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‘Recipes’ Category

  1. Chickpea Salad

    August 21, 2014 by admin

    Sometimes there’s nothing better than a good bean salad!IMG_2148

    We make them regularly, and with several types of beans, but lately our favorite has been this nutritious and filling Chickpea Salad.  Once you’ve cooked the beans, it goes together in minutes and can be eaten fresh, or saved for a later day.

    Ingredients:

    1 Cup Dried Chickpeas

    1/2 Diced Red Pepper

    1/2 Diced Red Onion

    1/4 Cup Shredded Carrots

    1/4 Cup Your Favorite Salad Dressing

    Process:

    1.  Boil Chickpeas in plenty of water, 1-2 hours until they reach your preferred level of softness.

    2. Drain beans and toss with veggies.

    3.  Toss with Salad Dressing, either all at once, or as needed.

     

    IMG_2149Tip: We prefer to leave the salad undressed, so it can be customized when eaten.  Each family member can choose their own favorite dressing, for example.

    You can eat the cold chickpea salad within a wrap.  Or you can throw it on top of some brown rice, add a little salsa, and warm everything up for a nice sort of stew.  Really, the possibilities are endless!

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  2. Vegan Pizza

    August 1, 2014 by admin

    Occasionally we want to cut down on the amount of dairy products we consume.  Or we just crave a dinner that’s a little bit lighter than a full-on traditional pizza.  And we’re considering what it might mean for our family to go fully vegan- could we still have versions of our favorite foods?IMG_6955

    Well, pizza is one of our family’s faves.  This recipe proves that we can still have delicious, filling pizza prepared vegan.

    It’s simple and pretty quick to put together.

    First, you’ll need some dough.  Start this step a few hours before you plan to eat, so the dough has time to rise.  We recommend two hours.  But you can cut that by a lot (even less than an hour!) and it will still work out OK.

    Ingredients:

    1 1/2 Cups Flour

    1 T Sugar

    1 T Dry Yeast

    1 t Salt

    2/3 Cup Water

    6 t Olive Oil

    Process:

    Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl, cover and set aside for about 2 hours.

    Now, for the pizza toppings:

    Ingredients:

    1 Red Pepper

    1 Red Onion

    8 oz. Sliced Mushrooms (we used button)

    Small bunch of fresh Basil, chopped

    Salt & Pepper to Taste

    1 t Oregano

    1/4 to 1/2 Cup Your Favorite Marinara: homemade or a favorite store brand- you decide!

    Vegan Parmesan Cheese (we used Go Veggie!)

     

    Process:

    Saute veggies to help bring out flavors, about 5 minutes.  Use veggies from your garden if you can!

    IMG_6946Roll out/ toss dough into a round, about 14 inches across. Place on a pizza/cookie pan dusted with cornmeal.

    (Optional) Precook dough 5 minutes or so, at 350 degrees.  This can help keep the pizza from being too soggy in the middle once you add your toppings.  But it’s ok to skip this step.

    Spread marinara on pie, and finish off with sauteed veggies.  Sprinkle with a light topping of vegan parmesan.IMG_6945

    Bake 15 minutes at 350.

    Eat and enjoy!  There may just be something to this vegan thing.

     

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  3. Zucchini Hot Pot

    July 23, 2014 by admin

    IMG_6822Here’s a great soup we recently created: Zucchini Hot Pot Soup.   It’s a Korean-based soup, modeled after a beefy soup recipe in one of our cook books.  We adjusted it to become a vegetarian soup and couldn’t be more pleased with the results.  It’s a spicy soup, refreshing on a summer day, or warming in winter.

    It’s also ridiculously easy to put together.  And a great use for summer’s zucchini bounty!

    If your kitchen cupboards aren’t already stocked for Korean cuisine, you’ll need to pick up a few things at a specialty grocery store.  Or you may luck out and find these items in the “Ethnic Foods” aisle of a larger supermarket.

    Miso Paste:  A paste made of fermented soybeans with other ingredients including mushrooms and grains.  It’s sort of like a bouillon for asian cooking.   Miso comes in a variety of types.  You may want to start with a ‘mild’ variety, and work your way from there.  Miso can be used in many other recipes as well.

    Korean Hot Red Pepper Paste:  This peppery paste gives the soup and other Korean dishes their unique heat.  We found some at our local supermarket, from the Bibigo Brand.

    Now, on to the soup!

    Ingredients:

    2 T Miso

    3 T Korean Pepper Paste

    1 T Minced Garlic

    1 T Sesame Oil

    1 Medium Onion, Diced

    2 – 3 Cups Stock or Water

    1 Zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces

    1 package (12 oz.) Tofu

    Scallions for Garnish

    Salt to Taste

     

    Tip: The miso and pepper paste both have some salt, so depending on your stock and desire of saltiness, you may not need any additional salt.

    Process:

    1.  Saute onion in sesame oil, pepper paste, miso and garlic a few minutes.

    2.  Add stock or water and bring to a simmer.

    3.  Add zucchini and tofu, simmer until zucchini is ready to eat.

    4.  Serve over brown rice with scallion garnish.

    Yum!

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  4. Three Bean Chili

    July 11, 2014 by admin

    We love a good bowl of chili.  It’s great in the summer.  Despite how hot it may be outside, a steaming bowl of chili always hits the spot.  And in the depths of winter, it will warm you to your core.   Our chili recipe goes together pretty quickly.  But as with most good chilis, it benefits greatly from being allowed to sit and simmer on the IMG_6659stove for a long time.

    Tip: This chili includes many ingredients you might grow in your garden or acquire at farmer’s market!

    If you can prepare the whole meal the night before you plan to eat it, and let it simmer for a long while in the background.

    Ingredients:

    • 1/2 Cup each: Dried Black Beans, Chick Peas, Kidney Beans
    • 2 Bell Peppers, Diced  Try to get two different colors, if you can.  We like red and green.
    • 1 T Olive Oil
    • 1/2 T Fennel Seed
    • 1 T Coriander Seed
    • 1 T Cumin Seed
    • 1 t Mexican Oregano  (Italian Oregano will work, but the Mexican variety is available in most supermarkets…)
    • 1 T Chili Powder – More if you want to up the heat
    • 3 Tomatoes, chopped
    • 1/2 Cup Green Beans, Chopped
    • Water as needed
    • Salt and Pepper to taste

     

    Process:

    • Boil the beans in three separate pans for about an hour.
    • Saute peppers in bottom of a large stock pot.
    • Grind seeds and Oregano and warm along with peppers.
    • Add tomatoes and heat through.
    • Add cooked beans and green beans.
    • Add enough water to make a slightly thin chili, the excess water will cook off during the simmer.
    • Add salt and black pepper to taste.
    • Simmer for as long as you can manage, preferably at least two hours.

     

    Enjoy as is, or topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream or green onions.  Also tastes great eaten with tortilla chips or over brown rice!

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  5. All Around The Mulberry Bush

    June 27, 2014 by admin

    It’s mulberry season again!  Yay!IMG_0070

    We love this time of year- searching out old trees to forage from, and testing our stamina against the mosquitoes who always seem ready to thwart our mulberry picking plans.  But we persevere!

    We have brought home several pints of these little berries in just a few days.   Of course, we eat most of them straight, but what are you going to do with all those mulberries?

    You can use them almost anywhere you’d use another berry- pancakes and muffins, for instance.

    This year, we started making mulberry cobbler!  This simple recipe takes only a few minutes to whip together and bakes in just about half an hour.

    Ingredients:

    1 Cup Flour

    1 Cup Sugar

    3/4 Cup Milk

    2 t Vanilla

    1 Stick Butter

    2 Cups Mulberries

    1/3 Cup Sugar

     IMG_6495

    Process:

    1.  Melt butter in the bottom of a baking dish.

    2.  While butter is melting, warm berries and 1/3 cup sugar on the stove to melt the sugar.

    3.  Mix the flour, sugar milk, vanilla and milk together, and pour into dish over melted butted.  Mix this a bit.

    4.  Pour sugared mulberries on top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350.

     

    Let cool for about 1/2 hour as it will be super hot.  Enjoy!!

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  6. Who Wants Nachos?!?!

    May 16, 2014 by admin

    IMG_1822You can make awesome plates of nachos in your home, in about half an hour. It’s totally worth it!  We love this dish as a delicious evening snack.

    We always worry that we’ve made too big a pile of nachos, but there are never any leftovers…

    First, figure out what you want on your nachos, because you’ll want to gather all your ingredients together before you start cooking.

    Some ideas:

    Cheese (Cheddar is awesome, but you might like Monterrey Jack or a pepper jack- really almost any cheese you like will work.  Some vegan cheeses work really well too!), olives (black, green, or kalamata), diced onions, scallions, diced tomatoes, salsa, refritos or black beans, sliced jalapenos… the list can go on and on.  Anything you like can go on your nachos!

    Prep all your ingredients: chop you onions, grate your cheese, slice your olives- get everything ready.

    Take about half the chips you will be using and lay them out on a cookie sheet or pizza pan. Top with half of each of your other ingredients, saving the cheese for last. Bake this layer for about 8 minutes at 350 degrees to melt up the cheese.

    Add the rest of your chips and the rest of your toppings, saving the cheese for last.  Bake for another 8 minutes or so – more if you like your cheese crispy.

    Slide your big heap of nachos onto a plate, break out the sour cream and/or guacamole and dig in!

     

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  7. Peanut Noodles

    March 12, 2014 by admin

    These noodles are a sure-fire hit around our house.  The kids love the peanutbuttery-ness of them.  Adults love the Asian hints brought out by the soy sauce.  Everyone thinks they’re delicious.333001

    They go together in about a half an hour, including the time it takes to boil the pasta.

    Tip:  This dish can be served hot, or prepared in advance and served as a cold salad.

    Ingredients:

    2/3 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

    1 T Sesame Oil

    1/3 Cup Rice or Wine Vinegar

    1 T Sugar

    1 T Dijon Mustard

    1 T Ground Corriander

    1 T Soy Sauce

    1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

    1 Pound Spaghetti

    1 Cucumber

    1 Red Pepper

    1 Bunch Scallions

    1/2 Cup Chopped Peanuts

    Process:

    1.  Boil pasta until al dente, drain and rinse.

    2. While pasta is cooking, whisk together peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, corriander, dijon, vegetable oil.

    3.  Toss Pasta in peanut butter mix.

    4. Sprinkle scallions, red pepper, diced cucumber  and peanuts on top.  Or reserve toppings in separate bowls to let diners choose which ones they want!

    Enjoy!

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  8. Meatless Meatballs

    February 21, 2014 by admin

    Growing up in the heavily Italian North Jersey, we TRParents have seen our share of delicious Italian foods.  Eggplant parmesan sandwiches that are out-of-this-world and hard to find once you leave the East Coast.  Pizza to die for- which seemingly cannot be replicated successfully outside the Garden State.

    And pasta.  So many delicious pasta dishes.

    The classic mid-week meal in most of the houses of our neighbors and friends growing up was spaghetti and meatballs.  A fabulous and filling meal. IMG_1511

    But we are now a vegetarian household, so meatballs have been off the menu.  Until we discovered this yummy recipe that takes just a few minutes to prepare and offers the delectable ‘meaty’ nuggets we remember.

    Ingredients:

    3 or 4 eggs

    1 T Vegetable Bouillon

    1-2 cups grated cheese- we use Romano usually, but it works well with cheddar too.  Probably any hardish cheese will work.

    3/4 cup chopped walnuts

    1 cup dried breadcrumbs

    Process:

    1.  Chop walnuts in food processor with bread crumbs.

    2.  Add bouillon, eggs and cheese.  Start with 3 eggs and add the fourth if the mixture seems too dry.

    3.  Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

    4.  Remove from fridge and form into small balls.  We make little 1″ diameter balls, but you can make them bigger if you like.

    5.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until browned.  If you plan to reheat for another day, or simmer the meatballs in sauce for service, you can shorten the cook time by a few minutes.

    Enjoy with some pasta marinara and bread for a great meal.

     

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  9. Simple Substitutions

    February 5, 2014 by admin

    Frequently enough, when you are trying to get dinner on the table, you’ll find you have forgotten to buy something.  Or you discover you’ve run out of an ingredient.  What to do?IMG_1758

    Wing it!  Most recipes can be modified in many ways and still produce a winning dish.  Your changes may even make the dish more to your liking!  And you’ll find yourself purposely repeating the new recipe the next time you prepare the same meal.

    Here’s a few of our common replacers for those uh-oh moments:

    Honey for Corn Syrup:  We have an aversion to HFCS in products we buy, but many cookbooks call for it in their baking recipes.  Honey can be used one-for-one for corn syrup!

    Corn Meal and Wheat Germ for Bread Crumbs:  Of course, it is pretty easy to make bread crumbs by toasting your favorite bread and running it through a box grater.  But if you are out of bread, or pressed for time, a mixture of corn meal and Wheat Germ will give you an approximation of the taste and texture of breadcrumbs for most purposes.  You can also use ground up boxed cereal flakes as all or part of your substitution.

    Wheat Berries/ Barley/ Rice:  For many purposes you can switch these items up and still have a delicious meal.  In soups, pilaf, and in home-made veggie burgers—you’ll notice the difference, for sure.  But these substitutions can produce tasty changes to your typical final dish.

    Walnuts for Other More Expensive Nuts:  Many nuts have a similar texture.  Feel free to make pesto with walnuts, if you can’t afford pine nuts.  Or use walnuts instead of pecans to make cookies or muffins.

    Don’t panic the next time you turn to your cabinet and find that you are missing an ingredient!  You can still have a delicious dinner, on time.

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  10. Mac&Cheese

    January 17, 2014 by admin

    IMG_1333

    We make this simple baked macaroni dish in less than an hour, and our whole family loves it!  Pair with a side-vegetable or salad and you’ve made a delicious meal.

    Ingredients:

    1 Cup Elbow Macaroni Pasta (any pasta style will do!)

    4 oz. Cream Cheese

    1 Cup Shredded Cheddar

    Salt & Pepper To Taste

    ¼ Cup Milk (we use 2%, rBGH-free)

    1/2 Cup Bread crumbs

    Procedure:

    Boil Pasta in a large pot until soft.  Drain.

    Return Pasta to pot and mix in cream cheese.  Stir until cream cheese is melted and blended.

    Mix in half the shredded cheddar.

    Add salt and pepper to taste.

    Mix in milk.

    Pour pasta mixture into a lightly greased casserole pan.

    Spread the remaining cheddar on top of the pasta.

    Sprinkle bread crumbs on top and bake for 30 minutes.

    Tip:  You can easily make your own bread crumbs by toasting a few slices of your favorite bread and running it through a box grater or food processor.

    Change up the flavors by adding oregano or cilantro to the mix.  Keep ketchup and hot sauce handy- they go great with this yumminess!

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