Asparagus quiche.

This vegan quiche is particularly wonderful in the summertime when asparagus is in season and grilling always sounds like a good idea. Feel free to use this recipe all throughout the year, though, and substitute whatever fresh veggies you have on hand!

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 80 minutes

Yield: One 9" Quiche

Ingredients:

• For the Grilled Asparagus:
• 1/2 pound fresh asparagus
• Olive oil, for brushing
• Salt and pepper
• For the Quiche:
• 8 ounces block-style dairy-free cheese of your choice, crumbled
• 2 12.3-ounce packages firm silken tofu, drained
• 1/2 cup plain soy milk or almond milk
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 3 T. finely ground cashews
• 3 T. cornstarch
• 3 T. dairy-free cream cheese, such as Tofutti
• 1 t. salt
• 1/2 t. freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1/2 t. onion powder
• 1/4 t. turmeric

Preparation:

1. Grill the asparagus. Heat the grill to high heat. Brush the asparagus spears with olive oil. Lightly salt and pepper, and grill for about 5 minutes, or until just lightly browned and still crisp. Remove from the grill, cut into pieces and set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a 9" pie plate and set aside.

3. Prepare the quiche. Sprinkle about 1/2 of the crumbled dairy-free cheese in the bottom of the pie plate. Spread the asparagus on top of the crumbled dairy-free cheese. Set aside. In a blender, process the tofu, soy milk, nutritional yeast, ground cashews, cornstarch, dairy-free cream cheese, salt, freshly ground pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and turmeric until smooth. Stir in the the remaining crumble dairy free cheese using a wooden spoon. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate.

4. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean. Serve warm or cold

CHEF'S NOTE:

I used a pie crust with this, and only one tbsp plain flour.  It worked really well.  I also added two tbsp of white miso to make it creamy and salty.  IT WAS THE SHIZZ I MEAN IT.

Carrot and coconut salad.

Ingredients

Serves: 4

• 4 medium carrots (about 500 g) peeled, cut into matchsticks
• 3⁄4 cup (60 g) Italian parsley leaves
• 4 tablespoons shredded coconut, toasted
• 3 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted, chopped
• 3 tablespoons sultanas
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin, toasted

Preparation method

Prep: 15 minutes

1.

Place carrots, parsley, coconut, hazelnuts and sultanas in a medium serving bowl.

2.

Combine oil, juice and cumin and stir into salad. Divide salad among individual serving bowls.

Ginger miso dressing.

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp soyaki (or more soy sauce)

1 tbsp (yellow, mild) miso

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp fresh, grated ginger

2 tsp sesame oil

CHEF'S NOTE: I made this today and poured it over soba noodles, blanched broccolini and snow peas.  To top it off I added Teriyaki tofu, avocado, cherry tomatoes and coriander.  IT WAS FUCKING BRILLIANT.

Carla's blue cheezly gnocchi with broccolini.

From Easy As Vegan Pie.

ingredients
yields 4 medium meals
1 carton of Isola rice cooking cream
1/2 stick of blue cheezly, grated
gnocchi for 4 people*
1/2 bunch of broccolini, sliced thinly


method
1. Heat the rice cream on low and add the blue cheezly, it should be all melted and hot by the time the gnocchi has finished cooking.

2. Throw the gnocchi in salted boiling water, when it rises to the top its cooked.

3. Toss the gnocchi in the sauce and add the broccolini. The heat will be enough to cook the broccolini.

notes: Store bought dried gnocchi is vegan, I use 2 handfuls per person for a serving.
style points: For extra deliciousness add 1/4 block of smoked tofu, cubed small to the heated cream sauce.

Soba Noodle Broth.

Chef's note - I used bok choy in this, and added 2 tbsp of mirin, as well as 3/4 tbsp sugar.    I also sauteed the vegetables slightly before adding the stock.

The more ginger you use, the better it is.  Serve with hot chili sauce and tamari on the table so people may add accoutrements as they see fit.

Ingredients

• Around 4 Oz packet of Buckwheat Soba Noodles, cooked as per packet instructions
• 3-4 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 1 liter of water or vegetable stock
• 1 cup snow peas, cut into thin strips
• 1 large carrot, cut into thin strips
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3-4 spring onions, sliced
• Less than 1 inch piece of ginger, cut into julienne strips
• 2-3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (or as per taste)
• Few cilantro sprigs for garnish
• Salt if needed, to taste

Method

1

Once the noodles are cooked, drain and rinse it lightly with cold water. set aside.

2

Meanwhile, combine the water/stock, mushrooms, snow peas, carrot, garlic,onions and ginger in a saucepan. bring it to a boil and then simmer in low heat for few more minutes until vegetables are tender.

3

Add the soy sauce and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

4

Divide the noodles among soup bowls.

5

Ladle the hot liquid on top of the noodles

and Serve Hot garnished with cilantro. You can add few tbsp of mirin or sake  along the soy sauce if using.

Kickass never-fail roasted Japanese mushrooms.

1/8 cup olive oil 1/8 cup sesame oil 4-5 tablespoons tamari 2 glugs and 1 splash of white wine

Stir vigorously as the ingredients tend to separate. Set aside. Take a pound of fresh, whole Shiitake mushrooms. Cut the stems from the caps. Place gills facing up. Do not slice mushrooms. (The stems can be dried and used for a soup base or discarded.) Pour the above sauce onto the mushrooms and stir, making sure the gills become saturated with the sauce. In a 350° F oven, bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes.

Watermelon with lime and maple syrup.

Ingredients

1 watermelon, chilled and sliced

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Zest from one lime

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup mint, chopped

Cooking Directions

Place the watermelon slices on a decorative platter. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, zest and maple syrup. Drizzle over the slices of watermelon. Sprinkle the mint over the slices of dressed watermelon and serve immediately.

Lentil Shepherd's Pie.

Recipe: Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Mash

ingredients:

• 1 cup lentils, green or French, rinsed
• 2 lbs potatoes or sweet potato (I used 3 large potatoes and 1 sweet potato)
• 2 Tablespoons Nuttelex
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspooon apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon ketchup
• 5 drops Tabasco sauce
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn
• Salt and pepper

method:

1. Place lentils in a medium pot and cover with an inch of cold water. Add a pinch of salt, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes until cooked. It is okay if they are not completely cooked, they will cook further later. Drain.
2. While lentils are cooking, peel and roughly chop potatoes. Place in a pot and cover with cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt to the water and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender.
3. Drain potatoes and mash. Add Nuttelex and soy milk and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
4. Heat oil in a medium pot and add chopped onion. Sautée for a few minutes until soft. Add cumin, thyme, cooked lentils, vinegar, ketchup, tabasco sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
5. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring lentils to a simmer. Cook for another five minutes or so, stirring often, to let the flavors come together.

assembly:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place seasoned lentils in the bottom of a medium baking dish. Spread to cover the bottom. Top with corn kernels. Add mashed potatoes on top and spread evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes until heated through. Serve hot.

CHEF'S* NOTE:

I cooked the lentils for much longer than 20 minutes...added more water/stock, a little tamari (as I like things very salty), another tbsp of tomato sauce for sweetness, and about 1 1/2 tbsp of tomato paste.  Kept adding water until everything was soft and mixed together.  Also added mushrooms to this recipe - they're 'meat for vegetarians', according to that offensively jaunty commercial.

*That's right, on this blog I refer to myself as 'chef'.  What's it to you?

Japanese feast from last Monday's Q and A night.

Vegan okonomiyaki

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vegie stock powder
• 1 tablespoon miso paste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup water (or more)
• 1/4 savoy or red cabbage, chopped
• 1/2 brown onion, diced
• 5 spring onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1/4 carrot, diced finely
• vegan mayonnaise and tonkatsu sauce

Method

1. Mix up batter by putting the flour, baking powder, stock, soy sauce and miso in a large mixing bowl. Add water until a pancake-like batter consistency has been reached.
2. Add the vegetable fillings (cabbage, brown onion, garlic and carrot, but you could use any vegetables) and mix through the batter.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan and spoon batter into the pan. Cook on both sides until slightly golden (about 2 minutes both sides).
4. Serve with tonkatsu sauce or tomato sauce and mayo with chopped spring onions sprinkled on top and cucumber on the side.
5. This recipe makes enough for 4 savory pancakes. Double the recipe and use 1/2 small cabbage to feed 4 people dinner.

Vegan okonomiyaki sauce

Makes about 1/2 cup

What You Need:

• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

What You Do:

1. In a small saucepan, mix together all ingredients until smooth. Bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Turn heat down to low and simmer for a minute and a half and serve warm.

Teriyaki tempeh

1 pack of tempeh, about 8 oz
1 T oil

1/4 c honey (or brown sugar if you're vegan)

1/4 c soy sauce (gf)

1/4 c rice vinegar

1 chopped up hot chili, or 1/2 t chili flakes

2 T sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4" piece of ginger, skinned and grated

Cut up the tempeh into thin strips, then cut in half. Heat up the oil in a large pan, and toss in the tempeh. Cook about ten minutes, flipping each slice after a few minutes when the first side is browned. Stir together the sauce ingredients, and pour over the tempeh. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Serve over brown rice. 

PLUS:

Broccoli salad with sesame dressing.

I blanched two heads of broccoli and ran them under cold water.  Toasted some slivered almonds under the grill.  Tossed these with the dressing, then added some diced avocado right at the end.  IT WAS VERY GOOD ACTUALLY.

DRESSING.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp ground white sesame seeds

Preparation:

1. Mix rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl.
2. Add ground sesame seeds and sesame oil in the dressing and stir together.

Spring Vegetable Soup.

SPRING VEGETABLE SOUP (from Sunday Life, 11/09/11)

25g Nuttelex
1 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks (white part and 5 cm green part only, cut into 1cm slices)
1 bulb fennel, finely diced
3 potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
sea salt and black pepper
1 litre Massel chicken stock
1 bunch asparagus, sliced into small discs (leave tips intact)
1 cup fresh shelled green peas (I used frozen)
dollop vegan pesto


Place butter, oil, leek, fennel, potato, garlic and 1/2 tsp salt in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook, covered, for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until leeks are softened and potatoes are just cooked.  Add chicken stock and bring to the boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer.

Add asparagus and peas, and simmer for five minutes longer or until vegetables are just tender.

Season to taste, then serve with a dollop of fresh pesto.