Vegetarian tofu rice paper dumplings

 These are really good and not as difficult to make as they seem. 

Vegetarian tofu rice paper dumplings

(makes 9 dumplings, not quite a dinner amount for 4) 

From Tiktok:

Ingredients:

 SAUCE:

- 4 T. soy sauce

- 1.5 T. rice vinegar

- 1 t. sesame oil

- 1 clove garlic, grated

- 1 t. ginger, grated 

- 2 scallions or green onions, sliced

- sesame seeds

- add sirraccha or chili flakes if you want it spicy

 

DUMPLINGS

- 1/2 block firm tofu, shredded

- 1 large carrot, peeled and shredded

- 1/4 head cabbage, sliced thin and chopped into lengths or shredded (these measures approx -- try to get roughly even amounts of tofu, carrot and cabbage)

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 18 rice papers 

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix  sauce ingredients together in a bowl

2. fry veggies up in a pan with a little oil until cooked down. Near the end, add in some of the sauce to taste and cook it down -- I think I ended up adding 5 teaspoons or so? 

3. dip rice paper wrappers in warm water, put 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each one and fold over the edges: bottom, top, left, right. Then dip one more rice paper wrapper and wrap it again, making sure the folds are on the opposite side. 

4. In your frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add your dumplings and fry until crisp. serve with more of the dipping sauce to dip into.

Pasta salad for picky kids

Oh my god my kids are so picky. they say they don't like beans, eggs, or cheese -- and they are vegetarian!! I made this salad today and only one kid cried so that is a success I guess.

Pasta Salad for picky vegetarian kids

-- 1/2 block tofu

-- 1.5 cups pasta

-- 3 small cucumbers, diced

-- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

-- 1 tomato, diced

-- 1 small can sliced black olives, drained

-- 1 inch chunk feta cheese

-- 1/2 lemon

-- oil

1. Boil the pasta in salted water. While the pasta is boiling cut the tofu into squares and fry it lightly in oil. 

2. When the pasta is soft drain and rinse in cold water. Mix with fried tofu, vegetables, and crumble the cheese on top. Drizzle with oil and add the juice of the half lemon. Mix and add salt and pepper to taste. 

3. Give to kids and hope they don't cry

vegetarian bolognese

This turned out really well! I like that it used lots of vegetables and had a similar texture to it as real bolognese. Mincing them using the mini food processor saves a lot of time and helps the texture turn out so nicely. IMO This is better than the other veggie bolognese recipe on here. Serve with garlic bread, of course

Best Vegetarian Bolognese Sauce

adapted from Build Your Bite

Ingredients:

• 7 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms, rinsed and patted dry
• 2 celery stalks, ends cut off and cut into 3 pieces each
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 3 sections each
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1 28 oz can of tomatoes, any kind you like
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon sugar (if desired)
  
• 1 lb Spaghetti, for serving

Instructions: 

1. Add baby bella mushrooms to a food processor and either pulse or shred, until minced
2. Transfer mushrooms to a large skillet or dutch oven
3. Add celery chunks, carrot chunks, garlic cloves, and onion pieces to the food processor and pulse/shred
4. Add the celery/carrot/garlic/onion mixture to the mushrooms in the pan
5. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper to the vegetables
6. Turn the burner on medium high heat and sautee vegetables for 25-30 minutes, stirring often, until vegetables cook down and most of the liquid evaporates
7. Puree canned tomatoes in the food processor until smooth
8. Add the pureed tomatoes to the vegetables along with the basil, oregano, and sugar
9. simmer sauce 10 minutes or so until it seems done.
   
10. Taste and add any seasonings if necessary (if it tastes too acidic, add a little more sugar as necessary)
11. Heat until hot throughout, then serve
12. Serve over spaghetti and topped with parmesan cheese, if desired

Creamy Cauliflower soup with Rosemary Oil from New York Times

 We tried this the other day and Mahesh called it "sizzling." I normally would not make a soup that called for 1 cup of oil but I am trying to get the kids to eat more vegetables and I had many ends of bread saved up that I needed to use so I tried this, everyone liked it so this recipe is a winner in my book. The lemon zest is optional but makes the final soup taste fancier which is good for grownups. We didn't try it for the kids. 

Creamy Cauliflower Soup With Rosemary Olive Oil 

 From New York Times

Ingredients

For the Rosemary Oil:

• 1 cup olive oil
• 4 (4-inch) sprigs fresh rosemary

For the Soup:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 quart low-sodium vegetable stock, plus more as needed for reheating
• 1 medium head cauliflower, cored and broken into 1 1/2-inch florets (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon, for serving

For the croutons (optional):

• 3 cups diced rustic country bread (3/4-inch pieces)  - OR the equivalent amount of bread loaf ends works also. 

Preparation

1. Make the rosemary oil: In a medium skillet, combine the olive oil and rosemary sprigs. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, lowering the heat if the oil reaches a full simmer. (You want to cook it at a very gentle simmer to avoid frying the rosemary.) Carefully pour the oil and rosemary into a small bowl, leaving a slick of oil in the pan if you plan to make croutons. Allow the rosemary to cool completely in the oil while you make the soup.
2. Make the soup: In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. (Be careful not to let the garlic scorch!)
3. Add the stock, cauliflower, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil over high. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the optional croutons: Heat the reserved skillet with the residual rosemary oil over medium. Add the bread cubes, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and cook, tossing often, until toasted all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the croutons to a plate or board to cool.
5. Strain and discard the rosemary stems from the rosemary oil. Working in batches if necessary, carefully transfer the vegetables, stock and 1/4 cup rosemary oil to a blender and blend on high until creamy. Add more rosemary oil to taste, and blend to combine. Return the soup to the pot and bring to a simmer. If the soup seems thin, let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce slightly. (Remember: The soup will continue to thicken as it cools.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Serve hot. Garnish each serving with a swirl of rosemary oil, a few croutons, and a sprinkle of lemon zest. The soup will thicken as it sits; add more stock as necessary when reheating. Leftover rosemary oil will keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Minestrone Soup

Like most people, I have been doing a lot more cooking than usual and our regular recipes have become tiresome. So I have started making new ones. This minestrone soup is pretty good! Just make sure the soup is otherwise done before adding in the pasta as it is better not overcooked.

Minestrone Soup

From Food Network

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 large carrot, diced

1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 28-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes

1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used water and 2-3 t. of veggie bullion for this)

1 15-ounce can low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed (I used white beans)

1 cup elbow pasta

1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (I forgot to add this in)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (I did not have this so omitted it)

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green beans, dried oregano and basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook 3 more minutes.  
2. Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the broth or water to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes or until veggies are almost tender and tomatoes seem cooked enough. Stir in the beans and pasta and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Ladle into bowls and top with the parmesan and chopped basil.

Ratatouille

This is a very good recipe!! But greasy. And it took a long time to cook. It was the first time I made ratatouille, I have barely even eaten it in the past. But we saw the movie and I wanted to try making it. I served it on pasta and all the kids ate it and liked it OK. I saw many other recipes online that were healthier but I wanted to make sure and make one the kids will eat for the first time. Next time I will try and cut back on oil and see how that goes.

Ratatouille

From the New York Times

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 medium white onions
• 3 medium zucchini
• 2 medium eggplant
• 3 sweet red peppers, such as bell peppers, red cubanelle or any other sweet variety
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (I used dried and fresh would have been better)
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup olive oil, more as needed
• 2 large heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes (I used a can of whole tomatoes and it worked fine)
• 2 small bay leaves, ripped in half
• 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
• Freshly ground black pepper 

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare the vegetables: Smash and peel 3 garlic cloves, reserving the 4th. Halve onions through their roots, and slice halves into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Slice zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Cut eggplant into 1-inch cubes or spears. Seed peppers, and cut them into 1/4-inch-thick strips.
3. Spread each vegetable on a separate rimmed baking sheet (use extra sheets as necessary). Add the 3 cloves of smashed garlic to the onion pan. Add 1 sprig rosemary and 2 sprigs thyme to each of the pepper, eggplant and zucchini pans. Sprinkle salt lightly over vegetables. Drizzle 3 tablespoons olive oil on each of the pans.
4. Place all the pans in the oven (or work in batches if they don’t fit at once). Cook until vegetables are very tender and lightly browned at the edges. This will take about 35 to 40 minutes for the peppers (their skins should shrivel), 40 to 45 minutes for the eggplant and zucchini (the eggplant should crisp slightly and the zucchini should be well cooked, so let them go 3 to 5 minutes longer than you normally might), and 60 to 65 minutes for the onions. Don’t worry about the vegetables being pretty; they will meld into the ratatouille. Shake or stir the pans every 15 to 20 minutes or so, especially the onions.
5. In the meantime, prepare the tomatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add tomatoes and blanch until the skins split, about 10 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to quickly transfer the tomatoes to a bowl filled with ice water.
6. Using a paring knife, peel the cooled tomatoes (the skins should slip right off). Halve tomatoes across their equators. Set a sieve over a bowl. Working over the bowl, use your fingers to seed the tomatoes, letting the seeds catch in the sieve and the juice run into the bowl. Discard seeds but save juices. Dice tomatoes and add to the reserved juices in bowl.
7. Finely grate or mince remaining garlic clove. Add garlic to tomatoes along with bay leaves and a large pinch of salt. Set aside.
8. Once vegetables are done cooking, combine them on one baking sheet or a large shallow baking dish and add ingredients from tomato bowl. Toss well. Vegetables will be stacked, and that’s O.K. Cover generously with olive oil, using remaining ¼ cup oil or more, and sprinkle with salt. Everything should have a good coat of oil, but should not be drowning in it. Cook at least 1 hour, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes, until vegetables are very tender and imbued with juices and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve warm, or let cool.

Loaded sweet potatoes

BudgetBites is on a roll lately! I was very pleasantly surprised how easy, healthy, and kid-friendly the chili mac was, so I checked out their other recipes and found this one for loaded sweet potatoes. I gave it a shot tonight and it was surprise hit! Both kids really liked the sweet potatoes.

Loaded Sweet Potatoes with Lime Crema

Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes (about 1 lb. each) 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 15oz. can black beans, drained 
• 1/4 tsp cumin 
• 3/4 tsp salt, divided
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 avocado, chopped 
• 1 jalapeño (optional), sliced thin
• 1 green onion, sliced 

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. To make the Lime crema, zest and juice the lime. Combine the sour cream with 1 Tbsp lime juice, about 1/2 tsp lime zest, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir the ingredients together, then refrigerate until ready to use. (I didn't have sour cream so I substituted my other crema substitue, yogurt mixed with a little mayonnaise. I liked it but Kiran said he preferred plain yogurt)
• Wash then dry the sweet potatoes. Use a fork to prick the skins several times all over. Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, then use 1 Tbsp olive oil to coat the surface of all four pieces.
• Season the cut sides of the sweet potatoes with salt or seasoning salt. Coat the surface of a baking sheet with a thin layer of oil, then place the sweet potatoes cut side down. Bake the sweet potatoes for 30 minutes, or until they are soft, you can see the juices oozing out from underneath, and the skins look a little wrinkly.
• While the sweet potatoes are baking, Mince a clove of garlic, dice the red bell pepper, slice the jalapeño (if desired) and green onion.
• Add the minced garlic to a skillet with the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté over medium heat for one minute, then add the diced bell pepper. Sauté the pepper for 2-3 minutes, or just until it begins to soften, then add the black beans, cumin, salt, and green onion. Stir and cook until the beans are heated through. 
• When the sweet potatoes come out of the oven, use a spatula to flip them over. Mash the flesh of the sweet potatoes with a fork, then pile the bean and pepper mixture over top. Add the sliced jalapeño and a dollop (or drizzle) of the lime crema to each, top with avocado, then serve.

Beefless Stew

You know me, always trying to make a vegetarian version of my favorite meat foods. While this one really doesn't come close to real beef stew, it is a very good vegetarian stew in it's own right. Great for this time of year. Add crusty bread and life is pretty good. My son who is going through a picky phase with vegetables at least ate the carrots and potatoes and peas out of this soup, which I count as a success in my book.

a bit adapted from McDougall's beefless stew
 

Beefless stew

Ingredients

• 1 lb crimini or 2 medium portabella mushrooms, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 4 cups) 
• 1½ large yellow or white onions, chopped into ¾-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
• 3 medium carrots, sliced lengthwise and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 2¼ cups)
• 3 ribs celery, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• 1½ tablespoon finely chopped garlic (about 6 medium cloves)
• 5 cups water
• 2 pounds white potatoes (2 large), peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks (about 6 cups)
• ⅓ cup tomato paste (half of a 6-ounce can)
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb seasoning (I used Herbs de Provence which is french but was still good)
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary (I didn't have this so left it out, it was fine)
• 1½ cups cooked peas (if frozen, rinse under warm water)
• butter or oil for cooking

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter or oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and fry until browned on the sides, maybe 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes to try and get as many mushroom sides brown as possible. Transfer cooked mushrooms to another bowl.
2. In the same pan add a little more butter or oil, then fry the onions, carrots, and celery for about 8 minutes, or until mostly translucent.
3. Stir in the mushrooms and garlic, and continue to cook while stirring for 5 minutes more, adding butter or oil if needed.
4. Add the 5 cups of water, potatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and paprika, and bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the rosemary (if using). Cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the carrots and potatoes are very tender.
5. Add the peas and cook for 5 minutes more.
6. Place 2 cups of the stew (broth and vegetables) into a blender, and blend just briefly. Stir the mixture back into the pot to thicken the stew.

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes

I love using the oven in winter. You heat it up, chop up a bunch of veggies, and throw them in there to roast away while you make the main dish. Today we made this sweet potato dish and it was good. The original recipe says to add balsamic vinegar, which I did not do as some members of my family don't like it.

Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes

From Allrecipes

Ingredients:

-- 4 cups chopped and peeled sweet potato (3/4 inch chunks)
-- 1 sweet onion, cut into wedges
-- oil, salt, and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Mix sweet potatoes and sweet onion in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture and toss to coat; pour into a shallow roasting pan.
3. Roast sweet potato mixture in preheated oven, turning frequently, until the vegetables are soft and golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Cabbage

This is so good! A quick and easy vegetable side. Anyone who thinks they don't like cabbage should try this first.

From eatingwell

Ingredients:

• ½ medium green cabbage (1-1½ pounds), outer leaves removed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

 Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. To prepare cabbage: Cut cabbage half into four wedges and cut out any thick core, leaving the wedges as intact as possible. Drizzle the cut sides with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place the wedges flat-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Roast the cabbage for 12 minutes. Carefully flip over (it's OK if it falls apart a little) and roast until browned on both sides, about 8 minutes more.

The Foundation's Sesamum Salad

The Foundation is a vegetarian restaurant in Vancouver that I always think of as a place for large inexpensive nachos, indifferent service, and this salad. When I heard the restaurant was closing, I thought I would try and re-create the recipe so we can enjoy it at home. I think I came pretty close, what do you think?

The Foundation's Sesamum Salad

Ingredients:

For Sauce:

-- 1/4 c. vegetable broth
-- 1/2 c. peanut butter
-- 1/2 c. coconut milk
-- 2 T. soy sauce
-- 1 heaping T. honey

Salad:

-- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained
-- 1 package medium-firm tofu
-- 1/2 cup quinoa
-- oil for pan
-- spring mix
-- 6 (?) cups broccoli florets (can use some cauliflower if you have a child who refuses to eat broccoli) 
-- 2 T. sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:

1. Drain tofu, then cut into 12 pieces, I like to make them triangle-shaped like foundation does, and let dry for awhile while you do the other steps.

2. Get a large pot of water, set it to boil, and cut up broccoli into florets. Add broccoli to water and boil until cooked to your liking. When it is cooked, drain broccoli.

3. Get a medium pot and cook quinoa according to package directions. Mine says to add in 2x as much water as quinoa, boil for 15 minutes, then let sit.

4. Put some oil in a large fry pan, then fry tofu over medium-high heat on each side for about 5 minutes, until slightly brown.

5. Add sauce ingredients to a glass mixing cup or bowl, microwave 1 minute to warm up, then mix with a small whisk or fork until smooth.

6. Drain any excess oil from pan, then add the garbanzo beans and cooked broccoli to the tofu. Pour the peanut sauce over and heat over med-low heat until hot. Try not to boil the sauce, it may separate.

7. Fill your serving plates or bowls with spring mix, then add maybe 1/4 cup of quinoa, then scoops of the tofu/broccoli/peanut sauce mixture, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. If your kid refuses to eat spring mix, you can serve the tofu mixture on rice or quinoa instead.

Enjoy!

Cracked Wheat Uppama with vegetables

Upama is sort of like "fried rice" in Southern India. It is commonly made with cracked wheat, rice, and puffed rice, although you can make it with quinoa or any small grain. Here is my mother-in-law's version, made with cracked wheat or broken wheat (I think this is what we call bulgur wheat) and loads of vegetables:

Cracked Wheat Upma with vegetables

Ingredients:

1 cup broken wheat -- cracked wheat
3 Tablespoons oil
1/2 tsp. whole mustard seed
1 dash asofetida powder (optional)
1 onion, finely cut
1 green chili (spicy small one), minced
1 1/2 teaspoon of minced ginger
3/4 tsp. salt.
1 big 2 small tomato, finely cut
1 large handful cabbage, chopped small (about 2 cups)
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped small
1 carrot, chopped small

Instructions:

1. Dry fry the broken wheat in a dry pan until it is hot to the touch -- the idea is to take away all the moisture so it is not sticky. Set aside.

2. Put 3 Tablespoons oil in the pan, heat up. Add 1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seed. Heat until it pops, if you want add one dash of asofetida powder.

3. Add in the onion, cook until transluscent, then add in the tomatoes, green chili, salt, and ginger, cook for a while, then add the rest of the vegetables and saute until cooked -- you are looking to cook them through, not brown them too much. NOTE: you can substitute the cabbage, bell pepper, and carrot in this recipe for 3 cups of pretty much any other vegetables you like, chopped small

4. Add your 1 cup of bulgur wheat and 2 1/2 cups of water to the vegetable mixture, boil until about half the water is evaporated, then put the contents of the pan in a pressure cooker (or in a metal container that goes in a pressure cooker) and cook for 3 whistles. Then it will be done! NOTE: If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can boil it until the wheat is cooked through.

Serve with coconut chutney -- Amma adds coriander and mint leaves into her coconut chutney to serve with this.

Ethiopian Collard Greens or Ye'abesha Gomen

So I had a craving for Ethiopian food today. I had tried to make misir wot before, and today I wanted to try that again and round out the meal with Ethiopian collard greens, a staple on any vegetarian plate (at the restaurant anyway). I tried this recipe and it turned out quite well!

from Saveur.com

INGREDIENTS

-- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
-- ⅛ tsp. black cardamom seeds (I just used green cardamom seeds because that's all I had, will try to find black cardamom for next time)
-- ⅛ tsp. ground fenugreek (called methi in Indian cooking)
-- ⅛ tsp. nigella seeds (this is also called Kalonji seeds in Indian cooking and the ones I bought were marked as such)
-- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
-- 1 large yellow onion, minced (I used the food processor for this it turned out more like a paste and next time I will try chopping finely by hand)
-- 3 cloves garlic, minced
-- 2 Thai chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced (I left this out hoping Kiran will eat it)
-- 1 1" piece ginger, peeled and minced
-- 1½ lbs. collard greens, stemmed and cut crosswise into ¼"-wide strips (I used 2 bunches of organic collards)
-- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-- White wine vinegar, to taste (I misread this and added in regular vinegar, maybe 1 Tablespoon or so? Next time will try using white wine vinegar)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat butter in a 6-qt. pot over medium heat. Add cardamom, fenugreek, and nigella and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1–2 minutes.

2. Increase heat to medium-high and add oil; add onions and cook, stirring often, until browned, 10 minutes.  (I think the onions should be cooked until sweet, not browned too much)

3. Add garlic, chiles, and ginger and cook, stirring often, until soft and fragrant, 3 minutes.

4. Add collards, 1⅓ cups water, and salt and pepper; cover and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until collards are tender, 50–55 minutes.

6. Stir in vinegar and serve collards hot.




 

Roasted Za'atar Eggplant Bowl from goop

So since becoming a goop convert, I have been trying all her vegetarian recipes. For the back-to-school issue, the puy lentils with wilted spinach were only OK (and the dressing too tart!) but this eggplant recipe is something we will definitely make again. Anything with roasted eggplant tends to be a hit-and-miss (mostly miss) item in our household but this recipe, for the most part, works. Next time I will make sure to use a generous amount of oil on the eggplant before roasting, try to cut it a bit smaller (maybe 3/4 inch chunks) and try to use japanese eggplant which is usually better in these types of recipes.

Roasted Za'atar Eggplant Bowl from goop

ingredients
makes 2

• 3 medium-large japanese eggplant (or one big regular eggplant) peeled and chopped into 3/4 -inch cubes
• 1 large sweet onion, peeled and thinly sliced (can use yellow if it's all you have)
• 2 tablespoons za’atar (Middle Eastern spice - can be found in most spice aisles)
• 1 bay leaf
• cooked rice or quinoa
• olive oil
• sea salt + black pepper

for yogurt + lemon dressing

• 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt (I used our regular homemade yogurt for this and it was fine)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 small clove of garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon tahini
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• sea salt + pepper

preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread the eggplant on a baking sheet and sprinkle with za’atar until coated. Drizzle with olive oil (about two tablespoons). Cook for about 10 minutes, remove from oven and shake the baking sheet to move the eggplant around (for even cooking). Place back in oven for another 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, caramelize the onions: Coat a large pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Sauté onions with bay leaf until soft and deeply caramelized, about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. To make the dressing, finely grate the garlic into a mixing bowl. Add the yogurt, lemon juice and tahini. Mix. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Place quinoa or rice into two serving bowls or sealable food containers. Top with the eggplant and onion mixture. Drizzle the dressing over the bowls to your liking.

Cauliflower puree

I made this recipe for cauliflower steaks with cauliflower puree the other day, and it was okay. The cauliflower steaks are really just a different way of serving roasted cauliflower which, while good, does not quite live up to the "steak" moniker. I might try making it again with a different sauce in the future.

The real winner of that dish was the cauliflower puree. Making it is more of a multi-step process than I usually go through but the final product is worth it in my opinion. I served some (with no salt and pepper) to Kiran and he loved it too! So I find myself making it again a couple weeks later, and want to keep the recipe handy.

Cauliflower puree

• 1 1-pound head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup whole milk

1. Preheat oven to 250°F. 

2. Using sharp heavy knife, cut cauliflower into florets. 

3. Combine florets, 1 1/2 cups water, and milk in medium saucepan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (no salt and pepper if making for babies!) Bring to boil and cook until cauliflower florets are very tender, about 10 minutes. Strain, reserving cooking liquid. 

4. Spread florets on large rimmed baking sheet, and bake 10 minutes until slightly dry. While florets are baking, you may want to boil down the water/milk mixture a little. Not totally necessary though. 

5. Transfer florets to blender. Add some cooking liquid and puree until smooth, adding more liquid until you reach the consistency you like.

Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Kale Skillet from Goop

I wanted to dislike Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow's online column. The whole idea of a multi-milionaire beautiful movie actress daring to give advice and thoughts to regular people over the interwebs struck me as so downright patronizing. "This is how you lose weight," I expected to read, "Just eat less, it couldn't be easier!" I eagerly dove into the column, looking forward to picking on her "fashion tips" which I was sure would include lots of ultra-expensive designer clothing, or travel suggestions including private planes and the like. After reading her columns for a few years now, for sure there has been some of that, but along the way something else happened.

I started saying "ooh that looks good!" when I was reading the columns more often than not. For what I thought was an out-of-touch celebrity, Gwyneth sure had a lot of good ideas. Despite my best efforts, she was winning me over.

Today she won the war. I saw this recipe for a Sweet potato, black bean, and kale skillet in her latest issue, and this recipe is right up our alley! In fact I have made something similar in the past which we quite enjoyed. I wanted to see if Gwyneth's recipe would be better, and I'll be damned if it wasn't.

Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Kale Skillet

ingredients 

serves 2-4

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled
• 1 can black beans
• 2 hearty handfuls kale, torn into bite-size pieces (can substitute 1 bunch any greens)
• 1 lime
• olive oil
• pinch of sumac (I substituted seville orange rind for this, you could also substitute lime peel instead)
• pinch of cumin
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• habanero sauce (I added this to make it spicy!)

SERVE WITH:
-- tortillas (corn or wheat)
-- avocado
-- sour cream or plain yogurt
-- minced cilantro (optional)

preparation

1.Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Lay cut surface flat on a cutting board and slice in half again lengthwise. Then, slice into ¼ inch thick pieces. 

2.Place large sauté pan over medium high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add sweet potatoes, sumac and cumin to pan and cook for a minute until they begin to brown, stirring throughout to coat (if you wait to add salt and pepper, the potatoes will brown up a little better). Cover after a minute, bring the heat down to medium and let cook for about 5-8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they’ve softened up.

3.Add black beans. Stir to mix. Add kale, season with salt and pepper, mix and cover. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, uncover and stir. (If it's feeling a bit too dry at this point, drizzle a little more olive oil.) Cook for another minute or so until kale is cooked to your liking.

4.Drizzle with lime and serve with avocado slices, cilantro, warm tortillas and sour cream if desired.

** for baby food, make the vegetable mixture without salt and pepper, puree some for baby, and then salt and pepper the rest for the adults.

Quinoa and greens salad

We just got back from a trip to Australia, and in case you were wondering, getting re-adjusted to a 5-hour time difference with a 6-month-old is not fun. On top of that I am coming down with some illness. I was really craving something healthy yet filling, and more importantly quick to prepare. This salad, full of protein-packed quinoa, was just the thing. It comes from one of my new favorite food blogs, Green Kitchen Stories.

Quinoa and Greens salad
adapted from this recipe

 2 cups cooked quinoa (approx. 3/4 cup dried)

Dressing: 
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 small lemon (peel and juice)
2 tbsp hot english mustard
salt and pepper
(maybe try a little honey in the dressing next time?)

Salad ingredients: 
3/4 bunch spinach, washed, destemmed, and chopped fine (or use kale, or other greens you like)
1 large apple
1 handful sprouts (I did not add these as I didn't have any on hand and it was fine)
100 g (1/4 lb.) feta cheese

Cook the quinoa. To do this, mix dried quinoa with 1 1/2 cups water and boil for about 10 minutes, covered, then turn off heat and let sit until all water is absorbed.

Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a high glass or a small bowl. Let the quinoa cool of for a while then add the dressing.

Rinse the spinach and chop it. Cut the apples in small cubes. Mix all the ingredients with the quinoa and top it with the feta cheese.

FINAL Roasted Gobi Manchurian recipe

I have been perfecting this recipe for a while now, I have other versions on this blog but this is the one I made today, I am very happy with it and would make it again.

Ingredients:

-- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
-- 2 teaspoons oil
-- salt, pepper
-- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

-- 2 teaspoons oil
-- 2 Tablespoons garlic, minced
-- 2 Tablespoons ginger, minced
-- 1 bunch spring onions, sliced thinly on the diagonal

-- 1 Tablespoons soy sauce
-- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar (or asian black vinegar, if you have it)
-- 1 teaspoon rooster sauce (or other spicy sauce)
-- 1/2 teaspoon sugar

-- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
-- 1/2 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put cauliflower florets on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sesame seeds, salt, and pepper. Put in oven, turning every 15 minutes until tender and beginning to brown, about 40 minutes.

2. Heat frying pan to medium-high heat. Add oil, then ginger, garlic, and most of the spring onions. Fry for a minute until fragrant and then add in the soy sauce, vinegar, and spicy sauce. Let that bubble a bit.

3. Mix the cornstarch, sugar, and water together, then add the mixture to your pan, boil for about a minute, it should thicken up a bit into a sticky sauce. Add more water if you need to to get the consistency right.

3. Add the roasted cauliflower to the sauce, stir to coat everything completely. Turn out onto your serving dish, add the reserved spring onions for garnish and serve.

Najib's Special cauliflower from Nuba

Nuba is a Lebanese restaurant here in Vancouver, it serves middle-eastern-style food like falafel, pita, kibbeh, all with it's own piquant twist that I love. So if you haven't been to Nuba yet in Vancouver, you gotta go! And while you're at it, call me! I would be happy to join you.

Now, on to the topic of today's post: a mysterious and delicious dish Nuba makes called the Najib's Special, a deep-fried cauliflower dish seasoned with lemon, sea salt, and a tahini sauce. They serve it in a pita wrap, as part of a plate with lots of other stuff, and as a standalone side as well. I have always liked the dish, and last week when a friend of mine ordered just a bowl of the Najib's Special for lunch, I knew I would have to try and recreate it at home -- minus the deep frying. Many others have tried this, so here's my version:

Mona's version of the Najib's Special cauliflower from Nuba

Ingredients:

-- 1 large or 2 small heads cauliflower
-- olive oil
-- salt
-- pepper
-- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
-- Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 Tablespoon)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Wash cauliflower and cut into bite-size florets. Place florets on a roasting sheet.
3. Sprinkle florets with a generous amount of olive oil, salt, pepper, and the cumin, mix around with hands to coat everything.
4. Roast in oven for 45 minutes, mixing every 15 minutes or so until Cauliflower is browned on the outside and tender on the inside.
5. Sprinkle cauliflower with lemon juice (might be interesting to try sprinkling cauliflower with lemon before baking to see what that does). Taste and add salt if necessary.

6. Serve with the tahini sauce from this recipe. Probably the best and easiest and most delicious way to do this in a pita or tortilla wrap with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, the tahini sauce, and some red hot sauce. That's what I did tonight. Enjoy!

White Bean Soup with Kale

YES MORE SOUP. Stop complaining and eat your dinner! No laughing at the dinner table!

Ahem. In the interests of transferring the recipes we use most often to this blog, here is what I daresay is Our Favorite Soup. It is infinitely variable to use up whatever mountain of obscure CSA vegetables you may or may not have on hand, and always delicious no matter what you put in it. I present to you:

White Bean Soup with Kale
adapted from allrecipes.com

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
• 8 large garlic cloves, crushed or minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 large fennel, chopped (optional)
• 1 or 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cups chopped raw kale (can use spinach, swiss chard, collards -- any green)
• 4 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 (15 ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or navy, undrained (or 1 cup dried white beans, cooked)
• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped (or 1/2 to 1 large can tomatoes)
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning (or just whatever herbs in the oregano/basil/marjoram family you feel like eating)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup chopped parsley (I only put this in once in a while)

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add fennel, garlic and onion; saute until soft. 
2. Add carrot, bell pepper, saute until soft. 
3. Add kale and saute, stirring, until soft.
4. Add broth, tomato, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes, or until you think greens are cooked through and tender enough. 
5. Add cooked white beans, simmer 10 minutes, until flavors are melded and that tomato scummy sign of a finished soup rises to the top. 
6. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, mix it all together.  
7. Eat! Or wait until the next day, when it gets even better.