Chickpea and Rice Soup

I have a new recipe that I know you are going to love.  This is one my family races to the fridge the next day, and this only if we didn't pig out on it the night before!  I found it on one of my favorite blogs http://www.theppk.com/.  I tweaked it for my needs and it turned out so delicious!  It reminds me of a creamy chicken soup - except there is no chicken.  I made it for my parents and a non-vegan friend of theirs and it was definitely a hit!  My mom is not a big fan of chickpeas, but she loved the soup!  The chickpeas are so creamy they almost seem to melt in your mouth.  And if you are new to kale - this is a good recipe to try.  This is one soup you will want to make over and over again!

Chickpea and Rice Soup
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  1 hour
Makes:  4-6 servings

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours or overnight
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried rosemary
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 cup brown rice, rinsed
3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, diced chunky
5 cups no chicken broth (Better Than Bouillon)
2 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 3 cups)
4 cups chopped kale

Directions:
Drain the cashews and place them in a blender with one cup of fresh water. Blend until completely smooth, scraping the sides of the food processor with a spatula occasionally to make sure you get everything. This could 1 to 5 minutes depending on the strength of your blender.

Preheat a stock pot over medium heat. Sauté onion with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and sauté a minute more.

Add rice, celery and carrots and then pour in the broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, bring down to a simmer, add the chickpeas, and let cook for about 30 more minutes, or until rice is cooked and carrots are tender.

Add the cashew cream and kale, and simmer until kale is wilted, 3 to 5 more minutes. You may need to add water to thin the soup if it seems too thick. Taste for salt and seasonings and let sit for 10 minutes or so to allow the flavors to marry.

It thickens as it cools, so if you have leftovers, just thin with a little water when you reheat.

Vegan Zuppa Toscana

When I used to go to Olive Garden I would love to order the soup, salad, and bread sticks deal!  All of them were so delicious, I felt like I was getting the best of everything.  PLUS it was unlimited so I could pig out.  (It was so hard not too!)  Of course none of those things are vegan (except for one of the soups) unless you arrange it with your waiter/waitress.  One of my favorite soups I'd order is Zuppa Toscana.  SO NOT VEGAN!!  But it was so delicious.  So...one cool, rainy day I decided I NEEDED this soup and I would "veganize" it.

It has been a while since I've had the original now, but I think this recipe is pretty close.  This version is so yummy, it is by far my favorite soup!  We had it for dinner last night, and everyone went back for seconds (even my picky eater)!  It is a good way to incorporate all the kale from my garden too - which by the way is super good for you!  I don't usually eat soy, but we indulge with this soup, because it just adds so much to the flavor and texture.  You could probably substitute beans if you wanted but it just won't be the same. 

Vegan  Zuppa Toscana
Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

14 oz. pkg. Gimme Lean Sausage

¾ tsp crushed red peppers
1 cup diced white onion
2 tsp minced garlic
8 cups water
3 Tbsp No Chicken Bouillon
¼ tsp liquid smoke
1 cup coconut milk (or 1 can to make it extra creamy)
3 medium sized potatoes, thinly sliced
5 Kale leaves (approx 4-5 cups), chopped with stems removed

Directions

Saute sausage, crushed red pepper, onions and garlic until sausage is heated through and onions are soft.

Add the water, No Chicken Bouillon  and liquid smoke.  Cook until boiling and then turn heat down to low and let it simmer.  Add potatoes and cook until soft (approx. 15 minutes depending on how thin potatoes are sliced). 

Add coconut milk and kale and cook until thoroughly heated. 

 

Asian Salad Bowls

Sometimes when I've had a busy day, cooking dinner is one of the last things I feel like doing.  But I don't want us all to have to go without dinner!

A robot like Rosey from the cartoon The Jetsons would be nice.  Probably not going to happen anytime soon (or ever - unless my engineer daughter makes me one)!

So, besides maybe a bowl of cereal (my family would probably protest) I like to try to keep it simple.  So here is a quick and easy dinner for those nights I feel lazy.  It's so delicious and a nice light meal for a summer night too!

Asian Salad Bowls
Serves 4

1/4 cup water
1Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (I like to use Kikkoman from the Asian aisle)
2 rounded cups chickpeas
1 8 oz. can water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
Crunchy chow mein noodles
2 carrots, shredded
spring salad mix

Whisk together water and cornstarch in a bowl until smooth.  Stir in teriyaki sauce.  Add chickpeas and water chestnuts, stir to coat.  Marinate for 30 minutes. 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Pour the chickpea mixture into skillet and heat until it is heated through, about 10 minutes.

Serve the hot chickpea mixture over the spring salad, carrots, and chow mein noodles (in that order) in individual bowls.

Dilly Stew With Rosemary Dumplings

The wind is blowing and it is snowing.  On days like this I want something warm and comforting for dinner.  I have discovered a dumpling stew from one of my favorite blogs Post Punk Kitchen.  There are many yummy recipes to be discovered there!  Anyway, this is one of my favorite, newly discovered recipes and it provides a lot of comfort.  In fact my whole family enjoys the comfort from this stew - even the kids!  You don't have to be vegan to fall in love with this.  I encourage you to check out the other recipes from Post Punk Kitchen too! http://www.theppk.com/recipes/  I did make a couple changes, only because I didn't have fresh herbs on hand, but I had dried.  For the fresh thyme I used 1 tsp. dried and for the fresh dill I used 2 tsp. dried.  I didn't have sweet paprika so I just used plain old paprika.

Dilly Stew With Rosemary Dumplings
by Isa Chandra
serves:  6-8
time:  1 hour

For the stew:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 medium sized sweet onion (like Vidalia or Walla Walla), quartered and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups vegetable broth, at room temperature
2 stalks celery, tops removed, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 pounds potato, in 3/4 inch chunks (peel if they’re russets)
1 cup baby carrots (see note)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
Fresh black pepper
1 15 oz can navy beans, rinsed and drained (about 1 1/2 cups)

For the dumplings:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoons dried rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or soy)
2 tablespoons olive oil

First we’re going to make a roux, but it has a little less fat than a traditional roux, which means it doesn’t get as goopy. If you’d like a more traditional roux, just add extra oil.

Preheat a large, heavy bottom pot over medium-low heat.
Add the oil and sprinkle in the flour. Use a wooden spatula to toss the flour in the oil, and stir pretty consistently for 3 to 4 minutes, until the flour is clumpy and toasty.

Add the onion and salt, and toss to coat the onions completely in the flour mixture. As the onions release moisture, they will coat more and more. Cook this way for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and stir for 30 more seconds or so.

Stream in the vegetable broth, whisking constantly to prevent clumping. Add the celery, potatoes, carrot, dill, thyme, paprika and black pepper, then turn the heat up and cover to bring to a boil. Keep a close eye and stir often, so that it doesn’t clump or boil over.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the stew is nicely thickened and the potatoes and carrots are tender.

In the meantime, prepare the dumplings.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the rosemary. Make a well in the center and add the milk and olive oil. Use a wooden spoon to mix together until a wet dough forms.

When the stew is ready, mix in the beans and plop dough right on top of the stew in spoonfuls. You should get about 14 dumplings. Cover the pot tightly and cook for about 14 more minutes. The dumplings should be nice and firm. Use your ladle to dunk them into the stew to coat.

Ladle stew into bowls, topped with dumplings. And serve!

Recipe Notes:
~If your baby carrots are the plump kind, then slice them in half on a diagonal. If they’re thin, don’t bother. And if you’d like to use adult-sized carrots, peel and slice them in 1/4 inch diagonal pieces.
~I use a Le Creuset Dutch oven for this. You don’t need to use cast iron, but the wider the pot the better, because you need lots of surface area to make the roux and cook the biscuits later. If you don’t have a wide pot, then using a large, deep pan will work, too.

Lentil Sloppy Joes

This recipe in yet another that proves that being vegan doesn't limit you.  These sloppy joes are so hearty and delicious you almost forget that it is vegan.  It is so much healthier than eating a traditional sloppy joe, but doesn't make you feel like you are eating "health food".  It is a must try for everyone, even those who love their meat.  I originally found this recipe in Veganomicon, but I have tweaked it to my own tastes.  By the way, Veganomicon is an awesome cookbook for those of you needing vegan recipes.

Lentil Sloppy Joes
serves 4 - 6

1 cup uncooked lentils
4 cups water
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced small
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste (or half of 6 oz. can)
3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard (or your favorite)
whole wheat hamburger buns (or buns of your choice)

Rinse lentils and put them in a small saucepan along with the water.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer and let it cook for another 15 minutes.  (My lentils seem to cook really fast, so at this point check to see if yours are tender or need a little more time.  Most cookbooks say about 20 - 30 minutes.  Mine takes about half that time.  You don't want them to be mushy - you want them to still hold their shape.)  Once lentils are soft, drain and sit aside.

As the lentils are cooking, preheat a large skillet over medium heat.  Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 5 minutes or until softened.  Add the garlic and saute for about a minute more. 

Stir in the cooked lentils, chili powder, oregano, and salt.  Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste.  Cook for about 10 minutes.  Add the maple syrup and mustard, and heat through.

Serve on hamburger buns either open faced, or as a sandwich.

Teriyaki Bean Wraps

This is one of my family's favorite dinners.  My youngest daughter often requests this for dinner. You know it is good, if my youngest daughter will eat it!  It is really simple and quick to make too!  You can have fun with this recipe by substituting the red beans for any bean you like and also the quinoa for your favorite grain. I cook my beans myself, but you can use canned beans if it is easier.  Just make sure you drain and rinse them first.  You will need 2 cans for this recipe. This is such a great recipe for the summer.   I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

Teriyaki Bean Wraps

1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 cup vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 - 3 cups red beans, cooked
1/2 cup quinoa
4 mission style tortillas (large)
2 carrots shredded
romaine lettuce, torn or shredded

Cook quinoa according to package's directions.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Heat on medium-high heat stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil.  Combine cornstarch and water in a separate bowl.  Stir into the heated ingredients until it thickens.  Add the beans, turn to low and let simmer for about 10 minutes. 

Heat tortillas in a warm skillet.  Add beans down the center of the tortilla.  Top with quinoa, carrots and lettuce.  Wrap like a burrito and it is ready to eat!  You may want to wrap it in foil and tear the foil off as you eat to keep burrito from falling apart (also keeps it warm).