Our Veggie Kitchen

I've been thinking about making quesadillas, but, without cheese, they end up being nothing more than a messy taco. These weren't too bad. They were still a bit messy, but they held together, and were even sturdy enough to dip into a bowl of dippable cheese sauce.



Black Bean and Spinach Quesadillas
4 tortillas
1 bunch of spinach
1 can black beans
1 cup spanish rice
1/2 cup salsa

Trims the stems off of a bunch of spinach and steam the leaves. Spread the leaves on four warmed tortillas. Add about 1/3 cup of beans to half of each tortilla and mash the beans with a fork. Add about 1/4 cup of spanish rice over the beans, then spoon a couple tablespoons of salsa over the rice. Fold over and fry each tortilla in a frying pan until the tortilla is browned and a bit crispy.

I grew up eating this salad almost daily, it seemed, in late summer. We always had fresh cucumber, tomato, basil and sweet onion from the garden. This salad, with all of the ingredients warmed from the sun (well, except the mayo) was always a treat. No matter how much of how often, I always had seconds.

This is definitely a dump and pour recipe. Just make sure to have enough tomatoes so their juice mixes with the mayo for the dressing. Really, I eye ball everything, though.



Tomato & Cucumber Salad
8 Medium Tomatoes, diced
2 cucumbers, peeled, quartered and chopped
1 sweet onion, diced
1/4 cup vegenaise
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
lots of cracked black pepper

Combine all ingredients and stir. Its best if it sits for a few minutes and served at room temperature. Its good cold or the next day too.

6 servings: 98 cal (6g fat, 8g carbs, 2g protein)

Here's a nice curry recipe. I was originally shooting for a 30 minute meal, but decided that adding some diced potato was worth the extra 15 minutes in cooking time. This is a somewhat mild curry (depending on the peppers) that's easy to make. If you like it hotter, add a little cayenne. Serve over rice.



NOTE: I've made this a couple times since this post. The first time, with 4 peppers, the dish was very mild. Batches that I made later on were hotter, one was quite spicy. One way to control the heat is to cut slits into the peppers and simmer them whole.  Then, at the end, mince them and add some or all of the minced pepper back into the dish. For those that were surprised by a not-so-mild batch, I apologize.

Rajma Chawal
2 Tbs vegetable Oil
1 tsp cumin seed
2 medium onions, chopped
4 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs ginger, minced
1 tbs coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
2 cans (15 oz ea) kidney beans
4 tomatoes, chopped
2 smallish potatoes, diced
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup soy yogurt

Add the oil to a saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds and cook until they begin to pop. Add the peppers and onion and cook until the onion begins to brown. Add the garlic and ginger, stir until aromatic, then add the spices. Stir to combine, then add the beans, tomato and potato. Saute until the tomato begins to soften. Add the water, cover and simmer until the potato is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Stir in the yogurt and cilantro, bring back to a boil and remove from heat and serve over rice.

4 servings: 394 cal (9g fat, 66g carbs, 16g protein)

I participate in a sort of Iron Chef Competition on one of the cooking forums I visit. Last week's ingredient was mushrooms. So I went shopping with mushrooms on my mind and found a pound of Shiitake mushrooms for five bucks. They were thick and meaty and there was no way I could pass them up.

So this fried rice is the result of that discovery. Fried rice can be as simple as rice, frozen veggies and soy sauce, but I usually try to add a little extra flavor to the sauce. I usually add some combination of minced garlic, ginger and shallots, doused in sesame oil, then stir in some soy sauce, sherry and, sometimes, a little broth. I added bok choy for some crispiness and color.



Shiitake Fried Rice
1 1/2 cups white rice (5-6 cups cooked)
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 lb shiitake mushrooms, stems removed & sliced (or see note)
1 purple onion, chopped
4 ribs bok choy, chopped (leaves sliced into ribbons)
1 can baby corn, drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 tbs sherry
1/2 tbs sugar

For the rice, cook according to package directions and cool in the fridge, or use leftover rice. I frequently avoid this step and just used freshly cooked rice, but leftovers are better.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the onion and saute just until it begins to glisten. Add the mushrooms and chopped bok choy ribs (not the leaves) and saute until the bok choy is cooked, but still crisp. Remove any thick veins from the bok choy leaves and slice into ribbons. Add the leaves and corn and stir together.

Push the veggies to the side. Add the minced garlic and ginger to the center of the pan and pour in the sesame oil. Stir in the center of pan until fragrant, then stir into the veggies. Add the rice and stir-fry for a couple minutes. Mix the sauce ingredients, then add to the rice. Remove from heat and serve.

Mushroom Note: Shiitake mushrooms are usually very expensive ($10+/lb). You can cut the cost by buying dried shiitakes and rehydrating them or by using a mixture of shiitake and button mushrooms. Try to use some, though. Shiitake mushrooms have a texture that is quite different from other mushrooms. Asian grocers are often much less expensive than other stores.

4 Servings: 451 cal (9g fat, 76g carbs, 15g protein)

I'm always looking for ways to get lentils into my kid's bellies. And this pasta is a perfect fit. There are enough lentils to add another texture to a dish filled with texture. This pasta is a great way to use up your garden herbs and veggies.



Garden Macaroni
3 cups macaroni (12 oz)
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 lb mushrooms, quartered or halved
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 cup lentils
28 oz diced tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
1/2 cup white wine
2 zucchinis, halved and chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tbs thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan. Saute the onions until softened. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes until the garlic is aromatic. Add the mushrooms and carrots and cook until the mushrooms have given off their liquid. Add the lentils and saute for a couple minutes. Add the white wine, and let it cook down for a couple minutes. Then add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, but still firm, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil and, about 10 minutes before the sauce is done, cook and drain the pasta. When the lentils are close (about 5 minutes) stir in the the zucchini, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until zucchini are warm, then stir in the drained pasta.

5 Servings: 477 cal (7g fat, 82g carbs, 20g protein)

My garden tomatoes were beginning to ripen and, at the same time, a heat wave was beginning to break. This seemed the perfect storm for sandwiches and tomato soup. I haven't had a good tomato soup in a long time. The boxed variety is either not very good or not very vegan and every restaurant version has either cheese or cream or both.

So, I set out to make a simple tomato soup: one with simple ingredients, one with good flavor and one that has an appealing color. So I chopped up a few tomatoes, added onions and garlic, tossed with olive oil and roasted the lot. A little tomato paste added some depth to the color and some basil made it pop. I'm so happy I can have good tomato soup again.



Roasted Tomato Soup
1/4 olive oil
3 pounds tomatoes (roma or a mix of varieties)
1 red bell pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 onion
1/4 cup basil
6 oz tomato paste
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roughly chop the tomatoes, pepper, onion and garlic. Add to a 9 x 13 casserole and bake on the top rack of the oven until the onion begins to brown, about 30 minutes. Turn every 10 minutes or so. Add all ingredients (except salt) to a blender, in batches and thoroughly blend. Bring to a boil in a sauce pan. Season with the salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

4 Servings: 261 cal (15g fat, 32g carbs, 6g protein)

With a little planning, seitan can make for a delicious week-night meal. I pulled a couple of my beefy seitan roasts from the freezer and, after they had partially thawed, sliced. The slices can keep in the refrigerator for several days. I used the slices to make french dips. For the Au Jus, I used the sauce from my Mushroom Stroganoff recipe. Just whisk together 2 cups beef flavored broth, 1 tsp ground mustard, 1 tbs vegan Worcestershire sauce and salt & pepper to taste.

And nothing goes better with french dips, than a heaping pile of cabbage. I braised this cabbage in a little soy creamer for some added depth. It's easy, tasty and was perfectly messy piled on a hoagie roll with seitan.



Cream Braised Cabbage
1 Tbs vegetable oil
2 tsp mustard seed
1 sweet onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup soy creamer
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 head cabbage

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large saute pan. Add the mustard seed and cook until they pop, just a few seconds. Reduce the heat to medium and saute the onion until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, then add the cabbage, salt, pepper and creamer. Bring to a boil and simmer until the cabbage is cooked and the creamer has mostly boiled off. Squeeze the lemon over the cabbage and stir.

4 Servings: 146 cal (6g fat, 19g carbs, 4g protein)

I worked on getting the texture of these burgers just right. And, if you cook them, and use them later (either frozen or refrigerated), they're just about perfect. I make my burgers in batches and freeze them, so this is ideal for me. It makes an amazing and healthy quick meal. The barbecue sauce is key. Use you favorite and you won't be disappointed.



BBQ Tempeh Burgers
1/4 cup lentils
2 tbs brown rice
1 cup water
6 oz tempeh
2 cloves garlic
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & finely chopped
1 onion, grated
1 tbs vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp browning sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup vital wheat gluten

Bring water to a boil. Add the lentils and rice. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the lentils and rice are soft and the liquid is absorbed. Drain, if necessary. Cool to room temperature. Boil the tempeh for ten minutes, then remove and cool. When cool, grate the tempeh. When the tempeh, rice and lentils are cooled, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all of the ingredients together and kneed for a couple minutes. Form into 8 patties. Coat a cookie sheet with vegetable oil. Bake the patties for 25 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes.

I make these to be reheated, so if you eat them right away, they will be a bit soft. You can reheat them, either frozen or refrigerated in the oven, microwave or grill.

8 Servings: 195 cal (7g fat, 16g carbs, 20g protein)