Green Bean and Carrot Saute

Ok, so I have to say that this dish was not all that great... but that's most likely because I really overcooked the veggies.  I know, shame on me.. slap my wrist with a ruler.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  But the picture turned out good, so I think that means I have to post!  Adapted  from here.

Saute a ratio of 2:1 green beans to carrot sticks with a few cloves garlic.  Add a couple tbsp water and cover the pan (if it doesn't have a lid, a cookie sheet works well) for about 7 minutes, until the green beans are tender.  Add in a sauce of blended: PILES of cilantro and parsley, lemon juice, liquid smoke, paprika, cumin, corn starch, and a good amount of mirin.  Let the sauce thicken for a few seconds and then serve over rice.

UPDATE: Tonight I dumped a bit of tomato sauce on the leftovers and it was a lot better.. more sauce, more flavour, more creamy!  :)

Mini Pizzas

Sorry I didn't post this last night, because I was faced by these two REALLY hard precal problems, and didn't really want to do anything after I gave up on them.. so, here's last night's dinner...

Adapted from HHL

On a panini press, cook mushrooms and broccoli until tender.  Then split an english muffin type thing in half and coat with barbeque sauce.  Top with wilted spinach, mushrooms and broccoli, vegan cheese, and a bit of Italian seasoning.  Grill on the panini press until toasty, and serve.

On-Going Veggie Chip Project: Part 1

Ok.  So, here's what I have so far: Slice the veggies AS THINLY AS POSSIBLE.  This is mandatory.

Potatoes:  Microwave at full power for about 4.5 minutes, until browned.  Just spray the microwave tray with Pam, lay the potatoes straight on the tray, and sprinkle with salt.  (Idea from Fat Free Vegan)

Taro root: Same as potatoes, only microwave closer to 5.5 minutes.

Lotur root: After slicing, submerge in vinegar-water until ready to use to prevent discolouration.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350 after spraying with Pam or brushing with minimal olive oil.  Toss with salt.

Notes:

• Bad bad bad to microve beets: they will catch on fire...
• Turnips do not work in the microwave
• Too low of an oven temperature will result in leather, not chips.

Super Thick "Chicken" and Wild Rice Soup

Yum!  Wow, this soup was REALLY REALLY REALLY good (have I made my point?)

It consisted of sauteed carrots and onion and about 1/2 a medium cabbage, then lots of dried/soaked white beans, and several handfuls of wild rice.  The seasonings were about 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1.5 tbsp 'chicken' bullion, 1 tbsp sage, LOTS of parsley, Italian seasoning, and fennel (I think).  Simmered until beans are tender, and then finished with vegetarian chicken from the Asian market.  Ahh... :)

Pasta and Bean Casserole

So, the reason that I didn't post this Monday, when I actually made it, was that it tasted aweful.  Yup.  And, tonight, when I had leftovers, I doctored it up a bit so it tasted pretty good... so here's the new and improved thing.  Mixture.  Casserole.  Thing..

About 1 1/3 cup dried beans, soaked and cooked, mixed with about 1 1/3 cup spiral pasta, cooked.  Add to that a chopped onion, carrots, and peas, and a heafty amount of garlic.  Mix in about one batch of this 'mayo' recipe (I doubled it, and then used about half; the other half went in salad dressing).  Add in sage, Italian seasoning, a splash of almond milk, chipotle chili powder, and perhaps a few other seasoning (I think oregano, but I can't really remember).  Mix it all together and shove in the oven at 400F.  Bake for about half an hour or so, until you are ready to eat...
And then my additions: a hefty drizzle of maple syrup (sugar free), and ~1 tbsp toffuti sour cream (the kind that is flavoured).  Then mix it all up, and it tastes pretty darn good!..

Tofu and Orange (Stuff) Wrap

Wow.  M is so mad at me... I was cooking all morning, and made a huge mess in the kitchen.  Oops.

Home made veggie chips (almost perfected!!!)

Tofu and Orange Wrap, adapted from HHL

I cut 19 oz tofu into slabs, then pressed and marinaded it in: agave, 2 T cider vinegar, 2 tsp chili powder, and some liquid smoke.  That was then grilled until firm on the panini press.
Also, 1 LARGE carrot was grated (about 1 1/2 cups), and mixed with a chopped orange, 1/2 tsp orange zest, agave, mirin, and lemon juice.  Then all of that was rolled up... and I ate! 

Plated with veggie chips (a 50/50 mixture of home made and store bought.. mine are looking good!)  and a banana (yum).

New Year's Black Eyed Peas

I made these, with the sauce adapted from WTHDAVEA.  Also, I made another batch of that yummy turnip soup (it's actually simmering right now.  I'm kind of waiting for it to finish..).  And, I THINK I have FINALLY figured out the trick for making veggie chips.  Updates tomorrow...

New Year’s Black Eyed Peas (warning: rather a high sodium content, but, I figure that’s ok because I don’t eat many packaged foods anyway…)

Simmer fresh black eyed peas until tender, which took me 45 minute.  In the meantime, blend together a shot of vanilla, brown sugar, 5 spice powder, ¼ cup each mirin and water, 1/3 cup miso paste, ¼ cup ketchup, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, garlic powder, paprika, and liquid smoke, with a bit of pepper.  Sauté a bit of red onion in a frying pan, and then add the peas and about ½ the sauce, reserving the rest for something else.  Simmer until ready to serve.