Delicious Beet Borscht

Well, friends, I finally committed!  I have been researching CSAs and organic/local farms recently to see about getting a weekly/biweekly fresh veggie basket delivered to our house.  It's easier and less expensive than doing my own grocery shopping, and I'll get to try a variety of produce that I know comes from natural sources and is pesticide/chemical free.

So I found a service and my first delivery was today!  I've signed up for biweekly baskets from Fresh Option Organic Delivery (freshoption.ca).  Today's basket included an amazing assortment of fresh fruits and veggies, and I was immediately inspired to get cooking.  I've just whipped up this easy and flavorful beet borscht and couldn't wait to share it with you!
First things first:  roast your beets.  You'll need about 3 medium beets.  Cut a large piece of aluminum foil and wrap your beets into one package.  Crimp the edges so they're sealed.  Roast for 45 minutes at 450 degrees, and poke them occasionally with the tip of a paring knife.  If they feel tender, they're done.

While you're roasting the beets, start the flavor base for your soup.  Chop into large chunks:  8 pearl onions (or one medium white onion) one large carrot, and 3 or 4 ribs of celery.  Saute for 10 minutes in a large pot with a little olive oil, until onions start to brown and carrots are tender.  Add salt and pepper to your taste.  Dice two red potatoes and add them in.  Saute until potatoes begin to brown slightly.  Add 1-2 tsp of thyme and 1 tsp sage.

When beets are tender, remove aluminum foil and peel them.  This can be done by rubbing with a paper towel, or wearing rubber gloves and rubbing the beets between your hands.  Once peeled, cut the beets into chunks and add to your pot.  Cover the veggies with 3 cups veggie stock and 3 cups water. 

Simmer soup for 15-20 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Variation:  if you love cabbage, add some!  Instead of 3 cups veggie stock, make it 5 cups.  After soup has simmered the 15-20 minutes, add two large handfuls of shredded cabbage and stir until just tender but still a little crunchy.  Delicious!

Coconut Rice Curry Soup

This soup is spicy and satisfying, not to mention very easy to make!

Start by dicing up one large onion and sauteing it in olive oil.  Add one diced bell pepper and one heaping tablespoon of thai red curry paste (more if you want it really spicy).  Stir occasionally for four minutes.

Add one cup of rice (I prefer a mix of brown and wild rice, but use what you have) and four cups of water.  You can use veggie stock instead for extra flavor.  I add the water and then two veggie bouillon cubes.  Bring to a simmer and keep it on medium-low heat for 40 minutes.  Stir occasionally so rice doesn't stick to the bottom.

While soup is simmering, chop up one large sweet potato into 1/4" cubes... and decide how you want to cook it.  You have options here:  either roast at 500 degrees until the cubes are soft and browned (about 20 minutes, give or take), or just throw them into the simmering soup after the 40 minutes are up, and let it simmer another 10 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.  If you roast the potatoes, coat them in a little olive oil and curry powder.

After the rice is fully cooked, add 1 can of coconut milk plus another cup of water.  Then add 1 tsp tamari (or soy sauce), salt and pepper to taste, and 2 tsp tumeric for color.  Stir the soup and heat it for another 5 minutes until the coconut milk is warmed up and mixed in well with the rest of the soup.  Then pour in your roasted potatoes.

Garnish with cilantro/lime/cashews.  Serve very hot.

what to do with kale and eggplant

Last night, one of our friends stayed for dinner.  Eirik, a self-proclaimed "meatatarian," is a bit of a foodie and honestly, I wanted to impress him and show him that vegan cooking isn't all rice and beans and boring veggie side dishes.  So I created a vegan feast which turned out beautifully (if I do say so myself).  PS - Eirik agrees!

I started out with a gorgeous eggplant and tomato casserole, adapted from Laura Calder's recipe (found on www.foodnetwork.com).  I substituted a few ingredients and it was delicious!  It tastes like a thick and hearty tomato soup, and the eggplant is really filling.  Here goes:

Eggplant and Tomato Casserole

Take 1 large eggplant and cut into 1cm thick coins, then cut in half again so they resemble half moons.  Brush both sides with olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste if desired, and roast at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, flipping them over at the halfway point.

While the eggplant roasts, dice one red onion and saute in olive oil until soft.  Add Frank's Red Hot Sauce - about 1 tsp, or to taste and stir for another minute.  Then add 2 large cans of diced tomatoes, and mix well.  Let simmer for 30 minutes.  Then add 3 Tbsp fresh chopped herbs (basil, oregano, sage, rosemary... whatever you have).  Remove from heat.

In a large casserole dish, spoon just a little tomato sauce into the bottom, then spread out one even layer of eggplant slices.  Top with a generous even sprinkle of breadcrumbs, and pour a layer of tomato sauce on top.  Repeat until eggplant is used up.  Top with remaining tomato mixture, a generous layer of breadcrumbs and Daiya mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees or until cheese is melted and breadcrumbs are crunchy.

This recipe makes such good next-day leftovers.  Just reheat in the oven with another layer of breadcrumbs and Daiya.  See?

I knew I wanted to use kale in my side dish, so I made a variation of a recipe found in Kim Barnouin's Skinny Bitch Ultimate Everyday Cookbook.  Her recipe for Kale Ravioli is sure to impress any doubtful carnivore.

Ravioli Filling:

**If you don't have any cooked brown rice on hand, start here!  You will need 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, so follow your package directions to make the rice... and then continue making your filling.

Saute 1/4 finely chopped red onion with 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger.  When onions are soft, add 2 cups finely chopped kale (kale should be smaller than bite-sized pieces so it mixes well with the other small ingredients in the filling) and 1/2 cup cooked brown rice.  Cook 5 minutes until kale is wilted.  Mix in 2 tsp tamari if desired (adds great depth of flavor).

Wonton Wrappers:

Whisk together 2 cups white flour and 1/2 tsp salt in medium bowl.  Slowly stir in 1/2 c warm water until dough is stiff.  Knead on floured surface, about 5 minutes.  Dough should become stretchy.  Do not overwork or your ravioli will be tough!  Cover the dough with the bowl and let it sit 20 minutes.  Divide dough into 3 balls and roll each one out very very thinly.  You will need to make 8 3-inch squares from each ball of dough.  Once you have rolled and cut all dough, you will have 24 3-inch squares. 

Assembly:

Place a tablespoon of filling into the center of each wrapper.  Fold in half (diagonally, to create a triangle) and moisten your fingertips to seal the edges.  Steam ravioli for 3 minutes (you may need to do this in batches) then fry ravioli in 1 Tbsp grapeseed oil for 1 minute on each side. 

This ravioli recipe can be adapated as a side dish for many recipes.  Serve with a white wine sauce to accompany an Italian meal.  Or whip up a peanut sauce and pour over ravioli for an Asian twist.  Hoisin sauce makes an easy dipping sauce too.  Try out new filling options:  swap cabbage and julienned carrots for kale; or what about a dollop of mashed sweet potato with curry and chickpeas?  Once you've mastered the basic prep and assembly, you can make these ravioli taste like anything! 

And here's the final product:

Sweet Potato Peanut Curry Stew

I'm in the mood for some good comfort food today.   Outside looks gray and cold, and inside I can't get the house warm enough, so I need some hot food to warm up my insides. 

Here's my take on a sweet potato peanut curry stew, full of veggies and hints of ginger and coconut.

You'll need:

2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion
the equivalent of 1 whole bell pepper, diced (use any combination of green, yellow, orange or red peppers)

Heat the oil in a large soup pot.  Saute the onion and bell peppers until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the following spices to the pot:

1 Tbsp curry powder (at least - or more to your taste!)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Stir together and let cook another 5 minutes.  Then add:

1 large sweet potato, cut in small cubes

Cook another 5 minutes, then add:

1 can coconut milk
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas
1/4 c peanut butter
1-2 c veggie stock (depending on how thick you want the stew)

Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft.

Garnish with cilantro, lime, and whole unsalted peanuts.

Enjoy over rice, quinoa, or just by itself!

Cheezy White Bean Dip

This is my take on a bean dip recipe from one of my all-time favorite vegan cookbooks: Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan!  It's easy to make, and has a spicy, cheezy flavor.  And it's healthy, too - a great source of protein!

Combine the following in a food processor:

1 can cannellini beans
1/2 cup nuts (cashews are ideal, but I've substituted almonds and it's still yummy!)
2 tsp vinegar (white wine vinegar is delicious, but you can spice things up with red wine vinegar or even balsamic!

Blend it up until the nuts are broken down.

Then add:

1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp tumeric (optional; gives the dip a nice cheezy yellow color)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
2/3 cup soy, rice or almond milk
1 Tbsp olive oil

My secret ingredient:  2 tsp Frank's hot sauce (or more to your taste).   It gives a nice spicy kick and some great color. 

Blend it up again until smooth and creamy.

Transfer to an oven-safe dish and warm it at 350 degrees until bubbling.

Try with tortilla chips and salsa, or raw veggies (carrots, broccoli, bell peppers) or use as a pasta sauce. 

I could eat this entire recipe in one sitting...

Cheeeeze Sauce

Tonight I had the worst mac n' cheese cravings.  If we had a box of KD in the house, I might have caved and ripped it open... that's how bad the craving was.  Now that I think of it, this craving has been with me all day... I remember thinking about tearing open a pouch of orange powder and stirring it into some pasta.  Hmm.

So at 830pm, I finall decided it was time to make some mac n' cheese.  Nothing like a second supper, right?

I've been checking out other websites for their recommendations, and I think I've come up with a good recipe.  (If I had any Daiya cheese in the house, I would have just melted some over pasta and called it a night... but I had to get creative instead).

Here it is:

Blend 1/2 a small onion until verrry smooth.  Combine with 2 Tbsp Earth Balance in a small pot, and let that cook for a couple minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Add 3 Tbsp white flour, mix well, and give it another few minutes to cook together.  Add 1 cup veggie broth (I use bouillon that I mix with boiling water - it speeds up the cook time for this sauce) slowly, and whisk so there aren't any lumps.  Bring it to just bubbling, and turn off the heat.

Mix in the following:  1 Tbsp + 1 tsp nutritional yeast, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1/8 tsp tumeric, 1/8 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt, depending on your veggie broth.  Mine is salt-free, so I add 1/2 tsp.  And if you're feeling adventurous, add 1/2 tsp curry powder, for great color and extra flavor!  Add more veggie broth to thin the sauce if desired.

Enjoy over pasta, greens, or if you're like me, by the spoonful right out of the pot. 

Looking for a picture?  If your cheeze sauce is thick and yellow, you've probably made it right.