spinach-parsley-blueberry puree bars

A variation of my basic bars recipe.  For the fruit/veggie puree, I used fresh spinach, parsley, and frozen blueberries (maybe some banana.)  For spices: some cardamom and allspice.  Threw in some golden raisins.  I didn't use any flavor extract this time, but they tasted wonderful.

Japanese eggplant with mirin

I've been wanting to make this recipe for over 2 years, ever since my friend Eva posted it on Facebook. She has been a vegetarian role model and question-answerer for me.

I modified the recipe a little.  It turned out delicious and sweet.  Popular with toddlers and husbands.

Take a few Japanese egglpants (nasu.)  They are small.  Slice lengthwise into 1 cm slices.  Soak in salt water for a few minutes, rinse with cold water, and squeeze out extra liquid.

Saute in sesame (or other) oil for a few minutes until browned.

Add generous splashes of soy sauce and mirin.  Add minced ginger and garlic (as much as you like), and Sriricha chili paste or crushed red pepper.  Cook until tender and glazed.

Cambodian Pho

 My friend Tey hosted a Valentine's Day dinner with Cambodian Pho.  She set aside some water with lemon grass for me to cook my veggies and dip my noodles in.  The other cooking broth had fish and was used to cook seafood and other meat.  But just the raw veggies with noodles and Pho dipping sauce were good, and spicy!

gifts of food

Top left: peanut butter chocolate chip cookies from Bridget (from Peas and Thank You cookbook/blog)

Top right: Jamaican black bean soup (it has bananas and hot peppers - a real taste sensation), also from Bridget, from The Vegan Table cookbook

Bottom: tropical trail mix with maple syrup from Lauren.  Yummy!

mung bean soup and misc. curry

 I made up a soup in the Vitamix with kabocha squash, various veggies & garlic.  For the chunky part, I added lentils, sprouted mung beans (boiled briefly), and fu (a Japanese high-protein "crouton" made of wheat gluten.)

Getting better at dal.  This has Pav Bahji masala, turmeric, garlic, onion, plenty of veggies, and lentils.

tofu with garlic & ginger

Tastes better than it looks.  I had some soft (silken?) tofu from a Japanese market to use up.  So I sauteed some fresh garlic & ginger in mirin and soy sauce.  Scrambled in the tofu, and added some cornmeal and black sesame seeds.  Delicious and filling.  I might have used some sesame oil, but can't remember.

sprouting mung beans

My book, The Indian Vegan Kitchen, has many sprouted mung bean recipes.  Sprouting them was half the fun!

Mexican Brunch for Superbowl Monday

 In Japan, we watch the Superbowl on Monday morning.  We had tofu scramble and home fries from Lindsay Nixon's The Happy Herbivore (a gift from our friend Sandie!)

We also had refried beans with Rotel tomatoes & extra green chilis.  I made some tofu sour cream from silken tofu, garlic, lemon juice (recipe from Living Vegan for Dummies by Alexandra Jamieson.)

The meal was complete with extra chips & salsa, tortillas, and beer & lime.  We didn't watch much of the football game (we don't get the commercials here), but we did go out for a nice cold-weather run, and saw many neighbors out with their kids.

leftovers "pesto"

I had lots of parsley and things to use up, so I made up a dip/dressing that was very good and tasted like real pesto.  I used:

• fresh parsley (lots)
• walnuts
• fresh ginger
• fresh garlic ( 4 raw cloves)
• black sesame seeds
• balsamic vinegar
• bread crumbs (leftover from muhammara spread)

Blended it coarsely in the Vitamix.  Delicious with crackers or as a sandwich spread.

kale spaghetti sauce

Kale is a vegan wonder food.  You can eat it steamed, sauteed, blended raw into fruit smoothies, baked into kale chips, and in soups & stews.  I read about blending steamed kale with spaghetti sauce.  

I just put some sauce in a glass jar with steamed kale on top, and blended it with my immersion (stick) blender.  Voila!

Okay, it turned the sauce a little brown, but it was tasty.  My toddler loved it on her noodles.

healthy vegan puppy chow

2 C. dark chocolate chips (non-dairy like Ghirardelli semi-sweet)

1/2 C. non-dairy butter (Earth Balance or Smart Balance Organic)

1 C. peanut butter (or use almond butter if you like)

1 tsp. blackstrap molasses

1-2 Tb. ground flax seeds or wheat germ

1 box (~12oz.) Rice Chex cereal, or similar cereal

1 3/4 C. powdered sugar 

Melt butter, peanut butter, chocolate chips and molasses together over low-medium heat in medium sauce pan on the stove or melt in microwave safe bowl being sure not to burn it. 

Add flax seed or wheat germ and stir well.

Pour dry cereal in a large bowl and pour the chocolate mixture over it. Use a large spoon or spatula to gently stir while coating each piece.

Pour wet cereal mixture into clean paper bag (great way to recycle!) or use a sealable plastic bag. 

Sprinkle in the powdered sugar and shake, shake, shake!  

Spread on a cookie sheet to cool.

Mediterranean Olive Bread

Since I can't find the photos I took of my olive bread mini-muffins, I found this on the web.  It's from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's book, The Joy of Vegan Baking.  I made mine in mini-muffin tins to serve at a baby shower.  I didn't have fresh basil, so used fresh rosemary that grows in our neighborhood.

It has black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and walnuts.

spice labor cookies

These are fun to make for friends who are close to their due date.  Supposedly, they induce labor.  I first had them at a cookie exchange, and they were my favorite.  Something about the cayenne pepper was an unexpected treat.  I modified the recipe to be vegan and healthier.

Spice labor cookies (vegan version)

3 c. rolled oats ground to a coarse flour (in a blender)

1 c. brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

2 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. salt

1/3 c. vegetable oil

1 mashed banana

1/3 c. molasses

Enough water or non-dairy milk (soy, almond, etc.) to make the dough stirrable.

Wheat germ (about ½ c.) to roll the dough in

Combine dry ingredients.  Stir in oil, banana, molasses.  If the dough seems really dry, add a little water.  Chill dough in fridge or freeze overnight.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls, and roll in wheat germ (you can coat your hands with flour to cut down on dough stickiness while rolling.)   Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 375 F.

Muhammara spread

Muhammara spread is the red dip.  The beige dip is hummus I made up with extra leeks and cashews.  I'd been wanting to try Muhammara from The Vegan Table.  It's mostly roasted red bell peppers and walnuts.  The recipe called for bread crumbs, but the next time I made it, I substituted chickpeas.

It also has cumin, lemon juice (I added the zest), crushed red pepper flakes, raw garlic, and agave nectar.  It is "the bomb."

For the photo above, I made it for a baby shower.  My friend suggested putting the dips in Tostito Scoops cups.  Okay, but they got a little soggy.  Next time, I made it for a Mardi Gras party, in a bowl drizzled with olive oil, pine nuts, and chopped parsley.  I served it with raw veggies and crackers.  It was a big hit at the party and in our house!