Category Archives: vegetarian

Asparagus with Orange Sauce – Laura Calder

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  • 2 oranges
  • 1 pink shallot
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 20 spears green asparagus, trimmed
  • Parmesan cheese, for shaving
  1. First, make the dressing: Zest one orange into a bowl, then juice both oranges and boil the juice down in a small saucepan to about 3 tablespoons. Meanwhile, mince the shallot and put it in a ramekin with the vinegar poured over. Set aside five minutes. Add the mustard to the zest. When the orange juice has reduced, strain it over the zest. Drain the shallot, discarding the vinegar, and add. Whisk all together, then slowly whisk in the oil. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  2. Bring a sauté pan full of water to the boil. Salt it, then add the asparagus and cook until tender. Drain, and immediately rinse under ice-cold water to set the colour. Pat dry with paper towels and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon over the sauce. Shave over Parmesan cheese. Grind over some pepper and serve.

Mushroom-Lentil Pate, The Washington Post, December 26, 2012

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The herb-infused lentils are such a nice element of this pate that you might consider making extra and using the leftovers, including their liquid, to sauce pasta or rice.

Serve the pate with whole-grain crackers or rye toasts, garnished with thyme, if desired.

MAKE AHEAD: The pate can be made, covered and refrigerated 2 days in advance.

Makes 1 1/4 cups (5 servings)

1/3 cup (about 3 ounces) dried brown lentils
2 sprigs thyme, plus more for optional garnish
1 teaspoon medium-grain sea salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, smashed with the flat side of a knife, then minced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon medium-dry sherry
1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) pecan halves or pieces, toasted (see NOTE)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Cover the lentils with an inch of water in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring almost to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook until tender, about 20 minutes, adjusting the heat so the water is barely bubbling. Remove from the heat, stir in the thyme sprigs and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, then cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until warm. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil, the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and cook until translucent, 7 or 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes longer. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, toss to coat with the oil, cover partly and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 10 minutes. Uncover and cook until most of the remaining liquid evaporates. Add the sherry, and cook until it just glosses the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute. Cover the skillet and remove it from the heat.

Pulse the pecans in the bowl of a food processor until they are finely ground. Add the onion-mushroom mixture and process until just combined. Drain the lentils, reserving the cooking liquid for another use, if desired, and add them to the food processor along with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Process until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and pulse just until combined. It should be about the consistency of peanut butter.

The pate can be served in a bowl immediately, garnished with additional thyme, if desired. It can also be molded. Transfer the pate into a small loaf pan or bowl lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. When ready to serve, unmold the pate onto a serving plate and remove the plastic wrap.Garnish with additional thyme, if desired.

NOTE: To toast the pecans, spread them on a baking sheet and place in a 350-degree oven, shaking the sheet occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully; nuts burn quickly.

Green Chile Strata — food and wine cookbook

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6 flour tortillas
4 -4ounce cans chopped green chilies — drained
4 cups Monterey Jack cheese — grated
2 cups milk (can use one cup half & half — 1 cup regular)
5 eggs
1 teaspoon salt and white pepper
1 pound hot sausage — crumbled and cooked, I used veggie chorizo

Grease a 13×9 inch baking dish with butter. Cover bottom of pan
with half of the tortillas, cutting them to fit without overlapping.
Sprinkle with half the sausage (if using), half the chilies, then half the cheese.
Repeat layers, ending with cheese.

Combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Pour
over the layers. Let stand, covered in refrigerator for at least one hour, overnight is fine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes, or until strata
is puffed and bubbly. Cook 10-15 minutes until set, then cut into squares.

I combine just before bedtime the night before, then refrigerate
overnight. We serve with warm salsa, guacamole, fresh pineapple chunks and more tortillas.

Recipe Notes
Here is a breakfast strata that uses flour tortillas. This
is a great lazy Saturday or Sunday brunch. The flour tortillas absorb
the liquid, then when baked, puff up giving it a souffle-like appearance. It is really great made with freshly roasted & peeled Hatch chilies.
Mary M.

Roasted butternut squash and carrot soup

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1 butternut squash cut in half
3 carrots cut in pieces
2 cloves garlic cut in half
1 onion diced
1 – 2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp corriander
medium piece of orange zest, no white
salt and pepper
4-6 C water
1 tsp soup base

Place squash with seeds left in it’s easier to remove them after roasting, carrots and garlic on lightly greased baking sheet, roast in 350 degree oven until squash is done, 30-50 minutes. In the meantime put olive oil in dutch oven add onion and cook until translucent add spices and cook for a few minutes. Remove squash add to the onion along with carrots and garlic. Add water, soup base, salt and pepper along with orange zest. Bring to a slow boil, then turn down to a simmer and allow to cook 20 min. Remove orange zest then whirl with emersion, adjust seasoning and serve. Would be nice with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream and some toasted pumpkin seeds

Seitan Scaloppine with Lemon-Olive Sauce

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I used Imagine Foods’ No-Chicken Broth to mimic the taste of chicken, but any vegetable broth may be used.

1 cup vital wheat gluten
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon basil
3/4 cup Imagine No-Chicken Broth (or other vegetable broth)
2 tablespoons tahini or cashew butter

1 tablespoon unbleached flour
1 lemon, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed slightly
10 green olives, pitted and sliced
1 1/4 cups No-Chicken Broth
2-3 tablespoons white wine or vermouth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper
additional vegetable broth, as necessary

Tear off 4 pieces of aluminum foil about 10 inches long. (See tips below for a foil-free way of making the scaloppine). Begin heating water in a steamer.

In a large bowl, mix the vital wheat gluten with the nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, and basil. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the broth and tahini (or cashew butter). Stir the wet mixture into the dry until well blended. Knead gently 10 times. Quickly divide dough into 4 equal pieces.

Take a piece of dough and shape and flatten it into a thin oval cutlet. Place it on a sheet of foil, a little higher than center. Fold the bottom of the foil over to meet the top, and then fold the two edges over about 1/2 inch to form a seam. Continue folding the foil by half inches until it reaches just above the cutlet. Flatten the cutlet down a little more, and then fold the left and right edges in the same way until the packet is snug around the cutlet. Repeat with all pieces of dough.

Place the packets flat into the steamer and cover. Steam for 25 minutes. Keep packets sealed until you’re ready to use them.

Spray a non-stick skillet (or some other non-iron skillet) with olive oil. Begin heating it as you prepare a plate containing the flour sprinkled with a little salt and pepper. Once the skillet is hot, unwrap each cutlet and lightly dredge each side in the flour and then place in the skillet. Cook until brown and then turn over and brown other side. Remove to a plate.

(If you’d rather not use any oil at all, skip the flouring of the cutlets and just brown them alone. Your sauce may not thicken unless you add a little flour to it later.)

Add the garlic and lemon slices to the pan. Cook until the lemon slices have softened, 2-3 minutes, and then remove them from the pan, leaving the garlic. Add the olives, broth, wine, and lemon juice and cook on medium heat until the liquid starts to reduce. Remove the garlic, add salt and pepper to taste, and return the cutlets to the pan. Turn them over to coat with the sauce. Simmer briefly to warm them through, and if the sauce becomes too thick, add a little broth to thin. Stir in the parsley, and remove the cutlets to plates. Spoon some sauce over each cutlet and garnish with lemon slices.

Tips for Moister Cutlets:

I found two different tricks that resulted in a cutlet that was a little moister. Unfortunately, one of them requires an extra step, simmering the seitan in broth for a few minutes after it comes out of the steamer. If you’d like to do this, just put the cutlets in a skillet, add broth to about halfway over them, and simmer, turning, for 3-5 minutes. The cutlets will absorb a lot of the broth, so be ready to add more as necessary. Once they’re done, remove them from the broth and proceed with the recipe.

No extra step is required for the other technique; in fact, it’s simpler than the original recipe, though you will need a large steamer and plates that will fit inside it. Instead of wrapping the cutlets in foil, place them on the largest plate that will fit in your steamer. (If you have a double-level steamer, you can place two cutlets on smaller plates on each level.) Cover with an inverted plate of the same size, to keep water from dripping directly onto your cutlets. Steam for 25 minutes. Your cutlets will be a little lighter in color but will have a moister texture. This is my preferred way of making these cutlets!

Makes 4 servings.

Mozzarella Stuffed Portobellos — Michael Chiarello

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  • 12 large portobello mushrooms, stemmed and gills removed
  • 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • Sea salt, preferably gray salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan
  • 4 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
  • 4 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
  • 12 (1/2-inch) slices fresh mozzarella, roughly 1 to 1 1/2-ounces per slice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the portabellas in the balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup of olive oil, gray salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the mushrooms on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

While the mushrooms are cooling mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan, herbs and the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil.

Place 1 slice (2 if the mushrooms are large) of mozzarella in the cupped side of each mushroom. Distribute the bread and herb mixture evenly over the mushrooms and return to the oven to roast for 5 to 6 minutes or until the mozzarella is molten and the bread and herb topping a nice golden brown. Serve either hot or at room temperature and enjoy.

Mushroom Ragout

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2 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 shallots minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. fresh sage, minced
6 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
8 ounces porcini mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
8 ounces shitake mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp. corn starch dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water (try flour instead of corn starch)
2tbsp. parsley

In a large skillet, heat the oil and add the minced garlic. Stir over medium heat until slightly golden. Add the onion, shallots and sage, and stir until the onion is softened and translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add all the mushrooms and the soy sauce. Continue cooking until the liquid from the mushrooms cooks off, about 5-10 minutes.

Add the wine and vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Add the starch mixture and boil for 1 or 2 minutes more, stirring continuously. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste and parsley. Serve over toast points as an appetizer, over rice or pasta as a main course.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Roasted Jewel Vegetables – Ellie Krieger

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1 1/2 lbs carrots — cut 1 inch pieces
8 clove garlic — unpeeled
1 1/2 lbs Brussels Sprouts — cut in half.. The same amount as the carrots
4 med beets — cooked and cut in the same size as sprouts and carrots (added after one hour)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 375F

Toss the  carrots brussels sprouts and garlic together with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place on the sheet pan in the 375° oven for one hour. Add the cooked beets and a sprinkling of fresh thyme toss with vegetables and heat in the oven for 10 minutes to heat.  Serves 8

Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf

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Robin Robertson’s Vegan on the Cheap

  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 ribs celery
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans (or other white beans), drained and rinsed
  • 14 ounces extra-firm tofu (one 14 to 16-ounce package)
  • 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon spicy brown or whole-grain prepared mustard
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 tablespoon rubbed sage
  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaf
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 3/4 cup quinoa flakes or quick oatmeal
  1. Wash a medium sweet potato (about 7 ounces), pierce it several times with a fork, wrap it in a paper towel, and microwave until done, 4-5 minutes. (Alternately, bake or steam the sweet potato.) Allow to cool enough to handle and then peel and set aside.
  2. Mince the onion, celery, and carrot. You can do this quickly by cutting each vegetable in quarters and then pulsing in a food processor until finely chopped.
  3. Heat a large, non-stick skillet. Add the minced vegetables, including garlic, and cook, stirring regularly, until they become tender, about 6-10 minutes. Add water by the teaspoon if necessary to keep the vegetables from sticking or becoming dry. Once they’re softened, add the drained beans and mash them lightly with a slotted spoon or spatula.
  4. Place the peeled sweet potato into the food processor along with the tofu, soy sauce, and all seasonings, including nutritional yeast. Process until fairly smooth. Add the walnuts and pulse a few more times. Scrape the tofu mixture into a large mixing bowl and add the quinoa flakes and the cooked vegetables. Stir well.
  5. Preheat oven to 375F. If you have a silicone baking mat (recommended) place it on a baking sheet. Otherwise line the baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. Spoon the tofu mixture onto the prepared baking surface, using dampened hands to shape it into an oblong or oval loaf about 2 1/2 inches high. Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is evenly browned. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and cook for 20 more minutes. Check to make sure that the center is firm; if not, give it a little extra time. (You can also remove the foil and cook for 5 more minutes for a crunchier crust.) Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serving Suggestion: Serve alone or with Mushroom Gravy on the side.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s) | Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 5 minute(s)

Black Bean, Quinoa and Spinach Stew — The Washington Post

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For those who want to love quinoa more than they do, incorporating quinoa into a soup or stew is one way to avoid its stick-in-your-teeth seediness. Here, it bulks up a simple black bean soup, providing the starch (and extra protein) to make a hearty meal.

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion or large shallot, chopped
1 medium clove garlic, chopped (1 teaspoon)
1 carrot, chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimenton, sweet or hot)
3 small tomato, hulled and chopped
1/2cup dried quinoa, rinsed and drained
3 cups homemade or no-salt-added vegetable broth (1 tsp veggie conc.)
1 can  black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cup lightly packed baby spinach leaves, chopped

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion or shallot, the garlic and carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika, tomato, quinoa, broth and black beans. Season with the salt and pepper.

Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low so the mixture is barely bubbling around the edges. Cover, and cook until the quinoa has swelled and is tender, 20 minutes. Stir in the spinach leaves and cook just until they are wilted, a few minutes.

Transfer to a bowl and eat.