Chef AJ's House Dressing

Photo Courtesy: The Shelton Challenge

I've been slacking off for about a month. Well not really, but I am terribly behind in my posts and the only reason I have, which some of you have already heard about, is that I started a new job this January. I'd been in the same position for the past 8 years and after a lot of moaning and groaning and stressing out over everything and anything, I made the change. I planned my exit strategy and when the opportunity presented itself, I made the change. It was difficult after being in the same place for 8 years but now I wonder why I was ever worried about change ... Change Equals Growth, after all. 

Anyhow, now I'm back and hopefully will stick with it with regularity :)

One of the cool things about my new job is that they have a full cafeteria with a full fresh salad bar. Awesome!!! Now while I've been really good about taking leftovers for lunches, the chance of eating a fresh spinach salad, loaded with beans and other fresh veggies, which I didn't have to put together is an awesome opportunity in my opinion. In the 3 weeks I've been there, I've had salad for lunch at least 4 days each week. I love it!! So that is the reason that this first post is about a home-made salad dressing. Chef AJ's House Dressing. I first came across this recipe when I attended a cooking demonstration by Chef AJ in Dublin, Ohio. I bought her book, Unprocessed, and this recipe was on a bookmark she gives out with each book. It's yummy!!

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (Serves 5):

1. 1/2 cup filtered Water
2. 4 tbsp Tahini (whatever brand you can find, bottled varieties tend to congeal less)
3. 6 tbsp Lemon/Lime Juice (fresh or bottled, both work fine)
4. 4 tbsp Low-Sodium Tamari (or Soy Sauce)
5. 4 tbsp Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
6. 8 tbsp Kal Nutritional Yeast
7. 1 tbsp Date Syrup (or 3 whole pitted Medjool dates)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. If using dates instead of date syrup, you may need to pulse a few extra minutes to make sure that the dates are well incorporated. The longer the dressing sits, the dates will imbibe more of the moisture and add to the overall sweetness of the recipe. Transfer to a serving dish, or a storage bottle. I typically make a batch every Sunday and take it with me to work. I split the batch over 5 days in my salad, or if I have some remaining, I do bring it home as it is also great on a baked russet or redskin potato. Enjoy!! This dressing is very reminiscent of a Honey Mustard dressing. Its really yummy on salads as well as on steamed vegetables, including baked or steamed potatoes.

Chef AJ's House Dressing over Steamed Redskin Potatoes

-- more pictures to follow -- 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 156 (Fat Calories 69)
Total Fat 7.6 g; Carbohydrates 18.1 g; Fiber 4.8 g; Sugars 6.2 g; Protein 8.5 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!

Wilted Kale & Peanut Salad

This afternoon, I really wanted some kale and I wanted to try a variation of my usual Wilted Kale and Almond Salad. This is what I came up with on-the-fly and it's a recipe worth sharing. 

Wilted Kale & Peanut Salad

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (2 Servings):

1. 1 large bunch of Kale, stems removed (about 4 cups)
2. 1 Medium Tomato, Sliced
3. 1 oz (approximately, a handful) raw Peanuts 
4. 1 tbsp Naturally More Peanut Butter
5. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
6. 1 tbsp Miso (Yellow or Brown)
7. 2 tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or Soy Sauce)
8. Pepper, to taste
9. Hot Sauce, to taste

Directions:

Remove stems, tear leaves in bite sized pieces and rinse in a bowl of water to remove all traces of dirt. Line a deep pot with water, on medium-high heat, add peanuts and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Then add remaining condiments to the water and mix well (the miso and peanut butter will need some coaxing with a rubber spatula). Once all the condiments are mixed in the water, add a small amount of kale and fold the sauce over it. Add remaining kale and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow kale to wilt (2-5 minutes, it will turn bright green). Once wilted, remove cover, increase heat to high for a couple of minutes to allow excess liquid to evaporate while folding the kale into the remaining sauce. Remove from heat, transfer to two serving dishes and top with sliced tomato, freshly cracked black pepper and hot sauce. Enjoy!! 

My Assessment:

I've been on a raw peanut kick lately. Overall, this dish had a wonderful Asian flavor to it. If you don't like raw peanuts, use roasted peanuts instead but bear in mind that those have a lot of salt in them. I labelled this dish as 'no added salt' because the miso and soy sauce/liquid aminos provide enough umami.  Also, I used Cholula for some added flavor, but this salad would pair very well with Sriracha. 

Nutritional Facts (Per Serving): Calories 220 (Fat Calories 99)
Total Fat 11 g; Carbohydrates 123.5 g; Fiber 5.9 g; Sugars 2.0 g; Protein 12.4 g

Mustard Greens w Balsamic-Glazed Chick Peas

In my efforts to consume more green leafy vegetables, I picked up a big bunch of Kale and a big bunch of Curly Mustard Greens at the store this past weekend. Back home in India we only eat mustard greens in one preparation - Sarson ka Saag which I've posted before and I wanted something different this time. A quick Google search revealed a gem of a recipe by FatFeee Vegan Kitchen. I used it almost to a tee, with one slight modification and one substitution. 

FFVKs Mustard Greens w Balsamic-Glazed Chick peas

Adapted from: FatFree Vegan Kitchen - Balsamic-Glazed Chickpeas and Mustard Greens

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients (2 Big Servings): 

1. 4 cups Mustard Greens
2. 1 medium Red onion, julienned
3. 2 x 15 oz cans of Chickpeas 
4. 2 tsp Garlic powder
5. 1 tsp Deggi Chilli Powder
6. 1/2 teaspoon salt (Optional, I didn't use any)
7. 4 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
8. 4 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy sauce (this is a lot more than the original recipe)
9. 1 tbsp Honey (my substitute for Agave Syrup)
10. 1 tbsp Vegetarian Oyster Sauce (my addition)

Directions:

I pretty much followed the original recipe. Remove stems form mustard greens, tear leaves into bite-sized pieces and wash the leaves well to remove any traces of dirt. Allow to sit in a colander while you prepare the onions. Line a deep pot with water and add garlic powder and deggi chili powder along with julienned onions. Sauté the onion until translucent and then cover with drained mustard greens and cover for 2-5 minutes to allow the greens to wilt to a bright green (do not overcook). Remove greens and onions from the pan with a slotted spoon, allowing them time to drain, and place in a bowl. To the remaining liquid in the pan, add balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, honey and oyster sauce. If there isn't enough liquid (~1/8 cup) in the pan, add more water. Mix ingredients into the broth and add chickpeas. Cook, with occasional stirring, over medium-high heat until the liquid is almost gone and the chickpeas have a nice glaze over them. Once done, remove from heat, spoon the greens into serving plates and top with glazed chickpeas. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and serve warm. The original recipe suggested offering additional balsamic vinegar at the table. 

My Assessment: Loved it!! The chickpeas were great with the balsamic glaze. I think this recipe would go well with any robust greens (kale, collards) but with a more tender green, like baby spinach I think you wouldn't even need to wilt the greens. These could be served over a bed of raw baby spinach. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 474 (Fat Calories 57)
Total Fat 6.3 g; Carbohydrates 84.3 g; Fiber 22.5 g; Sugars 26.1 g; Protein 25.4 g

No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Bites

Recently, I've noted that I crave an occasional bite of chocolate or something sweet in the evenings, or on weekend afternoons at home. Usually, I've been able to curb those cravings with a Medjool Date. The ooey-gooey-caramely taste of dates works (almost) every time. Today I decided to try one of the various no-bake energy recipes I'd been pinning to by Plant-Based Desserts board on Pinterest. This one was one of the first to catch my eye several months ago. Today, it didn't disappoint at all. 

Adapted from: Gimme Some Oven - No Bake Energy Bites

Prep Time: 20-30 min (mostly for rolling the individual bites)

Ingredients (30 Servings):

1. 1 cup Oatmeal* 
2. 1/2 cup Shredded (unsweetened) Dry Coconut 
3. 1/4 cup Sliced Almonds*
4. 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp* Ground Flax Seed Meal  
5. 1/2 cup Non-Dairy (Ghirardelli) Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips
6. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
7. 1/2 cup "Naturally More" Smooth Peanut Butter (with Flax seeds)
8. 1/3 cup Maple Syrup
9. 2 tbsp Honey*
10. 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. and then add the wet ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula so that the peanut butter is evenly distributed. The original recipe calls for 30 min of chilling in the refrigerator but I didn't have the patience and I used rolled the mixture into small balls (~1" in diameter). I got 30 balls out of this recipe. The original recipe calls for refrigerated storage for up to 1 week. I decided to freeze my batch in individual paper truffle cups. That way I won't eat them all at once and I can thaw only what I want when I'm craving a sweet something.

My Assessment: Love these!! The coconut and almonds add chewiness and the chocolate does its own thing. These tasted like a really chewy Oatmeal chocolate chip cookie! Next time I might even consider adding raisins to this recipe. A+++

My Modifications*:

• I used Instant Oats because I'm trying to get rid of a big box. The original recipe calls for Old Fashioned oats, but allows for a bunch of different grains.
• I swapped 1/4 cup coconut with almonds, just because!! :) 
• I added 2 extra tbsp of Flax Seed because that's all I had remaining after adding 1/2 cup. 
• I added 2 tbsp of honey because the mixture still felt dry after adding maple syrup and peanut butter. I used honey instead of more maple syrup as I figured it would add an extra flavor and it is also stickier. 
• I didn't refrigerate as the recipe called for, but it might be a good idea as they do tend to get really messy while rolling. 
• One option for making them less messy would be to roll each ball in shredded/ground coconut or sesame seeds before placing it in its individual candy cup.  

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 76 (Fat Calories 36)
Total Fat 4.0 g; Carbohydrates 8.3 g; Fiber 1.8 g; Sugars 4.2 g; Protein 2.4 g

Tomato & Kale Miso Soup

Those of you who follow my blog regularly probably know already that I've been under the weather the past few days (Sinus infections suck!).  I started the day out so-so but felt significantly better as the day went by. My throat was still sore so I decided to make a rather simple Miso Soup for dinner tonight. I've made it before (see Cremini Miso Soup) and this one is a slight variation on that recipe.  To be quite honest, every miso soup recipe is a slight variation of the last recipe you used. It's just that good :)

Tomato & Baby Kale Miso Soup

Prep Time: 15 min

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 2 large Tomatoes, diced
2. 6 White Mushrooms, sliced thinly
3. 4 cups Baby Kale (~6 oz)
4. 6 cups Water or home-made vegetable broth
5. 4 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
6. 1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
7. 1 tbsp White or Yellow Miso
8. Salt (probably won't need any), to taste
9. Black Pepper, freshly cracked, to taste

Directions:

In a large stock pot, bring tomatoes, broth, mushrooms and kale to a rolling boil. Add soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Turn off heat and mix everything well together. Allow the soupy broth to cool for a couple of minutes and then add miso and stir in really well to dissolve. Let sit for another minute or so and then mix in again to dissolve miso. Taste test for salt (with the miso and soy sauce you probably won't need to add any). Garnish with lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy with freshly baked bread or crackers. 

Miso Soup

My Assessment: Perfect brothy peppery soup for a sore throat! Did you know that Miso is a nutritional powerhouse? During the aging process, basic nutrients in soybeans (or barley, or brown rice) are broken down into their simpler forms. It is packed with amino acids and vitamins and minerals. It is an excellent source of iron, calcium, potassium, B vitamins and protein. It includes all the essential amino acids and is often considered a source of complete protein. Miso also facilitates the body’s absorption of calcium and magnesium. Along with miso, the tomatoes gave it an extra tartness which worked well with the baby kale! And Tony, who swears that he hates kale, lapped up his large serving :) with gusto!!! (wink! I didn't tell him he was consuming kale!)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 107 (Fat Calories 8)
Total Fat 0.9 g; Carbohydrates 20.0 g; Fiber 4.3 g; Sugars 7.0 g; Protein 7.7 g

* Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary tremendously.

Chocolate Chia Pudding

I've been meaning to try Chia pudding for a long time but never really have had the time or the motivation to actually get down and do it. Finally, as I sat at home this morning, waiting for the furnace repair man to show up I decided to give 2 of the recipes, that I'd bookmarked a while ago, a try. Both are essentially the same recipe, with slight variations, so I could compare them against each other. 

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Recipe Adapted from food.com (my modifications are in Red):

1. 1 cup Almond milk
2. 2 tbsp (3 tbsp) Chia seeds
3. 1 tsp Cocoa powder 
4. 1/4 tsp Cinnamon 
5. 1/2 tsp (2 tbsp + 1 tsp) Maple syrup (to taste)

Recipe Adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen (my modifications are in Red):

1. 1 cup Non-dairy (Almond) milk 
2. 3 tbsp Chia seeds
3. 1 tsp Vanilla extract 
4. 2 tsp Cocoa powder
5. Sweetener of choice (to taste) 
6. (2 tbsp + 1 tsp) Maple syrup
7. 1/2 to 1 cup raspberries, cherries, or other fruit, plus additional for garnish (optional)

Mix everything except Chia seeds and blend until cocoa is well mixed in the almond milk. Add dry Chia seeds to the container you will be using to set the pudding and pour the wet ingredients on top. Using a whisk, mix well so all the seeds are well soaked. Refrigerate for an hour, remove, re-whisk and then leave to set until ready to serve. ummmm .... fail! I left both puddings in the fridge for about 6 hours. Neither set or thickened enough to be considered pudding. So ... I mixed them both together into one bowl. Added an additional 2 tbsp Chia seeds, mixed it all together ... and back in the fridge! So here's my final recipe:

Prep Time: 5 min + 2-3 hours in the fridge (to set).

Ingredients (8 servings):

1. 2 cups Almond milk
2. 8 tbsp Chia seeds (whole)
3. 3 tsp Cocoa powder (optional)
4. 1.5 tsp Vanilla extract
5. 1/4 tsp Cinnamon 
6. 6 tbsp Maple syrup (add more to taste)

Directions:

Pulse almond milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon and maple syrup in a blender until smooth. Add Chia seeds to a glass dish and pour the wet ingredients on top. Using a whisk, mix well until all the seeds are well soaked. Refrigerate for an hour, remove, re-whisk and then leave to set until ready to serve (2-3 hours).

My Assessment: I liked it, with some reservations. The pudding was quite thick with my final recipe. It definitely didn't get to be as thick as store-bought chocolate pudding, but it was sweet and gooey and the flavor blended really well with the red raspberries. I liked the little crunch added by the Chia seeds, which is something T didn't like at all. But he's not a big fan of Chia seeds anyways. The recipe should easily be halved or quartered depending upon how many servings you want to make. I did come to the realization that I don't really enjoy the taste of raw cocoa powder. I would probably have loved this pudding if it was plain vanilla. I've crossed out the cinnamon because the only reason it was in my recipe was because I combined my 2 original recipes after my first attempt at setting both of them failed.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 128 (Fat Calories 52)

Total Fat 5.8 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 18.5 g; Dietary Fiber 5.5 g; Sugars 10.8 g; Protein 3.4 g

Comments & Tips: One of the other herbie ladies on Facebook told me that it helps if you leave the whole mixture sitting on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes before mixing, and refrigerating. It helps the Chia seeds expand more. Next time I'll be giving that a try!

Recipe Suggestion: Here's another recipe for Chia pudding that I came across after I had already started these 2 batches. I love the idea of using dates instead of maple syrup (its a more 'whole food' sugar).

The Kitchen Sink Soup

Cold winter days call for a heartwarming soup and some home-made bread. I got wish #1 today. My husband coined the term The Kitchen Sink Soup - according to him ... "Its got everything in it, but the kitchen sink!" ... well yes, it is kind of true. I always use the same basic recipe and it works like a charm, every time, no matter what you put in it. 

The Kitchen Sink Soup

Prep Time: 20-30 min

Ingredients:*

1. 2 cups Protein (Red Kidney Beans, Black beans, Chick Peas, Various Lentils)
2. 2 cups Vegetables (Onion, Spinach, Green Beans, Corn, Peas, Carrots, Kale, Celery)
3. 1/2 cup Starch (Red Potatoes, White Potatoes, Brown Rice, Wild Rice, Barley, Quinoa, Noodles)
4. 1/2 cup Mushrooms (white, cremini, shiitake, portabella, oyster)
5. 4-6 cups Vegetable broth
6. 6-8 Dry Sun-dried Tomatoes (I buy the Whole foods 365 brand), sliced/diced.
7. 1 tbsp Minced garlic
8. 1 tbsp Miso (Barley or Soy).
9. Pepper, to taste.

Directions:

Line a stock pot with vegetable broth and add garlic. Once the garlic begins to release its aroma, add remaining ingredients (except Miso). Bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until whatever starch you've added are done. When I use beans and/or chickpeas, I typically use canned. When I use lentils, I tend to use red lentils which are quick-cooking. Once starches are done cooking, turn off heat and add miso. I used Barley miso today. I typically don't discriminate between various kinds of Miso and use them interchangeably in my recipes. Do a quick taste test and if needed added more broth (as needed) and miso for flavor, or salt (if you prefer). Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and serve steaming hot. 

The Kitchen Sink Soup

Today, I used Red kidney beans, Baby spinach, Red Onion, Green Beans, White mushrooms and a blend of Brown and Wild rice. Umm Umm Good!! 

Wish #2 (homemade bread) will be granted soon ... Santa brought me a B&D Bread Maker!!! Yeah!!!

* This is a 'no added salt' recipe i.e. no salt is added over and above what is already in the condiments. In this soup, all the salt is coming from Miso and the sun-dried tomatoes add a lot of flavor, thereby reducing the need for additional salt. 

Balsamic Braised Beets

So after a year of psyching myself, I finally bought some beets over this past weekend. Somehow, I've been ultra nervous about trying them. I just don't good beet memories from my childhood. Over the past several months, I've had them on my new veggie list and I finally decided to pick up a bunch when I came across this  rather old article about the health benefits of beets. It may be a few years old, but the information has not changed much. Beetroot today becomes New Veggie #55.

Balsamic Braised Beets

Prep Time: 20-25 min

Ingredients:

1. 1 bunch beets (pick the small ones)
2. 1/2 cup diced white onions
3. 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar
4. 4-6 Basil leaves, diced
5. Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Scrub beets using a vegetable brush and cut off green tops and tips. Cut into halves or quarters (try and keep all the pieces the same size). Add balsamic vinegar and onions to a cast-iron skillet and allow onions to wilt. 

Turn heat on high and move onions to the sides of the skillet. As the skillet heats up, place beets directly onto the hot surface to allow them to sear. Then add a splash (or two) of water, mix everything together so the onions are spread evenly in the pan again. Reduce heat to medium, cover and let simmer. After 10 min, turn each piece over, cover and continue to simmer until beets are fork tender. Mine took about 16 min today. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and fresh basil leaves.

My Assessment: While I liked the flavors of the onions and balsamic, mixed with the fresh basil, I must clarify that this preparation of beets did nothing to endear the beet to me. I'm not a big fan of radishes and beets gave me that same pungent aftertaste which I am not a fan of. So for me, this was a so-so recipe. 

Miso & Garlic Tofu Stir-Fry

In my humble opinion, a stir-fry is the easiest way to consume fresh vegetables in a hot dish without losing too much of the nutritional value (as opposed to eating the raw veggies). I often make quick stir fries out of whatever veggies and/or mushrooms I have handy, and have in the past often used commercially-made Asian sauces such as Vegetarian Thai Peanut Sauce or Vegetarian Oyster Sauce. While these sauces are great, they do contain a lot of added sodium and also the mystery ingredient "natural flavors". So today, I tried to make a stir-fry which was made with simpler ingredients and didn't have anything I couldn't identify in my pantry. 

Miso & Garlic Tofu Stir-Fry

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients*:

1. 1 block (14oz) Extra-Firm Tofu, pressed** and diced
2. 2 bunches of Scallions (white parts halved and leaves separated)
3. 1 cup Baby carrots, thinly sliced, if needed
4. 2 large Oyster Mushrooms, sliced
5. 6-8 White mushrooms, sliced
6. 2 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
7. 1 tbsp White Miso
8. 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
9. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
10. 1 cup (or less) Vegetable broth
11. Pepper, to taste.
12. Brown Rice, steamed, 1 cup

Directions: 

Mix miso in about an 1/8 to a 1/4 cup of vegetable broth until completely dissolved. Set aside. If your rice is not previously steamed, fill a stock pot with water and add rice, and set it to boil on the back burner, once the water comes to a rolling boil, reduce heat to medium-high and allow to simmer until the rice is tender. Drain and rinse, like pasta. Set aside.  While the rice is boiling, line a large skillet (or wok, if you have one!) with broth. On high or medium-high heat, and add ginger-garlic paste and the extra garlic (for the extra oomph!). Once these release their aroma, add soy sauce and immediately add all the vegetables and a splash of vegetable broth. Stir fry for a couple of minutes until vegetables are done (to your taste) and add the diced tofu, toss well. Generally, I like to leave the vegetables just a tad crunchy and don't let them become fork tender. Mix well. Turn off heat (but leave the pan on the stove). Add Miso/broth mix and stir everything together. Cover and let sit for 2 minutes to allow the miso to release its flavors and for the tofu to absorb as much of the flavors as it can. Serve over steamed brown rice. Garnish with freshly sliced scallions and freshly cracked black pepper. 

Miso & Garlic Tofu Stir-Fry

My Assessment: Umm Umm Good!!! I had 2 huge guilt-free bowls tonight and I have enough leftovers to  take for lunch tomorrow. This recipe makes 4 good size servings. T tried the last serving and picked at it because he's not a fan of tofu.  

* This is a no-added-salt recipe. The soy sauce and miso had so much flavor and natural salt that I didn't add, or feel the need for, any salt at all.

** Press tofu between kitchen towels, with a weight on top for 5-10 min. This removes excess liquids and then the tofu tends to absorb fluids from the vegetables and the sauce and takes on a lot more flavor.  

Overnight Pumpkin Oats

Oatmeal has been described as some as the Breakfast of Champions. Unlike my DH who thinks Oats are for horses, I actually like Oatmeal but have often avoided eating it for breakfast mainly because of the convenience of my green smoothie. This weekend, I decided that it was high time I got back to oats, if only for the weekends :) !!! Here's an excellent blog post about Oats and Avenanthramides - polyphenolic antioxidants found in oats which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, and anti-itching activity, and have been implicated to provide additional protection against coronary heart disease, colon cancer, and skin irritation. Here's another peer-reviewed article which discusses the effect of avenanthramide on inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation.

Here's a recipe that's been floating around the New Herbies Page on Facebook. Don't know who to credit for it, but its great!! 

Overnight Oats

Prep Time: 2 min

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup Rolled Oats
2. 1 cup Non-Dairy Milk (unsweetened)
3. 2-3 tbsp 100% Pure Pumpkin puree
4. 1 banana
5. 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix
6. 1 tbsp Vegan Chocolate chips (optional)
7. 1 tbsp Dried berries (blueberries, raisins, craisins) (optional)

Directions: 

Mix the first 3 ingredients and store overnight in the refrigerator. Next morning, mix well, add Pumpkin Pie spice mix and sliced banana. Add the chocolate chips and berries (optional). Enjoy!! 

Steamed Broccoli & Rice

Some days are meant for a light, quick-fix dinner. This one literally took me 10 minutes to make, from scratch. I wasn't in the mood to cook, so this was a perfect solution. 100% plant-based; 100% fat-free; 100% delish :) !! I like this dish because it gives me the flavors of Chinese food, right here at home. If you're not a big fan of oyster sauce, substitute with your favorite (ready-to-eat) sauce. 

Steamed Broccoli & Rice

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients:

1. A head of fresh Broccoli
2. 1 bag of  Kroger Boil-in-Bag Parboiled Brown Rice 
3. 2 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
4. 1 tbsp Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
5. Pepper, to taste.

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to boil and add the bag of brown rice. Allow to simmer for 7-8 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, rinse Broccoli and cut into bite-sized florets. Steam for 5 minutes using an electric or stove-top steamer bucket. Allow to stand for a couple of minutes. Drain rice and transfer into 2 bowls. Drizzle 1 tbsp Soy sauce over each bowl of rice, toss once; add steaming broccoli on top, and then drizzle each bowl with 1/2 tbsp of vegetarian oyster sauce. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy!! 

Dijon Roasted Carnival Squash

In my quest to try new veggies this year, I think my favorite season so far is Fall. My husband however, is convinced that I'm going to eat all the decorations - since I'm trying as many new kinds of squash. Today's variety is Carnival Squash - New Veggie #47. 

Dijon Roasted Carnival Squash

Prep Time: 50 min, including roasting.

Ingredients:

1. 1 Carnival Squash 
2. 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
3. 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
4. 1 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
5. 1 tsp Thyme leaves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Wash and dry the outside of the squash. Using a sharp knife, cut the squash into 2 halves from the stem to the bottom. Remove the seeds and other fleshy material from the hollow part. Place cut side down in an oven-safe dish, with a thin layer of water and roast until a pin inserted into the thickest part glides in smoothly. The one I had today (about 5 inches in diameter) took ~35 min. 

In a small bowl, mix Dijon mustard, maple syrup and soy sauce. Once the Squash is tender, turn face up, brush liberally with the prepared sauce and return to the oven for 15 min. Once during this time, remove the squash and spread the sauce all around again. 

Bake until dry. Let sit for 5 minutes, and then slice into wedges. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and freshly cracked pepper. Serve with some extra sauce to drizzle on top if the squash feels too dry.

My Assessment: Um Um GOOD!! The Dijon mustard added just a little bit of pungent spiciness which is toned down by the sweetness of the maple syrup. I used the soy sauce mainly for the color and I could not taste it at all in this recipe. I'll try this again for sure!

Roasted Belgian Endives

So here's New Veggie #44 - Belgian Endives. I've been noticing them in the store for a few weeks and finally decided to pick some up. I got on Google and mostly I found a lot of cold salad and appetizer recipes, but then I googled it again with 'Roasted' - surely, someone must eat these after they're cooked and viola .. I found this Three Tastes with a recipe that looked adaptable to my no-oil, no meat preferences.  

Roasted Belgian Endive

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients*:

1. 3-4 Belgian Endives, halved or quartered, depending upon the size
2. 1 tbsp whole wheat bread bread crumbs
3. 2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast (or Parmesan cheese, if you eat dairy)
4. 1 tbsp freeze dried Basil
5. 3-4 leaves of fresh Basil
6. 1/4 cup Vegetable Broth

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375F. Mix bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, basil in a small bowl. Drop half a teaspoon of olive oil in a casserole/baking dish and use a paper towel to grease the whole dish and basically wipe off any excess oil leaving only a very slight layer of oil on the dish. Layer the endives, cut size up in a baking dish and sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper.

Pour vegetable broth in a slow stream over the endives, making sure to get a little bit on each piece. Most of the broth will pool at the bottom of the dish, which is fine. Add a thick layer of the dry ingredient mix on the endives. Cover with foil and bake for 15 min. After 15 min, remove foil, and broil on low, uncovered for another 15 min. The breadcrumbs become golden and crispy and the endives start to caramelize at the edges. Garnish with fresh basil and serve. I served these with hot sauce. 

My Assessment: This is the first time I've tried using nutritional yeast in a baked dish and it brings a lovely cheesy flavor to the dish. I really liked the endives too. I didn't think they were bitter, maybe because they had started to caramelize. Furthermore, the roasting process didn't make them limp and soggy, but they retained their crispness ... !! I'd definitely try these again! 

* This is a no-added-salt recipe. The nutritional yeast had so much flavor that I didn't add, or feel the need for, any salt at all. 

Gimme More ... Sautéed Mushrooms

I never met a mushroom I didn't love. I often sautéed mushrooms as a topping for my mashed potato, baked potato etc. This is definitely a Gimme More recipe.

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients:

1. 4-5 Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced
2. 3-4 Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
3. 1/4 cup Almond Milk
4. 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
5. 1-2 tsp Soy Sauce
6. 1 tbsp Vegetarian Oyster Sauce

Directions:

Line a skillet with milk and add ginger-garlic paste. Once fragrant, add mushrooms, and condiments and sauté until mushrooms are done. Serve over rice. 

Tonight, I served these over a bed of Cauliflower Rice. The sauce, and all the lovely flavors in it, was soaked up immediately by the cauliflower. I also had a side of Wilted Kale which worked beautifully with these mushrooms. 

LOVE LOVE LOVE Mushrooms! 

Home-made Vegetable Broth

Since I became plant-based a little over 7 months ago, I've also been pretty much on a no-added-fat diet. Essentially what the means is that I don't use ANY oil whatsoever in my cooking. I use several non-fat liquids like juice, wine, nut milk, water and vegetable broth. One of my favorite brands of Vegetable Broth is Kitchen Basics. Their Unsalted Vegetable Stock is made from onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, red peppers and tomato paste. It does however, have the mystery ingredient 'natural flavors'. Now from what I understand, natural flavors could be just about anything - including non-plant-based products. Quite honestly, I've not worried about it at all and have used it when I needed to use vegetable broth. But it does contain 240 mg of Sodium per cup of broth. 

I'm part of a 'New Herbies' group on FB and just this past weekend another member posted a picture of how she was making vegetable stock at home, from her vegetable scraps (a big shout out to Lori Pacheco). Immediately, I was interested. This seemed like a wonderful idea. I already make sure that I wash my fruits and vegetable really well before I cut into them. Here's a great post on cleaning fruits and veggies (Happy Herbivore). I simply use a vegetable brush. I started a gallon ziploc bag in the freezer and put all my vegetable and even fruit scraps in this bag. In 4 days, I had a full bag. I had stems (purple kale, mushrooms, mint, cilantro, cauliflower, broccoli) and ends (onion, tomato, cucumber, carrot, celery and strawberry) and even the core of a couple of fruits (apples and pears).  

Tonight I put all the scraps in a large pot, covered everything with 9 cups of water and added 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste, 2-3 bay leaves, 1 small stick of cinnamon, 4 cloves, 2 large cardamoms, a big bunch of fresh Sage, 2 tbsp worth of fresh Thyme and at least a 1/2 cup worth of fresh Oregano. Once the water was boiling, I reduced the heat t a simmer, covered the pot and let it simmer on the stove for an hour. After that, I simply strained the veggies out using a large colander. The final product was this tasty, LOW SODIUM, fragrant vegetable broth!! From 9 cups of water, I got about 7 cups of broth. I divided it up into 4 tupper are containers and it is all in my freezer now, waiting to be used for my next exciting recipe :) LOVE it!!! 

Update: Ever since I got an electric pressure cooker, I now use that for making broth. I collect all my scraps and when my gallon bag is full, I add 8 cups of water to the full bag of frozen veggies and cook under high pressure for 10 min. I then let the steam dissipate and I can get almost the full 8 cups of broth back, and depending upon the kind of veggie/fruit scraps I had, sometimes more. I also make sure that I squeeze out as much liquid as I can from the veggie scraps - I just use a potato masher and press down on the veggies with  it. There is so much fiber that they don't get mashed but they release a lot of water they're holding. The best part about home-made broth - it tastes like the fruits and veggies I already like. :)

3 Rice, 3 Berry, 3 Herb Salad

Summer Days call for chilled salads, Summer Days are Berry Days, and Summer Days are Fresh Herb Days as well. We had a 3x Birthday party in the family today and I wanted to make sure I had a plant-based dish to take along. I wanted to try Chef AJ's Quinoa Salad with Currants and Pistachios - but our niece is allergic to nuts and I wasn't sure if she'd ever been tested for Quinoa. But now, my mind was hooked on to memory of that salad :) !!! I decided to make a variation of it. Here's what I came up with. 

3 Rice & 3 Berry Salad

Prep Time: Overall 30 min, or so in 2 stages.

Ingredients: 

1. 1/2 cup White Basmati Rice
2. 1/2 cup Brown Basmati Rice
3. 2-3 tbsp Long grain Wild Rice
4. 2-3 tbsp Raisins
5. 1 cup fresh Red Raspberries
6. 1 cup fresh Blackberries
7. 1 cup fresh Strawberries
8. 2 tbsp Agave Syrup, or Honey
9. 1/8 cup Soy milk
10. 2 tbsp fresh chopped Basil, 
11. 2 tbsp fresh chopped Mint 
12. 2 tbsp fresh chopped Oregano

Directions: 

Boil rice, all 3 kinds together, in ample amounts of water until tender. Add the raisins to the boiling water for the last 2 minutes (this helps plump them up!). Drain and spread thinly on a cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (chill completely). Meanwhile wash and drain berries and slice strawberries and set aside. Put Agave syrup (or honey) in a small microwave safe bowl with the non-dairy milk and heat for 10 seconds to dissolve it in the milk. Once rice is chilled, move to a mixing bowl, add agave/milk mixture and toss well. Add chopped herbs and berries and give a final toss. Do a quick taste check - the rice should be just slightly sweet - add more 'agave in milk' if needed.

Cover and chill until ready to serve. The longer it sits, the better the flavors combine - the berry flavors and juices penetrate the rice, the herbs release their essential oils and flavor the rice and the berries! This is a salad where the wonderful aromas invite you to dig in.

My Assessment:  Loved it. What's not to like! The family liked it too :)

Seitan & Miso Soup

Even in the middle of summer, some days I crave soup. My sister is a soup-fiend. She always wants more. I'm not as bad as her but a good soup gets me all excited about my dinner. I've been thinking for a few days about making a Miso soup and finally got around to it today. Since this is the first Miso-based recipe I've made, I'm also going to use this opportunity to assign Miso to my new veggie list as New Veggie #35. In addition to Miso, I had 2 other lovely ingredients that also made it to my new veggie list: Seitan - New Veggie #36 and Kombu - New Veggie #37.  At some time in the past 6 months, my new veggie list has been transformed into my New Plant-Based Products :) and that's okay. I'm still exploring and finding new veggies to try and then I come across ingredients such as Seitan and Kombu .. which I've never tried before and which need to be on the list!! 

Seitan & Miso Soup

Prep Time: 20-30 min

Ingredients:

1. 4 cups of water
2. 1/3 cup White Miso
3. 2 Baby Bok Choy, stalks chopped
4. 6-8 oz White mushrooms, quartered
5. 1/2 cup shredded carrots
6. 1-2 inch piece of Kombu (optional)
7. 8 oz Cubed Seitan 
8. 2-4 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
9. 1 tbsp Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
10. Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add miso to the pot and turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Once miso is dissolved, slowly add mushrooms, carrots, kombu, soy and oyster sauce and allow to simmer. Then, add chopped stalks of bok choy and save the leaves for later. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. For the last 2-3 minutes add seitan cubes and leaves of bok choy. Garnish with freshly chopped black pepper and Enjoy!!

Seitan Miso Soup

My Assessment: I LOVED IT!!! No rugrat assessment today!! Didn't want anything to do with it :) !! Seitan tasted a lot like boiled chicken to me ... somewhat chewy and hearty. I loved the flavor of white miso in this soup - savory and sharp, almost like a sharp cheddar (maybe I'm crazy ;-)!!) ... and the Kombu imparted the flavors of the sea ... !! Great combination of ingredients overall. 

Herb Fresh Quinoa Pasta

I started a herb garden this year and right now, despite constant and very regular pruning, I've got an herb-garden-gone-wild situation. An abundance of Basil, a ton of oregano, insane amounts of mint and spearmint and a sage bush :) The only 2 that aren't going so crazy are the rosemary and the cilantro. Anyhow, I knew that I wanted to use a lot of 'something' for dinner tonight, and this is the concoction I came up with. Pretty darned good if I may say so myself!! :)

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients: 

1. 1 10oz Pk Ancient Harvest Quinoa Spaghetti
2. 1 16oz bag of frozen french-cut Green beans (or use fresh beans).
3. 1 tsp minced garlic
4. 1/2 to 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
5. 1/8 cut fresh chopped Basil and Oregano
6. 1-2 tsp white Miso
7. 1/4 cup Daiya Mozzarella style shreds
8. Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Boil spaghetti according to package directions and set aside. In a skillet, add a third of a cup of non-dairy milk and add minced garlic and Miso. Once the milk begins to boil and the miso dissolves, add green beans and cook on medium until tender.  Then add the remaining milk and bring to a quick boil. Add most of the cheese to the milk and allow a minute or so to melt. Then add spaghetti and give it all a good toss. Cover and let sit for a few minutes to allow the spaghetti to absorb any remaining liquid. Uncover, mix chopped herbs in and give another quick toss. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and salt, if needed, and top off with mozzarella shreds.  I didn't add any salt at all today as the Miso provided quite a bit and the dish had a slightly sweet refreshing flavor of the fresh herbs. I tried Miso for the first time today and loved the sharp cheesy flavor it imparted to the dish. Um Um Good!! 

Coder Household Assessment: Li'l Nik loved it!!  More than the pasta, he picked green beans from his plate. Tony had enjoyed this dish so much the first time I made it that he actually requested I make it again today!! Overall, a hit!!

What is Miso? Happy Herbivore has done a couple of different posts about it. Here's a link. 

Red, White & Blue Smoothie

For the past few weeks, I've started my day with a Green Smoothie. I've given up my morning coffee (although I still drink a couple of cups of tea a day). Its a super-refreshing start to the day and I love knowing that I'm starting the day with a boost of antioxidants and vitamins and minerals. Here's my standard single-serve recipe. Today's patriotic version is full of Red, White and Blue goodness!! 

I typically make it in a tumbler that I can take in the car with me. For the first couple of weeks, I used a stick blender which works just great if the fruit is fresh. For the last week, I've used my new Ninja Pro Blender, which comes with 2 single-serve blender cups/tumblers. The Ninja works great with frozen fruits as well and is much quicker. 

Red, White & Blue (Green) Smoothie

Mix Red Strawberries (4-6 pieces), White Almond Milk (1/2 cup) and Blueberries (10-15 pieces) in a tumbler with one pitted date (optional) and fill the rest of the tumbler (between 1/2 to 3/4) with Baby Spinach. Add ice, if needed. Blend and Enjoy!! Happy Independence Day!!!

Recipe Update (December 12, 2012): For an especially nutty flavor, add 2 tbsps of Chia Seeds to the smoothie. Umm Umm good!

HH "Cheater" Pad Thai

So last night, there was just Nik and I at home and I wanted a quick dinner for the two of us. The li'l guy hadn't had a nap all day, so I also needed something that would go down relatively easily i.e. it needed to be a favorite ... and noodles, in any form, generally do the trick. I settled for HH "Cheater" Pad Thai.  

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients*:

1. 1 small red onion, julienned
2. 1/2 cup shredded carrots
3. 6-8 white mushrooms, sliced
4. 1/2 cup frozen green beans
5. 2 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
6. A double batch of HH Cheater Pad Thai Sauce** 
7. 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed/crumbled. 
8. 1 cup Quinoa Pasta (Spaghetti) 

HH Cheater Pad Thai

Directions:

Line a skillet with water and saute Ginger-Garlic paste followed by all the veggies. Separately boil pasta noodles and set aside. Once the veggies are ready, add sauce and allow to coat all the veggies. Add noodles and toss everything together. Garnish with roasted crushed peanuts! Slurp!! 

Nik's Reaction: As I said at the start, any kind of noodles are a big hit! He ate a nice big helping and apple on the side too! I'm quite sure that slurping noodles is probably one of his favorite activities.

* A 'no added salt' recipe i.e. no salt is added over and above what is already in the condiments.
** Since I was cooking for a 3-year old, I skipped both the chili and the hot sauce.