have them however you want. In fact, E. put hers on whole wheat bread with Nayonaise and Ketchup. (We don't know where that child got her taste buds!)

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Beet, Carrot, and Orange Salad

Beets are nutritional powerhouses (see below). I don't have much experience with them, but after reading about the glories of beets, I decided to give them a try:

Beet, Carrot, and Orange Salad

1 large beet, peeled
2 large carrots
2 oranges
grated fresh ginger or ginger powder, to taste

Shred the carrots and the beet (using a food processor is strongly advised). Cut one of the oranges in half, and squeeze the juice from one half into a cup. Peel and dice the remaining oranges and toss the pieces into a bowl with the shredded beets and carrots. Mix ginger to taste with the orange juice and add it to the salad. Toss well and serve, chilled or at room temperature.

This has to be the reddest thing I've ever made. (I had to resist the impulse to call it Bloody Salad.) If you've never worked with beets before, do yourself a favor and invest in some latex gloves because my hands are still stained, and I used a food processor.

Even with the novelty of having salad that can double as lipstick, my daughter wasn't thrilled with this dish. She did manage to eat it, though, by stirring it into her split pea soup. Go figure! (Note to self: E. will eat anything mixed into split pea soup.) Husband D. and I liked it a little better than she did. It has an "earthy" taste that takes some getting used to, but I think we'll try it again. Well, we have to. I have one more beet in the fridge!

Nutritional Note

According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman,

The fibers and compounds in beets provide anti-oxidant benefits and help the heart by lowering cholesterol. The pigment that gives beets their rich, purple-crimson color—betacyanin—is also a powerful cancer-fighting agent. Beets’ effectiveness against colon cancer, in particular, has been demonstrated in several studies, and beets contain compounds that have been found to inhibit cell mutations. In other words,the phytochemicals in beets aid our protective armor against disease.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Curried Split Pea Soup with Cauliflower

You might think that I plan all my dinners in advance, but the truth is I rarely decide what I'm going to cook until 5 minutes before I start. I like to keep my options open, so I keep a fairly well-stocked pantry and adapt recipes when I don't have the exact ingredients.

I mention this because last night I was coming into the kitchen to prepare a couple of Ethiopian dishes when my daughter said, "Will you cook split pea soup? I want to have it in my thermos for lunch tomorrow." Since I'm always happy when she takes something other than a sandwich for lunch, I quickly changed courses. Besides, split pea soup is so quick and easy to make in the pressure cooker. (Subject for another day: If you don't have a PC, run out and buy one now!)

There are as many variations on split pea soup as there are cooks, and Curried Split Pea Soup is one of my three favorites. I think that steamed cauliflower goes well with split pea soup; in fact, I always wind up dipping my cauliflower into the soup. Last night I decided to streamline the cooking/dipping process and just cook the cauliflower in the soup, so this is what I did:

1 teaspoon each whole cumin, fennel, and black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
2 cups coarsely chopped onions
3 large carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices
6 cups boiling water
2 cups dried green or yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
1-2 tablespoons mild curry powder (to taste)
Salt to taste (optional)
1 pound fresh or frozen cauliflower, chopped

Spray the bottom of the cooker with non-stick spray, or add just a tiny bit of oil (1 tsp.), and begin heating it. Add the cumin, fennel, and black mustard seeds over medium-high heat and toast them for about 10 seconds (they may or may not begin to pop). Stir in the ginger, garlic, and onions and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for another minute. Add the carrots, boiling water (stand back to avoid sputtering), split peas (I used yellow this time), and curry powder. Stir well to be sure that no bits of onion or spices have gotten stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Lower the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 6 minutes. Allow the pressure to come down naturally for about 10 minutes, then quick-release the pressure (place the pot under cold running water if your PC doesn't have a quick-release button). Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape.

Add the chopped cauliflower, replace the lid, and heat over low heat until the cauliflower is just cooked, about 5 minutes. This also works with frozen chopped cauliflower (no need to thaw first). Stir in salt. (If no salt is desired, try stirring in fresh lemon juice a tablespoon at a time until the flavor is to your liking.) If the soup is too thick, thin it with water or stock.

There you go--soup and a vegetable all in one!

Next up: the incredibly red salad I served with this....

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Two Salads

Last night we ordered sushi from our favorite Japanese restaurant. Mmmm--avocado rolls, asparagus rolls, and vegetable rolls. Sushi, even sushi made only with vegetables, is ridiculously expensive, so I try to keep costs down by ordering less and making side dishes at home. Normally I make miso soup and edamame, but last night I decided to make a couple of salads.

We started the meal off with a simple green salad with a Sesame-Miso-Ginger Dressing. I started with a bed of baby spinach and other lettuces sprinkled with some pre-packaged broccoli slaw. To make the dressing, I used my hand-blender to combine the following:

1/4 cup red miso
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoons mirin (Japanese rice wine)
2-3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
several pieces of pickled ginger

Grated fresh ginger or even ginger powder will also work in this recipe, and you can add more water as needed. Warning: it's a very concentrated dressing, so just drizzle it over your salad.



The second salad (which I actually made first) we saved for dessert: Persian Fruit Salad. I began a recipe on this page when half-way through making it I realized that I didn't have any orange juice or enough bananas. (When will I ever learn to check for ingredients before I start cooking?) This adaptation was the result:

2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small red grapefruit, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup chopped dried figs (I used 1 pkg, which I think was 10 ounces)
1 banana, sliced
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup water
6 pitted dates
1/8 cup chopped almonds

Combine the apples, oranges, grapefruit, figs, and banana. (Note: be sure to cut the little stems off the figs first.) Put the lemon juice, water, and dates into the blender, and blend until liquefied. Pour over the top of the fruit and toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Shortly before serving, sprinkle with the almonds.

If your fruit isn't very sweet, you may add a little agave nectar or other sweetener, but I liked it just this way.


Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Over-Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Last night was a quick meal night, so I baked potatoes, sautéed some mushrooms with garlic and a drop of red wine, steamed broccoli, heated chickpeas, and made a "cheezy" sauce. Simple and relatively fast.

The only hitch was, instead of going with one of the vegan cheeze sauces we've tried before, I decided to try the recipe for this fondue, figuring it could double as a cheeze sauce. Big mistake. Maybe my miso (which came from an Asian market) was stronger than the miso the recipe writer uses, but it overwhelmed the taste of the other ingredients and was too salty even without adding salt. It was the first time that I've made a cheese sauce that was completely inedible. I wound up throwing it out and using a packet of Chreese powder that I had in the pantry. (Though I like most vegan cheese sauces, my daughter E. has one true love, Chreese, so I buy it for her.) I really hate throwing food away, and I really wanted that recipe to be the one that lured E. away from Chreese!

Back to the potato "recipe": I made our potato toppings and then we loaded our potatoes down and ate. Simple simple simple!

Time-saving note: I cook the potatoes in the microwave and then transfer them to a hot toaster oven for 10-15 minutes. This gives them a crispier skin and that baked taste, but saves time.

Also, two recipes for "cheese" sauce that I do recommend are Nacho Cheaze and Melty Pizza Cheese. You can find more here.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Twice is Nice Tuesday

Karina over at recipes from a gluten free goddess has started a Tuesday theme: take your leftovers and use them in a new recipe. All of you with food blogs and leftover food are invited to participate. Just post your recipe on your blog (gluten-free recipes preferred) and drop Karina a line and she'll feature it.

I'd love to take part, but we never have leftovers, unless steamed rice counts. What can I say? We're gluttons! :-)

Mexican Pumpkin Soup and Garlicky Greens

It's amazing how sometimes the best vegan recipes are adaptations of meat-laden ones. Last night's meal is a perfect example. I finally cooked the little pie pumpkin that has been on my counter since November, but then I had no idea what to do with it. I went looking for a soup recipe, but all of them were these creamy, pureed concoctions, and I wanted something chunky and hearty and which used pinto beans. Yes, sometimes I get a taste in mind and get quite picky.

Finally I found a recipe similar to what I wanted...except it used chorizo and heavy cream. That recipe is here, for all you fans of chorizo and cream. For those of you who don't want all the animal products, I give you my delicious, healthy version.

Mexican Pumpkin Soup

1 large onion chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups pureed cooked pumpkin or 1 cup canned pumpkin
1 16-ounce can chili beans
1 tbsp. seeded diced jalapeño
5 medium red potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoons oregano
pinch of cayenne or other red pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/3 cup soy milk
salt, to taste
cilantro or parsley

Heat a large pot. Sauté most of the onions (reserve a few for garnish) over medium heat until they soften; add garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add in the broth, pumpkin, chili beans, jalapeño, and potatoes. Stir in the oregano, cayenne, and cumin. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.

Simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the soy milk, add salt to taste, and serve immediately garnished with cilantro or parsley and onion (and extra diced jalapeño, if desired).

Note: I wanted to use plain pinto beans in this, but I was all out. If you use pinto beans instead of the chili beans, increase the seasonings and add some chili powder.

This was wonderful! Even daughter E. was asking for seconds almost before she'd finished the first bowl. The pumpkin makes a lovely, rich orange broth. This is a very mild, delicately-flavored dish, not spicy at all, so if you like more heat, increase the seasonings.


Along with this I served Garlicky Greens, and I have to say that they were less well received. I used rainbow chard, which was beautiful, but the amount of lemon in this recipe is just too much. I didn't mind so much, but my daughter couldn't finish hers because it was "too sour"; husband D. ate his but agreed that there was too much lemon. Next time, I'll just use a squeeze.


Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Banana-Date-Walnut Muffins

I've been thinking about banana bread ever since I saw this banana bread recipe on the Knocked Up Vegan blog. This morning I had a houseful of girls: my daughter E. had her friends J. and K. over to spend the night since today is a school holiday. I decided that instead of filling several breakfast orders (one loves grits, one likes cereal, one says she always eats bacon...) I'd make muffins. I took a look at Miriam's banana bread recipe (above) for ideas and then took a look at some of the muffin recipes in Vegan with a Vengeance for more inspiration. I then decided to wing it! The result was these amazing, tender, fat-free muffins.

Here's how I did it:

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup natural sugar (I used the large crystal, unbleached kind)
3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1-1/4 cups)
1/2 cup vanilla soymilk
1/3 cup natural apple sauce
2 tbsp. agave nectar
1/4 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (omit to reduce fat)

Preheat the oven to 400 and spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray. Sift together the flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, mash the banana with the sugar, soymilk, apple sauce, and agave nectar.

Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Add in the dates and walnuts, and pour into 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve to everyone who came running toward the aroma of fresh baked banana muffins!

These came out very light and sweet; J. actually asked if I had any "regular" muffins because "these are too sweet." You can probably reduce the sugar with no ill effects. Enjoy!

Makes 12 muffins. Each (including walnuts) contains 144 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat; (10% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 171mg Sodium; 2g Fiber.

Without walnuts: 128 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (2% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 171mg Sodium; 2g Fiber.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Down-home Southern Food

Every now and then I get back to my Southern roots and prepare a meal of simple vegetables. This is the kind of meal I grew up eating regularly. Back then, my siblings and I were always dismayed when my mother prepared a "meal of vegetables," but I now appreciate all the fresh produce my mother prepared and served.
Well, my produce last night wasn't so fresh, and I'm afraid there aren't any real recipes for this. I used frozen turnip greens (with turnips) and frozen lima beans because they're fast and they're probably more nutrient-rich than what's available fresh right now. Vegetables are flash-frozen right after harvest, preserving their nutrients; fresh produce that has to travel long distances often loses a lot of its nutritional value.

My basic technique for both the limas and the greens is this: sauté some combination of onion, peppers (red or green), and celery in some water until tender. Add the limas or greens and enough water to barely cover. Add seasonings and cook until tender, about half an hour. I added marjoram and basil to the limas and red pepper flakes to the greens, but you can add your favorite seasonings. If you like a "hammy" flavor, you can add liquid smoke, if you don't mind the chemicals. Just before serving the turnip greens, I add a splash of vinegar; last night it was red wine vinegar with garlic, but I change it up every time.

The corn couldn't be simpler. I opened a can of salt-free corn and added chopped green pepper, pepper, and red pepper flakes. (I don't usually like canned corn, but this salt-free corn was sweet and very crunchy. It's the closest to fresh-tasting that I've ever had. If you think that canned corn tastes too mushy, give salt-free a try.) I just heated until it was hot throughout and served.

I served the vegetable plate with hot sauce on the side. My husband and I polished off everything!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Thanks, Mark!

A big thank you to Mark at SoulVeggie for his incredible mention of my blog: Must-see New Vegan Blog! I'm really honored, flattered, and, yes, embarrassed. I truly don't deserve the term "esteemed"!

Thanks, Mark, for your kind words and for all you do for the cause of vegetarianism. Folks, if you're not familiar with Mark's blog (or his work on The Mad Cowboy Newsletter) then head over now and check it out.

Thai-Style Vegetable Curry

We had a wonderful meal last night, and I found the recipe purely by accident. We hadn't gone to the store in days, so our selection of produce was running low. Basically, all we had in the fridge was broccoli. I also had a partial can of coconut milk I wanted to use up (from when I made the Coconut Basmati Rice) and a pumpkin that has been sitting on my counter forever.

It was getting late and I was wondering if I could cook the pumpkin quickly in the pressure cooker, and as I was paging through Lorna Sass' Great Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure, I saw this recipe. It uses coconut milk and broccoli, and I thought briefly about subbing pumpkin for the sweet potatoes, but as fortune would have it, I had a couple of sweet potatoes in the pantry. I replaced the green beans the recipe called for with chickpeas, and voilà: Thai-Style Vegetable Curry served with Red Brown Rice.

Thai-Style Vegetable Curry served with Red Brown Rice.

1 large bunch broccoli
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup lite coconut milk plus 1 cup soymilk (see note)
2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons finely ground dried lemongrass (use fresh if you have it)
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves (omit if using fresh basil at the end)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Generous pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)
10 large fresh basil leaves, snipped (optional)

Note about the coconut milk: The original recipe called for 2 cups, but I wouldn't use that much even if I had it. I cut the fat by using the coconut milk I had, about 1 cup, and filling out the rest with soymilk, water, and a splash of coconut extract. You can make this recipe much less high in fat by omitting the coconut milk completely and using only soy milk and coconut extract.

Cut the florets from the broccoli stalks and cut each floret so that the top measures about 1 inch across. Peel off the thick outer skin of the stalks and cut the stalks into 1/2-inch dice. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of water in the pressure cooker. Cook the garlic over medium- high heat, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, lemongrass, dried basil, spices, red pepper flakes, reserved broccoli stalks, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms.
Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure. Lower the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 2 minutes.

Reduce the pressure with a quick release method. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow any excess steam to escape.

Stir in the broccoli florets and chickpeas. Replace (but do not lock) the lid and cook over medium heat until broccoli is tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil (if using) just before serving.

I served it over red brown rice, which I found in an Asian supermarket. You can serve it over any grain you want, or just eat it out of a soup bowl. The potatoes break down slightly and form a delicious sauce with the coconut milk.

We all three loved this dish. And it was quick, too. As my husband said, "Definitely a keeper!"

Serves 6-8

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (11.8 ounces).



Ingredient analysis uses 1 cup of Thai Kitchen lite coconut milk and 1 cup of regular soymilk. Nutrient amounts will vary if different brands or ingredients are used.

Labels: Gluten-Free, Higher-Fat, Pressure Cooker

Spicy Red Pepper Hummus and a Movie

Friday night is usually DVD night here, and we normally try to pick something that we can watch as a family. But since our 8-year-old daughter was having a sleep-over at the neighbors', we were able to watch something a little more adult. We chose Hustle & Flow, which we really liked. Terrence Howard's performance was excellent.

Since we were planning to eat in front of the TV, I chose something simple: Spicy Red Pepper Hummus stuffed in whole wheat pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and a few calamata olives.

Here are the ingredients:

3-4 cloves garlic
3 cups (or 2 15-ounce cans) cooked chickpeas
cooking liquid from the beans (or water)
juice of 1/2-1 lemon
2 tablespoons tahini
1/2 tsp. cumin
Harrisa, or other hot pepper sauce, to taste*
chipotle chili powder (optional)
salt (to taste)
10 ounce jar of roasted red peppers

Throw the garlic into a running food processor. Add the chickpeas and begin processing. Add the lemon juice and tahini. (I used half of a very large yet mild homegrown lemon. For regular lemons, I'd start with half, check the flavor, and add more if needed.) If needed, add 1/4 cup bean cooking liquid or water, just enough so that the chickpeas become a smooth paste. Add the cumin, the harrisa, chipotle powder, salt, and half of the roasted red peppers. Process until smooth. Taste for spiciness and add more harrisa as needed.

Add the remaining roasted red peppers and pulse to coarsely chop. Enjoy as a dip or sandwich filling!

*Harrisa (also spelled harissa) is a Tunisian hot pepper sauce. I buy the Ziyad brand in a local Middle Eastern grocery store. If you can't find harrisa, feel free to use any other spicy pepper sauce you have on hand. I started with a teaspoon of sauce and kept adding until it reached the spiciness we like, probably about 2 teaspoons. I also used about 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder just to increase the smoky flavor. Play with the seasonings and adjust them to your tastes.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food

Ful Nabed (Egyptian Bean and Vegetable Soup) and Sauteed Zucchini and Mushrooms

For the third night in a row, I had someplace I had to be just before or after dinner time, so once again I was looking for a quick, easy meal. I decided to go with an old favorite, Ful Nabed, a fava bean soup with carrots and tomatoes. If your carrots are fresh, you can have this ready in about 20 minutes:

To go along with this, I needed a quick vegetable, so drawing inspiration from this post, I came up with this rough recipe for Sauteed Zucchini and Mushrooms:

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 medium-large zucchini, halved and sliced 1/2 inch thick
2-3 cups sliced mushrooms
about 1/3 cup vegetable broth or water
basil
salt and pepper

In a non-stick wok or skillet, heat about 2 tbsp of the vegetable broth on medium-high and add the garlic. Let it cook for about 1 minute and add the zucchini, stirring to coat. Cover and cook about 5 minutes, adding a minimal amount of liquid as necessary to prevent sticking.

Uncover and stir the zucchini, letting the water evaporate a little and the zucchini to brown, just a little. This should take about 1 minute. Then add the mushrooms, a little more liquid, the basil, salt, and pepper, to taste. Cover and cook for about 2 more minutes, stirring frequently. Zucchini should be bright green and tender, but not mushy. The finished product looks like this:

This was so good that my daughter went back for seconds. And she always claims she hates zucchini!

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

Crockpot Eggplant and Tomato Stew with Garbanzo Beans

I don't use the crockpot as often as I probably should, but it came in handy last night when I had a meeting around the time I'd normally be making dinner. Around 3:30 in the afternoon, I started chopping vegetables, and by 3:45, Crockpot Eggplant and Tomato Stew with Garbanzo Beans was in the crockpot and cooking.

The recipe makes a lot. This is how filled my large-ish crockpot was:


I did use a whole can of kidney beans instead of the cup called for, but even with the recommended amount of beans called for, this is a large recipe and would overfill a smaller crockpot.

In addition to increasing the kidney beans, I also increased the seasonings near the end of the cooking time; around here, we like our food highly seasoned! But the biggest change is in the cooking time. I let it cook for the full 4 hours on high, and it was still undercooked. I had to scoop out about half of it, put that into a microwavable dish, and nuke it for 5 minutes because we were starving. I think 5-6 hours on high is probably more accurate.

Overall, we liked this. I think my husband liked it the most, which surprised him. He was hoping for Vindaloo Vegetables and was disappointed that I'd made something different, but he said he'd give it about 8 out of 10. I give it about a 6. There wasn't anything wrong with it, and I'd eat it again, but there wasn't anything special about it either.

My daughter, well, she said she liked only the beans and chickpeas. She's not a big fan of eggplant, but she did eat a small bowl of it (before asking for dessert, a banana). It's probably a 4 or a 5 for her.

I served this with a large salad. Simple meal, but filling.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian

Welcome to Moe's!

Well, here's a sorry way to begin a blog about cooking. Last night we got take-out. From a fast food restaurant. How, you say, does a vegan on a low-fat, whole-foods diet do take-out? And I say, welcome to Moe's!

(Link warning: Don't click on it unless you're in a place where loud noises and music coming from your computer will not arouse suspicion!) Moe's Southwest Grill is my family's favorite (only?) fast-food restaurant. It offers something that other fast-food places wouldn't dream of serving--TOFU. All the ingredients are fresh, no lard or animal fat is used in the beans, and you can get marinated tofu instead of meat on anything. You go through a line Subway-style and tell them exactly what to put on your burrito, salad, or fajita, so it's easy to lose the cheese and sour cream. For those of us watching our bread intake, you can ask for your burrito "naked" or you can get a salad without the tortilla shell around it.

Sorry. I sound like an advertisement. I guess I'm feeling a bit guilty for not cooking last night. But it was late, I'd spent too much time online, and I had a class to go to at 7:00! And...and...and...we were celebrating my child's straight-A report card, so it was a family obligation. :-)

I'll redeem myself today. I've got to be at a meeting at 5:00, so I'll make something in the crockpot during the day and report back later.

Tags: vegan vegetarian restaurants

Last Night's Dinner

Last night's dinner was a limited success. Let me start with the positive. The big hit of the evening was this Coconut Basmati Rice:




I adapted this from a Moosewood recipe that called for white basmati rice, and it was SO good. It's very faintly sweet from the coconut milk and lightly spiced by the cinnamon stick. No leftovers left over!

I'd already decided to make the coconut rice, but I also had a couple of kohlrabi in the fridge that I needed to use before they went bad. Well, I have almost no experience with kohlrabi, so I went to google and searched for "kohlrabi indian." This was the first item that came up: indian inspired kohlrabi. I had all the ingredients on hand, and it looked easy to leave the oil out, so I went for it.

My kohlrabies must have been tough because it took longer than the recipe said for them to cook. Also, my biggest tip about kohlrabi is make sure you peel it deeply and thoroughly: we were spitting out fibrous pieces of skin every few bites. Yuck! I may have to face the fact that I just don't like kohlrabi too much; it wasn't bad, but it didn't really do much for me. I didn't bother to take a photo.

We also had some curried cabbage that I just threw together without a recipe. I started some garlic sizzling in a dry pan, threw some mustard seeds and madras curry powder in, added a little water and about 1/2 a head of sliced cabbage. Covered and cooked until tender. This was pretty good, but too spicy for my 8-year-old. The photo came out a funky yellow color, so I won't bother to post it.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free

The Obligatory Test

I'm a complete blog novice, so I'll be spending some time setting up the blog and getting used to how it works. Then I'll be posting about the new recipes that I try, particularly from the Fatfree Vegan Recipes site. Should be fun!