Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad

Cookbook Challenge Week 1 - Appetite for Reduction





I cannot tell you how excited I am to own this cookbook.  I've been skimming through the recipes, and I have to say, I can see myself making ALL of them.  They are all quick and simple, which is great for me, especially on busy weeknights when I get home from work after 6.

And... there are TONS of recipe ideas that are great for work lunches. One of my (silent) New Year's resolutions was to start packing more interesting, healthy lunches.  I was quite pleasantly surprised as I flipped through the book and was met with tons of great ideas for lunch, like in Chapter 1, for example: 

FULL ON SALADS 

"THERE WAS A TIME -- A LONELY, LONELY TIME -- WHEN SALADS were a pale and limp affair, relegated to the side of your plate, practically weeping.  I think those dark days were also know as the '80s.  Then all of a sudden, salads came alive... the line between salad and entree was blurred. The walls came down, and arugula came up".

Reading Isa's introduction MAKES me want to make and eat salad! Even in the cold, dead of winter, when the thought of a crisp and cool green salad makes me shiver...

So why not start at recipe numero uno?  (I had all the stuff on hand too)  

I give you: Everyday Chickpea-Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette:

Delicious! This is going to be my go-to salad for work for a while.  I decided to keep the quinoa and chickpeas in a separate container in my fridge, and then mixed them in with the greens and dressing each morning.  The quinoa and chickpea combo really adds nice bulk to the greens, which made me feel full the rest of the day.

Appetite for Reduction really has some wonderful homemade salad dressing too, great to keep mixed up in the fridge for salad variety anytime.  The Balsamic Vinaigrette that follows this recipe in the book uses soaked cashews instead of oil, to give a creamy body to the dressing. L O V E! Cannot wait to make more...

Cookbook Challenge!

My cookbook collection has just about grown out of its alloted space - O N E whole bookshelf. Yes, that's right, I have one WHOLE bookshelf dedicated entirely to cookbooks.  To some, this might seem a bit excessive. Yet for a gal like me, who tends to read cookbooks like novels, I feel this is nothing short of wonderful!

Partial shot - Veganomicon was in the car...

To help put this monstrous collection to good use, I will be participating in the Post Punk Kitchen's 12-week cookbook challenge!  Starting January 10th, I will (attempt to) make at least three (3) recipes from the following Top 10 Vegan Cookbooks:


January 10 - Appetite for Reduction
January 17 - Veganomicon
January 24 - Urban Vegan
January 31 - Vegan with a Vengeance
February 7 - Eat, Drink & Be Vegan
February 14 - FREE choice week - Choose any cookbook. Dessert cookbook will be Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World or other.
February 21 - 500 Vegan Recipes
February 28 - American Vegan Kitchen
March 7 - Yellow Rose Recipes
March 14 - Viva Vegan
March 21 - Vegan Brunch
March 28 - Final Week! Free choice - choose any cookbook. Dessert cookbook will be Vegan cookies Invade your Cookie Jar


Now, most of these I already own, and thanks to the wonderful NOOK Color I received as a birthday gift from my mom (yay), I have two more: Viva Vegan and Appetite for Reduction.  (I treated myself... instant gratification is nice).

For the rest, I'll be hitting up the good 'ol Woonsocket library.  Not sure if they even have a cookbook section (or even a vegan cookbook section) but we shall see...


I the meantime, I wish my fellow PPKers happing cooking.  I'm off to pick some recipes... ^_^

Vegetable Samosas: a Perfect Start to a New Year!

These delectable stuffed pastries, filled with fragrant potato and pea filling, were actually the FIRST Indian dish I ever tried.  I remember, skeptically, going to the original India Restaurant on the East Side of Providence with an old friend, wondering what the heck I was going to order.  "Try these, I know you'll love them" she said.  When they arrived (only two) I remember being sad that they only came (2) to an order, and that we didn't order at least six... A PEICE!  And so, the humble samosa will forever be my inauguration into the wonderful world of Indian cuisine, and for that I am truly thankful.

For my small, yet tasteful New Year’s Eve party this year I wanted to have a selection of tasty appetizers for my friends, none of whom are vegan.  In my zeal to be Betty Crocker, and the fact that I had two days off prior, I decided make samosas from scratch.  Plus, I had been eyeing the samosa recipe in Vegan with a Vengeance (VWAV) for quite some time.

What makes this recipe nice is that the samosas are not deep fried, but rather, brushed with a bit of olive oil and baked in the oven.  The pastry dough is easy to make too, and I got to use my Kitchen Aid mixer, which helped with the kneading immensely (10 minutes)!

I will say this:  These guys are time consuming little buggers, but are SO worth the effort.  And please, if you have VWAV, do yourself a favor and make the Coconut-Mint Chutney recipe that follows for dipping.  This recipe is so quick and simple and (magically) mirrors the mint chutney dipping sauce they serve at India Restaurant.  In fact, I think it’s even BETTER! ^_^

The Great Debate: Pumpkin Pie or Pumpkin Cheesecake?

Which one should I make for the big day? Here are your choices...

PIE

Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Pecan Crust

This pie is delicious, and no one will EVER miss the eggs. You can use this filling with your favorite home made pie crust, or store bought. I made this for Thanksgiving 2009 and made a home made cinnamon pecan crust (recipe below).  Because I didn't have clove, I used 1/2 tsp cinnamon PLUS from Pampered Chef, which has a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. I also used candied pecans for the top. From: Joy of Vegan Baking

Pumpkin Pie
1 pie crust (recipe below)
12 ounces silken tofu
2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup light brown sugar, fimly packed
1/4 cup cornstarch or 1/4 cup arrowroot
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon clove
16 toasted pecans, for topping

Directions:
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 55 mins

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 Blind bake your pie crust.
3 Blend together the pumpkin, tofu maple syrup, brown sugar, cornstarch, and spices until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
4 Pour into prepared crust, and smooth top of filling with a spatula.
5 Bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned and the outermost inch of the filling is set.
6 Don't worry is the center is still soft, it will continue to firm up as the pie cools.
7 Gently press the toasted pecan halves into the filling. I did 2 concentric circles.
8 Cool to room temperature and then chill until set, 1-2 hours.
9 Can be served chilled or at room temperature.
 
Cinnamon Pecan CRUST
This crust is magical! Perfect for pumpkin pie!! Also from Joy of Vegan Baking
 
3/4 cup pecan halves
3/4 cup quick-cooking oat
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Directions:
Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 mins

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly spray a 9 inch pie plate with non stick spray.
3. Toast pecans on cookie sheet for 7 - 10 mintues, or until the smell of nuts fills the kitchen.
4. Combine oats, flour, toasted pecans, cinnamon and salt in food processor or blender, and pulse until mixture becomes a coarse meal.
5. Pour in oil and maple syrup and pulse until wet and dry are just combined.
6. (I used a blender to pulse the dry, and then mixed in the oil and syrup by hand in a bowl so it wouldn't get stuck in the bottom of the blender).
7. Press the mixture into a prepared pie plate. I like to use the bottom of a glass to press the crust down evenly on the bottom and sides.

OR SHOULD I MAKE CHEESECAKE?!?



I tried this recipe out last Friday...

Pumpkin Cheesecake (basic recipe from the Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook):

Crust:
1 ½ cups vegan graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full crackers)
¼ cup vegan margarine, melted (Earth Balance)

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) containers tofu cream cheese
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon rum extract** (yum)
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
3⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
3⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly oil an 8-inch springform pan or coat with nonstick spray.
Place the crumbs directly into the pan, add the melted margarine and toss with fork to combine.
Press the crumbs evenly against the bottom and side of the pan and set aside.

Place the tofu cream cheese in a food processor or Kitchen Aid and process until smooth.
Add the pumpkin and process until blended.
Add the sugar, rum extract, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg and process until well blended.
Spread the filling evenly into the prepared crust.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until firm.
**Turn off the oven and allow cheesecake to cool in the oven for 30 minutes to an hour without opening the oven door. I really like this tip, NO Cracks on top at all!!
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
Refrigerate for several hours before serving. Great to make this the day before



I really liked the RUM extract flavor in the cheesecake, but I really like the pecan crust from the regular pumpkin pie!  Maybe I'll combine the best of both? WHAT DO YOU THINK?? ^_^

Mock Chicken Seasoning

A delicious recipe from my dear friend Chef Sharon123 over at Food.com. This dry mix is made from ingredients most folks have right in their pantry.  Perfect for making up a quick batch of 'chicken' flavored broth to use in recipes.



1 cup Nutritional Yeast
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp marjoram
3 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp savory

Mix all ingredients together, and store in an air-tight container.  I use one (1) Tbsp of this mix for every one (1) cup of water.  *For the marjoram and savory, I used Herbs de Provence, but I think an all-purpose poultry seasoning would work well here too. (You can see the lavendar in the pic!)

I'm always able to find the vegetable broth flavored cubes, but never seem to find any "chicken" flavored ones that are vegan. Sometimes you just need a flavor other than palin old veggie broth to make a recipe really stand out.  I've used this mix for soup bases, flavoring seitan, coating tofu, and, most recently, as the broth for Chickpea Cutlets.  The possibilities are endless!

I Do Like Pizza!

Although I was informed that Papa John's Pizza is vegan (crust, sauce, AND it can easily be ordered with OUT cheese) sometimes it's just fun to make it at home.

I give you our favorite pizza combo:




Whole Foods whole wheat refrigerated pizza crust
Vegan pepperoni
Banana peppers (key! the secret to all great pizzas)
Kalamata olives
Daiya mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil












Who needs delivery?! (Tips are greatly appreciated, though...) ^_^



As you can see, we HATED it...

Weeknight Dinner in 20!

It happens... Work late, get home after 7:00.  But let's face it, there are just some nights where (even I) don't feel like cooking.  I have a 50 minute ride home each evening, and on late nights, I often ponder stopping and getting and sandwich on the way home, OR playing Russian roulette with what's in my cubbords.

Last night, my frugal-self convinced me to: GO HOME, AND MAKE DO WITH WHAT'S THERE ^_^

So here we go:

Mexican Rice - NO box :)

Mexican Rice - No box ;)
1 cup rice (Uncle Ben's converted)
1 tsp Earth Balance
1 1/4 cup water
1 cup medium tomato salsa
1/2 tsp seasoned salt (mine's from Atlantic Spice Co.)
*1 packet smokey fire sauce from typical Mexican chain restaurant (optional)

Sautee rice in earth balance over medium heat until golden; you'll be able to smell the nuttiness of the rice.  Add water, salsa, salt, and bring to boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. DONE!

Bean Burritos on the Fly



While rice simmers, empty a can of vegetarian refried beans into a microwave safe bowl and add:
(this items were already in my fridge, so feel free to improvise)

1/4 of a red onion, minced (2 scallions would be nice as well)
1/2 lime, zest and juice
sprinkle or two of garlic powder
1 tsp taco seasoning (also from Atlantic Spice Co.)
Microwave for 2-3 minutes or until hot, stir and them add 1-2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Add some of the beans to a tortilla or lavash, top with some Cheddar Daiya and microwave for 30 seconds or until melted.  Add some lettuce, chopped tomato, and a dollop of tofu sour cream! YUM
 

Tofu Sour Cream



 

Bean Burrito with cheddar Daiya, lettuce, tomato and sour cream