Monday, January 30, 2012

Chickpea Cilantro Lime Salad


So I've already made this salad, or variations on this recipe, no less than 3 times.
Soooo easy, and delicious.
Also it's great to take in lunches since the spinach and chickpeas can
hang out with the dressing with out getting all soggy.

CILANTRO LIME CHICKPEA SALAD

  • 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 4 loosely packed cups fresh spinach (I didn't chop my spinach quite as fine)
  • 1/2 onion, chopped small
  • 1 bunch of cilantro (about loosely packed cup)
Dressing
  • juice from 4 limes
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or or pressed.
  • 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
I've also added cucumbers, to make it go a little farther.
Avocado would be good too!!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Artichokey Rissooty

1 large Onion Chopped (or one large leek , bunch shallots)
2 Tb butter
4 big cloves garlic
1 cup Arborio Rice
1 half cup white wine ( I like to use pinot gris)
1 Veggie broth

salt
pepper

1 Jar of Artichoke hearts and stems (trader joes is the best) drained and chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup parm




Warm broth in a stock pot..... keep warm but not hot

In a seperate pot fry your onions in butter till soft and glassy
add garlic and cook another 3 to 4 minn
add rice and fry till rice gives off a toasty nutty smell
add wine ( pour yourself some to drink while you are at it)
stir constantly till all liquid is absorbed

set timer for 21 minn

begin adding broth in 1/2 cup amounts

1/2 cup at a time stirring constantly till all liquid is absorbed

(this can kinda boring or cathartic)

keep going until all the broth is gone or the timer dins!

if you run out of broth add more butter and next time lower the heat. you want it right between med high and high


once cooked remove from heat.
toss in chokes! basil! salt and pepper
garnish with parm
and eat!


made this saturday and had a friend snap a pic with his phone, sorry not so fancy!


Sunday, January 22, 2012

Tofu Kale Supper Pie


This recipe was from the cookbook Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. I think the word pie makes it seem a bit intimidating but really it only took the two of us a half an hour to throw together. It was really tasty.

Prep time: 55 min (I guess quicker because there was two of us)

Makes 8 slices

Crust:
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 T cold, unsalted butter
2 T coconut oil
2 T ice-cold water

(Or just buy a premade crust and save yourself 20 minutes prep time. We made ours.)

Filling:
2 tsp plus 1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
pinch of sea salt
2 carrots, thinly slice into half-moons
1 bunch kale, stems removed and cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 c. water
1 lb. firm tofu
1 T umeboshi vinegar (we substituted red wine vinegar and an extra pinch of salt)
1 T. mustard (we used dijon because that's what we had)
2 tsp tamari
1 1/2 tsp fresh dill or 1/2 tsp dried dill

To make the crust: preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter and oil into flour with a pastry cutter or two knives until crumbly. Slowly dribble water into flour, blending with a fork. Alternately, butter and oil and be incorporated into the flour in a food processor, then water added slowly while pulsing to make a dough. Gather dough into a ball: it should be moist and pliable. Roll out into a crust on a floured surface or a piece of wax paper. Transfer to an 8 or 9 inch pie pan. Trim edges. Prebake for 10 minutes in the oven.

To make the filling: heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large skillet. Add onion, salt, and carrots; sautee until onion is soft. Add kale, stirring several times until kale begins to wilt. Add water to skillet and cover. Blend the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, tofu, vinegar, mustard, tamari, and dill in a blender or food processor until smooth. You may need to add a little water. ( we also added some salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic powder because this mixture tasted a bit bland).

To assemble: put the vegetables in the bottom of the pre-baked crust. Pour the tofu mixture over the top, covering the vegetables. Bake 30 minutes, or until the top of the pie begins to turn golden at the edges. Cut and serve!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup



This soup was great! Having just gotten over a cold it was perfect, and filling. I added red pepper flakes ( because I like the spice) and I didn't add parsley. ENJOY! Michelle, ps, my photo is the second one:)

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup

1 whole head cauliflower, cut into flourets
2 cups broccoli flourets
1 large garlic head (not clove!)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 Tbsp flour
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup water
28 oz low-sodium vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
2 tsp fresh parsley, minced (optional)
1/3 cup half-and-half

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Combine cauliflower and broccoli flourets in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Cut the top off of the head of garlic and wrap in foil. Place wrapped garlic on the baking sheet. Roast the cauliflower, broccoli, and garlic for 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a cast iron dutch oven or medium-large stock pot. Add the onion, celery, and carrot. Saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Whisk in the salt, pepper, paprika, thyme, and flour and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.

Add the wine and water, mixing to combine with the flour mixture. Slowly add in the vegetable broth. Add the bay leave. Remove garlic cloves from their skin and add to the pot whole. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the cauliflower and broccoli and simmer an additional 5 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf. Working in batches, add the soup to a blender or food processor and blend until pureed and smooth, or puree with an immersion blender in the pot.

Stir in the half and half and parsley. Cook until just heated through. Serve hot. Yield: 4 servings (1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups each).

Nutrition Information (per serving): 193 calories; 8.5 g. fat; 7 mg. cholesterol; 449 mg. sodium; 21.3 g. carbohydrate; 6.5 g. fiber; 5.2 g. protein

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Classic Vegan Chili




Well, Chili is not classically vegan, but I'm beginning to not miss the meat aspect of chili. This recipe is no big deal and definitely nothing fancy, but I waited an extra day to finish up what was left and it's killer!

Need:

1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 cans kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 cup veggie stock
3 garlic cloves
1 large onion(I used yellow)
1 large bell pepper
1 cup water
1 can diced tomatoes(throw the juice in too)
1 bay leaf(I was surprised this gave the recipe a nice round flavor)
1 teaspoon cayenne(less if you don't like it spicy, I do)
1 heaping teaspoon of sea salt
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa + 1 tsp sugar(this makes all the difference!)
I squeezed a bit of lime at the end :)

Do It:

Sometimes I sautee the onions and garlic first and then add the remaining veggies, but your call on that one. I just threw in all the veggies together and sauteed for 4-5 min until tender. I added the remaining ingredients and cooked everything on a medium temp(not too high!) for about 40 min. I then let it simmer for about 10 min and let it sit until I couldn't wait any longer! I'm on day three of this dish and it's the best one yet(and spicy!)..be patient dudes!

** I happily sprinkled some cheddar cheese and a nice dollop of sour cream on top.

I suggest making this earlier in the day (I mean, if you can) and letting it sit for as long as possible. Did I say wait? I've said sit and wait many times. Bye all!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Hummus!




I believe I conquered Hummus! I've been trying to match the traditional hummus I find in Middle Eastern restaurants.. It's been a difficult journey, but here it is, at its best.

**I typically don't measure when I cook so this is my best estimation.

Need:

1 large can of chickpeas
1/4 cup tahini(good tahini from your local middle eastern/asian market, trust me!)
The juice of one large lemon
4-5 cloves garlic
1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil(plus the amount you drizzle over the top)
1 teaspoon salt
good pinch of cayenne
1 teaspoon parsley

You'll need a food processor or a blender(I used a blender and it worked just fine)

Throw the chickpeas,tahini, lemon and garlic in a food processor or blender and blend for a few minutes. While still blending slowly stream in the olive oil until it's fully incorporated. I like my hummus pretty smooth so I blend for a good 4-5 minutes(again, rough estimation). Throw in the herbs and seasoning(not cayenne) and blend for another 30 seconds or so. After it's done flavor as you desire(more lemon, salt, etc.) Don't forget to drizzle olive oil and cayenne on top(a little chopped fresh parsley if you have it)!

**I like my hummus with a strong tahini taste so that's what you'll get from this recipe. Also, full disclosure, that's not a picture of my hummus.

Eat! Eat!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Chicky Chill Chill


Here is my recipe for Chickpea Chili
or Chicky Chill Chill (as Tom Haverford would probably say)
it's pure comfort food, and super hearty which is good because it was like 8 degrees in Chicago this past week.

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrot
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
  • 2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in cumin and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 cups water, tomato paste, chickpeas, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro and juice.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Keeeeen Wahhhhh


it's totally cool to pass off your husbands recipes as your own...right?
  • 2 large zucchini, cut lengthwise into 12 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place zucchini slices on bed of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt, cover with paper towels, and let stand to release moisture while preparing quinoa.

2. Bring broth, quinoa, tomato sauce, onion, and oregano to a boil in saucepan. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 25 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and stir in basil, and parsley.

3. Layer quinoa tomato sauce, then zucchini slices. Repeat, top with remaining quinoa tomato sauce. Bake lasagna 30 minutes, or until zucchini is tender and top is bubbly.

modified from this recipe

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Butternut, Carrot, Ginger

Happy New Year
and, so Happy to be here!
This is my very first post here on Bacon vs. Tofu
_______________________________
Every year around this time
I panic a bit and make a resolution
to start the new year with a healthy detox cleanse*...
*a break from the coffee, sugar, dairy, and copious amounts of pure garbage that I usually enjoy

When my girl Monica e-mailed this recipe
I thought...
I have a few hours to kill on a Sunday and I'm going to seriously make this soup
since it's all cleansy vegan and what not.

Like actually make it, and not just write it down

It turned out so good

next time I'll make a quadruple batch, and eat it for weeks
and also, next time, I wont try to blend it in the blender while it's still boiling hot.