Chickpea Chana Masala - Vegan and Gluten Free

There is something wonderfully indescribable about the aroma of garam masala, cumin and coriander toasting on the stove ... making my entire kitchen smell like a fragrant exotic flower.  My version of Channa Masala may not be authentic but it is incredibly healthy and tasty.

 

Chana Masala

1/2 chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 chopped yellow or red bell pepper
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 cup diced tomatoes with liquid
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cumni
1/4 tsp ground coriander
2 cups prepared brown rice
cilantro leaves for garnish

Saute onion in small amount of olive oil until it starts to soften. Add garlic and chopped pepper. Saute until garlic begins to brown. Push vegetables to side of pan and sprinkle herbs into bottom of skillet. Toast until lightly brown and fragrant. Stir into vegetables. Add chickpeas, tomato, juice and water. Cover and simmer about fifteen minutes, allowing flavors to blend. Serve over rice with cilantro garnish.

Mexican Torte - Vegan and Gluten Free

I don't usually rely on faux ingredients but this recipe used up some of the items still lurking in my fridge/freezer: Soy Crumbles, Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds, and Tofutti Sour Supreme. Since making enchiladas is incredibly messy and time-consuming, I opted for stacking instead of rolling. As a result, I was able to dine early tonight instead of waiting forever. So, Enchilada Stack, Mexican Lasagna, Spicy Mexican Torte ... whatever you'd like to call it, it's delicious!

Mexican Torte

1 cup refried low-fat black beans
1 Tbsp taco seasoning
1 cup soy crumbles or re-hydrated TVP (texturized vegetable protein)
2 Tbsp favorite salsa ( I used Chipotle Salsa)
1 cup prepared Spanish Rice
1/2 cup vegan cheddar shreds
3 corn tortillas
1 cup red enchilada sauce
Vegan Sour Cream, Sliced Black Olives, sliced Green Onions, chopped Cilantro

Add taco seasoning to beans and set aside. In another bowl, combine salsa and soy crumbles. Grease an 8"x8" baking dish or 7" round casserole dish. Spread 1/2 of the bean mixture on a tortilla and place it in the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/2 of the soy crumbles, 1/2 of the rice, and 1/2 of the cheese. Spread remaining beans on a tortilla and repeat the layers. Top with a tortilla and enchilada sauce. Cover dish and microwave on med-high for 6 minutes or Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees until torte starts to bubble. Garnish with Sour Cream, olives, onions and cilantro to serve.

Chipotle Cilantro Hummus

I love hummus! Love, love, love hummus. Did I mention that I love hummus? Here is my latest adaptation ...

Chipotle Cilantro Hummus

2 cups cooked chickpeas
4 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh cilantro
1-2 tsp chipotle sauce, to taste
1/4 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lime

Puree all ingredients in blender or food processor, Salt and pepper to taste. Servei with oven-backed corn tortilla chips.

Yellow Curried Tofu

A bottle of Trader Joe's Thai Yellow Curry Sauce has been sitting in my cupboard for the past couple of months, desperately seeking my attention each time I open the door. Today it literally jumped into my hand. So what could I do but cook up some brown rice, saute some tofu and toss in some steamed veggies for a super-easy dinner?!

Thai Tofu Yellow Curry

1 package firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes

1 package mixed Italian vegetables (carrots, beans, broccoli, etc)

1 bottle Trader Joe's Thai Yellow Curry Sauce

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

2 cups long grain brown rice

6 cups water

2 cups vegetable broth

2 Tbsp favorite cooking oil

Lightly brown the rice in 1 Tbsp oil. Add water and broth, bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30-45 minutes until tender. Saute tofu cubes in 1 Tbsp oil, sprinkling with turmeric, garlic powder and cumin. Cook until golden brown on all sides. Add mixed vegetables and cook until tender-crisp. Stir in sauce until well coated and simmer 2-3 minutes to reach desired consistency. Serve over rice.

Tofu Pad Thai

I lucked into some red rice noodles on clearance at Big Lots over the weekend, right after visiting my favorite natural foods store and purchasing some chunky organic peanut butter. Can you spell Pad Thai?! Yummm!

Tofu Pad Thai

8 oz Firm Tofu, drained and cut into matchsticks

8 oz Stir Fry Vegetables

1/8 cup coarsely chopped Peanuts

1 tbsp Sesame Oil

1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

1/2 package Rice Noodles

1/4 cup Tamari

1/4 cup Peanut Butter

1/4 cup Water

1/4 cup Rice Vinegar

Shriracha Sauce to taste 

Saute tofu, vegetables and nuts in oil until lightly browned. Heat tamari, peanut butter, water and vinegar in small saucepan until desired consistency. Add hot sauce to taste.Prepare rich noodles according to package instructions being careful not to "overcook" (rice noodles are generally steeped in boiling water for 5-7 minutes until tender). Add drained noodles and sauce to skillet. Stir until completely coated and heated through.

 

Easy Vegan Veggie Chili

Today I started the 21 Day Vegan Cleanse sponsored by DAMYHealth.com with some of my dearest friends. After eating "Breakfast on the Run" (Healthy GF Toast topped with Almond Butter, Bananas and Flax Seed) and nibbling on Hummus for lunch, I decided to tackle dinner. Car problems prevented me from picking up the ingredients for some of the more elegant dinner options but fortunately I had almost everything on hand for the chili. This is my version

EASY VEGAN VEGGIE CHILI

1 can diced tomatoes with chilies
4 crumbled veggie burger patties
2 cups garden style pasta sauce
4 diced celery stalks
1/2 diced red onion
2 cups black beans
2 cups garbanzo beans
2 Tbsp Sriracha sauce

Saute onions and celery in small amount of olive oil until tender crisp. Add remaining ingredients into pot and simmer 30-45 minutes., stirring occasionally.

Teriyaki "Steak" with Vegetable Fried Rice

This huge portobello mushroom cap was just asking to be made into a special Mother's Day meal ...

TERIYAKI MUSHROOM CAP WITH FRIED RICE

2 large stemmed portobello mushroom caps

1/2 cup teriyaki marinade

2 cups cooked brown rice

3/4 cup mixed vegetables

Toasted Sesame Oil

Marinate caps in teriyaki sauce for at least one hour. Saute or grill on both sides until tender and slightly browned. While mushrooms are cooking, Steam vegetables until tender crisp and add to rice. Cook rice mixture in oiled saute pan without stirring for about 3 minutes, Flip and cook another 2 minutes. Stir to separate. Slice mushrooms and serve over rice. 

DIY Teriyaki Sauce/Marinade

1/4 cup tamari or gluten-free soy sauce

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup pineapple vinegar

1 Tbsp date sugar

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp Chinese five spice

Heat all ingredients in  saucepan until sugar dissolves.  For marinade use as is. For sauce or glaze, add 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp cold water. Add to saucepan to thicken. 

Spicy Barbecue Lentil Loaf

I've been craving a good lentil loaf lately ... to eat with creamy mashed potatoes and serve later on a sandwich. This one from TheVegan8.com fits the bill without tofu and rolled oats. Give it a try!

SPICY BARBECUE LENTIL LOAF

• 1 cup dry green lentils 
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 finely chopped white onion 
• 4 cloves minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup polenta cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili spice 

     Rinse lentils and add them with 2 cups water and 1/2 tsp salt to a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, turn to simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes until liquid is evaporated. Cover and set aside. While the lentils are cooking, water saute the onions and garlic until they are tender and the water has completely evaporated. Add to lentils. Mash about 1/2 of the mixture.

     Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper hanging slightly over the sides for easy removal later. Make sure to spray the sides that the paper doesn't touch, so it doesn't stick. Add  barbecue sauce to the lentil mixture. Blend in chili powder, cornmeal and flaxseed and stir around for a good minute or so until it becomes really thick and sticky.Pour into the loaf pan and spread out evenly. Let it sit for about 20 minutes before baking, so the cornmeal soaks up some liquid. Bake for 60 minutes or until firm and a toothpick basically comes out clean. Let the loaf sit for at least 20 minutes to firm up and keep from crumbling when it is cut.. Gently lift up the loaf with the parchment paper and very carefully transport it to a serving platter using spatulas. Carefully slice it. Spread extra barbecue sauce on top while still warm right before serving. Add chopped fresh parsley on top for garnish and presentation, if desired.

Easy Spicy Barbecue Sauce

• 1/2 cup tomato paste, not sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 teaspoon chili powder (use LESS if you are sensitive to spicy)
• 4 teaspoon yellow wet mustard
• 4 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons dark balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons unsulphured regular molasses 

Simmer in saucepan until flavors blend. 

Sweet Sour Tofu

Last time I posted a Sweer-Sour recipe it was for tempeh and not entirely gluten-free. Today's recipe is based on one from the Eating Well website and using tamari/wheat-free soy sauce makes it gluten-free.

 SWEET SOUR TOFU

• 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks or tidbits, packed in juice
• 3 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons tamari or wheat-free soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 can bamboo shoots
• 1 can water chestnuts 
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-by-2-inch strips
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-by-2-inch strips

Draisn tofu and cut into 1/2" cubes. Add 1/4 tsp to cornstarch and dredge tofu cubes. Brown cubes in small amount of oil. Remove from skillet. Whisk 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice with vinegar, ketchup, soy. sugar and remaining five spice. Set aside. Saute onions, garlic, ginger, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, pineapple and peppers until tender crisp. Return tofu to pan. Cover with sauce and stir until well-coated. Simmer about five minutes until tofu absorbssome of the sauce. Serve over rice.

Portobello Tacos

This is from the 3-Day Sample Plan from the Happy Herbivore. I remember making something similar on the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart but couldn't find the original recipe.

Portobello Steak Tacos | serves 4

4 Portobello Steaks, sliced into strips (Recipe follows)

8 corn tortillas

4 cups shredded lettuce (or red cabbage, sliced thin)

4 tomatoes, diced (or salsa)

1 cups corn (thawed, if frozen)

8 oz guacamole (or 1 avocado)

hot sauce (optional) fresh cilantro (optional)

Place Portobello Steak strips into tortillas, and top with remaining ingredients. Garnish with hot sauce and/or cilantro, if desired.

Per serving: 408 calories, 11.9g fat, 70.5g carbohydrates, 12.4g fiber, 9.6g sugars, 12.8g protein

Portobello Steaks 

4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed

1 small onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups No-Beef Broth (or water)

6 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp mirin, sherry or white wine

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp dried chives (optional)

1 tsp dried basil

Line a large frying pan with a thin layer of broth. Remove stems from mushroom and set aside. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes over high heat. Add remaining ingredients, except for the mushrooms, and turn to medium. Add mushrooms, cover and cook for five minutes. Gently flip mushrooms over and cook for 5 minutes more, adding more broth as needed to prevent sticking or burning (you may need to do this in two batches). Sprinkle a little salt over top and drizzle with leftover juices.

Per mushroom: 51 calories, 0.3g fat, 8.6g carbohydrates, 2.2g fiber, 3g sugars, 3.2g protein

Flavors of Tuscany - Minestrone Soup

From what I understand, what makes this Minestrone Tuscan is the heavy use of thyme ... a deliciously unexpected taste. I'm not a huge fan of soups (they don't seem to stick with me) so I decided to make this as a Minestrone Stew with Brown Rice, cooking it all day in the slow cooker. This recipe is based on a Minestrone Soup from the Happy Herbivore. It made the kitchen smell wonderful!

TUSCAN MINESTRONE STEW

1 large onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

3 celery ribs, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2½ cups diced butternut squash (or sweet potato)

1 tbsp thyme leaves

28 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

6 cups vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

15 oz can white beans, drained & rinsed 

1 cup brown rice, uncooked

8 oz fresh spinach or spinach/kale combination 

      Sauté onion, carrot, celery, garlic, squash and thyme until vegetables begin to soften, about 8-10 min. Place in large slow cooker.  Add tomatoes (with juices), 6 cups broth, 1 cup uncooked brown rice and bay leaf. Cover and simmer on low until vegetables and rice are tender, about 4 hours. If it's too thick, add more broth to thin it out. Remove bay leaf, add beans and cook for another hour  to warm beans. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, add spinach, stirring so it incorporates and cooks down.

Per serving: 409 calories, 2.2g fat, 83.5g carbohydrates, 13.9g fiber, 12.5g sugars, 17.8g protein

Tropical Vacation - Caribbean Quinoa Bowl

Tax Season is finally over and I'm slowly getting my life back. While I can't afford a vacation to the Islands right now, I can enjoy some tropical flavors ... abundant in this wonderful quinoa dish based on a recipe from the Happy Herbivore.

Caribbean Quinoa Bowl | serves 4 (GF)(LF)*(SF)

½ cup quinoa (uncooked)

¼ cup tropical salsa 

2 cups chopped kale and spinach

2 cups cooked black beans  ½ red onion, diced

½ tsp cumin     ½ tsp thyme   ¼ tsp allspice    ¼ tsp ginger

1-2 limes (juice)     2 cups chopped mango

1 avocado,sliced

In a small saucepan, combine quinoa with 1 cup water and 1/4 cup salsa. Cover and bring to a boil. Once

boiling reduce to low and simmer until quinoa is fluffy and liquid has evaporated, about 15

minutes. Add seasonings. Steam greens. Combine with quinoa, beans, onion, lime juice, and fruit. Top with salsa and avocado.. Suggested side: Baked Corn Tortilla Chips.

Per serving: 416 calories, 10.8g fat, 70.5g carbohydrates, 17.2g fiber, 14.6g sugars, 18g protein