Moroccan Potato, Carrot and Chickpea Stew

I have adapted this from a recipe in January / February 2013 edition of Vegetarian Times magazine.

The original recipe claims that it serves four.  It doesn't.  It was barely enough for my husband and myself. So I have doubled it and made a few additions to suit our taste.  I also found the size of the potato chunks to be too big; they weren't cooking through in the suggested time so I've made them smaller here.

ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive or grapeseed oil
• 2 very large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
• 3 cups largely chopped carrot pieces 
• 3 - 4 large shallots, diced (about 1.5 - 2 cups)
• 1 tsp salt (add more to taste after if you like)
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 2 cans chickpeas; drained with liquid reserved, chickpeas divided
• 1/2 - 2/3 cup dark raisins
• 2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 cups chopped kale or spinach
• cayenne to taste

method:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add potato, carrots, shallots, salt and pepper, saute for 3 minutes.  

Add chickpea liquid, raisins, cumin and allspice.  Mix well and bring to a simmer.  Cover, simmering over low - medium heat for 8 minutes.

Mix in half the chickpeas and simmer another 2 to 4 minutes, or just until potato and carrots are tender. 

Place remaining chickpeas on a plate and mash coarsely with a fork. Mix crushed chickpeas and lemon juice into the stew.  Add the kale or spinach and gently mix it in.  Turn off heat.  Add more salt and cayenne if desired. 

Coleslaw Dressing

I love coleslaw, and I mean looooooove. I have tried many times over the years to make my own, but I've never liked my creations.  Why I never just checked out some recipes, I don't know.  But, finally I did and in looking over the many different variations out there I could see that my flaw had always been omitting a slight bit of sweetener.  Voila - problem solved!

One of my favourite ways to enjoy slaw is in a wrap shell with warmed up bits of Gardein "chick'n" strips, or  just a bit of cut up a Gardein "chick'n" breast, or a grilled portabellow mushroom is really nice as well.

This is enough dressing for approximately 1 1/4 pounds shredded slaw, depending on how creamy you like it.


ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Veganaise (just shy of 1/2 cup, actually)
• 4 oz firm silken tofu (must be silken tofu, not regular tofu)
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp agave nectar
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil of your choice
• 1 -2 Tbsp vinegar (I use apple cider or white)
• several dashes sea salt
• 1 - 2 tsp celery salt

method:

Combine all ingredients except the celery seeds in a blender or Magic Bullet (or NutriBullet) and blend until smooth.

Pour dressing over the slaw, add the celery seeds, mix well.

Carrot Cake with "Cream Cheese" Icing

Mmmmm, carrot cake. Who doesn't love carrot cake?  This is a deliciously moist cake - lots of carrots, rasins, walnuts and icing, yum!  If you don't want as much icing as the above photo, just make half the recipe, or make the whole recipe and save the remainder for some cupcakes or something else tasty.

cake ingredients:

• 3 cups flour (I use 1/2 whole spelt flour, 1/2 white flour)
• 1 1/2 cups organic cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (can omit if you don't have it)
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil of your choice
• 1 cup soy, rice, or almond milk (plain or vanilla)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups finely grated carrots
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 3/4 cup rasins

frosting ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Spread
• 8 oz vegan cream cheese
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• optional: 1 tsp lemon or vanilla extract

method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line a 12" x 9" loaf pan with parchment paper, or grease the pan with some Earth Balance

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the cake and combine well.

In a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients for the cake and mix well.

Make a hollow in the dry ingredients and pour the wet inside, mix gently with a large spoon.  Fold in carrots, rasins, and walnuts.

Pour batter in to the prepared tin and bake 50 - 55 minutes, or until cake gently springs back when touched in the center. 

Allow cake to cool on a wire rack before frosting.

To prepare the frosting, combine frosting ingredients in a bowl and mix with a beater.  Spread on cake and enjoy!

japanese carrot salad

ingredients:

• 6 - 7 medium carrots, grated
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• sesame oil to taste
• sesame seeds for decoration
  

method:

In a bowl combine the carrots, lemon juice and salt.

In a small skillet, heat the oil on medium heat and fry the cumin seeds and black pepper for 1 minute. Be careful not to burn it. Pour over the carrots and mix well.

Drizzle sesame oil overtop and combine.

Before serving sprinkle salad with sesame seeds.



Source: somewhere on the internet around 2000, 2001