Our Veggie Kitchen

I started clearing out my winter garden beds this weekend. All I had left was a few broccoli florets, some greens and tons of broccoli. My goal yesterday, then, was to utilize six bunches of parsley in an afternoon's worth of cooking.

First, I made a double batch of my Gramma Louise's Spaghetti Sauce. This is my all time favorite sauce. Since my original post, I've made a couple changes. It was originally a meat sauce, so I used ground seitan. It really doesn't need it. You can get a meaty texture just by pulsing the sauce in batches in a blender. I make a double batch and divide it into three portions, about five cups each.

While the pasta sauce was simmering, I made a big batch of Greek Pesto.   It's an intense pesto with lots of lemon & miso and parsley, oregano and basil.  I've made quite a few pesto variations.  Overall, I've only been marginally happy.  With this pesto, I cut way back on the nuts and it made a big texture difference.  I'll be using this recipe as a starting point in updating my other pesto recipes this summer.

Finally, I made Chickpea and Parsley soup.  I knew the flavor was good, but I was afraid of a baby puke texture and color.  By adding a carrot and by thoroughly blending all but one can of beans and half the parsley, I ended up with a terrific texture and a beautiful golden hued soup.



Chickpea Parsley Soup
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 medium carrots, finely grated
1 bunch parsley, divided
3 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained (about 5 cups cooked beans)
3 cups water
1/2 lemon, zested
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbs miso
1/4 tsp salt

Heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute until they soften. Turn heat to low and add the garlic. Cook, stirring often until the onions begin to brown, around 10-15 minutes. Cooking the onion, red pepper flakes and garlic slow like this will release a mild, roasted flavor from the garlic and caramelize the onion.

Add 2 cans of chickpeas, carrots, and half the parsley. Cook until the parsley is wilted and the carrot shreds are soft. Add the water, lemon juice & zest, and miso. Blend thoroughly in batches, if necessary.

Finely chop the remaining parsley. When the soup is blended, add the chickpeas and parsley to the last batch and pulse to roughly chop the last can of chickpeas. Return the soup to the stove, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Serve hot.

Alternately, you can add the last can of chickpeas and remaining parsley to the blended soup in the pan and roughly mash with a potato masher.

4 Servings: 422 cal (12g fat, 62g carbs, 19g protein)

These are one of my favorite treats when the garden is brimming with Zucchini.  I make them as patties (shown below) or little medallion fritters.  They're good hot or cold and I've made them for staff meetings and board meetings; definitely a treat for vegan and omni alike.



Zucchini Fritters
3 medium zucchini, peeled & grated
1/2 cup bulgur (and 1 cup boiling water)
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup loosely packed parsley, chopped
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
2 tbs chickpea flour
2-3 tbs vegetable oil for baking

Grate and peel the zucchini. Place in a colander and toss with a tablespoon, or so, of salt. Be liberal with the salt. You'll rinse it off anyway. Set the zucchini aside to drain for at least 30 minutes. Place the bulgur in a bowl and cover with 1 cup of boiling water. Let set until the zucchini is ready.

After 30 minutes, rinse the zucchini. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible. You can squeeze it between your hands or press it between two plates. I usually squeeze it in my fist, then ball it up in sheets of cheesecloth and squeeze again. The drier the zucchini, the better the fritter will be.

Combine the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. The gluten will form stringy strands and clump, but it will not make a dough. If necessary, add a little more gluten.

Put a cookie sheet in the oven and preheat it to 400 degrees. Form the zucchini into 8 patties (1/3 cup ea) or 15-20 medallions (2-3 tbs ea). When the oven is preheated, take out the cookie sheet, pour on enough oil to cover and place the patties or medallions onto the sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping half way through. Remove from oven and serve. They are good hot or cold.

8 Servings: 136 cal (6g fat, 14g carbs, 9g protein)

I made a penne pasta with Peppery Parsley Sauce tonight. I wanted something fast because I needed time to make VeganDad's Creamy Mac & Cheeze Sauce to pour over a pot of broccoli and cauliflower. The parsley pasta was perfect because it was quick, light and refreshing. It went great with the veggies. And, boy is it fast. You'll want to almost completely cook the pasta before you even start the sauce.



Penne with Peppery Parsley Sauce
1 lb pasta (I usually use penne or spaghetti)
1/3 cup olive oil
3 dried chili peppers, broken & seeds removed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh chopped parsley

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Do not start the sauce until the pasta is nearly cooked. You can even drain the cooked pasta and leave it in the colander before you start.

Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the dried chilies and fry until they begin to brown. Remove and discard. Add the minced garlic and give it a stir. Add the parsley and cook just until it turns bright green. Remove from heat and pour over the pasta. Lift the pasta with the sauce to combine.

4 Servings (20g fat, 86g carbs, 15g protein)