Moroccan spiced tofu and root veggies

Found this recipe back in May 2012 and really liked the flavors in the dish.  The first time I made this, I used tofu, onion, sweet potato, carrot, and parsnips.  I made it again last night with tofu, onion, sweet potato, and carrots. I still enjoyed the dish, even though I am not a lover of tofu!  The spices really make the dish taste great.  One note:  I always find that the tofu and veggies require more of the seasoning blend/mixture than the recipe calls for so I would double this portion of the recipe.  Once you toss it all together you will know if you need more to coat everything properly.  I also left out the raisins, parsley, and red pepper and it still was good.  You can pair this with rice, quinoa, or just more veggies of your choice.

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped roughly

1 bunch (about 6 medium) carrots, chopped
2 small sweet potatoes, chopped into small cubes

1 block tofu, pressed and cut into cubes

Seasoning (get this ready first)

1 Tbsp olive oil

3/4 tsp each salt, black pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp red pepper

Garnish

1/3 cup fresh parsley 
1/4 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat baking dish in oven to 450F. 

2. In a medium bowl mix seasoning mix with a whisk.  Add onion, carrot and tofu; toss to coat.

3. Remove heated dish from oven and spray with cooking spray; spoon carrot mixture over evenly.  Bake 45 minutes or until veggies are browned and tender; tossing halfway through.

4. Divide mixture over four plates, top with raisins and fresh parsley.

Curried Butternut Squash and Kale Soup

I orginally saw this recipe on the web at http://vegtastic.net/ around Thanksgiving and opted not to make it for the holiday.  I needed a soup recipe this week to go with our salads and I ran across this recipe again.  I tweaked the ingredients a bit to cut down on the preparation time, but the result was a delicious, flavorful soup.  I will definitely be making this one again....and it works for any season, not just the fall and winter.

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• Olive oil
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced (I used frozen butternut squash)
• 1 bunch small carrots (or a couple large ones), peeled and diced
• 6 cups water + 1 TBS un-beef broth (or 6 cups broth)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (I used 365 brand canned lite coconut milk from Whole Foods) 
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 12-16 oz of frozen chopped kale greens

• 
  
• Instructions:

1. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until browned. (Since I used minced garlic from a jar, I added the garlic once the onions were almost ready).
2. Add sweet potato, squash, and carrots and saute for a few minutes.  (I microwaved my frozen butternut squash, and  set it aside for a later step).
3. Add broth, coconut milk, curry powder and salt and pepper (to taste). Cook until veggies are soft.
4. If using frozen greens and squash, wait until the carrot and sweet potato softens a bit, then add the frozen kale greens and the microwaved squash to the pot and continue to simmer until the greens are tender and the sweet potato and carrot can be easily pierced with a fork.
5. Puree about 3/4 of the mixture with an immersion blender or in a regular blender; return to pot, if using regular blender.
6. If using fresh kale, add kale and cook for a minute or two longer.
7. Serve immediately.

Winter Squash and Sun Dried Tomato Lasagna

As usual I have not been blogging about food lately, but I ordered some new vegan cookbooks pre-Thanksgiving and I tried this recipe for a not-so-traditional lasagna.  When I cook, I am always tasting so I can adjust seasonings if necessary.  This recipe needed some salt, so I added some Creole Seasoning to taste.  I used Whole Foods no-cook lasagna noodles and butternut squash for this recipe and I enjoyed the finished product.  It was slightly sweet from the squash and very creamy or cheese-like.  One of my best friends tried the recipe and didn't seem to care for it, but I encourage you to try it and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb. kabocha or other winter squash (I used Butternut Squash)

1/2- 1 cup sun dried tomatoes (depending on your preference)

2 cups chopped onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh sage

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose unbleached flour

6 cups almond, rice or soy milk

1 tsp salt

12 no-cook dried lasagna noodles

1-2 tbsp of olive oil

serves 8-10

 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut the squash into 1/2-inch cubes. Soak the dried tomatoes in hot water, then drain and squeeze them out. Chop the tomatoes and reserve.

2. In a large frying pan with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes to soften. Add the squash cubes and cook for a few minutes. Add the sage, garlic, and thyme and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cover for about 5 minutes, or until the squash is just tender.

3. Sprinkle the flour over the squash in the pan and coat. Cook, stirring gently, until the flour is smooth and lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk, bringing it to a simmer. Add the salt and cook until the mixture is thick. Remove it from the heat.

4. Lightly oil a 9 x 13" baking pan, then cover the bottom of the pan with a light layer of the squash mixture, then add a layer of the lasagna noodles. Add another layer of the squash mixture and half of the sun-dried tomatoes. Cover with another layer of noodles, half of the remaining squash sauce and the remaining tomatoes. Top with the noodles to cover and finish off with the remaining squash sauce.

5. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake until the lasagna is bubbly and golden on top, 20 minutes more. Remove it from the oven. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Vegan Cholent from Veganomicon (almost)

This is the second time I have made this stew and I liked it a lot both times.  It is very hearty and filling.  I only substituted 1 cup vegan veggie burger crumbles for the TVP (textured vegetable protein) and added some extra seasonings at the end.  Added the frozen veggie burger crumbles at the same time as the potatoes, lentils, tomato sauce, etc.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs Olive Oil
1 large onion, cut into medium-dice
3 garlic cloves, minced (I used pre-minced garlic in the jar)
1/2 tsp of tarragon
1 tsp of caraway seeds
1 tsp salt
several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable broth (I used sherry cooking wine to deglaze, but this works well too)
2 bay leaves
1 cup peeled, sliced carrots (about 1/2 inch thick)
1 cup french lentils, rinsed and drained
2 medium sized white potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
1 (15-ounce can) tomato sauce
3 cups water
1 cup textured vegetable protein (TVP) chunks (used Boca brand veggie burger crumbles here)
1 cup canned and drained lima beans or green peas (I used frozen)
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:
Preheat a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onions in the oil until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, tarragon, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper. Saute until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute more.

Deglaze the pot with the veggie broth. Add the bay leaves, carrots, potatoes, lentils, tomato sauce, water, and TVP. Mix together. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes and carrot are tender (it took about 45 mins to an hour for my veggies to get tender). Add the lima and kidney beans and cook until heated through. I tasted for seasonings and added some garlic pepper and garlic and onion seasoning (use whatever you like).  Can be served over rice, but I can eat this all by itself!  

New recipes coming soon!

I have been missing for a month, but I am trying out some new recipes this weekend.  If anything makes the cut, I will share on Monday.  Stay tuned!

Week #6 on Dr. Fuhrman's plan

In a nutshell, I have not followed Dr. Fuhrman's plan exactly as he prescribed.  I have definitely had some salt and more starches than allowed.  This 6 week journey has made me more aware of my bread, starch, sugar, and sodium intake so I am truly thankful for that.  I think I will try to continue his plan for another month and add some more exercise to my weekly routine.  His plan and frequent exercise combined might be the the best way for me to drop a few more pounds and reach my goal of 200 lbs by December.  I definitely need a lot of discipline when I try to lose weight, so the stricter the diet the better.

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

I ran across this recipe in the spring and since Butternut Squash was still readily available I gave it a try.  I really enjoyed this unique twist on pasta sauce and the result was a creamy, flavorful pasta sauce.  We served this over whole wheat linguine and threw in a side of garlic bread.  I definitely tasted and adjusted the seasonings several times.  A good toss in is some creole seasoning such as Tony Chachere's.  This recipe would maybe serve 4-6 depending on the portions of pasta you serve.

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce (From http://www.theveganversion.com/)

Ingredients:
20 oz pre cut butternut squash  (I bought a whole squash, cut it into chunks, and measured out 20 oz.)
1 tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread
1/4 cup water
1 rib celery rough chopped
1 shallot rough chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 + 1/4 cup non dairy milk (I used unsweetened Soy milk)
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped plus some for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot boil the butternut squash until fork tender. Drain and set aside. In the same pot you cooked the squash in melt the Earth Balance over medium heat. Add the celery and shallot. Give a stir and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup of water and let the vegetables cook until very soft. Add the squash chunks, tomato paste and thyme. Stir to incorporate. The squash should be cooked enough that it starts to fall apart.

While still on the heat add the vegetable stock and 1/2 cup of non dairy milk. Continue to stir until the mixture is heated through.

Pour the mixture into a food processor or powerful blender and blend until smooth. Add the additional 1/4 cup of non dairy milk and blend an additional few seconds until fully incorporated.

Serve over pasta or gnocchi. Garnish with fresh thyme.