vegalicious recipes

Five Spices Plum Chutney

2010-08-28T10:09:22Z

We enjoyed this tasty chutney with grilled tempeh tonight. We’re happy to have some left over so we can enjoy another using it.

Yield: 1 – 1 & 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1 tablespoons mustard seeds
2 lbs. ripe plums, cleaned pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 teaspoons Chinese Five Spices
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white vinegar
3-4 tablespoons brown sugar
dash cayenne pepper
dash cinnamon

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, heat the mustard seeds until the change color and begin to pop.
Add the oil and chopped onion.
Saute until the onion begins to soften.
Add the chopped plums and stir well.
Add the seasonings , vinegar and sugar.
Cook at a low heat the plums have softened and the mixture has become a thick syrupy mixture.

Wholewheat Spaghetti with Fava Beans, Sweet Bell Pepper and Spicy Tofu Pieces

2010-08-28T08:37:04Z

Colorful, tasty and nutritious, this recipe has it all. We really enjoyed this last night and look forward to having it again soon.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

12-16 ounces wholewheat spaghetti
1 ecological lemon
3 tablespoons almond slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic
2 cups fava beans, from the pod, blanched, and skins removed
3-4 spring onions, cut in ringlets
1 sweet red bell pepper, sliced in pieces
1&1/2 cups spicy tofu pieces
salt and pepper to taste
vegan Parmesan (optional)

Directions:

Slice the bell pepper.
Mince the garlic
Zest the lemon, then juice it.
Slice the spring onions, white parts and the light green parts.
Prepare the fava beans.
Prepare the spicy tofu pieces.
Cook the wholewheat spaghetti according to directions on the package.
Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan.
Add the bell pepper pieces and saute until they begin to soften.
Add the garlic and spring onions.
Add the fava beans and prepared tofu pieces.
Add the lemon juice and mix.
When the spaghetti is cooked al dente, remove from the heat and drain.
Place the spaghetti in a large serving bowl.
Pour the sauce over sprinkle the lemon zest and toss well.
Serve garnished with the almond slices and optionally vegan Parmesan (for instructions click here) cheese.

Notes:

If you can’t get fava beans, limas or edamame are good alternatives.

Blackberries and Soy Yogurt with Blackberry Sauce

2010-08-28T09:49:50Z

Blackberry season has arrived. We enjoyed this simple treat today and look forward to having it again soon.

Ingredients:

3-4 cups fresh blackberries (total for the recipe)
2 cups soy yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1 cup blackberry sauce (recipe below)
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional)

for the sauce:

2 & 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Directions:

Make the blackberry sauce first.

to make the sauce:

Place 2 & 1/2 cups fresh blackberries in a saucepan.
Add 1/4 cup sugar and about 1/2 cup water.
Bring to a soft boil.
Mash the blackberries with a potato masher when they have become soft.
Push the mixture through a sieve to discard the solids.
Return the liquid to the saucepan.
Add the cornstarch that has been mixed with the 2 tablespoons of water and stir to mix well.
Heat the sauce, stirring until the sauce becomes clear and thick.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

We enjoyed the tartness of plain yogurt with this recipe. However if you wish it to be a bit sweeter, add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and 1-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar to the soy yogurt and mix to a smooth consistency. Alternatively you can use vanilla soy yogurt.

to assemble:

Place a few fresh, clean blackberries in the bottom of a parfait glass or bowl.
Put a couple of tablespoons of soy yogurt on top, then a bit of the blackberry sauce.
Continue with a second layer of each and top with a few blackberries.
Serve with the remainder of the sauce as additional topping for those who wish.

Baked Potato with Toppings

2010-08-27T15:05:17Z

Our red potatoes have matured. We harvested them yesterday and enjoyed lovely baked potatoes for diner last night. Here’s what we did.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

1 large baking potato per person
1 & 1/2 cups soy yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar
1 cup crumbled spicy tofu
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon oil
handful chives
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup vegan parmesan

for the vegan parmesan:

1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

to bake the potatoes:

Scrub the potato under cold water and pat dry.
Prick the potato overall with a fork so that the steam may be released (otherwise is may explode with a messy oven as a result).
If you want a soft skin, then oil with olive oil, if you want crispy skin then place the potatoes directly in the oven.
General guidelines for baking a medium sized potato (about 5 ounces or 150 grams) are: 45 minutes at 400 F, or 60 minutes at 350 F or 90 minutes at 325 F
While the potatoes are baking, prepare your toppings.

to make the sour soy yogurt:

Mix 1&1/2 cups plain soy yogurt with 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar.
Mix well to blend, ad place in a bowl for serving.

to make the spicy crumbled tofu:

Crumble 1 package of tofu into small pieces.
Season with soy sauce and Cajun seasoning or seasonings of choice.
Lightly saute in 1 tablespoon oil
Place in a small bowl for serving.

to make the vegan parmesan:

Mix the bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, dried mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Place in a small bowl for serving.

to make the dish:

Chop the chives and prepare any additional toppings you may wish, such as chopped bell peppers, jalapenos etc.
When the baked potatoes are done the will feel slightly soft when lightly squeezed yet, with a crisp firm skin.
Remove from the oven with an oven mitt or hot pad.
Slice 3/4 of the way along the top and gently squeeze the sides so there is an opening to lace the toppings.
It’s best to have both a salt mill and pepper mill on the table for those who wish.
Serve on individual plates or a serving platter for each to help themselves ad top their potato as desired.

Red on Red Salad – Tomato and Strawberries

2010-08-25T20:06:16Z

This salad offers a really tasty combination, it was a surprise to us. Using strawberries and tomatoes together, but the dressing really brought it altogether nicely.

Ingredients:

1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
for the dressing
2 tablespoons walnut oil
2 tablespoons strawberry vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder
optional herbs

Directions:

Wash and slice the tomatoes.
Wash and slice the strawberries.
Make the salad dressing by combining the ingredients and whisking.
Place tomatoes and strawberries on individual plates, add the dressing and serve.

Notes:

Regular tomatoes can also be used and sliced in wedges. You can also serve the salad o a bed of lettuce or other salad greens. We enjoyed this for lunch today.

Review: Crispy Pickled Zucchini

2010-08-23T19:31:36Z

These pickled zucchini are great. We have really been enjoying them along with our meals.

We cut a bit thinker than the 1/8 inch in the instructions. Otherwise we did follow the instructions and were very happy to have firm pickled zucchini. They are lightly sweet sour.

Do use lots of ice cubes as that is the big trick, as well as pouring the warm brine over the zucchini, and not cooking them. I hope you give this easy recipe a try and enjoy.

Almond – Walnut Topped Plums with a Soy Custard

2010-08-20T20:06:54Z

As plums are now coming into season, this is a delicious dessert with fresh plums, topped with almonds and walnuts on a custard made from vanilla soy milk.

Ingredients:

for the plums:

10 plums
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon maple syrup
small pinch salt
pinch cinnamon
2 teaspoons water, as needed

for the custard:

2 cups vanilla soy milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

Make the custard first.

to make the custard:

Place the vanilla soy milk in a small saucepan.
Add the sugar, vanilla and cornstarch and stir to mix well.
Bring the mixture to a slow boil, stirring constantly.
When the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

to make the plums:

Preheat the oven to 400 F / 204 C.
Mix the ground almonds with the small pinch of salt, cinnamon, and maple syrup to make a paste. A bit of water is probably needed to make it a spreadable paste.
Halve the plums and remove the seeds.
Fill the cavity of each plum with the nut mixture.
Top with the chopped walnuts.
Place in the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes.
Check after 10 minutes to see if the plums are soft, and that the nuts are not too brown.
When done, remove from the oven and serve in bowls or plates with the custard.
We garnished with a spring of mint.

Notes:

We are trying to cut down in the amounts of sugars and fats used in recipes. We find that fruit recipes often do not need any extra sugars at all. This used just a bit of maple syrup with the nuts, and a bit in the custard. It was a lovely treat. Depending on size of the plums, one full plum per person is usually enough, if they are small perhaps more.

Tomato Risotto with TVP and Zucchini

2010-08-18T17:45:02Z

This is a simple meal to make and is easy on a hot summer’s day. The zucchini is very nice with the rice and TVP.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup risotto rice
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup large TVP chunks
2 ounces tomato paste
16 ounce can chopped tomato pieces
1 zucchini, sliced
taco seasonings to taste
dash of Tabasco or chili powder to taste
salt and pepper to taste
2 ounces soy cheese shredded

Directions:

Place the TVP cubes in a bowl and pour boiling water over them to reconstitute. You just need enough to cover the cubes.
Chop the onion.
Mince the garlic.
Slice the zucchini and grate the cheese.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan.
Saute the onion until they become soft and glassy.
Add the risotto and allow it to absorb some of the flavors, it will begin to look transparent (about 2 minutes).
Add 1 cup of water and the tomato paste.
Stir well to spread the flavors.
Add the garlic.
Add the tomato pieces and stir.
Add the taco seasonings and chili powder if using.
And add the reconstituted TVP cubes.
Lower the heat and allow the rice and TVP to absorb the tomato and flavorings.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, Tabasco or chili powder.
In a separate pan, heat the other tablespoon of oil and saute the zucchini slices.
Place the risotto mixture on a serving plate and the sauteed zucchini on top.
Sprinkle the grated soy cheese on top and place in the oven on broil for a couple of minutes to quickly melt the cheese.
Serve directly with a nice salad on the side.

Review: Carrot and Blueberry Salad

2010-08-16T19:32:40Z

We were happy to find this lovely light salad on the New York Times site.

It is quick and easy to make and tastes delicious, especially at this time of the year, with fresh blueberries in season.

We slightly changed the dressing using blueberry/balsamic vinegar reduction to make the dressing with some ginger and olive oil. The combination was very nice, we hope you give it a try.

Vegan Irish Whiskey & Cream Dip with Fruit

2010-08-13T23:12:14Z

Summer fun for adults. We made our first Vegan version of Baileys today and were very pleased with the result. We enjoyed it tonight mixed as a dip for fresh fruit. We have some more fun recipes coming up as well.

Ingredients:

for the dip:

1/4 cup soy yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1/4 cup Irish whiskey and cream liqueur (vegan Baileys)
optional vanilla sugar
various fresh fruits such a strawberries, bananas, kiwi, cherries ad peaches

for the Irish whiskey and cream liqueur:

1 can of creamy coconut milk
3 tablespoons of vegan chocolate sauce
3 tablespoons of cold espresso coffee
2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
1/2 can (use the coconut milk can) of good Irish whiskey (we used 12 year old Redbreast)

Directions:

to make the Irish whiskey and cream liqueur:

Mix all the ingredients together.
Season additionally to taste.
This made about 1 & 1/2 cups of vegan Baileys.

to make the dip:

Mix the soy yogurt with the liqueur until smooth.
Wash and slice the fruit.
Arrange the fruit on a plate, pour the dip into small dishes.