Epicurean Vegan

Healthy eating for discriminating palates

Breaded Zucchini with Bok Choy and Couscous November 4, 2011

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 7:51 am
Tags: , , , , , ,

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!

 

Zucchini and Field Roast Stuffed Peppers October 5, 2011

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 2:03 pm
Tags: , , , ,

I feel a little guilty that I’m not participating in VeganMoFo this year. I was out of town the first couple days of October on a writing retreat and came back to a full plate of projects. October is just going to be a busy month. But a vegan’s gotta eat, so I’ll share new recipes when I can. (And no this isn’t a repeat post—we do love stuffed peppers around here). They’re simple to make and ideal for fall. You can also stuff zucchinis, squashes, and eggplant, too.

INGREDIENTS:

3 large bell peppers, any color

1 Field Roast sausage, Mexican Chipotle flavor, crumbled

1-1/2 C zucchini, diced

1-1/2 C mushrooms, sliced

1/2 a large onion, diced

1/2 C fresh cilantro, chopped

1/3 C vegan cheddar, shredded

1 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375. Cut the tops off the peppers and clean out the innards. Place into a baking dish, preferably with high sides, and sprinkle a little bit of vegan cheddar on the bottom; set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the zucchini, onion, and Field Roast. Cook until the zucchini and onion begins to soften, then add the mushrooms. Cook another 3-4 minutes, then stir in the cilantro.

Evenly divide the stuffing amongst the 3 bell peppers. Bake for 22 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake for another 4-5 minutes. Enjoy!

 

Coq Au Vin Fondue & Dipping Sauces August 19, 2011

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 7:34 am
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

This is one of those meals that will make you wish you wore your elastic waistbands pants. It’s actually pretty easy to throw together because you can do a lot of the prep work ahead of time. So invite your friends over and don’t be shy, put on some sweatpants or yoga pants and sit down to a long evening of fondue!

INGREDIENTS:

Coq Au Vin Fondue:

3-1/2 C vegetable stock

1/2 C Burgundy wine

1/2 C mushrooms, sliced

1 Tbs garlic, minced

2 green onions, sliced

Cilantro-Yogurt Dip:

1 C soy yogurt

4 green onions, minced

1/4 C cilantro, chopped fine

2 tsp fresh ginger

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sour Cream & Horseradish Dip:

1-1/4 C Tofutti sour cream

5 tsp prepared horseradish

2 Tbs lemon juice

2 Tbs red onion, chopped fine

1/4 tsp cayenne

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sesame-Soy Sauce:

1/2 C tamari

1/4 C rice wine vinegar

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp agave

1 Tbs garlic, minced

1-1/2 tsp fresh ginger

1 green onion, sliced thin

1 Tbs sesame seeds, toasted

2 Tbs fresh chives, chopped

Butter-Mustard Sauce:

1/2 C Earth Balance margarine

3 Tbs Dijon mustard

5 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

The rest:

Whole mushrooms

zucchini/yellow squash

asparagus

potatoes

bell peppers

broccoli


DIRECTIONS:

It’s best to make the dipping sauces ahead of time. The Butter-Mustard Sauce is served warm, so you can do that one last minute. To make the Cilantro-Yogurt Dip, combine all the ingredients and refrigerate. To make the Sour Cream Horseradish Dip, combine all ingredients and refrigerate. To make the Sesame-Soy Dipping Sauce, combine all ingredients and set aside. Refrigerate if not using right away. To make the Butter-Mustard Sauce, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and melt together–takes only a few minutes.

When you’re ready to eat, make the Coq Au Vin Fondue, by combining all the ingredients in a fondue pot and bring to a boil.

Divide the dipping sauces evenly among everyone.


The potatoes will take the longest, so it might be best to zap them in the microwave first, just to soften them a little. Everything else will take 3-5 minutes. Enjoy! (And you’ll know you’re done eating when you pass your fondue forks over to The Husband who will most likely continue to eat for another 45 minutes)!

 

Raw Alfredo with Zucchini Noodles from Vegangela July 25, 2011

Filed under: Dinners,Lunches,Raw — epicureanvegan @ 10:38 am
Tags: , , , , ,

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!

 

Quinoa with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Zucchini June 6, 2011

Filed under: Sides — epicureanvegan @ 7:10 pm
Tags: , , , , ,

This recipe comes from Whole Foods and originally had broccoli in it. The broccoli in my fridge had seen better days, so I decided to use zucchini. The recipe also says to not use sun-dried tomatoes packed with oil, but that was all I had, so I went ahead and used them. I think it came out delicious and I served it with open-faced TVP burgers—an ideal (and protein-packed) combo!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil–your choice)

1-1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided

1 cup finely chopped red onion

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 cup uncooked quino

1 small zucchini, sliced, then quartered

1/2 cup roasted cashew pieces

2-4 green onions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

If using (dried) sun-dried tomatoes, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes, then chop them once they soften. Bring 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth to a simmer. Add the onion and garlic; cook for 5 minutes. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, the remaining 1 cup of the broth, white wine, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Stir in the quinoa. Reduce heat to a low and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Add the zucchini to the top and cover; simmer another 10 minutes.

Once the zucchini is softened and the liquid has been absorbed, toss well to combine. Serve garnished with the cashews and green onions. Enjoy!

 

Vegetable-Barley Soup April 21, 2011

Filed under: Dinners,Soups — epicureanvegan @ 6:02 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Yes, I am on a barley kick. Since I started using it (Vegetable-Barley Chili) I’ve been hooked. It has a lovely chewy texture that is ideal for soups and stews. In addition to the rainy weather, I  needed to clean out the fridge of some veggies, so this soup worked out beautifully. Amazing flavor and ideal with some garlic toast or rolls.

INGREDIENTS:

4 C vegetable broth

3-4 C water

1/3 C pearled barley

1 zucchini, sliced then quartered

4 stalks celery, sliced

2 C mushrooms, sliced/quartered

3 medium carrots, sliced

4 large green onions, sliced

1/3 C light miso

1/3 C sherry

3 Tbs dried minced onion

2 Tbs dried chives

1 C fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp black pepper

3/4 C almond milk

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the broth, barley, zucchini, carrots, celery, minced onion, chives, and pepper in a large soup pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook 25-30 minutes, or until the vegetables soften. Add 1-2 cups of water along with the mushrooms, green onions, miso, and sherry. Cook another 5-7 minutes. Add more water if you feel it’s too thick. Stir in the parsley. Serve and enjoy!

 

Grilled Vegetable Fajitas April 20, 2011

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 7:46 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

It’s that time of year to fire up the grill! For its 2011 inaugural grilling, we went with vegetable fajitas. Since I do most of the cooking, the Husband revels in the opportunity to be King of the Grill. I’ll gladly delegate that method of cooking to him. This is an easy, healthy meal to jump start your spring (as well as your grill)!

INGREDIENTS:

2 bell peppers, sliced

1 large onion, sliced into strips

1 medium zucchini, julienned

2 avocados, diced

1-1/2 C vegan cheese, shredded

Tofutti sour cream

Salsa

Fresh cilantro

6 flour tortillas

Marinade:

1/4 C olive oil

1/8 C red wine vinegar

1/8 C lime juice

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp Ancho chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cumin

DIRECTIONS:

Using a large Zip-lock bag, or bowl, combine all of the vegetables.

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the marinade ingredients. Coat the veggies with the marinade and let sit for about an hour. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. We used a grill basket and while stirring often, we (I mean, the grill-master) cooked them for about 20 minutes.

On a warmed tortilla, add some Tofutti, veggie mix, cheese, avocado, cilantro, and salsa. Makes 6. Enjoy!

 

Vegan King Ranch Casserole April 6, 2011

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 5:46 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Kelly at Vegan Thyme posted this recipe last week and knowing that the he-gans I live with love casseroles (especially of the Mexican kind), I figured this would be a winner over here. And no surprise, it was. The original recipe calls for Morning Star Vegan Chicken Strips, but I couldn’t find those—at least not the vegan ones. They make vegetarian ones, however. So I opted for Boca Chick Patties instead.

The great thing about this recipe that Kelly pointed out, is that you can use your favorite vegetables and seasonings—there’s no right/wrong way to make this casserole. Next time, I’ll add some guacamole or diced avocados on top, otherwise, it was perfect.

INGREDIENTS:

4 Boca Chicken Patties, slightly thawed and diced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

2 medium zucchini, sliced, then quartered

1 small onion, diced

2 tsp olive oil

12 corn tortillas, sliced into strips

1 C vegan shredded cheese (I used a mixture of pepper jack and cheddar)

1 C fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne

Salt and pepper

4 scallions, sliced

1 C black olives, sliced

3 Tbs Earth Balance

3 Tbs flour

1-1/4 C almond milk

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Optional ingredients: Tofutti sour cream, salsa, avocados/guacamole

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. I recommend having all the ingredients chopped, shredded and measured before you get started—it’ll just make things easier on you. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the bell pepper, zucchini, onion, and chick patties; cook 10 minutes. Stir in the cumin, cayenne, and cilantro.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan, melt the margarine. Whisk in a tablespoon of flour to thicken it up. Gradually add the other two while whisking, forming a paste. Whisk in the milk and continue stirring over medium-high heat until it begins to thicken. Remove from heat and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Pour a third of the sauce onto the bottom of the baking pan and spread as evenly as you can. Next, add a layer of tortilla strips. There’s no rhyme or reason to this step—you can layer them down willy-nilly, just as long they evenly cover the bottom.

Pour half of the vegetable mixture on top of the tortilla strips, then another layer of tortilla strips. I then drizzled another third of the sauce on top.

Repeat layers once more and then top with the vegan cheese, scallions, and black olives. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Let it cool 5 minutes before diving into it. Enjoy with sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole on top.

 

Breaded Zucchini and Rainbow Chard with Lentil Pilaf April 5, 2011

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 6:24 am
Tags: , , , , , , ,

This one’s a keeper. The Husband ranked this an 11 out of 10, but the Sixth Grader didn’t rank it quite that high. He loved the zucchini the most though. I received our box of produce yesterday from Green Buffalo which is good since I wasn’t planning on hitting the grocery store until today. The rainbow chard wooed me with its fresh, vibrant colors. I used 3 of the 5 zucchinis I got and added some lentil pilaf—packed with vitamins and protein, this meal will be a regular thing at my house.

INGREDIENTS:

12 stalks of rainbow chard

3 medium zucchini

3/4 C panko breadcrumbs

2 Tbs fresh thyme

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 Tbs olive oil + 1 tsp, divided

1-6.75 oz box Near East Lentil Pilaf

DIRECTIONS:


Start the pilaf—it takes 35-40 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the vegetables: slice the zucchini lengthwise, then in half; set aside.

Next, chop up the chard—both stems and leaves. Transfer to a bowl. (It reminds me of that ribbon candy you see at Christmas time)!

Combine the panko, thyme, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil. (I’d start this when the pilaf has about 20 minutes left). Bread the zucchini, pressing down firmly to coat it with the panko. Cook for about 2 minutes per side and transfer to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm.


Once the zucchini is done, reduce heat to low and wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Add the remaining olive oil and chard to the pan.

I added a tiny bit of water after a couple of minutes and covered it to let the chard steam for a bit. Stir occasionally as the chard begins to wilt. If you have any of the panko mixture left, add that, along with salt and pepper, if you’d like. Continue cooking it for another few minutes. The pilaf ought to be done about the same time.

Top individual servings of the pilaf with a large spoonful of chard and 2-3 slices of the zucchini. Yuuummmm….Enjoy!

 

Lasagna Roll-ups October 25, 2010

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 8:19 pm
Tags: , , ,

This is an easy twist on a classic. I’ve seen these done where you place the roll-ups on the side so the cute, frilly side of the noodle faces up, but I could just see things going wrong for me, so if you’re feeling brave, by all means, go for it!

INGREDIENTS:

My go-to tofu ricotta:

1 14-oz firm (or extra firm) tofu, drained and pressed

1/3 C nutritional yeast

1 C fresh basil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 Tbs lemon juice

1/2 C vegan mozzarella, shredded

The rest:

2 tsp garlic, minced

1 Tbs olive oil

18 lasagna noodles

3-1/2 C fresh spinach, chopped

2 small zucchini, sliced very thin

10 mushrooms, sliced very thin

8-0z vegan mozzarella, shredded

1 jar marinara sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Cook noodles for about 7-8 minutes. Make sure you don’t cook them all the way—it’ll be easier to use them if they’re very al dente. Crumble tofu into a food processor. Add nutritional yeast, basil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  Puree well. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the 1/2 cup of vegan mozzarella.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and garlic. Add the zucchini and cook 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook just another 2-3 minutes.

Put a thin layer of marinara on the bottom of a 15″ baking pan (I forgot to do this, but its no big deal). Use a spoon or rubber spatula to spread about 1-2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture on a lasagna noodle. Next, layer on some spinach, zucchini mixture (only about 8-10 pieces) and a little cheese.

Carefully roll up noodle and place in the pan.

Once all 18 noodles (one of mine was broken, so I have 17) pour the rest of the sauce over the rolls and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 3-5 minutes. Enjoy!

 

 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 358 other followers

%d bloggers like this: