Monthly Archives: October 2007

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Recipe: Mushroom Pâté

October 15, 2007 in appetizer, vegetarian

Mushroom pâté makes an excellent and light snack or appetizer    .  You can also slice off a big chunk and place it on top of a salad!  The consistency really is pâté-esque and you can mix up the mushrooms and spices to fit any mushroom-appreciating tastebud. ;-)

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. assorted mushrooms: shitake, oyster, cremini, common, etc.
  • 2 T butter
  • 1/4 c. chopped shallots
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 t. ground cumin
  • 1/4 t. dried thyme
  • 1/2 c. toasted almonds
  • 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 T. minced basil or parsley
  1. Clean then coarsely chopmushrooms.
  2. In a 5-6 qt. pan over med-high heat, melt butter.  Add the mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and herbs.  Stir until all the liquid is evaporated and everything is lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes.
  3. In a food processor, finely grind the almonds.  Add the oil and whirl again until a paste forms.  Add the mushroom mixture, and parsley, then whirl until smooth.  Add salt & pepper to taste.
  4. Mound into a mold or simply into a bowl.  Serve with baguette slices or cracker.

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Recipe: Spinach with Garbanzo

October 12, 2007 in beans, recipe, vegan, vegetable

This dish is a great way to use up that spinach sitting in your fridge that won’t last much longer but you hate to waste it. Oh wait, is that just my fridge? The seasoning & spices could be changed to suit really any flavor profile, so mix it up and have fun. This comes together very quickly – perfect for a last minute dinner or side dish.

  • 1/2 onion, cut into thin slices
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 c. crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp of cumin, or to taste
  • ~6 c. fresh spinach
  • 1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed
  1. In a large pan that has lid, sautee the onion & garlic in olive oil until transparent over medium heat.
  2. Add the spinach, tomato, cumin, pinch of salt, and drained chickpeas. The pot will be very full, simply cover and let it cook. After a minute or two, open the pot and stir well. Recover and contiue to cook, about 5 minutes until spinach is nicely cooked.
  3. Season to taste with salt, pepper, potentially a bit of lemon, hot sauce, etc.

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Recipe: Aloo Gobi

October 11, 2007 in recipe, vegan, vegetable

I’ve always been hesitant about cooking Indian food at home. Most likely because I really don’t know what I am doing. But not too long ago a sweet friend showed me how she makes aloo gobi when she was visiting. And you know what, it wasn’t scary at all! And besides that, it was delicious AND easy!

Aloo gobi is simply a cauliflower and potato dish, with lovely warm Indian spices. Following is my version, I cannot vouch for its authenticity. But I can vouch for its delicious-ness quotient – very high! 8-)  Quick tip, if you want a less spice-intense version, just use less spice – the leftovers were a bit overwhelming after they sat a day or two.

Ingredients:

  • 1 head of cauliflower
  • 2-3 potatoes
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • ~1 inch of ginger, minced or grated (I grate ginger on a microplane)
  • 1/2 t. tumeric
  • 2 t. cumin
  • 2 t. coriander
  • 2 t. chili powder
  • 1 t. Garam Masala
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1/4 c. stock (vegetable or chicken, optional)
  1. Cut the cauliflower into chunky florets, I like bite sized chunks.
  2. Peel and cut the potatoes into cubes.
  3. In a pot, saute the onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent.
  4. Add the garlic, ginger, and potatoes. Mix well then cover to cook.
  5. When the potatoes are about half cooked (~5 minutes), add the cauliflower and tumeric. Cover for another few minutes then open and add the remaining spices and salt. Stir well and cover.
  6. Continue cooking until cauliflower is soft and cooked through, stirring every few minutes, about 10 minutes.
  7. Remove from pot and set aside. If the bottom of your pot is covered with spice and fond, add the stock and bring to a boil to scrape off the good bits from the bottom of the pot. Pour this over the aloo gobi.

Note: I often half the above recipe and use just half of a cauliflower. It makes quite a lot! :)

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Recipe: Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

October 9, 2007 in appetizer, beans, vegan

At a recent farmer’s market I was tempted by the samples and discovered an amazing sun-dried tomato hummus, made by the lovely folks at East & West Gourmet Afghan Foods. I devoured the container I brought home – I think Brad got to taste some, but maybe not very much. ;) I kept the lid with the ingredient list so that I could try my hand at this dip. Today I cooked a huge batch of garbanzo beans, got some sun-dried tomatoes ready – and here it is, delicious hummus – healthy, fresh, & fast (if you use canned beans – slower but so worth it if you cook up your own batch of chickpeas). :)

The dip would be perfect with veggies, pita wedges, a spread on a sandwich, or many other inventions I am sure.

Ingredients:

  • 4-5 sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • juice of half a lemon
  • pinch of salt
  • 1.5 c cups garbanzo beans (or 1 can)
  • 1/2 t tahini
  1. Place sun-dried tomatoes in a small dish. Cover with boiling water and let them soften, about 15-30 minutes. Remove and coarsely chop. Place the tomato in a small food processor bowl.
  2. In a small saute pan, roast the garlic cloves. Flip them often until the papery covering blackens and the clove is soft. Squeeze out the flesh and add to the food processor. Add the lemon juice and salt to the food processor also.
  3. Run the food procesor until everything is finely chopped and well combined.
  4. Add the beans and tahini to the food processor. Process again until the mixture is nicely combined but has some nice chunkiness. Taste and adjust seasonings.

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Recipe: Tempeh Sausage, Italian Style

October 8, 2007 in recipe, vegan

I can understand the hesitation many of you feel when reading “tempeh” and “sausage” in the same title. I assure you, I was hesitant but thought it worth a try. Brad also decided to pass on the sausage but when he tried mine was very impressed and decided it was pretty good. So that’s something. ;)

Personally I really like tempeh, but I realize it isn’t for everyone. The nice thing about this recipe is that you grate the tempeh so any texture complaints are negated. Its very easy and quick to prepare. The sausage lasted several days in the fridge, I think longer if I hadn’t eaten it so quickly.  8-)  I used it directly on pizza and let it cook up in the oven, I sauteed it and used it in burritos and on pasta – really there are so many great ways to use this – give it a try!

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of tempeh
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
  • 1 t. oregano
  • 1/4 t. black pepper
  • 2 T. flour
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 2 T. liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
  1. Steam tempeh for 15 minutes.
  2. Let it cool, then grate on coarse side of grater.
  3. Mix tempeh together with dry seasonings, then stir in oil and soy sauce.
  4. Press into thin patties and saute or crumble on top of pizza before it is baked.

Original source and other veggie sausage ideas: http://www.webvalue.net/recipes/sausage.htm

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Recipe: Classic Red Mexican Rice

October 1, 2007 in grain, recipe, vegan

Arroz a la Mexicana – it sounds so beautiful when I use that title! And it is! This recipe comes from a book I have had on my shelf for many, many years. Though I have often referenced it, I admit I haven’t ever really dived in and given it my all. And it truly deserves the attention! Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen is a must have! It isn’t full of photos but it is fully of phenomenal recipes and information.

My favorite way to make this recipe follows. You will end up with a cup of fresh salsa and a pot full of delicious rice – the perfect starter for any meal!

Salsa Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of tomatoes
  • 2-3 fresh jalapenos
  • 3 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 c. loosely packed cilantro, chopped
  1. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the jalapenos and garlic under the broiler (about 4″ from the heat). Let them begin to blacken the flip – about 5 minutes. Repeat until they are nicely charred and the garlic is soft – the jalapenos and garlic may finish at different times. Set aside to cool. Peel the garlic & pull the stems from the chilies.
  2. Repeat the process with the tomatoes – collect the juices. Peel the tomatoes once they are blackened.
  3. Place tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, and salt into a food processor. Blend until desired consistency is achieved.
  4. Stir in onion and cilantro.

Rice Ingredients:

  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1 c. rice (preferably medium grain)
  • 1 c. of the salsa above
  • 3/4 c. vegetable broth or water
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1 c. frozen peas, finely chopped carrots, zucchini, or other veggies as desired (opt.)
  • 1/2 c. loosely packed cilantro, chopped
  1. Preheat the oven to 350.
  2. In a 2-quart, oven-proof pan that has a lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the rice and cook until the grains turn a chalky white color, about 5 minutes. Stir often. If some kernels brown it is fine.
  3. Add the salsa and cook for about 1 minute, letting the salsa sear, stirring well.
  4. Add the broth and salt then bring to a boil. Stir then cover tightly and place in oven.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes, uncover and test the rice. It should be nearly cooked through – if so, recover and set outside of oven for another 5-10 minutes. If it is not close to being ready, re-cover and replace in oven for another 5 minutes, then retest. If using peas, add them after about 20-22 minutes of cooking. Don’t stir them in, just add, recover the pan, and replace in the oven. Other veggies(such as corn or carrot) could be added at the same time.
  6. Sprinkle rice with cilantro and fluff with a fork. Serve warm.

Note: in the above photo I added about 1/2 of a zucchini cut into small matchsticks, and about 1 c. of frozen peas

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