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Vegetarian/Vegan – Page 12 – surviving the food allergy apocalypse (archive)

surviving the food allergy apocalypse (archive)

Tag: Vegetarian/Vegan

Recipes contain no animal products or by-products. Consider the sourcing of your ingredients if purity is important to you.

  • Vegetable Lentil Chestnut Soup

    Vegetable Lentil Chestnut Soup
    Vegetable Lentil Chestnut Soup

    Looking in my fridge and freezer, apparently all I’ve made for weeks are soups and stews and chilis. It’s getting cold (maybe it just IS cold?) and soup is warming. This soup is based on a recipe title I read a year or so ago, possibly on a can. I can’t remember where, and I never could find it again. All I had was “lentil chestnut” and it sounded good.

    I figured this would be a quick and easy soup if I used canned lentils and packaged chestnuts, both of which I usually have on hand, and my standard trio of soup vegetables: onions, carrots, and celery. I also used homemade stock, as I try to do, because frankly, mine tastes better.

    This soup is hearty because of the lentils, a bit sweet because of the chestnuts, and full of vegetables for flavor, texture, and, hey, nutrition. I even had a lentil naysayer taste the soup, and it got a general approval. My vegetables were rather giant in relation to the chopped chestnuts and tiny lentils, and if that will bother you, consider chopping everything more finely. I kind of liked it, and it made for more interesting photographs (so did having a better camera to play with).

    Vegetable Lentil Chestnut Soup
    Vegetable Lentil Chestnut Soup

    Vegetable Lentil Chestnut Soup

    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 onion)
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup chopped carrot (three small carrots)
    • 1 cup chopped celery (2 larger stalks)
    • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic (2 cloves)
    • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
    • 1/2 teaspoon dill
    • 1/2 teaspoon tarragon
    • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
    • 5 oz cooked and shelled chestnuts, chopped (this is the size of package I can buy around here — cook and shell your own, if you like, but be warned, it’s more work than you think it will be!)
    • 2 cups cooked lentils — any type you like except red, which will not hold their shape. I used black.
    • 3 cups of vegetable broth, preferably unsalted. Add your own salt.

    In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, add the oil to a hot pan. When the oil is shimmering hot, add the onion and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes. Do the same with the celery.

    Now season: Add the garlic and stir well. Then add the spices and stir again. Give it a minute to heat up — this seems to let the garlic really permeate this base of the soup.

    Add the chestnuts and lentils, stir, and then add the vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil. There are two ways to do this. If you’re feeling patient, leave the heat at medium and let it come up to a boil slowly. This is great for flavor, but honestly, not enough to insist that this is the right way to do it. You can also just turn the heat up to boil it fast. Either way, after you’ve had a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.

    Enjoy soup.

    Vegetable Lentil Chestnut Soup
    Vegetable Lentil Chestnut Soup

  • WW: Cookbook Review, "Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking" by Cara Reed

    Baked goods. I crave them.
    Baked goods. I crave them.

    I bought Cara Reed’s cookbook Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking a few months ago. Cara is the genius/madwoman behind the Fork and Beans blog (the woman made her own Cheerios, seriously). I bought the cookbook because I’ve made a few of the recipes on her blog (starting with these adorable ghosts, although I made a lot of weird shapes instead), and I knew that they worked, so I was excited by the cookbook. I am not being compensated for this review — I bought the cookbook with my own hard-earned money, and then I spent the rest of it on gluten-free flours to bake with.

    This is, hands-down, one of my top 5 cookbooks I’ve ever purchased. Only a few cookbooks capture my kitchen this way, where I keep picking them up and picking out something new to make from them. I love cookbooks, and I enjoy just reading them. But for the majority of cookbooks, they sit on my shelf a lot and I think about making things from them. This one? I’m baking from, nearly weekly.

    THIS IS NOT A HEALTH FOOD COOKBOOK. For anyone who thinks “gluten-free” and “vegan” both mean some weird definition of “healthy,” um, yeah, this isn’t it. This cookbook is cookies and cakes and pastries and sugar and then some more sugar. It is awesome. Cara Reed’s goal in food seems to be bringing us all the cookies and things that we miss, living with food restrictions (chosen or not). She makes pop tarts.

    Reed’s recipes are all based on one of her two flour blends. I’ve only made the standard one, and I’ve been through 3 recipes of it (it makes 9 cups. NINE CUPS.) I’m sure I’ll get to the second blend; I keep meaning to. But making flour blends is one of the *sigh* *so much work* BAH parts of gluten-free baking, so the fact that I have one on hand means I’m more likely to bake. The fact that this one is half sorghum was also a selling point for me; so far, I’ve had more luck with sorghum than any other gluten-free flour.

    The one and only “problem” I’ve had with any of these recipes is that, in my oven, the cooking times are too short, by anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. At the moment I’ve misplaced my oven thermometer, but it was good 6 months ago. Regardless, this is a pretty easy issue to fix. It is consistent enough that I’m adding 5 minutes of time to every recipe and then going from there, though. Different ovens.

    So far, I’ve made the following recipes:

    • Chocolate Cloud cookies, which were quick, easy, and chocolate
    • Brown Sugar donuts
    • Cracked Pepper and Herb Drop Biscuits (but I made them plain)
    • Gingerbread cupcakes
    • Mexican Hot Chocolate cupcakes
    • Blackout cake
    • Whiteout cake
    • Chocolate “Soufflés” Individual cakes (more like lava cakes)
    • Cinnamon Streusel Coffee cake
    • Pumpkin Streusel bread
    • Dark Chocolate Quick bread
    • and several frostings for this

    High on the list of things to try:

    • the Samoas
    • Cheese-Its
    • cheesecakes (Key Lime Bars, and strawberry cheesecake)
    • Chocolate Indulgence biscuits
    • the almond croissants and danish squares
    • Cinnamon Raisin loaf

    Okay, does that list make you drool? If not, really? I’d offer photos, but it turns out that I’ve not remembered to photograph a single one of these recipes. They are *that good.*

    When I had to start gluten-free baking, along with the vegan side (the egg allergy was new at the same time, but I was so good at vegan cake already that it didn’t matter), I failed so much. I made brownies that no one wanted to eat. The experiments that weren’t inedible just weren’t very good. I tried a few cookbooks, but honestly, I was disappointed, overall, with the results. Gluten-free failures are expensive, too! I have been a baker since I was 10 years old. I have always loved baking, especially cakes. I’ve gone through several obsessive baking phases — first Bundt cakes and then for a while vegan cupcakes. This is a less thematic baking cookbook to be obsessed with, which is nice. But the other thing that’s nice is that these recipes all work.

    HIGHLY, highly, highly recommended. Check it out.

     

  • Chunky Mustard Refrigerator Pickles

    Chunky Mustard Refrigerator Pickles
    Chunky Mustard Refrigerator Pickles

    So here’s another canning inspired recipe, because these pickles were really a winner. I used the recipe from the Ball Complete Guide to Home Preserving, but modified it to leave out the ClearJel (which is modified corn starch) and to substitute the distilled white vinegar for apple cider vinegar instead. I did water bath can them originally, but I’ve rewritten the recipe here for a much smaller quantity and so that you can do them as a refrigerator pickle for those of you who don’t can. These would be great to do as a part of your appetizer plate for Thanksgiving. They’ll need to sit in the refrigerator for a week or so to absorb the flavors, so start them now for Thanksgiving.

    Makes 1 quart.

    • 2 cups of a mix of zucchini and summer squash, washed, trimmed of stem and blossom ends, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (you can use pickling cukes, but they are harder to get this time of year)
    • 1 2/3 cups of onions, chopped
    • 1/2 Tablespoon and 1/4 teaspoon of canning salt or sea salt (nothing with any additives)
    • 1/2 cup and 1/3 cup of sugar
    • 1/2 Tablespoon and 1/4 teaspoon of ground mustard
    • 3/4 teaspoons of ground ginger
    • 3/4 teaspoons of ground turmeric
    • 1 1/2 Tablespoons of water
    • 1/2 cup, 1 Tablespoon and 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (safest for those allergic to corn is probably Bragg’s)
    • 1/4 of a red bell pepper  (put the rest in your freezer in a zip top freezer bag and use it the next time you make pasta sauce or chili)

    In a non-reactive bowl (stainless steel or glass), mix the zucchini and summer squash and onions. Sprinkle them with the canning or sea salt, cover and let them stand at room temperature for an hour or so.  Transfer the vegetables to a strainer/colander over the sink and drain them well.

    In a non-reactive (stainless steel or ceramic or enamel, do not use aluminum or cast iron) sauce pan, combine the sugar, mustard, ginger, and turmeric. Stir well, gradually blending in the water. Add the vinegar and red bell pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Add the drained vegetable mixture and return to a boil for two minutes.

    Ladle the mixture into a non-reactive heat safe container (beware that putting them in a plastic container will cause the plastic to be permanently dyed yellow with the turmeric). Your best bet is probably a mason jar or glass container with a lid.  Just make sure to warm up the jar/container with some hot water (don’t leave the water in the container, just put the hot water in the container to warm it up and then dump it out) before putting the hot veggies and brine into it. Put a lid on the container and let it sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature, and then place it in the refrigerator for a week.

    In a week, enjoy the fruits of your labors!

     

    Chunky Mustard Refrigerator Pickles
    Chunky Mustard Refrigerator Pickles

  • Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce

     

    Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce
    Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce

    As many of you know, I’ve been canning for well over a year now because it was the only way to replace commercial condiments that I could no longer buy at the grocery store because of the whole corn thing. When I saw this recipe in the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (you can also find it at this link) I knew I had to make it because I loved that sauce. And I made it, and it was good. Really good. So good that you want to dip all fried food in it. Seriously, dairy-free, gluten-free, fried onion rings are so good dipped in this stuff). I shared a jar with Mary Kate, and she discovered that it’s awesome when used as a salad dressing. So when she ran out, she asked me for help in converting the recipe to a reasonable amount that she could just put in the fridge, as she did not want to learn to can and have nine 8 ounce jars hanging around her apartment. (If you do want to make it in quantity and can it, follow the recipe at the link above.) Since it’s free of the top eight allergens, complies with each of our restrictions, and is fantastic, I thought I’d share the refrigerator version.

    Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce

    Makes a little less than 2 cups.

    • 4 1/2 teaspoons of finely chopped garlic
    • 1/2 teaspoon and a pinch of salt
    • 1 cup, 3 Tablespoons, and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (safest for those allergic to corn is probably Bragg’s)
    • 1 cup, 3 Tablespoons, and 1 teaspoon of sugar
    • 4 1/2 teaspoons of hot pepper flakes

    Combine the garlic and salt in a small bowl, and set it aside.

    In a non-reactive (stainless steel or ceramic or enamel, do not use aluminum or cast iron) sauce pot, add the apple cider vinegar and bring it to a boil.  Add your sugar and stir with a non-reactive utensil (wooden, rubber, nylon or silicone spatula or spoon), until the sugar is fully dissolved into the vinegar. Reduce the heat and boil gently for about 5 minutes or so. Add the garlic mixture and hot pepper flakes and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the sauce pan from the heat and let it cool until it is safe to put it into a storage container. Place it in the refrigerator to store.

    Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce
    Thai Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce

    Go fry all the things, and dip the fried things in this stuff, or dump it on your salad. You won’t be sorry.

     

  • Potato Curry Soup

    Potato Curry Soup (on the moon!)
    Potato Curry Soup (on the moon!)

    Apparently, I first made this recipe in September 2007 — I’m an historian, so I do tend to date all my notes. I never really finished it, though. Like so many things, I made it once, liked it enough to sketch down sorta kinda what I did and what I threw into the pot, and never looked back at it. But this is why good notes are important right?

    For this time of year, when “cool” feels “cold” because of transitions in temperature, a nice soup with warming spices might be the most perfect dinner. Also, the house smells amazing. As a finishing note, I add coconut milk, just a bit, to give it a richer, creamier curry flavor, though this is not necessary. I am reasonably sure that most non-dairy milks would work here, though I’m not sure rice milk would add much (and don’t use “light” coconut milk — it adds very little). But I think it’s fine without the added non-dairy milk, too. Because of the optional coconut milk, I’ve confusingly tagged this with a “tree nut warning” as well as “nut-free.” It depends on how you make it; do what works for you.

    I basically took my forever-perfect combination for soup (onions, potatoes, carrots, celery) and changed up the seasonings to a mad fantastic curry blend. The spice of this soup stays mainly in the broth, which is a nice play against the earthy vegetables and beans. When you taste it to adjust seasonings, taste the broth AND a potato or carrot; they balance.

    Because this is a big pot, mix it up as you work through the leftovers. A handful of spinach added before re-heating is pretty awesome. I’ve also used a serving, with lots of broth, poured over fish and simmered until the fish is done. I like to get a little creative with leftovers.

     

    Potato Curry Soup
    Potato Curry Soup

    Curry Potato Soup

    • 1-1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
    • 1/4 of an onion, softball-sized, chopped (between 1/2 and 3/4 cup)
    • 2 cloves of garlic, pressed or chopped finely
    • 1 good chunk of ginger, one inch around (size of a walnut), finely minced or micro-planed
    • 1 Tablespoon curry powder (choose sweet if you like it mild, hot if you like that)
    • 1/2 Tablespoon turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional, but I’d suggest adding at least a pinch)
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt (if you’re using commercial broth, use 1/4 teaspoon then taste)
    • 1/4 of a bell pepper (about 1/2 a cup)
    • 4 stalks celery, chopped
    • 3 carrots, chopped
    • 3 medium potatoes, small cubed (smaller than dice, about 3 1/2 cups). If you want a super creamy soup, peel your potatoes. If you’re lazy like me, or want the fiber, leave the skins on. It’s up to you.
    • 2 cups or one can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
    • 6-8 cups broth or stock, vegetable or chicken
    • 1/4 cup coconut milk, unsweetened and unflavored, optional
    • additional hot sauce, if that’s your thing, optional

    Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add oil to your stock pot for a good thick coat (hence the range), and let that heat until shimmery. Add your onion and cook until translucent.

    Add the ginger and garlic, stir well, and cook until fragrant. Add about 1/4 of a cup of broth and stir well, making sure to scrape up any of the garlic and ginger that stuck to the bottom.

    Add all the spices and stir well.

    Add the pepper, celery, and carrots, stir well, and cook for 5 minutes or so. Add potatoes, stir until completely coated with spices, then add the beans and stir again. Add the rest of the broth, covering your soup ingredients completely, stir well, and cover until it comes to a boil. Do this over medium heat. When you’ve reached the boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer until the potatoes are fully cooked and starting to break down a little — about 30 minutes.

    Stir soup well, and taste. Add salt, if needed, and then add the coconut milk, if using (or use another non-dairy milk here) and hot sauce if everyone wants it. If you do like it really spicy, I’d recommend harissa here.

    Enjoy. This soup reheats fantastically, but I’ve never frozen it.

     

     

     

     

  • Mung Bean Patties

    Mung Bean Patties with roasted potatoes
    Mung Bean Patties with roasted potatoes

    This recipe is actually perfect for coming out of last week, as, like so many things that happened last week it arose out of the ashes of me screwing something up because I did not know what I was doing and was not paying attention. Last week was just that kind of week. I need a nap. Or a vacation.

    A few years ago, I’d bought mung beans, dried, because I understood that they could be cooked relatively quickly, like lentils. So I put them in a pot with water, on a burner, and then wandered off to do something else. By the time I came back, I had mush instead of beans. Oops. So I made a bean loaf. You know, like meatloaf, but without vegetarian. The thing is, “bean loaf” sounds kind of gross, and baking this in a loaf meant you only had a few edges. Plus, it wasn’t really that successful at holding its shape when sliced.

    You really should soak the beans overnight, so far as I can tell, but you can also just dump a kettle of boiling water over them and soak them for about an hour. They will plump up quite nicely. They are “done” cooking when they are starting to fall apart but haven’t actually fallen apart yet.

    Since then, I’ve refined this so that I have less bean mush and more mushy beans, and revised the add-in vegetables and seasonings somewhat to create a flavorful bean-based patty. Actually, if you make them my way, they’re more ball-shaped, but bean balls isn’t appetizing either. We’ll go with patties. This recipe makes 16 patties measured out by a 1/2 cup ice cream scoop. These store and reheat well, but I have not tried freezing them. Structural integrity is still low, but they taste good, and who cares if your patty falls apart a bit? You already have a fork on hand.

    Soaked Mung Beans before cooking
    Soaked Mung Beans before cooking

     

    Mung Bean Patties

    • 2 cups dry mung beans, soaked overnight or covered in boiling water and soaked an hour
    • 3-4 carrots
    • 1/4 of a bell pepper (use up to half if you really love the flavor)
    • 1 bunch (6-8) scallions
    • 1 portobello mushroom cap
    • 2 cups fresh parsley leaves
    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon tarragon (crush the leaves as you add it)
    • 1 teaspoon thyme (also crush this as you add it)
    • 1 Tablespoon basil
    • 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt (to taste)

    Put soaked mung beans in a saucepan and cover with water so that there’s about an inch of water over the mung beans. Put over high heat, covered, and bring to a boil. Boil 8-10 minutes, turn to low, and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Water should be completely absorbed, and beans should be slightly mushy but not entirely without structural integrity at this point. Remove from heat, remove cover, and let cool while you prep the veg.

    Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

    Using a food processor, grind up all the veg. You can do this any way you like, but here’s what works for me — I use the shredder attachment for the carrots and bell pepper, and then put the S-blade in to grind them up a bit more. The scallions and parsley will need liquid, so add the oil or vinegar to this. The mushroom should be fine with just the S-blade.

    Add the ground vegetables and all the seasonings, along with the mung beans, to a large bowl. Stir well, longer than you think you should, and then use your hands to really work the beans.

    There are two ways to form patties — either grease a muffin tin and fill it, or make scoops with an ice cream scoop and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or greased lightly. Make sure to pack the bean patties/balls together as you form them — these won’t be masterpieces that will stay together through a coming apocalypse, but they will hold their form as you dump them out of the muffin tins.

    Bake 15 minutes, then enjoy.

    Mung Bean Patties
    Mung Bean Patties

  • Greens and Beans: Swiss Chard and Cannellini

    image
    Swiss chard and cannellini@ beans

    I am not quite sure who figured out that beans and greens is an excellent combination, and that almost any greens and beans can be used, and that, if the beans are cooked (or canned, if you can use them) and the greens aren’t collards (which really do take time), this is a quick and healthy and satisfying meal. I’m a fan because I like greens and often forget how much — until I make another version of this and wonder why I don’t eat this regularly.

    Feel free to add a grain of your choice, but I usually skip that. Brown rice is particularly complementary. But in a rush, which I kind of feel I always am lately, beans and greens is enough.

    This makes two large servings, three “normal” sized servings, and is great leftover.

    Swiss Chard and Cannellini Beans

    • 2 Tablespoons oil of your choice
    • 1 can (or 2 cups) cooked cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (if canned)
    • freshly ground pepper, to taste
    • 2 Tablespoons dry sherry, dry white wine, or water
    • 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic (if using crushed from a jar, use about 2 teaspoons)
    • 1 bunch of Swiss chard, rainbow if you can get it, stems chopped, leaves chopped (separated)
    • 1-2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar (beware “caramel coloring” or other additives) or lemon juice

    Heat a large skillet over medium heat until hot.

    Add oil. Heat until shimmering.

    Add beans. Cook maybe 5 minutes, until they start to crisp a little.

    Add pepper and sherry/wine/water. Cook until the liquid you just added is reduced by half.

    Add chopped stems and garlic and stir well. Cook 2-3 minutes.

    Add chopped chard leaves in handfuls, stirring each handful in as it wilts and adding the next. When it’s all in, add the vinegar or lemon juice, stir well, and let cook another minute. Taste, and add salt, pepper, or olive oil as needed to finish.

  • Blueberry Habanero Hot Sauce

    Blueberry Habanero Hot Sauce (and my pathetic attempt to do a smiley face with the hot sauce bottle dripper)
    Blueberry Habanero Hot Sauce (and my pathetic attempt to do a smiley face with the hot sauce bottle dripper)

    So remember earlier this summer when I went berry picking with Mary Kate and I made the blueberry barbecue sauce? Well, I also made this Blueberry Habanero Hot Sauce. Just a warning that the outset, when I say hot, I mean hot. This is not a sauce for the faint of spice. Please be advised that my taste buds no longer think that Sriracha is all that hot, and I use it like ketchup, so when I say this is hot, I freaking mean it. Now with that out of the way, it’s really good. I really like the fruity spice combination and it was great to kick up my portion of the ribs we made with the Blueberry Barbecue Sauce to acceptable spice levels. Also, it was really good when I dipped marshmallows into it. I used to have a hot sauce collection in the long ago and far away time before corn, and I had a blueberry hot sauce in it. It’s really nice to get it back.

    Blueberry Habanero Hot Sauce

    Makes about 4 cups.

    • 1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries
    • 1 onion chopped
    • 1 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar
    • 1/4 cup of lime juice
    • 3 garlic cloves
    • 2 teaspoons of salt
    • 1 Tablespoon of sugar
    • 10 habanero peppers, seeds and stems removed, chopped.

    Combine all ingredients, except for the habaneros, in a saucepan and bring to a medium boil. Cover the saucepan, and gently boil for 10 minutes.

    Place the habaneros and the contents of the saucepan in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

    You can either can this recipe in a water bath as described here – or you can store in the refrigerator or freezer. Also if you’re worried about using up this much hot sauce, you can make half the recipe.

    Go blister your taste buds, it’s yummy!