Epicurean Vegan

Healthy eating for discriminating palates

Quinoa with Mushrooms and Spinach February 9, 2012

Filed under: Dinners,Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 7:29 pm
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Occasionally, there are nights I don’t cook dinner for the fam. Either we have lots of leftovers, or everyone is doing their own thing, so we fend for ourselves. Tonight was one such night. But when The Husband saw what I made, he kindly asked if I’d share. He said this was one of his favorites dishes—we both loved it. And so easy! Throw this together in 20 minutes and you have a healthy, protein-packed meal.

INGREDIENTS:

1 C quinoa

2 C water

1 vegan vegetable bouillon cube

3 C fresh spinach

3 C fresh mushrooms, sliced

Salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan, bring the water with the bouillon cube to a boil. Stir it around so the cube dissolves completely. Stir in the quinoa, reduce heat to low, and cover for about 15 minutes. When the quinoa is almost done—just a tiny bit of water left—add the spinach, mushrooms and seasonings; combine well.

Turn the heat off, cover, and let the spinach and mushrooms steam a bit—5-7 minutes. You may need to drizzle with some water if there isn’t enough moisture left. Once the spinach is wilted and the mushrooms are tender, serve and enjoy!

 

Lemony Pan-Fried Chickpeas with Chard February 4, 2012

Filed under: Lunches,Sides — epicureanvegan @ 1:16 pm
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This recipe is from Color Me Vegan and considering I love chickpeas, (a.k.a garbanzo beans) and chard, this is a new favorite. I would, however, make a few changes next time. Even though chickpeas are a great source of fiber and protein, and have no saturated fat, they do sport 90 calories per half a cup. Given this, I would use just half a can and even double the chard. So what to do with the other half of beans? Make a small batch of hummus, perfect for a few sandwiches during the week. I could have eaten the entire pan of this, which would not have been wise, so reducing the amount of chickpeas and adding more chard, I think, is a smart way to go. Otherwise, share this dish with plenty of others! (The recipe below is sans my suggestions).

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbs olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained

1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped

1 small lemon

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook until tender. Add the chickpeas and cook 10 minutes, or until the beans begin to brown.

Stir in the chard and cook until it begins to wilt and cook down, about 5-7 minutes. Zest the lemon over the pan, then cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from one half over the mixture. (Watch out for seeds). Stir well to combine. Add salt, pepper, and more lemon, if desired. (If you go with my suggestions, you can use the leftover lemon—if there is any— in the hummus). Serve immediately, or at room temperature. Enjoy!

 

Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing February 1, 2012

Filed under: Lunches,Sides — epicureanvegan @ 8:04 am
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This is a great salad to take to work for lunch, a mid-day snack, or even for a picnic. I typically steam kale, but if I’m not careful, it’s easy to deplete it of nutrients if I steam it too much. Raw kale can be awfully bitter, but chopped and served with other veggies and this tahini dressing, it tastes amazing. The dressing recipe is for 2 large bunches of kale, making at least 4 good-sized salad servings. Like any salad, you can throw in your favorite ingredients and actually be excited about lunch! (and be sure to read about kale’s super powers)!

INGREDIENTS:

Dressing:

1/2 C tahini

1 Tbs miso

1 tsp tamari

1/2 tsp lime juice

1 tsp agave

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp garlic, minced

3/4 C water

Variation: You can use almond butter instead of tahini, in which case, I’d leave out the agave since almond butter is sweeter. I also sometimes add some chia seeds.

The rest:

2 large bunches of kale, chopped

I diced up: cucumber, mushrooms, red onion, and green onion. I also threw in some Craisins and slivered almonds.

DIRECTIONS:

Put all the dressing ingredients in a blender and combine until smooth.

Combine the chopped kale with your other salad ingredients and toss well to combine.

(This is just one bunch of kale)

Pour the dressing over the salad and massage into the kale with your hands. Enjoy!

 

Tofu “Egg” Salad January 25, 2012

Filed under: Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 9:54 am
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This recipe is from Big Vegan. And it is big. It has over 350 recipes, most of which look and sound fantastic. When it comes to lunch, I seem to struggle finding something besides a mixed greens salad, or leftover pasta. And frankly, I’m not wild about leftovers anyway. So this I can get in to! This “egg” salad (I hate putting things in quotes, but egg salad is what this salad resembles) needs to be prepared ahead of time, so I recommend making it the night before or early in the morning–you’ll need some time. But it’s worth it. I served it on toasted bread with lettuce and avocado. The recipe calls for 12 ounces of firm tofu, but I recommend using 14-16 ounces because the recipe makes quite a bit of sauce—great for a few lunches.

INGREDIENTS:

12-16 oz firm tofu, drained and pressed

1 Tbs olive oil, plus 1/8 to 1/4 C

Salt

1/2 tsp celery seeds

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 C fresh parsley

12 oz silken tofu

2 tsp cider vinegar

2 Tbs Dijon mustard (I used just 2 tsp and I think it came out perfect–depends on how much you like mustard)

1 tsp dried basil

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

2 large green onions, chopped

1 medium carrot, grated

1/4 C sunflower seeds, toasted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400. Crumble the tofu into a bowl and combine with the celery salt, 1/2 tsp salt, and black pepper. Lightly oil a baking sheet (I used foil and oiled that). Layer the tofu on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, then use a spatula to turn the tofu. “Turning” crumbled tofu is about as easy as giving a cat a bath. Just move it around so it doesn’t stick and burn. Bake another 10 minutes.

While the tofu is baking, however, start on the sauce. In a food processor or blender, mince the parsley, then add the silken tofu. Process until smooth, then add the basil, vinegar, mustard, and a pinch of salt; combine well. While the machine is running, add the remaining oil. The recipe calls for a 1/4 cup, but I reduced it to an 1/8 cup.

While the tofu is cooling (which should only take about 10 minutes or so), you can chop up the veggies and toast the sunflower seeds. Combine the sauce, carrots, green onion, celery, and tofu in a large bowl.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Enjoy on bread with lettuce, tomato, avocado, or on crackers or toasted baguette slices.

 

Pasta with Kale January 22, 2012

Filed under: Dinners,Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 9:48 am
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I was on my own for dinner the other night, so after staring blankly at the cupboards, then the fridge, I decided to combine some of my favorite ingredients for dinner: tri-color pasta, kale, mushrooms, and miso. For some added crunch (and protein) you could throw in some pine nuts or chopped cashews.

INGREDIENTS:

8-10 oz tri-color rotini

1 bunch kale, chopped

5-6 mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbs Earth Balance margarine

1 Tbs yellow miso

1 tsp garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the pasta until al dente and drain. Meanwhile, steam the kale and mushrooms 3-5 minutes—just until they’re tender. Usually, once the kale turns bright green, it’s ready. Using the same pot you cooked the pasta in, melt the margarine and garlic. Stir in the miso and blend it in. Add the kale and pasta and combine well. Enjoy!

 

Mushroom and Snow Pea Soup December 19, 2011

Filed under: Dinners,Lunches,Soups — epicureanvegan @ 9:35 am
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This soup is perfect if you want a comforting meal in no time. I used lots of my favorite ingredients and like most soups, it will taste even better the next day.

INGREDIENTS:

6 C vegetable broth

1 Tbs olive oil

6 green onion, sliced

3 C Shiitake and white mushrooms (or cremini), sliced

2 C snow peas, cut into pieces (and ends snipped)

1 Tbs fresh ginger, grated

3 tsp garlic, minced

2 Tbs yellow miso

6-oz Angel hair pasta

DIRECTIONS:

In a large soup pot, heat the oil and garlic. Add the green onion, mushrooms, and snow peas. Cook until the veggies are tender.

Add the ginger and miso, and combine well. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil.

Add the pasta and cook another 3-5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

 

Experimenting with Ramen: Let Junior Cook August 17, 2011

Filed under: Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 11:45 am
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The Seventh Grader loves to cook. He’ll help me out in the kitchen whenever possible and makes some pretty darn good chocolate chip cookies! There are times, however, when he wants to create something for lunch and be the master of kitchen without me hovering over him. In comes Top Ramen and Maruchan Ramen. Ask any college student (or any one who spent a few semesters in a dorm) and they’ll tell you that Top Ramen accounted for about 60% of their diet (along with beer, Lucky Charms and Totino’s pizzas). At 19 cents a package, Top Ramen is a mainstay for those on a tight budget.

The spice packets that come with the noodles are not vegan, but who needs them? This has prompted the Seventh Grader to come up with his own ramen meals. The variations are endless. Today, I took some pics of his cooking and I thought I’d pass along his recipe of the day. He didn’t really measure the ingredients, but that’s the fun of winging it. So if you have middle schoolers at home, this is a fabulous way to give them some freedom and independence in the kitchen. I also think it’s imperative to teach boys how to cook . . . girls dig a guy who can cook.

INGREDIENTS: (serves 2)

2 packages Oriental Top Ramen

Tamari

black pepper

garlic salt

cayenne pepper

olive oil

Optional ingredients: green onion, minced garlic, mushrooms, red bell pepper

DIRECTIONS:

After adding the noodles to boiling water, he added some tamari, then continued to cook for 3-4 minutes. He drained the noodles, but reserved some of the cooking water because The Husband likes his with some broth. In a large skillet, he heated about a tablespoon of oil and then added the noodles. He added some water once the noodles started to get dried and sticky. This created more of a sauce. Add the spices here, too.

Once the noodles begin to get a bit crispy, he separated them into two bowls, adding the reserved broth to one.

Enjoy! (and of course, use chopsticks!)

 

The Ultimate Veggie Burger July 28, 2011

Filed under: Dinners,Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 12:35 pm
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This truly is the ultimate veggie burger! The recipe comes from Oh She Glows and is nutritious, healthy, and all-natural! They’re simple to make and the flavors mesh really well together. I also liked the crunch that the nuts provide; not a mushy burger at all. The original recipe makes 8 burgers, but I halved it, so below are for 4 burgers.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 C onion, diced (I used red onion)

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1-1/4 Tbs flax meal + 1/4 C warm water

1/2 C oats, ground into flour

3/4 C breadcrumbs (I used panko)

1/2 C grated carrot (This, I would grate pretty small-I shredded it and I think next time I’d chop them up more)

1/2 C black beans, mashed (but still a little chunky)

1/8 C fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 C almonds, chopped

1/4 C sunflower seeds

1/2 Tbs olive oil (I used 1/4 tsp)

1/2 Tbs tamari

3/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a small bowl, combine the flax meal and warm water. I’m sure you could also use egg-replacer powder if you don’t have any flax meal. Set it aside for 10 minutes. This is a good recipe to have all the ingredients chopped and ready to go before proceeding. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the onion and cook until tender. In a large mixing bowl, combine the onion, flax mixture, oat flour, bread crumbs, carrot, black beans, parsley, almonds, sunflower seeds, and tarmari. Stir in the seasonings.

With slightly wet hands, shape the mixture into patties and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 16 minutes, flip them over, then bake another 16 minutes.

The guys had theirs on buns with ketchup, tomato and avocado slices. I had mine sans the hamburger bun.

Enjoy!

 

Raw Alfredo with Zucchini Noodles from Vegangela July 25, 2011

Filed under: Dinners,Lunches,Raw — epicureanvegan @ 10:38 am
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I saw this recipe from Angela at Vegangela earlier this week, and it’s all I could think about. I had to wait until the reboot was over since it contains cashews. She came up with the sauce based on the creamy cashew sauce. Using non-pasteurized miso will make it raw and I think zucchini makes ideal noodles. Thanks for another amazing recipe, Angela!

INGREDIENTS:

4 medium zucchinis

1 C raw cashews

3/4 C water

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp thyme

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt & pepper, to taste

1 Tbs light miso paste (optional)

2 Tbs nutritional yeast (optional)

Fresh basil (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Soak the cashews for minutes in water. While that’s going on, remove the peel of the zucchinis. Using a peeler, peel the zucchinis from one end to the other, rotating until the core is too small to peel anymore.

Next, grind the cashews in a food processor to a fine consistency. Add the other ingredients and blend until fairly smooth.

You can mix the noodles with the sauce or spoon it over them. Top with some fresh basil and enjoy!

 

Quick Gazpacho Soup July 18, 2011

Filed under: Lunches,Soups — epicureanvegan @ 1:03 pm
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This refreshing soup is great not only for the summer, but for a reboot, too! You can actually juice these ingredients, but I decided to use the food processor.

INGREDIENTS:

4 large tomatoes, chopped

1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped into big pieces

2 celery stalks, cut into large pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into large pieces

1/4 C red onion, chopped

1/2 C fresh parsley

1/2 C fresh cilantro

Salt and pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Add the onion, bell pepper, parsley, cilantro, and celery to the food processor. Process until smooth. Add the cucumber and tomatoes and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if you’d like. Enjoy!

Makes about 5 cups.

 

 
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