Veg(etari)an Red Lentil & Tomato Soup with Kale

A far cry from my mother's bland lentil soup, this red lentil soup has become one of my favorites to make. I keep the spices fairly subtle, but feel free to boost the amounts as you like. Also, I've tried adding spinach instead of kale, but it just doesn't hold up quite as well.

Veg(etari)an Red Lentil & Tomato Soup with Kale

Ingredients:

chick peas are pretty good with this soup

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 cup butternut squash, diced *optional (I always have this in the freezer so it's easy to throw in and I like the color and sweetness it adds to the soup)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. curry powder
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup of red lentils
1 (15-ounce) can of tomatoes with the juice (dealers choice on whole vs diced- soup gets puréed so it doesn't really matter)
4-6 cups veggie stock (chicken stock is good too, if you don't care about it being vegan/vegetarian) *the amount of liquid you use depends on how thick you want the soup to be- use more for a looser consistency, less for a thicker one
salt to taste
1 big bunch of kale, torn

Directions:
In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, sautée the vegs and spices in olive oil until fragrant and slightly softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the lentils and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add in the tomatoes with their juice as well as the stock (I usually go with 4 - 4 1/2  cups for a thicker soup- it's easy to add more liquid if it's too thick), raise the temperature to bring to a boil, then drop the heat once more to a simmer and cook, slightly covered, for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils and vegs are tender. Remove from the heat and fish out the bay leaf.

Purée the soup using an immersion blender (one of my all time favorite kitchen tools!) or, if you're not lucky enough to have one of these nifty gadgets, use a blender or food processor and carefully purée it in batches. (Just remember that hot liquids can explode out of your blender if you put too much in and don't allow the steam to escape... um, not that I would know that first hand or anything...)

Once the soup is puréed to your desired consistency (you can always add in some more liquid at this point if it's too thick), add in salt to taste as well as the kale. Return to a low heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes or so, just until the kale has wilted and softened, but remains green. This soup is fantastic as is, but feel free to add in some chick peas for another hit of protein, and maybe garnish with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. It freezes beautifully if you actually have leftovers.

Enjoy!

Summer Squash Sauté

Every time I make this dish, I think about the summer of '97 leading into my senior year of college. My best friends and I had sublet a house off campus for the first time and it was all I could do to afford my part of the rent. Fortunately for me, there was a small farm stand within walking distance so I didn't starve that summer; instead, I ate a whole lot of inexpensive produce and pasta. This combination, by far, was my favorite and my definite go-to since there was ALWAYS squash, zucchini, and tomatoes available. You'd think after eating so much of this stuff I'd be sick of it, but honestly, it's just so damn good I don't think I'll EVER be tired of it. Plus, it's easy enough to switch things up a bit by adding different spices and herbs and you can make it in any quantity. This weekend, I made a large pan of it to serve with grilled chicken, so today I tossed the leftovers with pasta for a quick dinner to pack for work.

Summer Squash Sauté

Ingredients:

olive oil

sweet onion, diced (my preference here is a vidalia onion)

yellow squash, sliced

zucchini, sliced

tomatoes, diced (fresh is best when they're in peak season, but canned are just as good)

dried herbs: basil, parsley, oregano, thyme (whatever you've got in your spice cabinet)

pinch of sugar (balances out the acidity of the tomatoes)

pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Saute the onion in olive oil for 1-2 minutes before tossing in the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat until the vegs are softened but haven't lost their color, about 5-7 minutes. Serve as a stand alone dish, a side dish, or toss with cooked pasta.

Enjoy!

Ve(getari)an Moroccan Inspired Couscous

For years, I always bought the couscous that came in a box with a little flavor packet. Yes, it was convenient with it's just-add-water-let-stand-5-minutes cooking instructions, but I quickly learned that making your own couscous dishes from scratch is just as easy. You have the added bonus of being able to play with the flavorings you use... for me, that's a no-brainer. AND, there's many different varieties of couscous available on the market, so I like to play with the different types and use them in different applications. I find that I prefer the heartier texture of Israeli couscous so it's kind of become my go-to variety, but I recently found this brown rice couscous which is marketed as a great gluten-free alternative. Now, I have no issues with gluten in my diet, but I'm always willing to try different products, and this one is a winner.

Ve(getari)an Moroccan Inspired Couscous

Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 - 1 tsp. curry powder (depends on your taste)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
pinch of cinnamon
1 1/4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup couscous (I used 1/4 cup each of Israeli couscous + brown rice couscous just because that's what I had on hand)
3 or 4 dried apricots, diced
3 or 4 dried figs, diced
1/4 shelled pistachios, roughly chopped

Directions:
Over medium heat, saute the shallot and all spices in olive oil until the spices become really fragrant and the shallot is slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the veggie stock and bring to a boil before adding the couscous. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low, simmering the couscous until the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes (cooking times will vary depending on the type of couscous you use). Remove from the heat and toss in the dried fruits and pistachios, cover the pot once more and let stand for another 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Enjoy!

Ve(getari)an Lemon-Basil Orzotto

After seeing this recipe pop up on my blog roll yesterday, I just knew I had to make it... with a few little tweaks.

I'm definitely no stranger to making risotto the traditional way and here's what I've learned: It's not so much about the ingredients as it is about the technique. Once you understand that, you can have fun playing around with the ingredients and change things up from the standard arborio rice (which, truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of rice if another option is available) that the Italian's use. Essentially, you start by toasting your grain of choice in a little bit of olive oil or butter, add in a splash of white wine (or not), stir it until the liquid has absorbed, and then add your liquid of choice in small doses, stirring occasionally while the liquid absorbs and starches are released from your grain of choice thereby creating a rich, creamy dish without a drop of cream. I've used this technique with the standard rice, but also with orzo, barley, and spelt, each time with the same rich results.

Ve(getari)an Lemon-Basil Orzotto

that brand of veg stock gives a deep color to the dish

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup orzo (that's the little pasta that looks like rice)
1 shallot, diced
3 Tbs. lemon juice (that's about how much I got from 1 lemon)
2 cups of vegetable stock (you might need more or less depending on how long you let the orzotto cook)
asparagus, sliced on the bias (I used 6 spears, but you can use more or less depending on your taste)
peas (you guessed it- straight from the freezer!)
3 Tbs. parmesan, grated *omit for vegan
1 Tbs. lemon zest (from the lemon I juiced)
2 Tbs. fresh basil, shredded
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
In a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat, toast the orzo in the olive oil until it starts to turn golden brown and smells nutty, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the shallot and lemon juice, stirring until absorbed, another minute or so. Now, here's where you need a little patience: Add 1/2 cup of vegetable stock at a time, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has been absorbed before making the next addition. Each addition will take a little bit longer to absorb (orzo cooks MUCH quicker than arborio rice does- about half the time), but you need to resist the urge to add the liquid too soon. With the 4th addition, toss in the asparagus and peas, as well as the parmesan if you're using it. Continue to stir until the liquid is mostly absorbed, then remove from the heat and add in the lemon zest and basil. By the time it makes it to the plate, your orzotto will have this amazing creaminess... and you didn't have to add a single drop of cream.

Enjoy!

Quinoa & Chick Pea Salad

Another no-recipe recipe coming at you... the beauty of this particular dish is that you can use whatever fresh produce you have on hand and make as much or as little as you want. (I made enough for 1-2 servings, depending on whether you count it as a side-dish or entree.) This "recipe" lends itself beautifully to swap outs so you can make it with just about anything in your pantry if you don't like quinoa: couscous, bulgar wheat, wheat berries, barley, brown rice, or any short cut pasta.

Quinoa & Chick Pea Salad

Ingredients:
quinoa
cooking liquid of choice (water, vegetable stock, chicken stock... whatever floats your boat)
carrot, diced
shallot, diced
cucumber, diced
roasted red pepper, diced
cherry tomatoes, diced
chick peas, drained and rinsed
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
any combination of fresh/dry herbs (I used parsley, thyme, basil, pinch of oregano)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
In an appropriately sized pot, cook the quinoa in your liquid of choice, adding the carrots about half through the cooking time. (For my single entree serving, I used 1/4 cup quinoa + 1/2 cup veg stock.)

Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. (I like to make my vinaigrette with 1 part vinegar to 2 parts oil.) Stir in the quinoa once it's absorbed all of the liquid and then cooled slightly. Finish with fresh herbs and enjoy at room temperature or, if you have the patience to wait, it's even better after it's been refrigerated for a couple of hours.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Scones

2nd batch: crisp exterior, light and airy on the inside

I came across this interesting article written by L.V. Anderson while doing some research on scones a few weeks ago and decided to give the recipe a try; I liked the taste of the scones (not too sweet), but the texture was a little off. Perhaps this was one of those times when environment/weather played a part in the final product, but I found the dough to be entirely too wet (and yes, I actually followed the recipe *mostly* as written) which then led to scones that were more cake-like in texture with a barely there nod to the biscuit-like texture I was expecting. Well, after much thought, I made the scones again this morning with several tweaks to the original recipe... you can decide which you prefer. But trust me, mine are better. ;)

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Scones

1st batch: soft and cake-like

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups AP flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
7 Tbs. cold butter, diced (*use non-dairy butter for vegan)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (*non-dairy for vegan)
1/2 cup fat-free half & half (*use soy or almond milk for vegan... and in case you were wondering, I keep half & half on hand for my dairy tolerant, coffee-loving friends)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. vanilla soy milk (you can always use more half & half, milk, cream... whatever)
1 tsp. sugar

1st batch: incredibly wet dough needed LOTS of bench flour

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together all of the dry ingredients until well mixed then rub in the cold butter with your fingers (or cut in with a pastry blender, if you have one) until the mix resembles coarse crumbs. Toss in the chocolate chips. Pour in the half & half and vanilla and stir just to combine (I find a fork to be most effective). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed it 4 or 5 times until it comes together. Using your hands, pat out the dough into a rectangle, roughly 8"x 10" and about 1/2" thick (make sure you have easy access to more AP flour, sprinkling it on the dough as needed to prevent sticking). Once the dough is shaped, use a sharp knife (I actually use a pizza cutter) to cut out 12 triangles. Carefully transfer the triangles to the prepared baking sheet, making sure to leave about an inch of space around each scone since they puff up as they bake. Brush the tops of each triangle with your dairy product of choice and sprinkle on a very scant dusting of sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the scones are light golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack and store in an airtight container... that is, if you can resist eating them right away. ;)

Enjoy!

*Cook's note: The traditional British scone is meant to be eaten warm, straight from the oven, the same day it's made. However, I've found that these particular scones hold up very well texture-wise for up to a week when stored in an airtight container which makes them a little more accessible to my mind.

Ethiopian Inspired Lentil & Sweet Potato Stew

Okay, so I admit that I'm not all that familiar with Ethiopian cuisine, but after coming across this recipe on Food.com I'll be doing some research because I fell in love with this stew from the first bite! Incredibly easy to make, I only made a few adjustments to the original recipe and was able to make this dish with ingredients I already had in my pantry.

Ethiopian Inspired Lentil & Sweet Potato Stew

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 Tbs. garlic powder (yes, the original recipe calls for fresh garlic but I don't keep that in my house)
1 Tbs. fresh ginger, minced (I just grated mine)
2 sweet potatoes, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 Tbs. paprika (sweet or hot, whichever you prefer)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. ground ginger (yes, you really want to add both fresh AND ground)
pinch of nutmeg
1 (6-ounce) can of tomato paste
1/4 cup of lentils
2 cups veggie stock (water is fine)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute the onions and sweet potatoes with garlic powder and fresh ginger until the onions are slightly softened, about 4-6 minutes. Add in the red bell pepper and all spices (EXCEPT salt), stirring to coat the vegs in the spices, and cook for another minute or so until the spices get really fragrant. Stir in the lentils, tomato paste, and veg stock, raising the heat to high to bring the stew to a boil before dropping the heat to low. Simmer the stew over low heat until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 25-35 minutes. (Note: You may need to add more liquid if the stew looks like it's getting dry. I actually added about a cup of water to keep things nice and moist.) Once the lentils are soft, go ahead and add salt to taste.

Enjoy!

Apple Pie Irish Oatmeal

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Closet Cooking, and couldn't wait to try it out. Not only did it sound incredibly easy (it is), but who doesn't like apple pie for breakfast? Even though I generally prefer a more protein-laden breakfast (read: eggs, turkey bacon, Greek yogurt), every once in a while I like to go with a good ol' bowl of comfort like oatmeal. I first tried steel-cut oats (also labeled Irish oatmeal) a couple of years ago and really liked the nutty, chewy texture which differs quite a bit from the softer texture of the more common rolled oats. However, you can't beat the convenience of quick cooking rolled oats because steel-cut oats take a good 30-45 minutes to simmer on the stove top and that's not exactly conducive to a fast breakfast. So. That's the other thing that struck me about this recipe: it's made in the slow-cooker so you can set the timer and have the oatmeal waiting on YOU when you wake up!

Apple Pie Irish Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1 cup steel-cut oats
2 cups of water (or apple juice as per the original recipe, but I just used water)
2 cups of milk (I used plain soy milk, but you could use whatever you want)
2-3 small apples, diced (I used 3 granny smith apples that were a little past the point of eating whole)
2-4 Tbs. of brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like things, you can use more or less- I prefer to use a little less)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt (I used fine sea salt- this wasn't in the original recipe, but I think you really need the salt to offset the sweet)
1/4 cup dried fruit (recommended: raisins or dried cranberries- I used cranberries)
1/4 cup nuts, chopped (recommended: walnuts or pecans- I used walnuts)
2 Tbs. milled flaxseeds

Directions:
Dump everything in your slow-cooker and cook on LOW for 4 hours. Easy, right? ;)

Enjoy!

Tofu & Broccoli Lo Mein

Another no-recipe recipe, this can be made in any quantity and with any combination of ingredients... within reason, that is. ;)

Tofu & Broccoli Lo Mein

Ingredients:
vegetable oil
tofu, cubed and pre-baked
broccoli florets (I pulled mine straight from the freezer)
noodles, cooked to al dente (recommended: soba or whole wheat thin spaghetti)
brown sauce (I like to use this recipe)

Directions:
In a skillet over medium-high heat, stir fry the tofu and broccoli until slightly browned and crisp around the edges, about 3-5 minutes. Toss in the noodles and sauce, continuing to stir fry for another 2 minutes, or until the sauce has mostly been absorbed and everything is heated through.

Enjoy!

Spicy Potatoes, Cauliflower & Chick Peas

Spicy Potatoes, Cauliflower & Chick Peas

Ingredients:

1 small head of cauliflower, diced into bite-sized pieces

3-5 red potatoes, diced

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 tsp. curry powder (I'm lazy and buy a commercial blend rather than make my own)

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. lemon pepper

red pepper flakes, to taste (I only used a pinch)

salt & pepper, to taste

1 (15.5 ounce) can of chick peas, drained and rinsed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower and potatoes in the olive oil and all spices, stirring to coat well. Dump everything out onto a baking sheet in a single layer and drizzle on some additional olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes, until the vegs start to soften and turn golden brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, stir the cauliflower and potatoes to promote even browning, and add the chick peas to the baking sheet before returning it to the oven for another 8-10 minutes, or until the chick peas are golden brown but not yet crispy.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but I hate mushrooms; it's not so much the flavor, but more so the texture. I've had a life-long aversion to them and it's only been in recent years that I've learned to (mostly) appreciate what they have to offer... even though I still don't really like them. Weird, I know.

So why do I cook with them? Well, they really do add an earthy flavor to vegetarian/vegan dishes that would normally be played out by some kind of meat, and I'm given to understand that for people that actually like them, they have a "meaty" texture that gives substance to an otherwise meat-free dish. Oddly, I really enjoy the smell of mushrooms as they are cooking- and I DO like the flavor they impart- but I just can't deal with their texture. *shudder* Why then did I make stuffed mushrooms today? Well, I actually made dinner for 2 of my co-workers and THEY like mushrooms. Simple, right? AND, this is sort of another no-recipe recipe because you can make as many as you want; I had 2 mushroom caps so I just made a small amount of stuffing, but this could easily translate to feed a larger crowd of fungus lovers.

Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Ingredients:
portabella mushrooms, wiped clean of any dirt, stems removed and diced
olive oil (although I'm sure butter would be mighty tasty here)
onion, diced
carrot, diced
celery, diced
dried parsley
dried thyme
garlic powder
poultry seasoning (usually includes sage, marjoram, thyme)
salt & pepper, to taste
veggie stock
dried bread cubes or packaged stuffing mix (whatever you have on hand- I had cornbread stuffing mix leftover from Friendsgiving in my cabinet)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large saute pan, cook the vegs and spices in olive oil (or butter) until slightly softened, about 4-6 minutes. Add in the veggie stock and bring to a boil. (The amount of liquid used depends on the amount of stuffing mix you use. I used about 1-1.5 cups of liquid to about 3/4 cup of dried stuffing mix.) Add the stuffing mix, stir, cover with a lid, and remove from the heat. Allow the stuffing mix to stand for about 5 minutes, or until it has absorbed the liquid.

Meanwhile, in a glass baking dish, drizzle a small amount of olive oil in the bottom before placing the mushroom caps inside, gill side up. Pile on the stuffing mixture in a heaping mound, then drizzle the tops with more olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender and browned around the edges.

Enjoy!

Lentils Primavera

Okay, so here's another non-recipe recipe. I've already posted my preferred method for cooking lentils here, so I'm not going to do it again. I've mentioned before how versatile lentils are, and this is just another of the many ways I like to use them.

Lentils Primavera

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry lentils
2 cups liquid of choice (water, veggie stock, chicken stock)

olive oil
onion, diced
carrots, diced
zucchini, diced
squash, diced
snap peas, diced
tomatoes, fresh or canned, diced
preferred combination of spices/herbs: basil, herbes de provence, garlic powder, lemon pepper
splash of red wine vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
While the lentils are cooking, saute the veg and spices in olive oil until tender crisp, about 7-9 minutes. Once the lentils have absorbed most of the cooking liquid (about 30-40 minutes), add them to the sauteed vegs and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning to your taste and there you go.

Enjoy!

Happy Friendsgiving!!!

Thanksgiving is, by far, my favorite holiday of the year. Why? The food, of course!

Having ditched my birth family years ago, I don't have "family obligation" holiday meals to suffer through which means I get to cook everything myself, exactly the way I like it. Now, despite the fact that I had to work on Thanksgiving Day and was too tired to come home and cook anything- let alone the full monty- this year was probably the best Thanksgiving I've had in years because I was able to share it with friends... and my friends are more important to me than pretty much any of the folks out there with whom I share a genetic link. You see, I am of the opinion that family is what you make of it... and I have a pretty cool family, if I do say so myself. And I'm pretty sure Kailan would agree with me since he had an awesome time playing- and begging for food- with his friend Tater Tot. :)

So what did we eat? Well, I spent a chunk of Saturday getting a jump start on the Friendsgiving Day feast I had planned, so to that end, I made a salted caramel apple pie (mostly) from scratch which was a first for me. Because I really don't enjoy making pastry dough, I see nothing wrong with using the pre-made, refrigerated pie dough. However, that doesn't mean I can't make the filling myself (no canned pie filling here!) and it was surprisingly easy.

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

salted caramel apple pie... all that was left

Peel and core 6 cups of apples (I used a mix of granny smith and golden delicious) and slice into 1/4" pieces before tossing them with 2 Tbs. of fresh lemon juice. Meanwhile, in a large heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium-high heat, cook 2/3 cup of sugar until it melts and turns dark amber, swirling occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 6 Tbs. of butter and 1 Tbs. of heavy cream, swirling to combine. Return the sauce pan to the stove over medium heat and add the apples, stirring to coat in the caramel. Cook the apples until softened, about 3-5 minutes and remove from the heat once more before stirring in 2 Tbs. of AP flour and 1 tsp. of sea salt. Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the pie dough from the fridge and bring to room temperature while the oven is preheating, about 15-20 minutes. Once the dough is room temperature, press one crust into a 9" glass pie dish before dumping in all of the apple mixture. Top with the remaining crust and cut several slits in the top to allow the steam to escape during baking. Now, I like to put my pies on a baking sheet for easier handling as well as to catch any drips if the pie bubbles over while it's baking... but you don't have to. Although, I'm pretty sure you're an idiot if you don't, but whatever. Put the pie on the middle rack and lower the heat to 375 degrees. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until the pie is golden brown. You may need to cover the pie crust with foil in the last 10-15 minutes of cooking to prevent over-browning, but surprisingly, I didn't need to this time. Cool the pie for at least an hour before cutting into it and enjoying the salty sweet goodness. Mmmmm....

In addition to the pie, I also made (vegan) sweet potato gnochi which was a first for me. Because I wanted to make sure they would be a success, I needed to do a trial run with them first so once I made the dough, I cooked up a small batch- definite success!- and ate them for dinner. Again, these were surprisingly easy to make, although I have to admit that I'm not a fan of working with sticky dough and these certainly fell under that heading.

(Vegan) Sweet Potato Gnochi

vegan sweet potato gnochi dough

Bake 2 pounds of whole sweet potatoes (2-4 potatoes, depending on size) in a 425 degree oven for 45-55 minutes until fork tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle then slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out all of the flesh into a large bowl, discarding the skins. While the potatoes are still warm, mash them (I just used a fork) with 1 tsp. of salt, 1 tsp. of nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp. of black pepper. Once the sweet potato mash has cooled, stir in 3-4 cups of AP flour in 1/2 cup increments, stirring after each addition until the dough reaches a rather sticky consistency but comes together to form an actual dough. (I think I used a little more than 4 cups, actually.) Once the dough comes together, divide it roughly into 6 parts. On a floured surface, roll out each part of the dough into ropes about 10-12 inches long and about 1/2 inch in diameter. I can't stress this part enough: Make sure you've got plenty of flour on your work surface AND your hands because this shit is sticky! Flour a knife and cut the ropes into 1 inch pieces, pressing each piece gently with the tines of a (floured!) fork to make decorative ridges.

... sauteed in vegan butter

Once the gnochi are formed, you can either cook them right away or store them in the fridge (for up to 3 days) or in the freezer (for up to 1 month). To cook them, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Dump in about 20 gnochi at a time and reduce the heat to a simmer, cooking the gnochi until they float to the top, about 4 minutes. Transfer the floating gnochi to a separate pan over medium heat and saute them in butter (or vegan butter as the case may be) with your favorite herbs (I used sage and thyme), turning them every minute or so to brown/crisp all sides. It's a bit of a process having to cook them in batches, but it's totally worth it...

So the rest of the meal, I put together on Sunday. To ease myself into it, I started with my favorite cranberry sauce which is more like a relish or chutney: Bring to a boil 1 bag of whole cranberries + 1 cup each of sugar and water (I actually use apple juice) and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Once the berries start popping, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until most of the cranberries have popped and the sauce has thickened, about 15-20 minutes. Cool before serving.

roasted turkey breast, already carved

Keeping in mind that I had carnivores, vegetarians, AND vegan guests coming, I only had to make a few small adjustments to keep the majority of the dishes suitable for everyone. Of course, there's no way to veganize actual meat, so the herb roasted turkey breast and whole roasted chicken were the (tasty) exceptions to that rule. Oh, and my traditional sausage-bread stuffing with dried cranberries was the other exception, but I also made a vegan version with mushrooms and pecans which turned out pretty damn good if I do say so myself.

sausage stuffing, green bean casserole, vegan stuffing

In addition to the stuffings (yes, I still call it "stuffing" instead of dressing even though the only thing it's stuffed in is a casserole dish), I also made chunky mashed potatoes (skins still on- I don't peel potatoes) with parsnips, veganizing them with vegan cream cheese and butter, plus a whole bunch of fresh herbs. There was also a green bean casserole (not vegan) as well as the more vegan friendly version of sauteed green beans with mushrooms and onions. To round things things out, I also roasted some chunks of butternut squash and fresh Brussels sprouts, both simply dressed with a little vegan butter and salt & pepper. Nothing terribly difficult to make, but juggling the timing of everything was a little challenging and dinner started about 45 minutes later than I had originally planned.

Eh. No big.

(vegan) sweet potato gnochi, roasted butternut squash

roasted Brussels sprouts, vegan sauteed green beans, vegan mashed potatoes & parsnips

And, because I was feeding a dozen people, it was easier to just put all the dishes out buffet-style so everyone could help themselves before getting comfortable and settling in the living room to eat while watching football. See? And you thought Friendsgiving wasn't the same as Thanksgiving...

vegan mixed berry crisp... again, all that was left...

After food and drink, there was even more drink and games (Apples to Apples and Scattergories) before we dove into dessert: salted caramel apple pie, (vegan) mixed berry crisp, and pumpkin cheesecake (an oft-requested specialty of one of my guests).

A good time was most definitely had by all... the only downside being that there weren't nearly enough leftovers for me to enjoy the rest of the week! ;)

(Vegan) Mixed Berry Crisp

Okay, so this recipe was based on one from my good ol' standby reference cookbook, Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook. The original recipe is for an apple crisp (which is certainly delicious in its own right!), but I made a few tweaks so that my vegan co-worker would be able to take part in the fruity goodness with everyone else when I brought this to work the other night.

Sorry... no photo to go along with this one. I forgot to snap one before leaving my house and taking it to work, and of course there was NOTHING left when my co-workers were done with it. :)

(Vegan) Mixed Berry Crisp

Ingredients:
(for the filling)
6 cups of mixed berries (I used what was already in my freezer: blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and sliced strawberries)
4 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. AP flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt

(for the topping)
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
2 Tbs. AP flour
2 Tbs. whole wheat flour (or you could omit this and just use 4 Tbs. of AP flour, but I like to split the difference)
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. ground flaxseed
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. spice of choice: cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger are all good here
4 Tbs. of non-dairy butter, chilled
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the berries (the original recipe says to defrost them first, but I didn't bother) with the sugar and flour, stirring to coat before adding the vanilla and pinch of salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, flaxseed, spice, and salt. Using a fork (or a pastry cutter) cut in the non-dairy butter until the mixture resembles coarse sand with pea-sized chunks of the butter. Stir in the nuts if using.

Pour the berry mixture into a glass baking dish (I didn't bother to spray or butter mine) and top with the crumb mixture. Place the dish on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet (to catch any juice that may spill over, thus causing a big mess in your oven... duh), and bake at 375 degrees for 35-55 minutes, until the berries are hot and bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Why such a varied cooking time? Well, if you use fresh fruit or frozen that's been defrosted, it only needs about 35-40 minutes. If, however, you're lazy like me and use fruit straight from the freezer, it needs a little more time to cook. I will caution you to keep an eye on the topping if you use frozen fruit with the longer cooking time: you may need to cover the dish with foil to prevent over-browning. Serve hot from the oven or at room temperature, straight up or with a scoop of ice cream or whipped topping. Yummm...

Enjoy!

Winter Squash & Chick Pea Stew

Winter Squash & Chick Pea Stew

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 pound of squash (recommended: butternut or pumpkin, though I'm sure others would work just as well), diced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground corriander
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
1 or 2 red new potatoes, diced
1 (15.5 ounce) can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
2-4 cups of vegetable stock (depends on your desired texture/thickness)
4-6 ounces of spinach (fresh or frozen)

Directions:
In a large soup pot over medium-low heat, cook the onion and squash (I used butternut squash straight from the freezer and threw a lid on the pot to sort of steam everything) until softened, about 7-9 minutes. Stir in all spices, making sure the squash mixture is well coated in spice before adding the potatoes and chick peas. Stir to combine, then add enough stock to reach your desired thickness, keeping in mind that the potatoes will absorb some of the liquid as they cook. (I used just over 2 cups for a thicker consistency.) Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are slightly more than fork tender. Stir in the spinach at the last minute, adjust the seasoning as desired, and simmer for another few minutes until the spinach has wilted but still retains its bright green color.

Enjoy!

Veggie Stir Fry

Veggie Stir Fry

veggie stir fry with tofu

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. cold water
1 1/2 tsp. corn starch
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. dry sherry or orange juice
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. ginger (ground or fresh)
1/2 tsp. garlic (powder or fresh)
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 (10 ounce bag) mixed veggies (gotta love those frozen vegs! I had a bag of "Asian Vegs" in the freezer that included onions, carrots, broccoli, green beans, red peppers, and water chestnuts)
protein of choice

Directions:
Combine the corn starch and cold water, whisking until the corn starch dissolves. Yes, it really needs to be COLD water, otherwise the corn starch will just clump up on you. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, sherry/orange juice, and spices then set aside.

In a large saute pan (or wok) over medium-high heat, cook the veggies in the oil until heated through yet still crisp. (If you use a bag of vegs straight from the freezer like I did, start the vegs in a dry pan- no oil- and put a lid on it to steam the vegs for about 3-5 minutes before uncovering, adding the oil, and commencing the actual "stir fry" process.) Once the vegs are tender-crisp, move them to the outside edges of the pan to create a well in the center. Pour the sauce into the center of the pan, stirring until thickened, about 1 minute. After the sauce has thickened, go ahead and pull the vegs back into the mix and toss to combine. Add your protein of choice (chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or tofu) or keep it as is.

Enjoy!

Quick Black Bean Soup

Quick Black Bean Soup

black bean soup with smoked turkey sausage

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1 rib of celery, diced
1 tsp. dried cumin
pinch of red pepper flakes (of course, you can use more if you want spicy soup)
salt & pepper to taste
2 (15.5 ounce) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups vegetable stock
lime juice (optional)
sour cream (optional)
protein of choice (optional)

Directions:
In a soup pot over medium-low heat, saute the onion, celery, cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt & pepper in olive oil until slightly softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the beans and stock, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Using an immersion blender (or you can remove part of the soup to a blender), buzz the soup to your desired consistency. Finish with your choice of toppings; I went with a squirt of lime juice and some smoked turkey sausage I had leftover from another meal.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Sorbet

Mission accomplished: I successfully made chocolate sorbet WITHOUT an ice cream maker. It was a pain in the ass, but I did it. I pulled elements from several different recipes until I ended up with an incredibly rich tasting, chocolatey base that wasn't too sweet.

Chocolate Sorbet

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup of previously brewed coffee
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. chocolate liquer (coffee liquer would be good too)
1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) of dark chocolate chips, chopped finely

Directions:
In a heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat, bring the water, sugar, and cocoa powder to a boil, stirring frequently with a whisk. Once the sugar and cocoa have dissolved, continue cooking for another minute until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients before pouring your sorbet base into a freezer-safe container.

Now at this point, nearly every recipe I found tells you to follow the manufacturer instructions on your ice cream maker and you'll end up with a velvety sorbet in under an hour. So. To compensate for the lack of this vital piece of equipment, I had to determine HOW it worked and that way I could replicate this process manually. Easy enough, right? (Yeah, I know: I'm a nerd.)

Essentially, an ice cream maker churns the base as it freezes which keeps the formation of ice crystals to a minimum; there are still crystals, of course, but they're really fine which makes for a smoother texture. It also incorporates air into the mixture as it freezes which, again, lends itself to a silky texture. Soooo... how to do this by hand? I didn't want to end up with a solid block of chocolate flavored ice and that's what would happen if I just poured the base into a container and popped it in the freezer. Instead, every 45-60 minutes, I used a whisk to break up the forming ice crystals and whip air into the base as it was freezing. Because I was doing this by hand, it took about 6 hours and just as many sessions with the whisk before it reached the texture I was shooting for, but O. M. G. was it worth it!

Enjoy!

(Vegan) Pumpkin Spice Bread

After yesterday's meltdown fiasco with the gingerbread scones, I wanted to try another vegan recipe but one that I knew would be more, shall we say, foolproof. A basic quick bread, this recipe was certainly easy enough to put together (even with the distraction of watching football and entertaining a friend), and it had the added bonus of filling my kitchen with the warm, spicy scents of the holidays. It was hard to wait until it was cool enough to slice, but it was definitely worth the wait! Much like the (vegan) banana muffins, the texture of this bread was much lighter than I expected it to be, especially given the fact that I swapped out some of the AP flour for whole wheat pastry flour which is denser than its counterpart. Also, this bread was incredibly moist, with just the right amount of chew to it, living up to the promise of the warm spices which gave it a delightful richness. I will definitely be making this again!

(Vegan) Pumpkin Spice Bread

original recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets 

by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Ingredients:
3 Tbs. ground flaxseed
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 (14-ounce) can pumpkin puree (NOT to be confused with pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups AP flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup non-dairy chocolate chips (I like dark chocolate)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a glass measuring cup, whisk the flaxseed and water together until thick and creamy.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, apple sauce, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and flaxseed mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk (or sift) together all of the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring just to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips then pour the batter into (2) 8"x3"x2" loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick blah blah blah. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes before turning the loaves out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy right away (after they've cooled, of course), or wrap in heavy duty foil and freeze for another day.

Enjoy!

(Vegan) Gingerbread Scones

First of all, let me preface this by saying I did NOT enjoy making these scones. Why not? I've been eager to try these for several days now so when I got up this morning, I thought, "What the hell?" and turned the oven on to preheat before I even started my coffee brewing.

That was my first mistake.

The second mistake was in not eating breakfast before undertaking the task of mixing this very sticky dough. If you know me at all, you know that I don't function well in the morning- especially before caffeine- and that I tend to meltdown in spectacular fashion if I don't remember to eat and my blood glucose is too low. Tackling this particular baking project (a) in the morning, (b) before massive caffeine infusions, and (3) without eating first was like a perfect (shit) storm and I'm pretty sure I scared the dog when I started yelling at the dough, throwing utensils into the sink, and hurling the dishtowel across the room. Poor Kailan... he hasn't learned to ignore my ranting like Seamus used to; Kai takes everything personally.

Now, despite my meltdown and lack of enjoyment, the final product was definitely tasty. Will I make them again? I don't see that happening anytime soon.

(Vegan) Gingerbread Scones

original recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets 

by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Ingredients:
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used plain soy milk)
1 Tbs. white distilled vinegar
2 1/2 Tbs. unsulphured molasses
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups AP flour
3/4 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed (I don't see why you couldn't use dark brown)
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup non-dairy butter, cold (I pre-cut mine into tiny cubes)
1/3 cup raisins and/or dried cranberries
2 Tbs. crystallized ginger, diced
non-dairy milk for brushing the tops (again, I used plain soy milk)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a glass measuring cup, combine the milk, vinegar, molasses, and vanilla. Set aside for 10-15 minutes to allow the vinegar a chance to "activate" the milk and essentially turn it into buttermilk.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using 2 knives (or better yet, a pastry cutter!), cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients; it should be crumbly (not pasty) with pea-sized chunks of butter. Fold in the raisins/dried cranberries and crystallized ginger before adding the wet ingredients to the dry. Stir just to combine, being careful NOT to over mix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Using your hands, shape the dough into a disk, about 9" in diameter and 1/2" thick. Now, this is where I did quite a bit of cussing at the dough because it can either be too sticky or too dry, in which case you need to add more flour (as in my case) or more milk (you'd have to do that before turning it out onto the board), working quickly so the butter inside the dough stays mostly chilled. (I'm pretty sure the molasses was the cause of the ridiculous stickiness, and I ended up sprinkling on another 1/4 cup of AP flour.) Cut the disk into 8-10 slices (like a pizza) and carefully transfer each slice to a baking sheet (mine was lined with parchment paper), giving them room to grow (maybe a 1/2" apart?). Brush the tops with milk, and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick blah blah blah. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before diving in. (The original recipe also included a maple glaze which was drizzled on after the scones were cooled. I found it to be a little too sweet, so I'm leaving that part out of the recipe.)

Enjoy!