Peanut Butter Fudge

Here is another delectable treat by the Jazzy Vegetarian. I made the mistake of not spraying the bottom of the baking dish with non stick spray or using parchment paper.  I recommend doing so!

The recipe can be found on Laura's website:    http://www.jazzyvegetarian.com/products-group-63.html

Cranberry Chutney

Lentil Salad

One of our blog viewers asked us to find a lentil salad recipe that sounded similar to a dish she had in NYC.  I immediately thought of something with balsamic vinegar in it so I checked out my favorite Vegan cookbook and Voilà, there it was.  Serving the salad on Endive leaves surprisingly punches up the flavor of the dish because the Endive offers a bit of a bite and really complements the salad.  I’m going to definitely be making this for my next girls night in!

Lentil Salad  (from Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook)

   http://www.theppk.com/

4            cups vegetable broth

2-3         sprigs thyme  (I used dried thyme)

2            bay leaves

2            cloves garlic, crushed

½           teaspoon dried tarragon

¼           teaspoon salt

1            cup uncooked French lentils  (found at Westborn Market)

1            small red onion, chopped very finely (about 1/3 cup)

1            small tomato, seeded and diced (about ½ cup)

2            radishes, grated (about 1/3 cup)

1            small carrot, grated

              Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper)

Dressing:

2-4         tablespoons olive oil

1            tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1            tablespoon Dijon mustard

1            tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about ½ lemon)

1            clove garlic, minced

Bring the broth, thyme, bay leaves, garlic cloves, tarragon, and salt to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add the lentils and bring again to a low boil.

Cover the pot with the lid tilted, allowing a little room for steam to escape. Let cook for 20-25 minutes. The lentils should be soft enough to eat but still firm enough to not lose their shape.

While the lentils cook, stir together all the dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Drain the lentils in a mesh colander (so lentils don’t fall out the holes). Let cool, giving the colander a few shakes every couple of minutes so that they drain and cool faster.  Once the lentils are luke-warm, remove the bay leaves, chunks of garlic, and thyme sprigs. Add the lentils to the dressing along with the onions, tomato and radishes, and toss to combine.   Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and chill – or serve warm on Endive leaves.  **We prefer the salad warm.

Sweet and Sour Mixed Bean Hot Pot

Well, after running all my errands and going to the grocery store for my ingredients, I got home and discovered I forgot Apple Juice, so I got out the Vita Mix and made my own.  I can’t say enough good things about the Vita Mix.  I make soups, sauces and fresh juice all the time.  It’s the hardest working tool in the kitchen!!

Sweet and Sour Mixed Bean Hot Pot (The Best-Ever Vegetarian CB)

1            pound unpeeled potatoes

1            tablespoon olive oil

3            tablespoons soy margarine

1/3         cup whole-wheat flour

1 ¼        cups tomato sauce

2/3         cup unsweetened apple juice

¼           cup each light brown sugar, ketchup, dry sherry, cider vinegar and

              light soy sauce

14          ounce can lima beans

14          ounce can chickpeas

14          ounce pinto or flageolet beans ( I couldn’t find flageolet beans)

6            ounces green beans, chopped and blanched

8            ounces shallots, sliced and blanched

1            tablespoon each chopped fresh thyme and marjoram

              salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Thinly slice the potatoes and parboil them for 4 minutes. Drain the potatoes thoroughly, toss them in the oil so they are lightly coated all over and set aside.

Place the soy butter, four, tomato sauce, apple juice, sugar, ketchup, sherry, vinegar and soy sauce in a saucepan. Heat gently, whisking constantly, until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens. Simmer gently for 3 minutes, stirring.

Rinse and drain the beans and chickpeas and add to the sauce with all the remaining ingredients except the herb garnish.  Mix well.

Spoon the bean mixture into a casserole, arrange the potato slices over the top, overlapping them slightly and completely covering the bean mixture.

Cover the casserole with foil and bake for about 1 hour, until the potatoes are cooked and tender. Remove the foil for the last 20 minutes of the cooking time, to lightly brown the potatoes.  

Dog Treats - Peanut Butter Banana Muffins (Vegan Flower)

“Dog Treats” Peanut Butter Banana Muffins (Vegan Flower)

http://www.veganflower.com/search/label/Dog%20Treat%20Recipes

I’ve made several dog muffins from the Vegan Flower site and our dogs go nuts over them.  Next on my list is Molly’s “Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Muffins” – a special Thanksgiving treat for the girls!

Cranberry - Oatmeal Bars

Tis the season for cranberries!

Cranberry –Oatmeal Bars (From cooking light magazine 2008)

Crust

1            cup all-purpose flour           

1            cup quick-cooking oats

½           cup packed brown sugar

¼           teaspoon salt

¼           teaspoon baking soda

¼           teaspoon ground cinnamon

6            tablespoons soy butter, melted

3            tablespoons orange juice

              cooking spray

Filling

1 1/3      cups dried cranberries

¾           cup soy sour cream

½           cup sugar

2            tablespoons all-purpose flour

1            teaspoon vanilla extract

½           teaspoon grated orange rind

              egg replacer for one egg   http://www.ener-g.com/egg-replacer.html

              (egg replacers can be found at health food stores or specialty stores)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

To prepare crust, combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle butter and juice over flour mixture, stirring until moistened (mixture will be crumbly).  Reserve ½ cup oat mixture. Press remaining oat mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7 “ baking dish coated with cooking spray.

To prepare filling, combine cranberries, sour cream, sugar and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well.  Spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust; sprinkle reserved oat mixture evenly over filling.

Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes or until edges are golden.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Fresh Tomato, Lentil and Onion Soup

Now that the temperature is dropping, the Smith household will be making plenty of homemade soups.  Here's one to kick off the fall/winter season.

Fresh Tomato, Lentil and Onion Soup  (from The best-ever vegetarian CB)

Serves 4-6

2            teaspoons sunflower or

              olive oil

1            large onion, chopped

2            celery ribs, chopped

¾           cup red lentils

2            large tomatoes, peeled

              and roughly chopped

3 ¾        cups vegetable stock

2            teaspoons dried herbs

             Provence (I used savory, 

              basil, thyme & rosemary)

              salt & pepper to taste

**Easy way to peal tomatoes:  drop tomatoes into boiling water until you see the skin start to crack.  Remove tomatoes, let cool slightly and skin should peel off easily.

Heat oil in large saucepan.  Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 min., stirring occasionally. Add the lentils and cook for 1 min.

Stir in the tomatoes, stock, dried herbs, salt and pepper.  Cover, bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 min., stirring occasionally.            

When the lentils are cooked and tender, set soup aside to cool slightly.  Puree soup in blender or with an emulsion blender.

Crispy Portobello Steaks & Maple Sweet Potatoes

Since we gained an hour of sleep last night, we were ready to tear up the kitchen! We decided to try out a new recipe in addition to our usual Sunday pot of soup.

After viewing The Jazzy Vegetarian, Saturday on PBS, we were inspired to make this dish.

I was so excited because Laura, the host, showed a way to make breadcrumbs stick without using egg.  She used a mixture of vegan mayo mixed with dijon mustard -- it actually worked!  The crispy mixture on top of the Portobello Steaks was made from Corn Flakes, seasoning and olive oil.  You'll find both recipes on Laura's website - links below photo.  Enjoy!

http://jazzyvegetarian.com/products.html

http://jazzyvegetarian.com/products-group-64.html

Eggplant with Soy Yogurt and Fresh Dill

I needed one more appetizer for my girls night get together and found this recipe in a Rachel Ray magazine.   It originally called for regular yogurt but I replaced it with regular flavored soy yogurt.
The roasted shallots and garlic make this a rich and sweet dish.  Serve with pita chips or rounds.

Eggplant with Soy Yogurt and Fresh Dill


1  lb.     eggplant, chopped
3           shallots, unpeeled
3           garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/4  c.   olive oil
             salt and pepper to taste
1/2  c.   yogurt
             fresh dill
             walnut, hand full
         


Toss 1 pound chopped eggplant, 3 unpeeled shallots and 3 unpeeled garlic cloves with 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet.

Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  Add some walnuts; bake for 8 more minutes.

Cool slightly, then squeeze the shallots and garlic from their skins and chop; toss with the eggplant, nuts, 1/2 cup soy yogurt, fresh dill and salt and pepper.