epicureanvegan, Author at Epicurean Vegan

Product Review: EcoTools Cosmetic Brushes

December 6, 2012 by epicureanvegan

I haven’t been cooking or baking anything exciting lately, so sorry for my lack of recipes since Thanksgiving. So I thought I’d throw in a product review. I found these earth-friendly and sustainable cosmetic brushes at Walgreens (of all places) and thought I give them a try. They’re by EcoTools and they have a pretty large line of cosmetic accessories. Unfortunately, I couldn’t peruse their site because they seem to be having problems with pages loading. As soon as they’re back up and running, I’ll update the link. Not only was I drawn to the fact that are made from the ever so sustainable bamboo plant, natural and recycled materials and 100% cruelty-free, but because they were very reasonably priced. The 6-piece brush set was $11.99 and the single brush was $7.99. The five brushes also come with a cotton and hemp bag that has a zippered pocket and folds over.

The brushes are incredibly soft (which of course, is true for any new cosmetic brush) and I thought they all worked beautifully. In case you’re not sure how certain brushes work, the back of the package will enlighten you . . . which never hurts.

Like with all cosmetics brushes, I recommend washing them at least once a week with a mild liquid soap and lay them flat to dry, never standing up, as the water will rot the handle. Walgreens also carries a few of the products from EcoTools’ Alicia Silverstone line. (Again, the link is down, so I’ll update when it’s up and running). In the meantime, you can at least check out their homepage. 🙂

Flaky Harvest Vegetable Squares

November 25, 2012 by epicureanvegan

These were amazing! I thought they’d be a pain in the butt to make, but actually, they were pretty easy. They took some time, but other than that, they were simple to make. And so delicious! The recipe is from Vegetarian Times and I substituted the Brussels sprouts with asparagus and elephant garlic with just two large cloves of garlic. Next time I make these, I’d probably chop the carrots smaller than the recipe says, but otherwise, theses were fantastic! And why wait until next Thanksgiving? These are great as a fall/winter meal.

INGREDIENTS:
1 head of cauliflower, broken into small florets
1 medium onion, sliced
3 Tbs + 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided
1-1/4 tsp salt, divided
3/8 tsp black pepper, divided
2 heads elephant garlic (again, I used 2 regular cloves of garlic)
2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce, divided
3 Tbs white wine
1 Tbs cornstarch or arrowroot
1 tsp thyme
10 stalks of asparagus, cut into thirds or fourths
10 baby carrots, cut into thirds or fourths (rather than in half on the diagonal)
10 button mushrooms, halved
6 shallots, peeled and quartered
2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed
Almond milk, for brushing dough

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425. Set aside about 20 cauliflower florets in a bowl. Toss the rest with the onion and 1 Tbs olive oil; season with 1 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.

(I’d break up the cauliflower more than this)

Spread onto a baking sheet. Wrap up the garlic and 1/2 tsp of the olive oil in some foil and place on the baking sheet.

Roast 30 to 45 minutes. I roasted them for about 25 minutes—the onions were getting too browned. (Another reason to break the cauliflower up smaller).

Squeeze the warm garlic from it’s skin into a food processor and add the cauliflower/onion mixture and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if you’d like.

Combine the wine, cornstarch, remaining 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, thyme, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, and 1/2 C water in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat remaining olive oil in a wok or skillet. Add the reserved cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, asparagus, and shallots. Stir-fry for 5-7 minutes, then add the cornstarch mixture and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Roll out the puff pastry into a 12-inch square. Cut into four squares. Chill for 15 minutes on parchment paper.

The recipe says to place a 1/4 C of the cauliflower puree in the center, but I found that when I got close to last four (of the 8 squares) I was running low, so I recommend using a bit less than a quarter cup per square. Top the puree with about a 1/2 cup of the vegetable mixture. Again, so easy on the 1/2 cup–it was close.

Fold corners of the dough over the vegetable mixture, pinching the corners together.

I made these ahead of time, so I covered and refrigerated for about 2 hours before baking them. When it comes time to bake, brush with almond milk and bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes. Delicious!! Enjoy!

Flaky Harvest Vegetable Squares

These were amazing! I thought they'd be a pain in the butt to make, but actually, they were pretty easy. They took some time, but other than that, they were simple to make. And so delicious! The recipe is from Vegetarian Times and I substituted the Brussels sprouts with asparagus and elephant garlic with just two large cloves of garlic. Next time I make these, I'd probably chop the carrots smaller than the recipe says, but otherwise, theses were fantastic! And why wait until next Thanksgiving? These are great as a fall/winter meal.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 8

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, broken into small florets
1 medium onion, sliced
3 Tbs + ½ tsp olive oil, divided
1-1/4 tsp salt, divided
⅜ tsp black pepper, divided
2 heads elephant garlic (again, I used 2 regular cloves of garlic)
2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce, divided
3 Tbs white wine
1 Tbs cornstarch or arrowroot
1 tsp thyme
10 stalks of asparagus, cut into thirds or fourths
10 baby carrots, cut into thirds or fourths (rather than in half on the diagonal)
10 button mushrooms, halved
6 shallots, peeled and quartered
2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed
Almond milk, for brushing dough

Directions

Preheat oven to 425.
Set aside about 20 cauliflower florets in a bowl. Toss the rest with the onion and 1 Tbs olive oil; season with 1 tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper.
Spread onto a baking sheet. Wrap up the garlic and ½ tsp of the olive oil in some foil and place on the baking sheet.
Squeeze the warm garlic from it's skin into a food processor and add the cauliflower/onion mixture and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if you'd like.
Combine the wine, cornstarch, remaining 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, thyme, ¼ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp pepper, and ½ C water in a small bowl; set aside.
Heat remaining olive oil in a wok or skillet. Add the reserved cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, asparagus, and shallots. Stir-fry for 5-7 minutes, then add the cornstarch mixture and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.
Roll out the puff pastry into a 12-inch square. Cut into four squares. Chill for 15 minutes on parchment paper.
The recipe says to place a ¼ C of the cauliflower puree in the center, but I found that when I got close to last four (of the 8 squares) I was running low, so I recommend using a bit less than a quarter cup per square. Top the puree with about a ½ cup of the vegetable mixture. Again, so easy on the ½ cup--it was close.
Fold corners of the dough over the vegetable mixture, pinching the corners together.
I made these ahead of time, so I covered and refrigerated for about 2 hours before baking them. When it comes time to bake, brush with almond milk and bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes. Delicious!! Enjoy!

Red Quinoa Pilaf with Kale and Corn

November 25, 2012 by epicureanvegan

This is another excellent recipe from Vegan Holiday Kitchen. Kale and quinoa together?! Talk about a super, nutrient-packed salad. This was easy to make and served warm, it made an excellent side dish on Thanksgiving.

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 C red quinoa
3 C vegetable broth
1 bunch (8-oz) kale
2 Tbs olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions (white and green parts) sliced thin
2 C fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp rosemary
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the quinoa and broth in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. If the liquid isn’t fully absorbed by 20 minutes, but the quinoa is done, drain it using a fine mesh strainer. The recipe says to strip the kale leaves from the stem and slice the leaves into narrow strips. I found that to be difficult and time consuming, so I just chopped it. In the end, it doesn’t really matter anyway. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic until it begins to brown. Add the kale . . .

. . . and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Red Quinoa Pilaf with Kale and Corn

This is another excellent recipe from Vegan Holiday Kitchen. Kale and quinoa together?! Talk about a super, nutrient-packed salad. This was easy to make and served warm, it made an excellent side dish on Thanksgiving.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1-1/2 C red quinoa
3 C vegetable broth
1 bunch (8-oz) kale
2 Tbs olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions (white and green parts) sliced thin
2 C fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
2 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp rosemary
Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine the quinoa and broth in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. If the liquid isn't fully absorbed by 20 minutes, but the quinoa is done, drain it using a fine mesh strainer.
The recipe says to strip the kale leaves from the stem and slice the leaves into narrow strips. I found that to be difficult and time consuming, so I just chopped it. In the end, it doesn't really matter anyway.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic until it begins to brown.
Add the kale and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.
Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Cinnamon-Soaked Wheat Berry Salad

November 25, 2012 by epicureanvegan

I’ve never had anything with wheat berries in it . . . at least I don’t think so. I had bought a bag a while ago for another recipe (that I can’t even remember now) and so when I saw this recipe in Vegetarian Times, I decided to give it a try. Wheat berries refer to the entire kernel, or whole grain form of the wheat. They’re a great source of fiber and are used in breads, pilaf mixes, stir-fry . . . you name it. It usually needs to be soaked for several hours ahead of time, so keep that in mind, otherwise, they’ll take forever to cook! This salad is delicious warm or cold and was great as a side dish for Thanksgiving.

INGREDIENTS:
Salad
1 C wheat berries
1 2″ cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp salt
3 med carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4″ dice
1 heaping cup thinly sliced apricots
1/2 C toasted slivered almonds
6 Tbs chopped cilantro
Dressing
3 Tbs apple cider vinegar
3 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
Soak the wheat berries and cinnamon stick in 3 cups of water for 8 hours or overnight. I didn’t have any cinnamon sticks, so I added a dash or two of cinnamon later on. Transfer the wheat berries and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. (This is where I added the cinnamon.)

Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for an hour. Drain any leftover liquid and remove cinnamon stick. In a small saucepan, blanch the carrots, then drain. Toss the carrots with the wheat berries, apricots, almonds, and cilantro.

For the dressing, blend all of the ingredients until creamy and season with salt and pepper. Stir into the salad, cover, and chill for about an hour. Enjoy!

Cinnamon-Soaked Wheat Berry Salad

I've never had anything with wheat berries in it . . . at least I don't think so. I had bought a bag a while ago for another recipe (that I can't even remember now) and so when I saw this recipe in Vegetarian Times, I decided to give it a try. Wheat berries refer to the entire kernel, or whole grain form of the wheat. They're a great source of fiber and are used in breads, pilaf mixes, stir-fry . . . you name it. It usually needs to be soaked for several hours ahead of time, so keep that in mind, otherwise, they'll take forever to cook! This salad is delicious warm or cold and was great as a side dish for Thanksgiving.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

Salad
1 C wheat berries
1 2" cinnamon stick
¼ tsp salt
3 med carrots, peeled and cut into ¼" dice
1 heaping cup thinly sliced apricots
½ C toasted slivered almonds
6 Tbs chopped cilantro
Dressing
3 Tbs apple cider vinegar
3 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
¼ tsp cinnamon

Directions

Soak the wheat berries and cinnamon stick in 3 cups of water for 8 hours or overnight. I didn't have any cinnamon sticks, so I added a dash or two of cinnamon later on. Transfer the wheat berries and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. (This is where I added the cinnamon.)
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for an hour. Drain any leftover liquid and remove cinnamon stick.
In a small saucepan, blanch the carrots, then drain. Toss the carrots with the wheat berries, apricots, almonds, and cilantro.
For the dressing, blend all of the ingredients until creamy and season with salt and pepper. Stir into the salad, cover, and chill for about an hour. Enjoy!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

November 25, 2012 by epicureanvegan

My mom’s always been in charge of making the pies for holidays and there’s a good reason why. She’s damn good at it. Since I’ve gone vegan, she’s tried to make them vegan whenever she can (thanks, Mom!) She made a vegan pumpkin pie from Vegetarian Times a couple of years ago, but this year, there was an even easier one to try. This one is from Vegan Holiday Kitchen cookbook. Instead of using the recipe’s suggestion of a pastry or graham cracker crust, she made her own pie crust using vegetable shortening. The recipe also makes two pies, so she halved it to make just one.

INGREDIENTS:
2 C pureed pumpkin
1/2 pkg. firm silken tofu
1/2 C + 2 Tbs granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat to 350. Combine pumpkin in a food processor with next 4 ingredients; process until smooth. Pour into crusts. Bake 40-45 mins, or until set and crust is golden.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

This one is from Vegan Holiday Kitchen cookbook. Instead of using the recipe's suggestion of a pastry or graham cracker crust, she made her own pie crust using vegetable shortening. The recipe also makes two pies, so she halved it to make just one.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

2 C pureed pumpkin
½ pkg. firm silken tofu
½ C + 2 Tbs granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix

Directions

Preheat to 350.
Combine pumpkin in a food processor with next 4 ingredients; process until smooth.
Pour into crusts.
Bake 40-45 mins, or until set and crust is golden.

Vegan Sweet Potato and Ricotta Ravioli with a Butter-Garlic Cream Sauce

November 20, 2012 by epicureanvegan

I’m very proud of this meal. And it was certainly a labor of love. Three hours of labor, to be exact. (Although that includes the Caesar salad I had to make.) Luckily, many of the steps involved can be made way ahead of time and kept in the fridge, making assembly and cooking time a breeze. It may have taken a while to make, but it was nothing compared to my first attempt at raviolis. I got wise and bought a ravioli mold that made the process so much easier!! (Check out this great YouTube video on how to use it). I threw together a butter-garlic cream sauce which looks pretty weird, as you can see, but I promise you, it tastes better than it looks. After using the ravioli mold, I’m excited to try other types of ravioli—it’s less daunting now that I’ve got the right tools. The sweet potato and tofu ricotta are an excellent combo! You can also try my soy-free version. I made enough dough and filling to feed an army; I easily could have made a 100 raviolis. The leftovers are perfect for freezing and saving for another meal. Feel free to half the recipes for the dough, fillings, and sauce to make about 50 raviolis. (One serving is 10-12 raviolis). Even though there are several steps to this meal, they’re very simple and there’s nothing like fresh pasta!

INGREDIENTS:
Dough
2 C flour
2 C semolina flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs olive oil
1-1/2 to 2 C water

Sweet Potato Filling
2 sweet potatoes
3 large green onion, minced
2 Tbs almond milk
salt and pepper

Ricotta Filling
14-oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1/3 C nutritional yeast
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbs lemon juice

Butter-Garlic Cream Sauce
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 C vegan margarine
3 Tbs flour
3/4 to 1 C almond milk
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Begin by cooking the sweet potatoes. I cooked them in the microwave to save some time—only took 10 minutes. Scoop out the potato and mash it with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in the almond milk and combine well. Add the green onion, salt, and pepper; set aside. To make the ricotta, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth; set aside. To make the dough, combine the flours and salt in a large bowl of a stand mixer (you can use a food processor too). While the mixer is running, slowly add the oil, then water until you reach a somewhat damp (but not too sticky) dough.

Knead on a lightly floured surface for 3-5 minutes. I used my pasta maker to roll out flat sheets. You can easily use a rolling pin instead. Lay a sheet of dough over the metal portion of the mold. Place the plastic mold on top and press gently, creating pockets for the filling. Place about a teaspoon of each filling into each pocket.

Place another sheet of dough on top and press down, sealing the edges and flattening the top. Using a rolling pin, roll over the top to create the raviolis. (Again, check out the You Tube video at the beginning of the post to see this magic happen).

So much better than trying to make by hand! The mold was worth the $20 I paid for it. Let the raviolis sit for about 20 minutes. To make the sauce, combine the garlic and vegan margarine in a small saucepan and melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, one tablespoon at a time. Slowly whisk in the almond milk, using enough to reach a semi-thick consistency; keep warm. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using a spatula, I placed 12 raviolis at a time, into the pot. Boil for 5-7 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon to a colander.

Repeat the process until they’re all cooked. (For the last dozen, instead of removing with the slotted spoon, I placed the colander in the sink and poured the remaining raviolis and boiling water into the colander. That way, the other raviolis that cooled off could be somewhat reheated).

Drizzle a ladle of sauce over a serving of the raviolis and enjoy!

Vegan Sweet Potato and Ricotta Ravioli with a Butter-Garlic Cream Sauce

I'm very proud of this meal. And it was certainly a labor of love. Three hours of labor, to be exact. (Although that includes the Caesar salad I had to make.) Luckily, many of the steps involved can be made way ahead of time and kept in the fridge, making assembly and cooking time a breeze. It may have taken a while to make, but it was nothing compared to my first attempt at raviolis. I got wise and bought a ravioli mold that made the process so much easier!! (Check out this great YouTube video on how to use it). I threw together a butter-garlic cream sauce which looks pretty weird, as you can see, but I promise you, it tastes better than it looks. After using the ravioli mold, I'm excited to try other types of ravioli---it's less daunting now that I've got the right tools. The sweet potato and tofu ricotta are an excellent combo! You can also try my soy-free version. I made enough dough and filling to feed an army; I easily could have made a 100 raviolis. The leftovers are perfect for freezing and saving for another meal. Feel free to half the recipes for the dough, fillings, and sauce to make about 50 raviolis. (One serving is 10-12 raviolis). Even though there are several steps to this meal, they're very simple and there's nothing like fresh pasta!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

Dough
2 C flour
2 C semolina flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs olive oil
1-1/2 to 2 C water
Sweet Potato Filling
2 sweet potatoes
3 large green onion, minced
2 Tbs almond milk
salt and pepper
Ricotta Filling
14-oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
⅓ C nutritional yeast
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 Tbs lemon juice
Butter-Garlic Cream Sauce
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
½ C vegan margarine
3 Tbs flour
¾ to 1 C almond milk
salt and pepper

Directions

Begin by cooking the sweet potatoes. I cooked them in the microwave to save some time---only took 10 minutes.
Scoop out the potato and mash it with a fork or pastry blender.
Stir in the almond milk and combine well.
Add the green onion, salt, and pepper; set aside.
To make the ricotta, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth; set aside.
To make the dough, combine the flours and salt in a large bowl of a stand mixer (you can use a food processor too). While the mixer is running, slowly add the oil, then water until you reach a somewhat damp (but not too sticky) dough.
Knead on a lightly floured surface for 3-5 minutes. I used my pasta maker to roll out flat sheets. You can easily use a rolling pin instead.
Lay a sheet of dough over the metal portion of the mold. Place the plastic mold on top and press gently, creating pockets for the filling. Place about a teaspoon of each filling into each pocket.
Place another sheet of dough on top and press down, sealing the edges and flattening the top. Using a rolling pin, roll over the top to create the raviolis. (Again, check out the You Tube video at the beginning of the post to see this magic happen).
So much better than trying to make by hand! The mold was worth the $20 I paid for it. Let the raviolis sit for about 20 minutes.
To make the sauce, combine the garlic and vegan margarine in a small saucepan and melt the butter.
Whisk in the flour, one tablespoon at a time. Slowly whisk in the almond milk, using enough to reach a semi-thick consistency; keep warm.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Using a spatula, I placed 12 raviolis at a time, into the pot. Boil for 5-7 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon to a colander.
Repeat the process until they're all cooked. (For the last dozen, instead of removing with the slotted spoon, I placed the colander in the sink and poured the remaining raviolis and boiling water into the colander. That way, the other raviolis that cooled off could be somewhat reheated).
Drizzle a ladle of sauce over a serving of the raviolis and enjoy!

Vegan Caesar Salad

November 20, 2012 by epicureanvegan

I’m thrilled to have Caesar salad again! (I’m still waiting for the perfect vegan Parmesan cheese to hit the shelves . . . but this salad is still delicious without it). This recipe makes about 2-1/2 cups, so feel free to halve it. I just didn’t want to have 1/2 a box of silk tofu leftover and forgotten in the fridge. I even used 6 hearts of romaine and still had a lot of dressing left!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cloves garlic, cut into pieces
12-oz pkg. firm silken tofu
3 Tbs lemon juice
1/8 C olive oil
2 Tbs capers
4 tsp caper juice/brine
1/2 tsp mustard powder
Dash of sugar
Salt and pepper
6 Romaine hearts, chopped
Croutons

DIRECTIONS:
Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Use enough dressing to just coat the romaine and serve with croutons. It’s that easy! Enjoy!

Vegan Caesar Salad

I'm thrilled to have Caesar salad again! (I'm still waiting for the perfect vegan Parmesan cheese to hit the shelves . . . but this salad is still delicious without it). This recipe makes about 2-1/2 cups, so feel free to halve it. I just didn't want to have ½ a box of silk tofu leftover and forgotten in the fridge. I even used 6 hearts of romaine and still had a lot of dressing left!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, cut into pieces
12-oz pkg. firm silken tofu
3 Tbs lemon juice
⅛ C olive oil
2 Tbs capers
4 tsp caper juice/brine
½ tsp mustard powder
Dash of sugar
Salt and pepper
6 Romaine hearts, chopped
Croutons

Directions

Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Use enough dressing to just coat the romaine and serve with croutons. It's that easy! Enjoy!

Lasagna Soup

November 18, 2012 by epicureanvegan

Well this was unexpected. So earlier this afternoon, I was reading though the 131 blog entries from my Google blog reader (after being out of town for a while) and came across this recipe from That Was Vegan? I immediately bookmarked it. Then I realized I had hungry he-gans to feed and not much to work with. I wasn’t planning on going to the store until tomorrow. Anyhow, it was love at first read . . . even though I didn’t have all the ingredients for the original recipe, I figured I could make it work with what I had. I even borrowed a can of diced tomatoes from my good friend (and neighbor). (Thanks, Jessie)! You don’t have to use lasagna noodles, but if you’re like me, chances are, you’ll have an opened box of lasagna noodles leftover from a bygone (yet fabulous) lasagna. This is the perfect soup to use those rogue noodles! I added a couple of Field Roast sausages and made some other alterations and it came out fantastic. Try this with some diced zucchini or mushrooms for some variety.

INGREDIENTS:
1 C onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Field Roast sausages, Italian variety
1 Tbs olive oil
2-1/2 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried rosemary
28-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
9-10 lasagna noodles
7 C water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1/2 C spaghetti sauce
2 bay leaves
1-1/2 Tbs dried basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Daiya cheese

DIRECTIONS:
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil, garlic, Field Roast, and onion.

Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions are tender.

Add the oregano, red pepper flakes, and rosemary; stir to combine. Add the diced tomatoes (juice and all), spaghetti sauce, 6 cups of water (you may want to add more later), the two bay leaves, dried basil, and the bouillon (I chopped it up first); bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Break up the lasagna noodles and add to the pot. Let simmer 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked (you may need to add more water). Remove the bay leaves and serve with a sprinkle of Daiya cheese. Enjoy!

Lasagna Soup

Well this was unexpected. So earlier this afternoon, I was reading though the 131 blog entries from my Google blog reader (after being out of town for a while) and came across this recipe from That Was Vegan? I immediately bookmarked it. Then I realized I had hungry he-gans to feed and not much to work with. I wasn't planning on going to the store until tomorrow. Anyhow, it was love at first read . . . even though I didn't have all the ingredients for the original recipe, I figured I could make it work with what I had. I even borrowed a can of diced tomatoes from my good friend (and neighbor). (Thanks, Jessie)! You don't have to use lasagna noodles, but if you're like me, chances are, you'll have an opened box of lasagna noodles leftover from a bygone (yet fabulous) lasagna. This is the perfect soup to use those rogue noodles! I added a couple of Field Roast sausages and made some other alterations and it came out fantastic. Try this with some diced zucchini or mushrooms for some variety.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 C onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Field Roast sausages, Italian variety
1 Tbs olive oil
2-1/2 tsp dried oregano
¾ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried rosemary
28-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
9-10 lasagna noodles
7 C water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
½ C spaghetti sauce
2 bay leaves
1-1/2 Tbs dried basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Daiya cheese

Directions

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil, garlic, Field Roast, and onion.
Cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions are tender.
Add the oregano, red pepper flakes, and rosemary; stir to combine. Add the diced tomatoes (juice and all), spaghetti sauce, 6 cups of water (you may want to add more later), the two bay leaves, dried basil, and the bouillon (I chopped it up first); bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Break up the lasagna noodles and add to the pot. Let simmer 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked (you may need to add more water).
Remove the bay leaves and serve with a sprinkle of Daiya cheese. Enjoy!

Gearing up for Thanksgiving!

November 18, 2012 by epicureanvegan

I apologize for my absence! Between an illustration project, writers retreat, and a week in northern California . . .

. . . I’ve been pretty darn busy.

But now it’s cookin’ time!

I’m really looking forward to trying some recipes from Vegan Holiday Kitchen. There are so many recipes I want to try, that I’m going to try out a few this week for regular dinner meals. On the menu this week: Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tortilla Casserole, Rosemary-Citrus Sweet Potatoes, Classic Vegan Pumpkin Pie, and Red Quinoa Pilaf with Kale and Corn. I’m also going to attempt Vegetarian Times’ Flaky Harvest Vegetable Squares:

I’m also going to try making sweet potato or squash ravioli, so stay tuned for that recipe too!

What’s on your vegan Thanksgiving menu?

Black Rice Salad

November 1, 2012 by epicureanvegan

I was thumbing through Party Vegan for Halloween foods and I was thrilled to find this salad that was not only delicious, but gluten-free as well. It was perfect for our Halloween party. I recommend making the rice ahead of time since it needs to cool in the fridge. It also would hurt to chop up the veggies and cook the sweet potatoes ahead of time, too, so you save yourself a headache of trying to get all done right away. I doubled the recipe, but I’ll list the original recipe amounts below. Also, the original recipe suggests serving the salad on a bed of shredded lettuce, but I opted to serve it in a bowl, sans lettuce.

INGREDIENTS:
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2″ dice
1/4 C + 1 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 medium carrots, shredded
1 medium orange bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 C minced onion
2 Tbs fresh parsley
15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 C cold cooked black rice
3 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dry mustard

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 425. Spread the sweet potatoes on a lightly greased baking sheet; drizzle with 1 Tbs of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 15 minutes. I recommend turning them once halfway through, otherwise, they’ll get too browned on one side.

In a large bowl, combine the carrots, bell pepper, onion, parsley, and garbanzo beans.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

The recipe only says to combine the cooled sweet potatoes and rice together, but doesn’t indicate when to mix them in with the rest. But I think I’m a pretty smart cookie and combined everything and tossed it all with the dressing. Enjoy!

Black Rice Salad

I was thumbing through Party Vegan for Halloween foods and I was thrilled to find this salad that was not only delicious, but gluten-free as well. It was perfect for our Halloween party. I recommend making the rice ahead of time since it needs to cool in the fridge. It also would hurt to chop up the veggies and cook the sweet potatoes ahead of time, too, so you save yourself a headache of trying to get all done right away. I doubled the recipe, but I'll list the original recipe amounts below. Also, the original recipe suggests serving the salad on a bed of shredded lettuce, but I opted to serve it in a bowl, sans lettuce.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½" dice
¼ C + 1 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 medium carrots, shredded
1 medium orange bell pepper, finely chopped
¼ C minced onion
2 Tbs fresh parsley
15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 C cold cooked black rice
3 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp garlic, minced
½ tsp dry mustard

Directions

Preheat oven to 425.
Spread the sweet potatoes on a lightly greased baking sheet; drizzle with 1 Tbs of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 15 minutes. I recommend turning them once halfway through, otherwise, they'll get too browned on one side.
In a large bowl, combine the carrots, bell pepper, onion, parsley, and garbanzo beans.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper.
The recipe only says to combine the cooled sweet potatoes and rice together, but doesn't indicate when to mix them in with the rest. But I think I'm a pretty smart cookie and combined everything and tossed it all with the dressing. Enjoy!

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