Serves 4 to 6 .
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We started our Cucumber Salad recipe by selecting American cucumbers, which are crunchier than their English cousins. Draining the thinly sliced cucumbers on paper towels helped to wick away some of their moisture...
This salad is best served within one hour of being dressed.
INGREDIENTS
4 cucumbers , peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced very thin
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives , chopped coarse
1 shallot , sliced very thin
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
3 tablespoons sliced almonds , toasted and chopped coarse
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Evenly spread cucumber slices on paper towel–lined baking sheet. Refrigerate while preparing dressing.
2. Bring vinegar to simmer in saucepan over medium-low heat; cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer vinegar to bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Whisk in lemon juice, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper.
3. When ready to serve, add cucumbers, olives, shallot, parsley, and oregano to dressing and toss to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes; retoss, sprinkle with almonds, and serve.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Potato Enchiladas
1 28-ounce can Green Chili Sauce Medium by Las Palmas
4 ounces water
1/3 cup salsa
2 cups mashed potatoes made with potato water instead of milk
10 flour tortillas
3/4 cup chopped green onions
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add water to can of chili sauce and stir to combine. Spread 1 cup of sauce over the bottom of a casserole dish. Stir the salsa into the mashed potatoes and mix well. Spread a line of potatoes down the center of each tortillas; sprinkle on some green onions, corn, and green chilies. Roll up and place seam side down in casserole. Pout remaining sauce over tortillas, cover, and bake for 30 minutes.
Mexican Rice
3/4 cup water
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup chopped green onions
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 10-ounce can Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chilies
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup cilantro
Place water in saucepan. Add green onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and salsa. Stir in the hot rice and mix well. Cook until heated through. Stir in the cilantro and serve at once.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Easy (Overnight) Spelt Pancakes
From the cookbook Vegan Yum Yum!
Makes approximately 12-16 medium-small pancakes (about enough for two people).
1 1/2 cup almond or soy milk
1 TBS sugar
2 TBS oil
1 cup spelt flour (you can substitute all-purpose flour*, but the spelt flour adds an amazing sweet flavor to this recipe)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp extract (any flavor, I used orange, but vanilla is a no-brainer)
1-2 TBS water, to thin batter (if needed)
Add milk to your blender. Add remaining ingredients, except the water, and blend for a few seconds until combined. Scrape down any dry flour stuck to the side of the jar and blend again. Place the top on the blender and refrigerate overnight. You can also use the batter immediately.
In the morning, place the blender back on the base and add 1-2 Tbs of water, blend to mix. This re-thins the batter that had thickened overnight.
Preheat oven to 200ยบ F and put an oven-safe plate on the middle rack. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour the batter directly into the center of the ungreased, heated pan. I prefer silver dollar sized pancakes (2 1/2 to 3″ in diameter), but you can make any size you want. This batter will create fairly thin pancakes, which are great for staking and eating!
After a few minutes of cooking, the batter will start to bubble and set; flip your pancake! If your pancake doesn't look properly brown by this time, turn the heat up. If the pancake looks overly brown, turn the heat down.
As the pancakes finish cooking, stack them on the plate in the oven (this will keep the whole stack warm and soft while you’re cooking the others).
Serve with vegan margarine (Earth Balance) or my low-fat millet butter (as shown in the picture below - recipe on the blog) and real maple syrup.
Vegan or not, these are simply wonderful pancakes to make and share!
*If using only all-purpose flour for this recipe, you may need to add more liquid. Regular flour absorbs more moisture than spelt.
Makes approximately 12-16 medium-small pancakes (about enough for two people).
1 1/2 cup almond or soy milk
1 TBS sugar
2 TBS oil
1 cup spelt flour (you can substitute all-purpose flour*, but the spelt flour adds an amazing sweet flavor to this recipe)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp extract (any flavor, I used orange, but vanilla is a no-brainer)
1-2 TBS water, to thin batter (if needed)
Add milk to your blender. Add remaining ingredients, except the water, and blend for a few seconds until combined. Scrape down any dry flour stuck to the side of the jar and blend again. Place the top on the blender and refrigerate overnight. You can also use the batter immediately.
In the morning, place the blender back on the base and add 1-2 Tbs of water, blend to mix. This re-thins the batter that had thickened overnight.
Preheat oven to 200ยบ F and put an oven-safe plate on the middle rack. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour the batter directly into the center of the ungreased, heated pan. I prefer silver dollar sized pancakes (2 1/2 to 3″ in diameter), but you can make any size you want. This batter will create fairly thin pancakes, which are great for staking and eating!
After a few minutes of cooking, the batter will start to bubble and set; flip your pancake! If your pancake doesn't look properly brown by this time, turn the heat up. If the pancake looks overly brown, turn the heat down.
As the pancakes finish cooking, stack them on the plate in the oven (this will keep the whole stack warm and soft while you’re cooking the others).
Serve with vegan margarine (Earth Balance) or my low-fat millet butter (as shown in the picture below - recipe on the blog) and real maple syrup.
Vegan or not, these are simply wonderful pancakes to make and share!
*If using only all-purpose flour for this recipe, you may need to add more liquid. Regular flour absorbs more moisture than spelt.
Basic White Bread (Bread Machine)
1 cup lukewarm water.
2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast (1 package rapid rise yeast will also work)
3 TBS honey
3 cups white bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tbs olive oil
Place water, yeast and honey in bread machine and stir lightly; allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, so the yeast can get started. Add flour, salt, and olive oil. Set-up the machine for "white bread" and press "start." The cycle time should take about 3 hours and 40 minutes to complete the loaf.
2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast (1 package rapid rise yeast will also work)
3 TBS honey
3 cups white bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tbs olive oil
Place water, yeast and honey in bread machine and stir lightly; allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, so the yeast can get started. Add flour, salt, and olive oil. Set-up the machine for "white bread" and press "start." The cycle time should take about 3 hours and 40 minutes to complete the loaf.
My Friend Monique's Amazing Potato and Leek Soup
5-6 large russet potatoes (or 10-12 small/medium)
2-3 leeks
water
salt
white pepper
Tofutti sour cream (blue tub brand which is not hydrogenated)
Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place potatoes into a soup pot and barely cover with water (my friend Monique never writes this recipe down and when she recites it verbally to friends, she always cautions, "don't put too much water in the pot!"); so don't put too much water in the pot!
Slice the roots off the leeks and discard any ragged or coarse outer leaves. Also trim the darkest green part off each stalk as you'll only use the tender light green and white portion of the vegetable for this recipe! Slice the leeks down the center and then slice into 1/4 inch pieces. Place in a bowl of cold water and bounce the leeks to remove the dirt (the dirt and grit will sink to the bottom). Repeat as necessary to ensure the leeks are clean! Place them in the pot with the potatoes, and add a little water if needed.
Add salt and pepper to taste, and bring soup to a simmer over medium heat; cook 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. When the potatoes pierce easily with a fork, use a hand-held potato masher to lightly mash everything into a creamy soup! Adjust seasoning if needed.
Place hot soup immediately in bowls and serve with a large dollop of Tofutti sour cream!
Serves 4-6 as a main course!
Note: Monique always makes this soup with regular sour cream; she will generally stir a whole, small container of sour cream right into the soup before serving. Although not vegan, this is a most excellent variation! If you are having guests and dairy is not a problem, this version makes an elegant first course.
2-3 leeks
water
salt
white pepper
Tofutti sour cream (blue tub brand which is not hydrogenated)
Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place potatoes into a soup pot and barely cover with water (my friend Monique never writes this recipe down and when she recites it verbally to friends, she always cautions, "don't put too much water in the pot!"); so don't put too much water in the pot!
Slice the roots off the leeks and discard any ragged or coarse outer leaves. Also trim the darkest green part off each stalk as you'll only use the tender light green and white portion of the vegetable for this recipe! Slice the leeks down the center and then slice into 1/4 inch pieces. Place in a bowl of cold water and bounce the leeks to remove the dirt (the dirt and grit will sink to the bottom). Repeat as necessary to ensure the leeks are clean! Place them in the pot with the potatoes, and add a little water if needed.
Add salt and pepper to taste, and bring soup to a simmer over medium heat; cook 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. When the potatoes pierce easily with a fork, use a hand-held potato masher to lightly mash everything into a creamy soup! Adjust seasoning if needed.
Place hot soup immediately in bowls and serve with a large dollop of Tofutti sour cream!
Serves 4-6 as a main course!
Note: Monique always makes this soup with regular sour cream; she will generally stir a whole, small container of sour cream right into the soup before serving. Although not vegan, this is a most excellent variation! If you are having guests and dairy is not a problem, this version makes an elegant first course.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Skillet Cajun Cabbage and Rice
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (you can also omit the oil to make this dish fat-free by sauteing using small amount of water)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10 ounce) can Rotelle (diced tomatoes
with mild green chilies), un-drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup water
1 head Napa cabbage, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat the oil (or simply use water if making the recipe without fat) in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Sautee green pepper, onion, and garlic until the vegetables have softened, about 8 minutes.
2. Stir in Rotelle, tomato sauce, rice, salt, basil, oregano, the cayenne, white pepper, black pepper (adding more pepper to taste, if desired) and 1/3 cup of water; heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is gently simmering. Sprinkle chopped cabbage on top without stirring, turn heat to medium-low (you do not want the tomato sauce to burn) and cover tightly with a lid (if the cabbage is too high, smoosh a little with the lid until closed; the cabbage will cook down).
3. Cook 15 minutes, then remove lid and stir (make sure to get browned bits off bottom). If mixture looks to thick, add a little more water. Cover and cook another 5 minutes or until rice is soft and cooked-through. Stir one last time, and serve immediately!
Makes 6-8 servings depending on portion size.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (you can also omit the oil to make this dish fat-free by sauteing using small amount of water)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10 ounce) can Rotelle (diced tomatoes
with mild green chilies), un-drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup water
1 head Napa cabbage, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat the oil (or simply use water if making the recipe without fat) in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Sautee green pepper, onion, and garlic until the vegetables have softened, about 8 minutes.
2. Stir in Rotelle, tomato sauce, rice, salt, basil, oregano, the cayenne, white pepper, black pepper (adding more pepper to taste, if desired) and 1/3 cup of water; heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is gently simmering. Sprinkle chopped cabbage on top without stirring, turn heat to medium-low (you do not want the tomato sauce to burn) and cover tightly with a lid (if the cabbage is too high, smoosh a little with the lid until closed; the cabbage will cook down).
3. Cook 15 minutes, then remove lid and stir (make sure to get browned bits off bottom). If mixture looks to thick, add a little more water. Cover and cook another 5 minutes or until rice is soft and cooked-through. Stir one last time, and serve immediately!
Makes 6-8 servings depending on portion size.
Monday, January 3, 2011
My Favorite Crock Pot Beans
1 pound small white Navy beans, rinsed1 large sweet onion, medium dice
8 cloves garlic, peeled
Put beans, onion, and garlic in a 4 quart crock pot. Fill to about two-thirds with cold water. Put lid on and cook on high for about 6 to 8 hours. If beans seem too dry, add a little water. If beans seem to wet, cook with lid of for a while until desired consistency is reached.
These beans will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days. I sprinkle on a little kosher salt when eating them. They taste a lot like baked beans.
Chinese Noodle Soup
Adapted from The McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook
1 cube Rapunzel Vegan Vegetable Bouillon with Sea Salt
2 cups water
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 inch square of fresh ginger, grated
5 ounces China Bowl Select Chinese Noodles
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/2 bottle Mezzetta Gourmet Baby Corn, drained (optional)
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and coarsely sliced (slice off stems and discard)
8 Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
Saute mushrooms in a small amount of water until softened, about 5 minutes. Place broth, bouillon cube, water, garlic and ginger in a medium-large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add noodles, green onions, spinach, baby corn (if using), and sauteed mushrooms. Reduce heat and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes stirring frequently to break apart noodles.
Serves 4
Serves 4
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