Book Review: VEGAN PLANET

Robin Robertson’s Vegan Planet has long been a staple in our house. No matter what kind of food we feel like, I am sure to find a recipe in that colossal, comprehensive cookbook. In the mood for Chinese? Try the To-Fu Yung. Indian? Make Robin's Checkpeas Vindaloo. There are vegan versions of food from just about everywhere, such as Italy, France, Greece, Thailand, and Africa--and plenty of U.S. favorites like California Chili made with olives and avocados. And how about Tempeh and Red Bean Jambalaya with Chipotle Chiles? Robin also offers a section of Vegan Basics with recipes for meat substitutes like Seitan, Marinated Tofu, and Tempeh Bacon Bits. One of my favorite features is the amazing variety of delicious dressings and sauces sure to add zest to any meal. She includes everything from an Easy Vegan Hollandaise and Bechamel to Bourbon-Spiked Barbecue Sause and Ginger Lime-Dipping Sauce. 

So, when I received a copy of the new revised Vegan Planet, I immediately checked to make sure my favorite recipes from the first edition were included . . . and yep, they were--including the Tomato-Basil Lasagna Spirals that have gotten me through many a potluck (and believe me no one misses the meat or dairy). And phew, there were the Barley-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls that I make whenever I’m missing my mom’s German cooking. But the good news is that Robin has added 50 NEW recipes to the book, with dishes like Picatta-Style Cauliflower Steak, Paella-Stuffed Peppers, Pulled Portobello Barbecue, and Tiramisu Cheesecake. Robin has also updated the information and recipes from the original book to make them even healthier and more environmentally-friendly. Whether you are a long-time vegan needing fresh ideas or a new vegan wondering where to start, this cookbook is sure to satisfy. Check out some sample recipes here.

BONUS RECIPE: Chickpea Noodle Soup

Robin Robertson was kind enough to share a recipe from her new book One-Dish Vegan. 

Chickpea Noodle Soup

Recipe © 2013 by Robin Robertson and used by permission of The Harvard Common Press

 Gluten-free option | Soy-free| Serves 4

This comforting, versatile soup can be altered easily to suit your taste. For example, vary the vegetables according to personal preference, or substitute seitan, tempeh, or different beans for the chickpeas. As the noodles cook in the soup, they will absorb some of the broth, so you may want to add a little more broth before serving. Alternatively, if you have leftover cooked pasta from another meal, you can just add it when ready to serve instead of cooking the noodles right in the soup. To make this soup gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta and, of course, make sure that your vegetable broth is gluten-free.

Ingredients:

·          2 teaspoons olive oil or 1/4 cup water

·          1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped

·          2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

·          1 celery rib, thinly sliced

·          3 garlic cloves, minced

·          1 teaspoon dried basil

·          1 teaspoon dried thyme

·          7 cups vegetable broth, or more if needed

·          4 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

·          4 cups coarsely chopped stemmed kale or cabbage

·      3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 (15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

·          1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

·          Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·          6 ounces uncooked linguine, broken into thirds

·          1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas

·          2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley

 Directions:

 1. Heat the oil or water in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, then add the basil, thyme, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

 2. Add the green beans, kale, chickpeas, and tomatoes with their juices. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

 3. Stir in the pasta, peas, and parsley. Simmer until the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes longer. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve hot.

Massaged Kale Salad????

So if you've taken one of my workshops, tried a recipe from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook or have just been following my blog for a while, you know I am a big fan of greens--especially kale. So you can imagine how I excited I was when one of my favorite authors Nava Atlas came out with a new cookbook called Wild About Greens. I have really been enjoying her recipes such as the White Bean and Greens Burgers that were such a hit with my kids, Greens and Polenta Wedges (so quick and easy with precooked polenta!), and tonight's dinner of Sweet Potato and Corn Stew with Hardy Greens . . . but the recipe I really want to try is her Massaged Kale Salad. So what's stopping me, you ask? I don't know. Three times now I have gotten kale with the intention of making it but every time, I end up making one of her cooked kale dishes. I guess I just can't believe that my family will like a raw kale salad. So tell me: have you made massaged kale salad? Or tried it somewhere? How is it? Did you like it? Did your kids like it?

I know I should trust Nava . . . she hasn't steered me wrong yet but I seem to have some kind of a block here . . . help me out!

(Pictured is Nava's Sweet Potato and Corn Stew to which I added black beans, red bell peppers, and zucchini and served over brown rice. YUM!)

Zucchini-Avocado Salsa

If you have a garden--or a neighbor with a garden--chance are you have a plentiful supply of zucchini right now. Maybe even too plentiful . . .

Well, this Zucchini-Avocado Salsa from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook is one of our favorite ways to serve zucchini. It makes a nice big batch--great for parties or potlucks and, as a friend recently commented, this tastes very much like guacamole but the zucchini stretches those expensive avocadoes. I keep a batch in the refrigerator so there is always a healthy snack on hand. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Zucchini-Avocado Salsa
This a delicious alternative to regular salsa or guacamole. It is great with chips or as a topping for burritos, tacos, or quesadillas.

2 small zucchini, diced (about 2 cups)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 medium avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Tabasco sauce to taste
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Steam zucchini and corn together for 2 or 3 minutes until colors are bright. Place in a bowl with remaining ingredients. Stir together and chill for at least one hour.

Makes about 3 cups

Variation: Add 1 to 2 cups diced tomatoes

Quick and Healthy Dinner: Tempeh-Kale Pasta

Here is this month's quick and healthy dinner idea. If you have leftover pasta, it'll take about 15 minutes . . . and only a few minutes more if you are cooking the pasta from scratch. Just start the pasta water boiling before you chop your veggies and cook the pasta while you are cooking them. I didn't include measurements because this is one of those flexible dishes that you can make just for yourself or for a crowd.

Olive oil
Chopped onion
Sliced red bell pepper
Diced tempeh
Chopped kale (I prefer dinosaur kale)
Cooked linguine (hot or cold)
Marinara sauce
Red pepper flakes
Minced fresh parsley (optional)

Add enough olive oil to coat bottom of skillet and place over medium-low heat. Add the onion and pepper and saute for a couple of minutes to soften. Stir in the tempeh and kale. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes, until kale is bright green. Add the linguine, just enough marinara sauce to coat pasta and red pepper flakes to taste. Stir and cover. Cook a couple of minutes until heated through. Serve with fresh parsley, if desired.

Do you plan your meals or just wing them?

So I'm wondering . .. . do you decide what your menu will be in advance and then shop for the needed ingredients?

I've tried that but it doesn't really work for me. Well, maybe once in a while when I am making a special meal . . . but in general, I kind of do things backwards. When I head to the farmers' market or to pick up my CSA box, I don't really know in advance what I'm going to get. I mean really that's part of the fun of shopping at farmer's markets. I don't exactly know what I'll find or what's going to look good to me.

Like yesterday, I stopped at the natural foods store and came home with these beautiful long, slim Chinese eggplants, a head of cauliflower, yellow cherry tomatoes. So when I got home, I had to decide what to have for dinner. I looked in my refrigerator and found a half box of mushrooms and some marinara sauce left over from the girls' pizza making slumber party. Add to that a red onion and a can of garbanzo beans that I decided would all go well with pasta.

I tossed the vegetables and garbanzo beans in olive oil and an herb/spice mix and roasted them at 450 degrees until tender as I cooked the pasta. Then I tossed the veggies into the hot pasta with the marinara sauce and some fresh basil, parsley, and thyme from my herb garden.

That's pretty typical on how meal planning goes for me.

Veggie Pasta Salad

In the winter, soup is my staple food. I make a big batch at a time so we have enough to last for a few days for dinners, lunches, etc. Well, in the summer I do the same thing but with salads . . . especially hearty salads made with potatoes, beans, or grains. This pasta salad that I made this weekend that was a such a hit with my kids. We had some for dinner, took some to the beach, and the kids even ate it for snacks. It would be a great choice for a potluck as well.

Veggie Pasta Salad

I basically used all the veggies from my trip to the farmer's market and herbs from my garden, so don't feel like you have to stick to this exact combination. You can also add cooked beans or some crumbled feta cheese.

1 cup asparagus cut into bite-sized pieces
1 yellow summer squash, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
2 cups green beans cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups chopped kale (packed)
1 pound penne pasta
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup black currant champagne vinegar (or flavor of your choice)
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste

Prep:
Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Blanch asparagus by putting in boiling water and letting cook a couple of minutes, until bright green and slightly tender. Use slotted spoon to remove asparagus to a colander. Immediately rinse with very cold water to prevent it from cooking further. Repeat with squashes, beans, and kale. When veggies are cooked, use the same boiling water to cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta.
To Assemble salad:
Put pasta in large mixing bowl. Add cooked vegetables and remaining ingredients. Toss together and chill until ready to serve.

Makes at least 10 servings

Healthy Cold Cereal Alternative

Store-bought cold cereals are certainly convenient, but not only are they quite expensive . . . they are really not very healthy. Even the organic, whole-grain varieties are highly processed and the nutrition really only comes from the chemically-added nutrients. So, what can you do when you need a quick breakfast in the morning? Well, my mom used to make us muesli--a breakfast she had grown up with in Germany. In fact, in the summer when fresh fruit and berries were plentiful, she'd just make a huge batch and we'd snack on it all day. It's a breakfast I still love . . . and my kids do too. In fact, it was the first meal they learned to make on their own.

Muesli is basically rolled oats soaked in milk (I use nondairy milk and also add yogurt for the probiotics) mixed with fresh or dried fruit and nuts/seeds if you like as well. I also like to add a splash of orange juice if I don't have oranges in it . . . it adds a nice tang. You can even use other rolled grains besides oats. No recipe is needed--this is a meal you cater to your own taste (though for those of you who prefer exact measurements, there are recipes for a winter muesli and summer muesli in The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook).

And the nice thing is you can make it for one, like I did for myself this week with blueberries, strawberries, and sliced almonds. Or make a big batch like my daughter did when she got home from school so we'd have enough left for breakfast tomorrow morning (muesli will stay good for several days). Besides the berries, she added chopped oranges, sliced bananas, and raisins.

Have fun and experiment!

Mediterranean Veggie Roast

I was invited to a birthday potluck this weekend and wasn't sure what to bring . . . but I had this beautiful eggplant, mushrooms, and saw some Mediterranean feta cheese at Trader Joe's (the birthday girl loves feta) so came up with this dish which we really liked. For a vegan version, use toasted pine nuts or dairy-free feta substitute.

Mediterranean Veggie Roast

1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges
8 ounce white mushrooms, halved (or quartered if very large)
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch slices lengthwise
3 zucchini, sliced
1 large eggplant, quartered and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese or toasted pine nuts
salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, toss onions and mushrooms with a splash of balsamic vinegar and enough olive oil to coat. Place on baking sheet and roast in oven (stirring occasionally) 15-20 minutes, or until slightly browned.

In mixing bowl, toss red bell peppers with just enough olive oil to coat them. Spread on baking sheet and cook about 20 minutes or until edges are browned, turning once or twice so they don’t char.

In a mixing bowl, toss zucchini with a splash of balsamic vinegar and enough olive oil to coat. Place on baking sheet and put in oven. Roast about 10 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

In a mixing bowl, toss eggplant with a splash of balsamic vinegar and enough olive oil to coat. Place on baking sheet and put in oven. Roast about 10 - 15 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Place roasted vegetables in the mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Serves 8

Destressing weekday meals

I love my routine of cooking on Sunday afternoon/evening to make the start of a busy week less hectic. This Sunday morning, I put some black beans to soak as soon as I got up. Then before I went out in the afternoon, I put them in the crock pot on high. When I got home a couple of hours later, they were cooked. We were able to have black beans burritos for dinner, then I made a big pot of soup for Monday dinner and lunches, and still had enough beans to freeze for later on. Mondays are so much less stressful when I have food already figured out.

How about you out there? Any good ideas for making weekday meals easier?

And btw--this soup took about 20 minutes to make. I sauteed chopped onions, potatoes, carrots in a little olive oil. Added broth, chopped caulifower and cooked 10 minutes. Then added black beans, chopped spinach, and frozen corn and cooked another 5 minutes. Seasoned with salt and herbs and spices.

Roasted Winter Vegetable Pot Pie

When I was at the Farmers' Market yesterday picking up my favorite winter veggies, I was surprised to see signs of spring coming when I was able to buy fresh berries! Wow . . . can't wait to get asparagus--my absolute favorite spring vegetable. But before I skip ahead, I wanted to pay homage to all the great produce available in winter and created a pot pie made from roasted vegetables--and I have to say this is one of the best meals I've ever made. It takes a bit more work than my usual recipes, but I think you'll agree it's worth it.

Roasted Winter Vegetable Pot Pie
Roasting the veggies before putting them into the pie really brings out the sweetness. This is a great one for company. To save time you can use a sheet of puff pastry or a prepared pie crust instead of the homemade crust below. We like it with a winter fruit salad or applesauce.

Crust:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
pinch salt
1/3 cup vegan butter
4-6 tablespoons ice water

Filling:
1 large Yukon gold potato
1 sweet potato
2 carrots
1 rutabaga
1 large parsnip
20 medium Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons walnut or olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

Sauce:
Walnut or olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 cup vegetable broth or water
2 cups nondairy milk
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
salt and black pepper, to taste

Prepare crust by mixing the flour, cornmeal, and salt together in a food processor or bowl. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 4 tablespoons water and mix. Add additional water a tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together when pinched. Form into a ball, cover, and place in refrigerator while you prepare the vegetables.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Trim ends of vegetables and peel if necessary (sometimes the rutabaga can be a bit hairy). Cut into bite sized pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining filling ingredients and toss until vegetables are coated with oil. Spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees.

Meanwhile, prepare sauce. Add just enough oil to a medium saucepan to coat the bottom and place over low heat. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté 5 to 10 minutes, or until soft. Stir in the flour and nutritional yeast. Whisk in the broth until smooth. Add the milk, spice, thyme, rosemary, and stir or whisk until smooth. Bring to boil over medium heat. Boil 30 seconds to thicken. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

To assemble, place the roasted vegetables in a 2-quart baking dish. Pour the sauce over the vegetables. Roll out the crust to the size of the baking dish and place over the filling, trimming edges as necessary. Use a sharp knife to poke slits in the crust. (Make sure you reduced the oven heat to 375 degrees!) Bake 30 minutes, or until crust is golden.

Serves 6 to 8

Note: This is a versatile recipe. Use whatever root vegetables you like best—they should add up to 9 cups cut up. Also, if you’re not a Brussels sprouts fan (hard to believe that some people are just not fans), substitute 2 cups of cauliflower or broccoli florets. You can also 1 cup frozen peas along with the sauce.

Autumn Veggie Stew

The inspiration started when I cooked a big pot of white beans . . . and then took shape after a trip to the Farmers' Market . . . and then was finished off by homemade Thai Green Curry Sauce purchased at Rutiz Farms to create one of the best stews I've made. It's so darn good, we are eating it for snacks as well as meals . . . and I'll share the recipe with you. (Since the types and strengths of curry sauces and pastes are so different, add a little at a time until it's to the spiciness and flavor that you like--I used about a tablespoon of Ruth's Green Curry Sauce.)

Autumn Veggie Stew

olive oil
2 cups sliced leeks (white part of about 3-4 leeks)
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
1-2 anaheim chilis, minced
2 cups diced tomatoes (or 1 15-ounce can with juice)
1 quart vegetable broth
1 3/4 cups cooked white beans (or 1 15-ounce can)
6 cups chopped kale
green curry sauce or paste to taste
salt and black pepper to taste

Place a large pot over low heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add leeks, garlic, and celery. Cook about 5 minutes to soften. Add squash, pepper, chilis, tomatoes, and broth. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Add beans and kale. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes, or until squash is tender. Season with curry sauce/paste and salt and pepper, to taste.

Serves 8

Slow Cooker Seitan

I've been experimenting with seitan lately . . . something I seem to do every couple of years. I really don't like the store-bought kind but never seem to get around to making my own. Until I read in Robin Robertson's Quick-fix Vegan that it can be made in a slow cooker. Well, it was like a light bulb went off in my head. Of course! A slow cooker is the perfect place to make seitan. Long, slow cooking so the seitan can absorb the flavors and no need for me to have to be home (or awake) while it cooks. So I went searching through my cookbooks and on the Internet and added a couple of innovations of my own, and came up with this recipe. The whole house smelled amazing and the seitan was perfect--moist, flavorful--my daughters keep snitching pieces from the refrigerator so that tells you how much they like it.

Slow Cooker Seitan

Seitan ingredients:

2 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten flour
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil

Simmering broth ingredients:

1 onion, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Sprig of fresh thyme, rosemary, and/or sage (or a teaspoon of each dried) (optional)
1 quart (4 cups) vegetable broth

Place gluten flour, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Stir in the water, soy sauce, and olive oil and stir until mixture is combined. Knead the dough for a minute or two. Let dough rest for five minutes while you set up the slow cooker and turn it to low, and get the simmering broth ingredients prepared. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Arrange seitan dough balls in the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle the onion, garlic, and herbs over the dough. Pour the broth over everything. Cover and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours. Cool in slow cooker for an hour at room temperature, or until the seitan is cool enough to handle.

Store in broth or removed from broth and tightly wrapped—in refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3 to 6 months.

Makes about 2 pounds

Next I want to try an Asian-flavored -- I'm thinking sliced ginger and maybe lemon grass instead of the herbs above . . .

Mushroom-Pistachio Phyllo Pinwheels

I was in a cooking mood yesterday so decided to try some recipes from a new cookbook I got when I went olive oil tasting in Los Olivos a few weeks ago. The book is by Theo Stephan, the owner of Global Gardens, and it features Caliterranean Food and uses lots of olive oil and vinegars.

I wanted to make her phyllo rolls but the filling was mostly olives and, as much as I love olive oil, I just do not care for olives. So I made up a mushroom filling to compliment the pistachios and feta cheese and it came out great.

Here's what I did, if you want to try it . . . or if you want the original recipe, you click here to find out more about her cookbook.

Also . . . if you have any leftover of the pistacio-parsley mixture, it is a great substitute for parmesan cheese on pasta . . . we sprinkled some on our salad too.

Mushroom Pistachio Phyllo Pinwheels

Olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound mushrooms (baby bella, crimini, white, etc.), coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon medium sherry
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup shelled raw pistacios
1/4 cup parsley leaves
4 ounces vegan feta cheese (optional)
1 (1-pound) package phyllo sheets
1/4 cup blood orange balsamic vinegar

Place a skillet over medium-low heat. Coat bottom with olive oil. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, mushrooms, sherry and salt.. Saute 10 more minutes, or until mushrooms are tender. Let cool slightly.

Place pistachios and parsley in food processor fitted with metal blade and mince until nuts are ground. Remove to a small bowl. Pour mushroom mixture into food processor and pulse to mince.

Set up work station. Line a board or tray with parchment paper. Place about 1/2 cup olive oil in a bowl with a pastry brush. (You may need to add more as you assemble the rolls.) Have pistachio mixture, mushroom mixture, and feta in easy reach. Also, divide the number of phyllo sheets that come in your package by 4. If it’s not an even number, some may have different number of sheets. For example, the phyllo I use contains 18 sheets, so I used 5 sheets for two rolls and 4 sheets for two rolls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Assemble as follows: Place one sheet of phyllo on the parchment. Brush lightly with olive oil. Place the next sheet and repeat for remaining sheets for that roll. Then sprinkle 1/4 of the mushroom mixture over phyllo – leaving about an inch clear on one shorter end of the rectangle. Sprinkle 1/4 of the pistacio mixture over phyllo, again leaving the end clear. And then 1/4 of the feta. Roll the phyllo tightly ending with the clear inch space. Use extra olive oil to seal the roll. Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling until you have 4 rolls. Slice each roll into 1-inch slices and place on baking sheet.

Bake 25 minutes, or until top and sides are golden. Pour vinegar into a small pan. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes to reduce. Brush the vinegar over the tops of the pinwheels. Serve immediately.

Makes 40

Quick Veggie Stew

Need a quick dinner that's super healthy. As long as you have veggies in the house, this is a snap and will be ready in less than 30 minutes!

Quick Vegetable Stew
This is a great way to use up veggies from your CSA box or garden. You don’t need to chop fine—just cut everything into bite-sized pieces. If you know I'll be home late and want a dinner to be ready, make it in the morning and stick it in the refrigerator so the flavors can meld.

Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 potatoes, diced to bite-sized pieces
2 carrots, sliced
1 quart vegetable broth
3 cups chopped broccoli
2 cups bite-sized green beans
1 zucchini, sliced into half-moons
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
salt and black pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley for serving (optional)

Place a large pot (I love my cast iron for this) over low heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and carrots. Cook and stir another 5 minutes. Add the broth. Turn heat to high. Add the remaining vegetables and herbs. When mixture boils, cover the pan and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 10-15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired when serving.

Serves 6

My friend Lynda made me some green pea pesto a couple of months ago and I not only loved it, but thought it would be perfect as a lasagna filling. I came up with a vegan version of the pesto and decided rather than traditional lasagna, rollups would be fun. My family and I really enjoyed these and it makes a nice big batch so its great for company (actually, I like it just for us so there are lots of leftovers I can freeze). Let me know what you think.

Green Pea Pesto Lasagna Roll-Ups
When you want a change from regular lasagna, this is a great one to try. The pea pesto is very creamy and we love the mixture of basil and mint. I used whole wheat noodles, but any kind work fine. If there are leftovers, I like to freeze them in small containers with just 1 or 2 rolls, which are perfect for to take for lunch or for the kids to microwave for a snack.

14 Lasagna noodles
2 cups Roasted Tomato Sauce or Marinara Sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (dairy or nondairy)

Green Pea and Walnut Pesto Filling:
2 cups frozen green peas, thawed (or fresh peas steamed until bright green)
1 cup walnuts, toasted
1 head roasted garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon salt
16 ounces extra firm tofu
1/4 cup olive oil

Place all pesto ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Place in refrigerator while cooking noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles in 3 batches until al dente—usually about 10 minutes. Remove from water and lay them out on a work surface.

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Oil a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Spread each noodle with a layer of pesto filling—about 1/4-inch thick. Roll noodles up and place seam side down in pan. Spread the sauce over the rolls and then sprinkle with cheese. Cover with aluminim foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Serves 6 to 8

Veggie Enchiladas

We celebrated Back to School eve with dinner at Rudy and Angie's, our favorite Mexican restaurant. Although it's not on the menu, they made me some vegetable enchiladas and they were so good I couldn't stop thinking about them . . . so I attempted to create my own version--which came out pretty yummy as well.

Veggie Enchiladas
Lots of veggies and refried beans wrapped in tortillas and smothered in sauce. One of the ultimates in Mexican comfort food. This makes a nice big batch, which is great because they taste great the second day too. You don’t need to be too fussy in dicing the vegetables. They just need to be in bite-sized pieces, small enough that they will roll up in the tortilla. If your in a hurry, use prepared enchilada sauce rather than making it yourself.

Enchilada Sauce:

Olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
Salt, to taste
Hot Pepper Sauce, to taste

Filling:

Olive oil
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
10 white mushrooms, quartered
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 carrots, cut into half moons
2 cups chopped broccoli or cauliflower
Kernels cut from 1 ear of corn or 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
Salt
Black pepper
Hot Pepper Sauce

The rest:

12 corn tortillas
1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
2 cups Enchilada Sauce (page xx)
1/2 – 1 cup shredded Jack-style dairy or vegan cheese (optional)

Prepare Sauce as follows: Place a small pan over low heat with just enough oil to coat the bottom. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes, or until soft. Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic. Sauté 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onions and sauté a couple of minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and stir together. Cover and cook about 5 minutes—just until vegetables are bright in color and slightly tender--uou want them to be crisp. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and Hot Pepper Sauce to taste.
Set up your assembly area with the tortillas, beans, and vegetable mixture and a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Pour a little of the Enchilada Sauce into the pan—just enough to spread a thin layer across the bottom. Working with one tortilla at a time, spread a couple of tablespoons of the refried beans down the middle of the tortilla. Then spoon the vegetable mixture over the filling—enough so it will fill the rolled tortilla but not so much that you can’t roll it. Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place it seam side down in the pan. Corn tortillas can be delicate so don’t worry if they crack. Just kind of push them together in the pan. Continue until the pan is full. I usually do 8 tortillas placed horizontally down the length and then place the last four 2 and 2 vertically along side them. If you have any beans or filling left, just spread them over the enchiladas. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, spreading to make sure they are completely covered. Sprinkle cheese evenly over all, if using. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serves 6-8

Garlicky Beans and Spinach

I'm visiting my family in Massachusetts so haven't been doing much cooking (my mom and sisters have been spoiling me), but last night decided to give Mom the night off. I roasted potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and onions but needed wanted a protein dish to go with it. So I raided the cupboards and came up with this dish that was a surprise hit with both my family and my nonveg parents. I don't have exact measurements but here's what I did.

Drained and rinsed 1 can of black beans and 1 can of pinto beans and placed in a pan.

My mom has these cubes of crushed garlic that she keeps in the freezer -- said she got them at Trader Joe's. I dropped in 1 cube but if you like even more garlicky flavor use 2. I think roasted garlic would be really great as well.

I added about 10 halved cherry tomatoes. And a cup or two of frozen chopped spinach. Then salted to tasted and added some Italian seasoning herb mix. Heat until warm. Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

It was also good on toasted Italian bread -- sort of like bruschetta.

Roasted Carrot and Cauliflower Soup

And the roastathon continues. Here's today's creation:


Roasted Carrot and Cauliflower Soup
This is fancy enough to serve for company, but easy enough to cook for a weekday meal. Cut regular carrots into 1-inch slices, but if they are fat farmers’ market carrots like I got in my CSA box this week, cut them into 1/2-inch slices.

4 cups sliced (1-inch) carrots
1 head cauliflower, broken into bite-sized florets
1 white onion, peeled and cut into wedges
5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/2 cups walnuts
5 cups water (divided)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or lemon thyme
2 teaspoons light miso (optional)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, toss carrots, cauliflower, onion, and garlic in enough olive oil to coat. Place on a large baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, or until carrots and caultiflower are tender. Stir and turn vegetables once or twice so they don’t burn. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Remove peel from garlic.
You will need to blend the soup in two batches. Place walnuts and 3 cups water in blender and blend until smooth. Add about half the thyme, miso, and vegetables and blend until smooth. Pour into a medium pan. Put the remaining 2 cups water, thyme, miso, and vegetables to the blender. Blend until smooth. Add to pan and stir together. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Heat to desired temperature.

Serves 6

Rutiz Farms CSA Box

Thanks to my wonderful CSA -- Rutiz Farms . . . look at all the wonderful meals we had this weekend made from food in Friday's CSA box.

Roasted potatoes, beets, cauliflower and broccoli; strawberry-blueberry pancakes (using the multi-grain pancake mix from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook); Minestrone Soup; and to relax a lovely cup of lemon-balm tea made from leaves of my new lemon balm plant!