July 2007

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Vol. 6, No. 7

VEGETABLE TABOULI

Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Resting Time:  30 minutes
Chilling Time:  2-3 hours
Servings:  8

1 cup uncooked bulgur
2 cups boiling water
3 tomatoes, chopped

1 cucumber, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup chopped fresh mint
½ cup lemon juice
fresh ground pepper to taste

Place bulgur in a bowl and pour the boiling water over it.  Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.  Transfer to a colander to cool and drain. 

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and place the in a separate large bowl.

Combine the drained bulgur and vegetables.  Add the lemon juice and pepper to taste.  Mix well and chill before serving. 

Hint:  A 15 ounce can of any kind of cooked beans, drained and rinsed, makes a nice addition to this salad.    Try garbanzo, kidney, black or white beans.

GARBANZO SPINACH SALAD

Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Chilling Time:  1-2 hours
Servings:  4-6

3  15 ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups loosely packed chopped fresh spinach
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup chopped yellow bell pepper
3 green onions, finely chopped
½ cup oil-free Italian dressing
several twists fresh ground pepper

Combine beans and vegetables in a bowl.  Pour dressing over and toss to mix.  Season with fresh ground pepper.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours for best flavor.

Hint:  This is one of my favorite salads and very often I eat this right after putting it together.  It keeps well in the refrigerator for several days. 

RED BEAN GUMBO

Preparation Time:  20 minutes, cooked rice needed
Cooking Time:  30 minutes
Servings:  6-8

1/2 cup water
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
6 cups vegetable broth
1  14.5 ounce can Cajun-style stewed tomatoes
1  8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ground oregano
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
several twists of fresh ground pepper
1  15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1  15 ounce can red beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups chopped greens (kale, chard, spinach, etc.)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2-4 cups hot brown basmati or jasmine rice

Place the water, onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic in a large pot.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.  Add vegetable broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings.  Bring to a boil, cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.  Add beans and greens (not parsley) and cook an additional 10 minutes.  Stir in parsley.

To serve, place 1/2 cup of the rice in the bottom of a soup bowl.  Ladle gumbo over the rice and mix well before eating.

MEXICAN VEGETABLE SOUP WITH CILANTRO PESTO

Preparation Time:  30 minutes
Cooking Time:  40 minutes
Servings:  8

½ cup water
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
8 cups vegetable broth
1 14.5 ounce can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1  4 ounce can chopped green chilies
1  8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 whole dried chipotle chile
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground oregano
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
1 zucchini, chopped
1  15 ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup Savoy cabbage, chopped
1 ½ cups chopped kale
1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels
1
 cup small uncooked pasta, such as orzo

Place the water in a large pot with the onion, bell pepper, leeks and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 7 minutes.  Add broth, tomatoes, green chilies, tomato sauce, chipotle chile, chili powder, oregano and Tabasco sauce.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.  Add vegetables and beans.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Add pasta and cook for an additional 4-8 minutes, until pasta is tender.  Remove whole chipotle before serving.  Stir 1-2 teaspoons of cilantro pesto (recipe follows) into each bowl before eating, if desired. 

CILANTRO PESTO

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Yield:  1 cup

1 cup packed cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon raw cashews
½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon lime juice
2 teaspoons water

Place cilantro in blender or food processor and process until chopped.  Add remaining ingredients and process until well mixed. 

Use to add more flavor to soups and stews.  Also delicious spread on bread.

TAMALE BURGERS 

I found this recipe for burgers in Vegetarian Times last month.  The original recipe came from Frank Melodia, and I thought the burgers looked so interesting that I just had to try them.  I have modified the recipe slightly, leaving out the oil, of course, and simplifying some of the steps.  We like to serve these in a corn tortilla, with lettuce, tomatoes, and the Taco Sauce recipe from this newsletter.  Some sliced avocado could also be added, if desired.

Preparation Time:  30 minutes (need cooked rice)
Cooking Time:  45 minutes
Cooling Time:  50 minutes
Servings:  8-10

2 tablespoons vegetable broth
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
¾ cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
2 teaspoons adobo sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
dash salt (optional)
1/3 cup masa harina (for tortillas)
½ cup water
3 cups cooked brown rice
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
¾ teaspoon lime zest
8-10 corn tortillas

Place the vegetable broth in a large non-stick frying pan with the onion, bell pepper, corn, chipotle chile, adobo sauce, garlic, and cumin.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are softened.

Mix the masa harina with the water in a small bowl.  Add to the vegetable mixture and mix well.  (Mixture will be very thick.)  Cover and cook over low heat, stirring once or twice, for about 5 minutes.

Heat the cooked rice until hot.  Place in a large bowl and add the vegetable mixture to the rice along with the remaining ingredients, except the tortillas.  Mix well and set aside for 20 minutes.

Place several sheets of parchment paper over large baking trays.  Fill a medium bowl of water and place it next to your work surface.  Wet hands and shape mixture one at a time into flattened oblong burgers (just the right size for fitting into the tortillas).  Place each shaped burger onto the parchment paper.  Repeat until all mixture is used.  Refrigerate burgers for 30 minutes.

Grill burgers over medium heat for about 7 minutes on each side, until crusty on the outside.  This may be done on a charcoal or gas grill, or on a griddle on the stovetop.

Place each burger in a corn tortilla, add lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, if desired, and spoon some Taco Sauce over the top.  Fold up and enjoy.

Hints:  Masa harina can usually be found in Latin American markets, or in the ethnic section of some supermarkets.  It is a fine corn flour that is used to make tortillas and tamales.  I usually make a double batch of these burgers because they freeze well and then I have an easy meal for sometime later.  These may also be shaped into the traditional burger shape and eaten on whole wheat buns.  They have a decidedly Mexican flavor to them, so they are best topped with Mexican-style seasonings.

TACO SAUCE

This is a creamy, slightly spicy sauce that is wonderful with raw veggies, or drizzled over tacos.

Preparation Time:  5 minutes
Servings:  makes 3 cups

1 package soft silken tofu
1 ½ cups tofu sour cream
1 package Bearitos Taco Seasoning mix

Place the tofu in a food processor and process until fairly smooth.  Add the tofu sour cream and process until very creamy.  Add the package of seasoning mix and process until blended.  Pour into a covered container and refrigerate for an hour or two to allow flavors to blend.

Hint:  Recipe for tofu sour cream can be found in the June 2002 newsletter.

MISO SOUP

This is a simple, yet delicious, miso soup that is light enough to enjoy on a hot summer night.

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  5 minutes
Resting Time:  2 minutes
Servings:  4

1 ounce wakame seaweed
4 cups water
¼ cup mellow white miso
1 package silken tofu, cubed
⅛ cup soy sauce
4 green onions, chopped

Soak the seaweed in water to cover, drain, squeeze and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Set aside

Place the 4 cups water in water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Remove ½ cup of the boiling water and mix into the miso until it is very smooth.  Return to pan, mix well and cook for another minute or so.  Add the seaweed, tofu and soy sauce.  Mix gently, turn off heat and add the green onions.  Let rest 2 minutes before serving.

Hints:  The seaweed is entirely optional.  If you don’t care for the flavor, try some fresh spinach instead.  To make this into a heartier soup, add some cooked soba or udon noodles to the water when adding the miso, heat through, then proceed as above.

FETTUCCINE IN CREAM SAUCE WITH SUMMER VEGETABLES
By Emily Barth Webber 

Emily prepared this delicious dish during the celebrity chef weekend in 2006.  Prepare this very special, but rich, dish for a summertime special occasion.

This creamy sauce is rich, satisfying and flavorful.  Full of subtle herbs that marry beautifully with summer vegetables, it is the right dish to serve when you know you should eat lots of vegetables, yet you still crave something sinful (like Fettuccine Alfredo or Mac & Cheese).  It’s the best of both worlds. 

Play around with the vegetables in this dish.  Use whatever is in season.  Vary the herbs, use fresh herbs, have fun with it.  Once you make this dish once, you’ll know how to make vegan cream sauce, so have fun experimenting.

Serves 4 

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in 4 cups spring or filtered water for 4-8 hours
4 teaspoons dried herbs from Provence
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
A few grinds of black pepper
1 cup filtered or spring water

Pasta and Vegetables:
½ pound fettuccine
1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach
1 tablespoon water or vegetable stock
1 carrot, cut into julienne
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, julienne
1 cup broccoli florets
1 small yellow squash, cut into julienne
1 small zucchini, cut into julienne
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

Directions

  1. Start water boiling for fettuccine in a large pasta pot.
  2. Drain cashews, dump into blender and puree with 1 cup water until very smooth and creamy.  This may take 5 full minutes in a standard blender.  As soon as mixture is smooth and creamy, add herbs from Provence, sea salt and pepper and puree for another minute.  Sauce will be the consistency of half and half.  Don’t worry.  It will thicken as it heats up.
  3. Boil fettuccine.  It should take about 11 minutes.  Add spinach to the water for the last 30 seconds of cooking.
  4. Meanwhile, sauté carrots in 1-2 tablespoons water or vegetable stock in a large non-stick skillet over high heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, yellow squash, zucchini, garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes.  Reduce heat to low and add sauce to skillet.  Stir and warm through for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Drain fettuccine and toss with sauce and vegetable mixture.

VEGAN DONE LIGHT
By Erin Dame

Erin Dame has compiled a wonderful selection of light vegan recipes in a downloadable book at www.vegandonelight.com.  I haven’t had a chance to try all of the recipes yet, but he has some very creative selections that are low fat, healthy vegan recipes.  I have included a preview recipe for you to try in this newsletter, Mexican Mini “Pizzas”, a low-calorie, gluten-free recipe that I’m sure you will enjoy.  The only free oils he uses are to oil the pans, and if you have good quality non-stick cookware, those oils can easily be eliminated.  Check out his website listed above and see photos of all the recipes as well as instructions for downloading.

 

 

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