Japanese kale salad wrap

Hello! Happy days to everyone, I hope you've been well since the last time we spoke. Or the last time I spoke at you, rather. It seems that summer has arrived early in Louisville (again?!), which means I've been doing my reading on the porch these days. One author who can get me hungry in a pinch is Haruki Murakami, and I just happen to be reading his take on Orwell's 1984, aptly named 1Q84 since "Kyu" in Japanese is the word for 9.

To make a long story short: Murakami starts describing a scrumptious dinner, and I suddenly find myself famished! I held off hunger pangs long enough to enjoy the rest of the chapter, then raced inside to start dinner. As any reader of Murakami is well aware, classical music is a natural part of life, so my first stop was at my computer to switch on my Mozart internet radio station. With Piano Concerto no. 27 filling the air with crescendos, I took quick mental stock of my fridge and set to work on a tasty Murakami-inspired dinner. What I wound up with was a light, incredibly tasty kale salad that I tossed on some locally made organic wheat wraps and devoured along with fingerling potatoes. Here's how you can enjoy the same!

Ingredients
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 large leek, thinly sliced
1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced
1 bunch of kale (any variety), chopped
2 medium carrots, shredded
2 cloves garlic, diced
1" x 1" piece of ginger root, diced
2 tsp brown mustard seeds
2-3 tsp Bragg's liquid amino (or similar)
1-2 tsp red wine vinegar
1-2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1-2 tsp vegetable oil
 wrap of your choice

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, heat all liquids and brown mustard seeds on medium heat. Use your own judgment on quantity of oils; I just used as much as looked right.
2. As mustard seeds begin to pop, add onions, leek, cucumber, ginger, and garlic
3. Mix ingredients well for 5 minutes, remove from heat
4. Place small handfuls of kale and carrot along the middle of your wraps
5. Dish onion/leek/cucumber mixture on top of kale
6. Fold wrap and eat!

Mum's Favorite Lasagna

Happy days to everyone! I've been spending my longest vacation in memory at home in Connecticut with my family and friends, and haven't felt this rested in ages. One of the great perks of this rest, I've found, is the plentiful time to spend as you like. So why not spend it in the kitchen? With the suggestion by my sister of lasagna for dinner, I was dealt with a dish I don't often cook. But it's just noodles, veggies, and seasoning; what better chance for impromptu cooking could there be? The result turned out quite wonderfully, and Mum dubbed it her favorite vegan (even vegetarian!) lasagna ever.

Ingredients:
1 package lasagna noodles, cooked
1 jar pasta sauce of preference (or make your own! 20 oz for dry, 30 for wet lasagna)
Vegan ricotta (I used Skinny Bitch recipe)
2 large carrots, diced
1 large vidalia onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped greens (I used arugula; spinach would  be nice as well)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup of dry TVP, soaked in 7/8 cup warm water for 5 min, then drained.
1 tbsp herbs de Provence
1 tbsp Italian herbs (usually oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram)
1/2 bag of Daiya - or similar - pepper jack cheese shreds

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan on medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add the TVP and seasoning to the onions and carrots, cook another 5 minutes stirring frequently
4. Add the greens to this mixture, cook for 2 minutes then stir in 3/4 of sauce and remove from heat
5. Spread the remaining 1/4 sauce on the bottom of a baking dish (13" x 9" pan works well)
6. Layer the lasagna noodles over the sauce
7. Add a thin layer of the sauce and veggie mixture over the noodles
8. Add a layer of ricotta over the sauce
9. Add another layer of noodles over the ricotta
10. Repeat steps 7 through 9
11. Top the noodles with the pepper jack cheese
12. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until hot. If cheese begins to brown, cover with foil.
13. Let cool 5 minutes, then serve with a heaping amount of bread!

Asparagus quiche

Quiche was always a favorite at our house growing up; my dad is quite the talented cook, and quiche was often inhaled as quickly as it was made. As complicated as it is to read aloud for the first time, quiche is fairly simple to make. It keeps well in the fridge, and can be sliced and reheated for meals through the week. Here's a slightly spicy asparagus rendition I made last night. I haven't mastered pastry yet, so I currently use vegan pie crusts from the grocery.

Ingredients

- Filling
13 (or more!) stalks of asparagus
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 large stalks of celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp purple basil
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sea salt

- Base
1 package of extra firm tofu, drained well
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp paprika

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

- Filling
1) Chop 8 stalks of asparagus into 1/4'' pieces, boil for 3-5 minutes. Save remaining 5 until the end.
2) Add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Saute all veggies for 7-10 minutes, or until onions become translucent and liquid has mostly evaporated
3) Remove skillet from heat, add the spices and stir well

- Base
1) Combine tofu, oil, lemon juice and mustard in food processor. Blend until smooth.
2) Add spices, blend again
3) Add the veggie filling to the base, stir well to mix
4) Pour combination into pie crust
5) Using remaining asparagus, lay them over the top of the quiche in any pattern you like
5) Bake for 40 minutes
6) Remove from oven, let cool 10 minutes before serving

Spring's raw soft tacos

This year, it seems that Louisville transitioned straight from fall into summer, skipping winter and spring entirely. Incredibly, we've had days over 80 degrees since the beginning of March. While this makes for an unusually sweaty and humid spring, it also brings with it the wonderful feelings of summer. The latter has been inspiring my meals for the past week or two, and this week it had me craving fresh cilantro. What better way to satisfy that craving than with fresh, raw tacos? (Disclaimer: the tortilla in this incarnation is not raw, just the filling. I'll try my hand at a raw wrap next time!)

Ingredients
corn tortillas (substitute raw wraps if you'd prefer)
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 large tomato, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1cup black beans, soaked and rinsed
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tbs chile powder
2 tsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp coriander

Directions
1. In a small bowl, mix spices
2. In a large bowl, mix remaining ingredients
3. Combine and mix well
4. Spoon mixture onto tortilla
5. Top with salsa verde or condiment of your choice
6. Serve!

Curried sausage and okra

After 2 weeks of missing the farmer's market (out of town for one, ultimate frisbee tournament during another), I came back to this week's market with a vengeance! Only kidding. But I did hit that thing harder that Rush Limbaugh hits his pill cabinet, and came away with even more delicious goodies than Rush would have.

After filling my bag with okra, red potatoes, green beans, red onions, garlic, and a myriad other veggies, one farmer commented, as he placed a few yellow onions into my eagerly awaiting bag, "you've got quite the bounty there." Indeed I had, and I intended to cook it up as soon as I got home. Unfortunately, the activities of the day - namely training in the park and a Louisville Vegetarian Club meeting - kept me busy until 4 pm when I got my first crack at these locally grown treats.

Peering into my completely stocked fridge, I'll admit I was somewhat overwhelmed by the possibilities. What to do with all of these peppers, onions, garlic, okra, potatoes, etc.? Since I like a good challenge, I decided to try my hand at making a delicious okra dish. Now, I'm not saying okra isn't tasty; freshly-picked from the plant it has quite a delicious, broccoli-like flavor. Despite this initial crispness of flavor, I've found it hard to cook okra into something flavorful without frying it. I thought perhaps infusing it with the hot spice of peppers would be a good idea, and perhaps add some other crunchy vegetables to accompany it. And so came about this sausage and okra curried dish.

Ingredients:
2 large okra pods, cut into 1/4'' cross sections
3 celery stalks, halved and sliced small
1 large carrot, halved and sliced small
1 small red onion, sliced small
2 small yellow onions, sliced small
4 cloves garlic, diced
4 red potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
1 red serrano pepper, diced
1 green serrano pepper, diced
2 Tofurkey Italian sausages, halved and cut small
1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp coriander
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp water
1 tsp brown rice vinegar

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat
2. Add okra, potatoes, water and vinegar, cook 8-10 minutes and stir occasionally
3. Once potatoes begin to brown, add remaining ingredients, cook 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally
4. Remove from heat and enjoy!

Love Burgers

In the past, I haven't been too inclined to fill my diet with faux-meats. When Kroger decides to put LightLife Gimme Lean Beef on 50% sale, however, I'll buy a few rolls and sneak them into my normal meals. So with it being Summer and all, I decided I could make a good burger with this immitation meat. While the lightlife creations are great substitutes, there's not much to them taste-wise, so I felt the need to kick them up a notch (do I owe Emeril royalties for that?). To add that extra oomph, I added cayenne pepper, turmeric, black pepper, and a few veggies to "beef" up these faux-beef patties. Everything I added is easy to grow or find, and takes very little prep time. The best part about making these patties is mushing them together with your bare hands! I love making messes... probably because I love cleaning. Anyway. Who wants a burger?

Ingredients:
1 roll LightLife Gimme Lean Beef
1 can black beans
1/2 large white onion
1 stalk celery
1 large carrot
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp oil

Directions:
1. Drain and rinse the black beans, pour into large bowl
2. Smash beans with the back-side of a fork until they create a thick paste
3. Dice onion, celery and carrot, dump into large bowl with basil and beans
4. Add LightLife to large bowl, mix ingredients together by hand
5. Once ingredients mixed, sprinkle spices evenly over top, mix again
6. Form mixture into patties
7. Heat 1 tbsp oil in skillet on medium high
8. Add 2 or 3 patties to skillet, cook 5 min on each side (or until brown)
9. Add more oil if necessary, cook remaining patties
10. Remove patties from skillet, set on plate covered by paper towel to remove excess oil, or directly onto bun for eating!

This will make 8-10 small patties or 6-8 large patties, but probably only 5 heart shaped patties. Add any toppings you like; I enjoyed mine on whole wheat bread with tomato, onion, sprouts, veganaise and barbeque sauce.

Spinach Skillet Surprise!

Just a few short weeks ago, I was preparing for a 15 hour drive home to Connecticut. This required all sorts of packing, rest, and caffeination - not to mention cooking. As with most people who set out on long road trips, I was concerned about the food available to me along the sides of highways as I passed through the states... especially Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, which have given me serious meal worries in the past. So I took matters into my own hands and cooked up pretty much everything I had left in the way of food in my house. What I made turned out to be a delicious, healthy, and filling creation that lasted 4 meals and kept me out of the queues infront of the roadside fast food vendors, and it took very little preparation!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup lentils
1 cup brown rice
1 can black beans
4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cut in 1'' cubes
2 cups fresh spinach
3 roma tomatoes, diced
2 large celery stalks, diced
1 tsp dried ginger
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp freshly chopped thyme for garnish
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup mushroom broth

Directions:
1. Add lentils, rice, and potatoes in a large skillet with high sides. Pour in water and broth, turn the burner to medium high
2. Chop celery, measure out spices
3. After liquid begins to simmer, stir in remaining ingredients minus the spinach, reduce heat to medium and cover skillet
4. Let cook for 15 minutes, or until liquid has been absorbed/evaporated, remove from heat, stir in the spinach and let sit covered for 5 minutes
5. Garnish with 2 tsp freshly chopped thyme (optional)

If you have any mushrooms, I suggest adding those.  I was fresh out when I made this, but I think they would add great texture and taste to the dish.

Thai curried noodles

I pulled this recipe out of the latest issue of Vegetarian Times, Thai Curried Noodles with Broccoli and Tofu, page 38. It's delicious, has a great sweet and spicy kick to it, and is very easy to make. The original recipe called for 1 cup of shallots, but I substituted these for onions and purple garlic because that's what I had on hand. Also, the recommended amount of curry paste wasn't quite as spicey as I would have liked. I added another Tbsp. (3 total), and that was perfect. The lime wedges for garnish add a fantastic layer to the flavor complexity of this dish, so I recommend not skipping them.

Ingredients:
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro stems
    plus 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves for garnish
2 Tbs. yellow or red Thai curry paste (I used red)
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 15-oz. can light coconut milk
3/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
2 tsp. light brown sugar
1 12-oz. package firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
5 oz. dry fettuccine
5 cups broccoli florets
6 lime wedges (1 lime) for garnish

Directions:
1) Heat oil in medium pot over medium-high heat.
2) Saute shallots in oil 2 minutes
3) Add cilantro stems, curry paste, curry powder, and turmeric; cook 1 minute
4) Stir in coconut milk, broth, and brown sugar; bring to simmer
5) Reduce heat to medium, cook 5 minutes
6) Add tofu, simmer 10 minutes
7) Cook fettuccine in large pot according to directions on package
8) Add broccoli to pot for last 2 minutes of cooking
9) Drain, cover pasta with tofu-curry mixture
10) Mix well, serve with lime wedges and chopped cilantro

Summer squash burritos

If I'm looking for a simple dish to make that can last for a few meals, I often turn to burritos. Now that summer is here and vegetables are fresh and crunchy, there's almost no need to even cook your ingredients before you put them together. With the varied selection this time of year brings, you can also mix up your choices to match your mood.

This is a squash-infused take on my favorite burritos, with most of the items diced while fresh and tossed in the tortillas. Since the squash (both yellow and zucchini) can be a bit chewier than the onions and peppers, I decided to cook them in a skillet for a short period of time to soften them up. Replacing the lettuce with sprouts adds a noticeable crunch, as well as changes the flavor to better match the other items.

Ingredients:
Package of tortillas (I used spinach tortillas)
2 cups of whole grain brown rice
1 large zucchini
1 large yellow squash
1 medium white onion
1 red bell pepper
1 greed bell pepper
1 medium tomato
1 can of beans (black or pinto)
1 handful of sprouts
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp cilantro leaves
Salsa or topping of choice
Directions:
1) Combine rice and 3 cups of water in a large pot.
2) Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes
3) While rice is cooking, cut squash in quarters lengthwise, then cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4) Add squash and 1/4 cup water to large skillet on medium heat
5) Cook until water evaporates, remove from heat
6) While squash are cooking, dice peppers, onions, and tomato
7) Drain beans, set aside
8) When rice is finished cooking, drain then mix with lime juice and cilantro in a large bowl
9) Build your burritos!

Spinach lasagna

Well, my computer died about 3 months ago and I haven't been able to post anything since. Luckily I received a brand new ThinkPad for work, and decided it was time to start posting again! Here is a delicious lasagna I made back in the Spring along with some herb and whole grain bread. The bread recipe will be posted shortly. The two items are chock full of veggies and herbs, and they compliment each other for a hearty, filling meal.

Sauce:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, diced
3/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried marjoram
32 oz diced tomatoes
8 oz tomato paste
1 tsp sea salt (optional)
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Tofu Ricotta:
14 oz firm tofu
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano

Lasagna:
1 package spinach lasagna noodles
tofu ricotta (from above)
sauce (from above)
1 lb spinach
1 large zucchini, thinly sliced
6 large carrots, thinly sliced
8 oz white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
8 cloves garlic, diced
2 large yellow onions, diced


Directions:

-Sauce
1) In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat
2) Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes
3) Add the seasonings and saute for 1 minute
4) Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes
5) Reduce heat to low and cover

-Ricotta
6) Combine all tofu ingredients in blender, blend until smooth

-Lasagna
7) Add 1 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat
8) Combine garlic and onions in pan, saute for 5 minutes
9) Add mushrooms, basil, oregano, salt and pepper in pan, saute until mushrooms golden brown
10) Add carrots and zucchini, continue to saute for 10 minutes
11) Off to the side, steam the spinach for 3 minutes using a steamer basket in a large pot
12)  Transfer the spinach to a bowl, squeeze out excess liquid
13) Oil a baking pan with extra 1 tbsp olive oil
14) Spread 1/2 cup of sauce across bottom of pan
15) Lay down one layer of noodles
16) Spread a thin layer of cheese over noodles
17) Spread a thin layer of sauteed veggies over cheese
18) Spread a thin layer of spinach over veggies
19) Repeat steps 15 through 18 again using the rest of the veggies and cheese
20) Add a final, top layer of noodles
21) Spread the remaining sauce over the top layer of noodles
22) Cover with foil, bake for 1 hour
23) Remove foil, bake 10 minutes, then set out to cool

Sweet and Sour Tempeh

First of all, I've got to thank Mum for gifting me the Real Food Daily cookbook on my birthday this year. It is where I picked up this amazing dish, and has been an inspiration for more than a few of my experiments. I've added a few ingredients to this dish, and also tweaked the ratios to get what tastes best to me. To find the original recipe, check out the Real Food Daily website.  This tempeh concoction may very well be the best tempeh dish I've ever had at home... and the trick is in the marinade. Let's get to it.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb tempeh
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
3 tbsp sesame oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger
1 1/2 cups maple syrup
1 1/2 cups brown rice vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 medium onions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 carrots, halved and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 celery stalks halved and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
16 oz. cooked garbanzo beans
1 large bunch of broccoli
1/2 head green cabbage
8 cups cooked rice


Marinade 
1. Whisk together 1/2 cup soy sauce, water, 2 tbsp sesame oil, garlic and ginger in a medium dish.
2. Cut tempeh in half crosswise (the halve the depth) and then again horizontally (to halve the length). Place in marinade and let soak 1 hour at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge (I recommend an overnight soak).

Cooking
1. Heat oven to Broil. Place tempeh on baking sheet covered in foil. Let brown for 5 minutes. Turn tempeh over, use excess marinade to baste, let brown another 5 minutes. Let cool then cut into 1/2 inch squares.
2.Whisk maple syrup,vinegar, an remaining soy sauce into leftover marinade. Set aside this sweet-and-sour sauce.
3.Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and crushed red pepper in large skillet/wok over high heat. Saute onions for 2 minutes, add carrots and saute for 2 minutes. Add celery, saute for 2 minutes. Add peppers, broccoli, cabbage, saute for 2 minutes.
4.Once vegetables crisp-tender, add tempeh and sweet-and-sour sauce. Let simmer for 2 minutes to absorb flavor. Serve with rice.