Category: vegetarian

Mango Quinoa Salad

Here’s a salad with a taste of summer.  Easy, yummy, and great picnic food!

What you need:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, cooked in 1 cup water

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 mango, cut into chunks

1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped finely (leave the seeds in if you love spicy food)

1/3 cup raisins

1 tomato, chopped

juice of 1 lime

a little chopped cilantro and/or parsley

What you do:

1.  To cook the quinoa, put it in a pot with 1 cup of water.  Bring to a boil, then put a lid on it and lower the heat, cooking for 15 minutes.  Then remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes.  Let the quinoa cool to use in the salad.

2.  Toss all the other ingredients together in a large bowl to let the flavours mingle, for at least half an hour.  By this time the quinoa may be cooled, and you can either serve the mango mixture on a bed of quinoa, or you can mix it all together.  Serve with a garnish of something green, like cilantro.

 

Cocoa Veggie Chilli

I can pretty much guarantee that you won’t miss the beef in this chili.  I know, that’s a pretty bold statement, but it’s got so much depth to the flavour that you might not miss the meat.  And if you’re vegetarian, well then you’ll be celebrating!  I served this one with a bit of avocado on top, and some corn bread on the side.  Yum!  A little plain yogurt and cilantro would also be great.

This recipe is from the Vancouver Sun’s Six O’Clock Solutions cookbook.  I’ve just made a few alterations like substituting olive oil for vegetable oil, using red instead of green peppers, quinoa instead of bulgur, and I added some grated carrot.  I also let it cook a lot longer than the recipe suggests, as I believe a slow-cooked chili is a tastier chili.  But if you’re in a hurry, go ahead and cut the cooking time.

What you need:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large sweet onions, chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1-2 grated carrots

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 – 795 mL can chopped tomatoes, with liquid

1/2 cup water

1 – 398mL can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1- 398 mL can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup quinoa

1 can sweet corn

salt and pepper

What you do:

1.  Heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat, then add the onions and saute until translucent.

2.  Add the red peppers, garlic, chili powder, cumin and cayenne and stir for another minute or so.

3.  Add the cocoa, tomatoes, carrots, water and beans and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for half and hour to and hour.  (here is where you can do a shortcut if you’re in a hurry – just add the quinoa now and let it cook for about 15 minutes)

4.  Add the quinoa and cook for 15 minutes, or until the grains are tender.

5.  Add the corn, and salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy!  And enjoy the leftovers!

 

Veggie Breakfast Hash with Spinach Scrambled Eggs

For a big brunch here’s a healthy alternative full of veggies to the usual bacon and egger.  And if you’re not into a vegan/vegetarian breakfast you can add a bit of bacon or sausage.  I served it with some grilled tomatoes instead, and a big pot of tea.

What you need for the hash:

a few small potatoes

1/2 sweet or red onion, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, finely diced

red/yellow/orange pepper, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

a spring of fresh thyme and rosemary

butter/ olive oil

What you need for the eggs:

1 egg per person

a little water

salt and pepper

spinach, roughly chopped

butter/ olive oil for frying

What you do:

1.  Steam the potatoes for 15 or so minutes.  If they are large potatoes you can cut them up a bit so they cook faster. Or you could poke a few holes in them and microwave them until they are softened.

2.  Heat a tablespoon or so of butter/olive oil.  Throw in the onions and cook for a few minutes, then add the garlic and peppers, cooking until they are softened a bit.

3.  Chop or slice the potatoes, then remove the peppers and onions from the pan.  Add a little more butter/ olive oil, then add the potatoes.  Chop the thyme and rosemary and throw it in with the potatoes.  Let the potatoes fry until browned, then add the veggies, and salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them a little with a fork, and add a little water, a teaspoon or so per egg.  Add a little salt and pepper.

5.  Add some butter/ olive oil to the pan, then  add the egg.  Add the chopped spinach, give the eggs a stir or two, and they’re done.

Serve it up right away while it’s hot!

Kale and Scallion Fried Brown Rice

This is a delicious way to add some flavour and nutrition to your rice by adding some greens, garlic and soy sauce.  The recipe is in Gwyneth Paltrow’s My Father’s Daughter.  I just made it a little simpler by cooking it all in one pan, and upped the ratio of kale to rice, going heavier on the kale.  Can’t get enough of the greens!

What you need:

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon-ish olive oil

1 bunch kale, chopped roughly

3 scallions/ green onions

1 cup cooked brown rice (white if that’s what you’re into)

soy sauce to taste

What you do:

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, then throw in the sliced garlic.  Let it cook for a minute, then add the chopped kale.

2.  Add a little water to the pan, then throw a lid on it for a few minutes until the kale is wilted.

3.  Push the kale to the sides of the pan and add a little more olive oil.  Throw in the rice and let it cook until it gets a little crispy, stirring from time to time.

4.  Add the scallions and soy sauce, to taste.

Done!  Easy, huh?

Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Longing for the taste of a summer tomato?  This is the next best thing.  The slow roasting process yields a flavour-packed punch to the taste buds.  Sounds tedious, but trust me, it’s just delightful.  And so much better than the sun-dried tomatoes you buy in a jar!  Well worth the long roasting time.

I threw them on top of a rice and lentil dish as a garnish, but they could also be used to top some ricotta on crusty bread, maybe with a little balsamic reduction.  Or on top of pasta with some Parmesan and basil.

Whatever you don’t use right away (or eat off the pan like I did) can be put in a jar, topped up with olive oil, and refrigerated for use later.  Imagine the possibilities!

What you need:

-a whole bunch of cherry or grape tomatoes

-olive oil

-salt and pepper

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 225F.

2.  Slice the tomatoes in half and put them on a baking sheet.

3.  Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil, then salt and pepper them.

4.  Roast them for 2 – 2.5 hours, until they have lost most of their moisture but are not crispy.  You will need to watch them for the last half hour or so if the process so you don’t overdo them.

5.  Let the tomatoes cool and then place them in a jar. Add olive oil to cover the tomatoes, and store the far in the fridge. The olive oil can be used for cooking foods like tomato sauces, and making salad dressing.

Un-deepfried Zucchini #2 (avec parmesan)

Of all the recipes on my blog, I think Un-Deepfried Zucchini is the one I make the most.  I’m not nearly tired of it, but I thought I should try something new with it.  So I just added a little parmesan to the breadcrumb mixture.  I still like it with a little yogurt, to which I add some fresh/frozen dill and a little salt and pepper.

What you need:

1 medium-size zucchini, sliced into 1cm thick rounds

1 egg

about 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

salt and pepper to taste

a few tablespoons finely grated parmesan

What you do:

1.  Mix the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, and the parmesan together in a bowl.  Crack the egg into another bowl and mix it up with a fork.

2.  Preheat the oven to 400F.

3.  Dip the zucchini pieces in the egg, then press them into the breadcrumbs so they are coated.  Place on a baking sheet – I don’t grease mine and they don’t seem to stick.

4.  Pop them in the oven – I usually put them in before it’s finished preheating, and it’s not a problem.  Bake for 10 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 10.  They should be very soft when you’re done, so check them and maybe throw them back in for a few minutes.

Serve hot on their own, of with a dipping sauce of your choice.  Stay tuned for #3!

Waffles with Ricotta and Pomegranate

This is a breakfast I served before Christmas, but I was too busy to post it at the time.  I came across the draft today, and figured – better late than never!

I made some Yeast-Raised Belgian Waffles a while ago and put the leftovers in the freezer.  I also made some homemade ricotta, and had some pomegranate on hand.  So with a drizzle of maple syrup I had a gourmet breakfast!  Mango slices would be divine in place of or in addition to the pomegranate, as would a raspberry sauce… hmmm, maybe I need to make some waffles again soon!

What you do:

You just need to make the waffles and ricotta ahead of time, or if you’re an early riser, the day of.  The waffle batter needs to rise for about an hour, and the ricotta has to cook and then drain for 20-30 minutes.  Then top it with the fruit and maple syrup.  Enjoy with your favourite coffee or tea!

Ricotta Pastries

Recently I made up some homemade ricotta, and a few days later some empanadas.  Wanting to use up the last of the ricotta, I stuffed a few of them with this filling made in the style of my mom’s vareniki (Mennonite perogies).  She makes fruit vareniki and these amazing cottage cheese ones… yum!  So I thought the ricotta would be a suitable substitute, and work well with the pastry – oh, was I ever right!

In my original recipe I used only butter in the pastry, but this time I used half butter, half lard, and found the pastry turned out a little flakier – I like!  Of course you can just use butter if you wish.

What you need for the filling:

one recipe ricotta or one tub from the store

one egg

salt and pepper

What you need for the pastry:

2 & 1/4 cups flour

1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup lard (or use 1/4 cup more butter)

1 large egg

1/3 cup ice water

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1 egg for brushing on the pastry, mixed with a little water

What you do:

1.  To make the pastry, blend the cold butter and lard into the flour and salt with a pastry blender or your fingers (works best with colder hands).  Mix the egg, water and vinegar, and add them to the flour mixture.  Mix with a wooden spoon until combined, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

2.  Mix the ricotta, egg, and salt and pepper (to taste) with a fork.

3.  Have a little bowl of water handy for sealing the edges of the pastry.

4.  Sprinkle flour on your work surface and form the dough into disks, rolling out to about 1/2 cm thick.  Cut out circles with a large cookie cutter or the edge of a bowl.

5.  Fill the pastry with a tablespoon or so of ricotta.  Dab a little water around half of the edge of the pastry, then fold the pastry over and seal.

6.  Place the pastries on a baking sheet, which does not need to be greased.  Cut small slits in the tops of the pastries, then brush them with a little of the egg.

7. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes.

Let them cool slightly before serving.

Cauliflower and Tahini Sauce

Yum!   This is so easy – just bake some cauliflower and drizzle a little sauce on top.  So easy, so delicious, so good for you.  What more can you ask for?  There was some leftover sauce, so I used it as a dip for raw broccoli – I think it’s quite a versatile sauce that could be used for a dip or topping for most raw or roasted veggies, and maybe even meats.  Please leave me a comment if you try the sauce out for other uses.

I love roasted cauliflower, and I often roast it without any oil.  Feel free to toss it in a little olive oil if you wish, but it’s amazing without as well.  I’ve roasted cauliflower many times before, but I like this new addition of the sauce from Bonnie Stern’s Friday Night Dinners.  I’ve served it as an appetizer and as a side dish.

What you need:

1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets

a little olive oil (optional)

For the sauce:

1/4 cup tahini

1/2 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash of hot sauce

1/4 cup of warm water, or as needed

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F, then throw the cauliflower florets onto a large baking sheet. (toss them in a little olive oil beforehand, if you wish)

2.  Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until browned and soft inside.

3.  Combine the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt and hot sauce.  Add the warm water gradually until the sauce is a consistency you like.

Serve the cauliflower with the sauce drizzled on top, or the sauce on the side for dipping.

Korean Soba Noodle Salad

The public library is one of my favourite places to look for new recipes.  I recently signed out Robin Asbell’s Bio Vegan cookbook, and found this recipe.  It’s easy, healthy, filling and tasty.  I love most fruits, but I’m not a big fan of pears.  Asian pears, however, don’t have the same graininess that regular pears have, and when julienned they almost seem like pieces of apple.

Soba noodles are made from buckwheat, which is gluten-free and high in fibre, among many other health benefits that you can read about here.

The salad is served cold, so it made a great leftovers lunch at work the next day.  The pears can turn brown, so if you think you’re not going to eat it all the day you make it, you might want to leave some of the Asian pears out until serving.

What you need:

1/4 cup agave syrup

1 tablespoon sriracha or other hot sauce (or start with a little less and add more to your taste)

1 tablespoon dark miso paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons toasted and ground sesame seeds

200 grams soba noodles, before cooking

1 medium cucumber, seeded and julienned

1 Asian pear, julienned

170 grams extra-firm silken tofu, cut into small cubes

What you do:

1.  Cook the soba noodles according to the directions on the package, drain and rinse with cold water.

2.  Whisk together the agave syrup, hot sauce, tamari, sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons on the sesame seeds.

3.  Combine the sauce with the cooled, well-drained noodles.

4.  Top it off with the cucumber, pear, tofu, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.