sides – Page 2 – The Vegan Love Project

Pickled Beets with Onions

Pickled Beets with Onions

These keep amazingly well in the fridge- even though they may not last as long as you would like because they are SO DELICIOUS! They are a great accompaniment to lunches and sandwich type meals.

2 pounds red beets, scrubbed and washed

1 small onion, sliced very thinly

2T extra virgin olive oil

1/4c apple cider vinegar

1T red wine or rice wine vinegar

1/2t salt

1/4t black pepper

1T 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 letting stand at least 6 hours before serving.

Serve cold or at room temperature.

Creamy Vegan Coleslaw

Creamy Vegan Coleslaw

1/2 head of green cabbage, shredded

1 medium carrot, shredded

1T maple syrup or raw agave or raw honey

1/2c veganaise or another type prepared vegan mayonnaise

2T olive oil

1/4c apple cider vinegar

1T salt

1/2t ground black pepper

Place the cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Sprinkle 1T of salt over the cabbage/ carrot mixture. Place a plate over it and let stand for 20 minutes. or longer. You can actually let the cabbage stand overnight to initiate fermentation- which makes the cabbage easier to digest.

Remove the plate and rinse the cabbage and drain well. In a large bowl, add the cabbage and the remaining ingredients; the mayonnaise, sweetener, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and pepper, and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated. You may or may not need to salt the mixture.

Adjust the seasoning before serving.

Carciofi alla Romana (Roman Style Artichokes)

I ate these everyday in Rome. Usually, they are stuffed with the parsley pesto- I however, prefer the raw fresh taste of the garlic and greenness of the parsley so I choose to put it on prior to serving. If stuffing them, simply smash the pesto into the leaves of the artichokes and carefully place them in the cooking pot so as not to tip them over while cooking. If there is extra water when finished cooking, simply cook them uncovered for 5 minutes to let some of the water evaporate out- the cooking liquid, oil is SO delicious you wouldn’t want to waste any of it.

Carciofi alla Romana (Roman Style Artichokes)

3T fresh parsley

2-4 cloves fresh garlic

1/2T pink salt or more to taste

Black pepper to taste

1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 artichokes, halved and trimmed of coarse leaves, choke removed, (when trimeed, set aside immersed in lemon water or else they will brown)

1 lemon, cut into wedges, more if desired

In a large pot, place the artichokes, tightly together. Add in a couple of cloves of fresh garlic, the juice of ½ a lemon, squeezing the wedges and leaving them in the cooking water. Add in about 1/4c of the olive oil. Salt and pepper the artichokes and pour about 2-3 cups of water over them. Bring them to a boil over medium hight heat, once boiling, reduce the heat, cover and simmer on low for 45-60 minutes or until tender.

On a clean cutting surface, mince the parsley, garlic, salt and pepper until it makes a dry pesto. In a small bowl, combine the parsley mixture with about 1T of olive oil. Set this aside for when the chokes are done.

When serving, remove the chokes to a platter, serving with the cooking liquid if not to watery, add more fresh lemon and olive oil, salt and pepper. Smear the parsley garlic pesto all ova all of them. Serve at room temperature. Serve with crusty bread or eat them all on their own! BUONNISSIMI.

Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic & Olive Oil

So simple, so fast and so delicious. I ate this with a fresh green salad and a bowl of sprouted, steamed quinoa.

Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic & Olive Oil

1 head cauliflower, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced into 3/4″ slices

2 cloves garlic, smashed and thinly sliced

3T olive oil- more if needed

pink salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 Degrees

In a large roasting pan, drizzle some olive oil on the bottom of the pan.

Layer in the cauliflower, evenly spacing the slices.

Add the garlic sliced over the cauliflower.

Salt and pepper generously and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top of the slices.

Roast for 15-20 minutes or until the edges of the cauliflower begin to brown and the cauliflower is tender.

Serve hot or cold.

Basic Brown Rice

Brown Rice

Brown rice is a whole grain. It is naturally gluten free and is a staple in my diet. Unlike white rice, brown rice has all of it’s goodness intact and thus contains a ton of nutrition otherwise lost in the refining process. Brown rice contains the highest amount of B vitamins out of all grains. Additionally, it contains iron, vitamin E, amino acids, and linoleic acid.

Brown rice is high in fiber, extremely low in sodium, and is composed of 80% complex carbohydrates. Because brown rice is a whole food, it takes longer to digest than white rice, providing the body with a sustained energy.

I make at least 4 cups (more if you are cooking for several peeps) of rice so I have plenty of rice for use during the week. Typically the first night I will eat the grains steamed, mixed with olive oil and nutritional yeast in addition to greens, tempeh, tofu beans etc. The following days, I can use any leftovers in soups or in stir-fries or bean loaves, it could also be re-steamed and/or re-heated.

Soaking Brown Rice
I soak my rice a day in advance, usually before I go to bed or 1^st thing in the morning (at least 8 hours); I rinse, wash and drain as much rice as I would like to prepare and then cover the washed grains with fresh water and put that on the stove top or counter (covered to keep unwanted pests and dust out) over night, and cook the grains the following day or later that evening. I find the rice to be more flavorful but also more digestible when soaked. It also cooks about 10-12 minutes quicker than un-soaked rice. It is up to you whether you refresh the water or use the soaking liquid to cook the rice in.

Here is some more information about soaking vs. not soaking brown rice from Integrative Nutrition:

Phytic acid is a naturally occurring organic acid in the outer layer or bran. All grains contain phytic acid to some degree, but brown rice contains a relatively high level. When brown rice with untreated phytic acid enters the intestines, the phytic acid mixes with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. The chemical reaction that takes place prohibits those minerals from being absorbed and utilized by the body. Some sources say that eating grains with untreated phytic acid will cause the body to lose bone mass and will eventually lead to overall mineral deficiency. However, soaking brown rice and other grains will eliminate the consequences of phytic acid by producing beneficial enzymes and raising the amount of nutrients present in brown rice. Others believe that un-soaked brown rice is healthier, as it stays in the digestive system longer than soaked grains, thus providing more energy.

The Benefits of Brown Rice

· Generates energy
· Promotes good digestion
· Quenches thirst
· Alleviates diarrhea caused by spleen-pancreas deficiency
· Relieves mental depression

Buying & Storing

Look for quality brown rice that contains a small amount of green grains, I always purchase organic and store it in airtight glass jars in a dark cupboard. My go-to is short grain, however there are several varieties including sweet, long grain, basmati, jasmine etc. that will all vary in taste and tooth feel…I suggest finding your favorite! Short Grain Brown rice is a grain I always have in the house….ALWAYS….

Basic Brown Rice

Makes 3 cups
Serves approx. 4

1c brown rice

2 cups of water or vegetable broth

1/2t pink salt

*Directions:

Place all ingredients in a pot with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let it cook uncovered for 5-7 minutes on a lower heat. I let about 2/3rds of the cooking liquid cook out uncovered and then when the water is barely visible in the pot, I lower the heat to it’s lowest setting and cover it. I find this helps from the sticky rice water from seeping out of the sides and making a mess, it also keep the rice from becoming water logged and soggy.

Cover and let simmer for 30-40 minutes, if you are not experienced with cooking rice, you’ll want to check on it about 10 minutes prior to the anticipated finish time so as not to burn the rice to the bottom (If you do burn it, it is okay, just try it again!)

Turn off the heat heat and let stand for at least 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve. One of my favorite ways of eating brown rice is to drizzle it with good extra virgin olive oil, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and toss it all together well….DELICIOUSNESS…

*May also be prepared in a rice cooker with the same ratio of ingredients.

Steamed Romanesco with Olive Oil & Lemon

I purchased this from the local farmer’s market in Greenfield Saturday morning- it is one of my most favorite vegetables; Romanesco… it gets even prettier after cooking. Clean it, steam it, drain it, then cut how you like it. Toss with plenty of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and fresh ground black pepper, fresh herbs if your feeling crazy…. do not share with anyone.

#FRICKENDELICIOUS

Roasted Hot and Spicy Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Hot & Spicy, Sweet Potatoes

2-3 sweet potatoes, sliced on a diagonal or cubed

1 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, sliced

3T maple syrup

3-4T extra virgin olive oil

1 hot red pepper, sliced

1/2t pink salt

1/4t fresh black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl; making sure everything is well coated. Place in a shallow baking dish or roasting pan and put in the oven for 30 minutes, then toss and baste the vegetables with the roasting juices and continue to roast for an additional 20-30 minutes. Delicious warm or cold.

Spicy Chickpea Hummus

I make this all the time…so good to have in the house as a quick source of veggie protein for sandwiches, salads, fresh vegetable dipping. It takes less than 5 minutes to make and is a vegan staple. The addition of the fresh chili pepper gives it an unbelievable amount of kick without being overwhelming. I also use RAW tahini, and fresh lemon juice (NEVER bottled) in this recipe- I take the RAW nutrition wherever I possibly can…..YUM.

Spicy Chickpea Hummus

2c Cooked chickpeas

2t ground cumin

1/2t Hungarian paprika

1/2c extra virgin olive oil

2T sesame tahini

1 lemon, juiced

1/4t black pepper

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1t pink salt

1 fresh chili pepper, seeds and all

Place all ingredients into a food processor.

If needed, add a few teaspoons of water to help turn the mixture and help it along. Adjust seasoning to taste

** can be made raw with 2c sprouted chick peas

Roasted Breakfast Potatoes

Roasted Breakfast Potatoes

4 thin skinned potatoes, washed and scrubbed, skin on

3T-1/4c extra virgin olive oil

2t chili powder

1-1/2t sweet paprika (Hungarian)

1t pink salt

1T vegan butter *optional

¼t fresh black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Slice the potatoes lengthwise and then into thirds, cutting pieces no larger than 1 1/2-inch cubes.

In a saucepan, place potatoes with a little salt and add water to cover just up to ½ of the potatoes. Cook over medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes.

Drain well and transfer to a bowl.

Toss with the olive oil, spices and seasonings. Pour into a shallow baking dish and drizzle with a bit more olive oil and a little and drop small pieces of vegan butter throughout. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes, toss the potatoes around in the pan a bit and then reduce the heat to 375 and roast for an additional 30 minutes or until edges are crisped and golden. Serve immediately.

Sautéed Zucchini, Pablano Pepper & Onions with Pan Toasted Polenta

All of this taken is out of the garden so the flavors are NOW. Delicious, spicy and just a bit sweet from the onions and squash. Fresh corn in this would be killer. I had this with Smashed Potatoes and Pan Fried Tempeh as a meal….DELISH.

Sautéed Zucchini, Pablano Pepper & Onions with Pan Toasted Polenta

1 medium zucchini or 2 smaller- thinly sliced

½ an onion red or white, thinly sliced

1 Pablano pepper, sliced

1/2t pink salt

1/4t black pepper

2T olive oil

1/2t chipotle powder

3T yellow cornmeal (I use locally ground)

In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add the olive oil and brown onions and pan fry until toasted on the edges. Add in the squash slices and peppers and toss quickly in the pan to coat and then let the vegetables sit for 1-2 minutes to gain some color. Sprinkle in the corneal and then toss around the pan again until the corneal is just toasted and golden. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.