Mushroom Walnut & Mixed Veggie Loaf

Ingredients:

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 - 2 medium or 1 large carrot, finely chopped

3/4 large or 1 medium zucchini, diced into small pieces

a few cauliflower florets, chopped up a bit (roughly 1 cup's worth)

3 or 4 large cauliflower leaves, finely chopped

1 very large onion, finely chopped

2 large handfulls walnuts, finely chopped

2 - 3 large portabello mushrooms, finely chopped 

1 brick medium firm tofu, crumbled

2 160ml cans tomato paste

1 tsp salt

several dashes savoury

1 to 1.5 tsp each thyme and sage

Extra options:

black olives, finely chopped

several cloves garlic, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Transfer to a large casserole dish, cover with lid or foil and bake for 1 hour.

When serving, drizzle with a miso ginger sauce, or something similar.  Also nice to top with thick slabs of tomato for final 10 minutes, or when re-heating.

Recipe created by me

Multi Berry Oat Muffins

Makes 24

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
1 3/4 cups whole oats
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1-2 handfuls dark chocolate chip

Wet Ingredients:

2 cups water mixed with about 1/3 can frozen orange juice
1 cup sunflower oil
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp almond extract
Mixture of frozen berries, total amount somewhere around 2 cups (cranberries, blueberries, raspberries)

Line muffin tins with parchment paper muffin cups

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, whisking together until well mixed.

Combine water, juice, oil, and the extracts in a large glass measuring cup / bowl.  Pour over dry ingredients and gently stir to combine.  Before thoroughly combined, add in the berries and mix until well blended.

Spoon into muffin cups

Bake 25-30 minutes, allow to cool on cooling rack. 

Mushroom Quinoa Pilaf

A nice quick, light pilaf with a delicate mushroom flavour.  This "recipe" is more of a guideline for myself to jog my memory...

• cooked quinoa
• shitake mushrooms, sliced and slices chopped in half
• red bell pepper, sliced into 1 cm slices
• walnuts 
• high quality olive oil
• truffle oil
• salt

Place the mushrooms and pepper with a small amount of salt in a pan and sauté with a small amount of water - no oil - until softened.   Strain through a sieve, then add to the quinoa.  Add in some walnuts, then top with a desired amount of the oils and salt to taste.

Strawberry Cobbler

Super easy, quick and *insanely* tasty!

No amounts given - I always just eyeball the amounts according to the baking dish I use.  Fortunately with cobbler you can't really go wrong.

Because I use bananas to temper the tartness of the rhubarb far less sugar is required.  I typically make a large lasagna dish sized portion and only need 1/4 cup sugar in the base.  I have my mother-in-law to thank for the banana - rhubarb trick.

base ingredients:

• sliced rhubarb
• sliced strawberries
• sliced bananas
• zest of one orange
• small amount of sugar of your choice
• 1 - 2 Tbsp cornstarch

topping:

• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)
• 1 to 2 handfulls slivered almonds
• 1 to 2 handfulls walnut pieces
• dash of salt
• 1/4 cup oil of your choice
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

In a large bowl combine all base ingredients and transfer to a baking dish.

In a medium sized bowl combine the dry topping ingredients, then drizzle in the oil and maple syrup while stirring to combine very well.  Add in the vanilla extract and mix well.  Spread over cobbler and bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes or until slightly golden on top.

Ultra-Moist Brownies

I adapted this recipe from a conventional brownie recipe I found in the local paper.  It's probably the best and easiest homemade brownie recipe I've come across.  The brownies are tender, gooey, and very sweet!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2/3 cup vegan butter (I use Earth Balance), melted (divided use)
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 cups granulated sugar of your choice
• 1/2 package firm silken tofu (I use MoriNu brand)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 + 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 + 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 9" x 13" baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cocoa and baking soda. Stir in one third cup of the melted butter until mixture is smooth.  Stir in the boiling water until mixture is smooth and thick.  

Combine the other 1/3 melted butter with the silken tofu in a small blender (I use a NutriBullet) and blend until smooth.  Add to the cocoa mixture, add vanilla and salt.  Mix well. 

Add sugar, mix to combine well, then add the flour and chocolate chips all at once. Stir just until incorporated.  

Scrape batter into prepared baking dish and bake 35 - 40 minutes, or just until the edges start to pull away from the paper in the pan.  It's better to underbake these than bake them too long.  Cool completely in the pan, then cut into squares.

Lemon Cranberry Loaf

I was in a pinch one evening wanting to have some kind of loaf in the house for a friend's weekend visit, but had no more time to run to the grocery store for anything.  The bananas I had on hand weren't ripe enough for banana bread, but I did have plenty of lemons and fresh / frozen cranberries.  I was more than happy with how the loaf turned out, tangy and sweet with the fresh pop of the cranberries.  The texture would fool anyone into thinking there were eggs in the batter, soft, moist and bouncy without being wet and heavy.

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups white flour
• 3/4 cup cane sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 1/2 350gm (12oz) pack firm silken tofu (so 175gm or 6oz)
• 1/3 cup light oil of your choice
• 1 cup soy (or rice, almond, etc.) milk
• 3 lemons, zested and squeezed
• 1 - 2 tsp lemon extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• approx. 1 cup frozen / fresh cranberries (can use up to 1 1/2 cups)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients.

Zest the lemons, placing the zest in a medium bowl.

In a blender or bullet, combine the silken tofu, oil, soy milk, and lemon juice.  Pour mixture into the medium bowl with the lemon zest, add the extracts and stir to combine.

Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the wet mixture into it.  Stir gently until well combined.  If the batter feels a bit too thick, add a little bit more soy milk.  Fold in the cranberries.

Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake 45 minutes before checking.  The top should be a little golden, and the loaf should feel 'bouncy' when tapped lightly on top.   

Thai Red Lentil Soup

I was surprised to come across this completely vegan soup recipe in a Western Living Magazine.  It's an easy little soup to prepare and yields a surprising punch of flavour.

Makes about 4 servings.


ingredients:

• 4 oz sugar snap peas
• 3 Tbsp oil (recipe calls for sunflower, I use coconut)
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup red lentils
• 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and gently bashed with a rolling pin
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

method:

Cook the sugar snap peas in a small saucepan of boiling water for 90 seconds. Drain, refresh under cold water, then spread out on a clean towel to dry. Cut the sugar snaps diagonally into very thin slices and set aside. 

In a large pot, heat oil over low heat. Add onion. Cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until onion is completely soft and sweet (10 to 15 minutes). Stir in curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute

Add water, lentils, lemongrass, lime leaves, coconut milk lime juice, soy sauce and salt.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until lentils are completely soft (about 15 minutes). Add snap peas if serving right away.  If preparing ahead of time, reheat gently and, once soup is almost boiling, add the sugar snap peas.

Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Add a scattering of cilantro for garnish.

Summer Squash Skillet

Photo coming soon...

My local farm market sells small bags of mixed mini-summer squash and zucchini - the really super tiny kind that are adorable but a pain to cut up if you want to make a big meal out of them! The little bags have a recipe on the front and I thought I'd give it a try.  It's so simple and tasty it's become a staple dinner side dish.  As with most of my recipes, this is a guideline, no exact amounts.

Ingredients:

• a collection of mini summer squash and zucchini, cut into small chunks
• oil of your choice for frying, I use coconut
• several cloves garlic, minced
• oregano, marjoram & basil, fresh or dried
• cherry or grape tomatoes

Method:

Heat oil in a large skillet, add squash, zucchini and garlic. Stir frequently until tender. When squash is tender add herbs and tomatoes, turn off heat, stir to combine. 

Apple Crumble

I have made a good number of crumbles in my time, in fact, apple crumble was the first vegan dessert I ever made back in 1992.  I find crumbles to be the perfect failproof treat to throw together as you can't really do anything wrong to them once you have an idea what proportions make a good base and a good topping. And it's easy to branch out from just apples to other berries and fruits.  Today I was in the mood for making just a really nice apple crumble, as I haven't made a plain apple one in a long time. I wanted to try something new with it, so made a very simple sauce in my NutriBullet (same, only larger version of a Magic Bullet) which I poured over the apples. I made a bit of a thicker topping than I normally do as well, to make it a bit more substantial. It turned out so well the "recipe" was worth keeping.

NOTE!!  As with many of my recipes, there are no exact proportions here, except for the topping, and even with this there's room to play around. Crumbles are not science, they'll turn out tasty pretty much whatever you do to them.

Dish Size: I use a corning-ware-style lasagna dish as anything smaller just doesn't last long enough in my house for the effort I put in. I figure if it's too much I can always freeze some.

Base:

• about a dozen small to medium sized apples, ones that are slightly tart work better
• 1/4 plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch or suitable replacement
• small amount lemon juice
• a few dashes cinnamon

Topping:

• 1 1/4 cup rolled oats (not quick oats)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/3 cup walnut pieces
• 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon light oil of your choice
• 1 tsp maple or almond extract (optional)
• a few dashes salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take four of the large apples, core and cut into chunks, put into NutriBullet (blender works fine too). Add the corn starch, maple syrup and vanilla extract and water and blend until smooth. (I never bother peeling the apples, btw)

Core the remaining apples and cut into small cubes, placing in a large bowl and tossing with a bit of lemon juice to prevent browning, then a few dashes cinnamon. Transfer to baking dish. 

Pour the blended mixture evenly overtop of the apples.

In a large bowl combine all the dry topping ingredients. Using a fork slowly drizzle in the oil while stirring until you have a crumbly consistency that's no longer dry, but not wet either.  Press this mixture firmly overtop of the apples, patting down so it's all nice and even.  

Place in oven and bake 35 min. 

Beet, Fig and Walnut Salad

Photo to go here

I came up with this recipe idea one afternoon while driving home and made it that same evening. I only had 2 large beets on hand, so I didn't make much and it was so tasty my husband and I ate it all before I could take a photo of it. Well, there was a tiny bit left over for the second day, but not enough to photograph, but enough to let me know that by the second day the dried figs become extra moist and juicy.

Note: This recipe is only a guideline, there are not proportions given

ingredients:

• beets
• dried black figs, cut into thick pieces
• walnut pieces
• light oil of your choice
• balsamic reduction
• dill, dried
• salt to taste

method:

Shred the beets using a food processor and transfer to a bowl.

Add the figs and walnut pieces.  Drizzle with the oil and balsamic reduction, then sprinkle with dill and salt.  Toss to mix well.  Adjust dressing as needed

Raw Vegan Fudge Brownies

This recipe came to me via a friend, who also came by it via a friend.  This has got to be the ultimate healthy snack that is actually good for you!  The key is to make sure you are either using dates that are quite soft (not the dried up baking dates sold in cheap bulk bins or packages), or if you are using really dry dates, soak them in a small amount of water for about an hour to soften them up.  This will dispel the need for you to fight with your food processor, especially for the frosting stage.

ingredients for base:

• 1 cup buckwheat groats (or kasha), soaked for at least 30 minutes in any amount of water
• 1 cup dates
• 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• cinnamon to taste if desired, up to 1 tsp

ingredients for frosting:

• 1/2 cup dates
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup water (add more during processing if frosting is too dry)
• cinnamon to taste if desired

method:

After the buckwheat groats have soaked for at least half an hour, strain them and add to a food processor.  Add remaining ingredients for base and mix until well blended.  Press into a dish - I use a medium size corningware baking dish.  Set aside.

Add all the ingredients for the icing into the food processor and mix until very smooth.  Spread over base and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.  Keep leftovers in the fridge.

Spiced Cocnut Chickpeas

This is a quick dish I threw together one night but Andre liked it so much he insisted I keep the recipe. 

ingredients:

• 1/2 medium onion, cut into large chunks
• 2 very large, or 3 medium garlic cloves, halved
• 1 50 gram packet spice paste; I used Indian Biryani Rice
• 2 cans chick peas
• 2 carrots, sliced lengthwise and into fine disks
• sliced broccoli stems
• cauliflower florets if you have them are a nice addition
• 3 small or 2 medium tomatoes, cubed
• very large handful fresh basil leaves
• 160 ml full fat coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp oil

method:

I use my NutriBullet to puree the onion, garlic and a small amount of water.  A Magic Bullet would work as well, and perhaps a blender with a narrow bottom would work as well, I haven't tried it. 

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, when hot add the onion / garlic puree, the spice paste, carrots and broccoli.  Stir and allow to simmer until the carrots are soft, about 15 - 20 minutes. You may need to add a bit more water.

Once the carrot slices are soft, add the chickpeas and coconut milk and heat together for another 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and basil, stir well and turn off the heat but leave the skillet on the burner until ready to serve over rice. 

Berry Muffins

I love muffins loaded full of fresh berries. And I mean loaded - more berries than batter!  Any berries will do in this recipe, it's really just a base recipe I came up with that works well for me and can easily be changed up to suit your tastes or what you have in your kitchen.

ingredients:

• 2 cups flour (I use half whole spelt and half whole wheat)
• 1/2 cup rolled or quick oats
• 1/4 cup dry sugar of your choice
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp xanthan gum (can omit if you don't have it)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• zest of 1 orange (optional)
• 1/2 cup soy / rice / almond milk, plain or vanilla
• 1/2 cup light oil (I use sunflower)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• juice of orange you zested (optional, if not using you may have to add a smidgen oil or milk beverage)
• 1 3/4 - 2 cups fresh or frozen whole berries, a mixture is always best (one of my favourites is cranberry-blueberry, though raspberry-blackberry is pretty amazing too)

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a muffin tin, 6 - 10 cups depending on the size you like to make your muffins, with muffin cups.

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients including the orange zest if you are using it.

In a smaller bowl combine all the wet ingredients, but not the berries.

Gently mix the wet ingredients into dry, folding in the berries once all the dry flour has been moistened.

Fill muffin cups to your desired level.

Bake 25 minutes or until golden on top and muffin top feels firm but bouncy.  Let cool in tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Banana Chocolate Chip Walnut

This is a pretty basic banana chocolate chip muffin recipe with the addition of walnuts which I'm pretty partial to.  Some chopped dates would be nice in here as well.

ingredients:

• 2 cups flour (I use half and half whole spelt and whole wheat)
• 1/4 cup sugar of your choice
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp xanthan gum (can omit if you don't have any)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large, ripe bananas, mashed well
• 1/4 cup oil of your choice
• 1/4 cup soy / rice / almond / etc beverage, plain or vanilla
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• small handful walnut pieces (optional)
• small handful chopped dates (optional)

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 6 - 10 muffin cups with liners; the number of muffins will depend on how large or small you like to make your muffins. This recipe makes 6 large or 10 small muffins, or 8 medium.

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients except the chocolate chips, walnuts, and dates.

In a small bowl combine all the wet ingredients, then fold into the dry.  Mix gently until all the dry ingredients are moistened, then fold in the chocolate chips, walnuts and dates.  

Spoon into the muffin cups, bake 20 minutes or until golden and the muffin tops are firm to the touch.

Remove from oven, allow muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Vegan Thai Coconut Soup

This photo shows how we like to have the "soup", as a broth over rice noodles with various additions

There are two restaurants here in town that make absolutely amazing vegan Thai coconut soup (Chau Veggie and East is East), and my husband and I have become completely addicted to them.  The one restaurant has additions such as enoki mushrooms and other slim bits of veggies, while the other restaurant uses the soup as a broth served over your choice of rice or noodles (we always opt for the noodles). This version also has additions such as a few large chunks of pan fried tofu, yams, taro and a few kale leaves.  The downside to these two restaurants is that they are a good half hour drive away from us, in a direction of town that we don't often go, so not great for combining with other outings.

When I was visiting my sister-in-law back in the fall she made a coconut squash soup that had a very similar flavour and she told me the secret is in the kaffir lime leaves.  I started searching all over town and couldn't find them anywhere, then last week my husband came home from work with a massive bag of frozen leaves from Price Club right across the street from his work (the Grandview location). (Apparently T&T have kaffir lime leaves as well)  He also brought me a bag of pre-mashed lemongrass - how handy!.

I set to work scouring the internet for a vegan recipe that looked similar to the soups from the two restaurants.  I narrowed it down to three potential recipes and upon close examination decided that the Thai Coconut Soup by Beth from Tasty Yummies was by far the closest.  It's a very easy recipe to make, and once I'd had it sit and cool slightly a bit I gave it a taste (I'm not a taste-as-you-go person, I made final adjustments at the end).  WOW - I was so blown away I called my husband at work right away and enthused about how I now had the power to make what we always thought was some exotic, unattainable culinary feat.  I also contacted Beth from Tasty Yummies to let her know how amazing her recipe is, and to ask permission to post it here.

I did make some slight changes to suit my personal taste, and for my own reference I've made note of a few other additions I'd like to try.  The first time I made this my husband and I ladled the soup over rice noodles (the soup was enough for 4 portions), but I'll definitely be making it again as just a stand-alone soup. Perhaps  knock the taste buds off some friends some time!

**I highly recommend you check out the original recipe here before going ahead and making it as Beth goes into greater detail than I and you may like to use some of the ingredients I have omitted.

ingredients:

• 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable broth (I used 'Pacific' brand - but this is just for my reference, use whatever brand you usually like to use)
• 1 398ml can full-fat organic coconut milk 
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tsp pre-mashed lemon grass (I have access to a frozen bulk version of lemongrass)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 6 thin slices of ginger, peeled, about 1/2" diameter round
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups tofu, diced (I used medium firm as I can't digest the firm variety properly. The original recipe calls for firm)
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes

other possible additions:

• mung bean sprouts
• enoki mushroom
• chunks of carrot / yam / sweet potato / taro
• rice noodles - made separately, individual portions placed in large bowls with the soup ladled over top

method:

In a large saucepan bring the vegetable broth to a boil.  Add in all the remaining ingredients and let simmer 15 minutes. Pretty hard, huh?

Adapted from the original Tom Kha Gai recipe on Tasty Yummies

Olive Almond Paté

This used to be a staple item in my kitchen, way, way, waaaay back (I'm talkin' mid-90's) and over the past years I seem to have completely forgotten about it.  I was digging through my old recipe book the other day and came across this, so thought I'd revive it, make a batch and put the post up here.

The paté has a very 'earthy' taste, very '80's vegetarian kitchen', but that can still be a good thing, right? It's the pungent flavours of black olives (which alone I'm actually not a fan of at all), onion and sage that I think really dominate this.  It's great on crackers, toast, or my husband's favourite way - nibbling it on it's own.

Yield: 1 8"x8" baking tin

ingredients:

• 1 can whole, pitted black olives
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 1/4 flour (whole wheat, spelt, or whatever you like)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp sage

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend on high until relatively smooth (there will still be small chunky bits - this is okay).  This may take a few minutes. 

Line an 8"x8" baking pan with parchment paper, or slightly oil the pan, and pour in the blended mixture.  Smooth it out nice and evenly.

Bake 45 minutes or until somewhat firm / set.

Remove from oven.  Let cool or chill before cutting into pieces and serving.  

Peanut Butter Cookies

Everyone's got their favourite Peanut Butter cookie recipe, and this is mine. I have several PBC recipes kicking around, but this is my oldest and my best. I hardly ever make cookies anymore, and I think the last time I made PBC was over 8 years ago, but I thought I'd add this recipe to my online collection so I won't have to dig around in my old cookbooks next time.

This recipe makes about 13 2" round cookies.

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pure peanut butter ('pure' as in not mixed with any kind of oil as many brands are)
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup flour (I use whole wheat, sometimes half of another type of flour, just not white)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium size bowl combine peanut butter and maple syrup until smooth.

Add flour and salt, mix gently until combined.

Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, dip it in a bit of water and spoon level spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  

Using a fork, slightly flatten cookies until they are between 1/4" and 1/2" thick.

Bake 12 minutes.

Remove from oven. Allow to rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Curried Fava Beans

Not the world's tastiest looking picture, but your taste buds will not be disappointed!

Serves 2. I suggest if you are going to the trouble of making this, and it's actually not all that much trouble, just a lot of spices to measure out mostly, that you double the recipe.  This is a very authentic, "restaurant quality" (to quote my food-expert husband) recipe and is very worth having leftovers of, or for serving guests as long as they like bold flavours).

ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into large chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1-inch piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and chopped (large chunks are fine)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 1 cup water
• 1 can fava beans (or equivalent of lentils if fava beans are unavailable)
• 2 medium sized carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced into thin semicircles
• 3/4 cup green peas
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (I use one of the commercially available mini-cans, about 165 ml)
• salt and ground pepper to taste

method:

Measure all spices together into a small bowl.

Combine the onion, garlic and ginger in a blender or NutriBullet and blend until very smooth. The consistency will look almost like a crystalized ice cream.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the pureed onion mixture. Cover and cook about 5 minutes to mellow the flavour, stirring occasionally. 

Stir in the spices to combine, then add carrots and water. Cook, covered, about 20 minutes until carrots are tender. 

Add the beans, tomatoes, peas, coconut milk, salt and pepper. Simmer another 10 minutes.

Best served over grains of your choice. 

Creamy Shiitake Mushroom Pasta Sauce

This recipe was on the cover of the December 2012 issue of vegetarian times magazine and is the only way I'll prepare pasta now.  If you love mushrooms, this recipe is for you!

The recipe calls for linguine, but I use a penne rice pasta as I always have problems with linguine clumping together.

ingredients:

• 14 - 16 oz pasta (about 1 lb)
• 2 Tbsp chopped up arame or dulse (I use dulse)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic (yes, 6!), minced (about 2 Tbsp)
• 3 - 4 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (the magazine calls for 3 cups but I find you can never have too many, so I use more)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy, rice or nut milk
• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 4 tsp pine nuts or crushed walnuts (optional, I usually forget to add these and it's just as good)

method:

Cook pasta as per package instructions

Soak arame or dulse in 1/2 cup hot water, set aside.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add mushrooms, wine and lemon juice, saute 5 minute, adding up to 1/4 cup water (if needed) to prevent sticking.

Add soymilk, nutritional yeast, Earth Balance, red pepper flakes, and arame / dulse (including the soaking liquid); season with salt and pepper if desired. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Divide pasta among 4 plates or pasta bowls , top with sauce, garnish with pine nuts and copped parsley if desired. 

I often make the sauce ahead of time and freeze it to take along in our camper or on a trip to a vacation rental.  The sauce freezes very nicely, and instead of serving it all fancy for just my husband and myself we just dump the sauce over the whole pot of cooked pasta and mix it all together and it's good for 2 dinners. 

Babaganoush

This recipe makes only about 1 1/2 cups, so if you want to make a large batch to have some leftover to freeze, or for a large party, double or triple the recipe accordingly.

ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 Tbsp tahini
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic 
• couple pinches chili powder
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt to taste, about 3/4 tsp

method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice eggplant in half lengthwise and brush open sides with olive oil. Place on foil lined sheet and bake for 45 minutes until soft. 

Allow eggplant to cool, then scoop out insides (discard the skins) and combine in blender or Magic Bullet** (or NutriBullet) with remaining ingredients, drizzle a small amount of olive oil over top and blend until very smooth .  

** If you have doubled or more the recipe you will need to use a blender or food processor.