Sweet Potato Hamman

Sweet Potato Curry with Spinach

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, washed clean. Dice the sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes and steam until almost tender

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 or more handfuls of spinach

1 tsp. dried chili, or to taste

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp coriander

1 tsp. Tamarind paste

1 Tbsp. Curry powder

Salt to taste

Put the  spices in a blender along with the coconut milk. Add the coconut milk and tamarind and enough water to blend into a smooth paste.

Pour the coconut paste in a saucepan and add the sweet potatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil. If it’s too thick, add more water.

Add salt to taste, and the spinach and let the curry simmer about 10 minutes. Add  Turn off the heat.

Serve hot over boiled rice.

Recipe adapted from Holycow

Pad Kee Mao

Spicy Drunken Noodles

aka Pad Kee Mao

You may have to hit the Asian Supermarket to pick up a few of these specialty sauces but believe me, this recipe will be worth it..

Drunken Noodle Sauce

2 Tbsp. Chinese Vegetarian stir fry sauce ( vegan option for Oyster sauce

2 Tbsp. Thai thin soy sauce ( vegan option for shrimp paste)

3 tsp. Agave

2 Tbsp. Thai Golden Mountain sauce

2 Tbsp. Thai black soy sauce

2 tsp. rice wine vinegar

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

3 tsp. Asian Chili garlic sauce

Ingredients:

12 ounces Dried ho fun or super wide rice noodles

1/2 onion thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno sliced into thin rings( more or less to your taste)

4-5 baby bok choy sliced

2 cups Chinese cabbage

6 or 7 broccoli florets

1 carrot, sliced into thin julienne

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. bottled Thai basil or 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil

Cook rice noodles according to package and set aside.

Wish together all ingredients for Drunken noodle sauce and set aside.

Heat a large pan over medium heat and cook the onion,  jalapeno, and garlic until soft, adding water by the teaspoon to prevent sticking.

Add remaining ingredients except for the Thai basil. Cook until veggies are al dente.

Add the cooked noodles, half the sauce, and the Thai basil and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining sauce and cook until most of the liquid has absorbed and everything is coated in sauce and noodles are gently seared in some places.

Serve with a wedge of lime!

Recipe adapted from Vegan Eats World

Creamy Vegan Mushroom & Spinach Gratin

 Creamy Vegan Mushroom & Spinach Gratin

Recipe adapted from One Green Planet

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 container fresh baby spinach 
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock
• 1 cup heavy cashew cream, recipe included
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Cashew Cream

• 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight or 8 hours
• 1/2 cup water, slightly more as needed
• dash of sea salt

 Place drained cashews in blender, add dash of salt. Add water and blend until smooth and creamy. (The magic bullet is a perfect size blender for this job.) Add water two teaspoons at a time as needed to create desired thickness/thinness. Set aside.

1. Heat heavy pan over medium heat add onion, garlic and mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally until some of mushroom liquid cooks away and they start to brown ( about 8 minutes ) Add water by the teaspoon initially if vegetables begin to stick. Add the vegetable stock and boil for a couple minutes. Then add cashew cream and coconut milk, let simmer for several more minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for about 5 minutes.
2. Add spinach and more stock if needed, depending on the consistency you prefer.  Season with salt and pepper to taste

I served it over whole wheat udon noodles.



Great weather for a Bean Stew......

White Bean, Butternut Squash & Swiss Chard Stew

1 can Navy Beans. drained and rinsed

1 can Butter Beans, drained and rinsed

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Cumin

1 large yellow pepper, diced

1/2 pound butternut squash, cubed

1 jalapeno, fine diced

1 can whole tomatoes, crushed including juice

1 tsp. agave or to taste

1/2 bunch swiss chard, rinshed and chopped into bite size pieces

1/2 cup vegetable stock, more if needed.

Heat large pot over medium heat. Cook onion and yellow pepper for 3-5 minutes, adding teaspoons of water as necessary if vegetables start sticking. Add garlic and jalepeno and cook another minutes or so. Add seasoning and tomatoes and cook for another couple of minutes. Add beans, squash and stock  and partially cover, stirring occasionally until squash is near tender. Add chard and agave to taste and cook another 5 minutes.

Glorious Beans

Vegan Bean & Vegetable Chili

This is quick to prepare chili, by making use of pre-made chili seasoning mix, but it's so rich & tasty you won't even mind. Substitute whatever beans and veggies you have on hand!

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 small sweet pepper ( any color)

3 carrots diced and steamed or you can used canned

1/2 can organic canned corn, drained ( or whatever you have on hand)

2 small cans of beans strained ( I used a mixture of Kidney, black bean, and Navy )

1 16- oz can whole tomatoes

4-5 leaved Chard, chopped small

1 pkg chili seasoning mix

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat large pot and medium and dry-sauté the onion, peppers, and garlic, add water by the teaspoon, as necessary to prevent sticking, until tender. Add the tomato paste and chili seasoning mix and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat, partially covered for about 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.

I served over a brown rice, and quinoa blend.

I Love Greens

Unbelievably Easy & Delicious Collard Greens

1 Large bunch Fresh Collard Greens

( Stems removed, cut into bite sized pieces)

3 Garlic cloves, finely diced

1/2 small onion, diced

1/4 jalapeno, minced

1 cup or more vegetable broth

salt & pepper  to taste

Heat a heavy pot on medium heat and add onion and sauté onion until soft ( a couple minutes) add garlic and jalapeno and cook another minute or so. Add  teaspoons of water if they start to stick. Add Collards and broth and cook partially covered until greens are tender. Adjust with broth if necessary, don't let greens dry out.





January 19, 2014

Ethiopian Beet & Potato "Stew"

I came across this amazing dish, when visiting a tiny Ethiopian Vegan Cafe this weekend in Rochester, NY. 

I've never had a  beet dish that wasn't either cold or in  somehow in a salad. Yet this warm, simple stew of beets and potatoes is remarkably tasty and super simple to make. 

Ingredients

2 Bunches of beets, washed and peeled and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 to 3 Potatoes, peeled and chopped

1/2 to 1 cup water or vegetable stock

1 tsp. salt 

Pepper to taste

Heat a large cast iron pot and add onion and cook with dry heat ( adding water by the teaspoon if begins to stick)

Cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes, add garlic, salt, and beets and 1/2 cup of stock ( or more) and cook over medium heat, covered until near tender ( about 15 minutes) Add potatoes and more stock if needed and cook, partially covered until potatoes and beets are tender. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste.

It's just a noodle kind of day..

Spicy Udon Noodles with Bok Choy

Something about these cold raining days, that makes me feel like a bowl of spicy, chewy udon noodles...

Ingredients:
1/2 package udon noodles, cooked according to package directions
1 small onion
1 Bunch of Bokchoy,  stems sliced, and leaves chopped
1 small carrot julienned

1/4 to 1/2 jalepeno, mince to taste

8-10 Shitake mushrooms, sliced

8-10 broccoli, florets

3 cloves garlic, minced

For the sauce

1 heaped tsp Sambal Oelek (Indonesian chilli sauce)
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp agave nectar
1 tsp white wine or rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp soy or tamari sauce and 1 Tbsp Mirin
1.5 tsp fresh ginger

1 tsp. organic cornstarch

Method:

1. Heat a large pot and cook onions, stirring to keep from sticking about 2-3 minutes
2. Add the bokchoy, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms and garlic and cook till al dente ( if they start to stick, add water by the teaspoon full and stir)
3. Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a small pot and cook for just over a minute and slightly thickened.
4. Add the noodles and sauce to the vegetables and toss to coat well.

January 15, 2014

Eggplant & Chickpea Curry

 This was so simple to make and so delicious!

1 medium Eggplant,

 chopped and roasted in the oven for about 20 minutes with just  a sprinkle of salt

1/2 Sweet red pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small can of whole tomatoes, crushed

1 small can chickpeas

1/2 bunch fresh Chard ( stems and leaves chopped)

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp fenugreek

1/4 tsp coriander

1 Tbsp curry powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 Tbsp agave

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 water as needed

Chop and roast the eggplant in the oven till tender, about 25 minutes.

Heat a large pot and add onion and sweet peppers and cook over low heat until soft and starting to brown on the edges, add the garlic, tomatoes, chickpeas and spices and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add the chopped chard and cook for another 5-8 minutes.

Add the roasted eggplant and agave  and adjust for salt and spices.

Cook for another five minutes or so until everything is blended, and adjust consistency with water if necessary!

Simply Delicious....

Creamy Raw Cashew Butter

Was mighty tired of paying $12 a jar for Cashew butter, so figured I'd make my own...

and what a difference from the store bought stuff... This stuff is smooth, creamy, delicious, and is a  fraction of the cost.. Yum

3 cups raw cashews

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp scraped vanilla bean ( you can sub vanilla extract )

Place in a heavy duty food processor and process on high speed.  Stop and scrape the bowl every few minutes. The mixture will first turn into flour then into a very thick paste. Just keep processing and scraping the bowl. The mixture will eventually turn into a creamy, almost smooth texture. The whole process takes about 25 minutes of processing.