clever veggie recipes :)

[foxytina_69]

does anyone here have any clever ways of cooking different veggies? (so far, the only veggie ideas i have are schezwan beans and roasted balsamic peppers)

[Mystic]

OMG I know what you mean - All I do is have salad or stir fry or I steam/bake/roast veggies - I am too lazy to make them flavoursome - except on Stirfry I make a sauce from tamari, lime juice and tabasco

[veganblue]

Italy. Cannolini with spinach and faux-feta filling

I get the instant cannolini tubes but you can also use fresh pasta or lasagna sheets rolled into tubes.
Crumble firm tofu into a large bowl with blanched finely chopped spinach, tahini, miso, tamarind paste (or lemon juice), a little bland stock powder and pepper. Fill tubes by piping or spooning, and arrange in a baking dish with a bottle of your favorite pasta sauce spread across the lot! Bake for about 25 mins or until the pasta has softened.

India. Pea and potato curry

Fry onions till transparent with potatoes then pour over coconut milk with stock powder/ seasoning and favorite curry paste. Cook on low heat until potatoes are soft, add peas (I use frozen) and heat till peas are warm. Serve on rice with chopped coriander, papadums (microwaved) and mango chutney.

Mexico. Frejole wraps.

Cook red kidney beans until soft, add crushed garlic and favoured mexican spice and mash thoroughly. Throw onto warmed burrito's with fresh lettuce, avocado, tomato and whatever takes your fancy. I like dry fried thick mushroom and onion slices with cucumber slivers.

Japan. Kombu miso soup / wakame salad / Tempura

Boil kombu with dried shitake mushrooms and nori strips. Flavour with a dash of mirin and rice wine vinegar. Season to taste with miso. Cubes of tofu are nice, but place them in the soup towards the end. Gaarnish with chives and a sprinkle of red chilli rings if you are game...

Rehydrate wakame and slice thinly. Mix with fresh lettuce, fine cucumber sticks, spring onions and freshly toasted sesame seeds.

Heat corn oil till quite hot. Dip fresh vegetable and mushroom chunks into tempura flour or potato starch. Dip into chilled tempura mix* and fry quickly. Use tamari as a dipping sauce, thinned with a little water.

Some ideas from recent meals

[Roxy]

Wow veganblue - that's very International of you!! I love the sound of all of that and should attempt to give it all a go. Italy sounds like it might be my favourite!

[Kiva Dancer]

Mexican is one of my favourite cusines.

Take half-moon sliced onions, capsicum (bell peppers) and whatever else suits you into a hot skillet pan. Add cumin, garlic, cayanne pepper, mexican oregano (leave it out if you can't get it) and toss round until fragrant. Serve on cooked tortillas with tomatoes, lime-squeezed avocado, and either lettuce or raw spinach. Sometimes I'll make a pico de gallo or a thick guacamole for that wrap. Slivers or cucumber or raw jicama with chili powder dusted on makes it oh so lovely.

Or do a 7layer burritos "knockoff" with brown rice (spice that water well before putting your rice in to cook), spinach or any other raw green on hand, tomato, refried beans, vegan cheese(s), and vegan sour cream. Vegan cheese is really to find here so I leave that out and it's still quite yummy.

Enchiladas with slivered veggies rolled in warmed corn tortillas that are placed seam-side-down in a baking pan and covered with yummy vegan enchilada sauce are oh, so good. If you can't find any canned sauce in the stores, you can make some yourself. Recipes are all around and most are easy veg'd. I make a really thin salsa to go overtop mine cause I love my salsa.

If you've got some beans cooked, place a nice amount on a softened corn tortilla. Just enough to cover, not enough to "drown" it. Add vegan cheese if you've got it or tomatoes, onions and avocado if you don't. Top with that thin salsa or enchilada sauce. Stack another tortilla on and repeat. 3 layers worth of that and you have a meal. If I'm feeling extra fancy, I'll put in random veggies in it, too. Not traditional, but so good.

Not wanting Mexican? No worries.
Cook a whole potato, open it and mush up the flesh well. Add heated random veggies and some heated up beans. Mash again. Top with cheeze sauce, cheeze slices or nutritional yeast - whatever suits your fancy.

Clean and chop any and all veggies you want. Onion, carrots, turnips.. whatever you like and have around. Place in a stockpot and cover with flavoured water (I cover it very well). Bring to a light simmer and simmer until the veggies are done, but not mushy. At the last minute or two, add corn kernals and cook through some more. Serve with crusty vegan garlic bread and a mixed greens salad with loads of raw veggies.

Got a grill going? Just about everything can be grilled and often I do but if it's not possible, thickly chop everything you like into a baking dish but don't chop it too thick. I love onions, potatoes, celery, turnip, parsnip but whatever you like will work, too. Drizzle with olive oil and dust with whatever spices you like. Don't forget the garlic. Roast until done and enjoy over rice.

Chef salads are the best way of getting in the raw veg, too. Canned beans, drained and rinsed with any raw veg you love. Top with a yummy dressing, spicy salsa or olive oil and squeezed lemon. I love black olives on mine and a sprinkling of nuts when I have them, too.

I've got loads more but I can't think of them right now.

[veganblue]

Wish I hadn't just eaten the polenta not-quiche; those sound delicious!

[Kiva Dancer]

Thank you.

Polenta not-quiche sounds delicious, too.

[foxytina_69]

thank you vegan blue and kiva dancer.

kiva, i have been eating alot of things like that with corn shells but people keep telling me im not eating enough veggies/fruits on the what did you eat today thread, so ive been trying to stay away from corn shells.

i was thinking of more simple recipes with just veggies, rather than a mix of things.

[Kiva Dancer]

Ah, sorry about that tina. I've had tortillas on the mind cause I'm craving mexican foods.

But I digress. Rice & veg, quinoa & veg, barley & veg, millet & veg are another favourite of mine. I have no real recipe; it's just whatever I'm in the mood for tossed in a sautee pan and sautee or stirfry then serve it over a bed of grains. I like to spice up the grain water so my grain will be flavoured that way, too. Frozen veggies are a good way of getting in a variety of veggies all at once (fresh is better, yes but frozen is faster if you're pressed for time). Mostly I'll toss some beans in for protien, but you can use tofu too. It's very simple food and very fast once the grains are cooked.

[veganblue]

i was thinking of more simple recipes with just veggies, rather than a mix of things.

Hmmm - I have some great vegan recipe books - maybe if you suggested some vegies you like and a list of ones you don't like but would like to eat if there was a better way to eat them and we could make some specific suggestions?

Do you like spice? curry? plain? sweet? sour? fragrant? fresh and crunchy?

[Mystic]

I used to make a pumpkin and spinach curry that I forgot about...

- 1/2 pumpkin, cubed
- 100g baby spinach leaves
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1cm grated ginger root
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garam masala powder
- chilli, salt and pepper to taste

1. Fry onion, garlic and ginger (and chilli) in olive oil, until fragrant. Add the garam masala.
2. Add pumpkin and cover with 2 cups water. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until the pumpkin is soft (but not too soft).
3. Add the seasonings and the spinach, and cover until the spinach has wiltered (but still bright green)
4. YUMMY

I also make potato and leek soup, just by boiling potatoes in enough water just to cover, then add a sliced leek. I season it plainly with salt and pepper and puree it so it is nice and thick

[foxytina_69]

Hmmm - I have some great vegan recipe books - maybe if you suggested some vegies you like and a list of ones you don't like but would like to eat if there was a better way to eat them and we could make some specific suggestions?

Do you like spice? curry? plain? sweet? sour? fragrant? fresh and crunchy?

i love green beans, peas, brussel sprouts, leeks, spinach, basically any green vegetable. i like carrots, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, tomatoes. i dont really like squashes that much.

i really like asian type foods, sweet, sour, fragrant, spice. i dont really care for curry all that much.

the thing is is that im watching my calorie and fat intake and since vegetables are so low in calories, theyre great to fill up on but i dont like them raw that much, so im looking for some simple ways to cook different veggies that arent too high in calories. (i love candied carrots, but with the butter and sugar they are too much for me)

[Mystic]

Tina check out my pasta sauce recipe - I know you wanted a plain veggie thing, rather than something to put over pasta, but maybe if you reserved the liquid it could be a soup?

[Mystic]

I ended up trying to make a fresh tomato soup - here is the recipe:

- 1 onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2kg fresh, ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 bunch basil, chopped
- 1 bunch oregano, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste

1. Fry the onion and garlic (in olive oil or dry fry it if you want fat free, but it tastes better with olive oil), until it is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, and 1.5 litres of water or vegetable stock.

2. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook on low until the tomatoes have stewed. Add the chopped herbs.

3. Drain the tomatoes, but keep the liquid.

4. Begin pureeing the soup, adding liquid until you reach the desired consistency. I like it to be thicker. Puree until it is smooth, or you can leave it chunky if you want. I like it to be very smooth.

5. Season to taste, and re-heat. Makes 6 - 8 serves

[Kiva Dancer]

OMG! YUM! I was looking for a good tomato soup recipe that didn't call for tofu. Thanks!

2kg is about 4 pounds, am I right?

Would you happen to know if this would freeze well?

[Kim[ba]]

2kg in pounds

[JasonsPsyche]

Get a steamer! If you mix up a bunch of cut up veggies like potatoes, squash, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, onions, peppers, etc. you can get them to blend their flavors without adding sugar or fat. Put the softer, more flavorful veggies (like onion and pepper) on top and the hard ones (carrot and potato) on the bottom so that the juices drip down. Steam until the bottom veggies are tender (30 minutes or so). Then you can make up your own toppings. One of my favorites is to drizzle this with mustard dressing on one side, tahini on the other and a splash of vegan worstechire in the center.

[Mystic]

Would you happen to know if this would freeze well?

Yes it does

[piggy]

This may be a little late...but reading through you guys' recipes got me hungry and thinking

If I just want to load up on veg quick and simple without all the carbs and legumes, I use 3 basic methods:

1: Steam/cook veggies until tender. This works best for cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, carrots, green beans, peas, zucchini, brussels sprouts, potatoes etc...
Dice the veggies if neccessary.
Pour over some extra virgin olive oil and vinergar juice, salt to taste, and 2 or 3 biggish bits chopped off a garlic clove. (I usually use vinegar, but you could use lemon juice, especially for spinach)
The longer you let this stand, the better it gets, as the veggies absorb the flavouring.

I love my veggies, and I hate the way people tend to think of them as only a side dish, to be eaten only in small amounts. So I make huge amounts of these at any time.
If you're worried about keeping fat out of your diet, you can reduce the amount of olive oil, but anyway, eaten in this way, without actually heating the oil, I really don't think it's going to harm you.

2: Maybe slightly unhealthier, but very yummy: Cube raw veggies, put in an oven proof dish. Add a little bit of water and olive oil, finely chopped onion/garlic/both and salt.
Put in oven, and mix every now and then. This works well for any of the following or a combination of them: Bell peppers, zucchini, potatoes, aubergines (in this case take care to discard the part with the pips in it.) It'd probably work for most other veggies too.

3: Slice veggies and roast them under grill. You can do this with or without oil, I prefer to add the oil after roasting, along with some vinegar, salt, garlic and chopped fresh parsley. I love doing this with pumpkin, zucchini (should work well for any of the marrows/squashes/pumpinks), peppers, aubergines, fennel bulbs...

[pat sommer]

pig knows her vegies. I have just spent a year in Beijing and it openned up the possibilities. anyone want chinese mix veg recipes? there aren't any! Each veg is enhanced with barest of seasoning and dotted with a foil- a contrast or underscore. Very Italian sensibility! My favorites are celery and macadamia, spinach and apricot kernel, Asparagus lemongrass capers, mushroom and smoked tofu, thick slices of aubergine (eggplant) with bits of soy-jerkey.

I love making a buffet selection of veg at its simple best whether chinese, Italian, fusion etc

[pat sommer]

its piggy, sorry

[Tigerlily]

I like to "steam" mine in a wok with soy sauce and broth:

Spray on some non-stick cooking oil spray on the wok
Add a few tablespoons of veg broth (depends how much veggies you are having)
Add the vegetables
Few dashes of soy milk
Cover the wok, cook on medium-high heat for a few minutes
Remove the lid, stir to prevent sticking
Put lid back on, cook some more on a lower heat
Cook until desired tenderness

[Princess_Ava]

I am absolutely addicted to roasted cauliflower :
Just break the cauliflower up into small florets, toss in a little olive oil, sea salt and pepper, spread on a cookie sheet and put it in a 400 degree oven until it gets a little browned on the edges - YUM!

[treehugga]

Does anyone have a recipe for mango cheesecake? I am going to try and make it using silken tofu and also soya milk and agar flakes.

Would anyone know a trusted recipe and has anyone tried to make a cheese cake using soya milk? Does it set well? Do you need to bake it?

[pat sommer]

Think how you would like the cakes finished texture to be. Light mousse/ baked riccotta dense. I go for dense, mostly, using firm tofu and accentuate the texture with semolina (cream of wheat) as my thickenner. Soymilk is only used to the extent of keeping ingredients moving while blending or in the case of silken tofu, to initially soften agar.

How "cheesy"? tofu takes more acid and sodium to be believable than most healthy-recipes call for. I love tamarind paste for tartness and don't stint on salt. Umeboshi vinegar also works well as an acid. The fermented flavour of cheese is easy if you have access to a chinese (maybe thai) shop: fermented beancurd (white not red best). These slimy cubes come in a glass jar and keep unrefridgerated a long while. just one cube really gives a whole cake savoury depth in contrast to the creamy sweetness. Alternatively, the most delicate flavoured yeast-flakes and miso can play a background note.*

Richness can be added with raw macademia nutbutter or raw tahina or raw almond etc. these with also thicken the cooked mixture to a degree.

Baking is a possibility but as agar sets as it cools, I find simmering while stirring the filling in a heavy-bottom pot allows me to evenly heat without risk of over-browning. Same method for semolina; I can then sprinkle in incrementally till desired stiffness. Seasoning can be tweeked in the process (remember that after cake is chilled it will seem much less sweet). Don't allow to cool before pouring out into pie shell!

Mango: topping or incorporated? on top, boiled strained apricot jam can hold ripe slices in place with just a thin glazing. In filling, mango should be firmer to hold up to cooking and be chopped small. Spices that are sympathetic are cardamon safron clove coriander nutmeg possibly lemon or ginger. Sniff the spice and make a personal judgement what suits.

Tried and True recipe would be misleading as tofu (other than silken) will vary
in its density/water content. Evaporation will vary in cooking. If the flavour is good the rest is cross-your-fingers


*for 8 oz firm tofu, 1 tsp each nutritional yeast and light miso

[abrennan]

Does anyone have a recipe for mango cheesecake? I am going to try and make it using silken tofu and also soya milk and agar flakes.

Would anyone know a trusted recipe and has anyone tried to make a cheese cake using soya milk? Does it set well? Do you need to bake it?

Meee tooooooo

wasn't it fantastic, I had two pieces

[treehugga]

I know you greedy buggar wish I could've had another slice

[abrennan]

I know you greedy buggar wish I could've had another slice

I'm going to try and make it, dangerous I know as will probly want to eat it all.

The recipe I saw says you bake it then put it in the fridge overnight, don't know if I could last that long

[thecatspajamas1]

I like to stirfry:
-ripped up baby spinach
-chopped tomatos
-chopped garlic
with various spices (onion powder, basil, etc) and a little bit of oil

You can then mix this into noodles or put it in a pita, etc.

[Peas'nHominy]

Just some of the ways I like veggies - I LOVE VEGGIES!

I like baking corn on the cob. My kids like it slightly done; I leave mine in the oven longer 'cuz I like it nearly burnt. I would grill/bbq it, but I don't have a pit yet.

I like frying (I know, not so healthy) corn tortillas into a taco shell. I smear mashed avocado'n tomato on one inner side and spread a vegan French dressing on the other. Then, load it up with lots of raw veggies. I think my 13-yr-old eats so much of it because of the dressing (sweet taste). (I shred carrots instead of using shredded cheeze -- I have yet to find a good vegan cheese.)

I like raw veggies stuffed in a pita with hummus.

My teen especially likes rolling raw spinach leaves and dipping them into vegan French dressing.

Great big bowl of raw veggies and dip into hummus.

I like mixing veggies into rice. Sometimes, rice + small pasta bits + veggies.

Although tomatoes are a fruit, I'll mention that I like to bake them. Can top with all kinds of stuff, like crumbled up crackers.

I like some veggies cooked in a frying pan with water (no oil), like asparagus spears. When I do squash slices this way, I like to let 'em brown just a little bit.

I like to boil potatoes (instead of baking them), and top them with any left-over soups or sauces. I never liked potatoes very much 'til I learned they are good for thyroid health.

Okay I'll stop now. It's all quite simple, but that's how I like it. Don't know if it could be called "clever" though??

[herbwormwood]

does anyone here have any clever ways of cooking different veggies? (so far, the only veggie ideas i have are schezwan beans and roasted balsamic peppers)

If you have root vegetables slice them sprinkle sunflower seeds on them, drizzle oil on them and roast in hot oven for maybe an hour depending on quantity.
Or try soups, curries, stews. We like celery soup, onion soup, carrot and lentil soup, and brussels sprout soup. We had roast veggies yesterday which I served with a pasty I had made with Jus' Roll pastry.
Google for your recipes, or we may provide!

[GoodbyeGirl]

does anyone here have any clever ways of cooking different veggies? (so far, the only veggie ideas i have are schezwan beans and roasted balsamic peppers)

i know you said you don't like squash, but you could probably replace it with carrots and still get the same flavors. i think it is so delicious and simple that i can eat it all the time.

MINT-ORANGE SQUASH
4c. squash chunks (or carrot chunks)
3T. olive oil
1T. sugar
1/4c. loosely packed mint leaves
1/4c. orange juice
1t. salt

cook vegetables over medium-low heat until soft. add next 5 ingredients and mix well.

[GoodbyeGirl]

here's another one that is great served warm and scooped up with a warm whole wheat pita. i don't have a real recipe, but i do something like this:

3 japanese eggplants cut into small chunks
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3T. olive oil
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 can of seasoned tomato paste

saute the onion and garlic in the oil, mix in the tomato products until blended well. add the eggplants and cook over medium-low heat until very soft. you can add different seasonings depending on your mood. it's good with curry powder added in, or italian seasonings.......or you can throw in some pre-cooked chickpeas or lentils or spinach. i also add a lot more olive oil while it is cooking to make sure the eggplant gets nice and mushy and because i love the flavor.

[GoodbyeGirl]

a delicious light and fresh-tasting snack to go with a bowl of tomato or roasted pepper soup:

ARTICHOKE TOASTS
2 slices of bread
1 jar of artichoke hearts marinated in oil
1/2 flame-roasted red bell pepper, sliced into 8 strips
balsamic vinegar

toast the bread and cut each slice into 4 triangles. top each triangle with one artichoke heart, one slice of pepper, a drizzle of the artichoke marinade oil, and a tiny dash of balsamic vinegar.

[GoodbyeGirl]

ROASTED CROWN OF CAULIFLOWER

preheat oven to 350. take one whole head of cauliflower and sprinkle it all over with your favorite seasonings. i use curry powders. place whole into a clay pot and cover. bake for 30 minutes. remove from oven and don't remove lid for 10 minutes. adjust times for desired crunchiness. in winter when i want something more hearty i make a dip of faux yogurt and curry powder to serve with it.

[peaches22]

veganblue forgot France, but don't worry, I'll take care of it.

Ratatouille
2 medium eggplants (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled and cubed
Salt
1/2cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium-size onions, chopped or sliced
3 ripe but firm tomatoes (about 1 pound), seeded and quartered
2 medium-size zucchini, peeled and thinly sliced
3 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons dried herbes de Provence (basil,thyme,parsley), wrapped in cheesecloth
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Lay the eggplant cubes on some paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Leave them to drain of their bitter juices for 30 minutes then pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a large skillet or casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then cook the onions until translucent, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and garlic and shake or stir gently. Add the herbes de Provence, season with salt and pepper, and stir to mix. Cover and simmer over a medium-low heat until much of the liquid is evaporated and the vegetables tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Strain away any remaining liquid and serve at room temperature with bread.
Variation: In step 2, cook each vegetable one after the other, adding more olive oil when required, and mix all the vegetables once they are cooked.
Makes 6 servings

Mmm... C'est délicieux!

[GoodbyeGirl]

3 spinach recipes:

SPINACH WITH RAISINS & PINE NUTS (morocco)
4T raisins
2lb fresh spinach
3 1/2oz olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
4T pine nuts
soak raisins in hot water while preparing the spinach. wash spinach well & remove any tough stalks. boil spinach for 3 minutes, drain & refresh by immediately placing in a bowl of cold water. drain at once.
as soon as spinach is cooled, chop it roughly. put olive oil in earthenware dish over very low heat. add the garlic, pine nuts, drained raisins, spinach, salt & pepper. cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. allow to stand 15 minutes before serving.

SPINACH WITH GOLDEN POTATOES (east india)
1lb. spinach
2T olive oil
2t black mustard seeds
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1in piece fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2lb firm potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
1t chili powder
1t salt
1/2c water
blanch spinach in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain in a sieve & leave to cool. once cooled squeeze out any remaining liquid.
heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat & fry the mustard seeds until they begin to splutter.
add onions, garlic & ginger and fry for 5 minutes, stirring.
stir in the potatoes, chili powder, salt & water and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
add spinach to the pan, cover & simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

SPINACH WITH CHICKPEAS (morocco)
2lb fresh spinach
4T olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1t ground cumin
2t paprika
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 small dried red chili
a few saffron strands
1/2t coarse sea salt
1T red wine vinegar
14oz can chickpeas
boil a large pot of water. was spinach thoroughly and plunge leaves into water. as soon as water comes back to boil drain spinach in a sieve, pressin down to squeeze out remaining water.
place a heavy pan over medium-low heat and add oil & garlic. when garlic begins to sizzle add spices & cook, stirring, for 1 minute. add spinach, salt, vinegar & drained chickpeas. mix together, turn down heat to low, cover & cook for 20 minutes stirring once halfway through. let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

[GoodbyeGirl]

i made this spanish dish for guests one time and everyone loved it. it is meant to be scooped up with bread, so serve it with some freshly baked bread if you are up to it. or just warm some bakery-purchased bread in the oven and pretend. it is equally delicious hot or cold. try to use good quality spanish olives, unpitted, for the best flavor.

MOJETE
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
1 red onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, halved
1/4c marinated black olives
6 large ripe tomatoes, quartered
1tsp soft light brown sugar
3T amontillado sherry
3-4 fresh rosemary sprigs
2T olive oil
halve the peppers & remove seeds. cut each pepper lengthways into 12 strips. preheat oven to 400 degrees. place peppers, onion, garlic, olives & tomatoes in a large roasting pan. sprinkle vegetables with the sugar, then pour in the sherry. season with salt & pepper, cover & bake for 45 minutes. remove cover from pan & stir mixture well. add rosemary sprigs & drizzle with oil. return to oven, uncovered & cook 30 minutes longer until the vegetables are very tender.

[GoodbyeGirl]

this is a really delicious vegan version of a dessert from india called gaijar ka halwa. you will want to eat the whole thing yourself.

CARROT PUDDING WITH CARDAMOM
1lb carrots, grated
3c soy milk
6-7 cardamom pods or 1/2t ground cardamom
pinch of sea salt
1t oil
1/2c raisins
1/2c chopped pistachios or walnuts
place grated carrots in a heavy pot with soy milk & cardamom pods. (if using ground cardamom add later while sauteing) cover & simmer on low for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. stir occasionally until liquid evaporates. heat oil in skillet & spoon carrot mixture into pan. remove cardamom pods. saute carrots with rasins & nuts (add ground cardamom here), stirring, 5-10 minutes until mixture dries out somewhat. pour into serving dish & garnish with nuts.

[GoodbyeGirl]

CUCUMBER MARTINI

60ml Gin
4 Large Oregano Leaves
2 Thin slices Cucumber
10ml Dry Vermouth

Using a muddling spoon as opposed to a stick muddle the oregano and cucumber. Not to a mash, just enough to release the flavours. Add ice and vermouth, (i have tried rinsing the ice with the vermouth, but as with any martini, depends how you like it, i find 10ml works well)Shake well and double strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a thin slice of Cucumber.

[GoodbyeGirl]

“scalloped” parsnips

2 t vegetable oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced into half moons
3-4 medium sized parsnips
pinch sea salt
2 T sweet or mellow miso
2 T mirin
chopped chives for garnish

in a medium-sized skillet heat the oil over medium heat. add the onion and saute for 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft and translucent. reduce the heat to low, cover, and slow-cook the onions for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are very tender and sweet.
while the onions cook, cut the parsnips diagonally into 1/8 inch thick slices. add the parsnips and salt to the onions and toss. add enough water to just cover the bottom of the skillet, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the parsnips are just tender.
in a small bowl, combine the miso and mirin, and stir to blend well. pour the mixture over the parsnips and toss gently. simmer another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the parsnips are completely tender.
transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with chives, and enjoy!

[GoodbyeGirl]

vegetables au gratin

3 inch piece kombu
3 large carrots, cut into bite-sized chunks
pinch sea salt
1/4 head cabbage, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices
2 large parsnips, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 c broccoli florets
1/4 c sweet or mellw miso
3 T mirin
1 c vegan ‘cheese’
1 c breadcrumbs
minced parsley for garnish

in a large skillet set over medium heat add the kombu, carrots, salt, and 1/4 inch of water. cover and simmer for 5 minutes. add the cabbage and simmer another 5 minutes.
add the parsnips to the skillet and continue to simmer for 15 minutes or until all of the vegetables are just tender.
while the parsnips are cooking bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a 2 quart pot, add a pinch of salt and parboil the broccoli for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender-crisp. drain immediately and set aside.
add the miso to the mirin, mix until well blended, and add to the skillet with the simmering vegetables. if, befroe adding the miso mixture, the liquid in the skillet had evaporated, also stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. add the broccoli, toss all of the ingredients together, and simmer another minute.
transfer the vegetables to an ungreased casserole or cake pan. top with slices of vegan ‘cheese’, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. place the casserole under a preheated broiler for 3 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. garnish with parsley and serve.

[GoodbyeGirl]

all right, i made this one up as i went along so that i could use up some pineapple that was getting old. the measurements are approximate. to me it has a bit of a Thai flavor to it.

1 T olive oil
1 fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
1/2 t sea salt
3 medium carrots, cut into large chunks
1 medium onion, cut into large chunks
4 large celery stalks, cut into large chunks
1/2 seedless cucumber, cut into small pieces
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 large garlic cloves
1 T grated ginger
1 T curry powder
1 whole chili, or 1 t chili paste
1 T hemp oil

heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. add pineapple and sprinkle with salt. cook until thoroughly heated, and beginning to soften. add the carrots, and onion, cover, and cook until softened. add celery and cook 3-5 more minutes. add cucumber and cook 2-3 minutes longer. turn off heat, leave covered, and let sit for 8-10 minutes.
meanwhile combine tomatoes, garlic, ginger, curry, chili, and hemp oil in a food processor or blender and puree into a sauce.
pour the fresh tomato sauce over the vegetables in the pan and stir to combine.
serve over brown rice.