Tortillas con vegetales y salsa verde

I don't really know what to call this dish, so I'll just say what it is, but in Spanish. It reminds me of a dish called "chiliquiles' that we serve at the Blue Onion. I have never had the one at the B.O.; in my imagination it would taste like what I made tonight- hearty, chewy, rich and savory. I had some potatoes that I cooked the night before, so this came together in flash. I served it with a side of black beans.

1 orange bell pepper, sliced 1/8"- 1/4" thick
1/2 medium onion, sliced 1/8"-1/4" thick
2 cups cooked potatoes chopped roughly into small pieces (1/4 -1/2 inch cubes)
4 6" inch corn tortillas, ripped into bite size chunks (if they're a little stale, that's even better)
1/4 cup ish earth balance (I know, it's crazy, you can cut it in half if you're trying to be low fat)
1/4 cup green chili salsa (I used Salsa Verde from Trader Joe's)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp red chili pepper flakes
1/2 tsp soy sauce

Garnish
avocado, tomato, cilantro, whatever really


Heat a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the earth balance (or olive oil) and add the red peppers and onions. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes and then add the potatoes. Continue to stir fry while adding the rest of the earth balance. Smush the potatoes a little with the end of your spatula. Add the tortillas after 2 minutes. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the green chili, soy sauce, cumin and red pepper flakes. Stir fry for another few minutes and then turn the heat to low. Continue to stir occasionally for 2-5 minutes.

Serve with beans and garnish. And tortilla chips if you've got 'em.

Black Bean Burgers with Sauteed Mushrooms and Spinach

I've been on a veggie burger kick these days. I like eating with my hands and getting food all over my face. So, here's the black bean burgers I made last night, and today already for lunch. And we'll have them again for dinner. It makes a lot, so get your burger on.

~adapted from 'Veganomicon'

2 cups ish black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten (can be found in the bulk section of health food stores, or ask your grocer)
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 ears corn, raw, but cut it off like when you had braces
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tbl ketchup (check your ketchup for high fructose corn syrup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, grated (break out your ski or swim goggles for this one)
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbl olive oil, plus spray or more olive oil for cooking

bread or buns of your choice, toasted



Mash the beans with a fork in mixing bowl. Don't puree; leave some half beans. Add the bread crumbs, gluten, corn, chili powder, cumin, oregano, ketchup, grated onion, garlic, olive oil, cilantro and jalapeno. Mix everything together with your hands until it is uniform (about a minute).

Preheat a heavy bottomed pan over medium. Divide the burger mixture into 6-8 ball. Flatten on a surface or between your hands. Pour a thin layer of olive oil in pan, add burgers and cook until brown. Flip and cook for 3-5 minutes.


At this point I leave the burgers in the pan, warming and make the sauteed spinach and mushrooms.

6 mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup spinach leaves, chopped roughly
1 tbl earth balance or other butter substitute

Heat a large pan with butter over medium and add mushrooms and spinach. Spread out the mushrooms so they aren't touching and stir occasionally. Cook for 5 minutes or until soft.

I built my burger/ sandwich like this:
toasted bread/ bun
veganaise
ketchup
thinly sliced avocado, spread evenly (peel it first)
burger
mushrooms and spinach
tomato slices
red onion slices
toasted bread/ bun

Eggplant, Bok choy and Tofu Stir Fry with Coconut Basmati Rice

I love asian food. Love. I can stuff my face like no other when it comes to vegetables, rice and noodles mixed with yummy sauces. I'm generally a fan of brown rice, but sometimes white rice is okay. In my opinion. So tonight we went with the white basmati rice and it was freaking delicious. Here we go:
~recipe adapted from 'Curries' by Susanna Tee.

3-4 tbl vegetable oil or olive (used in two parts)
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, sliced thinly, diagonally
2 stalks celery, sliced diagonally
4 garlic cloves, chopped roughly
1/2 jalepeno, chopped
1 tbl ginger, chopped
1 medium eggplant chopped in 3/4 inch ish chunks
8 oz pressed tofu (put between two plates with something heavy on top), cubed
1 bunch baby bok choy, chopped

sauce-
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 cup vegetable broth
3 tbl soy sauce or tamari
3 tbl rice vinegar
2 tbl peanut butter
1 tbl sweetener
freshly ground black pepper

garnish-
chopped cilantro and basil
bean sprouts
lime


Heat half the oil over medium high heat and add the onions, stir fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the celery, carrots and garlic. Continue stir frying for another 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Heat the rest of the oil over medium high, add the tofu and eggplant and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the jalepeno and garlic and continue to stir occasionally for 4 minutes, letting the tofu get crispy.

Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and add to the eggplant with the onion, carrot, celery mix. Add the bok choy and let simmer, slightly covered, for 4 minutes.

Serve over rice and garnish


Coconut Basmati Rice
2 tsp oil
1 1/2 cup basmati rice
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt

Heat the oil over medium heat and add the rice. Stir for 2 minutes. Add the water and coconut milk and salt, cover and bring to a boil Simmer, with the lid slightly open for 12 minutes. Turn off, wait 3 minute and fluff with a fork.

Peanut Butter Potato Chip Cookies

This recipe is adapted from "Skinny Bitch in the Kitch" by Rory Freedman. She's rad, as are her books. Here's what you'll need:

2 1/2 cups flour (I do whole wheat pastry or split it with white and wheat)
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup refined sugar alternative (I used turbinado, a natural brown sugar)
3/4 cup oil (I used a combo of olive, safflower and melted Earth Balance)
1/3 cup finely chopped and pitted dates
1 cup chunky or smooth natural peanut butter
1/4 cup ice water
2 tbl ground flax seed (you can omit this if you don't have it)
1 tbl molasses
1 tsp pure vanilla
2 cups crushed potato chips (something natural.... whatever that means)


Preheat oven 375.

In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Blend the 1/4 cup water with ground flax seed in a blender for 30 seconds to a minute. Set aside.

In a large bowl blend peanut butter, sugar, dates and oil for 2-3 minutes. Add flax seed mixture, vanilla and molasses and mix until combined. Add the flour and potato chips in 3 equal-ish parts and mix in by hand. Mix each part in until almost all combined. Don't over mix. I try to fold in the ingredients. Mixture will be dry. Form into 3 tablespoon balls and place on cookie sheet. Use a fork to slightly press down the cookies in a criss-cross pattern. .

Bake for 8-9 minutes. I'm a big fan of rotating the cookie tray mid oven time. Also, don't over cook, they'll settle up nicely.

Dig in!

Summer Vegetable Rice Noodle Bowl

This was what I ate for lunch today. I'm in the midst of cleaning the whole house and I needed a quick, light, yummy meal to keep me motivated. This is for a serving size of one; so double, triple, quadruple, whatever it.

1 cup Rice Noodles cooked
1 carrot, grated
1 small summer squash, grated
4 green onions, sliced thinly diagonally
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped


sauce:
1 Tb rice vinegar
1 Tb soy sauce or tamari
1 Tb tahini paste
2 tsp sesame seed oil
2 tsp asian chili oil
black pepper
red pepper flakes (if you want some heat)

Start with making the rice noodles. I used vermicelli this time, but wide noodles are yummy too! Boil the water, add the noodles and boil for 1-2 minutes. Turn heat off and cover. Let sit for 7-12 minutes, or until the noodles are soft.

In a small sauce pan mix all the sauce ingredients over low heat. Stir and heat until mixed well, no need to boil, but it's fine if you do.

Drain the rice noodles, rinse with cold water and place back in the pot. Add the sauce and other ingredients, mix well and serve cold or warm.

Red Beet Chocolate Cup Cakes with Cashew Frosting

Here is my veganized version of a recipe that came in our box of veggies last week. The original recipe came from recipezaar.com
Enjoy ~
Red Beet Chocolate Cake
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup beets (steamed or canned), pureed
8 dates, pitted and pureed with the beets

3/4 cup water + 1/4 cup ground flax seed, blended well in a mixer
1/2 cup sugar or equivalent of another sweetener
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup safflower oil
2/3 cup rice milk
1 tsp vanilla


Preheat Oven 350. Grease 12-16 cup cake tins. Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together the wet ingredients plus the beets and dates in a large bowl. Gradually, add the dry ingredients, and mix until smooth, but do not over mix. Pour (or scoop) the batter into the muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cup cake top bounces back when lightly pressed. Cool and frost. The original recipe said store overnight to enhance flavor. If you have that kind of will power, go for it. Otherwise, dig in!

Cashew Frosting:

scant 1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 30 minutes to an hour)
juice of one lemon
3 dates, pitted
1/4 tsp vanilla
water

Blend the cashews, lemon juice, dates and vanilla in a food processor while gradually adding the water until a thick, frosting like paste forms.

Kale, Carrot and Pea Stir Fry with Peanut-y Sauce

Today starts a new season of my life. Life with fresh produce from a local farm, Mountain Bounty Farm. I'm sure I will never go with out it from now on. I love the variety, the fact that I paid up front, the little shed where you pick it up, and it brings the decision making for dinner close to zero. So, here's my first night with 'the veggies.' Serve this with rice of your choice.

1-2 tablespoons safflower oil
1/2 red onion, chopped into 1 inch chunks
6 carrots (these were small...so 2-3 large), sliced diagonally into 1/4 inch or thinner slices
2 cups thinly sliced kale (I lplaced the leaves on top of each other, rolled tightly and sliced diagonally into 1/8-1/4 inch slices)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup snow peas
1/2 cup frozen peas

Sauce:
2 1/2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1-2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tsp agave nectar or a little more of another sweetener
1/4 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce


Heat the oil over medium high and add the onions. Saute until they begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots and stir fry until the they begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the kale and garlic, stir and cook until blending in, 3-4 minutes. Add the peas and cook for one minute, stir in sauce and serve over rice.

As I was eating this tonight, I was thinking how small chunks of pineapple and chopped toasted cashews would have been totally delish, so add those at the last minute if you have/want them!