Red Onion and Apple Relish

Another "it tastes WAY better then it looks" recipe.  I could eat it by itself but tastes great with a veggie hot dog or on a vegan burger.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup of sugar
1 Granny Smith Apple
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt

In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and stir in the sugar. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 20 minutes.
Peel, core and shred the apple and add it to the onion mixture. Site in the vinegar and salt to taste and cook, uncovered, until the mixture is thick, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature until needed, then bring back to room temperature before using. Properly stored, this relish will keep for 2 to 3 days.

Magic Mushrooms

Some of my favourite things are coconut milk and nutmeg. This dish has both. Delicious!!!

4 portobello mushrooms

1 leek

several handfuls of fresh spinach

3 garlic cloves plus 1 tsp garlic puree

generous grating of nutmeg

1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove mushroom stalks and rub mushrooms with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Finely chop the leek. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and sauté leek until soft. Add garlic and stir until fragrant.

Add the spinach, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Add the coconut milk and cook for a few minutes.

Fill each mushroom then top with nutritional yeast. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.

S

Mushroom Croustades

Mmmmm easy to make! Next time I will use thinner bread.

12 thin slices soft white bread
1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more for brushing on bread
2 medium shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 oz white mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp. tamari

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a 3 inch round pastry cutter (or drinking glass), cut a circle from each bread slice. Brush the bread circles with oil and press them firmly but gently into a mini muffin tin. Bake until the bread is toasted, about 10 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes to soften the vegetables. Stir in the parsley, thyme, and tamari and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Spoon the mushroom mixture into the croustade cups and return to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes to heat through. Serve warm.

Peanutty Roll-ups

I LOVE THIS....

The flavours are amazing. The cayenne pepper adds a nice kick.

8oz extra firm tofu, drained and patted dry
2/3 cups of organic almond butter
1 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
flour tortillas
romaine lettuce
grated carrot
sliced cucumbers

Mix the tofu, almond butter, tamari, lime juice, ginger, garlic and cayenne. Process until smooth. Set aside for about 30 minutes at room temperature to allow flavours to blend.
Spread a tortilla with mixture, add veggies. Roll up tight and cut in half diagonally.
YUMMY!

Black Beans with Chile Aioli

Another WOW, lick the plate clean recipe.... a creamy heat to the black beans and tomatoes.  Very good!!!

1 Serrano chile, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove crushed
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup veganaise
1/2 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups black beans
14.5 oz can of diced tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a food processor combine the first 5 ingredients until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until mixture is thin and smooth.
Season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside until needed.
In a saucepan, combine the beans and tomatoes and cook over medium heat until hot. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the bean mixture to a shallow bowl. Drizzle with aioli and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!!!

Scrambled Tofu

   Spice blend:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed with your fingers
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (or more, to taste)
1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
Fresh black pepper to taste

First stir the spice blend together in a small cup. Add water and mix. Set aside.

Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat. Saute the garlic in olive oil for about a minute. Break the tofu apart into bite sized pieces and saute for about 10 minutes, using a spatula to stir often.  The tofu should get browned on at least one side.

Add the spice blend and mix to incorporate. Add the nutritional yeast and fresh black pepper. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Serve warm.

You can include these additions to your scramble by themselves or in combination with one another.

Broccoli – Cut about one cup into small florets, thinly slice the stems. Add along with the tofu.
Onion – Finely chop one small onion. Add along with the garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Proceed with recipe.
Red Peppers – Remove stem and seed, finely chop one red pepper. Add along with the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Proceed with recipe.
Mushrooms – Thinly slice about a cup of mushrooms. Add along with the tofu.
Olives – Chop about 1/3 a cup of sliced olives. Add towards the end of cooking, after mixing in the nutritional yeast.
Spinach – Add about 1 cup of chopped spinach towards the end of cooking, after mixing in the nutritional yeast. Cook until completely wilted.
Carrots – Grate half of an average sized carrot into the scramble towards the end of cooking. This is a great way to add color to the scramble.
Avocado – I almost always have avocado with my scramble. Just peel and slice it and serve on top.

Artichoke -Walnut Stuffed Pasta

I used cannelloni pasta, you could also use ravioli.

Olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
1/3 cup firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 cup toasted walnut pieces
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 fresh sage leaves

In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp. of the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic spinach and artichoke hearts. Cover and cook until the garlic is soft and the liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the mixture to a food processor. Add the tofu, 1/4 cup walnuts, the parsley, and the salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside to cool.
Prepare and stuff the pasta.
Heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the sage and the remaining walnuts and cook until the sage becomes crisp and the walnuts become fragrant. Add the cooked/stuffed pasta and cook, stirring gently, to coat with the sauce and heat through.