It's snowing outside right now and this just looked like the perfect fix. It's simmering in the kitchen as I type this and smells waaaayy yummy!
1 cup medium pearl barley
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. fennel seed
9-oz. pkg. baby carrots
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups frozen green beans
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 (14 oz). cans vegetable broth
4 cups water
14-oz. can diced tomatoes with herbs, undrained
Place all ingredients except tomatoes in a 5-6 quart crockpot in the order given. Do not stir. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir soup and add tomatoes. Cover crockpot and cook for 10-15 minutes longer until soup is hot.
Remove bay leaf before serving.
10 servings
Monday, December 7, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Sweet Potatoes and Greens
I have been procrastinating about making this dish for a couple of weeks. I found it in the People magazine of all things! My sister came over for a visit today and she dove in and helped me with the prep (which was pretty pathetically minimal at best) and we created this masterpiece! We just couldn't get enough of it. The whole dish was wiped out tonight!
2 or 3 large sweet potatoes
2 bunches of greens (chard, kale or collards)
2 cloves of garlic, minced (I used like 4)
juice of half of 1 lemon
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
salt and pepper
1/4 T. olive or vegetable oil (we added a little sesame oil for fun)
Peel and cut sweet potatoes into bite-size pieces. (The size of the pieces is less important than making them uniform).
Heat half the oil in pan over medium heat and add potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just brown on all sides and soft. (About 12-15 minutes, depending on size. If the potatoes become very dark before they are soft, reduce heat.) When they are cooked, add spices and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
While the potatoes are cooking, wash the greens (do not dry), remove stems and cut leaves into small pieces. Heat remaining oil over medium heat, add the garlic and cook for a minute before adding greens. Stir often and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Combine potatoes, honey and lemon juice with the greens, stir and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
2 or 3 large sweet potatoes
2 bunches of greens (chard, kale or collards)
2 cloves of garlic, minced (I used like 4)
juice of half of 1 lemon
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
salt and pepper
1/4 T. olive or vegetable oil (we added a little sesame oil for fun)
Peel and cut sweet potatoes into bite-size pieces. (The size of the pieces is less important than making them uniform).
Heat half the oil in pan over medium heat and add potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just brown on all sides and soft. (About 12-15 minutes, depending on size. If the potatoes become very dark before they are soft, reduce heat.) When they are cooked, add spices and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
While the potatoes are cooking, wash the greens (do not dry), remove stems and cut leaves into small pieces. Heat remaining oil over medium heat, add the garlic and cook for a minute before adding greens. Stir often and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Combine potatoes, honey and lemon juice with the greens, stir and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Black Bean Enchiladas with Warm Salsa Verde
The twins and I whipped this together in no time flat. It was pretty fun working together in the kitchen with them. What's more? Yeah, it was pretty frickin awesome!
Enchiladas:
8 soft corn tortillas (we used like 10-11)
1 recipe black bean filling
1 recipe warm salsa verde
10-1/2 oz. grated vegan Mexican cheeses
Black bean filling:
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small white onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained but not rinsed (whoops, we drained ours, it was great regardless)
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbs. tomato paste
Coarse salt to taste
Warm Salsa Verde:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 small white onion, grated or minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 14-oz can vegetable stock
1 tsp. ground cumin
coarse salt to taste
1 ripe avacado
Chopped fresh oregano leaves from 1 or 2 stems (optional)
Directions:
1. To make enchiladas: Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil, and heat in oven at 275F until fillings and sauce are ready.
2. To make black bean filling: heat oil in large skillet, and add garlic. Grate onion into pan with a hand grater (I just threw mine in the food processor). Add jalapeno. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add beans, and mash with back of a fork. Stir in cumin and tomato paste, and season with salt.
3. To make warm salsa verde: Place tomatillos in a food processor, and pulse to a coarsely ground paste.
4. Heat garlic in oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. When garlic begins to sizzle, grate onion with a hand grater directly into pan (um, food processor again for me). Add jalapeno. Heat onion and jalapeno through for 1-2 iminutes, and add ground tomatillos. Simmer tomatillos with onion for 5 minutes. Add stock and seasonings.
5. Halve avocado with skin on by cutting in and down to the pit all around avocado. Separate avacado halves, and scoop out pit with a large spoon. Scoop flesh out of skins and into pot. Mash with back of a fork. Stir avocado into sauce to thicken it (at this point, I put it all in the Vitamix and blended it). Return sauce to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to warm until enchiladas are assembled.
6. Preheat broiler
7. Scoop some sauce onto bottom of a casserole dish or shallow serving platter. To make an enchilada, place 1-2 scoops of filling down center of a tortilla, and roll. Place filled tortillas seam side down into sauce on platter or casserole. Line up tortillas, one next to another, and top with remaining sauce and grated cheeses. Melt cheeses under broiler and serve immediately with warm salsa verde. (I just poured the salsa verde over the enchiladas and then put the cheese over the top and broiled it - it was pretty fantastic and easier).
Enchiladas:
8 soft corn tortillas (we used like 10-11)
1 recipe black bean filling
1 recipe warm salsa verde
10-1/2 oz. grated vegan Mexican cheeses
Black bean filling:
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small white onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained but not rinsed (whoops, we drained ours, it was great regardless)
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbs. tomato paste
Coarse salt to taste
Warm Salsa Verde:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 small white onion, grated or minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 14-oz can vegetable stock
1 tsp. ground cumin
coarse salt to taste
1 ripe avacado
Chopped fresh oregano leaves from 1 or 2 stems (optional)
Directions:
1. To make enchiladas: Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil, and heat in oven at 275F until fillings and sauce are ready.
2. To make black bean filling: heat oil in large skillet, and add garlic. Grate onion into pan with a hand grater (I just threw mine in the food processor). Add jalapeno. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add beans, and mash with back of a fork. Stir in cumin and tomato paste, and season with salt.
3. To make warm salsa verde: Place tomatillos in a food processor, and pulse to a coarsely ground paste.
4. Heat garlic in oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. When garlic begins to sizzle, grate onion with a hand grater directly into pan (um, food processor again for me). Add jalapeno. Heat onion and jalapeno through for 1-2 iminutes, and add ground tomatillos. Simmer tomatillos with onion for 5 minutes. Add stock and seasonings.
5. Halve avocado with skin on by cutting in and down to the pit all around avocado. Separate avacado halves, and scoop out pit with a large spoon. Scoop flesh out of skins and into pot. Mash with back of a fork. Stir avocado into sauce to thicken it (at this point, I put it all in the Vitamix and blended it). Return sauce to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to warm until enchiladas are assembled.
6. Preheat broiler
7. Scoop some sauce onto bottom of a casserole dish or shallow serving platter. To make an enchilada, place 1-2 scoops of filling down center of a tortilla, and roll. Place filled tortillas seam side down into sauce on platter or casserole. Line up tortillas, one next to another, and top with remaining sauce and grated cheeses. Melt cheeses under broiler and serve immediately with warm salsa verde. (I just poured the salsa verde over the enchiladas and then put the cheese over the top and broiled it - it was pretty fantastic and easier).
Friday, November 6, 2009
Spicy Tofu Lettuce Wraps
We had this for dinner tonight. The twins snarfed every bite and went back for more. I didn't put in the extra chili sauce because the hoisin sauce was spicy enough for them. Skip would have preferred the more spicier version, I'm sure. Anyway, I scored this yummy recipe from my Vegetarian Times magazine.
Filling:
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 Tbs. minced lemongrass
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. extra-firm tofu, crumbled
1 8-oz. can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
4 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
4 Tbs. hoisin sauce
1-2 tsp. vegetarian chile sauce
16 butter lettuce leaves
Garnishes:
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts
Hoisin and chile sauces
1. To make Filling: Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, lemongrass, and garlic, and cook 7-10 minutes, or until onions are soft and beginning to brown. Add tofu and water chestnuts, breaking tofu into small crumbles; cook 4 minutes, or until heated through. Stir in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and chile sauce. Transfer to a serving bowl.
2. Place lettuce leaves on platter, and set out garnishes in small serving bowls. Let guests wrap tofu mixture in lettuce leaves, and top with their choice of garnishes.
Filling:
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 Tbs. minced lemongrass
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. extra-firm tofu, crumbled
1 8-oz. can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
4 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
4 Tbs. hoisin sauce
1-2 tsp. vegetarian chile sauce
16 butter lettuce leaves
Garnishes:
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts
Hoisin and chile sauces
1. To make Filling: Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, lemongrass, and garlic, and cook 7-10 minutes, or until onions are soft and beginning to brown. Add tofu and water chestnuts, breaking tofu into small crumbles; cook 4 minutes, or until heated through. Stir in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and chile sauce. Transfer to a serving bowl.
2. Place lettuce leaves on platter, and set out garnishes in small serving bowls. Let guests wrap tofu mixture in lettuce leaves, and top with their choice of garnishes.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Vegan Pumpkin Pie - Sugar Free!!
I found this pie recipe online and adapted it to accomodate my need to eliminate sugar from my life. Since I've just joined Weight Watchers (again) I calculated the points value and came up with 3-1/2 points per serving (based on each pie yielding 8 servings).
1 (16 oz) can plain pumpkin
1/4 cup blended tofu (measure after blending)
1 teaspoon stevia
1 Tablespoon molasses
2 Tb. flour
1/8 tsp. salt
2-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. allspice
3/4 tsp. cloves
1-1/2 cup evaporated soymilk (recipe follows)
2 9" pie crusts, regular dish (this is a big deal because I got deep dish and the filling got lost inside the pie crust)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Mix ingredients in order given, mix well
pour into shells and bake at 425 for 15 minutes
Reduce heat to 350 and continue to bake for another 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted int he center of pie comes out clean (I don't know about this because my knife certainly DID NOT come out clean but when the pie cooled it was perfect)
EVAPORATED SOYMILK
4 cups soymilk (I used vanilla soy)
Heat soymilk in a large pot over medium high heat. Bring to a low boil and allow to cook, stirring constantly, until reduced to 1-1/2 cups
1 (16 oz) can plain pumpkin
1/4 cup blended tofu (measure after blending)
1 teaspoon stevia
1 Tablespoon molasses
2 Tb. flour
1/8 tsp. salt
2-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. allspice
3/4 tsp. cloves
1-1/2 cup evaporated soymilk (recipe follows)
2 9" pie crusts, regular dish (this is a big deal because I got deep dish and the filling got lost inside the pie crust)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Mix ingredients in order given, mix well
pour into shells and bake at 425 for 15 minutes
Reduce heat to 350 and continue to bake for another 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted int he center of pie comes out clean (I don't know about this because my knife certainly DID NOT come out clean but when the pie cooled it was perfect)
EVAPORATED SOYMILK
4 cups soymilk (I used vanilla soy)
Heat soymilk in a large pot over medium high heat. Bring to a low boil and allow to cook, stirring constantly, until reduced to 1-1/2 cups
Moo Shu Tofu
We had this for dinner tonight and it was pretty fabulous. Jacob had three helpings! Even Skip had seconds (yeah, he doesn't really dig eating vegan foods). I added some kale for extra color.
2 tsp. vegetable oil
12 oz. extra firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups packaged coleslaw mix
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1-1/2 cups sweet red peppers, sliced
1 cup scallions, sliced
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. minced ginger root
2 Tbsp soy sauce
10 medium flour tortillas, taco size
Hoisin sauce
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add tofu and cook over high heat, 5 minutes, turning occasionally until golden. Remove to a plate.
Heat remaining teaspoon oil in skillet. Add coleslaw mix, mushrooms, and pepper and stir-fry over high heat, 5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Add scallions, garlic and ginger and stir-fry 1 minute until fragrant.
Remove skillet from heat and stir in soy sauce.
To serve, heat tortillas (I wrapped them in foil and left them in a warm oven while I prepared the rest of the meal). Spread each tortilla with about 2 teaspoons of hoisin sauce and top each with about 1/2 cup of the tofu mixture. Roll up and fold in 1 end of tortilla to seal in mixture.
Note: This is a Weight Watcher recipe and is 6 points per serving (5 servings total).
2 tsp. vegetable oil
12 oz. extra firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups packaged coleslaw mix
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1-1/2 cups sweet red peppers, sliced
1 cup scallions, sliced
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. minced ginger root
2 Tbsp soy sauce
10 medium flour tortillas, taco size
Hoisin sauce
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add tofu and cook over high heat, 5 minutes, turning occasionally until golden. Remove to a plate.
Heat remaining teaspoon oil in skillet. Add coleslaw mix, mushrooms, and pepper and stir-fry over high heat, 5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Add scallions, garlic and ginger and stir-fry 1 minute until fragrant.
Remove skillet from heat and stir in soy sauce.
To serve, heat tortillas (I wrapped them in foil and left them in a warm oven while I prepared the rest of the meal). Spread each tortilla with about 2 teaspoons of hoisin sauce and top each with about 1/2 cup of the tofu mixture. Roll up and fold in 1 end of tortilla to seal in mixture.
Note: This is a Weight Watcher recipe and is 6 points per serving (5 servings total).
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Tofu Kale Stir-Fry
This is what I was making when my man came home tonight. He wasn't that interested but I served him up a plate nonetheless. He didn't say much but his plate was cleaned. I really liked it.
1-2 Tbs. oil
1 block extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed, pressed, cubed
1 bunch kale, deveined and ripped into small pieces
1/2 tsp. chili flakes
1/4+ ginger powder (I used fresh ginger, grated)
2 Tbs. low sodium tamari
2 pinches Stevia (or 2 tsp sugar if you're a rebel)
Heat the oil on high in a well seasoned wok or large non-stick pan. Add tofu carefully, avoiding hot angry oil splatters. Use a wooden spoon to move the tofu around, until it begins to color.
Add kale, chili flakes, and ginger. Cook well, stirring and scraping bits off the bottom, until tofu is golden and kale is getting brown carmelized spots on it. Add tamari and sweetener, stir well for a few moments, serve immediately with fresh ground pepper over the top.
1-2 Tbs. oil
1 block extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed, pressed, cubed
1 bunch kale, deveined and ripped into small pieces
1/2 tsp. chili flakes
1/4+ ginger powder (I used fresh ginger, grated)
2 Tbs. low sodium tamari
2 pinches Stevia (or 2 tsp sugar if you're a rebel)
Heat the oil on high in a well seasoned wok or large non-stick pan. Add tofu carefully, avoiding hot angry oil splatters. Use a wooden spoon to move the tofu around, until it begins to color.
Add kale, chili flakes, and ginger. Cook well, stirring and scraping bits off the bottom, until tofu is golden and kale is getting brown carmelized spots on it. Add tamari and sweetener, stir well for a few moments, serve immediately with fresh ground pepper over the top.
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