Chunky Marinara & Eggplant Bruschetta

Chunky Marinara & Eggplant Bruschetta
Vegan; 30 minutes; Gluten Free; Serves 6

Running out of bread, I used breaded eggplant. The breaded eggplant comes out crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. This appetizer is super elegant and easy, this is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Eggplant Bruschetta:

2 small eggplant, sliced into 1" round slices and then cut into moon shapes
Egg Replacer the equivalent to 2 eggs
1/2 cup of gluten free Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup of gluten free Italian bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Combine Panko and Italian breadcrumbs. Dip eggplant slice into the egg replacer and into the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat and place on a cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 30 minutes.

Spoon marinara sauce onto the eggplant slices and garnish with vegan Parmesan cheese.

While the eggplant is baking:
Chunky Marinara:

6 ripe tomatoes (I use what I pick up at the Farmers Markets), peeled, seeded and chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup sweet onion, minced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2-3 Tablespoons tomato paste
2-3 Tablespoons Pinot Noir wine vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, saute onion and garlic until onion becomes translucent. Combine mushrooms, peppers and vegetable broth, stirring until mushrooms are brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine vinegar and seasonings. Bring to a simmer and allow to thicken.

2. Spoon mixture on crispy eggplant and serve warm. Enjoy!

Stuffed Artichokes

Stuffed Artichokes
Vegan; 1 hour 30 minutes

Finding artichokes on sale at the grocery store the other day, I picked some up. I love this, since it's one bowl and one pan it makes cleaning SO easy! Prep time is a little longer, since you do have to snip the pointed tips off each artichoke leaf.

4 artichokes
1/2 cup of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (use gluten free)
1 Tablespoon melted earth balance
4 Tablespoons vegan Parmesan cheese
1 clove of garlic minced
2 teaspoons basil, parsley, crushed rosemary

1. Rinse artichokes. Cut about 1.5 inches from top (point). Cut off stem and reserve. Artichokes should sit flat by removing stem. With kitchen shears, clip the end from each leaf to remove thorn. Rinse. With point down on a hard surface (counter top) press down to spread leaves. Place artichokes in bowl of lemon water to keep from turning brown.

2. In a medium bowl combine ingredients, mixing till well combined.

3. Press about 1/2 cup of stuffing into each artichoke. Tightly pack stuffed artichokes together in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven. Add enough water to reach half way up artichokes. Steam for 45 minutes. During the steaming process, sprinkle artichokes with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. As artichokes cooks, baste often and don’t let liquid evaporate. As liquid steams away, add more water. This liquid turns into a delicious sauce. Artichokes are done when you can pull a leaf off easily.

Not What You Remembered Ratatouille

Not What You Remembered Ratatouille
Vegan; 30 minutes; Serves 2-4

I just made these, and even the boys liked the dish. Bruce told me, that his ex used to make this totally different. Getting the idea for this from Everything Vegan Baking Cookbook that one of my beautiful friends gave me for a birthday present. All of that being said, this is loosely from the Everything Vegan Baking cookbooks. I had the vegan puff pastry on hand, so please check the blog for the recipe. I, also, used a lot of left over veggies. So, like I've said~use what you have on hand and make the dish your own!

1 zucchini, sliced in 1/4" rounds
1/2 yellow bell pepper sliced into 1/4" strips
1/4 onion, sliced into 1/4" strips
2 organic tomatoes, sliced into 1/4" rounds
3 mushrooms, sliced 1/4" strips
4 radishes, sliced in 1/4" rounds
1 large garlic clove, minced
4 radishes, sliced in 1/4" rounds
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley
1 sheet of vegan puff pastry (see recipe in blog)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. To make the Ratatouille, combine veggies and spices in a bowl. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and toss to coat. Place the veggie combination on a shallow glass casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes. This will allow the puff pastry to remain flaky and crisp.

3. Roll out puff pastry and arrange ratatouille on puff pastry, making almost a nest, keeping a 1" border. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve with a salad for a more complete meal.

Pasta with Ricotta and Brussels Sprouts

Pasta with Ricotta and Brussels Sprouts
Vegan; 30 minutes

Bruce loved the balance between the earthy taste of the Brussels sprouts and the pasta. I loved the way this dish came together, putting leftovers and ingredients that needed to be used, while not tasting like that. The boys liked the pasta, but weren't fans of the Brussels sprouts.

1 pound pasta of your choice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, halved
1/2 cup vegan parmesan
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup mix of rosemary, basil, and oregano
1 cup macadamia ricotta (recipe to follow)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground salt and pepper
1/2 cup of hemp milk

1. Marinade the Brussels Sprouts with garlic, salt and black pepper for 10 minutes.

2. Cook the pasta in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook over high heat until lightly browned, about 8 minutes and add the pine nuts until toasted.

3. Over medium heat, add the vegan parmesan, macadamia ricotta and rosemary mix. Toss to thoroughly combine, adding hemp milk. Season with crushed red pepper, and serve with additional parmesan.

White Pizza

White Pizza
Vegan; 1 hour 10 minutes

I made this last night for more me then Bruce, but he LOVED this! He may not even have to fight with me to make it again! The longest part is the oven roasting the garlic, and trust me, it's worth it! Humor me on the coconut cream, you cannot taste coconut. I cheated with the pizza dough. I did post a recipe, but I found fresh vegan pizza dough at Whole Foods and all you have to do is roll it out! Saved me some time, since Bruce and I have only had yesterday to ourselves....


Roasted Garlic Coconut Cream
1/2 head garlic
1/2 cup coconut milk, unsweetened

Toppings
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (I used the packed in oil, so I didn't have to re-hydrate)
1/2 cup artichoke hearts
a few sprigs fresh thyme
a few sprigs fresh rosemary

1. Chop the top (of garlic) off to make them easier to extract later. Place them in aluminum foil and cover with a little olive oil. Roast at 375F for about an hour until light golden brown.

2. When they are cool enough to handle you can pop the cloves out with your fingers. Mince them and blend them with the coconut milk and set aside. (I plan on using the other cloves in a different dish.)

3. Turn the oven up to 475F. Lightly flour a large baking pan, then sprinkle the top of the dough and your hands. Lightly flour the dough again if needed and press out to a large oval, slightly thicker around the edges. (I used my rolling pin to get the right size.)

4. Lightly pour the cream across the crust, then dress with the sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, rosemary and bits of fresh thyme. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges and the cream is starting to bubble.

Cut up and enjoy immediately!

I'm So Blue Mashed Potatoes

I'm So Blue Mashed Potatoes
Vegan; Serves 4

While shopping at the farmers market on Saturday, I was able to find more of my favorite blue potatoes. Since it's Grants birthday, and needing a kid friendly side to go with the portabella mushroom steaks, I made these. Several years ago, I made these for a holiday dinner-the color is a beautiful blueish purple.... Loosely use the measurements below, every taste is different.

1 pound blue potatoes, scrubbed and semi skinned-cut into large-medium chunks
(I like to leave some of the skin on, so they don't fall apart-more rustic)
1-1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1-1 1/2 cups hemp milk
1 Tablespoon Earth Balance
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-2 teaspoons rosemary
sea salt and black pepper to taste (I used 2 pinches of sea salt)

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain.

2. In a large bowl, combine vegetable broth, hemp milk (a little at a time, about 1/2 a cup) with the potatoes. (I used my hand mixer, since my potato masher is in storage.) Using a hand mixer, on the lowest speed mix until liquid is gone. Add earth balance, rosemary and garlic. (Here is where you taste it to see if you need to add more, to get the flavor and texture you want.)

Serve warm and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
Serves 6; Gluten Free; Vegan

To make this tastier, instead of the vegetable broth, use no-chicken bouillon. The first time I made this it had little flavor....

Sweet Potato Topping

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced (1/4 lb)
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 Tbs. earth balance
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Filling:

1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 leek, white part thinly sliced (1 cup)
2 turnips,diced (1 cup)
1 carrot, diced (1 cup)
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped (2 tsp.)
1/4 cup white wine or water
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
3 Tbs. vegan Parmesan cheese (optional)

1.) To make the Sweet Potato Topping: Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potato, cover and boil 10 minutes or until tender. Drain, and return to pot. Mash with milk, margarine, cinnamon, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper, if desired. Set aside.

2.) To make filling: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and leek, and saute 5 to 6 minutes, or until leek is soft. Add turnips, carrots, thyme, and rosemary; cook 2 to 3 minutes more, or until carrots begin to soften.

3.) Add wine, and cook 30 seconds to deglaze the pan. Stir in beans and broth. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes, or until carrots and turnips are soft. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

4.) Remove thyme sprigs from Filling, and discard. Pour Filling into 2-or3-qt. casserole dish. Spread Sweet Potato Topping over Filling. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if using.

5.) Place casserole dish on baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until filling bubbles and cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

6.) Frozen Cooking Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover casserole, and place on baking sheet. Bake 60 to 75 minutes, or until filling bubbles and top is golden. Remove foil during last 10 minutes of baking. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Per 1 cup serving: 129 cal.; 4 grams prot.; 3 grams total fat (1 gram sat. fat); 20 grams carbs.; 1 mg chol.; 176 mg sod.; 5 grams fiber; 5 grams sugar
Vegetarian Times: January 2010

Spring Rooted Vegetable Bake

Spring Rooted Vegetable Bake
Vegan; 15-20 min prep. time; 1 hour bake time
Serves 6-8

In my quest to invoke the flavors of spring, I found the perfect recipe the other day. I used small, farmers market fresh veggies, so please modify and enjoy to suite your taste! Serve with some crusty bread and on a bead of arugula. P. S.-This is perfect for Easter! Happy Easter and Earth Day Everyone.....

4 beets, diced (tear the beet tops to add-about 4)
2 turnips, diced
5-6 carrots, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, diced
6-8 red potatoes, diced
1 15-oz. can black beans (rinsed or you can make your own)
1/3 cup white wine (I used Bonterra-Chardonnay)
1 Tbs. thyme
1 Tbs. fresh mint leaves torn
2 pinches of rosemary (I did large pinches since I like rosemary)
vegetable broth drizzled over the vegetables (I think 1/3 cup)
extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the dish)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9x13-3quart casserole dish with olive oil.

2. Place all of the diced/chopped vegetables in the dish and pour in the wine, mint, rosemary, thyme and beet tops and stir together until coated with the olive oil. (Add more if needed.) Drizzle with the vegetable broth and stir again.

3. Bake for 45 minutes to and hour; the veggies should be tender to a fork pierce. (The time will vary depending on how large or small you dice the veggies.) Allow to cool, but serve warm.

Rosemary-Cheese Biscuits

Rosemary-Cheese Biscuits
Vegan; Makes about 1 dozen

I make these when I make the Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili. Super easy to make, these are great to take on picnics or to an afternoon potluck. Try out different cheeses to give some variety. I've done pepper jack for a spicy kick....

2 cups flour (use a gluten-free all purpose if needed/wanted)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup earth balance
1 cup non-dairy milk (I use hemp)
1/2 cup vegan cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. crushed dried rosemary
1 Tbsp. dried basil
1 Tbsp. dried sage
1 Tbsp. rubbed thyme

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand. Drop by tablespoon onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Original recipe found www.vegcooking.com

Rosemary New Potatoes

Rosemary New Potatoes
Serves 8; vegan

Hope everyone is having a nice holiday season! This is one of those great sides for a holiday party or if you're looking for something easy for a potluck!

2 pounds red new potatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375 F

2. Place new potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil. Add sea salt and rosemary, mix thoroughly. Spoon onto heated nonstick baking sheet. Bake at 375 F for 50 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving: 129 calories, 2.6 g protein, 28.7 g carbohydrate, 0.7 g fat, 4% of calories from fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 154 mg sodium

Found: www.pcrm.org

Simple Sautéed Seasonal Veggies with Ginger Pearl Barley

Simple Sautéed Seasonal Veggies with Ginger Pearl Barley
Vegan; 30 minutes or fewer

While cooking the pearl barley with the ginger juice, all I could smell was ginger and was afraid that the dish was going to be too much. However, it came out with a subtle flavor, and was perfectly balanced with the veggies. Bruce and I both loved this dish, and it's on the list of repeat recipes.... (There are so many that it's hard to repeat!) The longest part of the recipe is cooking the barley and use as much or as little of the spices.... Sorry about not having accurate measurements..... Happy Mothers Day to all of the moms out there, you are the Earth of your family....

Ingredients

1 cup pearl barley
1 cup water
1 cup ginger juice
olive oil, enough to coat the pan (If you're watching your oil/fat intake-use vegetable broth)
Seasonal Veggies
(I used one of each)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 sliced yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 yellow squash, sliced
5 stalks of asparagus, sliced into approx. 1 inch pieces
1 tomato, diced
1 teaspoon minced or zested fresh ginger
2 pinches of parsley
1 pinch rosemary

1. Combine ginger juice, water and pearl barley in a pot. Bring to boil, then simmer until the liquid is absorbed. (Being at a higher altitude, I had to add more water...)

2. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add asparagus for about 3 minutes or until tender. Add the ginger and peppers (you may have to add more veggie broth-if using) sauté for about 5 minutes add the spices.

3. Combine veggies with pearl barley mixture and enjoy.

Bruce and I paired this with some garlic/rosemary bread and dry white wine......

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