roasted garlic Archives - Epicurean Vegan

Baba Ganoush

December 26, 2016 by Epicurean Vegan

Baba ganoush is a traditional Middle Eastern dish made with eggplant, tahini, and seasonings. I’ve tried various renditions in restaurants, but I wanted to try my hand at making my own. I looked at different recipes and of course, there are some varying opinions on what makes a good baba ganoush. Purists will tell you that this dish never uses garlic (I couldn’t help myself) and to mix in some plain yogurt (I didn’t have any). I think what I came up with is pretty delicious and our guests raved about it. Garlic or no garlic; yogurt or no yogurt, this appetizer, served with pita chips and veggies, is full of flavor and sure to be a hit.

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium eggplants
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 C tahini
1/3 C olive oil + more for brushing
1 Tbs cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 C parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Place you oven rack in the middle of the oven (about 3 down). Preheat broiler on high. Cut the eggplants in half, lengthwise and place flat side down on a baking sheet lined with foil. Brush the skins with olive oil. I wrapped the garlic cloves (skins removed and drizzled with a tiny bit of olive oil) in a little foil and placed on the baking sheet.

Broil for about 20-25 minutes, or until the skin is charred a little and the insides are soft. Flip over and let cool. Meanwhile, toss the roasted garlic, lemon juice, tahini, cumin, salt, and parsley in a food processor and blend well.
Once the eggplants are cool enough to handle, scrape out the insides and transfer to the food processor and blend, drizzling in the olive oil while the machine is running. Serve with pita chips and veggies. Enjoy!

Baba Ganoush

Baba ganoush is a traditional Middle Eastern dish made with eggplant, tahini, and seasonings. I've tried various renditions in restaurants, but I wanted to try my hand at making my own. I looked at different recipes and of course, there are some varying opinions on what makes a good baba ganoush. Purists will tell you that this dish never uses garlic (I couldn't help myself) and to mix in some plain yogurt (I didn't have any). I think what I came up with is pretty delicious and our guests raved about it. Garlic or no garlic; yogurt or no yogurt, this appetizer, served with pita chips and veggies, is full of flavor!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 3 cups

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbs lemon juice
¼ C tahini
⅓ C olive oil + more for brushing
1 Tbs cumin
1 tsp salt
½ C parsley leaves

Directions

Place you oven rack in the middle of the oven (about 3 down). Preheat broiler on high. Cut the eggplants in half, lengthwise and place flat side down on a baking sheet lined with foil. Brush the skins with olive oil. I wrapped the garlic cloves (skins removed and drizzled with a tiny bit of olive oil) in a little foil and placed on the baking sheet.
Broil for about 20-25 minutes, or until the skin is charred a little and the insides are soft. Flip over and let cool. Meanwhile, toss the roasted garlic, lemon juice, tahini, cumin, salt, and parsley in a food processor and blend well.
Once the eggplants are cool enough to handle, scrape out the insides and transfer to the food processor and blend, drizzling in the olive oil while the machine is running. Serve with pita chips and veggies. Enjoy!

Bowties with Veggies and Roasted Garlic Ricotta

September 30, 2013 by epicureanvegan

I’m so happy there are some leftovers! The original recipe uses real ricotta, but not only did I make use my go-to ricotta recipe, I also added/omitted some ingredients. Ricotta cheese has so much fat it’s ridiculous (10 g/fat, 6 g/saturated fat) so even if you do eat dairy, I urge you to try my tofu-version that contains 5 grams of fat, and only 1 gram of saturated fat. Plus, you’ll also benefit from the protein and the no cholesterol! Also, if you think roasting garlic is a pain, it’s really not. It’s so easy to do and takes only 30 minutes, in which time, you can prepare all of your ingredients. Ideally, if you can roast the garlic and make the ricotta the day before, it will be even more flavorful by the time you make this dish. I think you’ll find this is a great main meal or side dish that will please even picky eaters.

INGREDIENTS:
Tofu-Ricotta:
14-oz pkg extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 C nutritional yeast
2 Tbs lemon juice
Optional: 1/2 C Daiya Mozzarella shreds
The rest:
1 lb bow-tie pasta (any variety would be fine)
6 cloves of garlic (or more if you want)
Olive oil
1-1/2 C cherry tomatoes, halved
4-6 C fresh spinach, chopped
2 C mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 C reserved pasta-cooking water

DIRECTIONS:
To roast the garlic, preheat the oven to 425. Cut off the tips of each garlic clove and place on a piece of foil; drizzle with olive oil. Wrap up loosely in the foil, place on a small baking sheet, and roast for about 30 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

Meanwhile, however, prepare your other ingredients. To make the “ricotta,” combine all of the ingredients in a food processor, but don’t blend it yet until the garlic is done. You’ll want to add the garlic cloves and blend everything together, along with the 1/4 C of the reserved pasta-cooking water. So until the garlic is ready, at least throw together the ingredients to get started. Cook the pasta according to package instructions while you saute the mushrooms in a small pan with a teaspoon of olive oil. Chop your spinach, slice those tomatoes, and finish off the ricotta by adding the newly roasted garlic and water. (For the garlic cloves, gently squeeze an end and the skins should come right off, then discard.)

Drain the pasta and rinse with hot water to remove as much starch as possible. Return the pot to the stove and over medium-low heat, add the spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms; saute with a smidgen of water until wilted and heated through.

Add the pasta and ricotta and combine everything thoroughly, season with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

Bowties with Veggies and Roasted Garlic Ricotta

Ricotta cheese has so much fat it's ridiculous (10 g/fat, 6 g/saturated fat) so even if you do eat dairy, I urge you to try my tofu-version that contains 5 grams of fat, and only 1 gram of saturated fat. Plus, you'll also benefit from the protein and the no cholesterol! Also, if you think roasting garlic is a pain, it's really not. It's so easy to do and takes only 30 minutes, in which time, you can prepare all of your ingredients. Ideally, if you can roast the garlic and make the ricotta the day before, it will be even more flavorful by the time you make this dish. I think you'll find this is a great main meal or side dish that will please even picky eaters.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Tofu-Ricotta:
14-oz pkg extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp black pepper
⅓ C nutritional yeast
2 Tbs lemon juice
Optional: ½ C Daiya Mozzarella shreds
The rest:
1 lb bow-tie pasta (any variety would be fine)
6 cloves of garlic (or more if you want)
Olive oil
1-1/2 C cherry tomatoes, halved
4-6 C fresh spinach, chopped
2 C mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ C reserved pasta-cooking water

Directions

To roast the garlic, preheat the oven to 425.
Cut off the tips of each garlic clove and place on a piece of foil; drizzle with olive oil. Wrap up loosely in the foil, place on a small baking sheet, and roast for about 30 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
Meanwhile, however, prepare your other ingredients. To make the "ricotta," combine all of the ingredients in a food processor, but don't blend it yet until the garlic is done. You'll want to add the garlic cloves and blend everything together, along with the ¼ C of the reserved pasta-cooking water. So until the garlic is ready, at least throw together the ingredients to get started.
Cook the pasta according to package instructions while you saute the mushrooms in a small pan with a teaspoon of olive oil.
Chop your spinach, slice those tomatoes, and finish off the ricotta by adding the newly roasted garlic and water. (For the garlic cloves, gently squeeze an end and the skins should come right off, then discard.)
Drain the pasta and rinse with hot water to remove as much starch as possible. Return the pot to the stove and over medium-low heat, add the spinach, tomatoes, and mushrooms; saute with a smidgen of water until wilted and heated through.
Add the pasta and ricotta and combine everything thoroughly, season with salt and pepper, and enjoy!

Roasted Mushroom and Garlic Soup with Caramelized Onions

February 7, 2013 by epicureanvegan

I found this recipe on She Wears Many Hats, and knew it was right up my alley. I love mushrooms and it also has white beans, so I was hooked. I wasn’t expecting to change it up, but I ended up deviating off the recipe a little. It turned out fabulous; full of flavor! Not only that, it was pretty easy to make. The only thing that takes a while is caramelizing the onions, so I recommend allowing about 30-45 minutes for that—but well worth it!

INGREDIENTS:
6 C white and cremini mushrooms, quartered
3 – 15 oz cans white beans, not drained
5-6 large cloves of garlic, skins on
2 Tbs olive oil + a drizzle
Salt and pepper, to taste
8-10 fresh sage leaves
8-10 thyme sprigs + 1 Tbs fresh leaves
5 C vegetable stock (I recommend using Better Than Bouillon)
2 Tbs dried minced onions
Caramelized onions:
1 large white or yellow onion, sliced into strips
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Begin with the onions. Combine the onions and olive oil and add to a medium skillet. Saute over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, or until they begin to brown. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook another 15 minutes; stirring often. Stir in the sugar and continue to saute until the onions are almost black and sticking to the skillet.

Reduce heat to low. Of course, while you’re doing all of this, you’ll need to start the soup . . . Preheat oven to 450. Coat the mushrooms with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large baking pan. Add the sage and thyme sprigs. To prepare the garlic, place the cloves in the middle of a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil and wrap up tightly; place onto the baking sheet.

Bake/roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add the broth, beans, salt, pepper (to taste), and the tablespoon of thyme to a large soup pot; bring to a simmer. Stir the mushrooms in the oven and roast another 10 minutes.

Remove the thyme sprigs and discard. Gather the sage leaves and set aside. Transfer one cup of the soup broth to a blender, along with 2 cups of drained beans. Toss in the sage leaves and the two tablespoons of minced onion, along with the garlic (the skins should slide right off). Puree until smooth. Add the mushrooms to the soup and stir in the puree; season with salt and pepper if you’d like then bring to a simmer.

Serve with some caramelized onions on top and enjoy!

Roasted Mushroom and Garlic Soup with Caramelized Onions

I found this recipe on She Wears Many Hats, and knew it was right up my alley. I love mushrooms and it also has white beans, so I was hooked. I wasn't expecting to change it up, but I ended up deviating off the recipe a little. It turned out fabulous; full of flavor! Not only that, it was pretty easy to make. The only thing that takes a while is caramelizing the onions, so I recommend allowing about 30-45 minutes for that---but well worth it!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

6 C white and cremini mushrooms, quartered
3 - 15 oz cans white beans, not drained
5-6 large cloves of garlic, skins on
2 Tbs olive oil + a drizzle
Salt and pepper, to taste
8-10 fresh sage leaves
8-10 thyme sprigs + 1 Tbs fresh leaves
5 C vegetable stock (I recommend using Better Than Bouillon)
2 Tbs dried minced onions
Caramelized onions:
1 large white or yellow onion, sliced into strips
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs sugar

Directions

Begin with the onions. Combine the onions and olive oil and add to a medium skillet. Saute over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, or until they begin to brown. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook another 15 minutes; stirring often. Stir in the sugar and continue to saute until the onions are almost black and sticking to the skillet.
Reduce heat to low. Of course, while you're doing all of this, you'll need to start the soup . . . Preheat oven to 450. Coat the mushrooms with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large baking pan. Add the sage and thyme sprigs. To prepare the garlic, place the cloves in the middle of a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil and wrap up tightly; place onto the baking sheet.
Bake/roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add the broth, beans, salt, pepper (to taste), and the tablespoon of thyme to a large soup pot; bring to a simmer. Stir the mushrooms in the oven and roast another 10 minutes.
Remove the thyme sprigs and discard. Gather the sage leaves and set aside. Transfer one cup of the soup broth to a blender, along with 2 cups of drained beans. Toss in the sage leaves and the two tablespoons of minced onion, along with the garlic (the skins should slide right off). Puree until smooth. Add the mushrooms to the soup and stir in the puree; season with salt and pepper if you'd like then bring to a simmer.
Serve with some caramelized onions on top and enjoy!

Baba Ganoush

Bowties with Veggies and Roasted Garlic Ricotta

Roasted Mushroom and Garlic Soup with Caramelized Onions

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