Gazpacho

I have been fascinated by the idea of a cold soup for a while, however every time the mercury rises I loose my appetite completely and a mare thought of a soup (cold or hot for that matter) makes me ..... let just say not very happy.

Yesterday was not too hot and after overeating during my trip to Toronto I decided to cook something fast, simple, and light. I browsed several recipe sites to get an idea of what I can put in my gazpacho. I have to admit that I have never had gazpacho before. Probably there are rules and regulations on what you can put and what you can not but I just went with my appetite and taste to make this:



GAZPACHO

6 medium-size tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
2 small cucumbers (they are sold here as Lebanese). If you don't have small cucumbers use the regular ones
2 garlic cloves
2 purple shallots (I know those are rare to find. Do not hesitate to use either purple onion (1/2 or even 1/4 should be enough) or regular shallots)
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 ripe avocado
3 cups of vegetable juice (I used V8)
1 tsp sherry vinegar (you can use lemon juice instead or even white balsamic vinegar)
5-7 springs of cilantro
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper

Peel tomatoes. To do so, make an x-shaped cut on the bottom of each tomato. Put them in a sauce-pan and cover with boiling hot water. Wait for 2-3 minutes. You will notice that the skin next to the cut is peeling off and all you have to do is remove tomatoes (careful not to burn yourself) and peel off the rest of the skin.


Coarsely chop the pepper, cucumbers, onions, and garlic. Combine them with tomatoes in a big soup pot.
Using hand-held blender, blend vegetables until smooth. You can also use a regular blender for this purpose.
Add cumin, vinegar, sugar, cilantro, and avocado. Blend until smooth.
Add V8. I would recommend adding it slowly and mixing throughout to give the soup required consistency. Also try the soup to adjust for seasoning.

Feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices. You might want to check out this website for some unsual Gazpachos, such as Oriental or White Gazpachos.


P.S. The picture of purple shallots comes from the Muffintop blog

Soup and Salads

Monday was my sister’s belated birthday celebration. I guess, “celebration” is too big of a word for a family gathering of 3 over some soup, salad, and cake, but it felt like a celebration to me, partially because I finally cooked. I did not cook anything for last 2 months. I am not sure why that was happening – my appetite was absent (blame the heat) and those rare moments when I would be hungry I would crave unhealthy junk food.

But Monday was different: Monday I went to the grocery store, picked up a lot of veggies, brought 4 huge grocery bags full of goodies home, and started chopping.

My sister wanted something light and cool for the hot summer evening. After checking out my extensive recipe collection I decided to make salads and soup (my dad loves soup and even if he would not like the Asian flavor of edamame salad he would definitely enjoy my green pea soup).

First on the list was a tried and true veganized recipe of a “Greek Dinner Salad” (do not confuse with The Greek Salad, they are completely different). The recipe comes from a 2005 issue of Eating Well magazine.

Greek Dinner Salad

Dressing:
3 tbsp soy yogurt
3 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp agave nectar
½ tsp salt

Salad:
1 medium zucchini, finely diced (2 cups)
1 large bell pepper, finely diced (1 ½ cups)
1 bunch radishes, finely diced (1/2 cup)
1 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained
Boston lettuce leaves for serving

1. To make the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients until creamy
2. Toss all the ingredients (apart from lettuce leaves) in a large bowl. Pour over the vegetables, toss gently. Spoon into lettuce leaves for cups and serve.

To counterbalance the sweetness of the Greek dinner salad I prepared the Edamame salad with sesame dressing. This is a slightly modified version of this salad from the Vegetarian Times magazine.

Edamame and Greens with Sesame Dressing

Dressing:
3 tbsp roasted sesame oil
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce

Salad:
1 ½ cups edamame

4 cups salad spring mix
1 cucumber, sliced
8-oz baked teriyaki tofu, cubed
1 green onion sliced
toasted sesame seeds

1. To make the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients until creamy.

2. To make salad: cook edamame according to the package instructions (boil for 2-4 minutes). Rinse under cold water to cool. Drain well.

3. Divide spring mix among 4 plates.

4. In a medium bowl combine edamame, greens, cucumber, tofu, and green onions. Pour over 1/4 of the Sesame Dressing and mix well. Scoop the salad on top of the greens and drizzle with the reamaning dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

I could not find any baked seasoned tofu (usually I get Asian flavored one) so I decided to try the mock chicken breasts (I don’t remember the name of the company that makes them – I’ll update this post from home with the brand name andmaybe even a picture). I pan-fried them for couple of minutes, cut it in cubes and added to the salad. All in all the chicken breasts were very good. I would definitely use them again in salads or sandwiches. I also think they would be delicious under gravy or sauces with a side dish of rice/mashed potatoes.

If you are not sure where to find edamame, try any Asian stores. They usually have them in frozen section and they come shelled or not.

This is how both of the salad looked:

Pea and spinach soup with coconut milk was a big hit. My dad enjoyed it so much that he asked me to prepare it again. The original recipe, which comes from one of the special issues of “Fine Cooking” 2006 calls for fresh peas, I didn’t have any fresh ones so I used frozen but the result was great. One great thing about crème soups is that you don’t have to care about sizes of cut vegetables.

Pea and Spinach Soup with Coconut Milk

2 large leeks, white parts and pale green, quartered and sliced (try using spring onions if you don't have leeks)
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp basmati rice (use quick cooking rice if you want to speed up the cooking process)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups of peas
4 cups coarsely chopped spinach, any thick stems removed
1 cup coconut milk

1. In a soup pot, heat up oil and stir in rice. Add leeks, salt, curry powder, cilantro, and 1 cup of the stock

2. Cook over medium-low heat at a vigorous simmer for about 12 minutes (if you are suing quick-cooking rice, cook for 3-4 minutes).

3. Add the remaining 3 cups of broth, the peas, and the spinach and bring to boil.

4. Boil for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir I coconut milk.

5. In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth. Taste for salt, season with pepper and garnish with cilantro leaves.

If you prefer a soup with more texture, puree 1 cup and return it to the pot, season, garnish, and serve.

Iced Tea

Inspired by this Martha Stewart recipe I decided to make my own iced tea couple of weeks ago. I wanted it to be refreshing, not too sweet, and unusual. I remembered drinking "Rose petal" white tea at my friend's house. The drink had a slight rose flavor and a rather interesting aftertaste of ... dried coriander. I would not lie, the first sip was rather peculiar but after a while the herby taste grew on me.
Armed with this idea I got my white tea bags ready (you can use loose leave tea - I was just very lazy that day).

Refreshing Iced T

the recipe is good for approximately a liter of tea. Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar and lemon according to your taste

2 white tea bags
1/2 of the lemon, thinly sliced
~4 tbsp of brown sugar
2 springs of basil, leaves removed
3 springs of cilantro (for those of you who can't stand cilantro, substitute it with fresh mint)
1 litre of water

Boil water.
Thinly cut half of the amount of basil and cilantro.
Put all the ingredients, apart from sugar and water, in a tea infuser (if your teapot does not have one you can simply put the ingredients in your tea pot. Do not forget to pour your tea into a different pot once it's ready).
Pour hot water and add sugar. Mix everything well and let steep for 15-20 minutes.
If you don't like your tea too strong you can remove the tea bags but keep the herbal mix for longer.
Remove the infuser and refrigerate the tea until cold.

Coffee cake

I've decided to start baking so that I can be a real babushka (for th ose who do not speak Russian - use your imagination). Since my Xmas cookies were such a big success (couple of years ago) and because Canadian winter is long and cold and the smell of baking goods make my place a bit cozy, and finally since I am having hard time coming up with ideas for breakfast food I decided to make a coffee cake!

This way I get a warm house filled with nice smell and I can always have a slice of it with my morning coffee. The result was a modified version of this blueberry-lemon coffee cake from Cooking Light magazine. I've veganized it and also used raspberries instead of blueberries (I can't stand cooked blueberries) :(
It turned out yummy and I'll definitely do more experiments with coffee cakes!

Raspberry-Lemon Coffee Cake

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tspn baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup almond paste (if you can' find the paste you can use finely grounded almonds mixed with a bit of marzipan. Do not substitute for marzipan only!!!)
2 tbls chilled vegan butter, cut into small pieces (I used coconut oil)
substitute for 1 large egg
1 tbls lemon juice
3/4 cup soy milk
1 1/2 cups raspberries
2 tsps grated lemon rind
Cooking spray

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbls sliced almonds, chopped
1 1/2 tbls olive or canola oil
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Place 1/2 cup sugar, almond paste, and 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add egg replacement and lemon juice, beating well. Add flour mixture and soy milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in raspberries and rind. Spoon batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray.

To prepare topping, combine 1/4 cup sugar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, tossing with a fork until moist. Sprinkle topping evenly over batter. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

12 servings.

Easy Soup

Here is a soup recipe that my friend found in one of her cookbooks. It's very easy to make and full of flavour. Feel free to modify and adapt it to your taste:

Cilantro-Chickpeas Soup

The original recipe:
4-5 garlic clove, minced
1 big bunch of parsley, chopped
1 can of chickpeas
~5 cups of vegetable stock.
1-2 tsp of olive oil
Lemon juice to taste

In a big sauce pan heat oil.
Add garlic and parsley and sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
Add chickpeas and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Add broth, bring to boil, simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Serve hot and add some lemon juice to the plate.

I also made it with 2 small potatoes (I added them at the same time as chickpeas and simmered soup for a bit longer, until potatoes were cooked) and some frozen corn. Since I love cilantro I tend to use 1/2 bunch of parsley and 1/2 bunch of cilantro (coriander).

4 months later

I can't believe that it has been 4 months since my last update! I am not even sure what to say in my defence. Instead I'll just post a new recipe and will try to update more often ;)

Here it comes:

Wild Mushroom & Potato Strudel

This is the veganized and slightly modified version of the recipe from Wish magazine.

2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, parboiled and cut in 1/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil (more for brushing phyllo)
1 cup finely diced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups sliced button mushrooms
3 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
2 tblsp white wine (you can use vegetable broth instead)
4 tblsp of fresh parsley
1 tblsp of fresh terragon
1 tsp of dried oregano
1 tsp of lemon garlic
3 sheets of phyllo dought


To parboil potatoes, cut them in quarters and boil for 5 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until soft, then add button mushrooms and saute until lightly browned. Add this mixture to the parboiled potatoes.
Heat remaining olive oil in the same saute pan and cook shiitake mushrooms until golden. Add shiitakes to potato mixture. Deglaze saute pan with white wine and add to potato-mushroom mixture. Gently mix in herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Lay one sheet of phyllo on a clean, dry surface and brush with a small amount of oil. Continue layering with two more sheets of phyllo, brushing each side with oil.

Place mushroom mixture over the lower third of the phyllo layers. Roll up the strudel, tucking in the sides to seal-in the mixture, and place on a parchment-lined baking tray. Brush the outside of the strudel with small amount of oil and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Bake strudel for 20 minutes, rotate tray and lower heat to 350 F, and bake for 20 more minutes until golden brown.
Serves 6


You can use different herbs for the recipe. Also I would recommend using 4 or 5 sheets of phyllo.

Squash and couscous

And finally one of my own creations ;)

I came up with this dish while looking through squash stew recipes. The result was very delicious, filling, yet light stew that is ideal for cool Fall days.

Butternut-Squash Couscous

4 tblspoons olive oil, divided
1 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp grounded ginger
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 cup canned diced tomatoes with their juice (from one 15-ounce can)
1/2 butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch dice
1/2 head of cauliflower separated into florets

2 carrots peeled, quartered, and cut into sticks 2-3 inches long

2 celery sticks halved and cut into sticks 2-3 inches long

1/4 cup raisins
3 cups vegetable stock

1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups drained and rinsed canned chickpeas (one 19-ounce can)
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 block of tempeh, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups couscous

Parsley and coriander to garnish

Boil cubed tempeh in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain, pat dry and set aside.

Heat 2 tspoons of oil in a skillet, add onion and garlic, and sautee for 2-3 minutes, until just tender.

Add spices, carrots, celery, squash, and chickpeas and sautee for 3 minutes. Add cauliflower, mix well and sautee for another 2-3 minutes.

Transfer vegetables in a big pot, add tomatoes, and broth, bring to boil and simmer until the vegetables are tender (10-15 minutes)

Meanwhile, add the remaining oil to the skillet, and fry tempeh until golden-brown on all sides.

When the vegetable mix is ready, add raisins and tempeh, mix, and simmer for 5 more minutes.

To prepare the couscous

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. Stir in the couscous. Cover, remove from the heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Serve the stew over the couscous and top with parsley and/or coriander.

Picture from "Food and Wine's" recipe that inspired me.

Rice

A very simple recipe from RealSimple magazine:

Black Beans and Rice


2 tspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 tblspoons olive oil
2 cups long-grain rice
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 large green or red pepper, chopped (1 ½ cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (1 tblspoon)
2 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed
1 cup vegetable stock
2 tblspoons red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
1/2 tspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup sliced shallots (optional)

1 In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups of water with 1 tspoon of the salt and 1 ½ tspoons of the olive oil. Bring to a boil.
2 Stir in the rice, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
3 In a large saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, green or red pepper, and garlic until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
4 Add the beans, broth, vinegar, bay leaves, black pepper, cumin, and remaining salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes; remove the bay leaves. Spoon the beans over the rice and sprinkle with the scallions, if desired. Serve warm.



Tip: For a quick black bean soup, follow this recipe. Then remove the bay leaves and process the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Instead of serving it with rice, spoon a dollop of sour cream onto each serving and sprinkle with sliced shallots.



Makes 4 to 6 servings

Tomato Soup and Vegetable Tian

More Martha Stewart recipes:


Spiced Chickpea and Tomato Soup

3 garlic cloves, minced
3 dried hot red chilies, chopped or 1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp coarse salt
1/8 tsp caraway seeds
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 can (15oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups crushed canned tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup drained jarred roasted peppers, rinsed
3 1/2 cup vegetable stock
Parsley for garnish

1 Using the mortar and pestle crush garlic, chilies, coriander, salt, and caraway to form a paste
2 Heat oil in a saucepan; add garlic mixture and cook until just softened, for about 3 minutes
3 Stir in chickpeas, tomatoes, roasted peppers, and stock. Simmer, stirring often for 15 minutes.
4 Pure soup, rewarm if necessary. Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream and spring of parsley.

Makes 6 cups.
Picture from Cookinglight


Vegetable Tian

6 tbspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, quartered lengthwise, rinsed, and cut into 1/4 inch slices (1 1/2 cups)
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small Italian eggplant, unpeeled, very thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 zucchini, unpeeled, very thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 yellow zucchini, unpeeled, very thinly sliced (1 cup)
2 plum tomatoes, very thinly sliced (1 cup)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the center. Coat the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil. (You can also use round 9-inch baking dish)
2 Heat oil in a large skillet, add leek and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft, for about 4 minutes.
3 Spread the leek mixture on a baking dish. Arrange the vegetables in leek in slightly overlapping rows, alternating eggplant, zucchinis, and tomato.
4 Top with wine, 1 tbsp of oil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
5 Bake 30 minutes, drizzle the remaining oil, and bake, until the vegetables are tender, 30 minutes more.

More dipping sauces

Wasabi Dipping Sauce

2 or 3 tbsp wasabi paste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar

Combine all the ingredients and whisk until smooth

NOTE: if you are using wasabi powder, first make a paste out of it and only then mix it in with the other ingredients. Like this you will get a stronger flavor.
NOTE2: "Sushi Chef" wasabi powder is a real killer!!! I LOVE it ;)


Sesame Sauce
Although it is called sesame sauce it's actually peanutty and very yummy!!!

1/4 cup vegetable stock
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp agave nectar (the original recipe calls for honey), but if you don't have any sugar or any other sweetener will do
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar

Whisk all the ingredients in small pan and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk until thickened, 1-2 minutes.
Cool and serve.


Burnt Chile Sauce

Eric's favorite ;)

1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil (peanut or canola)
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
5 tbsp thinly sliced garlic
3 tbsp dried chile flakes
2-3 tbsp water

Mix together sugar and salt.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and cook stirring often until shallots are golden-brown but not burned, 4-5 minutes. Using the slotted spoon transfer the shallots and garlic to the food processor.
To the oil left in the pan, add chile flakes and cook until they darken slightly (~1 minute).
Cool the oil and pour it in the food processor. Add the sugar/salt mix and process everything until well chopped.
With motor running add the water until mixture is emulsified.
Serve cooled.

East and West approved stuffed Portobellos

Here is an easy recipe I came up with one day in Montreal. It was also great hit on the West coast when I cooked it for my non-vegan friends. I served these mushrooms with rice and simple green salad.


Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms.

4 Portobello mushrooms
2 Granny Smith apples
2 medium size carrots
1/2 block of firm tofu
~ 7 Cremini (or regular white button) mushrooms
~ 1 cup of blanched almonds (optional but helps to make the filling sticky. Try substituting with 1/2 of wheat germ and 1/2 nutritional yeast)
1 tbsp of finely minced fresh ginger
3-4 finely minced garlic cloves
2 zucchinis
1/2 cup of cauliflower florets (optional)
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
~ 3 tbsp of Tamari (or Soy) sauce
Spices:
I used the Herbes de Provence mix first time, but when I was cooking it for my friends I experimented with the mix of oregano, basil, marjoram, parsley, and sage. It was very delicious as well

Preheat the oven to 400C
Grind the almonds in the blender/food processor to create fine mix.
Shred carrots, apples, and tofu in different bowls.
Quarter the Cremini mushrooms. If they are too big cut them in 8.
Cut zucchinis in half, and scrape out the pulp (use the spoon). Reserve the shells - you can stuff them and bake with the mushrooms.
If using cauliflower, cut the florets in small pieces.
Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil on the medium-high heat in a frying pan, add garlic, ginger, mushrooms and fry for 7-10 minutes, or until the mushrooms loose most of the liquid.
Lower the heat to medium and add carrots, apples, zucchinis, cauliflower, mix well and let fry for 5-7 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
Add spices, tofu, and Tamari. Keep mixing until the tofu is thoroughly warm.
Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Add the almonds and stir the mixture. Now it should be easier to work with the filling.
Let the filling cool; meanwhile cut the stems of the Portobellos and scrape of the gills (spoon works the best for this).
Lightly oil the baking pan with the remaining olive oil
Stuff the Portobello cups and the zucchini shells with the stuffing, be generous :)
Put them on the baking sheet and start the timer.

The mushrooms come out best after 20-25 minutes of baking. Zucchinis would take as long as 40 minutes of baking.
You could add some shredded vegan cheddar on top during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Spring Rolls

I made a lot of spring rolls over the holidays. Here are three dipping sauce recipes, as a preview

Lime-Soy Dipping Sauce

½ cup soy sauce
2 large limes zest and juice
2 tbsp sugar
Pinch dried red chilie flakes

Combine ingredients and stir over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved.
Cool and serve


Dim Sum Sauce

3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chili sauce
1 tbsp dark sesame oil

Combine ingredients and whisk until smooth.


Sweet Chile Sauce

1/2 cup sugar or any other sweetener
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp grated carrot
2 tbsp grated cucumber
1/2 tsp dried chile flakes

Whisk together sugar and vinegar, bring to simmer over medium-high heat and cook until sweetner is dissolved.
Stir in carrot, cucumber, and chile flakes. Simmer 1 minute.
Serve warm or cooled.

P.S. the photo comes from the allrecipes website

Yellow Pepper Soup with Wild Mushroom Croutons

I have a big collection of recipes and there are SO many I would like to try that it's very rare that I cook something twice. This weekend was an exception. I wanted soup .... something light and filling ..... I remembered the pepper soup I made hmmmmmm couple of years ago ;). It was very good and it had also those wonderful mushroom croutons with it. The more I thought about the soup the more I wanted it, so I headed off to the market and got 6 yellow peppers. The cashier was very surprised and even warned me that it would coast me 8$ ;)

Half an hour later we were enjoying the Yellow Pepper Soup with Wild Mushroom Croutons. And let me tell you those croutons are too die for!!!!

More Cookies!!!!

Here are the cookies I made for my colleagues couple of weeks ago. On the left are some Polenta-Lemon Thins, and on the right are the Citrus-Glazed Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookies. The original recipe for the Oatmeal cookies could be find here.

The cookies were a big hit and were eaten in ~5 minutes!!! I am still getting "when are you bringing more cookies?" from my colleagues ;)

P.S. I added most of the recipes to my previous cookie post.

Impromptu Supper

Some of my firends think that I eat good food every day..... well I try, but truth to be told those evenings when I come home after 10 hour work day spending yet another hour cooking does not inspire me, and the idea of fries with ketchup (or even a slice of non vegan pizza), and even the pictures of some very non-vegan foods are flowting in my head. Usually I give in and get some junk food (always vegetarian).

One of those evening I decided to be stronger than my cravings for junk food. I looked around my kitchen and found ...

No not banana - a PLANTAIN!!!!

"Fried plantain - this is what I am having for supper today!"

But I was very very hungry and I knew that a plantain won't be enough, and that couple of hours later I would be going to the dep for some chips!

What else do I have? Pita? Hummus? POTATOES!!!! 3 round organic potatoes were waiting for me in the capboard. But how can I have potatoes with no mushrooms?

The picture of the supper was getting more and more exciting:

Garlicy fried mushrooms and potatoes with sweet-and-salty fired plantain!

Let's check the fridge, maybe there is something else hiding there? Some canned tomatoes, shallots, cilantro..........

And here is the final dish - delicious (even if plantain got a bit overcooked) and healthy.

Couple of days later I made a similar supper using potatoes, chickpeas, spinach, mushrooms, fresh tomato, and coconut milk. And a plantain, bien sur!!!

X-mas Cookies!!!

Happy New Year to all of you!

Yes, I am alive ..... I was just quite busy during this holiday season. Busy doing what???? COOKING!!!! So here are my little creations:

The yellow yummies in the top left corner are Polenta-Lemon Crisps (1). To the right of them are Lemon-Poppy Seed Slices (2), next are Brandied Cranberry-Apricot Bars (3) and Viennese Coffee Balls (4). The big chocolate cookies are Peanut Butter Munchies (5), to the left of them are Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies (6), and the Earl Grey Tea Cookies (7). In the middle we have Apricot-Sage Cookies (8) and what was suppose to be Chocolate-Pistachio Wreaths, but was turned into Half/Half cookies (9).

I am posting the recipes on the other blog, so click on the link to find out how to make these X-mas wonders!

BTW speaking of cookies and baking check out Josée at http://www.pacane.com/ - baking blog with recipes and pictures!!! Gives you a motivation to learn French ;)

Pizza and Pasta

To continue my Italian weekend I made pizza (again). I followed the recipe posted earlier with one slight modification: for the yest I added the whole packet instead of 1/2 tbsp. I liked the texture of the dough better.

For the toppings I made a smooth tomato sauce (just blended the "chunky" sauce) and added some roasted garlic paste to it, olive spread, pepper, red onion, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, "cheese", and capers.

I had so many vegetables left that on Monday I made


Big Red Pasta Sauce.

1 can of diced tomatoes (preferable with garlic and spices)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 pepper, cubed
1 medium size zucchini, sliced
Mushrooms (the more the merrier), sliced
Sun dried tomatoes
Spices (lots, and lots, and lots)
1 cup of red vine (optional)
2 roasted peppers
Canned artichokes (I had half a can left from the risotto)
Pinch of sugar
Capers
Vegan Parmesan
Olive oil

Saute the onion and garlic for couple of minutes. Add mushrooms, zucchinis, pepper, dried spices, vine, sun dried tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, pinch of sugar, bring to boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

After I added roasted peppers and artichokes, cooked it for another 5 minutes, and served it over whole wheat spaghetti, sprinkled with vegan Parmesan, capers, and basil accompanied by a glass of "Pater" - mmmmmmmm ;)

Christmas food

No, I am not making a stuffed turkey, stuffed faux-turkey, or tofurkey I've simply been making a lot of red and green food recently (I know it doesn't look very red or green on the pictures, but read the ingredients!!!) Moreover I am in Italian spirit so here we go:

Risotto

This was my first attempt to make a risotto. I actually never even had a real risotto but on Friday I felt like eating one (how can you crave something you've never had before - I don't know)!
I'll tell you the truth, I was intimidated. I heard that making a risotto is a long and almost painful process with constant stirring but I will assure you that it's not as bad as it sounds. Yes, you have to stir it for a while so it's not a good dish to cook in a hurry but it's much easier than what they make it sound.

5-6 cups of vegetarian broth
1/2 cup of wine (optional)
1-2 tbsp of olive oil
1 onion, diced
1-3 cloves of garlic (if you like garlic)
2 cups of Arborio rice (I couldn't find any Arborio rice, so I used the "Italian style" rice which worked great)
1/4 cup of vegan Parmesan substitute.
Spices (you can use both fresh and/or dried)
Any vegetables you want to add to your risotto.
You have to divide these vegetables according to the cooking time. Veggies such as mushrooms, zucchinis, carrots, peppers will need more time too cook, where as something like canned artichokes, grilled veggies, spinach, etc. will be done faster. Depending on the "group" you will be adding these veggies at the beginning, middle, or end of the risotto cooking process ;)


Heat up the oil and add the onions and garlic. Sauté for ~5 minutes until soft but not brown! Couple of minutes into cooking the onions and garlic I've added the dried spices (basil, oregano, marjoram, and sage) along with zucchinis, and mushrooms.
Now it's time for the long and tedious stirring ;). Put the rice in the vegetable mix without adding any broth and cook it for couple of minutes, stirring. Start adding broth (about 1/2 cup at a time) stirring constantly until all of the water is absorbed. If you are using vine, add it first and then continue with broth.
Continue adding broth and stirring the rice. After 15 minutes you can start tasting the rice for doneness. The rice is ready when it's soft but not mushy (al dente). You also should keep in mind that you don't want your risotto to be too soupy, so start adjusting the amount of liquid added. This is also a good time to add any fresh spices you are using. I had some basil, sage, and marjoram. I've also added some canned artichokes for the texture.

Do not forget to add your vegetables half-way or at the end of cooking the risotto.

Once the rice is ready, turn of the heat, add the "Parmesan" and stir it all couple of times.

Bean soup with a new twist

I checked out “The Artful Vegan” from the library and my new passion is unusual combination of tastes. I am yet to try any of the recipes from the book (I am definitely making their chocolate cake and if it will be successful I will make it for Christmas) but the images and the descriptions are stunning!!!!

Yesterday on the way home I decided to come up with something unusual. I was craving a thick, hearty soup (it was very chilly and wintery outside) so the white beans and potatoes came to my mind. But that is very ordinary soup with rather “straight” taste. I would need something acid to go with it, and something fresh ……. lemon …… peas …… coriander. And now I have to top it with something ….. mushrooms ......

Smoky Bean Soup with Lemon-Pea Coulis and Sesame Flavored Shiitake Mushrooms.

I did not measure the ingredients as I was adding them, so please rely on your taste buds when making coulis.
I have to mention that the “Imagine” organic vegetable broth is my new favorite. Pleasant sweet taste, not too salty, and no chemical ingredients at all!

Base
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot, cubed
1 celery stalk, cubed
4-5 cups of vegetable stock
1 15oz can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 medium size potatoes, cubed
½ tsp ground oregano
½ tsp herbes de Provence (a “fine herbes” mix would work as well)
¼ tsp ground terragon
¼ tsp ground marjoram
½ tsp ground parsley
2-3 drops of liquid smoke (optional)
Salt

Coulis
1 cup of water
1 ½ cups of green peas (fresh or frozen)
3 tbsp of lemon juice
1 tbsp of chopped fennel (optional)
1 tbsp of chopped fresh coriander
Splash of tamari sauce

Sesame Mushrooms
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp of fresh ginger, minced
8oz of shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced
Splash of Tamari sauce

To garnish
Shallots, coriander, and sunflower sprouts, chopped
Coriander springs.

In a deep saucepan heat the oil. Add onions and 4 garlic cloves, lightly sauté until soft.
Add carrot and celery and fry at medium heat for 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, potatoes, beans, salt, and spices. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until all the vegetables are tender (~ 15 minutes).

Meanwhile, put the peas in cold water. Bring to boil and boil for 1 minute, drain.
Pure green peas, coriander, and fennel with a food processor. Add lemon juice and a splash of Tamari sauce. Add water if the mixture is too thick (I had to add about 2 tbsp).

In the skillet, heat up the olive oil (med. temperature). Add the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and mushrooms. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

Mash the base with the potato-masher until thick, but chunky. Add the liquid smoke and adjust for saltiness.

To serve, lade the soup in the plate. Put some mushrooms in the middle of the soup and pour the coulis around. Sprinkle with chopped shallots, sprouts, and coriander.

Turnovers, Samosas, and Salad

Savory Cornmeal-Whole Wheat Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp garlic salt
½ cup water
5 tbsp chilled butter (Earth Balance) cut into small pieces
1 large egg (I use Ener-G egg replacer)

Combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, yellow cornmeal, baking powder, and garlic salt in a food processor; pulse until combined.
Add water, butter, and eggs; oulse 3 times or just until combined (do not form a ball)

Note: I needed to add more water, but I was using less cornmeal (I didn’t have enough) and more all-purpose flour.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface; knead gently 4 to 5 times.
Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 5 ½ - inch circle on a lightly floured surface.

Yield 12 dough circles.

Potato, Leek, and Mushroom Turnovers

Yet another modified and veganized recipe.

3 cups (½-inch) cubed red or Yukon gold potato
2 cups chopped leeks (~ 1 big leek)
¾ cup water
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
4 oz white mushrooms
½ onion sliced
2 tbsp vegan Parmesan cheese (optional)
2 tbsp soy or rice milk
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Vegan cheddar cheese. I used 1 packet of the Road’s End Organic cheddar cheese mix.
4-5 drops of liquid smoke
Pinch of oregano (I think mint would be good, but I didn’t have any to try).
12 Savory Cornmeal – Whole Wheat Dough circles.

Boil potatoes until tender. Coarsely mash with a fork (or potato masher). Stir in leeks, chives, Parmesan, milk, salt, liquid smoke, spices, and pepper.
In a small skillet fry onions and mushrooms. Let the mix cool down and then add it to potatoes.
Preheat oven to 425º
Place the Savory Cornmeal-Whole Wheat Dough Circles on a lightly floured surface. Spoon ¼ cup potato mixture into the center of each dough circle. Fold dough over filling; press edges together with a fork or fingers to seal.
Place turnovers on a large baking sheet. Pierce top of each turnover once with a fork. Bake for 17 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Serve warm.

Sweet Potato Samosa

3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato (about 1 pound)

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups frozen petite green peas

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

12 Savory Cornmeal-Whole Wheat Dough circles

Boil sweet potatoes until tender. Drain, coarsely mash, and stir in peas.
Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Add mustard seeds, coriander, and curry powder; sauté 2 minutes. Add onion mixture, salt, and pepper to potato mixture; stir well. Cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Place Savory Cornmeal-Whole Wheat Dough circles on a lightly floured surface. Spoon 1/4 cup potato mixture into center of each dough circle. Fold dough over filling; press edges together with a fork or fingers to seal. Place samosas on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pierce top of each samosa once with a fork. Bake at 425° for 19 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Crunchy Pear and Celery Salad

Bartlett or Anjou pears are used in this salad for their crispy texture. The original recipe (from the “Eating Well” magazine) called for white cheddar cheese and was served in the lettuce leaves. I substituted avocado for cheese and used the spring mix instead of the lettuce leaves.

4 stalks celery, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons cider, pear, raspberry or other fruit vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ripe pears (red Bartlett or Anjou) diced
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
Pepper to taste
1 avocado diced
~6 cups of salad greens or 6 large leaves butterhead or other lettuce.

Soak celery in the bowl of ice water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry (you can omit this step if your celery is fresh and crispy). Cut into ½-inch pieces.
Whisk vinegar, honey, and salt in the large bowl until blended.
Add pears and avocados; gently stir to coat. Add the celery, greens, and pecans; stir to combine (or, if using the lettuce leaves, divide them between 6 plates and top with a portion of salad). Serve at room temperature or chilled.

The recipes come from "Cooking Light" and "Eating Well"