animal free – Page 7 – The Vegan Love Project

Sugo..Red Sauce…Marinara….

A STAPLE SAUCE. MAKE IT. FREEZE IT. ALWAYS HAVE IT IN THE HOUSE.

Ellen’s Simple Marinara Sauce

2 large cloves garlic, smashed & minced

1 large can (28oz) of diced or crushed tomatoes – I used the equivalent from a glass jar (Bionatura brand)

1c water

1 large onion, medium dice

1/4t black pepper

1/4t cayenne (opt) or one whole small chili

1/4c extra virgin olive oil

1T maple syrup or agave

1t salt or to taste

1T-dried or fresh parsley *opt

In a large pot, add the olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic with the sweetener until golden and soft. Add the tomatoes, parsley (dried), salt, black and red pepper. Add the water and allow the sauce to come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 35-45 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, adjust the seasonings. Add in the parsley (fresh).

At this point, the sauce is delicious as is or can be pureed to create a smoother sauce.

FOR A SMOOTHER SAUCE:

In batches, in a blender or vita mix*, puree the tomato sauce until desired consistency is achieved. Adjust the seasonings again after pureeing.

*Caution: blending hot liquids can be extremely dangerous.

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.

Hungarian Vegan “Chicken” Paprikash

This is a stove top version of my Grandmother’s traditional Hungarian dish that was one of my most favorites growing up. My grandma would cook whole chicken legs in white rice bathed in oil, with onions and a ton of Hungarian paprika. My mom would kid that in order to make this properly, you need a full gallon of oil. If you are not interested in using a “fake” chicken product, or would like this dish to be gluten free, chickpeas replace the “chicken” in this dish remarkably well; it is equally delicious although not as familiar as what I grew up on. I served this with a huge side of Sautéed Kale.

Vegan Chicken Paprikash

1 pound vegan chicken pieces, drained (I use Westsoy)

1/2t pink Salt

1/2t black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, medium dice

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

4c Water

2T Hungarian paprika

3c sprouted brown rice, pre-cooked OR 1 1/2 basmati or Carolina rice un-cooked

1 bouillon cube or replace the water with veggie broth

In a large heated pot, sauté ¼ of the onion in 1 T of oil until golden and just brown. Add the fake chicken and sauté until and heated through and it has a little bit of color on it- then remove it from the pan and set aside. In the same pan add the remaining onions and olive oil and sauté for 6-8 minutes. Add in the paprika, salt, pepper and the bouillon cube and continue to sauté until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the cooked rice and add back in the chicken, and add 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cook partially covered for an additional 30-40 minutes stirring minimally. Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes undisturbed prior to serving.

Early Fall #NOFAIL Vegetable Soup

All of the vegetables are happening now, everything was either from my garden or local from the farm market. I had made the chickpeas earlier in the week so I had some in the fridge- another bean would fare well. I had sprouted the rice the day before and cooked it to have it in the house. This recipe would be a great way to use up simple leftovers you may have on hand. Any combination of vegetables would be delicious in this, the addition of sautéed greens versus adding them fresh is a boost of flavor for the soup.

Early Fall Vegetable Soup

1 carrot, sliced on the diagonal

½ onion, medium dice

1 stalk celery, sliced on the diagonal

1 clove garlic, smashed, minced

1 small thin skinned potato, medium dice

1/4t cayenne pepper or ¼ of fresh hot pepper

1/2c chickpeas, cooked

2T extra virgin olive oil

½ ear corn off the cob

2c kale, sautéed or raw

1/2c brown rice, cooked

4c boiling water

2T fresh herbs *optional

Salt

Pepper

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 and garlic until golden and soft. Add the carrots, celery, salt, black and red pepper. Continue to sauté until the veggies turn bright, stirring often. Add the chickpeas, potatoes and the rice, mixing them into the vegetables. Add the boiling water and bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the fresh corn and kale.

Adjust the seasonings before serving.

Avocado Tomato Toast

Avocado Tomato Toast/ Open Faced Sandwich

1/2 ripe avocado

1/2 lemon, juiced

1T extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

1 small, ripe tomato, thinly sliced

1 large slice whole grain or Gluten-free Bread

Toast the bread. In a small bowl, smash the avocado with the lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When the toast is ready, spread the avocado over the entire piece. Top the avocado with the tomato slices. Drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Eat immediately.

SO.YUM.

Summer Pizza On the Grill

So yesterday was unbearably hot, the day before I had a fire going, so needless to say my food plan got confused. My plan was to whip up some Gnocchi’s with my leftover smashed potatoes but there was no way I was gonna be in the kitchen over boiling anything. I had stopped at Walker Farm earlier in the day and picked up a locally made, organic, par-cooked pizza crust, a gorgeous pint of tomatoes and some fresh arugula. I made a fresh sauce, sliced more fresh tomatoes and put the whole thing on the grill. HOLY CRAP was this pie delicious. I would venture to say one of the best pizza experiences without cheese that I have ever had. It was never even missed there was so much goodness happening with each bite.

What you will need:

1 ready made pizza crust (or make your own!)
Fresh Pizza Sauce – recipe below
2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
3c fresh arugula, washed and dried
1 lemon, juiced
olive oil
salt and pepper

Heat up the grill, keep it on high until cook time.

Place the crust on foil. Ladle the fresh, slightly cooled sauce over the base of the pie. Then layer on the fresh tomato slices. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Lower the heat on the grill to about medium low and place the pie on the grill. Close the cover and let cook for 8-10 minutes, checking in in the first few minutes to gauge the temperature, making sure not to burn the bottom of the crust before the whole pie is cooked.

In a large bowl, add the arugula, use the juice of one whole lemon, drizzle in about 1-2T of olive oil, salt and pepper and toss. Set aside.

Remove the pie from the grill when the crust is just golden around the edges. Top it with the fresh Arugula salad. Slice and eat IMMEDIATELY…..

SO FRICKEN DELICIOUS.

Fresh Tomato & Basil Pizza Sauce

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

2c fresh ripe tomatoes, diced

1/4c fresh basil, lightly packed, chopped

1/4t black pepper

2T extra virgin olive oil

1t salt or to taste

In a skillet, add the olive oil and sauté the garlic until golden and soft. Add the tomatoes, salt, black and red pepper. Allow the tomatoes to break down and to come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the fresh basil.

At this point, the sauce is delicious as is or can be pureed to create a smoother sauce.

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.

ChickNuts (Roasted Chickpeas)

Roasted Chickpeas

3c cooked chickpeas, rinsed and well drained

1/4c extra virgin olive oil

1/2t pink salt

1/4t black pepper

1 clove garlic, smashed and minced

Preheat the oven to 375 Degrees

In a bowl, toss everything together. In a shallow dish or baking sheet, spread the coated chickpeas out and space evenly. Roast for an hour to insure a proper roasting. Taste one or two, if they are at all soft, they are not done. You can lower the heat if longer roasting is neccesary. When they are done, using a slotted spoon, lay them out on a cooling plate or onto paper towels. While hot and the oil is present on the surface, SPRINKLE MORE SALT, the oil will help it stick. SUPER FRICKEN DELICIOUS. They will get crunchier as they cool so it is just as important to not overcook as it is to not undercook.

Fresh Tomato Tofu Vegetable Lasagna

Again, not a difficult dish to make at all, it’s all about the components- each one is full of flavor prior to joining forces in this early fall, late summer time fresh lasagna. I used brown rice lasagna noodles that are virtually un-dectectably different over wheat noodles so this lasagna is totally gluten free. I used only fresh tomatoes from the farmers’ market and a few of my own- some for the fresh sauce and others, sliced as a layer within the lasagna. What follows are the recipes for the components- how you layer it up is up to you! You can use different veggies; mushrooms, eggplant- limitless possibilities. Mine was filled with tons of fresh basil, tomatoes, hot peppers, squash and spinach. I stayed away from using vegan cheese, was just not feeling it, so the tofu filling is an absolute stand out, delicious in flavor. I added a quickly sautéed garlic spinach into the filling to offer a fuller flavor (as opposed to just using it blanched or steamed), you can also simply use it as a layer. All of the vegetables were from my garden or from the Greenfield market.

Components:

2 medium zucchinis- sliced and tossed in olive oil, salt & pepper
6 cups spinach- quickly sautéed in garlic and olive, salt and pepper
fresh tomato sauce- recipe below
1 box of lasagna noodles, cooked
Tofu “ricotta” filling- recipe below
1-2 larger tomatos, thinly sliced, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper

Putting it together:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
ladle in about 1 cup of fresh sauce in the bottom of the baking dish
place down one layer of noodles
layer in the tofu filling
layer in noodles
layer in fresh zucchini
layer in noodles
layer in fresh tomato slices, olive oil and salt
layer in last layer of noodles
cover the top layer with fresh sauce
Cover with tin foil and bake for 60 minutes.

Fresh Tomato & Basil Sauce

2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

4c tomatoes, diced

1/4c fresh basil, lightly packed, chopped

1/4t black pepper

1/4c water

1/2-1 fresh cherry bomb, chili or other hot pepper, minced

1/3c extra virgin olive oil

1t salt or to taste

In a skillet, add the olive oil and sauté the garlic until golden and soft. Add the tomatoes, parsley, salt, black and red pepper. Allow the tomatoes to break down and to come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the fresh basil.

At this point, the sauce is delicious as is or can be pureed to create a smoother sauce.

Tofu “Ricotta” Filling

Tofu Ricotta /Crème

1Pound tofu- blanched- divided in 1/2

1 clove garlic

1 heaping T mellow white miso

3T extra virgin olive oil

1t brown rice vinegar

1t ume vinegar

1 heaping T sesame tahini

2T water if needed while blending

*opt 6c fresh spinach or 5oz- steamed and pressed (all water out) or sautéed with garlic and 1t olive oil

*opt 3oz Vegan mozzarella or favorite cheese

1/2t black pepper

In a blender or vitamix, place the warm cooked tofu (1/2), the miso, tahini, olive oil, vinegars, garlic, and blend until smooth and creamy.

In a bowl, crumble or mash the remaining tofu with a fork or fingers. Add the tofu crème, and the vegan cheese and the chopped steamed / pressed spinach.