fast and easy Archives - Page 15 of 24

Amazing Avocado Salsa

December 3, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Beware: This feeds a crowd . . . and . . . you can easily fill up on this salsa before dinner because it’s so delicious! It’s packed full of flavor and would be ideal for a summer get together. (yes, it’s December, but avocados were on sale). The recipe is from All Recipes, but I just made a couple of changes such as using red onion instead of yellow and adding 1 cup of fresh cilantro. Dig in!

INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 (2.25 ounce) cans sliced ripe olives, drained
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 C fresh cilantro, chopped
4 avocados – peeled, pitted and diced

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, mix corn, olives, red bell pepper, onion, and cilantro. In a small bowl, mix garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cider vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper.

Pour into the corn mixture and toss to coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight. (I didn’t have time to let it sit that long. I chilled it for about 4 hours). Stir avocados into the mixture before serving with tortilla chips or toasted baguette slices. Enjoy!

Amazing Avocado Salsa

Beware: This feeds a crowd . . . and . . . you can easily fill up on this salsa before dinner because it's so delicious! It's packed full of flavor and would be ideal for a summer get together. (yes, it's December, but avocados were on sale). The recipe is from All Recipes, but I just made a couple of changes such as using red onion instead of yellow and adding 1 cup of fresh cilantro. Dig in!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 (2.25 ounce) cans sliced ripe olives, drained
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 C fresh cilantro, chopped
4 avocados - peeled, pitted and diced

Directions

In a large bowl, mix corn, olives, red bell pepper, onion, and cilantro. In a small bowl, mix garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cider vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper.
Pour into the corn mixture and toss to coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight. (I didn't have time to let it sit that long. I chilled it for about 4 hours). Stir avocados into the mixture before serving with tortilla chips or toasted baguette slices. Enjoy!

Breaded Zucchini with Bok Choy and Couscous

November 4, 2011 by epicureanvegan

This was fab-freakin’-tastic! I had made a similar dish, using lentils and rainbow chard, and it was a bit hit with the family. This time, I decided to change things up again and wow . . . even better than the first version!

INGREDIENTS:
1 large zucchini, sliced
3 baby bok choy (about 8 stalks)
1-1/2 C mushrooms, quartered or sliced
1 box Near East Pearl Couscous
2 C panko
2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 C egg-replacer powder + 1/8 C water
Olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
In a shallow bowl, combine the egg-replacer and water. The amounts I list are approximate–you may need to adjust slightly. In another shallow bowl, combine the panko, thyme, salt, and pepper. Steam the bok choy and mushrooms for 12-15 minutes.

Start the couscous about the same time. It’ll take around 15 minutes. Heat some olive oil in a skillet. Dip each slice of zucchini in the egg-replacer mixture, then cover with the panko mix. Over medium-high heat, fry the zucchini slices until each side is browned.

Zucchini actually cooks up pretty fast, so don’t worry if you have a few thick slices—they soften quickly. Keep the cooked slices warm under some foil until you’ve finished frying all the zucchini. You can also do this in the oven. Spray a foiled baking sheet with olive oil and place the breaded zucchini on it and bake each side for about 5 minutes at 400.

Serve the zucchini slices on top of the couscous and bok choy and enjoy!

Breaded Zucchini with Bok Choy and Couscous

This was fab-freakin'-tastic! I had made a similar dish, using lentils and rainbow chard, and it was a bit hit with the family. This time, I decided to change things up again and wow . . . even better than the first version!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 large zucchini, sliced
3 baby bok choy (about 8 stalks)
1-1/2 C mushrooms, quartered or sliced
1 box Near East Pearl Couscous
2 C panko
2 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ C egg-replacer powder + ⅛ C water
Olive oil

Directions

In a shallow bowl, combine the egg-replacer and water. The amounts I list are approximate--you may need to adjust slightly. In another shallow bowl, combine the panko, thyme, salt, and pepper. Steam the bok choy and mushrooms for 12-15 minutes.
Start the couscous about the same time. It'll take around 15 minutes. Heat some olive oil in a skillet. Dip each slice of zucchini in the egg-replacer mixture, then cover with the panko mix. Over medium-high heat, fry the zucchini slices until each side is browned.
Zucchini actually cooks up pretty fast, so don't worry if you have a few thick slices---they soften quickly. Keep the cooked slices warm under some foil until you've finished frying all the zucchini. You can also do this in the oven. Spray a foiled baking sheet with olive oil and place the breaded zucchini on it and bake each side for about 5 minutes at 400.
Serve the zucchini slices on top of the couscous and bok choy and enjoy!

Plum and Pear Cobbler

October 18, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Admittedly, I’m not great about eating fruit. Very rarely, I’ll bite into an apple, but give me a luscious bunch of kale and I’m all over it. So I always feel bad when I have to toss squishy apples and pears away because no one has eaten them. But baked fruit, I can do. I’ll take apple pie or a fruit tart over chocolate cake any day, and add some nondairy ice cream and I’m a happy camper. I wasn’t about to let these pears and plums whither away on my counter, so the Seventh Grader and I made this wonderful cobbler!

INGREDIENTS:
4 pears, sliced (leave the skins on)
4-5 plums, slice (with skins)
1/2 C brown sugar
2 Tbs flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 C vegan margarine, cut into chunks
1 C oats
1/4 C almond milk (or other nondairy milk)
Nondairy ice cream (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375. Combine the fruit in a baking dish–an 8×8 would be fine.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, margarine, oats, and milk. Use a fork or pastry blender to combine everything; making sure the butter turns to small pea-sized pieces. It will be a wet mixture. Top the fruit with the oat mixture.

Bake covered for 20-25 minutes. (It will smell sooooo good baking . . . 🙂 ) Top with some nondairy ice cream and thoroughly enjoy!

Plum and Pear Cobbler

Admittedly, I'm not great about eating fruit. Very rarely, I'll bite into an apple, but give me a luscious bunch of kale and I'm all over it. So I always feel bad when I have to toss squishy apples and pears away because no one has eaten them. But baked fruit, I can do. I'll take apple pie or a fruit tart over chocolate cake any day, and add some nondairy ice cream and I'm a happy camper. I wasn't about to let these pears and plums whither away on my counter, so the Seventh Grader and I made this wonderful cobbler!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

4 pears, sliced (leave the skins on)
4-5 plums, slice (with skins)
½ C brown sugar
2 Tbs flour
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ C vegan margarine, cut into chunks
1 C oats
¼ C almond milk (or other nondairy milk)
Nondairy ice cream (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Combine the fruit in a baking dish--an 8x8 would be fine.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, margarine, oats, and milk. Use a fork or pastry blender to combine everything; making sure the butter turns to small pea-sized pieces. It will be a wet mixture. Top the fruit with the oat mixture.
Bake covered for 20-25 minutes. (It will smell sooooo good baking . . . 🙂 ) Top with some nondairy ice cream and thoroughly enjoy!

Grilled Portobello Burgers

September 11, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Portobello mushrooms are ideal for making burgers and there are a million ways to prepare them. This recipe came from 1,000 Vegan Recipes and very simple to throw together.

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 portobello caps, rinsed and patted dry
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
Red onion slices
Burger buns
8-10 basil leaves
Sliced tomato

DIRECTIONS:
The recipe didn’t specify how hot to heat the grill, so to be safe, we set it on the low side. While that’s heating, whisk together the oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper; set aside. Place the portobellos directly on the grill. For the onions, we used a piece of foil:

At low temp, it takes about 10 minutes per side. You can bump up the heat since the recipe said 5 minutes on each side. For the final 1-2 minutes of grilling, add the buns and toast them.

To serve, brush the tops of the portobellos with the vinaigrette. I also brushed the insides of the buns. Top with an grilled onion slice, tomato slice, and a couple basil leaves. Enjoy!

Grilled Portobello Burgers

Portobello mushrooms are ideal for making burgers and there are a million ways to prepare them. This recipe came from 1,000 Vegan Recipes and very simple to throw together.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

3-4 portobello caps, rinsed and patted dry
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
Red onion slices
Burger buns
8-10 basil leaves
Sliced tomato

Directions

The recipe didn't specify how hot to heat the grill, so to be safe, we set it on the low side. While that's heating, whisk together the oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper; set aside. Place the portobellos directly on the grill. For the onions, we used a piece of foil.
At low temp, it takes about 10 minutes per side. You can bump up the heat since the recipe said 5 minutes on each side. For the final 1-2 minutes of grilling, add the buns and toast them.
To serve, brush the tops of the portobellos with the vinaigrette. I also brushed the insides of the buns. Top with an grilled onion slice, tomato slice, and a couple basil leaves. Enjoy!

Veggie BBQ Tacos

September 9, 2011 by epicureanvegan

I was inspired by Vegetarian Times for this recipe. I didn’t have some of the ingredients, but thanks to Green Buffalo Foods (our organic veggie service) I was able to whip up my own version. These were incredibly tasty and something I would make on a regular basis. The BBQ sauce was ideal, adding a distinct and unique flavor.

INGREDIENTS:
BBQ Sauce:
1-1/2 Tbs ketchup
1/2 tsp agave
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp to 1 tsp prepared horseradish (depending on how hot you want it)
Tacos:
1 tsp olive oil
1-1/2 C sliced mushrooms
1/2 C diced mild bullnose peppers (Thanks, GBF)!
1/2 C shredded carrot
3/4 C diced red cabbage
1/2 a pkg of Gimme Lean, Sausage-style, crumbled
6 small corn or flour tortillas (I like the small La Tortilla Factory ones–of course, I didn’t have any)
2 Tbs chopped red onion (Thanks, GBF)!
1/2 C sliced cherry tomatoes (Thanks, GBF)!
1/2 C chopped mixed greens (Kiona Mitsuna, Red Mustard, Arugula—Thanks, GBF)!
Optional: shredded vegan cheddar and pickle relish (highly recommend both)

Mild Bullnose Peppers

La Tortilla Factory Hand Made Style

DIRECTIONS:
To make the sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients; set aside. (The original recipe called for hot sauce, but horseradish was way better). To make the tacos, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the peppers, carrots, cabbage, and mushrooms. Cook them for about 3 minutes, then add the Gimme Lean. If you want more of a ground beef-like texture, I recommend using a food processor for the sausage. It’s gets sticky and mushy when trying to crumble it by hand, but it can be done. Just try chopping them up as they cook. Add the sauce and cook for another 5-6 minutes.

Serve on tortillas (the guys used corn taco shells) and top with cheese, mixed greens, tomatoes, onions, and relish. These particular mixed green gave the tacos a distinct flavor where regular romaine would have tasted bland. Enjoy!

Veggie BBQ Tacos

I was inspired by Vegetarian Times for this recipe. I didn't have some of the ingredients, but thanks to Green Buffalo Foods (our organic veggie service) I was able to whip up my own version. These were incredibly tasty and something I would make on a regular basis. The BBQ sauce was ideal, adding a distinct and unique flavor.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

BBQ Sauce:
1-1/2 Tbs ketchup
½ tsp agave
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp to 1 tsp prepared horseradish (depending on how hot you want it)
Tacos:
1 tsp olive oil
1-1/2 C sliced mushrooms
½ C diced mild bullnose peppers
½ C shredded carrot
¾ C diced red cabbage
½ a pkg of Gimme Lean, Sausage-style, crumbled
6 small corn or flour tortillas (I like the small La Tortilla Factory ones--of course, I didn't have any)
2 Tbs chopped red onion
½ C sliced cherry tomatoes
½ C chopped mixed greens (Kiona Mitsuna, Red Mustard, Arugula)
Optional: shredded vegan cheddar and pickle relish (highly recommend both)

Directions

To make the sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients; set aside. (The original recipe called for hot sauce, but horseradish was way better).
To make the tacos, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the peppers, carrots, cabbage, and mushrooms. Cook them for about 3 minutes, then add the Gimme Lean. If you want more of a ground beef-like texture, I recommend using a food processor for the sausage. It's gets sticky and mushy when trying to crumble it by hand, but it can be done. Just try chopping them up as they cook. Add the sauce and cook for another 5-6 minutes.
Serve on tortillas (the guys used corn taco shells) and top with cheese, mixed greens, tomatoes, onions, and relish. These particular mixed green gave the tacos a distinct flavor where regular romaine would have tasted bland. Enjoy!

Experimenting with Ramen: Let Junior Cook

August 17, 2011 by epicureanvegan

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!)

Quick Gazpacho Soup

July 18, 2011 by epicureanvegan

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.

Quick Gazpacho Soup

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.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

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
¼ C red onion, chopped
½ C fresh parsley
½ 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.

Asian Veggie Salad with Almonds

July 13, 2011 by epicureanvegan

This is a simple summer salad that is ideal for parties and picnics. It’s also easy to throw together and I love the Asian dressing, too—gives it a yummy, peanutty-flavor.

INGREDIENTS:
1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 C corn kernels, thawed (if frozen)
1-1/2 C cabbage, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 C edamame, thawed (if frozen)
1/2 a cucumber, sliced, then halved
1 C slivered almonds
1/3 C Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing (from Kraft)

DIRECTIONS:
In a small, dry skillet, toast the almonds for a few minutes, until they begin to brown.

In a large bowl, combine all the veggies. Add the dressing and coat thoroughly. Note: if you are making this ahead of time, stir in the nuts just before serving, as they can get mushy if they sit too long in the dressing. Enjoy!

Asian Veggie Salad with Almonds

This is a simple summer salad that is ideal for parties and picnics. It's also easy to throw together and I love the Asian dressing, too---gives it a yummy, peanutty-flavor.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 C corn kernels, thawed (if frozen)
1-1/2 C cabbage, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 C edamame, thawed (if frozen)
½ a cucumber, sliced, then halved
1 C slivered almonds
⅓ C Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing (from Kraft)

Directions

In a small, dry skillet, toast the almonds for a few minutes, until they begin to brown.
In a large bowl, combine all the veggies. Add the dressing and coat thoroughly. Note: if you are making this ahead of time, stir in the nuts just before serving, as they can get mushy if they sit too long in the dressing. Enjoy!

Spicy Field Roast-Stuffed Fillo Cups

July 11, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Sorry for the lousy picture—I took it with my iphone since I didn’t have my camera on hand. Don’t let it deter you from trying these tasty appetizers. They’re easy to make and a sure crowd-pleaser.

INGREDIENTS:
2 Field Roast Chipotle-flavored sausages
6 green onions, sliced
6 mushrooms, diced small
1 can water chestnuts, diced small
2 pkgs Athens mini fillo shells (30 shells)
1-2 tsp olive oil
Daiya cheddar-flavored cheese shreds

DIRECTIONS:
Cut the Field Roast into large pieces and grind them up in a food processor.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the water chestnuts, green onions, and mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes.

Add the Field Roast and cook another 5-7 minutes, or until everything is heated through.

Place a pinch of Daiya cheese in the bottom of the fillo cup, top with a spoonful of the mixture. You can easily make more than 30 with this mix, otherwise, save any leftovers for a breakfast burrito! Enjoy!

Spicy Field Roast-Stuffed Fillo Cups

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

2 Field Roast Chipotle-flavored sausages
6 green onions, sliced
6 mushrooms, diced small
1 can water chestnuts, diced small
2 pkgs Athens mini fillo shells (30 shells)
1-2 tsp olive oil
Daiya cheddar-flavored cheese shreds

Directions

Cut the Field Roast into large pieces and grind them up in a food processor.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the water chestnuts, green onions, and mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes.
Add the Field Roast and cook another 5-7 minutes, or until everything is heated through.
Place a pinch of Daiya cheese in the bottom of the fillo cup, top with a spoonful of the mixture. You can easily make more than 30 with this mix, otherwise, save any leftovers for a breakfast burrito! Enjoy!

Linguine in a Lemon Cream Sauce

June 23, 2011 by epicureanvegan

This recipe is from Vegetarian Times and the only changes I made were using vegan cream cheese and adding a couple dashes of nutmeg to the sauce. It came together quickly and served with a salad, it made an ideal meal.

INGREDIENTS:
8-oz dry linguine
1/2 C Tofutti cream cheese
2 Tbs olive oil
1 lemon, juiced and 1 Tbs zest
1/2 C parsley, chopped
A couple dashes of nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
Cook linguine according to package instructions. In a small saucepan, warm the cream cheese, oil, and 2 Tbs lemon juice (I just juiced the whole thing), over low heat. Add the nutmeg, if using. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta; return it to the pot. Stir in the reserved cooking water into the cream cheese mixture. At first, I thought it was too much water and watered it down too much, but surprisingly, it turned out to be the perfect consistency. If you’re not sure, just add a little at a time and decide how thick you want it.

Stir the sauce into the pasta and add the lemon zest, and parsley; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Enjoy!

Linguine in a Lemon Cream Sauce

This recipe is from Vegetarian Times and the only changes I made were using vegan cream cheese and adding a couple dashes of nutmeg to the sauce. It came together quickly and served with a salad, it made an ideal meal.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

8-oz dry linguine
½ C Tofutti cream cheese
2 Tbs olive oil
1 lemon, juiced and 1 Tbs zest
½ C parsley, chopped
A couple dashes of nutmeg

Directions

Cook linguine according to package instructions. In a small saucepan, warm the cream cheese, oil, and 2 Tbs lemon juice (I just juiced the whole thing), over low heat. Add the nutmeg, if using. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta; return it to the pot. Stir in the reserved cooking water into the cream cheese mixture. At first, I thought it was too much water and watered it down too much, but surprisingly, it turned out to be the perfect consistency. If you're not sure, just add a little at a time and decide how thick you want it.
Stir the sauce into the pasta and add the lemon zest, and parsley; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Enjoy!

Amazing Avocado Salsa

Breaded Zucchini with Bok Choy and Couscous

Plum and Pear Cobbler

Grilled Portobello Burgers

Veggie BBQ Tacos

Experimenting with Ramen: Let Junior Cook

Quick Gazpacho Soup

Asian Veggie Salad with Almonds

Spicy Field Roast-Stuffed Fillo Cups

Linguine in a Lemon Cream Sauce

Categories

Archives

Popular Posts