Carmelized Pickled Onions

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Large red onion, sliced thin

1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste

2 Tbsp.sugar

3 Tbsp. Apple cider vinegar, or regular vinegar

1 Tbsp water

In a small saute pan over low heat, combine the olive oil, onion, and1/4 tsp of salt and saute, stirring often until caramelized about 10-12 minutes

Stir in the sugar, vinegar and water. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low and simmer until the liquid thickens and onions, about 15 minutes. 

Adjust the salt to taste. Store in the refrigerator.

Recipe adapted from The Inspired Vegan

Curried Noodles with Green Peas topped with Roasted Butternut Squash

INGREDIENTS

6 oz Pasta ( serves 3) cooked al dente and set aside.

1/2 small onion, very fine dice

2 tsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced to a paste
1 1/2  tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1 to 2 tsp. sugar or more to taste

1/2 small Thai chili pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 cup cashew cream ( recipe below)

1/4 cup of water  or more to reach the desired consistency

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup frozen peas

4-5 broccoli florets 

3-4 leaves Thai basil, chopped

For the Squash

2 cups Butternut squash, cut into small dice

1/4 onion, small dice

1-2 cloves garlic fine dice

1-2 tsp sugar

2 tsp. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Place squash, onion and garlic onto a sheet pan and add the olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. mix well and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes until the edges are brown and crispy and squash is cooked thru. Set aside

Heat olive oil in a skillet and add onions and cook for several minutes until translucent, add the broccoli cook for a couple minutes, stirring to not letting onion get too brown.

Add the garlic and Thai pepper and cook for another minutes or so, don't let it brown.

Add the 1/2 cup of cashew cream and cook for another minute or so, 

 ( it will get very thick). Add water

to dilute and make a creamy consistency. Add sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder, curry powder, salt and pepper to taste and sugar if your using. 

( Adjust the salt, pepper, and sweet to taste to your liking )

Continue to cook until thick and bubbly, adding water as it gets too thick to make a nice saucy consistency, to your taste. Add frozen peas and cook until heated through.  To serve, place warm pasta in bowls topped with creamy curry sauce, mix well, top with butternut squash and Thai basil.

Vegan "Beef" & Chickpea Taco Filling

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp. olive oil

1/2 cup Vegan ground beef crumbles

1 cup of cooked chickpeas ( from canned or homemade)

1/4 onion, diced smalled

1 Large clove garlic, minced into a paste

1/2 small Thai pepper or pepper of choice

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp Sugar ( or to taste)

1 Tbsp or more to taste Taco seasoning ( Homemade recipe below)

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1/4 cup water or more to make the sauce

1/2 tsp cornstarch mixed with water to thicken 

( you may not need to use it all)

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet, when hot, add the onion hot pepper and cook on low to medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until translucent, add garlic and cook for a minute. Add "beef" and chickpeas  Add your Taco seasoning, onion, sugar and garlic powders. Cook for 3  minutes or so. Add the water, and continue to cook until it thickens down, then add more water to make a sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste, To thicken the sauce add a little cornstarch and water slurry.  Adjust with water to your desired thickness, and cook for a full minute. Add cilantro.

Vegan Parmesan

Ingredients

• ½ cup raw cashews
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

1. 1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse 3 to 4 times. Check the texture, if everything is chopped then do not pulse anymore.

   *Do not over-blend because that will cause the cashews to release oils and it will start turning into a nut butter.

Butternut Squash Filling

butternut SQUASH FILLING

• 2 cups
   butternut squash, peeled and cut into small dice
• ½ onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon
   olive oil
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon
   brown sugar
• 2 oz vegan 
  parmesan cheese 

1. 
   
2. Place the diced butternut squash, chopped onion, whole garlic cloves, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a baking sheet, tossing until fully coated.
3. Bake until the squash is golden brown and tender, about 30 minutes..
4. When the squash is finished cooking, add it to the food processor along with the brown sugar and Vegan Parmesan cheese. Pulse until it becomes smooth.  It is not ready to use as filling for Ravioli or to top Linguine with Cream sauce. 

Ravioli in Creamy Alfredo Sauce

Serves 3

Ingredients

24 homemade or store-bought butternut squash ravioli ( homemade recipe coming soon)

 1/2 small onion, very fine dice

2 tsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced to a paste
1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp. sugar or more to taste

1/4 tsp. hot chili powder ( optional)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 cup cashew cream ( recipe below)

1/4 cup of water  or more to reach the desired consistency

1/4 cup or more to taste Nutritional yeast

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 handfuls of fresh spinach

Heat olive oil in a skillet and add onions and cook for several minutes until translucent.

Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another minutes or so, don't let it brown.

Add the 1/2 cup of cashew cream and cook for another minute or so, then add nutritional yeast

 ( will get very thick). Add water

to dilute and make a creamy consistency. Add sugar, chilli powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste and sugar if your using. ( Adjust this seasoning taste to your liking)

Continue to cook until thick and bubbly, adding water as it gets too thick, to make a nice saucy consistency, to your taste. Add frozen peas and spinach until cooked through. and serve over ravioli.

CASHEW CREAM

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 8 hours or overnight

1/4 to 1/2 cup of reserved soaking water

salt to taste.

Please the cashew and 1/4 cup of soaking liquid, and 1/8 tsp.salt in a high powered blender and blend, adding more water and continue to blend for about 5 minutes,  as needed to create a thick, and smooth cream. Adjust salt to taste

Vegetarian Manti- Turkish Stuffed Dumplings

Ingredients

DOUGH

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 large egg
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

faux MEAT FILLING

1/2 pound vegan beef crumbles

1 small onion, grated

3 tablespoons minced parsley

 1 tsp. olive oil  

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Yoghurt SAUCE

• 1 cup Greek yogurt                                             1/2 tsp. Garlic, minced to a paste
• • Salt to taste

TOMATO-BUTTER SAUCE

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
 
•  8 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Dried mint and Aleppo pepper, for garnish(Optional)

How to Make It

• Step 1    Make the dough

  In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients with 5 tablespoons of water and mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Clean the bowl and return the dough to it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 1/2 hours.
  Step 2    Make the meat filling

  In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Use your first and squeeze the mixture together, so that it sticks together as ground beef would.
  Step 3    Make the yogurt sauce

  In a small bowl, combine the yogurt and garlic and season with salt. Mix well and refrigerate.
  Step 4    Make the tomato-butter sauce

  In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the tomato sauce 
and paprika and keep warm.
  Step 5    

  Lightly dust a baking sheet with flour. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  Step 6    

  On a lightly floured work surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough 1/16 inch thick. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares. Spoon 
1/2 teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each square. To form the manti, fold the dough over the filling to form a triangle; press the edges together to seal. Transfer the manti to the prepared baking sheet.
  Step 7    

  In a large pot of boiling water, boil the manti until tender and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to bowls. Top with the yogurt sauce and warm butter sauce, sprinkle with dried mint and Aleppo pepper if using,  and serve.

Recipe adapted from : Food and Wine Magazine

Soft and Silky Eggplant Casserole

• 1 large eggplant, cut into 1/4" slices.
• Sea salt
• Olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 red hot pepper, minced
• One 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Daiya mozzarella

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly salt the eggplant slices and allow to stand for 20 minutes. Pat the slices dry ant aside.
3. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet. Pan fry the eggplant in batches over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add more oil as necessary between batches so the eggplant doesn't burn, but try not to have too heavy a hand - the pan just needs to be greased. Remove the eggplant to a plate.
4. Add the onion to the skillet and saute over medium heat until soft, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, pepper, and  1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Cook for one minute more, until fragrant. Carefully pour in the tomatoes and simmer until thickened slightly, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in half the parsley.
5. Leave  1/4 cup of sauce to the bottom of the cast iron pan or an 8x8 or comparable casserole dish. Arrange one layer of eggplant evenly in the bottom of the skillet or dish. Slather with a layer of sauce, and repeat with the remaining eggplant and sauce - like you would a lasagna. Top with a little Daiya mozzarella.
6. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until the eggplant is very soft and the sauce has reduced. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before cutting into it.
7. Serve with pasta if you choose.

Recipe adapted from Feedmephoebe

Garlicky Gingered Grits with Sauteed Sesame Mushrooms and Baby Bok choy

ASIAN GRITS, Who Knew......

INGREDIENTS

For the Grits

1 Cup of water

1/4 cup of  quick cooking Grits

1/4 tsp of salt, or more to taste

1/2 " fresh ginger, grated

2 cloves garlic minced

1/4 small Thai red pepper-optional

1 Tbsp. Cashew cream-optional ( recipe under "cashews")

For the Mushrooms

1 tsp olive oil

5 Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbsp, finely diced onions

1/2 tsp. fresh ginger grated

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp of sugar-or more to taste

salt to taste

sesame seeds -optional

For the Bok choy

4 baby bok choy, sliced in half, washed and dried

garlic powder, salt and black pepper to taste

1 tsp olive oil

Optional Toppings

sliced scallions

cilantro

Method.

Toss the baby bok choy, with garlic powder, salt and black pepper to taste. Heat olive oil in a small pan and when the oil is hot put bok choy face down into the oil, cook until they have some caramelization, then flip them over and carmelize on the other side. Remove from heat and set aside.

Next prepare the mushrooms...

 Heat the olive oil, then add the onion and cook for a minute or two-don't let them brown.

Add the mushrooms and season with a little salt. Start cooking until the mushrooms start to soften, then add the garlic, ginger, sugar, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Cook until mushrooms are tender, sprinkle with sesame seeds and set aside while you cook the grits.

Heat one cup of water in a small pot until it starts to boil, add the grits slowly, and cook, stirring for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except for the cashew cream and continue to cook for another 4 minutes or so, until the grits are tender. Stir in the cashew cream .

Place grits in a bowl, top with mushrooms and bok choy and finished with some chopped cilantro and scallions if desired. ENJOY!