Dinners Archives - Page 23 of 31

Mushroom and Kale Stroganoff

December 6, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I saw this recipe this morning from Healthy Exposures and I knew I had to make it. It calls for some roasted red pepper hummus and I actually had some in the fridge, so it just had to happen. It also has two of my favorite ingredients: mushrooms and kale. I was sold. I doubled the recipe, as originally, it’s for 2 servings. The fennel, I believe, was key. It gave the dish that stroganoff-beef taste, which surprised me, as I’ve only used fennel in chai flavoring. Be sure to check out Healthy Exposures’ yummy vegan recipes, (plus this original recipe),wonderful photography and her beautiful horse, Teddie. 🙂

INGREDIENTS:
14-oz whole wheat pasta
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced (I added this)
1 Tbs olive oil
3 C sliced mushrooms
6 large kale leaves, thinly sliced (I tore them up)
1/2 tsp fennel seed
salt and pepper, to taste
2 C reserved pasta water
2 Tbs white bean flour (I used garbanzo flour since that was all I had)
4 Tbs roasted red pepper hummus
1 Tbs pub-style Dijon mustard
2 Tbs nutritional yeast

Cook pasta until al dente. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add the garlic and onions. Saute until the onions begin to brown. Add the mushrooms, kale, fennel, salt, and pepper.

Okay, I went a little nuts with the kale, but I LOVE kale so much, I could not be stopped. Add 4 Tbs of water and cover until kale cooks down. In a small bowl, whisk together the pasta water, flour, hummus, Dijon, and nutritional yeast. Once the kale mixture has cooked down, add the liquid mixture to it and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it thickens.

I then served this over individual servings of pasta and seasoned with a little salt and pepper. It was phenomenal! We all loved it. Enjoy!

Porcini Mushroom Pasta with a Cream Cheese Sauce

November 29, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 29

I can’t believe I went this far into Vegn MoFo and missed yesterday! It was a busy day of Christmas shopping then an evening of margaritas and a taco bar at the neighbor’s. We made tacos with Boca crumbles, Tofutti sour cream, Daiya cheese, vegetarian refries . . .it was great! So tonight, I went with something easy and quick. The recipe came with the Pappardelle’s pasta, but I made some alterations.

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz porcini mushroom fettucini
2 C mushrooms, sliced
1/2 C green onions, sliced or 1 large leek or 1/c C yellow onion (I used green onions since I had a ton left over from last night’s taco bar)
3 oz Tofutti sour cream
3 Tbs Earth Balance
1/3 C almond milk
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbs minced onion or 2 Tbs fresh chives, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta according to instructions. In a medium saucepan heat Earth Balance and garlic. Add mushrooms and saute 5 minutes; add green onions. Saute another 3-4 minutes. Stir in cream cheese and mix until thoroughly melted and combined.

Add almond milk and combine well. Season with minced onion, salt, and pepper.

Ladle over individual servings of pasta and enjoy!

Cabbage Rolls

November 27, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 27

I had such high hopes for this dish, but frankly it was a disaster. Well, the journey to the end result, that is. The first red flag was that the cabbage had been sliced, so the leaves weren’t very usable. So I opted for romaine leaves and the second red flag was that they had gotten frozen in the fridge, so some of them were damaged. Did that stop me? Of course not, but it wasn’t without some colorful language. It was like a horror movie. I knew I should have turned around from the ominous signs in the kitchen and got the hell out of there. But I stayed. I fought. And crawled out from the carnage a hour later. There had to be a easier way. Iceberg lettuce. I think that would have worked so much better. No horror movie re-enactments necessary. They may not be pretty, but the taste is incredible!

INGREDIENTS:
Olive oil
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 C rice, uncooked
1 C vegetable broth
1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
1/2 small onion, diced small
1-1/2 C shiitake mushrooms, diced
1 Apple-Sage Field Roast sausages, torn into small pieces
1/3 C walnuts, chopped
8-10 large iceberg lettuce leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce:
1/2 tsp dried marjornam
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 green onions, or 1 large leek, chopped
4 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
1/2 C vegetable broth
1/2 C sherry
2-4 Tbs flour

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 300–just to keep stuff warm. In a medium skillet, cook the rice in the vegetable broth. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and garlic. Add bell pepper and onion. Saute for 3 minutes, then add the Field Roast and shiitake mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms soften, then stir in the cooked rice.

So here is where the Wes Craven-esque stuff started to happen. I couldn’t get the cabbage leaves apart in one nice piece. I was able to get a few unscathed leaves, so I steamed them for just a couple of minutes to soften them a little. I didn’t have enough, so I pull out some (half-frozen) romaine lettuce which wouldn’t cooperate and roll up well.

I did the best I could . . .

I placed each roll in a 9×13″ pan, covered with foil, then placed them in the warm oven. To prepare the sauce, heat the margarine in a small saucepan, add the leeks or green onions. I had about 3 shiitake mushrooms leftover, so I diced them up and added them then, too. Combine the flour, marjoram, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then whisk into the saucepan. Immediately add the broth and sherry and whisk thoroughly. Add more flour, if needed, to reach a desired consistency. Serve with rolls with sauce ladled over them.

So the end result was good, but the process was so much more painful than it needed to be. Have you ever tried a similar recipe? Have any suggestions?

Wild Rice-Stuffed Portobellos

November 24, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 24

I have been dying to make these for a while now. They did not disappoint. I used about 2 cups of cooked wild rice for five mushrooms, but the recipe makes enough for six. Also, I recommend using vegetable broth when making the rice—keep in mind, the rice will take about 45 minutes to cook. Typically, I steam or slightly saute the mushroom caps before stuffing them, but this time I decided not to—and I’m glad. They came out perfect; not soggy or too soft. When looking for portobellos for this dish, try to pick out ones that are very bowl-shaped. They’ll flatten a little as they bake, so the curvier, the better. (I like that, curves are good)!

INGREDIENTS:
6 portobello mushrooms, stemmed and de-gilled
2 C wild rice, cooked
1 red bell pepper, diced small
3 large green onion, diced
1/2 a can of artichoke hearts, diced small
1 Tbs Earth Balance
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 C vegan mozzarella, shredded
1 Tbs fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with foil; set aside. In a large skillet, heat the margarine and garlic until hot. Add bell pepper, green onions, and artichokes. Saute 3-5 minutes and add rosemary, salt and pepper.

Saute another 5-7 minutes and transfer to a bowl. Add the cooked rice to the bowl and combine the two mixtures.

Place the portobello caps on the baking sheet—upside down. Sprinkle some vegan mozzarella inside the caps, then spoon the rice mixture into each cap evenly.You can season with some more salt and pepper, if you’d like.

Top with remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes. Enjoy!

Chipotle-Lime Pasta with a Cream Sauce and Avocado

November 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 21

I picked up some Pappardelle’s Whole Wheat Chipotle Lime pasta and since it has a bit of kick, I figured a cream sauce would be ideal to go with it. I also had an avocado on-the-verge of being tossed, so it all came together beautifully!

INGREDIENTS:
8-oz Chipotle Lime pasta
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
2 Tbs flour
1 C almond milk
2 Tbs Vegan Parmesan cheese
1 tsp lime juice, plus a little more for thinning, if needed
1/2 C Tofutti sour cream
2 green onions, sliced (white and green parts)
1/3 C fresh cilantro, chopped
5-6 mushrooms, diced
1 avocado, diced

DIRECTIONS:
Cook pasta 10-12 minutes, or until al dente. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat margarine and garlic. Whisk in the flour. Once the flour is thoroughly combined, whisk in the almond milk, then the sour cream and Parmesan. Stir in the lime juice, mushrooms, cilantro, and green onions. Add more lime juice, if needed.

Ladle the sauce over single servings of pasta and top with the diced avocado. Enjoy!

Vegan Jambalaya

November 20, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 20

This has always been a favorite with the fam and so when I looked at the Tofurky Kielbasa sausages in the fridge, I knew it was meant to be. I usually make biscuits to serve under the jambalaya, but I forgot, so I used some rosemary and sesame seed saltines. If you don’t have a lot of time, Pillsbury Crescent Rolls are vegan and a quick option.

INGREDIENTS:
1-14 0z pkg (4 sausages), diced
2-14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with juices
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped (I used a red onion, but any variety is fine)
1-1/2 C vegetable broth
1/2 C white wine
1/3 C fresh parsley, chopped
2 C white rice, cooked
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
Cajun seasoning (1 tsp is fairly mild. For more of a kick, add more, a 1/4 tsp at a time)
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp pepper, or to taste
Crackers or biscuits

DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet, heat the oil and garlic. Add the bell pepper, onion and sausage. Saute about 10 minutes, or until the sausage begins to brown and the peppers and onion soften.

Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, combine the tomatoes and broth; bring to a simmer. Transfer the sausage mixture to the tomato mixture and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add the seasonings, parsley, and wine; simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in the rice and enjoy!

Vegan Gravy

November 15, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 15

Thanksgiving leftovers are a given. We had some Field Roast leftover, so I made some vegan gravy to go with it. Luckily, we had some Israeli Couscous left, so I heated that up, too. Everything was even better the second time!

INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbs olive oil
2 C vegetable broth + some for thinning
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions
4 mushrooms, diced small
1 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
1/4 C flour
1 tsp soy sauce
4 tsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp sage
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and add the garlic and green onions. In a large bowl, combine the broth and flour with a whisk; combine thoroughly. Add to the saucepan, along with the nutritional yeast, sage, salt, pepper, margarine, and soy sauce. Season with salt, pepper and heat to a boil. Add more broth, if needed and reduce heat once gravy is thickened. Ladle over a Field Roast slice and enjoy!

My First Vegan Thanksgiving

November 14, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan Mofo, Day 14

That’s right, Thanksgiving. No, you didn’t just skip a week and a half, we celebrated Thanksgiving early with The Husband’s side of the fam because they were going to be gone over T-Day. So for our first vegan Thanksgiving, I brought a Field Roast for the veg side of the table. I think I picked it up for sale for $17.99. It comes frozen, so all you have to do is thaw it in the fridge overnight and then bake it at 475 for 45 minutes.

It’s stuffed with hazelnuts and cranberries, wrapped in a flaky pastry dough. It tastes much like their Celebration roast, but I will say that it did need some kind of sauce or gravy. Otherwise, it was fantastic!! Loved it!

We had all the other trimmings, too (only veganized). My mother-in-law made some mashed potatoes without milk and butter for us, as well as some separate stuffing. The sweet potatoes were cooked to perfection with some brown sugar and I brought Israeli Couscous. We came, we drank, we ate, we napped.

INGREDIENTS: HAZELNUT CRANBERRY
ROAST: Filtered water, vital wheat gluten, expeller pressed safflower oil, cranberries, crystallized ginger (ginger, cane sugar), toasted hazelnuts, naturally flavored yeast extract, barley malt, organic wheat flour, dried apples (non-sulphured), granulated garlic, onion powder, ginger juice (ginger, citric acid), yellow pea flour, toasted sesame oil, lemon juice, sea salt, spices, irish moss (sea vegetable) extract, red wine, tomato paste, black pepper, garlic,
natural hickory smoke flavor with tortula yeast , rubbed sage, rosemary, natural liquid smoke and paprika.

PUFF PASTRY: Enriched wheat flour, water, expeller pressed palm oil and sea salt. Contains: Hazelnuts.

Seitan Enchiladas with Green Chili Sauce (and a Field Roast Sausage Thrown In)

November 9, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 9

That’s right, I had to throw in a Field Roast Mexican Chipotle sausage link—I had a lonely one in the fridge, and these are enchiladas, after all. It was the piece de resistance. This recipe is based on one my sister used to make all the time, but with *gasp* chicken and *gasp* again, half-and-half, so I was determined to veganize it. If you’re not big on seitan, try some other filling options: ground meatless crumbles and refries, portobellos and onions, or bell peppers and zucchini. Either way, I think you’re love the creaminess and cheezyness of this classic dish.

INGREDIENTS:
2 pkgs. seitan, beef or chicken style, chopped into 1″ pieces (or other filling of choice)
1 Field Roast sausage link, Mexican Chipotle flavor, crumbled
1-4oz can diced green chilies
1 C Tofutti sour cream
1/8 C almond milk
1 C fresh cilantro
1 C black olives, sliced
3 green onions, sliced (white and greens parts)
1-1/2 C vegan cheddar and/or vegan Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded, divided
2-16oz jars of 505 Green Chili sauce, choose your level of hotness
11 flour tortillas (I know, I tried to make it an even number, but it just didn’t happen)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine seitan, Field Roast, chilies, cilantro, sour cream, almond milk, and 1/2 C of the cheese. Pour 1/2 of on jar of the green chili sauce on the bottom of a 15″ baking pan. Spread evenly. Fill each tortilla with about 3-4 tablespoons of the seitan mixture and fold over to make a burrito.

Lay folded side down.

Sprinkle a little cheese on the enchiladas, then layer rest of green chili sauce on top–spread evenly. Sprinkle rest of cheese on top, then layer on green onions and olives.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then enjoy!

Easy Flatbread

November 6, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 6

How many times have you gone to make a panini or quesadilla and you find there’s no bread? Happens all the time, right? 😉 Well, have no fear, an easy and tasty flatbread is here! The original recipe, from Vegan Planet uses cumin, but I decided to use garlic salt and dried basil. It also called for frying them in a pan, but I opted for baking them.

INGREDIENTS:
2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 C water, or as needed (I needed just a smidge less)
Olive oil for brushing
2 Tbs sesame seeds
Garlic salt
Dried basil

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400. Using a mixer, combine the flour and salt. Add the water little by little until the dough holds together. Knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic and set aside. Divide the dough into 6 pieces.

Shape the dough pieces into balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball to 6″ in diameter. Brush lightly with oil, the sprinkle with sesame seeds, garlic salt, and basil. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes.

The Sixth Grader made a type of grilled cheese with Tofutti slices:

The Husband made a couple of quesadillas in the oven using Daiya cheese, onions, and salsa:

And I went with the panini maker using roasted red pepper, Vegan Rella, and some jarred olive tapenade:

Enjoy!