Epicurean Vegan

Healthy eating for discriminating palates

Zucchini, Tomato & Ricotta Tart January 12, 2013

Filed under: Appetizers,Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 10:00 am
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This was so good and so easy to make! Yes, I know, puff pastry—even though it’s vegan—isn’t the healthiest of foods, but once in a while, it’s okay. In fact, it’s downright fun to come up with recipes using it. This is the perfect time to break out the mandolin slicer (if you’re brave enough). I’m still too freaked out to use it after my mishap with it.  Anyway, I used my go-to ricotta cheese recipe which makes more than what you need for this, but the rest will freeze well or keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. It’s great mixed in some cooked pasta with veggies, or small batch of a stuffed shells. You can also just halve the recipe if you’d like. This dish works as a main meal, or cut into small squares, is ideal as an appetizer. Check out these other tart recipes: Savory Vegetable Tart and Savory Asparagus Tart.

INGREDIENTS:

1 puff pastry sheet, thawed

1 medium zucchini, sliced thin

2 tomatoes, sliced thin

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Ricotta:

14-oz tub of extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

1 tsp basil (sometimes I use fresh basil–about a cup)

1 tsp rosemary (Again, you can use 1 Tbs of freshly chopped rosemary)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbs lemon juice

1/3 C nutritional yeast

Optional: 1/4 to 1/3 cup of vegan mozzarella, shredded

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350. On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to fit an 11″x17″ cookie sheet. It’s ok if the edges go over the side—just tuck them in. Stick with a fork in several places.

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Bake for 7-10 minutes (check it to make sure it’s not browning). You want it just toasted:

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To make the ricotta, combine all of the ingredients (except the cheese, if using) in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl, then stir in the cheese.

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Spread about a cup or so of the ricotta onto the puff pastry. You can use as little or as much as you’d like. Top with the tomato slices. I got about 9 slices, so I spaced them evenly on top.

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Next, layer on the zucchinis. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

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Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges of the crust brown the zucchinis are tender.

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Transfer to a large cutting board, then cut and enjoy!

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Easy Tostadas January 23, 2012

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 4:45 pm
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This is one of those no-brainer meals that when you need something quick and easy, these fit the bill. The Seventh Grader, always helpful when it comes to cooking (but not cleaning) makes this even easier to throw together.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bag Boca crumbles

1 can refried beans

1/2 large onion, diced

1 Tbs olive oil

1 pkg taco seasoning

8-12 tostada shells

All the fixins’: Tofutti sour cream, lettuce, tomato, avocado, fresh cilantro, Daiya cheese, and salsa

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Cook the onion and cook 3-5 minutes. Add the Boca crumbles and cook until heated through. Add the can of refries and combine well. In a small cup, prepare the seasoning mix according to the package instructions and stir into the bean/Boca mixture. Place the tostada shells on a baking sheet and warm for 3-5 minutes. Layer on some of the bean mixture along with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!

 

Grilled Portobello Burgers September 11, 2011

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 7:39 pm
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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!

 

Savory Vegetable Tart June 23, 2011

Filed under: Appetizers,Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 5:36 pm
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Like the Savory Asparagus Tart, this one is to die for. I think that pretty much sums it up.

INGREDIENTS:

1 puff pastry sheet, thawed according to package instructions (allow for about an hour to an hour and a half)

1/2 a bunch of asparagus

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

5 mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 C Daiya mozzarella

2 Tbs olive oil

1-1/2 tsp truffle oil

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400. Cut up the asparagus into bite-sized pieces; steam for 10-12 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry sheet to fit a an 11×7″ baking sheet. Don’t worry about getting it perfect—you can tuck in the sides if they overlap the edges of the pan. Prick the dough in several pieces with a fork and bake for 4-5 minutes. It will puff up:

Layer on the cheese, then the tomato:

Next, layer on the mushrooms and the steamed asparagus:

Combine the olive oil and truffle oil in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the veggies with the oil mixture. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool a few minutes, then enjoy!

 

Crispy “Chicken” Salad April 25, 2011

Filed under: Dinners,Lunches,Sides — epicureanvegan @ 7:32 pm
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This salad is a staple around my house and each time I make it, I never learn. I eat way too much of it. It’s just so damn good. Not to mention, easy to make. Bake some meatless chicken nuggets and throw some fresh veggies together and you have a healthy meal in minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bag Boca nuggets, baked and diced

Romaine lettuce, torn

Fresh spinach, torn

1 tomato, diced

1 avocado, diced

1 cucumber, sliced, then quartered

Vegan pepper jack cheese and/or cheddar, shredded

Green onions, sliced

Tortilla chips, broken up

Vegan Ranch dressing:

1 C Vegenaise

1-1/2 tsp lemon juice

6 Tbs almond milk

1/2 tsp dried chives

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp dried dill

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

I tend to put everything in separate bowls and let everyone create their own salads. To make the dressing, just whisk everything together in a small bowl and transfer to a pourable container. Refrigerate the leftovers. Enjoy!

 

Pasta with Almond Parmesan March 4, 2011

Filed under: Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 4:56 pm
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This has always been one of my favorite go-to lunches or quick dinners. I tend to have the almond Parmesan, from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, in the fridge because it’s delish and so easy to make. It’s packed with B vitamins (nutritional yeast) and protein (almonds). I also use low-carb, whole-wheat pasta when possible and the beauty of this, is that you can make as little, or as much as you want.

INGREDIENTS:

Cooked pasta, any variety

Mushrooms, sliced and lightly sauteed

Tomato, diced

Earth Balance margarine

Parmezano Sprinkles:

1/2 C blanched almonds

2 Tbs nutritional yeast flakes

1-2 tsp light miso

Heaping 1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

To make the Parmezano Sprinkles: place the almonds in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes, then drain them; rinse with cold water. When pinched between your fingers, the skins will slide right off. Dry off with a paper towel and place the almonds in a food processor; grind to a fine powder. Add remaining ingredients and pulse several times to incorporate everything. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator; will keep for a month or so and can be frozen.

Cook pasta according to instructions on package. In the meantime, saute the mushrooms a little. Once pasta is cooked and drained, add a little Earth Balance to the pot and coat the pasta. Stir in the mushrooms and tomatoes; let the tomatoes heat through a minute or two. Serve with Parmezano sprinkles on top! Enjoy!

 

Portobellos with Tomatoes and Truffle Cheeze Sauce January 11, 2011

Filed under: Dinners,Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 6:53 pm
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We got some beautiful portobellos and tomatoes from Green Buffalo Food Co. and this came together so fast. The truffle cheeze sauce is amazing! I could have eaten it with a spoon—it is rich, creamy and perfect for veggies, pasta, or by the spoonful!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Tbs olive oil

2 Portobello mushrooms, stem and gills removed

2-4 large basil leaves (I used spinach, but I think I’d prefer basil for more flavor)

4 tomato slices

Sauce:

1/3 C almond milk

1/2 C Daiya mozzarella

1/8 tsp (or less) white truffle oil

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Place portobellos, face down, in the pan and lightly saute for about 2 minutes. Turn over and saute the other side. Add the basil leaves and 2 tomato slices per mushroom. Reduce heat to low and cover.

To prepare the sauce, bring the almond milk just to a boil, reduce heat to medium and whisk in the cheeze and truffle oil. Whisk until smooth—it’ll only take a couple of minutes.

Serve the portobellos with sauce drizzled on top and enjoy!

 

Stuffed Bell Peppers October 19, 2010

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 4:54 pm
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OK, I wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to make stuffed peppers. We happened to get a TON of green bell peppers from our CSA yesterday:

This is just a third of what we received–the rest went to my 2 other neighbor who share in the CSA with us.

I guarantee you will LOVE these stuffed peppers. I debated on what to put in them, but when it came down to it, I wanted to make them as simple as possible. As the Sixth Grader said,”These are cooked perfectly; they cut like butter!”

INGREDIENTS:

11 small bell peppers, or 6-7 large peppers

1/2 C Arborio rice (risotto)

3/4 C water

1-1/2 tsp Earth Balance margarine

4 C fresh spinach, chopped small

1 large tomato, diced

6 -oz Tofutti cream cheese

1 tsp cumin

1 Tbs dried minced onion

1/2 C Tofutti sour cream

1/4 C fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 Tbs lime juice

1/8 tsp garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:

In a small saucepan combine water, rice, and butter. Bring to a boil, stir, and cover for 15-20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375. Wash the peppers and cut the tops off. Clean out the insides of seeds and other innards.

Combine cream cheese with cooked rice (in the same pan) and blend thoroughly. Since the rice is warm, it’ll make it easier to to blend. Stir in cumin and minced onion. Add spinach and tomatoes and combine well.

Fill each pepper with the rice mixture. You can pack in quite a bit of the rice mixture, just press down with a spoon—pretend you’re stuffing a sleeping bag into its stuff sack. Place in a 8″ square pan.

 

I had about 3/4 C of left over rice mixture, but if using larger peppers, you can probably squeeze it all into those.

Bake covered for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 minutes. While these are baking, combine sour cream, lime juice, cilantro and garlic salt in a small bowl.

Add a few dollops of the sour cream mixture on top of the pepper servings and enjoy!

 

Hot Rice with Cold Lemon, Basil and Tomato February 1, 2010

Filed under: Lunches,Sides — epicureanvegan @ 7:30 pm
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This is a fast and easy side dish that is very flavorful. For variety, I sometimes omit the basil and add grated ginger root instead. This also makes a light, refreshing lunch or snack. I really like the Arborio rice (risotto rice)–it’s a great change from regular white rice.

INGREDIENTS:

1 C Arborio rice
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
3 pinches of fine sea salt
2 pinches ground black pepper
1/2 C (or as much as you want) tomato, diced
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS:

Place the unrinsed rice in a saucepan with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until mostly tender but still a little firm in the center of the grain. Drain off any excess water and transfer rice to a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice (grated ginger if using), salt and pepper. Mix well and addd the tomatoes and sprinkle basil (if using) on top. Toss to combine and serve. Makes about 4 servings. Enjoy!

Recipe source: The Kind Diet

 

Red Wine Vinaigrette and Salad with a Kick January 26, 2010

Filed under: Dressings/Condiments,Sides — epicureanvegan @ 6:41 pm
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So long to boring salads! Between the mustard greens and the Dijon and shallots in the dressing, this salad is anything but tame.


INGREDIENTS:

Vinaigrette:

4 Tbs red wine vinegar

2 Tbs shallots, chopped fine

3 tsp Dijon mustard

4 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Salad:

2 large leaves mustard greens, chopped into 1″ pieces

2 large leaves of kale, chopped into 1″ pieces

2 big handfuls of spinach, chopped into bite sized pieces

8 mushrooms, sliced

2 small tomatoes, diced

1/2 cucumber, diced (not tiny diced–bite sized)

1 big handful sunflower seeds

2 big handfuls craisins

croutons

DIRECTIONS:

Dressing

Whisk together all ingredients, serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate. Makes about a 1 cup

Salad

Combine and toss–I’ll bet you know how to make a salad!

Enjoy!

 

 
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