From Veganomicon 10th Anniversary Edition by Moskowitz and Romero 2017
My sister-in-law loved the initial version of this book, published 10 years ago. So when I noticed this on the new book shelf at the library, I pulled it out. The beautiful photos, and the interesting but not too complicated / not too many ingredient recipes drew me in.
This recipe is different from most other dips, in that it is creamy, but without any dairy products. The cashews and cucumbers, softened and diluted with a minimal amount of oil and some fresh lemon juice did the trick. The dip was perfect with veggies, soft tortilla or skinny pretzels. The recipe called for processing everything but 1/2 of the cucumber, then adding in that 1/2 at the end, as well as a 1/4 cup of chopped dill. The dip tasted so good and rich though, that I opted to leave out the rest of the cucumber and most of the dill. I didn't want to dilute that rich, lemon/garlic taste. See what you think!
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
1 pound seedless cucumbers, such as hothouse or English cucumbers (use 1/2 of one English)
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
2 large cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
A few twists of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup lightly packed chopped fresh dill (optional)
A few kalamata olives, for garnish
Directions:
1) Plan the cashews in a small bowl, cover with 2" of warm water and soak for ~20 minutes. Drain ad discard the water.
2)Meanwhile, peel the cucumber and grate on the large hole side of a box grater. Put the grated cucumber in a colander over a plate. Squeeze water out and save to add to the dip.
3) In a food processor, pulse the drained cashews, lemon juice, half the squeezed grated cucumber and the garlic, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. Blend until creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl down frequently. Add 1-3 tablespoons of reserved cucumber juice to the sauce to thin it out slightly.
4) put in a bowl - so here's where I think it's perfect as is. However, you are supposed to add in the rest of the cucumber and 1/4 cup of dill and mix it through. Cover and chill. If serving as a dip, swirl into a shallow serving bowl, top with a drizzle of quality olive oil and garnish a few olives in the center. Serve immediately with warm pita (or anything else listed above).
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Monday, August 26, 2019
Baked Farro with Tomatoes and Herbs
From The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Veganomicon, 10th anniversary edition 2017
For vegans, who don't eat cheese, a frequent substitute to get a cheesy taste is nutritional yeast. The benefit of using this is that it also supplies a good amount of vitamin B12, which is usually found in animal products. Although supplements are not recommended in general, for those who eat a broad variety of foods, vegans are encouraged to take B12 vitamins to avoid deficiency. Nutritional yeast may suffice for part of the daily B12 supply.
Farro is one of my favorite grains - it's chewy and a little nutty. It supplies 6 grams of protein per 1/2 cup serving - and who can stay with 1/2 cup? I also love wheat berry and bulgur. In a dish like this, you can use fresh herbs that look like they've seen better days, since they're baked before anyone sees them. I also had some zucchini left over from our gleaning last week, so I added about 2/3 cup chopped as well. You know I don't like to waste food!
This smells and tastes delicious. The mouthfuls with a lemony taste are a little more special, so adding more lemon zest to the topping may be helpful. I'd like more veggies in it, I think, and probably more herbs.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups uncooked farro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped shallot
1 bay leaf
2 cups vegetable broth, or water
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, with juices
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme or basil
1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or fresh basil (I had cilantro, so I used it w/ parsley & basil
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
TOPPING:
1/4 c chopped walnuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
/2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish with 1 Tbsp olive oil
2) Sort through the farro to remove any broken grains and rinse in a colander.
3) In a large saucepan, over medium, sauce the garlic and shallot in 1 Tbsp of olive oil for 2 minutes to soften the shallot
4)Stir in the farro and the bay leaf and sauce for another minute, then pour in the vegetable broth and the tomatoes.
5) Increase the heat to high and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add oregano, thyme and salt. Remove bay leaf. Taste and season with a little more salt, if desired, especially if using water instead of broth. Then stir in the parsley and nutritional yeast.
6) Pour the farro mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until the farro has absorbed almost all of the liquid.
7) Pulse together the topping ingredients, except the olive oil, in a food processor (or pound with a mortar and pestle) into coarse crumbs.
8) Take the casserole out of the oven, remove the foil, and cover the top evenly with the walnut topping. Drizzle those 2 Tbsp of oil on top and bake for 10 minutes, to lightly brown the top of the casserole.
Let it sit for 10 minutes to allow it to firm up. Serve warm. It tastes even better the next day, after the flavors have blended more. Try with tofu or tempeh for a complete meal.
For vegans, who don't eat cheese, a frequent substitute to get a cheesy taste is nutritional yeast. The benefit of using this is that it also supplies a good amount of vitamin B12, which is usually found in animal products. Although supplements are not recommended in general, for those who eat a broad variety of foods, vegans are encouraged to take B12 vitamins to avoid deficiency. Nutritional yeast may suffice for part of the daily B12 supply.
Farro is one of my favorite grains - it's chewy and a little nutty. It supplies 6 grams of protein per 1/2 cup serving - and who can stay with 1/2 cup? I also love wheat berry and bulgur. In a dish like this, you can use fresh herbs that look like they've seen better days, since they're baked before anyone sees them. I also had some zucchini left over from our gleaning last week, so I added about 2/3 cup chopped as well. You know I don't like to waste food!
This smells and tastes delicious. The mouthfuls with a lemony taste are a little more special, so adding more lemon zest to the topping may be helpful. I'd like more veggies in it, I think, and probably more herbs.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups uncooked farro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped shallot
1 bay leaf
2 cups vegetable broth, or water
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, with juices
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme or basil
1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or fresh basil (I had cilantro, so I used it w/ parsley & basil
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
TOPPING:
1/4 c chopped walnuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
/2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish with 1 Tbsp olive oil
2) Sort through the farro to remove any broken grains and rinse in a colander.
3) In a large saucepan, over medium, sauce the garlic and shallot in 1 Tbsp of olive oil for 2 minutes to soften the shallot
4)Stir in the farro and the bay leaf and sauce for another minute, then pour in the vegetable broth and the tomatoes.
5) Increase the heat to high and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add oregano, thyme and salt. Remove bay leaf. Taste and season with a little more salt, if desired, especially if using water instead of broth. Then stir in the parsley and nutritional yeast.
6) Pour the farro mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until the farro has absorbed almost all of the liquid.
7) Pulse together the topping ingredients, except the olive oil, in a food processor (or pound with a mortar and pestle) into coarse crumbs.
8) Take the casserole out of the oven, remove the foil, and cover the top evenly with the walnut topping. Drizzle those 2 Tbsp of oil on top and bake for 10 minutes, to lightly brown the top of the casserole.
Let it sit for 10 minutes to allow it to firm up. Serve warm. It tastes even better the next day, after the flavors have blended more. Try with tofu or tempeh for a complete meal.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Quick Fresh Tomato Sauce
Washington Post 8/21/2019
The recipe said it would take no time - which is usually a lie - but in this case, it was the truth. I had lots of tomatoes and some onion from our morning at Oasis farm, and we were told we should use them quickly. I also had some tomatoes in the refrigerator, which we always do, since my husband is a tomato addict. This time of year, you can get good looking tomatoes at the farmers markets. Even though most look better than they taste, this recipe makes the most of them. You can refrigerate the sauce up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 6 months.
So there went all my tomatoes, into the sauce. There was hardly any liquid in the pot initially, so I thought I'd need to add some, but in no time, it was a mushy mess. And quite delicious. I put in all different tomatoes, even though plum tomatoes were recommended. It was all good. I didn't remove the skins, which you can do by briefly tossing the tomatoes into boiling water, but that adds more time and effort (and pots) to the process. This way, it was easy as could be. Once the tomatoes are cooked, if you choose, you can press them with the back of a large spoon, and the skins come off easily.
Ingredients:
5 large cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
12 large fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt, or more as needed
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 1/2 pounds plum or Roma tomatoes, cored and quartered
Directions:
1) In a 4 quart saucepan, combine the garlic, basil, onion, salt, pepper, tomato paste and olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. You should be able to smell the ingredients, but they shouldn't be burning. Add the tomatoes, breaking ghtem up a bit more with your hands as they go into the pan. Bring to a lively bubble, uncovered, and cook 30 minutes, or until the same is thick and reduced by half. Stir often, watching for sticking or scorching.
2) Remove the pan from the heat, and cover. Let stand 15 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
3) If you prefer a smoother texture, pass the sauce through a food mill or process it with a blender, immersion blender or food processor until in small pieces. Serve warm, with pasta or roasted veggies, or your dish of choice.
The recipe said it would take no time - which is usually a lie - but in this case, it was the truth. I had lots of tomatoes and some onion from our morning at Oasis farm, and we were told we should use them quickly. I also had some tomatoes in the refrigerator, which we always do, since my husband is a tomato addict. This time of year, you can get good looking tomatoes at the farmers markets. Even though most look better than they taste, this recipe makes the most of them. You can refrigerate the sauce up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 6 months.
So there went all my tomatoes, into the sauce. There was hardly any liquid in the pot initially, so I thought I'd need to add some, but in no time, it was a mushy mess. And quite delicious. I put in all different tomatoes, even though plum tomatoes were recommended. It was all good. I didn't remove the skins, which you can do by briefly tossing the tomatoes into boiling water, but that adds more time and effort (and pots) to the process. This way, it was easy as could be. Once the tomatoes are cooked, if you choose, you can press them with the back of a large spoon, and the skins come off easily.
Ingredients:
5 large cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
12 large fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt, or more as needed
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 1/2 pounds plum or Roma tomatoes, cored and quartered
Directions:
1) In a 4 quart saucepan, combine the garlic, basil, onion, salt, pepper, tomato paste and olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. You should be able to smell the ingredients, but they shouldn't be burning. Add the tomatoes, breaking ghtem up a bit more with your hands as they go into the pan. Bring to a lively bubble, uncovered, and cook 30 minutes, or until the same is thick and reduced by half. Stir often, watching for sticking or scorching.
2) Remove the pan from the heat, and cover. Let stand 15 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
3) If you prefer a smoother texture, pass the sauce through a food mill or process it with a blender, immersion blender or food processor until in small pieces. Serve warm, with pasta or roasted veggies, or your dish of choice.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Corn, edamame and tomato salad with sesame dressing
Here's a refreshing summer side dish. Corn on the cob is delicious on its own, but this is a protein-containing blend for vegetarians, since it contains edamames. And it's quick to throw together. I would have added zucchini, but I would increase the dressing in that case. Have fun exploring!
Ingredients:
Dressing:
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar (or regular vinegar)
2 tsp Tamari or soy sauce
Juice of ~1/2 lemon
Salad:
1 cup shelled edamames - defrost under hot water or add to boiling water.
2 corn cobs
10 or so cherry tomatoes or fewer plum tomatoes in 1/2" chunks
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Salt to taste
Directions:
1) Add corn cobs to lightly salted boiling water for about 10 minutes, or until you see the kernels on the edges separate from the other kernels. Run under cold water to stop the cooking and make it possible to work with them.
2)Whisk the dressing ingredient together in a medium bowl.
3) Remove the corn kernels from the cobs by running a sharp knife down each edge of the cob. If some kernels remain in chunks of up to about 9 kernels, it's fine. Separate larger chunks.
4) Toss all ingredients, add lime and/or salt as needed.
Ingredients:
Dressing:
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar (or regular vinegar)
2 tsp Tamari or soy sauce
Juice of ~1/2 lemon
Salad:
1 cup shelled edamames - defrost under hot water or add to boiling water.
2 corn cobs
10 or so cherry tomatoes or fewer plum tomatoes in 1/2" chunks
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Salt to taste
Directions:
1) Add corn cobs to lightly salted boiling water for about 10 minutes, or until you see the kernels on the edges separate from the other kernels. Run under cold water to stop the cooking and make it possible to work with them.
2)Whisk the dressing ingredient together in a medium bowl.
3) Remove the corn kernels from the cobs by running a sharp knife down each edge of the cob. If some kernels remain in chunks of up to about 9 kernels, it's fine. Separate larger chunks.
4) Toss all ingredients, add lime and/or salt as needed.
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