Smokey Black Bean and Lentil Soup

Here is the link to the original recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 2 large stalks celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes (I used 16 oz of home canned tomatoes)
• 1 cup dried brown lentils
• 4 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, divided (I used homemade veggie)
• 3 cups water
• 1 (14 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (I  didn't use this)
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan set over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are beginning to soften, 6 to 7 minutes.
2. Add garlic, smoked paprika and bay leaves and saute for 30 seconds.
3. Stir in diced tomatoes with juices, lentils, 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth and 3 cups water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, 25 to 35 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Transfer half of the lentil mixture, half of the black beans and 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth to the bowl of a blender or food processor. Pulse until combined, but not pureed. It should be a chunky texture.
5. Pour the blender mixture back into the lentils in the saucepan, along with the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth and remaining black beans. Stir and reheat over medium heat. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Vegan Gingerbread

Ninja Ginga' Bread from The Urban Vegan 1/4 cup coconut oil (I used canola) 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1/4 cup dark corn syrup 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp rum extract (optional) - I used Captain Morgan spiced rum Few drops orange oil (I used some orange zest) 1 1/2 cups spelt flour (I used All-Purpose flour) 1/4 cup teff flour (I used AP flour) 2 heaping tablespoons soy flour (I used AP flour) 2 tablespoons Dutch cocoa powder (Hershey's brand not processed with nuts) 2 tsp espresso powder (did not add to Melissa's) 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 tablespoon powdered ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cloves 1/4 tsp salt Confectioners' sugar for dusting. 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan. 2. In a large bowl, with electric mixer, cream together oil, applesauce, brown sugar, corn syrup, molasses, vinegar, extracts, and orange oil until smooth. (Depending on the temperature, the coconut oil may not totally dissolve. This is normal.) 3. In another large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, about a cup at a time, mixing each time until smooth. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 4. When cool, dust with confectioners' sugar.

Polenta

6 cups water 3 T. oil (I used olive oil) 1 1/5 tsp salt (can use less) 2 cups polenta (use Bob's red mill) 1/4 tsp ground black pepper Simmer together for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until thick. Pour into oiled 9x13 pan. Cut into squares after it cools. (If you serve immediately, you might not need to cook to thicken so long - just make sure the grains are soft.)

Gratin Dauphinois

Serves 8
 2 ½ lbs boiling potatoes, such as yukon gold
3 ½ cups half-and-half
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¾ cup coarsely grated gruyere

Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously butter a 2 ½- to 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish. Peel potatoes. Cut crosswise into 1/16-inch-thick slices with slicer and transfer to a 4-quart heavy saucepan. Add half-and-half, garlic, salt, and pepper and bring just to a boil over moderate heat. Pour potato mixture into buttered dish, distributing potatoes evenly. Sprinkle nutmeg and cheese evenly over top. Bake until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. The gratin can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cool completely, then refrigerate, covered. Bring to room temperature before reheating, covered, in a 350 degree oven.

Honey-Glazed Spago Corn Bread

from Sherry Yard -
Makes one 9x13 inch pan

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cake flour
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder (yes, tablespoons)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3 ounces (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
½ cup buttermilk

 For the glaze 3 ounces (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
¼ cup honey
1/3 cup water

 Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350*F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with pan spray. (I have tried this in a pyrex dish without the foil and it was fine. Might be easier to slice if you can use the foil?) Sift together the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt 2 times. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs. Melt the butter and immediately whisk into the eggs in a slow stream. Whisk in the oil, milk, and buttermilk. Whisk in the dry ingredients just until combined. Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan from front to back and continue to bake for 10 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. (Note – this only took about 30 minutes to fully bake in a pyrex dish.)

MAKE THE GLAZE: While the corn bread is baking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the honey and water and whisk until blended. When the cornbread is done, remove from the oven and poke holes all over the bread, about ½-inch apart, with a toothpick. Brush with the glaze and allow to cool.

Mixed Nut Roast with Cranberry Sauce

Serves 4
 2 Tablespoons butter, plus extra for greasing
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
½ cup hazelnuts, toasted
½ cup walnuts
½ cup cashew nuts
2 cups fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (I used less)
Generous 1 cup vegetable stock (I used 1 cup)
Salt and pepper Fresh thyme sprigs, for garnishing

 Cranberry Sauce 1 cup fresh cranberries
½ cup superfine sugar (I used granulated)
1 ¼ cup red wine
1 cinnamon stick (I forgot to put this in!)

 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan with butter and line it with parchment paper. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat. Grind all of the nuts, then stir them into the saucepan. Add the breadcrumbs, egg, thyme, and stock and season to taste.

2. Spoon the mixture into the loaf pan and level the surface. Cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until cooked through and golden. The loaf is cooked when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

3. Halfway through the cooking time, make the sauce. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. To serve, remove the sauce from the heat and discard the cinnamon stick. Remove the nut roast from the oven and turn out onto a warmed serving dish. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve with the sauce.

Dairy Free and Egg Free Cornbread

The full recipe can be found at http://smarttereachday.com/?p=1743.
 I used vegetable oil instead of palm shortening or coconut oil; and whole wheat flour instead of rice flour.

Gingered Chickpeas in a garlicky tomato sauce

I've wanted to do this recipe for a while and don't know what I was waiting for - it was really yummy!

The recipe is here.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh
• 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, rinsed & drained, or 2 cups dried chickpeas, cooked & drained
• 2 cups (packed) fresh spinach leaves

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until the onions begin to brown.
2. Add garlic cloves, ginger, ground coriander, coriander seeds, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
3. Add balsamic vinegar and tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Spread the chickpeas in the bottom of a crockpot (slow cooker). Pour the tomato mixture over the chickpeas and stir well.
5. Cover the crockpot and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours.
6. Just before serving, stir in spinach. You could use any leafy green that appeals to you, such as Swiss chard or kale.
7. Serve as a side dish or over rice as an entrée.

Vegetable Paella

Serves 8 generously

1 cup olive oil

2 leeks – white part only, sliced and rinsed

4 onions chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

4 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 can artichoke hearts, rinsed and cut in half (or quarters)

4 red peppers, chopped

1 16 oz bag of frozen cauliflower, rinsed under hot water

1 cup frozen peas, rinsed under hot water

5 cups veggie stock

salt and pepper

4 teaspoons cilantro

2 ½  cups white rice

In a large pot, heat oil over low heat.  Add half the leeks, onions, garlic, and tomatoes.  Cook for two minutes.  Add artichoke hearts, bell peppers, cauliflower, and peas.  Add half of the stock and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.  Season to taste.  Add the remainder of the leeks, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and all the cilantro, rice, and the rest of the stock. Stir well.  Cook for another 20 minutes or so until the rice is cooked.  Add more stock if needed. 

Note: I’ve tried this with brown rice.  It takes forever to cook and it tastes bland.

If frozen, defrost overnight in the fridge.  Sprinkle with water and microwave until heated through. 

Blueberry French Toast Casserole & Egg Cups

This is a repeat meal, originally prepared by Amy W.  The links to the recipes are below.


http://www.food.com/recipe/freezer-blueberry-french-toast-casserole-230208
Defrost overnight, bake covered for 15-30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Bake 25 minutes uncovered until center is firm,
 

I used an entire loaf of french bed, more than 10 slices and I added also added fresh lemon juice  to the blueberry sauce.

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2006/10/egg-muffins-revisited-again.html
Fully cooked, just thaw & reheat!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

Recipe from  http://www.acouplecooks.com/2012/10/sweet-potato-and-black-bean-green-enchiladas/

• 2 medium to large sweet potatoes (3 cups diced)
• 15 oz. can black beans
• 8 ounces canned diced green chilies (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium red onion
• ½ tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• ~2 cups salsa verde
• 6 to 8 oz. Colby jack cheese, shredded
• corn tortillas
• Sour cream
• Fresh cilantro, to garnish

What To Do

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cook the sweet potato: Peel and dice the sweet potato. Place in a pot and cover with water; add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, around 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Prepare the filling: Finely chop the red onion. Drain and rinse the black beans. (If using cilantro to garnish, you could chop it at this time as well.)
4. Assemble the filling: In a large bowl, combine the cooked sweet potato, black beans, red onion, green chilies, ½ tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ to ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Mix to combine.
5. Assemble the enchiladas: Warm the tortillas for a minute in the microwave, or in a pan for a few seconds per side. In a large baking dish, spread ¾ to 1 cup of the salsa verde. Fill each tortilla with a heaping ½ cup scoop of the filling, add a handful of cheese, and roll it up. Place the enchilada seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. When all enchiladas are in the dish, top with the remaining salsa verde (about ½ cup or so) and the remaining cheese.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
7. Serve, garnished with sour cream (mixed with a tiny bit of water to loosen it) and chopped cilantro.

Creamy Polenta

3 cups milk
1 cup corn meal
handful of romano cheese
1 tsp of salt

Heat milk and salt until steaming. Slowly stir in the corn meal stirring well. Once fully incorporated turn up the heat, and while stirring constantly, cook until thick. Add cheese, mix and the pour in to what ever container you are using.

Lentil Loaf

My first attempt at Lentil Loaf - and we liked it.  It was extra yummy the second day sandwiched in a grilled cheese. From the freezer: place the frozen loaf on an oiled pan, defrost.  Spread the tomato mixture on top & sides of loaf, bake 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  The recipe suggests covering with tinfoil during the last 10 minutes, but I preferred a bit of "crust" to the loaf.

The recipe can be found here, http://www.myvegancookbook.com/recipes/recipe.php?id=16

Mediterranean Lentil Soup with Spinach

Recipe from the 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes

Ingredients:
1 cup green lentils
1 TBS vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp cumin OR 1 tsp toasted cumin seed, crushed
zest of one lemon
1 potato, peeled and grated
6 cups of vegetable stock
8oz fresh spinach leaves
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Place lentils in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water.

Heat oil over medium heat. Cook onions, celery, and carrots, stirring until softened for about 5 minutes. Add garlic cumin and lemon zest and cook for 1 minute.  Transfer mixture to slow cooker, add lentils, shredded potato and stock.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. When vegetables are tender, add spinach and lemon juice. Cover and cook on high for 20 minutes until spinach is cooked and mixture is hot and bubbling.

Fried Rice

Precook 1 cup of brown rice and cool completely. I usually make this on Sunday and use it all week or pop some in the freezer.

Ingredients
Onion - scallion, red, white, or whatever you have
Garlic
About 2 cups of veggies like corn, mushrooms, peas, greens, thinly sliced cabbage, sprouts, etc.
1 well scrambled egg
Soy sauce


Heat oil in a frying pan (add egg and cook- remove when cooked) and saute onions and garlic. Stir fry for a minute. Add rice and cook until well heated and add veggies. Stir fry until veggies are done and add soy sauce. Add egg and enjoy.

Wheatberry Salad

From the Barefoot Contessa, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/wheatberry-salad-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 1 cup hard winter wheatberries
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup finely diced red onion (1 onion)
• 6 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 scallions, minced, white and green parts
• 1/2 red bell pepper, small diced
• 1 carrot, small diced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the wheatberries and 3 cups of boiling salted water in a saucepan and cook, uncovered, over low heat for approximately 45 minutes, or until they are soft. Drain.

Saute the red onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar.
In a large bowl, combine the warm wheatberries, sauteed onions, scallions,red bell peppers, carrot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes for the wheatberries to absorb the sauce. Season, to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Curried Carrot Soup

8 cups shredded carrots

2 leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

2 tbs oil

¼ tsp baking soda, heaping

1 tsp curry powder

Salt to taste

4 cups water

Cook the carrots, leeks, and baking soda over medium heat. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes until soft. Add curry and cook 30 seconds. Add water and simmer for a few moments. Using a hand blender, puree until smooth.

For CC:  I only added 3 cups of water. Use as is for a very thick soup or sauce for rice or greens. Add a cup of water, broth  or milk for a soup.

Breakfast Casserole with Spinach, Leeks, Cottage Cheese, and Goat Cheese

Recipe from KalynsKitchen.com
1 leek, white and light green part only (or use green onion or red onion if you don't want to buy leeks)
2 tsp. olive oil
5-6 oz. baby spinach leaves, washed and dried if needed
10 eggs, lightly beaten
1-2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (or use any other all-purpose seasoning that tastes good with eggs)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (Spike has salt, so I only used pepper)
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese, rinsed with cold water and drained well
3 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled (the one I used had 7 grams of fat per ounce, could substitute low-fat cream cheese, Feta, or more cottage cheese for the goat cheese)

Cut a 3 0z. piece from a log of goat cheese and put in the freezer to chill while you prep other ingredients. Preheat oven to 375F/190C.

Measure 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese, put in a fine strainer, and rinse with cold water. (If you prefer not to rinse the cottage cheese I think it would just make it a little creamier, but I always rinse.)

Cut off the root end and dark green part of the leek, then cut into fourths lengthwise and slice into thin pieces. Leeks are usually dirty, so I washed the sliced leeks in the salad spinner and spun dry.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan with tall sides, then add leeks and saute 3-4 minutes. Then add the spinach leaves and saute 3-4 minutes more. While vegetables are cooking, lightly beat the eggs with Spike Seasoning, salt and pepper. Remove the goat cheese from the freezer and crumble it as finely as you can.

Spray a 8" x 8" casserole dish with nonstick spray. Spread spinach/leek mixture in the bottom of the dish, then layer on cottage cheese and goat cheese. Pour egg mixture over, then use a fork to gently stir so the veggies and cheese are evenly distributed in the eggs.

Bake 20-25 minutes, or until eggs are set and lightly browned. The casserole will puff up slightly as it bakes, but will settle down when it cools for a few minutes.

Our Perfect Veggie Burger Crunchy

Our Perfect Veggie Burger Crunchy, chewy, with a crispy outer shell, these delicious veggie burgers have all the right elements we love in a veggie burger. Light on the beans, these burgers aren’t mushy in the middle, but have a nice mixture of breadcrumbs, chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, and seasonings to round them out. Best of all, they work great in the oven, frying pan, or even on the BBQ. They can also be made gluten-free by using gluten-free oats, Tamari, and breadcrumbs. Don’t have breadcrumbs? Just process a few slices of bread in the food processor for instant breadcrumbs. I used 3 slices of Ezekiel bread. Inspired by Whitewater Cooks.
Yield: 8 burgers Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• Flax eggs: 2.5 tbsp ground flax + 1/2 cup warm water, mixed in bowl
• 1 cup oats, processed into flour* (other flours might work)
• 1.5 cups bread crumbs (I processed 3 pieces of Ezekiel bread until fine crumb)*
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and roughly pureed or mashed
• Heaping 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (or fresh herb of choice)
• 1/3 cup almonds, chopped (toasted if preferred)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, (toasted if preferred)
• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Tamari (soy sauce)
• 1.5 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp kosher salt)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F (if baking). In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in 1/2 tbsp oil. Mix your flax egg together in a small bowl and set aside for at least 10 mins while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Place all ingredients (except spices and salt) into a large mixing bowl and stir very well. Now, add seasonings and salt to taste.
3. With slightly wet hands, shape dough into patties. Pack dough tightly as this will help it stick together. I made 8 medium patties.
4. Cooking methods: You can fry the burgers in a bit of oil on a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. If baking in the oven, bake for 25-30 mins (15-17 minutes on each side) at 350F, until golden and crisp. For the BBQ, pre-bake the burgers for about 15 minutes in oven before placing on a pre-heated grill until golden and crisp on each side. Our preferred method of cooking was frying in the skillet!! GF Note: To make these burgers gluten-free, use certified GF oats, GF Tamari, and gluten-free breadcrumbs.

Perfect Veggie Burger

From www.ohsheglows.com Crunchy, chewy, with a crispy outer shell, these delicious veggie burgers have all the right elements we love in a veggie burger. Light on the beans, these burgers aren’t mushy in the middle, but have a nice mixture of breadcrumbs, chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, and seasonings to round them out. Best of all, they work great in the oven, frying pan, or even on the BBQ. They can also be made gluten-free by using gluten-free oats, Tamari, and breadcrumbs. Don’t have breadcrumbs? Just process a few slices of bread in the food processor for instant breadcrumbs. Yield: 6 burgers Ingredients: 1/2 cup onion, diced 1 large garlic clove, minced Flax eggs: 2.5 tbsp ground flax + 1/2 cup warm water, mixed in bowl 1 cup oats, processed into flour 1.5 cups bread crumbs (I processed 2-3 pieces bread until fine crumb) 1 cup grated carrots 1 cup cooked black beans, rinsed and roughly pureed or mashed Heaping 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (or fresh herb of choice) – I used basil 1/3 cup almonds, chopped (toasted if preferred) 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, (toasted if preferred) 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 tbsp Tamari (soy sauce) 1.5 tsp chili powder 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. oregano Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp kosher salt) Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350F (if baking). In a large skillet, sauté onions and garlic in 1/2 tbsp oil. Mix your flax egg together in a small bowl and set aside for at least 10 mins while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. 2. Place all ingredients (except spices and salt) into a large mixing bowl and stir very well. Now, add seasonings and salt to taste. 3. With slightly wet hands, shape dough into patties. Pack dough tightly as this will help it stick together. Recipe says to make 8 patties, but I thought 6 made for a better size (to match the rolls). 4. Cooking methods: You can fry the burgers in a bit of oil on a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. If baking in the oven, bake for 25-30 mins (15-17 minutes on each side) at 350F, until golden and crisp. For the BBQ, pre-bake the burgers for about 15 minutes in oven before placing on a pre-heated grill until golden and crisp on each side. Our preferred method of cooking was frying in the skillet!! GF Note: To make these burgers gluten-free, use certified GF oats, GF Tamari, and gluten-free breadcrumbs.