Back after a three-day-weekend (which, of course, means a shortened work week). In the meantime, here are six recipes to try. Enjoy!
VANILLA RHUBARB COFFEE CAKE [VEGAN]
This comes from One Green Planet. It begins, “A small departure from pie, this coffee cake is the perfect accompaniment to a brunch. For one, it's a coffee cake – so it's cinnamon-y and great with coffee. Plus it's got a mouth-watering balance of sweet vanilla and the tart rhubarb. The rhubarb offers small juicy bursts of tartness in contrast to the soft, most cake.” This dairy-free, vegan recipe serves 8 – 10 and cooks in 60. It can be viewed online by clicking here.
Ingredients
Crumb Toppings:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegan margarine (cold)
Cake:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (canola works too!)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoons egg replacer plus 2 tablespoons war water, mixed well
2 cups chopped rhubarb (thin slices)
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl and mix well.
Measure the almond milk into a liquid measuring cup. Add the apple cider vinegar and whisk furiously until the mixture becomes frothy. Set aside. The vinegar helps to create a buttermilk flavor.
In a small bowl whisk the oil, sugar, vanilla and the egg replacer mixture. Add the almond milk. Mix until combined.
Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
Add the rhubarb pieces and use a sweeping motion with your spatula to gently mix them in. (This is called folding; visualize folding the batter around the pieces of rhubarb.)
Pour the batter into an 8-inch greased cake pan and set aside while you prepare the crumb topping.
Mix the brown sugar, flour, oats and salt in a small bowl. Use a pastry cutter or clean hands (recommended) to mix the margarine into the sugar mixture. Remember that the margarine should be cold! Mix until you have little pieces of margarine covered in sugar, oat and flour. Sprinkle on top of the batter.
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes. The crumb topping should be browned and crisp looking and the cake should be golden.
RANCH SPINACH PASTA SALAD
This comes from Tablespoon.com, and begins, “Grilling tonight? Add a veggie-rich 15-minute pasta salad that gets its start from a Suddenly Salad® mix.” Prep Time: 15 min; Total Time: 15 min; Servings: 6
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Disclaimer: The Hidden Valley and Original Ranch trademarks and logos are registered trademarks of the HV Food Products Company.
1 box Betty Crocker™ Suddenly Salad® classic pasta salad mix
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups baby spinach leaves or small broccoli florets
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup sliced cucumber, halved
1/2 cup julienne (matchstick-cut) carrots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
Directions
Empty contents of pasta mix (from Suddenly Salad box) into 3-quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Drain pasta; rinse with cold water. Shake to drain well.
In medium bowl, stir contents of seasoning mix (from Suddenly Salad box), the dressing and lemon juice until blended. Stir in pasta and remaining ingredients. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve. Store any remaining salad covered in the refrigerator.
VEGGIE STUFFED BAKED POTATO
Another recipe from Healing Heart Foundation. This one is listed as "a portable meal." I list it as yummy!
4 large baking potatoes
1 1/4 C soymilk
1 C each: frozen peas, corn, beans or greens (or any combination)
3/4 C grated fat-free soy cheese, cheddar or jalapeno jack flavor
pinch garlic powder
paprika
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Chop vegetables, thaw if frozen. Set aside. Scrub potatoes, stab in two places with a knife or fork. Place on middle oven rack. Bake about one hour, until tender. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. Remove potatoes from oven and cut off a small portion of the top and scrape out soft part. Carefully scoop out potato center from the remaining part of the potato, but do not break the skin. Reserve.
Mash the potato innards in a bowl, adding small amounts of soymilk until smooth. Stir in vegetables and soy cheese. Heap the potato mixture back into the potato shells, using all of the mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake on a non-stick sheet for 15 minutes, then broil on low for 2-3 minutes to brown slightly. Serve plain or with a gravy or sauce.
4 servings, each 339 calories: 2% from fat (0.85 g), 86% from carbohydrates (74.9 g), 12% from protein (10.2 g). Sodium 89 mg, Fiber 7.5 g.
Healing Heart Hint: These can be frozen for up to six months and reheated for a lunch or a snack. When defrosted, they can be kept a few days in the refrigerator and then microwaved or reheated in an oven. Do not re-freeze.
SLOPPY JOES
One last recipe from Healing Heart Foundation. This is meatless!
1 large onion, chopped
1 to 2 C celery, chopped
1 t balsamic vinegar (other vinegar can be used)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed (or 2 t dried minced garlic or garlic powder)
1 T chili powder (will not make it too hot)
2 T cumin
2 1/2 C tomato sauce (or a 6 oz can tomato paste + 1 C tomato juice + 1 C water)
1 T prepared yellow mustard
1 T ground dry mustard
1 T brown sugar
1 t black strap molasses
1 1/2 cups dry TVP granules
1 1/2 C boiling water
optional spicy version: 1 to 3 t hot sauce or roasted chilies
Saute onion and celery in balsamic vinegar and a little water on medium heat. Add more water if needed. Add garlic, peppers and spices and saute for a few more minutes. Add everything else and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over whole wheat buns, rice or pasta.
Adding a can of chili beans makes a very filling dish, changing it slightly to Sloppy Josés.
6 servings, each: Calories 152, Fat 1.85 g. (10% cff), Carbohydrate 19.86 g., Protein 17.44 g
TRADITIONAL FALAFEL
This comes from the September 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 50. It makes 36 falafel balls. The recipe starts off, “The most time-consuming step in this recipe is soaking the chickpeas for 24 hours. After that, the falafel balls come together quickly and easily. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, tahini, hot sauce, and a minty yogurt sauce.”
1 cup dried chickpeas, rinsed and sorted
1/2 tsp. plus 1/3 tsp. baking soda, divided
1 small leek, white and light green part cut into 4 or 5 pieces
1 cup fresh parsley leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
3–4 drops hot sauce, optional
2 cups canola oil
Place chickpeas and 1/2 tsp. baking soda in large bowl, and cover with 3 to 4 cups water. Soak chickpeas 24 hours. Drain.
Place chickpeas, remaining 1/3 tsp. baking soda, leek, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, salt, pepper, and hot sauce (if using) in bowl of food processor. Process 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until chunky paste forms.
Shape 1 Tbs. chickpea mixture into compact ball, pressing out any excess moisture, and place on plate. Repeat with remaining mixture.
Heat oil to 350°F in large skillet over medium heat. Add 12 falafel balls, and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned on bottoms. Roll, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, or until golden brown all over. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining falafel balls.
nutritional information Per Falafel ball: Calories: 35; Protein: 1 g; Total Fat: 2 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 4 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 46 mg; Fiber: less than 1 g; Sugar: less than 1 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
LATE SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND FRESH CORN
This comes from the September 2013 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 61. It starts off, “Bright, beautiful, and bursting with veggies, this colorful minestrone is a great way to stretch the harvest.” Serves 6.
To view this online, click here.
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup sliced leeks
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tsp. salt, optional
4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.)
1 Tbs. chopped fresh sage, or 2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
2 large tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (1 cup)
2 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (3/4- to 1-inch cubes)
2 cups green beans or flat beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 15-oz. can or 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2–3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish, optional
Heat oil in 5-qt. Dutch oven or other large soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks, celery, bell pepper, and salt, if using. Cover, and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until veggies are softened, stirring occasionally. Uncover, and continue cooking 5 to 6 minutes more, or until celery is somewhat shrunken and leeks are browned.
Add garlic, sage, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf. Stir 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add tomatoes and 8 cups water, and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes. Add squash, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Add green beans, white beans, and corn; simmer 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, stir in vinegar and mint.
nutritional information Per 2-cup serving: Calories: 185; Protein: 7 g; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: less than 1 g; Carbohydrates: 30 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 130 mg; Fiber: 9 g; Sugar: 7 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free
