fall – Page 4 – The Vegan Love Project

SAUTÉED SESAME KALE WITH GARLIC

Fricken delicious. In 6 minutes you have fricken awesomeness. Serve with beans, tofu, tempeh, brown rice or quinoa etc. I ate mine with my fermented hot sauce.

Kale with Toasted Sesame and Garlic

1 bunch kale, washed, trimmed, and cut into bite size pieces

1 large clove garlic, smashed, minced

1T un-hulled sesame seeds (optional)

2T extra virgin olive oil

1t Toasted sesame oil

1/4t pink salt

crushed red pepper to taste

In a large skillet heat up the olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the garlic just until golden brown. Add the sesame seeds and pan toast for a minute or two. Add the salt, and red pepper, and then add the kale. With a fork or a pair of tongs, move the kale around the pan cooking the kale until wilted and tender. Add the toasted sesame oil in at the end of cooking and mix in. Serve immediately. Also good cold.

Curried Cauliflower & Chickpeas

CURRIED CAULIFLOWER & CHICKPEAS

1 small onion, minced (I used the greens as well)

1 tomato, small dice

1 small head of cauliflower, cut into slightly larger than bite size pieces

1 1/2c cooked chickpeas

3T Extra Virgin Olive oil

1/4t turmeric

1” piece of fresh ginger, minced

1T green curry paste

1T curry powder

1/4t cayenne pepper or 1 small chili pepper

1/4c fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

2T fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1/4c water

In a large saucepot, heat up the oil, add the onions and sauté until just golden. Add in the ginger, curry paste and tomatoes and stir in well. When the tomatoes have broken down, add the chickpeas and the water and bring to a boil. Add in the cauliflower and cover the pot, allowing the cauliflower to steam until tender- about 8-10 minutes. When ready, with a large spoon, gently stir the cauliflower into the chickpea mixture in the pot and add in the fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with white or brown basmati rice.

Simple Red Lentil Soup

Simple Red Lentil Soup

Seriously fool proof- red lentils are a mainstay in my vegan lovin diet. They cook really fast and you can have a gorgeous meal in 20 minutes flat from start to finish. Today I literally grabbed some kale and parsley from the garden and put it into the soup after the heat was turned off to let it steam/cook/mingle. DELICIOUS. Going into the colder days, I always have this soup in the house, I eat it for breakfast!

1 medium onion, *coarsely chopped

1-2 stalks celery, *coarsely chopped

1 carrot, *coarsely chopped

1c red lentils

2” piece of fresh ginger, *coarsely chopped

1 vegan bouillon* optional

1/4t black pepper

1t pink salt OR smoked salt (nice change) or more to taste

1/2t cayenne pepper flakes

1t turmeric (cause it’s just so awesome for you)

3T extra virgin olive oil

4c boiling water

Bring 6c of water to a boil in case you need more.

In a large soup pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onions, carrots, celery and ginger until golden and soft. Add the red lentils, and black and red pepper. Continue to sauté until the lentils are well coated in oil. Add the boiling water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes partially covered, stirring occasionally. When the lentils are completely cooked, add the salt. In a blender, puree the soup until completely smooth (Or not!!!). Adjust your seasonings as needed.

*Coarsely chopped – if you are not going to puree this soup, then cut your veggies more uniformly to fit on a spoon!

OPTION-Add fresh greens like fresh spinach or kale in the last minutes of cooking if you like.

Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and fresh black pepper. YUM

Lentil Vegetable Soup

Whenever I am need of warming up, this is the soup I make. Being a million degrees and humid, today was not of those days- however, just back from New York city where I ate out for all of my meals (bagels, margaritas, processed vegan food, etc..), I was in need of some serious homemade vegetable love. Everything is local and organic, be it from my garden or from a local farm. It is so simple and so very satisfying. I ate this with 3 seeded cultured bread that I lightly oiled and then grilled with a side of my sweet, lovingly made Kombucha. Fricken delicious.

Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free

prep: 10 minutes cook time: 30-40 minutes

Vegetable Lentil Soup

2c brown lentils, cooked, washed and drained

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 stalk celery, medium dice

2 carrots, diced

1 potato, medium dice

1-2c broccoli florets and stems, diced or chopped leafy greens

1t turmeric

1/2t ground cumin

1/4t black pepper

1/2t cayenne pepper flakes or 1/2 of a fresh chili or jalapeño

1 vegetable bouillon cube (or 1T veggie broth powder)

2-3T extra virgin olive oil

4c boiling water

1t salt or to taste

Bring 6c of water to a boil, in case you need more

In a large soup pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onions, hot pepper and garlic until golden and soft. Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, salt, turmeric, cumin, black and red pepper. Continue to sauté until the carrots turn bright orange, stirring often. Add the lentils, mixing them into the vegetables. Add the boiling water, the bouillon cube (or powder) tamari, and Ume. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli.

Adjust the seasonings before serving.

TLT Sandwich

So I know this isn’t huge on the creativity scale of vegan food preparation but with beautiful tomatoes abundant now- why complicate? I have been boycotting Lightlife Foods, as they are owned by ConAgra; a pro GMO (genetically modified organisms) Corporation, but my friend just bought a package of Fakin Bakin and brought it to the house -with a GORGEOUS heirloom tomato on the counter waiting to be dressed- I couldn’t resist 🙂 ….I use Ezekiel Whole Grain Bread, Follow Your Heart Organic Veganaise and the rest is either from my garden or someone else’s.

Tomato Lettuce Tempeh Bakin Sandwich

2 slices whole grain bread, slightly toasted

2t vegan mayo

1 small tomato, thinly sliced

baby greens

salt & peper

Pickled Beets

These keep amazingly well in the fridge- even though they may not last as long as you would like! They develop a deeper integrated flavor if you let them set overnight.They are a great accompaniment to lunches and sandwich type meals. Instead of using hot vinegar, I toss everything together while the beets are still warm and let them sit and mingle on the counter for several hours after mixing, then into the fridge.

Pickled Beets with Red Onions

3 pounds red beets, scrubbed and washed

1 small onion, sliced very thinly

3T eextra virgin olive oil

1/4c apple cider vinegar

1T red wine vinegar

1/2t salt

1/4t black pepper

2T maple syrup or raw agave or raw local honey

—

4c water

1/2t salt

Trim both ends of the beet off but leave the skin on. In a large pot, place the trimmed, whole beets and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, simmering for 30-40 minutes partially covered, until the beets are tender all the way into the center. Drain. The skin should slip off the beets, if not, using a peeler, remove the skins and set aside. Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice the beets in rounds, evenly and thin. In a large bowl, place the sliced beets, sliced red onion, salt, pepper, olive oil, sweetener, and vinegar. Gently toss with a large spoon. Adjust the seasonings. This can be eaten right away but it gets better as it sits- I recommend refrigerating at least 6 hours before serving.

Smoked Tofu Vegetable Salad

This is my favorite served in romaine lettuce leaves but it also makes a great sandwich filling. It is so easy to make and I love having it in the house as a quick snack option- it light, crunchy and fresh tasting. You can try using different varieties of the baked tofu, they will all produce a slightly different taste. I ate this for lunch today on whole grain Ezekiel bread, one of my heirloom tomatoes and baby lettuce from the garden.

8 oz Smoked Tofu Lin, broken in chunks

4 stalks celery, roughly chopped

1 large carrot, roughly chopped

1/3 to 1/2c vegan mayonnaise

pink salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor or vita-mix, pulse the celery or turn on low to mince. Remove into a large bowl. Do the same with the carrot and then the tofu. Process the tofu until desired consistency, it should at least be a fine, even. meal. Add into the bowl of veggies. Add the vegan mayo, salt and pepper and with a spoon, mix all of the ingredients together until well incorporated.

Tofu Vegetable Crust-less Quiche

VOTE FOR THIS “FOLLOW YOUR HEART VEGAN CHEESE SHREDS RECIPE CONTEST” HERE!!!

This is so so good, super easy to make, only takes some prep work; chopping, getting your ingredients in order. I woke up knowing I wanted this for brunch today after Lora’s class at the studio so I got up, walked the pups and got it started straight away. Pressing the tofu helps to release extra water, the cornstarch however will help to absorb some of the water that will be released by the more water dense ingredients; tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms etc. This morning I had on hand Yellow squash, red pepper left over from the Thai Fresh Rolls, baby spinach, Kalamata olives and fresh herbs, mostly all from the garden. I use Follow Your Heart Monteray Jack style vegan cheese, I like the subtle flavor the best out of the vegan cheeses. You can absolutely omit the faux cheese, the base has a cheesiness on its own!

25 mins prep, 60 minutes bake time

Tofu Vegetable Crust-Less Quiche

1/4c olive oil, divided

1 red or yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic divided, minced, divided

1/4-1/2c kalamata olives, chopped, halved or sliced

2t pink salt, divided

1/4t red pepper flakes

1/2 small red bell pepper, finely chopped

1T Tamari or shoyu

1t raw agave, or maple syrup

1 lb firm tofu, drained and pressed

¼c nutritional yeast

1 small summer squash or 2c chopped broccoli

2c baby spinach

3T fresh basil

3T fresh parsley

1T cornstarch

2T lemon juice- 1/2 lemon

2T tahini

1t rice vinegar

1/2t ume vinegar

up to 1T of water only if needed to process

1/2c vegan cheese, shredded + 2T to top the quiche (Daiya, Follow Your Heart)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9″ pie plate, loaf pan or 8″ square baking pan. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 2T of the olive oil, adding the onions once hot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly caramelized, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, zucchini, peppers, 1t salt and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic smells fragrant and the mushrooms have lightly browned, about 5 minutes more. Add the fresh herbs. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl.

In a blender or a food processor, process the tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, corn starch, tahini, rice vinegar, ume and remaining garlic and salt until smooth. Season to taste. Both the veggies and the tofu mixture should have a good seasoned flavor.

In the bowl of veggies, fold in the tofu mixture and the vegan shredded cheese, stirring until evenly mixed. Pour the filling into the pan and bake for 30 minutes covered with tin foil, 15-20 minutes without, and bake until golden brown and set. Can be served hot or cold.

You can use any combination of vegetables you prefer, you want to end up with at least 3 cups of fresh veggies to go into the skillet.

Mushrooms,
Peppers
Broccoli
Carrots
Tomatoes
Spinach
Kale
Swiss Chard

Sauteed Kale with Tomatoes & Garlic

My new favorite way of making kale. Simple simple simple but oh so tasty. Use as a side for any vegan main. Can also be enjoyed cold the next day. I can easily go through a whole bunch of kale on my own so plan accordingly. Fricken Yum.

Sautéed Kale with Tomatoes & Garlic

1 bunch kale, washed, trimmed, and torn into bite size pieces

1 large clove garlic, smashed and minced

1 medium tomato, small dice

1 small fresh chili or jalapeno pepper or 1/4t cayenne pepper flakes

2T extra vrgin olive oil

1/4t salt

1/4t fresh black pepper

In a large skillet heat up the olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the garlic just until golden brown. Add the salt, hot pepper, and the tomato and sauté just for a minute or so before adding the kale. With a fork or a pair of tongs, move the kale around the pan cooking the kale until wilted and tender. I like to place mine in a bowl with a plate over top so that it continues to steam slightly. Serve immediately or eat chilled.

Sunshine Burgers

These are delicious, they just are….whether you keep them almost raw (the only cooked ingredient is organic brown rice) and stuff it into lettuce leaves or it is perfect inside a bun, pita or bread of your choosing baked, pan fried or toasted. Today I made this lightly pan fried, just to get a crust on the patty and to warm it through, and ate it on gluten free rice bread. I topped it with all of my favorite fixings; organic green leaf lettuce, avocado, vegan mayo, ketchup and mustard…..RIDICULOUSLY MESSY AND DELICIOUS……I ate it accompanied by one of my very own fermented sour dill pickles and a Steel Rail Beer….I did not want for anything.

Sunshine Burgers

Almost raw, wheat-free, gluten free

2c cooked brown rice (cooled or even cold)

2c sunflower seeds (raw, soaked and sprouted, can also use 1c of another sprouted seed like pumpkin)

1 small onion, rough chopped

1 large carrot rough chopped

1-2 stalks celery rough chopped

1/4 bunch parsley rough chopped

2 leaves kale or handful baby spinach

2T raw tahini

1T mello miso

1t chipolte powder

1t cumin

1/2t himalayan sea salt

*I have also used left over pulp from my savory green juices in place of new veggies VEGGIE JUICE PULP (KALE, CELERY, CARROT, GINGER, CUCUMBER, PARSLEY, LEMON, RED PEPPER!) Comes out delicious…

Process the seeds with the brown rice in a food processor until a meal forms. Add the other ingredients and process until a thick mixture is formed- if it is too wet, add more seeds or rice. Taste this and adjust your spices and seasonings- keep in mind that if you dehydrate, flavors will intensify somewhat so easy on the salt.

Form into patties- I dehydrate mine for 2 hours or so but you can coat them in a dusting of rice flour and then pan fry them or you can bake them until they dry out a bit.

Can be baked, pan fried, or eaten AS IS. I make a large batch and freeze them- then pull out as needed and decide how I would like it prepared!

I LOVE these. You can play with the flavors, spices etc…southwestern, mexican, spicy, mellow etc…