Roasted Cauliflower & Spinach Salad

This evening while driving home from work I knew I wanted to use that head of cauliflower in the fridge for dinner. After not cooking cauliflower because of some mistaken notion that it would stink up my house for many many years, I've come to really love the flavor, aroma and taste of simple Roasted Cauliflower. Cut up the florets, toss the cauliflower in a gallon bag with a splash of water and whatever spices you like, toss everything together and then spread it all out on a cookie sheet and broil on high for 10-12 minutes. Umm mmm good!! Here's my standard Roasted Cauliflower recipe. 

As I was dreaming of my roasted cauliflower .. I was also dreaming of my box of baby spinach and the awesome batch of homemade hummus I made the other night! I guess I was hungry :)!!! Soon after getting home, I found a recipe I knew I could adapt to my tastes and preferences (umm no oil!), use the ingredients I'd been dreaming about and have it turn out great!! 

Adapted from: Modern Family Cooking

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 1 head of Cauliflower (any color, about 2 cups of florets)
2. 1 x 15oz Canned Chickpeas, rinsed and 
3. 4 Mini Cucumbers, sliced (about 1 cup)
4. 1 Bell Pepper (any color, preferably Red or Orange), diced
5. 1/2 cup Quinoa, pre-cooked in water and chilled. 
6. 3 cups Baby Spinach
7. 4 tbsp Homemade Hummus* (plain or roasted red pepper) (or more, to taste)
8. 1/2 cup Cold Water
9. 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
10. 3 drops of Liquid Smoke
11. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° F.  Whisk hummus, liquid smoke and 1/2 cup of iced water in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside. Transfer drained and rinsed chickpeas and cauliflower (cut into small bite-sized florets) into a gallon zip lock bag with nutritional yeast, freshly cracked black pepper and about a third of the thinned out hummus. Close bag and toss everything together until the cauliflower and chickpeas are well coated with the hummus. Transfer to a rimmed cookie sheet and broil on high for 10-12 minutes until the tips of the cauliflower start to caramelize and char. Meanwhile in a large bowl, mix diced pepper, baby spinach. sliced cucumbers and quinoa and toss well with hands. Sprinkle liberally with freshly cracked black pepper. Once the cauliflower and chickpeas are ready, remove from oven and set aside for just a minute. Add remaining thinned out hummus to the bowl with greens and quinoa and toss well, top off with roasted veggies, toss and serve immediately. This salad makes 4 side-salad sized servings, or 2 large dinner-sized salad servings! Enjoy!

My Assessment: Tony wants me to make this for our Friendsgiving dinner which we celebrate a weekend after Thanksgiving every year. I guess in my head, hearing that from a self-proclaimed hummus-hater, this recipe is a hit!!! :)

Home-made Hummus*: Blend one can of chickpeas (rinsed & drained) with 1/2 to 2/3 cup water, 2 cloves of garlic, 1-2 tbsp Tahini (sesame seed butter, optional) and 2-3 tbsp lemon juice until smooth. Add more water, as needed to make a smooth paste. Store refrigerated for up to a week. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 205 (Fat Calories 26)

Total Fat 2.9 g; Carbohydrates 37.0 g; Fiber 8.8 g; Sugars 4.0 g; Protein 12.4 g


If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Aloo MIrchi Subzi

Some days are just meant to be 'Roti & Subzi Days'!! That's comfort food to an Indian. Some fresh chapatis and one curried vegetable. On this Tuesday evening, that is all I was in the mood for. I had some Russet potatoes, some red and green bell peppers and so it was a night for Aloo (Potatoes) and Mirchi (Sweet Peppers). 

Aloo Mirchi Subzi

Prep Time: 20-25 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 2 Russet Potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1/2" cubes (about 2 cups)
2. 1 Medium Red Onion (diced, about 1/2 cup)
3. 1 Large Green Bell Pepper (diced, about 1 cup)
4. 1 large Red Bell Pepper (diced, about 1 cup)
5. 2 tbsp Ground Cilantro seeds
6. 1/4 tsp Turmeric
7. 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
8. 1 tsp Deggi Chili Powder
9. 2-3 tbsp fresh, chopped Cilantro leaves. 
10. Salt, to taste

Directions:

Line a pot on medium heat with water and add onion. Saute for a couple of minutes until translucent and add diced potatoes. Saute for a good 10 minutes on medium heat until the potatoes are almost done (fork tender). Add all the dry spices, toss well and then add diced peppers. Mix everything well. Sprinkle chopped cilantro leaves on top, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for about 5 minutes until the peppers start to wilt. For this dish, in the end you want the potatoes to be almost a little over-cooked (but you don't let them become completely mushy). And you want the peppers to be cooked and tender, but you want them to retain just a bit of a crunch!! Serve hot, as a side dish with whatever else you're having, or enjoy this dish as your entree with Naan or fresh rotis! Yum! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 152 (Fat Calories 5)
Total Fat 0.6 g; Carbohydrates 33.8 g; Fiber 6.0 g; Sugars 4.7 g; Protein 4.0 g

Tips for Leftovers:

1. Spread a thin layer of hummus on 2 slices of bread, load up with subzi, bring the sandwich together and grill on a George Foreman, or sandwich maker until crisp. Serve hot with tomato ketchup, or even better, with fresh mint chutney!
2. Roll out a fresh roti (uncooked), load up one half (of the central portion) with subzi, fold over and seal the ends with wet fingers (almost like a large ravioli, or dumpling). Crimp the edges with your fingers, place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake in an oven (375 F) for 20 minutes (or until crisp), for fresh home-made, non-fried, Samosas! 

Cheater Boiled Peanuts & Collard Greens

This past weekend I picked up a big sack of Collard Greens at the grocery store in another attempt to incorporate greens into my diet. I want to be at a point where I am consuming some green leafy vegetable on a daily basis. I used to do have Baby Spinach as part of my daily morning Green Smoothie but ever since I changed my breakfast to Steel Cut Oats, that part of my daily routine has fallen by the wayside. So today, I decided to make some Collard Greens - my New Veggie #69.  This recipe combines 2 Southern traditions - Boiled Peanuts and Collard Greens.  

Boiled Peanuts are a traditional snack in the North and South Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Northern Florida. They are an acquired taste but can be totally addictive and can be seen being sold at roadside stands all over the South. Traditionally, these are prepared by boiling un-shelled green/raw peanuts in salty water, over a wood fire. No one knows for sure why Southerners started boiling peanuts but they have been around since the Civil War. I call my version Cheater because it doesn't take nearly as long as the traditional method and because I used shelled peanuts. 

Cheater Boiled Peanuts & Collard Greens

Adapted from: Homesick Texan: Not Your Grandma’s Collard Greens

Prep Time: 30-40 min

Ingredients (4 Servings):

1. 1 lb Collard Greens, pre-washed and cut into bite sized pieces.
2. 1 large White Onion, diced
3. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
4. 2 large Tomatoes, diced
5. 1 large Red Bell Pepper, diced
6. 1/3 cup Smooth Peanut Butter
7. 1/3 cup Raw Peanuts*
8. 2 cups water or home-made vegetable broth.
9. 2 tsp Chipotle Pepper powder, optional, to taste
10. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

I used a large bag of pre-washed Collard greens today. But if you're using fresh leaves, remove thick stems and cut each leaf into bite sized pieces. Wash well to remove all traces of soil and dirt. In a large, deep pot, add 1 cup water and add diced onions and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent and garlic begins to release its essential oils (about 2-4 min on high). Add tomatoes and red bell pepper. Mix everything well together and add peanut butter and raw peanuts at this time. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer on the stove for 20-25 min. Add another cup of water or vegetable broth half way through this time to prevent the dish from drying out too much. Just a couple of minutes before serving, add Chipotle pepper powder and cover and allow the dish to simmer for another couple of minutes.  Serve as a side dish, or enjoy as I did tonight - over a bed of steamed rice. 

* Raw Peanuts can be easily be bought at Indian Grocery stores, if you can't locate them in your local grocery store. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)^: Calories 254 (Fat Calories 129)
Total Fat 14.4 g; Carbohydrates 22.2 g; Fiber 9.8 g; Sugars 6.6 g; Protein 13.8 g

^ Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary a lot.

HH Black Bean Burgers

This afternoon we were planning on going to our favorite family restaurant, a Mom & Pop Mexican place, which we often visit. I always get Grilled Vegetarian Fajitas, without cheese or oil or tortillas (yeah, basically grilled veggies on a plate) and I love it!!! Unfortunately the Rugrat Gods were unhappy and we had a rather cranky 3-year old and decided it was probably best to avoid entering a sit-down restaurant. Unfortunately, everyone in the car, including the cranky 3-year old, was starving and couldn't wait for the 30 minute drive home. So DH decided on Wendy's. I was determined to not ruin my resolve and refrained from ordering anything. All 3 of them gratefully chomped down on their lunch while my stomach groaned and moaned all the way home. So, the long and short of it, is that I needed something to eat, and real quick too, once we got home. I decided on Black Bean Burgers which were on the table in 20 minutes from the moment I turned on the oven to preheat. 

HH Black Bean Burgers

Adapted from: Happy Herbivore Hotel Room Black Bean Burgers

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1. 1 can (15 oz) Black Beans, drained and rinsed
2. 2 tbsp Ketchup
3. 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
4. 1 tsp Garlic Powder
5. 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
6. 1 tbsp Vital Wheat Gluten Flour
7. 1/2 cup Instant Oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Prepare a cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper and set aside. In a mixing bowl, coarsely mash black beans with a fork or rounded spatula or your hands (whichever works for you!) leaving some half beans and whole bean intact. Stir in all condiments and spices, using your hands if necessary until well combined. Add oats and vital wheat gluten (the latter helped it stay together a little better for me) and mix really well to allow all the ingredients to combine. Divide into 4 approximately equal portions and shape into thin patties. Bake for 7 minutes, flip over and bake for another 7-10 minutes, until crusty on the outside. 

HH Black Bean Burgers with Peppers & Onions

My Assessment: These were sooooo much better that the commercially available black bean burgers. It came together in a jiffy. While the burgers were cooking the first time, I sliced onions, mixed them with taco seasoning salt and when I flipped the patties, I made space on the cookie sheet and added the onions on the side to grill/roast those as well. The roasted red peppers came out of a bottle (roasted red peppers in water, not oil). I also used a touch of Dill relish and more ketchup and mustard on the buns!! Umm Umm Good!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 113 (Fat Calories 10)
Total Fat 1.4 g; Carbohydrates 18.8 g; Dietary Fiber 5.6 g; Sugars 2.6 g; Protein 7.5 g

* Nutrition facts are provided without the buns as calorie content can vary by size and brand.

Spinach Hummus

Hummus is such a versatile spread that can be used as a dip for veggies, as a salad dressing (4 vegan Ways), as a sandwich spread. Although I'd like to use it different ways, I'm boring and tend to simply use it as a dip for my daily snack of cukes and carrots and celery. Here's a link to 12 Great Ways to Use Hummus. They're not all plant-based ways .. so use wisely :) 

Spinach Hummus

Today I decided to modify my usual recipe to include more greens. Although the blog post about my  usual recipe calls for cilantro leaves, I don't always add it if I don't have any on hand. 

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

1. 2 x 15 oz cans of Chickpeas, well rinsed and drained
2. 1/2 cup Flame-Roasted Red Peppers*
3. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
4. 6 Sun-Dried Tomatoes (Plain dried, Whole Foods 365 brand) 
5. 1/4 cup Lemon/Lime Juice
6. 2 cups Baby Spinach
7. Salt to taste
8. Water, as needed. 

Directions:

Pulse everything together in a food processor until smooth, adding more water as needed to make a smooth blend. Add salt after everything is blended well, taste testing with each addition. Add more lime juice if needed. Enjoy!!

My Assessment: I liked the smoky sweetness of sun-dried tomatoes, mixed in with the extra greens. Yum!

* I use a brand called Bella Famiglia Flame Roasted Red Peppers, which has no added oil. Make sure you're getting a product where the peppers are not preserved in Olive oil. This brand has whole red peppers, water, sea salt, sugar, wine vinegar and grape must. If you want to roast your own red peppers, here's how.

Nutrition Facts (Batch): Calories 818 (Fat Calories 136)
Total Fat 15.1 g; Carbohydrates 145.8 g; Dietary Fiber 31.3 g; Sugars 10.4 g; Protein 52.4 g

Coriander Red Pepper Hummus

I use hummus almost on a daily basis. As I became more and more conscious about reading labels, it dawned on me that my store bought hummus derived 70% of its calories from fat. In addition, ingredients included Citric Acid, Natural Flavors and Potassium Sorbate to maintain freshness. Suddenly, this didn't seem like the best idea at all. Since then I've experimented with a couple of different recipes and this is the one that hits the spot. 

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients:

1. 1 x 15oz can of Chick peas, drained and rinsed well
2. 1 tbsp Tahini (optional)
3. 1 tbsp Minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
4. 2 Flame-Roasted Red Peppers* 
5. 1/2 cup water, as needed. 
6. 1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro leaves, stemmed removed. 
7. Lemon/Lime juice, to taste
8. Salt, to taste

Directions: 

Add chickpeas, tahini (if using), garlic and peppers to a food processor and pulse until smooth, adding water as needed. Add Coriander leaves and lemon/lime juice and pulse again, add salt and do a quick taste test. Adding more lime juice and salt as needed. Serve with fresh celery, cucumber, carrot and pepper sticks and broccoli and cauliflower florets. Enjoy!!

   

* I use a brand called Bella Famiglia Flame Roasted Red Peppers, which has no added oil. Make sure you're getting a product where the peppers are not preserved in Olive oil. This brand has whole red peppers,   water, sea Salt, sugar, wine vinegar and grape must.  If you want to roast your own red peppers, here's how.  

Quinoa Chili

Every year on the last weekend before Halloween we visit with T's mom .. at the Indian Lake Campgrounds for The Annual Halloween Campout. Every year, the menu includes Chili, Beef & Vegetable Soup, Shredded Chicken sandwiches and cupcakes and desserts galore ... of course along with all the candy that you could possibly want to eat. Since both T and I are plant-based this year, I decided to bring along a plant-based Chili. I asked folks on our 'New Herbies' page on facebook what their most favorite Chili recipe was and I got a few suggestions ... and this one (Savvy Vegetarian) seemed the most interesting. Since we have to leave early tomorrow to get to the campgrounds, I decided to make it tonight on the stove top, although the website provides the crock-pot version as well. After making it as described, I decided that it didn't meet our expectations at all. My husband is a new herbie and I needed to live up to his expectations of "real" chili. The recipe below is my uber-modified version. The biggest change is 0% Added Fat. 

Quinoa Chili

Prep Time: 60 min, with prep time included.

Ingredients (12 servings):

1. 1 Medium Red Onion, diced
2. 3 Stalks of Celery, diced
3. 1 Jalapeño, deseeded, diced
4. 2 tbsp minced Garlic
5. 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
6. 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
7. 2 cups Quinoa, rinsed and drained.
8. 1 can (15oz) Black Beans, rinsed and drained
9. 1 can (15 oz) Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained
10. 2 cans (15 oz) Dark Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
11. 1 can (15 oz) Hunt's Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, with Garlic
12. 3 cans (8 oz) Tomato Sauce, unsalted
13. 8 cups Water or Vegetable Broth
14. 3-4 tsp Cumin powder
15. 6-8 tsp Coriander powder
16. 3-4 tsp Italian seasoning
17. 2-4 tsp Taco seasoning
18. 2 tsp dried Basil
19. 1-2 tsp dried Cilantro
20. 2 tsp Paprika (add more, to taste)
21. 3 tsp Chipotle Pepper (add more, to taste)
22. 2 large Bay leaves
23. 2 tbsp Light Molasses
24. 4 tbsp Soy Sauce, or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
25. Salt and Pepper, to taste
26. Fresh Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot, add diced onions, celery, jalapeño and garlic and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Cook until both onion and celery are translucent. Add diced bell peppers, and cook for another 5 minutes. Then add remaining ingredients and all the spices except for the 'hot' spices which should be added once the quinoa is cooked and even then mix in the chili peppers slowly and taste test frequently. Add water or broth as needed once the quinoa is cooked to get to the right consistency for chili. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and freshly cracked black pepper. 

Quinoa Chili

Our Assessment: Tony LOVED it!!! He's a 'real' chili guy and he LOVED IT!!!! I am so excited. He wants me to add this version (with my modifications) to our regular rotation and guess what? Winter is here ... we'll be eating a lot of it.  The pot is now sitting in the fridge. Tomorrow, I plan to transfer it to my crock pot first thing in the morning. I'll check consistency again, and add broth if needed. Let's hope someone in our Omni family, besides us, is willing to try it. It is truly yummy!!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 464 (Fat Calories 27)
Total Fat 3.0 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 85.3 g; Dietary Fiber 18.3 g; Sugars 8.1 g; Protein 26.3 g

Creamy Tortilla Soup

This past weekend, I finally invested in a KitchenAid Stand/Stick blender. I hate digging my jar blender or food processor out for small tasks and invariably would end up whisking/mashing/fork mixing foods that required blending. I used my new gadget tonight and my, oh my!!! I am so in love with it already .. and also with my Vegetarian Tortilla Soup. I followed my old recipe to a tee and then in the end, used my new stick blender on it until it was nice and smooth and creamy. 

Creamy Tortilla Soup

Nik's Reaction: Being all of 2 years and 9 months old, he wasn't sure exactly how to eat soup from a bowl. But when I showed him how to dip his tortilla chips in it .. he loved it!! He spent the next 15 minutes double & triple dipping his chips and sucking on them until soggy (kinda gross ... but he ate the soup!!)  

My Assessment: I LOVED IT!!! I know its my own recipe, & I'm a tortilla-soup addict ... but this turned out really good!! All I added as a garnish was freshly ground black pepper and some crushed nacho chips!!

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Update March 3, 2012: We had leftovers from last night for dinner this evening and since T was home, I added some shredded chicken to his bowl and the soup was a hit with him as well :) ..!!

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

This is a perfect soup for anytime of the year but it tastes even better on a chilly evening. The basic recipe is something I picked up from my long-time friend John Giammona, and I've modified what I remember as his recipe, to a vegetarian, plant-based version. 

Prep Time: 20-30 min with frozen and canned veggies.

Ingredients:
1) 1 lb frozen pepper and onion fajita mix (Green and Sweet Peppers and White Onion, diced).
2) 1 tbsp minced garlic (~2 cloves)
3) 2-3 tbsp ground cumin (or 2 tbsp cumin seeds).
4) 1 can of crushed/diced tomatoes (a large tomato, diced).
5) 2 cups of canned vegetable broth*
6) 1 jalapeno (sliced, optional).
7) salt and pepper to taste
8) 1 cup whole kernel corn (canned or fresh frozen) or hominy.
9) Tortilla chips (plain) (optional)
10) 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced (optional)
11) 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Line a large stock pot with water or vegetable broth and add in the vegetables (peppers and onions) and cumin and garlic and cook for a few minutes. Once the cumin releases its aroma, add the tomatoes, jalapeno, and vegetable broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat to low and simmer on the back burner for 20 min. Stir in the corn or hominy and boil for another 5 min. I used a can of golden hominy (corn kernels without their germ, and their hull or bran). Corn is much healthier but hominy works in a pinch! If you want a blended soup, blend everything with a stick blender before adding the corn. Also add other Southwestern additions like black beans to this soup to make it heartier. 

Serve in deep bowls over crumbled tortilla chips, or scoop it out with a chip. Garnish with fresh cilantro and avocados. For the kids, you can also garnish with a little grated cheese. I like my soup chunky with a lot of chips. Remember, both the chips and avocado are optional and the brothy soup tastes great even without the extra garnishes.

Mom had an old fashioned food mill!

* This is how my mom made vegetable broth - In a pressure cooker, or deep stock pot, add lots of chopped/sliced/diced vegetables (cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, peas, corn and whatever else you can think find). Add 3-4 cups of water (a pressure cooker will probably use half that water). Steam the veggies for 10-15 min in a pressure cooker. Probably 30 min in a stock pot. Allow it to cool and then pass the mix through a food mill, or blend it in a food processor and strain. Add the juice of one lemon/lime and refrigerate immediately. It keeps well for 24-48 hours.  

** And this is how I make Vegetarian home-made broth at home with my own fruit and vegetable scraps.