Category Archives: vegetarian

Yellow Split Pea Dal, by Mollie Katzen

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‘Dal’ in Indian cooking refers to porridge-like dishes made from dried legumes – usually split peas or lentils. Dal is often served in a thinned state as a soup, but equally often it will be a thick, hearty side dish. This is a thick dal, comprehensive and highly spiced enough to be the focus of a meal. Leftovers can be thinned with a little water and served as a soup. I serve this as an entrée, over brown rice.

kitchen witch 261
2 cup dried yellow split peas
2 thick slises fresh ginger, each about 2 inches long
4 large garlic cloves cut in half
8-10 cups water (plus more later if needed}
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp mustard seeds
2 teaspoons turmeric
1/2 tsp each ground coriander and cardamom
2 tsp ground cumin
2 c. minced onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1/4 c. tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne (optional)
peas
cooked potato
red pepper slices
cilantro
kale
cooked carrots

Place split peas, ginger slices, garlic halves and water in a soup pot or Dutch oven Cover and heat to boiling point, then reduce heat and simmer very slowly, partially covered – stirring intermittently- until peas are quite soft for about 60-70 min.  Add more water as necessary.

Meanwhile, place a medium saucepan over med heat for a min, than add oil and swirl to coat pan. Add all of the spices and cook, stirring, for a min or until they become fragrant.  Add the onion, minced garlic, minced ginger and 1 tsp salt.and stir so the onion becomes coated with the spices.  Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, covered until the onion becomes very soft.  Stir in the lemon juice at the end.

Add this mixture to the simmering split peas, stir to combine. add extra veggies and cook until they are done.  fish out the ginger slices and serve with rice.

Serve with rice.

 

Better Tomorrow Vegan Chili from splendid table

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461153915The story of chili always ends with the statement that it’s better the second day. So why don’t we just make it ahead of time and consider that first day as part of the cooking process? I do. My “vegan-ified” version uses pecans, which have a distinct richness and “meaty” mouthfeel, and play very nicely with the brown spices. The dried mushrooms are a nifty addition that I learned from Cook’s Illustrated. Not only do the pulverized mushrooms thicken the chili, they also add that forest-floor bass note that we interpret as “hearty.” I keep some dried mushroom powder in my spice rack at all times—whatever’s cheapest—and you should too. A spoonful will add a layer of complexity to vegan dishes and omnivorous dishes alike.

 

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 16 ounces button mushrooms, stems removed, wiped clean, and quartered
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, diced
  • 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, finely minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 2 cups pecans (about 7 ounces), toasted, very finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • Two 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 2 cups vegetable stock (or vegetable broth, and cut the salt by half)
  • One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
  • One 1-ounce package dried mushrooms (whatever is cheapest), pulverized in a blender
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil and add the fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring only once, until browned, about 6 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot. Scrape the bottom of the pot and stir to incorporate. Simmer until the vegetables and nuts are soft, about 30 minutes. Let cool. Refrigerate overnight.

HOLD IT? Keep the chili in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheat the chili in a pot over low heat, stirring often.

PLATE IT! My ideal chili-serving vessel would be the dolsot, which is an individual Korean earthenware bowl that retains tons of heat. You can find them online. Warm them up slowly in the oven, and then ladle in the chili. Or you can scoop the chili into a bowl. Garnish with whatever you like (see below).

BREAK IT: Chili is kind of an open-source recipe. Now that you’ve made it, customize it to your liking. Change the beans, add some greens, or even wrap it in a tortilla and fry it up like the chimichangas.

Vegetable bolognese, Mario

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Vegetarian-Bolognese-from-Cearas-Kitchen

    • 2 pounds mushrooms (such as cremini)
    • 3 medium carrots (peeled and roughly chopped)
    • 3 ribs celery (roughly chopped)
    • 5 cloves garlic
    • 1 cup milk
    • 4 ounces tomato paste
    • 1 cup dry white wine
    • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor, add the mushrooms. Pulse to finely chop. Remove to a bowl and set aside.

In the same food processor, add the onions and pulse to finely chop. Remove to a separate bowl and set aside. Repeat with the carrots, celery and garlic, and add to the bowl with the onions. Set aside.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, add olive oil and place over medium heat.

Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, season with salt, and cook until the vegetables are translucent, about 5 more minutes.

Add the tomato paste, stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes. Add the milk and wine, and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat.

Helpful Tip: make the Vegetable Bolognese ahead of time and freeze up to a month!

Ginger Vegetable Congee

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  • congee1 cup raw long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 7 cups vegetable stock
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, plus more for seasoning
  • Two-inch knob of ginger, peeled and sliced thin
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 1/2 cup diced carrots
  • Sliced green onion, for garnish
  1. In large pot add stock, rice, salt and ginger. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Stir occasionally so that the rice doesn’t clump or stick at the bottom.
  2. While the congee is simmering prep the celery, broccoli and carrots: peeling, cutting, and dicing, as needed.
  3. Simmer the congee for about 30 minutes then add the celery, broccoli and carrots.
  4. Continue to simmer until the congee is thickened and creamy and the vegetables are tender and soft. Add salt to taste. Garnish with the sliced green onion and serve hot.

NOTES

As the congee cools, it will become thicker. Add additional stock or water if necessary to make the congee to your desired thickness.

 

Solyanka from moosewood

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100_7921notes: I made a few changes due to what was in the kitchen.  Less cottage cheese though close to 1.5 c. that was all I had, more cabbage than 4 c. but not much more, 1/2 c sour cream as it’s full fat and I would have felt guilty using a whole cup, no sunflower seeds as mine were dead, was going to use 1/2 c of ricotta but it was 6 months out of date.  I sprinkled paprika over the top even though I’m not a big fan.

4 Medium Potatoes
4 Packed Cups Shredded Green Cabbage
1½ cups Chopped Onion
3 Tbsp Butter
1½ tsp Salt
Black Pepper
Paprika
½ tsp Dill Weed
¼ cup Sunflower Seeds, divided
1½ cups Cottage Cheese
½ cup Sour Cream
½ cup ricotta
2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar

Scrub, don’t peel, the potatoes and cut them into small pieces. Boil until mashable. Drain and mash, while still hot, with cottage cheese, sour cream and yogurt. Saute onions in butter with 1/2 tsp. salt. After 5 minutes, add cabbage and remaining salt. Saute until cabbage is tender. Combine with potato mixture, and add everything except 2 tablespoons of the sunflower seeds and the paprika. Taste to correct seasonings. Spread into a deep, buttered casserole and top with paprika and remaining sunflower seeds. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered for 35-40 minutes.

Best ever mushroom soup from pancakewarriors.com/

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best-mushroom-soup-close 1 large white onion, diced
  • 1 package white button mushrooms (10 oz) sliced
  • 1 package baby portobello mushrooms (10 oz) sliced
  • 10 stalks fresh thyme, leaves removed
  • 1 cup organic vegetable broth
  • 1 tbs. tapioca flour
  • 1 cup almond or cashew milk (unsweetened)
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • ½ tbs. liquid aminos (GF) (or soy sauce)
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  1. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add the diced onions. Allow to sweat while slicing the mushrooms. About 5-7 minutes.
  2. Move onions to the sides of the saucepan and add mushrooms, allow to cook 5 minutes uncovered.
  3. Stir the onions and mushrooms together. Add fresh thyme and allow to continue to cook, at least 10 minutes.
  4. You will notice a substantial amount of water has come out of the mushrooms, and they are reduced in volume by half.
  5. Add the bay leaf, the salt and the liquid aminos to the mushrooms.
  6. Stir the 1 tbs. of tapioca starch into the organic broth. Add to mushrooms and stir. Add almond milk.
  7. Allow to cook for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  8. This soup is amazing the next day as well and can easily be doubled.
  9. Add cashew cheese, Parmesan cheese or enjoy the soup just as it is

Faux Gras: Vegetarian Foie Gras from David Lebovitz – living the sweet life in Paris

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Lentils double in volume when cooked, so 1 cup (160g) of dried lentils will yield close to the correct amount. They usually take about 20 to 30 minutes to cook until soft, but check the directions on the package for specific guidelines. If avoiding gluten, use tamari instead of soy sauce. For a vegan version, replace the butter with the same quantity of olive oil, for a total of 1/4 cup (60ml) of olive oil. The cognac or brandy is

Faux-Gras-Lentil-Pate-7optional, but it does give the faux gras a little je ne sais quoi.

 

  • 12 medium-sized button mushrooms (100g, about 1 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
  • 1 small onion, peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 cups (400g) cooked green lentils
  • 1 cup (140g) toasted walnuts or pecans
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage or flat leaf parsley
  • optional: 2 teaspoons Cognac or brandy
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Wipe the mushrooms clean. Slice off a bit of the stem end (the funky parts) and slice them. Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet or wide saucepan. Add the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions become translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and cooked through, another 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. In a food processor, combine the cooked lentils, nuts, lemon juice, soy sauce, rosemary, thyme, sage or parsley, Cognac (if using), brown sugar, and cayenne. Scrape in the cooked mushroom mixture and process until completely smooth. Taste, and add salt, pepper, and additional cognac, soy sauce, or lemon juice, if it needs balancing.

3. Scrape the pâté into a small serving bowl and refrigerate for a few hours, until firm.

Serving: Serve the pâté with crackers, hearty bread, or small toasts. A nice accompaniment is shallot marmalade or just a few pickles alongside. Makes 6 to 8 appetizer-sized servings

Storage: The spread will keep for 4 days in the refrigerator. It can frozen for up to two months, well-wrapped.

 

Adapted from Très Green, Très Green, Très Chic by Rebecca Leffler

 

Shiitake Mushroom Tortellini w/ Soy Cream Sauce from thewoksoflife.com

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mushroom-tortellini-11

  • Olive oil
  • 6 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup minced scallion
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 36-42 square wonton wrappers (1 pack should be enough)
  • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

In a skillet over medium high heat, add a few good lugs of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and season with salt. Sauté the mushrooms until tender and caramelized. This could take a while, so don’t rush the process! Once the mushrooms are caramelized, you might have some sticky bits at the bottom of the pan. Deglaze with a bit of water.

Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a mixing bowl and add the scallion, crushed red pepper flake, Parmesan, ricotta cheese, egg, and salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble, use a bit of water to dampen the edges of each wonton wrapper, and add a teaspoon of filling to the middle.

Fold in half diagonally so you get a triangle. Make sure there aren’t any air bubbles in the middle, and that the edges are tightly sealed.

Bring the two farthest corners of the triangle together to make a pseudo “tortellini” shape. Continue assembling until you’ve run out of filling.

Bring a pot of water to a boil for the tortellini. In a skillet over medium heat, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add the panko and stir constantly until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add a couple tablespoons more oil to the skillet and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and cream, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes and add the soy sauces. Season with pepper.

By now, the water for the ravioli should be boiling. Cook the ravioli in the boiling water for 20 seconds. With a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to the sauce and simmer for another 60-90 seconds.

Serve immediately, garnished with your panko pangrittata and more scallions.

 

Braised Lentils With Mushrooms and Kale from washington post

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  • 1 cup dried French green lentilsIMG_5901
  • 3 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought vegetable broth
  • 8-12 ounces assorted mushrooms (such as cremini, shiitake and oyster), cleaned
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (may substitute sake or sherry)
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (may substitute half-and-half)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
  • 8 ounces kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped

Rinse the lentils thoroughly. Combine them with the broth in a medium pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat until the liquid is barely bubbling and cook, uncovered, until the lentils have swelled and absorbed much of the liquid and are barely tender but intact and not mushy, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Remove and discard the stems from any mushrooms of the tough-stem variety, such as shiitakes. (For oysters, remove and discard just the thickest part of the bottom of the stem, and leave creminis and button mushrooms intact.) Coarsely chop the mushrooms.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook for a few minutes, until it is lightly browned. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for another minute, until the onion just starts to get tender. Add the mushrooms and salt in an even layer. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes or until the bottom layer is deeply browned. Stir a few times, pack the mushrooms into an even layer again and cook undisturbed for another 2 minutes or until the bottom layer is browned. Repeat another time or two, until all the mushrooms are deeply caramelized and have shrunk, 7 to 9 minutes total.

Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute, then pour in the wine. Deglaze the pan by scraping up all the flavorful brown bits from the bottom. Cook to reduce the wine until no liquid remains.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cream. Let it bubble gently for 2 minutes, until slightly reduced and thickened, then add the cooked lentils and their liquid. Stir to combine, taste, and add more salt if needed. Cover the pan and let it cook, barely bubbling, for 5 minutes.

Add the kale to the lentils. Cover and cook until the kale is tender but still bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste, and add more salt, if desired. Divide the lentils among serving bowls and top each with an egg, if using. Serve hot.

Vegetarian Ramen at Home from food52

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For the broth:

  • 1 cup dried mushrooms, preferably shiittake
  • 2 carrots, cut into thirds
  • 1 onion, cut in half (you can leave the skin on)
  • 2 stalks celery, cut into thirds
  • 6 to 8 garlic cloves, smashed
  • One 2-inch section of ginger, smashed
  • 2 stalks lemongrass, cut into thirds and smashed (optional)
  • 8 cups cold water
  • 1 sheet kombu, wiped with a damp cloth
  • 2 tablespoons bonito flakes
  • 1/2 cup mirin
  • 1 cup shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 to 2 squirts sriracha, or pinch of red pepper flakes
  1. Add mushrooms, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass (if using) into a large stock pot along with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Add in kombu and bonito flakes, if using. Simmer stock for 2 to 3 hours.
  2. Pour stock into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer. (I recommend reserving the mushy, cooked carrots for snacking.) Return stock to the pot.
  3. Add in soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, and Sriracha. Stir. Taste for seasoning: Add more soy sauce if you want it saltier, more Sriracha for spice, more brown sugar for sweetness. If the flavor is too strong, add in more water to dilute. Play around until you have a flavorful, balanced broth. Turn down the heat to keep it warm while you prepare your other ingredients.

For the ramen bowl:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 packet extra-firm tofu, pressed of its moisture
  • 1 tablespoon oil with high smoke point, like peanut
  • 4 packets ramen or udon noodles, preferably fresh
  • Thai basil
  • Lime wedges
  • Green onion, sliced
  1. Boil a large pot of water with a pinch of salt. Cook eggs to desired doneness — I like mine cooked for 6 minutes so the yolk is nice and gooey in the middle. Remove eggs from water, keeping it simmering for ramen noodles. Cool eggs, peel, and drop gently into the broth while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
  2. Slice drained tofu thinly. Heat oil in a wok or non-stick skillet until smoking, then layer in the tofu, making sure none are overlapping. Cook for a minute or two until brown on the underside, then flip and cook for another two minutes. Drain tofu on paper towels.
  3. Drop noodles into boiling salted water and cook according to package directions. Drain.
  4. Divide broth between four bowls, then divvy up noodles, eggs (I cut them in half before serving), and fried tofu into broth. Garnish with Thai basil, green onions, and squeezes of lime. Slurp away.
  5. If you want an even heartier bowl of vegetarian ramen, consider adding roasted vegetables like sweet potatoes, eggplant, or tomatoes. Cube them, then roast in a 425° F oven with salt and pepper until wrinkled, soft, and caramelized, then add to broth.  Makes 4 generous servings