Hearty New England Chowder

I know Memorial Day weekend doesn't scream hot soup but we made this a few months back and since we haven't been able to cook in our kitchen for the past two months, we had to dig in the archives.  This soup is from a fun new cookbook I bought that takes recipes from the Betty Crocker cookbook and makes them Vegan.  I'm excited to get back in the kitchen because I have at least 20 more recipes earmarked!

Hearty New England Chowder

(Betty Goes Vegan Cookbook)

2            tablespoons olive oil

              dash of liquid smoke

1            large red onion, diced

3/4         cup sliced oyster mushrooms

1            tablespoon white wine

1            teaspoon fresh thyme

3            stalks celery, diced

2            russet potatoes, baked and cubed

1            cup vegetable broth

1            teaspoon onion powder

1/2         teaspoon dill weed

1/2         teaspoon celery seed

1            teaspoon crushed black peppercorns, plus more as needed

1            teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

1            14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained

1/2         teaspoon sea kelp or seaweed granules

1            tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1            cup soy milk

1            tablespoon Bragg’s liquid aminos

              salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil and liquid smoke over medium heat. Toss in the red onion and oyster mushrooms once the oil gets warm. Cook, stirring occasionally.

Once the onion is tender, toss the white wine, thyme, celery, and baked potatoes into the pot and gently mix. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the potatoes start to break down a little. Then stir in the broth, onion powder, dill weed, celery seed, 1 teaspoon of the black pepper, and the vegan Worcestershire sauce with a wooden spoon.  Once the chowder begins to boil, stir in the artichoke hearts, sea kelp, fresh parsley, soy milk, and Bragg’s.

Simmer another 5-7 minutes. Give your chowder another taste test and add any needed salt or pepper.  Once the soy milk thickens, remove soup from the heat and enjoy.

Walnut Brownies

We are still not finished with kitchen remodel so we are digging into our archives.  We made these brownies a few months ago when I purchased the Forks Over Knives cookbook.  We love the touch of molasses mixed with maple syrup.

Walnut Brownies

(Forks Over Knives Cookbook Recipe)

3            ounces extra firm silken tofu, drained

1/3         cup pitted prunes, rough stems removed

1/2         cup plant-based milk, heated until very hot but not boiling

3/4         cup 100% pure maple syrup (I didn’t have enough so I supplemented

1/4         cup of molasses.

1/2         cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4         cup water, heated until very hot but not boiling

2            teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1            cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2         teaspoon baking soda

1/2         teaspoon salt

1/2         cup walnuts, roughly chopped (I probably used more)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line an 8 x 8 pan with a 10” square of parchment paper.

Crumble the tofu into a blender. Add the prunes. Pour in the hot milk and puree for about 30 seconds. Add the maple syrup and puree until relatively smooth. Some flecks of prune are okay, but there should be no chunks of tofu left.  Scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula and make sure all the ingredients are incorporated.

Sift the cocoa powder into a mixing bowl.  Add the hot water and mix with a fork until well combined. It should look like a thick chocolate sauce.

Add the tofu-prune mixture to the chocolate in the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Mix in the vanilla.

Sift in half of the flour, and add the baking soda and salt. Mix well. Mix in the remaining flour an fold in the walnuts.  Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. 

Bake for 17-20 minutes. The top should be set and firm to the touch.  Let cool for at least 20 minutes.

Lentil Tacos with Fresh Salsa

We have been on a Mexican food kick lately and I'm always looking for new taco recipes.  I would play with the spices a bit in this recipe.  Add some hot sauce or chill pepper to lentil mixture to give it a bit of a kick.  Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Lentil Tacos with Fresh Salsa

(Ultimate Everyday Cookbook by Kim Barnouin)

4          cups water

1          cup dried green lentils

2          tablespoons diced white onion

2          tablespoons olive oil

            salt and pepper, to taste

            chili powder or hot sauce to taste (** lentil mixture needed a little kick**)

2          tablespoons tomato paste

2/3       cup diced cherry tomatoes

2          tablespoons finely sliced red onion

1          garlic clove, minced

1/4       teaspoon diced jalapeno pepper

3          teaspoons lime or lemon juice

1          tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

4          corn tortillas

1          avocado, sliced

1/2       cup shredded lettuce

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the lentils and white onion. Return to a boil and then reduce heat, cover,  and simmer until soft, 30-40 minutes.  Drain any remaining water, and place half of the lentils in a blender or food processor.  Process while drizzling  1 tablespoon of the oil into the mixture.  Season with salt , pepper,  and chili powder or hot sauce to taste.  Add the tomato paste and puree until combined.  Put the lentil mixture in a medium bowl and stir in the remaining lentils.

In a separate medium bowl, mix together the cherry tomatoes, red onion, garlic, jalapeno, lime or lemon juice, cilantro, and remaining oil, for the salsa.  Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat a small frying pan over low heat, and quickly warm the corn tortillas on each side.  Spread the lentil mixture on top.  Top with the sliced avocado, salsa, and lettuce.

Green Bean Casserole

My dad requested Green Bean Casserole for our Easter dinner but I wanted to make a stepped up version of the standard canned beans and cream of mushroom soup version.  I found this recipe and did a few modifications, it was a hit!

Green Bean Casserole

(Adapted from Ree Drummond recipe)

2            pounds fresh green beans, ends cut off

4            slices Smoked Tempeh Bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

3            cloves garlic, minced

1/2         whole large onion, chopped

4            tablespoons soy butter

4            tablespoons all-purpose flour

2-1/2      cups nut or soy milk

1-1/2      teaspoon salt, more to taste

1/8         teaspoon cayenne pepper

1            cup vegan cheese (Daiya/Almond)

1            4 oz. jar pimentos, drained

              extra nut or soy milk for thinning if necessary

1            cup panko bread crumbs

Cut green beans in half if you like pieces to be a little smaller.  Blanch the green beans: drop them into lightly salted boiling water and allow green beans to cook for about 3-4 minutes.  Remove them from the boiling water with a  slotted spoon and immediately plunge the into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Drain beans once they are cool and set aside.

Add Tempeh bacon to skillet over medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes, then add diced onion and garlic and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, or until Tempeh bacon is done (but not crisp) and onions are golden brown.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In separate skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Sprinkle flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the soy butter.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, then our in nut milk.  Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.  Add salt, pepper, and cayenne then add the grated vegan cheese.  Stir while cheese melts.  Turn off heat.

Add pimentos to pan, and then add Tempeh bacon/onion mixture. Stir to combine.  Pour over green beans and stir gently to combine.  Pour into a baking dish and top with panko crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and panko crumbs are golden.

Roast Mushrooms and Kale Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Since we are in the middle of a kitchen remodel I'm going into our archives to post meals we've made in the past few months.  Since this dish is loaded with nutrients from we had this as a main meal but can also be served as a fancy side dish.

Roast Mushrooms and Kale over Mashed Sweet Potatoes

2            lbs. mixed mushrooms

3            cloves garlic, thinly sliced

              a few sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

5            tablespoons olive oil

5            medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick

1/2         cup vegetable stock

1/2         cup nut or soy milk

1            teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

              a few dashes hot sauce

1-1/2     cups vegan yellow cheese

1            lb. kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped

              freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven 450 degrees.  On a large baking sheet, dress the mushroom, garlic and thyme with 1/4 olive oil and spread out.  Roast the mushrooms for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and season with sea salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in a pot, combine the sweet potatoes and enough water to cover.  Bring to a boil, season with sea salt and cook until fork-tender, 15 minutes.  Drain and return to the pot, then mash with the stock and nut milk.  Season with sea salt, pepper, the paprika and hot sauce.  Stir in the vegan cheese.

While the potatoes are warming, in a bowl, toss the kale with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with sea salt, pepper and a few grates of fresh nutmeg.  Arrange on a rack set over a baking sheet and roast until crisp at the edges.  10-12 minutes.

Combine the mushrooms and garlic with the kale and serve on a bed of the sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Bisque

This cookbook was recommended to me by a friend and I'm so glad it was.  I already have 8 recipes earmarked and this is the first of many I will be posting.  This is a very rich, slightly sweet soup definitely a tummy filler.

Sweet Potato Bisque

(Forks Over Knives The Cookbook)

1            large onion, peeled and diced

2            cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1            tablespoon grated ginger

1            tablespoon thyme

1/2         teaspoon ground nutmeg

1            teaspoon ground cinnamon

3            large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

6            cups vegetable stock

              zest and juice of 1 orange

1 1/2      cups unsweetened almond milk

              salt and pepper to taste

Place the onion in a large saucepan and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add water 1-2 tablespoons at a time to keep the onions from sticking to the pan.  Add the garlic, ginger, thyme, nutmeg, and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute Add the sweet potatoes, vegetable stock, and orange zest and juice and bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 25 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Puree the soup using an immersion blender or in batches in a blender.  Return the soup to the pot and add the almond milk.  Cook an additional five minutes, or until heated through, and season with salt and pepper.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Bars

We are still in the process of pantry cleaning in preparation for our kitchen remodel and I had some canned pumpkin that needed to be used.  I also wanted to try a flour free dessert for a change and found this recipe.  I switched out a few ingredients to make it vegan and it came out moist and delicious.
Kevin is partial to chocolate brownies but I like to switch it up a bit - you can't have chocolate all the time, well I guess you can but why not be adventurous.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Bars

(adapted from Detoxinista.com recipe)

1/2       cup pumpkin puree

1/2       cup almond butter

1/3       cup Agave

            egg replacer for 2 eggs  (I just used the powder portion, not mixed w/ water)

2          teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1          teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4       teaspoon sea salt

1/2       teaspoon baking soda

1/3       cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 x 8 pan.

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl, mix well until batter forms.

Pour batter into the prepared pan.  Cook for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the center is firm.  Allow to cool in pan before eating.