vegan meatballs

https://veganhuggs.com/vegan-meatballs/

Made for Italian Wedding Soup 9/13/2021 with KindSoups.  They held together pretty well until being boiled too long in order to cook the pearled barley in the same broth.  Next time, will add just as soup is finished.  Note that these are not vegan unless you use vegan Worcestershire sauce.  Otherwise it contains anchovies. Just as a related item,  I looked at my vegan fish sauce to see how you can get that flavor without fish, and it looks like it's from kelp, or maybe something in the 'natural flavoring'.

These 'meatballs' are very tasty, and are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.  I think they'd be a great addition to pasta and marinara.  It made about 40 small meatballs. 

Ingredients 

• ▢2 tablespoons ground flax meal + 5 tablespoons water
• ▢2 tablespoons grapeseed oil , or preferred oil (+ more for baking)
• ▢1 small onion , diced
• ▢4 cloves garlic , minced or crushed
• ▢12 ounces mushrooms , chopped (about 4.5 cups)
• ▢2-3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ▢¾ teaspoon fennel seed , crushed (optional but recommended)
• ▢½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢2 tablespoons tamari , low sodium (sub soy sauce)
• ▢1 - 15 ounce can chickpeas , drained well but NOT rinsed
• ▢1 cup rolled oats
• ▢½ cup breadcrumbs , Italian-style
• ▢2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce (a vegan variety)
• ▢2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 
• Combine the ground flax and water in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 min. It will thicken and gel up a bit. 
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened and lightly browned. About 3-5 minutes.
• Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Now add Italian seasoning, crushed fennel, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
• Add mushrooms and sauté until softened and slightly browned. Cook for 5-7 minuted until they reduce in size and release their moisture. You want the pan to be dry. Now add the tamari and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Add the chickpeas to a large food processor container. Pulse a few times to break down beans.
• Now add the cooked mushrooms, oats, breadcrumbs, flax egg,  Worcestershire Sauce, tomato paste, salt, and pepper to the processor. Process until well combined and it ALMOST forms a paste (about 30-60 seconds). You don't want it completely smooth so leave some texture. You just want the ingredients to stick together well (see process photos above for example). Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Place mixture uncovered in the freezer for 20-30 minutes (or in the fridge for 1-2 hours).
• Remove mixture from freezer and form into balls using your hands. Roll them until smooth. To keep the size uniform, use about 1.5 tablespoons of mixture (use a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon). Place on baking sheet and repeat until mixture is gone. Spray or brush with oil and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and the outside is dry and firm. Flip the meatballs midway through. Remove from oven and let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. This helps firm them up. You can now serve them with warm spaghetti sauce or cook them in the sauce for 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

 

Watermelon and cucumber (or jicama) salad with ginger, lime and mint

 Watermelon and cucumber (or jicama) salad with ginger, lime and mint

I saw this recipe in the Washington Post  and thought it sounded so refreshing.  I've prepared it three times in the week since I noticed it, each time a little differently.  First I made it pretty much according to the recipe.  Next time I peeled the cucumber to see if it would be a little less bitter.  Then I changed the cucumber out for some jicama and added grapes.  I also increased the lime juice and ginger and used blood orange olive oil and honey ginger balsamic vinegar.  So here's the final take:

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups diced watermelon (about 1 1/4 pounds)

1/2 of a jicama, diced

1 cup of grapes, halved

2+ Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp EVOO

1 Tbsp blood orange olive oil

1 Tbsp honey ginger white balsamic vinegar

2+ tsp finely grated fresh ginger

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1) In a large bowl, toss the watermelon and jicama (or cucumber) and grapes until combined.

2) In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oils, vinegar, ginger and salt until combined.  Drizzle the dressing over the watermelon mixture and gently toss to coat.  Then add the mint.  Gently toss to combine.  

Date syrup, tahini and sumac sauce for chicken or cauliflower or tofu

 

This sauce was from a Rosh Hashanah cooking class with Michael Solomonov and Adeena Sussman.  It looks like Reeses peanut butter cup when you're mixing it up!  What could be better?!

SKILLET CHICKEN WITH DATE SYRUP, SUMAC & TAHINI By Adeena Sussman

Ingredients:

For the sauce
• 1/2 cup pure tahini paste (I use Soom)
• 1⁄2 cup silan (date syrup)
• 1 tablespoon dried sumac, plus more for sprinkling • 4 cloves garlic, very finely minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 skin-in, bone in chicken thighs (about 1 1⁄2 pounds), trimmed of excess fat • 1 jumbo or 2 medium onions, (1 pound total), very thinly sliced
• 20 whole garlic cloves, pierced with the tip of a small paring knife
• 1⁄2 cup hot low-sodium chicken stock
• Fresh chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish
• 2 chopped pitted medjool dates, for garnish

To Prepare:

Make the sauce: In a medium bowl whisk together the tahini paste, silan, sumac. garlic, salt, and pepper; reserve.

Broiled salmon with scallions and sesame

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/broiled-salmon-with-scallions-and-sesame#

This was very good, and simple, but I forgot to sprinkle the chile on top!  Would definitely try again ... and aim to remember all the ingredients!

If you don’t want to invest in a sizzle platter, you can also make this recipe using a rimmed baking sheet.

Ingredients

3 SERVINGS

2

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3

tablespoons fresh lime juice

2

tablespoons soy sauce

2

teaspoons honey

1

tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

½

teaspoon sesame seeds, plus more for serving

3

8-ounce skin-on center-cut salmon fillets

Kosher salt

1

bunch scallions

1

Fresno chile, thinly sliced

Preparation

1) Whisk garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, honey, 1 Tbsp. oil, and ½ tsp. sesame seeds in a small bowl. Season salmon fillets with salt and place in a resealable plastic bag; add half of marinade. Seal bag, pressing out air, and let salmon sit 30 minutes. Reserve remaining marinade.

2) Preheat broiler. Toss scallions with remaining 2 tsp. oil on sizzle platter; broil until lightly charred, about 3 minutes. Remove salmon from marinade and set on top of scallions. Spoon some reserved marinade over and broil until salmon is charred around edges, about 6 minutes (watch closely to keep from burning). 

3) Spoon more marinade over; top with chile. Broil until salmon is charred and medium-rare at thickest part, about 2 minutes. 

4) Sprinkle with more sesame seeds. 

Cilantro Cashew Dressing

Cilantro-Cashew Dressing

https://www.forksoverknives.com/print/print.php?id=49088&email=mjssmd%40yahoo.com

Inspired by the flavors of Indian green chutney, this creamy vegan dressing recipe tastes great drizzled over salads, rice bowls, and roasted veggies. Not a fan of Cilantro? Try some of our other vegan dressings.

This was delicious.  I soaked the cashews in the morning - used hot water, then let it sit in the refrigerator until I returned to work.  It took about 5 minutes, as promised in the directions. 

I started out with just a drizzle of Agave Sriracha as the hot sauce but ended up adding, little by little, probably 1-2 teaspoons.  This evening, I served it over steamed broccoli and red pepper, but woke up dreaming about what else we could use it on.  Just about anything!  The consistency is dressing-like.  Next time, I might decrease the water to make it more like a dip.  It's a thin dip as is.  

By Darshana Thacker

Makes 1 cup
Ready In: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1⁄2 cup cashews - soak in 3/4 cup water

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1⁄2-inch piece of serrano pepper, seeded

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional) 

Sea salt, to taste

Directions:

1. 1  Blend cashews and 3⁄4 cup water into a creamy texture. Add cilantro, lemon juice, serrano pepper, garlic, hot sauce (if using), and salt to taste. Blend until smooth.

2. 2  Taste and adjust seasoning.

 

Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites from FOK

From FOK recipe site.  These were very easy, and tasted good with BBQ sauce, BBQ and hot sauce, or ranch dressing (we had a sample of Avocado Oil Ranch from a Thrive delivery).  They weren't exactly crispy, but they were firmer on the outside and creamier on the inside.  Probably could have let them go a few more minutes.   Almost gone with just 2 of us eating them, so must not have been too bad! 

Next trial, the batter was too thick, so the measurements below show the re-do.  There’s a lot of room for experimentation! 

Makes 6 cups
Ready In: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2⁄3 cup brown rice flour  (changed to just over 1/2 cup, reserve more in case batter is too thin, used whole wheat flour)

2 tablespoons almond flour  (3 Tbsp)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons garlic powder  (1 Tbsp)

2 teaspoons onion powder (1 Tbsp)

2 teaspoons smoked paprika (1 Tbsp)

1 teaspoon dried parsley (1-2 tsp)

A little salt and pepper

1 head cauliflower, cut into 2-inch florets

1⁄3 cup Frank’s hot sauce or barbecue sauce (or BBQ sauce with some agave sriracha, or any combo you like)

Spinach Ranch Dip (or any Ranch)

Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

FROM FOK:  It took a lot of trial and error to find the right coating that would not draw out the moisture and would make the florets crisp, so I am pleased that it has turned out to be a very simple recipe. You will not need to add salt as the sauces have enough salt to season them. Either a smoky barbecue sauce or Frank’s hot sauce would work well, but if you are like me and prefer sweet and spicy, then try a little bit of both. Serve with ranch or Caesar dressing on the side if you wish, or whip up a batch of Spinach Ranch Dip. Note: The buffalo cauliflower bites will get softer once they are coated with the sauce, so hold off tossing until the very last minute

By Darshana Thacker

1. 1  Preheat oven to 450°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. 2  Combine the brown rice flour, almond flour, tomato paste, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, parsley, and 2⁄3 cup of water in a blender. (If you mix by hand, there’s less to clean ;-). ). Puree until the batter is smooth and thick. Transfer to a bowl and add the cauliflower florets; toss until the florets are well coated with the batter.

3. 3  Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets, making sure that the florets do not touch one another. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until crisp on the edges. They will not get crispy all over while still in the oven.

4. 4  Remove from the heat and let stand for 3 minutes to crisp up a bit more. Transfer to a bowl and drizzle with the sauce. Serve immediately.

Note: The buffalo cauliflower bites will get softer once they are coated with the sauce, so hold off tossing until the very last minute. Either a smoky barbecue sauce or Frank’s hot sauce would work well, but if you are like me and prefer sweet and spicy, then try a little bit of both. Serve with ranch or Caesar dressing on the side if you wish, or whip up a batch of Spinach Ranch Dip. 

Cabbage soup from FOK cooking course

This soup was very good, made with the broth from the prior task (137-138).  I started with very little chili flakes, because sometimes those prove too hot.  But then I added more of those and black pepper to give it a hot and sour taste.  Making the broth took 90 minutes of simmering, but if you start with that already done, the cabbage soup itself is pretty quick.  

It was pretty easy to remove the seeds from canned whole tomatoes.  

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion 
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves 
• 1 large carrot 
• 6 cups cabbage 
• 1 cup canned whole tomatoes (seeded) 
• 1/4 tsp chilli flakes (or to taste) 
• 6 cups vegetable stock 

Description

To prepare your mise en place, slice the onion into small dice and emince the garlic. Peel the carrot and cut into medium-dice. Remove the core from the cabbage and cut into chunks about 3/4" -inch x 1 1/2 "-inch. Remove the seeds from the whole tomatoes (fresh or canned) and roughly chop. Gather the chili flakes and set everything aside. 

Place the stock into a large pot and warm to heat through. While the stock is warming, begin cooking the soup. 

Step 2: Preparing the Soup

---

Ingredients

• sea salt, (to taste) 
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 
• 2 tbsp Italian parsley (to finish) 

Description

To make the soup, heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the carrots and onions to the pot, moving around the pan allowing the sugars to be released until the onions are slightly golden and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. You want to not brown the onions too much, and only want them translucent. Add 1/4 cup water or vegetable stock to deglaze and pick up those sugars to caramelize onions and continue.

You may need to lower the heat. Add the chili flakes and garlic and cook for about 1 minute, making sure the garlic doesn't brown. 

Add the cabbage and a pinch of salt and let sweat for approximately 10 minutes, stirring from time to time until softened. Once done, add the stock, tomatoes, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. 

As the soup comes to a simmer, gather the herbs and seasonings. Add the thyme and bay leaf to the soup and let simmer for about 15 minutes or so to infuse. 

To finish the soup, add the dijon mustard, check the carrots and simmer for another 10 minutes or so until cooked through and tender. 

Roughly chop the parsley. Taste the soup for seasoning, finish with more sea salt if desired, pepper or apple cider vinegar.

Ladle into bowls and serve. 

Vegetable broth from scratch - FOK course

 

This was remarkably delicious.  The vegetables have absolutely no taste at the end, even the garlic and tomatoes. I salvaged the carrots, which also were pretty tasteless, but I hate wasting food.  So I had them with a mustard sauce that was leftover from a whole roasted cauliflower dish, also from FOK.  

The broth came to about 4-5 cups.  I made 1.5 times the recipe because I needed 6 cups.

I used the  broth to make the cabbage soup for the course (task 138) and it was very good.  Vinegar and pepper make it hot and sour.  

Ingredients:

• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped 
• 1/2 head celery, chopped 
• 2 large onions, chopped 
• 8-10 oz leek, white and green parts, chopped 
• 3 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled 
• 1 tsp black peppercorns 
• 2 bay leaves 
• 2 qt cold water 
• 1/4 cup sun–dried tomatoes 
• 1 small handful of fresh parsley 
• a few sprigs of thyme 

Directions:

First, gather and prepare your mise en place.

To start the stock, add all ingredients to a large stockpot. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Allow to gently simmer, uncovered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 

I let it go for 90 minutes, as the taste kept developing throughout. 

When it's done, let it cool for 15-20 minutes, then run it over a strainer and remove all the vegetables.  Most need to be discarded / composted, but I did use the carrots the next day, as I noted above.

Cantaloupe and cucumber salad

From epicurious: 

Excellent reviews.  They thought it was brilliant adding coriander and cardamom to cantaloupe.  Some left out the sumac, and several left out the coriander.  Described as forgiving recipe. 

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/savory-cantaloupe-and-cucumber-fruit-salad?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=epi&utm_mailing=EPI_CTN_071821&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=email&bxid=5c931628fc942d0bdf16a039&cndid=4649318&hasha=7cf42d7a90eda26f805e57b3a5998648&hashb=0935300134207d887f9c54ea4fe55bb4b586ba36&hashc=3d594b75b907ebf06ba2d38bc764e5846d8ad96a8d4d52623a3e4f0bae65a335&esrc=rbox_mig_grp_1&utm_content=Final&utm_term=EPI_CTN

INGREDIENTS

1. • 1/2 cup olive oil
   • 1/4 cup Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
   • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
   • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
   • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
   • 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
   • 1/2 large cantaloupe, rind and seeds removed, flesh cut into 1-inch pieces
   • 1 large English hothouse cucumber, sliced on a diagonal 1/2 inch thick
   • 2 Fresno chiles, thinly sliced
   • 1/2 cup unsalted, roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
   • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
   • 1/4 cup chopped mint
   • Sumac (for serving)
2. Ingredient Info
   • Sumac, a tart, citrusy spice generally sold in ground form, can be found at Middle Eastern markets, specialty foods stores, and online.

PREPARATION

1. 1. Whisk oil, vinegar, coriander, salt, pepper, and cardamom in a large bowl. Add cantaloupe, cucumber, and chiles and toss to coat in dressing. Let sit, uncovered, 15 minutes.
   2. To serve, add pumpkin seeds, cilantro, and mint to salad and toss gently to combine. Top with sumac.